WestCentral

The federal government is rolling out new funding to help Prairie businesses weather global trade disruptions.

Eleanor Olszewski, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced Thursday that support will be available through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative. The program is designed to help businesses adapt to shifting export markets, strengthen supply chains, and expand into new markets as tariffs continue to weigh on Canadian industries.

August kept readers in West Central Saskatchewan clicking, with stories ranging from unusual crime and courtroom outcomes to education milestones and environmental calls to action. From a man in Saskatoon allegedly trying to spark fires with a burning stick, to a boat repair dispute in Biggar that turned into a police investigation, to Nature Saskatchewan’s push to protect endangered prairie songbirds, these were the stories that captured the region’s attention.

A cyclist recovering from a crash on the Trans-Canada Highway near Ernfold on Sunday morning is thanking first responders and motorists for their care.

Doug Angle was about 20 kilometres into his ride along the busy highway, travelling eastbound from Herbert to Moose Jaw, when he was struck by a vehicle. 

"I felt this bang, and I'm lying on my back, looking straight up," he told Swift Current Online Thursday morning. 

Saskatchewan’s Opposition is calling for immediate government action on the province’s drug crisis after a wave of suspected overdoses in Saskatoon.

Betty Nippi-Albright, the NDP’s shadow minister for mental health and addictions, issued a statement Thursday citing Saskatoon Fire Department figures showing crews responded to 84 suspected overdoses between Aug. 17 and 26. Many of the incidents required multiple doses of naloxone.

“This isn’t a spike; it’s a public health emergency,” Nippi-Albright said.

Another major housing project officially opened up at Prairie Pioneers Independent Housing in Swift Current today.

"Very important day," said Prairie Pioneers CEO Deborah DeMars. "This has been a passion project of mine, and I'm over the moon that it's in place."

At a cost of over a million dollars, they've added two additional spaces for people with acquired brain injuries and two for seniors' transition housing.

70% of the funding comes from a Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy.

Federal public servants were less likely to call in sick to work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new government data shows.

The figures shared by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat indicate that in 2020-21, when the pandemic had most office employees working entirely remotely, the average number of sick days for the public service was 5.9.

That number grew to 8.1 in 2021-22, 8.8 in 2022-23 and 9.2 days in 2023-24.

New research on a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu — a small portion of which should arrive in Canada soon — is offering a glimpse into how it came to be.

Studies published in Nature Astronomy and Nature Geoscience last week offer some insight into the granules that were collected and brought to Earth in September 2023 as part of NASA-led OSIRIS-REx mission.

A new report from Saskatchewan Blue Cross suggests most residents in the province are overestimating their ability to navigate the health system, with two in three struggling to understand and use health information effectively.

The 2025 Health Literacy Report, released Wednesday, found 76 per cent of Saskatchewan residents believe they have stronger health literacy skills than they actually do. Researchers define health literacy as the ability to find, understand, and use health information and services to manage personal well-being or support others.

This week in West Central Saskatchewan, communities are seeing a mix of back-to-school excitement, severe weather, infrastructure updates, and law enforcement news. From more than 54,000 students returning to campuses with provincial financial support, to a supercell storm carving a nearly 400-kilometre path of destruction across Alberta and Saskatchewan, residents have had plenty to follow.

A new report says Canada’s sport system faces widespread challenges, including weak governance, a lack of national leadership, and ongoing maltreatment of athletes.

The Future of Sport in Canada Commission released its preliminary report Thursday after more than a year of review and consultations across the country. The report contains 71 recommendations aimed at strengthening safe sport and reshaping how Canadian sport is led and funded.

The commission said it held more than 450 meetings, reviewed over 1,000 documents, and engaged with stakeholders nationwide.