The Saskatchewan government says it will continue to work toward a western Canadian price insurance program for both cattle and hog producers.
Today’s speech from the throne to open the third session of this legislature noted agriculture’s contribution to the provincial economy. It highlighted the government’s contributions to research, a record $27.7 million this fiscal year, to the sector.
The speech said the government will continue to work on improving programs such as crop insurance.
“To that end, my government will continue to work with the federal government, Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba to develop a western Canadian livestock price insurance program for cattle and hog producers,” said the speech, read by lieutenant governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield.
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Details of what that program might look like are still being worked out, but industry has been working with governments for several years after Alberta rolled out its own program.
In the environment file, the government also noted that it is already consulting on new regulations for agricultural drainage.
The theme of this year’s speech is meeting the challenges of growth.
More highway twinning and repair are on tap, as are more training seats in the trades.
Twinning projects that are still in pre-construction include 26 kilometres of Highway 16 from Saskatoon to Clavet, 24 km of Highway 7 from Saskatoon to Delisle and eight km of Highway 39 from Estevan to Bienfait.
Calls to twin Highways 6 and 39 south of Regina have been heard and the ministry said it will begin to plan twinning from Regina to Estevan.
Health care programs include new collaborative emergency centres in Shaunavon, Spiritwood, Wakaw and Canora. Maidstone already has one.
A “hot spotting” pilot program will take pressure off emergency rooms in Saskatoon and Regina by providing better service to high-risk, high-use patients who repeatedly use emergency rooms.
New anti-bullying measures and a Student First approach to education will go along with nine new joint-use elementary schools announced earlier in the week.
Also during this session, which will sit until Dec. 5 and resume March 3 until May 15, former University of Saskatchewan president Peter MacKinnon will release his report on how the province should best ensure that resource revenues become a permanent source of wealth into the future.
This year’s throne speech marked the beginning of a new tradition in the Saskatchewan legislature. The Black Rod, the wood and design for which was presented by the Prince of Wales during a royal visit in 2012, was used for the first time.
The tradition of the Black Rod goes back to 1348 and the time of King Edward III. It was the role of the Usher of the Black Rod to close and guard the doors once all the knights were assembled in the chapel. Under King Henry VII, the functions were expanded to include parliament.
