North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater is attending the SUMA convention in Regina this week. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

City, Town at SUMA

Battlefords officials presenting at SUMA convention this week

Feb 3, 2020 | 4:44 PM

Battlefords officials will be present at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Convention in Regina this week.

Mayor Ryan Bater said the city will be among the presenters discussing the success of the Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement and the coalition involved in the initiative.

The effort was honoured with first place in the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards. The award will be presented to the recipients on Tuesday.

Five regional First Nation governments, the City of North Battleford and the Town of Battleford signed the Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement in June, 2019 that establishes a foundation for the communities to participate in cooperative government-to-government relationships.

The agreement provides a regional community framework so its partners can work collaboratively for the socioeconomic benefit and vibrancy of the region.

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Bater, joined by Moosomin First Nation Chief Bradley Swiftwolfe and Little Pine First Nation Chief Wayne Semaganis, made presentations on behalf of the coalition during two sessions Feb. 2.

“Throughout the week we have meetings with other communities and officials within the provincial government to talk about our coalition and some of our priorities here,” Bater said.

“It’s a really huge opportunity,” he added. “At the same time as I am presenting with the chiefs, [the city’s] director of finance is presenting to the SUMA delegation in a different room about the city’s efforts in asset management. We’ve been recognized nationally now and have been invited to participate in symposiums and conferences to talk about all the work that is going on in North Battleord in terms of asset management. So they are very positive developments. It’s really putting the city on the map in a very positive way.”

Where resolutions are concerned, the city isn’t proposing any resolutions at the SUMA event this year.

The Town of Battleford strongly supports one resolution in particular brought forward by the Town of Maple Creek that calls for more funding for downtown revitalization and historic preservation, since the issue also affects Battleford.

Maple Creek representatives are concerned funding for downtown revitalization and historic preservation was significantly cut.

The resolution proposal is for the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) to advocate the Government of Saskatchewan to work with Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA) to “develop programs with sustainable funding to assist municipalities in rehabilitating their downtowns and historic spaces and building.”

Battleford Coun. Judy Pruden said the issue “is a really important” for the Town of Battleford also.

“Our downtown does need revitalization, and also we are trying to get more businesses to move into the vacant buildings,” she said of the effort. “I think it would go a long way for communities such as ours.”

Twenty resolutions in total are being proposed by municipalities at the convention this year.

The resolutions were to be debated and voted on today.

Battleford councillors Susan McLean Tady, Doug Laing, Gordon Yarde and Kevin Russell were scheduled to attend the SUMA convention on behalf of the town this year.

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Angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow