Here are the top feel-good stories of Sask. in 2025

Elvin Mitchell celebrated his 100th birthday on the golf course. (Brittany Poitras / CTV News)

Unpleasant headlines often dominate the news and 2025 was no exception. However, there are always some stories that emerge to attempt to show humanity at its brightest.

From the Roughriders claiming a Grey Cup victory to a Saskatchewan business bringing joy to customers with every toy imaginable, here are Saskatchewan’s top feel-good stories of 2025.

A long-awaited victory

For only the fifth time in franchise history, the Saskatchewan Roughriders hoisted the Grey Cup in victory on Nov.16 by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17.

The victory followed a 12-year drought for the Riders, who had not appeared at a championship game since winning it in Regina in 2013.

• ‘It was our time’: Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat Alouettes to claim 112th Grey Cup

What followed was an explosion of elation and camaraderie from fans, a celebration that truly brought Rider Nation together.

A monumental anniversary

The Indian Head Rockets, an all-Black Saskatchewan baseball team from the early 1950’s celebrated their 75th anniversary in June.

The team played across Saskatchewan and Alberta for five seasons between 1950 and 1954, challenging racial barriers and elevating the level of play across the prairies.

• ‘Very proud’: Sask. baseball marks 75th anniversary of all-Black team from Indian Head

The Regina Red Sox paid tribute to the Rockets during their WCBL game against the Swift Current 57s. The two surviving members of the Rockets, Willie Reed and Nat Bates, signed autographs for fans before a pre-game on field ceremony.

A birthday for the ages

A man who celebrated his 100th birthday at the Thomson Lake Golf Course proved that passion does not diminish as you get older.

Elvin Mitchell, who has kept the same tee-time at exactly 1:30 p.m. with his three golf buddies, said golfing is a way of life and is more than just a hobby.

• Sask. golfer tees off new century doing what he loves

The centurion spent his birthday in July at his favourite place to be, surrounded by friends, family, and a community of golfers with the same love for the game.

A toy store for everyone

Cowtown Kids Toy & Candy in Maple Creek welcomes visitors of all ages, housing over 35,000 toys, candy, and collectibles.

The shop, which is considered to be Saskatchewan’s largest independent toy store, has been operating for the past 10 years out of a building on Maple Creek’s Main Street. Bob Siemens and his wife, Kara, bought the building in 2014, with the store opening to customers in 2015.

• Could one of Canada’s best toy stores be in small town Saskatchewan?

There are also 12,000 puzzles displayed in the store, making it one of the biggest puzzle displays in Canada. The family business also boasts a 60,000-piece puzzle, the largest commercially produced puzzle in the world, which would be 29 feet long when assembled.

Over time, the family expanded their business, adding a candy ice cream shop and a bookstore all within steps of each other.

A trade with a solid foundation

July marked 20 years since a young man from Montreal embarked on a mission to trade a red paperclip for a house.

In 2005, Kyle MacDonald made 14 online trades beginning with a red paperclip, until the Town of Kipling offered the final trade that he was looking for: A house on Main Street, which the town traded for a part in a movie produced by Corbin Bernsen.

• Looking back at the story of a Montreal man who traded a red paperclip for a house in Saskatchewan

Kipling will celebrate the red paper clip anniversary in the summer of 2026. The community may invite all 14 traders to the town for a reunion and a thank you for placing Kipling on the map.

-With files from Donovan Maess, Wayne Mantyka, Angela Stewart, and Brittany Poitras