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Running through the water Jaxson Ward was among the young people who were at the Padwick Park splash pad on Sunday afternoon. The park was a popular destination for young people looking to beat the heat on a hot day in Estevan. It’s one of many activities to be found for people of all ages in Estevan throughout the summer months. Photo by David Willberg
SARCAN has one of its best months ever in Estevan By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
During her five years of working at the SARCAN recycling depot in Estevan, Connie Hagel has always wanted to see a month in which at least one million containers were recycled. She has her wish. And then some. The local depot recycled 1,314,488 empty cans, bottles and milk jugs last month. Not only is it easily the highest total since Hagel has been there, but it might be the busiest month SARCAN has ever had in Estevan. The amount of activity isn’t a surprise for Hagel, who is the depot’s manager. “We knew that there was going to be a tidal wave of people coming in since we reopened, and this was expected and we were prepared,” Hagel told the Mercury. More than 2,000 people passed through their doors last month month, and they recycled 50,000-70,000 containers a day. SARCAN’s recycling depot reopened to the public
on June 15, after being closed since late March due to restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic. When it first reopened, there was a rush of people looking to bring in their stockpiled empties. The rush of customers hasn’t dissipated since that time. “It takes us quite a while to catch up, with being closed for so long,” said Hagel. “So I don’t expect it to quiet down over the summer at all, because summer is usually our busy time anyways. Probably once the cold weather hits, I think we’ll start to slow down. But other than that, it won’t slow down for quite a while.” But she was surprised and excited when she saw the numbers. Last year they wanted to clear one million containers in July or August, and they came up just short. But last month, they cleared the one million threshold with about a week remaining in July. “I was a little bit shocked, but not really, because we’ve been so busy and you work and you don’t realize how much it is until you actually look at the numbers, and then you say ‘Holy cow, that’s a lot of
containers that we’ve counted.’” Every day has a busy day, with people lining up outside the door to bring in their empties. “It’s a lineup from when we open and a lineup until we close,” said Hagel. “There’s really no time that it’s busier or slower. Not here, anyways.” The customers have done a good job of coping with the lineups. They move fairly quickly, and customers have been patient with the protocols. The drop and go system, in which people can drop off their materials and be paid later, has proven to be popular. “People like the idea of not standing in line and just going into drop and go, dropping their containers and putting tags on their bags and going. Then we issue a cheque through PayPal later. That’s been very, very popular, so much so that’s what’s keeping us the busiest so far,” said Hagel. It’s particularly popular if there’s a long lineup, or if people don’t want to wait in the heat on a hot summer day. Staff members have done
People line up to drop off their recyclable materials at the Estevan SARCAN depot on Friday. Approximately 1.3 million containers were recycled locally last month. a great job of handling the rush. “Yes they go home a little tired, but my staff is great with handling the extra protocols, the sanitation and just the … different things that we have to do to keep them safe and customers safe as well,” said Hagel. They have adapted to the changes that have occurred. When people come to the depot, they are limited to what they can carry. There is
also a $75 limit per week on the amount of materials they can bring in. And they still limit the number of customers inside the building to those who are at the counters, dropping off the containers, or those who are at the till receiving their money. Estevan isn’t alone with the activity levels. Hagel noted that SARCAN depots across the province are quite busy, and they are setting records daily,
weekly and monthly with the containers they have had coming through the door. Therefore, she wouldn’t be surprised if the depot sets another record next month. “People are really stepping up and bringing their containers in. Which is good for us. It keeps us working and it’s good for the environment, getting all of those recyclables out of our ditches and out of our landfills.”
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Local residents take aim against child exploitation
Participants in the Save the Children rally gather for a group photo near the Estevan Court House. Photo by David Willberg Estevan area residents gathered in front of the Estevan Court House Thursday to send a message that more needs to be done to stop child exploitation and abuse. The Energy City was one of many communities to host a Save the Children demonstration to bring awareness about the issues
of child abuse, trafficking and exploitation. About 30 people gathered, with most of them wearing blue, since that is the colour for taking a stand against child abuse. Amber Hagel, who organized the event, was pleased with the turnout, considering it was pieced together in just a few days.
But she wanted Estevan to have one of these events on July 30, which is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. “ We’re just going to peacefully gather to show support for kids,” said Hagel. The original plan was to have a discussion about the issue and how it could
From left, Tammy Rasmussen, Tracey Samenook and Jennifer Kuchinka were among those who attended the Save the Children demonstration in Estevan.
be addressed locally, but most of the people chose to quietly hold their signs to get the attention of motorists who were passing by. Some did discuss the issue among themselves. A lot of people also had their kids with them. “Based on short notice, I’m really happen with the event,” said Hagel. She said she received a lot of messages through social media from those who said they wanted to be there, but they couldn’t attend due to work. Had it been on a weekend, Hagel believes it would have had a greater turnout. Hagel said she has encountered this issue in Estevan. A couple of years ago, Hagel came across a youth in front of her home who was a victim of sex trafficking. “She didn’t know where she was. I helped her as much as I could. She was from Regina, and she used the phone, and nobody answered. I promised I would take her to Regina, but she was obviously very much in a state of shock.
“And the saddest part is, she actually ended up contacting the person who brought her to Estevan, supplied her with the alcohol and drugs, and then left her in a hotel room for someone to use. That’s the person who came and picked her up from my home, and it’s pretty devastating.” After going through that experience, and now that she’s a mother and has done some research on child exploitation, she’s thinks about it a lot more. “There’s 800,000 kids in the States alone that go missing each year. That’s 2,000 kids a day. It’s a crazy number. We don’t hear about it on the news. We don’t hear about it on any mainstream channels. It’s basically, I think, going to come down to people, to parents and communities standing up for kids, and putting kids first, and making sure they’re protected.” The signs that people carried had similar messages. Many who drove by the demonstration honked their horns in support. Hagel
stressed that kids are being taken, whether it’s for labour, medical purposes, organ harvesting or sexual trafficking, and they’re being exploited by those who can make a lot of money off of them. “I read that in Canada alone, one person who is trafficked, one human trafficking victim, can generate $336,000 annually for the person who is trafficking them. This is a tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions of dollars a year industry, and it’s growing all of the time. Through the internet, there’s a lot more access to these types of nefarious situations.” She also pointed out that during the COVID-19 lockdown, those who prey on children have benefitted, because more kids are spending time online and they’re being groomed. The dangers facing children have actually been growing in recent months, she said. Hagel is hopeful this could become an annual event for Estevan, to be held on July 30.
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Long-time Estevan resident and musician has helped navigate SaskMusic through some challenging times Michael Dawson has never seen anything like the last few months during his music career. The long-time musician and former Estevan resident has been the executive director of SaskMusic since 2015. He has spent the past 4 1/2 months navigating the organization, the Saskatchewan music industry and its many talented performers through the myriad of challenges posed by COVID-19. The province’s music scene was dealt an immediate blow March 13 when COVID forced the cancellation of the Juno Awards – the showcase of Canadian music –a day before the awards show was supposed to happen in Saskatoon. Juno Week activities were already well underway in the Bridge City when the Junos became one of the first marquee events in Canada to be dashed by the pandemic. “Obviously, I think my first concern and everyone’s first concern is public health and safety, but also trying to navigate that to ensure that the musicians and the venues and the festivals and everything can advance past the end of it,” Dawson told the Mercury. After the awards were cancelled, music venues were shuttered and events were postponed or cancelled. Not only did it affect musicians, it impacted the behind the scenes people who work on sound and lighting and those who help make live music happen.
SaskMusic has been doing its part to help support and relay information to its members. They have been working with the provincial and federal levels of government to ensure they’re aware of the impacts. SaskMusic open houses have featured livestream performances by Saskatchewan musicians, including local favourites such as Last Birds – comprised of North Portal’s Lindsay Arnold and Mike Davis – as well as Poor Nameless Boy (the stage name for former Estevan resident Joel Henderson) and Chris Henderson. They also had a virtual concert for National Indigenous People’s Day in June. “We moved some of the programs we offer online, and also under the realization that people who have been working from home through this are feeling a little screen time burnout. So we’re really looking to increase the quality and some of the ingenuity of those live performances moving forward.” Members have done a good job of coping with the past few months, despite the lost income of not having the opportunity to play in front of a capacity crowd. Dawson cited bandcamp.com, which is a website that allows musicians to sell their music directly to people, as a way in which Saskatchewan musicians have really supported each other by promoting their peers. “There’s been a lot of
frustration, certainly there has. For more than a decade now, in music … a large part of … the revenue income is from live performances, and so really it’s almost an events-based industry in a lot of capacities.” The focus has shifted away from record and CD sales to streaming sales and performing live. S askMusic has also launched the Sask Venues project to raise funds for smaller music venues in the province. People can purchase limited edition t-shirts to support venues across the province, such as the Happy Nun Café in Forget. The pre-sale will close Thursday evening at midnight. For more information, you can visit www.saskvenuesproject.com. While some venues are now partially open, it will be a while before these places are able to be at capacity, which affects both the venues and the musicians. “The big challenge, of course, is being able to sell a limited number of tickets in a lot of instances is still difficult, because it means you go back to work, but you’re going back to work at the quarter of the income that you would have made in the past.” Traditional music venues are also a big part of the success of the music industry in Saskatchewan, he said. Dawson noted that he received a quote from Ryan Gullen of the famed Saskatchewan rock band the
Former Estevan resident Michael Dawson is the executive director of SaskMusic. Photo submitted Sheepdogs, who captured the value of these venues. W ithout the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, there wouldn’t have been the Beatles, and without a coffee shop in Saskatoon, Joni Mitchell wouldn’t have had her career launched. Others in this province have turned to options such as the drive-in concert, in which spectators will park their vehicles for a show, allowing them to maintain so-
cial distancing. The first such concert was in Lampman for Saskatchewan country music singer JJ Voss. Dawson said the different levels of government have been receptive to the ideas from SaskMusic. The province in particular has handled things extremely well. “I’m confident we’ll get through it. We’ve seen a really great response from people in the province al-
ready,” said Dawson. Dawson, who has been part of the band Library Voices with several other former Estevan residents for over a decade, is also pleased to see some of the talent coming out of the Estevan area. “Having the pleasure to grow up in Estevan, and knowing that it ’s such a musical city, it’s great to see those artists doing well on the world stage,” he said.
EAGM promoting great art throughout Estevan The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) is encouraging people to seek out the great art that is located throughout the city, and take a selfie with it, through their inaugural cultural scavenger hunt. The promotion started on July 18 in conjunction with the Inside/Out exhibition that they have up at the Woodlawn Regional Park, featuring the outdoor works for four Saskatchewan artists. “This is showcasing all of the different artwork that is in the exhibition, but also around town,” said Amber Andersen, the curator-director of the EAGM. “We’re encouraging people as a way to keep social distancing and do something that they can get out and do in a safe way while enjoying all the different art we have around the city.” All people have to do to enter is take a selfie with the different pieces of art included in the scavenger hunt, and then send it to Karly Garnier, the EAGM’s programmer, at educator@eagm.ca. Twenty-three art selections are included in the scavenger hunt, including murals, sculptures, the artwork currently on display at Woodlawn and tree carvings. “You can do all 23, or you can do four or you can do however many you like, and once you do that, and you send
that to Karly, you get entered in for each one of the selfies that you’ve taken,” said Andersen. “So you can only do it once per art piece, but you could potentially have your name entered 23 different times.” Some of these are obvious locations, while others aren’t as well known. “It gets you thinking about where I have seen that before,” said Andersen. She hopes that this will create more awareness of the art in the community, especially the Woodlawn exhibits, while giving people another fun option during COVID-19, so they can get out of the house and see something different. “It was a way to get people to go and flush out that work, and when we were doing it , we thought … ‘Well, why don’t we open it up to all of the other artworks that are already existing, and turn it into a scavenger hunt.” The deadline to enter is Sept. 8, which is the final day for the outdoor art at Woodlawn. Afterwards, one person who has entered will have their name drawn, and will win several gift cards as a grand prize. Andersen said the promotion has proven to be quite popular. The EAGM has been getting lots of selfies, and some people have been to all 23, which is great to see, because there is some excellent art in the community.
The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum is encouraging people to take a selfie next to art such as this mural.
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Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice. Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication. All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that The Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher. We acknowledge financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
EDITORIAL
How big should the crowds be? You have to feel bad for the good folks at the Estevan Motor Speedway. They’ve tried everything to get their season in and to crown track champions. They had a pay per view event in June with no fans in the grandstands. They planned to have a program with fans present in early July, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by a late change in provincial guidelines. And now that they can race, they’re limited to 150 spectators in their grandstand. Sure, you’ll find fans parked along the south fence, watching from around their vehicles, but that’s not going to swell the crowd size significantly. For a venue that has 1,500-seat grandstand, 150 people is nothing. It’s one of every 10 seats. If they could get 400 or 500 fans in there, that would be close to a normal race night. (Also adding to the challenge is the absence of a concession or a beer garden). The racing at the speedway has been pretty good this year. It reinforces the fact that our track can put on a pretty damn good show with local talent. If you had 450 people in the grandstand, you’d still be able to maintain social distancing, while controlling the crowd as they exit at the intermission or after the program. The speedway isn’t alone in grappling with the crowd sizes. From churches to movie theatres to concert halls, they are hamstrung. Churches can have one-third capacity, or 150 people in their sanctuary, whichever is the lowest number. For churches in southeast
Saskatchewan, which tend to be smaller, it’s more likely to be one-third capacity. But for larger churches, it means adding services, or excluding some who would like to worship with their fellow parishioners. Movie theatres are also feeling the sting. As much as some people complain about the cost of going to a movie (especially if you add popcorn and other treats into the mix), it’s not like you’re local independent movie theatre – like Estevan’s venerable Orpheum Theatre or the Carnduff Community Theatre – are making money hand over fist. They can’t make money at 150 people. It’s especially tough when they don’t have any new releases to show. Here’s hoping that we all suffer from “absence makes the heart grow fond” syndrome when we can go to an indoor movie theatre again. This brings us to the next conundrum: junior hockey teams like the Estevan Bruins. The Bruins fall camp is supposed to be only a few weeks away. As of Tuesday morning, the team had yet to announce their schedule. Ditto the rest of the league. We know the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is confident they’ll have a season. We know the Bruins are confident they’ll have a season; if not, they wouldn’t have started a season ticket blitz. Judging by the number of tickets sold, fans are confident, too. And they should be looking forward to what should be a damn good team. The where’s and how’s of a schedule and season tickets still have some bugs to be worked out, but if you asked most Bruin fans
if they would be comfortable attending a midseason, midweek game against the Kindersley Klippers or the La Ronge Ice Wolves, when there are 650 fans present, our guess is most would be fine. Would they have the same level of confidence for the Dec. 30 game against the Weyburn Red Wings, when there could be 1,300 fans present? Maybe not. Of course, Affinity Place is a spacious arena, with seating for up to 2,662, including hundreds in the lounge and private boxes. It’s the biggest rink in terms of size, and likely the biggest for capacity. Teams playing in much smaller venues might not be able to seat 650 fans safely. If the provincial government wants the SJHL to play before 150 fans, the league might as well not have a season. The SJHL is a gatedriven league, with pretty significant expenses. They can’t make ends meet on 150 fans. And if the government isn’t going to somewhat ease restrictions for these non-profit teams that have a significant spinoff for their communities, then they better have some financial relief. It’s going to be a tough balancing act. The current rash of COVID cases in Saskatchewan will subside eventually, just like previous ones did. If we find ourselves with a dozen active cases in Saskatchewan in November, but we can’t have 500 fans at a hockey game, people won’t be happy. And so it’s just another challenge, another balancing act that has to be met while we wait for a vaccine that will allow us to return to some semblance of normal.
Does the early bird really get the worm? Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. An early riser is sure to be in luck. It's the early bird that gets the worm. From the oldest to the youngest, we all heard that an early morning rise opens opportunities, improves life and is good from any perspective. Those of us who don’t belong to this early bird club, probably at least once in our lives, tried to shift our schedules and get out of bed a bit earlier. Not that long ago, I read somewhere that if you get up two hours earlier every day, in a year you’ll generate an extra month of wakefulness. Being greedy for life, I once again decided to experiment with my routine. So sometime in the early summer, I made myself a promise. I wanted to try to get up a bit earlier every morning. Even a minute earlier than the day before would work. For better or worse, I was sticking to the promise for some time until the alarm hit my “stress time.” Since I was a kid I thought of setting the alarm for 5 a.m. as torture. I only did it when I had to catch a plane or meet someone at the train station (I don’t know why, but most trains I came across arrived between 5 and 8 a.m.) So as soon as I realized that I had to set it for 5 a.m. for the sake of the experiment (which I was finding pretty rewarding and joyful until that point, by the way), I failed. I couldn’t even remember anymore how I turn the alarm off. I fought myself for a few days, but eventually, I started getting up later again. And even though
Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… I was out of bed relatively early, my mornings felt like lost opportunities once again. So I tried to motivate myself again. I got into reading the biographies of wealthy and successful people, 90 per cent of whom get up at 5 a.m. every day (5 a.m.! Every day!). I was reading about how productive people have become when they made early wake-ups their habit and how much they achieved. I’ve known all that before, but nevertheless that scary 5 a.m. alarm image just wouldn’t let me go. And every day I would get up late, disappointed with myself for being such a jellyfish and losing precious hours. Lately, I came across the club called 5 a.m., in which members pretty much act as gym partners. The idea is that participants make posts every morning at 5 a.m., and their partners react and comment on those, making morning wakeups a bit bigger of a responsibility. So I started considering joining that club or just finding someone as crazy as I am and willing to add a couple of hours to their days. When I shared the idea with some of my friends, trying to get them hooked, the most common
question was, what do you do when you get up so early? And I didn’t have an answer to it. The simplest one was, whatever I don’t have time to do during the day. For example, learn Spanish, which I always wanted to do. Or have extra time to read. Or write. Or put together some thoughts about the projects I was postponing due to the lack of time. I can get through the courses I purchased two years ago and never had time to complete. I can do some sports or just spend some time meditating and opening up my mind. Sounds very inspiring, right? Yes, but not exactly. All these possibilities still didn’t get me anywhere closer to getting up early. Have you ever tried motivating yourself by imagining how you start a big project? Don’t do it. We want the final results, but it’s always really hard to start. And it gets even more difficult if you refuse to get up early for that. As odd as it is, I probably would leave my attempts to train myself into getting up early, if not for the vacation. I was out in the Rockies, where nature all of sudden became that 5 a.m. club partner that easily gets me out of bed as early as it wants. An amazingly beautiful life is in full swing around me and once again I’m eager to have more time in a day to be able to see, explore, experience and enjoy it all. So I’m back to my experiments, and instead of arguing against the folk wisdom, I’m trying to become that early bird to feel deeply the full scale of life. And to finally catch that tricky worm.
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Playparks remain a popular attraction
David Willberg Willberg’s World
I want my summer back Most people love the August long weekend. I enjoy it, but there’s always a bittersweet element to it. Frankly, the August long weekend (or Saskatchewan Day long weekend, as it is officially known) is not one that I eagerly anticipate as much as others during the year. Sure, the weather is hot and the sun is shining and it’s great to get out and do things, but it carries a caveat: summer is more than halfway over. (This is why I’m also not a fan of the Labour Day long weekend. Summer is pretty much done by that point, and if the weather isn’t nice for Labour Day, then you lose that last blast of summer. ) There’s no shortage of things to do during the August long weekend. If you don’t believe me, check out our 101 things to do in Estevan special section in this week’s paper. Many of them, from boating to fishing, or golfing to lounging on a patio, are rather popular on the Saskatchewan Day long weekend. And they’re things that you can continue to do in the next few weeks as we continue to cling to the final weeks of summer. (Trip to the Roche Percee rocks, anyone?) Anyways, when I was a youth, there was the sense of great optimism about the Victoria Day long weekend; summer vacation was coming. Two months of doing nothing was just weeks away. When Canada Day arrived, that dream had materialized. By the time July 15 hit, you had the realization that summer wasn’t going to last forever. And when the August long weekend arrived, you knew that summer was more than halfway over, not just in terms of summer vacation, but in terms of actual summer days from June to September. Yep, fall is just six weeks away. Don’t shoot the messenger. I only have a few more weeks to get in those rounds of golf, to have lunches and suppers on patios, to jog around the Chamney Running Track near the Estevan Comprehensive School, and to cool off after strenuous exercise by enjoying a nice, cold India pale ale. Before I know it, we’ll reach the 50-50 day, when it will be daylight only half of the day. We’re getting less daylight with every passing day. We’re getting cooler temperatures in the evening. And before too long, I’ll see leaves all over the lawns and parking lots in the community. Again, don’t shoot the meteorological messenger. Of course, when I was younger, the end of summer meant that it was time to go back to school. Mom and dad called it Freedom Day. But for me and most of my friends, we cringed. This year, of course, the first day back is going to mean something very different for local families. For kids, they might actually look forward to returning to the classroom and seeing all the people they know, even if it will be very different than what it was when traditional classroom learning ended in March. Oh sure, there was online learning, and everyone did the best they could, but it still wasn’t the same as being in the classroom. Parents should be looking forward to a Freedom Day of their own Sept. 1, when kids are supposed to go back to class. I’m pretty confident they will be back in class that day. But it’s frustrating for them, because as of Mercury press time, the specifics on the back to school plan hadn’t been revealed. We know the kids are supposed to be in classrooms on Sept. 1, but as far as specifics, we don’t know much. That’s the aggravating part. Parents deserve to have answers. The provincial government should have come out with their detailed plan by now, with as many answers as possible, with details on how they will take care of special needs students, immuno-compromised students, what they will do if there’s a second wave of COVID and how they will navigate other challenges of the pandemic. This should have happened before July 31, so that parents have at least a month to plan. It’s supposed to come this week, but the earlier the government could have assuaged fears and answered questions, the better off we all would have been. In the meantime, let’s enjoy these last four weeks of summer, do as much as we can, find activities that can distract us from the difficult times we find ourselves in, and have fun. Yes, we’re still allowed to have fun. And we still need to be safe.
The Hillcrest Playpark has offered good times for children this summer. Photo courtesy of the City of Estevan. The City of Estevan’s playparks program continues to offer fun times and enjoyable activities for the young children of Estevan. Cassidy Reich, who is the playpark co-ordinator for the city this year, said they have had children passing through each day, and the play leaders love to be outside rather than indoors. “A lot of the community has been heading out and taking advantage of having a place to go and do something with the kids,” said Reich. There have been some days in which they’ve been quieter, such as Thursday, when it was a sweltering hot day in the Energy City. Reich estimates they have had 15-30 kids for crafts in the morning at each park, and around 25-30 youths for afternoon swimming. The children have done a good job of social distancing, because they’re
excited to be able to go out and play. Play leaders are doing their best to remind everyone about the new protocols and parents are very helpful at the parks. “We’ve just adjusted how we do things. So rather than having everyone come into the shack at once to do a craft, we might ask that a few of them play at the park while we get cleaned up and set up again for a few more to join us.” In other instances, they have given kids crafts that they can do outside, if the weather permits. “We’ve been doing everything that we can, and that we can think of, to stick within those guidelines,” she said. Hillcrest, Hillside and Rusty Duce (Pleasantdale) playparks are operating this year. The swimming pool and crafts at the Churchill park in south-central Estevan are not happening this year, because
public health said they would not license the pool until a few upgrades occur. “That definitely helped us know what direction we needed to go in, and that’s definitely something in the works for the future to get back to our full strength and get those safety concerns met and alleviated.” Families can continue to access the park and use its play structures. At the start of the year, the playpark program announced plans to have play leaders alternate through the different parks, but the feedback from the community and the play leaders themselves was to return to the traditional format of having the play leader remain at their park throughout the summer. Madison Flaman is at Hillside, Nyla Dyck is working at Rusty Duce and Charlotte Andrist is at Hillcrest. Reich believes the playp-
ark program is a valuable one of the community, since it offers programming for free to local children, and it gets kids outside and active. “I think everyone really realized how important these opportunities were for kids after the months of being out of school and being stuck at home and in quarantine, and I think we’re so fortunate to have been able to offer this to the community. We hope people keep joining us and hanging out each day at the park.” Due to restrictions associated with COVID-19, the playparks program won’t be able to have special events such as their year-end carnival or their pancake breakfast. But they’ve been successful with what they have been able to offer, as the kids have been having lots of fun, and they’re looking forward to an even bigger year in 2021.
EPS sergeant announces his retirement A veteran member of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) has announced his retirement after 22 years of service. Sgt. Craig Brid has decided to move on, saying that the time was right. Bird, whose final day of service was July 26, came to the EPS after spending 10 years working for the Regina Rifles. He stressed that he was still happy to serve as a member of the EPS. “In the last little while, circumstances have changed … and it just culminated. I thought it was the right time to leave, and I made the decision,” he said. A lot of great things have happened during his tenure, meeting people and engaging the community. He remembers being part of the EPS bicycle unit, riding around the community and interacting with the public. He was the liaison officer for Sacred Heart School/École Sacré Coeur, and was part of bike rodeos and other events. Bird said he’s going to remain in Estevan. He’ll take time off to relax and get
back in a normal routine. “Doing shift work for 22 years plays a little bit of havoc on you. It will be nice to get on a regular schedule, and not have to worry about working nights.” He’ll spend time on his family’s farm outside of the city, and Bird said he will continue to be active with the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and the No. 2901 Estevan Army Cadets, where he is the commanding officer. He’ll focus on getting the cadets up and running in the fall. “There’s all kind of things to work on and go on, so there’s not going to be too much boredom,” said Bird. Last year he also helped launch the Southeast Military Museum, which is located at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch and at his farm. The museum features artifacts from his personal collection of military items, as well as some from other collectors. Bird said he met a lot of good people
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Co-op reflects on a good year at unique AGM By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Southern Plains Coop once again enjoyed the support of people throughout the southeast region in its last fiscal year. The co-op held its annual general meeting on July 27 at the Prairie Dog Drive-In Theatre north of Carlyle. Thirty-two people signed the attendance registrar, but there were people present who didn’t sign in. “It worked out well,” said Southern Plains Co-op general manager Brian Enns. “Those in attendance could either listen through their vehicle radio or there was a speaker on the side of the building that you could also hear through.” Sales for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2020, were at $79.4 million, down slightly from the $79.5 million the previous year. The co-op had a $67.9 million cost of goods sold, for a gross margin of $11.5 million. With operating and administration expenses of more than $13 million, the co-op had a loss from operations of $1.48 million. The co-op then received a patronage dividend of more than $5 million from Federated Co-operatives Ltd., and after allowing for a deduction for income taxes payable, the co-op wound up with net savings of more than $3.5 million.
Last year’s sales figures pushed the co-op’s cumulative sales above the $1.5 billion mark since it was incorporated in 1946. In his report to the board, chairperson Scott Kienlen said the co-op is pleased to have maintained sales over the past number of years despite the challenging business environment. “ We continue working in partnership with our neighbouring co-ops when opportunities arise, whether it be shared delivery of fuel, agro supplies, providing administrative support and most recently health and safety services and shared bulk oil delivery.” And while the COVID-19 pandemic struck Saskatchewan after the 2019-20 fiscal year ended, Kienlen did point out the COVID has made vast changes to the way it operates, and the co-op had to adapt very quickly. Kienlen noted the coop continues to contribute to the local communities with donations, fundraising sponsorships and volunteering for events and projects. The community engagement committee reported that the co-op invested $150,482 back into the communities they live in during 2019, thanks to support of various organizations and a number of different events in their region. Equity allocations were 2.75 per cent on food pur-
have any hiccups during the evening. Members were asked to use text messages or email for their questions or for making motions. The co-op thought about showing the speeches on the drive-in’s big screen, but then the co-op would have had to wait for dusk to hold the meeting, and that might be too late for some members. “Members were able to ask questions, they were able to hear all of the reports, and they (reports) were in the package, of course, and we were able to complete everything required under our bylaws for an annual meeting,” Southern Plains Co-op board president Scott Kienlen, general manager Brian said Enns. Enns and secretary James Lainton worked from inside the Prairie Dog Drive-In Enns, members of the Theatre’s building during the co-op’s annual general meeting July 27. Photo by board and others spoke from the drive-in’s buildings. Kelly Johnson of the Observer He was happy with the chases, 5.25 per cent on pe- in Carlyle, which is located at seven to 10 board members, so number of people who were troleum, 6.75 per cent on the junction of Highways 9 they are not seeking a replace- present, since this was the dyed diesel fuel, 9.75 per cent North and 13. ment for Deichert at this time. first time they have tried this on oil and 1.5 per cent on all “We also purchased land Kienlen will be the chair- format. other purchases. In total, they in Carlyle for the new food person for a second year. Enns noted that over paid $1,741,045 back to the store in the future,” said Enns. Thauberger-Smith will be the the past five years, the co-op members. Construction on the new vice-chair and James Lainton has invested $16 million in As for highlights from food store isn’t expected to will be the secretary. Other assets in their different comthe past year, the co-op added begin until 2022. members of the board include munities: Carlyle, Alameda, a liquor store to their grocery Also during the meeting, Frances Boutin, David Mur- Oxbow, Gainsborough and store in Estevan and their the co-op held its election ray, Rhonda Huish and Darcy Estevan. And during that convenience store in Oxbow. of directors. Lynne Hewitt, Calder. timeframe, they have returned They also did some exterior Richard Ruetz and Linda The meeting itself proved more than $6 million back to branding at the Estevan gas Thauberger-Smith were ac- to be an interesting format, its members through member bar and convenience store. claimed to another three-year since it was held at a drive-in patronage dividends. They have purchased a term on the board. Michelle as opposed to a more conven“At Southern P lains retail liquor sales permit for Deichert, who was also on the tional meeting room, which, Co-op, we continue to look Carlyle for a new store that board, did not seek another most years, would be the for areas we can grow in, and is slated to open in 2021. It term. Taylorton Room or another we continue investing in the will be located at their service Under the co-op’s by- area of the Estevan Days Inn. communities we serve,” said station and convenience store laws, they can operate with Enns said they didn’t Enns.
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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
CONSTRUCTION BULLETIN
Message From
The Mayor Please continue to maintain social distancing and follow the provincial guidelines to stay safe.
FITNESS
ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE - 2020
SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE - AUGUST 4 - 31, 2020 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
SPIN
SPIN
SPIN
SPIN
GRIT
Saturday
6:10 am - 6:50 am
6:10 am - 6:50 am
CORE BARRE ABOVE
9:10 am - 9:50 am
9:10 am - 10:00 am
Friday
Thursday
SPIN
6:10 am - 6:50 am
9:10 am - 9:50 am
Wednesday
SPIN
GRIT
9:10 am - 9:50 am
9:10 am - 10:15 am
9:10 am - 10:00 am
KING STREET The City of Estevan is undertaking construction for the Watermain replacement The affected area includes King street between Hudson Rd. and Cundall Drive. Property access and parking restrictions are to occur. This work will commence August 4, 2020 and will take approximately six (6) weeks to complete (subject to weather) City of Estevan will perform this work within the current Bylaw regulations and specifications. Safety Construction site could be dangerous. If you have children, please ask them to keep a safe distance from the site. We will take every precaution to ensure public safety, but we need your assistance to constrain the natural curiosity of younger children. Please DO NOT attempt to go close to areas affected. Theft or Vandalism If you see any act of vandalism, theft or anyone suspiciously tampering with equipment, signage or barricades please contact 306-634-1800, or after hours call Police. Questions and Concerns The City of Estevan, Engineering Services apologize for any inconveniences that this work may cause and thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience. If you have any question or concerns, please call at 634-1800 or approach the supervisor or foreman on site.
FOAM ROLLER
POWER BLAST
11:10 am - 11:50 am
11:10 am - 12:00 pm
AFTERNOON / EVENING CARDIO BLAST
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CARDIO BLAST POWER BLAST
POWER BLAST
1:10 pm - 2:00 pm
1:10 pm - 2:00 pm
1:10 pm - 2:00 pm
1:10 pm - 2:00 pm
SPIN
Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Estevan, pursuant to Section 24 of the Planning and Development Act, 2007 and the City of Estevan Community Engagement Policy Bylaw No. 2020-2027 will consider adoption of Off-Site Development Levy Bylaw No. 2020-2030.
SPIN
5:30 pm - 6:10 pm
5:30 pm - 6:10 pm
WEIGHT ROOM OPEN
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
OPEN
OPEN
OPEN
6:00 am - 9:00 pm
OPEN
6:00 am - 9:00 pm
6:00 am - 9:00 pm
OPEN
OPEN
6:00 am - 9:00 pm
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
6:00 am - 9:00 pm
Must be 16 years of age to participate in fitness classes and have a completed Par-Q Questionnaire prior to participating in classes. The questionnaire lets our fitness instructors determine abilities and needs of each participant.
! AUGUST 2020
To discuss the proposed bylaw in detail, please contact Land Development Services to arrange for an appointment.
PLAY PARKS
PLEASE NOTE - Due to the pandemic-related protocols fitness registration has moved to a PRE-Registration process. Users must pre-register online or by calling the www.estevan.ca Information Desk. Patrons will be screened upon arrival and asked a few questions as per the Operational Health and Safety Guidelines. Drop in is available for the weight room. Space between workout stations have either increased or a machine has been put into 'not in use.' Water fountains are not available. Rusty Duce Park | 1400 Nicholson Road
Sunday
Monday
2
16
23
30 Sponsored by:
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CLOSED
Don’t see what you are looking for? Do you have an idea for something we should try? Please contact the Program Manager at 306-634-1880. We would love to hear your ideas! 9
10
17
Construction Week
31
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
4 Schedule Subject to Change. Please5 visit www.estevan.ca6 for updates on closures and cancellations. Proper footwear and exercise wear is required to participate. Please note during school breaks, (Teachers Convention, Spring Break and Seasons Week Fitness, Aquatic Centre and Arena schedules Christmas Break) 11 12 13 may vary. Please visit our live schedules at www.estevan.ca
Robots Week
24
Hillcrest Park| 265 Rooks Road Hillside Park | 825 George Street For concerns or questions please contact Playpark Coordinator Cassidy Reich at 306-634-1880 Your play park leaders are: Nyla Dyck, Madison Flaman and Charlotte Andrist
Tuesday
The intent of the Bylaw is to provide a framework to recover capital costs for municipal services and facilities through new development within the City of Estevan. The Bylaw may be accessed through the City Clerk’s office or by contacting Land Development Services.
Saturday 7
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10:00 29 am - 12:00 pm 30 CRAFTS, GAMES & ACTIVITIES 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm SWIMMING OPEN MON-FRI EXCEPT ON DESIGNATED DAYS.
Prior to further consideration of this Bylaw, a public hearing will be held: Date: Location: Time:
September 21, 2020 Council Chambers, City Hall 6:00 PM
The public hearing is your opportunity to make presentations directly to Council. Those unable to attend may submit written comments to the City Clerk.
S4A 0W7
City Clerk, cityclerk@estevan.ca City Hall, 1102 – Fourth Street, Estevan,
The Bylaw may be viewed at City Hall during regular office hours or viewed online at www.Estevan.ca.
SPLASH PADS IN THE CITY ARE OPEN DAILY FROM 10AM TO 7PM Royal Heights Veterans Memorial Park Padwick Park Dennis Moore Centennial Park Please note Washrooms at Padwick and Royal Heights will not be open until noon. #ThisisEstevan #ExperienceEstevan #EstevanNice
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PRESENTS:
THINGS TO EXPERIENCE THIS
Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted what you have in your own backyard. After all, you’re so used to seeing it, you just always expect that it will be there. It also can become easy to miss. And sometimes, you encounter the “best kept secrets” syndrome, those things that everybody should know about but don’t, when it should be a pretty big deal. It’s not just an Estevan problem, or a Saskatchewan thing. People in all communities don’t give themselves credit for having all sorts of things that others would genuinely want to do. You’d be surprised how many people on the west coast of B.C. don’t realize how lucky they are to have an ocean and a beach at their doorstep. But sometimes here in Estevan, we seem to forget how much we have going for us. Memo to the rest of the country: there’s a lot more to do here than just work and stare at endlessly flat spaces. Those flat, wide open spaces yield some of the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets on the planet. And there are a lot of rolling hills and valleys for us to enjoy. Take a look at our city and surrounding area. You’ll find all sorts of great things to do in all directions. Head south of Estevan. You’ll find Woodlawn Regional Park, one of the best regional parks in the province.
It’s beautiful and well-maintained, with terrific campgrounds. The Souris River campground not only has the river as an advantage, but it has the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course, one of the best golf courses in the province. Go further south, you’ll find the Boundary Dam campground, with its boat launch, beach and the beautiful Boundary Dam itself. Boundary Dam is the only place in Saskatchewan where you’ll find large-mouth bass fishing. West of the city gives you the Hidden Valley Golf and RV Resort, a fantastic part of our community with a well-maintained campground of its own, a golf course that is perfect for golfers of all skill levels and ages, miniature golf, one of the best driving ranges you’ll find anywhere and scenic views of the Souris River. Northwest of Estevan you’ll find Rafferty Dam, which is another paradise for boating, fishing and other forms of water recreation. East of town you’ll find the Estevan Motor Speedway, which rates among the best dirt race tracks in the country. Head out a little further, and you’ll find the pierced rock formations of Roche Percee, which have been a marvel in this part of the province for centuries. Life is just as much fun when you come
into the city. The Estevan Leisure Centre is a hub for the community, with all sorts of great amenities to appeal to people of all ages. It’s a great place to be throughout the year to meet fitness, cultural, literary and sporting needs, or to socialize with friends. You can go for a meal at one of our great restaurants, many of which have patios to create an even better experience in the summer. If you’re from out of town, you might want to spend the evening in the city, spend the night at one of our hotels, and visit one of our shopping areas the following day. Estevan is blessed with a number of cultural experiences as well that will allow you to further your artistic skills, or admire the abilities of others. Yes, it’s been a tough summer on tourist attractions due to COVID-19. Events were cancelled. Many organizations and attractions had to delay the start to their season, or revamp their programs, or rethink how they’re going to deliver services. Like the rest of us, they aren’t going to have the year they envisioned at the start of 2020. But there are still so many things for us to do that can happen regardless of whether we’re in the midst of a pandemic. You don’t have to look far to find something to do in Estevan this summer.
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THINGS TO EXPERIENCE THIS
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August 5, 2020 A9
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fish for largemouth bass on Boundary Dam Reservoir
rent a kayak and float on the river at Woodlawn Regional Park
drive to Roche Percee and see the rocks
dine on a patio at a restaurant
go for a drive and watch the draglines
ride your bike on the trails
catch a race at the Estevan Motor Speedway
spend the day at the beach
make a craft at the play parks program every weekday morning
splash in the water at a splash park
play a game of tennis or pickle ball
work on some tricks at the skate park
go for a dip at the indoor pool
observe the Soldier’s Tree
go for a walk
find the Tourism Estevan selfie spots
eat lunch while enjoying the beautiful flowers in the garden on 4th
play a round of disc golf
get your steps on the outdoor Chamney Crushing walking track
get your steps out of the heat at the Affinity Place walking track
join a fitness class or gym
enjoy a meal at a local restaurant
visit the petting zoo at Tail-Ling Hills Farms and learn about animals
throw a strike at the bowling alley
save with the Estevan Mercury “SAVE THIS SUMMER” coupon book
enjoy a walk through the Preddy Trails
play a round of golf at Hidden Valley Golf & RV Resort
sign up for a virtual camp with the Souris Valley Museum
go camping
sleep in a tent in the backyard
take the family for a round of mini golf at Hidden Valley Golf & RV Resort
explore some history at the Souris Valley Museum
take part in the Estevan Art Gallery cultural scavenger hunt
experience the “Inside Out” art exhibit at Woodlawn
try a workout at Fresh Air Fitness
pick up some fresh produce or baking at the Estevan Farmers Market
go shopping at the Estevan Shoppers Mall
get your favorite craft beers, coolers & spirits at the Ice Factory
get ice cream from the big ice cream cone on 4th street
try an elephant ear from the new food truck
try a special summer blizzard from DQ
play a round of golf at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course
try trap shooting at the Estevan Wildlife Federation
go to a drive in movie at Prairie Dog Drive In
go shopping downtown
A12 »
One Regional Park Two Great Locations
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WOODLAWN Fish, Canoe, Kayak or Paddle on the Souris, rentals available Playgrounds & Sports Fields Fresh Air Fitness - use the exercise equipment on take a walk on the Preddy Trails TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course & Clubhouse Rotary Hall & Doug Third Hall rentals for all occasions.
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2130 Larter Road, Estevan MLS SK799629
$243,000
MLS SK799984
379 O’Connor Avenue, Macoun MLS SK808210
359 Henry Street, Estevan
342 Torbay Street, Torquay
509 3rd Street, Estevan
806 Isabelle Street, Estevan
123 Williams Way, Estevan MLS SK818322
$199,900
MLS SK818300
$265,900
MLS SK808194
233 4th Street, Estevan
429 1st Street, Estevan
101 308 Petterson Drive, Estevan MLS SK814361
$202,000
MLS SK801389
$244,900
MLS SK809659
SOLD
330 4th Street, Estevan
1521 2nd Street, Estevan
1223 4th Street, Estevan
926 3rd Street, Estevan MLS SK793658
$249,000
MLS SK788892
$269,000
MLS SK785715
118 Perry Crescent, Estevan
361 O’Connor Avenue, Macoun MLS SK793535
$269,500
MLS SK797189
1334 8th Street, Estevan
$295,000
$75,000
$199,000
MLS SK788018
MLS SK788064
MLS SK801046
718 Edward P MLS SK814470
116 - 118 Main S MLS SK804108
$165,000
$125,000
717 4th Street, Estevan MLS SK810744
TERRY L. GERMAIN
AMANDA MACK
REALTOR® (Part-Time)
REALTOR®
REALTOR®
REALTOR®
306.421.2021
102 1091 Taisey
Forget Acreage, Tecumseh Rm No. 65
MEIGAN WILHELM 306-421-3982
MLS SK810771
29 Royal Heights, Estevan
JOSH LEBLANC 306-421-6778
1202 3rd Str
306.461.9363
$73,500
D
www.estevanmercury.ca
August 5, 2020 A11
OW INTEREST RATES. NOW IS THE TIME!
way W, Estevan
$575,000
Deeray Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK799543
eet, Estevan
$365,900
$549,900
422 Willow Bay, Estevan MLS SK806614
$354,900
Mehler Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK803380
$439,900
1888 Wellock Road, Estevan
2248 Newcombe Drive, Estevan
$354,900
MLS SK814541
$429,000
MLS SK812764
206 4th Street, Estevan
$350,000
MLS SK795384
2261 Newcombe Drive, Estevan MLS SK819311
$429,000
Gillingham Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK790355
$349,900
LaCoste Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK814388
$419,900
2317 Victory Road, Estevan MLS SK819187
$349,000
REDUCED HUGE GARAGE
reet, Estevan
$295,000
3 Rattray Place, Estevan MLS SK808631
$289,900
Meckler/Johnson Land, Estevan Rm No. 5
$285,000
MLS SK813143
931 4th Street, Estevan
$279,000
MLS SK804112
318 Tiverton Avenue, Torquay MLS SK810401
$279,000
1525 2nd Street, Estevan MLS SK813133
$270,000
REDUCED
Cresent, Estevan
$259,900
1815 Dieppe Cresent, Estevan MLS SK804096
Place, Estevan
$234,900
1228 4th Street, Estevan MLS SK809977
Street, Lampman
$195,000
$259,900
$232,900
517 King Street, Estevan MLS SK787567
135 Torbay Street, Torquay MLS SK799537
$160,000
110 Havelock Street, Outram MLS SK818312
$119,900
528 First Street, North Portal MLS SK805163
$43,000
$189,900
2 697 Sun Valley Drive, Estevan
$259,500
MLS SK798172
MLS SK817840
$228,000
$189,000
$159,500
4 1250 8th Street, Estevan MLS SK814339
$119,900
502 Saskatchewan Avenue, Torquay MLS SK790141
114 Perry Cresent, Estevan
$39,000
$224,900
MLS SK817998
Gould Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK813608
$249,900
MLS SK805356
119 Perry Crescent, Estevan
250 1st Avenue, Benson MLS SK811327
1503 Thorn Crescent, Estevan
1233 3rd Street, Estevan MLS SK814829
201 408 Heritage Drive, Estevan MLS SK795297
$179,900
333 Tiverton Avenue, Torquay MLS SK815379
$159,000
River Road Acreage, Estevan Rm No. 5 MLS SK797346
$98,500
617 Second Street, Estevan MLS SK814863
$37,000
$220,000
1205 4th Street, Estevan
1726 2nd Street, Estevan MLS SK815177
$249,900
MLS SK801355
$175,000
170 Monroe Street, Macoun MLS SK803830
$150,000
310 3rd Avenue E, Lampman MLS SK811624
$84,900
1223 4th Street, Estevan MLSSK801392
$13/square feet
1907 Dyer Crescent, Estevan MLS SK819333
321 Poplar Bay, Estevan MLS SK813778
306-421-3170 REALTOR®
MLS SK791270
$175,000
102 408 Heritage Drive, Estevan MLS SK798731
$149,900
1213 2nd Street, Estevan MLS SK813753
$84,900
1207 - 1209 4th Street, Estevan MLS SK808201
1210 4th Street • 306-634-9898 • www.coldwellbanker.ca Each office independently owned and operated
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89 Highway 39, Estevan
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A12 August 5, 2020
ESTEVAN
ESTEVAN
THINGS TO EXPERIENCE THIS
ESTEVAN
MERCURY
www.estevanmercury.ca
MERCURY .CA
.CA
MERCURY .CA
play a new board game from The House Of Stationery
read the Estevan Mercury on your deck
fix up your yard
blow bubbles with the kids
run through the sprinklers
take photos for the Estevan Mercury’s photo contest (coming soon!)
go for a country drive looking for wildlife
fly a kite
enjoy a drink on estevan’s best patio at Fired Up Grill
go for a picnic
do a puzzle
borrow a book from the Estevan Public Library
binge watch netflix
set up an outdoor movie
hit a bucket of balls at Hidden Valley Golf & RV Resort
watch the sunset and enjoy the Land of the Living Skies
find the turkey vultures nesting by the nursing home
repaint your living room
go to garage sales
try a variety of Saskatchewan craft beer
have a family bbq
clean out your closet
have a bonfire
enjoy our beautiful prairie nights and go star gazing
lay on the grass and watch the clouds
don’t forget to sunscreen, everyday
play beach volleyball
volunteer at the Humane Society and walk a dog
Estevan
Farmer’s Market
BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 11AM
pick flowers to dry and make crafts
VISIT OUR OUTDOOR MARKET. Every Saturday 8:30am - 1:00pm Estevan Shoppers Mall parking lot
make a scavenger hunt
For more information contact
1437 4th Street 306-634-9228
T H E E AG M P R E S E N TS
INSIDE/OUT F I N D A R T I N T H E W I L D AT W O O D L AW N R E G I O N A L PA R K
Featuring the work of Belinda Harrow, Regan Lanning, Monique Martin and Zoë Schneider. July 20 - Sept 8 Curated by Amber Andersen
PATRICIA 306-634-3521 Watch our Facebook page for our vendor line-up
Estevan's
Newest Hard Ice Cream Shop
Find us at 501 4th Street
Follow us on Facebook to learn more
Try an Elephant Ear with amazing dessert toppings or for a meal!
Fruit Toppings Pu Pulled Pork • Taco Ear Follow us on FB for our menu & schedule
32 FLAVOURS OPEN EVERYDAY 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM VANILLA STRAWBERRY TIGER TURTLE MOUNTAIN BLAST OFF WET PAINT SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COCONUT RUM & RAISIN CARMEL CANDY APPLE KAHULA CHOCOLATE FUDGE MAPLE NUT PISTACHIOS & ALMONDS BUBBLE GUM ALL CANADIAN MOOSE BURGUNDY CHERRY BLACK LICORICE
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP PRALINES & CREAM SASKATOON PIE ROLYPOLY LEAP N LIZARD MOON MIST COTTON CANDY SHARK ATTACK NSA CARAMEL COFFEE MACCHIATO CHOCOLATE LOVERS CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE CHERRY CHEESECAKE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE COOKIE DOUGH BIRTHDAY CAKE
.60 Wings. $ 5 Pints. good times. $
Monday - Saturday 11am - 10PM Sunday 12PM - 8PM
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A12 »
CULTURAL S CAVEN GER HUNT Find some ar�. Take a sel�e. Enter to win! Follow us on Facebook to learn more.
This feature is proudly brought to you by:
- 135 fully serviced campsites - large campsites in a well treed, beautiful space along the Souris River
- 9 hole executive length golf course with grass greens & driving range - cart rentals, season pass or punch cards available
18 hole mini golf Adult, $4; child $3; 4 & under free
1 mile west of Estevan on Hwy 18
306.634.7744
Hiddenvalleygolfandrv.com
Your locally owned and operated paving company
www.estevanmercury.ca
August 5, 2020 A13
try something new
set up a lemonade stand
paint rocks and hide around town
enjoy an afternoon bird watching
make a tie dyed shirt
take a break from social media
go to an open house
try a new coffee from A&W
take the kids to the play park
take a golf lesson from a pro
fish for trout at Pit C
go boating
have a water balloon fight
visit the Estevan Cemetery
enjoy some alone time
volunteer to help at a local charity
take your doggies for a run at the dog park buy a house with Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate
draw murals with sidewalk chalk
get takout and go for a picnic
stay in your jammies all day
Visit the Southeast Military Museum at the legion
enjoy famous pizza on the Willy’s The Tap House patio
stay up to date with the estevanmercury.ca
race popsicle sticks in the puddles after it rains
do the Scotsburn Dental Kids Zone found in the Estevan Mercury every week
Enjoy a Drink on
Vir tual Camps @ The SVM
Cost: $5-$10 per Camp Camp Instruction Will be posted online and Camp Kits Will be Avaliable for pick up!
Estevan’s BEST PATIO!
Pick uP a
new book to read on your patio
Camp Themes:
Litt le T ime Travllers
Find the PerFect
Wild, Wild, West I GIANTS!
garden stone
Villains Camp I Games Camp
Warrior Camp I Construction Camp Myths & Legends I Fashion Camp
NOW OPEN for BREAKFAST weekends, 9-2
Take a self-guided tour through the museum, call 306-634-5543 to book your spot!
Register online at www.sourisvalleymuseum.com
to add your yard
Home of the $35 Meal Deal! ORDER ONLINE ON FIREDUPGRILL.CA
HENDERS DRUGS M-F: 9-9 • SAT: 9-5 • SUN & HOLIDAYS: 12-4
VISIT A PETTING ZOO!
306-636-2323 • firedupgrill.ca
1220 4th Street, Estevan • 306-634-3666
ENJOY
Ice Cold Pints
WHERE COMMUNITY HAPPENS! AND
• Ardene • Dollarama • Eclipse • Marks • Money Mart • Nutters • Peavey Mart • Pet Valu • Sask Liquor
Visit the petting zoo, join us for an Animal Education day or host your Birthday Party at the zoo!
306-421-2375
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• SaskTel • Sobeys • SportChek • Studio C Fitness • The Brick • The Source • Tim Horton’s • Warehouse One
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
Eevan’s Be Pizza ON OUR DECK!
WE’VE GOT SPIRITS & SPORTS 7 DAYS A WEEK!
400 King Street Estevan, SK
PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
August 2020
Celebrating 40 years at The Prairie Dog Drive - In!
Gates open at 8:00 p.m. - Showtime at Dusk - - www.mysundial.ca/pddit/movies.htm
We are on Facebook & Instagram! Search The Prairie Dog Drive In for all movie Updates!
*Gift Certificates Available* Ph: 306-453-6095 or Email prairiedogdrivein@gmail.com for more info!
July 31, Aug 1 & 2
Aug 7, 8 & 9
Aug 14, 15 & 16
Drive Through Dine In Delivery Dolittle
Black Panther
Iron Man
with Robert Downey Jr. & Antonio Banderas Rated PG
with Chadwick Boseman & Michael B. Jordan Rated PG-13
with Robert Downey Jr & Gwyneth Paltrow Rated PG-13
Aug 21, 22 & 23
Aug 28
FREE MOVIE NIGHT • Aug 30
Puzzles
Board Games
JOIN US FOR A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM SINCLAIR, August 30.
A12 »
Footloose with Kevin Bacon & Lori Singer Rated PG
E.T.
with Henry Thomas & Drew Barrymore Rated PG
The Notebook with Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams Rated PG-13
JOIN US FOR A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM SINCLAIR, August 30.
901 13th Avenue, Estevan, SK • 306-634-3209
This feature is proudly brought to you by:
Aug 29 - DRIVE IN CONCERT - TBA - TICKETMASTER.COM
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Scrapbooking supplies
1217 4th Street, Estevan, SK TOLL FREE: 888-936-2222 or 306-634-3613
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5TH STREET AUTOBODY
Sports
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306-634-7101
601 - 5th St. • Estevan, SK
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
A14
Dobrescu wins Frametech Classic for the first time By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Austin Dobrescu’s return to the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course was a triumphant one. Dobrescu, a former Estevan resident who moved to Brandon, Man., with his family in 2013, won the men’s event of the Frametech Classic at Woodlawn from Aug. 1-3. He shot a 5-over-par 77 during the final round on Monday, and finished the tournament with a 7-underpar total of 209 (63-69-77). Estevan’s Jayden Dudas was two strokes back at 211, fol-
lowed by Kipling’s Carson Harcourt (212) and Brandon’s Drew Jones (214). “I hit my wedge well and my short game was really good,” Dobrescu told the Mercury. “My irons were solid, and really good at times. Really, my only weakness this week was hitting off the tee. Luckily for me, a lot of these holes are pretty forgiving and I’d still be able to recover.” He was also pleased with his putting throughout the weekend. The 63 he had for the opening round tied the course record set in 2015. An eagle on the par 5 18th hole enabled him
Austin Dobrescu holds the championship trophy for the Frametech Classic at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course.
to tie the mark. Dobrescu also won the Dave Price Memorial Horse Race on Sunday that featured the 12 golfers in the classic’s championship flight. “It would have been more fun playing in it like previous years, when there’s a couple of hundred people around and everyone’s in the same group, but it was run really well and it was a lot of fun.” The horse race was held on the back nine at Woodlawn, with one or two golfers eliminated from each hole. Dobrescu eliminated Ty Mryglod on the 18th hole to win. The other golfers in the horse race were Dudas, Jones, Harcourt, Theoren West, Daryl Donovan, Lonnie Jones, Jace Carlisle, Mark Spencer, Carter Hilkewich and Chase Gedak. The 12 golfers were divided into three groups of four, instead of the traditional group of 12. The field was eventually reduced to two groups and then to one. Spectators were not able to gather to watch the horse race, but there was a live stream presented by Woodlawn, the Cheap Seats podcast and Robert Godfrey, with members of the Cheap Seats providing commentary. Dobrescu struggled at times in the final round, but still had a four-stroke lead entering the 17th hole. Dudas gained two strokes on the last hole. He noted that this weekend was the first time he had played at Woodlawn since moving to Brandon, which meant it was the first time he had played the back nine
From left, Tenille Wilhelm, Maxine Starkewski, Paige Wheeler and Bernadette Wright were the top four in the women’s event. Wright was the winner. since its rebuild was complete in 2013. It felt great to be back at the course where he learned the game and where he played in junior tournaments. “I played a lot of junior golf here. This is where I got started, so it was cool to get back.” Since leaving Estevan, he spent a year playing golf for the College of the Canyons, a junior college in California, and then he spent three years at Chicago State University, a Division 1 NCAA school, on a scholarship. Most years the Canadian Men’s Amateur would be held on the August long weekend, and Dobrescu would be playing in that event rather than the classic. But due to COVID, he couldn’t play in the amateur, so he and Jones, a good friend, decided to play in the classic instead. “We were looking for events to play in, and this was
one my dad could play in as well.” He praised the condition of the course, and the staff for their work to organize the tournament. The other flight winners for the men’s event were: Kade Johnson, first flight, 218; Ryan Stovin, second flight, 227; Parnell Pidhorny, third flight, 235; Darien Herlick, fourth flight, 250; and David Buttner, fifth flight, 251. Mike Ross won the senior men’s championship flight with a three-round total of 219 (68-72-79), which was two strokes better than Weyburn’s Rick Hallberg. Paul Grimes of Kenosee Lake was third at 229. Senior men’s flight winners were Bill Martyn in the first flight at 242 and Bruce Firth in the second flight at 266. Bernadette Wright won the women’s championship this year. It was a two-round tournament that ended Sunday. She shot an 82 in the first round
and an 84 in the second to finish with a 166 total, 10 strokes better than Paige Wheeler. Maxine Starkewski and Tenille Wilhelm were tied for third at 180. This marked the first time that Wright has played in the classic since it started offering a women’s division a few years ago. “Normally I’m away this weekend, usually at family gatherings, but this year with COVID, here I am, I stayed in Estevan and decided to play in the Frametech.” She also praised the course conditions. “The staff is doing an amazing job, and the course is beautiful. I retired a few months ago, and I’ve been playing a lot more,” she said. Nine golfers were entered in the women’s division. Nearly 120 golfers competed in this year’s tournament between the men’s, senior men’s and women’s events.
Doubleheader brought late models to Estevan The Estevan Motor Speedway treated its fans to another doubleheader on the weekend, with approximately 75 vehicles entered between the six classes each night. Late models made appearances both nights for what was billed as the Western Canadian Late Model Nationals. Drivers from throughout the Prairie provinces were at the track Saturday and Sunday night. Shane Edginton of Winnipeg was the class of the late models both nights. On Saturday night’s program, he won going away, as there was just one
caution for debris early in the race. From there, he built up a lead of several seconds, with the biggest challenge he faced seemingly coming from lapped traffic Local driver Aaron Turnbull passed Winnipeg’s Mike Balcaen late in the race and finished second, while Balcaen was third. Estevan’s Jim Harris was fourth and Tyson Turnbull was 11th. The modified race on Saturday saw Ed Turnbull take top spot ahead of Kody Scholpp. Scholpp worked his way to the front early after starting seventh of the grid, and had a lead of
Shane Edginton (5E) and Mike Balcaen (10) were among the drivers in the late model feature.
several seconds at one point. But a caution midway through the race bunched the field together, and Ed Turnbull passed Scholpp with about 10 laps to go. From there, he managed to pull away. Winnipeg’s Ward Imrie was third and Torquay’s Isaiah Geisel was fourth. The best racing of the night was in the stock car class. The start of the feature was delayed as the track was watered to reduce the amount of dust. But it was worth the wait, as after a couple of early cautions, three Estevan drivers – JJ Barnstable, Jeremy Swanson and Chris Hortness – put on a show. Barnstable took the lead early on and spent the rest of the race fending off challenges from Swanson and Hortness. Hortness passed him at one point, but Barnstable regained the lead. Swanson made a couple challenges late, but couldn’t wrestle top spot from Barnstable. Jeremy Istace of Estevan was fourth. Connor Hansen of Torquay won the hobby stock feature, finishing ahead of Estevan’s Kaiden Tuchscherer, Manor’s Kruz Wilson and Lampman’s
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Jim Harris (17) was part of the local contingent in the late model class. Dexter Saxon. The hobby stock feature was plagued with cautions early on, with four in the first two laps, and six overall. But when they did settle down for some green flag racing, Hansen proved to be the best of the field, and edged out Tuchscherer. Leevi Runge of Lampman won the sport mod feature, finishing ahead of Bailey Cousins of Morden, Man., Lampman’s Rylan Raynard and Estevan’s Blake Penna. Ryyder Raynard of Estevan took the sling shot feature, holding off Lampman’s Cash Saxon. Brooke Cousins of Morden was third and Ty Saxon of Estevan was fourth. Sunday’s program resulted in many of the same feature winners.
Edginton once again the late model feature, with Turnbull and Balcaen again finishing second and third, respectively. This time the feature was much closer, with a couple of cautions bunching the field together, which meant that Edginton had to fend off Turnbull’s attempts to take the lead. Harris was seventh and Tyson Turnbull came in eighth. Ed Turnbull took the checkered flag in the modified class, followed by Scholpp for the second straight night. Les McLenehan was third and Devin Raynard was fourth. Hortness won the stock car feature, with Swanson once again in second. Chase Davidson of Estevan was third and Geoff Mann of Roche Percee
came in fourth. Hansen won the hobby stock feature for the second straight night, finishing ahead of Estevan’s Dylan Gonas. Another Estevan driver, Kayden Hjortland, was third and Manor’s Kruz Wilson came in fourth. Bailey Cousins rebounded to win the sport mod feature ahead of Runge. Estevan’s Dan Blackburn was third and Rylan Raynard came in fourth. And in the slingshot class, Ryder Raynard and Cash Saxon were 1-2 for the second straight night. Jace Emmel of Estevan came in third and Sierra Staff from East Saint Paul, Man., was fourth. The next program at the track will be a regular points night Aug. 15.
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August 5, 2020 A15
Tail-ling Hills petting zoo offers fun for families Tail-ling Hills Farm has quickly become known in the southeast for having a high-quality nursery with a variety of products to meet customers’ needs. But it is also becoming known for something else: a petting zoo that has animals waiting to get to know the public. Melissa Murphy, the co-owner of Tail-ling Hills, which is located west of Bienfait, said they have been trying to create awareness of the petting zoo. “I think because it’s the first year doing it on our farm, a lot of people still don’t know we’re out here,” said Murphy. After having a travelling petting zoo for the past couple of years, Tail-ling Hills realized there are a lot of people who don’t get to see their various farm animals. Tail-ling Hills enjoys seeing the reaction from families from seeing the animals and interacting with them. So they created an area on their property where people can come out, interact with the animals, have fun and enjoy different activities and games. Animals that people
get to interact with include cows, donkeys, llamas, goats, sheep, chickens, geese, rabbits and even turkeys. Ta i l - i n g H i l l s h a s been to Bienfait’s Canada Day festivities, activities at the Bienfait Museum and Mainprize Regional Park, and events in the Estevan area. “We have really good feedback. Usually everyone’s pretty happy. People are starting to get to know who we are. I think overall the feedback’s good,” said Murphy. D ue to COVI D-19 restrictions, they are not able to have the travelling petting zoo this year. To a c c o m m o d a t e the petting zoo on their grounds, a new permanent petting zoo area is being created. They are working on building permanent pens for the animals. They also want to develop fun, farm activity games for the kids, and a picnic area with a fire pit. “We have a whole plan in our heads that we’re working towards developing over the next year to two years.” The animals are currently in summer pens, and are moved to the petting
zoo area when people book appointments. “I don’t feel it’s fair to our animals to move them to the temporary fencing, and let them sit around if there’s nobody around.” If people want to view the animals that are in the petting zoo, they can contact Murphy by calling 306421-2375. People can visit Monday from 1-5 p.m., or Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Murphy asks that people please give them 24hour notice when booking a visit. As for the nursery, Tailling Hills had a good spring, with a lot of customers, and they have had a lot of positive feedback from the public, not only for what they had at the nursery, but for the floral arrangement that they provided to Estevan through the flower contract. A few new rabbits have joined the petting zoo this year. They’re younger, so they enjoy interacting with the public more than the older rabbits. Tail-ling Hills would still like to bring in some animals in the future, but first the priority is getting the pens and other facilities built.
Fire department handled several alarm calls last week The Estevan Fire Rescue Service handled a few alarms calls from residences in the city this week. The fire department was called to a reported residential fire alarm in northeast Estevan. Once crews arrived on scene, it was determined that no real emergency was occurring at the single-family dwelling. “It was … a rental home, and the new renters or tenants did not know the password, nor did they know that it was a monitored system. So when they were in there, they realized that there was a low battery that was occurring, so they went to change the battery, which initiated a signal to the fire department.” Feser said it’s a good
reminder to renters, tenants and landlords to ensure they’re aware of the types of fire protection equipment installed. The landlord should relay pass codes, and whether it’s a monitored system. Then on Wednesday, firefighters were called to a residential fire alarm in north-central Estevan. They arrived to find it was cooking-related. The command team checked to verify that was the case, and the fire engine was on stand-by at the station. “This was just a simple case of a family cooking breakfast and the bacon got away on them a little bit. Not enough smoke was left in the home to warrant any ventilation, so it was turned back to the homeowner, and
all units returned to the station,” said Feser. Then they were called to a residential fire alarm in east-central Estevan. When crews arrived on scene, they found a contractor on site. The work process created dust, which mimicked smoke, and sent the alarm system into activation mode. “If homeowners or businesses do have contractors on site, doing construction or projects, please utilize contractor covers to cover these detection devices during that process to prevent accidental alarms from occurring.” The firefighters also did some search and rescue training on Tuesday night as they continue to further their skills to keep the community safe.
CAREERS
The Estevan Mercury has an opening in the SALES DEPARTMENT The Estevan Mercury is Estevan's choice for local news. We cover everything that happens in our communities and publish the news in print and online. As a sales representative, you will work with businesses to market their products and services in our main product, the newspaper. In addition to traditional advertising in the newspaper, we also offer digital options on our website, and through SEO, SEM, social media management, commercial printing and more. We come up with plans and the best solutions for businesses to promote themselves.
What we offer: • base salary plus uncapped commission • health benefits • flexible hours • your own office • tickets to local events • casual, fun work environment
Qualifications & Skills: • Energetic, positive, highly motivated self-starter • Have the ability to work independently or as part of a team • Ability to meet and present opportunities to clients • Excellent time management and can work with deadlines • Desire to help businesses grow • Experience in sales is an asset, but we are willing to train the right person • Familiar with computers If you would like to know more, please call Deanna @ 306.634.2654. Send resumes to dtarnes@estevanmercury.ca.
Do you have a rock chip in your window? Get it fixed in Estevan!
The petting zoo offered by Tail-Ling Hills Farm offers animals for young families to encounter. Photo submitted
Government of Saskatchewan Request for Proposals Seeking Workshop and Office Space Estevan, Saskatchewan
Secure electronic proposals for the provision of 1,038.18 m2 (11,170.82 ft2) of workshop and office space in Estevan, SK, will be received by the Ministry of Central Services, Property Management Division, until 2 p.m. CST on August 12, 2020 and will be opened thereafter. Proposals must be submitted in PDF format via email, following the Instructions to Proponents included in the proposal documents. Interested proponents may obtain proposal documents from sasktenders.ca. The Ministry of Central Services reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.
sasktenders.ca
JOB POSTING
Job Title: Superintendent, Operations East Location: Carlyle/Alida/Cromer/Virden Closing Date: August 14, 2020
Job Overview Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, the successful candidate will be accountable for the leadership, safety, reliability and operational management of approximately 1200 km of our east (Cromer, Carlyle and Alida) Gathering Systems, Cromer terminal, Alida terminal and the West Cromer butane terminal that includes major block values and truck unload facilities. This position will be responsible for the management and development of six direct reports, oversee the Operations East team of approximately 30 staff and provide indirect leadership to supporting departments such as maintenance. Position Responsibilities • Develop and align the Area Operations goals and objectives with Pipeline Operations and Corporate strategies. • Provide input into strategic direction of Pipeline Area Operations based on area growth strategies. • Provide leadership, management and technical guidance of daily operations. • Review Area LRP capital, maintenance, and expense spending to meet financial targets with consideration to the risk matrix. • Facilitate the performance review process with direct reports and indirect reports. • Develop and maintain positive relationships with external stakeholders and internal stakeholders including producers. • Liaise with Asset Management and Business Development to review customer growth opportunities and enhancement strategies. • Maintain an efficient communication conduit between pipeline operations, field operations, midstream operations and corporate departments. Skills and Qualifications • Minimum 10 years of progressively increasing responsibility in pipeline operations, upstream oil and gas sector or other related area. • Bachelor’s degree or related technical/trade qualification from an accredited postsecondary school. • Located within the Estevan or surrounding communities with the ability to make frequent visits to field sites in the Carlyle/Alida/Cromer/Virden operational areas. • Strong practical knowledge of Pipeline and Terminal Operations methodologies and practices. • Strong internal customer focus. • Proven ability to lead, initiate and manage change. • Strategic thinker with an ability to innovate, problem solve and negotiate. • Strong interpersonal, organizational and communications skills. • Excellent computer skills. We thank all interested candidates; however, only qualified candidates will be contacted, please submit your resume to Careers@kingstonmidstream.com
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Classifieds A16
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Card of Thanks
Farm ServiceS
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Obituaries Bernice Gress 1935 - 2020
The family of Emmanuel Kuntz would like to thank families and friends for your support after Dad’s passing. We would like to thank Long Term Care at St. Joseph’s hospital for the excellent care given to Dad. Thanks to Rev. Sathiadas Antony for the graveside service. During this difficult time it was very comforting to have family and friends join us for the service. Last, but not least, we thank Dustin and Shirley from Hall Funeral Services for the guidance and support. Eva Kuntz and families
Bernice passed away at St. Joseph's Hospital, Estevan, Sask. on Sunday, April 12, 2020 at the age of 84. Bernice's memory will be forever cherished by her children: Karen (Keith) Shepherd, Pat Gress, Cindy (Mike) Zeleny, Warren Gress and Laura (Charles) Mazereeuw. She will be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren: Ray (Nicole), Ryan, Chris, Sara (Sean), Megan (Logan), Nancy (Dave), Lisa (Josh), Sheri (Landon), Melissa (Tanner), Ashley, Justin, Nathan (Kenzie) and Vanessa; great grandchildren: Cali, Lincoln, Connor, Griffin, Harley, Willow, Asher, Thayer and Adaline. Bernice is also survived by her sister Joan Eide; brother-in-law Leo Gress, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Bernice was predeceased by her husband Edward Gress; son Dan Gress; parents: Peter & Lena Schedlosky; brother Raymond Schedlosky; parents-in-law: Joseph & Lakatia Gress; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Reg Eide, Jim Gilluley Joe & Lena Gress, Adam Gress, Seb & Monica Gress, Matt Gress and John & Cora Gress. A Celebration of Bernice's life was held Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at the Estevan City Cemetery, Estevan, SK with Sandy Dalziel officiating. If friends so desire, donations in Bernice's memory may be made to a charity of choice. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Bernice’s family – Dustin Hall & Deb Heidinger, Funeral Directors.
HealtH ServiceS
Rose Linda Walliser 1929-2020
Career OppOrtunities Heavy Duty Mechanics, Heavy Equipment Operators and 1A Drivers required: Late model, clean CAT, JD equip: winch, dump, gravel trucks and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided. Wage negotiable. Clean drivers abstract a must.
Cabins House/Cabin For Sale Located in Moose Mountain Provincial Park. Open concept living room, dining room, kitchen, eating area. Open beam cedar decking walls & ceiling. 2 fireplaces, 4 bedrooms, bathroom, storage room, attached garage/workshop. 8x12 shed, large lot backed on to green space. Price; $360,000 Phone 306-577-2374
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Stock homes Ready for Delivery! Limited Time offer! 50-50 HUGE Options PKG $5,000.00 Value! Available for all Custom ordered homes WE do Site consultation, Screw piles /Insulated skirting PKG
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
Hiring 1 cook, Duties: Prepare and cook complete meals or individual dishes and foods, work for Jenny K Restaurant at 117- 4 Street, Estevan, wage: $14.5/hour, 2-3 years experience as cook, no education required, language of work: Chinese only, email your resume to jennyk8889@icloud.com, contact person: Jason Fang.
It is with profound sadness that the family of Rose Linda Walliser (nee Seper) announces her passing on July 21, 2020 at the age of 91 years. Predeceased by her husband Ralph and her parents, Theresa and Steven Seper, we are certain that she went peacefully in their arms. Rose “Rosa” was born on March 16, 1929 in Untervart, Austria. At the age of 8, she travelled with her mother from Austria to Canada by ship (The Montrose) to join her father in Bienfait, SK. The community of M&S (Manitoba & Saskatchewan) Mines became their home as her father worked tirelessly to provide a good life for his family. By then, it had grown to include 2 brothers (Joe & Fred) and a sister, Ann. At the age of 17, Rose moved back to Beinfait to work at White’s Café. As luck…let’s say “good luck” would have it, she met the dark haired, handsome, ex-military man of her dreams on July 12, 1946 at a dance at the Bienfait Union Hall. Ralph Paul Walliser walked her home that evening, and the rest is history. They were married on November 15, 1947. Their children, Lorne Steven and Theresa “Terry” Darlene were truly blessed to have had such loving and devoted parents and their granddaughter Callie Tenneille will love and cherish their memories together forever. Rose held many people very dear to her heart and through the years loved every moment together with her family and friends. She often mentioned how blessed she felt to still be so connected to her Seper family in Austria, in the U.S. and here at home, and also to the Walliser clan. She was everyone’s Aunty Rose and she sincerely appreciated everyone’s continued participation in her life. Whether it was a chat on the phone, a family gathering, singing in the choir, CWL, a card party, helping dad out at “Wally’s” Texaco Service, working with her friends at the Estevan Woolco, gardening or preparing a delicious meal, her beautiful energy and smile was ever-present. In August of 2013 Rose moved to Wintergreene Estates in Regina. She had been riding the bus to Regina to play her mandolin with the Regina Mandolin Orchestra and is presently still a member of Friendly Folk. Yes, she played with them at Wintergreene Estates for her 90th Birthday Bash, and was overwhelmed at the 100 plus turnout of family and friends. She expressed “great love” to her bandmates and to all who attended or sent her their love on that day. She was especially proud to sing Edelweiss – an Austrian song – with the band at many performances. She would explain how the Edelweiss flower grew in her yard in Austria, which brought back wonderful memories for her. This gave her incredible joy and she was forever grateful to her Friendly Folk family for showing their love and support to her always. Rose “Rosa” travelled to Austria and to St. Louis a number of times to re-unite with family and was absolutely thrilled to have family visit her in Canada as well. She is now united again with all of her loved ones that have gone before her and is happy. We know this for a fact as the stories are coming in about her last visits to many family and friends this past week. She is happy, singing, smiling – even making perogies with Dwayne. God bless you, Dearest Momma, Grandma, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Mother-in-Law, Sister-inLaw, Aunty, Cousin, Cherished Friend. Angel.
Career OppOrtunities
306-496-7538 Yorkton, SK New sales lot in Lloydminster, AB. Call 780-872-2728
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LegaL/PubLic Notices
NOTICE TO CREDITORS In the estate of Roger James Huber, late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased. All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 26th of August, 2020.
You are truly a pure and bright, loving soul who will be forever loved and remembered. Until we meet again. Sing loudly Momma. P.S. Love U More. Due to the current COVID-19 limitations, there will not be a service at this time. If you would like to do something in remembrance of Rose, the family asks that you plant a tree or make a donation to a charity of your choice in her name. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Rose’s family – Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.
ApArtments/Condos for rent INDEPENDENT ADULT LIVING apartments in Martensville, SK. Spend your retirement years in a community close to family/friends in the Saskatoon area that has large city services with small town safety and charm. More info @ www.chateauvilla.ca http://www.chateauvilla.ca, 306281-4475 or chateauvilla@sasktel.net.
Bridges & Company LLP 1329 Third Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0S1 Solicitors for the Executors
BUSINESS SERVICES LEGAL Barristers & Solicitors
Paul Elash Q.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D. 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
AUDIOLOGIST
POLITICIAN
“Your ears deserve an audiologist” #5 - 418 Kensington Ave. (Across from Walmart)
306-636-EARS (3277)
Lori Carr, MLA JACQUIE MVULA M.S., R. Aud. Audiologist/Owner
www.suncountryhearing.com
Estevan Constituency Office
306.634.7311 loricarrmla@sasktel.net
Real estate seRvices Online Real Estate/Contents/Sharon Barber. Aug. 14-19, 21 Davies Street, Springside, SK 936sq.ft. 3 bedroom bungalow, 2001 Chev Venture van, Solid pine dining room set, Kenmore Washer/Dryer, Antiques, Kitchenware, Tool assortment. Bid online ukrainetzauction.hibid.com
Cheers & Jeers
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
A17
Flooring Paint • Blinds • Backsplash Accent Walls 306-634-5588 104 - Hwy. 47 S. Estevan, SK
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306-453-2519 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13 Carlyle, SK
Flashback - Wednesday, Aug. 4, 1993
Cheers Cheers to Estevan residents, especially those in the southwest and south-central areas, whose trees, lawns, vegetable beds and such are an array of colourful flowers. It makes an early morning walk more pleasant. Cheers to the organizers of the rally against child abuse in downtown Estevan on Thursday. It brought awareness to an issue that more people need to hear more about. Cheers to the Southern Plains Co-op for the way in which they held their annual general meeting at the Prairie Dog Drive-In. The only way it would have been better is if they would have had Brian Enns’ and Scott Kienlen’s faces on the big screen. Cheers to the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course for making the Frametech Classic happen this year. There were some pretty good golfers on the course this year. Cheers to Paige Baldwin and Brianna Hutchinson for all that they did during their year working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan as the longitudinal integrated clerkship students. All the best to them in the future. Maybe they’ll be back in the future.
Swimmers qualifying for the provincial championship in 1993 were, front row, from left, Chad Walton and Peter Nichols. Middle row, Jody Frostad, Leslie Schaff, Jeff Maley, Steven Ustupski and Amy Walton. Third row, Adele Ustupski, Aaron Adcock, Ryan Schaff, Chris Zinger and Dustie Steeves. Back row, coach Chantel Tschetter and swimmer/coach Scott Walton.
Choices, chances and changes
Jeers Jeers to the CP Rail and whatever levels of government haven’t taken action to deal with the railway crossing situation in Estevan. This is a potentially dangerous situation that should have been alleviated decades ago. Jeers to service stations on the edge of the city with public restrooms that are in filthy, deplorable condition, especially in times of COVID-19. Jeers to the amount of time that it took to get playground zone signs up around the Dennis Moore Centennial Park. The park is great. The signs are needed. But they should have been up two months ago.
To submit a cheer or a jeer, please email it to dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca, or visit www.estevanmercury.ca.
The keys were on the table. The truck was in the driveway. I had never driven a standard transmission vehicle before, but how hard could it be? I had just turned 16 years old and I was watching my uncle and aunt’s house while they were away. No one was there to stop me, so I grabbed the truck keys and decided to give it a try. I started the engine, put the truck in reverse, let the clutch out, and slowly backed out into the street. After a herky-jerky start in first gear, I made it all the way around the block, stalling the engine only as I tried to climb the curb
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Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ to get the truck back in the driveway. It was not perfect, but I had learned something. Life most often comes down to choices, chances, and changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or nothing will change. You can read, think, dream, wish, and hope, but until you do something, you will never experi-
ence anything new. Unfortunately, too often, we are so scared of doing something incorrectly that we do nothing at all. Yet, ironically, the only way to become good at something is to be bad at it first. As a friend of mine used to say, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” In other words, do-
ing something imperfectly is better than not doing it at all. May be the last fe w months have convinced you that you need a new beginning. Maybe you have thought that it is time to see things through a different lens. Maybe you are looking to get to know God, and his love, better. If any of that is true, Psalm 34:8 has a recommendation for you: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” In other words, take a chance. Give it a try. See what happens. Nothing changes unless we make a choice and take a chance.
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AFTER
The highest or any offer may not necessarily be accepted. Offers should be sent to: Billesberger Law Firm, 1017 Third Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 0R4, together with a cheque payable to the law firm for 5% of the offer price. Offers are to be submitted by August 21, 2020.
1236 5 St, Estevan • (306) 634-2225 www.estevanlaser.com Beauty is being comfortable and confident in your own skin.
ESTEVAN’S NEWEST, SYLISH SALON 901A 13th Avenue • 306-634-1900
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR! KFC.CA OR 306.634.4747 • Chicken n Meals • Popcorn Chicken • Hot W Wi Wings • Chicken Tenders
Highway 39 West Estevan 306-634-4747
A18 August 5, 2020
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• Gasoline • Diesel • Bulk Fuel • Propane • Fuel Tanks & Pumps • Lubricants & Grease • Lubrication Storage & Equipment Solutions • DEF • Solvent www.girardbulk.ca • (306) 637-4370
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
A19
PSAC reduces forecast for drilling numbers in 2020 The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC), in its third update to its 2020 Canadian Oilfield Services Activity Forecast, announced that it is decreasing its projected number of wells to be drilled (rig released) across Canada for 2020 to 2,800 wells. It had projected 3,100 wells in its April forecast. PSAC is basing its updated 2020 forecast on average natural gas prices of C $2/ thousand cubic feet (AECO), crude oil prices of US $40/barrel (West Texas Intermediate) and the Canada-U.S. exchange rate averaging $0.73. In its original 2020 forecast, released in October of last year, PSAC had estimated that the total number of wells drilled in 2020 would be 4,500. PSAC interim president & CEO Elizabeth Aquin said: "Activity levels are at lows not seen in decades and are taking their toll on a sector that was in its sixth year of a downturn when COVID-19 hit. Slow economic recovery, surplus crude oil supply, low commodity prices and high debt levels are thwarting a quick recovery with 2020 expected to see 43 per cent less activity
overall than 2019. "Optimism for a robust second half of the year has been hampered by continued excess supply, offering little incentive to drill for more oil, and commodity prices that have languished below economic levels for much of this year. This has resulted in many companies struggling with balance sheets that will see the current uptick in prices applied to servicing debt before investment in new drilling. "Where we do see activity is from companies facing decline rates in their reserves that look to new drilling to replace lost production. The majority of drilling is currently focused on oil at 67 per cent of total wells over natural gas at 26 per cent; however, we do anticipate marginally more activity on the gas front as associated gas production is expected to decline given the decrease in oil production as well as gas to meet continued interest in LNG (liquefied natural gas)." Mark O’Byrne, PSAC chair and president, Palliser Production Management Ltd. (a Schlumberger Canada Limited company), added: "Though further support is needed around access to capital to stimulate new drilling activity, many oilfield services compa-
PSAC interim president and CEO Elizabeth Aquin nies are turning to maintenance and workover activities to see them through these trying times and those that offer services in the closure space are encouraged by the federal funding and provincial programs for orphan
and inactive wells for which PSAC advocated. “These activities will provide some cash flow relief and help to retain workers with essential skills and expertise. Others will pursue diversification in the nascent geothermal and hydrogen sectors." On a provincial basis for 2020, PSAC now estimates 1,360 wells to be drilled in Alberta, down from 2,155 wells in the original forecast. The revised forecast for Saskatchewan now sits at 1,055 wells, down 740 wells from the original projection. British Columbia’s revised forecast is for 285 wells to be rig released, 60 wells lower than the original forecast, while Manitoba’s activity was also lowered, from 190 to 80 wells. "Oilfield services companies are quintessential entrepreneurs and so understanding that the world continues to need oil and gas while also thirsting for cleaner energy, will continue to focus on innovation and the development of new technologies for their customers – the oil and gas companies, to reduce emissions, increase positive environmental outcomes, drive efficiencies, and grow profitability to ensure Canada is globally competitive,” Aquin said.
Additional communities receive provincial funding The provincial government has announced further funding for municipalities through the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP). Government Relations Minister L or i Carr announced July 29 that another 244 projects, representing more than $88.9 million of provincial funding, had been approved through MEEP. This brings the current number of approved projects to 741 and an investment to date of $127 million. “MEEP is a key component of our government’s economic booster shot, in light of these recent unpar al leled times due to the pandemic,” Carr said. “These provincial dollars will kick-start shovel-ready local projects and initiatives
to support job creation and help keep Saskatchewan strong.” The Town of Oxbow w i l l re c e i v e m o re t h a n $191,000 in support for nine projects: $20,000 to replace rink boilers with energ y efficient furnaces; $30,871 for a hall gym furnace and asbestos removal; $30,000 to repair the hall roof; $7,500 to install a floating dock at Bow Valley Park; $10,000 for a mower and sweeper; $10,000 to repair the library roof; $60,000 to replace main valves and hydrant valves; $12,500 for shade
• • • • • Serving Southeast Saskatchewan for 38 years • • •
sails for the swimming pool; and $10,000 for a utility vehicle. The Town of Arcola received more than $94,000 support for three projects: $85,000 for two generators, with $30,000 for one generator and $55,000 for another, and $9,430 for a water supply/treatment feasibility study. The Village of Macoun received more than $38,000, with $9,352 for dust control, $15,475 for an emergency backup generator, $8,806 to fix broken culverts and $5,030 for a curb stop in-
stall. The Village of North Portal will get $16,529 for a drainage engineering plan. Also receiving funding were: the Rural Municipality of Argyle, $41,681 for Grid 600 bridge replacement; RM of Enniskillen, $65,971 for a clay capping project; RM of Moose Creek, $54,473 for grading and clay cap; RM of Reciprocity, $49,443 for roadway improvements; and RM of Storthoaks, $41,969 to rebuild a road. Announced in May, the $150 million MEEP is a key component of the Govern-
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ment of Saskatchewan’s $7.5 billion, two-year capital plan to build a strong province and stimulate its economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Municipalities had to submit potential projects under the program by July 31. MEEP 2020 funding must be used by municipalities by March 31, 2022.
• Fire Extinguisher Sales, Services & Rentals • Gas Detection Sales, Services & Rentals • Breathing Air Refills & Hydro Testing • SCBA/SABA Equipment Sales & Services • Rentals • Fit Testing • Safety Air Trailers & Safety Personnel • Calibration Gases & Accessories Sales • New & Reconditioned Equipment • First Aid, Eyewash & Burn Kit Services • Signage • Safety Glasses, Gloves & Hearing Protection • Gastec & Rae Pumps/H2S Detection Tubes
Having trouble hearing? See an audiologist, right here in Estevan!
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Authorized Sales & Service & Warranty Centre for:
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Frontier Place, Estevan
306-634-5555
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Troye Carson • 306-421-3603
tcarsonsafety@sasktel.net
Carnduff, SK
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Drilling Licenses No new licenses issued to Monday, August 3
Rig Report No Rig Activity to report.
pmajeransafety@sasktel.net
Highway 361 West (South Yard), P.O. Box 518, Lampman, SK, S0C 1N0
THE ESTEVAN MERCURY DRILLING REPORT We specialize in moving drilling rigs and other oil rig related equipment.
Preston Majeran • 306-421-6609
Midale
• Souris Valley Pipeline Limited operates a High Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pipeline in Southeast Saskatchewan, a component of the gas is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). • As a member of Sask 1st Call, Souris Valley Pipeline would like to remind you to call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888. • Statistics show that a significant cause of pipeline ruptures is due to third party damage. For pipeline safety concerns or emergencies call toll free 1-866-PIPELINE (1-866-747-3546) Before excavating call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888 for a free locate. www.sask1stcall.com
SOURIS VALLEY PIPELINE LTD. 24 HOUR PHONE SERVICE 1-866-747-3546
SOURIS VALLEY PIPELINE LIMITED 617 Government Road S Weyburn, SK S4H 2B3 Phone: 306-848-0206 Fax: 306-848-0293 ESTEVAN’S SOURCE FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
A20 August 5, 2020
www.estevanmercury.ca
Net proc eeds donated to United W ay Estevan $10
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contest proudly brought to you by Estevan's source for local news