The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session

Step 1 of the province's "Re-opening Roadmap" will start May 30 and will see restaurants and bars open to a maximum of six people, up from four. Step 2 will allow for no table capacity at bars and restaurants, but physical distancing or barriers must be in place between tables. Regina restaurants re-opened to in person dining Monday after they had closed to in-person dining on March 28. As restaurants begin to re-open slowly to pre-pandemic levels, Restaurants Canada is calling on the federal government to immediately introduce a sector-specific ‘Restaurant Survival Support package.’ Mark von Schellwitz, with Restaurants Canada, joins Gormley to discuss Saskatchewan's re-opening plan and what it would take to get back to where we were before the pandemic.

Speaking of TV, how does a Saskatchewan farmer end up on a Finnish dating show? Matthew Almusa can answer that question after joining "Maajussille morsian maailmalla," which translates to 'Farmer Wants a Wife in the World.' Three Finnish women stayed with him on his farm for a week, making for a very unique experience. Almusa joins Gormley to tell us more.

With Ellen DeGeneres ending her 19-season run as the queen of daytime TV, is there a future for the daytime talk show? Pop Culture Professor Robert Thompson joins Gormley to discuss the end of Ellen and the changing ways we watch TV.

There are more than 4,000 charities active around Saskatchewan, and we're embarking on a new project to feature some of the great people doing great work in this province during a brand-new segment we like to call "The Best of Saskatchewan." In this week's feature, we'll catch up with STARS CEO Andrea Robertson. The air ambulance service has just kicked off its annual lottery campaign, meaning you'll have a great chance to support STARS and their awesome work.

The dispute over Enbridge's Line 5 is now before the courts, but the battle over the future of the American pipeline has Canada's federal government changing its tune when it comes to supporting pipelines and energy producers. Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said we might need a separate pipeline for irony after comments by Canada's Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan, and Wall joins Gormley to discuss the issue.

The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session

Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman joins Gormley to share the latest on the plan for second vaccine doses in our province, and his thoughts on the federal "roadmap" plan released on Friday.

Saskatchewan filmmaker Scott Woroniuk is documenting some of the province's history in an online video series called 'Abandoned Saskatchewan.' The series combines a healthy dose of historical information with eye-popping drone videography, and the videos are making a splash. So far he's featured the Old Nipawin Bridge, twin grain elevators near Wakaw, the McCloy Creek Trestle, and an abandoned overpass project near Prince Albert. Woroniuk joins Gormley to tell us more about the project, and why there seems to be a lot of public interest in learning about old abandoned structures.

It's time for Cooking with Belton - powered by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association! Grillmaster Belton Johnson joins Gormley with his recipe for reverse-seared tri-tip!