Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Issue 39
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
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Scott Moe wins Sask. Party leadership race By William Acri wacri@estevanmercury.ca
“Just watch me” were the words from Scott Moe to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the carbon tax, moments after Moe won the Saskatchewan Party’s leadership race on Saturday evening in Saskatoon. Those three words were originally said by Justin Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott Trudeau, when a reporter asked him how far he would go in quelling the Front de Libération du Québec revolt that gripped the attention of the nation in the early 1970s. The elder Trudeau took it as far as invoking the War Measures Act, and if that’s the attitude Scott Moe is taking with the federal government on the carbon tax, 2018 is going to be a very interesting year for the people of Saskatchewan. It was a close race between Moe and runner-up Alanna Koch, with Moe winning the leadership by a margin of just over 1,000 votes on the fifth and final ballot. A2 » ESTEVAN
From left, new Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe with Estevan MLA Lori Carr at the Sask. Party’s leadership convention. Moe won the leadership race on the fifth and final ballot, and will be Saskatchewan’s next premier. Photo submitted.
Police board recommends one marijuana retailer in Estevan By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan board of police commissioners wants to see just one retailer selling marijuana in the city. The police board discussed the issue at its monthly meeting on Jan. 24. The provincial government had allocated two retailers for Estevan, but the police board thought that one was sufficient. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said that when the information regarding the retailers first came out, municipalities were given two options. The first was to opt
out, and not have any dispensaries. The second was to have such businesses, and be allocated licences on a per capita basis, hence two licences for Estevan. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) would honour a request to have fewer retailers than what was allocated, Ladouceur said. “I did have some discussion, both with land development here very briefly, as well as with SLGA directly,” said Ladouceur. “It was more an inquiry with SLGA as to whether there is room to move the number of licences.”
The police chief was concerned that Estevan was allowed to have licenced dispensaries, which would be as many as Moose Jaw and Prince Albert, which are three times the size of the Energy City. “It begs the question of, in a community of 11,000 people, do we really require two establishments?” asked Ladouceur. At the same time, Ladouceur said the city could always seek a second licence in the future if there is sufficient demand. Ladouceur expects there will be a large emphasis on regulation of new
Collision north of Estevan leaves a pedestrian dead A pedestrian was killed after he was struck by a vehicle north of Estevan. Members of the Estevan RCMP, the Estevan Fire Rescue Service and the Estevan Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were called regarding the accident at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. The incident occurred
at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Township Road No. 25, about one-and-a-half kilometres north of the city limits. The pedestrian, a 27-year-old Estevan man, was transported to hospital by EMS, where he was pronounced deceased. His name was not released. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured and
remained at the scene until emergency crews arrived. An RCMP collision reconstruction investigator attended the scene. Traffic was detoured for a period of time and the road was reopened early Saturday morning. The RCMP continues to investigate the incident. No further details were immediately available.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur dispensaries, and Mayor Roy Ludwig added there will be a large learning curve associated with marijuana sales, legislation and enforcement. “In fairness, from an enforcement standpoint, and from a monitoring standpoint, I think it would be prudent to start with one,” said Ladouceur. “The city is small enough that anybody who does want (marijuana can get it).” He said the city has the option of having no dispensaries, but he discouraged that direction. Ladouceur said it would open the door to black market sales, or allow black market sales to continue, and it would also
lead to people travelling to other communities. “If they’re not purchasing locally, they’re more apt to drive to another community to purchase, and are they then using that drug on the way back to Estevan, thereby increasing the risk of an impaired by drug (accident)?” said Ladouceur. “If legalization is there, and marijuana is available in most communities across the province, I think it’s obviously advisable to allow it (here).” Ludwig said people could also purchase it online. Location of the marijuana vendor is a factor the police board will have to discuss in the future, Ladouceur said. Some people have suggested that a dispensary should be in the industrial area, but he believes that could be an unwise move. “We don’t put our liquor stores in industrial areas,” said Ladouceur. So it means the business will likely need to be in a more visible area, and he said land development agrees. “As long as we have that there’s a distance they have to be from schools,”
said Ludwig. Lynn Chipley, who is a member-at-large for the police board, voiced a concern regarding high prices if there is just one retailer. It could lead to an alternative market, she said. The police chief expects there will be guidelines set by the province for pricing and taxation, just like tobacco or liquor, which he said is good news. Loren Resler, who is also an at-large member on the police board, wanted to know what would happen if three applicants were vying for a licence, since only one would be granted locally. Ultimately, it will be the SLGA that determines who gets the licence, Ladouceur said. “They have outlined publicly how that decision process would likely flow,” said Ladouceur. “It would likely go through a lottery process, with obviously a background check on applicants, and then they would decide.” He believes it will be a fair process. The police board’s recommendations will now be taken to Estevan city council.
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A2 January 31, 2018
Estevan Mercury
Ultrasound services are returning to Estevan someone to fill the vacant position and they did find an individual. That person was put through rigorous training in Regina before being allowed to work in the hospital, but unfortunately that person did not pass the training requirements. As such, the hospital spent the remaining time up until now looking constantly for someone to fill the ultrasound position. The seven-month stoppage of ultrasound services is now over at the hospital, and Greg Hoffort, the CEO
By William Acri wacri@estevanmercury.ca
Ultrasound services will be returning soon to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Since the spring of 2017, there has been an issue about the lack of an ultrasound provider. The issues started when the previous ultrasound technician stepped down and issued notice to St. Joseph’s Hospital of a permanent leave of absence. The hospital immediately started looking for
of St. Joseph’s Hospital, is pleased to announce that ultrasound services will be restored in February. “After a several month gap in ultrasound services, we are pleased to announce that we are wrapping up negotiations with an ultrasound provider, and within the next few weeks, ultrasound service will resume at St. Joseph’s Hospital. After a trying time, we are very happy to have found an ultrasound provider who on a long-term basis can meet our demands,” said Hoffort.
“The great news about this is the service we once had is going to be restored in the city thereby saving the time and issues associated with travelling outside of Estevan to get an ultrasound done.” Hoffort declined to comment on the name of the ultrasound technician or any details regarding the ongoing contract with that provider because the details are not yet finalized. “Our goal is providing important services for the Estevan community and we will have an ultrasound
technician at the hospital in two weeks,” he said. “They will be a certified and trained technician when they get to the hospital; additionally they do have experience in the field of study.” Hoffort noted that the hospital takes providing important services very seriously, and this time around they are working on plans to have the capacity to always be in a position of providing ultrasound services. “We have been up to our eyeballs for the past long while, trying to make
Greg Hoffort this happen and it is so great to finally have everything coming together,” said Hoffort.
Estevan MLA Lori Carr supported Moe’s campaign « A1 Overall Moe finished with 8,075 votes, getting 53.87 per-cent of the support. Ken Cheveldayoff, Gordon Wyant, Tina Beaudry-Mellor and Rob Clarke were also on the ballot. Clarke dropped out of the race in December, but his name still appeared on the ballot. He was the first candidate eliminated. Beaudry-Mellor was the next to go, and then Wyant and Cheveldayoff were eliminated. Most of their support went to Moe’s camp. Estevan MLA Lori Carr was among those who publicly supported Moe. “Scott Moe has a lot of characteristics similar to Brad Wall, but Moe is his own person and is different from Wall,” Carr said in an interview with the Mercury. “I know that Scott Moe is going to carry on the legacy of Brad Wall by continuing the economic and growth policies of the Wall era that have been very advantageous to the people of Saskatchewan.”
Moe, during his speech to the people of Saskatchewan, took time to warn the New Democratic Party (NDP) and many others that Saskatchewan’s probusiness policies of the Wall era will not die, but rather will be supported even more. He also went through a series of statistics about Saskatchewan’s growth as a province over the last 10 years, and noted the growth was possible while reducing taxes. “During those 10 years, we have reduced taxes by six billion dollars and now we have for the first time 1,100,068 people that call Saskatchewan home, something that I know I or you are very proud of because those people are in all of our communities across this province,” said Moe. Carr said there are some aspects of Moe’s policies that she likes very much and she believes will benefit Estevan and the province as a whole. “One of the factors in his policy that I like is
NEW ARRIVAL
Dierks Tyler Darenport Tyler & Shauna Darenport (née: Hegland ) would like to announce their new baby boy, Dierks Tyler Darenport. Proud grandparents are Carol & Reuben Hegland, Deane & Tracey Darenport and Teena Tomes. Proud sisters are Prysm & Paisley.
DEC.
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he wants to balance the books within two years. He also wants to do that by not shocking the economy at the same time, but making sure that we are on solid ground so we don’t leave this debt to carry for our children and our grandchildren,” said Carr. “Moe is very economically-minded and wants to create jobs and attract businesses not just to the Estevan area but to the province as a whole. He wants to see it grow, he wants to see it develop and he wants to expand our trade base so that all our industries, whether it be agriculture or oil and gas, have opportunities to build and grow and get those exports going so we can have more job creation in this province.” Wall had a plan to get the population of Saskatchewan growing and Moe echoed that plan by describing the population growth that has occurred in the province in the past decade as a great thing. He also had some criticisms about obstacles that
have prevented pro-business policies from reaching their potential. “This will not change with the two individuals wanting to lead this party. Our growth was stifled by a party and a government that refused to advocate for the people and businesses in this province who were content to sit idly by and play the little brother, the We Province if you will,” said Moe. “Thankfully, due to the hard-working people of this province, they were not content and neither will be the Saskatchewan Party. “We are a force to be reckoned with, we knew we had the ability to grow and become a leader in innovation and technology and share in our natural resources and our made in Saskatchewan products that are shared around the rest of world,” he added. He also commended the people of Saskatchewan for their hard work that has helped shape the province into a prosperous place to live, and Moe made it abun-
Scott Moe, pictured while speaking in Estevan in December, will be the next premier of Saskatchewan. File photo dantly clear that what Wall and now Moe deem to be beneficial to Saskatchewan will become a reality. “Saskatchewan, our province, is and always will be the very best place for us to live, work and raise your family and mine, and we can chart our own course and can chart our own future,” said Moe. “This belongs to …
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Payton Sernick to represent Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan with determination By David Willberg
dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Payton Sernick has gained admirers locally, provincially and elsewhere for her infectious enthusiasm and resiliency. After all, Payton, the daughter of Andrea and Cheyenne Sernick, maintained her smile despite a battle with Stage 4 acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. She was diagnosed with the form of cancer in the fall of 2014, when she was six years old, and after being declared cancer free, is in hospital in Edmonton now that the cancer has returned. But the latest cancer fight isn’t going to stop her from her latest recognition: she has been selected as the Saskatchewan ambassador for the Champions Program presented by Walmart Canada. The program honours remarkable children who have triumphed despite medical challenges. Each child acts as an ambassador for their Children’s Miracle Network hospital. In Payton’s case, she will be the representative for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. “It feels really good,” Payton said in an interview with the Mercury. “It’s really fun to represent all sick children in Saskatchewan through the children’s hospital.” Payton will have interviews throughout the year to promote the hospital, and will be a face for the children’s hospital in the prov-
ince. She will help promote a radiothon fundraiser, and speak to major donors. “They needed an adorable face behind the hospital, and she has one,” said Andrea. “Payton has a good story, and she likes to talk about her story.” It’s going to be a busy year, and Payton is looking forward to doing as much as she can to encourage people to donate. After all, there are so many sick kids in the province. Jana Len, the director of annual giving for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan, said Payton has been a supporter for a number of years now. “She is such a brave and resilient little girl that she really embodies everything that it means to be a champion,” said Len. “So we just thought that she’s a really great representative of all sick and injured kids across the province.” And Payton has been a tremendous fundraiser for the foundation. “It’s pretty incredible that as a sick child herself, she has taken it upon herself with her brother’s and family’s support to raise money to help other kids as well,” said Len. There are so many kids across the province who have been amazing ambassadors and would be deserving champions for the children’s hospital. But Len said Payton stood out for her attitude and her willingness to embody the foundation. All champions are young people who have triumphed despite severe
Payton Sernick with a feline Prada friend. Photo submitted
Payton Sernick will be the Saskatchewan ambassador for the Champions Program through the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. Photo submitted medical illness or injury. “It really puts a face to the cause, so that people are able to see where their donations are going,” said Len. “Any donation that’s made in Saskatchewan stays in the province.” Sandra Isbister, the operations manager at the Estevan Walmart, praised Payton for her determination. “She has conquered one battle and is now fighting a second, showing great courage, faith and strength. This experience is one that no child should have to endure,” said Isbister. “We believe in supporting Children’s Miracle Network to help kids like Payton win the greatest fights of their lives. Keep fighting Payton.” The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan approached Payton about the honour before the most recent cancer diagnosis. “The first thing that Payton had said when she was diagnosed, was she was concerned about her job, her job as the Champion Child this year,” said Sernick. “But they came to the hospital in Saskatoon, and Jana reassured Payton that the job was still 100 per cent hers.” Andrea said it’s rough timing for Payton to be the champion child, since her cancer fight is ongoing. But the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan has been wonderful for the Sernick family. “We wish we weren’t in this situation, and she could be travelling around
and doing all of her interviews and all that fun stuff in person, and representing them at all their fundraisers, but we’re going to be doing a lot of that remotely,” said Andrea. “The children’s hospital is making a lot of that happen for us.” This isn’t the first time Payton has been involved with the children’s hospital. In 2016, she was a junior ambassador for the foundation, and launched the Cancer Sucks project, in which she spoke to schools and organizations, and she and her younger brother Beckham sold sucker rods and other items. Her father built a playhouse that was sold as a fundraiser. Her goal was to raise $5,000, but she raised more than $37,000. Her efforts earned her a Young Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Regina chapter. “I can be a voice for kids who really need this hospital,” said Payton. “I can tell people my story and hope they understand what it feels like to be in hospital with a serious disease. The new children’s hospital will be different and really fun. We deserve a place just for us.” The Sernicks have been in Edmonton since the end of November due to Payton’s latest diagnosis. It started with a doctor’s appointment last fall to go over the results of a PET scan. The following day, the Sernicks were told the cancer was back, and two days later Payton was undergoing surgery. “Things just moved
Payton Sernick smiles from her hospital bed. She is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, but that won’t keep her from participating in the Champions Program. Photo submitted really quick, so it’s hard to communicate that with everybody,” said Andrea. Eventually, the Sernicks made their way to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. She underwent surgery earlier in January to remove a new tumour in her abdomen. Her family is anticipating a stay of up to six months for extensive treatment. “It was the largest surgery she has ever had,” said Andrea. “Her recovery is going really well. It’s surprising how fast everything is moving.” She has been able to continue some of her studies in Edmonton, and attend class through Facetime at her local school, Sacred Heart School/École Sacre Coeur. “She has been doing some of her work on her own,” said Andrea. “We have a couple of school books that we follow as well. But at this point, health comes first, fun comes second and school comes a little lower on the totem pole. “She’s a smart kid, and it won’t be a problem, and she’ll be able to catch up. If she can read, she can learn.” Payton will eventually become a bone marrow transplant patient in Calgary. Andrea said the family had heard amazing things about the Stollery, and they’re strong supporters of the concept of a children’s hospital. The staff at the Stollery has been great.
“It’s nice to have everything all under one roof, and just knowing that everything you could possibly could need in this journey is available,” said Andrea. “We don’t need to go anywhere else. We can just have everything right there. “All the people are really great. I think everybody really wants to work at a children’s hospital.” One nurse refers to herself as Princess Anna, and is incredibly popular with the younger children. Payton is fond of her, too. “Everything is really child-related and mental health related, and really caring about children’s feelings,” said Andrea. “It’s not just running to do an ultrasound. They make sure that it’s appropriate for a child and comfortable for a child. All the expectations of what a children’s hospital should be, we’re receiving that.” Payton has spent more than 200 days in hospital through her two battles with cancer. People in Estevan remain supportive as well. Local residents have treated the Sernick children well. So many people have donated money to the Children’s Hospital through Cancer Sucks, and there has been lots of love, caring, prayers and well-wishes. “That’s really important, because there are a lot of people … who have sick children who don’t have that support system, and they don’t have a community that can show their love like Estevan does.”
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Editorial A4
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
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EDITORIAL
The hard part begins for Scott Moe Not surprisingly, the Saskatchewan Party’s leadership race was a tight battle between four candidates, and it went down to the fifth and final ballot. Four of the six candidates – Scott Moe, Ken Cheveldayoff, Gordon Wyant and Tina Beaudry-Mellor – were part of cabinet before entering the leadership race. A fifth candidate, Alanna Koch, was the deputy minister to the premier before vacating that post to try to become leader. Rob Clarke was the lone legitimate outsider to join the race. A former Conservative MP from northern Saskatchewan who entered late, he withdrew in December. Thanks to the nature of the candidates who were in the campaign throughout the process, it was a relatively uneventful, controversy-free battle to replace Brad Wall at the helm of the party, and as the premier of the province. When the first ballot results were released Saturday night, Koch, Moe, Cheveldayoff and Wyant were separated by less than 10 per cent. Koch had a small lead after the first three ballots were counted, but it was Moe, who had the support of much of the Sask. Party’s caucus, who emerged victorious.
From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK
We need pipelines, I’m hearing I was talking to Ray Frehlick on Jan. 29 about Scott Moe, the new premier. Those in the Saskatchewan oilpatch, and those around Estevan, know Frehlick as something of a living legend in the patch, having built several companies and being one of the most community-minded people I know. He’s also a strong Saskatchewan Party supporter, and took part in the leadership convention on Jan. 27 in Saskatoon. I asked him what the Saskatchewan oilpatch needs from the new premier. His answer took me a little off guard. That’s because it’s not something a new premier can deliver, but rather something a sitting prime minister can. Frehlick said, “The country needs something. It needs pipelines, a federal jurisdiction. That’s the biggest issue.” As an example, he said the previous week he had inquired what the differential was on medium oil flowing through the Enbridge pipeline system, and found it was US$13 per barrel. Curiously, I got an email the same weekend from someone who goes by the handle “Gerald in Fort Mac.”
Now the hard part begins. Moe will have about two years to place his stamp on the party, and establish his vision for the province, before the next provincial election in April 2020. Perhaps his biggest challenge will be replacing Wall, who has been Saskatchewan’s premier since 2007, and the Sask. Party leader since 2004. Even after more than a decade on the job, he was the most popular premier in Canada. Wall’s skills as an orator and a leader, coupled with his engaging personality, contributed to his popularity. We’ll find out what Moe’s strengths and weaknesses are as a leader and as a premier, but we know he isn’t as dynamic as Wall. A new party leader is often tasked with mending fences following a leadership race, but this might not be such a challenge for Moe. Yes, he’ll need to get the other candidates and their supporters on his side, but it’s not like he’ll experience the fallout from an acrimonious, bitter battle for the party’s leadership. Moe takes over a province with an improving economy, thanks to a higher price of oil, but it’s still far from the economic
glory years the province was experiencing for much of the Sask. Party’s tenure as government. The Sask. Party is still recovering from the public’s anger over last year’s budget, which was filled with tax increases and spending cuts. Moe will also have to handle the continuing controversy associated with the Global Transportation Hub land deals, and the other scandals sure to face a government that has been in power for more than a decade. He’ll also have to work on the relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government. Wall’s relationship with the federal government was strained over various issues, including the Sask. Party’s refusal to impose a carbon tax. If Moe’s victory speech on Saturday is any indication, he’s not backing down on the carbon tax front. Moe joins a select group of people who have had the honour of being Saskatchewan’s premier. Now we’ll find out whether he’s a worthy successor for Wall, or if he’s going to struggle to keep the Sask. Party in power in two years.
He wrote, “Is shipping oil out of Churchill a dead issue? Because it seems to me to be a win-win-win for everybody: Churchill, the railroad, the port and Canadian oil .Tankers can be built double hull for the ice bergs. Western oil is tied up in the west for various reasons. The distance between Churchill and Fort McMurray is only one thousand kilometres. Is there any group or consortium pushing for this to work?” I replied that I had spoken a while back to an organization that had looked at it, in depth, but they found the idea untenable. My own response, having considered the Churchill option for several years, is that it is indeed untenable for several reasons. First, Gerald’s idea of building a pipeline straight from Fort McMurray wouldn’t seem like a bad idea, until you realize almost that entire distance is Canadian Shield, with only a handful of roads. This is not easy terrain to build a pipeline, by any stretch. I’m not sure if it’s easier in the mountains of British Columbia, but at least there are more roads to access the right-of-way out west. Churchill is only open in the latter part of the year. For most of the year, its frozen. That’s the hard reality of why it has never gained traction as a major port for any serious purpose, despite many people’s best intentions. And for a commodity that is measured in production by the day, not the month or year, that simply won’t do. I don’t even want to get into the possibility of an oil spill, on a body of water the size of the Gulf of Mexico, but with effectively zero capability to respond to one. Last week Canadian Pacific made the remarkable point that it doesn’t want to be oil’s swing shipper. Well that’s great, especially if
your company might rely on a crude-by-rail facility on a CP line. So no pipeline, and no enthusiasm from one of two Class 1 railroads? The differential on Western Canadian Select, the price for our heavy oil (in other words, most of our oil) is at a huge discount. As I type this, there’s a US$27.70 per barrel differential between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Western Canadian Select (WCS). Now, truth be told, there will always be a differential, because WCS is poorer quality than WTI. But that differential has widened considerably in recent months as pipeline capacity became constrained. A few years ago, I asked the provincial government just how much money Saskatchewan was giving up due to this differential. It took the Ministry of Economy a little while to get back to me, but at that time, the answer was $300 million per year. Shortly thereafter, that little factoid found its way into speeches by then-premier Brad Wall and his ministers. With the differential in the same range, or higher, now, that figure can’t be too far off. We, as a province, are losing hundreds of millions of dollars, per year, due to the lack of new pipelines for export, in particular, to tidewater. If you look at the Brent oil benchmark, (which would generally apply to oil reaching tidewater), the differential to WCS is US$32.08 per barrel. That’s a lot of money we’re leaving on the table. That’s money that would pay for libraries, schools, hospitals and roads. Ray Frehlick is right. The new premier needs pipelines. Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@ sasktel.net.
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Tankard features many recentlyformed teams Corey Atkinson New Material Only
People often raise their brows when, in the course of the major professional sports, a free agent will sign with a different team. One of their favourites will sign with a different team in the offseason and fans will be disappointed. Players don’t have the kind of loyalty they used to, they’ll say, shaking their heads and then going to watch their own favourite team trying to do the exact same thing to someone else’s favourite player. It’s a cyclical thing. But team loyalty — and the chance of a bigger payday — largely isn’t what motivates the curlers at the SaskTel Tankard this week. The fact is, curling for most of these players isn’t what pays most of the bills. Sure, a few thousand dollars every couple of cash bonspiels is nice, but curling isn’t the only thing going on in their lives. Some of them are starting families and don’t have the desire to go to Alberta or Thunder Bay every couple of weeks to get a few World Curling Tour points to allow them the chance to be in the Olympic qualifying or the tour’s Grand Slam events. Most of them simply can’t afford to go, or feel the lure of the steady paycheque rather than the pressure of having to curl for your earnings for four months a year. Others can’t find the right level of sponsorship that allows for leaps of faith like going steady on the Saskatchewan Curling Tour. This semi-professionalism isn’t a bad thing. It’s part of the allure of the curling community that’s taken a lot of licks over the years. The fact is, these men have full time employment elsewhere and this Tankard is, for most of them, the top of the line when it comes to where their curling careers will take them. Or, at the very least, a continuation of the level of curling they’ve been at for years. You’re not going to find, very often at least, Jose Bautista having a beverage after a Major League Baseball playoff game with fans and fellow ballplayers just offsite. You will, however, find nearly all the curlers and their friends and family afterwards. In researching the various teams that are at the Tankard this year, it struck me as to how many of them are completely new to each other. That’s okay, because not many of them are total strangers to each other. Take the Scott Bitz rink for example. He won the Tankard as a skip in 2003 in his hometown of Regina with three completely different guys than he won the Tankard as Joel Jordison’s third in 2006. One of the guys he curled with in 2006 was Aryn Schmidt, who’s on his team this year. The lead from the Bruce Korte 2000 Tankard winner, Rory Golanowski, is his lead and Bitz’ third is Warren Jackson, a former skip out of Yorkton who has been curling with Bitz for a few years. This is Golanowski’s third straight Tankard appearance with a different team, which may be some sort of obscure record. Teams switch players every now and then, and sometimes they don’t even feel comfortable calling skip stones. Former Tankard winner (and this week attempting to win the Manitoba provincial title) Pat Simmons started winning with a team at the Tankard in 2005. By the time he won his fifth title in 2011, the deck had been reshuffled so much that all of the players were either in new positions (Steve Laycock as third instead of lead) or were entirely new to the team. These were completely new players than when he won three provincial junior titles in the mid 1990s. One of those was with Scott Bitz. Anyway, not satisfied with coming so close at the Brier, he joined Kevin Koe’s team in Alberta, where he finally won a Brier in 2014. Then Simmons and Koe split, with Simmons skipping Team Canada in 2015 to his second Brier with former Olympic gold medalist John Morris as his third. Guess what happened within a year of that team winning? Morris will once again represent Canada at the Olympics this year in the first-ever mixed curling medal event. It’s worth noting that for some of these teams, just getting to the Tankard is the pinnacle of their achievements. At least, until they come back with a slightly different team.
Let’s find these guys their “Fur-ever Homes” and let me help you find your “For Ever Home”
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Pride events will return in 2018 The editor: I helped organize the gay pride flag raising in front of Estevan city hall in 2016. Witnessing the support the LGBT+ community received brought me joy, but it was overshadowed by the response from others who feel LGBT+ people deserve everything but support. The following week’s edition of Southeast Lifestyles contained one complaint in the Cheers & Jeers column about the flag. It made me angry. I fought through my anxiety to ensure the flag was raised in front of city hall, and I
sent a message to queer people: they aren’t alone in this city, and they’re welcome here. Instead, it was met with hostility and ignorance by a vocal minority of Estevan residents. At the raising ceremony, I met a few queer people who live in the area. They told me they were afraid to show their love to each other in public. No hand-holding, no hugging, not even a simple peck on the cheek. They were worried someone would raise a fuss about it. I can’t say I’d ever partake in public displays of affection thanks to my
asexual orientation, but let me just say I’d have a spicy response to the peanut gallery. In spring 2017, Estevan had another pride flag raising. I was too busy to organize it, but I showed up. More people attended than the previous year, but the opposition was just as loud. It didn’t matter if I walked into a coffee shop or a grocery store, I heard at least one person being publicly upset about the colourful flag flying in front of city hall. This year, I’m taking a stand. I’m going to organize another flag raising in the spring, and I’m going
Bylaw enforcement officer has been busy since starting Snow removal, parking and animal-related calls kept Special Const. Josie Newton busy in December. Newton, who is Estevan’s bylaw enforcement officer, had her first full month on the job in December, and according to her report filed for the Jan. 24 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, she handled more than 90 calls and infractions. Snow removal notices and fines were her biggest source of activity, as she had 26 such calls. She also had 22 parking violations and six more parking complaints.
There were 10 animal calls in December, to go with two animal impounds, as well as one animal violation and a neglected animal calls. She also had one taxi bylaw inspection and checked 20 taxi drivers. Newton also handled one call for an unkempt property. A total of 1,017 calls and infractions were handled through bylaw enforcement last year. Parking violations accounted for the bulk of the activity at 214. Another 119 parking complaints were received. Animal-related calls accounted for 252 incidents
Bylaw enforcement officer Josie Newton and infractions, led by 148 animal calls and 61 animal impounds. As for property-related calls, there were 125 unkempt property inspections, 113 snow removal notices
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and fines, and 108 general clean-up calls. In 2016, a total of 1,979 calls and infractions were handled through bylaw enforcement. The city was without a dedicated bylaw enforcement officer for several months last year. Patrol officers handled bylaw enforcement when they had the chance. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur believes the stiffer fines for parking violations also played a role in the lower number of infractions, as people are now aware that they will face stiffer fines for parking illegally.
Government approves three-and-a-half per cent SaskPower rate increase After a thorough review, the provincial government has accepted the recommendation for a three-and-a-half per cent rate increase for SaskPower, compared to the original request of five per cent. As planned, the increase will come into effect March 1. This represents an increase of approximately $4 on monthly residential power bills. “Every year, SaskPower is keeping up with new records of power consumption, while working to keep power rates as low as possible,” said Dustin
Duncan, the minister responsible for SaskPower. “They face an important challenge to maintain and grow our power grid. “With their revised fiscal forecasts during the rate review period, government agrees with the Rate Review Panel that SaskPower can meet this challenge in 2018 with a lower increase. We will continue to challenge SaskPower, and all government agencies, to do more with less, and without compromising service to Saskatchewan homes and businesses.” In its rate application,
SaskPower outlined the investment of the rate increase in major maintenance and growth projects to reduce the number and duration of power outages; modernize the power grid; meet the growing demand for more power; and help SaskPower reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 2005 levels, by 2030. “It’s a balancing act that we take very seriously,” SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh said. “Electricity is vital in all our lives and for our economy. The power has
to be on when and where we need it. “SaskPower also has to be financially responsible with its operations. That’s why we’ve optimized our processes, reduced administrative costs and we plan to reduce this spending by an additional $142 million in the next three years using various restraint measures. This 3.5 per cent will allow us to continue investing in the grid and we will investigate additional ways to save money to compensate for this lower-than-planned increase.”
We have many older kittens now that are around the 6 month mark who are eager to grow up in a home of their very own! Pictured here is the adorable Pixel.
This big lovable goof is Tucker! He is still searching for his forever home! He loves chasing balls, running around outside and butt scratches. He prefers a home as an only dog or with a dog that has a compatible personality to his own. He is eager to spring free from the shelter and get back to living the good life!
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to get more involved in my local community. I’ll work with the residents of Estevan to organize queerfriendly spaces and events, and help welcome queer adults and youth alike to their home. For the first two decades of my life, I felt like Estevan was a hole I had to escape. I’m going to change that for me and every LGBT+ person in the city. I want to be proud to say Estevan is where I was born and raised. I hope others are willing to join my initiative. Lizzie Dubowski Estevan
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018
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Estevan’s building activity was stable in 2017
The number of building permits issued by the City of Estevan was up slightly in 2017 compared to the previous year, but the overall permit value was down from 2016. The permit numbers for 2017 were released at the Jan. 22 meeting of Estevan city council. Fiftyseven permits, worth a little more than $5.9 million, were approved last year, compared to 56 permits worth more than $9.4 million the previous year. The majority of the permits for last year were classified as miscellaneous, as 29 permits worth $805,275 were approved. Another 13 garage permits, worth $343,700, were granted in 2017. As for the other categories, seven singlefamily residential permits, worth $2.1 million, were approved last year. One secondary suite worth $100,000 was also approved. Four commercial per-
mits worth $1.6 million were issued. One industrial permit worth $17,500 was approved, and two institutional permits worth $879,000 were approved. The city did not issue any multi-family residential permits in 2017. No building permits were granted in December. There were two permits worth $5,000 in December 2016. *** Council approved a contribution of $1,000 a year for the next four years to the Envision Counselling and Support Centre. The support came two weeks after council granted Envision’s request for the rental fee at Affinity Place to be waived during May’s Savour the Southeast event. Envision will be the beneficiary of the funds raised at this year’s Savour event. In a report to council for the Jan. 22 meeting, Envision executive director Christa Daku noted the
agency has worked to build a network of invested communities, where councils in the southeast support efforts to provide service and education to rural individuals in need. Envision had 1,081 sessions with individuals in the Estevan area last year. The organization also has offices in Weyburn, Carlyle and Oxbow. Daku noted the RM of Estevan donates $1,000 to Envision each year, and other urban and rural municipalities also support the organization. The money for Envision will not come out of the $5,000 the city allocates for non-profit organizations each year. Envision made its first pitch for support to city council at a meeting on Jan. 8. *** Council received the monthly cart report for December from Green for Life Environmental. The report showed that
3,471 recycling carts were emptied in December, with a total weight of 30,350 kilograms, or 8.74 kilograms per cart. The largest pickup was on Dec. 18 in the Hillside subdivision, when 7,023 carts with a total weight of 5,570 kilograms
were emptied. Also in December, 12,090 garbage carts were emptied, with a total weight of 195,240 kilograms, or 16.15 kilograms per cart. *** Council also agreed a new fire agreement with the
Woodlawn Regional Park. It was noted that amenities such as the Estevan Dog Park and Fresh Air Fitness, which have been added to the park in recent years, will now be part of the fire agreement between Woodlawn and the city.
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Miners donate to charity From left, United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 financial secretary Ashley Johnson presents a cheque for $2,000 to Estevan Salvation Army Major Wilf Harbin. The money was raised for the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas campaign, and will be directed to the food bank.
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Estevan oilman’s take on the next premier, Scott Moe By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net
Scott Moe was in Estevan three times during the campaign for the Saskatchewan Party leadership. On Jan. 27 he was chosen as the new leader, and premierdesignate. On one of those trips to Estevan, he paid a visit to Ray Frehlick, owner of Prairie Mud and a long-time member of the Saskatchewan Party. Frehlick actually attended the convention in Saskatoon. “I don’t know Scott that well,” Frehlick said on Jan.29. “From what I gather, they say he’s a great guy.” Asked about the mood at the convention, Frehlick said, “I thought it was awfully good. The place was jammed with people.” However, he didn’t recognize anyone from the southeast oilpatch there. Of Moe, Frehlick said, “I had him as second choice. I was kind of in-
trigued by Gord Wyant.” Frehlick noted, “He must have been the second choice for a lot of people.” The preferential ballot went five rounds before a winner was declared. Moe was behind Alanna Koch for the first three ballots before pulling ahead for the win. The first ballot placement was Alanna Koch, Scott Moe, Ken Cheveldayoff, Gord Wyant and Tina Beaudry-Mellor, in that order. The top four were all close, while BeaudryMellor barely registered. Frehlick said of those top four, “Wherever they came from, they had a lot of support.” His support of Wyant was in part due to the fact Wyant was a former Saskatoon city councillor and a prominent lawyer. Frehlick feels a strong showing in Saskatoon will be important, as he expects the party will lose seats in Regina in the next election.
But did the crowd know who was going to win? “I don’t think so,” Frehlick said. “I think Alanna Koch’s people thought she would win, hands down.” But Frehlick pointed out that Moe had the support of over 20 MLAs behind him. “He gave a good speech. He’s truly a Saskatchewan guy,” Frehlick said of Moe. “He’s got to put his own brand. It’s not him, it’s the Saskatchewan people.” During his fall tour, Estevan MLA Lori Carr, a Moe supporter, brought the candidate over to see Frehlick at his office. Frehlick said they talked about education, balanced budgets and the provincial sales tax on life insurance. They also talked about oil at current prices being a lot better than US$39 per barrel. Asked what the oil-
Estevan’s Ray Frehlick was present when Scott Moe was elected as the new leader of the Saskatchewan Party. File photo
patch needs from the new premier, Frehlick responded in a broader context. “The country needs something. It needs pipelines, a federal jurisdiction. That’s the biggest issue.” As an example, he said the previous week he had inquired what the differential was on medium oil flowing through the
Enbridge pipeline system, and found it was US$13 per barrel. As for the federal carbon tax, the one Moe opposes, Frehlick said, “Certainly, it would have an impact.” As a farmer as well as an oilman, Frehlick said with zero tillage agriculture, farmers are se-
questering carbon all the time. But a carbon tax will increase the cost of diesel fuel, as well as inputs like seed treatment and fertilizer. “In specific, he (Moe) needs to make sure we have a competitive field with other provinces, Manitoba and Alberta,” Frehlick concluded.
Scott Moe visited Panther Drilling in Weyburn during the Saskatchewan Party leadership campaign. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
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A8 January 31, 2018
Estevan Mercury
Having a ball while fighting cystic fibrosis By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
They came dressed in their princess attire and their pirate garb in an effort to find a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF). The Estevan Kinettes Club’s annual Princess and Pirate Ball was held at the Estevan Elks Lodge on Saturday afternoon. Nearly 150 people attended the event, which was a fundraiser for CF Canada. Kasey McIntyre, who was an organizer of the event, said she was impressed with the number of families who attended. “We wanted to focus on it being for the whole family, so that was really wonderful to see,” said McIntyre. She expects the Kinettes will be able to donate $5,500 to CF Canada thanks to the support shown for the fundraiser through ticket sales, sponsorships, raffles and activities that were offered throughout the afternoon. The people who were present enjoyed such activities as dancing, snacks, facepainting, games, a beauty bar, crafts, a button-making station and more. The dancing was particularly popular.
“It’s always nice to see people up and dancing,” said McIntyre. Cystic fibrosis affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. It can cause difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus. McIntyre noted that CF became part of her family’s life almost nine years ago, when her son was diagnosed with the condition. The dynamics for her family have changed, and they have learned a new normal. They have also learned and relearned what they believe. Tianna Wallman of Estevan was selected as this year’s Pay it Forward Princess for her work in the community. (This week’s edition of Lifestyles will have more on her honour). Steven Vancha, who has lived with CF for 31 years, was the guest speaker. When he was born, the life expectancy for someone with CF was about five years, but now it’s around 50 years. “I had the pleasure of hearing him speak before at a cystic fibrosis fundraiser, so I thought he would be perfect for this year,” said McIntyre. Vancha has attained many milestones that he was told he would never attain,
Trisha and Everly Branvole were among the visitors happy to be at the Estevan Kinettes Club’s Princess and Pirates Ball on Saturday. such as getting married and being a father, or playing sports. “I thought that was nice for all people to hear,” said McIntyre. “Don’t set limitations for yourself. If you want to go out and do stuff, by all means do it. But let other people tell you what you can or can’t do.” Vancha said he has always had tremendous sup-
port from his family. But he was often coddled by those who told him it was all right if he didn’t finish a race, or complete the challenge in front of him. “I was very determined, stubborn and strong-willed enough to always finish the task that was presented to me,” he said. “And I always completed the task better than most of my peers,
regardless of CF.” He has been hospitalized three times in his life because of CF. Vancha recalled that when he was cut from a top soccer team when he was 12 or 13 years old, he was told he didn’t make the team because the coach was concerned about Vancha’s CF. He was asked to play for another team in the city,
and that team beat the squad that cut him in the final, with Vancha scoring a couple of goals. Vancha is now married with a son. He noted that CF affects male fertility, and so he and his wife had to go through in vitro fertilization to have a child, but he and his wife are now proud parents, and Vancha’s child was among those at the ball.
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January 31, 2018 A9
Travis Frank moves to helping the hospital foundation By William Acri wacri@estevanmercury.ca
Travis Frank will be the interim director of St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation while current executive director Becky Cassidy is on maternity leave. Frank, who has been the sales and marketing manager for Green for Life (GFL) Environmental, and before that, Regens Disposal, will be leaving the post at GFL to replace Cassidy. With the provincial government moving forward with the amalgamation of its health authorities, the hospital wanted an experienced, well-known community member directing the foundation while Cassidy is away. “I am really excited to accept the new role with the hospital foundation, and my work that I have done with Regens was to help them rebrand themselves so they have a more positive image in the community. I consider myself well-versed with that sort of work,” said Frank. “More specifically, I helped Regens seem more attractive to investors during its sale to GFL and it has
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really worked out well for them and it’s time for me to move on. As of right now we are not sure who will be taking over my old position,” he added. Frank said that he wanted the job with St. Joseph’s Hospital because his background has always been with marketing and fundraising for non-profits, and since that is what the foundation is, he thought he was a perfect fit to take over temporarily. “This is an opportunity I have been looking for and I now have a chance to really serve my community,” said Frank. Frank has lived in Estevan his entire life and has been on the board of directors for United Way Estevan since 2005. He was also the chair of the board of directors for the Estevan Bible Camp, and as part of that, he did a lot of community work following the flood in 2011. He was also involved with the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan, and was elected as a city councillor in 2016. When asked if the hospital foundation was going to do any rebranding or adopt
New St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation executive director Travis Frank new adverting and fundraising routes, Frank said, “There won’t be any rebranding of the hospital or the foundation but the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation does run three major fundraising events a year and I will be playing a large role in continuing those programs.” Frank wishes Cassidy all the best during her maternity leave and he is looking forward to doing even more work within the community when his time with the hospital foundation ends. Moreover he also wanted to reassure members in the community that his new job and other obligations will not affect his work as a city councillor.
Family Literacy Day Aspen Cossette, left, and her aunt Holly Borski work on an activity during the Family Literacy Day activity organized by the Estevan Area Literacy Group on Jan. 24. People who attended the event enjoyed several different activities designed to help children learn in a fun setting.
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A10 January 31, 2018
Estevan Mercury
A Special Supplement
Money Matters
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Did you know about the Taxpayer Bill of Rights? When tax season comes around, we all worry about what we owe the government. It’s important, however, to also keep in mind the things that the government owes you. In 2014, the IRS compiled several already established laws into a single, easily understood document called the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Here are three of the most important rights you should know about: 1. The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax According to the IRS, this means that every taxpayer should expect to pay only the amount due. In other words, the IRS cannot pressure you to pay more than you owe and must return money if you’ve accidentally paid too much. 2. The right to privacy
All taxpayers should expect that the IRS be no more intrusive into their lives than is necessary to do its job, and that it will respect all due process rights. 3. The right to challenge Dealing with taxes can sometimes be intimidating. You should know, however, that you always have the right to formally object (in a timely fashion) to any action or potential action of the IRS. Although not many people enjoy tax season, the IRS is there to help. Familiarizing yourself with what you should expect will go a long way toward making the process as easy and straightforward as possible. For more information on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and what it means for you, consult the official IRS website.
How to (probably) avoid an audit Everyone dreads the word “audit.” If there are irregularities in your numbers, however, or if parts of your tax return are unclear, you may be a candidate. At the same time, according to the IRS some people are just randomly flagged. If you prepare and file your own taxes, here are three common-sense things you can do to (probably) avoid an audit: 1. Start early and be organized It may sound obvious, but a lot of people get audited simply because they didn’t spend enough time on their taxes. If you’re a freelancer with many different sources of income, for example, you may simply forget to report one if you’re not organized. It’s worth starting a little earlier to avoid being flagged
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by the IRS. 2. Read the instructions Filing income taxes can be a more or less complicated process, depending on your particular situation. It’s a good general rule, however, to never turn into the IRS a form whose questions you don’t feel you’ve understood completely. 3. Keep all your records and receipts This can’t be stressed enough. These documents will help explain any odd parts of your tax return. If you’re worried something will seem strange or irregular, include copies of the records so there’s no misunderstanding. If you are flagged for an audit, don’t panic. Should you think you need it, you’re entitled to the help of a professional to sort the problem out.
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SaskTel Tankard is ready to roll at Affinity Place By Corey Atkinson sports@estevanmercury.ca
There are 64 rocks nearly in play as the 2018 SaskTel Tankard has officially rolled in to Estevan. The event will determine the province’s representative for the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier next month in Regina and has 16 of the top teams in the province (see page 12 for profiles on these teams). But before a rock is thrown at the Brier, the teams will have to duke it out at Affinity Place Wednesday to Sunday. The Tankard organizing committee thanked its volunteers Sunday night at the McGillicky Oilfield Services lounge at the Power Dodge Curling Centre, with over 100 people showing up for swag and final instructions and encouragement. “We’re just getting geared up and talking about what’s going on over the next few days,” said event planning committee cochair Helen Fornwald Sunday. “This community has stepped up 100 per cent and then some. The response that we got from the community to come and help us and volunteer, our icemakers are putting in long hours to help with the ice and it’s looking great. All the volunteers and the sponsorship, the community has just overwhelmed us. We could have never done this without the response we got.” In total, over 150 volunteers will help with the
Tankard, which starts with a draw Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The opening ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m., with the teams getting piped in with junior curlers. Then, an evening draw will keep things going. “We have got an outstanding program coming to welcome those 16 teams as they trail onto the ice at Affinity Place,” Fornwald said. “We’re certainly going to hope to rock Estevan and raise this roof, and show them the hospitality we’re made out of.” Draws are also taking place all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday leading up to the playoff semifinal Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. and the final at 2:30 p.m. During the Tankard, there are volunteers working security, hospitality and cleanup, as well as people working at the patch at the Wylie Mitchell Building each night of the Tankard. The ice, meanwhile, has taken on a different form since the Tankard started. The hockey and figure skating players and performers have been booted out and the surface looks a lot different with four sheets of curling ice. “We’ve had six to eight guys in the morning and six to eight guys in the afternoon,” said chief local icemaker Bob Keating. “Our crews start at 6:30 in the morning, and then 2 (p.m.) till we finish at night… it’s a funny schedule when you’re on that one.”
Workers put the finishing touches Sunday night on the ice at Affinity Place. Everything went smoothly. Keating said the Zamboni dry-cut the ice and then took most of the old ice out, smoothed out the high spots and cleaned. Then, the flooding started. “From start to finish, there were probably around seven or eight floods,” Keating said. “You’ve got to flood the whole hockey ice first and then you break it down into sheets. We’ll end up with about six or seven floods just on the curling sheets.” The rings were cut in and painted, and then the advertisements and foams, carpets, banners, hacks are in. The Tuesday night league at the Power Dodge Curling Centre was scheduled to play their regular league game this Tuesday night to give the ice a test run to make sure everything was going well. “That’s when the icemakers watch all the sheets and find out if they’ve got to do anything to them, or tweak them a bit,” Keating said. “After that, she’s on her way.” The event is the first time the Tankard has been in Estevan for since 1994,
and the first time it has been in Affinity Place. It’s a pretty big deal now, if the amount of organization and sponsorship is any indication. “With the Brier being in Regina this year, I think the interest in curling is up,” said Jim Wilson, liaison with CurlSask. “Junior curling is up, high school curling is up and it’s a good thing… “I talked to the committee when I got here and I said
The breadth and scope of the Estevan Strippers annual recreation hockey tournament will change slightly due to the decommissioning of the Civic Auditorium. Strippers member Rick Rohatyn said they have asked Bienfait to rent their rink for 12 games during the tournament for 2018. That amounts to every team possibly playing one or two games there during that weekend, but he said there’s no way they can run the
2017-2018
Wednesday, February 7 @7:00 PM Estevan Comprehensive School PRAIRIE DEBUT PRESENTS
PROTEUS SAX QUARTET Monday, February 12, 2018 7:30 PM Trinity Lutheran Church
CANADA´S BALLET JORGEN
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 7:30 PM Estevan Comprehensive School
Tenders must be submitted on the entire section as quarters will not be sold individually. Tenders must be accompanied by a certified cheque or bank draft for a minimum of 5% of the bid price payable to Orlowski Law Office Trust. Tenders must be received at the office of Orlowski Law Office, 1215 5th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan S4A 0Z5 by 4:00 p.m. on February 20, 2018. Highest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Balance of funds from successful bidder will be due by April 2, 2018. Deposits of unsuccessful bidders will be refunded. For further information contact Stephen J. Orlowski at: Orlowski Law Office Prof. Corp. Phone: (306)634-3353 Fax: (306)634-7714 Email: steve@orlowskilaw.ca
Estevan Arts Council Concert Series
FARMLAND FOR SALE BY TENDER RM OF ARGYLE NO. 1
Sale includes two quonsets both approximately 40’ x 60’ one metal, and one wooden. Wooden quonset is in need of repair. Also included are 8 – 1,650 bushel bins.
Sponsored by
STARS FOR SASKATCHEWAN
Pam Dechief, volunteer committee chair, talks Sunday night at the McGillicky Lounge at the Power Dodge Ice Centre.
Mineral rights are not included in the sale, but 6 current surface leases, with total annual rental of $17,700.00 will be included in the sale. Land consists of approximately 556 cultivated acres in total.
same type of tournament with only two rinks in town. “We really have very faithful teams that come constantly to the tournament and we really didn’t want to cut anybody out if we didn’t have to,” Rohatyn said Tuesday. “We’re going to go with the Bienfait rink for one year and see how things go that way.” The tournament is an annual event that brings up to 40 teams for a weekend in Estevan’s arenas, plus acts as a local fundraiser. The Strippers have donated money to the SaskTel Tankard and the Western Canada Cup in recent years.
By Corey Atkinson Sports@estevanmercury.ca
Upcoming Concerts
NE 34-02-30 W1 NW 34-02-30 W1 SE 34-02-30 W1 SW 34-02-30 W1
That will be the legacy left in future years, at least when it comes to an organizational standpoint. “Our legacy certainly is that we hope to raise the standard of this event in the province for Curl Saskatchewan and to showcase the outstanding facility we have,” Fornwald said. “We’ll be passing it on to the next sporting event coming to Estevan.”
Strippers annual hockey tournament moving games to Bienfait this year
The following farmland is offered for sale by tender:
this is so wonderful, can we have the Scotties here next year.” The way this has been run has set the bar higher for future Tankards and provincial Scotties, Wilson feels. “The arena is first class, the committee is first class and everything they have done is first class,” Wilson said. “Next year, it’s going to be tough (to top), and we haven’t thrown a rock yet.”
DERINA HARVEY BAND Tuesday, April 17, 2018 7:30 PM Estevan Comprehensive School
Comedy in Motion with Bob Cates Comedy in Motion with Bob Cates is coming to Estevan! The Estevan Arts Council will present this awarded Entertainer of the Year on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 7 pm @ the Estevan Comprehensive School. Bob Cates is a Canadian Juggling Champion, clean comedian, and physical variety artist that has been delighting audiences for 20 years, and will make Estevan his first stop on his Saskatchewan tour in 2018. He keeps the crowd laughing with fast paced comedy routines involving advanced juggling, wild unicycling and balancing skills, and an insane real plate spinning finale that has to be seen to be believed. Bob’s small town charm, clean comedy, and witty sense of humor have won him fans all over the nation. www.comedyinmotion.com Comedy in Motion with Bob Cates is part of the Stars for Saskatchewan and Koncerts for Kids concert series. Advance tickets are available at Henders Drugs or the Estevan Arts council office. Tickets are available at the door. Please call 634-3942 for more information or check out our Facebook page.
FOR TICKET INFORMATION, CONTACT:
306.634.3942
Advance Tickets available at Henders Drugs – Estevan 306.634.3666
A12 January 31, 2018
Estevan Mercury
Many Tankard rinks pack plenty of experience There will be 16 rinks in Estevan for the SaskTel Tankard this week, but only one of them will be able to fly the province’s colours at the Tim Hortons Brier in Regina next month. The draws start Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the winners determining the rest of the draws. Here are capsule profiles of the rinks coming to Estevan, based on their ranking coming into the week: Skip Steve Laycock, third Matthew Dunstone, second Kirk Muyres, lead Dallan Muyres (Saskatoon Nutana). Laycock has skipped three provincial champions and has consistently played well among the best of the country on the Canadian Curling Tour. He’ll want to make up for his rink’s loss at the Saskatchewan Curling Tour Tour Championship earlier this month to Adam Casey in Humboldt. Losing Colton Flasch to allow him to skip his own rink was mitigated by the addition of Dunstone, a former national junior champion from Manitoba. Laycock was second on one of the Pat Simmons provincial winners, and lead on two others and has curled with the Muyres brothers for years. Skip Adam Casey, third Brock Montgomery, second Shaun Meachem, lead Dustin Kidby (Regina Highland). Casey won this event last year in Tisdale, knocking off
Laycock for the first time in four years. Casey is a former bronze medalist at the Canada Winter Games, a former Canadian junior champion in 2009 and a former member of Brad Gushue’s rink, going to the Brier three times as his second. He’s joined by former provincial junior champion Brock Montgomery (who replaces current John Morris team member Catlin Schnieder from last year’s Tankard champions) from Moose Jaw. Montgomery’s 2000 provincial junior title winning team featured Estevan’s Brent Gedak at third. Skip Colton Flasch, third Kevin Marsh, second Dan Marsh, lead Trent Knapp (Saskatoon Nutana). Flasch was second on three Laycock provincial championships and second on Braeden Moskowy’s 2011 provincial and national junior men’s championship team. The current rink backed Bruce Korte for a few years, and Korte now serves as their coach. The team, although newly formed, had success right away when they won the Canadian Curling Tour’s College Clean Restoration Championship in Saskatoon in October. Skip Joshua Heidt, third Kody Hartung, second Tyler Hartung, lead Kelly Knapp (Kerrobert). Also skipping a fairly new rink, Heidt finished third in the Medicine Hat Charity Classic on the Canadian Curling Tour earli-
er this season. Heidt won the 2015 Weatherford Classic, so he does have experience winning here in Estevan. Both members of his back end have had provincial junior championship experience Skip Brent Gedak, third Clint Dieno, second Derek Owens, lead Shawn Meyer (Estevan). Forever knocking on the door but always just a little bit short, Gedak has a chance this year to finally break through into the championship. He and his rink had a great year in the province, winning in Saskatoon to be the first automatic qualifier. If Gedak wins, he’d be the first Estevan skip to win the Tankard since Jim Packet in 1997. Skip Brock Virtue, third Drew Heidt, second Mitch Heidt, lead Jesse St. John (Kerrobert). Heidt has skipped rinks to the Tankard before but cedes skip stones this week to Virtue, the 2013 Tankard champion from Regina. Virtue also lost the Tankard final in 2014 and hasn’t been back to the Tankard since. Skip Carl deConinck Smith, third Jeff Sharp, second Brady Scharback, lead Mark Larsen (Rosetown). Like Gedak, deConinck Smith has been sniffing around the edges of the provincial Tankard title without actually winning it for a few years. He was two wins short of the playoffs last year, edged out 6-5 by Jason
The rink skipped by Scott Bitz, centre, earned their place at the Tankard by winning a qualifying bonspiel in Estevan in early December. Ackerman in the D semifinal. Skip Jason Jacobson, third Jacob Hersikorn, second Quinn Hersikorn, lead Nick Neufeld (Saskatoon Nutana). Former junior champion Hersikorn brothers join Jacobson, and together they had the most Sask Curling Tour points among those who didn’t automatically qualify through winning. Jacobson lost the 2015 Tankard final 8-7 to Laycock. His second a couple of years ago was deConinck Smith. Skip Ryan Deis, third Scott Manners, second Jason Barnhart, lead Kalin Deis (Fox Valley). Manners was the 2012 Tankard champion with Ryan Deis as the second. The reshuffling of the team helped them win their second Regina Highland qualifying ‘spiel to get back
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to the Tankard. Skip Scott Bitz, third Warren Jackson, second Aryn Schmidt, lead Rory Golanowski (Saskatoon Sutherland). Winning here at the Power Dodge Curling Centre was the Bitz rink’s direct entry here. He won provincial titles as a skip (2002) and as Joel Jordison’s third in 2009, with Schmidt as second. Golanowski was the lead on the 2004 winner Bruce Korte’s rink. Skip Randy Bryden, third Troy Robinson, second John Aston, lead Malcolm Vanstone (Regina Callie). Bitz beat the Bryden rink to qualify but Bryden made it through in the southern playdowns. Bryden won three provincial junior crowns in the late 1980s. Much more recently, he made the threefour page playoff game in 2015, losing to Jacobson but was winless in the 2017 Tankard. Skip Jeff Hartung, third Jason Krupski, third Mat Ring, lead Brandon Leippi (Langenburg). Hartung was the top qualifier for the 2015 page playoff but lost the onetwo game to Laycock and the next game to Jacobson. This year, they won the Farmer’s Edge Saskatchewan Curling Tour event in Wadena to qualify, drawing hometown favourite Brent Gedak in the first match. Skip Brady Kendal, third Anthony Neufeld, second Cole Tenetiuk, lead Chadd McKenzie (Saskatoon Sutherland). Former member of the Hersikorn rink that
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won the provincial junior title twice, Kendal is skipping his first Tankard rink although Tenetiuk and McKenzie have been at this level before with the Drew Heidt rink. As lead on the Brady Scharback rink last year, Kendal went 1-3. Skip Brayden Stewart, third Jared Latos, second Evan Latos, lead Brody Blackwell (Saskatoon Sutherland). No one need look for any further evidence that the youth are taking over than this rink. After losing the junior provincial final, the Stewart rink picked up the last spot in the northern playdowns this year, sealing it by defeating 1985 and 1988 Tankard winner Eugene Hritzuk, whose titles were won about a decade before Stewart and his team were born. Skip Daniel Selke, third Garret Springer, third Drew Springer, lead Jake Ripplinger (Regina Callie). They made the semifinal in the Moose Jaw bonspiel that Gedak won. Selke was third on the Mike Armstrong rink at the Tankard in 2014 that lost three in a row to bow out quickly. Selke upset Jason Ackerman to nab the last spot in southern playdowns. Skip Aaron Shutra, third Justin Heather, second Jayden Shwaga, lead Rob Marsh (Saskatoon Nutana). The Shutra rink qualified through northern playdowns this year. Shutra has been the lead several times on Tankard rinks skipped by Shaun Meacham and Kevin Marsh.
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January 31, 2018 A13
Estevan’s Cole Fonstad scores in Top Prospects Game By Corey Atkinson sports@estevanmercury.ca
It’s been a good season for Estevan Minor Hockey product Cole Fonstad and it’s about to hit the roof. Fonstad, a 17-year-old forward for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League, scored a goal in the SherwinWilliams CHL/NHL Top Prospects game in Guelph, Ont. for Team Bobby Orr, an exclusive domain for the country’s best NHL drafteligible players. It’s a feather in the cap of what has been an enjoyable season for the Estevan product. “I’ve had a couple of rough patches here and there but I’ve been pretty happy with the way things have been going so far,” Fonstad said from Prince
Albert. “I’ve been producing and helping the team win.” Fonstad has scored 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 49 games so far with the Raiders, both of which are WHL career highs, as he ranks second in team scoring. He scored 11 goals and 15 assists last year as a rookie in 69 games. “I think I wanted to come in and help contribute more offensively,” he said. “I think it was an expectation coming in this year and I think as the year goes on it’s been getting bigger and bigger and I’ve been relied on more and more. I’ve enjoying it.” The attention he’s been getting from NHL Central Scouting, which has him ranked 78th among North American skaters, hasn’t
affected at all the way he’s been preparing for the season. “I just go everyday and try to work hard,” he said. “Every game I prepare the same way so I don’t think that has any effect on how I want to play or how I’m going to play.” Fonstad enjoyed the experience of the prospects game, which was part of a few days spent in the Toronto area. “It was a fun experience to be able to go there and meet everyone and have that exposure and the experience of being in the spotlight all week,” he said. “It was an experience I’ll never forget.” Some on and off-ice skills testing was rounded out by talks with media and some NHL teams for some of the players.
“It wasn’t too much of a tiring week,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. We got to meet everyone and hung out.” The season for the Raiders has gone fairly well considering the division they’re in. With 49 points in 49 games, the Raiders are in sixth place but are only four points behind Saskatoon with two games in hand and six behind Regina with three in hand. But the Moose Jaw Warriors have been entrenched in second place in the CHL rankings, and the Swift Current Broncos aren’t far behind them. Also in the division are the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Regina Pats, both of whom have had hot stretches this season.
Matt Lukacs stopped 20 of 23 shots in the Bruins’ net. The Bruins are now done with Yorkton for the rest of the season. The Bruins are spending most of the next few weeks letting the rest of the league catch up to them in games played. The Bruins had the weekend off of game action this weekend and with the SJHL equivalent of a bye week, the Bruins won’t be back in action until Jan. 30 at Humboldt, the result of which was
unavailable at press time. The Bruins have a busy rest of the week, starting with Wednesday at the Kindersley Klippers and Friday at the Battlefords North Stars. They close out that road trip Saturday at the Humboldt Broncos. The Weyburn Red Wings, who only last weekend were six points behind the Bruins, have now caught a little bit up by winning one of their games last week. The Bruins’ next home game is Feb. 14 against the Red Wings.
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League standings Viterra Division
GP
W
L
OTL
(As of Jan. 29, 2018) SOL
Estevan Bruins 44 25 15 3 Weyburn Red Wings 43 23 16 4 Melville Millionaires 43 15 26 0 Yorkton Terriers 42 9 29 2 Ag Risk Solutions Div
GP
W
Battlefords North Stars Humboldt Broncos Notre Dame Hounds Kindersley Klippers
42 32 8 2 45 25 15 3 44 24 16 1 40 18 17 3
Sherwood Division
GP
W
L
L
OTL
OTL
1 54 0 50 2 32 2 22
SOL
Pts
0 66 2 55 3 52 2 41
SOL
Nipawin Hawks 44 34 5 2 Melfort Mustangs 43 29 9 4 Flin Flon Bombers 43 16 20 3 La Ronge Ice Wolves 43 8 33 0
Pts
Pts
3 73 1 63 4 39 2 18
playoffs at the end of the year. All we’ve got to do is win. It doesn’t matter how we get there, we’ve just got to win.”
Estevan’s Cole Fonstad, above playing for the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders, is enjoying a good season with in the WHL. Photo submitted.
Estevan and area athletes selected for Sask Winter Games
Yorkton baffles Bruins for fourth time this year Oh, those troublesome Yorkton Terriers. For the fourth time this season, the Viterra Division’s last place Terriers defeated the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins on Jan. 24. Their 3-1 win was the team’s ninth win of the year. Kaelan Holt scored the Bruins’ only goal of the game at 3:52 of the second period, tying the game. The Bruins surrendered all three goals in the period. The Bruins fired 41 shots on Yorkton netminder Ben Laidlaw.
“I think we’ve just got to win,” he said. “We’re just behind Saskatoon and that’s who we want to catch ... if we want to be in the
The Saskatchewan Winter Games are just a few weeks away, and athletes from Estevan and area have already earned their spots on some of the Team Southeast squads. The games are Feb. 18-24 in North Battleford and feature everything from target shooting and gymnastics to hockey and figure skating. The athletes on Team Southeast come from Balgonie down to the very corner of the province. In total, there will be 1,900 athletes at the games, including about 200 from the southeast. Jackson Miller, Alec Waldegger, Mason Fichter and Kaden Chrest of Estevan are on the boys hockey team, as are Redvers’ Austin Davis, Bromhead’s Colby Durr, Manor’s Colby Cuddington, Carievale’s James Mann and Bienfait’s Mason Kukura, with Midale’s Kyle Hoium as one of the coaches. The players
have all had experience with the Estevan TS&M Bruins bantam AA team. The synchro swim team has a few familiar faces from the Estevan Mermaids. Those include Hannah Mantei, Nyla Dyck, Caitlyn Graham, Marlie Weinrauch, Haley Copeland and Gemma Bittman. Brenda Lyons from the Mermaids will also coach them. Carlyle has a near-monopoly on the weightlifters. Those include Aaron Chapman, Tyler Colpitts, Taris Rae, Jorja Bendtsen, Kendra Schultz, Karli Colpitts, and coaches Carson Brady and Mackenzie Craig. Oxbow’s Caden Trafford is one of five members of the boys’ bowling team, and Carnduff has Laci Glennie, Hudson Walker, Rayna Stadnick and Carievale’s Alisa Paul on the girls’ team. Girls’ hockey has Karleigh Mackenzie, Bailey
Farr and Kayla Wanner from Estevan, as well as Starla Mann from Carievale, Dalis Prawdzik from Midale and Kelsey Carson from Lampman. Many of these players are on the Estevan midget AA Bearcats. Brad Robinson of Estevan is a member of the coaching staff. Brynn Kuntz of Estevan is on the Parkland Valley team, representing the YorktonMelville area. Figure skating has representation from Lampman’s Kelsey Carson and Carnduff’s Carly Paton. Table tennis athletes from Estevan are Jean Rose Be and Bernadette Pangan and will be coached by Lindsay Collins from Estevan. Brooke Hodgson of Estevan was named to the gymnastics team. Teams for wrestling, biathlon, snowboarding, alpine skiing and badminton have yet to be determined.
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Two ECS students give back to their former school in Bienfait By William Acri wacri@estevanmercury.ca
From left, student Brody Wallington, instructor Mark Kroeker and student Riley Mann stand with the new Weldon School bench. to build a bench for Weldon School. I have been at this school for a long time and this is the first time this has ever happened where we had some students from ECS help us out this way,” she added. Mark Kroeker, who teaches welding and machining at ECS, was thrilled at the idea the two students had to replace a broken bench at Weldon School. “Riley and Brody basically made this bench all by themselves and I gave them some guidance during its construction,” said Kroeker. “My first thought when they approached me with this
104 - Hwy. 47 S., Estevan, SK 306-634-5588
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Two students from Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) have come together to make a bench for their former school. Brody Wallington and Riley Mann are Grade 11 students from ECS, and with the help of community members and their teacher Mark Kroeker, they have made a wood and metal bench for Bienfait Weldon School. Brody’s younger brother Dominick, who was a Grade 8 student from Weldon School, passed away recently. Brody remembers students and staff at the school always being very nice and helpful to his brother. As such, Brody wanted to take an opportunity to give directly back to the school that was so kind to Dominick. This opportunity was not only a way for Brody to say thank you to his past school, but it was also an opportunity for the two friends to practise welding. “I had taken the old bench home because my husband is a welder and he said it is too far gone to bother repairing. He told me that a new bench had to be bought or made to replace the old one,” said Janet Mann, who is the Grade 5 and 6 teacher at Weldon School. “Riley Mann (son of Janet Mann) and his friend Brody Wallington decided in their welding class they were going
CE SALENOW
LEARAN JANUARY C
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idea, was I wanted to make it happen. We had to consider how much time we had left in the semester, but fortunately there was enough time, resources and community support to get this bench idea off paper and into practice,” he added. Kroeker said he believes that Riley and Brody are both fine examples of the students that are at ECS. Getting to practice your niche at school is always something a student can enjoy doing, and Brody said the idea to make the bench arose from the fact that the old bench was in disrepair.
But as the work on the bench progressed and it came time to deliver the bench, the project held a lot more meaning than just replacing an old broken bench. “We picked the logos for Bienfait and Estevan and put it all together in a scheme and sent it all to KRJ Custom Fabrication Ltd. out of Estevan for them to use their plasma cutter and everything came out looking very nice,” said Riley. “We started around Christmas and we finished a few days ago. I think between those times we spent about 25 to 30 hours on this bench,” Brody added.
Saxon reappointed to housing authority Caroline Saxon has been reappointed to the Estevan Housing Authority’s board of directors. Other members of the board are Clinton Davies, Bev Hickie, Marlene Moore, Lori Naka, George Poage and Al Wempe. Moore is chairperson. The Estevan Housing Authority is a community-based organization that provides daily management of 297 housing units constructed and operated under the terms of a cost-sharing agreement involving the federal, provincial and municipal governments. Social Services Minister Paul Merriman paid tribute to the volunteers who manage the social housing projects in their community. “This local hands-on approach ensures that the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation responds effectively to the needs of each community,” said Merriman. Saskatchewan has a network of 260 housing authorities and more than 1,400 volunteer members who assist with the management of housing units throughout the province for seniors, low-income families and persons with disabilities. Anyone interested in volunteering to serve on the board of directors for the Estevan Housing Authority is encouraged to contact Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig. A local nominating committee recommends board members. Applications for accommodation are available from the manager of the Estevan Housing Authority.
City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800 Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880
Message From
The Mayor
Please come and support the SaskTel Tankard January 31 - February 4 Hurry Hard!!
Save 2.5% in January by pre-paying your 2018 Property Taxes The City of Estevan is offering a 2.5 % discount when you pre-pay your property taxes in January. Discounts are calculated based on previous years levy. Please pay the 2017 levy amount to take advantage of this discount. Payments can be made in person at City Hall we accept cash, cheque or debit. Payments can also be made on-line through your personal on-line banking. Discounts will be calculated at time payment is processed. Please note: The discount is calculated on the municipal portion of your taxes only. As per provincial directives the discounts are no longer available on the school portion of your property taxes.
FALL/WINTER PROGRAMS
@The Souris Valley Museum
I Am..
WEIGHT ROOM MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
6:00 AM - 10:00 PM 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
DROP IN RECREATION
FITNESS SCHEDULE
EFFECTIVE - January 8 - 27, 2018
MONDAY GRIT EASY STRETCH GRIT
9:10 AM - 9:50 AM 10:10 am - 10:50 am 5:15 pm - 6:00 pm
TUESDAY SPIN
6:10 - 6:50 AM, 9:10 - 9:50 AM, 5:30 - 6:10 pm SPIN BAR
MULTI PURPOSE ROOM MULTI PURPOSE ROOM MULTI PURPOSE ROOM
WEDNESDAY GRIT 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM MOM & BABY/TOT STROLLER BOOTCAMP 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM GRIT 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
Ages 3-4 l $5.00 per session l 10:30am -11:30am Jan. 19 l Feb. 16 l Mar. 9 l Apr. 20 l May 18
No School Workshops Ages 5-12 l $10.00 - $15.00 per workshop l Ages 5-7: 10am - 12pm l Ages 8-12: 1pm - 3pm Jan. 31 l Mar. 16 l Apr. 30
Winter Camps Winter Wonderland l Ages 3-5 l Feb. 20-22 l 10am - 12pm l $30.00 Inventions Camp l Ages 6-10 l Feb. 20-23 l 1pm - 4pm l $50.00
6:00 AM - 9:00 PM 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
THURSDAY SPIN FRIDAY GRIT
MULTI PURPOSE ROOM AFFINITY PLACE TRACK MULTI PURPOSE ROOM
6:10 - 6:50 AM, 9:10 - 9:50 AM, 5:30 - 6:10 pm SPIN BAR 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM
MULTI PURPOSE ROOM
* SPIN CLASS is a pre-register class but extra spots may be available for drop -in registration. You can confirm your spot by pre-registering at wwww.estevan.ca or at the Information Desk. 306-634-1888.
For More information Contact Us at 306-634-5543 DROP IN RECREATION
DROP IN RECREATION
ICE SKATING SCHEDULE
EFFECTIVE - January 6 - 24, 2018
INDOOR Mon-Friday
PARENT & TOT SKATE NOON HOCKEY
11:15 am - 12:00 pm 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
AFFINITY PLACE AFFINITY PLACE
Please note during school breaks, (Teachers Convention, Spring Breaks and Christmas Breaks) and when Ice becomes available arena schedules may vary. Please visit our live schedules at www.estevan.ca
OUTDOOR - FREE FOR EVERYONE KINSMEN RINK
Warm up shack, change room and washrooms. Outdoor lights. Children under 10 years of age must be under direct supervision of a parent or guardian 16 years of age or older. Helmets are strongly recommended for all participants. Keep pucks down on the boarded rinks to prevent injury to spectators and players.
RUSTY DUCE RINK
Warm up shack, change room and washrooms. Outdoor lights. Children under 10 years of age must be under direct supervision of a parent or guardian 16 years of age or older. Helmets are strongly recommended for all participants. Keep pucks down on the boarded rinks to prevent injury to spectators and players.
WESTVIEW RINK
Warm up shack and change room. Outdoor lights. Children under 10 years of age must be under direct supervision of a parent or guardian 16 years of age or older. Helmets are strongly recommended for all participants. Keep pucks down on the boarded rinks to prevent injury to spectators and players.
800 Block of George Street 10:00 am - 9:30 pm
1300 Block of Nicholson Road 10:00 am - 9:30 pm 1700 Block of 1st Street 10:00 am - 9:30 pm
AQUATIC SCHEDULE MONDAY & LANE SWIM WEDNESDAY AIS AQUA SWIM LANE SWIM SURF & SWIM LANE SWIM AQUAFIT
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
TUESDAY LANE SWIM AIS LANE SWIM SURF & SWIM
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
THURSDAY LANE SWIM AIS LANE SWIM SURF & SWIM AQUAFIT
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
EFFECTIVE - Janaury 6 - 30, 2018 FRIDAY LANE SWIM AIS LANE SWIM SURF & SWIM LIONS FREE SWIM LANE SWIM PUBLIC SWIM
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
SATURDAY LANE SWIM PUBLIC SWIM LANE SWIM FAMILY SWIM PUBLIC SWIM
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
SUNDAY LANE SWIM FAMILY SWIM PUBLIC SWIM LANE SWIM
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
* Schedule Subject to Change. Please visit www.estevan.ca for updates on closures and cancellations. Proper footwear and exercise wear is required to participate. Please note during school breaks, (Teachers Convention, Spring Break and Christmas Break) Fitness, Aquatic Centre and Arena schedules may vary. Please visit our live schedules at www.estevan.ca
Classifieds A15
Auto MiscellAneous
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Coming EvEnts
Wrecking over 250 units... cars a n d t r u ck s. L o t s o f t r u ck s. . . Dodge... GMC... Ford... Imports... 1/2 ton to 3 tons... We ship anywhere... Call or text 306-821-0260. Lloydminster.
Announcements
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE Canadian PiCkers are returning to your area
FARM STRESS LINE If you are experIencIng symptoms of stress, the farm stress LIne Is avaILabLe 24/7 at
1-800-667-4442
In MeMorIaM
buying Coin ColleCtions.
The PICKERS will be purchasing Royal Can. Mint Sets or bags, boxes or truck loads of loose SILVER & GOLD coins. CANADIAN PICKERS also buying old, broken or unwanted GOLD JEWELRY and paying HIGHEST CASH PRICES. The PICKERS will be providing discrete home visits during the month of February. To arrange a free in home appraisal kindly call Kellie @ 778-257-8647 Bonded since 1967 GET UP TO $50,000 from the Government of Canada. Do you or someone you know Have any of these Conditions? ADHD, Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, COPD, Depression, Diabetes, Difficulty Walking, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowels, Overweight, Trouble Dressing...and Hundreds more. ALL Ages & Medical Conditions Qualify. CALL SASKATCHEWA N B E N E F IT S 1- ( 8 0 0 ) - 2 113550
Notice to creditors In Loving Memory of Darwin Todd Sovdi February 4, 2013 He went away without farewell He said goodbye to none But Heaven’s gate was open wide And a loving voice said “Come” Beside his grave we often stand Our hearts are tired and sore But through the gloom There comes the words; “Not dead, just gone before” Sadly missed by - Dad (Cliff) and family
Card of Thanks To all of the staff, management and care givers at Estevan Regional Nursing Home, the family of Lawrence & Trudy Wetsch would like to extend their most sincere and deep appreciation for the exceptional care they provided to Myrna for the last 3 years. It gave the Wetsch family great comfort to know how well taken care of Myrna was, in the hands of these very capable and caring people. Thank you for all you do, and for all you did for our beloved Myrna. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all my family and friends who made my 90th Birthday such a memorable celebration. Thank you for all the cards and gifts. It was so nice to have them all come home. - Marie Bonokoski. The family of the late Ron Muirhead would like to thank everyone who made phone calls and sent messages to us. Thanks for the flowers, food, cards and donations. Thanks to St. Paul’s UCW for the lovely lunch. Thanks to Hall Funeral home for their compassionate help. It was very much appreciated Kathy, Twyla ( Mark ) , Braydon, Hallie, Emily Hanson. Michelle ( Cory ), Ashton, Bria Stepp and Mother Rita Muirhead.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Buying/Selling FEED GRAINS heated / damaged CANOLA/FLAX Top price paid FOB FARM
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.
Western Commodities 877-695-6461 Visit our website @
www.westerncommodities.ca
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 NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. Currently Buying: Feed Barley, Wheat, Soybeans & Faba Beans. OFFERING: Competitive Prices, On Farm Pickup & Prompt Payment! CALL: 1-306-873-3551, WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com
LAND FOR SALE FARMLAND WANTED NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS!
All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 7th day of March, 2018
PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND. PREMIUM PRICES PAID WITH QUICK PAYMENT.
Solicitors for the Estate, Leland Kimpinski LLP Barristers & Solicitors 336 6th Avenue North Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. S7K 2S5 Attention: Caitlin H. Turnbull
ApArtments/Condos for rent
$1000 MOVE-IN BONUS! MOVE IN TO YOUR NEW OR RENOVATED SUITE ON OR BEFORE MAR. 1ST Rent with us to receive great perks! ° 24-hour customer service ° Pet friendly communities ° Newly renovated suites ° Maintenance guarantee ° On-line account access ° Resident member only events, contests and more! Be the first to live in your new suite at
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Business services
Great References Available a total of 590 QUARTER SECTIONS SOLD across saskatchewan RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-955-2266 saskfarms@shaw.ca
Wanted GOT OIL? Free Property Evaluation for Mineral
Rights holders. Royalties paid on suitable drilling locations! Call with your land co-ordinates
Nordal Limousin & Angus 2018 Bull Sale. Feb. 15 Saskatoon Livestock Sales Saskatoon Sk. offering 87 2 Yr.old Limousin ,Black Angus & Red Angus. Catalogue online at www.nordallimousin.com Contact Rob Gar ner 306 946 7946. Rob Garner Box 85 Simpson Sk. S0G4M0
Southern Selection committee member, GDi traininG & employment. Gabriel Dumont Institute Training & Employment Inc. was established in 2006 to serve the Métis training and employment needs in Saskatchewan. GDI T & E falls under the parent umbrella organization, the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research. Selection Committee members should possess the following: ° Métis ancestry with solid knowledge of Métis history and culture; ° knowledge, skills, and expertise in the area of training & employment; ° solid knowledge of labour market and training trends within the area of impact and be reputable, with a solid history of community service. Priority will be given to someone living in one of the following Métis Regions: Western Region III, Eastern Region IIA and Eastern Region III. Members of the Southern Selection committee are responsible for allocating training funds based on established eligibility criteria and labour market information. Training will be provided to Selection Committee members and meetings will be held 7-8 times per year. Travel expenses are provided following GDI policies.
All wild fur (coyotes, etc), beaver castors, old traps, shed deer antlers. Phone Bryan 306-278-7756 or Phil 306-278-2299.
For Sale - MiSc
Phone: (306) 242-6070 Fax: (306) 683-3508
1-403-291-0005 www.briskenergy.com
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.
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.
Livestock
Career OppOrtunities
Deadline for Receipt of Resumes February 2nd, 2018 Inquiries & Resumes can be sent to: Angie Yew, Administrative Coordinator 917-22nd Street West Saskatoon, SK S7M 0R9
C O LO R A D O B L U E S P RU C E : $ 0 . 9 9 / e a c h fo r a b ox o f 18 0 ($178.20). Also full range of tree, shrub, and berry seedlings. Free shipping most of Canada. Growth guarantee. 1-866-873-3846 or TreeTime.ca.
The Mercury Classifieds Phone 634-2654 Today!
Parts & accessories
In the estate of CHRISTIAN IRAN KACHUR late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased.
Buying or Selling A Vehicle?
will get you on the road!
Feed & Seed
Remember Your Loved Ones with a Memorial Tribute in The Mercury Obituaries Lois Mantei 1932 - 2018 Lois Marcella Mantei (Nee Mowrey), late of Estevan, SK passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the age of 85. Lois was born on April 4, 1932 to parents Leo and Rosie Mowery, the sixth of six children. Lois was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Archie Mantei; her parents, as well as siblings, Wes (Mary) Mowrey, Bernice (Fred) Ward, Gerry (Helen) Mowrey and Morley (Betty) Mowrey; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Herman Mantei, Albert Mantei, Bertha (Tom) Cundall, Rudy Mantei, Ella (Elmer) Jensen, Henry Wingert, Frank Demeter, Bill (Lily) Mantei, Lenora (Bill) Konopaki and Lloyd Casler. Her memory will be forever cherished by her family: son Terry (Wilma) Mantei of Estevan; grandchildren, Lee (Simone) Mantei, Andrea (Preston) Leatherdale and Paul (Stacey) Mantei, all of Estevan and great grandchildren, Daniel, Samuel, Kalem, Chloe, Ryder, Lia, Praline, Holden and Joylynne Mantei and Torrie Leatherdale; sister Dorothy Casler; sisters-in-law, Margret Wingert, Martha Mantei, Myrtle (Cliff) Finstad and Clara Demeter; brother-in-law Clarence (Esther) Mantei, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and good friends. A Service of Remembrance for Lois was held on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Estevan, with Rev. Randy Kleemola officiating. Immediately following the service, a time of fellowship and refreshments was held in the church auditorium. Interment will take place at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens in the spring. Those wishing to make donations in Lois’ memory may do so directly to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 130 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK, S4A 1J6 or the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, SK, S4A 0H3. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan.
Thank You
The family of the Late Lois Mantei would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our relatives, friends and neighbours who gave words of condolences and support through phone calls, messages, cards, flowers and attending the funeral. Thank you also to those who gave food gifts for the family during this time. Thank you to those who also gave donations in memory of Lois Mantei to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church or the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. These were greatly appreciated. We would like to also give our gratitude and appreciation to Rev. Randy Kleemola and the family of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. The funeral was truly a celebration of life in honor of our Mother and Grandmother. Thank you to Cheri Haberstock and the Unified Praise Team that contributed beautiful music to the service. A special thank you to those involved in the lunch planning as it was very organized for such a large crowd. Thank you to Hall Funeral Services for guiding us through this time of planning.
angie.yew@gdite.gdins.org
Heavy Duty Mechanic
1A Drivers License required for preventative maintenance, repair & service of heavy equipment fleet. Journeyman with min. 5 year exp with CAT, JD and heavy trucks. Both camp and shop locations. Service truck and accommodations provided. Wage negotiable. Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc., Box 100, Arborfield, Sk. S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca with
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Career Training
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 workat-home career today!
Wetsch, Myrna Kathryne November 22, 1910 – January 21, 2018 On Sunday, January 21, 2018, Myrna Wetsch late of Estevan, SK passed away at the Estevan Regional Nursing Home at the age of 107 years. Myrna was predeceased by her parents, Lawrence and Ethel Hall; her husband John; sisters-in-law, Madra and Phyllis and son-in-law Hans. Loving memories will be cherished by her children Dale (Arlene) Wetsch, Charlene Anderson and Lawrence (Trudy) Wetsch. She will also be missed by her grandchildren, David, Lori, Melanie, Wendy, Kevin, Tanya and TJ (Travis John); as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. A private family service was held at the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services with Marian Huber officiating. Interment followed at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, Estevan, SK. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK.
HEART & STROKE
FOUNDATION OF SASKATCHEWAN
Finding answers. For life.
A16 January 31, 2018
Estevan Mercury
CAREERS SRI HOMES’ Estevan Facility SHELTER HOME SYSTEMS is currently accepting applications for
PRODUCTION WORKERS • Required Immediately
Duties include:
• Assembling and installing modular components Send, fax, e-mail or drop off resume to:
H
O
M
E
S
SHELTER
Box 845 #200 Hwy. 18 West, Estevan, SK S4A 2A7 Fax: 306-634-7597 jobs.shelter@gmail.com www.shelterhomes.ca
Obituaries
Hebert F Orser 1963 - 2018 Bert Orser of Menzie, MB passed away peacefully at home on January 14, 2018 at the age of 55 years. Bert was a family man who devoted his free time to his children and grandchildren. He worked for Carson Welding & Maintenance Ltd. (Lampman, SK) where he made his home for 25 years, then moved to a spot to spend his retirement years to come. Bert loved to spend time in the outdoors with friends and family, hunting, fishing or just drinking a cold one. He was an honest, life loving who always had a smile or kind word where ever he was. He was predeceased by his mother Joyce (Brock), father Edwin Orser, grandson Edwin Hebert, grandparents Len and Alice Brock, Mary and Hebert Orser. Surviving are his wife and soulmate Arlene, his children Bradley (Angela) Keegan and Marissa (Melita, MB), Sue-Anne (Troy Hirsch), Emma, Hunter, Noah, Jayleigh, Kelsey, Monty and Levi (Bienfait,SK), Alyssa (Stan Hayes), Kyanna, Lyric and Echo (Lampman SK), siblings Blair (Tina) (Pike Lake, SK), Karon (Kelly) (Lampman, SK), Kathy (Joseph aka Joe) (Estevan, SK) and Mark (Tina) (Fort St. John, BC), many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces, and a special extended family close to his heart Marlene and Aurthur Culbertson, Susan Graham (Tom), Sarah Culbertson (Darcy Williams) and Jonathon Culbertson. As per his request, no public service was held. A small family gathering took place in Shoal Lake, MB at Rae's Funeral Chapel with Shawna Gerelus presiding. He will be celebrated throughout the years with tree seedlings and flower seedlings with his ashes to be planted by his loved ones so he will always be with them.
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Thank You
The Estevan Mercury is looking for the right person to fill a vacancy within our ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
We would like to thank everyone who has shown our family such tremendous support during this very difficult time. Thank you for the cards, donations of food, floral arrangements and monetary donations for the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. We appreciate all the visits and calls that we have received. We wish to thank all of Brian’s fishing buddies who were honourary pallbearers. Thank you to everyone near and far who attended the funeral service for Brian. Thank you to those that brought meals to our family. Thank you to Wilma Woods and Mike Sinclair for the wonderful service for Brian. Thank you to Sheilagh Pattemore for the very meaningful eulogy. Thank you to Dustin Hall and staff of Hall Funeral Services. Your patience and guidance helped us through a very difficult time. With love and gratitude, Candy, Misty, Dusty, Lucas and families
This is a permanent part time position that will be support for all departments within the Mercury. The position is for approximately 24 hours per week and increases to 40 hours per week when necessary to fill in for vacations. Qualifications should include: • Proficient with computers and programs such as excel and word. We have industry programs that you will be taught. • Quick learner. • Able to work under pressure and without much supervision • Friendly and able to work well with others
RM of Souris Valley No. 7
If this sounds like the job for you, send your resume to: Richard Sadick, Publisher Estevan Mercury 68 Souris Ave N. Estevan , SK S4A2A6 Or email to rsadick@estevanmercury.ca
ADMINISTRATOR The Mainprize Regional Park is located in Southern Saskatchewan approximately 60 km South East of Weyburn and 60 Km NW of Estevan. The Park features Full time Residents, Seasonal Residents and well as Seasonal Camping, Overnight Camping. Boat docking facilities for an excellent fishing experience, as well as a beach and Picnic Area. The Park also features a 21 hole golf course, 18 hole links style course as well as maintained practice holes to provide opportunity for new golfers and family fun golfing. Qualifications & Experience • University degree or equivalent in the field of Accounting, Commerce, or Business Administration. • At least 5 years related experience with multiple years of experience and training in management and supervision; • Knowledge of municipal financial administration and accounting principles and practices; Work with Manager prepare annual budgets, and to ensure success of the park. • Work with the Regional Park Board, keep minutes for all business meeting of the board, and maintain all documents required by legislation. • Experience and/or training in municipal administration, is an asset, but not a requirement. • Knowledge of the Southern Saskatchewan Communities, and particularly the Mainprize Regional Park and Saskatchewan Municipal Legislation would be considered an asset. The successful applicant will have a flexible start date, salary will be negotiated based on job demand. Applications to be received no later than 12:00 pm, February 16th, 2018. Please send resume to Joe Vilcu – Board Chair at rm36reeve@sasktel.net. mainprizepark.com | Hwy 606 West of Midale, South of Halbrite
Brian Thomas Smyth 1954 - 2018 With great sadness, Brian's family announces his passing at the Regina General Hospital, Regina, SK on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the age of 64 years. Brian's memory will be forever cherished by his wife Candy Smyth; daughter Misty (Dallas) Hall, granddaughter Macie and grandson Tanner; son Dusty (Kristen) Smyth, granddaughters, Ella and Vayda; son Lucas Smyth (Heather Pratt); brothers, Terry (Sharon) Smyth, Pat Smyth (Christopher and Jesse, and their mother Teresa Smyth) and Richard (Charmaine) Smyth; sister-in-law Trudy Klassen and her sons, Terrell (Shannon Koziol), Teagan and Terren; nephews, Chris English (Trisha) and Kyle Langen (Jacey); niece Samantha Farstad (Kolter) and children Jackson, Lincoln, Kayden and Lucien. He was predeceased by his daughter Kristy Hoffort; parents, George (Shorty) and Vera Smyth (Prescott); in-laws, Arnold and Marion Langen. A Service of Remembrance for Brian was held on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Estevan, with The Venerable Wilma Woods and The Very Reverend Mike Sinclair officiating. Following the service, a time of fellowship and refreshments was held at the Beefeater Plaza, Estevan. Interment will take place at the Bienfait Cemetery at a later date. Those wishing to make donations in Brian's memory may do so directly to the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation (designated to the Chemotherapy Department or the Renal Dialysis Unit), 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, SK, S4A 0H3. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan.
FULL
Work closely with the Administrator and oversee day to day activities of the roads and operators. Must have knowledge of equipment, a mechanical aptitude and experience with heavy equipment such as Graders, Tractors, etc.
Duties include (but not limited to) mowing, snow removal, installation of signs and culverts, equipment servicing and repairs and ordering products. Class 5 driver’s license, strong leadership, supervisory and communication skills, excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, able to supervise operators, excellent record keeping and be willing to take further education/training. Responsible for doing weekly safety meetings. A salary package, including competitive benefits/pension plan, will be negotiated based on qualifications at the time of hire.
Support Your Local Food Bank Drop food off at The Salvation Army 1107 4th Street, Estevan, SK
or visit www.skfoodbanks.ca to donate
Please send your resume with references to the RM of Souris Valley No. 7 Email: rm07@sasktel.net Fax: 306-456-2480 In person or by regular mail: Box 40, Oungre, SK S0C 1Z0 The RM of Souris Valley No. 7 thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Brittany Mack & Nathan Harkins ................... February 12, 2018 Tanner Frycz & Cortney Cossette ...........................April 28, 2018 Malea Andrist & Shelby Eagles ............................. June 16, 2018 Alyssa Gibson & Chris Deguerre ......................... August 4, 2018 Jade Smith & Justin Fichter ............................... August 18, 2018 Robin Hogg & Micheal Seabrook ...................... August 18, 2018 Grant Bueckert & Melissa Lynch ............... September 22, 2018 Jeremy Gibson & Sarah Babchuk ............... November 30, 2018 Put your name in our Bridal Guide for FREE and let everyone know! Send your wedding info to: classifieds@estevanmercury.ca or call
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