Estevan

Estevan will vote on a new ice rink in a plebiscite during the upcoming election, seeking clear public input on whether a new ice surface is needed.

Councillor Tony Sernick introduced the motion, citing mixed reactions within the community. “Mostly the people who use the ice are in favour of it. I talked to a diverse group of people, and it’s probably about a 50/50 split out there,” Sernick said.

The appointment of longtime broadcaster Charles Adler to the Senate is being criticized in some quarters, including by a member of the federal cabinet.

Adler, who spent decades hosting talk-radio shows, was named to the Senate on the weekend by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and will represent Manitoba. 

Dan Vandal, the minister of northern affairs, has issued a brief one-sentence statement that says there are many Manitobans better suited to represent the province.

The Estevan Police Service (EPS) responded to more than 51 incidents over the weekend, including issuing six traffic violation tickets.

On Friday, August 16, EPS received a report of vehicles failing to stop at the corner of 16th Avenue and 2nd Street. Increased traffic due to the Downtown Revitalization Project has resulted in busier-than-usual intersections in the area. EPS reminds the public to obey all traffic signs and signals, noting that fines and related offences are significant and could result in demerit points.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association gave some participants in this week's Canadian Beef Industry Conference a taste of Saskatchewan.

CEO Grant McLellan says this is the first time the event has been held in Saskatchewan and they're excited to welcome everyone here.

He says the sold-out tour involved several stops at cattle operations around Saskatoon.

The tour stops focused on rotational grazing, Longhorns and a Farm-to-Fork business, a Simmental operation with a solar watering system, and a fifth generation farm established in 1906.

Conditions are favourable for a severe storm to pop up in the southeast according to a severe thunderstorm watch issued by Environment Canada.

In their release they expect the thunderstorm to last through the afternoon and evening.

That thunderstorm could produce strong winds, damaging hail, and severe rainfall.

They remind people to seek shelter if a thunderstorm is approaching and to keep an eye on the forecast.

The Teamster's Canadian Rail Conference (TCRC), a union representing members of both CN Rail and CPKC has given a 72-hour strike notice.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board set the date that strike action could occur as August 22, after finding that rail service was non-essential in Canada.

Earlier this month both CN and CPKC announced that they would be locking out employees on August 22, shutting down rail operations across Canada.

A couple more days of severe storms are in the forecast for the southeast as the current system remains unsettled.

Over the weekend the system even brought a tornado warning along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, though Environment Canada says there were no reported touchdowns.

Meteorologist Terri Lang explains that the week will be active with high temperatures and storms inbound.

Yes. It's true. 

Estevan Fire and Rescue tackled a series of emergency calls last week, ranging from false alarms to assisting in a multi-vehicle collision.

On August 13, Estevan Fire and Rescue (EFR) responded to a commercial fire alarm at a business on the north side of the city. The call was determined to be a false alarm caused by a malfunctioning detection device.