Estevan

What began as a $2 million donation from Elaine Walkom in memory of her husband, Grant, has transformed into a community-wide effort to bring MRI services to Estevan. Last year’s Radiothon for Life raised over $185,000 in a single day, pushing the campaign total past $3.3 million. This year, with a $50,000 kickoff donation from Whitecap Resources and construction underway at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Foundation is just shy of $5.4 million raised—84% of the way to its goal.

The underground tunnels in Canada’s most notorious city have always been open to Americans, including rumoured hotshot gangsters – and they want to keep it that way.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw, along with other businesses in the city of roughly 35,000 people west of Regina, say they’re in line with a new campaign to welcome Canada’s southern neighbours at a time when tariffs have pushed elbows up.

It’s not personal, it’s just business.

“It’s typical of Moose Jaw, this open arms approach,” said Bobby Hill, general manager at the tunnels, in a recent interview.

The 18th annual Coal Country Run, held Saturday, brought the community together to celebrate fitness and fun under the bright sun. Despite the heat, participants and volunteers embraced the event, making it a success, said long-time organizer Debby Knight.

With some extreme heat in the rearview mirror, we're now looking at a return of seasonal conditions with a cooldown coming later this week. That'll be joined by a bit of moisture, though a system coming down ahead of time may deposit a little bit first.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Scientist Christy Climenhaga lays out the first bit of the week we're feeling right away.

"We see a better chance of some more showery weather, some more unsettled weather moving into the province, and a few low-pressure systems bringing in some showers."

The Estevan Police Service is investigating a homicide.

At around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a report of an assault at a residence on the 1400 block of 1st Street.

When officers arrived, they found three adult males at the scene. Two were arrested without incident and taken to the Estevan Police Service. EMS treated a 60-year-old male victim at the scene and transported him to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

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.   

The summer season is here with quite the weekend, and plenty of summer activities are now available around Estevan. Woodlawn Park is opening up soon, with the online bookings ready to welcome visitors in.

Maureen Daoust, the park manager at Woodlawn, talks about some of the work they've been doing in the lead-up to opening day.

"There's a lot of spring work that takes place before our season starts. Every year, we do a lot of tree trimming. We rake the gravel pads where the RVs sit. Just a lot of cleanup and maintenance."

The federal government expects to spend about $7 million this fiscal year to store and maintain four custom-made, portable hospitals that cost taxpayers more than $200 million to buy — facilities meant to bolster overwhelmed hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic that were barely used.

Early on in the pandemic, as the federal government moved at breakneck speed to respond to a global health crisis, it issued rush orders for these Mobile Health Units.

The Estevan Police Service has received numerous calls from residents regarding individuals going door-to-door claiming to work with SaskTel.

After looking into the matter, EPS has confirmed that these workers are legitimate and have been hired by a company called Berks to offer upgrades to SaskTel Internet and other services.

As part of National Emergency Preparedness Week, students at schools across Estevan received a timely and engaging lesson on how to be ready for emergencies, thanks to a visit from City of Estevan Safety Coordinator Helen Fornwald and Estevan Fire and Rescue.

Fornwald spoke to the Grade 2/3/4 classes about the importance of planning ahead for emergencies, whether it’s a fire, natural disaster, or another kind of crisis. The presentation focused on understanding risks, building emergency kits, and making family plans in case something unexpected happens.