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April 2026
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| | In this edition of the Rural Sheaf... | |
- Advocacy
- Strategic Communications
- Webinar: Managing ILOs at the Provincial and RM Level
- 2026 SARM June Division Meetings
- 2027 Lieutenant Governor's Award Nominations
- 2026 Midterm & 2027 Annual Convention Accommodations
- SARM Online Calendar - May 2026
- #RuralMatters
- SARM Applauds Approval of Emergency Strychnine Registration
- Insurance & Benefits
- Saskatchewan Blue Cross EFAP Coverage for SARM Members
- Legal Services
- Programs
- Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
- New Headversity Courses Available
- Member Purchasing
- Supplier Highlight: Spring Gravel Inventory
- Community Planning
- Finance & Administration
- SARM Classifieds
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- Emergency Use of Strychnine
- Saskatchewan Residents Reminded to Take Precautions for Hantavirus
- Suicide Prevention Wallet Cards
- At the Source Forum: Strengthening Saskatchewan's Drinking Water Systems Together
- Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative
- Municipalities Today - April 2026
- Announcements
- Provincially Funded RCMP SERT Teams Continue to Protect Saskatchewan
- SPSA Providing Support as Flooding Impacts Saskatchewan Communities
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- Innovate Rural - Canada's Rural Innovation Festival and Forum
- Funding Now Available: GMF's Accelerating Circularity in Construction Materials
- Recycling Solutions for Agricultural Communities
- 2026 SRCWA Newsletter
- SWF Offers Support to Landowners Facing Gopher Overpopulation
- Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers - 2026 Partners Newsletter
- The Cost of Waiting: Kochia and Herbicide Resistance in Your RM
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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.
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| 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. | | |
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Webinar: Managing ILOs at the Provincial and RM Level
Join SARM and the Ministry of Agriculture for an information session on Intensive Livestock Operations (ILOs).
ILOs are becoming more common as livestock operations condense and are able to take advantage of the efficiencies in intensive systems. This webinar aims to shine some light on the provincial approval process and give a basic overview of how ILOs are handled by The Planning and Development Act and the role of municipalities.
Date: May 20, 2026
Time: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Speaker: Adam Berenik - Livestock Development Specialist, Production and Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan
| | The 2026 SARM June Division Meetings will be held during the third week of June (15-18). Please find further details below for each meeting. | | |
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
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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.
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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
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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
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June Division 3 Meeting
Date: June 15, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: TBA, Swift Current, SK
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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
| | | Draft meeting agendas can be found on the SARM website through the link below. Please note these agendas are subject to change. | | | |
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Lieutenant Governor's Award for
Outstanding Service to Rural Saskatchewan
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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.
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2026 Midterm & 2027 Annual Convention Accommodations
Be sure to book your hotel stays in advance to take advantage of the hotel blocks that have been set aside for delegates during SARM's annual and midterm conventions. Hotel blocks are limited, so once they have been filled there is no guaranteed space/pricing.
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Saskatoon Hotel Blocks:
- Best Western Plus East Side
- Best Western Airport
- Delta Bassborough (only available for 2027 annual - under construction for 2026 midterm)
- Delta Hotels Saskatoon Downtown
- TownPlace Suites by Marriott Saskatoon
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SARM Interactive Online Calendar - May 2026
View the SARM Interactive Online Calendar to access the full year on the SARM website. This version is updated regularly as new dates of interest and deadlines are identified and should be viewed as the most current.
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Deadlines
May 1:
- For assessor to prepare the assessment roll
May 10:
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To remit taxes to SMHI, C&D, and regional parks
- To submit & return monthly EPT funds
May 15:
- Notice of first day of SMHI hail insurance coverage
- For mail assessment notices
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To advertise assessment roll by method determined by council
- To submit CRA source deductions
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Meetings
- Committee Meetings: May 20
- Board Meeting: May 21
Monthly Reminder(s)
- MEPP employee and employer contributions through PLANet, as well as submitting payment is due within 15 days from the end of the pay period
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During April & May council shall consider applications for withdrawal of lands as shown on lists supplied by SMHI
- To prepare and adopt yearly budgets as soon as practical (no prescribed date in MA)
Special Days
- Mother's Day: May 10
- RMAA Annual Convention - Regina: May 11-14
- Victoria Day: May 18
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News Release:
SARM Applauds Approval of Emergency Strychnine Registration
March 31, 2026
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| | | | SARM President Bill Huber joined Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Supply Chain Day panel in Moose Jaw as a representative of rural Saskatchewan to discuss the importance of our province’s agricultural supply chain for food security and economic growth. | | Read the article on sustainable infrastructure management considerations for rural bridges by SARM Senior Municipal Bridge Engineer Alexander Udey in the latest edition of the Rural Councillor. | | | | | |
Read the article on agriculture and environmental sustainability by the SARM Division 6 Director in the latest edition of the Rural Councillor.
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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.
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Saskatchewan Blue Cross EFAP Coverage for SARM Members
The Saskatchewan Blue Cross group benefits plan for SARM members includes enhanced support through Homewood Health and Cleveland Clinic Canada, giving you and your family access to tailored, on-demand support for your mental and physical health.
Homewood Health’s EFAP program connects you to confidential, professional mental health and wellness services. Whether it’s counselling for anxiety, stress, or grief or coaching for work-life balance, parenting, or financial planning, Homewood is here to help. Their Enhanced Mental Health Care program even offers longer-term support for more complex needs, including up to 20 specialized counselling sessions. Register at homeweb.ca to access these resources today.
Cleveland Clinic Canada’s Express Care Online (ECO) service offers on-demand virtual medical consultations for your physical health. Available 24/7 across Canada, ECO lets you connect with a nurse practitioner for diagnoses, prescriptions, specialist referrals, and more—all from the comfort of your home. Simply download the Cleveland Clinic Express Care Online app to get started!
For more information, click the links below.
| | 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. | | |
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Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) program details and forms will be available soon. Keep checking the SARM Programs website or reach out to your Plant Health Technical Advisor for more information.
| | New Headversity Courses Available | | | Respect in the Workplace CERT is a quick, interactive training program to help you navigate challenges and create a culture you love. You'll gain practical skills to recognize, prevent, and respond to harmful behaviours like bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination - all while strengthening connections within your team. | | | Mental Health Foundations CERT provides the essential knowledge and strategies you need to manage stress, prevent burnout, and foster resilience in the workplace. The program will equip you with actionable tools to maintain your energy, purpose, and wellbeing - so you can show up as your best self personally and professionally! | | | |
Each course is only 40 minutes in length and will be followed up with mini lessons to reinforce the learning you’ve gained.
There is a new cost associated with the course registration. Pricing will be $15 per person for the first course taken and $7.50 per person for the second course taken.
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To get started:
- Scan the QR code found on the one-pager to access on the web or mobile app. Or use the following link: apps.headversity.com/login
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Register with your e-mail address and invite code SARMCERT
- Both courses will be available once registered.
| | | 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. | | |
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Spring Gravel Inventory
For rural municipalities across Saskatchewan, gravel is one of the most valuable and heavily used resources. It’s essential for road maintenance, infrastructure projects, and emergency access. As the snow melts and the ground firms up, early spring is the ideal time to take stock of your gravel inventory—before hauling or crushing contracts begin.
Contact Zach James Media for a free estimate!
| | | 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. | | |
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SARM Classifieds
The following municipalities/towns/villages have requested the information below to be distributed and will be billed for using this service.
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Looking to Hire:
RM of Usborne No. 310, Equipment Operator, Apr 30 - Close
RM of Spiritwood No. 496, Heavy Equipment Operator, Apr 30 - Close
RM of Corman Park No. 344, Planner 1, May 4 - Close
RM of Lake Johnston No. 102, Administrator, May 8 - Close
RM of Kellross No. 247, Administrative Assistant/Trainee, May 13 - Close
RM of Biggar No. 347, Foreman, May 13 - Close
RM of Cana No. 214, Equipment/Maintenance Operator, May 16 - Close
SARM, Senior Advisor, Advocacy & Media Relations, May 18 - Close
RM of Birch Hills No. 460, Grader Operator, May 21 - Close
RM of Elmsthorpe No. 100, Operator, May 23 - Close
RM of Terrell No. 101, Administrative Assistant/Trainee, May 29 - Close
RM of Meadow Lake No. 588, Manager of Public Works, May 31 - Close
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Looking to Buy/Sell:
RM of Grayson No. 184, Mandako Side-Arm, May 14 - Close
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Ad 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.
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Emergency Use of Strychnine
An Emergency Use Registration for two per cent liquid strychnine has been approved to support the integrated pest management of Richardson’s ground squirrels in Saskatchewan. This temporary authorization is in place until November 2027.
Eligibility to access strychnine under the emergency registration includes 208 rural municipalities (RMs) across 15 crop districts in southern and western Saskatchewan.
The Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with SARM, is developing a Strychnine Stewardship Program.
Additional program details will be shared through saskatchewan.ca and participating RMs once stewardship requirements and product manufacturing timelines are confirmed.
For the 2026 growing season, strychnine is expected to be available for late‑summer application. If the product becomes available before the spring application window closes, producers will be notified through their RMs.
If you have questions about the emergency use of strychnine, eligibility, or stewardship program requirements, please contact rgs@gov.sk.ca.
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Saskatchewan Residents Reminded to Take Precautions for Hantavirus
As spring cleanup begins, Saskatchewan residents are reminded to take precautions against hantavirus, a rare but serious illness carried by deer mice. People can become infected by breathing in airborne particles contaminated with infected mouse droppings, urine, or saliva.
Deer mice are found throughout Saskatchewan, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas. The risk of exposure is highest when cleaning enclosed or unused spaces where mice may have nested, such as sheds, barns, cabins, trailers, RVs, old vehicles, garages, and storage buildings.
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How to Clean Safely
If you find signs of rodent activity, take the following steps to reduce your risk:
- Open doors and windows to ventilate the space, then leave the area for at least 30 minutes before cleaning.
- Avoid dry cleaning methods like sweeping, vacuuming, or blowing dust, which can stir up contaminated particles.
- Use wet cleaning methods instead, such as damp mopping.
- Wear rubber or plastic gloves, goggles, and a well-fitting industrial N95 mask.
- Dampen mouse droppings and contaminated areas with a bleach disinfectant before wiping or mopping.
- Steam clean or disinfect upholstered furniture that may be contaminated.
- Wash exposed clothing and bedding with detergent in hot water.
Symptoms and When to Seek Care
Hantavirus can affect anyone who comes into contact with mouse droppings. Symptoms usually appear one to six weeks after exposure and may include fever, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, and cough. Some people can develop severe lung symptoms, including shortness of breath. Seek medical care immediately if you experience fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Reduce Rodent Presence Year-Round
You can lower the risk of rodents by sealing entry points to buildings, storing food and garbage in pest-resistant containers, reducing nesting materials, and moving woodpiles away from homes.
Hantavirus infections are rare but serious. Between 1994 and 2024, 38 cases were reported in Saskatchewan, including 13 deaths.
For more information, visit saskatchewan.ca
or call HealthLine 811 for advice.
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Suicide Prevention Wallet Cards
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, in consultation with the Pillars for Life suicide prevention’s governance team, has created a wallet card for individuals who work with the public and for the public to use.
This wallet card is a provincial resource, intended to increase awareness of suicide prevention related resources/services across Saskatchewan. Information about crisis supports/services are provided, including:
- The national Suicide Crisis HelpLine (9-8-8);
- Rapid Access Counselling;
- Crisis and Emergency Resources; and
- Mental Health Services.
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At the Source Forum: Strengthening Saskatchewan’s Drinking Water Systems Together
You’re invited to At the Source: Strengthening Saskatchewan’s Drinking Water Systems Together - a collaborative forum to bring municipal leaders and system partners together to share experiences and explore practical ways to support safe, reliable, and sustainable drinking water across the province.
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When: June 2, 2026
Time: 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM (lunch provided)
Where: Gallery C & D, TCU Place, Saskatoon
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Registration: Free (register using the QR code/online form)
Deadline to register: May 15, 2026, at saskwater.com
Who should attend: Municipal administrators and leaders managing water systems, navigating operational and financial challenges, and interested in shaping the future of water service delivery.
| | | Key topics include governance and decision-making, operational realities and risk, infrastructure and sustainability, as well as financing, technology, and support models. For more information, contact darlene.guy@saskwater.com. | | Targeted Sector Support Initiative | | |
The Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative is a cost-shared grant program that uses a portion of Municipal Revenue Sharing ($1.5 million per fiscal year) to support projects that strengthen municipalities’ core operational capabilities through increased regional cooperation.
Projects under this program are intended to assist in supporting more efficient and effective municipal service delivery, and enhanced governance and administrative capacity in Saskatchewan. Partnering municipalities can apply for up to 75 per cent on eligible project costs to strengthen their core municipal responsibilities.
Applications are now being accepted at any time of the year and will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
The updated application guide can be found on the SARM website.
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Innovate Rural - Canada's Rural Innovation Festival and Forum
May 25-26, 2026
Rural Canada isn’t waiting to be included in the future—it’s already building it.
Innovate Rural – Canada’s Rural Innovation Festival and Forum is where rural regions prove, in real time, how innovation, workforce development, culture, and economic growth actually get delivered—outside major cities and without theory-only talk.
This is not a conference about rural issues. It’s a working rural innovation festival designed around execution, coordination, and outcomes.
Over two days, Innovate Rural brings together industry leaders, researchers, Indigenous partners, artists, educators, policymakers, and practitioners to showcase how rural Canada drives productivity, builds talent, and strengthens national competitiveness—grounded in place and focused on what works.
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SARM Members who attend will receive a 30% discount on their ticket fees. Use promocode RIFFSARM at checkout. To learn more about the event and to purchase your ticket, visit the link below. | | | | |
Funding Now Available: GMF’s Accelerating Circularity in Construction Materials
The Green Municipal Fund is now accepting applications for Accelerating Circularity in Construction Materials, a funding and a 2-year peer learning cohort opportunity to help Canadian municipalities reduce construction, renovation and demolition waste and advance circular solutions.
Eligible applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding, covering 50% to 80% of eligible costs, and up to 100% for Northern and eligible Indigenous first-time applicants. Applications are open until June 26, 2026.
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Recycling Solutions for Agricultural Communities
Saskatchewan agricultural producers can drop-off ag waste materials, free of charge at participating Cleanfarms collection sites across the province.
Cleanfarms' ag retailer partners collect and store your ad waste materials; then we arrange for them to be transported for recycling or safe disposal.
Learn more about this program through the link below.
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2026 SRCWA Newsletter
The Saskatchewan Rural Crime Watch Association (SRCWA) is a grassroots, non-profit association, incorporated in November 2020. The goal is to provide advocacy and services to local crime watch groups across the province. Rural Crime Watch members are volunteers who serve as the ‘Eyes and Ears’ of their communities and contact the police to report suspicious persons/vehicles.
Since inception, the organization has been busy. A few of the highlights are:
- Growing membership
- Development of internal policies
- Distribution of signs to the SRCWA membership to distribute to their jurisdictions at zero cost to members
- Development of a new logo
- Four meetings throughout the year
- A booth at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Annual Convention
- Presentations at the Rural Municipal Administrators Association Annual Convention
Are you interested in becoming a crime watch member? The newsletter linked below provides detailed information on how to form a crime watch group in your area.
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Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Offers Support to Landowners Facing Gopher Overpopulation
With escalating gopher populations causing increasing concern for landowners across Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), with the support of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), is stepping up to offer practical assistance.
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Gophers are a significant cause of crop loss and land degradation, impacting the livelihood of Saskatchewan producers and landowners. In response, the SWF is connecting landowners with trusted SWF members who are ready to assist in controlling gopher numbers in a responsible and ethical manner.
Landowners experiencing challenges with gophers are encouraged to contact the SWF Office at 306.692.8812. The SWF will then work to identify available SWF members in that area to coordinate arrangements directly with the landowner.
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Highlighted events include both SARM and SUMA Conventions, WHL hockey games, AG in Motion, Parkland Outdoor Show and Expo, Pow Wows at 3 First Nations, Cram the Cruiser night in in both Saskatoon and Yorkton, and Community, Municipal, and First Nations presentations to share the benefits of the program and what can be done to promote safety in the community.
The program continues to have a successful social media presence with unsolved crimes posted to our website and a following of over 58,000 to the program’s Facebook page with a solve rate of approximately half of all crimes that are posted to the page.
Program Results
| | Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers acknowledges the tremendous financial support from all sponsors and asks all rural and urban municipalities to consider a $200 donation to the program in their annual budget. | | |
The Cost of Waiting: Kochia and Herbicide Resistance in Your RM
Across Saskatchewan, herbicide-resistant kochia is showing up in the places rural municipalities manage every day, including roadsides, ditches, and other disturbed areas, and it’s bringing new challenges for vegetation control and long-term costs.
Kochia is highly mobile, spreading by seed movement and thriving in saline and disturbed soils common along municipal infrastructure. Increasingly, populations are resistant to multiple herbicide groups, including glyphosate. In some cases, it can take as little as five years to go from “we’ve got a few patches” to “our options aren’t working.”
For RMs, that means rising costs and fewer effective tools. More passes. More product. More time spent managing something that used to be straightforward.
The good news is that early action can make a real difference.
One practical option is converting unproductive or heavily infested acres from annual crop to perennial forage. Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Marginal Areas Program (MAP) helps producers do exactly that, targeting saline and weed-prone areas with coordinated seeding and access to incentives of nearly $400 per acre.
| | | Photo Credit: Ducks Unlimited Canada | |
RMs have a role to play. Managing municipal land is one piece, but just as important is making sure ratepayers know there are tools available to deal with problem areas before they spread.
Kochia doesn’t recognize fence lines. Acting early on both municipal and private land can make the difference between managing it now and paying for it later.
To learn more about MAP, contact Ducks Unlimited Canada at 1.866.252.3825 or visit ag.ducks.ca.
| | | SARM is now on Bluesky! Follow us here: @sarm.ca | | | | |
