Fire Chief Greg Yung said he was informed of the change but was not part of the decision. “Silton has decided to go with Lumsden and Earl Grey ... so that means Lumsden, or somebody, is going to have to travel all the way to Rowan’s Ravine,” he said. Rowan’s is the most northerly area Silton FD serves.

Rowan’s Ravine is 25 kilometres from Strasbourg, while Lumsden is 54 kilometres away and Earl Grey is 35 kilometres away.

Asked about the potential impact of longer response times, Yung pointed to the importance of speed in firefighting. “Timing is the most important when you are dealing with a fire; it’s called silver seconds. And that’s been preached across Saskatchewan for thirty-plus years,” he said. “Every minute counts. That goes with everything. The faster you are there, the faster you can mitigate the problem and mitigate the risk to other exposures and other individuals.” Yung declined to comment on whether he was surprised Strasbourg would not be providing coverage.

In a Monday email, before the decision to close was made, the Village of Silton outlined leadership changes at the volunteer-run department. Former chief Steve Wallace would return as interim chief, and a new deputy chief was named. “These changes are being made to ensure the continued operation, leadership, and effectiveness of the Village of Silton Fire Department,” the email said, adding that council wants to emphasize the importance of maintaining a strong, active volunteer membership.

The email warned in bold text that the department “may have to close” if it could not maintain enough volunteers to operate safely and effectively. It said a closure would mean increased fire protection fees for residents, longer emergency response times, reduced local fire protection, greater reliance on neighbouring departments and emergency partners, and an overall decline in the level of service available to the community.

Nic Skulski, a volunteer with the department for more than five years, resigned following the removal of the chief and deputy chief. He said the decision took him four minutes to make. Skulski has since started a petition calling for “the immediate restructuring of the fire department’s governance model,” urging a shift from what he described as a closed operation to a participatory approach reflecting best practices in community-oriented emergency services across the country.

In separate interviews, Mayor Wild and former fire chief Coons both said they did not want the suspension of fire services.

Former Fire Chief Coons said former members of the Silton Fire Department want to continue to support the area in the event of a major fire, and they are looking into how they could potentially provide that support.

The Resort Village of Saskatchewan Beach Mayor Corey Livingstone announced the ban on Facebook Tuesday night

Silton Mayor Murray Wild confirmed that fire services will be suspended starting tomorrow, on the advice of the new fire chief.

The Silton Fire Department serves Silton, the RM of McKillop, the RM of Longlaketon, the Resort Village of Sask Beach, Kannata Valley, Pelican Pointe and Rowan's Ravine.

Wild said the Strasbourg and Earl Grey fire departments will cover fire calls in the interim.

More to come. Watch this space.

………………………………………………………….

taps mic….Is this thing on?

Following a public statement from the Rural Municipality of McKillop announcing RCMP charges stemming from an ongoing fraud investigation into a former employee, the suspect has now been identified.

According to the RCMP, Southey detachment received a report of a potential fraud within the RM of McKillop in April 2025. After nearly a year of investigation and evidence gathering, an arrest warrant was issued in March 2026. Simone Harper-Shaw, 40, of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, was taken into custody by Fort Saskatchewan RCMP on May 13.

Harper-Shaw faces four charges under the Criminal Code: fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, use of a forged document, and laundering the proceeds of crime.

The RM of McKillop has since issued a revised public statement clarifying that the funds in question were recovered through their insurance provider.

Harper-Shaw is scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court on June 24.

The allegations against Harper-Shaw have yet to be proven in court.

This morning, Saskatchewan’s Premier Scott Moe spoke from Saskatoon. Unlike the Premiers of Ontario and New Brunswick, who implemented measures such as cancelling the $100 million Starlink deal in Ontario and removing all American alcohol from shelves in New Brunswick, Moe did not have any similar announcements to make

It should be noted that Premier Doug Ford is campaigning in Ontario’s Provincial election and directing provincial policy during potential tariff actions.

Scott Moe noted Saskatchewan's work to increase border security and diversify its export market.

“We are likely the least reliant on the U.S. when it comes to our export market of any province in Canada.”

He encouraged a more diplomatic approach, encouraging business, political, and community leaders to contact their American industry contacts.

He implored the federal government to look at options, as seen in the morning announcement that Mexico had staved off tariffs for a month while they added resources to the southern border. Moe said if the tariffs could be delayed, “even if it’s for a short period of time…so that we can implore on one individual…President Trump, that seems bent on using these tariffs in some way, shape or form to destabilize the investment environment that we have in North America, destabilize the energy and food security that we have been able to acquire in North America over the course of the last number of decades..and the significant role that Saskatchewan plays in this.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will speak with Donald Trump for a second time this afternoon. These are the first calls between the two leaders since Trump’s inauguration.

There is a new CAO in the RM of Dufferin. Several people have filled the position over the last few years, and it became available in the fall after the Council voted to cancel the contract of the last CAO.

Tobi Duck comes to the RM from the Ministry of Government Relations, where she was a Municipal Advisor for five years. Prior to that, she was the CAO at the Village of Grand Coulee.

Reeve Brian Weisbrod welcomes her presence at the RM. “I think [she] will be a really good fit for the RM.”

Looking towards 2025, Weisbrod says they are redoing all of the RM’s road-haul agreements and are in the process of passing the bylaws to have it fall into place. “That will be a really big thing. All of the contractors or anybody doing large road hauls will have to sign a road haul agreement. Typically, they are going to expire now at the end of every year.”

He said the issue with North Grove over access to Buffalo Vista and Glamping via Daniel Drive is on hold while the new CAO gets up to speed with the file. “We are looking for some good guidance on what we can do, what we can’t do, and how we should proceed with all of this.” While they’ve heard rumours of annexation, he said they haven’t been approached on the matter. The RM does not want the road and adjacent developments annexed by North Grove.

Weisbrod says the RM has a lot on its plate for 2025 and has a New Year message: “I want to say to the ratepayers, we are looking forward to a good 2025. Hopefully, there are some good things happening in the RM. And I wish everybody the best in 2025.”

A new slate of councillors was elected in the November 13th municipal election in the Village of Punnichy.

While Deana Littletent will stay on as Mayor by acclamation, the vote breakdown was relatively close for the three council positions. New councillors Victor Senft (54), Earl Senft (51), and Janice Horvath (45) garnered enough votes to win over incumbents Brenda Kraemer (40) and Wanda Lloyd (38).

Not long after taking their seats, the new council is looking to fill the position of Administrator. They have brought in retired CAO Joanne Hamilton to fill in temporarily while they look for a person to fill the role permanently.

The municipality appears to be having some trouble finding a replacement. Their first call for applications did not produce any viable candidates, so they have advertised a second time.

The Village has been working through a process to determine its financial situation, but it doesn’t look good. Councilor Victor Senft said that other than the temporary CAO, they can no longer afford to pay staff. At 81 years of age, Senft has been volunteering his time and equipment to keep roads clear. They have reduced the number of meetings to one a month to reduce costs.

When asked if there was a point when the Provincial Government would put a person in for oversight, the Ministry of Government Relations responded. “In Saskatchewan, municipalities are considered a level government independent from the provincial government. The province provides the legislative framework through The Municipalities Act (Act) for municipalities to govern local affairs and make decisions on matters within their jurisdiction without provincial oversight. Council has the authority over the hiring and dismissal of the person appointed to the position of the administrator.

Municipal council members are elected by and accountable to the voters of the municipality. While the province maintains the legislative framework of the overall municipal government system, it is not an enforcement agency nor an alternative to mechanisms available to voters in the Act. The Act contains a number of tools voters can use to pursue the level of accountability they desire from their local government. For instance, citizens have the right to attend and observe council meetings, address council in writing or attend a council meeting as a delegate to raise their concerns. Voters can also petition council for a variety of matters, including petitioning for a public meeting to discuss concerns and/or petition for a financial audit or management audit. Additional information on these and other ways to hold council accountable can be found on saskatchewan.ca in the ministry’s document A Citizen’s Guide to Shaping Council Decisions.

The Ministry of Government Relations would not consider intervening into a municipality’s affairs unless all options available to the voters of the municipality as outlined above had been exhausted.”

Last night’s election results in the RM of McKillop will see some big changes around the council table.

Bob Schmidt is out as Reeve, with newcomer Ray Allen filling the head role. 184-128. Allen ran on a fiscally responsible, progressive agenda for agriculture, resorts, and business. He focused on accountability, earning ratepayers' trust, enhanced communication and transparency, engaging and listening to ratepayers, and eliminating wasteful spending.

Local farmer Glen Munholland won handily over former councillor Gary Dixon 53 - 10 in the seat vacated by Howard Arndt.

Newcomer Melissa Flory unseated incumbent Gary Gilbert 42 - 8.

Incumbent Don Whitrow hangs on to his seat against challenger Fred Antunes 60-47.

The newcomers will join Mark Strong, Bruce Bondar, Don Whitrow and Luke Wild at the new council’s first meeting on November 26, 2024. *available to view over Zoom

If you’ve ever met Travis Keisig, it’s likely been at a community event somewhere in the massive constituency of Last Mountain-Touchwood. He’s put on a lot of miles as he regularly traverses the three-hour trip from one end to the other. He’s been a regular face at fall suppers, car shows, community fundraisers, or, most recently, door-knocking during the Provincial election.

A local farmer,

and as down to earth as they come, Keisig first entered Provincial politics during Covid in the fall of 2020 after long-time MLA Glen Hart retired.

“When I was elected, I promised everybody at the doorstep that if you choose me as your representative, I would put the same work ethic that I used on my farm my entire life into my role of public service,” said Keisig.

An opponent of the Federal Carbon Tax, he spent four years as an MLA, with legislative duties as the Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation, a role he says will help him in his new responsibilities.

While he was an opponent of the carbon tax, it’s not a part of his portfolio. “Our Premier was the Environment Minister and was the first one to bring forward the policy that the carbon tax is not an environmental policy, it’s a taxation policy. And everything Premier, then Environment Minister Scott Moe said at the time was the carbon tax was going to be inflationary and would not reduce emissions, and he was called out as a naysayer. But everything that he predicted in 2018 has all come true.”

I caught up with Minister Keisig at his Legislative office the day after being sworn in as Minister of the Environment.

Keisig’s been busy. Meeting constituents in the community over the summer to the fall campaign grind. Now that the election is over, a new group of MLAs is finding their footing in the halls of the legislature. He said it's been exciting meeting his new colleagues. “There’s so much enthusiasm; it reminds me of how I was when I was newly elected.” He noted there was a difference from when he first was elected. “Under the cloud of Covid,” they didn’t have their first caucus meeting for over a year and a half.

This is the first Ministerial role for Keisig. “I’m really excited that the Premier chose me and definitely looking forward to what’s coming ahead,” Keisig said he will put a lot of time and effort into his new role, which comes with a lot of reading as he becomes familiar with the Environment Portfolio.

“I know the big picture…and that’s to support the Premier and his vision of continuing to grow the economy of this province and maintaining the very strict environmental regulations that we have. I mean, everyone wants clean air and clean water, and we do a very good job of that as a Province and to continue that going forward.”

Challenges ahead

When asked about the challenges, he said, “There is a lot of federal government overreach into many provincial jurisdictions, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity in a year or so to be working with a different Federal government on many of the issues that are very important to Saskatchewan and important to Canada.”

On Family

“My wife is super excited for me. She’s been my number-one supporter through my entire public service.” While one of Keisig’s daughters wasn’t able to be at his swearing-in ceremony due to work commitments, he said, “I mean, you want your family there, but then you understand, it’s nice to see you raised kids that have the work ethic to follow through on what their obligations are.”

“I’m super excited for this opportunity. There are so many good things happening in this province and different mineral expansions in Northern Saskatchewan…I mean, there’s tons of opportunities. That’s always been my North Star. When I was growing up in this province, all of my friends left for Alberta, and now I have the opportunity to have some influence and create economic growth so my kids can stay in this province. Both of my daughters are here, and I’m just super proud of that. And I want everyone’s children to have the option to stay in Saskatchewan if they want.”

For Keisig, there isn’t any slowing down. You might run into him this weekend as he works the door at a volleyball tournament or is out meeting with constituents.

Today, the Saskatchewan Health Authority issued a public alert for Typhoid Fever. The news release said people who ate at Domino’s Pizza in Martensville between October 11 and 19th are at risk of exposure to the serious illness.

Symptoms can occur from 3 to 60 days after exposure to the bacteria, but they typically occur within 8-14 days.

Symptoms can include “fever, headache, feeling unwell, fatigue, rash on the upper body, constipation, diarrhea and/or vomiting. It is spread through eating food and/or water contaminated with the bacteria.”

They said that although serious typhoid fever infection is rare and the risk to those exposed is considered low, it “is treatable with antibiotics.”

SHA recommends that “If you consumed food products from this location during these dates and are experiencing symptoms of typhoid fever, seek care from your health professional or call 811. You should indicate to them that you ate at this location during the dates listed.”

On Thursday, RM of Baildon Councillor Jerry Kaiser filed a claim at the Moose Jaw Court of King’s Bench, appealing the RM’s decision to declare his seat vacant, barring him from running in municipal elections for 12 years.

The removal stems from an October 2nd meeting that occurred on the same day Kaiser was nominated to run for Reeve.

An October 17th post on the RMs webpage says Kaiser “failed to declare a conflict of interest in relation to five resolutions in relation to which he had a conflict of interest…Two of the resolutions directly related to permit applications that Councillor Kaiser had put before Council for consideration, and another directly related to the dismissal of a Code of Ethics complaint that he had brought against RM Administration.  Council determined that as a result of this participation in these five resolutions, Councillor Kaiser had violated the conflict of interest provisions of The Municipalities Act and, therefore, was by law disqualified from office….As a result of these events, Mr. Kaiser is no longer eligible to be elected in any municipal election in Saskatchewan, including as Reeve of the RM of Baildon.” The post finished by saying that the Administration would be consulting the rules to “determine the course of action regarding the election for Reeve in Baildon and Mr. Kaiser’s prior nomination.”

Then, on October 28th, the RM posted that they would be holding the election for Reeve with Kaiser on the ballot after consulting with legal council and the Ministry of Government Relations: “Mr. Kaiser submitted his nomination paper before the nomination period closed. This occurred before he was disqualified.”

This isn’t the first time the RM has tried to have Kaiser removed. In early 2023, Kaiser was successful in his claim against the RM after they suspended him indefinitely in 2021 for failing to apologize for code of ethics violations, alleging he harassed staff and council.

The court said his removal was anti-democratic. While the council could impose sanctions, they didn’t have the legislative authority to remove him. Justice Megaw noted, “The applicant is a duly elected member of council. What council is doing is removing him from the position to which he has been elected and to which office he is entitled to hold.”

Kaiser said his issues with the Council started in 2016 when, as a ratepayer, he started to speak out against council actions that he felt were unfair, particularly to those with smallholdings compared to large corporate farmers. These issues made him decide to run for elected office in 2020. He characterized the treatment he received as bullying and intimidation and claims it has carried on since becoming a councillor.

“They can’t leave me alone. One way or another, they want to get rid of me, but I’m not that easy a mark,” said Kaiser.

For Kaiser, standing up for his beliefs hasn’t come cheap at a time when he should be enjoying retirement. “Some people golf, some people go to Florida, I just fight the municipal government.”

We reached out to the RM but didn’t hear back by publication.

Kaiser is running for Reeve against incumbent Terry Anthony.

Advance polls close Tuesday, November 5th, at the RM office in Moose Jaw, and regular polling is on Wednesday, November 13th, at the RM shop 15 kms south on Highway 2 of Moose Jaw.

*update - RM of Baildon’s legal counsel declined to comment

In 2022, the Ituna Rink was demolished to make way for a new rink. What happened to the old rink was the subject of last week's court proceedings at Fort Qu’Appelle Provincial Court, which resulted in some hefty fines, including $35,800 for three who pled guilty. Those charged said they didn’t know what they were doing was illegal.

After court, I spoke with Jack Shymko, who heads the Ituna Community Area Co-operative. He said, “It is what it is. We did break the law.”

The Charges under the Environmental Management Protection Act, 2010

Count 1: between April 1st, 2022 and November 30th, 2022 near Ituna, Saskatchewan did discard or abandon or cause to be discarded or abandoned or allow to be discarded or abandoned, any waste other than as permitted…

Count 2: between April 1st, 2022 and November 30th, 2022 near Ituna, Saskatchewan did operate or establish a waste disposal ground without a permit…

Count 3: between April 1st, 2022 and November 30th, 2022 near Ituna, Saskatchewan did operate or establish a waste disposal ground without a permit…

What happened in court

The Crown and Defense submitted a joint submission to the court, having previously agreed to the proposed fines.

David Renkus represented the Ituna Community Area Co-operative. The Co-operative pleaded guilty to Counts 1 and 3, and count 2 was stayed. They will pay $16,800 in fines and surcharges.

Alex Schebel owns the land where the building was burnt and buried. Plead guilty to Counts 1 and 2. He will pay $9,000 in fines and surcharge.

Barry Sawchuk, the contractor who hauled the material to the site, pleaded guilty to Count 1 and will pay $10,000 in fines and surcharges.

Charges on all counts against Jack Shymko and Leonard Kuschak were stayed.

In laying out the case, the Crown said a complaint from a concerned individual prompted the investigation and that the group did not do its due diligence to determine how to dispose of the old arena.

The Crown said that while the shingles were hauled away and handled appropriately, the remainder of the building, which included prohibited materials such as painted wood, was burnt and buried.

The Crown said they struggled with what to propose for fines, acknowledging it was a small community with volunteers who were community-minded and had good intentions. They noted that if the materials had been disposed of appropriately, they could have cost in excess of $200,000.

The crown said there had been some mitigation with the appropriate removal of the shingles and some attempts to remove metal. Still, the court has to balance the need for community and environmental deterrence. Each count could have incurred fines of up to a million dollars, and the proposed fines were appropriate. The fines will go to the Impacted Sites Fund.

The Crown said the Ministry of Environment is not seeking remediation, and the Crown was not seeking any additional orders related to the matter.

Addressing the Court

David Renkus addressed the Judge. He said they started fundraising in 2015 for the new facility and expected to be moved into it in a month. He said they still owe money for the new facility, and thousands of hours of volunteer time had been put towards the project. He noted the demolition cost $250,000 and believed there was a very limited amount of painted lumber in the building.

Addressing the judge, Jack Shymko thanked the Crown and said he thought he had done his due diligence in dealing with the disposal. But said that ignorance of the law wasn’t an excuse.

Speaking over the phone, Alex Schebel said that their intentions were in the right place.

Barry Sawchuk said they didn’t mean to do any harm.

The Judge said he knew the fines were not small, but they “are meant to be a deterrent.” The Judge noted that many people had “very good intentions” but that, unfortunately, those intentions “didn’t cut the mustard.”

Shymko agreed to act as a guarantor for the fines. The group has yet to figure out how to pay the fines. They will have one year to pay.

After court, Shymko said he would like the government to inform people about the laws better. “I feel like the government needs to do a better job of advertising these laws so the ordinary Joe, like us, knows what they are.”

He would like to see “more of a publicity campaign” and “make the municipalities more informed” about the law.

The Ministry of Environment has a guidance manual on Construction and Demolition Waste Management and Disposal.

I interviewed Balgonie Mayor Lain Lovelace about the challenges Balgonie residents faced this past holiday weekend. A 5 km long flammable hazardous fertilizer spill caused access issues for people trying to get in and out of the town. The latest access problem was only a week after a semi overturned in high winds, causing disruption.

The Backstory

When the bypass was built, the community fought but lost to keep an access entrance after learning that it would be lost completely because of the new bypass.

Before the direct access into town was closed, anyone who had ever crossed the busy highway to get into Balgonie, it could be downright scary. In foggy conditions or during a blizzard, it was absolutely hazardous and the cause of numerous fatalities over the years.

The original bypass plans for the community preserved the access but restricted it to right in/right out. This would stop people from crossing the highway but leave another access route open. Balgonie Mayor Lain Lovelace said that changed when it was determined the distances between the Highway 10 off-ramp and the onramp to the overpass, the entrance no longer met the criteria, and for safety reasons, the entrance was closed. Now, a locked gate remains, which can be opened by the fire department if the school or the community needs to be evacuated or if emergency services need to go through.

Residents posted on social media that they were thankful the change resulted in fewer accidents and Stars Air ambulances flying in. Balgonie Mayor Lain Lovelace said, “There hasn’t been a death at those overpasses since they built them…it did impact a lot of people, though, changing how we get in and out of town.”

No Detour Signs

Because of the hazardous cleanup, the heavy traffic restrictions on the community for nearly two days caused confusion and frustration among people trying to get in and out of Balgonie because there were no detour signs.

Residents voiced their frustration on social media and some towards the Ministry of Highways, with locals having trouble navigating despite knowing the area and families arriving for the holiday unable to figure out how to get in.

Lovelace was empathetic, saying he could only imagine what it would’ve been like for people to try to get in and out of town. “We want to go through and have lessons learned because signage, from what I understand, was non-existent…unless you are from the area and you know all of the grid roads, it would’ve been confusing for a lot of people.”

“It's tougher to get ahold of Highways people during the summertime, on the weekends; it's just the way they are set up. But we had two weekends in a row when we could’ve used some extra help out there,” said Lovelace.

Communication

While alternative route information was posted on the highway hotline, social media, and the new Voyent app Balgonie had only started using weeks before, Lovelace acknowledged people wouldn’t always turn to that and said he absolutely understood people’s frustration and would review what happened. He said that because of the incident, over 80 new people have signed up for the app. “Next time, we will be a little more prepared for the communication part from the town.”

Kudos

“This event happened outside of Balgonie. I have to tell you that our first responders and volunteer fire department are an excellent group. They were out there for pretty much the whole first day, helping with getting people where they needed to be. This fertilizer..starts on fire. So they were trying to deal with that as well.”

What now?

Lovelace said they would review what happened with their partners: Regina Bypass, Ministry of Highways, Balgonie Fire Department, RCMP, and the White Butte emergency measures group.

We contacted the Ministry of Highways and the RCMP but did not hear back by publication.

RM of McKillop - There has already been controversy in the RM of McKillop’s election race after candidate nomination forms were unavailable for ratepayers to view after nominations closed on October 9th. Nomination forms were posted in the RM office on the morning of the 10th, but ratepayers reported they had been pulled. **As of the afternoon of October 16th, the RM posted the nomination forms, with redactions, on their website under the election tab.

We contacted the RMs Administrator but have not heard back.

Ratepayer Edna Donnelly said she called the RM and was told she would need to make an appointment with the Administrator to view it in his presence.

She left her number to make the appointment, but when we spoke with her, she had yet to hear back. “How come I can’t find out who’s running? …Or if you have questions, you should be able to contact them.”

Ratepayer Leandra Cameron also had a similar experience. “I went in and looked in the porch part first. They had the notice of polls up, and then I went in, and the board where they had the nominations up originally… is gone. I asked where the nomination forms are for the election because they are supposed to be up.”

Cameron said she spoke with the Administrator, who told her the documents were being redacted and would be posted on the RM’s website.

By the afternoon, the RM posted the candidates' nomination and public disclosure forms on their web page. The contact information section was fully redacted. By contrast, the RM of Edenwold has unredacted nomination forms on its website.

Ray Allen, a resident of Heritage Valley in the RM, is one of three candidates running for Reeve.

He said he was not asked if he wanted his contact information redacted. “I’m concerned that the ratepayers didn’t have access to the information on who was running and their platforms. I know that I‘m going to be knocking on doors and distributing a flyer starting this weekend. It will have my email address for anybody that wants to reach out to me.”

“I find it concerning that it took another ratepayer [complaints] to post it on the website. It’s something the ratepayers should be aware of. I think platforms should be posted also, as well as contact information.”

We reached out to the Ministry of Government Relations but did not hear back by publication.

She came to Regina, Saskatchewan, for a year until this spring. Like many newcomers, it was nearly impossible for her to find work.

She sent me a video of the sounds of the war happening around her in her home city of Zaporizhia, which has over 700,000 people.

On the first night, Russia sent glide bombs into residential buildings, injuring 22. On this night, Iranian shahed drones and missiles destroyed critical infrastructure and hit a residential area, resulting in one death and 5 injured, including two children.

A bit of a like-minded foodie, she sent me photos a week ago from a dinner she had with a friend. The restaurant where they reconnected only days ago has now been destroyed.

In part of the audio,, you can hear her new kittens purring loudly, keeping her company while the bombs fly.

With her permission, I interviewed her while her city was under attack.

This is a story about a Red River Cart, a well-known symbol of Métis Culture. The weathered cart sits beside the Welcome to Lestock Centennial sign, secured to the ground with rebar, unprotected from the elements. The Métis built this particular Red River cart in 2012 through grant money for the Métis, and it’s divided a community.

But this story is actually about much more than a cart. It’s about the history and struggle of the Métis in the area and the paternalism of the government. It’s about truth and reconciliation and a glimpse into the work yet to be done.

To tell you how this community became divided over a cart, we must start at the beginning.

History of the Métis Road Allowance people in RM of Kellross

If you open up the RM of Kellross’ webpage and go to the history tab, it will tell you where the area’s early settlers came from- Ontario, Central Europe, the British Isles, and Hungary. But one piece is missing, and it’s glaringly apparent. Nowhere does it speak of the Indigenous or Métis of the area.

The documentary “Ashes and Tears: The Green Lake Story” details the painful 1949 removal of Métis families from their homes on the RM of Kellross’ road allowance, known as “Little Chicago or the Chicago Line.” It was located approximately 8 miles out of Lestock, Saskatchewan. There were numerous other communities like Little Chicago across the prairie provinces.

The Métis “squatted” on the road allowances because they had no land. To extinguish Indigenous land rights, generally speaking, the Federal Government offered First Nations people ‘treaty,’ and Métis were offered ‘scrip.’

Scrip was a certificate for 160 acres of land or $160 that could be exchanged for land. However, because the land was far away, people didn’t want to leave their communities, and land speculators seized an opportunity to take advantage of that. Speculators would offer a minuscule amount of money or something scrip holders needed, such as horses, in exchange for the scrip and would then sell it to the banks in Canada.

Fraud was rampant, with people’s names forged, showing they accepted scrip they never received.

Without any land, many made homes on unused crown land, like road allowances. Children on the road allowance weren’t allowed to attend school because their families didn’t own land and, therefore, didn’t pay school taxes. One of these road allowance communities was the Chicago Line; there were between 15 and 25 families who lived there.

In the ’40s, the provincial government took over Métis Farms, colonies set up by the Catholic Church.

In order to move the Metis off the road allowance, the RM coerced the families on the Chicago Line to leave with the promises of land, work and homes at the Métis Farms at Green Lake. Some said they were threatened with arrest if they didn’t go.

So the families left many of their belongings, pets, and livestock behind and loaded up what they were allowed onto a train headed to Green Lake, 49 km Northwest of Meadow Lake.

As the train pulled away, the people watched the smoke billow as their homes were burnt down, removing any possibility of returning to the road allowance, losing forever any possessions they left behind.

When they arrived at Green Lake, things would only get more challenging. Instead of improving their living situations, they faced severe hardships. There was no work. It was heavily treed bush, and there were no homes. Instead, they were given lumber to build houses, had to clear trees, and lived in tents. Very few made the first winter, leaving to return to the Lestock, Fort Qu’Appelle and Regina areas.

Darren Préfontaine is a Researcher in the Métis Culture and Heritage Department at the Gabriel Dumont Institute; he said, “The government policy was misguided. The provincial government was hoping that this would be a way to rehabilitate people who were having a hard go of it.”

“Now, the problem was it was very paternalistic. Nobody asked the Métis what they really wanted. The Métis probably would’ve preferred to have title to their own land in the Qu’Appelle valley and have, for lack of a better word, a Métis reserve, where all of the Métis people could live in one area, and they could access resources collectively in that area. But no one ever asked what they wanted.  Government and municipal officials said, “Let’s just move the people off the land that they are from and put them several hundred kms northwest into the bush in an area that they are not familiar with and not provide them with all of the infrastructure that they would need to make a proper go of it. It just really wasn’t well thought out.” 

Préfontaine  explained that this was a “paternalistic” policy because officials thought that the Métis, as Indigenous people, could “just live off the land” because they were “one with nature.” "Well, people need infrastructure; they need to have homes before they can worry about making a living or trapping or farming. None of that was there. You’d be hard-pressed to take any settler from the region of Lestock and tell them ‘go to Green Lake’ and not have anything and see what you can do.”

There were serious long-term implications which can be seen today. Préfontaine said, “The Chicago Line/Lestock Road Allowance people endured the long-term trauma of a forced move.  Some families were broken up, and there were hard feelings in the community when people returned from Green Lake.  Community solidarity, which was really strong prior to the move, unravelled, and people, after coming back from Green Lake, gradually drifted to other parts of the province, most notably Regina.  People suffered from low self-esteem and became even more distrustful of government. To this day, the relocation of the Chicago Line residents to Green Lake is a textbook example of government policy showing a “blatant disregard” for Métis people while having a deleterious impact upon them.”

In 2011, a historically accurate Red River Cart was Built by the Métis for the Métis with grant money for the Métis, but there was a catch…

As part of the 2012 Lestock Centennial, the local Lestock Métis #8 wanted to access Provincial Grant money through Sask Culture/Sask Lotteries as part of the Métis Cultural Development Fund. The money would go towards contracting a Métis Master Cart builder in Manitoba who would build a historically correct Red River cart, bringing it unfinished to Lestock, where local Métis could learn the skill of their ancestors and finish the cart together.

However, because the Métis Local needed a legal entity number on the application, they approached the Village of Lestock, which agreed and partnered with them to apply. The President of the Métis Local was made the project leader and did all the work on the application for $5,159.60.

The grant was approved for all but $500, which the Métis group came up with. Armand Jerome of Jerome Cartworks brought the cart from his shop in Manitoba to the town hall in Lestock, where Métis’ hands worked to put on the finishing touches.

82-year-old Dwight Sabiston was one of the Métis men who worked on finishing the cart. He said the experience was great. “He included everybody. He left some of it undone when he brought it from Manitoba. We all got to do a little bit on it just to say that we did.” Sabiston got to work on the hubs. “There are wooden hubs on it, and they had big wood rasps. And we got to work them down to shape them…to fit inside the holes so the wheels would be able to turn. So we did that by hand.”

“It felt really good. Everybody really enjoyed that.”

The cart was on full display as part of the Centennial parade and celebration. After, it sat at the Métis Local’s President’s property for seven years.

In 2017, the Village of Lestock was absorbed by the RM of Kellross, and then in 2018, there was a change of leadership on the Métis Local, with Leebert Poitras taking over as President. As part of the transition, the council undertook efforts to retrieve the cart.

At some point, the cart was moved beside the Centennial sign. The RM said the former local President agreed with the move, and the Local says there is no motion of such an agreement in their minutes.

In July 2020, the Local wrote a letter to the RM explaining the cart's cultural significance, asking for it to be gifted back to them and proposing a new location for the cart's placement. The RM agreed, making a motion that said, “..the municipality would have no objections of the cart being moved only if it is on RM/ Property now.”

Because they didn’t have a place for the cart, they didn’t try to access it until August of 2022. The local emailed the RM, informing them they would remove the cart to use in their cultural event the next day and then leave it at the hall while they drew up a proposal about where they would like it placed in the community.

When they went to get the cart, it was secured with rebar, and they cut it free. A video shows a tense altercation between RM Councillor Kelly Komodowski arguing with the Metis local and then appearing to block them from taking the cart. Kelly Komodowski served as the former mayor and councillor of Lestock. He became an RM Councillor in 2020.

Despite the altercation, the cart was used for the Métis Cultural days celebration the following day. After it was over, they left the cart chained to the hall. However, the local said the RM told them to put the cart in the old fire hall for safekeeping. Then council made a motion to put it back at the sign, securing it again with rebar.

The following year, in 2023, the Métis Local tried again to get the cart for their Métis celebration. They sent a letter to the RM and President Leebert Poitras appeared as a delegation at an RM council meeting to speak with them.

“I wanted to see if we could get our cart back and put it on our own property. And they kinda refused me. They said no, it belongs to the RM because they took all of the assets of the town. If you want to put it anywhere, it has to be on the RM property. I mean, what could I do? The thing is, we own it… but legally, they don’t want to give it back to us.”

Poitras said the Reeve told him, “You have no rights to claim the Red River cart as your own importance as Métis people; everybody used the Red River cart back in the old days.”

The RM ultimately denied their request to use the cart, making a motion that said, “..the Red River Cart is in place, and there is no decision left regarding the cart; thus, no more discussion is necessary.”

They had their Metis Cultural Days celebration that year without the cart and applied for another grant to build a monument and have another less expensive cart built, which they had in place this year.

What does the RM say?

Despite several attempts to speak with Reeve Thad Trefiak, he has yet to respond.

However, I spoke with the former Mayor of Lestock and current RM Councillor Kelly Komodowski. He said the land where the cart sits is his, and because the RM retained all the assets from the Village of Lestock, the RM owns the cart.

When I first contacted him about the cart, he was upset. He said of the Métis Local, “They are nothing but trouble, that bunch.”

He said of the cart, “It wasn’t theirs to begin with…They have a cart out on their Métis land out here…so what are they worried about? They have a cart.”

When I asked about the Métis feeling like they are being further victimized, he responded, “That’s how they always are.” He said, “The cart is there as far as it looks; it belongs to the community because Lestock had signed everything to get the grant for [the former Métis President] to help her to get it for the Centennial, and it stays there.”

He said he wasn’t interested in returning the cart because it belonged to the RM.

I asked Komodowski if he understood why the Métis feel they are continuing to be harmed by the RM and the relationship of the RM to the removal of their people from RM land. “It’s significant to everybody. They are not the only ones that used the Red River Cart. Everybody that crossed Canada used the Red River cart through the west here as a way of travelling back then. It’s not only theirs. Other white people have used that to go across.”

When asked if the RM would return the cart in the spirit of truth and reconciliation or if they would continue to refuse, he responded, “I imagine so because it belongs to the RM.”

Komodowski said he was aware of what happened to the Métis years ago. “That’s unfortunate that happened, but that was before my time, and I’m not dealing with that right now. I’m dealing with the cart here.”

Aside from wanting the cart returned, the local is concerned about its deterioration because it has a regular maintenance schedule.

One thing that everyone seems to agree with is the community is divided over the cart. Dwight Sabiston said he’s happy about the new cart, and while he would like to turn his back on the uproar over the other cart, getting back the one he helped build would be nice. However, he doesn’t think they have a chance. “It would alleviate a lot of bad feelings. It might not get rid of it, but it might be a step in reconciliation.”

Leebert Poitras would like to see the RM council educated on the history of the Métis, their hardships, and Truth and Reconciliation.

Despite having a new cart, Poitras acknowledged it would likely take a lawyer they couldn’t afford to get it back. “It’s a matter of principle,” he said.

Zoom will remain available to Council and the Public

For weeks, ratepayers in the RM have spoken out against Council’s decision to discontinue Zoom.

The RM started using Zoom during the pandemic and said the practice is cumbersome for administration staff to manage. It didn’t feel like the handful of ratepayers who regularly attended over Zoom was enough to justify its use; instead, it wanted everyone to attend meetings in person. Councillor Don Whitrow originally put the motion forward, saying he wanted to see Councillors around the table.

Councilor Mark Strong is the only councillor who regularly utilizes Zoom. He works full-time, owns two businesses, and splits his time between his permanent residence in the city and the RM. The majority of the council members live in the RM and are retired or semi-retired.

Following his motion to rescind, Councilor Don Whitrow put forward a new motion that would have required Councillors to attend one meeting in person every month.

*Listen to audio of the discussion below:

Council discussed issues that could potentially arise with such a requirement, such as being denied meeting access if sick for extended periods. Reeve Bob Schmidt said while attendance in person should be encouraged the motion wouldn’t be enforceable.

Appearing frustrated, Whitrow said, “You need to be at this bloody table to make any decisions.”

When asked for his recommendation, the CAO said he didn’t think an expectation of attending one meeting a month in person was unreasonable. “I think that would be a general expectation of your colleagues. I think a councillor has a right to decide how they’re best representing their constituents, and it’s not really for other councillors to prescribe to each other how to do that.”

Whitrow appeared frustrated with Councillor Strong, who was seated beside him in person at the meeting. “I’d like you to sit at this meeting and have me up there on Zoom… it’s out of hand.”

Before voting, Councillor Strong questioned the logic of not allowing councillors into the meeting when the public could. Councillor Bruce Bondar spoke on the matter: “If Zoom is available, the councillor has the right to use it. We don’t have the right to tell him or her you can’t attend the meeting. That’s what this motion is saying. It has to fail.”

Whitrow, appearing fed up, said he was withdrawing his motion.

Councillors agreed with Whitrow that councillors should be at the table but that it was unenforceable. Strong asked if the motion was directed at him. While Whitrow denied it, most of the comments have been directed towards Strong as he is the only Councilor who regularly attends over Zoom.

Strong said his work was why he often couldn’t attend in person, and when he ran for council, a previous administrator told him Zoom would be available to him. Whitrow took issue with how he perceived Strong’s attention to what was happening at the table and Councilor Luke Wild told Strong he thought Strong was taking advantage of it. (There was banter around this; listen to the audio for the discussion)

Councillors attending meetings over Zoom will be excluded from closed-session discussion

The bylaw included a clause that said, “8.1.6. Members participating in a meeting electronically will not be able to participate in closed session of council.” The CAO said this was included after a discussion with colleagues and after the Ministry of Government Relations recommended the clause for confidentiality.

Only after the bylaws had passed the second and third readings was the public able to bring concerns to the council’s attention during the open session.

Ratepayer Ray Allen suggested alternatives to ensuring confidentiality, such as using earbuds. “I can tell you forcing people to be sitting at a table to conduct a meeting is not how business is conducted now. I’ve been conducting business for many, many years, and I’m very sensitive to situations, very confidential situations. It can be done, it is done….As a ratepayer, I was disappointed about the debate that went on this morning, and how it went on this morning about Zoom and forcing council members to be at this table. When meetings are done every day around the world hundreds of thousands of times with lots of people on Zoom.” Reeve Bob Schmidt responded that things have improved in the RM over the years with the RM’s transparency. He thanked Allen for his comments.

Ratepayer Leandra Cameron said of Zoom, “I think it’s obvious council did come to the right decision and Councilor Whitrow rescinded his resolution…If councillors are not going to be allowed to participate in closed sessions if they are on Zoom. how are they expected to vote on the issues that are discussed if they are not involved in a closed session? Essentially this would prevent a councillor from representing their division ratepayers…This can be changed, and I believe it should be…you are trying to come up with issues that might happen that haven’t happened. .and you can’t police the confidentiality of this any more than you can the oath that you have signed. It’s really an irrelevant point. All it’s doing is removing a councillor from doing his duty and being able to be in the closed sessions to hear the discussions.”

We reached out to the Ministry of Government Relations about their recommendation. A spokesperson with the Ministry said municipalities are required to have council procedures bylaw, and the council has the discretion to include what they deem necessary to conduct meetings. “Inquiries made to Advisory Services are confidential and should not be considered recommendations or opinions, but instead assist inquirers with what is outlined in legislation.”

The next meeting of the Council meets on Tuesday, August 13th; public access via Zoom link is available on their website.

*Full audio of meeting available on RM website

The 7 towering plants stood out like sore thumbs next to the road along the valley floor just north of Regina.

Amid the native prairie grasses, this tropical-looking plant towers above them, growing up to 1.5 metres. While objectively beautiful with its pale yellow flowers, this is one plant that can spread easily. Each pod is full of seeds, and one plant can release up to 500,000.

One problem is where the weed was found- the valley floor is primarily hayland and grazing areas. An information document put out by the Sask Invasive Species Council says it’s noxious, with all parts of the plants toxic to humans and animals if ingested. “Livestock will typically avoid live plants due to their foul odour and taste; however, dried plant parts retain their toxicity and will be readily consumed in baled forage.”

Andrea Lawrence, who lives in the valley, first noticed the weed in 2018 when she moved to her acreage. “Back in 2018, I found some just outside my backdoor..so I eliminated that one.” She had a phone number to report the plant and was connected to someone in the southern USA. “He said, it’s not supposed to be that far north.” When she asked how it could’ve made its way up here, he said it was possible it came as a result of a bird having seeds in its feathers or in its poop.

Courtney Huber, Chief Administrative Officer with the RM of Longlaketon, said they haven’t had reports of Black henbane. Their efforts to deal with noxious weeds are primarily around leafy spurge. Huber said the RM has a noxious weed program and will cover the cost of chemicals and the municipality’s custom work charges up to $2,000.00 in expenses. They also participate in SARM’s Invasive Plant Control Program, which provides a 50% rebate for noxious weeds that are approved under the program.

Acting Provincial Weed Control Specialist Cory Jacob with the Ministry of Agriculture recommends people report Black henbane to the RM so they can inform the weed inspector of its presence. He said the main thing with noxious weeds is to contain and control them. He said if people are going to deal with the weed on their own, they should use caution by wearing protective gloves and clothing to prevent skin irritation. “Pulling it by hand to try to remove it isn’t always effective because of the tap root. If you don’t get the full root, it might regrow.” He said if it does regrow, you might have to go back and keep fighting with it. He said there are herbicide options and mowing can control it before it produces seed.

For the weeds that Lawrence removed, she plans on burning them when weather conditions are better suited.

Spike, the 34-year-old African Sulcata tortoise, is home safe and sound after one heck of an adventure this week.

On Saturday, the 155 lb tortoise pushed his way through two wooden posts pounded into the ground outside of his enclosure. His owners, Derrick and Kim Engen of Paintball Paradise, said he is like a tank, can be a bit on the stubborn side and likes a challenge. “He doesn’t realize how wide he is or how high…he tries to fit through the smallest spaces because his head can see through, but he can’t get through,” said Kim.

The Engens believe he made his way out of the park’s entry gate, making two turns and following grid roads before eventually finding his way to busy Highway 6, where he decided to head across the highway. This was when Chief Lee-Anne Kehler of Kawacatoose First Nation came upon Spike on her way to Regina. “I noticed that there was something crossing the road…When I pulled over, I took a picture of it when it crossed beside me.” She said she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She sent the photo to her husband, who shared it with their family. Chief Kehler’s daughter had seen the social media posts about a missing tortoise, and they contacted the Engens. Chief Kehler’s photo quickly spread on social media, and people started to look for Spike.

This wasn’t the first time Spike’s been on the lam, but the last time didn’t end well. Twelve years ago, he escaped; when he was much smaller and only weighed 55 lbs, he was run over by a truck and trailer. It took Spike years to heal from his injuries, and evidence of his close call is still visible on his shell.

By Tuesday evening, a neighbour found Spike on a grid road leading to the community of Craven, which was preparing for the annual Country Thunder music festival. People on social media were happy to see Spike had been returned safely, with several joking about Spike going to Craven.

Two people were needed to lift Spike into the vehicle to make the much safer journey home. In all, the Engens think he travelled around 8 kms in the three days he was gone.

Spike was born in Canada, but his species comes from Eastern Africa, living on the edge of the Sahara Desert. He is the third largest species of tortoise on earth and can grow up to around 200 lbs.

Spike doesn’t like temperatures over 30 degrees, and when at home, he drinks a bit from a water dish but gets most of his water from leafy greens and vegetables. The Engens said that when he got home, he ate two cucumbers faster than they’d ever seen. When we met him, he easily munched through five English cucumbers.

Tortoises are different than turtles. Spike lives on the land; unlike turtles, he can’t swim and will drown if put in the water.

The Engen’s are grateful this story has a happy ending but they aren’t taking any chances. It’s unlikely Spike will be able to breach the new heavy-duty posts they’ve cemented in the ground in time to see Luke Combs close out the big show on Sunday. But, for a stubborn tortoise who likes a challenge, he has time to devise a new plan to get to Country Thunder by 2036.