Editorial: Sask. Urban Municipalities Are Waiting on a Partner

SUMA Delegates taking part in a breakout session on the opening day of the 120th SUMA Convention

Consider this: you’re a mayor or councillor in a small Saskatchewan town. Your residents are grappling with rising costs, infrastructure that’s aging faster than it’s being replaced, and safety concerns that keep your community up at night. You’ve just arrived in Saskatoon, standing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others in the exact same boat — navigating the choppy waters of municipal leadership during uncertain times.

This week, that’s not just a metaphor — it’s reality at the 120th Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Convention. With more than 1,000 municipal leaders descending on the city, SUMA has once again become the beating heart of Saskatchewan’s urban political landscape. Under the theme “We Are Urban,” delegates are digging into some of the most pressing issues facing their communities, from artificial intelligence in governance to modeling respect in council chambers. It’s here, in the breakout rooms and coffee lines, where mayors and councillors are connecting over shared struggles — and hopes for a better future.

For some, this is familiar territory. For others, especially those elected just last fall in the 2024 municipal elections, it’s their first time setting foot in a convention like this.

But regardless of tenure, one message is clear: municipalities are looking for allies, and they’re hoping SUMA — and the province — can step up.

Yes, the backdrop of this convention is Municipalities, but we’re in the thick of a federal election campaign. And as it turns out, the federal election is not what most municipal leaders are talking about over their walk and talks around the convention hall. The federal election may loom large in the background, but on the ground, the conversations are hyper-local — and deeply urgent.

Municipalities aren’t concerned right now with party platforms or national polling numbers. They’re worried about infrastructure funding that hasn’t kept pace with growth or inflation. About police services that are overstretched and under-resourced. About derelict buildings in small towns that are more than just an eyesore — they’re fire hazards waiting to happen.

Community safety. Water treatment. Housing. Basic services. These are the things keeping Saskatchewan’s municipal leaders up at night — and they’re hoping that the politicians speaking at this year’s convention are finally ready to listen.

Today marks the official first full day of the convention. Yesterday’s welcome reception was warm, but today the real work begins — starting with speeches from Premier Scott Moe, Opposition Leader Carla Beck, and representatives from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

For many in the room, this will be the first time they’ve seen the province’s top political figures speak in person on Municipal issues. Some may be hoping for inspiration. Others? A bit more skeptical. One councillor from Northern Saskatchewan — attending their very first convention — wondered aloud whether the premier would “have anything to say to us from a local perspective. Or if he will talk about more federal issues.”

And that skepticism isn’t isolated.

Another leader from Southeastern Saskatchewan told me, “I’m not really sure what (Moe or Beck) will say… but this is the time to show us that they want to work with us.” The subtext? The days of photo-ops and vague promises are over. Municipalities are tired of being at the bottom of the political food chain. They want partnership. And more than that, they need it.

There’s a growing sense among local leaders that the provincial government is watching municipal struggles from a distance — when it should be rolling up its sleeves and getting involved. Conversations at this year’s convention are not academic exercises in governance. They are urgent planning sessions for communities that can’t afford to wait for the next budget cycle or the next federal transfer payment.

In city after city, town after town, village after village, municipal leaders are facing mounting pressure from constituents who see potholes unfilled, ambulance wait times stretched, and recreational infrastructure crumbling. The challenges are real — and growing. But so too is the frustration that these concerns are not being met with matching urgency from Regina.

It’s one thing to acknowledge the work of municipalities in speeches. It’s another to fund them adequately, consult them meaningfully, and empower them legislatively. For years, municipalities have made do with less, and in doing so, have often been praised for their creativity and resilience. But resilience doesn’t replace resources. It doesn’t pour concrete or fund emergency services.

Now, to be fair, the province will argue that it is providing the necessary tools to support municipalities. And on paper, there’s evidence to back that up. In the most recent provincial budget, Saskatchewan confirmed that municipal revenue sharing will reach a record $361.8 million this year — an increase of $21.6 million, or 6.3 per cent, over the 2024-25 allocation.

That’s no small feat. In fact, Saskatchewan is in a relatively enviable position compared to other provinces across Canada, where local governments are often forced to scramble for stable, predictable funding. Here, the revenue-sharing program is based on a formula tied to three-quarters of one point of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) from two years prior. It’s no-strings-attached, and it’s consistent — both qualities that municipalities across the country would love to have.

But here’s the thing: predictable funding, while appreciated, doesn’t erase the very real challenges that municipal leaders are facing on the ground today. It’s one piece of the puzzle — not the whole picture.

If you want to know what’s really happening in Saskatchewan, don’t watch the evening news or scroll through your social media feed — talk to a mayor. Listen to a councillor. Attend SUMA.

What’s happening in Saskatoon this week is more than just a networking event for politicians. It’s a pulse check. And right now, the heart of Saskatchewan’s municipalities is racing — with urgency, concern, and yes, hope. Because despite everything, there is still a strong belief that partnerships are possible. That the province can be a collaborator, not just a regulator. That together, urban and rural, big cities and small towns, can chart a more sustainable path forward.

But that belief is not endless.

Municipalities are making it clear: they’ve sounded the alarm. And if the province continues to treat their concerns as background noise rather than front-page headlines, they risk losing the very partners who keep Saskatchewan running — often with fewer staff, fewer resources, and far more challenges than those in provincial offices.

Let’s not mince words. The problems municipalities face aren’t going away. If anything, they’re intensifying. Economic transitions, and population shifts are creating new pressures every year. And yet, many of the leaders I spoke to this week feel like they’re still waiting for the province to pick up the phone.

They’re not asking for handouts. They’re asking for partnership. Respect. Recognition that municipalities are not junior players in the governance of this province, but full-fledged actors — closest to the people, and most directly responsible for the quality of life of Saskatchewan residents.

So the question today is simple: Will Premier Moe and Sask NDP Leader Beck speak to that reality? Will they offer more than platitudes and promises?

Because for many in attendance, this is the moment. And if Saskatchewan’s provincial leaders miss it, they won’t just be ignoring a convention. They’ll be ignoring the very foundation of this province’s future.

Municipalities are sounding the alarm. It’s time for the province to stop watching — and start acting.