Rural Team Saskatchewan talks to youth groups
Youth issues have been and continue to be a Rural Team Saskatchewan
(RTS) priority. RTS, a team of government representatives and rural
organizations, works together to respond to the needs of rural, remote
and northern citizens of Saskatchewan by building networks and
providing support at the grassroots level.
In 2003, a regional youth workshop was held in Moose Jaw where
approximately 30 youth delegates from the province took part. The
workshops confirmed that there were many issues that youth wished to
address.
Many other youth workshops and dialogues have taken place throughout
the province. In 2004, a report was written summarizing the outcomes of
the past activities including recommendations to the team on how to
move forward. The report, written by Aasa Marshal, called Saskatchewan
Youth Forums: Summaries and Recommendations highlights four major areas
of concern for youth in Saskatchewan.
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Education
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Employment
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Health
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Community Involvement
In 2005, youth from local areas of La Ronge, Watrous and Swift Current
will facilitate, plan and organize regional workshops with local health
boards and related staff. Blaser & Associates will serve as coach
and facilitator.
These workshops between health boards and youth will serve many purposes including:
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Learning from each other;
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Introducing and preparing youth for potential leadership on local health boards;
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Youth learning about health related professions;
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Strengthening communication between youth and local health professionals;
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Health professionals learning more about youth and youth strengths as well as concerns;
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Developing a concrete action plan with next steps to be taken at the local level.
A report will be available following the workshops by contacting Jock
Witkowski, Rural Team Saskatchewan Advisor by phone (306) 953-8430 or
e‑mail jock.witkowski@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Youth Internship Program "worth it"
The YMCA of Regina has been active in building strong kids, strong
families and strong communities for the past 115 years. One of the
programs the YMCA of Regina offers throughout the province, in
partnership with Treasury Board of Canada and the YMCA of Canada, is
the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program.
Since 1986 the YMCA has offered almost 400 youth a chance of a
lifetime — a nine-month internship with a federal government
agency. The program matches youth with a caring and supportive mentor
who offers them the chance to improve their employment and life skills
in a federal work environment. Internships have been completed as far
north as South End and far south as North Portal.
The program targets youth (aged 15–30) who have not completed high
school as well as youth who have their Grade 12 or GED. The chance to
add the federal government and a positive reference to their resume,
combined with the development of marketable skills, make this program
unique.
Jolene, a former intern, praises the program for the increased
confidence that it gave her, "...it has been a wonderful experience for
me and many others...This internship has brought my confidence up and
has helped me learn what I would like to do as a career."
Youth find out what it is like to work in a professional atmosphere,
which they may otherwise have never had a chance to experience. The
host agency benefits from the enthusiasm of the interns, while mentors
have the chance to have a life-changing impact on a young person's
future by providing guidance and training. The youth receive a monthly
stipend while they are working to improve their future.
Jolene went on to say, "...with this program I've learned what I'm good
at. This program is a great opportunity to get job experience and to
work with amazing people. It's a wonderful feeling, and it's worth
it..."
For more information on the program go to www.yip.gc.ca, or call (306) 757‑YMCA.
Rural Canadians speak their minds in Red Deer
A message from the Honourable Wayne Easter, Parliamentary Secretary to
the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food with Special Emphasis on
Rural.
Rural Canada is where there's heart and where there's hope.
"We were offered jobs all over Canada, but we're not going because we are where there's heart and where there's hope."
What a great comment this was by a participant at the Third National
Rural Conference held in Red Deer, Alberta last October. It reflects
the passion rural Canadians have for those unique places we call "rural
Canada."
We saw a lot of this passion at the Red Deer conference. And we saw a
lot of enthusiasm, drive and willingness to find ways to take action
and build strategies to strengthen and sustain rural Canada. It is this
sort of positive and forward-thinking human effort that will make a
difference in rural Canada.
The National Rural Conference focused on five subjects important to
rural Canada: entrepreneurship, community capacity building,
infrastructure, northern issues and youth.
Participants talked about projects going on in their communities, what
makes them successful and what could be done to better support them and
similar projects. They spoke of the need for collaboration,
partnerships and communication within and between communities, and the
value of cooperatives in rural communities. They also spoke of the
importance of long-term and stable government programs that rural
communities could count on, and quality information they could use for
planning. Increasing the awareness and under-standing of the
interdependency between rural and urban Canada was also raised.
Youth from rural communities made their presence felt throughout the
conference. This began with a youth forum organized by the National
Rural Youth Network, and continued throughout the weekend. Their
message was clear and heartfelt: youth don't just want to be listened
to by government; they want the tools to be active and productive
leaders in their communities. They also insisted that youth programs
need to be developed with youth, not just for youth.
Northerners too were clear in their message: northern communities face
many challenges, but northerners have the creativity and the initiative
to overcome them. They are also great producers of wealth for the rest
of Canada. The North needs government to supply the tools and the
support they need to bring to life the vision they have for their
communities. Northerners spoke of the need for infrastructure programs
suited to their needs, streamlined governance, and for all levels of
government to work together and to share information. They also spoke
of the need for municipal governments to work towards common goals for
both their community and their area.
As I said in my closing remarks in Red Deer, the fabric of this country
rests in rural Canada. We are going to continue to build our
communities in rural Canada because we deserve our share, because we
are producers of wealth in this nation. Together we will build on what
we have, and we will take action for sustainable rural
communities—where there's heart and where there's hope.
First Nation communities get protection against wildfire
Wildfire is a danger that rural residents know only too well, whether
they are living in a forested area or on the grassy plains. Once a fire
starts, it can burn through farms, forests and communities.
First Nations in Saskatchewan are taking action to ensure they will be
prepared to deal with fires that could affect their communities and
reserve lands. With assistance from the federal government's First
Nations Forestry Program (FNFP), they are giving band members basic
firefighting training and are working to fireproof their communities
and lands.
FNFP is a national program, delivered by Natural Resources Canada in
cooperation with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, to create jobs,
encourage forest-based economic development, and build skills capacity
for First Nations.
During 2004–2005, the FNFP funded six fire-related projects, including
firefighting training courses and activities to promote FireSmart
practices, while other projects focused on forest management planning
and practices.
The Day Star First Nation, located 100 km north of Regina, started a
project to build a fire guard in 2003. Soon after 30 band members had
been trained in basic firefighting under an earlier FNFP project, they
were called into action to deal with a brush fire that had moved onto
the reserve from an adjacent farm.
The fire highlighted the need for fire protection, so the Day Star
First Nation applied for and received funds to help create a fire
guard. During 2004, nine band members hand cleared over 14 km of brush
around the boundary of the reserve and around the houses of some
elders. This successful project provided training and employment for
band members and encouraged the band to apply FireSmart principles for
future protection.
For more information, please contact Michael Newman at
(306) 953-8546 or visit the First Nations Forestry Program Web site at www.fnfp.gc.ca/index_e.php
"Aboriginal Participation in the Rural Economy"
A learning seminar hosted by Rural Team Saskatchewan
Aboriginal people make up an increasing share of the population in the
Prairie provinces and are well positioned to make a substantial
contribution to the provincial and national economies of Canada. In
recognition of this, Rural Team Saskatchewan and its partners hosted a
one-day learning seminar in Regina on January 11, 2005, the theme of
which was, "Aboriginal Participation in the Rural Economy."
Speakers such as Tony Shirt of Peace Hills Trust, Bob Kayseas of the
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and Gary Bosgoed of Bosgoed
Project Consultants provided a new perspective on, and a greater
understanding of, the potential for economic and social investment and
development in Aboriginal communities. Overall participants were
satisfied with the event and offered excellent suggestions for future
learning seminars.
A report of this event including participant feedback will be available
at www.rural.gc.ca or by contacting Jock Witkowski, Rural Team
Saskatchewan Regional Advisor by phone (306) 953-8430 or e-mail jock.witkowski@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Water on tap
How much will it cost to repair? That's everyone's first question when something breaks.
Many municipal governments throughout Saskatchewan and the rest of
Canada are facing this dilemma when it comes to their aging water and
transportation infrastructure. They are now searching for the means to
maintain and upgrade these basic services to ratepayers in a cost
effective manner.
The communities of Balcarres, Margo and Porcupine Plain had similar
issues. They were using old filtration systems for well water that had
high iron and manganese content which resulted in color and odour
problems. More importantly, these minerals interfered with the water
filtration process, which created the potential for contaminants to
remain in the water and pose a health risk to residents.
Their collective solution was the Canada–Saskatchewan Infrastructure
Program (CSIP). "I've been on council for 20 years and the project has
been in the planning stages that long," said Dwight Dixon, Mayor of
Balcarres. "Without the [CSIP] help we'd probably still be trying to
figure it out."
CSIP provides up to two-thirds of the project's costs through federal
and provincial contributions. The total cost for the three separate
projects was $890,357. CSIP invested $593,568 to give the residents of
these communities better quality drinking water. "[The water] is right
back to A-1," says Myrna Daviduk, Mayor of Margo. Barry Warsylewicz,
administrator for Porcupine Plain agrees; he says the town receives
compliments on its water quality.
Mayor Dixon noted that a spurt in home sales followed the upgrade of
the Balcarres water treatment plant. In at least one instance, the new
water treatment plant was a contributing factor in the purchase of a
home.
Environmentally responsible projects like water and wastewater
developments or upgrades, solid waste management and recycling, and
improving the energy efficiency of municipally owned buildings are the
first priority for CSIP investments. Since 2001, the Government of
Canada has invested more than $111 million in 296 communities across
Saskatchewan.
For more information about CSIP, visit http://www.wd.gc.ca/ced/infrastructure/default_e.asp or http://www.municipal.gov.sk.ca/mrd/procanadainfra.shtml
TechSoup Stock
Has your organization taken advantage of the Microsoft Software Donation Program?
TechSoup Stock offers the latest versions of over 100 Microsoft
software titles, including server titles. Most software includes
Software Assurance, Microsoft's program that ensures access to the
latest product upgrades.
Eligible U.S. not-for-profits, U.S. public libraries, and Canadian
charities may make two donation requests through TechSoup Stock for
Microsoft products and licenses per two-year period. The combined total
of products ordered in a two-year period may equal up to six software
titles and up to 50 user licenses per title.
All Microsoft products are available at approximately 4 percent of
their retail cost. Check your organization's eligibility and browse our
full catalog of Microsoft offerings at: http://ga0.org/ct/a1q-U051RmMz/msdp or call 1‑800‑659‑3579 x 700.
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
Canada Revenue Agency is dedicated to helping Canadians meet their tax
filing requirements through awareness and education. The Community
Volunteer Income Tax Program is a community-based outreach program. The
success of the program depends on the commitment of Canadians who,
since 1971, have volunteered their time and effort individually or
while working with organizations to help people in their communities.
Year after year, through the dedication of these volunteers, thousands
of Canadians understand and meet their tax obligations, and receive
their tax credits and benefits on time. All Canadians must file income
tax returns and they must file to possibly be eligible for benefits
such as Child Tax Benefits, Goods and Services Tax Credit, as well as
other Government Departments Benefits such as Old Age Security and
Federal Income Supplement.
The Program helps individuals who are unable to complete their income
tax and benefit returns on their own and are unable to pay for
assistance. This service is available to qualified Canadians who earn
$20,000.00 or less. Low-income individuals must meet all of the
following criteria to be eligible for the Program:
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Unable to complete their income tax and benefit returns by themselves;
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Unable to pay for assistance;
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Must have low income; and
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Must have a simple tax return.
To determine if you are considered a qualifying individual, please contact your local Tax Services Office for more information.
Action Southwest
The Action Southwest Business Networks Coalition is a pilot project
initiated to help harness the power of partnerships in southwest
Saskatchewan. The Coalition is working towards the development of
strategic alliances among small- and medium-sized businesses and
fostering a climate in which these networks can grow and flourish.
Their strategic approach to addressing challenges and opportunities
faced by business in the southwest is based on but not limited to four
key components:
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A bottom-up approach, allowing businesses and communities to develop strategies and approaches for long-term sustainability.
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The use of strategic alliances and business networks designed to make
sure that in cooperation with other federal, provincial and municipal
governments and agencies initiatives are developed that make sense for
all businesses and communities in the region.
- Continuing to build community capacity—the ability to
evaluate a community's assets, build consensus and develop a plan to
enhance that capacity.
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Continuing to give businesses and communities the tools they need to carry out their strategies.
To date, numerous roundtable meetings represented by over 120
industry stakeholders have been conducted all over the southwest in the
agribusiness, energy, manufacturing and tourism sectors. Each industry
has provided the Coalition with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats) analysis of their industries and identified
several flagship initiatives to move their sector and region forward.
Plans are now being developed to move these initiatives into action in
phase II of the project.
If you are interested in learning more about the project and the tools
you can also use to form your own business network visit their Web site
at www.actionsouthwest.com
If you have a story idea, comment, or would like to receive a copy of this
newsletter, contact the Rural Secretariat at:
Managing Editor:
Lauraine Watson
Phone: (204) 983-8376
Fax: (204) 983-8357
E-mail:
watsonla@agr.gc.ca
Rural Secretariat
500 - 303 Main Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3G7
Web site: http://www.rural.gc.ca
AAFC Publication No. 49162B
ISSN: 1712-9303
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2004
FOR INFORMATION ON GOVERNMENT OF CANADA PROGRAMS AND SERVICES:
Phone: 1-800-0-CANADA (1-800-622-6232)
TTY/TDD: 1-800-465-7735
Web site: www.canada.gc.ca
Service Canada Access Centres / Centres d'accès Service Canada
Date Modified: 2005-05-31
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