Saskatoon StarPhoenix
NEW-LOOK RIDERS WIN
Samuel Emilus, who had a trio of touchdowns in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' home opener win against the B.C. Lions on the weekend, celebrates with fans. For more coverage, see
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`We need to review the organization of the SPSA'
Saskatchewan's minister of community safety admits the agency responsible for fighting wildfires needs to improve in the future, after a report reviewing last summer's response was released. “We have to do better. We're acknowledging that,” said...
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`DISAPPOINTED AND DISENGAGED'
The Canadian Football League has approved many changes recently to attract new fans and broaden the appeal of the game. But will what some call the Americanization of the CFL alienate longtime fans? Riders season ticket-holder Ron Podbielski offers his...
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LOCAL PARAMEDICINE
Dallas Schwartz remembers watching paramedics respond to someone who fell off a diving board while he was working as a lifeguard. “I so badly wanted to get in (the ambulance) with them. And I remember going home that night and I applied right...
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HELP FOR FRY SOCIETY
Elizabeth Fry Society executive director Nicole Obrigavitch and Community Safety Minister Michael Weger attend a news conference at the Western Development Museum. The province announced $918,000 in funding over two years to help women reintegrate...
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The fastest growing market for Canada's canola is energy
Canadian oil refineries are quietly pivoting to an unlikely raw material for diesel. It's unnoticeable for anyone at the gas pumps, but some of what powers diesel engines nowadays is derived from canola. Seeds from the yellow flowering crop are...
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THE FUTURE OF POTASH IS NOW
Manager Courtney Rohachuk gives a tour of the Nutrien Pilot Plant at Innovation Place on the U of S. The plant has been operating since 1981, but for the first time media were invited to tour the facility on the cutting edge of the potash industry....
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Geary Crescent on fire: the aftermath
It's early Tuesday afternoon, and the 400 block of Geary Crescent is eerily quiet. The only sound on the suburban street is the faint whine of a whipper-snipper, operated by a man in the front yard of a home. Beside him are four empty lots where...
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New solar farm fires up in `bright, sunny Saskatoon'
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds just in time for the Dundonald Avenue Solar Farm to start generating electricity in Saskatoon on Tuesday. The 14-acre facility located between the CN rail tracks and Circle Drive is expected to reduce...
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Investigators set about finding cause of `devastating' Hampton Village fires
The Saskatoon Fire Department confirms four homes were destroyed and a total of 20 properties were damaged in a fire that the city's deputy fire chief called “the most devastating that we've seen.” At a news conference on Monday, Yvonne Raymer told...
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FANTASTIC FINISH
William Underhill, left, sprints to victory at the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Special Olympics' annual track and field meet on Friday. This is the third year the 17 year old has competed in the event, which has been hosted by E.D. Feehan High...
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MOURNING THE GROUNDING OF A HOMETOWN BEACON
Roger Blager, president of the Moose Jaw Flying Club, says the Snowbirds are “part of who we always have been.” Moose Jaw is mourning the grounding of the jet aerobatics team, which has been its heart and soul for decades.
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Making a difference for cycling safety
Three years ago, Tod Fox's wife, Natasha, was struck by a concrete truck at the intersection of College Drive and Wiggins Avenue while cycling with their two young sons. The 33-year-old mother was killed. Her sons survived. “Everyday I come home, I...
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Young women get first-hand look at careers in technology
Sixteen-year-old Taven Jeffrey already knows how to weld, but she recently had the opportunity to see where her skills might take her in the future. Describing herself as an artistic person, Jeffrey says she picked up Stick and MIG welding in her...
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Feds rule on grain elevator takeover
Canada's competition watchdog has weighed in on a proposed takeover in the grain supply chain in the Prairies, which farmers worried would cut into their profits. Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd., one of the country's largest agribusinesses, wants to buy a...
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Here's what an excise duty has to do with beer
The federal government recently announced it is extending some financial relief for Canadian brewers, winemakers and distillers by maintaining temporary measures that charge producers less duty. But what exactly is an excise duty and what does the...
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THE RUN OF HER LIFE
Megan Wotherspoon, a Saskatoon teacher and runner, plans to run approximately 1,500 kilometres across the province to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada as she turns 38 — that's the age her mother, Louise Tokaruk, was when she...
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BRING ON THE SEASON
Defensive lineman Devin Adams, centre, shows his enthusiasm during Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp at Griffiths Stadium. After their first pre-season game last weekend versus Calgary, the Riders host Winnipeg on Saturday in Saskatoon.
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Final year for Snowbirds in Tutors
This will be the final season for the iconic Tutor jets flown by the Canadian Snowbirds air demonstration team. Federal Defence Minister David Mcguinty made the announcement from the Snowbirds' home base at 15 Wing Moose Jaw on Tuesday morning. The...
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`I didn't have the support systems'
In addition to working as an endof-life care navigator and educator at a Saskatoon hospice, Mary-anne Parker is also her aging mother's primary caregiver. She knows these simultaneous roles would not be possible without an accommodating workplace. “I...
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LEWIS COMES WEST
A meeting with Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck wasn't on the agenda for federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis during his five-day, 11-stop visit to Saskatchewan. Shortly after Lewis won the national NDP leadership race at the end of March, Beck stated she...
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PRAIRIE HOMECOMING
Almost three decades after leaving Saskatchewan in search of a brighter future in eastern Canada, Rob O'flanagan moved back and found a new version of his beloved home province. This one had undergone an economic transformation and was stronger and...
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SHE'S GOT GAME
Hayley Gibson is the first player from Saskatchewan to land a spot on the Team Canada women's roster for the annual Slo-pitch Border Battle against Team U.S.A. “It's kind of cool that we can put Sask. on the map,” the Saskatchewan Raiders slugger tells...
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City man aims to cut middleman out of ticket pricing for local events
High ticket fees have spurred one Saskatoon man to create a platform that cuts out the middleman and leaves more money on the table for local events and attendees. Liam Iverson started Onstage, an events booking website that he hopes will be an...
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DRILL, BABY, DRILL
Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Darrell Henderson Jr. leads a drill during training camp at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon. Full training camp coverage is on
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Saskatoon man building nostalgia, brick by brick
What started as a COVID -19 lockdown pastime has become one Saskatoon resident’s nostalgic walk through the city’s landmarks. Ben Fawcett has spent most of his life in Saskatoon, and has been putting his Lego builds online through his River City...
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A SHOW FOR MOM
As Shirley Mcivor started having health issues, she shifted her conversations with her daughter to an idea of creating an art show — together. The theme: a mother and daughter's memories of their life in Nipawin. That was three years ago. The plan...
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ROOKIES GET READY
Defensive back Juju Hughes, centre, takes part in drills during the 2026 Saskatchewan Roughriders rookie training camp at Griffiths Stadium. The rookies started camp on Wednesday, while main camp begins Sunday. The Riders season starts June 13.
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Henry's Law to `protect' children
Saskatchewan is strengthening regulations around carbon monoxide detection to ensure every suite in a multi-unit residential building is equipped with an alarm. Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz announced the amendment to Saskatchewan's...
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Restaurant owners adapt to lower alcohol demand while staying creative
When trendy Riversdale restaurant Loqui first opened in June 2024, its menu included juicebased mocktails. But its co-owner and operator says those offerings quickly evolved into a more curated selection. Now, Loqui's has four non-alcoholic cocktails,...
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The bears' necessities: a grizzly day of work at Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park
On an early morning on one of spring's nicer days, Mistaya the grizzly bear is slumped over a rock in the sunlight, doing his best impression of laundry being hung out to dry. He sees one of the zoo staff speaking with someone outside his enclosure,...
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SENTENCE RESERVED
Wylie Gunnar Vermette enters Saskatoon Court of King's Bench for his sentencing hearing Thursday. In January, Vermette pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in connection...
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Drug crisis affecting kids: advocate
Saskatchewan's Advocate for Children and Youth is warning about the impact of the toxic drug crisis on children's safety, and calling for improvements in case management compliance to serve the younger population. The concerns were outlined Wednesday...
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RIVALRY RENEWED
Team Canada defenceman Mathieu Lelièvre, left, checks Team USA forward Ben Musselman during Game 1 of the 2026 National Para Hockey Team Development Series at Merlis Belsher Place. Games 2 and 3 are set for Thursday and Friday.
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Saskatoon's long-standing Clothes Café on Broadway Avenue packs up shop
Oversized black-and-white family portraits of the Scheibelhoffer family are among the last items remaining at 644 Broadway Ave, the former home of Clothes Café. Since 1991, brothers Michael and Chuck Scheibelhoffer had owned and operated the...
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Law aims to enforce child support
Saskatchewan has some of the lowest compliance rates in the country for paying child and spousal support, with nearly a quarter going into arrears over not fulfilling their obligations. The province recently addressed one aspect of that issue with an...
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A LEGACY OF CARING
Support worker Jameen Bomboir leans across the kitchen window of Saskatoon's drop-in centre at Prairie Harm Reduction, passing a cup of coffee to someone who likely wouldn't otherwise have received a warm beverage. The morning in late February took...
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Losco parents look to hold boiler maker accountable
Four months after 11-yearold Henry Losco died of carbon monoxide poisoning at his downtown Regina apartment, his parents hope to hold the manufacturer of the building's broken boiler responsible. On Dec. 19, Henry was one of two people left...
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Protesters shut out in Sherwood
Frustrated protesters were shut out of a public meeting where the Rural Municipality of Sherwood signed off on Bell Canada's proposed artificial intelligence data centre. More than 70 people amassed outside Sherwood's office — located on the edge of...
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`We need to put children first'
Two youth homes have closed in Saskatoon as youth crime in the city has almost tripled since 2021. Rachelle Dauncey-ripplinger, a former family support worker at Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), described one of the youth she supported, who she called a...
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Solving the mystery of a soldier
Lynne Anderson loves a good mystery, especially when she has a hand in unravelling it. There was one worth pondering recently — a story, which ran in the Regina Leader-post and Saskatoon Starphoenix on Feb. 28, about a Great War soldier who posed for...
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A PERMANENT MEMORIAL
Bron Nurkowski, director of Regina's Polish Canadian Cultural Club, visits the grave of his father, Stefan, at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery. A memorial will honour Polish veterans and those displaced.
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Saskatoon Children's Choir celebrating three decades
For Kate Hidlebaugh, choir was never just about singing. “When you walked in those doors, you felt loved, you felt safe,” said the 17-year-old, who has spent the past decade with the Saskatoon Children's Choir (SCC). “Everybody has a place here and...
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CALL TO THE HALL
Members of the 2011–2014 Saskatoon Valkyries Football Club were announced as 2026 inductees into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Among the other inductees are Olympian Brianne Theisen-eaton and Roughriders icon Chris Getzlaf.
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Calls made for Sask. to rehire 126 PHR workers left jobless
One hundred and twenty-six employees no longer have jobs after last week's sudden closure of Prairie Harm Reduction, which operated a supervised consumption site, a drop-in centre and numerous support programs on Saskatoon's 20th Street West. Rachelle...
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FARMING FORECAST
A hay bale sits in a partially melted patch of ice in a farmer's field south of Saskatoon as the spring melt begins. According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, there could be less wheat, lentils, oats and dry peas planted this year but more canola...
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`We were probably gonna lose him'
REGINA Tiara Andrews and Devin Ranger just wanted to hold their son. They knew the baby that Andrews was carrying had caudal regression syndrome (CRS). Early ultrasounds had missed the indicators, which is quite common, but as her pregnancy advanced...
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BRING ON THE RAIDERS
Thanks to Game 7 overtime heroics against the Edmonton Oil Kings from Rowan Calvert, the Saskatoon Blades are preparing to face their rival Prince Albert Raiders in the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs, starting on Friday.
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NOW THAT'S A TRIP
A screen grab from a NASA livestream shows the Orion spacecraft approaching the moon. The four astronauts embarking on NASA'S lunar flyby have now travelled further from Earth than any other humans — an anticipated 406,778 kilometres.
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THAT TIME OF YEAR
Saskatoon commuters may want to avoid parts of 25th Street, University Bridge and College Drive as construction season will see major disruptions along those routes. Work has begun between First Avenue and Cumberland Avenue, divided into three...
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SLUSHY SPRING SO FAR
Snowfall early in the spring, mixed with daily highs around or above 0 C, have made for some slushy walks around the U of S. According to Environment Canada, highs between around 2 C and 5 C are expected over the Easter long weekend.
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`NO TRANSPARENCY'
Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand is calling for “accountability and transparency” within the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations as Indigenous Services Canada works to recoup $28.7 million in spending flagged as ineligible or...
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Golden retriever helping police in fight against child trafficking, exploitation
Although Taffy, the newest furry addition to the Saskatchewan internet child exploitation unit, has a serious day job sniffing out hidden electronics that could contain child sexual abuse material, her nights look similar to many other...
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DELIGHT-FUL OPPORTUNITY
Gerald Fehr on the job at Daily Delights Cafe, a shop in Hague that offers supported employment through Sunshine Housing. The non-profit organization provides work opportunities for people who experience disability. Bre Mcadam has the story.
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BLADES LOOK SHARP
The wait is finally over after more than half a century. The Saskatoon Blades will play the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday on the road for the first time in the WHL playoffs since being defeated in the quarterfinals in 1971. The Oil Kings rejoined the...
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Family first for Sask. referee on journey from Cudworth to Olympic hockey final
Oh, the moments Cianna Murray would have missed out on if she had let that one coach nearly two decades ago knock her down and out. Murray is the first female to referee in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. She is the second-ever woman to referee...
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Mom cries `happy tears' over fewer distracted driving tickets
Sandra Larose can't bring back her daughter after a fatal collision with a train in 2018, but she is trying to help save other parents from the same heartbreak. Larose, who's from Tyvan, has spent the past few years speaking to an estimated 50,000...
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SPELLING SUCCESS
Osa Ahenakew, 7, celebrates during the grade primary final of the Saskatchewan First Nations spelling bee at Tommy Douglas Collegiate. She finished in second place in her age group during the spelling bee's 10-year anniversary event.
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LEADERS OF THE PACK
It's elbows up all the time when the Saskatoon Roller Derby League hosts the Prairie Carnage tournament. Saskatoon Killa Bees blocker Freddie Hercury stops Winnipeg Roller Derby League's Body Ody Ody during this neck-and-neck game in front of a...
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Saskatoon-iranian uses her art to show support for those suffering in homeland
Recently, Saskatoon-based Iranian artist Elham Zafaremili hasn't been able to be fully present in her life in Canada. With her mother, four siblings and many friends back in Iran, she says her mind has been elsewhere following the country's violent...
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Province forecasts $819.4M deficit
One year after presenting a barely balanced budget, the Saskatchewan government is projecting a deficit approaching $1 billion for 2026-27. The provincial budget tabled on Wednesday by Finance Minister Jim Reiter forecasts an $819.4-million deficit,...
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THE TOP BOVINE VET
For a Regina-born man who was just recognized for his long veterinary career in the bovine industry, it all started on a farm in Tisdale. Murray Jelinski said he was exposed to agriculture as a child on his grandparents' farm, and it led to a passion...
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Fans can get a taste of Hogwarts
Cloaked diners arriving at The Barn at Wind's Edge are greeted by the familiar score from the Harry Potter films as they move through a series of themed spaces inspired by the wizarding world. A luggage trolley holds a trunk and travel items beside a...
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GETTING READY FOR WILDFIRES
Kari Lentowicz of Denare Beach is a volunteer firefighter with 20 years of experience in emergency preparedness. Last year she stayed to fight wildfires, which destroyed her home. She's now working to ensure the province is better prepared for wildfires.
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A ROYAL WELCOME
King Charles III greets Sturgeon Lake First Nation Chief Christine Longjohn, who was among seven Saskatchewan chiefs at Buckingham Palace in London this week to meet the king and reaffirm the continued relationship with Treaty 6 First Nations.
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CO-CAPTAIN CANADA
Prince Albert's Brittany Hudak, competing in her fourth Paralympic Winter Games, placed sixth this week in the Para Biathlon Women's Sprint Standing and fifth in the Para Biathlon Women's Individual Standing at the Milano-cortina 2026 Winter...
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$1.125 million in funding announced for group that helps people leave gangs
Amber Pelletier has experienced rock bottom. Now, she can proudly say she's fought through it, thanks in large part to a local Saskatoon organization. STR8 UP started 20 years ago, providing support for people wanting to escape from gangs and pursue a...
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Go Diva a ride-share option for women, 2SLGBTQ+
Saskatoon entrepreneur Cheri Uthe is hoping to carve out space for anyone who has ever questioned whether their identity might jeopardize getting a safe ride home. Frustrated by often being the last of her friend group to be dropped off by a shared...
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THE HOUSE IS NOW IN SESSION
After a three-month break, MLAS returned to the Saskatchewan Legislative Building this week. From the upcoming budget to important legislative motions, it promises to be a lively spring session. Nykole King has the details on what to expect.
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PROGRAM EXTENDED
Saskatchewan is extending its tuition support program for Ukrainian post-secondary students displaced by the war in their home country. “It honestly means a lot for me and the other students because we feel welcomed in this country, in this province,”...
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HOLD YOUR HORSES!
Snowboarder Grayson Currie, 10, does a backflip during his first skijoring event at Optimist Hill on March 1. The event, where skiers and snowboarders are pulled by horses along a groomed track, drew roughly twice as many spectators as last year.
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Cameco agrees to $2.6B deal with India
A $2.6-billion supply deal with India represents a “pivotal role” for mining giant Cameco Corp. over the next decade, the company's CEO said after Prime Minister Mark Carney's first official visit to the country. Under terms of the agreement, which...
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Ukrainians worry about soon-to-expire visas as war with Russia continues
Ganna Maksymenko messages her daughter, Anastasiia Maksymenko, first thing every morning and again before going to sleep each night. The message is a lifeline for the Regina woman to make sure her 24-year-old daughter is safe since returning to...
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