Estevan

The countdown is on.

Estevan's residents will be voting for a new mayor and six council members in six days time. Since the call for nominations were announced back in September 25, residents have been chiming in with their opinions as to what the next City Council should focus on after the election. Outside of candidates canvassing various homes and businesses, voters have had two chances to hear from all 13 candidates as to what they're running for.

The Saskatchewan Party has announced their new cabinet for the upcoming term, with some new and old faces making up the roster.

Premier Scott Moe said in the announcement they'll be running a smaller cabinet this term.

"This is a new beginning - a new government with a new mandate from Saskatchewan voters, and today we have a new cabinet," Moe said. "I know every minister is looking forward to taking on their new responsibilities, addressing the opportunities and challenges that face Saskatchewan."

Drivers travelling east of Estevan may have seen a crash that caught their eye, with RCMP giving an update on the situation.

They say that on November 4, at approximately 6:50 p.m., Estevan RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway #18 and Highway #9, near Estevan.

Local officers responded with assistance from the Estevan Police Service, local fire, and EMS.  An investigation determined that two trucks collided with no physical injuries reported to police.

The Estevan RCMP continues to investigate.

The Estevan Market Mall celebrated its 50th anniversary last night, which coincided with the unveiling of its long-worked-on food court.

The event saw mall merchants and city representatives come out to take a look at the new addition and celebrate Estevan's long-standing mall.

Martin Blair, managing director of the Estevan Market Mall, says that the road to upgrading the mall had been full of work.

The Oxbow Public Library is marking Remembrance Day this week with programming focused on the symbol of the poppy.

Head librarian Megan Anderson shared details about the crafts, reading selections, and displays aimed at educating the community on the significance of Remembrance Day.

“Every week we have a different learning theme, and this one we are learning about poppies,” Anderson said. “Today is our first activity. We’re making a craft out of tissue paper, buttons, and a black-and-white photo, so it’ll look like someone is holding a poppy in their hands.”

Saskatchewan stepped up once again, as the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Radiothon raised $1,010,204 to improve care at Saskatchewan’s only children’s hospital. 

Broadcasting on 32 radio stations across the province on Tuesday and Wednesday, the radiothon aimed to raise funds for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation to purchase state-of-the-art cardiac and respiratory equipment. 

The Royal Canadian Legion branch in Montreal’s Verdun borough meets once a week in a community centre space it rents by the hour, less than 500 metres from the elegant brick building it sold over a decade ago when maintenance costs got too high. 

After years of rising rents, a forced move and general instability, its members are happy to have somewhere to meet. But president Darlene Harrison says one question keeps coming back: “When are we going to have our own home again?”

Stories passed down from elders tell how First Nations from afar would paddle their canoes to bathe in the hot springs on the territory of the Sts'ailes First Nation.

They believed the water contained medicine, said Sts'ailes Grand Chief William Charlie.

“Our people have been using it for tens of thousands of years," he said of the springs he called Qwólts, meaning boiling medicine water.

The Chief Executive Officer for Cereals Canada says a significant funding announcement will enable them to continue supporting markets around the world.

Dean Dias says they have received $7.3 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. He notes this substantial investment includes $6.6 million over three years from the AgriMarketing Program and $674,000 over five years from the AgriScience Program. 

The Estevan All Candidates Forum offered residents a final opportunity Wednesday to hear from mayoral and council candidates before the upcoming civic election.