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Community safety

Landlords Association responds to P.A. shooting, suggests changes needed to Tenancies Act

Jun 16, 2025 | 5:00 PM

The Chief Executive Officer of Rental Housing Saskatchewan says an incident in Prince Albert involving a landlord who was shot in the throat, affects the entire industry.

Landen Field is responding to the details surrounding a 57-year-old man who was shot while in the final stages of a near three month process to evict a tenant. The person responsible has not been caught.

“The ears perk up when it’s a story like this,” Field said, adding he himself has been contacted by a number of association members who wanted to make sure the story was on his radar.

At last word, the victim who was left paralyzed, was recovering in a Saskatoon hospital.

A family member described the three month long eviction process as exhausting and challenging. They explained despite raising concerns about violence, drugs and gang activity, they were forced to fill out the paperwork and jump through a number of hoops.

A picture taken on June 5. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

Rental Housing Saskatchewan represents the provincial voice of landlords, rental housing providers and property managers in Saskatchewan.

“Part of our role and part ot my job is to continue to advocate for improved resources, more training, supports to help rental housing providers navigate these challenges safely and responsibly because no one in our industry whether you’re a housing provider, a property manager or a tenant should ever face the threat or act of violence when navigating legal tenancy matters,” Field said.

He added the incident highlights the importance of reviewing existing safety protocols and the enhanced need for security across the province.

“Unfortunately harassment is something we do hear about from members and harassment, threats of violence, should be viewed as urgent matters,” he said.

Zachary Case, a broker with Companion Property Management, told paNOW he has been in the same position multiple times and feared for his safety.

Going forward, Case would like a legislative change made where in the case off a writ of possession enforced by sheriff, any personal property remaining in the rental unit or remaining on the premises after enforcement shall be deemed abandoned and forfeited, providing the tenant receives a writ of possession stating this consequence at least seven days prior.

Under the current law, the allowed time is two business days.

“If we give them a bit longer of a period, it can actually shorten the process overall by just having the eviction dome when the sheriffs are there,” Case said.

“This whole situation would not have happened if that legislation was in place.”

Case added he does not believe any particular agency is to blame for the recent tragedy, and from his own experience noted the sheriffs and staff at The Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT) have been respectful and good people who are just trying to do their jobs within the limits of the system.

“But with that said I do think there is a small but significant procedural gap in the eviction process,” he said.

Response from government

According to a statement provided to paNOW by the Ministry of Justice, The ORT is available to provide information to residential landlords and tenants about their legal rights and obligations under The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and The Residential Tenancies Regulations, 2007.

“The ORT cannot comment on specific properties or individual cases,” they said, adding the incident in question is currently being investigated, no further information can be provided at this time.

Premier Scott Moe was in Prince Albert on Friday and confirmed he read what happened and that the Ministry would look into the circumstances.

“We talk about safety in our communities on multiple fronts and multiple challenges that we are seeing in our communities and you know I think this is one of those times where we have to look at the act under a little different lens,” he said, adding people to be safe, whether to be a landlord or tenant.

“This is just an awful, awful thing that happened, and my heart certainly is with the family.”

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social

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