|
June 9, 2026
Note: Certain email platforms distort the Rural Dart formatting. It is viewed best as a webpage through your internet browser.
View as Webpage
| | In this edition of the Rural Dart... | |
- Advocacy
- Strategic Communications
- 2026 SARM June Division Meetings
- Webinar: Return to Work After Medical and Other Leaves - Practical Guidance for RMs
- 2027 Lieutenant Governor's Award Nominations Now Open!
- Insurance & Benefits
- Cleveland Clinic Canada Express Care Online App Update
- Legal Services
- Programs
- Member Purchasing
- Community Planning
- Finance & Administration
- SARM Classifieds
- Member Services
- HR Services for SARM Members
| |
-
Proposed Changes to The Mineral Resources Act, 1985
-
Proposed Changes to The Oil and Gas Conservation Act
- Strychnine Training Now Available
- Announcements
- WSA to Significantly Increase Flows from Gardiner Dam - Caution Urged on South Sask River
- Crop Report for the Period May 26 to June 1, 2026
- Provincial Fire Ban Lifted
| | -
FCM Infrastructure Economic Return Study
| | - Eastwood Products Bridge & Culvert Markers: Self-Resetting Bridge Impact Sign System
| | |
SARM’s Advocacy Team, at the direction of the SARM Board of Directors, meets and speaks with members and outside agencies on issues important to RMs, including bringing concerns forth at the provincial and federal levels.
SARM, through its Act of Incorporation, is mandated to work on files of importance to rural municipalities (RM) and agriculture producers.
| |  |
| SARM’s Strategic Communications Team leads the initiatives, events, and public-facing components of the work we do for RMs. Strategic Communications is responsible for our conventions, the Rural Dart, Rural Sheaf, Rural Councillor, webinars, and many other events and initiatives. | | |
| The 2026 SARM June Division Meetings will be held next week (June 15-18) for SARM members in all six divisions. Further details are listed below for each meeting. | | Registration is not required to attend division meetings. | | | |
June Division 1 Meeting
Date: June 18, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Kipling Town Hall, 301 6th Ave, Kipling, SK
| | | |
June Division 4 Meeting
Date: June 17, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Wadena Community Legion Hall, 254 Main St N, Wadena, SK
*Please note meeting will start at 1:00 p.m. and lunch will not be offered.
| | | |
June Division 2 Meeting
Date: June 15, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Temple Gardens Centre, 110 1st Ave NW, Moose Jaw, SK
| | | |
June Division 5 Meeting
Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Affinity Community Hall, 120 Railway St, Langham, SK
| | | |
June Division 3 Meeting
Date: June 15, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: InnovationPlex, 2001 Chaplin St E, Swift Current, SK
| | | |
June Division 6 Meeting
Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Dekker Centre, 623 Carlton Trail, North Battleford, SK
| | | Final meeting agendas can be found on the SARM website through the link below. | | |
Webinar: Return to Work After Medical and Other Leaves - Practical Guidance for RMs
Join SARM and Knibbs HR Consulting for an information session on managing the employee return-to-work process.
RM administrators often manage employee leaves and returns to work with limited time, small teams, and real operational pressures. This practical webinar will provide a clear, plain-language framework for supporting employees returning after medical or other leaves while managing privacy, safety, accommodation, documentation, and workplace expectations. Participants will leave with practical steps they can use to support a safe and respectful return-to-work process.
Date: June 24, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Speakers: Stephen Eger – Managing Partner, Knibbs HR Consulting
Cost: Free to attend
| | | |
|
Lieutenant Governor's Award for
Outstanding Service to Rural Saskatchewan
| | |
Do you know a reeve, councillor, or administrator with an inspiring story?
Nominations for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service to Rural Saskatchewan are now open!
The 2027 nomination period runs until December 31, 2026.
To submit a nomination or request a nomination form, please contact:
Kathleen Israel,
Selection Committee Secretary
executivecoordinator@sarm.ca or 306.761.3731
2301 Windsor Park Road,
Regina, Saskatchewan S4V 3A4
To learn more about this award and how to submit a nomination, refer to the LGA Guidelines Document linked below or visit the SARM website.
| | | | | |
SARM’s Insurance & Benefits Team administers and
facilitates various SARM and external partner insurance and
benefit products, including SARM’s fidelity bond, liability, and
property insurance plans, the SARM Benefits Plan, and external
group benefits plans.
| | |
| |
Cleveland Clinic Canada Express Care Online App Update
Cleveland Clinic Canada is making some updates! Cleveland Clinic Canada launched a new version of its virtual care app, Express Care Online as part of ongoing improvements to its digital experience.
Updates and enhancements include:
- Greater flexibility for scheduling appointments, including the option to pre-book a visit or access the next available appointment
- Enhanced connectivity with integrated care tools such as TytoCare, enabling more coordinated and streamlined virtual visits
- More French-language capabilities
What this means for your members
- Members will need to download the new Express Care Online app.
- There is no change to usernames or passwords.
- Once the new app is downloaded, members can continue to access services as usual.
Please use the templated email linked below to share this information with your members so they know to download the new app. NOTE: You will need to update/provide your Plan Access Code where the red text is located.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Jodi Hughes, Employee Benefits Administrator, SARM, at jhughes@sarm.ca or 306.761.3727.
| | SARM’s Legal Services Team principally represents rural municipalities in legal proceedings where a SARM insurance plan (e.g. Liability Self-Insurance Plan) provides coverage. The team also provides in-house legal services to SARM’s other departments and Board of Directors. In addition, the team provides legal services to individual RMs, which can include researching legal issues, drafting opinions, and drafting agreements, on a fee-for-service basis and as time permits. | | |
| SARM’s Programs Team engages with provincial and federal governments, industry leaders, and program partners, as well as other stakeholders, to effectively deliver SARM programs. | | |
| SARM's Member Purchasing Team provides group purchasing and procurement advising services to save member municipalities money and time through the buying and procuring processes with the goal of being the first stop for all municipalities’ purchasing and procurement needs. | | |
| SARM’s Community Planning Team is driven by a proactive and collaborative approach with municipalities to support growth, certainty for investment and landowners, and the protection and promotion of what already exists in the community. | | |
| SARM’s Finance and Administration Team provides the budgeting, accounting, and reporting functions for SARM, the Insurance and Benefits Funds, all externally funded programs, and the Tax Loss Compensation Trust Funds administered by SARM. In addition, the team provides administrative assistance performing reception duties that include being the first point of contact for all guests and SARM members both in-person as well as virtually by phone and email. | | |
| |
SARM Classifieds
The following municipalities/towns/villages have requested the information below to be distributed and will be billed for using this service.
| | |
Looking to Hire:
RM of Corman Park No. 344, Finance & Contracts Coordinator, June 10 - Close
RM of Corman Park No. 344, Economic Development Officer, June 11 - Close
SARM, Manager, Marketing, Events, and Communications, June 12 - Close
RM of Biggar No. 347, Equipment Operator, June 21 - Close
RM of Meota No. 468, Grader Operator, June 21 - Close
RM of Meota No. 468, Mower Operator, June 21 - Close
Town of Balcarres, Chief Administrative Officer, June 27 - Close
| | | |
Looking to Buy/Sell:
RM of Montrose No. 315, 2023 Grader Mount Mulcher, June 22 - Close
RM of Montrose No. 315, 1988 Freightliner Tandem Fire Truck, June 22 - Close
RM of Maple Creek No. 111, 2018 Wing Mounted Reclaimer, June 25 - Close
| | | |
SARM Classifieds Submissions
Ad postings for the SARM Classifieds can be submitted
through our online submission forms. For questions, contact 306.757.3577 or sarm@sarm.ca.
| |
| SARM’s Member Services Team is dedicated to providing valuable services that meet the specific needs of SARM's member rural municipalities. | | |
| |
Proposed Changes to The Mineral Resources Act, 1985
The Ministry of Energy and Resources is consulting with stakeholders on proposed changes to The Mineral Resources Act, 1985. The proposed changes aim to support investment in carbon dioxide sequestration projects, to facilitate surface access for seismic exploration in the context of mine planning and mine-related emergencies and to support the ministry's legislative modernization efforts involving The Oil and Gas Conservation Act.
| | Details on the proposed changes may be found through the link below. | Please submit written feedback to the ER Service Desk at er.servicedesk@gov.sk.ca by June 26, 2026. | | | |
Proposed Changes to The Oil and Gas Conservation Act
The Ministry of Energy and Resources is consulting with stakeholders on proposed changes involving The Oil and Gas Conservation Act (OGCA). This legislative modernization initiative aims to replace the OGCA with a new and streamlined statute focused on the operations of wells and facilities associated with oil and gas and emerging non-oil and gas resources and activities, including lithium, helium, hydrogen and geothermal energy and carbon dioxide storage projects. The proposed legislative approach is intended to promote regulatory clarity and flexibility as well as alignment with existing resource conservation legislation.
| | Details on the proposed changes may be found through the link below. | Please submit written feedback to the ER Service Desk at er.servicedesk@gov.sk.ca by June 26, 2026. | | | |
Strychnine Training Now Available
Producers in the 208 RMs eligible for Emergency Use of strychnine can register for online training through Saskatchewan’s Strychnine Stewardship Program.
The 90-minute course is mandatory to access two per cent liquid strychnine for targeted RGS control. Early completion of training is recommended to allow sufficient time for records to be shared with RM offices and for users to be registered when product becomes available.
Training can be accessed on the SARM website.
While initial strychnine supplies will be limited this spring, those interested are encouraged to complete training ahead of the recommended late summer application window, July 15 to Sept. 1.
For more on the program, including a list of participating RMs and information on product distribution, see Saskatchewan.ca/RGS-Control.
| | |
FCM Infrastructure Economic Return Study
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), with research and distribution support from PSD Citywide, is quantifying the economic return — in GDP, jobs, business growth, and housing enabled — generated by every dollar your municipality invests in core infrastructure. Findings will be reported in aggregate only, will inform FCM's federal and provincial advocacy in 2026–2027, and will be shared back with participating municipalities.
Time commitment: approximately 15 minutes (17 questions). You'll only be asked questions relevant to your municipality. This survey is voluntary and anonymous; no individual municipality will be identifiable in any published product.
Who should complete: Director of Finance, CAO, Director of Asset Management, or Director of Public Works / Infrastructure.
The deadline to complete the survey is June 29, 2026.
| | |
Eastwood Products’ self-resetting bridge impact sign system is designed to withstand impact and automatically return to position. Instead of remaining damaged or down after being hit, the sign flexes on impact and uses a built-in mechanism to spring back upright.
The result is a more reliable, low-maintenance solution that keeps signage visible and functional when it matters most. Built locally with real-world conditions in mind, this system is made to perform in rural environments.
Contact Danny at 306.812.8144 or Colby at 306.862.6806 to learn more!
| | SARM is now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @sarm.ca | | | | |
