
Travel not recommended on many highways in southeast Sask.
Social Sharing
Drivers are being advised not to travel on many highways in southeast Saskatchewan because of snowy road conditions Thursday morning.
According to the Highway Hotline, which provides details on road conditions and roadway advisories, several of the highways out of Regina are either closed or affected by snow conditions.
As of 10 a.m. CST, the Trans-Canada Highway was closed west of the city toward Belle Plaine, due to snow drifts and swirling and drifting snow. East of the city, travel is not recommended on the Trans-Canada right up to the Manitoba border.
In Regina, snow routes were also in effect Thursday, meaning there is no on-street parking along select routes identified by a blue sign with a white snowflake. Those parking prohibitions are in place for a 24-hour period.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued blowing snow advisories for regions in Saskatchewan's southeast, warning of poor visibility and winds gusting up to 60 km/h.
Southern Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba were expected to receive upwards of 20 centimetres of snow on Wednesday.
In Saskatoon, the city declared a snow event. About 11 cm of snow has fallen in the city over the past two days, and city crews and contractors are expected to clear priority streets in the next 72 hours.
According to a news release from the city, there will be 12 sanders, 26 graders and seven plows working on maintaining city streets.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Influx of chimney swifts in N.B., promising sign for threatened species: experts
FREDERICTON – The spring migratory season got off to an encouraging start for one threatened bird species, a national conservation group says, noting it recently logged thousands of chimney swifts at a single address in Fredricton. Allison Manthorne, associate director of Atlantic programs with Birds Canada, said chimney swift numbers have dropped by about 90 per cent since the 1970s. So when Birds Canada counted more than 2,400 chimney swifts pouring into a city flue on the evening of May 25, she said the group was pleasantly surprised. 'It's the only large roost that we know of in Fredericton at the moment … typically, we'll see this kind of pulse in late May of a few hundred birds,' she said. 'Sometimes there's a bit of a traffic jam, and maybe it's weather, maybe it's a predator, maybe it's a big storm down south, … We're not entirely sure what happened to make all of these 2,400 swifts pack into that roost on that particular night.' Manthorne said Birds Canada staff and volunteers participate in a national roost monitoring survey on four set dates across chimney swift nesting sites every year. Manthorne said the last time Birds Canada counted close to this number of chimney swifts — about 2,700 — was in 2018. The scimitar-shaped chimney swifts are classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and are also protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated the chimney swift population stood between 20,000 and 70,000 mature birds as of 2023. It said the long-term goal is to maintain a stable population between 2033 and 2043, while the short-term objective is to halt the drop in numbers within 10 years. Chimney swifts are long-distance migrants, breeding anywhere between Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and wintering in South America. They regularly nest in chimneys or other tall stacks on their travels. Nick Lund, a network manager for U.S. wildlife conservation organization Maine Audubon, called chimney swifts incredible birds. 'They're often called a cigar with wings,' he said while describing their short, tubelike bodies flanked by scythe-like appendages. 'They spend their days zooming around over towns and cities, gulping flying insects out of the air. … They're never seen perched or on the ground, unless you're able to peer into a nest chimney.' Lund said there's a lot to love about chimney swifts, especially for city-dwellers with fewer opportunities to see the natural world in action. 'They're unlike any other bird you'd find in a city — very different from pigeons or starlings — and so they're a great connection to a wilder world for many people.' Scientists say the birds are now threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use, which depletes the supply of flying insects they rely on for food. 'It's not just one single threat,' Manthorne said. 'It's this constellation of threats, and they're doing the best they can to survive.' In 2021, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner said climate change, insecticides, herbicides, light pollution, invasive species and changes in agriculture and land use are causing Earth to lose probably one to two per cent of its insects each year. Insects 'are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built,' Wagner said. Ripple effects of habitat loss is affecting not just insects, but birds too. Lund said chimney swifts used to nest in large trees hollowed out by lightning or other forces. But now, he said they nest exclusively in the closest manmade equivalent: chimneys. Manthorne said the birds have large eyes, short legs and 'giant' feet that they use to cling on the inside of hollow trees or chimneys. The birds also have distinctive tails, where each feather has a pointy end that helps the birds climb smokestacks. 'When they're clinging to the inside of a chimney at night, they're using their giant feet with their big claws, and they're using their tails, and they can hang on to the side of a vertical surface all night,' she said. 'It's really cool.' They often return to past nesting sites, she added, noting that pattern highlights the importance of spots like the roosting site in Fredericton. Manthorne is troubled by what she says is a common misconception that birds and humans can't comfortably co-exist. 'We always say chimney swifts make really good house guests. They're clean, they're tidy, they're not loud. You probably wouldn't even know that they're there unless somebody told you, 'Hey, I saw a bird flying down your chimney,'' she said. 'If you've got a pair of swifts, it's really special. You're providing a home for this threatened species. And they've chosen your chimney for a reason.' — With files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rain welcomed as crews continue to fight northern wildfires
Rain overnight and into Sunday offered a bit of hope to areas of northern Manitoba that wildfires have scorched in recent weeks. Sherridon Deputy Mayor Sheryl Matheson told the Free Press on Sunday morning rain was falling in the town, which is about 900 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. 'They are hoping it helps,' she said, adding that extra wildfire crews fighting the nearby blaze are keeping things stable in the town of about 60 people, all of whom have been evacuated to Dauphin. SUPPLIED Wildfire west of the northern community of Sherridon on May 26. As of Sunday, rain was finally falling in the community. Firefighters in Flin Flon, which was also receiving some light rain on Sunday, and Sherridon have been holding back flames for more than a week. The merged fire covered more than 307,000 hectares as of Saturday. Lori Forbes, the rural municipality of Kelsey's emergency co-ordinator, said The Pas had also received some rain on Sunday morning, and she was hearing reports there was some in Cranberry Portage, which is under a mandatory evacuation order. 'We will take what we can get,' she said. An update from Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake) on Sunday stated the wildfire in the area, which is nearly 60,000 hectares in size, remains a significant concern, although current weather conditions, which included rain on Sunday, have slowed its growth. Incident Commander Caleb Finch reported three to four millimetres of rainfall, standing water on roads and lower cloud ceilings contributing to cooler temperatures and higher humidity, all of which are reducing fire activity for the time being. An update from Pimicikamak said aerial firing operations are being considered to help control the fire, but are on hold at the moment until conditions become hotter and drier. 'The fire continues to threaten both road access and the local power supply, maintaining a high-risk situation for the community,' the update said. Crews were working on high-priority areas, including securing perimeters near Highway 373 and 374, protecting critical infrastructure, such as power lines and poles, and containing the spread on surrounding islands and heavily timbered areas. More than 18,000 people have been evacuated in Manitoba, including 7,500 in Pimicikamak and 5,000 in Flin Flon. The desperately needed rain will continue this week in Manitoba, but sustained showers aren't in the forecast. 'What we need to quell the fires up north are several days' worth of sustained rainfall, of course. We don't see that coming up in the near future, unfortunately,' said Eric Dykes, a Winnipeg-based meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. As of late Sunday morning, many areas of northern Manitoba had received 10 to 15 millimetres of rain in the past 24 hours. Sherridon got 13.5 mm, while William River west of Norway House saw 14.7 mm. Most of this weekend's rain hit southern parts of the province, kicking up some 'dust devil' clouds in the Morden-Winkler area and producing pea-sized hail around Niverville. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The provincial high 24-hour rainfall accumulation was north of Fisher Branch, with 29.2 mm. Scattered, light showers are expected to continue throughout northern Manitoba this week, particularly Tuesday through Thursday, with Friday expected to be dry. The wildfire areas need much more rain than is forecast. 'That being said, this rain will help,' Dykes said. With files from Katie May Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.


Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
Quebec could break its poor air quality record as smoke sits over the province
Quebecers are being urged to take precautions as a special air quality statement is in effect Friday, with smoke from wildfires in the Canadian Prairies drifting into the province. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says in a statement that the smoke is causing poor air quality for the entire Greater Montreal area and is reducing visibility, with conditions potentially persisting into Saturday. According to IQAir, a site that tracks air quality around the globe, Montreal ranked third in the world for worst air quality Friday, with Toronto and Santiago, Chile, coming in second and first, respectively. Detroit and Delhi ranked fourth and fifth. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Health officials are warning that as smoke levels rise, so do health risks — particularly for vulnerable populations. This includes seniors, pregnant individuals, infants, young children, those with chronic illnesses and outdoor workers. Story continues below advertisement 'People in these groups should avoid strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if symptoms occur,' the advisory states. Common symptoms from smoke exposure may include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and mild coughing. More severe symptoms like wheezing, chest pain or a persistent cough should be treated as potentially serious and may require immediate medical attention. Residents are advised to stay indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, and to use a high-quality air filter or portable air cleaner if possible. For those who must go outside, a well-fitted N95 respirator can help reduce exposure to fine particles, although it doesn't eliminate all health risks. Officials also urge people to reschedule or reduce outdoor activities and events, and to check in on neighbours or loved ones who may be more susceptible to air pollution. If an extreme heat warning is issued alongside the air quality alert, authorities stress the importance of staying cool while also minimizing smoke exposure. Residents are encouraged to monitor updates from local health and environmental authorities as conditions can change quickly.