By Alana Ross

As the festive season approaches, and we make plans to gather in our workplaces, with family and friends, our government is encouraging you to share seasonal greetings and not COVID-19.

Holiday planning should consider the vaccination status of your guests as well as the risk for those who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19. With the availability of the free rapid test kits please consider testing ahead of any gatherings.  Keep well-ventilated indoor gatherings small, wear a mask and practice physical distancing.

If you’re not feeling well, please stay at home, and seek testing for even the mildest of symptoms. 

Children aged five to 11 are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.  Getting your children immunized is the best tool available to reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 virus while preventing severe illness.  A parent or guardian consent will be required.

Find a vaccination clinic near you and give the gift of protection from COVID-19 to yourself, your friends and family. 

Our government has partnered with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and Federated Co-operatives Limited to provide thousands of free rapid antigen test kits through 41 Co-op locations across the province for public use. The kits are currently on-site and ready for pickup.

Rapid test kits are also available free of charge for regular at-home screening of COVID-19 at more than 150 locations across the province, including local chambers of commerce, municipal offices, fire halls, Canalta Hotels, as well as many local malls and public libraries.

I encourage you to pick up a rapid test kit and help keep your family and friends safe.

As part of our government’s commitment to expanding addiction services, we have increased access of take-home test kits for fentanyl and benzodiazepine to help curb the number of overdose deaths in our province. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more toxic than other opioids.  Of 149 confirmed accidental drug toxicity deaths in Saskatchewan in 2021, 108 (72 per cent) involved fentanyl.  People who use drugs often do not know if fentanyl is present.  It cannot be seen, smelled or tasted.

A negative result on a test strip does not guarantee the substance is safe.  Test strips only check if certain fentanyl or benzos compounds are present in the portion of the drugs testedStrips are now available in 30 locations across the province. To find the closest location for pickup visit saskatchewan.ca/overdose

Our provincial and federal governments recently announced more affordable child-care will be provided through licensed facilities. For families with children aged 0 – 5, this will reduce their out-of-pocket fees by about half, retroactive to July 1, 2021. This is the first step toward reaching an average $10 a day licensed child care by 2025-26.

Unregulated providers are encouraged to register with the Ministry of Education so they can qualify for additional funds to lower fees for the families they support.

Our government recently introduced a new policing initiative to target gang-related criminal activity entering the province through trafficking corridors. The Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT) is a specialized intelligence-led enforcement team dedicated to addressing illegal weapons, drugs, and human trafficking. 

The STRT will be made up of 30 RCMP officers, six municipal police officers, two criminal analysts, and three support staff, for a total of 41 new permanent positions. Three offices will be strategically located in Lloydminster, Estevan and Swift Current with municipal STRT resources in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

These locations were chosen based on their proximity to provincial boundaries and established trafficking corridors. Municipal STRT resources will also be located in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

This initiative will cost $2.1 million for 2021-22 and approximately $6.4 million annually in each subsequent fiscal year. This is entirely new funding; no resources have been reallocated from other policing initiatives.

At the local level, congratulations to Capt. Ivan Nahachewsky, third-generation Ukrainian, Chaplin and Greek Catholic Priest, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his work while deployed on Operation UNIFIER from October 2019 to April 2020. The Meritorious Service Medal is given to Canadian citizens whose achievements bring honour to our country. The Canadian Armed Forces mission supports the security forces of Ukraine and assists with security force training to help improve and build their capability and capacity.

It was an honour for me to bring greetings on behalf of the Education Minister, Dustin Duncan, and the Government of Saskatchewan at the grand opening for PA Early Years Family Resource Centre and the Prince Albert Kids First office opening at Gateway Mall.

The Family Resource Centre is a place where families with children (0 to 5) can be comfortable, the kiddos can play, and parents can ask questions about the early years and find links to the community. These valuable services are provided at no cost for all families.

May your home be filled with the joy of the Christmas Season. I wish you a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you have questions, comments, concerns or require assistance with provincial government programs or services, I encourage you to contact our Constituency Office located at 7 – 598 15th St. E. We can be reached by telephone at 306-763-7677 or panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net.

Alana Ross – MLA’s Report

Since resuming the sitting of the Legislative Session, we have debated the Speech from the Throne, which sets out our government’s path for the coming years. While the speech focuses on managing through to the end of the pandemic, it also sets out the path to provide programs and services you deserve. To accomplish this, we will continue to work to build a strong economy, providing opportunities for our future.

In the past weeks, I have been meeting with constituents, business owners, community organizations, and other concerned citizens about our downtown core’s challenges. Be assured I have taken these concerns to my colleagues in Regina.

While I know these challenges did not come to pass overnight, I know our government is working to provide help to everyone involved.  Currently, we are looking to partner with charitable organizations and third-party providers with the goal of adding another 150 treatment spaces over the next three years. These will provide more support for those seeking addictions treatments and detox services.

The Throne Speech addresses our commitment to harm reductions strategies with the increased access to test strips for fentanyl and benzodiazepine. These strips can detect the presence of fentanyl and benzo in street drugs – substances linked to increased overdose deaths in Saskatchewan. Fentanyl is 50-100 times more toxic than other opioids. People who use drugs often do not know if fentanyl is present.  It cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted.

A negative result on a test strip does not guarantee the substance is safe.  Test strips only check if fentanyl or benzo are present in the portion of the drugs tested. They do not detect other drugs and do not tell you the amount of fentanyl or benzo present in the substance.  These strips are an additional tool to limit potential overdoses.

We will continue to work with community pharmacies to increase accessibility to the Take Home Naloxone Program. This provides friends, families, and the public with the means of saving the life of someone who is having an opioid overdose. Opioids affect the part of the brain that controls breathing, so when too much of an opioid is taken, breathing slows or stops. Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose temporarily, restoring breathing in a few minutes. It is not a narcotic, is non-addictive, and has no effect if opioids are not present. Naloxone is a safe medication with few side effects.

In the coming months, the Ministry of Health will be developing a new website to provide information for people at risk of an overdose. I will keep you posted on its development.  

One theme of the Throne Speech that is of particular importance to our area is that of a stronger Saskatchewan. A stronger Saskatchewan is rooted in creating a business environment open to opportunities for growth and investment. An example is found in the recent timber sector investments, which will bring considerable opportunities for people in our community. Paper Excellence $550 million investment to upgrade its pulp mill in Prince Albert will create an estimated 1,650 new jobs and One Sky Forest Products plan to build a new $250 million Oriented Strand Board mill in Prince Albert will generate more than 700 jobs.

The growth of these and other sectors are going to provide valuable jobs for Prince Albert and area, it offers hope and opportunity for our young people in Saskatchewan. As always, if you have questions, comments, concerns or require assistance with provincial government programs or services, I encourage you to contact our Constituency Office. You can find us at 7 – 598 15^th St. E. We can also be contacted by telephone at 306-763-7677 or by e-mail panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net.

We have certainly had an eventful summer in Prince Albert and it’s my hope that you found some time to reconnect with family and friends for recreation and relaxation.

It has been exciting for me to see progress on the Rose Garden Hospice and Aquatic Centre projects, as well as the passing lane improvements recently completed in our area.

I had the opportunity to tour the Prince Albert/Paper Excellence Pulp Mill and also took the opportunity to attend a Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association meeting to discuss the challenges brought on by this year’s drought.

The end of the summer, the start of school, and a return to our regular routines – September can be a busy month for many of us.

As we continue to transition back to normal life, we want to limit the spread of COVID-19 without imposing widespread public health orders and restrictions, as was necessary before vaccines were widely available.

New COVID cases and serious outcomes from those cases are now overwhelmingly among unvaccinated individuals and getting vaccinated remains the most important step that you can take to protect yourself and others.

While there are currently no COVID-19 vaccines approved for children under 12, all those who are eligible are encouraged to be fully-vaccinated to afford these groups the best circle of protection possible.

As students of all ages return to class, school divisions have been working with local medical health officers to tailor back-to-school plans based on local circumstances, vaccination rates, case counts, and other factors. This flexibility allows boards the ability to develop plans that are best for them.

Prince Albert Catholic Schools and the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division are asking that all students, staff, and visitors wear masks indoors in all schools and on all school buses. Mask use will not be required outdoors. The details of each plan can be found in full on the division websites.

Vaccines are widely accessible in every part of the province so if you haven’t done so already, I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated.
Saskatchewan is well-positioned for a strong economic recovery from COVID-19. Our economic performance is leading the nation as the strength of our industries creates jobs and drives our economy forward.

Saskatchewan residents have the lowest debt load in Canada compared to the size of our economy. More people are working, with employment rising by 2.8 per cent over the first seven months, and our economy continues to grow at an incredibly strong pace.

S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Saskatchewan’s credit rating at AA with a stable outlook in a recent report. All three major rating agencies have now updated their credit rating and outlook for Saskatchewan following the 2021-22 Budget, and we continue to have the second-highest overall credit rating among Canadian provinces.

We are pleased that the major rating agencies continue to have confidence in our government’s fiscal and budgetary approach, despite the significant challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Saskatchewan’s economy is strong – and it’s driven by the resilience of our people and the outstanding performance of our industries.

Saskatchewan has one of the most competitive business environments in all of Canada, and we continue to be leaders in the nation in our key sectors of oil and gas, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, and others.

If you have questions, comments, concerns or require assistance with provincial government programs or services, I encourage you to contact our Constituency Office located at 7 – 598 15^th St. E. We can be reached by telephone at 306-763-7677 or by e-mail panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net.

by Alana Ross
MLA’s report

First and foremost, thank you to everyone for their efforts in containing the Cloverdale fire. The local and provincial response to this emergency was nothing short of incredible.

I continue to be encouraged by the strong and growing number of people in Saskatchewan who are getting vaccinated in the fight against COVID-19. These efforts have been driving down case numbers, hospitalizations, and helping to ease public health orders.

Just a few weeks ago, Step 1 of our Re-Opening Roadmap began with household gathering limits expanding up to 10 people and attendance at worship services, public gatherings, and table limits at restaurants all increasing. Youth and adult outdoor sports were able to resume as well.

Step 2 of our Re-Opening Roadmap begins this weekend, on Father’s Day. This means no capacity limits on retail, personal care services, bars, and restaurants; further increases to private gathering sizes; and organized indoor sports and recreational activities allowed to resume.

Three weeks after achieving the first dose vaccination threshold for Step 3, the last two public health orders will be removed. That will see the province remove the existing limits on event and gathering sizes, as well as the requirement for mandatory indoor masking.

Residents who have not received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are strongly encouraged to book an appointment and stick it to COVID. Meanwhile, those who have are reminded that it is equally important to follow up that first dose with a second once you become eligible to do so.

We are all looking forward to a return to our pre-pandemic lifestyles. At this time of the year, I am reminded of our students, particularly those nearing the end of their high school careers. They have had to adapt and miss out on the more traditional graduation festivities.  That does not, however, diminish their accomplishments or their ability to celebrate them.

Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2021!

Graduation is a symbol of all your hard work and will open doors to many opportunities. Your future may take you any number of directions. You might pursue post-secondary education or career training, or perhaps you’ll choose to go straight into the workforce. While your path may lead to other provinces and countries, I hope you choose Saskatchewan to build a life.

As a resident of Saskatchewan, you qualify for the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship which will cover a portion of your tuition if you enroll at a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution that is recognized for Canada-Saskatchewan student loans. This year’s budget provides $7.1 million in funding. Since its inception, it has benefitted over 113,000 students.

Since 2007-08, our government has invested nearly $11 billion in post-secondary institutions and student supports. In 2021-22, the Government of Saskatchewan will provide over $102.2 million in student supports through loans, scholarships, bursaries, grants and other supports.

We offer multiple programs that help students during and after their studies, including the Graduate Retention Program which has benefited over 74,000 post-secondary grads. This is the only graduate retention program in Canada and since its inception we’ve provided $541 million in tax credits to graduates who live and work in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Student Loans Forgiveness Program for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners forgives up to $4,000 per year of Saskatchewan Student debt to a maximum of $20,000 over five years for nurses and nurse practitioners who practice in smaller, rural Saskatchewan communities.

The Government of Saskatchewan is also launching a Loan Forgiveness Program for Veterinarians and Vet Technologists who choose to work in rural and remote communities.

You can visit www.saskatchewan.ca to learn more about all the advantages available to high school and post-secondary grads here in our province.

If you have questions, comments, concerns or require assistance with provincial government programs or services, I encourage you to contact our Constituency Office located at 7 – 598 15th St. E. We can be reached by telephone at 306-763-7677 or by e-mail panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net.

by Alana Ross
MLA’s report

First and foremost, thank you to the constituents of Prince Albert Northcote for the honour of serving as your representative in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. I find that I’m still learning a lot and growing into the role every day. Every step of the journey, particularly promoting and advocating for our community, has been very rewarding.

Thank you all for being patient, understanding, and for observing public health orders to keep our province moving and keep our friends, families, and communities safe in response to COVID-19. Protecting lives and livelihoods is our #1 priority and we know that the only way for the people of our province to return to our pre-pandemic lives is to get vaccinated.

The vaccines are safe, they work and, as the rollout continues, I strongly encourage you to roll up your sleeve and stick it to COVID when it is your turn to do so. Thank you to the dedicated staff at vaccination clinics and to all residents who are making the responsible decision to get vaccinated.

Let’s keep protecting ourselves and those around us by following the public health orders currently in place. We are making great progress on the road to recovery.

Our government recently unveiled a re-opening roadmap that will gradually lift the current public health orders as Saskatchewan reaches significant vaccination levels. We reached Step 1 of re-opening at the end of May.

Household gatherings expanded up to 10 people, attendance at worship services and other public gatherings increases, and table limits at restaurants increases.

Step 2 is expected to begin at the third week in June, lifting capacity limits in retail, personal care services, restaurants, and bars. Public and household gathering sizes will expand and remaining restrictions on youth and adult sports will be removed.

Finally, Step 3 is expected to begin in the second week of July, when most remaining restrictions will be lifted.

How quickly we can move forward with this plan depends on more people getting vaccinated when it’s their turn.

As Saskatchewan travels through its roadmap to reopen, this year’s provincial budget has been designed to protect, build and grow our province.

Our government’s budget protects lives and livelihoods by providing direct funding to fight COVID-19 while investing record levels of funding into health care, education, social services and protection of people and property.

This budget builds with a capital investment of $3.1 billion to help recover our economy and create jobs. There is new funding for new schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, highways and municipal infrastructure.

The growth of our economy and our communities continues to be a key focus of our government.

This budget provides key investments and incentives to achieve that growth while keeping life affordable for families.

Our province has fared better than most through the global pandemic and this budget charts a clear course forward for our province that ensures a strong recovery, and a strong Saskatchewan.

Earlier this month I was very pleased to see the next steps in the Victoria Hospital renewal as Stantec was selected as the design firm for this important project. Their team of local architects and engineers have a proud history of infrastructure project delivery throughout Saskatchewan.

Victoria Hospital is the major hub for essential health care services across northern Saskatchewan and our government is pleased to see this redevelopment project moving ahead. We look forward to working with the local community and our Indigenous partners to ensure it includes all the services and amenities they require.

We are investing more than $300 million in the redesigned hospital for a new acute care tower, the replacement of the existing mental health space and renovations to the current facility.

Upon completion, the total number of beds available is expected to increase by about 40 per cent, with space to expand further as needed.

Victoria Hospital is a critical component of our province’s health infrastructure and this significant investment will serve not only the people of Prince Albert, but the entire northern half of the province for years to come.

If you have questions, comments, concerns or require assistance with provincial government programs or services, I encourage you to contact our Constituency Office located at 7 – 598 15th St. E. We can be reached by telephone at 306-763-7677 or by e-mail panorthcote.mla@sasktel.net.

Alana Ross is the MLA for Prince Albert Northcote.