The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention wrapped up in Saskatoon this week, bringing together elected officials, administrators, and provincial leaders from across the province for four days of networking, resolutions, and policy discussions.
Weyburn Mayor Jeff Richards, speaking Wednesday afternoon on his way back from the convention, said the event offered valuable opportunities to connect with both peers and provincial officials.
“It was a good convention,” Richards said. “A lot of good connections, a lot of good conversations with not only elected officials at other municipalities, but also with the provincial government. So, you know, it's always good to connect with your peers.”
While the City of Weyburn did not bring forward any resolutions this year, Richards noted that council didn’t have a strong stance on any specific proposals that were debated during the session.
“We always look forward to the resolution session. A lot of it is very specific,” he explained. “There wasn't any one resolution that council was particularly eager or frankly reluctant to seeing. So, no, we weren’t terribly impacted by any of the resolutions.”
One of the most anticipated parts of the convention each year is the Bear Pit session, where municipal leaders can ask questions directly to members of the provincial cabinet. Richards said this year’s session included important conversations about infrastructure funding and intergovernmental cooperation.
“It was interesting, particularly this year, because we're on the cusp of the federal election,” he noted. “There was some conversation around grant funding for infrastructure and those kinds of things that are oftentimes, most times, in fact, federal, provincial, municipal partnerships.”
Richards noted that Premier Scott Moe reiterated his commitment to working with whichever federal government is elected later this month, a message that resonated with many municipal leaders.
“The Premier was very clear that he will work with whatever Prime Minister we have on April 29th to make sure that Saskatchewan is well represented,” Richards commented.
He added that policing and healthcare also came up frequently during the Bear Pit, with many communities eager to raise ongoing concerns and challenges.