U15 Aces win, U17 Blaze rally falls short as Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament begins in Prince Albert

Jason Kerr
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U15 Aces win, U17 Blaze rally falls short as Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament begins in Prince Albert

The weather was the story as softball teams from across North Central Saskatchewan gathered for the annual Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament in Prince Albert on Friday.

Environment Canada recorded winds gusting up to 45 km/hr as teams from the U11 to U17 division took the field at Prime Ministers Park. Tournament coordinator Curtis Bradbury said the wind was better than the alternative.

“The way the weather has been, we’ll take the wind over the rain,” Bradbury said with a laugh. “The girls, they have to be prepared, ready to play.”

Bradbury also coaches the Prince Albert U15 Aces, who emerged with a 10-8 win over the Saskatoon Raiders in their opening game. Bradbury said the wind was a factor, but one every club has to deal with.

“The thing that I talked about before the game started is the wind’s going to be the same for everyone,” he said. “It’s not different for any one person (and) they handled it well. There were a few balls that got moving on us, but we were able to cover for each other, so it was good.”

The U17 Lakeland Blaze fell just short in their tournament opener, losing 7-6 to the Saskatoon Selects. Like Bradbury, Blaze coach Scott Reid said the wind was something everyone has to adapt to.

“I think it’s just trying to keep things simple, never giving up on a ball and staying with it all the way through,” Reid said. “Then (it’s) lots of communication and talking amongst each other and then of course, always covering and always expecting the unexpected when the ball is sailing like that.”

Both teams played again at 9 p.m. on Friday. Results from those games were not available by deadline.

Prior to the Friday night game, the Prince Albert Aces retired Shaye Amundson’s number across all Aces age groups. For a full story on the ceremony, please see Tuesday’s Daily Herald

Saskatoon 7 Lakeland 6

The Lakeland Blaze kept the Saskatoon Raiders bats silent for most of the game in Friday’s tournament opener, but when they did score they scored in bunches.

The Raiders put up a four-run fourth inning, along with one run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to secure a 7-6 victory in the first game of the U17 Division.

Blaze coach Scott Reid said he was happy with how his team played, despite the fourth inning setback.

“I thought we did a good job,” Reid said. “(We) held them for the most part, other than one big inning, but they hit the ball so give them credit too.

“I thought our defence was really solid there today, especially in the wind playing some tricks on us out there, and our pitching was pretty good overall,” he added. “It was a pretty good game.”

The Lakeland team is made up of players from the Prince Albert, Melfort, and Tisdale areas. They led 1-0 in the fourth, when Saskatoon blew the came open with four runs.

Lakeland rebounded with one run in the bottom of the fourth, and two more in the bottom of the fifth, but Saskatoon matched that output in the next half-inning every time.

The Blaze pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but weren’t able to tie things up.

“We just came up a little short at the end there, but had the winning run sitting at second base and had an opportunity to win it.”

The Blaze are back in action at 3 p.m. on Saturday when they take on the Regina Saints.

Aces 10 Saskatoon 8

The bats were hot for both clubs as the Prince Albert U15 Aces started their tournament with a 10-8 win in four innings over the Saskatoon Raiders.

The two clubs entered the fourth with Prince Albert leading 4-2 before the Aces piled on six runs in the top half of the inning. The Raiders responded with six of their own in the bottom half, but that wasn’t enough to earn the win.

Bad weather has kept the Aces off the field for most of the spring, so head coach Curtis Bradbury said it was good to an early win.

‘’We haven’t had many games with the way the weather has been to start off the ball season, so this was our first actual tournament game this year and it worked out well,” he said. “We’re happy to get the W for sure.”

Cailyn Bradbury led the way for the Aces with a double and a triple and four RBIs, while pitcher Shaye Woolley stuck out four batters in 3.2 innings. Avie Kovitch came on in relief in the fourth and struck out the only batter she faced.

“For the first game of the tournament I was very happy,” Curtis said. “We got off to a good start, (had) a bit of lull towards the middle of the game, but we finished off strong which is important.”

The U15 Aces are back on the field at 3 p.m. on Saturday to face the Sherwood Park Storm.

PAEX board to discuss barn replacement and fire safety following May 25 blaze

Jason Kerr
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PAEX board to discuss barn replacement and fire safety following May 25 blaze

The Prince Albert Exhibition Association board will meet June 10 to discuss a possible replacement for the cattle barn that burned down on Saturday, but it won’t be the only item up for discussion.

Board president and Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said they’ll also discuss new safety rules to prevent another fire from happening. This is the second year in a row a barn has caught fire at the Exhibition grounds. A horse stable burned down in February 2023.

“That’s our top priority—to make sure that everyone who comes on our property feels safe and is safe,” Dionne said during an interview on Thursday. “We’re going to make some changes, and we’re going to start enforcing those rules to protect our property better.”

Dionne said there were six security guards on site during the Saturday, May 25 fire. He said the board will also review its security operation.

Insurance adjusters inspected the damage on Wednesday, and Dionne said the board wants to wait for their report before they finalize any new rules or future construction plans.

The Exhibition Association returned to profitability in recent years after reporting a $433,000 loss in 2020. In 2023, the board began plans to repair many of the deteriorating buildings on the site, most notably the Octagon Building.

Dionne said insurance costs will help with construction of a new barn, but it’s still a financial setback.

“It’s tough,” Dionne said. “We’ve got so many other repairs because our buildings are old, and they (the two barns) were serving a purpose. To lose them, it was devastating. When they gave me the phone call (on Saturday) to say the barn was on fire I was just devastated….”

“This is the second year in a row we’ve lost something, and it is devastating, especially this time of year when we needed it.”

Dionne said the loss of the cattle barn won’t impact the upcoming Prince Albert Regional Beef Show and Sale. Exhibition staff have already cleaned out and stocked other barns on site with new straw and pens.

The biggest challenge will be the Prince Albert Exhibition (PAEX), but Dionne is confident they can move a few events around to accommodate everyone.

“We are in a mode that we will survive this year without that barn,” he said.

As for a replacement, Dionne said they will definitely rebuild, but board members will discuss what that looks like at the June 10 meeting.


“Our intention is to look to see if we need a barn that big,” he explained. “We’re going to rebuild something, but we don’t know if we need a barn that big. We are insured, so that’s the good part. It’s going to give us an opportunity.”

The Prince Albert Fire Department was called to the scene at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 following reports of a structure fire on Exhibition Drive.

Firefighters reported heavy smoke coming from the eaves and roof of the barn upon arrival. The first crew entered through the main door, but had to cease their efforts due to collapsing roof trusses.

Instead, the department removed parts of the building’s exterior to access and extinguish the fire. The department described the building as sustaining “significant structural damage.”

Firefighters also responded to a fire on Exhibition Drive on Friday, May 24. Crews were called to the scene at 10:30 p.m. following reports of a fire by a parked RV trailer.

Fire crews found a small amount of debris burning and extinguished it without any damage to the nearby fence.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Out of the past: showcase artist looks back on 20 years of painting and drawing at Year End Art Show exhibit

Jason Kerr
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Out of the past: showcase artist looks back on 20 years of painting and drawing at Year End Art Show exhibit

It was a bit of a surprise for Marjorie Somers when the longtime Prince Albert painter and drawer discovered she would be the Showcase Artist at the Christina’s Art School Year End Show.

In fact, she was so surprised she had to go looking for a few of her pieces.

Somers has been drawing and painting for 20 years, but she’s given so many pieces away to friends and family, coming up with enough for an exhibit was a bit of a challenge.


“I thought, ‘oh my goodness.’” Somers said with a chuckle. “I was very, very pleased, but still wondering how I was going to get enough art pieces together, because most of them were gifts. I had to gather up pieces and bring them in, but it’s been lots of fun. It’s nice to be acknowledged, very nice.”

Somers started painting after retiring in 2002. Prior to that, she would tell everyone she planned to paint once she retired, but didn’t take that plan seriously until her staff paid for a year’s worth of art lessons with local art instructor Christian Thoen as a retirement gift.

Somers loved the classroom, but said her first few attempts were a bit rough. She began devoting herself to still life studies, and started collecting them in a binder along with sketches she made as part of her regular lessons.

That binder is on display as part of the Year End Art Show. It includes pieces from her first 10 years of work.

“When I started, they weren’t very good,” Somers remembered. “But then as I progressed I thought, ‘oh my goodness, look at the improvement, look at the improvement’ and I was enjoying them more and more, so I decided that I would take the lessons, along with my attempts at the studies, and put them into a scrapbook.”

Somers’ work focuses on the things she loves best: her family. Her pieces include drawings of her children and grandchildren, and paintings of her late husband, Jim, including one of the two of them up at Neslin Lake when they were in their 30s.

“We would sit there covered in blankets and just enjoy the sunset,” Somers remembered. “This is a very important piece.”

Most of her work is in soft pastel, acrylic, and graphite. She loved the soft pastel because it reminded her of water colour painting, which she wanted to try but didn’t think she was quite ready for, and chose acrylic because it allowed her to create more detailed pieces.

Somers credits Thoen for helping develop her talents without becoming overbearing.

“Christina’s amazing,” she said. “Over the 20 years we’ve become very close (and) she lets you do your art. She never touches your piece. She never corrects your piece. She just asks us to look a little bit harder and see if we can see something in that particular area, and that is so empowering. I’ve never experienced that from the art experience before, and that’s why I’ve stayed with her for so long.”

As for the future, Somers said she knows of one woman in Saskatoon still painting at the age of 92. She’d like to hit that mark too if possible.

“I want to paint for another 20 (years),” Somers said with a laugh. “I’ve done 20. I want 20 more. I don’t know if that’s practical, but I do want 20 more.”

The Christina’s Art School Year End Show runs until September at Sandra’s Framing, Gallery, and Gifts on Branion Drive in Prince Albert.

Somers is one of many students putting their work on display at the year-end show. She said it’s incredible to see how other students have progressed in just a few months.

“The art that Christina’s students produce is amazing. If you take a look at each piece, the first-time artist comes in and ends up with a piece they can frame and be proud of. It is miraculous, and you use all the diversity and it’s, yeah, her students really, really bloom.”

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Chamber of Commerce opens door to new Chamber HQ

Jason Kerr
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Chamber of Commerce opens door to new Chamber HQ

The Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce has officially unveiled Chamber HQ, a new business start-up centre created in partnership with Community Futures.

The centre is based out of the Chamber’s new downtown location on 54 11th Street East—the former home of the Canadian Red Cross office. Business leaders and curious residents got a look at it for the first time when the Chamber held their grand opening on Wednesday.

“It feels great,” Chamber CEO Patty Hughes said. “This was a lot of work in the last couple of months to be able to get this all together. It came together so smoothly for such a short time period, and we really want to thank a lot of our business partners who helped make that happen, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that without them.”

The new start-up centre provides rentable conference rooms, office spaces, mingling spaces, and special rentable room for recording podcasts.

Even before she joined the Chamber, Hughes thought Prince Albert could use a business centre similar to what other communities have. She said it gives people working from home more options if they need to rent space for a few days, or even a month.

Prince Albert dignitaries and Chamber of Commerce officials cut the red tape to officially open the Chambers’ new building on 54 11th Street East. — Submitted photo.

“Since the pandemic, a lot of people had that remote work environment, and now they have found coming out of it, they actually need more of a hybrid model,” Hughes explained. “People don’t want to go to other people’s houses to meet with them and stuff like that. We’re providing a professional business environment where people can come in and rent an office from us on a short-term basis … to be able to make things work for them, to meet their clients, etc., in a professional environment without having to have that long-term commitment.”

All Chamber offices and staff have moved into the building along with the Chamber HQ. Hughes said the downtown location offers them more convenience and flexibility.

“We work with City Hall, so we wanted to be in close proximity to City Hall. We wanted accessibility, and we also wanted the space that just had the right vibe to it for what we were wanting to accomplish,” Hughes said. “This building, initially, when we walked in really just fit all of those factors quite quickly.”

Hughes added that there may be a few more minor cosmetic changes in the months ahead. The Chamber paid for extensive renovations to the building’s interior, with an exterior paint job scheduled for this summer.

Local bands ready to rock for mental health

Jason Kerr
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Local bands ready to rock for mental health

Local bands ‘East Side of Second’ and ‘Wade and Chord’ will join Saskatoon group ‘Christopher and the Saints’ for a night of music in support of mental health on Friday.

father-son duo Wade and Chord Fehr photo from the Wade Fehr Music Facebook page
Saskatoon band Christopher and the Saints photo by Jessica Deback

The three groups will headline the inaugural Rock for Mental Health night at the Rock Trout Events Centre. Proceeds will go towards the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Prince Albert office.
“Mental health is something that I think everybody can get on board with supporting,” said local musician Emma Jean, who is helping organize the event. “It’s very important (to support) these days, and music is the way I know how to do that.”

Friday’s show will mark Christopher and the Saints’ first appearance in Prince Albert. The band describes itself as “Pink Floyd with cowboy boots” and just released a new single in May called ‘Hey Hey’. They hope it will be an anthem for people struggling with mental health issues.

“Real proud of this one,” the group wrote on social media after releasing the song. “We hope it’s relatable.”

Wade and Chord is made up of the father-son duo of Wade and Chord Fehr, while East Side of Second includes brothers Aden and Logan Edwards, Kace and Blake Callahan, and Evan Ace.

“The bands are 100 per cent eager to support this cause,” Jean said. “It’s a great opportunity for musicians and bands to get together and do something.

Jean came up with the Rock for Mental Health idea after doing some work in the mental health field. That experience showed her just how important it is to have organizations like CMHA.

“CMHA Prince Albert is one, but there are many organizations working in mental health—and many mental health workers,” she said. “I think the more we can support them in turn, that’s going to make a big difference in a lot of peoples’ lives.”

Jean encouraged fans to support CMHA and other mental health organizations directly if they can’t make it to the show. She also encouraged music lovers to come out and enjoy the show.

“If it goes well and we have a lot of community support, it would be nice to do something like this annually,” she said.

Doors open for Rock for Mental Health at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 31. Tickets are available online or at the door.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Hargrave happy with Sask. Party’s direction, cites age and family plans as reasons for not running

Jason Kerr
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Hargrave happy with Sask. Party’s direction, cites age and family plans as reasons for not running

Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave said he’s happy with the direction of the Saskatchewan Party, and recent allegations from outgoing Speaker Randy Weekes played no role in his decision to not seek re-election.

Hargrave secured the PA Carlton Sask. Party nomination by acclimation in November, but on Monday he reversed course and said he would not run in the next provincial election.

“I’m 68 years old, coming 69 years old, which is not that bad, but 73 is a lot older, and that’s how old I would be when I was done,” Hargrave said during a phone interview Monday afternoon

“I want to give back to my community and my province, and I want to continue to serve somewhat … and I didn’t want to go for one year or two years and then resign,” he added. “That’s not what I do. It was four years, (and) I just was finding (I was) unable to sort of commit to that.”

Hargrave said he was confident he could serve another term when he secured the Sask. Party nomination in November. However, a few months later a longtime friend was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

He said that news more than anything else caused him to rethink how he wanted to spend his next few years.

“I thought it was going to be good,” Hargrave said. “I really did, and then this other news came and it really started me thinking about my own life and where I want to go and what we want to do as a family, Fran (Hargrave’s wife) and I.

“I apologized to the Premier. I said, ‘I know it’s bad timing.’ It’s got nothing to do with this other garbage that’s going on. This is strictly about me and my wife and what’s best for us.”

The Saskatchewan Party came under fire as the final session of the 29th Legislature ended on May 17 when outgoing speaker Randy Weekes accused government of bully and harassing him over his rulings, specifically Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison. Weekes also accused Harrison of being obsessed with guns, and alleged Harrison sought permission to carry a handgun in the legislative assembly.

Premier Scott Moe denied these allegations, and said it was just sour grapes from Weekes, a 20-year Sask. Party MLA who lost a nomination battle in the constituency of Kindersley-Biggar. However, Harrison later resigned after admitting he once brought a hunting rifle into the Legislature during a brief stop to pick up some paperwork before heading on a hunting trip.

While the accusations sparked headlines, Hargrave said it did not impact his decision to not seek re-election. He added that he is happy with the direction the party is heading, and plans to support whoever the Sask. Party nominates to replace him in Prince Albert Carlton.

“I’m quite fine with the party,” Hargrave said. “I’ll still be working for the party right up until my last day and … whoever’s replacing me, I’ll be helping out there to make sure he or she gets elected.

“I’m good with the party, and I’m good with the leadership, and I’m good with my fellow MLAs. There are people, the speaker, he may be bitter like that, and some of the NDP are saying that (it’s about the party’s direction). Of course they’re going to say that. It’s an election year, but it’s just not true.”

Hargrave is the latest in a line of sitting Saskatchewan Party MLAs who have announced they will not seek re-election. The list includes cabinet ministers Dustin Duncan, Donna Harpauer, Don McMorris, and Gord Wyant, as well as Carrot River Valley MLA Fred Bradshaw, and Batoche MLA Delbert Kirsch.

The Saskatchewan Party said in a statement they plan to nominate a new candidate for Prince Albert Carlton in the coming weeks.

The Saskatchewan Party has 28 of 48 candidates nominated. Hargrave is the 14th sitting MLA who is not seeking re-election.

Jenson to replace Hargrave in cabinet

Hargrave also stepped down as Minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement. Warman MLA Terry Jenson will replace him. This is Jenson’s first time in cabinet.

“Joe has decided not to run again in this fall’s election and has asked to step away from his ministerial role,” Premier Scott Moe said in a press release. “He has played a key role in helping advance some of the most significant capital projects we have seen in our province’s history and I thanked him for his service and leadership.”

The move was one of three made on Monday. The biggest involves Highways Minister Lori Carr, who replaced Jeremy Harrison as Government House Leader. In the other change, Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman was named Deputy House Leader.

Hargrave said he stepped down as SaskBuilds Minister because the two projects most important to him: the Rose Garden Hospice and Acute Care Tower at Victoria Hospital, were completed or under construction.

“I sort of left it open for the premier, and said, ‘you want to put somebody else in there? I’m 100 per cent with it. I understand, because I’ll be leaving and I’ll stay on the rest of the boards and the committees, and I’ll serve faithfully, but that’s about it.

“My big project was the hospital. I wanted to see that one across the line with the equipment moving, and the Hospice is there and that was the other big project for me for PA…. There are other people who are going to stay and we may as well get them going. My replacement for Minister was on the board there for a long time with me and served very well, and he’ll be a good replacement for me.”

NDP blasts Sask. Party for ‘chaotic’ caucus

Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck said Hargrave’s decision to not seek re-election is another sign of significant problems in the Saskatchewan Party.

Speaking Monday afternoon, Beck said Premier Scott Moe is too busy putting out fires in his own party to adequately govern the province.

“The Premier has a problem,” Beck said. “There is obvious chaos on the government side, and again, this government seems to be more interested and more focused on trying to quell the soap opera that is happening in their own caucus than they are in fixing very real concerns that people in this province have.”

Beck said the government should spend more time focusing on areas of concern, like health, education, and the road into Cumberland House.

“There’s no doubt about it. The government is having all sorts of chaos on their side,” she added. “We’ll let them focus on that. We’ll focus on the things that matter to Saskatchewan people.”

NDP vows to permanently fix Cumberland House highway if elected

Jason Kerr
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NDP vows to permanently fix Cumberland House highway if elected

Saskatchewan NPD leader Carla Beck vowed that an NDP government would fix the road into Cumberland House if elected, but said in the meantime the provincial government needs to step-in and provide relief.

Beck, along with NDP Highways Critic Trent Wotherspoon and Cumberland MLA Doyle Vermette said Hwy 123 needs significant improvement to provide stability to Saskatchewan’s oldest community.

“It’s simply not acceptable that this government hasn’t risen to the occasion,” Wotherspoon said. “They’ve been asleep at the switch while this community has been vulnerable and isolated and incurring many, many costs and lots of damage to vehicles.”

Wotherspoon called on the province to deploy a building team that could maintain the road in the short-term while plans are finalized for long-term upgrades. He also said the province should be prepared to airlift in supplies like food, fuel, or medicine if road conditions worse.

The NDP is particularly concerned about a 90km stretch of gravel road passed Junction 55. Even in paved areas, the NDP said road conditions are unacceptable.

“The people of Cumberland House and Cumberland House Cree Nation deserve a government that will work with local leaders to get the road fixed,” Beck said. “If our team has the privilege of forming government, that’s exactly what we will do, but in the short-term, action is needed.”

Vermette has been an MLA for the last 16 years, and said the highway has been an issue for longer than he’s been in office. On Monday, he urged the Premier to visit Cumberland House himself and see what residents have to deal with.

“The government is not taking it serious, and they need to,” he said.

According to the Provincial Map of Highway Construction Projects for 2024-25, there are two gravel projects scheduled for Hwy 123.

Wotherspoon said there has been constant work on the road over the past few years without conditions improving.

“These constant band aids on Hwy 123 are super expensive and aren’t working,” he said. “It leaves the community in a very isolated and very vulnerable way, so responding to emergency after emergency isn’t good enough. We need a long-term solution.”

Wotherspoon also criticized the government’s decision to reduce spending on northern roads in the 2024-25 budget. According to budget documents, the province earmarked $73.5 million to build, operate, and maintain the transportation system in the north in 2024-25. That’s down from the $89.4 pledged for northern Saskatchewan transportation in 2023-24.

Premier Scott Moe was asked about Hwy 123 during a media scrum in Regina on Monday. Moe said it’s “not the best road,” especially with the high amounts of rainfall, but said the government was committed to a long-term solution.

He also said Highways Minister Lori Carr would be making the trip north to discuss the highway in-person with local leaders.

“It’s unfortunate that the road is in the state of disrepair, let’s say, due to the rains this spring, but we’ll get the investment and get the road stabilized this summer, and have a little conversation about ‘what is the long-term investment into that road’ and I think some other northern roads as well,” Moe said.

The Premier added that the government spent a lot of money post-pandemic on northern roads, but said “obviously, we need a little bit more.”

The Ministry of Highways has invested $2.47 million in maintenance on Hwy 123 from the Junction of Hwy 55 to Cumberland House over the past three years, according to a government statement. That covers about 138 km. The ministry also invested roughly $4.3 million to improve the highway in 2019. Work included raising the grade of the road and widening it.

The Ministry plans to spend around $3.3 million improving Hwy 123 south of Cumberland House this construction season.

In the short-term, the Ministry has restricted truck weight to eight tonnes to prevent additional road damage. The Ministry has pledged to work with trucking companies to ensure food, fuel, and other supplies can reach Cumberland House residents.

The Ministry has placed roughly 15 truckloads of rock material to strengthen a three km segment of road south of the community. A contractor has also been placed on site to help pull motorists out as required.

Prairie Pop Culture Celebration set for Prince Albert return

Jason Kerr
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Prairie Pop Culture Celebration set for Prince Albert return

Whether it’s games, comics, or Star Wars movies, pop culture lovers will have their hands full when the Prairie Pop Culture Celebration returns to Prince Albert on Saturday.

This year’s event will be the second in Prince Albert, following a show at last summer’s Street Fair. Event coordinator Bob MacIntyre said they had a good turnout last year, but wanted to try a standalone event in 2024.

“The first year, I had never done anything like this before in Prince Albert,” MacIntyre said. “It was a bit of a learning curve, so we wanted to try it again and see how we can do it.

“We had a really good response from the people who were there that came out, because apparently nothing like that had ever been done before, is what we were told, so I’m just hoping to make it better.”

Saturday’s show at the Nordale Hall will be similar to the 2023 event, although with a few different vendors from last year. MacIntyre said fans in larger cities have access to shows like this all the time. He’s hopeful this show can scratch the itch for fans in smaller towns and cities.

“Sometimes people in smaller communities can’t get to the big shows,” he said. “We just did one in Saskatoon in March—a big one—and they can’t get to the show, so this is a perfect opportunity for people to come to one. It’s a smaller version, but they can come say hello and see all the cools stuff.”

As a self-proclaimed nerd, MacIntyre will have his own booth at the show selling comics and toys.

MacIntyre said the celebrations are great ways for residents to meet other fans and be themselves.

“They can be themselves with no judgement,” he said. “If you want to dress up, you can dress up. If you don’t want to, you don’t want to, but nobody’s going to judge you.”

The Prairie Pop Culture Celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nordale Hall on Saturday, May 25. Admission is $2 for adults. Children 12 and under are free with paid adult admission.

Charity partner Running Wild Rescue will also be on hand collecting food donations for animals currently in their foster care.

Harrison resigns as Government House Leader

Jason Kerr
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Harrison resigns as Government House Leader

Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison resigned as Government House Leader on Friday after admitting to bringing a long gun into the legislature roughly 10 years ago.

In an interview Friday morning, Harrison “categorically and unequivocally” denied all other accusations made by outgoing Speaker Randy Weeks during the final day of the Spring Assembly. However, Harrison said he brought a long gun into the Legislature for “about 10 minutes” while stopping to pick up some work before heading out on a hunting trip about a decade ago, something he regrets.

“(I) shouldn’t have done that,” Harrison said in an interview on Friday. “It was a mistake. It was a lapse in judgement, and because of that I offered my resignation as House Leader to the Premier and he accepted.”

Harrison said he didn’t initially catch that Weekes had accused him of bringing a gun to the legislature because there were so many accusations on that final day. When he did realize it, Harrison said he didn’t recall bringing a gun until he had some conversations with family members.

Following those conversations, Harrison said he recalled bringing a gun into the legislature, but couldn’t remember the exact date saying it was “10 years ago, approximately.”

Harrison said he didn’t remember the event until after Premier Scott Moe had made public statements about Weekes’ allegations. Harrison then offered his resignation as house leader, which Moe accepted.

“It was a mistake,” Harrison said. “It was a lapse in judgement. I shouldn’t have done it. I didn’t even think about it when it happened.

“It was literally driving out to a hunting trip and stopped for a very short period of time. Security were aware of it. I brought my long gun into the assembly, and I did it because I didn’t want to leave it in a parked vehicle in a parking lot, which is not something that you should do. I should have just not stopped at the building, but I did and I made the decision at that point that I would bring it in because it was a short period of time and security were aware.”

Harrison added that this was the only time he brought a gun to the Legislature.

Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck said it’s not enough for Harrison to resign his role as House Leader. In an interview Friday afternoon, Beck said Moe condemned Weekes’ accusations as “unequivocally false” only for Harrison to admit they were true a week later.

Beck said Saskatchewan voters need to know they can trust their elected officials, and there need to be consequences when that trust is violated.

“Saskatchewan people expect that their leaders will live up to the values that we hold,” Beck said during a press conference outside the Legislature. “Honesty is important, and people expect that their leaders will be honest. After 17 years of the government that has occupied office in that building behind me, it is clear that this office has not been that, and they’re still not being straight with the people of Saskatchewan.”

Beck said it was concerning that Harrison took one week before providing an answer. She said both Harrison and Moe need to face reporters and answer questions about the issue.

“The consequence that I’m asking for today, again, if this was a case of the minister lying to the Premier, is for that Minister to be kicked out to caucus,” Beck said. “It’s not enough that he just steps down as House Leader.”

Harrison denied all other allegations Weekes made during his closing speech, telling reporters they are “entirely untrue.” He also denied ever having asked permission to bring a handgun into the legislature.

Harrison said he was surprised and disappointed by Weekes’ final comments.

“Obviously as house leader I’ve worked with that speaker, (and) I’ve worked with previous speakers. There’s always a tension and a friction,” Harrison said. “That’s the way the House works. Obviously, what happened was unfortunate, and I was a bit mystified, frankly, by some of … the allegations that were made from the chair.

“Like I said, I categorically deny all of them, except for this one, which having worked through and thought about, I acknowledge happened and it was as mistake, and because of that I’ve offered my resignation as house leader.”

In his final speech as speaker, Weekes accused Harrison of sending “hundreds of text messages” seeking to influence his rulings. Weekes said the “intimidating and harassing” messages began immediately after he took the position.

On Friday, May 17, the Premier told reporters he had spoken with Harrison about all allegations, and that the Meadow Lake MLA denied every one. Moe also told reporters he had confidence in Harrison’s both as a minister and House Leader.

Saskatchewan voters have questions, the Government House Leader needs to give answers

Jason Kerr
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Saskatchewan voters have questions, the Government House Leader needs to give answers

Folks, I’m going to tell you something you all already know: not all criticism is created equal.

When First Name Bunch-of-Numbers jumps on social media from the safety of an anonymous account and calls me an idiot, I don’t particularly care. I’m not really concerned if random people use an alias to anonymously call me a dork, but that changes the second someone actually puts their name to their words.

More importantly, it really changes if someone in a position of authority—say the Speaker of the Legislature—does it from a place of prominence—for example, the floor of the Saskatchewan Legislature.

It changes even more if the criticism is, shall we say, concerning. Being called a dork is one thing. Being accused of sending harassing text messages in an attempt to influence a neutral party is quite another.

Politicians get a lot of criticism, some of it warranted and some of it not. I don’t expect them to respond to every little thing. Some, like our current Prime Minister, would never have time to do their job if they had to respond to every reproach (fair or otherwise) that came their way. But I do expect politicians to respond to specific accusations made in unusual ways, which brings us to Saskatchewan Party Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison.

For those of you who missed it, Harrison was on the receiving end of a broadside from outgoing Legislative Speaker and fellow Sask. Party MLA Randy Weekes, who accused the Meadow Lake MLA of “harassing me with text messages” and, even more concerning, having “a disturbing obsession with guns” to the point where Harrison allegedly brought a hunting rifle to the Legislature.

Premier Scott Moe, to his credit, faced the media and answered questions about Weekes’ allegations (Moe views them as “nothing more than third-party hearsay”, Regina Leader-Post journalist Alec Salloum reported.) So have other MLAs, like Prince Albert’s Alana Ross, who told the Daily Herald she has “never worked in a better work environment.”

Whether you believe Moe or Ross is, to be blunt, not the point of this column. Obviously, it’s important, but the main thrust is at least they spoke to the media. Why hasn’t Jeremy Harrison done the same?

You may not like what Ross said, but at least she took our calls and answered questions about Weekes’ allegations. Same goes for the Premier. Harrison, meanwhile, has gone AWOL.

As the Leader-Post’s Murray Mandryk noted in his own column a few days ago, Harrison has been difficult to reach. He didn’t speak to reporters on May 16, didn’t show up to the Premier’s dinner later that day, and wasn’t at a scheduled announcement on May 17.

On Thursday, after the provincial NDP called for an investigation into the allegations about Harrison’s enthusiasm for firearms, the Leader-Post tried to arrange an interview with Harrison. Their request was declined.

Harrison’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account shows only one instance of activity since Weekes’ allegations. On May 21, Harrison liked one of Moe’s posts. The subject was inflation, not text messages or hunting rifles.

Whether true or not, Harrison should step up to the plate, and take a nice healthy swing at the first question a reporter lobs his way. If Weekes is telling the truth, Harrison owes it to Saskatchewan voters, and members of his own party, to come clean and fess up. If they are lies, Harrison should vigorously defend himself?

What he shouldn’t do is sit in silence and wait for this to boil over. Yes, I know some voters have short attention spans. Yes, I know every public relations expert on the face of the earth would advise you to shut-up and let other people do the talking. That is the political equivalent of kicking a fieldgoal on third-and-goal from the one yard line.

This isn’t just about Harrison’s reputation, or his party’s reputation. As others have pointed out, it’s unprecedented to see an outgoing Speaker lay into someone the way Weekes did. Saskatchewan residents have had their faith in the political process shaken. Harrison needs to step up to the mic and address the allegations to restore a little of that faith.

Typically, when someone mouths off in the Legislature or the House of Commons, those on the receiving end tell their accusers to repeat those allegations outside the chamber. Weekes already did that when he sat down for an interview with the Leader-Post. The onus is on Harrison and the Saskatchewan Party now to defend their reputations, and the political process.

If Weekes is wrong, Harrison should come out swinging and defend himself. If Weekes is right, Harrison owes voters an explanation. Staying silent until the news cycle moves on is the cynical way out.

Jason Kerr is the editor of the Prince Albert Daily Herald.

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