INTERNAL DATA SHOWS HEALTHCARE CLOSURES WORSENING UNDER SASK. PARTY 643 SERVICE CLOSURES IN PAST 18 MONTHS

PRINCE ALBERT – Internal SHA data obtained through a freedom of information request shows that the health system is going in the wrong direction after 18 years of Sask. Party mismanagement.

There were 86 service closures totaling 808 days of lost healthcare from February 2018 to July 2019 – the first 18 months of Premier Scott Moe’s administration. Nearly half of those days came from two prolonged service closures in Turtleford and the Battlefords.

During the most recent 18 months for which data is available (November 2023 to May 2025), the number of service closures surged to 643, equating to 3,362 days of lost healthcare service.

“This isn’t just a few isolated incidents — it’s a full-blown crisis right across our province,” said Jared Clarke, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Rural and Remote Health. “Hospitals are closing, ERs are going on bypass, and maternity wards are shutting down.

“This government is failing to provide even the most basic care for Saskatchewan families – even trying to replace emergency room doctors with webcams.”

From February 2018 to mid-2019, disruptions were mostly limited to emergency rooms, diagnostics, and surgeries. Today, they extend into nearly every corner of the healthcare system, including obstetrics, acute care, MRIs, CT scans, and lab services.

“Healthcare is getting worse, and it's our rural communities and medium sized cities like Prince Albert and Moose Jaw that are paying the biggest price. We’re the birthplace of Medicare – we shouldn’t be ranked last in Canada.

“After 18 years in power, the tired and out-of-touch Sask. Party has broken our healthcare system. They can’t be trusted to fix it.”

Clarke will visit Prince Albert, Shellbrook, and Meadow Lake today to draw attention to the worsening healthcare crisis, with more stops planned in the coming days.

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DEADLY STREET DRUG ALERT: MARIJUANA SOLD IN REGINA TESTS POSITIVE FOR FENTANYL AND BENZODIAZEPINES

Saskatchewan NDP Calls for Emergency Action as Sask. Party Remains Silent Amid Mounting Drug Poisonings and Overdose Deaths

REGINA — The Saskatchewan NDP is demanding immediate emergency action following a chilling drug alert in Regina: marijuana sold on the street has tested positive for fentanyl and benzodiazepines, a lethal mix that can kill without warning.

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health confirmed that cannabis samples collected at the Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre were contaminated with these deadly substances.

The province is already in a substance use crisis. The Saskatchewan Coroners Service has reported 224 suspected and confirmed drug toxicity deaths in the first 244 days of 2025—nearly one death every single day.

“This is deadly poison. People are dying. And the Sask. Party is slow to response and if and when they do respond, the Sask Party is doing very little if they do anything at all,” said Betty Nippi-Albright, NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health & Addictions. “After 18 years of cuts to critical mental health and addiction services, the government has lost the pulse of the community. They refuse to act while toxic drugs flood our streets.”

Naloxone will counter effects of Fentanyl, but not Benzodiazepines, according to the Government of Saskatchewan.

“I want action. I want emergency measures now,” said Nippi-Albright. “People could smoke what they think is cannabis and never wake up.”

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for:

Immediate expansion of harm reduction services

Emergency public health alerts and education
On-the-ground drug testing and mobile outreach
A coordinated provincial strategy and action plan to confront the drug crisis
Declare a state of emergency to deal with the drug crisis in Saskatchewan

“Every hour of delay costs lives. The Sask. Party’s silence is deadly. We need action. We need leadership. And we need it now.”

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SASK. PARTY STACKS FAILING HEALTH AGENCY WITH POLITICAL LOYALISTS

Saskatchewan Health Agency Broken, In Need of Major Reform: Saskatchewan NDP

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RENT, COST OF LIVING CONCERNS UP AFTER 18 YEARS OF THE SASK. PARTY

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RENT PRICES DOUBLE IN PRINCE ALBERT AS COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS SURGES OUT OF CONTROL

New Survey Finds 2 In 3 People Can’t Keep Up With The Cost Of Living As Sask. Party Watches Rent Prices Double In Prince Albert

PRINCE ALBERT – The latest data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Prince Albert has nearly doubled under the Sask. Party, going from $562 in 2007 to $1,096 in 2024.