WestCentral

Canada Post says it has received strike notices from the union representing some 55,000 postal workers, with operations poised to shut down by the end of the week.

The Crown corporation says the union informed it that employees plan to hit the picket line starting Friday morning at midnight.

A work stoppage would affect millions of residents and businesses who typically receive more than two billion letters and roughly 300 million parcels a year via the service.

The Saskatchewan government is preparing for a potential strike by Canada Post workers that could begin as early as May 22.

Provincial ministries, Crown corporations and agencies have activated contingency plans to reduce service disruptions if mail delivery is halted.

Officials are urging clients, suppliers and businesses to sign up for direct deposit, as electronic payments will not be affected by any postal delays.

Ryan Straschnitzki's life has been an open book since he was seriously injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and his story is soon to be shown on TV.

The 26-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., was paralyzed from the chest down in 2018, when a semi-trailer ran a stop sign and barrelled into the path of the junior hockey team's bus in rural Saskatchewan. 

Sixteen people died and 13 were hurt.

As wildfire season begins across the province, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is urging residents to help safeguard their homes, cabins and other property by registering what it calls “Values At Risk.”

The initiative encourages people to report significant assets such as buildings, homes, docks or recreational properties that could be threatened by wildfire. This information allows wildfire managers to better prioritize their protection efforts.

Saskatchewan Agriculture is urging livestock producers to stay vigilant after laboratory testing confirmed anthrax as the cause of death in cattle in the Rural Municipality of Paynton No. 470.

The positive result was confirmed on May 13, prompting renewed warnings about the risks posed by the Bacillus anthracis bacterium, which can remain dormant in soil for decades. Officials say dry conditions, coupled with previous flooding or soil disturbance, can bring spores to the surface—particularly in sloughs and low-lying areas.

Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada's "steadfast and unwavering support" for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country's president on Saturday in Rome.

His meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of several sitdowns with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney — a devout Catholic — has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. The Prime Minister is making a concerted effort to meet with other G7 leaders ahead of the global summit Canada is hosting in Kananaskis, Alta., next month.

More Saskatchewan women will have faster access to life-saving breast cancer screening thanks to new mammography machines added in the province’s two largest cities.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has installed one additional mammogram machine at each of its breast screening centres in Regina and Saskatoon, improving access to screening services for women across the province.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said the new equipment—combined with the efforts of medical staff—will help deliver more timely care.

A new Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church has been appointed in Rome and has taken the name of Leo XIV. We spoke with Donald Bolen, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, to get his reaction.  

The new pope is Robert Francis Prevost, an American from Chicago who spent many years as a bishop in Peru, where he also holds citizenship.   

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has confirmed a minor tornado near Maple Creek on Saturday.  

The preliminarily rated EF0 tornado touched down about 20 kilometres south of Maple Creek at approximately 5:23 p.m.  

ECCC confirmed the tornado on Sunday at 11:16 a.m. after receiving a report of it and a photo.  

No reports of damage were shared with ECCC.   

Prime Minister Mark Carney had a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV Sunday afternoon at the Vatican following the pontiff's inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square.

Carney was seated in the second row with his wife Diana for the mass, in a section amongst other world leaders and heads of state.

The prime minister, who is a devout Catholic, was one of the few world leaders to kneel during the blessing of the Eucharist, and was spotted at two instances taking a picture of the Pope on his phone to mark the occasion — before the mass started and after it had concluded.