Government and society

Constitutional framework

Saskatchewan’s constitution, based on custom and the Saskatchewan Act of 1905, provides for a British parliamentary system, in which the tenure of the executive depends on the support of a majority in the legislature. A general election must be held every five years on a set date. As in all the provinces, the lieutenant governor is appointed and has become by custom and judicial decision the counterpart of a constitutional monarch, whose position and powers are largely symbolic. Saskatchewan’s larger centres have their own local police, but in the province as a whole the law is enforced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Unlike those of Canada’s other Prairie Provinces, the Saskatchewan legislature has a long tradition of strong vocal opposition in the assembly, with a two-party system ideologically divided into free enterprise (e.g., Liberal, Progressive Conservative, and Saskatchewan parties) versus democratic socialism (New Democratic Party [NDP], formerly the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation). In the 1970s the Progressive Conservatives gained support at the expense of the Liberals, and they became the governing party in 1982, temporarily ousting the NDP. The NDP returned to power in 1995, and the Progressive Conservatives reconstituted themselves into the Saskatchewan Party in 1997. The Liberals, the Progressive Conservatives, and the Saskatchewan Party all drew their greatest strength from rural areas. The NDP has a stronger base in urban areas and in the northern portion of the province. The right-of-centre parties have generally espoused development of the province by business and corporate means, while the NDP has generally supported the use of public and cooperative enterprise. However, it was the NDP government that introduced policy changes, including reduced royalties, that encouraged renewed investment in the resource sector.

The province is divided into a multiplicity of local administrations including health districts and school districts, all constitutionally under provincial jurisdiction but all having considerable local responsibility. Municipal government in Saskatchewan is based on the U.S. mayor-council model, with a mayor elected separately from the council and with a number of appointed boards and commissions operating largely independently of either.

For much of its history, Saskatchewan has qualified for the kind of federal aid available to those provinces whose economy operates below the national average. The province’s reliance on federal subsidies as a percentage of total revenues varies with crop conditions and mineral revenues. When these are high, Saskatchewan no longer receives subsidies but instead contributes to the support of other regions of Canada.

Health and welfare

The province’s “middle” position carries over into its internal affairs: it is socially and economically one of the least-stratified areas in Canada, having little of great individual or corporate wealth on the one hand and little general destitution on the other. Average income is typically somewhat below the national average, but participation in the labour force tends to be higher and unemployment lower. Saskatchewan’s First Nations, and to a lesser extent its Métis, are generally more disadvantaged than other Saskatchewan residents, with lower incomes and higher unemployment rates. Many First Nations people lack the education needed to qualify for good jobs, especially if they live in rural areas remote from employment opportunities. About one half of First Nations people still live on reserves.

Education

Saskatchewan provides free education for children from kindergarten to grade 12, funded partially through provincial grants and partially through municipal taxes. Public schools, “separate” schools for Roman Catholics, a small number of Francophone schools, and independent (mostly religious or special-purpose) schools all receive funding from the provincial government. Private, for-profit schools raise their funds through school fees.

Postsecondary education needs are met by a variety of regional colleges, vocational institutions, and universities. Several of these (most notably, Gabriel Dumont Institute and First Nations University of Canada) were designed to cater to the First Nations and Métis population. The province’s oldest institution of higher education, the University of Saskatchewan, was established at Saskatoon in 1907. The university has produced much fundamental research that is particularly relevant to Saskatchewan (for example, it houses the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, one of the most powerful third-generation synchrotrons in the world). Both the University of Saskatchewan and the smaller University of Regina have associated research parks that combine the skills of the private sector and university researchers. At Saskatoon the biotechnology industry is prominent, whereas the Regina Research Park focuses on energy-related research.