REGINA – The Saskatchewan legislature is back in session following the two day Remembrance Day break.
Public safety is already dominating the week. The Saskatchewan government has been busy making a number of funding announcements of annual funding from the Municipal Police Grant program for targeted policing initiatives.
Those included $3.69 million to the City of Prince Albert announced Monday, as well as $833,000 to support policing in North Battleford. That followed on the heels of a similar announcement in Moose Jaw on Friday, as well as for a child and youth interview room in Estevan. More funding announcements are expected throughout the week.
As well the province introduced on Thursday the legislation to expand the definition of interpersonal abuse. The Cyberstalking and Coercive Control Act would expand that definition to include cyberstalking and online harassment, as well as coercive and controlling behavior, according to the province.
Also introduced Thursday was the Mineral Resources Amendment Act 2025. According to Minister of Energy and Resources Colleen Young, this is aimed at helping industry in the province, particularly the mining industry, who have seen "stranded resources that they haven't been able to access."
"There are many areas in our province, particularly with our larger potash industries, where they cannot find the mineral rights owners of lands that have no more ownership to them, whether the person has passed on or they cannot access family members or anybody."
She said those companies are having to mine around these parcels of land or curtail their operations. The Act would allow the Minister to provide an order allowing them to proceed, after they have done an intensive search over a five year period for the rights owners.
It is also anticipated the issue of foreign ownership of farmland might again be back as a hot issue this week, following exchanges in the Legislature and in letters back and forth between Opposition critic Trent Wotherspoon and Minister of Agriculture Daryl Harrison.
