WestCentral

Canada was hit with 35 per cent tariffs on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his threat to increase the duties if Ottawa didn't make a trade deal.

The White House has said the tariffs would not affect goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, commonly known as CUSMA.

Prime Minister Mark Carney had tempered expectations of an agreement by Friday, saying Ottawa will only agree to a deal "if there's one on the table that is in the best interests of Canadians."

The 18U Wartime Marlins are a prime example that senior league success can lead to provincial glory.

The talented group of minor ball players from the Elrose area are coming off a provincial title in Saltcoats this past weekend, a great end to their season after a Coteau Hills Baseball League campaign that saw them finish middle of the pack and earn a playoff series win against Riverhurst, before being ousted in the semis. 

Mounties in Lloydminster are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect in an armed robbery at a business on 50 Avenue.

RCMP say officers responded to a report of the robbery on April 28. According to investigators, a suspect approached a cashier with items to purchase, then allegedly flashed a knife before grabbing the items and fleeing on foot.

A photo of the suspect was obtained, but efforts to identify the individual have so far been unsuccessful.

The trial for former Swift Current U18 hockey player Mason Strutt will be heard in Moose Jaw’s Court of King’s Bench by a judge and jury. 

Defense lawyer Kathryn Gilliss appeared in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Tuesday via telephone on Strutt’s behalf. It was noted during the proceedings that Gilliss and Strutt submitted the election of the Court of King’s Bench by judge and jury in a written submission to the courts on Monday. 

The Government of Saskatchewan is fulfilling its two-year, $2 million funding commitment to food banks across the province, as part of ongoing efforts to combat food insecurity and rising grocery costs.

In August 2025, the province will provide the final $1 million installment to Food Banks of Saskatchewan, as announced in the 2025–26 provincial budget. The funding will be distributed to local agencies based on population and average usage in the communities they serve.

A recent trend of contraband cigarette seizures in the Swift Current area has caught the attention of the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco.

On July 15th, the RCMP seized 500,000 illicit cigarettes from a vehicle on Highway #1.

Council for the Town of Leader approved its 2025 operating and capital budget during a regular meeting held June 17 at the town office.

Mayor Aaron Wenzel chaired the meeting, joined by councillors Dustin Heatcoat, Riley Feiffer, Craig Tondevold, Isabelle Blohm and John-Mark Bredeson, along with Administrator Erin Romanuik. The mill rate for 2025 was set at 6.65 mills.

Council also adopted Bylaw No. 02/25, a bylaw establishing a base tax within the town. The bylaw received all three required readings and passed unanimously.

Wilkie RCMP responded to several complaints last week, including a report of a loose dog, which was resolved after the animal returned to a residence on its own.

Officers also dealt with multiple legal matters, including speaking to individuals regarding a court order and a child custody order.

A report of a suspicious person near a vehicle was received, but the individual had left the area by the time police arrived.

RCMP also looked into a complaint of an individual breaching a probation order, but found there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Community groups in West Central Saskatchewan are among the more than 1,000 organizations sharing nearly $2.5 million in charitable gaming grants from Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) in the first quarter of 2025-26.

Below is a list of West Central communities that received money from LGS for the second quarter of grants.

Frustration is growing across rural Saskatchewan as residents rally behind a veteran trucker’s call for real change on the province’s deteriorating highways.

Following Wayne Whitney’s blunt critique of road conditions in West Central Saskatchewan, the response from the public has been swift and passionate. HResidents have taken to social media to echo Whitney’s concerns and to demand action.

“We deserve better,” reads a headline from West Central Online's original report. For many, that sentiment hits home.