The Government of Canada says support is coming to help Prairie businesses respond to challenges from the current global trade war.

Support will come through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI), part of the federal government’s three-year, $450-million effort to protect Canadian businesses and workers from the impacts of tariffs.

Delivered by Canada’s regional development agencies (RDAs), the government has also announced RTRI support for Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and the territories.

“Canadian businesses are facing economic uncertainty as tariffs disrupt their export markets and global supply chains,” the press release reads.

“In this moment of global volatility, Canada is standing firm — defending its industries, protecting workers, and investing in long-term resilience.

First announced in July, the RTRI aims to help boost productivity, cut costs, build more resilient supply chains and reach new markets. It also aims to equip small and medium-sized enterprises to obtain new opportunities, adapt to current global trade realities and boost domestic trade.

Among the sectors targeted by the program is Canada’s steel industry, the release notes.

The trade war began at the beginning of the year when U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian imports including consumer goods, steel, aluminum and automobiles, to which Canada responded with counter-tariffs.

Since then, tariff rates between the two countries have fluctuated amid tense trade talks, with review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement scheduled for next year.

As of Sept. 1, counter-tariffs on many U.S. goods compliant with the trade deal will be removed.

Details on how to apply and eligible organizations for the RTRI by region are available on local RDA portals.

Passengers heading to Toronto on an Air Canada flight from Denver were forced to turn back this weekend after a possible electrical fire.

In a statement, Air Canada said that on Aug. 31, Flight 1038 “returned to Denver shortly after takeoff due to a reported acrid smell in a galley area.”

The airline said the aircraft, an Airbus A220, landed safely, “and the 117 passengers and 5 crew evacuated the aircraft using emergency slides as a precaution.”

One person suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, Air Canada said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is investigating.

“Air Canada Flight 1038 returned to and landed safely at Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 31, after the crew reported a possible electrical fire,” the FAA said in a statement.

Passengers were returned to the terminal, and Air Canada said it is working to make alternative travel arrangements as soon as possible.

Firefighters in Regina reported no injuries after a blaze was reported at a home on Retallack Street Saturday.

Crews arrived on the 800 block of Retallack Street at 12:35 p.m. Firefighters reported seeing flames on the second storey of the home.

Crews entered the house and were able to contain the fire quickly.

The home was searched, and no injuries were reported.

The blaze is under investigation.

While previously considered contained, the Trail and Muskeg wildfires have once again forced some residents to evacuate near the northern village of Île-à-la-Crosse, located approximately 375 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

The Trail and Muskeg fires represent two of the province’s largest wildfires – spanning a collective 406,000 hectares.

As of 4 p.m. Sunday, three fires were considered not contained throughout Saskatchewan – they included the BRIRO3 fire near the village of Dillon – in addition to the Muskeg and Trail fires.

In a message posted to social media Saturday afternoon, the northern village of Île-à-la-Crosse notified residents in the Canoe River subdivision to vacate the area for safety reasons.

Additionally, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) ordered all residents near the South Bay Veterans Park to vacate the area by 8 p.m. Saturday.

The fire later reached Highway 155 at Canoe River and closed sections of the roadway between Buffalo Narrows and the Beauval area.

As of Sunday afternoon, the road has been reopened. However, according to the province’s Highway Hotline, fires persist in the area –with smoke leading to low visibility.

Highway 165 near the Highway 914 junction remains closed and barricaded after fires crossed over the roadway in that area.

According to the SPSA, crews fighting the Trail fire are concentrating their efforts on the section of the blaze located at the northern end of Amyot Lake, near Canoe River.

Additionally, protection assessments are underway on homes and buildings around Île-à-la-Crosse Lake.

It took 11 years, loads of equipment and multiple attempts to pull an excavator-turned-landmark out of an east-central Saskatchewan lake.

But for the owner of the company that got the job done, it was just another day.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” said Lance Lund with Raptor Picker Services and Hotshots. “So we were out there to show it can be.

“It was a challenge, 100 per cent, but we worked as a team and had a pile of support.”

The story of the excavator began in March 2014, before the spring thaw, when the driver of the equipment fell through the ice on Quill Lakes, north of Regina.

Saskatchewan’s environment ministry says it happened during a highway project when the operator attempted to cross the frozen lake.

“No environmental impacts were ever reported, and the Ministry of Environment was not involved in recovery operations, as no discharge had occurred,” it says in a statement.

As years became a decade, the excavator stayed put and became somewhat of a monument. It’s even listed on Google as a former historical landmark, receiving cheeky five-star reviews.

“Rest in peace, noble machine,” writes one user.

“An important part of our Canadian heritage,” writes another.

“Someone sacrificed his excavator so we don’t have to. Now we know we can’t take an excavator there.”

Howie Linnen, the reeve of Big Quill, said people checked out the excavator as they drove by on the nearby highway.

“There was very little said to us. Nobody lodged a complaint,” he said. “But (the removal) is good for the environment, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

The Quill Lakes are a series of saline lakes considered important for the staging and breeding of shorebirds.

Jason Friesen, reeve for the Rural Municipality of Lakeside, said the excavator drew in people who wanted to take a look.

“It wasn’t good to leave it in there that long, but, under the circumstances, it was the best they could do,” Friesen said. “They tried to get it out before, but couldn’t.”

Linnen and Lund said seven or so different operators tried to pull it out but were unsuccessful.

Lund said he first saw the failed attempts online.

“There was a bounty out for it,” he said. “We’ve pulled cats out of the ice before -- nothing to this extent -- but we put a plan together and all worked as one.”

The environment ministry says the Water Security Agency, which manages the province’s water system, issued a permit in June for the excavator’s retrieval.

Lund’s team went to the lake the following month.

He said they removed the excavator using a pulley system that allowed them to lift it onto mats. Bed trucks, pickers, track hoes and other equipment were involved.

Lund said oil leaked out of the machine, but they mopped it up.

Everything else remained intact, he said.

“It was another day in our world. We deal with a lot of different things and, at the end of the day, it wasn’t all that hard to put a plan together and get it out,” he said.

He said the excavator remains at his shop in Lloydminster, the city built on the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.

He’s still ironing out details on whether he can keep it, he said, adding the payment terms for its removal are confidential.

“There’s a few people that are still up in there asking, ‘Why would you take it out of there? This was a monument,’” he said. “But at the end of the day, there is fish in that lake.

“A lot of people don’t believe it, but we actually saw quite a few of them washing up on shore when we were pulling it out.”

Residents in Pilot Butte are picking up the pieces after a large fire destroyed two homes in the community early Sunday morning.

Firefighters from Balgonie, White City, Emerald Park, in addition to crews from Pilot Butte, responded to a house fire on the 700 block of Aspen Crescent at around 1:45 a.m. on Sunday.

Crews worked for hours to control and extinguish the fire that involved two houses located side-by-side.

Pictures from the scene show the front façade of one of the homes still standing – with the majority of the structure located behind completely charred and collapsed.

The home next door showed signs of heavy damage – but less than the original house.

Fire crews from Balgonie were able to return home at around 6 a.m. - while local responders remained on scene well into Sunday morning.

Recognizing the intense damage, the Town of Pilot Butte shared a statement Sunday – offering support for the families affected by the weekend fire.

“Our hearts go out to the residents who lost their homes in the early morning hours of August 31,” the post read. “We cannot begin to imagine the pain and loss you are experiencing, and we want you to know that our entire community stands with you during this incredibly difficult time.”

The Pilot Butte Fire Department wasn’t able to provide many more details regarding the fire – only that several pets from one of the houses remain missing.

Once again, the Labour Day Classic came down to the closing moments, with yet another thriller between the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

With Winnipeg threatening to tie the game on a two-point convert attempt, Tevaughn Campbell picked off Zach Collaros and took it 111 yards to seal the Riders’ 34-30 win.

With the win, the Riders move to 9-2 on the season, best in the Canadian Football League (CFL). It was also their 39th win in the Labour Day game against Winnipeg.

The Bombers fall to third in the West with a record of 6-5.

What started as a defensive battle, quickly became a shootout. For just the third time in Labour Day Classic history (1952, 1970, 2025), the score was 0-0 after the first quarter.

Saskatchewan would spot the Bombers 10 points before getting on the board themselves.

A Malik Carney strip sack of Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros inside the Bomber 20-yard line would set up a seven-yard A.J. Ouellette touchdown run.

It was Ouellette’s first time in the endzone since Week 7 – and first rushing TD for the running back since Week 4.

In addition to the touchdown, the rusher finished with 18 carries for 89 yards on the ground.

On Saskatchewan’s next offensive possession, Trevor Harris would lead a five-play, 102-yard touchdown drive – culminating with a 69-yard catch and run by Tommy Neild.

The Rider pivot went 17/27, 219 yards passing with one touchdown and did not throw an interception.

For Winnipeg, Collaros went 26/37, 326 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Rider running back Mario Anderson reached the endzone for his first CFL touchdown in the third quarter, scoring his second rushing TD in the fourth to put Saskatchewan up 13 points.

Fresh off the birth of his baby girl, kicker Brett Lauther made his lone field goal try from 34 yards. He did however, miss one extra-point attempt in the third quarter.

In the stands, the Riders announced an attendance of 34,243 – a new Mosaic Stadium record. The 2013 Labour Day Classic had 44,910 at old Taylor Field.

The two teams now prepare to face off against each other in six days in Winnipeg for the Banjo Bowl.

Saskatchewan’s Minister of Advanced Education says one of his social media accounts has been hacked.

Ken Cheveldayoff posted to his Facebook account Thursday, saying his X (formerly Twitter) account was taken over, and inappropriate content was being shared.

Whoever accessed the MLA’s account, which has over 2,000 followers, changed its name to “XxX Porn,” and was sending out pornographic content.

Cheveldayoff says once he was made aware of the hack, he immediately contacted X to have the content removed.

“Please disregard anything from my X account until the problem has been resolved,” the MLA wrote in his Facebook post.

Cheveldayoff won his sixth consecutive MLA term in the 2024 general election. Following the election, he was named Minister of Advanced Education for the province.

🎉 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