YORKTON, Sask. — Representatives from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities spent last week in Ottawa pressing federal decision-makers on issues they say are critical to the future of rural communities, including priorities that directly affect producers and municipalities across east-central Saskatchewan.
SARM's board of directors met with ministers, senators, MPs and senior federal officials to discuss agriculture, trade, transportation infrastructure, rural crime, broadband connectivity and rural development.
SARM president Bill Huber said the annual trip is intended to ensure federal leaders understand the role rural Saskatchewan plays in Canada's economy.
"Agriculture is a huge part of our members' livelihoods," Huber said. "I would think more than 90 per cent of our member municipalities are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture."
For rural municipalities surrounding Yorkton and extending north toward communities such as Canora, Kamsack, Preeceville and Norquay, many of the issues raised in Ottawa are tied directly to the region's agricultural economy and transportation network.
Huber noted Saskatchewan exports much of what it produces, including grain, oilseeds, pulse crops, livestock, potash, uranium, oil and gas.
"We lobby for infrastructure funding because we're a province that exports almost everything that we grow and produce," he said.
Among the priorities discussed were transportation corridors, port capacity, rail service and labour regulations that can affect the movement of Saskatchewan commodities to domestic and international markets.
"Whether it's grain to an inland terminal that's situated near a town or city, or whether it's forestry products or oil and gas or potash, we need the roads and bridges to connect rural members to those markets," Huber said.
The delegation also highlighted public safety concerns in rural communities, where long police response times and repeat offenders remain ongoing issues.
SARM said federal action on bail and sentencing reforms must be accompanied by adequate policing resources if changes are to have a meaningful impact in rural areas.
Huber said another major focus was ensuring federal investment programs recognize the realities of rural Saskatchewan, where municipalities maintain extensive transportation networks despite relatively small populations.
"I don't think a lot of people in Ottawa fully grasp rural Saskatchewan," he said. "Some of them have never been here."
Huber said many of the officials SARM met with had never visited rural Saskatchewan but appeared more interested in learning about the province and seeing its farms, mines and manufacturing operations firsthand.
"They seem more open now to the opportunity to visit Saskatchewan, to a farm, to a ranch, to some of the manufacturing opportunities and mines that we have here," he said.
He attributed some of that shift to the transition from former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government to one led by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
"We had a total disconnect in this province federally with our prime minister in the past," Huber said. "We've got the same government with a different prime minister, and at least he's got a working relationship with our premier and some of his ministers here."
The delegation held 28 scheduled meetings during the trip and also had an unexpected encounter with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Parliament Hill.
Huber was not present for the conversation but said any opportunity to put rural Saskatchewan's concerns directly in front of federal leaders is valuable.
"We have to make sure our elected representatives know how important Saskatchewan is to the economy of this country," he said. "We're the people that grow and produce the commodities that the world needs."
Huber said trade issues were a recurring topic in meetings with federal officials, particularly as Saskatchewan producers continue to navigate tariff disputes and market access concerns.
"We've gone through some challenges in the last number of months with tariffs, whether it's China, India or the U.S.," he said. "Those are things that we have to make sure are dealt with."
He said maintaining strong trade relationships and efficient transportation infrastructure is critical for rural municipalities whose economies depend heavily on agriculture, mining, oil and gas production.
While he said it remains to be seen whether federal commitments will result in concrete action, Huber believes relations between Saskatchewan and Ottawa are improving.
"There's a little bit of hope at the end of the tunnel," he said. "We're certainly in a better place this last year or 18 months than we have been in the past 10 years."
