On November 27 the Saskatchewan government introduced legislation that puts the onus on those seeking access to private land to ask permission, whether or not the land is posted.
The changes include amendments to the Trespass to Property Act, the Snowmobile Act and the Wildlife Act, 1998. Prior to the amendments, the three acts contained different requirements around access and posting.
The proposed changes come after the government solicited public feedback through an online questionnaire, mail and email over nearly two months. Just over 1,600 people responded, with 65 per cent voting in favour of requiring permission prior to entry in all situations and 32 per cent opposed to permission prior to entry in all cases.
Provincial farm organizations and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities have long been calling for changes that would remove the requirement for landowners to post their property. But the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the NDP are calling for more consultation.
