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Issue 21

SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240

ESTEVAN’S

SOURCE FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS

Candidates begin federal election campaigns By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The federal election campaigning is underway, and that means the candidates who have been nominated in Souris-Moose Mountain are out looking to win the public’s support. The election writ was dropped on Sept. 11, launching a 40-day campaign that will culminate with the election on Oct. 21. Four candidates have already entered the field: Robert Kitchen of the Conservative Party, Phil Zajac of the People’s Party of Canada, Judy Mergel of the Green Party of Canada and Travis Patron of the Canadian Nationalist Party. Kitchen, who resides in Estevan, won the Souris-Moose Mountain constituency in the 2015 federal election, was nominated as the Conservative candidate nearly two years ago. Since then, he has been meeting with constituents about their concerns and bringing those issues to Ottawa. It was good to have a head start on the field, but he doesn’t take it for granted. “You build on it time after time after time, and make certain that we’re building on it, and again, it’s a learning game, and we continue to learn and I’m continuing to learn,” said Kitchen. Prior to the election being called, and since the campaign started, Kitchen and his team have been lining up candidates. They have a campaign office open in Estevan – the only office they intend to have. A grand opening was held on Sunday.

“We’re getting out and getting signs up, and getting people who are volunteers, because lots of people have been coming to step forward as volunteers, in Weyburn, in Estevan, in Moosomin and throughout the whole riding,” he said. It is a big challenge to reach every community in the Souris-Moose Mountain riding, which is 43,000 square kilometres. As for the federal results, in order for the Tories to regain power, Kitchen said the party will have to help Canadians get ahead by eliminating the federal carbon tax and bringing in other measures. Kitchen was expecting an election to be called on a Sunday, either Sept. 8 or 15. Federal elections are traditionally called on Sundays, and Sept. 15 would have been the last possible date for the election. He criticized Justin Trudeau on his decision to call the election on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Phil Zajac, who also is from Estevan, was acclaimed as the People’s Party of Canada’s candidate in the spring. He brought party leader Maxime Bernier to the riding in July, and then attended the party’s first-ever national convention in August. “We learned a lot about campaigning and how to prepare and what to do, and when you live in a big district like SourisMoose Mountain, it’s a lot of ground to cover,” said Zajac. It’s going to take a lot of hard work in the next few weeks to win the constituency. A2 » LIBERALS

Fall is claiming its rights After the extensive rains Estevan received last week, the nature around the Energy City started switching to fall mode. Astonishing 30 C temperatures at the beginning of the week couldn’t trick the vegetation and more and more trees are turning colours making for picturesque views. The still water played along, doubling on the beauty of the landscape. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Feser reflects on fallen firefighters ceremony in Ottawa By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Firefighters from all across Canada and some from the U.S. met in Ottawa on Sept.8 to participate in 2019 Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFF) Memorial Ceremony and pay tribute to their fallen comrades. Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser, who attended the event as a zone director for the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, shared his first-hand experience with the Mercury. “It was great,” said Feser. “Our organization sent a member, a director every year to attend to show support for this initiative.” It was the 16th annual memorial ceremony hosted by the CFFF. The ceremony itself took just one day, but there were other activities and events organized around it, so Feser had to be in Ottawa from Sept. 5-9. “We head out early because we fly out the fami-

Cheyanne Morrison, left, escorted by Rosetown Fire Chief Dennis Ogg and Dean and Gloria Morrison, accepts honourary helmet at the memorial in presence of the president of the CFFF David Sheen and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna. Photo courtesy of CFFF lies (of firefighters) that are going to be recognized that particular year. They typically come in on a Friday, so they are shown around and taken in the capital city as well. There are a few church services and whatnot that

are hosted and held for the families, suppers for dignitaries right until the actual ceremony on Sunday,” said Feser, explaining that there is always a lot of background work, too, that they help with such as prepping

and raking the grounds, setting up the chairs for the ceremony, cleaning off the memorial and getting the wall ready for the names of deceased firefighters to be unveilled. A2 » “IT’S LIKE...

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Liberals and NDP still looking for candidates for the upcoming federal election « A1 Zajac ran for the Conservative Party nomination in 2014, eventually losing to Kitchen, and said that experience taught him a lot. He’s looking forward to door-knocking, reaching out to people and presenting the party’s policies to inform the public about what they have to offer. Zajac will also have a campaign office in downtown Estevan on Fourth Street. “It gives people a place to go if they have some questions. They can come right to our office.” As a new party, Zajac said the People’s Party has a lot of policies that people will be excited about. “A lot of people know there’s another party out there, but they’re not sure about the People’s Party of Canada or exactly what they stand for, so that’s what the candidate’s job is now is to bring that forward in as many different avenues as possible.”

Robert Kitchen

Phil Zajac

Travis Patron

Judy Mergel

Zajac would like to have Bernier back in the constituency during the campaign. Bernier really enjoyed his visit here in Estevan in July, and enjoyed his tour of the carbon capture and storage facility. The Green Party of Canada announced its candidate for Souris-Moose Mountain last week. Judy Mergel, who resides in the Wood Mountain area, wasn’t able to comment

for this story, but did send a news release to the Mercury discussing her candidacy. Previously a candidate for the party in the Wood River constituency in the last provincial election, Mergel said in a news release that she was inspired to do more after hearing federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May speak at the University of Regina this past spring. “It’s no secret that the Greens don’t generally fare

well at the ballot box in ‘oil & gas’ country,” Mergel wrote in the news release. “However, the Greens believe in a gradual transition to renewable energy and will support large-scale retraining.” Although the party is universally equated with the environment, she said their platform addresses much more and will be visible on the Green Party’s website once the platform is launched. “The Greens are a unique

grassroots organization that I’m proud to be part of,” she said. “Our vision for Canada promises a future where no one will be left out or left behind.” Patron, who resides in the Redvers area, is the leader of the Nationalist Party. As of Monday evening, he was their lone candidate. They have put out a call for candidates, and he said they do have some who are interested. It’s too early to say how

many they would have at this point, and they want people who have demonstrated a commitment to the party and understand its policies. He is looking forward to getting out to the various municipalities in SourisMoose Mountain, passing out pamphlets and gaining feedback, and incorporating those ideas into the party’s platform. He noted that if the election been called on Sept. 8 instead of Sept. 11, the party would not have been allowed to field candidates for the election, since the party was recently approved by Elections Canada. Patron would have instead had to run as an independent. “Three or four days is how close we came,” he said. As of Monday night, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party had yet to find their candidates for Souris-Moose Mountain.

“It’s like the Mecca of the fire services” - Feser « A1 This year’s ceremony was even more touching for Saskatchewan as the name of its very own volunteer firefighter Darrell Morrison of Rosetown was added to the memorial wall. “I was indeed honoured to be in attendance this year, as one of our own S askatchewan firefighters was recognized and his name was engraved on the wall this year,” said Feser. Morrison’s daughter Cheyanne, 18, who is the youngest firefighter in Saskatchewan to complete firefighter training successfully, and is following in her late father’s footsteps, was present at the ceremony along with Rosetown Fire Chief Dennis Ogg and Darrell’s parents

Dean and Gloria Morrison. “It was just a blessing to be in attendance to see them presented … Each family is presented with a Canadian Fallen Firefighters helmet as well as a medallion in recognition of their service and the ultimate sacrifice that they paid for the fire service,” said Feser. Darrell Morrison died on Nov. 21, 2018, while on duty attending the traffic collision. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna delivered the keynote address this year. Feser said that all together it was an emotional weekend filled with activities. Not only did the ceremony attract hundreds of firefighters

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from across Canada, but the events also were a big draw for locals. Bagpipe bands from different provinces and cities that were in attendance for the ceremony had performances in the market area for the families and others on Sept. 7. The CFFF Memorial Ceremony always takes place at the Ottawa Fire Fighters Memorial, which is right across from the National War Memorial not far from the Parliament building. “Fire departments from right across Canada actually partook and have a part in the memorial itself. There is a 50-foot statue of a firefighter pointing towards the wall. When this all came about during the construction, design phases all fire departments across Canada were requested to send a piece of bronze or brass in to donate. That material was melted down and used in the construction of the Fallen Firefighter. So each firefighter has a piece of ownership or sense of pride in putting this memorial together,” said Feser. Even though the location is always the same, the hosting role is usually

switched between provinces. This year, it was Manitoba fire services’ turn to put the event together. And the Calgary fire department is going to be the host committee for the next year. It was the second time Feser participated in the ceremony. Last time he was in

From the desk of Lori Carr, MLA It was a busy summer in the Estevan Constituency. As reported last month, I am now the Minister of Government Relations, Minister responsible for First Nation, Métis, and Northern Affairs, and Minister responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission. It has been a busy time familiarizing myself with the new roles, but I look forward to tackling such a diverse portfolio. Here are just some of the events and meetings attended this summer: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Weyburn Oil Show Saskatchewan Order of Merit Ceremony Branding Day at the Ross Ranch The Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes Canada Day celebration The grand reopening of the McDonalds Drive Thru Meetings with constituency municipal leaders Several Cabinet meetings Sat on panel at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Conference Met with Health Minister and local health officials Discussions with officials on the request for the new nursing home project Meetings with Minister of Trade & Export Development twice, with City of Estevan Treasury Board meetings Estevan Economic Transition Committee meeting Met with the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association Coffee Talk with Estevan Chamber of Commerce Opening of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Economy Committee Meetings Numerous Constituent Meetings to deal with individual issues from health care to highways.

I am actively listening, appreciative of your feedback, and grateful for the opportunity to serve as your voice in government. As always, if you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact my office for assistance at 306-634-7311.

Lori Carr, MLA Estevan Constituency Office

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Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser, right, was a part of 2019 Canadian Firefighters Memorial in Ottawa. Photo courtesy of CFFF

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Ottawa was four years ago, when the Saskatchewan fire services as a whole were a host committee for the CFFF Memorial Ceremony. Feser explained that each year their firefighters’ organization allocates some funds to send their members over to Ottawa. “Within our organization for the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, we try to spread it around and try to see who is available and who would like to

attend. And then we set aside budgetary money allotted to pay for the travel expenses and everything else while we are in attendance there,” said Feser. “I do believe that it’s something that every firefighter should attend at least once. It’s like the Mecca of the fire services. It’s where, if something happens where you should suffer a line of duty death, this is the ultimate way that we can honour their sacrifice and make sure that their memorial live on forever.”

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People gather to remember plane crash of ‘46 By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The plane crash of 1946 at the old Estevan Airport site south of the city will go down as one of the saddest moments in Estevan’s history. Twenty-one members of the Royal Canadian Air Force – 20 pilots and a groundcrewsman – were killed in the crash on Sept. 15, 1946. Yet the event has often been forgotten in the community, until the past few years, when there has been a renewed effort to bring awareness of the crash. The latest chapter in the effort to remember these men occurred on the weekend. A ceremony was held Sunday afternoon – the 73rd anniversary of the crash – at the Estevan Regional Airport. Organized by the committee responsible for the Forever in the Clouds monument, a small crowd gathered to pay tribute to the victims. Lester Hinzman, who was the MC for the event, said these men deserve the gratitude of Canadians, just like those who have served in the Canadian Forces in the past and continue to do so today. “These 21 airmen served Canada during a time of war,” said Hinzman. “They saw their friends and comrades die in combat. They survived the carnage of combat. They returned to Canada, which was now at peace. During the time of peace, they were still

in the service of our country Canada, as members of the Canadian Armed Forces.” All that these soldiers wanted to do was come home, Hinzman said, just like the soldiers from any other conflict. They weren’t looking for medals. Two of the family members of the victims of the plane crash were in attendance: Diane Primeau, the niece of William Wiecker, came from Grand Prairie, Alta., and Art Perry, the great nephew of William Perry, came from Saskatoon. Primeau brought a piece from the plane with her, while Perry had fabric that was found at the crash site. She noted that she was five when the crash occurred, and while she met her uncle, she doesn’t have a lot of memories of him. “I have a picture of myself with his hat and his tunic on,” said Primeau. “He sent us stuff from over in England when he was there.” She told the crowd that Wiecker’s younger brother was also killed overseas during the Second World War. “My grandma lost two of her four sons because of the war, and both of them … it was right at the end of the war. I’m sure that was his last mission, and then he would have been coming home,” she said. Primeau is touched by the efforts to teach local residents about the plane crash, and called the Forever in the

Clouds monument a great tribute. Among those in attendance was Lowell Holmgren, a longtime resident of the community. He went to the scene of the accident 73 years ago, but never told anyone about what he saw. “It was unreal,” said Holmgren, who later became a volunteer firefighter. “I’ve been to different airplane crashes in life, but I’ll never forget that one. I still wake up and I see that airplane.” He used to have debris from the crash site. “Ever ybody was in church (that day). A guy came into the church and called them out of the church, and we heard them say there had been an airplane crash,” said Holmgren. “I heard my brother say ‘Well, blow the siren.’” His brother went back to the crash site in the afternoon and took Holmgren with him. No cleanup work had taken place yet. Lieutenant-Colenol Blair Springate from the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 15 Wing Moose Jaw base said they appreciate being invited to the event, and the efforts of people to guard the legacy of the 21 airmen who died by doing what they can to ensure the men weren’t forgotten. Marie Calder, who is also part of the Forever in the Clouds committee, said she would like to see a 75th anniversary event in 2021.

Sgt. Mark Pollock, Master Warrant Officer Tony Collins and Lt.-Col. Blair Springate look at a piece of the wreckage from the plane crash of 1946 with Marie Calder.

Art Perry, left, and Diane Primeau, right, had family members who died in the plane crash of 1946. They are joined in the photo by Lester Hinzman.

Monument has its permanent home The Forever in the Clouds Monument has found its permanent home. The monument, which pays tribute to the 20 airmen and one groundscrewman who died in an airplane crash at the former Estevan Airport site south of the city on Sept. 15, 1946, will be located at the Estevan Regional Airport. Forever in the Clouds had been located on the property of Lester Hinzman, who is on the committee responsible for this monument. The monument was moved to Bert Baxter Transport on Sept. 6, and then transported to the airport a week later, with an escort by the Estevan RCMP and the Estevan Police Service. Hinzman said they selected the airport as the home because airports were a big part of the airmen’s lives. “This is their home,” said Hinzman. “They didn’t look out at greenfields, they looked out at runways. This is their home, and it looks so peaceful here, and they’re going to be looked after. And they’re all together, and they’re all home.” Estevan city council and the Estevan Regional Airport have given their blessing for the monument to be at the airport. “Down at my place is where they died. They only died two miles away (from my home),” said Hinzman. “But here is how they lived. This is how they’d be spending their lives. If they were still alive, they’d still be hanging out at airports.” The process in creating the monument and finding its permanent home has been “an amazing

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adventure,” and Hinzman is pleased to have been a part of it. He noted some people had suggested that the monument should be at the Royal Canadian Air Force base at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, but the airmen at 15 Wing stressed it should be in Estevan. The faces of each of the victims of the plane crash were carved by chainsaw sculptor Darren Jones of Rimbey, Alta. There is one additional face to pay tribute to all airmen who have perished in combat, a concept similar to that of the Unknown Soldier. Committee members initially wanted the monument to be located on the east lawn of the Estevan Court House, at the opposite end of the property from the Soldiers’ Tree monument. But the Ministry of Central Services denied the request in the winter of 2018, and the monument has been splitting its time between the airport and Hinzman’s property since then. The monument can be easily transported, so it can go to events, such as the Saskatchewan Air Show in Moose Jaw this past July. Tens of thousands of people saw the monument, and learned more about the plane crash and the men who died. Hinzman believes Forever in the Clouds will get the visibility it deserves, even if it is outside the city. “People are coming in here from all over the place, and there’s a lot of support, among the general population … for our military,” said Hinzman. Anyone who wishes to view the monument can drop by the airport during regular operation hours, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Forever in the Clouds Monument is going to be located permanently at the Estevan Regional Airport.

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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

Giving entrepreneurs a leg up When the City of Estevan announced the details of its economic incentives package more than a year ago, one of the concepts was the introduction of a business incubator. It was a tough concept for a lot of people to wrap their heads around, because it’s not something that they’re familiar with. And so there were people asking “What is a business incubator?” They’re more common in larger communities, but you won’t see them in many small communities. An incubator allows aspiring entrepreneurs to work out of an office space as they try to get their start-up businesses off the ground. It’s not for the owner of a home-based business that sells international name-brand products to make a little money on the side for their family, it’s for those who one day see themselves running their own storefront business with multiple employees. And it’s also a place where these entrepreneurs can receive mentorship from existing business owners. Hopefully, it will be a place where entrepreneurs can grow together. Known as the Launch Box, it’s a concept that actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it – a place for owners of start-up business to come together. The federal government seems to think it’s a worthwhile. They have committed $500,000

towards the Launch Box in Estevan. And while we have an idea of what the Launch Box will look like, the City of Estevan is looking for the public’s feedback on the concept. It’s important for people to offer their thoughts for this survey, not just if they are aspiring entrepreneurs or existing business owners, but the public in general. We all lean on local businesses in some way, shape or form. We all spend a lot of our money locally, even if we don’t realize it. So we all need to make our opinions heard when it comes to an initiative that will help shape business in Estevan. And when the city is asking for the public’s opinion on something, we need to respond. After all, some citizens often complain that city council isn’t hearing their concerns, or they don’t even care. But then when the city asks for feedback, people don’t respond, at least not in the channels that they should. (We see it each year with the city’s budget). And if people don’t voice their opinions when invited to do so, then council might not turn to them in the future. Ultimately, we’ll see whether this Launch Box is a successful concept, and whether there is enough interest in it, both in the short-term and the long-term. Expect it to succeed at first, with new business owners looking for the support they need to succeed, but as these entrepreneurs

move out on their own, others will have to take their place. That will be a big challenge: finding new business owners to take the place of the initial ones, even if the Launch Box proves helpful. As we move into the next new normal for Estevan – one in which coal-fired power generation unfortunately won’t have the same impact on the community as it has in the past – we need to do all that we can to promote economic development in the community. It means having the right people in place, having the right ideas and doing all that we can to bring new businesses to the city. Obviously, we’re going to need something big to replace the jobs that are lost at Boundary Dam and at the coal mines when Unit 4 comes offline in 2021 and Unit 5 follows suit three years later. That’s going to be a lot of jobs lost and a lot of people looking for work elsewhere. We’ll need to have something in place in case other coal units follow suit. But we’ll also need those smaller projects, those businesses that will employ a handful of people but still play an important role in the community. And there will be those businesses that will be in sectors that have room for growth. Something like the Launch Box, with its ability to help new business owners, could help fill the void we’ll be facing in the next few years.

How many nutbars are out there, anyhow? Sept. 11 has come and gone, for the 18th time since the horrible events that made Sept. 11 a memorable day in the first place. Yet my social media feed is still being bombarded with posts about it, and unfortunately, most of them are from nutbars. There have been, again, all sorts of videos, posts and comments, nearly all of which allege that 9/11 was some sort of inside job, a conspiracy perpetrated by America to start a war. One suggested that an airliner didn’t actually hit the Pentagon. Rather, it was likely a cruise missile, like the Tomahawk. That’s a rather important point, actually, as the Tomahawk is likely to be employed in the days before this column goes to print, as the United States military typically uses 100-plus in their opening salvo of any war these days. A Tomahawk weighs 3,300 pounds, and has a 1,000-pound warhead. These days, the warhead isn’t nuclear, but previous versions did indeed have a nuclear warhead. It flies about 550 miles per hour. When it attacks, it can either drop munitions on a target, or more typically, slam right into it, thus adding its own kinetic energy to that of the warhead. By this point, it will have used much of its fuel, so it’s probably going to weigh closer to 3,000 pounds, or 1 1/2 tonnes. One of the statements I saw on Facebook was, “Buildings that tall would not drop straight down into there (sic) foot print, let alone three on the same day.” The implication was they were purposely demolished by an inside job. Okay, let’s consider what happens when you slam a Boeing 767-223ER weighing at least 155 tonnes, and likely a lot more. It was full of fuel – 67 tonnes of it. And American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at a speed of 465 miles per hour. While jet fuel may not have the same energy as a high explosive warhead, there was 67 tonnes of it. And the plane had the kinetic energy

From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK of 100 cruise missiles travelling at 85 per cent of the speed of a Tomahawk. Fundamentally, that one airliner hitting one of the towers had most of the energy of a 100-missile salvo, striking in one place, at once. When the 1991 Gulf War broke out, it started with 122 Tomahawks being fired at numerous targets. Let me say that again: one fully fueled airliner near top speed has the energy not far from the entire missile barrage opening a major war. My math may not be perfect, but it’s still within the ballpark. Of course the planes took the towers out. We all saw it. There was no need for some false flag inside job of demolition experts to destroy those buildings, or 7 World Trade Center. But the conspiracy theorists think in their deep state fantasies it was all an inside job. In exasperation, I posted, “Have you all lost your mind with these conspiracy theories? Did you not live through 9/11? Is there something fundamentally flawed with your perception of reality?” I could say no more. I’ve had one heart attack in my life, and I’m not going to drive myself to another over such idiocy. How have we come to this point? How has a common experience, so earth shaking that, like the assignation of JFK, we all remember where we were when it happened, become so fraught with conspiracy and delusion? Perhaps using JFK wasn’t such a good example.

This past week, our daughter started asking questions about 9/11, and my wife and I did our best to answer them. There was no question of saying, “just Google it,” because there is so much bovine feces about 9/11 now. I don’t trust hardly any of it to be accurate for a babe-in-the-woods, so to speak, who doesn’t have the benefit of prior knowledge. In 2002, my wife bought a book about the World Trade Centre, and what happened on 9/11. She bought it before we even had kids, but with the intention of having something to show them when they asked about this. I did just that, pulling the book out of the filing cabinet where it has remained. It was printed before wingnuts everywhere started brazenly blurting their socalled truths. In history, false flags have happened. That’s where an adversary stages some sort of attack, supposedly by the other side, to justify their own war. The Nazis did this on the border of Poland in 1939, dressing German soldiers in Polish uniforms to carry out an “attack” on a German customs post. The bodies leftover were actually those of concentration camp victims, killed so they could be dressed up in Polish uniforms and masqueraded as supposedly dead Polish soldiers from a failed attack. The Americans’ Gulf of Tonkin incident was used to spur their heavy involvement in Vietnam. This brings us to Sept. 14, 2019. What really happened in Saudi Arabia to take out, at least temporarily, half its oil processing capacity? Was it Iran? Yemeni rebels? Now I’m sounding like a conspiracy theorist! Whatever happened on the weekend, 9/11 was not an inside job. It was not a false flag. And it shaped our lives for nearly two decades now, and more to come. Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.

Op-Ed A5

Delivering the Gold Standard in real estate

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

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

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Missoula theatre’s auditions helped to pick Peter and Wendy

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

Estevan kids from kindergarten to Grade 12 had a chance to check out their performing talents and skills on Monday when the Missoula Children’s Theatre held auditions for its upcoming local performance of the Peter and Wendy. The amazing opportunity to try out what it feels like to be an actor and to perform on stage was created through the Estevan Arts Council and Koncert for Kids, which every year bring the Missoula Theatre to Estevan. About 50 kids attended the auditions. Even though local youths account for virtually all of the roles in the show, not all of them could become a part of the play. The children who will comprise the cast were selected on Monday and moved into rehearsals right after the

Beslan: 15 years later It’s been a few days and 15 years, but each time when the days of the tragedy come, it’s still hard for me to talk, write or even think about it. Every country has its own tragic milestone that once and forever has changed the march of history. For Americans, it was 9/11. For Russia, it was Beslan. Most of you probably heard of it, but up to this day it is a bleeding wound in hundreds of families and it’s a terrible page in contemporary history when once again, two years after 9/11, terrorists managed to spread fear and killed innocent people fighting their own political war. On Sept. 1, 2004, when all kids all across the country dress up, get flowers for teachers and head out to schools to celebrate the first day of classes, terrorists took everyone, all people who were on the territory of the School No. 1 of the Town of Beslan, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania at the moment, hostage. It was the biggest terrorist attack in Russian history. All 1,128 people were taken hostage, and most of them were kids. They were held in the hot and overcrowded gym lined up with explosives for three days. (Older kids were forced to participate in laying handmade explosives, which were two halves of two-litre pop bottles filled with bolts and nuts). All men who could potentially resist the terrorists were shot in the corridor within the first hours. In the beginning, the crowd was given water and were allowed to use bathrooms. But it lasted only until the TV reported that there were about 350 people inside the school. After that report, one of the terrorists said they could turn 1,128 people into 300. There were no more supplies provided and no moving around. Some investigations suggest that Russian law enforcement agencies received data about the upcoming attack well-before and even on the day of the terrorist act, however, nothing was done. On the third day, the school was taken by storm. Most analysts insist that it was obvious that the storm would result in numerous victims. Many hostages were saved, but 334 people died. One hundred eighty six of them were kids. Those who survived are young adults now, who had to grow and live with an enormous trauma, first physical, and then emotional. Many of them are still in Beslan and are still learning how to live. Years after the events, when I just enrolled with the university in Winnipeg, I was reading a book on terrorism and terrorism prevention. It started with quotes from a presentation delivered to the American government a few years prior to 9/11. The person, who prepared that presentation, a military official, was talking about the ineffective measures and approaches taken by the government. He was talking about the nature of terrorism – acts that are aimed at terrifying the masses, aimed at so-called non-combatants, aimed at hurting people who didn’t do anything and have no power, but when killed in front of the others become a valuable argument in that ugly bargain. Beslan happened after. So did many other, less bloody, but no less terrible attacks. Terrorism changed its face since then, and instead of one enemy leader, the head of an operation that could be caught, we now often see terrorists driving their vehicles into crowds, serving “ideas.” I was still enrolled in school when Beslan happened. For short moments, I tried to imagine all that around me. I couldn’t. I still can’t, 15 years later. That tragedy and chaos people lived through, enormous pain of losing children, siblings, relatives, friends, and the ocean of fear. Years passed by, but to a point, not much has changed. Terrorists still find their ways to spread fear making sure that we feel like there is no safe place that they couldn’t reach. And every year when it’s that time, I try to stop for a moment and double-check, if I’m actually living my life. Because even if I’m doing my best building my world the way I want it, others’ agenda may cross it at any minute. And I don’t want to regret.

Missoula Children’s Theatre auditions were once again a big challenge and a big attraction for young talents. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia auditions. They were also expected to have a clear schedule for the rest of the week, as the rehearsals will continue each day to get ready for the show.

Peter and Wendy will be performed Saturday at the Souris Valley Theatre’s Frehlick Hall. Performance times are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sentence handed down for driving drunk while on temporary release By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Most cases before Saskatchewan Provincial Court are resolved by way of a joint submission between the Crown and defence. In nearly all cases, the judge accepts the joint submission, but reserves the right to impose a different sentence if they so choose. On Sept.9, the case of a repeat drunk driver had Judge Michelle Brass looking at the suggested sentence, and in the end put off sentencing until Sept. 16. Bernice P. Neisz, 63, appeared Sept. 9 by video link from her place in custody, facing charges of operating a conveyance while impaired, doing so with a blood alcohol level over .08, and operating a conveyance while prohibited to do so. In laying out the details of the case, Crown prosecutor Mitch Crumley said on Sept. 9 that Neisz was already serving a 14-month sentence from a previous impaired convection. She was 3 1/2 months into that sentence, and a serving prisoner on a temporary absence when, on July 12, she was arrested for impaired driving. She blew samples of .150 and .140, in excess of the legal limit of .08. She had a three-year driving prohibition from March 20, following a one-year prohibition from the previous July.

“The challenge we have here is that for Ms. Neisz, simply that driving under the influence is unacceptable,” said Crumley Defence attorney Joelle Graham said, “I think this is not a situation where Ms. Neisz doesn’t get the message. Rather, she hasn’t been successful in reaching the stage to remain sober.” She had been working at a local nursing home and was “an upstanding member of society,” Graham told the judge. Neisz was in the process of selling her car at the time, but family issues came up, causing her emotional distress. Selling the car was intended to take away the opportunity to drive. That vehicle has since been sold. Graham said this was not a justification, but an explanation. When Neisz starts drinking, “She makes stupid decisions,” Graham said. Graham added Neisz would most likely lose her house, and doesn’t know if she would have a job waiting for her when she gets out of jail. These are significant consequences which Neisz understands, according to Graham. She had served 5

1/2 months of her initial 14-month sentence, with 8 1/2 months remaining. The joint submission was to add a concurrent 21 months from that point, meaning the remaining 8 1/2 months would be served at the same time as the new 21 months. Additionally, there would be a 10-year driving prohibition imposed. Neisz’ statement that “Here, you don’t get any counselling at all, which I miss,” had the judge questioning how much counselling Neisz would receive in a provincial correctional centre as opposed to a federal penitentiary. It takes a two-year sentence to trigger incarceration in a federal penitentiary. Neisz clarified there were courses, but no Alcoholics Anonymous, or oneon-one counselling. It was group counselling. She set the case over for one week to hear more case law on sentencing from the respective lawyers at that time. On that day, Graham submitted three cases applicable for consideration, two of which came from the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal demonstrating sentences in

a similar range, with one resulting in an eight-month sentence and the second of two years less a day. The third submission was a 2016 Supreme Court of Canada case which emphasized the importance of judges accepting joint submissions as offered. That last one was key, with Graham noting the Supreme Court had ruled that a joint submission should not be rejected lightly, and there was an “undeniably high threshold” for doing so. Crumley added that “21 months, going forward, is not insignificant.” Brass responded by saying, “I did raise the issue of public safety. That was my primary concern.” Brass’ pondering of federal time arose from Neisz suggesting there was a lack of programming for her in the provincial corrections system. “In light of the submissions made, I will accept the joint submission,” Brass concluded. Neisz got 21 months incarceration for the impaired charge and six months concurrent for driving while suspended, plus a 10-year driving prohibition.

Your opinion matters The Estevan Mercury welcomes your opinion on issues raised in this week’s edition of the paper and other matters in the community. Do you have thoughts on the federal election or anything else happening? Submit your letter by visiting www.estevanmercury. ca or emailing it to editor@estevanmercury.ca.

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Show Hours: Saturday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission $5 (12 & under FREE) Late night shopping on Saturday - $100 Vendor Bucks Draws at 5 p.m. & 6 p.m. Pancake Breakfast Saturday at the Legion - 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Supper in the Field (in the arena) Saturday 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Join the fun at the Races at The 15th Annual Bowan Rekken Memorial Moto-X Track Race! Saturday, Sept. 21 • 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Also, Don’t Miss the 17th Annual Quilt Show at Carlyle Memorial Hall! Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission $4 (12 & under FREE)

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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

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ECS is gearing up for a milestone year

The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The main activities are slated to take place next spring, however, the preparations have already started. ECS principal Pat Jeannot said the student representative council (SRC) is working on it. Later the school will put up a call out inviting the community members to join the committee and come up with a big celebration to happen sometime around May. “We have a few ideas that would work out best if we just did it towards the end of the year,” said Jeannot. The ECS had a pretty good start-up so far, with 772 students enrolled. The numbers will be finalized at the end of September, but so far they are up from the projected 725. Jeannot explained why this could be the case. “I found since I’ve been in Estevan here, that’s pretty typical in the community of this size that we draw from a fairly large area, as the economy, the jobs that are available, people move in and

out of the community, so it’s really fluid that way.” The school also has new additions to their staff. New teachers Trevor Gordon, Michelle Wallace and Jennifer Von Sprecken joined the team this year. ECS also has a new intern Amy Chapman. Gordon taught in Stoughton last year and will be covering for another teacher who is currently on maternity leave. Von Sprecken is from Estevan, and Wallace came to the Energy City from Regina, where she was teaching last year. This year ECS also started a number of new courses and continued with several that were offered last year. They continue to offer the sports medicine course. They also added the leadership 30 class and emergency services response class to the curriculum. These classes were added to the regular core and multiple electives the school was offering before. Jeannot also said there are a couple of other new classes that ECS is looking at for the future.

This year over 750 students are enrolled at the Estevan Comprehensive School. And so far the school has started exploring the capabilities of the new welding machine they purchased at the end of last year with the community support. “The CNC (computer numerical control) machine … wouldn’t have been possible to pick up without the multiple donors from around our community, so we plan

on doing a little celebration to have those donors in,” said Jeannot. Teacher Mark Kroeker has it up and running, and the school hopes to start seeing some projects coming out of the shop in the near future. “Pretty exciting for our students to be able to use something that is industry standard, and to get trained

on that to go right into the field to be able to use the machines that we know are out there,” said Jeannot. The other school activities are also in a full swing. The football team started practising a few weeks ago and has already had two games (for more on Elecs last football game see A14). Volleyball and soccer are up

and running. The astronomy club is planning lots of various activities for the students. The school has its pep rally coming up soon and they are also sending the SRC members to a student leadership conference this week. The ECS also continues with their flex or flexible learning time that they started up last year adding a few tweaks to it. “We’ve got flex time during homeroom, so each student is connected to a teacher advocate each and every day. That’s the time when kids can get extra homework done or do some career planning with an advocate in our school,” said Jeannot. He also noted that if anyone is willing to join the school committee council they are encouraged to contact the school. “They are an important part of our in-school improvement planning.” Now the school is in the process of significantly upgrading and modernizing the cafeteria, making it more attractive for students.

Hill View Manor residents enjoyed summer Submitted by Eunice Massett It has been a long time since I have written a newsletter from Hill View Manor, sharing some of the activities

our residents enjoy. We are in the midst of, once again, a change of seasons. Though our summer seemed like only a brief moment in the scheme of things, we now see fall peer-

ing around the corner. The leaves are beginning to have the hint of reds and oranges. In a short while they will be covered with a kaleidoscope of colours, offering up a feast for our eyes. I love fall

and all of its beauty, though I am sad to say farewell to our all-too-short summer. Our gardens here at Hill View have been prolific this year. Cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, beans and potatoes are some of the fresh produce we have enjoyed. I consider myself a pretty good gardener but I can’t begin to compete with our tomato patch that Gordon Loustel takes care of. The flowers and vegetables bring much pleasure to a lot of our residents. Several of them sit outside in the gazebo, visiting and enjoying the beauty that surrounds them, affording some moments of peace in this busy world we live in. Our August calendar was filled with activities and outings that kept everyone busy. Every week through the summer we took a different group to Woodlawn where they rode on golf carts and had a tour of the course, followed by lunch in the clubhouse. We went on Walmart trips so the residents could

enjoy shopping for themselves, had walks around the track at Affinity Place, took part in high tea at the Souris Valley Museum and went country cruising to check out the crops with the SMILE Services van. We hope that the weather will co-operate so our farmers can carry on with harvest and get the crops in the bins. Entertainment included The Freebies, Caragana Ramblers, Susan Moser, Keith and Garry, Szakacs Family and Susan Shepherd. She played at our monthly birthday party on Aug. 29, with the only recipient being Gordon Loustel who turned 94. Many other activities are offered for our residents to keep as busy as they choose to be. Games, Bingo, devotions, exercises, movies, baking, wine and cheese, manicures, church services, mass, etc. We encourage the residents to take part in what they enjoy and still have time for their families and just quiets moments alone. We are sorr y to announce the passing of our Ed

Taffelmeyer, who passed away peacefully here at the manor on Aug. 3. We offer condolences to his wife Laura, who resides here with us, and his daughter Dana. Ed lived here for 2 1/2 years and did his best to stay strong and enjoy life. We pray that God’s comfort and peace will encompass the family as they move forward without their husband and father. This should be enough information to let you know that we are still a busy and happy home here at Hill View Manor. We look forward to new people moving in and are saddened by the loss of those who leave us. Not one resident who has lived here has failed to make an impact on our lives. We glean a wealth of knowledge from each one as they share their history with us and the many lessons learned by them during their lifetime. We are privileged to be able to share God’s love for each of them through our hands.

ENDURO RACE A Memory Care Community

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Browsing the selection Don DeChief looked through the licence plates that were available during the Estevan Antique Auto Club’s Gigantic Flea Market and Swap Meet on Saturday at the Wylie-Mitchell building. Dozens of exhibitors had booths at the event, and while many of the items available were for automobiles, there was lots of other merchandise for customers to purchase.

City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800 Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880

Message From

The Mayor Please slow down in school zones. Clean Sweep

October 18, 19 & 20, 2019 FREE WEEKEND AT THE LANDFILL SITE

Proof of Residency will be required. 1. Items allowed to be dropped of for “free” include: furniture, grass clippings, tree branches and regular household garbage including appliances (excluding refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and mattresses/box springs). 2. All hazardous materials will not be accepted. 3. According to Bylaw 96-1489 11.(2) all loads must be completely covered or secured to prevent littering while in transport to the landfill. 4. No Commercial refuse or rural customer refuse will be accepted for free. 5. No Railway Ties LANDFILL HOURS: Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Weekends 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Energy

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Drilling rig activity remained light

With Saskatchewan having been soaked by rain for the better part of last week, and areas like Estevan getting in excess of three inches of cumulative rain, the knock-off impact has been a sharp drop-off of active drilling rigs working throughout the province. On Sept. 13, the active drilling rig for Saskatchewan had dropped by almost half from its level of a week before, according to sister publication Rig Locator. While the rig count had been in the 40s for the month of August, it had plummeted to 25 once the rain stopped. The map on Rig Locator (riglocator.ca) showed a substantial reduction in the number of active drilling rigs in most areas of the province. There was no drilling north of Highway 16 in the northwest. The Kindersley and Swift Current areas were also down substantially. However, southeast Saskatchewan, with 10 rigs drilling or moving (plus two working on potash) may have been slightly better off, percentage wise. When roads get soggy, rural municipalities will often impose road bans until they firm up. This is particularly the case in west-central Saskatchewan. The impact of the rain is being felt across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Whereas at this time of year, over the last few summers, an oil company like Crescent Point Energy Corp. would have around 24 rigs working to place it in the top spot, on Sept. 13, it only took six active rigs for Tourmaline Oil Corp. to claim the number one position. Crescent Point, which has been the perennial leader across the nation for much of the last several years, had five rigs going. This tied it for second place with Seven Generations Energy Ltd.

It took all the working rigs of the top five active oil companies to equal the activity of what Crescent Point was doing around this time of year in recent years. In southeast Saskatchewan, the drilling was largely concentrated in the areas along the U.S. border near Torquay and in a 30-kilometre radius around Lampman. Crescent Point had rigs working at Viewfield, Beaubier and Torquay. Vermillion Energy Inc had rigs at Queensdale and Oungre. Torc Oil & Gas Ltd. had rigs at Outram and Steelman. Individual rigs were working for Triland Energy Inc. at Wordsworth, Astra Oil Corp. at Steelman, and Fire Sky Energy at Bryant, north of Estevan. Then there’s the usual rig reported at Esterhazy for Mosaic Potash, and a new regular, Western Potash, south of Kronau. In the southwest, only two rigs were still turning to the right. Federated Co-operatives Ltd. had one at Bench, halfway between Gull Lake and Shaunavon. Crescent Point had one rig at Eastbrook, southeast of Eastend. Moving into west-central Saskatchewan, Turnstone Energy Inc. had one rig at Greenan, just southwest of Elrose. Teiner Energy Ltd. had a

A service rig could be seen working just east of Stoughton on Sept. 14. There weren’t that many drilling rigs working in southeast Saskatchewan on that day, but on Sept. 16, five drilling rigs were reported as moving. Photo by Brian Zinchuk rig at Totnes, south of Fiske, another north of Kindersley, and a third southwest of Kerrobert. That third rig was one of a string of three rigs working in basically a short, straight line, but for different companies. Baytex Energy Ltd. had one, and Steelhead Petroleum Ltd. had another. Tamarack Acquisition Corp. had one rig working near the Alberta border at Milton. Caltex Resrouces kept

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plugging away at Cosine, south of Macklin, with two rigs working side-by-side, within two kilometres of the Alberta border. The only two rigs working in northwest Saskatchewan were a Baytex rig just outside of Maidstone, and a Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.-hired rig working three kilometres south of the Lloydminster Husky Oil Upgrader.

Rig Locator has recently totally overhauled its map feature, making it much easier to use, and providing more detail when you click on individual rigs. In addition to surface location, operator, contractor, rig name, spud date and predicted depth, it also includes UWI, well type (horizontal or vertical), objective (oil/gas) and projected zone. There is also a

button to click on for directions and a Google Map view. Rig Locator is a paid subscription service within Glacier Media, parent company of the Estevan Mercury. In our reporting, we use Rig Locator’s numbers, which include rigs that are moving as part of the rig count. This is opposed to other rig counts which only include rigs that are actively drilling.

FARM & LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT AUCTION SHIRLEY PETTERSON & THE ESTATE OF GORDON PETTERSON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 @ 10:00am MANOR, SASK. DIRECTIONS: 2 MILES WEST OF MANOR ON HWY 13

TRACTORS: JOHN DEERE 4440 2WD TRACTOR; 8710 Hours, Quad Shift, 2 Hydraulics, 20.8-38 Duals, JOHN DEERE 4250 2WD TRACTOR & JOHN DEERE 148 FRONT END LOADER; 8300 Hours, Quad Powershift, 2 Hydraulics, Joystick Loader Control, Peloquin Grapple, JOHN DEERE 4020 2WD TRACTOR; Powershift, ALLIS CHALMERS TRACTOR WITH MOUNTED SAW BLADE LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT: NEW HOLLAND 1475 16FT HAYBINE JOHN DEERE 535 ROUND BALER, MORRIS 800 ROUND BALE HAY HIKER, JIFFY 920 BALE PROCESSOR, ROYAL T/A GOOSENECK STOCK TRAILER; 22FT, DIVIDER GATE, CHICKASAW TANDEM AXLE HORSE TRAILER, TANDEM AXLE 2 HORSE TRAILER, FLEXI COIL TRAILER TYPE POST POUNDER, BEAR CAT MIX MILL, QUANTITY OF 5 BAR PORTABLE PANELS, QUANTITY OF WINDBREAK PANEL FRAMES, NUMEROUS GATES

AND PANELS, ROUND BALE FEEDERS PORTABLE CALF SHELTERS, CATTLE SQUEEZE CHUTE, METAL CLAD CHOP BIN, QUANTITY OF OILFIELD DRILL STEM TRAILER & VEHICLES: PJ TANDEM AXLE 30FT GOOSENECK TRAILER 1983 FORD S/A GRAIN TRUCK; 15FT Box, 5&2 Transmission, 30,545 Kms Showing 1987 FORD F-250 SUPER CAB TRUCK; 2WD, Long Box, 4 Speed Manual 1990 FORD F-150 SUPER CAB TRUCK; 2WD, 5 Speed Manual, 1978 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS 4 DOOR CAR HARVEST EQUIPMENT: JOHN DEERE 7721 TITAN II PTO COMBINE PREMIER 1900 PT SWATHER; 30FT, Pick-up Reel, Auto-fold, 1000 PTO KOENDERS POLY DRUM SWATH ROLLER

SEEDING & TILLAGE: BOURGAULT 6800 AIR SEEDER & BOURGAULT 2130 AIR CART JOHN DEERE 9350 HOE DRILLS; 2X10 BIG G 14FT OFFSET DISC JOHN DEERE 100 24FT CULTIVATOR MORRIS MAGNUM CP725 27FT CULTIVATOR FLEXI-COIL TINE HARROWS INTERNATIONAL DISCER DIAMOND HARROW BAR MISC EQUIPMENT: LEON 10FT DOZER BLADE LEON 550 EARTH SCRAPER DEGELMAN ROCK PICKER FOR PARTS HARMON FIELD SPRAYER SAKUNDIAK 7-41 AUGER & HONDA ENGINE SAKUNDIAK HD10-50 SWING AUGER WESTFIELD 7-40 PTO AUGER MAYWRATH AUGER PLUS SHOP TOOLS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

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THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT Drilling Licenses

10 new licenses issued to Monday, September 16 136007 135598 136481 136013 136015 136429 135075 135073 135113 136674

NAL Resources Limited Hz ................................................................................................. 6-35-5-33 Black Hat Ventures Hz .......................................................................................................... 1-15-4-6 Whitecap Resources Hz .................................................................................................... 14-26-6-14 NAL Resources Limited Hz ................................................................................................. 6-11-6-33 NAL Resources Limited Hz ................................................................................................. 6-35-5-33 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 2-18-3-12 Adonai Resources Corp Hz ................................................................................................... 4-11-2-1 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................. 16-2-7-5 Ridgeback Resources Hz .................................................................................................... 9-25-10-8 Crescent Point Energy Hz ..................................................................................................... 4-6-9-10

87F069 122131 120748 131090 134278 123777 127435 133856 121492 123229 131116 135387 132704 121818 109000

Rig Report

Red Hawk Well Servicing.......................Pemoco Ltd........................................................ 15-30-9-33 Precision Drilling Canada...............Crescent Point Energy.................................................... 15-4-9-9 Horizon Drilling..............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 4-15-1-12 Precision Drilling Canada...............Crescent Point Energy................................................ 16-26-10-7 Panther Drilling Corp .........................Vermilion Energy.................................................... 13-26-2-31 Ensign Canadian Drilling................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 12-10-8-7 Trinidad Drilling ...................................Torc Oil & Gas .......................................................... 1-4-2-11 Horizon Drilling..................................Vermilion Energy...................................................... 7-27-2-14 Ensigns Drilling .............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 15-7-2-11 Horizon Drilling.............................. Ridgeback Resources .................................................. 1-23-10-7 Stampede Drilling ................................Torc Oil & Gas ........................................................ 11-23-5-6 Stampede Drilling ...............................Fire Sky Energy ......................................................... 4-14-5-9 Trinidad Drilling .............................Crescent Point Energy................................................ 15-33-1-16 Horizon Drilling..............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 4-15-1-12 Horizon Drilling.............................. Ridgeback Resources .................................................. 4-13-10-8

A10 September 18, 2019

September 18, 2019 A11

HOME IMPROVEMENT Flooring: the best option for every room in your house If you’re renovating your home, choosing which flooring materials to use is probably a priority. Here are some recommendations for the various rooms in your house. • Kitchen. This high-traffic area needs a floor that can stand up to spills and heavy use. Ceramic tiles, engineered wood and vinyl are all durable choices that are easy to clean and won’t be damaged by water. • Bathroom and laundry room. The floors in these rooms are likely to get wet

YOUR Fire

Water

more often than other rooms in the house. Ceramic, porcelain and vinyl tiles are the best choices here.

If you don’t like the look of wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs laid over hardwood can provide you with the best of both worlds.

• Living and dining room. Hardwood is a common choice for living and dining room floors. You can also choose engineered wood or laminate flooring that mimics the look of wood. Alternatively, opt for wall-to-wall carpeting you love.

• Basement. Since they’re underground, there’s a risk that basement floors will get flooded. Vinyl and laminate

planks are the best type of flooring for this potentially damp environment. When choosing flooring for different rooms, remember the rule of three: you shouldn’t be able to see more than three types of flooring at any one time.

• Bedrooms. Hardwood works very well in bedrooms, but some people prefer a soft surface, like carpeting.

5. Remodel the kitchen. If you schedule it right, you could complete your kitchen renovation in time to do your holiday baking in the updated space.

1. Update the siding. Nothing boosts your home’s curb appeal like a fresh coat of paint or brand new siding.

Most of these projects will increase your home’s value. They’ll also protect your home from the elements and, in some cases, help to lower your monthly energy bills.

Got Gas? Southern Saskatchewan is a hotspot p for radon gas.

Bedrooms • Clean out all drawers • Get rid of clothes that don’t fit or you don’t wear anymore • Clean and put away summer clothes and prepare your winter wardrobe • Wash duvets, comforters and pillows • Vacuum and flip the mattress Kitchen and bathroom • Clean and organize all cabinets • Wash the shower curtain and liner • Check the caulking around the sink, tub and shower and reapply if necessary

• Scrub the grout between tiles • Clean all appliances • Seal and polish natural stone counter tops

The whole house • Hire a carpet cleaner or steam clean the rugs and carpets yourself • Spot clean furniture upholstery • Wash all windows and windowsills • Clear cobwebs from ceilings and walls • Clean baseboards • Disinfect light switches and doorknobs

Are you unsure whether to get a gas or propane fireplace? In spite of their many similarities, these two options have a few differences that can help you determine which is best for you. If you already have a natural gas provider (because you have a gas stove, for example), you

For more information, contact Frank Kirkpatrick

Pros Whether you choose a fireplace that runs on propane or natural gas, you’ll have an effective, easy-to-use heating unit. Both can be turned on and off and controlled by a thermostat. Many models can also be programmed so that they turn on and off at set times. Both types require little maintenance since they don’t produce ash. You just have to clean the glass and the burners on a regular basis. Finally, neither option requires the installation of a chimney. A tube or vent is enough to let combustion gases out.

Phone or text: (306) 552-6773 email: fkirkpatrick@accesscomm.ca Website: www.masterradon.ca

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may want to opt for a gas fireplace. The coupling and maintenance will be easier due to existing infrastructure. A propane fireplace, however, will have to be connected to an outdoor tank. But if you want your fireplace to create a warm, rustic atmosphere, choose propane. It creates a flame similar to that of a wood-burning fireplace, which makes it more visually pleasing than a gas-powered model. Nevertheless, propane fireplaces are usually more expensive than gas-powered ones. They also tend to be more expensive to use, as propane costs more than natural gas in many locations.

It may seem like a lot of work, but by tackling one room at a time over the course of a few weekends, your fall cleaning will feel manageable.

Is Your Home Ready for Winter?

Have you tested your house?

306-687-7000 www.winmar.ca

Are you ready to winterize your home? Then here’s a room-by-room checklist of the fall cleaning you’ll want to do this season.

Fireplaces: natural gas or propane?

4. Change the windows and doors. Much like your roof, your windows and doors play a big role in keeping your home comfortable and dry.

Renovating?

238 - 4th Street, Estevan

Fall cleaning checklist

3. Repair or replace the roof. Your roof protects your home against rain, snow and wind. If yours is due for a renovation, fall is the best season to complete the task.

Mould

We do that too!

Thanks to its typically temperate weather, fall is the ideal time to complete a number of renovations. Here are some types of projects that are best to undertake in autumn.

2. Repave the driveway. A freshly paved driveway will stand up to the harsh winter weather that’s approaching.

RESTORATION SPECIALISTS

Wind

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