Tag: saskatchewan

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Mobile Syrup

Everything you need to know about Sasktel’s Lüm Mobile

SaskTel surprised users this week when it announced the launch of its new phone subbrand, Lüm Mobile.

It’s a low-cost carrier that uses a membership model and eliminates the need for customer service representatives. Users must purchase data to make voice calls and send text messages. This is the only provider in the country to use a membership model.

But why the need for a new brand?

Lindsay Mazenc, a spokesperson at SaskTel, told MobileSyrup the company wanted to differentiate itself from what they usually offered and “cause some buzz.”

“We were noticing there are more customers preferring to manage their own services online with more affordable prices than our traditional full-service model,” Mazenc said.

While Lüm is a separate entity from SaskTel, which is a crown corporation of the Saskatchewan government, existing SaskTel staff are the ones working on the service.

Crown corporations pay a dividend back to the provincial government at the end of the year. No government money went into the creation of Lüm and SaskTel operates on its own, Mazenc said.

Lüm users pay their bills by purchasing a membership and turn to forums to get answers to their questions. The service is targeted towards those wanting to manage their own phone services. Users must have a Saskatchewan address to sign up.

Two levels of membership are available. A three-month option costs $50 and a full-year membership costs $180. 2GB of data costs $15, 6GB is $30, 14 GB is $55, and $25 GB is $80.

1MB of data gets users 10 texts or one minute of voice calls. Data can be topped up whenever more is needed. Unused data does not expire. A comparison calculator is available to help customers determine what plan is best for them.

Lüm has no plans to add more purchasing options at this time. This might change if the demand increases, but given the service is brand new, they’re sticking with what they have for now. At this time, details of how many customers have signed up are not available.

Mazenc said Lüm was “talked about for a while” but there was a push “this past calendar year to get this up and going.”

Lüm’s loud and colourful branding folded into the “buzz” SaskTel wanted to create, and further represents a change from their traditional service.

The new company is also focusing on environmental initiatives, given its top of mind for many, Mazenc said. Its current initiative is called Bloom with Lüm. Customer sim packages will contain seeds for wildflowers for pollinators and an explanation of the benefits of planting those seeds.

Image credit: SaskTel

Categories
Mobile Syrup

SaskTel announces launch of new mobile service called Lüm Mobile

Lüm Mobile, a new digital mobile service created by Saskatchewan-based carrier Sasktel, aims to shift the world of mobile plans by supporting a “self-serve wireless” service.

There are no plans for purchase and customers won’t have to pay monthly bills. Instead, customers will buy memberships to access “data at great rates” with no expiration date. Customers will only pay for data, calls, and texts they use. More data can be purchased at any time, given Lüm Mobile focuses on a self-service model.

Membership is available in two auto-pay levels. The first one lasts three months and costs $50. The second lasts a year and costs $180. Data is purchased separately and is used to make calls and texts. 2GB costs $15, 6GB is $30, 14 GB is $55, and $25 GB is $80. 1 MB of data will get you 10 texts to Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Alternatively, the same amount of data will get one minute of talk.

Unlimited talk and text options are available as an add-on. The three-month option costs $25 and the one-year option costs $75.

“We have recognized that customers are moving increasingly towards self-serve online services,” said Doug Burnett, president and CEO of SaskTel, said in a statement. “Lüm Mobile will be a great option for customers that are seeking a more digital approach, allowing customers to customize and self-manage what works for their individual preference.”

Customers interested in accessing the service will have to bring in their own mobile phones to sign up.

Image credit: SaskTel

Source: SaskTel

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Mobile Syrup

It’s official: Vidéotron wants to expand into Western Canada

Source: Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/montreal-canada-november-5-2018-videotron-1244631847

Vidéotron’s CEO has confirmed that the Montreal-based cable, wireless and internet company intends to expand its business into the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

In an interview with Postmedia’s editorial board, Pierre Karl Péladeau announced that his company will in fact use the 3,500 MHz radio spectrum it purchased at the federal government’s summer auction to enter the telecom market in Western Canada.

While refusing to give a firm number, Péladeau suggested that a fourth national competitor in that market could result in 15 to 30 percent lower prices for consumers.

The announcement comes the day after the Federal Court rejected a request from Telus that would have temporarily blocked Quebecor — Vidéotron’s parent company — from using the spectrum it purchased in Canada’s western provinces.

Telus and Bell are currently taking Quebecor to court, arguing that those spectrum purchases should not have been permitted because Vidéotron does not currently offer services in that part of the country.

However, Péladeau is now countering that his company intends to do just that.

The interview quotes him saying that Quebecor scooped up spectrum in Western Canada not “to flip an asset,” but to “build a business” in the region.

For context, Vidéotron has previously sold spectrum for profit. However, its reasoning at the time seemed less to do with hoarding resources and more to do with the high barrier to entry for mid-sized carriers hoping to step foot into Canada’s highly concentrated national telecom market, where Bell, Rogers and Telus have a legally-questionable stranglehold.

Case in point: Vidéotron sold that spectrum to Shaw Communications in 2017, and now Shaw is being gobbled up by Rogers.

Moreover, as the Vancouver Sun article notes, Vidéotron “still needs to strike deals with the existing carriers to piggyback on their networks to launch initially” — a process made all the more tricky by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s decision to backpedal on lowered wholesale rates that would have evened the playing field for small-and-medium-sized internet service providers.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

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Mobile Syrup

Apple Health app now supports vaccination QR codes from several provinces

With the release of iOS 15.0.1, Albertans can reportedly add their COVID-19 vaccination QR codes to the Apple Health app on their iPhones.

According iPhone in Canada, Alberta’s vaccination QR codes support the ‘SMART Health Card’ spec, which is why they work with the Health app. Unfortunately, they don’t work with the Apple Wallet app yet.

Further, Twitter users noted that both Saskatchewan and B.C. QR codes also work, while commenters on the iPhone in Canada article note Quebec’s QR code doesn’t.

For those in Ontario, the government’s vaccine verification app won’t arrive until October 22nd. However, other online services allow Ontario residents to turn their digital vaccination receipt into a QR code that can be saved to Apple Wallet. Alternatively, some people have created shortcuts to the digital vaccination receipt on their phone’s home screen for easy access.

Apple previously said that the feature would be available in an “upcoming software update,” which was presumed to be iOS 15.1. That’s still partially the case — support for the SMART Health Card spec in Apple Wallet will probably arrive with that update.

To add a vaccine QR code to the Apple Health app, iPhone users just need to point their camera at the official QR code provided by the government. A yellow ‘Health’ button should appear in the Camera app — tapping it will walk users through the steps to add the code to Health.

Image credit: Apple

Source: iPhone in Canada

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Fireworks festival set to go off in Saskatoon

The PotashCorp Fireworks Festival lights up the Saskatoon sky this weekend with two nights of live performances and pyrotechnic displays, reports CanadaTourism.

Events are planned on both banks of the South Saskatchewan River on September 2 and 3 (with September 4 serving as an alternate rain date). At 8:45 p.m. each evening, the Dance Project Performance Company will perform Connections, and cultural performances will take place at the River Landing amphitheater.

On the other side of the river in Rotary Park, a line-up of live bands including Sly Business, The Steadies, All of the Above, and Wyatt will entertain festival goers from 7 p.m. onwards.

Following the live entertainment, fireworks will light up the sky over the river beginning at 9:30 p.m. on both September 2 and 3. Each night will offer a unique display, organized by different companies.

"The PotashCorp Fireworks Festival is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate Saskatoon’s cultural diversity and community prowess," explained festival director Shad Ali. "There are already 17 cultural performances confirmed and over 30 community groups will be benefiting from the festival."

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

Prince Albert National Park rich in nature and history

Prince Albert National Park spans almost 4,000 square kilometers in central Saskatchewan and offers plenty of unique experiences for nature lovers, reports Canoe Travel.

Established as a national park in 1927, PANP "features many outstanding natural wonders and cultural treasures, including the only fully protected white pelican nesting colony in Canada, the isolated, lakeside cabin of conservationist Grey Owl and a free-ranging herd of plains bison," explains the Parks Canada website.

The area is as rich in history as it is in nature, and the First Nations in the area date back somewhere between 4,000 and 7,500 years. The town of Waskesiu, which sits in the heart of the park, offers educational centers and tours about the region.

Nearby Ness Creek is home to the annual Ness Creek Music Festival, a four-day celebration of music, arts and communal living that takes place each July.

For more information on the region, see the Parks Canada website.

Categories
Nouvelles quotidiennes

Prince Albert National Park rich in nature and history

Prince Albert National Park spans almost 4,000 square kilometers in central Saskatchewan and offers plenty of unique experiences for nature lovers, reports Canoe Travel.

Established as a national park in 1927, PANP "features many outstanding natural wonders and cultural treasures, including the only fully protected white pelican nesting colony in Canada, the isolated, lakeside cabin of conservationist Grey Owl and a free-ranging herd of plains bison," explains the Parks Canada website.

The area is as rich in history as it is in nature, and the First Nations in the area date back somewhere between 4,000 and 7,500 years. The town of Waskesiu, which sits in the heart of the park, offers educational centers and tours about the region.

Nearby Ness Creek is home to the annual Ness Creek Music Festival, a four-day celebration of music, arts and communal living that takes place each July.

For more information on the region, see the Parks Canada website.

Categories
Nouvelles quotidiennes

Travelodge expands in Western Canada

The Travelodge hotel chain has added three new properties in Western Canada, including one in British Columbia and two in Saskatchewan, reports Canada Tourism News.

The Travelodge Kamloops City Centre in B.C. offers 67 guest rooms as well as an on-site restaurant, heated indoor pool and hot tub. Located in downtown Kamloops, the hotel is within easy walking distance to shopping, culture and dining experiences in the city.

The Thriftlodge Moose Jaw is also newly opened in Saskatchewan. Formerly the Knowles Motel, the hotel boasts 32 guest rooms, including both kitchenette and double units with privacy walls – ideal for families traveling with children. Located seven minutes from downtown Moose Jaw and 45 minutes from Regina, the new establishment is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, making it a convenient place to stop for the night.

Also coming to Saskatchewan, the Travelodge North Battleford Saskatchewan has 86 guest rooms, suites and kitchenette units. Fun for the whole family, the indoor swimming pool has a 250-foot water-slide and accompanying hot tub.

For more information about the newest additions to the Travelodge chain, see the official website.

Categories
Nouvelles quotidiennes

Celebration of literacy and learning in Saskatchewan

The Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan kicks off June 5 in Saskatoon, celebrating the themes of literacy, environmental stewardship, cultural diversity and becoming your best, according to the official website.

The festivities commence with the Saturday Night Celebration Gala on June 4, featuring a performance by the Grammy award-winning Louisiana band, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience.

The festival itself runs from June 5 to 8, and features performers from Australia, Mexico, West Africa, the USA and Canada with a focus on the art of puppetry. Other acts will also include dance, theatre, storytelling, circus arts and music.

Tickets are $8.50 for daytime performances and $10 for evening shows – site activities are free with the purchase of a performance ticket. On June 5, $30 will cover admission and food for a family of four during the Sunday Family Flapjack.

The Children’s Festival was founded in 1988 to help compensate for diminishing arts education in schools. About 20,000 people attend the event each year, and it is ranked as one of the top three festivals in the province by the Saskatchewan Arts Board