Estevan

A new poll suggests Canadians' sense of national pride has surged in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats against the country's sovereignty.

The poll, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies, says that the number of people saying they're proud to be Canadian has jumped from 80 per cent in November 2024 to 86 per cent this month.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney is hoping to be sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister by the end of the week but there are some logistical hurdles like security clearances for senior members of his transition team that must happen first.

Carney won a landslide victory to take the helm of the Liberals from Justin Trudeau on Sunday night but he isn't yet the prime minister.

The provincial government has come to an agreement with the federal government on putting in place a new agreement for the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) in the province.

The 10-year agreement would see funding granted to communities that wish to build or improve infrastructure related to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste in an effort to expand a growing demand for housing. As part of the agreement, Saskatchewan will receive $187.9 million towards these infrastructure projects.

Municipal Revenue Sharing will reach a record high of $361.8 million in the 2025-26 provincial budget, an increase of $21.5 million, or 6.3 per cent, from last year.

Cities, towns and villages across Saskatchewan receive funding based on three-quarters of one point of provincial sales tax revenue from two years prior. The predictable nature of the funding allows municipalities to plan their budgets with a clear understanding of their annual allocation.

The Battle of the Books event, hosted by the Estevan and Area Literacy Group, has returned this year with an impressive turnout, bringing students, teachers, and community volunteers together for a fun and educational competition.

Louise Schnare, a member of the Estevan and Area Literacy Group board, is leading the event this year. “This year we have 60 kids for just grades 5 and 6, and then we have 12 teams that signed up for grades 7 and 8, and over 15 adult volunteers helping throughout the process.”

In rural areas, the firefighting departments are using the warmer weather to get some training kickstarted ahead of fires picking up this summer. 

AS winter comes to a close, Redvers Fire Chief Brad Hutton says they haven't seen much action in the area.

The province is announcing some support for projects taking place in rural municipalities as part of a cooperative program with SARM. Their Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (RIRG) program will see $12.6 million coming from the province for a variety of road related projects, with $21.7 million coming from the rural municipalities.

While spending time in the country, you never know what you might come across. This porcupine was a little curious about me, it actually came closer and checked me over pretty good. The nice thing about photographing a porcupine is that they don't move too fast. And this one wasn't in a tree either, which was nice. It also gave me plenty of time to capture several shots in about a 15-minute window.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Canada will pay a "financial price" after vowing Tuesday to double the tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports in response to Ontario's surcharge on electricity exports to the United States.

"They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!" Trump posted on social media.

Once a month, St. John the Baptist Parish Hall becomes the hub for music lovers of all kinds during Make Music with Friends. Jason Stepp, who leads the jam sessions, says the event offers an opportunity for musicians to come together, share their love of music, and create a sense of community.

“We gather together once a month, find a date that works for everyone, and make sure it doesn’t conflict with other organizations,” Stepp says. “It’s a time to get together and learn.”