2019-2020 SARC Annual Report

SARC

ANNUAL REPORT

2019/20

Annual Report 2019/20

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Annual Report 2019/20

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION A Message from SARC’s Board President and 4 Executive Director The SARC Board of Directors

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MEMBER SERVICES SARC Member Moments

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Education and Training Highlights

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COMPASS Training Package

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SETI Projects Promote Inclusion in the Province

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Accessibility and Inclusion at the Heart of Facility Upgrades

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A Busy Year for Human Resources Services

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SARC Insurance Program Exploring Cyber Coverage

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SARCAN Year at a Glance

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2019-2020 Overview

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A Year of Growth and Development at SARCAN 22 Expanding Our Use of Technology

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Our Employees are Our Greatest Asset

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Building Our Future

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Expanding Drop & Go

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Measuring Our Performance

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Educating the Public

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Investing in Our Employees

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FINANCIAL REPORT SARC/SARCAN Financial Highlights

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SARC/SARCAN Financial Reports

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Pension and Benefits Programs

38

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Annual Report 2019/20

A Message from

SARC’S BOARD PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Annual Report 2019/20

As we reflect on the previous fiscal year, we see a year filled with accomplishments and exciting progress. Endeavours undertaken were framed by our 2016-2020 strategic plan, SARC’s 2020 Vision, and built upon the energy, progress and knowledge gained throughout this strategic cycle.

Over the course of the year, our teams launched new initiatives, completed capital projects and explored new technology. We also began the exciting process of planning for our next four-year strategic cycle; a plan for which we have been taking a deep, qualitative and exploratory approach of our areas of strength and what is working well.

This annual report provides an overview of a number of initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to stay on course for what we set out to strategically achieve.

You will read about numerous education and training initiatives that span across the organization and reach a wide range of learners. Through the work of our Member Services Division, and the expansion of the COMPASS Training Package, we have seen incredible growth in participation numbers. Learners that work or govern within the disability service sector are gaining essential skills and competencies that support them in their chosen profession.

In such exceptional times, SARC Members have continued to demonstrate strength, innovation, professionalism, and the commitment to providing the highest quality of services to the people they support.

Within the SARCAN Division, we continued to invest in the training, education and skills development of all employees across the system. Just a few short years ago, we provided a handful of in-person training opportunities per year and now, through the use of technology, we are able to provide a full suite of programs to all SARCAN employees.

Investments in communication technology have changed the way we interact with employees and conduct business. Investments in recycling compacting, lifting and counting equipment have helped to further reduce our carbon footprint and increase efficiency in SARCAN depots and processing plants.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Advocacy for SARC Members on issues that can affect their ability to effectively provide services was a priority during the year. SARC worked with Members and the Ministry of Social Services to modernize contracts, financial reporting processes and client admissions. We also continued to work with the Ministry of Social Services towards the establishment of a predictable, equitable and modern Human Resource Plan for the disability service sector.

Although we do not know what the next year will bring, our teams are resilient and resourceful.

SARC, through our SARCAN Recycling Division, negotiated a new four-year contract with the Ministry of Environment to operate Saskatchewan’s beverage container recycling program. The thirty-one year partnership established with the Government of Saskatchewan for the operation of SARCAN continues to cultivate environmental, economic and employment successes.

As we entered our fourth quarter, we began to see announcements from the World Health Organization of a virus that had the potential of becoming an international health emergency. On March 12th, Saskatchewan reported its first case of COVID-19. The arrival of the virus in Canada thrust all businesses into unchartered territory, Saskatchewan included. SARC suspended all in-person events, closed our administration office and shut down the SARCAN system. While all of this was unfortunate, we found ourselves reasonably prepared. Our investments into online training and communication technology have proven to be vital to sustaining operations through these unprecedented times.

Although we do not know what the next year will bring, our teams are resilient and resourceful. They have adjusted our sails and are discovering new ways of providing services and doing business.

In closing, SARC cannot even begin to express the admiration we have for our Members.

In such exceptional times, SARC Members have continued to demonstrate strength, innovation, professionalism and the commitment to providing the highest quality of services to people they support. On behalf of the SARC Board and staff, thank you.

Dawn Desautels and Amy McNeil SARC Board President and SARC Executive Director

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Annual Report 2019/20

The SARC

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARC Board was unable to meet to obtain updated photos of the Board representatives for the 2019-2020 year.

Dawn Desautels President South West Regular Board Representative Cypress Hills Ability Centres

Valerie BuddPritchard Vice President

Lionel Prefontaine Treasurer

Yvonne Nyholt Secretary

External Appointment

North Associate Board Representative Battlefords Residential Services

Marnie WatkinPawelko

Bill Powalinsky

South Associate Manager Representative Citizens All Association

Jim Morrison

Kim Edmunds

North East Regular Board Representative Plus Industries

South Regular Manager Representative West Central Abilities

Keith Leippi

Donald Salie

Unita Esau

Ann Gyurmanczi

South East Regular Board Representative Harvest Community

North West Regular Board Representative Battlefords Trade & Education Centre

North Regular Board Representative Multiworks Corporation

North Associate Manager Representative Christian Horizons

South Associate Board Representative Regina Residential Resource Centre

North Regular Manager Representative Community Service Centre / Pine Industries

Board

COMMITTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SARCAN COMMITTEE

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE

FINANCE/ PENSION & BENEFITS COMMITTEE

Dawn Desautels Valerie Budd-Pritchard Lionel Prefontaine Yvonne Nyholt Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison Bill Powalinsky Kim Edmunds Unita Esau

Yvonne Nyholt Keith Leippi Marnie Watkin-Pawelko Ann Gyurmanczi

Lionel Prefontaine Valerie Budd-Pritchard Donald Salie

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARC

MEMBER MOMENTS

SARC MEMBERSHIP OF COMMUNITYBASED ORGANIZATIONS HIT THE 100MARK IN 2019!

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Annual Report 2019/20

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Annual Report 2019/20

Education and Training HIGHLIGHTS

John and Mark Cronin, Co-Founders of John’s Crazy Socks, at the 2019 Spring Conference

SARC’s Education & Training Team once again saw a very exciting year full of program development and delivery. Across nine different communities in the province, we continued to provide many inperson training sessions, including a workshop on ‘Complicated Days’ with Cara Milne and NTG Dementia Capable Support for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Training.

SARC now has an NTG Canada Affiliated Provincial Trainer who can facilitate sessions on supporting people experiencing disability who have dementia.

Joe Roberts, The Skid Row CEO, at the Fall Conference 10

Of course, the continued expansion of our COMPASS Training Package was a major area of focus (see more on the COMPASS Training Package on pages 12-14). We continue to strive to provide a variety of in-person and online training opportunities for all levels of employees at nonprofit

organizations, as well as Boards of Directors.

The emergence of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan toward the end of the fiscal year resulted in the cancellation of multiple in-person training events. Where possible, plans were put in place to deliver these virtually, and SARC continues to explore alternate delivery options into the 20202021 year. Despite cancellations, overall participation numbers for the year were strong.

Annual Report 2019/20

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

+137% +100%

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TOTAL LEARNERS ACCESSING SARC TRAINING In 2019-2020, the total number of Learners who accessed at least one of SARC’s training programs increased by 137% from 671 in 2018-19 to 1,591.

Increasing accessibility to online training, as well as adding additional in-person training opportunities in new communities, helped us to reach new Learners and expand training opportunities in the province.

INCREASE IN NUMBER OF ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS

1,591 6

In 2019-2020, the number of online training programs available to Learners increased from 3 programs in 2018-2019 to 6 online programs.

Expanding accessibility of training programs for SARC Member Staff and Boards continues to be a top objective

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2019 2018 Online Training Programs

671

2018

2019

Total Learners

MORE ORGANIZATIONS FROM OUTSIDE OF SASKATCHEWAN ARE ACCESSING SARC TRAINING 2018-2019

2019-2020

Number of provinces accessing SARC traning, including Saskatchewan: 4

Number of provinces accessing SARC training, including Saskatchewan: 7

Number of out-of-province organizations accessing SARC training: 10

Number of out-of-province organizations accessing SARC training: 29

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Annual Report 2019/20

COMPASS

TRAINING PACKAGE PACKAGE EXPANDS IN 2019-2020.

Our largest area of focus this past year was expanding the number of training programs available at no cost to SARC Members through our COMPASS Training Package. The Ministry of Social Services strengthened its commitment to this provincial training strategy in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, resulting in an additional 6 programs being added for a total number of 11 programs! These six programs were launched with staggered starts throughout the year as they were developed.

In 2019-2020, the six additional programs added to the COMPASS Training Package are:

■ This new online program is an important safety program for employees (and their supervisors) who may be exposed to hazardous products in the workplace.

■ It also covers important information about the shift from WHMIS 1988 to WHMIS 2015, which includes information on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (or GHS) for workplace chemicals.

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PROGRAM DETAILS ■ Through a new partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, SARC is able to offer a reimbursement to organizations for registration fees to certify or re-certify employees in Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Level C. ■ Organizations are able to send employees to training in their local community or bring in an instructor to teach multiple employees at once.

PROGRAM DETAILS ■ Through a new partnership with FoodSafetyTraining.ca, SARC is able to cover the cost of employees taking the Food Handler Certification.

■ This comprehensive online program covers everything that an employee needs to know when preparing food to be served to others.

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PROGRAM DETAILS

The COMPASS Training Package has made training staff a positive investment and the results are beginning to be reflected in our interactions between staff and clients.

– SARC Member Executive Director

Annual Report 2019/20

PROGRAM DETAILS

PROGRAM DETAILS

PROGRAM DETAILS

■ A new in-person session geared towards direct support and program staff, Person-Centred Eessentials demonstrates practical skills to implement person-centred services for people experiencing disability.

■ This program experienced a significant overhaul in 2019 in preparation to re-launch it as part of the COMPASS Training Package, including a more user-friendly online platform.

■ This session implements introductory principles and components of person-centred thinking and the staff’s role in supporting a person-centred culture.

■ Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) teaches that all behaviour communicates. Focusing on learning the ‘why’ of behaviour, it assists a Direct Support Professional to determine positive strategies for helping someone communicate their wants and needs.

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This program is beneficial to organizations that support individuals with disabilities because if we can understand the behaviour, we can then react in a positive and healthy way.

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– Executive Director, SARC Member

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– PBS Learner

■ Stride covers essential topics for DSPs such as their role within an organization, effective communication, working as a team, being person-centred, providing personal care, supporting independence, and supporting people experiencing disability with dignity, respect, and safety.

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All DSPs should take it <Stride> – If you are supporting people experiencing disability, you need to know people have choices, they can make decisions. You would want all your employees equipped with the skills they need to support individuals with the utmost dignity and respect.

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We were able to send front-line staff as well as our <Program Coordinator> and we have seen a noticeable shift in the consistency in supported decision making displayed by these team members.

■ Stride is a blended learning opportunity for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) consisting of both online modules and in-person group meetings with a Stride Trainer.

Formerly known as Basic Skills Training (BST), this program was completely re-vamped in preparation to re-launch as part of the COMPASS Training Package.

– Stride Trainer

The COMPASS Training Package now includes the following programs that are available at no cost to SARC Members* • • • • • •

Leap TLR PART ELEVATE Med Assist Person-Centred Essentials

• • • • •

Positive Behaviour Support WHMIS 2015 Stride First Aid/CPR/AED Level C Food Handler Certification

* All Regular and Associate Members as well as Affiliate Members that have CLSD funding are eligible to take these programs at no cost. There are registration limits for particular programs.

Please visit https://www.sarclearningcentral.ca/compass for more information. Please note that most of SARC’s training programs are also available for purchase if an organization is not eligible to access them at no cost through COMPASS.

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Annual Report 2019/20

COMPASS

PROGRAM INCREASES

92%

MORE ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS ACCESSED THE COMPASS TRAINING PACKAGE THAN LAST YEAR In 2019-2020, 92% of eligible organizations accessed the COMPASS Training Package, increasing the number from 66 in 2018 to 73 in 2019.

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2019 2018 Eligible Organizations Accessing COMPASS

MORE ELIGIBLE LEARNERS ACCESSED THE COMPASS TRAINING PACKAGE THAN LAST YEAR

941

66

415

In 2019-2020, the total number of Learners who registered for at least one COMPASS training program increased by 127%, up to 941 registrations from 415 registrations in 2018.

2018 2019 Eligble Learners Accessing COMPASS

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+127%

We are able to participate in training that we never could before, from the Board level down throughout the entire agency. This training has given our Agency a sense of professionalism that it has never had in the 15 years that I have been here. People feel valued because they are worthy of being trained to do their jobs better and service has improved. It also helps staff to see what management is saying is true because they hear it in training as well.

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– SARC Member Executive Director

Nonprofit Boards

ELEVATE has been a popular program for nonprofit Boards of Directors from across the province and beyond.

BEST PRACTICES FOR BOARD LEADERSHIP

This year was no exception; in fact, we saw a record number of nonprofit organizations work their way through the program, including SARC Members and other nonprofits from Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, British Columbia, and Ontario!

ENJOYING ELEVATE 14

Annual Report 2019/20

SETI Projects Promote

INCLUSION IN THE PROVINCE Supported Employment Highlights

The 2019-2020 fiscal year saw eight CBOs receive funding from the Supported Employment Transition Initiative (SETI) so they could help people to prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment and engage employers in hiring people experiencing disability.

Each project’s focus was geared to addressing particular needs within their community, whether it be transitioning youth from school to work, supporting people with mental health challenges, or providing training programs specific to certain fields of work. Regardless, SETI projects continued to provide individualized support to help each person actualize their employment goals. As a result, 214 people became employed or maintained their employment.

Last year, the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training issued a Negotiated Request for Proposals for the management of the SETI Program for the next three years and to transition it to outcomes based contract management (OBCM). SARC was pleased to be the successful proponent, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue sharing SETI project success through OBCM reporting.

Saskatchewan Celebrates DEAM! October 2019 was once again proclaimed as Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), and this was our biggest one to date! Numerous organizations across the province held events to celebrate local employers, and there were events being promoted almost daily on social media.

Top Group from Porcupine Opportunities Program celebrates DEAM Left An employee from the Harvest Pie Company (operated by Weyburn Wor-kin Shop) recognizes the owner of Creekside Car Wash in Weyburn as a Champion Employer in the community

DEAM also got some great television exposure. SARC and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) were guests on CTV Saskatoon Morning Live to talk about the benefits of hiring people experiencing disability, and we also partnered with FCC and SaskTel to air commercials that encourage other employers to consider hiring people experiencing disability, with the tag line of “It pays to be inclusive.”

Each year, the one month of DEAM seems to have a bigger impact, and it is due in large part to the year-round efforts of SARC Members to engage employers and communities.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Accessibility and Inclusion

AT THE HEART OF FACILITY UPGRADES accessibility of washrooms. More effort and building space was dedicated to creating private personal care rooms complete with ceiling tracks, accessible showers and changing areas. Those needing more support in this regard certainly benefit from these renovations, and everyone gets to enjoy the new space.

Housing Accessibility and safety for the individual resident were increased: ■ Many Members made changes to washrooms to make them more accessible.

Grand Opening at Wheatland Regional Centre in Rosetown

Over the past year, SARC’s Facility Planner supported over 50 SARC Members with their facility-related opportunities and questions.Whether it was one of the many scheduled construction meetings or simply a conversation on how to make their facility better, it was easy to see that our Members’ priorities and planned improvements focused on their clients.

Members went to great lengths to accommodate every client in order to meet their accessibility needs. Many building changes were made to meet the need of one individual or to increase the quality of facilities to increase their capacity of who could be included in their services.

Living and recreational spaces that are accessible, inclusive, and safe for each person supported was at the forefront of facility planning.

Day Programs The Ministry of Social Services continued capital funding, for the third year in a row, to day program building renovations and new construction. Again, in 2019, $1.275M was divided among 10 CBOs for day centre improvements, and SARC had the privilege of working with 8 of them. The focus of most of these renovations, apart from the overall upgrading of well-used buildings, was to improve the 16

■ A number of homes had fire sprinklers installed, and all homes in the province increased their fire safety in accordance with the new fire code requirements.

■ Members across the province have started to look at the possibility of putting their unfinished basements to better use as secondary suites so that people could transition in a safe and supported way from group home living to a more independent living situation.

There are still many group homes across the province that are not accessible, and Members continue to discuss their need for replacement homes with CLSD. SARC Members are focused on finding ways to make their organizations and facilities more accessible and inclusive to all, and SARC is honoured to play a supporting role in these important initiatives.

We also look forward to the opportunity for SARC and SARC Members to participate in community engagement discussions over the coming year as part of establishing Saskatchewan’s new accessibility Act.

Annual Report 2019/20

The Valley View Centre (VVC) transition project came to a conclusion in Fall 2019. In total, 36 new homes were purchased, renovated, or built to support 153 former VVC residents in the community. SARC Members were an integral part of this milestone in our province and have been very proud to help with these successful transitions. The Ministry had plans in place to celebrate the completion with the sector that unfortunately had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, but we look forward to that opportunity in the future.

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Annual Report 2019/20

A Busy Year for SARC

HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES SARC’s human resources and labour relations support services for our Members had another busy year, namely in the areas of:

■ Collective bargaining and other union activity ■ Performance management ■ Respectful workplaces ■ Mental health in the workplace This year, we also saw an increase in Boards requesting assistance with developing and implementing appropriate policies/practices related to their HR and oversight responsibilities for the Executive Director position.

While there are Board resources available on SARC’s Learning Central website, Boards are also welcome to contact SARC for Human Resources consultant support.

Executive Directors, don’t forget to check SARC’s online Manager Resource Area for HR/LR policies, tools, resources, and our HR/LR Insights, a publication produced in partnership with MLT Aikins.

SARC Labour Relations Consultant, Marrion Wolff, facilitating one of the nine Leap Sessions in 2019

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARC Insurance Program Exploring CYBER COVERAGE

In 2019-2020, SARC and our partners at Butler Byers began exploring how to offer Cyber Insurance to SARC Members via the SARC Insurance Program.

We are happy to report that a Cyber Insurance Program is in the midst of being developed. The program structure is near completion; following that, communication will go to plan members and all SARC Members to make them aware of this new coverage. In brief, coverage will consist of 1st Party, 3rd Party, and e-Crime (to be explained in further detail in the communication to come). Like the overall approach and advantage to the SARC Insurance Program, the goal of this new program is to achieve broader coverage and reduced premiums for all those participating.

We certainly recognize that cyber risk exposure is present for SARC Members; therefore, in the interim until the program is established, we are currently working with an Insurer that will accommodate “Stand-Alone” policies at coverage and premium levels that are competitive. If you would like to talk further about this, please contact the Butler Byers Insurance Team at myinsuranceteam@ butlerbyers.com.

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CBOs in SARC’s Directors and Officers Liability Program

Did You Know?

The SARC Insurance Program was specifically designed for the diverse operations of SARC Members. Members participating in the program have realized broader coverages and reduced premiums as well as insurance and claims expertise in the sector. The following are some coverage highlights among many that are included in the program: ■ Abuse Liability insurance on an “Occurrence” base coverage (coverage includes various types of alleged abuse).

■ Resident Healthcare Facility Extension.

This coverage expands on the existing coverage provided for Dispensing of Medications and broadens the scope of coverage applicable to providing or dispensing of medications to include Food or Beverages, Medical Supplies, and Medical Appliances. This coverage extends to include Employees, Qualified Volunteers, and Students in Training.

■ Outbreak Extra and Negative Publicity Expense.

■ Resident Healthcare Traumatic Event Expense.

■ Residents Identity Theft.

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CBOs in SARC’s Property and Liability Program

■ Emergency Vacating Expenses.

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARCAN (SARC’S RECYCLING DIVISION)

YEAR AT A GLANCE

Recycled over 438 million beverage containers last year.

Collected 88% of the beverage containers sold in Saskatchewan last year, a five year high!

Expanded our use of technology, including expanding our email system to include all SARCAN employees and hosting more video meetings.

Invested in our 755 employees by expanding training and education opportunties, including helping employees plan for retirement.

Expanded the use of Drop & Go with more customer transactions and extended hours of operation at select locations.

Improved the customer experience for our 1,799,200 annual customer visits.

Expanded awarenss of our recycling programs, including dairy container recycling, Drop & Go, in-school recycling, and public space recycling.

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Annual Report 2019/20

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Annual Report 2019/20

A Year of Growth

AND DEVELOPMENT AT SARCAN SARCAN had another year of expansion in 2019-2020. This year we welcomed 1,799,200 customers through the doors of our 72 recycling depots, and we collected, processed and recycled 438 million beverage containers.

This was also a significant year for SARCAN as we approach the end of SARC’s 2020 Strategic Plan. This plan has laid the foundation for further developing our recycling system, with several of our strategic objectives wrapping up or nearing completion this past year.

Investing in Our Future SARC’s 2020 Strategic Plan placed a priority on ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the SARCAN system.

Increasing costs in all areas of the system require new and creative approaches to ensure our costs are controlled and sustainable.

As part of our efforts to maintain our operations well into the future, SARCAN began the careful development of an investment strategy targeting land and building procurement for future SARCAN facilities. This strategy focused on completing thorough assessments of key SARCAN locations and comparing the long-term costs and benefits of leasing versus buying facilities. As a result of these assessments, SARC has purchased land and constructed a new depot in Warman in this past fiscal year (opening June 2020) and is in the process of constructing a new depot in Regina which will relocate an existing depot.

Investing in these depots will help lower our annual operating costs and improve our financial sustainability by lowering overall operating costs well into the future.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Expanding

OUR USE OF TECHNOLOGY One of the four priorities of SARC’s 2020 Strategic Plan is a focus on our technology. SARCAN is leveraging technology to improve communication with employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

Using technology to enhance our communication with these groups allows us to keep SARCAN teams educated and informed in a timely manner, and it allows us to provide a more positive and responsive experience for customers based on their diverse needs.

Some of the technology initiatives SARCAN has launched as a result of SARC’s Strategic Plan include: Expansion of email service to all SARCAN employees across Saskatchewan, including training on how to use email.

Expanded use of video conferencing software to host regular meetings, training sessions, and general information sessions.

Expansion of our network of video display advertising systems in depots, including two new locations in 2019.

More customer outreach through digital media, including social media platforms and digital advertisements.

Improved access to online resources through Connect, SARCAN’s intranet for Supervisors.

More training and education opportunities being offered to employees through Aspire, video conferencing, and other online platforms.

We are already seeing positive results from this commitment to improving our use of technology.

■ In our annual employee survey, the majority of respondents reported that they have greater access to information, have more confidence, and greater knowledge as a result of these improvements.

■ In the same survey, 86% of respondents stated that digital communication channels were the best way to share information with them.

■ Employees are happy, reporting improved confidence, improved skills.

■ These expanded communication channels were integral as our system shut down in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak and have been an important resource to communicate with SARCAN employees and our customers throughout the closure and our reopening.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Our Employees are

OUR GREATEST ASSET Each year we celebrate our loyal and dedicated team of over 700 employees across the province. At our 26th annual Employee Recognition Day this past October, SARCAN was proud to celebrate:

30 year award recipients

6

6

25 year award recipients

20 year award recipients

13

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Annual Report 2019/20

15 year award recipients

14

10 year award recipients

14

5 year award recipients

20

Altogether, these recipients represent 1,040 years of recycling experience at SARCAN. Employee recognition events like our annual Employee Recognition Day are our way of saying thank you to every one of our team members, whether they are a part of our original pioneer recyclers or those who have just joined our team.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Building Our FUTURE

Last year, SARCAN completed several projects that will solidify our position as a leader in provincial recycling services.

New Depots in Shaunavon and Fort Qu’Appelle This year, SARCAN moved into two new and improved depot locations.

Our Shaunavon depot, operated by Cypress Hills Ability Centres Inc., moved into a new location in May. The new building is three times the size of the previous depot and features a larger customer area, more chutes, and power doors to create a more welcoming environment for customers.

Our Fort Qu’Appelle depot moved into a brand-new building in December that is twice the size of the previous location. The new depot has improved trailer loading, LED smart lights to save energy, and in-floor heat that makes cleaning and drying floors quicker.

Grand Opening at the new depot in Shaunavon

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Improved Efficiency and Increased Capacity at Saskatoon Processing This winter, SARCAN installed a new baler and two infeed conveyors at the Saskatoon Processing plant. The new baler significantly increases the speed of processing, as well as improves the quality and density of the aluminum, tin, and carton bales we produce.

The new faster conveyors replace the original conveyors installed in 1992. Now both baling lines at Saskatoon Processing are interchangeable, ensuring continuous productivity during times of breakdowns or maintenance.

New Baler at Saskatoon Processing

Annual Report 2019/20

Greater Compaction Capacity Last year, SARCAN invested in five additional high efficiency Nexgen flatteners at our Saskatoon West, Regina Victoria Avenue, Prince Albert Main, Weyburn, and Warman depots.

The Nexgen flatteners replaced other flattening equipment at these depots, which was passed down to smaller volume depots to expand our provincewide flattening capacity. This translates to fewer trailer switches, less fuel use, and a lower carbon footprint across our system.

Left Nexgen Flattener at Saskatoon West depot Below Conveyor Belts at the new Warman depot

New Counting Technology Pilot SARCAN began a one-year pilot project to test an automated counting line at our Regina Rochdale depot in December 2019. This equipment is designed to automatically sort and count aluminum and clear PET containers with less manual handling than our traditional chute and bag stand system. This equipment has proven useful for large, sorted customer orders, so it may be useful in our largest depots that attract a lot of bulk customers.

Building Warman: A Model for SARCAN’s Future

Left New depot in Warman

Work was nearly completed on our newest recycling depot this past year.

The depot in Warman is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2020 and will be SARCAN’s most modern and efficient depot ever constructed. The depot features conveyor belt technology that automatically moves containers from the customer chutes directly into flatteners and sorting stations in the back of the depot. This technology is designed to help our employees move containers more safely, more efficiently, and more quickly.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Expanding DROP & GO

We are continually looking to enhance and adapt Drop & Go to serve the needs of a growing number of SARCAN customers. Here are some initiatives we undertook last year to expand the use of SARCAN’s line skipping system even further.

Promoting Drop & Go to Increase Customer Traffic We continue to promote Drop & Go as an alternative to customers who do not want to wait in line, or would prefer electronic payment, and overall usage of the system continues to grow:

+37% 16,850 Registered Drop & Go Users

+21% 35,842 Drop & Go Transactions

3%

of customer volume handled through Drop & Go

eTransfer Pilot

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SARCAN also took steps to enhance our Drop & Go system with the beginning of a pilot project on offering Interac eTransfer as a payment option. This pilot launched in late 2019 and was focused solely on customers visiting our Martensville location. Early feedback from customers has been largely positive, and SARCAN hopes the pilot will lead to an eTransfer payment option becoming available to all customers province-wide if the pilot continues to be successful.

Expanded Hours In 2019, we extended the hours that customers could use Drop & Go at select SARCAN depots with a dedicated Drop & Go room. This includes the following locations: Regina - Rochdale Regina - Victoria

Thursday - until 9 pm Thursday - until 9 pm

Saskatoon - North Saskatoon - East

Friday - until 9 pm Saturday - until 6 pm

Prince Albert - Main

Thursday - until 9 pm

Martensville

Saturday - 9-5 pm

If interest in these extended hours grows year over year, extended hours may also expand to include other SARCAN depots.

Annual Report 2019/20

Measuring

OUR PERFORMANCE Customers are at the core of our business. Last year, the residents of Saskatchewan visited SARCAN 1,799,200 times. Listening to our customers is an important part of growing our business and creating the most welcoming and standardized customer experience for all visitors. Continuous feedback provides us insight into how well we are achieving our mission at SARCAN.

CUSTOMER AWARENESS OF SARCAN AND OUR SERVICES REMAINS HIGH

100%

75%

50%

In 2019, we completed a comprehensive market research study on public awareness about SARCAN’s business, and their attitudes towards our business. This market research helps us identify areas where we can provide more information or improve our service.

25%

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LEVELS

Customer Research Study

Friendliness of Service Accuracy of Count Speed of Service

93%

Cleanliness

87%

Smell/Odor

70%

Hours of Operation

97%

87% 90%

SARCAN Drop & Go Dairy Container Deposits

100%

75%

Last year, we also continued our annual secret shopper program. This program aims to gauge the customer experience that is offered at every SARCAN depot in terms of accuracy, cleanliness, and customer service. Our secret shoppers take a uniform order to all SARCAN depots and score the performance of the depot based on SARCAN’s expectations for service. We aggregate these scores and assign a system wide rating, where 100% represents a perfect SARCAN experience.

SECRET SHOPPER RATINGS 50%

Secret Shopper

25%

72% 81% 100%

Customer Service

84%

Cleanliness

78%

Accuracy of Cashier

100%

SARCAN uses our Secret Shopper ratings to identify room for improvement and to set performance targets for next year.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Educating

THE PUBLIC SARCAN undertook several public education campaigns last year, all with the goal of bringing more containers into SARCAN’s depots.

Drop & Go Extended Hours This past year, SARCAN extended the hours of Drop & Go in a few of our busier locations across the province. The aim of this campaign was to drive customers to visit these locations during these hours.

The campaign was targeted to younger customers, customers who work a regular work week, and busy parents.

Dairy Container Deposits SARCAN took to the stores this past holiday season to let our customers know that they can bring their dairy beverage containers in to SARCAN for recycling to get their refund. This campaign featured in-store advertisements (at Sobeys and Safeway locations), targeted digital ads, and radio ads.

The goal of the campaign was also to raise awareness of some of the lesser known containers that are included in dairy beverage containers, such as buttermilk, cream, fluid coffee cream, lactose-free milk products, drinkable yogurt, and more.

Telemiracle

Drop & Go extended hours campaign

The SARCAN team across the province did a great job once again promoting Telemiracle by selling Helping Hands and processing Drop & Go donations to make SARCAN’s contribution to the fundraiser another record amount. At Telemiracle 44, SARCAN donated $68,215.25! SARCAN representatives presented the cheque just before they hopped on the phones to collect donations.

The employees all throughout the system got creative with the Helping Hands sold to make gorgeous handmade art that really put the feel of spring in the air!

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARCAN School SARCAN continued our SARCAN School portal to encourage Saskatchewan schools to operate their own internal recycling program. Through SARCAN School, participating schools can receive recycling bins, track their recycling efforts, learn about SARCAN’s recycling process, and enter our contest.

Several SARCAN Schools entered into the 2019 contest, which had the students write a story about their school’s recycling program. One of the entrants, Regina Huda School Grade 5 Class, had one of the highest number of containers returned through the year, and they developed and launched a successful school-wide recycling system. These students went the extra mile to learn about how recycling works, touring SARCAN depots, and more, to make their school as recycling friendly as they could.

Above 2018-2019 Grade 5 Class from Regina’s Huda School Left Public Space Recycling in downtown Saskatoon Bottom Telemiracle Helping Hands at the Regina Fleury location

Public Space Recycling SARCAN continued its popular public space recycling grants for a fourth year. Our public space recycling grants award matching funds for municipalities, First Nations communities, parks, and non-profits that implement beverage container recycling systems into publicly accessible places. This past year, SARCAN awarded $16,000 to Saskatoon, Regina, Yorkton, Hepburn, Eatonia, Christopher Lake, and the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Investing in

OUR EMPLOYEES SARCAN’s employees are our greatest asset. This year we continued to invest in the training, education, and development of our team members across all SARCAN facilities.

Planning for Retirement In spring of 2019, SARCAN launched the Preparing for Retirement Project. Our aim is to support employees to feel more confident, prepared, and connected as they plan for, or transition into retirement. Our primary focus this year was education: providing group learning sessions and developing self-directed resources.

From October to March, we hosted 9 “Tab Talks” on a variety of topics related to retirement, including pension and benefits, budgeting, income and community supports, and wills and estates. All employees were encouraged to attend these sessions, delivered online, in-person, and through video recordings of presentations. On average, at least 60 employees attended each live session.

SARCAN is grateful to Service Canada, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, Credit Counselling Society, Affinity Credit Union, Sunlife Financial, LifeWorks, The Cooperators, and the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan for presenting these sessions with us.

We also developed a Preparing for Retirement Handbook, targeted toward later-career employees thinking about retirement. The handbook included a quick reference guide, roadmap of key dates, and interactive worksheet package. We shared the handbook with all employees over email, the Connect intranet site, and mailed a hard copy to have as a resource at all locations.

A FEW OTHER PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: ■ Meeting with over 50 individual employees at depots and plants, discussing retirement planning, answering employee questions, and reviewing resources together.

■ Creating 6 written case studies based on real experiences with transitioning to retirement to use as learning materials with supervisors and managers.

■ Holding meetings with external stakeholders to discuss gaps and opportunities.

■ Researching potential enhancements to pension and benefits plans.

■ Developing internal tools to improve processes around accommodations and retirement transitions.

We would like to thank the Community Initiatives Fund for their financial support of this project.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Orientation & Onboarding SARCAN enhanced the materials our Supervisors use for onboarding new employees in advance of our spring 2019 hiring season. The enhanced resources we provided to Supervisors included clearer expectations and checklists, expanded training resources, a roadmap to guide the employee through the process, and a welcoming gift. These resources were shared alongside training on how best to onboard new employees.

A total of 144 new employees were welcomed to a new career at SARCAN using these revitalized resources. Feedback from this year of new employees was very positive: ■ 100% said that SARCAN gave them enough training and information to do their job properly.

■ 94% said that SARCAN did a better or equivalent job of onboarding compared to other places they have worked.

■ 85% would recommend a career at SARCAN to friends and family.

Aspire SARCAN continues to utilize Aspire, our online training system, to provide necessary training to all SARCAN team members. The catalogue of courses available, including 41 custom SARCAN courses, was expanded this year to include courses on: ■ Cash register and cash handling.

■ Preparing for emergencies.

■ Cleaning spills.

■ Healthy eating.

■ Dealing with difficult customers.

This year, access to Aspire was also extended to SARCAN work placements, job coaches, and discount refund organizations. SARCAN employees completed a combined 4,640 training experiences through Aspire.

Leadership Training SARCAN hosted our annual Leadership Training session for SARCAN Supervisors in May 2019. The focus of this year’s session was on Fostering Effective Teams. Attendees learned about the characteristics of effective teams, how to motivate teams, and how to manage conflict. Supervisors also learned about the importance of team building and participated in examples of team building activities they could use at their SARCAN locations.

CAN’ned Wisdom We continued to host our popular educational and informational CAN’ned Wisdom sessions for SARCAN employees. This year’s topics included accuracy, employee recognition, using computers, and documentation. SARCAN has hosted 31 sessions to date, and sessions have been attended by over 1,400 employees since 2016.

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARC/SARCAN FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

SARC In SARC, the COMPASS Training Package continued to evolve with more training programs added. Total SARC revenue was $2.7 million, which was up slightly from 2019 and matched expenses of $2.7 million.

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARCAN SARCAN Recycling saw 442.1 million total containers returned which was down 3.6% from the record setting 458.4 million the year before.

Revenue was up slightly from the year before due to an increase in contract revenue received from the Ministry of Environment, which offset the $1.7 million decline in salvage revenue that resulted from the lower return volumes and low salvage material prices. In the non-legislated program, the decrease in revenue and expenses was due to a decrease in volumes of paint and electronics returned.

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Annual Report 2019/20

Financial REPORT SARC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SARC’s operations encompass a variety of services and activities in support of the disability service sector. These include Member Association Activity, Education & Training, Consultants (Human Resources Consultant, Labour Relations Consultant, and Facility Planner), Projects [Supported Employment Transition Initiative (SETI)] and Administration.

Year Ended March 31 (in $000s):

2020

2019

Revenues

$2,722

$2,530

1,599

1,326

Grants - Projects

479

505

Education & Training

249

327

Other

395

372

$2,720

$2,477

Member Association Activity

234

261

Education & Training

998

845

Consultants

422

434

Supported Employment Transition Initiative

479

505

Administration

406

338

Amortization

181

94

Excess of Revenue over Expenses

$2

$53

Grants - Operations

Expenses

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Annual Report 2019/20

SARCAN FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SARCAN Recycling is a Division of SARC. SARCAN Recycling’s operations are divided into two main Programs – Legislated, which is the collection and recycling of used beverage containers and is legislated by the Ministry of Environment, and Non-legislated, which includes used paint and end-of-life electronics.

LEGISLATED PROGRAM (USED BEVERAGE CONTAINERS)

Year Ended March 31 (in $000s):

2020

2019

Revenues

$36,826

$36,602

Expenses

$36,145

$35,227

$681

$1,375

# of Legislated Containers Returned

438.3 million

453.4 million

# of Total Containers Returned

442.1 million

458.4 million

Excess of Revenue over Expenses

NON-LEGISLATED PROGRAM (USED PAINT, END-OF-LIFE ELECTRONICS)

Year Ended March 31 (in $000s):

2020

2019

Revenues

$1,066

$1,111

Expenses

$934

$925

Excess of Revenue over Expenses

$132

$186

5.3 million

5.6 million

LBs of Material Collected

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Annual Report 2019/20

Pension and Benefits PROGRAMS

SARC PENSION PLAN

4,600

INDIVIDUAL PLAN MEMBERS

+4.5% RETURN OVER FOUR YEARS

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SARC’s pension plan has 109 divisions encompassing more than 4,600 individual plan members. At March 31, 2020, the pension plan had assets in excess of $91 million.

For the year ending March 31, 2020 the Balanced Fund, which holds the majority of the participant funds, had an annual return of -2.4%, with a 4.5% return over 4 years. The negative return reflects the economic and market impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund did outperform the benchmark and fared well in comparison to other balanced funds which also experienced negative returns. The fund is made up of quality investments that will bounce back with the market when the COVID-19 scare subsides. As a point of reference, at December 31, 2019, the Balanced Fund had an annual return of 17.2% with a 7.2% return over 4 years.

BENEFIT PLANS FOR SARC MEMBERS AND SARCAN EMPLOYEES SARC administers two group benefit plans on behalf of 66 communitybased organizations in Saskatchewan, as well as a third benefit plan for SARCAN Recycling employees across the province. In total, these benefit plans cover more than 2,100 employees.

Annual Report 2019/20

SARC Members Support People to Live Life as They Choose

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111 Cardinal Crescent (306) 933-0616 (P) (306) 653-3932 (F) contact@sarcan.sk.ca w w w. s a r c s a r c a n . c a