Strong and growing communities are the foundation of a strong and growing province. That’s why Saskatchewan’s 2024-25 Provincial Budget invests in our province’s strong and growing communities - so that Saskatchewan can continue to grow and remain the best place to live, work and raise a family.
For cities, towns, villages and municipalities throughout Saskatchewan, the budget provides a record increase of $42.4 million in Municipal Revenue Sharing. This is an increase of 14.2 per cent from last year for a total of $340.2 million in unconditional support for municipalities in the province.
Municipal Revenue Sharing was introduced in our government’s first budget in 2008 to help support municipalities across the province. This funding is provided predictably with no strings attached because locally-elected leaders are most familiar with the needs of their communities. This information can be found here: https://dashboard.saskatchewan.ca/people-community/people/revenue-sharing.
An additional $350.1 million – an increase of $2 million – will be directed to infrastructure programs in the province, including funding for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, Canada Community-Building Fund and the New Building Canada Fund.
The budget also provides a $900,000 increase to the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency for total funding of $12.3 million to maintain its capacity for property inspections.
Investing in municipal and regional transportation infrastructure is a large priority in this year’s budget. A $29.5 million investment will support municipalities and industry partners in making investments in the provincial transportation system, supporting economic growth and safety on rural and municipal roads.
Funding from this year’s budget will also support community airport improvements and help short line railways maintain and upgrade their networks. Transportation infrastructure is important in keeping our families safe while travelling, connecting communities, and getting our exports to market, helping to further grow Saskatchewan’s communities.
Community safety remains a priority for our government and will receive significant investments in this year’s budget. The budget for the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety is $719.4 million. Together, they will work to maintain and promote public safety in Saskatchewan communities.
More than $228 million will fund RCMP operations in the province, an increase of $4.3 million, while the RCMP’s First Nations Policing Program will receive $21.6 million. The budget also provides $23.1 million for 160 municipal police positions, including 17 Combined Traffic Services positions funded by SGI and other public safety initiatives.
The budget includes $7 million for the Saskatchewan Marshals Service to continue implementation and hiring; the Marshals are expected to begin operations in 2026. The ministry will also receive $200,000 to enhance and expand the Saskatchewan Police College.
An investment of more than $250 million will be provided to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General to support the province’s justice services and community wellbeing, including $31.7 million for programs and services to reduce interpersonal violence.
The Saskatchewan Firearms Office will receive $12.4 million, which includes $3.0 million to establish a ballistics laboratory in Saskatoon.
The budget continues investment in First Nations and Métis communities throughout Saskatchewan. More than $255 million in targeted funding will be provided for First Nations and Métis people and organizations, which is an increase of $6.1 million over last year.
An investment of $91.2 million from gaming payments will support Indigenous-led social and economic initiatives.
To support the well-being of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ Community Response Fund invests $800,000 for grassroots organizations to develop and deliver projects that help prevent violence and promote safety.
In an effort to continually enhance consultations related to the duty to consult, the budget provides an increase of $930,000 to support First Nations and Métis communities in participating in the consultation process.
Our government is committed to investing in community growth, contributing to a high quality of life in communities across Saskatchewan. As we continue this work, I look forward to hearing your feedback. You can reach my constituency office at 306-692-8884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
