Saskatchewan Minute: Issue 69

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

📅 This Week In Saskatchewan: 📅

• Saskatchewan is urgently requesting more firefighting support as the province battles 51 active wildfires, with 11 currently uncontained. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says its crews have been working nearly nonstop for over six weeks and need reinforcements. International help is arriving, including firefighters from Australia, Mexico, and several other Canadian provinces. The Province has also reached out to the federal government for more resources. Eight communities have been evacuated, displacing about 1,700 people. The largest fires include the Shoe Fire and Pisew Fire, together burning over 700,000 hectares. So far this year, Saskatchewan has experienced 378 wildfires, well above the five-year average.
  
  
• Premier Scott Moe is urging all Canadian provinces and territories to join the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) to promote free and fair interprovincial trade. Originally signed by British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in 2010 - with Manitoba joining in 2016 - the NWPTA aims to eliminate trade, investment, and labour mobility barriers among member provinces. Moe’s call comes ahead of the upcoming Council of the Federation meeting and follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to reduce internal trade barriers to create a unified national economy. Moe has written to Premiers across the country, saying expansion of the NWPTA is the clearest path toward achieving these goals. He also noted that the agreement supports easier workforce mobility by harmonizing certification recognition across provinces. Moe acknowledged that the agreement wouldn’t solve every issue but argued that it offers a strong framework compared to informal MOUs. With ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, including pressure from the US, Moe emphasized the need for a resilient domestic trade strategy. If eastern provinces join, the agreement would likely need to be renamed to reflect its broader national scope.
  
  
• Saskatchewan has awarded its northern tire recycling contract to Ontario-based Emterra Waste Management, replacing the previous deal with US-based Crumb Rubber Management. Emterra is set to open a new facility near Saskatoon by mid-2026 and will also begin processing tires at a temporary site near Clavet this fall. The decision follows backlash over the Province's earlier choice to award both northern and southern contracts to a US firm, which critics argued hurt local jobs and transparency. Shercom Industries, a Saskatoon company, shut down its facility in 2023 after losing the contract, resulting in at least 90 job losses and prompting legal action. The Emterra facility will focus on creating crumb rubber for various uses like sports fields and flooring. 
  
  
• Public pressure is mounting for answers regarding the unexplained removal of Rhonda Blackmore as head of the Saskatchewan RCMP. Regina MP Michael Kram is the latest to demand transparency, calling it unfair that Blackmore’s career could be damaged by anonymous complaints without explanation. Over a month has passed since her removal, and neither the RCMP nor the federal government has offered any public reasoning. Saskatchewan’s Minister of Corrections and Public Safety, Tim McLeod, also raised concerns in a letter to Ottawa. Blackmore has since been reassigned to a national RCMP role overseeing Indigenous and Support Services. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is calling for her reinstatement, citing broken trust between First Nations and the current policing structure. Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said that the RCMP operates independently and that personnel decisions should not involve political interference. Anandasangaree confirmed that an internal review is underway and promised it would be fair, transparent, and aligned with principles of justice.
  
  
• The Government of Canada is providing up to $850,000 annually to support Saskatchewan’s Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs), enabling the opening of a new DTC in the Battlefords. This expansion builds on existing courts in Regina and Moose Jaw and aims to serve west central Saskatchewan. The funding comes from Justice Canada’s Drug Treatment Court Funding Program, which supports alternatives to incarceration for individuals whose criminal charges are linked to substance use. These specialized courts focus on recovery and rehabilitation, offering treatment instead of punishment to eligible adult offenders. Federal and provincial leaders say that it’s important to address addiction through health-based solutions rather than criminal penalties. Saskatchewan’s Justice Minister and the Provincial Court’s Chief Judge both praised the program as a proactive and transformative approach.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Are you passionate about protecting Saskatchewan's freedoms, lowering taxes, and holding government accountable? 

Join the Saskatchewan Institute’s growing team of dedicated volunteers and help us make real change happen in our province. Whether you have a few hours a week or just want to help out at events, your time and skills can make a big difference. 

Sign up to volunteer today and be part of the movement to build a freer, stronger Saskatchewan.

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