Homelessness and reducing energy costs were two issues that resonated with Mayor Clive Tolley during this year’s SUMA convention, an event he last attended when he was a city councillor.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) met in person in Regina from April 3 to 6 for the first time in two years. The theme — appropriately enough — was “Connect,” with the goal of connecting with other councils, peers, SUMA, vendors, and provincial leaders.
Representing Moose Jaw were Tolley, city manager Jim Puffalt and city councillors Doug Blanc and Crystal Froese.
“It was real good. It was a long and hard four … days,” Tolley said. “It’s long days of important stuff. We’re trying to listen and learn (and concentrate) and share some of the problems we as urban municipalities have in common. It’s not just about us (either). We’re trying to understand also the problems other municipalities have.”
The four-day event culminated in the vaunted “bear pit session” featuring the premier and his cabinet, he continued. This gave attendees the chance to ask politicians tough questions about issues and be heard by the provincial government.
In Tolley’s mind, he believes the province heard those concerns loud and clear.
Tolley networked with many people during the convention, including other mayors and cabinet ministers. The Moose Jaw delegation also worked with its MLAs, including Moose Jaw-North MLA Tim McLeod, who sat with the group during the bear pit sessions.
The topic of homelessness regularly arose during the convention, with many municipalities expressing their concern about this situation, the mayor recalled. Some good news was that, during the bear pit session, Premier Scott Moe talked about a pilot program in Saskatoon to find better ways to deal with homelessness.
“So, we were curious to listen to those plans. And we’ll look forward — as the plan rolls out from the province and the City of Saskatoon — (to) what they’re going to be doing because it’s an opportunity for all of us to learn from this pilot project,” said Tolley.
The mayor praised two organizations in Moose Jaw for working to address homelessness.
He singled out Souls Harbour Rescue Mission for committing to constructing a new building for Riverside Mission, which will include a new men’s homeless shelter. He also pointed to Square One Community Inc., which is similarly dedicated to addressing homelessness and plans to establish a women’s shelter before next winter.
Another topic discussed was how to operate municipalities in a fiscally responsible way while reducing energy costs, lowering carbon emissions and saving money, Tolley said.
He noted that Moose Jaw has started its climate action plan by installing solar panels on the roofs of city hall and the Yara Centre. Furthermore, a comprehensive study of all municipal-owned buildings is occurring to determine how to reduce energy consumption at those venues and save the city money.
Coun. Dawn Luhning was the chair of this year’s SUMA convention organizing committee, which is why Tolley thinks the event was so successful. He praised her for doing a “very, very good job,” ensuring the event was well organized and demonstrating a professional demeanour.
“She got a lot of accolades from people there, so I think it showed well for her personally and for the City of Moose Jaw … ,” he added. “I think the fact Dawn Luhning was the chair really put Moose Jaw on the map … . I think she represented Moose Jaw very well.”
