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17-1-2023
Note: Certain email platforms may distort the formatting of this Weekly Policy Bulletin email. Please click the link below to view the online version of this email, as it was intended, through your internet browser.
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2023 Annual Resolution Deadline
The deadline for submitting resolutions for the upcoming 2023 Annual Convention is Saturday, January 28, 2023, end of day. Resolutions must be received in the SARM office by this date in order to be addressed at the convention and included in the convention guide. Please email resolutions to resolutions@sarm.ca.
Linked below for your convenience are the Guide the Writing Resolutions and the Resolution Submission Form.
*Please remember that each resolution submission must include a brief (no more than 500 word) background that answers the questions provided in the attached resolution submission form.*
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2023 SARM Elections- President, Vice President, Division 2,4,6
The 2023 SARM Annual Convention will have elections for President, Vice President, and Division Director positions in Division 2, 4, 6.
All elected positions are two-year terms. The two-year terms of office for the six Directors are staggered, with the two-year term for the Directors of Divisions 1, 3 and 5 from the election at the annual convention in an even year and continuing until the completion of the election for those positions at the annual convention two years henceforth. The two-year terms for the Directors of Divisions 2, 4 and 6 are from the election at the annual convention in an odd year and continuing until the completion of the election for those positions at the annual convention two years henceforth.
Pursuant to the SARM bylaws, the deadline for nominations for the 2023 elections is 5:00 PM, Thursday, February 16th, 2023. The 2023 SARM Annual Convention will have elections on Thursday, March 16th, 2023.
Nominations can be submitted by email to jmeyer@sarm.ca. The candidate’s acceptance form must be filed by the same deadlines in the same manner.
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Harassment Prevention Policy Template for Municipalities
Back in 2019 SARM and SUMA shared a template for all municipalities to use when dealing with harassment issues in their municipalities. Whether the harasser is a municipal employee, council member, ratepayer, contractor, etc., this template policy sets out a process to ensure harassment is dealt with appropriately and promptly.
To encourage individuals concerned about harassment to come forward, the template refers to “written reports” and “individual who alleges harassment” instead of “filing a complaint” or “complainant.” The template also provides clear examples on what is and is not acceptable in the workplace.
As there is no one size fits all approach for dealing with harassment in the workplace, the harassment prevention policy template was designed to be flexible for use in municipalities of all sizes. Municipalities are encouraged to revise the policy to fit their specific needs, and if necessary, consult a legal professional for specific advice.
Please see below for a copy of the policy template.
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SARM RM Directory
Don't forget to update the RM Directory on the SARM website. This will ensure that SARM and the public are kept up to date with current RM council details.
To access your RM Directory profile on the SARM website, please log in here and click on the “Manage your RM Directory Listing” link that is located under the Administrator’s Access for Updates heading on the Members Only homepage.
If you require any assistance, please contact coordinator@sarm.ca.
| | This seminar will be an excellent opportunity for new or experienced safety practitioners (or those who wish to learn from them) to attend professional development sessions with experts on a variety of current safety related topics. | |
Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Invest $17.6 Million in Crop Research
Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced total funding of $17.6 million today for crop-related research in 2023.
Invested through Saskatchewan's Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), the announcement includes $10.3 million for 49 research projects, as well as $7.2 million in operational support over the next five years for the Crop Development Centre (CDC) in Saskatoon. Since being established in 1971, the CDC - a research organization with the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan - has released over 500 commercial crop varieties in over 40 different crop types.
Examples of the individual research projects being funded include exploring the diversity of Fusarium root to species infecting pulse crops, insect response to climate change and ag inputs across the prairies, economic salinity remediation strategies for agriculture water using innovative desalinization minerals and a nutritionally balanced pulse-oilseed protein-based beverage.
An additional $4.6 million was contributed in support of this year's research projects by the following industry partners:
- Alberta Wheat Commission
- Alberta Barley Commission
- Alberta Canola Producers Commission
- Manitoba Crop Alliance
- Manitoba Canola Growers
- Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission
- Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission
- Saskatchewan Forage Seed Development Commission
- Prairie Oat Growers Association
- Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association
- Saskatchewan Pulse Growers
- Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission
- Western Grains Research Foundation
For more information, including a full list of funded projects, click here.
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Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Award Program Funding
FireSmart Canada is a national organization whose goal is to help Canadians increase neighborhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative effects. FireSmart Canada designs science-based programs that empower residents to take small steps, around their homes and property, that have lasting impacts. FireSmart Canada works in collaboration with provincial and territorial chapters to implement and deliver its programs and services. No matter where you live, you can be FireSmart! To learn more about FireSmart Canada, visit www.firesmartcanada.ca.
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign organized by FireSmart Canada. It is recognized annually on the first Saturday in May. In 2023, it will take place on Saturday, May 6.
FireSmart Canada, in collaboration with its partners, offers a $500 award program to help communities fund their Preparedness Day events. Preparedness Day events encourage residents and communities to come together at any time between May and October 2023 to host events and work on projects that raise awareness of wildfire risk and increase resilience to it.
The SPSA encourages Saskatchewan communities and organizations to take advantage of this opportunity for free funding. More information on the program, as well as the application form, can be found here.
Additionally, the above website also provides event ideas and resources, free for download.
The application deadline is January 31, 2023.
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Municipal Tax Policy for Agricultural Crown Lands
With municipal taxes coming due December 31, now is a good time to become familiar with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Municipal Tax Policy for agricultural Crown lands. This policy outlines how the ministry and the Rural Municipality (RM) can work together to ensure that any outstanding taxes levied on leased agricultural Crown land are paid in a timely fashion.
RM’s can request payment for taxes owing on leased agricultural Crown land if there are any unpaid amounts five business days after December 31st of the year in which the taxes were levied. The first step is for the RM to complete and submit the Agreement Cancellation Request Form to Corporate Services. Corporate Services will not be sending out this form, it has been attached for your convenience. This form needs to be submitted no later than February 5, 2023. If you have questions please contact Corporate Services at billinginquiryag@gov.sk.ca or 306-787-7191.
Once this form is received by the ministry, a Notice of Cancellation will be sent to the lessee. If taxes are not paid by the lessee within 21 business days after the issuance of the Notice of Cancellation, the lease will be cancelled. The ministry will only pay up to one year of tax arrears (the oldest tax year owing) to the RM directly and the ministry will take the necessary actions to recover the debt from the former lessee. If the RM receives payment for taxes, after the ministry provides a grant in lieu, from the former lessee on a cancelled lease, the RM will refund all taxes paid by the ministry.
For more information on the municipal tax policy, please visit www.saskatchewan.ca.
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2022 Clubroot Distribution in Saskatchewan
[On January 9, 2023], the Government of Saskatchewan released the 2022 Saskatchewan Clubroot Distribution Map, which outlines the rural municipalities (RMs) where clubroot has been identified.
In 2022, visible clubroot symptoms were recorded in two more commercial canola fields and the clubroot pathogen was detected in four new fields. To date, visible clubroot symptoms have been confirmed in 82 commercial fields while the clubroot pathogen has been detected through DNA-based testing in 42 fields where there were no visible symptoms. These results show the importance of continuing to monitor and manage clubroot, which is a declared pest under The Pest Control Act.
All producers with visible clubroot symptoms or fields with the presence of the pathogen have been notified. The specific land locations are kept confidential and not shared publicly to protect the producer's privacy. Land locations are only shared with the appropriate RM if they have clubroot-specific bylaws enacted and visible symptoms have been confirmed
The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with SaskCanola, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation and plant health officers, implemented the clubroot monitoring program to understand the distribution and severity of the disease in the province and where it has been already detected. The program includes in-field surveillance, free on-farm soil DNA testing for producers and agrologists and encouraging clubroot reporting from producers and industry.
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