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Saskatchewan Daily Brief: 2026-10-16

Speaker Todd Goudy apologized for not telling the Board of Internal Economy about advertising exemptions granted to Saskatchewan Party MLAs, and Regina's 11th Avenue reopened after four years of construction.
Compiled by AI from local news and public social media, and published automatically. Community sentiment comes from public posts, which are not a representative sample. Not reviewed by a person; check the linked sources before relying on it.

Regina #

  • Regina's 11th Avenue between Broad Street and Albert Street reopened on 2026-10-16 after a project that began in 2023. Deputy City Manager Kurtis Doney said the city expects to finish between $1.5 million and $2 million under budget, though some final bills are still being processed. Benches, heated transit shelters and tree planting remain to be finished. CTV News Regina's headline says the city called the project on time and under budget. reported (980 CJME; CTV News Regina)
  • The Regina Public Library board is asking council for a 3.99 per cent increase to the library mill rate for 2027 operations (a 0.36 per cent rise in the city mill rate, 82 cents more a month for the average household) and an 11 per cent increase for a new central library (about 1 per cent of the city mill rate, $2.27 more a month). The central library ask is double what was expected, because the city chose this spring not to borrow for the project; the board says the 11 per cent would save enough for a new building by 2036. The library holds about $19 million and wants $150 million to $200 million for the build. It presents to council's executive committee on 2026-10-21; council begins 2027 budget decisions in December. Board chair Marj Gavigan acknowledged there has been opposition to a new downtown branch from the start. reported (980 CJME)
  • The Regina Police Service warns of scammers impersonating RPS officers or employees. Calls appear to come from the RPS non-emergency line, and the caller claims to be investigating fraud before asking for personal or financial information. RPS says it never calls to solicit funds and advises hanging up and calling the number directly to verify. confirmed (Regina Police Service)
  • Four men, aged 28 to 46, are charged with aggravated assault after a stabbing in the 800 block of Victoria Avenue shortly after midnight on 2026-10-16. RPS says a man was assaulted with a bladed weapon and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and that he is believed to have stabbed two of the three men who assaulted him; those two arrived at hospital about 20 minutes later. One of the four is also charged with failing to comply with a probation order. These are allegations. confirmed (Regina Police Service)
  • SaskEnergy says a flare will be visible in the RM of Sherwood from 09:00 to 12:00 CST on Saturday 2026-10-17. reported (SaskToday)
  • A resident reported on Reddit that a repaved stretch of Ring Road between Wascana Parkway and Lewvan Drive is uneven. No statement from the City, the province or a news outlet was found, and who maintains the stretch could not be confirmed. unconfirmed (reported by a resident on Reddit)

Province #

  • Speaker Todd Goudy said his failure to inform the Board of Internal Economy about advertising exemptions granted to Saskatchewan Party MLAs was an "oversight", CBC Saskatchewan reports. The NDP Opposition has referred the matter to the province's conflict of interest commissioner. SaskToday reports the Opposition, with Meara Conway speaking to reporters at the Legislature on 2026-10-16, is asking the Speaker and the Board to reconsider the exemption that allows Weedmark to accept ads from government MLAs. No response from the Saskatchewan Party was in the sources read. reported (CBC Saskatchewan; SaskToday)
  • Residents on Reddit described Regina diagnostic ultrasound waits ranging from a few days to about three months, with one booking in February 2027. The accounts are anecdotal and conflict, and no Saskatchewan Health Authority wait-time figure was found. unconfirmed (reported by residents on Reddit)
  • Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment confirmed it will end its chronic wasting disease testing program, discretionary and mandatory testing, as of 2026-10-31. SaskToday reports the decision is drawing pushback from the NDP, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and the Saskatchewan Trappers Association. reported (SaskToday)
  • SaskTel says landline service is largely restored after the 2026-10-15 outage in Saskatoon and area, which it attributes to a damaged fibre cable, and that restoration means most customers can reach 911 again. As of Friday morning wireless and internet remained unavailable in Allan, Aberdeen and parts of Saskatoon; customers without service are told to use another provider's service or contact emergency services in person. reported (980 CJME)
  • The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency held a groundbreaking on 2026-10-16 for the new Saskatoon cancer patient lodge; the contractor has begun site preparations and construction is expected to be completed in spring 2028. Global News reports the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are spending around $7 million each; 980 CJME's headline says the lodge will double capacity. confirmed (Government of Saskatchewan; Global News)
  • Opposition Leader Carla Beck says the Saskatchewan government needs to do more to answer public questions about the Bell data centre in the RM of Sherwood, including whether an environmental assessment has been done, SaskToday reports. reported (SaskToday)
  • A Saskatoon confectionary and grocery store in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood was closed for 90 days by a judge under Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods powers, CBC reports, citing 95 police calls this year, 38 of them for drug overdoses. reported (CBC Saskatchewan)
  • SaskPower's nuclear development vice-president briefed Estevan council; SaskToday reports work could begin at the proposed site along Rafferty Dam in January. reported (SaskToday)

Economy #

  • North American Helium's chairman and CEO Nicholas Snyder said the company is working on a liquefier that would cost about $100 million and could be operating within two years of the start of the project, but made no announcement; 980 CJME's headline says Swift Current could host it. Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry said Saskatchewan accounts for more than 95 per cent of Canada's helium production. reported (980 CJME)

Community #

  • Court documents show the FSIN applied for a judicial review in August, alleging procedural unfairness in Indigenous Services Canada's decision that it owes $12.4 million, Global News reports; its headline says the FSIN knew of the decision months before informing members. reported (Global News)
  • Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation says Bell's Saskatchewan AI data centre is being built on unceded traditional territory; CBC Saskatchewan spoke to an elder and a legal expert about whether the claim would stand in court. reported (CBC Saskatchewan)
  • Saskatchewan RCMP ended the dangerous person alert for the Red Earth Cree Nation area on the night of 2026-10-15, saying it no longer believes there is an imminent public safety risk. reported (Global News)

Community pulse #

Community pulse: Reddit's busiest local topic was a thread on SaskTel's home internet service, where most replies defended the provider or blamed the customer's equipment and the original poster kept pressing complaints.

  • SaskTel home internet service: 28 posts from 19 accounts on Reddit. 7 support, 10 oppose, 2 mixed, 9 neutral. A new resident in a one-provider town described unreliable Wi-Fi and unhelpful support, and one account supplied 9 of the 28 posts. Most replies said the problem lay in the home router or setup, recommended buying separate equipment, or called the service reliable. One reply noted the Crown corporation's history of serving a thinly populated province. Confidence: low.
  • Regina sidewalks: 23 posts from 19 accounts on Reddit. 11 support, 1 oppose, 2 mixed, 9 neutral. Not yet covered in local news. Commenters said Regina favours cars, that industrial areas and newer neighbourhoods lack sidewalks or have them on one side only, and asked for safer bike lanes. Others said older areas have sidewalks that are poorly maintained, and one argued pedestrians walk on the road anyway. Confidence: low.
  • Ring Road paving patches: 23 posts from 17 accounts on Reddit. 16 support, 2 oppose, 0 mixed, 5 neutral. Not yet covered in local news. A driver reported an uneven repaved stretch of Ring Road between Wascana Parkway and Lewvan Drive, and most commenters agreed the work was poor, with one adding that a ramp onto Albert Street looks similar. Several said the road is provincially maintained rather than a city responsibility, a claim others disputed and which is unconfirmed. Two said temporary patches are common across the province. Confidence: low.
  • Diagnostic ultrasound wait times: 19 posts from 12 accounts on Reddit. 6 support, 0 oppose, 0 mixed, 13 neutral. Not yet covered in local news. Residents described waits ranging from a few days to several months for ultrasound bookings in Regina, and most replies offered practical advice such as calling clinics, joining cancellation lists or trying another city. Experiences conflicted and are anecdotal. Confidence: low.
  • Lakeview foundation shifting: 15 posts from 13 accounts on Reddit. 4 support, 0 oppose, 0 mixed, 11 neutral. Not yet covered in local news. Homeowners exchanged experiences with settling houses and suggested drainage checks, soil moisture management, telepost adjustment and underpinning. Those who had paid for underpinning said it was worthwhile. Confidence: low.
  • RCMP crash investigation toxicology: 13 posts from 12 accounts on Reddit. 3 support, 5 oppose, 1 mixed, 4 neutral. Commenters reacting to the RCMP's closing of its crash investigation split between those who found the toxicology disclosure incomplete and those who said results are normally kept confidential when no one is charged. One said the force's partial statement fuelled speculation. Confidence: low.
  • Cheap things to do in Regina: 14 posts from 12 accounts on Reddit. 8 support, 2 oppose, 2 mixed, 2 neutral. A request for low-cost activities drew suggestions including the conservatory, the library film theatre, daytime documentaries, live music and open mic nights, and Government House. A few replies were sarcastic or voiced reservations about particular venues. Confidence: low.
  • Snowbirds Tutor retirement: 5 posts from 5 accounts on Reddit. 0 support, 1 oppose, 0 mixed, 4 neutral. Comments marked the Snowbirds' final Tutor performance with memories and thanks; one said the multi-year gap before a replacement shows poor planning. Confidence: low. Small sample.
  • Bell AI data centre council scrutiny: 4 posts from 3 accounts on Reddit. 2 support, 1 oppose, 0 mixed, 1 neutral. Comments on council's questioning of Bell split between those who found it too soft and one who said the site is outside city limits and the issue belongs to the RM of Sherwood or the province. A podcast recap of the council discussion was shared. Confidence: low. Small sample.
  • Best steakhouse in Regina: 4 posts from 4 accounts on Reddit. 1 support, 3 oppose, 0 mixed, 0 neutral. A request for steakhouse recommendations drew several different restaurant suggestions with no consensus. Confidence: low. Small sample.
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