Submitted by Chris Jaster

Last week’s Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention was a success, although Lorne Rygh, the Reeve for the RM of Kingsley was disappointed in the federal government.

Rygh, like the rest of the delegates attending the convention in Regina, was surprised not only the Minister of Agriculture failed to present a speech or discuss matters with the RMs, but that the federal government did not send any representative.

“The lack of attendance shows that working with individual consulting is not in (the federal government’s) vocabulary. There is a lack of consultative process and they can be quite distant from SARM,” he said.

Gary Vargo, an administrator for the RM of Hazelwood, understands why the representative was lacking as the federal government was voting on a motion of confidence and the Conservatives required all members to be in Ottawa for the vote.

Despite a lack of federal presence, both Rygh and Vargo were happy with the role the provincial government took in the conference, although Rygh was amazed at how the delegates had a “greater affinity” to the Saskatchewan Party than it did towards the NDP.

A combination of a pro-Saskatchewan Party delegation, a new government and the budget to be released one week after the convention led to a relatively tame bear pit session that saw the provincial government’s representatives keep details relatively close to their vest, not willing to tip off the new budget. Vargo, however, sees another reason.

“There is a feeling of a closer tie to the government and there appears to be a good relationship between the SARM board and the ministers,” he said.

Rygh found out first hand how accommodating the ministers were when he talked to Nancy Heppner, the Minister of Environment, about recycling tin and plastics. He was pleased to hear the ministry is working with industry to find a use with the materials. Finding a buyer means more revenue for collecting these recyclable goods that are stored at the dump as nobody is currently willing to purchase them.

Neither municipality was particularly concerned with any of the resolutions, although Rygh was happy the congregation passed the motion to try and remove the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans from Saskatchewan to avoid costs of having to go through two levels of governments when setting up or repairing bridges and pipelines through fish habitat areas.

Overall, Rygh and Vargo were happy with the events that transpired at the convention and left the provincial capital waiting anxiously to see how the budget would affect them.