MOOSOMIN — 2024 will be a year full of challenges and opportunities in the Cannington constituency, highlighted especially by health care resources.
“Continuing with health care is one of the challenges,” said Daryl Harrison, MLA for Cannington. “We continue to recruit to all positions and that includes training new nurses and physicians; recruiting existing nurses and physicians to rural areas or wherever they’re in need the most and keeping their healthcare strong.”
A huge example of the health care crisis in Harrison’s constituency has been the community of Oxbow. Like many centres across the province, the Galloway Health Centre in that town bid doctors farewell and faced service disruptions due to staff shortages throughout 2023. A pair of public meetings were held with municipal government, Saskatchewan Health Authority and provincial government representation. Harrison was at those public forum meetings and was confident about the progress made over the last few months in the region.
“We’ve got two new physicians there, now we’re in need of some nurses,” he said of the Galloway Health Centre. “We’ll get that filled. As the two new doctors become more familiar, it’ll be easier for them going forward and working with the new staff that we recruited to that facility.”
Fortunately, the stresses faced at the rural hospital have been eased with a transition to more effective care.
“Oxbow was very stable for a lot of years having three doctors, but having a husband and wife in tandem when they decided to proceed on to other opportunities, you lose two all at once. So it was great that we got a couple new doctors coming in and the community will be welcoming and very supportive.”
Another highlight Harrison noted was the declaration of the province over natural resources. Passed in the spring, the Saskatchewan First Act flexed its muscle in November to review the federal government’s proposed clean-electricity regulations.
“On the high point is the Sask First Act,” Harrison said. “We’re drawing the line in the sand and making sure that the federal government knows and understands what’s provincial responsibility and what is federal responsibility as it relates to our natural resources in particular.”
As for looking ahead to 2024, Harrison—like all producers in this province—is hoping to see some snow this winter and maybe the odd timely shower after the frost melts to rejuvenate the soil for the upcoming growing season.
“Well, as a rancher, I certainly look forward to Mother Nature providing adequate moisture for our producers to grow hopefully bumper crops and see that from border to border here in the province,” he said. “Some areas were hit extremely hard, other areas had decent crops. So we look forward to getting back to what we’re more accustomed to producing for crops.”
While in the agriculture vein, Harrison also noted some of his thoughts on the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which directly affects farmers and ranchers.
“It’s really taking its sweet time,” he said. “I think some of the senators refer to it as being slow walked, but I sure get the feeling that those ‘in name only’ independent senators are really trying to dig their heels in and not let this go through, which is unfortunate.”
At press time, Bill C-234 had since completed Third Reading in the Senate, the bill being passed with amendments.
