Estevan

The Estevan Market Mall has been busy with a number of new projects, with a new parking lot, food court, and more included in a five-year building plan. Those have progressed well for the mall, with the food court possibly seeing vendors set up this year.

Past their five-year plan, the mall wants to start another construction project to upgrade one of its entrances, said Martin Blair, Managing Director of First Aberdeen Properties.

With the recent election victory of Mark Carney and his Liberal team, the Grain Growers of Canada have emphasized the urgent need to address the ongoing tariff situation with the U.S. and China. Executive Director Kyle Larkin highlighted the severe impact these tariffs are having on Canadian farmers and the broader economy.

Tariff Challenges:

The Liberals rose from the ashes under Prime Minister Mark Carney in a stunning reversal of fortunes this year, but the party's failure to sweep many of the ridings it sought Monday night denied it a resounding majority mandate.

A big part of that failure happened in Ontario, where the party lost many incumbents — even as Carney called for a strong mandate to deal with the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Elections Canada says more than 68 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the federal election — more than 19.5 million people.

While this election was widely expected to see increased turnout, it did not surpass the record set in March 1958, when 79.4 per cent of eligible Canadians voted.

But the nearly 68.7 per cent turnout was the best since the 1993 federal election, which saw 69.6 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Local athlete Prysm Gooding has signed with the University of Regina Cougars softball team as a left-handed pitcher — a major step forward in both her athletic and academic journey.

Gooding, who will pursue a combined Bachelor of Kinesiology and Education at the U of R, said she’s eager to grow as a player and eventually inspire the next generation of athletes.

The province is extending its Oil Infrastructure Investment Program (OIIP) in hopes of expanding market access for Saskatchewan oil and supporting the development of carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines. Those pipelines can play a role in reducing emissions and growing enhanced oil recovery capacity, according to the province.

Estevan and Weyburn are going head-to-head once again — and things are about to get messy. Or, hopefully, cleaner.

Councillor Kirsten Walliser announced at Monday night’s council meeting that the two cities will be competing in the Golden Garbage Can competition. Walliser will represent Estevan, while Councillor Kellie Sidloski will represent Weyburn.

“This light-hearted rivalry is about community pride, cleanliness and showing the best of what our cities have to offer,” Walliser said.

SaskPower is reminding farmers to stay safe this seeding season as farm equipment is in the fields.

Last year, SaskPower recorded 262 farm-related incidents involving power infrastructure, down from 268 in 2023, with the majority occurring in the spring.

The southeast is seeing a thunderstorm on the horizon this afternoon, threatening to deposit a good bit of rain and potentially produce some lightning today. That's being tracked by Environment and Climate Change Canada, which is taking a look to see what the storm will bring.

Meteorologist Danielle Desjardins says the storm will actually bring in some cooling weather.

"We're looking at a little bit of a cold front that's going to sweep through southern Saskatchewan. So there is a slight risk of a thunderstorm later this afternoon and into the evening period."

The Oxbow Swimming Pool has been hard at work raising funds ahead of the upcoming swimming season. With events and donations from local community members, they are getting ready to dive into another fun summer.

"Fundraising is essential to contributing to our operating expenses, enhancing our facilities, assisting with loan repayment, and expanding our programming at the pool throughout the operating season," said Catrina Craig, chairperson for the Oxbow Community Swimming Pool.