WestCentral

Wednesday night's intense weather took out the lights for a section of SaskPower customers around Elrose, and while some spots flickered back on overnight, SaskPower crews are still on scene working towards a full restoration for their customers.

Two power grids, Rosetown-Elrose and Rosetown-White Bear, lost service at the same time on Wednesday. The initial report at 8:56 PM shared that SaskPower crews were dispatched to determine the cause and repair time for an outage affecting customers in Elrose, rural areas south to Kyle, and west to Plato.

The Kindersley RCMP is highlighting crime reduction efforts and community engagement in Eston and the Rural Municipality of Snipe Lake following its quarterly report for April through June.

Staff Sgt. Andrews said the detachment carried out 45 proactive patrols in the region over the three-month period, including 35 in Eston and 10 in the RM of Snipe Lake. Officers also conducted eight targeted patrols near Eston School to monitor traffic during student arrival and dismissal times.

Macklin RCMP were kept busy last week responding to a sudden death, theft, and multiple reports of suspicious activity in the community.

Police attended the sudden death of a 66-year-old male, which was determined not to be suspicious. Officers also investigated an assault complaint where the complainant requested no further action, and a report of theft, which remains under investigation.

The Leader RCMP hosted a community barbecue at the beginning of August to honour retired officers for their service to the town.

The event recognized Cst. Ray Hawkins, Cst. Al Lavallee, and Sgt. Ron Toogood, along with their spouses, for their years of dedication to the Leader community.

Approximately 150 residents attended the barbecue, which offered more than just burgers. Visitors toured the RCMP detachment, watched a drone demonstration, and saw Police Dog Duke in action. Children especially enjoyed exploring the jail cell and taking fingerprints.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is meeting in Saskatoon today with Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Cody Blois, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, along with representatives from the canola sector. The focus: responding to China’s steep tariffs on Canadian canola products.

Last week, China announced a 75.8% tariff on Canadian canola seed, adding to the 100% tariffs placed in March on canola meal and oil. 

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is set to meet today with federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, along with industry groups, to discuss the steep Chinese tariff on Canadian canola seed. 

Kody Blois, the parliamentary secretary for Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison are also to attend the meeting in Saskatoon.

A press conference is scheduled following the discussion. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to have her first official meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington today amid ongoing tensions in the bilateral relationship.

Anand and Rubio have previously spoken by phone, including in June ahead of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc cycled through Washington in July looking for a tariff offramp but instead U.S. President Donald Trump boosted duties on Canada to 35 per cent.

Update 10:25 p.m.

SaskPower says crews are working on damaged power poles affecting customers in Leader and in the surrounding areas in the north and west.

The Crown corporation says Wednesday night's weather conditions caused the outage that's expected to be restored by 4 a.m. on Thursday.

Original Story 8:22 p.m.

Power lines have been downed, and a severe wind warning is in effect for the Leader area. 

Saskatchewan pharmacists will soon have expanded authority to substitute prescription medications under certain conditions, part of new training being rolled out by the province.

The government says the change will allow patients to access alternative prescription drugs when their original medication is unavailable due to supply disruptions, shortages or other circumstances approved by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP).

Alberta RCMP is reminding residents to take steps to protect their mail from theft and to consider signing up for the RAVE Mobile Safety notification system.

Police say installing a locking mailbox, collecting mail promptly, and shredding documents with personal information are some of the most effective ways to prevent theft. For packages, the RCMP recommends using secure delivery boxes, requesting signatures on delivery, or arranging for a trusted neighbour to collect parcels.