Northern Strategy Leadership and Co-ordination
Includes co-ordinating, organizing, and providing logistical and administrative support to the Northern Strategy Deputy Ministers’ Forum, Assistant Deputy Ministers’ Steering Committee, and task teams; facilitating and co-ordinating the development of a strategic plan; monitoring the on-going results; and, co-ordinating reporting on overall results.

Northern Development Accord and Agreement
Saskatchewan Northern Affairs (SNA) plans and leads the delivery of provincial investments under the Northern Development Agreement (NDA), in conjunction with federal government and northern partners.

Northern Development Fund (NDF)
NDF Grant Programs
NDF Loan Programs
Delivery of economic development programs including financial supports to an average of 150 northerners annually, and business development services. The financial supports include: commercial loans to northern businesses; primary production loans to trappers, commercial fisherpersons, and wild rice growers; grants for marketing, research, and development; grants for organizational development and business skills training; grants to encourage and support youth entrepreneurship; and, financial support for Regional Development Corporations (RDCs).

Under the Northern Development Fund, there are three grant programs.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Program encourages economic development in northern Saskatchewan by supporting individual entrepreneurs as well as other interested parties. The program will identify and implement projects, training, and other opportunities that specifically target, support, and encourage the development of entrepreneurial and business skill in northern Saskatchewan, to residents under the age of 30.

The Marketing Promotion Research and Development Grant Program encourages economic development in northern Saskatchewan by supporting northern residents in new business development, diversification and business expansion. This will be achieved by targeted financial and technical assistance to specific sectors and activities.
The Business Skill and Organizational Development Grant Program encourages economic development in northern Saskatchewan by supporting northern residents in strengthening their business skills and community development organizations. This will be achieved by targeted financial and technical assistance to groups of individuals or organizations wanting to improve their skills.

The Northern Development Fund offers two loan programs.

The Northern Development Fund Commercial Loan Program is designed to assist northern business development and diversification through the provision of term commercial loans to eligible northern residents and businesses, such as:

• Businesses providing or developing products and services that contribute to northern diversification, such as tourism ventures.
• Retail and service opportunities that are deemed essential services to communities, such as when a new service is provided.
• Businesses pursuing goods and services contracts related to mining, forest and other resource sector development.

Projects must be related to economic development.

The Northern Development Fund Primary Production Loan Program supports individuals engaged in traditional northern production activities. This support includes the purchase of capital equipment for wild rice production, trapping and commercial fishing.

Commercial Fishing and Freight Subsidy and Price Support Program
Provides financial support for the commercial fishing industry in northern Saskatchewan through a freight subsidy and a price support mechanism. The freight subsidy, accessed by more than 500 fisherpersons, helps equalize transportation costs for fisherpersons throughout the north. The price support mechanism compensates for reduced market prices or increased operating costs.

Mineral Surface Lease Agreements
Negotiation and on-going administration of 14 Surface Lease Agreements for northern mines, that address socio-economic benefits provisions and land tenure, environmental and occupational health and safety provisions, as co-ordinated with various provincial government departments and industry.

Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat
Operation of the Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat (NMMS), which co-ordinates provincial government activities pertaining to northern uranium mining and supports the activities of the Northern Saskatchewan Environmental Quality Committee (EQC). Thirty-one northern communities (municipal and First Nations) are part of the EQC.

Regional Planning
SNA provides organizational, technical, and advisory support services to five Regional Development Corporations (RDCs), including their development of operating plans, budgets and projects. SNA provides strategic and developmental assistance to economic sector associations, actively participates in inter-departmental and interagency forums, representing economic and business development interests in northern Saskatchewan, and provides referrals to other programs and services.

Business Support Services
SNA provides business support services to northern entrepreneurs, businesses, co-operatives, community development corporations, and other organizations. These services include the identification and evaluation of business opportunities, business plan development, organizational development, management counseling, business skills training and other advisory services.

Co-op Development Support Services
SNA provides co-operative support services to assist northern co-operatives in organization development, policies, planning, legislative compliance, project development, and key sector strategies. SNA provides support for the re-organization and revitalization of commercial fisheries co-operatives as part of the provincial fisheries strategy.

Northern Policy/Program Advisory, Advocacy, and Communication Services
SNA provides advice and assistance to other departments in the development of strategies, policies,
plans, programs, and services to ensure northern interests are served and to advance goals under the Northern Strategy. SNA is involved in provincial cross-governmental and interdepartmental strategies and initiatives; and, facilitates provincial government communications with northerners on various policy issues and provides communication on initiatives beyond the scope of the Department’s core programs, including those offered by other departments.

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