‘Pack a roadside safety kit’: CAA advice for winter travel

Are you ready to enter ‘winter mode’? 

Christine Niemczyk, director of corporate communications & public relations with CAA Saskatchewan, has some tips for Saskatchewan drivers to make sure their vehicles are ready for the change in season. 

“Check everything from – and we do with CAA recommend – winter tires, check the oil, the battery,” she said. 

Now is the best time to start testing for radon

Radon is an odourless, tasteless, invisible radioactive gas that can be found in Saskatchewan homes, and exposure to the gas can increase your risk of lung cancer. 

Effie Kosmas, manager of prevention and policy with Lung Sask, said radon can enter a home at any point where a house is in contact with the ground, including foundation cracks and other openings. 

“Once it’s inside the home, the radon can build up to high levels,” explained Kosmas. 

Results from SGI 2023 Traffic Collision Statistical Report

SGI recently released their 2023 Traffic Collision Statistical Report, outlining information about collisions in Saskatchewan recorded in the Traffic Accident Information System (TAIS).  

Total collisions noted in the report are down 5.8 per cent compared to 2022, with 28,238 recorded in the province in 2023.   

Motorists reminded to ‘Give Wildlife a Brake’

Fall is mating and migration season for a number of animals, and motorists are being reminded that moose, elk, and deer are less wary around traffic this time of year. 

“Our hope is that everyone takes a little bit of extra time and slows down, especially in those high animal density areas, and make sure that everyone gets home safe and sound,” said Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. 

Conversations on pet safety with the rodenticide zinc phosphide

The Richardson’s ground squirrel (AKA gopher) population can present an issue for farmers’ crops, cleaning entire fields if their numbers grow too large.  

A rodenticide that is commonly used to control the Richardson’s ground squirrel population is zinc phosphide, which has been gaining more attention with the de-registration of strychnine in 2021 by Health Canada. Strychnine use was no longer allowed after March 2023.  

Conversations on pet safety with the rodenticide zinc phosphide

The Richardson’s ground squirrel (AKA gopher) population can present an issue for farmers’ crops, cleaning entire fields if their numbers grow too large.  

A rodenticide that is commonly used to control the Richardson’s ground squirrel population is zinc phosphide, which has been gaining more attention with the de-registration of strychnine in 2021 by Health Canada. Strychnine use was no longer allowed after March 2023.