Estevan

Saskatchewan’s building construction investment rose by 5.7 per cent in November 2024 compared to October 2024, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada (seasonally adjusted).

The province ranks second among all provinces for month-over-month growth in this sector.

Year-over-year, building construction investment in Saskatchewan increased by 11.8 per cent from November 2023 to November 2024.

With winter comes lower temperatures and fewer hours of daylight which is attributed to a decrease in mental health. Lisa Hallberg is a manager with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Mental Health and Addiction Services team. She explains the way people respond to seasonal mental health challenges depends on personal stressors and coping mechanisms.  

The Beefeater Plaza was packed last night as the Estevan Community Wellness Committee hosted the inaugural Courage and Community Dinner, drawing nearly 300 attendees in support of the event.

The dinner, which coincided with Blue Monday — often called the saddest day of the year — aimed to unite community members and raise awareness about mental health resources.

Shelly Veroba, chair of the Community Wellness Group, described the event as a success, noting attendance exceeded expectations. “It went exactly how we wanted it to go,” she said.

Canada's annual inflation rate ticked lower in December, thanks in part to Ottawa's temporary GST tax break, but economists still see interest rate cuts on the horizon as potential tariffs loom.

Statistics Canada said Tuesday the annual inflation reading for December came in at 1.8 per cent, down from 1.9 per cent in November. 

The report noted restaurant food purchases and alcohol bought from stores contributed the most to the deceleration — items which were subject to the tax reprieve, along with children's clothes and toys, among others.

The Canadian Country Showcase, hosted by Courtney Fielder, airs every weekend on Saturdays at 12 PM and Sundays at 4 PM. Courtney engages in conversations with emerging country music artists and the established stars we’ve come to love, celebrating their milestones and new releases.

The U14 Lions Oilers are coming off a historic season under the leadership of first-year head coach Christian Pfeifer. Finishing with a 5-1 record, the team secured the top spot in the league before narrowly missing a championship game appearance. Their success culminated in a bowl game victory at home, earning them third place overall in the league.

"What we did last year with the Oilers, it was a lot of firsts for this team," Pfeifer said. "It was a very historical season for us. We've never had that kind of success at this level."

Some extremely cold weather is in the rearview for the southeast, as temperatures are expected to moderate starting today.

Environment Canada recorded those temperatures and compared them with some previous years, as a few areas got close to breaking records.

Meteorologist Chris Stammers says that they didn't quite make the mark in this system.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc says Donald Trump's suggestion that he will impose sweeping tariffs on Canada on Feb. 1 is "nothing new," and insists Canada has plans ready for several possible scenarios.

LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stepped out of a cabinet meeting in Montebello, Que. to deliver a statement to reassure Canadians after the newly installed U.S. president signed a stack of unrelated executive orders Monday evening.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested his administration could move ahead with with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports on Feb. 1. 

He delivered the deadline on Monday evening at the White House as he signed a stack of unrelated executive orders. 

"We are thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada because they are allowing vast number of people, Canada is a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in," he told reporters Monday night.

A new poll suggests more than a third of Canadians say they have no choice but to seek health information online because they don’t have access to a doctor, further highlighting challenges posed by an ongoing physician shortage. 

The online survey by the Canadian Medical Association and Abacus Data conducted last November found that 37 per cent of respondents used medical advice they found online because they couldn’t access a doctor or a medical professional for help.