Message From Your Local Branch President

Summer is lurking out there somewhere. We have a wee taste of sunshine, the flowers perk up and the clouds and rain return. “Land of the Living Skies” has proved to be very true last month as we’ve watched some magnificent and ominous skies build up to rain and hail. It could be worse. I grew up on a farm at Minitonas, Manitoba—the community of the great flash flood where people face months of cleaning and repairing, and where they are once again sandbagging to prepare for more flooding.

Thanks you to everyone who arrived at the Burger Cabin on both days in early June. Our alternate day turned into more rain but our small group enjoyed supper in the gazebo where we were cool but dry.
Our former colleagues have completed report cards and packed up classrooms, and have said goodbye to this year’s classes. Do you remember being somewhat sad on the last day of school? I do. In elementary classes there are close bonds established with children and it often takes a week in July to decompress. Call a former colleague. Go for coffee or lunch. If you know someone who is superannuating this year, be sure to invite them to The Hell With the Breakfast gathering on September 2 plus the luncheon on September 16.

May you all enjoy the summer with friends and family. When the sun finally returns, our gardens will flourish and our flowers will spread their joy.

📝 June Executive Notes Now Available

The provincial STS executive notes for June 2026 are now available. View and/or download the PDF here: June 2026 Executive Notes.

🛬 STS Travel Insurance for Travel Within Canada

Did you know that travel insurance is recommended even when travelling within Canada?

STS travel benefits provide eligible members with emergency travel coverage for the first 65 consecutive days from the date you leave your province of residence.

Planning to be away longer than 65 days?
If your trip exceeds 65 days, you are responsible for purchasing top-up travel insurance before your group coverage ends. Top-up coverage is available through Saskatchewan Blue Cross.

Please note that a top-up policy is NOT an extension of your STS travel benefits. Coverage, exclusions, and pre-existing medical condition provisions may differ, so be sure to review your policy carefully before you travel.

Keep proof of your departure date.

To confirm when your 65-day coverage began, retain documentation showing when you left Saskatchewan. Acceptable proof includes:

• Airline itinerary or boarding pass

• Accommodation receipt

• Fuel receipt

• Bank or credit card statement showing your first purchases made outside the province

Travelling prepared helps ensure you have the coverage you need and can enjoy your trip with confidence.

📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS 📢

⛴️ Awesome Vacations with Dave

Dave Wentworth, STS Moose Jaw’s previous Web Wizard, invites you to travel with Destination Whatever in 2027! Please take a look at the offers below.

A small group of fourteen awaits in the Harz.
No busloads. No nonsense. Just cobblestones and stars.

I've put a spell on you… you knew from the start.
Pack your walking shoes. Book your spot and depart.

May 21-28, 2027 - save the dates!
$2389 CAD per person - your spot awaits.

The details await ye, the information is online.
Click the image above, or click here, Einstein.

(Please note, now, this one’s half-booked
So hurry up, or you’ll be cooked!)

Next July 1st, you could be somewhere on the Gulf of St. Lawrence aboard a small expedition ship with fewer than 75 fellow travellers, tracing a coastline of wild headlands, Indigenous communities, limestone monoliths, and.. just when you think it can't get any more surprising… a tiny piece of France that somehow never left. This is Canada Day done differently. This is Canada done properly.

This voyage only runs once. Adventure Canada has scheduled a single 12-day departure — June 24 to July 5, 2027 — and with a maximum of 75 passengers aboard the Ocean Nova, spaces are genuinely limited.

I've put together a dedicated page with the full itinerary, day-by-day highlights, cabin pricing, and everything else you need to decide if this one is for you.

⚔️ Amazing Stories by June

June, the current Web Warrior for STS Moose Jaw, would like to introduce you to her other line of work: writing.

Her first short story was published in 2023 by New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine (NESS). This publication celebrates and modernizes an old fantasy subgenre, sword & sorcery—think Conan the Barbarian or Red Sonja. June has continued to publish with NESS since then, with stories in Issues 2, 4, and 6 as of this newsletter.

Her upcoming novella, Suplex & Sorcery: A Tale of Varika, combines fantasy with modern professional wrestling in a comedic, action-packed brew. It releases on July 14, 2026, in physical and digital formats. To pre-order the paperback, please visit the NESS Book Store. The digital edition will be available on release date. But wait! There’s more.

June and her publisher are working to bring a special Suplex & Sorcery book launch event to Moose Jaw later this month! International shipping carves chunks out of bank accounts, so you may wish to attend and save yourself some money. The details of this book launch are TBD.

Until then, please feel free to visit June’s website. There you can learn more about her works and where to read them. You can also look forward to an official announcement of the launch event, so stay tuned.