Fighting homelessness and energy reduction and green initiatives were just a couple of the topics that Moose Jaw Mayor Clive Tolley highlighted at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Convention last week. 

Tolley has been a champion for the homeless since taking office and he said that the issues aren’t limited to just Moose Jaw. 

“Typically, homelessness is caused by addictions or mental illness, and many cities are expressing concerns about how to deal with it. Premier Moe in his speech at the convention talked about funding a pilot project in Saskatoon,” he said. 

Sawêyihtotân pilot project in Saskatoon includes a task force with members of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, the City of Saskatoon Police Service, members of the Ministry of Social Services, the Saskatoon Housing Authority and members of the Saskatoon Inter-Agency Response to Safety and Well-Being. 

The project will look at community-based case management strategies and come up with a way to transition into a long-term housing strategy. 

During the bear pit session of the convention, where municipalities were able to question members of the Provincial government’s cabinet, healthcare was a main subject of discussion. Tolley noted, it comes back to addictions and mental health and making sure there are enough beds for those to be treated. 

Meanwhile, Tolley highlighted the energy reduction and green initiatives that are required by the municipalities. 

He said the City of Moose Jaw is already ahead of the game with its Climate Action Plan. 

“We've already engaged Green Wave Innovations and we started to do an inventory of all our city buildings and the energy use and how we can economize and do better. And of course, we've got solar power panels now installed at City Hall and at the Yara Centre,” Tolley said. 

Twenty-four resolutions were passed at the convention including one relating to addictions and homelessness, removal of administrative fees on funding grants and RCMP retroactive salary increases. 

Tolley said he couldn’t argue with any of the resolutions that were passed and said they are all important. 

“It's a question of how many of these things are possible, but I think the province listened to the concerns and the resolutions that were brought forward, and they of course then go back to trying to do their share as a partner with the municipality,” Tolley said. 

The City of Moose Jaw had a large delegation at this year’s convention. Coun. Dawn Luhning is a director on SUMA’s board and was the chair of the 2022 convention. Along with Tolley, city manager Jim Puffalt, Coun. Doug Blanc and Coun. Kim Robinson also attended the convention in person. Coun. Crystal Froese attended the meeting virtually. 

You can hear Mayor Tolley's full conversation with Discover Moose Jaw's Shawn Slaght below: