Saskatoon – d559

Riders CEO Craig Reynolds says Saskatoon pre-season game will be a hot ticket

Britton Gray — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:10:37 +0000

The start of training camp continues to get closer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The CFL club will look to defend its Grey Cup title this season with training camp set to get underway on May 10.

This year, the Riders will also be hosting a pre-season game in Saskatoon for the first time since 1991, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit Griffiths Stadium on May 23.

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The Riders announced tickets will be on sale shortly for the pre-season contest and Riders’ President and CEO Craig Reynolds joined The Green Zone on Tuesday to talk about the exciting event.

Listen to the full interview with Craig Reynolds:

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

THE GREEN ZONE: News today on how to get involved with the pre-season action in Saskatoon for the Riders and the Bombers in May, with the announcement that Saskatoon season ticket holders will get to buy pre-sale tickets. How far out does the area include?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: We’ve got a little radius that we figured out. It’s amazing what you can find out nowadays.

THE GREEN ZONE: I’m glad you’re doing that because Saskatoon fans do a bulk of the travelling during the regular season.

CRAIG REYNOLDS: That was that was really important to us when we went down this venture was to think of that commitment that members do to come down here for 10 home games and driving that two-and-a-half hours.

So with a game in their backyard, just to give them a little bit of an opportunity to get tickets a little earlier through a pre-sale opportunity. They’re limited, but if they don’t get them in the preseason sale window, they can still join the other season ticket members on Friday.

THE GREEN ZONE: how much work is going into expanding Griffiths for this game, if any?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: Not a ton. We’re going to bring in some tenting and it’ll look slightly different. But we went up there in October and they put on a great game day.

There’s a ton of space, specifically in that south end zone. There’s a lot of opportunity for fans to flow throughout the standing room area. We’re going to enhance a little bit some of the food and beverage options with food trucks and those types of things. We’re going to have a little bit bigger of a pregame party and that might be a little free-flowing as well.

We’re going to try to get 10,000 people in there. When we did Touchdown Atlantic those two years. There was just a ton of standing room only space, and it was just really cool. There was a great vibe. There was a great atmosphere and people just flowed around and enjoyed the experience.

It is a small venue. It’s going to be really intimate, even how our players enter, they’re going to run right past fans. It’s going to be really, really cool.

THE GREEN ZONE: You don’t do it very often, so it’s unique on that front as well.

CRAIG REYNOLDS: I think 1991 was the last time we did it. We’ve been wanting to do it for a number of years, and then this World Cup opportunity with Toronto and hosting their home game gave us the opportunity.

There is a there is a distinct buzz in Saskatoon. It is the thing I get asked most about this off-season is how do I get tickets to the game in Saskatoon. So we’re feeling really good about that.

THE GREEN ZONE: Do you think you’ll even get to that point for general admission? Or do you think this will be a hot ticket?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: We don’t think there’s going to be very many (general admission). We probably will hold some tickets just so we can go to general public and allow folks in Saskatoon to participate. But we don’t think there’s going to be many.

THE GREEN ZONE: I’ve had tons of conversations with friends with season tickets about the tailgate lottery. How is that going?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: It was awesome. It was amazing. We sent that out and within like a minute, there were people signed up. So we had way more demand than spots, which is good.

We’ll have a nice wait list, assuming those folks want to continue, and if we think about expanding it in 2027 and beyond, they’ll hopefully have that opportunity.

We haven’t actually conducted the lottery yet. By the end of the month, we’ll be doing that, that lottery, and folks will eventually get communicated with in April. We’re really excited. We got the space allocated out, working with SLGA on the final regulations. They got Royal Assent last week. It was a huge win, too. So it’s come together really quickly from the first time we approached the provincial government around a year and a little bit ago.

THE GREEN ZONE: Are you going to be able to tailgate in Saskatoon for the preseason game?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: We’re going to have a pregame party. The Huskies have a great space adjacent to the stadium. We’re going to just expand that a little bit. There will be a pregame party. You won’t be able to drive your vehicle on it, but they will be able to grab a beer or two.

THE GREEN ZONE: Where are we at with the Gainer and PA announcer job search?

CRAIG REYNOLDS: We got a new game day manager and she did some great things last year. She just wanted to have a process where we look at our game day entertainment teams. We do it with our cheer team, and we have tryouts. We’re going to market with Gainer and had some interesting applications, I would say.

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Tickets for Roughriders’ preseason game in Saskatoon go on sale on April 7

Britton Gray — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:52:07 +0000

This spring, Saskatchewan Roughriders will play a game in Saskatoon for the first time since the ’90s.

Fans of the CFL club can purchase tickets for the May 23 preseason game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Griffiths Stadium starting at 10 a.m. on April 7.

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But while general sales start in April, season-ticket holders will get an early shot at attending the game. Season-ticket holders in the Saskatoon area can begin to purchase tickets for the game at 10 a.m. on March 18, with all other season-ticket holders able to start purchasing tickets at 10 a.m. on March 20.

Due to limited seating at the smaller venue, the Riders said each account will be limited to four tickets.

Fans will have the option of watching the game from the grandstands or a standing-only area. The grandstands are located on the east and west sides of the field and span from around 25-yard line to 25-yard line.

There are also large standing-room sections that fans will be able to freely move in during the game.

Fans will have the option of watching the game at Griffiths Stadium from the grandstands or a standing-only area. (Saskatchewan Roughriders)

With the preseason game tickets being sold separately, season-ticket holders have access to 10 regular-season games this year, as well as a possible playoff game with their tickets.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will come into the 2026 CFL season as the defending Grey Cup champions after beating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in Winnipeg in November.

CFL rookie camp is set to begin on May 6, with training camps across the league set to open on May 10.

Saskatoon bridge strikes spotlight Moose Jaw overpass fix

Jacob Bamhour — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:03:57 +0000

Two overpasses in Saskatoon struck by trucks carrying heavy equipment are drawing attention to a problem being dealt with in another part of Saskatchewan.

Officials say the Highway 2 overpass over the Trans-Canada Highway in Moose Jaw had a long history of being hit by oversized loads before a major replacement project began.

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“Between 20202 and 2022, the ministry is aware that the overpasses there were struck at least nine times, causing various degrees of damage,” said Dan Palmer with the Saskatchewan highways ministry.

Before the replacement project began, the province installed additional warning systems at the Moose Jaw site to try to prevent future crashes.

Palmer said the bridge has signage alerting drivers of the clearance, along with over-height detection systems that trigger strobe lights in both directions of travel to alert approaching trucks carrying tall loads. Despite those warnings, the bridge was still struck multiple times.

The province began a $33.7-million project in 2025 to replace the aging bridges and raise each structure’s clearance height.

The original overpasses were about 58 years old and had a clearance of 4.5 metres, similar to the first overpass hit in Saskatoon. When construction is finished, the new structure will provide a clearance of 5.3 m, the ministry’s current standard for new bridge construction, and similar to the second overpass hit in Saskatoon.

The Moose Jaw project is still underway. The new northbound bridge opened to traffic in October, while contractors are expected to return in April to begin work on the southbound bridge. The full project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Bridge collisions have come back into the spotlight after two separate incidents in Saskatoon this week involving trucks hauling heavy equipment. The crashes have prompted questions about whether more warning systems or infrastructure upgrades are needed to prevent future incidents.

Jason Aebig, CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, said responsibility ultimately lies with drivers and trucking companies having oversized loads.

“Those costs would all roll down to the taxpayer ultimately,” Aebig said. “And it is simply not the taxpayer’s problem. This is a driver problem.”

Aebig said companies hauling tall equipment need to ensure their loads can safely pass under bridges before they begin their trip.

“Any consequence or cost as a result of these incidents needs to be borne by the people responsible, not the companies and the taxpayers of Saskatoon,” Aebig said.

The Ministry of Highways said drivers operating vehicles taller than 4.15 m are required to check bridge clearance and plan their route. The province has provided an online bridge and structural clearance table and requires permits for oversized loads.

While newer bridges are being built higher, Palmer said the responsibility begins with drivers knowing the height of their load and the route they plan to travel.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Marija Robinson

Police chiefs in Regina, Saskatoon look ahead to new year

CJME News — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:10:24 +0000

Police chiefs in Regina and Saskatoon are looking forward to 2026.

As the new year begins, reporters from 980 CJME and 650 CKOM sat down with Regina police chief Lorilee Davies and Saskatoon police chief Cam McBride to look ahead to 2026 and discuss their plans.

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Davies is beginning her first full year as chief of the Regina Police Service. She was appointed to the role on a full-time basis in December after the firing of former chief Farooq Sheikh.

980 CJME’s Geoff Smith sat down with Davies to look ahead to 2026.

The following transcripts have been edited for length and clarity.

980 CJME: What was the first thing that came to your mind when you said “OK, now that I have this job, I want to get the ball rolling on this”?

LORILEE DAVIES: Obviously budget, for us, is a big piece of it… Investing in our mental wellness for our front-line patrol officers is a number one priority for me, to be able to move that forward. Our front-line officers see so much on a day-to-day basis that really impacts their mental health that we need to be intentional in making investments to keep them healthy. So that, for me, is the biggest thing.

The other piece is, 2026 is the final year of our four-year strategic plan, so we’re starting in January, thinking about what the next strategic plan looks like.

For member wellness, what are you envisioning?

DAVIES: It’s called ERST. It’s emotional resiliency skills training. It’s in partnership with Dr. Nick Carleton and (the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment) at the University of Regina. But it’s kind of a two-part program. Number one, we give people the training and the skills we need to be able to think mindfully about their mental health, where they’re at, and different strategies they can use to reframe things. And the second part of it is a technology piece with an app, where every day you do a little check-in. You take two minutes. You really think about where you’re at.

Saskatoon police chief Cam McBride says he’s excited to see some of the initiatives included in the 2026 police budget come to fruition this year. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

In Saskatoon, 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk sat down with McBride.

650 CKOM: What are you more excited for in 2026 for the Saskatoon Police Service?

CAM MCBRIDE: I’m most excited for seeing some of the commitments that we’ve made within our budget come to pass. We’ve made a commitment to bolster our communication center to provide better service and to ensure that our staff are called upon to do an equitable or an appropriate amount of work. I look forward to seeing our cyber security response bolstered and setting us in a place where I can feel better and more confident that we’re resistant to that type of activity.

I look forward to seeing some of our major challenges being addressed. One of our major challenges is the amount of digital video evidence that we have. We have to receive it, we have to store it, we have to manage it, and we have to provide it to the court. Ensuring that we have a seamless process to manage all of that digital video evidence is going to really make a difference in 2026 and 2027.

I was asked after the budget, “How do you feel?” It’s always stressful presenting a budget and making sure that you present it in a way that it’s understandable. I said I feel great now that the budget has been presented, but now I feel the weight of responsibility ensuring that the commitments made within that budget are managed and are realized. 2026 is just kick-starting that process to make sure that everything that our budget has promised we’re gonna do.

What do you think the Saskatoon Police Service can improve on going into 2026?

MCBRIDE: We have been running lean with regard to our front-line policing response for several years now. I think we can improve on that response. When you have very dedicated, professional people doing too much work, it weighs them down. It wears on them, and I’m alive to that. I take that very, very seriously. As we’re able to increase our numbers in order to alleviate some of the pressure from our front-line response, I think the city of Saskatoon and the citizens will notice that. They’ll see a group of staff who are really dedicated, but also who have the time.

Sometimes all people need in a moment of crisis is time for somebody to hear their story. Time for somebody to investigate thoroughly. When we’re thrust into a circumstance where we don’t have the time, it’s felt throughout.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk and 980 CJME’s Geoff Smith

Saskatoon’s Sleek Advertising Ltd. fined $40,000 following serious workplace injury in 2023

CJME News — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 17:00:37 +0000

Sleek Advertising Ltd. has been fined $40,000 after an employee was seriously injured in October 2023.

The incident happened in Saskatoon when the worker was removing glass panels from a shipping crate and several panels pinned the worker to the ground.

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The company pleaded guilty to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations on Dec. 4.

“The company was charged with contravening clause 3-1 (c) of the Regulations (being an employer at a place of employment, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in a serious injury of a worker),” a statement from Labour Relations and Workplace Safety said.

The Saskatoon Provincial Court imposed a $28,571.43 fine, plus a victim fine surcharge of $11,428.57, for a total amount of $40,000.

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Regina Miller, Saskatoon Holy Cross win 6A football city titles

Britton Gray — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 04:32:08 +0000

High school football season across the province is starting to wrap up as provincial showdowns have now been set.

On Friday night, the 6A city football titles were decided. In Regina, the Miller Marauders bested the Riffel Royals 36-27 at Mosaic Stadium. It’s another chance for Miller to reclaim its provincial football crown. While they didn’t qualify for provincials last year, the program won the title three straight years from 2021-23.

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In Saskatoon, Holy Cross Crusaders beat St. Joseph Guardians 20-15 at SMF Field. It was a measure of revenge for the Crusaders after they lost to the Guardians in last year’s city finals. It was the sixth time the two schools had met for the Saskatoon 6A city championships.

The Crusaders and Marauders will meet at SMF Field on Nov. 7. Miller beat Holy Cross to claim the 2021 and 2023 provincial titles.

In the 5A football provincial finals, it will be Regina’s F.W. Johnson Wildcats taking on the Moose Jaw Central Cyclones.

Johnson beat Saskatoon Bishop Mahoney 12-7 on Saturday afternoon at Leible Field. Meanwhile, Moose Jaw knocked off defending champion Prince Albert Carleton 31-24 at Max Clunie Field in Prince Albert.

Johnson and Central will meet on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at Gutheridge Field in Moose Jaw.

In the 4A 9-A-Side division, Humboldt will take on Lumsden. Lumsden handled business against Melville 54-6. Humboldt also won big in their contest, defeating Melfort 42-16.

Clavet and Watrous will battle it out in the 2A 6-A-Side football championship. Clavet beat Wakaw 34-16 while Watrous won 64-30 over Rosetown.

Meanwhile, in the 1A 6-A-Side level, Lemberg beat Hanley 65-8 while Hafford beat Carrot River 60-0. They will play for the provincial title in Hafford.

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Saskatchewan opens permanent lab for ballistics testing

CJME News — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:42:39 +0000

Saskatchewan’s first permanent ballistics lab is officially open.

The provincial government announced the opening of the permanent location of the Saskatchewan Ballistics Laboratory on Monday in Saskatoon. The Government of Saskatchewan spent nearly $3.35 million to establish the lab that will eventually conduct firearms testing for all law-enforcement agencies in the province in a move intended to strengthen gun-related criminal investigations.

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The provincial government said the lab is equipped with plenty of advanced technology, “including a MILO Range for controlled testing, a water tank and cotton box to safely capture bullets and casings, a comparison microscope and BrassTrax technology for detailed analysis, and a Laboratory Information Management System to securely manage case data and results.”

The comparative microscope, pictured here, will allow specialists to do casing comparisons. These specialists will have the training to write reports required for court to determine whether a cartridge fired from a particular gun. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan’s minister of corrections, policing and public safety and Saskatchewan Firearms Commissioner Robert Freberg officially opened the permanent location of the lab on Monday.

“The Saskatchewan Ballistics Lab has been a turning point in how crimes involving firearms are investigated in our province, providing over 900 firearm examinations and services since commencing operations,” McLeod said in a statement.

“With the opening of a permanent lab, our government is committed to providing law enforcement with the tools and expertise they need to secure and protect Saskatchewan families and communities.”

Previously, the lab was operating at a temporary location inside Saskatoon Police Service headquarters. The provincial government said that since the opening of the temporary lab in 2024, wait times for firearms testing have dropped from months to days.

“We are grateful to the Saskatoon Police Service for hosting the temporary lab and supporting this important work as we constructed the permanent facility,” Freberg said. “With the opening of the Ballistics Lab, we look forward to continuing our work of supporting investigations, building partnerships and advocating for lawful firearms owners.”

“This new space will enhance our capacity to support firearms-related criminal investigations across the province,” added David Marit, minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Procurement.

In addition to working with local police agencies, the provincial government said the lab will also work with “international law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to share intelligence and trace firearms to address public safety concerns, such as firearms smuggling, which are often responsible for the majority of crimes involving firearms in Saskatchewan and Canada.”

Evan Bray Show: Rise in overdoses concerning to Regina firefighter

Roman Hayter — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:36:35 +0000

One doesn’t have to go far to see the effects that drugs like fentanyl can have on a community.

But while it’s easy to see the effects on drug users, it can be harder to spot the effects that responding to frequent overdoses can have on emergency personnel.

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Tyler Packham is a firefighter in Regina with more 24 years of experience. He recently joined the Evan Bray Show to discuss the impact responding to the rising number of overdoses is having on firefighters.

“It actually ties up a lot of our front-line apparatus to not respond to fires and stuff when that happens,” he said.

“So say No. 4 hall, which is by the Pasqua Hospital, that truck will roll out and then we’d have an empty station, which means another truck has to fill in for that station, which means people out of district.”

Listen to the full interview with Packham:

Packham said there have been some efforts to try to reduce the extra workload that overdose calls create.

“We’ve actually tried to release some of that strain by implementing a new unit called a Medical Response Unit, which is two of our primary care paramedics staffed on that, so they can respond to some of those issues and then respond to house fires to be there for us as well,” he said.

Only a few months ago, Saskatoon saw a major jump in overdoses. Over three days stretching from May 9-11, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said the city saw a total of 30 overdoses. Then, in June, the ministry issued a warning about a particularly dangerous batch of fentanyl that was discovered in the city, which included traces of benzodiazepines and xylazine.

During the same week, the ministry also issued an overdose alert for Regina after the city saw four suspected overdose deaths.

According to the ministry, many of the 54 suspected overdoses police reported in the Queen City between June 5 and June 12 required multiple doses of naloxone to revive the patients.

The rise in overdoses isn’t just straining resources; it’s also having an impact on the first responders.

“The calls that we do go on have actually changed our members a lot in the negative, which is something I’m worried about,” Packham said.

“There’s obviously an added cost to the department, but I would say the big thing is the mental fatigue and what it’s actually doing to some of our members.”

Packham said a lot of mental fatigue stems from responding to overdoses and the chaotic situation they can create.

“We’ve come into scenes where family members are just hysterical, screaming at us to help the patient, help their person. ‘They’re dying. They’re dying. You’re not doing anything,’” he said.

“They might wake up swinging or puking and mad that you wrecked their high,” Packham added.

“If you do it just right, sometimes they’re like, ‘Thank you very much.’ But that’s pretty rare.”

He said friends and family members can quickly switch from panic to anger during an overdose call.

“Those family members that were yelling and screaming at the start of it, now, all of a sudden their family member comes back and they’re not mad anymore that we’re not helping; they’re mad at them and screaming at them for doing the drugs,” said Packham.

“The reaction is ridiculous.”

To top off an already chaotic situation, Packham said firefighters frequently respond to overdose calls involving the same person, and those overdoses can take place multiple times in the same day.

“My personal record has been four times before lunch to the same address for the same call,” he said.

Sask. wildfire smoke triggers air quality warning for Saskatoon

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:47:29 +0000

A plume of wildfire smoke has settled over Saskatoon, causing Environment Canada to issue an air quality warning for it as well as most parts of northern and central Saskatchewan.

“We were watching the plume of smoke come down from the north last night and as it came down, there are air sensors that were picking up on the smoke and a lot of the models were indicating that it would hit somewhere in around the Saskatoon area. We weren’t exactly sure if it would make a direct hit. Turns out it did,” said Eric Dykes, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

According to Dykes, the thick smoke isn’t expected to leave us anytime soon.

“It’s probably going to stick around for most of the day unfortunately. There might be some periodic slight improvement is the best way I can put it for Monday. It’s going to be pretty bad this morning though,” Dykes said. “I think the worst of it will continue through the morning hours. By the afternoon we might see a little bit improvement, but not a whole lot.”

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Dykes mentioned what has brought all the wildfire smoke towards Saskatoon was a shift in the winds over the last 24 hours.

“We’re kind of stuck in a bit of a northerly flow for the next day or two. The smoke will definitely hang around today, may hang around into tomorrow as well, but it’s on Wednesday where we start to see the winds switch around,” Dykes said.

With the smoke settling over parts of northern and central Saskatchewan this morning, Dykes added some of it will trickle down south.

“It’s going to spread down a little bit. The closer you are to the source of the fires, the worse it will be. The smoke itself will continue to move in a southerly direction over the next day or so. It’s kind of an evolving thing – each of the model runs that are coming out are kind of giving us a bit a little bit of a different answer and the most recent one that I’m looking at is indicating that the major plume of smoke that’s over Saskatoon this morning will continue to move toward down towards the south,” Dykes explained.

Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert are all expected to reach a 9 or higher on the air quality index on Friday. (Taylor MacPherson/650 CKOM)

“The worst will move down towards the southwest, so areas such as Kindersley and areas west of Outlook, Swift Current, Leader – they look to be getting into the smoke if not later today, then into Monday night and into Tuesday,” Dykes added. “Regina looks to get into the smoke somewhat, but not until I would say later on tonight.”

With the air quality in parts of Saskatchewan so bad, Dykes is reminding everyone to take the proper precautions outside if you need to.

“You know your body the best, so if you can’t handle the smoke because you have health issues or just don’t want to be on the smoke please don’t,” he said. “If you have to be out there, try to take breaks – go inside – seek medical attention if you’re feeling very ill, check on elderly folks, family members and so forth. Make sure they’re okay, as well as your pets too because they have adverse reactions to smoke, just like humans do as well.”

Saskatchewan voters flock to polling stations on federal election day

Abby Zieverink — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:41:40 +0000

Around a dozen people were lined up at one polling station in Regina before it opened on Monday.

A steady flow of people rolled in to cast their votes in the first hour after the opening of the polling station at Regina’s Core Ritchie Neighbourhood Centre, which is in the Regina-Wascana riding. Many voters said it was a quick process, and they were in and out in a matter of five minutes.

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Barclay Krause said he’s noticed more people talking about this election than he has in previous federal elections.

“It seems like everybody has feelings for sure, one way or the other,” he said. “Even seeing the advance polling, it looks like everybody’s actually willing to do something about it, so that’s good.”

Allison LeForte said she feels it’s very important to cast a ballot.

“As a woman, I feel it’s important to vote,” LeForte said.

“It’s important to vote to let the political leaders know that it is the people who hold the power to vote, and it’s important to remind them how we want our country run.”

Brayden Metz said he voted for the Liberal Party in the last federal election.

“This time, I’m switching sides,” he said.

“It’s good to make sure everyone gets out and votes,” Metz added. “I had very few things that swayed me to vote Liberal again this year. I hope we get the change we need.”

While some voters said they had a difficult time choosing which party to support in the 2025 election, Josh Alton said the decision was an easy one for him.

“I spend a lot of my time looking at political issues and looking at issues around the globe, so no, this time I did not have a difficult time choosing,” Alton said.

“But that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t have a difficult time choosing. It’s not supposed to be easy. We get to vote maybe once every four years, and it has a big impact, and we can’t take it back after we do.”

Oscar Burdick said he is voting for a future for his one-year-old son, and he said he has heard a lot of people talking more about voting this year.

“There’s been a lot more talk, especially because my age group has just kind of gotten into the voting group age now. We’re definitely all talking about it. We’re all excited, and we’re all hopeful for the future,” he said.

Leighanne Bousfield said the decision on who to vote for was an easy one for her.

“I’m the kind of person who always likes to tiptoe the fence. I like to look at both sides, but this particular election did not show me looking. I am not a biased person, but I definitely know who I’m voting for,” she said.

However, Bousfield said not all of her peers are voting the same way.

“I can think of at least five of my friends that I know are voting the same as me and at least five that are not,” Bousfield explained.

“It is quite an interesting time, and everybody is talking about this election like it is a do-or-die kind of thing and you know, maybe it is.”

Election worker pleased with advance voter turnout

It’s a busy day for election workers across Canada.

Advanced voting in this election saw historic turnout, with around 7.3 million people voting early. According to Elections Canada, that’s an increase of almost two million people from the 5.8 million that voted in the advance polls in 2021.

Ken Nordick, a central poll supervisor in Saskatoon, said it’s encouraging to see so many getting out and casting their ballots.

“It’s great. It’s a democracy; you have to vote, otherwise it’s worthless,” he said. “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”

Nordick is stationed at the SaskAbilities headquarters in Saskatoon, and said the polling station average around 650 voters during each of the four days of advance voting.

“We had over 2,600 voters at this location,” he said.

Not many changes were made to the voting station between the end of advance voting and election day on Monday.

“It’s a little simpler today,” Nordick said. “There’s some extra work that we have to do at advance polls just to be able to update our lists, so it’s a little easier on people today.”

There are three voting stations inside the building with around eight election workers helping ensure the process runs smoothly. Nordick said they will probably be busy working until 10 p.m.

“After the polls close at 7:30, we have to close up and then we have to do our count,” he said.

“The ballot box gets opened, the (deputy returning officer) pulls ballots out one at a time, reads the name. One of our workers is a tabulator, so they keep track of the votes.”

After the count is complete, the results will be phoned into Elections Canada, and Nordick said if all things go well the count at his polling station should take less than two hours to complete.

Nordick said he’s seen a steady stream of people voting on Monday, and expects to see things pick up even more in the late afternoon.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Will Mandzuk