CBC SK News: Sask. cat dies from bird flu, Final show for Regina Symphony Orchestra's conductor

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:03]Tonight, the number of flooding evacuees in the province continues to grow.

[00:00:11]The Regina Symphony Orchestra's music director takes his final bow.

[00:00:17]And we catch up with players and coaches at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

[00:00:24]This is CBC Saskatchewan News.

[00:00:33]It is Friday, May 8th, and the CBC Saskatchewan News starts right now.

[00:00:41]Hi there, I'm Ethan Williams. Thank you for joining us. Flooding continues to force evacuations in the province with the number of evacuees from two northeastern Saskatchewan First Nations continuing to grow.

[00:00:54]High water levels on the Carrot River have now caused over 600 members of Red Earth Cree Nation to flee their homes.

[00:01:01]Evacuations began there earlier this week. Meanwhile, close to 200 members of neighboring Shoal Lake Cree Nation have fled to Saskatoon. The Canadian Red Cross and Indigenous Services Canada are helping them with accommodations and food. Evacuees say they are worried the flooding has destroyed their homes and belongings.

[00:01:21]It was sad and hard at the same time, and but I guess we were trying to be prepared and try and stay strong for all of us, cuz it's not just us, it's all of our reserve, eh?

[00:01:34]That everybody feels the same.

[00:01:36]Everybody's fridges are pretty much just done for.

[00:01:40]Um I guarantee all the electricity has been turned off by now.

[00:01:44]So, things are going bad.

[00:01:47]People's vehicles are gone.

[00:01:49]Some people are posting that they can't find their dogs.

[00:01:53]There's no word on when evacuees will will able to return home. Prince Albert Grand Council says floodwater is also affecting Wahpeton Dakota Nation, Sturgeon Lake First Nation, and Little Red River First Nation. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, as of Friday, was responding to 22 flood-related incidents in the province, and over 30 communities and RMs remain under local states of emergency.

[00:02:18]The Ministry of Agriculture says a domestic cat has died from avian flu, and infectious disease experts are offering tips on how to stop the spread.

[00:02:28]Jeremy Warren has more.

[00:02:30]The province is warning pet owners to keep an eye on their cats and dogs when outdoors. This comes after a cat died from the avian flu in southeastern Saskatchewan. It's the first such case in the province. The infected cat was known to spend a lot of time outdoors.

[00:02:47]It was reportedly normal on the morning of April 20th, then suddenly got very sick with neurological and respiratory problems. The cat died later that day.

[00:02:57]Testing confirmed the presence of H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian flu. It's mostly commonly found in wild birds.

[00:03:07]Just be aware that, you know, if your your cat or your dog spends time outside, um and there is wildlife in your yard, um you know, there is a risk of infection, particularly if they come across uh you know, dead animals, and they you know, they want to consume them. The risk of exposure is higher during spring migration. Warner says there is low risk to humans, but it is concerning. What we worry about, sort of as virologists, is this virus being able to consistently reproduce and and replicate in mammalian species, and so that's always the concern, and so when we see more and more infections occurring in mammalian species, that's when the you know, the virology red flags kind of go up. A memo recently sent to veterinarians warns them to watch out for signs of avian flu in cats. That includes trouble breathing, coughing, weakness, or extreme lethargy.

[00:04:02]And if people do find a dead or sick wild bird, the province says it should be reported to the Ministry of Environment. The province says pet owners can reduce the risk by keeping dogs on a leash, keeping cats indoors, and keeping them away from sick or dead birds. Jeremy Warren, CBC News, Saskatoon.

[00:04:22]The federal defense minister says Canadians will be able to enjoy the Snowbirds for generations to come. It comes after the federal conservatives alleged the liberals are concealing plans to halt the aerobatic fleet's performances.

[00:04:37]Defense Minister David McGuinty is now expected to unveil plans for the Snowbirds fleet later this month. He says the aircraft being used, which was first introduced in the 1960s, is approaching the end of its life and that the federal government is examining examining replacement options. However, McGuinty did not say how much longer the Snowbirds could perform with their existing aircraft. Regina MP Michael Kram says he has long advocated for certainty around the Snowbirds and is not happy the announcement came when it did.

[00:05:07]We want certainty in the long-term planning for the Snowbirds and we want them to fly uh up until at least to 2030. That's what the the multi-million dollar upgrade was all about. So, why it took the conservatives to push this and the liberals to do it about-face is is quite frustrating, but uh it will have to wait and see what the minister's announcement is.

[00:05:27]McGuinty is expected to be in Moose Jaw on May 19th for that announcement. In a statement, Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock says his city holds a long-standing connection to the Snowbirds and hopes they'll continue uninterrupted.

[00:05:41]The Saskatchewan Health Authority has unveiled a new website with the goal of making it easier for patients to find mental health and addiction services.

[00:05:49]The Minister for Mental Health and Addiction says the new website includes a search by service function.

[00:05:55]Instead of searching through each and every one, it really narrows it down and makes it easier. And and even from a provider standpoint, them having the opportunity with a patient sitting right there with them, they could go on the website and say, "These are your three or two options or 10 options, whatever that might look like."

[00:06:14]The province provided the SHA with $250,000 for the website upgrades. Carr says the changes also lay the foundation for further upgrades down the line.

[00:06:26]Saskatchewan's first no-cost legal clinic has launched. It's designed to support women and gender-diverse survivors of gender-based violence.

[00:06:35]The clinic, which is being run by the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan, is based in Regina, but serves the entire province. It offers a trauma-informed approach to legal aid, assisting with criminal, family, child protection, and immigration issues that arise from sexual, family, or intimate partner violence. Often times the same individual can have multiple legal issues that are all connected to the same perpetrator of gender-based violence. And our goal is to help that individual in their legal issues while at the same time connecting them with community supports to stabilize housing, stabilize income, stabilize all the things that have otherwise kept them tied to their abuser.

[00:07:18]Dima hopes this gives survivors a better experience in the justice system and hopes the program will grow as it goes on.

[00:07:27]The University of Saskatchewan is one of many post-secondary institutions across Canada facing a massive cybersecurity breach. A program called Canvas that is used to share course materials with students and hold their personal information was affected. Clara Pasieka has the latest.

[00:07:46]The University of Toronto, Mohawk College, Ontario Tech, OCAD University, these are just some of the thousands of universities and colleges right across Canada and around the world that are in being impacted by this breach. Canvas and its parent company infrastructure are based in the US, but they do have clients, these schools right around the world. Now, based on the information that's currently available, some of the data that may be leaked include names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages that are exchanged within the Canvas system. We're speaking with some students here at the University of Toronto, and many are a little concerned. I'm going to have to run and like change my password cuz it's everything. It's like your financial account too is linked to the same thing.

[00:08:31]So, like what you're paying your tuition with, like they have your address, like your password, and like everything. So, it is very nerve-racking to know that that's what's going on.

[00:08:38]>> I definitely like changed my password when they told us to because I'm I mean, I wouldn't want my information to be shared. It is worrying that when that happens.

[00:08:48]But, yeah, I mean, it depends on how much data they managed to obtain.

[00:08:54]Um and also depends on what kind of data they have access to it.

[00:08:59]>> A cybersecurity expert that I've been speaking to speaks about how significant this data breach is. As far as I can tell, this is the largest educational IT hack in history. There are 9,000 schools affected worldwide from primary, secondary, to higher education. Uh there are 275 million people potentially affected by this breach. He calls the schools that are impacted just victims in the situation because many schools were just using this same system that they were relying on that was hacked. He's also calling for the Canadian government to really crack down and get serious about cybersecurity with tougher laws. Claire Peciga, CBC News, Toronto.

[00:09:50]Canada is making history with the opening game of the country's first ever WNBA team. The Toronto Tempo take on the Washington Mystics at home Friday.

[00:09:59]What a unique experience, you know, we're creating history tomorrow and everyone's very excited. I just tell them stay in the moment. You're not going to be perfect. We're not chasing perfection right now. We're We're just chasing Let's just do it to the best of our ability right there and if we make a mistake, let it go and move on to the next cuz that's the only thing we can control.

[00:10:17]Toronto is one of two expansion teams joining the league in its 30th season.

[00:10:21]Oregon's Portland Fire will also be kicking off their inaugural season this weekend. Season tickets for the Tempo's 44-game season sold out back in December with a handful of their games set to be held in Montreal and Vancouver this summer.

[00:10:36]Well, not too bad of a day for a morning hike out at Cranberry Flats just outside Saskatoon before that wind and showers started to move in.

[00:10:45]So, will we have some sunshine and warm weather for the weekend and for Mom on Mother's Day as well? Weather specialist Helena Maholic has the answers after the break.

[00:11:03]Welcome back. Well, after a decade standing on the podium, Regina Symphony Orchestra conductor and music director Gordon Gerrard is putting down the baton. Gerrard is leading the RSO in one final concert Saturday night at the Conexus Arts Centre. But before that, he sat down with us to reflect on his time in Saskatchewan.

[00:11:31]You know, I came here in 2016 and uh didn't really know what to expect.

[00:11:36]It's my first time being a music director. I mean, you can be a conductor, but music director is another There's another sort of set of responsibilities. And so, I've learned a ton about how orchestras work, how to make the best music with orchestras.

[00:11:53]And that's a real privilege for me.

[00:12:00]We've done some fantastic concerts over the year. For 3 years we did this program called the Forward Currents Festival, which I'm very proud of. And that was, I think, some of the most rewarding for us as musicians to see the connections that we've made with a lot of people who don't normally attend our our concerts. So, those are very special memories that I'll take with me.

[00:12:26]I've developed such a great relationship with these musicians. And to know that this weekend, Saturday, will be the last time that I stand in front of them as their music director. There's a lot of emotion there.

[00:12:38]But certainly, I think we're all very excited about this concert. You know, to do the Barber Violin Concerto, which is one of the most beautiful concertos around, with Timi Timothy Chooi, and then Mahler First Symphony is It's just an incredible experience as a musician. So, I think we're all pretty excited about that.

[00:13:01]I also am the artistic director of City Opera Vancouver, which is a a chamber opera company in Vancouver. So, we don't do the big grand operas. We do smaller things in smaller spaces, usually more contemporary projects, again with usually more of a social relevance to them. So, I'll focus more time on that.

[00:13:21]And then also, I will be a guest conductor wherever I get hired to go.

[00:13:31]I grew up in Manitoba, so I sort of know how the prairies work, um, but I've met so many incredible people.

[00:13:37]Um, it's a such a warm and, uh, accepting um, nurturing place. People want to see you do well.

[00:13:47]And, uh, I have many friends here that I will, uh, that I will come back and visit for sure.

[00:14:04]Weather specialist Helina Maholic joining us now. Another one of those days where you know, it started promising. We had some sunshine. It was nice and warm out, then things kind of clouded over, got windy.

[00:14:15]Are we expecting an improvement over the weekend?

[00:14:18]Yeah, Ethan. We're definitely going to see an improvement over the weekend.

[00:14:21]Things are going to get warmer, especially on Sunday. But, you know, we did see some moisture today, and still lots of snow on the ground in some parts of the province. And this is definitely caused a delay in farming season. Many places have not been able to start seeding. Now, let's take a look at our crop report to see just how far behind we are this year. Now, only 3% of our crops are actually planted in the ground. So, we're about 10% below the 5-year average for this time of year.

[00:14:47]So, we are definitely behind schedule.

[00:14:50]Southwestern Saskatchewan is the only place that is, you know, pretty much on schedule. We are do see more planted in that part of the province, and that's no surprise because that area did see a warm up much quicker, and saw that snow melt. They were one of the first areas to see that snow melt. And I did talk to farmers in the northern grain belt, and they did say that there's still a lot of snow and moisture on the ground, and a lot of uncertainty. And in northern Saskatchewan, we do do still see a lot of snow on the ground. And over the weekend, especially on Sunday, we're seeing a major warm up in this part of the province. So, we definitely see the risk of flooding continue in this part of the province. Now, in terms of our daytime highs today, we did see a jump in temperatures, especially in southern Saskatchewan, over 20° in some areas.

[00:15:32]Central areas hovering into in the low to mid-teens, and northern Saskatchewan in those single digits. Now, today we did see some showers, and that continues tonight, especially for the southeastern corner of the province, with a risk of thunderstorms, as well. But, in the overnight hours, we see pretty calm conditions, and throughout our entire weekend, we are going to see some really warm weather, and we're also going to see very calm conditions until about Sunday night, where we start to see some showers move into the north, and then in the overnight hours, that continues, and we see some for the northern grain belt around Prince Albert, as well. And now, Monday, we see a bigger system move in, and we're going to see some showers across the province, but again, specifically for that northern grain belt and Churchill region. So, in southern central Saskatchewan, we won't see a ton of accumulation across the province, but we will see some in that northern grain belt for places like Meadow Lake and Prince Albert, over 10 mm possible, and that's an area that's been dealing with flooding, so very significant there. Not a ton of accumulation in the north, but we will see one area get hit with some moisture, which is La Ronge, over 10 mm possible in that area, too. So, definitely seeing a big risk of some more flooding this weekend. We did see a bit of a breeze today, and that does continue into tomorrow, especially for the southeastern corner of the province. Uh so, we are going to see that breeze continue into the weekend, and temperatures on the rise, uh but, Ethan, we definitely see some uncertainty for both farming and flooding as we head into next week.

[00:16:58]But, a nice treat for Mom on Sunday, it looks like.

[00:17:01]Yes, temperatures above 20° in southern central Saskatchewan. Get out and go for a walk, do something nice with Mom. All right, sounds good. Thanks, Helina.

[00:17:10]Thanks, Ethan.

[00:17:12]Well, since 2002, the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships has brought together U18 men's and women's hockey teams from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities all across Canada.

[00:17:23]And this week the the annual tournament is in Regina. It's the first time the event has been in Saskatchewan since 2012, and videographer Richard Ajeakad went to talk to players and coaches.

[00:17:39]My earliest memory of hockey would be when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my dad had me on the ice. I had taken skating lessons and one of my first times in full gear and I did the old kind of step step step step step until I couldn't go any further and I face-planted and I wanted to quit. So, why?

[00:17:57]Let's go to it.

[00:17:59]There you go, Wild. Good hustle. I'm Alex Hendrickson. I'm the head coach of Team BC competing at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. I am a citizen of Métis Nation of BC and my family comes from Treaty 5 territory in Manitoba. Looked really good. So, yeah, really great job. Round of applause for everybody for a solid effort today. To me, coaching was just something that came very naturally. I really wanted to be a positive role model for the girls that I coach and the ladies that I coach and I really wanted to help influence them.

[00:18:30]My name is Madison Batch. I'm a part of the Métis Nation of British Columbia. My ancestors are from Red River in Manitoba and I'm a defense on Team BC. Hockey opened so many doors for young girls athletes. To me, they helped me get into school, university.

[00:18:49]I'm going to the University of Calgary and I recently got accepted into their nursing program. I couldn't have done that without hockey. It It guided me there. It directed me through school and it taught me how to overcome so many different challenges and be able to fight adversity. So, a lot of really good passes, really good plays.

[00:19:07]>> When I grew up, um you know, it It bit different for women in hockey. I was playing on a boys team. I was the only girl. Nobody really talked to me. There were players and parents that didn't really want me around. And then you fast forward to 2026 now, and really it's a great time for females in sports, and I think it is really helping with the gender parity. And I think we're on the right track. I think in the last few years I've seen a lot of growth in the female sport, and I see a lot of traction. People are actually buying in.

[00:19:36]People are supporting. People are wearing the merchandise, and it's a really exciting time to be a woman in sport.

[00:19:45]Well, it's also a big hockey weekend for the Prince Albert Raiders. They kick off their series against the Everett Silvertips in the WHL final. Games 1 and 2 are in Everett this weekend, and the series returns to PA next week. The Raiders last won the WHL final in 2019.

[00:20:02]Stay with us. We are back after the break.

[00:20:14]Another year of Rider rookie camp has wrapped up. Head coach Corey Mace and company spent the last 3 days scrutinizing the new recruits, and now have some decisions to make about who will stick around.

[00:20:26]The rookies spent part of the day taking part in a sort of kicking competition.

[00:20:30]This is the first season in a while where the Riders are without a veteran kicker for the start of the season.

[00:20:35]Brett Lauther, who had been with the team since 2018, was released back in February, and has since signed on with the Ottawa Redblacks. Mace says he is carefully weighing who will ultimately get the nod.

[00:20:47]It was good, man. A good competition.

[00:20:49]And I thought the guys all appreciated uh just to get everybody kind of break up the practice a little bit, but still, you know, stick to to who we are in competing. So, uh I was pleased um you know, for the most part. And some guys made some tough kicks.

[00:21:01]Uh some guys uh you know, they missed one, and then they they bounced back, and and uh hit hit one from even longer.

[00:21:06]So, uh it's going to be uh one of those positions that uh you know, it's going to be battled out throughout this training camp. Uh we'll we'll walk away with the right one.

[00:21:14]Everyone gets a break on Saturday and the action picks up back up again on Sunday. That is when the veterans will join the rookies on the field for the full Riders training camp.

[00:21:30]And Helena is back now with a weekend forecast that looks like it's going to be pretty nice.

[00:21:35]Yeah, Ethan, it's going to be hot. Uh things are on the rise for sure. Let's take a look at the forecast for the city of Regina. The sun is going to be out all week. Temperatures not quite as warm tomorrow, overnight still a bit cooler, but just in time for Mother's Day temperatures are really rising up and same with our overnight lows. The overnight hours are really going to warm up, hovering even around 10° later into next week. To start next week, we will see some rainfall, but temperatures are going to be reaching that 20° mark and staying steady in that area all week long. By Wednesday, we'll even reach that 25° mark. We'll see some stronger winds throughout the week as well and the chance of some rainfall later into next week. Now, in Saskatoon, tomorrow is the Bridge City Duathlon. Myself and some others from CBC are participating.

[00:22:18]Looks looks pretty good, not too hot for that. And for Mother's Day, temperatures are going to be even warmer into that 20° mark. We'll see some rain into next week, but then temperatures steady into 20° and even reaching closer to 30° heading into Wednesday and our overnight lows will be quite warm as well. So, Ethan, I've been patiently waiting, but looks like it's finally time to break out that summer wardrobe.

[00:22:40]And we will be cheering you all on. Go team CBC at the Duathlon. Thanks so much, Helena. Thanks, Ethan.

[00:22:47]And that is our news for this Friday.

[00:22:48]For more news anytime, you can head to our website or subscribe to the CBC Saskatchewan YouTube channel or download the CBC News app on your smartphone or tablet. Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend.

[00:23:07]>> Mhm.