Steven Wilson

The latest job figures for the nation were released by Statistics Canada Friday morning. While the national unemployment rate was unchanged, and the provincial unemployment rate was down substantially, when adjusted for seasonality, here in the southeast the unemployment number was slightly up.  

The most recent public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights was held Tuesday. The sale, which saw 152 leases across the province and 5 licenses up for bid, brought in $11,048,882 in revenue for the provincial government. This was down by $5.6 million from the sale that was held in August.  

Of the 152 leases that were posted, 104 were sold, and three of the available licenses were sold. The average bid per hectare for the leases was $483.03 and $823.00 for the licenses. 

Harvest is nearly wrapped up in southeast Saskatchewan. The weekly crop report from the provincial Ministry of Agriculture showed that 93 percent of the crop in the region is in the bin. This is on par with the five-year average, but slightly behind the provincial average of 95 percent. 

Earlier this week, the members of the House of Commons elected a new speaker. Greg Fergus was tapped for the role after Anthony Rota stepped down.  

“It’s a process that has to be followed,” explained Souris Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen. Without a speaker, the House can’t sit.” The vote required all members in attendance, as the vote is done through a ranked ballot. Fergus was elected on the first ballot. 

With October now here, the first week of the month most commonly associated with fall is starting out very different from the previous month. While we saw temperatures well above normal in September, temperatures below seasonal are expected for the coming few days.  

Rain started in the early morning hours Tuesday and continued for much of the day, into the evening hours. Environment Canada recorded 28.1 millimetres in Estevan on Tuesday.

A rare species of bee that was last seen in Saskatchewan in the 1950s, and was once considered extinct, has again been found in Saskatchewan.  

Researchers at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum announced Wednesday they had found, for the first time since 1955, a specimen of the Macropis Cuckoo Bee in Saskatchewan. The specimen had been collected during a BioBlitz near Grassland National Park in 2013 but was cataloged and confirmed as being the rare species this summer.  

The population of Saskatchewan continues to reach new heights. 

Statistics Canada released the quarterly population estimates for the 2nd quarter of the year, which ended on June 30th, Wednesday morning. The numbers showed the growth year over year from the second quarter of 2022 is the largest single-year increase the province has seen in more than a century.  

The population of Saskatchewan continues to reach new heights. 

Statistics Canada released the quarterly population estimates for the 2nd quarter of the year, which ended on June 30th, Wednesday morning. The numbers showed the growth year over year from the second quarter of 2022 is the largest single-year increase the province has seen in more than a century.  

The man who was charged in the death of an RCMP officer in 2021 has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.  

Alphonse Stanley Traverse, a 43-year-old originally from Winnipeg, was originally charged with manslaughter in the death of Constable Shelby Patton in Wolseley in June of 2021. The charge was upgraded to first-degree murder after his preliminary hearing, which was held in Regina in November of 2021.  

A rare species of bee that was last seen in Saskatchewan in the 1950s, and was once considered extinct, has again been found in Saskatchewan.  

Researchers at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum announced Wednesday they had found, for the first time since 1955, a specimen of the Macropis Cuckoo Bee in Saskatchewan. The specimen had been collected during a BioBlitz near Grassland National Park in 2013 but was cataloged and confirmed as being the rare species this summer.