With SUMA’s annual convention and tradeshow approaching, they are calling on the provincial government to address issues in Saskatchewan’s hometowns, including reduced access to health care and the costs of landfill decommissioning.

Last year, SUMA members called for the development and implementation of a long-term recruiting and retention plan to provide and maintain emergent, acute, and long-term health care.

While SUMA said they recognize the province’s work through the Health Human Resources Action Plan, more needs to be done as many communities are still experiencing regular service interruptions in the clinic and ambulatory care.

SUMA President Randy Goulden said many residents feel the impact of the province’s rural and remote health troubles.

“You should not have to worry about how long it will take for an ambulance to get to you. In an emergency, minutes matter,” she said. “You also should not have to travel well outside your community to receive basic care when you have a hospital or clinic in your own community, but the doors are shuttered due to lack of staffing.”

Goulden added that the problems are worse in the province’s smaller municipalities due to staffing issues.

They said they would also like to see the province take immediate action on EMS retention, including increasing on-call rates for paramedics to encourage people to enter and stay in the profession.

SUMA also noted that the cost of decommissioning landfills continues to be a barrier for Saskatchewan’s municipalities.

“Communities with less than 500 people do not have the tax base to pay $300,000 to $500,000 to decommission their landfill,” said Goulden.

She added that while funding is made available through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to facilitate the decommissioning, municipalities are responsible for paying a portion through the cost-shared grant.

With the final stages of decommissioning costing approximately $250,000 to $350,000, small municipalities would need to supply $60,000 or more.

“Saskatchewan’s hometowns are asking for the Government of Saskatchewan to provide 25-year, interest-free loans to smaller communities.”

Saskatchewan’s hometowns shape SUMA’s advocacy through conversations, meetings, and events, including the resolutions session at SUMA’s annual convention.

The SUMA Board of Directors met in Saskatoon on March 3 to discuss topics important to Saskatchewan’s hometowns, including the resolutions going to the floor at the 2023 SUMA Convention and Tradeshow in April.