RCMP crime stats show nearly half of homicide suspects since 2019 were out on bail, parole, or probation

Jason Kerr
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RCMP crime stats show nearly half of homicide suspects since 2019 were out on bail, parole, or probation

Nearly half of the suspects charged following Saskatchewan RCMP homicide investigations over the last five years were out on conditions, bail, parole, or probation at the time the murder was committed.

That’s according to Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes statistics released on Wednesday. Between 2019 and 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP officers investigated 156 homicides, with 44 per cent of the individuals charged reported as out on conditions, bail, parole, or probation. The list of homicides includes first degree murder, second degree murder, and manslaughter charges.

RCMP Spt. Joshua Graham is the officer in charge of the RCMP’s Saskatchewan Major Crimes unit. He said RCMP investigators are doing their best to close all cases, but are frustrated.

“It goes without saying that a homicide is worst case scenario – but when an individual commits a homicide while on bail or release conditions, it’s extremely discouraging and frustrating for our investigators,” Graham said in a press release. “In 2023, our Major Crimes unit had five instances where two or three separate homicides occurred in less than 48 hours. These clusters of homicides are alarming, but no longer an anomaly.”

Courts can order offenders to have no contact with certain individuals, and ban offenders from possessing certain weapons or entering certain communities, among other conditions. In 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP officers identified suspects violating more than 15,800 court ordered conditions in RCMP jurisdiction.

Officers discovered the violations while conducting traffic stops, responding to calls for service, and proactive condition checks. Last year, RCMP officers conducted roughly 17,000 checks to make sure offenders where complying with court ordered conditions.

The Saskatchewan RCMP Enforcement Response Team has partnered with a number of agencies, including municipal police services and the Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatchewan Division, to create the Saskatchewan Serious Violent Offender Response (SVOR) Program. The program monitors violent offenders to ensure they are complying with court ordered conditions, while also providing services aimed at reducing the chance of reoffending.

The federal government has also taken steps to reduce the number of crimes committed by suspects out on bail or under court ordered conditions.

On Thursday, federal MPs passed Bill C-48, an amendment to the country’s bail laws the federal government says will target repeat offenders in cases involving firearms, knives, bear spray, and other weapons.

The bill expands the number of cases triggering a “reverse onus” where serious repeat offenders must demonstrate to the court why they should be released instead of making the Crown show why the accused should be held without bail.

The bill also requires the courts to consider the accused’s history of convictions for violence when making a bail decision. Courts must also state on the record that they have considered the safety and security of the community when making a bail decision, something the federal government believes will increase accountability to the public.

“I am hopeful the amended bail provisions are a step in the right direction—because at the end of the day, those individuals who are not interested in rehabilitation or changing their lifestyle will continue to do harm to others and should not be released back into our communities,” Saskatchewan RCMP Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore said in a media release.

In 2023, the number of RCMP homicide investigations dropped to its lowest level since 2019. RCMP officers investigated 30 homicides in 2023, compared to 42 in 2022, 33 in 2021, 21 in 2020, and 20 in 2019.

Saskatchewan RCMP investigators have solved 84 per cent of homicides committed in their jurisdiction since 2015.

Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee urges residents to scale back alcohol consumption with Dry-ish January

Jason Kerr
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Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee urges residents to scale back alcohol consumption with Dry-ish January

Members of the Prince Albert Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee are hoping some Prince Albert residents will scale back their alcohol consumption during the first month of 2024.

The organization has started promoting Dry-ish January with the aim of helping people re-think their drinking habits. Instead of giving up alcohol completely, Committee coordinator Karen Anthony-Burns said they’re hoping to convince people to reduce their alcohol intake one step at a time.

“There are so many groups who are doing this. We thought, ‘well, we’ll just promote the groups who are doing it,” she said. “They’re doing so much work, and they’re doing well.

“For some people (Dry January) is like, ‘oh man, that’s too much to consider,’” she added. “It’s dry-ish. Let’s look at ways that we can be mindful about our drinking.”

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) updated its guidelines on alcohol consumption in January 2023. In its report, the CCSA suggested a cap of two drinks per week for Canadians, well down from the previous cap of 15 drinks per week for men and 10 for women.

Anthony-Burns said they’re hoping Dry-ish January can help people get their alcohol consumption in line with those new guidelines. For the next month, residents are encouraged to follow various weekly suggestions like no drinking after a certain time, or having a certain number of dry days per week.

“They (the CCSE) tell everyone it’s time to pick a new target, right, and so this is an easy way for people to do that,” she said.

Anthony-Burns said they started to promote Dry-ish January after seeing other organizations post about it on Facebook.

In addition to supporting Dry-ish January, the Steering Committee is still promoting its Christmas Cab Coupon campaign. Residents can get a $15 coupon for cab fair that can be used any day between 6 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Anthony-Burns said there are still a surprising number of holiday gatherings in January because not every organization, or business can get everyone together for a Christmas Party in December. She’s hopeful people taking part in those festivities will use the coupon program to get a safe ride home.

“You can’t make that decision after you’ve already been out drinking,” Anthony-Burns said. “You need to have a plan before you already go and say, ‘this is how much money I’m earmarking to get home.’ It’s really important to make those decisions before you have the drinks.”

No decision yet on outdoor Winter Festival events, but organizers keeping an eye on the weather

Jason Kerr
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No decision yet on outdoor Winter Festival events, but organizers keeping an eye on the weather

Prince Albert Winter Festival president Bev Erickson said they’re still a few weeks away from making a final decision on whether to cancel or modify some outdoor events due to warm weather and lack of snow.

Prince Albert started 2024 the way it ended 2023: with warmer than average temperatures. Erickson said she’s not worried about the lack of snow, but they are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast.

“We’re excited that the weather is warm enough that people might come out to the outdoor event, like the King and Queen Trapper stage,” she explained. “That being said, it kind of puts a kibosh on our snow sculptures and our dogsled races, so we’re hoping for a happy medium.”

Prince Albert recorded a high of just under 1 C on New Year’s Day, and a low of -8.9 C. That’s significantly warmer than the historical average for Jan. 1, where the high is -13 C and the low is -25 C.

The city received light snow on Tuesday, with periods of snow forecast for Friday and Saturday. However, Erickson said they’ll need more than that to hold many of their outdoor events.

The dog sled races are the primary concern. Erickson spoke with the festival’s outdoor coordinator on Tuesday, but said no decision would be made until a week before the races start. The festival will run from Feb. 9-25, with the races scheduled for the last two days.

Erickson said they need roughly two feet of packed snow for the races.

“At this point in time, we’re still planning on doing the dogsled races and trying to do something with snow sculptures,” she said. “If we don’t do snow sculptures, then we’re hoping that we can maybe do wood carving or something to showcase the festival somehow.”

The festival’s annual sliding party at Little Red River Park on Family Day may also fall victim to the warm weather and lack of snow. The festival has partnered with Lake Country Co-op for the event. However, Erickson inspected the hill at Little Red on Monday and said it’s still too icy for sledding.

Erickson said they still hope to host a scaled down event at Little Red even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

“It’s kind of hard to have a sliding party with no snow, but other than that, we have a lot of indoor events that will still be going off without a hitch,” she said.

The festival’s indoor events will remain unchanged with one exception: the Prince Albert Winter Festival Trade Show will move from the Alfred Jenkins Field House down to the Prince Albert Armoury.

Erickson said they wanted the trade show closer to the festival’s fish fry, which will be held at the Exhibition Centre.

The fireworks are the other change. Erickson said they plan to launch them on Family Day instead the Friday before the outdoor events start.

The first event on the Winter Festival calendar is the annual Tux and Toques Gala at the Prince Albert Wildlife Federation building on Jan. 27.

Lavigne family welcomes New Year’s Baby at 12:54 a.m.

Jason Kerr
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Lavigne family welcomes New Year’s Baby at 12:54 a.m.

Christmas came a little bit late for Jean-Brice and Colby Lavigne on Monday.

The Lavigne’s welcomed Charlotte Eliza to their family at 12:54 a.m. on Jan. 1 at Victoria Hospital, making her Prince Albert’s New Year’s Baby.

“We were actually hoping that she’d be early and be here before Christmas, but she had other plans,” Colby said during an interview.

Charlotte was born two days after her due date at a weight of seven pounds and 13.5 ounces. She already has one older sibling waiting for her at home, and family in Prince Albert and France waiting to meet her.

“I’m from here (Prince Albert) so my mom came to the hospital and saw her, and my dad will come to our house tomorrow,” Colby said. “My husband’s family is in France, so he video-chatted with all of them today.”

Charlotte is the second New Year’s Baby in her extended family. Colby said one of her cousins also has the honour.

Since Jean-Brice is originally from France, Colby said they wanted a name that would be pronounced almost the same in both languages. Charlotte was a name they both liked for a long time, so it was an easy selection.

‘We fell on the name Charlotte years ago before we were even married or thinking about kids,” she said. “It just came up and never went away. We got pregnant with a girl, so now was the time to use it.”

Prince Albert Ukrainians celebrate first Christmas on new date

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert Ukrainians celebrate first Christmas on new date

For the first time in more than a century, Ukrainians in Prince Albert and across the world will not celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7.


Instead, 2023 marked the first year the Ukrainian diaspora celebrated Christmas on Dec. 25. The Ukrainian government passed legislation in July that made the date change official. The laws came after two of the country’s largest orthodox denominations switched from the Julian Calendar used by the Russian Orthodox Church, to the Gregorian calendar, where Christmas falls on the 25th.

“We will now be coming together and uniting and celebrating Christmas as everyone else does with the Gregorian calendar,” said Sonya Jahn, a local resident who has led the volunteer effort to resettle Ukrainian families in Prince Albert.

“It’s a little bit strange for the newcomers who have traditionally celebrated on the Julian calendar. There are still some traditions that will be continued in terms of Ukrainian culture.”

Scheduling conflicts prevented Jahn and her family from having Christmas on the 25th, so instead they’ll get together on Saturday, Dec. 30. On Christmas, Jahn and other longtime residents spent the day with new Ukrainian families. She said the date change didn’t feel strange for her at all.

“The cultural tradition around the holiday season is to get together with friends and family,” Jahn said. “I mean, (it’s) no different than what we do here in Canada, although it’s special. It brought back a lot of nostalgia for me from the time when I was a little girl.”

The Ukrainian government cited the desire for Ukrainian traditions and holidays unconnected to Russia when approving the date change. Ukraine is in the second winter of its war against Russia. The Russian army invaded the country on Feb. 4, 2022.

Jahn said she has no doubts the date change is permanent. She said many Ukrainian families in Prince Albert are still stunned by the Russian invasion.


“People who have fled and who have come here to Prince Albert are just still bewildered and shocked,” she said. “They had been living a very peaceful life, (and) all of a sudden their lives were turned upside down, their homes destroyed, their livelihoods destroyed, and basically (they’re) fleeing for their lives.”

Although the calendar has changed, it might take a while for the effects to settle in. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has historic ties to Russia and says it is no longer aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church. However, the church still recognizes Jan. 7 as the official Christmas date.

Two other denominations, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, held Christmas services on Dec. 25. However, many cultural groups still have celebrations planned for Malanka on Jan. 13, which marks the New Year instead of Jan. 1.

The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers are one of several Saskatchewan-based Ukrainian cultural groups still performing on Malanka. They’ll be ringing in the New Year at Elks Ridge Resort on Jan. 13 instead of Jan. 1.

Club president Kayleigh Skomorowski said many of these Malanka performances were likely booked before the calendar change became official. However, Skomorowski said the calendar change may not impact Saskatchewan for a few years.


“There are still some people, particularly those of us outside of Ukraine in the diaspora, who are still kind of reluctant to let go of that whole identity piece of celebrating Ukrainian Christmas and the Ukrainian New Year on January 7 and January 13,” she explained. “Not everybody’s necessarily quite, I would say, informed or understanding of why the Ukrainian Church has made their choice to pull away from that.

“I think that we’ll probably still see some families continuing to celebrate on those traditional days in the Julian Calendar just based on how they identify as a Ukrainian Canadian.”

For dance groups like Barveenok, who are often booked to perform on Malanka, that could mean multiple performance dates next year. Skomorowski expects a “patchwork situation” where different communities celebrate Malanka on different dates.

“For the ones who aren’t necessarily connected to the church anymore, I think that idea of Ukrainian Christmas and Ukrainian New Year’s happening when they are is just a way for people to kind of set themselves apart from mainstream culture, not necessarily because the church was recognizing those days at those times,” she said.

Lakeland SSFA president grateful and humbled to be named Prince Albert Citizen of the Year

Jason Kerr
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Lakeland SSFA president grateful and humbled to be named Prince Albert Citizen of the Year

“I guess I’ve got a lot of people fooled.”

Those were the words from Lakeland Saskatchewan Senior Fitness Association (SSFA) president Barry Brezden after being named Prince Albert’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.

Brezden received news of the nomination shortly before the Lakeland SSFA board was scheduled to meet. He said being named Citizen of the Year was a “super huge honour” but also an unexpected one.

“You have to put one person’s name on a paper, but it really isn’t one person who makes it all happen,” he said. “Congratulations to my team and all my partners…. That’s who makes it go.”

Brezden was nominated for Citizen of the Year by fellow Lakeland SSFA board member Sandra Greenwood. She described him as a hard worker who set the bar high for SSFA members.

“It’s hard to keep up with him, but it’s exciting and it’s all for a very, very, very good cause,” Greenwood said.

“He goes night and day. Saturdays aren’t exempt. Nothing is exempt. He’s done so much work. He deserves it.”

Brezden became Lakeland SSFA president earlier this year. Since then, the organization has expanded its outreach and social media presence, sponsoring comedy events with Off the Cuff Improv, organizing free acting workshops with Off the Cuff member Adreanna Boucher, partnering with the Prince Albert Royal Canadian Legion for an indoor games night, and creating a Group Fitness Class with J-4CE Personal Training.

Brezden said he’s always had a passion for fitness and helping seniors, and being president of the Lakeland SSFA allows him to combine those interests.

Prince Albert’s 2023 Citizen of the Year, Barry Brezden (centre, back row) poses for a photo with Prince Albert Daily Herald sales coordinator Erin Bergen (back left), publisher Donna Pfeil (back, centre-left), Prince Albert Kinsmen Club members Wes Moore (back, centre-right) and Joel Longworth (back right), and SSFA Lakeland board members Glenda Goertzen (front left) and Sandra Greenwood (front right). — Jason Kerr/Daily Herald

“In hindsight, I was actually going to start a seniors fitness club in PA a long time ago, but I said to myself, ‘well … it’s going to take a little bit of effort. You don’t have a vehicle. You don’t have an avenue,’” he remembered. “(Then) the SSFA came along.”

“Part of my goals—one of my dreams—is to help people, and here I am,” he added.

Brezden joined the SSFA after competing at the organization’s 55+ Provincial Games, which were held in Prince Albert in 2022. Brezden enjoyed the experience, but was critical of some organizational aspects.

When he was invited to fill out a survey about the games, he provided three pages of feedback. One year later, he saw an SSFA newspaper ad for a new Lakeland president, called the provincial president, and took on the new role.

The organization has expanded its footprint beyond sports and fitness to include cultural, educational, and artistic events. Brezden credits the SSFA board and volunteers for their success over the past year.

“Individual awards are nice, but you have to surround (yourself) with other people who are equally as good as you or better,” he said.

Brezden was raised in the Village of Canwood northwest of Prince Albert. As an adult, he got into sales and marketing, a job which took him across North America. He moved to Victoria, B.C. after retiring, but returned to the Prince Albert area in 2016 to look after a family member.

Brezden originally planned on only staying for the summer, but he ended up staying for good.

“I’m one of those guys who likes all four seasons, and in PA you get all four seasons,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of great people when I got here. I continue to meet a lot of great people in this beautiful place called Prince Albert. I said to myself, ‘why would I move back to Victoria when I’ve got everything here.’”

Brezden will be honoured at the annual Prince Albert Citizen of the Year banquet. A date, time, and location have yet to be announced.

The Prince Albert Citizen of the Year is chosen by a six person selection committee made up of representatives from the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club and Prince Albert Daily Herald.

Read and Relax: SPCA launches new volunteer program

Jason Kerr
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Read and Relax: SPCA launches new volunteer program

The Prince Albert SPCA has developed a new volunteer reading program, but needs a bit of help to get it rolling.


The SPCA announced their new Read and Relax Volunteer Program on Thursday, which allows volunteers to read out loud to animals at the shelter.

SPCA operations manager Ashlee Bober said animals benefit from being around humans and hearing their voices. She’s hopeful the program will not only help the animals, but encourage Prince Albert residents of all ages to start reading.

“It’s very calming and de-stressing for the animals to be with people in a very calm setting where we’re not necessarily running around and being very high energy,” Bober explained. “To just be able to sit there and talk to them (and) being able to hear the sounds of our voice is very soothing for them. It can help make the place a little less scary here….

“At the same time, it is a really great way for people to spend some quiet time reading to the animals, and also for kids, learning how to work on their reading skills.”

The program has officially started, but Bober said they’re still looking for furniture donations like a couch, arm chairs, book shelves, a coffee table, and a rug. The goal is to setup a special reading room where volunteers can visit and read to animals.

They’re also looking for book donations spanning all ages and interests, including children’s books, young adult novels, comic and graphic books, teen readers, and adult novels. Participants are asked to bring their own books until the SPCA builds up its catalogue.

Bober said they want to create a Little Free Library-type room at the SPCA, where residents can drop off a book, read another one with the animals in the reading room, and take it home if they like it.

“It’s quite an enjoyable opportunity,” she said. “It’s very minimal stress for everyone involved, including the staff here at the SPCA. It’s a great way for people to get involved with the animals to help us to socialize the animals, to get the animals out of their kennels and spend some time with people.

“There are no negatives. There are no downfalls about it. There are only positives and good rewards out of it for people and the animals.”

Bober said the program makes a good extracurricular activity for school children and teens. The program is also open to the general public, including school classes, care homes, and group homes.

Volunteers do not have to register to take part, but if there are too many people trying to read at one time, some volunteers will be asked to return at a different date.

Bober added that SPCA staff will choose which animals are best suited for the reading room.

“The one nice thing is that it’s something where anybody and everybody can come in and enroll through the program,” she said. “It doesn’t require a volunteer application or an appointment or anything. People can just come in and read to the animals. However, that being said, we only have so many rooms in the building.”

Residents who want to donate books or furniture to the SPCA can phone the SPCA at 306-763-6110. Bober said they can pick up donations if they have to.

The Prince Albert SPCA is located on North Industrial Drive north of the river.

Sturgeon Lake cadets earn Christmas Spirit award at inaugural Hunger Games showdown

Jason Kerr
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Sturgeon Lake cadets earn Christmas Spirit award at inaugural Hunger Games showdown

Members of the PAGC First Nations Cadet Corps had a chance to rub shoulders with emergency services personnel and help out those in need at the revived Cops vs Cadets showdown, dubbed the Hunger Games, on Wednesday.

The Sturgeon Lake Division of the First Nations Cadets walked away with the Christmas Spirit Award after accumulating the most donations and food for the PAGC hamper program. Cpl. Braiden Roberts of the Sturgeon Lake Division said they were happy to do their part.

“We don’t want anybody to go hungry,” Roberts said. “We want everyone to have a great Christmas. It’s just sad to see people go hungry, so we decided to take it into our own hands to try and at least help out.”

In total, the cadets and first responders raised more than $7,600 in items and monetary donations for the hamper program.

Supporting the hamper program was one of two goals the Cadet Corps had on Wednesday. The other was a chance to meet and speak with first responders.

Roberts is currently a Grade 10 student, but said he’s thinking about joining the RCMP when he graduates. He appreciated the change to meet a few police officers at the Wednesday event.

He also said he enjoyed the change to compete against them in volleyball, blindman relay, and other events.

“It was a blast,” Roberts said. “I had so much fun. I will admit, it was scary at first because I wasn’t too sure who I was up against, but now that I know everyone, got a chance to meet a few other people, shake hands, it’s been pretty great.”

Parkland Ambulance walked away with top prize after finishing first in the first three events. Team captain Kathia Gies, a Parkland PCP, said they were happy for the opportunity to give back to the community.

Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
Members of the Parkland Ambulance Care Ltd. team pose with the championship trophy after finishing in first place.


“I know that’s our job. We do it every day, but giving back in a different way is another great thing that we were able to contribute with,” she said.

Gies was also thankful for the opportunity to meet cadets who may one day become paramedics.

“It’s huge,” she said. “Just getting them interested is a huge part, then learning about the service, and what our job is about, and (showing them) that we’re just normal people. We just do our job day-to-day, and it’s anybody can do it.”

Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
Cadets pile boxes of donated food on top of each other following the conclusion of Hunger Games at the PAGC Urban Services gym.

PAGC Justice Director Rick Sanderson said this year’s event was a “beta test” for next year, when they plan to host a day-long event in early December instead of an evening event so close to Christmas.

Sanderson also said they hope to give participants more time to raise support for the hamper program.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Shell Lake business owner eager to return as Make a Wish ambassador

Jason Kerr
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Shell Lake business owner eager to return as Make a Wish ambassador

After a successful first year as a Make-a-Wish ambassador, Shell Lake insurance broker Rose Freeman is back for a second.

In 2023, Freeman was one of 22 Saskatchewan women asked to become ambassadors for the Women for Wishes Make-a-Wish campaign. She said becoming an ambassador for a worthy cause was a great experience, and she’s happy to help out again in 2024.


“I was very flattered. I thought it was very humbling to be asked to be a part of it,” Freeman said.

“When they approached me, it was an automatic yes.”

Initially, Freeman said she didn’t know much about the Make-a-Wish program, but the more she learned, the more excited she was to support it.

Freeman has two children of her own, and remembers spending long days in a natal intensive care unit after both were born premature. She said that experience brought her in contact with many families whose children faced severe health complications. Years later, it’s what inspired her to become a Make-a-Wish ambassador.

Photo from willowinsurance.ca.
Shell Lake insurance broker Rose Freeman was a finalist for Insurance Business Canada’s Insurance Broker of the Year Award in 2023. This was the second year in a row she was a finalist.

“I do remember sitting in NICU with sick little babies and staring at an incubator,” she said. “That is an awful feeling and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, so I think the work that Make-a-Wish does is incredible, just … to give them (families) something positive to look at.”

More than 100 women across Canada were named Make-a-Wish ambassadors in 2023. Each ambassador had a goal of raising $10,000, or roughly the average cost of fulfilling one child’s wish.

Freeman held several fundraisers over the summer to hit that total. The biggest took place at Live Music at the Gazebo, a new live music event held in Shell Lake on June 30. Her two children also chipped in, setting up lemonade stands at Live Music at the Gazebo and other events. Freeman also donated all proceeds from hunting and angling licence sales at her business, Willow Insurance Corp., between April and September.

Freeman also credited several local business owners and residents for making online donations to her campaign.

By October, Freeman and her campaign had raised more than $11,000 for Make-a-Wish, with all of those funds staying in Saskatchewan. She said most community members and business leaders know a family with a child whose wish was granted, and that connection made it easier to get them on board.

“Saskatchewan is so small that everybody did have a personal connection to it where they said, ‘I have a grandchild, a niece, a nephew, a friend, a neighbour, somebody,’ or they knew kids who were currently on the list waiting for their wish to be granted,” Freeman said. “It was just nice to come together as a community for that…. I feel like everybody has been so isolated for the last three years that it was a positive thing to come together for.”

Since its founding in 1932, Make-a-Wish Canada has granted more than 37,000 thousand wishes to children. That includes more than 1,000 wishes granted in 2022.

SUBHEADLINE: Freeman shocked, but grateful, to be named IBC award finalist

Working as a Make-a-Wish ambassador wasn’t the only thing that kept Freeman in busy in 2023. She celebrated her business’ 10th anniversary, and in October was named a finalist for Insurance Broker of the Year at Insurance Business Canada’s (IBC) 2023 awards.

Freeman was the only broker from Saskatchewan named as a finalist for Broker of the Year, as well as the only rural broker.

“It was a pretty big shock,” Freeman said. “It’s a national award, so it’s open to all insurance brokers across Canada. I live in Shell Lake, Saskatchewan. Our population is 160 people … and I mean, that is a huge thing considering how big some of the firms are.

“All the other finalists on there came from large centres … so to be from a small rural community like Saskatchewan is a huge deal.”

Freeman said there’s some pressure in the insurance world to automate everything, but smaller communities like Shell Lake appreciate face-to-face customer service. She’s tried to make face-to-face meetings a priority, and credits those efforts for helping Willow Insurance succeed.

“With insurance, I think it’s more complicated than people expect it to be,” she said. “Sometimes it helps if you can sit down in person and actually look at it, and you’re not being rushed out the door. We have time to sit and talk to you.

“Automation’s great until it’s not. Sometimes you just want to talk to a person,” she added.

Freeman added that many of her clients are people she’s known her whole life. That makes it easier to go the extra mile for them.


Freeman was one of 11 brokers nominated as Broker of the Year. The winner was Jo-Anne Raymond from Paisley Partners Inc. in North York, Ont.

This was the second year in a row Freeman has been nominated for the Broker of the Year Award. Freeman celebrated 10 years as the sole owner of Willow Insurance in 2023. She purchased and renamed the Shell Lake businesses in 2013, then expanded to a second location in Debden in 2017.

Joannides welcomes opportunity in Prince Albert

Jason Kerr
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Joannides welcomes opportunity in Prince Albert

Alex Joannides never saw himself as a businessman.

In university, Joannides was more interested in filmmaking than sales, but that slowly changed. Now, after 22 years in business, Joannides finds himself in Prince Albert where he’s taken over as owner and associate dealer of the Canadian Tire store from Malcolm Jenkins.

“I studied film in school, so I never thought I’d be selling tires for a living, but we evolve, eh,” Joannides says with a laugh. “I mean, how many of us change our careers several times in a lifetime.”

Joannides has been in business most of his adult life. Born and raised in Montreal, he served in the Canadian military before entering the business world.

He’s been a Canadian Tire owner for 22 years now. The Prince Albert store is his seventh.

“An opportunity came up because Malcolm was retiring, right,” said Joannides, who owned a store in Brockville, Ont. before coming to Prince Albert. “There’s kind of a classified system within Canadian Tire where you put your name in for a store that comes up.

“I’ve never lived out west. My wife and I said, ‘this would be a nice place to check out,’ so we bought the store from Malcolm, came out to see it, were really impressed with the area, (and) thought it was a nice location to go to. I think the economy looks pretty robust out here too, so certain things kind of lined up for sure.”

Joannides takes over the Prince Albert Canadian Tire at a time when the Saskatchewan retail sector is booming, at least compared to the rest of Canada. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s retail trade month-over-month growth was five times the national average from August to September. Those numbers include online sales.

However, there are also dark clouds on the horizon. Before Christmas, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told the Globe and Mail that economic growth stalled in mid-2023, and would likely remain weak into 2024.

Joannides says retailers like Canadian Tire were forced to increase their online options during COVID-19. Although it was a challenge at the time, he said it’s paid dividends down the road. The biggest problem, he says, is finding workers, not attracting customers.

“A lot of people quit and went wherever they went, so it was tough getting folks to come in and work and meet the increased demand,” he says. “That was a challenge, and then of course now I think we’re just dealing with a downward trend in the economy, right? I mean, you’ve got interest rates high, the Carbon Tax is killing folks, and just some ridiculous stuff going on with costs out there. You go to the supermarket and you can hardly keep up with the costs, so discretionary spending is probably going to be affected by that.

“Things are going to get tighter, I think, in the next year, for sure, with respect to retail sales, but it is what it is. You just kind of roll with it.”

Joannides says brick and mortar stores that give good customer service and provide an efficient shopping experience will be profitable. With that in mind, he’s planning an aggressive renovation program starting at the end of January.

The store footprint won’t expand, but Joannides plans on “completely ripping the store apart” and rebuilding with an online pickup location, and an official Canadian Tire clearance centre with an off-site warehouse.

Joannides also plans a “complete facelift” for the store’s exterior. He says the goal is to modernize the look inside and outside.

New Prince Albert Canadian Tire owner Alex Joannides (right) presents a cheque to the Prince Albert chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters on Dec. 12, 2023. — Submitted photo.

From a shopping standpoint, Joannides plans to get the Prince Albert Canadian Tire back into the hunting rifle business. The store already offers hunting and fishing gear, but Joannides wants to expand that into a new hunting and fishing pro shop, complete with an area for hunting rifles.

“I think there’s certainly a demand,” he says. “In my last store, I developed a massive pro shop with a big gun rack and everything, and we did really well with it. Customers want that. Customers want firearms, especially in these rural communities. They want to have access to that, so we sell them, and we’re going to do exactly that here.”

Although there are a lot of changes planned for the next few months, one thing Joannides hopes to keep is the store’s commitment to the community. Joannides says he’s not Malcolm Jenkins, but he still plans on being involved and financially supporting organizations that need help.

That support began just before Christmas with a $1,000 donation to the Prince Albert chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Joannides says Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart charity has always made children a priority, and he plans to continue that trend.

“Our intent at Canadian Tire as owners is to always give back to the community, and we’ll continue to do that,” he says. “I’ve been really donating to communities my entire career. I’ve done all kinds of initiatives—large, middle, and small-scale—but obviously when you get to a community for a first month, you’re just dealing with the business (side). We’re already starting to get into there and we’re taking requests and we’re definitely planning to give back.”

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