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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Issue 46

SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903

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Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240

Book Smarts Kate Schmidt, front left, Kennedy Young, Fionna Delrosario and Tori Leigh discuss details of an answer to one of of the many book-related questions they were given at Battle of the Books, on March 17. The event tested the knowledge of teams of talented Grade 5 and 6 students, from schools across Estevan, on the details of 10 books they read over the winter. Photo by Sam Macdonald

Murray Cowan promoted to deputy police chief Thursday. “We have a number of projects and plans going forward as a police service,” said Ladouceur. “It’s obvious that we’ve undertaken a lot of things over the last few years in particular to prepare for the future of policing in this community.” Now is the time to incorporate the position of deputy chief instead of inspector into their leadership structure, Ladouceur said. Some of the components of Cowan’s existing job will be blended into his future duties as the deputy chief. Cowan was already

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has announced a promotion for one of its longest-serving members. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur announced on Saturday that Murray Cowan was moving from inspector to deputy chief. Cowan was already second-in-command with the EPS when he was the inspector, but now he will have more responsibility. The Estevan board of police commissioners unanimously approved the promotion at their meeting on

taking care of a lot of the day-to-day operations of the EPS, and he will continue to do so. “There’s a broader amount of responsibility that goes along with being a deputy,” said Ladouceur. “What we’ll see … is a greater involvement in regards to strategic planning, as well as budgeting and administrative duties.” Cowan will also have more responsibility when it comes to making key decisions for policy development, such as policies for pursuits and the Containment Warrant Entry Team,

South East Cornerstone terminates Ruzicka’s employment At the regular March 16 meeting of the board of education meeting for South East Cornerstone Public School Division, the employment of Troy Ruzicka at Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) was officially terminated. The motion to terminate Ruzicka’s employment came after an independent investigation was carried out by South East Cornerstone into the matter. This investigation was initiated in response to charges against Ruzicka, while he was employed by the school division as a member of the teaching staff at ECS. “The investigation is separate from, and not contingent upon any other ongoing investigation,” said director of education Lynn Little, in a call with the Mercury. “Following our investigation, and presented

with its findings, the board of education moved to terminate the contract of Troy Ruzicka.” Little stressed that it would be inappropriate for her to comment further on the matter, given that there is still a separate ongoing criminal investigation underway, regarding Ruzicka. Ruzicka is presently on a conditional release, with a number of conditions, at a residence outside of Estevan. Ruzicka faces a dozen sex-related charges for crimes he allegedly committed against three female teenage students, including five counts of child luring, three counts of sexual exploitation, and one count each of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, transmission of child pornography and accessing child pornography.

which was brought in by the EPS in 2015. He will also be working much closer with Ladouceur for planning and operations, and will have more autonomy when it comes to those decisions. “Right now everything tends to flow through the chief’s office. Now he’ll have the authority to make those decisions as well,” said Ladouceur. The EPS is moving forward with a few advancements on the technological front as well. One is the introduction of in-car mobile work stations for their frontline officers, which will allow the officers to spend more time on patrol in their vehicles and less time in the office. It should also improve officer safety, since members will have easier access to information. They’re also looking to shift to a computer-automated resource management system, which will make scheduling easier. “The idea is this software will save time from the clerical staff, who do all the scheduling for court, for the shifts, as well as vacation selection and everything else that they’re predominantly doing by hand now,” said Ladouceur. The EPS is also looking to bring in a computerautomated dispatch system, which will result in a transition to paperless dispatching. “All that stuff takes planning and research, of course, because we have to

Murray Cowan has been promoted from inspector to deputy chief with the Estevan Police Service. Submitted photo. be fiscally responsible,” said Cowan. “We can’t just go out and buy these things.” Cowan, who has been a member of the EPS since 1995, said he was surprised when he was told on Friday that he would be promoted to the deputy chief’s role. “Chief Ladouceur and I have been talking about expanding my role within the organization,” said Cowan. In particular, he’s looking forward to learning the budget process and easing some of Ladouceur’s workload. “We’re going through a lot of structural-type changes, and we have a lot of projects on the go, and future planning, and strategic planning,” said Cowan. The return of the canine unit, the restructuring of the Criminal Investigations

Division and the addition of the Drug-Intelligence Unit are among the other changes for the EPS in recent years. Cowan was promoted from sergeant to inspector in May 2015. He said it’s been a good experience, but there have been challenging and busy times. “It’s amazing to see the amount of work there is here at the administrative and the executive level,” said Cowan. “It’s been a really big learning curve for me, but that’s one thing that I do like to do. I’m really focused on learning and being challenged.” The EPS will not be looking for someone to move into Cowan’s role as inspector. A promotional ceremony will take place at city hall on March 27 at 4:30 p.m.

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Board discusses budget, curriculum, transportation The quarterly operating financial report was one of the matters discussed at the regular March 16 meeting of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division (SECPSD) board of education. The report for the second quarter of the financial year was presented by manager of finance Marilyn Yurkiw, and entailed revenue received and expenses incurred from Sept. 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2017. The statement of operations showed were revenues of $22,062,649 received up to Feb. 28, 2017. Expenses in the second quarter totalled $53,068,426. Year to date expenditures made up 49.4 per cent of the budget. “We are facing a lower deficit than we had budgeted for this year. But, of course we still have six months left, and it’s just a projection,” said director of education Lynn Little in a call with the Mercury. The report stated that expenditures indicate that the division is on track financially for the 2016-17 budget year. Projections for the remaining half of the year indicated total revenues are projected to be 0.19 per cent lower than budget, and expenses are projected to be under budget by 0.89 per cent. During the meeting, the board made a motion to apply for permission from the Ministry of Education to borrow $4,516,500 from the Bank of Montreal, to finance Contract 2 of the reconfiguration of Weyburn Comprehensive School. This sum would be repayable over a period of 20 years, at a fixed rate of 3.39 per cent. The quarterly transportation report was also delivered at the meeting. In

the report, manager of facilities and transportation Andy Dobson gave the board information relating to the transportation department for the months of December, January and February. Dobson raised concerns about the number of cancelled bus routes in his report, noting that such an occurrence was caused by a lack of available substitute bus drivers and inclement weather conditions. Dobson explained that bus cancellations can be implemented by a bus driver, a supervisor for the affected area who considers factors like weather and road conditions, which are subject to great variation across the division. Dobson also stated that his department will review the quantity and location of spare buses for timely access across the division, as a way to address the issue of cancellations. Curriculum co-ordinator Aaron Hiske shared some of the work his department does with the board at the meeting. Hiske described his role, which includes the following functions: remain current in leadership, review assessment practices, and practices relating to improving educational programming; and support and actualize the Saskatchewan curriculum and liaise with all branches of the Ministry of Education in all subject areas for Grades 6 to 12. Hiske explained that he directs the division’s curriculum team, serving as a member of several committees that include the SECPSD graduation committee, the provincial math team and the provincial Dual Credit Working Group. Hiske said that three curriculum consultants sup-

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port teachers in instruction, assessment, grading and reporting. Teachers also receive support through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), collaborative groups that work to inform through practice-based professional sharing. There was a lot of utilization of mentorship programs associated with extended learning, Hiske said, including grade level; split level; small school to small school and administrator memberships. In his report, Hiske stated that the department’s support extents to students and administration teams through seven career development counsellors, and one career services consultant

who specializes in timetabling and working with high school offerings and student engagement. One example of the programming the department implements in action cited by Hiske was a power engineering pilot project, offered by SaskPower and Prairie South School Division, which resulted in 23 out of 25 students completing the course. There is a commitment on the part of SaskPower to continue the program into the 2017-18 school year, given the pilot’s success this year. Another course offered next year is the Early Safety Responder Training 10 course, an instrumental course to those pursuing

paramedical, military or police work. Hiske said there were a number of responses from staff indicating that they would prefer to stay in their buildings and not travel for professional development (PD) days. Hiske noted that the division will be looking at offering a blended delivery of PD, incorporating technology for that purpose

that a series of audits were done on SECPSD’s chemical and PAA labs, as a joint effort between facilities and curriculum departments. A database has been established to identify and track quantities of chemicals that are present in labs within the division. This information, Hiske added, would be readily available in an emergency situation. One

Andy Dobson, manager of Facilities and Transportation. File Photo. in the coming school year. Hiske noted that the model will entail live work, as well as collaborative work within schools and between schools. Hiske lastly reported

recommendation of the audits —that WHIMIS 2015 and GHS training, and modules for science lab safety training be made available to teachers— was carried out by the curriculum team.

Police chief corrects previous statement Estevan’s police chief has corrected some of his previous statements regarding why he didn’t submit numbers for the Unfounded investigative reporting project initiated by the Globe and Mail. On the Unfounded website, it notes the Estevan Police Service (EPS) did not respond to a request for information regarding the number of sexual assaults in Estevan from 2010 to 2014. In an interview with the Mercury earlier this month, Ladouceur said he responded to an email from the Globe and Mail, in which the national paper was seeking information from the EPS. Ladouceur said he never received a followup from the Globe and Mail. In a series of tweets directed towards the Estevan Police Service and Mercury editor David Willberg, Globe and Mail

reporter Robyn Doolittle, who headed up the Unfounded project, said requests were sent to Ladouceur on April 12 and June 13 of last year, but she has no record of any response. In another interview with the Mercury on Thursday, Ladouceur said he went back into his emails, and saw the messages Doolittle sent last year. He reiterated those statements at Thursday’s meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners. “I went back, through our server, just to verify whether in fact that was the case, and it’s my bad,” Ladouceur admitted. “The email was missed by me, and I take full responsibility for that.” The police chief said they are not trying to withhold information, whether it be from the

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we want to look deep into them and find that the right decisions were made at the time of the investigation,” said Ladouceur. “If they weren’t, then the corrections would be made.” If there are any officers who brush off sexual investigations, then Ladouceur said that is a problem. Lynn Chipley, who is a member at large with the police board, asked whether the EPS will go back to the original complainant during these internal reviews. Ladouceur countered it depends on the data from the original investigation itself. If they find out there was an inadequate investigation, or if someone wasn’t interviewed who should have been interviewed, they have the ability to reopen an investigation. “We have to keep in mind ... that every time we reopen a sexual assault investigation, we reopen trauma for a victim, too,” said Ladouceur.

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local media or any other news outlets. They will be happy to provide the Globe and Mail with their sexual assault numbers. “I was as surprised, when the report came out, that our stats weren’t included in the report,” said Ladouceur. Ladouceur did release the figures for 2012 to 2016 to the Mercury, and they showed that 26 of 119 cases were classified as unfounded, or 21.8 per cent. According to the Unfounded report, the national average for 2010 to 2014 is about 20 per cent. The EPS has started an internal review of their sexual assault cases. Ladouceur said they want to know why cases have been classified as unfounded. If they were wrongly coded, then additional training would be needed for officers. “Any time we look at sexual assault investigations, we don’t want to brush over them just to say we did (investigate),

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Second battle of books brings out bookish enthusiasm The Estevan Area Literacy Group celebrated St. Patrick’s day in a very literary manner, with many students from schools around Estevan gathering at Pleasantdale School, to wage another Battle of the Books. The March 17 event featured teams of students competing to show their knowledge of several books they were assigned over the course of the winter in preparation for the bookish showdown in the gym. “It was open to all students in Grades 5 and 6,

and they formed teams, and each team read 10 books,” said Kim Marshall, literacy co-ordinator with the Estevan Area Literacy Group. “They’ve been reading from the middle of January right up until March 17, and have been planning ahead for it.” The Battle of the Books was essentially one large quiz, Marshall noted, describing how teams were given a gauntlet of questions about the books they read, with the team that knew their book facts the best being crowned cham-

pions. “I was proud of the students, they need a hatsoff for the time and dedication they put into reading those books. It was a lot of effort, and I had to read them too, so I can relate,” said Marshall. “Some teams split reading of the 10 books between the four of them, while some team members on certain teams read all 10 books themselves. “It was their choice how they did it. It was really awesome to see.” At the end of the com-

Sophia Ramos, left, Zoey Thompson, Lily Haygarth and Mercedes Paterson took a moment to smile for the camera while they brainstormed book facts at Battle of the Books on March 17 at Pleasantdale School.

petition the winner was determined by the mere margin of one point, with the winning team scoring 51, and the two runner-up teams both scoring 50. The winning team was Spruce Ridge School’s Nerd Alert, with second place being a tie between the Reading Rangers of Hillcrest and The Book Was Better from Westview. “Questions were information that could be found in the books. We tried to find things that were important to each specific book, so it was questions

about things like, ‘Who was the passenger Matthew met in Anne of Green Gables?’” said Marshall. “We also threw in some interesting facts too.” Marshall emphasized how impressed she was with the amount of enthusiasm the event brought out in the students participating, saying “You could hear them cheering when they got their answers right. The amount of effort they put into their team banners and outfits was incredible.” The Battle of the

Books is a battle that many like to throw their lot in with, given the growing participation in the event. Participation has risen from previous years, with 20 teams battling this year, compared to the 15 on the roster last year. Only five local schools participated, in 2016 while this year, every local school with students in Grades 5 and 6 participated. Marshall noted that this marks the second year of Battle of the Books, and that she plans to make it an annual event.

Members of the winning team Nerd Alert conspire with their literary knowledge at Battle of the Books on March 17. Members include Seth Peters, bottom left, Jesse Gibson, upper left, Kristen Carlson and Laura Swirski.

Woodlawn to update parks, expand Beach Bash By Sam Macdonald smacdonald@estevanmercury.ca

Woodlawn Regional Park has a number of plans for this coming season, with its annual general meeting complete, and the spring thaw just around the corner. Aaron-Lee Soparlo, Woodlawn Regional Park’s business manager is looking forward to the coming season, after a productive, positive AGM that set the tone for the coming changes in store for 2017. After MNP presented the audited financial report for Woodlawn, it was confirmed at the meeting, after

going over rates for the 2017 season, that they will remain the same this year. “So there’s going to be no increase in rental fees or camping fees for Woodlawn Regional Park this year,” said Soparlo. “We talked about 2017 at the meeting, and the many capital projects we have planned.” One of the more important projects Woodlawn will undertake this year is the installation of full sewage service at the Souris River location. The sewage service will be an addition to the power and water services already in place at

the park’s short-term camping sites at the Souris River location near the city. Other projects include the continued installation of more signage and lighting in the park’s two locations, and the construction of 10 to 15 designated tent sites at the park’s Boundary Dam location. “At our Woodlawn location, we already have a designated area for just tenting,” Soparlo explained. “We’re going to try and replicate that at our Boundary Dam location, to enhance that location, and offer that amenity to our campers out there.”

Some decisions relating to the upcoming 2017 Beach Bash were also made at the AGM. The main musical act slated to perform at this summer’s Beach is the Milkman’s Sons, a Saskatchewan cover band known for their ability to emulate a number of classic blues, country and rock acts. Opening bands on July 28 and 29 include the Weyburn-based band Private Drive, and the Rum Runners, from Regina. Both of the opening bands performing at this year’s Beach Bash are winners of the 2017 94.5 JACK-FM Battle of the Cover Bands

in 2016 and 2017, respectively. “We’re very excited. Although we don’t have many details to release yet, we’re going to be following through with activities we’ve done in the past, having the kids’ portion of Beach Bash throughout the day,” said Soparlo. “We’re obviously turning it into a two-day event rather than just one.” The extension of Beach Bash to two days was to make sure all the activity and entertainment would fit into the time allotted for Beach Bash, without risking it being “so

crammed together, all in only one day.” The beach volleyball tournament associated with Beach Bash will also take place over the course of the two days, rather than just one. She added, “We’re going to spread things out a bit more, and make a weekend out of it, so people can come out and enjoy the whole weekend.” Soparlo also said that anyone looking to contribute and help the subcommittee with the planning and organization of Beach Bash is welcome to call or email Woodlawn Regional Park.

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EDITORIAL

Keep last year’s momentum going Now that the snow is gradually melting away, and the grass is starting to be exposed, City of Estevan employees are shifting more from the winter to the spring duties. Hopefully we’ve experienced the last blizzard, the final powerful snow storm, and the last coating of freezing rain. We can put the big snow clearing equipment away, and worry about how the water is going to drain away once it finally melts. Drainage hasn’t been a big issue, at least not yet. Despite all the snow, we haven’t had giant puddles forming on our streets. It’s also time to start thinking about potholes. There’s not much that can be done for now, not until the hot mix is ready to be poured. The temporary solution of cold mix will have to be a reality for at least a few more weeks. So we get to duck and dodge those accursed potholes, and plan our routes accordingly to avoid the worst areas of the city. We have some projects to look forward to this year, most notably the expansion of

From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK

From the Top of the Pile for 25 years Back when a fast computer was called a 386, a scrawny bespectacled nerd who on occasion wore a shirt and tie to class and a beaver hat in winter found himself the editor of the Yorkton Regional High School newspaper, The Regional Rap. In the spring of 1992, that high school held a career day. During that career day a soft-spoken bespectacled man stood behind a table in the main hall, talking to teenagers about a career in journalism. This man, then-Yorkton This Week & Enterprise editor Murray Lyons, is entirely to blame. (After many years at the StarPhoenix, he’s now a communications guy with a big mining company.) The bespectacled kid dragged the bespectacled editor to his school newspaper office in C-Wing, handed him a stack of school newspapers, and asked what he was doing wrong and how he could improve it. A couple of weeks later, the editor asked the kid to add 150 words to his most recent column, and he would be willing to run new columns in the local paper every second week. He’d even pay for it.

King Street, which means the arterial route will finally be four lanes all the way from 13th Avenue to Kensington Avenue. We can look forward to the resurfacing on King Street from Souris Avenue North to Arthur Avenue, which means we can safely use the south lane on King Street. But there are a couple of projects that were initiated last year that need to continue, even though the city might not have as much money as they thought they would, due to a possible reduction in municipal operating grants from the provincial government. The first would be the asphalt patches for segments of roads affected by water and sewer main breaks. This was something that started last year, and actually had a very positive impact. When it was first announced, there was some skepticism as to how much of an impact these asphalt patches would have. After all, Estevan has a lot of crumbling roads, and this seemed like a Band-Aid solution. And while there are a lot of roads that

still need long-term remedies, the patches helped improve the state of many roads. The asphalt patches were included in the initial budget this year. We hope they won’t be cut. The other item would be the beautification efforts launched last year prior to the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games. Estevan has never looked better than it did before the Games. The boulevards on Souris Avenue North look a lot better with the new paving stones. It would be nice to see the design carried over to other areas of the city. The appearance of our parks also took a big leap forward. There is still a lot of work to be done in many of the parks, but we also have to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the parks won’t be brought up to an outstanding appearance in one year, either. The emphasis on city beautification can’t end now we aren’t hosting the Games. Efforts to improve our city’s appearance need to be well-funded every year.

The scrawny nerd then pitched the column to the Canora Courier, and they took to printing it in the Courier, Preeceville Progress, Norquay North Star and Kamsack Times. And they were willing to pay for it, too! That was 25 years ago, today, March 20, 2017, and my life has never been the same. Roughly 1,200 columns later, that outspoken kid is no longer skinny by a long shot. I’ve discovered in my middle age I’m now fat and ugly, so it’s a good thing I didn’t go into television news. After Plan A, B, C, D and E didn’t work out, I think I’m on Plan F in life, and still writing about it. If you did the math, I took about a year off, coming back in 1999 after the late Ken Sobkow, who owned the Canora Courier group of papers, encouraged me (at my wedding) to resume. When you write 1,200-odd columns, often those columns are about what pisses you off this week. In the process, you will occasionally piss some people off in turn. Some family members have not spoken to me in 24 years after an ill-advised piece I wrote about phone bills. One man, perturbed at my column talking about how my home town of Hyas was slowly turning into a ghost town, advised my now-late grandfather that I should have been strangled at birth. Don’t get me started on gun nuts. They get their backs up and go seriously bonkers, even if you are on their side. And, it should be said, they are presumably armed. Over the years my diatribes have been carried by the Rosetown Eagle, Battlefords News-Optimist, Southeast Trader and Gull Lake Advance. It’s still printed in the Advance and in the Battlefords, but there it has been shifted, in print, to the Regional Optimist. Recently it has been included in the Estevan Mercury as I’m now helping out there a bit in addition to my primary duties as editor of Pipeline News. In Pipeline

News I write a different version, focussing on the oilpatch. That adds another 100 or so columns, and a further 100 editorials. When I took paternity leave with the birth of our second child, Spencer, I wrote a well-received Mr. Mom column to help keep the wolf from the door. In 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 some judges figured I was the columnist of the year for the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association. I’m not sure if I’ve lost my touch since then, or they stopped considering me due to my column being syndicated. This column has come to define me in ways nothing else has. It’s one thing to write news. It’s another thing to have your opinions recorded in ink for all to see, dissect and either love or hate. All through being a high school student, failing university student, unsuccessful software startup entrepreneur, excavator operator, photographer, air force reserve officer, newspaper reporter and editor, the one constant has been being a columnist. It’s my own form of therapy, where I’ve worn my heart on my sleeve probably more than any person should. The column detailing my sister Melanie, graduating nursing where I failed engineering was one of my proudest moments. And the several columns detailing her death due to suicide two years ago, in May, have been my lowest. Will there be another 25 years? Last week I attended the retirement of the Mercury’s Norm Park, who spent over 50 years in newspaper journalism. I don’t know if newspapers, in their current form, will last another 10 years, or even five. But until that ship has sailed, I hope to keep writing about whatever I find, From the Top of the Pile. Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@ sasktel.net.

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Another new Saskatchewan Retain farm tax exemptions David Willberg Willberg’s World During the glory days of the Saskatchewan boom, one of the recurring themes that we heard was about the new Saskatchewan. After all, Saskatchewan was changing. The days of status quo Saskatchewan, the province that seemingly said “I think I can, I think I can” as it pursued a population of a million people, were over. The days of a premier showing a lack of ambition by saying Saskatchewan would always be in and out of equalization? Those days were done. The new Saskatchewan was a powerhouse, a place where people came because they followed the opportunity. It was great. Our population was up. Our resource revenue was up. Our weekly wages were up. And our economy as a whole was much stronger. Yes, we had the challenges associated with growth, but it’s better to be growing and having these challenges, than to be coasting along, with little growth happening, and a steady stream of people leaving the province for opportunities. It appears we’ve entered another new Saskatchewan, one that is still growing, and will ultimately prove to be stronger than what we saw in the past, but is nowhere near the force that it was five years ago. The provincial government will hand down its budget today, and odds are good you’re cringing at the thought of it, or you should be cringing at the thought of it. I know I’m not looking forward to it. Either we’re going to have a very large deficit, or austerity will be the theme of this year’s document as the government tightens the purse strings. The foreshadowing has not been good. Executive Air, the airline service that the government has had since 1965, is gone. MLAs are going to be accepting a wage decrease. Fees and services will be going up in many areas. (If you’re upset about the proposed increase for hunting and angling licences, then you’re not alone. At the same time, it could have been worse. Hopefully “It could have been worse” is not the tagline for this year’s financial plan). Will we see tax increases? I hope not, especially when it comes to the provincial sales tax. (Note: the Official Opposition shouldn’t come out and pan a PST increase; they did the same in 2004). Will the education portion of property tax increase? I hope not. Will the government cut municipal operating grants this year? I definitely hope not, especially if the education portion of property tax is going up. It could lead to a double-whammy on our tax bills. Will the government force employees to take unpaid days off, slash funding for schools, hospitals or roads, or cut jobs? I certainly hope not, it would be the worst thing that could happen. The government could follow Alberta’s lead, put its head in the sand when it comes to the deficit, and release a budget with a staggering long-term financial hit. Those days of Alberta being a debt-free province during the Ralph Klein years are now a distant memory. There should be a happy medium for Saskatchewan’s budget. Cut some really unnecessary government spending, increase some fees and services, increase some of the secondary taxes, and find some efficiencies in some departments. If the government is serious about balancing the books, or coming close to a balanced budget, then they will have tough decisions. But don’t leave all of us wondering if it’s really worth it. Welcome to the latest new Saskatchewan. Hopefully it eventually gives way to the thriving and booming province we used to know and love so much.

The editor: In the weeks leading up to the 2017 Saskatchewan provincial budget, there has been much uninformed discussion about agricultural tax exemptions. I would like to set the record straight on behalf of Saskatchewan’s farmers and ranchers. In 2015, agricultural producers generated $14 billion in gross farm sales, which represents over 20 per cent of Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product. In a very good year, we retained just over 20 per cent of that total in net farm income, shared between 35,000 farms. So on an average year,

between 80 and 85 per cent of all the revenues generated by agriculture are spent in the economy at large. With resource industries struggling, that 80 per cent is what has been sustaining the provincial economy, in both rural and urban areas. Tax exemptions are not subsidies. For example, the vast majority of tax exempt fuel is not used on the provincial highway system, but is used for field work, or for hauling on the rural municipal roads that farmers already pay for through our property taxes. Tax exemptions for farm inputs and machinery do not cost any other tax-

payer a nickel, just like tax exemptions on children’s clothes or home heating do not cost anything to other provincial taxpayers. The average total net farm income over the last 10 years is just over $2 billion. Removal of farm tax exemptions would cost our industry $380 million. Because we don’t set our own prices, any increase in cost does not get passed on to our customers; it comes straight out of our bottom line, and this impacts the future of our industry, and the provincial economy as a whole. Our net farm income is not just our “paycheque;”

it is also our capital pool to continue investing in our operations to grow our businesses, adopt new technologies and to bring in the next generation of producers. Agricultural producers believe in paying our fair share, and we believe we already make a very substantial contribution to the provincial economy and provincial budget. It would be risky to make assumptions that could cost the province dearly in the future. Todd Lewis Gray, Sask. President of the Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan

Crime numbers continue to decline The Estevan Police Service continues to see a decline in the number of calls for service and infractions for the first two months of the year. According to figures release at Thursday’s meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, the EPS has had 447 calls for service in February, which is down 144 from February of last year. The total calls for service for the year is 977, which is down from 1,200, or 23 per cent, from the first two months of 2016. The EPS had five crimes against people in February, all of which were assaults. They had 11 crimes against people last February.

The number of crimes against property dropped by one, from 16 last year to 15 this year. Police dealt with seven mischief/willful damage complaints last month, along with seven thefts under $5,000 and one theft of a motor vehicle. Controlled Drug and Substances Act charges dropped from 18 in February 2016 to sixth last month. Police had three charges each for trafficking and possession last month. “That could be two things,” said Ladouceur. “One is the good work that the drug unit is doing, or two, we’re still working on various investigations.” The community has supplied a lot of information

to police, which has helped them catch drug dealers. The number of Criminal Code traffic violations remained the same at 10. All of the violations last month were for impaired driving or exceeding the speed limit. Police charged eight impaired drivers in February last year. Ladouceur said impaired driving continues to be a concern. He noted that they apprehended a motorist whose blood-alcohol content was at .36, which is fourand-a-half times the legal limit. The arrest happened at around 4 p.m. on March 15. “It’s certainly concerning,” said Ladouceur. “We’re going to be certainly increasing the number of

check stops that we do moving forward.” Also during the police board meeting, Special Const. Michelle Pickering, who is the city’s bylaw enforcement officer, released her monthly report. She dealt with 162 infractions and complaints last month, bringing the total for the year to 305. Among her calls last month were 21 animal-related calls, 84 parking-related calls, 25 garbage bins notices and fines, and 21 snow removal notices and fines. Ladouceur noted they have had 68 snow removal notices and fines so far this year, which is more than double the 28 they had a year ago.

No vehicles have been seized Crown’s office has said from the get go they will look at it on a case-by-case basis.” A specific set of criteria would need to be met for a motorist to lose their vehicle. First-time offenders likely wouldn’t have their vehicles taken away permanently, unless there was a serious or a fatal collision. The police board and Estevan city council do not need approve seizing the vehicles, since it is already allowed within the Criminal Code. “The biggest support that we would need would be the Crown prosecuting the case,” said Ladouceur. City Councillor Lyle Yanish, who is also a member on the police board, stressed it’s not city council or the police

Estevan police Chief Paul Ladouceur says there haven’t been any vehicles permanently seized as of yet for multiple convictions for impaired driving. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, Ladouceur said they haven’t encountered a situation in which they would request the seizure of a vehicle. He suggested last month that it was time to consider seizing the vehicles of those convicted for impaired driving on multiple occasions. It’s the latest idea Ladouceur has brought forward to fight impaired driving in the community. “I have spoken directly with Civic Forfeiture, and I have spoken with the Crown’s office as well, in regards to the seizures,” said Ladouceur. “The

who would seize the vehicles, it’s the Crown. Any police force can request the seizure of a vehicle. “When we’ve spoken to the media, we’ve provided them with the fact that this has happened in other jurisdictions, and with the sections of the Criminal Code that will help us. We’ve done our part.” The concept was challenged constitutionally in Quebec, but the courts ruled that police could take the vehicles of people caught for impaired driving on multiple occasions. Ladouceur hopes this will prove to be a deterrent for people who are considering driving home after a few drinks, and the conversation regarding this issue will also cause people to have second thoughts about driving while impaired.

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A6 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

St. Mary’s students celebrate We Day By Sam Macdonald smacdonald@estevanmercury.ca

Students at St. Mary’s School celebrated We Day a little closer to home this year. The event was held in the fashion of Lent, with a large Shrove Tuesday pancake breakfast fundraiser. “We had lots of our families come in, and some people on the police force here, as well, to enjoy pan-

cakes, sausages, fresh fruit and those kinds of things,” said principal David Murphy. “Some of the money we collect from that is going to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation for the upcoming radiothon.” Murphy noted that We Day is about getting students, and young people in general, engaged in the community, “and then, hopefully, to get them to

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take some direction and start to make a difference in the world.” In the case of the world, he said some of the awareness he wishes students to cultivate in themselves can be found in reaching as far as other countries, or as close as one’s own local community. “We want them to be aware of things that are happening in the rest of the

world, and for that purpose, we have a foster child,” said Murphy. The foster child being sponsored by students at St. Mary’s School a girl named Jimena Calza-Pinta. Proceeds from the school’s We Day celebration will be going towards the total funds used to support Calza-Pinta. Calza-Pinta is a resident of Ecuador whose

standard of living is being improved by funds raised by students at St. Mary’s School. The money raised for her, which totals around $500 a year, goes toward things like food, clean drinking water, shelter and education. “We Day is to get students across Saskatchewan really involved, in some way, to know and realize that they can have an im-

pact, whether how small or big it is,” said Murphy. “You start with one, and then it builds, until you have a movement created out of people’s goodness and willingness to help others in need. “As that grows, the momentum grows and it has a bigger, more definite impact on the rest of the world and the community, in general.”

Steps to prevent water issues The spring melt is about to begin and some areas of the province, including the Estevan area and other parts of southeast Saskatchewan, are likely to experience above-normal levels of spring runoff in the coming days and weeks. Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) Canada encourages homeowners across the province to take immediate steps to prevent

unnecessary water damage to their homes. Last year, about 60 per cent of all SGI claims were related to water damage. “Predictions are that the southeast corner of the province and the Hudson Bay area may see the biggest impacts,” said Don Thompson, the chief operating officer with SGI Canada. “Homeowners may experience water damage, which can be expensive

y d e Com

and frustrating. But there are things you can and should do right now to prevent damage to your home.” SGI recommends all homeowners, especially those in areas where flooding is more likely, should make sure their sump pump is working properly. A malfunctioning sump pump can result in massive water damage. They can also direct downspouts away from the foundation and make sure gutters are free of debris, snow and ice. Snow should be shovelled away from the foundation, and a yard should be properly graded so surface

water flows away from the foundation of a home. Finally, homeowners should check that storm sewer grates in their neighbourhood are clear of debris. SGI also recommends that homeowners talk to their insurance brokers to see what is covered by their policy. A professionally-installed mainline sewer backwater valve can prevent sewage from backing up into the home. SGI urges homeowners consider investing in one. More information on preventing water damage to a home can be found on SGI Canada’s website.

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Regens issues reminder on recycling Regens Disposal is reminding the public of the different materials that can be placed in blue recycling bins. Regens is contracted to provide curbside recycling and garbage collection services in Estevan and other communities in the southeast. Curbside recycling has been offered in Estevan since September 2013. Nearly 1,000 tonnes of materials were recycled through Regens’ program in 2013. Travis Frank, the sales and marketing manager for Regens, said hundreds of different materials can be placed in the bins. The materials don’t need to be sorted by residents, which saves them time. “As we see people using our recycling more and more, there’s always a small percentage of trash that ends up (in the blue bins), and it’s been a while since the program launched, so we have seen that increase a little bit,” said Frank.

Frank said the most common recurring issue is materials with food stuck on them. For example, a pizza box is made of recyclable cardboard, but it can’t be recycled if there are pizza remnants. “That’s something that we’re always watching for,” said Frank. Some different types of Styrofoam can’t be recycled, either, and that’s something he said citizens need to watch for. They have also had found some strange and even troubling items when sorting through items placed in the blue bins, but they’re able to find them before bundling up the materials. Other items that can’t be recycled are wax or plastic coated of foodcontaminated paper, cups or paper plates; soiled tissues, napkins and paper towels; household garbage; organic, hazardous or regulated waste; medical waste or diapers; hazardous materials such as paint, chemi-

NOTICE OF MEETING UNITED WAY ESTEVAN will convene its Annual General Meeting on Friday, March 31, 2017 in the Fireside Room at the Days Inn Hotel in Estevan. Cocktails at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm: Meeting to follow. Bylaw Amendment to be announced. You are cordially invited to attend

Dinner: $20/person RSVP by March 24, 2017

at 306-634-7375 or email: admin@unitedwayestevan.com

cals or solvents; ashes, dirt, concrete or other heavy materials; construction material such as boards, roofing materials and carpet; automotive parts, tires, oil filters or oil; tree clippings; liquids of any kind; propane tanks; electrical cords; batteries; and plastic toys and Tupperware. At the same time, since recyclable materials placed in the garbage bins wind up in the landfill, Frank is

asking the public to ensure items that can be recycled are directed to the blue bins. They do see a lot of cardboard that can be recycled in the landfill, and Frank said they want to avoid it. They also want to see more plastic containers and aluminum cans in the blue recycling bins, and out of the landfills. “Landfills are a very expensive program now,”

said Frank. “They’re not just a hole in the ground. So it’s something we’re always trying to do, and work our hardest on, is keeping things out of the landfill.” Residents can recycle flattened corrugated cardboard and paperboard; newspapers, magazines, catalogues, and flyers; paperback novels; phone books; hardcover books with the covers and spine removed; gift and packing

paper, except for aluminum or shiny paper; brown paper bags; plastic and glass containers; aluminum cans for soft drinks and beer; plastic bottles for soft drinks and water; household tin cans; milk and juice cartons; plastic shopping bags; and household plastic containers and bottles. Frank asks that people rinse containers before recycling them.

College welcomes city scholarship Southeast College is pleased the City of Estevan has stepped forward with a new $1,000 scholarship for the 2016-17 academic year. The scholarship will benefit students pursuing post-secondary education at the college. “We are very pleased to announce our new partnership with the City of Estevan in support of students,” said Jeff Richards, vice-president of strategic development at the college.

“The addition of the City of Estevan Bursary is one more element in the partnership between the college and the city. “The strength of the partnership is illustrated through participation in college events like career fairs, career connections and through programs such as the heavy equipment operator.” The recipient must be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program at

Southeast College and be a resident of Estevan while attending the college. They must also show financial need, community involvement and personal achievements. “We are excited to be a part of this program with Southeast College in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Innovations and Opportunity Scholarship program,” said Mayor Roy Ludwig. “We have had a great relationship

with the College in the past and this is another example of continuing to work together for the benefit of our community. We like to recognize our youth in their initiative to learn new skills to prepare them for entering the job market.” The new bursary will be matched with funds from the Ministry of Advanced Education’s Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program, so the total value will be $2,000.

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A8 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

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Golf night for the family Jotham Klix, left, practices his putt as Ty Kofoed and Daniel Kim wait for their turn, at the school community council Family Golf Night at Hillcrest School. The March 16 event was an opportunity for students and their families to learn some golf skills around the school, under the guidance of professionals from TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club. Photo by Sam Macdonald

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Music Festival is underway This year’s edition of the Estevan and District Music Festival opened on Sunday afternoon with piano performances at Trinity Lutheran Church.

The piano portion of the festival will continue until March 25. Band performances will run on March 27 and 28, and then the vocal and

60-and-Over Club report Submitted by Shirley Graham Overheard from a 13-year-old: “I bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.” The club held its jam session on March 12. Thanks to Joe for helping, and to Lorna for organizing it all. Shuffleboard winners for the week of March 13 were Jake Fichter and Connie St. Onge. Pat Keen and Joe Claude were second. Cathy Hoffart took top spot in bridge. Hazel Benison was second and Carrie Leptich came in third. Randy Jess finished first in cribbage. Charlie

Loustel finished second and Lucy Swanston Dyck wound up third. A young woman was driving home one day when a hailstorm came up. The car was badly damaged, so she took it to an auto body shop. The repairman decided to have some fun with her, so he said, “Well, you just blow really hard in the tailpipe and the dents will come right out.” When her girlfriend came by and asked her what she was doing, the young woman told her. The girlfriend said, “Well, duh, you’re supposed to roll the windows up first.”

speech arts entries will be heard from March 29 to April 1. President Pam Dechief said the piano portion of the festival has become quite large in recent years, to the point where they have nearly a week of performances.

About 650 entries were received this year, which is a similar number to last year. Young people of all ages and abilities have registered to perform at this year’s festival. “The students have spent many hours preparing

their pieces for the music festival,” said Dechief. Dates have yet to be determined for the festival’s highlight and awards programs. They were slated to happen on April 4 and 5, but due to a scheduling conflict, they had to be

rescheduled. Dechief expects the top performers and award winners for the piano, vocal and speech arts will be saluted one night, and the band and instrumental honours will happen another night.

From the left, performers Elliana Wiebe, Miley Granberg and Shiven Sangar, adjudicator Lore Ruschiensky, and performers Sydney Madsen, Adyn Waloshin, Hailey Gigian, Madison Mack and Jessica Cooper gather for a group photo following the opening piano classes of the Estevan and District Music Festival.

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A10 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

Gun show has lots to offer Thompson. Thompson and Bender suggest that if a patron goes to a gun show, and it’s the same people year after year, they might eventually decide not to come back. There will be a variety of firearms on display for people to view and purchase, and there will also be a taxidermist, multiple gunsmiths, a coin dealer, and people who make leather goods, knives, pillows and more. They will also have archery-related items. “It’s 90 per cent firearms, but it’s 10 per cent other things, too,” said Bender. The event has grown to the point where Bender and Thompson would like to have a larger building, or add a second venue. They have another 100 people on their wait list. Proceeds from the gun show are directed to a different organization each year. This year’s beneficiary will be the new Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. After last year’s show, someone suggested donating to the Children’s Hospital, and Bender and Thompson thought it was

Vendors also like the way in which the show’s tables are laid out. “We don’t crowd up the tables,” said Bender. “We give the people room to move in there, and that’s one of the big things. You don’t want to stall the crowd from moving around.” Some shows are so cramped that if one person stops to view merchandise, it

“They’ve sold more firearms in Estevan than they have in bigger cities like Regina.” - B&T Gun Show co-organizer Kevin Thompson. in particular. Ninety-six tables have been booked, making the show a sellout. “I’ve talked to lots of vendors … and they’ve even told me they’ve sold more firearms in Estevan than they have in bigger cities like Regina,” said Thompson.

clogs up the aisle. There will also be some new exhibitors this year, since some from previous years can’t make this year’s show. “Lionel and I are trying to do a little bit of changing with different people there, so you’re not getting the same show every single year,” said

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Murray GM building were projected to be about $200,000 when the property was purchased. Engineering assessments have been completed on the property already. Feser noted they will need to strengthen the drywall to ensure they have proper fire suppression from the bottom to the top floor. The fire department has moved five pieces of equipment from the city yard in south central Estevan to their new home. That equipment needed to be stored at city yard because there wasn’t enough space at their current fire hall. The building at city yard is now freed up for public works and other departments to use. “Some of our seasonal equipment, such as our Zodiac rescue boat and a few other items are in there,” said Feser. “It’s a heck of a lot quicker for us to access the equipment at the new location than where it was previously at.” If the situation requires it, the fire department would be accessing equipment at their new building, even though they haven’t moved in. Feser is optimistic they could be in the building by the end of July, but he admits it’s an aggressive timeline. There are things that need to be done, and Feser said they want to make sure they take their time so that everything is done right. He added the firefighters are eager to move into their new quarters.

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The Estevan Fire Rescue Service has taken occupancy of its new home, and now the work has started to ensure it will be ready for when they move in. The City of Estevan purchased the former Murray GM dealership property on 13th Avenue for $2.3 million earlier this year. The building is about 20,000 square feet, which is three times the size of their current building. The fire department took occupancy on March 3. Fire Chief Dale Feser said they are still awaiting some price estimates for some of the work that needs to be done in order to move into the new building. Those tasks include the installation of some larger overhead doors on the northern part of the property, so the fire trucks can enter and exit the building. They also need to transform the old parts room into a training room. “Then I’ll make a report and present it to council, and then we’ll proceed as such after council has an opportunity to digest the information and content of the report,” said Feser. Renovations to the old

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Elecs senior girls headed to Hoopla By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

It’s been a long wait for the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs senior girls basketball team, but they are headed back to the Hoopla 5A provincial tournament. ECS defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 74-69 in the semifinal of the rural regional tournament at the ECS gymnasium on Saturday afternoon to qualify for Hoopla. The top two teams at regionals advanced to Hoopla, which will happen in Regina this weekend. The Elecs will be appearing at Hoopla for the first time since 2005, when they won a bronze medal. After beating Notre Dame, the Elecs players rushed to the floor to celebrate. “It’s definitely surreal,” said head coach Jessie Smoliak, who is in her eighth year at the helm of the Elecs. “We worked so hard for this weekend, and it was unbelievable to watch the girls

Tatiana Dutka (6) goes up for a shot in the ECS Elecs 74-69 win over the Notre Dame Hounds at regionals on Saturday. totally step up their game and peak at the right time to beat the No. 2 ranked team in Notre Dame.” Prior to regionals, Smoliak and assistant coach Ashleigh Dzuba told the players they belonged at Hoopla. But it was far from easy. Notre Dame had leads of 20-11 after the first quarter and 35-24 at halftime. The Hounds continued to control

the game early in the third quarter, extending the lead to 41-28. But then Kourtney Kobitz and Tatiana Dutka drained three pointers on back-to-back possessions to pull the Elecs to within seven. Smoliak and Dzuba cited those possessions as a turning point. By the end of the third quarter, the Elecs were down 53-49.

“That was the first quarter that we won,” said Dzuba. “They just came back, and they wanted it. They played with heart.” The Elecs momentum continued into the fourth quarter, and with the game tied at 60-60 late in the fourth, the Elecs had 10 unanswered points. Notre Dame went on a 9-1 run in the final couple minutes to make it a two-point game,

but the Elecs sealed the victory with three points off of free throws. Smoliak credited Sammy Wade, Kalee Donovan and Kobitz for their strong defensive play. Donovan also made some big threepoint shots, including one at the end of the third quarter. Donovan, a Grade 12 student, said it’s been a dream of hers to advance to Hoopla, and she is looking forward to the experience. “We definitely work a lot better this year than any other team I’ve been on,” said Donovan. “We’re a different team.” She said they played better as a team in the second half against Notre Dame. “If you’re shooting in the first half, and they don’t go in, then keep shooting, because eventually they will fall, and thankfully they did in the second half,” said Donovan. Dzuba said the Elecs were playing for their coach as well, as Smoliak’s father, Victor Elias, died on March 13. Smoliak said Dzuba,

and Stacy and Trevor Dutka, helped run practice the last two weeks, and preparing the team for games for regionals. ECS finished with a 2-1 record at regionals. They opened with a 62-49 win over Prince Albert St. Mary’s. Then, about two hours after the win over Notre Dame, the Elecs returned to the court for the regional final versus Prince Albert Carlton, and dropped a 6953 decision. Smoliak noted that starting point guard Tatiana Dutka suffered an injury against St. Mary’s, and didn’t play early against Notre Dame. But she came back and helped lead the team to the win. Dutka didn’t play versus Carlton, but will be ready for Hoopla. The Elecs will face Regina Riffel in the opening game at Hoopla on Friday afternoon. ECS defeated Riffel early in the year, but Smoliak said they’re a different team now.

Gedak’s rink wins provincial title at home By Sam Macdonald smacdonald@estevanmercury.ca

The Brent Gedak rink, competing out of the Estevan Curling Club, took top spot at the 2016-2017 Travelers Curling Club Championship men’s title on Monday evening at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. The game was something of a nail-biter, as Gedak scored two in the eighth end with a draw to the four-foot to secure a 3-2 victory over Sheldon Obst, competing out of the Tartan Curling Club in Regina. The Gedak rink advanced to the national championships in Kingston, Ontario, in November. Gedak bounced back from the disadvantage of not having the hammer until the sixth end, playing four blank ends before they started putting stones into play against Obst’s rink, which leveraged the early game advantage of the hammer in the first four ends. Obst used its advantage to gain one point over Estevan in the fifth end. The situation reversed in the sixth end, with Estevan’s play earning them one point. “Not having the hammer until the sixth end was

a problem. We were weak on our draws earlier in the game, and we couldn’t get any guards up,” said Gedak. “They weren’t going to play around, so they just hit everything they could, and once we got things moving and got some guards in play, our game got a little better.” Eventually, more stones came into play, and Gedak started to break Obst’s guard and bury stones deep enough to overcome Obst’s attempts to crowd the house with their own rocks. This wasn’t enough to keep Obst from scoring a point in the seventh end, however, when they used a series of their own precise draws that sunk deep enough into the house to disrupt Gedak’s game. “They’re very good shooters, they’re very energetic and there to win. I was a little surprised they didn’t want to get into it a bit earlier, but they had the hammer,” said Gedak. “Luckily we were able to get a guard in play and force them with a couple in play, and they had to take their rock.” Things took a turn for the intense in the eighth end, when Gedak, aiming for two points, made a draw to the eight-foot, narrowly avert-

ing a Regina guard. After an ineffective last draw from Obst, Gedak’s final draw had local fans on the edge of their seats, and ended up scoring the crucial two points to push the local rink to victory. “There was an opportunity to make a really good come-around in the eighth. We had to come around one of their rocks, and one that was a little bit buried on the T-line and the edge of the four,” said Gedak. “It was just the right way, at the right sweep. We got it at the right time and locked it in there.” With a chuckle, Gedak said, “I think the adrenaline was going on our sweepers in the eighth, and I think that last shot was in control. It stopped fairly easily. With the emotion of the provincial finals, everyone gets excited.” Other members of the Gedak rink are third James Gordon, second Wade St. Onge and lead Ryan Hansen. The dynamic of the women’s final was far more intense from the get-go, with North Battleford’s Kristi Florek earning a 6-4 victory over Moose Jaw’s Elaine Osmachenko. The women’s game differed from the men’s game, since the former

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Skip Brent Gedak, third James Gordon, second Wade St. Onge and lead Ryan Hansen from the Estevan Curling Club won the provincial Travelers Curling Club Championship on Monday at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Photo by Brian Zinchuk. jumped right into the action, putting numerous stones into play as early as the first end. “It’s a great feeling. We’ve been here quite a few years in a row, so it’s nice to finally make it to the finals,” said a jubilant Frolek. The intense exchanges between Florek and Osmachenko led to the latter picking up two points in the first end, responded to by a point for Florek in the second, thanks to a strong guard. Osmachenko scored

one in the third and sixth ends, while Florek scored one in the third and stole one in the sixth, leaving Osmachenko with a 4-3 lead. Florek pushed for the lead in the seventh end, scoring two, followed by a stolen point in the eight end, after Osmachenko knocked out one of Florek’s stones, but slid further out of the house they could afford to. Frolek noted that there were no turning-point moments for her team and it

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remained a close game to each end. “Our goal was just to keep building our ends, and keep playing our game, in the hope that in the end, we’d win the game” she said. “Our playing like that was deliberate. That’s the way we play. We don’t play open ends, and what you saw was what we like to do.” Other members of Florek’s team were third Nicole Beausoleil, second Christy Walker and lead Kristi Bird.

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March 22, 2017 A13

Boys basketball team knocked out in regionals

Panthers tied in provincial final

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior boys basketball team saw their season come to an end during the rural regional qualifying round for the Hoopla provincial tournament. The Elecs entered the tournament ranked fourth, and opened the tournament with a 69-65 victory over the No. 5 Swift Current Colts. “They beat us by 20 once this year, and we beat them by 20 twice, so we weren’t sure what team was going to show up,” said coach Shane Ross. “It was a total team effort, so it was a really fun game to be in.” Their next game was a 72-62 loss in the semifinal to the topranked Battlefords Composite School Vikings, which ended the Elecs season. The Vikings beat the Elecs by 30 in their previous game of the season, so Ross was pleased that this game was closer. ECS led the Battlefords after the first quarter, but Battlefords recovered to win the game. “We definitely saw how much we’ve improved since the middle of the season when we

The Estevan Power Tech midget AA Panthers are tied in their two-game, total-point provincial final series with the Saskatoon Comet Legends. Michaella Matthies and Kamryn Friars scored 35 seconds apart in the final four minutes of the third period to help the Panthers rally from a 4-2 deficit and tie the Comet Legends 4-4 in Game 1 of the provincial midget AA female series. Game 2 will be Saturday at Affinity Place at 4 p.m. The Comet Legends had the lead for much of Game 1. Ruby Beyer scored 8:43 into the first to give Saskatoon a 1-0 lead, and Sarah Patel doubled the lead with a goal 6:08 into the second. Kelsey Pastachak’s goal with 8:36 to play in the second pulled the Panthers to within one. Mackenzie Cey restored the Legends two-goal lead with 4:18 to play in the second, but Marci LeBlanc’s goal 61 seconds later again closed the deficit to one. Beyere’s second of the game with 10:06 to play in the third appeared to give the Leg-

played them previously,” said Ross. If the Elecs would have defeated the Battlefords, they would have qualified for Hoopla, since the top two teams at regionals advance to the provincial championship. Ross praised his team for the attitude they showed during regional playdowns. Rather than take issue with a referee’s call, for example, they kept an even keel. “That’s what kept us in both those games this weekend,” Ross said. “Attitude is everything and we really showed that.” Ross hopes the experience of being at regionals will be beneficial for the club next season. They have just three graduating players – Cam Rioux, Donny Mortenson and Wyatt Haux. Mortenson and Haux were the captains. It will be tough to replace the contributions made by those three players. At the same time, they have some talented players who will be back next season, and Ross looks forward to the strides those players will take in their games.

ends the advantage they needed, until Matthies and Friars scored late in the third. “We had a lot of chances,” said coach Trevor Morrison. “It was a very good game. Our girls played very well. The first part of the game, we were just missing the net on some of our opportunities. Hopefully in the next game we hit the net a few more times.” Morrison said the Comet Legends are a quick, deep team, and they’re well-coached. “We’re going to need to have a complete team effort, a very disciplined effort, and whoever makes that one mistake, it might cost them,” said Morrison. This was the first time the Panthers had seen the Comet Legends, who play in a midget AA league in northern Saskatchewan. The game against the Legends came five days after the Panthers hopes of a South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League title were dashed in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Swift Current Broncos on March 14

at Affinity Place. The Broncos won the bestof-three semifinal series in three games. Matthies scored both goals for Estevan. Her goal with 7:12 to play in the first gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead, and she notched the 2-0 goal with 10:49 to play in the second. The two-goal lead was intact until the third, when Courtney Funk and Bailey Wilson scored five minutes apart to tie the game. Funk also notched the overtime winner. The Panthers played well against Swift Current, Morrison said, but they had some bad luck. But it was nice to have some time off between games. The Panthers have had a busy schedule recently with league playoffs and provincial games. They’ll practice today, and Morrison said they will be ready for Game 2. He hopes to see a big crowd for Saturday’s game, and he believes it should be a very good contest.

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A14 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

Vipers take lead in league The Estevan peewee A Vipers have taken the upper hand in the best-ofthree South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League Final. The Vipers scored three times in the opening four minutes of the third period to defeat the host Moose Jaw Mavericks 3-2 in Game 1 of the best-ofthree series on Monday night. Moose Jaw had the only goal in the first two periods, as Kaitlyn Gilory scored with 75 seconds left in the period. Coach Chris Terrett said the coaches addressed the players after the second period, and told them they had done everything they could for the Vipers. Then the coaches left the room. “Then some of our second-year girls stood up, and they took over the room,” said Terrett. “I don’t know what was said, or who said it or anything, but they came out in the third period like it was a completely different team.” M c K e n n a Wa l l s scored to tie the game at ones 35 seconds into

the third period. Hannah Terrett scored 69 seconds later to give the Vipers a 2-1 lead, and Walls added her second of the game less than two minutes after Terrett’s goal. Moose Jaw’s Ellie Gauvin scored with 19.7 seconds left to round out the scoring. “I said to the coaches after the game that if we could bottle up that third period, and the energy that they showed, and give it to them before the first period of our next game, it would be over before it even started,” said Terrett. The win came one night after the Vipers hopes of winning a provincial title came to an end. They were defeated 18-2 by the Midwest Red Wings, based out of Turtleford, in a twogame, total-point series. The Red Wings took Game 1 8-1 on Friday night in Turtleford, and Game 2 10-1 on Sunday afternoon at the Civic Auditorium. “They were everywhere,” said Terrett. “They were buzzing all over the ice.” Walls had the goal in Game 1, which came 9:15

Vipers goalie Chloe Sorenson drops down to make a save as Kennedy Dowhanuik (6) and members of the Midwest Red Wings look on during Game 2 of the provincial final. into the game and gave the Vipers a 1-0 lead before the Red Wings took over. Caydence Chapman had Estevan’s goal in Game 2. Despite the lopsided losses, Terrett praised the efforts of goaltender Chloe

Sorenson. She was also great against the Mavericks. “I think in the first game they (the Red Wings) had 85 shots on goal, and in the second game they had 60 shots for sure after

the second period,” said Terrett. “She’s been awesome. Even in this game here (against the Mavericks), she had two or three game-savers for us.” The Vipers have a chance to wrap up the

league final Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium. Terrett hopes to see a big crowd for the game. Game 3, if necessary, would be Saturday afternoon in Moose Jaw.

58th Annual

Open OTS Curling Bonspiel Friday, March 24 Beefeater Plaza Cocktails, Prizes, Supper and Presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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March 22, 2017 A15

Bruins beat Terriers twice By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins captured the first two games of their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) quarterfinal series against the Yorkton Terriers. The Bruins defeated the Terriers 2-1 in overtime in Game 1 on Friday night at Affinity Place, and the following night, they rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the third period to beat the Terriers 5-3 in Yorkton. Game 3 was slated for Tuesday night at Affinity Place. (Results were not available at press time). Game 4 will be Wednesday night in Yorkton. The Bruins came out strong in Game 1, with Matt McNeil scoring a power play goal 6:14 into the first period to give his team a 1-0 advantage. A few minutes later, Bruin goaltender Nathan Alalouf stopped Yorkton’s Carson Welke on a penalty shot. The Bruins had other chances to score, but couldn’t convert. The Terriers bounced back in the second and third periods, but they couldn’t

beat Alalouf until late in the third, when Jared Legien scored with 64 seconds to play. “I thought the team played well early on, and we had a bit of a letdown, but they answered the bell late,” said head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. The Bruins recovered, though, and Zach Goberis scored the winner 42 seconds into overtime. Forward Jason Miller said they didn’t panic after Legien scored so late in the third, and they wanted to come out strong for overtime. “We have the maturity with the guys in the room to be able to come back from anything, so going into that overtime period, we were telling ourselves that we need to do everything we can to get that win,” said Miller. Jake Fletcher scored 48 seconds into Game 2 to give the Bruins the early advantage, but goals by LJ Naccarato and Cody Dubas gave Yorkton a 2-1 lead before the six-minute mark. McNeil’s second of the series with 27 seconds remaining in the first tied

Forward Jason Miller (20) scored twice in the third period of the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins Game 2 victory against the Yorkton Terriers. the game. “Everybody was squeezing the sticks a little bit, trying to do too much, and it’s easy to get away from the game plan, when you want so badly to win and to contribute,” said Lewgood. Legien picked up his second of the series 96 seconds into the middle frame to give Yorkton a 3-2 lead, which stood up until six minutes into the third, when Miller tied the game.

It appeared the game would be headed to overtime for the second straight night but Michael McChesney scored with 1:54 to play to give the Bruins the lead, and Miller added his second of the game into an empty net 65 seconds later. “Our guys embraced the simplicity factor of our game plan, and when you do that, combined with the same work ethic that we’ve been seeing, it’s a good

recipe,” said Lewgood. “We simplified the game, and continued to work hard and push, and it paid off. We dominated the third period as much as we’ve dominated a period in months.” Miller added the players wanted to come out in the third and show Yorkton their full potential. “I don’t think they’ve seen the best that we had throughout the entire series so far, so we wanted to give

them a taste of what it’ll be like in Game 3,” said Miller. Miller said the Terriers have played the tough, physical, hard-working game the Bruins expected. Lewgood also praised Alalouf, who stopped 29 shots in Game 1 and 34 in Game 2. “Nathan Alalouf has probably been our best player through two games,” said Lewgood. “He’s seen his fair share of quality scoring chances against.”

Youth soccer needs volunteers The Estevan Youth and Mini Soccer Association is in need of volunteers if the organization is to operate this year. The organization held its annual general meeting on Thursday evening at Affinity Credit Union. An interim board of directors was elected, with Stacy Murphy, who is the head coach of the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs senior girls soccer team, taking the role of interim president. Kevin Mortenson will be the vice-president. Megan Lingelbach is the secretary, Kurt Schmidt is the treasurer, and the members at large will be Naomi Rossen, Sigfredo Gonzalez, Holly Simpson and Patrick Sullivan. In a Facebook post after the meeting, Mortenson stressed that without parent volunteers for committees and coaching, this soccer season cannot proceed and the association will be dissolved. They need to have an adequate number of volunteers lined up by April 10. Coaching clinics and committee support will be provided for the volunteers. “A lot of people are afraid of stepping up and coaching because they d o n ’t u n d e r s t a n d t h e game,” said Mortenson. “Soccer was never really grown into our culture here in Estevan, so a lot of people are scared to step up. They think they’re going to make a fool of themselves.” But with the younger age groups, Mortenson said the kids are happy as long as they’re playing the game. The number of coaches needed will be dictated by the number of players they have. Last year they had about 180 players, and Mortenson would like to see it above 200 this year. From there, they would like to see the number of players gradually increase. At the peak level a

few years ago, there would have been well over 500 youth playing soccer in Estevan. And it was still above 400 a few years ago. The association is looking to have a division

for three and four-year-olds to get them interested in the sport, but that will depend on interest among players and volunteers. Anyone who can volunteer is asked to email

estevanyouthsoccer2017@ gmail.com. The 2017 season is tentatively slated to start on May 8, and will run until June 15. Mortenson said they want to have the sea-

son wrapped up before the Estevan Fair and the yearend activities in schools. “There might be possible makeup dates after the fair,” said Mortenson. He doesn’t believe the

length of the season is a hindrance for youth soccer. They want to have at least a six-week season while they rebuild the organization and the people who will be running it.

Classifieds A16

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

e re

Place a classified word ad* in the Estevan Mercury and Lifestyles publications and receive a FREE Dairy Queen Cheese Burger meal (Value $7.00)

CALL TO BOOK TODAY 306.634.2654 * Private party ad must run in both publications 2 times. No refunds and no cancellation.

In MeMorIaM

Real estate seRvices

LAND FOR SALE

Career OppOrtunities

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Coming EvEnts 40th annual antiques, collectibles and used vehicle car parts sale Friday, March 24, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moose Jaw Exhibition Convention Centre. Admission $6. For information call Garry 306-6924755

HealtH ServiceS CANADA BENEFIT GROUP - Attention Saskatchewan residents: Do you or someone you know suffer from a disability? Get up to $40,000 from the Canadian Government. Toll-free 1-888-511-2250 or www.canadabenefit.ca/free-assessment

ApArtments/Condos for rent Torquay Housing Authority currently has 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units available for immediate rent. For more information please contact the manager at 306-4719226. diana-morin5@homail.com

30 acres ideal for hobby farm or horse enthusiasts. Spacious bungalow, indoor riding range, Quonset and barn. Outbuildings are well maintained. Sheri Willick RE/MAX Saskatoon Independently Owned & Operated

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Feed & Seed HEATED CANOLA WANTED!! - GREEN CANOLA - SPRING THRASHED - DAMAGED CANOLA FEED OATS WANTED!! - BARLEY, OATS, WHT - LIGHT OR TOUGH - SPRING THRASHED HEATED FLAX WANTED!! HEATED PEAS HEATED LENTILS "ON FARM PICKUP" Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

SuiteS For rent INDEPENDENT ADULT LIVING apartments in Martensville, SK. Spend your retirement years in a community close to family/friends in the Saskatoon area that has large city services and small town safety and char m. 1 and 2 bedroom suites available. More information at www.chateauvilla.ca www.chateauvilla.ca, 306-281-4475 or chateauvilla@sasktel.net.

SUMMARY OF SOLD PROPERTIES North - 10 1/4’s North East - 14 1/4’s North West - 12 1/4’s East - 57 1/4’s West - 50 1/4’s Central - 219 1/4’s South - 100 1/4’s South East - 46 1/4’s South West - 65 1/4’s PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND.

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NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. Currently Buying: Soybeans, Feed Barley, Wheat and Oats. OFFERING: Competitive Prices, On Farm Pickup & Prompt Payment! CALL: 1-306-873-3551, WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com

REACH OVER 500,000 Saskatchewan Readers Each Week! Blanket Classifieds are carried in 72 community newspapers, which reach over 450 communities including 14 cities. P: 306-649-1405 E: classifieds@swna.com W: www.swna.com The Strength is in Community Newspapers! Adver tisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com. HARDY TREE, SHRUB, and berry seedlings delivered. Order online at www.treetime.ca or call 1-866873-3846. New growth guaranteed. PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Re a c h ove r 5 5 0 , 0 0 0 re a d e rs weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.

Auctions U N R E S E RV E D E Q U I P M E N T AUCTION. Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 9 a.m., Regina, SK. To consign to this auction call John Williams at Canadian Public Auction 403-369-9879.

Parts & accessories GREAT PRICES on new, used and re-manufactured engines, parts and accessories for diesel pickups. Large inventory, engines can be shipped or installed. Give us a call or check us out at www.thickettenginerebuilding.ca. Thickett Engine Rebuilding. Ph. 204-532-2187 Russell, MB.

Municipal Hail is hiring CROP HAIL ADJUSTERS for the 2017 hail season. This seasonal position (Jul-Oct) has competitive salary, all expenses paid, health spending account and pension plan. Paperless as all entries are entered in our handheld tablet. Semi-retired or retired – join our team! We will train you. Visit municipalhail.ca and click Careers. dtiefenbach@ municipalhail.ca or 306-569-1852 ext 170. MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! Indemand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855768-3362 to start training for your work-at-home career today! Pe t e r ’s B r o s . Pa v i n g , s o u t h Okanagan paving company seeking experienced paving personnel (min. 3 years) for their highway division throughout BC. Relocation allowance may be available. Competitive wage $24.00 to $31.00 per hour plus benefits, full time seasonal. Please send resume to petersbros@shaw.ca

UPCOMING EVENTS

ECI REUNION 2017 Former students of Estevan Collegiate Institute, enrolled in Grades 9-12 in the 1966-67 school year are invited to attend the ECI Reunion 2017 on June 9 & 10, 2017 at the G. Marconi Canadian Italian Club (2148 Connaught St, Regina) 2225 Sandra Schmirler Way - Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (one kilometre north of the Regina Airport) $60 PER PERSON. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2017. Please make you cheque or money order payable to: ECI Reunion 2017 c/o Bill Haygarth, Treasurer; mail to 2751 Corbett Road, Regina, SK S4R 8J1. Please see Doug Gent’s ECI Reunion 2017 website at http://gent-family.com/ECI/ECI_50th_Anniv_Reunion_1967-2017.html and, on Facebook, ECI Reunion 2017. THIS IS YOUR OFFICIAL INVITATION. PLEASE NOTIFY ECI FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT? Call the 24-Hour Abuse/Sexual Assault Support Line

1-800-214-7083 Obituaries

Bernard “Bert” Anthony Neumeier 1935 – 2017 Bert passed away peacefully with family by his side on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 82 years. Bert is survived by his children, Cathy (Floyd) Christenson of Hirsch, SK and their son Jarret (Karly Stack), Laurie (Tim) Wesseling and their children, Emily, Brayden and Josh of Milton, ON and Lyle (Jenny) and their children, Cole, Ryan and Reese of Oakville, ON; brothers, Leonard (Beatrice), Edward (Gloria), Joe (Eileen) and Gabriel (Rose); sisters, Mary Sinclair, Lucy Senek as well as numerous in laws, nieces and nephews. Bert was predeceased by his wife Adela; parents, Mike and Mary, brother Aime and sisters, Frances Verbeem and Jeanne Wanner. An oilfield worker for close to 50 years, Bert was known as a tough but fair boss who treated the company like it was his own. He was an avid volunteer, giving countless hours to the renovation and maintenance of the Bienfait arena and anywhere he could help in his community. He enjoyed gardening at Cathy’s farm and travelling to Ontario to spend time with and help Laurie and Lyle and their families. In the warmer months he was seen on his bike puttering around town. Bert could be found every morning drinking coffee and playing crib at the Bienfait rink with his friends Bruce, Randy, Calvin and Bill. He was a loyal Coalers fan and was often found cheering at both home and away games. Bert lived a simple life. He believed in hard work and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is now reunited with the love of his life Adela. The Funeral Mass was held on Friday, March 17, 2017 at 11 a.m at St. John the Baptist R.C Church, Estevan, SK with Fr. Melchor Samonte presiding. The lunch reception was held at the church basement following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation- Palliative Care, 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, SK, S4A 0H3. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan. Maurice B. Monteyne 1927 - 2017 Maurice Monteyne passed away peacefully at home in Estevan, SK on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at the age of 89 years. Maurice’s memory will be forever cherished by his family: sons, Larry Monteyne, Dwight (Sandra) Monteyne, Marius (Darlene) Monteyne and Keith (Tammy) Monteyne; grandchildren, Cherylee (Rob) Forster, Carrie (Kevin) Trobert, Candace (Rob) Coscarella, Marti (Stacey) Wagman, Chad Monteyne (Kolleen), Corey Monteyne, Dannette (Jason) Kopec, Troy (Melanie) Monteyne, Greg Monteyne and Krystal Shillingford (Monteyne); great grandchildren, Shanise, Jasynn, Tasia, Teagen, Teanna, Elisa, Lea, Carter, Jaden, Saige, Chase, Eden, Ava, Jaxson, Ava, Adisson and Aiden; great great granddaughter Liberty; step grandchildren, Tera (Jason) Lysaker, Karla (Brad) Fagerland, Lisa (Gerrard) Fredrickson and Brent (Amber) Gunderson as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Maurice was predeceased by his first wife Yvonne and their infant daughter Cheryl Marie Monteyne; parents, Hilaire and Maria Monteyne. A public visitation was held on Friday, March 10, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan. The Funeral Service for Maurice was held on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Estevan, with Pastor Stewart Miller officiating.The lunch reception was held immediately following the service in the church social hall. Interment will take place at the Estevan City Cemetery at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (Long Term Care), 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, SK, S4A 0H3. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan

www.estevanmercury.ca

March 22, 2017 A17

Creighton Lodge news for February February was a short month but a lot of activities were packed into it. Bad weather at the beginning of the month kept some people indoors but the last couple of weeks were a welcome change. Â The lodge started the month by saying goodbye to maintenance man Claude Mercier. Claude started with Creighton Lodge when it was

owned by the Sun Country Health Region, so when the rural municipalities took over the building in 2010, they asked Claude if he would like to stay on.Â He worked for the lodge for just under seven years and now has decided to retire. The lodge had a little retirement party for him, thanked him for his loyal years of service and wished him well

CAREERS Equipment Operator The R.M. of Benson No. 35 requires an experienced seasonal equipment operator, mainly for grading, as well as road repairs, fixing culverts, some mowing, rock picking and other miscellaneous duties. State qualifications, hourly wage expected and references. Forward applications by April 5, 2017, to: Box 69, Benson, Saskatchewan, S0C 0L0 Phone: 306-634-9410 Email: rm35@sasktel.net Fax: 634-8804.

in the years ahead.Â Warren Stubel is replacing Claude.Â Warren is well entrenched in the goings on of Creighton Lodge already. Painting, fixing and shovelling, along with getting to know the building and the residents, have taken up his February. The lodge welcomes Warren to its staff. Also, welcome to the staff Shelley Hygard and Alanah Wolner. Both women have fit right into the systems of the lodge and are getting to know the residents. The lodge has awesome employees, who always display compassion and kindness in their positions, and everyone is extremely grateful for that. The building is a happy place, if the people working and living in it are happy. People are happy. There was some great

entertainment this month. The lodge started the month with the faithful Freebies, followed by Mel Herman and Doreen Sanderson. They had a rousing night of music by Ed Heidinger and Ken Kurtz and then later in the week, Kelly and Del sang and played.Â On Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, the Happy Wanderers came right after our Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cookie and coffee party. They also heard the tunes of Bob Olson, and later in the month, Dave Kjersem and Rick Elson.Â Creighton Lodge is so very fortunate to be able to call on these folks; they really brighten lives. A couple of new residents arrived in the building this month.Â Irma Lesiuk has moved into one of the valley suites; sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a neighbour to Creighton Lodge for many years. Joe

Baniulis is also residing in one of the suites and hopefully they both enjoy their new homes. Churches offered services on Sundays and the lodge also had Friday mass and communion from Trinity Lutheran Church. Hopefully the people who come realize how much it is appreciated. Regular exercise programs continue to be well attended. Seniors realize they need to keep moving and keep their muscles strong to avoid falls and aging. The program is well-attended and hopefully it will be expanded in the future. Thanks to lodge resident Sarah Harder for filling in for Joan Wock, the lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regular Bingo caller. That is an activity that must go on every week. Get well soon, Joan. Also, thanks to Christina

Wock and her therapy dogs for their regular visits. Lodge residents really enjoy spending time with them. On Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, residents had a lovely time with the students from Sacred Heart School/Ă&#x2030;cole SacrĂŠ Coeur. They brought cards to give the residents and spent a fun morning with them. Cocktail hour happened every other Monday and residents look forward to the scrumptious snacks from Sharon Dayman.Â Sharon not only helps with cocktails but is also a regular exercise instructor. Residents also watched a few movies, played a lot of cards and watched some great curling to finish off the month.Â All in all it was a whirlwind of activity. But Creighton Lodge likes it like that. Â Â Â Â

CAREERS

SRI HOMESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Estevan Facility SHELTER HOME SYSTEMS

Oungre Memorial Park

PRODUCTION WORKERS

is now accepting resumes for

is currently accepting applications for

Now Hiring:

â&#x20AC;˘ Required Immediately

Now Â Hiring: Light Duty Mechanic

Duties include:

â&#x20AC;˘ Assembling and installing modular components Send, fax, e-mail or drop off resume to: Box 845 #200 Hwy. 18 West, Estevan, SK S4A 2A7 Fax: 306-634-7597 E-mail: jobs.shelter@gmail.com

For our Lampman location Carson Energy, A Division of AECOM Heavy Â Duty Â Mechanic

Must Have: Truck Â / Â Trailer Journeyman Ticket

For Â our Â Lampman Â location

Send resumes to dejan.risteski@aecom.com or fax resume to 403-386-1001

â&#x17E;¤ Lifeguards â&#x17E;¤ Swimming Instructor â&#x17E;¤ Round House Worker â&#x17E;¤ Grounds Worker Any questions contact Gord at (306) 456-7780 Send resumes (including references) to: oungrememorialrpark@sasktel.net Mail to: Oungre Park Box 69, Oungre, SK S0C 1Z0

Must Â have: Â

Church Directories GOSPEL CHAPEL Journeyman Â Ticket Â First Â Aid Â and Â CPR

ST. PAULâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S UNITED CHURCH

ESTEVAN

Sunday Worship and Sunday School

1202 - 2nd Street Phone: 306-634-3761 Send Â resumes Â to Â melanie.baker@aecom.com Â

Jason Richards

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holding fast the faithful wordâ&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;˘ 11:00 am

EMAIL: stpaulsuc@sasktel.net Website: stpaulsestevan.ca

ALL are Welcome!!

or Â fax Â resume Â to Â 306-Â781-Â2262

Sunday:Worship 11:00 a.m. Tuesday: Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.

SUNDAY SERVICES: Bible Study - 10:00 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Worship - 11:00 a.m. Evening Worship - Sunday and Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

An Associated Gospel Church

1107 4th Street â&#x20AC;˘ 306-634-2074 â&#x20AC;˘ www.facebook.com/salvationarmyestevan

Faith Lutheran Church REAL LIFE

REAL PEOPLE

REAL GOD

Sunday Service at

10:00 am

Followed by coffee time

Bible studies on any subject can be arranged at your convenience. Please call us.

100 King Street, Estevan, Sask â&#x20AC;˘ (306) 634-8133 â&#x20AC;˘ livinghope-ca.org

Estevan Alliance Church

Trinity Lutheran Church

Sunday Worship 10:30 am Nursery & Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministries available during the service. Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 am

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clubs Wednesdays 7-8 pm

Friday Night Youth 7:30 pm (Gr 7-12)

140 King Street (across from Staples)

306.634.2601

www.estevanalliancechurch.com /estevanalliance

PASTORS: JIM KEDGE & WAYLON KLIX

St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church Corner 12th Avenue & 2nd Street

Phone: 306-634-2190

Fax: 306-634-6845

Pastor: Father Brian Meredith MASSES: Saturday: 7:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m.

ALL WELCOME!

www.estevangospelchapel.ca

CHURCH OF CHRIST TIM PIPPUS

10:30 a.m. - Sunday Service

Wednesday: Club DJ for kids 6:30 p.m.

306-634-2885 â&#x20AC;˘ 1418 3rd St. Estevan

1302 - 8th St., Estevan Office Phone: 306-634-3116 Email: estevan.cofc@sasktel.net

THE SALVATION ARMY Estevan Community Church

E.L.C.I.C.

Sunday Worship & Sunday School - 10am PASTOR STEWART MILLER

Coffee & Fellowship after Worship 738 - 2nd Street, Estevan Church Office: 306-634-5684 E: trinity.luth@sasktel.net Website: www.etlc.ca

Sunday Service 10:30 am Sunday school during service Nicholson Centre Pastor Dan Krauss Phone: 306-471-8130 All Are Welcome Faithlc.com

St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lutheran Church 130 Souris Ave. N. Reverend Randy Kleemola Phone: 306-634-2024 email: st.peters@sasktel.net

www.stpeterslutheranestevan.com

Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. - Bible Study 10:30 a.m. - Divine Service with Holy Communion and Sunday School A Congregation of LUTHERAN CHURCH - CANADA

A18 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

Top juvenile broomball players are coming to Estevan next week Many of Canada’s top young broomball players will be in Estevan from March 28 to 31 for the national juvenile men’s and women’s championships. Event spokesperson Shelley Schroeder said 16 teams will be entered, with eight male teams and eight female teams. Games will take place at Affinity Place and the Civic Auditorium. A round-robin will open the tournament, with the first contests beginning at 8 a.m. on March 28, and continuing throughout the day. The opening ceremonies are scheduled for that

night at Affinity Place at 7 p.m. Games will resume at 9 a.m. the following morning, and the final game that day will be at 6:15 p.m. The round-robin will wrap up on March 30, with the first game at 7 a.m. and the final round-robin game at 10:15 a.m. The first round of the playoffs will begin at 1:30 p.m. Awards will be handed out at a banquet at 7 p.m. at the Estevan Comprehensive School. Medal round games will be on March 31. The women’s gold medal game

will be at 11:30 a.m. at Affinity Place, and the men’s gold medal game is scheduled for 12:40 p.m., also at Affinity Place. The medal ceremony is slated for 2 p.m. Games are 65 minutes long. The Estevan Murray GM Raiders will be the host team on the men’s side. They placed third out of five teams at provincials, and they picked up nine players from Odessa, who also competed at provincials. Schroeder expects the local entry will be competitive.

“They’re quite excited,” said Schroeder. “They’re practicing three times a week. They’re doing dryland.” The Raiders will open the tournament with a game against the Manitoba allstars at 10:10 a.m. on March 28 at the Civic Auditorium. Their next game will be at 8:30 p.m. that night against the defending national champions, the Valley Gamblers, at Affinity Place. Two more games will follow on March 29 at Affinity Place: a 9 a.m. game against Ontario’s Kilsyth Flyers, and a 3 p.m. game

against the Quebec Blitz. Estevan will wrap up the round-robin with a game against the Quebec Frost at 9:10 a.m. on March 30. The Bruno Axemen will be the other Saskatchewan men’s team at nationals. On the women’s side, the Odessa Flames have been designated as the home team, while the Debden Roadrunners will be the other Saskatchewan squad. A Manitoba all-stars squad will also be entered on both the male and female divisions, and there will be four teams from Quebec and six more from Ontario.

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“They take it quite seriously,” said Schroeder. “It’s going to be very interesting to watch to see where we’re at in comparison to them.” Schroeder expects the tournament will be an eyeopener for a lot of people, but it should be fabulous entertainment. Volunteers are still needed for the event, particularly with scorekeeping and timekeeping in both arenas. Schroeder recognizes it’s tough for people to commit their time during the day, but she hopes anyone with an hour or two to spare will help out.

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Barristers & Solicitors Paul Elash Q.C., B.A., LL.B. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Golas, B. Mgt., J.D.

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Energy

A19

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Spartan grew from a junior producer into an intermediate in 2016 By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Spartan Energy Corp. moved up to the next level in 2016, from a junior producer to an intermediate producer. On March 16 it released its 2016 year-end results. Spartan completed five consolidating acquisitions in their southeast Saskatchewan operating area in 2016, representing approximately 10,930 barrels of oil equivalent (boepd) of production, 32.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) of proved developed producing reserves, 43.3 MMboe of total proved reserves, 63.3 MMboe of proved plus probable reserves and 223,000 net acres of land, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $864.8 million, net of closing adjustments. The five acquisitions added 718 net drilling locations in the Frobisher, Midale, Tilston and Ratcliffe light oil plays in southeast Saskatchewan. Spartan completed three equity financings of 246.2 million common shares for gross proceeds of approximately $719.6 million. The company achieved average production of 11,748 boepd

in 2016 (92 per cent oil and tion growth within cash flow liquids), representing a 33 despite depressed commodper cent increase over 2015 ity prices experienced during (13 per cent per debt adjusted the year. Total capital expenshare). ditures (excluding acquisiSpartan Drilled 62 (53.7 tions) of $75.8 million were net) development wells and less than adjusted funds flow brought 69 (59.6 net) devel- from operations of $76.7 opment wells on production million. Excluding amounts in 2016. spent on land and seismic, Spartan drilled 42.9 net total capital expenditures open-hole Frobisher wells represented approximately in 2016 (90 per cent success 82 per cent of adjusted funds rate), with initial 90-day flow from operations.” oil production rates (IP90) Operations update exceeding their type well by Spartan has had an acover 30 per cent. At Alam- tive first quarter in the field, eda, they brought a total of with three rigs operating in seven net wells on produc- southeast Saskatchewan and tion in 2016 following the an additional rig drilling their acquisition of Wyatt Oil and 2016 Viking program in west Gas Inc. in June 2016. These central Saskatchewan. First wells achieved an average quarter activity levels have IP90 oil rate of 159 barrels been in line with budget, of oil per day, approximately and they anticipated drilling 23 per cent above their frac 16.9 net open hole, 8.0 net Midale type curve. frac Midale and 14.5 net The company continued Viking wells in the quarter. to reduce drilling costs, with All wells were scheduled to drill, complete and equip be on production prior to the costs for single leg open- end of the quarter, with the hole horizontal wells drilled exception of 9.5 net Viking after the first quarter of 2016 wells and 3.0 net frac Midale averaging approximately wells which are scheduled $600,000. to be completed and brought Spartan’s press release on production in the second HUGE EQUIPMENT, noted, “The outperformance quarter. RV, VEHICLE of our wells and continued Spartan said they had costs savings allowed Spar- “a very successful drilltan to deliver organic producing program in 2016, with

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SATURDAY JUNE 20, 2015 OLE PETEHERYCH 9:00 A.M. — ESTEVAN, SK 306-634-3540 DIRECTIONS: EAST OF ESTEVAN ON SHAND ACCESS ROAD WATCH FORMARCH SIGNS THURSDAY, 30, 2017 7:00 PM DAYS INN, ESTEVAN, AUCTION Mack Auction Company presents Macdon 16’ 5020 mower conditioner sprayer, newSASK. Pool 3HP aeration fan,

LAND

a very large annual Equipment-RVwith very few cutting acres, Vermeer 2200 bushel Weststeel hopper bottom Vehicle Auction Saturday June 20, 2015 605L Series round baler with bale bin, 2- 1850 bushel Westeel hopper Estevan Motor Speedway, and Vemeer updates, Degelman bin, 2200pasture bushel Westeelland Rosco hopper Here is your chance toEstevan, own sixkicker quarter sections of fenced Sask 9:00 am. Consign Today!! A 14’ rock rake PTO drive, Degelman PTO bottom, Westeel 1600 bushel hopper in the North Portal/Northgate area. complete farm equipment dispersal rock picker, IH 5500 DT 28’ chisel plow bottom bin, 40 ton hopper bottom time rancher Harley Jahn! MF 850 combine, MF 90 5. NE-28-01-03-W2 fertilizer bin, SakundiakRM HD 7-1400 OF Lots 1 & 2 shareforalong common water Lots Up 3, 4, cultivator, 5 & 6 will be SP combined. for auction TW25 Ford FWA tractor with FEL and grapple fork, Spra Coupe grain auger with Onan 18 HP, Check on are cross source and will be combined. This These fourforquarters ENNISKILLEN #3;newPasture, FVA with dual PTO and 3PTH, DX 90 2WD parts, 1997 Eagle Industries 24’ this ad each week for additions to half section is located adjacent fenced share water 2016 Taxes $311.07 tractor with FEL and 5720 hours, 2002 and gooseneck ﬂat decksources, trailer, 3 PTH yard 67,800, this large sale!!

to the community pasture’s east valleys and coulees. Grid Road Access, Also Known Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill and photos. Join us on Facebook and Twitter. corrals. 3. SW-28-01-03-W2 RM OF As The Little Dipper Ranch 1. SW-22-01-04-W2 RM OF ENNISKILLEN #3; Pasture, FVA Heritage Site COALFIELDS #4; Pasture, FVA 47,700, 2016 Taxes $218.84 6. NW-27-01-03-W2 RM OF 32,200, 2016 Taxes $295.77 4. SE-28-01-03-W2 RM OF ENNISKILLEN #3; Pasture, FVA 2. SE-22-01-04-W2 RM OF ENNISKILLEN #3; Pasture, FVA 64,200, 2016 Taxes $319.55, COALFIELDS #4; Pasture, FVA 51,800, 2016 Taxes $237.66, Grid Road Access 32,400, 2016 Taxes $286.58, Seasonal Access Road & Low Abandoned Farm Yard With Level Crossing Power Service 831, Box 831, Estevan, SKBox S4A 2A7Estevan, SK S4A 2A7

both open-hole Frobisher wells and frac-Midale wells brought on production during the year exceeding internal type curves. Early results from our first quarter program indicate that this outperformance is continuing, with open-hole wells at Queensdale and Winmore and frac Midale wells at Alameda currently ahead of budgeted type curves.” Outlook Spartan has been a company on the hunt. Its released noted, “The commodity price challenges experienced by the energy industry in 2016 created unique acquisition opportunities, and Spartan was able to capitalize on these opportunities to significantly enhance our asset portfolio.” Transforming from a junior producer to into an intermediate producer in 2016, Spartan added almost 11,000 boepd of production, while also significantly adding to their inventory of economic drilling locations. The company noted it improved the

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approximately $42 million in 2017.” The company is budgeting to allocate up to $15 million of excess cash flow to discretionary investments such as the initiation and expansion of waterflood projects and the acquisition of additional land and seismic data. The remainder of their free cash flow will be used to further strengthen their balance sheet and drive additional growth by pursuing acquisition opportunities in their core operating areas.

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DIRECTIONS: EAST ON SHAND ACCESS 1. NW-19-04-06-W2 RM #34; FVA 80,400, 2016 TaxesOF ESTEVAN 7. SE-29-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVAROAD 61,600, 2016 Taxes WATCH FOR SIGNS $462.99, 2016 144 Acres Canola, 159 Titled Acres $354.72, 2016 120 Acres Soy Beans, 160 Titled Acres, $3050.00 Surface Lease Revenue Mack Auction presents Macdon 16’ 5020 mower conditioner sprayer, new Pool 3HP aeration fan, 2. NE-19-04-06-W2 RM #34;Company FVA 73,400, 2016 Taxes a very large annual Equipment-RVwith very few cutting acres, Vermeer RM 2200 bushel hopper bottom $422.68, 2016 146 Acres Canola, 159 Titled Acres, 8. NE-28-04-05-W2 #34; FVAWeststeel 79,300, 2016 Taxes Vehicle Auction Saturday June 20, 2015 605L Series round baler with bale bin, 2- 1850 bushel Westeel hopper $13,350.00 Surface Lease Revenue $456.65, 2016 135 Acres Yellow Mustard, 160 Estevan Motor Speedway, Estevan, kicker and Vemeer updates, Degelman bin, 2200 bushel Westeel Rosco hopper Acres, $5775.00 Surface Revenue Sask RM 9:00 am. Today!! A2016 Taxes 14’ rock rake PTOTitled drive, Degelman PTO bottom, WesteelLease 1600 bushel hopper 3. SW-19-04-06-W2 #34;Consign FVA 74,900, complete farm equipment dispersal rock picker, IH 5500 DT 28’ chisel plow bottom bin, 40 ton hopper bottom $431.31, 2016for145 Acres Canola, 160 Titled Acres, 9. SE-28-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVA 69,800, 2016 Taxes long time rancher Harley Jahn! Up cultivator, MF 850 SP combine, MF 90 fertilizer bin, Sakundiak HD 7-1400 $3600.00 Surface Lease Revenue $401.94, 2016 135 Acres Yellow Mustard, 159 on for auction TW25 Ford FWA tractor with FEL and grapple fork, Spra Coupe grain auger with Onan 18 HP, Check Titled Acres,24’$7175.00 Surface Lease Revenue with dual PTO and 3PTH, DX 90 2WD for parts, 1997 Eagle Industries this ad each week for new additions to 4. SE-19-04-06-W2 RM #34; FVA 70,100, 2016 Taxes tractor with FEL and 5720 hours, 2002 gooseneck ﬂat deck trailer, 3 PTH yard this large sale!! $403.67, 2016 135 Acres Canola, 148.65 Titled 10. SE-18-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVA 73,500, 2016 Visit www.mackauctioncompany.com for sale bill and photos. Join us on139 Facebook andWheat, Twitter. 140.24 Acres, $10,000.00 Surface Lease Revenue (SubTaxes $423.25, 2016 Acres Divided Yard Site Does Not Sell!) Titled Acres $8450.00 Surface Lease Revenue (Sub-Divided Yard Site Does Not Sell!) 5. SE-29-04-06-W2 RM #34; FVA 71,300, 2016 Taxes $410.58, 2016 125 Acres Canola, 137.3 Titled 11. SW-17-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVA 82,100, 2016 Acres, Existing Surface Leases Not Included In Sale Taxes $472.77, 2016 140 Acres Wheat, 159 Titled (Sub-Divided Yard Site Does Not Sell!) Acres, $6650.00 Surface Lease Revenue

6. SW-29-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVA 61,700, 2016 Taxes $355.30, 2016 132 Acres Soy Beans, 132.11 Titled Acres, $2725.00 Surface Lease Revenue

12. SE-06-04-05-W2 RM #34; FVA 76,500, 2016 Taxes $440.52, 2016 135 Acres Wheat, 159 Titled Acres

831, Box 831, Estevan, SKBox S4A 2A7Estevan, SK S4A 2A7 (306) 634-9512, Ph: (306) 634-9512, (306)Ph: 421-2928, (306) 487-7815 (306) 421-2928, (306) 487-7815 Licensed, Bonded & Insured P.L. 311962 Licensed, Bonded & Insured P.L. 311962 www.mackauctioncompany.com

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quality of their reserve base, lowered corporate production decline from 30 per cent to 24 per cent and maintained the strength of their balance sheet. Spartan said it is on track to meet or exceed their 2017 annual average production guidance of 21,080 boepd, representing 11 per cent annual per share growth, adding, “Based on a 2017 average WTI price of US$50, we anticipate free cash flow (in excess of forecast drilling and maintenance capital) of

VAL VEROBA, KELLY FLECK, 23rd for your chance to own 12 quarter ESTEVAN MOTORsections SPEEDWAY DALLAS FLECK & SHERRY MOFFAT of prime farmland in the RM of Browning #34. There is over $60,000.00 of THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 Surface Lease Revenue being sold with the DAYS INN, ESTEVAN,SATURDAY SASK. land which located in the center of the JUNE 20, is2015 7:00 P.M. Lampman/Steelman 9:00 A.M. — ESTEVAN, SK gas and oil fields!

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Quality Controlled Safety Co-ordinated

On Feb. 23, 2016 Spartan Energy Corp. was doing some work in its Pinto field, north of North Portal. In the year since then the company has grown substantially through acquisitions in addition to its own active drilling program. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

www.mackauctioncompany.com

Bridal Guide Jade Chipley & Ryan Biletsky ................................. Spring 2017 Cassandra Schwartz & David Kirk ........................May 13, 2017 Pam O’Handley & Dan McLellan ..........................June 24, 2017 Jacine Styre & Jeffrey Leclair ..............................June 24, 2017 Chelsea Kawecki & Mitchell Meyer ......................June 24, 2017 Sarah Mehler & Jeff Clauson ................................ July 29, 2017 Mica Moreau & Winston Hunt .......................... August 19, 2017 Ashley Mucha & Mitch Sinclair ..................... September 2, 2017 Terra Schwartz & Jared Phair ...........................October 7, 2017 Kaela Bonokoski & Scott Larter .................. November 28, 2017

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THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT DRILLING LICENSES Seventeen new licenses issued to Monday, March 20

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Torc Oil Hz ....................................................................................................................................... 09-16-2-14 Crescent Point Hz ................................................................................................................................ 1-15-9-8 Athena Resources Hz .......................................................................................................................... 1-14-6-3 Torc Oil Hz ....................................................................................................................................... 10-16-2-14 Torc Oil Hz ......................................................................................................................................... 9-16-2-14 Torc Oil Hz ......................................................................................................................................... 9-16-2-14 Crescent Point Hz .............................................................................................................................. 16-36-6-9 Spartan Energy Hz ............................................................................................................................... 2-3-3-15 Crescent Point Hz ................................................................................................................................ 4-15-7-7 Ridgeback Resources Hz................................................................................................................. 13-15-10-7

70220 69557 70312 70317 70324 70325 70866

Crescent Point Hz .................................................................................................................................4-29-7-7 Astra Oil Hz .........................................................................................................................................13-20-2-4 Torc Oil Hz ........................................................................................................................................15-10-2-14 Torc Oil Hz ........................................................................................................................................15-10-2-14 Torc Oil Hz ........................................................................................................................................15-10-2-14 Crescent Point Hz .............................................................................................................................14-24-3-12 Ventura Resources Vert ........................................................................................................................12-7-5-6

69411 63147 66874 68585

Trinidad......................................................Torc Oil & Gas ...................................................................2-20-5-3 D2 Drilling ..................................................Villanova 4 Oil ...................................................................12-3-2-4 D2 Drilling ..................................................Villanova 4 Oil ...................................................................11-5-3-2 Trinidad..................................................... Burgess Creek .................................................................1-27-4-07

RIG REPORT

A20 March 22, 2017

Estevan Mercury

One person charged for threats

Sun Country Regional Health Authority NOTICE of MEETING WHEN: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 WHERE: Conference Room I, Tatagwa View 808 Souris Valley Road, Weyburn, Sk. TIME: 1:30 P.M. â&#x20AC;˘ The Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) is the governing body of your Health Region, and conducts its regular business meetings in public. â&#x20AC;˘ Strategic Planning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wall Walk at 1:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Individuals or groups of individuals requesting a meeting with SCRHA must send their request in writing 10 days prior to the meeting stating the purpose of the meeting and the time required. Send to Sun Country Regional Health Authority, 808 Souris Valley Rd., Weyburn, SK, S4H 2Z9 or to Lesley.Chapman@schr.sk.ca The public is welcome to attend and observe.

Keep our environment looking

A 25-year-old Estevan man is facing numerous charges for uttering threats. Members of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) arrested him during the March 12 night shift, and charged him with five counts of uttering threats to cause death, one count of resisting arrest and one count of failing to comply with a probation order. He made his first court appearance the following morning. In other recent police news, officers responded to a residence during the March 13 day shift for a disturbance

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call involving family members. Police were assisted by Social Services to help mediate the situation, and an investigation is still ongoing. Police were asked to check on the wellbeing of an elderly couple late in the afternoon. Members arrived on the scene and determined further assessment was warranted, so both subjects were transported to hospital for further care. Members received a report of an assault during the March 13 night shift. The matter is still under investigation. Police received a driving complaint regarding a limo. The limo driver was located and warned about his driving actions, and was charged for driving outside his licence restrictions and endorsements. Officers assisted the City of Estevan regarding a possible theft of services during the March 14 day shift. The matter is under investigation. Members were called to a public services office for a disturbance complaint. A female was arrested on outstanding warrants and made a court appearance later in the week. Police are alerting the public to a possible phone scam from someone claiming to be soliciting funds for the fire department. They ask that

people be cautious and ask questions regarding anyone asking for money. Officers also received new complaints regarding the Revenue Canada scam that has been circulating in recent months. Members responded to a local establishment during the March 15 night shift, after receiving a complaint of damage to property. Further investigation led police to a different establishment, where two males were arrested and charged for mischief and obstructing a police officer. They will make their first court appearance in May. A 24-year-old Manitoba man was charged with impaired driving and driving while over .08 during the March 16 night shift, after police observed a vehicle leaving a local drinking establishment. He was released and will appear in court in May. Officers attended to a motor vehicle collision at a local school during the March 17 day shift. The matter is still under investigation. Members were then called to a report of a possible fight at a downtown establishment during the March 17 night shift. Police attended and learned a patron was not actually in a fight but had broken a beer bottle over their head. No medical atten-

tion was required. Police arrested and charged three young people with possession of a controlled substance after a downtown traffic stop during the March 18 day shift. All three will appear in court in May to answer to the charges. Members also ticketed a passenger for failing to wear a seat belt and having open alcohol in a vehicle. Police checked a motorist who was showing signs of impairment during the March 18 night shift. The driver provided a breath sample in a roadside screening device and subsequently failed the test and was arrested. Breath samples showed the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blood alcohol content was more than double the legal limit, and the motorist was charged accordingly. Members were alerted to a male who was causing issues at a local business. Upon investigation the male was not listening to members and causing issues with other patrons. He was then arrested for public intoxication. Officers have charged a 55-year-old Estevan woman for driving while impaired, refusing to provide a breath sample and assaulting a police officer, after a complaint to the EPS during the March 19 day shift. She was lodged in cells until sober and will be released for court in May.

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Message From

The Mayor

GUARD/MATRON

April is National Poetry month. Celebrate great poetry and the poets that create them!

The Estevan Police Service is seeking applications for the position of Guard/Matron. Successful applicants must be able to work independently with little supervision. The Guard/Matron will provide constant observation of persons who are being held in custody.

Emergency Measures Organization Needs Your Help As part of the Emergency Measures Organization the Red Cross team sets up Emergency Social Services on demand. The Red Cross is seeking volunteers to be prepared and to assist in helping residents during and after a disaster. Red Cross will completely train those individuals who have an interest in volunteering. Requirements: - Criminal Records Check - Willingness to Help People that are displaced and in crisis - Time commitment to be available when needed Interested candidates are invited to contact

Successful applicants can be called on short notice and at various hours of the day or night. Shifts vary from three to eight hours. Training is provided. Applications can be picked up at the police station or requested by mail. Estevan Police Service 301-11th Avenue, Estevan Saskatchewan S4A 1C7 306-634-4767 Requests by email are to be direted to: schartrand@estevanpolice.ca

SERVING PROFESSIONAL The City of Estevan is looking for a Serving Professional for our Food and Beverage division. If you are interested, please contact HR at apply@estevan.ca

Roberta DeRosier - 306-421-2183 ESS Director Red Cross

FACILITY SCHEDULE

ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE January 4 - March 31, 2017

TIME

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

6am - 9am

LANE SWIM

Help us keep your kids safe!

9am - 10am

A.I.S.

TWINGES & HINGES

A.I.S.

TWINGES & HINGES

A.I.S.

10am - 12pm

MOM & BABY AQUAFIT 10:15am - 11am

PRESCHOOL LESSONS

MOM & BABY AQUAFIT 10:15am - 11am

SCHOOL LESSONS

All children under the age of 8 must be supervised by someone 16 years or older, within arms reach.

12pm - 1pm

LANE SWIM

1pm - 3pm

SCHOOL LESSONS

3pm - 4pm

SURF & SWIM

4pm - 5pm

RED CROSS LESSONS 4pm - 5:15pm

5pm - 6pm

MINI MERMAIDS | 5:15pm - 6pm AQUASTEP | 5:15pm - 6pm

RED CROSS LESSONS

RED CROSS LESSONS 4pm - 6pm AQUASTEP 5:15pm - 6pm

LIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FREE SWIM

6pm - 7pm 7pm - 8pm

SPECIAL OLYMPICS MERMAIDS

8pm - 9pm 9pm - 10pm

LANE SWIM

Weight Room & Walking Track (except stat holidays)

6am - 10pm

Affinity Rink

WATER POLO

6am - 9pm

MERMAIDS

WATER POLO

LANE SWIM

ADULT WATER POLO

6am - 10pm

6am - 9pm

PARENT & TOT | 11:15am - 12pm PARENT & TOT | 11:15am - 12pm PARENT & TOT | 11:15am - 12pm sponsor: Estevan Strippers Hockey Club

sponsor: Estevan Strippers Hockey Club

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

LANE SWIM

LANE SWIM FAMILY SWIM

PUBLIC SWIM

LANE SWIM

FAMILY SWIM

PUBLIC SWIM

LANE SWIM WATER POLO DEEP WATER FITNESS 8pm - 8:45pm

Hot tub and steam room may be available during LANE SWIM, SCHOOL LESSONS, and RED CROSS LESSONS, please call 306-634-1876 to check.

6am - 9pm PARENT & TOT | 11:15am - 12pm

sponsor: Estevan Strippers Hockey Club

16+ NOON HOCKEY | 12pm - 1pm 16+ NOON HOCKEY | 12pm - 1pm 16+ NOON HOCKEY | 12pm - 1pm

16+ NOON HOCKEY | 12pm - 1pm

9am - 9pm

* FAMILY SKATE begins January 8th ** PUBLIC SKATE begins January 5th

PUBLIC SKATE is unsupervised. Participants MUST wear skates, helmets are recommended

PARENT & TOT | 11:15am - 12pm

Power Dodge Ice Centre

sponsor: Estevan Strippers Hockey Club

16+ NOON HOCKEY | 12pm - 1pm PUBLIC SKATE** | 7:15pm - 8:15pm

701 Souris Avenue North | Estevan, SK | Tel: 306-634-1888 | www.estevan.ca

KIDS PROGRAMS: FAMILY ART A hands on arts and crafts program for toddlers aged 18 months and up. Parent participation is required. WHEN: March 23, 30 April 6, 13, 27 May 4, 11, 18, 25 June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 TIME: 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:30am COST: $2/family/session Pre-Registration is required

City of Estevan Traffic Bylaw 2016-1963: Section 53

KINDER CLUB Encourage creativity and artistic development in your kindergartener. For kids age 4-6. WHEN: March 29 April 4, 12, 26 May 2, 10, 16, 24 June 6, 14, 20, 28 TIME: 10:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:15 COST: $5/child/session Pre-Registration is required

FAMILY SKATE* | 5:15pm - 6:15pm

1. No person shall deposit any natural substances on any highway, public sidewalk, boulevard or ditch within the City of Estevan, excepting: a) On 4th Street from Souris Avenue and 14th Avenue where building is abutting the property line; b) On 5th Street from 13th Avenue to Souris Avenue where the building is abutting the property line; c) On 11th Avenue from 3rd Street to 5th Street where the building is abutting the property line; d) On 12th Avenue from 3rd Street to 6th Street where the building is abutting the property line; e) On 13th Avenue from the North side of 4th Street North 40 meters. 2. No person shall dump any substance

on any highway, public side walk, boulevard or ditch within the City of Estevan. 3. The occupier of property in the City of Estevan shall remove any snow, ice or other obstruction from the public sidewalk adjacent to such property within twenty-four (24) hours of the time such snow, ice or other obstruction appears on such public sidewalk. In the event that this subsection is not complied with, the City may remove such snow, ice or other obstructions at the expense of such occupants or owner, and in the event of the nonpayment of such expense, such expense may be charged against the property as a special assessment to be recovered in like manner as and with the taxes.

Public Notice The Council of the City of Estevan, pursuant to Section 209 of the Saskatchewan Planning and Development Act, 2007, gives notice of its intention to amend Zoning Bylaw #2010-1834 as hereinafter provided:

Legislative Services Business Division, 1102 4th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan, between the hours of 9:00am and 12:00 noon, and 1:00pm and 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

Consideration is being given to amend the Zoning Bylaw #2010-1834 to include new provision allowing the Land Development Department to require a performance deposits of no more than $5,000 for new construction within the City. The deposit will be used to ensure that the development is completed within acceptable time frames and follows any standards or conditions of the permit. The deposit will be fully refundable and will only be forfeited in cases of continual non-compliance with the Bylaw or the approved permit.

City Council, at its meeting to be held on Monday, April 10, 2017, at 6:00pm in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan will hear any person(s) wishing to be heard with respect to the proposed amending bylaw and will further consider any written submissions respecting the proposed bylaw, provided such intentions and/or submissions are received by the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, Legislative Services, City Hall, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 0W7 no later than 12:00 pm on Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

The amending Bylaw (#2017-1985) may be inspected by any person at the

Dated at the City of Estevan this 14th Day of March, 2017.

COST: $15/child Pre-registration is required THE PINTEREST CHALLENGE Stop just pinning the crafts you see on Pinterest and start doing them! Each month we will create our own crafts that are trending on Pinterest. WHEN: April 27, May 25, June 29 TIME: 7-9pm COST:$25/person Pre-registration is required

TIME: 7-9pm COST: $25/annual membership Pre-registration is required PHOTO TRANSFER WORKSHOP Participants will learn to transfer photos onto wood, creating their own personalized home dĂŠcor piece. WHEN: April 12 TIME: 7-9pm COST: $25/person Pre-registration is required

different activities and events. WHEN: April 28 TIME: 7pm COST: $25/person Pre-registration is required CARD MAKING WORKSHOP Instructor Mandi Perry-Zohner will guide us in creating a variety of greeting cards for every occasion. WHEN: May 31 TIME: 7-9pm COST: $25/person Pre-registration is required

LADIES NIGHT OUT MINI ART CAMPS Grab your girlfriends for a fun night of Keep your kids busy during their time off SOUTH SASK PHOTO CLUB from school with these fun and engaging Instructed by Jon Gillies, this monthly crafting and wine. Each month will feature mini art camps. club is for beginner and advanced WHEN: March 24, April 19, May 8 photographers alike. TIME: 9:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:30 Ages 7-9 WHEN: March 28, April 25, May 30, 1:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:30 Ages 10-12 June 27 Contact Martina Veneziano to register. 118 4th Street Estevan, SK, S4A 0T4 (P)306 634 7644 (F) 306 634 2940 (E ) eagm@sasktel.net (W) wwww.eagm.ca

GETTING STARTED PROGRAMS AND EVENTS & " $!( %/ Â