LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Jun 29: Saskatchewan announced that it will increase its general minimum wage by 35 cents to $15.70 per hour on October 1. Even after the increase takes effect, Saskatchewan will still have the second lowest minimum wage in Canada behind only Alberta where the current minimum wage stands at $15.00.

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

New Laws

Jul 10: The federal government announced that it’s investing $19,529,081 through the Active Transportation Fund to support nine active transportation projects across Saskatchewan. The largest recipient is the Sturgeon Lake First Nation Active Transportation Network, a Phase 2 project which will get $6,065,703 to develop 12 kilometres of pathways connecting residential areas to primary community services, programs, and amenities.

New Laws

Jul 16: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Saskatchewan signed an agreement to work together to support continuity of agriculture activities at the Indian Head and Scott Research Farms during their planned disposal. The agencies will explore possible interim arrangements that allow the two research farms to remain productive assets for the agriculture sector.

Drugs & Alcohol

Jun 29: Saskatchewan is considering new legislation to increase Traffic Safety Act administrative penalties against drivers who fail a roadside breath test including immediate driver's licence suspension, vehicle impoundment, ignition interlock, and impaired driver education. Impaired drivers would also face new financial penalties of a $1,000 fine, plus a 30% victim surcharge for a first offence and $2,000 fine, plus 30% surcharge for a second offence.

CASES

Immigration: Saskatoon Non-Profit Owner Gets Two Years for Immigration Law Violations

Tipped off by its unusually large number of immigration applications, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigators got a search warrant to investigate the offices of a Saskatoon-based non-profit. They found evidence that the firm’s owner was counseling foreign nationals to misrepresent employment information on federal and provincial immigration applications, including falsified pay stubs, offers of employment, and other supporting documents related to non-existent employment in Canada, especially in the delivery, construction, and restaurant industry. The CBSA also learned that the owner was charging foreign nationals up to $40,000 for immigration sponsorship. The owner pled guilty to violating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and received a two-year less a day conditional sentence, $10,000 fine, and 40 hours of community service [Balvir Singh, CBSA Press Release, July 10, 2026].

Action Point: Find out what companies and their HR directors need to know to navigate the immigration law maze.

Health & Safety: Tire Inflation Explosion Results in Serious Injury, $30,000 Fine

A worker was seriously injured by the explosive separation of a tire and rim while reinflating the tire. The victim’s employer was fined $30,000 after pleading guilty to failing to provide the worker with a suitable cage or other restraining device to contain flying parts in case of a split-rim assembly or locking ring assembly failure or tire rupture [Rural Municipality of Montmartre No. 126., Govt. Press Release, June 10, 2026].