Saskatchewan Minute: Aviation Investment, Wildfire Fleet, and a Tuesday Evening Event

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

This Week In Saskatchewan:

• The Legislature will sit from Monday to Thursday this week. The Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice will meet on Monday at 2:30 pm, and the Standing Committee on House Services will meet on Tuesday at 3:00 pm.
  
  
• Boeing is pledging $17 million to the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) to expand its Aviation Learning Centre, doubling its capacity to train aircraft maintenance engineers (AME). Boeing Canada emphasized the growing demand for AME professionals as the aviation industry expands globally.
  
  
• We’re thrilled to announce our inaugural Pints & Politics event in Regina on Tuesday at 6:00 pm at the Creekside Pub & Brewery. We're going to keep things simple and just have some casual drinks, with no formal agenda, as an opportunity for everyone to get together with like-minded Saskatchewanians. Come out and meet some of our Saskatchewan Institute team! The event is free, but registration is required. You can RSVP by clicking here.

Last Week In Saskatchewan:

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threatened Premier Scott Moe regarding the Canada Revenue Agency's ability to collect owed taxes, emphasizing that disputes with CRA over taxes are challenging. This came in response to Moe's pledge not to remit federal carbon levies on natural gas, in response to Trudeau’s carbon tax carveout on home heating oil for the Atlantic provinces. Moe has called for a similar exemption on natural gas, which Saskatchewanians primarily use to heat their home, and has been a vocal opponent of the carbon tax in general.
  
  
• Five schools in Saskatchewan, from Moose Jaw, Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, Yorkton, and Regina, have joined the Mental Health Capacity Building program. This program focuses on mental health prevention, early intervention, and support for students' emotional well-being. With an additional $1 million allocated to it, the program funding now totals $3 million and covers 15 schools.
  
  
• It was announced that Saskatchewan is addressing its wildfire challenges by replacing its current fleet of land-based airtanker aircraft with four modern planes, at a cost of $187 million to be paid by 2029. These new aircraft, including Conair 8-Q400At and 8-Q400MRE models, are designed for firefighting and multiple emergency purposes, ensuring long-term safety for communities. Premier Scott Moe emphasized the investment's significance for decades to come. The new fleet will gradually replace the aging aircraft, with the first plane expected to be operational in 2025 and full replacement by 2027, when the old planes reach the end of their lifespan.