After more than a decade of dry years, the southwest is finally seeing something we haven’t had in a long time: steady, timely moisture. Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada reports that parts of the region have received 200 to 250 millimetres of rain since April 1, a noticeable improvement from recent years. For an area that spent last summer under severe and even extreme drought classifications, this year marks a meaningful shift. Producers across the region describe rain arriv

Gull Lake itself began with one good idea. In 1905, Conrad and Price surveyed a patch of prairie and believed a town could rise here. A few years later, an $83 well, a handshake loan, and a handful of determined neighbours turned that idea into a community. Before there were bylaws, budgets, or buildings, there was simply the belief that this place was worth building — and the willingness to act on it. That pattern hasn’t changed. In a small town, momentum doesn’t come from m

Tompkins, Saskatchewan, sits along Highway 1 between Gull Lake and Maple Creek, one of the southwest’s small but steady communities that reflects the quiet resilience this region is known for. With its community hall, rink, post office, school, and library, the village continues to hold its place on the map. Much of this is made possible by the volunteers who support local clubs, facilities, and community programs. Tompkins School is a central part of community life. As a Kin

Some towns measure progress in dollars—Gull Lake measures it in dodgeballs and determination. The morning hum at the Round Table had barely settled when two stories started competing for space between the mugs: the fourth annual dodgeball tournament at the Rec Complex and that Sunday history piece about the 1930 hospital—the one reminding everyone just how much grit this town has always carried. Mabel topped up the coffees with the ease of someone who’s done it a thousand tim

Communities in southwest Saskatchewan have long understood that working together keeps essential services strong. A new policy paper from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy offers a clear look at how Eastend and its neighbouring RMs of White Valley and Arlington are doing exactly that—and what their experience shows about cooperation across the region. The study highlights how shared work often starts with practical needs. Eastend’s upgrade of its 1950s‑era

April 19–25, 2026 In small towns, you can hear volunteerism long before you see it—the scrape of skates on the ice, chairs being set up for a fundraiser, and the hum of a community supper coming together. These everyday sounds remind us how much rural life depends on people who quietly give their time. Across Saskatchewan, National Volunteer Week is our chance to recognize that essential work. This year’s theme, Ignite Volunteerism , shines a light on the power of civic parti