8:30 – The City of Yorkton has a new idea that might just catch on – they’ve stopped accepting applications proclamations of special days and weeks. Mayor Bob Maloney says the city declaring its support for events like Veterans Week and Pride Week doesn’t add any real value, and doing so ties up council’s valuable time. He also said proclamations can see council “used as a soapbox” which can either be a distraction or create controversy. While the idea has raised the ire of some community groups, the idea is already proving popular with municipalities. On Monday, Saskatoon’s council unanimously passed a new policy prohibiting controversial, religious, or political flags from flying at city hall. Maloney joins Drew to discuss the policy and the public feedback so far.
LIVE: Bob Maloney, mayor of Yorkton.
9:00 – The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session
10:00 – Should Andrew Scheer stay on as leader of the Conservative Party? Scheer says he plans to stay on and lead the Opposition, and Lisa Raitt, Scheer’s former deputy leader, says she’d like to see Scheer get another run at Justin Trudeau. National Post Columnist Kelly McParland disagrees, saying the Tories need a leader and platform that can hold their existing base while resonating with urban and younger voters. McParland says Scheer is unlikely to be able to pull it off, because “his identity is so baked in that any effort to shift position on key issues would most likely come off as unprincipled and opportunistic.” McParland joins Drew now to discuss why he thinks Scheer needs to step aside, and who might do a better job.
LIVE: Kelly McParland, columnist with the National Post.
11:00 – We’ve just had our first serious snowfall across Saskatchewan, and already saw reports of accidents, injuries, jackknifed semis, and more. In other provinces, notably Quebec, drivers are risking a fine if they’re caught on the roads or highways without winter tires, but they’re still optional in Saskatchewan. While the many safety benefits of winter tires are well-documented, some argue they’re unnecessary or even a cash grab. The arguments against winter tires include using all-season tires to save money, the hassle of changing tires twice a year, and relying on driving skill to avoid accidents. We want to know what you think: Are winter tires worth the investment? Should they be mandatory in Saskatchewan, or should people be free to use whatever tires they’d like? Give us a call at 1-877-332-8255 and join the conversation!
12:00 – The producers who haven’t yet wrapped up harvest are now facing tough choices about leaving crops in the field over winter or continuing with harvest in the snow. Harvest was still just 83% complete last Thursday before the snow began to fall Saturday, and it was a tough season for producers across the board. Cory Jacob is a crops extension specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture, and he joins Drew to discuss the difficult growing season, how the end of harvest went around the province, and what producers might be in for next season.
LIVE: Cory Jacob, crops extension specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture.