Four Sask. players named to Canada world junior hockey championship team
Dec 14, 2024
Berkly Catton, Brayden Yager, Caden Price and Tanner Howe were all named.
Ranchers are generally optimistic, praising the government for making improvements to the trespassing law.
Justice Minister Don Morgan answered questions at the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association Semi Annual Meeting in Regina on Friday.
Land owners asked about higher fines, enforcement and timely police response. They also raised issues about waterways that flow through their property that would have public crown land on the shore and how that’s affected. Others asked about granting access to cemeteries and point of interests in rural areas.
Glen Snyder owns land near Prince Albert. He said he’s been involved in criminal and civil cases surrounding trespassing. He didn’t go into detail but told the minister that the prosecutor decided not to pursue the charge in the criminal case and he settled in the civil case.
“The legal system was somewhat reluctant to enforce the act given the small amount of penalties, given the time and the resources that it took in order to enforce it,” Snyder explained.
He praised the government for raising the fine in the new trespassing act to $5,000, up from $2,000 in the previous act. Snyder also commended the province for giving more authority to conservation and highway traffic officers who have been added to the Protection and Response Team (PRT).
“The combination of those two things, I’m certainly hopeful that the trespassing issue will be resolved going forward,” Snyder said.
Snyder said it remains to be seen if the higher fine will be enough of a deterrent and explained he would be in favour of another hike down the road.
The new trespassing act will no longer require land owners to post signs on their property and puts the onus on the visitor to seek permission. Snyder said he will continue to keep his land posted as an extra measure, saying it’s only fair.
“If this is going to work, there has to be cooperation both ways,” Snyder said.
Minister Morgan expects the trespassing bill to pass during the spring session and would go into effect almost immediately after.