WestCentral

Gladys Osborne Obituary

1937 ~ 2024 (age 86)

It is with profound sadness that the family of Gladys Osborne announce her passing on

Saturday, October 5th, 2024, just shy of her 87th birthday.

Gladys will be lovingly remembered by her 4 children: Glenda (Chuck) Henne,

Deb (Pat) Holland, Brian Johnson, and Kevin Johnson.

Gladys was a beloved grandmother and GG to many.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 10th, 2024 at 2:00 P.M. at the United Church in Kindersley.

Kurt Holmes Obituary

1984 ~ 2024 (age 40)

It is with profound sadness that the family of Kurt Holmes announce his sudden passing on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 at the young age of 40.

Kurt will be lovingly remembered by his fiancé Kara Blackburn;

his stepdaughter Ella; parents Garnet and Rhonda Holmes;

siblings Karly Holmes, Kyle (Amy) Holmes, Kendall (Nikeya) Holmes;

and niece and nephews Brooke, Krew and Rowe.

The Elrose Museum hosted its highly anticipated annual Pie Social and Silent Auction on the evening of September 27, drawing locals for a sweet taste of community spirit. For just $5, attendees enjoyed a slice of homemade pie and a beverage while mingling with friends and neighbours. From 7 to 9 p.m., guests sampled a variety of pies, each offering a little taste of home, while bidding on unique items in the silent auction, which ended at 8:30 p.m.

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.

Here is a look at some of the major developments in Canada related to the conflict.

Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas-led militants launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages. The attacks, followed hours later by Israeli counterattacks in the Gaza Strip, marked the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war. 

The Saskatchewan Junior Female Hockey League (SJFHL) has officially launched its second season, bringing high-level competition and excitement to rinks across the province. This season, 125 talented players, aged 18 to 22, are competing on six teams, showcasing the growing popularity of female hockey in Saskatchewan.

This past weekend, Netherhill’s own Roxana Spicer captivated a full house with standing-room-only in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, as she promoted her new book, The Traitor's Daughter. The book masterfully recounts a daughter's decades-long journey to understand the extraordinary life of her mother, Agnes Spicer, who was born in Lenin's Soviet Union, served as a combat soldier in the Red Army, and survived three years of Nazi captivity—though she kept her darkest secrets hidden.

Thousands of kids across Canada benefit from 4-H programming each year.

Ben Graham, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation says 4-H has an enormous impact on our youth.

"It's about team building, learning parliamentary procedure, how you run a meeting, and how to public speak. It's about how to manage projects, whether it's computers or dogs - canine, whether it's beef cattle. It's a real diverse opportunity for kids to learn skills that help them become better leaders and contributors to their community."

Beyond Ready is this year's theme for National 4-H Week.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.

Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:

He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.

Farmers are making some good progress with the harvest. 

The latest crop reports show in Manitoba, 73 per cent of the provincial crop is now in. 

This week's crop report shows there's still some spring wheat, barley and oats to come in.

The canola harvest is now at 78 percent complete, dry beans are at 60 per cent, soybeans at 29 percent,  17 per cent of the flax is now in with the corn harvest just getting underway in Eastern Manitoba.

In Saskatchewan, 91 per cent of the crop is now in with harvest most advanced in the southwest at 99  per cent complete.

Healthcare workers at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital (RUH) are urgently calling for reforms after the hospital's emergency department reached a staggering 350 percent capacity last week. The crisis hit a critical point when staff struggled to care for 121 patients in a space designed for only 35 beds, highlighting a growing emergency access issue that’s plaguing both urban and rural healthcare systems in Saskatchewan.