WestCentral

Saskatchewan RCMP are warning the public about an inaccurate AI-generated image circulating online, based on a police sketch of a suspect in a sexual assault investigation south of Saskatoon.

In a public advisory issued Saturday afternoon, the RCMP said the AI image—created and shared by social media users—does not match the descriptors provided by witnesses and should not be shared further.

A bear sighting around Biggar recently caused some major hubbub in and around the community.

Online accounts share that it was first spotted May 19 in the RM of Biggar, before someone managed to capture pictures in Biggar between the blocks of 2nd and 3rd, and also 5th Ave East on May 20. After that the bear was spotted on Highway #14 between Kinley and Perdue on Saturday morning with the animal running south of the highway.

Even the Biggar RCMP made note of the animal. 

"Is that a bear in town!" jokingly alarmed Sgt. Crozier in the detachment's latest report.

MPs are returning to Ottawa for the opening of the 45th session of Parliament, and among them is Alberta Foothills MP John Barlow, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food. Barlow is gearing up for what he describes as a challenging time for both the country and the agriculture sector, particularly due to ongoing trade and tariff issues.

King Charles is set to open a new session of Parliament on Tuesday, seated in a throne that incorporates a piece of English walnut from Windsor Great Park, a preserve of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

The Royal Family connection is especially appropriate given that the Queen was the first sovereign to deliver a speech from the throne in Canada, a role usually fulfilled by the Governor General.

Talks between Canada Post and negotiators from its union are expected to resume over the next few days, its union said Sunday after the two parties met amid warnings of mail delivery delays tied to a national ban on overtime for postal workers.

In an afternoon statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiators had "worked hard to carefully evaluate" Canada Post's latest offers and prepare responses ahead of the day's meeting with the employer and the mediators. 

Saskatchewan’s retail sector continues to climb, recording an 8.2 per cent year-over-year increase in retail trade sales from March 2024 to March 2025, according to seasonally adjusted figures. The growth places the province second among all provinces in retail trade performance.

Saskatchewan RCMP is renewing its call for safe driving after two separate collisions this week involving impaired drivers and police vehicles.

No injuries were reported in either incident, but both police vehicles were damaged, one of them severely enough to be rendered undriveable.

From a serious highway collision near Tessier to explosive allegations in a human trafficking trial unfolding in Rosetown, it's been a week of major developments in west central Saskatchewan. New mammogram machines aim to improve breast cancer screening access, a Macklin woman faces drug trafficking charges, and more details emerge from a disturbing court case alleging exploitation. Here's a look at the top five stories shaping the region this week.

Swift Current Municipal RCMP is searching for the culprit behind a robbery in Swift Current.

The man entered a business on the 300 block of Central Avenue North, dressed in a black mask, sunglasses, a black hoodie with stripes on the arms, black pants, and black gloves with skulls on them. 

The individual is described as somewhere between 5'6" and 5'9", with a thin build. 

Upon entry into the business, he demanded cash from an employee. After obtaining an undisclosed amount, he proceeded to vacate the building on foot. 

Among the tour groups converging on Parliament Hill under umbrellas this week, new and newly re-elected members of Parliament are getting acquainted with their offices and colleagues ahead of the opening of the House of Commons this week. 

The first order of business for MPs is the selection of a new House Speaker on Monday morning, and at least six returning members are asking their colleagues to support their bid to take the chair.