Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 126

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• Premier Scott Moe says the latest US tariffs violate the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and raise serious concerns about the reliability of the current trade relationship. Moe criticized last-minute changes proposed by American negotiators and said Saskatchewan will not accept conditions limiting Canada’s ability to pursue trade with other countries. He praised Prime Minister Mark Carney for walking away from what he described as an unfair deal and said Saskatchewan supports Canada’s dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs. At the same time, Moe warned that the trade dispute will create real challenges for businesses, workers and families on both sides of the border. He emphasized that tariffs ultimately increase costs and hurt jobs, making it important to pursue opportunities to reduce or eliminate trade barriers.
  
  
• Saskatchewan has put plans for a specialized tactical unit within the Saskatchewan Marshals Service on hold after a tender seeking equipment such as sniper rifles, thermal cameras and ballistic gear drew public scrutiny. Community Safety Minister Michael Weger said he and Chief Marshal Robert Cameron were unaware of the tender until August 13, blaming an overly ambitious employee for moving the process forward prematurely. Weger confirmed that no equipment will be purchased and said the government wants the Marshals Service focused on recruiting its 70 officers and working alongside existing police agencies. Critics have questioned whether the province needs another tactical unit when similar teams already operate through municipal police services and the RCMP, particularly given the potential cost of equipment and training. Weger said any future decision to create the unit will require his personal approval and that the Marshals Service will review its internal policies.
  
  
• In other public safety news, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Prince Albert Grand Council and Meadow Lake Tribal Council to formalize First Nations involvement in wildfire planning and strategy. Signed on August 18th at the Provincial Response Centre near Prince Albert, the agreement establishes regular engagement between the agency and First Nations leadership before and after each wildfire season, along with ongoing work through the First Nations Wildfire Strategy Working Group. Federal departments, including Indigenous Services Canada and the Canadian Forest Service, will also take part in the discussions. Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said First Nations knowledge needs to be part of wildfire planning from the beginning, not only when an emergency is already underway. Meadow Lake Tribal Council Chief Jeremy Norman pointed to last year's fire season, one of the worst in a long time, when member communities including Canoe Lake Cree Nation were forced to evacuate, some for over a month. The province claims the agreement is a step toward a more coordinated approach to wildfire management across First Nations, provincial, and federal partners.
  
  
• Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Jim Reiter provided an update on August 20th on growth in Saskatchewan's housing sector. There were 6,150 new housing starts in Saskatchewan in 2025, the highest level since 2014 and a 42% increase from 2024, which the Government says was the highest growth rate among provinces, while data from January to June 2026 showed 3,083 new starts, on pace to match last year. A separate release says starts rose 23.9% from July 2025 to July 2026, ranking second among provinces for a second consecutive month. The province also reports that 6,371 new rental units were completed between 2023 and 2025, bringing total rental stock to a record 44,802 units, with more than 1,500 additional rental units brought to market through the Secondary Suite Incentive Grant Program. As of July 2026, the benchmark home price in Saskatchewan stands at $383,500, compared to a national benchmark of $661,800. The Government committed more than $60 million through the 2026-27 budget to assist with construction and affordability of market-based housing.
  
  
• Finally, Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal has ruled against Saskatchewan Government Insurance in a dispute over when an injured claimant's appeal officially begins under the province's no-fault insurance system. The case involved a driver injured in a September 2020 crash who mailed a notice of appeal against an SGI benefits decision on June 1st, 2023, a week before his 90-day deadline, but the Automobile Injury Appeal Commission never received it and the deadline passed before a second copy arrived. SGI argued an appeal should begin only once the Commission actually receives the notice, warning that otherwise neither the insurer nor the Commission could be certain which appeals were outstanding. In its decision released August 6th, the court rejected that argument, concluding that mailing a notice of appeal within the statutory period is enough to commence an appeal, since the legislation does not use words like filed, served, or received. SGI's appeal was dismissed, with costs awarded to the claimant. The court noted this was the first time it had been asked to resolve the question, even though the provision has existed for years.

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