What to Expect
Saskatchewan
Premier Moe shared that his government will be releasing a white paper on Tuesday regarding provincial autonomy. On the John Gormley show, the Premier shared that the paper will take some concrete actions this fall and outline the costs to the province of some federal programs and policies. The government has talked about taking control of immigration from the federal government, collecting their own provincial taxes, and has had some very early conversations about a provincial police force. Look for Saskatchewan to move on some of these things early this fall, likely accelerated by Danielle Smith’s accension to the Premiership of Alberta last week.
Manitoba
Local elections in Manitoba are reaching their climax. The elections accelerated after last week’s mayoral debate in Winnipeg between the four frontrunners. Held on October 26, voting day is just over two weeks away. This will eat up most of the political oxygen in the province until then, although the House sits until Thursday before taking a break and returning on the 25th.
The Week That Was
Saskatchewan
The governments of both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have announced funding for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon to address the shortage of rural vets in both provinces.
On October 5, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that families living in the province under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) are now eligible for additional child income support benefits through the Child Basic Benefit or Transition Benefit for Children.
The Government of Saskatchewan is also providing tuition-free Kindergarten to Grade 12 education for displaced Ukrainian students.
Held on October 4, Saskatchewan’s public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights raised $5,426,564.36 for the province, which more than doubled the October 2021 offering. The October sale is the fourth of six oil and gas public offerings scheduled for this fiscal year.
The Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan are committing more than $44.6 million in joint funding for 28 provincial infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan.
Manitoba
The Manitoba government is developing a new $15-million fund to support Indigenous economic development opportunities related to the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Project.
The Government of Manitoba is sending 15 emergency support personnel and additional equipment to support Prince Edward Island’s post-hurricane recovery effort.
