WestCentral

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.

The union representing front-line RCMP members wants the force to ease requirements for foreign applicants to help attract experienced police officers from agencies like the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and counterparts in the United Kingdom and Australia.

The RCMP currently requires that applicants be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status in Canada. Applicants with permanent resident status must have lived in Canada as a permanent resident for three of the last five years.

Farm groups are asking for federal action on regulation and trade amid mounting financial pressures and tariff fears

Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture want governments to consider agriculture more often when setting priorities.

They are ramping up pressure on governments to prioritize agriculture in trade, regulation and disaster response as farmers face worsening drought and mounting financial strain.

A total of 73,080 trees have been planted in Narrow Hills Provincial Park as part of forest renewal efforts following a recent wildfire in northern Saskatchewan.

Five workers planted 60,120 jack pine trees and 12,960 white spruce trees between July 7 and 15, replenishing parts of the park burned by the fire.

The first week of August featured community, sport, and even politics dominating the top local stories for West Central Online.

Check out the West Central Week in Review for August 4-8 below:

Saskatchewan now boasts the highest per capita supply of licensed nurses in Western Canada and exceeds the national average, according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

From the dusty rangelands near Kyle to the bright lights of the National Finals Rodeo, Gary Rempel’s legacy in the rodeo world spans more than four decades, and it all started on the Matador Ranch.

After 45 years in the arena, Rempel has officially hung up his spurs, retiring as one of the most decorated and respected pickup men in rodeo history. His career included nine appearances at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), 21 selections to pick up at the Canadian Finals Rodeo,a record, and countless small-town rodeos where he says the heart of rodeo truly lives.

The Kindersley region generated more than $360,000 in Saskatchewan’s latest Crown oil and gas public offering, part of a provincial total that topped $24 million, the largest amount earned from such an offering in more than a decade.

The August 5 sale of oil and natural gas leases and exploration licences brought in $24,312,738.26 across the province, with the Estevan area accounting for the majority of that revenue. The Kindersley area ranked third, with bids totalling $360,130.44.

The songs of Saskatchewan’s native prairies are ringing a little louder this summer, thanks to the presence of two rare and remarkable birds, the Chestnut-collared Longspur and the Thick-billed Longspur.

Both species are colourful grassland songbirds and can be found across patches of native prairie in southern Saskatchewan, but they’re also facing serious risks. The Chestnut-collared Longspur is federally listed as endangered, while the Thick-billed Longspur is considered threatened.

Spotting either bird is a treat, telling them apart, however, is another story.

Canada's 2025 wildfire season is now the second-worst on record.

The latest figures posted by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre suggest the fires have torn through 72,000 square kilometres, an area roughly the size of New Brunswick.

That surpasses the next worst season in 1989 and is about half the area burned during the record-setting 2023 season, according to a federal database of wildfire seasons dating back to 1972.