(File photo/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Nipawin looking to enhance safety

Town of Nipawin attempting to improve safety, appearance

Oct 16, 2025 | 12:00 PM

The Town of Nipawin has issued a news release to outline what they’re doing to ensure a safe, welcoming community.

Chief Administrative Officer Michele Sorensen told northeastNOW they are encouraging this through a variety of measures, including recent bylaw updates and policies that reflect the commitment.

“The town has also opted into Saskatchewan’s Safe Public Spaces Act, enhancing the RCMP’s ability to remove dangerous items from public spaces, thereby increasing safety in parks and recreational areas,” Sorensen said.

The town has also amended their animal control bylaw to reduce the number of animals over six months of age from 10 to five. Sorensen said the bylaw also implements stronger rules for managing animal bites and rabies.

“The bylaw update also reduces the cost of animal licensing beginning in 2026, with the goal of encouraging compliance,” she said. “When animals are discovered at large and are licensed, it is easier for officials to return the animals to their owners.”

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Sorensen said the town has also enhanced its property maintenance and nuisance abatement bylaw, setting higher standards for property upkeep, and stronger tools to enforce the bylaw to address ongoing concerns.

“Accumulation of waste and debris can create breeding grounds for pests and pose fire hazards,” Sorensen said.

The appearance of the unsightly yards can also potentially lower property values and affect community pride, according to Sorensen. She said the beefed-up bylaw ensures properties are maintained to community standards.

There have also been ongoing issues with encampments within Nipawin, with several discovered and dismantled throughout the summer. An encampment with needles, condoms, garbage, mattresses, and other items was removed from Marathon Ave. on Sept. 29, according to the Nipawin Fire Department’s report to council on Monday.

Sorensen said there are several concerns that arise from the encampments.

They include “potential health and safety risks, such as the accumulation of waste and hazardous materials and the increased risk of fire in the forested areas, which can all affect the well-being of residents and the environment.”

Protective Services staff have been dismantling the encampments as they are discovered, and Sorensen encourages those individuals to find alternative shelter. She added staff work with agencies such as the Nipawin Oasis Centre and Salvation Army to try to address the homelessness issue.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com