Living in the country has its advantages and disadvantages. If you are moving to a rural area, it's important that you know what to expect or not expect. Every rural municipality is different.

What to expect when living in the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw No. 161:

• Agriculture is this municipality's primary focus. Farming operations may occur around the clock. Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used in farming operations may cause health sensitivity to family members. Farm animals and their manure do cause odours.
• Dust - travel on rural gravel roads and surrounding farming operations will cause dust.
• Noxious Weeds - as a land owner, you are responsible to control and if possible eradicate noxious weeds growing on your lands.
• Snow Removal - RM of Moose Jaw No. 161 DOES NOT provide winter snow removal from municipal roads. You will be responsible to keep your travel routes open either with your own equipment or by joining a snow plow club with your neighbours. Funding may be provided in years of heavy snow fall and only at Council's discretion.
• Landfill Access - The City of Moose Jaw Landfill is available for use by rural residents. Minimal fees are charged.
• Travel on gravel roads - drive with care and caution. Gravel roads tend to be dusty, can develop washboard sections or during inclement weather they may be muddy and become rutted. As this municipality only has two graders and operators, maintenance to roads may take several days to occur.
• Pets and Farm Animals - they are not allowed to stray off your property.

To change the zoning of property, an amendment to the Zoning Bylaw is required. Community Planning Branch of Government Relations reviews rezoning applications to ensure the requirements of the Development Plan and Zoning Bylaw and any other Council policies are met. If the application complies with these requirements and Council feels it has merit, the application then proceeds through the advertising and public hearing process. Costs associated with the public advertising will be invoiced to the party requesting the zoning amendment. Please allow 6-8 weeks minimum for this process. If the application is denied., it can not be appealed.

Community Planning Branch of Government Relations (GR) is the approving authority for subdivision of land. The Planning Department reviews subdivision applications, which must be prepared by a Saskatchewan Land Surveyor, for bylaw and policy compliance. If the application complies with all requirements, Council can recommend to GR that the subdivision application be approved.

Steps:

1. Contact RM Office (306-692-3446)
2. Have utility lines located. This speeds up the review process by identifying lines that may interfere with buildings and may need to be relocated and what the cost is. Also, utilities may require new easements due to the chnage in parcel ownership.
   • Call Saskpower: 1-866-757-6937
   • 1st Call: 1-866-828-4888 [SaskTel, SaskEnergy, Trans Gas, TransCanada Pipeline]
3. Contact a Land Surveyor and request a “proposed plan survey”.
4. Allow 1 to 3 months for review process
5. Upon Approval - register the new survey plan and request title.

• RM #161 does permit one residential subdivision per quarter section. Residential development within the NEF 30 (Noise Exposure Forecast) of 15 Wing is restricted.
• Minimum size 2.54 acres
• Maximum size 10 acres for new sites.
• For existing yard sites - the area required to include shelter belts, dugout, and septic systems.

A Building Permit is required for all buildings over 100 square feet in size. Agricultural use barns, grain bins, machine storage sheds are exempt.

An Application for Building Permit must include two sets of building plans and a site plan showing where the building will be located. Be sure to include distance measurements to other buildings, road setback, etc. Building inspection services are provided by Professional Building Inspections, Inc

Please allow 10 business days for a completed building permit application to be processed .

Download application

A Development Permit is required to ensure your proposed development conforms to the municipality's zoning and setback requirements. Please allow up to forty (40) days for processing discretional use permits as Council only meets once each month .

All buildings, trees, shrubs and other structures MUST be set back 150 feet from the centreline of a road and 300 feet from the centre of an intersection . If your property is adjacent to a provincial highway, contact Saskatchewan Highways to determine their setback requirements.

Download permit application

Development within RM of Moose Jaw No. 161 is controlled by the Zoning Bylaw No. 7-2001 and amendment thereto. Click here to view Bylaw No. 7-2001.

The first step in your project planning should be to contact the Municipal Office (306-692-3446) to determine your property's zoning, the types of buildings/development permitted in that zone and the required building setback distances from roads and property lines.