New accessible playground opens in Saskatoon

WATCH: Saskatoon's St. Anne School has some happy kids as they unveil their new playground... but none happier than Makenna Hiebert, a new accessible playground is giving her space to play without barriers.

It’s a day a long time in the making for Makenna Hiebert and her family.

A ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 10 officially marked the opening of Saskatoon’s second accessible playground at St. Anne Catholic School.

“It was a dream turned to reality, so it’s very exciting. We’ve had an exciting couple of weeks since it’s been open and seeing all the kids run out and even meeting some friends here has been really exciting,” said Brittany Hiebert, Makenna’s mom and project lead for the playground.

Makenna sustained a brain injury when she was just three years old.

Her family quickly learned how few accessible play spaces there were in Saskatoon.

Brittany says this new playground will serve plenty more people beyond the St. Anne’s school community.

“We actually got to meet friends here on the weekend and they have a young child that uses a walker. So, we’re able to have it be a gathering place and people from all over the city have even said like, ‘I’m definitely coming, my child’s in a wheelchair’.”

There are ramps and a rubber ground to make play easier and more independent.

And while it may look like any old playground for some, it means a whole lot more to others.

Brittany says she thinks this should be the standard.

“I think that we want to create a city and a culture where play is accessible and we don’t have to fight for it when there’s maybe an accident or someone specific starts recognizing the need.”

Watch the video above to see how much the new playground brings joy to the community.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

One game, one addition: Marina Rubina paints her way through Rider season

A Saskatchewan content creator is documenting the Roughriders season one home game - and one addition to her canvas - at a time.

A Saskatchewan content creator is documenting the Roughriders season one home game, and one addition to her canvas, at a time.

Marina Rubina has only lived in Saskatchewan for about a year, but going to Saskatchewan Roughriders games has helped her learn about the community and find a sense of belonging in her new home.

“Time by time I started to learn about the community, about football itself, about the CFL, how it works, and I felt that the community is welcoming me. They see my content online; they are supporting me, and it actually feels like I finally found my community,” Rubina told Global News.

That connection, combined with her need for a creative outlet, sparked the idea for a unique season-long project blending art and Riders football.

“I matched those two things together: my want to go to the Riders game and be present there, and also my need to do something creative, so I kind of mixed those two thoughts and thought I’d just bring my painting there,” said Rubina.

Rubina began working on a single Roughriders painting that continues to evolve throughout the season. At every home game, she adds a new element to the same work of art, often inspired by the theme surrounding that week’s matchup.

But Rubina isn’t deciding what goes on the canvas alone.

“Every Rider game has a theme, and they started suggesting to match those little drawings to the theme,” said Rubina.

As she began sharing the project online, fans started leaving suggestions in the comments about what she should add next. Rubina has incorporated some of those ideas, turning the painting into a collaborative tribute to both the season and Rider Nation.

The project has continued to gain attention as the canvas fills up, catching the eye of one Rider in particular.

“I had A.J. (Ouellette) comment that he loves my painting and he would love something special for him, so I have a project coming up that is just for him,” said Rubina.

With more football still to come, Rubina hopes there is one major addition left to make: something commemorating a 2026 Roughriders Grey Cup championship.

As for what happens to the completed painting once the season is over, Rubina hasn’t decided yet. But just like the artwork itself, she’s open to suggestions.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Leafs winger Max Domi to miss the start of camp

Max Domi will not be on the ice when the Toronto Maple Leafs open training camp next week.

General manager John Chayka told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday the 31-year-old winger will be evaluated when the club officially reconvenes, but remains “out indefinitely” due to complications from off-season surgery.

Chayka added Domi would address the situation publicly “at the right time in the near future.”

Toronto announced May 25 an issue arose after Domi underwent a procedure to deal with an injury that hampered him throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The team did not reveal the nature of the injury or surgery.

The veteran forward — set to enter the third season of a four-year, US$15-million contract — is coming off another disappointing campaign that saw him register just 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 80 games.

Chayka, however, did have some good news on the injury front with regards to heart-and-soul defenceman Chris Tanev. The executive hired in the spring after Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 said the 36-year-old blueliner “looks great” after being limited to just 11 games in 2025-26 due to various ailments.

“We never clear a player until the medicals,” Chayka said on a video conference call alongside senior executive adviser of hockey operations Mats Sundin. “(Tanev) will come and get his medical and be cleared to play at that point, is our expectation.

“Feels great. Ready to get started.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

N.S. women's health advocates question progress on promised menopause clinic

Women’s health advocates in Nova Scotia are speaking out about the quality of menopause care in the region ahead of World Menopause Month in October.

The advocacy group Women’s Access to Care & Health (WATCH) is hopeful about the province’s promised Menopause Centre of Excellence but questions whether it will address concerns about access to care.

“Every woman is going to go through menopause in some fashion, everyone in this province,” said Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, Cumberland-North MLA and WATCH member.

“What the (health) minister should be working on, is improving the education of our primary care providers so that every primary care provider in the province is comfortable treating menopause.”

The provincial government announced the creation of a Menopause Centre of Excellence last October, saying it would be the first of its kind in Canada and would address long-standing care gaps while reducing wait times.

The spring budget included $4.7 million toward the first phase of the centre for operating and capital costs.

The province has stated the centre will deliver in-person and virtual care across Nova Scotia.

In February, the provincial government put out a request for proposals for clinic space, which will be staffed by providers including a gynecologist, pelvic floor physiotherapist, registered nurse and general practitioner.

There hasn’t been an update since and the clinic is slated to open this winter.

“Crickets. Nothing. Listen, I’ve started a clinic. It does not take this long to get a clinic started up and get professionals available for people. I think they need to show Nova Scotians its not just something on paper, words. We need action,” said Smith-McCrossin.

According to Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness, there is no new update on the centre as of now. However, there will be more news to share “very soon” and the clinic is still on track to open this winter.

“I think we would love to hear a status report,” said WATCH member, Patsy Smith.

“If it’s transparent, if progress reports are announced, if status updates are provided, I think it would reassure all of us that we’re in good hands.”

WATCH has organized a rally for Sept. 16 at Grand Parade in Halifax, and members are inviting anyone concerned about the state of women’s health care to take part.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Elks close to playoff spot after five-year drought

EDMONTON – Riding the high of a three-game win streak and first place in the CFL West Division, the Edmonton Elks are on the verge of going where the team hasn’t been in six years — the playoffs.

Edmonton is hosting the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday and if the Elks can sweep the two-game Labour Day series against their rivals then the Elks will improve to 10-3 and clinch a post-season berth.

“What a great opportunity for us,” said quarterback Cody Fajardo. “Here at home in front of our fans, an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, which this organization talked about all off-season.”

It’s an scenario few of the current Elks have experienced as the team suffered through five losing seasons.

“The past years I haven’t had that, so to know that if we go out and execute at a high level, do what we have to do to win, we can punch that playoff ticket,” said linebacker Nick Anderson. “It’s going to be a true blessing once it comes.”

Last season, the Elks got off to a slow start before finishing strong the second half of the schedule. That finish, suggested running back Justin Rankin, came once the team figured out just who they were.

“We were still trying to figure out who guys were, trying to build a bond, relationships, figure out the coaches, how the players act, things like that,” Rankin said of 2025. “We’re building a foundation and that’s what we did.

“The biggest hurdle that we needed to figure out was just how to win, and with the foundation that we built, I think we came in this year and really just kept putting bricks on top of bricks. That’s kind of where we are now, that we know how to win. We have the team that we want to be, and we all believe in that. We all trusted each other. And I think it shows. ”

From Day 1 this year the energy in the dressing room and on the field had been different, said Rankin. Players “are truly believing in each other and really trusting in one another to do their job and not trying to do too much.”

Nowhere has that been more evident than on defence.

The Elks have given up a CFL-low 307 points and head coach Mark Kilam said that has been instrumental in putting Edmonton atop the division.

“They’ve been the backbone of our team all year,” Kilam said Friday after the team’s final walk-through. “We know we have the type of defence that can hold us in games if it takes us a bit longer to get going in other phases. They’ve been a strength of ours all year.”

Monday’s Labour Day game in Calgary was a typical example.

The defence kept the Elks in the game, down 18-7 at halftime, 25-14 after three quarters until the offence erupted for 24 points in the final 15 minutes for a 38-28 win.

Anderson calls the defence resilient.

“We’re a defence that makes adjustments. We’re a defence that makes corrections, plays fast and physical,” he said. “Regardless of what happens we don’t bat an eye; we just continue to play. Management has done a good job of bringing in players ready, willing and able to contribute whenever their number is called.”

If the Elks succeed in earning a playoff spot Saturday, team president and CEO Chris Morris said it will be a “really, really strong accomplishment for everybody in the organization. Something everyone can look at and say all that work, all the hours, everything we’ve done … we can give this back to the community.”

Wide receiver Reggie Begelton is scheduled to make his season debut for Calgary (5-7) in the game. The 33-year-old hasn’t played since he fractured his right leg in the Stampeders’ 29-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts on June 14, 2025. It will be his first game in 15 months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia to expand protections for people affected by AI-generated intimate images

The Nova Scotia government says new legislation will expand protections for people affected by intimate images created or altered by AI without their consent.

The government introduced the new bill on Thursday.

It amends the provincial Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act.

Provincial Justice Minister Scott Armstrong says the proposed changes would ensure that victims do not have to prove intimate images were shared without their consent.

This change could reduce what a victim would need to do when applying for a court to order that an image be taken down.

The legislation includes other amendments to improve public safety in the province, including modernizing 911 services.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Former Saskatoon massage therapist sentenced to 30 months for sexual assaults

A former Saskatoon massage therapist was sentenced to 30 months in prison by a Saskatchewan court on Friday for five counts of sexual assault.

Kenneth Braun, now 70, was found guilty of the charges at his jury trial last November. He was also found not guilty on a sixth charge.

The incidents occurred between 2010 and 2021. A publication ban is in place on the evidence presented in court, and the details disclosed during his sentencing hearing. It was imposed to protect the integrity of Braun’s upcoming jury trial on more sexual assault charges, which is set to start Nov. 2.

The judge ruled Braun will serve two years and six months in prison at a hearing in Saskatoon on Friday morning.

She also ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of $200 for each conviction, or $1,000 in total, due by Sept. 11, 2027.

A sample of Braun’s DNA will be added to the RCMP National DNA Data Bank. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victims involved in this trial during his sentence and will be subject to a 10-year weapons prohibition, which will commence after his release.

At an earlier hearing, Crown prosecutors requested 42 months in prison, while Braun’s defence lawyers sought a sentence of 14 months of imprisonment, followed by 24 months of probation.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' to go up for auction in New York City

The late Princess Diana‘s infamous “revenge dress,” which she wore the same night then-Prince Charles admitted to his infidelity, is going up for auction.

The then-Princess of Wales turned heads when she arrived at the Serpentine, one of London’s most celebrated art galleries, on a warm June evening in 1994, dressed in the figure-hugging gown for a Vanity Fair-hosted fundraising dinner.

Within minutes, a wall of photographers beamed her silk-laden silhouette to the world, and the look soon became a generational statement. More than three decades later, it’s back in the spotlight.

The black, off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian evening dress will go on sale for the first time in almost 30 years on December 9.

The designer garment, which auction house Sotheby’s described as “an enduring symbol of confidence and self-possession,” is expected to fetch an estimated $150,000–300,000 (£110,000–220,000).

It will be unveiled and exhibited at Sotheby’s London starting on Sept. 18, before further displays in Hong Kong, Geneva and New York.

FILE: Diana, Princess of Wales during a party given at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The same day that Charles admitted he was unfaithful to Diana during a TV interview, Diana appeared at the Serpentine Gallery in what was dubbed her revenge dress, a figure-hugging, low cut, off-the-shoulder little black outfit

FILE: Diana, Princess of Wales during a party given at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The same day that Charles admitted he was unfaithful to Diana during a TV interview, Diana appeared at the Serpentine Gallery in what was dubbed her revenge dress, a figure-hugging, low-cut, off-the-shoulder little black outfit

AP Photo/Files

Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles — who would go on to admit to his infidelity on television on the evening of the fundraising event — had been separated for almost two years when she stepped out in the off-the-shoulder dress, boasting an asymmetric hemline and a dramatic chiffon train.

News of his extramarital relations was leaked days before the formal announcement, so “Diana knew that whatever she chose to do that evening, as the programme was aired to millions, would inevitably carry meaning and be interpreted as a response,” Sotheby’s writes.

“The princess had long considered the dress too daring to wear in public, and it had remained unworn in her wardrobe for three years – but on that historic day, she decided the time was right for it,” her stylist at the time, Anna Harvey, who had helped her get ready for the evening, told the auction house.

Diana simply “wanted to look a million dollars,” she said, noting that the late princess had initially opted to wear a more traditional Valentino gown.

Global head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby’s Morgane Halimi says the dress’s legacy has come to embody far more than a poignant fashion moment.

“On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinised and emotionally charged episodes of her life,” she said.

“What became a global viral moment – long before social media made the term mundane – also gave license to anyone, but especially women, to use fashion beyond adornment and much more intentionally and meaningfully: as a shield, a weapon or both,” she continued.

“What has endured across the decades is not the scandal surrounding that evening, but Princess Diana’s show of confidence and self-possession.”

She added: “She walked into a moment in which so much of her story was being told for her and, through what she chose to wear, reclaimed the narrative for herself.”

The last time the dress was sold was in June 1997, when the late princess sold 79 of her dresses at auction to raise funds to benefit cancer and AIDS charities.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of the dress later this year will be donated to NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Gas prices are expected to drop soon, but geopolitical risks remain

The price of oil has again spiked over $100 USD a barrel after more intense attacks in the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran. As Heather Yourex-West reports, consumers in Canada and around the world are feeling the pain at the gas pumps.

Consumers in Canada could see some relief at gas pumps starting next week as gas refineries go through regular seasonal changes, but how much gas prices will drop is unclear as geopolitical risks keep analysts guessing about the long-term outlook.

A drop in available oil supplies worldwide typically leads to higher gas prices, unless demand falls significantly, while the opposite effect usually will see lower gas prices.

Gas prices in Canada, and worldwide, have skyrocketed ever since the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran at the end of February. The conflict has been ongoing ever since, with a temporary ceasefire in June unravelling after just a few weeks, and all the while keeping the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping channel virtually closed to most oil and gas shipments.

The Strait of Hormuz normally sees about a fifth of the world’s oil supply pass through on a daily basis.

But a switch to winter gasoline blends in Canada could see prices drop starting Sept. 16, as the new fuel starts arriving at retail pumps. In addition, gas prices typically fall during colder weather months because demand for gasoline decreases as Canadians do less driving compared to warmer months.

“Demand for gasoline declines across North America as Canadians and Americans drive less as temperatures progressively cool off. So that drop in demand usually gives us some drop in price,” says petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan at GasBuddy.

“In addition, next week, we make the switch back to cheaper winter gasoline.”

Winter blends of gasoline, De Haan says, are typically cheaper than what is sold during warmer months because the blending components like butane are relatively low cost, but help improve vehicle performance in colder temperatures. The trade off is that butane contributes to more air pollution when temperatures are warm, and as temperatures cool off, more butane is allowed.

The national average price for regular grade gasoline sits at about $1.77 per litre as of publication, according to CAA, up from around $1.75 last week and $1.42 a year ago.

Without global volatility stemming from ongoing geopolitical tensions and other economic factors contributing to gas price changes, De Haan says these seasonal changes can usually result in a five to 20 cent per litre drop in the price of regular grade gasoline.

This means filling a 50-litre gas tank could see savings of about $10.

“It does vary year to year, but typically that would be a noticeable amount of relief. This year though, obviously a part of the traditional downturn could be offset by new action overseas,” says De Haan.

“Where we go, whether it’s higher or lower, it’s tough to know based on the balance of all these geopolitical tensions.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

More than 100 Saskatchewan pharmacies to offer strep throat, ear infection care

RELATED: Saskatchewan pharmacists to offer care for strep throat, ear infections

More than 100 pharmacies in Saskatchewan will soon be authorized to provide strep throat and ear infection testing and treatment.

The pilot project was launched in January 2025 and made permanent last May. Saskatchewan’s Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said all eligible pharmacies that applied to offer diagnostic services and write prescriptions to treat the ailments have been approved, bringing the total number of pharmacies who will offer services to 102.

“Families really liked this convenient access,” Carr told reporters at a news conference inside a pharmacy on Friday, adding that her daughter in Estevan, Sask., has used the service for her children.

After pharmacists complete the required training, 34 communities will be equipped to provide strep throat and ear services as of January 2027, Carr said.

“If you do the math, you can see that some communities will benefit from having more than one pharmacy offering the strep and ear program,” she said.

Of the 102 pharmacies participating, 71 will offer care for strep throat and ear services. Thirty-one pharmacies will only offer ear services.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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