SaskForward

The future of our kids, and of our province, rests with the educators who teach and mentor our youth in increasingly challenging times. The Saskatchewan Party Government needs to offer a fair deal that supports teachers and the people of Saskatchewan. Add your voice, email the Minister of Education and… Read more

Lise, a mother with two kids who works at a college, and her brother Dan, a lawyer, compare how the 2017 provincial budget has affected them in the last year. Read more

On April 10, the Saskatchewan government tabled its 2018-19 budget. Here are 10 things to know: This year’s budget was quite status quo. Provincial expenses for the upcoming fiscal year are forecast at $14.6 billion, while total spending on health will see a 2.5% increase. Revenue forecast for 2018-19 is $14.2 billion.… Read more

For those that feared that the Saskatchewan government would continue the punishing austerity they laid out in 2017, this year’s budget came as a mild relief. While the 2018 budget doesn’t restore the cuts made last year, the government appears to have opted for holding the line – offering no… Read more

Preamble Whereas poverty is not a natural phenomenon, but a consequence of political and structural forces over which governments have considerable influence; Whereas poverty is an impediment to realizing the full economic, social, and personal health of Saskatchewan’s peoples; Whereas living in poverty is particularly harmful to the health and… Read more

John Clarke speaks on Saskatchewan’s austerity budget and how to fight back. As an organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), John Clarke has been involved in poor people’s movements for over 25 years. He first became active in anti-poverty struggles in 1983, when he helped form the Union… Read more

Re-imagining the future together   RealRenewal’s some 200 members include parents, teachers, school staff, students, education experts and community members province-wide who share common cause in defending and supporting public education in Saskatchewan. We conduct research on education issues and gather ideas the public through forums, workshops, online surveys, and… Read more

Family Physician Dr. Sally Mahood suggests how evidence-based policy-making can improve the fairness and equity of our public health system in Saskatchewan.   Social Determinants of Health Canada is one of the top four per capita healthcare spenders among 17 peer nations but among the bottom four for key measures… Read more

Peter Gilmer of the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry identifies how the Government of Saskatchewan’s cut-backs are impacting the province’s most vulnerable residents. Read more

Transformation in an Era of Climate Change Across Canada people hear “Saskatchewan” and we are often dismissed as flat and boring. But Saskatchewan is so much more than this. We are home to the beautiful Athabasca Lake, surrounded by the most northerly active sand dune formation on earth and home… Read more

  The last seven months – July 2016 – January 2017 – has seen two major oil spills in Saskatchewan. This has prompted important reactions about the safety of pipelines both existing and in development. It has galvanized communities to take action against the pipeline dependence that is destroying environments… Read more

    Indigenous Authority Over Their Lands: True Stewards Northern Saskatchewan has a population that is 80% Cree, Dene and Metis. Northern communities maintain a strong relationship with the lands, rivers and lakes of the boreal forest we call home. The lands and water are intrinsically tied to the physical,… Read more

Austerity and Health: Some Lessons from Around the World; Some Cautions for Saskatchewan The People’s Health Movement – Canada (PHM‐C) agrees with the assessment of austerity’s failure as summarized by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) in their December 2016 report The Futility of Austerity: Lessons for Saskatchewan. We would… Read more

  Women disproportionately fare worse than men under conditions of austerity. Of course, women aren’t a unified group with internally coherent identities, and women don’t experience inequalities in the same ways. Indigenous women, women of colour, new immigrant and refugee women, settler women, queer women, trans women and non-binary folks,… Read more

  If we are serious about decolonization in Saskatchewan, then the role of police in targeting, harassing, assaulting, incarcerating, and disrespecting Indigenous people – as well as the low-income, disabled, and marginalized – must be addressed. Too many people experience the police as a violent, racist force in our cities,… Read more

  Green Energy and the SaskForward Vision By Mark Bigland-Pritchard The author is a Saskatoon-based independent energy consultant, with a background in applied physics and engineering. He is principal researcher for Green Energy Project Saskatchewan, and a core member of Climate Justice Saskatoon. Political views expressed here are his own.… Read more

  My idea for making Saskatchewan a better place to live is for the government to re-establish the successful employment strategy for Indigenous Peoples in this province. For 12 years, there was a program in place that improved employment for Aboriginal Peoples but the Wall government cancelled it and 98 partnership… Read more

There are several changes I might propose in order to improve the quality of life for Saskatchewan folks: We need to move to green energy and green economy to ensure the health of the population in light of the high rates of cancer in the province; We need to deal… Read more

Fight for Fifteen organizer Lois Camacho argues for a $15 minimum wage here in Saskatchewan. Read more

There is an alarming need for additional resources to be directed towards addiction treatment in Saskatchewan. While there is a cost associated with addictions treatment, the corresponding savings to the people of Saskatchewan through reduced use of social programs, reduced emergent and long term medical care and reduced need for… Read more

Police officers are given discretion in how they do their jobs. When they use their discretion wisely, everyone benefits. Officers are given discretion as to who to charge with offences, and when to do so. Many charges are dropped once entered into the system. There is some focus on “diverting”… Read more

“Success within Saskatchewan is about enhancing our greatest asset, our people. First Nations have endured a lot throughout generations and continue to strive for success and equality while maintaining what is core to ones self, proud to be First Nation. Inclusion and empowerment is the driver to successful First Nation… Read more

It is my view that our province should increase investment in both wind generated and solar generated electricity much faster than is currently being planned. There are many places where wind farms and solar generators of various types could be built with little or no significant affect on humans or… Read more

The transformational change needed in Saskatchewan is in health care. Our health care system pays out millions upon millions to CEOs and VPs each year while cutting front line staff – the people who actually make a difference in this world. By cutting management positions and putting some of that… Read more

Saskatchewan people are per capita the largest producers of climate changing greenhouse gases in Canada, and consequently nearing the top in the world. At the same time, the fertility of our agricultural lands is being degraded through large-field mono-cropping, over-tillage, and the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These… Read more

Globalization and industrialization have driven agriculture to the margins of Saskatchewan’s economic and cultural life, converting farming into an undervalued activity that provides the raw material for food processing and delivery industries that provide unhealthy food to fuel an overheated, profligate, carbon-emitting economy. One way to transform Saskatchewan, renew our… Read more

HOMELESS IN SASKATCHEWAN Currently, Saskatchewan is experiencing a homelessness crisis. Saskatoon’s 2015 point-in-time count found 450 people were homeless, a 19% increase over the previous count. In Regina, the YWCA is currently compiling a registry of homeless people. So far there are 240 names on the list. These figures do… Read more

By April Chiefcalf, NORTEP/NORPAC. April Chiefcalf speaks to us about the importance of NORTEP/NORPAC to the economy of Northern Saskatchewan in the wake of government cuts to the program. Read more

By The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Saskatchewan Office. Introduction The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Saskatchewan Office welcomes the opportunity to present our views and recommendations to SaskForward. The CCPA is Canada’s leading progressive think tank with offices in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.… Read more