Latest news with #MooseJaw
CTV News
4 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Moose Jaw military police detachment honours solider who died while escorting Queen Elizabeth II
In recognition of MWO Norman 'Danny' Elbridge O'Donnell more than 30 years of service to the Canadian Armed Forces, the 15 Wing Moose Jaw Canadian Forces Base was renamed after him. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News) A military police detachment has been renamed in honour of a soldier from Moose Jaw who died while escorting Queen Elizabeth II. Norman 'Danny' Elbridge O'Donnell died of cardiac arrest while leading a motorcade for the late queen, during her visit at 15 Wing Moose Jaw Canadian Forces Base on July 30, 1978. In recognition of his dedication and over 30 years of service to the Canadian Armed Forces, the city's police detachment was named after him. 'It is special because we have a special uncle and we really enjoyed the things [we] have done with him. To hear that he was going to be recognized for the service he performed was pretty special,' said O'Donnell's nephew, Richard Hansen. On Wednesday, a rededication ceremony was held to unveil the detachment's new name. Officers said the renaming is a meaningful way 'to ensure his memory and his service are never forgotten.' '[Master Warrant Officer] O'Donnell represents one of many military police members who have died in the line of duty,' shared Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal who assumed command of the Canadian Forces Military Police Group. 'Given that he actually served some time here in Moose Jaw, it's very fitting that they look to name one of the buildings here, most specific the military police detachment, after him. As it brings back the fact that someone from this detachment gave the ultimate sacrifice and gave their life in service to their country.' Hanrahan added through his years of service, O'Donnell exhibited what officers strive for. 'There's many examples over his career where he put himself on the line and put himself in danger to serve others. That very much speaks to what we expect of our, not just our Canadian Armed Forces, but he was also what I consider a profession within a profession in that he was a military police officer,' she said. 'Our law enforcement partners all over the country, we always need to be willing to put ourselves in harm's way to service others. I think he exemplified that with courage, with dedication and devotion.' His granddaughter, Kimberley, said she was only made aware of her grandfather's dedication to serving others after finding out about the ceremony. 'I think something everybody can attest to is military families, they don't really talk about what they do or how they do it and that was something big in my family,' she said. 'I honestly didn't even know that my grandpa had died in the line of duty and in the way that he did until December. My uncle had brought it up to me… and it was just opening this big can of worms of how amazing and incredible my family has been, since my father's in the military and my grandfather as well.' Although it was not in his nature to talk about his service, O'Donnell's family said they are grateful to see his legacy will carry on in the military community.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Moose Jaw Police Service announces new chief
The Moose Jaw Police Service has announced that Robert Davis will serve as its new chief. Davis (centre) is flanked by Mayor James Murdock (Left) and acting chief Rick Johns (Right). (Courtesy: MJPS) The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) has named Robert Davis as its new chief. The announcement was made Monday, at the service's headquarters in downtown Moose Jaw. Davis comes to the province from Brantford, Ont. where he served as the chief of that city's police service. Overall, Davis boasts 34 years of law enforcement experience. He's served in communities right across Canada, according to the service. 'Chief Robert Davis stood out as a leader who understands the importance of building relationships and leading with both compassion and foresight,' Mayor James Murdock said in the announcement. 'We are confident in the innovative, responsive leadership he will bring to help ensure a safe and vibrant community.' Davis will formally be sworn in and begin his duties on Aug. 29. He takes over the role from acting chief Rick Johns. 'As I've explored Moose Jaw, I've been deeply inspired by the city's civic pride, community spirit, and shared vision for continued growth and progress. I am both humbled and honoured to serve such a proud and vibrant city,' Davis said in the announcement. The appointment of a new permanent chief marks the first change in leadership at the service in over a decade. Rick Bourassa had served in the service's top job since 2013 before retiring in February.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Berries clinch top spot in east; Red Sox earn playoff berth as WCBL postseason picture comes into focus
The Western Canadian Baseball League's (WCBL) playoff picture is coming into focus with less than two weeks remaining in the 2025 regular season. With a 6-4 win Saturday over Moose Jaw, the Saskatoon Berries cemented their position atop the East Division standings – clinching the number one seed for the regular season. The feat means Saskatoon will have home field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Already at 40 wins and nine games remaining in their schedule, the Berries have more than enough opportunities to set a new league record for single-season wins – set by Sylvan Lake at 44 in 2024. Still yet to be decided is the league's best record. Saskatoon sits 7.5 games ahead of Okotoks. Regardless of which team represents its respective division come the championship final – the team with the best record will host two of the three games. Red Sox to appear in 18th-straight postseason South of Highway 11 in Regina, the Red Sox secured their berth into the playoffs with a 6-3 win over Weyburn Saturday night. The game was the second half of a two-game set Saturday due to a previous rain cancellation. Currently in third place in the East, the Red Sox (23-24) are 17 games behind Saskatoon and have no chance of catching the Berries. However, the Sox do have a slim chance of catching the second place Mavericks and finish above Medicine Hat. Regina has not won a WCBL championship since 2012. The Red Sox did not play in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. Swift Eliminated, Beavers fight to stay alive With Weyburn's loss to Regina Saturday, the Beavers are one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention. Regina plays host to the Beavers again Sunday afternoon. On the flip side, should Moose Jaw (21-27) defeat Saskatoon in their game Sunday – Weyburn will also be eliminated, clinching the Miller Express' ability to defend their 2024 East Division crown. The last place Swift Current 57's suffered a blowout 24-4 loss at the hands of Medicine Hat Saturday night – officially eliminating them from the playoffs for a second-straight season.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. adding 77 permanent positions to rural hospitals
WATCH: As Wayne Mantyka tells us, help is on the way for those working in rural hospitals across Saskatchewan. The province says help is on the way for rural hospitals across Saskatchewan, with 77 full-time positions being created across 30 communities. The province hopes it will help stabilize the provision of emergency and other services. 'I am pleased that we have the chance to celebrate the ongoing efforts to reduce service disruptions in rural and northern communities and today I am very pleased to announce 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time positions to 30 different rural and northern communities,' Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said on Wednesday. Most of the 77 positions are currently being filled by part-time and temporary staff, but it's difficult to retain workers without offering full-time job stability. 'Adding more full-time roles will help attract more professionals, support existing employees by providing better staffing coverage, improve team cohesiveness and provide a safer work environment for workers and providers,' Cockrill said. Cockrill made the announcement in Moose Jaw, where seven permanent nursing jobs will be added. Other rural communities like Kipling, southeast of Regina, will gain two permanent nursing positions. The Opposition NDP is questioning how the positions will be filled. 'You know as of this morning according to publicly available data, we have 1,647 vacant health care positions in the province and so why should people believe that [with] these 77 the Sask. Party will be able to fill whereas the previous 1,647 they could not,' NDP MLA Keith Jorgenson said. The Saskatchewan Health Authority does not know how long it will take to fill the 77 permanent positions but with any of the spots already filled by parttime and temporary workers, convincing them to go full-time could make the job easier.
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘He humanized metal': Canadian producer Kevin Churko, Rush remember Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne, left, and Canadian music producer Kevin Churko are seen in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Kevin Churko (Mandatory Credit) The first time Kevin Churko recorded Ozzy Osbourne's vocals, he says it felt less like a studio session and more like a spiritual experience. The Moose Jaw, Sask.-born producer, who was tapped to co-produce the English heavy metal legend's 2007 album 'Black Rain,' remembers being awestruck. 'I just couldn't believe it. Here was Ozzy Osbourne — the 'Bark at the Moon' guy, the 'Crazy Train' guy — singing in front of me. It was just too surreal to be even true,' Churko says. 'The funniest thing was that because he's singing and giving his all, I'm close enough to him that I feel the spray of saliva on his S's and T's as he's singing, and my face is getting wet. And we stop and I go, 'Man, do I wipe this off? Do I leave it on and just take it all in and feel the joy of this moment?'' Osbourne died Tuesday at age 76. A towering figure in rock history, Osbourne first rose to fame in the 1970s as the frontman of Black Sabbath, helping to pioneer heavy metal with his haunting vocals, theatrical flair and outrageous antics. He later launched a successful solo career with hits including 'Crazy Train,' and in the 2000s, reached a new generation of fans through the hit MTV reality series 'The Osbournes.' Churko remembers Osbourne as a born performer who lived every moment to the fullest. 'He was a true entertainer. He liked to tell jokes, he liked to hang with the boys. I can only imagine what those early years in Black Sabbath were like, just a bunch of dudes out there having fun,' says Churko, who also co-produced Osbourne's 2010 album 'Scream.' Churko first joined Osbourne's team as an engineer on the 2005 album 'Under Cover,' and after gradually earning the trust of the singer and his camp, he was promoted to co-producer and co-writer on subsequent records. While Osbourne was notorious for his decades-long struggles with drug and alcohol abuse — which often fuelled his unpredictable behaviour on-and-off stage — Churko says the singer had found sobriety by the time they began collaborating together in the mid-2000s. 'He had sowed his wild oats by that time but I don't think he ever lost that roguish childhood spirit in him,' says Churko, reached by phone in Las Vegas on Tuesday. He recalls a time Osbourne visited Churko's home studio in Las Vegas to record a few extra vocal takes for 'Black Rain.' After singing a couple of lines, Osbourne snuck out of the room. 'About 15 minutes later, I could just hear him howling with laughter and all of a sudden there's a party in the other room. I poked my head out and there he was, sitting down on the couch with my son Kane and his friend, and they were watching 'Superbad,'' chuckles Churko. 'It was such a wonderful, happy moment amongst many of them. We almost never had any bad times making albums.' 'Black Rain' landed Churko the Juno Award for recording engineer of the year in 2008. Looking back, Churko says he was grateful to be part of Osbourne's creative resurgence during a more grounded chapter of his life. 'I was really privileged to be there at that time. It's always nice to be part of the craziness, but it's also nice to be part of the peace,' he says. 'At that stage in his life, he was winding the crazies down.' Osbourne's reality TV fame was still fresh when the two first began working together, and Churko says the singer was relieved to be back in the studio, away from the constant cameras. 'He was just happy it was done,' Churko says. 'Nobody likes somebody following them around all day in their house trying to get some crazy moment on film. He was ready to get back to the music, to something more private and meaningful.' Still, Churko believes 'The Osbournes' wasn't in vain — it helped reveal a more human side of the so-called Prince of Darkness. 'The music will always be the legacy — it'll outlive everything else. But I also think when he had 'The Osbournes,' he humanized metal in a way. Before that, he was the guy who bit off bats' heads and was in a Satan-worshipping band. Then all of a sudden, you see the Prince of Darkness is really this awesome human being who takes care of his family and who wants to make great music and have a good life,' he says. 'That was cool because rock and metal gets a certain kind of a slant, but really, we're all just people. He was just a human being with his own issues, just trying to put one foot in front of the other like the rest of us.' Canada's music community poured tributes onto social media, among them Montreal band Voivod, who opened for Osbourne's tour in 2003, and 'saddened' guitarist Liona Boyd, who said she lived across the street from him in Beverly Hills and recalled attending his 'crazy parties.' Rush frontman Geddy Lee remembered being blown away by the first Sabbath album. 'Ozzy and his bandmates were at the forefront of that genre, that brand of metal, and Ozzy was an intensely loved, one of a kind performer,' Lee said in a statement posted Tuesday. Randy Bachman said he was 'sending peace to his friends and family.' 'One of the original architects of Heavy Metal has gone to music heaven,' Bachman wrote on X. 'He and Sharon will forever be known as THE fantastic power couple of the industry.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
