REGINA -- Here’s a look at the stories that dominated local headlines over the last decade.
2010
On July 1, 2010, southeastern Saskatchewan was hit with a massive storm that flooded five blocks of a residential area in Yorkton. Roughly 60 to 70 per cent of homes in Yorkton were flooded.
The flood turned streets to rivers and sent people fleeing for higher ground, in some cases, by canoe. Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the struggling community in the wake of the floods.
The bad weather continued into the next day as heavy rains, large hail and aggressive winds pummeled communities like Wynard and Swift Current.
Heavy rains delivered 80 millimetres of rain to parts of Saskatoon, flooding basements and knocking down trees and power lines.
2011
Saskatchewan sees economic boom
Saskatchewan is home to the world's richest deposits of potash. 2011 saw potash companies promise more than $12 billion worth of expansion in their existing mines and proposed projects, following the Sask Party’s sweep in the provincial election.
It seems, as potash goes, so goes Saskatchewan’s economy, which led the nation that year.
Thanks to the resources sector, Saskatchewan and Alberta also led the nation in population growth in 2011.
2012
Heavier fines for construction zone speeders following death of flag person
In 2012, 18-year-old construction worker, Ashley Richards, from New Brunswick was hit and killed on her first day of work on a highway southeast of Weyburn.
This case saw the introduction of stiffer penalties for drivers who speed through construction zones.
Keith Dunford was convicted of dangerous driving causing death.
2013
Riders win Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium
On Nov. 21, 2013 the Saskatchewan Roughriders were led to a Grey Cup victory on home turf by Head Coach Corey Chamblin.
2013 CFL MVP Kory Sheets ran for a record 197 yards and two touchdowns to take the team to a 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Pop group Hedley performed at halftime.
2014
After suffering the tragic loss of their 14-year-old son Blake in 2008 when the ATV he was driving went over a ridge.
The Arnal family of Ravenscrag, Sask. experienced immeasurable loss for a second time.
In 2014, two more of the Arnal boys, Sean, 16 and Lyndon, 10 died when the tractor Sean was driving crashed on a gravel road near Ravenscrag.
"If you really stop and look at how big that loss is... it is crushing,” Anne Arnal told CTV News through tears. “So, the only thing you can do to keep yourself functioning, and manage at all, is to look beyond that and to pick another project or direction to go."
The family created a bursary to honour the late brothers.
2015
In 2015 a total of 735 fires broke out in Saskatchewan. That number was up from 403 fires in 2014.
The larger fires began in the middle of May and continued to burn right into late fall.
The sheer size of larger fires would have covered the entire Toronto area - and caused air quality concerns as far south as Colorado.
More than one hundred structures destroyed, and firefighting efforts cost the province up to $100 million.
The wildfires of 2015 proved to be a true test to the strength and unity of a province where natural disasters, like fire, are all too real.
2016
On Friday Jan. 2, 2016, a 17-year-old boy shot and killed four people in La Loche, Sask.
It would later be revealed at the gunman killed Dayne Pontaine, 17 and Drayden Fontaine, 13, in their home before heading to the Dene building of the local community school where he killed two teachers, Marie Janvier, 21, and Adam Wood, 35.
The teen pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced as an adult to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
He’s in the process of trying to appeal his adult sentence; therefore a publication ban remains in place.
2017
Brad Wall retires from politics
In August 2017, Saskatchewan’s beloved premier of 10 years announced he would retire from politics.
“I really believe that Saskatchewan will benefit from a different style, a different voice, and so will our party,” Wall said.
Wall touted his government’s record, pointing to population growth exceeding 1 million people and the creation of 67,000 jobs in Saskatchewan over the past decade.
He also noted that a record number of highway kilometres have been built and repaired across Saskatchewan, and that investment in provincial parks has increased by 111 per cent.
Current Premier Scott Moe would succeed Wall.
Hannah Leflar murderers sentenced
2017 saw the sentencing of two teenage boys who killed their one time friend, Hannah Leflar.
After a lengthy and shocking court preceding that left the city stunned, one was sentenced as a youth. The other, Skyler Prockner, sentenced to life in prison as an adult.
2018
The Humboldt Broncos bus crash claimed 16 lives and garnered attention from some of the highest offices in the world including Queen Elizabeth II.
The year following the tragedy would see an overhaul of trucking laws that the victims’ families believed led to the accident that occurred in the evening hours of April 6, 2018.
Honourble mention
The shooting death of Colten Boushie would raise tensions in the province that lead to the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in 2018.
A jury of 12 delivered the not-guilty verdict in the evening of Feb. 11, which spawned outcry and discussion alike across the country.
Some people yelled, “Murderer!” Some appeared to be in disbelief. Others swore.
Alvin Baptiste, the uncle of Boushie, decried the “all-white jury” for the verdict.
2019
Western alienation
A number of movements and stories over the past year contributed to making Western alienation the top news story of 2019.
Yellow Vest protests took place in communities across Saskatchewan and Canada in early 2019
The demonstrations that began in France to protest President Emanuel Macron’s green tax, moved into Canada to take on the federal government’s carbon tax.
In February a convoy of trucks left Red Deer, Alta. and roughly 150 trucks rolled into the Queen City on the convoys way to Ottawa.
Around 200 trucks would arrive at Parliament Hill the following week, to make a point to the federal government that oil and gas workers do not support the carbon tax.
Some trucks carried signs that read, “Alberta has had enough,” “Canadian oil before Saudi oil,” and “Axe the carbon oil tax.”
The 2019 Federal Election saw a blue wave take over all of Saskatchewan. Despite Saskatchewan and Alberta voting nearly entirely blue, and the unseating of long-time Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, the Liberals prevailed leaving some in the the west feeling unheard and underrepresented.
The western unrest quickly led to the idea of ‘Wexit’ or western exit, with some hoping to see the west separate from the rest of Canada.
