Council approves 4 new School Zones, reduced 30 km/hr speed limit at executive committee

City Council has approved a speed limit reduction of 30 km/hr to four more elementary school adjacent streets from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays from Sept. to June in an effort to improve student safety following a recommendation from the City’s Traffic and Transportation Manager, Evan Hastings.

“I’m happy to see this motion finally get finalized this evening,” said Councillor Tony Head during Monday’s Council meeting. “Reducing speed [has] definitely been echoed through my neighbourhood.”

Sixth Avenue West near St. Anne’s School, Fourth Street East beside Princess Margaret Public School, 15th Street West near Queen Mary Community School, and River Street East next to Riverside School will now be considered School Zones instead of School Areas, changing their set speed limit from 50 km/hr.

Coun. Ted Zurakowski said he’s hopeful that the changes will improve safety for all elementary students, but it will require compliance from motorists and enforcement.

“I think it’s a step forward,” said Zurakowski.

Hastings estimated that implementing the changes will cost the City $1,000, including all traffic signage, labor and equipment.

In June of 2022, the Prince Albert Board of Police Commissioners asked the City to review the posted speed limits within School Zones and Areas as they were concerned with potential vehicle-pedestrian accidents. This prompted a review by Hastings, where he looked at the national guidelines set by the Transportation Association of Canada and SGI Crash Statistics for 2012-2022. The review included consultations with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, both of which agreed with the Board of Police Commissioner’s position.

Hasting’s study determined that three roadways warranted a reduction to 30 km/hr based on a combination of traffic safety national guidelines and community safety concerns. Queen Mary School was not identified as one of the locations in the study but because 15th Street West is a busy heavy haul route directly adjacent to the front entrance of the school, it was determined that a reduction to the speed limit was recommended.

Hastings presented his findings to members of Council during the Jan. 9 Executive Committee meeting, where the motion was passed unanimously.

Prince Albert Police ask for public’s help in locating missing teen

Update: On March 17 Prince Albert Police advised that Isiah Smallboy has been found safe

The Prince Albert Police Service is asking for the public’s help to locate 15-year-old Isiah Smallboy.

He is described as having short dark brown hair, brown eyes, and is 5’10” tall with a slim build

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Isiah Smallboy is asked to contact police at 306-953-4222.

RCMP preaches caution as cryptocurrency fraud calls rise

The Saskatchewan RCMP are warning the public to do their research and remain vigilant as local law enforcement sees an increase in cryptocurrency fraud calls since the beginning of 2023.

According to a Monday media release, Swift Current and Maidstone RCMP detachments have collectively received reports of more than 140 people falling victim to fraudulent calls, many involving cryptocurrency. In total, victims reported more than $931,000 in cryptocurrency fraud losses.

Constable Tyson Maxwell is one of two Crypto Coordinators for the Saskatchewan RCMP, under the Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit. He reviews crypto currency files for the entire Division and provides officers with recommendations on how to investigate these files.

“There are thousands of different cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency companies in the market today. Some are legitimate companies, while others may have weak online security or are completely fraudulent,” said Maxwell. “Investigating cryptocurrency fraud is complex as perpetrators are often at various international locations or hiding through hard to trace IP addresses.” 

The RCMP have resources available to track and trace some transactions, but they need to act fast. Multiple departments and agencies may be needed to investigate these cases.

“Once a crypto transaction has been completed, it cannot be reversed. If the investment looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you choose to invest, use a major reputable trading platform or online exchange and do your research to protect yourself,” Maxwell said, adding that he also recommends individuals to monitor the price of cryptocurrency themselves on a reputable trading program. “We have lots of investment scams, where the scammer says the victim made 20 per cent on their Ethereum investment for example – when they were actually going down 10 per cent. A good way to know if you’re being scammed is to verify through other sources what your investment company tells you.”

The scams have been reported to have taken place through the following tactics:

• Authoritative fraud — A scammer pretends to be from a government agency, like the CRA or police, and demands payments for outstanding taxes or warrants for arrests. The scammer instructs victims to go to a cryptocurrency ATM in the city to purchase and send cryptocurrency.

• A “learn to trade in crypto program” — Involves a scammer demanding a victim to send money to be able to learn how to trade cryptocurrency and make money. The scammer tells the victim to either send more money since the first amount never arrived, or to pay to send learning materials through the mail for the learning program.

• False advertising — Other reports include scammers luring victims using investment opportunities for cryptocurrencies to make a profit by creating links on various social media advertisements to steal investments. Scammers entice victims to invest from their personal savings and restrict all access to their accounts. Scammers create a fraudulent company online or compromise a victim’s digital wallet, resulting in a complete loss of funds.

“Cryptocurrency is a digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, or transferred, and can be used for payment or investment purposes,” said the media release. “It is protected by a form of encryption, known as cryptography, and relies on public and private keys to transfer value from one person (individual or entity) to another. Cryptocurrency can be used to purchase both legal and illegal goods and services.”

Warning signs of cryptocurrency fraud may include investment opportunities with higher-than-normal returns, unsolicited telephone, email or social media investment offers, suspicious messages from a trusted source — like a bank or family member, cryptocurrency investments that aren’t registered with provincial or national securities regulators, or contact pages that include an illegitimate address.

The Saskatchewan RCMP works closely with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to investigate cryptocurrency files.

If you, or someone you know, fall victim to a fraud, report it to your local police department and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm or 1-888-495-8501.

RCMP searching for man wanted on 2nd degree murder charge

Jan. 27 update: Cumberland House RCMP have located and arrested Alvin Thomas. He was located in the Cumberland House detachment area on Thursday, Jan. 26. He is currently in police custody and was scheduled for court via phone at La Ronge on Friday.

The Saskatchewan RCMP Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) is asking for the public’s assistance with locating Alvin Thomas, who has been charged by the Saskatoon Police Service for breaching his court-ordered release conditions following a second-degree murder charge in June 2022.

The charge is currently before the courts.

Thomas, 40, is described as as approximately 5’10” tall, with black hair and brown eyes. He has tattoos of the word ‘Crook’ in large lettering on his forearm, a band around his wrist, a cursive word with hearts and stars around it on the back of his hand, and initials at the base of his thumb.

According to police, he is known to visit Saskatoon and Cumberland House but his current whereabouts are unknown.

Anyone who sees Alvin Thomas is asked not to approach. Sightings or information on his whereabouts can be reported to local police or submitted anonymously to Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.

‘I just can’t believe we did this’: local woman moves mountains for Hope’s Home

The owner of North Country Massage and Medi Spa who raised more than $20,000 for Hope’s Home has completed her long-awaited goal of climbing the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

Albertville’s Bernadette Lavoie reached the 19,341 foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, a trip which took her through five different climate zones for a total distance of 74.06 kilometers.

“I did it! The hardest thing I’ve ever done mentally and physically,” wrote Bernadette Lavoie in a Facebook post on Jan. 22, six days after she left on her trip. “A young Tanzanian man told me, ‘When your body wants you to quit, it’s only trying to cheat you. Your faith and your heart are more powerful and that will carry you to the top.’”

In less than three months, Lavoie managed to surpass her goal of raising $19,371 – a dollar for every foot of the mountain – for Hope’s Home. All of proceeds were given to help children with complex needs.

Lavoie arrived in Tanzania in East Africa on Jan. 15, two days before climb day. She visited with people from the local Maasai tribe and explored some of the area before a briefing where she had a chance to meet the rest of her climbing group, which included an Englishman, an Australian, and a fellow Canadian.

“Thank you for all of your support and putting your trust in me and also all of your donations to Hope’s Home,” said Lavoie in a video posted to her Facebook page. “I just can’t believe we did this.”

On Day one of Lavoie’s journey, her group traveled through the rainforest zone filled with muddy and soggy trails. Day two was a steep climb with an ascent back towards the rainforest to prevent elevation sickness, ending with the scenery of Shira Cathedral. Managing rocky terrain towards Lava Tower was in store for day three and day four ended with looking at the Great Barranco Wall. On her sixth day, Lavoie reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, where she was given a mountain climbing certificate to commemorate the achievement.

“It was probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my entire life but I made it,” Lavoie said in a Facebook video from the mountain top. “It goes to show that with a little hope, charity and faith, you can move mountains.”

In a Facebook post to mark the end of her journey, Lavoie thanked everyone for their well wishes and said she was looking forward to a shower and talking with her family. Before heading home, Lavoie took a little tour of Grade 5 at the Stella Maris Lodge and School/Orphanage to bring the kids some Canadian goodies.

PA Literacy Network to host family fun day in celebration of Saskatchewan heritage

The 2023 Family Literacy Day is all about celebrating heritage, and the Prince Albert Literacy Network is inviting local families down to the Gateway Mall on Saturday for an afternoon of free activities centered around culture and diversity.

From 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., families can participate in a Story Walk of the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum’s Li’l Shadd: A Story of Ujima written by Alix Lwanga and illustrated by Miriam Korner. The children’s book was chosen for its theme of celebrating Saskatchewan heritage and tells the story of an African doctor and his family who settled into what is now the Kinistino/Melfort area. A copy of the book and a deck of cards with games from around the world will be handed out at the end.

“The little boy in the story learns that community and culture may have different things and similar things, and that we do best when we come together as a community and help each other out,” explained Kara Thorpe, Family Literacy Coordinator for the Prince Albert Literacy Network. “For example, he sees the indigenous drums and realizes that, well, they’re different than the African drum, but yet drumming is drumming.”

Other things for families to take part in include an art project organized by the Prince Albert Art Gallery, exploring local artifacts supplied by the Prince Albert Historical Museum, checking out informational displays from the Prince Albert Multicultural Council, and other cultural-based activities supplied by Metis-Nation Saskatchewan.

“Getting together and making traditional foods and learning to cook, and the conversation that happens around the supper table is a part of family literacy,” said Thorpe. “Clothing, traditions and all of those things really do encompass the whole world in which we live in.”

Thorpe said they’re hoping for a big turn out and to have as many families engaged as possible.

“It’s such a great theme this year,” she said. “We’re super excited to get together and learn and celebrate the diversity within our community.”

Families can sign up for a live reading of Li’l Shadd: A Story of Ujima on the Saskatchewan Literacy Network website at https://saskliteracy.ca/shadd/. On Jan. 27 at 10 a.m., the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum will be sharing stories about Dr. Shadd and answering questions.

The live stream will also be uploaded to YouTube so the families that receive a copy of the book after they complete the story walk on Saturday can tune in online to learn more.

Council to discuss rec centre fundraising details at Monday meeting

In a next step towards the future of the new Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Centre, the City will begin fundraising efforts for what is described as “the largest and most exciting project” in Prince Albert history.

At Monday’s meeting, City Council will be discussing the approval of an 18-month long Capital Campaign delivered by DCG Philanthropic Service Inc., the same Saskatoon-based consulting firm that was previously awarded a Campaign Feasibility Study for the recreation project in June of 2021.

DCG Philanthropic Service Inc.’s Capital Campaign includes engaging donors, building a project profile, producing volunteer training materials, overseeing and developing marketing and public relations materials, writing proposals and holding donor meetings, for an estimated cost of $648,900 to be paid for from the external funding received for the Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Project.

In June of 2022, members of City Council approved a funding plan and awarded a tender for the construction of the Aquatics and Arenas Recreation Centre. Now that the cost of the project is known, the Co-Chairs of the Aquatics and Arenas Recreation Project (AARP) Fundraising Committee say they believe now is the right time to begin fundraising.

Council will also be reviewing DCG’s Campaign Feasibility Study Overview and Recommendations on Monday. Feedback received from completing interviews with community leaders, businesses and organizations found that 100 per cent of people they engaged with believed the project would be a positive for the community. The study also found that Prince Albert residents have an “enormous sense of community pride”, with a majority in approval of the location.

The only challenges found during the study were about receiving comments on cultural conflict and demographic of community, “but, DCG believes this could be a benefit as PA is the ‘guiding northern light’ to what true reconciliation could look like,” according to a report written by Executive Assistant and Secretary for the AARP Fundraising and Steering Committees, Renee Horn.

“[The] Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Centre and Event Centre are a great opportunity to bring all cultures together to work towards one common goal,” said Horn’s report, which also mentioned that the public is not only very excited about volunteering but are also confident in their community.

Once approved by City Council, the Campaign Feasibility Study Overview and Recommendations will be shared with the community. If Council votes to approve the agreement with DCG for the award of the Capital Campaign, the AARP Fundraising Committee will meet with the consulting firm to coordinate their next steps.

National Police Federation calls on province to increase police funding

The National Police Federation (NPF) recently submitted its pre-budget asks for the 2023-2024 year to the provincial government, calling for strategic investments in policing that support Saskatchewan’s growing population and changing public safety needs.

In a recent press release, the NPF said they know the province has made important investments into Saskatchewan’s RCMP, but they believe the Sask. government needs to go further to address the core issues impacting officers by increasing resources for the RCMP to meet both current and future demand.

“Although Saskatchewan’s population has grown considerably over the past fifteen years, the RCMP have remained underfunded across the province and our members are consistently being told to do more with less when they are already overworked, stressed, and not fully resourced,” said Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation. “We believe investments need to be made in the right areas to ensure the proper delivery of policing services.”

In Oct., the Sask. Party’s Throne Speech committed to investing $20 million annually to create a new Sask. Marshals Service, but the NPF said this would only further divert funding from much needed RCMP resources.

“A national Dec. 2022 Pollara Strategic Insights survey found that only 12 per cent of respondents support the creation of the Sask. Marshal Service and nearly three times more respondents (34 per cent) would prefer to use that money to increase RCMP services across the province,” said the release.

“More importantly, our members in Sask. enjoy strong levels of support (73 per cent) for the policing services they provide, which is consistent with national support levels (76 per cent) in RCMP-served communities,” it continued.

“As the province’s public safety needs continue to evolve, we are looking to this next provincial budget to provide our members with the proper resources and equipment to deal with these changes,” said Morgan Buckingham, Director of the National Police Federation Prairie Region.

In response to the NPF’s recommendations, the Government of Saskatchewan said they are continuing to invest in both the RCMP and municipal police services to ensure they have the resources to keep Saskatchewan communities safe.

“Over the past five years, the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety has increased funding to the Saskatchewan RCMP by over $34 million or 20 per cent,” said the province in an email to the Herald.

This includes additional funding provided to the RCMP for the operation of the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) in Saskatoon, Meadow Lake, and Prince Albert, for a total of $3.2 million annually.

As well, the Ministry has committed to providing $1.6 million annually to fund a new Crime Reduction Unit (CRT) in the Battlefords region. There are currently nine CRT units in eight locations across the province, including two teams in Prince Albert with a mandate to target street gangs, prolific offenders, and respond to urban and rural crime surges.

“Most recently, the Province announced the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) – a new, “made in Saskatchewan” approach to policing that is meant to be flexible, mobile, and easily deployable across the province,” continued the email. “The investment into the SMS represents an “in addition to” approach, not an “instead of”.”

The provincial government said the Service is designed to address provincial priorities in a more proactive, targeted way. No funds will be diverted away from existing policing services or the RCMP, who will continue to be the police of jurisdiction in the province. They confirmed that part of the Service’s mandate will be to support and enhance RCMP and municipal police operations.

In an interview with the Herald, Buckingham said the Federation appreciates the Saskatchewan Government’s commitment to public safety and the money and resources they’ve dedicated to the different teams and Marshals Service, but what they’re looking for is getting more uniformed cops on the street and in communities.

“From the NPF’s perspective, we do work closely with the RCMP, the RCMP has identified a need for an increase in resources and in administrative support staff, which will get our members out of the office and going to calls, responding to calls, and being visible in the community; doing the job they were hired to do,” Buckingham explained.

“Talking with my counterparts at the RCMP, there’s a higher workload in the north. There’s a higher call volume, higher workload. When they’re short members like they are right now and even shorter if they’re running vacancies, they feel that and the communities feel that,” he said. “It’s generalized across the province, but the north is definitely a priority.”

The NPF is recommending the provincial government make six investments to support current RCMP members and programs.

• $100M over five years to bolster the hiring of 301 regular members

• This includes 138 regular members to supplement First Nations policing resources and 154 regular members assigned to general duty, federal policing, and specialized frontline support staff.

• Provide additional funding to create 205 administrative support positions in RCMP detachments to allow RCMP Members to spend more time in communities.

• Work with the RCMP in Saskatchewan to identify and resolve existing challenges within the current infrastructure before creating additional bureaucracy through new law enforcement entities.

• Invest $2 million to study police service delivery models for rural and remote communities

• In order to build the Saskatchewan RCMP for the future, review ways to offer better services and enhanced community safety for Saskatchewan residents and ensure better mental health and quality of life for RCMP members.

Beauval RCMP find plastic egg filled with crack during weapons investigation in Canoe Lake

On Dec. 23, Beauval RCMP received a report of two masked men in possession of a firearm and machete who threatened occupants of a local bar in Beauval, Sask. earlier in the month, on Dec. 14.

There were no injuries reported to police.

The suspects were identified as Hubert Cardinal, 27, and Edwin Corrigal, 40, as a result of extensive investigation. The two were believed to be in Canoe Lake Cree Nation.

Initial efforts to locate the men were unsuccessful, according to police. Officers issued warrants for their arrest and notified the community, with efforts to locate them continuing in the weeks to follow.

On Jan. 13, Beauval RCMP worked with the Meadow Lake Crime Reduction Team (CRT) to locate the suspects and identify their whereabouts and activities. Based on the information gathered by police, Cardinal and Corrigal were believed to be a residence located on the 200Block of Primrose East on the Canoe Lake Cree Nation.

Officers attended the residence and located Corrigal in the backyard. He was arrested without incident.

A search of Corrigal incidental to his arrest resulted in police locating a loaded sawed-off shotgun, a machete, approximately seven grams of crack cocaine wrapped in foil, approximately 11 grams of marijuana, a sum of cash, and seven individual bags of crack cocaine hidden in a plastic egg container.

After officers received information that Cardinal may have been in the residence, Meadow Lake CRT obtained and executed a Feeney warrant to enter the residence. A thorough search of the home was conducted, but Cardinal was not located.

An increased police presence was maintained in the community as officers continued the search for Cardinal.

On Jan. 15, Meadow Lake RCMP were travelling to the same residence on Primrose East in Canoe Lake Cree Nation in an attempt to locate Cardinal. As they arrived, police located a black van previously seen at the residence at the time of Corrigal’s arrest. Officers activated their police lights, pulled the van over, and immediately observed two occupants as they approached the vehicle. The occupants were instructed to exit the van and as officers began to clear the vehicle, they located Cardinal hiding underneath blankets in the back and arrested him.

The other two occupants of the vehicle were released with no charges.

As a result of the investigation, Hubert Cardinal of Canoe Lake has been charged with attempting to take a weapon in possession of a police officer, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and two count of failing to comply with a release order.

Edwin Corrigal of Prince Albert has been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing of a shotgun knowing the serial number is removed, possession of a firearm while prohibited, possession of ammunition while prohibited, unsafe storage, and possession of cocaine.

Both Cardinal and Corrigal are scheduled to make their next court appearance in Meadow Lake on Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m.

One dead in fatal collision with a semi near Carnduff

Around 4:18 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Carnduff RCMP responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Range Road 1331 and Township Road 20, approximately 10 kilometres south of Carnduff, Sask.

Initial investigation determined a pick-up truck was travelling north on Range Road 1331 when it collided with a semi traveling east on Township Road 20.

The driver of the pick-up truck, a 92-year-old man, was declared deceased on the scene by EMS. His family has been notified and Victim Services has been engaged to provide support.

The driver of the semi, a 22-year-old man, was assessed by EMS and did not report any injuries.

Both vehicles had no other occupants.

Carnduff RCMP were assisted in the investigation by officers from the RCMP Combined Traffic Services Section and the Estevan RCMP. Police were joined on the scene by a Collision Reconstructionist, the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, and local fire and EMS.

According to a media release, the roads were closed for approximately eight hours as police investigated the collision. The road conditions were extremely poor and icy at the time of the crash.