LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Transportation Safety

Sep 11: Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers removed over 100 commercial vehicles from service during Operation Air Brake, a 72-hour enforcement initiative targeting commercial vehicle brake safety. Officers completed 294 inspections at the Beverly Weigh Scale near Swift Current, with more than one in three vehicles removed for safety violations, most of them involving brake component or adjustment defects.

Industry Challenges

Sep 3: To support agricultural businesses impacted by excess moisture and local flooding, the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced that Saskatchewan producers who missed the April 30 enrollment deadline can still participate in the 2026 AgriStability Program with a reduced benefit, provided they join by October 1. The Program is also increasing the interim payment rate for producers from 50% to 75% of the estimated final benefit. AgriStability interim payments help cash flow by providing producers an advance on final AgriStability benefits.

New Laws

Aug 26: Saskatchewan added 12 communities to list of participants authorized to offer Rural and Remote Recruitment Inventive (RRRI) program recruiting and retention incentives of up to $50,000 to designated health professionals in high-priority occupations in exchange for a three-year return-in-service commitment. With the addition of Canwood, Cudworth, Eston, Hafford, Langenburg, Leask, Loon Lake, Norquay, Sandy Bay, Stoughton, Strasbourg, and Whitewood the RRRI eligibility list now totals 94 communities.

New Laws

Sep 8: Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) began taking Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) funding applications from Saskatchewan medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and nonprofits affected by new U.S. 50% tariffs. RTRI funding can be used for meeting liquidity challenges, bolstering supply chains, and diversifying markets. PrairiesCan also announced new $5.3 million support for six RTRI projects across Saskatchewan, including $1 million each for Degelman Industries GP Inc. and Saskarc Inc. (o/a infraMOD).

Action Point: Take 7 steps to ensure U.S. tariffs don’t compromise your OHS program.

New Laws

Sep 14: The Governments of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Northwest Territories agreed to work together to advance large-scale nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and microreactors. The new memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for collaboration and information-sharing on nuclear generation technologies.

Workers’ Compensation

Sep 1: The Saskatchewan WCB revised its rules (POL 15/2024) governing Medical Review Panels conducted by groups of physicians and chiropractors who are independent from the agency at the request of a worker or the worker’s dependent. The policy addresses all aspects of the MRP process.

CASES

Tools & Equipment: OHS Laws Don’t Require Suppliers to Provide Training on Equipment’s Use

A construction worker got killed when a heavy cart collapsed on top of him. Prosecutors charged the scaffolding company that leased the cart to the general contractor with violating its OHS duty as a “supplier” to ensure it was safe. The trial judge ruled not guilty reasoning that the company wasn’t a “supplier” under the OHS law; the appeals court reversed and ordered a new trial. In reinstating the acquittal, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal concluded that the appeals court’s finding that the company was a “supplier” because it furnished the equipment used at the work site was correct; however, its determination that the company violated the supplier duty to do everything “reasonably practicable” to ensure it was safe when used in accordance with the instructions provided was erroneous. The cart was safe and free of defects, it was just used incorrectly, the high court explained. Expecting the supplier to also provide “hands on” training on the cart’s use once the general contractor took possession of it wouldn’t be “reasonably practicable,” it concluded [R v Pilosio Canada Inc., 2026 SKCA 97 (CanLII), September 3, 2026].

Action Point: Find out more about the duties of suppliers under Canadian OHS laws.

Workplace Violence: Employer Not Required to Report OHS Workplace Violence Statistics to Union

The union asked the City of Regina for an OHS report on the numbers of filed and confirmed incidents of workplace harassment and violence over an eight-year period. The City refused to provide the requested statistics and the union grieved. The Saskatchewan arbitrator dismissed the case. The basis of the union’s claim wasn’t the collective agreement but its OHS law “right to know.” And that’s a question that goes beyond an arbitrator’s jurisdiction to resolve collective agreement disputes. Even if we did have jurisdiction, the arbitrator continued, we’d reject the grievance because there was no provision in the collective agreement specifically requiring the City to provide the union OHS workplace violence and harassment statistics [Regina Civic Members’ Union, CUPE Local 21 v Regina (City), 2026 CanLII 98685 (SK LA), September 21, 2026].

Action Point: Find out what you should and shouldn’t do when dealing with a workplace violence incident at your workplace.