Estevan

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.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated the federal government would be putting a pause on the GST on a number of items, such as nearly all foods, select alcoholic beverages, children’s clothing, and diapers, over the holiday season. The pause, if it passes through Parliament, would take effect December 15th.  

Conservative Souris-Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen said the move is one of desperation by the federal government as the Prime Minister flounders around. 

The Estevan Salvation Army is gearing up for its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign, aiming to provide vital support to the community during the holiday season. Kettles will be stationed at key locations throughout the city, including Southern Plains Co-op, No Frills, and Walmart, starting December 2 and running until Christmas Eve.

Ronza Reynard, community ministries director for the Estevan Salvation Army, shared details about the upcoming kettle campaign:

The city of Estevan is taking a look back at the recent municipal election to see what went right and what could be better next time.

In the election, 2,695 ballots were cast, which included six votes for councillor and one for mayor, with the following vote totals for those who attained office:

The Government of Saskatchewan is shining a spotlight on addiction treatment and recovery by marking November 24 to 30 as National Addictions Awareness Week, highlighting progress under its mental health and addictions action plan.

“This week is an opportunity to talk about the harm caused by addictions, as well as treatment and recovery options for those who are struggling,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said.

With a new council having their first meeting earlier this week, other organizations around the city are getting used to a shakeup in Estevan's management.

That includes the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, which has an interest in keeping an eye on what the city is doing for businesses.

Executive Director Merissa Scarlett says that she's optimistic about the makeup of the new city council.

Canada could see a new update to how it manages poultry as farm organizations manage the Poultry Code of Practice.

That code, managed by the National Farm Animal Care Council, relates to poultry and egg producers in Canada in regards to best practices and policies.

Jackie Wepruk, the division director for the NFACC, says it's a wide-ranging code important for the industry.

This December, Southeast Saskatchewan won’t need to travel far to experience the excitement of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The Estevan Exhibition Association is hosting Where Vegas Meets Country, a three-day extravaganza inspired by the iconic Las Vegas event. Kicking off on December 5, the celebration offers something for everyone.