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Going for the ball From left, Mason Yunick, Brody Cancade and Tyler Gillies went for the ball during the Estevan Sharks Water Polo Club’s cohort showdown Thursday night at the RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre. Sharks players were divided into teams for competitions. For more on the event, please see page A13.
Deadline to apply for a Christmas hamper is this week; Angel Trees are in place By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
The Community Hamper Association has been extremely busy throughout the past few weeks, trying to accommodate the increased demand. Many residents have already applied for their Christmas hampers, but the organization expects to see more applications coming before the end of the week. Char Seeman, who is the cochair of the association with Heather Woodhouse, said the demand this year is very high. As of Monday afternoon, they were at 278 requests for hampers and 370 requests for toys through the Angel Tree program. Last year by the end of the season they had 312 hampers applications in total, and Seeman expects that they will surpass this number this year. "Usually about this time, not even into December, we are maybe at 100 hampers, we just opened it up. It's usually just starting to roll in, and
we usually take them right up until the 24th of December," Seeman said in the interview with the Mercury. Due to COVID-related precautions, the hamper association had to implement a hard deadline this year, and they will stop accepting applications on Dec. 5, which will allow them to safely prepare and distribute hampers. "Because of COVID you have to follow a lot of rules and regulations, so we have to have a hard deadline. And people really need to get (applications) in on time," Seeman said. There is no limit to the number of applications the association will accept, as long as they are submitted before the end of the day on Dec. 5. Seeman said that this year they see a lot more families applying for hampers. They also see an increase in single older couples, who don't have kids and who probably have lost their jobs and can use some help this year. The Angel Tree program, associated with Community Hampers has also seen a significant increase in demand for Christmas presents for children. The
three trees are located at Walmart, Your Toy Store and More and Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual. "It's been amazing, there's been lots of donations dropped off," said Seeman. Encompass Fitness is doing a toy drive and is also helping the Estevan Kinettes to collect pyjamas for kids, alongside Jenny Joans and Sun Country Hearing. Angel Trees will keep accepting donations up until Dec. 12, after which all toys will be quarantined for 72 hours and then organized for the toy store. Volunteers will also have to do some shopping with cash donations to ensure there are presents for everyone who applied. "The older kids from 10 to 16 is who we are going to need the presents for. Everybody likes to buy for the young ones, doesn't like to buy for the older ones," Seeman said. Once the deadlines are passed, the volunteers will proceed with getting hampers and toys ready to go. Seeman explained that this year they celebrate leaving the worries aside at least for some time. A2 » DEMAND
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Orpheum Theatre open again after a roller coaster week By Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, and David Willberg Less than 48 hours after public health orders decreed that movie theatres could still sell food and drink, but it couldn’t be consumed in the auditoriums, theatre operators received word from the provincial Business Response Team that the particular order had been reversed. The move meant that Estevan’s Orpheum Theatre is open once again. The Orpheum Theatre was closed on Friday and Saturday. The new regulations stipulate that theatres can have up to 30 people in each auditorium, but the bigger hurdle was a rule regarding the sale and consumption of popcorn and soft drinks. “As you know, watching a movie and eating theatre popcorn go hand in hand,� the Orpheum said in a Facebook post Friday afternoon. They stressed this was just a temporary measure. They would re-evaluate the situation as new updates came in.
The Orpheum was closed from mid-March to mid-September due to COVID. When it did reopen, it was limited for the number of people it could seat, and it was only showing movies in its newer, smaller auditorium. Many new movie releases have also been shelved, as production companies have been waiting for the pandemic to end before releasing the films. The Orpheum thanked the community for the patience, understanding and support. “We encourage everyone to shop local as much as possible this holiday season. Your local businesses and fellow community members sure need it more than ever.� Concessions weren’t ordered to close, but patrons couldn’t eat in their seats. Rather, they would have to wolf down their popcorn, candy bars and soft drinks in the lobby. A government press release noted, “Where any of these facilities offer food or beverage service, they must keep the activity separate (i.e. cordoned off ) from the food and beverage service. No food or drink may be in the activ-
ity area.� As such, a wave of cinema closures swept Saskatchewan on Friday, a day that otherwise would have seen the opening of the animated feature, The Croods 2: A New Age. Alan Dougherty, who owns the Orpheum with his wife Jocelyn, said he didn’t see the logic of people being able to sit across from each other at a table in a restaurant, spitting while they’re eating, and yet not being able to sit facing the same way in a theatre. Other movie theatres in the province shut down as well. Patrons will be able to purchase food and beverages and take them to their seats. Physical distancing between household groups must be maintained and masks must be worn unless eating or drinking. The limit of 30 patrons per theatre remains in effect. This is a reduction from the previous restriction of 30 per cent capacity. Since movie distributors get a little over half of ticket sales, theatres rely heavily on concession sales for a substantial portion of their revenue. As word got out to various theatres, they reversed their
Alan Dougherty was posting that the Estevan Orpheum Theatre had to close on Friday, but a few hours later, theatres got word that COVID-19 restrictions on concession sales had been reversed. The Orpheum was open once again Sunday. Photo by Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter closure announcements and preparations. Jocelyn Dougherty said they planned on additional screenings of The Croods 2 at 1, 3:30, and 7 p.m. on Sunday And since there was no school on Monday in Estevan, they
would do additional 1 and 3:30 p.m. screenings as well. Initially she had not heard confirmation, but by mid-afternoon on Saturday, she had received a phone call from the Business Response Team, confirming this reversal.
“It’s been such a roller coaster,� she said. Dougherty added a movie can be a stress reliever which “takes away your problems for two hours,� something needed during the time of COVID-19.
Demand for hampers is historically high this year ÂŤ A1 have a lot to keep in mind. "We have a strict bubble of volunteers. We can only have so many volunteers. And
it has to be one central location, where hampers are made and picked up. It has to be the least amount of handling of
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the product as possible," Seeman said. Not only are the application and distribution processes are different this year, but even shopping for hampers will change. "We cannot accept food donations for the hampers. So we have to purchase everything that we are giving out this year," Seeman said. "We are fortunate that Southern Plains Co-op is going to make up the hampers for us, we are very privileged. And they will be sealed. Everything will be put in and sealed for us." LIS
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operate for two or three days, depending on the final number of applications for toys they receive. Pyjamas for kids of all ages collected by Estevan Kinettes will be given at the Toy Store as well. Seeman said that the support they receive from the community and local businesses has been amazing. "Estevan and area has always been amazing to us," said Seeman. "A big thank you to the Estevan community for supporting us." Not only do they receive the monetary support and benefit from different fundraisers organized by business community members, but they also received personal unique donations like homemade
gloves, toques and mitts to be given to community members. Once hampers are ready to go, people who applied will receive phone calls. Hampers and toys will have to be picked up by appointment. Seeman added that people can apply just for gifts for kids, or just for hampers, or for both, depending on their individual needs. "We will accept anybody that needs to apply ‌ And we'll do as many as we get," said Seeman. The Community Hamper Association’s goal is to ensure that every child in the community has a gift under the tree Christmas morning, and every family has Christmas supper and can celebrate leaving the worries aside at least for some time.
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Seeman added that if people are donating any food, it will be given to the Salvation Army's food bank to quarantine and then to be used for their regular hamper program. At the Toy Store, which once again will be organized at St. Giles Church, parents will also have a particular time when they will need to come and pick up the gifts for their children. However, this year they will have to wear gloves and a mask to come in, and they can't pick up any of the toys displayed. Seeman assumed that the Toy Store will
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Talented local artist adds colours to Estevan streets By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
Calm voice and steady speech. Settle eye with a spark of curiosity. A quiet style of dress. Nothing would let out James Vollans as a creative cartoon artist, in his heart dreaming about one day publishing his own comic books, if it weren’t for a Superman/Batman hat that was adding a bright note to his generally ordinary appearance. Vollans started drawing when he was five years old. Surrounded by several artistic family members, he said he always had it in his blood. His mother and brother encouraged his artwork, and since the early years, art became his way to express himself, his feelings and how he saw the world around him. "(For me art) is more of a self-expression kind of thing, a kind of a hobby, a sideline, something that I would do just to take my mind off of problems at school or something like that. It's something I do to express myself and relax at the same time," Vollans said in the interview with the Mercury. He was born and raised in Estevan. A few attempts to relocate from the Energy City insistently led him back and he always managed to come home since "home is where your heart is," as Vollans put it. Rory Fleming, who is the employment consultant for the Southeast Advocates for Employment (SEAE), the organization that strongly supports Vollans in his art, said that his talent is really impressive and many-sided. "James is a very capable artist," Fleming said. "He has a lot of potential." Vollans really enjoys draw-
ing cartoons and superheroes. He created a team of "elemental" type superheroes, with different stories and various superpowers like fire powers or controlling earth elements. Some of them have been around for quite a few years already, and others Vollans created recently. "It's just my imagination," he said. "My mind constantly finds new ideas. I see something when I walk around, and it inspires me to create characters. It doesn't take much to spark my imagination." He added that while he has stories in his head, often it's hard to make them sound good on paper and he tells them through pictures. He prefers sketching and also doing pen and ink and colour pieces. "When you look at his artwork, if he was in a big city, he'd probably be doing a lot of comics and things like that," Fleming said. "We think it's just the beginning, and as he progresses and moves forward, it's going to start opening up." Superheroes are Vollans' passion and hobby, but he also does some custom decorative artwork. His company is called Panther Graphics Canada. One of his recent works saw the Estevan's General Store beautifully painted for the Christmas season. He's done window paintings before, and this year he will do a few more holiday displays around Estevan including the SEAE and the Tower Café and Willy's the Tap House. "It's a promotional thing for local businesses and organizations, just brightening up their windows," Vollans said. "I'm not a big fan of painting, but it's pretty fun. I think it's more the social aspect
The Estevan General Store's windows, painted by Vollans in November caught a lot of attention. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia of it (that I enjoy). People are going to see it … and nowadays with the COVID pandemic and everybody being locked up in their houses, I think we just need a little cheering up, add some colours, add some happiness." Sometimes people know what they want to see on their windows, and other times they leave it up to the artist. For windows, Vollans usually uses acrylic paint, which is easy to apply and remove from the glass. Vollans has a few art pieces available for sale at the General Store. And while he is now booked until Christmas, he does custom artwork throughout the year which includes holiday cards and James Vollans will paint the windows of the Southeast Advocates for pictures, window painting, Employment building in Estevan. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia banners, posters and signs, business mascots, logo design, tattoo design and more. For more information, Vollans can be contacted at 306421-1217.
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EDITORIAL
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Remember those in need at Christmas With all of the talk about what we can’t do this year as Christmas approaches, it’s important for us to remember those things that we can do. One of those things that we can do at Christmas is be generous with the numerous causes in the region. The organizations helping others likely need our support more than ever. The Community Hamper Association is one of those organizations that has seen demand grow. They’re expecting to fill a record number of hampers this year. And due to COVID-19, their delivery model has changed. All of the hamper requests need to be filed by Dec. 5. Hampers have to be picked up this year; they can’t be delivered. And the hamper association can’t take donations of food, although monetary donations will be appreciated. If the hamper association is going to have record demand this year, then you can bet that its Angel Tree program, which provides toys for children of hamper recipients, will also have more requests than ever this year. And it’s also a safe bet that the Estevan Kinette Club’s PJ Project will also have a record number of requests this year, since they distribute pyjamas for children of hamper recipients. The Estevan Salvation Army is also going to have a busy month. While their goal is lower than it’s been in previous years, that doesn’t mean the demand is lower.
The Salvation Army has done a pretty good job of keeping up with the demand in the community over the past eight months. People have been generous with donations of cash and food to the food bank. It’s allowed the Salvation Army to keep the shelves relatively well-stocked, and to purchase food to replenish the shelves when they are depleted. It hasn’t been easy. More people have been turning to the Salvation Army to help. They’ve assisted a lot of first-time clients. And they’ve come through it well. But they have always relied on events before Christmas. Most of us have likely been to an event at Christmas time in which the admission is a donation of a non-perishable food item to the Salvation Army’s food bank. Most of those functions aren’t happening this year. The CP Rail Holiday Train is an important event for the Salvation Army, but that won’t be happening. We’re willing to support the Salvation Army because we know they do great work in the community. But this year, it might require just that little extra effort to help. For those in rural communities, there are food banks and emergency funds that also need our support this year. The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation had to completely rethink its Festival of Trees fundraiser, shifting it from the one-weekend celebration to a series of at-home fundraisers
to support healthcare in the community. Most of their activities are ongoing. The Estevan Kinsmen Club has its annual Christmas tree lot, with a variety of trees available to support the club’s efforts in the community. There’s no shortage of causes worthy of our support at this time of year, or any other time of the year, either. It’s just that at Christmas, the needs are in the spotlight more than before. We understand that the pandemic took a financial toll on so many, so they don’t have as much money to give. But for those who can, you have plenty of options. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be interacting with our seniors. For many of them, they might not be getting face-to-face visits, or they might not be able to go to the Christmas dinner of a loved one. It’s great that we’ve looked for ways to show them we love them or are thinking of them, but nothing replaces that face-to-face interaction. Kudos to those looking out for them. We’ve never had to worry about the generosity of the people of this region. We’re renowned for it. We always find a way to help those in need. It’s shown in the support we’ve seen for fundraisers this fall. And now we need to be there once again.
How do people make friends when sandbox is not an option anymore? 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.
I've been in Canada for over seven years. Long time, almost a quarter of my life now. And I've met a lot of great folks in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but I can't say I made too many friends. I'd have thought it's totally on me (I've never been too good at making friends fast and easy, but usually if I did that was something real), but then I hear the same stories from my friends across Canada. I'd have thought it could be an assimilation problem for immigrants, but I heard similar words from Canadians who simply relocate from one province to another. On the other hand, every so often I hear a kind of irritation coming from long-time Canadian residents because first-generation immigrants often stick together and don't assimilate. Recently I came across both types of comments on the same day, which made me look at them combined from a different point of view as at two sides of the same coin. And the name of that coin was friendship. The quick research showed that it wasn't just me thinking that quite often we understand the word "friends" differently, but assume that it's a common point for everybody. It appeared that friendship might vary from place to place. It seems to be pretty similar everywhere when we are little. Playing together in the sandbox we become best friends in a matter of a few minutes, no matter what country it is. Then going to kindergarten and school, wearing those BFF accessories, having each other's back at first parties and being an alibi for each other. Even at the undergrad level, it continues somewhat similar here as to what I was used to in Russia with just a bigger pinch of independence. But seems that for those who passed that adulthood line, friendship becomes something very different and has a pretty different level. Out of my experience, it was almost impossible to find friends. But it appeared that a lot of it was lost in
Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… translation of the concept. If put on the scale, what weighs more in Canada – friendship or work? Fortified with family, work seems to take a central place in people's lives. I once asked my Canadian friend, what's better to have, a hundred friends or $100 in a wallet. "Definitely $100," was her answer. Old Russian saying states, rather have a hundred friends than a hundred roubles. By no means am I trying to say that people in some countries are more worried about money, while citizens of other countries have pure hearts. But I noticed that mentality and cultural differences shape our understanding of friendship, and also define its value. For some reason (maybe a pretty poor background, when there was no money to focus on), people in the post-Soviet countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus and probably many others give friendship a greater value. Close friends back home take as much space in life as immediate family. Friendship there is given a lot of value and attention since childhood. Kids grow up learning to be loyal and reliable friends and also expect the same from others they call friends. Classical Russian literature (I'm guessing it's similar in other post-Soviet countries, but I'm no expert in that) tells stories of strong and sincere friendships. We distinguish between people we know a bit, acquaintances, friends and real friends. So "golf friend" to me sounds like "no-string-attached friend," and would fall under the category of acquaintances. I guess the line lies in how much we get involved with each other's lives. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I noticed here
that friends meet and spend a great time together, share thoughts and discuss topics interesting for them, but personal problems remain personal responsibilities of each individual. In Russia, friends are often considered counsellors, guardian angels and those who would always give a hand during hard times. So their problems are usually your problems as well. So when you realize how different friendship can be, it becomes obvious why expectations often don't meet and people prefer to stick to their cohort, which often might not be the first choice, but at least they know what to expect there. Besides, finding new friends might be a real challenge if you are not a kid anymore. I noticed if adults are new to the place and, say, have no kids or don't work or don't consider the Internet as a means of meeting new people, they often reserve to joining various clubs or volunteer. When I was trying to make some friends, that's what I did. But I noticed that even that kind of social activity rarely leads to friendship, as most of the clubs I've seen are very service-focused. People who join them, already being friends, stay friends. And the newbies remain on the outskirts usually participating in regular fundraisers, but not getting further than that. It took me quite a few years and a lot of thinking, but I do have a couple of people that I can proudly call friends now (even if it means something different from what I was used to). By no means was it an easy process to find them, and every story was unique with no "right" answer as to how one can make friends. I'm grateful for the people I met here, and I keep exploring the new meaning of friendship I found here. But one of the lessons I've already learned is that if you are coming to a new culture, be aware that there might be a very different approach to friendship, try to understand it and then enjoy, as friendship in any understanding has positive effects on overall physical and mental health.
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David Willberg Willberg’s World
When did hockey become similar to casinos?
I was fully anticipating that the provincial government would pull the plug on team sports last week. But that didn’t make it any easier or less disappointing. Yes, kids can still gather to practise in groups of up to eight, as long as they meet a series of restrictions that would make it difficult to run a practice for some of the affected sports. As far as going to the hockey or curling rink to watch games, it won’t happen until January 2021 at the earliest. People are understandably upset, but the frustration extends beyond the cancellation of games. Sports were grouped in with Bingo halls and casinos, among others. Sports require activity, casino participants are typically sedentary. Sports can be great for the mental health of participants, as we’ve seen during the past few months since golf resumed in mid-May. Casinos and Bingo halls make for fun outings, and certainly have value, but they don’t carry the same physical and mental health benefits as sports. Here’s the ironic part. While we can’t go watch a hockey game before Christmas, you can still play Bingo. The loss of team sports is particularly hard for those in their final year of eligibility at their level, such as junior hockey. Frustration associated with the latest round of restrictions went far beyond grouping curling with Bingo games. Estevan’s beloved Orpheum Theatre was forced to close on Friday because the provincial government said people couldn’t bring popcorn and soft drinks to their seat while watching a movie. For whatever reason, the government thought it was riskier for people to eat popcorn and drink a cola product in their seats, than in the lobby, where people are in line-ups and socializing (while hopefully observing social distancing) and milling about. Thankfully, that decision was overturned, and the Orpheum reopened Sunday.The seating capacity for its small theatre is 30, but at least patrons can consume soft drinks and popcorn in their seats. The Orpheum is also still limited by the number of movies it can show, because many prominent flicks have been shelved until 2021. But we can’t blame the government for that. Restaurants also took a hit. Before, you could have six people at a table. Now you can only have four. And there’s greater spacing between tables, meaning that restaurants can accommodate fewer people than before. It’s another blow for a sector that has taken numerous punches to the gut in the past 8 1/2 months. You have to wonder if we’ll see restaurants returning to the days of having only takeout and curbside pickup options, since they’ll be below capacity once again. I understand that the provincial government has had to take action against rising COVID numbers. We’ve been seeing a surge in cases the past two months. Most of the cases in Saskatchewan in the first six months of the pandemic were related to outbreaks in the far north and in Hutterite communities. As of Monday morning, there were at least 50 active cases in each region of the province, and only six sub-zones had fewer than 10 cases. Once the provincial and civic elections were finished, you knew that changes were coming. But some of the changes, particularly those announced last week, have left people scratching their head because of their inconsistencies. I’ve been fairly supportive with how the provincial government has handled the pandemic. They have guided us through the past 8 1/2 months without the benefit of past experiences. In many instances, they’ve had no choice but to be reactive. I supported the lockdown in March because we knew next to nothing about this virus. Now that we know much more, another lockdown, or “circuit breaker” as some call it, shouldn’t occur, especially when we’re so close to Christmas. Yes, they’ve made mistakes along the way, such as an unnecessary short-term conversion of health centres in Arcola and Oxbow to alternate levels of care. But most measures have been justifiable. Some people are upset about being forced to wear a mask when in public places, but on the list of issues caused by the pandemic in the past nine months, being forced to wear a mask while in a store or a restaurant is near the bottom of the list. If you’re like me, and you want to see the return of team sports, then let’s resolve to do everything we can over the next few weeks to bring the numbers down. Heed the warnings. Listen to the experts. Ignore the Facebook MD crowd and others who spout nonsense on social media. If we don’t shape up, then the government will have no choice but to impose even tougher restrictions.
Province shouldn’t go into another lockdown, but questions still linger The editor: I would like to thank Premier Scott Moe for having the foresight to not declare another lockdown. As for the people trying to pressure him into declaring one, including NDP Leader Ryan Meili, some in the media and any others, I have a suggestion for these folks. Please lead by example and lock yourselves down, do not take a paycheque, have your groceries delivered for as long as what money you have holds out. After that I am sure young Justin Trudeau will provide you with bread, water and some form of shelter. Hopefully your money lasts until it is warm enough for solar panels to provide you with power in whatever accommoda-
tions he has the RCMP carry your suitcases to. It is becoming more evident daily that our freedom of choice is being taken away from us. We are now made out to be criminals if we have a dissenting opinion. Worse yet other opinions tend to be censored these days. I need help with answers to the following questions: How did a business lose the right to remain open or closed? How did I lose the choice of going or not going to that business? Who is the person or persons who came up with the insane idea of a $14,000 fine for a business that dares deal with someone not wearing a mask? Could our chief medical officer
share with us any studies he has done on the long-term effects of wearing a mask and recirculating carbon dioxide thru our children’s lungs for six hours a day while in school? Could we as the public get all the views regarding this supposed pandemic, including opinions from those who don't agree with the so called experts? What is the percentage of Saskatchewan hospital beds currently occupied by COVID patients with no underlying conditions? Do we draw a line in the Saskatchewan dirt somewhere before we have no rights or economy left?
George Foord Macoun
Can we get facts about COVID-19 The editor: Since March of this year, the people of Saskatchewan have witnessed a transformation never seen before in the history of this province. Unelected public health officials have created a multitude of regulations. Businesses have especially been affected. Many were forced to close and some have gone bankrupt. Unemployment has caused much despair. Our seniors and shutins did not have visitors for months. There is a lot of fear being spread. This is why I am writing an open letter to
Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman to get some facts. Please address my questions regarding your COVID-19 strategies. 1) Why are you reporting a test as a positive case when the patient has no symptoms? 2) Out of the number of cases you have reported, how many people have been hospitalized? 3) One of your concerns is that hospitals will be overrun. How many people are currently hospitalized in our province and can you please
compare this to our provinces bed capacity? 4) How do the numbers hospitalized for COVID-19 compare to other flu seasons? 5) What medical or scientific evidence do you have confirming that the use of a facemask prevents the spread of a virus? 6) Can you name a province, state, or country where lockdowns or mandatory masking has lowered the number of positive COVID cases? I ask this because the country of Sweden carried on as usual without lockdowns and now has the lowest level
of new COVID cases in Europe. 7) Can you guarantee that the current COVID tests being used are accurate? 8) How many residents have died of suicide or drug overdoses since your government began to use its current strategy? 9) What is the plan going forward and what will it take for you to lift the COVID restrictions? I look forward to your reply,
Gerard Fornwald Lampman
Report reflects on an election of firsts The 2020 civic election had many firsts, according to city clerk Judy Pilloud, who was the returning officer for the election. In her post-election report, filed for the Nov. 23 city council meeting, Pilloud noted this was the first election to have mail-in ballots, drive-thru voting and a super polling station. And it was the first municipal election to occur during a pandemic. “Despite some of the restrictions we had an average turnout,” Pilloud said. The advance poll was held Nov. 2 and 3 for all voters, including those that anticipated being unable to vote on election day. They established two polls at the Estevan Church of God, and approximately 600 people went through the polls. For the first time in Estevan they established a drive-thru poll at the Estevan Fire Rescue Service’s building. This poll gave the ease and comfort for voters as they did not have to leave their vehicles or be exposed to people outside their bubble. The drive-thru poll was available on Oct. 30 and on election day. “It was well received and very busy,” Pilloud said. Pilloud recommended the drivethru voting option be offered once again, as it gave people the ability to vote without issue. “For some people with limited mo-
bility, family members were able to do the drive-thru with ease,” Pilloud said. Councillor Rebecca Foord said the drive-thru poll also gave families a chance to take their kids when voting and show them how voting works. “We never got the chance to go into schools or anywhere this year to teach anybody about anything because of COVID, so it was a good opportunity to learn,” said Foord. Due to COVID-19, the city was unable to establish special or mobile polls in long-term care or senior care facilities. Since the mail-in ballot was approved by council, they took full advantage of this option and used a drop-off and pick-up method through facility co-ordinators. The mail-in ballots provided a safe option for those voters that did not want to leave their homes during a pandemic and could vote at their own pace.
“We had over 150 approved applications. This is a very time-consuming process for the election workers but I think it was well received and used,” Pilloud said. The super poll location at the Church of God was well-received on election day, as people have the convenience of being able to park close to the doors, and with six polls within the facility, lines kept moving at a steady pace. There were concerns about lineups at the super polling station, but Pilloud said delays stemmed from COVID. “The super poll would have went a lot quicker if it weren’t for COVID,” said Councillor Shelly Veroba. “More people would have been able to come and go.” The city also didn’t have the advanced polls open for as long as they would have liked, and they had to relocate the advanced polls in late October. Pilloud also noted that electronic voting was used for the third time in an Estevan election, which cuts down on manpower required at each polling station and also the time spent at the end of the day counting ballots. Results were known within 30 minutes of the main polling stations closing on election night. She also thanked deputy returning officer Connie Spencer and the many people who worked at the polling stations to make the election possible.
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Gage Goetz recognized for his commitment to philanthropy By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
A southeast Saskatchewan youth has been recognized for his commitment to philanthropy. Gage Goetz was among the recipients of the National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Youth Philanthropist Award, presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) South Saskatchewan. He was one of three young people from southern Saskatchewan presented with the award. “At the start, I was so happy (to get the award), because I knew this was a big award, and I knew it was a national award, so I was so excited when I first saw it, and when I got presented with it, I was just so happy,”Gage said. Nominated by the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, he is described as an “amazing 10-year-old,” who, at four days old, was diagnosed with a heart condition and has undergone two heart operations. A 4-H kid, in 2019, he decided to auction off his 4-H
steer with the proceeds going to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.The steer and other items raised more than $30,000. The sale of his steer Sammy raised $12,000, and then a group of local businesses bought his show stick and halter for another $12,000. He has continued his relationship with the foundation as a Miracle Child. In October, he rowed each day on a rowing machine as a fundraiser for the children’s hospital. People pledged him for every 100 metres he completed. His efforts generated more than $16,000. “My goal originally was $1,000, and I blew past that, so then it was $4,000, and I blew past that, so then I boosted it up to $7,000, and blew past that,” said Gage. Gage and his family – mother Tammi, father Trevor, sister Cosey and brother Owen – were named a miracle family for the foundation’s Radiothon fundraiser. He said he wants to support the Children’s Hospital
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Foundation because he had both of his heart operations in Edmonton, and when he heard a children’s hospital was under construction in Saskatchewan, he thought it would be great addition. “Some children that have to have appointments or have to have surgeries, can have them closer to home in Saskatoon. I thought I could raise a bit of money, and with my 4-H steer auction, I could take all of the earnings and give that to the hospital,” he said. Gage has been to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital on a couple of occasions, and he was impressed. The frog pod area, with its amphibious colours and decorations, was a highlight. “It’s a very great hospital. When I walk in there, it doesn’t give me that scary hospital feel. It gives me a fun forest feel because there’s a bunch of animals and colours and paintings,” he said. Staff members are caring and treat the kids well. Tammi pointed out the hospital foundation has had to change the way in which they raised funds this year, because a lot of their fundraisers were shut down due to COVID-19. “They had invited more children to be Miracle Children for the hospital this year, so
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Gage Goetz recognized for his commitment to philanthropy that’s how this got rolling, is the hospital invited Gage to be part of their miracle family stories, and then each of those children had their own fundraising page.” He decided he wanted to do something individually to promote awareness for the hospital. Gage said he knows of a
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lot of kids who are doing great things in southern Saskatchewan and would have been deserving, so it’s a special feeling that he was chosen. “I think it’s good for kids to get involved because it can show them how great it is to put money into a great cause and help out your community
and potentially help out your friends,” said Gage. Due to COVID-19, AFP adapted from a one-day luncheon to a week-long virtual celebration. From Nov. 15-22, 28 organizations and individuals were celebrated through a series of videos on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Talented artists showcased their works at Art Concepts Estevan area residents were able to interact with a number of talented artists during the second annual House Artist Showcase at Art Concepts Custom Framing Thursday night. The artists who have their artwork on display at Art Concepts turned out to promote their work and chat with the public. “It’s an opportunity for our house artists to bring in their new pieces and showcase them for the holiday season,” said Byron Fichter, who owns the building where Art Concepts is located. Fichter was among the artists participating. So was Art Concepts owner Theresa Fuhr. Other participants
were local favourites Michael Lonechild, Deanna Brown, Lindsay Arnold, Lauren Daae and Wade Kotelo. “I think it’s important for our artists to get to put a face to their work,” said Fichter. “When people get to come in and converse with the artists, they get the full meaning behind the piece, and they can kind of understand the history and the thought process in the creation in the first place. “Most artists put their soul into their work, and when you get the story and the background on it, it really helps you understand the piece and understand what the artist was thinking at the time when they made it.” House artists who
couldn’t make it were Roland Daum, a former Humboldt resident now living in Calgary, along with Kirk Sexton of the White Bear First Nation, and members of Parsons Dietrich Pottery in Moose Jaw and Lake Front Treasures Pottery in White Bear. Fichter said last year’s inaugural event started when he and Fuhr brainstormed what they could do for their artists. He likes doing trade shows and meeting people, so they tried the showcase. “It was a huge success last year, and so we thought we’ll try it again this year,” said Fichter. They believe any opportunity artists get to talk to people about their work
is a positive. Since the public has been limited in the amount of time they can get out of the house, Art Concepts was hoping for a good turnout this year. Lonechild, who lives at White Bear, said he did very well when he participated in the showcase last year. He has had his paintings at Art Concepts since the business opened in 2017. He currently has four small originals and one large one for sale, and he
also has six prints available. “I’ve known Theresa for most of my life,” said Lonechild. “She did a lot of framing for me in the past, and it kind of evolved from there. She’d sell some art for me, and it’s been a good relationship.” He has sold a lot of prints through Art Concepts. The House Artist Showcase was a great way to promote his work. “Even though you don’t sell something in one night,
there are after effects with follow-ups that create interest with people,” he said. “Some people take time to think about it for a while before they buy everything, and decide whether they want to spend that kind of money.” When the pandemic hit in March, business stopped, but after a few months, sales picked up again, and he’s pleased that people are still interested in purchasing nice art.
Michael Lonechild, left, and Byron Fichter chat during the House Artist Showcase at Art Concepts Custom Framing. From left, Brian Fuhr, Theresa Fuhr and Melissa Schiestel discuss artwork during the House Artist Showcase.
DOING BUSINESS IN ESTEVAN
When Local Businesses Band Together: The Shop Estevan Story Shopping local has been something talked about by the business community for decades, but earlier this fall that talk became reality in Estevan. In late September, the committee for Shop Estevan first announced the plans for a new promotion’s organization, one that would centralize information about shopping opportunities for local shoppers. The platform would also coordinate and promote special sales and events like their Great Pumpkin carve in October, and most recently the Black Friday sale.
our community, Shop Estevan is promoting the shopping, dining and accommodations that are available to visitors. The goal is to promote the city as a destination with unique shopping and hospitality experiences and encourage more visitors to support our local economy.
City Council decided to financially support the organization with start-up funding to be used for brand development, promotional materials and strategic advertising campaigns. Council saw the benefits this organization could have to the community and believed it fell in line with Shop Estevan is described as “Estevan’s newest way to find all the efforts that were being put in place on the Economic of your faves locally.” So, what Development Front. The does this mean and why is this organizing committee has also important to our community? met with Economic Development Well, from a local’s perspective, and Coal Transition Coordinator, Shop Estevan makes it easy to Richard Saddick, and discussed find restaurants and retailers that how the two organizations can are selling the goods and services collaborate further to help local you need. This is done using a businesses. centralized website and social Businesses interested in learning media, along with promotions more about Shop Estevan or and advertising. Shop Estevan becoming a member can visit businesses offer exclusive www.shopestevan.ca or coupons that are updated contact Laurel Buck at monthly and are available at www.shopestevan.ca. Outside of hello@shopestevan.ca www.estevaneconomicdevelopment.ca | 306.634.1843
A8 December 2, 2020
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New business helps make furniture look good again A new business in Estevan takes pride in making furniture look good again, while providing other services for the community. Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesigns, located at 1207 Fourth Street, offers custom furniture refinishing for clients’ existing furniture, and it sells furniture that it has refurbished in the store. Owner Daralee Kittelson said they also have do it yourself craft and paint workshops in the studio, and home décor items that are custom-made. “We use high-quality, environmentally conscious, Canadian-based paint lines called fusion mineral paint and country chic paint, both of which we will have coming in the store in the next couple of weeks,” Kittelson said in an interview with the Mercury. Don’t let the name fool you, though. The only jewelry they sell will be bracelets that can be custommade. “The name Jewels and Jems actually comes from my two dogs. Their names are Jewels and Jemma,” said Kittelson.
The furniture she gets will be called treasures or jewels, and the business turns the furniture into jewels. Kittelson has been refinishing furniture for several years now, and during the pandemic, she became really busy with it, so she started to take on more clients and refinish more pieces. “I needed a bigger space, and we came to a retail space and it grew from there,” said Kittelson. Jewels and Jems opened on Nov. 12, and is open Thursdays through Saturdays. Hours will be expanded to Wednesdays in December to accommodate Christmas shoppers. They are also open for private events for their workshops, which have likely been their most popular service. “We’ve been busy doing birthday parties and Christmas parties for those,” said Kittelson. “We’ve had a lot of traffic in the store and people realizing we’re here.” She has a large space, so the workshops can accommodate six to
eight people while having enough space for social distancing. “They get to make something and socialize, in a safe space,” she said. In addition to furniture and other décor, they’re trying to bring in natural Canadian products, such as a soy natural candle line from Swift Current, and a natural soap line from Manitoba. “We try to keep it Canadian and local and bring in different products that you can’t find anywhere else,” she said. Furniture restoration is a creative process, and Kittelson loves to see a piece transformed from something that might have been thrown out, but can look brand new with a fresh coat of paint. It’s saving the environment and keeping items out of the landfill. Some items in their inventory are pieces that she has picked up and restored and are for sale, while others are works in progress. “You can come in, and if there’s something that you like, we can customize it to the colours and finishes
that you want.” Kittelson has an associate who works with her who is there most of the time. Jewels and Jems Furniture is also hosting a fundraiser for Westview School this month. Kits for a Cause will help families in need at the school who might not be able to provide Christmas gifts this year. From December 1-15, Jewels and Jems will have five select do it yourself kits available with $15 per kit going towards No Frills gift cards to provide families in need with food and their very own DIY kit to make together as a family this Christmas season. Kits were available for pre-order starting Dec. 1. You can order online or in store and they will be accepting No Frills gift cards and cash donations in store as well. They will also be holding a silent auction in store on a beautiful refinished cabinet. Bids will be accepted beginning Dec. 2 with the auction ending Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. Starting bid is $100.
Daralee Kittelson is the owner of Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesign, one of several new businesses in downtown Estevan. Photo submitted
Moonlight Madness to be spread out over two days this year Estevan’s Downtown Business Association (DBA) has expanded its annual Moonlight Madness shopping event. It will be held over two days Thursday and Friday, instead of just one night, allowing for the downtown merchants to provide a safer shopping environment. Most of the downtown stores will be open until 9 p.m. each night, with a variety of sales and
other items available. Santa Claus will be making an appearance, but he will be outside, weather permitting, and visits with him will be done safely, said Laurel Buck, the president of the DBA. “Our plan so far is to have him behind Plexiglas, and then to have a seat on each side of him, so that the child can speak to him through the Plexiglas,” said Buck. “Then when that
child leaves, Santa will turn and talk to the other while they wipe down and disinfect the other seat.” The association will follow guidelines and restrictions. People can enter a draw by scanning a quick response code at stores by the till. It will bring up an entry form that they can submit. The draw will be for $650 in gift certificates for the various
downtown merchants. There are a number of new businesses on Fourth Street in Estevan, and they will be participating, as well as the long-time companies. Buck said Moonlight Madness will be a great opportunity for these new businesses to showcase what they have. Moonlight Madness is an important event for downtown Estevan each year, she said,
because it brings people to downtown. And they believe it’s even more important this year. “It’s been a DBA staple for years, and people have looked forward to it. We still have people asking ‘When are you going to do that?’ … or “How are you going to do that?’ or “Are you going to do that this year?’ We didn’t want to disappoint the people, and
as businesses, we enjoy it,” Buck said. The retailers are happy to have people in the stores, and after they were shut down for two months earlier this year, they can use all the support they can get. “People can shop two days, all day, until 9 o’clock, so if they can, come when it’s a little bit slower and take advantage of it,” said Buck.
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hristmas CCHALLENGE! Everyone deserves to have a special Christmas. This has been a very difficult year for so many. The Brick appreciates Estevan and surrounding communities for choosing The Brick for their furniture, mattresses and appliances. In an effort to show our appreciation and give back... we have purchased (5) food hampers for the Estevan Community Hamper Association. The Brick challenges other local businesses to purchase hampers and help them make sure everyone can have a special Christmas. For more information and to purchase hampers please call
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CLUES ACROSS 1. Small viper 4. Some are covert 7. A waiver of liability (abbr.) 10. Speak out 11. Retirement plan 12. Small dog 13. City in Iraq 15. Car mechanics group 16. Shrimp-like creature 19. Majestic 21. TV detective 23. Central Canadian province 24. Causing to wind around 25. Wise man 26. Knicks legend Willis 27. Muscular weaknesses 30. John Stockton compiled them 34. South American plant 35. To some extent 36. Where manners are displayed 41. Showy 45. Fall down 46. Shoelaces are often this 47. Disease-causing bacterium 50. Egg-shaped wind instrument 54. Sufferings 55. One who noisily enjoys 56. About blood 57. Transaction verification system (abbr.) 59. Related through female family members 60. Low velocity grenade 61. “In Living Color” comedian 62. Veterans battleground 63. Expression of creative skill 64. Midway between northeast and east 65. Patti Hearst’s captors
CLUES DOWN 1. Something useful 2. It goes great with peppers and onions 3. Orifice 4. Turned into bone 5. The Princess could detect it 6. Bands of colors 7. Makes use of 8. Central African country 9. Lake in the Kalahari Desert 13. He was a “Chairman” 14. Legally possess 17. One point north of due west 18. Small peg of wood 20. Stretch of swampy ground 22. Is indebted to 27. Where you were born (abbr.) 28. A team’s best pitcher 29. Cool! 31. Female sibling 32. This stimulates the thyroid (abbr.) 33. Reserved 37. More prickled 38. Forbidden by law 39. One-time presidential candidate 40. A TV show has more than one 41. A place to stash things 42. Defunct currency in India 43. Causes to ferment 44. A type of gland 47. __ Humbug! 48. Everyone has one 49. Punctuation 51. Central American fruit 52. Brooklyn hoopster 53. 100 square meters 58. Local area network
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Geothermal well is “remarkable,” says DEEP CEO By Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Saskatchewan geothermal power pioneer Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. (DEEP) has recently hydraulically stimulated a horizontal geothermal well south of Torquay, something president and CEO Kirsten Marcia, a former Estevan resident, says is a global first. “It’s a remarkably good well,” Marcia said by phone from Saskatoon. The well, Border-5HZ, was hydraulically stimulated the first week of November. This fifth well is DEEP’s first horizontal well. It once again sets a record, this time for the deepest horizontal well in Saskatchewan, at 3,450 metres total vertical depth. It has a 2,000-metre lateral section, which runs due west from the site where DEEP had drilled four of its five wells to date. That site is also planned to be the location of an eventual power plant. The company is progressing from its exploration phases to final design, further refining its plans. By hydraulically stimulating the producing wells, they can get more hot saline water out of the rock with fewer wells, and recover that heat through an organic Rankine cycle power generation plant on the surface. The current plan now is to develop the field with five sets of well pairs, with each pair having one well going horizontally west, the other horizontally east. This well,
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Border-5HZ, is part of the first pair of producers. The next set of wells will be a pair of injectors, in a similar pattern, placed further to the north, with wells going east and west. This pattern will be repeated again, with another pair of producers, then injectors, then finally producers again, for a total of 10 wells – six producers, and four injectors. That pattern is expected to be sufficient to eventually set up a 20-megawatt organic Rankine cycle power plant, which will feed electricity into the SaskPower grid. Well Border-5HZ was spudded on Sept. 11 by Horizon Drilling Rig 33, and completed on Oct. 24. “No significant issues were encountered during drilling, and the geological, operations and Weatherford directional staff were able to maintain the well trajectory in the reservoir target zone for a significant portion of the lateral length. This demonstrates the viability of horizontal drilling, supports the geophysical analysis, and further demonstrates reservoir continuity. The highest temperature measured during open hole logging was 127° Celsius (261° Fahrenheit),” DEEP said in a release. “The well was completed using a 20-stage NCS Multicycle stimulation sleeve system and cemented liner, and subsequently hydraulically stimulated with Element Technical Services as per standard horizontal well completions procedures.” This fifth well will be producing hot salt water, and
that water will be injected into wells Border-1 and Border-3. If necessary, they can also inject the produced water into well Border-2B. “Now we can do a much larger, robust loop test,” Marcia said. Border-5HZ has a smaller wellbore than the other wells. The idea is that by stimulating a smaller well, you can get more flow out of it. Wider wellbores cost more to drill, especially at the depths DEEP is working. “If we can get more flow out of a smaller well, without going to a larger well, this can save a lot of money,” she said. DEEP is working with a company called GeothermEx, which Marcia described as “the largest geothermal consulting group in the world.” The company asked GeothermEx what do they need to do in order for construction lenders to finance the project. Marcia said, “They’ve given us some flow rates that they would like to see sustained for 30 to 60 days. We’re going to double that in this well, so we’re very confident that we’ve got the lending confidence to get this project built.” Marcia said they are fully financed until the summer of 2021, with room to complete everything they need to do for bankable feasibility engineering and to be in a position to complete the construction financing. However, Marcia notes they are considering an interim private placement. DEEP also intends on producing its first electricity in the spring, possibly April
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Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. did a hydraulic stimulation for a horizontal geothermal well in early November. Photo courtesy Deep Earth Energy Production Corp.
or May, bringing in a small, one-megawatt organic Rankine cycle generator which will generate its power from the hot water from the Border5HZ well. “We want to test it in the field, on a small unit, in case there’s something we still need to work out,” Marcia said. The power will be used onsite for their own power needs. DEEP is also looking at adding an eight to 10-megawatt solar power generation and battery facility to the project. The idea is that all 20 megawatts produced by the geothermal plant will be fed to the SaskPower grid. The parasitic load, the power needed to run the facility, including the pumps in the wells, would come from solar and battery generation. Marcia pointed out this has been done in Ne-
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What we do know is that this well could be a game-changer for us.” “Here’s what I love: Here we've taken world class drilling expertise and technology, horizontal drilling, hydraulic stimulation, all done on the backs of our oil and gas industry. And we're doing this for the first time in geothermal. No one has done this before. That's cool.”
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“Where others found excuses, he found the way.” Fund By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
People in smaller towns often raise their kids so that when they grow up they are viable to move into big cities and pursue a career somewhere else. Dr. William Graham Mainprize chose the reverse path. A talented doctor with the mind of a real engineer, the youngest person ever to graduate from the University of Toronto's medical program, he chose the small, lost in the Prairies town of Midale to be his home, his field for growth and the place where his career continued up to retirement. Mainprize, known by generations of people in Midale simply as Doc, was a pioneering doctor beginning in early 1911 with a practice serving Midale and the surrounding area for over 50 years. A man dedicated to his job and his community above and beyond his professional duties, he would travel many long hours by horse, sleigh or whatever he needed to see his patients. Not only did Doc serve the community he lived in, but he also rallied people around and stimulated them to develop, become better and transform the world around. In 1959, the town of
Midale and the surrounding area named a park in honour of Doc, to show the appreciation of his lifetime of unselfish service. It also was the life and work of Dr. Mainprize that first inspired Jack Hilkewich, who was delivered by Doc, and then his childhood friend Murray Kerr, also from Midale, to document the history and tell the story of this man. The 50th anniversary of Mainprize Park led off the Mainprize Project – a documentary aimed to commemorate Mainprize and put Midale on a bigger map. "We've always known Doc. Murray and I grew up in Midale, and he was always in Midale, and there was always Dr. Mainprize Park. He was just one of the people that lived in town," recalled Hilkewich, who is the documentary’s co-producer/ director. "But it wasn't until I started doing the research that I realized how much of an anomaly he was, how important he was not to just Midale, but the surrounding communities. And the stuff that he did day to day just to administer the sick people without any expectation of compensation. He did so much work knowing that most of the time he wouldn't
William and Helen Mainprize. Photo submitted
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Dr. William Mainprize and the staff from his clinic. Photo submitted get paid for it because of the economic times, people didn't have money." Throughout his times, Dr. Mainprize often would only get paid what the people could afford and that was usually very little and mostly resulted in some form of food. But that never made this great professional complacent or irrelevant. "He was amazing at his job. He was held in high esteem by a lot of professional medical associations in Canada and the States. And yet he chose to stay in a small town like Midale to do his work," Hilkewich said. "And on top of that is his ingenuity, working with local farmers and welders to create unique vehicles to get him to rural patients out in the countryside in a lot of harsh climates," added Kerr, who is now the project's co-producer and Phase 2 co-ordinator. Mainprize would get the local people to help him with his duties or travel with him on these long journeys on the open prairie in all kinds of weather, or help build special vehicles that would enable him to go on his house calls in the country. Some say that Doc, alongside mechanically minded residents, may have designed the first snowmobile ever made. They also created a "mud mobile," a monster car, long before anyone else, all in the name of serving the sick. "I think he was attributed
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at his funeral, 'Where others found excuses he found a way'. He didn't let bad weather stop him. If there were no roads where he needed to go, he built a vehicle that could go where there were no roads. And he was able to rally the town people to help him," Hilkewich said. Hilkewich started working on the documentary, a donor-driven Saskatchewan production, on his own back in 2011. "The film is essentially a love letter to the brave people who settled this province. Doctor Mainprize was an extraordinary human being, going to great lengths to carry out his practice, but he didn't do it all alone. He was the leader, but had a lot of people
who worked alongside him to make sure he was able to serve the people of his community," said Hilkewich. Throughout the years the professional crews interviewed doctors and nurses that worked with him as well as people that owe their lives to Doc as they recount their harrowing experiences of medical emergencies. The documentary also explores how the sometimes inhospitable environmental conditions of a young province shaped the lives of these pioneers as they struggled to survive. Once Hilkewich knew he wanted to put together a professional documentary about Mainprize, he calculated the budget and organized the first round of fundraising.
"I started it on my own and got quite a way into it. I was able to raise a bit of money from private donors, which allowed me to shoot a fair amount of video for this project. And then we did hit a wall. We spent all the money that we'd raised, so we were unable to do a lot more work," Hilkewich recalled. "Every once in a while I would go and do something by myself until Murray (Kerr) got involved and that gave the whole project a lot more momentum." Hilkewich spent countless hours on the project, some of which was paid, and the majority was volunteered. But since it's a professional project, it takes a lot of expenses to be done. Kerr joined the project in 2018 specifically as a volunteer, and both men have been working on this "passion project" on the side of their desks, trying to get this important historical piece put together. "I've always been interested in the film industry … I knew Jack was working on the Mainprize documentary … And a couple of years ago I realized he was still working on this project ... so I just sent an email to Jack, and I was pleasantly surprised when he jumped at the opportunity to assist him," Kerr recalled. The wheels started turning after first Kerr and then a few other men joined the executive committee. "It was a bit of the turning point for the documentary. We got an executive committee and it gave us legs,"
The Mainprize family, from left, Marie, William, Graham and Helen Mainprize from 1940. Photo submitted
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December 2, 2020 A11
draiser underway for film about Midale’s Dr. Mainprize "It all quickly adds up, but you'll be able to see all that money on the screen. It looks great so far, and I'm just hoping that we'll be able to drag this across the finish line," Hilkewich said. What started as a professional documentary, also created some spin-off projects including a significant photo and video archive and a bursary fund for medical students in Saskatchewan. "Over the course of the years of making it I've acquired a lot of home movie footage from people. Some of Dr. Mainprize and some of just family life, which will be helpful through the documentary. And I need to take
Documentary backstage, from left Darryl Kesslar, Glenn Wiens and Jack Hilkewwich. Photo submitted Kerr said. "Now all the post-proThey were able to prog- duction work needs to be finress the project to the point ished. And the majority of this where they realized that they money is going to the third need to finish it. parties service companies in In the middle of Novem- order to get the film ready for ber, the Mainprize Project officially launched their GoFundMe fundraising campaign. As of Nov. 30, they had raised $1,580 of the $295,000 needed to complete the documentary and also help out with other projects related to it. The documentary is getting close to being complete, with 90 per cent of shooting interviews and footage being done. Once this is finished, Hilkewich will start editing the film. All financial gifts raised through the campaign will go towards postproduction work and the shooting of a few remaining key interviews. The production team hopes they'll be able to raise enough money to make the Documentary backstage, Murray Kerr, left, and project the best possible. "The initial projected Bert Newton, Alberta, August 2020. Photo submitted budget, my goal was always to make a feature-length film, of distribution." it from home movie film and the quality that would be able Hilkewich went on to ex- digitize it … to a format called to be sold around the world plain that once the last weeks 4k video," Hilkewich said. and played in theatres. That's of shooting are finished, the Once the production is how I approached the produc- film will have to go through done, they consider preservtion. I hired a professional post-production editing, then ing the videos and pictures crew that has won Gemini through colour correction for the future. Awards, and is quite well and digital cut project, which Hilkewich and Kerr respected in the film industry will cost $35,000-40,000. originally had more than one in Canada and in Saskatch- They are also hoping to have goal for the documentary. ewan," Hilkewich said. original music created by an They wanted to educate the His initial budget for the award-winning local com- new generation about the man feature-length film was about poser, which will cost another behind the park a lot of people $600,000. He then was able $30,000. They will also have in the area enjoy in summer. to reduce that down to about to have the sound properly They also wanted to share a $345,000, cutting some ele- mixed and recorded, adding story of resilience and strength ments out, as it was really hard $60,000 to the bill. with the rest of the province, to raise that amount of money. There are also 3D ani- country and the world. The first round of fundraising mated re-enactments, which While the project's main brought in about $165,000 cost about $80,000. The full goal is a feature-length docufrom private donors, which details about the remaining mentary, there's also a secondgot them to the point where costs can be found on the ary goal, which is to establish they are today. project's GoFundMe page. a bursary named after Dr.
Acknowledging the accomplishments of Dr. Mainprize, and the people putting this documentary together.
Lori Carr ESTEVAN
Estevan Constituency Office 306.634.7311 loricarrmla@sasktel.net saskparty.com/carr
SLOW DOWN
William Graham Mainprize offered in perpetuity by each of the three Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions. The bursary was always a part of the project, but when the budget had to be cut the producers decided that they would prioritize the film and once it's completed they will focus on the bursary. "It's a historical preservation piece as well as an entertaining piece, and we figured that we'd like to keep the bursary in because it's something that speaks to the spirit of Dr. Mainprize himself. So if we are lucky enough to raise more than what we need, it will all go to that bursary," Hilkewich said. The bursary will be administered by universities themselves based on the criteria established by the film’s production team. The work on the project opened up the personality of Mainprize for Hilkewich, and he hopes that once the documentary is completed, others will also realize the scale of Dr. Mainprize and enjoy the beautiful history of the region and its people. "He became bigger than I thought he was ... He was just an amazing person, and I really hope that this documentary will open a lot … Most people here do know how special he was, but I hope to bring attention to him and what he did to people outside of the region around Midale, Estevan and Weyburn." Hundreds of people have helped out on this project, giving financially and providing resources, and the
Documentary backstage, from left, Geoffrey Lee Park, Carlton Larsen and Jack Hilkewich. Photo submitted producers are eager to complete the project to honour that commitment that people have shown them. Besides, it is getting more difficult to find people that worked with Mainprize or knew him on a personal level because of the timeframe of the documentary. Fortunately, the support keeps coming their way. Saskatchewan born actor Kim Coates published a video message supporting the Mainprize project. "Mainprize, the documentary, tells the important story of how communities can face any hardship thrown at them as long as they work together. At these uncertain times, parts of society seem strained from this concept. This story will remind us of how we need to get back parts of that way of life. This film will help preserve memories, that special point in time, so we may learn from the past as we move through these
unchartered waters. Please, help out in any way you can." The hope is to reach the fundraiser goal around February and then start the postproduction. "If I don't raise enough money, I modify the project to make it smaller. Still high quality, but the scope will be a lot smaller,” said Hilkewich. Hilkewich said he hopes to be completed by this time next year. They already started talking to CBC and other people about broadcasting and screening the documentary when it's done. "I know financially everybody is going through hard times, I understand it, but it's not going to stop us. We are still going to try to raise the funds that we can and … (finish) this film," Hilkewich said. To support the Mainprize project people can donate at their GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme. com/f/mainprize-project.
Backstage from the documentary with Darryl Kesslar, left, and Geoffrey Lee Park. Photo submitted
Thank you to everyone involved for their efforts to tell the story of Dr. Mainprize.
Thank you to those involved in telling Dr. Mainprize's story.
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New restrictions put a halt to many sports seasons By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The provincial government brought in new restrictions on Nov. 25 that brought many sports seasons to a grinding halt. The government announced that there wouldn’t be games allowed, starting Nov. 27. The suspension will continue until Dec. 17, when the restriction will be revisited. With most leagues and organizations wrapping up the pre-Christmas portion of their schedules prior to Dec. 17, it means play won’t resume until 2021. Arenas will be capped at having 30 people at once until Dec. 17. Athletes and dancers 18 years of age and under may continue practising, conditioning and skills training in groups of eight or fewer, abiding by the required mask use and maintaining at least three metres of physical distancing between participants at all times. The Estevan Bruins said in a news release that more details will be announced in the upcoming weeks regarding a new start date after Jan. 1, and what the schedule for the remainder of the 2020-21 SJHL season will look like. The Bruins will not have any hockey activities until after the Christmas break. In a further post on their Facebook page, the Bruins lamented the suspension of the season. “We followed the rules, took extra precautions, and created a safe environment for our players and fans to enjoy hockey, but it still wasn’t enough. Hard to understand. To all our supporters, thank you for sticking with us. We hope to see you in January.”
The ice at Affinity Place has been quieter of late after the provincial government put a halt to games for hockey and other sports. The Bruins had a 4-1-1 record to start the season. Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic said they expected the season was going to get shut down. Once they saw hockey was lumped in with casinos and bingo halls, it added to the expectation. But last week’s announcement was still disappointing. “With the SJHL, we’re different from minor hockey, we’re different from other sport or recreational groups. There’s 12 teams. We’re in our own setting. We have our own group every day, and the protocols that we submitted to Sask. Health and the government were pretty solid and pretty demanding.” He believes they did a good job to prevent from spreading. The Bruins haven’t had a
case of COVID-19, and there has been just one in the entire league. Part of the disappointment stems from what’s still allowed to continue. “Hockey is something that’s good for the physical and mental wellbeing of young people,” said Tatarnic. “These are young people that are trying to strive to play at the university level or even the Western Hockey League level.” When the Bruins staff informed the players, they wanted to know why some services were able to continue. Tatarnic said they wiped down sticks after each use, used hand sanitizer frequently, limited contacts and even went in small groups to the weight room. When they went on the road, masks were on from the
moment they left the bus, and post-game meals were ordered to the bus. Players didn’t leave the bus to pick up food or drinks. “It’s pretty lengthy, what we had to do, but when you look at the case counts within our league, it looks like it was working,” said Tatarnic. The 150-fan limit represented six per cent of capacity at Affinity Place. Players paid a fee to play here to help offset some of the lost revenues, but the club will likely see a revenue reduction of $300,000$400,000 this season. “I don’t know what more you could have asked of us to do,” said Tatarnic. “They could have asked us, and we probably would have tried to accommodate.” Players have been mak-
ing their way home for the Christmas break. The club’s initial plan was to have them back on Jan. 2 for a Jan. 7 game. He hopes play will resume on Jan. 2, and that they can have more fans. The Big Six Hockey League also had its season suspended. The league was to play its final game before the Christmas break on Dec. 17. The Estevan Minor Hockey Association said on social media that due to the announcement, the board of directors would be meeting Thursday evening. Directors would then be in contact with parents within the next few days. The Estevan Eclipse Downhole Solutions U18 AAA Bears issued a message to players, families, billet families,
sponsors, fans and other supporters, saying it was a tough announcement for the team. “We are confident that we have upheld a safe environment for all of our players, families, and fans, and while this was not the outcome we were looking for, we will respect the guidelines that have been put in place.” Players will remain enrolled at the Estevan Comprehensive School until the end of the current semester. During that time, the Bears will continue to work on player development in groups no larger than eight. They hope to return to play in January. The Estevan Curling Club noted that its open league would happen Thursday night, but its youth clinic scheduled for this past weekend was postponed to 2021. The Estevan Extreme Volleyball Club held camps scheduled for Nov. 25 and 26, and they had contingency plans in place for the other camps and programs. In a Facebook post, the club said masks must be worn at all times, but they were gateful to continue even if it’s in a different format than they are used to. The Estevan TaekwonDo Association said Nov. 26 would be their final class of 2020. They were struggling with what to do and how they could continue training, but with new restrictions taking effect, it would make training efforts even harder. The Estevan Mermaids synchronized swim has continued practising. They moved into an altered schedule, with practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, and a new COVID form has to be filled out before every practice.
Southeast athlete to play volleyball in university A talented young athlete from Alida has committed to play volleyball at the university level for next season. The University of Winnipeg Wesmen women’s volleyball team announced that Cordelia Patton, a 6-foot-1 left side with the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School, is their first commitment for the 2021 recruiting class. She will enroll in kinesiology and applied health, and have five years of eligibility. “I choose the University of Winnipeg because they had the schooling program that I wanted to enroll in. Winnipeg is a new city for me, and I was looking for something new after high school,” said Patton. The program also has a special team culture that caught her eye, and she was really impressed with their coach Phil Hudson. “He has a very successful background, and I think he has a lot to offer the university,” said Patton. “He has only been coaching there for a
couple of years, and I think he is helping the girls by turning the program for the better.” Patton said she had a leadership role placed upon her when she arrived at the school for her Grade 9 year. From that point on, she welcomed the role. “I came in as the outof-towner in Oxbow, but as I grew with them it was ‘You’re the biggest player on the court, so you need to take this step,’” said Patton. “Leadership has always been a thing for me the past four years.” She admitted she wasn’t sure what role the pandemic would play on her ability to land a post-secondary playing opportunity, since she won’t get to play in her Grade 12 year, but her success in Grade 11 helped overcome the lost season. “Last year was definitely a breakthrough year for me. I probably performed the best I ever have, so I was fortunate to go through that to show universities.”
Patton began sending videos and emails to coaches at the end of her Grade 11 season. She said she started hearing back from coaches just as the 2020 club season was getting set to start last spring. “It was my goal by the end of December (2019) to have my highlight video made,” she said. “It was about a month into COVID that I started hearing back from everyone. It was very weird because when COVID hit we were supposed to be going to provincials in club, and I was supposed to go to Best of the West in Edmonton where universities would’ve been. So it was kind of like ‘Oh, I don’t get to do that either.’ That was really hard to get past.” Her Oxbow teams have medalled in Saskatchewan 3A provincials in each of her years at the school, capped by a provincial title in 2019. Patton has also competed for Oxbow’s Black Knights Volleyball Club and in the
Sask. Volleyball provincial program. She said her spike touch is now nine feet, nine inches, a three-inch increase from club season. That length at the net is one of the things that caught Hudson’s eye. “Cordelia is an excellent, all-around athlete who has a tremendous skill set,” the head coach said. “She plays the game well above the net and possesses a fast, powerful arm swing that will give her instant success at the U Sports level.” Patton credits the Black Knights coaches and the Oxbow club volleyball program for playing big roles in her development. She hasn’t been able to make it to Winnipeg to view the campus due to COVID-19, but she is looking forward to the start of the season next fall. She’ll spend next few months focusing on the physical side of the sport, so she can be in the best shape of her life some September.
Cordelia Patton, currently enrolled at the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School, has committed to play for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen next season. Photo submitted
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Sharks heldfun showdown before new restrictions began The RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre was swimming with Sharks Thursday evening, as the Estevan Sharks water polo club held a cohort showdown. The Sharks athletes faced each other in a series of games before the latest round of COVID-19 restrictions came into effect Friday.The in-house tournament was expected to occur on the weekend, but was held two days earlier than expected. The Sharks have been battling through the provincial COVID restrictions since their season started nearly two months ago. At the beginning of the season, only 15 athletes were allowed on deck at a time. This is a reduction from their usual 20-25 in an age group. It took some creativity and pool time management, but the club managed to get everyone in the water for the regular Oct. 1 start to the season. The athletes were required to keep socially distant, therefore they were un-
able to do any defensive or contact training. Coaches focused on endurance and passing skills. In November, restrictions loosened slightly, and clubs were able to identify a closed cohort of 50 athletes who could train together in larger groups on the deck and have some in-water contact. This restriction meant that the players would not be able to train or compete outside of their group of 50. The board and coaches worked hard to give Thursday’s tournament a “real” feel, with referees, scorekeepers, a photographer, organizing rosters, creating a round robin and playoff format for the day, and securing prizes for the winners in each age category. For the first hour, three atom teams competed in a round robin. Coached by Lucinda Milford and Kaylah Turner, the teams worked hard and showed off the skills they have been learning over the past two months. The teams were
very evenly matched and all had success at both ends of the pool. Lucas Dzeryk and Logan Dalziel, senior members in the club, officiated the six atom games. The final 90 minutes of the evening were then turned over to the bantam and open players. In this division, four teams faced off. These athletes are used to training and competing at least twice a month in Regina and have really been missing the high level of competition. In Regina they train and play exclusively in a deep tank pool, so the shallow end of Estevan’s pool added a different feel to the games. Coached by Chad Knoll and Akshay Sangar the bantam/ open players had close games and showed strong skill and teamwork. Dzeryk and Dalziel officiated the games that they were not playing in, with Tristan Therinen and David Dzeryk stepping in to ref when necessary. “The kids had fun and
Cruz Carritt zeroes in on the ball during the cohort showdown hosted by the Estevan Sharks water polo team Thursday night at the RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre. that’s what really matters,” said board president Heather Tober. “They have sacrificed a lot this season and we really wanted to give them this opportunity to compete at some level.” With the new eight-person restrictions now in place, the
Sharks have booked additional pool time and are working to schedule everyone in to continue training during December. Tober said, “We are the only club in Saskatchewan that will be training in December. The cost versus numbers in the water
was just too high in the other cities. We are lucky to have great support from our leisure centre staff and our Sharks families.” The board hopes to offer more in-house tournaments in the new year, whenever restrictions loosen up again.
Lampman’s Veroba joins Hockey Canada board Mary Anne Veroba is a lifelong hockey fan. She recalls that when she was a child, she would watch the Montreal Canadiens play the Boston Bruins on Hockey Night in Canada while in the basement of her parents’ home in Windsor, Ont. The Lampman resident’s love of the game has resulted in her being elected to Hockey Canada’s board of directors, putting her on one of the most influential boards in the sport. “I love watching young kids play, and just learning how to skate. I love the joy it brings. You see kids and their rosy cheeks, and then you see teenagers learning, and I saw it in my kids,” Veroba told the Mercury. She was elected to the board on Nov. 14, and Hockey
Canada made the announcement two days later. Veroba said she took some time before making her decision, because she wanted to make sure she had the qualifications to serve the members. She did not want to be, as she put it, a “token female.” Hockey Canada now wants to have at least two women on its board each year. “They did want to create diversity on the board, but I wanted to know that I would earn my spot,” said Veroba. “I think my desire to throw my name in comes from a desire to continue to want to serve the game of hockey.” Veroba recently wrapped up a seven-year run as the chairperson of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association board of directors. She was the first fe-
male chairperson of the board in its history. The experience with Sask. Hockey should help her with the new role on Hockey Canada. A nominating committee sought out potential candidates for board members. More than 20 people were running for five board spots. “We put together a video for the members to look at,” said Veroba. “It was a two-minute video in which each person running for a board position talked about the things they thought for the role of the board.” She believes Hockey Canada should serve the 13 different branches who are part of the membership, and then the branches should serve the members, which are the community hockey associations,
who in turn serve the players. “I think everyone focuses on providing a great experience for the player, so we all should be on the same page,” she said. A virtual orientation session was held Saturday, when board chair Michael Brind’Amour assigned different committees and responsibilities. When she was the chairperson of Sask. Hockey, she was at the same table as Hockey Canada representatives. Last year, as part of her Saskatchewan work, Veroba was tasked with facilitating a task team on rule changes. “It depends on what the needs are at the time, but I’m assuming that they’ll place me (where they need me) – and I actually told Michael wherever he wants to, wherever he thinks I’m the best fit, to go ahead and
put me wherever he chooses,” said Veroba. Some of the new board members haven’t had the same experience with Hockey Canada as Veroba. She expressed support for the direction that Hockey Canada has taken, with a theme of making hockey more accessible and celebrating those involved with the game. On Father’s Day, there was a message with a thank you to the dads for the roles they play. “I think it’s important to recognize that hockey is made up of so many different people and so many different roles, and hockey can happen in all kinds of different situations.” With her background in grassroots hockey, she expects that will be her emphasis. There might be members with more
experience at upper echelons but her interest is in youth hockey and other parts of the game at the community level. “I’m very proud to be from Saskatchewan. I think Saskatchewan gives people good roots in recognizing all kinds of different places where people come from,” said Veroba. Hockey gets a bad rap for some things, but there are many more good things, and she loves seeing how the sport brings people together to cheer for Team Canada – something she has seen while working at St. Joseph’s Hospital, when people would gather around the TV to watch the World Junior Hockey championships or the Olympics. “It’s good for the Canadian soul, and I think I can provide a service,” said Veroba.
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Children learn through science experiments Local children had the opportunity to learn through experiments while at the Estevan Public Library on Nov. 25 and 26. The Regional KidsFirst program brought a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) session for pre-schoolers. Families booked a 30-minute session for their child or children. It started with a story based on science from Madeleine Valentine, the early childhood community developer at Regional KidsFirst, and then there were three experiments. “The activities were fairly reactive, so they leave quite an impression on the kids, so that they can see the science in action,” said Christine Batke, the library’s children and adult program co-ordinator. “Children tend to be a little bit more visual learners, so it’s really good for them to get a visual on how the reaction’s happening.” Approximately 20 kids went through the program over the two days. The first station was a milk reaction, in which they added food colouring into milk, and then they
dipped a Q-tip that’s been covered in dish soap. The milk reacts and moves away from the soap. “It’s a really quick reaction, and kids get really excited about it, because it’s so visual and colourful,” said Batke. The second involves baking soda and vinegar. The vinegar is placed in a bottle, and baking soda is in a balloon. The balloon is placed overtop of the bottle’s nozzle, and when the baking soda mixes with the vinegar, it reacts by blowing up the balloon. Kids get to take the balloon home. “It’s a sanitary way to blow balloons up right now,” said Batke. The final experiment is a wellknown one for many, with Coca-Cola and Mentos, but this one was on a smaller scale so that the library didn’t have soda on the floor. “They fill a little bottle with some soda pop, and then they put the Mentos in there so it reacts,” said Batke. Valentine prompts the kids by asking questions to get them to explore and understand what’s happening. “I think that’s the big key, is to understand,” said Batke.
Bennett Kowal tried one of the science-related experiments while Madeleine Valentine watches at the Estevan Public Library on Thursday. Some of the kids had some really good questions, Batke said, and they seemed to enjoy the story and the
experiments. Regional KidsFirst is hosting similar programs in other southeast
Saskatchewan communities, and Batke said they were lucky to have it at the library.
Envision urges public to observe tragic anniversary lence against women remains so relevant, particularly right now, when people are overwhelmed with outside stress and pressures due to the pandemic,” said Christa Daku, executive director of Envision. Dec. 6 is a chance to focus on women and girls who are experiencing violence in their everyday lives and shine a light on how these issues affect local communities. “Our counsellors are responding to family violence situations in the southeast,
helping mothers and their children to flee dangerous relationships, and preparing safety plans and providing counselling for those who have no option but to remain in the home,” says Daku. She adds that Saskatchewan continues to have one of the highest rates of policereported intimate partner
violence among the provinces. Intimate partner violence happens among legally married, separated or divorced persons, current and former common-law partners, dating partners and other intimate partners. Daku says that with more people turning to the Internet to communicate
and to connect, it helps to be aware that gender-based hatred and cyberviolence are often on the other side of the screen. “We currently have our ROAM educational programming going into schools in the region, which we hope will prevent the issues that our organization deals with
later on,” says Daku. “By educating youth in our region about topics such as healthy online behaviour or toxic masculinity, we hope to prevent gender based violence in the future. We talk to students about the pyramid of violence, where hate culture can escalate into violence if the progression isn’t stopped.”
CROSSWORD ANSWER
The Envision Counselling and Support Centre is encouraging the public to reflect on a sad anniversary in Canadian history. The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is Dec. 6, which marks the anniversary of the murders of 14 women in 1989 at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. “It feels like we’re talking about something that happened in another time and across the country, but the underlying issue of vio-
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Karen Melle will be Holy Family board’s vice-chair of the board since it was created in 2004 through a merger between the Estevan, Weyburn and St. Olivier separate school divisions. Two new trustees were welcomed to the board at the meeting. Gil Sotto is the trustee for the Estevan rural area, known as Spruce Ridge, while Beckey Franke is a new trustee for the Estevan city. The Holy Family trustees divided up the various committees for the coming year at the organizational meeting, including the audit committee, the governance authority for Radville School,
By Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review The chair and vice-chair for the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School board were kept the same, at the organizational meeting for the trustees held on Nov. 18, the first meeting since the election held on Nov. 9. Weyburn trustee Bruno Tuchscherer was retained as the board chair, and Karen Melle of Estevan will be the vice-chair. Melle is one of the most experienced trustees for Holy Family, as she has been part
facilities committee, teacher liaison committee, LINC negotiation committee, SEIU negotiations committee and the executive council for the Sask. Catholic School Boards Association. Also at the meeting, financial statements for the 2019-20 fiscal year were released. Holy Family emerged with a lower deficit than they had budgeted for, in the yearend financial report. The 2019-20 budget was planned with a 6.5 per cent deficit and actual results were slightly better with a four per cent deficit. Out of
this 2.5 per cent favourable difference, 1.5 per cent was a result of specific savings due to COVID-19 and is saved for COVID-19 needs next year. According to the report, grants comprised 53 per cent of Holy Family’s revenues and property taxes covered 44 per cent. Of the school division’s expenses, 80 per cent are for staffing, with 74 per cent directly to instruction, eight per cent for governance and administration, three per cent for transportation and 13 per cent for plant or for the operating of their
facilities. In dollar terms, revenues totalled $14.74 million, with grants at $7.47 million, property taxes ($6.51 million), school-generated funds ($306,370), tuition ($5,520), and complementary services ($312,198). For expenses, the biggest piece of the pie was for instruction, which cost $10.39 million; plant, which cost $1.82 million; administration, $1.03 million; transportation, $415,888; governance, $104,412; tuition and related fees, $50,000; and schoolgenerated funds, $226,693.
The operating surplus for the year totaled $310,658, bringing the accumulated surplus from operations to $17.73 million at the end of the school year. The school division had budgeted for an operating deficit of $900,635. In explaining the accumulated surplus, the school division noted this surplus represents the financial and non-financial assets of the school division less liabilities. A grant overpayment recorded as revenue has been restricted in surplus for revenue that belongs to the next year.
Don’t drink and drive Don’t text and drive Don’t do drugs and drive
E V I R AR VE ALI
Estevan police expects to see a different December when it comes to impaired driving By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
Impaired driving accidents keep taking thousands of lives across the world every year. Even though the number of local charges for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is slowly going down, unfortunately, the problem remains real. The Mercury talked to Estevan Police Chief Paul Ladouceur about the situation with impaired driving in Estevan, as well as about the measures planned by the Estevan Police Service for the month of December, which is usually a “critical time for policing when it comes to impaired driving and driving under influence.” “As we go into the holiday season and then into the new year, there is a lot more social activity that goes on,” Ladouceur said. W hile the pandemic has definitely reshaped a lot of traditional activities, the EPS still was dealing with dozens of impaired drivers throughout this year. They expect that this December will also be different from anything we’ve seen before, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be out there ensuring the community is safe. “ This year with the amount of restrictions in place we may not see a typical year when it comes to what we usually envision when it
Chief Paul Ladouceur comes to impaired driving,” said Ladouceur. “We are not sure how this year will play out. I can say that we will still be able to be out there with MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and our members doing high-visibility check stops sporadically as we approach the holiday season and into the new year.” Ladouceur said that collaboration with MADD has been “fantastic” in a sense of raising awareness
and promoting safe driving practices. They receive some funding for high-visibility check stops through SGI, and MADD provides volunteers working on the street alongside EPS officers during these activities. “It’s a great collaboration when it comes to reducing impaired driving within our community. Those will continue.” The EPS will also put in extra effort communicating through the media
and social media, raising awareness about impaired driving, reminding people of possible consequences of driving under the influence and promoting the benefits of safe choices. MADD will also keep going with their red ribbon campaign, in which they hand out ribbons to be placed on vehicles. “When we see red ribbons on cars around this time of the year, it’s that reminder of ‘do I have a safe way home before I even head out tonight, do I have a plan?’” Ladouceur pointed out that this is going to be a unique year for everybody, as the restrictions will probably keep a lot of people celebrating at home. But he also noted that there are always people who feel that they can have a few drinks and then go drive to visit somebody, which is not acceptable and the EPS will be out there ensuring that people are following the laws. Ladouceur also reminded the public that it’s not just alcohol that doesn’t comply with driving, but any kinds of drugs, including legalized cannabis. “We will have our drug recognition experts (DRE) available and ready to do those assessments. And as well a good majority of our members are trained SFSTs, conducting standardized field sobriety tests to determine if somebody might
be impaired by alcohol or drugs,” the police chief said. When it comes to cracking down on impaired driving, the EPS also often works with local establishments. The other thing they’ll be doing this year is positive ticketing. “Oftentimes when someone went to an establishment and left their vehicle there for the night in the past, the next day when they came to get their vehicle, they found a Tim Hortons card under the windshield wiper or other things like that. And we are looking at doing things like that again this year with some of our local businesses, trying to take that positive approach to making right decisions as well,” Ladouceur said. The EPS has been focusing on impaired driving for several years, and they are seeing the results of their efforts, which included the co-operation with local establishments, creation of MADD chapter, training more DRE and SFSTs, proving high-vis check stops and much more. “We plan on continuing down that path.” Ladouceur added that Estevan is getting better when it comes to impaired driving. He also pointed out that when they started battling impaired driving in the area, the number of charges went up as there were more resources put into it and
more people were getting caught as opposed to getting away with drinking and driving. And now they are finally seeing these numbers going down. “Now we are seeing that tip starting to go the other way … and starting to drop. And that’s where we want to be at, that’s the goal moving forward into 2021,” Ladouceur said. “It’s been a very good year; we are seeing the numbers going down as far as with alcohol. There is still some work to be done on the drug side of it.” The EPS also invests a lot of resources into educating the public, starting from the early years. While a lot of their programs were put on pause due to restrictions this year, Ladouceur doesn’t foresee it reversing. “Usually when we are hitting schools, educating sports teams and having our youth nights and having those critical conversations with our young people about safe habits and being responsible, we hit so many different grades and so many different groups, and so many different sporting clubs, that one year isn’t going to be a death sentence to education when it comes to teaching kids good and responsible habits,” Ladouceur concluded, adding that if the restrictions will continue for a long time, they will proceed with virtual education and engagement.
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Estevan RCMP investigating theft of rig shacks The Estevan RCMP detachment is requesting the public's assistance in solving the recent theft of two rig shacks. In a message on the Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network, the RCMP said the rig shacks are valued at approximately $15,000 each and were taken from a business on the outskirts of the city. They are described as being white with green trim and approximately 48 feet by 12 feet. This occurrence is being investigated as a theft, but there is a possibility that the trailers were taken by mistake by another company. Anyone with information is asked to call the Estevan RCMP at 306-637-4400, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 or 310-RCMP. • • • The Carnduff RCMP detachment is investigating recent road sign thefts. On Nov. 24, the Carnduff RCMP received a complaint from the RM of Mount Pleasant who reported that approximately six to eight grid road identifier signs were stolen in the northwest quadrant of the rural municipality. Unfortunately, it was unknown as to when the theft occurred and it may have occurred in the preceding weeks.
“Nevertheless, while suspect individual/s or vehicle/s are unknown, it's important to emphasize the need that we remain on the lookout for one another and our respective properties. If anyone has noticed suspicious activity by known or unknown individuals, which may impact the identification of the responsible individuals for this crime or any other crime, please contact your near RCMP detachment (310-RCMP) or Crime Stoppers,” said the information distributed through the Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network Thursday afternoon. • • • An Estevan man has been charged with several offences after a traffic stop on Nov. 24. Estevan Police Service members conducted the traffic stop on a man operating an ATV at a service station in south Estevan, which resulted in the man driver fleeing from police. Due to safety concerns, a pursuit was immediately terminated. The man was tracked down by members in a wooded area southeast of the city and after a foot pursuit, he was apprehended and transported to the police station where he was lodged in cells. The 32-year-old Estevan
This rig shack was stolen from a site near Estevan recently. Photo submitted man was charged with dangerous driving, flight from police, prohibited driving and assault on a peace officer. He was also arrested for an outstanding warrant regarding an assault causing bodily harm incident in October. His first court appearance was in Carlyle Provincial Court on Nov. 25. Police were also dispatched to a north Estevan shopping area on a report of a man refusing to wear a mask as per the COVID-19 regulations. After a brief discussion with police, the man agreed to put a mask on without further issue. Officers received several calls on Nov. 26 for scams in which the phone number that
was displayed was familiar to the intended victim. Scammers use this technique in hopes that you answer the call. The EPS is asking for the public’s assistance with a bicycle accident Nov. 27 that resulted in one person being taken to hospital. Police received an emergency call from the intersection of 12th Avenue and Valley Street. A man was laying injured in the middle of the street, near his bicycle. EMS attended and transported him to St. Joseph’s Hospital for examination and treatment. Members are still investigating the incident but believe it is a bicycle accident and no other individuals or vehicles were involved. If anyone witnessed this
incident or has any information, please call the EPS. Police want to thank the citizens who called 911 and remained with the subject. Police arrested a 16-yearold youth for breaching conditions of his probation order. He was lodged in cells and appeared before a justice of the peace the following day. Officers stopped a vehicle at Sixth Street and Souris Avenue South. A 23-year-old man from Estevan was given a 72-hour driver’s licence suspension and had his vehicle seized for 72 hours after recording a warning level on the roadside screening device. Police arrested and charged a 29-year-old man
from Elfros on Nov. 28 for impaired driving after he failed a roadside test.The man provided samples at the police station that were more than double the legal limit. He was lodged in cells until sober and then released with a future court date. Police were also called to a break and enter at a downtown apartment building. Members examined the scene, spoke with neighbours and identified a suspect. Officers charged a 16-year-old Estevan youth for break and enter and theft. Police also arrested and charged an 18-year-old Estevan man for possession of stolen property. Members recovered the stolen property and returned it to the owner.
Local firefighters responded to a rollover and CO alarm A quiet stretch for the Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) was interrupted at the end of last week with a couple of calls for service. On Nov. 28, at about 7 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover that occurred about 15 kilometres from the city on Highway 39 East. While there were
no entrapments reported, there were injuries. Estevan Deputy Fire Chief Rick Davies said that the incident occurred close to the Westmoreland Coal Estevan Mine area, and the mine’s emergency response team responded to the scene as well. “They actually assisted much with patient care until EMS arrived, and then the
patient was transported to the hospital via EMS ground ambulance,” Davies said. The fire crews cleared the scene and returned to the station. The other call for service came in on Nov. 29 at about 4:30 a.m. Firefighters responded to a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm that went off in one of the houses on the
east side of Estevan. Crews investigated the situation and found that it was a faulty detection device. The call came from the homeowner, and Davies said in such a case the 911 dispatchers usually advise people to leave the building and stay outside until emergency crews get there.
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
A Message From The Mayor We would like to thank everyone involved in the Festival of Trees for all their hard work and efforts. I would also like to thank all the sponsors and donor who have made this another successful year.
The Council of the City of Estevan pursuant to the Cities Act that the Council of the City of Estevan, gives notice of its intention to implement a bylaw to establish and statutory authority to set Utility Rates within the City of Estevan PUBLIC NOTICE
On November 23, 2020 meeting the first reading of this bylaw was passed and the final readings is expected to be on December 14, 2020. The proposed Bylaw 2020-2033 may be inspected by any person in the City Clerk’s Office, on the main level of City Hall, between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Dated this 24th day of December, 2020. Judy Pilloud 1102 4th Street Estevan, SK S4A 0W7
INVITATION
The City of Estevan invites interested citizens to sit on The Estevan Board of Police Commissioners. If you are interested in becoming a Member at Large, please send a letter explaining your qualifications and what past experiences you have that could benefit this board in writing by December 10, 2020: City Clerk, 1102 - 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 Ph: 306-634-1852; Fax: 306-634-9790 email: cityclerk@estevan.ca Criminal Records Check may be required upon request.
AQUATIC SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE - OCTOBER 1 - DECEMBER 19, 2020
MONDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM -1:00 PM LANE SWIM 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM LANE SWIM 9:00 PM - 9:45 PM
TUESDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM -1:00 PM LANE SWIM 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
WEDNESDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM LANE SWIM 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM LANE SWIM 9:00 PM - 9:45 PM
THURSDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM AQUA AWE 1:15 PM -2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
FRIDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM LANE SWIM 1:15 PM -2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM FREE SWIM 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM ** LANE SWIM 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM *** **NO NOV 6 OR 27 *** ONLY OCT 9, 16, 30 & DEC 4, 11, 18
SATURDAY LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM LANE SWIM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM FAMILY SWIM 6:15PM - 7:15 PM PUBLIC SWIM 7:15PM - 9:00 PM SUNDAY LANE SWIM 1200 PM - 12:45 PM FAMILY SWIM 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM LANE SWIM 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM DEEP WATER POWER 8:00 PM - 8:45 PM
PLEASE NOTE - Due to the pandemic-related protocols, Lane Swim, Aqua Step, A.I.S., Deep Water Power Awe programming has moved to a PRE-Registration process. Users must pre-register online or by calling the Information Desk. For all other activities space is limited. Patrons will be screened upon arrival and asked a few questions as per the Operational Health and Safety Guidelines. Water fountains are not available.
FITNESS SCHEDULE ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE - 2020 EFFECTIVE - SEPTEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 24, 2020
MONDAY SPIN 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM GRIT 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM AQUA AWE 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM EASY STRETCH 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM SPIN 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM POWER BLAST 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SPIN/CORE 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM OPEN 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM WEDNESDAY GRIT 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM AQUA AWE 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM CORE BARRE ABOVE 9:10 AM - 10:15 AM FOAM ROLLER 10:30 AM - 11:10 AM POWER BLAST 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM OPEN 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM FRIDAY GRIT 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM GRIT 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM AQUA AWE 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM EASY STRETCH 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM OPEN 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
TUESDAY SPIN 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM SPIN 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM AQUA AWE 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM AQUA AWE 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SPIN 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM OPEN 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM SPIN 6:30 PM - 7:10 PM THURSDAY SPIN 6:10 AM - 6:50 AM SPIN 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM AQUA AWE 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM SPIN 10:15 AM - 10:55 AM AQUA AWE 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM HEAD TO TOE MOBILITY 5:00 PM - 5:45 PM SPIN 5:30 PM - 6:10 PM OPEN 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM SATURDAY OPEN 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SUNDAY SPIN 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM • SPIN 10:10 AM - 10:50 AM DEEP WATER POWER 8:00 PM - 8:45 PM • OPEN 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
PLEASE NOTE - Due to the pandemic-related protocols registration has moved to a PRE-Registration process. Users must pre-register online or by calling the Information Desk. Patrons will be screened upon arrival and asked a few questions as per the Operational Health and Safety Guidelines. Space between workout stations have either increased or a machine has been put into ‘not in use.’ Drinking fountains and change rooms will be closed. Memberships that were bought previously were put on hold; the days remaining on memberships have been applied to your accounts starting June 8th, 2020. If you need a new membership, please either book online at www.estevan.ca or call the Information Desk for contactless payment.
Classifieds
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
A17
Obituaries
Career OppOrtunities
Donald Robert Cook 1946 – 2020 Donald Cook, late of Estevan, SK passed away at the Regina General Hospital on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at the age of 74 years. Don lived north of Estevan all of his life where he took over the family farm. He enjoyed precious time with family, church, farming, racing, travelling, and had a long career at SaskPower. One of Don’s other passions was attending local farm auctions. Don’s racing passion started with snowmobiles and evolved into his love for NASCAR, then fielding a local race car, helping at the track, and attending as an avid race fan. Don was very proud to be inducted into the Estevan Motor Speedway Wall of Fame in 2014. His most precious passion was spending time with family. Don remained married to his wife Verna for 52 wonderful years. Don was predeceased by his parents, Farquhar and Esther Cook. Don is survived by his loving wife Verna Cook and their children, Cathy (John) Lendvoy, Colin (Jennifer) Cook, Carol (Brent) Bedker and Charles (Julie) Cook. Grandpa will be forever missed by his grandchildren: John Lendvoy (Krista Dayman), Jacob Lendvoy (Alysha), Morgan Cook (Clarissa), Marley Cook, Caitlin Betker (Zach), Cyla (Troy) Mulligan, Cura Betker, Charlene Cook and Charlotte Cook and great grandchild Simon Mulligan. Don will be missed by his brother Duncan (Pam) Cook and numerous, nieces, nephews and extended family. A Private Memorial Service was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan on November 24, 2020 with Rev. Lori James officiating. A video recording of the memorial service may be viewed by following the link on Don's tribute page at www.hallfuneralservices.ca. Interment followed at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens. Donations in memory of Don may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 738 2nd Street, Estevan, SK S4A 2B3. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to the Cook family - Deb Heidinger, Funeral Director.
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Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction Box 100, Arborfield, Sk. S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca
BELIEVE IT? Don’t fall victim to sharing fake news about COVID-19 online. Learn the four simple steps that will help you SPOT fake news online. Watch the video at SPOTfakenews.ca
TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF ARGYLE NO.1 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 30th day of January, 2021, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.
HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF FAKE NEWS!
DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
The global COVID-19 pandemic means learning how to SPOT fake news has never been more important.
Notices / NomiNatioNs Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.
Part of Section
Sec Twp Rge Meridian
Title No.
Total Advert Total Arrears Costs Arrears
NE
01
01
30
1
147712899 434.20
11.56
445.76
SW
01
01
30
1
147712912 486.98
11.56
498.54
NE
05
01
30
1
147712327 639.85
11.56
651.41
NW
05
01
30
1
147712417 559.53
11.56
571.09
SE
05
01
30
1
147712361 650.33
11.56
661.89
Watch the video at SPOTfakenews.ca
SW
05
01
30
1
147712440 535.87
11.56
547.43
NE
06
01
30
1
147712697 521.51
11.56
533.07
LAND FOR SALE
NW
06
01
30
1
147712686 582.81
11.56
594.37
SE
06
01
30
1
147712675 627.44
11.56
639.00
SW
06
01
30
1
147712877 614.63
11.56
626.19
NW
04
03
31
1
152956750 319.06
11.56
330.62
SW
04
03
31
1
152956749 311.12
11.56
322.68
SW
04
03
31
1
103110242 569.39
11.56
580.95
SW
10
03
31
1
138084756 668.56
11.56
680.12
NW
16
03
31
1
137464757 653.83
11.56
665.39
NE
17
03
31
1
131637562 704.27
11.56
SE
20
03
31
1
131637540 2016.76 11.56
2028.32
NE
21
03
31
1
134231767 1438.48 11.56
1450.04
NW
21
03
31
1
137464735 28.57
SE
21
03
31
1
134231903 1298.16 11.56
1309.72
SW
21
03
31
1
140293201 785.73
797.29
Protect yourself with media literacy in 4 simple steps.
FARMLAND WANTED I am currenlty PURCHASING single to large blocks of land. NO FEES OR COMMISISONS Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.
Parcel A Block Plan 102170584
Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com
11.56
11.56
146681602 1685.04 11.56
715.83
40.13
1696.60
Dated this 30th day of November, 2020. Erin McMillen, Treasurer
25th Annual Irrigation Saskatchewan Online Conference Dec. 7,8,9
HealtH ServiceS Announcements
NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. BUYING: FEED BARLEY, SOYBEANS, DAMAGED CANOLA. On Farm Pickup, Prompt Payment! PH: 306-873-3551 WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com “In Business to Serve Western Producers”
Announcements
PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.
Bob Petterson 1937 - 2010 A smile for all and a heart of gold One of the best this world could hold Never selfish, always kind A beautiful memory left behind!! Ten years have passed, but the memories will always be in my heart. - Love Joan
Feed & Seed
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.
OLGA MONICA GEDDES 1939 ~ 2020 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Olga Monica Geddes (nee Burak), beloved wife to the late Don Geddes, who passed away peacefully at the Chinook Regional Hospital with family by her side at the age of 81 years. Born in Bienfait, Saskatchewan and raised on the family farm in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Olga had a great love for Arabian horses and was an accomplished English Rider. She joined the Air Force for a short time and later married Don on September 16, 1961 in Estevan and raised 2 children, daughter Donna (Rob) Geddes and son Glenn (Dee) Geddes. She is also survived by her 2 grandchildren Lorne (Arielle) Geddes, Scott (Citabria) Geddes; 3 great-grandchildren Asher and Evelyn Faherty-Geddes, Kendrick Geddes; brother John (Brenda) Burak as well as numerous nieces, nephews and their families. Olga was predeceased by her parents Peter and Ann Burak; uncle Joe Burak, and husband Don in August of this year. A Private Family Graveside service will be held at a later date in the Archmount Cemetery, Lethbridge, Alberta. Cremation entrusted to Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels. For those who wish, memorial donations in Olga’s name, may be made to the Canadian Kidney Foundation 310 – 5160 Decarie Blvd. Montreal, Quebec H3X 2H9. Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a condolence.
In MeMorIaM
Feed & Seed
Hosted By Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association; and Irrigation Crops Diversication Corporation
HIP/KNEE Replacement? Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING?
Registration at Eventbrite Agenda includes: ☛ Provincial irrigation Expansion Plans ☛ Discussion on the Benets of Irrigation ☛ 2020 Irrigation Research Projects
The Disability Tax Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $50,000 Lump sum refund.
For info: email sbathgate.sipa@sasktel.net or call 306.796.4727 www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com
Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide!
Expert Help:
IRRIGATION MAKES SASKATCHEWAN GROW!
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BUSINESS SERVICES LEGAL
AUDIOLOGIST
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
We are your 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
“Your ears deserve an audiologist” #5 - 418 Kensington Ave. (Across from Walmart)
306-636-EARS (3277)
JACQUIE MVULA M.S., R. Aud. Audiologist/Owner
www.suncountryhearing.com
• • • • •
Brochures Business Cards Invoices Oilfield Ticket Books Envelopes
• • • • •
Flyers Posters Menus Programs Labels
• • • •
Raffle Tickets Booklets Cheques whatever you need printed!
If you need it printed on paper, we can do it!
306-634-2654
A18 December 2, 2020
www.estevanmercury.ca
City council approves Estevan’s new heritage bylaw Estevan city council gave second and third readings to a new heritage bylaw at the Nov. 23 meeting. The previous council gave first reading at the meeting in September, while the new council finished off their first regular meeting. This document allows council or the owners of these buildings to be able to seek a historical building designation. There are currently two buildings in Estevan that have this designation –the North West Mounted Police building, which is near the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum, and the Este van Cour t House. The bylaw stipulates a step by step process for what is needed to be declared a heritage building.
Mayor Roy L udwig noted that there used to be a guided heritage walking tour of the city, and he would like to see it return, so that people know the historical buildings in the city. • • • Council received a letter from Peter Quesnel, a Regina resident who recently visited Estevan but had no place to charge his electric car. Quesnel would like to see a Level 2 charger installed in Estevan for those with electric vehicles. He pointed out that Level 1 stations – a 120-volt outlet like those found in a house – are great for nighttime charging in a garage, but not sufficient for a quick charge when travelling. The Level 2 charging station is 240 volts, with
30-40 amp plugins. They represent the best balance of cost and efficiency, and they cost a lot less than Level 3, which is more powerful. A lot of drivers use an app that will tell them the locations of Level 1, 2 and 3 chargers in a community. “I think a lot of communities have figured out that the cost is worth it for the ability to draw people to local retail outlets immediately surrounding it, even in COVID times,” Quesnel said in his letter. Peavey Mart’s chargers have been down recently, but Ludwig said they will be working again soon. Councillor Kirsten Walliser suggested the business community or economic development could look at implementing more of these stations. She also believes Woodlawn Regional Park’s Boundary Dam beach site could be a good location.
CAREER
• • • Council also approved an amended social media policy. The original policy was adopted more than seven years ago, but this one was updated with new language for technology that has come forward in recent years. • • • The September and October reports from Shane Buscis, the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant manager, showed that they treated more than 143 million liters of water and pumped 133 million liters into the distribution system for September, and they treated more than 109 million liters and pumped more than 103 million liters into the distribution system for October. There were no plant upsets and all regulated parameters were below government standards. Mayor Roy L udwig
noted they have had much better water since shifting the primary water source from Boundary Dam to Rafferty Dam in August. • • • Building permit reports for September and October were also released. Four permits worth $196,300 were issued in September. All three permits were classified as miscellaneous. The October report showed three permits worth $213,000 were approved. Forty-seven permits worth more than $3.7 million were issued in the first
10 months of the year. Forty of those permits were listed as miscellaneous. There have also been five garage permits, and one permit each for commercial and institutional. • • • A water main break forced the closure of the intersection of King Street and Hillcrest Drive on Nov. 22 and 23. It was a connection from the old, existing water main to a new water main, and not an issue with the new water main itself, but the area that was torn up was pavement that was only a few months old.
iWave-R Residential
Air Purifier
SRI HOMES’ Estevan Facility SHELTER HOME SYSTEMS is currently accepting applications for
Estevan Farmer’s Market
PRODUCTION WORKERS
Will be holding their
Christmas Sales
• Required Immediately
Duties include:
in the Estevan Market Mall
Breath Cleaner, Fresher Air with an iWave Air Purifier from Mid-City Plumbing & Heating
Saturdays
Safely reduce odours and allergens and kill mold, bacteria & viruses
Follow us on Facebook
1237 6th St. Estevan, SK S4A 1A9 306-634-5512 • mid-cityplumbing.com
• Assembling and installing modular components Send, fax, e-mail or drop off resume to:
H
O
M
E
December 5, 12 and 19 9:30am - 2:00pm
Box 845 #200 Hwy. 18 West, Estevan, SK S4A 2A7 Fax: 306-634-7597 jobs.shelter@gmail.com www.shelterhomes.ca
S
SHELTER
y t i n u m m o C D R A O B N I T E L L BU
Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesign Introduces
Gift Card Fundraiser
Choose Life Ministry & Estevan’s Second Chance Thrift Store is hosting a gift card fundraiser to help raise money for women in need. All Gift Card’s were Donated or Purchased from Local Businesses in Estevan. Tickets can be purchased at Estevan’s Second Chance Thrift Store. 1Ticket for $5.00 or 3 Tickets for $10.00 Draw Date: December 18, 2020
Kits for a Cause
Helping to Spread Christmas cheer for families in need this Holiday Season In co
llabo
ration
Brought to you by:
with
$15 from select DIY Kits sold will help to purchase No Frills gift cards and a personal DIY DEADLINE TO ORDER Kit for families needing a little extra help this DEC 15 1207 4TH STREET holiday season
Purchase instore or online www.jewelsandjemsfurnitureredesign.com
“Where community happens” Estevan Market Mall Holiday Hours
chooselifeministry.ca
Truck Raffle Royal Canadian Legion Win a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, $10,000 cash, $5000 cash
Draw Date: December 31, 2020 $100/Ticket Get tickets at Murray GM or the Legion
Monday - Friday 9 am - 9 pm Saturday 9 am - 6 pm
50/50
Kin Canada
Estevan Kinsmen Club
Chase the Ace
Estevan Kinsmen Club Every Thursday night @ 6:00pm at the Black Grasshopper
St Joseph's Hospital Foundation Win up to $50,000 Draw Date: December 9, 2020 Tickets: 1 for $10, 5 for $20, 25 for $50 - Get Tickets at www.sjhf5050.ca
Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm Don’t forget to visit our Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9am - 2pm
The Estevan Shoppers Mall is now the • Ardene • Dollarama • Eclipse • Marks • Money Mart
• Nutters • Peavey Mart • Pet Valu • Sask Liquor • SaskTel
• Sobeys • SportChek • Star Gift • Studio C Fitness • The Brick
• The Source • Tim Horton’s • Warehouse One LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
400 King Street
Seriously GREAT flooring.
Cheers & Jeers
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
A19
Seriously GREAT flooring people. 306-634-5588 104 - Hwy. 47 S. Estevan, SK
www.floorstoreestevan.ca
306-453-2519 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13 Carlyle, SK
Flashback – Wednesday, Dec. 10, 1969
Cheers Cheers to the Estevan Kinsmen Club for once again setting up the Christmas Card Lane. It looks very festive on Souris Avenue North. Cheers to the respectful and great service of two young men at Energy City Overhead Door in Estevan. Good work on a local person’s garage doors. Cheers to the staff at the Lampman Health Centre. They truly are God’s angels on Earth. Cheers to A Loving Touch Florist for making a couple’s 75th wedding anniversary so much more special. Cheers to everyone who was out Christmas shopping at local merchants on Black Friday. There weren’t many parking spots to be found on Fourth Street during the day, and that’s good news for local businesses that have had such a tough year. Cheers to the Estevan Sharks water polo club for finding a way to host their in-house tournament on Thursday before the new restrictions set in. The kids had a great time in the pool. Cheers to Gage Goetz for his commitment to philanthropy, and for finding different ways to support the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
Jeers Jeers to the businesses that have their huge portable advertising signs on the boulevards, making it difficult to see oncoming traffic without having to pull way out into the roadway. Jeers to the people who continually litter the parking lots and streets with used paper masks. It’s deplorable and disgusting. We have numerous garbage receptacles in the city. Use them. Jeers to $50 tickets for parking on the street in front of your house, especially when you’re not working and encouraged to stay home because of COVID.
Shown here are the 11 young women who graduated from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan early December 1969 after completing their Student Nursing Assistance course. Front row, from left, Gail Runge, Brenda Bechtold, Muriel Thompson, Frances Mayer and Myrna Knuttila. Back row, Norma Panchuk, Evelyn Benjamin, Eileen Cowan, Rosalie Righetti, Rose Pastl and Gladys Fagerheim. They were honored at a special ceremony at St. Joseph’s prior to their final exam that took place in Regina.
We still have a reason to sing A precious sister-in-law struggles with near blindness, overwhelming tiredness but most of all, with loneliness. Her husband passed away three years ago. Now alone after 63 years of marriage, she has lots of reasons to be glum but in regular telephone conversations with her, I am always so blessed and encouraged regarding her attitudes. In a recent call she told me how another one of our sisters-in-law comes to visit and read to her each evening. Later, another friend and Erna speak on the phone; actually, they sing. In the darkness of COVID-induced lockdowns, we still have reason to sing. I re-
Linda Wegner Words of Worth
ferred to this Chinese proverb in an earlier article but it still hangs above my desk and still speaks to me daily: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer but because it has a song.” In a seemingly unrelated example, here’s another exhortation to realize the source of our strength. I am not a TV person but
six evenings a week I join my husband in watching Wheel of Fortune. Recently, a contestant excitedly called out, “I’m declaring victory!” Host Pat Sajak responded, “That is not correct.”The contestant looked stunned and thoroughly mystified. The next contestant then answered: “Declaring victory” to which Pat responded,
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To submit a cheer or a jeer, please email it to dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca, or visit www.estevanmercury.ca.
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“That’s correct.” Even more mystified, the first contestant said, “That was my answer.” Pat then explained that he had added the word “I’m,” thus invalidating his response. Sadly, he hadn’t even realized that he’d done that. How many times do we unconsciously do the same thing by saying “I’m in charge” or “I can handle this.” Let’s remember that we are not able to declare victory on our own. He is the one who gives us that song. “When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you…God promises… songs all through the night.” Psalm 43:6-8, The Message translation.
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Estevan Market Mall 306-634-9577
at online m Shop o .c frankies frankand
• Clothing • Fragrance • Footwear • PJ’s • Socks & Underwear • Sunglasses • Toques, Scarves, Mitts • Yeti Mugs • Buck Naked Bath Products • Coal & Canary Candles
1227 4th Street, S4A 0W8, Estevan, Saskatchewan 306-634-2423
kids speak What’s the most fun thing you’ve done for Christmas?
Briar Curzon–Gough
Age: 5 “The most fun thing I did at Christmas was seeing Santa Claus, opening presents and sledding.”
Avery DrummeLsmith
Age: 5 “The most fun part of Christmas is putting up the decorations and opening presents.”
421 King St #3, Estevan, SK I 306-634-3244
www.scotsburndental.com
A20 December 2, 2020
www.estevanmercury.ca
This Christmas, you can WIN your...
courtesy of the Estevan Mercury! To enter, list the items you want from the participating local businesses! Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Item: ___________________ Local Business: _____________ Name: ___________________ Phone Number: _____________ Total value of prize will not exceed $1000.
There are 3 ways to enter your wish list! 1) Cut this out and drop off at 68 Souris Avenue, Estevan 2) Take a picture of this list and email to admin@estevanmercury.ca 3 ) Enter online at estevanmercury.ca under the contest tab Winner will be notified by phone call December 16.
If you would like to donate to the Angel Tree or Kinette PJ Project...
Participating Businesses:
Angel Tree purchase a new toy and drop off @ Your Toy Store & More (ask about the sale!)
Kinette PJ Project purchase new PJ's for kids of all ages and drop off at Jenny Joans
If you are in need, or know somebody that needs some help this Chrismtas, please send applications to Char by December 5 - 306.421.9182 The Estevan Mercury will donate $1 for every Wish List entered to the Estevan Angel Tree & Kinettes PJ Project
(max $1000)
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g n i c u d o r t In ck & Cli t! c e l Col Our ESTEVAN location now offers ONLINE grocery shopping.
1. go to https://www.shop.crs/estevan 2. choose pick-up 3. choose Southern Plains Estevan location 4. choose your pick-up time 5. click ‘start shopping’ 6. shop away and follow the instructions to check-out 7. wait for a confirmation email with pick-up instructions 8. pick-up your order in your designated time slot
It’s that easy! NO mask, NO waiting in line, NO stress, and shop from the comfort of your own home! Click and collect!
www.southernplainscoop.com
Estevan - 826 4th Street 306.637.4300
SPIRITS BRIGHT • Coldest Beer In Estevan & Oxbow • Huge Selection of Cold Ciders, Coolers, Craft Beer • Wine from all over the World • Seasonal Christmas Products • Local Products
Want something we don't have? We do special orders, just ask! Your One Stop Shop!
Alcohol, mix and ice right in your grocery store!
Estevan & Oxbow PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY – DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE