Saskatchewan RCMP have made two arrests in a homicide investigation in the province’s southeast.

Tyler Shaw, 27, of Gainsborough, Sask. has been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

He is expected to appear in Regina Provincial Court on April 26.

A second man was taken into custody in Oxbow, Sask. Thursday afternoon, pending further investigation.

The investigation began when a potential homicide was reported to Carlyle RCMP on April 24.

RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit took charge and began their investigation at the Oxbow landfill. Police noted no human remains were located there.

As the operation continued, police discovered the body of an adult woman in a rural location in the RM of Moose Mountain at around noon on April 25.

Her death is being labelled a homicide, according to RCMP.

The victim’s identity will be confirmed in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

RCMP advised the public that an increased police presence should be expected on White Bear First Nation, the RM of Moose Mountain and the town of Oxbow as the investigation continues.

The Weber family is being forced to travel to Toronto due to a lack of pediatric gastroenterologists (GIs) in the province. The family’s situation was highlighted by Saskatchewan’s official opposition.

Zach Engen was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in 2020 when he was 11. Since then, his family has battled to get him the care he desperately needs.

“This is one of the toughest years of our lives,” Zachery’s mother, Alyssa Weber told reporters during a news conference Wednesday. “We need help. Were trying to do it financially by ourselves, but we cant anymore.”

EoE is a rare condition involving the esophagus becoming inflamed and narrow. Due to this, Engen wears a feeding tube and cant eat solid foods.

The now 16-year-old also lives with autism – leading to added complications for the family.

“He doesnt understand why he cant be like normal 16-year-old boys. He has to suffer every day,” Weber added. “Be hooked up to G tube everyday six times a day. He has to have medicine all through the day pumped through his G tube. He can barely stand swallowing water or even his saliva.”

Saskatchewan’s last pediatric GI left the province in April of 2023. Since then, the Weber’s have been forced to seek out of province care in Toronto.

The trips have led to major financial challenges for the family – who are calling on the government to step up its efforts to recruit specialists.

“We have a childrens hospital. This government needs to smarten up,” Cynthia Schneider, Engen’s grandmother told reporters.

“Get these doctors here for these kids. Look at this boy. Can you not see what [this] is doing to him leaving his family behind to another province when we have a hospital here in Saskatoon?”

Health Minister Everett Hindley met with the family following question period Wednesday. Speaking to reporters afterward, he reiterated the province’s policy of not covering travel costs for residents seeking out of province care.

“When patients need to be sent out of province or perhaps out of country, the procedures themselves are covered but travel and accommodations and those sorts of costs are or are not covered,” he said.

“Again, thats been the policy for years and years here in Saskatchewan.”

According to Hindley, there are 14 pediatric vacancies across the province – including 4.5 positions at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is finalizing contracts with two full-time pediatric GIs.

“As soon as those contracts are finalized, we will make sure that the public is aware of that,” he said.

“I think we need three pediatric gastroenterologists at the Childrens Hospital in Saskatoon and I would certainly not be opposed to looking at if we need more than that to be able to address the demand.”

NDP Leader Carla Beck tore into the province’s track record on the attracting specialists.

“The government holds up their most ambitious health care recruiting fund in the country. Unfortunately, it was also proven to be the least effective plan,” she said during the news conference.

On April 10, the government stated there was interest in a pediatric GI position. Two days later, the job was reposted, the NDP claimed.

As of April 25, two pediatric GI positions are listed for Saskatoon on Sask Docs.

Beck reiterated that Weber’s plight is not unique and many other Sask. families are suffering due to lack of specialist care.

“If you look at what was promised when the Childrens Hospital was first opened, in terms of the number of pediatric specialists that we expected to have, almost every category … there are fewer than were promised in the province at that time,” she said.

“We should be proud of having a childrens hospital but we shouldnt be proud of the fact that kids in this province have to fly to Toronto to get care.”

The Weber’s next trip to Toronto is scheduled for May 7. Weber shared her concerns over the coming trip – which involves a potential surgery to address Engens stomach pressing into his esophagus due to a hernia.

“The surgery that hes getting is very, very high risk and hes already pretty high on the line of getting esophagus cancer because of how bad his esophagus is,” she explained.

Weber concluded that she hopes her family’s story highlights the plight of others seeking care across the province.

“I dont want families going through what we have to go through the last year and a half.”

Work to twin Highways 6 and 39 from Regina to near Milestone will continue this year, with the province expecting construction to resume as early as May.

About 15 kilometres of roadway in total will be twinned, the province said.

That includes 7.8 kilometres south of Regina between the bypass and Highway 306 turnoff and 7.1 kilometres north of Corinne on Highway 6 to southeast of Corinne on Highway 39, a news release said.

Almost 13 kilometres of passing lanes in the area will also be repaved as part of the project, the province said.

According to the province, Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Corinne sees an average of 3,400 vehicles per day.

Work will continue on this important corridor to ultimately enhance the safety and efficiency of tourism, trade and commuter traffic, Highways Minister Lori Carr said in the release.

The project, anticipated to take two years, began in 2023 with completion expected to be in 2024 depending on the weather.

“Once work begins, drivers can expect minor delays through work zones with one-way traffic. Flaggers will be present throughout construction hours to help guide the flow of traffic,” the province said in its release.

The cost of the project is expected to be $57 million. Ottawa provided more than $27 million with the rest of the funding coming from the provincial government

The City of Regina, province of Saskatchewan and federal government have teamed together to fund Dewdney Avenue’s revitalization.

Each level of government has come forward with around $11 million to total $32 million for the project.

“This project represents what we can achieve when we receive the support of all levels of government,” Mayor Sandra Masters said at a media event Thursday morning.

The city says the project will create a more vibrant community by replacing century-old infrastructure in the Warehouse District, repave Dewdney Avenue and create more accessible pedestrian corridor.

“When you have all three levels of government funding a project, it makes it much more affordable,” said Sask. Minister of Government Relations Don McMorris.

“This project will accommodate [Regina’s] growing needs and pave the way for a vibrant and sustainable future,” federal Minister of Infrastructure Sean Fraser said in a statement. “Benefitting both residents and businesses in the years ahead.”

The city purchased the land known as ‘The Yards’ about a decade ago. They received funding to overhaul the space five years ago.

“I’m just really pleased it’s happening now,” Masters said.

The infrastructure upgrades will support a multi-use space that could include rental properties, business and even potentially a recreation centre.

“It’s really important we’re looking to the future,” deputy city manager Kurtis Doney said. “Pipes will be sized to support future use on the yards as well as existing development in the Warehouse District.”

Masters says the improvements are crucial to Regina’s downtown revitalization.

“It’s a big plot of land,” she added. “When this goes and it’s a connection to downtown, you create a district that’s married with brand new infrastructure, buildings and tenants.”

“That will cause support for business and nightlife,” Masters said.

Construction on the two-year project begins April 28.

A private Christian school at the centre of a civil lawsuit and several criminal cases might soon be taken over by an affiliated group, according to a letter obtained by CTV News.

The letter, addressed to senior Ministry of Education official Kevin Gabel, says the Legacy Christian Academy (LCA) intends to close its doors as of June 30.

“Because of the ongoing allegations against Christian Centre Academy, our earlier rendition, and even against LCA as it is today, it has become more difficult to maintain the student enrolment levels that we believe are necessary for operating with excellence,” writes Marguerite Wiggins, who describes herself as a former vice-principal and current “advisory consultant” to the school.

Roughly two dozen officials from Legacy Christian Academy and its affiliated Mile Two Church are named in a $25 million class action lawsuit launched by former students who allege they were subject to physical, psychological and sexual abuse at the school.

In January, the school’s former athletic director Aaron Benneweis was sentenced to two years less a day for sexually assaulting a student when she was between 13 and 16-years-old.

Benneweis is one of four former staff members charged criminally after the former students filed their civil suit.

The swirling legal issues have made it difficult to recruit new students to the school and it’s unable to increase tuition any further without additional provincial funding, Wiggins says.

“We have found it more and more difficult to work as successfully as we would like.”

So, LCA is reportedly passing the torch to another Saskatoon-based private school.

“We are, of course, aware of Westdale Christian School’s plans to reopen this fall and to do so by renting our current space,” Wiggins writes.

“The hope is our families will transfer to Westdale without having to continue under the cloud of allegations that is the current situation.”

Wiggins says she’s hopeful Westdale’s enrolment will grow and allow them to become certified, “which will then allow them to increase program options and hire more experienced and certified staff.”

In a statement emailed to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said it had not yet received notification about the closure of Legacy Christian Academy.

The ministry is aware that Westdale Christian School is interested in relocating to the facility currently occupied by Legacy Christian Academy, the statement said.

Should this occur, all conditions currently in place for Legacy Christian Academy would remain in place at Westdale Christian School.

The relocation of Westdale wouldn’t quite represent a transformation for the school — Westdale is an offshoot of City Centre Church, which was opened by former Mile Two Church elder James Randall.

According to an internal Mile Two Church document shared with CTV News last year, Randall was called back to help manage the church in June after its pastor Brien Johnson stepped down.

Johnson’s father Keith was the pastor and head of the school when much of the abuse allegedly took place.

Both Keith Johnson and Randall are named defendants in the civil lawsuit. Johnson has not been located since the lawsuit launched, but he is believed to be in Texas.

In a statement to media on Thursday afternoon, the provincial NDPs education critic Matt Love described the closure of Legacy as more of a rebrand.

Love argued that Saskatchewan schools receiving public funding should follow the provincial human rights code.

This independent school has a history of abuse and the Sask. Party still increased their funding more than our public, Catholic, and French schools got, he said in the statement.

CTV News has contacted LCA and City Centre Church for comment but has not yet received a response.

A Crown prosecutor says the former RCMP officer who shot and killed his lover should be sentenced to life in prison.

In May 2021, 26-year-old Braden Herman’s naked body was found in a park on the outskirts of Prince Albert. He had a fatal gunshot wound to his chest.

In January, Bernie Herman, 55, was convicted of manslaughter in Braden’s death. The two were not related.

During sentencing arguments on Thursday, Crown prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt asked the judge to consider a life sentence for Herman.

“It is a high ask, and we acknowledge that,” she said

Herman was in uniform at the time of the killing, and Braden was shot by Hermans RCMP service weapon, according to a statement of facts introduced during the trial.

Schmidt noted how the officer shot Braden, left him to die alone in a rural area, and then told his wife about the killing.

“On those facts, it is as close to a murder as you can get,” Schmidt told court.

She also asked the judge to consider the power dynamic between the two.

Court heard the men met on Facebook in 2018, and shortly after, Braden moved in to the officers family home, where the relationship became sexual.

Schmidt said Herman was in a position of privilege — he had a home, family, and a respected career, while Braden was vulnerable because he struggled with mental health and addictions.

“He called him dad. He relied on him,” she said.

Schmidt said Braden was a victim of intimate partner violence.

Herman’s defence asked the judge to consider a sentence of four to six years. Four years is the minimum sentence for manslaughter with a gun.

The Mountie’s lawyer said Herman was physically, emotionally and sexually abused while attending day school in his youth.

“Overcoming adversity does not mean privilege,” his lawyer said.

The defence said Braden was the abuser — he blackmailed, threatened and got violent with the officer.

After both sides presented their arguments, Herman stood up and addressed the court.

“I would like to apologize to the court for time and resources wasted on this matter,” he said.

The judge reserved his sentencing decision until June 18.

Daniel “Juma” Drie Atem, wanted in connection to a Regina homicide last summer, is now one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Wanted.

Police have been searching for Atem due to his role in a homicide committed on the 2100 block of Broad Street in the early morning hours of July 29, 2023.

Wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for first degree murder – Atem is described as around six feet three inches tall, weighing 140 pounds with a dark complexion and thin build. He has black hair and brown eyes.

A second suspect in the case, 25-year-old Shedrek Samuel, turned himself in to police in British Columbia in late February.

The announcement came in the form of a news conference in Toronto, featuring representatives from the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Crime Stoppers and the Bolo Program.

The Bolo Program is a nation-wide initiative leveraging social media, technology and other forms of engagement to encourage members of the public to be on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted suspects.

After exhausting most all of the investigative avenues in an effort to locate and arrest Atem, we submitted our investigation to the Bolo program for their review and consideration, Investigative Services Superintendent for Regina police Trent Stevely told CTV News.

At the Toronto event, Bolo director Maxime Langlois unveiled $1 million in cash rewards – set to be awarded to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of several most wanted suspects.

“This money does not cost you a dime. This is not police money. It is not funded by taxpayer dollars. The $1 million on the table before me is from Bolo, an initiative funded by the Stefan Cretier Foundation committed to amplifying most wanted cases in the name of safer communities,” he explained.

“This has never been done and is unprecedented.”

Toronto Crime Stoppers Chair Sean Sportun highlighted that all tips remain anonymous but all rewards have an expiry.

“So if you know where these individuals are, if you have any information that can assist the investigators involved in these cases, be empowered to come forward, speak up, break the code of silence and by doing so you’ll be making your community a safer place,” he asked.

“Let’s choose the difficult right over the easy wrong.”

Atem, who is 14th most wanted, is the second Saskatchewan suspect to make the Top 25 list – following the addition of Jonathan Ouellet-Gendron in September of 2023.

Ouellet-Gendron is currently 13th on the list and is wanted by the Saskatoon Police Service on 14 charges including first-degree murder, drug trafficking and firearms offences.

A reward of $50,000 is being offered for information on Ouellet-Gendrons whereabouts. The reward is available until Dec. 3, 2024.

There is currently no reward offered for Atem.

“So what happens is the program, they start with this as a basic first step and then they reassess, Stevely explained. They might reassess next week, maybe next month, but theyve had success just having these amplification media scrums to begin with and then they’ll assess and eventually there could be a reward for his arrest.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation said its members are ‘strongly encouraged’ to attend one of two online town hall meetings scheduled to happen prior to a membership vote on a possible deal.

In an online update, the STF said the virtual meetings, scheduled for May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 6 at 7 p.m., will give members the chance to “learn more about the GTBC final offer” and hear directly from the [Teachers Bargaining Committee].”

Similar meetings have been held throughout the contract dispute with the province, the last one being held in early April shortly before an announcement that negotiations were set to resume.

The offer on the table is a three-year agreement with an eight per cent salary increase, structured with three per cent raises in years one and two followed by a two per cent raise in year three, expiring in 2025 with retroactive pay to September 2023. It is missing significant movement on class size and complexity, a key issue in the long-running dispute, but does include a line about a Memorandum of Understanding intended to better direct education funding and give teachers more say.

Its the end result of two days of negotiations between teachers and the government committee.

Teachers will vote on the deal May 8 and 9. The STF did agree to put the deal to a vote, but has not pointed its members on how to vote.

STF President Samantha Becotte said Thursday the federation was focused on presenting the facts to members, “allowing them the opportunity to weigh the benefits and consequences or potential risks of voting in favour or voting against and come to an informed decision on their own.”

Pre-registration for the town hall is required through the STF’s internal member website. Teachers can also check their email for a meeting link.

Saskatchewan teachers have been without a contract since August 2023.

The STF represents approximately 13,500 educators in the province.