REGINA – Some license businesses in rural Saskatchewan are concerned with the province’s new method of issuing angling licenses.
For over 30 years, residents have been able to get a fishing license through any of Saskatchewan’s 600 issuers. In rural parts of the province, an issuing office is often a local store or gas station.
Now, that process will be done online or by phoning a call centre.
Retailers can continue to issue licenses, but will have to use a computer with internet access and a colour printer.
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Greg Okolita runs a small hardware store in Fort Qu’Appelle and has been issuing licenses for over thirty years. The new change concerns him because he doesn’t have the staff or resources to switch over.
“Especially in the summer months, it gets very busy, and we just don’t have the time to do it,” said Okolita.
The province is hoping that retailers will be able to adapt to the changes.
Saskatchewan fishermen can now get their licenses from their home computers.
“It’s an online-based system and you need computer access, so we’re offering to all of our 600 issuers the opportunity to stay in and we hope that they do, but really the connectivity is a computer and access to the internet and a regular printer,” said Chuck Lees from the Ministry of Environment.
Fisher Jarvis Dueck is concerned that if the number of license issuers in the province decreases, some people might not have an easy way to get them.
“Sometimes you’re wanting to go at the last minute, and you’re in a rush and you want to get your license, so it kind of makes it inconvenient,” he said.
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