LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Oct 1: Saskatchewan raised its general minimum wage by 35 cents to $15.70 per hour. Only Alberta, which doesn’t annually index the minimum wage for inflation, has a lower rate at $15.00 per hour.

Action Point: Find out how to avoid common payroll errors when adjusting to minimum wage increases.

New Laws

Aug 27: Saskatchewan published a Data Centre Framework setting out the five criteria it will use when assessing proposed AI data centre projects: i. Canadian ownership; ii. support for Canadian data and AI sovereignty; iii. creation of Saskatchewan jobs and partnerships; iv. industry experience; and v. self-supplied power generation.

Action Point: If you’re using AI for HR operations, you need to implement a Compliance Game Plan to prevent potential AI privacy, discrimination, and other liability risks.

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).

New Laws

Sep 3: To support agricultural firms 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 Saskatchewan 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.

Hiring & Recruiting

Aug 26: Saskatchewan added 12 communities to the 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 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 (MOU) establishes a framework for collaboration and information-sharing on nuclear generation technologies.

New Laws

Aug 18: The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) and Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) to ensure First Nations’ participation in wildfire planning and strategy in Saskatchewan. The MOU creates a more structured approach to collaboration, including regular engagement between the SPSA, PAGC and MLTC leadership before and after each wildfire season.

Drugs & Alcohol

Sep 8: Saskatchewan is firing back at Trump tariffs by imposing its own 50% levy on U.S. alcohol products imported into the province, effective today. Not surprisingly, Saskatchewan’s brewers and distillers have expressed strong support for the measure.

CASES

Drugs & Alcohol: No Grounds for Post-Incident Testing of Pipeline Workers, Affirms High Court

SaskEnergy ordered nine safety-sensitive union workers who were involved in two unrelated pipeline installation incidents to undergo drug and alcohol testing. The union claimed the company didn’t have just cause to perform post-incident testing. The Saskatchewan arbitrator agreed and SaskEnergy appealed to the province’s top court. The Court of Appeal sided with the union, finding that the arbitrator committed no obvious error in concluding that the incidents didn’t qualify as a “significant work-related incident” or “high potential incident” triggering the SaskEnergy’s right to test under the company’s post-incident testing policy [SaskEnergy Incorporated v Unifor Local 649, 2026 SKCA 94 (CanLII), August 26, 2026].

Action Point: Workplace drug testing cases are often determined based not on what a testing policy says but how it’s implemented. This is especially true of post-incident testing where the issue is whether the injury or incident is enough to justify testing under the policy. Find out how to create a legally sound drug testing policy at your workplace.