REGINA – To raise awareness and engagement in local democracy, Local Government Week has again been officially proclaimed in the province of Saskatchewan, for the week of Nov. 9 to Nov. 15.
“School boards are locally elected to bring community voice to publicly funded education,” said SSBA President Dr. Shawn Davidson. “Local Government Week helps to highlight the importance of grassroots-level decision-making. The work of local governments affects the lives of Saskatchewan residents every day. Locally elected governments represent the voices of the people they serve and provide connections and accountability to their communities.”
This year, Saskatchewan’s municipal and school board elections take place on the first day of Local Government Week – Monday, Nov. 9. Residents throughout the province are encouraged to participate by voting.
Local Government Week is a partnership between the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, Municipalities of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association.
As part of Local Government Week, the partners are offering a free virtual session for residents interested in learning more about local governments in Saskatchewan. On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m., the public is invited to join elected representatives for an open forum webinar where they can ask questions. Those interested can learn more and register online at tinyurl.com/sklocalgovernment.
This is the third year that Local Government Week has been proclaimed. The call to recognize the week with a provincial proclamation emerged through discussions between the partner organizations as an excellent opportunity to recognize and raise awareness about systems of local governance.