s much of Saskatchewan contends with the first heat wave of 2026, select regions in the southwest should also expect thunderstorm activity.

At 2:33 p.m. Tuesday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a severe thunderstorm watch — notifying the public that conditions are favourable to the development of strong winds, large hail and heavy rain.

The watch area includes much of southwest Saskatchewan including the communities of Maple Creek, Swift Current, Gravelbourg and Coronach.

A question about Alberta’s future in Canada remains top of mind for many – including Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Kananaskis, Alta. where he is attending an annual meeting of Western premiers, Moe defended Premier Danielle Smith’s announcement to include a question on whether Alberta should pursue a vote on separating from Canada in this fall’s referendum.

“My perspective of what I see Premier Smith doing here – she’s following the law,” he said, pointing to the fact other provinces have similar legislation to Alberta’s on the topic of plebiscites.

“We have plebiscite legislation in Saskatchewan, B.C., I believe has a plebiscite legislation as well. Those are the three provinces that have citizen initiatives, initiative questions that can be put forward and so if that was met in Saskatchewan, we’re a government that would follow the law in that space.”

Last week, Smith announced a question about a separation vote would be included in the referendum scheduled for Oct. 19.

The referendum will feature 10 questions asking for a mandate on a number of immigration and constitution-related questions - the first nine of which are ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.

However, the tenth is a dual question.

“Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”

The announcement came as two competing petitions, named Forever Canadian and Stay Free Alberta, garnered around 400,000 and 300,000 signatures respectively.

“We’ve had 700,000 people who’ve asked to have the question of whether to remain in Canada or leave Canada. So, I’m following our law,” Smith told reporters Monday.

When asked if the question about a separation vote worries him, Moe answered in part, pointing to lingering policy disagreements between the federal government and Alberta as the reason the province is having the separation conversation in the first place.

“I wouldn’t say I don’t have concerns about that, but I would say I understand why it’s here. We’ve had 10 years of unconsulted, harmful policy by the previous prime minister,” Moe said, before praising Prime Minister Mark Carney for his efforts in collaborating with provincial leaders.

“I think I have great hope for our nation as we look ahead.”

Moe did go on to say he believes “it’s beneficial for Alberta to remain in Canada.” However he noted, the decision is not his.

“What I would say, and it isn’t for me to tell Albertans how to vote in this, these questions or any others that are coming to them,” he said.

Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition said Moe’s response was simply not enough.

“He’s not doing enough to talk about the ramifications that even the discourse of separatism is having. We’ve seen with the Alberta Chamber of Commerce report, that even the discourse around this issue is causing uncertainty and it’s causing economic repercussions,” NDP MLA Kim Breckner told reporters at an event in Saskatoon on Monday.

Going further, Breckner told reporters her party acknowledges the concerns around “Western alienation” and its effects. However, she doubled down on the need for unity and to speak up against separatism, claiming the recent developments in Alberta have given momentum to Saskatchewan-based separatism initiatives.

“The route forward is to work together to build a stronger Canada, and within that, a stronger Saskatchewan,” she added.

“I hope that the premier can tell us that out of these western premiers meetings that they’ve been talking about nation building infrastructure, how we can get our products to port, how we can be stronger together in this nation of Canada, and a clear message to separatists to stop that discourse, because it’s harmful.”

A new pipeline being proposed from Alberta to British Columbia is also up for discussion at the conference.

The meeting is set to conclude Tuesday afternoon.

A trio of suspects have been charged in connection to a robbery and beating in Melville late last week.

On Friday, May 22, Melville RCMP executed a search warrant at a home on 2 Avenue East.

The operation was related to an incident the previous day, where a man in the community reported he was robbed and assaulted. He also reported his attackers fired a gun during the incident.

The man did not report any serious injuries to police.

During the Friday operation, RCMP took five people into custody and seized 2 BB-guns, a magazine, ammunition, cash and a small quantity of methamphetamine and cocaine.

One of the BB-guns resembled a semi-automatic weapon while the other resembled a handgun.

Officers also reportedly found two bicycles that were reported stolen from a business in the community.

As a result of the investigation, a 44-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman from Regina, along with a 46-year-old man from Melville, face a combined total of 33 charges.

The 44-year-old faces 22 charges related to weapons possession, assault, robbery and violating court ordered conditions – while the 46-year-old faces six charges related to possession of stolen property and weapons.

Finally, the 33-year-old woman faces five charges stemming from possessing drugs and stolen property.

The two other individuals who were arrested during the operation were released without charge.

The trio made their first appearance in Yorkton Provincial Court on Monday, May 25.

Four people have been charged following investigation into a robbery and forcible confinement incident in Regina earlier this month.

Officers were dispatched to a home in the 1700 block of John Street for a report of a robbery on May 9 around 10:20 a.m., according to an update from the Regina Police Service (RPS) on Tuesday.

When officers arrived on scene, they found the victim, who had been picked up from a business in the 1800 block of Saskatchewan Drive by two women he knew.

Police say the group drove to the residence on John Street, but before leaving the vehicle, the victim placed about $5,000 inside the centre console.

The two women and the victim then went into the home. Police say a short time later, two men confronted the victim, demanded money, and threatened violence if he tried to leave.

Police say the victim returned to the vehicle following the confrontation and found the driver side window had been smashed and his cash had been stolen.

RPS identified four suspects believed to be involved in the robbery. A man and woman were arrested without incident on May 11, and a second woman was located and arrested on May 13.

Investigators arrested the fourth suspect following a traffic stop on May 23.

A 36-year-old man, a 28-year-old man, a 24-year-old woman, and a 29-year-old woman, are all facing a robbery and forcible confinement charge.

The 28-year-old is also charged with failure to comply with a condition of a release order.

All four appeared in Regina Provincial Court this month.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds hometown event has sold out in record time, according to organizers.

Set for July 11 at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, aviation fans will be able to celebrate the Snowbirds’ 55th anniversary in their hometown.

According to a social media post by Canadian Forces Snowbirds Hometown Event on Monday, tickets sold out within minutes.

Ahead of the event, organizers are reminding ticket holders of the following safety guidelines.

• Buses can’t be accommodated due to limited onsite space
• Passengers are not permitted in open truck beds
• Limousines are not permitted onsite
• Tickets are sold per vehicle

Earlier this month, the federal government announced the Snowbirds will be temporarily grounded after the 2026 season, while the aging Tutor jets are replaced with the new CT-157 Siskin II aircraft

The news shocked Saskatchewan residents, especially those in Moose Jaw, who expressed that it would be a shame to lose a national treasure like the Snowbirds.

Instead of testing new technology at active mine sites, Nutrien is doing much of that work inside a Saskatoon facility.

The Nutrien Pilot Plant includes a small-scale mill, labs, workshops and testing areas designed to improve potash production.

For the first time, cameras and journalists were invited inside for a behind-the-scenes tour.

“This space gives us the opportunity to de-risk projects. We can run experiments here without disrupting the operations — which can have real impacts if we shut down production,” said Courtney Rohachuk, manager of the pilot plant.

One key area is the flotation cell, where potassium chloride is separated from the rest of the mined material to create potash fertilizer.

New technology and control settings can be tested in Saskatoon before being introduced at Nutrien’s active mines.

Mark Buchinski, director of the pilot plant, said the Saskatoon facility supports all six of Nutrien’s Saskatchewan potash mines.

“This facility is focused on doing the innovation and research ahead of time,” Buchinski said.

He said the pilot plant played a major role during potash mine expansions in 2010, helping refine new equipment before it went into operation.

“We brought them here, optimized the design over the course of six months to a year,” Buchinski said.

“We were able to install something back at the sites before they needed them to actually start producing potash.”

Staff at the facility say the work is constantly evolving alongside new technology.

“There’s still so much to learn and so much to discover, so I think it’s exciting to be a part of that possibility,” Rohachuk said.

Saskatchewan is the world’s largest producer of potash.

The trial of Claro Recto Belen continued on Tuesday.

Belen has been charged with sexual interference, sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching, and exposing his genitals to a minor, in connection to an incident in February of 2024.

Crown prosecutor Jillian Borrowman proposed that Justice Holli Kuski Bassitt allow an amendment that would expand the alleged offense dates from being on or about Feb. 3, 2024, to between Aug. 1, 2023, and Feb. 3, 2024.

Defense counsel Nicholas Robinson argued that the amendment would allow prejudice to flow into the trial.

After a near four-hour adjournment on Tuesday afternoon, the decision was ultimately made to grant the amendment.

“Overall, I am satisfied that allowing the amendments to the indictment will not undermine trial fairness in this case,” Kuski Bassitt said.

The trial will pick back up on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Canada will sign a large-scale LNG agreement with Germany’s SEFE for liquefied natural gas from the Ksi Lisims planned export facility on the coast of British Columbia, according to an industry source.

The agreement, to be announced Wednesday in Vancouver by Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, comes as Ksi Lisims’ backers have been working to finalize contracts with purchasers before making an expected final investment decision this year.

Ksi Lisims, SEFE and Canada’s natural resources ministry declined to comment.

Bloomberg first reported the plans.

Shell and TotalEnergies have already signed 20-year LNG purchase agreements with Ksi Lisims.

The Ksi Lisims facility is proposed by Houston-based Western LNG, a consortium of Canadian natural gas producers called Rockies LNG, and the Nisga’a First Nation, who own the land for the project. It will have a capacity of 12 million tonnes of LNG per year, making it Canada’s second-largest LNG export facility.

SEFE, short for Securing Energy for Europe, was nationalized by Germany for 6.3 billion euros (approximately C$10.1 billion) in 2022 after former parent Gazprom ditched the business during Europe’s energy crisis.

Like Uniper, the company is tasked with diversifying Germany’s energy supply, especially in the wake of the current Middle East conflict that has increased European interest in energy security.

SEFE already has a variety of LNG deals that include agreements with U.S.-based Venture Global, Argentina’s Southern Energy and Turkiye’s state energy company BOTAS, among others.

Reuters reported last month that European buyers, including Germany’s Uniper, are exploring the possibility of purchasing liquefied natural gas from Canada’s Pacific coast and shipping it through the Panama Canal as part of a long-term strategy to diversify supply, an effort made more urgent in the wake of the Iran war.

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.

During this maintenance window, the following services may be temporarily offline or intermittently inaccessible at various points:

Websites

• https://z1035.evoradio.ca/

• https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/

• https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/

• https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/

• https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/

• https://vipclub.evoradio.ca/

• https://evomcorp.com/

• https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/

Live Broadcasting

• Z103.5

• 979 The Cowboy

• 101 The Rockhound

• Classic 88.7 The Goat

Stream Relay Network

• All Stream Relay services will be unavailable during the migration.

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.

Thank you for your continued support,
EVO Radio Network

🎉 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