Larissa McEwen

The Government of Saskatchewan’s latest Crown oil and natural gas public offering was held Tuesday, bringing in approximately $3.04 million for the province, with the Estevan area generating the most revenue.

A total of 29 parcels were up for sale, with 25 receiving acceptable bids. The sales covered 2,754 hectares.

The Estevan area attracted the most financial interest, generating approximately $2.75 million for 16 leases covering 1,684 hectares.

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.

Communities, First Nations, schools, and non-profits in Saskatchewan can apply for the annual Community Rink Affordability Grant starting January 6, 2025, with the opportunity to receive $2,500 per indoor ice surface to help offset operating costs.

With a snowfall warning in effect a while now, it’s a good time to brush up on snow shovelling safety tips to avoid injury.

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), snow shovelling often catches people off guard, leading them to rush through the task, which can result in issues such as cold exposure, fatigue, muscular strains, and even serious injuries, particularly to the lower back.

The intake period for the Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative opened today, offering cost-shared grants to encourage municipalities to collaborate on building and growing communities across Saskatchewan.

The TSS initiative provides grants to support municipalities working together on projects aimed at improving municipal service delivery, governance, and administrative capacity. The four funding streams are capacity building, regional cooperation and municipal corporate transitioning, relationship building, and dispute resolution.

The provincial government has introduced legislation to extend the carbon tax exemption on home heating, fulfilling a campaign promise made during the recent Saskatchewan election.

Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskEnergy, tabled The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act, 2024 on Monday.

The intake period for the Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative opened today, offering cost-shared grants to encourage municipalities to collaborate on building and growing communities across Saskatchewan.

The TSS initiative provides grants to support municipalities working together on projects aimed at improving municipal service delivery, governance, and administrative capacity. The four funding streams are capacity building, regional cooperation and municipal corporate transitioning, relationship building, and dispute resolution.

As of 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2025, the hours of operation at 35 land ports of entry across Canada will be adjusted.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the changes Monday, calling them a collaborative effort with the United States to enhance security for both countries. The CBSA said the adjustments would also help allocate resources more efficiently by concentrating officers at busier ports of entry. This is expected to improve the processing of travellers and goods while bolstering enforcement activities.

The provincial government announced Monday that more cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in Saskatchewan are now eligible for Trikafta, a medication that improves lung function.

The expanded coverage, which took effect on Nov. 15, now includes patients with one of 152 rare genetic mutations that respond to the drug. This change will cover most CF patients in the province.

The decision follows a Nov. 4 recommendation from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, which called on jurisdictions to expand Trikafta coverage to include these rare genetic mutations.

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and family violence in Saskatchewan surpassed both provincial and national averages in 2023, according to newly released data from the Saskatchewan RCMP.

The RCMP reported 813 incidents of IPV and 890 cases of family violence per 100,000 people last year. In comparison, the provincial averages were 710 for IPV and 741 for family violence per 100,000. These figures are part of a nationwide increase in such violence, as highlighted in a report by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics released on October 24, 2024.