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      Sunday, February 12, 2012

Our Mandate

The Ministry supports, celebrates and helps build pride in Saskatchewan.  The Ministry's strategic focus is on tourism enhancement, quality of life and economic growth.  The Ministry works with diverse groups and communities to: enhance the province's cultural, artistic, recreational and social life; promote excellence in the arts, culture, heritage and sport; and to support a vibrant and growing arts and cultural community.  The Ministry supports and promotes Saskatchewan tourism, manages and enhances Saskatchewan's provincial parks system, conserves ecosystems and cultural resources and provides recreation and interpretive opportunities for park visitors.

Our Mission Statement

Enhance economic growth and actively promote and support quality of life for Saskatchewan residents and visitors by providing recreation, heritage, culture and tourism opportunities.

Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport (TPCS) works with all ministries and agencies to support the achievement of Government's goals and to work towards a secure and prosperous Saskatchewan.  The Ministry has identified six strategies to help guide its planning, policy and program delivery and to align with Government's commitments, vision and goals:

  • 1. Promote tourism development and investment - through key partnerships, policy leadership and targeted investment in areas with tourism growth potential;
  • 2. Promote a creative arts and cultural community that is vibrant, sustainable, internationally recognized and valued by our residents;
  • 3. Promote healthy, active families through sport, culture and recreation;
  • 4. Conserve heritage resources that have environmental, recreational and cultural significance;
  • 5. Enhance Saskatchewan parks - providing quality outdoor recreation activities that conserve natural resources, appeal to visitors and are a source of pride for our residents; and
  • 6. Establish a Provincial Capital Commission to promote and protect our province's history and culture.

The 2009-10 Annual Report presents the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport's activities and results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.  It reports on public commitments made and other key accomplishments of the ministry, communicating both financial and non-financial results achieved over the previous year.  The Annual Report was tabled in the Legislature on July 29, 2010.

The Ministry Plan for 2010-11 demonstrates how the Ministry aligns with government’s vision and goals and presents a high level framework for the Ministry’s activities in 2010-11. Contained in this plan are the strategies and actions that will be pursued in the upcoming year, measures to gauge progress and a financial summary.

Service Delivery System

TPCS has 423 full-time equivalent positions.  The head office is in Regina with satellite offices in La Ronge, Meadow Lake, Melfort, Melville, Moose Jaw, Pierceland, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Swift Current and The Battlefords.  In addition, the ministry has many offices located in provincial parks throughout Saskatchewan.

Parks, culture and sport are sources of pride in our province and are inextricably part of our robust tourism sector.  Together, this mix creates a unique ‘sense of place' which has created a distinctive character for Saskatchewan.  Capitalizing on this proud and unique identity, TPCS works toward securing Saskatchewan's future as a great place to live, to visit and to do business.

Established in November 2007, TPCS brought together the Parks Service (formerly part of the Department of Environment) and the former Department of Culture, Youth and Recreation.  The Tourism Initiatives Division was created in 2008-09.  The Ministry participates in a number of federal/provincial/territorial initiatives related to tourism, parks, culture, heritage, recreation and sport.  This involvement encourages knowledge exchange, informs policy and program development and partnerships with other jurisdictions and other government agencies.  The strategic lines of business within the Ministry are organized into four key program areas:

Tourism Initiatives: This division provides leadership to advance the tourism sector and is responsible for coordinating tourism policy and delivering tourism programs in partnership with Tourism Saskatchewan and other stakeholders.  It was also responsible for Saskatchewan's presence at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Parks Service: This division is responsible for planning, managing and operating the provincial park system which includes 1.4 million hectares in 195 land parcels (34 provincial parks, 8 historic sites, 24 protected areas and 129 recreation sites) distributed throughout the province.  The general purpose of each tract of park land is set out by its classification under The Parks Act.  The Parks Service partners with the Ministry of Environment, the Saskatchewan Regional Parks Association and other stakeholders to support the provincial, regional and urban park systems throughout the province.

Culture and Heritage: This division provides leadership to advance the arts, culture and heritage sector.  The division administers The Heritage Property Act which protects and conserves archaeological, palaeontological and built-heritage resources.  It is also responsible for coordinating policy and delivering programs in partnership with SaskCulture Inc., the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation and other stakeholders.  The division is responsible for the operation of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM).  The RSM collects, preserves, exhibits and studies Saskatchewan's natural, cultural and palaeontological history.  Under The Royal Saskatchewan Museum Act, the RSM also assumes stewardship responsibility for protecting and preserving archaeological and palaeontological objects under the ownership of the crown.

Sport, Recreation and Stewardship: This division provides oversight and accountability services with respect to public responsibility for the lottery system and the Lottery Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.  It is responsible for stewardship and working in partnership on the governance of the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) which provides grants to initiatives that enhance human development and community vitality.  The division provides leadership, consultation and policy development to advance sport and recreation in partnership with its delivery partners Sask Sport Inc., the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association and other stakeholders.

The ministry also serves on a number of Federal/Provincial/Territorial initiatives related to tourism, parks, culture, heritage, recreation and sport.  This involvement facilitates knowledge exchange and partnerships with other jurisdictions in order to develop more effective policies and programs.



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