Estevan Mermaids preparing for season with registration and try-It night

The Estevan Mermaids Artistic Swimming Club is diving into a new season, with registration well underway and an open invitation for families to get involved.

Club representative Kelsey Potoma said the youngest group, the Mini Mermaids, is already full, but there’s still room in both the recreation and competitive programs. “Our Mini Mermaids have already been filled up so we're really looking to fill our recreation limited and have some more people join us in our competitive program,” she explained.

Severe August storms confirmed to have spawned multiple damaging wind events across Alberta and Saskatchewan

A line of powerful storms that ripped through Alberta and Saskatchewan on Aug. 20 caused widespread wind and hail damage, including at least one confirmed tornado, according to the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).

Based on witness accounts, ground surveys and satellite analysis, the NTP has confirmed several distinct events as the long-lived supercell system tracked more than 400 kilometres across the Prairies.

'Mercy of politics': Canadian farmers weigh plans as Chinese tariff hits canola price

As Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola products continue to hamper the cash price of one of the country's most valuable crops, farming experts say producers have big decisions ahead of them.

Market analyst Chuck Penner with LeftField Commodity Research said while future prices are down slightly, the cash price farmers receive for their canola, also known as the basis, is much lower.

Drivers urged to use caution on Highway 28 following culvert failure

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways is advising motorists to be cautious on a portion of Highway 28 after a culvert failure led to a sinkhole. 

The affected area is located on the highway between its junction with Highway 13 and Radville. According to Dan Palmer, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Highways, the ministry became aware of the sinkhole on Monday morning after a culvert in the area failed. 

Elm tree pruning ban ends as fall season begins

People will be able to do a bit more yard work this Labour Day long weekend as pruning elm trees will once again be allowed beginning Monday. The final day of the annual ban on pruning elm trees is August 31, with work beginning afterwards.

The ban, put in place between April 1 to August 31, is done to reduce the risk of spreading Dutch Elm Disease (DED), a fungus spread by elm bark beetles that kills elm trees. Freshly cut branches attract the beetles and risk spreading the disease to new trees.

Number of sick days taken by public servants growing post-COVID

Federal public servants were less likely to call in sick to work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new government data shows.

The figures shared by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat indicate that in 2020-21, when the pandemic had most office employees working entirely remotely, the average number of sick days for the public service was 5.9.

That number grew to 8.1 in 2021-22, 8.8 in 2022-23 and 9.2 days in 2023-24.

Spacedust from asteroid Bennu provides glimpse into celestial past

New research on a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu — a small portion of which should arrive in Canada soon — is offering a glimpse into how it came to be.

Studies published in Nature Astronomy and Nature Geoscience last week offer some insight into the granules that were collected and brought to Earth in September 2023 as part of NASA-led OSIRIS-REx mission.

A look at the race to replace Canada's rapidly aging fleet of submarines

The contest to supply Canada with its next fleet of submarines heated up this week, as Ottawa narrowed down the competition to just two suppliers: a Korean company and a German one.

Here's a look at where the massive procurement project currently stands.

1. Why does Canada need to buy new submarines?

Canada is racing to replace its deteriorating fleet of Victoria-class submarines. The fleet, bought second-hand from the U.K. in 1998, is rapidly aging and are expensive to repair and replace parts.