Regina News

MONTREAL — Thousands of protesters are expected at Montreal's Bell Centre today to demand the suspension of a new law that changes how doctors in the province are paid. Organized by four medical federations, the demonstration targets a bill that Premier François Legault forced through the national assembly late last month. Known as Bill 2, it ties part of physicians' remuneration to performance targets and threatens steep fines for those who use pressure tactics to boycott the changes. Doctors argue it muzzles them and could drive physicians out of Quebec, with medical associations opting to challenge it in court. In response to the discontent, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Tuesday he was suspending a pair of provisions in the bill. The protest is slated to kick off downtown at 2 p.m., following up on a protest in Quebec City last weekend. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. The Canadian Press

For the third time in Canada West history, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and University of Regina Rams lined up against each other in the Hardy Cup Final at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon on Saturday. The all Saskatchewan matchup was bound to be an instant classic looked back on for generations and the 88th Biosteel Hardy Cup did not disappoint, with the Huskies winning winning 25-24 after last taking the championship when they beat UBC Thunderbirds 23-8 in 2022. The Rams were looking to repeat as Canada West Champions after they beat the Huskies 19-14 in 2024. Read more:

• ‘The play you dream about’: Tommy Nield’s late touchdown sends Riders to Grey Cup
• Cyclones roll past Wildcats 51-8 to win 5A provincial football title
• Saskatoon Holy Cross beat Regina Miller 21-16 in 6A football final

The first quarter was a defensive clinic, with a Lukas Scott 31 yard field goal giving the Huskies an early 3-0 lead. Scott also started off the second quarter the same way before Rams quarterback Owen Sieben found the end zone twice and a filed goal from Ty Gorniak brought the score to 17-6. The Huskies managed one more field goal, making it 17-9 at halftime. The Huskies offence wasn’t able to get anything cooking in third quarter either, and an errant snap recovered by Rams linebacker Brandon Wong gave the Rams a 24-9 lead going into the fourth. The momentum shifted after Huskies quarterback Jake Farrell found receiver Liam Piccinin to make it 24-16, and a Rams fumble on a Huskies punt led to Farrell airing one out to receiver Mason Grabowski, bringing the score to 24-22 after a failed two-point conversion. With 25 seconds left in the game Scott hit his fourth field goal for the 25-24 final score, completing the comeback. “(We) got super close (and) I just knew I got to hit this one for the boys,” said Scott. “Earlier this year I ended up missing a game winner and I was just thinking back to that and I really wanted to be able to lift up the boys, and that’s exactly what I did.” “I believe in the kid,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory.  “We knew with the game on the line we were going to go to him and just knew he could make the play.” Rams head coach Mark McConkey said the loss will sting for a bit. “There’s nothing I can say to them that would cheer them up,” he said. “It’s a gut-wrenching loss — there’s two good teams, there’s a good football game (and) unfortunately they just made more plays than we did near the stretch.” McConkey said despite the result a new standard has been set for the Rams organization. “The foundation is being built and this is a program that wants to be in this game every single year,” he said. “That’s the goal. We just got to keep moving forward.” Flory said he’s really proud of his group for what they overcame in the game. “(They’re) a resilient group, I’ve been saying that all year,” he said. “We made it hard on ourselves with a few turnovers, a couple of missed plays here and there, but at the end of the day you got to make the plays when the plays are needed.” He said it’s important that the team enjoys and embraces the moment. “We’re one of four teams that still gets to play football in this country, so that’s pretty cool.” The Huskies will now host Queen’s University in the Mitchell Bowl on Nov. 15 at 2:15 p.m. — with files from CKOM News Read more:

• ‘The play you dream about’: Tommy Nield’s late touchdown sends Riders to Grey Cup
• Cyclones roll past Wildcats 51-8 to win 5A provincial football title
• Saskatoon Holy Cross beat Regina Miller 21-16 in 6A football final

This year, Regina Police Service say about $10 million has been lost to financial crimes, including fraud, counterfeit and identity theft incidents, which are up 78 per cent from the same period from the previous year. Currently, investigators are managing more than 100 active fraud investigations, police said in a statement issued on Nov. 6. Read more: 

• Scams and digital fraud on the rise in Saskatchewan
• Financial fraud takes $5.3M from northern communities in 4 months: RCMP
• Artificial intelligence scams getting harder to detect, says expert

On July 7, police received a report of an internal fraud incident involving a female employee at a local business who had withdrawn significant amounts of money from company accounts, and misappropriated a total of $248,000. On Oct. 16, a 36 year-old woman was charged with theft and fraud. Investigators are working on dozens of other cases affecting both individuals and businesses in Regina. One local company involved a former employee who was accessed business funds, obtaining over $200,000 for personal gain. Another business lost more than $290,000 after a former employee issued and cashed unauthorized corporate cheques. “RPS investigators also uncovered suspected money laundering activity connected to a local automotive business, where proceeds from drug trafficking were believed to have been moved through vehicle sales,” said police in a statement. Police said in one case, “a resident discovered his bank account had been compromised after identification was stolen from his vehicle, resulting in several months of unauthorized transactions that went without notice,” said police. Another investigation involved a suspect using fake ID to cash counterfeit cheques at different business locations. Police noted Regina residents are still, nearly daily, falling victim to online and telephone scams or reporting the suspicious activity. The Regina Police Service reminds the public and business community to be wary against fraud attempts and to protect their financial information:

• Make sure the requests for payment or personal information is from a legitimate business or individual.
• Regularly check accounts for unauthorized transactions.
• Immediately report suspected fraud to police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre collects information on fraud and identity theft and provides  information on past and current scams affecting Canadians. As of June 30, 2025 it had recorded 17,094 fraud victims across the country with reported losses of $342 million. Fraud reports can be made online here. Read more: 

• Scams and digital fraud on the rise in Saskatchewan
• Financial fraud takes $5.3M from northern communities in 4 months: RCMP
• Artificial intelligence scams getting harder to detect, says expert

According to the City of Saskatoon’s 2025 civic services surveys, residents appreciate the quality of life their city offers, from neighbourhood parks to reliable services. The survey showed that most residents still feel positive about life in their city, while also identifying a few key areas for improvement. Read more: 

• Saskatoon councilors consider options for dedicated police transit officers
• City council approves building purchase for permanent winter warming space
• Deferral of Saskatoon’s downtown arena deal ‘could mean a better contract’

The city’s governance and priorities committee will receive a report detailing the survey’s findings at its Nov. 12 meeting. “The surveys continue to confirm that residents value the services the City provides and feel a strong connection to their community,” Carla Blumers, Saskatoon’s director of communications and public engagement, said in a statement. “At the same time, the results highlight areas where residents want to see more action, particularly around housing, homelessness and public safety.” According to the city, 82 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with life in Saskatoon, which was consistent with survey results from 2024. “Nearly seven in 10 rate the city’s quality of life as good or very good, and more than half say things have improved or stayed the same over the past three years,” the city said in a statement. In the survey, respondents cited homelessness, crime and housing as priority areas that need improvement. Homelessness was the top concern for 35 per cent of respondents, followed by crime and public safety at 21 per cent and housing at 11 per cent. Eighty per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the quality of services the city provides, an increase of five per cent over 2024’s survey results. “And 79 per cent say they receive good or very good value from the services provided,” noted the city. Residents indicated the top-rated city services included drinking water quality, fire protection, electrical reliability, water main repairs and garbage collection. Top priority areas that need improvement include policing, snow and ice road maintenance and traffic management. In last year’s survey, only police services were highlighted as a key area for improvement. “The 2025 results provide a strong foundation for future planning,” Blumers said. “The City will use this feedback to inform decisions on strategic priorities, budgeting and service delivery, and to identify opportunities for continuous improvement,” the city noted. Read more: 

• Saskatoon councilors consider options for dedicated police transit officers
• City council approves building purchase for permanent winter warming space
• Deferral of Saskatoon’s downtown arena deal ‘could mean a better contract’

TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week: Champagne in Calgary Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will be at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Monday to pitch the Liberal government's budget. The minister's plan includes almost $90 billion in net new spending items over five years. Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada will release Wednesday its summary of deliberations for its decision to cut its policy interest rate last month to 2.25 per cent. The report is expected to offer some insight into the discussions the central bank had before making its rate cut. The Bank of Canada has one more scheduled rate announcement before the end of the year. Loblaw results Grocery and drugstore retailer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. will release its third-quarter results and hold a conference call with financial analysts on Wednesday morning. The results come as shoppers continue to navigate food inflation. Linamar earnings Auto parts company Linamar Corp. will release its third-quarter results and hold a conference call with financial analysts on Wednesday after the close of trading. The company announced a deal last month to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint with an agreement to buy select North American assets of Aludyne Inc. Economic data Statistics Canada will release a pair of reports looking at how the economy fared at the end of the third quarter. The agency is set to publish its monthly survey of manufacturing and wholesale trade reading for September on Friday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:LNR) The Canadian Press

Christopher Best told his family not to worry about the pictures of polar bears he was snapping and posting on social media as he worked at a radar site in Nunavut. "Chris said, 'Well, yeah, they're not close to us,'" his mother, Shelly Cox, said he told his stepfather on a call shortly before he was killed by a bear on Aug. 8, 2024. "'God, Dad,' he said, 'You know, I know difference, right?'" A report into Best's death by Nasittuq Corporation, the company that operates North Warning System' sites stretching from Yukon to eastern Labrador, says the 34-year-old went outside with his camera at the remote installation on Brevoort Island. He had been told a bear was nearby, says the report. Best went out a door with a large sign warning of polar bears and rounded the corner of a building, thinking the animal was off in the distance. But Best didn't appear to know there was a second bear. The report says surveillance video shows that bear cut off a route for Best to run to a building for safety and charged. The first bear then joined the attack. "I don't think he would have went out if he would have known that second bear was there," Cox said in an interview from her home in Goose Bay, N.L. She said the tragedy could have been prevented and that changes are needed, such as fences and motion-sensor monitors with alarms, to make radar sites safer. The report says there had previously been no known fatalities or injuries from a bear attack during operation of the North Warning System or its predecessor, the DEW Line, for seven decades. Best grew up in Labrador, said Cox. He liked reading and photography, and had worked a variety of jobs, from cleaning barbecues in Toronto to working as an assistant on the reality TV show "Alone." He also had earlier stints as a custodian and a general labourer on North Warning System sites. She said he was good with computers and was hired by the company again to do logistics work. Due to the sensitive nature of the radar sites, she said, he was waiting for security clearance before he could begin that job and agreed to something else in the interim — fuel tank cleaning. Best and other members of a tank cleaning crew arrived at the site the day before the attack. The report says they spotted a bear and took photos from the safety of a vehicle, which Best posted online. Best asked a wildlife monitor at the site to let him know when bears were around so he could take more pictures, says the report. That employee saw Best at the end of the work shift on Aug. 8 and told him a bear was outside. Some radar sites are inland and rarely experience bears, the report says, including ones where Best previously worked. It also wasn't uncommon for workers to take hikes after-hours at those sites. The Brevoort site was different, however. A problem bear was killed there in 2023, after it repeatedly tried to enter buildings and couldn't be deterred. Due to the bear risk, workers at Brevoort were allowed to smoke inside the technical services building near an exhaust fan. One worker there looked out a garage door window and saw the bears attacking Best and yelled for a gun. There wasn't a gun, so he ran to the accommodations building and alerted the wildlife monitor, who went and fired a non-lethal bear-banger from a 12-guage shotgun. The report says both bears ran but one turned back and charged, forcing the monitor to fatally shoot it. Another employee arrived with a weapon and kept watch while others loaded Best into a truck and brought his body inside. An RCMP officer delivered the news to Cox at her home early the next morning. "We were just in shock," Cox said. "I stayed up all night, too, just waiting for someone to get up so I could tell my family." The report makes several proposals to improve its safety policies, including requiring any worker going outside after-hours to get permission from a manager or supervisor. It also says public address system announcements should be made when bears are known to be outside. Best underwent training for polar bear awareness, the report says, but some documentation for course completion was missing. It also proposes fencing be erected at some areas in the camp. The report notes a substance believed to be from a grease trap was found in snow near the attack but it probably had no more effect in attracting bears than smells from the facility's kitchen. Employment and Social Development Canada says its report on the death is not yet complete. In an email, it says that under the Canada Labour Code, federally regulated employers must protect the health and safety of employees and fines can be imposed for infractions. Nasittuq said in a statement it wasn't able to comment since the federal government report isn't finished. "We care deeply for the safety and well-being of all our employees and feel for everyone who continues to be affected by this tragic incident," it said. Best's camera, along with the SD card containing his photos, were eventually sent to his mother along with the rest of his belongings. Cox said she's still trying to get all the details she can. "I don't care. I want to know everything. That's just the person I am. I'm not letting it go." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press

Canadian climate negotiators are headed to Brazil for the next two weeks as leaders gather for annual United Nations climate talks. The talks come as Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose credentials as an international climate advocate helped win him support in this year's election, comes under increasing scrutiny for his reversal of some key Trudeau-era climate policies — and his government's perceived softening on the oil and gas sector, the biggest source of Canada's emissions. One focus is expected to be on how the world will adapt to climate change risks — and how countries will pay for those mitigation efforts. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement, and leaders will face questions about whether the deal is working and if countries are pulling back from their climate commitments, says Catherine Abreu, a leading Canadian climate policy expert. But she is optimistic: "I think we'll see strong political signals coming out of (the conference) that the vast majority of the world is definitely still committed to this process," Abreu, a member of an independent group of federal climate advisors, said ahead of the meetings. Here's what else you need to know. What is COP30? The summit's name stands for the 30th Conference of the Parties who signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year, Brazil will host the summit in Belém, a city known as a gateway to the Amazon River. That location is a stark reminder of what's at stake if emissions aren't kept in check, as climate change and deforestation fuel the rainforest's transformation into a drier, fire-prone savanna. Unlike the summit 10 years ago in Paris, the host Brazil has indicated this COP is focused on following through on existing deals, rather than advancing new rulemaking. What will be discussed? A key focus will be on adaptation — how to make countries more resilient to increased climate risks, from rising sea levels to extreme heat. Negotiators are set to finalize a list of about 100 indicators used to track global progress, such as how many people have access to reliable drinking water capable of withstanding climate-fuelled drought. There is still debate over how to track the money developing countries say they need to turn adaptation goals into reality. Parties are looking at indicators that could include measuring what portion of all adaptation funding is flowing to local governments, small island nations or Indigenous Peoples, reflecting a broader goal to promote equity and justice in how money to fight climate change is distributed. Negotiations will look to advance a major outcome of last year's talks: the pledge to mobilize at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate finance. There will also be discussions about the agreement two years ago to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and transition away from fossil fuels, the major driver of human-caused climate change. More than half of the countries attending the talks have yet to submit updated national climate plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions. Those plans, due earlier this year, represent each country's contribution to the climate change fight and are intended to be strengthened every five years in an escalating cycle of ambition. Abreu said she expects to see a push at the talks for leaders to explain how "countries will fill that gap." What is Canada's role? Federal officials say Canada will continue to play a bridge-builder role to help countries reach a consensus on some of the summit's key issues. The officials, who briefed reporters ahead of the talks, say Canada will support calls to scale up climate finance and keep global warming targets within reach. But climate observers say Canada's support for oil and gas expansion, as well as its silence on whether it will meet its 2030 and 2035 emissions targets, could be among issues undermining its position. Advocates pointed to the latest federal budget, which offered no details on how the industrial carbon price would be strengthened, talked of potentially setting aside an oil and gas industry emissions cap and also opened the door to the Canada Infrastructure Bank supporting projects in that sector, rather than limiting its work to sustainability-linked projects. "There's just no way that we can make those commitments given the current ways in which the government is pushing for oil and gas industry in Canada," said Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, president of nonprofit Indigenous Climate Action and a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Deranger said Canada has over the past decade been receptive to Indigenous proposals at the UN climate summit, especially around increased funding for adaptation and climate finance. Yet "when it comes to implementation at home, it's falling flat," she said. Who will be there? Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin will lead Canada's delegation for the first week of the conference. Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former UN special envoy on climate finance and veteran of the summit, is not expected to attend as his government faces confidence votes on the budget. There has been reduced participation in pre-summit events, taken by some as a sign of a dwindling global focus on climate change. A meeting of heads of state earlier this week saw about half the attendance that last year's summit had, with notable absences from the leaders of the planet's three biggest polluters: China, the United States and India. This summit will also take place in the shadow of the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris Agreement for a second time under President Donald Trump. Abreu said it may be for the best. "I think that that might actually result in the rest of the world being able to come up with some solutions together without that obstructionist presence," she said. Does the Paris Agreement still matter? A decade ago, world leaders adopted a deal in Paris to limit global warming to two degrees and aim for 1.5 C above pre-industrial times, while charting a course for the future of climate diplomacy. Catherine McKenna, who helped negotiate the deal as Canada's then-environment minister, said the deal has been "foundational." Before Paris, there was no clear global temperature target and no framework for how each country could do their part. In 2015, the planet was on track to warm by about 3.5 C by the end of the century, the UN says. Now, if countries live up to their climate plans, that could be closer to 2.5 C. While that is an improvement, experts say that level of warming would still make heat waves unbearable in some areas, threaten coastal countries with sea-level rise and lead to major biodiversity losses, among a range of other issues. "That's not where we need to be," said McKenna. "But (the Paris Agreement) was critically important. Without that, we wouldn't have this framework, we wouldn't have ways to evaluate integrity, we wouldn't have targets." The agreement's legacy is also showing up in the uptake of renewable energy, Abreu said. This year, investments in clean energy are expected to double the money put into fossil fuels. Fossil fuels continue to dominate the global energy mix at about 60 per cent, but for the first time, renewable and nuclear energy sources covered two-fifths of total annual power generation in 2024, the International Energy Agency said. What's important now is to see renewables scale up even quicker to push out fossil fuels, she said. "We really need to reach a turning point on that." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. — With files from The Associated Press Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — The historic village of Calixa-Lavallée is named after the man who composed the Canadian national anthem, so perhaps it's no surprise its residents take their civic duty seriously. While nearby Montreal reported a voter turnout of 37 per cent in Sunday's municipal elections, more than 78 per cent of the registered voters in the off-island, 500-person South Shore suburb showed up to cast a ballot. "Citizen participation here is always very strong, and this year was especially remarkable," said Pénélope Larose, the town's general manager. "We're a small municipality, so people know each other, they take an interest in what is happening, and they get actively involved in community life." Data released by Quebec's Municipal Affairs Department shows that voter turnout across the province was up, to 41.3 per cent compared to 38.7 per cent in 2021. But more than two dozen towns far surpassed the average, reporting voter turnout of over 70 per cent, according to Elections Canada data. About a half a dozen towns surpassed 80 per cent. Representatives from the high-voting municipalities -- most of them small towns of less than 1,000 people -- attribute their success to their close-knit nature, the effort made by candidates, and to competitive races after years of candidates running unopposed. Calixa-Lavallée is one of those places. Larose says these were the "biggest elections in 20 years," with races for mayor and all six council spots. In 2021, all the candidates were elected by acclamation. "We saw a real surge of enthusiasm with several opinions and different visions that were expressed," she said. It's a similar story in Lac-Édouard, in the Mauricie region, where just over 80 per cent of voters showed up to cast a ballot for one of the two candidates vying to replace the outgoing mayor of 20 years. That mayor, Larry Bernier, said he'd been elected by acclamation for each of his five terms. He thinks the high voter turnout is due partly to the small size of the town -- around 200 residents -- but also the chance to vote for new faces. "I thought I could maybe make some room for others," said Bernier. The almost 80-year-old describes his successor as a dynamic "young lady" in her 50's. "It's a good thing that there were two candidates instead of just one, because that's democracy," he said in a phone interview. Thierry Giasson, a political science professor at Université Laval, says a number of different factors can affect voter turnout, including the perceived competitiveness of the race. The data from the province shows that towns with 2,000 citizens or less vote in higher percentages than their big-city counterparts, which Giasson said might be due in part to greater social pressure. "When we're in a small municipality, you know your neighbours, everyone knows everything about everyone, and the electoral officers are our neighbours, brothers- or sisters-in-law, father, mother ... in short, everyone knows who will vote and who won't," he said. However, he noted that some small towns have low turnout as well -- possibly due to the high number of part-time residents with primary homes in other cities. Of Quebec's five biggest cities, only Quebec City managed to surpass a 50 per cent turnout rate. On the other hand, residents of many Quebec small towns didn't get a chance to vote at all. Just over half of municipal candidates in the province ran unopposed, and more than 4,500 candidates, including 564 mayors, were elected via acclamation. Bernier, the outgoing Lac-Édouard mayor, said the job has become increasingly complex, expanding from simple service delivery to include tourism and economic and social development. All that, he said, for a salary that is often around $10,000 or $12,000 a year, which he says would have worked out to about $3 an hour in his case. Bernier chose instead to decline the "ridiculous" salary. In the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean town of Desbiens, the city's president of elections credits the candidates themselves for a "historic" voter turnout of 72.38 per cent. "They did a lot of door-to-door canvassing during election days. They made phone calls to encourage people to vote," Isabelle Leduc said in an interview. "They really did a great job campaigning and were very present in the field, compared to other years or other towns." She also credits a strong get-out-the-vote effort from the town, a population desiring change, and the implementation for the first time of mobile voting, which may have boosted participation from residents of a seniors home. Like some of the other towns, she said Desbiens also benefited from having a number of competitive races, after previous elections failed to draw more than one candidate for most posts. "I believe this was historic," she said. "We're celebrating our 100 years next year, and these will have been historic elections." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Seven weeks ago, Prime Minister Mark Carney assigned former cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland to be Canada's new special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Canadians haven't heard much about the job since, and nothing at all about how Ukraine can be rebuilt while Russia continues its wide-scale bombing of critical infrastructure. But experts say Canada has a major opportunity now to help preserve Ukraine's sovereignty and international law — and to turn a profit in multiple sectors. Here's what we know. What is Freeland's job? It's not clear. The former journalist has not been interviewed by a Canadian news outlet since her appointment, despite multiple requests from The Canadian Press. A September cabinet order establishing Freeland's new role says she is serving as a parliamentary secretary to Carney for a term of 12 months. Alexandre Lévêque, an assistant deputy minister at Global Affairs Canada, told the Senate foreign affairs committee on Oct. 22 that the job comes with a single staff member and support from his team at Global Affairs and the Privy Council. "Madame Freeland, I think, is developing the role, as she's beginning her functions in it," he said. "I think essentially, her role will be to detect opportunities — so bringing … the Canadian private sector, finding investors, finding potential Canadian expertise, particularly in things like infrastructure development (and the) mining industry." In a Nov. 5 response to a parliamentary request for information from Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, the Privy Council Office said the envoy role comes with the $20,000 salary bump all parliamentary secretaries receive. It said “certain expenses" incurred by Freeland, "such as travel, could be paid by the Privy Council Office.” Genuis asked if the job came with any set of goals. The PCO did not offer any but said Freeland will advise the government on both economic reconstruction and Canada's efforts to bring home thousands of abducted Ukrainian children taken into Russia over the course of the war. The PCO also said Freeland would receive no “administrative support," despite Lévêque testifying otherwise. In a recent piece she wrote for The Financial Times, Freeland argued Ukraine can win against Russia if it's sufficiently financed by western countries. She called Ukraine an "innovation nation," citing its remarkable success with a decentralized approach to building drones. In a statement, Freeland's office said she visited Kyiv in September and "the Ukrainian government has since invited Ms. Freeland on an official visit to Ukraine later this year to talk about how Canada can best support Ukraine’s reconstruction." How can you rebuild a country still at war? Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada Andrii Plakhotniuk said even with the war going on, his country still manages to export products while building out an arms industry that has been forced to produce rapidly and adapt to new technology on the fly. Plakhotniuk told the Senate committee that Canada already has preferred trade access in Ukraine through its recently updated trade agreement and the goodwill that comes with being a major financial donor. "Ukraine is ready to develop joint production of defence matériel with our partners, including Canada," he testified. While Plakhotniuk did not get into specifics, other countries are showing how such a partnership could work. France's defence ministry is in talks with carmaker Renault about building drones partly or entirely in Ukraine — a partnership that would bring government financing to both Ukrainian and French businesses. "Certainly, we understand the current risk of doing business in Ukraine. My message to all our friends in Canada here is we should use each and every opportunity to start business in Ukraine," Plakhotniuk said, adding that this effort could start with projects in neighbouring countries. "My major message is not to wait (until) we have postwar reconstruction efforts. We need your presence now. We need your good advice, and we need capacity-building and many other things." How keen are Canadian companies? Lévêque testified that a small team of Canadian public servants stationed in Kyiv, and some trade officials in Poland, are working to find economic opportunities for Canadian firms in Ukraine. He conceded they've seen limited progress. "Given the risk that exists, both to their physical safety and to their investments, a lot of these business arrangements are outside the country," he said in French. "The fact is that the appetite of Canadian companies to do business in Ukraine remains relatively limited at this time." Still, he said, the government sends representatives to various "reconstruction fairs" that bring businesses and governments together to discuss projects to further Ukraine's recovery. "We also send our ministers and trade commissioners, as well as Crown corporations such as Export Development Canada and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, which are there to facilitate this type of trade, especially when it comes to investments in the military sector or between governments," he testified in French. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Sarah Turnbull isn't just a city councillor, but also a mother, and she's looking to make a change when it comes to accessible parks in Regina.

The start wasn’t much to write home about but Saturday’s West final between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions had more drama in the fourth quarter to make up for it. Read More

Touchdown Tommy Nield is going to the Grey Cup again -- and this time he's taking the Saskatchewan Roughriders with him.

In part four of our “Meet the Professors” series Dr. Afolabi shares the importance of being bilingual University of Regina’s (UofR) very own La Cité universitaire francophone plays a crucial role in the cultural and professional development of the Fransaskois community by offering credit and non-credit courses. Their official website mentions that La Cité francophone dates back almost a century. It started in 1918 when French-language university education was introduced in Gravelbourg under a partnership between Collège Mathieu and the University of Ottawa.  Collège Mathieu, located in Gravelbourg in southern Saskatchewan, began offering a classics program in French. It was […] The post Dr. Segun Afolabi at La Cité urges students to not be content with mediocrity first appeared on The Carillon.

Tommy Nield's three-yard touchdown reception with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter lifted the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 24-21 victory over the B.C. Lions in the West Division final Saturday, sending the Riders to the Grey Cup.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have advanced to the Grey Cup game for the first time since 2013. Read More

It wasn’t easy, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders are off to the Grey Cup. Quarterback Trevor Harris led a game-winning touchdown drive to propel the Riders to a 24-21 win over the visiting B.C. Lions. Harris connected with Tommy Nield for a three-yard touchdown with just :11 seconds to take the lead. It was a seven-play, 76-yard drive. Harris finished with 305 yards and two touchdowns. The Riders will take on the Montreal Alouettes in the 2025 Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Nov. 16. More to come…

The Moose Jaw Central Collegiate Cyclones dominantly capped their season Saturday, defeating the F.W. Johnson Wildcats 51–8 in the 5A provincial football championship at a snowy Gutheridge Field. The Cyclones stormed out to a 30–0 lead after the first quarter, added to it in the third, and never let up on their way to the provincial crown. Read more:

• Saskatoon Holy Cross beat Regina Miller 21-16 in 6A football final
• Hockey Canada unveils jerseys for 2026 Olympic Winter Games

Moose Jaw struck early with one rushing touchdown, two passing touchdowns, a defensive fumble return, and a field goal in the opening quarter. Both teams went scoreless in the second before the Cyclones broke things open again in the third with three more passing touchdowns to go up 51–0. Regina avoided the shutout in the final quarter, scoring on a rushing touchdown to make it 51–8 by the final whistle. After the game, Cyclones players celebrated by diving into the snow drifts while fans cheered from the sidelines. The victory capped a perfect postseason for Central, which earned the right to host the final after edging Prince Albert Carlton 31–24 in the semifinals. For the Wildcats, the loss ended an otherwise undefeated run that included a 44–3 city championship win over Thom Collegiate. With Saturday’s win, the Cyclones claimed provincial supremacy and closed out their season with a dominant home-field performance. Read more:

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By Susan McNeil The Métis grandfather of a Prince Albert man hated Nazism so fiercely that he not only signed up to fight in the Second World War, he also fought the government for the right to join in the first place. Jim Brady was initially denied entry into the Armed Forces because he was considered a communist, but after persisting he was accepted in June 1943. Read more:

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John Brady McDonald, Jim’s grandson, never met his grandfather but has spent a lot of time learning about him. “He wanted to fight because he was such a strident and strong anti-fascist. He despised Nazism. He despised Hitler,” said McDonald. “He knew from what he could see the horrors that fascism was bringing to Europe.” “They actually refused to let him serve, and he had to fight to get in to fight.” Jim Brady. (Glenbow Archives/Submitted to PANow) Brady enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery and saw action in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He was also in Germany before returning to Canada the year after the war ended. He was not just a fighter in a global conflict, though he became a well-known figure to Métis people in Saskatchewan and Alberta for leading the groups into some uncharted waters. Brady was a founding member of both the Métis Nation of Alberta and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. He grew up in Alberta but moved to northern Saskatchewan after his military service ended. That’s why his family went through the effort of having a headstone cenotaph installed at Batoche, 50 km south of Prince Albert — now a national historic site, but home to Saskatchewan’s Métis people since 1884. “My grandfather Jim Brady is one of the most well-known, greatest and is considered one of the greatest Métis leaders in Canadian history,” McDonald explained. Brady kept a diary of his military service in Europe, which now sits at the Glenbow Museum and Archive in Calgary, and is still studied by military historians to this day. He spent his working career as a conservation officer for the Department of Natural Resources. He lived in Deschambault Lake, Cumberland House and La Ronge. Brady’s body isn’t under the cenotaph nor is it in a graveyard. It’s believed to be at the bottom of Lower Foster Lake, further north, after he went missing in June 1967, along with Absolum Halkett from La Ronge. The circumstances were mysterious, according to his grandson and the Canadian Encyclopedia, which has a lengthy article on his life. An extensive search of the lake did not result in any success. The men were gone, but their camp remained at the shore along with their canoes in the water. If and when his body is recovered, his family plans to lay him to rest in Batoche. “There were many options open for us to have a memorial headstone for him,” McDonald said. Brady made his mark across western Canada, but McDonald said one of his aunts summed it up best when she said he belongs at Batoche because he belongs to the Métis Nation. Service a family tradition Like many families, military service is not limited to one member. McDonald had two great uncles who were in the Second World War and fought at Vimy Ridge, one of whom died in the battle. His remains were never found and are still there. The other uncle was given a medal and later became one of the founding members of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). The Mistawasis Nêhiyawak community sent 18 of their young men off to war, including McDonald’s cousin Harvey Dreaver. Historians believe Dreaver was the first Indigenous soldier and a sergeant with the Regina Rifles to land on Juno Beach on D-Day. He was killed in action in October 1944 during the Battle of the Leopold Canal. Another great uncle fought in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in 1943 and was wounded. McDonald himself and his triplet daughters have all gone through the cadet program. One of those daughters is now one of the highest-ranked cadets in Canada, and another is in the Raven Program, ranked as a Seaman Third Class in the Royal Canadian Navy. “The work they do through the cadet program and through the Raven program is amazing, and I’m very, very proud of what they’ve done and what they’ve achieved.” McDonald’s step-grandfather from Muskoday Cree Nation was in the Royal Canadian Engineers, signing up as a 40-year-old and helping liberate a concentration camp after also being part of the Juno Beach landing. Canada will celebrate Remembrance Day on Nov. 11 and Indigenous Veterans Day today. Near Prince Albert, Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation held a ceremony that included a roll call, honour song, flag raising, wreath laying, a victory song and a Royal Canadian Air Force flyby. Read more:

• Quartet honours former pilot, musician with Remembrance Day tribute
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By Susan McNeil A Saskatchewan woman who has been a longtime advocate for Indigenous rights, mental health and trauma-informed care has won a prestigious award from the United Nations. Brenda Reynolds is one of two people to be given the Nelson Mandela Award, which is only handed out every five years to recipients who reflect the South African leader’s legacy. It is given to one man and one woman, but one of them must be from Africa. Read more:

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“I was just completely, completely honoured to be selected and, for a prize under his name. To be awarded it and being from a reserve in Saskatchewan, from Fishing Lake, is just absolutely unbelievable and extraordinary,” said Reynolds. She first became known for her advocacy in 1988, when she helped 17 teenage girls in the first residential school sexual abuse case in Saskatchewan at George Gordon First Nation. “Back in 1988, when I was first working with students at Gordon’s Indian Residential School when it was still open, there were 17 girls that disclosed to me and the RCMP constable that they were being sexually abused by a staff member,” Reynolds said. That led to the very first charge of abuse in a residential school in Saskatchewan, which in turn led to the largest class action lawsuit in Canada, the Indian Residential School Settlement, and that led to her being named a special advisor to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission where she helped shape survivor support and trauma responses. She has also developed a health support program from that experience, which provides culturally-grounded mental health care for residential school survivors and their families. It was the first of its kind in the world. Breaking new ground is still not in Reynolds’ past. She is the first Canadian and the first Indigenous person in the world to get the Mandela Award. “Brenda is the first Indigenous person to receive this award,” said Betty Nippi-Albright, a Saskatoon MLA and Saskatchewan NDP critic for mental health and addictions. She hosted a reception in Reynolds’ honour on Nov. 6 in Regina. “She is an inspiration to us all. I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say I can’t wait to see what Brenda does next,” said Nippi-Albright. The selection committee included Philemon Yang, President of the General Assembly, and representatives from Egypt, Finland, Poland, Bahrain and the permanent representative from South Africa, Mandela’s home country. “To be recognized for that was really, really amazing because I’ve always admired Nelson Mandela and the work it is that he has done in terms of peace and reconciliation. Not only that, but the way that he did it was just admirable,” Reynolds said. Reynolds said she has always seen a lot of parallels between South Africa and Canada and that has helped the award resonate with her. Reynolds is a status treaty member of the Fishing Lake Saulteaux First Nation, which is southeast of Humboldt. Reynolds grew up on a reserve and at age 66, her life’s work in her chosen field of social work has all been on one reserve or another. She still works on a reserve and is getting ready to defend her doctoral thesis. Given her inevitable position as a role model for younger women, especially those living on reserves like she has done, Reynolds has some words of advice based on her own childhood influences. “As a child I was already interested in human behaviour and trying to understand human behaviour. My grandmother Violet was the one that taught me about that. I swear she would have been a psychologist if she was even allowed to go to university at the time.” Follow your curiosity, is her message. “It’s in the understanding of why and how it is that we live as Indigenous people that has led me to what it is I have done, so follow your curiosity, ask questions and learn.” Being a life-long learner is a valuable trait and one she takes to heart, pursuing her doctorate in her 60s. “I’m 66 but I’m still in school. I’ll never stop learning. I really believe that following what it is that is interesting to you and don’t let any barriers prevent you from doing something it is that you’re interested in.” In 2023, Reynolds was invited by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to share her expertise on trauma and cultural genocide. She shares the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize with Kennedy Odede, who went from living on the streets at age 10 in Kenya to becoming one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2024. Read more:

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Those who have undergone successful corrective procedures for irregular heart beats may no longer need to commit to long-term blood thinning therapy, an international study co-led by Canadian researchers suggests. Researchers behind the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine say the discovery could potentially alter the clinical care of millions of people around the world. The randomized study involved more than 1,200 patients who had undergone an ablation for atrial fibrillation, a procedure that involves altering the electrical signals in the heart through the use of a catheter. The randomized trial then compared how one group reacted to taking rivaroxaban, a commonly prescribed anticoagulant, with another prescribed low doses of aspirin. “The guidelines have said that even if your doctor does an ablation and feels it's successful, you should continue your blood thinners for life,” said Dr. Atul Verma, a senior cardiovascular scientist based at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal who co-led the trial. “We decided to do this trial to see if this was actually necessary.” Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia and affects one per cent of all Canadians, and five per cent of those above the age of 65, he said. After following the patients over the course of three years, researchers found there was no significant difference in the rates of stroke and embolism, the obstruction or blockage of blood vessels, between the two groups. “We were a little surprised by the results,” Verma said. “It appears that atrial fibrillation ablation, when successful, not only lowers the amount of atrial fibrillation, but also seems to drastically lower the risk of stroke.” Brain MRIs were also conducted on patients at the beginning of the study and the end three years later to look for signs of silent strokes, he said, which revealed low rates between both groups. "The rate of stroke or silent stroke in these patients was really, really low," Verma said. "It was so low that we could not detect any difference between continuing blood thinners or going on aspirin." That brain imaging revealed that after three years, 96 per cent of patients showed no signs of silent strokes, he highlighted. Anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners, work to prevent blood clots from forming, but have been known to cause bleeding. That could include excessive bleeding from cuts, blood in the urine, or heavy menstrual bleeding. Verma said many patients are eager to get off them, since the bleeding they can cause, say in the instance of an accident, can be life-threatening. "The first thing they ask is, can I stop this blood thinner? I like to go skiing, I like to work in my garage, I'm at risk of bleeding by taking these things," Verma said. "And now for a certain substantial portion of those patients, I think we can say, yes you can." Dr. David Birnie, a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and the head of its Ottawa Heart Institute, which was involved in the study, called the findings a "game-changer." "Our results show that one year after a successful ablation, the risk of stroke is so low that the downsides of continuing blood thinners outweigh the benefits, meaning many patients can safely stop," Birnie, who also co-led the trial, said through a press release. Over 50 cardiovascular research centres across Canada, Europe, China and Australia were involved, a collaboration coordinated by Dr. George Wells, the director of cardiovascular research at the Ottawa Heart Institute. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2025. Jean-Benoit Legault, The Canadian Press