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STORIES OF 2018
SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW
Top stories of the year A3
No shortage of big stories A9
Issue 36
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Festival makes for bright nights at Woodlawn 11 they had in 2017. “Everyone does something a little bit differently, which is good, too, and sometimes if it’s the first year, the initial year for a business, they don’t necessarily know what to expect,” said Daoust. One of the participants in 2018-19 was away during the first festival and didn’t get to see the light displays. The entrant have promised to ramp up their game for next year. She finds there is a friendly competition between the participants. Awards will be handed out for the festival, but they have yet to be announced. Also not yet known is the number of people who have attended the festival. While they do have a counter at the main entrance to the festival to record the number of vehicles, they don’t have an attendance tally as of yet.
By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The second edition of the Festival of Lights at Woodlawn Regional Park has proven to be even more popular than the first. The festival started on Dec. 16 following Christmas in the Park at Woodlawn. Since then, the main campground inside Woodlawn’s Souris River site has been illuminated, with displays from local businesses, organizations and even families. “The response for the Festival of Lights has been absolutely amazing,” said park business manager Maureen Daoust. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from community members and even organizations or businesses.” The 2018-19 edition of the festival has 25 entries, which is more than double the
They will have it after the Festival of Lights wraps up on Jan. 7. “Last year, I believe they said it was just over 2,700 vehicles that went through,” said Daoust. “We did put it in a different location this year, though, just hoping for a little more accuracy.” Daoust pointed out that four people have been going to the park on a regular basis just before 5 p.m., to make sure the lights are turning on at the right time, or to double check that the displays are in good shape. People showing up at 5 p.m. to see the lights. On many nights, people have been turning out after 10 p.m. “It seems like a steady stream of traffic, too, so it’s been pretty positive,” said Daoust. The weather has been very co-operative, with relatively warm temperatures by
The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins have one of the bright displays at Festival of Lights December standards. In 2017, the final week for the Festival of Lights had to contend with
frigid temperatures. “The weather has been really mild, and people have
been out and about,” said Daoust. A2 » FESTIVAL
Weather has delayed outdoor rinks By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
While the above-average temperatures that blanketed southeast Saskatchewan for much of December were warmly greeted by many in the community, it has delayed the start of the outdoor skating rink season in Estevan. Members of the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes Clubs and some volunteers were able to start with the ice-making process for the outdoor arena at their play park in the Hillside subdivision on Saturday. The outdoor rink at the Rusty Duce Play Park, operated by the Estevan Lions Club, opened for the season on Dec. 22. Preston Mageran with the Estevan Kinsmen Club said they needed several days of sustained cooler temperatures to install the ice over the cement pad. “It took a little bit longer because the cement needs to cool off, unlike the ones that go on the … frozen ground,” said Majeran.“It takes cement a little bit longer to freeze.”
The temperatures need to be -10 C for a sustained period of time to get a nice base layer of ice applied.The temperatures hovered just below zero on Saturday afternoon when ice installation began, but temperatures cooled off in the evening, and remained cold on Sunday. Temperatures were so cold on Monday and Tuesday that an extreme cold warning had to be issued. “We just wanted to make sure we give the city of Estevan the best ice surface we could on this lovely rink,” said Majeran. The work started by removing snow from the cement pad with shovels and a snowblower. Then they began flooding the pad to create layers of ice. Majeran asked the public to stay off of the ice until it was ready. He hoped it would be ready in the middle or the end of this week, so that families could get on the ice before school resumes on Jan. 7. People are eager to get out on the ice and start skating, he said. “I talked to a couple of people today (Saturday), and they said they travel in from
Bienfait to skate on this surface,” said Majeran. The Kin clubs are looking for the help of the community to maintain the ice. This is the second winter for the outdoor arena. It has boards and even advertising from supporters. Majeran was pleased with how the rink operated in 201718, but he said they have made some changes. “We’re going to pack snow around (the edge), and last year when we put ice in when it was a little colder, so the ice was brittle,” said Majeran. The Kin clubs have started to fundraise for a new change shack to replace the current one. It will be larger, and it will be more up to code, with wheelchair-accessible washrooms, bigger washrooms and a larger change area. The estimated cost is about $120,000. “We found it was more cost-effective to build a new shack than to just add on to the old one,” said Majeran. Meanwhile, the outdoor arena at the Rusty Duce Play Park has had a lot of activity GET OVER
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since it opened, according to Ed Sinclair with the Lions Club, and the ice is in relatively good shape despite the warmer temperatures. “The kids have been out most days, and using it for the most part of the day,” said Sinclair. The warm temperatures in December made it difficult to install the ice, as several days
were above freezing.The ice was a little bit soft as well. The shack opened just after Christmas. Sinclair said the outdoor rink requires one or two hours of work a few times a week for its volunteers. They have to clean and shovel the ice, and then flood it to keep the ice in good shape. When the kids wait for the water to freeze, it leaves
the ice in better shape. Some people who live in the area have come out to help take care of the ice, and the help is appreciated. Clearing the snow from the ice is the biggest task, and when people help out with removing the snow, it makes it easier to flood the ice. “The kids enjoy it so much, and it gives them something to do,” said Sinclair.
From left, Preston Majeran, Adrian Bachorcik, Brooklynn Ruzicka, McKenna Ruzicka and Robyn Sullivan shovelled snow from the outdoor rink at the Kin Hillside Play Park on Saturday.
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Festival of Lights extended to Jan. 7 « A1 For the first time, entertainment was held in conjunction with the Festival of Lights. The Estevan
Comprehensive School’s choir performed on Dec. 17, with a wiener roast offered for spectators.
BK Creations has a lot of signs for their display.
The following night, Doris Trobert led a Christmas carol campfire singalong, and then on Dec. 19, people shared Christmas stories while sipping hot chocolate. “ We’re thinking that we’ll try the entertainment for one more year just to see what the response will be from people, and go from there,” said Daoust. Also new for this year were route maps for people to follow. Those were also well-received. Woodlawn announced on Sunday that the Festival of Lights had been extended one more week to Jan. 7; originally it was supposed to
One physician leaving Estevan One of Estevan’s most tenured physicians has announced he is leaving the community. Dr. Charles Omosigho, a family physician who came to the community in 2011, is wrapping up his practice. His official last day is in March, but he will be using up his vacation time in the next few weeks. Greg Hoffort, the CEO at the hospital, said Omosigho is moving for “personal reasons.” Omosigho had been
part of the Estevan Medical Group that practices out of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation clinic. His departure leaves Estevan with 15 physicians.Thirteen are family physicians and the other two are specialists. “He’s been an important part of our medical community for eight years, and we sincerely want to thank him for his many years of dedicated service,” said Hoffort. Omosigho came to Es-
WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST IN 2019
tevan in 2011, when the city was facing a severe shortage of medical doctors, with only three or four in Estevan at the time; he was recruited shortly before Hoffort came to the hospital in the top job. “He was recruited just before the South East Health Committee was struck up,” said Hoffort. Omosigho went through another physician shortage in the community during his time in Estevan, and Hoffort applauded Omosigho for his commitment. “He’s been there for us admirably when we needed him,” said Hoffort.
end on Dec. 31. “We’ve had that overwhelming response of people just going through steadily, and an executive, we asked if there was a reason specifically we were shutting it down on New Year’s,” said Daoust. Christmas light displays in other larger communities go until early January, and the park decided to go with Jan. 7 because it’s Ukrainian Christmas. The park also knew that entrants wouldn’t be taking down their displays on Jan. 2. “Our volunteers will go down and make sure everything’s OK for a few more days, and people can enjoy it,” said Daoust. A number of entities have asked to be on the list for the 2019-2020 edition of the Festival of Lights, and Daoust said the park has
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will continue in the future, and their appreciation or gratitude for being able to go through and enjoy the festivities for the Christmas season,” said Daoust.
more room to accommodate the displays. “We’ve had a few notes, even, in our little donation dropbox, with people expressing their hope that it
No charges from truck convoy in Estevan The Estevan Police Service says there won’t be any charges from the truck convoy that rolled through Estevan on Dec. 22. A total of 427 semitrailer units rolled through Estevan, the vast majority of them being semis. A few other vehicles participated to The Estevan Oilfield Technical Societies
Annual General Meeting 7PM Wednesday, January 9 The Days Inn, Estevan
Wishing you health, happiness and good fortune in 2019 and beyond.
Santa Claus has been greeting people at the Fresh Air Fitness display.
As the OTS looks to evolve, a new leadership structure will be discussed at this year’s AGM. The purposed structure will divide responsibilities to a number of individuals within our ranks. We encourage you to show up and be a part of the discussion. For more information email: info@estevanots.com
show support for the oil and gas sector. The trucks travelled in Estevan on Fourth Street, Sister Roddy Road, King Street and Kensington Avenue. Heavy trucks, other than local and delivery trucks, are not permitted on Fourth Street from Souris Avenue South to 14th Avenue, as well as King Street. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said there wouldn’t be charges laid for not using the truck route, as “it serves
no public interest in doing so.” He characterized it as a responsible and peaceful protest. Local police officers were on Estevan roads during the convoy to assist with traffic control. In a news release issued after the convoy, the EPS thanked the people of Estevan for their patience during the convoy. Ladouceur also noted the EPS only received one complaint that he knows of regarding the convoy.
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
The biggest stories of 2018: No.’s 1-5 The top five stories of 2018 were diverse. Not only did they have an impact when they happened, but some will have lasting reverberations for years to come. 1: Local impact of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash: It was a story that shocked and saddened the nation. Sixteen people were killed and 13 more were injured April 6 when the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team was struck by a semi-trailer unit north of Tisdale. The Broncos were on their way to Nipawin to face the Nipawin Hawks in Game 5 of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s semifinal series. The magnitude of the tragedy, and the reaction from the public, was so strong that the Canadian Press named it the story of the year and the newsmaker of the year. The tragedy had numerous local connections, and it brought out the best in so many people in the community. Among the 16 dead were two coaches, Darcy Haugan and Mark Cross. Both played junior hockey in Estevan. Haugan was a forward for the Estevan Bruins in the 1995-96 season, an assistant coach from December 2000 to January 2003, and an interim co-head coach and general manager, alongside Doug Trapp, in the final months of the 2002-03 season. Cross, meanwhile, spent his entire junior hockey career with the Bruins from 2008-11, and won the club’s Bill Shinske Ethics Award in each of his final two seasons. In addition to Haugan and Cross, 10 players, the team’s play-by-play announcer, their statistician, their athletic therapist and the bus driver were killed in the crash. The local outpouring was remarkable. Many local residents donated to a GoFundMe campaign which wound up raising more than $15 million to support the
survivors and their families, as well as the families of the deceased. The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins raised more than $100,000 for the Broncos coaches’ fund to support the families of Haugan and Cross. The Estevan DQ Grill and Chill donated all proceeds from their sales on April 11 to the coaches’ fund. Many other fundraisers were held in the community. Hundreds of people showed up at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s multi-purpose room on April 8 to attend a vigil. The memorial service from the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt was shown via a simulcast. Local artist Deanna Brown’s drawing of a Humboldt Broncos player with angel’s wings went viral.  Local hockey fans joined those across the country in putting hockey sticks on the porch in memory of those who died in the bus crash. The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins, meanwhile, had already advanced to the SJHL final, and were awaiting the winner of the Broncos-Hawks series. After several days of speculation, the league voted to proceed with a final between Estevan and Nipawin. The Bruins stopped at the crash site for a memorial service on their way to Game 1 in Nipawin. They ultimately lost the series in seven games. The driver of the semi, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, was charged with 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and another 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. The case remains before the court. 2. The future of Boundary Dam: It’s a story that became the talk of the city in July, and will remain a focal point in 2019: the future of Units 4 and 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station. SaskPower announced on July 9 that it would not retrofit Units 4 and 5 with carbon capture technology, and that the two units would be retired. If SaskPower reaches an equivalency agreement with
the federal government, then Unit 4 would come offline in 2021, and Unit 5 would meet its demise three years later. Without an equivalency agreement, the two units will be retired at the end of 2019. SaskPower says it is opting for natural gas as a baseload power option versus carbon capture and storage (CCS), citing lower costs for natural gas. “With the current low price of natural gas, we had to make this decision in the best interest of our customers,� SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh said in a news release. “For now, we have a clear plan to achieve our emission reduction targets by 2030, and CCS technology will be a part of that.� When the federal government published the new standards for coal-fired power units last month, Units 4 and 5 were not mentioned. Unit 3 has been retrofitted with CCS technology, and has been operating since 2014. SaskPower has stated there won’t be any job losses stemming from when Units 4 and 5 come offline, but it hasn’t ruled out people in Estevan being transferred to other plants. There could be job losses at the local mines. A decision has not been made on the future of Unit 6 at Boundary Dam, or the Shand Power Station. There has been a study completed on retrofitting Shand with CCS technology, which showed it would cost much less per megawatt than Unit 3. But in a visit to Estevan in December, Dustin Duncan, the minister responsible for SaskPower, hinted that Unit 6 could share a similar fate to Units 4 and 5. 3. Murder-suicide in Midale: A murder-suicide at the Midway Family Restaurant in Midale shocked the community and people throughout the province. Members of the Estevan and Weyburn RCMP were called to the restaurant on April 20, after two people were found dead at the scene. At the time of the incident, the RCMP said it was not looking for any suspects,
The Civic Auditorium was torn down in May after it didn’t receive the necessary insurance coverage.
Before
The Humboldt Broncos bus crash story dominated headlines in the spring, and had a considerable local impact. and there was no risk to the public. The investigation consisted of an examination of the scene by the RCMP Forensic Identification Unit, several interviews of potential witnesses by RCMP Regina Major Crimes, and forensic autopsies of both persons. The victim, Mary Lou Clauson, aged 61 of Midale, was killed by Patrick Ng, aged 74, also of Midale. Clauson had been an employee at the business owned by Ng. 4. So long, Civic: Entering 2018, there was some hope in the community that Estevan’s venerable 60-year-old arena, the Civic Auditorium, could be saved from demolition. Estevan city council had approved closing the arena indefinitely in November 2017, after the findings of a structural, architectural, mechanical and electrical report. But after a second report was released, city council approved reopening the building six weeks later, as long as the necessary insurance for the building could be found. Mayor Roy Ludwig announced on Jan. 17 that the city did not get the insurance coverage, and so the Civic would remain closed and
be demolished. Ludwig added that the city approached several potential insurance companies, but none were willing to take a chance on the arena. Silverado Demolition was awarded the contract on May 7, and the process of tearing down the arena starting on May 15. Ironically, just before demolition began, representatives of the City of Estevan were unveilling contents of a time capsule that had been located in the arena. Large crowds gathered around the Civic to see the building come down. It took a little more than 48 hours for the demolition to be complete. A few days later, the debris from the arena had also been cleaned up. The site of the old arena is now a parking lot. A decision has not been made on whether to construct a third ice surface in Estevan to replace the Civic. 5. RCMP officer killed near Lampman: Const. Peter Donaldson, a serving member of the Estevan RCMP, was killed and another Estevan RCMP officer was injured when the vehicle they were travelling in left the road and rolled over on Highway 361 about 1 1/2
kilometres east of Lampman on May 15. The two officers were not on duty at the time, and they were not travelling in an RCMP vehicle. Donaldson had been in Estevan for several years and served with both the local detachment and the Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan unit. He was fondly remembered for his personality and his commitment to the job. Estevan Police Service (EPS) Deputy Chief Murray Cowan said he knew both officers very well, as did most of the officers with the EPS. “Q uite a few of our members are taking it quite hard,� said Cowan at the time. “We work very closely with our RCMP partners here in Estevan and in this corner of the province, so even though we work for different agencies, you get to know each other very well.� Sgt. Jeff Clarke with the Estevan RCMP said the support from emergency services agencies, including fire departments, EMS and other police forces, as well as the general public, the municipal councils and complete strangers, has been “heartwarming and well-received.�
Police were called to a murder-suicide in Midale in April.
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Editorial A4
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Staff SERVING CANADA’S SUNSHINE CAPITAL Publisher Rick Sadick - rsadick@estevanmercury.ca
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EDITORIAL
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Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice. Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication. All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that The Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher. We acknowledge financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
We learned a lot last year Each year represents a learning experience. We find out new things through the triumphs, the controversies and the tribulations we face. This past year was no different. We realized, once again, the caring and generous nature of the this area, and our ability to respond to adversity, following the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy in the spring. It was a horrible tragedy that galvanized the country, and drew generosity from people around the world. Adding to the situation locally was the strong local connection, with two former members of the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins, Darcy Haugan and Mark Cross, among those killed in the crash. This tragedy brought out the best in so many of us. Whether it was lining up for a considerable period of time to purchase food from a restaurant holding a fundraiser for the Broncos, or donating to a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $15 million, or purchasing a large number of 50-50 tickets during a fundraiser, local residents showed their support for the families of those aboard the bus. We also had a reminder of just how much interest Estevan has for the Bruins. Local fans were starved for a winner, as the Bruins went 19 years between appearances in the SJHL final. But they turned out in droves for the club’s playoff run, with sold-out crowds of 2,662 spectators for each of the three league final games against the Nipawin Hawks.
We also saw the dedication of curling volunteers. Twice. Estevan hosted the SaskTel Tankard men’s provincial tournament last winter, and thanks to the success of that event, Estevan also hosted the Home Hardware Canada Cup in December. The latter showed Estevan’s ability to host a national-calibre event. We also learned more about the future we might not want. The provincial government’s decision to not retrofit Units 4 and 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station, coupled with the federal government’s desire to get rid of conventional coal power sooner rather than later, have many in this community dreading what the future could look like. We’re learning that the means that have brought prosperity to Estevan in the past might not bring prosperity in the future. On a related note, we saw the level of frustration locally with the federal government continued to escalate. We all know that residents of southeast Saskatchewan are not fond of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We knew those feelings long before Trudeau was elected in 2015. But the Yellow Vest Movement protests that occurred in late December were another example of many local residents’ disdain for Trudeau II. Estevan is one of a number of communities in Western Canada to have a Yellow Vest protest; but the best example of the frustration levels came when 427 trucks, spanning
15 kilometres, rolled through Estevan Dec. 22. It was a strong, resounding statement that local residents want nothing to do with Trudeau or his carbon tax. And we learned how serious the oil price differential is between Western Canada Select and West Texas Intermediate, and that it’s not going to be resolved until more oil gets to market. Our economy will continue to suffer until the differential is resolved. Yet despite the uncertain future, we were reminded of the generosity of the people of the community. For example, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation had record support for the Festival of Trees, while the United Way Estevan came so close to setting (another) off-air record for its annual fundraising telethon. We also learned that no matter how much people want to save a hockey arena, it’s not necessarily going to happen. The venerable 60-year-old Civic Auditorium met its demise in the spring, a few months after the City of Estevan found out it wasn’t going to receive the insurance coverage it coveted to keep the old rink open. The demolition was an emotional time for a lot of people, who wanted to see the rink spared for at least a few more seasons. We’re still waiting to find out what the city will do to replace the rink. Yes, it’s been an interesting year. We have enjoyed bringing the stories of 2018 to you. And we hope we will continue to do so in the future.
Trudeau’s policies are killing Estevan When I first came to Estevan 10 years ago, the mayor at the time explained to me that one of Estevan’s greatest strengths was that it had multiple key industries. It had agriculture, like pretty much all of Saskatchewan. But it also had oil, coal, and power generation. That is an incredibly strong industrial base for any community, I would think, and so did he. And now, three of those four principle industries are under direct threat and the fourth will not go unscathed, either. The villain here, in all these cases, are the climate change policies of the federal Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. That includes its intention to rid Canada of conventional coal-fired power production (despite hundreds of years of coal reserves), and the imposition of the carbon tax. I spoke to one of the top realtors in town a few weeks ago. She told me that the value of homes in Estevan has dropped by about 25 per cent. She attributes half of that to the oil downturn, and the other half to what is going on with SaskPower. In other words, a very large part of the equity in our home, and the homes of most everyone else, has now been wiped out. In mid-December, new regulations for coal-fired power generation were gazetted, or formalized, if you were, by the federal government. They obliquely refer to the shutting down of Boundary Dam Power Station Units 4 and 5 by the end of 2019. Each of those produces about 150 megawatts. We should also remember that Units 1 and 2, retired a few years ago, each produced 75 megawatts. Using rough numbers, Boundary Dam used to produce almost 900 megawatts of power, give or take. It will soon be reduced to roughly half of that. While the approximately 300-megawatt
From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK Shand Power station is not affected, yet, the big question is, will it have to shut down at the end of 2029, or 2043? Right now it’s looking like 2029. The Boundary Dam Unit 3 Carbon Capture and Storage Project promised to breath new life into coal. But it cost $1.5 billion, and reduced the output to about 125-130 or so net megawatts of output. That should give Boundary Dam decades more usage. Unit 3 is exempt from the 2019 and 2029. However, carbon capture and storage is not being implemented on Units 4 and 5, as had been broadly expected. If it is to be put onto the Shand Power Station, it won’t be complete until 2029. SaskPower has been asking for an “equivalency agreement” which would allow it to spread its carbon capture reductions from BD3 across the fleet. This province has been asking since at least 2012 (including when both Stephen Harper and Brad Wall were in power, I might add). We still don’t have an answer. I am saying today, if we don’t have it by now, we never will. I hope I’m wrong. Does anyone really expect three draglines, or any draglines, to be kept going, if Boundary Dam is reduced to just one unit, and if Shand is shut down in 2029? Probably not. That would likely mean the end of coal mining in Estevan, something this community has done for over a century. Additionally, oil is under assault by the
Liberal government in numerous ways. Killing the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines were unforgiveable actions which are now causing great pain. A carbon tax, which will incrementally ratchet up over time, is just another nail in the coffin, for both oil and coal. While there may be some exemptions from the carbon tax for some agricultural usage, that sector, too, will feel pain, like when semis are used to haul grain to market. And who knows what the impact will be on inputs like fertilizer? In Estevan, coal, power and oil are all inexorably linked. The coal is burned to create power, and some of the captured CO2 is used to produce more oil in the Weyburn unit through enhanced oil recovery. If and when Estevan loses coal and power, it will lose a huge part of the community’s economy – some of the best paying, most stable parts of it. Irreplaceable parts. No wonder the realtor basically told me my house lost $100,000 in value. I should point out that’s $100,000 thus far. There’s a lot more bleeding likely to come. Small wonder then when a truck convoy protest was planned on a Thursday to take place less than 48 hours later, 427 units came, not just from Estevan, but all around. The Trudeau policies are not only threatening the wellbeing of Estevan, they are literally taking dollars of equity out of every person’s pocket, each and every day. Let me be perfectly clear: everyone in Estevan is becoming poorer, by the day, because of Trudeau. That is why people are mad. And if they aren’t mad yet, they should be. Is your town next? Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
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Broncos’ release of Oystrick is confusing Fans of the Humboldt Broncos have been through an emotional 2018, but the end might just have been the most mysterious. No one needs to be reminded any more of how when the Broncos bus crashed that lives were ended, and those whose lives weren’t ended were changed forever. Only a couple of survivors – Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter – were able to start the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season and another player, Tyler Smith, joined later only to quit after a few games. These people’s lives were changed, but in stepped Nathan Oystrick to take over the coaching reins from the incomparable Darcy Haugan. Oystrick moved his family there, aware of not only the impact that junior hockey can have on a Saskatchewan community as a Regina native, but with a National Hockey League playing pedigree. With an almost entirely new roster of players other teams could afford to lose, plus a few players picked up through trades for player development fees, the Broncos lost their home opener of the season 2-1 to the Nipawin Hawks in front of a sold out arena and a national television audience on The Sports Network. Tears were shed on the ice as the numbers and profiles of all of those players, coaches and staff affected were placed in the rafters. With the team battling along with a first place record for part of the season, they battled a bit of a low-key slump with their last few games. Just after Christmas, the team and the coach parted ways. No explanation was given and the team released a statement indicating none would ever be given. Message boards and Twitter lit up in speculation because nothing was told publicly. The dismissal of Oystrick seems to make little sense from a hockey standpoint. The Broncos are in a tough division with the Battlefords North Stars, the resurgent Kindersley Klippers and the always competitive Notre Dame Hounds. Until a week or so ago, the Broncos with their piecemeal roster were as good as or better than all of them, and the coach should have gotten a lot of credit for that. Something is amiss, though. The chemistry of a junior hockey team is a funny thing to try to perfect. Sometimes outsiders aren’t exactly given a fair shake to try to do it and every member of a team’s volunteer board fancies themselves as a general manager. In the height of one SJHL team’s success in the mid to late 90s, fans were upset that a head coach/general manager had chosen to go with imports from other parts of Canada rather than ‘local boys’, even as the team was in the top three or four teams of the league each year and those imports were consistently getting scholarships – ultimately one of the key goals of every team in the league. There’s always a separate issue when the ‘local boys’ decide to go to the British Columbia Junior Hockey League or the Alberta Junior Hockey League to try to play in front of scouts that may never see them otherwise, but that’s something else entirely. But this desire for board members to try to influence on-ice personnel has happened in communities other than Humboldt and will continue to happen for as long as boards run their teams’ off-ice personnel. Chris Lewgood has solid connections and scouting throughout North Dakota, British Columbia and the Regina and Balgonie areas and the Bruins haven’t been short of talent in recent years because of it. I think most people were glad to have players here that were from other parts of North America, and after all, the team did go to the Canalta Cup final last year. But Oystrick? We’ll apparently never know the cause of his dismissal. There was clearly friction with the board, though, that much seems obvious. I think just maybe he deserved better treatment from Humboldt given what he was able to do under the impossible circumstances he was under. I suspect some other team just got themselves a really good coach.
U-
Year in Review: July to September The summer month offered lots of community events for people to choose from, and then there was lots of activity in the city in September. Here are some of the highlights for July to September. July: Communities throughout southeast Saskatchewan celebrated Canada Day on July 1. Large crowds gathered in Bienfait throughout the day, with the largest crowds attending a parade in the morning and fireworks after dusk. The Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes held their annual bash at their play park in Hillside. Many rural communities also held events. The federal government announced on July 5 that it would contribute $53.3 million to the passing lanes and twinning project for Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina. The project will see the construction of up to 15 sets of passing lanes, as well as some twinning in short segments, and the rehabilitation of approximately 51 kilometres of pavement. The annual Estevan Rotary 4-H Regional Show and Sale took place from July 3 to 5, with members from the Benson, Browning, Crossroads and Outram-Madigan 4-H clubs participating. Brenden Lischka from the Browning club had this year’s grand champion steer. It weighed in at 1,329 pounds, and was sold to Kendall’s Auto Electric for $4.30 per pound. A total of 50 steers were auctioned off during the sale, with an average sale price of $3.16 per pound. A home in the Willow Park Greens Trailer Park was destroyed by a fire on July 6. When members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service arrived on the scene, they found the trailer fully engulfed. All family members were able to escape the home. A few minor injuries were reported. A sad anniversary was observed in Estevan on July 9: the 14th anniversary of the disappearance of Courtney Struble. She vanished in the early morning hours of July 9, 2004, after watching a movie with friends at the Estevan Veterinary Clinic on the west edge of the city. An investigation by the RCMP’s Historical Case Unit remains open.
A parade was once again a big attraction for Bienfait’s Canada Day celebrations. The audited financial statements for 2017 were released at the July 16 meeting of Estevan city council. The city had $4.95 million in cash at the end of 2017, up from the $2.68 million as of Dec. 31, 2016. The city also saw its net debt – the difference between total financial assets versus liabilities – drop in 2017 to $22.93 million. The risk for West Nile Virus grew in July, as the Saskatchewan Health Authority revealed on July 20 that some of the Culex tarsalis mosquitoes caught in surveillance traps in the Estevan area were found to have the disease. There was concern that there could be an increase in the number of West Nile cases in 2018, but those fears didn’t materialize. Estevan’s crime severity index ranking reached an alltime low in 2017, according to figures released July 23 by Statistics Canada. The Estevan municipal index – the area covered by the Estevan Police Service (EPS) – was at 75.72, the lowest it’s been since Statistics Canada started tracking the figure in 1998. The previous low was 75.73 in 2000. Estevan ranked No. 103 in the country. Estevan’s parks and recreational facilities were on display July 25 when judges for Communities in Bloom toured the community. The city was entered the evaluated friends category, which means that Estevan received a visit from judges, but it wasn’t competing with other communities. Judges visited numerous
parks and other sites in the city, and praised Estevan for its appearance. Galen Wahlmeier, a former mayor of Estevan who was also a decorated football star and a long-time educator, died July 26. Galen Wahlmeier, who spent six years as Estevan’s mayor from 19761982, died in Kipling at the age of 84. Before coming to Estevan, Wahlmeier played centre, linebacker and long snapper for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and was part of the 1966 Grey Cup championship team. The 2018 Bow Valley Jamboree south of Oxbow on July 28 featured a variety of musical acts throughout the day. There were numerous local acts at this year’s jamboree, as well as some from other parts of the province. Crafters and other artists also participated. Woodlawn Regional Park hosted its inaugural Family Fun Day on July 29. The event was created as a replacement for the Beach Bash summer festival, and offered a variety of activities for families. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event. A long haul trucker was convicted in Estevan Provincial Court on July 30 of smuggling child pornography into Canada. Sarbjit Singh Kahlon was arrested after officers searched his electronic devices and found three videos. They had been sent to Kahlon, but he had not deleted them. The City of Estevan quickly dealt with a case of wild parsnip that was found in
A home in the Willow Park Greens Trailer Park was destroyed by a fire.
the community July 31. Wild parsnip gained attention in the summer due to the harm it caused some people after coming into contact with the plant. About 50 plants were found in the Pleasantdale Valley near McCready Crescent. August: The Estevan Police Service made arrests for methamphetamines Aug. 2 and 4. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said the EPS was prepared for an increase in the drug in the community. Further arrests would occur as the year progressed. Automobile aficionados and collectors from around the world shifted their attention to Alida during the August long weekend, thanks to the Gervais Family Farm Wheels Museum auction. Approximately 2,500 people attended the auction Aug. 4 and 5 at the Gervais farm, and about 1,000 items were auctioned off. Mack Auction Company of Estevan served as the auctioneers. The Souris Valley Antiques Association celebrated the history of farming in the area during the Pioneer Echoes Weekend in Midale on Aug. 4 and 5. Many activities were held in the community, including a tractor parade, threshing demonstrations and a show and shine. The City of Estevan dedicated Brown Road on Aug. 7. The road, which runs from Collins Road to Souris Avenue South, is named after Russell Brown, who was Estevan’s MLA when he died in 1971, and also served on city council. He was also the minister responsible for SaskPower when the Boundary Dam Power Station south of Estevan was constructed. The Estevan Fire Rescue Service unveilled the latest addition to its fleet of equipment on Aug. 7, a tracked Kubota Wildland Firefighting Unit. The purchase was made possible through fundraising and donations. The unit and the equipment cost approximately $50,000, and the Estevan Firefighters Association wants to add more equipment to the unit. Bienfait residents had a big celebration on Aug. 11, thanks to a Saskatchewan Roughriders Block Party in A6 » SUMMER
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Summer offered plenty of activities « A5 the town. Several members of the Green and White, including all-stars Charleston Hughes and Willie Jefferson, were in Bienfait to meet with fans and sign autographs. Trudy Firth was officially named the city’s treasurer at the Aug. 13 meeting of Estevan city council. Firth joined the city’s staff in 2015, and was named the financial controller in August 2016. Estevan city council had to reject the tenders for the water intake project Aug. 13, as all of the tenders were significantly over-budget. The lowest bid was from Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd., at more than $14.5 million. The engineering firm contracted out by the city estimated that the project would cost $10 million. The provincial
and federal governments are contributing to the project, which will shift Estevan’s primary water source from Boundary Dam to Rafferty Dam. Premier Scott Moe announced on Aug. 15 that Estevan MLA Lori Carr had been appointed as the minister of Highways and Infrastructure. It’s the first time in more than 25 years that a cabinet minister will hail from the Estevan constituency. Carr said she was honoured with the appointment, and added that safety would be her highest priority. The Souris Valley Theatre experienced an increase in attendance for its two main-stage shows. Homecoming, written by Griffin’s Leanne Minogue, ran from July 11-21, and had 908 people for 10 shows, and Pirate
Heart, by Lampman’s Maureen Ulrich, ran from Aug. 8-18, had 875 people for its nine performances, or about 97 per night. The annual Frobisher Threshermen’s Reunion was held Aug. 19. Among the highlights were a parade through the village, and threshing demonstrations in the fairgrounds area. Shock rock legend Alice Cooper performed before nearly 2,000 people during a concert at Affinity Place on Aug. 26, as a part of his A Paranormal Evening with Alice Cooper tour. He played many of his biggest hits, including No More Mr. Nice Guy, Poison, Brutal Planet and School’s Out for Summer. Estevan city council approved a new business incentives program at its meeting on Aug. 27, in an effort to attract new
Miranda Hughes points a gun while Mikael Steponchev looks on during rehearsals for Pirate Heart at the Souris Valley Theatre.
businesses to the community and retain those that are already here. Among the highlights is that a new or existing business that establishes a new location within city limits can receive a property tax exemption for the next three years. The SMILE Services Estevan Parade made its way through the city on Aug. 31, with more than 50 entries and hundreds of spectators. The theme was Celebrating our Agricultural and Mining Community. The Estevan Filipino Canadian Association won the award for the best entry in the parade. September: School returned on Sept. 4, following the summer vacation that spanned more than two months. South East Cor-
Sculptor Darren Jones works on the Forever in the Clouds monument. The monument was dedicated during a ceremony in September. nerstone had 8,312 students, compared to 8,261 the previous year. The division’s numbers include 724 students at the Estevan Comprehensive School and four elementary schools in Estevan. The Holy Fam-
ily Roman Catholic Separate School Division, which has two elementary schools in Estevan, had 1,322 students. The Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative A8 » NUMEROUS
Alice Cooper, pictured here with Nita Strauss, performed at Affinity Place in August.
To Old
Acquaintances & New Friends, Everywhere! Your goodwill and support will never be forgotten! With best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year from our entire staff.
Let’s Celebrate! As we ring in the New Year, we celebrate our good fortune, including the friendship and support of kind customers like you. Thanks for making 2018 a great year for us. We look forward to seeing you again soon, and we wish you a safe, happy and healthy New Year!
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Over 200 units in Lloydminster convoy By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net
Following truck convoy protests in Estevan, as well as Alberta communities of Grande Prairie, Nisku and Medicine Hat, the last weekend of 2018 was the Border City’s turn to get in the game. The Oil and Gas Support convoy took place in Lloydminster on Dec. 29. The convoy mustered at Northern Livestock Sales (formerly Heartland Livestock) on Highway 16 and rolled out at 11 a.m., according to organizers Dion Boser and Marc Ouellette. A coinciding Yellow Vest Movement rally took place at Lloydminster City Hall. T h e c onvoy p a s s e d westbound through the city along Highway 16, to Range Road 20 and then turned south. It immediately turned east onto the service road and rejoined Highway 16 eastbound at Range Road 15. It then headed back through the city eastbound, dispersing at the starting point. Boser said, “It went really well. The turnout was really good. I would say we had, it’s just a guestimate, I don’t have an official number, but about 150 trucks, and over 200, in total, with welding trucks, pickups and cars, what have you.
Asked what their cause was, he said, “I want to get the voice out there that enough is enough. We need the pipelines built. We need the tanker ban gone, so Canada can prosper again. Not just individuals and companies, all of Canada will benefit from our resources, whether it’s oil and gas, lumber, agriculture.” Boser is a pressure truck operator in the oilfield, working a lot with service rigs. “We had hydrovacs, we had semi vacs, wireline, rigs, other rig equipment, pressure trucks, welding trucks, pretty much anything you can think of in the oilfield was there,” Boser said. “We had people from one end of Lloyd to the other, recording and waving.” He said some people would like to do a convoy out to Ottawa. Marc O uellette, another organizer and owner of a trucking company, said, “I am tired of the situation here with the energy sector, and the government, both provincially and federally are not doing enough to make things go forward. “Too many empty talks, with the carbon tax, saying that it’s social licence for us to get pipelines through. Unfortunately, they’re not going as planned. It’s time for them to realize that there’s an entire industry
There were a lot of trucks in the convoy down the Yellowhead in Lloydminster. Photo courtesy Dion Boser here in a chaotic state, and we need to take action. “I hope our message gets amplified over the next weeks and months, and it resonates loud enough for the provincial government to move things forward and get this pipe built.”
Ouellette referred to the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline, and he would
also like to see a revival of the Energy East Pipeline as well. As for Keystone XL, he
Midale
noted Canada needs to get to other markets than the United States.
• Souris Valley Pipeline Limited operates a High Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pipeline in Southeast Saskatchewan, a component of the gas is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). • As a member of Sask 1st Call, Souris Valley Pipeline would like to remind you to call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888. • Statistics show that a significant cause of pipeline ruptures is due to third party damage. For pipeline safety concerns or emergencies call toll free 1-866-PIPELINE (1-866-747-3546) Before excavating call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888 for a free locate. www.sask1stcall.com
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THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT DRILLING LICENSES
17 new licenses issued to Monday, December 26 114898 114840 114923 114929 115041 114922 114908 114754
Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 4-35-11-6 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 3-18-3-11 Triland Energy Hz.................................................................................................................. 9-31-6-4 Silver Bay Resources Hz ................................................................................................... 11-15-6-32 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................. 16-9-2-2 Triland Energy Hz................................................................................................................ 12-31-6-4 Torc Oil & Gas Hz ............................................................................................................... 14-10-5-6 Gear Energy Hz ................................................................................................................. 14-29-1-11
114760 115033 115030 115042 115040 115054 115119 115074 115085
Gear Energy Hz ................................................................................................................. 14-29-1-11 Crescent Point Energy Hz ....................................................................................................... 8-2-7-9 Gear Energy Hz ................................................................................................................... 4-33-2-11 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................. 8-31-3-3 Gear Energy Hz ................................................................................................................... 5-27-1-10 Silver Bay Resources Hz ..................................................................................................... 9-16-6-32 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................... 4-4-2-4 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................. 16-11-1-12 Vermilion Energy Hz ........................................................................................................... 10-23-6-1
Rig Report 114113 Vermilion Energy ...............................Vermilion Energy........................................................ 2-13-7-5
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Numerous issues came forward in September  A6 Association unveilled a plaque on Sept. 14 at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. It pays tribute to Canadian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong during the Second World War. Bernard Jesse and Howard Bembridge were captured as prisoners of war during the Battle of Hong Kong, while A.A. Granger died in the battle. Sixty-one exhibitors packed the floor of the Carlyle Sports Arena on Sept. 15 and 16 for the Homespun Craft Show and Sale in Carlyle. More than 3,200 people attended the event. The number of exhibitors was on par with previous years while attendance was up. People were pleased with the variety of products available at Homespun. A ceremony was held at the Estevan Regional Airport on Sept. 16 to commemorate the completion of the Forever in the Clouds monument. Carved with a chainsaw by sculptor Darren Jones, the monument was built in remembrance of the 21 servicemen who lost their lives in a plane crash at the former Estevan Airport site south of the city on Sept. 15, 1946. The committee working on the monument didn’t find the last two faces until this past summer, after looking for a year. A permanent location
for the monument hasn’t been established. Estevan city council received a report on the future of Estevan Police Service building at the Sept. 17 meeting. The report, prepared by Rebanks Pepper Littlewood Architects, recommends the construction of a new police station, as opposed to a renovation of the current building, which is about 60 years old. It was renovated in 1991. The current building suffers from space deficiencies that has made it difficult for the police to operate. A dog was diagnosed with rabies during the month. In a post on its Facebook page the Rural Municipality of Estevan said it was advised of the case. The dog was found near Estevan. The RM also urged residents to ensure their animals have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. The Estevan Police Service (EPS) found cocaine at Affinity Place during the Sept. 18 Power Dodge Estevan Bruins hockey game. A citizen located a substance in a plastic bag on the lobby floor, and turned it over to the EPS. The bag was found outside the main washrooms. A large number of children were present in the area at the time. St. Joseph’s Hospital was host to the Saskatchewan Medical Association’s (SMA)
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annual Roadmap Tour on Sept. 22. The event saw 40 medical students participating in a variety of medical-related events throughout the day. The Roadmap program is designed to showcase rural and regional centres in Saskatchewan, so that more locally-trained physicians will be working in smaller communities. A ceremony was held in Carievale on Sept. 25 to honour Constable Lewis Byers, who is buried in the village’s cemetery. Byers was the first, and remains the youngest, member of the Vancouver Police Department to die in the line of duty, as he was killed in 1912. Members of the VPD have been honouring the 16 members killed in the line of duty, and Byers was the last to be recognized. An announcement was made on Sept. 28 that the Rafferty Rumble would be making its return to the city. It will be held from July 26-28 at locations throughout the Estevan area. Not only will there be a street dance, but there will be sporting events, community activities and other attractions. The 25th edition of the
The 25th edition of the Estevan Showcase Business Expo was in the Power Dodge Ice Centre in late September. Estevan Showcase Business Expo was held Sept. 28 and 29 at the Power Dodge Curling Club. It was held over two days instead of three, but exhibitors seemed pleased with the turnout.
Out With the Old. In With the New. Thanks & Best Wishes to Each One of You! Wishing you health, happiness and good fortune in 2019 and beyond.
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Second half of 2018 had many sports highlights By Corey Atkinson sports@estevanmercury.ca
The months of July through December featured a lot of big events in the local sporting world. Many things captured the attention of local sports fans and followers as the months went on. July: Estevan hosted provincial indoor lacrosse provincials for peewee, bantam and midget age groups. The local lacrosse association’s Voltz fielded teams in peewee and bantam, and the bantam Voltz won B-side gold. “This was a great way for the boys to finish their year,” said bantam Voltz head coach Dion Wagstaff, whose team got to use the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins dressing room for their final game. “It was just a good exclamation mark on a great regular season.” The peewee Voltz won the B-side silver. “The kids came out hard and we took a Saskatoon team which picked up players to a fourth period,” said peewee head coach Trevor McNabb. “The kids fell hard but we just ran out of gas at the end. It was a great, fun season with these kids.” The Saskatchewan Swat selected Kaden Chrest of the bantam Voltz in the first ever bantam draft for junior A lacrosse players. “They’ll bring the top 10 kids over the winter, and work with the junior A kids that they have in their program. It’s a developmental thing, is what they’re trying to do,” said Kaden’s father, Blaine Chrest. An Estevan quartet featuring TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course president Jeff Ward won the PGA-Sask Scramble event at Woodlawn in early July. “We all have different skill sets,” Ward said. “We’re all pretty good off the tee so getting the minimum
three drives per person wasn’t as difficult as maybe some teams have. We have some people that are fairly good from the fairway in so we gave ourselves some birdie putting opportunities and we drained quite a few of those that were pretty lengthy.” They would go to the Royal Regina course for a regional event in September with the goal of hitting nationals in Nova Scotia. The Southeast Performance Pump Twins lost in the final of the midget AA baseball provincials in Unity. “There was a lot of emotions there with the players there that were on our team last year and of course the players from Weyburn that are on our team. It was more of an emotional game than it needed to be but it is what it is,” said Twins assistant coach Kent Phillips. “The focus for the weekend was making it to Sunday,” Phillips said. “If you’ve made it to Sunday, that means you played well enough on the weekend that anything can happen in that final game.” The Estevan Drillers hosted over-45 Twilite Masters at Mets Field at Woodlawn Regional Park. “The ball teams like to come here,” said tourmament organizer Joe Lingelbach. “It’s a smaller diamond and it’s got a grass infield. You don’t get many bad hops. If you get a guy falling down in the outfield, it’s not a bad injury it’s just bouncing back up.” The Drillers lost the C final 13-0 to the Weyburn Merchants. The Estevan Tap House Wolves celebrated their second consecutive Harbourne Cup championship for winning the final of the Saskota Baseball League. They beat the Oxbow Chiefs 3-0 in the final game. “It was kind of nerve-wracking because they were the top seed this year and everyone kind of
The bantam Voltz won the B side of provincials held at Affinity Place and the Power Dodge Ice Centre in July. saw how good of a hitting team they are,” said Wolves catcher Jolen Lingenbach. “We had a one-run game and a two-run game against them this year so we knew they were a really good team and we would need a lot of good pitching to keep them down.” August: Weyburn’s Rick Hallberg won the Frametech Classic at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course with a three-day total of 65-7469-208 for a four-stroke victory over Daryl Donovan and Carson Harcourt. “I was just trying to play solid golf,” Hallberg said. “There was such a good field down here and in the championship there were 12 guys in there and anyone could win it. They’re all really good players. I guess it was my
Rick Hallberg won the Dave Price Memorial Horse Race and the Frametech Classic over the August long weekend.
weekend. Another weekend, somebody else probably wins.” Hallberg also won the Dave Price Memorial Horse Race, a golf event at the course which was put on hold for an hour while a drenching thunderstorm hit the area. “I’ve won this horse race several times before but this one meant more than anything,” said Hallberg. “It’s for Davey.” The Baseball Canada Cup was a great experience for local coach Blaine Kovach and umpire Kevin Culy. Kovach was the assistant coach for the Team Saskatchewan, which had won gold the previous year, and Culy worked one of the semifinal games at the annual midget-aged tournament that took place Aug. 8-12 in Moncton, N.B. “It’s great to see pitchers out there
throwing 91, 92 miles an hour regularly, and hitters are out there hitting home runs and doubles, guys are fast,” said Kovach, at the time, the head coach of the Southeast Performance Pump Twins’ midget AAA team based in Estevan. “It was a really good experience and a really good time.” Estevan’s Hunter Chipley won gold and silver at the Canadian Archery Championships in Truro, N.S. “The first day was really windy, probably 20-mile an hour gusts,” Chipley said. He was in the cadet recurve division of the field competition and won silver there, while he also spent two days at the double 720 target competition, shooting 72 arrows a day at a distance of 60 metres to win gold. “It was blowing more that what most people
were used to. I had all my form working and I didn’t have to worry about what was working (with that). I just had to remember to keep my head in the game and focus on where my arrows were landing.” With a lot still on the line in most classes, championship night at the Estevan Motor Speedway Saturday was full of drivers in all four classes looking to make their presence known on championship night. Minot’s Robby Rosselli won the sport mods, Leevi Runge won the hobby stocks, Jeremy Swanson won the street stocks and Chris Hortness won the modifieds series. Hortness’ victory in the series meant he was the model of consistency as he never won a feature race at EMS this year. The slingshots A10 » ELECS
Leevi Runge (25R) won the hobby stocks series at the Estevan Motor Speedway.
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Elecs football team’s win over Moose Jaw Vanier highlighted September « A9 class was won by Ryder Raynard. September: Two exciting evenings of rodeo thrilled crowds on Labour Day weekend once again at the 2018 Estevan Exhibition CCA Rodeo. The rodeo is one of the last stops on the Canadian Cowboys Association Tour and competitors earned points that they hoped would get them in the top 10 for the CCA finals later this fall in Swift Current. The Estevan Mermaids said goodbye to their former head coach as she moved to other career opportunities in Saskatoon, but Brenda Lyons will carry with her the countless memories made with the synchronized swimming team. “That was probably one of the hardest parts about making the decision to move from Estevan,” she said. “Estevan had been my home for over 25 years and I probably spent a dozen of those years as a member of the Estevan Mermaids club. “I had the privilege of working with some amazing young women over the dozen years and making some really good friends in the club.” The Estevan Elecs football team doused their coach
The atom tier one Signature Star Hotel Bruins celebrate their B side victory at their home tournament in November. Mark Schott with Gatorade after the team won their first game in two years, 26-7 over
the Vanier Vikings at home. “It’s really amazing to come out here and win another
Quarterback Kaleb Bechtold looks for some running room while getting a block from Jonah Bachorcik (26) and Nigel Mack (80) looks for a block to make in a game in late September.
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had to retire due to an accumulation of concussions. “It’s not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I’ve decided it is in my long-term best interest to move on from contact hockey,” said Chekay in a press release from the Bruins. October The Estevan Meter peewee AA Bruins lost the third place game, 4-3 in overtime, of their home tournament to the Weyburn Red Wings. “I think our whole weekend was good (even though) our record doesn’t indicate how well we played,” said Bruins head coach Aren Miller. “We never gave up more than four goals in a game. We told the kids that three-on-three here is getting the game over with because we’re tight on ice time. If we had kept playing five-on-five I think we win that game for sure.” The Esetvan Curling Club hosted their annual open house where curlers got to test out the ice – and the new carpet beside the ice – for free. “With league play starting (this month), not many of our players have
had the opportunity to be out on the ice this year,” said the club’s Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud. “We wanted people to come out and get their legs under them. The leagues start (Tuesday) night and also the ice is green. More people are coming out for pool leagues in Estevan, as evidenced by the busier nights for pool at the city’s bars. “It was about two years ago… I always bumped into the same people but they were never in a league,” said Dave Dayman, local pool organizer. There are two leagues in town on Monday nights and Tuesday nights and the ranking is a little bit different for each league. Monday has a five-person team with fluke shots and Tuesday is a four-person team with called shots. November The Estevan atom tier one Western Star Signature Hotel Bruins had a dramatic B-side gold medal final victory against the Weyburn Red Wings, with a wild third period on the scoresheet at Affinity Place in their home A11 » CANADA
19011AA2 19011AA2
Lori Carr, MLA
Best Wishes
game when a lot of people look at Estevan and think that we’re just underdogs,” said Elecs player Jonah Bachorcik. “But to come out here and show how great of a team we really are this year it’s just awesome.” The Elecs only had four first downs in the first half. “(There were) a lot of mix ups, a lot of people being in new positions having to learn new plays,” said Bachorcik. “We adjusted and we adapted and got used to how we played. We picked up on their defence and we just did what we could.” The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins won a pair of games over the Melville Millionaires to start the 201819 SJHL season. “Melville played hard and they didn’t go away,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. “The good news is we didn’t get scored on a lot this weekend for any reason we should be alarmed about. We had some breakdowns that were mental errors and things that come from playing hockey at this time of year.” Unfortunately, Bruins forward Matthew Chekay
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Canada Cup had controversial final men’s game « A10 tournament early this month. “The guys played well, they played the full 60 minutes we’ve been trying to get the entire year,” said Bruins head coach Andrew Tait after their 4-3 win. The team was undefeated in the round robin, beating Moose Jaw 11-5 and the Regina Mustangs 8-5, while tying the Minot Wolves 5-5. Minot went to the A-side final based on the goals-against tiebreaker. The Estevan Minor Box Lacrosse Association capped the year by handing out its second annual awards. The bantam Voltz team went undefeated in league play and the bantam, pee wee and atom Voltz teams hosted provincials in the summer. Mark Tribiger won the Harris Oilfield volunteer of the year, Kelsey Magnien won the TS&M female player of the year, C h a s e Fo o r d w o n t h e TS&M male player of the year and Jase Malaryk won the Fast Trucking official of the year. Dion Wagstaff was named the JL’s Bike & Skate coach of the year. The Elecs football team handed out their awards on the season, with Jonah Bachorcik taking both offensive and defensive player of the year as well as most valuable player. “Just coming up to the team this year, I knew I wanted to play an important role on the team but I didn’t think this much,” said Bachorcik, who played nearly every down on the season. “I love my team so much for sticking with me through the year.” The Elecs suffered through an injury-plagued 2018 season but won their first game in two seasons. “Everyone on our team knew that the road ahead became more challenging,” Schott said about the injuries. “But they also knew that complaining or pouting about it wouldn’t help the situation at all.” Estevan’s Brent Gedak skipped the winning rink at a Saskatchewan Men’s Curling Tour Event in Moose Jaw. Winning this particular event doesn’t quite give an automatic berth into the Tankard but it does get Gedak a lot closer with the 10 tour points that are awarded to the winner. December Jennifer Jones and Mark Jacobs skipped rinks that won the Home Hardware Canada Cup at Affinity Place. “We got a nice early deuce and really controlled that game. I’m just really proud of the way the three guys in front of me played all week,” said Jacobs, who won 8-7 over Kevin Koe. “Getting one in the five-rock rule is always challenging, to hold them to not take two in the last end,” said Jones after getting the trophy. “We thought it was worth the risk and I like throwing that shot. It looked good out of my hand and we knew it was going to be close. I just wasn’t sure if we would stick the shooter,” said Jones, who won 8-5 over Kerri Einarson. The new timing system was an issue in the final, however. An internal review by Curling Canada indicated Koe should have had a different time allowed on his final stone of the fifth end of the men’s final. The event was the first to use a set amount of time
per end, rather than for the whole game, and many skips complained throughout the week about the time. The clock showed Koe had two seconds left for the shot but an investigation concluded he had 11, and the situation was called ‘an officiating mistake’ by Curling Canada in a statement they released in December. Dustin Kalthoff won a spot at the Tankard with a win at the Saskatchewan Curling Tour event at the Power Dodge Ice Centre. “We tried to catch on to the ice as best we could, as soon as possible,” said Kalthoff. “The ice was really good with lots of curl, which is nice to see. You don’t always see that on the SCT.” Jack McGeough com-
mitted to the University of Saskatchewan for their volleyball program for the 2019-20 season. “They have a pretty new group of young guys there,” said McGeough, a 6’9” middle blocker who has been a member of the ECS Elecs and the Southeast Giants in club volleyball in recent years. “They recently got a new coach there and I thought that would be a good thing. He’s pretty experienced.” Saskatchewan Roughriders voice Rod Pedersen released a compilation book of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey L eague’s history entitled ‘Heart & Soul of the SJHL’. “I started asking people in each community who would be the best to write that for each club,” said Pedersen.
9 Thank you for giving giving for i us so much to celebrate in 2018. We appreciate your loyal support.
The time is here to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year. We hope it’s filled with reasons to celebrate!
Jennifer Jones celebrates her team’s win on the women’s side of the Home Hardware Canada Cup in early December.
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OBITUARIES
OBITUARIES Betty Lorna Harmsworth
With much sadness, the family of Betty Harmsworth announces her passing on Friday, December 14, 2018, at the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice in Kamloops, British Colum-bia, at the age of 90 years. Betty is survived by her children: Anne Harmsworth of Thunder Bay, Ont., Gillian Sernich (Adrian Robert) of Strasbourg, Sask., John Harmsworth of Regina, Sask., and Geoffrey Harmsworth (Shelagh Marks) of Kamloops, B.C., as well as her daughter-in-law Bonnie Sernich of Estevan, Sask. She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Melanie (Russ) Lansdell, Jen-nifer (Cory) Rainville, Ben Harmsworth (Allison Brunsdon), Robin Sernich (Heather Sproat), Kelly Harmsworth (Stacy Cairns), Stephanie Harmsworth (Jason Jeannot), and Bonnie Varley, as well as eight great-grandchidren and two greatgreat grandchildren. She is further survived by her loving sister, Sheila Tucker, sister-in-law Joan Painter, nieces and a nephew, DOO RI (QĂ&#x20AC;HOG (QJODQG Betty is predeceased by her husband, Fred Harmsworth, son Peter, partner Herb Bossert, son-in-law Richard Sernich, her parents George and Ivy Tucker, sister Barbara Edwards, and brother-in-law Jack Edwards. %HWW\ ZDV ERUQ $XJXVW LQ (QĂ&#x20AC;HOG (QJODQG 6KH DWWHQGHG (QĂ&#x20AC;HOG &RXQW\ *UDPPDU 6FKRRO DQG H[FHOOHG LQ languages, particularly French, German and Latin. She married Freder-ick George Harmsworth in 1947, and they had three children before emigrating to Canada. The family moved to rural Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, where prairie life was still very hard, and be-came lifelong friends with Frank and May Stopyra and their daughters Jane and Shirley. The family then moved to Estevan where two more children were born. Mum lived in Estevan until after Dad died in 1976, managing the Leader-Post bureau in the years during and after his ill-ness. Mum later moved to Kamloops where she bought a farm with her partner, Herb Bossert, and together they built a house. Her farm at Black Pines was her pride and joy and some of her happiest days were spent on this beautiful property with her animals. 0XP EHFDPH D NQRZOHGJHDEOH EUHHGHU RI 'H[WHU FDWWOH DQG later of Birman cats. She and Herb had cattle, sheep, goats, guinea fowl, chickens, dogs and cats, which they enjoyed im-mensely. Her two dogs, Gypsy and Lucky, were very dear to her heart. She was always ready for a road trip with Herb and together they saw many places in B.C. and Washington State. Mum was absorbed in family history projects which she researched with persistence and great accuracy. While in Estevan she volunteered for a project documenting old and abandoned prairie cemeteries. Mum always had a quirky sense of humour and very odd things would put her into uncon-trollable giggles. She had a lifelong fondness for rural life and particularly for barns, and she read widely on many subjects. As well as animals, Mum loved plants, which she often found and rescued. She cared greatly about the state of the environment and endeavoured to leave a PLQLPDO IRRWSULQW 6KH ZDV D FRPSOH[ SHUVRQ ZLWK FXULRVLW\ DERXW most things and she loved to talk about ideas and current issues. A memorial service will be held at a date yet to be announced. )ULHQGV VR ZLVKLQJ PD\ PDNH GRQDWLRQV LQ %HWW\¡V PHPRU\ WR 7KH Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge, 7877 Skimikin Road, CHASE, B.C., or to any animal charity of your choice.
Entries accepted for project The provincial government is seeking submissions for its Innovation Challenge program. In a press release, the government said the Innovation Challenge harnesses the ideas and expertise of Saskatchewanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative entrepreneurs, together with government, to rapidly solve public sector challenges. In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Innovation Saskatchewan is seeking technology solutions to the following challenge: â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can technology be used to monitor the amount of solid waste generated and disposed of in the province?â&#x20AC;? Innovators are invited to submit their proposed solutions to Innovation Saskatchewan for consideration by Feb. 13. A winner will be selected through a competitive process and announced in the spring 2019. Prior to the proposal deadline, information sessions will be made available online. Innovation Challenge winners will receive funding of
up to $10,000 and a 16-week residency to develop their solution in collaboration with government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are excited to see what solutions the new Innovation Challenge will bring to government,â&#x20AC;? Innovation Saskatchewan Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a growing, vibrant tech sector in Saskatchewan, and programs such as the Innovation Challenge allow our researchers and entrepreneurs to showcase their skills and develop products for commercialization here in Saskatchewan and around the world.â&#x20AC;? The Innovation Challenge was piloted in 2017 with the Ministry of Corrections and Policing, looking for technological solutions to address rural crime. The winner, Jeff Shirley of Saskatoon, developed a prototype during his 16-week residency and launched BeeSecure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an application-based tracking system and GPS device to alert land owners about irregular activity related to their property.
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SRI HOMESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Estevan Facility SHELTER HOME SYSTEMS
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In Memory of
Dennis David Moe July 18, 1944 - January 5, 2009
It has been 10 long years, Since we had to say our goodbyes. Still loved, still missed and Never very far from thought.
In Loving Remembrance, Linda, Jordan and The Moe Families
Remember Your Loved Ones with a Memorial Tribute in The Estevan Mercury
January 2, 2019 A13
Estevan police had a few calls on Christmas Members of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) had a few calls to tend to on Christmas Day. Police were called to a complaint of a possible assault in the 1200-block of Seventh Street at approximately 9 p.m. A 45-year-old Estevan man was arrested and lodged in cells. He is facing charges of assault and uttering threats, and was released the following day with conditions for an appearance in Estevan Provincial Court in February 2019. Also on Dec. 25, police received a report of criminal harassment during the day shift. The matter is still under investigation. Police received a report of suspicious vehicles in the rural area west of Estevan. Patrol units were notified to
be on the lookout. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were also made aware of the complaint and the caller was forwarded to them. The vehicles were not located by the EPS. Members assisted the Estevan Fire Rescue Service in gaining access to an apartment unit in the 300-block of Perkins Street during the night shift. The fire alarm was set off by an occupantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking. Once access to the suite was gained there was no further police involvement needed. In other recent police news, members received a report of mischief to a property at a downtown business during the Dec. 24 day shift. Police attended and spoke to a number of witnesses. The matter is still under investigation.
We put dogs on their best behavior
Officers attended to an accident at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Fourth Street. There were no injuries. A local female was charged with failing to yield to oncoming traffic when turning left. Her vehicle had to be towed from the scene. Police received two reports of criminal harassment. One of the matters was resolved through mediation. The second report is under investigation.
Members attended to a south end residence to an elderly female in distress. Police attended and requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The matter was turned over to EMS. Members responded to a complaint of a large group outside a residence on King Street during the Dec. 24 night shift. On arriving, members learned there had been a physical altercation between family members. One male was transported to another residence for the evening and the matter remains under investigation. An Estevan man attended and reported that his licence plate was stolen from his vehicle during the Dec. 26 day shift. The plate left on his vehicle was associated with a stolen vehicle out of the Moose Jaw area. It is
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believed that the plates were swapped in Moose Jaw and not Estevan. Estevan Police are assisting the Moose Jaw Police Service with their investigation. Officers and the Estevan Fire Rescue Service were called to a residence in the Pleasantdale area during the Dec. 26 night shift, due to the smell of smoke in a residence. The fire department attended to inspect the residence for a cause. Police were no longer required on scene. Police conducted a traffic stop in east Estevan during the Dec. 27 day shift, due to a traffic offence. The driver provided a false name to the officer. The man was arrested and transported to the police station. He has been charged with two Traffic Safety Act offences
as well as a criminal charge for obstruction. Members responded a couple of hang-up calls from a residence. The parties associated were found to be okay. Police later responded back to the residence after an argument ensued between the two parties. They were separated for the time being. No further action was required. Officers received a report of a scam. Thanks to staff members at a senior citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home, no money was lost. The matter remains under investigation. Police checked conditions during the Dec. 27 night shift on individuals currently on release conditions and house arrest. The individuals were found to be home and complying with their conditions.
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A14 January 2, 2019
Firefighters called to accident involving a moose and a vehicle north of Estevan Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service were called to an accident involving a moose and a vehicle on Highway 47 north of Estevan on Dec. 27. Upon arriving on the scene, which was about 23 kilometres outside of the city, emergency crews found that the vehicle went into the ditch after striking the animal. The vehicle sustained extensive damage in the collision, and the lone occupant was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Deputy fire chief Rick
Davies said the occupant was shaken up, and suffered undetermined injuries, but the injuries are believed to be minor in nature. “The damage (to the vehicle), between striking the moose and then entering ditch, it would have been a fairly significant accident,” said Davies. A rollover did not occur in the accident. The fire department was also called to a commercial fire alarm at an apartment building on Perkins Street on Dec. 25.
It was a “fairly minor” cookingrelated incident. Crews made entry and ventilated the area that was affected, and alarms were reset. Davies said the response to the fire call serves as a testament to the fire department’s dedication, since many of them were spending time with their families. “Obviously there were some guys who couldn’t respond due to being out of town, but we did have enough response to roll the units necessary,” he said.
The fire department is thankful for those who did
sacrifice their Christmas night to respond to the call. The call came in just after 8 p.m. that night, and it was cleared by 9 p.m. Their next call was a reported structure fire in north Estevan in the evening of Dec. 26, but it also proved to be minor in nature. The problem was the home’s heating and air conditioning unit. There wasn’t an actual fire, and the home didn’t sustain any structural damage. Davies said that up until
their call on Dec. 25, it had been relatively quiet for the fire department.They hadn’t received a call since Dec. 14. They also had their last training night for the year on Dec. 11, and they won’t have another training session until Jan. 8. Firefighters did ring bells at the Southern Plains Co-op’s Estevan grocery store on Dec. 22 to support the Estevan Salvation Army’s kettle campaign. It was their final community engagement effort of the year as well.
SAVE UP TO
H.N.Y.
AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF OUR ALREADY DISCOUNTED WINDOWS AND DOORS!
A festive feeling fills the air, Joy and laughter everywhere. As we count down to a new year, We wish you all abundant cheer!
Thank You for Your Support in 2018
Senchuk Ford Sales Ltd.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 | www.senchuk.com
The Time Is Near…
Happy New Year! As we count down to 2019, we’d like to share our thanks and best wishes with everyone who has been a part of our year. We’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, and we hope the next twelve months bring you countless reasons to celebrate!
407 Kensington Avenue, Estevan ESTEVAN MCLEAN TISDALE Ph: (306) 634-5111 • Shop online at: www.wood-country.com
10 Cundall Dr, Estevan, SK Canada, S4A 1T1 306.634.2030 • 1.800.667.6400
Monday - Friday: 7:30 - 5:30 • Saturday: 8:00 - 5:00 • Sunday: Closed
POWER DODGE
ESTEVAN BRUINS JANUARY EVENTS Upcoming HOME GAMES
January 8th vs Yorkton @ 7:00pm Sponsor: 12th - vs Notre Dame @ 7:30pm Sponsor: 19th - vs Weyburn @ 7:30pm Sponsor: Mack’s Reflections/Platinum Hair Design
Party Zone
Download the Southern Plains Co-op Bruins app!
Prices are now:
Weekdays - 15 tickets/$350 Fri/Sat/Sun - 15 tickets/$500
26th - vs Nipawin @ 7:30pm Sponsor: February 2nd - vs Weyburn @ 7:30pm Game Sponsor:
Fan Bus to Weyburn on February 1st Contact the Bruins office to book your seat! Come to home games and win prizes from:
Mr Mike’s Birthday Party Zone Message Mr. Mike’s on Facebook to book your party!
TICKET PRICES: Adult $14 Senior (60+) $10 Youth (6-18) $5 5 & under Free
#UNFINISHEDBUSINESS.
Find the link at w www.estevanbruins.com
Enjoy the game in your own private section!
25th - vs Melfort @ 7:30pm Sponsor:
Congratulations to our two Trip Lottery winners so far: November - Grey Cup Weekend: Tara Goodwin - Sponsor: Baker Hughes GE December - All-Inclusive Week in Mexico - Todd Devonshire January - Hockey Weekend in Las Vegas: Draw Date: January 9th - Sponsor: Hub International
Watch our away games live!
VISITING TEAM
HOME TEAM
3:00 pm
Estevan
Weyburn
Fri, Jan 11
8:00 pm
Estevan
Notre Dame
Fri, Jan 18
7:30 pm
Estevan
Weyburn
Fri, Feb 1
7:30 pm
Estevan
Weyburn
Tue, Feb 5
7:30 pm
Estevan
Yorkton
Sat, Feb 9
7:30 pm
Estevan
Melville
Fri, Mar 1
7:30 pm
Estevan
Melville
DATE
TIME
Tue, Jan 1
For more information contact
306.634.7730 or go to www.estevanbruins.com
#UNFINISHEDBUSINESS.
Let's get social @EstevanBruins @EstevanBruins
#UNFINISHEDBUSINESS.