A line of scattered thunderstorms across western and central Saskatchewan led to a flurry of watches and warnings of severe weather Thursday.

Here’s the latest.

5:41 p.m.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a red level tornado warning for the R.M. of Eye Hill, including Macklin, Denzil, and Evesham.

According to the alert, a funnel cloud was reported over Denzil and is moving slowly to the east with the community of Salvador in its path.

Damaging winds of up to 90 km/h, golf ball to tennis ball size hail ranging from five to six centimetres, and very heavy rainfall of 50 to 100 millimetres are possible, ECCC said.

According to the weather agency, residents should take cover immediately when threatening weather approaches.

4:27 p.m.

ECCC issued an orange severe thunderstorm warning after a severe storm was reported around 20 kilometres northeast of Cosine, located around 250 kilometres west of Saskatoon.

The “dangerous thunderstorm” is said to be capable of wind gusts from 90 to 110 km/h, golf ball to tennis ball size hail and very heavy rain, possibly totalling 50 to 100 millimetres.

The village of Denzil remains in the path of the storm.

3:30 p.m.

At around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, ECCC issued a tornado watch for the area surrounding the communities of Macklin, Primate, Denzil, Elrose and Grosswerder in the province’s west central region.

The areas surrounding Gravelbourg and Mortlach are also under severe thunderstorm warnings.

Wind gusts of 90 kilometres per hour, up to ping pong-sized hail and heavy rainfall are possible in the areas.

In addition to the warnings, the vast majority of southern and west central Saskatchewan is also under a severe thunderstorm watch.

A teen girl is facing two charges after an alleged bear spray attack was witnessed by the Regina Police Service’s (RPS) aerial support unit.

Early Thursday morning, at around 12:45 a.m., the Regina police plane was in the area of the 2400 block of Wascana Drive for an unrelated call when the crew witnessed someone deploying bear spray towards a group of people on the ground below.

The suspect, along with two other people, got into a vehicle nearby and drove away from the scene.

Officers on the ground responded and found the victim, who was treated by paramedics.

The police plane tracked the suspect, and it was eventually pulled over in a traffic stop. When searching the vehicle, officers found an empty can of bear spray and a knife.

A 16-year-old girl was charged with assault with a weapon and failing to comply with the conditions of a release order.

The accused made her first appearance in Regina Provincial Court on Thursday.

RCMP are investigating a man’s death near Carlyle that may have been the result of a vehicle-pedestrian collision and are asking the public for tips.

Carlyle RCMP received a report of an injured person on Highway 9 on White Bear First Nation on Tuesday at around 11:55 p.m., Saskatchewan RCMP said in an update on Thursday.

Officers, local fire and EMS responded to the scene, where a man was declared dead. He has been identified as a 23-year-old from White Bear First Nation and RCMP say his family has been notified.

Mounties say initial investigation suggests his death may have been the result of a vehicle-pedestrian collision but noted there was no vehicle located at the scene where he was found.

Carlyle RCMP are asking the public to provide any dash cam or surveillance footage that may have been captured in the area late on June 30.

Anyone with information is asked to report it to police or anonymously through Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.

Caryle RCMP, a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist, Yorkton Forensic Identification Services and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service continue to investigate.

White Bear First Nation is located about 213 kilometres southeast of Regina and about 15 kilometres north of Carlyle.

SaskPower has received approval to build and operate two international power lines (IPLs).

The Crown corporation announced Thursday that the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has approved its application, allowing it to proceed with a project meant to strengthen Saskatchewan’s power grid.

The IPL will boost shared power line capacity from 150 megawatts (MW) to 650 MW, improve emergency support and allow the province to import power.

It also allows SaskPower to export excess electricity to generate revenue.

“Transmission infrastructure is crucial to energy security and powering the economic growth in our province,” Jeremy Harrison, minister responsible for SaskPower, said in a news release.

“This project is an important component of our Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan, and we’re very pleased with today’s Canada Energy Regulator decision that will allow it to proceed.”

The IPLs are being built as part of the Southwest Power Pool project, which will link the Tableland Switching Station (15 kilometres southwest of Estevan) to the Saskatchewan-North Dakota border.

SaskPower will build two six-kilometre lines in Canada, while North Dakota-based Basin Electric will build the 180-km line in the U.S.

“Increasing the interconnection between SaskPower and the SPP will enhance the resilience and flexibility of both our electricity grids, allowing for more efficient balancing of supply and demand across regions,” said SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya.

SaskPower said the decision from CER means the regulator is satisfied with engagement and Rightsholder consultation that’s been going on since 2023.

The Crown added the approval also means CER was pleased with the project’s planning, design, operation and consideration of environmental and other impacts.

Basin Electric was permitted by U.S. authorities to proceed with construction on its side in May 2026.

Construction of the line is scheduled to start later this year, and it’s planned to come online in 2027.

Due to localized flooding caused by intense rainfall, 13 communities in Saskatchewan have declared a local emergency, with crews on the ground to assist.

“Over the last number of days, we’ve had 11 new declarations of local emergency,” said Tyler Harrison, manager of emergency services with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) on Thursday.

Harrison noted the total does include several ongoing emergencies declared earlier in the spring. However, the bulk of them were just added this week.

According to Leah Clark, executive director of irrigation and economic development for the Water Security Agency (WSA), intense localized rainfall ranging from 100 millimetres (mm) to 275 mm was experienced in the east portion of the province from June 23 to June 30.

“These localized flood events are very difficult to predict and manage, and they’re driven by intense storm systems, which drop a lot of water in a short period,” she said.

The communities that have declared local emergencies are the towns of Kamsack, Raymore, and Norquay, the rural municipalities of Meadow Lake, Sliding Hills, Wolverine, Enzinger, St. Phillips, Livingston and Cote, and the villages of Sheho and Togo, as well as the Keeseekoose First Nation.

Cote First Nation has evacuated nine P1 individuals due to flooding, who are being supported by the community and the Red Cross.

P1 individuals include the elderly, children under five, and those with medical needs.

In addition to equipment like sandbags, pumps and hoses that are being sent out to the affected communities, Harrison said SPSA staff are offering their support on the ground.

“We do have people in place to help navigate the process for these communities,” he said. “We are prepared to be there for as long as it needs to be.”

Volunteer efforts

Reagan Foster and Jennifer Lindgren helped coordinate volunteer efforts in Norquay.

They say when rain started to fall on Sunday, it didn’t take long for it to overtake the community. The rain eventually overwhelmed the town’s sewer system and had virtually the entire town underwater at one point.

“It’s devastating because you can’t stop it,” Foster said. “It’s the natural flow of water and the rain wouldn’t stop.”

Foster said some homes were waist deep in water where freezers were floating, flipping over and spilling all of their contents.

“Baby pictures gone — all that kind of stuff. It’s pretty devastating,” Lindgren said. “Things were floating and you’re like, ‘This is people’s lives.’”

Travelling in the area was a challenge. Dan Palmer, senior communications consultant with the Ministry of Highways, said 17 highways near the community are closed as of Thursday afternoon.

“A highway might have multiple closures along the route. There are also 18 incidents of water on driving lanes on various portions of highways related to flooding,” Palmer said.

That didn’t stop the town and surrounding neighbours from quickly getting to work.

Some volunteers were knocking on doors to make sure everyone was safe, others were building and delivering sandbags all over town, and dozens of nearby farmers and businesses started moving the water out once the rain stopped.

To fuel the workforce, others were cooking meals and bringing drinks to the town hall as their belongings floated in their basements.

“Anybody who owned a pump within a 50-kilometre radius was bringing in any kind of pumps, anything,” Lindgren said. “Our community is just amazing.”

Reflecting back on the devastation and the efforts to clean up Norquay amazed Lindgren and Foster, and helped bring the community together when called upon.

“Everyone was actually in tears last night because it started to hit everybody just how incredible everybody was,” Lindgren said.

Lindgren and Foster are in awe of how the community came together and handled the devastation, but they’re staying ready with a chance of rain in the forecast this weekend.

Looking ahead

Clark said the WSA is in contact with municipal operators of the drinking water and wastewater systems.

“These type of localized and intense flood events can create impacts to these systems. In times of flooding, water needs to be managed,” she said.

Clark noted there are currently no communities facing compromised drinking water.

She said the WSA continues to watch the forecasts for heavy rain, acknowledging those can change quickly.

“Communities including Regina, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Saskatoon, and Estevan, face up to a 60 to 90 per cent chance of rain and storms. The heaviest rain tracks are expected in the southeast corner between Highway 1 and the U.S. border,” she said on Thursday.

Heading into the weekend, Clark said precipitation risks will drop.

“We’re watching closely to see if those change but that’s what we have in front of us now,” she said.

Palmer said crews and equipment are working to restore service as quickly and as safely as possible, noting that teams continue to monitor high-risk areas.

“As always, we remind motorists to please be alert, obey all signage and flag persons, along with driving to current highway conditions,” he said, encouraging residents to check Highway Hotline before heading out.

A snapshot of the current wildfire situation was also provided on Thursday. As of 2:30 p.m., there were 60 active wildfires in the province, with five contained, six not contained, 37 ongoing assessment, and 12 protecting values.

The heads of both Brandt Industries and Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) are set to make an announcement about the future of Regina’s annual agricultural staple.

The announcement is slated to take place at the REAL District at 9 a.m. Friday.

According to a news release, both CWA President Shaun Kindopp and Brandt owner Shaun Semple will deliver an update on the ongoing discussions about the event’s future.

The pair will speak to reporters following the announcement.

The future of one of western Canada’s largest agriculture showcases has been the subject of much discussion since Brandt’s offer but much of the REAL District was greenlit by city council in May.

Organizations with longstanding ties to CWA, like the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the Canadian Bison Association (CBA), are being evicted from their offices on the Real District.

In his pitch to city council, Semple promised to reinvigorate the REAL District, covering costly repairs and upkeep for many of the buildings and to attract high-profile acts and events to draw in crowds – even going as far to propose a Calgary Stampede style expansion for the event.

“We are one of the largest sponsors of the Calgary Stampede and we want to bring a stampede to Regina and help Agribition do that,” Semple told executive committee in April.

“That’s my goal, how do we make it bigger?”

Held in the last week of November, CWA generated $151.3 million of economic activity in 2025.

According to organizers, a total of 151,037 people attended the six day event.

The Alberta government pitched the route and builders for a new pipeline to the British Columbia coast, just hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a deal with B.C. to make it possible.

Speaking to reporters in Calgary on Thursday evening, Carney and Smith said Alberta has formally been submitted a proposed route for pipeline stretching to the major projects office.

“The profits from this pipeline will generate billions in revenues over the coming decades for the provincial and federal governments, and will enrich Indigenous communities that choose to partner with us,” Smith said.

“This is transformational wealth, an opportunity neither Canada nor Alberta can afford to leave unrealized.”

The proposed pipeline would run from Bruderheim, a town northeast of Edmonton, to a terminal in Delta, B.C., which is south of Vancouver.

It would follow the existing Trans Mountain pipeline corridor to a deep-water port terminal, delivering more than one million barrels a day to tankers, which would then ship to Asian markets.

The price tag for the project is between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion — including contingency fees. The Alberta government says it has already spent $18.3 million planning the project so far.

Smith said the Alberta government is partnering with federally owned Trans Mountain Corporation and Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline for the build.

Carney said that route makes the most sense given the line already exists and serves as the “gateway to the world’s fastest growing markets.”

“This is more than just an accord. It’s also an approach that gives certainty to our businesses to build,” he said.

The province says the goal is to have the pipeline designated as a project of natural interest by the major projects office by Oct. 1.

Deal with British Columbia

The submission follows the announcement of a wide-reaching deal reached between Ottawa and B.C. Premier David Eby, who has been an outspoken critic of Smith’s pipeline since last fall.

That deal included a commitment from Ottawa to uphold a tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast, as well as pledges that Ottawa would take on financial risks for any potential environmental issues and spills if the pipeline is appoved.

It also promises that B.C. would receive financial compensation via an annual royalty payment for having the pipeline run through it.

Carney’s office said in a statement that Thursday’s agreement has appeared to have smoothed some of Eby’s initial displeasure over.

“British Columbia acknowledges Canada’s agreement with Alberta on a new trans-provincial pipeline, which is dependent on construction of the Pathways Carbon Capture and Sequestration project and the duty to consult First Nations,” Carney’s office wrote in an online statement.

“Although B.C. does not seek this project, it recognizes its constitutional obligations and commits to acting in good faith to engage in the necessary routing and permitting discussions, within its jurisdiction, provided the following reciprocal commitments are met.”

In return, B.C. will need to help optimize the efficiency of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, Carney’s office said.

Eby said the deal doesn’t force him to support the project, but he conceded that his province wouldn’t fight it in court.

“That’s why this agreement matters. It ensures that the northern tanker ban stays in place, and it ensures that if the pipeline goes ahead, British Columbians are fairly compensated for the environmental risks we would take,” he said.

Another aspect of the B.C. agreement is for Ottawa to commit to $10 billion in infrastructure upgrades at the Roberts Bank Terminal in Delta.

Carney didn’t mention the connection when speaking with Eby, but said the upgrades could create $100 billion in trade capacity and add $3 billion to the country’s economy annually.

Alberta’s submission package says the terminal will need to be designed to accommodate large oil tankers and feature two new loading berths.

Smith and Carney also announced Thursday that they are close to finalizing an agreement with the Oil Sands Alliance for its Pathways carbon capture project.

Last year’s energy deal between Carney and Smith made her pipeline conditional on advancements on the carbon capture deal.

In Camrose, Alta., on Thursday, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Carney for sticking with the oil tanker ban, calling it a “ridiculous” policy. 

He said Canada should be trying to diversify its exporting options, but added that he wasn’t opposed to another southern B.C. Pipeline.

You got one guy standing in the way of it all, and that’s Mark Carney, Poilievre said. “Provide the permit, let the private sector build it, get out of the way and get it done.”

Meanwhile, the Alberta and federal NDP were at odds over the announcement.

“Today’s news is welcome,” Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said in a written statement.

Nenshi added Alberta is pleased to see the southern route be pledged to the major projects office, as well as see progress on the Pathways carbon capture project.

“It’s a critical step to future-proof our oil sands production,” he said.

Newly-elected federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis, meanwhile, condemned the proposal.

“Today’s announcement shows what this federal government will protect above all else: the profits of Big Oil,” Lewis said.

He added the “opaque” partnership between the public and private sectors will cause the public to “not only bear the risks and the damages, but also the lion’s share of the costs.”

A man is facing 11 charges, including attempted murder, following a shooting in Melville, Sask. that left two RCMP officers with serious injuries.

In an update issued Monday evening, Saskatchewan RCMP announced that 55-year-old Markus Dodge has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of discharging a firearm with intent, two counts of pointing a firearm and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

These charges are related to both the shooting on Sunday night and an earlier incident that officers were responding to when the alleged shooting happened, according to RCMP.

The two officers were shot when they arrived at the home, landing both of them in the hospital.

As of Monday evening, RCMP said they were in stable condition, however their injuries are serious and “potentially life-altering in nature.”

“We appreciate the support that has been expressed for them, and know that many are interested in more details about them and the nature of their injuries. We want to be mindful of their privacy during this difficult time,” the service added.

The 55-year-old faces additional charges for assault with a weapon and uttering threats. RCMP did note a firearm was recovered from the home where the shooting took place.

Dodge is scheduled to appear in Yorkton Provincial Court on June 23 at 9:30 a.m.

‘Life changing’

Speaking to reporters Monday morning, Chief Supt. Murray Chamberlin, criminal operations officer for the Saskatchewan RCMP, said the incident is representative of the potential danger every law enforcement officer faces daily.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the danger police officers face every day,” Chamberlin said. “What started off as a report of an assault, something we attend to routinely, ended as a potentially life-changing call for two of our officers.”

At around 9:35 p.m. on Sunday, Melville RCMP responded to the report of an assault at a home on 8th Avenue West.

As officers approached the home, a gun was fired and the pair were hit. Chamberlin said he does not believe the officers returned fire.

The two Mounties were transported to a hospital in Regina with injuries described as serious in nature.

The armed suspect remained inside the home following the shooting.

A plethora of officers responded including members of surrounding RCMP detachments, various units under the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Critical Response Team, the provincial government’s protection and response team in addition to SWAT officers from Regina.

A dangerous persons alert was not issued, as the suspect was contained in the home.

“We were confident that the suspect was contained in the residence, and therefore there was no elevated risk to public safety,” Chamberlin explained.

At around 2 a.m., the suspect and another person exited the home. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody. The other person was detained but later released and cleared of any involvement.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) is investigating the shooting.

As the investigation continues, Chamberlin said the service will review the incident to see if any measures could have been taken to improve officer safety.

“On any serious incident, we do an internal review, we look at the actions of our members, our policies, is there ways we can do things better,” he added.

“Unfortunately, our job comes with inherent risks, and this is a reminder of that.”

Premier Scott Moe took to social media Monday to share support for those affected by the shooting.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the two seriously injured RCMP officers, their families, friends, colleagues, and the entire Melville community,” his post read.

“On behalf of the people of Saskatchewan, we are hoping for their full and speedy recovery and stand with all those affected by this senseless act of violence.”

The City of Melville also offered words of condolence in an afternoon social media post.

“Two of our RCMP officers were injured while serving and protecting us, and our thoughts are with them, their families, their fellow officers, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” the post read.

“We may not be able to take away the pain or uncertainty, but we can stand together and remind them that they are not facing this alone.

“Melville is behind you. We are praying for your healing, your strength, and your safe recovery. We are grateful for your courage, your service, and the sacrifices you make for our community every day.”

Melville, a community of just under 4,500 residents, is located about 150 kilometres northeast of Regina.

EVO Radio Network – Scheduled Maintenance Notice

EVO Radio will be conducting a network-wide server migration and infrastructure update beginning Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 3:00 AM, with work expected to be completed by Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM.

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Because this update involves server transfers, database installations, and name server changes, exact downtime periods cannot be guaranteed. Individual service interruptions may vary, with some components taking up to several hours to complete.

Our support and technical teams will work to keep all stations and websites online for as long as possible and will restore services immediately as each system becomes available. Broadcast services and station websites will be prioritized, followed by additional network services.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete these upgrades, which are designed to improve performance, reliability, and long-term stability across the EVO Radio Network.

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EVO Radio Network

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