Public Warned to Stay Off Ice Surfaces During Spring Thaw

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

With warmer weather on the horizon, the Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) released a statement reminding the public to be mindful of ice conditions during the freeze-thaw cycle.

Testing has recently been done by the SFD which have determined ice thickness is not suitable for winter recreational use, as ice must be a minimum thickness of at least eight inches to be considered safe. Due to ice surfaces around Saskatoon being below this number, fire crews will be posting signage at each recreational storm pond that read “No Skating”.

“Community members who use the ponds for recreational purposes assume all risk and maintenance responsibilities for the ice including removing personal belongings, as well as user safety,” the news release from the City of Saskatoon stated.

In addition, ice on the South Saskatchewan River has also begun melting, and the public is reminded that the ice on this body of water is unpredictable and is never safe for recreational use, so residents are asked to never venture out onto ice surfaces along the river.

On Friday, April 7th, at approximately 10:30pm, Warman Fire Rescue received a call regarding a vehicle that had gone through the ice at the Clarkboro Ferry crossing on the South Saskatchewan River. Corman Park Police, as well as Saskatoon RCMP were also on scene.

Upon arriving, WFR was notified by a witness that the two occupants were able to escape the vehicle and were safe on the Aberdeen side of the river, with no other occupants left in the vehicle.

Warman Fire Chief Russ Austin stated that the vehicle was completely submerged and no rescue efforts were required.

“As always, we remind people that ice crossings on moving water are never safe at any time of year as ice thickness is affected by shifting currents and changes in water flow,” Austin stated.

Community members are advised to always exercise an elevated level of caution when around any large body of water. Keep a close watch on children and pets when visiting trails, parks, or off-leash areas that may run adjacent to the South Saskatchewan River or a storm water retention pond.

Saskatchewan Adds 9,500 Jobs, Third Lowest Unemployment Rate In Nation

Newly released labour force figures from Statistics Canada for March reveal more job growth in Saskatchewan, with 9,500 new jobs when compared to March 2022, an increase of 1.7 per cent.

“With 24 months of consecutive year-over-year job growth, Saskatchewan remains the national leader in consistent job and economic growth,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “Our government wants to acknowledge and thank the hard working business owners and job creators for their efforts in growing and expanding our provincial economy.”

Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate reached 4.7 per cent, down from 5.0 per cent one year ago and is below the national average of 5.0 per cent. The province saw record highs for the month of March, including:

• Saskatchewan employment: 578,500

• Saskatchewan full-time employment: 469,600

• Off-reserve Indigenous employment: 62,000

Saskatchewan’s youth population increased by 3,800 (+2.8 per cent), and the labour force up by 1,100 (+1.3 per cent), with employment up by 600 (+0.8 per cent) compared to March 2022.

Off-reserve Indigenous employment increased by 1,600 (+2.6 per cent), marking 28 consecutive months of year-over-year increases. Indigenous youth employment was also up by 1,100 (+11.3 per cent), marking four consecutive months of year-over-year increases.

Major year-over-year gains were reported for professional, scientific, and technical services, up 6,200 (+24.9 per cent); transportation and warehousing, up 2,300 (+9.7 per cent); and trade, up 2,300 (+2.4 per cent).

Recently, Saskatchewan’s merchandise exports for February saw an increase of 31.9 per cent, valued at $4.2 billion. Additionally, Saskatchewan led the provinces in growth of investment in building construction, with a 21.5 per cent increase in January 2023 compared to January 2022.

Getting an Ambulance a Problem Everywhere

The number of unanswered calls for an ambulance in Saskatchewan is startling. In the first six weeks of 2023, there were 226 times when someone in this province dialed for an ambulance and then was told “no ambulance is available.”

This isn’t just a big city problem. Saskatoon’s numbers weren’t even included in the NDP’s FOI.

Consider where else those calls went unanswered: 24 in Buffalo Narrows; 17 in Meadow Lake; Seven each in Shaunavon and Esterhazy; six in each La Loche, Melville and Langenburg; five in Whitewood, four in each Ile-a-laCrosse, Black Lake and Lampman; three in each Oxbow and Carnduff, and; two in each Redvers, Kipling, Ituna and Estevan.

There is a story accompanying each and every one of these missed calls -whether it’s a story like the one of the young mother in Meadow Lake who had to have her baby delivered on the side of highway because her ambulance call went unanswered or someone with chest pains or seizures.

"How did things get so bad with our ambulance system?" NDP leader Carla Beck asked in question period last week.

It’s a pretty good question where the real answer is significantly more complicated than the ones we got from Saskatchewan Party Minister in the assembly. In fact, the assembly was largely a recitation of what has already been done to date that hasn’t exactly addressed the problem.

The 2023-24 budget added about $9 million that will enhance 95 positions for ground ambulance service full time equivalent positions in the 2022-23 budget of last year, Premier Scott Moe responded in the assembly. This is all an additional complement to the long-existing fixed-wing ambulance service that has served the rural and the north for decades and the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) helicopter ambulance service that the Saskatchewan Party government implemented a decade ago.

The financial commitment - both long and short term - demonstrates the Sask. Party governing is trying to address the problem in a serious way. So why can’t government seem to get a handle on this problem?

Well, it’s one of those Saskatchewan long in the making and running headlong into some of the most difficult social and economic realities.

The economic reality is the social-economic reality of maintaining people’s critical roles in this province - many, in health care - where the work is hard and the skills are in demand everywhere including other places where people might prefer to live.

“We’ve definitely seen a shortage,” Steve Skoworodko, president of the Paramedic Services Chiefs of Saskatchewan (PSCS) told the Regina Leader-Post’s Alec Salloum of the 102 paramedic vacancies in the province for paramedics. “Some of those positions had been up to a year where they had been vacant.”

But it’s a problem of paramedics and ambulances having to drive greater distances because hospitals are either temporarily closed due to doctor/nursing shortages or permanently closed because that’s what has been happening in rural Saskatchewan for 30 years.

It's a social problem of domestic and other violence and alcohol and drug addiction (especially fentanyl) everywhere. Often, those who suffer the most don’t have cars. It’s a problem with aging population, and, yes, some of it has to do with COVID-19.

It’s a problem of paramedics having to stay with patients because emergency rooms are so overcrowded and while STARS is a solution, it’s more of solution for trauma like what happened at James Smith Cree Nation or the Humboldt bus crash.

This is what STARS was designed for - those rare dramatic traumas or accidents. There is only one helicopter available in each city. There are days and places when they cannot fly nor would it make any sense to have them respond to every heart attack or overdose.

There are issues when a lot of problems come home to roost. The ambulance crisis appears to be one of them.