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Health care, revenue sharing and co-operation between municipalities were some of the themes of Wednesday’s “bear pit” session at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s convention in Regina.
Over nearly 90 minutes, mayors and councillors from across the province grilled Premier Scott Moe and his cabinet. Topics ranged from a doctor in St. Walburg who hasn’t received his new contract yet to whether Saskatchewan is ready to take advantage of economic opportunities springing from the uncertainty created by a potential separation question in Alberta.
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One theme that came up in the answers was the impact of inflation on provincial spending, especially when it comes to health care, and how that affects the ability of the provincial government to help with other matters.
“I think that is a concern across Canada,” Moe told reporters. “There’s only one taxpayer, whether we’re talking about federal, provincial or municipal taxes, and so it should be a concern for all of us. And I think the investment is certainly necessary, and the rate of increase that we’re seeing in that investment, I’d say that it also is necessary today.
“But we do need to look to the horizon as to how have we traditionally delivered health care, and what innovation and tools do we have available to us today?”
The challenge of recruitment in small centres
Moe said there’s no better place to live in the world than a small Saskatchewan community. But he admitted it can be a challenge to keep talented professionals working in rural areas, especially in the health-care field.
“We don’t have enough health-care workers across Canada, and so there is a competitive environment there,” Moe said, adding that a recent investment in training is aimed at helping solve the problem.
Moe said recruitment is also a challenge, but the province is expanding the mandate of the Saskatchewan Health Recruitment Agency in an effort to address the issue.
“They know who’s who coming through the university system (and) bring people to the front door of these facilities for our Saskatchewan Health Authority,” Moe said.
Health authority reviewing parking policies amid plea for compassion
One delegate is coming away from the convention hoping for a small, but compassionate policy change.
Prince Albert Mayor Bill Powalinsky is calling for free parking for cancer patients undergoing treatment. He asked for a show of hands to prove his point that few people haven’t been touched by cancer in some way.
“Let’s face it – that could be the lowest point in time in somebody’s life,” Powalinski said in an interview.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill told the gathering that the cost of maintaining infrastructure has to be balanced with giving patients the best possible access, but he added that he’s asked the health authority to review parking policies at its facilities.
“That, to me, is a positive step,” Powalinski said. “We’ll see in the next couple of months where that lands.”
Municipal amalgamation not in the cards, premier says
A pointed exchange over amalgamation and regional co-operation added another layer to the broader debate at the convention, as delegates pressed the provincial officials on whether Saskatchewan’s patchwork of municipalities is still the most effective way to plan for growth.
The issue surfaced during the “bear pit” session when Jason Mancinelli, city councillor for Ward 9 in Regina, argued the current model leaves too many planning and taxation silos in place, especially around the Queen City.
“Having so many small, distinct districts makes it really hard to properly finance and plan for investment or for opportunity,” Mancinelli said.
He pointed out that major developments near Regina can land in a rural municipality while the city still carries much of the broader regional burden, including services and economic development efforts.
“All of those investments, all of those go to a small RM alone,” he said. “I believe there should either be some type of amalgamation or regional participation co-operation between the various urban centers and RMs.”
Mancinelli did not pitch a takeover by Regina. Instead, he framed his comments as a call for a serious conversation about whether the province has too many separate governments.
“For us to have success, we have to have more co-operation,” he said. “If that means that we take three entities in two square miles and make them one, OK. If that means we figure a better way to organize it so everyone contributes to the outputs, OK.”
Mancinelli acknowledged he was not presenting a detailed blueprint, but said the conversation itself is overdue.
“We have way too many politicians and way too many entities, and maybe we have to realign ourselves for success,” he added.
Moe rejected the idea that amalgamation is necessary, saying municipalities are already operating as efficiently as they can. He made it clear the province is not considering forced amalgamation.
“It really doesn’t matter how many times you ask,” he said. “The answer is going to be the same.”
Moe suggested that co-operation between municipalities could include sharing specialized staff or services between neighbouring communities in order to reduce costs.
“There’s opportunities for, us as a provincial government, to facilitate some collaboration around becoming more operationally efficient in a region,” Moe said.
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association president Randy Goulden also pointed to ongoing efforts to strengthen co-operation between municipalities, particularly when it comes to delivering essential services.
“If there’s any opportunity to do that, I look forward to those conversations,” Goulden said.
She emphasized the importance of maintaining core services while also exploring new ways to share resources.
“Those are highly trained professional people that we have to keep in our communities so that we can offer a safe and good place to live,” Goulden said.
–with files from 980 CJME’s Jacob Bamhour
