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Two stories a week to connect you to Saskatchewan because when everyone is talking about it, so are we. Whether it’s about a cult that moved into a tiny village, a neighbourhood squabble over squirrels, or the political fallout of canola tariffs, you’ll leave with a better understanding of this place, and your place in it.
On Wednesdays, join host Leisha Grebinski as she scans the province for one news story that matters to you, with help from our team of reporters in Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert. No community is off limits as we cover every corner of Saskatchewan including Île-à-la-Crosse, North Battleford, Gravelbourg, Richmound and more.
On Fridays, we get the scoop on provincial politics with host Adam Hunter and panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk. You’ll hear how every decision made by Premier Scott Moe at the legislature connects to you and your community.
161 Episodes
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A new school is set to be built in Premier Scott Moe’s hometown of Shellbrook. The opposition NDP accused the premier of political favouritism. It said more than 200 schools in 103 Saskatchewan communities are in worse shape, based on a government capital planning report. Political analysts Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk break down the latest.
After rumours, speculation and a series of questions with no sure answers, Bell Canada finally announced its official plans to build the country’s largest AI data centre south of Regina. We have details on how it will be powered, its water source, and the projected economic spinoff. But there are still questions: Will Saskatchewan people benefit?
The Official Opposition says projecting a deficit until the end of the decade is nothing to celebrate. The province says it’s trying to ‘protect Saskatchewan.’ So which is it? Our political panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk sift through the budget day political rhetoric to help us understand what being in the red for several years could mean for the province.
When the City of Regina announced you could no longer pay with coins to park downtown, people pushed back. As a solution, the city is offering scratch-off parking vouchers for anyone who doesn’t want to download the new parking app, or pay online. The changes have sparked quite the conversation, with many people asking: Can cities modernize without leaving some citizens behind?
The Saskatchewan government has a plan to fix health-care issues but the opposition says it sounds like a similar strategy launched more than a decade ago. Will the province’s latest health-care reform improve surgical wait times or find you a primary care provider faster? We asked our political panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk.
The province’s uranium industry is seeing a major upswing. Saskatchewan company Cameco signed a $2.6-billion trade deal with India to provide 22 million pounds of uranium to fuel its nuclear reactors over the next nine years. Meanwhile, Denison Mines Corp. and NexGen Energy Ltd. just received approvals from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to start construction on the province’s first two new uranium mines in a generation. What’s driving this boom and will it benefit the province?
The tiny Saskatchewan town of Richmound faces a surreal crisis when a cult leader calling herself “The Queen of Canada” occupies an abandoned school. As neighbours turn on each other, a retired teacher leads resistance in a story about what happens when online extremism spills into the real world. Host Rachel Browne investigates how a 120-person community became the battleground over truth, tolerance, and how to confront extremism. The Cult Queen of Canada from Uncover is out now. Listen here.
Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said if Saskatchewan library workers are concerned about safety, they should call the police, claiming it’s no different than violence occurring outside a 7-Eleven. Is that a fair comparison? Our political panelists Murray Mandryk and Alexander Quon analyze the minister’s suggestion and pose a question: Would he be willing to work a shift at a library?
Bell Canada confirmed it plans to build an AI data centre campus south of Regina. A flurry of questions are now being asked: What kind of data centre? How will it be powered? Will it use a ton of water? Details remain scarce, but we seek as many answers as we can on this new frontier of tech in Saskatchewan.
It’s a bit unusual for a provincial government to announce we’re short on money before the provincial budget is made public. Politicians are often tight-lipped when money is tight. We ask our political panelists Murray Mandryk and Alexander Quon if there is anything to gain politically by admitting it in advance. Will it make budget day a little less bleak? Or not?
Saskatoon is growing. For the most part, that’s a good thing. The downside is housing hasn’t kept pace and prices have shot up. The average cost of a home in Saskatoon is now more expensive than in Winnipeg and soon will surpass Edmonton. Municipal affairs reporter Phil Tank takes a deeper look into what’s happening, and planning consultant Alan Wallace explains how developing land around the university and converting part of a public golf course into housing could help ease the crunch.
Budget day is still a month away, but that’s not stopping the government from going on a spending spree. It’s not the first time this has happened. Political Panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk break down this budgeting shake down.
The owner of POP wine bar in Saskatoon says her business can’t consistently turn a profit so she added 3 VLTs to her restaurant to bring in more money. But are they a solution when sales slump? What are other Saskatchewan food and beverage businesses doing to stay afloat? We hear how restaurants big and small are navigating a very difficult economy.
Like many post-secondary institutions across Canada, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is laying off staff as it faces a major loss in revenue. Most recently, students partway through a program have been told if they want to continue, they will have to move to a different city. The Opposition NDP says this is unacceptable. But is it fair to place blame on the Saskatchewan Party government? We ask our political panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk.
Saskatchewan schools now offer several specialized academies for kids interested in everything from football and dance to softball and soccer. This month, Saskatoon Public Schools announced it will add hockey academies to five of its elementary schools. Some people are wondering: Is this good for kids? We ask teachers, parents, and a kinesiology professor to weigh the pros and cons of enrolling kids in specialized academies.
Farmers say gopher holes are so big cows are breaking their legs. The pesticide strychnine was banned two years ago and many point to a growing gopher population that has caused huge problems. Saskatchewan and Alberta called for the ban to be reversed, but this week Health Canada said no. Our political panelists Jeremy Simes and Murray Mandryk say this isn’t just about politics. Farmers’ crops are taking a hit.
Businesses in Saskatoon and Regina say a streak of smashed windows in both cities is upsetting and costly. What’s behind the crimes? Is there a way to curb this kind of vandalism? They are often deemed a minor incident, but we take stock of how broken windows weigh on owners and the wider community.
The B.C. premier says it's “treason” for Alberta separatists to meet with U.S. officials. The Manitoba premier says in his province, a referendum on staying in Canada would be a choice between 'yeah and heck yeah.’ What is Premier Moe’s take? Our political panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk raise their voices today on the premier’s statements on separatism after meetings in Ottawa with the prime minister.
Regina is adding a neighbourhood the size of Moose Jaw but there’s no plan yet for a school. Turns out, it’s a common problem in many new suburbs. People move to a newly-built neighbourhood and the nearest school quickly fills up. So what is it like inside those schools and just how crowded are they? CBC’s Katie Swyers focuses on the province’s two biggest cities to look at how divisions and parents are coping with crowded schools.
New security measures are being introduced in some Saskatchewan emergency rooms. Unions representing health care workers have been calling for improved safety measures after the seizure of several weapons and an increase in violence. Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Health Authority wants to bring in a system to anonymously report employees suspected of violating SHA policies. Our political panelists Alexander Quon and Murray Mandryk help us make sense of this.
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