Estevan

Here's a look at some of this week's top news photos as selected by The Canadian Press editors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.

The appointment of singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie to the Order of Canada has been terminated by the Governor General.

The move was announced in the Canada Gazette, the federal government newspaper.

It says the appointment was terminated by an ordinance signed by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Jan. 3.

The move comes after a CBC report in 2023 questioned Sainte-Marie's Indigenous heritage, saying it found a birth certificate that indicated she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts.

UPDATE: Saskatchewan RCMP say investigations are ongoing into the homicides on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation and the firearms incident on Zagime Anishinabek, as police work to determine whether the two cases are connected.

RCMP Major Crimes and Forensic Identification Services remain on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, continuing to collect evidence. Residents may notice an increased police presence in the area.

A federal unit that tracks suspected foreign interference has uncovered a "co-ordinated and malicious" effort — possibly launched by China — against Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland.

Rapid Response Mechanism Canada, based at Global Affairs Canada, is monitoring cyberspace for signs of state-sponsored information manipulation on behalf of the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force. 

The government recently announced the task force, which is usually active during election campaigns, would operate during the Liberal leadership contest.

Donald Trump is not joking when he says he'd like to make Canada the 51st state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, adding that the U.S. president's annexation plans are related to Canada's supply of critical minerals.

Trudeau made the remarks to more than 100 business, labour and industry leaders who were invited to an economic summit in Toronto hosted by the government and its advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations.

Estevan Police Service officers were involved in multiple incidents this week, including assisting RCMP, conducting a wellness check, and investigating a stolen vehicle.

On Feb. 4, EPS members assisted the Carlyle RCMP in attempting to locate an individual believed to be in Estevan. It was determined the individual was not in Estevan and was returning to the Carlyle RCMP’s jurisdiction.

The Redvers & District Recreation Centre has received $10,000 in donations to improve safety at one of its ball diamonds. Kingston Midstream and Tundra Oil & Gas each contributed $5,000 to the ball diamond backstop extension project. 

Recreation director Nadine Pryde said the project aims to reduce the number of foul balls leaving the field, ensuring a safer environment for players and spectators.

“We’re extending the backstop to reduce the number of foul balls leaving the field,” Pryde said. “Safety is our top priority in the community.”

Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.4 per cent in January, tying with Quebec for the lowest in Canada, as the province added nearly 10,000 jobs over the past year. However, southeastern Saskatchewan saw job losses, and a decline in the labour force contributed to the province’s lower unemployment rate, according to Statistics Canada.

The provincial unemployment rate fell from six per cent the previous month and remained well below the national average of 6.6 per cent. Saskatchewan added 9,900 jobs compared to January 2024.

Sacha joins Courtney Fielder on the Canadian Country Showcase this weekend! She'll take us behind the scenes of her 2024 hit "Hey Mom, I Made It" and introduce her brand-new single, "Til I Don't." Plus, we’re throwing it back to this week in 2019 with a #1 hit you won’t want to miss.

Tune in to the Canadian Country Showcase every Saturday at 12 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m., exclusively on the Golden West Country Network.

The winter months often come with uncertainty regarding road conditions and driving safety, a resource many drivers rely on is the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline. However, it isn’t always fully accurate. Dan Palmer with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways explains the hotline is updates based on reports by plow drivers and equipment operators on the move, and conditions change quickly.