The Saskatchewan government is turning to innovators in the province to find solutions for connecting land-users with rural private property owners.
The challenge stems from proposed changes to the province’s Trespass to Property Act, which would require permission from a landowner before people could use the land for hunting and recreational activities.
Premier Scott Moe announced the innovation challenge Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM).
“Saskatchewan has a long history of innovation and entrepreneurial achievement, and right now the technology sector in our province is thriving,” Moe said in a statement.
“We’re calling on our vibrant tech sector to bring ideas forward on how we can make it easier to ask for permission to access private land, and easier for property owners to respond to those requests.”
SARM, which is leading the challenge, is looking for an answer to the following question: “How can technology be used as a tool to obtain permission from rural property owners before accessing their land?”
The ideal solution, officials said, would be to create a convenient way for the parties to communicate.
“Providing the public a tool to assist with receiving permission from rural property owners is important,” SARM president Ray Orb said in a press release.
“SARM hopes this initiative will assist in finding an innovative solution.”
A winner will be selected through a competitive process and will receive $10,000 in funding to develop a prototype of their technology.
The deadline to apply is April 30. Application forms and further information are available online at Innovation Saskatchewan.