WestCentral

The Saskatchewan Public Health Authority has declared the former Richmound School unfit for habitation due to unsanitary conditions. 

Posted at the front gate, a notice from the SPHA declared that the facilities were not connected to a lawfully operating sewage system. As such, in accordance with The Public Health Act, 1994, the building has officially been declared as unfit for habitation. 

Insured damage from wildfires that swept across Manitoba and Saskatchewan this spring and summer is approaching $300 million, according to estimates released Thursday by Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ).

Amendments to Saskatchewan’s employment standards will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, introducing changes aimed at supporting both workers and employers, the provincial government announced Thursday.

“Having effective employment legislation in place is critical for Saskatchewan’s strong economy and secure future,” Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Jim Reiter said. “This legislation strikes the right balance for both workers and employers.”

Key changes under the amended provisions of The Saskatchewan Employment Act include:

The first day of school came with a few extra patrols from police as monitored school zone activity to ward off any poor driving behavior.

The Biggar RCMP were no different, as Sgt. Dereck Crozier gave this back-to-school reminder in the detachment's most recent report.

"It is that time of year again to remined ourselves with school zone safety while passing through or dropping off children. Slow down and be prepared to stop for the unanticipated actions of young ones.

A new report argues the rise of gig work, artificial intelligence and rapid population growth are souring job prospects for Canada's youngest workers.

The Desjardins Economics report, released Thursday, comes as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre cites decades-high youth unemployment levels to attack an immigration program for temporary foreign workers.

Statistics Canada's latest labour force survey shows the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 hit 14.6 per cent in July — a nearly 15-year high outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drought-stricken parts of Canada could be in for some underwhelming fall foliage if stressed trees lose out on the energy needed to generate some of the season's most brilliant colours, experts say. 

Biology professor Susan Dudley at McMaster University says trees in dried out parts of the country could see their leaves die off rather than turn red. 

"I can't look at it and make a prediction for a good fall foliage season at all," she said. 

A trade delegation for Asia is set to leave on Saturday (September 6).  

The focus of the trip is on relationship building and trade engagement with government officials and industry stakeholders in China, Japan and South Korea.  China imposed a 75.8 per cent tariff on canola seed last month on top of tariffs already in place for canola oil, meal, peas, pork and seafood. 

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is leading the delegation that includes his Trade and Export Minister Warren Kaeding, and Prime Minister Carney's Parliamentary Secretary Kody Blois. 

The self-proclaimed "Queen of Canada," Romana Didulo, made her first court appearance Friday morning in Swift Current.

Didulo, who was arrested by Saskatchewan RCMP on Wednesday during a raid of the former Richmound School, and re-arrested on Thursday, appeared before Judge Alan Jacobson.

As the breeding season for prairie birds winds down, attention is shifting to another winged traveler making its mark in Saskatchewan, the monarch butterfly.

The well-known species undertakes a migration of nearly 6,000 miles each year, a journey completed over four generations. Saskatchewan sits at the northern edge of their range, hosting several generations each summer from June until frost arrives in September.

As students across Canada return to classrooms this fall, the federal government is investing in education affordability and career supports to help young Canadians prepare for the workforce.