The Government of Saskatchewan is proudly announcing its continued participation in the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in Weyburn.

It’s a biennial event dedicated to showcasing some of the latest products and technology in the oil and gas industry and reinforcing Saskatchewan’s position in it.

“Our government is proud to support the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show, which plays a vital role in promoting one of our province’s most important industries,” said Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry in a media release Wednesday.

“This event is a great place for Junior Oil and Gas companies to promote themselves and grow. Saskatchewan is one of the last places in North America that Junior Oil and Gas companies can establish themselves.”

The event is scheduled to run June 3 – June 4 and is always hosted in Weyburn.

According to the province, the oil and gas sector employs more than 26,000 people and produces $11.5 billion in value.

Nathin Peters grew up learning the ins and outs of his family’s logging company, Peters Junior Contracting Ltd. in Prince Albert. But he said the increasingly difficult challenges that come along with wildfire season are becoming more and more difficult to prepare for.

“The ongoing impact is just the instability. You plan your operations based on areas and public consultation. There’s a lot of hoops to go through. And it’s not a quick process, it takes time. So you start doing it and then each year it seems like fire season impacts things more,” Peters said.

Peters told CTV News that this year marks the fourth year in a row that significant wildfires have taken a toll on his business and his community.

“The volunteer effort that I’ve seen in the last week was incredible. And the people working so hard to protect farmland and assets and different things, fences, that’s been a big one people aren’t talking about either is the grazing land lost in the forest, so there’s just lots of facets to it,” Peters said.

Peters added that his family has a cabin in northern Saskatchewan, which has also been been impacted by wildfires for the past few summers.

“Just the uncertainty. You’re watching the fire come for days. You see the smoke plumes, and then all of a sudden you get up one morning and you can actually hear it like roaring... While we’re up there dealing with it, the family is back home and you’re making a phone call or you’re texting. ‘We’re okay, we’re still okay’.

While dealing with wildfires has become familiar, Peters said it doesn’t make the stakes any lower.

“But then the next text is ‘the kids are worried, they wish you were home’...and so it becomes personal really quick when you’ve dealt with it before,” Peters said.

When an independent review of the 2025 wildfire season was commissioned, Peters expressed that he was optimistic the findings could have a positive impact on the 2026 wildfire season.

“I thought it was a great idea. Definitely needed some insight from a third party to look into what happened last year. I mean, nobody expected what happened. You can’t point fingers at individuals. So I thought it was a great way to look at it as an organization for everybody, not just business, but for Saskatchewan as a whole,” Peters said.

But as the estimated publication date of the report passed, Peters expressed that it’s left him feeling frustrated on both a personal and professional level.

“Business and personal, and I feel like for me, they’re intertwined because I’m affected on both sides. So I’m waiting to see what are the recommendations. But...it’s not there. And we’re still not getting any word of where it is,” Peters said.

The provincial government said the report timeline was extended to allow for additional stakeholder consultations, helping to ensure a thorough and informed assessment.

“The province is committed to ensuring that when this report is made public, communities have a clear understanding of what the review found, what actions have already been implemented for the current wildfire season, and what additional steps will be taken to strengthen Saskatchewan’s wildfire preparedness and response,” the province said in a statement.

“The province is actively reviewing MNP’s recommendations and developing a response. The report, along with the government’s response and next steps, will be released publicly in the coming weeks.”

For Peters, it’s now a little late for any recommendations to make a difference in his operations this year.

“I can’t help but wonder if that report was out, would there have been recommendations that could have helped remedy the start of the fire season again, and not let this fire get so big?,” Peters said.

Adding that the logging industry is one of many in the province that is heavily impacted by the weather, and anticipating the added challenge of wildfires takes a major toll.

“It’s hard on equipment. Ash is brutal on all of the machines [and] the soot. And the second big factor is bugs. There is a very short season and once the wood is dead, the beetles get into it...and most people don’t want lumber with bug holes in it or wormholes. It just becomes an inferior product that you can’t use. And...it’s hard to sell burnt wood,” Peters said.

Peters shared that in the forestry industry, many believe there isn’t much value placed on timber. While wildfires play a natural role in the lifecycle of a forest, Peters has concerns that the increasingly difficult challenges presented by this time of year are out of the ordinary.

“I think you’d be hard pressed to find anybody that doesn’t believe fire is a natural part of the landscape. And we are going to lose value every year, no matter what we do. But does it have to be to this scale?” Peters said.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has put a temporary halt on its newly proposed movement reporting requirements for cattle and bison.

This comes after organizations like the Saskatchewan Cattle Association (SCA) raised concerns about the proposed regulations.

“This is something that we’ve pushed for. We called for a halt to the initial proposed amendments regulations in January, which CFIA did put a halt on it,” SCA District Two director Wade Beck told CTV News.

“After that, we went around the province and had town hall meetings, and it was pretty clear from our producers that they did not want to see the proposed regulations going forward.”

Beck said the tracking regulations would be another burden and another cost to producers, and that the technology to record traceability out in the field is not quite there yet.

Cattle producers are currently required to put RFID tags in their animals that stay with them throughout their life cycle to track where the animal is raised.

The CFIA is planning to move ahead with updated traceability requirements for other animals, including sheep, goats and cervids, to bring them in line with requirements similar to cattle and bison.

The agency added that it will continue to work closely with the cattle sector and other livestock industries to inform future plans to strengthen Canada’s livestock traceability program.

Residents in parts of south-central Saskatchewan could see funnel clouds on Wednesday.

According to a special weather statement issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), an unstable air mass may lead to the development of “isolated cold core funnel clouds.”

Conditions are favourable near noon until Wednesday evening, ECCC says.

The weather agency says while funnel clouds are usually short-lived and don’t normally touch down, they can sometimes reach the ground as weak tornadoes.

The wind gusts they bring are also usually brief and localized but ECCC says they’re known to have caused minor damage to loose objects and vegetation.

Residents in the south-central area of the province, including those in Regina and Saskatoon, are advised to take shelter if a funnel cloud approaches, as they can appear with little to no warning and can develop quickly.

During closing arguments in a Saskatchewan human trafficking trial, the Crown argued a Bangladeshi woman was controlled and exploited for cheap labour, while the defence argued she made up the allegations to stay in Canada.

RCMP charged Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider in 2023, alleging they trafficked the woman to work in restaurants in Gull Lake, Tisdale and Elrose. Masum is also charged with three counts of sexual assault. The woman cannot be identified because of a publication ban.

The trial, which began in September 2024, was held at the Rosetown Elks Hall but moved to Saskatoon provincial court for closing arguments Wednesday.

Court heard the woman came to Canada on a visitor visa and began applying for jobs while staying in Toronto. She came to Saskatchewan to work at Haider’s restaurant in Gull Lake after responding to a job posting.

She was later transferred to Masum’s restaurant in Tisdale and then to another restaurant operated by Haider in Elrose before being taken to a shelter, court heard.

Crown prosecutor Leslie Dunning argued the woman worked 12-hour days with little or no pay while the accused benefited from cheap labour.

She said the woman endured months of psychological harm and isolation because the men controlled her employment, housing, immigration status and work permit.

In Masum’s case, Dunning argued, he also controlled her body.

Dunning said the woman was vulnerable because she was working in small towns without friends or family and could barely speak English.

Haider’s lawyer, Chris Gratton, argued it made little sense that his client would traffic the woman when he introduced her to his wife and members of the community and helped her through the immigration process, creating a paper trail with the government.

Gratton said the woman had access to her phone and was free to come and go as she pleased. He argued she was not helpless, noting she had worked for the Government of Bangladesh, held two master’s degrees and was well travelled.

He argued Haider had limited interaction with the woman because he was in Bangladesh dealing with a death in the family for much of the time she was in Gull Lake.

“There is no concrete evidence that he acted to exploit her,” Gratton told court.

Masum’s lawyer, Michael Owens, challenged the woman’s credibility, arguing she came to Canada hoping to stay long term and was not honest with the federal government when applying for a visitor visa.

Owens pointed to a video shown during the trial in which the woman appeared to grab a co-worker by the collar at the Tisdale restaurant. He argued she made the allegations only after the co-worker threatened to call police and she faced the possibility of having to leave Canada.

Dunning however, said the woman provided specific details and timelines and that four witnesses corroborated her account.

“It doesn’t make sense that she would make all this up,” she said in court.

Dunning also argued human trafficking can take many forms and is not limited to situations where someone is physically confined or restrained.

Judge Miguel Martinez reserved his decision until Aug. 7, saying he expects it to be the longest written decision of his career.

A vehicle crash closed Highway 10 in Fort Qu’Appelle for a brief window on Wednesday.

At 3:34 p.m., Fort Qu’Appelle RCMP announced officers were on scene of a collision on Highway 10 in the community.

As a result of the crash, the highway was closed – with traffic being rerouted through the town of Fort Qu’Appelle itself.

A photo submitted to CTV News showed STARS Air Ambulance at the scene.

No other details were provided by RCMP, as the investigation was still in its preliminary stages.

RCMP announced at 4:24 p.m. that the highway was reopened.

Four local food and health organizations in Moose Jaw are benefitting from a $1.5 million investment from The Mosaic Company over the next three years.

The investment will be divvied up to the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, Moose Jaw & District Food Bank, Hunger in Moose Jaw and Wakamow Valley – Mosaic Community Food Farm.

On Wednesday, Mosaic announced it will be supporting the local organizations to strengthen health care, advance food security and improve community well-being across Saskatchewan’s southern region.

“Obviously food security is very important to Mosaic, as it is in our province today. That paired with health care, another important thing to our province, our people and our employees, the two themes made great sense, especially during Saskatchewan Mining Week,” said Marnel Jones, director of government and public affairs for Mosaic.

Less than three months ago, the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank were forced to reduce its services due to ongoing food supply constraints.

“We’ve seen an increase of about 160 per cent over four years in the number of visits at the food bank,” Jason Moore, executive director for the food bank, told CTV News.

“Its put a strain on our resources and as a result, we had to reduce the number of visits per client from two visits a month to one.”

In an effort to keep up with the demand of families in need, the non-profit said the changes were needed to remain sustainable.

However, Mosaic’s recent investment of $90,000 over the next three years has allowed the food bank to plan for its future, according to Moore.

“Without sponsors like Mosaic and without reliable sources of income, then it’s a guessing game month to month,” he said. “It makes it really tough and challenging for us to continue services when we’re not sure where our resources are coming from.”

Ryan Hrechka, chair of the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, said the organization will be receiving $1 million from Mosaic’s investment which will go towards updating “surgical equipment and diagnostics” needed at Dr. F. H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.

“As always with hospitals and medical [needs], things are changing so fast and quickly, technology and equipment,” Hrechka told reporters on Wednesday. “… We want to make sure that we have the most updated equipment to service the area that we service.

Hrechka added the foundation has had a long-term partnership with Mosaic and is thankful for the company’s continued support.

“They’ve provided funding for us for many, many years. Saskatchewan is a great community, people give and always give,” he said.

“It’s just wonderful to see it. We can’t say thank you enough to them for everything they’ve done and continue to do for our communities.”

Throughout years of collaborating with local organizations, the potash company said prioritizing the community’s well-being is one of its main missions.

“There’s a lot of challenges in our communities right now and Mosaic’s really happy that we can step up and provide funding for things like food security and health care donated,” Jones said, when asked about the concerns surrounding health care and food security.

“…We have been investing in the Moose Jaw community for well over 15 years and that total adds up to about $4.5 million invested in Moose Jaw.”

The Saskatchewan RCMP is resuming its search for the person responsible for a fatal shooting in Pelican Narrows earlier this week.

In an update issued Wednesday afternoon, RCMP revealed a person taken into custody on Monday has since been released without charges.

The service said its initial investigation on Monday provided grounds to arrest two people. As investigators gathered more evidence, however, both individuals were released.

Now, the police service is renewing its calls to the public to help identify the suspect, who is described as a man wearing all black and carrying a handgun and a cellphone at the time of the shooting.

Surveillance video of the suspect running past a home was released as part of the update on Wednesday.

RCMP issued a dangerous person alert on Monday as information suggested the shooting took place at the clinic and could have been random in nature. That alert has since been cancelled.

Despite the suspect responsible for the shooting being still at large — RCMP have not issued a separate dangerous person alert — as no other incidents connected with the June 1 shooting have been reported.

“Investigators are constantly reassessing this situation. At this time, there is not believed to be an imminent risk to public safety,” the service said in the update.

Insp. Ashley St. Germaine, acting officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP’s Major Crimes Branch, reiterated the service’s request to the public for their help in finding the suspect.

“We know the community of Pelican Narrows is on edge because of this shooting, and other recent violent events,” St. Germaine said in the update.

“Our number one priority right now is the safety of Pelican Narrows residents. Homicides are solved with the help of witnesses. We know there are people in the community who have information and have not shared it with police. If you do — or if you recognize the suspect in this video — please call police or report what you know to Crime Stoppers immediately, she added.

“Help us bring this person into custody, ease community fears, and start the justice process for those affected by this crime.”

The shooting on Monday killed a woman, described as a 28-year-old from Pelican Narrows, and seriously injured a man. The man’s injuries were described as non-life-threatening by RCMP.

RCMP say an altercation occurred at a home on Chachakew Street between a group of people who knew each other. It’s here the woman was injured. The man was injured minutes later on the road in proximity to the community’s health clinic.

An increased police presence is expected in the community as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to contact RCMP by calling 310‑RCMP or submitting an anonymous tip to Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Community reaction

News that the shooter is still on the loose is disheartening, says Justin Halcrow, the vice chief of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

“It’s very troublesome for our community while they’re in a high state of high alert. They’re traumatized,” Halcrow said Wednesday at a virtual news conference.

Pelican Narrows, which is part of the First Nation, has been dealing with heightened violence for years. The shooting happened less than a month after two homicides in the small community.

Halcrow said it’s largely to do with gangs, addictions and mental health issues.

“We need immediate help,” added Chief Peter Beatty.

In late May, Pelican Narrows put up a security checkpoint on the road leading into the community. It’s also banned people from using all-terrain vehicles, directing retailers not to sell gas for such vehicles.

The First Nation has been calling for an Indigenous-led police service in northern Saskatchewan, along with additional Mounties and more funding for addictions treatment.

Beatty said leaders plan to be in Ottawa next week for a meeting with Mandy Gull-Masty, the Indigenous services minister.

“We need a solid commitment in terms of getting security into the community to make people feel relatively safe, and to at least alleviate the number of drugs and alcohol entering the community,” he said.

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