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Issue 39
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
ESTEVAN’S
SOURCE FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
Rash of thefts has struck Estevan By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan Police Service has been dealing with a rash of thefts so far this year, and is asking the public to be watchful of any suspicious activity. In the past two weeks, the EPS has been called to several incidents, including: • A break and enter to an apartment Jan. 10 at 308 Petterson Drive. A laptop computer case, containing a variety of personal and business-related items, was stolen. An alleged culprit in that case was later arrested. • Several incidents of mischief and thefts to community mailboxes in Estevan. In some cases, the suspects did not gain access, but in other cases, some mail was taken.The incidents occurred on Valley Street and in the Willow Park Greens Home Park. • A theft-trespass incident on Jan. 15. A male suspect crawled up a balcony of a second floor apartment building in north Estevan. The culprit took some property that was out on the balcony and left the area. It is believed he was on the balcony twice during the night, once just after midnight and again at 2:45 a.m. • A person entered garages along the 1200-block of Eighth Street around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 16. Some property was taken from at least one of the locations. The suspect was last seen walking towards the Estevan Leisure Centre, and was wearing a facemask and bright yellow gloves. The EPS did announce last week they had made an arrest in connection with some of the thefts, including another incident in which a hotel master key was stolen and used to break into some hotel rooms. Some stolen mail was located. Christopher Borgen, a 30-year-old man from Weyburn, was charged with several offences.
But since then, the EPS handled complaints for additional theft of mail incidents, leading the EPS to believe the incidents are connected. “We do believe there’s some different individuals involved, but all related, and we believe the parties are known to each other,” said Police Chief Paul Ladouceur. It’s hard to say whether the balcony and garage theft incidents are connected, but there is likely a tie-in for the other thefts. Investigators are working very diligently on the file, according to the police chief. As for theft of mail, it would be easy to write it off as a lesser crime, but it could lead to identity theft problems. “We’re seeing a lot of mailbox break-ins,” said Ladouceur. “We’re seeing a lot of theft of mail and property. So it becomes more of a nuisance than anything. The real concerning part is what then happens with that information.” Investigators are looking to see if there has been any inappropriate use of information stolen through the mail. These investigations take time, as there is a lot of paperwork that officers have to sort through. Among the items stolen have been cheques and personal identity items. “We want to make sure that those people are protected and that their identity is safe, and not to used inappropriately,” said Ladouceur. Some people might not their mail has been stolen, so it’s hard to know exactly how many people have been affected. “If you can imagine a hockey-style bag filled with mail, that’s what the investigators are working through right now,” said the police chief. “So a lot of information is there, a lot of different people’s names and a lot of locations that the investigators have to follow up with.” A2 » PEOPLE
She likes Sushi Bentley Urquhart met a cat named Sushi during the Paws to Reading program with the Estevan Humane Society and the Estevan Public Library at the humane society’s shelter Saturday. Young people and adults alike interacted with the animals at the shelter and read stories to them. The library hopes to have the program once a month on Saturdays this year. Photo by David Willberg
City seeking public’s input for the Our Estevan community plan The City of Estevan has released its proposed official community plan, and now it is seeking the public’s feedback on the comprehensive document, which is nearly 100 pages in length. City council passed first reading for a bylaw for the community plan at the Jan. 13 meeting, the first step needed for the document, known as Our Estevan, to be passed. Discussions of the official community plan started in the spring of 2018, with the city seeking public feedback on a number of different components associated with the plan through surveys. More than 1,200 responses were received in 2018 and 2019, providing the city with what it believes is a good cross-section of opinions. “ The O ur Estevan program is the result of extensive consultation
and dialogue with residents, businesses, gover nment agencies and other stakeholders,” wrote Richard Neufeld, who is the city’s manager of land development services. Two open houses also took place in an effort to receive feedback on draft policy directions that were developed to reflect the views offered through public engagement. Throughout the process, the city also communicated with various departments and levels of government. T h e o f fi c i a l c o m munity plan includes a comprehensive land use policy framework to help guide the city into the next decade. “O ur Estevan provides a detailed set of land use policy for issues as diverse as the natural environment and hazard planning, core areas such as parks and recreation,
residential, commercial and industrial development, inter-governmental and inter-municipal planning, and the provision of utility services,” wrote Neufeld. Upon adoption of the official community plan, it is anticipated that the city’s first neighbourhood plan will be approved, according to the plan and the city’s community engagement bylaw. The plan also includes a framework to monitor the progress made on each of the initiatives that are highlighted within the document in the form of an annual report to council. It also has policy directions regarding achieving economic security through a diverse local and regional economy built upon an industrial hub and service centre; the protection and stewardship of the natural environment; a transparent
and responsible land use decision making system which balances the needs of individuals with the public interest; efficient use of land; infrastructure and other resources in managing the city while accommodate growth and land use charges; a framework for inter-municipal co-operation on land use decisions that are of importance to the RM of Estevan; and the provision of housing for a diverse range of needs. The plan also covers everything from land use patterns and community identity, to tourism and future growth and expansion of the community. Planning directions cover such topics as community identity, residential development, housing standards, low densit y housing, in-fill developments, including some King Street, residential A2 » OPEN
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