2016 Year in Review — October
As we prepare to say goodbye to 2016, BattlefordsNow.com is taking a look at some of the top news items that made headlines and newsmakers over the past 12 months.
The month of October started with two huge funding announcements which were welcome news to the area. Saskatchewan Hospital, received a $1 million cheque from an anonymous donor to go towards the $8 million needed to furnish and equip the new hospital. The Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings campaign is trying to raise money for equipment that will “treat, protect and nurture its patients.” As of October, $1.13 million had been raised.
Meanwhile SaskPower was investing over $10 million into system maintenance for the Battlefords and Lloydminster areas. SaskPower spokesperson Heather Johnson said recent increases prompted the investments. Johnson added the money spent will greatly improve the reliability and decrease the number of unplanned outages.
Snow swept into the area as a strong low pressure system coming up from Montana caused the snowy forecast for the first week of October. John Paul Cragg with Environment Canada said the forecast of snow was earlier than in recent years but wasn’t early over the long-term average.