Estevan Mercury 20191218

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Issue 34

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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

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By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

One of the marquee junior hockey events in the country will be coming to Estevan for the first time in 2022: the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.

The announcement was made by the City of Estevan and the Estevan Bruins Thursday morning during a press conference at Affinity Place.

The tournament is sanctioned by Hockey Canada and will take place over a 10-day span in May 2022, and will feature four junior A hockey league champions from across the country in addition to the host Bruins.

“Led by the host committee, the Centennial Cup will be an absolute true partnership between the Bruins and the city, and both have stepped up in admirable fashion to make this what we think will be one of the best events ever,” said City Councillor Greg Hoffort, who will serve as the co-chair of the event committee alongside Bruins president Cory Prokop.

“ We’re confident in the support of the city, our first-class facilities, a solid hockey tradition in Estevan and our amazing athletes, many of which are behind us and will be eligible in ... 2022.”

Prokop said the Bruins have enjoyed success in the past few seasons, with three straight division titles and appearances in the league’s semifinal round, and a trip to the league final in 2018. “ Knowing that we were going to be hosting the national championship in 2022, we made the conscious decision to go with a more youthful lineup in an effort to build towards a championship-calibre team for the event that we’re going to be hosting.”

The tournament will have a break-even budget of $700,000-$800,000. Revenues will come through grants from Hockey Canada, the provincial government and the city; sponsorships; ticket sales, and miscellaneous sources.

“We’re going to welcome Canada to Affinity Place here in Estevan,” said Hoffort.

been a long road to reach this point, but they have been aiming for continual growth in the organization.

“Starting this season, we’ve more than ever focused our energy on leadership and growth within our group, rather than trying to pull from outside our group and adding to our hockey team.”

With the leadership team currently in place, and the players in place for next year’s team, Lewgood believes they will have success that will lead to experience for the younger players.

He’s disappointed the 2000-born talent won’t get the opportunity to be part of Estevan playing host to the tournament, but Lewgood is excited for their 2001 and 2002-born talent.

“We’ll able to have 10 returning players playing their third year (of junior) by the time that tournament rolls around, which is a huge number, and then you add in the 02s and other players that we put in for next year who will end up being second-year players,” he said.

A2 » TOURNAMENT Dream Realty

Estevan Bruins president Cory Prokop spoke during a press conference Thursday at Affinity Place to announce that Estevan would be hosting the 2022 Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship.

The projected economic spinoff of the tournament is about $3 million, Hoffort said, based on what other communities have experienced when hosting nationals.

“It’s going to fill a lot of hotels, a lot of restaurants, a lot of shopping venues, and the economic impact of an event like this is huge,” said Hoffort.

A lasting legacy for the tournament will be felt by the Bruins, the Estevan

Minor Hockey Association and possibly various facilities in Estevan. Those details will be worked out with the host committee and Hockey Canada.

A volunteer base of about 180 people will be needed. Some people have already stepped forward, but many more will be needed. The steering committee will be composed of members of the Bruins board, city council, the business committee, vol-

unteers and people with experience on previous national events in the city.

“Estevan has proven that when it comes to hosting events of this scale, we are second to none in the country. We look forward to showcasing our city, our beautiful facility, our amazing volunteers and our community in 2020,” said Prokop.

Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said it’s

Petition calls on province to commit to CCS expansion

By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Josh LeBlanc, and apparently 2,300 other people, want the province to commit, now, to further clean coal development in Estevan.

On Dec. 12 he presented a petition, which had been posted on the website change.org, to Estevan MLA and Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr.

The petition pointed out, “The continued expansion of CCS technology has not been announced or confirmed at Boundary Dam and Shand Power Station.”

It went on to say, “We … respectfully request that the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan: Immediately announce the expansion of CCS (carbon capture and storage) technology to Unit 6 at Boundary Dam Power

Station and to Shand Power Station and to have it completed and in operation prior to 2030. This will ensure a greener future, create job opportunities in an already struggling economy and secure a life of economic prosperity for the citizens and families of Estevan and the surrounding area.”

The Boundary Dam Unit 3 Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Project went online in October 2014.

Since then, the province has not firmly indicated it would proceed with a second commercial-scale implementation of CCS, but it has indicated it would not be implementing the technology on Boundary Dam Units 4 and 5. Those units will be shut down by 2021 and 2024, respectively.

LeBlanc said, “It’s kind of to a point right now where

Josh LeBlanc, left, presented Estevan MLA Lori Carr with a petition calling on the province to make clear its intention to go ahead with carbon capture and storage. Photo by Brian Zinchuk the provincial government is using the federal government as a scapegoat. I think it’s time to realize that political uncertainty is always going

to be a thing, and it’s time that we move forward, for our community’s sake, and start developing things here, to make sure we have coal-

powered generation. We can save some SaskPower jobs and create a greener future, all at the same time.

He said some of the

signatures are from across Canada, but “we have a number of signatures from here, in Saskatchewan.”

LeBlanc was the one behind the petition. “We’ve got some big things coming towards this community within the next four years, some major economic changes that could be coming down the pipe. This is a way for us to secure our future.

This is a way to mitigate the impacts of other closures that are possibly going to affect our community as well, Units 4 and 5.

“We can bring construction jobs in. It won’t be such a devastating effect on our community. We’re creating a greener future, and we’re creating a future for our grandkids, for our families, for our younger citizens of this province, and especially A2 » UNCERTAINTY

A2 December 18, 2019

Estevan MLA Lori Carr responds to CCS petition

By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Estevan MLA and Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr had a prepared response for the petition passed onto her on Dec. 12, calling on the province to commit to further carbon capture and storage implementation in the province’s coal-fired power generation fleet. The petition will be brought forward during the spring session of the legislature.

Here is her response, verbatim: “I would like to take the opportunity to make a statement regarding our government ’s position on continuing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. I would like to

thank Josh LeBlanc for starting the change.org petition, as well as those committed members of the community that have signed onto it. Rest assured that I hear you, and would like to take the opportunity to respond to the petition.

I believe in CCS technology, the benefits to our environment, and the scientific innovation involved in the project that was piloted at Boundary Dam. The original design has been improved since the initial pilot, and has recently topped over three million tonnes of CO2 captured since it started operation in 2014. Our government is committed to emission reduction through innovation and industry support, rather than through an ineffective

carbon tax. I have been, and remain supportive of CCS at Boundary Dam, and would like to see it continue to operate in Estevan.

“There are several factors that will go into the decision of CCS continuation, and no decision has been made yet.

Certainly, both capital and operational costs weigh into this decision. However, regulations also play a big part, and the goalposts for regulation of power generation are continually moving thanks to policies put in place by the federal government. Nuclear power generation is also an option that is being explored.

In any case, this will not be a snap decision, and many options will be weighed against each other.

“In line with our sup-

Uncertainty hurting Estevan « A1 Estevan and the surrounding area,” he said.

LeBlanc is a realty broker.

Asked what impact the uncertainty around coal, combined with the downturn in the oilpatch has had on housing prices, he said, “The uncertainty has led to about a 30 per cent decline in our market from the height of the boom,” he said.

“We have listing inventories that are significantly higher – three times, almost four times higher than what we’re used to seeing. We have foreclosures that continue to be on the rise. It is my prediction that you will see those foreclosures continue,” LeBlanc said, predicting those

numbers will rise in the spring.

Declining investment in the community, as well as some taxation issues have been factors, he said. And the market just isn’t there to build new houses.

“Everything is snowballing at one time. I understand you can’t experience a boom without a bust, but we’re going way beyond a bust here,” LeBlanc said.

He’s a firm believer in diversifying Estevan’s economy.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to have to diversify into different economic sectors in order to save the viability of Estevan,” he said.

While he believes nuclear would be a way to go, LeBlanc

said, “I don’t believe we need to go away from coal-powered electricity. I believe what needs to happen is the narrative needs to be adjusted. Coal’s not the issue. The emissions are.

The province of Saskatchewan has invested heavily into a solution, and we have a proven solution that works.

He pointed out that the first implementation of a new technology, like BD3, will have issues, but future projects can be done cheaper.

LeBlanc is frustrated regarding a lack of study into the impact of the loss of jobs affiliated with closure of the next two units. He feels the 50 jobs cited by SaskPower are not a true reflection of the impact.

port of a thoughtful transition, the Government of Saskatchewan has committed to a $10 million economic transition fund to support the energy-dependent communities of Estevan and Coronach.

In addition, Premier Moe has stated his support for Saskatchewan’s southeast region remaining a player in the province’s generation of electricity. However, I do not expect a decision to be made likely until 2024-25.

At that time, it will be determined what power generation will look like going forward, whether that is through CCS,

nuclear power, a combination of both, or a new technology that emerges between now and then. However, we are too far out from 2029 to make truly informed decisions at this stage.

“I share the intention of the signatories of this petition to ‘ensure a greener future, create job opportunities in an already struggling economy and secure a life of economic prosperity for the citizens and families of Estevan and the surrounding area.’ There is no doubt that these issues are top of mind for our community and have wide

support. While I understand the frustration involved for people waiting for a decision, I strongly believe power production will be a part of Estevan’s future. It will just take time to determine what that will look like. I would like to thank the signatories for bringing raising their voices and engaging with government on this – that is truly the essence of democracy. I want you to know that I am listening, and I hope to work collaboratively with you to determine the best possible energy future for the Estevan area.”

Tournament will allow Estevan to shine

« A1 While the tournament isn’t as big of a recruiting tool as some people might think, the Centennial was still used as part of the pitch when trying to bring talent here.

Team captain Jayden Davis, a lifelong Bruin fan who hails from Alameda, said he is looking forward to watching the team in 202122. He’ll have exercised his junior eligibility by that point, but he’s impressed with the young talent on the Bruins.

“These young guys have so much skill, and I can’t explain to you how awesome it is going to be to watch these guys,” said Davis.

He hopes the fans will support the tournament in a similar fashion to the way in which they have supported the team the past two seasons, especially in the playoffs.

One of the players who will be eligible to be part of the team is defenceman Alex Von Sprecken of Estevan.

The first-year blueliner said it’s exciting to know that the tournament will be in his hometown.

“It’s a dream come true to play for a national championship. It’s an exciting announcement, and I’m looking forward to it.”

He also believes the Bruins have an excellent group of young talent that will be ready to face Canada’s best.

“It’s a good group with lots of skill,” said Von Sprecken.

Mayor Roy Ludwig commended all of those who dedicated a lot of time to the bid, and the members of the community who supported the bid and the large events

Estevan has hosted previously.

“With the great volunteer base, we know that this will be a 100 per cent success,” said Ludwig.

Estevan originally submitted a bid to host the tournament in 2021. It was shortlisted with two communities from B.C., Salmon Arm and Penticton. Since Estevan and Penticton were so close in the running, Hockey Canada decided to award the tournament to Penticton in 2021 and Estevan for the following year.

Details had to be ironed out with Tim Hortons regarding their sponsorship before the 2022 tournament could be formally announced.

Estevan has shown it can shine on a national scale before, and Porkop is confident the city will do so again.

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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Christmas festivities filled Woodlawn Park

By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

The Estevan community received a Christmas spirit boost at the Woodlawn Regional Park.

Christmas at the Park attracted hundreds of people last Sunday. Everyone could find some festive and fun activities to taste, and all guests who made it to the park Sunday pass the holiday spirit forward participating in a day full of excitement.

Christmas snowwomen were the first sights people could see pulling in by the Doug Third Building at the park. They were directing traffic and advising the guests about different activities happening around, and there was a lot to choose from.

The fill-up station was inside, so guests could get warm while enjoying some snacks. The Southern Plains Co-op donated hotdogs and hot chocolate to make sure that no one leaves the event cold or hungr y. Henders Drugs and Energy Electric also made donations to help the event happen.

Sleigh rides were one of the most popular activities during Christmas at the Park.

Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia Durr Photography was at the event to capture kids whispering their wishes to Santa Claus, who came all the way from the North Pole and once again made it just on time to meet all of the excited younger members of the Estevan communities.

The Estevan Bruins came

out to play road hockey with the younger guests, who had a blast on the field behind the building. There also was a big snowbank for kids to colour.

Sleigh rides once again were one of the biggest hits of the day.

“We hired Stan Milford.

He has three teams of horses

with wagon rides,” said park business manager Maureen Daoust.

Fireworks by Big Bang Fireworks were the culmination of the event at the first location. Then the guests moved over to the other side of Woodlawn Regional Park to enjoy the kickoff to the

Savour likely to take a break

EPS brings back positive ticketing campaign

City clerk Judy Pilloud, Santa Claus, City of Estevan destination marketing-communications consultant Rebecca Westling and Estevan Police Service Const. Jeremy Taman participated in a positive ticketing photo opportunity at city hall. Photo submitted The Estevan Police Service has announced the return of its positive ticketing initiative in an effort to reward people for good behaviour prior to and after the Christmas season.

The initiative started on Dec. 11, with members of the EPS visiting local businesses to distribute some of the cards and to spread some Christmas cheer.

Police Chief Paul Ladouceur, speaking at the Dec. 11 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, said Saskatchewan Government Insurance has provided a $1,000 grant for the program, and the 7-11 stores in Estevan stepped forward and matched the donation.

The EPS had 400 gift cards from 7-11 worth $5 each to distribute throughout the community.

“Our members will be out there looking for people who are doing positive things, or driving in a positive manner,” said Ladouceur.

Santa Claus joined local officers on Dec. 11.

“He’s been riding with the officers and stopping vehicles,” said Ladouceur.

The EPS will also be distributing the cards to sober drivers during check stops.

“It doesn’t take a lot, it just takes an officer saying that person is driving very responsibly, or they’re crossing the street at the light rather than the

middle of the street,” said Ladouceur.

The positive ticketing efforts have already generated positive feedback on the EPS Twitter feed, with people thanking the police for the efforts. One motorist noted she was surprised when she was pulled over in a school zone, thinking she might have been going over the speed limit, but was pleasantly surprised to receive a gift card from the officer and Santa for obeying the maximum in the restricted speed area.

In previous years, the EPS has partnered with Tim Hortons and McDonalds for positive ticketing initiatives, and Ladouceur also pleased when the EPS can partner with local businesses on these efforts.

third edition of the Festival of Lights, which exceeded all expectations.

“We have over 30 businesses and service organizations that are participating, which is an increase from last year. I think we had 11 groups in 2017, and I think we had 25 groups last year,” said Daoust.

“We are super pumped about it too.”

The lights came on as soon as the skies turned dark, and now they will come on at dusk time and stay on for about six hours every night until Jan. 7.

Christmas in the Park took quite a bit of time to put together.

“We’ve been planning since pretty much the park closed. The park closed September 30,” said Daoust.

And as soon as the board members said goodbye to the 2019 summer season, they started lining up organizations, donors and people that they hire for the event. Board members came to volunteer that night as well.

It stayed steadily busy throughout the day with many people coming to get their portion of Christmas.

However, there was no way to calculate the numbers for attendance, as it was open for everybody.

“It’s a free community event, so we are really proud to offer it and just spread Christmas cheer for everybody,” said Daoust.

If an organization doesn’t step forward to help run and benefit from the event, then Savour the Southeast will likely have to take a break in 2020.

Savour the Southeast has been an annual showcase of Saskatchewan restaurants, most of them local, and the province’s burgeoning craft beer, wine and spirits industry since 2016. It was started as a fundraiser for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games, but it has shifted to be a fundraiser for local non-profits.

Last year it was announced that the Estevan Family Resource Centre would benefit from the event moving forward, but the organizing committee for Savour revealed earlier this fall that it was looking for a partnering organization to step forward.

Nobody did, and so Savour likely won’t happen in 2020.

“One of the main reasons that you can make Savour go is you have a non-profit to fundraise for, and we just haven’t had any non-profits step up that want to take on Savour as their fundraiser for the year,” said Brittany Zahn, who is the chair for the Savour committee.

“Without any non-profits interested, we decided that it didn’t make sense for us to continue planning this year, and that’s why we are going to take a break.”

When nobody stepped forward, there was a discussion about the family centre running the event again, but they ran into the same issues as the other non-profits they reached to, because they don’t feel they had the manpower on their board to

successfully take on the event.

“Either it was too big of an undertaking or too close to some of their other big fundraisers,” she said.

If someone did step forward right away, Zahn believes Savour might still happen in 2020, if that organization knew they were facing tighter timelines.

“We did start a lot of the groundwork for Savour. Basically the only thing we need is someone with the non-profit to be selling sponsorship. That would be the one thing that would need to be an immediate thing.”

If not, she is optimistic Savour can occur in 2021.

“Our whole committee is still willing to move forward with a non-profit, even if they decided in January that they wanted to (host the event), and we did take 2020 off, we would still help plan for 2021. We’re keeping all of our planning tools that we have together, in hopes that someone is going to step up.”

One of the reasons a nonprofit is needed is for the liquor licence, so some of the alcohol companies can get a discount on their product.

Last year’s Savour was run by a committee of eight, and while it was a lot of work, it wasn’t unmanageable, and they were happy with how the event went. A lot of the work can be done online or by phone calls.

“We had a lot of fun last year, and we were excited about this year because we knew that much more about the planning and moving forward with the event,” said Zahn.

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EDITORIAL

Estevan wins with Centennial Cup Last week’s announcement that the 2022 Centennial Cup presented by Tim Hortons is coming to Estevan was a victory, not just for the Estevan Bruins, but for the community as a whole.

Estevan had been gunning for the 2021 edition of the national junior A hockey championship, but ultimately Hockey Canada decided to award the tournament to Penticton, B.C., for 2021, and then Estevan in 2022, rather than forcing Estevan to go through the process all over again when the Energy City had such a strong bid.

It was a pretty bright move to solve the situation of a dead heat between the two communities.

The Centennial Cup is a hockey tournament, but it is much more than that. It will be a showcase for our city. It’s a chance for people to see what a great arena we have in Affinity Place, the excellent hotel and restaurant options that we boast, and the wonderful people living here.

The bid committee for Estevan has been touting an estimated $3 million economic spinoff for the city. There will be four teams coming here from across the country, and in addition to the teams’ players and staff, you’ll have player parents and even a few fans making the trek to Estevan.

You’ll also have scouts coming from across North America to see the talent on display.

It will be a chance for our business community, as they’ll have an influx of people coming to Estevan. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of “Welcome

to Estevan” type signs on business storefronts.

People from across Canada will see how welcoming we can be, how dedicated our volunteers are and how much we love this great game.

They’ll spend their money here, and hopefully they’ll tell their family and friends what a great time they had.

We hope the only negative for the other teams will be when they play, and hopefully lose to, the Bruins.

The pressure will also be on the host Bruins to ice a championship-calibre team.The last three Centennial Cup hosts have won the tournament.

The last five hosts have been in the final.

Hosting the tournament gives a team an edge when it comes to recruiting talent, since those players know they have a chance to appear in a national tournament with the spotlight on them. But it’s not a guarantee for success.

This also speaks to the strength of the bid document put forward by the Bruins and the City of Estevan. The Penticton Vees are one of the prestige organizations in Canadian junior A hockey, as they’re a powerhouse in the B.C. Hockey League. Penticton is also one of the few junior A hockey communities in the country that has an arena on par with our Affinity Place.

They made money off of the Western Canada Cup the year after the Bruins made money off the tournament. They have excellent

community and corporate support, but the city is also easier to access for those coming from out of town than Estevan.

The bid document put forward by the Bruins and the City of Estevan was a flawless proposal that documented the Bruins history, Estevan’s track record for hosting outstanding events, the venues that will be used for all of the activities associated with the tournament, and where any profits from the tournament would be directed.

It checked every one of the boxes that Hockey Canada would want.

Now another challenge begins: getting ready to host the tournament. It would be easy to be complacent; after all, it will be nearly 2 1/2 years until the best junior A teams in the country will come to Estevan.

But we only have to look at the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games for an example of how quickly 2 1/2 years can pass. After all, Estevan was awarded the 2016 Games in November 2013.

The good news is that the steering committee for the 2016 Games went to work right away, and it proved to be an incredible, well-run week that showcased all that Estevan has to offer for the thousands of people who flocked to this city.

And now we’re going to get a chance to showcase the community in 2022 on a national scale.

That crude-by-rail derailment rattled the nerves a little bit I had a chilling realization on Dec. 11, two days after the crude-by-rail derailment occurred near Guernsey, Sask.

Depending on which route that train would have taken, three or so hours later, it could have passed within about 40 yards of my parent’s house on the edge of Yorkton.

It’s not that crude-by-rail trains don’t pass by regularly. But it’s especially chilling to realize that this one could have taken that route, and whatever caused it to derail could have potentially happened in Yorkton instead.

The train started at a Rosyth, Alta., immediately east of the Hardisty oil terminal, the principle oil hub for Canada. There we find the Gibson Energy/USD Group joint venture crudeby-rail loading facility. Its destination was Stroud, Okla., a chilling coincidence as that’s my stepdad and mom’s last name. Stroud is right beside Cushing, Okla., which is the principal oil hub for the United States.

The Transportation Safety Board update I received that evening did not indicate which route the train would have taken to Oklahoma.

According to CP’s route map available on its website, from Guernsey it could have gone south, to Regina, Moose Jaw and Estevan down to Minneapolis, or it could have continued eastward through Yorkton to Winnipeg, and south to North Dakota. Either way route would have had it eventually on the Soo Line to Minneapolis.

CP’s mainline network ends at Kansas City, which would have then required a different rail company to take the train to Stroud.

The origin and destination of this train essentially mirror the origin and ultimate destination of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, although the terminus for that pipeline would be Steele City, Neb. There it would join the Cushing Extension, which runs from Steele City to Cushing.

From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK Let me put that another way: If the Keystone XL pipeline had been built by now, this oil likely never would have been in a rail car. And that rail car would have never potentially rolled within spitting distance of my parents’ house.

Not every derailment results in the contents spilling and going foomp. I’ve been to two already – one near Glen Ewen (Canadian Pacific) and another south of St. Lazare, Manitoba (Canadian National). Neither had a fire. The respective rail companies responded with remarkable speed, having the trains cleaned up, the tracks cleared and put back into service, and the spill mopped up in astounding time.

But sometimes, they do go foomp. This happened at Lac-Mégantic, Que., in July, 2013, and Casselton, North Dakota, in December of that same year. As we all know, Lac Mégantic is one of the worst disasters to strike Canada in this century, killing 47 people in a conflagration that can only be best described as hellfire on earth. No one was hurt at Casselton.

Following Lac-Mégantic,Transport Canada brought in new rules stiffening the safety requirements for the rail tankers used to haul crude-by-rail. According to the Transportation Safety Board, the cars that derailed were a mix of nine Class 117R and 24 CPC-1232 Class 111 tank cars. Apparently, they met the current requirements.

And yet they still spilled and burned. Thank God the people who lived close enough to see the end of their driveway in flames were not injured. I won’t say “unharmed,” because who knows what

the smoke did to their lungs, nor that of the first responders and the crews who cleaned up the mess while it was still burning.

We are not going to know for a very long time what caused this derailment. The Transportation Safety Board told me 600 days is their target. We still haven’t heard anything definitive about the St. Lazare, Man., derailment on Feb. 16 of this year.

We don’t know if it was the fault of the train, which could have imperiled my parents, or anyone within the core of Saskatoon through which it passed hours earlier. We don’t know if it was the fault of the track, either. Someone I know emailed me saying they saw a maintenance crew working not far down the line, about 12 hours before the derailment. Could there be a connection? If so, is it the (bad) luck of the draw that it was crude oil that spilled, and not potash?

This is the situation we are forced into. In recent days I’ve taken to correcting several people who say we don’t have pipelines. No, we don’t have sufficient pipelines to handle additional growth of production for most of Western Canada. But we certainly do have pipelines. I worked on building a few of them.

When Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement, finished in Canada, gets completed in the U.S., hopefully that will alleviate some of the strain.

If TC Energy’s Keystone XL ever gets built, that would have almost certainly dealt with this particular cargo that spilled and burned. But even Donald Trump, who approved it in his first week in office, and subsequently reapproved it, hasn’t gotten it built. Next year he’ll be running for reelection, and still, no pipe.

I don’t know how many times it needs to be said, but oil needs to go in the pipe, and grain on the train.

Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.

Op-Ed A5

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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

Each office is independently owned and operated.

MP Kitchen comments on Scheer’s resignation

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Free press

abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Is there such a thing is a free press?

The beautiful idea of the free press that reproduces life and keeps an eye on agencies of all levels as well as the public moods and tendencies, was something that brought me to the doors of the faculty of journalism for the first time. I was 16 then and came to apply for pre-undergrad courses.

Those pre-courses already put the first dints into that image, adding realistic details to the picture my imagination painted. Thus, I realized the scale of media dependency. The further life experience just added bits and pieces of the possible types of control over media.

In this column, I wanted to talk about the two more widespread types of dependency. The first one, the government control, showed me its face pretty quickly and wasn’t too shocking since I heard a lot about propaganda in school.

Besides, throughout history affiliation between the media and a government or ruling elites was a good tradition. The first newspapers read aloud on the squares of old European cities were used to deliver information from top to bottom.

Later they became loudspeakers for the powerholders and also manipulative tools. I guess it was just one of the development stages, which is already in the past in some countries and for some media outlets, and not so much for others.

In general, I understand a need for a media covering government activities focusing on achievements rather than failures, but when it is as widespread as it is in the old country, not only does it become really dangerous for the society, but it is also often quite comical.

I’ll give you one example I personally came across back in Russia. It was almost 10 years ago, when one of the first people in St. Petersburg, which is the second biggest city in the country, used a funny-sounding word in their speech. From that moment most bureaucrats started using this word, which at that time definitely sounded wrong, and media was after the government’s illiteracy as well as bureaucratic urge to mimic the bosses. (Remark, a few years later scientists decided it was a linguistic norm. Not sure if it always was a fine word to use, or it developed its “normal” status). But after a few weeks of endless jokes around susceptible illiteracy, most editors in Petersburg received an email, “kindly” recommending them to stop it. We laughed at the email, but as sad as it is, we stopped, as a lot of roads were going through the government and there wasn’t much room for wiggling in those relationships. (Now it seems that there is completely no room for any different opinion and all media sounds almost the same and quite often ridiculous).

But like I said, government control was nothing new, the real power of it was somewhat of a shock. But I still wanted to believe in free press, and it seemed it existed in the Western World, where democracy was supposed to be a warrant of freedom of speech and thus freedom of the press. However, quite soon I realized that the West has its own hellhound – open market (on top of possible government affiliation for some media).

Today media is business (did you know that according to CEOWORLD magazine’s Canada Rich List Index For 2019 Canada’s wealthiest person, David Thompson, is a hereditary peer and media magnate?) So like any other business, media is ruled by demand and those who pay directly or not may affect the content.

A few years ago I met Carl Bernstein, who was one of the two reporters to uncover the Watergate break-in, and whose reporting led to indictments of 40 administration officials and the eventual resignation of President Nixon. He participated in the investigative journalism conference in Winnipeg, attended by a lot of the first-grade Canadian reporters. And he actually put a shame on frontline reporters for lack of guts and the swamp they turned the media into, and that was a bigger shock for me.

There are always things that are happening behind the scenes that shouldn’t be happening. There was a time when democratic ideas actually worked, but nowadays I often feel that for most outlets it would be stupid to bite the hand that feeds you. So we play according to the same rules as everybody else.

Are the journalists to be blamed for that? Probably to a point: we still have to have the courage to fulfil our obligations. But I feel that more likely the trap we are in is just a side effect of the consumption system we built and where everything is for sale.

Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer announced his resignation on Dec. 12. He said he is stepping down as soon as his party chooses a successor.

The Mercury reached out to Souris-Moose Mountain MP and Conservative Robert Kitchen to talk about the changes the party is facing heading into the new year.

“Initially when he made the announcement it was shocking. It wasn’t the sort of thing that I expected when I got up that morning. It was very surprising to hear it,” said Kitchen.

However, he noted that the general atmosphere after the announcement was good.

“Once people got over that… and we were able to digest exactly what the implications were… as we progressed through the day it just got more and more positive,” said Kitchen.

It’s wrong to say that Scheer’s resignation was unforeseen, as many expected him to step down right after Conservatives lost the October election and remained an opposition. But since that didn’t happen, the announcement came to be a bit of a surprise due to timing.

Scheer said that it was a thought-through decision, which Scheer made due to personal reasons.

“He’s been thinking about it for a while, whether it was with things that he’s heard. The interesting thing is that people have been attacking him, which is unfor-

tunate as opposed to letting him relook at what happened and what transpired after the election,” said Kitchen. “But with that said, he is a family man, he’s got five children and that’s a big thing. And I can relate to the amount it impacts on my family and with the amount of travel that I’m doing and being away. And he is a leader, so it’s huge responsibilities.”

Kitchen added this obviously was weighed in the decision, and ultimately Scheer felt that he could not commit 100 per cent to making sure that Conservatives win the next election and making sure that they are the next government in Canada.

“Weighing all of that, and obviously he’s talked to his family and his friends to make this decision. He felt it was the best thing to resign,” said Kitchen.

The Conservatives will move forward now on trying to find a new leader.

“The party will sit down, hopefully fairly quickly, to determine what the procedure will be, they will determine when the election will be, how the steps will be. And as time progresses we will more likely start to see people’s names coming out that are interested in taking over as the leader of the party.”

As of Friday morning, nobody has stepped forward, however former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has already said that he’s not interested in running for the federal Conservative party leadership, but noted that he hopes former interim

leader Rona Ambrose enters the race.

Kitchen pointed out that he hopes the party will be able to decide on a new leader in a reasonable time. “ With the minority government it could fall at any point in time, and so we want to make certain we have new leadership and are able to move forward,” said Kitchen.

He added, that there are a number of names out there, but taking on the role of the party leader is a serious decision.

“It’s a huge task to do.

Obviously you’ve got to get out, you’ve got to make certain you can raise the funds to do it, you need to make certain you’ve got the support and the leadership, and the team to make that happen,” said Kitchen.

The membership will decide on the new leader, but the leadership changes in the Conservative caucus won’t change anything for the Souris Moose-Mountain constituency.

“As we move forward, I will continue to do what I need to do as member of Parliament, expressing what are important things for my constituency. That will always be the same, no matter who the leader is,” said Kitchen. “We are now in a situation where we are in opposition, but we will, I will continue to push this government to do things that are important, that are going to help my agricultural industry, that are going to help my oil and gas workers, that are going to help my coal and energy producers.

Andrew Scheer. File photo by Brian Zinchuk Those are the things that I will continue to push no matter who the leader is.”

Kitchen also pointed out that the leader that they will have will be a leader that recognizes the Conservative Party and all of the points that they stand for within that party.

“The part is a big tent party, and that’s the good thing about it, is that we have people that have all sorts of different ideas and different thoughts. And that’s good because in that party we can express those views and then hopefully once we make that decision you step out and you come to a consensus of where we are going with that,” said Kitchen.

“And I have on my office wall a Latin saying, which is ‘ubi concordia, ibi victoria,’ which loosely translates into ‘with unity, there is a victory.’ And I believe that, and I believe that our party is that way and we will be united no matter how we look at it and by being united we will win.”

He noted that when the leader is chosen, the party will be 100 per cent behind him or her.

Holy Family adds to programming

By Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review Holy Family teachers are seeking to go deeper on a personal basis with their students, especially in their religion program, board trustees were told by religion curriculum coordinator Lynn Colquhoun at their board meeting on Dec. 11.

She provided an update about the program, and informed the board that kindergarten will be added to the series in coming years, with one grade being added onto the new curriculum each year.

Colquhoun began her presentation by having each trustee think of a child

they know, whether from their family, friends or their neighbourhood, and encouraged them to think about that child in a deeper way, especially on their faith journey.

“This is something we’re doing with school staff right now. We know that in Holy Family, this is the depth we go to, it’s how we get to know their whole story,” said Colquhoun.

“Our teachers work more one-on-one with their children.”

Having the trustees picture the child or children in their minds, Colquhoun then asked, “When we lose children from the system, how do we feel about that? … It’s not a roll of the dice,

it’s a relationship. We’re not losing the children, we simply don’t.”

“What we’re building is deeper relationships. We all hang out with our kids, how do we reduce that number (of students lost)?” added Gwen Keith, director of education. “There’s always a way to reach out to a child.”

Trustee Bob Cossette commented, “For some of these students, the school is their adult connection, the school is their family.”

Colquhoun said they are in the seventh year of their new program, with one grade being added each year to the new curriculum, meaning Grade 7 is currently seeing the new program.

She said Grades 1-8 will have a “pretty standard” program, where the new kindergarten program to come will be more holistic.

“I expect it’ll come following Grade 8. We’re on year 7 right now, so kindergarten could be the next year,” said Colquhoun, adding a new feature is that the entire religion curriculum will be available digitally in the next couple of years.

By April 2020, the Fully Alive program resources for Grades 1 and 2 will be available digitally, then Grades 3 and 4 by April 2021, and Grades 5-8 by August 2022, and it will be at no cost to Holy Family.

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A6 December 18, 2019

Hospital supports the food bank The St. Joseph’s Hospital staff mission committee was into the spirit of Christmas this week, collecting 1,120 pounds of food for the Estevan Salvation Army’s Food Bank. The staff held a friendly competition with each department collecting food, and the x-ray department was the winner with 175 pounds of food. Participating in a photo were, from left, executive director Greg Hoffort, Gaylene Yoner from the hospital’s laboratory, Mandy Riese from food and nutrition services and Tianna Palmer with diagnostic imaging. Photo submitted

Support allowed Warm Welcome Kitchen to reopen A surge in support from the community has allowed the Warm Welcome Kitchen to continue to operate until the Christmas break.

The kitchen said on its Facebook page last week that it was going to have to shut down earlier than expected for December. While it had planned to close in late December and early January due to the Christmas break, and then reopen in the new year, it appeared the kitchen would shut down for the year after its

Dec. 5 meal.

“Our funds were low at the beginning of the month.

We are also finding it hard to find volunteers, because it’s Christmas time, and everyone’s busy … and so our regular volunteers weren’t able to commit,” said Wendy Godfrey from the Warm Welcome board.

Also, their cook Christa Jorgenson encountered vehicle problems. She lives in Hitchcock so she couldn’t find a way to make it to Estevan to shop

for and prepare the meals.

“These three things combined made us just think there’s no way we could pull anything off,” said Godfrey.

The kitchen has received cash donations, and when they revealed they also had a shortage of volunteers, people stepped forward to help out.

Jorgenson has also used money she saved for a Christmas holiday to instead get her car fixed so she can now travel to Estevan.

The outcome from this

generosity meant the kitchen was able to resume serving suppers on Dec. 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Another supper will be served on Dec. 19 at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Peter Sereggela with the Tower Café reached out to the kitchen to prepare and serve a Christmas Eve supper at St. Giles at 4 p.m. It will be a traditional Christmas supper with turkey, stuffing, potatoes and more.

A couple of volunteers

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The kitchen will then take a break for Christmas, and resume serving suppers on Jan. 7, 2020 at St. Giles.

“Thanks to the community coming together with their financial help, and all of these volunteers who have come forward, it looks like we’ll be going and we’ll be able to do really well for the rest of the season, which truly makes us happy,” said Godfrey. “It was touch and go financially for a little while, and we’re really thankful to have such a generous community.”

About 50-60 people attend each meal. It’s not just people who need help mak-

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Godfrey noted that Jorgenson does all the planning and organizing for each meal.

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“If she finds a certain type of meat on sale, she’ll build a meal around that,” said Godfrey. “The meals that she serves are less than $2 per person.”

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Business A7

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Souris Valley Paving fires up again under a new name: GenCo Asphalt Inc.

By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

After a few years hiatus, the McClement family is back in the paving business.

Doug and Jacqueline McClement, and their children Logan, Sebastian and Brie, have bought back the family business, Souris Valley Paving, after having sold it to a large multinational company in 2012.

They fired up again on Nov. 29 with a new name, GenCo Asphalt Inc. There was a pile of stickers with the new logo in Doug McClement’s office on Dec. 11, waiting to be applied to the equipment in the shop. When it was time to cut the ribbon, the trucks in the shop had their fresh stickers, ready for a fresh start.

“It feels really good,” Doug said on that day, the day before their ribbon cutting.

The transaction is the restoration of a family business that is now four generations deep, and thus the name is a tribute to the fact it’s a gen-

erational company. When the ribbon was cut, the youngest McClement, Eila, was on the lap of the eldest, Rosalia, with the babies present perhaps making a fifth generation for down the road.

“My grandparents, Cameron and Mabel, were farmers north of the existing airport.

They hauled hay, sand and gravel,” Doug said. His father, Vernon, started hauling those commodities at a young age.

He was also running a loader into his 90s.

The company, then known as McClement Services, got into excavating work in the 50s and 60s, as well as patching and paving. This eventually included sand, gravel, crushing and hauling.

By the early 1970s, the company, which now included Vernon’s wife Rosalia, brought the first asphalt plant to Estevan. Vernon passed away in January 2019 at the age of 95, while Rosalita is a resident of Creighton Lodge. The company donated $10,000 each to Creighton Lodge and St.

It was a family affair cutting the ribbon for GenCo Asphalt Inc. From left are Cordell Fiest, Sebastian McClement, Jacqueline McClement, Krista McClement, Brie McClement, Hannah McClement, Doug McClement, Logan McClement (holding Roman), Laura McClement, Mayor Roy Ludwig and Councillor Dennis Moore. Sitting are Rosalia McClement (holding Eila). Photo by Brian Zinchuk Joseph’s Hospital long-term care during their ribbon cutting ceremony.

Doug grew up in the business, and in 1994, he and Jacqueline took it over and renamed it Souris Valley Paving.

The company expanded over the years, and would run crews as high as 25-30.

From left, Doug McClement with Genco Asphalt, Cheryl Harrison from St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breanne Van De Woestyne from the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, Shelly Veroba with Creighton Lodge and Jacqueline McClement with GenCo Asphalt participated in cheque presentations to the hospital’s longterm care and Creighton Lodge. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

Things got quite hectic by 2012, and at the time, the children were not interested in taking over the business.

“We sold the assets to a multinational company, Colas,” Doug said. “We stayed with the company and managed for four years, and then stepped down, and out of management.”

They retained several real estate properties.

Jacqueline founded LUX Nail Art Studio in 2015. Semiretired, Doug spent a lot of time on the golf course and obtaining his private pilot licence. He says semi-retired quite literally, as, he noted, “I bought a semi.”

He did some side work through a small venture, Genesis Construction. Sebastian had a small patching and paving business which will soon be folding into GenCo. Then in early 2019, Souris Valley Paving was shut down.

“They shut down the Estevan division in April 2019 and offered to let us buy it back, and we did,” Doug said.

The plant stayed run-

ning until November, but they weren’t doing the paving.

“We don’t do much oilfield at all, but the oilfield brings hotels, supply companies and wear and tear on the streets,” he said, noting how the business sees spinoffs from the oilpatch.

It’s a very soft market. It’s not like the old days. But they are looking at expansion at some point in the new year, but he’s not saying where just yet.

To this point, Souris Valley Paving had serviced areas as distant as Kenosee Lake, Redvers, Weyburn and Carlyle, and all points in between. All of that came from the Estevan plant. A load of asphalt can be on a truck for about two or so hours, and they’re experienced at getting their timings right.

“We depend on our quality. We had hundreds of collective years experience added up,” Doug said.

“We do a lot of quality control. We have our own asphalt and gravel lab on site,” he said.

The oil derivative, prop-

erly known as “asphalt cement,” comes out of the Moose Jaw Refinery.

The fleet includes pavers ranging from a small one meant for pathways to large units. There are rollers, water trucks, dump trucks and semis.

But whoever you talked to at the grand opening, they always seemed to mention the shovel and rake.

Which is all well and good, as Doug said, “The PGA called and said they didn’t want me.”

Looking back, he said they definitely would not have sold, but at the time, there was a lot of stress during those busy times. Selling acted as something of a relief valve.

And now the three children want to run it. Logan is superintendent, Sebastian is project manager and Brie is foreman and operator.

“I want to thank everyone for being patient with us.

We’ve had a warm welcome. I want to thank my wife for doing all the behind-the-scenes work,” he concluded.

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A8 December 18, 2019

Donation will benefit hospital’s operating room The operating room at St. Joseph’s Hospital is going to benefit from a generous donation by Torc Oil and Gas. A cheque presentation for $25,000 occurred on Dec. 11. The operating room will now be known as the Torc Oil and Gas Ltd. Operating Room, thanks to the donation which will be used to purchase medical equipment.

B r e a n n e Va n D e Woestyne, who is the executive director of the hospital foundation, said the operating room is always in need of upgrades thanks to advancements in technology and its constant use in southeast Saskatchewan.

“We’re always looking for help with that one, and it’s always one that’s kind of at the bottom of people’s lists when it comes to donations,” said Van De Woestyne. “We are very, very excited that Torc chose the operating room on their own for which department they wanted to really support.”

This year the hospital has performed more than 300 surgeries and over 900 endoscopy procedures in the

Representatives from Torc Oil and Gas and the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation participate in a group photo. Photo submitted operating room.

“I think the biggest thing for us is that medical equipment is constantly changing.

There’s new advancements and new technology that come out every single year, and so we’re just trying to

keep up with the times and make sure that we have the best equipment and the best services so that we can to continue to allow that service in southeast Saskatchewan.”

The hospital is ver y proud of the work that is com-

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pleted in the operating room.

They offer a lot of services that aren’t available south of Regina, so people from throughout southeast Saskatchewan come to the hospital for the various procedures.

She noted that Jim Larter of Torc reached out to the hospital foundation to

see where they need support, and the company was fully on board with designating the donation to the foundation after it pitched several areas of the hospital in need.

“They truly care about what they’re supporting,” she said.

The donation was for the

$25,000 in full, rather than over several years, and Torc will have their name attached to the operating room for the next five years.

New equipment to be upgraded will be discussed at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s board meeting in January.

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Currently, Canada has NO LAW concerning abortion. A baby can be aborted, for any reason, right up to “Partial Birth”. Also, because of new Liberal legislation, anyone over 18 who has a serious illness, disease or disability can apply for Euthanasia (suicide with medical assistance).

They are fighting to lower the bar to include “Mature Youth” WITHOUT Parental Consent and those suffering mental illness. Physicians are fighting for “Conscience Rights”, which currently, they DO NOT have. Trudeau recently designated $650 million Canadian tax payer dollar to support abortion world wide over the next 3 years under the ruse of “Reproductive Rights”. In the US, the opposite is happening. The Right to Life is being recognized and supported through many new laws.

Box 1829, St. M Estevan, SK, S4A 2X8 306-461-4611 Website: www.prolifeestevan.com Facebook: PRO-LIFE ESTEVAN AND AREA Pregnant? Call 1-800-842-7752, Options Pregnancy 1-866-870-3344 Birthright of Regina 1-800-550-4900 Donations welcome via cheque, cash or auto-deposit.

weneedaLAW.ca December is the time to renew your Pro-Life Membership.

People A9

104 - Hwy. 47 South, Estevan, SK 306-634-5588 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13, Carlyle, SK 306-453-2519

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

WWW.FLOORSTOREESTEVAN.CA

Christmas Cash campaign was well supported

The people of Estevan once again showed their support for others in the community, and did their part to shop locally, during the Estevan Mercury’s Christmas Cash promotion.

The campaign ran from Nov. 25-Dec. 16, and involved three local charities and 36 participating businesses. When residents dropped off food for the Estevan Salvation Army’s Food Bank, pyjamas for the Estevan Kinette Club’s PJ Proj-

ect or toys for the Community Hamper Association’s Angel Tree at one of the businesses, they could enter to win $1,000 in cash from the Mercury.

Customers could also enter to win by shopping at one of the 36 businesses as part of the Mercury’s ongoing commitment to get people to shop in their hometown.

Anita Messner was the winner of the $1,000 grand prize. She entered when she participated in a pyjama pro-

motion offered by Encompass Fitness on Dec. 10.

All of the donations of toys, food and pyjamas were gathered up late last week, brought to the Mercury’s office and filled large totes.

Deanna Tarnes, who is the publisher and the sales manager at the Mercury, said it was a great promotion.

“We collected just under 200 pairs of pyjamas, eight totes of toys and ten totes of food,” said Tarnes, who called it a “feel-

good Christmas campaign.”

Thousands of entries were received from people who donated and shopped locally.

“This town never ceases to amaze me,” said Tarnes.

The second component of this year’s Christmas Cash promotion is now underway.

From Dec. 16-19, the Mercury will have a social media contest.

“The Mercury appreciates our readers and appreciates our local businesses, and we want to

show our love by giving $1,000 back to one lucky person. Watch our Facebook pages, and all of the participating businesses’ Facebook pages for contests and comment on our questions and you can win $1,000 cash to be spent at these places.”

The questions could be Christmas related, or they could be related to an individual business. Each comment will get someone entered to win.

People are also encouraged

to like and share the posts.

Tarnes also encourages people to like the Mercury’s Facebook page so that they remain connected with the paper’s promotions and content.

The Mercury has more than 5,800 likes on Facebook, and they have big things planned for 2020 as they continue to establish themselves as the community leader for news and advertising in both print and digital.

From left, Mercury sales representative Kimberlee Pushie, sales manager/ publisher Deanna Tarnes and sales representative Teresa Hrywkiw with the thousands of entries received.

Jolie Bayda, left, and Susan Colbow from the Estevan Kinette Club with all of the pyjamas for the PJ project.

Mercury production manager Ana Villarreal, left, with Shelley Dayman from the Community Hamper Association’s Angel Tree program.

Justin Ireland, left, and Elmer Osano, right, from the Salvation Army’s food bank with Mercury sales representative Teresa Hrywkiw.

Congratulations To Our Winner Anita Messner!

Anita donated pj's during our contest and was our lucky winner!

She has won

to be spent at our participating businesses.

Deanna Tarnes with The Estevan Mercury presents Anita with her prize. Thank you to everyone that donated and shopped local this Christmas!

Kristen O’Handley Dream Realty

ART

CONCEPTS

HENDERS DRUGS

SHOLTER HORSMAN

Furniture & Appliance

Dolly

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Estevan's Hidden Gem

Senchuk Ford Sales Ltd.

Erin Wagstaff Dream Realty

A10 December 18, 2019

Creighton Lodge hosts annual Christmas party This year’s Creighton Lodge Christmas party on Dec. 10 offered a chance for lodge residents to gather together with family members for an evening of entertainment and socializing.

More than 200 people attended the dinner, which was catered by A Little Taste of Heaven, and served by volunteers from the Knights of Columbus who also brought their wives to help.

A turkey supper with all of the trimmings was served to the crowd.

Santa Claus came to visit, and he brought gifts for everyone, with cards to tell them all how much they are loved. Santa took photos with the residents and gave out lots of hugs.

The Caragana Ramblers from Forget were the musical entertainment.

The building was filled with people laughing, visiting and spending quality time with their families.

In the early years, the lodge used to have residents, RM representatives and staff only for the event. Then with the lodge’s expansion in 2015, they were able to include family members, too. They now have so many family and loved ones who come they have to host a second party for the RMs, volunteers, staff and residents.

It gives the residents a chance to meet and get to know the RM representatives who own the building and for the volunteers and staff to enjoy a relaxing evening.

The Creighton Lodge residents’ Christmas party on Dec. 10 was well attended. Photo submitted

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December 16 » 10 am - 9 pm December 17 » 10 am - 9 pm December 18 » 10 am - 9 pm December 21 » 10 am - 9 pm December 22 » 10 am - 9 pm December 23 » 10 am - 9 pm

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In the January 15, 2020 edition of the Estevan Mercury we will feature our

“2019 Babies of the Year” section.

This is your chance to put your baby announcement in the local newspaper for free!

Please email your high resolution photo along with the baby’s name, gender, birthday and parents names to

dtarnes@estevanmercury.ca

#2 - 938 Eva Street, Estevan SK 306.634.8006 www.jlsbikeskate.com

Deadline to enter is January 9, 2020 @ 5pm

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December 18, 2019 A11

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

CAREER Position: BYLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

Hours of Work: Full Time / Monday to Friday Wage: $24 per hour 12 to 18-month term position to fill a pending vacancy Duties and Responsibilities: • • • • •

Enforce City of Estevan Bylaws Property Maintenance Inspections Parking Enforcement Animal Control Respond to Bylaw complaints and

public inquiries • Issue Bylaw Offence Notices • Maintain a daily report management system

Applicant must possess the following requirements: • Pass a Police Security Clearance check • Valid driver’s license • Computer skills • Excellent interpersonal

communication skills • Ability to work independently and efficiently with accuracy • Comprehend and work within the justice system

On behalf of Council and Staff it is a pleasure to wish our community the very best of the holiday season.

May you be blessed with good health, good friends and lots of laughter through this season and the whole year through.

Sincerely, Mayor Roy Ludwig

Previous experience/education related to Criminal Justice, Policing, Bylaw Enforcement, etc. would be an asset. Training provided.

Applications available at the Estevan Police Service. Return completed applications including a current resume to: Chief of Police Estevan Police Service 301-11th Ave. Estevan, Sask. S4A 1C7 Only successful candidates will be contacted. The closing date for applications is January 15, 2020.

Merry Christmas

POLICE BOARD ADVERTISING THE CITY OF ESTEVAN INVITES INTERESTED CITIZENS TO SIT ON THE ESTEVAN BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER AT LARGE, PLEASE SEND A LETTER EXPLAINING YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND WHAT PAST EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE THAT COULD BENEFIT THIS BOARD IN WRITING BY DECEMBER 31, 2019 TO: CITY CLERK 1102 4TH STREET ESTEVAN, SK S4A 0W7 EMAIL CITYCLERK@ESTEVAN.CA * CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK MAY BE REQUIRED UPON REQUEST.

2008 CHEV HHR LS FOR SALE BY PUBLIC TENDER THE ESTEVAN POLICE SERVICE IS ACCEPTING TENDERS FOR THE SALE OF THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE. 2008 CHEV HHR LS, 41,632 KM, WHITE IN COLOR THE VEHICLE CAN BE VIEWED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AT ESTEVAN POLICE SERVICE 301- 11TH AVE. ESTEVAN, SASKATCHEWAN, DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS MONDAY - FRIDAY 9:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT OR TO PICK UP A TENDER PACKAGE, PLEASE CONTACT SHEILA CHARTRAND, THE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR AT 306-634-1507 OR CHRISTA GINGRAS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT 306-634-1518.

THE MINIMUM BID FOR THIS VEHICLE IS $ 4,000. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT RUNNING CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WILL BE "SOLD AS IS." IN ADDITION TO THE AMOUNT BEING OFFERED, THE TENDERS MUST CONTAIN THE BIDDER'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. TENDERS ARE TO BE DELIVERED IN A SEALED ENVELOPE MARKED VEHICLE TENDER TO THE ATTENTION OF: CHIEF OF POLICE, ESTEVAN POLICE SERVICE 301 - 11TH AVE ESTEVAN, SASK S4A 1C7 TENDERS MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE ESTEVAN POLICE SERVICE NO LATER THAN 4:30 PM. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8TH, 2020.

UNSEALED TENDERS, TENDERS NOT PROPERLY COMPLETED, OR LATE TENDERS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ONLY THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WILL BE CONTACTED.

Stocking Stuffers Daily Facility Passes

C 5 fo hild r $1 0

A 5 fo dult r $4 0

You 5 fo th r $2 0

PRICING ENDS DEC. 24. CONTACT INFO DESK @306-634-1888 DROP IN RECREATION

ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE SCHEDULE SUNDAY LANE SWIM PUBLIC SWIM LANE SWIM FAMILY SWIM PUBLIC SWIM

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM 1:00 PM -5:00 PM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM 7:00 PM -9:00 PM

WEIGTH ROOM 6:30 AM - 10:00 PM BASKETBALL 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM TWINKLE SKATE 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM MONDAY LANE SWIM AIS.

6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE EFFECTIVE Decmber 21- December 27, 2019

FAMILY SWIM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM LANE SWIM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM -5:00 PM LANE SWIM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM WEIGTH ROOM 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM BASKETBALL 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PARENT & TOT SKATE 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM NOON HOCKEY 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM FAMILY SKATE 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

TUESDAY LANE SWIM AIS. FAMILY SWIM LANE SWIM PUBLIC SWIM

6:00 AM - 9:00 AM 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

WEIGTH ROOM 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM BASKETBALL 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PARENT & TOT SKATE 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM HOCKEY 16+ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM FAMILY SKATE 1:15 PM - 3:00 PM SHINNY 6-10Y 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM SHINNY 11-15Y 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

THURSDAY LANE SWIM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM -5:00 PM WEIGTH ROOM 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM FAMILY SKATE 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM FRIDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM AIS. 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM FAMILY SWIM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM LANE SWIM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM LANE SWIM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM WEIGTH ROOM 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM

BASKETBALL 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PARENT & TOT SKATE 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

HOCKEY 16+ FAMILY SKATE SHINNY 6-10Y SHINNY 11-15Y

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 1:15 PM - 3:00 PM 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

SATURDAY LANE SWIM 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM -5:00 PM LANE SWIM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM FAMILY SWIM 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PUBLIC SWIM 7:00 PM -9:00 PM WEIGTH ROOM BASKETBALL

6:30 AM - 10:00 PM 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

A12 December 18, 2019

Christmas band concert The Estevan Comprehensive School hosted its annual Christmas concert on Dec. 11.

Students showcased their talents throughout the evening, and entertained the audience by playing a variety of Christmas songs, both well-known and obscure.

Police numbers continue to be higher The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has continued to see an increase in the number of calls for service and infractions this year.

According to the monthly crime statistics for November, released at the Dec. 11 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, the EPS had 651 calls for service last month, compared with 603 in November 2018. Their total calls for service were at 7,875 for the first 11 months of this year, a 3.2 per cent increase from the 7,634 they had through 11 months of 2018.

There were 14 charges for crimes against a person last month, with 13 assaults and one assault causing bodily harm. In November of 2018, there were 10 such incidents.

So far this year, the EPS has had 131 incidents of crimes against the person, with 95 of them for assault. The rest include assault causing bodily harm (nine), sex-related crimes (six) and attempted murder (one). The EPS had 111 crimes against persons in the first 11 months of last year.

Eighteen crimes against property occurred, with 14

thefts under $5,000, three mischief/willful damage complaints and one residential break and enter. Nineteen such infractions occurred last year in November. The EPS has had 283 crimes against property this year, with 121 for theft under $5,000, 111 mischief/willful damage complaints and 24 residential break and enters accounting for the bulk of the activity.

A year ago, there had been 329 crimes against property.

Police Chief Paul Ladouceur noted residential

break and enters were up this year, from 14 in 2018 to 24 in the first 11 months of this year.

“It isn’t a surprise with the economy,” said Ladouceur.

Six charges were laid uuder the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), with one for trafficking and five for possession. There weren’t any in November 2018.

So far this year, 37 charges have been laid under the CDSA, with 12 for trafficking and 25 for possession, compared with 69 for the same

We’re Back!

time period a year earlier.

Seven charges were laid for Criminal Code Traffic violations, with five for impaired/ exceed-related offences and two for impaired by drug.

A year earlier, there were 10 Criminal Code Traffic offences.

The number of charges for Criminal Code Traffic violations was 141 so far this year, the same as the previous year.

There were 108 for impaired/ exceed related offences, 22 for impaired by drug and 11 for dangerous driving/other.

Impaired by drug charges are up 267 per cent from six a year earlier, but Ladouceur said that’s because there’s more resources dedicated to catching those impaired by drug.

“I’m not saying there’s an epidemic of people driving high. I think we’re just catching more people now.”

• • • The bylaw enforcement officer’s report for November showed there were 81 occurrences, with 26 for parking violations, 18 for parking complaints, 12 for noise bylaw and 11 for animal calls.

There weren’t any snow removal notices despite the snow that Estevan received in mid-November.

So far this year, there have been 1,293 occurrences with animal calls (271), unkempt property inspections (259), parking violations (218) and parking complaints (194) leading the way.

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Serving SE Saskatchewan Thank you to everyone that attended our

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We are proud to have made donations in Vernon McClement’s memory to the Creighton Lodge and St. Joseph’s Hospital Long Term Care.

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Classifieds A13

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Announcements

Coming EvEnts

Is this a credible SOURCE?

Saskatoon Farm Toy and Collectible Show January 10-12, 2020 at the German Cultural Centre, Saskatoon, SK. Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm. Special features include farm toys and scenes, construction equipment, vintage toys, die-cast models, collectibles, replacement parts and more!

S P O T

Obituaries

Feed & Seed

1941 ~ 2019 EVELYN “RUTH” LEES

LegaL/PubLic Notices IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Don’t believe everything you see.

SPOTfakenews.ca

In MeMorIaM

ARLENE WINNIFRED SYMCOX, LATE OF ESTEVAN, IN THE PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN, DECEASED. All claims against the above Estate, duly verified

by Statutory Declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 18th day of January, 2020.

Vivian Walliser 1008 Hillcrest Bay Estevan, SK S4A 1Y5

Donna Dutton 1934 - 2016 No one knows how much we miss you No one knows the amount of sadness We have suffered since we lost you Life has never been the same In our hearts your memory lingers Sweetly tender, fond and true There is not a day, dear mother That we do not think of you

Farm ServiceS

For Sale - MiSc Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

BOSCH Mixers, Ankarsrum Mixers, VITAMIX blenders, LEFSE supplies & more FREE SHIPPING. Call toll free 1-888692 6724 Hometech BOSCH Appl 375 Broad St, Regina www.hometechcanada.ca PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.

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

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Coming EvEnts

Feed & Seed

Evelyn Ruth Lees of Medicine Hat, beloved wife of John Lees, passed away on Thursday, December 5th, 2019 at the age of 77 years. Ruth leaves to cherish her memory her children, John (Cheryl) Lees of Medicine Hat, Pamela (Troy) Strandberg of Cypress County, Bonny (Jeremy) Moulton of Senoia, Georgia; twelve grandchildren, Peter (Terri), Jamie (Victoria), Hannah (Tanner), Makailah, Austin, Seija, Jerricah, Nakitah, Rayah, Eleah, Montana and Jacoby; six great-grandchildren, Connor, Derek, Chloe, Brandon, Sarah and Jenna; sisters, Jean Wilson and Amy Hiebert; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Reginald and Mary Benson; grandson, Joshua Moulton; and two sisters, Frances Johnson and Peggy Crate. Ruth was born in Estevan, SK on December 11th, 1941. She met and married the love of her life, John Edward Lees and they were married on June 7th, 1958 in North Portal, SK. They began their life together to in Winnipeg, MB and in the following years, they moved several times before settling in Redcliff and Medicine Hat for the last 42 years. Ruth’s work and service to her to the community took her down many different pathways. She was a foster parent, a childcare provider, and she also drove school bus for the Cornerstone Christian School. Ruth gave of herself tirelessly. She volunteered with the Pioneer Club, Awana Clubs, Daily Vacation Bible School, and Sunday School. Ruth was a member of the Temple Baptist Church and served on the Deacon Board and from 2003 through 2019 served as the Prayer Chain Co-ordinator. Ruth had a profound and deep love for her family, and together, she and John, raised their children in a home filled with love, laughter, and worship. In later years, her grandchildren held a very special place in her heart. Ruth will be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved her. The Funeral Service was held at TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH, 606 - 7th Street SW, Medicine Hat, Alberta, on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. with Pastor Bob McGougan officiating. Interment will follow at Saamis Prairie View Cemetery. Memorial gifts in Ruth’s memory may be made to Temple Baptist Church and Gideons International in Canada, PO Box 23142 Medicine Hat Mall Medicine Hat, AB T1B 2C7.

Condolences may be sent to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Evelyn Lees. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORIUM, “The Chapel in the Park”, Medicine Hat, Alberta. Should you wish any additional information, please telephone 1-800-317-2647.

Winter Road Haul 2020 Class 1 Drivers needed for deliveries in MB & NW Ont. (800) 665-4302 ext. 251 or e-mail: orderdesk@penneroil.ca

Meeting Place

Roseann (Robertson) Nelson 1938 - 2019 Roseann Nelson, 81, passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, Sask. on Saturday, December 7, 2019 with family at her side.

Roseann is lovingly remembered by her children: Helen (Ken) Schreyer of Estevan, Gordon Nelson of Estevan, Roy (Dena) Nelson of Katepwa Lake, Sask. and Karen (Dale) Stabenow of Estevan.

She will also be missed by her grandchildren: Lori (Trevor), Theresa (Stephane), Graeson, Christa (Nathan), Jason, Steven, David (Leia), Tyson (Kate) and Evan, as well as ten great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren and her brother James Robertson.

She was predeceased by her husband Bill; son Roy; parents: James and Lillian Robertson; two brothers and two sisters.

In keeping with Roseann’s wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no memorial service.

If family or friends so wish, donations in Roseann’s memory may be made to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (designated to the Dialysis Unit), 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, Sask., S4A 0H3.

Dustin Hall with Hall Funeral Services, Estevan is assisting Roseann’s family.

Douglas J. Third 1928 - 2019 On December 6, 2019, Douglas Joseph Third passed away at the age of 91.

Doug was born on May 28, 1928. He attended Teacher’s College in Moose Jaw, Sask. and began his teaching career in and around Lampman, Sask. for four years before moving to Estevan in 1949. The next thirty-one years were spent as principal of Hillside School in Estevan, Sask. until his retirement in June of 1980. Not one to be idle, he accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent with the Estevan Rural School Division. Later, as a lay minister, he officiated 1003 prayer, graveside and funeral services. He was also a lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan Branch.

He was united in marriage to Alice Belanger in August of 1951.

They resided in Estevan until May of 2018 when they moved to Regina, Sask.

Daily walks and crossword puzzles were his favourite pastimes. One of the lucky few, Doug was able to enjoy sweet treats daily without gaining any extra weight.

Doug spent his life dedicated to educating, counselling, guiding, and listening to others. He will be missed.

Left to cherish and share precious memories are his wife, Alice; daughter, Margo (Roger) Holinaty; son, Ian (Charlene) Third; daughter, Melanie (James) Tholl; grandchildren, Kyle and Rhys Holinaty, Michael (Sarah), Melissa (Garrett) and Sarah Tholl, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, Estevan, by Rev. Nestor Gregoire, OMI. A time of fellowship and refreshments will take place in the church hall immediately following the Funeral Mass.

Interment at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Parish Cemetery, Lampman, will take place at a later date.

If friends so desire, donations in Doug's memory may be made to the New Estevan Regional Nursing Home, 1201 - 2nd Street, Estevan, Sask., S4A 0M1.

Dustin Hall with Hall Funeral Services, Estevan is assisting Doug's family.

Notices / NomiNatioNs

LAND FOR SALE

HealtH ServiceS

Notices / NomiNatioNs

A14 December 18, 2019

Christmas music at St. Paul’s United Church The Rotary Club of Estevan hosted the 67th annual Christmas Carol Festival at St. Paul’s United Church on Sunday. Many people came to enjoy the beautiful live music that filled the building that night.

The night started with a prelude and continued with a strong two-hour program, in which vibrant and elegant compositions intertwined with teasing and fun Christmas melodies.

The Northwest/Southeast Chorus opened the night with four compositions from their latest program. Rebecca

and Rachel Duncan continued with Hallelujah Christmas.

The Way with Kevin Guillemin, Cindy Guillemin and Cheri Haberstock were the next ones on stage followed by a flute solo by Sandra Bazin.

Guests also had a chance to try on the performers’ role, as they sang four carols with Harlan Johnson directing the community singing part.

The Duo of Katie Ostander and Rebecca Duncan performed one sowng and Sacred Heart’s Praise Choir sang two pieces.

The night came to an end with incredible performance

by the ECS Choir directed

by Evanne Wilhelm and We Wish You a Merry Christmas performed by the Rotary Club of Estevan members accompanied by the ECS Choir.

Master of Ceremonies and Estevan Rotary president Allison Holzer also guided the audience through the projects the club supports including the PolioPlus, which is a polio eradication initiative. The success in that was greeted with a big round of applause.

Proceeds from the carol festival will be directed to the Estevan Salvation Army’s Food Bank.

The ECS Choir performed four beautiful compositions during the Christmas Carol Festival. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Firefighters responded to two CO alarms The Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) received a significant amount of calls last week.

On Thursday, they were called to a two-vehicle collision on Kensington Avenue at about noon. When crews arrived, it was found that there were no injuries and both vehicles were still drivable, so there was no further need for fire department’s assistance and members quickly returned to the station.

Shortly after that, they received another call. At ap-

proximately 12:30 p.m. they were dispatched to a reported to a suspected gas leak with a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm going off. The call came from a residence in the south-central part of the city.

Firefighters entered the home with special equipment, however, there was no CO or any other hazards located during the atmosphere testing process. The alarm was checked and it was found to be a faulty detection device.

“Just a gentle reminder

that these detection devices do expire at approximately 10 years of age from the date of manufacture,” said Fire Chief Dale Feser.

He also commended the residents, who called 911 to confirm there was no emergency occuring.

Later that evening at about 7 p.m., there was a report of an odd smell. Firefighters arrived to check the building. There was a slight smell of sewer gas, but there was no CO or any other issues present.

The fire chief reminded the public to keep an eye on their sewer vents during the winter months, as they might freeze or get blocked with snow that will trap the smell inside buildings.

“Just go out there safely and either chip away the ice, or shovel the snow, or sometimes you have to pour hot water down just to melt the accumulated ice there,” said Feser.

Firefighters were called to a residential fire alarm with a hot electrical smell

CAREERS

CAREERS

IMMEDIATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY TOWN OF BIENFAIT

IMMEDIATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Town of Bienfait Is now accepting applications for the following position: ADMINISTRATOR The successful candidate will report directly to Council. The ideal candidate will hold, or be eligible to hold, a valid certificate of qualification, pursuant to the Urban Municipal Administrators Act and have experience in municipal administration. The Administrator will be responsible, with consultation of council, for staffing, General Government Services, Planning and Development, Taxes and all specific duties required by the Municipalities Act. This person will also be responsible for grant applications and compile a yearly budget.

Must be bondable Please send resume to: Town of Bienfait Box 220 Bienfait, SK S0C 0M0 bienfait@sasktel.net Phone: (306) 388-2969 • Fax (306) 388-2449 Only those applicants granted an interview will be contacted.

Is now accepting applications for the following position:

PUBLIC WORKS MANAGER This is a management position with prime function being to manage the day to day operations of the Public Works Department, assigning of work schedules for Public Works personnel and the supervision of the performance of such personnel, manage municipal properties, infrastructure and projects; preparing reports as required.

The Manager is directly responsible to the Administrator and confers with them on a close basis. For a complete list of job qualifications, please visit the National Job Bank website

Please send resume to: Town of Bienfait Box 220 Bienfait, SK S0C 0M0 bienfait@sasktel.net Phone: (306) 388-2969 Fax (306) 388-2449 Only those applicants granted an interview will be contacted.

Salary will be negotiated based on experience and the UMASS salary guide. The Town offers an excellent benefit and pension package

LIKE US ON

in the building on Saturday.

Members brought their thermal imaging cameras, and even though the smell was present they couldn’t locate its source. They did a thorough check and established that there was no immediate emergency occurring, so the homeowner could return to the building and get the electrician out to resolve the problem.

On Sunday, another CO alarm went off in a residence in Estevan. Homeowners recognized that it was a CO alarm, safely exited the building and called 911.

Crews arrived on scene to find a CO problem occurring in the home.

“Thanks to their fastacting and a quick call to 911, it prevented a possible disaster,” said Feser.

The peak readings were 33 parts per million. SaskEnergy came in to assist to ver-

ify the location of the source of CO. Firefighters ventilated the structure and checked the house for them to make sure all venting was clear. Then the scene was turned over to SaskEnergy, as it appeared to be a faulty appliance that was the source of CO. Firefighters also were assisting with the Angel Tree toy collection drive at Your Toy Store and More on Saturday.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all the citizens for all their generous donations to the Angel Tree toy drive. It’s going to make sure that all the kids have a toy to open up underneath the Christmas tree comes Christmas morning,” said Feser.

And on Tuesday firefighters held their regular training, which focused on the winter-time operation of fire trucks and fire apparatus.

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• Assembling and installing modular components Send, fax, e-mail or drop off resume to:

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A15 Wednesday, December 18, 2019

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Crude-by-rail train derailment remains under investigation

By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

The Transportation Safety Board has released an updated statement on its investigation into the Dec. 9 crude-by-rail derailment near Guernsey in east-central Saskatchewan.

Under the heading of “What we know,” the statement Dec. 11 read, “On Dec.9, 2019, a Canadian Pacific (CP) crude oil unit train 516-398 was proceeding eastward at about 45 mph (miles per hour) on the CP Sutherland subdivision.

The train originated at Rosyth, Alberta, and was destined for Stroud, Oklahoma, U.S.A. The train crew was composed of a locomotive engineer and a conductor. Both were qualified for their positions and fit for duty.”

Rosyth, Alta, is immediately east of the Hardisty oil terminal, the principle oil hub for Canada. There is a major crude-by-rail loading facility there, operated by Gibson Energy in a joint venture with USD Group. The Gibson website notes it “has the ability to load up to three unit trains per day, moving approximately 180,000 barrels per day.”

On Dec. 3, Canadian Pacific announced a joint venture between Gibson Energy and USD to construct a diluent recovery unit at Hardisty with a 50,000 barrel per day capacity.

Diluent is used to dilute bitumen, which otherwise will not

flow in its native state.

Stroud, Okla., is 12 miles (20 kilometres) from Cushing, Okla., the principal oil hub for the United States.

The TSB did not indicate which route the train would have taken to Oklahoma. According to CP’s route map available on its website, from Guernsey it could have gone south, to Regina, Moose Jaw and Estevan down to Minneapolis, or it could have continued eastward through Yorkton to Winnipeg, and south to North Dakota. Either route would have had it eventually on the Soo Line to Minneapolis.

CP’s mainline network ends at Kansas City, which would have then required a different rail company to take the train to Stroud.

The origin and destination of this train essentially mirror the origin and ultimate destination of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, although the terminus for that pipeline would be Steele City, Neb. There it would join the Cushing Extension, which runs from Steele City to Cushing.

The TSB statement continued, “At 0010 Central Standard Time, the train experienced a train-initiated emergency brake application at Mile 48.85, near Guernsey, Sask. Initial site examination determined that the covered hopper car in position two and the following 33 tank cars

had derailed. The derailed tank cars consisted of a mix of nine Class 117R and 24 CPC-1232 Class 111 tank cars. There were no injuries reported. The temperature at the time was about −19 C.” The reference to the “covered hopper car” appears to be a reference to the practice of using a “buffer car,” an empty, non-tanker rail car, between the engines and the oil-carrying cars. This is a typical safety feature in crude-by-rail trains.

The statement said, “The head-end 23 tank cars derailed east of the crossing and came to rest in various positions in a large pile over a distance of approximately 500 feet. About 20 of the 23 tank cars sustained breaches, released product and became engulfed in a large pool fire which burned for approximately 24 hours.

“Preliminary examination of the 23 cars suggests that about 19 of the cars lost their entire loads releasing an estimated 1.5 million litres of product to either the ground or atmosphere. A more precise determination of the tank car damage and the amount of product released will be made as product is recovered and the investigation progresses.

No waterways appear to be affected.”

That volume, 1.5 million litres, equates to 9,435 barrels of oil. However, a typical crude-by-rail car can carry 600 to 700 barrels each, although they can range from 550 to 725 barrels each. If 19 cars spilled at 600 barrels each, that equates 11,400 barrels while cars with a 550-barrel capacity would carry 10,450 barrels.

The statement noted, “The tail end 10 cars derailed west of the crossing, sustained minimal damage and remained intact with no loss of product.”

The TSB said it has deployed six investigators to the site. Work on-site is progressing. All 33 tank cars will be examined in order to evaluate tank car performance.

“Mechanical and track components recovered from the derailment will be examined and any components of interest will be sent to the TSB engineering laboratory in Ottawa for detailed analysis,” the statement concluded.

Highway 16, which had been closed following the derailment and fire, was reopened mid-afternoon on Dec. 10. The rail line reopened for service that morning.

Grey day, blue rig John Kmita Ltd. Rig 3 was working in the heart of the Weyburn Unit on a grey day with biting winds on Sunday.

Photo by Brian Zinchuk

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THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT Drilling Licenses 11 new licenses issued to Monday, December 16 145204 145209 143643 142364 144798 145379 145419 145445 145441 145446 145439

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Rig Report

133193 Mosaic Potash Esterhazy ................ Limited Partnership ............................................... 12-22-19-33 133194 Mosaic Potash Esterhazy ................Limited Partnership................................................ 12-22-19-33

133195 133199 141668 142019 133196 133197 133250 133192 142408 92511 142019 142849 142019 141603 116794 141989 08K147 139878

Mosaic Potash Esterhazy ................Limited Partnership................................................ 12-22-19-33 Mosaic .............................. Potash Esterhazy Limited Partnership ................................. 12-22-19-33 Precision Drilling ...........................Crescent Point Energy...................................................... 9-3-9-7 Stampede Drilling .......................... Hummingbird Energy .................................................. 2-23-6-13 Mosaic Potash ........................ Esterhazy Limited Partnership ....................................... 12-22-19-33 Mosaic Potash ........................Esterhazy Limited Partnership........................................ 12-22-19-33 Mosaic Potash ........................Esterhazy Limited Partnership........................................ 12-22-19-33 Mosaic Potash ........................Esterhazy Limited Partnership........................................ 12-22-19-33 Trinidad Drilling .............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................... 3-8-1-11 Mosaic Potash ........................Esterhazy Limited Partnership.......................................... 4-22-19-32 Stampede Drilling ......................... Hummingbird Energy .................................................. 2-23-6-13 Betts Drilling .....................................Adonai Resources ................................................... 11-22-2-32 Stampede Drilling .......................... Hummingbird Energy .................................................. 2-23-6-13 Stampede Drilling ................................Torc Oil & Gas .......................................................... 13-2-6-6 Ensign Drilling ...............................Crescent Point Energy................................................ 11-32-3-33 Panther Drilling................................Potash Corporation .................................................... 1-16-17-1 Mosaic .............................. Potash Esterhazy Limited Partnership ................................... 4-16-19-32 Precision Drilling ............................Whitecap Resources ................................................. 14-31-5-12

A16 December 18, 2019

Doug Third was a big part of the community A beloved educator and lay minister who found many ways to serve in the Estevan area, has died. Douglas Joseph Third passed away on Dec. 6 at

Doug Third

the age of 91.

Third was born on May 28, 1928 and attended teacher’s college in Moose Jaw. He began his teaching career in and around Lampman for four years before moving to Estevan in 1949 to become the first principal at Hillside School.The next thirtyone years were spent as principal of Hillside until his retirement in June 1980.

Hillside remained open until 2003.

He then accepted the position of assistant superintendent with the Estevan Rural School Division.

After retiring from education, Third became a lay minister, and he officiated 1,003

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December 22nd Service 10:30 a.m.

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December 29th Service 10:30 a.m.

prayer, graveside and funeral services. He kept a log of each one of those services, dating back to the first one in 1990.

He was also a lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch.

“Doug spent his life dedicated to educating, counselling, guiding, and listening to others.

He will be missed,” his obituary stated.

Earlier this year, St. Joseph’s Hospital dedicated a

portion of the building, used by the longitudinal integrated clerkship students, as the Doug Third Education Centre. A large crowd gathered to mark the occasion, which occurred on his 91st birthday.

Another tribute bestowed on him, the Doug Third Hall, is found on the northeast edge of the Woodlawn Regional Park.

Prior to being in the park, the building was the gymnasium for Hillside School, and the gym

carried his name long before it was moved to Woodlawn.

Third was married to his wife Alice (nee Belanger) for 68 years. They resided in Estevan until May 2018 when they moved to Regina. He is survived by their daughters Margo and Melanie, their son Ian, five grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

“Daily walks and crossword puzzles were his

favourite pastimes. One of the lucky few, Doug was able to enjoy sweet treats daily without gaining any extra weight,” his obituary states.

The funeral mass will be celebrated Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Estevan, by Rev. Nestor Gregoire.

Donations in his memory may be made to the New Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee.

Members of the Estevan Police Service made arrests for theft and impaired driving, seized a firearm, and responded to a number of collisions last week.

Members received a call from a local business on Dec. 8 about a possible assault in progress. On arrival, members arrested two males and a female. A male from Ocean Man First Nation has been charged with impaired driving and operation of a motor vehicle while over .08. He was also charged for operating an unregistered vehicle under the Traffic Safety Act and his vehicle was impounded for 60 days. He will appear in Estevan Provincial Court in January to answer to the charges. The two passengers were lodged in cells until sober.

Officers responded to a complaint of a potentially intoxicated female walking with four young children. The Ministry of Social Services has been contacted. The matter is still under investigation.

Police arrested two men from Roblin, Man., for theft around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Members were called to a retail store in north Estevan

where four people were briefly detained and two were subsequently arrested and charged.

They were released with a future court date.

That same day officers checked a vehicle and located a firearm, along with over 100 rounds of ammunition. The items were seized as the occupants of the vehicle did not have the authority to possess a firearm and ammunition. The matter is still under investigation as two of the four occupants are also prohibited from possessing firearms.

Members responded to a residence in north Estevan for a report of an assault. The matter remains under investigation and charges are pending against a 59-year-old Estevan man.

Police charged a Swift Current man for driving while suspended after he was found operating a vehicle in north Estevan. The man was also found to be flagged for impound so his vehicle was towed and seized.

As a result of a traffic stop in the 1300-block of Seventh Street on Dec. 11, a 23-year-old man from Bienfait was arrested on outstanding warrants from the Moose Jaw Police Service

for dangerous driving, possession of stolen property and evading police. He was lodged in cells and was taken before a judge on Dec. 12.

Members also attended to a two-vehicle collision in the 800-block of King Street on Dec. 11. One male received minor injuries and one vehicle had to be towed from the scene.

A female driver was charged with driving without due care and attention and will appear in traffic court in February to answer to the charge.

Officers received a complaint of a theft from a motor vehicle in the 1300-block of Ninth Street. The public is reminded to always remove valuables from their vehicle and to lock the doors when away from the vehicle.

Members issued a 72hour driving suspension to a 27-year-old man from Estevan after a traffic stop in the 800-block of King Street. The vehicle he had been operating was also impounded for three days.

Police responded to a complaint of an assault at a local hotel on Dec. 12. A 39-yearold man from Vernon, B.C., was arrested for assault and for outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court.The male was lodged in cells and appeared in court Dec. 13.

Police attended to a two-vehicle collision in the 300-block of Kensington Avenue on Dec. 12. One of the vehicles was towed from the scene. No injuries were re-

ported and the matter is under investigation.

As a result of a traffic stop in the 600-block of King Street, a 44-year-old man from Estevan was issued a 72-hour driving suspension and his vehicle was impounded for three days.

The male provided a sample into an approved screening device with a warning result.

A short time later, members issued a 72-hour driving suspension to a 29-year-old Estevan man after a traffic stop in the downtown area. The man’s vehicle was also impounded for three days.

Members attended to three separate motor vehicle collisions on Dec. 14. Two collisions involved parked vehicles that were struck. The offending vehicle in one of the collisions was towed due to the extensive damage sustained. The drivers in each of the incidents were charged under the Traffic Safety Act. One driver was charged with driving without due care and attention and the other for driving faster than reasonable and safe. The other collision was intersection related which also required the vehicles to be towed. No injuries were sustained in any of the collisions.

Members were also dispatched to a residence in eastcentral Estevan regarding a disturbance involving a man attempting to enter a residence without permission. The man, who was spoken to upon police arrival, was sent on his way and the matter resolved without further incident.

Estevan police make several arrests

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Public Notice Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 Notice of Intent to Amend the Zoning Bylaw

Estevan Alliance Church

140 King Street estevanalliancechurch.com

Doug Sands Sales Consultant

Pursuant to Section 207 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007, the Council of the Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 gives notice to amend Zoning Bylaw 5-2014.

306.421.6888

Description: The proposed Bylaw 2019-13 provides a variety of textual amendments to Zoning Bylaw 5-2014, including: • Adding definitions for the following: Cannabis, Cannabis production facility, Cannabis retail operation and Medical cannabis production facility; • Revising the definitions for the following: Agricultural, Agricultural Operation, Greenhouse (Commercial), Greenhouse (Industrial), Home Based Business and Horticulture; • Prohibit the growth of Cannabis on private property;

Dustin Sands Sales Manager

306.421.3669

• Adding “Cannabis Retail Outlets”, along with associated development standards, as a discretionary use in the High Profile Commercial/Light Industrial District (HPCI) and General Commercial District (COM1) • Adding “Cannabis Production Facility”, along with associated development standards, as a discretionary use in the Agricultural Resource District (AR), High Profile Commercial/Light Industrial District (HPCI), General Commercial District (COM1) and General Industrial District (IND1)

Mike Keating Sales Consultant

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Public Hearing: Council will hold a public hearing to receive submissions, written or verbal, on the proposed bylaw at 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 in the Council Chambers of the R.M. of Estevan No. 5, #1-322 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan.

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• clarify and provide new definitions for a variety of uses; and • provide development standards and general regulations for cannabis retail outlets and cannabis production facilities so applicants may make future discretionary use applications for the use(s) within agricultural, commercial and industrial zoning districts.

Public Inspection: Any person may inspect the proposed bylaw at the R.M. of Estevan Municipal Office at #1 – 322 4th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. Copies are available at cost.

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Reason and Intent: With the legalization of cannabis in full effect, the overall intention of the proposed textual amendments is to provide regulations and overall clarification surrounding cannabis, as well as to provide a regulatory framework within the zoning bylaw for cannabis retail outlets and cannabis production facilities.

More specifically, it is intended that the textual amendments will:

Dated at Estevan, Saskatchewan this 18th day of December, 2019.

Corner of 4th & Souris

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Sports A17

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Estevan golfer Chase Gedak excited to take his game to Arkansas university

Chase Gedak is the latest Estevan golfer to commit to play the game at the U.S. collegiate level.

Gedak, a Grade 12 student at the Estevan Comprehensive School, announced Dec. 9 via Twitter that he would play for the University of Arkansas-Monticello, an NCAA Division 2 program that competes in the Great American Conference. He expects to be studying business management.

“Thank you to everyone that has helped me get to this point,” Gedak wrote in the tweet.

Gedak has had an accomplished career in golf with the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs and the junior golf program at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club. Most recently, he won the gold medal in the boys singles event at the high school golf provincials held at Woodlawn in September.

He finished with a tworound total of 143 and won the boys individual event by 11 strokes over fellow Estevan golfer Jayden Dudas.

Gedak also helped Team South East win the team event, his third provincial team title in four years at ECS. He is the 49th-ranked player in Canada according to Junior Golf Scoreboard.

Gedak said he selected Arkansas-Monticello for several reasons. The school’s location in the southern U.S. was a factor, as Gedak wants to be able to practise year-round.

The coach, Adam Buie, has done a lot to ensure the team will be successful over the next few years.

“They’re moving in the right direction,” said Gedak.

“They have a good freshman down there right now, and they have a couple of good sophomores, and they have a good freshman class coming in for the start of next fall. I’m expecting the program to be pretty strong next year.”

Arkansas-Monticello announced the commitment of three other players in addition to Gedak, including T.J. Baker of Prince Albert. Gedak said Baker’s presence was a factor in his decision to commit to the school, since he knows Baker, and he believes having Baker around will help with the transition to life so far from home.

“I’ve played quite a few tournaments with him and I know him pretty well,” said Gedak. “We’ve been getting a lot closer since we’ve both decided to go to the same school.”

Other schools have spoken to Gedak since the start of the school year. He narrowed

Estevan’s Chase Gedak has committed to play golf for the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 2020. Photo submitted the options down to two, and for a national junior tourna- success over the summer, and then selected the Arkansas ment and won the Moose after looking back at that, I program.

Mountain Classic tournament thought I could get an educaHe didn’t believe an at Kenosee Lake. Then he won tion while also golfing,” said NCAA scholarship would be the provincial high school Gedak. a possibility until after this tournament at home.

Prior to the summer, summer, when he qualified “I had some pretty good Gedak thought he would go

Midget AA Bruins win two more

to the University of Saskatchewan for his studies.

Watching more golf and putting more time in on his game resulted in those strides.

He believes he needs to work on his strength to add distance to his game.

“I think right now my strengths are hitting a lot of fairways and greens, and being very accurate, and having a good short game,” said Gedak. “I think if I can get my distance, to start hitting a little further, my game will go to another level.”

The junior golf program at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club and the golf team at ECS have played a big role in his development. He credited Amanda Minchin, the head pro and general manager at the golf course, and other people at Woodlawn for always supporting youth golf and helping him with his game over the years, and ECS golf coach Wes Kreklewich for getting them in tournaments and taking them to provincials.

Gedak will be studying business management at Arkansas-Monticello. He’ll see where his game is after four years, but he hopes to use the degree to become a general manager or a head professional at a golf course to stay in the game.

Billet Family Of The Week Billet Parents Names:

Chris and Ken Sali Billet Parents Since: 1995 Current players billeted:

Erik Boers and Dain Sardelli

The Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins celebrate after scoring a goal Saturday against the Notre Dame Argos. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia The Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins kept rolling with a pair of wins in league play.

The Bruins opened the weekend with an 8-2 victory over the Notre Dame Argos on Dec. 14. It was a 1-1 game after the first period, but then Estevan pulled away with four goals in the second and three in the third.

James Mann scored twice for Estevan, while Tanner Stovin, Cale Adams, Trey Stovin, Chase Gedak, Kaden Chrest and Joey Meredith also scored.

Logan Nagel made 11 saves for the victory.

The following day, the Bruins scored three times in the third to knock off the Yorkton Terriers 4-1. Gedak scored on a powerplay midway through the third to give Estevan the lead, and Kieran

Stewart and Adrien Riddell tallied late in the third.

Trey Stovin had the other goal.

Jackson Miller made 30 saves in the win.

• • • The Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins were defeated 9-2 by the Regina Aces on Dec. 14 and 9-1 by the Weyburn Wings the following day.

Declan Henderson and Carter Onrait scored less than three minutes apart in the second period against the Aces to pull Estevan to within a goal. But the Aces scored six more times before the game was over to pull away.

Ty Fehrenbach made 28 saves in the game.

The following day, Onrait had the only goal versus

Weyburn.

Keagan Carley stopped 43 shots for Estevan.

• • • The Estevan Meter peewee AA Bruins dropped two 7-3 decisions on the road, Dec. 14 in Swift Current and Dec. 15 in Weyburn.

Kobe Wotta opened the scoring against Swift Current, and Conrad Hase and Ryder Miller also scored. Miller’s goal pulled Estevan to within two late in the third, but the Broncos added two in the final minute.

Chase Borreson was in goal for Estevan.

The following day, Dawson Galbraith, Payton Phillips and Conrad Hase scored for Estevan.

Amy Swayze was the goalie.

Chris and Ken Sali are among the most tenured billet parents with the Estevan Bruins hockey club.

They had their first billets during the 199596 season, and are in their 25th season of providing a home away from home for young men coming to play hockey in Estevan.

The Salis became billet parents after someone approached them about it at a hockey game.

“We still had three kids at home, and we said no, we hadn’t thought about it,” said Chris.

“From there, it just started. I can’t remember who that person is, but I’m grateful that they approached us.”

They have been billet parents since then, with a couple of players a year living at their home.

Chris estimates they have had 45 players stay at their home for the long-term, whether that be a few months or a few years. Many more were there for the short-term. At one time, they had four players.

“Luckily we have lots of rooms, a lot of bedrooms, so there’s lots of space,” said Chris.

Billeting has allowed Chris, Ken and their three children to make incredible friendships with the players who have stayed at the Sali home, and with the family members of those players.

UPCOMING

HOME GAMES

“The friendships that were made with those boys at the very beginning, in the early years, they’re still friends to this day,” said Chris.

During good times and bad, happy times and sad, the Salis have been there for their players.

“You go the whole gamut when you’re billeting, because you just have these extended families and things happen. You share in their happiness and their sadness,” said Chris.

Currently they have Dain Sardelli and the recently acquired Erik Boers at their home.

Chris described them as nice young men to have around the home.

Billeting can be a lot of work, making sure that the players are taken care of and creating a comfortable atmosphere, and keeping them fed, especially on game days.

But she would recommend the billeting experience to others who have the space, the time and the love of hockey, because they get to watch these young men mature, and continue wonderful friendships after playing days are done.

“They become our boys. I always say my boys and that’s what they are. Whether it was 25 years ago, they’re still my boys.

It doesn’t change.”

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www.estevanbruins.com

A18 December 18, 2019

Wallster commits to school in South Dakota Hunter Wallster has established himself as a rising star in track and field in this province.

Now he’s going to have a chance to showcase his talents in the U.S. Wallster has committed to play for the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits, a Division 1 school in the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) Summit League.

He’ll compete in the hammer throw, the weight throw and the discus disciplines for the Jackrabbits.

“I’m super pumped to be competing in the NCAA. That’s always been my goal to compete in the NCAA,” Wallster told the Mercury.

The Jackrabbits have a very strong, up and coming track and field program, which he found appealing.

Four of their junior athletes are strong, too.

“They’ve had somebody attend the NCAA nationals every single year. From what I’ve seen from the upcoming athletes, it looks like there should be a couple this year as well.”

Facilities at the school are outstanding. SDSU has a 300-metre indoor track, which is pretty big for an indoor facility, and that will allow him to work on the hammer toss year-round. They’re also constructing a new hammer toss building and a new weight room.

It also helps that South Dakota State is relatively close to his home.

“With it only being a 10-hour drive from home, I’ll be able to come home a little more often. I will also be able to have my parents come and watch me whenever I’m in North Dakota.”

North Dakota State University is among the teams in

the Jackrabbits conference.

He plans to study mechanical engineering, with the goal of eventually working for a robotics firm. Then he would go back to school for graduate studies in robotic sciences.

The strength of the mechanical engineering department is one of the reasons he chose SDSU. “They are among, I believe, the top 20 engineering schools in the States,” said Wallster.

A scholarship has been a dream since he started competing in track and field in May 2017, but it didn’t seem realistic until May of last year, when he came within 90 centimetres of the provincial record in discus.

Wallster believes the hammer throw is likely his strongest event, although he has won provincial titles in all three disciplines, and he won a bronze medal at nationals

The Estevan Bruins inched closer to a playoff spot with a pair of victories on home ice on the weekend.

Estevan defeated the Kindersley Klippers 3-1 Friday night and the Melfort Mustangs by the same score Saturday.

Kersey Reich scored the winning goal with 6 1/2 minutes to play in the third period in the win over Kindersley.

Reich scored on a screened point shot moments after a rush by forward Griffin Asham-Moroz into the Kindersley zone.

Asham-Moroz opened the scoring midway through the first period. It remained

a one-goal game until 68 seconds into the third, when Jacob Schnapp tied the game for Kindersley.

Reich restored the lead with his goal, and Brady Nicholas put the game away with 2:12 to play in the third.

Keenan Rancier had 33 saves in the victory.

Estevan led 1-0 after the first period Saturday night on a power play goal by Tanner Manz, but the story of the opening frame was the play of Bruins goaltender Kennan Rancier, who made 15 of his 31 saves on the night in the opening 20 minutes.

After neither team scored in the middle frame, Tyler

Savage scored five minutes into the third to extend the Bruins lead to two. Melfort’s Dylan Ashe cut the lead to one, but Griffin AshamMoroz put the Bruins up by two once again with a power play goal with seven minutes remaining.

Estevan was back on the ice Monday night when they played the Notre Dame Hounds in Midale. (Results were not available at press time). The next edition of Lifestyles will have more on this story.

Their final game before the Christmas break will be Dec. 21 at home against the Yorkton Terriers.

in the discus. He came in fourth in the hammer throw and sixth in the weight toss at nationals. Wallster is in the top five in the country for both the hammer throw and discus, but he’s also in the top 200 in the world in the hammer.

At provincials this past spring, he won gold in the discus, finishing more than five metres ahead of his closest competitor. He also won a silver medal in the shot put.

The track and field program at ECS and the programs that exist in the community played a big role in his development as an athlete as well.

He will be working to add strength and weight before the start of next season.

Wallster is pleased to have the scholarship in place with about six months remaining in his Grade 12 year.

It removes a lot of stress about

trying to find a university, and now he can focus on the high school track and field season in the spring.

Several other schools were interested in him, including one in North Carolina that he visited and another in Pennsylvania. But ultimately SDSU won out.

“I believe this program has a lot more solid of a coaching than the other two, and the facilities are better, too.”

Bruins win two at home on the weekend

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Hunter Wallster has committed to join the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits track and field team starting in the fall of 2020. Photo submitted

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas!

With glad tidings from our entire staff this holiday season.

We thank you for your business during the past year and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Dr. Sarah Sliva • Optometrist Dr. Amanda M. Olsen • Optometrist Estevan • Carnduff (306) 636-2020 • www.southeasteyecare.ca

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