Saskatchewan proposes fee changes come with new budget
The Saskatchewan budget was presented on Wednesday, March 19, and several announcements were made ahead of that, including a statement from Premier Moe that the budget would focus on health care, education and crime. Speaking at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) convention last week, Moe said this year’s budget will have money dedicated to making sure everyone can see a family doctor or nurse practitioner and reiterated previous promises to open urgent care centres in Saskatoon, North Battleford, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw.
On Friday, March 14th, a government news release informed that post-budget, some fees paid in Saskatchewan would change to reflect an increased road-use charge on electric vehicles, construction permits for hazardous substances and dangerous waste goods and provincial park administrative fees.
The release states that the “number of electric vehicles registered in Saskatchewan continues to grow. These vehicles contribute to wear and tear on provincial roadways, but since they do not consume traditional fuels, they do not contribute to highway maintenance through the provincial fuel tax.” Through The Fuel Tax Accountability Act, a fuel tax is applied to the fuel price, and these monies are directed at preserving and improving the provincial highway system and related transportation infrastructure.
In the 2021-22 Budget, the government introduced an annual Road Use Charge collected by SGI when an electric vehicle is registered, with all revenue collected dedicated to provincial highway maintenance. In the 2025-26 Budget, that charge will be increased from $150 to $300 to "better reflect road maintenance costs" and ensure that owners of electric vehicles contribute to the upkeep of provincial highways. The new rate will come into effect on June 1, 2025, and will be included in reports under the Act.
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More information can be found by visiting: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/taxes-licensing-and-reporting/provincial-taxes-policies-and-bulletins/fuel-tax/road-use-charge-on-electric-vehicles.
Another change will take effect on October 1, 2025, when the Ministry of Environment will begin charging a $1,000 flat fee for new hazardous substance and waste dangerous goods construction permits. The new permit fee will help recover costs associated with issuing permits and overseeing projects.
The Ministry of Environment issues permits for the construction of hazardous substance and waste dangerous goods facilities that store potentially harmful substances above certain volumes on their properties, including, among others, gas stations, oil collection depots, and fertilizer storage yards. This allows the ministry to track where storage tanks are located and decommissioned to protect residents’ health and the environment. The new fees are expected to increase revenue to the Ministry by $41,500 for 2025-26 and $83,000 annually in subsequent years.
More information can be obtained by contacting the Ministry of Environment: Val Nicholson, val.nicholson@gov.sk.ca or Colleen Book, colleen.book@gov.sk.ca
Changes will also be coming to the wholesale prices of wine and non-alcoholic beverages. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) applies markups on wholesale liquor products distributed through the SLGA distribution centre. Markups are applied as a percentage of the wholesale cost based on the product's alcohol by volume (ABV) content.
Currently, wines above 14.5% ABV are charged a higher markup than those below. Beginning June 1, 2025, SLGA will charge a single markup on all wines up to 16% ABV to create greater consistency. As a result, wholesale prices of wines between 14.5% and 16% ABV will decrease. The change to the wholesale wine markup is expected to save retailers $226,000 in 2025-26.
SLGA also orders several non-alcoholic products at its distribution centre for retailers who wish to offer non-alcoholic choices alongside their regular products. Mark-ups are applied as a percentage of the wholesale cost based on the product category (for example, non-alcoholic beer, wine, etc.). Beginning April 1, 2025, SLGA will apply a standardized markup across all non-alcoholic products they distribute. The new structure is expected to decrease wholesale prices for most non-alcoholic products distributed by SLGA. The change to the non-alcoholic product markup is expected to save retailers $13,000 in 2025-26.
More information can be obtained by contacting the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority: David Morris, dmorris@slga.com
The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, of 1997, sets out the regulations and enforcement powers of SLGA for various liquor and gaming activities. The act currently allows SLGA to issue penalties of up to $10,000, among other things, against permittees and registrants that do not comply with the act, regulations or terms or conditions. The maximum administrative penalty will be increased to $25,000. The increase will better align Saskatchewan with other jurisdictions and match the maximum penalty for alcohol-related sanctions with the maximum penalties already in place for cannabis offences.
More information is available by contacting the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority: David Morris, dmorris@slga.com
There will also be an increase in Provincial Parks’ administrative fees. Visitors to provincial parks pay fees to access and utilize a variety of amenities and services. Similarly, there are certain fees for cottage owners within parks, including charges for the administration of leases, the issuance of building permits, and for structures on shorelines.
To better recover the associated administration costs and to ensure current service levels in Saskatchewan provincial parks are maintained, the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport is increasing disposition administration, building permit and foreshore fees effective April 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 season as follows:
| Administrative Fees | New Rate | Current Rate | Increase ($) |
| Lease application/assignments | $200 | $100 | $100 |
| Lease renewals | $200 | $20 | $180 |
| Lease amendments, applications/assignments for other dispositions and recording/registering documents affecting dispositions | $100 | $20 | $80 |
| Building permit – minimum fee | $285 | $100 | $185 |
| Building permit– rate per $1,000 of development | $7 | $6 | $1 |
| Building permit – maximum fee | $7,000 | $6,000 | $1,000 |
| Foreshore – basic fee | $100 | $40 | $60 |
| Foreshore – additional structure and shore tie-up | $50 | $20 | $30 |
| Foreshore – stairway, walkway, dock and landing | $100 | $40 | $60 |
| Parallel dock (first 1.83 m) at Lac La Ronge | $100 | $40 | $60 |
| Parallel dock in excess of 1.83 m, cost per metre | $20 | $10 | $10 |
For more information, please contact the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport: at pcsmedia@gov.sk.ca
