Saskatchewan News

Saskatoon police have been active on city streets, conducting two recent commercial vehicle check stops and laying charges in two vehicle-related incidents. On April 16 and 22, officers with the Saskatoon Police Service’s traffic unit and Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan inspected commercial vehicles in the city’s north end, alongside vehicle equipment regulation technicians. Read more:

• Homicide victim remembered by family as loving dad, full of life
• Saskatoon police investigate man’s death as a homicide
• VIDEO: More than 52 Saskatoon crashes during latest spring storm

Police stopped 113 vehicles to inspect and issued 63 tickets alongside 47 warnings. According to police, 73 vehicle and trailer violations were identified and 25 vehicles and trailers were seized, towed or taken out of service. One driver was determined by police to be under the influence of drugs and one vehicle was impounded because of driving faster than the 50 kilometres per hour speed limit. “The Saskatoon Police Service thanks members of the public for their accommodation during these traffic safety initiatives,” police said in a release. Man charged for evading police in stolen vehicle A man is facing various charges after “an incident where a stolen vehicle evaded police late Saturday night,” according to a release from Saskatoon police. Around 11:30 p.m. on April 25, officers conducting routine patrols in the area of 22nd Street West and Avenue I North found a vehicle that had been reported stolen. “Officers were quickly able to confirm the vehicle had been stolen and initiated their vehicle’s emergency lights as the suspect vehicle travelled northbound on Circle Drive; it did not stop for police,” said the release. Police said officers continued to follow the vehicle. A tire deflation device  at 45th Street West was “successfully deployed,” but the vehicle continued driving. Officers then used a vehicle to stop the suspect vehicle on Highway 16. Three people were inside, according to observations by Saskatoon and Corman Park police officers. “The driver of the vehicle did not comply with police commands and a conducted energy weapon (CEW) was discharged by police.” All three people were then arrested, police said, and officers noticed “what were believed to be self-inflicted injuries” on the vehicle driver. Life-saving measures were provided by officers until EMS arrived and brought the man to hospital for treatment. The man, a 36-year-old, has been charged with evading police, dangerous driving, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and three counts of breaching court-imposed conditions. Arrest made in break in, vehicle theft Saskatoon police arrested a man after a break-in that resulted in a vehicle being stolen on Saturday. Around 12:15 a.m. on April 26, police officers responded to a business in the 300 block of Confederation Drive after receiving a report of a break and enter. The caller told police a window had been broke and the overhead door to a shop was opened. Officers arrived and investigated the scene. Surveillance video showed a suspect break the business’s window and enter the shop, then steal a vehicle and flee the scene, according to a police news release. The vehicle was found a few hours later in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue North. Police said the suspect, 34, was arrested. He is charged with break and enter and operating a vehicle while being prohibited from doing so, according to police.

TORONTO — FIFA's marketplace for resale World Cup tickets no longer has seats listed for Toronto matches after a new price cap law came into effect. The Ontario legislation bans people and platforms from reselling seats to events in the province for more than face value. FIFA said its resale platform is being reconfigured to comply with the legislation that became law Friday and are expected to be relisted once the system changes are complete. The organization behind the tournament running from June 11 to June 19 says listings for Toronto's World Cup games haven’t been deleted but are in limbo while it makes the changes. FIFA's marketplace still has listings for World Cup games in every other host city but Toronto. Resale platform StubHub also continues to sell seats above face value to World Cup matches in Toronto. On Tuesday afternoon, the company had many tickets to Canada's first game — a faceoff against Bosnia-Herzegovina — listed for a few thousands dollars. A handful in the lower bowl were also priced at $72,705 apiece. Last week, the company said it had yet to comply with the new Ontario legislation because of insufficient guidance. StubHub spokesperson Jack Sterne told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that issues still linger even after the company had a "productive conversation" with Stephen Crawford, minister of public and business service delivery, recently. "While there are still many outstanding questions, we appreciate their willingness to meet and are updating our systems to comply with Bill 97 going forward," Sterne said in an email, referring to the price cap law. He did not say what the outstanding issues are. Giulia Paikin, a spokesperson for Crawford, confirmed Tuesday the province was working with StubHub to help the company become compliant. Businesses that do not comply will face penalties starting at $3,000. The tab can reach up to $250,000 for continued non‑compliance. The Ford government put forward the legislation earlier this year after fans became outraged when resale tickets for the most recent World Series and Taylor Swift's Eras tour were being priced by resellers at several times the face value. The government said the resale cap would "protect fans and consumers from exploitative, professional resellers who artificially drive up ticket prices." Others worried it would entice eventgoers into making purchases in informal markets, which are more prone to scams, and drive up the original price of tickets. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Yorkton Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT) arrested five people and laid more than 60 charges in relation to a drug trafficking investigation in Yorkton and the surrounding area.

A man charged after a Rocanville traffic stop uncovered drugs, a firearm and a stolen truck has made another court appearance.

Organization seeking a permanent location for the 2026 season.

Attempt to move immediately to second reading does not get unanimous consent.

Canada's Minister of Indigenous Services is still pressing for answers from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations when it comes to an audit that raised issues with millions of dollars in spending by the federation. Read More

Barry Carson of the Grub Shack spoke on behalf of nearby businesses saying parking shortages are already affecting customers.

Dancers of all ages awed parents and grandparents with Ukrainian performances.

Line 19 Childcare Centre received the top votes, and they will receive $25,000.

Performers across Saskatchewan are being invited to take the stage at this year’s Doylefest, as organizers open applications for the grassroots music festival set for September.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of one of its largest producers and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices. The UAE's decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low — meaning it wasn't able to sell as much oil to the world as it had wanted. “Having invested heavily in expanding energy production capacity in recent years, the bigger picture is that the UAE has been itching to pump more oil,” Capital Economics wrote in an analysis. “The ties binding OPEC members together have loosened,” it said, particularly after Qatar withdrew from the cartel in 2019. Regional politics are also likely at play. The UAE has had increasingly frosty relations with Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, over political and economic matters in the Mideast, even after both came under attack by fellow OPEC member Iran during the war. No immediate impact likely for world oil markets The UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC won’t necessarily have any immediate effects in markets. That’s because world oil supplies are sharply constrained by the war in Iran, which has closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil supplies — including much of the UAE's — is transported. On Tuesday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded above $111 a barrel, or more than 50% above its prewar price. OPEC's market power had already been waning in recent years as the United States ramped up its production of crude oil. Saudi Arabia had been pumping over 10 million barrels of oil a day before the war. The U.S. pumps more than 13 million barrels a day. U.S. President Donald Trump has been a steady critic of the cartel during his two terms in the White House. The UAE, which joined OPEC through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967, had been producing around 3.4 million barrels of crude a day just before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28. Analysts say it has capacity to produce roughly 5 million barrels a day. In its announcement on Tuesday, made via its state-run WAM news agency, the UAE said it also would leave the wider OPEC+ group, which Russia had led to try to stabilize oil prices. “This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production,” the UAE said, adding that it would bring "additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions.” The UAE’s withdrawal removes one of OPEC’s few members with the ability to quickly increase production, said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy. “A structurally weaker OPEC, with less spare capacity concentrated within the group, will find it increasingly difficult to calibrate supply and stabilize prices," he said. Saudi Arabia, UAE increasingly at odds Saudi Arabia and the UAE increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. The two countries had jointly fought against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 2015. However, that coalition broke down into recriminations in late December, when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE. As tensions rose in recent months, Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom. “This exit of OPEC fits into the UAE need for flexibility with key energy consumers as well -- including a future relationship with China and a more competitive relationship with Saudi Arabia," said Karen Young, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. While Saudi Arabia and OPEC had no immediate reaction, Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei insisted his country's decision did not stem from any dispute with its Gulf neighbor. “We’ve been working together for years and years. We have the highest respect for the Saudis for leading OPEC,” al-Mazrouei told CNBC. However, the UAE sent its foreign minister rather than its ruler to a Gulf Arab leaders' meeting held Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The UAE hosted the United Nations COP28 climate talks in 2023, a conference that ended for the first time with a pledge by nearly 200 countries to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels. But the UAE still plans to increase its production capacity in the coming years, even as it pursues more clean energy at home, a move decried by climate activists. “The demand for power is going to go up and up and up,” U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told an Abu Dhabi oil conference in November. “Today’s the day to announce that there is no energy transition. There is only energy addition.” He drew widespread applause from his Emirati hosts. ___ Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report. Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

We’ve seen it again—confusion in a big moment. In a playoff game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks, a close call left everyone guessing.

A Fort McMurray man charged after a Yorkton search that uncovered firearms and drug-related items made another court appearance.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has not signed any new pharmacare agreements with the provinces and territories a year after it was first elected, and one province says that's unfair. Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Lela Evans says the federal government stopped negotiating, and that her province has been excluded from a program it wants to be part of. The first phase of pharmacare was launched in 2024 and is meant to cover the cost of contraceptives and some diabetes medications. The Pharmacare Act requires Ottawa to negotiate the terms of funding agreements with provinces and territories. The previous Liberal government inked deals with Manitoba, P.E.I., British Columbia and Yukon. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham wrote to Carney in February to say the lack of new deals is creating a fractured approach — the fourth such letter he's sent to Ottawa since October. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has not signed any new pharmacare agreements with the provinces and territories a year after it was first elected, and one province says that's unfair.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has not signed any new pharmacare agreements with the provinces and territories a year after it was first elected, and one province says that's unfair.

Brandt Sports and Entertainment is proposing a transformation of Regina’s REAL District, turning it into a premier destination that offers world-class concerts and community events. The company outlined its plans in a submission to Wednesday’s Executive Committee meeting, where members of council are expected to hear from delegations and discuss the proposal by Brandt to purchase a large portion of the REAL District, including the Brandt Centre, Queensbury Centre, and the Agribition Building. Read more:

• What’s in the Brandt-REAL deal? Breaking down the agreement
• Former Regina mayor backs proposal to revive city’s REAL District
• Regina’s REAL District sale plan draws support, calls for caution

Thirteen delegations are scheduled to appear in relation to the proposal, including Brandt’s owner, Shaun Semple. In its presentation, Brandt says the district would hold more than 100 events each year, a number it said is comparable to Saskatoon and double the current amount. Rendering of new entry gate for Brandt Centre and Queen City Distillery. (Brandt/City of Regina) It outlines planned improvements to the Brandt Centre, including a new exterior, digital signage, a new sound system, an upgraded interior look, improved accessibility, new seat options and upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems. The upgrades would also inclue new digital dasher boards – described as a “first-in-Canada” addition – and a new digital “power ring,” an electronic display between the levels in the stands that surround the ice in the arena. Other buildings would also be upgraded to give the facilities a consistent look. Brandt says total investment would exceed $100 million Brandt’s own breakdown of the purchase price is as follows:

• $6.5 million purchase price;
• $1 million previously committed for distillery project;
• $73.5 million in deferred maintenance which is outlined in a previous consultant’s report;
• $15 million in “post-closing” investments promised within two years as a minimum;
• $2.5 million minimum to repave the parking lots (the city would contribute no more than $2.5 million as well);
• At least $2.5 million for a new entrance/exit from Saskatchewan Drive (city contribution capped at $2 million);
• $4.5 million to help cover expected operating loss for 2026 (the city commits $6 million);
• $7.5 million to help cover expected operating loss for 2027 (the city’s commitment is $3 million); and
• $550,000 to be deposited in a maintenance reserve fund each year (plus an annual inflation increase) for the International Trade Centre.

The total cost of the purchase would total $113,550,000. The company also included letters of support from live event producer Tait, the David Foster Foundation, and Cafarelli Concepts, which built the first 11 House of Blues locations. Brandt argued the current governance of the REAL District is “fragmented,” limiting performance and reinvestment. It said the number of events is running 50 to 70 per cent below comparable Western Canadian markets. Rendering of main stage at Queen City Distillery. (Brandt/City of Regina) It breaks down its proposed capital spending as $8.5 million for repaving and the new Saskatchewan Drive access; $10 million for the Brandt Centre retrofit; $30 million for the Queen City Distillers project; and $5 million for other district buildings. Those totals are minimums and do not include deferred maintenance. Brandt said by owning the facilities, reliance on public funding would be reduced, there would be a single point of accountability, the revenue model would integrate tickets, promotions, and food and beverage, relationships with promoters would be better, and the district would be active year-round. The timing is strategic, as well, with Regina set to host the 2027 Grey Cup. The company expects the revitalized REAL District would host between 90 and 120 events per year, and 25 to 40 concerts. Letters of support, opposition, and concern Former city councillor, Terina Nelson, has thrown her support behind the proposal, alongside Deveraux Group of Companies, Forthlane Partners, Country Thunder, Lex Capital Corp., the president of Merit Contractors Association, the owner of IKS Media and Technology and the Regina Hotel Association. Saskatchewan Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds wrote in favour of Brandt’s proposed improvements, but asked for continued engagement in the process. Other individuals raised concerns about a rush to complete this sale without first considering alternatives. Rendering of interior improvements to Brandt Centre. (Brandt/City of Regina) The speaking order also includes former mayor Pat Fiacco, Mike Tate of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce, Shantel Lipp of the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association, Regina and Region Home Builders’ Association’s Stu Niebergall and representatives of REAL and Canadian Western Agribition. If the Executive Committee votes to forward the recommendation on to city council, it will be on the May 6 agenda with another opportunity for delegations to speak to it.

Dozens of charges were laid against five people after the RCMP seized thousands of opioid pills, heroin, a loaded handgun and five vehicles in the Yorkton area.

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Conservative Party says it's "officially debt-free" after paying off the last portion of the $5 million the party owed from the 2024 provincial election campaign. The party says in a statement that it was able to pay off the debt while using leadership fees and remittances for less than three per cent of the amount owing. The Opposition Conservatives announced last week that its membership has jumped to more than 42,000 — a six-fold increase from the 7,000 members the party had in December. The spike comes as candidates in the Conservative leadership race had until April 18 to sign up new members in time to vote. Angelo Isidorou, the party's executive director, says he's proud to see the Conservatives "continue to scale up," with the debt being repaid a year ahead of schedule. He says the party now has "a growing war chest for the next election." The party is looking to elect its next leader among five candidates: Iain Black, Caroline Elliott, Peter Milobar, Kerry-Lynne Findlay and Yuri Fulmer. Ballots are to be sent out May 9, with the winner announced at its May 30 leadership convention. "We are already ahead of where our organization was in the 2024 election, where we lost a majority government by only 395 votes," Isidorou said. "Our mandate is clear — the next leader will become the next premier. None of this would have been possible without our grassroots supporters." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026. The Canadian Press