Saskatoon News

OTTAWA — Conservative MPs are calling on the auditor general to probe the federal government's handling of a $250 million program which is reportedly set to be scrapped next month. PrescribeIT was launched in 2017 to modernize the way doctors send prescriptions to pharmacies and to phase out older technology, such as fax machines. Conservative MP Dan Mazier cites reporting by The Globe and Mail which suggests fewer than five per cent of prescriptions are sent using the PrescribeIT program, which is being shut down on May 29. Mazier says Conservatives have been working at the committee level to produce documents related to PrescribeIT. He accuses the government of filibustering those efforts until it can restructure the parliamentary committees to reflect the Liberals' new majority in the House of Commons, which is expected to happen this week. Mazier says if that happens, the public may never see documents explaining the government's handling of PrescribeIT. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. Nick Murray, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Alexandre Boulerice has announced he is leaving the federal NDP to join the leftist, sovereigntist Québec solidaire party ahead of October's provincial election. Boulerice, the only Quebec member of Parliament remaining for the NDP, says he will immediately sit as an Independent and will formally resign the day before the provincial campaign is called. His departure had been an open secret for some time, and he made the official announcement today in the Montreal riding of Gouin where he plans to run for Québec solidaire. Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti says his party's new recruit represents a strong endorsement of its pro-independence platform. The Gouin riding is considered a safe seat for Québec solidaire, which has been struggling with the electorate since the 2022 election and is polling behind the other major parties. Boulerice is the last MP standing in Quebec from the NDP's 2011 "orange wave" election, which catapulted the party under Jack Layton to official Opposition status in the House of Commons. The departure of the MP from Montreal's Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie riding leaves the NDP with five seats in Parliament, all located west of Ontario. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. The Canadian Press

The movies always feel bigger in the summer. The budgets. The ambition. The names. The stakes. This summer, Hollywood has many of the regulars on the lineup: “Spider-Man,” “Minions,” “Star Wars” and “Toy Story.” But the most eagerly anticipated is not a superhero, toy, or franchise: It’s a 3,000-year-old epic poem. For filmmaker Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey,” out July 17, isn’t just a story. It’s the story: A foundational piece that deserved to be done on the biggest possible scale, with all the resources modern Hollywood had to offer. Read more:

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“There’s a massive amount of pressure,” Nolan told The Associated Press. “Anyone taking on ‘The Odyssey’ is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility.” It’s a familiar feeling, though. He did three Batman films after all. “What I learned from that experience is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation,” Nolan said. “They want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it. I really tried to make the best film possible.” Three summers ago, “Oppenheimer” made nearly a billion dollars. “The Odyssey” has battles, gods, creatures and an army of movie stars — Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Tom Holland included. It’s also the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film. Tickets for some IMAX 70 mm showings sold out in under an hour a full year in advance. “The Odyssey” will be shorter than “Oppenheimer”; Three hours is the longest they’ve been able to get onto an IMAX film projector, after all. “It’s an epic film, as the subject matter demands,” Nolan said. “But it is shorter.” Summer movie season’s fashionable kickoff Hollywood may not save all its blockbusters for the hottest months anymore, but the 18 week corridor running from the first weekend in May through Labor Day remains the industry’s most important, accounting for around 40% of the year’s box office. And it’s only surpassed $4 billion once since the pandemic, in 2023. Marvel movies often kick off the season, but last year filmmaker David Frankel got a call from Disney: “Avengers: Doomsday” wasn’t going to be ready by the first weekend in May; Could “The Devil Wears Prada 2” step up? May 1 is just days before the Met Gala and it would give the movie a long runway to play, he figured. It would also require a bit of a sprint — they finished the film just weeks ago. But the enthusiasm was motivating, from fans snapping photos of Hathaway and Meryl Streep on the New York streets, to support from Anna Wintour. Love for “Prada” isn’t the only thing that’s changed in 20 years; Magazines have also become an endangered species. “How does Miranda Priestly deal with this changing world and what’s her future?” Frankel said. “The same with Andy Sachs: If all your ambition has been funneled in this one direction, what happens when you have to pivot and how do you adapt?” The $4 billion question The movie industry is also adjusting to a new paradigm. Box office is down over 20% from pre-COVID levels. The rise in streaming, the pandemic and shifting theatrical windows altered people’s moviegoing habits, perhaps permanently. And there may be one less major studio if Paramount acquires Warner Bros. But, as James Cameron said, “hope springs eternal. “We still have a very robust theatrical industry at a time when it was kind of almost pronounced dead,” Cameron said. The gap is not widening. Studios are committing to longer exclusive theatrical windows. Original movies and premium formats are drawing crowds. And the market continues to expand globally. Cameron is behind one of those only-in-a-theater experiences with the 3D Billie Eilish concert film (May 8). Using new technology, they used 17 camera systems to capture four nights of her Manchester shows last year. “Seeing it in 3D is astonishing,” Cameron said. “You really feel an intimacy with her and yet you feel the scale of the spectacle.” A summer for heavyweights Nolan isn’t Universal’s only giant of cinema on its summer roster: Steven Spielberg is also returning to one of his most beloved genres with “Disclosure Day” (June 12). There are superhero movies as well, with “Supergirl” (June 26), which DC Studios co-head Peter Safran said is “is something cool and original and we haven’t seen before,” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31). The last Spidey film, which made over $1.9 billion, ended with Holland’s Peter Parker erasing himself from everyone’s memory. “This is a blockbuster action movie with all the humor and emotion we love about Spider-Man,” director Destin Daniel Cretton said. “But at its heart, it’s a story about learning how to reconnect with the ones you love.” A lot of power recently has shifted to PG-rated offerings. This summer has “Toy Story 5” (June 19), “Minions & Monsters” (July 1) and a live action “Moana” (July 10), which could all very well hit a billion dollars each. One non-franchise family friendly film is “The Sheep Detectives” (May 8), in which the animals (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston) investigate the death of their beloved owner (Hugh Jackman). Writer Craig Mazin understands the hurdle: There have been a lot of stupid talking animal movies. But this one is different, he said, it’s not just silly sheep doing silly things. “There are some really beautiful moments and themes and things that parents can talk about with their kids,” Mazin said. “And most importantly, it is legitimately a movie that is meant for everyone.” Then there’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” (May 22), which is rated PG-13 but has an impossibly cute alien going for it. It’s also one of several made for IMAX. “People have got great TVs at home,” said director Jon Favreau. “You’ve got to give them a reason to go out.” The scary movies Movie studios also continue to lean into horror and this summer has both franchises, like “Evil Dead Burn”(July 10) and “Insidious: Out of the Further” (Aug. 21) and unnerving indies, including the “conversion therapy” horror “Leviticus,” “Rose of Nevada” (both June 19), “Backrooms” (May 29) and a new Jane Schoenbrun, “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” (Aug. 7). And then there is “Scary Movie 6″ (June 5), which sees the return of Regina Hall and Anna Faris, as well as Marlon and Shawn Wayans, who haven’t been involved in the franchise they helped create since the 2001 sequel. And there were so many movies ripe for parody, like “M3GAN,” “Get Out,” “Weapons,” the just-released “Michael,” and “Sinners,” which Marlon Wayans was most excited about. “Mockery is the greatest form of flattery,” Wayans said. “Sending up their movie was definitely tipping our hat to them.” The festival darlings and other gems Audiences want more than brands and blockbusters though. This year moviegoers have already proven they’ll turn out when the buzz is right, whether it’s for a big crowd pleaser like “Project Hail Mary” or for something more challenging like “The Drama.” One that has the potential to break through is Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” (June 26), a chamber dramedy about two very different couples (Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) over one wine-filled night that sparked a bidding war at the Sundance Film Festival. Wilde was heartened that most studios were offering theatrical releases, and ultimately chose A24. They’ve even made a 35 mm print. “The whole project for me is really tipping my hat to Mike Nichols,” Wilde said. “We thought of the audiences that have always loved those films.” There are plenty of indies and originals to choose from throughout the summer, including Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” about a piano prodigy turned safecracker, Boots Riley’s colorful shoplifting movie “I Love Boosters,” (both May 22) a John Carney musical with Paul Rudd (“Power Ballad,” June 5) and David Wain’s wholesomely raunchy comedy “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” (July 10). As Wilde said, there’s room for both originals and franchises. “The audience really likes to recognize risk,” she said. “There’s something exciting about that.”

Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith says anti-Jewish hatred is being normalized in Canada and its annual count of antisemitic incidents hit another record high in 2025. “We cannot allow antisemitism to be rendered into mere statistics that we grow numb to. There was an immense and tragic human cost to the 6,800 incidents recorded in 2025,” the group’s advocacy head Richard Robertson said Monday at a news conference on Parliament Hill. Read more:

• Senators call on Carney to restore antisemitism envoy, step up fight against hate
• Israel seeking ‘significant change’ in how Canada tackles antisemitism
• Redvers man who founded nationalist party once again charged with promoting hatred

The report says those 6,800 incidents were up from 6,219 in 2024, and were the highest number recorded since B’nai Brith began collecting the data in 1982. They included acts of violence, harassment and vandalism aimed at Jews in Canada. The organization tracked an increase in antisemitic acts in B.C. and Ontario and a decrease in Quebec and Alberta. The reported incidents include shocking acts of physical violence — including the beating of a visibly Jewish man in Montreal, captured on video, whose attacker threw his skullcap into a puddle. “An assault on a Jewish man in a park in front of his children is not just another notation in the violence column. It is an incident that creates generational trauma and leaves an entire cohort of society questioning if they are safe to remain in this country,” Robertson said. “A Jewish person that was harassed is not just a statistic. They are a person that was told that they should have been gassed along with their ancestors at Auschwitz. A Hakenkreuz (swastika) drawn in a schoolyard is not just an incident of vandalism. It is a diabolical act of hate that leaves Jewish children afraid to go to school.” The report also includes incidents that do not meet the legal threshold of a hate crime — such as Montreal’s Pride festival barring Jewish groups over concerns about anti-Palestinian commentary, a decision the festival reversed following calls from politicians. The report says antisemitic incidents in Canada — which have included gunfire, arson and vandalism attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools — have doubled in number since 2022. The increase followed the brutal October 2023 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, which prompted Israel to bomb the Gaza Strip, triggering massive political shifts from Iran to Syria. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has drawn widespread condemnation over the high number of civilian deaths. Israel also has been widely denounced for rising settler violence in the West Bank and a series of policies targeting the rights of Palestinians. B’nai Brith said anti-Jewish hate is being spread under the guise of anti-Zionism, which the group frames as the act of demonizing those who support in the existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East. Other groups — including some run by Jewish critics of Israel — say justified criticism of how Israel treats Palestinians and Arabs has been wrongly conflated with anti-Jewish hate. Israeli ministers have expressed Jewish supremacist ideas and called for actions widely understood as ethnic cleansing. The Israeli parliament has passed a death penalty law that Ottawa last month called a discriminatory act that is “dehumanizing the Palestinian people.” Robertson argued there is a difference between criticizing Israel’s government and blaming Canadians. “It is OK to hold political views. It is OK to challenge a nation’s response to issues. It is not OK to subject a minority in this country to unprecedented levels of hate because of the actions of a foreign government,” he said. The group also argued that online hate is going unchecked, with Jewish Canadians being exposed to threats and racist imagery that could serve to normalize violent attacks. “We have ceded our digital spaces to radical actors who seek to incite hate and indoctrinate others with their extremist ideologies,” Robertson said. The group is calling for tighter regulation of online spaces, more training for police on identifying and countering incidents of hate, and banning “events that incite hate and intimidation.” The report also called for terrorism listings for three foreign branches of the Muslim Brotherhood but did not suggest the group is operating in Canada. Monday’s report comes days after the Senate Human Rights Committee called for more education, better digital literacy and a federal task force on hate to fight a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes and acts of intimidation. The committee noted calls from civil society groups to avoid a chill on free speech while bolstering actions that counter anti-Jewish hate. The Senate committee called on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to restore the antisemitism envoy role it scrapped in February. The Liberals have replaced the role — along with a separate envoy on Islamophobia — with a new advisory council on rights, equality and inclusion. B’nai Brith CEO Simon Wolle said the switch removes a co-ordinating role for someone focused on anti-Jewish hate. “We have a void, a vacuum, a gap. The problems continue to escalate and there’s actually no mechanism in this country to solve the problem,” he said in an interview. He said Ottawa is offering “more words about a possible solution or alternative with very little action, very little definition, very little understanding” of the new advisory council’s mandate and timeline for action. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026.

OTTAWA — Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith says anti-Jewish hatred is being normalized in Canada and its annual count of antisemitic incidents hit another record high in 2025. "We cannot allow antisemitism to be rendered into mere statistics that we grow numb to. There was an immense and tragic human cost to the 6,800 incidents recorded in 2025," the group's advocacy head Richard Robertson said Monday at a news conference on Parliament Hill. The report says those 6,800 incidents were up from 6,219 in 2024, and were the highest number recorded since B'nai Brith began collecting the data in 1982. They included acts of violence, harassment and vandalism aimed at Jews in Canada. The organization tracked an increase in antisemitic acts in B.C. and Ontario and a decrease in Quebec and Alberta. The reported incidents include shocking acts of physical violence — including the beating of a visibly Jewish man in Montreal, captured on video, whose attacker threw his skullcap into a puddle. "An assault on a Jewish man in a park in front of his children is not just another notation in the violence column. It is an incident that creates generational trauma and leaves an entire cohort of society questioning if they are safe to remain in this country," Robertson said. "A Jewish person that was harassed is not just a statistic. They are a person that was told that they should have been gassed along with their ancestors at Auschwitz. A Hakenkreuz (swastika) drawn in a schoolyard is not just an incident of vandalism. It is a diabolical act of hate that leaves Jewish children afraid to go to school." The report also includes incidents that do not meet the legal threshold of a hate crime — such as Montreal's Pride festival barring Jewish groups over concerns about anti-Palestinian commentary, a decision the festival reversed following calls from politicians. The report says antisemitic incidents in Canada — which have included gunfire, arson and vandalism attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools — have doubled in number since 2022. The increase followed the brutal October 2023 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, which prompted Israel to bomb the Gaza Strip, triggering massive political shifts from Iran to Syria. Israel's campaign in Gaza has drawn widespread condemnation over the high number of civilian deaths. Israel also has been widely denounced for rising settler violence in the West Bank and a series of policies targeting the rights of Palestinians. B'nai Brith said anti-Jewish hate is being spread under the guise of anti-Zionism, which the group frames as the act of demonizing those who support in the existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East. Other groups — including some run by Jewish critics of Israel — say justified criticism of how Israel treats Palestinians and Arabs has been wrongly conflated with anti-Jewish hate. Israeli ministers have expressed Jewish supremacist ideas and called for actions widely understood as ethnic cleansing. The Israeli parliament has passed a death penalty law that Ottawa last month called a discriminatory act that is "dehumanizing the Palestinian people." Robertson argued there is a difference between criticizing Israel's government and blaming Canadians. "It is OK to hold political views. It is OK to challenge a nation's response to issues. It is not OK to subject a minority in this country to unprecedented levels of hate because of the actions of a foreign government," he said. The group also argued that online hate is going unchecked, with Jewish Canadians being exposed to threats and racist imagery that could serve to normalize violent attacks. "We have ceded our digital spaces to radical actors who seek to incite hate and indoctrinate others with their extremist ideologies," Robertson said. The group is calling for tighter regulation of online spaces, more training for police on identifying and countering incidents of hate, and banning "events that incite hate and intimidation." The report also called for terrorism listings for three foreign branches of the Muslim Brotherhood but did not suggest the group is operating in Canada. Monday's report comes days after the Senate Human Rights Committee called for more education, better digital literacy and a federal task force on hate to fight a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes and acts of intimidation. The committee noted calls from civil society groups to avoid a chill on free speech while bolstering actions that counter anti-Jewish hate. The Senate committee called on Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to restore the antisemitism envoy role it scrapped in February. The Liberals have replaced the role — along with a separate envoy on Islamophobia — with a new advisory council on rights, equality and inclusion. B'nai Brith CEO Simon Wolle said the switch removes a co-ordinating role for someone focused on anti-Jewish hate. "We have a void, a vacuum, a gap. The problems continue to escalate and there's actually no mechanism in this country to solve the problem," he said in an interview. He said Ottawa is offering "more words about a possible solution or alternative with very little action, very little definition, very little understanding" of the new advisory council's mandate and timeline for action. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

A 29-year-old man is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of Myles Anderson in Regina earlier this month. According to the Regina Police Service, officers were called to the 3100 block of Fifth Avenue in the city’s North Central neighbourhood just after 1 a.m. on April 13. When the officers arrived, they found an injured man who was later identified as the 36-year-old Anderson. Read more:

• Police in Regina open homicide investigation after death of 36-year-old man
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“Life-saving measures were attempted by officers until EMS arrived and declared the victim deceased on scene,” the Regina Police Service said in a statement. “The area was secured and the Regina Police Service Major Crimes Unit, the Regina Police Service Forensic Identification Unit and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service were called in.” Police said officers raided a home on Toronto Street on Friday, where they arrested Blayne Okemaysim. He’s now facing a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Anderson’s death. Okemaysim is expected to appear before a judge on Monday morning at Regina Provincial Court, police said.

The City of Regina is using some interesting math to justify why it should sell a big chunk of its exhibition association property to a private buyer. Murray Wood wonders, what’s the big rush? Murray Wood delivers sharp, insightful commentary with a blend of wit, skepticism and straight talk. Whether he’s exposing political maneuvering, celebrating cultural icons or unpacking life’s everyday quirks, he never holds back. Read more:

• Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada’s first sovereign wealth fund
• Drought fears linger as seeding begins on southwest Saskatchewan farms
• Hospitality Saskatchewan says change to liquor laws could help struggling service industry

Listen to more commentary from Murray Wood: Fri., April 24: Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week’s news and decides who’s hot… and who’s not. This week’s list includes the winter that just won’t end and stores that ignore warranties. Thurs., April 23: Murray Wood says Pierre Poilievre has suffered some bad timing in his career as Conservative leader, but the question is whether or not time will be on his side going forward. Wed., April 22: Murray Wood says the Food Fuel and Fertilizer Global Summit happening in Regina this week underlines why the 21st century belongs to Saskatchewan. Tues., April 21: Murray Wood says the debate about whether Saskatchewan should change it’s clocks like other provinces is being replaced with a new one: Will other provinces stop changing their clocks and be in synch with us? Mon., April 20: Darryl Schemenauer is closing down his Regina gun store after 35 years, and he puts the blame squarely on the federal Liberals. Murray Wood says he doubts the gun bans will make us safer.

OTTAWA — The three Liberals who won the byelections earlier this month that secured a majority government for Prime Minister Mark Carney are taking their seats in the House of Commons today. Doly Begum, Danielle Martin and Tatiana Auguste were sworn in as members of Parliament on Saturday. Begum and Martin are newcomers who replaced outgoing cabinet ministers Bill Blair and Chrystia Freeland in Toronto-area seats. Auguste won the seat in the Bloc Québécois stronghold of Terrebonne in a rematch after the Supreme Court of Canada invalidated the results of last April's election in the riding. There are now 174 members on the government benches after five MPs defected to the Liberals over the last six months. NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice is expected to announce that he's resigning to run provincially today, dropping that party's caucus to just five members. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

Like most negotiations, Canada and the U.S. are laying their cards on the table publicly, but Sarah Mills says in Canada’s case, there’s a little bit of spin mixed in as well. The Mills Minute is a daily commentary heard on 650 CKOM and 980 CJME, where Sarah Mills offers sharp insights, strong opinions, and a touch of wit on the stories that matter to people in Saskatchewan. Read more:

• Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada’s first sovereign wealth fund
• Drought fears linger as seeding begins on southwest Saskatchewan farms
• Hospitality Saskatchewan says change to liquor laws could help struggling service industry

Listen to more commentary from Sarah Mills: Fri., April 24: After months of waiting and wading through FIFA’s Kafkaesque ticket-buying process, Sarah Mills finally has tickets to see England in the World Cup, thanks to help from a colleague. Thurs., April 23: Sarah Mills says there are great health-care costs associated with smoking, but those costs are also associated with obesity, so will governments start passing laws to say what people can eat and drink? Wed., April 22: Sarah Mills says the tale of the Regina husky Missy escaping her vet to head to her favourite doggy daycare is the heartwarming, bring-a-smile-to-your-face story that we need in this world. Tues., April 21: A soon-to-be learner driver in Sarah Mills’ house is making her pause and think about some of the bad habits drivers display on the roads, and what they are being taught. Mon., April 20: It sometimes feels like leaders in our cities and towns don’t plan for construction very well, but Sarah Mills says the zipper merge, when done properly, can reduce those construction-zone frustrations.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the country's first national sovereign wealth fund on Monday, pitching the new agency as a way for Canadians to invest in nation-building projects. Carney said the Canada Strong Fund will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. The prime minister said the federal government will put up funds starting at $25 billion to invest alongside private investors. He said individual Canadians can also put money into the fund and suggested it would be similar to purchasing a government bond, where the initial investment is protected. Returns from those investments will be put back into the fund to expand its capacity and build out capital projects in Canada. Speaking to reporters Monday, Carney compared the fund to a "national savings and investment account." He also called it "the people's fund." "Building Canada strong means building a Canada where everyone has a stake, where growth is shared and where prosperity reaches every region, every community and every family," he said. Countries such as Norway and many Gulf states already have large sovereign wealth funds. The Canada Strong Fund will be set up as an independent, arm's-length Crown corporation. The federal government will consult over the coming months on the specific design of the investment instrument. Carney made the announcement Monday morning at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, a day before the Liberal government tables the spring economic update. The prime minister suggested there would be "good news" on the federal deficit in Tuesday's update. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. — with files from Kyle Duggan and Sarah Ritchie Craig Lord, The Canadian Press

A proposed mixed-use development will reach higher into the sky than downtown Saskatoon’s tallest tower if the project gets approved. The development would take over the former Star Phoenix building at 204 Fifth Avenue North, including a renovation of the existing space. The plan also includes residential towers on the south and north ends of the block, according to Brent McAdam, a senior planner with the City of Saskatoon’s planning and development department. Read more:

• Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan’s expo aims to grow community
• Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada’s first sovereign wealth fund
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Based on the initial application, the south tower would be 35 storeys high, while the north tower would be 24 storeys. McAdam said that would make the south tower the tallest in the city. “If built to the scale proposed, it’s about 110 metres or so, which would eclipse the Nutrien Tower, which I think is just shy of about 90 metres,” McAdam said. The proposal for the development includes roughly 600 residential units and 540 parking spaces, as well as room for offices and retailers, including a grocery store. The application, submitted by Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture on behalf of Duchuck Holdings Ltd., is currently under review by the city’s planning and development department. There’s no target date yet for ground could be broken, but McAdam said the city is a few months into the formal application process. Senior planner Brent McAdam said the 600 residential spaces included in the proposal could mean an extra 800 to 900 people living downtown. It would bring “a level of vibrancy to a downtown that you can’t have if you don’t have people living there,” he said. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM) The next steps Right now, the space is currently zoned as M4, which allows for most aspects of the proposal including, “high-density development,” according to McAdam. “It’s in our downtown. It’s where we expect high density to be,” he said. But a rezoning process is underway, because some parts of the project, like the grocery store, aren’t currently permitted, according to McAdam. But even if the site gets rezoned, it wouldn’t guarantee that a grocer would move into the space. Additionally, there are airport zoning regulations which would need to be followed. While height restrictions are more of a concern on the southwestern edge of downtown, closer to the Riversdale area, McAdam said the plans still need to be reviewed by the airport authority and related federal agencies to ensure there’s no conflict with Saskatoon’s north-south flight path. “That review is underway, so that’s something that would be confirmed and settled before we bring the rezoning forward to council,” he said. In less than two weeks, the public will have a chance to provide feedback and ask questions about the proposal as part of the city’s community engagement phase. A public information meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, May 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Saskatoon City Hall. “We’ll have the developer there. We’ll have representatives from the city able to chat with folks from the public and answer those questions,” McAdam explained. After the meeting, the application will go forward to the municipal planning commission, though McAdam said those dates have not yet been determined.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is unveiling the country’s first national sovereign wealth fund, which will begin at $25 billion. Carney says the fund will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. Read more:

• Poll suggests Canadians want Carney government focused on affordability in next year
• Inflation jumps to 2.4% in March driven by Iran war oil shock, StatCan says
• Federal government reports $25.5B deficit for its April-to-February period

The prime minister says the federal government will put up funds alongside private investors. Countries such as Norway and Gulf states already have large sovereign wealth funds. Carney made the announcement today at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The announcement comes just a day before the Liberal government’s spring economic update. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026.

Two years ago, Josephine Timperman arrived at college with a plan. She declared a major in business analytics, figuring she’d learn niche skills that would stand out on a resume and help land a good job after college. But the rise of artificial intelligence has scrambled those calculations. The basic skills she was learning in things like statistical analysis and coding can now easily be automated. “Everyone has a fear that entry-level jobs will be taken by AI,” said the 20-year-old at Miami University in Ohio. Read more:

• Child advocates to rally for online harms bill covering AI chatbots, gaming
• Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan’s expo aims to grow community
• Sask. parents have split reactions on need for social media ban for minors

A few weeks ago, Timperman switched her major to marketing. Her new strategy is to use her undergraduate studies to build critical thinking and interpersonal skills — areas where humans still have an edge. “You don’t just want to be able to code. You want to be able to have a conversation, form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that’s the thing that AI can’t replace,” said Timperman, who is keeping analytics as a minor and plans to dive deeper into the subject for a one-year master’s program. Today’s college students say that picking a major that’s “AI-proof” feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be fundamentally different by the time they graduate. As a result, many are reconsidering their career paths. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, while recent Gallup polling finds U.S. workers are increasingly concerned about being replaced by new technologies. Students seeking majors that teach ‘human’ skills The uncertainty appears most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and vocational areas of study, where students feel a need to develop expertise in AI but also fear being replaced by it. A recent Quinnipiac poll found the vast majority of Americans believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” important for college and university students to be taught how to use AI, as Gallup Workforce polling finds AI is getting adopted in technology-related fields at higher rates. Meanwhile, students studying healthcare and natural sciences may be less impacted by AI overhauls, Gallup found. “We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.” A recent Gallup poll of Generation Z youth and adults, between the ages of 14 and 29, found increasing skepticism and concerns about AI. Although half of Gen Z adults use AI at least “weekly,” and teenagers report higher use, many in this generation see drawbacks to the technology and worry about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and job prospects. About half — 48% — of Gen Z workers say the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the possible benefits. Part of the challenge for college students is that the experts they would typically turn to for advice, like advisers, professors and parents, don’t have any answers. “Students are having to navigate this on their own, without a GPS,” says Brown. That uncertainty was evident last month at Stanford University, where the leaders of several prominent universities gathered for a wide-ranging panel discussion on the future of higher education. Topics of concern included the AI revolution that is transforming how students learn and forcing educators to rethink pedagogy. “We need to think really hard about what students need to learn to be successful in the job market in 10, 20, 30 years,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson. “And none of us know. We don’t know the answer to that,” Paxson said. “I think it’s communication, it’s critical thought. The fundamentals of a liberal education are probably more important than learning how to code in Java right now.” Anxiety also reaches computer science majors Computer science major Ben Aybar, 22, graduated last spring from the University of Chicago and applied for about 50 jobs, mostly in software engineering, without getting a single interview. He pivoted to a master’s degree in computer science and meanwhile has found part-time work doing AI consulting for companies. “People who know how to use AI will be very valuable,” said Aybar, who sees new jobs emerging that require AI skills, particularly for people who can explain the complexities in layman’s terms. “Being able to talk to people and interact with people in a very human way I think is more valuable than ever.” At the University of Virginia, data science major Ava Lawless is wondering if her major is worthwhile but can’t get concrete answers. Some advisers feel that data scientists will be safe because they’re the ones building AI models, but she keeps seeing gloomy job reports that indicate the contrary. “It makes me feel a bit hopeless for the future,” Lawless said. “What if by the time I graduate there’s not even a job market for this anymore?” She is considering switching to studio art, which is her minor. “I’m at a point where I’m thinking if I can’t get a job being a data scientist, I might as well pursue art,” she said. “Because if I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do something I love.”

Children’s advocates will hold a rally and press conference on Parliament Hill Monday to call for online harms legislation that covers AI chatbots and video games. “Just in recent months, we’ve seen the real escalation of harm that’s happening using AI chatbots,” said Sara Austin, founder and CEO of Children First Canada. Read more:

• Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan’s expo aims to grow community
• Sask. parents have split reactions on need for social media ban for minors
• Manitoba premier says social media ban coming for kids, like Australia

OpenAI banned the mass shooter in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., from using its ChatGPT chatbot due to what it called worrisome interactions, but did not alert law enforcement. The shooter got around the ban by having a second account. Austin said the tragedy “could have potentially have been prevented had OpenAI acted sooner to disclose the risks to the police.” One of the people who will attend the rally Monday is James Sokolowski, whose 15-year-old daughter Penelope died in 2025 in connection with the terrorist group 764. Austin said Penelope’s grooming began on the online gaming platform Roblox. The federal government added 764 to its list of terror entities in December 2025. It described the group as a “decentralized transnational network of online nihilistic violent extremists.” It said members of the group use social media and gaming platforms “to lure, groom, and extort youth to commit violent and sexual acts, including self-harm.” Matt Richardson of the Canadian Open Source Intelligence Centre has said that in the course of his research into online spaces involving members of 764, he’s seen images of self-harm, initials and names of abusers carved into victims’ skin, animal abuse and even invitations to watch livestreamed suicide attempts. “Many of our kids are spending extensive amounts of their daily lives on gaming platforms and they have proven to be unsafe,” Austin said. She said there are multiple “gaming platforms that are risky for kids because they allow for chat features with kids to be able to communicate with strangers” who can pretend to be children. Children First Canada said in a press release it’s leading Monday’s rally on Parliament Hill, with support from a coalition that includes medical organizations, youth and parents. Austin said the group is bringing 15 children and 15 parents to Ottawa. In addition to AI chatbots and gaming, the group wants the bill to cover social media. It says legislation must include a duty of care for platforms requiring them to prevent foreseeable harm, safety by design for online platforms, and a “strong, independent regulator with enforcement power.” The Liberal government previously introduced the online harms bill C-63 but it did not become law before last year’s federal election was called. After initially signalling it would not bring the bill back in the same form, but would instead tackle aspects of it in other legislation, the government changed course and Culture Minister Marc Miller is now taking the lead on a new bill. Miller has reconvened an expert group the government previously consulted. The group is expected to consider multiple questions, including whether the legislation should cover AI chatbots and if it should restrict social media access for kids and teenagers. AI chatbot safety and social media bans for children have emerged as global political issues since the earlier version of the bill was introduced. Austin said the government has had plenty of time to prepare and needs to take action now. “We continue to hear from key leaders in government that they are taking their time to get this right. And I appreciate the sentiment behind that, because they’ve had a couple of false starts with online safety legislation before,” she said. But the government doesn’t have to “recreate the wheel here,” she said, noting Canada can follow the lead of others, including the United Kingdom, the European Union and Australia. “The fact that they’re still debating this, the fact that they’re still consulting, is concerning to me as a parent, let alone as somebody who’s advocating for all of our children.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026.

8:30 – On Saturday night, a shooter opened fire at the White House correspondents’ dinner, targeting U.S. President Donald Trump. This is the third time the president has been the target of a shooting. Dave Levinthal, a Washington, D.C.-based investigative journalist and senior editor at NOTUS, joins the show to bring us up to date on what we know and what questions remain unanswered. Listener Question: What does this shooting say about the political climate in America–are things getting worse? 9:00 – Open phones – Evan goes to the phones to chat with listeners about what’s on their minds today. Call 1-877-332-8255. 10:00 – The cost of mental health and addiction recovery can add up quickly, and waitlists continue to grow. Mark Jago, founder of the Sask Peer Support Network, is hoping to make access to these crucial services more accessible. He joins the show to talk about how peer support can be a key part of healing. LQ: Should peer support be a bigger part of our healthcare system? 10:30 – A recent study in the Journal of Sex Research suggests that about one in five people in this country have practiced consensual non-monogamy, sometimes called polyamory. Despite its growing visibility, many people still know very little—or nothing at all—about what that actually means. To dig into the topic, Evan is joined by Molly Roden Winter, author of More: A Memoir of an Open Marriage.   LQ: What’s a weird but important rule in your relationship? (No watching ahead on shared TV shows, no starting the coffee pot if you didn’t finish it last time, separate blankets, etc.) 11:00 – We’ve all heard of sibling rivalry, but when these two siblings come together, great things happen! Chansi Bourke and Jordan Lynch of the Lynch Farm Partnership recently won the 2026 Outstanding Young Farmer award. They join the show to talk about the importance of family tradition and the work they do on their farm. LQ: Could you be a business partner with your sibling? 11:30 – The City of Regina is considering selling parts of REAL District to Brandt Properties, which could save taxpayers millions of dollars. But it might also change what major events come to the Queen City and how. To break it all down for us, we’re joined by Geoff Smith, 980 CJME reporter, who has been covering the story closely. LQ: Does the potential sale of REAL District excite you for future events on the grounds? What event/concert would you like to see here? 11:45 – What do councillors think of the potential sale of parts of REAL District to Brandt? Clark Bezo, Regina city councillor, joins the show to share his thoughts ahead of the city’s Executive Committee on April 29 and city council on May 6. LQ: Would you accept this deal if it meant lower taxes or less city debt? 12:00 – Evan revisits his conversation with Dave Levinthal, a Washington, D.C. based investigative journalist and senior editor at NOTUS.

Proposed changes to Saskatchewan’s liquor laws could significantly impact the service industry in the province. Hospitality Saskatchewan, an association representing hotels, restaurants and bars across the province, is lobbying the government to change its liquor laws in order to allow employees aged 14 and older to handle alcohol. Read more:

• Provinces on track to allow cross-border alcohol sales by next month, Ottawa says
• Poll suggests Canadians want Carney government focused on affordability in next year
• Lawyer questions mandatory alcohol screening in Saskatoon

Currently, any employee under the age of 19 is considered a minor and cannot be involved in the sale, handling or serving of alcohol on any premises where a liquor permit has been issued. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority’s policies allow minors to be employed in certain permitted establishments, but they cannot participate in the sale or service of alcohol. Jim Bence, the president and CEO of Hospitality Saskatchewan, said the current laws are creating issues around hiring and strengthening the sector’s worforce. “What it’s done for some operators is that they either have to have two people on, which is difficult to find, or have somebody of age,” Bence said. “What we’re asking for is the ability for a 14 year old to be able to clear a table that has drinks on it and also to deliver drinks.” While the change may not have a huge impact in cities like Saskatoon and Regina, which have larger labour pools for businesses to draw from, Bence said it could make a big difference for business owners in smaller communities. “For my operators that are in rural and remote secondary markets, the available labour pool is extremely shallow,” Bence said. “What we’ve been advocating for is that operator would be able to hire a 14, 15, 16 and 17 year old to be able to come in over a lunch rush, maybe a dinner rush, just to be that extra set of hands,” he said. Bence said the food and beverage industry is currently going through a tough time, with rising costs eating away at profits. “I don’t think that we’ve seen this kind of pressure before, including COVID. This might arguably be even harder,” he said. “The margins are just so razor thin in the food and beverage industry. It’s really difficult, because there’s only so much you can pass on to the consumer before they’re like, ‘No, I’m good.’” Bence said restaurant and bar owners are stuck making difficult decisions. “There’s a real balancing act for operators and how much they can absorb without passing it too much along to the consumer,” he said. When it comes to changes to the liquor laws, Bence said nothing is set in stone just yet, and a lot more discussions still need to happen ahead of any changes. “We’re having the right conversations at the right table with folks that want to problem solve, and fortunately the SLGA has been a great partner in this by being able to have the conversation,” Bence explained. “Even this recommendation in itself though, it’s got a lot of moving parts. There is three ministries that would have to be involved, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t continue to ask the question.” Bence said the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety and the Ministry of Justice will all need to be involved in the discussions before any chances could be made.

Seeding season is underway across parts of Saskatchewan, but for farmers in the drought-stricken southwest, optimism in short supply. After a winter that brought little moisture and a spring that has so far swung wildly between warm temperatures and sudden snowstorms, producers are finally getting equipment into the fields. But many farmers say conditions are far from ideal, and what happens next could determine whether or not they’re able to stay afloat. Read more:

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• Cathedral residents in Regina push vision for Holy Rosary Park

“We’ve got decent top moisture, I would say, for seeding conditions at this point in time, but we don’t have an abundance of subsoil moisture,” said Quinton Jacksteit, the reeve of the RM of Big Stick. “We’re going to need some good summer moisture for this to be a successful year.” Jacksteit said while recent snow has helped bring moisture levels up slightly, it hasn’t been enough to make up for years of dry conditions below the surface. “It really wasn’t that significant. We didn’t have an abundance of moisture,” he said. Jacksteit said the conditions heading into this year’s growing season look very similar to last year, which is raising concerns for many farmers in the region. He said winter crops came in well last year, but there wasn’t enough moisture to keep them growing in the spring. “About a month and a half into the growing season, they were writing our winter crops off already,” Jacksteit explained. He said the uncertainty producers are experiencing is being compounded by ongoing financial pressure, which has only worsened after nearly a decade of drought. “Now if you’re in crop insurance, you’re taking a loss on your farm, and it’s pretty hard to avoid that,” he said. “Our average yields have continued to drop, and grain prices are down too, so your coverage is less but your costs are still there.” He said current support programs aren’t built to handle so many bad years. “In our situation, where you’ve had like nine bad years, AgriStability don’t work,” Jacksteit said. “We’re dependent on crop insurance, and it’s just simply not enough to keep farmers out of financial difficulty.” The long-term impact is already being felt across the region. Jacksteit said some producers are choosing to step away from farming altogether, opting to rent out their land rather than continue operating at a loss. “There’s been land for sale, but you’re not seeing young farmers in our area being able to buy this land when it comes available,” Jacksteit said. “That’s how a family farm continues, and that’s how they’re lost.” He added that rising equipment costs and market uncertainty are also making it harder for producers to plan for the future. “On the farm, no matter what we do, everybody’s telling us what it’s going to cost,” Jacksteit said. “And when we go to sell our product, they’re telling us what we’re going to get as well, so we’ve got no control over anything in the market.” Despite the challenges, Jacksteit said farmers in his area are moving ahead with seeding, hoping for a turnaround after years of difficult conditions. “We’re going to fight through it for another year, and we’re going to hope for the best, like we do every year,” Jacksteit said. “But you can only take so much, and then there’s just nothing left at the end of the day.” As planting continues, producers say the success of this season and the future of many farms now depends on how much rain arrives in the months ahead.

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. Read More

Off The Top Rope, Blu Beach Band and Brothers G Bring Down Our Collective Cortisol

OTTAWA — A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians are giving Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government a passing grade in its first year of international relations, but it has failed to meet expectations on affordability issues. The poll asked 2,013 Canadians a series of questions about the government’s performance since it won the election on April 28, 2025. Read more:

• Landowners push for safeguards around proposed data centre near Regina
• Actions of ex-Mountie charged under security law affront Canadian sovereignty: Crown
• Trump unharmed, suspect in custody after shooting at White House correspondents’ dinner

Last spring’s election campaign was dominated by the trade war with the U.S. and centred on who was best positioned to handle the relationship with the mercurial President Donald Trump and the economic turbulence of his tariffs. Carney has continued to lead in national polls all year as the leader Canadians consider to be most capable of managing that relationship heading into the July review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. A year later, just 31 per cent of those polled said they think the Canada-U.S. relationship will be the top concern for the government in the next year. The No. 1 priority for 52 per cent of respondents was reducing the cost of living. Seventy per cent of those polled said they feel the government has fallen short of expectations when it comes to addressing the high cost of living and 67 per cent felt the Liberals missed the mark on improving housing affordability. The Liberals pledged to create the “most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War” in the last election, which they said would double the rate of residential construction over the next decade. The annual rate of housing starts decreased six per cent last month, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. A majority — 59 per cent — of those polled felt the Liberals met or exceeded expectations on defence spending and meeting its NATO commitments. Canada has finally met the NATO alliance pledge to spend the equivalent of two per cent of GDP on defence this year. The picture was brighter, however, when it comes to the government’s performance internationally. A majority of people who took part in the poll — 56 per cent — said they felt Carney was meeting or beating expectations at managing the relationship with Trump. Sixty-four per cent said the Liberals met or exceeded expectations in improving Canada’s international reputation, and 57 per cent said expectations were met or exceeded when it comes to diversifying trade. That’s been a major focus for the prime minister since he took office. The Liberals have set out to double non-U. S. exports over the next decade and have boasted about signing 20 strategic trade and defence agreements around the world in the last year. Carney has travelled to 25 countries during 17 international trips that date back to March 2025. Those high-profile trips have included stops in China and India, countries with whom Canada has had strained relations in recent years. Carney’s travel has also drawn criticism from the opposition. The poll respondents had mixed reviews for whether the government is meeting its election promises: 41 per cent said it had, while another 41 per cent said it had not. Among Liberal voters, just 12 per cent said Carney has exceeded expectations in the first year. And 42 per cent said they feel the country is on the wrong track, compared to 34 per cent who said it’s on the right track. Conservative voters felt most strongly that the country is headed in the wrong direction, at 75 per cent, and that the government is falling short of expectations on addressing cost-of-living challenges, at 86 per cent. Carney’s own ratings continue to be high, with 58 per cent of respondents saying they approve of his performance as prime minister. Angus Reid notes that number is higher than past prime ministers Stephen Harper, Paul Martin and Brian Mulroney at the one-year mark, and lower than Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau. The poll was conducted between April 15 and 20. The Canadian Research Insights Council, an industry organization that promotes polling standards, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press