NationTalk: This week, Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre is joining with the provincial and territorial ministers of Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon, and federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, at the meeting of federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Human Rights in Halifax, Nova Scotia, co-hosted by Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada.

Ministers and senior officials will hear from Indigenous organizations, civil society groups, youth and human rights commissions and discuss progress and challenges around human rights in Canada.

“I look forward to productive discussions and to highlighting Saskatchewan’s strong human rights record, including on reconciliation, domestic violence and human trafficking prevention initiatives, promoting multiculturalism and immigration, protection of those fleeing the war in Ukraine and disability rights,” Eyre said.

Saskatchewan has taken significant steps in the last two years to address the issue of interpersonal violence and abuse. In 2023-24, government is investing $27.5 million in programs and services to address interpersonal violence. These services include $876,000 in new operational funding over three years for second stage housing for counselling and intervention supports and $150,000 to Hope Restored Canada to deliver services to victims of human trafficking for secure housing, counseling, treatment and life skills programs.

In April 2022, the province brought into force The Protection from Human Trafficking Act, which streamlines the process for survivors to seek protection orders and enables them to sue their traffickers for financial compensation. In 2020, Saskatchewan passed The Interpersonal Violence Disclosure Act (Clare’s Law), which allows police to disclose information about an individual’s past violent behaviour to a current partner or, under certain circumstances, a concerned family member.

The province is also providing $913,000 over the next three fiscal years to support Kate’s Place, which provides housing to women participating in the Regina Drug Treatment Court, which has seen significant success. More information on this investment can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/may/16/province-invests-in-supportive-residence-for-women-participating-in-drug-treatment-court.

In November 2022, the province endorsed the National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence. Funding will be used to enhance current provincial programs that support and empower victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

Additional steps that government has taken to further the cause of human rights include:

• committing $400,000 in the 2023-24 budget to a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ Community Response Fund;
• passing The Accessible Saskatchewan Act earlier this spring, which will create new rules to remove and prevent accessibility barriers for persons with disabilities;
• adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism in December, 2022;
• amending The Saskatchewan Employment Act in January 2022, to clarify the definition of harassment and extend protections to independent contractors, students and volunteers; and in May 2023, to require an investigation when a harassment complaint is made;
• providing $2 million in funding in June 2021, to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations to support research into undocumented deaths and burials on former federally operated residential schools;
• creating the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation (https://siifc.ca/) in 2022, which will provide up to $75 million in loan guarantees to Indigenous communities and organizations for equity investment in resource development projects;
• welcoming nearly 4,000 displaced Ukrainians to Saskatchewan and providing them with intensive settlement supports, including employment, training, job-matching supports and income assistance;
• provide funding to ensure that those who have come to Saskatchewan under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program pay the same tuition as domestic students and refugees at Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions; and
• signed a historic, first-of-its-kind coordination agreement with Cowessess First Nation and the Government of Canada, which helped facilitate Cowessess First Nation’s jurisdiction over child and family services under its own law (the Miyo Pimatisowin Act);

The meeting was also attended virtually by other provincial ministers and federal representatives.

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For more information, contact:

Noel Busse
Justice and Attorney General
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8959
Email: noel.busse@gov.sk.ca