MENTAL HEALTH
B A B I E S
Ready to support the community A3
of 2018
BABIES OF 2018 Photo of babies born last year A9
Issue 39
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Estevan Police Service ready to use drugtesting device on public By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
After receiving special training in Ottawa, Estevan Police Service Constable Deanna Conquergood is now fully equipped to detect drivers impaired by marijuana or cocaine. “The training enhances more of my knowledge about impaired by drugs driving. It gave me more tools to use to try to prevent and try to detect drivers who are impaired by drugs,” Conquergood said. With the new equipment now in place in Estevan, it is much easier for police officers to determine if drivers were using cannabis or cocaine prior to driving. “I got trained on how to use the oral fluids screening device. The device itself tests for THC, which is the impairing component in marijuana. It also does test for cocaine,” Conquergood said. The new testing device is portable, yet quite fragile and finicky. “This particular device we can take it with us on the road. Unfortunately, it is a little cumbersome. It has to be maintained in a temperature con-
Estevan Police Service Constable Deanne Conquergood right, conducts a test on Detective Sergeant Warren Morrical to determine if there is any THC or cocaine present in his oral fluids. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia trolled setting. It can’t be below 5C, and it can’t be above 40C,” Conquergood explained. “For instance, in our winter condition that we have now if it gets exposed to extreme temperatures like that, we have to make sure we get it back in into controlled setting and give it time to adjust to the temperature before we can do a test on it.”
That means that the suspect would have to come back to the police station as well. The gadget will read positive for anything over 25 nanograms (ng) of THC per ml of blood, with it being considered an offence to have over 2 ng/ml of THC. If a suspected impaired driver tests positive on the oral fluid screening device, the fol-
Guilty plea for nine different charges A B.C. man who relocated to southeast Saskatchewan last year in an effort to escape from his troubled past found himself in trouble with the law again, and pleaded guilty in Estevan Provincial Court on Monday to numerous charges, including dangerous driving, drug possession and theft. Cody Shawn WhitecapLogan was sentenced to 547 days, or 18 months in custody, based on a joint submission by Crown prosecutors and defence. He will have to spend the next 283 days in custody, as he was given credit for time and a half for the 264 days he has already been in custody. He pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and trafficking cocaine, stemming from an arrest near Oxbow on June 6, 2018, theft following a break and enter in Weyburn a few days later, possession of meth following an arrest in Estevan last year, three counts of breaching an undertaking and two counts of mischief.
Provincial Crown attorney Chris Gratton noted that on June 6, 2018, the Carnduff RCMP were informed of an erratic driver on Highway 18 who was driving down the wrong side of the road. Police conducted a traffic stop near Oxbow on the vehicle. When Whitecap-Logan was exiting the vehicle, he didn’t put the vehicle in park, and he was seen putting items into his pocket. Police located a bag of white powder on him that proved to be cocaine. They also found scales, drug-related scoresheets and paraphernalia. Whitecap-Logan was also arrested a few days later in connection with a break-in at the 306 Creamery ice cream shop in Weyburn on June 12. He stole $3,600 from a deposit bag, $200 in cash, two laptops and more. He was arrested a short time later. He was also arrested twice in Weyburn for breaching his release conditions, and on Oct. 24 of last year, he was arrested in Estevan for breaching those
lowing urine test will be positive for THC as well. Any level of cocaine in the blood is considered an offence. The use of either cannabis or cocaine restricts people from driving. “It’s another tool in my arsenal to help combat the problem we have here for impaired driving,” Conquergood said.
Among the most serious calls for the Estevan Fire Rescue Service in 2018 was a trailer fire in July. File photo
By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
In 2018, Estevan Fire and Rescue Services (EFRS) members were one call short of the 2017 volume of calls for service. Annual numbers show
that in 2018 the EFRS received 252 calls for service in total. Fire Chief Dale Feser noted that the numbers were a bit lower than expected. “We actually were expecting a 10-15 per cent increases, that’s what we have seen over
the past five years timespan. However, it did level off there for us. We had a few months where we weren’t very very active, however, over the broad spectrum of the entire year we were pretty active,” Feser said. A2 » CALLS
RECEIVE A
GET OVER
YEAR END
is a drug in a driver’s system. If the results of the test come back positive for any of the two substances, officers arrest the suspect for impaired by drug driving and take the person to the station to do further investigation. People can decline to do a swab, but just like declining to do an alcohol-screening test they will be charged for refusing to provide a sample. Same with alcohol, penalties for impaired driving range from a mandatory minimum fine to a life sentence, if it results in an impaired driving-related collision. The device is already being used, yet the Estevan police plan on providing more testing on live subjects in the upcoming month. “I hate to say ’we’ll be looking for volunteers to smoke marijuana,’ but we will. Down the road we will be looking to test a few live subjects, that’s a part of our training as well,” said Estevan Police Service Chief Paul Ladouceur. This testing will be done to put drug recognition experts (DRE) and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) A2 » VOLUNTEERS
Estevan firefighters were called 252 times in 2018
release conditions and for the possession of meth. Several other charges were stayed by the prosecution. His Legal Aid attorney Susan Wurtz noted that Whitecap-Logan is 22 years old and originally from Vancouver. His mother was addicted to crack cocaine, and Whitecap-Logan lived in 15 foster homes in 18 years; in one of those foster homes, he was locked up for three years. He started using drugs at age 11 to escape from the realities of his life. Whitecap-Logan came to Saskatchewan last year, because of a half-sister living in Estevan. He found employment in the oil patch, but fell back into his old ways during spring road bans. In addition to the jail sentence, he was given a oneyear driving ban and a 10-year firearms prohibition. He also had to forfeit some of the items seized. He also has to pay A2 » SEVERAL
$
Suspicious driving is one of the main reasons to check the person behind the steering wheel for impairment. Estevan police are also planning on using the new screening device for regular roadside check stops. If suspected of being drug impaired a driver would be asked to provide an oral fluids sample. There are special onetime-use cotton swabs to be used for testing. “(The person would need to) rub a cotton swab on cheeks, on gums, under and over the tongue. We will know that there is enough fluid there when a blue line shows up. It takes probably 30 seconds to get enough liquid,” Conquergood explained. Once the sample is introduced to the machine, it takes two to three minutes to determine if there are THC or cocaine traces. “When we do a test with it, it will give us either a negative or a positive for THC or cocaine. It won’t give us the actual levels of the drug in a person’s blood system,” Conquergood said. In this manner, the new device gives the police more grounds to believe that there
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A2 January 23, 2019
Student-teacher ratio numbers released The result of an extensive study of classroom populations and student/teacher ratios was made public this past week by the South East Cornerstone Public School Division. Lynn Little, the division’s director of education, delivered the report to Cornerstone’s board members Jan. 16. She explained class sizes are established using a staffing formula that is driven primarily by student enrolment. She then noted the various factors that have to be included to arrive at staffing allotments, such as small school populations, specialty classes, such as band, art and vocational, administrative
time, learning support teacher time and unassigned time. When all factors are tabulated, she said, the average class size in the public school division is 20.43 students, with the average range in school levels being from a low of 13 to a high of 23.4. Pangman School, for example, had the lowest class size average at 13, followed by Gladmar with 14.9. At the larger class size range, Weyburn and Estevan Comprehensive Schools led the way at 23.4 and 23.3, respectively. “ This data inc ludes 2,685 courses being delivered,” Little said. “Class size is a conversation around the province, so we have collected
data to ensure class sizes are comparable to our expectations, because many things come into play,” she said. “The student to teacher ratio of one to 15 is what we have this year.” She added, “School administration, in consultation with school level staff, decide how to use their time and prepare class sizes. They decide to split classes and they take into consideration such things as face-to-face class time versus Cyber Stone (online) class options. Small schools have first dibs on the Cyber Stone options.” Breaking the numbers down further, Little noted there are a few classes with more than 40 students in
Lynn Little them at any given time. These are band and choral classes. She said there are six classes in the division that have band and/or choral classes with an excess of 40 students, and another four classes that
number between 36 to 40 students while 75 classes will have 31 to 35 students. Those classes are often found in the senior English Language Arts course, as well as in many high school classes and a few in health and sciences at the elementary level. There are another 75 classes with 31 to 35 students and 555 classes with fewer than 16 students. There are 922 classes with between 21 and 25, and 712 classes with between 16 and 20 students. In addition, the study included facts such as learning support teachers who are required for about five per cent of the student population of about 8,300 and educational assistants in classrooms
where there are kindergarten to Grade 2 combined classes of more than 15 students. Little also noted that in all instances, the kindergarten classes are half-time, alternate days. The more than 16 student services counsellors and other consultants and professionals as well as the administrative times for principals and vice-principals also support the students. “During the difficult budgetary years we have encountered over the past four or five years, the board of education has made frontline staff a priority,” Little said in conclusion, noting that an average class size of under 21 is “something we can be proud of.”
Calls for collisions were down last year « A1 Thirty-six per cent of overall call volumes were false alarm calls. In other words, 96 calls for service were cooking-related issues, faulty detections or just general reports, which called for the fire department’s assistance, however, after checks nothing was found. “It could be smoke in the area, but there was no actual fire that was occurring, so that could be coming from a fire pit or anything of that nature,” Feser explained. The number of motor vehicle collision-related calls dropped in 2018 and consisted 29 per cent
of total call volume versus 37 per cent in 2017. Feser believes that consistent public education campaigns partially helped to decrease the number of cases of dangerous driving leading to accidents. Also in 2018 the winter weather was more co-operative. “Last year (2017) we had a little bit of a different driving environment around the spring and the winter time as well. This year (2018) we had a better year for driving conditions,”Feser said. The EFRS received 17 calls for service for gas leaks, which
Correction The story “Trudeau confirms coal equivalency agreement” in the Jan. 16 edition of the Mercury had an error in the Page 2 headline which stated “Saskatchewan found out about agreement through Gazette.” The Mercury has since
been informed by the Ministry of Environment that officials within the ministry had been made aware of the agreement in mid-December, as opposed to its publication on Dec. 29 in the Canada Gazette. The Mercury apologizes for this error.
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consists of natural gas and carbon monoxide leaks. On top of that, there were 76 calls for service due to fire alarms, which include any other type of calls such as smoke in a building, a wildlife, a working structure fire and so on. Only four calls were due to fuel leaks. Those leaks could be the result of vehicle collisions or some kind of malfunction in vessels.
Besides their emergencyrelated duties, Estevan firefighters had a number of training programs and charitable campaigns. “We were active there in the training and in the activity side of the world. There we had 110 engagements last year. This consists of our regular training, as well as PR engagements, station tours and what not, people coming in to see us,” Feser said. Every call for service was
« A1 restitution of $1,000 to the 306 Creamery within six months of his release. Several other individuals who appeared by video on Monday had their cases set over to a later date. Derek Neil Debnam, who is facing numerous charges stemming from incidents in the Weyburn, Esterhazy and Spy Hill areas, had his case set over to Feb. 4 for further disclosure. Debnam is facing two counts of flight from police, two counts of dangerous driving, single counts of resisting arrest, possession of proceeds of crime, refusal to submit to a drug evaluation demand, failing to stop or remain at the scene of an accident and driving while disqualified, and four counts of failing to comply with his release conditions, stemming from an incident last fall. Debnam asked that the charges he is facing in the Esterhazy and Spy Hill areas be set over to Esterhazy court, because he will be represent-
ing himself there. Blake Dusnstall’s case was adjourned to Feb. 11, as his attorney has been waiting on information on charges that Dunstall is facing in B.C. Dunstall, who hails from that province, is facing charg-
« A1 specialists through the paces and to give them the experience of doing some tests on people. There will be rides arranged to transport volunteers home safely. With a growing number of trained officers, the new drug-testing device being distributed and used by police all across Canada now, and with new legislation that took away the reasonable suspicion component, the chances to get away with driving high or drunk nowadays are looking very slim.
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Jan. 25, as his attorney is still waiting for information related to charges he is facing. Gessner was one of five people arrested in a drug bust in November, and is also facing charges for violating his release conditions.
The oral fluids screening device is already being used during road stop checks. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia
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“One was when the summer storm had gone through and a power plant suffered a direct hit. And another one was a lot of the frost that was in the area for an extended duration of time, the rime frost causing issues,” Feser recalled. After all, in 2018 Estevan didn’t witness any major natural disasters or any accidents where there was a significant lost of life or injuries.
Several other cases set over
Friday, Jan. 25 & Saturday, Jan. 26
Sunday, Jan. 27 Thursday, Jan. 31
taken in the best intentions and just as serious as any other. There were a few major structure fires, such as a house fire on Albert Street in January. Another big fire happened at the Willow Park Greens Trailer Park in July. Yet, it was the weather that often caused more damage resulting in extended power outages and creating work for the EFRS.
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Third Page A3
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Mental health services help people to cope with depression and seasonal affective disorder By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
The winter is just rising beyond its first month and is far from being done. With many more dark days ahead and all holidays left behind a lot of people may start feeling down during these January days. Usually, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) starts haunting people affected by it as early as the last days of September and the beginning of October when it first starts getting dark early. Subjects to SAD say they feel like a bear: they want to hibernate, don’t want to go outside, and they find their interests are gone. Marlene Salmers, the supervisor of Adult Community Services for the Estevan Mental Health Clinic, explained that unless the situation is severe to the point where individuals cannot function, it’s quite simple to help those struggling from SAD. “Even though they want to hibernate or stay at home, or not go out, we actually encourage them to stay connected with their friends and to activate their behaviour; go out for walks; pick up some time in the sun, even if it’s the
winter sun; get out and spend time with friends and family; pick up a hobby, so they are not basically stuck at home in front of the TV or on social media,� Salmers said. There are a number of coping strategies to overcome SAD. Yet, at this time of the year and later into the spring depression becomes a bigger problem. The number of suicides increases in late winter and early spring, period, which is often considered as a time for renewal and growth, but some people are just not feeling it and slip into depression. “We always encourage people to ask questions. How are you feeling? Are you having any dark thoughts? Are you thinking of hurting yourself ?� Salmers advised. And if there are any red flags, there are a number of mental health services and programs across the former Sun Country Health Region. All those services are triaged through the intake office. “Intake is really our first point of entry for our system. Sometimes people assume that they need to see a psychiatrist when, in fact, they don’t. Sometimes people think they need be in therapy for 10
Marlene Salmers is the supervisor of Adult Community Services at the Estevan Mental Health Clinic. Photo submitted years, and in fact, they don’t,� Salmers said. The intake workers assess all inquiries and direct patients towards programs that better fit their situations. For example, there is an educational group for those dealing with SAD.
“We actually have a very good education group – Managing Your Mental Health. That one is every three weeks in Estevan or Weyburn. It does cover some really healthy coping strategies, healthy living strategies. And we find that a lot of those individuals
benefit from that,� Salmers explained. The Mental Health and Addiction Services offer a number of programs, including child and youth support, an autism program, adult community services, recovery and rehab services, psychiatry services, mental health inpatient unit and addiction services. Besides traditional face-to-face counselling patients may seek group therapy, single sessions, which are a brief therapy model that addresses the client’s immediate concern, and the Internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy services offered by the University of Regina. Usually, therapy is a process that takes time, professional expertise and an effort on patient’s side. “Sometimes clients expect medication or a magic button that would stop everything that’s going wrong. And sometimes they are hoping it’s an easy button. But in fact, it isn’t that simple,� Salmers said. When it comes to any kind of mental health issues sometimes silence is the biggest problem. People are afraid to ask questions or talk about mental health because
there is still a stigma attached. “People don’t want to admit that they have depression or anxiety or that they are having some struggles and they can’t seem to get out of bed in the morning. People don’t feel comfortable bringing that forward until people respond in a positive or receptive way. Once we have positive receptive comments from friends, neighbours, coworkers, I think, the silence will be broken,� Salmers said. When there are any unusual changes in a person’s mood the first point is starting the conversation and asking questions. The next step is to reach out for help. “If you have a friend who is concerned about their mood, or you are concerned about their mood, and they are saying, ‘Yes, I’m having these thoughts,’ we encourage people to come with them to an appointment,� Salmers said. When you are not sure how to go about the situation with your loved one, you also can call intake and share your concerns about the individual. Intake will contact the person directly or will provide you with directions on how to bring the person in.
Having a ball and supporting a good cause By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
  The Estevan Kinettes Club bills their Princess and Superhero Ball as being a “super magical� event, and it proved to be that this year. The ball was held on Saturday afternoon at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch, with about 140 people in attendance. Children and adults alike donned their princess and superhero attire, and enjoyed an afternoon filled with activities. Proceeds from the ball will be directed to Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Canada. The fight against CF is a personal one for event organizer Kasey McIntyre, as her son Liam was diagnosed with CF when he was four weeks old. “To say that this was shocking news doesn’t quite fit how my husband and I felt at the time,� said McIntyre. “We felt lost and alone and confused as new parents.� She was pleased to find a club in Estevan that supports finding a cure for CF. The ball featured dancing, live music, theatre, facepainting, Henna tattoos, crafts, games, raffles and a
photo booth, among other activities. McIntyre believes they had an equal number of superheroes and princesses this year, which was their goal, since they want to have an event for the entire family. In the first couple of years, it was a princess ball. “I think we have finally found something where the whole family really can attend,� said McIntyre. “We were thinking maybe it’s a little comfortable for the boys to come, or the dads to come, when it’s superheroes.� Volunteers from the Estevan Comprehensive School helped out by singing, dancing with the children and helping the youths with their activities. The event also had a guest speaker, Cassidy Evans, a 10-year-old girl from Saskatoon. Along with her mother Kimberly, they explained how CF has affected their family. Cassidy also showed a video for the audience. The narrator, Joe Manafo, compared having cystic fibrosis to trying to breath through a straw, because it affects the respiratory and digestive systems.
Cassidy said that each day she has to go through an hour of treatments before school, after school and before bed to keep her lungs healthy.  “I take 20 pills a day to help digest the food that I eat. And I also take lots of medicine and vitamins in order for my body to stay strong and digest my nutrients.� When she was five years old, Cassidy decided to have a lemonade stand to raise money to find a cure for CF. Since 2013, Cassidy’s Lemonade Stand has raised more than $75,000 through lemonade and merchandise sales, as well as fundraisers. “I know that some day there will be a cure,� said Cassidy. “In the meantime, I want to inspire you to find ways to take hard things in your life, and turn them into something positive.� Cassidy’s family has also taken a role in advocating for those with CF. The family is calling for governments to cover Orkambi, a new drug that can improve the lives of those with CF. But it’s very expensive, and out of reach for the average Canadian. Also during the ball, Adeline Oleshko was pre-
Erin McIsaac, left, and Jessica Stewart were happy to show off their princess attire at the ball. sented with this year’s Kinettes Pay it Forward Princess Award. (This week’s edition of Lifestyles will have more on this story).
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McIntyre noted there was a committee of six people involved with the event, and they had the support of five other Kinsmen and Kinettes.
They also dedicated about 245 hours to making the ball happen. She believes it raised about $3,700 for CF Canada.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Staff SERVING CANADA’S SUNSHINE CAPITAL Publisher Rick Sadick - rsadick@estevanmercury.ca
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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.
EDITORIAL
All options should be considered It’s been a little more than a year since we found out that the Civic Auditorium would be staying closed, and that Estevan would be moving forward with two arenas for the foreseeable future. Since then, people have been wondering what would be the next step. Would the city move forward with the construction of a third arena? And if the city chooses not to build a third arena, would it go with a field house instead? A lot of these questions are still unanswered. Thankfully, there is money in this year’s city budget to address some of the issues in the Power Dodge Ice Centre, but further investment will likely be needed so it can become what we need in a second rink. The city has also awarded a recreation needs assessment to Altwest Communications, who will study the amenities the city has, including parks, open spaces, facilities and much more, and examine the catchment area of the patrons who are regular users of the facilities. And they will approach user groups to get their feedback. Then they will make their recommendation, likely at some point this year. It’s encouraging that the city is taking this step, and moving forward with the next recreation project in the city. Hopefully this process will provide us with new information,
and it won’t merely reinforce everything we already know. We know that it’s been tougher for minor hockey, figure skating and other ice user groups since the Civic was closed. Ice time is harder to come by, and while these user groups can draw on ice time from surrounding communities, such as Bienfait, they would much rather use arenas in Estevan, especially in the winter months when the weather can be unpredictable and road conditions can be difficult. Estevan was fortunate to have three arenas. Many communities the size of this city only have two. And we saw that when Estevan had three arenas, there were considerable benefits for the local economy, since tournaments could attract more teams. In deciding whether to build a third arena, the age of the PDIC also has to be considered. The arena is more than 40 years of age, and arenas aren’t always known for longevity. It appears to be in pretty good shape, but a new arena that will be suitable as a third rink now and a second rink down the line could be a good investment. The field house represents an intriguing long-term possibility. It’s a facility that can host all sorts of user groups, and has greater year-round ability than a third arena. But then the city will be tasked with a decision of how big to go. They don’t have the money
to follow the direction of Weyburn, which has grandiose plans for its field house. But if the city goes bare bones, then they might want a mulligan in a few years. There is one other amenity that needs to be discussed: an outdoor pool. Estevan is likely the biggest community you’ll find without an outdoor swimming pool. We have the paddling pools in our playparks, but not a full-fledged outdoor swimming pool. There have been a lot of people clamouring for such a facility ever since the old outdoor swimming pool at Woodlawn Regional Park closed down late in the 20th century. At the same time, some people won’t be happy if Estevan builds a recreation facility that gives us three or four months of use a year. We hope the user groups will show up to these meetings, and be prepared to offer their thoughts to the company handling this assessment. Their presentations could go a long ways in determining whether they get what they want. This study is coming at a time when Estevan is at a crossroads. We don’t know what the city will look like in 10 years. At one time not that long ago, Estevan could have likely built a field house, a third arena and an outdoor pool. Ah, the boom years. But now the city faces a very tough decision, and they won’t be able to please everyone.
My phone is spying on me, and I can actually prove it When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did his town hall session in Regina on Jan. 10, you could expect there would be a few nutbar questions, and, indeed, there were. One of the most outlandish was this: “What year are you going to remove your dad’s microphones and cameras out of our electronics that are all throughout our homes, our offices and our bedrooms? The second question is, are you going to shut down the Crown organization called CSIS, who is using these microphones and cameras to stalk, harass, bully, terrorize, drug and poison and kill Canadians?” The room scoffed and laughed, and the prime minister brushed it off and kept going. He did, however, acknowledge issues around Amazon’s Alexa and privacy issues. The man was a loon, right? Thinking the government is spying on us with microphones everywhere? Maybe not the government directly, but surely our own technology that we have bought and paid for is indeed spying on us, and I can prove it. My Ford Expedition is overdue for a transmission fluid change. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but didn’t have the $400 or so to pay for it. I will have that money soon, however. So on the way to McDonald’s, I told my wife that I plan on doing a transmission fluid change on the Expedition likely next week. We stopped and parked. I looked at my phone, and the very first thing to pop up on my Facebook on my iPhone is a post from AMSOIL, saying, “Should I change fluid in a filled-for-life transmission? – AMSOIL Blog.” I had not done any searches online for this, at all, period. There is zero online presence indicating my intention to change transmission
From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK fluid. No related cookies. Nothing. The only way the Facebook advertising engine could know I was interested in doing this was if it heard my conversation, through my phone. I took a screenshot, and shared the suggested blog post, naturally, on Facebook. Very soon I got posts sharing similar experiences. One person said, “The phones listen. We have had multiple occasions where we were chatting while driving and all of a sudden articles and pages that we have never searched come up.” Another replied, “I saw dragon fruit in our restaurant last week. We never have dragon fruit, and I never ever speak of dragon fruit. It was a one-time thing that the chef ordered in on special. I remarked that the fruit was pretty, a cook told me that it is dragon fruit. I told her that I hadn’t eaten or seen dragon fruit in years. “A few minutes later, I sat down to eat my lunch, I opened my phone for the first time since the conversation, read a news article, and at the bottom of the article was an ad for a sponsored site listing the top foods best for health, and the fruit that they had pictured was... a dragon fruit! “The original article that I was reading had nothing to do with health. It was a political article. The dragon fruit thing was a sponsored story after the article.” We are freely allowing our technology to listen in on our everyday conversations. Some
of the biggest sellers on Amazon these days are “smart speakers.” They are, in essence, listening devices that report back what you are saying and try to fulfill your needs, hopefully with something they can sell you. Do you think they are only listening when you say, “Alexa?” or “OK, Google?” As for “Hey, Siri?” I have that turned off on my phone, and the same with “OK, Google?” At least I think they are turned off. So it seems to me Facebook was listening. It is not CSIS, sneaking around at night, placing bugs in our homes. I have seen the enemy, and it is us. We, the consumers, are buying the Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. We are the ones with “smart” Android and iOS phones which listen to us constantly, whether we realize it or not. We are the ones spending hundreds of dollars on these phones and their accompanying data plans. We are the ones who are freely, willingly, giving up our innermost thoughts and conversations. I could have taken my iPhone and put it behind the wheel of my truck when I left McDonalds, but I didn’t. I still want that phone. I still need that phone. This is not a government conspiracy. It is us giving into to corporate business plans to sell us more things, like transmission fluid. That, and Skynet (Google/Amazon/ Apple/Facebook) taking over the world. Keep an eye out for inbound missiles. The closest silo to Estevan is precisely 50 kilometres southeast of my front door. I know that because I measured it on Google Maps. Go figure. Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net
Delivering the Gold Standard in real estate
Op-Ed A5
LYNN CHIPLEY, Broker/Owner Cell 306.421.0100
1339 Fourth St., Estevan, SK S4A 0X1 Office 306.634.1020 Fax 306.634.0088 lynn.chipley@c21.ca www.century21.ca/lynn.chipley Each office is independently owned and operated.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Anastasiia Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…
Win up to $45,000 while supporting Envision By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
Impaired driving laws For the first time in almost six years in Canada, I feel somewhat like as if I was in Russia. And it doesn’t feel good. Changes to federal legislation on impaired driving are to blame for that. The hair on the back of my neck bristled when I came across the case of a 70-year-old Ontario man, who was checked for drinking and driving due to too many bottles he was returning to the beer store. Like at home once again, I felt tiny and rightless. The rules that came into place at the end of 2018 give police authority to randomly pull people over and check for impaired driving by rugs or alcohol. The “reasonable suspicion” component is now gone. Everyone is under the radar. Yes, those updates to Canada’s laws at face value are aimed at busting impaired driving. And please, don’t get me wrong; I’m totally on board with keeping the streets safe, I hate to see people dying or getting injured due to drunk driving, and I believe that we should put every reasonable effort into targeting those driving drunk or high. But I also believe that there must be a better way to achieve that. New laws are calling for an unreasonably high price – the price of human rights. For a long time Canada worked hard on its human rights’ profile, and now the government is just giving it up. Not only can police provide a personal check, which already puts a big dent on the Canadian Charter of Rights that states that “everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure,” the new laws also erase personal privacy borders. Police can ask for a breathalyzer sample when you are nowhere around a steering wheel. No matter if you are at home or with friends in the restaurant, at your brother’s house or at work, unless you want to risk your wellbeing you shouldn’t be over .08 within two hours of driving. This privacy invasion goes against most of the recent Liberal government’s policies and moves. And a refusal to provide a sample would bring in costly fines and possible jail time. Moreover, according to the updated regulations, we are no longer presumed innocent. If the test made outside of a vehicle comes back positive, it’s up to the person to prove that it wasn’t the case while driving. The causes are good; there are way too many alcoholrelated criminal charges, and the motivation is there, but the measures are out of place. And my previous experience suggests that extreme strictness doesn’t do well. In my country’s history, analogous right-restricting initiatives conferring power to the law enforcement agencies were within the first steps leading towards the establishment of a police state. And I hate to compare Canada and Russia, since these two state systems are probably further away from each other than the south and north poles, but, to tell you the truth, I couldn’t foresee Canadian legislation making a very Russian-like move and curtailing the rights of Canadians. Yes, right here right now these regulations may improve numbers and may help detect some drunk drivers, who could get away otherwise. But in the long run, where are we heading? I tend to think about the relationship between even conscientious population and law enforcement structures as like Tom and Jerry: no matter how tricky the cat is, trying to catch the little invader, the mouse always finds its way to get away and outsmarts the cat. And a barbwire around the mouse hole wouldn’t resolve the problem. It would just take the relationship away from the dialogue and towards confrontation. It’s been over 25 years, and some people still don’t get the message. Will they change if the rules become tougher, maybe yes, maybe not? And all of us will be paying the price. The new laws are a step back, which leaves a lot of room for abuse and creates a fruitful environment for “social diseases” such as discrimination. There has to be a better way to battle impaired driving.
Envision Counselling and Support Centre is having a 50/50 raffle fundraiser. Tickets will go on sale on Jan. 28 and will be available until Feb. 9, unless they are sold out earlier. Envision resource development co-ordinator Tania Hlohovsky Andrist gave details about the raffle. “It’s one big 50/50 raffle, the more tickets we sell the bigger the prize. We are going to sell a maximum of $90,000 dollars in tickets. So there is an opportunity for $45,000 to be won by one ticket owner. There will be one grand prize,” Hlohovsky Andrist said. The other half of the money will go directly into Envision’s counselling programming. Envision executive director Christa Daku explained when and how they plan to use the money raised. “All proceeds will be going directly to … our next fiscal year.
We are deferring the revenue to April 1, 2019 because we were the grateful recipient for the Savour the Southeast fundraiser in May 2018, this assisted with meeting the needs for our current fiscal year,” Daku said. Envision is 80 per cent a government-funded organization. The money provided and donated annually allows them to maintain the programs they have and meet the needs of the community they serve. But to expand and to explore new programming possibilities they resort to fundraisers. “Now, as the organization, we’ve grown, and our profile has grown,” Hlohovsky Andrist said. “Now we are much more public and we help a greater variety of people, a greater diversity, whether it’s men’s counselling, or marriage counselling, or family counselling. There are many more people that can access our services now. And we are just trying to expand and provide what is needed in the community.”
The 50/50 draw will be held on Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. With the raffle being a big fundraiser for the Envision that will allow them to maintain and improve counselling and intake programs, the upcoming silver anniversary in May will be their big celebration of last 25 years in the community. Through this time the Envision has been encouraging and supporting healthy choices in individuals, families and communities within southeast Saskatchewan by delivering innovative programming and diverse counselling and support services. For many years not only were they helping victims, but also were building a healthier community and battling abuse and violence by means of preventive programs. To celebrate their growth and success, Envision found a speaker, who resonates with their mission and who also is very relevant for the southeast community. NHL alumni Theoren Fleury is invited to
speak during an event. Fleury, who was born in Oxbow, is now also a Victor Walk supporter who helps trauma survivors. Estevanites may remember him from 2017 when he brought the Victor Walk to Saskatchewan. “We thought he had so much charisma, personality and celebrity power that to bring him to speak to our staff, and to speak to the professionals at the workshop would be a real gift, a gift to the community and a gift to recognize the Envision,” Hlohovsky Andrist said. Fleury will facilitate a professional workshop on May 15 in Weyburn. He also will give an address to the general public during an anniversary luncheon May 16 in Estevan. The registration for the workshop begins on March 1, and luncheon tickets go on sale April 1.Ticket prices are not set yet, but the Envision wants to do its best to make sure that everybody in the community could come to celebrate the silver anniversary with them.
Kovach, Smith and Wright will serve on council wage committee
Members of Estevan city council have appointed the individuals who will determine council’s wages for the rest of this term. File photo Monica Kovach, Bernadette Wright and Kevin Smith have had their positions reaffirmed on the remuneration committee that will determine the wages of Estevan city council for the rest of this term. Council voted the three of them to the committee at a special meeting on Friday morning. The trio had been appointed to the committee by council at the Jan. 14 meeting. Kovach finished first in the balloting, while Smith,
Wright and Jeff Boos finished in a three-way tie for the other two spots. A runoff vote was needed, and Smith and Wright were appointed to the committee. Shirley Thera had also applied. But due to a clerical error, Dale Wetsch was left off the ballot. The omission was not detected until after the vote took place, and so council decided to hold another meeting Friday to vote again for the committee members.
Council took the rare step of creating a remuneration committee in the middle of its current term due to changes in non-accountable allowances. One-third of the total remuneration paid to the members of municipal councils, school boards and other elected entities was traditionally deemed to be for general expenses incurred, and as a result that compensation was not taxable. But due to the removal of non-accountable allow-
ances, there will be a decrease in the net take home pay for council members. Other municipalities have already taken steps to address this issue, with councils in many communities giving themselves raises to account for the lost income. The remuneration committee will determine whether Estevan city council will receive higher wages in 2019 and 2020. Any recommendations from the committee would need to be given final approval by council.
19014JJ0
Business A6
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
SaskPower pleased with CCS performance in 2018 By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
 SaskPower has released the year-end numbers for the carbon capture and storage facility at the Boundary Dam Power Station. In 2018, the CCS facility captured a total of 625,996 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), while the overall availability of the facility was 69 per cent. However, the availability rate increases to 94 per cent if one excludes the days when the CCS facility was available but Boundary Dam Power Station Unit 3 (BD3) was offline due to a powerful thunderstorm that struck the Estevan area on June 14. That storm resulted in an 84-day outage at BD3. The CCS facility was unable to capture any CO2 during this period. “We had to do quite a
bit of repair to that Boundary Dam 3 turbine, and so the power plant was off for quite a time. The CCS was available, but couldn’t run because the power plant wasn’t running,� said Howard Matthews, the vice-president of power production at SaskPower. Additionally, BD3 was down 285 hours for two separate boiler tube leaks, and 87 hours following the massive power outage that struck the province Dec. 4. During the periods CCS was capturing CO2, the average capture rate was 2,505 tonnes per day (TPD), which is greater than the 2,435 TPD rate established as a target. Boundary Dam became the first power station in the world in 2014 to successfully use CCS technology. Since start-up, the facility has captured 2,465,333 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking
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The carbon capture and storage facility at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Power Station was ofine for about 31 per cent of the year in 2018, but much of the outage can be attributed to a June storm. File photo 616,333 cars off Saskatchewan roads. “It’s always important for people to remember that this is the world’s first,â€? said Matthews. “There have certainly been its challenges, and they’re not all fully unexpected.â€? Matthews believes the facility has shown the technology works. There have been problems with the degradation of the amine chemical around some of the equipment, but SaskPower has worked hard to deal with some of those issues, with a goal to improve the reliability of the facility. “That’s what we’re seeing here this last year, is really good, positive reliability out of that facility,â€? said Matthews. The focus for SaskPower is shifting to the economics of the CCS facility, by getting
costs as low as possible, so that the Crown corporation can present the best information possible to decision makers when they determine the future use of CCS across the rest of SaskPower’s coalgenerating fleet. In a press release, SaskPower noted the facility had its second-lowest operating cost per tonne of CO2 captured, but SaskPower didn’t release those numbers, or the figures for previous years. SaskPower will also continue to work on some of the basic chemistry issues at the plant to help bring the costs of the plant down. A shutdown is planned for later this year that Matthews said is quite a large undertaking. The focus will be a compressor in the CCS facility, which he described as being one of the largest in North America.
“There’s a rather huge motor driving it. It’s quite an assembly, this compressor, and it just goes on the amount of hours and the amount of tonnes that it has produced. You have some very, very large high-speed shafts in that compressor that are operating under tremendous horsepower and tremendous pressure.� The compressor will come offline for about two months in March and April. Matthews stressed this shutdown is not due to a breakdown. While the CCS facility is offline, SaskPower will do other work on the site. A regular shutdown for BD3 will also happen at that time for boiler work. “That’s one of the unique options that we have with this facility is we’ll bring BD3 and CCS offline at the same time,�
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said Matthews. The work on BD3 will finish before (shutdown to) CCS is done.â€? Matthews stressed there should be a lot of people coming to the city to work on the project. There will also be more work happening at the carbon capture test facility at the Shand Power Station, which now sits vacant. SaskPower is going to use it for its studies on the degradation issue until a new tenant is found. “That’s where we will be looking into some options around improvements to the degradation issue in the amine. The CCS facility gives us a great opportunity to do that testing not in a lab environment, but in a scaled up system ‌ that takes real flue gas,â€? said Matthews. Shell Cansolv, which had been the tenant, has wrapped up its work in the facility. Matthews pointed out the CCS Knowledge Centre in Regina has been promoting the test facility to potential tenants. “We do have a number of people that are interested in it. There are a number of different solutions out there, people who want to test their solutions. Those sorts of things do require quite a bit of engineering to see if it’s viable in the facility, and then it’s up to those other companies ‌ who have to make that decision,â€? said Matthews.
TORC Oil & Gas Ltd. is currently accepting applications for a Health and Safety Field Advisor situated at the TORC Saskatchewan Field Office located in Estevan, SK. Reporting to the Manager of HSE, this position will be responsible for, and not limited to: • • • • • • • • • • •
Working with production and operations teams to ensure compliance with corporate health and safety standards. Facilitate field level HSE committee meetings and track corrective actions. Develop and coordinate safety audit schedules and protocols for wells, facilities, construction, service and drilling rigs, and completion operations. Track all audit action items through to completion. Work with supervisors to ensure worker training and competency is up to date and tracked in corporate system. Work with production teams to develop site specific procedures and training of new hires. Ensure all incidents are investigated and corrective and preventative actions are tracked and completed. Orientate all new hires in TORC HSE Systems. Provide training on corporate policies and procedures and facilitate outside training where required. Monitor working alone personal gas monitoring system and follow up on potential exposure issues. Maintain and manage local emergency response plan(s) and systems.
Qualifications: • Minimum of 10 years of combined safety / oil and gas production operations experience, preferably in SE SK • Must have good software and computer skills • Must be able to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams • Must be a professional, team player with strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop and maintain partnerships • Must be a detail-oriented, logic-based decision maker and a strong project manager • Effective verbal and written communication skills with acute attention to detail • Strategic thinker with exemplary analytical and problem solving skills and capacity to identify information and resources needed to complete tasks • Exceptional organizational and time management skills, ability to multi-task and manage priorities in a deadline driven environment If you are a qualified candidate and interested in this opportunity, please send your resume in confidence to the one of the following: Email: Fax: Mail: Attention:
careers@torcoil.com (Indicate the position title in the subject line of your email) (403) 930-4159 TORC Oil & Gas Ltd. Manager, HR & Corporate Services 1800, 525 – 8th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 1G1
All applications will be treated with discretion. We thank you for your interest, however, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
POSITION TITLE: REPORTS TO: BUSINESS DIVISION:
Journeyman Mechanic Journeyman Mechanic Fleet Foreperson Roads and Drainage
SUMMARY: Performs service and repair of equipment, machinery, and vehicles. DUTIES • Maintains and repairs City of Estevan equipment, machinery, and vehicles • Performs scheduled preventative maintenance • Identifies potential failure points of City of Estevan equipment, machinery, and vehicles and recommends measures to be taken • Provides technical advice on the preparation and review of tenders and/or the estimated costs of repairs • Provides technical advice on the purchase of new equipment, machinery, and vehicles • Assists in training City of Estevan staff in the maintenance and safe operation of equipment, machinery, and vehicles • Responds to requests for information or requests for reports in a timely manner • Maintains files and records of work performed, equipment installed, problems encountered, resources consumed, and repairs completed • And (Other duties as assigned). EDUCATION • Grade 12 or equivalent education • One of the following certificates; o Journeyman Automotive Mechanic o Journeyman Heavy Duty Mechanic o Journeyman Truck and Transport Mechanic • Valid Class 3 Driver’s License with Airbrake Endorsement Experience and Additional Requirements • 1 year of relevant work experience • Valid Class 1 Driver’s License with Airbrake Endorsement • Fireman’s Certificate The City of Estevan offers competitive wages based upon achieved qualifications. This position requires flexibility and availability to work on a shift schedule and call in basis. If you’re looking for a career that contributes directly to a thriving community, then apply by January 30, 2019 to: Sheryl March, Human Resource Generalist 1102- 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 • Ph: (306) 634-1841 • apply@estevan.ca We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
Energy
A7
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
All decaled up and ready for the convoy Ken Mehler is going to Ottawa, as part of the Yellow Vest truck convoy that will pass through eastern Saskatchewan on Feb. 15. But he wanted his pickup to really get the message out that Canada needs pipelines, so he went to Dynamic Signs Inc. in Estevan. They decaled his truck up, alright, but wouldn’t take anything for it. “It’s our way of contributing, to bring awareness,” said Linda Gudmunson, co-owner of Dynamic Signs. “They say it affects us indirectly. It affects us directly. This has affected us tremendously.” S h e n o t e d , “ We ’r e treading water.” Mehler is not a very shy guy, and his truck is going to reinforce that point. After all, why take part in a convoy if not to be noticed? “We’re going to Ottawa to help protest,” he said. “We’ve been to Estevan and Regina with the trucks, now we’re going to Ottawa with this one. “Dynamic Signs did it. It looks great. Stands out. “ We h a ve t o g o d o something, because the oil industry, coal industry is in the toilet. The treehuggers in B.C., the natives across Canada are all standing up, crying about pipelines.
“Save coal.” “Kill Bill C-69.” “Kill carbon tax.” “Build pipelines.” Those are some of the messages Ken Mehler hopes his truck gets across as he drives to, and around, Ottawa, in February. Photo by Brian Zinchuk If we don’t do something, as pipeliners, as oil people, we’re going to get snowballed under by them. That’s probably the main reason I joined to go to Ottawa. It’s just time to stand up.” Mehler is 69, and his cousin, Guy Mehler, who will be riding with him, is the same age. These protests are the first time in his life Ken Mehler has felt the urge to take part. His brother is a welder.
Ken Mehler is a partner in KRJ Custom Fabricating, which specializes in custom tool boxes and decks, and Pongo Holdings, a company which provides water for fracking. He’s considering putting a sign in the back of the truck, saying the CBC and CTV are “ Trudeau’s puppets.” The Mehlers are going to meet at the local rally point at Fast Trucking
Service’s yard in Carnduff. They will be leaving the Fast yard early in the morning of Feb. 15 and joining the
convoy at V irden, Man., heading eastbound on the TransCanada Highway. The convoy is expected to arrive
in Ottawa on Feb. 18, with Feb. 19 being a flexible day should the convoy be delayed.
Horizon Drilling and Great Western Tong Services fined for workplace injury Two out-of-province companies were fined for
Occupational Health and Safety violations after pleading guilty in Weyburn Provincial Court on Jan. 15. Western Energy Services Corp., operating as Horizon Drilling, of Calgary, pleaded guilty to contravening subsection 17(1) (a) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to ensure that all work at a place of employment is sufficiently and competently supervised, resulting in a serious injury to a worker). The company was fined $71,429 plus a surcharge of $28,571, for a total of $100,000. Great Western Tong S er vices (1987) Ltd. of Virden, Man., pleaded guilty to contravening subsection 137(1)(a) of the regulations (being an employer
fail to provide an effective safeguard where a worker may contact a dangerous moving part of a machine, resulting in a serious injury to a worker). The company was fined $25,000 plus a $10,000 surcharge. Both companies were fined following a workplace incident on March 19, 2017, near Stoughton. A worker was hospitalized after the worker’s forearm became entangled in the moving gear of a power tong. In a press release, the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety noted companies operating in the province are required to be in compliance with Saskatchewan employment laws, including Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
A Schlumberger Co.
Snowman craft
Hwy. 361, Lampman, SK
Ayla Smelt shows off the snowman craft she made during I am a Snowman at the Souris Valley Museum on Friday afternoon. Young people gathered to learn more about winter and enjoy winterthemed activities as part of the museum’s I am activity series.
Phone (306) 487-2525 Cell (306) 421-0528
THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT DRILLING LICENSES
14 new licenses issued to Monday, January 21 114761 111711 114755 115721 115693 116205 115965 115828 115889 116075 116112 116293 116410 116420
Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 16-17-9-7 Vermilion Energy Hz ......................................................................................................... 14-33-2-15 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 16-18-9-7 Crescent Point Energy Hz ..................................................................................................... 4-17-7-7 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 12-28-6-8 Astra Oil Corp Hz ................................................................................................................ 11-14-7-8 Vermilion Energy Hz ........................................................................................................... 15-1-3-30 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 14-8-10-6 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 9-23-6-11 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................... 3-5-7-8 Federated Co-operative Hz .................................................................................................... 1-36-2-2 Keystone Royalty Corp Hz .................................................................................................... 6-23-6-6 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................. 16-3-2-3 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................. 16-33-7-10
Rig Report 114739 Precision Drilling Canada...............Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 16-15-8-8
111985 112727 113560 112308 116022 01A173 115263 114913 114652 115054 101042 114047 110588 115119 113149 92199 114860 114721 113143 113536 115310 114906 116420
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104 - Hwy. 47 South, Estevan, SK 306-634-5588 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13, Carlyle, SK 306-453-2519 WWW.FLOORSTOREESTEVAN.CA
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Staff’s baby boom at St. Joseph’s Hospital By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
The St. Joseph’s Hospital family keeps growing every month. Not just due to new doctors, nurses and other personnel, but mainly due to new babies. From 2017 to present, the hospital family has had a lot of new additions. There are 26 new mamas who are still on maternity leave or have just recently returned to work. And there are many more soon-to-be mommas. Even though most of the young mothers are off work now, they remain a family and stay in touch all the time. And the naturally-formed club means a lot for many of them. “We’ve been a wonderful support for one another. A lot of us are first time moms, so it’s been really, really nice to have each other to depend on,” said Kelly Vatamaniuck, St. Joseph’s hospital registered nurse (RN), whose son Wyatt was born last April. Vatamaniuck is one of the active participants of the hospital’s moms club. “We just have each others’ information. We have a paper page for all the moms on mat leave, so we can help exchange information if we need help, or if we just want to get together, or we want to give something to somebody,” Vatamaniuck said. There are a total of 32 nurses and other staff members with new babies starting from March 2017 to present. This means that there was more than one baby born almost every month through 2017 and 2018. “This trend has been going on for so long, now we have some mommas on round two this year,” Vatamaniuck said.
St Joseph’s Hospital 2017-18 babies celebrate Halloween. Photo submitted Mothers and their kids get together on a regular basis for baby showers, play days or just for coffee. And every time it happens, they try to get a picture of their kids all together. “Especially with events like Halloween or Christmas, we get them all dressed up. It’s a challenge, but we can get it done,” Vatamaniuck said. Seeing each other quite often kids, especially older ones, get along well, even though not all of them meet
every time. “I don’t think all of us have ever got together. We usually end up getting together a lot when there is another baby shower,” she added. The next time they are planning on getting together is Jan. 24. Little Halle was born in December 2018, and Mallory Olson is having a baby shower. And while the mommas club was waiting for this event, Kelsey Emde had her baby son, Dawson, on Jan. 14.
All new mothers and their babies try to get together frequently to have a common picture. Photo submitted
St. Joseph’s hospital recent mothers: Born in 2017: Jenna Lesy (physiotherapist (PT)) with son Bodhi (March 2017); Kristin Simonson Biggs (medical laboratory technician (MLT)) with son Nash (April 2017); Anita Messner (RN) with daughter Kaitlyn ( June 2017); Cassie Bonokoski (MLT) with son Tyson (September 2017); Chrysta Curtis (licensed practical nurse (LPN)) with son Jett (October 2017); Rebecca Blenkin (RN) with daughter Ella (October 2017); Kirsten Walliser (RN) with son Zeke (November 2017); Ashleigh Dzuba (RN) with son Wells (December 2017); Leah Bow-
en (RN) with daughter Addison (December 2017). Born in 2018: Jessica Gorgerat (RN) with daughter Briar ( January 2018); Vanessa Dumais (RN) with daughter Mila ( January 2018); Brittany Wilhelm (RN) with daughter Claire (February 2018); Kelly Vatamaniuck (RN) with son Wyatt (April 2018); Chelsea Meyer (RN) with son Jaxton (April 2018); Jackie Betts (medical radiation technologist (MRT)) with son Mac (April 2018); Kristen Seipp (occupational therapist (OT)) with daughter Parker (April 2018); Paige Kendall (RN) with son Fox (May 2018); Abby Fornwald (RN) with son Walker
(May 2018); Crystal Goudy (RN) with son Cash ( June 2018); Tanisha Mack (medical laboratory assistant (MLA)) with daughter Mia ( June 2018); Nicole Hirsch (LPN) with son Huxton ( June 2018); Megan Lingelbach (Dietitian) with daughter Hazel (August 2018); Jennifer Tetreault (RN) with son Hudson (September 2018); Janel Espelien (LPN) with daughter Alice (September 2018); Mallory Olson (RN) with daughter Halle (December 2018). Born in 2019: Jill Alexander (RN) with daughter Blake ( January 2019); Kelsey Emde (CLXT) with son Dawson ( January 2019). Awaiting babies in 2019: Baby Friess in February 2019 (Kimberly Friess, RN); baby Curtis in Februar y 2019 (Chrysta Curtis, LPN); baby Selk in March 2019 (Danielle Selk, speech-language pathologist (SLP)); baby Barlow in March 2019 (Kelsey Barlow, LPN); baby Leclair in May 2019 ( Jacine Leclair, RN); baby Lesy in June 2019 ( Jenna Lesy, PT); baby Wenet in June 2019 (Brooklyn Wenet, LPN).
Christmas is usually big for photo sessions. Photo submitted
Three-year-old Isabella Billesberger paid it forward to new babies at maternity ward By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
One-year-old Leander and three-year-old Isabella Billesberger received an unusual Christmas gift last year from their family friends in Weyburn. The envelope contained a ten-dollar bill and a card offering them to pay it forward. Isabella and Leander’s mother Cat Billesberger knew that the younger kid was a bit to small to participate, but she was surprised to see how well her daughter understood the idea. “She is a fairly smart little cookie, but I was surprised that she was able to grasp the concept,” Cat said. “In the back of my head I was trying to formulate my own ideas that would be age appropriate for her, if she couldn’t come up
with something on her own.” But Isabella managed to come up with something unforeseen. Since they have donated some of her toys before, she had a general sense of giving. Yet, it was the recipient of her kindness that surprised everybody. “I asked her to come up with somebody who probably wouldn’t get gifts for the holidays. She said, ‘New babies.’ To which I replied, ‘We don’t know any new babies.’ And she said, ‘The hospital always has new babies.’” Isabella took $10 and went to a dollar store to get as many teddy bears as she could for new babies. She explained that she wanted to get toys to babies, because she thought that since they were new, they were bored. “She helped me from start to finish. She helped to
Robbie Burns’ Night Banquet & Dance Saturday, January 26th
gift-wrap them (teddy bears), she wrote her name on the cards for them (babies),” Cat said. St. Joseph’s Hospital, which helped Cat deliver Isabella three years earlier, welcomed the idea. “The hospital was awesome. Isabella told them what she was there for. She was able
Not only did Isabella Billesberger come up with the gift idea, she also helped her mom to buy, pack, address and deliver Christmas teddy bears. Photo submitted
• Roast Beef Dinner • Piping & Highland Dancing Open to the Public - Children Welcome - Bring the Whole Family
Location moved to Wylie Mitchell Hall Performance by: Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Royal Canadian Army Cadet Pipe Band, Kilted Wind Pipe Band and Drewitz School of Dance.
Children 10 & under: $15.00 Children 11 and older thru to adults: $30.00 Tickets available at the Home Hardware Building Centre paint desk or by calling Angela at 306-461-5101
Pick up tickets early - Tickets advance sale only
to vocalize that on her own. A new baby has just been born, so one of the nurses went in, spoke to the mother and asked if Isabella could go to the room with this gift. And the mother was awesome. Isabella was able to see the baby and give one of her teddy bears,” Cat shared. It’s not a surprise that
Zayden Lance Backlun Son 8 lb 1 oz December 9th
Isabella couldn’t hand in all her teddy bears in person that same day. It got her a little frustrated, but mom and nurses made sure that Isabella knew that all toys would get gifted to babies as they were born. Cat says it is important for her and her husband Joe to raise their kids to be
humanitarians. And even though it was a bit too early for Leander to catch up with the idea, he still had a chance to participate. “Leander may not have been old enough to participate in this one, but he came with to drop off. Exposure to kindness is pertinent to instilling it,” Cat said.
Isabella Billesberger with teddy bears she bought to give it to new babies born in St. Joseph’s Hospital. Photo Submitted
2018
2019
New Arrival
New Arrival
Jordan Backlun & Dora Beahm would like to announce their new baby boy. Proud granparents are Brian & Joy Beahm and Kendra & Jason Backlun. Proud sibling is Kashton.
Trak Weston Luc Son 7 lb 6 oz
Kyle & Jenna Luc would like to announce their new baby boy.
January 3rd
A little brother for Kase!
January 23, 2019 A9
A B B I E S
Greyson James Harold Davis May 31, 2018
Son of Cory & Bobbi-Jo Davis
Klay Edward Melle October 9, 2018
Son of Anthony & Laura Melle
Karlee, Liam, Jack Johnston
Summer Arielle Cossette
Triplets of Trevor & Danielle Johnston
Daughter of Jolene & Aaron Cossette
Emerson Robert Henry Hunt
Barrett Axel Pennington
Son of Winston Hunt & Mica Moreau-Hunt
Son of Spencer & Misty Pennington
July 16 (Karlee) & 17, 2018
June 21, 2018
June 27, 2018
July 16, 2018
Macy Curtis
March 16, 2018 Daughter of Chloe Sands & Scott Curtis
of 2018
Hunter Jayden Macknak
Mac William Betts April 23, 2018
March 2, 2018
Son of Jason Macknak & Hayley DeConinck
Son of Kailey & Jaclyn Beets
Alivia Isabel Hysuik
Haven Elaine Breault
Daughter of Adam & Kelsey and proud sister Tegan
Daughter of Dylan & Samantha Breault
Theo Lemesurier
Leo Raymond Wojcik
December 8, 2018
March 28, 2018
July 9, 2018
October 31, 2018
Son of Emily Beers & Kyle Lemesurier
Son of Whitney & Clinton Wojcik
March 22, 2018
Briar-Rose Dawne McLennan
Piper McCauley
Daughter of Bradley & Amy Belitski and a little sister for Nicolas
Daughter of Emily Kvamme & Chris McLennan
Clara Paige Belitski
August 6, 2018
April 3, 2018
Daughter of Dallas & Kaitlyn Mcauley. Big sister Madisynn
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SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 16 | 6 O’ CLOCK EXHI B I T I O N HALL | EST EVAN
A10 January 23, 2019
A B B I E S
Arlow Thomas Pyle April 9, 2018
Son of Leah Striefski & Josh Pyle
April 14, 2018
Walker Frederick Fornwald
Jack Thomas Russell Cassidy
Son of Mitchell & Chelsea Meyer
Son of Tyler & Abby Fornwald
Son of Keith & Becky Cassidy
Halle Nicole Jade Olson
Alice Estelle Espelien
Jaxton Joseph Meyer
Shay Colleen & Van Leo Leslie
Keller Paul Spencer
Son of Riley & Hollin Spencer Grandparents Dale & Connie Spencer Little brother to Miller
of 2018
July 23, 2018
Twins of Lyndsay & Steven Leslie
Dexter Valentine Masashi Naka
Tyley May Wilson October 25, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 29, 2018
December 9, 2018
Daughter of Matthew & Mallory Olson
March 23, 2018
September 6, 2018
Daughter of Janel & Daniel Espelien
Charlotte Rae
Wyatt Vatamaniuck
November 30, 2018 Daughter of Michael & Kristin Hoffort Little sister of Noah & Lucy
April 4, 2018
Daughter of Amery & Dustin Wilson
Son of Jordan & Lezlie Naka
Son of Kelly & Jody Vatamaniuck
Ruby Lola May
Sabrina Lois Abriol
Lila Kathleen Donovan
Mia Mabel Senchuk
Daughter of Daryl Donovan & Meghan Betnar
Daughter of Jarren Senchuk & Tanisha Mack
August 3, 2018
Daughter of Jayme & Kristen Mack Little sister of Reya
August 3, 2018
August 11, 2018
Daughter of Em Jarovilla & Jun jun Abriol
CONGRATULATIONS
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306-634-3144
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Congratulations to Dr. Sliva and all the parents with babies born in 2018!
4 - 102 Souris Ave,Estevan
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June 6, 2018
January 23, 2019 A11
New Addition to Your Family? Now’s the time to Update or Create Your Will.
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March 16, 2019 8:30 p.m • Tickets $40
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118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan
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Leeanne Ruby Marie Atwater
Norah Mae Beers
Jackson Edward Dzuba
Claire Aubrey Wilhelm
Daughter of Brandon & Chae-lyn Beers
Son of Paige Wiles & Tyson Dzuba
Daughter of Derek & Brittany Wilhelm
Libby Manon Poliszuk
Kynlee Ella June Wilkinson
Reese & Eva Ruckaber
Aubree Maley
Twin Daughters of Desiree Pratt & Brent Ruckaber
Daughter of Kraig & Chelsie Maley
McKenna Wilson Cavener
Madison Grace Dawn Morhart-Wanner
September 2, 2018
February 21, 2018
Daughter of Macey Littlejohn & Travis Cavener
Daughter of Carina Morhart & Lincoln Wanner
Clark Louis Sliva
Hudson Anderson
September 18, 2018
April 19, 2018
Son of Kevin & Sarah Sliva
Son of Kara & Jeff Anderson
December 6, 2018
April 9, 2018
Daughter of Justin Poliszuk & Robin (Story) Poliszuk
Fox Joseph Kendall May 22, 2018
November 24, 2018
June 7, 2018
Daughter of Edgar & Jennifer Wilkinson
June 18, 2018
Son of Devin & Nicole Hirsch
Naomi Yvonne TaylorNeumann
Quinn Grace Walter
Daughter of Carissa Neumann & Jason Taylor
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A12 January 23, 2019
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A B B I E S
Aurora Lynn Walkom September 26, 2018
Daughter of Miranda Jensen & Trent Walkom
Vander Kade George Eckel June 7, 2018
Son of Travis & Kwyn Eckel
Phillip Mateo Reeb August 19,2018
Son of Jordan & Ivy Reeb
Addison Aria Bowen December 12, 2018
Hazel Loretta Dodds Lingelbach
Jake Wesley Jones March 22, 2018
August 22, 2018
Daughter of Ryan & Leah Bowen
Son of Jay & Robynne Jones
Daughter of Christopher & Megan Lingelbach
Maverick Lester Maley
Aria Tora Casemore
Belle Leslie Ann Saxon
Son of Kristeen Lester & Jeff Maley
Daughter of Meagan Miller & Cory Casemore
Daughter of Shawn Leslie Saxon & Kristin Dawn Procyshyn
Tayden Villanueva
Burton Rodney Dale Luddington
May 23, 2018
Nash Theodore Moriarty May 16, 2018
Son of Joel & Leah Mariarty
, e v i s n e p x e e r a s e Babi
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September 6, 2018
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019
CHOICE CHO ICE RE REAL AL ESTATE ESTATE
Bruins sweep weekend games with Weyburn The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins swept a home and home series with the Weyburn Red Wings this past weekend, thanks in large part to their first period production. The Bruins (21-20-2-1) jumped out to 3-0 leads in the first period each night to defeat the Red Wings 5-2 in Weyburn Friday night and 6-3 in Estevan the following evening. Kade McMillen scored on a power play midway through the first period on Saturday night, and then Isaiah Thomas and Will Koop tallied 97 seconds apart late in the first for a three-goal advantage. The Red Wings’ Rhett Frey scored the only goal of the second to cut the Bruins lead to two. Ryder Pierson and TJ Irey scored less than two minutes apart in the first six minutes of the third to give the Bruins a 5-1 lead. The two teams combined for three goals in the final eight minutes of the game, with Tyson Manz scoring for Estevan, and Connor Pyne and Eric Soar getting the Weyburn goals. The Bruins finished the
Bruin forward Turner Ripplinger (17) evades a check from Weyburn defender Carson Scheschuk (6) during Saturday night’s game in Estevan. game with 50 shots on goal. Cody Levesque stopped 44 of them for Weyburn. Kadin Kilpatrick stopped 26 shots for Estevan. Kilpatrick made back to back starts for the first time this season. “We got ourselves on a good roll there,� said Irey. “Tonight we played a hard 56 minutes. We had a little
lull there going into the last four (minutes), but other than that, going into this week with no games, and then coming back for two games, it was really big.� Saturday’s game wasn’t as physical as he thought it would be. Three Bruins – Austin King-Cunningham, Bryce Platt and Tristyn DeRoose –
were suspended for Saturday night’s contest, stemming from incidents Friday night in Weyburn. Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood was particularly pleased with the effort from the fourth line of Thomas, Pierson and Eddie Gallagher. “It’s been a few games in
a row here where those guys have been excellent, and to see them get some bounces was really good,� said Lewgood. Forward Cal Caragatta also made his debut for the Bruins, and Lewgood thought the 16-year-old call-up from midget AAA played well considering Caragatta didn’t have a chance to practice with the Bruins. The previous night, the Bruins scored early and rolled to a 5-2 victory over Weyburn. Irey opened the scoring 41 seconds into the game for the Bruins, while Turner Ripplinger and Koop also scored in the opening frame to give the Bruins a 3-0 advantage. Eric Soar’s goal with three seconds to play in the first period put the Red Wings on the board. The two teams traded goals early in the second period. Platt scored 22 seconds into the middle frame, and Soar responded for Weyburn 62 seconds later. Those would be the only goals of the stanza. Michael McChesney’s shorthanded goal 4:52 into the third rounded out the scoring for the Bruins.
Kilpatrick made 20 saves for the Bruins. Lewgood was pleased with how Kilpatrick handled the two games on the weekend. “I thought Kadin did his share. There were lots opportunities to have goals scored against on the penalty kill. We killed a lot of penalties this weekend, and he stood in there. He looked like a veteran player.� Irey said it was important to jump on Weyburn early Friday night. “Going out there with Turner Ripplinger and Bryce Platt, it’s easy to play with those guys. They find open space and then I find open space for them.� With the wins, and a couple of defeats for the Yorkton Terriers (22-19-1), the Bruins moved into a tie for first place with Yorkton. Both teams have 45 points, but the Terriers have two games in hand. The Bruins have two more home games this weekend. They will host the Melfort Mustangs Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and the Battlefords North Stars Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sharks host home water polo tournament The Estevan Sharks water polo club hosted a tournament Sunday at the RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre, with teams from Regina and Weyburn joining the local club in three divisions of play. “This was a great day for the Sharks club,� said club communications director Heather Tober. “We showcased our wonderful facility, our excellent coaching talent and all of our hard working players.� The Sharks organization is second in size in the province, with Regina being the only club with more members. “We are well known, and respected within the Water Polo Sask. association, and we were proud to welcome everyone to our city,� said Tober. The day started with the
under-12 (U12) atom boys competition. The Estevan teams, the Mako Sharks and the Hammerhead Sharks, faced the Weyburn Hurricanes, Regina Dreadnought and Regina Fireship. The Mako Sharks finished the day with a 2-2 record, while the Hammerheads lost all four games in close, hard-fought battles. The Regina Dreadbought went undefeated. Veteran Mako Shark players Shiven Sangar and Brody Turner lead the team in goals and steals, while Mason Yunick and Carson Stopanski had many strong defensive plays. Mini-atom players Royce Milford and Carter Yunick joined the team and brought energy throughout the games.
The Hammerheads had strong netminding by Bennett Walliser. Brooks Milford and Casey Olney led the team in goals. Marvin Blue, Keegan Miennie-Kindlein and Chase Zohner all played strong throughout the tough competition. The youngest players took to the pool for mini-atom games. The U8 mini-atoms are the youngest players in a co-ed, learn-to-play division. Estevan had two teams entered in the mini-atom tournament. The Hammerhead and Reef Sharks faced off against each other as well as a Weyburn Hurricanes squad. The Hammerheads finished the tournament with a 1-2-1 record, while the Reef Sharks swam to a 2-0-2 mark. Hammerheads goalie Lexi
Royce Milford of the boys atom Sharks swims after the ball in a game against Regina during the Sharks home tournament. Photo by David Willberg
Walkom was strong all day. The team was helped by the offensive play of Royce Milford, Callum Gunningham and Ava Mainprize. The Reef Sharks, coached by Charlotte Andrist, were lead by Carter Yunick, Alexa Gettis and Liam Elliott. All players on both teams showed a lot of grit and determination throughout the tournament. In the final action of the day, the U12 atom girls teams faced off. The Reef Sharks, coached by Mikayla
Hack, were undefeated in the tournament, with commanding wins over the two Regina teams, and a hard-fought win over the Estevan Tiger Sharks. The Tiger Sharks also dominated the Regina teams, and their only loss was an 11-10 decision at the hands of the Reef Sharks. “Having all 12 players be stars is a huge testament to the quality of coaching and training they have received from our club this year, and in the past,� Tober said. The female atom Sharks
are playing not only at their age level, but many are playing on 14U and Team Sask. entries. “The level of skill and leadership all of these players exhibit every time they are in the water is remarkable,� said Tober. This tournament wraps up game action for the miniatoms. Their season ends Jan 31. The atom boys and girls will continue with tournaments in Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg in the coming months.
Tiger Sharks atom girls team members Rachel Tober, Mahlyn Bomerak, Prysm Gooding, Lachlan O’Handley, Hailey Tangjerd and Lily Knoll. Photo submitted
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A14 January 23, 2019
Meeting discusses potential for junior football The possibility of bringing junior football to southeast Saskatchewan was discussed during a meeting on Jan. 16 at the Western Star Hotel in Estevan. Jason Bresciani, who is trying to establish the Junior Roughnecks team along with Frank DeBruyn, said it was a good meeting, although the 14 people who showed up was lower than they wanted. Fifty copies of the agenda were printed off. Still, they believe there is enough interest in the southeast region to make the team happen.
“The questions that were asked were really good. At times the whole group was brainstorming with different ideas, and different directions, and different experiences,” said Bresciani. Representatives from Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football, the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs football team, Weyburn Minor Football and Regina Minor Football were in attendance. Those who were present wanted to know about the budget, the cost to get the team operational and
to acquire the necessar y equipment, the fields and the team name itself. Other people wanted to know about the league the Roughnecks would play in, the Manitoba Major Junior Football League, a four-team loop with three teams in Winnipeg and one in Brandon. Teams played a six-game season last year. Some asked questions about referee and coach certification. “Some of the questions that were asked were questions that Frank and I were asking each other when we
were doing our research,” said Bresciani. “It was kind of neat hearing those same questions again, but from somebody else.” Bresciani believes there is still enough interest to start a team, which would have a roster of 48 players between the ages of 18 and 22. “We had three kids who are eligible to play there (at the meeting),” said Bresciani. “One said he had four or five buddies who would play too. Right there we’re pushing 10. It shouldn’t take much for us to get 50 players.” He broke it down to
having 10 players for each of the five years of eligibility. There are several players from the Moosomin area who are interested in playing as well, he said, but they couldn’t be in attendance due to the start of their winter program. A few people who were in attendance voiced an interest in coaching. Bresciani and DeBruyne hoped to establish a board at the meeting, but they couldn’t, since nobody present was interested in being part of the board. Bresciani hopes they can get their
board set up in the near future. The Roughnecks organization is also looking for sponsors, and will apply for grants. “The real legwork is going to be starting right away,” said Bresciiani. They hope to be playing this year, but if not, they would expect to field a team in 2020. It would require a lot of things to fall into place in the next couple of weeks, which is why they want to get a board in place, but Bresciani said they will keep working to get the team established.
Curling club hosts junior bonspiel Some of Saskatchewan’s most talented young curling teams were at the Power Dodge Curling Centre on Friday and Saturday for under-18 and under-15 bonspiels. In the U18 bonspiel, the Brecklin Gervais rink, competing out of the Kronau Curling Rink, defeated the Caitlyn Green rink from Estevan in the A final. Gervais is the Saskatchewan representative for the Canada Winter Games in February in Alberta. Members of the Gervais rink are third James Hom,
second Josh Donais, lead Andrew Myers and coach Marcia Gudereit. I n t h e B fi n a l , t h e MacKenzie Kitz team from Oxbow defeated Trey McIntyre’s Estevan Comprehensive School team. In the C final, the Cornelson rink out of Regina defeated Connor Cherpin from Radville. The Southern Plains Co-op U15 bonspiel featured 10 teams, with each team playing three games. Two teams posted 3-0 records: Kaitlin Zukewich and Elizabeth Kessel.
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The Trey McIntyre rink from the Estevan Comprehensive School competed in the under-18 division of the junior bonspiel at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Southeast teams compete at southern playdowns Two teams from southeast Saskatchewan came up short in their respective bids to qualify for the upcoming SaskTel Tankard men’s provincial curling championship. The Mark Walter rink, competing out of the Lamp-
man Curling Club, and the Tye Olson rink, competing out of the Estevan Curling Club, were at the southern men’s playdowns from Jan. 18-20 in Weyburn. The event had a triple knockout elimination format.
January 28th A Day for Remembering the Victims of Abortion On January 28, 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada issued the Morgentaler decision which struck down abortion as part of the criminal code. Since then, there have been no laws whatsoever to regulate abortion in Canada through all nine months of pregnancy. On January 28th, wear a green ribbon and remember the 3 million Canadians who have lost their lives to abortion.
Prayer for the Preborn Children Loving father, Today I pray for your powerful intercession to end abortion in Canada. As your humble servant, I commit to Never be silent. Never be passive. Never forget the preborn who can be legally killed at any time. I ask for compassion to comfort those suffering from abortion, Wisdom to guide those considering abortion, And courage to challenge the status quo that allows abortion. Let me be a defender of life. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen
We have moved to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 130 Souris Avenue, Estevan. S4A 1J6. West Rear Entrance, Downstairs.
Pro-Life Estevan and Area Inc. Call Bridget at the office: (306) 461-4611 estevan.prolife@sasktel.net
Office Open Thursday 1-4 pm Board Meetings 2nd Monday of the month @ 1 pm Public welcome!
481 Devonian St. HOURS:
306.634.2114 or 306.634.2143 Weekdays 7:00am - 5:30pm rrlquote@sasktel.net Saturday 7:30am - 5:00pm
Options Pregnancy Centre in Regina 1-866-870-3344 www.reginapregnancy.com Informed Pregnancy Centre in Moose Jaw 1-306-690-8462 or icpcmoosejaw@gmail.com Saskatoon Pregnancy Option Centre 1-306-665-7550 or spoc@sasktel.net
$25 Annual Membership Donations welcome via cheque, cash or auto-deposit
Trent Walter of Lampman, right, watches while Dave Wetsch and Jim Brown sweep during the men’s southern playdowns in Weyburn. Photo by Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review The two teams met in the first round, with Walter’s rink winning 10-9 in an extra end. Olson scored four in the sixth end to take a 7-4 lead, but Walter scored once in the seventh and stole one in the eighth to pull within one. After Olson scored two in the ninth to lead 9-6, Walter took three in the 10th to tie the game. Walter then stole one in the extra end for the victory. The Walter rink’s next game wasn’t as close, as they defeated the Shawn Meyer rink competing out of the Callie Curling Club. Walter scored two in the fourth and stole two in the fifth and one in the sixth to break open 3-2 game. Walter then dropped a 10-9 decision to Jeff Hartung. The two teams had big ends early, with Walter leading 5-3 after three ends. Hartung rallied, and pulled out the win by outscoring Walter 4-1 in the final three ends. Walter’s next game was an 8-2 loss to Brady Kendel in the B event. Walter scored twice in the first, and gave up just one in the second, but then Kendel stole at least one point in each of the next five ends to pull away. Walter recovered to beat Trent Krupski 7-5 in his first game in the C event. A steal of two gave Walter a 7-3 lead
after eight ends, and then they held Krupski to one in each of the last two ends. Walter’s bid for provincials came to an end in a 10-6 loss to Kendel. Walter led 2-0 after two ends, and the two teams were tied at fours at the fifth end break, but it would be a steal of three by Kendel in the seventh end that would be the difference. As for Olson, after losing to Walter, he recovered to defeat Kyle Haywood 8-2. Haywood led 2-1 after two ends, but after Olson scored one in the third, he stole at least one point in each subsequent end until the two teams shook hands after the eighth frame. Their next game was a 7-3, nine-end loss to Steven Howard. The teams were tied 1-1 after four ends, but Howard scored once in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull away. Olson then defeated Adam Himmelspach 5-1 in a tight defensive game that was scoreless until Olson scored two in the fourth. Neither team generated much offence in the final six ends. A 10-2 loss to Meyer ended Olson’s tournament. Meyer led 6-0 after five ends, and after Olson scored two in the sixth, Meyer scored four in the seventh to end the game.
January 23, 2019 A15
EPS members arrest impaired driver Members of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) arrested an impaired driver during the Jan. 19 night shift. Police observed a vehicle that had left a local drinking establishment. The officer conducted a traffic stop and requested a breath sample into an approved screening device. The driver failed the test and was brought back to the police station for breath samples. The 42-year-old man was subsequently charged with operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content exceeding .08. He will answer to the charge on March 18. No further details were released. In other recent police news, members charged a male during the Jan. 15 day shift who was on remand in EPS cells, after he damaged police property while in custody. The man will answer to the
charge at his next scheduled court date. Police received a report of a theft from a residence in the 1400-block of Fifth Street. If anyone has information on the theft, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the EPS at 1-306-634-4767. Members received a call during the Jan. 16 day shift regarding a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of 13th Avenue and King Street. One vehicle was attempting a left hand turn and was struck by a larger vehicle. The driver of the smaller vehicle was assessed by Emergency Medical Services at the scene and released with minor injuries. The 33-yearold driver of the larger vehicle was charged with disobeying a red light. A 49-year-old man stopped by the police station to ask for assistance. Officers spoke to him briefly then escorted him to the hospital for
assessment. A report of a suspicious vehicle in the industrial area was received. Police were provided with some information and continue to look into the matter. Police arrested a Regina man for public intoxication during the Jan. 16 night shift. He was lodged in cells until sober. A missing 18-year-old man was reported to police during the Jan. 17 day shift. Members were not able to locate the male in the city and later learned from the RCMP he was in Regina. An RID call was received regarding a male who was seen getting into a vehicle. The vehicle was located, resulting in a 50-year-old man having his licence suspended and the vehicle being towed. Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in west Estevan during
the Jan. 17 night shift. After investigation, a 36-year-old Estevan man was arrested and charged with assault. He was released on conditions to have no contact with the victim. The accused will make his first court appearance April 8. The female victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital with minor injuries. Officers stopped a vehicle on 13th Avenue during the Jan. 18 day shift, after a call through the Report Impaired Drivers (RID) line of a possible driver impaired by drugs. The 30-year-old woman from Pierson, Man., was charged under the Cannabis Control Act and passed a standardized field sobriety test. She will appear in court in March to answer to the charge. Police stopped a vehicle on 13th Avenue and Fifth Street and issued tickets to the 24-year-old person from Airdrie, Alta., for driving
A Special Supplement
Money Matters
without a valid license and operating an unregistered vehicle. Members of the EPS and the Estevan Fire Rescue Service were called to the scene of a single vehicle collision during the Jan. 18 night shift. The 18-year-old male driver of the vehicle struck a light standard on 13th Avenue. The impact caused the light standard to fall onto a power line. SaskPower was called to attend the scene and remove the pole from the power line. The driver was assessed by Emergency Medical Services at the scene and did not sustain injuries. He was subsequently charged with driving without reasonable consideration for others. Several vehicles were stopped to check drivers for sobriety that night. One vehicle’s passenger was charged for having open alcohol in a vehicle under the Alcohol
Gaming Regulations Act (AGRA). Police were called to a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of King Street and Souris Avenue North during the Jan. 19 night shift. A westbound vehicle attempted to make a left turn from King Street and was struck by an eastbound vehicle. The 63-year-old male driver was charged with failing to yield to an approaching vehicle when turning left. The occupants did not sustain any injuries. Officers were called to a local restaurant during the Jan. 20 day shift, as there was a report of a female causing problems. The 25-year-old woman was arrested for causing a disturbance and public intoxication. She was transported to the police station and lodged in cells until sober. Police are investigating a report of a hit and run that occurred in northeast Estevan.
Financial
PLANNING
Be prepared for a financial emergency Even if you have a well-paying job, affordable living costs and few debts, it’s important not to take a good financial situation for granted. Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for a financial emergency: 1. Have an emergency fund. Financial experts recommend creating a savings account with enough money to cover six months’ worth of expenses. That way if disaster strikes, you’re prepared. 2. Have adequate insurance. It’s essential to have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance in case of disaster. It’s also a good idea to get disability insurance, which covers your expenses if you become ill or disabled and can’t work. 3. Make sure to have credit available. In a financial emergency, you may need to bill expenses to your credit cards until you’re able to pay them off. Before financial disaster occurs, however, it’s important to do your best to avoid credit card debt and pay off your outstanding balances as quickly as possible. 4. Plan how to cut expenses quickly. Examine your expenses and identify where you can cut back. In an emergency, gym memberships and TV packages can be cancelled, and money spent on eating out can be reduced or eliminated entirely. If you prepare for an emergency now, your financial plan won’t be totally derailed if you’re faced with a debilitating illness or injury, unexpected job loss or costly damage to your home.
Glossary of investment terms you should know Are you too embarrassed to ask about the difference between stocks and bonds or what it means to “diversify” your investment portfolio? Here’s a brief glossary defining some key investment terms. Bonds: bonds are formal “IOUs” that specify how a loan will be repaid over time. Government bodies and corporations borrow money from investors to fund projects and pay them interest until the bond reaches maturity and is repaid in full. Diversification: a diversified investment portfolio means having a mix of different assets to reduce risk. For example, you own stock in a variety of companies and also have bonds; you won’t lose everything if one company fails. Liquidity: liquid investments can be cashed in or sold quickly. This is important if you’re investing on a short-term basis.
Mutual funds: with mutual funds, investors pool their money together into one professionally managed investment. An investing expert then determines where the money should go to generate the greatest returns for the investors. Return on investment (ROI): the profit you make on an investment. It comes in two forms: income generated, including interest and dividends, and increases in values, which means you can sell your shares for a profit. Stocks: stocks represent partial ownership of a company. When you buy stock, you become a shareholder and earn money when the company does well. Now that you know some of the basic terminology, it’s time to get your feet wet and start investing.
financial advice At Assante Wealth Management, we understand that your financial situation is unique. From investment, tax and estate planning to your retirement, Assante provides complete financial advice. Contact us today, and be well-advised.
Michele Yergens, B.Admin, CFP Senior Financial Advisor , Branch Manager Assante Capital Management Ltd. 1330-4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0X2 T: 306-634-9008 myergens@assante.com
Assante Capital Management Ltd. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and is registered with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.
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A16 January 23, 2019
A Special Supplement
Money Matters
Tips for getting rid of student loans Living with student debt can be demoralizing, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. Here’s how to take charge of your student loans. Make a repayment plan Knowing the value and interest rate of each of your loans will help you figure out how to pay off your loans efficiently. Use a student loan calculator to find the best repayment strategy for your situation, ta¬king into account loan interest rates. Avoid paying only the monthly minimums. It’ll take longer to pay the loans and cost more in interest.
You’ll save more money and time with the avalanche method, but the snowball method is often more effective because the relief of paying off one loan motivates you to continue making payments. Don’t despair As long as you make payments part of your budget, you’ll be living within your means while slowly but steadily paying off your loans. Consider finding other ways to supplement your income (a roommate, a second job, etc.) and try to maintain your frugal student lifestyle to keep living costs in check.
Use the avalanche or snowball method The avalanche method for tackling debt involves making the minimum payments on all your loans and then putting left¬over money toward your loan with the highest interest rate. Once that loan is paid, focus on the loan with the second-highest interest rate. The snowball method works similarly except instead of prioritizing loans with high interest rates, you start by paying off loans with the lowest balances.
Financial
PLANNING Teach young kids about personal finance The earlier children develop good spending habits, the better. Here are four ways you can teach your kids about saving money and living frugally. 1. Pay in cash. Using cash instead of cards when shopping with kids will help them better understand how money works. Consider giving them the cash to count out when it’s time to pay — they’ll get to practice their math skills.
4. Let them do the grocery shopping. If your kids are older, have them choose their meals for the week, then make an ingredients list, find the items needed at the store and pay for everything in cash. Taking the time to teach kids how to spend money responsibly will help prepare them for a lifetime of good financial habits.
2. Show the benefits of comparing prices. Encourage kids to look for the lowest prices at the store and figure out if you’ll get a better deal by spending more to buy larger quantities. Make it into a game to see who can spot the best deal first. 3. Set tangible goals. Let kids know that you’re saving as a household for something they want (such as a trip to Disney World or a pool for the backyard). This will help teach them about cutting out unnecessary expenses to save for something bigger down the road.
Personal finance tips for freelancers W hen freelancing is your main source of income, it can be difficult to maintain a budget. Here are tips for managing your finances as a freelancer. Estimate your income for budgeting purposes To determine your projected monthly income as a freelancer, figure out what
you expect to earn from your regular clients. Then, approximate the total amount that you think you’ll earn from one-off and non-regular clients. Divide this number in half and add it to your estimated earnings from regular clients. Using the resulting amount as your monthly income will allow you to make a budget that has a
built-in buffer in case it’s a slow month. Keep a separate account for business expenses Have separate business and personal bank accounts so you can keep track of work expenses like software and office equipment. You should also have at least one savings account that you contribute
to regularly. As a freelancer with irregular income, it’s especially important to have savings. Plan for taxes When you aren’t an employee, you need to set aside around 25 per cent of your income for taxes. Make sure to keep all invoices and payment receipts so you’re prepared for
tax season. If you work from home, you’ll likely be able to claim things like internet bills and office supplies as business expenses on your taxes. Since taxes for freelancers are particularly complicated, it’s a good idea to hire an accountant to do your taxes so you don’t make mistakes or miss possible deductions.
BUSINESS OWNERS
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IN MEMORIAM
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
IN MEMORIAM
In Loving Memory of ( Baine ) Blaine Simon October 20 , 1978 January 14, 2010 To Hear your voice and see you smile, To sit with you and talk awhile, To be together in the same old way, Would be our greatest wish today There will always be a heartache And often a silent tear, But always a precious memory ,Of the day you were here .We hold you close in our hearts, And there you will always stay ,Remembering you is easy, We do it every day. But missing you is a heartache That never goes away. Loved , Remembered, and deeply missed by Mom and Dad, Barry, Emma, Barrett, Gabbie, Bradley, Sophia, Kayla
CARD OF THANKS
Doris Parkinson 1937- 2017 Although death has Separated us physically, Faith and love Have bound us eternally. Though we cannot see you, We know you are here. Though we cannot touch you, We feel the warmth of your smile, As we begin a new chapter In our lives. Love your brother Lloyd, sister Lois and Family.
On behalf of the family of the late Lyle Howard, we would like to express our sincere thank you to family and friends for the words and acts of kindness during Dad’s brief illness and passing. Your words of comfort and memories shared about dad’s life helped us in this difficult time. Thank you to Don Britt for leading our celebration of dad’s life . You truly lead us in faith. To Hall’s funeral home and the staff at St Joseph’s Hospital , thank you. To all who graciously sent flowers, brought food to the house, the lunch provided by the church and anyone who helped in any way, your kind acts will be forever in our hearts. It is in times like this that we realize how fortunate we are to have amazing family and friends in our lives. Janice,Jim, Heather and family
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Perry Wayne Parkinson February 2, 1960 February 17, 2012 Northing can ever take away The love a heart holds dear. Fond memories linger every day Remembrance keeps him near. Love Uncle Lloyd, Aunt Lois, Uncle Leonard and Family
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Corey James Miiller May 13, 1970 - August 6, 2006 Those we love we never lose, For Always the will be. Loved, remembered, treasured, Always in our memory. Love Uncle Lloyd, Mom, Dad and Family In Memoriam Myrna Wetsch The days will pass and turn into years. But we will always Remember you with silent tears. The Laurence and Trudy Wetsch families
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Murray J. Fowler 1947 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2019 Murray passed away peacefully on Monday, January 7, 2019 at 6W -RVHSK¡V +RVSLWDO (VWHYDQ 6. DW WKH DJH RI \HDUV 0XUUD\ ZLOO EH IRUHYHU UHPHPEHUHG E\ 'LDQQH KLV ZLIH RI \HDUV KLV VRQ 0LFKDHO 'RQQD DQG KHU FKLOGUHQ 7RP 5DFKHOOH DQG 6DPDQWKD %UHQGRQ DQG JUHDW JUDQGFKLOGUHQ VLEOLQJV 'DOH )RZOHU %RQQLH %DUU\ :HEHU 'HQQLV )RZOHU :HQG\ %ULDQ )RZOHU 6FKQLW]OHU DQG 3DWV\ 'DUUHQ %DULO )RZOHU VWHSPRWKHU 0DUMRULH )RZOHU DQG KHU IDPLO\ DV ZHOO DV QXPHURXV QLHFHV DQG nephews. 0XUUD\ ZDV SUHGHFHDVHG E\ KLV VRQ 6WXDUW )RZOHU VLVWHU -DFTXLH )RZOHU SDUHQWV -RKQ DQG ,UHQH )RZOHU 'LDQQH¡V SDUHQWV $OLFH DQG &ODUHQFH &UXPO\ DQG EURWKHU LQ ODZ 0DXULFH &UXPO\ 7KH &HOHEUDWLRQ RI /LIH WRRN SODFH RQ )ULGD\ -DQXDU\ DW S P DW WKH /LYLQJ +RSH &RPPXQLW\ &KXUFK (VWHYDQ 6. ZLWK 3DVWRU 0LNH +RIIRUW RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDWLQJ /XQFK LPPHGLDWHO\ IROORZHG WKH VHUYLFH ,QWHUPHQW ZLOO WDNH SODFH DW 6RXULV 9DOOH\ 0HPRULDO *DUGHQV DW D ODWHU GDWH ,I IULHQGV VR GHVLUH PHPRULDO GRQDWLRQV PD\ EH PDGH WR WKH 8QLWHG :D\ (VWHYDQ %R[ (VWHYDQ 6. 6 $ $ LQ PHPRU\ RI 0XUUD\ <YRQQH &ODUN ZLWK +DOO )XQHUDO 6HUYLFHV (VWHYDQ 6. DVVLVWHG 0XUUD\¡V IDPLO\ 7KH IDPLO\ ZRXOG OLNH WR WKDQN WKH GRFWRUV DQG VWDII DW WKH 3DVTXH +RVSLWDO 5HJLQD 6. DQG 6W -RVHSK¡V +RVSLWDO (VWHYDQ 6. IRU WKH FRPSDVVLRQDWH FDUH 0XUUD\ UHFHLYHG
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FireďŹ ghters receive two carbon monoxide calls last week Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service received two calls regarding carbon monoxide (CO) alarms during the past week. The first came at noon on Jan. 17. Crews attended to the scene with gas detection equipment. The probable cause was a faulty backup battery for the monitoring device. Fire Chief Dale Feser said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that people not take chances when dealing with CO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can call us and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come in and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll actually definitively be able to tell you if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an issue or not,â&#x20AC;? said Feser. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of the day, if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a dead battery or a faulty alarm, you have peace of mind.â&#x20AC;? The other call came in at around supper time Jan. 19. Feser said the call came into his cell phone, and it proved to be a good thing that the call came in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a little reluctant to call 911, but after a very brief description of what was occurring, he was directed to hang up the phone and evacuate the home, as carbon monoxide levels were 100 parts per million, and still climbing,â&#x20AC;? said Feser. The tenants cleared the home and waited for the fire department â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival. SaskEnergy was also asked to attend the scene. Once crews arrived, they determined CO levels were more than 348 ppm in the home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Had the homeowner, or anybody else, neglected to recognize this hazard, and just unplugged the carbon monoxide detection device, and just went to bed, this unfortunately would have been a very serious incident,
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Remember Your Loved Ones with a Memorial Tribute in The Mercury
probably resulting in a fatality,â&#x20AC;? said Feser. The quick thinking by the homeowners allowed emergency services to get to the scene on time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They did not suffer any effects of carbon monoxide poisoning,â&#x20AC;? said Feser. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were checked out on scene, and crews were able to pinpoint the cause of the carbon monoxide leak was a boiler heating appliance for the home, and were able to get in and ventilate and bring the carbon monoxide levels back down to zero.â&#x20AC;? Firefighters were also called to an alarm at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital on Jan. 15. When crews arrived, they found that there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a visible smoke or flame. After consulting with their liaison people at the hospital, it
was determined that a fire alarm pull station was activated in the long-term care ward. Crews still went in and checked to see if there was a reason for pulling the alarm, but there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Also during the past week, the fire department had their first training for six new recruits. The fire department has also been active promoting the Montreal Canadiens alumni hockey game that will be taking place on Feb. 22 at Affinity Place against the OSI-Can Bruins hockey team. Proceeds will be directed towards OSI-Can, a support program for veterans and community first responders who have experienced an operational stress injury, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
A18 January 23, 2019
SGI accepting application for safety grants Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s (SGI) photo speed enforcement (PSE) committee is now accepting applications for provincial Traffic Safety Fund grants and new PSE locations to make Saskatchewan roads safer. T h e p ro v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t a n nounced last fall the PSE program would be continuing in Saskatchewan with opportunities for expanded application as well as project funding. The PSE pilot demonstrated the number of speeding drivers declined in both high-speed locations and school zones, result-
ing in fewer collisions and injuries. Law enforcement, urban and rural municipalities and Indigenous land or territories can apply for a provincial traffic safety grant to undertake traffic safety initiatives, even if there is no PSE technology in their community. Grant funding will provide up to a maximum of $100,000 per traffic safety initiative. “The ultimate goal of photo speed enforcement is zero crashes and zero tickets. However, if there is net ticket revenue, it gets re-invested into initiatives that increase safety,” said Penny McCune, chief operating
officer of the Auto Fund. “This grant program makes it possible for communities throughout the province to improve safety.” Traffic safety initiatives (including projects, equipment, programs and public awareness) must focus on one or more of the following priority areas: Impaired driving by alcohol or drugs; distracted driving, including cellphone use and fatigue; occupant protection (seatbelts and child restraints); intersection safety; roadway-based infrastructure solutions; speed management (not including PSE); aggressive driving; vulnerable road
users (including pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists); and medically-at-risk drivers; Applications for Traffic Safety Grants can be found on SGI’s website. Urban and rural municipalities, Indigenous lands or territories, and the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure can apply to use PSE technology to address speed-related concerns at specific locations. New PSE technology sites will not be selected randomly, nor for the purposes of revenue generation. Approval for use will be based only on rigorous safety-based criteria.
City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800 /HLVXUH 2ɝFH 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880
Message From
The Mayor
The 2019 Budget is available on our website at www. estevan.ca.
RATES RATES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2019
CAREER - LICENSED, RED SEAL HVAC/REFRIGERATION TECHNICIAN DROP IN RECREATION
FITNESS SCHEDULE
EFFECTIVE JANUARY, 2019
This is to inform the public that effective January 1, 2019 two new bylaws were implemented that affect fees and rates set in the City of Estevan. Bylaw 2018-2009 is Fees for Service for administrative duties Bylaw 2018-2010 is Solid Waste /Landfill Fees Both bylaws can be seen on the City of Estevan website www.estevan.ca. If you require any additional clarification or information please contact the City Clerk Judy Pilloud cityclerk@estevan.ca or 306-634-1852.
SARSAN SEARCH & RESCUE CHAPTER MEETINGS Public Information Meetings are being held regarding the startup of a volunteer SARSAV Search and Rescue Chapter for the South East area of Saskatchewan. Meetings are arranged and hosted by a partnership between the RCMP Search and Rescue Team, SARSAV (Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers), Estevan Police Service and Weyburn Police Service.
MEETINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR: Carnduff - January 16th, 7:00 PM at the Carnduff Education Complex Carlyle - January 17th at 7:00 PM at the Memorial Hall - 111 Main St Estevan - January 23rd at 7:00 PM at the Western Star Inn and Suites Weyburn - January 24th at 7:00 PM at the City Works Building Classroom - 55 – 16th St. NE A team such as this requires significant community support. All levels of interest are welcome. Please come out and support the development of this needed resource.
WEIGHT ROOM USED EQUIPMENT AUCTION The Weight Room in the Estevan Leisure Centre has recently received a facelift. With that, the City of Estevan has cycled out older equipment to make room for new!
MONDAY GRIT AQUA AWE EASY STRETCH MOM & BABY AQUA AQUA STEP
6:10 AM - 6:50 AM, 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
TUESDAY SPIN AQUA AWE SCULPT TWINGES & HINGES MOM & BABY/TOT GRIT
6:10 AM - 6:50 AM, 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM, 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM
WEDNESDAY GRIT AQUA AWE EASY STRETCH MOM & BABY AQUA AQUA STEP THURSDAY SPIN AQUA AWE SCULPT TWINGES & HINGES MOM & BABY/TOT AQUA STEP GRIT FRIDAY GRIT AQUA AWE EASY STRETCH
6:10 AM - 6:50 AM, 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM, 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:10 am - 10:50 AM 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM 6:10 - 6:50 AM, 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM, 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM - 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM
SATURDAY DEEP WATER POWER 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The equipment in this auction has been well used but still has life in it and we hope you can provide a happy home for it. If you are interested in any of this equipment or would like to see a list Text ‘weightroom’ to 855-735-BIDR (2437) to join our online auction (make sure weightroom is one word) Or visit online at https://bidr.co/events/weightroom
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Bidding will be held on Jan 24, 2019 starting at 6am and will close at 9pm CST. All Equipment will be sold in “ as is” condition.
POSITION TITLE: Journeyman Mechanic REPORTS TO: Journeyman Mechanic Fleet Foreperson BUSINESS DIVISION: Roads and Drainage
All funds raised will be used for City of Estevan Summer Playpark Programs.
INVITATION TO TENDER
SUMMARY: Performs service and repair of equipment, machinery, and vehicles. The City of Estevan, Parks Business Division invites your company to submit a tendered bid to SUPPPLY AND DELIVER OF ANNUAL FLOWERS by Monday, Feb 4th @ 1:00 pm for our flower beds within the City of Estevan for the spring planting of 2019. The total number of plants required for the 2019 spring planting season is 5711 and detailed specifications for the types of plants required are available upon request.
DUTIES Maintains and repairs City of Estevan equipment, machinery, and vehicles Performs scheduled preventative maintenance Identifies potential failure points of City of Estevan equipment, machinery, and vehicles and recommends measures to be taken Provides technical advice on the preparation and review of tenders and/or the estimated costs of repairs Provides technical advice on the purchase of new equipment, machinery, and vehicles
OTHER CRITERIA Delivery Date of Monday May 27, 2019 at 9:00 am at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Unloading of product is the responsibility of the Company. Flowers to be in Full Bloom by June 15, 2019. Warranty must include: at the time of arrival the plants must be sturdy, healthy and have flowering buds or have started to bloom. Any weak plants that die in the first two weeks must be replaced.
Assists in training City of Estevan staff in the maintenance and safe operation of equipment, machinery, and vehicles Responds to requests for information or requests for reports in a timely manner Maintains files and records of work performed, equipment installed, problems encountered, resources consumed, and repairs completed And (Other duties as assigned).
IN THE TENDER PLEASE INCLUDE:
EDUCATION
Price of Flowers.
Grade 12 or equivalent education
If the greenhouse doesn’t carry the exact species or type of flower, please indicated the type or species it will replace.
One of the following certificates;
Shipping and Handling. If shipping is not available, please indicate that in your tender price. Warranty. Please submit your sealed tender marked “Annual Flowers for Flower Beds” in writing by 1:00 p.m. on Monday, February 4, 2019 to:
Journeyman Automotive Mechanic Journeyman Heavy Duty Mechanic Journeyman Truck and Transport Mechanic Valid Class 3 Driver’s License with Airbrake Endorsement Experience and Additional Requirements
Att: Shannon Wanner
1 year of relevant work experience
Parks Division
Valid Class 1 Driver’s License with Airbrake Endorsement
701 Souris Ave.
Fireman’s Certificate
Estevan, SK.
The City of Estevan offers competitive wages based upon achieved qualifications. This position requires flexibility and availability to work on a shift schedule and call in basis. If you’re looking for a career that contributes directly to a thriving community, apply to: Sheryl March, Human Resource Generalist,1102- 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7, Ph: (306) 634-1841, apply@estevan.ca
S4A 2T1 Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Public opening of tenders shall take place at 1:00 PM, Monday February 4, 2019 C.S.T., in the Conference Room, Estevan Leisure Centre.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted. Competition will remain opened until filled.