Sentencing in a tragedy that touched a nation, a record number of homicides and a celebration 25 years in the making highlighted the year that was in Saskatoon and area.
Here are the Top 5 news stories for Saskatoon in 2019.
5. Tiki Laverdiere’s death
Tiki Laverdiere travelled to Saskatchewan in April for the funeral of a homicide victim. She ended up becoming a homicide victim herself.
The mother of two had travelled from Edmonton to North Battleford, Sask., for the funeral of Tristen Cook-Buckle — another homicide victim.
Laverdiere’s family last heard from her on May 1 and police put out a plea on May 15 for tips on her whereabouts.
Two days later, police ruled her disappearance suspicious and said in June that her death was the result of foul play.
Her remains were found outside North Battleford on July 11. Police have not said how she died.
Eight people have been charged in her death.
Five women — Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas, Nicole Cook, and Nikita Cook — are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a human body and vehicle theft.
Nicole Cook is Tristen Cook-Buckle’s mother.
Another woman, Mavis Quinn Takakenew, and two men — Jesse Sangster and Brent Checkosis — were accused of accessory after the fact to murder.
Checkosis pleaded guilty to his charge in late December and is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2020.
Trial dates for the others have not yet been set.
4. Saskatchewan carbon tax kicks in, sets off court fight
A political battle between the provincial and federal governments ended up in Saskatchewan’s highest court.
Ottawa imposed a carbon tax in Saskatchewan on April 1 after the federal government said the province’s climate plans did not meet the federal backstop of $20 per tonne of CO2.
The province opposed the tax and took the battle to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal to determine if Ottawa has the constitutional power to impose the carbon tax.
The case was heard in February and in a 3-2 decision released in May, the court said the carbon tax falls within the legislative authority of Parliament.
In a 155-page decision, Chief Justice Robert Richards wrote that establishing minimum national standards for a price on greenhouse gas emissions falls under federal jurisdiction.
The two dissenting justices said the federal government’s actions were not a valid use of the Constitution that states Parliament can pass laws in the name of peace, order and good government.
The case is now heading to the Supreme Court of Canada in the new year, along with a carbon tax challenge from the Ontario government.
As part of the federal carbon tax, residents of Saskatchewan are getting a tax rebate to offset the tax.
The federal government said in December that the rebate in the province will not be as large as first forecast by the federal government.
Earlier this year, Ottawa’s model had a family of four collecting a carbon tax rebate of $903 on their 2019 income tax return.
That has now changed to just $809.
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Federal carbon tax kicks in for Saskatchewan -
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Carbon tax takes effect on fuel -
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Carbon tax worries Saskatchewan farmers -
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Over 700 trucks take part in anti-carbon tax convoy -
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McKenna: Saskatchewan carbon tax ruling is a ‘win for Canadians’ -
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McKenna compares Moe, Ford, and Kenney to Donald Trump -
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Scott Moe: Our fight against the carbon tax will continue -
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Moe: Split decision means there’s hope for Supreme Court ruling -
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Scott Moe says carbon tax ruling is only ‘game one of the playoffs’ -
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Saskatchewan loses carbon tax court challenge -
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Mistakes suspected in Sask. government commissioned carbon tax report -
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2019 carbon tax rebate decreases in Saskatchewan
3. Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital opens in Saskatoon
A dream was realized in September when Saskatchewan’s first children’s hospital opened in Saskatoon.
It started 25 years ago when two Saskatchewan doctors believed children deserved a place where they could receive specialized medical treatment without leaving the province.
The Children’s Health Foundation (now the Laverdiere Foundation) was created in 1992 to raise funds towards a hospital.
The Saskatchewan government committed $200 million towards the project in 2009 and construction of the hospital started beside the Royal University Hospital in September 2014.
Vancouver-based businessman and philanthropist Jim Pattison, who is originally from Luseland, Sask., made a $50-million donation to the new hospital that now bears his name.
The $285.9 million Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital officially opened to patients on Sept. 29.
More than 72 full-time physicians in over 20 specialties will staff the hospital and number of pediatricians in the province will double from 62 to 122.
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Construction complete on new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon -
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New heliport opens in Saskatoon on top of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital -
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Grand opening of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon -
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Scott Moe announces opening of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital -
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Blake Wheeler shares his story at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital grand opening -
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Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital the result of decades of advocacy -
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Dream realized as Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital opens in Saskatoon -
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Sask. children’s hospital working on nearly 600-item task list -
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Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital tour
2. Saskatoon crime/homicides
The Saskatoon Police Service saw a roughly two per cent increase in calls for assistance in 2019 compared to the previous year.
There were more calls for violent crime that Chief Troy Cooper said used up a lot of additional resources.
By mid-December, Saskatoon had recorded 16 homicides, breaking the record of 13 set the previous year.
Cooper said addictions and mental health issues are widely accepted as contributing factors in crime.
A report release in July found that Saskatoon had the fourth-highest crime severity index in the country for 2018, but said violent crime was down slightly, along with vehicle thefts and robberies.
The report also found meth-related offences accounted for 16 per cent of all police-report crime that year, a trend that continued in 2019.
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said violent crime in Saskatoon is being driven by drugs.
“We’re seeing more and more weapons out on the street,” Clark said in November.
“And the evidence is clear that this is driven by a rise in addictions and the trafficking of crystal meth and fentanyl.”
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Drug addiction driving crime rate in Saskatoon -
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Recent string of violent crimes in Pleasant Hill -
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Saskatoon Crime Stoppers campaign targets missing persons -
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City of Saskatoon, police aren’t doing enough to stop crime: Pleasant Hill resident -
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Saskatoon crime severity index top 4 among Canadian cities -
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Breaking down Saskatoon’s crime severity index -
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Volunteers clean up near Pleasant Hill boarded houses -
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Saskatoon homeowners want city to address crime-stricken problem pathways
1. Humboldt Broncos crash sentencing / anniversary
The semi-truck driver involved the Humboldt Broncos bus crash was sentenced in March for dangerous driving causing death in the April 6, 2018 crash.
Sixteen members of the Saskatchewan hockey team and 13 others were injured when a semi ran a stop sign and collided with the team’s bus at a rural intersection.
At a sentencing hearing in January, court heard that Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was going between 86 and 96 km/h when he passed four signs warning him about the upcoming intersection before he came up to an oversized stop sign with a flashing light.
FULL COVERAGE: Humboldt Broncos tragedy
Sidhu apologized to his victims following four days of proceedings that included 90 victim impact statements and hours of arguments from lawyers.
He took full responsibility for the crash and stated the tragedy happened because of his inexperience as a driver.
Sidhu pleaded guilty in January to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
In March, Melfort provincial court Judge Inez Cardinal sentenced Sidhu to eight years for each count of causing death, and five years for each count of bodily harm, to be served concurrently.
In making her decision, Cardinal said nothing was blocking Sidhu’s view, he failed to see the signs, the bus or the intersection.
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Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, truck driver in Humboldt Broncos crash, arrives for first day of sentencing hearing -
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Humboldt Broncos bus crash victims read impact statements at sentencing hearing -
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Humboldt Broncos: Logan Boulet’s parents share how it felt to read victim impact statement -
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Remorse expressed by truck driver helping widow of Humboldt coach move on -
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Widow of Humboldt victim says extent of truck driver’s sentence ‘doesn’t matter’ -
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Sidhu apologizes to families as Crown asks for 10-year sentence in Humboldt Broncos bus crash -
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Father of Humboldt bus crash victim ‘not satisfied’ with truck driver sentencing -
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Humboldt case sentencing fits with Crown’s submission: Healey -
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Humboldt Broncos families react to truck driver’s 8-year prison sentence -
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Truck driver in Humboldt Broncos bus crash sentenced to 8 years in prison -
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Semi-truck driver involved in Humboldt Broncos bus crash sentenced -
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Analyzing the factors behind the Humboldt Broncos bus crash sentencing decision
Weeks later, Humboldt marked the one year anniversary of the tragedy.
Hundreds gathered at Elgar Peterson Arena for a memorial service.
Rows of yellow banners were hanging across the main entrance with the names of all 29 people on the bus.
A moment of silence was observed at 4:50 p.m., the exact time of the crash.
Crash survivor Kaleb Dahlgren penned an emotional letter he wrote to his teammates who lost their lives that was shared at the service.
“It’s been a year since I saw your beautiful faces and they still cross my mind daily,” Dahlgren wrote.
Many people also stopped at the crossing of Highways 35 and 335 near Tisdale, Sask., where the crash occurred.
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Father of Humboldt Broncos player talks about 1 year anniversary of crash -
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Former Broncos president speaks about impact the crash had on Humboldt -
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Nipawin, Sask. paramedic thanks all Canadians for their support -
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Humboldt Broncos memorial exhibit displays outpouring of support from around the world -
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Premier Scott Moe reflects on Humboldt Broncos tragedy -
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Premier Scott Moe reflects on Humboldt Broncos tragedy -
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Remembering Humboldt Broncos’ statistician Brody Hinz, the teen with a mind for numbers -
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‘Longest night of my life’: doctor recalls night of Humboldt Broncos bus crash -
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Life in Humboldt, one year after tragedy struck -
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New voice of Humboldt Broncos tells story of team’s rebirth on the ice -
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Humboldt remembers lives lost in Broncos bus crash one year ago -
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Humboldt Broncos anniversary: Logan Boulet Effect inspires generosity across Canada -
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Moment of silence held for Humboldt Broncos crash victims -
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Schools representing Humboldt Broncos tell city ‘we believe’ -
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Candles lit in memory of the Humboldt Broncos and for the survivors -
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Humboldt Broncos remembered a year later at memorial -
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Kaleb Dahlgren’s billet sisters deliver message remembering the teammates he lost -
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Mother of Jacob Leicht says one-year anniversary is ‘permission to move forward with life’ -
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‘Thank you for your love’: mothers of Humboldt Broncos thank first responders, supporters -
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Justin Trudeau says Humboldt Broncos bus crash showed that ‘hockey is family’
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