Moose Jaw RM 161

Snow Removal from Private Lanes

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With the snowfall received thus far in 2021/22, we were all certainly challenged to finding an “appropriate home” for the excess snow in our lanes and roadways. The Municipality can certainly appreciate that residents want to dispose of snow from their laneways as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, the Municipality is experiencing an increase of the amount of snow from private lanes pushed onto Municipal Road allowances. In several cases, the snow-piles are left on the sides of roads to the point where traffic is down to one lane or worse, whereby the snow has drifted completely across the road making it impassable and dangerous for traffic. Therefore, we ask that snow from private laneways be kept on your existing property and not pushed onto Municipal Road allowances or public streets.

While the Municipality does its best to keep up with the snow removal on our roads, we cannot possibly clear the snow at every location simultaneously. Our many “Thanks” go out to those of you that have taken it upon them-selves to clear the snow when our crews were unable to reach everyone as quickly as possible. In addition, if you have not done so already and are currently removing snow from Municipal roadways, we encourage you to stop by the RM office to complete an “Occupational Health and Safety Exemption” form.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please the Municipal office (306) 692-3446 or email: [email protected]

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Moose Jaw RM 161

SaskLander

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SaskLander

 

For Immediate Release March 10, 2022

 

A new initiative to prevent trespassing: SARM joins Saskatchewan tech startup to help rural landowners manage property and reduce unsolicited visitors & trespassers

“The SaskLander platform concept is simple. Post the land you own and then deny or give permission to those who request to enter onto it. The general public can request the required permission from landowners for hunting or recreation. The app works for rural municipalities because it gives the public access to a rural map and identifies the parcels of land and the listed no trespassing locations. It truly is  a must-have resource for our 296 RMs,” explains Ray Orb, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) President.

 

Amendments to the Trespass Act require the general public, such as hunters and recreational users, to gain permission to enter onto private lands, whether the land is posted or not. It is currently illegal for a member of the general public to access private land that has been posted with “no trespass” notifications for recreational purposes. The legislation amendments will transfer the onus of responsibility from the landowner to those wishing to access the land by requiring them to ask for permission before entering. SaskLander is an opt-in service that lets landowners add land and set their permissions by activity, in effect posting land digitally.

 

“One of the issues has always been that the general public, when seeking to access private land, wouldn’t always see a no trespassing sign. They might not know who the landowner is or how to contact         them. SaskLander platform has bridged that gap, it’s as quick as opening the website and looking at the parcel of land you plan to be on and sending a message to the landowner,” adds Orb.

 

The SaskLander platform has 268 landowners registered online, accounting for 730 parcels. Usage of the platform spiked during hunting season in 2021, with notable and ongoing growth from recreational interest. In December, SaskLander noted increased signups as well, attributed to snowmobile season and the Trespass Act starting enforcement January 1, 2022. SaskLander is in early access and free to try.

 

Trespassing presents a threat not only to feelings of personal safety for rural municipality landowners, but also the livelihood of the landowner. Unfortunately, livestock has been lost to hunting accidents or because gates have been left open as a result of trespassing incidents. Additionally, the potential is high for the spread of noxious weeds, invasive species, and soil-borne diseases, like clubroot. This concern alone presents a serious biosecurity threat to Saskatchewan’s agricultural economy.

 

SARM sees the SaskLander app as a solution for landowners and recreational users to obtain permission to enter private lands and help diminish the risk of land trespassing.

 

For further information please contact:

sasklander.caSaskLander