Sign In Register YORKTON — The Yorkton Legion Branch #77 commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Holland on Monday.  A gathering was held to reflect on Canada's role in freeing the Netherlands during the Second World War said the event was an opportunity to honour the contributions of Canadian soldiers who fought in the historic campaign "Canadian soldiers were very active at the time for the liberation of Holland," said Gordon in an interview with SaskToday.ca Attendees enjoyed free coffee and pastries while sharing stories about the war and its impact Although no Second World War veterans remain in the Yorkton area Gordon noted that some Canadian veterans of the conflict are still alive and travelled to Holland to mark the milestone "There was a Canada-wide contingent that went over to Holland There is a number of WWII veterans that made that trip," said Gordon but there's some that are over there right now for the celebration in Holland." Veterans from other conflicts spoke at the event to pay tribute to those who served during the war Several people with connections to Holland also shared their families’ experiences during the occupation and subsequent liberation "The Netherlands people are very appreciative of Canadians because it was the Canadian soldiers that liberated their country 80 years ago," said Gordon "I feel it's very important that we are able to recognize the day and the time and educate people that maybe weren't aware of what happened 80 years ago." Events like this help preserve historical memory ensuring younger generations understand and appreciate the sacrifices made in wartime "I'm glad everybody came out," said Gordon "it's been great to have a gathering here at our local legion and making people aware that we are here as a legion Very grateful for the nice turnout we had here this morning." YorktonNewsInvestigation underway after black bear shot dead near Sheho, Sask. By Fruzsina De Cloedt Published: May 02, 2025 at 5:36PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Conservative Cathay Wagantall will return as the MP for the riding of Yorkton-Melville after winning with 77.5 per cent of the vote during the April 28 federal election Next in votes was Liberal Luke Guimond with 14.4 per cent of the vote followed by the NDP’s Michaela Krakowetz with 5.5 per cent the Green Party’s Valerie Brooks at 1.9 per cent and Libertarian Alec Guggenmos with 0.6 per cent “I am blown away,” said Wagantall when asked for her reaction to the support “People were very motivated to voice their preference It gives us another very solid voice from Saskatchewan to go back to the House.” Just over 65 per cent of eligible voters in Yorkton-Melville showed up to cast their ballot after a speedy five-week campaign “It was very truncated and more difficult to manage getting around the 43,000 square kilometers that I normally take in as best I can during a campaign,” Wagantall said “I really didn’t have the time to door knock the way I love to but my husband drove me everywhere and put up signs at the same time I had good conversations and a really good sense of the perspective of the folks that live in Yorkton-Melville.” The election brought mixed emotions of celebrating the win in the riding but seeing another Liberal minority government being formed at the same time “Bittersweet is the term that I had to use four elections in a row we have moved significantly in our accomplishments as far as the overall vote We’re very excited to get back to the Hill and do our job.” Wagantall noted that it’s time to look beyond what’s happening south of the border and focus those concerns more on situations affecting Canadians Trump is an extreme priority at the moment but at the same time the emphasis on life affordability—and not just improving it slightly we’re talking about making life affordable and ownership of housing to be attainable for our young people—is still a very high priority to get that all cleaned up,” Wagantall explained “We’re ready to hold them accountable and be part of that processing with the U.S but also to hold the Liberal government to account on behalf of Canadians who spoke very strongly about their concerns with the past decade of leadership.” Looking to the silver lining of an increased presence in Ottawa Wagantall stressed that the Conservatives will be holding Prime Minister Mark Carney to account with election promises made His Majesty’s Official Opposition in larger numbers but the fact that they did get so close to a majority and that the other parties do have enough strength to be their partners in whatever it does change the dynamics,” she said “I want to take the Prime Minister at his word right now What he has said in his speech is he’s humbled and he’s made mistakes and that he’s going to govern for everyone.” One key point that perked up the ears of many Conservatives and political pundits pertained to the energy sector is something Wagantall is not going to let Carney forget about so we will do what we can to take him at his word,” she said “It’s just that his word is so antithetical to his behavior in the past decade We need to see them fleshed out on behalf of Canadians Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account YORKTON - The Yorkton Kalyna Dance Festival was held at the Anne Portnuff Theatre in Yorkton over the weekend The event began in 2002 and is open to all amateur dance groups and individuals It is an adjudicated dance competition that this year featured 26 clubs from Saskatchewan and Manitoba with more than 600 dancers Spectators were welcome to enjoy authentic music This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Kalyna The RAM Monsters & Mayhem Tour hits the Legacy Coop Grandstands at the Yorkton Exhibition Grounds on Friday July 18th until Saturday July 19th Super Modified Mini Monster Trucks and more Make sure to come early for the Monster Truck rides at the Pit Party.  Get your tickets online at outlawsofmotorsports.ca or by calling 1-888-783-3020 You can also get tickets in person at the Legacy Coop Food Store in Yorkton or Legacy Coop Gas Bars in Yorkton and Kamsack YORKTON - Football Night in Saskatchewan has become a spring tradition in Yorkton as a fundraiser for Yorkton Minor Football The evening highlighted speaker Brian Dobie a man pretty much synonymous with football in Manitoba who was the keynote speaker at Football Night in Saskatchewan retired at the end of the last college season after 29 years as head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons Dobie previously led the Churchill High School football program for 21 years bringing his football coaching career to a full five decades long-time football coach Ed Magis was formally announced for induction into the school’s hall of fame for his contribution to the sport Yorkton Minor Football also announced this year’s Volunteer of the Year (Cornerstone Community Award) recipient was Richard Winters a youth sport organization for ages three-to-20 tumbling and recreational classes were also showcased YORKTON - Young football players were given some spring time training as the 49 North Football Camp was held in Yorkton over the weekend What has become an annual event saw some 85 youth both male and female athletes ages 9–18 attending in order to develop their football fundamentals under the guidance of an experienced international coaching staff The mission of 49 North Football is to create a fun and supportive environment where players can build confidence and develop the tools needed to reach their full potential—both on and off the field YORKTON - A new group is hoping to formalize an organization dedicated to regional economic development Currently operating under the name Central Prairie Development Alliance – a formal title will be developed in the coming month – the group is hoping to draw representatives of a number of area communities together to cooperate on economic development explained Gwen Machnee from Suncrest College Machnee said the group is defining itself “as kind of the trading area of Yorkton” It’s a case where much of economic development on a community level ripples regionally A canola plant expansion in Yorkton spurs housing not just in the city but area communities and that can lead to localized needs for more daycare or hair stylists in neighbouring communities Creating a group with an over-arching vision can build on those naturally occurring synergies The area also explains the founding groups behind the new effort the college providing some start-up dollars via a grant the City of Yorkton’s Economic Development Committee the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce and the Yorkton Tribal Council So far the group has held informational meetings in Canora Machnee said while the College had a $1 million grant from which they are drawing some start-up dollars it is expected communities involved will need to pay a fee to help fund the organization Working committees also need to be established to work on specific aspects of economic development We want to see some progress,” she said adding she expects a more formalized group will exist by year-end Part of that progress will be looking to do community workshops – for example how to create a stronger web presence to support local businesses Staying on the web Machnee said a website listing local assets available in each member communities – businesses for sale residential lot availability and similar information needed by business looking to the region is planned Machnee said a group of major industrial companies in the region TA foods and others have been meeting to discuss common issues and needs – housing It is expected that group will eventually come under the umbrella of the Central Prairie Development Alliance YORKTON - It was an historic day for Canadian sports for women’s sport and for soccer in this country as the Calgary Wild took to the pitch at BC Place to take on the Vancouver Rise The game April 16 was the inaugural game in the just-launched Northern Super League (NSL) Canada’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league Grace Stordy hails from Calgary and is now a member of the Wild She told Yorkton This Week the opportunity the NSL provides Canadian players is something she greatly appreciates adding “growing up it wasn’t something I could look forward too.” Now Stordy said Canadian players won’t automatically have to look abroad for professional opportunities Now the NSL and its six teams provide a domestic option to consider which will afford the opportunity to play “in front of family and friends,” which she said is really an incredible thing Certainly the first game drew fans with some 14,018 at BC Place Stordy said the crowd and the significance of the game created a range of emotions leading up to the opening kick from excitement to fear adding it was a case of just “trying to stay grounded” and to simply accept all the feelings and then focus on playing soccer AFC Toronto and Montréal Roses FC drew 14,518 to BMO Field to watch a narrow 1-0 victory for Montréal Stordy said she certainly felt the league launch was well-timed to succeed given that interest in soccer is on the upswing in Canada and there is a corresponding surge in interest in women’s sport which recently announced expansion to Vancouver “I think there is no better time for this league to be starting,” she said Of course the key is keeping those fans engaged moving forward “I think we just keep moving forward with what we’re doing,” said Stordy adding it’s huge that games are being broadcast on CBC and TSN “Sports that don’t have fan support don’t have much of a future,” she said In that regard Stordy said she and her Wild teammates recognize they play a huge role in building the foundation for the NSL not just this season That role she said extends beyond on the pitch performance to interacting with media and fans to create the connections which bring those fans to games In that process is also a responsibility to create a future for Canadian players Stordy said she realizes many see the NSL as a future young Canadian players can now dream of something she understands since that was missing in her youth You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Yorkton—Melville 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 211 of 212 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 211 of 212 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election is projected to be re-elected in Yorkton—Melville Wagantall has 28,496 of 36,714 votes (77.62%) is in second place with 5,214 votes (14.2%) and Michaela Krakowetz Wagantall has represented the riding since 2015 11,167 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote The Greens have one race called in their favour They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available YorktonNewsHighway collision near Yorkton sends man to hospital with serious injuries By Caitlin BrezinskiPublished: April 29, 2025 at 2:45PM EDT YORKTON - The Yorkton Community Choir held its ‘spring concert’ at St The choir is under the direction of Lauren Hearn YorktonNewsFire bans active for Yorkton and areaBy David PrisciakPublished: May 01, 2025 at 8:39PM EDT Yorkton RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 47 and Highway 52 The investigation determined a pick-up truck and a van collided The adult male driver of the pick-up was taken to hospital with injuries described as serious in nature The passenger of the truck and occupants of the van did not report injuries to police Yorkton RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist Original story:  YORKTON - Yorkton RCMP are currently on the scene of a serious collision on Highway 47 & 52 near Willowbrook As this investigation is in preliminary stages RCMP say they don't have additional details to share at this time.  The highway is currently closed for an undetermined amount of time Detours are in place and motorists should expect delays in the area RCMP ask that drivers slow down and follow the instructions of emergency personnel on scene.  Please visit the Highway Hotline for road closure updates.  YorktonNewsYorkton woman charged after apparent stabbingBy David PrisciakPublished: April 22, 2025 at 2:59PM EDT YorktonNews‘Seat belt off. Camera on’: Yorkton RCMP now issued body camerasBy Fruzsina De CloedtPublished: May 01, 2025 at 4:02PM EDT ReginaNewsHere are the candidates running in the Yorkton-Melville ridingBy David PrisciakPublished: April 13, 2025 at 7:56PM EDT YORKTON – Incumbent Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall has secured her fourth term representing Yorkton–Melville following the 2024 Federal Election held April 28 Wagantall won with a decisive 77.8 per cent of the vote Liberal candidate Luke Guimond followed with 14.1 per cent while NDP’s Michaela Krakowetz garnered 5.4 per cent Green Party’s Valerie Brooks claimed 2.1 per cent and Libertarian Alec Guggenmos finished with 0.7 per cent Wagantall described the overall election results as “disappointing.” “I’m very proud of what we did and what we stand for and I know that Pierre [Poilievre] would put the country first,” said Wagantall in an interview with SaskToday.ca referencing Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.  “I don’t have that level of confidence [Mark] Carney just based on what I see in his history his past and what his priorities are," added Wagantall Wagantall expressed gratitude to her supporters emphasizing her commitment to serving all constituents in her riding The people are common-sense conservatives—the vast majority I serve everybody when I’m their member of parliament,” said Wagantall Wagantall indicated the Conservative Party will focus on working with the Bloc Québécois to challenge the Liberal government’s policy direction ‘you’re always looking around the corner,’ so I’m sure that he has already considered these different scenarios that we will probably be in and we will want to work as effectively as we can,” said Wagantall Among the key issues the Conservative caucus plans to push are Canada’s energy sector and resource development which Wagantall feels are not being prioritized by the incoming government “They’ve changed their leader but everything that they stand for remains He doesn’t say the word ‘pipeline,’ he talks about energy but does not truly appreciate the fact that this country is one of the best in the world for the way that we mine and develop our oil and gas—and the world needs it,” said Wagantall Wagantall thanked her campaign team and supporters home to approximately 73,189 residents and 56,000 registered electors saw strong voter engagement in the election five candidates are confirmed to be running in the Yorkton—Melville riding with individuals representing the Conservative all vying for a seat as a member of parliament Brooks is a professional educator and holds a Master of Education degree with a thesis titled “Treaty Education and Reconciliation: Things non-Indigenous People should Know but Don’t about Treaty 4” and is committed to helping people and organizations decolonize Worried about the upward trend in divisive politicking Brooks is committed to working towards implementing electoral reform with Proportional Representation She served a two-year term as a director holding the position of co-chair for Fair Vote Canada non-partisan organization lobbying for electoral reform in Canada Brooks wants all voters to feel that their vote counts and to be active participants in their democratic system transparent work from elected representatives is the only way to re-instill trust in our democracy According to Brooks' bio on GreenParty.ca Read our interview with Brooks. ​Guggenmos is a six year resident of Yorkton—Melville and is a lifelong prairie boy Having gone to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology he currently works as a Crew Chief in the Land Surveying industry spending much of his time working all around the riding Guggenmos is an active member of his church and is continuously trying to find more ways to be involved in both his community and the Canadian Liberty movement Guggenmos's main areas of focus for the 2025 election are: According to Guggenmos' bio on Libertarian.ca Read our interview with Guggenmos. ​Guimond grew up in Regina and attended Campion College at the University of Regina where he received a BA Honours in Political Science and a minor in French Guimond attended the University of Ottawa where he received a Master's Degree in Political Theory Guimond stayed in Ottawa and worked for MPP Lucille Collard before moving to work for MP Anthony Housefather he has worked in several ministers' offices Passionate about having Saskatchewan's voice heard in Ottawa Saskatchewan's interests have been defended and heard within government He is running now in Yorkton--Melville to provide a strong According to Guimond's bio on Liberal.ca ​A proud advocate for individual choice and freedom Krakowetz believes everyone deserves a voice and that every worker deserves a good life here Krakowetz believes we already have the solutions to the affordability crisis and the impacts of Trump’s tariffs — we just need the political courage to implement them We can solve these problems without costing the average family Krakowetz is ready to work hard for her community and as your candidate she hopes to bring her passion and energy to fight for rural Saskatchewan in Ottawa with this being her fourth time running in a federal election having represented the constituency since 2015.  “It’s an honour to have been the Member of Parliament first of all and to have won three opportunities to represent the riding and I’m just very passionate about it,” she said when asked about her decision to run again I’ve been in the official opposition and doing my best to represent the concerns and I believe we make headway here and there but to be able to be more engaged in actually seeing results for Canadians is really exciting for me.” According to a recent interview with SaskToday.ca Read our interview with Wagantall. Yorkton—Melville has been a conservative stronghold since 1993 when Garry Breitkreuz won the race as a member of the Reform Party Breitkreuz ran under the banner of the Alliance Party and was re-elected In 2003 Breitkreuz ran under the Conservative Party of Canada and was once again re-elected In 2015 he chose not to run for re-election.  Prior to the Conservative dominance in the region the NDP's Lorne Nystrom held the seat from 1968-1993 the electoral district of Yorkton–Melville is located in the Western Region covering a vast area of 45,608 square kilometres the district includes 53,432 registered electors Major census subdivisions within this district include the municipalities of Yorkton With a large canola crushing presence in the riding the tariffs from China on canola oil and seed is an issue of major importance to the area Issues involving agriculture as well as affordability are also major issues for the electorate in Yorkton—Melville riding YORKTON - The City of Yorkton will be a long-term partner with the Yorkton Lions Club in holding its annual Wonders of Winter project At its regular meeting of Yorkton Council voted unanimously to extend the campground lease with the Yorkton Lions Club for the Wonders of Winter event for five years and further that the costs associated to power and snow removal be sponsored on an annual basis through the Legislative Grants Account Don Reed of the Lions Club had made the request for the extension earlier in the meeting Reed said while “we were hoping it would be a bit bigger,” and that after year one the group “probably have a thousand different improvements we want to do,” the Lions see great potential in the event as a tourist draw for Yorkton Director of Recreation & Community Services with the city explained that “At the Nov 6 the Yorkton Lions Club presented their vision of an annual Christmas lights festival occurring in the City Campground This event is based off of the success of Saskatoon’s annual “Enchanted Forest” event The Lions Club requested the City sponsor the event by providing free access to the campground area and also covering the costs associated to snow removal and power for the light displays.” “Unfortunately the event was not able to proceed for the 2023 holiday season however planning continued and the event did occur over the 2024 holiday season.” Morrison said the city did incur a cost in being a sponsor The total cost to the City for the last year’s event was $5,407.97 The following costs are directly related to the campground sponsorship: An additional $3,293.28 was spent on some electrical work however are one-time costs which are not anticipated for future years “Power consumption costs are relatively low as the event utilizes LED lighting throughout their displays Snow removal costs will vary each year depending on snowfall but would continue to be tracked on an annual basis to inform future events and potential sponsorships,” said Morrison Councillor Randy Goulden said she and her family enjoyed the drive through the displays adding “it is something families can do together at a relatively low cost.” “My family loved it,” echoed Coun “I thought it was a great event,” agreed Coun who added if he “had a crystal ball” he would say “it’s going to improved year after year.”a YORKTON - It was about exciting a hockey game as fans could want And the 1,771 fans at game two of the SJHL best-of-seven series between Melville and Yorkton were the recipients of the exciting contest Tate Schofer started things giving home-side Terrier fans something to cheer about at the Westland Insurance Arena scoring only 13 seconds into the game Already down one game in the series the Millionaires responded with three straight goals; Alex Morrison at  2:48 Gaborik Carlson at 9:29 and Noah Belles-Isles at 12:58 David Coyle finally put a second Terrier goal on the board at 16:37 the Mills responded at 18:26 by Jadon Iyogun made it 4-2 visitors through 20-minutes of action The second period was big for the Terriers thanks to a pair of powerplay goals an unassisted effort by Jye Zawatsky at 2:32 The third was a defensive effort until Melville looked like they had evened the series taking the lead 5-4 when Preston Baerwald scored with only 47-seconds left on the arena clock Tate Schofer scored to knot things 5-5 with a goal at 19:56 The game would go to overtime where a powerplay goal by David Coyle at 7:22  sent Terrier fans home happy as Yorkton took a two-games-to-none lead in the series Ethan Farrow was in the Terrier net facing 31-shots in the win Nick Genette took the loss in the Melville goal facing 29-shots Game three of the series is set for Tuesday in Melville a recent release which has obvious linage back to both Xs & Os With such a family tree do not expect anything particularly deep here game which joins a plethora of offerings that fit the moniker ‘filler game’ In the case of Linx it comes from designer Fabrice Puleo and publisher Matagot via Canadian distributor - ilo307.com and inside was tiles – pressed cardboard but still very playable The game allows for two-to-four players but since you are laying tiles trying to achieve three-in-a-row at four players the game feels like you have very little self-control of a plan to succeed and are often forced to make moves to block other players rather than progressing yourself to a win As a result Linx comes off as rather too bland to highly recommend That said a digression seems warranted here While playing Linx we had a discussion whether another small filler game was needed laying in bed listening to Our Lady Peace on the CD player this Meeple Guilder had an epiphany regarding fillers When a gamer heads to a game store there is a nagging desire to buy something – almost anything – to be honest so they are purchases made with greater care or four players sit down and play such a game even for an hour and the cost per player is less than a movie or maybe even a fancy coffee for the group In that light a filler game is almost disposable at the end of a game session – or something to pass on to a youth group perhaps if it does now ‘wow’ you That is food for thought at least – as you decide whether you want to grab Linx to try the Yorkton Terriers returned home needing a win Things were even through the opening period at the Westland Insurance Arena Tuesday in the SJHL semi-final tilt Ashton Hutchinson started things for the series leading Melfort Mustangs scoring on the powerplay 6:48 in Jye Zawatsky knotted things for the home side at 15:43 Zac Somers scored 35-seconds in for the Mustangs and it was 3-1 at 1:17 when Reilly Kotai scored The Terriers were back in it seconds later as Carter Briltz scored at 2:04 From there offences cooled and the game would head to the third period 3-2 This time it was David Coyle scoring just 1:42 in and the game was tied 3-3 The game-winning goal finally came at 14:07 and sadly for hometown fans it was potted by Melfort’s Ashton Paul to round out a 4-3 win and take a massive 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series Callum Creig started in the Terrier nets allowing three on 20-shots before being relieved by Ethan Farrow who was tagged with the loss facing 13-shots and allowing only the game-winner Kristian Coombs faced 20-shots in the Mustang net Game four goes tonight (Wednesday) in Yorkton with the Terriers facing elimination if they lose YORKTON — Alec Guggenmos is making history as the first Libertarian candidate to run in the federal Yorkton-Melville riding.  His candidacy marks a significant step for the Libertarian Party in the region "I'm the first one to run for the party here in Yorkton," said Guggenmos in an interview with SaskToday.ca "I want to give people someone to vote for that they don't feel bad to vote for," added Guggenmos Guggenmos has lived and worked in Yorkton for the past two years He studied geomatics at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and has spent time in Alberta Guggenmos acknowledged the challenges of running as an underdog in a riding dominated by larger parties.  "It's a plan to build," said Guggenmos "I think that's something that most of the candidates have on their mind is hoping to keep building something here." Guggenmos said his interest in politics began at a young age.  "I sort of grew up conservative and only within the last five to six years is when I started to get into the Libertarian side of things Eventually it sort of clicked in my head that this makes sense with my worldview," said Guggenmos Guggenmos emphasized the importance of individual freedoms and limited government intervention.  "Even if there are things that I don't agree with as a person I still believe that people have a right to do those things," said Guggenmos "the more I think of things logically and consistently that's what leads me to a lot of what I support." The Libertarian Party's platform for this election focuses on affordability inflation and reducing the federal deficit Guggenmos criticized the current economic policies likening them to a car speeding toward a wall.  I want to not hit the wall," said Guggenmos Guggenmos also expressed concerns about the role of the Bank of Canada in inflation.  every Canadian dollar that you own is worth less than it was the day before," said Guggenmos Guggenmos pointed to historical examples of the dangers of unchecked money printing.  "We don't have anything in the Bank of Canada that we're putting up as collateral," said Guggenmos "what's being put up as collateral is the bank accounts of every Canadian." Guggenmos advocates for regional proportional representation a stance not explicitly part of the party's policies.  "I think a lot of the issues that come up every single election .. are because we've pretty much had the same two parties run our government the entire history of Canada," said Guggenmos citing examples from Europe and New Zealand where proportional representation systems have led to higher voter turnout and more diverse representation Guggenmos also expressed skepticism about foreign aid and provincial equalization payments arguing for more individual control over financial contributions.  we can support things overseas and in foreign countries ourselves," said Guggenmos "I don't think I or anyone else needs to have money taken from my paycheque to decide for us where that money should be sent." "The big issue I have with it is not only the taxation part of it It's also the fact that equalization is taxation without representation," said Guggenmos.  Guggenmos called for a constitutional change to address what he sees as an unfair system.  "No matter how hard something is to change that doesn't mean you should ignore it and just use it for votes," said Guggenmos emphasizing its importance for Canada's economy which he said would exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis.  have become so reliant on each other with trade that this trade war and putting tariffs on the U.S is going to impact everybody," said Guggenmos Guggenmos remains optimistic about his campaign and the future of the Libertarian Party.  "If I can try to move the needle for Yorkton-Melville and Canada as a whole to a bit more of a liberty then that will be a success for me," said Guggenmos YORKTON - The Government of Saskatchewan has passed new regulations to empower police to enforce trespass laws in businesses and public spaces such as libraries and parks These changes are part of the province’s ongoing work to protect communities from the impact of illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine production Under The Trespass to Property Amendment Regulations activities such as public intoxication and drug use will now be automatically considered trespassing in public spaces or businesses This will allow police to immediately enforce the Act against individuals who are causing public disturbance or threatening public safety without seeking further information from owners and occupants of the premises " We continue to explore avenues that will provide police with additional legal tools to address harmful items and activities in public spaces creating safer communities across the province,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said via a news release "These regulations will ensure that police can act quickly to remove individuals who pose a threat to themselves and others ensuring our public spaces and businesses remain safe and accessible." Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle told Yorkton This Week having clearer authority for police is a positive “The City of Yorkton welcomes the Province’s updated Trespass Regulations which provide police with clearer authority to address serious safety concerns in our public spaces and local businesses,” he said “We anticipate these changes will allow law enforcement to act swiftly in situations involving substance abuse and other disruptive behaviours that can affect the safety and vibrancy of our community.” charge them with an offence under The Trespass to Property Act if they are engaged in the following activities: * Threatening to cause harm to persons and property through verbal * Causing damage to premises or personal property located on the premises; and * Any other activity that constitutes an offence pursuant to the Criminal Code Fentanyl and methamphetamine are increasingly the cause of overdose deaths These new regulatory changes represent another step in Saskatchewan's ongoing work to address the negative impact of addictions and protect businesses and public spaces from illicit drug use and other dangerous activities and a Councillor in Yorkton said public safety is of paramount concern to communities but the new measures may not be the best response “Municipalities are on the frontlines of the addictions and mental health crisis in Saskatchewan as we continue to lose lives and face challenges to safety in our communities,” she told Yorkton This Week “While we appreciate the Government’s commitment to addressing the negative impacts of addictions we’re concerned that these measures may push marginalized community members into more unsafe situations We urge the Government to also focus on the root causes of this epidemic and address the core needs of those experiencing addictions We need much greater upfront investment in things like mental health support and harm reduction services to reduce the incredible strain on our healthcare Kienle too suggested some caution in terms to what the changes may mean in action “I want to be clear: Yorkton’s approach prioritizes both public safety and compassion,” he said “Our goal is not to criminalize those struggling with substance abuse we are committed to balancing enforcement with care and to ensuring that vulnerable individuals are treated with dignity and offered access to the support services they need As Yorkton implement these new regulations and health partners to ensure enforcement is fair and equitable * Encourage officers to refer individuals in crisis to appropriate supports using the new powers as a last resort in cases where public safety is at risk * Maintain an open dialogue with residents and advocacy groups to monitor the impact and ensure these changes provide benefit without causing harm “We remain dedicated to building a Yorkton that is safe can find both safety and support,” said the Mayor YORKTON - Yorkton will move forward with a Residential Organics Green Cart Collection Program following an unanimous decision of Yorkton Council at its regular meeting Monday Public Works are continually evaluating the programs and services they offer and Solid Waste Management is one of those services said Aron Hershmiller – Director of Public Works with the city in his presentation Monday “As part of this evaluation a trend in landfill tonnage volumes has been observed From 2011 to 2023 the city identified a 54 per cent increase of in-city refuse during the months of May to October relative to the rest of the year During the summer of 2022 multiple waste audits were completed of in-city refuse and found that organic material (yard and food waste) made up 52 per cent of the total refuse by weight,” he explained This trend is of concern for three main reasons: * The material is taking up valuable space in our current landfill cell with a replacement value of approximately $6 million dollars * Methane is produced when organic materials decompose in a landfill decomposition happens anaerobically which means that methane is produced Methane is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change organics can be turned into compost which is a usable product a residential refuse survey was conducted in the spring of 2021 with questions pertaining to the idea of having a residential organics collection program 64 per cent voted in favor of an organics collection program with an additional 26 per cent responding ‘maybe depending on cost’ for a total of 90 per cent of survey respondents interested in a program During the summer of 2023 a curbside organics pilot project was completed within the City in two different collection zones “The program was well received with 407 residents diverting 94.3 tonnes of organic material At the conclusion of the pilot project a survey was conducted with all participants in which 65 per cent of the 119 respondents were in support of a seasonal organics program with another 28 per cent stating ‘maybe depending on cost’ totalling 93 per cent support,” said Hershmiller Since the announcement of the curbside organics pilot program in 2023 all inquiries pertaining to organics have been tracked; 78 per cent of the 29 inquiries were in favor of a curbside organics program “During the duration of the 2023 pilot project a total of 407 residence contributed 94.30 tonnes of organic material over a 29 week collection period Assuming 83 per cent of this was yard waste it is estimated that 78.3 tonnes of this was yard waste This averages out to .192 tonnes of organics from each household during the course of the pilot project,” detailed Hershmiller Currently six Saskatchewan communities with populations of more than 4,500 have dedicated organics programs “We are proposing the introduction of a new seasonal curbside organics collection program for all residential dwellings for the spring of 2025; totalling 5580 1-2 unit households,” offered Hershmiller This Green Cart program will work to further divert incoming yard organics tree branches are accepted at the landfill.” and will continue to be accepted at the landfill at no cost but to further service Yorkton’s residents and to increase diversion rates we are proposing this residential organics green cart collection program The new service will be seasonal in nature with curbside yard waste collection from the second week of April to the first week of November annually The estimated cost to purchase the carts will be approximately $600,000 The cost for the program per household will be $3/month or $36/year the Yorkton United FC Men's futsal team travelled to Regina to represent Saskatchewan at Nationals Futsal is the FIFA recognized indoor soccer game It has five players on each side and is played on a smaller hard court floor All the games were televised on the global football streaming platform FIFA+ The tournament started as tough as possible with Yorkton United facing off against the two-time defending National champions from Ontario “The Ontario team is filled with men who have played and still play for the Canadian National futsal team and a player from Cuba who played with both their National outdoor team and futsal team before he defected,” said Yorkton coach Andy Wyatt “Yorkton did not look intimidated from the start of the game and it was back and forth in the first half While Ontario had most of the possession they couldn't break through the Yorkton defence Yorkton counter attacked and generated good chances but couldn't convert.” The game was scoreless until late in the first half but with less than two and half minutes remaining Yorkton lost their focus for the last two-minutes and allowed two more goals late to be down 3-0 at the half Yorkton did not quit and came out strong in the second half to get one goal back by Steven DeLong Ontario increased the pressure and were up 5 - 1 but Yorkton replied with two quick goals of their own to make it 5 - 3 with goals by DeLong and Nick Looft Yorkton had a break away to get the game within one but the Ontario keeper made a brilliant save to keep the lead at two Ontario scored with one more goal to make the final 6 - 3 "I couldn't have been prouder of the boys,” said Wyatt “Ontario was a fantastic team with incredible players who have played at the highest level of soccer in their Province but also internationally We had two bad minutes of soccer in each half we could have tied that game up and even upset the champs." Yorkton's second game was against the Alberta Provincial Champions from Edmonton Yorkton came out flat and were soon behind and could never get into the game "We may have put too much in the Ontario game and lost our focus against Alberta They were a strong team but we made it easy for them with our mistakes and lack of focus The whole team was disappointed with how we played in that game Ontario ended up beating Alberta badly 9 - 2 which goes to show how inconsistent we were in those two games" Yorkton United's third game was against the champions from Nunavut Yorkton led 3 - 0 early and never looked back eventually winning 13 - 6 Wyatt and Dillon Ferridge scored three each and Leon Derks scored one goal Based on their record of one win and two losses Yorkton's final game was against the champions from B.C Yorkton started strong and scored 15-seconds into the game but B.C tied it up before the first half ended to make it 2 - 2 at half The second half was defensive with few chances either way DeLong was left out front alone with 15-seconds left but his shot went agonizingly off the toe of the keeper and the inside of the post to keep the score 3 -2 for B.C is a Provincial soccer powerhouse in the country,” said Looft we probably outplayed them for the most part Our finishing let us down otherwise we could have won that game." "For a team from Yorkton playing against teams from Toronto we knew we would be in tough,” added Wyatt “Those teams play in men's leagues and pick players from University's and even semi-professional leagues we play in a small recreational league in Yorkton and our lack of big game experience was probably the difference To compete at that level shows just how incredible the Yorkton United soccer program is Most of our players grew up playing for Yorkton United and it was wonderful to see them play soccer at the highest amateur level in Canada With the strong young players we have coming up I hope this the first of many appearances at Nationals." The Yorkton United Men's team would like to thank their sponsors Bridgeview Manufacturing Inc and Yorkton United FC YORKTON - The hopes for an SJHL championship for Yorkton Terrier fans ended tonight (April 9) as they were swept in their semi final series by the Melfort Mustangs The Terriers were down three-games-to-none and needed a win as they took to the Westland Insurance Arena and through the opening 20-minutes neither team managed a goal Zac Somers finally put a goal on the board scoring 52-seconds into the middle period for a 1-0 Mustang lead Yorkton would tie things 1-1 4:26 into the third period on a goal by Tate Schofer but it would be Yorkton’s only goal of the game Meanwhile Mustang Reilley Kotai would be awarded a penalty shot and he would find the twine behind Terrier netminder Ethan Farrow for what would be the eventual game Nicholas Andrusiak would add an insurance marker at 13:48 for the Mustangs and a 3-1 win Farrow would face 22-shots in the Terrier net in the loss Kristian Coombs stopped 18-of-19 in the Melfort nets for the win The Mustangs now await the winner of the Weyburn – Flin Flon series The Bombers avoided being swept with a 5-1 win Wednesday The Red Wings still lead the best-of-seven three-games-to-one YORKTON - The 2025 Water Main Replacement Program tender was awarded G for $1,915,301.00 (plus applicable taxes) by Yorkton Council at its regular meeting Monday Director of Environmental Services with the city explained the work being undertaken was carefully determined as critically required the City of Yorkton has implemented a “Corridor Management” strategy toward infrastructure renewal and both water and wastewater systems collectively to identify corridors where linear asset condition and service priority promote the replacement of most or all assets,” he told Council “By aligning projects with this layered approach the City can renew multiple types of aging assets simultaneously; enhancing return on investment This approach highlights a greater shift in the way we manage the water and wastewater utility.” and prioritized some major capital initiatives in 2025 * Construction of the Park Street Pumping Station – Water Storage Infrastructure * Rehabilitation of the Water Tower – Water Storage Infrastructure * Expansion of the North Industrial Water System – Water Distribution Infrastructure * Renewal of the Water Pollution Control Plant – Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure (preliminary design phase ongoing) the Dalebrooke Drive Water Main Replacement is being prioritized in the 2025 Annual Watermain Replacement Program This project is intended to be funded through the operational budget and is essential to maintaining reliable service by reinvesting in our communities subsurface infrastructure,” continued Hunt The water and wastewater utility manages approximately 300 kilometres of water distribution and sewer collection mains 55 km of water mains and 75 km of sewer mains have 25 years or less of remaining service life 19 km of both systems respectively have already reached or surpassed their designed lifespan “While these underground assets are often out of sight it remains imperative they remain front of mind with regards to utility management,” said Hunt The 2025 Water Main Replacement Program focuses on a 270-meter segment of Dalebrooke Drive between Broadway Street and Lakeview Road “This corridor has been prioritized due to three converging risk factors: a high frequency of water main breaks and a confirmed collapse in the sanitary sewer system these conditions present a substantial risk of water and wastewater system failure,” said Hunt “This corridor has a break-density of over seven times the national average the water mains in this corridor have as little as 12 years of expected service life remaining,” said Hunt The project scope will also include full surface reconstruction In addition the sanitary sewer collection system needs attention too Dalebrooke Drive includes a clay tile sewer main: •    A 300 mm (12-inch) main which will be replaced with a 375 mm PVC pipe “CCTV inspection has confirmed a collapse in the sanitary sewer in the north half of the corridor along with deformation near the failure point,” said Hunt This sewer main functions as a Major Collector for both residential and commercial zones also managing surge flows from the Painted Hand Casino business complex The 2025 Water Main Replacement Program was publicly tendered Construction will be performed in two phases to reduce disruption and maintain accessibility Phase one; scheduled to begin as early as May 5 involves the full closure of the Broadway Street and Dalebrooke Drive intersection This work must be completed by May 21 to avoid interfering with major events at the Gallagher Centre All work is scheduled to be completed by September 30 YORKTON - There was at least a small Yorkton connection to the recent Juno Awards Blues man Big Dave McLean was presented with the 2025 Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year for his latest album released on Victoria-based indie label Cordova Bay Records was born in Yorkton back in 1952 to a concert pianist mother and then to Winnipeg where he has remained As for the recent Juno McLean took the award in stride “I’ve never gave it too much thought,” he said adding he doesn’t sing the blues for awards “I wasn’t trying to win an award I was just trying to make good music.” “It’s wonderful to be recognized for your work,” he conceded regarding the Juno award McLean added any of the finalist nominees would have been a worthy recipient “They’re fantastic,” he said So did McLean feel he had it just right when he was finished recording This Old Life “I think I get it right every time,” he offered adding “I knew it was a good album.” Of course McLean seems so well-suited to the blues with a voice that has that road gravel feel people will remember from past Painted Hand Casino shows in Yorkton “It’s been gravely from the get go,” he said adding with age he does perhaps get more attention of respect probably in-part because “there’s not so many old blues guys.” At the same time he’s an old blues guy with no plans to retire McLean works on his craft almost every day When you stop learning is when you should retire,” he said It’s the music I’m in love with.” YORKTON - The Saskatchewan Rush are headed to the NLL semi finals The Rush earned their spot with a 13-9 win over the Georgia Swarm in round one on Co-op Field at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on the weekend The Swarm actually started things with two quick goals to jump to a 2-0 lead but Saskatchewan settled and controlled things the rest of the way By the half-time buzzer the Rush were up 6-3 By the final buzzer the Rush had scored a baker’s dozen four of those from the stick of Jake Boudreau The game’s sharpshooter was modest in his accomplishment “It was good to help the team out,” Boudreau told Yorkton This Week in a telephone interview Monday adding that he and the team were already “back down to earth” following the win the Saskatchewan Rush will face the Halifax Thunderbirds in a best-of-three semifinal series Game one of the series goes May 3 in Halifax In recent seasons the Thunderbirds have been the Rush’s kryptonite winning most match-ups and dominating several meetings but Boudreau said he is fine with them being next on the agenda “It kind of worked out perfectly we matched up with them,” he said While admitting Halifax “is a team we struggle with most,” the Rush also recognize to win it all they must beat the best and they see the Halifax as that ‘best team challenge’ The series starting in Halifax is also a little unusual with the Rush having home field advantage but again Boudreau said he’s fine with the set up I was very happy when they told us,” said Boudreau who added if the Rush go to Halifax “and steal a win” they get to come home with a huge advantage Lose game one and they still have the energy of Rush fans waiting for games two and three So knowing Halifax has been a nemesis what do the Rush do differently “It’s (Halifax) a tough building to go down in,” said Boudreau So some more offence from Boudreau would be helpful The effort against the Swarm was just one of those nights though where things went his way “I made good on the chances I had,” he said Having someone come up with a big game on offence has been sort of the way the Rush put together a 13-5 regular season record Boudreau said if you look at the top 10-15 scores “we don’t have one.” Actually Austin Shanks team leading 74 points in the regular season was tied for 27th in the NLL and Shanks and Zach Manns both with 35 goal were tied for 17th in that category “But we have one of the best offences,” added Boudreau (The Rush scored 213 regular season goals while Halifax had 239) Boudreau said having a rather diverse offence is a positive as it makes guarding on defence difficult for opponents “In reality we’re really happy with what we’ve done to this point,’ he said we know the team we have can win it all.” The Vancouver Warriors and Buffalo Bandits will tangle in the other NLL semi final series YORKTON – The Junior NBA season came to an exciting close earlier this month with 180 young athletes showcasing their skills in a competitive yet enjoyable tournament The girls’ division wrapped up on April 6 with approximately 60 players battling it out on the court while the boys’ tournament concluded the previous weekend where these young athletes have spent part of the year sharpening their skills and finished the season with an enjoyable and competitive tournament referees and coaches who make the program possible Special recognition goes to Chad McDowell and his family for their contributions—not only as organizers but also as referees and coaches Even the youngest member of the family joined in the action as a player As another successful season comes to an end those interested in signing up their children for next year’s Junior NBA program are encouraged to stay tuned for upcoming announcements YORKTON – SaskEnergy has recognized Parkland Contracting and Vac Services with a SaskEnergy Safe Digging Excellence Award for its commitment to safe excavation and community safety The Yorkton-based utility construction company was honoured for its dedication to preventing damage to underground infrastructure “Hitting a line would impact the safety of our employees and our business financially and those are risks we aren’t willing to take,” said Gary Lake owner of Parkland Contracting and Vac Services “The benefits of getting a line locate outweigh the risks It benefits our business by ensuring we don’t hit a line.” Safe digging practices help protect communities by reducing the risk of property damage and personal injury while ensuring construction projects stay on schedule With nearly 88,000 kilometres of buried gas line serving more than 400,000 customers across the province SaskEnergy prioritizes the safety and integrity of its system promoting responsible digging as part of this effort “The Safe Digging Excellence Award was created to recognize contractors like Parkland Contracting and Vac Services who actively reduce the risk of damage to underground infrastructure in their daily work,” said Kevin Adair SaskEnergy’s executive vice-president of customer service operations SaskEnergy has experienced record-low contacts with our buried infrastructure thanks to the actions of the digging community Contractors like Parkland Contracting and Vac Services set an example in how they approach their work around buried infrastructure and this award celebrates their efforts.” SaskEnergy is recognizing three Saskatchewan businesses with the award Each has completed at least 25 line locates annually over the past three years with zero contacts with underground infrastructure Parkland Contracting and Vac Services received its award at the Dig Safe breakfast held at St Mary’s Centre in Yorkton on April 16 The third award will be presented in Weyburn on April 24 Organized by the Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance (SCGA) Dig Safe breakfasts are held in communities across the province during April which is Dig Safe Month and the unofficial start of spring digging season MOOSOMIN — Cathay Wagantall has represented the riding of Yorkton-Melville as the Conservative MP for a decade, and is throwing her hat into the ring for the federal election once more. With tariff talk dominating the election race, Wagantall was quick to point out that it wasn’t her party that put Canadians in the current situation. “First of all, Trump didn’t put us in this circumstance,” she said. “Our weaknesses have been developed over the last decade, and so we have to continue to press the outgoing government with the responsibilities that they’ve had in the situations that we’re facing right now.” She says a positive note regarding the trade situation with the U.S. has been the unifying factor seen across the country. Situated in prime canola-growing country, producers in Yorkton-Melville are watching closely what happens with prices on that product, given the 100 per cent tariffs from the Chinese—a response to the Liberal government’s 100 per cent tariff on electric vehicles. Another strong priority is cutting taxes, particularly when it comes to building a home. “Conservatives are the ones that have the very best plans for dealing with the housing crisis,” Wagantall said.  After the Liberal leadership race that saw Mark Carney become Prime Minister, recent polls are showing the Liberals pulling ahead of the Conservatives. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Police are asking for the public’s help after an inmate of Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre in Yorkton went missing According to an RCMP news release sent Thursday afternoon 36-year-old Martin Oochoo “was not present at the facility on December 25.” “Oochoo is now considered unlawfully at large and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.” He is said to have a tattoo of a rose on his neck and a tattoo of a cross on his upper right arm Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience but his current whereabouts are unknown,” the release states Anyone with information about Oochoo’s whereabouts is asked to contact their local police service or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account YORKTON — Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health emphasized the importance of community engagement during a recent visit to Yorkton.  Cockrill toured the Yorkton Regional Health Centre and met with local leaders and healthcare workers “This is the important part of the job—getting out around the province and hearing directly from people in different communities,” said Cockrill in an interview with SaskToday.ca “You can read all the briefing notes you want and look at all the maps you want but nothing compares to being in the community Talking directly to people on the front line Talking to local leaders," added Cockrill who was appointed Minister of Health in November 2024 acknowledged the community’s interest in the future replacement of the Yorkton Regional Health Centre describing the project as being in the “scoping portion,” with efforts focused on understanding the community’s needs and existing services “Obviously I know there’s been a lot of interest around the future replacement of the Yorkton hospital project,” said Cockrill “that was important for myself and Minister Carr—to get through the hospital building and understand what services are there and what we might be looking to in the future.” Cockrill also addressed staffing shortages a challenge faced by many communities across the province including initiatives in the Philippines and local training programs at Suncrest College which have helped fill over 50 positions in the Yorkton area “In the fall three new doctors came to Yorkton We’ve got another doctor through the SIPPA (Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment) program We’ve got another doctor starting in Yorkton this summer in June or July and then we actually have two family medicine residents that have accepted job offers to come to the Yorkton area and they’re going to be starting this fall.” Cockrill praised the efforts of local organizations such as the Society for the Involvement of Good Neighbours (SIGN) and the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan for their role in addressing healthcare challenges and recruitment “It’s exciting to go to a community and see local people identifying problems but then also identifying solutions and then chasing after that,” said Cockrill.  “That makes it a lot easier for the provincial government to come alongside them and say We see that you’re coming up with homegrown solutions We want to be a part of that,’” added Cockrill Cockrill expressed optimism about the progress being made but acknowledged that more work remains to be done to improve access to primary care and address staffing challenges “We’ve made some good progress—still got a little bit more work to do there,” said Cockrill YORKTON - When it comes to figure skating Canada has produced many notable skaters through the years – none with a more lasting legacy than that of Elvis Stojko Stojko was a three-time world champion (1994 Ont.-born skater continues to skate as a way as he says “to pay it forward” to young skaters – an effort that has him scheduled to be in Yorkton March 22 to skate the headliner in the Skate Yorkton Ice Show actually stepped away from the sport at one point or three years,” he told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview Stojko said he found it easier to step away from skating than he had when he stopped competitive skating – a decision he said had a greater impact on his day-to-day life “I felt guilty,” after stopping competitions,” he said I had all this time (not having the regime of practice) in time he found his way back to the ice focused not on winning medals “I sort of found a new level of love for it,” he said Stojko has found a new life balance of sorts putting in time on the ice because figure skating requires constant practice to maintain skills but also spending time with other life interests For example when called by YTW Stojko related he had just been under a car working on it He explained he has held a life-long interest is racing and is now actively pursuing those sport opportunities “I’ve been involved in motorsports since I was a kid,” he said “I’ve always wanted to race in some fashion.” Through the years Stojko has raced go karts and now the big cars in Canada and the energy and desire that carried him so far in figure skating has him with high expectations behind the wheel In the interview he mentions both Le Mans and Daytona as dream races “That for me would be huge,” he said In between skating at events like the one in Yorkton Fans might have seen him when Stojko played Sam Marshall in the Canadian television period drama Murdoch Mysteries It is something else he said he hopes to pursue in a bigger way noting that the skill of expression needed to portray emotion in skate routines is a transferable skill to acting skating is still a big part of what is obviously a very busy life for Stojko who will always be remembered for his effort at the 1991 World Championships when he became the first person to land a quadruple-double jump combination Stojko said it hasn’t always been easy being a male figure skater but thanks in part to skaters that came before him and inspired him Now he said he hopes he can still inspire others – to help them learn “to be yourself on the ice.” YORKTON - Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle said the recent provincial budget was ultimately a rather bland affair “It was kind of a ‘same as’ (budget) There wasn’t a lot of excitement there,” he told Yorkton This Week Thursday Kienle said budget documents do tend to be open for interpretation making it difficult to know exactly what is included only a day out from it being presented He explained that the Saskatchewan Party suggested increased health and education spending but the opposition are suggesting both areas saw funding cuts In respect to both areas Kienle said he will sitting down with the city’s Director of Finance Ashley Stradeski to delve more deeply into the budget details to better determine what is included That said Kienle said he was aware from pre-budget meetings with the province a new regional hospital for Yorkton was not included “I knew that wasn’t going to be there,” he said adding when another step on the long talked about project is to be made by the province remains an unknown One positive included in the provincial budget was continued support for revenue sharing with municipalities “We appreciate the continued commitment to that,” he said At the same time Kienle said there was a hint municipalities may be facing new costs since there was no new money for the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA) In a revaluation year “operational costs have risen,” he said adding those will likely now be born at the municipal level The creation of new bylaw courts was also praised by Kienle The new courts – the closet to Yorkton to be in Fort Qu’Appelle – will mean municipal bylaw cases will be moved out of the often clogged provincial court system to a new court that should speed the process In Yorkton some 200-250 bylaw cases head to the courts annually Kienle said he has also hoped there would be new funding for mental health and addictions programming and the associated interest paid in making debt payments was also on Kienle’s list as worrisome “There’s a concern with the growing provincial debt,” he said Kienle said the entire budget of course was tabled in a time of financial uncertainty based on the tariffs currently being imposed and threatened on Canadian exports “There’s uncertainty around tariffs,” he said adding he certainly noted the budget did not lay out a plan in regard to the impact tariffs may have YorktonNewsProperty crime on the rise in Yorkton, RCMP review findsBy Sierra D'Souza ButtsPublished: February 05, 2025 at 10:29AM EST YORKTON - At its most recent regular meeting Yorkton Council approved the City’s Five Year Capital Plan – March 2025 in order to meet the terms of the Municipal Funding Agreement under the Canada Community-Building Fund Program Director of Finance Ashley Stradeski explained the city receives annual funding from the Canada Community Building Fund (formerly known as the Gas Tax Program) The grant is typically used for large scale capital projects Previous projects using this funding include: Highway #9 improvements and now the York Road Reconstruction Project Yorkton receives approximately $990,000 annually from this Federal grant which goes towards the annual capital budget The Municipal Funding Agreement under the Canada Community-Building Fund Program (CCBF) which has been signed and approved by the City has a stipulation where the municipalities are required to provide the province with a five year capital plan The plan is a general guideline in order to meet the requirements of the agreement As facility priorities and asset management plans evolve; so too will the capital plan the plan has not undergone the capital budget process; rather it is a listing of optional potential projects that could be proposed over the next five years and is not inclusive of all potential projects which could arise through our regular capital budgeting process The purpose of this is to identify to the Province that the City is planning ahead identifying project needs in advance and taking appropriate steps to achieve long-term goals and funding requirements Smaller projects have been left off the list in order to keep it manageable YORKTON - Home ice was just the medicine the Melville Millionaires needed to get back into their best-of-seven playoff set with Yorkton The Terriers had won the two opening games of the series at the Westland Insurance Arena in Yorkton but Tuesday action headed south down Highway #10 to meet in game three at the CN Community Centre with the home side very much in need of a win Things started well for the home side as Gaborik Carlson scored the only goal of the opening 20-minutes to give the Mills a 1-0 lead The Melville powerplay then went into action early in the second period with Raiden Zacharias scoring with the man advantage at 1:46 and Carlson doing the same at 6:12 When Brendan Olson scored an unassisted effort at 17:53 the Mills had a strangle hold on the game up 4-0 Thierry Laliberte finally gave Terrier fans some hope at he potted a goal for Yorkton at 18:31 leaving the game 4-1 through 40-minutes of action At 11:41 of the third period William Leonard scored making it 4-2 but there would be no comeback for Yorkton after that as Simon Parini added an unassisted effort for Melville at 19:23 to round out a 5-2 win for the home side Ethan Farrow was tagged with the loss in the Terrier net allowing three goals on 21 shots with Callum Creig also facing 21-shots allowing two Ben Laurette faced 40-shots in earning the win for Melville Game four is set for tonight (Wednesday) again in Melville YORKTON – The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce has announced a series of events aimed at fostering community engagement and supporting local businesses Organized in partnership with Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) the event will feature a panel discussion with local businesswomen Alicia Simoneau Admission is free and the event is open to the public residents will have the opportunity to attend an All Candidates Forum at the Anne Portnuff Theatre will allow attendees to meet candidates running in the upcoming Federal Election answer prepared questions and take questions from the audience The Chamber’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled  for April 23 at the Owl’s Nest Restaurant The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Aaron Kienle will then deliver his inaugural State of the City Address Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance For more information contact the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce ReginaNewsYorkton welcomes new mayor Aaron Kienle, 2 new councillorsBy Sierra D'Souza ButtsPublished: November 14, 2024 at 1:37AM EST ReginaNewsYorkton patient speaks out on city losing four doctorsBy Sierra D'Souza ButtsPublished: December 12, 2024 at 7:44PM EST YORKTON - Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society has announced an additional $250,000 in funding from Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) through the Government of Canada’s Tourism Growth Program This funding will further advance the completion of the Interpretive Station at the Mill an essential addition to Saskatchewan’s only remaining brick flour mill and a vital part of Yorkton’s historical landscape "The Yorkton Brick Mill is a vital piece of local heritage telling the story of agriculture’s role in driving Saskatchewan’s economic prosperity," said the Honourable Terry Duguid "Our government is proud to support this community-led heritage preservation—honouring the hard work of those who built this region while boosting local tourism and driving economic growth today." “This is an incredible milestone for our organization and our community,” said Larry Pearen President of the Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society in the same release “This funding will be instrumental in completing the Interpretive Station and a key attraction for visitors to Yorkton.” The Interpretive Station at the Mill will feature interactive displays further solidifying the Yorkton Brick Mill as a regional tourism destination The Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society extends its gratitude to the Government of Canada and volunteers who have contributed to this project’s success