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By Derek Cornet

Annual Convention

Suicide crisis, alcohol hours topics at annual provincial convention

Feb 5, 2020 | 4:21 PM

La Ronge Counc. Jordan McPhail believes a response to a question he asked Minister of Health Jim Reiter about the lack of a provincial suicide strategy was “woefully inadequate.”

During the bear pit session with cabinet ministers at the Municipalities of Saskatchewan’s annual convention today in Regina, McPhail asked why the government didn’t move forward with a private member’s bill to launch such a suicide strategy. It was brought forward by Cumberland NDP MLA Doyle Vermette in November 2019 and it called for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to draft a plan.

In response to his question, Reiter replied they are working on suicide prevention through the SHA and there is a mental health action plan in place. He noted the authority was asked to look for ideas in other areas as well.

“The tone that he used and the general feeling that I got, in my opinion, was just saying the bill was too weak, which is what brings me to the point it was non-sensical,” McPhail said about Reiter’s answer. “What I believe the minister was trying to push across was that the private member’s bill was not sufficient enough to take seriously.”

McPhail also said the minister told him there were jurisdictional boundaries, which he didn’t quite understand. He hopes the province isn’t trying to push the suicide crisis upon the federal government.

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“We have this conversation consistently in regards to the education sector,” McPhail said. “I’m wondering if it’s the same line that’s trying to be drawn that, because we’re in the North and it is a high Indigenous population, that the youth suicide crisis and mental health issues should be dealt with by a federal ministry.”

Alcohol hours resolution fails

Delegates at the convention also voted down a resolution calling for legislative changes to clearly and legally permit municipalities to regulate operating hours of liquor stores.

There were 20 resolutions overall with one from Prince Albert requesting the association should advocate the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority to make legislative changes so local councils can better control hours of operations for liquor stores.

It’s been 13 months since such restrictions have been placed on bars and stores in La Ronge that sell alcohol or cannabis. Deputy-Mayor Matthew Klassen believes the resolution failed because delegates likely misunderstood what was being proposed.

“What it intended was to make legislation more clear on what municipalities are allowed to do in regards to liquor store hours and regulations,” he said. “The legislature already does allow municipalities that control, they were just looking for some clarity on that point.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno