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Working Together to Build a Clean Economy in Saskatchewan

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SASKATOON, SK, Aug. 14, 2024 /CNW/ – Canadians are well aware that climate change is altering our world’s natural environment in a myriad of harmful ways. At the same time, it is increasingly clear that climate change is also rapidly transforming the global economy and global finance in ways that are creating significant opportunities for Canadian workers, businesses and Indigenous communities.

Increasingly, governments around the world are taking action. Our American friends are making massive investments in growing a clean economy through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). So are our European, Japanese and South Korean partners. And beyond democratic friends, competitors such as China are also moving aggressively and highly strategically to seize the major economic opportunities offered by the ongoing energy transition.

For Canada to seize the extraordinary opportunities being created by the transition to a net-zero economy, we must first accept the scientific reality of climate change and ensure that this informs and shapes Canada’s economic strategy.

Key economic opportunities are going to be different in different parts of the country. The federal government is working with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, industry, labour, academic institutions and others to build on unique regional advantages and drive localized clean growth and wealth creation in every part of this country.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, met with Indigenous leaders and key stakeholders in Saskatchewan’s business, labour and academic communities to initiate an engagement process aimed at collaboratively furthering key economic priorities of Saskatchewanians.

The potential economic opportunities associated with the transition to a low carbon economy are enormous for Saskatchewan. Opportunities of increasing demand are arising in various areas, including:

carbon capture and storage;critical minerals;clean fuels; andclean electricity generation.

According to Clean Energy Canada, Saskatchewan is projected to see some of the most significant growth rates in clean energy jobs by 2050 — about an additional 131,000 new jobs between now and mid-century.

Enhanced dialogue and collaboration will aid in the prioritization of federal actions and support in key resource and energy areas. These conversations will complement and help inform the Government of Canada’s work to implement the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy.

By recognizing where the world is heading and aggressively pursuing major areas of economic opportunity, we can ensure that Saskatchewan and Canada overall will prosper now and into the future.

Quote

“Active engagement with Indigenous partners, industry, labour and other important stakeholders is critical to building a low-carbon economy for the future that will be a prosperous one. Similar conversations are underway in every province and territory in this country as we look to not only fight the threat of climate change but also concurrently seize the massive economy opportunities of a low carbon future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

Quick Facts

Saskatchewan is increasing its solar and wind capacity and is projected to be one of Canada’s leaders in renewable energy growth.The Government of Canada has identified 34 critical minerals, 27 of which can be found in Saskatchewan. Mineral exploration expenditures in Saskatchewan hit a 10-year high in 2023, with uranium exploration leading the way, demonstrating the region’s high global attractiveness for investment (Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources Exploration and Development Highlights Report, 2023).Natural Resources Canada has been working with the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence since 2023 to better understand First Nations interests and perspectives in the transition to net zero.The Government of Canada is investing in a clean economy for Saskatchewan, including:$29 million to the Saskatchewan Research Council to process rare earth elements here in Canada — a first of its kind. This work will help build a comprehensive supply chain for critical minerals in Canada.$100 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund to support BHP’s $7.5-billion project to develop its world-leading low-emissions potash mine. This mine, located in Jansen, Saskatchewan, is expected to generate the lowest direct emissions of any potash mine in the world. $74 million in federal funding for small modular reactor development in Saskatchewan, led by SaskPower. This funding will support pre-engineering work and technical studies, environmental assessments, regulatory studies and community and Indigenous engagement to help advance this important project.$300 million of federal clean energy funding was directed to the Wah-ila-toos partnership for clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural and remote communities in Canada.$10 million in clean energy support for Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan.The return of $174 million in pollution pricing proceeds to Saskatchewan for non-emitting electricity projects including new residential smart meters, improvements to rural electricity transmission system and refurbishment of the E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station.A $50-million-dollar investment in the Bekevar Wind Power Project in partnership with the Cowessess First Nation.$7 million in investments to Indigenous clean energy projects in Saskatchewan through the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program.$3.95 million in funding for Shell Canada to install 79 electric vehicle (EV) chargers across 37 Shell retail locations along critical corridors between Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.$18.5 million in the Indigenous-led Awasis Solar Project, a 10 MW solar power generation project to be built on Cowessess First Nations land.$21.6 million in funding to 14 Indigenous communities to help implement clean energy projects, with one community in Saskatchewan.

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LuminoCity’s 2026 Holiday Lights Festival Now Open at Eisenhower Park

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Returning for its fifth year, the festival welcomes families with four immersive worlds, a new holiday train ride, and festive theme nights through January 3, 2027

EAST MEADOW, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival officially opened to the public at Eisenhower Park on November 11, following an opening ceremony on November 10 that brought together young artists, community partners, and local officials. Returning for its fifth year, the 14-acre festival runs on select evenings through January 3, 2027, with four immersive worlds, the new Lumi Express holiday train ride, and December theme nights.

“We’re grateful to celebrate another season with the Nassau County community here at Eisenhower Park. We’re proud to bring joy to Long Island families and continue a holiday tradition they can look forward to year after year,” said Xiaoyi Chen, founder and CEO of LuminoCity.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman presented Chen with a county citation recognizing LuminoCity’s return to Eisenhower Park. “I’d like to present a citation on behalf of the County of Nassau, the 1.5 million residents, in appreciation for picking Nassau County for this beautiful show,” said Blakeman.

Other speakers included Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Nassau County Legislature Deputy Presiding Officer Thomas McKevitt, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, and Long Island Children’s Museum President Erika Floreska.

“You don’t need to leave Nassau County for a fabulous holiday night, so come bring your families and make memories here,” said DeSena.

Young Artists Share the Spotlight

The ceremony also celebrated the young winners of Lumi’s Utopia 2026, LuminoCity’s children’s art initiative with the Long Island Children’s Museum. Their “Dino Friends” designs were transformed into handcrafted light sculptures on display at the festival.

“Everyone who comes to LuminoCity, make sure you stop and see the children’s arts. Activating 2D art into 3D is fabulous. We love this tradition. We’re so grateful to Nassau County, and we hope everyone comes to visit,” said Erika Floreska, president of the Long Island Children’s Museum.

Four Immersive Worlds and New Holiday Experiences

Guests can journey through Magical Wonderwood, Dino Safari, Holidayville, and Tundra Twilight, featuring more than 100 illuminated and animatronic creatures, larger-than-life installations, and a 40-foot Christmas tree. Themed photo opportunities invite families and friends to step into holiday scenes together.

For the first time, LuminoCity’s festival at Eisenhower Park features a holiday train ride: the Lumi Express, which takes visitors through the illuminated landscape. Families can bounce inside Happy Holidays Hop, a 20-foot-tall Santa inflatable, dance on the LED dance floor, and enjoy illuminated seesaws. Santa pop-up appearances on select weekends and limited-edition holiday merchandise add to the festivities.

December Theme Nights

December theme nights include Kisses Under the Mistletoe on December 5, Wizards & Witches Night on December 12, Winter Story Night with Westbury Memorial Public Library on December 18, and Jingle Bell Jazz on December 19.

Plan Your Visit

LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival is located at Eisenhower Park, 1899 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554. The festival opens at 4:30 p.m. on operating days, with free onsite parking.

General admission starts at $29, and tickets for children ages 4–12 start at $22, excluding applicable taxes and fees. Children ages 3 and under enter for free. The Lumi Express holiday train ride requires a separate add-on ticket.

For tickets, operating dates, hours, and theme night updates, visit LuminoCity Holiday Lights.

Media Contact
For coverage inquiries, media attendance requests, and photos:
press@luminocityus.com

Media assets can be found here.

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JardogsHealth Forms Strategic Advisory Council with Leaders from Discover Card, MTV, DoorDash and Apple

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Executives behind Discover Card, South Park, the growth of DoorDash and the iPhone will advise the healthcare AI company from its home in Hillsboro, Illinois.

HILLSBORO, Ill., Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JardogsHealth, the AI operating layer for healthcare, today announced the formation of the JardogsHealth Strategic Advisory Council, four executives who reached the top of financial services, media, startups and technology. The council will advise JardogsHealth leadership on long-term strategy, growth, product direction and brand as the company brings the JardogsHealth Care Platform to more healthcare organizations. Its members bring candid, independent perspective from building and leading companies at scale, and will pressure-test the company’s thinking on its biggest decisions. The council held its inaugural meeting on November 10 at the company’s headquarters in Hillsboro.

Four executives behind Discover Card, South Park, DoorDash and the iPhone will advise JardogsHealth.

The founding members of the council are:

Bill Floyd, Retired SVP/CIO Discover Card ServicesBrian Graden, CEO, Brian Graden MediaDylan Richter, Entrepreneur and DoorDash growth veteranJohn Wright, Technologist and former Apple executive

Learn more about the council at JardogsHealth.com/advisory-council.

Experience at national scale

Between them, the four have helped take Discover Card from concept to 36 million card accounts; discovered and executive produced South Park and led programming for MTV, VH1 and CMT; helped build DoorDash into the global leader in on-demand delivery; and led the Apple organization responsible for core components of iOS from the first iPhone through its first eight releases.

“These four leaders have built brands and products that millions of people rely on,” said Jim Hewitt, CEO of JardogsHealth. “Their willingness to advise JardogsHealth tells healthcare organizations the standard we are building to. Their experience will help us bring the JardogsHealth Care Platform to more of the patients and providers who need it.”

Healthcare experience behind the platform

At the council’s first meeting, members heard from the JardogsHealth leadership team and saw a demonstration of the company’s products. The team brings decades of experience in health IT software and clinical care to how the JardogsHealth Care Platform is designed and deployed.

“I’ve worked with a lot of small teams trying to solve big problems,” said John Wright, Technologist and former Apple executive. “The JardogsHealth team has that combination of deep experience in health IT software, the practical clinical knowledge, and the real-world expertise in deploying AI to create a seamless experience on top of the EHR systems already in place. It’s solving real problems for providers and delivering real ROI to the practices and health systems behind them. I’m honored to be a part of that vision.”

Guiding the next stage of growth

Administrative staff and technology account for an estimated 25% to 35% of U.S. healthcare spending, according to the American Hospital Association. The recently launched JardogsHealth Care Platform is built to reduce that burden, connecting patient access, clinical documentation and revenue workflows above the EHR and practice management systems healthcare organizations already use.

“Much of health care’s technology problem sits in the back office,” said Bill Floyd, Retired SVP/CIO Discover Card Services. “What stood out to me about JardogsHealth is that its platform works alongside the EHR and practice management systems practices already use rather than asking them to start over. That is a practical approach, and one I’m happy to support.”

As JardogsHealth brings the platform to more healthcare organizations, the council will help shape where the company takes it next.

“I’ve spent my career focused on building and growth, and the opportunity in front of JardogsHealth is massive,” said Dylan Richter, Entrepreneur and DoorDash growth veteran. “Their platform addresses so many of the administrative and financial challenges practices face, and I look forward to helping the team bring this platform to more practices!”

About the council members

Bill Floyd, Retired SVP/CIO Discover Card Services. Floyd led Discover’s technology organization for more than a decade, growing it from about five people to more than 300 as Discover reached 36 million card accounts. Earlier, at Sears, he contributed to the planning behind Discover Card and was part of the IBM, CBS and Sears venture that became Prodigy. He was born and raised in Hillsboro.

Brian Graden, CEO, Brian Graden Media. An Emmy Award-winning media executive, Graden spent 13 years as President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Channels, and President of Logo, and discovered and executive produced South Park. He later founded Brian Graden Media, which has produced more than 30 seasons of programming for Netflix, HBO Max and others. He is a Hillsboro native.

Dylan Richter, Entrepreneur and DoorDash growth veteran. Richter spent nearly nine years helping build DoorDash, joining before its Chicago launch and working across growth, strategy, go-to-market and operations. He and his wife, Katie, a Hillsboro native, own The Sweet Spot, with candy stores in Hillsboro and Highland, Illinois.

John Wright, Technologist and former Apple executive. Wright built and led the Apple organization responsible for core components of iOS, from the inception of the iPhone through its first eight releases. He and his wife, Kendra, restored Hillsboro’s historic Red Rooster Inn, now home to Red Rooster Brew Werks & Distilling, where he serves as brewer.

About JardogsHealth

Based in Hillsboro, Illinois, JardogsHealth is the AI operating layer for healthcare, connecting intelligence, automation and action across the workflows that make care happen. The company is led by people who have spent decades building and running the technology healthcare depends on. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jim Hewitt brings more than 35 years in enterprise healthcare technology. He developed the TouchWorks EHR, held chief information officer roles at Springfield Clinic and Allscripts, and founded the original Jardogs, creator of FollowMyHealth, a patient engagement platform used by more than 45 million people nationwide. Chief Operating Officer Jordan Hewitt led enterprise healthcare programs at Andor Health with Microsoft, Walgreens and Orlando Health, and directs operations and execution across product, technology and strategy. Chief Clinical Officer Kim Franks, BSN, RN, shaped the original Jardogs clinical strategy and has guided clinical documentation transformation for healthcare organizations nationwide. As a registered nurse, she puts the experience of clinicians and their staff at the center of product design.

That experience shapes how JardogsHealth builds. Its products are designed by people who have worked inside clinics and health systems and know how patient access, documentation and revenue work fit together in a practice’s day. The JardogsHealth Care Platform operates above the EHR and practice management systems healthcare organizations already use, connecting patient access, care delivery, engagement, operations and revenue while those systems remain the systems of record.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jardogshealth-forms-strategic-advisory-council-with-leaders-from-discover-card-mtv-doordash-and-apple-302939273.html

SOURCE JardogsHealth

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Pine AI Open-Sources an AI Filmmaking Studio and Brings Real-World Phone Calls to Pine Computer

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Weeks after launching its AI-native computer, Pine AI unveils new applications and capabilities built on the platform, starting with open-source filmmaking and autonomous phone calls.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pine AI today released Pine Drama Studio, an open-source AI filmmaking studio built on Pine Computer. It also brought Pine Phone into Pine Computer, so AI agents can make real-world phone calls as part of their work.

The announcements mark Pine Computer’s next step: from a computer built for AI to a platform for AI-native applications. Pine Computer drew about 24 million views on its Oct. 9 launch day. Developers in early access were already building on it, and production teams now use it for video creation and other long-running work. Pine Drama Studio shows that agents can run an entire creative production. Pine Phone takes them beyond software, into conversations with real businesses.

“Pine Drama shows what agents can create. Pine Phone shows how they can act in the real world,” said Stanley Wei, co-founder and CEO of Pine AI. “We gave AI a computer. Now we’re seeing what people can build with it.”

Pine Drama Studio: agents run the production, creators direct it

Pine Drama Studio grew out of what developers built on Pine Computer. AI short-drama production was the first workload to take off, and professional teams brought the hardest requirement: whole series, not single clips.

One of those teams, an AI short-drama studio in Australia, moved its production onto Pine Drama Studio in October, after a September beta. Each member of its team used to produce 2 to 3 minutes of video a day. The same people now produce 30 to 50 minutes a day, with several episodes in production at once.

“We used to spend most of our time generating clips, fixing inconsistencies, and stitching everything together. With Pine Drama Studio, the same team can now produce 10 times more video while running multiple episodes in parallel.” said Alec, CTO of an Australia-based AI short-drama production company.

Video models make remarkable clips, but a series means hundreds of shots that must stay consistent across episodes. In Pine Drama Studio, a producer starts with a screenplay and a single instruction. Agents then do the production work:

Build the story bible;Design the characters, locations and props once for the whole series;Storyboard and generate every shot;Check the takes and redo what drifts;Cut the approved takes into episodes.

Creators approve the designs, storyboards, takes and final cuts. Each episode runs on its own Pine Computer, so a whole series can be in production at once, and when something changes, agents regenerate only the affected shots.

Open source, and the studio’s own. The Studio is free under Apache 2.0. Teams can change its code and the workflow in its plain skill files, choose their own models, and add their own steps, such as dubbing and localization. Projects and production know-how stay in the studio’s own folder.Pine runs the heavy work. Generation and the agents’ work run on Pine Computers in the cloud. That cloud compute is the paid part.

Pine Phone: calling, built into the computer

Pine Phone makes the phone call a native capability of Pine Computer, not a separate voice assistant. An agent changing a booking in a browser may find that the last step needs a call. It phones the business, talks it through, and finishes the task, without switching apps.

People already using Muse or Instinct can connect them to Pine Phone. Pine Phone runs on Pine Voice 1.0, which ranks first on τ³-Voice (English) at 87.3% Pass@1.

Get started

Creators and studios: Download Pine Drama Studio from github.com/PineComputer/pine-drama-studio. Then create a project key at pinecomputer.io.Developers: Build on Pine Computer and give your agent a phone at pinecomputer.io. Explore the developer documentation.Watch: The Pine Drama Studio and Pine Phone launch films.

About Pine AI

Pine AI builds AI that gets real-world work done for people and businesses, across phone calls, websites, software and other digital systems. Its systems have handled millions of real-world tasks, where reliability, latency and permissions matter. Earlier in 2026, Pine Voice reached No. 1 on τ³-Voice, a benchmark from researchers at Sierra and Princeton that tests whether real-time voice AI can hold a conversation while completing real-world tasks. At the time, it ranked ahead of published systems from xAI, OpenAI and Google.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pine-ai-open-sources-an-ai-filmmaking-studio-and-brings-real-world-phone-calls-to-pine-computer-302939258.html

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