Estevan

The school year is fast approaching as summer ends this week, with teachers, students, and parents all working to get ready for the return to classes. For many of those schools, they'll hope to engage students with a whole new year of events, classes, and more to keep them learning.

Christa Walton, Vice Principal and Learning Facilitator at Sacred Heart School, says they're hoping to reconnect with the community following the summer.

The Boundary Dam and Shand power stations are looking to secure a 5-year term for cafeteria and catering services, starting Oct. 1, 2025. These services will support the daily needs of employees and contractors working at the sites. SaskPower is hosting a competitive bid process through MERX that will close on September 16, 2025. Interested vendors are encouraged to attend an optional site meeting at each location.

For more information, visit merx.com and search “SaskPower” or contact:

Email: procurementinquiries@saskpower.com

The province is once again giving livestock producers on crown land the opportunity to apply for the Crown Grazing Lease Rental Reduction Program.

Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison says, given the dry conditions throughout most of the grazing season, they are once again offering the program for producers.

"Crown grazing land lessees who have reduced the number of animals grazing on the land are eligible to apply (by the October 31st deadline) for a rent reduction for the 2025 grazing season.To be eligible, the lessee must reduce their stocking rate by 20 per cent."

As late summer brings an increase in wildlife encounters, from young raptors learning to hunt to bats ending up in strange places, the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan is reminding residents that expert advice is just a phone call away. The organization, which expects to field over 4,000 calls this year, is also putting out a special call for volunteers in the southeast. 

In southeastern Saskatchewan, Ocean Man First Nation and Southeast College are partnering to provide programs that help residents grow their skills and strengthen the community. Council member and health counselor Frederick Big Eagle recently participated, focusing on improving his computer and counseling abilities to better serve his community.

Some areas in Saskatchewan have been seeing a recent impact on gas prices, as summer winds down, and gas will soon switch back to winter-blend. In the meantime, gas stations have seen a short-term bump thanks to a recent happening south of the border.

GasBuddy Senior Petroleum Analyst Matt McClain talks about a recent refinery affecting gas prices.

This summer, the Estevan Public Youth Centre (EPYC) welcomed Osama Kamel as a summer student, where he took on a leadership role coordinating youth events and helping build a vibrant, supportive environment. From sports in the parking lot to themed contests and trivia nights, Osama’s creativity and enthusiasm made a lasting impression.

“My summer so far has been amazing,” Osama shared. “I really loved and enjoyed working with both the staff and all the youth. I wanted to come in with a positive attitude and kind of bring up the morale, and I feel that I did.”

The Souris Valley Museum wrapped up a vibrant summer filled with themed camps and community engagement. From July 2 to August 22, over 200 children aged 3 to 12 participated in eight weeks of creative programming. Themes like Mission Impossible, Amazing Pioneer Race, Camp Olympics, and Christmas in July kept kids entertained with crafts, games, scavenger hunts, and outdoor activities.

After 35 years behind the plate, Estevan’s Braden Lonsberry continues to prove why he’s one of Saskatchewan’s most respected baseball officials. This summer, he was selected to umpire at the Canadian Senior Men’s National Baseball Championship in Regina, his eighth national appearance and second time officiating at the senior level.

“I was one of 12 umpires and three supervisors,” Lonsberry said. “There were people from all over Canada, my roommate was from Quebec, and the other person on my crew was from Ontario.”

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he left Washington Wednesday with a sense that progress was made after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

"It was constructive in the sense it was an exchange of views that I think helped both us and the Americans understand the work we need to do to get, we hope, to an agreement," LeBlanc said in an interview with The Canadian Press after arriving in Montreal.