Rats, road repairs, plastic grain bags and emergency vehicles were some of the hot topics discussed at the recent Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) convention in Regina. The convention ran from Mar. 12 until Mar.
Rats, road repairs, plastic grain bags and emergency vehicles were some of the hot topics discussed at the recent Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) convention in Regina.
The convention ran from Mar. 12 until Mar. 15, and gave a forum for representatives from each of SARM's 296 member municipalities. The schedule of events included a series of educational sessions, debating of resolutions, and a "bear-pit" session including members of the Saskatchewan government's cabinet.
For RM of Scott councillor Ray Beck, this year's edition of SARM was "the best convention I have been to."
"The bear-pit session was really good. All of the cabinet ministers were there plus most of the members who were not in the cabinet. I'm on the provincial rat eradication board, and the news that we will be getting more funding was really good," Beck said.
One of the big issues discussed at SARM was the issue of grain bags. The gigantic bags used to store farmers grains have been both a blessing and a curse to people in rural areas. The bags provide a great way for farmers to store a large amount of grain, but can become a major environmental and safety hazard if not disposed of properly.
The bags have been burned in the field, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere which can be harmful to people's lungs. As well, if the bags are left out during the winter time, they can blend in with the white snow on the ground. This has created a safety concern for snowmobilers who have run into the mammoth structures, with potentially fatal circumstances.
At the convention there were three separate resolutions pertaining to grain bags. These resolutions ranged from a deposit of $300 to be paid when a producer buys a grain bag, and for SARM to lobby the provincial government to create legislation about the disposal of grain bags. During the convention it was announced the provincial and federal governments will be extending their Grain Bag Recycling Pilot Project for another two years. The project gives producers access to 10 facilities across the province where their grain bags can be properly disposed of.
"The projects will tell us if it will be viable. If not, whoever sells grain bags should gave some responsibility. Chemical companies take some responsibility for what their product can do and so should the guys that make grain bags," said RM of Cymri reeve Joe Vilcu.
For Reeve Vilcu, one of the most important resolutions was resolution 43, which centred on the subject of First Responders and the subject of "productive" and "non-productive" calls in the eyes of SGI.
Currently SGI pays out a rate of $825 an hour to a town's fire department for what they deem to be a "productive call." The $825 an hour collected are used to help the fire department pay for the costs of their staff and equipment. However, if the call is deemed to be "non-productive" they pay back to the fire department $495. The problem with this lowering of pay back according to the resolution is, "whether the calls are productive or non-productive, the cost to the fire department is the same."
"Our people are good out here. They come out and do a good job. They just don't get the recognition they deserve. Public safety is always number one and to have this happen to our First Responders really gnaws at me," Vilcu said.
When the resolutions were finished, Vilcu estimates 90 per cent of resolutions raised were passed by the congregation of delegates. The veteran SARM attendee said this number was average to what he had seen in the past.
On Wednesday, the SARM delegate took part in a bear-pit session with the provincial cabinet. The panel fielded questions in categories ranging from last year's flooding and road repairs to health care. Allan Krauser, a councillor from the RM of Laurier, said the bear-pit displayed "a really positive trend over the past few years" with the government.
"It is good to see the province working with the municipalities. It is a lot better than what we had seen in the past," Krauser said.
The convention also gave municipal representatives a chance to go to a variety of workshops. RM of Scott councillor Beck particularly enjoyed the workshop on the issue of clubroot getting into canola. The RM councillor of 13 years attended the workshop twice "so (he) could study what they had to say there."
"We don't have much clubroot here, but it was good to learn about what to do just in case," Beck said.
Krauser attended the global crop outlook prospects workshop and the workshop on the North American livestock outlook. The councillor from Laurier said "both workshops were very good and well-attended." He added the outlook on both industries are things he will bring back to his local RM.
Aside from debating resolutions and attending workshops SARM provided the local RMs with a forum to network with their colleagues from across the province. For Cymri's Reeve Vilcu, the networking is the most important part of SARM.
"The speakers will give you a canned speech. The most important thing is the networking. You learn about how things are going for this guy over here. You can always learn something new and there is always a little twist on the fundamentals that you already know," Vilcu stated.
Vilcu also said his RM can serve as an example to other RMs in the oil field.
"We have had the oil business in our area for many years and some of the newer areas can learn from what we are doing here. We can all learn from each other really," Vilcu added.
