THE MELVILLE

Friday, $1.50 PER COPY GST INCLUDED February 12, 2021 Vol. 95 No. 2 Agreement # 40011922 PROUDLY SERVING MELVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1929 • WWW.GRASSLANDSNEWS.CA • 1-306-728-5448 Melville to receive over $900,000 in revenue sharing A decrease of about $15,000 from last year expected

By Elaine Ashfield Grasslands News

Saskatchewan municipalities will benefit from more than $275 million in 2021-22 under the Municipal Rev- enue Sharing Program – the second-highest overall amount ever. Premier Scott Moe made the announce- ment on Monday at the same time as the Municipal- ities of Saskatchewan (former SUMA) were holding their virtual annual convention. The $275 million in 2021-22 was surpassed in 2020-21 when the revenue sharing increased to $278 million. “This unconditional provincial funding for mu- nicipalities provides local leaders the flexibility and adaptability to invest in their community’s current key priorities,” Moe said. “This stable and predictable source of revenue is more important than ever for com- munities as they meet the challenges of COVID-19.” The annual provincial funding amount for this Gov- ernment of Saskatchewan program is based on three quarters of one point of the provincial sales tax (PST) revenue collected from two years prior. Overall fund- ing under the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program for 2021-22 represents an approximately 117 per cent increase from the 2007-08 provincial fiscal year. From the total Municipal Revenue Sharing Pro- gram, $1.5 million will be invested in the Targeted Sector Support Initiative. The initiative supports mu- nicipal projects that advance priority areas, such as good governance, regional planning, and inter-commu- nity collaboration. The initiative is co-managed by the provincial government and municipal partners. With this announcement, more than $3.4 billion in provincial funding has been allocated to support mu- nicipalities across Saskatchewan through this program from 2007-08 to 2021-22. More details will be available when the provincial budget is released. While the amounts for each municipality are not yet known for this year’s allotment, the amounts to be received this year should be somewhat similar to the 2020-21 allotments with only a $3 million difference in SUBMITTED | GRASSLANDS NEWS total funding. Winter fun The 2020-21 distribution for the towns, villages and 0HOYLOOH·V.LP&UHERDQGJUDQGGDXJKWHU,VODHQMR\HGVRPHWXELQJIXQDW0LVVLRQ5LGJHUHFHQWO\ resort villages is a $2,025 base amount, plus $226.39 per capita based on the 2016 census populations. The 2020-21 distribution for the cities is $201.66 per capita based on the 2016 census populations. enue from PST. On the other hand, there has also Since 2007/2008 revenue sharing in Melville has in- It is estimated that cities will be receiving 47.9% been some suggestion that consumer spending has in- creased from $364,490 to $919,995 in 2020/2021, which is of the total Municipal Revenue Sharing or approxi- creased in areas such as home renovations, RV pur- a 152 per cent increase. The largest amount received mately $130.1 million, which is distributed on a per chases as an alternative to travel restrictions, etc. So by the city under revenue sharing was in 2016/2017 capita basis. The City of Melville is expecting approx- it is premature to speculate what the final outcome when they received $992,786. imately $905,000, which is a slight decrease from 2020- may be for 2022. That said, we certainly hope for a Amounts dispersed in 2020/2021 for some of the sur- 2021 when they received $919,995. continuation of revenue sharing in a value consistent rounding communities were: “The estimated value for 2021, albeit down approx- with the current value ($900,000 range).” - Esterhazy: $568,465 compared to $512,530 in imately $15,000, is reasonably consistent with 2020,” According to McCullough, the provincial revenue 2019/2020 said City Manager Ron McCullough. “There are sug- sharing funds are treated as general revenue by the - Fort Qu’Appelle: $460,928 compared to $415,612 the gestions that 2022 may be a less (continuing downward City of Melville and not designated for any specific year previous trend) due a COVID driven downturn in consumer use. It is considered a general operating grant for gen- - Grayson: $15,835, an increase of $1,364 over spending, which may result in less provincial rev- eral operations of the city. 2019/2020

Trust us with what matters most. HOME – AUTO 215 - 3rd Ave. W., Melville, SK FARM – BUSINESS www.trustmarkinsurance.ca P: 306.728.2165 2 February 12, 2021 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH‡:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ‡)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News Climate has devastating impact on the Prairies

By Elaine Ashfield resource economies are subject to large Grasslands News seasonal and interannual variations in climate, and especially to departures from normal conditions (e.g., drought); You would never know it by the feel • Historically, the region has seen of the weather outside – minus 50 de- a population shift from rural to urban grees Celsius with the wind chill factor areas, and in-migration from other prov- – but the country is warming at about inces and beyond Canada in response double the global rate. It is predicted the to economic opportunities. From 2007 - prairies will see a devastating impact 2017, the four fastest growing cities in with climate change becoming “incredi- Canada were the major cities in Alberta bly destructive.” and Saskatchewan. Western Canada has Environment and Climate Change led the nation in the highest rate of em- Canada state the northern hemisphere ployment of landed immigrants (Statis- saw 2020 as the second hottest year on tics Canada, 2018a). record at .98 degree C, with the hottest • Most of the population and commer- year being 1.28 degrees C above the 20th cial activity is in the southern Prairies, century average. which is also the part of the region with Warming this century isn’t much less the most limited and variable water than one degree per decade which is a supply. Most rural communities de- terrifying rate of warming, says Darrin pend on local runoff and groundwater. Qualman, director of climate crisis pol- Urban communities access water from icy. the major rivers and lakes, which also “There is massive change coming to and wildfire in recent years are un- “I actually would say that the num- support the main industries, such as oil Canada’s Prairies which will be incred- precedented, and climate models sug- ber one threat to agriculture anywhere sand mining in northern Alberta. ible destructive,” Qualman told Global gest increased risks of these events in in the world is climate change for sure • The Prairies are home to 39.2 per News. the future,” the results of a study re- because it makes things so unpredict- cent (656,970) of Canada’s Indigenous “It’s not going too far to say that if leased earlier this year by Natural Re- able,” Sylvain Charlebois, a professor population—including 45.8 per cent we made that happen, parts of the Prai- sources Canada (NRC) stated. Canada at Dalhousie University and scientific (246,485) of Canada’s Métis population— ries wouldn’t be farmable anymore,” he in a Changing Climate: Regional Per- director at Agri-Food Analytics Lab with the majority of Indigenous people said. spectives Report will release additional added. living off-reserve (Statistics Canada, Qualman commented on people al- chapters on a rolling basis throughout Charlebois continued with the state- 2019a). More than 10 per cent of the In- ready sharing pictures of flattened crops 2021. ment “I would say that climate change digenous population in the region lives and buildings, among other things that Professor Danny Blair, Department is to agriculture as the pandemic was to in Winnipeg and Regina (Statistics Can- have been damaged and us being only of Geography at the University of Win- retail.” Charlebois feels climate change ada, 2019b). The Prairie provinces are at the beginning of this, as extreme nipeg stated “And so drought should be could impact which types of products entirely covered by numbered treaties, weather events become the most likely really high on people’s list about the are readily available at grocery stores which are the basis for the relationship consequences of climate change on the things to worry about in prairie agricul- in the next several years. between First Nations and the Govern- prairies. ture in the future. A longer growing sea- Canada in a Changing Climate: ment of Canada. “You can probably adapt to moder- son may become norm but unpredictable Recent extreme weather events in ate climate change,” is what Qualman weather patterns can be damaging for Regional Prespectives Report the Prairie provinces include the most predicts. “We’re not facing moderate cli- crops as well as the water availability, Facts: costly natural disasters in Canadian his- mate change. We’re facing extreme and increased risks of pests, vector-borne • More than 80 per cent of Canada’s tory. The 20 most costly weather events devastating climate change. Adaptation diseases and invasive species.” agricultural land and most of the coun- in Canada since 1983 show 13 occurred plans may be prudent but it’s much The kind of warming we’re on track try’s irrigated agriculture is located in in the Prairies. Six of the top 10 have oc- more critical to really reduce emissions for means water management in the the Prairies; curred in the Prairies region since 2010. fast.” Prairies will become increasingly im- • Water resources, ecosystems and 6((&/,0$7( “The impacts of flooding, drought, portant, Blair stated.

21022bs0 www.grasslandsnews.ca 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH‡:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ‡)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV February 12, 2021 3 Climate has devastating impact on the Prairies continued from 2

The socio-economic impacts of new regional ecosystems will be punc- drought are widespread, both geograph- tuated by phases of change as global ically and throughout the economy. warming interacts with regional vari- During the drought year of 2002, crop ability and weather events. losses alone were in the billions of dol- Collaboration among governments, lars, with negative net farm income in municipalities and Indigenous commu- Saskatchewan and zero farm income in nities is required to deal with the geo- Alberta. graphic shifts in the availability of water Climate Change and ecological resources. As climate change alters the frequency and inten- With climate change, the Prairie sity of extreme weather, the longer-term provinces are projected to be much less risks posed by climate change will in- cold than at present, with increased clude an amplified range of water levels total precipitation, although mostly in and associated consequences: flooding, winter and spring (Zhang et al., 2019). fire, water supply deficits, disturbance Evaporation and transpiration will to ecosystems, and more variable forest also increase with warmer tempera- and farm productivity. The increasing tures, leading to more frequent and in- intensity of weather events represents tense droughts and soil moisture deficits an expanding deviation from a baseline over the southern Prairies during sum- climate, recognizing that the baseline, mer. meanwhile, is also shifting. This ongo- There will be far fewer cold days, ing state of change may ultimately be higher maximum temperatures and the most challenging scenario. heavier rainfall events, as warming am- Eventually temperature, precipita- plifies the already wide variability in tion and water levels will cross a thresh- the prairie hydroclimate. This natural old beyond which impacts will abruptly variability underlies the changes caused become more severe. Examples include by a warming climate, and accounts for the permanent loss of water stored as differences among future projections of snow and ice, rainfall intensity that temperature and precipitation that can- Projected biophysical impacts include tion negatively affect crop yields, partic- exceeds the watershed and storage ca- not be explained by the use of different increased water scarcity, more frequent ularly for canola and wheat. Increased pacity of infrastructure, and the loss of models and greenhouse gas emissions extreme precipitation events, shifting exposure to high temperatures (e.g., low temperatures that inhibit many pest scenarios. and variable precipitation patterns, lon- over 30°C), especially at critical times, and disease vectors from proliferating ger growing seasons, increasing heat may also reduce yields of corn, soybean, Agriculture Impact in agricultural and forested regions. units (i.e., a measure of crop develop- canola and wheat. Climate change has both direct and The response to climate change in the ment in relation to temperature), and indirect impacts on agriculture in the Summary Prairie provinces has transitioned from Prairie provinces, resulting in both more frequent and intense droughts. In the Prairie provinces, climate recognizing to responding to potential risks and opportunities. Changing pre- Certain crop yields and hay produc- change is resulting in a redistribution impacts. Government agencies, private cipitation, temperatures, carbon dioxide tivity may increase in the near term in of natural capital. industry, Indigenous communities, mu- levels and other variables will affect the response to climate factors, such as lon- It is transforming the seasons to- nicipalities and regional community or- following: crop and pasture productiv- ger growing seasons and increased heat wards wetter winters and drier sum- ganizations (e.g., watershed stewardship ity, quality and nutrient cycling; weeds, units. mers, and requiring changes to water agencies, irrigation districts) are now insects and diseases; and livestock pro- However, high temperatures, resource management. The transition to engaged in resilience and adaptation duction and reproductive rates. droughts and more variable precipita- a new distribution of water supplies and planning.

21022ge0 4 February 12, 2021 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH‡:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ‡)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News Lincoln’s declaration ends slavery - Jan. 1, 1863 Black History Month Feb. 1 to 28

By Emily Jane Fulford Dream. The Emancipation Proclamation was Grasslands News Born in a log cabin and raised in issued by President Lincoln and issued rural Indiana, Lincoln grew up in pov- on January 1st, 1863 during the third erty and it was his dogged determina- year of the civil war. The declaration February is Black History Month tion to self educate that made it possible stated, “that all persons held as slaves and it’s no coincidence that the timing for him to become a lawyer. Getting are and henceforward shall be free.” coincides with the birthday of one of into the political game early in his ca- Military personnel were deployed to the most iconic and influential leaders reer, the young lawyer dipped his toe ensure that this was enforced and it in history, Abraham Lincoln, who was into that world when he became a Whig was no easy task. The famous speech, born February the 12th, 1809. Party leader. Soon after that, he had a Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, was one While Lincoln is best known for his place in the Illinois state legislature and which he recited on Nov. 19, 1863, at the victory leading the nation through the then became a US Congressman, all this grounds of where the battle of Gettys- American Civil War and his success in before age 40. burg had taken place four months ear- abolishing slavery, the president had After taking a break from state gov- lier. The words are considered to be a humble beginnings. In fact, Abraham ernment and returning to practice law, historic blueprint for equal rights, lib- was the epitome of the classic “Rags it was the topic of slavery that inspired erty and democracy. to Riches” prototype of the American Lincoln to re-enter politics in 1854 and The Civil War came to an end in 1865 and while Lincoln lived to see the con- clusion of the war and final victory, his Lincoln drawing assassination came shortly after, when Zagime Anishinabek (Sakimay) Abraham Lincoln, the man responsi- he was fatally shot while attending a ble for ending slavery in the United theatre performance with his wife. States, was born on this day, and that For many years, statements regard- is part of the reason why February ing the number of deaths factored named to Sask. top 25 employers was chosen as Black History Month. roughly 600,000, but a recent article ILLUSTRATED BY EMILY FULFORD | GRASSLANDS NEWS from the New York Times published in 2012 suggests that the number may well tiatives that support employees as they have been closer to 800,000. These num- By Sarah Pacio he did it with bells on, stepping into the Grasslands News balance work and family commitments, bers may seem high, but compared to role of Republican Party leader and run- engage in the community or develop the war destined to occur 74 years later, ning for President in 1860. That victory work-related skills. it was relatively small. 75 million was Zagime Anishinabek (Sakimay) has would change history for African Amer- Zagime has 67 full-time employees the death toll from World War II, which been recognized as one of Saskatche- and four part-time workers. The First icans as the nation’s new leader would occurred 80 years later, which was also, wan’s Top 25 Employers. The First Na- Nation encourages its employees to pur- waste no time in diving head strong into fundamentally, a war with racism. The tion was selected for the honor along sue professional development through ending slavery at all costs, including his good guys won both wars, and so per- with leaders from a variety of other tuition subsidies and in-house training own life. haps it is very possible that the sacri- industries. Additional winners for 2021 or mentorship opportunities. New em- With many from the southern most fices of those who believed in equal include First Nations Bank of Canada, ployees receive three weeks of vacation states willing to fight for their right rights, such as Lincoln, were inspira- Nutrien Inc., Saskatchewan Blue Cross, after their first year of employment. All to own human beings as property, the tions to a new generation as to what was SaskTel, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. staff are also given twelve days of paid American Civil War would become one worth fighting for. It is also proof that The businesses were featured in an on- vacation during winter holidays and of the history books bloodiest battles. sometimes one person really can change line magazine issued on Feb. 4 in the year-end bonuses. The band also assists However, sheer will, brain power and the world. 200 years after the birth of Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Lea- employees in their retirement planning thinking outside the box would be game Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama would derPost. and offers inclusion in a registered pen- changers in the war that would reshape be inaugurated as the 44th President of Mediacorp Canada Inc., the Toron- sion plan. the nation. the United States. to-based publisher that manages the “This year’s winners have worked Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, hard to ensure that employees feel safe, oversees the regional competition. Judg- supported, and connected,” Richard Yer- ing is based on criteria relating to work ema, managing editor for the Top Em- environment and forward-thinking ini- ployers program, said in a press release. Contractors and Home Directory

J&V ELECTRIC

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