Good Afternoon Ratepayers,
Please see below information regarding strychnine for the RM of South Qu’Appelle.
We have been informed that both the RM and the Ratepayers will be required to take an online training course in order to be eligible to use strychnine. When a Ratepayer shows up to purchase the strychnine the RM will be required to cross reference their name on an open Share Point document. You will be required to provide photo identification and if your name does not show up on the Share Point document the RM will not be able to sell you the strychnine.
The RM does not have any strychnine as of yet and we are not anticipating getting any in before the fall of 2026. Once we have it on site we will be informing the RM via website and Facebook.
As more details become available we will make sure we keep you informed.
Below is the information that SARM has released to the public the other day. If you click on the orange link a clickable link should appear to take you to the web page. In case that doesn’t work for some reason I have also placed the link below for you to copy it into your browser.
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The following link for this information was taken from: https://sarm.ca/strychnine-stewardship-training/
SARM is pleased to partner with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation to support the safe implementation of Emergency Use Registration of strychnine in the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Critical information about the strychnine stewardship program, including mandatory training, is provided below.
Strychnine Stewardship Program
The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan have developed guidelines and requirements pertaining to the access to, use, and application of strychnine to control Richardson’s ground squirrels. Completing prescribed training is required as one of the eligibility requirements.
Please review your province’s full guidance on strychnine and Richardson’s ground squirrels.
- Richardson’s Ground Squirrel Control (Alberta)
https://www.alberta.ca/richardsons-ground-squirrel-control
Required Training
One part of the Strychnine Stewardship Program is the completion of online-only training for both municipal administrators and producers.
There is training specifically for producers and for rural municipal administrators. Please ensure you complete the training that fits your role, or you may have to retake it. Municipal administrators who are also producers should take the municipal administrator training.
Training Schedule
Access to the Strychnine Stewardship Training for the 2026 season is available from May 4 to August 1, 2026.
Reporting Process
After completing the training in full, you will be able to download a certificate of completion. Please retain this for your records and bring it to your RM office.
For producers, two (2) business days after completing the training, your municipality will be able to confirm the completion of your training. There are other eligibility requirements beyond the training that you must complete prior to accessing strychnine. Please see the Saskatchewan Strychnine Stewardship Guidelines or Alberta’s Richardson’s Ground Squirrel Control website for further details.
Please wait at least two business days after completing the training before contacting your municipality to begin the process of accessing strychnine.
Registration Process
For instructions on registering for the training, refer to the guide linked below. Please be sure to select the correct municipality when registering. The municipality selected must be eligible to distribute strychnine. Typically, it is the municipality in which you have your home or the greatest amount of land. Once selected, the municipality cannot be changed unless the account is deleted and the training re-taken.
Where to Register
To register for and access the training, please Click Here https://strychnine-stewardship-training.thinkific.com/
Consent for Release of Information
By registering for the Strychnine Stewardship Training course, you consent to:
- the collection and use of your personal information by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities for the purpose of administering and managing your participation in the Strychnine Stewardship Training course; and
- the disclosure of your personal information to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, to the municipalities participating in the strychnine stewardship program, and to the designated distributor of Strychnine, for the purposes of confirming your eligibility to participate in the strychnine stewardship program and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Reference Copies of Training Slides
After completing the training and receiving your certificate online, you may want to reference the training slides again. Below are PDF documents that contain the slides for the training presentation. Please note that to be eligible to access strychnine, you must register for and complete the full online training, as well as pass the knowledge checks, at the link above. These PDFs are for reference material only; they do not count as completing the training.
https://sarm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Strychnine-training-for-producers-2026-FINAL.pdf
https://sarm.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Strychnine-training-for-administrators-2026-FINAL.pdf
Need Help?
For questions about the Richardson’s Ground Squirrel Control in Alberta, please contact:
For questions about the Strychnine Stewardship Program in Saskatchewan, please contact:
For technical questions about the Strychnine Stewardship Training Program, please contact: