Estevan

Alberta is working on strengthening its market presence in Southeast Asia.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson is in Southeast Asia to promote Alberta as a reliable supplier of agricultural products.

The overall goal is to strengthen relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines to increase trade and investment opportunities that 
will directly benefit producers and processors by opening new markets for Alberta agriculture and food products.

Farm Credit Canada is investing $2 billion to advance agtech innovation in Canada’s agriculture and food industry. 

The money which will be invested by 2030 will direct more investment into innovative devices, instrumentation, research, and methodologies designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

Stats show Canada’s agtech sector is lagging, putting Canada at a strategic disadvantage, while Japan  and the European Union have been increasing investments in ag tech.

Alberta's latest crop report shows 90 per cent of the provincial crop is now in; that's ahead of the 5-year average of 81 per cent. 

Roy Larsen, the director of Statistics and Data Development for Agriculture and Irrigation says seeding progress in the South is at 97 per cent complete, the North West at 93 per cent, the Central region is at 89 per cent, the North East at 86  per cent, and the Peace at 84 per cent.

Crop progress shows 99 per cent of the dry peas have been planted, while oats lag behind at 74 per cent. 

Yesterday, the Saskatchewan and Ontario provincial governments came to an agreement on trade barriers and how best to remove those. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the removal of trade barriers across the two jurisdictions.

The Estevan Exhibition Association is gearing up for one of the biggest weekends of the year — and according to 1st Vice President, Dallas Spencer, 2025 is shaping up to be even better than before.

From a Friday parade that rolls straight into the midway, to rodeo events, live music, and a cabaret, Energy City Ex promises three days of excitement for all ages. This year also brings improvements designed to keep things running smoothly, including adjusted rodeo times and a new emphasis on pre-purchased tickets to reduce wait times at the gate.

St. Joseph's Addiction & Recovery Centre in Estevan has been operating for five years, offering services for individuals experiencing substance use and behavioural addictions. Its approach includes therapy, healthy living supports, and opportunities for community engagement.

Kevin Smith, a long-time staff member at the centre, brings both personal and professional experience to the role. His involvement in recovery began 25 years ago.

Some softball success over the weekend for the Estevan 13A Bulldogs girls softball as they played two games in Whitewood against the Pipestone Valley Cats and Lumsden Cubs.  

Their first game against the Pipestone Valleycats had the Bulldogs claim a victory 11-0. Through the match, they held the Valleycats to zero hits, and 13 of the 18 outs were strikeouts.

Some new changes are coming from the provincial government as they're changing the markup structure for beer. They're hoping the changes will encourage small and medium-sized breweries to up production levels.

Markup is applied to products sold across the province, with differing levels for multinational corporations and smaller-scale beer producers.

Canada Day in Bienfait promises another jam-packed day of fun, food, music, and family-friendly activities — with a few exciting additions for 2024. Recreation Director Sarah Yoner joined SUN 102 to walk through the full lineup, from pancake breakfast to fireworks, and shared what makes this year extra special.

“We want anybody and everybody — from a 90-year-old fiddle player to a 12-year-old comedian — to get up on stage and share their talent.” — Sarah Yoner

Check out the full interview below.

Canada's premiers are heading into to a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon Monday armed with their wish lists for major "nation-building" projects that could buttress the economy in the face of a U.S. trade war.

Carney asked the premiers to each pass on five suggestions for national infrastructure projects, and Monday's meeting will aim to identify the ones that will make the final cut to be fast tracked using legislation Ottawa may introduce as early as this week.