Prince Albert Mayor Bill Powalinsky says the provincial budget contains several important commitments for the city, particularly in health care and social supports, but argues the city’s biggest unmet need remains infrastructure funding.
In an interview following last week’s Chamber budget luncheon, Powalinsky said the clearest immediate local takeaway was Prince Albert’s municipal revenue sharing amount, which he said rose to about $10.1 million from a little over $9 million last year. He said that increase stood out right away from a municipal point of view.
“Well, I think what, of course, was immediate on most mayor’s minds would be the revenue sharing agreement,” Powalinsky said. “That was certainly something that we’re quite pleased to see.”
Asked whether the budget gives Prince Albert what it needs right now, Powalinsky said, “I don’t know if you’d find a mayor anywhere across Canada who would say all needs are being met.”
Still he said, one of the most important parts of the budget for Prince Albert is the province’s plan to ramp up health care recruitment. With the hospital expansion expected to bring hundreds of new positions, he said the city cannot afford to fall behind in the competition for workers.
“We’ve heard about the recruitment efforts that will be ramped up for health care professionals,” he said. “That, to me, is very important piece.”
He also broadly agreed with Premier Scott Moe’s message at the Chamber luncheon that the budget is about protecting Saskatchewan, saying health, education, prosperity and social supports remain central to that goal. He said continued construction of schools and health care facilities matters not just to Prince Albert, but to the wider region the city serves.
The mayor spoke especially strongly about the Victoria Hospital expansion, describing it as a project that will further cement Prince Albert’s position as a northern hub. He said the city is no longer just a gateway to the North, but increasingly a centre for education, trade, transportation and health care.
“We are no longer just a gateway city. We are a hub,” Powalinsky said. “And now we’re really going to establish the position as a hub for health care.”
He said the expansion should reduce the need for residents to travel farther for treatment and will likely bring wider economic benefits through housing demand, construction work and related business growth. Powalinsky said the city is looking forward to the hospital going online in 2028.
On the urgent care centre and complex needs facility, Powalinsky said both are important in the broader picture of community health and public safety. He described the urgent care centre as a needed middle ground between minor clinics and crowded emergency rooms, and suggested Prince Albert should also be thinking ahead about whether it can play a greater role in training future doctors as the province adds more medical education spaces.
For all the positives he identified, Powalinsky said the city’s most urgent long term need is still infrastructure. He pointed to pressures outlined in his recent state of the city address and said municipalities across Saskatchewan are facing the same reality of aging systems and rising costs.
“Clearly, it’s infrastructure, infrastructure funding,” he said, pointing to the need for two new fire stations, a police station, a wastewater treatment plant and continued work toward a convention and event centre.
Powalinsky also said Prince Albert needs to be ready to pursue larger economic opportunities. He pointed to dozens of major business and industry projects discussed by the province and said the city, Chamber and regional partners should work together to attract some of that activity to Prince Albert and area.
The Saskatchewan NDP says a leaked health budget document shows important frontline health needs were left without requested funding, while the Saskatchewan Health Authority says the province’s 2026-27 health budget will support key patient care priorities.
In an interview with the Daily Hearld, Shadow Health Minister Meara Conway said the document outlines funding requests ties mainly to the Saskatchewan Health Authority and shows several requested increases were not approved.
“We received a document regarding the budget, outlining a number of areas where there would have been, like a request for funding through the health budget, mainly through the SHA but we did not receive any increased funding,” Conway said.
She said the document points to a pattern involving unmet needs in mental health and addictions, areas she argued are being felt in communities across the province, including Prince Albert.
“One of the things I think is really concerning about the areas where no where we see no increases, is the theme of mental health and addiction,” Conway said.
Conway said items she viewed as especially concerning included requested increases for mental health and addictions volume pressures, PACT teams, wellness buses and other community supports. She said the document is not broken down by community, but argued many of the listed services would still affect Prince Albert because they are delivered across the province.
“It would impact P.A and all the places where those services are in place, but it doesn’t say specifically the community, unless it’s about a specific facility, like the Regina acute care bed capacity or that kind of thing,” Conway said.
She said the bigger concern was the number of other requested items that appeared not to receive increased funding. Conway argued that some of those omissions are closely tied to patient flow and hospital pressures.
One example she pointed to was home care, where $8.5 million was requested and $2.2 million was provided.
“According to CIHI, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, a night in the hospital—a bed in this kind of situation—costs between three and $5,000,” Conway said.
Conway said a lack of supports in home care, housing, long-term care and mental health can leave more people stuck in hospital beds or turning up in emergency departments, adding strain to the overall system.
SHA did not directly answer questions about the leaked document itself, including whether it was authentic or what stage of the budget process it reflected.
Instead, in a written response sent through media relations, SHA said the province has allocated $5.15 billion to the authority in the 2026-27 budget, which it described as a 4.25 per cent increase year over year. SHA said that funding will support greater access to team-based primary care, expanded hospital capacity and urgent care, seniors’ care and recovery-based mental health and addictions services.
SHA also said it works closely with the Ministry of Health during the annual budgeting process to determine how funding is allocated and to address service pressures throughout the year.
George Marshall says he is stepping into his new role with a focus on service, accountability, and building on the work already done by the City’s financial services department. He also says his first weeks on the job have shown both the opportunities and challenges that come with helping guide the city’s finances.
Marshall, who began work in February as Chief Financial Officer for the City of Prince Albert, described his first weeks on the job as encouraging but busy, saying he has been welcomed by a strong team as he works through the transition.
“It has been wonderful. I’m very fortunate to join a team of high-quality professionals and public servants who are all dedicated to building a city of opportunity and belonging that we’re proud to call home,” Marshall said.
Later in the interview, he added that the first several weeks have come with “a steep learning curve,” but said the financial services department has helped him get up to speed.
Marshall is taking over the role after the retirement of longtime finance director Ramona Fauchoux, and he said she has remained involved during the handoff.
“She was present in the transition, and she continues to support me and the entire financial services department on a contract basis,” he said.
For Marshall, the move into the position is also tied to his family’s life in Prince Albert. He said they moved to the city about four years ago and quickly developed a strong connection to the community. He said taking on the CFO role felt like a way to contribute directly to the city’s future.
“We fell in love with the city, (and) this community,” he said. “It’s a vibrant community. There’s a lot to do here, and there’s a lot of people here who are ready to take on challenges. It’s exciting to be a part of the City of Prince Albert. It is one of the best ways where I can roll up my sleeves, join in that challenge, and contribute to making it a better place.”
Marshall also pointed to his background in finance as he enters the role, saying he brings experience from several sectors.
“I’m originally from Regina. I spent 25 years in senior financial leadership positions in private, public and non for profit sectors, and I’m very excited to take on this opportunity,” he said.
Marshall said debt is part of the city’s broader financial picture and said Prince Albert, like many cities in Canada, faces financial pressures that are outside municipal control. He said part of his role is carrying out council’c direction in a way that supports taxpayers and ensures public money is spent wisely.
He also said finance touches every part of city operations and that leadership in the department helps support and enable the work the city does across the organization.
Asked what he hopes to bring to the position, Marshall said continuity matters just as much as change.
“I think what I want to do is continue the good work done by my predecessor, Ramona. I want to continue openness, transparency, accountability, and make sure that the taxpayers of PA feel that their money is well spent and well used,” he said.
Marshall said he also wants residents to know he sees himself as part of the community he now serves.
“Would I like them to know that I’m very proud to be one of them now. I’ve been here for four years, and it has been an amazing thing becoming part of this community. I’m one of them now, and I look forward to supporting the city’s needs as much as possible, serving them.”
Prince Albert was pulled into a growing provincial debate over hospital capacity this week after the Saskatchewan NDP said leaked internal records showed the city’s ICU had been placed on bypass earlier this month.
Shadow Health MInister Meara Conway said the material received by the Opposition showed Prince Albert and North Battleford had been on bypass in recent days or weeks, while Saskatoon ICUs were also placed on bypass over the weekend.
“We received leaked documents that over the weekend, Saskatoon ICUs were on bypass, and then we also received information that both PA and North Battleford had been on bypass. Similarly, the ICUs had been on bypass in recent days and weeks,” Conway said.
Conway said the Prince Albert bypass shown in the records was dated March 18.
“The PA bypass, I believe the documents show, that was in that, was on March 18, and then North Battleford was within days of that. And then this past weekend, we had the Saskatoon ICUs on bypass.”
She argued that several bypass alerts in a short span point to a broader system strain affecting patients, paramedics, and frontline staff.
“Often EMS will get information in real time about where patients can go and where they can be treated. So it may mean longer distance of travel, thus EMS not being available to other calls that are coming in,” Conway said.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill rejected the Opposition’s framing on Monday during a media scrum, saying the information was being misrepresented.
“They find a couple of emails (and) these weren’t even for emergency rooms, so to stand in front of a hospital in Saskatoon today and say that ERs were turning away patients this weekend in Saskatoon, that’s so far from the truth. That’s not accurate,” Cockrill said during a scrum Monday.
Cockrill said the notices were not about emergency rooms closing, but about ICU capacity.
“Just to clarify, when you’re saying there were bypasses, they were specifically just on ICU beds in the hospital. Yeah, so when ICU beds are at capacity, and again, there’s nuance to that too, and I think the SHA operational leaders likely provided some more details on that.”
That explanation was echoed by Saskatchewan Health Authority officials during a Zoom media briefing Monday afternoon.
“There has been public reporting and assertions today suggesting that all Saskatoon hospitals were on bypass this weekend, that emergency departments were closed, or that patients were turned away. That is not accurate,” said Derek Miller, chief operating officer with the SHA.
Miller said the notices related specifically to “Critical Care bypass” and were used to manage ICU admissions from outside Saskatoon when beds there were full. He said Saskatoon hospitals continued to accept emergency patients, and that critical care bypass did not mean hospitals or emergency departments were closed.
He added that when Saskatoon is on critical care bypass, ICU admissions from outside the region may be directed to other centres, including Prince Albert, North Battleford, Yorkton, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, and Regina.
At the same time, SHA acknowledged that capacity pressures are real, saying Saskatoon hospitals and emergency departments are facing increased demand and are using overcapacity protocols.
“We also recognize that capacity pressures are real. Saskatoon’s hospitals and emergency departments are experiencing increased demand, and as a result, are using over capacity protocols, including surge spaces and when necessary, bypass protocols,” Derek MIller said. “However, this does not mean patients will be turned away.”
What remains unclear is whether Prince Albert received any redirected ICU patients during the Saskatoon bypass period. During the SHA media briefing, officials were asked how many patients were diverted, but Derek Miller said he did not have that information available.
Conway said that lack of detail added to her concerns.
“There was a press conference held by SHA yesterday. I had an opportunity to listen in on some of the questions that were asked a lot, and there was a lot of avoiding the questions they were asked. How many people were diverted? Where were they sent? Where was the surge staff sent? Not a lot of answers to those questions.”
She also briefly linked the ICU pressure to broader healthcare capacity issues, including alternate level of care patients, long-term care shortages, home care gaps, and a separate leaked SHA budget memo released Tuesday. That budget document was not the focus of the government’s response Tuesday and is expected to require a separate follow-up.
For now, the clearest point of agreement between both sides is that the notices involved critical bypass. Where they sharply differ is in what those alerts say about the state of Saskatchewan’s hospital system, including Prince Albert’s.
Federal and provincial officials were in Prince Albert on Friday to announce a new $15.6 million support package aimed at helping Saskatchewan workers and employers deal with the effects of tarrifs.
The announcement took place at the University of Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert campus, formerly the Prince Albert Forest Centre.
The funding will be delivered over three years through a new Canada-Saskatchewan Workforce Tariff Response agreement. Officials said the money is meant to help people whose jobs are affected by tariffs, while also helping employers keep workers or prepare them for other oppoutunites.
Buckley Belanger, secretary of state for rural development and MP for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, said the issue is already being felt by workers and communities.
“Tariffs and global tensions aren’t something we can push to the side. They’re hitting real industries, real communities and real paychecks, and through it all, I want Saskatchewan workers to hear this clearly. The Government of Canada has your back, not with empty words, but with real support and real options,” Belanger said.
He said the new funding is being added on top of existing federal labour market support already provided to Saskatchewan.
“This is targeted support for workers and employers in the sectors feeling the pressure most,” Belanger said.
Saskatchewan Immigration and Career Training Minister and Saskatchewan Rivers MLA Eric Schmalz said the government is meant to respond to uncertainty caused by U.S tariffs and other trade pressures.
“Trade disruptions, including United States tariffs, are creating uncertainty for employers and workers across Canada,” Schmalz said. “While Saskatchewan has avoided severe impacts, we recognize the pressures facing employers and the risks facing workers in tariff-affected sectors.”
Schmalz said the funding will cover three areas: softwood lumber, steel, and other sectors affected either directly or indirectly. He said that could include industries such as manufacturing and construction.
He said $1.5 million will be used in the current fiscal year for skilled trades curriculum updates and workforce development work. Starting in 2026-27, Schmalz said $9.2 million will go toward direct retraining and reskilling for workers and employers facing tariff impacts.
Rather than create a separate new system, the province plans to use existing SaskJobs offices and current workforce programs to deliver support.
During the media questions, reporters asked what the announcement would mean for Prince Albert and northern Saskatchewan, especially for forestry workers. One question referred to the Carrot River sawmill and the recent uncertainty there.
Schmalz said business affected by tariffs would be able to apply for support. He said the goal is to help workers stay employed where possible or move into another job if necessary.
Officials gave a broad outline of the program but did not provide many details about which local employers may qualify first or how many Prince Albert area workers could end up receiving support.
Belanger said the province would decide how best to spend the money. He also said the province would be required to report back to the federal government about what progress they had made.
“I think they recognize that they have to have real results attached to some of these dollars.”
Schmalz said they would look at each case on an individual basis to determine if the funding was working as intended.
Belanger added that they determined how much funding Saskatchewan would receive on a per-capita basis.
Premier Scott Moe used a Prince Albert Chamber luncheon on Thursday at Plazza 88 to outline Saskatchewan’s 2026-27 budget as a plan to protect services, investment, and local growth during a period of global uncertainty, pointing to the Victoria Hospital expansion as one of the clearest examples of what that means for the city.
Moe and Finance Minister Jim Reiter spoke at Plaza 88 during a post-budget event hosted by the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon began with remarks from chamber CEO Patty Hughes, followed by speeches from Moe and Reiter, a moderated on-stage question-and-answer session led by Hughes and media interviews after the event.
Hughes framed the discussion around Prince Albert’s importance to the wider region, describing the city as a service and economic centre for northern Saskatchewan.
“We are the service hub of the north,” Hughes said, adding that Prince albert plays a major role in health care, business and economic activity across the region.
That broader role was echoed by Moe, who repeatedly described Prince Albert as a gateway to the North and argued that major provincial spending in the city should be understood not only as a local investment, but as one that affects a much larger area.
Much of the local focus landed on the Victoria Hostpital expansion. Moe said the project is expected to be operating in 2028 and described it as one of the most significant investments currently planned for Prince Albert.
“So I think the completion of the capital construction and the actual operation of the expansion will be in 2028,” Moe said. “It’s a significant project, close to a billion dollar investment.”
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald Premier Scott Moe speaks during the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce’s post-budget luncheon at Plaza 88 on Thursday.
He said the capital side of the project is fully funded by the province and added that once the expansion is operating. It is expected to support about 500 additional professional staff. Moe tied that directly to the province’s effort to strengthen care in Prince Albert and throughout northern Saskatchewan.
Moe also tied the budget to community safety, addictions recovery, and social supports in Prince Albert, saying the province’s approach has to include both enforcement and treatment. He said people struggling with addiction need a real pathway into recovery and pointed to the planned urgent care centre and complex needs facility in Prince Albert as part of that response.
“We need to provide those recovery opportunities for each and every person that unfortunately has had some mental health challenges and may have slipped into a life of addictions,” Moe said. “we have a responsibility as people that live alongside one another to provide everybody that opportunity to enter a recovery lifestyle.”
The two men also made the case that the province chose to run a deficit rather than pull back on key services or supports. Reiter said the budget contains an $819 million deficit, but argued the government has set out a four-year path back to balance while still maintaining core spending.
“Right now in Saskatchewan, a family of four, earning on their first $65,000 of income is going to pay no provincial income tax,” Reiter said.
Rieter also highlighted measures aimed at business and workforce development, including keeping the small business tax rate at one percent and expanding training opportunites. The workforce side of the budget drew attention from local business leaders who continue to face hiring challenges and labour shortages.
Moe also took aim at Opposition leader Carla Beck during the discussion, defending the government’s school construction record and referencing criticism over a proposed new school in Shellbrook. He said the province has built or announced 108 schools or major school renovations during the Saskatchewan Party’s time in office, then accused Beck of oppsing one project while not raising the same objections to new schools in her own constituency.
“I was hoping the leader would be here because they took issue with the 109th school,” Moe said. “I see the Sask River School Division is here, and I’d like to make an introduction after, and maybe they can explain why they don’t want that school to go into that facility when the leader of the opposition has three new ones in her constituency that she didn’t take issue with.”
Reiter pointed to municipal revenue sharing as another example of what the government says the budget is delivering locally. He said Prince Albert received $2.9 million in municipal revenue sharing in 2007, which he said would amount to about $4.3 million today if adjusted, compared to $10.1 million under the current formula.
A large ceremonial cheque displayed on stage underscored that point, showing $10,183,082 for the City of Prince Albert in municipal revenue sharing. Hughes drew attention to the amount during the discussion, calling it a record high, before Reiter and Moe used it to argue the province has given municipalities a more predictable and stronger share of provincial revenue.
Moe repeatedly tied the budget to broader instability in global markets, trade and energy prices, arguing that Saskatchewan is trying to protect both public services and future economic opportunity at the same time. Asked later about whether Saskatchewan could make greater use of its own oil through refining or other value-added processing, Moe said the province already has refinery and upgrader capacity, but global pricing still drives what consumers and businesses feel at home.
“So really, I think, although an uncertain time globally, and we are connected globally, each of our industries in our province, more generally, this is also an exciting time,” Moe said. “There are opportunities, and I would encourage first and foremost businesses to identify those opportunities and move on them.”
Questions during Hughes’s on-stage discussion touched on health care, municipal funding, community safety, and business pressures. In interviews with the media after the event, Moe was also asked about labour shortages, burnout in front-line systems, and the difficulty some international students face finding work after studying in Saskatchewan. Moe said there are jobs available in Prince Albert and the surrounding region, but said post-secondary institutions could do more to connect students and graduates with industry.
On health care staffing, Moe pointed to expanded training seats in recent years, including new medicine, residency, and nurse practitioner seats. He also said the Saskatchewan Health Recruitment Agency is expected to take on a larger role in bringing workers into the system and supporting local recruitment efforts.
The event gave the local business community a chance to press the province directly on fuel costs, hiring pressures, and whether Prince Albert will see a clear return from the budget. The government’s message throughout the luncheon was that the city remains central to its plans for health care, safety, and growth in the North.
The Saskatchewan NDP, meanwhile said Thursday the budget will leave people paying more while failing to do enough on affordability, health care and education. In a release issued after the budget vote, the opposition said the plan “contains nothing to make life more affordable,” called the health funding increase inadequate and argued school capital cuts could delay needed projects while the government moves ahead with a new school in Shellbrook, Moe’s hometown.
“This budget is bad news and the people of Saskatchewan are going to pay for it in so many ways,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan NDP Leader in the statement. “The people of this province deserve a government that’s listening to their very real concerns and that is budgeting to address major issues while setting us up for a bright future.
Beck was in Prince Albert on Friday to address the Northern Mayor’s Meeting, which brought together leaders from 35 northern communities. In a press release, Beck said the province needs to invest more in northern infrastructure, particularly its highways, which would help improve access to healthcare. She also called on the province to do more to make life more affordable for northern families.
“There are actions that could be taken today to help struggling families, such as cutting the 15-cent-per-litre fuel tax or removing the provincial sales tax on groceries as Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has done in that province,” she said.
Prince Albert’s executive committee dealt with its two remaining consent agenda items Monday, choosing not to pursue a proposed STARS levy while sending a property tax complaint involving 1947 16th Avenue West to financial services for review and report.
The STARS letter asked council to consider either a voluntary $2 levy or a direct donation. A separate letter from the owner of the 16th Avenue West property argued the vacant lot was wrongly classified as commercial beginning in 2021, causing taxes and penalties to accumulate.
Several councillors said they respected the work STARS does across Saskatchewan but were not prepared to add another charge to residents’ tax bills.
“I don’t think it’s our place, and I wouldn’t support another levy on top of our for our residents, for a nonprofit,” Coun. Daniel Brown said.
Coun. Tony Head said the service remains valuable, but questioned whether a levy was the right way to support it. Coun. Dawn Kilmer first moved to refer the matter to financial services, but later changed that to receive and file.
“This is a viable service, much needed service, in our province,” Head said. “I am in the opposite mindset of Councilor Brown on this one.”
“Putting a levy, to me, wouldn’t be a good idea,” Coun. Blake Edwards said.
The motion receive and file the STARS correspondence carried 8 -1.
Committee then turned to the tax complaint, where the property owner said the lot had historically been assessed as residential, with a value around $69,000 in 2020, before allegedly being reclassified as commercial in 2021 and rising to about $309,000. The letter says that led to annual tax levies of about $5,000 and an outstanding balance of $31,390.32 as of March 13, 2025.
The discussion centred on whether the property had been wrongly classified for tax purposes over several years, According to the owner’s letter, the vacant lot had previously been assessed as residential, but was later classifed as commercial, sharply increasing its assessed value and annual tax bill.
“How did we do this wrong for that long? And I’m hoping we correct it, because it was our mistake.” Brown said.
Chief Financial Officer George Marshall said the classification error was unfortunate, but told committee the city could only correct it going forward once the owner raised the issue. He also said not all taxes had been paid in recent years and told committee the outstanding amount is now more than $40,000. Mayor Bill Powalinsky then moved that the correspondence be received and referred to financial services for review and report. That motion carried unanimously.
“It definitely is unfortunate that there was an error in terms of the classification of this it was assigned a commercial rate for those four years prior to that had been a residential rate,” Marshall said.
The Prince Albert Grand Council used a policing symposium in Prince Albert on Thursday to present the clearest picture yet of what a First Nations-Led Police service could look like for its member nations, while emphasizing that the process remains in a decision-making stage and will depend on community support and negotiations with other governments.
The symposium brought together PAGC leadership, chiefs, councillors and policing representatives to hear findings from a feasibility study prepared by MNP. The study examined current policing challenges in PAGC communities and laid out options for a future policing model, including a regional First Nations-led service.
PAGC Vice Chief Joseph Tsannie said the work has been underway since 2017 and is now moving in to a phase where communities must understand what taking on a First Nations-led police service would actually involve.
“We’re wrapping up the study—the end of the month is our deadline—so we have the report that’s been endorsed by the chiefs of the grand council,” Tsannie said. “The next phase is making sure communities understand what it is to take over such a police force, and making sure that communities have the knowledge in order to continue to support this initiative.”
He said the process is being driven by communities themselves and linked the idea to both safety and long-term opportunity.
“It’s been 150 some years since the RCMP has been serving our communities, and I think it’s an opportunity to give those opportunities to our young people to start working in the justice system, the education, the training component, to start having our own people working within,” he said.
Much of the detailed information came from Caitlin Brown, who told those in attendance that the study was designed to help PAGC nations decide what direction they want to take, during her presentation.
“I have been working with Dave and vice chief and the Prince Albert Grand Council over the last almost two years,” Brown said. We kicked off this project in May of 2024, and it was really to do a study to see what First Nations policing could look like for the PAGC nations.”
She said the goal was to explore a regional service for PAGC nations while also comparing that idea with individual nation police services and improvements that could still be made under the current system.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald Caitlin Brown of MNP presents findings from the PAGC policing feasibility study during the PAGC Policing Model Symposium in Prince Albert on Thursday.
“We’ve been really just exploring what’s possible over the last two years, and now, with the feasibility study being done, it’s really time for you folks to be well informed, to decide what do you want to do next,” Brown told symposium attendees.
Slides presented at the symposium showed communities reported concerns such as limited patrols, slow response times, rising calls for service and a desire for more community-based, proactive policing. The proposed regional model would include Prince Albert as a headquarters hub and La Ronge as a second hub, along with supports such as mental health crisis response, youth outreach and specialized investigative resources.
Vice Chief Christopher Jobb tied the policing discussion to broader justice issues, saying Indigenous people remain overrepresented in incarceration and child welfare.
“As you see the incarceration rate, our people are overpopulating, not just that area, but also child welfare,” Jobb said. “They need help. Our people need help.”
Tsannie said one of the strongest arguments for a First Nations-Led service is the ability to respond with better cultural understanding and communication.
Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte cautioned against viewing the plan as something already secured, saying the work should be judged by actual results.
“It’s not till things happen, not till we see a police force, not till we see funding from the federal government and provincial government, right? That’s fair,” Hardlotte said.
Jason Colon, chief of police with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, said First Nations policing can bring practical improvements for communities, but only if the foundation is strong.
“The biggest thing is governance and long term funding,” Colon said. He said services also need the staffing and structure to remain sustainable and effective over time.
Outside speakers and community leaders added to the discussion after the main session. Mohammed Hashim, CEO of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, called the process a serious one rooted in self-determination.
“It’s not a decision that’s being taken lightly. It’s being costed out. It’s been thought through. It’s been all the positives and the implications, the potential implications of this decision are being evaluated with significant due diligence,” Hashim said.
Community leaders also pointed to on-the-ground concerns. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Coun. Clarisse Lecoq said a PAGC police service could offer more continuity than rotating outside policing services.
“They’d be there all the time. They know the people and work with the people on a long term basis, not just short stays,” Lecoq said.
No final decision was made Thursday, but the symposium showed PAGC has moved well beyond a general discussion and is now asking communities whether they are ready to support a more defined First Nation-led Policing model.
The Saskatchewan government announced Friday it will move to shorter-term licenses for non-resident game bird hunters, describing the change as a way to make illegal outfitting easier to detect while also helping protect access for resident hunters.
The announcement was made at a media event at the LF Macintosh Building Boardroom in Prince Albert by Environment Minister Darlene Rowden, joined by representatives from the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.
Under the new approach, non-resident hunters will be limited to three five-day term licenses, with one available in the spring and two in the fall. The province said more details on the updated licensing system will be released in the coming months.
Rowden said the change follows concerns raised by outfitters, wildlife groups, and others in the hunting community about unauthorized outfitting activity involving non-residents who purchase full-season licenses and then operate outside the regulated system.
“This activity undermines licensed Saskatchewan outfitters and challenges the principle that wildlife in this province is a shared public resource,” Rowden said during the announcement.
She said the government believes reducing the total number of hunting days available under one license will make it harder for illegal operators to stay in the field for long stretches while still allowing lawful hunters to come to Saskatchewan.
At the same time, Rowden acknowledged the province does not have firm numbers showing the full scope of the problem.
“Well, I don’t have hard data, but there is a lot of talk out there in the province, among anyone in the hunting community that’s going on. I get letters to my minister’s office on it quite regularly. So yeah, I believe it is a thing,” she said in a scrum with reporters afterward.
Jordan Rowswell, board chair of the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters, said the shorter license periods are expected to narrow the window in which illegal outfitters can operate.
“This will close up the length of time an illegal outfitter would typically operate,” Rowswell said. “But this is sort of step one.”
Rowswell said illegal outfitting has been a long-running issue in the game bird sector and creates unfair competition for licensed businesses while also affecting resident hunters. He said rogue operators can set up clients before the season, use property or hotels to house them, and then run them much like a licensed outfitting business without operating legally.
“I would say the business model for a rogue outfitter or illegal outfitter would be to have your clientele set up before the hunting season, maybe using a property or hotel to house them in and then run them as a typical outfit, or would,” Rowswell said. “It’s just the only difference is they’re not licensed, and the revenue doesn’t stay here.”
He also said the issue is not limited to Americans.
“The only correction I would make there would be, it wouldn’t necessarily be Americans either. It could be a Saskatchewan resident doing the same thing,” Rowswell said.
Todd Smith, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, also described the change as a first step and tied the issue directly to growing pressure on resident access to land.
“If we want Saskatchewan residents to continue to have a hunting heritage in the province, this is definitely a first step that is in the right direction,” Smith said.
Smith said one way to judge whether the policy is working will be whether residents find it easier to get permission to hunt. He gave a personal example, saying hunters in his area knocked on about 50 doors last year for permission to hunt and received only two yeses, compared to a much higher success rate in the past.
He said that kind of change affects more than convenience.
“If you don’t have, can’t get permission to hunt on land, then essentially our hunting culture dies within the province,” Smith said.
Rowden made a similar point when asked what resident hunters would gain from the change.
“What would they gain? A better likelihood of access to land for hunting, because land shouldn’t be tied up by illegal outfitters as prevalently. That’s the hope for this,” she said.
Smith also said enforcement capacity will still matter going forward, adding he would like to see more conservation officers on the landscape.
Officials said the change is intended to maintain Saskatchewan’s reputation as a destination for game bird hunting while addressing concerns around illegal outfitting. Some details, including how the rules will affect non-residents who own property in the province, are still expected to be clarified.
PA Poutine Fest delivered its strongest year yet, with 2,229 poutines sold and $8,876 raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prince Albert mentoring programs. The annual fundraiser also saw Montana’s BBQ & Bar and Original Joe’s take the top awards after a 10-day run that drew support from restaurants and customers across the city.
The event’s growth has been sharp. According to figures provided at the trophy presentation, this year’s total was up significantly from previous years and marked the highest number of poutines sold and funds raised since the event began in 2022.
“We are very excited about the turnout and the funds raised, because it’s going to help us continue to recruit and train mentors to help children facing adversity,” said Natasha Thomson, development coordinator with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prince Albert.
Thomson said the success of the event reflects both strong restaurant participation and strong local support.
“We are blown away at how quickly this event is gaining popularity,” she said. “We’re just so grateful for the community for getting behind this event and supporting it.”
She said the fundraiser supports a range of mentoring programs in schools and the wider community.
“Maybe people have heard of the Big Brother of Big Sister program, but we also have programs in schools, such as our in school mentoring program, where volunteers can go for one hour a week to help a child at school, and these are the programs the poutine Fest will support,” Thomson said.
Montana’s won the Gravy Bowl Championship for top sales with its pulled pork poutine. Lisa Dow, general manager and co-owner, said the win was especially meaningful because it was the restaurant’s first year taking part.
“It’s very exciting. This is our first year that we’ve ever participated,” Dow said. “I’m very excited that we finally got to do it.”
Dow said customers seemed drawn to the dish because it felt both hearty and familiar
“Some of the feedback that we got is, ‘It was very comforting and very close to the most original poutine,'” she said. “They liked how the pulled pork was like, it was very filling and very just like wholehearted.”
She also said the event drove a noticeable rise in takeout orders.
“We definitely had a rise in takeout. We had a ton of people ordering specifically for takeout, the poutine,” Dow said.”
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald Alan Greene of Original Joe’s, left, kitchen manager Jesse Pierce, centre, and Natasha Thomson of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prince Albert pose with the 2026 People’s Choice Award trophy after Original Joe’s won for its Loaded Shepherd’s Stack poutine.
Original Joe’s won the People’s Choice Award for its Loaded Sheperd’s Stack poutine. Owner Alan Greene said the award and the response from customers were encouraging.
“It’s very exciting. It’s something we participated in for the last few years, and love being able to give back a little bit to the community,” Greene said.
Greene said the event brought in people who were specifically seeking out the feature dish.
“There’s so many people that came in just to try the poutines,” he said.
He added that the event works well because it gives restaurants a chance to try something different while supporting a local cause.
“I think it’s just a really easy win for everyone. We get to do something creative and fun, and the community gets involved,” Greene said.
The winning poutine was created by kitchen manager Jesse Pierce, who said the idea came from a childhood favourite.
“My grandma used to make a really good shepherd’s pie when I was a kid, and I thought, maybe put it into a poutine,” Pierce said.
Pierce said customer reaction was strong throughout the event.
“Oh, lots of feedback. Lots of people loved it,” he said, adding that comments from customers included,”That was delicious. The best poutine they had here for poutine week.”
Along with the two winning restaurants, this year’s PA Poutine Fest featured special entries from Boston Pizza, Humpty’s, Lulu’s Kitchen, MR MIKES, Northern Lights Casino, Rock & Iron Sports Bar, Shananigan’s Bistro, The Canadian Brewhouse, and Venice House on Central. In total, 11 restaurants took part in this year’s fundraiser. Thomson said the event’s success was made possible by the support of local restaurants and the community members who came out to take part.
Thomson added the need for mentors remains high in Prince Albert, and the organization is continuing to look for volunteers.
“There’s always a demand. There’s always more children that need mentors,” she said.
She said the organization is looking for adults, high school students, and seniors to get involved, adding that “it only takes a couple of hours a month to change two lives, yours and the child’s.”
