The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) says a structure fire that occurred at a fast food restaurant in Prince Albert’s downtown is not considered suspicious.
Emergency services were called to the downtown A&W at around 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17 after it caught fire. There is “considerable damage”, PAPS reported in a press release, but members of the Prince Albert Fire Department have the blaze under control. There were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire cannot be determined until it is extinguished, the Prince Albert Fire Department said in an update posted online at 10:08 a.m. Crews will remain on the scene for most of the day.
“In order for our inspectors to get in there, we’ve got to have the building cool down,” Prince Albert Fire Chief Kris Olsen said in an interview late Wednesday morning. “We do want to get in there as soon as possible before things freeze up, but I can’t give a specific time…. We always try to get in, especially in this inclement weather, as soon as possible.”
Prince Albert firefighters were called to the scene following reports of a fire in the kitchen. However, Olsen said they cannot say for sure that’s where the fire started.
After arriving on scene, fire crews entered the building and found a heavy fire in the kitchen area that had already extended into the attic. The fire quickly spread to the roof, causing firefighters to exit the building.
The fire is under control and not endangering any properties, the fire department reported, but continues to burn.
After discovering the fire had spread to the attic, Olsen said the department called in an additional truck to provide more support.
Jeanette Vyselaar, an area manager with Western Restaurant Franchises Inc., which operates the downtown A&W franchise, said they’re focused on caring for their staff.
“We’re just trying to get everything sorted,” she said. “It’s devastating for us.”
Both police and fire services have asked residents to avoid the areas of 12th Street and First Avenue West as water runoff has made the roads extremely icy.
Some of Prince Albert’s most vulnerable residents will be a bit warmer this week, despite the cold weather, thanks to Wrapped up for the Holidays.
The annual Christmas partnership between Parkland Ambulance, the Gateway Mall, Anderson Motors Ltd., and CTV handed off bags of donated scarves, toques, boots, and gloves as the annual nine-week campaign ended on Tuesday. Parkland Ambulance’s Lyle Karasiuk said the campaign started slow, but built momentum as the weeks went by.
“Come about the early part of December … and we’re looking at the pile and we’re saying, ‘gee, the pile doesn’t seem to be that big compared to previous years’ and Donna (Gateway Mall marketing coordinator Donna Hordyski) hasn’t called from the mall to say, ‘come get another load of stuff,’” Karasiuk said. “But you know what? Just like any fundraising or donation activity in the City of Prince Albert, the community overwhelms us every time. We’re so grateful and so happy that they step up.”
The first ever Wrapped up for the Holidays campaign focused on collecting blankets for the homeless. Since then, the campaign has expanded to included winter gear of all kinds. Karasiuk said mittens and toques outnumber blankets most years, but that’s fine because winter gear of all kinds is always needed.
From left to right, Anderson Motors managing partner Mitchell Jones, Gateway Mall marketing coordinator Donna Hordyski, and Parkland Ambulance Director of Public Affairs Lyle Karasiuk pose for a photo with bags of winter clothing donated by Prince Albert residents as part of the 2023-24 Wrapped up for the Holidays campaign. — Daily Herald Staff photo.
“The community from Prince Albert—and near and far out in the rural areas—that come into the city and drop stuff off for us, it’s absolutely amazing,” Karasiuk said. “The pile of goodies as I call them. From coats to boots to shoes to hand-made stuff to gently-used stuff to brand new stuff, people are always amazingly donating stuff to us, and it’s all going to disappear and be used quite quickly.”
This year’s recipient was the YWCA’s Stepping Stones Shelter. Volunteers were on hand packing bag after bag of winter gear for transportation at the Parkland Ambulance East Flat location on Tuesday morning.
YWCA CEO Donna Brooks said their clients need every piece of warm clothing they can get.
“When we have a cold snap such as we are seeing, the demand for toques, gloves, warm clothing and blankets increases significantly,” Brooks wrote in an email to the Herald. “It is important that we have these items on hand to give out. A donation like this makes a huge difference in being able to provide these items.
“Many do not have good quality winter clothing,” she added. “They are showing up lacking some of the basic essentials to keep them warm.”
There will be a few other beneficiaries too. Karasiuk said some blankets with more wear and tear on them will be sent to the SPCA.
However, Karasiuk said their biggest concern were Prince Albert’s most vulnerable residents. He said these donations will make a big difference for them.
“For people to provide the donations, is incredible, but for those who benefit from it when they have nothing or they need a dry pair of socks or they need a toque, as they’ve seen for the last several days when we’ve had brutal cold … it’s going to do a lot to keep them warm, to keep them safe, and to give them a hand up,” he said.
For roughly 30 years, Trevor Ives was a mainstay in the Saskatchewan business scene, and he’ll be honoured for those efforts on Mar. 11 when the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce hands out its annual Legacy Award.
Ives spent 25 years as the CEO of Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, helping them develop a diverse portfolio of local businesses before passing away in 2023. Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hughes said Ives was a great role model for members of the Prince Albert business community, and a worthy Legacy Award recipient.
“He was just so steadfast,” Hughes said during a phone interview on Monday. “He was involved in the community as well, and he just quietly did it. (He) didn’t expect any accolades to come from it. I know that’s just Trevor and who he was. He just did it because it was the right thing to do.”
Ives moved back to Saskatchewan in 1993 after receiving his Chartered Accountant Designation in Calgary. As CEO for Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, he helped develop the First Nation’s business portfolio which includes three retail Petro-Canada sites, four Super 8 franchise locations, A Tim Hortons Franchise, and JNE Welding LP.
He also served on the Directors of Indigenous Works Canada national board. The organization works to improve the inclusion and engagement of Indigenous people in the Canadian economy.
“He was such a key figure in making sure that they had a strong foundation for long-term growth for the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and many other Indigenous organizations,” Hughes said.
In addition to his business work, Ives was very active as a volunteer. He advocated for blood and stem cell donation, and was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for his volunteer work in 2022. He passed away on Oct. 30, 2023 at the age of 57.
Hughes said they had quite a few nominees to choose from for this year’s Legacy Award, but Ives stood out from the rest.
His wife Shauna will accept the award on his behalf at the Legacy Award Lunch at the Coronte Hotel on Mar. 11. The chamber will also announce the Samuel McLeod Business Awards finalists at the event. Tickets are available on the chamber website.
Ives is the chamber’s 33rd Legacy Award winner. Previous recipients include Don Moriarty, Terry Mason, Roses Stewart, Wayne Hansen, and Ron and Shelly Horn.
PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte has called for an inquiry into how inmates are cared for and treated at Pine Grove Correctional Centre, following the death of a 23-year-old woman in custody.
Tatiana Custer was found unresponsive in a common area at Pine Grove Correctional Centre on Jan. 3 while on remand. She was pronounced dead at around 2:05 p.m. after being transported to Victoria Hospital.
Hardlotte said it’s unacceptable to see inmates die in custody, and added that holding a Coroner’s Inquest, which is always held when an inmate dies unexpectedly, won’t be enough.
“I won’t be satisfied with just a Coroner’s Inquest,” Hardlotte said during a phone interview on Friday.
“I know that is the protocol. That’s standard, but there has to be a little more, and that’s what the investigation’s for. An inquiry helps improve things … so it does not happen again and it does not happen to any other family.”
Hardlotte first heard of Custer’s death after receiving a text from her mother asking for the PAGC’s help with funeral arrangements. Hardlotte began asking the family questions about the circumstances surrounding Custer’s death, but was told they had few answers.
Custer was born in La Ronge, but lived in Prince Albert and leaves behind a five-year-old son. Hardlotte said he was alarmed to hear of a mother dying in prison.
“It’s supposed to be a safe place,” he said. “When our people are placed in an institution, it’s supposed to be a safe haven. They’re supposed to be safe there, and then the person dies. That’s disturbing. That’s alarming. That’s unacceptable.”
In addition to the inquiry, Hardlotte also called for changes in how the Ministry of Corrections and local law enforcement communicate with families. He said families like Custer’s deserve more information than they receive. He said they also deserve the hear the news in a timely manner, something he said isn’t happening.
Hardlotte said the PAGC has plenty of resources to help families when a loved one dies in custody, but the provincial government has never called on them to provide those services.
“There has been no communication, no communication at all,” he said. “Nobody called us. Yeah, they did call the family, but again there, it wasn’t done properly. There needs to be more support. If there are victims’ services, that needs to be utilized and used. Like I said, we have services where we can support the family in these situations, these circumstances.”
In an email to the Herald, a Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety spokesperson wrote that they notify local police jurisdictions when an inmate dies in a provincial corrections facility, and it is up to police to notify the next of kin. In this case, the Ministry said, they notified the Stanley Mission RCMP, who notified the family the day of Custer’s death.
The spokesperson also wrote that they always notify the local police service following a death at a corrections centre so police can conduct their own investigation.
When asked if the ministry had any plans to partner with the PAGC or other tribal councils to provide support services following the unexpected death of an inmate, the spokesperson wrote that the ministry “supports police-based Victim Services and Indigenous Resource Officer Programs in Saskatchewan to provide crisis intervention, information, advocacy, support, and referrals, as well as court-related services to victims of crime following an incident and throughout the criminal justice process.”
Custer’s family and friends held a wake on Wednesday, followed by a funeral service on Thursday. Both were held at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stanley Mission.
Pine Grove Correctional Centre is a provincial women’s prison located northeast of Prince Albert. The facility has dealt with significant overcrowding in recent years. In July 2023, the CBC reported that Pine Grove housed 263 inmates, 156 of which were on remand. The facility has a capacity of 166.
Prince Albert City Council gave administration the go-ahead on Monday to draft a new bylaw regulating Liquor Store hours within City limits.
Under the proposed bylaw, liquor stores cannot open before 10 a.m. and must close at 11 p.m. Council also moved to have city administrators provide an update on how the bylaw impacts crime, public intoxication, and liquor retailers 12 months after it’s implemented.
“It’s not like we’re saying you can’t sell liquor,” said Mayor Greg Dionne. “If we were closed, then I’d agree with all the arguments, but it’s no different than grocery stores. I know the hours of our grocery stores … and I shop within those hours. It just makes sense that you do that. It would be totally different if we were saying, ‘no booze.’”
Dionne said he not only supports the motion, but wants the City to go further and ban retailers from selling alcohol on Christmas, Easter, and possibly other holidays. He said a small group of retailers or residents may not like it, but he’s looking forward to fighting them on it.
“All of a sudden alcohol seems to be a given right, and that’s not a fact,” Dionne said. “I’m glad to see it (the bylaw).”
Dionne made the motion to give administration approval at Monday’s meeting. That motion came following a report from Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator Anna Dinsdale.
Dinsdale said the bylaw may change after the 12-month implementation period, so retailers, residents, emergency services, and support groups who were consulted will have a chance to re-visit it if they don’t like the results.
The proposed bylaw received strong support at Monday’s meeting. Coun. Blake Edwards said there is too much public intoxication in Prince Albert, and he’s willing to support the bylaw for a 12-month trial period if that’s what it takes to end it. Coun. Tony Head also spoke in favour of the bylaw, saying many residents he spoke with supported it.
“It (public intoxication) has got out of hand in today’s society, not just Prince Albert,” Edwards said during the meeting. “I’m fully supportive of reducing public intoxication because somehow society has just allowed it. It’s okay to be loaded on the streets and harassing people who are trying to shop and things like that, so if that (reducing public intoxication) is the goal, I’m all for it.”
“I am under no presumption that this is going to fix our problem in our city,” Head added. “I realize that, and I think so do our residents. The ones I have talked to our day and this last weekend are in favour of this overwhelmingly, it feels like. We need to do something, and so this is, I feel, a good step for this council.”
Head voted in favour of the motion, but asked Dinsdale how the City planned to enforce the bylaw. Dinsdale said the City reached out to the SLGA last month, and if the bylaw is passed, the City has an opportunity to receive support from the organization.
“I don’t have the exact answer for you right now, but what I can say is I’ve started to have those conversations,” Dinsdale told council.
“There are several conversations that are ongoing,” she added. “I don’t have the exact answer … but certainly the SLGA have indicated they’d be keen to come and work with us.”
A 2021 survey from the Prince Albert Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee found 65 per cent of respondents in the Prince Albert area wanted to see reduced hours of sale for alcohol in Prince Albert.
From Jan. 2023 until Oct. 2023, the Prince Albert Police Service received 2,386 calls because of intoxication, resulting in more than 1,600 arrests.
Dinsdale wrote in her report that many business owners supported limiting sale hours, but smaller or private businesses noted the bylaw could restrict their ability to compete with larger retailers who also sell alcohol. Human services providers across a variety of sectors also expressed concerns the bylaw could have unintended social consequences.
Keeshia Ray has been cooking since 10:30 a.m., but she has no complaints.
After 5 p.m., she’s still in the Pioneer Hall kitchen on the Prince Albert Exhibition grounds mashing potatoes for family and friends who have come to honour her former partner, Dwight Whitehead.
“I’ll be doing this for as long as they want me,” she says. “It’s all worth it … but it would be better if he was here.”
Monday was Whitehead’s birthday. It also marked one year since his father, Wayne Whitehead, reported him missing. Eight days later, ground searchers found his body in a wooded area not far away from Victoria Hospital.
On Monday evening, friends and family members packed the Pioneer Hall for a Memorial Feast to honour Dwight, and remembered the person he was.
“He was greatly loved,” said Eunice Lewis, Dwight’s aunt. “Everybody has nothing but good memories about him. He was just happy. He was very generous with his time. He was very patient. He was a very good man.”
The memorial feast included a slide show of pictures and videos from Dwight’s life. By the fireplace, family members placed a photo of Dwight beaming on his high school graduation day.
“He had a lot of struggles, but was just the kindest, gentlest man there was,” said Derrick Sanderson, Dwight’s stepfather. “He would help anybody. It didn’t matter if he was walking down the street and he saw somebody (in need) he would help somebody. That’s just how he was. If you ever called him and asked him for help, he would be there in a heartbeat.”
Dwight went missing after leaving Victoria Hospital on Jan. 2, 2023. Afterwards, his brother Craig and a few family friends searched the area around the hospital hoping to find him.
On Jan. 13, 2023, Dwight’s mother, Gloria Sanderson, asked police to begin ground searches in the West Hill and West Flat.
Derrick was one of the volunteers who took part in the search to find Whitehead’s body. He said the leadup to Monday’s Memorial Feast was difficult.
“(At this time last year) we were halfway through our search already,” Derrick remembered. “We found him on the 16th so that would have been the first week of our search here. It’s just been a really emotional day.”
Dwight’s death sparked a debate about when patients can leave a hospital. In an interview just days after his disappearance, Gloria Sanderson said Prince Albert police officers found her son freezing in a snowbank and took him to hospital at around 11:30 a.m. where he was treated for hypothermia.
Keeshia Ray mashes some potatoes in preparation for a Memorial Feast held in honour of Dwight Whitehead, the Prince Albert man who went missing and was later found dead after leaving Victoria Hospital against his doctor’s advice one year ago. — Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
Gloria said Dwight left the hospital that evening against his doctor’s wishes. He was last seen just after 6 p.m. that day in the area around the 1200 block of 24th Street West.
In the days that followed, the Saskatchewan Health Authority faced questions about why Dwight was allowed to leave the hospital. The SHA declined to comment on the specifics of the case citing privacy concerns, but issued a statement saying hospital staff had no grounds to detain him.
“The SHA recognizes the right of every individual to refuse care, treatment or medication,” reads the SHA statement. “If a patient/client wishes to leave against the advice of a care provider the medical risks shall be explained to the patient/client or those responsible for them.”
One year later, Dwight’s friends and family are still upset with the response. Although some suggested the family file a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, they have so far declined to do so.
“I think the whole healing process just took precedence over pursuing anything,” Derrick said.
However, there is still frustration. Lewis said hospitals should be more accountable for how they treat patients like her nephew, especially in the colder months of the year.
“Having people who are possibly under the influence or on a very cold night and need that care, they should be able to receive it,” she said. “Before they let him go, the way they did, they should have called next of kin.”
Dwight Whitehead was 32 years old when he died. He left behind two daughters, Breanna and Leah.
A Prince Albert delivery driver accused of killing a fast food worker in the Cornerstone business district will stand trial for manslaughter later this year.
Rajdeepsinh Bihola is accused of killing Allan Andres in May 2022. On Friday, Judge Steven Schiefner ordered Bihola to stand trial following a four-day preliminary hearing that ended in November.
Bihola stood silently in a light brown bunnyhug and black track pants while Schiefner read the first few paragraphs of his decision. Three of Andres’ family members were also in court for the announcement.
Evidence given at a preliminary hearing cannot be published due to Section 542 of the criminal code. The Crown and defence have not settled on a trial date.
The charge stems from an altercation that occurred on May 18, 2022 in the 800 Block of 15th Street East. Prince Albert police were called to the area at 2 p.m. following reports of an incident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Police reported that a 31-year-old man was transported to hospital in serious condition. Police later identified the man as Allan Andres. Andres died of his injuries on May 26, 2022.
Investigators initially charged Bihola with aggravated assault, but upgraded the charges to second degree murder after Andres’ death.
The City of Prince Albert’s Planning and Development Department is looking to create a bylaw preventing alcohol stores from opening before 10 a.m. and closing before 11 p.m.
City administrators have asked for approval to begin drafting such a bylaw. Council will vote on the proposal at Monday’s executive committee meeting.
Planning and Development director Craig Guidinger said they made the recommendation after talking with multiple groups, including emergency services, business owners, researchers, and municipalities who have instituted similar restrictions.
“We wanted to kind of stay close to our cannabis stores (hours), which we currently do have the authority to manage,” Guidinger said. “Those are from 11 (a.m.) until 11 (p.m.). We did a lot of looking around.
“We looked at what La Ronge does—they implemented this a few years ago—and some other provinces, and we found that from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. was kind of an average. We found that you have to atleast (change) the hours of operation by at least two hours to actually have a recognizable impact on calls for service and things like that, so a lot of different things were taken into consideration.”
The planning department began research the effects of capping operation hours following a June 2022 executive committee meeting when council approved a motion asking the planning department to look into the matter.
Previously, Guidinger said, the City had no control over when alcohol stores opened or closed, as the provincial government set those guidelines. That changed last spring when the province began selling off its SLGA stores, and letting municipalities set their own hours of operation guidelines.
Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator Anna Dinsdale wrote the department’s final report on the matter. The report is included in Monday’s agenda package, and recommends the 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. option over three other possibilities.
Those three include 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., which is when Cannabis stores are allowed to operate, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dinsdale wrote that the first two options were rejected because they would have too much of a negative impact on retailers. The third option was rejected because it would provide minimal increases to community safety.
Under the province’s old Alcohol Control Regulations, retail liquor stores could remain open from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.
According to Prince Albert Police Service Data, the majority of arrests in 2022 were for intoxication. Between January 2023 and October 2023, police received 2,386 calls for service because of intoxication, and made more than 1,600 arrests.
A survey conducted by the Prince Albert Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Community in 2021 found 65 per cent of respondents in the Prince Albert area wanted reduced hours of alcohol sale.
Dinsdale wrote that some organizations they consulted were worried about a possible increase in impaired driving if residents were forced to travel outside city limits to purchase alcohol. However, Dinsdale wrote that alcohol retailers operating outside city limits are open for less hours than their in-city counterparts.
A Prince Albert delivery driver accused of killing a fast food worker in the Cornerstone business district will stand trial for manslaughter later this year.
Rajdeepsinh Bihola is accused of killing Allan Andres in May 2022. On Friday, Judge Steven Schiefner ordered Bihola to stand trial following a four-day preliminary hearing that ended in November.
Bihola stood silently in a light brown bunnyhug and black track pants while Schiefner read the first few paragraphs of his decision. Three of Andres’ family members were also in court for the announcement.
Evidence given at a preliminary hearing cannot be published due to Section 542 of the criminal code. The Crown and defence have not settled on a trial date.
The charge stems from an altercation that occurred on May 18, 2022 in the 800 Block of 15th Street East. Prince Albert police were called to the area at 2 p.m. following reports of an incident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.
Police reported that a 31-year-old man was transported to hospital in serious condition. Police later identified the man as Allan Andres. Andres died of his injuries on May 26, 2022.
Investigators initially charged Bihola with aggravated assault, but upgraded the charges to second degree murder after Andres’ death.
High HIV rates show need for proactive policy says Saskatchewan Prevention Institute program coordinator
Saskatchewan continues to lead the country in HIV rates, according to data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in December.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba were the only provinces to hit double digit HIV rates in 2022. Saskatchewan reported 19 new cases per 100,000 people, while Manitoba reported 13.9 new cases per 100,000 people. The national average was 4.7.
Jasmin Ogren, the sexual and reproductive health program coordinator with the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, said the results are sad to see.
“Saskatchewan has historically been above the national rate when it comes to HIV and other sexually transmitted blood borne infections as well, but to continue to see our province so much higher than the national rate should definitely sound alarms,” Ogren said. “I think it really highlights the need for us to take action.”
Canada reported 1,833 new HIV diagnosis in 2022, a 24.9 per cent increase over the year before. The data does not include cases diagnosed outside of Canada.
The majority of the new HIV cases were reported in patients between 30 and 39 years of age. For men, male-to-male sexual contact was the number one means of exposure, while heterosexual contact was number one for women.
Ogren said there is still a lack of awareness and education about HIV in Saskatchewan, which makes it harder to stop the spread.
“We really need to be proactive as a province,” she said. “This is a public health crisis that requires a response, so I think in Saskatchewan we need to see a provincial STDI framework or something like that we have everyone working to a common goal to really solve this problem at multiple levels.”
Northern Saskatchewan faces some of the biggest challenges in reducing HIV rates. Data from the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority shows 52 new cases per 100,000 people in member communities in 2022, a number almost three times the provincial rate and 11 times the national average. That’s despite the fact testing numbers in NITHA communities dropped from 4,239 tests in 2021 to 2,031 tests in 2022.
NITHA Medical Health Officer Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka said many people still fear being stigmatized if they test positive for HIV, and that makes it difficult to diagnose cases. He said support networks in the north need to be better funded to help ensure patients are supported, not neglected.
“Each HIV diagnosis has a lot of implications for the family. It has a lot of implications for the community, so support systems that are built around this particular individual at the community level will be very important,” he explained. “If there are investment opportunities, it can be important that the government provide the adequate funding … and sustain them over the long-term.”
In the past year, Ndubuka said NITHA communities have rolled out more and more self-test kits to make HIV testing more accessible. They’ve also started a “test one, test all” initiative where doctors test for multiple STDs, even if they are asked to test for just one.
Ndubuka added that many northern communities have created mobile testing vans and teams to try and become even more accessible. They’ve also started educational awareness media campaigns in English, Cree, and Dene, and began strongly encouraging testing for pregnant mothers.
Ndubuka said it was discouraging to see the decrease in testing numbers in 2022. However, he’s still hopeful for the long-term.
“HIV is a treatable disease,” he said. “Tests are available in the north. We can engage individuals in care and confidentially is assured.”
NITHA is a partnership organization comprised of the Prince Albert Grand Council, Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band.
HIV spreads through unprotected sexual contact, and blood contact such as the sharing of drug using equipment. Pregnant women with HIV may also pass the virus on to their children without proper treatment.
If not treated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There is no cure for HIV, but medication can treat it.”
