Election
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Wed., September 28, 2016
Issue 21
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 113 YEARS
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Check this out… Carmel Zri with Arctic Skin, demonstrates the effectiveness of a cooling towel to Dianne Green, a guest at the Estevan Chamber of Commerce’s Business Showcase at Affinity Place. Arctic Skin was one of many vendors present at the three-day event, eager to talk to guests about the products and services they were promoting. Photo by Sam Macdonald
First-time candidate wants to be mayor By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Rhyan Hagel hopes his first foray into municipal politics will result in him being elected as the mayor of Estevan. Hagel filed his nomination papers on Sept. 20. He is part of a three-candidate field that also includes incumbent mayor Roy Ludwig and fellow challenger James Halladay. And even though Hagel is running for council for the first time, he told the Mercury that he believes he has a lot to offer to the community. “I believe as the mayor you can help guide (the city), and with advice of the council, you can help to better the community and increase the growth of Estevan,” said Hagel. He did consider running for councillor, and then going for mayor in a future election, but Hagel described himself as “ambitious,” and he wants to be the mayor. Hagel, 26, was born and raised in Estevan, and has extensive roots in the Energy City. He graduated from the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) in 2008, and cited his time at the Comp. for helping him develop a love of history. After graduating from ECS, he obtained a bachelor of arts in history and anthropology from the University of Brandon, and then a degree in history from Northwestern
Rhyan Hagel Oklahoma State University. He has also worked in the local coal mines and the oil field, which not only helped him pay for his education, but also helped him gain insight into local industries. “It was in Oklahoma that I took a heavier course load of political science classes that developed my interest in politics, and influenced my decision to run for mayor of Estevan,” he said. While he is currently unemployed, he does hope to one day obtain a PhD in history. He sees some people his age who are struggling due to the economy, and Hagel wants to be able to help them. When he travelled to the U.S. for his schooling, he saw many communities that have a truck bypass, similar to the one that was finished north of Estevan last year. These communities have had their businesses shut down, since there isn’t as much traffic passing through. “What I want to do is prevent that from happening in Estevan,” said Hagel. “In the days of old, the trains used to govern which towns
would stay alive, and then as the 20th century moved along, semis determined that path. “I want to make sure that if this bypass is here, then Estevan will continue to grow and prosper without any inconvenience to the economy.” At the same time, he predicted the bypass should take away some of the strain on Estevan’s roads, which means money can be spent on other infrastructure projects. Council also needs to encourage new types of businesses to come to the community. Hagel tracked the happenings of council as much as he could while he was out of the city, but didn’t get as much information as he would have liked. Council has done some good things on some fronts. He also wants to give young people a voice, and create more interest in politics among them. “As the old vanguard starts to hand down the torch, if the new generation doesn’t want to accept it, how are we going to rightfully govern the next generations that are rising up?” he asked Some of his friends were stunned with his plan to run for mayor. Hagel hopes to one day raise a family of his own in southeast Saskatchewan, and he believes the best way to improve the community is to run for mayor.
Halladay taking another shot at top civic job By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
James Halladay has decided to take another shot at being the mayor of Estevan, thanks, he said, to the backing of people in the business community. Halladay filed his nomination papers on Sept. 21, which was the final day to submit the necessary documents. He joined incumbent mayor Roy Ludwig and newcomer Rhyan Hagel as candidates to be at the helm of city council for the next four years. Halladay ran for mayor four years ago, but finished third behind Ludwig and Lynn Chipley. It was his first attempt at council since running for councillor in 1976. Initially, he wasn’t keen on running for council this time around, but the encouragement of business owners helped change his mind. “There were so many who approached me lately that I figured that … if I’m going to run, this would be a good time to run,” Halladay said in an interview with the Mercury. He has paid close attention to the work of council during the past term. While he believes council has done a good job of running the community, especially in the midst of the economic downturn of the last two years, there is also some room for change and improvement.
James Halladay “I think there are other ideas that need to be put forth, and I think that’s what I bring to the table,” said Halladay. The people he has talked to believe it’s time for new ideas, too, and Halladay said they believe he can bring a lot because he’s been part of the business community for the past 44 years. The city has made significant progress with its beautification efforts during the past four years. He is also pleased with the volunteer base that currently exists in Estevan, and how they helped the city pull off some marquee events. But he also noted the Estevan Fire Rescue Service could use some help, and Halladay believes that eventually a conversation will be needed about having a fulltime firefighting department. “With the number of fires that we do have, I do not think that two permanent staff is adequate to be able to protect our community, and to be able to assist the municipalities around us,”
said Halladay. He also has some concerns about infrastructure, such as roads, water mains and sewer systems, that he said need to be dealt with, although he believes council is moving in the right direction on the infrastructure front, and that all the needs won’t be addressed overnight. As the owner of M&H Taxi, Halladay believes he has good sense of the road needs in the city. “It’s not going to be fixed (immediately), because previous councils have decided that we need to hold the line (on taxes), and I think that there are things that have to be dealt with first. Some of the roads need to be improved, but there are other areas that need to be given our attention.” Halladay would also like to see more businesses coming into the city. “I think there are lots of opportunities for that. And I think that it is something that has to be viable for the community and our area,” said Halladay. “With our access to the highways network, it is very appropriate to expand our business base.” He has always taken an interest in the community, and council is a part of that. Halladay believes the mayor should be open-minded in determining what is best for the community over the next four years, and that is a trait that he said he will bring to the table.
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