NationTalk: Today, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner unveiled a series of new highway signs to be placed in the Estevan, Moosomin, Lanigan and La Ronge areas to highlight more Treaty boundaries across the province – and will be seen by thousands of motorists daily.

“I appreciate the ongoing collaboration of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the Government of Saskatchewan in providing prominent highway signs that help bring attention to the importance of the Treaties,” Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty said.

“These provincial highway signs are symbols of our government’s continuing reconciliation journey and ongoing work to support Treaty education initiatives in Saskatchewan,” Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs Don McMorris said. “We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner on our ongoing path of reconciliation.”

“Thousands of daily commuters and tourists will see these signs on their driving routes, which can help start and continue important conversations about Treaties in Saskatchewan,” Highways Minister Lori Carr said.

“These signs allow people to recognize and understand the Treaty territories that were here long before the creation of the province,” Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Musqua-Culbertson said. “The highways cross these territories and it is important that it is acknowledged.”

The four pairs of signs will be put up in the future along:

• Highway 39 near Estevan to mark the Treaty 2-Treaty 4 Boundary, where more than 4,600 vehicles travel daily.
• Trans-Canada Highway 1 near Moosomin to also mark another Treaty 2-Treaty 4 Boundary, where more than 5,300 vehicles travel daily.
• Yellowhead Trans-Canada Highway 16 near Lanigan to mark the Treaty 4-Treaty 6 Boundary, where more than 2,900 vehicles travel daily.
• Highway 2/102 near La Ronge to mark the Treaty 6-Treaty 10 Boundary, where about 1,000 vehicles travel daily.

Each of these new signs incorporate:

• Indigenous languages specific to their locations.
• The phrase that represents the spirit and intent of the Treaties, “as long as the sun shines, grass grows, and rivers flow.”
• The Treaty medals provided to First Nations following the Treaty negotiations.

These new signs will join two others installed last year when a historic Saskatchewan milestone was reached with the unveiling of inaugural signs marking the Treaty 4-Treaty 6 Boundary along Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Regina.

The Treaty signs have been manufactured in Saskatchewan by SAGE Roadways, a division of Saskatoon-based JNE Welding LP., which is majority-owned by the Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, and Des Nedhe Group, an English River First Nation Enterprise.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Tonaya McGregor
Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6156
Email: tonaya.mcgregor@gov.sk.ca

Dan Palmer
Highways
Regina
Phone: 306-519-5833
Email: dan.palmer2@gov.sk.ca

Angela Hill
Office of the Treaty Commissioner
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-244-2100
Email: reconciliationsk@otc.ca