MooseJaw

Canada Post says it has received strike notices from the union representing some 55,000 postal workers, with operations poised to shut down by the end of the week.

The Crown corporation says the union informed it that employees plan to hit the picket line starting Friday morning at midnight.

A work stoppage would affect millions of residents and businesses who typically receive more than two billion letters and roughly 300 million parcels a year via the service.

Along with the beginning of summer, the May long weekend is the starting point for construction season on Saskatchewan highways.  

"Road and utility workers, first responders, tow truck operators and many other are all working for you on and near our highways, streets and roads," Highways Minister David Marit said. "We ask all motorists to slow down, follow the signs and respect flag persons no matter where their summer travels take them. We want everyone to get home safely." 

With Safe Boating Awareness Week beginning on Monday, the Saskatchewan RCMP are issuing safety tips and reminders. This is especially timely as May long weekend may see more people getting their boats in the water.  

In a release sent by the RCMP, boaters and passengers are encouraged to follow safe boating protocols, including always wearing a life jacket, limiting passengers to not exceed the weight capacity of the watercraft, and having your Pleasure Craft Operator Card (POCC) onboard as it is a requirement for all motorized boat operators. 

A Swift Current-based powerlifting legend, formerly from Moose Jaw, has claimed his 10th National Championship and set a new record.

Wayne Cormier, a Hall of Fame powerlifter, won his 10th National gold medal on May 11 after a four-and-a-half-year hiatus. He claimed victory with a record-setting 270 lbs benchpress, breaking the previous Masters Five record of 264 lbs. 

Ryan Straschnitzki's life has been an open book since he was seriously injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and his story is soon to be shown on TV.

The 26-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., was paralyzed from the chest down in 2018, when a semi-trailer ran a stop sign and barrelled into the path of the junior hockey team's bus in rural Saskatchewan. 

Sixteen people died and 13 were hurt.

The Government of Saskatchewan has launched the Low Productivity and Reactivation Oil Well Program (LPRP), a four-year incentive designed to encourage companies to bring dormant oil wells back into production. The program will apply province-wide, but early indicators suggest the southeast could be a key focus. Saturn Oil and Gas, the first company to participate in the program, has already been looking at reactivating wells in the region. 

Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Bernadette McIntyre, was welcomed by King Charles III for a private audience at Buckingham Palace Wednesday, a meeting that also served to showcase gifts from across the province, including the southeast. 

The Carlyle RCMP is seeking the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest related to a break and enter late last week.

Early last Friday morning, three Carlyle businesses were broken into, and a few hundred dollars in cash were stolen. The suspect is also believed to have stolen a hamster that belonged to one of the business owners. 

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 40 to 50 years old, between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall, with a goatee, wearing glasses and dressed in dark clothing.

Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada's "steadfast and unwavering support" for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country's president on Saturday in Rome.

His meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of several sitdowns with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney — a devout Catholic — has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. The Prime Minister is making a concerted effort to meet with other G7 leaders ahead of the global summit Canada is hosting in Kananaskis, Alta., next month.

Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Tyler Smith gave a number of mental health talks around the southeast for students in Grades six through nine.

The presentation began with a video encapsulating his message of the impact of his tragic experience on and following April 6th, 2018, and his journey to realizing the steps necessary for healing, a big part of which is to share his story and connect with others.