Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 64

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• The Government of Saskatchewan has reported significant improvements in surgical care, with 100,406 surgeries and procedures performed between April 2024 and March 2025, and nearly 92% of surgeries completed within eight months, surpassing previous targets. The Province’s surgical investment, including an additional $15.1 million announced for the 2025-26 budget, is focused on increasing surgical capacity, expanding robot-assisted surgery programs, and enhancing coordination for back surgery and pain management. These efforts, alongside initiatives to streamline processes and recruit more health professionals, have collectively reduced long wait times and paved the way for future advancements, with a commitment to performing up to 450,000 surgeries over the next four years.
  
  
• Along with the positive improvements in surgical care, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is implementing a major restructuring to improve healthcare delivery and resource management across the province. The plan focuses on shifting resources and leadership closer to the point of care, with increased bedside staff and new or expanded clinical manager roles in 45 rural and northern communities. This restructuring aims to enhance leadership presence, especially in rural areas, and improve coordination while saving $10.4 million. A new senior physician leadership model will introduce six deputy chief medical officers reporting to the chief medical officer. The changes respond to ongoing challenges like staffing shortages and emergency room overcrowding, with $6.2 million redirected to patient care priorities and $4.2 million invested in local clinical leadership. Implementation will begin this summer and is expected to be fully in place by the fall.
  
  
• The Province is moving ahead with plans to establish a new women’s unit at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre, a project funded under the 2025-26 provincial budget that aims to ease capacity challenges and improve rehabilitation programs for female offenders. Officials argue that the initiative, which forms part of a broader strategy to enhance correctional infrastructure, will relieve pressure on the current system and provide tailored support for women in custody. However, the plan has faced significant criticism from Indigenous leaders and prisoner advocates, who contend that it reflects an overreliance on incarceration while overlooking the need for systemic changes to address the root causes of high incarceration rates among Indigenous populations. Further details remain pending as the project is still in its early planning stages.
  
  
• Saskatchewan has rolled back all its countermeasures against US tariffs, returning to its standard procurement processes to give residents the freedom to choose where to buy products. The government said this move will reduce administrative burdens and benefit industry associations and suppliers. The original countermeasures, introduced in March in response to US tariffs on Canadian goods, included favouring Canadian companies and halting purchases of US alcohol, with later exceptions for some American-owned but Canadian-made brands. After the US doubled tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50% in June, Opposition Leader Carla Beck criticized Saskatchewan’s rollback as a betrayal of Canadian workers. The government explained that the rollback aligns with federal steps to lift retaliatory measures and follows other provinces easing similar restrictions.
  
  
• Premier Scott Moe announced a $500 emergency payment for every adult from communities evacuated due to the ongoing wildfire crisis, aiming to help cover immediate expenses during displacement and return. The funds will be distributed through local municipal and First Nations leadership, with further support planned, including social services, housing, and mental health resources. Despite thousands displaced and multiple active fires, improved weather conditions have allowed officials to begin phased returns in areas like La Ronge. The emergency payments come after Saskatchewan Ombudsman Sharon Pratchler criticized the provincial government's handling of wildfire evacuations, highlighting poor communication and inadequate support for displaced residents. Many evacuees are living in cars, tents, or parking lots without access to basic needs like food, shelter, or clear information on where to seek help. Pratchler called for urgent improvements, including better staffing of help hotlines, a unified list of evacuation sites, and long-term housing plans for those who lost homes. Moe acknowledged challenges in communication and response, committing to improve coordination.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

The Government of Saskatchewan is studying potential safety and traffic flow improvements at key intersections along Highway 10 and Highway 35, and they want your input.

Design options include traffic signals, roundabouts, and restricted turn lanes, each with different impacts on safety, cost, and delays.

The survey is open until June 19th:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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