With Country Thunder Saskatchewan wrapping up Sunday, the Saskatchewan RCMP have released their summary of calls for the four-day music festival. Officers responded to 156 calls for service between July 10th and 13th, a figure that police say was anticipated for an event that temporarily swells the population of the Craven area by thousands.
“The sheer volume of people at events like this means that we expect more calls for service, and venue campgrounds mean we have a greatly increased population in the area,” said S/Sgt. Kent Ashworth of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s South District Management Team in the release. He emphasized that extensive planning is a crucial part of the operational strategy to ensure public safety.
Over the weekend, enforcement actions resulted in four criminal charges for impaired driving and 40 roadside driving suspensions. Additionally, police laid two charges for assault and one for mischief related to property damage on the festival grounds.
This year's policing effort was notably a collaborative one. S/Sgt. Ashworth highlighted the crucial role of partner agencies in managing the event.
“The police preparation and planning for this event are truly impressive and include multiple Saskatchewan RCMP units and detachments, as well as collaboration with our partner agencies like the Saskatchewan Marshals Service, who provided traffic control during this year’s event, and SGI, which funded some of our traffic check stops,” Ashworth stated. “I would like to thank everyone who worked together to keep attendees of this event and local residents safe.”
The sentiment was echoed by the newly formed Saskatchewan Marshals Service, which was a visible presence assisting the RCMP.
“We were proud to work side by side with the RCMP in ensuring that Country Thunder Saskatchewan 2025 was a safe experience for everyone who attended,” added Saskatchewan Marshals Service Chief Rob Cameron.