WestCentral

With harvest just getting underway across the Prairies, farmers are being reminded to think about safety when working with grain. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is urging farmers to prioritize safety around grain handling with the launch of its fifth annual Be Grain Safe Week.

Air Canada flight attendants are expected to picket at airports in four major Canadian cities on Monday in what their union is calling a national day of action.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says demonstrations are expected to take place at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport, all at 1 p.m. ET. 

Heartland Livestock Services announced the closure July 25; the Brandon auction mart has been a historic standby for Manitoba beef producers selling their cattle

Manitoba’s livestock producers have one less place to sell their animals.

Heartland Livestock Services announced July 25 that they are closing their Brandon location.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's popularity may be cooling off in the summer but remains broadly positive, a new poll from Abacus Data suggests.

The Carney-led Liberal government's approval rating dipped to 50 per cent in the firm's latest polling, down two percentage points compared to mid-July and the lowest level since March.

With 48 per cent viewing Carney favourably and 19 per cent disapproving, the prime minister maintains a positive net approval. That figure is a couple percentage points lower than in Abacus's previous poll.

They have a bad reputation thanks to carrying 'weapons' on their bums — but wasps are doing more for the prairie ecosystem than most people realize. Dr. James Tansey, an entomologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, says stinging wasps like yellowjackets and bald-faced hornets are actually important contributors to biodiversity.

Here’s a look at the top five most-read stories on West Central Online from July 31 to August 7. From a man arrested for trying to ignite cars and trees in Saskatoon, to a Biggar boat repair saga that ended with a refund after police got involved, these stories captured local attention. Tragic news included the death of a Saskatchewan teen in a rollover crash near Morrin, Alta., and the outpouring of community support for his family in Eatonia.

Saskatchewan’s economy continues to outpace the rest of the country, with 22,200 full-time jobs added year over year in July, according to the latest labour force data from Statistics Canada.

The province now holds the lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 5.0 per cent, well below the national average of 6.9 per cent. While other provinces experienced modest employment growth or declines, Saskatchewan led the nation in job gains.

After years of navigating crater-sized potholes and mounting safety concerns, visitors to the Kindersley Health Centre can now park without worry, thanks to a grassroots effort that turned frustration into fresh pavement.

The treacherous parking lot at the Kindersley Hospital and Manor has finally been resurfaced, not through government support, but through old-fashioned rural resolve and generosity.

Despite repeated efforts, the Saskatchewan Health Authority did not allocate funds for the long-needed repairs. That’s when the community stepped in.

Two men are facing numerous charges following a drug trafficking investigation led by Saskatchewan RCMP’s Battlefords Crime Reduction Team-Gang Task Force (CRT-GTF), part of the Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERT).

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways is keen to remind rural residents and land owners that all hay bales must be removed from ditches.

After Friday, August 8, any bales in ditches are subject to being disposed of or removed at the discretion of the Ministry of Highways. 

David Horth, director of communications for Saskatchewan's Ministry of Highways, shared that bale removal allows for hay salvage and mowing, which helps control harmful weed growth, provides free hay to farmers, improves visibility, and more.