The big project for this summer is to try to become a resident of Saskatchewan based out of my property. This will help me be more legitimate in the eyes of federal, provincial, and international law. It will also give me the peace of mind that I will never have to change provinces again. The post office here could close, so I could have to change my address again, but that would be a small thing to deal with should the time come.

Before beginning the residency change process, I need to make sure I can get my vehicles adequately insured here. A blog reader recently commented that Aviva does NOT offer the Elite full-timer policy in this province because Saskatchewan has government-run insurance.

So I need to sit down with an insurance adjuster here, present my existing coverage, and see if they can provide me with something comparable for the motorhome. I need coverage for contents (including anything in a shed) and liability, and I want it to be clear that I plan to be out of the country six months of the year so that we can get the surcharge built into the policy. Snowbirds appear to have some sort of official status here, but, of course, the website has no information on that.

The insurance premiums must also be payable in installments as there is no way I could afford to pay my policies in full (one of the many reason I could never move to BC).

Then, I need to make sure I can prove I am an SK residence. This is going to be WAY easier than it was in other provinces as I just need to prove I have an address here! Their list of what is acceptable does not include a property title, but does include a bank statement and a property tax assessment notice. If I get water hooked up, I can use a water bill.

Once I am comfortable that I will be able to get adequate insurance and my residency paperwork is in order, I need to get my insurance and driving abstracts from Alberta. I don’t want to take this step until I’m sure that I will be able to transfer residency to Saskatchewan in order not to tip off Alberta in case the residency change doesn’t go through.

The following step is to arrange for my out of province vehicle inspections.

Caroline and Charles told me to go to the Kal-Tire in Assiniboia as they were well treated there when they moved from Manitoba. The cost for the truck should be about $80, but I have no idea what it will be for Miranda. I have enough confidence in the Kal-Tire brand to believe that I won’t be ordered to have thousands of dollars worth of work down on each vehicle to get my certificate, but there’s always the concern that something could come up. Best case scenario, this is going to cost me a few hundred dollars.

The order of the next steps is a little fuzzy since I don’t understand exactly how insurance is going to work here, but a visit to SGI, the SK DMV, will be in order. I will bring my driver’s abstracts so that I can get a full license, having learned my lesson from Alberta.

Once my vehicles are registered in Saskatchewan and I have my driver’s license, getting health coverage should be a non-issue.

And then, I will be able to breathe a little easier and will feel more comfortable crossing the border.

Charles and Caroline suggested I share their PO box in Montana, which will save me from paying the full rental fee. I’d love to go there once every two months or so and get Amazon packages. There’s so little I can’t get through Amazon that it makes sense to use up my gift certificates every month and drive to Montana to get the items than it does to pay for them out of pocket up here. I mean, a lot of this stuff would be items I’d get in Moose Jaw, so I’d be making a long drive anyway.

I had thought to apply for a Nexus pass once I’m established here, but since Nexus travelers are treated like regular travelers in the non-Nexus lanes and there are no Nexus lanes in Saskatchewan, that seems like an unnecessary step that would give the governments even more information about me.

I’ve been feeling rather like an outlaw on the run for years, so it will be nice to have a veneer of legitimacy even though I will continue to live according to my rules.