Estevan Mercury 20200318

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(306) 634-2514 Issue 47

SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240

ESTEVAN’S

SOURCE FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS

City announces closure of leisure centre and other non-essential facilities due to COVID-19 pandemic The City of Estevan has announced the closure of the Estevan Leisure Centre and other non-essential services and facilities due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news release issued Monday night, the city says it has developed a plan to ensure that all essential municipal services will remain intact, should provincial and national health authorities declare an outbreak of the virus in the region. At this time, there has not been any confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19 in the Estevan area.

The issue was discussed in committee Monday night by city council and then a decision was reached.The session was behind closed doors because personnel issues had to be resolved.

“We have decided to close non-essential services and facilities effective Tuesday, March 17,” said Mayor Roy Ludwig. “This was a decision that council did not make lightly, but are aligning with the messaging from

Health Canada as well as the Government of Saskatchewan.

“We want to make sure we can maintain essential services, and one of the ways we can do this is to limit non-essential contacts in the community, including for our staff.”

Until further notice, the following facilities will be closed indefinitely for public access: The Estevan Leisure Centre and all entities within the facility, including the Estevan Public Library, the Nicholson Centre and the 60 and over Club; Affinity Place, the Power Dodge Ice Centre and the Power Dodge Curling Centre.

Outdoor park buildings; and City Hall, although services over the phone will remain available. Payments can be made through the drop box at City Hall, through your bank or online.

The city’s landfill will remain open.

The closure of the arenas

The Estevan Leisure Centre is among the facilities closed. Photo courtesy City of Estevan and the curling rink means that the Estevan Strippers annual Spring Bust hockey tournament has been cancelled.

Staff will be working in the facilities to ensure safety and cleanliness. A thorough cleaning of the facilities and other maintenance issues will be completed while the facility is closed.

At this time, Ludwig said there won’t be any layoffs.

The city hopes this will be a short-term situation.

“We are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to evaluate when the facilities and programing

may reopen,” the city said in the news release.

The city will be reviewing the amount of paid users of the facility and will determine a resolution for reimbursement of paid passes.

The annual spring city-wide registration event, slated for March 31, will be cancelled. The city urges organizations and users to register directly with their desired organization. Red Cross swimming lessons are available for registration on March 31 at 5:30 p.m.

Walk-in registrations will not take place due to facility closures.

Late last week, the city outlined its initial plan for the pandemic. At the time, it said city hall and the leisure centre would remain open, but they were monitoring the situation closely.

The City of Estevan says health and safety in the community will be a priority amid concerns with the COVID-19 virus.

The City’s services that are considered essential for the health and well-being of the community’s residents will not have any disruption.

They include utilities, water and wastewater, the fire department and the Estevan

Police Service.

Ludwig and council said at the time this planning effort is an exercise in due diligence and not a cause for alarm.They do have an emergency measure pandemic plan in place and are following the provincial model for health and safety for the community.

“At this time, the Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada,” said Ludwig.

“We continue to be encouraged by the information we receive, along with all Canadians, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, with regards to the limited spread of the virus in Canada.”

The provincial health ministry encourages everyone to be mindful of good hand hygiene, cough etiquette and social distancing. For those who have risk factors such as old age, or underlying health issues, medical experts encourage those people to stay away from crowded areas.

Classes in Sask. schools suspended starting March 20

11,000

Officials are currently examining options to provide childcare services for individuals that are providing essential services during the COVID-19 response.

The government announced on Sunday that the schools would remain open.

But then they made the about-face on Monday.

The Alberta government has taken a similar path. Other provinces have Premier Scott Moe cancelled classes for one school divisions will work learning methods. or two weeks in the face of with Saskatchewan postWhile this supplemen- COVID-19. secondary institutions to tal curriculum will have no The South East Corneradapt entry requirements for impact on final grades, it will stone Public School division programs commencing in the ensure that students seeking has reacted to the provincial next academic year. to continue learning will government’s decision.

Teachers and staff can have the resources necessary This means that parwork from home or in schools to do so. ents who are able to keep as scheduled during the class These measures apply to children home should do so cancellations. For the rest of daycares that are co-located immediately, with no absence the scheduled school year, the with schools, but do not or grade impacts, the school Ministry of Education will apply to licensed daycare division said. work with school divisions facilities outside of schools.

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for the next few days have a low risk of exposure,” the school division said in a news release.

“Regarding the next three school days, any student or staff member who has returned from international travel, including the United States, since Friday, March 13, is asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Thus, please do not come to school/work if this applies.”

Any student or staff member exhibiting any symptoms of illness is requested not to attend school.

Parents will be contacted for students to be picked up if they have symptoms.

Buses will run March 17-19.

“We know you will have questions. Please allow our staff time to work through the pieces so that we have answers.”

The school division says it will provide further information and direction as it becomes available.

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March 19 will be the last The chief medical health day of classes for Saskatch- officer indicated that school ewan schools for some time. closures would be based on a Premier Scott Moe an- number of factors including: nounced March 16 that all •Evidence of sustained classes in Saskatchewan, transmission within the comfrom pre-Kindergarten to munity; Grade 12, will be suspended •Rapid increase of local indefinitely due to the ongo- cases; and ing COVID-19 pandemic.

•Transmission without “In consultation with a known link to travel or the chief medical health confirmed cases. officer, the government There continues to be of Saskatchewan has an- no evidence that any of the nounced that all classes in above three criteria have been Saskatchewan, pre-K to 12 met. Children remaining in will be suspended, and will schools from March 16-19 be suspended indefinitely face a low risk of exposure to effective March 20,” said COVID-19. A preventative Premier Scott Moe during a approach of proactive school press conference closures beginning March For the period of March 20 means reducing the risk 16-19, pre K-12 classes will of COVID-19 transmission. wind down. This means that Every student will reparents who are able to keep ceive a final grade based children home should do on their current grade, and so immediately, and there students will progress to their will be no absence or grade next grade level next year.

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A2 March 18, 2020

St. Joseph’s ready for COVID-19 cases

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

While Estevan has yet to have its first diagnosed case of the COVID-19 virus, St. Joseph’s Hospital is ready for the pandemic’s arrival.

Executive director Greg Hoffort said they are having daily discussions and planning, as per the direction of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, so that they have a common process to prepare for COVID-19.

Hoffort didn’t disclose if people had been tested at the hospital, but he said there have been tests right across the province.

“The hospital will always be ready, and of course it remains to be seen how extensive COVID-19 becomes, but certainly there has been planning, and we have a tremendously ca-

pable and motivated staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and at the health authority in general,” he told the Mercury.

They’re in regular contact with the health authority and regular updates are occurring.

If residents are showing symptoms of COVID-19, they are asked to call 811 to speak to a health care provider.

Hoffort can feel the concern in the hospital and in the community.

“What we can do at St. Joseph’s Hospital is prepare as best we can, and be ready for whatever transpires,” said Hoffort.

He advises people to stay up to date on the virus.

There is a lot of information being put out by the Saskatchewan Health Authority through press releases and on their website. They should remain up to date with the public.

St. Joseph’s Hospital is ready for an influx of patients due to COVID-19. File photo “What we are focusing on in addition to all of that is hand hygiene and properly and thoroughly washing your hands,” said Hoffort.

He also asks people to avoid coming to the hospital if they can. There are people who come to hospital for all sorts of reasons, but others come to the

hospital with conditions that don’t require a visit.

“If you do, avoid surfaces, avoid contact and thoroughl y wash your hands coming in and out of

the hospital and every area you go ot in the hospital.”

Physicians in the community are up to speed on what is happening, and are as ready as they can be for the challenges that lie ahead.

“There’s no panic going on at the hospital or with the staff, but there is some diligent work going on to plan for and be prepared.”

The chief medic al health officer has ordered that visitors to long-term care homes, hospitals, personal care homes and group homes are restricted to essential visitors only, which means immediate family visiting during compassionate reasons.

A total of seven cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed or were classified as presumptive in the province, as of Tuesday morning. All seven cases have been announced within the past week.

Council tables decision on a third arena for Estevan

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

It will be up to the next city council to decide whether to construct a third arena in Estevan.

City council tabled a report on proposals for the new arena during Monday night’s meeting. A total of 15 submissions came in for the arena, which parks and facilities manager Rod March said gives council a very good breadth of information to consider.

The estimates to design and build a third arena range from nearly $7.8 million to $13.5 million, plus tax. The lowest bid was from Fresh Projects Builders of Winnipeg.

Each of the bidders included projected costs for five phases of the project.

None of the bids were from local companies.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said that due to the current council term coming to a close, the cost of the project, and the issues facing the city’s economy, council didn’t want to approve or reject the project at this time.

“We did not feel it was appropriate for this existing council to make a heavy decision like that, especially given what’s happening in our area with the proposed closures of Units 4 and 5 (at the Boundary Dam Power Station) and even now the pandemic,” Ludwig told the Mercury.

Council has received input from the Estevan Minor

Hockey Association and all of the user groups.

“We have been getting feedback already, all the way through this. And of course, we appreciate all of the comments and all of the feedback,” he said.

But thanks to the feedback since the needs assessment came back last year, the decision was made to wait.

Ludwig pointed out

The Southeast College says it is taking the necessary steps across each of its locations to ensure continued safety of both students and staff as the COVID-19 virus continues to spread.

I n a n e w s re l e a s e

Monday night, the college said in-person classes are suspended, including full-time, part-time, adult basic education, English as another language and University of Regina classes.

Among programs sus-

pended for the Estevan campus are heavy equipment and truck and transport technician, industrial mechanic and essential skills for the workplace programs.

The first aid class that was scheduled for Tuesday

Estevan city council has decided to table the proposals for a third arena in Estevan. File photo this would be a basic arena, with seating for about 1,000 people on benches.

Each member of council weighed in on the matter. Councillor Lyle Yanish compared the request for proposals to getting a price, a practice that many people do before making a big purchase.

In this case, the big purchase was $10 million.

Councillor Shelly Vero-

ba said a lot of people she talked to thought council would proceed with the project.

“I think there a lot of things in our community that are changing, and I think that we need to take a stop back right now and leave it for the next council,” she said.

Councillor Greg Hoffort noted that when Affinity Place was constructed a de-

cade ago, there was an enormous amount of grants that were available to build such a project. With the economy hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this is when more grants might become available, because governments try to stimulate the economy through construction.

Grants would be vital to the project.

“This council wound not ever be in favour of building a rink without that kind of commitment or that kind of funding in place,” said Hoffort.

March said the bids average out to around $9-10 million, and Ludwig expects that would be the cost of a third arena.

Members also praised March for his work on obtaining the proposals.

Council issued a request for proposals late last year.

The move drew a mixed reaction, with some saying the city should go ahead with a third rink, and others saying Estevan has other priorities.

Some erroneously seemed to think that a request for proposals meant the city was going ahead with the third rink.

College provides updates on operations and classes

Mainprize Regional Park Authority

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went ahead as scheduled.

The college says more information will be provided to students regarding online or alternative delivery on March 20, where possible.

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gramming for students will begin on March 23, where possible.

The college says public health officials continue to reassess the national and provincial public health risk, based on the best available evidence, as the situation evolves.

Students and staff are directed to the provincial government website, www. saskatchewan.ca, where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) link provides the most up-to-date information available for Saskatchewan residents.

The college says the safety and well-being of students and staff is their primary focus. It is also prepared to adopt and fully support any direction from the federal and provincial governments and public health.

All Southeast College campus locations have increased cleaning protocols and frequency.

The college previously announced that University of Regina classes at all Southeast College campuses were suspended for the week of March 16-19.

College representatives will be reaching out to all students affected by the closures via email and text or phone call.

“Given the guidance we have received thus far, as well as our own preparedness efforts, we believe that we are taking the right steps to ensure that our college locations are safe,” the college said in a news release.

“Thank you for your continued understanding, we will continue to update as needed.”

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Third Page A3

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Market idea explored for downtown Estevan

As ideas continue to be tossed around in an effort to bring more people and business to downtown Estevan, a new concept is gaining traction in the community.

The Estevan Downtown Business Association discussed the possibility of a downtown market at their meeting last week.

President Laurel Buck said they were brainstorming ideas on how they could create excitement and traffic downtown, and the market came up.

“We decided to name it a community market,” she said.

The association doesn’t want to take away from the Estevan Farmers Market Association, which has weekly sales Saturdays at the Estevan Shoppers Mall from April to October.

“It’s something that we

think can maybe compliment it,” said Buck.

They have talked about having their markets on a Wednesday or Thursday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., or later in the day during a weekend. They asked people on their Facebook page when it would be most convenient for shoppers.

Saturday morning and early afternoon would be out due to their desire to not compete with the farmers’ market.

If they have sales on weekday nights, then Buck expects most of the businesses would be open for evening shopping as well to offer even more selection for shoppers.

Initially the association suggested using the large parking lot in behind the House of Stationery, but they have had so much interest ideas from potential vendors that now they are considering closing part

of or all of the 1200-block of Fourth Street, where many of their members are located.

It ’s not known how many vendors the House of Stationery parking lot

could hold.

“At this time, we just wanted to see if there was any interest in this at all from the public, and so far, yes, the response has been good,” said Buck.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 25, and they will discuss it again.

“We’re hoping to see a lot of home crafts and homemade items or home-

grown items,” said Buck.

“But at this point, we’re certainly open to anybody with something unique to sell.”

It would also be open to house-based businesses.

Food trucks are also expected to be part of the downtown markets.

A lot of the people who are already participating in the Estevan Farmers’ Market sales have reached out to the action committee, looking to be part of the downtown markets.

“A lot of them have said if it’s not at the same time (they would participate),” said Buck.

But she cautions that this idea is still in its early stages.

If everything goes well, they hope the first market could be in late May or early June. And if the support is sufficient, it would be able to run weekly from early May to late September after this year.

Members of the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs are looking to serve the community during what is a difficult time due to the COVID-19 virus.

In an interview with the Mercur y, Kinsmen Club member Preston Majeran said that if there are people out there who are elderly or sick, and don’t want to go out in public, and are looking for assistance, then they can

approach a Kin member.

“We will arrange for someone to come to their house and help them out by going to pick up groceries or toiletries or whatever they need, other than prescriptions, because we are not allowed to do that,” said Majeran.

The initiative started Monday afternoon and will continue for as long as the service is needed, which means they could

continue to do it after the communit y eases back into normal once the uncertainty of COVID-19 subsides. “ We’ll look at it in the future, maybe, if this is something we need to continue on,” said Majeran.

Majeran added the Kin clubs had the idea for the project because there are other clubs in Saskatchewan that have done it, even before COVID-19

was forcing services to shut down and people to remain in their homes.

“We just decided that the best way to give back to the community, and maybe give some people some peace of mind, was to say that they’re not alone during this time. They might be self-isolating, either because they have to or for their own reasons, or they might be afraid to go outside,” he said.

Kinsmen and Kinettes have always followed the motto of serving the community’s greatest needs, and Majeran said they feel that this time, this is one of the greatest needs that the community has.

Kin c lub members will be on call. Majeran reminds people that the members of the clubs have jobs, so if they’re able to do it right away, they will, but if not, they will get to it as

quickly as possible.

Nobody had reached out to the Kin clubs about the service, but they thought they would lead by example, and hope that other service clubs in the city would follow suit, so they would feel safe.

If someone is looking for assistance, then they can contact Majeran at 306-421-6609 or contact the Kin clubs via Facebook.

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Estevan Downtown Business Association president Laurel Buck

Kin clubs looking to help others in tough time

COVID-19 forces cancellations and postponements The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of a number of events in the Estevan area.

The cancellations started with sporting events, including the remainder of the SJHL playoffs, minor hockey postseason, the Big Six Hockey League final and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association’s provincials.

The master’s men’s and women’s curling provincials at the Power Dodge Curling Centre were halted. Meanwhile, the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s annual Open Bonspiel, slated for March 20 and 21, has been pushed back to late October.

(See pages A9 and 10 for more on the sports cancellations).

Also cancelled were water polo provincials, the Estevan Extreme Volleyball Club’s under-15 tournament and other volleyball tournaments around the province, and the rest of the Estevan

Mermaids artistic swimming club’s season.

Cancellations of community events started Friday.

The Estevan Recreational Dance Club postponed their annual dance recital slated for March 14.

The Impact Early Resource Childhood Fair on March 17 at Hillcrest School has been cancelled.

One of the big blows was the loss of the Estevan and District Music Festival, which was supposed to begin March 17 and continue until early April. The decision was made after an announcement by the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association to end the rest of the music festivals in the community.

The Estevan Chamber of Commerce has announced the postponement of two of their big events of the year.

The chamber’s annual general meeting was supposed to happen March 19, but was pushed back to a later date.

The Women of Today Awards are among the events postponed due to COVID-19. File photo The Estevan Farmers’ Appreciation Evening, which is a project of the chamber and the Estevan Exhibition Association, was slated for March 31. It will hopefully happen later this year.

The chamber also announced the cancellation of its coffee talk on April 1,

which was supposed to have a focus on summer events.

The Este van Ar ts Council cancelled the VC2 Cello performance that was scheduled for March 19.

A JJ Voss concert at Art Concepts Custom Framing, which was to be a release party for Voss’ new album, was cancelled.

Creighton Lodge’s fundraiser, featuring the Duelling Pianos on March 27, has been postponed. Also postponed was the Women of Today Awards, which was slated to happen in midApril.

The Souris Valley Museum has cancelled its events for the rest of the month.

And the Estevan Public Library has also announced on Monday that it had also cancelled all of its programming, and the other events associated with the library, including the Estevan Toastmasters Club that meets every Tuesday and the In Motion symposium that was scheduled for March 18.

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Editorial A4

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Staff

SERVING CANADA’S SUNSHINE CAPITAL Publisher

Deanna Tarnes - dtarnes@estevanmercury.ca

Editor

David Willberg - dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Editorial Staff: Ana Bykhovskaia - abykhovskaisa@estevanmercury.ca Brian Zinchuk - brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Advertising Manager

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Advertising Sales

Teresa Hrywkiw - thrywkiw@estevanmercury.ca Kimberlee Pushie - kpushie@estevanmercury.ca

Production:

Ana Villarreal - avillarreal@estevanmercury.ca

Administration:

Vaila Lindenbach - vlindenbach@estevanmercury.ca Fay Bonthoux - fbonthoux@estevanmercury.ca

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We acknowledge financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.

EDITORIAL

Moving forward, we have to be smart After weeks of speculation, Saskatchewan was hit last week by the COVID-19 virus, with our first confirmed and presumed cases.

But the impact extended beyond those who have been diagnosed with or tested for the disease.

We’re all now feeling its reach.

Events have been cancelled. While nobody would ever be foolish to say that a hockey game or a community event or a music festival is as important as people’s health, it’s still tough to see those events not happen.

The players who are on the Estevan Bruins deserved better than to have their junior careers end because of COVID-19. Same goes for those who played minor hockey. A lot of young players are likely feeling like they have unfinished business, but they’ll never get a chance to play minor or junior hockey again because they’ve aged out.

Once the National Hockey League, the Canadian Hockey League and other leagues took steps to suspend their campaigns, you knew that Hockey Canada wouldn’t hesitate to pull the plug on the season.

You just thought that they might wait a little longer before changing the status from postponed to cancelled.

We’ve seen the impact on all sorts of events, including the cancellation of a provincial curling event at the Power Dodge Curling Centre that brought 20 teams to the community. The sudden cancellation was a real blow to the rink and the

local hospitality sector.

The Estevan Recreational Dance Club’s recital was postponed and the Estevan and District Music Festival was cancelled. The Estevan Farmers’ Appreciation Evening is postponed.

It’s tough to see events dashed. People work tirelessly to make them happen. They have a strong contribution from volunteers; those efforts have gone for naught. And many of these events have a considerable impact on the economy.

At the same time, we have to be smart. We really don’t have a reference book for an outbreak of this magnitude. We can’t sit back and say “Well, 50 years ago, I remember when this happened…”

This is the worst outbreak in our lifetime.

So it’s incumbent on all of us to use common sense.The organizers have to decide whether it’s worth having these events, or if it’s better to postpone or even cancel. Granted, with a limit for the number of people that can attend an event, it makes some decisions easy. But you don’t want to wind up contributing to the spread of a contagious disease because of stubbornness.

Visits to hospitals and other care facilities are now limited to immediate family. The government has decided to end the 2019-20 school year; a day earlier, the government decided classes would remain in session, to the dismay of many in the public.

Regardless of decisions made, we need to respect that decision. Don’t call to complain. The

people involved all of these different sectors have more pressing things to do than to take an irate phone call.

Being smart extends to our personal behaviour and decisions. Make sure you turn to the right sources for your information. Don’t just turn to a source because their opinions fit in with your personal worldview. Find the right source, know your facts and know the science and the symptoms associated with COVID-19. This is not the time to write the medical community off as eggheads.

It also means being smart when it comes to your purchases. Don’t be a hoarder. Remember that people have needs, too. Don’t gobble up all of the toilet paper, baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, medicine or hand sanitizer in the store. Save some for others. And remember that those over 60 are most at risk of suffering an illness.

And don’t forget small and medium-sized businesses, and locally-owned franchises. The coming weeks are going to be particularly hard on them. The hospitality and the retail sectors are going to be really hard hit.

Yes, we have to go about things the right way, but we can’t just shut ourselves off from the rest of the world. So when you make purchases, do it with locally-owned businesses.

The risk of contracting the disease has been low. It likely won’t remain that way, but by taking the right steps and by being smart, we can keep things from being worse.

COVID-19 keeps the world changing constantly The world we knew before last week is not the same as the world we knew this week. And it will not be the world we know next week.

The second week of March 2020 will be remembered as the week the world changed. It will be as significant as the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929, or the start of the Second World War on Sept. 1, 1939. Sept. 11 doesn’t hold a candle.

The stock market crash of 1929 led to the “Dirty Thirties,” which only ended when war was declared in September 1939.

In some ways, this shift is even more earthshaking. The stock market crash is similar in scale to 1929, but oil is just over half of what it was a month ago, and COVID-19 is shutting down the world.

I am typing this on Sunday, March 15. It’s important to date-stamp, because each day brings more incredible news, each item of which would normally lead the headlines for several days.

This afternoon I told my parents that every school east of Moosomin, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, would be closing. Manitoba will close in a week (although that will likely change before I publish this) and will join Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Less than an hour after I said that, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said that province’s schools and daycares would also close, indefinitely. Saskatchewan was next.

Similar things are starting to happen in the U.S., too. And this has been happening all over Europe. Entire countries like Italy and Spain are on lockdown.

Even wartime did not see travel bans between the U.S. and an entire continent. And it certainly didn’t see schools shut down across entire countries.

What happens when kids are simply too young to be left home alone? Does one parent have to stay home now, until September? And what if it’s a single parent family? Daycares are closing. Do you pray a neighbour will take them

From the Top of the Pile BRIAN ZINCHUK in? How does that work if everyone is supposed to stay home, isolated?

If I were to pick one day where this crisis became real for the world, it was Thursday, March 12, 2020.

The night before, the NBA suspended its season.This day, sports, as a concept, as something we do, talk about, care about, ended. President Donald Trump made a national address, shutting down travel with Europe.

It was next to impossible to keep track of the announcements. The NHL, Major League Baseball, PGA golf, the Masters, soccer, are all cancelled or suspended. Hockey Canada soon cancels all of its sanctioned hockey, period.

Every convention and conference you can think of was cancelled or postponed within the following 48 hours. Several of the cases in Canada are linked to conventions, although no one really points that out strongly. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife got it while at a speaking engagement in Britain. He went into isolation.

In the space of a day, entire industries have all but disappeared. Sports – done. Conventions – same. Tourism? Ha! Travel? Forget it.

Restaurants are going to take a beating.

Hotels, too. Essentially, the hospitality business will be devastated, and they’re not alone. They’re just the start. I expect two million people will lose their jobs in Canada in the next few months.

Maybe a lot more.

In the past week, Italy, France, Spain, Israel and Saudi Arabia have closed all restaurants and cafés, along with other social venues. What happens to all the people who work in those places?

How do they feed their families?

Hotels will likely see similar consequences. If everyone stays home, they don’t need temporary lodging.

All across Canada, provinces are banning gatherings of more than 250 people. Israel has reduced that to 10.

While groceries, gas stations and pharmacies are generally being kept open, in several of the aforementioned countries, everyone else is to close their doors and stay home.

How will governments be able to support their entire populations, with their economies grinding to a complete halt? Do they just print money? In one fell swoop, will we see the return of a form of communism sweep the globe, where we all, in some way, work for the government because our former jobs disappeared?

As we stagger back to our feet, what is important, and what is not? Food production? Basic goods and necessities? Are we going to hit the reset button 70 years? Did the consumer economy just evaporate, in a week?

I expect some things will need to change, rapidly, like they did during the Second World War. For instance, I’m no chemist, but according to the World Health Organization, ethanol can be used as a hand sanitizer. We have ethanol plants throughout North America currently turning food into gasoline additive. Maybe this ethanol should be diverted to sanitation purposes. After all, with global oil demand falling like a rock, and likely to fall a great deal more, it’s not like there’s a shortage of oil to put in gas tanks.

And if not for sanitizer, maybe it should be used for food. There’s going to be a lot of hungry people if millions get laid off in the coming months.

This is likely the biggest economic shock in 100 years. And we’re just getting started.

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

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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

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Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

50 shades of calving Being born in a city of five million, I didn’t expect that a day would come when I would realize that I love farming with all my heart and would actually wait for calving season to come.

Now it’s here, and our amazing yearly adventure has begun.

I can’t say that I just found something that completely fits me (because it definitely doesn’t), but there is so much in it. For me, calving season turned out to be a unique time of the year when a person watching mama-cows gets a chance to experience a full range of emotions without travelling or doing anything special, but just by staying with them.

Every new adventure starts when you notice that one of the cows is restless. Its tail goes up and the cow starts almost dancing. It usually finds a spot away from the rest of the herd (with the exception of some party animals, which prefer to have a calf right in the middle, where they might be stepped on). As soon as you see one like that, you get a bit of anxiety, which grows as the process proceeds. The anxiety is instantly high if it’s a heifer, with which you never know what to expect.

We start calving in March when the nights are still cold and there is often snow on the ground, so we usually take cows that are calving into a barn. Once that is done, your curiosity kicks in. Even though I’ve watched them many times, I still find the appearance of a calf miraculous. You have to leave the future mama alone, but you come to check on her every so often. The process is never easy, so I always feel the urge to support and cheer them. I talk to them when I come into the barn, but I don’t think they really care at that stage. They are completely focused on the process, in most cases regulated by their instincts.

How many times when waters broke and a calf started coming, I caught myself almost praying to see its hooves first.

It means that the animal is laying properly and a cow should be fine. At that point, you start watching the time, and I usually start cheering for them even more (you know, like in movies, “Push, push girl!” type of in this case useless support).

It’s exciting to see a calf on the ground. You rush there to ensure that its nose is free. It’s even more exciting and relieving to see it making its first breath. But then you step back and get worried again, watching the cow’s reaction to the new circumstance, laying on the ground in front of her.

Some mamas are amazing, they care about their calves, but they also know that we are there to help (at least I want to believe that), so they don’t fight. With these ones you usually feel really happy. Already at this point, you pretty much know that everything will be fine with them.They’ll be on their own, and you’ll just watch the calf growing (unless the calf is really silly and you end up teaching it where and how to get milk).

Others don’t care much about their babies. They’ve been in labour for so long, that they leave their poor little wet and shivering nubbles and go eat, and then they forget that they had a baby. These ones may be a lot of work. If they don’t take the calf, it may take days of trying to make the silly mama believe that it’s actually her calf.

In the meantime, the calf stays in the barn and almost becomes a pet. It knows that you are now a source of milk, so it comes running when it sees you, it looks for milk while you are making it, pushing and bunting (I’m quite happy that I don’t have any sensitive areas in their reach zone, they bunt hard and quite unexpectedly). You pet and play with it, and very quickly you become best friends. The level of sweetness is through the roof. They are almost like therapy. I come to the barn sad and tired and leave happy and calm.

But there is also the third type of mamas. When they calf their ancient instincts wake up and all of a sudden, they turn into vicious monsters that will be trying to mow you over for at least the next few days.

I was walking through a corral the other day when out of a corner of my eye I noticed a cow that turned my way and instantly started chasing me. I think I was faster than the speed of light. Despite the physics laws, I flew up the windbreaker and only then turned around. The cow had left after it chased me far enough from her calf. I think I had more adrenaline in my blood than after jumping out of a plane with a parachute.

But no matter what kind of mamas they are, watching calves get bigger and stronger every day is a joy. Calving is a primitive process, but it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and it is also so natural, that once you are into it you instantly feel that you are doing something good.

Young calves are all around The calving season is underway in the Estevan area. The last weekend’s winter hit with strong winds, lower temperatures and over 10 centimetres of snow created extra stress for local farmers that are busy with the cattle. But outside of it the mild weather allowed for healthy and successful calving season so far with hundreds of fresh calves popping up in the yards all around the area. This week-old bull found freshly spread hay to be amazingly cozy to sleep on. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Kitchen: Government has not shut down Last week the decision was made to adjourn the House of Commons due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus for the following five weeks.The decision to break parliamentary sessions until April 20 was made out of an abundance of caution.

“First off, the government has not shut down.

What has happened is the House has suspended sitting,” said Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen in an interview with the Mercury.

Throughout the last few weeks, the parties were talking to each other about how to contain the situation making certain that practices set out by Health Canada are followed.

“The job of a member of parliament requires frequent travel all over the country, meeting with individuals and groups from all over the world, as well as working in close proximity to hundreds of other members of parliament, senators and staff,” said Kitchen.

Besides, with the number of visitors to the House of Commons, it was becoming almost impossible to ensure the health regulations are in place, so working together the parties came to an agreement that it was better to suspend

the House with certain conditions.

They had to ensure that the free-trade agreement was ratified by unanimous vote.

They also had to go through funding estimates, which were approved with conditions such that the parties, as well as the auditor general, were able to scrutinize what was being spent.

Kitchen said several strong accountability measures are in place to ensure proper oversight of the government’s spending throughout this period. All spending will be referred to the standing committee on public accounts when the House resumes sitting, and all committees can be recalled during the adjournment for further scrutiny if needed.

In addition, the auditor general will conduct an audit of the government’s expenditures under this special provision.

If an emergency comes about, the parties can reconvene the House at any time as a whole or any particular committee needed to address the situation. They also may change the April 20 to an earlier or later date if needed.

In the meantime, the government has announced the establishment of the CO-

tion they have to find ways to address the problem.

“The government spent over $100 billion dollars in four years, and this doesn’t include what we are going through now. They are escalating that debt. And that’s a big concern for me in these aspects. At this point in time though as we move forward with COVID-19 we need to make certain that we protect Canadians as best as we can and so we need to make allowances in those manners,” said Kitchen.

While the House of Commons is adjourned, Kitchen will focus on his riding. Besides, he is a part of the Standing Committee on Health and is also a Deputy Shadow Minister for Health, so the COVID-19 virus will be his priority as well.

In Souris-Moose Mountain, his offices will continue to offer assistance to constituents as usual. However, he asks that people call or email the office rather than coming in since Kitchen had to do a lot of travelling within the country lately and is trying to limit the contacts.

Kitchen also asks people to stay calm and to remember to maintain safe hygiene practices at home and at work.

Drug investigation leads to charges One person has been charged with several offences after an arrest last week.

In a news release from the Estevan Police S er vice, they repor ted the drug-intelligence unit conducted a cocaine trafficking investigation on an Estevan man.

Plain clothes officers from the unit arrested the man without incident on March 11 at approximately 2:15 p.m. A search warrant was then executed at an apartment suite located in the 1400-block of Nicholson Road. A vehicle was also searched as a result of a search warrant.

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VID-19 Response Fund, worth over $1 billion, with $500 million going to provinces and territories and $275 million allocated for research on the disease. Kitchen pointed out that at this time there are more questions than answers about that money.

“The concern that I have, though, with the funding is how is it going to be divided or distributed within the provinces and territories.

How quickly will that money get out the door? … It’s good to have that but is it going to be enough? Where is the avenue for this?”

Other concerns that Kitchen raised include the coverage for small businesses, part-time employees and self-employed people, who are going to be affected by the current situation probably even worse than those who have employment insurance (EI).

“I hope that as we hear more from this government, they are addressing those aspects in such a way so everybody is covered, not just those that are full-time working,” said Kitchen.

He also criticized the government’s spending over the course of the last four years, however, he pointed out that in the current situa-

Cocaine, cell phones, digital scales, $570 and other items used for the sale and distribution of cocaine were seized.

Jake Thomas Charles, 24, has been charged with allegedly trafficking cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine under the Con-

trolled Drugs and Substances Act, and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada.

Charles appeared in court March 12 and has been remanded into custody. His next court appearance was March 16.

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New dangerous goods bylaw coming for Estevan Estevan is one step closer to having a dangerous goods bylaw for the first time.

Estevan city council gave first reading to the document at Monday night’s meeting. Previously, the board of police commissioners approved it at their monthly meeting in February.

Council still has to give it second and third readings before it is official.

The bylaw stipulates where dangerous goods can be transported, reasons for carriers to be off the designated routes and fines for violations.

Fire Chief Dale Feser said most of the vehicles that carry dangerous goods stick to the truck bypass north of Estevan or the truck routes within Estevan, but this will give an opportunity for the city to crack down on those who don’t.

The routes in which dangerous goods will be allowed will mirror the existing truck routes.

Feser pointed out the city has also had problems with vehicles carrying dangerous goods being parked in commercial lots, hotel lots and residential areas where they shouldn’t be. The city wants to get a handle on it.

“We want to provide the safe places for them to park their vehicles and still be able to do business within the city of Estevan,” said Feser. “The bylaw is just put into place to make sure that everyone is following the rules.”

These vehicles also won’t be allowed around schools or buildings such as Affinity Place, unless they’re making a delivery, to limit the risk of people being exposed to a release from a commercial carrier should

such an incident occur.

If a vehicle is making a pickup or delivery, it will not be allowed to remain off the dangerous goods route for an extended period of time.

Feser doesn’t believe this bylaw will put Estevan at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to doing business, nor should it create changes for residents.

There will be signage indicating where vehicles with dangerous goods can travel.

Work on the bylaw started in December 2018.

Several drafts were completed, and it was sent to stakeholders, including the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, who needed about six months before getting back to the city with their blessing.

They will also make a presentation to the Rural Municipality of Estevan’s Council to get their thoughts, since the truck bypass cuts through the RM. Consultation also oc-

Fire Chief Dale Feser explains the dangerous goods bylaw. curred with local industry.

“Obviously we do not want to hamper any of the way that they are doing business,” said Feser. “We have to be very sensitive to that, as we are very much an industrial city here. We want to make sure it will be quick and painless, but it makes sense.”

If a vehicle breaks

down, the driver will need to contact the police service, the fire department or the bylaw enforcement officer to make them aware something has happened.

The repair will need to be done as quickly as possible or the dangerous goods will have to be taken to a safe location until the repair is completed.

There could also be a fine if a vehicle carrying dangerous goods is parked in an area where it shouldn’t be, such as a residential area or even a hotel parking lot.

Feser said it would be up to the company to make arrangements to get the employee from where the truck is located to the lodging for the night.

Feser believes the lack of a dangerous goods bylaw has been overlooked in the past, despite the amount of industry in the community.

The city hasn’t had a serious incident that involved a truck carrying dangerous goods.

Other communities have similar documents in place, and the city consulted them to find out what they had for their bylaws.

An educational push will occur with various businesses and agencies once the bylaw is approved.

“If we do find ourselves having deliveries being made by outside carriers,

at least they’ll have an idea of what exactly to do and where to go when plotting their deliveries and pickups,” said Feser.

D ur ing the police board meeting, Councillor Lyle Yanish noted there have been trucks carrying dangerous goods parked near the railroad tracks on Sixth Street and left by the tracks overnight while the driver heads home. The vehicle was then picked up the following morning. He wanted to know if that will still be allowed to happen.

Feser noted the trucks carrying dangerous goods won’t be allowed within 150 metres of a residential building, although there would be some exceptions, such as the Husky on Fourth Street and possibly the railroad tracks.

The bylaw lists a number of different violations.

The penalties are $500 for a first offence, $1,000 for a second offence and $2,000 for each subsequent offence.

Great response for Best of Estevan Estevan Mercury’s Best of Estevan voting stage is over, and soon we’ll get to know what are the best businesses in town in people’s opinion. The response from the community this year was so significant that our publisher/ sales manager Deanna Tarnes spent hours organizing and tabulating the incoming voting ballots. The Best of Estevan special section appears in the March 25 edition of the Mercury. Photo

by Fay Bonthoux

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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Crescent Point slashes capital budget 35 per cent

By Brian Zinchuk brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

Coming as yet another hammer blow to the industry, Crescent Point Energy Corp. is dramatically cutting its capital expenditures for 2020.

The oil and gas producer, one of Saskatchewan’s two largest, made the announcement before markets opened Monday.

C r e s c e n t Po i n t i s revising its 2020 capital spending by approximately 35 per cent in response to the recent decline in commodity prices. It said, “ This conser vative and disciplined approach demonstrates the company’s flexibility, focus on returns and prudent risk management to protect its balance sheet.”

“Our original plans for 2020 centered on returns, capital discipline, cost savings initiatives and balance sheet strength,” said Craig Br yksa, president and CEO of Crescent Point.

“Given the recent severe volatility in the near-term outlook for commodity prices, we have adjusted our program to support those same priorities. We expect to fully fund our

2020 program within cash flow, assuming a WTI price in the low US$30/barrel range for the remainder of the year.”

Less than two weeks before, the company announced its 2019 financials, with an email saying “Crescent Point exits 2019 in a much stronger position.”

On March 5, Crescent Point said: “Annual average production in 2019 was 162,230 boepd (barrels of oil equivalent per day), which was at the mid-point of the company’s guidance range and was comprised of approximately 91 per cent oil and liquids. Average production during fourth quarter was 145,191 boepd, reflecting the impact of asset dispositions executed during the quarter.”

At that point the company said: “The company remains on track with its 2020 budget, which remains unchanged, with annual average production of 140,000 to 144,000 boepd and capital expenditures of $1.10 to $1.20 billion.”

On March 16, the price of West Texas Intermediate oil dropped in morning trading to US$28.54 per barrel, down

US$3.18, or 10 per cent.

Crescent Point ’s March 16 revised 2020 capital expenditures budget of $700 to $800 million is expected to generate annual average production of 130,000 to 134,000 boepd. This guidance reflects a “high-graded, lower activity budget with fewer wells drilled.

This program is expected to moderate the company’s corporate decline rate and reduce variable expenses while also protecting the long-term value of its drilling inventory.”

The revised program will begin immediately with minimal activity in second quarter, driven by normal seasonality related to spring break-up, with the majority of remaining activity expected to resume late third quarter.

Management will continue to monitor the outlook for commodity prices during this period of reduced activity and has the ability to make further adjustments if necessary.

Crescent Point’s new budget incorporates additional operating and capital cost efficiencies realized during first quarter 2020 through the continued adoption of digital

Crescent Point has curtailed its capital expenditure program by 35 per cent.

Photo by Brian Zinchuk technologies and workflow optimization on top of successful drilling, completion and facility cost reduction initiatives. The company is targeting further improvements to its cost structure throughout the year, which have not been incorporated into its updated guidance.

Crescent Point is also revising its dividend to provide additional flexibility in the current environment, essentially taking it as low as it can go and still declare a dividend in the year.

After payment of

the first quarter dividend of CDN$0.01 per share payable April 1, 2020, as previously announced, the company intends to change to a quarterly cash dividend that equates to CDN$0.01 per share per year. Crescent Point is also deferring share repurchases under its normal course issuer bid with flexibility for it to be resumed as market conditions warrant.

The company has over 50 per cent of its revised oil production guidance hedged for 2020 at attractive prices which are expected to provide approxi-

mately $325 million to $350 million of gains for the year if WTI remains at US$30/bbl to US$35/ bbl for the remainder of 2020. Crescent Point does not have any material near-term senior note debt maturities and currently retains significant liquidity of approximately $2.7 billion of cash and unutilized capacity on its credit facilities which are not due for renewal until October 2023. These credit facilities are unsecured and not subject to periodic revisions due to changes in reserve values.

Public Notice Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 Notice of Intent to Amend the Zoning Bylaw Pursuant to Section 207 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007, the Council of the Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 hereby gives notice of its intention to amend Zoning Bylaw 5-2014 by passing bylaw 2020-02.

Intent: This text amendment is for accessory buildings or accessory structures in the LDA-C – Lakeshore Development Accessory Contract District shall only be required to obtain a report from a professional engineer if the building or structure is within 15 meters of the crest of a slope greater that 15%.

Reason: The reason for the amendment is to allow for less restrictive conditions for accessory buildings or accessory structures built in the LDA-C – Lakeshore Development Accessory Contract District 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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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, April 8th, 2020 in the Council Chambers of the R.M. of Estevan No. 5, #1-322 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan.

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THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT

Drilling Licenses 4 new licenses issued to Monday, March 16 150802 148864 150713 150555

Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 13-26-8-7 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 15-23-9-7 Crescent Point Energy Hz ................................................................................................... 13-26-8-8 Vermilion Energy Hz ............................................................................................................. 11-4-3-1

Rig Report 147467 Trinidad Drilling ...................................Torc Oil & Gas .......................................................... 9-19-4-1 97D225 Mosaic Esterhazy Holdings ULC ....................................................................................... 7-21-19-32

122384 147852 145599 149665 149106 148974 02J222 138706 145171 148943 139775

Horizon Drilling.............................. Ridgeback Resources ................................................ 16-25-10-8 Precision Drilling ...........................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 8-22-10-6 Ensign Drilling .....................................Torc Oil & Gas .......................................................... 4-4-2-11 Panther Drilling..................................Vermilion Energy...................................................... 13-34-1-3 Vermilion Energy ...............................Vermilion Energy...................................................... 5-34-6-15 Trinidad Drilling .............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................... 1-9-1-13 Mosaic Esterhazy Holdings ULC ...................................................................................... 8-21-19-32 Ensign Drilling ...............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 2-10-1-13 Ensign Canadian ............................Crescent Point Energy...................................................... 9-9-9-9 Panther Drilling..................................Vermilion Energy........................................................ 1-11-1-6 Horizon Drilling..............................Crescent Point Energy.................................................. 1-34-5-25

A8 March 18, 2020

Knights support the food bank Sheldon Spilchuk, the grand knight for the Estevan Knights of Columbus, and Knights of Columbus member Albert Petrash present a cheque for $2,000 to Estevan Salvation Army director of ministry Ronza Reynard on Monday.

The money was collected through the Knights of Columbus’ efforts with hampers before Christmas, and will be directed towards the food bank.

Holy Family to discuss student trustees with SCCs

By Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review The question of whether the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division’s board should have student trustees involved was discussed at the board’s monthly meeting on March 16, with a suggestion to involve the school-community

councils (SCCs).

Director of education Gwen Keith obtained information from the Regina Catholic School Division where student trustees are involved, along with information from other divisions across the country.

“My feeling is as we don’t have a high school, it makes it a lot more difficult

to do this,” said board chair Bruno Tuchscherer. “I don’t have a problem with Grade 8 or 9 students coming to the meeting, but I wonder if we shouldn’t talk to the SCCs to see if they’d be interested in having a student at their meetings.”

He noted that it would take some work to bring a student up to speed on school

board business, and it might be easier for a student if they attended an SCC meeting for their town or school.

“I personally don’t see that it would be very practical for us,” said trustee Jerome Sidloski.

“We can offer the opportunity to students, as the meetings are open at any time to the public,” said

Tuchscherer, adding that it’s possible Grade 8 or 9 students might want to sit in on a board meeting for a class project or paper.

“As small as we are, and being spread out and not having any high schools makes it more difficult,” he added.

Keith noted that she could talk to principals and

the presidents of the schoolcommunity councils about the possibility of having students more involved, and pointed out, “Not all SCCs have students sitting at the table.”

She also pointed out that in Ontario it’s a legislated position to have student trustees at the school board table.

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

Message From

The Mayor

City Facilties will be closed to the Public until further notice. We request your assistance and understanding as we work through these difficult issues to keep our community safe.

CITY WIDE REGISTRATION CANCELLED The annual spring city-wide registration event, slated for March 31, will be cancelled. The city urges organizations and users to register directly with their desired organization. Red Cross swimming lessons are available for registration on March 31 at 5:30 pm.

FIRE SERVICES - THANK YOU The City of Estevan and Estevan Fire Rescue Services would like to thank the following businesses and employers for allowing firefighters to leave work to attend all manners of emergencies that happen everyday in our fine city and surrounding areas.

Without this commitment to the city we would not be able to provide the top-notch service that everyone has come to expect from our department in their time of need.

THANK YOU! Jordan Baun Monty Blomberg Mallory Cappelle Matt Clausen Lincoln Empey Peter Fedyk Brandon Frank Victor Frank Nathan Haukeness Justin Herod Jeff Kuchinka Nolan LaCoste Kyle Luc Stephen McLaren Amanda Minchin Travis Mosley Dean Nagel Johnathan Nixon Mike Olson Chad Perrault Tyler Stead Lucas Stubel Geoff Thiessen John Wells Michael Wock

Great North. Wellhead & Frac Finning Canada Redhead Equipment Westmoreland Mining LLC. House of Stationery Westmoreland Mining LLC Crescent Point Energy Orpheum Theatre / Hall’s Funeral Home Fre-Flo Oil Industries TS&M G-Force Diesel Services Level Best Technologies Ltd. Preferred Energy. Inc. Bert Baxters Transport Ltd. TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course Aluma/Safway Kingston Midstream Vermillion Energy Westmoreland Mining LLC Affinity Credit Union SaskPower Westmoreland Mining LLC Estevan Church of God Westmoreland Mining LLC Vermillion Energy.

Fire Chief Dale Feser Deputy Fire Chief Rick Davies Fire Assistant Rhonda Gillespie

Associate Returning Officer Required – please see full details on www.estevan.ca under Elections.

March 18, 2020 A9

HEALTH & WELLNESS Here’s how many steps you need to take a day

Foods for healthier skin

In winter, your skin is routinely exposed to the effects of cold temperatures, indoor heating, pollution and sunlight. Here are four foods that can help allay the effects of these stressors.

1. Fatty fish. Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, fish such as salmon and mackerel help preser ve your skin’s elasticity, reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health. Adding them to your diet will mitigate the negative effects of sunlight on your skin and provide

essential antioxidants.

2. Avocado. An excellent source of healthy fats and vitamin C, this popular fruit helps skin maintain its elasticity and protects it from irritants.

It’s also highly versatile and can be enjoyed in salads, smoothies, sandwiches and on its own.

3. Nuts. The amino acids in nuts are essential to our skin’s health. They promote its natural regenerative processes while improving blood circulation.

Add them to salads and baked goods or eat them

as a snack.

4. Berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries all contain very high concentrations of antioxidants, which slow skin aging and contribute to your overall health. Add them to your cereal and smoothies or munch on them as a lowcalorie snack.

Other skin-friendly foods include olive oil, green tea, garlic and red grapes. As a bonus, adding these to your diet will diversify it and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Hot or cold compress: which is better?

If you’re dealing with the effects of a stiff neck, backache or a mild burn, you may be wondering whether you should apply a hot or cold compress to the affected area. Here’s what you should know.

Cold A cold compress will usually relieve pain. It’ll also mitigate swelling, inflammation, muscle spasms and slow blood flow in the area where it ’s applied.

Generally, cold is indicated for recent and acute, as opposed to chronic, injuries.

Use it to help with: • Musc le cramps and tears • Swelling • Minor burns • Sprains • Insect bites Don’t apply cold compresses to open wounds and avoid them if you have circulation problems or are anemic, as the coolness will slow blood flow.

Always Remember To Recycle Your Old Newspapers

Heat As is the case with cold compresses, warm ones will help reduce pain. They also promote muscle relaxation, tissue repair and blood circulation. Chronic pain responds better to heat, as do bruises that have been lingering for over two weeks.

Use them to help with: • Muscle and men-

strual cramps • Chronic aches • A stiff neck • Back pain Again, don’t use a com¬press, hot or cold, on an open wound.

If the pain doesn’t go away or becomes unbearable, seek attention from a health professional as soon as possible.

Have you heard that you need to take 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy?

Unsurprisingly, there’s a little more to it than that.

Why 10,000?

The idea that 10,000 steps a day is ideal has its origins in a 1960s marketing campaign for the “Manpokei,” a Japanese pedometer.

Though scientists were involved in its invention, the number was chosen for no reason other than it was deemed representative of an active lifestyle.

Is there a magic number?

Scientists investigating the adage have determined that the more steps one takes, the less likely they are to die. In fact, they found that people who took 7,500 steps a day had a lower mortality risk than those who wal­ked less. However, there was no longevity benefit to taking more than 7,500 steps.

If you don’t like walking If walking or jogging aren’t your thing, don’t worry.

The important part is that you remain physically active. The World Health Organization re­commends conducting two-and-a-half hours a week of moderate activity or an hour and 15 minutes a week of high intensity activity. Picking a type of exercise that you enjoy will make it easier

ESTEVAN’S Health & Wellness Clinics Thursdays 9am - 12pm Blood Pressure/Blood Glucose Total Cholesterol Screening Health Information & Support

• Prescriptions • Flu Shots • That Stuff for Pain • Home Decor • Ticketmaster • Oofos Sandals • Saskatchewan Roughrider Gear • Carlton Cards • Lottery Tickets

to keep doing in the long term.

Those who have chronic health conditions, or who are over the age of 60, stand to gain hugely from regular exercise. It’s crucial

for hindering mobility loss and also preserving overall physical and men­tal health.

However, to avoid getting injured, they should be careful to work out within their capacity.

Healthy Living Starts Here A healthy outside starts from inside

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Sports

A10

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Bruins and minor hockey seasons ended early The seasons for the Estevan Bruins and some local minor hockey teams didn’t end on the ice, but with an off-ice decision.

Hockey Canada announced Thursday afternoon it was suspending play for all of its sanctioned leagues, effective the following day, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, a decision that affected the Bruins, minor hockey and anybody else affiliated with Hockey Canada and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.

Then on Friday afternoon, Hockey Canada revealed that all sanctioned leagues had been cancelled.

Both the Bruins and minor hockey voiced their support for the decision.

For the Bruins, they were on their way to Melfort for Game 5 of their best of seven quarter-final series against the Melfort Mustangs when the postponement announcement was made, and they were about 90 minutes outside of Melfort.

The Bruins were down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination.

Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood said he was surprised at how quick the decision was made.

“It was a scenario where we have to have faith where they’re consulting with top medical officials, and are doing so with the best interest

Bruin forwards Ryder Pierson (18) and Tyler Savage (21) pursue the puck during the Estevan Bruins game versus the Melfort Mustangs on March 11. File photo of everybody involved,” said Lewgood.

At the same time, it does leave the club feeling like there was unfinished business.

“We haven’t spent a lot of time as a group discussing the season in review, but it’s extremely hard to see, especially since the 20-year-olds have their fight taken from them. Being down 3-1 in a series makes it very hard to say that we were going to win, but to not have the opportunity to fight to the end is upsetting, especially for those 20-year-odls who have done nothing but fight and

compete in their long junior careers,” Lewgood said.

While Lewgood wasn’t surprised with the quick turnaround between the announcements of suspension and cancellation, they had hoped they would be able to carry on.

The Hockey Canada decision meant that the Centennial Cup national junior A championship in Portage La Prairie, Man., has also been cancelled.

Lewgood noted that before the club left for Melfort, he sought the advice of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League president

Bill Chow, who suggested the club head to Melfort.

The league had stated earlier in the day that the playoffs would proceed despite other pro sports leagues saying they were on hold.

The club wrapped up their season Monday night with a team meal and the presentation of awards. Lewgood said the club has been advised that community awards banquets are not recommended. It also served as a farewell to the team’s 20-year-olds – defenceman Tylor Ludwar, and forwards Jayden Davis, and Tanner and Tyson Manz.

The EMHA, meanwhile, still had teams playing.

The Estevan atom Kings were getting ready for the South East Minor Hockey League final against the Milestone Flyers. Game 1 was slated for Tuesday in Estevan.

The Estevan apex midget AA Bruins were scheduled to play the Yorkton Terriers in Game 5 of their best-offive Saskatchewan Minor AA Hockey League South Division semifinal on Saturday night at Affinity Place.

The South East Aaron Well Servicing midget AA Goldwings, which includes

players from Estevan, were preparing to face the Swift Current Wildcats in their best-of-three Saskatchewan Female Hockey League South Division final in Midale on Saturday night.

A female novice hockey tournament was also called off.

The Estevan Western Star Signature Hotel atom Tier 1 Bruins were able to play Game 2 of their South East Minor Hockey League semifinal series with the Swift Current Broncos. Swift Current won the best-ofthree series in three games.

Estevan had a 1-0 lead after two periods, as Boston Tait scored two minutes into the second period to give Estevan the advantage over Swift Current, who lost just once during the regular season.

The Broncos tallied three times in the opening 10 minutes of the third to lead 3-1. Broden Dukart’s goal midway through the frame pulled the Bruins to within one, but Swift Current notched one more before the period was out.

Easton Pushie was in goal for Estevan.

No events through Estevan Minor Hockey Association are now scheduled for the rest of the season.

The spring camp for the new Eclipse Downhole Services Estevan midget AAA Bears, which was scheduled for April, also had to be cancelled.

Provincials in Estevan interrupted by COVID-19 A provincial curling tournament that was underway in Estevan came to a quick halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The S askatche wan masters men’s and women’s curling championships started at the Power Dodge Curling Centre on Thursday morning and were scheduled to continue until Sunday afternoon, with 20 teams from across the province in attendance.

But CurlSask made a decision Thursday evening to put a hold on the event.

The tournament was officially cancelled Friday morning.

Two women’s draws and one men’s draw had been finished before cancellation. Team meetings and a practice session had also taken place. The notice of cancellation was issued Thursday night before the

second men’s draw.

“I was a little bit surprised, because the event had already started, and we already knew that the World Curling Federation had already cancelled the women’s worlds in Prince George,” said Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud, the manager of the Estevan Curling Club. “Once we started, I thought we had started and we were going go through.”

Teams had varied reactions when they heard the news. Some were in favour of the decision to cancel, while others were frustrated, she said. But all of them were disappointed, and the curling rink was disappointed but supportive of CurlSask’s move.

“The economic input that they would put into our community was substantial. We lost that. We

only got about a day and a half of that,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.

There were rumblings Thursday afternoon about the event, and the decision came down a few hours later. “ W hen the y made that decision, it gave time for our board to reflect on what decisions they want to make for this club,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.

The curling club has since made the decision to cancel all league activities for the rest of the season.

That includes afternoon curling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and evening league play on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Ziehl Grimsrud said the club’s executive thought it would be in the best interest of the public and the club itself to shut

The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s annual open bonspiel has been pushed back to October. File photo down early.

“We had eight days left of curling, and felt it would be the correct and prudent thing to do to shut ourselves down,” she said.

The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s annual open bonspiel was slated to occur March 20 and 21, and finish off the curling club’s season. It’s the

largest event at the curling rink each year, and had a limit of 32 teams.

The event has been rescheduled to Oct. 23 and 24.

the SHSAA said in a news release.

The ability to schedule around continued sanctions makes it impossible to save a sport season within a multi-sport, multi-program Association.

The executive council said it was extremely disappointed at the outcome and the situation that the

association was put in.

“For over 70 years of operation it is easy to recognize that our association is built on the back of our teacher volunteers and the support of our members, the school boards of Saskatchewan. As individuals that live school sport every day, the executive members are fully aware of the

disappointment that exists amongst our student athletes and coaches.”

Some teams had already qualified through Hoopla.

Even if the Hoopla qualifiers had proceeded as scheduled, the provincial championship would have been called of due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teacher sanctions result in Hoopla cancellation The sanctions imposed by the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation resulted in the cancellation of one of the top youth sporting events in the province.

The Hoopla provincial high school basketball tournament was called off last week. The Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association said that

if the sanctions weren’t withdrawn by 3:30 p.m. on March 11, then Hoopla would be called off.

The sanctions limit the participation of STF members in extra-curricular activities.

Regional playdowns were slated to happen March 13 and 14, and Hoopla would have been

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the following weekend.

“Through discussions with both groups involved in negotiations, SHSAA was unable to determine if there would be any immediate solution to the impasse; therefore, it is with regret that all remaining SHSAA sanctioned basketball events for the 2019-20 high school season of play are cancelled,”

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March 18, 2020 A11

Sharks hand out awards at year-end banquet The Estevan Sharks water polo club wrapped up their season with their first-ever awards night on Friday at the Beefeater Plaza.

The Sharks, who have teams in several different age groups, handed out awards in a variety of categories.

In the senior division, award winners were Tristan Threinen (MVP), Lucas Dzeryk (top male athlete), Josie Andrist (top female athlete), Ava Salminen (most improved) and Jace Carritt (most sportsmanlike).

In the atom division, award winners were Rachel Tober (MVP), Bennett Walliser (top male athlete), Mahlyn Bomberak (top female athlete), Chayse Zohner (most sportsmanlike) and Marlow Molstad (most improved).

A dance with a DJ followed the awards banquet.

The Sharks had a busy season this year, attending meets at several locations in the province, while some members went to competitions in Western Canada.

Late last week, the Sharks found out provincials had been cancelled due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus. The awards night was scheduled before provincials were called off.

Back row, Brody Turner, Marvin Blue, Mahlyn Bombarek, Tenille Yunick and Sarah Niebergall. Middle row, Brooks Milford, Bennett Walliser, Jennika Linthicum, Chayse Zohner and Lexi Walkom. Front row, Mason Yunick, Carson Stopanski, Marlow Molstad, Alexa Gettis, Royce Milford, Carter Yunick and Jillian Rosengren.

From left, Chad Knoll, Hunter Griffin, Carter Smelt and Willow Turner. Front row, from left, Parker Griffin, Penn Tytlandsvik, Parker Moffatt, Meredith Knoll, Mariah Walliser and Hudson Enns.

Jordyn Tarnes, Sadie Smith, Prysm Gooding, Lily Knoll, Hailey Tangjerd, Jace Carritt and Dierks Milford.

Success Adds Up

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People A12

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

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

WWW.FLOORSTOREESTEVAN.CA

Slime-making day at the museum was a blast Not only did the Souris Valley Museum had full attendance for their No School Day workshop last Friday, but they also did have a waiting list. The secret to such popularity was the traditionally great programming, but also the topic for the day.

“It was called Ooey Goey … It was just a fun program for kids to come to the museum. We made different types of slime,” said Mark Veneziano, the museum’s executive director.

Kids also participated in a game show that was called What’s in the Box,

in which they put their hands into the box and had to guess what’s inside based on their feel. Some of the things that were there were oatmeal, beans, rice, oranges and peas.

“The kids had a whole lot of time enjoying that.

They were laughing. And some of them were scared of what was in the box. It was a very well attended program,” said Veneziano.

Eighteen young explorers participated in the program throughout the day either being there for the duration or attending for half of the day. Vene-

ziano noted that they also had about five people on the waiting list, and few others phoned on Thursday and Friday, checking for program availability.

Originally, two similar events were planned and both were fully booked, but due to the situation with COVID-19, following the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s recommendations, the museum had to cancel all their programming for March, starting this Monday.

Veneziano also pointed out that the museum’s No School Day workshops

started picking up quite well this year, with a lot of people regularly bringing their kids for different programs, and many new children joining the group.

“Our No School Day workshops have been becoming more and more popular as people get to know about our programs here at the museum,” said Veneziano. “People are starting to know who we are and we start to get a following.”

Up to this point in the 2019-20 year the museum didn’t cancel a single No School Day program due

to low attendance, while the year before they ended up scratching out three or four events of this kind.

“We have definitely seen an increase in parents taking advantage of our programs during the noschool days. And we are happy to see that,” said Veneziano.

There are some limitations as to the number of children that they can accommodate at each event, so the groups fill up quickly.

While the programs are cancelled for March to help promote social distancing, the registration for

other programs later in the year is open. In April the museum plans to have an I Am Mother Goose program and two camps, The Fairy Tail Adventures (Apr. 14-16 for ages three to five) and Recycling Camp (Apr. 14-17 for ages six to 10).

Registration for summer camps will open on March 31.

The Souris Valley Museum is currently operating as usual, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, if people are having cough or fever they are asked to refrain from entering the facility.

Jake Hockey, left, and Roenick Pratt used their hands for mixing the slime.

Photo submitted 20033JJ0

Amrey Lenek made some cotton-candy pink slime. Photo submitted

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Classifieds A13

Coming EvEnts CALL FOR VENDORS - Fort Qu’Appelle Trade Show & Sale.

April 18-19, 2020. Fort Qu‚‘Appelle RecCentre. Contact Tammy at 1-844-GNG-NEWS (ext. 222) or email accounts@grasslandsnews.ca, webpage www.forttradeshow.com DRAGGINS CAR SHOW - April 10 and 11 at Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. Headlining the Chicago Muscle Car Show winner. Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club. Visit our website; Draggins.com.

Two Year Old Black Angus Bull Sale March 20, 2020. Wawota, SK. 306-577-9141. www.gbtangus.com

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Two people charged for possession of meth

Estevan Police Service (EPS) dealt with drug trafficking, assault cases and other calls last week.

On March 13, police conducted a traffic stop in

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Notices / NomiNatioNs 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.

Career OppOrtunities Heavy Duty Mechanics, Heavy Equipment Operators and 1A Drivers required:

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.

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Late model, clean CAT, JD equip: winch, dump, gravel trucks and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided.

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Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction Box 100, Arborfield, Sk. S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

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Obituaries

CAREERS City Clerk’s Office (Contract position for up to 9 months)

SCOPE AND MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: • Provides administration support for the Returning Officer in fulfilling requirements of The Local Government Election Act. • Assists with booking of polling locations (regular, advance, special, mobile).

• Assists with recruitment, organizing of temporary election officials.

• Provides customer service for candidates, electors, and election workers, including answering or redirecting emails, telephone calls and in-person inquiries.

• Assists with ordering and distributing ballot boxes, ballots, vote counting equipment and election supplies including coordinating logistics with voting locations across the city.

• Assists with the nomination process.

• Assists with closing of the Election process and evaluations following the election.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• This is a contract, hourly assignment for up to 10 months. Hours will vary based on operational needs, with increasing hours as the election date (November 9, 2020) approaches.

• Must be available to work Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. as well as some evenings and weekends from October 1 to November 15, 2020.

• Physical ability to repetitively lift and carry bulky items weighing up to 20 kgs (40 lbs).

Please apply in writing to: Judy Pilloud, City Clerk 1102 – 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 • Or email to: cityclerk@estevan.ca

Obituaries

Obituaries

CAREERS SRI HOMES’ Estevan Facility SHELTER HOME SYSTEMS is currently accepting applications for

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took statements from those involved and the matter is still under investigation.

Police attended to a noise complaint. The homeowner was warned under the bylaw.

Members received a report of failing to remain at the scene of an accident that occurred in the parking lot at Affinity Place. The matter is still under investigation.

Members of the EPS are investigating an assault that occurred on Feb. 12.

The incident involved three people. One of the individuals was treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital for minor injuries. Two people have been charged at this time.

Police are also investigating a report of uttering threats that is related to the assault complaint. This incident also remains under investigation.

Police conducted a condition check on a 34-yearold man on March 13. The search resulted in a breach charge when property was located in his residence that he is not to have in his possession. He appeared in front of justice in regard to the charge later in the day.

On March 15, police responded to a call of an assault. A suspect was arrested and released with charges pending. The investigation remains ongoing A complaint about online harassment was reported to police. This matter remains under investigation.

Police also received a complaint of mischief to property. After investigating the matter, both parties have agreed to deal with the matter at a civil level.

members.

The Prayer Service was held on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Chapel at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK with Marian Huber officiating and the Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, Estevan, SK with Rev. Sathiadas Antony presiding. The luncheon was held at the parish auditorium Those so wishing may make donations to the CWL c/o St. John the Baptist R.C Church, 109 12th Ave, Estevan, SK , S4A 1C9.

Yvonne Clark at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan assisted Clara’s family.

QUALIFICATIONS: Two-year diploma or a recognized 2-year business-related program.

Proven experience working in a fast-paced office environment.

Experience in public sector and knowledge of the Cities Act and Elections Act is preferred.

Project coordination and previous election-related experience would be considered an asset.

Required demonstrated ability using Adobe Acrobat Pro and Microsoft Office Suite.

Outstanding highly confidential, customer service and time management skills including the ability to undertake multiple tasks, meet deadlines, address customer requests while maintaining extreme attention to detail and accuracy to maintain orderly files and related administrative processes.

• Must be able to qualify and obtain a Commissioner for Oaths designation.

the northwest area of the city, which resulted in charges.

A 50-year-old woman was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. She was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and breaching conditions of an undertaking. She will answer to the charge on May 11.

A 60-year-old man was also charged in relation to the traffic stop for possession of methamphetamine and will answer to the charge May 11.

In other recent police news, members received a request March 8 to do a welfare check on an individual in Estevan. A family member outside the province wanted police to conduct the check.

The welfare check was done and the individual was fine.

Police received a report of someone failing to remain at the scene of an accident near St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. A vehicle was damaged during the service. The matter is being looked into.

Officers located an elderly male walking down the highway towards Weyburn, just west of the weigh scales.

The individual was given a ride back to Estevan to ensure he was safe.

Members received a report of a suspicious person delivering items to a mailbox.

It was determined the item was a phone book.

Police received a report of a suspicious male trying door handles of parked cars.

The male was located and spoken to.

Officers received a report of a disagreement at the leisure centre. Police

Clara Mehler 1926 – 2020 Clara Mehler, late of Estevan, Sask. passed away at Hillview Manor on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at the age of 93 years.

Clara is survived by her loving family: children, Trudy Wilson and David Archibald, Don Mehler (Pat Filz), Pam (Duncan) Cook, Pat Mehler and Jerry (Veronica) Mehler; grandchildren, Donna Mehler, Jeff (Paula) Mehler, Brad (Marie) Mehler, Steve Derkson, Jenna Martin, Chantelle (Terry) Fowler, Samantha Archibald and Tanya Hozjan; great grandchildren, Melina, Kimberly and Eleanor; siblings Margaret (Clinton) Frank, Irene Snow and Rose Moss as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Clara was predeceased by her husband Alphonse; parents, Alisa and Deophila Moss; siblings, John Moss, Joe (Mary) Moss, Robert (Irene) (Edna) Moss, Bill Snow, Rose (George) Landis, Mary (Al) Miiller and Mattie Miiller as well as numerous other family

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The Disability Tax Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and $20,000 Lump sum refund.

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Box 845 #200 Hwy. 18 West, Estevan, SK S4A 2A7 Fax: 306-634-7597 jobs.shelter@gmail.com www.shelterhomes.ca

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

St. Joseph’s Hospital relies on donations to fund equipment purchases. Your Memorial Gift honours your loved one and makes it possible for our hospital to continue providing quality care for Estevan and area residents.

A letter will be sent to the family acknowledging your gift; please include their name and address as well as your own. You will receive an income tax receipt.

Please send your donation to:

St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation 1176 Nicholson Rd, Estevan, SK S4A 0H3 Phone: 306-637-2474

A14 March 18, 2020

Rotarians receive honours From left president Alison Holzer, sargeant at arms Theresa McKnight, Dennis Moore, Amanda Olsen, John Williams and Terry Williams participated in the presentation of Paul Harris fellowships during a Rotary Club of Estevan meeting March 10.

Rotarians were recognized for their contributions to the Rotary Foundation, which supports projects around the world.

Missing are Bill and Denise Fonstad

20033KK0 20033KK1

Firefighters called to assumed truck fire in central Estevan on Sunday While the situation in the country is rapidly changing, all vital services including fire departments keep operating, ensuring the safety of the community.

Estevan fire crews responded to a couple of calls at the end of last week.

The first call came in at about 8:30 a.m. Friday afternoon. Firefighters were dispatched to a possible commercial truck fire that was occurring in the central part of Estevan.The crews responded,

and as they arrived on scene they found a semi truck that was pulled over with a lot of smoke around it. However, things turned out to be different from what it looked like at first sight.

“There was no active fire.

He was suffering from mechanical issues with his brakes so there was a lot of heat and smoke coming out of his tires and brakes, but no real fire emergency at that point,” explained Estevan Deputy Fire Chief Rick Davies.

What’s that boy?

B&A HOLDINGS LTD. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Spring Clean-Up/Yard Work/Roto-tilling Tree Removal, Cutting & Stump Grinding Industrial & Residential Hedge Trimming Farm yard wind row restoration Landscaping Demolition (cabins, garages) Cement take out and hauling Dump Runs Light Carpentry Deck Building Brick Driveways; Fireplaces Lot sweeping Skidsteer work Auger holes (4” to 24”-13” deep) Screw piles Asphalt sealing & crack filling (Commercial & Residential)

• Sierra Stone/Rubberstone, Quartz, Endura Flake.

You want to go play at All Creatures?!

Notice of Assessment Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Village of Roche Percee for the year of 2020 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursdays from March 12th, 2020 to April 15th, 2020.

• Fenced play yards • Close & Convenient • Socialize your dog • Enrichment activities • Structured, interactive play time • Air conditioned/heated indoor play spaces

A Bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment is required to file his or her notice of appeal along with the applicable fee of $150.00 with: Secretary, The Board of Revision, Box 22 RR1, Bienfait, Saskatchewan, S0C 0M0, by the 15th day of April, 2020.

y Sit, The place the Play & Stay!

Training & Boarding

306-421-6155

tention to (controlled burns) ... We are just doing our part, start gearing up to make sure that all our wildland equipment is ready to go,” said Davies.

He reminded the public that if they are planning to burn something in their fields outside of the city limits, they should first call to the provincial burn line at 1-866404-4911 and report time, expected duration, location and materials that are planned to be burned, along with a few more details.

“That way if anybody is passing by in the area and notices the smoke and calls it in, our dispatchers are aware that it is a controlled burn in the area,” said Davies.

VILLAGE OF ROCHE PERCEE

PHONE BILL

(306)577-1643

Firefighters assisted the driver, so he could get his truck up and mobile and clear the scene.

Another call came in on Sunday night. At about 9:30 p.m. Estevan Fire Rescue Service members were dispatched to a fire, occurring in a back alley in the central part of the city.

Davies said it was just some garbage burning and smouldering, so it didn’t take firefighters long to put that fire down and get back to the station. No property was damaged due to the fire.

With warmer,dry weather last week, firefighters also were seeing more controlled burns happening in the area.

“We’ve been paying at-

Dated this 12th day of March, 2020 Debit now available

Lindsay Davis Assessor

BUSINESS SERVICES LEGAL

AUDIOLOGIST

Barristers & Solicitors

Paul Elash Q.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D.

“Your ears deserve an audiologist” #5 - 418 Kensington Ave. (Across from Walmart)

306-636-EARS (3277)

JACQUIE MVULA M.S., R. Aud. Audiologist/Owner

www.suncountryhearing.com

PLUMBING

Gainsborough: Thursday a.m.

Carnduff: Thursday p.m.

1312- 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0X2

P. 306-634-3631 • F. (306) 634-6901 • www.kohalyelash.com

POLITICIAN

Call 306-634-3333 Or Rob 306-421-0144, Stan 306-421-3161

05 /RFN . H\ *·V 24/7 Service

• Auto • Home • Office

- Dead Bolt Locks Installed - Locks Mastered Keyed & Keyed Alike - Emergency Locksmith Services - Restricted Keyway

Home of the 15.00 lock

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306.471.0741 or 306.461.5196

COMMERCIAL PRINTING

WE PRINT

Stan’s Plumbing & Heating Providing Estevan and surrounding area with plumbing, heating & cooling products and services for 60 years!

LOCKSMITH

Lori Carr, MLA Estevan Constituency Office

306.634.7311 loricarrmla@sasktel.net

Business Cards • Posters Flyers • Ticket Book Cheques • Programs and more 306.634.2654

March 18, 2020 A15

THANK YOU! want to thank our dedicated, passionate, and supportive fan base for another AMAZING season in 2019/20!

An SJHL-leading average of 1,057 fans per game watched Bruins hockey at Affinity Place over 28 games!

And we also saw a great turnout of 2,440 fans over two games in playoffs!

2020/2021 SUPER FAN

Season Tickets Save up to 35% off regular price tickets

Season Ticket Pricing

Dated Season Ticket (Assigned seats/holds seat for playoffs) Adult - $275 (reg $350) • Senior - $200 (reg $235) Youth - $80 (reg $120)

Punch Card Season Ticket (Assigned seating/holds for playoffs) Adult - $290 (reg $365) Senior - $210 (reg $245) Youth - $90 (reg $130)

Corporate Pack

1 Pack = 1 Assigned Seat (must be a registered business) $330 (reg $350)

For more information contact the office at 306.634.7730

Thank You

ESTEVAN BRUINS FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON. ESTEVAN

BRUINS It has been our pleasure telling your stories on and off the ice.

A16 March 18, 2020

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Locally owned & operated

OPEN LATE 7 DAYS A WEEK 1239 5th Street · 306-637-3802

Lori Carr, MLA Estevan Constituency Office

306.634.7311 loricarrmla@sasktel.net

HWY 39 E, ESTEVAN SK 306-634-5677

306.634.5555 | WWW.SKYLIFTSERVICES.COM

Trucking Estevan Ltd. Hwy. 361, Lampman, SK Phone (306) 487-2525 | Cell (306) 421-0390

68 Souris Ave. N. Estevan, SK | 306-634-2654 WWW.ESTEVANMERCURY.CA

88 Devonian Street, Estevan, SK. Ph: 634-4041 (24 hr) Fax: 634-4040

Schilling No. 2 Malmgren Dr., Estevan

306-634-9190

PIPELINE NEWS SASKATCHEWAN’S PETROLEUM MONTHLY

68 Souris Ave. N. Estevan, SK 306-634-2654 WWW.ESTEVANMERCURY.CA

Highway 39 East, Estevan 306-634-4775 • sholterandhorsman.ca

80 King Street, E., Estevan, SK

306-634-3689

"We Dispatch for the Oil Patch" · Two Way Radios · Alarm Monitoring · Safety Checks

706- 5th St, Estevan

306-634-3522 24 Hour Service - 7 Days A Week!

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

JOHNSON PLUMBING & HEATING LTD.

1037 - 5th Street Estevan

306-634-5172 jph@sasktel.net

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YEARS Since 1967

Prairie Mud Service

Head Office: Estevan, SK

306-634-3411

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400 King St, Estevan 306-634-2444

1102 4th Street (306) 634-1800

DR. ROBERT KITCHEN 1-866-249-4697

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Member of Parliament | Souris-Moose Mountain

68 Souris Ave. N. Estevan, SK 306-634-2654 WWW.ESTEVANMERCURY.CA