With the creeks on the rise, one might think it wasn't such a good year for rural Saskatchewan.
Well, it was at least a pretty good year when it came to getting what they wanted out of their governments. Let us quickly review 2011.
One of the best news developments for rural Saskatchewan came in February when the government reversed its long-standing and wrong-headed 65-35 formula for funding rural nursing homes and hospitals to a more equitable 80-20 split. In a Feb. 22 news release, Health Minister Don McMorris announced the policy change as part of $133.1 million in health infrastructure and access improvements- money that included $500,000 for CT services in Melfort, $20.5 million for physician recruitment and retention and $49.3 million for design costs and initial capital construction of nursing homes or hospitals in 13 communities.
More good news for rural Saskatchewan emerged out of March budget with small business tax cuts, a raise in the basic income tax exemption to $14,535 and $55.6 million to reduce education property taxes that resulted in a $31.3-million savings for farmers.
Add it road upgrades, a rural revenue-sharing pool increase, a $32-million increase in agriculture spending, a boost to crop insurance coverage and unseeded acreage benefits, seven new agriculture extension services satellite offices in Meadow Lake, Lloydminster, Assiniboia, Moosomin, Estevan, Shaunavon and Wadena and a five-year, $26-million renewable diesel program and this was a pretty good budget for rural Saskatchewan.
In May, rural Saskatchewan elected 13 Conservatives MPs to a Conservative federal majority government. That government has since ended the long-gun registry and the Canadian Wheat Board - much to the delight of many rural people.
Meanwhile, the province adverted a June teachers' strike. Premier Brad Wall also put his foot down on striking crop adjusters who attempted to pressure the government by walking off the job instead of processing flood damage claims.
Notwithstanding the dip in oil to the $80-a-barrel range, it was relatively quiet July and August that allowed rural folks to dry out from the spring flood.
But things quickly got a lot noisier in the fall with September pre-election announcements of new hospitals for North Battleford and Moose Jaw.
The October election campaign was chockfull of promises - especially from Dwain Lingenfelter and the NDP who staked their re-election hopes on spending an additional $3.1 billion in the coming four years.
But it was obviously the goodies specifically for rural Saskatchewan from the Sask. Party and Wall that caught rural voters' attention. Among them were plans to get more health care professionals in the field through $120,000 forgivable loans for new doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses willing to relocate to under-served rural areas for five years. The Sask. Party also promised 20 additional seats for nurse practitioner training, a 20-doctor rural locum pool to relieve rural physicians in need of a break, pilot projects for emergency services training in southwest and the STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) medical helicopter program.
The November vote produced a couple firsts in Saskatchewan electoral history - the first time the winning governing party cracked the 60-per-cent barrier in popular vote and the first time all rural candidates wound up on the government side in Wall's 49-seat landslide.
With no cabinet changes, it was quickly back to business for the Wall government. The mid-year financial update in early December suggested that $240 million in flood cost had pushed the provincial deficit to $304 million. This was followed by an uneventful December sitting of the legislature.
All in all, though, this would have to be considered a pretty good year for rural folk.
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics for over 15 years.
