Estevan

Some premiers say they want to have more local control over the immigration system — but experts say what the system really needs is a national conversation on immigration reform that shores up public support.

"Most of the existing policies have been formulated on the fly without any evidence or serious impact evaluations of what the various classes of immigrants are, how they're performing economically and otherwise," said Michael Trebilcock, a retired academic and co-author of two books on immigration policy.

"So it's basically research-free."

Dominic LeBlanc said Sunday that he expects Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump will speak "over the next number of days" as the United States ratchets up pressure in trade talks.

The Canada-U.S. trade minister appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" and spoke about where talks stand between the two countries.

LeBlanc told host Margaret Brennan that while Canada is "disappointed" with Trump's new 35-per-cent tariffs, he is continuing to work toward a deal that would hopefully strike down trade restrictions between the nations.

The sights, sounds, and spirit of prairie life from decades past were on full display over the weekend at the annual Threshing Days in Midale, hosted by the Souris Valley Antique Association and Midale Museum.

The weekend kicked off with a popular pancake breakfast on Main Street, where visitors gathered before hopping on the “people mover” shuttle to the Heritage Village grounds. From there, the day unfolded with a packed schedule of hands-on demonstrations, heritage tours, and family activities.

Midale once again proved it knows how to put on a show as the D&P Moon Operating Bull Bash & Cabaret returned August 1st for its 17th annual run. Hosted by the Midale Rodeo Association and produced by Crossfire Bull riding, the night brought fierce bull riding, high-octane energy, and a sold-out crowd ready for Saskatchewan-style entertainment.

Standing in front of the Radville Marian Health Centre on Wednesday morning, NDP Health Critic Keith Jorgenson labelled the current state of rural healthcare in Saskatchewan a “summer of chaos,” as he addressed the 43 times the facility’s emergency room has been forced to close this year. 

Saskatchewan residents are being warned by the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) of a new round of impersonation scams on social media.

Using Premier Scott Moe's likeness and fake social media posts, these scams claim that the Premier endorses online investment platforms. As a result, the FCAA reminds Saskatchewan investors that the Premier does not endorse or advertise for any investment platforms.

Ottawa's new trade minister says he's looking to sign deals in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond — and to convince businesses to actually use the trade agreements Canada has already signed.

"My primary role as Canada's top salesman is to be out there hustling, opening doors for businesses and accessing new markets," Maninder Sidhu told The Canadian Press.

"My phone has been ringing with opportunities because people want to deal with reliable, stable trading partners."

The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act officially came into force on Friday.

The new legislation aims to enhance safety in urban public spaces by regulating the possession, transport and storage of items that may be used as street weapons. These include knives, hypodermic needles, machetes, bear spray and dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The Act only applies in municipalities and First Nations that choose to opt in. Those that do allow police to enforce consistent provincial rules. In areas that do not opt in, the legislation does not apply.

A recent open house introduced people to the new apartment buildings being built along Wellock Road, showing what would be brought to the community. The apartments would be a part of The Meadows development area, consisting of 7 12-plexes, consisting of a total of 84 units.

The apartments are being built by Sector 1 Construction, which would be managed by the development arm of the company, Verity Development. The entire unit would be owned by Essex Developments, which is working with Verity Development on the project.

Unionized workers at Canada Post have voted to reject the Crown corporation's latest contract offer.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Friday that 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers who voted were against the deal, while their rural and suburban colleagues were 69.4 per cent against.

The offer included wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years but also added part-time workers that Canada Post has said are necessary to keep the postal service afloat.

The union had urged the roughly 55,000 postal service workers it represents to reject the proposal.