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July 22, 2025
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| | In this edition of the Rural Dart... | |
- Advocacy
- 2025 SARM Midterm Resolution Deadline
- SARM Resolution Response
- Strategic Communications
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Webinar: Ombudsman Saskatchewan’s Role in Reviewing Complaints & Municipal Capacity Building Services
- Risk Management
- Process Claims Faster with the Member Portal & Apps
- Programs
- Gopher Control Program: Claim Deadline
- Member Purchasing
- Community Planning
- Finance & Administration
- SARM Classifieds
- Member Services
- SARM HR Services Pilot Program Update
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- Announcements
- Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Announce Changes to 2025 AgriStability Program
- Crop Report for the Period July 8 to July 14, 2025
- Know you Limit, Stay Within It!
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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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2025 SARM Midterm
Resolution Deadline
The deadline to submit resolutions for the 2025 SARM Midterm Convention is Sunday, September 21, 2025, end of day.
Resolutions must be received in the SARM office by this date in order to be addressed at the upcoming convention and included in the convention guide.
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Each resolution must be emailed separately using the fillable submission form.
Please email resolutions to resolutions@sarm.ca.
Refer to the Resolution Writing Tips One Pager and the Resolution Submission Form linked below for details.
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SARM Resolution Response
SARM has received a response to a resolution passed at the 2025 SARM Annual Convention. Click the following link to review the response:
| | 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: Ombudsman Saskatchewan’s Role in Reviewing Complaints & Municipal Capacity Building Services
Join SARM and Ombudsman Saskatchewan for a webinar to learn more about the Ombudsman’s process in managing complaints, and to hear about the new services being offered to municipalities.
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At Ombudsman Saskatchewan, we take complaints about provincial government ministries, agencies, Crown corporations, and most health entities. We also take complaints about Saskatchewan cities, towns, villages, resort villages, rural municipalities, northern municipalities, and municipal council members.
We’ve recently expanded our municipal services with the goal of supporting municipalities to build capacity to address the increasing levels of conflict which we see arising and to proactively work to lower the temperature when conflict does arise. Whether your municipality is seeking direction in navigating local issues in a procedurally fair way, or you’d like additional resources for staff and elected officials in de-escalating techniques, we invite you to reach out to our office.
Date: July 23, 2025
Time: 10-11:00 a.m.
| | SARM’s Risk Management Team is comprised of two distinct groups: Benefits & Insurance and Legal. These departments administer and facilitate various SARM and external partner insurance and benefit products, as well as provide legal solicitor services to member rural municipalities. | | |
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Process Claims Faster with the Member Portal & Apps
Submit your claims the fast and easy way!
Ensure your health benefits are processed quickly and conveniently. Skip the paperwork and wait times. The quickest way to get your claim processed is to submit it online at portal.sk.bluecross.ca or using the SK Blue Cross App, available for iOS and Android.
Certain benefits are eligible for Real-Time Adjudication (RTA), which is the immediate processing and payment of an eligible claim. Benefits available for RTA include:
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- Acupuncturist
- Athletic Therapist
- Audiologist
- Chiropractor
- Clinical Psychologist
- Counsellor
- Dietitian
- Foot Care Nurse
- Massage Therapist
- Naturopath
- Occupational Therapist
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- Osteopath
- Physiotherapist
- Podiatrist
- Reflexologist
- Social Worker
- Speech Therapist
- Prescription Drugs
- Vision
- Orthodontic Treatment (where Prior Authorization present)
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Need help with an existing claim?
If you’ve already sent in a claim and are facing longer than anticipated time for reimbursement, and financial assistance is required to bridge the gap, please call our Member Experience Centre at 1.800.667.6853. Let us know you need your claim prioritized and we’ll do everything we can to help. No judgment – just support.
| | 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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Gopher Control Program
Claim Deadline: July 31, 2025
| | | To learn more about the Gopher Control Program, scan the QR code or visit the SARM website. | | | | 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. | | |
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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 Vanscoy No. 345, Community Planner, July 29 - Close
RM of Sarnia No. 221, Administrator, July 31 - Close
RM of Lakeside No. 338, Grader Operator, Aug 2 - Close
Resort Village of West End, Administrator, Aug 4 - Close
Town of Rosetown, CAO, Aug 7 - Close
Town of Luseland, Economic Development Officer, Luseland & District Chamber of Commerce, Aug 11 - Close
RM of Usborne No. 310, Administrator, Sept 10 - Close
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Looking to Buy/Sell:
RM of Spiritwood No. 496, 1975 Ford Thibault Fire Truck, July 24 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 2001 JD 7410 Tractor, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 2001 GMC 1-Ton, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 2011 F150, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 2015 Schulte Series 3 Mower with Side Arm, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 2017 Schulte Series 4 Mower with Side Arm, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, 1980 Schulte Snow Blowers, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Lacadena No. 228, V-Plow, Aug 1 - Close
RM of Langenburg No. 181, 3 Point Hitch/Truck Mounted Sprayer, Aug 4 - Close
RM of Hillsdale No. 440, 2014 - 6150R John Deere Tractor, Aug 31 - Close
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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.
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| SARM’s Member Services Team is dedicated to providing valuable services that meet the specific needs of SARM's member rural municipalities. | | |
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SARM HR Services Pilot Program Update
In February, SARM launched a pilot HR service for members in Divisions 2 and 5 to assess both the demand for, and the potential structure of, a new service offering. Developed in partnership with MCQUEEN, this service was designed to provide RMs with advice and support on a wide range of human resources issues. Mirroring our legal services, the HR support was offered on a fee-for-service basis.
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As of the end of June, we have paused new client intake in the HR program, to evaluate the results of the pilot. We are pleased with the level of interest and engagement the service received. It is clear there is strong demand for this type of support to address your staffing and personnel needs. We are now in the process of seeking feedback from participants on all aspects of the program, including service offerings, delivery, provider, and cost. These insights, along with our learnings over the past few months, will play a key role in shaping what a permanent HR service from SARM might look like.
You will hear more from us in the fall about the future of the HR program, so please stay tuned.
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