Estevan

Unity among provinces and the federal government is critical in the face of the grave challenge posed by the threat of massive new import tariffs from Canada's closest trading partner, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday following an emergency first ministers' meeting.

Health officials say a hiker reported missing in the wilds of northern British Columbia more than five weeks ago is on the path to recovery after being found alive amid frigid conditions.

Northern Rockies RCMP said that Sam Benastick was spotted on Tuesday when he flagged down two workers on a trail to Redfern Lake, which is about 250 kilometres southwest of Fort Nelson.

The workers recognized 20-year-old Benastick and took him to hospital, where police confirmed he was the missing hiker.

He had spent 50 days in the freezing wilderness. 

Each year, the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation spreads festive cheer to local care homes with its Festival of Trees Christmas Tea Parties.

Lori Gervais, executive director of the foundation, said, "We started delivering our tea parties to the care homes during the first year of COVID, and it turned out to be a much better situation for the residents. Transporting everyone to the event site was challenging for those who needed extra services. Bringing the tea parties to them made all the difference."

Farmers across Manitoba are set to benefit from a substantial investment in the province's agricultural research. Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) and Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) have jointly committed $691,591 to support the Manitoba Diversification Centres.

The Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins are looking at a pair of weekend games that could get them back on track to a playoff berth this weekend.

The first of those will be in Carlyle, with the team facing off against the Notre Dame Hounds on Friday. Then they're home to take on the Weyburn Red Wings on Saturday.

Estevan will not be hosting the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, according to a new release from the Estevan Curling Club.

Curling Canada notified ECC that despite putting forward a compelling bid, the organization decided to move forward with another city, with that announcement set to be made soon.

The Center for Addiction and Mental Health says responders have fielded more than 300,000 calls and texts since the launch of the national 988 suicide helpline a year ago. 

Dr. Allison Crawford, the chief medical officer for the helpline, says people having suicidal thoughts or other mental health distress can get help 24 hours a day, seven days a week no matter where they live in Canada. 

She expects the volume of calls and texts will go up as more people become aware of the service.  

Operation Christmas Child 2024 brought the spirit of giving to the Estevan region, with over 500 shoeboxes packed for children in need—an increase from last year’s efforts.

Jillian Ursu, the drop-off team lead for Operation Christmas Child in the Estevan area, said the collection week went well, surpassing last year’s numbers.

“We went from about 400 last year to over 500 this year. We had 501 total,” she said.

Ursu, who has served in this role for 11 years, noted that the most shoeboxes ever collected in the area was 1,450.

With the province making its priorities known for the upcoming terms, organizations like SUMA are looking to get their own opinions on how the government should be growing.

During their throne speech, the province focused on healthcare, education, and affordability to help people in Saskatchewan.

Jean-Marc Nadeau, CEO of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, talks about their reaction to the government's proclamation.

The federal government says it is not planning to intervene to resolve the labour dispute at Canada Post, even with less than a month to go before Christmas.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said sending the matter to binding arbitration "is not in the cards," even though he invoked that authority only a few weeks ago to resolve the ports dispute and a few months ago to resolve the rail dispute.