MARTENSVILLE — The importance of maintaining good relations between the province and local municipal governments was stressed repeatedly during the City of Martensville committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 14, when Martensville-Blairmore MLA Jamie Martens made her first appearance since being sworn into her new role.
Martens, who was elected to the City of Martensville council in 2012 and served three terms before winning her seat as the local MLA in the 2024 provincial election, was at the meeting to introduce herself to the four new members of the city council.
To start things off, Martens briefly explained her role as the provincial secretary, which requires her to host all of the international delegates that come to Saskatchewan from around the world.
“I’m the one that hosts the dinner with every delegate that comes in,” she said, adding that so far she has hosted delegates from the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Martens said being provincial secretary is an incredible role, indicating that many more delegates will be welcomed to Saskatchewan over the next few years.
Mayor Kent Muench welcomed Martens back to the City of Martensville council chambers, adding that she will be a great representative for the municipality.
He noted that experience has taught him that a good relationship with the local MLA is the key to achieving things like a local high school expansion or the construction of the new recreation centre.
“We will definitely need your support for lots of upcoming projects, whether it’s regional policing or schooling or infrastructure projects,” Muench added.
The mayor also referenced the Highway 11/12 North Corridor Study, noting that previous studies have included the intersection between Highways 12 and 305, but the current one does not.
Given how there have been multiple fatalities at this intersection and how it connects an area of the province that is rapidly growing, “to not include it seems like a significant oversight,” said Muench.
Martens added that she intends to strengthen the important relationship between Martensville city council and the local MLA.
“Municipal partners are huge with the provincial government, and I think it’s always been said that we are different orders of government, and we’re all doing our part,” she said.
One of the new councillors asked Martens if she had any advice to share for them, to which Martens responded, “Embrace every minute. It goes by extremely fast.”
Martens said she was continuing to learn things about municipal government even as late as her third term, and suggested that new councillors will get out of the role what they are willing to put into it.
“I know for myself, I took a lot of initiative … to try to attend as much as I possibly could in the community, just so I could at least understand where everyone was coming from in our community,” she said.
“I think that for new councillors, it’s very important to always make sure that you’re out there.”
