Saskatchewan rural municipalities want money from the province’s crown corporation reserves to rebuild and maintain gravel roads.
Sinclair Harrison, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said rural roads cannot continue to deteriorate.
“All sectors that generate revenue in this province will suffer,” he told reporters. “You cannot get the oil to market, you cannot get your grain to market. The problem isn’t going to go away. It’s not something you can phase out.”
SARM asked the province to review its funding allocation for roads after the March 19 budget provided only $23.7 million of the $56 million the association said was necessary.
Read Also
Ag In Motion 2025 site hub of activity
day before Ag in Motion preview.
Last week the province said there is no more money.
Harrison said the crowns, including the liquor and gaming authority, hold about $500 million in reserves and that money should be used to improve the quality of life for Saskatchewan people.
But crown investments minister Dwain Lingenfelter said there is no mechanism to withdraw money directly from the crowns. It has to go to the general revenue fund and then be allocated.
He blamed the lack of money on Ottawa.
“I would urge SARM to go to where the real cuts in transfers have taken place,” Lingenfelter said.
Premier Roy Romanow was in Ottawa last week where he said he would address the issue of a national highway system, which could free up provincial dollars for rural roads.
“On my own I’ll be raising the issue with the prime minister, for sure.”
Romanow said he still likes the SARM idea of a trek to Ottawa but that will have to wait until spring seeding is over.
Harrison said he has not discussed the trek with Romanow since the idea was raised in March, but supported the idea of continuing the fight.
“How many people do we have to kill in this province before we finally realize that we’ve got a problem? We say we’ve killed enough. Let’s spend the money and fix the roads.”
