Saskatchewan has an efficient network of utility providers. Each organization understands the importance of new investment within the province. This understanding has fostered healthy working relationships between provincial utility companies and the business/industrial sector. The following text offers a brief summary of each provincial utility provider. Rates for each organization are based on the type of usage.

SaskPower

• Negotiated long-term agreements with key account customers to lay a solid foundation from which SaskPower can operate in a competitive market.
• Consolidated service centres to streamline services, providing more complete customer service and satisfaction while reflecting the volume of customers using these facilities.
• Developed a plan for providing maintenance services on customer-owned equipment.
• Introduced a province-wide, toll-free emergency and power outage phone line to meet customer needs in a more efficient manner.
• Produced a new Customer Services Operating Costs brochure to help customers calculate the operating costs of appliances and equipment in their homes.
• For rates and other information, see www.saskpower.com.

SaskEnergy

• Saskatchewan's natural gas distribution utility is a provincial Crown corporation with roots that extend back fifty years into Saskatchewan's history.
• SaskEnergy supplies and delivers natural gas to more than 386,000 homes, farms, and commercial and industrial customers in 92 percent of Saskatchewan communities through a 65,000 kilometre (km) distribution system.
• Provides natural gas service to residential, farm, commercial and industrial customers in Saskatchewan, purchasing natural gas from independent suppliers and transporting it via SaskEnergy’s distribution system. Operating under the authority of The SaskEnergy Act.

SaskEnergy subsidiaries include TransGas Limited (TransGas), SaskEnergy International Incorporated (SEII), Bayhurst Gas Limited, Many Islands Pipe Lines (Canada) Limited (MIPL), Swan Valley Gas Corporation (SVGC), and Saskatchewan First Call Corporation (Sask 1st Call). For more information, please see www.saskenergy.com.

SaskTel

• Leads the telecommunications industry with innovative products and services for residential, business and Internet customers.
• Offers voice, data, directory, text and messaging services over a fully digital network.
• Extensive fibre optic, fully integrated network includes 637,990 network access lines.
• Serves more than 450,000 businesses and residential customers worldwide.
• Delivers a dependable province-wide cellular network, through the SaskTel Mobility division. That network covers approximately 96% of the province's population. SaskTel Mobility also offers paging and FleetNet 800™ service.
• Provides high speed Internet services to 86% of Saskatchewan communities.
• Provides security services through SecurTek and digital cable services through Max Entertainment Services.
• For more information, see www.sasktel.com

Saskatchewan Government Insurance - SGI
New residents who wish to drive in Saskatchewan must obtain a Saskatchewan driver's licence within 90 days of moving to the province, or upon expiry of their out-of-province licence — whichever is earliest. Check with your previous jurisdiction as they may have some restrictions that supersede this requirement. Learner’s permits are issued at age 15, and Driver’s License tests are issued at 16.

Licenses and Auto Insurance can be applied through Saskatchewan Government Insurance SGI

SGI Moose Jaw Driver Examination Office
107 4th Ave. N.W.
Moose Jaw SK. S6H 7P1
(306) 691-4590
1-800-667-5111 (toll free)

SaskWater
SaskWater is a provincial Crown Corporation headquartered in Moose Jaw. With a staff of approximately 100 employees in 12 communities, SaskWater's mandate is to provide quality water and wastewater services.

• SaskWater designs, builds, owns and operates water supply and wastewater systems that provide quality water and cost-effective wastewater treatment.
• SaskWater partners with communities to provide certified operation and maintenance of their water and wastewater utilities, including water supply, treatment, storage, distribution and wastewater disposal.
• SaskWater provides customer and regulatory reporting, 24/7 continuous monitoring, emergency planning and customer support services.
• For more information, visit www.saskwater.com

Water

Water & Sewer Utility
A combined utility manages water supply and sewage disposal in the City of Moose Jaw. The utility is self-sustaining from user charges, which include the cost of capital depreciation and replacement. Moose Jaw water rates are among the lowest in the prairie region.

Water
Water is supplied by mountain runoff to Diefenbaker Lake and then diverted to Buffalo Pound Lake 25 kilometres northeast of the City. A 24" line carries the water from the Buffalo Pound Filtration and Treatment Plant to Moose Jaw's three reservoirs with a reserve capacity of 42 million litres.

The reservoir also supplies water to other communities in the region including the R.M. of Caron, the Village of Pense, and the Village of Bethune. The newly expanded plant at Buffalo Pound supplies 45 million gallons per day. Water treatment in these communities consists of sand and carbon filters and chlorination.

Other communities in the region attain water through various types of ground wells.

• Sewer Rates are tied to water consumption
• According to the bylaw, consumers returning less than 50% of their water consumption to the City’s sewer system may be eligible for a 75% rebate on their sewer charge.
• A consumer who returns uncontaminated wastewater to the sewer system may also get a rebate.
• There are no surcharges for phosphates, BOD, solids and grease.

Due to seasonal and yearly variations in rainfall and snow melt runoff, many water storage projects have been developed throughout the region to supply human, industrial and livestock needs.  The Region also has access to water from Lake Diefenbaker/South Saskatchewan River through a diversion from the Lake into the Qu’Appelle River.  These diversions supply water to the City of Moose Jaw as well as several communities, rural residents and industries in the Moose Jaw Region.

For more information on rates and availability:
Utilities - City of Moose Jaw
228 Main Street North
MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan
S6H 3J8
(306) 694-4410

Waste Management

Recycled Wastewater
Moose Jaw sewage collection and treatment system consists of six major trunk systems, eleven lift stations, and primary, secondary and tertiary treatment plants.

The tertiary treatment system represents a pioneering model in wastewater management. Following tertiary treatment, the water is recycled as irrigation water for 3,000 acres of farmland. Fifteen million litres of effluent are biologically treated and disposed of each day. The farmland (previously marginal sandy soil with little growth capacity) has been transformed to rich abundant croplands for grain and alfalfa.

The main methods of sewer treatment in the rural communities within the Moose Jaw REDA region consist of lagoon or underground storage/treatment methods.

Landfill
The City of Moose Jaw’s Sanitary Landfill is located at the northeastern city limits, north of the TransCanada Highway.

• The landfill accepts materials for recycling, including propane tanks, oil, batteries, paint, scrap iron, old 15 2 gasoline and oil filters.
• The landfill accepts most types of waste material.

For more information on commercial waste disposal contact:
Engineering Department
228 Main Street North
MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan
S6H 3J8
(306) 694-4448

Recycling
Modern recycling facilities are available on a commercial and residential level within the Moose Jaw REDA. Oil, paper, and metal by-products can all be off-loaded within a reasonable distance and cost.

SARCAN, 50 Manitoba Street East 692-4285

Approved 'ready to serve' beverage containers for refund. Now offering voluntary milk container recycling.

Cellular Coverage

Cellular Coverage
SaskTel Mobility has the most extensive network in Saskatchewan. Coverage spans across most of the highly populated areas of Saskatchewan. SaskTel has also consolidated a number of small exchanges with neighboring exchanges to provide better service to its rural customers. This consolidation also affects SaskTel Mobility's cellular service by providing larger local calling areas in the expanded exchanges. For interactive cellular coverage maps, please see www.sasktel.com.

Rogers Communications also provides coverage in and around major centres province wide. Rogers Communications offers a multitude of services and plans. For information on Rogers coverage and plans go to www.rogers.com.

TELUS Mobility is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider offering wireless voice, data and Internet services to business and consumer clients via two state-of-the-art digital wireless networks: PCS and Mike. Check out TELUS services at www.telusmobility.com.

Cable
Digital cable is available in the City of Moose Jaw by Shaw Cable systems at www.shaw.ca/en-ca. Digital cable offers the best channel selection of any cable or satellite service in Canada, and is a valuable means of information delivery in the home and at the work place.

SaskTel’s Max service offers digital television service to several Saskatchewan communities including Moose Jaw. The service includes high speed Internet for a pc and television. For further information on SaskTel Max, see www.sasktel.com

Image Wireless Cable Systems Ltd. is also available to most communities in the REDA region. This ever-improving type of service will provide a mobile and affordable option for visual communications. Image Wireless Cable Systems services can be checked out at www.imagewireless.ca.

 Internet
Xplornet delivers high speed internet services through fixed wireless and satellite to suburban, rural and remote customers.  Information on Xplornet services can be obtained at www.xplornet.com/index.php.

SaskTel and Shaw Communications offer a variety of plans for both high speed and dial up internet.  For more information on Sasktel services, see www.sasktel.com, for information on Shaw Communications visit www.shaw.ca/en-ca.