In March 2024, members of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, voted by 95% to recognize that CO2 is not a pollutant and to have the Saskatchewan Party government remove the province from all national and international net zero agreements.
It is a call to remove our province from the ever-increasing regulations imposed on ag-producers since 2015. That is when this government agreed to go along with the International COP-21 Agenda by signing the Vancouver Declaration in which all Canadian provinces agreed to the national goal of reducing GHG emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Since then, under the Prairie Resilience strategy, layers upon layers of regulation and policy have been introduced, effectively raising costs and further complicating the business of farming.
This government, inch by inch, has embedded so-called ‘sustainable’ regulations that rural and urban municipalities are obligated to follow. In my constituency of Saskatchewan Rivers, ratepayers recently held yet another meeting about land use bylaws, because they can see that this government is blind to the end game.
All around the world, we see governments trying to shut down agricultural producers to comply with the international sustainability agenda. It is clear in Canada, the federal government wants to shut down our rural way of life and is using municipal regulation to do it.
We know Saskatchewan producers are the best land and livestock stewards in the world. They have led the world in livestock and agriculture best practices for generations.
Will this government listen to the people of this province, or will it continue to act as an arm of the Trudeau government? Will Premier Moe prove he truly cares about our communities, by withdrawing Saskatchewan from all net zero agreements?
Nadine Wilson is the MLA for Prince Albert Sask Rivers.
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Washington Crisis Summit Hears Canadian Experience
It was a great honour to be invited to speak at the International Crisis Summit (ICS) held in Washington D.C. last month. The even greater honour was to represent the people of Saskatchewan as I joined several other prominent Canadian figures who came together to share the Canadian pandemic story to this international audience.
Collectively, we shared the reality of life in Canada when government overreach caused immeasurable harm to our society.
In the name of public health and safety, we saw unprecedented restrictions imposed on our daily lives. Our freedom of movement was severely restricted, with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders becoming the norm. Our right to education was compromised, with schools closing and children being deprived of in-person learning. Our right to assemble and protest was stifled, with gatherings arbitrarily limited and dissenting voices silenced.
Eventually, it became almost comical as we watched politicians from around the world put on masks for the camera, then immediately take them off after the photo op. The politicians knew it was a charade!
Now, we live with the fallout of devastated families, bankrupted businesses, and lost careers because our provincial government colluded with the federal government to restrict our freedom to live productive lives.
We know today, that much of what we were told about the pandemic was false, with many people in powerful positions profiting from the ‘cure’, which failed miserably. We also know that despite the very real issues of not-so-rare, life-altering vaccine injuries, the Saskatchewan government continues to push these ineffective genetic therapies on those that still manage to trust their administration.
I was very proud to share with the ICS attendees, the legacy of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker who gave Canada the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960. He was a champion of freedom who understood the need to safeguard the rights and liberties of every Canadian citizen. He understood that true liberty and freedom is not granted by the state, but is inherent in the dignity and autonomy of each individual.
Freedom is not merely a word; it is a fundamental principle that lies at the core of our existence as individuals and as a society. Today, we must confront the reality of freedom lost, a concerning trend of government overreach, and the curtailing of our fundamental freedoms.
As we enter the spring session at the Saskatchewan Legislature, I would challenge Premier Moe and every member of the Legislative Assembly to affirm the values of our former Prime Minister. Will they become vocal enough to uphold the principles they were privileged to grow up with, or will they continue to ‘go along to get along’ with outside influencers?
I for one, will work with you and for you, cloaked with the mantle Prime Minister Diefenbaker gifted to all of us: “I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”
My speech (timestamp 1:27:09) and other International Crisis Summit speakers may be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/912947834
Nadine Wilson is the Saskatchewan United Party MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers.
Health care needs patient first culture
There was a time in Saskatchewan when citizens felt cared for under their prepaid health care system. Everyone who wanted one had a doctor. Getting lab work and referrals to specialists was done with a sense of urgency because you, the patient, were valued.
Skip ahead a few decades and despite incredible advances in health technology, the ‘care’ seems to have grown cold. Our standards of what is acceptable has been lowered and more fall through the ever widening ‘cracks’.
The onset of covid drastically changed accessibility to health care. Everyone adjusted while we ‘flattened the curve’ for three years with often hypocritical directives and mandates. Then we decided to ‘live with’ covid.
But in 2024, accessing health care has not returned to the previous norms.
Take the experience of one of my Sask Rivers constituents. We will call him “Bill”.
Like many rural seniors, Bill sees a Nurse Practitioner regularly. Bill was used to travelling to Shellbrook to get lab work done. About a week later the results would be available and Bill would visit his NP to review and assess his ongoing care.
Bill, who is partially blind and dependent on others for travel, was unable to keep a lab appointment due to weather and other factors in early January. He called the lab to reschedule, and was given a date of January 24th. Concerned that this was pushing his NP visit too far ahead, Bill asked if he could just do a ‘walk-in’ when he had transportation available. Prior to covid, the lab offered walk-in appointments.
Bill was told no, he could not come in any sooner, and that if he wanted lab work done sooner, he should call the Big River Health Centre. Pressed as to why he couldn’t come in sooner, even to wait for a ‘no-show’ space, Bill was told that the lab was short-staffed and the staffer hung up on him.
Bill did call the Big River lab which told him yes, he could ‘walk-in’ that day, but there was no guarantee he would be seen even after driving 35 miles one-way.
Not wanting to complicate his medical routine, Bill ended up calling back Shellbrook a few days later, at which point the next available time was February 6th. Ultimately, Bill’s medical schedule fell behind almost a month leaving him at risk. He has now been instructed to make his appointments three weeks in advance.
When Bill called a number of public officials to get answers as to why it is so hard to access timely health care, one of them told him it was because some agencies kept their covid routine and policies. Basically, a covid-hangover.
In another incident, a constituent called me to report that at one time she was able to obtain a test (for her employer), to determine whether she had natural immunity to covid, which she did. This was done at her own expense.
A few months later, she needed to repeat the test. She was shocked to learn that the lab had been directed to stop testing for natural immunity. There was no explanation as to why.
I tell the second story to ask a question about the first. If authorities can direct a lab as to what tests it is allowed to provide to patients, why can’t they instruct the labs and hospitals to operate for the convenience of those patients, rather than convenience of the system. Is that too much to ask?
It is common knowledge that our health-care workers are burned-out and undervalued, which ultimately affects patient care. Rather than promote a ‘patient-first’ culture with recognition for employees that provide exceptional care, the province has allowed apathy to grow within the ranks of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Post-covid, trust in health care is at an all-time low while patient frustration continues to grow.
We all remember when our provincial leader, Premier Scott Moe said that he was “going to make life uncomfortable” for us. He didn’t lie about that.
As it stands today, the whole health care system remains uncomfortable for everyone.
MLA Report: Saskatchewan Rivers
Education – The Elephant in the Room
As an MLA, I have promised to put People over Politics. I have made it my mission to find out what people are concerned about and what their ideas are to provide solutions.
Recently, Education issues have increasingly become a topic of great concern to parents, teachers, and other professionals recently. In my 16 years as an MLA, I have never seen this level of alarmism, from all political sides, about student outcomes.
Employers and post-secondaries tell me that when new high school graduates apply, they must be assisted with elementary level reading, writing and math. Parents tell me that they feel alienated from the school system and are worried about their children’s progress and sometimes their safety. Teachers tell me they don’t have the resources to educate for success in today’s complex classrooms.
Without disclosing specifics, I will provide a few examples.
- Parents in Saskatchewan Rivers petitioned school officials for a meeting to discuss school incidents that had harmed a number of students. Over 100 parents attended. They were not allowed to speak about the incidents due to privacy rules. At the end of the meeting neither the school officials or RCMP could assure those parents that their children would be safer going forward. At least one family pulled their children from that school to be educated elsewhere, “because nothing was done and nothing changed.”
- In another school, a student who had been put into alternate education, was often directed to sit by herself with a chromebook during class. Her instructor told her parents that she would never be more than a shelf stocker, never a cashier. When the Saskatchewan government closed schools for covid, her parents decided not to waste the time and began homeschooling. Today, this young lady has achieved Grade 11 Algebra and much more.
- A single mother discovered that despite her two children moving into junior high school, neither could read, write or do math at even grade one levels. She spent over $12,000 on private tutoring in 2023 to bring them up to grade four, still years behind the outcomes that she should rightfully expect from our public education system.
So how can this happen when we have an army of talented educators whose passion is to mentor every child to succeed to their potential?
The answer lies mostly in the phrase ‘classroom complexity’, a politically correct way of saying that today’s classrooms host a multitude of dynamics the education system was never set up to handle.
It’s the Elephant in the Room.
It began with the noblest of intention; new policies to integrate students with special needs into public school classrooms with their age groups. Education Assistants were brought in to meet the change. In most cases, this approach was a benefit to the make-up and culture of our classrooms and society in general. However, for reasons unknown to me, the number of students with profound needs has increased and their needs seem to have become much more complex over the years. Our education system has not evolved with these changing circumstances.
One EA I spoke with said that her assigned student this year is not capable of academic achievement. Her role is to sit with him in class through the day, try to keep him calm, and feed and diaper him when needed.
Another EA related how she goes home in tears everyday, because her assigned student physically attacks her and others in their elementary school.
I have also heard of a school’s computer room being closed and repurposed as a ‘quiet room’ to calm students with behavioural outbursts.
I would ask you for a moment, to imagine yourself as a student in today’s classroom. What would you be thinking? How would you feel? What would your reaction(s) be over the long term?
The unintended consequence of the current model is that learners are unable to concentrate and must deal with disruptions in their classes daily. Resources are being denied to them. Teachers are doing their best to try to impart knowledge while dealing with frequent, sometime traumatic, interruptions. Students often come to resent this environment, as they realize that their academic career is being hindered and will affect their future goals.
I believe we need to have an honest and frank conversation about how to reform Saskatchewan’s education model. The one we have is failing almost everyone in some form. We need a different approach to managing students with complex needs.
I believe suggestions for solutions will come from the front line, the exhausted teachers who see the reality and potentially know what needs to change. Those teachers tell me that they have no way to influence the current system because it is a taboo topic or for fear of retaliation on several fronts. Some have taken early retirement because they see no way to make a difference anymore.
As one teacher told me, “The education systems’ priorities have changed without societal consent. We can no longer provide adequate/quality timeshare for every student to reach their potential”.
That is why I am providing a confidential online survey, for teachers and parents to express their viewpoint and especially, what they believe are needed solutions. All interested parties are welcome to participate. (See link below.)
I have repeatedly raised the issue of student outcomes in the Legislative Assembly and will continue to do so until this government is willing to address it. It is not necessarily a money problem, but a management problem.
We are a province rich in resources and people, yet we cannot produce employable graduates. We can and MUST do better.
Please let me know your thoughts through the online survey or call my office at 306-763-0615 or email saskrivers@sasktel.net . Any identifying information will be kept strictly confidential.
EDUCATION SURVEY- https://nadinewilson.ca/education-survey
Sask Rivers MLA report: 2024 is a year to unite
As we move into 2024, I have found that despite the many challenges Saskatchewan people have been forced to face, they are looking forward with hope.
They are creating their own foundation for hope by drawing close to their neighbours, building new friendships and support networks. They want to be able to plan for their children and grandchildren’s future with certainty.
I am inspired by the resilience and fortitude displayed in the face of abject government failure on multiple fronts to stabilize and protect the services we need for a secure society.
In March 2023, my family welcomed the birth of my 10th grandchild, little Camilla Grace. This blessed event increased my resolve to unite with the people of Saskatchewan to right what is wrong.
There is much work to do. In the last year, a light has been shone into many areas, exposing dark things we didn’t want to see. We’ve been hit hard with cost of living increasing to the point where the middle class is vanishing.
Instead of taking responsibility, the provincial government likes to blame federal policies. But it has been complicit by imposing federal government rules on us in exchange for federal handouts. For all the bluster in creating the Saskatchewan First Act, the reality is, the province is still marching in lockstep with the feds, even embracing the United Nations inspired ‘net zero’ agenda at the expense of Saskatchewan people.
Do they not know that the people of this great province do not want an elitist agenda forced on us? Do they not understand that people are uniting in a call for a return to common sense in health care, education, agriculture, social programs and our economy?
The missteps of the Scott Moe government have created conditions where people are more engaged in the workings of government than they have been in several generations. This is good.
It means that this generation is answering the call to design the society they want for today and for the future. It means that they are no longer content for politicians to take their tax money without accountability in how it is used.
Because of the response of Saskatchewan people, together we can put off fear and take charge by uniting for our common values.
In 2024, let us move forward together with hope.
Nadine Wilson is the Saskatchewan United Party MLA for Saskatcheawn Rivers.
Moe government behind the curve & playing ‘catch up”
On so many fronts, the Scott Moe government is failing the people of Saskatchewan. Even when it looks like it is doing the right thing, it is too little, too late.
For over two years, I brought attention to the desperate state of Seniors who rely on the Personal Care Home Benefit (PCHB). FINALLY, in the March 2023 Budget, the PCHB was raised from a cap of $2000 to $2400. But by that time, inflation had already eaten up any gains and many Seniors are still unable to pay the cost of a private care home. One wonders if that is one of the reasons several private care homes in Regina and Saskatoon announced closures last month.
This summer, because of pressure brought by outraged parents’ groups and myself, the government announced it would ‘pause’ sexual education programs delivered by Planned Parenthood and embedding the ARC Foundation’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) program into all curriculum. But did the government even know its own bureaucrats were already in discussion on how to roll out these programs into Saskatchewan schools?
I had already been raising the issues of falling grades, lack of adequate student assessments, and inaccessibility of school administrations and school boards to parents. In some school districts this is at a crisis level and only now, has this government started to open its eyes.
This government is asleep at the wheel while the federal government infiltrates our Rural Municipalities with United Nations inspired programs that force producers to report on every aspect of their property down to the last chicken. Rural people are now forming groups, trying to hold their RM Councils to account while it should have been the province scrutinizing the harms. This Scott Moe government has not even begun to address the firestorm that is brewing on this front.
In a few short years, our health care, once admired by the rest of Canada, is now in shambles. Too late to help anyone today, this government knee-jerks into action, finally announcing more local training seats to supplement their medical personnel poaching program in the Phillipines. We should have been training more of our own people earlier to meet the demands we knew were coming with an aging population.
A similar situation occurred last year with the Veterinarian shortage facing the Prince Albert area. I wrote to the government in support of expanded training and to make our region eligible for the Loan Forgiveness Program. After I published the letter in support of a lobby by a local Veterinary clinic, the government complied.
In recent days, many Saskatchewan people are quite happy that Premier Moe has challenged the federal government to take the Carbon Tax from natural gas or else his government will stop collecting it in January of 2024. But why the wait for January? Why not now?
Premier Scott Moe has neglected to say why he has put a delay on his threat. By January, Saskatchewan residents will already have paid bills with Carbon Tax they cannot afford today. And what about Saskatchewan people who heat with electricity, or propane? Too little. Too late.
Because this government refused to listen to constituents across the province, it was blindsided on all of these issues and many more such as skyrocketing crime and mental health and addictions.
Scott Moe needs to get ahead of the curve and stop playing ‘catch up’.
A Season and Time to Every Purpose
As this stretch of autumn continues to give us glorious weather, we are inclined and inspired to spend time in reflection.
I recently spent time with family hiking the Kristi Lake Nature Trail, a fabulous example of a treasure in my Saskatchewan Rivers constituency. In just an hour, we were able to explore the four different ecosystems in the Boreal Forest on this interpretive hiking Trail. It was a perfect day.
In our region, producers are harvesting a bumper crop, with reports of even 100 bushels per acre. Not so long ago, 40 bushels per acre was considered a great crop. This years bounty has truly been a blessing.
With Thanksgiving approaching we are reminded of all the blessings God has given us. We are thankful for families, our traditions and our Saskatchewan way of life.
This time of year we tend to equate food with fellowship and love of family, demonstrated by the many annual Fowl Suppers that will soon pop up throughout the province. I encourage everyone to take time to enjoy one of these, where friends and neighbours get together to nourish body and soul before the onset of a prairie winter.
These are the times where we realize that strength of community is founded on a culture of caring for each other. It is a privilege and a blessing to be able to celebrate and rest, assured that we have worked hard to secure our future.
Just as we work hard in our personal lives and in our communities to prepare for the future, we expect the same from our leaders. Sadly the confidence we used to have in our leadership has been shaken in recent years at all levels of government and even in many of the boards and institutions so vital to the systems our society relies on.
Despite that, the resilience of Saskatchewan people means we have not lost hope. Instead, people all over the province are working hard to hold their elected officials to account, making clear what the priorities are on many issues, and what direction they want government to take.
We have a strong expectation for our leaders to demonstrate integrity and transparency in their governing. Regrettably, these traits are in short supply. It is our responsibility to set the tone and remove those from leadership that have broken our trust. In Saskatchewan, we the people have the final say.
As we embrace the change of one season to another, my hope is that the values of compassion, unity and resilience upon which we have built this amazing province will be strengthened. We need all voices and fresh ideas to bring wisdom to the healing and advancement of our province. In unity, we can rebuild or where necessary, even re-invent the systems that once served us so well in our province.
Nadine Wilson is the Saskatchewan United Party MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers.
MLA Report for Saskatchewan Rivers
Rural residents of Saskatchewan are facing a crisis when it comes to home heating. Those currently using oil or propane have seen the costs more than double due to inflation and carbon taxes. While the province can rightly point the finger at the federal government for causing most of this, Premier Scott Moe’s government has done nothing to assist those who need help to mitigate against it.
As a result, in mid-summer, I have been fielding calls from these residents who know that once winter hits, they will face crippling heating costs. On their behalf, I have written the following letter to the Minister of Crown Corporations, the Honourable Don Morgan. If this government has any compassion left at all, it must create solutions to assist our rural residents.
July 24, 2023
Dear Minister Morgan,
Over the past two years I have received numerous calls from rural residents as to the extraordinary costs being quoted by SaskEnergy, to connect rural properties to natural gas lines. Residents are looking to this option due to the skyrocketing costs of oil, propane and electric heat. It is not unusual to be quoted $80,000 or more.
Often, there are multiple property owners in the same area that want to connect. Logically, SaskEnergy could allow the cost to service an area to be shared amoung property owners, but from the information I have received, each property owner is given a quote to service only their property, with no option for cost-share.
Additionally, SaskEnergy does not allow for any type of installment payments. The service must be paid in full immediately.
As a Crown Corporation, SaskEnergy is owned by the people and it should be finding ways to help citizens who have found themselves at the mercy of inflationary circumstance. Many of the affected residents are seniors, people who spent their lifetimes building our province and are now on fixed incomes. The exorbitant costs to just heat their homes is forcing some to leave their lifelong homes for more affordable options.
I urge you, as Minister responsible for SaskEnergy, to direct this Crown to investigate how to provide natural gas service to rural residents in a manner that is within financial reach of these property owners. Cost-sharing and installment plans should be considered as options.
This is an opportunity for the government to effectively serve these citizens by having the Crowns work for the people, not against them.
Sincerely,
Nadine Wilson MLA
Constituency of Saskatchewan Rivers
Nadine Wilson is the Saskatchewan United Party MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers.
MLA Report: Saskatchewan Rivers
Any trust parents may have had in Saskatchewan’s education system has been shaken to its core.
In Lumsden recently, Grade Nine students had access to explicit ‘flashcards’ describing sexual fetishes that most adults had never even heard of. This was passed off as sexual health instruction. The cards were brought in by Planned Parenthood, which is unrepentant about the content. Parents only found out because a student told their parents about it.
No parent was informed or asked for consent about the content. Some on social media have even vilified the student for ‘taking’ the cards, which reportedly, were on a table as a resource. Others postulated that since this information is ‘on the internet’, it doesn’t matter if students are exposed to it at school.
It DOES matter.
The assumption that all students will and should receive ‘how to’ instruction about those practices is outrageous. This ‘we know better than you’ attitude is on full display not only by Planned Parenthood, but by the school boards and administrations that have created a culture that allows this.
Many teachers have indicated that they are extremely uncomfortable about the agenda driven indoctrination that is going on in the schools. They have no support, and fear reprisals if they speak out including losing their jobs.
The bottom line is parents have a reasonable expectation that their children won’t be exposed to controversial information without their consent. Every fall, parents entrust their most precious gift, their children, to the school system, believing that they will learn what they need to succeed in life in age-appropriate ways. Now parents are fearful that certain agendas have hijacked the system.
Getting answers isn’t easy. In my own constituency, a school with approximately 230 children had parents demanding a meeting with the division to address alleged extreme bullying, assaults and sexual assaults that occurred in or near the school. When a meeting was finally granted, approximately 100 parents attended. Most left frustrated because the actual incidents could not be candidly discussed due to privacy constraints. Neither could the administration promise that their children would be safe in school the next day, because of process. One of the main issues identified was the lack of communication by the school to parents, regarding the incidents and safety risks to students.
To rebuild trust in our system will take extra measures, particularly in communication.
I would ask parents, do you believe it should become mandatory that all resource materials to be used in a classroom, be made available for parental review BEFORE it is presented? This could be a simple as posting them to the school’s website or emailing to parents. Please let me know your thoughts on this idea.
Prior to the Lumsden incident, I have been reviewing the official government policy* on Gender and Sexual Diversity because of inquiries regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI). (www.sogieducation.org) Parents have been asking me if it is already integrated in Saskatchewan schools. Of note, SOGI is not just presented as a sexual health class, but is a taught philosophy integrated into all aspects of the school environment.
As a provincial community, it is time to have frank, open discussion on what is acceptable curriculum and how to ensure parents have the right to influence and scrutinize that curriculum. Let me know what you think by emailing me at saskrivers@sasktel.ca or call 306-763-0615.
Nadine Wilson is the United Party MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers.
MLA Report: government overreach still a concern
MLA Saskatchewan Rivers
May 18th was the final day of session at the Legislative Assembly. As MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers, I raised numerous emerging issues in the house, including some of which the government appeared to not be aware of.
For instance, many rural constituents have become increasingly concerned about government overreach into Community Plans that seem to force federal sustainability goals upon Rural Municipalities. This is paired with concern about federal creep into provincial perviews.
As an example, in March it was announced that the provincial policy school Johnson Shoyama, was awarded $1.75 million through the universities of Regina and Saskatoon, “to strengthen the capacity of municipal governments to move towards a net zero future.” The funding comes from Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre.
The concern is that this is a backhanded way for the federal government to impose its preferred policies on how farmers should farm by bypassing the province and implement them through Rural Municipalities. Taking it a step further, as noted on the Johnson Shoyama website, the desired outcomes track back to the United Nations sustainable development goals as cited here: “Sustainability and Underserved Populations will discuss sustainability development, the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, and their importance for municipalities.” (See Project Outcomes – Information Resources for Municipal Governments tab.)
Not everyone is in agreement with those goals. So much so, It appears the informational meetings that Johnson Shoyama had planned through April and May had to be severely modified due to public pushback. This is definitely an area where the Saskatchewan government needs to clarity if it is safeguarding the agriculture industry or if it will once again, let the UN inspired federal government have its way.
On that vein, I also asked the Moe government to explain why, if it is pursuing autonomy for Saskatchewan, almost every new program it announces, has federal funding with strings attached.
Additionally, Education arose as a top priority for Saskatchewan parents & teachers. I have been asking the government what it will do to facilitate improvement in literacy and math outcomes for students and to explain the lack of consultation with parents in the government’s new education plan.
This government is also demonstrating a pattern of catering to international business at the expense of small and local business owners which are struggling as a result of red tape and bureaucratic overreach. As a province, these businesses are the lifeblood of our society and they are being shut out at our peril.
This government needs to remember they were elected to serve you, the voter. With that comes the responsibility of truly listening.
Nadine Wilson is the Saskatchewan United Party MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers.