Ottawa unveiled an unorthodox carbon tax communications strategy in Saskatchewan: threats. Saskatchewan minister responsible for SaskEnergy, Dustin Duncan, announced in October that Saskatchewan would stop collecting the federal carbon tax on home heating in the province. The provincial government estimates this will save the average family who uses natural gas to heat their home $400...
Author: Editor
Why is everyone shouting? I can’t hear myself think
How long has society been whipping itself into frenzies? The answer could well be “forever,” but in my lifetime, I’ve never seen anything quite like the discourse presently afflicting North America as well as much of the rest of the world. We’ve always had passionate debates around political issues. It’s the language and the volume...
Garden lore from days of yore
Winter is a wonderful time to reflect. And what better topic to reflect upon than gardening! Gardening is an inexact science which has been surrounded by habits, traditions, folklore, and superstition. However, if you look closely, you will see much wisdom intertwined throughout the lore. This year is a Leap Year, which gives us one...
2024 Brier was one of the best ever
The recently completed 2024 Brier was my favourite since 1980. That was the one when Rick Folk of Saskatoon won at the old Calgary Corral. I was fortunate enough to be there as a wet-behind-the-ears — whatever that means — member of the StarPhoenix sports department. I was given the wonderful opportunity to cover the...
Persephone Theatre ready for a golden season
Fifty years. Four main venues. More than 360 shows. According to Persephone Theatre’s artistic director Heather Cant, the surviving founder of Persephone Theatre did not see that kind of longevity coming back in 1974. That would be director Brian Richmond, who created Persephone with actors Susan and Janet Wright (you may remember the latter as...
Will wearing green be lucky for McEwen?
It’s the month for St. Patrick’s Day, so perhaps wearing Saskatchewan green and the luck of the Irish will mean a Brier championship for Mike O’McEwen. He’s changed provinces regularly, so why can’t he change his name, too? — from McEwen to O’McEwen, just to heighten his chances of expanding his luck quotient to win...
Book Review: The Legend of Sarah
by Leslie Gadallah Published by Shadowpaw Press Review by Toby A. Welch $24.95 ISBN 9781989398494 The Legend of Sarah was first published in 1988 under the title Lore Master. It has now been republished in this third edition by Shadowpaw Press Reprise based in Regina. Those who grab a copy of this book will be grateful that...
Ken Noskye’s Memorable Stories: He wouldn’t run, but Buster was a great dog
When Ken died in February 2021, we had an outpouring of messages from readers, with many telling us how much his columns meant to them. In light of that, we thought we would go back through our files and re-publish some of them. Ken would be flattered by the kind words readers expressed. We miss...
Ag exports set record again
Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry has posted a fourth consecutive year of record agri-food exports, with shipments totaling $20.2 billion for 2023. The leading agri-food export commodities in 2023 were non-durum wheat, canola seed, canola oil, durum, lentils and canola meal. The top five international market destinations were the United States, China, Japan, Mexico and Algeria. “Strong...
Taking Carbon Tax Off Home HeatingDrops Saskatchewan Inflation toUnder Two Per Cent
The Saskatchewan Government’s decision to remove the federal carbon tax from home heating helped reduce Saskatchewan’s inflation rate to 1.9 per cent, down from 2.7 per cent in December, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report released today by Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada specifically identifies the removal of the federal carbon tax on natural...