Results

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Policy Resolution from 2018 recommended that ridesharing is a unique opportunity for business and consumers in Saskatchewan and would contribute to safe transportation options. Ridesharing has been approved in Saskatoon and Regina.

Bill No. 114 titled, The Vehicles for Hire Act was granted Royal Assent on May 30, 2018. The Act sets out the framework for ridesharing services in the province. These services provide a contracted vehicle and driver for pre-arranged transportation mediated through a digital platform or app. Specific areas covered under the framework include, licensing and insurance, appropriate safeguards for the public, and powers granted to municipalities to determine the right public transportation mix for their communities.

The SCC provided several recommendations to support ridesharing in Saskatchewan. These recommendations are listed in the Policy Resolution.

View Policy Resolution

We teamed up with our national, provincial and our local chamber counterparts in the 2017 fight against the proposed small business tax changes. Our continued pressure on government to do the right thing, and to avoid implementing tax changes that would be damaging to business yielded results and the changes were avoided.

Small Business Tax Newsletter

The SCC Indigenous Engagement Charter makes it easier for Saskatchewan businesses to employ and retain Indigenous people into the workforce.

We advocated for an enhanced process and quicker payouts and these efforts resulted in more than $422 million being returned to Saskatchewan business.

The SCC Northern business Task Force report significantly supported improved funding levels for northern communities and northern infrastructure from provincial and federal government.

View the Recommendations

We advocated for the introduction of Financial Literacy into the Saskatchewan K-12 curriculum. Financial Literacy is now being piloted in schools across the province. We also advocated for an independent network, which was founded in 2016.

The Saskatchewan Financial Literacy Network is expert driven, bringing all of the financial information available in Saskatchewan right to your fingertips.

Visit SFLN.ca

Background

Bill C-45, also known as the Cannabis Act had its third reading on November 27, 2017 with the Cannabis Act and came into full force and effect on July 1, 2018. Existing laws related to medical use, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), remains unchanged.

Issue

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce endorsed a private sector distribution and retail sales model for legal cannabis, with licensing and regulatory oversight provided by the SLGA. The Chamber believes that the Government of Saskatchewan’s proper role in the legal cannabis sector is that of a fair and impartial regulator of private sector activity, and not as a participant in the market. Private sector businesses are best suited for fostering innovation and growth. They also have an incentive to be responsive to changing consumer demand.

While the legalization of cannabis will create exciting new business opportunities for the private sector in the province, legalization also brings with it a host of new challenges for employers, particularly those operating in safety-sensitive environments.

Recommendations

The Chamber recommended that both the provincial and federal government provide greater clarity to employers by establishing a legal definition of impairment, develop reliable, standardized, and legally-sanctioned drug testing protocols to detect cannabis impairment with a standard legal limit, and establish a legal definition for the term “safety-sensitive position.” The Chamber strongly recommended that any additional workplace-related guidelines should be put into place before full legalization takes effect.

Legalization of Cannabis Backgrounder

History:

Backgrounder 2018

We advocated for the federal government to provide equitable funding for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and to establish a separate regional economic development agency for the Prairies and British Columbia. On August 5, 2021, the creation of two new regional economic development agencies was announced.

READ OUR LETTER

VIEW OUR RECOMMENDATIONS