Southern Sask. communities sign agreement with Montana tourism organization to increase cross-border travel

A group of Saskatchewan towns has partnered with Montana’s Missouri River Country tourism organization to promote cross-border tourism in both areas.
The cohort of communities is known as South Saskatchewan Ready and is made up of nine rural municipalities near the Saskatchewan-U.S. border.
“We thought it would be a good idea to partner with our friends in the U.S. (who have) very similar types of topography and lands, and people,” said Sean Wallace, the managing director of South Saskatchewan Ready.
The partnership aims to increase travel to both regions and the groups plan to develop a three-day itinerary and a seven-day itinerary to allow tourists to experience the best southern Saskatchewan and northeastern Montana have to offer.
“We figured it might be a good idea to partner with them and expand our market a little bit more in the U.S., and it gives them an opportunity to do the same,” said Wallace
The Canadian government is planning to phase out coal fired electricity by 2030. A majority of residents living in the area work in the coal industry.
The groups are also hoping to ease the negative economic effects of the coal transition.
“(We want to come up) with ways that we can mitigate the negative effects and hopefully find some replacement industry to ensure that folks in the age group 25-45 still have a few years left in their career,” explained Wallace. “If we can keep them here and transition them into other opportunities that are comparable to what they are now, that is the best case scenario”.
Itineraries for the cross-border tourism activities will be available in May 2022 on South Saskatchewan Ready’s website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mariupol fighters in Russian hands; both sides claim wins
Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters, including wounded men carried out on stretchers, left the vast steel plant in Mariupol where they mounted a dogged last stand and turned themselves over to Russian hands, signalling the beginning of the end of a siege that became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance to Moscow's invasion.

Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner carjacked at gunpoint outside Toronto movie theatre
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was the victim of an armed carjacking outside a movie theatre in Etobicoke on Monday night, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
Queen makes surprise appearance to mark new London subway line
Queen Elizabeth II made a surprise visit Tuesday to a train station in central London to see a newly completed subway line named in her honour. The 96-year-old monarch, who has reduced most of her public engagements, appeared Tuesday at Paddington Station.
Prince Charles and Camilla kick off three-day Canadian tour in St. John's today
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are in Newfoundland and Labrador's capital today to begin a three-day Canadian tour focused on Indigenous reconciliation and climate change.
Top 6 moments from the 2022 Ontario election debate
Ontario’s four main party leaders were relatively civil as they sparred at Monday night’s televised election debate in Toronto.
Twitch, a live-streaming giant, comes under scrutiny after Buffalo shooting
Twitch, the livestreaming giant popular among video gamers, has been thrust into the national spotlight after the suspect in the Buffalo grocery store mass shooting tried to broadcast the attack on the platform.
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre denounces 'white replacement theory'
Pierre Poilievre is denouncing the 'white replacement theory' believed to be a motive for a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., as 'ugly and disgusting hate-mongering.'
Next steps for Finland, Sweden on NATO membership
Finland and Sweden have signalled their intention to join NATO over Russia's war in Ukraine and things will move fast once they formally apply for membership in the world's biggest security alliance.
Canadian Blood Services issues urgent call for donors as inventory falls
Canadian Blood Services has issued an immediate call for donors in light of a recent lull in attendance and rising cancellations.