Estevan

Scientist Daniel Shugar says images of the aftermath of Thursday's deadly rockslide in Banff National Park provide evidence of its cause — water flowing through the interior of the mountain.

“You can actually see some springs coming out of the cliff and actually coming out exactly from the scar itself,” said the University of Calgary professor of geomorphology.

He described how water from a lake above the cliff at Bow Glacier Falls had been seeping through rocks for decades before it eventually provided enough force to dislodge a boulder, triggering the rockfall.

Estevan Police Service members responded to several calls over the past week, including thefts, suspicious activity and a case of cryptocurrency fraud.

On June 17, police were called to a vacant lot in the east end industrial area for a report of suspicious people and vehicles on the property. All parties were spoken to, and police are continuing to investigate whether the individuals had permission to be there.

Soccer players are descending on Estevan this weekend with teams from across the southeast in the city for the annual soccerfest. The event will see teams ranging from U9 all the way up to U17 competing on the field in Estevan.

Derek Mercer, the vice president of Estevan Youth Soccer, talks about the weekend event and what people can expect.

Environment Canada has confirmed four tornadoes touched down across southeastern Saskatchewan during a powerful storm system Thursday afternoon, with additional funnel reports still under investigation.

The first tornado touched down near Hirsch around 4:20 p.m., followed by three successive tornadoes in the Frobisher area shortly after — recorded at 4:40, 4:45, and 4:49 p.m., according to Environment Canada meteorologist Eric Dykes.

One of the two people killed in a rockfall in Banff National Park has been identified as 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs of Calgary.

The University of Alberta, in a statement, says Hinrichs was an educator in the department of occupational therapy in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. 

She retired last summer.

Her body was found shortly after a slab of mountain suddenly gave way Thursday afternoon, collapsing on hikers at a popular trail near Bow Glacier Falls, about 200 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

The longest day of the year—the June solstice—is finally here. 

The sun began its journey upwards at 4:50 a.m., signalling the start of 16 and a half hours of daylight. It will reach its peak just after 1 o’clock before finally setting at 9:17 p.m. this evening. 

Environment Canada Meteorologist, Crawford Luke, said that our latitude is the reason for the extreme variance in daylight hours throughout the year. 

As the school year wraps up, Spruce Ridge School principal Cheri Haberstock reflected on a busy and memorable year.

“This has been a crazy busy, but awesome year,” she said.

One of the top highlights came early in the school year with an Indigenous learning day in October, which saw Westview and Hillcrest students joining Spruce Ridge.

“We had over 600 students and we had 10 different knowledge keepers who were here helping us learn more about First Nations and Métis culture,” said Haberstock.

The Estevan area just got done with a handful of tornadoes tearing through the area, but more adverse weather is already on the way. This weekend, a system is expected to dump a lot of rain into the area, beginning today and continuing to Sunday night.

Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, takes a look at the system and what exactly it'll bring.

The Saskatchewan Trucking Association is urging the provincial government to help reduce financial barriers for new drivers entering the trucking industry, as the average age of drivers continues to rise and fewer young people are taking the wheel.

The cost of obtaining a Class 1A driver’s license in Saskatchewan sits around $14,000. Students in 1A training programs are not eligible for student loans. A small tax rebate has been promised by the provincial government, but it has not yet been launched.

Search teams located a second body Friday following a massive rockfall off a hiking trail in Banff National Park.

“RCMP are notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,” read a statement issued by Mounties and Parks Canada.

A 70-year-old woman from Calgary was first found dead at the site of Thursday's rock slide at Bow Glacier Falls, north of Lake Louise.

Three others were taken to hospital and were reported in stable condition.