The Meridian Source looks back at events in July 2025.
Ten great years of cycling against cancer
This summer marked 10 years and more than 10,000 kilometers of cycling for long time SickKids Foundation rider Jarrod Russell.
The 49-year-old Lloydminster resident has a soft spot for the cause and hopes to help kids suffering from cancer.
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“I’m riding for the kids that are in hospitals. They look out the window, but they can’t actually go on a bike and enjoy their friends,” said Russell.
Synergy to merge with Conexus and Cornerstone
Synergy Credit Union will officially merge with Saskatchewan-based credit unions Conexus and Cornerstone following a successful member vote.
Voting took place between June 3 and 13 and a successful vote required at least 75 per cent approval from each credit union. Conexus saw 87.5 per cent approval, Cornerstone, 86.5 per cent, and Synergy saw 88.7 per cent.
The official announcement was made June 18, and the merger takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The new credit union will serve more than 200,000 members in 50 communities, with 1,400 employees throughout Saskatchewan.
“We’re ecstatic about the overall support of our members and the members from Cornerstone and Conexus. We all had strong mandates and strong participation from our members throughout the process. We’re overwhelmed by that support,” said Synergy CEO Trevor Beaton.
The merger also signifies the largest financial institution in the province.”
No timeline on Rush Lake solution
Cenovus Energy says one well was uncontrolled at its Rush Lake site more than two months after a leak began.
“We have 15 of the 16 wells stabilized and the site is stabilized,” said Clayton Ulrich, Cenovus Energy’s senior manager for upstream operations in Lloydminster, during a July 10 media session before an open house.
“We’re still working on the last well right now that is still within our well control.”
Cenovus’s goal for the open house, held in Paynton, Sask, was to update the public on the ongoing release and cleanup efforts.
Ulrich said the leak was first noticed in early May and described the release as “muddy, silty water” brought to the surface by steam.
Vapour also trapped some hydrogen sulfide (H2S) causing a strong odour in nearby areas.
“That’s giving off a lot of the odour a lot of people are smelling today,” he said, noting concentrations of H2S remain low.
“It’s in the parts per billion, not parts per million. It’s well below the health-concern thresholds.”
The company believes a casing failure in one of the wells is to blame. The location of the break was unknown at the time.
Texas 4000 group feeling the love in Lloyd
The Texas 4000 Ozarks Route group pedaled through wind and rain for a pitstop in the Border City last summer.
The group, comprised of 20 University of Texas at Austin students, is part of a 4,000-mile cycling journey from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska, to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
The Ozarks Route takes participants across the American Midwest before entering Canada south of Winnipeg. Riders then travel along the Yellowhead Highway through Saskatoon before heading north after Edmonton. The goal is to raise $550K for cancer research.
Lloydminster has been a regular stop for riders for years thanks to hosts like Dick Arie and his wife, Donna. The couple makes riders like John Kangos, a 22-year-old participant from Austin, feel right at home along the journey.
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