Legislative Report
May 4, 2023

Supporting Safer Communities

May 1 to 7 is Missing Persons Week in Saskatchewan with the theme “Never Forgotten: Honouring the Missing and Supporting Their Families.” This week is about raising awareness about missing persons and prevention and support services.

Our government continues to work to improve safety for communities and people across the province. The recently passed 2023-24 Provincial Budget includes important investments in safety for Saskatchewan communities.

Investments of $968.5 million will enhance the protection of persons and property across the province;  included in this investment is the establishment of the new Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS). Consisting of about 70 officers, the SMS will support RCMP and municipal forces with a focus on rural and remote areas.

Expansions to Saskatchewan’s Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) and Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Teams (WEST) will also be funded to build on ongoing successes. Over the past year, these teams have apprehended numerous violent offenders and removed drugs and guns from our communities, helping make our province safer. The province’s third WEST unit will be established in Prince Albert this year, and a new CRT unit in the Battlefords region will join the other nine units across the province.

Our government continues to invest in initiatives to reduce the criminal use of firearms while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. This year’s budget includes funding to administer the recently-passed Saskatchewan Firearms Act, which regulates licensing, storage, transportation and carrying of firearms. A provincial firearms regulatory system will be established to promote the safe and responsible use of firearms. The Act will also regulate seizure of firearms by federal government agents and ensure fair compensation for those firearms being seized. Ultimately, the Act will enhance public safety while supporting responsible firearms use and ownership.

As we approach fire season, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has invested in a new water-scooping air tanker to help provide a stronger wildfire response. The new CL-215T will join a fleet of air tankers and bird-dog planes as part of the province’s fire response program. This year’s budget also invests in reopening the Parkland College firefighter training program in Melville, which will address the demand for firefighters across the province.

This budget includes an $8.8 million increase in annual funding to enhance Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in 31 communities across the province. This investment will help stabilize emergency services and modernize the system across the province. EMS providers in our communities are on the frontlines of patient care, a priority area for our government.

For survivors of interpersonal and sexual violence, the budget includes $27.5 million in supports and services. This includes funding to support second stage housing, including intervention and counselling services, for women and their children leaving interpersonal violence and abuse. This funding will be allocated to five community-based organizations across the province that do important work to support survivors. Violence and abuse have no place in our communities, and ensuring survivors have access to safe services is part of improving community safety across the province.

Investments in initiatives that help keep Saskatchewan communities and people safe ensure our province remains one of the best places to live, work and raise a family. For more information or to learn more about the 2023-24 Provincial Budget, please visit Saskatchewan.ca/budget.