Novel Idea Society Book Club October Pick!
We Used to Live Here by
@Marcus_Kliewer
! He will join us virtually on October 30th to discuss.
Want to join? Go here:
@katjolewis
I was not an intern, but when I was considerably younger... and made a similar mistake with an older (quite famous) politician when I was seated next to him at his table. He was also the main speaker. I Google EVERYONE before I go places now.
Rumours will not help the police investigation. If you see something, call 911. Sharing what you heard from your friend's sister's aunt's ex-boyfriend about what they may have seen yesterday is only scaring people. Please, deal in facts. Report what you can to police.
Saskatchewan RCMP say they have located Sarah Jackson and Michael Gordon Jackson. You’ll remember the little girl has been missing since November. Her dad admitted publicly to taking her so she wouldn’t be vaccinated. RCMP say she is safe and he is in custody. More to come.
I've said this many, many times in the pandemic, but I feel it's time for a reminder.
The province has not, "recorded four more COVID-19 related deaths."
Four more people have died.
People have died.
People.
Remember -- these are people.
/end rant.
.
@HumboldtBroncos
' Xavier Labelle was released from hospital today. He also put out a statement including details of his injuries: a fractured skull, concussion, internal bleeding/ injuries, and approx 20 broken bones. He’s focused on graduation and healing.
#HumboldtStrong
💚💛
Excited to announce I've signed on the dotted line! After months of filling the vacant host gig, the job is mine! As of July 8th, I'm officially the host of the CBC Saskatchewan News at 6!
@CBCSask
has become a second home with a fantastic team and I'm so happy to be part of it.
I’m going to be honest for a second. I am absolutely dreading going to work today. Being a journalist is one of the greatest jobs on the planet. Truly. But being the bearer of bad news, day in end day out: it’s hard. It’s been really hard.
I’ve been quiet on here for awhile. I deleted Twitter off my personal phone. I’ve been off work since Oct. 14. Turns out, I was not okay. I’m much better now and it was a lot of work to get there. All this to say,
#itsokaytonotbeokay
. Back to news life and
@CBCSask
on Thursday.
Is it just me, or does it seem like nothing else matter right now? It seems weird to see trivial things, random news, political arguments, entertainment, coming up in my news feeds. People are hurting. Let’s be extra kind today, ok? ❤️
It's happening -- I have a one-on-one interview with Saskatchewan CMHO Dr. Saqib Shahab this afternoon.
You'll want to tune into the
@CBCSask
News at 6.
Now that my symptoms have receded, I’m okay to tell you all I’m on the other side of contracting COVID-19.
I’m sure it was the Omicron variant, as I had every single symptom. Thank goodness I had three doses of vaccine, because I was quite sick.
I realize my tweets have been snarky.
I have never in my career been this consistently frustrated with the lack of info we're receiving.
It's not that we aren't asking.
And, maybe the public doesn't care.
I will acknowledge, though, I know we are *all* tired of this pandemic.
I'm a context girl. So here's some:
According
@SKGov
, Sask’s population reached 1,221,439 as of April 1, 2023.
The Angus Reid poll being used to support parental consent policies in Sask surveyed 255 people in late July. That's .02% of the population.
That's all I'm saying.
I’ve been tagged in many videos from the “rally.” I won’t be sharing. Flooding the internet with more garbage and misinformation is not going to help anything. There are news articles. Healthcare workers are sharing their stories. Read those. Watch those. Be kind to each other.
I don’t know who this person is, but this absolutely made my day when I was out for a walk. Thanks for the joy! Happy to share it with everyone else. 🎄❤️
My interview with Dr. Shahab is done.
My brain is still processing the conversation.
Accountability interviews are exhausting.
You'll see it soon.
Long and short of it: wear your mask (but the province won't mandate you to).
In line for a PCR test in
#yqr
.
@SaskHealth
website says we are in for a four hour wait. We are about 90mins in. Let me tell you, sitting in a epic lineup was a lot more fun when it was to get vaccinated.
Very sad to hear Warren Montgomery has died after contracting COVID-19. A GoFundMe set up to support his family says he died this morning with his wife Roshelle by his side. He leaves behind two daughters.
He was well-known as the chef behind The Big Easy Kitchen. RIP, big man.
This teleconference model is super frustrating as a journalist. Almost two years into the pandemic and we've gone from being in person, to video calls, to essentially listening on the phone.
We need to see these officials.
A phone call is not sufficient.
Friendly reminder that there is no contract that states you must respond to, or accept, any abuse on here. Use that mute and block button with reckless abandon. Your mental health is far more important than ANY Twitter debate.
I’ve signed out many of these visitor passes over the last several weeks. Today is the last one. That’s because today is my first day at
@CBCSask
.
The next chapter begins ...
Stunned and honoured to be nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. High fives to my small but mighty
@CBCSask
tv team and the reporters who support us for this. Without them I’m just talking to myself in a well-lit room.
Because context matters:
This graph the premier is quoting came from this:
According to Angus Reid, the survey was done online between Jan 27-28 and of 1,688 Canadian adults.
Only 128 of them were from Saskatchewan.
We are one year and five days into a pandemic.
It is BONKERS to me that our province's chief medical health officer still has to tell people not to go to work or school if they are symptomatic.
HOW is that a thing that's required 370 days later?
Just got of the phone with
#yqr
@reginahumane
society - they've already received $15,000 in donations thanks to the
#BettyWhiteChallenge
. That doesn't include Facebook donations and stuff not done via their website.
Sometimes I wish I could turn off comments on my social media. I often share things for your information because, well, that's my job. But I also would love to not get blasted with ALL THE THINGS PEOPLE ARE MAD ABOUT in return. (Check on your journalist friends, we're tired.)
Definitely ended the
@garthbrooks
concert sobbing as he spoke to a little girl who held up a sign that read “Bullied Not Broken” and wanted to hear him play “Standing Outside The Fire.”
#GARTHinREGINA
Curious why you're not hearing more about what's happening in Sask's healthcare system from nurses, doctors, etc? Here's some of my convo with
@SUNnurses
president
@TracyZam
. We'll have more on what's going on inside Saskatchewan's hospitals tonight on the
@CBCSask
News at 6.
@kenrock10
@SaskHealth
I’m not willing to leave anything to chance long term. I’ve interviewed far too many people with long COVID. No insurance company or employer is going to take me on my word. I want this on my health record if I’m positive. That’s my choice.
I am devastated. 💔
@WoodsyCJME
was the definition of a work dad, even after we didn’t work together anymore. We talked all the time.
He contracted COVID-19 in late November and today he passed away in hospital surrounded by his family.
Someone I knew when I was a teen died by suicide yesterday. It's been 20 yrs, but it still came as a shock. Now, connecting with old friends, checking on each other. Please - check on each other. Life is hard, the pandemic making it exponentially harder.
Mental health matters.
After watching Bernier speak in
#yxe
just now, I wonder if the party/those in attendance will be fined. Not a mask to be seen in the cheering crowd, despite the indoor mandate in Saskatchewan.
#Elxn44
The province says it's activated Provincial Command & brought in more law enforcement resources (16 staff) from Provincial Protective Services.
Flags at the Legislative Building and other prov gov buildings have been lowered. Will remain one day for each life lost.
I'm just sayin ... that giant sinkhole in
#yqr
opened up around the same time that Gainer 2.0 appeared. Biggest gopher hole ever? And if we dig down, do we find the old one?
My mom's cousin (who she also worked with for a very long time) died yesterday in Regina after a short, but very serious battle with COVID-19.
Needless to say, the family is in shock.
Barring any regression over the weekend, I plan to be back at work on Monday. My isolation will be done and we move on with life. I know that’s not something everyone gets to do, so for my health & safety, and to science for those vaccines: I am so grateful.
Take care. ❤️
I'm glad today is my last day of work til Jan. 10 because listening to everyone rage on all sides of the equation for months on end is exhausting. I don't know how we got to this angry, name-calling, ridiculous level of acceptable decorum, but I'm happy to turn it off for a bit.
Full disclosure related to my last tweet: I'm tired.
I'm not sleeping well.
Someone close to me died from covid.
As the media, we've been trying to get real answers and share information with you for over a year.
It's not about me, or us, but man -- tired.
So. Tired.
Need to mark the occasion. Our team just realized that tonight's
@CBCSask
News at 6 does not have the word COVID or COVID-19 even once. We have stories related to the pandemic, of course, but don't actually say the word directly. It might be the first time since late 2019.
As of today, there are 79 people in Saskatchewan ICUs with covid-19. Prior to the pandemic we had 79 beds total for *everything * - not just one thing. And, they were in use. 500+ new cases today too.
Two years ago today, the province identified the first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan. Two years ago tomorrow, we all found out about it. JUNOS were cancelled. The drama began. The time warp is real. This has been both the fastest and slowest two years of my life.
RCMP have just issued another public alert saying Myles Sanderson & Damien Sanderson are still at large.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, RCMP have now charged both men.
Warrants have been issued for arrests. More charges are anticipated as the investigation progresses.
In true Sam anxiety burning fashion, I scrubbed my kitchen from floor to ceiling tonight. This week has been … a lot. Tomorrow I starting teaching my first university class at the
@UofRegina
School of Journalism. Hope my students ignore the exhaustion. 😬
Lots of DMs asking about my vaccine combo.
I got Pfizer in May.
I got Moderna today.
Following the advice of the amazing doctors in our province like
@awong37
,
@drsusanshaw
and
@drhassoun
who have said repeatedly -- take the first one offered to you, to get it done.
So, I did.
If you’re wondering ... these were our
#covid19sk
numbers on this day last year. The death toll for the whole province was 4. Everything was closed except for takeout/essential stores. People were banging pots and pans each night at 7pm for healthcare workers.
Just facepalmed for real. Having several “mini parties” to celebrate your kid’s birthday in the same weekend in your own home ... is pretty much the same as having one big one. But, thanks for sharing photos so I know who to avoid going forward. 🤦🏻♀️
Get yourself a national anchor/chief correspondent who cares so much about the whole team that she takes the time to show you the ropes, talk shop and ask your opinions on things even though she’s very, very busy. I’ve been spoiled and my trip to Toronto has been unforgettable.
The support from everyone has been overwhelming. Today one of my long-time listeners asked to see me and showed up with buns, protein muffins, cinnamon buns, homemade granola, a chakra bracelet and some relaxing lotion because she wanted me to be taken care of. You guys : 😢❤️
Mute button getting a real workout the last two days. You can yell at me all you want. I don’t have to look at it or engage.🤣 Ah, social media. You used to be such a happy, fun place.
Thanks to everyone for the messages and kind words and photos and memories of Warren. His family is hearing it all and feeling the support.
Here’s the thing: Woodsy died after contracting COVID-19.
This pandemic is real.
I’m officially done for the day. My amazing colleagues at
@CBCTheNational
are hosting the show from Saskatchewan tonight. Please tune in for continued coverage.
(And please don’t be offended if I don’t respond to tweets and DMs til tomorrow.)
Just finished my sixth long hauler interview, this one with a person who was intubated twice after being airlifted to Saskatoon hospital from a smaller centre. Her daughter had to fill in the blanks. We all cried. The next Faces of Covid: Long Haulers series is going to be rough.
Big news from
@SaskHealth
: The
#yqr
COVID-19 vaccine drive thru will begin administering Pfizer/Biontech vaccines starting tomorrow. And! It will begin vaccinating residents ages 53 and 54 years old only, “with possible changes to age ranges as demand allows in the coming days.”
So grateful for a wicked good plan for the live COVID-19 vaccination in
#yqr
on
@CBCSask
because I didn’t have to explain what was going on (because I got super overwhelmed with emotion and ended up crying on set).
Update on covid-19 vaccine booster shots from
@SKGov
&
@SaskHealth
:
Effective Monday (Dec 20), everyone 18+ is eligible for a booster shot three months after their second dose.
People are also encouraged to pick up rapid test kits which are available for free.
#covid19sk
Looks like I’m covering
@JustinTrudeau
’s visit on Canada Day in
#yqr
for the
@CdnPress
. It’s not a permanent gig. Just something to do to keep me fresh and in the loop while deciding what my next move will be. Making big life decisions is hard.
21.1km
@RunQCM
: done. What a day. Feeling pretty lucky to have such great friends who not only did it with me, but others popped in to walk along, created signs and helped me keep going!
Looks like I’m covering the
#Riders
for
@CdnPress
as a freelancer until further notice. The team sure makes it easy. It’s only game day advancers so nothing too in-depth or crazy. But I’m looking forward to it (and working).
I was today years old when I confirmed that prescription sunglasses tossed in a lake by a cute one-year-old are in fact covered by loss/theft insurance on my credit card. Hallelujah. 🙌🏼
JUST IN --
University of Regina has announced it will *also* require full vaccination for this fall. It is required of faculty staff and students by October 1st.
The fall term starts on August 30th.
Anyone else get so busy they forget to drink water all afternoon and then spend their evening guzzling water out of thirst ... and then the rest of the night regretting it? Just me? 🥵
It’s true. Even after all the interviews I’ve done with covid-19 patients, when you find out someone special to you is fighting it in the hospital, the fear factor goes through the roof. No sleep tonight. Just sending good vibes to the hospital. ❤️
Soooo many people in line for the vaccine pre-screening for tonight’s
@sskroughriders
home game. Doors just opened at 1pm, so this is impressive. More at 6 tonight on
@CBCSask
.
Get up and go stand outside for five minutes. Take your water/coffee/tea with you. The birds are chirping and the sun is shining and it’s warm. Brain break. Soak it up.
Started my long weekend dropping some food at one of the community fridges in
#yqr
. The cupboards were 100% bare. As you consider what you’re grateful for this weekend, consider donating to one of those fridges. Food insecurity continues to be a real issue in our community.
And a note from my mom, who I thanked for driving me because I am an emotional mess: she said, “Of course I’d be here, I’ve been to all your vaccinations. Just this time you didn’t have to sit on my knee.” 🥺❤️❤️
If you’re traveling the next while, a little patience goes a long way. Delays abound in airports and everyone is short staffed. You can tell it’s wearing on airline staff. Remember: it’s a privilege to travel, not a right.
Finished my
@SaskMarathon
10km this morning! How my body rewards me this afternoon? Debilitating random calf cramps. (Yes I know this means I’m dehydrated.) Now guzzling water. 😂
Odd: usually the day or two after a concert (especially a country one), my social media feed is FULL of videos and photos. I'm actually have to work to find anything from Eric Church, even though I know people who went. That's ... interesting.
My nephew (a toddler) finally called me “auntie sam” for the first time. I’ve been chanting “say auntie” for months. Today he put it all together for me on a video from his dad without me expecting it. Oh my heart. ❤️
I have had MANY conversations with
@awong37
through this pandemic, both on and off the record. I have never seen him this close to tears. This, from his convo with
@bonnieallenCBC
earlier today.
#covid19sk
#skpoli
Hey peeps: if you're flying for Christmas, try to keep the complaining to a minimum. There are many who would love to have your problems and travel at Christmas but can't afford it. And, your flight crew has given up time with their families so you can get to yours. Perspective.
Anyone find the wind really unsettling? I always find nonstop gusts like this always make my anxiety spike. Will be sleeping with some intentional background noise tonight.
Officially on vacation until July 15.
It’s legitimately the first time I’ve had off where it’s not to handle something stressful, sad, or extra sad since June 2020.
Time off for myself to recharge my very battered and tired brain.
Thank goodness.
How do you sum up 12 years of friendship? It’s hard when you’re in stunned shock. I’ll miss you and that gasping laugh so much
@JohnHimpe
. Rest easy, my friend. ❤️
This is hard to write. After 10 years with a company & people I have loved so very much, I’m no longer working at Rawlco Radio. Hosting the morning show has so far been the greatest love of my life. I’m devastated. I will bounce back. Just not sure when or where. ❤️🎙
So that story about the
#yqr
German Club carrying on with Oktoberfest despite some pretty serious financial struggles? It has a pretty cool happy ending!
@CBCSask
9:04pm: officially have my first dose of Pfizer. One step closer to normal, one step closer to hugging my niece and nephew. ❤️ Thank you to the health care workers who are working late into the night to make this happen.
I know it’s hard to stay home. I know you want to see your loved ones.
But as someone who has now lost someone so close to me, a person loved by so many, I can tell you: following the public health order is much less painful than the grief we are feeling right now.
Be safe.
I’m trying *really* hard to find positives in a covid world and that includes getting creative in my tiny bubble for socialization. Today, my mom and I put up a Christmas tree together for the first time in probably 15 years. Definitely a positive. ❤️
Not to belabor my point from yesterday, but they actually surveyed more people in Saskatchewan about this (329) than they did about parental consent (255). Context matters.