Improving customer service, enhancing economic development opportunities,
strategies to deal with waste management, attracting new citizens and saving our
past for the future. These were the themes front and center at the fourth annual
Saskatchewan Municipal Awards ceremony today. The municipalities that
spearheaded these projects were announced as the winners of the 2010
Saskatchewan Municipal Awards. The awards were presented at a luncheon
sponsored by Communities of Tomorrow. A total of 24 nominations were
received for the six award categories.
The 2010 winners of the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards are:
Municipal Service Excellence
Service Regina
City of Regina
In response to growing citizen demand for increased and improved customer
service, the City of Regina undertook a Customer Service Strategy aimed at
improving the time and quality of how ratepayer requests are dealt with. The
intention is for Service Regina to be the first point of contact for most of the frontline
services the city provides. Service Regina has become "one-stop shopping"
for city services, including water and tax services, inquiries formally handled by
separate centres. Another change in recent years was the implementation of a
customer relationships management software program, which tracks all
interactions between representatives and customers, and improves Service
Regina reporting at the corporate level.
Economic Development Leadership
Fife Lake Rail Project
RM of Hart Butte No. 11, RM of Poplar Valley No. 12, RM of Willow Bunch No.
42, RM of Old Post No. 43, RM of Stonehenge No. 73, Town of Coronach and
Town of Rockglen
In 2005, CP Rail was looking to discontinue rail operations to the Fife Lake
subdivision. The seven municipalities partnered to acquire and operate the rail
line in order to provide an economic advantage to businesses and ratepayers in
the region. Fife Lake Rail has reduced transportation costs for producers and
has increased employment in the region. Each of the seven member
municipalities also realized a cost savings through their management partnership
of the rail line.
Regional Leadership and Partnerships
REACT Waste Management System
REACT Waste Management District (47 members)
The Regional Authority of Carlton Trail (REACT) is a sustainable regional
partnership involving 47 municipalities who acted together in response to a
growing collective need to deal with waste and recycling products. REACT
implemented a user-pay system and divided the waste stream into two
categories: the recycle stream, and the waste stream, significantly reducing the
amount of waste going to the regional landfill. REACT has also been recognized
by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) as one of the top nine
municipal entities within Canada for reaching substantial waste diversion through
recycling initiatives.
Community Development Leadership
Immigration Initiative
City of Saskatoon
Statistics in 2004 showed that of the immigrants coming to Saskatoon,
approximately one-quarter did not stay in the city, resulting in a retention rate
significantly below the national average. The City of Saskatoon implemented a
strategic immigration initiative aimed to increase attraction, retention and
integration among newcomers to the city. This initiative included consultation
with existing immigrants to learn how the city could more effectively make
Saskatoon an attractive place for new residents to come and live.
Environmental Stewardship
Specific Risk Materials Disposal Project
RM of Canwood No. 494, Village of Debden and Village of Canwood
In response to outbreaks of bovine spongi form encephalopathy (BSE), the RM
of Canwood No. 494 and the Villages of Debden and Canwood developed the
first and only facility of its kind in Saskatchewan, where BSE materials are
disposed of in a safe and environmentally-friendly process. The disposal site has
been classified as a geologically secure site, based on the Ministry's of
Agriculture and Environment guidelines, and also provides for groundwater
protection.
Heritage Conservation Leadership
Saving Our Past for the Future
Town of Ogema
Over the past 30 years, the Town of Ogema has conserved many heritage
buildings and artifacts in the community, including the Deep South Pioneer
Museum, and its displays. Some of the most recent heritage strategies the
community has undertaken is integrating heritage conservation and management
into the official community plan, and creating a community heritage inventory.
This inventory assists in developing strategies to manage the heritage resources
within the municipality, and ensures they will be preserved for future generations.
Saskatchewan Municipal Awards is a program partnership between the
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) and the Saskatchewan
Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, New
North, the Rural Municipal Administrators’ Association of Saskatchewan (RMAA)
and the Urban Municipal Administrators Association of Saskatchewan (UMAAS).
