fusion internet customers, kept internet plans unlimited, and provided complimentary news and entertainment channels to maxTV service and maxTV Stream customers. • Stores and dealers remained open to provide essential services with additional steps taken to protect customers and employees. • The call center trained additional staff to take customer calls in order to keep wait times low. • Offered interest free bill deferrals for up to six months and a 12-month repayment plan to provide relief to customers. • Provided a two-month service credit to SaskTel
regarding COVID-19. SGI also doubled the amount of all SGI scholarships in recognition of the corporation’s 75th anniversary in 2020 and to help support students who may face additional financial pressures because of the pandemic. SaskWater provides uninterrupted service Despite the complexities of staff working remotely and the adjustments needed to ensure safe working conditions for essential workers, SaskWater customers did not experience service interruptions attributed to the pandemic. SaskWater responded quickly and implemented measures to ensure that employees could safely provide customers with vital water services. Operators in SaskWater facilities and in the field implemented extra safety protocols and alternate work schedules to limit the risk of in-person contact as they kept water and wastewater facilities operational. Thanks to these proactive strategies, there were no service interruptions for SaskWater customers because of COVID-19. SaskWater also implemented remote working conditions in late March and began the 2020–21 fiscal year with approximately half of their staff working from home. Virtual meetings and conference calls became the norm and a dedicated team continued to monitor provincial COVID-19 restrictions, update guidelines and protocols and communicate changes to staff. The majority of customers continued to pay their bills in the same manner as they had pre-pandemic. A handful of customers chose to defer their payments through the Crown Utility Interest Waiver Program and no customers took advantage of the Deferred Payment Plan option offered in November of 2020. SaskWater was also able to advance a number of infrastructure projects that contributed to the province’s economic recovery effort including the expansion and upgrades to SaskWater’s regional water treatment plant in Melfort and an expansion of the Pierceland wastewater lagoon. Both of these projects received partial funding through the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF).
customers currently signed up for the federal government’s Connecting Families initiative.
• Extended the seasonal disconnect option for up to six additional months to support customers unable to open their seasonal properties. SaskPower maintains a reliable power grid For the province’s electrical utility, the top priority is to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees while maintaining the reliability and security of the electrical grid through all conditions, including COVID-19. As an essential service, SaskPower had over 1,200 field employees working onsite, safely and successfully managing throughout COVID-19. SaskPower also transitioned over 2,300 employees to remote work arrangements in late March 2020. Employees in power plants, power line technicians, employees at our grid control centre, and meter readers adapted their work to ensure physical distancing from customers and coworkers. By taking additional action, SaskPower was able to continue service to all customers. We also continued major construction projects during the pandemic, including the new Great Plains Power Station in Moose Jaw, the Golden South Wind Facility in Assiniboia, the Blue Hill Wind Facility near Herbert, and Saskatchewan’s first-eve utility-scale solar facility, Highfield Solar, which is southeast of Swift Current. SaskPower remains on-track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. SGI supports customers and students SGI provided payment options for both Auto Fund and SGI CANADA customers to help relieve financial pressures and waived fees for insufficient funds. Road tests were temporarily suspended, but Saskatchewan was the first province in Canada to resume road testing through an innovative approach that minimized the risk
Crowns step up to support Saskatchewan Food Bank
In a joint Crown initiative, SaskTel, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, and SGI each pledged $25,000 to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan Crisis Response Fund in support of its efforts to ensure that no one in Saskatchewan went hungry during these difficult times. Contributions were also made by CIC ($5000), SaskGaming ($16,680), and Crown employees.
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