Four members of town council and the administrator will be attending the 112th annual convention of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) February 5 to 8 at TCU Place in Saskatoon.
Attending will be Mayor Nancy Brunt and councillors Jared Ruf, Jason Pennell and Karen Koreluik along with Laura Lomenda, the administrator.
The Kamsack delegation also plans to attend the pre-conference Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDP) workshops on February 4.
The MLDP workshops were developed exclusively for elected and appointed municipal leaders in Saskatchewan, said information from the convention. The modules target specific issues of importance to urban, rural, and northern municipalities and mayors, councillors, and municipal staff will strengthen local government leadership through the learning opportunities MLDP offers.
MLDP will offer five modules, each running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., it said. They are: strategic and financial planning for municipalities; municipal economic development fundamentals; human resources in the municipal workplace; public relations and communications for municipalities, and community and land-use planning.
“Our annual convention is a major undertaking, and often the first thing people think of when they hear of SUMA,” said Randy Goulden, chair of the convention, adding that SUMA helps municipalities by representing their interests, help save money and help build capacity.
Goulden said that delegates will be inspired with its keynote speaker, Olympic Gold
Medalist Joan McCusker.
“Her address will not only share some of her undoubtedly fascinating experiences, it will also talk about the attitude it takes for ordinary people like us to build the extraordinary communities we call home,” Goulden said, adding that the convention’s welcome reception on Sunday will be a great time to celebrate 150 years of Canadian history, but also to celebrate the successes in delegates’ own communities and be inspired by the successes of others.
“Convention 2017 will be a great time to connect and collaborate,” she said. “I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting the newest generation of urban leaders.
Each year SUMA members come together at convention to discuss the important issues of the day, said information from SUMA. The convention is to include resolutions, sector meetings, the annual general meeting, dialogue sessions in which seven members of the provincial cabinet and a representative of the RCMP are to participate; the Bear Pit, in which the Premier and full cabinet will be participating and delegates will have the chance to ask questions about their priorities and get answers directly from the provincial decision-makers; meetings with ministers, and the election of board members.
Joan McCusker, the guest speaker, was a member of the renowned Sandra Schmirler curling team which won multiple titles, including three Canadian and World Women’s Curling championships and an Olympic Gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
Raised at Saltcoats, McCusker, now of Regina, is currently a substitute teacher in Regina public elementary schools and is a TV curling commentator for CBC and Sportsnet. She has worked at three Winter Olympic Games as a broadcaster, including the most recent games in Sochi, Russia.
In her presentation “Shaping Saskatchewan with Attitudes for Leadership Excellence,” McCusker will explain what great leadership looks like. She has said that she believes that great leadership begins with ordinary people who find themselves leading. These are the people that learn to bring out the best in the people around them.
With plenty of examples, Olympic stories and resources, McCusker will show the qualities of effective leaders and will describe five interesting attitudes for leadership excellence that are sure to help delegates shape extraordinary communities, the information said.
The education sessions have the following topics: “Gear Up to Manage Your Assets;
Unlocking New Revenue Sources; How the Solid Waste Strategy is Shaping Up; Get a Move Ahead on Climate Change; Molding Municipal Champions; Security in the Digital Age; Examining the Economic Forecast of Saskatchewan; Creating Business Links with First Nations,” and “Illuminating the Role of Watersheds.”
The Breakout Sessions for towns and villages are to be held with the following topics: “Promotional Profiles for Economic Growth” and “It Takes All the Pieces of the Puzzle-- Cultivating a Diverse Council.”
Informal time during the convention includes a welcome reception on Sunday where Canada’s 150th anniversary will be celebrated while delegates network with members of the SUMA board of directors and Heidi Munro and her six-piece jazz band will be playing iconic songs from Canadian history. On Monday night hospitality continues with Danceland DJs
spinning the tunes at the Hilton Garden Inn.
During the convention the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards, sponsored by Affinity Credit Union, will be announced.
Last year Kamsack was honoured when Mayor Rod Gardner accepted the first-place trophy of the Awards in recognition of the community’s development of the new district health clinic and its program of attracting and retaining medical professionals.
This year, the Wallace Creek Watershed Association Board, which includes the RMs of Sliding Hills, Wallace, Calder, Saltcoats and Churchbridge and the Village of Rhein, received the Regional Co-operation Award for having founded a watershed association to proactively manage water resources to reduce flood damage to agricultural land and protect private property and municipal infrastructure.
