The first SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) convention of the new municipal term had the theme of Dynamic Communities, Dynamic Leaders, and according to Yorkton City Councillor Randy Goulden, who attended the event, it lived up to that promise.
The convention was the largest that has ever been held says Goulden, with 1,100 delegates, with about a third being newly elected. She also says that the demographic is also changing, with younger councillors and more varied ethnic backgrounds.
The themes for the event were reflected in the different sessions and keynote speakers, Darci Lang and George Cuff. There were also breakout sessions which focused on different areas of governance, which Goulden says reinstated the role of elected officials, both experienced and newly elected. She also says that the opportunity to speak with the provincial cabinet.
One of the most important parts of the SUMA convention is the people you meet, Goulden adds, whether it is people within the provincial government or people in a similar role from other communities.
"We quickly find out that we have many of the same issues that we have to address. It's quite interesting, whether it's one of our large cities or one of our small villages, size is just relative, the issues are all there," she says.
Infrastructure funding is one of the big issues for all communities in the province. Goulden says that there's a huge infrastructure deficit across Canada, and in Saskatchewan cities and towns also have the issues of growth coupled with aging infrastructure.
With the many younger officials at the convention, Goulden adds, it's an opportunity to hear different experiences and view different approaches. She notes that the use of social media has become an integral part of the lives and work of many of attendees, including Premier Brad Wall, and both new and experienced were able to learn from each other.
"You've got the experienced council members with the young ones and you have a great exchange of ideas. It's really great to understand what some of the younger families are looking at when they're moving to our communities, and there are also different ways to communicate."
"It was a really energetic SUMA convention because of all the new energies which we saw."
