Potatoes, carrots, beef and broth were the main attractions last Sunday in Cabri. 

The Cabri District Lions Club held its second annual Stew Cookoff, once again enjoying a St. Patrick's Day motif. A total of nine stews were prepared and served to the crowd of close to 50 people. People were asked to rate the stews, choosing a meatiest, spiciest, tastiest, and most unique entry.

Secretary of the Cabri District Lions Club, Jessica Sullivan, was pleased to see so many entrants and so many eager participants ladling up everything from fish to moose meat stew. 

"Initially it was made as a bit of a membership booster," said Sullivan. "Trying to let people know what we do and how much we've done in the community."

The event was so successful, that they decided to make it an annual event open to the community to participate in. 

"We get some lions that cook stews, and we also have some community members who do as well," said Sullivan. "Just a nice excuse to bring people out."

The winner of spiciest stew was Carm Parkin. 

The winner of tastiest went to Karen Muhr. 

Most original is a title now held by David Higginbotham's stew.

And the meatiest stew of them all turned out to be made by Page Newton. 

Stew was free to eat with a food bank donation. Drink tickets were available, with the money raised going back into the Cabri District Lions Club. 

If anyone is interested in participating next year, the floor is open for all crocks, pots, and bowls of stew. It is recommended that you provide a list of ingredients that can be made readily available if anyone has concerns regarding allergies or other content. 

Chocolate lovers might notice their favourite sugary snack could cost a bit more or be a bit smaller as climate change ravages cocoa crops in West Africa.

"This settlement is about more than just compensation — it's about Canada honouring its treaty commitments," said Chief Peter Beatty in a news release.

The Saskatchewan government believes the decision to scrap the federal consumer carbon tax is a "step in the right direction" but wants the entire pricing scheme to be eliminated.

Loyalty programs offer perks and benefits, and keep you coming back for more. The Deal Diva took a deep dive into four popular programs that have been revamped in recent years: Triangle, Scene Plus, Air Miles and PC Optimum.

Southwest agricultural groups and local individuals can now submit proposals or inquiries into leasing land owned by the City of Swift Current for agricultural uses.

The City released the Request for Proposals this past Friday, offering a total of four parcels of land, including a 400-acre area adjacent to the Kite Festival field.

Keegan Story, manager of environmental services for the City of Swift Current, highlighted that parties can bid on one or all parcels of land available for lease. 

"There are various properties in and around the city limits that the City owns that we're not utilizing at the moment," he said. "So we put out the opportunity to use those lands for agricultural purposes as a way to maintain the land and offer those up for use."

Proposals close on March 31 while the deadline for inquiries is on March 24.

Story noted that the City of Swift Current has leased parcels of land such as these in the past when they have prime land that isn't currently being used.

Anyone interested in more information can head to the City's website at swiftcurrent/rfp.

The University of Saskatchewan women's basketball team engraved their name in the history books on Sunday, dominating the Carleton Ravens 85-66 in the 2025 INDOCHINO U SPORTS Women's Final 8 basketball tournament in Vancouver.

Canada's highest court has taken a stand against unfair proceedings for prisoners, ruling that a standard proof beyond a reasonable doubt must be applied in such hearings.

Dwayne Stonechild is believed to have improperly taken fees related to Indian Day School lawsuits.

Two men are facing charges after a series of robberies at Regina businesses. Police say the first robbery happened on January 26 on Gordon Road, where a suspect threatened security with a knife. 

Similar incidents followed on January 29 and February 24 at a store on Pasqua Street North.

Through investigation, police arrested a 21-year-old man and a 41-year-old man. The 21-year-old suspect faces multiple robbery and weapons charges, while the older suspect is charged in connection with the January 29 robbery. 

Both have appeared in court.

In its first day of budget deliberations, Regina city council spend most of the morning debating the future of the increased library mill rate.

A local high school student's newest app creation has earned her another trip to the Canada-Wide Science Fair.

Vaishu Venkata won second place overall at the Chinook Regional Science Fair on Wednesday night, for the second time in three years, and will now compete at the national event in Fredericton, New Brunswick, from May 31 to June 7.

The grade 12 student's project "Carbon Footnote: The Future in Your Footprint" is an app prototype that helps track the daily carbon footprint for individuals.

"I wanted to find a way to show this impact to people that might not know about it," she said. "To show that something as easy as you eating a vegetarian meal, for example, driving less, taking a shorter shower could actually effect numbers." 

Venkata's project idea was spurred on by two things. As a predecessor to an essay, she wrote in grade nine on why people should eat less meat and a lack of apps to help with day-to-day tracking.

"I researched current solutions for climate change, and I found a gap in the solutions for carbon footprint apps," she said. "Currently what the apps do is, they calculate your yearly average footprint. They have things like offset projects, where you can donate to certain projects to offset your carbon footprint or complete tasks to reduce your carbon footprint but none of them currently calculate your carbon footprint every day." 

The Swift Current Comp. student also won second place overall at the regional science fair in 2023 with another app prototype and went on to earn a silver medal Excellence Award at the nationals.

"Creating something, like the satisfaction I get from doing that is really cool, seeing something you create actually working," she said is the reason she continues to create app prototypes. "With code, with Scratch, it's a simpler place for really anybody to start, it's free software. I think for prototypes it works really well for any kind of app. Working through it myself, figuring things out, is really helpful to see the capabilities of simple software." 

She will join Siddharth Mannivannan as the other local representative in New Brunswick for the weekly competition that starts May 31.

"I didn't do science fair last year but I'm really happy I did this year," she said. "I think it will be amazing getting to go to Canada-Wide Science Fair again, it was an incredible opportunity two years ago." 

A cohort of local citizens made bail on the weekend in Swift Current.

While their crimes haven't been published, their time behind bars served a great purpose. The Swift Current SPCA Jail and Bail fundraiser was a huge success thanks to the nine individuals who helped raise money for their 'bail' to get them out of 'jail'. Taking place on Saturday in the Swift Current Mall, each member was able to successfully meet their $500 bail and even exceeded that number in most cases. 

Together, everyone raised $6,589 for the SPCA.

Sara Barber, animal coordinator for the Swift Current SPCA, thanked Charlie Horse, Corla Rokochy, Trent Tallinn, Evan Gordon, Bobby Oscar, Ryan Switzer, Chris Martens, Tyler Wallin, and Cory Schultz for helping out as participants. 

"I would just like to thank everybody that came out, especially our jailbirds," said Barber. "They raised a lot of money for us. And of course, a huge thank you to our community. They went above and beyond as well."

This was the first time the event had been hosted after a five-year hiatus. The way the event worked was they had everyone join them at the Swift Current Mall, just outside the Safeway entrance. There, the jailbirds posed with the fake jail cell, and posted on their social media to encourage people to donate to the cause. 

"They weren't stuck in real kennels or cages, but we did have our little jail sign there," said Barber. "They did have to hang out with us for a few hours, but it was a lot of fun."

The money raised will be going towards the needs of the SPCA shelter, and helping to ensure all their little furry friends stay out of trouble themselves. 

Members of a southwest community can get tickets and mark their calendars for the second annual Hazlet Showcase coming up next month to support several local non-profits. 

Proceeds from the event on Friday, April 11 will be split between the Hazlet Economic Development Centre, Hazlet Hall, Hazlet, Rink, and Hazlet Regional Park.

Brett McIntosh, an organizer of the Hazlet Showcase, highlighted that last year's inaugural showcase was an incredible fundraiser, raising over $75,000.

"It was a huge success last year, it really helped each one of those organizations make improvements," shared McIntosh. "Specifically for the park, it allowed us to develop things that we've never had there before."

The doors open at  5:00 p.m., with a steak supper beginning at 6:00 p.m., followed by a silent auction, live auction and games around 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for the 2025 Hazlet Showcase are available for $60 per person or $600 for a table of ten.

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can head to hazlet.sk.ca, get in touch with any of the board members, check out the event on Facebook, or email [email protected].

Residents and families from Swift Current have been notified of a street closure on the 1300 block of Walker Street.

Walker Street, adjacent to the Evangelical Church, is blocked off following a recent sewer service replacement. 

The street closure will allow for soft ground and excessive water in the area to dry.

For more information, contact the City of Swift Current.

The snow has returned to southwest Saskatchewan, reminding everyone that winter isn't over just yet.

Close to two and a half inches landed in the Swift Current Region, closely matching what Environment and Climate Change Canada had predicted. 

Brad Vrolijk, lead forecaster with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says that the snow should be done for the day, excluding a few minor dust-ups. 

"At this point, it's mostly tapered off in the Swift Current region," said Vrolijk. "We do have a little bit of light snow still moving through the area, but the heavier snow is pushed east and is now around Regina."

The snow system is set to continue its way East, pushing into Manitoba by this evening. 

The rest of the week should remain fairly mild, with only a few flurries in the forecast. Temperatures will hover around the zero-degree mark, with a possibility for some melting to take place. 

"nothing accumulating," said Vrolijk. "We might see a few flurries tomorrow, but nothing that's going to pile up like it did overnight."

REGINA – Regina Fire and Protection Service says that at 5:10 p.m. Saturday, crews responded to the 800 block of Victoria Avenue for a fire in a motel.

On arrival, a second-floor suite was fully involved in flames. Crews quickly extinguished the fire which was contained to the suite of origin.

There were no injuries and the fire is under investigation, says the RFPS.

University of Saskatchewan Huskies goaltender Roddy Ross can stop pucks on the ice and elude his prankster teammates outside the rink. For the past four years, he's managed to escape being 'tagged' in the team's jacket tag game — until one teammate caught up with him in the CBC Saskatoon Morning studio.

The residents at The Bentley in Swift Current recently pulled together a donation for the Swift Current Rotary Club. 

Presented Friday, Mar. 13, 2025, at noon, the donation was for a total of $680 and will be used by the Rotary Club for funding various programs. The money was raised just before Christmas in a fundraiser hosted at The Bentley. 

Donald Koch, a former Rotary Club member and currently working at The Bentley as a lifestyle consultant, said that they often host fundraisers for the residents throughout the year. This way, they have a chance to help make an impact in their community, even if they aren't able to go out into the community like they used to. 

"We're pretty proud of our residents and their interest in supporting local charities," said Koch. "Individually, it's hard for them to be involved in supporting some of the charities."

The Rotary Club took the time to host a small presentation for the residents, showing them exactly where the money they donate goes, and providing insights as to why they do what they do. 

Patrick Richards, president of the Swift Current Rotary Club, explained how just last month, the club was able to help the local jazz band take a Cypress Hills retreat. 

"They just completed that last month, and it was a huge success," said Richards. "We get a grant and we multiply our money a few times over for them, and with costs going up they've really appreciated that."

Another group they take special care to help out regularly is the Swift Current Early Years Family Resource Centre. The Tortary Club helps ensure that the Resource Center gets to take its kids to the Sage Creek Prairie School. 

"We've been doing that for three or so years now," said Richards. "It's been a great program that those kids absolutely love."

If anyone is interested in joining the Rotary Club, it is currently open for new membership. 

The MP for Cypress Hills-Grasslands wants to see action from the Federal government on Chinese canola tariffs. 

Jeremy Patzer feels the Liberals have not done enough to avoid 100 per cent tariffs coming March 20th on Canadian canola.

"The government has been asleep at the wheel," Patzer said. "They've done nothing to try to resolve these issues or prevent these things from happening. You've got to be active in your foreign affairs policy and international trade. They've done absolutely nothing in both departments to ensure this wouldn't happen."

China has announced they're imposing 100 per cent retaliatory tariffs on canola oil and canola meal in response to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

"Once again it's Western Canada paying for a decision by the Liberal government," Patzer noted. "Canadians deserve to have a government that's actually going to looking out for and paying attention to these issues. Liberals have proven time and time again that they're incapable of doing that."

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe recently said the tariffs would devastate Saskatchewan's canola crushing industry, potentially causing facilities to close.

The snow has returned to southwest Saskatchewan, bringing with it some adverse road conditions. 

Travel is not recommended on the Trans-Canada Highway East of Swift Current from Rush Lake to halfway between Parkbeg and Mortlach. The Highway Hotline shows both lanes are of poor quality and have reduced visibility. 

Also listed as travel not recommended are Highway 19 from the Trans-Canada Highway to Hidgeville, and Highway 363 from Neidpath to Shamrock. 

Motorists are encouraged to check the Highway Hotline before heading out. Planning for any detours, delays, or dangers can help ensure a safe trip without complications. 

Animal rights and Indigenous groups are calling on the Sask. government to cancel hunting licences that extend the hunting season into March. They say hunting pregnant elk is unethical and breaks cultural norms.

Renoldo Robinson had 24 points and nine rebounds as the University of Victoria Vikes defeated the Calgary Dinos 82-53 on Sunday to win their U Sports men's basketball title in 28 years.

Prince Albert Police say a potentially dangerous batch of fentanyl is circulating the city. This is just over a week after 37 overdoses were recorded in one day in Saskatoon.

Fake news articles are being circulated claiming that Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe endorses cryptocurrency trading platforms. Moe urged people not to fall for the scam.

A village in northern Saskatchewan with a population of 327 has been breeding national broomball champions.

After close to 80 years, work is being done to help identify the families of two Swift Current World War II service members. 

The first of which is Sgt. David Levin, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, specifically the bomb aimer crewman of the Handley Page Halifax LL541 ZU-O. He and the eight other crew members aboard the bomber were killed when they crashed over Wales, near Rhayadar, on Dec. 12, 1944. One other crew member, flight engineer Sgt. Frank Willmek, was from Mondou, with family ties to Swift Current. The other crew members from Saskatchewan were rear gunner Sgt. Grant Goehring of Regina, and mid-gunner Sven Overland of Preeseville. 

These crewmen are interred at the Blacon Commonwealth War Cemetery, in Chester, England.

Recently, Paul Sambrook, an archeologist, recently helped discover the two local veterans' remains and helped orchestrate two ceremonies that honoured these service soldiers' sacrifice. The first was at Elan Valley Visitor Centre, in Elan Village, Rhayader, on Dec. 12, 2024. This is almost the exact location where the airplane began to break up before the crash. The second ceremony was at Rhayader parish church the same evening, attended by representatives of the local community and county RAF Cadets. The Canadian High Commission in the UK was represented by a Colonel from the RCAF at both services.

There was even a pair of surviving individuals who remembered the crash. The first was a 90-year-old who witnessed the crash, while the second was a 97-year-old local woman who was actually sent by her employer with farmhands to the mountain where the crash landed. They searched for survivors, of which there tragically was none. 

Now, Sambrook has reached out to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 56 in Swift Current in the hopes of identifying any surviving family members or descendants of these individuals. 

In an email correspondence with Legion Branch 56 public relations officer John Griffin, who is also a genealogist who specializes in Saskatchewan World War II history, Sambrook revealed that there is work being done to erect a permanent memorial to the crew of LL541. This would be erected at both the rash site and in the local community. The local RAF Cadets, 579 Squadron, are even planning to study the crew and visit their burial site. 

Sambrooks main reason for contacting Griffin was to ask for aid in identifying any possible surviving family members of Willmek or Levine. It is his mission to pass on best wishes to the families, and to share the update on their fallen relatives. 

He had already found some success as he had managed to contact the surviving sister of Goering and her daughter in Regina. He was elated to learn that Goering and Levine had actually managed to establish a strong friendship during their service, and their mothers remained in steady contact for many years after their passing. He also was able to speak with the family of Overland's family, which is now based in Edmonton. Lastly, he has also managed to contact the Vancouver-based family of navigator flying officer Ernie Brautigam. 

Griffin, in the same email correspondence, applauded the work being accomplished by Sambrook. He encouraged him to make use of the public domain on the Library and Archives of Canada website. This resource was stated by Griffin to sometimes include lists of known relatives for service members. He even provided a direct link to Levine's listing in the 1931 Census of Canada. Lastly, Griffin also agreed to scour the local collection of records held in the Legion Branch 56 museum for anything on either crew member and to contact local media and both the MLA and MP to see if they could assist in getting the word out. 

Using the Archives of Canada, Sambrook was able to ascertain that there are still community members in Swift Current and the area with the surname Levine. He applauded the quality of the Archives of Canada for their detailed and quality records, stating that they were of a higher quality than he would expect. 

It also helped to confirm how old the members were. Samrbook noted how sobering it was to realize that the youth who composed the local RAF Squadron 579 were only two years younger than the young men who gave their lives aboard LL541, two of which year only 19-years-old.

Anyone who thinks they may have a relation to either Levine or Willmek is asked to please send an email to [email protected], or to [email protected]. Either Sambrook or Griffin will be happy to help confirm the relation. 

Astronomer Sam Lawler from Regina was looking for new Kuiper belt objects when she accidentally stumbled upon Saturn and some of its moons in her way.

Maddox Schultz’s play has turned heads across the country. Many scouts rank him as the top Canadian player born in 2010. 

The Government of Saskatchewan has activated the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) to enhance its response to the toxic drug crisis in Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) will coordinate efforts alongside the City of Saskatoon and the Ministry of Health to address the growing number of overdoses in the city.

"Activating the PEOC will allow us to enhance the coordination between government ministries and organizations that respond to overdoses," said SPSA president Marlo Pritchard. "This approach will help us reinforce the work being done to save lives across the province. This collaborative effort will allow for enhanced coordination, stronger communication and reduced gaps."

The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority have already distributed additional naloxone kits to organizations in Saskatoon. Free Take Home Naloxone Kits are available at more than 450 locations across the province.

In February, the province announced further measures to address the production, transportation, trafficking and street use of illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine. The strategy aims to reduce drug-related harm, improve public safety and support stable communities.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said the recent spike in overdoses highlights the risks of illicit drug use.

"This alarming rise in overdoses in Saskatoon further emphasizes that no illicit drug is safe and anyone who uses drugs is at risk of overdose," said Carr. "Getting people the treatment they need to overcome addictions and live healthy, safe lives in recovery is a top priority for this government. That is why we are continuing to work on our Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan while transitioning to a recovery-oriented system of care."

Launched in fall 2023, Saskatchewan's Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan includes adding at least 500 publicly funded addiction treatment spaces, doubling the province’s treatment capacity. So far, 221 of those spaces are available.

Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block urged residents to stay vigilant and informed.

"I am urging all residents of Saskatoon to stay vigilant and take immediate action," said Block. "Please reach out to your friends, family and neighbours to make them aware of this serious public health emergency. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we support one another during this challenging time. I want to extend my gratitude to the province and to everyone in our city who is working tirelessly to address and combat this crisis."

The Ministry of Health encourages organizations to report overdoses and drug samples to keep public information up to date. Residents can sign up for free provincial drug alerts, which provide warnings about increased overdose risks in their communities. Information is available at Saskatchewan.ca/drug-alerts or by texting JOIN to 1-833-35-B-SAFE (352-7233).

More resources on addiction support and overdose prevention can be found at Saskatchewan.ca/addictions and Saskatchewan.ca/overdose.

Many industries have felt the impacts of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the tourism industry is no exception. 

Johnathan Potts is the CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan, he says one of the main impacts are higher input costs for businesses and organizations. However, there has been an unexpected positive. 

“As everyone knows, there's a very strong push for buying Canadian products, staying in Canada, lots of people are cancelling trips to the United States, reconsidering their travel plans and looking for destinations locally and across the country. We anticipate that there'll be a significant boost in Canadian and Saskatchewan residents looking for things to do across the province." 

Potts explains there is data that shows that in the first two to three weeks of Trumps administration, there was a 25 to 30 percent cancellation rate for trips to the U.S. 

“A lot of that isn't showing up immediately because people already had trips booked and if they had paid deposits, they're keeping them. But especially when summer comes around, we really anticipate seeing a significant impact there.” 

He explains that the push for travelling local “has been done for us” saying the strong sense of national pride in Saskatchewan residents has them taking that action independent of external motivation. 

“We don't need to really make that point. Our role now, as we see it, is to really emphasize the things that people love to do within Saskatchewan or if they're coming to Saskatchewan from elsewhere, talk about some great experiences we have, some great destinations we have, and just lean in, if you will, on the things that they love to do." 

Potts highlights some of the tourism opportunities to be found within the land of living skies, noting the 34 provincial parks and 101 regional parks. He also recommends travelling to other communities for various cultural experiences, dining opportunities, museums, and events.  

“We're also becoming really well known as a destination for things like astro-tourism, so night sky viewing, for birding, outdoor photography, things like that. So people with those real kind of niche interests are really starting to recognize Saskatchewan as a premier destination as well.” 

With the local pride of Saskatchewan residents fueling the push for local travel, Potts shares the sentiment and emphasizes the opportunities to be found within the province. 

“I would encourage everyone in the province to take a look at some of the great options we have. Over the last five years, we've seen a real groundswell of support within the province for the provincial tourism industry and people learning more about all the great things to do. So if they've built up that bucket list of activities that they want to take part in, now's a great year to get out there and do those things.” 

Mohammad Akib Hossain had a privileged upbringing in Bangladesh, but left home to study in Canada. Looking after himself brought him a new sense of perspective.

A fire at a business on the 600 block of College Avenue levelled the building early Saturday morning, but the fire did not spread to neighbouring structures.

The SHA is advising anyone who was at the Cypress Regional Hospital between March 7 and March 10 or the E.I. Wood Building entrance on the afternoon of March 6 to monitor their symptoms for measles.