WestCentral

Seeding progress around west-central Saskatchewan is going as expected. Producers aren't ahead, or behind, instead perfectly in line with the five-year-average (2020-2024) of 11 per cent.

SaskPower customers south of Unity might need to plan ahead for a few hours without power on Monday night.

The planned outage is scheduled for between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM, affecting rural customers south of Unity to Muddy Lake. Each of the Unity, Unity-Tramping Lake, and Unity-Luseland power grids are included in Monday's work.

The Saskatchewan government is increasing funding for programs and services that support adults with intellectual disabilities as part of its 2025-26 budget.

An additional $9.7 million will go toward enhancing residential and day programs, supporting youth transitioning into adult services, and operating newly built group homes. The province says the funding will benefit 215 individuals with intellectual disabilities by meeting their changing needs.

From courtroom developments to cosmic displays, it was a week of major headlines across west central Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan’s economy led the charge nationally with the second-highest GDP growth in 2024, while night skies dazzled with meteors from Halley’s Comet. In the justice system, a well-known rodeo figure was sentenced for sexual assault, and two high-profile fraud and theft cases moved forward in Kindersley court. Here's a look at the top five stories making news this week.

Women in Saskatchewan will have better access to breast cancer screening thanks to new mammography machines added in Regina and Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has expanded its breast screening capacity by adding a new machine at each of its locations in the two cities. The upgrades are expected to improve wait times and accommodate more clients, particularly as eligibility for screening is set to expand in 2025 and 2026.

In a passionate address to Albertans earlier this week, Premier Danielle Smith outlined her vision for Alberta's future within Canada, addressing the province's frustrations with federal policies and the ongoing tensions between Alberta and Ottawa.

The federal government expects to spend about $7 million this fiscal year to store and maintain four custom-made, portable hospitals that cost taxpayers more than $200 million to buy — facilities meant to bolster overwhelmed hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic that were barely used.

Early on in the pandemic, as the federal government moved at breakneck speed to respond to a global health crisis, it issued rush orders for these Mobile Health Units.

Indigenous groups in Canada say they want to see Pope Leo XIV continue the reconciliation work started by his predecessor, the late Pope Francis.

Francis was recognized as an ally of Canada's Indigenous Peoples and was known for advancing reconciliation efforts and apologizing — both in the Vatican and in Canada — for the Catholic Church's role in widespread abuses at residential schools.

His visit to Canada in 2022 was described as a "penitential pilgrimage" as Francis insisted on meeting with Indigenous survivors of residential schools and hearing their stories.

Alberta Sugar Beet Growers and Rogers Sugar have reached a new 5-year agreement.

The new supply agreement was announced in a press release on Friday.

Roger's Taber location is the only sugar beet processing facility in Canada. Established almost 75 years ago, the Taber facility is supported by approximately 200 Southern Alberta farm families, which supply the refinery with sugar beets. 

According to the ASBG website, those farms harvest about 900,000 tonnes of sugar beets annually, which are turned into 125,000 tonnes of sugar or nearly 2 million cups!

The first true week of May provided some great stories for our audience. 

Find a recap below as young people making an impact was a main theme this past week, the final feature story showcasing an interesting project with a local bar set to be the subject: