Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Marion Buller, a member of the Mistawasis First Nation (130 km north of Saskatoon) and
British Columbia's first female First Nations judge, has been named the Chief Commissioner to the
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
She will be joined by four other commissioners: University of Saskatchewan professor Marilyn Poitras, Michèle Audette, Qajaq Robinson, and Brian Eyolfson.
The five-member independent panel will investigate "
underlying causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls including systemic issues" and have the "authority to examine institutional policies and practices such as policing or child welfare." The inquiry will run from September 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 and is expected to cost $53.9 million.
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Have Your Say: Marijuana Legalization and Regulation
The federal government is seeking input from municipal governments as it designs a new legislative and regulatory system for marijuana.
Please also forward a copy of your response to this consultation to our policy and legal advisor, Steven Dribnenki, as SUMA will also prepare an official response to this consultation.
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Have Your Say:
Electronics Recycling Expansion
Saskatchewan is interested in expanding the waste electronic equipment program to include additional electronic products, which will require an amendment to
The Waste Electronic Equipment Regulations. The Ministry of Environment is seeking your input on the proposed changes outlined in the
Summary of Proposed Amendments. Please review the proposed changes and complete the
online questionnaire by
August 31, 2016, and copy our policy and legal advisor,
Steven Dribnenki, on any responses you have to this consultation.
Questions? Contact
Brienne Bennett: 306-787-2916.
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National Building Code Updates Affecting Group Homes and Farm Buildings
National Building Code amendments will come into effect September 1, 2016. Of interest to urban municipalities is the removal of the requirement
to install fire sprinklers in small group homes that house five or fewer residents in care. The
Building Standards Advisory,
Fire Sprinkler Requirements in Alternative Family Care Homes,
has more details on the sprinkler requirements for group homes in Saskatchewan.
Another amendment
to
The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Regulations
(the UBAS Regulations) covers the question:
When is a farm building truly a "farm building" and when is it considered a "commercial operation" subject to the National Building Code? For more information on that change, read the Building Standards Advisory,
Farm Buildings and the National Building Code
.
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Safer Rail Transport of Crude Oil
The federal government recently announced it will fast track the retirement of older, crash-prone rail tankers used for carrying crude oil. More stringent standards come into effect November 1, 2016, six months ahead of schedule for "unjacketed" (without thermal protection) DOT-111 rail cars and 16 months earlier for jacketed DOT-111s. SUMA has been a strong advocate for increased rail-safety measures, including new standards for tankers transporting dangerous goods.
DOT-111 tankers are vulnerable to spills and explosions due to their thinner walls, exposed valves, and poor thermal protection. The severity of the 2013 Lac-Megantic rail disaster which killed 47 people was in part blamed on the use of this type of rail car.
The announcement only affects crude oil transport, as
DOT-111 cars will still be allowed for the transport of other flammable liquids until
April 30, 2025.
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How Will You Celebrate Saskatchewan's Seniors' Week?
The Province has declared
September 25 to October 1 Seniors' Week and is encouraging citizens to
organize events that
recognize seniors and the important contributions they make to our communities. The provincial week coincides with both National Seniors Day and the International Day of Older Persons, on October 1.
Here are some resources and ideas to get you started:
- The World Health Organization's International Day of Older Persons 2016 (October 1) has an article on Taking a Stand Against Ageism as part of their Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health.
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Good Luck to Communities in Bloom Competitors
Judges are visiting 26 Saskatchewan communities this summer as part of Communities in Bloom, a provincial
and
national
program
which recognizes efforts in community beautification, environmental responsibility, and civic pride. Communities participating at the competitive and evaluation levels are awarded up to five "bloom" ratings based on the community's collective performance in six categories: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape, and floral displays.
Communities can also participate non-competitively.
We wish good luck to all our members who are hosting judges this summer at the national level (the Village of Denzil; the towns of Indian Head, Ituna, Kinistino and Maple Creek; and the City of Humboldt) and at the provincial level (the villages of Mankota, Middle Lake and Riverhurst; the towns of Aberdeen, Bienfait, Eastend, Eston, Fleming, Frontier, Gull Lake, Kamsack, Kindersley, Shaunavon, Wynyard and Hague; and the cities of Moose Jaw, Warman and Weyburn).
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Urban Update Advertisement
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- Community/Municipal Solar Systems
- Residential Solar Systems
- Commercial Solar Systems
- Solar Engineering Design and Install
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Supreme Basics: Quality Service and Products at Competitive Prices
Longtime SUMAdvantage partner
Supreme Basics has again signed on
to be our office products supplier, along with newly added Staples Business Advantage.
Check out their August promotion
Supreme Basics, founded in Saskatchewan in 1974 and still based in Regina, has been providing our members with personalized customer service since 2001.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact
Supreme Basics'
Kim MacDougall on his cell at 306-539-6764 or SUMA representative
Lisa Rawlings.
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Show gratitude to long-serving municipal employees and elected officials by nominating them for the Meritorious or Honorary Service Awards presented at the President's Banquet during Convention 2017.
You can also recognize an individual for outstanding service in municipal government or administration on a local, provincial, and national basis by nominating them for the Scoop Lewry Award.
Visit the Convention 2017 awards page on the SUMA website for more information on the Meritorious and Honorary Service Awards, and the Scoop Lewry Award.
The nomination deadline for all these prestigious awards is October 5, 2016.
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Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) Fall Workshops
Learn about local programs, waste-to-energy, waste composition, construction/demolition waste. and get updates from the Ministry of Environment during one of two workshops being offered this fall: September 20 in Swift Current or September 22 in Prince Albert. Consult the workshop schedule for more details and register today. The registration fee ($100 for SWRC members and $125 for non-members) includes lunch.
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Classifieds
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Find the latest listings by visiting the
SUMA Classifieds
section of our website, under the Programs and Services tab.
Have a position to fill or an item to sell? Submit your ad on our website.
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Grants
Upcoming Deadlines
Ongoing
For a full listing of grants, check the
Grants
section of our website under the Resources tab.
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About Us
Thank you for reading the Urban Update this week. We welcome your comments.
SUMA
200 2222 13th Ave.
Regina, SK S4P 3M7
suma@suma.org www.suma.org |
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