The SUMA team will be heading out tonight to begin our tour of the province for Regional Meetings and two Municipal Leaders' Roles and Responsibilities (MLRR) workshops. See the Event Listings for all the details on those events.

While we all hope the unseasonably warm weather continues, we are mindful that November road conditions can be unpredictable. Please closely monitor the email you provided to us at registration, especially on  the morning of the event. We will send email notification if the weather forces us to change our travel plans.

Workers suffering from a psychological effects of workplace trauma will now have an easier time getting help from the Workers Compensation Board (WCB). Since 1992, psychological injuries such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have beencovered by WCB, but the burden of proof rested on the injured worker to demonstrate their injuries were related to a workplace event.

Thanks to the October 25 amendments to The Workers Compensation Act, workers applying for coverage for psychological injuries will only have to  produce a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or psychologist . Groups representing first responders had been advocating for this change.

To learn more about how the changes affect workers, read the PTSD Q&A information on the WCB website. 

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau's  fall economic statement included a significant expansion of funding relevant to municipalities. Phase 2 of the Federal Infrastructure Plan, initially set at  $48 billion over eight years, will be increased to $81 billion over 11 years for transit, social and green infrastructure, and transportation projects. The announcement includes $2 billion earmarked specifically for rural and northern communities. The November 1 announcement was greeted with enthusiasm from across the municipal sector including SUMA.  We responded with a news release welcoming the changes.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big City Mayors' Caucus has released its Pathways to Reconciliation guide.  The document captures some of the efforts of Canadian municipalities to respond to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Of the 94 Calls to Action, 16 related specifically to municipal and/or all orders of government. Efforts at reconciliation in Regina and Saskatoon were among some of those highlighted in the guide.