Scott Boulton

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is moving back to its routine infection prevention and control protocols starting today.

That includes masking, which will no longer be required for patients/residents, staff, or visitors. Masking will be optional in all SHA facilities including administrative offices, hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. 

Personal protective equipment which may include masks, gowns, or gloves, will still be required for staff and visitors during outbreaks or in specific high-risk clinical areas as per SHA infection control policies.

The CBSA is restoring its border crossing hours across the country, setting those back to where they were before the COVID pandemic.

In the southeast, those will go back to the regular times depending on daylight savings.

CARIEVALE, ESTEVAN HIGHWAY, NORTHGATE, AND OUNGRE

• 8 am to 9 pm (2nd Sunday in March to the first Saturday in November)
• 9 am to 10 pm (remainder of the year)
• 7 days a week

In the southwest, those hours will be adjusted seasonally.

Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada has released their What We Heard Report today, the result of consultations on the announced national target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

That had the federal government looking at a voluntary 30% reduction in emissions associated with fertilizer application by 2030.

Over 2,000 submissions were received through online consultation, technical workshops, and town hall meetings between March and October 2022, with input being received from farmers, business owners, and members of the public.

Saskatchewan municipalities watched as the province released its budget this week, hoping that their wishlist of funding for programs would be fulfilled.

Ray Orb, the president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said that there were a lot of good things to take from this year's budget.

That includes a raise to the amount of money they'll be receiving from the province.

Conservation officers are seeing people on vehicles interact with animals "inappropriately" as spring begins and they're calling out that behaviour.

It can be tempting to get a closer look at some of those animals, with some people using ATVs and snowmobiles to chase them down.

Harassing animals can carry a charge in Saskatchewan, costing as much as $2,000 and carrying the possible forfeiture of any vehicle used.

Saskatchewan is introducing some new reforms to its bail system, following meetings on the same topic between justice ministers.

Last week, Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre joined a meeting between the Federal Justice Minister David Lametti and her provincial and territorial counterparts, discussing the current bail system.

After the meeting, Minister Lametti announced a commitment to "move forward quickly on targeted reforms to the Criminal Code on bail,", calling the meeting a "good faith collaboration".

The Saskatchewan NDP invited some childcare program directors to the legislature yesterday, who have taken issue with a change they say will hamper smaller programs.

The Saskatchewan government announced that on April 1st, full-time daycares would reach that $10-a-day goal, but that would not apply to part-time or drop-in childcare programs.

In addition, the announcement meant that part-time and drop-in spaces would not be receiving the same subsidized fees as full-time spaces would as of June 1.

The Saskatchewan NDP invited some childcare program directors to the legislature yesterday, who have taken issue with a change they say will hamper smaller programs.

The Saskatchewan government announced that on April 1st, full-time daycares would reach that $10-a-day goal, but that would not apply to part-time or drop-in childcare programs.

In addition, the announcement meant that part-time and drop-in spaces would not be receiving the same subsidized fees as full-time spaces would as of June 1.

The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are announcing that parent fees for regulated child care in the province will be reduced to $10 a day starting April 1, 2023.

Saskatchewan is one of the first Canadian provinces to achieve this milestone, which is three years ahead of schedule as outlined earlier this year to bring down child care fees to $10 day by 2025-26.

The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are announcing that parent fees for regulated child care in the province will be reduced to $10 a day starting April 1, 2023.

Saskatchewan is one of the first Canadian provinces to achieve this milestone, which is three years ahead of schedule as outlined earlier this year to bring down childcare fees to $10 per day by 2025-26.