Opposition MLAs touring northern Saskatchewan communities this week

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With what Saskatchewan’s official opposition is describing as a focus on affordable housing and cost of living, several NDP critics are touring northern communities this week in advance of the spring sitting.

The NDP says the purpose of the northern tour is to ensure residents in those communities are represented when the legislature reopens on March 19. Over the past year, several issues and incidents faced by those living in northern communities have been in the public eye.

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“A lot of the challenges Saskatchewan people face — especially the high cost of living and access to healthcare and good services — are magnified in the north,” Saskatchewan NDP social services critic Brent Blakley said.

In November, the impact of food insecurity in the province’s north was highlighted when doctors in La Ronge reported treating 27 cases of scurvy.  The Lac La Ronge Indian Band led an investigation into vitamin C deficiency among members and the wider community. Of 50 vitamin C blood tests, 27 were confirmed to be deficient, pointing to scurvy, and 10 showed low levels. All patients were over 20 years old and 79 per cent were Indigenous.

A recent First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment survey revealed 42 per cent of respondents couldn’t afford balanced meals. That mirrored a 2022 Saskatchewan Health Authority report that noted the average weekly cost of nutritious food for a family of four was about $291, rising to $358 in the north and $464 in the far north.

Shortly after the scurvy cases were reported, the NDP focused on items for sale at a grocery store in Stony Rapids, located approximately 1,040 kilometres north of Saskatoon. A two-pound container of grapes was $19.99 and a four-litre jug of milk was $18.09.

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Last May, after rains and spring conditions washed out Highway 123 and made it largely impassable, Cumberland House officials declared a state of emergency for the village as well as the nearby Cree Nation. The highway serves as the lone road into the northern Saskatchewan community. Cumberland House is located approximately 450 km northeast of Saskatoon.

“First Nations and Métis communities deserve a government that listens and works with them,” First Nations and Metis affairs critic Leroy Laliberte said.

Among the MLAs taking part in the tour this week are Blakley; Laliberte; housing critic April ChiefCalf; status of women, disabilities and community-based organizations critic Brittney Senger; and northern affairs critic Jordan McPhail.

The tour began in Prince Albert, where the NDP on Monday noted large increases in food bank usage and homelessness, as well as recent decreases in employment.

“Stable housing is key to recruiting and retaining skilled workers, especially in healthcare,” ChiefCalf said.

Senger stressed the importance of listening to community members.

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“Local leaders and frontline workers know what’s needed to move their communities forward,” she said. “People in all corners of the province are tired of this government thinking they know best.”

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