Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said the government continues to look at ways to help ranchers devastated by wildfires but in the meantime will match cash donations to an industry-led fund.
Last week, the province said it would match cash contributions to the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association’s wildfire relief fund up to $100,000.
“I’ve sort of appreciated what the stock growers have done here, and they may have set a bit of a precedent for other farm groups that want to raise money for folks who have either insurable or uninsurable losses,” Wall told reporters.
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“And we have, as a province, stepped up when someone faces a disaster outside of our borders, that’s sometimes internationally. And so I think cabinet decided yesterday this is not a bad template, a way to move forward.”
As of the Nov. 16 announcement, the SSGA had received about $65,000 in cash donations, plus an estimated total of $250,000 worth of feed and in-kind donations. The organization continues to collect funds this week at its booth at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
About 770 cattle were killed and 85,000 acres of grass burned during mid-October fires near Burstall and Tompkins.
Fences and buildings were also destroyed.
Government Relations Minister Larry Doke said the $100,000 figure was set because it seemed that’s where the SSGA fund might end up.
“It’s never enough, we all know that,” he said.
“The door isn’t closed 100 percent on other funding measures out there, but at this point in time there isn’t anything else.”
However, the province is expecting it might have to help those who don’t have grass next year for their cattle by processing interim AgriStability claims.
The government has consistently said AgriRecovery is unlikely because most of the losses were insurable.
It has provided grants of up to $10,000 to five affected rural municipalities to help with carcass disposal.
It will help with range health assessments and grazing management plans through to next spring.
As well, it is donating non-permit harvested hay from the Qu’Appelle Coulee Ecological Reserve to affected ranchers. People who have volunteered to haul hay through the SSGA fund are allowed to use their farm licence plates.
Details of the SSGA fund can be found at www.skstockgrowers.com.
