WestCentral

Sports dominated the local headlines this week.

From the Kindersley indoor rodeo to the gridiron, there was no shortage of athletes to cover over the week.

Find summaries and a link to the top five stories of the week below: 

Saskatchewan added 15,300 full-time jobs in May, continuing a trend of strong employment growth and maintaining the lowest unemployment rate in the country, according to new figures released by Statistics Canada.

The province’s unemployment rate stood at 4.2 per cent last month, the lowest in the nation and well below the national average of 7.0 per cent.

After a pair of fraud related stories emerged out of the region, the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) is doing their best to safeguard residents against any further problems.

Tiff Macklem is wearing an Edmonton Oilers pin as he reflects on coming very close to beating big odds.

It's a significant day for the governor of the Bank of Canada: he's just laid out his reasons to the entire country and a global audience for keeping the central bank's benchmark interest rate steady for a second straight time.

That night is also Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup finals; Macklem ends his press conference with a hearty "Go Oilers!"

The Government of Saskatchewan has officially proclaimed June as Parks and Recreation Month, honouring the vital role community park spaces and recreation professionals play in promoting healthier, more connected communities across the province.

A longstanding business in Kindersley celebrated a first this past week.

June 4 marked the first ever 'National Brokers Day', and Kelly Insurance in Kindersley ushered in the day by wearing their "Broker's Care Campaign" sweaters in line with fellow members of the Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan.

Here’s your roundup of the top stories making headlines across West Central Saskatchewan this week. From a high-profile arrest tied to Saskatchewan’s most wanted list to a major rail investment and a heartfelt farewell from beloved local business owners, these are the five stories you need to know—from law enforcement crackdowns to long-term sustainability wins and everything in between.

Canadian scientists working on asteroid missions, exploring the universe through the James Webb Space Telescope or helping to put rovers on Mars say they can in some way thank Marc Garneau, who left an enduring legacy both as an astronaut and head of the country's space agency.

While best-known in later years as a federal cabinet minister, Garneau, who died this week at 76, was also a Navy officer, a systems engineer, and an astronaut with a lifelong passion for science, according to his friends and colleagues.

Prairie wildfires developed on two fronts Friday, as 1,000 more Manitoba residents were forced to flee their homes and Saskatchewan RCMP charged two people with starting blazes.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference that one charge relates to starting a fire near La Ronge, which has forced 7,000 people from the area.

“The RCMP have informed us that they have now charged a couple of individuals,” Moe said.

An 18-year-old woman from Montreal Lake Cree Nation and a 36-year-old man from Pelican Narrows each face one count of arson, said RCMP.

Saskatchewan’s latest oil and gas public offering brought in more than $9 million for the province, with parcels in the Estevan area drawing the highest bids.

The June 3 offering raised $9.13 million in revenue from 71 accepted bids, covering 12,586 hectares of Crown land. It marks the second of six scheduled public offerings in the 2025–26 fiscal year.

While the Estevan region in the southeast dominated the sale with $6.53 million in revenue from 34 leases, the Kindersley area contributed $547,467.36 from successful bids, a modest, but notable amount for the region.