The provincial government is moving forward with compassionate intervention legislation for addictions treatment.

The Compassionate Intervention Act, which would allow for involuntary addictions treatment, was introduced Friday by Saskatchewan’s provincial government. According to a media release, the legislation is to support individuals with severe addictions who are not capable of seeking help despite serious health and safety risks.

“Individuals struggling with addiction need our support on their path to recovery,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said in the media release. “They need a safe space, support and compassionate intervention. We are focused on meaningful long-term recovery for Saskatchewan residents.”

The current legislation requires voluntary participation and does not support addiction intervention.

The proposed legislation includes strict criteria for entering someone into involuntary treatment. Family members would be allowed to request treatment for a loved one through the court. Law enforcement could also intervene, should a person’s substance use be putting their own life or the lives of others at serious risk.

Methods in which individuals can be brought to a Compassionate Interventions Assessment Centre are:

• By a police or peace officer
• Referred by a medical professional
• Through a judge’s warrant

The Government of Saskatchewan will be seeking feedback from stakeholders, partners, and the public on how the legislation should be implemented. Information will be available on the Government of Saskatchewan website.

A Saskatchewan man is dead following a collision on Highway 10 near Fort Qu’Appelle on Thursday.

Fort Qu’Appelle RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle collision around 1:15 p.m., about five kilometres northeast of Edgeley.

Officers and EMS responded immediately. According to RCMP, investigation found a car and semi-trailer had collided. The driver of the car, a 41-year-old man from Ebenezer, Sask., was declared dead at the scene. RCMP said his family has been notified.

The driver of the semi did not report any injuries to police.

Highway 10 near Highway 210 was closed while RCMP responded to the collision and has since been reopened.

A Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist and Fort Qu’Appelle RCMP continue to investigate.

Edwin Woolhether, who was found guilty in May of sexually assaulting a child in 2007, has been given a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community.

Woolhether was arrested in April 2023 and was found guilty of one count of sexual assault on May 16.

He was also found not guilty of one count of sexual interference as part of the case.

Judge Darin Chow handed down the sentence on Friday at the Court of King’s Bench.

The conditional sentence includes more than 20 provisions Woolhether must follow over the next two years. Including 24-hour house arrest at an approved address unless approved by a supervisor, being banned from contacting the victim and their family, prohibited from talking to youth under 16 years old and staying more than 50 meters away from the victim or any public space a youth under 16 years old may be.

Woolhether must also serve 250 hours in the community during his sentence.

When the sentence is complete, he will be banned from owning or possessing any guns or prohibited weapons for 10 years, as well as remain on a sexual offender registry for 20 years.

As part of sentencing submissions in November, Woolhether’s defence lawyer, Jared Aumiller, argued for the conditional sentence to be served in the community for two years less a day.

Aumiller called the sentence, ‘just.’

“It is a sentence which sees him at home, out of the community under strict supervision,” the defense told reporters following the decision. “And then there’s a long custodial order as well.”

Woolhether is nearly 70 years old and did not have a previous criminal record.

“It’s not that he’s coming out of the courthouse a free man. There’s restrictions on his liberty for quite possibly the rest of his life,” Aumiller added.

Crown Prosecutor Chris White called for a minimum of two years in jail.

“We always would prefer to see harsher penalties,” he said. “It’s important the courts step in to protect the most vulnerable people in our society when they’ve been victimized, those being children.’

“The facts found were something less again than we had hoped they would be. Still, a sexual offense against a child for which he took absolutely no responsibility,” White added.

In a previous case, Woolhether faced three counts related to the sexual assault of a minor, but all three of those charges were stayed in court.

That investigation led to police receiving information about a sexual assault of a child in 2007 and filing an additional charge of sexually assaulting a child.

Some federal departments have begun notifying public servants if they will be impacted by workforce adjustments, as the federal government begins to implement the results of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review.

The Canada Strong Budget 2025 outlined a plan to cut another 28,000 positions from the federal public service and achieve $60 billion in savings by 2029.

The goal is to reduce the size of the federal public service by 40,000 jobs through job cuts, attrition, and early retirements from its peak of 367,772 employees in March 2024, to 330,000 by 2028-29. There were 357,965 federal employees as of March 31, 2025.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says more than 200 employees at Natural Resources Canada received notices this week warning they may lose their jobs.

The largest federal public service union says 109 members at the PSAC, 92 employees at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and 74 at the Department of Finance also received notices saying government cuts may affect their jobs.

“Cuts are already hurting Canada’s most vulnerable populations, and now our environmental protections will pay the price too,” Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president, said in a statement.

“You don’t build a stronger Canada by gutting the programs that protect us.”

CTV News Ottawa has obtained a letter sent to federal public servants working at Natural Resources Canada, saying executives will meet with employees “this week who are affected by workforce adjustment to inform them of the impacts and issue letters.”

“For those that receive letters, this is the beginning of a process that will take several months to consider the various options and decision points,” the letter said.

“We will support and work with our employees to have the lowest number of involuntary departures as possible.”

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, a spokesperson for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) said the department will not provide further details on possible job cuts until it completes “advising its affected employees.”

“Receiving a letter signals the beginning of a process that takes several months for employees to consider various options available to transition to another job in the public service, consider early retirement, or pursue employment outside the public service,” the NRCan spokesperson said.

“In the end, NRCan would anticipate that only a small number of those who receive letters would leave involuntarily.”

On Thursday, Shared Services Canada employees received an email from the president and executive vice-president outlining the expenditure review.

“As we move forward to implement SSC’s CER reductions, there will be impacts on work units and positions within our organization. Our top priority is to reduce the impacts on employees by using all available options, including attrition, negotiated workforce adjustment provisions and career transition measures for executives,” the letter said, provided to CTV News Ottawa by the department.

“Employees impacted by workforce adjustments will be notified in January 2026.”

Employment and Social Development Canada said the department’s “workforce adjustment process and a reduction in our executive complement will launch in January.”

“While we are still reviewing the impacts of the government’s decisions on ESDC’s programs and services, we acknowledge that an adjustment in our staffing levels, including indeterminate positions, will be required,” the department said in a statement Friday morning.

“We cannot confirm how many positions will be reduced at this time. However, ESDC will continue to leverage attrition and workforce planning, aiming to minimize impacts on employees to the maximum possible extent. The goal of the process, wherever possible, will be to ensure continued employment for those who want to remain in the public service.”

Early retirement notices

Earlier this week, the government issued early retirement notices to approximately 68,000 public servants outlining information on the planned early retirement program.

A spokesperson for Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali said employees will continue to review updates on the Comprehensive Expenditure Review and the Early Retirement Initiative as they become available.

“Approximately 68,000 early-retirement notices have been issued,” Matthieu Perrotin said.

“As proposed in Budget 2025, workforce reductions will be managed to the greatest extent possible through attrition and voluntary departures. The Early Retirement Initiative is proceeding with an emphasis on voluntary, structured options to retire early with clarity and predictability.”

Budget 2025 did not specify where jobs will be cut within the government or how much will be saved by cutting 28,000 more positions in the public service, but it outlined directions to departments as part of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review to reduce budgets by up to 15 per cent.

A brand of wireless earbuds sold in Canada is being recalled due to burn and fire hazards.

An alert on Health Canada’s website advises anyone who owns a pair of True Wireless Earbuds to immediately stop using them and return the product to a Giant Tiger store for a refund.

The issue with the earbuds is a result of the USB charging cords being manufactured with the wrong wiring material. As a result, the product may overheat when plugged into a charger, leading to a risk of burns or fires.

There have been three reports of incidents in Canada since Nov. 27, though no reports of injuries.

There were 16,278 units of the affected product sold in Canada, according to the company.

The UPC is 774223568363 and SKU is 1545426, information which can be found on the packaging. The product was sold between July 17 and Oct. 14, 2025.

Any products purchased before then are excluded from the recall, including those that show a label for lot number 11012025.

A report of a suspicious person with a weapon resulted in Whitewood School being placed on hold and secure status on Wednesday afternoon.

Broadview/Moosomin RCMP received a report at 3:15 p.m. of a suspicious person walking around the community with a weapon. The person was located at a residence in Whitewood by RCMP officers who did not locate a weapon with the individual.

The RCMP investigation determined the incident was non-criminal in nature and the hold and secure was lifted by 4 p.m.

“Hold and secure” status is implemented by authorities when there is a potential concern in a community but not inside a school. During this safety measure, exterior doors are locked and movement in and out of the building is restricted. Classes continue while a school is under a hold and secure order.

In a written statement, the Prairie Valley School Division said the safety of its students and staff is always its top priority.

Whitewood is 175 kilometres west of Regina.

Despite Saskatchewan’s government earmarking an additional $1 billion in spending, the finance minister says it won’t change the province’s bottom line.

Jim Reiter says the extra spending was already included in his mid-year financial report, which is projecting a $427-million deficit.

Earlier this week, Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government approved the additional spending, which includes $813 million for SaskPower and $194 million for carbon price fuel charges the province did not collect.

Reiter accused the Opposition NDP of getting the numbers mixed up, as New Democrats argued the spending would add to the deficit.

NDP SaskPower critic Aleana Young says she doesn’t buy Reiter’s explanation, arguing she didn’t see the extra spending in the mid-year report.

She says Reiter’s numbers can’t be trusted, as he initially projected in March the province would have a $12-million surplus.

After counterfeit bills were discovered at a local business in Moose Jaw, officers are urging people to diligently check all banknotes.

The Moose Jaw Police Service received a report of two $100 counterfeit bills at a local business on Wednesday and were able to determine they were counterfeit due to noticeable defects, according to a release from the MJPS.

As the possession, use, and creation of counterfeit money is illegal in Canada, the MJPS reminds the public to report any cases to their local police agency.

According to the MJPS, other jurisdictions have also reported that counterfeit $100 bills have been circulating.

If businesses are unsure of the authenticity of money being offered, the MJPS referred to information provided by the Bank of Canada.

If offered a suspected counterfeit note, you should first assess the situation to make sure you’re not at risk. Then, you are advised to:

• Politely refuse the note and explain that you suspect it may be counterfeit
• Ask for another banknote and check it
• Advise the person giving the banknote to get police to check it
• Inform police off a possible attempt to pass suspected counterfeit money
• Be courteous, as the person in possession of the bill may not realize the banknote is suspicious

If you suspect you’re in possession of a counterfeit banknote, give it to the local police, as timely reporting helps police stop counterfeiting activity in the community.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers or the MJPS.

🎉 Update Completed Successfully! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that our scheduled network update has been completed without any issues! 🚀 All our broadcast stations, streams, and websites are now fully operational and running better than ever.

What’s New?

Here’s what you can expect from this update:
✅ Improved Audio Player – No more interruptions or cutting off! Enjoy seamless streaming on our websites.
✅ Enhanced Stream Stability – Our radio streams are now more reliable than ever.
✅ Upgraded Security & Quality – Improved protection and enhanced broadcast quality for an unmatched listening experience.

Fully Operational Services:

🎵 Stations:

• Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
• 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
• 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/

🌐 Websites:

• EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
• EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
• DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/

Experiencing Issues?

While everything is running smoothly on our end, we’re here to help if you encounter any issues. If you’re having trouble with our broadcasts or websites, please report the issue to us immediately so we can address it.

📧 Contact Us:

If you have having any issues please reach out to us on our websites!

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process. We’re committed to providing you with the best listening experience possible and appreciate your support!

🎧 Happy Listening!
The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team

We’re committed to providing our audience with a listening experience like no other! To maintain this standard, we’re excited to announce a major update to our Broadcast Network.

What’s New?

This update will bring:

• A Better Audio Player: Improved performance on our websites to resolve issues with streams cutting off.
• Enhanced Session Operations: Ensuring error-free radio streams.
• Upgraded Security & Quality: Improved protection and overall broadcast quality.

Downtime Details:

• Expected Downtime: 1 hour (we’ve allocated up to 4 hours for any unforeseen circumstances).
• Impacted Services:
  • Live Broadcasts & Website Access for these stations:
    • Z103.5 – https://z1035.evoradio.ca/
    • 979 The Cowboy – https://979thecowboy.evoradio.ca/
    • 101 The Rockhound – https://101therockhound.evoradio.ca/
    • Classic 88.7 The Goat – https://887thegoat.evoradio.ca/
  • Websites:
    • EVO Radio Advertiser Access – https://advertiseraccess.evoradio.ca/
    • EVO Media Corporation – https://evomcorp.com/
    • DJ Spinderella – https://djspinderella.evomcorp.com/
  • Third-Party Apps: Any apps relying on our live broadcasts will also be affected.

Commitment to Excellence:
During the downtime, our team will work diligently to complete the update and monitor the network to ensure peak performance. We’re committed to enhancing your listening experience to the highest standards.

Stay Updated:
Follow us on Facebook or check our websites for real-time updates:

• EVO Media Corporation: https://www.facebook.com/EVOMediaCorporation/
• Z103.5: https://www.facebook.com/YourPartyStationZ103.5
• 979 The Cowboy: https://www.facebook.com/979thecowboy/
• 101 The Rockhound: https://www.facebook.com/101TheRockhound/
• Classic 88.7 The Goat: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093402861183

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to improve our services.

Thank you for your continued support,

The EVO Radio & EVO Media Corporation Team