The Rural Integrated Roads for Growth program—also known as RIG—has been around for a couple of decades. The provincial government provides up to 50 percent of each project’s total cost to a maximum of $500,000. Each individual RM covers the rest and program administration is handled by SARM.
Last year, the province contributed $13 million to 34 projects in 31 rural municipalities.
At last week’s Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) annual convention in Regina, the RM of Corman Park, which covers the rural areas around Saskatoon, introduced a resolution. It called on SARM to lobby the province to revisit some of the road design requirements under the program—-especially the minimum road top and the minimum right of way.
Art Pruim is RM of Corman Park Division Five Councillor.
Larry Parrot is the Reeve for the RM of Elcapo based in Broadview. Parrott spoke against the motion, saying it would water down an already underfunded program.
Leonard Junop is the Reeve for the RM of Vanscoy.
The resolution to lobby the provincial government to expand project eligibility under the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth Program was passed by a margin of 65 percent in favor to 35 percent opposed.