March 21, 2024

A Reminder about Winter Safety in our Parks and on Pathways

Mild weather conditions, in combination with recent sleet and rain, have created potentially treacherous conditions within the City.

-We encourage residents to use extra caution over the coming days when utilizing the pathway systems.

-Pond conditions remain very uncertain due to warm temperatures and run off. Please watch for signs and barricades around neighborhood ponds.

- Snowmobiles are prohibited from being driven through our parks as well as drainage systems and streets. Riding can cause damage to trees and plantings as well as parks containing hazards such as rocks or equipment.

Spring Thaw and Runoff

Recent heavy snows and milder weather will produce pooling and runoff through the community. Crews will be working to clear pooling areas and open up drainage ways for water to clear off of streets and pathways as efficiently as possible.

Please be aware that there will be icy surfaces, please take caution and care at this time. This includes lowering your speed on icy roads and having proper footwear on the pathways.

Protecting your Property

Provided are some helpful tips and tasks to help prevent water from seeping into your basement or accumulating on your property.

- Extend downspouts at least two metres (six feet) from your basement walls. The further the water is from the foundation, the less chance that it will make its way into your basement.

- Consider moving snow away from the foundation of your home, to prevent a large degree of melting immediately adjacent to your foundation.

More tips available at www.martensville.ca/pages/tips_for_spring_thaw

April Council Meeting Dates

Please Note: Council Meetings may be attended in person, guests may wear a mask if desired within Council Chambers. Those still wishing to attend but would wish to do so virtually should contact the City Clerk or visit the online agenda for the link to attend.

April 2nd – Regular Council

April 19th – Committee of the Whole

All Meetings are located at Martensville City Hall Council Chambers - Martensville City Hall - 37 Centennial Dr. S. All meetings commence at 5 PM.

Those wishing to address or do a presentation to Council must be placed on the agenda. To be placed on the agenda please contact the City Clerk’s office at City Hall or visit the website for details.

The full Council and Committee of the Whole Schedule can be obtained at martensville.ca

Snow Removal This Winter – What You Need To Know

The Snow removal program aims to reduce hazards in the community, ensure roadways for emergency vehicles, and provide access to goods and services in the community.

Our crews strive to deliver excellent service, however sometimes weather can be unpredictable, and snow and ice control activities may vary. Every reasonable effort will be made to promptly remove snow and ice and create safe driving and walking conditions. There are ways you can help to ensure to keep streets clear and safe

- Do not shovel, blow, or push snow from private property onto the street – this causes snow ridges on your driveway when our plow cleans our street.

- Do not plow or pile snow on streets or hydrants – this can block access to manholes, water valves, and access to water in case of emergencies.

- Clear your driveways in advance of the city’s snow clearing operations - this helps our operators clear your street more efficiently as well as more clearly see driveways to avoid ridging.

- Do not park your vehicle in an area where it could obstruct snow removal procedures this hinders our operations and could result in a snow ridge blocking your vehicle in place.

- Do not leave large piles of snow at the corners of driveways – this snow can be caught by a raised snow-gate blade and topple over into your driveway or the street.

-Prevent snow from piling up on the front of your driveway by moving it near your tree/lawn areas behind your walkway.

Information on general program procedures and the City’s Priority Map is available online at Martensville.ca

More about Snow Removal – Safety Reminders

The Snow removal program aims to reduce hazards in the community, ensure roadways for emergency vehicles, and provide access for to goods and services in the community.

-Watch for posted areas for Snow Removal - In case of snow and snow removal, crews need to have roads cleared of all vehicles on posted streets. If you are going out of the City over the holidays, please have your vehicles off City streets. Vehicles left on the street per the traffic bylaw are ticketed and towed (to a non-posted area).

-Stay Clear of Sanding Trucks and Snow Removal Equipment - Sanding and Snow Removal Equipment make frequent stops or may change direction at any time. If you are near or behind the sanding truck or snow removal equipment you are reminded to stay back 15m to ensure heavy machinery can safely operate and sanders can spread materials in intersections without risk to your vehicle.

-Snow Dump Area is Restricted - The snow dump area located along 10th Avenue S, is a restricted area for city crews and contractors to dump and pile snow. This is not a recreational area and we ask that the public remain out of these areas due to potential hazards.

Information on general program procedures and the City’s Priority Map is available online at Martensville.ca

Great Plains College to Host Inaugural

‘Great Plates’ Fundraising Event

Great Plains College is pleased to announce an upcoming fundraising event, “Great Plates: An Evening of Food & Entertainment with Great Plains College” will be held Wednesday, April 17 at the Brian King Centre.

The evening will feature a three-course meal prepared and served by Great Plains College Hotel and Restaurant Management students, a wine and beer bar, a raffle table and entertainment brought to you by award winning comedy magician Matt Gore, The Ginger Ninja. All proceeds from the event will go toward the scholarship fund.

“As the college continues to grow its programming and presence in Warman, we’re always looking for new ways to engage with the community and showcase some of the great things happening around campus,” said Brad Mahon, President & CEO at Great Plains College. “We’re excited to see this event come to life and look forward to bringing the community, partners and supporters of the college together for an evening of great food and entertainment in support of our students and scholarship fund.”

The menu for the evening will include a peaches and cream salad to start, a braised short rib with seasonal vegetables and fontina mashed potatoes as the main entrée, and a lemon cake on a lemon curd with Chantilly cream and crisp meringue to finish.

“Our Hotel and Restaurant Management students, led by instructor Trevor Robertson, are ready and eager to showcase the skills they’ve been mastering this year. We hope to have a full house in April to enjoy the first ‘Great Plates’ event with us,” added Mahon.

Tickets are on sale now for $60 each or $400 for a table of 8 and can be purchased by stopping by the Warman Campus, phoning 306-242-5377 or emailing claudinet@greatplainscollege.ca.

For additional event details, visit greatplainscollege.ca/news-and-events/ great-plates-evening-food-entertainment-great-plains-college.

ABOVE: Venture Heights Elementary School held their first ever Pi contest on March 14th where students were challenged to remember as many digits of pi as possible. Winners were Caiden Carriere with 97 places and Zack Johnson with 62 places. Venture Heights teacher Jennifer Harland presented the winners with their winning prizes. (Submitted)

Pop-Up Rescue Project Provides 1 in 100 Chance of Winning Tickets to Noah Kahan

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The Pop-Up Rescue Project recently rescued approximately 180 dogs from a northern Saskatchewan community. Throughout the course of a month, these dogs were rescued, provided medical care, love, baths, regular food and water, walks and more.

Most of the dogs required a de-wormer, vaccinations, flea and tick medication, as well as other medical requirements, some more urgent than others. Sadly some of the dogs did not make it due to medical complications. Others arrived pregnant, or in one case, gave birth to a litter of puppies during the transport to Martensville.

Each dog that visited a local veterinary clinic was provided with the care that they required in order to move forward in their life and be sent to either another rescue organization, a foster home, or adopted into their new homes permanently.

When word about this rescue spread throughout the province, donations were coming in from food, treats, bedding, crates, toys, bowls, etc., as well as monetary donations; however, the amount owing for medical needs continues to accumulate.

Because of this, although the dogs have been moved into alternate locations, the Pop-Up Rescue Project is still actively looking at ways to continue to fundraise, with all money raised going towards the ongoing care of these innocent creatures.

Currently, there is a fundraiser being held for a chance to win tickets to see Noah Kahan in concert. For $10, you will receive a 1 in 100 chance to win seats in section T at the concert, which is taking place Saturday, March 30th. This prize is valued at approximately $1000. The draw will take place March 25th, or sooner if all tickets sell beforehand. More details can be found by visiting the ‘Pop-Up Rescue Project’ on Facebook and e-transfers can be sent to popuprescueproject@gmail.com.

There are also adoption events taking place this month, the first on March 23 at Pet Valu Brighton Saskatoon to celebrate National Puppy Day. Franny, one of the rescued dogs will be in attendance with her litter of six puppies from 1pm-4pm. There will also be an adoption event taking place at Okami Martial Arts on March 30th. Be sure to stop in to visit some of the adorable dogs that are looking to find their forever home.

More events will be taking place in the future, so be sure to follow the Pop-Up Rescue Project on Facebook to stay informed, and to see regular updates on the rescued dogs.

Sask Party Hosting Nomination Meeting on March 27th

The Saskatchewan Party will be holding a Nomination Meeting for the MartensvilleBlairmore constituency on Wednesday, March 27th at the North Ridge Community Centre at 901 3rd Street North in Martensville. Registration will begin at 5:30pm with the meeting commencing at 7:00pm.

Nominees consist of Martensville’s own City Councilor/Deputy Mayor Jamie Martens, Sunny Kals and M.S. Gill.

The deadline for membership sales is Wednesday, March 20th at 4:00pm and memberships that have lapsed within 60 days of the nomination meeting may be renewed at the door. You must have a valid Saskatchewan Party membership to be eligible to vote at the Nomination Meeting. Register at https://www.saskparty.com/become_a_member.

Martensville Fire Department Responds to Gas Leak at Sports Centre

The Martensville Fire Department responded to a report of a natural gas leak at the Martensville Sports Centre at 8:01 a.m. on Tuesday March 19, 2024.

Upon arrival it was determined the source of the leak was a broken natural gas line on the exterior of the building. Natural Gas was detected in the Sports Centre. The natural gas was shut off and the building was ventilated by MFD members. Sask Energy was called to the scene.

MFD members remained on scene until the building was declared clear by Sask Energy staff. The building was left under the control of Sask Energy.

Jamie Martens M.S. Gill Sunny Kals

Successful Basketball Season Comes to an End

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Throughout recent years, basketball has been gaining popularity within Martensville, with this season seeing a total of 14 teams in total. Regular season runs from mid-October to the end of February, and then playoffs begin, which run until mid to end of March.

This year, teams consisted of two in the Mini Dunker Program, which runs through the City of Martensville and is for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 2. Games are played once a month against other Martensville teams or Warman teams. For kids above this age range, they are registered through the Saskatoon Minor Basketball Association and placed on one of the Martensville teams, as long as enough players are available. If there are not enough players to form a team, they are placed on a team in Saskatoon.

Martensville had enough local players registered to form two boys teams and one girls team for grades 3-4, two boys and one girls team for grades 5-6, three boys and one girls team for grades 7-8 and two boys teams for grades 9-10.

“We just about had a Junior Girls team, but unfortunately we were a couple players short, but we are hoping next year, with some of the Bantams moving up that we will be able to have a Girl’s Junior team back in Martensville,” organizer Angie Reddekopp stated.

There were also several players from Martensville that took part in the Next Level Development League, which is a more competitive option that SMBA offers. Tryouts are held for Mini (Grade 5/6) and Bantam (Grades 7/8) and if you are successful, you are placed on a team in Saskatoon to play in a more competitive league outside of recreational play.

SPORTS

The Mini Dunkers and Spuds divisions don’t have playoffs, but for the nine teams that do, a total of 8 teams competed in a final.

“The skill level of basketball players in this community is really increasing and we are seeing a lot of improvement in our kids. Overall, we had a very successful season and we are so proud of all of the kids,” Reddekopp said.

The beginning of the season came with some hurdles as there was a struggle to find coaches; however, they were able to find community members to step up and Reddekopp noted that all coaches had a really good experience and enjoyed the season.

“One thing that has become apparent the last few seasons is that the caliber of players is really improving, so we may look at forming teams for different divisions. As the skill and interest is growing in the community, we will have to revamp things so we can ensure these kids are playing at the level they are capable of playing at so we don’t hinder them competitively.”

Last Spring, Martensville saw the formation of the first ever Club team, the Martensville Thunder for the U13 age division. Through this, the team was able to play in five tournaments last year, and are planning to participate in six this season.

“Next season, the newly formed Martensville Basketball Association is hoping to create multiple teams in different age divisions for the Club season. Keep an eye out for that information coming next season. Tryouts for this typically take place at the beginning of the year, with the season kicking off in March. This will create more opportunities for players to go to tournaments and exhibitions instead of just league play, and continue to grow as an athlete.”

Information on the next season of basketball in Martensville will be available in the Fall Program Guide, which is available in August, or watch the SMBA website (https://smbayxe.ca/) for details on how to register. Players are registered as a resident of Martensville and are then formed into teams.

Local Residents to Coach Boys Basketball Team in Sask Summer Games

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Angie and Graham Reddekopp received some exciting news recently that they had been chosen to be coaches for the boys basketball team at the Saskatchewan Summer Games taking place in Lloydminster July 21-27.

The Sask Summer Games will consist of 1800 participants consisting of players, coaches and officials, 1000 volunteers, 15 different sports and 9 district teams. The local duo will be coaching the Prairie Central District and are excited for the opportunity.

“We are really looking forward to the experience. At this point, we have been selected and will learn more about it going forward. Tryouts will begin sometime in April and we are confident there will be some local players from Martensville and Warman that will likely make the team,” Angie Reddekopp said.

For more information on how to get involved with the Sask Summer Games, visit Prairie Central District online at https://prairiecentral.ca/programs-services/sport/ saskatchewan-games/, or Basketball Saskatchewan at https://www.basketballsask.com/.

24034DA0

Maddogs Football in Desperate Need of Coaches

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

Maddogs Football in Martensville is a program that promotes youth football in the areas north of Saskatoon.

This organization has been around for 19 years, starting in 2005. Practices and games have been running at the Maddog football field (formerly Geransky field) located behind the MAP. In 2012, a new clubhouse was built donated by Duraroc Homes and sponsors, making equipment fitting much easier with everything on hand at the clubhouse.

Through fundraising they were able to purchase a fridge, stove, sinks and concession area, along with new field markers and equipment.

The Maddog Homecoming has been a successful event each year, with Saskatchewan Roughriders, Huskies and Hilltops players participating in the event, signing autographs, and helping the kids with drills.

“These are all volunteer positions and any help from parents is greatly appreciated and NEEDED. We have seasoned coaches that can help you learn but without new volunteers stepping up to help and learn from our existing members, eventually, we will not have coaches or a program for these kids. We cannot stress enough how important it is for parents to step up and help with the development of their players and to keep the program alive for future youth in our community,” as stated on their Facebook page.

If you would like to join the executive or help out with the program, please contact via messenger on their fb page or at martensvillemaddogs@ gmail.com

“These are all volunteer positions and any help from parents is greatly appreciated and NEEDED. We have seasoned coaches that can help you learn but without new volunteers stepping up to help and learn from our existing members, eventually, we will not have coaches or a program for these kids. We cannot stress enough how important it is for parents to step up and help with the development of their players and to keep the program alive for future youth in our community.” Som Houmphanh

In 2017, a spotter’s booth was built by Dom Glasser (Glasser and Sons), Chad Remenda (Brandt Equipment) and Ernie Biggs (Shaughnessy Electric). Janine Hayward stepped down as President in 2020 after starting the program and running it for 15 years! Som Houmphanh is now the current President. With help from coaches, managers, volunteers, executives, parents, and players, this organization has had incredible success and grown immensely.

Being part of Saskatoon Minor Football (SMF), they have teams in the fall tackle program for PeeWee (Grades 6&7) and Bantam (Grades 8&9).

They also have teams in the spring six-a-side tackle program for Grades 5 through 8.

They are looking forward to the 2024 spring season, but the Maddogs program relies on volunteers to provide these youth programs and are still in need of coaches for the upcoming spring season for PeeWee and Bantam tackle as well as the executive board.

SMF is also offering a ‘Safe Contact Course’ on two different days to allow flexibility for everyone to attend; Thursday, March 21 – 6pm-10pm, Sunday March 24th – 11am-5pm.

This is a 4-hour classroom course held at the Saskatoon Minor Football Warehouse and is a great way to be introduced into the program, coming into the season with some knowledge.

Girls or boys from kindergarten to Grade 6 can register for Spring Flag which runs from May to June. They practice once or twice a week and play one game on Saturdays. Online registration is currently open.

Spring Six A Side Tackle runs from the end of April until the end of June and is available for players from grades 5-8. Registration for Spring tackle is open online at www.saskatoonminorfootball.com.

Online registration opens June 1st for Fall Tackle and will be online only. The Fall Tackle program (PeeWee Grades 6&7), and Bantam (Grades 8&9) runs from the end of August until the start of November.

Contact Sam Houmphanh at 306-3802780 or email martensvillemaddogs@gmail. com for more information.

RIGHT, LEFT & BELOW: Past annual Maddog Homecoming activites held every September; games, Roughrider autographs & drills.

ABOVE & BELOW: Saskatchewan Roughrider mascot, Gainer the Gopher, entertains the kids and takes time for a photo with then President, Janine Hayward at a previous Maddog Homecoming event..

Budget Will Be All About Appearance of Solutions

We already know a bit of what’s in this 2024-25 pre-election Saskatchewan budget. Premier Scott Moe took the “unusual” step of going to his public social media to tell followers and everyone else that the education budget will see a nine-per-cent or $180-million increase to $2.2 billion that will now see $350 million dedicated to dealing with the contentious issue of classroom size and complexity.

Governments supposedly take budget leaks seriously. They make reporters and everyone else sign embargo forms before they get budgets a few hours before and threaten ramifications if any media outlet so much as releases the budget content a minute before the finance minister starts the budget speech in the chamber.

And when budgets are legitimately leaked, they have been known to hire private security to investigate and knock on a reporter’s door to discuss the source of the leak. (Or so was my experience back in 2007.)

One gets that budgets often contain tax changes that might give an individual or a company a competitive advantage, but for as important as any annual budget truly is, most of the budget general information on how governments propose to spend our tax dollar in individual departments.

This is borne out by the fact that politicians do talk about the budget in broad terms and have even taken to holding embargoed briefing sessions days with some media members days in advance. They do this to spin their story of what they want us to believe a budget will accomplish.

In fact, like most bills or government policy, budgets are seen by those in power as another opportunity to make their case as to why they should remain in power.

So perhaps what Moe and his government have been doing in the lead up to the budget isn’t quite as “unusual” as they make it out to be - especially in an election year in which politics is all about making one’s case that government is addressing everyone’s needs.

Critical to that goal of the Saskatchewan Party to continue to govern; or at least, continue to govern with a solid majority; is dealing with those immediate problems before them.

The teachers’ strike is a problem; especially in urban settings where Sask. Party MLAs seem most vulnerable. If it drags on into the fall, it will become an even bigger problem if schools are shut down during the campaign.

With that in mind, the government is doing its utmost to apply pressure to striking teachers, or at least get the public on its side.

Immediately after Moe’s address, the government pushed Saskatchewan school boards to sign on to a multiyear funding agreement that calls for a minimum $356.6 million for additional classroom supports until 2027-28. That amounts to $40.7-million a year more for “classroom supports” than in last year’s budget, plus another $4.9 million for pilot programs.

Of course, there are now other questions of whether it’s enough money, whether the SSBA was coerced into signing on and, perhaps most critically, whether this will be accepted by the teachers if the government isn’t willing to put it the STF contract.

This whole debate comes down to the teachers demanding classroom size and competition be in their contract and the government refusing to do so, but from the Sask. Party’s perspective, it is clearly hoping that most voters will be satisfied that government has now said it has money set aside in the budget to address the education issues.

Similarly, the government has also been dropping hints that the budget has money set aside for crop insurance, nurse practitioners, more rural doctor and several other issues it deems of pressing concern to voters.

Maybe one single budgets won’t change many people’s minds. But this pre-budget period sure seems like an attempt to do so.

MLA Terry Jenson’s Report from the Legislature

Strengthening Economy Through Strategic Investments

On March 20, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer will present the 2024-25 Provincial Budget, outlining the strategic investments we are making to continue to drive Saskatchewan’s growth. Investments in priority areas like health care, education and communities are only possible due to the strength and growth of our provincial economy.

Our government recently released a new investment attraction strategy, the province’s roadmap to increasing investment and further advancing Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan goal of $16 billion in private capital investment annually. Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased by nearly 25 per cent in 2023 and is expected to lead the nation in 2024.

This plan builds on the significant investment made in our province over the last number of years and introduces new, expanded and improved incentives for industries looking to make Saskatchewan their home. To learn more about the new strategy, visit the new InvestSK website at www.investSK.ca.

The third annual Indigenous Business Gathering at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon was a huge success and builds on our government’s commitment to growing, strengthening and diversifying our provincial economy. This year’s gathering featured over 85 trade show booths and more than 700 visitors. Our government is committed to economic reconciliation and recognizes that Indigenous businesses play a vital role in Saskatchewan by building inclusion among communities, providing jobs and growth, and helping enrich our quality of life.

Economic growth creates jobs and opportunities here at home, and Saskatchewan recently received some incredible numbers demonstrating this growth. The province added 18,700 new full-time jobs, which is an increase of 15,200 jobs last month when compared to February 2023, raising Saskatchewan's employment growth rate to 2.6 per cent.

Saskatchewan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also remains well below the national average, sitting at 5.0 per cent compared to the national average of 5.8 per cent, the third-lowest amongst the provinces. Strengthening our economy means investing in the growth of our key industries, like agriculture. Our government will invest $15 million over five years into the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan. Funding will support work at the GIFS, which helps keep Saskatchewan producers competitive and helps them remain among the most productive, innovative and sustainable in the world.

Health Human Resource Action Plan Update

The strength and growth across our provincial economy allows our government to continue to invest in priority areas like health care. Our province’s ambitious Health Human Resources Action Plan continues to make significant progress in recruiting, training, incentivizing and retaining health care workers.

To date, nearly 300 hard-to-recruit positions have been filled through the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, and more than 1,000 Saskatchewan and out-of-province nursing grads have been hired since 2022. We will continue to make significant investments to build a stronger, more resilient health care system for the people of Saskatchewan.

As our government continues work to increase health human resources, we are exploring ways to expand the use of Nurse Practitioners across the health care system. The Ministry of Health is working to pilot a new model for independently-operated, publicly-funded Nurse Practitioner clinics. These new clinics will help to improve access to health care services for Saskatchewan patients and their families. Here in Martensville, the new nurse practitioner clinic is expected to open in April, providing Martensville-area residents with another option in accessing primary care.

Fourteen new doctors are now practicing in rural Saskatchewan after completing the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program in December. The number of SIPPA training seats was recently expanded from 36 to 45 per year, and plans are underway to add more seats to the program. SIPPA plays an important role in our province’s ongoing recruitment efforts and we welcome the latest group of graduates and their families to communities throughout the province.

Multi-Year Funding for School Boards

Education is a huge priority for our government as well. A new agreement with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association ensures a minimum of $356.6 million per year for four years for classroom supports. Now that our government has made this commitment in writing, it is time for the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation to end their job action and return to the bargaining table so that students and teachers can return to the classroom.

Our government continues to invest in new programs that create solutions to challenges in the classroom. Fifteen new teacher-led projects have received funding through the Teacher Innovation and Support Fund. This brings the total allocated in this fund to over $800,000 in two months and reinforces our government’s commitment to providing additional classroom supports to our students and teachers.

As our government continues to move forward on these plans for Saskatchewan’s growth, we look forward to hearing from you. You can reach out to my constituency office at office@terryjenson.ca or 306-2422111.

March 19, 1947 - March 23, 2011

Your loss has taught us many things And as we face each day We have happy memories to help us on our way

And though we're still full of sadness that you're no longer here your influence still guides us and we still feel you near What we shared will never die it lives within our hearts to bring comfort while we are apart

SaskEnergy Launches Homes Beyond Code Program

SaskEnergy is incentivizing customers to build new homes at higher energy efficiency levels than required by the current National Building Code of Canada 2020. Rebates of up to $9000 are available for homes built to energy codes above Tier #2.

“Our government is pleased with SaskEnergy’s efforts to help Saskatchewan homebuyers purchase energy efficient homes through the Homes Beyond Code Program,” said David Buckingham, MLA for Saskatoon Westview. “This program will

make purchasing an energy efficient home more affordable, while also reducing energy bills through lower energy consumption.”

The amendment to Saskatchewan’s Building Code Regulations and Energy Code Regulations, that include energy efficiency tiers for the construction of buildings, came into effect on January 1, 2024. The goal of energy tiers is to progressively increase the energy efficiency requirements of new homes. For instance, the new baseline at Tier #2 is a 10 per cent improvement over Tier #1. Tier #3 improves energy efficiency by 20 per cent, Tier #4 by 40 per cent, and Tier #5 is 70 per cent better than Tier #1. Homes exceeding Tier #3 will be eligible for a $3000 rebate, homes exceeding Tier #4 will be eligible for a $5000 rebate, and homes exceeding Tier #5 will be eligible for a $9000 rebate.

“SaskEnergy is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and our energy efficiency programming is an important part of achieving this commitment,” said Mark Guillet, President & CEO for SaskEnergy. “The Homes Beyond Code Program will support SaskEnergy customers to reduce their end-use emissions as well as improve the quality and comfort of their homes.”

SaskEnergy has earmarked approximately $800 thousand for the program and opened its eligibility to both homeowners and homebuilders. Builders are eligible for an $800 rebate per approved building.

“The Homes Beyond Code Program is a positive step forward for the home building industry in Saskatchewan and the homeowners we serve. This program not only aligns with our commitment to sustainable building practices, but it also offers tangible benefits to those looking to invest in more energy-efficient homes,” says Nicole Burgess, CEO Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association. “By supporting the construction of homes that exceed the current building code, SaskEnergy is enabling builders to continue to lead the way in energy efficiency, ultimately contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for all Saskatchewan residents.”

To qualify for the rebate the house must be:

1. a new residential home on a permanent foundation in Saskatchewan. Eligible housing types are a detached house, semi-detached, row house, townhouse or modular home built on a permanent foundation,

2. connected to SaskEnergy’s natural gas system and use natural gas for space heating;

3. built subject to guidance from an Energy Advisors from a registered service organization or member of the Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors.

To learn more about the Homes Beyond Code Rebate including details on eligibility, full terms and conditions, and how to apply, at saskenergy.com/ homesbeyondcode.