Estevan

Highway construction season is continuing with a few roads around the province being worked on.

That includes Highway 18, which recently saw its surface change with gravel being spread in anticipation of further work.

Estevan MLA and Minister of Highways Lori Carr talks about the plan for the highway.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says it has taken down picket lines at Canadian National Railway Co. and its workers will begin returning to work on Friday.

However, the union says the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. remains ongoing pending an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Following months of increasingly fraught contract talks, Canada's two biggest railways both locked out workers after failing to reach deals with the union by a Thursday deadline.

Canada's two biggest railways say they’re preparing to get trains back on track after Ottawa intervened to end an unprecedented labour impasse that disrupted business across the country and cancelled commutes for thousands.

Canadian National Railway Co., in a statement Thursday, said it has ended the lockout of workers that began earlier in the day.

The move came shortly after Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration to end the dispute and get the trains running.

The federal government has decided to impose binding arbitration between the Teamster's Canada Rail Conference, CN Rail, and CPKC.

The worker's union and the two companies had entered into a lockout at 12:01 a.m. this morning.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the decision at a news conference in the afternoon.

That came after the Canada Industrial Relations Board set August 22 as the date for strike action, following a decision that labeled the rail industry as non-essential.

UPDATE: Moose Jaw RCMP confirmed that they were able to find Julia Koester safe on Saturday, August 24. 

Police thanked the public for its help in finding the missing woman. 

Moose Jaw RCMP are asking the public to keep an eye out for Julia Koester.

They say the missing 24-year-old was last seen on Thomas Street in Marquis, SK, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9, and that she may have travelled to places including Assiniboia, Estevan, or Buffalo Pound. Her current location is unknown, and she was reported missing to RCMP on Aug. 21 around 2:15 p.m.

A man wanted by the Carlyle RCMP is a person of interest in a separate case involving the RCMP from Manitoba, as well as the Broadview and Moosomin detachments.

Yesterday, the Broadview RCMP were advised by the RCMP in Manitoba that a stolen truck was heading to their area. Moosomin RCMP spotted the trick on Highway 8 north of Moosomin and attempted to pull the vehicle over. The driver did not pull over, though, and fled.  

During Monday night's council meeting, Councilor Kristen Walliser presented a plan to enhance inclusion across city operations. Walliser proposed integrating key questions about who is included or excluded in city policies, bylaws, and funding requests. She also recommended that all city managers and council members complete the Measuring Inclusion Tool for Municipal Governments to establish a baseline for future assessments.

The rail stoppage has locked out 9,300 rail workers and is set to take rail traffic to a near standstill today, affecting communities that rely on rail.

For some communities that involves bringing in materials for mills and plants, while others need to ship out commodities like crops or other resources.

Estevan MLA and Minister of Highways Lori Carr says that the stoppage will have a big effect on Saskatchewan's economy.

CN and CPKC took steps early Thursday morning to lockout over 9000 employees who are members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference after an agreement was not reached.

In a press release following the lockout, CN notes that they chose to lock out employees after the union did not respond to another offer by CN in a final attempt to avoid a labour disruption.

CN says over the last nine months they have negotiated in good faith

A storm raged across the southeast last night bringing rain, lightning, and more to towns and cities around the area.

During the leadup to that storm, Environment Canada sent out watches that said hail, strong gusts, and even tornadoes were possible.

Meteorologist Stephen Berg says that while the last few days have seen storms this one was much bigger.