Estevan

Voters in southeast Saskatchewan have been busy over the last few days as advanced polling swept through the country, opening up polls ahead of election day. With polls open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Friday to Monday, voters had 48 hours to get out and make a choice early.

Elections Canada's returning officer for the Souris-Moose Mountain area, Margaret Tuchscherer, says that the unofficial count for the four days sits at 12,528 votes cast at stations.

Houses in Midale aren’t staying on the market for long — a trend that’s caught the attention of town officials.

“Properties are moving pretty quickly,” said Chief Administrative Officer Dena Scott. While she’s not exactly sure what’s driving the demand, she suspects affordability plays a role. “The cost of the houses, that type of thing, isn’t as high as it is in the cities,” she said, noting that even with a commute, Midale’s lower cost of living could be a major draw.

Cattle market analyst Anne Wasko from Gateway Livestock says that's largely due to tariff uncertainties leading up to April 2nd. 

She notes despite that cattle prices in Western Canada have remained strong, hitting record highs across all classes of cattle with slaughter cow prices hitting another high last week.

The waning days of the federal election campaign saw voters turn out in record numbers for advance polls and party leaders attempt to poke holes in each others' platforms.

Elections Canada said in a news release Tuesday that the four days of advance polling between Friday and Monday set a new record for turnout, with 7.3 million people casting ballots early.

That's up 25 per cent from the 5.8 million people who took part in advance voting in the 2021 federal election.

Following a comprehensive investigation by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation’s inspection and investigation section, the FALG program was suspended in February for Alberta’s largest cattle financing co-operative, alleging a number of financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.
 
As negotiations continue to reinstate the Feeders Association Loan Guarantee program to the Picture Butte Feeder Co-operative, the provincial cattle feeders association is making its feelings known.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is now accepting applications for the new Youth Preparedness Council (YPC).

The council is open to Saskatchewan students in grades 8 to 12 who are passionate about public safety, emergency preparedness, and community leadership.

The YPC offers a platform for youth to share ideas, collaborate on projects, and gain hands-on experience in emergency management and public education.

Estevan was busy over the past few days with voting, as some advance polls were set up at the Wylie Mitchell Hall between April 18-21. Voters had the opportunity to cast their votes in 12-hour blocks from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to try and avoid the rush on voting day, April 28th.

Over the four days of advanced polling, Estevan saw 3400 votes come through the doors, according to Estevan City Councillor Tom Mauss, who took part in the polls as an election worker.

We talked with a number of the voters after they cast their ballot to ask one simple question: 

Statistics Canada is forecasting 232,180 acres, a 20 per cent decrease from last year, but traders question the estimate’s accuracy

Canaryseed brokers and traders think acres this year will be larger than Statistics Canada is indicating.

“Definitely acres are going up, not down,” said David Nobbs, a trader with Bornhorst Seeds.

Statistics Canada is forecasting 232,180 acres of the crop, a 20 per cent decrease from last year.

“I don’t even know why they’re involved in this crop. The numbers that come out are just always wrong,” said Nobbs.

A late-April snowstorm has blanketed areas throughout southeast Saskatchewan, causing travel disruptions and snow removal challenges in Arcola, Carlyle, and Kipling. With wet snow and slushy roads, residents and officials are urging caution on the roads.

In Arcola, Town Administrator Rebecca Korchinski shared her thoughts on the difficult driving conditions. “The roads, obviously, are going to be a little slick as it did rain before the snow, so I'd advise everybody to just take that extra time to get to work this morning,” she said.

The earlier reported rain that could turn into snow is now blanketing parts of eastern Saskatchewan, with Environment and Climate Change Canada sending out a warning to the area.

The encompasses a region which goes as far south as Moosomin and Carlyle, North to Yorkton, and is situated between Regina and the Manitoba border.

Meteorologist Christy Climenhaga details what they're watching as the storm progresses over the area.