SARM Webinars
Upcoming:
Stay tuned for more upcoming session announcements!
Recordings:
Market Update & Investment Solutions with CIBC Wood Gundy
Join SARM and the Punshon Fleming Financial Group with CIBC Wood Gundy for an information session on the SARM High Interest Savings Account, currently yielding 4.75%, as a short-term investment solution, and structured notes, currently yielding 6%-8%, as a mid-term investment solution.
This webinar will also include a market update that will touch on key economic factors such as inflation, the labour market, and interest rates.
Date: February 9, 2023
Speakers: Kevin T. Punshon – Senior Wealth Advisor, Punshon Fleming Financial Group,
Shawn M. Fleming – Wealth Advisor, Punshon Fleming Financial Group,
Shoieb (Steve) Abdullah – Financial Associate, Punshon Fleming Financial Group
Municipal Tax Enforcement
Join SARM and the Ministry of Government Relations, Advisory Services, for a webinar session on municipal tax enforcement and arrears. This webinar will discuss the steps involved in tax enforcement as well as the role council plays in tax enforcement. Participants will also learn about other tax collection options council may choose to pursue in addition to those typically used through the tax enforcement process.
The webinar will also provide time for questions that may arise during the presentation.
Date of Event: January 19, 2023
Speaker: Tobi Duck – Municipal Advisor, Advisory Services & Municipal Relations, Ministry of Government Relations
Amendments to The Municipalities Act
Join SARM and the Ministry of Government Relations, Advisory Services, for a webinar session on amendments to The Municipalities Act. This webinar will provide information to council members about the legislative amendments to The Municipalities Act from the passing of Bill 194 on July 3, 2020.
Participants will hear about amendments regarding administrative efficiencies, improving local governance, increasing accountability, dispute resolution processes, assessment, boards of revision and taxation. The webinar will also provide time for questions that may arise during the presentation.
Date of Event: December 8, 2022
Speaker: Chris Lamontagne – Municipal Advisor, Advisory Services & Municipal Relations, Ministry of Government Relations
Municipal Leaders’ Roles and Responsibilities
This webinar will provide information to newly-elected council members about their roles and responsibilities as a council member of their local government. The presentations would also serve as a good refresher for existing council members.
Participants will hear about the importance of open and transparent government, conflict of interest, code of ethics, decision making, council procedures, constructive conflict resolution, and procurement best practices.
Date of Event: November 22, 2022
Speakers: Judy Kanak – Manager, Advisory Services, Ministry of Government Relations,
Scott Cruickshank – Mediator, Dispute Resolution Office, Ministry of Justice,
Brenda Maximuik – Manager, Procurement Knowledge Centre, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Legislative Changes to Saskatchewan Road Maintenance Agreements
Road Maintenance Agreements (RMAs) offer municipalities a method for collecting financial compensation for additional maintenance of municipal roads due to damage caused by heavy/bulk haulers. The Municipalities Act provides the authority for municipalities to enter into an RMA with producers, haulers, or receivers of delivered goods. Join SARM and the Ministry of Government Relations, Policy and Program Services Branch, for an informative webinar session that will further explain the recent amendments made to The Municipalities Regulations pertaining to Road Maintenance Agreements.
The Government of Saskatchewan has amended the regulations to achieve the following:
- clarifying the definition of what constitutes a bulk haul and who RMAs are to be applied to;
- establishing a new RMA rate structure;
- administering the new rate structure based on regions consistent with ATPC established by the Ministry of Highways;
- prescribing that RMA rates will be updated every two years following implementation; and,
- creating a new section to outline and clarify the terms for cancellation and suspension of agreements.
Date of Event: October 27, 2022
Speaker: Mohammed Falogah – Senior Property Tax & Assessment Policy Analyst, Policy and Program Services, Ministry of Government Relations
Municipal Asset Management with AM-SK
Join SARM and Asset Management Saskatchewan (AM-SK) for a session on municipal infrastructure asset management and how it can benefit your municipality. Participants will hear a testimonial from a Saskatchewan municipality, learn more about the fundamentals of Asset Management, and gain a better understanding of the resources that AM-SK offers municipalities to help them effectively manage their assets.
AM-SK is committed to advocating for asset management as a priority for Saskatchewan municipalities. AM-SK has taken the concepts of globally-recognized processes and created a subsidized training continuum that’s simple and appropriate to help municipalities more easily achieve its benefits. AM-SK was established as a non-profit in 2017 and works collaboratively with its project partners, SARM, SUMA, RMAAS, and UMAAS, as well as other Asset Management working groups from all regions across Canada and The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Date of Event: October 20, 2022
Speakers: Joanne Loy – CAO, RM of Manitou Lake,
Nicole Allen – Executive Director, NAMS,
Larry Sparks – Project manager, AM-SK
Changes to Prompt Payment Legislation
This webinar will provide a guided walkthrough of the evolution and expectations of Saskatchewan’s new prompt payment regime. The presentation has been given to a broad range of owners, contractors, and construction stakeholders – with the aim of seeing everyone in the industry on the same page from the start.
While much of prompt payment’s practical impact will need to be sorted out in the years ahead, there are things all industry participants should be aware of in preparing for and managing their construction projects moving forward. Key among these is that prompt payment will require change, but is nonetheless manageable and far less intimidating than it seems at first glance.
Date of Event: June 23, 2022
Speaker: John Lax – Director, Industry and Stakeholder Relations, Priority Saskatchewan, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement
Fire Service Minimum Standard Guidelines
In April 2021, the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs (SAFC), in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighter Association (SVFFA), submitted a position paper to the SPSA. The paper lobbied the Province of Saskatchewan to implement a model for minimum firefighting standards and community declaration of service for fire protection services, including municipal, volunteer, co-op and First Nations fire departments.
This webinar will walk participants through the voluntary program for the Minimum Standard Guidelines, including how they were developed, the service levels, as well as the implementation phases and what to expect.
Date of Event: April 21, 2022
Speaker: Ray Unrau – Director, Client Services and Preparedness – SPSA
Pest Control for your RM
This webinar will provide an introduction to SARM’s Trading Services Pest Control Products approved supplier, Ecopest, in addition to information on pest and rodent biology. Participants will also gain a better understanding on the products available for Mice, Rats and Gophers (Richardson’s ground squirrels) as well as the proper method of application.
Date of Event: January 27, 2022
Speakers: Amin Poonja – President, Ecopest Inc.,
Sameer Thawer – Operations Manager, Ecopest Inc.
Fire Bans and Emergency Preparedness
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is responsible for wildfire and emergency management in the province; however, this responsibility is shared with local municipalities. This presentation informs participants on the Agency’s responsibilities, including fire bans, and outlines some of the resources that are used to monitor and assess risks. The presentation also offers some guidance, tools and resources for municipalities to consider in the development of their emergency plans and fire ban bylaws.
Date of Event: November 30, 2021
Speakers: Steve Roberts – Vice President, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA),
Jason Rumancik – Manager of Strategic Policy, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA)
Building a Municipal Safety Manual
This webinar will offer a brief overview of the Municipal Safety Manual. During this session, participants will learn how to develop and maintain a safety plan for their RMs. Please also check out the helpful resources linked below:
Date of Event: November 25, 2021
Speaker: Darcy Nolte- Southeast College
Civic Addressing
The Civic Address Registry is a provincial addressing system to assist in 9-1-1 call-taking and dispatching services for fire, police and ambulance. This presentation will discuss how a community can start or restart their participation in the program, what training and information is freely available, as well as actual community testimonials on the benefits of civic addressing from a rural perspective. Also highlighted are recent updates to road name considerations and signage policies.
Date of Event: November 23, 2021
Speakers: Cynthia Mamer – Civic Addressing Administrator, PECC,
Murray Gunville – Information Technology Manager, SPSA,
Municipal Leaders’ Roles and Responsibilities
This webinar will provide information to newly-elected council members about their roles and responsibilities as a council member of their local government. The presentations would also serve as a good refresher for existing council members.
Participants will hear about the importance of open and transparent government, conflict of interest, code of ethics, decision making, council procedures, access to information and privacy awareness, and sound financial oversight.
Date of Event: November 18, 2021
Speakers: Ken Acton – Executive in Residence, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy,
Diane Aldridge – Executive Director of Compliance, OIPC,
Keith Comstock – Executive in Residence, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy,
Judy Kanak – Manager, Advisory Services, Ministry of Government Relations,
Ron Kruzeniski Q.C. – Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner, OIPC,
Courtney Riviere – Legal Counsel, SARM
Tendering and Procurement Best Practices
Procurement and tendering can be complex and challenging. In this session, participants will learn how to acquire the goods and services they need to support their communities in a way that complies with their legal obligations, including trade agreements. Participants will learn practical steps they can take to reduce risk and succeed in the procurement process.
Date of Event: November 16, 2021
Speakers: Andrew Konopelny – Associate, MLT Aikins,
Robbie McLellan – Counsel, MLT Aikins
Mental Wellness in Agriculture – Fostering Resiliency
Date of Event: November 12, 2021
Speakers: Adam Chomos – Bridges Health,
Kendra Ulmer – Agricultural Health and Safety Network,
Dr. Niels Koehncke – Director, Canadian Centre for Health & Safety in Ag
Nuclear Power in Saskatchewan
It’s going to take all zero emissions power sources to tackle climate change, including nuclear power. SaskPower has advanced the first year of multi-phase planning work on nuclear power from small modular reactors (SMRs).
Join us on October 27th for a virtual information session about SaskPower’s SMR project and to learn more about how SMRs could power us to a net zero emissions future.
SaskPower would like your answers to these two questions!
Q: Imagine SaskPower knocked on your door tomorrow to tell you your community (or near your community) is looking like a technically feasibly location to build an SMR facility.
• How would you respond?
• What would you want to know more about?
Date of Event: October 27, 2021
Speakers: Leanne Jarocki – Public Engagement, SaskPower,
Iain Harry – Senior Business Advisor, SaskPower,
George Christidis – Vice President, Government Relations & International Affairs, CNA
Principles for Positive Employment Relations
SARM Legal Services will be providing a webinar addressing important principles for positive employer/employee relations. As an employer, you want to build on the skills of your present staff and improve the efficiency of your RM by saving you the time and money involved in dismissing one employee and hiring a new one. However, you also need to understand when it is appropriate to terminate or layoff an employee. Some of the key principles underlying those topics will be covered so that you understand how to set an environment for success and deal with problem behaviour along the way, so if it becomes necessary to terminate an employee, you will be in a position to do so with minimal risk of being sued in the process.
The webinar will also present principles that can assist you when it is necessary to terminate or layoff an employee in situations that are not a result of problem behaviour.
The webinar will also provide time for questions that may arise during the presentation.
Date of Event: October 7, 2021
Speakers: Andrew Svenson – Legal Counsel, SARM,
Courtney Riviere – Legal Counsel, SARM
Cyber Risk
Join us as we discuss the importance of Cyber Security Awareness and Cyber Liability Insurance. This webinar will go over what a Cyber Liability policy is, the application process, as well as best practices that your municipality can implement to help reduce your risk of a cyber attack.
Date of Event: September 3o, 2021
Speaker: Ady Sharma – Cyber Broker Canada, Vice President & National Cyber Sales Operations Manager & Broker, Aon
AMI RockChain’s Cooperative Aggregates Program
Simplify your project planning and find affordable aggregate sources with AMI RockChain’s new cooperative aggregates program. The program will help you source and transport surface materials; gives you access to resource mapping, modelling, and stockpile monitoring; and provides options for regulatory and resource engineering services.
AMI RockChain sources various material types such as:
- Gravel – Crushed, Washed, Screened, Pitrun
- Sand – Bedding
- Sand (Winter) – Road Sand
- Rip Rap – Class 1M, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3
- Ballast – Sub, Main, Other
- Clay – Fill
- Landscape – Topsoil
- Recycled – Concrete, Asphalt
Date of Event: May 20, 2021
Speakers: Ainsley Murdock – Client Relations Manager for SARM,
Robert Beekhuizen, P. Eng, M. Eng, ICD.D – Chief Executive Officer of Athabasca Minerals Inc,
Dana Archibald, BSc, RPF – Chief Operating Officer of Athabasca Minerals Inc,
Paul Leveille – Vice President of Business and Resource Development for AMI RockChain,
Anthony Bealing – Sales Professional
Procurement & Trade Compliance – SARM Group Buying Program
Cooperative purchasing is new to many rural municipalities, especially when considering by-laws, trade agreements, and internal procurement policies. Learn how we are trade compliant with CFTA/NWPTA, how we go to tender on your behalf and how we will save you time and money using SARM’s Group Buying Program. Find answers to common procurement questions from our vendor relations team and legal counsel who will be facilitating this educational webinar.
Date of Event: April 29, 2021
Speakers: Ainsley Murdock – Client Relations Manager for SARM,
Dave Dextraze – Manager of Vendor Relations for RMA,
Raman Khabra – General Counsel for RMA
The Agricultural Health and Safety Network AGM
Join The Agricultural Health and Safety Network for their 2021 Annual General Meeting on April 22nd.
The virtual meeting will include:
- Review of minutes from 2020 AGM
- Greetings from Dr. Niels Koehncke, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture annual network highlights and presentation of the Financial Report
- Presentation of the SARM 90th Anniversary Scholarship
- Program Activities and Partnerships
- Agrisafe Program Update
Date of Event: April 22, 2021
Speakers: Mark Hughes – Acting Chair, Reeve, R.M. of Miry Creek No. 229, Division 3 Representative, The Agriculture Health and Safety Network Steering Committee,
Dr. Niels Koehncke MD, MSc, FRCPC – Director, Canadian Centre for Health & Safety in Ag,
Kendra Ulmer RN, MN – Agriculture Occupational Health Nurse,
Brooke Thompson– Agrivita
Plans for a Sustainable Power Future: Options, Considerations & Opportunities (SaskPower)
We look forward to updating SARM members on the range of power supply options SaskPower is evaluating to meet evolving Federal and provincial emissions regulations. From carbon capture and storage; to wind, solar and battery storage; to hydro in Saskatchewan, hydro imports from outside of Saskatchewan; to nuclear power from small modular reactors – a lot has changed since we last met in November of 2019. We’ll share how we’re evaluating these options and the timelines for decisions.
We look forward to hearing your questions, concerns and perspectives on our plans and our planning considerations. Join us for 90-minutes of dialogue about the future power system in Saskatchewan.
Date of Event: April 15, 2021
Speakers: Doug Opseth – Director of Generation Asset Management and Planning, SaskPower,
Leanne Jarocki – Public Engagement, SaskPower,
Darcy Holderness – Project Manager for the Planning and Development of Nuclear Power from SMRs, SaskPower,
Iain Harry, Senior Business Advisor on Nuclear Power from SMRs, SaskPower
Dan Johnston – Indigenous Engagement Consultant, SaskPower
Finning Rebuilds
Finning Canada’s Rebuild Product Manager, Jesse Ives, will be providing an information session on topics related to rebuilds. These topics will include when you should rebuild your machines, when a rebuild is the right answer, why repairing before failure is so important and how you should budget for a rebuild.
Jesse will also touch on the difference between certified and dealer rebuilds, warranty and coverage options and what’s new with rebuilds at Finning.
Date of Event: March 2, 2021
Speaker: Jesse Ives – Rebuild Product Manager, Finning Canada
Respectful Workplace
A respectful workplace fosters and builds a healthy organization. A healthy organization increases productivity among the workforce and enables the organization to achieve its goals and visions.
Learn the key elements that are necessary to build a respectful workplace, including legal responsibilities of the employer in creating a safe work environment to prevent any cases of harassments. You will also learn about the definitions of harassment, including what constitutes harassment, and what does not. We will then explore all the options that are available when a case of harassment is alleged to have occurred.
Date of Event: February 4, 2021
Speaker: CK Tan – Kn/a HR Consulting
HR Policies
HR policies inform employees about the organization’s expectations and culture, provide structure and fairness, and ensure compliance with employment legislation.
Join Stephen Eger of Kn/a HR Consulting as he presents a list and discusses key human resource polices crucial for effective organizations. From Fit for Work to Anti-Harassment and Compensation, Stephen will share why these policies are important and what they should include. Expect a fast paced and informative session, and some key takeaways.
Date of Event: January 14, 2021
Speaker: Stephen Eger – Kn/a HR Consulting
SARM’s Trading Programs
SARM Trading Services allows members to benefit from fully trade-compliant Group Buying Power to receive substantial discounts, consolidated invoicing and access to our wide variety vendors, all without going to tender.
Learn more about our programs by participating in this educational webinar. During this complimentary webinar we will outline key benefits and suppliers that can be utilized through our program, cost-saving measures, the RFP process/trade compliance, and answer any questions you have.
Date of Event: December 17, 2020
Speakers: Ainsley Murdock – Client Relations Manager, SARM,
Amanda Kozak – Accounts Administrator, SARM,
Tyler Hannemann – Manager of Business Development, RMA Trade,
Jesse Patenaude – Manager of National Partnerships, RMA Trade
RIRG Q&A
Join SARM staff Terry Hoeving, Alexander Udey, and Daniel Segal in a Q/A to address all of your questions about the new Rural Integrated Roads for Growth program (RIRG).
The application intake for 2020-21 will be rolled out in December so this is a perfect opportunity to learn more about the RIRG and your RM’s eligibility for the program.
Date of Event: December 15, 2020
Speakers: Terry Hoeving – Infrastructure Committee Advisor & RIRG Manager, SARM,
Daniel Segal P. Eng., PMP – Director of Municipal Bridge Services, SARM,
Alexander Udey M.Sc., P.Eng. – Municipal Bridge Engineer, SARM
Business Continuity
With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, places of work have been challenged with keeping employees safe while ensuring work continues.
Leah’s session will discuss business continuity. How do we continue to conduct our business, manage employees, and work, and support our employees during this pandemic? What is the RM’s responsibility for a safe workplace?
Date of Event: December 8, 2020
Speaker: Leah Knibbs – Kn/a HR Consulting
Municipal Leaders’ Roles and Responsibilities
Judy’s presentation will provide information to newly-elected council members about their roles and responsibilities as a council member of their local government. The presentation would also serve as a good refresher for existing council members.
Participants will hear about the importance of open and transparent government, conflict of interest, code of ethics, decision making, and council procedures. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
Date of Event: December 1, 2020
Speaker: Judy Kanak – Municipal Advisor, Municipal Relations & Advisory Services, Ministry of Government Relations
Technology and Rural Saskatchewan
Technology has played a fundamental role in shaping the rural landscape over the past century. The agriculture sector has witnessed dramatic shifts in how we feed the world — moving from literal horsepower, through to heavy machinery in the course of only a few decades.
The emergence of digital technologies has signalled we are on the verge of a similar evolution: The resources we have typically seen exist above and below ground now grow in parallel within “the cloud” online at unprecedented scale. This session isn’t reserved only for those well-versed in technology; it’s an opportunity for municipal leaders to seize the present opportunity to position the next generation of leaders for success.
Join us to discover how you can unlock the conversation on technology to help shape a vibrant future for generations to come!
Date of Event: November 24, 2020
Speaker: Brennen Schmidt – Author/Speaker/Strategist (Cyber City Safe: Emergency Planning Beyond the Maginot Line)