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Asquith, Perdue approved for Áood protection grants The communities of Asquith and Perdue were recently approved for assistance under the Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program. Also included were the communities of Langham and Borden. They will all share funding from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority totalling nearly $60,000. “I am pleased that government is able to assist these communities with their flood protection plans,” Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Dustin Duncan said, last Tuesday. “By working proactively we will reduce the risk of flood damage this spring.” The grants for the communities will cover a variety of flood protection activities including clearing snow and debris from culverts and ditches, steaming culverts, construction of ditch, culvert and berm and for pumping equipment. “These proactive measures are good news for the families, businesses and communities in west central Saskatchewan,” Biggar MLA Randy Weekes said. “Many people
It’s summer in here . . . Blair Carruthers and son, Brandon look over their product at the Biggar Greenhouse last week. The entire greenhouse was filled to capacity with product -- all of it sold and getting ready will be relieved to know that efforts are underway to help protect their homes and other property in the area from spring flooding.” The $22 million Emergency Flood Damage Reduction
Program provides technical and financial assistance to communities and individuals to protect homes and permanent structures against flood damage in 2011. Due to a wet fall and above-average
snow accumulation, the risk of flooding during the spring runoff is higher than normal. Saskatchewan Watershed Authority provides 50 per cent of the estimated costs for
temporary works, 75 per cent for permanent works and 85 per cent for farm yards. Further details about the Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program and the
spring runoff forecast are available at Saskatchewan Watershed Authority regional offices or on the province’s flood Web site at saskflood. ca.
potential implications for the millions of taxpayers’ dollars which had been funnelled towards the merger. “It would be good for Saskatchewan people to know that the government had learned some lessons when it comes to fraud prevention,” Broten said.“In fact, as a result of past incidents, the previous NDP government put fraud prevention measures in place, including criminal record checks and a restriction on those with histories of fraud from dealing with public money. The problem here is that Minister Norris did not heed those lessons and he did not follow those processes.” Four separate organizations are now involved in getting to the bottom of the failed merger, including the Ministry of Justice, Meyers Norris Penny, KPMG, and an individual from Deloitte who is being paid over $50,000 per month. Broten said a ministry official also pointed out last
night that political staff members in Norris’ office have been taking an active role in the investigation, including looking into the fired joint-CEO’s background and investigating the details of a suspicious fire at St. Peter’s College. “At least four different organizations are already conducting investigations and audits into this affair at a significant cost to taxpayers. It is completely unacceptable for the Minister’s office to be sleuthing around for its own purposes and interfering in those independent investigations,” Broten said. “Minister Norris put millions of public dollars at risk, he failed to undertake any due diligence, and now he has his political staff acting as private investigators. Before he causes even more problems, it is clear that he needs to step aside from his duties as Minister until this situation is dealt with properly.”
Broten demands Norris step down NDP’s Cam Broten called on Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris to step aside from his duties as minister of Advanced Education until the various investigations into his
failed attempt to merge two regional college’s. Broten, the Advanced Education critic, said that in light of new information emerging from Norris’
Talking dance . . . Edmonton adjudicator, Nicole Kittlitz, centre, reads her critique into the microphone, April 10 during the annual Biggar School of Dance competition at the Majestic Theatre. The three-day festival is a yearly competition and showcase of local and visiting talent. See Page 18-19 for results. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
to ship, and while the weather outside was frightful, inside was warm and delightful. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
appearance before the Standing Committee on Human Services last week,the minister should be sidelined for until investigations into the merger of Carlton Trail Regional College and St. Peter’s College is completed. “What’s becoming increasingly clear is that Minister Norris was so keen to have his pet merger project become a reality that he ignored all of the warning signs and plowed straight ahead,” Broten said, Tuesday. “Saskatchewan people cannot trust this same Minister to oversee the various investigations into the mess which he helped to create.” Norris revealed last night that he knew as early as last May that the now-fired jointCEO, who was appointed to oversee the merger of the two colleges, has a criminal history of defrauding the Saskatchewan Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Despite learning of this, Norris ignored the concerns about the