After 17 years, residents of Star Blanket Cree Nation can breathe a sigh of relief when turning on their taps.

The long-term water advisory has been lifted thanks to the completion of a new water treatment plant.

“Some people have grown up, never knowing what clean water is like to come out of your taps, to be able to trust to drink, to be able to wash with,” Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada said.

The plant was a $10.5 million project, with funding from the federal government. The system uses biological filtration and membrane treatment to provide clean drinking water for the approximately 300 residents in the area.

Chief Michael Starr explained that this will have a profound impact on the community.

“It gives you life, and it’s part of our energies, if you will, our natural laws, and it’s very significant that we are part of it and we are able to say, yes you can drink the water now,” he said.

Chief Starr added that it will be an adjustment for the community after such a long advisory.

“It will take a little time for our people to understand and feel comfortable drinking the water. But over time, they will feel that comfort,” he said.

The federal Indigenous services minister was on hand to tour the facility now that everything is up and running.

“To be in a community that has struggled so tremendously without really great representation from their federal officials, to celebrate with them to conduct this lift is really heartwarming,” Hajdu said.

It’s a major milestone for this community, but there’s still a lot of work to be done for other Indigenous communities under long-term water advisories.

“Other communities can see that and they can further what they’re doing inside of their communities, further advocate, even build eventually new facilities, new water treatment plant facilities in their communities,” Chief Starr said.

As of July 2024, there are 31 active long-term drinking water advisories on Canadian reserves. 

An annual report from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) shows Regina’s crime rate increased slightly from 2022 to 2023.

The data includes the crime severity index (CSI) and overall crime rates in various categories at the national, provincial and metropolitan areas.

Regina’s Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) includes municipalities such as Balgonie, Lumsden, Regina Beach and Belle Plaine.

The 2023 total crime rate for Regina CMA increased three per cent over that in 2022 with 7,988 reported crimes per 100,000 people.

This ranks ninth in Canada among the 41 CMAs behind municipalities such as Kamloops B.C., Lethbridge Alta., Winnipeg Man. and Saskatoon

In 2016, Regina ranked number one in the country, with a crime severity index of 126. 

“We’re pleased these figures reflect some of the lowest crime rankings in recent years,” said Regina Police Service (RPS) Deputy Chief Trent Stevely said. “The progress is encouraging as [RPS] and the community remain committed to addressing ongoing public safety issues affecting our city.”

While overall crime rate increased slightly, violent crime continues to see a larger increase.

Violent crimes include incidents such as homicides and are rated higher towards the overall crime severity index than lesser crimes, such as thefts.

In 2022, the violent crime severity index was 124. That rose to 141 in 2023.

That national average is 99.

“Though it’s just slightly above the national average, 15 years ago – we were often talking about being number one or number two [in Canada],” Stevely said.

RPS says they are also making changes internally, focusing more resources to certain crime areas the community sees as a need.

“For example, Saskatchewan has the highest intimate partner violate rate,” Stevely explained. “So we’re always assessing growth in those specialized units and discussing where we put resources, crime prevention strategies and what’s going to work best – not only for us – but for the community.”

On a national level, homicide rates decreased 14 per cent from last year while online crimes – like extortion or child pornography – increased significantly.

Police in Moose Jaw have laid charges following a more than year-long investigation involving firearms trafficking in the city.

On April 15, 2023, officers in Moose Jaw arrested a suspect for possessing methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking as well as unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Police said they recovered a handgun with its serial number removed. This discovery kicked off an investigation which led to Moose Jaw police identifying the owner of the gun.

On April 17, the weapon’s owner reported to police that a break-in took place two days prior and multiple guns were stolen – including the one officers recovered.

Following this incident, the service’s Criminal Investigation Section (CIS) launched a lengthy investigation into suspected firearm trafficking, which included the execution of seven different warrants and production orders.

Officers came to the conclusion that the gun’s owner was involved in the trafficking.

On July 24, police arrested the 35-year-old from Moose Jaw.

He faces two counts of trafficking a restricted firearm, as well as one count each of trafficking a non-restricted firearm, trafficking a prohibited device, and making a false police report regarding the theft of firearms.

The accused will make his first appearance in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on Sept. 30.

The Government of Saskatchewan announced a $2 million funding package for the province’s food banks on Thursday, in a bid to help low-income families with the high cost of groceries.

Food Banks of Saskatchewan will receive the first $1 million next month, with the second half of the grant coming in 2025, according to a news release from the province.

Saskatchewan food banks have had their busiest year yet, making it challenging to build up sufficient food reserves, said Michael Kincade, Food Banks of Saskatchewan executive director.

Inflation continues to accelerate, seriously impacting hunger and food insecurity, not only with low-income households, but even those in higher income brackets. With demand increasing and donations decreasing, this help comes at a critical time to help us feed our friends, neighbours, and families.

While the funding is a welcome relief for those who rely on their local provider of emergency food supplies, the provincial NDP say it represents a failure of the Saskatchewan Party to provide meaningful support to families struggling to make ends meet.

“This is a band-aid solution,” NDP social services critic Meara Conway said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

“Food banks should be a last resort. But under the Sask. Party, we’ve seen record increases in usage, particularly among kids, as families working harder and harder are still falling further and further behind.”

According to a report from Food Banks Canada, Saskatchewan saw 55,753 visits to food banks in 2023, and nearly half of those visitors were children.

In its news release Thursday morning, the province touted other affordability measures in its budget, including a three per cent increase to its social assistance benefits.

A single person in Saskatoon on the Saskatchewan Income Support benefit still only receives about $1,000 per month for rent, food and personal expenses. According to the rental website Zumper, the average cost of a one-bedroom suite in the city is about $1,200. 

The South Saskatchewan Community Foundation  (SSCF) has announced they are looking to expand their grant opportunities for Indigenous programming.

“Legacy of Truth and Reconciliation” is an extension of their Truth and Reconciliation Legacy grant funding initiative. The new legacy extension is being created with the hopes of accepting more grants for many years to come.

The foundation is hoping to establish $7 million dollars for the legacy fund, which will allow them to give back $350,000 to charities every year onwards.

The Truth and Reconciliation fund was launched as a grant opportunity in 2022 and since then, the foundation has seen over $2.16 million requested through 108 applications.

Since 2022, the organization has funded 57 grants worth $546,500. There were many more grants that were denied due to a limit of funds.

“We received 108 applications, not 57. So half of those went unfunded to the amount over $1 million. We know the $546,000 only covered about a quarter,” said Donna Ziegler, the executive director of SSCF.

An Indigenous-led group of advisors have overseen the decision making and purpose of the fund.

Ziegler said the advisory group had to make many hard decisions on what was eventually funded. She hopes this is one day a thing of the past.

Bula Ghoush, the chairperson of SSCF, said the fund is a positive step towards a united and better country.

“Where we are going to go as a country will be determined by how much we are ready to invest in the truth and reconciliation. Bringing everyone together for a successful country,” Ghoush said.

Several places in the province have benefited from grants, including Chinook School Division, the Town of Lumsden, the Ranbow Youth Centre, and East End Arts. 

A showing of the disaster flick Twisters at Wolseley’s Twilite Drive-In Theatre  will feature some special guests on Saturday.

The southern Saskatchewan staple will welcome the EH! Storm Chasing Team  to the July 27 showing of the summer blockbuster.

The event will start at 7:30 p.m. for a meet and greet with the team before the film officially kicks off at 9 p.m.

Don Zaba, who operates the theatre, said the storm chasing team messaged him on social media in the spring to ask if Twisters would be played at the drive in.

Zaba said yes but didn’t know exactly when they would be showing it.

“When we booked it, I contacted them back and they said, yeah, they would definitely come out here for the second weekend. Put a little display in front of the screen, and I think theyre going to bring four or five vehicles down,” he said.

Zaba said they’ve received lots of interest in the event leading up to it.

“Weve got a lot of phone calls from neighboring towns and cities. Actually, some people are coming down from Calgary. They want to see them,” he said. “I think itll help business that night, thats for sure.”

According to Zaba, Saturday’s showing will cost the same as usual, $10 a person, or $30 a car. People can pay at the box office when they arrive at the theatre.

The Twilite is also celebrating 70 years of operation this year – and will be having a celebratory weekend later in the season.

Wolseley, Sask. is located about 93 kilometres east of Regina. 

As people get out and enjoy the many lakes in our province this summer, those who take care of the waterways are warning about dangerous invasive species that’s a growing threat in Saskatchewan.

The simple act of wiping down watercraft is part of the main messaging that officials at Prince Albert National Park (PANP) are actively getting out to lake users.

“Part of our public education is talking about, clean, drain, dry your boat. Youll hear that over and over again,” Barb Riley, A heritage interpreter with PANP, told CTV News.

Staff and officials in Waskesiu are ramping up efforts to ensure those using any watercraft from motorboats to kayaks do their part to reduce invasive species like zebra muscles from entering local waters. They can get up to about 3 centimetres long.

“It’s hard not to be scary about this, because when you project forward and you look at whats happened historically back in Ontario when they first arrived, you know, its a big deal,” Riley said.

The damaging effects of mussel infiltration started in the 1980’s when a boat dumped water contaminated with invasive species into the great lakes. Since then they’ve spread through eastern Canada, into the U.S. and Manitoba.

Here in Saskatchewan, it’s getting too close for comfort.

“Zebra mussels, for example, theres been a number of changes to the great lakes ecosystem and so theyre really efficient at filter feeding out nutrients out of the system,” Tom Perry, ecologist with PANP said.

As a result of that, they choke out the native aquatic life. The negative effects go on and on.

“These mussels can attach to boat motors or boat hulls, things like that. People really dont like them on beach because theyre sharp. You can cut your feet on them. They take over the lake bed when they die and they really stink,” Perry says.

The threat is on the minds of Prince Albert National Park, with so many waterways to monitor.

Jim Kirby is the chair of the Waskesiu Community Council, Chair and has been coming to the area his entire life. He considers himself a steward of the park and spreads the word about aquatic invasive species, encouraging others to do their part.

“The negative impact that this could have on our ecology, our economy here and recreational enjoyment of this these lakes in Prince Albert National Park is massive.”

Thanks to the diligence of all involved in this work, the small, but destructive creatures haven’t made their way into the park’s waterways yet. 

5:15 p.m. MT: Jasper Park Lodge mostly intact

In an update posted to its Instagram account, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said most of its structures are standing and intact, including its iconic main lodge.

While we will need time to assess the full scale of the damage and the timelines required for repair and restoration, we are deeply relieved that much of the property was spared and the resort will re-open in the future, JPL staff said.

4:45 p.m. MT: Critical infrastructure successfully protected

Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant, according to its Incident Command.

They said the most significant damage to the town occurred on the west side, southwest of Miette Avenue, and that much of the infrastructure on the east side has avoided significant damage thanks to firefighting efforts.

Our priority remains protecting structures that have not yet been impacted by fire, said the update.

Wildfire was driven by 100 km/h gusts

Winds gusting to 100 km/h on Wednesday propelled both the south and north fires toward the town and merged the two together, officials said.

The wildfires current size is unknown.

Still out of control

Rain and cooler temperatures descended on the area Thursday, and while officials said wildfire activity has been significantly subdued as a result, the blaze is still considered out of control.

Significant work remains before conditions are safe enough to allow for limited re-entry into the park, they said. 

4 p.m.: 5 mm of rain forecast to fall Thursday night

Environment and Climate Change Canada is calling for  the rain falling on the Town of Jasper and the national park to end early this evening followed by a 60-per-cent chance of showers.

Wind from the west is forecast to gust 20-40 km/h before becoming light this evening, with a low of 7 C. Wind gusts are expected to return Friday morning with a 30-per-cent chance of showers and a high of 18 C. 

3:45 p.m. MT: Ottawa deploys more resources

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a social media post  that federal agencies are coordinated and are sending resources to Jasper, including evacuations support and firefighting reinforcements.

The additional support comes following a call between Trudeau, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and staff.

2:30 p.m. MT: Phone services hampered by fire

Telus says some landline and cell phone services around Jasper are down due to wildfire damage to infrastructure.

Technicians are now working to restore services and priority is being given to restoring voice calls, including those to 9-1-1 and emergency services.

It says the company is securing helicopters to help get critical cell towers operational again.

— The Canadian Press

12:45 p.m. MT: Parks Canada update

Multiple structures, including a number of businesses and homes, in and around the town of Jasper, have been lost to wildfire, officials from Parks Canada and Jasper said.

However, they would not confirm the 30 to 50 per cent estimate Albertas premier made earlier in the day, with a spokesperson saying, At this time, those are not numbers that we have from the incident side, so we cannot confirm or speak to that at this time.

They also would not provide a timeline for crews being able to assess and report back the extent of damage.

Of course, it is one of the pressing issues for nearly all of our community right now. And yes, they are privy to posts on social media and other platforms. But until we can verify from people on the ground what is there, our stance is that it would be irresponsible to try and confirm things based on unverified facts, Jasper mayor Richard Ireland told reporters.

I appreciate people see that as a frustration, but we need the information before we share it. And we fully appreciate that those on the ground have a challenging job at their hands right now still fighting the fire and protecting some of the homes that still are standing.

Pierre Martel with Parks Canadas national fire management program said he expects campgrounds and recreational areas south of Jasper were significantly damaged.

The fire that was sparked about eight kilometres south of Jasper Monday evening by a lightning strike fuelled up quickly because of the extended drought conditions, he said.

By the time the fires were detected, we already had significant smoke columns and it was already beyond capacity for doing quick initial attack, he recalled.

By Wednesday, flames were 100 metres above the tree tops. Spotting – embers carried by the wind – allowed the blaze to move five kilometres in less than one hour.

Its just a monster at that point. There is (sic) no tools we have in our toolbox to deal with that at that point. You get out of the way, you retreat, and you do what you can to protect communities and infrastructure as best as you can.

Martels team has not been able to better assess the size of the fire, which he said is in the tens of thousands of hectares likely.

More structural firefighters are on their way to the town to assist those already there.

Wildland firefighters, who left Jasper Wednesday evening because they did not have the respiratory equipment to stay while structures were burning, have returned to the front lines.

In total, 20,000 people – the majority of whom were visitors – safely left Jasper and Jasper National Park by Wednesday.

11:30 a.m. MT: Premier and Alberta Wildfire update

There are 176 wildfires burning in Albertas protected forests currently, 54 of which are burning out of control, Alberta Wildfire reported in a Thursday morning news conference.

That number does not include mutual aid fires such as the two near Jasper in which another agency – Parks Canada, in this case – is leading the fire response.

According to Alberta Wildfire public information officer Christie Tucker, 400 firefighters from Mexico, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are due to arrive in Alberta between Thursday and Monday.

They, as well as military resources, will be deployed where they are needed most, Tucker said.

Speaking about the winds that quickly pushed the fires in Jasper National Park toward the townsite on Wednesday, Tucker said, Were expecting more of those winds in the province today, which will raise the fire danger for those areas particularly that didnt get much rain.

Rain in parts of northern Alberta reduced some of the wildfire danger, she said, but it remains extreme in the northeast and south parts of the province.

Fighting tears, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told those listening to the press conference how she, like many Albertans, grew up going to Jasper with family.

To those in Alberta and around the world who have experience the magic of Jasper, the magic is not lost and it never will be. Albertas government will provide the support needed to families and community to recover and rebuild stronger so that future generations can continue to experience this one of a kind community and feel the magic of being able to come home.

She estimated the townsite had suffered potentially 30 to 50 per cent structural damage.

Smith also told reporters she and her ministers would be speaking with their federal counterparts Thursday, including a call with the prime minister in the afternoon and a meeting with the federal minister of emergency preparedness in person in Edmonton. 

8:30 a.m. MT: Update from Jasper mayor

Its been a sleepless night, as Im sure it has been for all of our evacuated residents, Jaspers mayor, Richard Ireland, told CTV Edmonton Morning Live.

He said support from people across Canada has helped him come to terms with the devastating news of at least some destruction.

It is gratifying to know that people appreciate our community and are fully prepared to step up to help us rebuild, Ireland said.

Speaking about the toll the COVID-19 pandemic took on Jasper, he added, Weve learned to come together and work our way through that and that hopefully has prepared us to come together once again … as we start to face the really daunting prospect of rebuilding an entire community, perhaps.

7:10 a.m. MT: First government update

Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.

Firefighters that remained in Jasper overnight were working to save what buildings they could.

Albertas forestry and parks minister said the government has not received any more information overnight but was expecting an update from Parks Canada later in the day.

Obviously, its a pretty dire situation over there, but still no extra information, Todd Loewen said.

In its last update Wednesday evening, Parks Canada said significant loss had occurred in the townsite.

Pictures on social media showed flames engulfing Maligne Lodge and encroaching on other buildings in the Canadian Rockies town.

Management at Fairmonts famous Jasper Park Lodge confirmed fire had reached that hotels grounds, too, but did not know Wednesday evening what kind of damage had been caused.

Our hearts go out to them. I cant imagine the trauma that it causes seeing something like that and those pictures, Loewen said.

We dont know exactly whats been lost, but hopefully its better than what were thinking right now anyways.

The federal government has approved Albertas request for military help.

Municipalities around the province are also sending crews and resources to Jasper.

Notice of Broadcast Disruption – July 3, 2024

On July 3, 2024, at 10:49 PM, Broadcast Center 01 experienced a power outage due to a passing thunderstorm. To safeguard our equipment from potential power surges, we decided to temporarily suspend our broadcasts. This interruption affected Z103.5, 979 The Cowboy, and 101 The Rockhound.

Additionally, our Live To Air Broadcast from Union Nightclub on Z103.5 encountered an issue, resulting in no audio being transmitted.

We are pleased to report that Broadcast Center 02, which transmits Classic 88.7 The Goat, was not affected by this outage.

All broadcasts have now resumed and are operating normally. If you experience any issues, please report them on our website.

Thank you for your understanding, 

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