Those in Regina, Saskatoon and much of southern Saskatchewan may want to prepare for a brutal blast of winter following unseasonably warm temperatures.

As of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a winter storm watch and a blizzard warning.

According to the federal weather service, a “potent” Alberta clipper is set to move through the southern half of the province on Wednesday, bringing 10 to 25 centimetres of snow.

The snowfall is slated to begin on Wednesday morning in southern Saskatchewan and quickly spread east into Manitoba by the afternoon.

The winter storm warning covers the province from the U.S./Canada border to as far north as Onion Lake. The warning includes all major centres in the southern half of the province except Prince Albert, Melfort and Tisdale.

As part of the blizzard warning, ECCC forecasts wind gusts ranging from 70 to 80km/h and visibility that frequently nears zero due to blowing snow.

ECCC had issued flash freeze and wind warnings early Tuesday morning. They were later cancelled.

A worker is dead following an underground incident at The Mosaic Company’s K3 potash mine in east central Saskatchewan.

The “fall of ground incident” occurred early Monday morning, according to a statement from the company.

No further injuries have been reported.

The site of the incident has been secured, and all mining activity has been temporarily stopped. The mine’s emergency response team was activated following the incident.

A full investigation into the death is underway, with the company reporting that it is working with all necessary regulatory authorities.

“The safety and wellbeing of our people remain Mosaic’s highest priority. Our thoughts go out to our colleague’s family and friends, all employees, and the broader community,” Mosaic’s statement read.

The company did not identify the worker who was killed and asked that their family be given privacy.

In a post to social media, the Town of Esterhazy shared its condolences following the incident.

“Our hearts are with everyone impacted during this incredibly difficult time,” the post read. “Mosaic is an integral part of our community, and we recognize the profound loss being felt by employees, families, and the wider Esterhazy area.”

Esterhazy is located approximately 210 kilometres east of Regina, while Mosaic’s K3 potash mine is located just six kilometres east of Esterhazy.

A pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle in Regina’s northeastern industrial area on Tuesday morning is suffering life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Officers were called to an area near the intersection of Kress Street and Longman Crescent around 7:40 a.m. for a report that a vehicle had collided with a pedestrian.

Police found that a pick-up truck had collided with a woman walking on Kress Street.

A section of Kress Street and Longman Crescent was closed for several hours while investigation took place but has since been reopened.

Investigation is ongoing and police said updates will be provided as they become available.

A 23-year-old man is facing drug-related charges following an investigation by the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS).

On Dec. 12, MJPS officers found the suspect’s vehicle at a home on the east side of the city.

Further investigation by police led to 467.5 grams of fentanyl being seized. The street value of the seized narcotics is believed to be approximately $95,000, according to police.

Officers also discovered an imitation firearm in the suspect’s vehicle.

According to MJPS, fentanyl is usually sold in a “point” or in portions of 0.1 grams. The amount seized equals around 4,600 “points.”

As a result of the operation, the 23-year-old suspect was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl as well as breach of undertaking and breach of probation.

He made his first appearance in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Friday, Dec. 12.

Approximately 400 positions will be cut at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) over the next four years, as part of the federal government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review to find $60 billion in savings.

The federal department told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday that “approximately 700 indeterminate employees” received letters this month to “inform them that their position will or may be impacted by future changes.”

“In total, NRCan plans to eliminate approximately 400 positions by 2028-29,” Natural Resources Canada said in a statement.

“We remain committed to supporting employees as they move through the process of considering the options available to them, including alternating to other jobs in the public service, early retirement, voluntary departure, or employment outside the public service. In the end, we anticipate that only a small number of those who receive letters would leave involuntarily.”

The 2025 federal budget directed Natural Resources Canada to find $1.892 billion in savings over four years, along with ending the 2 Billion Trees program and winding down several programs like the Canada Greener Homes Grant.

“To meet up to 15 per cent in savings targets over three years, Natural Resources Canada will optimize internal processes to reduce administrative burden, reducing management layers, and adopting new approaches to leverage AI,” the budget said.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada said 219 of its members at Natural Resources Canada received notices their jobs may be affected by the spending cuts, while the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) said 202 of its members at Natural Resources Canada received notices. The Canadian Association of Professional Employees said some of its members at NRCan received notices their jobs may be affected by the workforce adjustment.

According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 6,044 people were employed at Natural Resources Canada as of March 31, 2025.

“The department and its approximately 5,400 indeterminate employees will continue to work to fulfill our mandate of improving the quality of life of Canadians by ensuring the country’s abundant natural resources are developed sustainably, competitively and inclusively,” NRCan said.

The Canada Strong Budget 2025 outlined a plan to cut another 28,000 positions from the federal public service.

The goal is to reduce the size of the federal public service by 40,000 jobs through job cuts, attrition, and early retirements, from its peak of 367,772 employees in March 2024, to 330,000 by 2028-29. There were 357,965 federal employees as of March 31, 2025.

Several departments, including Shared Services Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada, have said the workforce adjustment process will begin in January.

PSAC said 74 of its members at the Department of Finance received notices that their positions may be affected by the comprehensive expenditure review.

According to the unions, 157 members at the Public Service Commission of Canada, 94 employees at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and 19 employees at the Privy Council Office received affected notices.

Earlier this month, the government issued early retirement notices to approximately 68,000 public servants outlining information on the planned early retirement program.

Safety concerns remain a recurring issue in hospitals across Saskatchewan, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses.

One of the latest incidents occurred outside Regina General Hospital, where two men were arrested and reportedly found with guns and other weapons. The union says it’s just one of many incidents reported by nurses across the province this year.

“In our recent survey this fall, nearly 70 per cent of SUN members reported experiencing violence in their workplace within the past 12 months. That’s more than two-thirds of nurses in this province,” said SUN president Bryce Boynton.

Boynton said the findings are based on a survey of more than 1,800 union members, adding the union’s office receives daily reports from nurses about unsafe working conditions and violence.

“It’s an ongoing discussion that’s been happening for years, long before I even became a nurse,” he said. “Violence has been occurring, and it’s only continuing to get worse.”

Over the past year, nurses have filed 118 reports where violence and safety were identified as workplace issues.

SUN is calling on the Saskatchewan Health Authority to implement several measures, including installing metal detectors at public entrances, adding security cameras, increasing on-site security, ensuring patients are searched before entering emergency departments, and allowing nurses to flag patient charts for prior incidents involving weapons or violence.

Boynton said more than half of SUN members surveyed are considering leaving the province or the profession, while another quarter are eligible to retire immediately.

“If we continue to do nothing and allow violence to persist, we’re making it very easy for people to make that decision,” he said.

Boynton added that a comprehensive violence-prevention strategy is needed from the province and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

In a statement to CTV News, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said it met with the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses on Tuesday to discuss concerns and ideas, describing the conversation as part of a collaborative approach to improving safety and security in hospitals.

Elders at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre claim they were dismissed from their positions after bringing forward complaints a facility employee breached sacred Indigenous ceremony protocols.

The Paul Dojack Youth Centre (PDYC) is a juvenile detention facility operated by the province in northwest Regina.

Melanie Fisher and Calvin Pelletier say they started working as elders at the centre in August. They led smudges, sweats and other traditional practices and teachings as a way to reconnect Indigenous boys to their culture.

“Our ceremonies are not performances, they are sacred,” Fisher told reporters Thursday. “They hold spiritual weight and responsibility. When our cultural protocols are violated, it affects not only the elders, it affects the youth, the spirits that we call upon and the entire community.”

“Before we start our cultural ways, we always smudge first,” Pelletier added. “At Paul Dojack, they didn’t want us to smudge. I was told they didn’t like the smell of burning sage or sweetgrass.”

The elders say a staff member at the facility participated in a sacred ceremony during a cultural camp while menstruating, something which is a serious breach of traditional practices.

“Women are very powerful when they’re on their time, and it affects our medicines from working,” Fisher said. “Because our protocol was broken, people suffered, and I can’t stress that enough.”

Fisher also claims staff threw out moose meat meant for a meal.

According to documents provided to CTV News by Fisher and Pelletier, PDYC conducted an internal review of the incident.

“Our investigation revealed some of our staff members lacked adequate knowledge and understanding of specific Indigenous ceremonial practices,” facility director Dan Elberg told Fisher in an email in November.

The investigation also said the employee: “Showed significant remorse for breaching cultural protocol during the incident.”

No disciplinary action was taken against them, something the elders felt did not address their concerns.

“I would like culture [training] to be mandatory for all employees,” Fisher said. “They don’t have to believe; they don’t have to practice them. I jut want them to understand what these boys have been through.”

In response to CTV News, the Ministry of Community Safety (formerly the Ministry of Policing, Corrections and Public Safety) said; “[It] remains committed to cultural awareness and learning within PDYC and other facilities. Providing education on cultural protocols to all employees is a priority and the ministry continues to review our policies to ensure best practices.”

“The ministry is actively working to ensure Elder support is available for the continuity for youth and staff,” the statement added.

“We recognize further work is needed to strengthen staff education and ensure consistent respectful engagement with sacred practices,” Elberg wrote in his email to Fisher in November. “We acknowledge the significance of these protocols and are committed to taking steps to uphold them with the respect they deserve.”

According to the provided documents, both Fisher and Pelletier were terminated without cause.

After bringing forward the concerns, they were notified Dec. 5 of their termination and were told not to return to the centre for work but, in accordance with their contracts, would be paid their regular salary until Jan. 3, 2026.

Fisher and Pelletier would like to a third-party review to take place.

“We are not asking the same people who silenced us to access their own behaviours,” she said. “We are calling for independent eyes outside of this broken structure.”

The ministry would not comment on specific issues or details related to contracted work or personal matters, such as employee’s personal information.

Two people were found dead at Los Angeles home owned by director-actor Rob Reiner on Sunday, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The Los Angeles Fire Department says it responded to a medical aid request Sunday afternoon and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside.

Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work includes some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”

His role as Meathead in the 1970s TV classic “All in the Family” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker catapulted him to fame.

He turned 78 in March, although authorities have not confirmed the identies of the people found dead in Reiner’s home.

Messages to his representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.

🎉 Update Completed Successfully! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that our scheduled network update has been completed without any issues! 🚀 All our broadcast stations, streams, and websites are now fully operational and running better than ever.

What’s New?

Here’s what you can expect from this update:
✅ Improved Audio Player – No more interruptions or cutting off! Enjoy seamless streaming on our websites.
✅ Enhanced Stream Stability – Our radio streams are now more reliable than ever.
✅ Upgraded Security & Quality – Improved protection and enhanced broadcast quality for an unmatched listening experience.

Fully Operational Services:

🎵 Stations:

• Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
• 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
• 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/

🌐 Websites:

• EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
• EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
• DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/

Experiencing Issues?

While everything is running smoothly on our end, we’re here to help if you encounter any issues. If you’re having trouble with our broadcasts or websites, please report the issue to us immediately so we can address it.

📧 Contact Us:

If you have having any issues please reach out to us on our websites!

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process. We’re committed to providing you with the best listening experience possible and appreciate your support!

🎧 Happy Listening!
The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team

We’re committed to providing our audience with a listening experience like no other! To maintain this standard, we’re excited to announce a major update to our Broadcast Network.

What’s New?

This update will bring:

• A Better Audio Player: Improved performance on our websites to resolve issues with streams cutting off.
• Enhanced Session Operations: Ensuring error-free radio streams.
• Upgraded Security & Quality: Improved protection and overall broadcast quality.

Downtime Details:

• Expected Downtime: 1 hour (we’ve allocated up to 4 hours for any unforeseen circumstances).
• Impacted Services:
  • Live Broadcasts & Website Access for these stations:
    • Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
    • 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
    • 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
    • Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/
  • Websites:
    • EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
    • EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
    • DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/
  • Third-Party Apps: Any apps relying on our live broadcasts will also be affected.

Commitment to Excellence:
During the downtime, our team will work diligently to complete the update and monitor the network to ensure peak performance. We’re committed to enhancing your listening experience to the highest standards.

Stay Updated:
Follow us on Facebook or check our websites for real-time updates:

• EVO Media Corporation: https://www.facebook.com/EVOMediaCorporation/
• Z103.5: https://www.facebook.com/YourPartyStationZ103.5
• 979 The Cowboy: https://www.facebook.com/979thecowboy/
• 101 The Rockhound: https://www.facebook.com/101TheRockhound/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093402861183

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to improve our services.

Thank you for your continued support,

The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team