Rural Saskatchewan is gearing up for some long overdue upgrades on bridges and roads when the money comes its way.
“We’re pretty well ready to go,” said David Booker, councillor for the Rural Municipality of Chesterfield, near Eatonia, Sask.
Many RMs will have to finance projects over several years because they are expensive, require numerous environmental and governmental oversights and take time to plan out.
To fund projects, many RMs will need to raise additional money through local tax increases
“It’s going to hurt but we have no choice,” he said.
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Booker noted the area tax base has remained the same despite a decline in population.
He has also noticed little change in the condition of roads in his 21 years as councillor but said the provincial government now recognizes that something has to change in rural Saskatchewan.
He expects to see highway and infrastructure funding announced in the upcoming provincial budget.
Poor roads mean farmers have to haul smaller loads of cattle or grain and make more trips down the road.
“It’s a handicap not being able to truck out weights,” Booker said.
His region is also looking for funds for pipelines that will bring drinking water to six or seven communities, including a number of farms and ranches.
David Marit, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said now is the time for the province to commit funds to rural infrastructure.
“Rural Saskatchewan has been neglected for a long time,” he said. “It’s our turn and we have to be treated fairly.”
In an interview at SARM’s annual convention in Saskatoon March 10, Marit said RMs are ready to start projects if the money comes through. SARM is asking for $95 million in the upcoming provincial budget.
“If you want to see shovel ready projects, you just announce something for municipal roads,” he said.
“I’ve got guys ready to put their money where their mouth is.”
Marit said many roads have increased to 90,000 pound payloads from farming and oil sectors. Some regions have downgraded deteriorating roads to cars and light truck status from heavy trucks, while others have closed bridges and diverted school buses to different routes.
He said further delays make the problems bigger and more costly.
The province is showing good growth and infrastructure needs to keep up with it, Marit said.
He noted how much wealth oil has generated at rural Saskatchewan sites.
“We have to return that back to where it came from,” he said.
“We can’t keep going to the taxpayer and asking the taxpayer to pay. Somebody has to help pay it.”
During the convention’s bearpit session with provincial cabinet ministers, the pressing need for infrastructure funds was a recurring theme heard by Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall.
“We will provide a significant lift,” Wall said. “It may not make it as fast as all would like.”
Highways and infrastructure minister Wayne Elhard acknowledged the poor state of bridges, calling it a big problem.
“We will respond to the best level we can,” he said.
Ken Engel, SARM executive director, said RMs need sufficient time to get their applications in for funding through programs like the Building Canada Fund, noting its great potential to help municipalities.
Engel said SARM has a good relationship with this government, which he called receptive and approachable.
While he said there was nothing new in Wall’s presentation, it was warmly received by delegates.
“Our delegates are on the right hand side of the political spectrum.”
