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Power outages were the biggest challenge for the southeast’s latest winter storm Cultural mosaic.

Estevan Islamic Centre shares traditions observed during Ramadan.

PAGE A3

New development.

Ground is broken for new onelevel homes for seniors.

PAGE A7

SaskPower crews spent several days restoring power to the southeast after a weekend storm blasted the region. Photo by SaskPower

By David Willberg

Senior living.

Awards for service and recordbreaking flowers on agenda.

PAGE A10

Great start.

Bruins show great play during their first games in SJHL final.

PAGE A14

The latest spring snowstorm to blast southeast Saskatchewan brought some challenges that hadn’t occurred during the blizzard earlier this month.

The weekend storm dumped wet, heavy snow on Saturday and Sunday. The snow caused an assortment of challenges – closed highways, cancelled events and closed businesses – but the lingering issue came in the form of power outages.

SaskPower confirmed Saturday evening it had received numerous reports about power outages in the southeast, but stressed that the crews would not be able to get out to the outages until it was safe. Snow, wind and unsafe road conditions kept them from reaching scenes.

SaskPower said Sunday its crews were conducting a comprehensive damage assessment following the storm.

The affected areas spanned from Saskatchewan’s borders with the U.S. and Manitoba to the south and the east, to Broadview in the north and Lake Alma to the west.

As of 7:30 a.m. Sunday, 24,460 customers were without power.

Several larger transmission lines sustained damage. SaskPower utilized helicopter patrols to conduct an aerial assessment.

As of 8:00 p.m. Sunday, crews were able to restore approximately 12,000 customers. Crews continued to make progress throughout the day on Monday, and by Monday night, the vast majority were restored.

Roughly 500 customers in the Carnduff, Auberton, Parkman and Torquay were expected to remain without power until Tuesday evening.

Customers north and west of Estevan were also still without power.

Electricity was restored within the city of Estevan by Sunday afternoon, although SaskPower spokesman Scott McGregor said there might have been some without electricity.

“With the nature of the damage sustained following this kind of a storm, there’s a chance for secondary services [to go down], so a line that actually connects a home or business to the electrical grid, that the secondary service might be damaged as well,” he said.

“Your town or street might be re-energized or brought back up, but if your secondary service is off

or damaged, then you’re going to still remain without power.”

Since the beginning of the restoration effort, SaskPower said they received calls about more than 600 power poles and 2,200 crossarms.

Thirty damaged poles were found west of Estevan.

McGregor said the time needed to replace a damaged power pole is hard to determine.

“If the ground is soft, very wet, it will slow work down,” said McGregor. “If there are winds, if it is close to a road, depending on what equipment is available, you have to pull the stump of the broken pole out of the ground, and you have to dig a new hole for the new pole.”

A total of 35 crews and 215 technicians were to be dispatched Monday to continue the repairs.

McGregor said this storm presented some different challenges from the one that hit southwest Saskatchewan a few weeks ago, and also created lengthy power outages.

More crews were needed this time due to the size of the affected area. “ The amount of damage is spread out in a much wider geographical area in the southeast here.

In the southwest it was very much

localized to the Maple Creek area,” McGregor said.

Both had broken lines, snapped poles and damaged cross arms.

SaskTel said Sunday it experienced service outages in a number of communities in southeast Saskatchewan. Some communities had limited services, and they anticipated more services may fail as back-up battery power depletes if commercial power is not restored.

There was no internet, wireless and landline services in and around the communities of Arcola, Carlyle, Kisbey, Kenosee Lake, Manor and Redvers. SaskTel crews were working to restore services as quickly as possible SaskTel was still experiencing service outages in some communities on Monday. All SaskTel services had been restored in and around the communities of Carlyle, Kisbey, Kenosee Lake, Manor and Redvers.

SaskTel internet, wireless and landline services were unavailable in and around the communities of Storthoaks and the White Bear First Nations, while wireless was unavailable around Blewett and Outram.

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The Estevan Public Youth Centre opened for extra hours during the Easter break and also invited younger residents to come to check out the place.

Executive director Juli Dzuba said it was their first time staying open during a school break, and it was a bit slower than their regular weekend drop-ins, but they are "plugging away" and hope more patrons will utilize the space and all they have to offer further down the line.

"We just wanted to see how it was, and we'll make adjustments in the future for the next break to see if maybe different hours would be better and those types of things," Dzuba said.

For the Easter break, during the week outside Monday and Tuesday which are their regular days, EPYC also opened up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 2-7 p.m.

On Thursday, they also opened the space to Grade 5 and 6 students, which Dzuba said went really well with new people visiting.

"On Thursday, we had a lot of new faces," Dzuba said. "It was to just give them an idea because Grade 6 is [nearly] at the end of the school year, and they'll be going into Grade 7 next year. I thought it would be a good opportunity for them to see what they will be able to attend next year. And I did want to just test out to also see, maybe I will expand to Grade 6 and see how that goes. I'm not sure when that will happen. But I might look at adding a few more days for them to come to check it out. And if it's successful, I might con-

EPYC participants dropped by the Estevan Public Youth Centre during the Easter break. Photo submitted by Juli Dzuba sider opening up the age range a little bit."

Dzuba said that it's been going well since they moved to their new permanent location at 1104 Sixth Street. They have a "really consistent crew" that comes out every weekend, but they also keep seeing new people.

They recently got together to do some planning for what youth would like to see happening at the centre. Dzuba said they planned the calendar for May and June. The youth gave their ideas on what they wanted to see happen and what types of nights they wanted to see EPYC have.

With the youth programming es-

tablishing and growing, to keep operating smoothly EPYC would need more people to join them as volunteers.

"We definitely do not have enough volunteers. I would really love to get a good base of volunteers so that it isn't too much for the handful of volunteers that I have. I would like to get a bigger base so that each volunteer can take maybe one or two shifts a month, and that will cover us so that they don't get burnt out," Dzuba explained.

People who consider volunteering can reach out to Dzuba at 306-421-3134 or via email at info@theepyc.ca.

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« A1 Mack, the roads and drainage manager for the City of Estevan, said crews worked for about four hours on Sunday.

“We were out at 5 a.m.

Sunday morning, and we took the slush and snow off our gravel roads and in the industrial area, Sixth Street and our outlying gravel roads so that we can keep them in shape,” said Mack.

Motorists were able to navigate their way through the city on the roads because the snow melted when it hit the ground. And the snow was so wet and heavy it didn’t have the chance to blow.

During Monday night’s meeting of Estevan city council, members of city council paid tribute to the efforts of public works staff to keep the roads clear as much as possible.

O t h e r c om mu n i t i e s were not so lucky, forcing them to mobilize a fullblown snow-clearing effort for the second time this month.

Highways were shut down due to the storm, while others had travel not recommended advisories. The closures were in the far southeast corner of the province.

The storm also forced the rescheduling of numerous events in the community.

The storm caused damage to hundreds of power poles. Photo by Marleen Vicary The Orpheum Theatre in Estevan was to host a concert by PIGS: Canada’s Most Authentic Pink Floyd Tribute Band on Saturday as part of PIGS’ Coming Back to Life tour. In a post on its Facebook page, the Orpheum said it was notified that the concert had to be delayed due to inclement weather and winter storm warnings in southern Sas-

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The Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters’ Association’s spring firefighter training school in Carlyle was to occur April 22-24. It has been pushed back one week to April 29-May 1.

The Estevan Wildlife Federation’s fundraising dinner and banquet, slated for April 23 at the WylieMitchell Building, will now be held April 30. Also delayed a week to April 30 are the Souris-Moose Creek Wildlife Federation’s dinner at the Oxbow Rink, and the More 2000 benefit at the Harry O Memorial Arena

in Midale.

The Estevan Farmers’ Market had to cancel its weekly indoor sale at the Estevan Market Mall that was scheduled for Saturday.

One event that wasn’t postponed was Saturday’s Game 2 of the SJHL final between the Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers.

There was a power outage before the game and another in the final minute of the first period, but thanks to the effort of SaskPower crews, power was restored both times in under an hour and the game was completed.

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Estevan Islamic Centre shares Ramadan tradition with the community

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Estevan Islamic Centre opened its doors for community members to indulge in their culture and learn more about the month of Ramadan and associated traditions.

Settlement Workers in School and Transition Estevan, along with Southeast Newcomer Services, reached out to the Estevan Islamic Centre to find some opportunities for their participants to learn more about their traditions and the local community. In response, they received an invitation to join the group at the local mosque or masjid on Fourth Street on April 22 for Iftar, which means breaking fast, one of the evening meals during the month of Ramadan.

About 35 people shared the dinner and spoke about Islamic traditions that night.

"We were invited to participate, it was absolutely delightful," said Debbie Hagel, SNS executive director, adding that it was the first time she experienced Islamic culture and really enjoyed the night.

"I think one of my takeaways is that we have more in common than we don't. It was great to see families celebrate Allah or God. It was delightful as far as the meal and the festivities that went along with the meal, and prayer. And it just felt very much like a family holiday, a family celebration, very similar to Christian celebrations and family holidays."

She noted that while the Islamic community in Estevan is not as large as it used to be, as several families left over the past few years due to work, they are a thriving group, and they look into more ways to engage with the broader community.

Islamic community volunteer Shoaib Muhammed said that before COVID, the local Islamic community arranged bigger events to share their

culture with more people.

"Hopefully we will do it again next year," Muhammed said.

Currently, the Islamic community of Estevan consists of seven families and about 30 people. A few years ago it was closer to 75. Back then they were more involved with the larger community, actively raising money for the hospital, charities and organizations, but that was put on pause due to the pandemic. Now that the restrictions are over, the Islamic centre is again looking for opportunities to support local organizations and get more engaged with the rest of the city.

During the night at the mosque, Islamic community members talked about their religion and traditions and answered their guests' questions.

"That's what culture is all about. It is a mosaic of different colours, different experiences and different practices.

That's how you learn. And that's the beauty of a community [to have many different cultures allowing us to learn from each other]," Muhammed said.

Guests asked if any of the Islamic community members ever experienced any hardship practising their faith in Estevan. It turned out that the experiences were good for everyone present.

Some of the guests also wanted to know more about fasting rules and how it works for children.

In the presentation about Islam, Muhammed explained that Ramadan is the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar and is the fourth pillar of Islam. During this month, Muslims fast all day from dawn to dusk, and they don't eat or drink anything during the day.

For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan becomes obligatory at the age of 14, but if kids want, they can start earlier. Muhammed added that if a person is travelling, sick, pregnant or can't fast for some other important reasons, they can complete the miss-

A celebration was held on Friday to mark the end of Ramandan. Photo submitted by Aimee Haralson. ing days afterwards. Also, if a person cannot keep fast due to age or weakness, they can give money equal to the amount of three daily meals to a hungry person or feed someone who is hungry to compensate for the missing fasting days.

Islam is an Arabic word which means "surrender, submission, commitment and peace." Thus, Islam can be defined as a path to attain complete peace through voluntary submission to the divine will, Muhammed explained.

Islamic faith is centred around belief in the one God (Allah) and the Prophet Muhammed is Allah's last messenger and prophet. Islam teaches to believe all messengers from Allah, from the first prophet Adam to the last prophet Muhammed. All the prophets preached the same universal message of belief in one God and kindness to humanity.

"Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God. In Islam, Allah is the creator

of the whole universe, heaven and hell, there is nothing equal to Allah Islam is based on five pillars.

These are guides for daily life for putting the beliefs of Muslims into practice: •Shahadah (declaration of faith) – to bear witness or testify that there is no god except one God (Allah) and Muhammad is Allah's last prophet or messenger.

•Salat (ritual prayer) – the five daily prayers are performed at different timing of the day. The prayers are offered in the Arabic language and have to be faced in the direction of Mecca.

•Zakat (alms tax) – Giving 2.5 per cent of all your year-around savings (including cash, jewellery, property if you are getting income from it and livestock) of one's wealth to the poor and needy.

•Sayam (fasting) – Muslims fast during the first prayer to the fourth

daily prayers hours in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar called Ramadan for 29 or 30 days.

The purpose is to remind people of the goodness of what they have, show equality with the poor and to recognize religious duty to help the less fortunate. Ramadan is a time for extra prayers and self-discipline.

•Hajj (pilgrimage) – Every Muslim whose health and finances allow it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba, a cubical structure covered in black covers, is at the center of the Haram Mosque in the city of Mecca. Performing Hajj is also following the practices of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic). Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims face towards Kaaba's direction when they pray from all around the world. Hajj is performed in the final month of the Islamic calendar.

SE College teaches needed skills for admin professionals

By Ana Bykhovskaia Southeast College, with campuses all over the region, is usually associated with industrial and medical trade programs, which are their base.

But to ensure they cover the demand of students and businesses alike, they also provide short-term courses, workshops and longer programs in other areas.

During the Admin Professionals Week, the Mercury reached out to the college to talk about different options they have for people looking to get into the administration field or seeking to enhance their existing skills and knowledge.

Sheena Onrait, the manager of marketing and communications with the college, said they have a lot of various administrative-based shortterm and mid-term courses allowing them to serve the needs of all kinds of local admin professionals.

The first option is online management training, which has been pretty popular lately.

“These are short courses delivered completely online, and

there are quite a few of them.

They range from administrative office procedures to event planning, to time management skills course. There are about 35 to 40 different short online courses, and they’re very inexpensive at $75 apiece,” Onrait said.

“If someone is looking to either get a start on their administrative experience or if they’re looking to hone some skills they may already have, that’s a really great and a really affordable option.”

The college also offers about 10 different business management essentials. It’s live online courses, facilitated by an instructor and delivered to a group of students in a workshop style. The courses range from communication strategies to problem-solving, to teamwork and team building and can enhance administrators’ skills and abilities.

Also, SE College provides computer training of different kinds, including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and bookkeeping, which is delivered online and in-person through short courses, which may also enhance the work of

admin professionals.

In the past, the college offered a full-time office administration program, which was put on pause a few years ago. Onrait explained that while good admin professionals are the glue in a company of any scale and are always in demand, they adjust their program offering based on student interest and labour market conditions at a given time.

“When we are exploring our program options for the upcoming academic year, we go through a very extensive decision-making process where we take our student demand, we take what’s happening in our region, we take the priorities of the government of Saskatchewan into consideration. And we combine that all together in a complex decision-making process. That’s how we come up with what programs to offer in what locations,” Onrait explained.

She expects the demand for office administration will be going up in the next few years, and the college will bring it back then, as it was a strong program, graduating viable and

skillful professionals.

“We have a very wonderful and experienced instructor who has taught our program in the past. She’s very passionate about teaching and passionate about learning. And she has a very, very vested interest in the success of her students. Instructors are key to the success of students.

“Small class sizes at Southeast College are another [key to students’ success]. We don’t overfill the classes, so the students get a lot of one-on-one instruction and one-on-one support.

“Also, the program that we offer, we broker it from the Saskatchewan Polytechnic, so students do get that Sask.

Polytechnic background and education as well. “[The program] checks all those important boxes, when it comes to training administrative assistants for the field, ready to go out and work. And like anything, that program changes and evolves too. So, as they see updates that need to be done, they do those. As they see different trends happening in the administrative field, they do

updates on the program as well,” Onrait said.

Students who’ve completed the program have a very high rate of employment, she added.

In today’s environment, employers have different prerequisites for employee diplomas and certificates. Sometimes they require a full-scale education, while in other cases knowledge received through focused courses does the job just as well. Onrait noted that oftentimes businesses now seek well-rounded administrators, able to adapt to fast-changing realities. One of the biggest shifts was an almost full switch to online communication, ecommerce, etc.

And some of those needs for new fast-emerging knowledge are often best covered through short-term, easily accessible and affordable courses.

However, the full-time program has many benefits as well. And while it is on pause, Onrait encouraged anyone who is considering pursuing a career in office administration to still reach out to the college, as with higher demand they may bring it back sooner.

In the meantime, the Mercury congratulates all admin professionals in the area.

For more stories dedicated to Administrative Professional Day, visit our Saskatchewanwide news hub at sasktoday.ca.

EDITORIAL A4

| Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

Staff SERVING CANADA’S SUNSHINE CAPITAL Sales Manager Pat Pasloski - ppasloski@estevanmercury.ca

Sales Kimberlee Pushie - kpushie@estevanmercury.ca

Editor David Willberg - dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Editorial Staff Ana Bykhovskaia - abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Production Manager Ana Villarreal - avillarreal@estevanmercury.ca

Production Morgan Hodgens - mhodgens@estevanmercury.ca

Administration Vaila Lindenbach - admin@estevanmercury.ca

EDITORIAL

They didn’t choose an easy job Volume 116 Issue 46 Contact us: (306) 634-2654 68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.estevanmercury.ca @Estevan_Mercury facebook.com/EstevanMercury

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When you get a situation like the winter storms that hit southeast Saskatchewan this month, we typically see an outpouring of support and affection for those working to ensure that we can still live our day-to-day lives.

Municipal snow removal crews, whether they be private or public, receive lots of praise.

So do Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure snowplow operators. First responders such as police, firefighters and EMS workers, get their share of admiration, especially when they get called out on stormy nights.

SaskPower and SaskTel crews work long hours to restore services. And there are so many more.

We’ve seen a lot of tributes over the past two weeks.

It’s great to see people expressing their admiration for so many. It’s a redeeming quality for social media. In the case of line crews and snow removal employees, they usually don’t get a lot of attention.

The only time we seem to talk about SaskPower employees is when we find ourselves in a situation like we did on the weekend, when adverse weather conditions knocked out power and they were the ones out at the earliest possible opportunity, trying to restore electricity.

And that’s unfortunate. It’s not just

during the power outages that they are out risking their lives to do their job. They also provide a valuable service during other times, such as during planned power outages.

We know there were 1,600-plus hockey fans at Affinity Place who were happy with the efforts of SaskPower employees on Saturday night. Game 2 of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final was able to happen at Affinity Place because of the efforts of SaskPower crews who twice restored power in rapid fashion.

They could have said “no, we’ll take care of it later, we have other calls to tend to,” especially after the second outage, and few would have complained. The game would have gone ahead Sunday afternoon. But SaskPower employees decided the game should happen Saturday night, because they knew this was important to the community.

Highways crews allowed us to get out on the roads relatively quickly. A check of the Highway Hotline map on Saturday evening showed travel was not recommended on highways that cut through or around Estevan, and on several other highways in the region.

Many highways in the far southeast corner of the province were closed. Virtually every highway south of Highway 1 and east of Highway 9 was closed.

But if you looked at the Highway Hotline on Sunday afternoon, you’d have seen that seasonal driving was prevalent, with a few areas in which winter conditions existed.

Crews had cleared the snow and they were drivable again, despite the snow drifts, slush, blowing snow and wet road conditions that existed less than 24 hours before.

And let’s not forget the snow removal crews who worked long hours during the Easter long weekend after the first blizzard.

Of course, you’re going to have those who complain, who want to know why their home or business doesn’t have power yet.

Or they’ll wonder why their home doesn’t have power and others do, and they’ll cite SaskPower’s incompetence.

Pretty sad, isn’t it?

But most of us navigated the past two weeks pretty well. Our greatest source of frustration should be that we had this miserable weather at a time in which we should be walking outdoors, jogging, dusting off the golf clubs, getting our campers and boats ready or preparing for other activities that bring us joy each summer.

Let’s just hope that the admiration with these people remains. After all, one day we’ll see another power failure. Don’t get upset with those only trying to do their jobs.

'We have more in common than we do differences' Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated

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After attending one of the Ramadan nights organized by the Estevan Islamic Centre, Debbie Hagel, executive director with Southeast Newcomer Services, told me "We have more in common than we do differences."

She explained that a lot of Islamic traditions she learned about during the event resonate with those in Christianity. Partly that's because both are Abrahamic religions, and have the same roots and core values, but this phrase made me think further about people's differences and similarities.

I have a pretty odd and somewhat mosaic personal history, which was to a large scale affected by my relations with religions and cultures.

I was born in the U.S.S.R. – a state that denied and tried to cancel all religions in an attempt to take over that central space in people's value system. Despite the state atheism, my parents were leaning toward Orthodox Christianity and by nine years old (which is really late) they got me baptized.

For a few years, I was really engaged with trying to understand what it means to be an Orthodox Christian. With acute fascination, I was watching parsons swinging thurible in the dusk of Orthodox churches, I was exploring isolated faces of saints and great martyrs and reading the Bible.

But things changed a few years later when my grandpa offered me to go to a Jewish summer camp and maybe check out Israel. Apparently, I was Jewish – a secret that I wasn't told and wasn't smart enough to guess as I had very little to no knowledge about Judaism. Grandpa, the only real Jew in our immediate family, suffered from the regime due to his heritage.

And while he still used some Yiddish

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… words here and there, had endless books with odd names, and every year brought home matzoth, a weird and tasteless bread, for Pesach (all of that I decoded later), he did all he could to protect his family from everything. So he let me into this part of my history only because he believed that by then it was safe to do so.

And what a world I discovered. Not only was it crazy interesting to explore but being a part of it made the experience even more valuable. I ended up getting really engaged with it and being given a choice I somewhat set Orthodox Christianity aside as I felt less related to it at that time.

About the same time, while I still was into Judaism, I was invited to apply for a Turkish high school – a prestigious institution where all classes were taught in English instead of Russian, and all teachers were … right, from Turkey. For the next four years, I was living and studying alongside some of the most interesting and amazing people I came across in my life.

Most of our teachers and assistants were very talented, smart and dedicated to our success. And they also were Muslims – people who to us, kids seemed very different in their lives and routine.

With many, we became friends for the rest of our lives. That new setting allowed me to grow a better understanding of another great religion and its culture. No, I've never converted to Islam, as it wasn't a part

of me, but I definitely learned a lot about Islam. And what an interesting and beautiful journey it was.

Along the lines of this story, my best friend I met at high school was more into Catholicism, so when travelling together we would visit Catholic churches and she guided me into some of the values of that faith and culture. She is still my best friend, so her interests partially became mine throughout time.

Why do I tell you about that? Because all those differences had enough room to peacefully coexist inside me, only inspiring me to learn more.

With those experiences, I ended up being a bit of an alien and a bit of an insider in all of those cultures, feeling complicit and a smatterer all in one.

I managed to get a sense of many different cultures and religions, and most of them had a strong influence on me, imprinting some bits and pieces into my personality.

And while the manifestations in most cases seemed very different, the core values were very alike.

Those pieces of my personal mosaic shaped who I am and made me a stronger and broader person. My cultural and religious experiences allowed me to learn more about the world and better understand people who may seem different. They also helped me understand that while we all are very different, in my experience, we only appear different, bringing many colours and practices to the table. But that table that we share is the same.

And when we dedicate time to learning a bit more about each other, we realize that more things unite us than put us apart, no matter who we are and where we come from.

Flooring

OP-ED A5

Blinds Paint

| Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Estevan not alone for physician retention Estevan has seemingly been in a cycle when it comes to physicians since I’ve been here.

Twenty years ago, I remember hearing that we were down to eight practising doctors in the community, and there weren’t enough for a community of this size.

After that time, it would be a recurring theme every few years.

It bottomed out in 2011, when you could count them all on one hand, and we needed locums and a sudden influx of doctors to meet the needs of our community.

The difference now is it seems like our lower physician count occurs every two or three years instead of every four or five years.

One physician left earlier this year and three more are scheduled to leave before the end of June. We have some more coming, but local residents are skeptical how long the new ones will last when they can leave after two or three years.

When a doctor does leave, the finger pointing begins almost immediately. People will blame hospital management or one of the existing doctors in the community. Others will claim it’s due to the money made in Estevan.

Perhaps some physicians who have left here have had qualms with management or a colleague or even the community as a whole, but there’s a bigger factor involved.

Estevan isn’t alone as far as having recurring physician shortages or doctors leaving the community after a couple of years. Most towns, small cities and bigger centres in the country are experiencing this issue, have gone through this issue within the past year or two, or will encounter this problem in the next couple of years.

International physicians have helped address the shortage, but we don’t have enough of them.

People might question why we aren’t producing more medical doctors who were born and raised in Canada, but reality is that this is a demanding job. There’s a limited number of people out there with the intelligence, ability and compassion to be a doctor.

It’s a high-pressure job that takes an emotional toll on even the most dedicated of people. The past two years of the pandemic have only exacerbated the issue.

We’ve seen that Estevan is able to bring physicians here.

Keeping them has been a problem.

We’re not just competing with Regina and Saskatoon once a doctor is able to move on. We have to compete with Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg,Toronto and Ottawa. You hope that you can attract a physician who prefers that small-city atmosphere.

But then they have to convince their families that a small city is the place to be.

We don’t necessarily think it’s very far from Estevan to Regina or even Winnipeg. But other people will say otherwise.

Estevan is so fortunate to have physicians who have stayed here for decades, who settled here and raised their families here.

(One of them has a daughter who now practises in Estevan). But we have to recognize that the days of a physician coming here and staying here are becoming increasingly rare.

This is not to say we should have a defeatist attitude when it comes to doctor recruitment and retention. We have to do everything possible to get them here and keep them here. But we also have to realize how competitive it really is.

We also need to be supportive of the physicians we have here and those who are looking to come here. It’s more than just saying “welcome” when you first encounter them in the community.

Some people have a penchant for bad-mothing our doctors and medical professionals on social media every chance they get.

It’s very detrimental to our community. Why would a doctor want to come here when keyboard warriors, many of whom won’t even use their real name, are constantly bashing them.

If you have a problem with a doctor, channel your complaint through the appropriate area.

We’re lucky to have the doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff that we have in this community. We’re fortunate to have a hospital like St. Joseph’s. But we have to realize the competition that is out there for their services, and that’s the biggest hurdle we face in keeping them here.

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Sunflower Network looking to bring Ukrainians to Saskatchewan A new group has been formed to bring Ukrainian refugees to Saskatchewan.

The Sunflower Network is comprised of about 25 people between Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Saskatchewan contingent includes representatives from Estevan, Carnduff, Moosomin, Saskatoon and Abernethy.

Brian Crossman of Estevan said it started with an industry friend of his, Steve Halabura, who is of Ukrainian descent. Halabura became concerned after he saw what was happening in Ukraine since the war with Russia began.

“He reached out to a bunch of us other industry people, in the energy industry, that we should maybe do something,” said Crossman. “So, he organized some Zoom meetings on Sunday nights, and we started discussing options of what we could do, and we put together the Sunflower Network to see what we could do to help these people to get out of Ukraine,” said Crossman.

Many of them are now staying in Poland and other countries.

“They can choose to stay in Canada, or when the war is over, they can go home,” said Crossman.

One of the members of the Sunflower Network was part of the team that brought a Ukrainian family to Estevan earlier this month. The group have a family in the queue that is in Poland and is waiting for their visas. The family has relatives in Estevan.

Halabura has brought a doctor and his wife to Saskatoon.

Crossman expects there will be an influx of refugees across the province.

“If we can get a few families here, great. I guess it depends on where they wish to go. Some of them will probably want to go to the bigger cities and some of them might want to go into the farm communities,” said Crossman.

The people in Abernethy are wanting to get some in the farming sector, while those in Estevan want to bring Ukrainians into the energy sector.

Debbie Hagel and Michael Pelletier with Southeast Newcomer Services have been a big help, Crossman said, and Cory Casemore has been a big part of the Estevan team. John Billesberger is also going to assist.

They have just started fundraising, and Crossman said Canadians, particularly Saskatchewan people, are always very generous.

“We’re all in it for the same reason.

We just want people to be safe. A lot of us have businesses and we may have the opportunity to hire some of these people, if they’re interested, but the goal right now is to get them out of harm’s way and here, where it’s safe,” said Crossman.

A lot of people that they’re talking to have families in Canada, which helps bring them here.

“Estevan does have quite a few Ukrainian families here already, so that’s definitely a plus,” said Crossman.

Some of those Ukrainian families moved here more than a decade ago during the Saskatchewan boom years.

There are a lot of other groups involved with efforts like this, and Crossman stressed the Sunflower Network is one of many groups trying to help as many people as possible.

“Whether we get five, 10 or 20 families, I’m not sure. We’re still working out the numbers on that, because it’s a certain financial obligation to get a family over here and get them up on their feet until they’re ready to get jobs and pay their own way. Those numbers vary from family to family.”

A church and a foundation have stepped forward to accept donations to the Sunflower Network, allowing for a charitable receipt to be granted. They are in the process of sending out emails to people they know in the industry for donations. Crossman said members will be transparent in how they spend money.

“I know there are some people, and they’re definitely interested in helping, which is good, because like anything in life, it takes money to make things happen, and the nice thing about having the charitable component is the foundations we’re going through, we can issue tax receipts,” said Crossman.

The Sunflower Network will be looking for furniture, bedding clothing, kitchen needs, toiletries and more, because many people fleeing Ukraine are leaving the country with the clothes on their back.

“Some of these people do have families, and they might have some access to some things already, but we’re definitely going to be looking for all ways to help these people.”

You can visit https://www.sunflowernetwork.ca/ for more information.

For more stories on how people of Saskatchewan are helping Ukrainians, visit our provincial news hub website at www.sasktoday.ca.

EPS lays eight drug-related charges The Estevan Police Service has announced drug-related charges for trafficking in several different substances.

The charges were laid following an investigation conducted by the Estevan Police Service’s Drug Intelligence Unit. In a news release, the EPS said a search warrant authorized under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was executed on a residence in an Estevan mobile home park on April 21. Members of the Estevan and Weyburn Police Services’ Joint Tactical Support Team were deployed to gain access to the residence.

Two adult males were arrested at the scene without incident and the EPS said officers seized a large quantity of substances believed to be heroin, ecstasy, Xanax and ketamine.

The street value for the seized substances is estimated to be $40,000.

As a result of this investigation, 25-year-old Tristen Stuckey of Estevan is facing separate charges of trafficking heroin, ecstasy, Xanax and ketamine; and additional separate charges of possession of heroin, ecstasy, Xanax and ketamine

for the purpose of trafficking.

All charges are under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. He has been remanded into custody and will appear in court on April 25. None of the charges have been proven in court.

The second male subject was released without charges. * * * Officers apprehended an impaired driver on April 21. A 41-year-old Estevan woman was arrested and supplied samples of her breath, with readings that were allegedly more than four times the legal limit. The woman was lodged in cells and held in custody for her and the public’s safety due to her level of intoxication. She was released to appear in court at a later date.

Also on April 21, police received a report of a missing youth. The youth was located and parents were made aware of her location.

Officers received a request for a well-being check on an elderly Estevan man. Police attended and arranged transportation to the hospital for examination.

Police received a driving

These drugs were seized by members of the Estevan Police Service on April 25. Photo submitted complaint April 20 about vehicles speeding in a residential area. Officers attended and monitored traffic with radar. No further speeding was detected.

Members received requests for well-being checks on

two separate individuals during the day. Both individuals were checked. They ended up going to the hospital to be examined.

Police are investigating a report of failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

Flashback – Wednesday, May 1, 2002ADOPT

Stormy

ME!

Hi, I’m Stormy! I guess you can call me somewhat of an affectionate cat, I make lots of visitors laugh here at the shelter by giving them big hugs and lots of kisses.

Have you ever heard of a cat who gives hugs and kisses?? I’m a pretty special dude. I love all people and want love to soak up all the attention for myself, so I don’t get along best with other cats.

306-634-3444 estevanhumanesociety.ca

The Estevan Extreme midget girls’ volleyball team captured gold in Saskatoon in 2002. Members of the team were, back row, from left, Becky Huck, Kristen Metz, Jenna Michel, Mallory Hilkewich, Katie Billesberger and Larry Epp. Front row, Shawna Brown, Brittney Hesketh, Meghan Betnar, Kiya Naka and Carly Hengen.

A6 April 27, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

Oxbow’s Chase the Ace may hit $35,000 this week For the second time in a row, the Oxbow and District Recreation Board is having a really good run with their Chase the Ace virtual fundraiser.

After the latest draw on April 20, the jackpot was starting at $32,600, which is about halfway to its sell-out maximum of $60,000. Weekly pots have been in the $1,5002,000 range for a while now, with about 1,000 tickets sold every week.

The game started on Sept.

15, 2021, and continue all the way up to June 15, unless the ace of spades is drawn earlier.

"This is two years in a row

where we haven't had an ace drawn since the very beginning of the game. And it's very exciting because that's how the pot grows," said board member Tami Scott. "We haven't had a dip in ticket sales at all. So every week we go up and up and up, selling a little bit more."

The board had 31 draws so far and nine of the winners were out of Oxbow. Scott said this is also equivalent to the proportion of out-of-town purchases, with about a quarter to a third of participants buying tickets from outside the community every week. However, those who are not local usually still have some connection to

the Oxbow area and reside mainly in the southeast.

Up until now, they had a couple of people participating in the game from Regina, and some people from Gainsborough, Carlyle, Estevan, Carnduff, Frobisher and other communities in this corner of the province.

The board switched to an online format for the fundraiser about two years ago due to the pandemic and associated restrictions, and their participation rate skyrocketed. And even though the restrictions have been lifted, they decided to keep the game going virtually, allowing for more people

to try their luck and support the board.

"It just seems like when people don't feel that they have to be somewhere, [it's easier for them to join]. We've always had e-transfer, but it wasn't really well used until everybody went to e-transfer," Scott said.

"So, this year, when we decided to run the game again, it was a no question that we would do it online."

The recreation board has five facilities that they oversee, including the arena, the swimming pool, the museum, Bow Valley Park and the Memorial Hall. Money raised through Chase the Ace will help with

annual disbursements. Besides, in the long run, the board plans on building a new hall, so they'll be keeping money aside to eventually get started on that project.

"For now, we're going to be embarking on a needs assessment and public engagement, getting people involved in focus groups and that sort of thing. And then we'll take that and move forward with some conceptual plans. And then hopefully, by 2023, we will really embark on fundraising for that. And it will all be phased," Scott noted.

The next draw will take place on April 27. Tickets for

Oxbow Chace the Ace can be purchased via e-transfer to OxbowChaseTheAce@outlook. com, at the Oxbow Credit Union or the town office. If doing an e-transfer, people are asked to include their phone number and mention if they want pictures of their tickets.

People are also asked to purchase tickets in advance if possible, so that board members would have time to make them.

"The whole rec board has really been involved this year, writing tickets and doing all that sort of things, so we're very, very grateful for the rec board for all the work they're putting into this," Scott said.

Kids, cats and dogs all embraced into reading The Estevan Public Library invited their patrons to come out to the Estevan Humane Society for their Reading to Animals event on April 21.

Curated by Alyssa Vacca, the library’s children’s program co-ordinator, this monthly project has been running since last December, incentivizing kids to read

in a more exciting and fun setting, and allowing shelter animals to have some great visitations.

“I saw a picture on Facebook of kids reading to shelter dogs. And I thought it was a good idea, so I contacted the humane society to see if they wanted to collaborate. And they did,” Vacca explained on how the

Birth Announcement

ations on your new bundle of l u t a r g joy!

Con April 13, 2022 Son

program came to being.

“Most of the kids don’t read to the animals, which is fine. It just gives them that interaction.”

Clifton Gietz came in early to visit with the cats last Thursday, and some of the felines would lay on his lap while he would read to them.

Later they got into playing, enjoying their time together.

So did several other kids that stopped by to enlighten their furry friends and have some fun.

The next Reading to Animals will take place on May 12 at the Estevan Humane Society from 4-5:30 p.m.

Clifton Gietz was one of the first ones to come in and visit with cats during the Estevan Public Library and Estevan Humane Society’s joint Reading to Animals event.

Milo David Meek 7 lbs 6 oz

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THANK YOU TO MY ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM, ROSALIE STORY & SUSAN COLBOW, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

LORI CARR, MLA

ESTEVAN CONSTITUENCY OFFICE 306.634.7311 LORICARRMLA@SASKTEL.NET

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IT TAKES MORE THAN A SIGN.

BUSINESS A7

| Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

Josh LeBlanc REALTOR ® 306.421.6778

Ground broken for new senior living residences Estevan will soon see a new living complex for seniors built in the northern part of the city.

Monday morning Hirsch Holdings Ltd. and City of Estevan representatives were at 2330 Morsky Drive to break the ground for 10 one-level duplex-type condos for seniors.

Duplexes will be built in two phases. The first three duplexes are being started now and are to be completed in early 2023. And they hope to start working on the latter two in the fall.

In total, they will build 10 condos with garages ranging from 1,304 to 1,850 square feet.

The condos won’t have a basement or any kind of stairs, allowing for a more comfortable accommodation for seniors.

Garry Hirsch said they’ve built one-level living facilities in Estevan before, but there is still a great demand for that kind of accommodation.

“We’ve got lots of calls in the office over the last couple of years from people that are … looking for one-level [houses] with a garage.They’re moving from a house, they want to downsize, but yet they’re not ready for a seniors’

comp or something, they live on their own,” Treena Hirsch said, confirming his words.

Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig underlined that having one-level living quarters will be great for many families in the community.

“I think it’s something that people want,” said Councillor Lindsay Clark.

Garry Hirsch said he had his eye on this property for a couple of years because of the Shirley Creek running on the side of it, and the company finally purchased the land last fall.

He thanked the city for all their help going through the requirements and paperwork, and now they are ready to start building.

“When you are developing property, there’s a lot of red tape, city bylaws, building code. And, of course, the city’s got all that knowledge. We have it too, but the bylaws change from year to year.

So the city has worked with us and really helped us get this thing rolling,” Garry said.

A big sign showing the layout of the project will go up at the location soon to give people a better understanding of what’s being done.

One condo has already been sold,

From left, Councillor Rebecca Foord, City of Estevan coal transition co-ordinator Rick Sadick, Councillor Lindsay Clark, Mayor Roy Ludwig, and Garry and Treena Hirsch of Hirsch Holdings Ltd. broke ground for the new senior living condominium complex. and another sale is in the works. Once they sell about 60 per cent of the firstphase properties, they want to start working on the latter two buildings.

The hope is to proceed to phase two and put foundations in before the freeze-up, so they could work through the remaining two duplexes during winter. The market has been fluctuating a lot over the past two years and prices have been going up significantly.

Treena Hirsch said while it hasn’t been easy, they’ve put in a lot of work to ensure everything works out well.

“It’s been a little bit stressful that way, but Garry has done a lot of work on making sure the bids are coming in fairly. You have to go with market value.

We know that lumber is high, but we’ve gone out to subcontractors as well and basically come in with the best prices we could,” explained Treena.

Garry added that they are planning on using local subcontractors, and there will be a lot of people involved throughout the construction period with five to 20 people working at the location at a time.

“I’m not done with all the subcontractors, but it looks like pretty well everything will be local,” he said.

“It’s very important to us,”Treena added.

Impaired driving remains a problem in Estevan Every April, the Estevan Police Service traditionally focuses on battling impaired driving, which despite constant efforts, remains a very serious issue in Saskatchewan.

Estevan Police Chief Richard Lowen said they are joining other agencies across the province to once again

remind the public that driving under impairment is never a good choice.

“We’re focusing on impaired driving enforcement for the month of April,” Lowen said. “People have to realize that impaired driving is responsible for more deaths in Saskatchewan than any other factor on

the roads.”

In 2021, there were 89 charges for impairment by alcohol and 26 impaired by drug charges laid in Estevan alone.

“One [charge] is too many, and when you get multiple people charged, that’s [way] too many,” Lowen said.

The EPS is seeing an in-

22044GM4

crease in impaired by drugs cases, which is potentially happening due to several reasons.

Lowen noted that first, it has to do with the legalization of some drugs. But the tendency is also occurring because of the improvements in officers’ abilities to detect drivers impaired by drugs, along with the development of the equipment used to detect drug impairment.

While the numbers for impaired driving cases remain high, on a year-to-date basis EPS has seen a decrease in the statistic. The five-year average for Jan. 1-Feb. 28 is 14 cases, while this year there have been only six occurrences.

Lowen also pointed out that the first couple of months of 2022 might not be a good indicator of a general picture, as they were still marked by some

COVID-related restrictions.

The situation may change now that things are getting back to normal, and with more public events already filling the calendar, the statistics might go up again. But Lowen said the hope is that people will stick to good choices.

“When things start to open, we have to realize that we have to make those choices, to choose the designated driver, take a cab or find another way or stay the night,” Lowen said.

Since the beginning of April, the EPS along with other agencies across the province has been running their check stop programs. The community will see more check stops throughout the month. The first one was conducted on April 1 and it included positive ticketing, in which one lucky driver received

a $75 gift card to one of the local businesses as a thank you for driving sober.

Lowen said that awareness campaigns are another good measure when it comes to cracking down on impaired driving.

“We have to get the message out to everybody so that they make the choices. And our check stop program is also very important to let people know that we’re out, we’re watching and we’re trying to keep the roads safe,” Lowen said.

“Always plan a safe ride home. Make a good choice and keep yourself safe. Keep everyone on the road safe. Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking or using drugs or if you’re even fatigued, impaired is impaired. Make a good choice on the road,” Lowen addressed to the public.

May is Celiac Awareness Month.

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide.

Ask our educated, knowledgeable staff about our gluten free options today!

*some exceptions may apply*

A8 April 27, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

Bank employees got pied for Telemiracle A unique fundraiser for Telemiracle, ran by the Radius Credit Union’s Tribune branch this year, came to an end with a customer appreciation day at the bank and employees getting pied on April 21.

To make their traditional fundraising efforts more fun, the branch offered customers the chance to win an opportunity to pie the manager and employees for a donation towards Telemiracle. This twist allowed them to raise $3,800, claiming first place across all Radius Credit Union branches and also setting their own fundraising record.

Dianne Chapman, business development manager with Radius Credit Union’s Tribune branch, said they were excited to see such support from the community.

“This was the highest amount that we’ve ever raised.

Last year was $2,000. So, when we hit the $3,000 mark, it was

like, wow. And then we almost got to four. It was really good.

We had just fantastic community support,” Chapman said.

For a $20 donation, people could win a chance to pie Chapman in the face, and for a $100 donation, a winner got to pie all of the branch staff.

While this fundraiser attracted more support from the community, Chapman noted that when it came to the prizes, many people said that even if they win they wouldn’t claim them.

“Most people when we tried to sell it to them, they said ‘there’s no way I’m going to be able to pie you guys.’ That’s when we started thinking we’ll serve pies and you guys can have a pie with us. So that’s why we actually served tarts yesterday because there were lots of people that wanted to donate, but they absolutely would not pie us. And even the ones that

got drawn for the winners of the $20 and the $100 donations didn’t want to pie us, but we asked them that they do it just so that we can have some fun,” Chapman said.

About 35 people came to the branch during the day, and about 15 stayed there for the final event.

“It was a lot of fun,” Chapman said, adding that with this year’s success they probably will try something similar next year.

Radius Credit Union has branches in Ogema, Avonlea, Ceylon, Pangman, Redville, Torquay and Tribune. All together they raised $6,400 for Telemiracle this year, which means that the Tribune branch alone was responsible for raising almost 60 per cent of the regional total.

“It’s really important to us here [to fundraise for Telemiracle every year] because the funds stay local in Saskatchewan.

From left, Adele Hicks, Dianne Chapman, Nicki Berg and Roseanna Stendall of Radius Credit Union’s Tribune branch at the end of their 2022 Telemiracle fundraiser. Photo submitted by Roseanna Stendall And we’ve all been touched by Telemiracle in some aspect. So, it’s an important thing to support for us … just to help people

in Saskatchewan,” Chapman said.

“And I really would like to thank our staff for promoting it

and thank the community for all of their donations. Without our community, we couldn’t do this.

And it was great fun.”

RM of Enniskillen raises money for a new ambulance After the latest fundraiser for a new ambulance, the RM of Enniskillen is one-third of its way to raising the needed $302,145.

The ambulance fundraiser was held on April 9 at the Memorial Hall in Oxbow.

With 240 people in attendance, it brought in $57,000, which will help cover the cost of a new Ford MX164 ambulance.

The RM of Enniskillen said the ambulance is on order through Demer’s Ambulances in Saskatoon and they are hoping for a fall delivery.

The fundraiser consisted of live and silent auctions, a raffle, dessert, special auctions and a 50/50. The live auction alone raised $26,875. The 50/50 pot winner’s take-home amount was $1,483. Dr. Nic Botha pulled the winning ticket, and the RM councillors donated their half of the winnings back to the cause.

The dessert auction was held with the highest bid having their choice of dessert. It

provided entertainment and bidding wars.

This brought in $4,200, with the high-selling dessert being a $700 Olive Branch Bistro cheesecake.

There was a tie for the highest-selling items. Nelson Motors donated a John Deere ATV Camo XUV Gator-12V, and Brett’s Ag provided aerial spraying. Each sold for $1,750.

There were 160 donated items.

Another surprise came at the end of the auction, when Norm and Donna Klatt announced that they would provide $500 for every $5,000 that was donated from the crowd.

This resulted in $20,000 from the audience.

And the Klatts supplied the $2,000 on top.

Weir’s Catering served some delicious food. Mack Auction Co. was the auctioneer for the evening.

Cannington MLA Dar yl Harrison brought greetings, and Oxbow EMS paramedics Britt Venn and David Dyck delivered

speeches.

“I am really proud to belong to a community that takes matters into their own hands to purchase the crucial equipment we need to provide the highest level of care possible,” Venn said. “It is really hard to cope with treating patients without the proper equipment you are trained to use for lifesaving interventions.”

“I always consider my job an honour.

I get the opportunity to be with people on some of their best days, but also their worst.

To be with someone who’s dying and there is nothing I can do with all my training is difficult,” Dyck said.

“But I’ve learned that to be with someone in those final moments is a privilege. To not know what to say to the family, but listening and offering a hug is sometimes all I can do. It is always an honour to rush someone to Estevan where they deliver a new baby.

“And I know if we hit those trucks

hard enough at Bienfait, I might just get to deliver one.”

The RM of Enniskillen was grateful to see such a strong support that gets them and the community closer to their goal.

“We are so excited to be one-third of the way to our goal with the generous support of cash donations totaling $21,800 given to date.

You truly made a difference towards a new ambulance for the EMS staff, doctors, hospital staff, patients and families,” the RM said.

“We’re so fortunate to live in such a caring and fantastic community. With each donation or receive we will come closer to our goal. Thank you for making a difference through your compassion and generosity.” “[The fundraiser night] wouldn’t have been possible without the attendees, event workers and DDs, everyone who helped with canvassing for donations, Weir’s Catering, Mack Auctions, Southern Plains Co-op grocery and liquor stores and Trina Hitchens.”s

Distracted Driving Technology to reduce driving distractions and accidents Smartphones and other technologies have been implicated as risk factors for distracted driving.

It may seem counterintuitive that tech could help prevent distracted driving, but various products can do just that.

Distracted driving accounted for roughly 3,000 fatal cases in 2019. Many companies have invested considerable time and money into developing technology that can prevent distraction-related accidents. Here are some options: Usage blocking apps: The temptation to grab for a phone to make a call or send a text is high for a population that checks its phones dozens of times a day. To curb temptation while driving, a person can use apps that prohibit calls or texts while the vehicle is driving by sensing the motion of the car.

It ’s worth noting that 9-1-1 calls are not affected by the app. Many phone operating

systems also come with their own “do not disturb” settings that enable users to turn off alerts while driving.

Geofences: Geofences are defined boundaries/tracking alerts set up from a central location. Parents can use these geofences to monitor teen drivers and receive alerts when the teen goes outside of a predetermined boundary. This can help parents keep closer tabs of teen drivers’ whereabouts.

Some GPS trackers also provide reports on driving habits, such as speeding or erratic driving. Parents can take action accordingly, like warning against speeding or erratic driving, or taking away privileges if they are not happy with what teens have been doing.

Collision warning sensors: Warning sensors at the fronts or sides of vehicles go off when vehicles get too close to another car or truck. Additional vehicle sensors include lane departure warning systems that

go off when a driver is about to cross over a lane. Audible beeps or other sounds go off, unless the driver uses the turn signal to change lanes. These sensors are handy for anyone who starts to daydream while driving, as the car will provide a loud wake-up call before a potential collision happens.

Automatic emergenc y braking system: One of these systems will take over for the driver if the motorist fails to brake when rapidly approaching a vehicle or another object.

Hands-free devices: Many vehicles come equipped with Bluetooth technolog y and other voice-guided functions.

This enables drivers to do anything from adjust heating and cooling settings to dialing a phone number without having to take his or her hands off of the wheel.

Distracted driving may lead to accidents, but certain technology can cut down on incidents while driving.

It’s important to find ways to eliminate distracted driving. Photo by miguelangelortega / Moment / Getty Images.

It can happen in a second, please don’t drive distracted

DON’T DRIVE DISTRACTED

Dr. Robert Kitchen MP Head Office | North Portal (306) 927-2165 Estevan (306) 634-3434

DistracteD Driving

causes crashes, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.

Oxbow (306) 483-2848 Pipestone (204) 854-2231 Halbrite (306) 458-2344

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ENERGY A9

• Bulk Fuel • Cardlocks • Bulk Lubricants & Grease • Lubrication Storage & Equipment Solutions • Bulk DEF Solutions • Bottle Propane

| Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

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Tundra commits support to Bienfait Arena The Bienfait Memorial Arena has received a considerable investment from Tundra Oil & Gas. Tundra donated $100,000 towards upgrades for the ice plant at the arena.

Bienfait rink board president Jesse Juneau said the rink board applied through the Tundra Oil & Gas and Richardson Foundation. When repairing the cooler and chiller tank during the hockey season, they heard from an employee of Steel Reef Infrastructure about the foundation.

The Steel Reef employee asked the rink board treasurer to send a letter.

“It was probably a month or two later that we got a phone call that they’re willing to give us a donation, so we were obviously quite excited about that, not knowing how much they were going to donate. They said they would leave it to a surprise until they dropped off the cheque. When they revealed the cheque with all those zeroes, we were happy to see that,” said Juneau.

Juneau said Tundra selected the arena for support because of the

number of children who use the rink.

“Anything involving kids is basically top priority for them.They are expanding into Saskatchewan … so they are focusing on getting Saskatchewan more involved with these donations,” said Juneau.

The ice plant went down in the middle of January due to a problem with the chiller barrel. Other issues followed afterwards. “It was just three consecutive things that happened individually that made our ice plant go down. At the time, it was quite warm, so we had to actually cancel about two weeks’ worth of ice time. So we got it up and running and basically just patched it together.”

The R-22 refrigerant that they use is very rare and expensive. The Bienfait Rink Board hopes to eventually stop relying on R-22 and improve the plant’s efficiency. They need a chiller barrel and a couple of compressors to stop using R-22.

“Any time that we have refrigerant loss or anything like that, it’s a big bill because it’s so rare. Not too many people have it, and when they

From left, Bienfait Rink board treasurer Amanda Pukas, president Jesse Juneau, Craig Lane, the vice-president of production operations and community relations for Tundra Oil & Gas, rink board vice-president Ivan Boyer, board member Bill Mann and RM of Coalfields Reeve Richard Tessier participated in the cheque presentation. Photo courtesy of Jesse Juneau. do have it, it’s extremely expensive,” said Juneau.

Juneau said they are confident the ice plant will be functional for next season. Due to the age of the plant, which Juneau said likely dates back to the 1970s, parts and pieces are

very hard to find. Retrofitting is what they’re trying to do, because a new plant is around $500,000, and they don’t have that kind of money.

With the money from Tundra and other donations, they have about one-third of the estimated cost of a

Progress continues for southeast geothermal project

The Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. continues to advance the company’s first geothermal power facility in southeastern Saskatchewan, which will produce approximately 35 megawatts.

As a Canadian first, the facility is projected to produce emission-free baseload power.

This initial facility is planned for commissioning in early 2025.

As envisioned, a four-stage build aims to scale the project to produce approximately 140 MWs of geothermal power generation in approximately 35-MW increments.

Phase 1 development plans include one 35-MW geothermal power facility. Negotiations are ongoing with SaskPower to increase the five-megawatt power purchase agreement, secured in 2017, to align with phase 1 development that averages roughly 35 megawatts annually of baseload geothermal power.

Thirty-five MW is roughly equivalent to the power required to supply 35,000 households with electricity.

Some recent highlights include: •Completed successful feasibility engineering in September; •Design basis memorandum (DBM) engineering currently underway by Calgarybased Scovan Engineering; •Negotiations are ongoing for enhanced SaskPower power purchase agreement (PPA); •Secured 80 acres of land under an 18-month offer to purchase for the surface area requirements for the first planned geothermal facility; •Resolved critical engineering challenges such as corrosion mitigation and reducing parasitic pumping power; •Reviewing optimization strategies to build low emission natural gas (NG) power generation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) for parasitic power requirements (primarily brine pumping). This aligns with the federal government’s

recent unveilling of a 50 per cent tax credit aimed at spurring investment in carbon capture and storage technologies; •Engaging SaskPower and SaskEnergy on the use of natural gas and CCS technologies to help address parasitic loads and related issues; •Completed Canada’s first large volume 53-day production and injection geothermal pump test; •Entered a strategic partnership with Prairie Lithium to exchange subsurface mineral

permits and establish an area of mutual interest to explore future lithium opportunities; •Actively engaged with stakeholders, including local communities. DEEP said in a news release that a meet and greet in Torquay was well received by local officials and residents; and •Drilled and tested the Border-06 stratigraphic stepout well to demonstrate lateral geological continuity of the geothermal reservoir properties.

Production and injection test-

ing demonstrated excellent productivity.

DEEP ’s government subsurface lease for geothermal power is a contiguous 39,120-hectare (99,667-acre) block. In addition to geothermal power production, and with proper regulatory approvals, separate stratigraphic intervals within this subsurface lease could also be used for CO2 storage.

A final investment decision strategy is expected this fall along with the SaskPower PPA.

DON’T MISS OUT! LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE!

2022

new plant.

“We’re just getting all of the details and quotes and availability, now that we know how much we can spend.”

They hope to have a fundraiser of some sort in the future.

thrutubing.com | 306.634.4001

Drilling Licenses 1 new licenses issued to Monday, April 27, 2022 234703

Crescent Point Energy Hz................................. 2-22-7-9

234703

Crescent Point Energy Hz............................... 15-3-1-13

233060

Allied Energy Corp Hz..................................... 8-20-5-13

233521

Crescent Point Energy Hz................................. 3-28-7-5

234485

Aldon Oils Hz.................................................... 7-26-5-7

234458

Allied Energy Hz........................................... 11-36-5-16

234459

Allied Energy Hz........................................... 11-36-5-16

Rig Report No Drilling Activity reported

June 1 & 2, 2022

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SENIOR LIVING A10 | Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

Potentially record-setting amaryllis blooms in Estevan An ambitious flower brought a lot of colour into one Estevan man’s houses this spring.

Bright-red amaryllis had George Kuchinka surprised when after having six gorgeous flowers, it spit out another arrow with six more blooms. While amaryllises are known to have up to three shoots out of one bulb with two to four flowers, most of the time they have just one arrow and six flowers are rare as well.

Kuchinka, who is a retired farmer, has been growing amaryllises for quite a few years now.

It started with a couple of bulbs they bought from Judith Pierce, who used to sell them for the Huntington’s Society of Canada in the 2010s. Ever since then Kuchinka has been taking good care of the bulbs, and now has

six or seven of them, so he’s been enjoying numerous beautiful red and orange flowers every winter.

He doesn’t know if his plant would qualify for any kind of official record, but it definitely sets one in his household, as he’s never seen so many flowers coming out of the same bulb.

It was put in the pot on Jan. 20. On March 21, one arrow had six flowers and another one was coming to have six more by April 7. One bulb produced a total of 12 flowers, and Kuchinka said he’s never had even six flowers out of one bulb before.

Every year Kuchinka puts the bulbs out in the garden around May, allowing the roots to get the nutrients from the soil and the foliage to enjoy the sun. When fall comes, just before frost, he pulls them out

and lets them dry. Then he cuts off dry leaves, leaving about five centimetres of a stem, and plants the bulbs into flowerpots around December or January, using good garden soil with some peat moss in it.

And in March to April the plants start producing beautiful, bright and big bellflowers.

Sometimes when they are in the garden during summer, bulbs produce babies on the side.

Kuchinka said he plants those separately to keep his amaryllis plantation growing.

“It takes probably three, four years before those little babies amount to anything to bloom,” he said, adding that amaryllises are not as much of a hobby for him, but rather are something he does since, as a retired farmer, he needs to have something green in his life.

Allan Senchuk recognized for six decades as a Lion

The first arrow with six flowers on it came to full bloom on March 21, and the second shoot was just coming out.

Photo submitted by George Kuchinka

Plenty of activities for Creighton Lodge residents Submitted by Shelly Veroba

Allan Senchuk, second from left, pictured with, left, his son and fellow Lions Club member Ron, Allan Senchuk’s wife Lynn and Estevan Lions Club president Maureen Duncan.

The Estevan Lions Club celebrated one of its long-time members on April 19.

Allan Senchuk was presented with a certificate honouring his nearly 60 years of service. The Estevan Lions Club was chartered in 1957 and Senchuk joined in November 1962.

"Our club would like to recognize Lion Al for his outstanding contribution to our club and the community as a whole. He has been actively involved in every aspect of our club," stated a bio that was read

at the meeting.

They said Senchuk is a "shining example" for everyone on what being a volunteer is about.

"His knowledge of everything Lions has been our guiding light for every member that has become involved in this club," they said.

The club described him as a soft-spoken, true gentleman who is respected by everyone that has met him.

Senchuk has served as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and tail twister

within the club, and he was also a zone chairperson.

He also owned his own business in Estevan, McComb Automotive Supply, for over 50 years. He started out as an employee right out of high school. When the business came up for sale in 1969, he made the leap into becoming an entrepreneur and has grown the company to 13 employees and two locations.

The club noted McComb Automotive supports the Estevan Lions and the community as a whole.

With February being a short month, we figured it was a good idea to roll the February and March columns into one.

However, March had so much excitement that this column will need to be shortened. I will do my best to fill everyone in on what has been happening at the lodge. Phyllis Phillips passed away on March 1. Phyllis had been living at Creighton Lodge for 10 years.

She loved going shopping, playing cards and having coffee with friends. Phyllis had many friends and will be missed by everyone at the lodge.

Herman and Nancy Kleebaum also left the lodge to move to a higher level of care.

Sadly, Nancy passed away on April 8. Our hearts break for Herman as he mourns the loss of his beloved wife. Nancy was a beautiful soul and loved by all.

We celebrated four February birthdays: Marion Mack, Eva Kuntz, Donna Wilson and Herman Kleebaum. Francis Mack and Wanda Kjersem both celebrated their birthdays in March. Del Koch and Kelly Eagles played for our March

birthday party and everyone enjoyed the music.

In February, we celebrated our monthly social supper with A&W burgers, fries, onion rings and a root beer. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the socializing. For March we had KFC with our French fries or mashed potatoes, along with coleslaw or macaroni salad.

Thank you to both restaurants who made sure our seniors had great-tasting meals to enjoy.

We had our regular activity programs: Bingo, exercises, manicures, the hearing aid clinic and the library. We also ventured out to the Orpheum Theater to watch the movie Dog. It was a great movie for everyone. The popcorn, pop, chocolate bars and licorice were an added bonus to the movie. Thank you to Jocelyn at the Orpheum for making sure we were taken care of and a big thank you to Art Beselt at SMILE Services for making sure we were transported safely.

On March 2, we had the Trinity Lutheran Church service, and on March 22, we welcomed back St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church and Father Sathi Antony. We hope this is a good

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April 28th - May 1st

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It’s Spring and time for our annual Spring Book Sale

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sign of things to come now that the churches are coming back to provide our seniors with church services. On March 25, we held our annual fundraiser.

It was hosted at the Wylie Mitchell building and over 320 people attended. A delicious roast beef and barbecue chicken dinner was served with garlic mashed potatoes, salads, all the trimmings and a caramel dessert. Thank you to Sheldon and Sheila Spilchuk with a Little Taste of Heaven Catering for ensuring everything was perfect.

Our entertainment was a Duelling Pianos act, 176 keys, out of Calgary. They provided a fun night for all who attended.

A huge thank you to everyone that attended, volunteered, donated and assisted us to raise money to help our future capital projects. We appreciate you all.

I don’t know if March forgot to go out like a lion and left it all for April to deal with, but I wrote this column during a spring snowstorm that is sure to turn out to be one of the biggest snowfalls in many years.

I hope the rest of the month brings us all sunshine, tulips and spring in our step.

Estevan Public Library SPRING BOOK SALE

Your LocaL Hearing impaired Hearing SpeciaLiSt

Full Hearing Tests

Ambitious amaryllis came to full bloom on April 7 with six more blooms and 12 blooms in total. Photo submitted by George Kuchinka

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL LIBRARY NOT THE LIBRARY YOU REMEMBER

Hardcover:

$1.00

Softcover:

$0.50

Magazines:

$0.25

Audiobooks:

$1.00

CD/DVD Sunday Special: $5.00 a Bag Stop by to find some great reads. From Large Print to DVD’s, the Spring Book Sale has it all.

Fill up a Southeast Regional Library tote bag for $5.00 on Sunday, May 1st while supplies last.

Estevan Public Library 701 Souris Ave. N Estevan, SK S4A 2TI (306) 636-1621 or (306) 636-1620 estevan@southeastlibrary.ca

CLASSIFIEDS A11

| Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca Obituaries

Obituaries Dora M. Eagles 1924 – 2022

Jerome Mathias Yoner 1945 – 2022

Dora May Eagles, late of Macoun, SK passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at Regina General Hospital at the age of 97 years.

Dora is lovingly remembered by her family: children, Vern (Dianna) Eagles, Macoun, Verna (Armond) Hauglum, Midale, Larry Eagles, Macoun, Gary (Vi) Eagles, Estevan and daughter-in-law Doreen Eagles, Macoun. Grandma will also be deeply missed by her 13 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.

Dora was predeceased by her parents, James and Dora Mitchener; her husband William “Bill”; their son Vic; great granddaughter Brooke Duckarmie; infant great grandson Tate; siblings, Charles (Lorainne) Mitchener, Violet (Cecile) Eagles, James (Mary) Mitchener and twin sister Daisy (Cyril) Worsfold.

The Public Visitation will take place on Friday, April 29, 2022 at the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The Funeral Service for Dora will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. St. Giles Anglican Church, Estevan with The Venerable Wilma Woods presiding. The interment will take place at Macoun Cemetery following the service.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Stars Air Ambulance, 2640 Airport Rd., Regina, SK S4W 1A3 in memory of Dora.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is providing care to Dora’s family – Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

With heavy hearts the family wishes to announce that Jerome Yoner, late of Estevan, Sask. passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at the age of 76 years. Jerome was predeceased by his parents, Mathias and Eva Yoner; step mother Magdalene Yoner; brother Michael Yoner; sister Annabelle Haakonson and several extended family members. Jerome will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 54 years, Diane Yoner; son Jerome Paul Yoner and daughter Tammy Larson. Fond memories will be cherished by his grandchildren, Skylar, Cheyanne, Dakota, Hannah and Larissa and great grandchildren, Laila and Logan.

Jerome will be missed by his siblings, Richard (Louise), Florence (Walter) Matthies, Raphael (Gaylene); brothers-in-law, Vern (Arlie) Haakonson, Leo (Lucille) Olheiser, Edward (Carol) Olheiser and Lawrence Olheiser; special niece Joyce Olheiser and numerous nieces, nephews and friends. The Prayer Service was held on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, with Connie Wheeler officiating. The Funeral Mass was celebrated on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, Estevan, with Rev. Sathiadas Antony the celebrant. A time of lunch and reminiscing followed in the parish hall. Those so wishing may make donations in memory of Jerome to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, 200 - 4545 Parliament Ave., Regina, SK S4W 0G3. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for the Yoner family – Deb Heidinger, Funeral Director.

In MeMorIaM

Mildred Pearl Mehler 1930 – 2022 Mildred Mehler passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Hill View Manor, Estevan, SK on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at the age of 91 years.

Mildred was predeceased by her parents, Henry and Thelma Godman; husband Mathias Mehler; son Leslie; grandsons, Marlon and Chris Byers; great granddaughter Nia Hale; brother Dwayne Godman; sisters, Reva Porowski, Verna Panteluk and Gail Szostak and sister-in-law Marie Godman.

Mildred will be lovingly remembered by her children: Brenda (Cecil) Mantei and their children Jesse (Jason), Tyler (Elyse) and Calay (Taylor); Leslie’s partner (Mala Dhug) and his children Jennalynd (Darryl) and Emmalee (Chris); Myron; Jason (Chardina) and their children Landon, Tanner (Tiffany), Blaine (Alexa) and Kelsey (Adam); and Chad Mehler and 23 great grandchildren.

Mildred will also be missed by her siblings, Delbert (Ruth) Godman, Louella Kroetch, Doreen Moody, Patricia (David) Ackrill and brother-in-law Len Szostak as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Prayer service was held at the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK on Monday, April 18, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. with Connie Wheeler presiding.

The Funeral Mass was held at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, Estevan, SK on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Sathiadas Antony officiating. Interment took place at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, Estevan, SK. Lunch followed at the church auditorium.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for the Mehler family – Deb Heidinger, Funeral Director Judith Pierce 1945 – 2022 Judith, late of Estevan, passed away on Friday, March 25, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 76 years.

Judith is lovingly remembered by her daughter Vicki Pierce Soltesz (Andy) and son Scott Pierce (Stephanie); brother Don Elton (Adrienne); sister Jane Smith (Ron), Shelley Elton and Bonnie Elton.

Judy also leaves behind her grandchildren, Ellie Pierce, Rosie Pierce, Daniel Pierce, Brittany Pierce, and Jennifer Pierce; step grandchildren, Christopher Soltesz and Sarah Soltesz, as well as numerous family members and many friends.

Judith was predeceased by her parents, Gilbert and Blanch Elton; husband Lloyd; son Brad Pierce and sister Rhonda Elton.

Judy Pierce was an amazing and devoted Mom a loving dear friend to many. She was loved by those who had the opportunity to meet her. She lived her life to the fullest and always gave of her time.

Judy was never too busy to spend time with her family and friends, sharing funny stories, and being there for others. Her laughter was infectious.

As a result of her generous spirit and pleasant personality, she was loved by many. Her influence will forever remain in the lives of all who knew her. She was funny and had an amazing sense of humor.

Some of her favorite passions and hobbies were needlepoint and quilting. She created some of the most stunning and beautiful needle points and quilts. She donated many quilts to her community.

Judy enjoyed Travel. Her and her daughter Vicki Pierce Soltesz travelled together across Canada for work and pleasure. They were an inseparable mother-daughter pair.

She quietly passed on with her daughter and sister Bonnie Elton by her side. She was able to say her goodbyes to Vicki.

A special thank you to her dear friends Vern Buck and Eileen Kvamme (Les), for the time spent with her in her last hours and throughout her life.

Thank you also to all her friends at Trinity Towers for their support.

There will be a Celebration of Judith’s life held in Calgary, AB at a later date.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to the Huntington’s Society of Canada, 151 Frederick Street, Suite 400, Kitchener, ON, N2H 2M2.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is providing care to Judith’s family – Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Lawrence Stephany 1930 – 2022 Lawrence passed away on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 91 years.

Lawrence is survived by his wife Linda; daughter Christine; son Gene (Tamara) and 3 granddaughters, Gabrielle, Renée and Rachelle.

Lawrence was predeceased by his parents, Mathias and Anne Stephany; sisters, Alice Getz and Gertrude Peterson.

The Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C Church, Estevan, SK. the private family interment will be held at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. Everyone is welcome to attend the luncheon following the interment.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home Auxiliary, 1921 Wellock Rd., Estevan, SK S4A 2B5 in memory of Lawrence.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is providing care to Lawrence’s family – Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

HEAVY DUTY MECHANICS REQUIRED 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.

In Loving Memory of Jennie Deren March 24, 1931- April 28, 2013 In our hearts, your memory lingers Sweetly tender, fond and true There is not a day dear Mom That we do not think of you.

Forever in our Hearts.

Sadly missed and forever loved

by June, Paul, Donna, Bill, Lil, Linda, Delmar, Joy and families

Suzanne ( Daniels ) Ronceray February 25, 1966 April 26, 2009 Brittany Ronceray March 28, 1990 April 26, 2009 In loving memory of our Special Angels Wonderful memories woven in gold.

These are the memories we tenderly hold.

Deep in our hearts your memory is kept To love, to cherish and never forget.

Just as you were you will always be.

Lovingly remembered by: Mom and Dad (Grandpa and Grandma) Daniels, Kyle and Mackenzie Ronceray, Karen, Kerry, Keith, Stacia, Krista Goudy, David Daniels

Paul Elash Q.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D. Gainsborough: Thursday a.m.

Carnduff: Thursday p.m.

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

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS REQUIRED: motor scrapers, dozers, excavators, graders, rock trucks. Lots of work all season.

Camp job; R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.

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

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Career OppOrtunities AGPRO SEEDS: BUYING HEATED, DAMAGED CANOLA. On farm pickup, prompt payment!

TOP PRICES PAID IN SASK. Phone: 306-873-3006 or Visit AGPRO website for bids: agproseeds.com FORAGE SEED FOR SALE: Organic & conventional: Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, Red Clover, Smooth Brome, Meadow Brome, Crested Wheatgrass, Timothy, etc.

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Rhonda LouAnn Wick May 10, 1972 - April 18, 1992 Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day.

Unseen, unheard, but always near; Still loved, still missed and very dear.

Love Always, Mom, Dad, Trena, Derek, Hudsyn & Joseph

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

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A12 April 27, 2022

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The gift of repentance

Refurbishment underway on Estevan’s cenotaph Some restoration work is now underway for Estevan’s cenotaph.

Craig Bird with the Southeast Military Museums said they have removed the plaque from the monument and will have a company come down from Regina to clean and remove some of the staining that has accumulated on the structure over the years.

That company will be polishing and cleaning the plaque, and then it will be reinstalled.

Also, B&S Construction will be filling in the cracks and re-grouting the cenotaph to keep it watertight and looking good. That work also needs to be finished before the plaques can be returned.

“I was looking at the cenotaph, and some of the work that was done back in 2005 is just starting to fail, [including] some of the seals and the grout work that were done on it. It really hasn’t been looked after since 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.

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

2005 and it’s time that it needs to be maintained,” said Bird.

The plaques were removed on Friday.

Bird said the timeline for the project will depend on the weather. They need some favourable conditions and sunny days to get the work done.

“We’re hoping that it will be done sometime in May, but it depends on what kind of weather we get here. It hasn’t been too favourable so far,” Bird said.

The cenotaph was built in 1926 and Bird believes it has held up well over the years.

“I don’t believe there has been any major work done to it over the years. It’s just been some minor maintenance here and there. The plaque that’s on there was done sometime after the 1950s, after Korea (the Korean War),” said Bird.

If someone were to take a look at the cenotaph without the plaque, they would see the original First World War names that were leaded into the monument and covered up by the plaque.

“The cenotaph basically looks like it did in 1926, besides being a little bit dirtier, obviously,” said Bird.

A number of organizations have provided grants for the maintenance work, including Veterans’ Affairs Canada and another organization. The remaining cost will be covered by the Southeast Military Museums and the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. Bird said they can take donations and issue tax receipts if anyone wants to support this effort.

Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ

The plaques have been removed from Estevan’s cenotaph as part of a refurbishment of the structure.

The word “repent” is in desperate need of a makeover.

To start with, it is a churchy word that most people do not understand and then, for a long time, the church has assigned it the wrong tone.

Repent means “to turn around” or “reset” or “start again”. Therefore, it should be a good and hopeful word. In fact, it was the first word that Jesus said when he began teaching: “Repent for the kingdom of God is near!” (Matthew 4:17).

Mark also records these words, but he expands on them by stating, “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Twice the word repent is tied to the idea of good news.

Unfortunately, for many, the word repent is not good news. Instead, it is often used as a form of punishment. In

City of Estevan PROCLAMATION DAY OF MOURNING

L-R - Garry Malaryk, Mayor Roy Ludwig, Ashley Johnson WHEREAS:

Every year, more than 1,000 Canadian workers are killed on the job.

AND WHEREAS: Thousands more are permanently disabled.

AND WHEREAS: Hundreds of thousands are injured.

AND WHEREAS: Thousands of others die from cancer, lung disease, and other ailments caused by exposure to toxic substances at their workplaces.

AND WHEREAS: April 28 of each year has been chosen by the Canadian Labour Congress as: - a Day of Mourning for these victims of workplace accidents and disease; - a day to remember the maximum sacrifice they have been forced to make in order to earn a living; - a day to renew approaches to governments for tougher occupational health and safety standards, and more effective Compensation; - a day to rededicate ourselves to the goal of making Canada's workplace safer.

AND WHEREAS: April 28 was proclaimed a "Day of Mourning" by an Act of Parliament on February 1st 1991.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: I, Roy Ludwig, Mayor of the City of Estevan do hereby proclaim April 28, 2022 to be Day of Mourning in recognition of workers killed, injured or disabled on the job and in issuing this proclamation, ask our citizens to recognize the day Mayor Roy Ludwig

THE VILLAGE OF MACOUN IS ACCEPTING TENDERS FOR THE 2022 GRAVEL SEASON. Council is looking for pricing on 3/4 minus gravel (or equivalent), cost in cubic yards.

Price to include cost of material, delivery and spread on roads in Macoun, on an as need basis, to be determined by Council.

Tenders to be received in the Village office no later than May 6, 2022.

Tenders will be discussed at the May 10, 2022 Council Meeting.

Lowest or any bid not necessarily accepted.

Please contact the Village office at 306-634-9352 with any questions or email tenders to macoun.sask@gmail.com

Tax Title Property for Sale by Public Tender 1. The RM of Estevan No. 5 offers for sale the following property: Civic Address: 103 Breen Avenue, Hitchcock, Saskatchewan.

Legal Address: Lot 7 Blk 4 Plan H4365 - Lot 8 Blk 4 Plan H4365 2. The property is two 50’ x 140’ lots which includes 1040 sq. ft residential dwelling.

3. The property will be sold on an “as is” basis.

4. Tender will be open Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 9:00 am until Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 4:00 pm local time.

5. Opportunities to view this property are: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 1:00 until 4:00 pm 6. A tender package can be obtained at the Municipal Office 1, 322-4th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan or emailed upon request. For more information call 306-634-2222.

Dated this the 27th day of April, 2022 Michelle Dickie, Administrator/CAO

other words, repent is what you do when you have been caught doing something wrong. It is tied to shame and the focus is squarely on the sin that was committed. Repentance has become an uncommon act that is reserved for those who have really messed up their lives.

Seen correctly, though, repentance is not about shame and the past. It is about hope and the future. It is an opportunity and an invitation.

Satan would love for you to believe that you have gone too far and that your sin is so great that God would never welcome you back. Do not believe that lie. There is always a way home through the cross and our repentance.

Hope begins when we turn around, start again and reset.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL R.M. of Benson No. 35 Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the R.M. of Benson No. 35 for the year 2022 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., on the following days: Monday to Friday, April 28, 2022, to May 30, 2022, excluding holidays.

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

Any person wishing to discuss the notice of assessment or potential appeal may contact the assessor at the R.M. of Benson No.35, Box 69, Benson, SK S0C 0L0.

A notice of appeal, accompanied by a $50 appeal fee which will be returned if the appeal is successful, must be filed with the Secretary of the Board of Revision, Saumya Vaidyanathan, Western Municipal Consulting Ltd., Box 149, Meota, SK S0M 1X0, by the 30th day of May, 2022.

Dated this 27th day of April, 2022.

Chantel Walsh Assessor

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL The Village of Macoun pursuant to subsection 217(1) of The Municipalities Act, notice is hereby given that the property assessment roll for the Village of Macoun for the year of 2022, has been prepared and is open to inspection in the village office between the hours of 12:00pm and 3:30pm Mondays & Wednesdays and between the hours of 8:30am – 12:00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays April 21, 2022 to May 25, 2022.

Carmen Dodd-Vicary, CAO Village of Macoun P.O. Box 58 454 Appleton Ave., Macoun, SK S0C 1P0 Phone: (306) 634-9352 Fax: (306) 634-9377 e-mail: macoun.sask@gmail.com

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April 27, 2022 A13

Estevan firefighters respond to seven calls for service on the stormy weekend The Estevan Fire Rescue Service responded to seven calls for service over the weekend after another snowstorm covered the southeast corner of the province.

To ensure the public’s safety and the shortest response times during the emergency, the EFRS had the station staffed for 24 hours with two shifts of firefighters being ready to go at any time.

The busy weekend started on Saturday at about 10 a.m. when fire crews responded to a commercial fire alarm going off in the southcentral area.

After the complete assessment of the building, it was found the alarm was triggered by moisture entering the building through the fresh air intake.

With no emergency, the scene was cleared and crews returned to the station.

The first call caused by the storm came on Saturday evening. At about 6:30 p.m.,

firefighters were called to a down powerline. The accident occurred at Ninth Avenue and Fourth Street in the back alley.

“Crews did attend the scene to find out the power pole had suffered some structural compromise. We set up perimeter control to ensure nobody was going to enter the area. SaskPower crews arrived on scene to repair the powerlines and restore power to the area,” said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.

At about 10:30 p.m., firefighters rushed to a hotel in southeast Estevan where two individuals were trapped in an elevator due to a power outage.

Fire crews isolated the elevator car and lowered it to the main floor to rescue people without incident.

Shortly after midnight, the night shift responded to a power pole fire occurring in the southeast area. Once on scene, crews found that the pole had

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been broken by the wind. They blocked off the area so that SaskPower was able to isolate and repair the pole.

Sunday morning at about 10:30 a.m., firefighters rushed to a powerline that fell on Highway 39 between Estevan and Hitchcock. The powerline was laying across the highway, so firefighters had to provide traffic control to make sure nobody was going to drive over the line until the EFRS verified the line was isolated.

“Thanks for the assistance from the Department of Highways for bringing up some signage to indicate that there was a hazard, so people can slow down and observe the hazard,” Feser said.

SaskPower crews took over the scene to repair the line.

At about 1:45 p.m., firefighters were called out again.

A commercial fire alarm went off in northeast Estevan. Once on scene, firefighters found that contractors were working in the building, using a vacuum cleaner, in which a bag broke and dust triggered the alarm.

Another commercial fire alarm went off at about 4 p.m. in southcentral Estevan. It appeared to be cooking-related, and there wasn’t enough smoke for any ventilation efforts. The fire alarm panel was reset, and crews returned to the fire station.

After the very active weekend, Feser thanked everyone involved in ensuring the public’s safety throughout that time.

“We just want to give a huge shout-out to SaskPower.

I really do think that they’re the unsung heroes of this, their crews and subsidiary crews that they were bringing in to assist.

Obviously, this weather had a very severe impact on the electrical infrastructure in the area.

And they’re working day and night here, as long as it’s safe to do so, to restore power to a lot of critical infrastructure in the outlying areas,” Feser said.

Estevan firefighters were called to three emergencies earlier in the week.

Last Monday afternoon, fire crews could be seen by Tim Hortons on King Street, where

a parked vehicle caught on fire. The call came in at about 4:30 p.m. The driver had safely escaped the vehicle.

Firefighters were able to successfully extinguish the fire.

The cause is still under investigation, but Feser said it seems that the fire started in the engine compartment and then spread over to the passenger part of the vehicle.

He added that there was an individual who was trying to keep the fire at bay with a fire extinguisher.

“We want to thank that individual for indeed trying to suppress the fire. But we always want to make sure too that it is actually safe to do so,” Feser said.

As firefighters were clearing the scene, another call for service came in from the RM of Estevan.

A carbon monoxide alarm went off in a home on an acreage south of Estevan.The family was entering the building when they noticed that the CO alarm was active. They immediately left the house and were waiting for the fire department in their

vehicle.

“When crews arrived on scene, we found upwards of 40 parts per million [of CO], so there was indeed an emergency that was occurring,” Feser said.

“Crews spent some time ventilating and isolating all of the gas-fired appliances. And then the home was turned back over to the homeowner with a recommendation to call the plumbing company to have their gas-fired appliances checked out and repaired.”

The following day at about 8:30 a.m., crews were called to the southeast end of the city.

Smoke and a possible fire were reported from a commercial property. Upon arrival, firefighters found that an accidental workplace fire had occurred.

“They were doing some hot works and accidentally caught some hydraulic fluid that was a part of the item that they’re working on on fire. The staff at the location were able to extinguish the fire by putting dirt on top of it,” Feser said.

There were no injuries as a result of this workplace incident.

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Saskatchewan March for Life 2022

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www.estevan.ca

12:30pm - Rosary at Holy Rosary Cathedral 1pm - Holy Mass 1:45pm - Dedication outside Cathedral 2pm - March towards Legislature 3pm - Program outside the Legislature Parking available at both locations. Remember to bring lawnchairs if you would like them.

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Regina, Saturday May 7th, 2022

It is a 2.2 km walk between the Cathedral and the Legislature. We will be giving witness to life along Albert St.

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Estevan Bruins won first two games of the SJHL final against Flin Flon Bombers

By David Willberg The Estevan Bruins took the first two games of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final against the Flin Flon Bombers.

Estevan won a pair of close games with Flin Flon on the weekend, winning Game 1 4-2 on Friday night and Game 2 2-0 on Saturday. Both games were played at Affinity Place.

“When you’re playing for a championship, and you have two really good teams, that’s the intensity you’re going to see,” said Bruins’ head coach and GM Jason Tatarnic.

Bruins' captain Erik Houk opened the scoring in Game 1 with 7:08 to play in the opening frame. Flin Flon disputed the goal, but the ruling on ice stood.

“I thought it was physical [to start]. There were some bodies flying.

It was a little bit more physical at that time, and then we got going,” said Tatarnic.

Flin Flon tied the game four minutes into the second period on a goal by captain Zak Smith. Smith’s goal came moments after Bruin goaltender Boston Bilous was bumped by a Bomber opponent after Bilous played the puck, giving Smith the scoring chance.

Both teams had chances to take the lead, but it remained 1-1 until the last two minutes of the middle frame, when defenceman Dayton Deics scored for Estevan following a rush.

Deics' goal came after a great defensive play by Alex Von Sprecken.

“He was chasing back and … he dove for it and made a good play out of the zone,” said Deics. “Keegan Little passed me the puck, and I came down and the puck saw where it was going.”

Estevan earned some breathing room with less than eight minutes to play in the third period on a power-play goal by Caelan Fitzpatrick.

Smith notched his second of the game with 1:51 to play in the third, but Cody Davis finished the scoring 62 seconds later with an empty-net goal after winning a race for a loose puck.

Bilous stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced for the Bruins, including a couple of spectacular saves. One came with 21 seconds to play in the first period. Cal Schell made 27 saves for Flin Flon.

Game 1 was the Bruins’ first game in 15 days since completing a sweep of the Yorkton Terriers in the SJHL semifinals. Flin Flon, meanwhile, was playing its first game in 10 days since dispatching of the Humboldt Broncos.

Deics was pleased with how quickly the Bruins shook off the rink rust.

“This is the finals. This is what we want to do and this is our end goal, and I think we’re just putting everything together,” said Deics.

Olivier Pouliot scored twice and Bilous made 26 saves in the Bruins' 2-0 victory in Game 2.

After a scoreless first period, Pouliot's shot from the blue line found a way through to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Neither team scored until late in

the third period despite some quality chances.

Flin Flon's best opportunity came midway through the third, but Bilous stopped Bomber forward Jacob Vockler on a breakaway when it was still a 1-0 game.

Then the Bruins had an opportunity to add to the lead with a twoman advantage for 1:19, but couldn't convert.

Pouliot finally added the insurance goal into an empty net with 25 seconds remaining.

Schell made 28 saves for Flin Flon.

Tatarnic said they had a lot of jump in the first period in Game 2 and some quality scoring chances.

“We created more scoring chances. It was a little bit different early on,” said Tatarnic.

The game was delayed a couple of times by a power outage, one coming during the pre-game warmups and the other happening with under a minute to play in the opening period. Tatarnic was pleased with how the players responded each time.

“If it went out a third time, we were going to cancel and go tomorrow.

But give those guys at SaskPower all of the credit. They were already there and they made sure they got it done for us, and we appreciate it,” said Tatarnic.

It was the first time Tatarnic has been in a game like that with two delays.

Bilous said he expects the unexpected in playoffs, but this was some-

Estevan Bruins’ forward Mark Rumsey (7) powers past Flin Flon Bomber Cole Tanchuk during Game 2 Saturday night. Photo by David Willberg thing completely different. “ Whatever we were going through, they were going through the same thing, so it’s an even playing field,” said Bilous. The shutout was Bilous’ first of the playoffs. He praised the play of the team in front of him.

“We’ve been together the whole season. It’s a great group. We’re looking forward to going to Flin Flon and having the two games there,” said Bilous.

Tatarnic said the Bombers have played the type of game the Bruins expected – big, physical, hard-working

and strong defensively.

The win was the Bruins 10th straight in the postseason.

Game 3 was slated to be played Tuesday night in Flin Flon. (Results were not available at press time). Game 4 is to be played the following night, also in Flin Flon.

Game 5, if necessary, would be April 30 at Affinity Place, starting at 7 p.m.

For coverage of Games 3 and 4, be sure to visit our provincial news hub at www.sasktoday.ca.

Schedule announced for Centennial Cup in Estevan Hockey Canada has announced the official tournament schedule for the 2022 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, set for May 1929 in Estevan.

The event is a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Hockey Saskatchewan and the City of Estevan. The 2022 tournament, the 50th edition, will be a 10team tournament, with the host Estevan Bruins welcoming the champions of the nine CJHL leagues.

“On behalf of the local tournament organizing committee, the City of Estevan and the Estevan Bruins, we are looking forward to host-

ing Canada’s national junior A championship in our community,” said tournament cochair Cory Prokop. “We are preparing to host a 10-team field for the first time in the event’s long history, and know this will be 11 days of exciting hockey. We invite the entire country to come and cheer for your favourite team and to experience the hospitality of our community.”

Twenty games highlight preliminary-round play at the Centennial Cup, beginning May 19 when the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and Superior International Junior Hockey League face off at noon. That game is followed by the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League

and SJHL representative Flin Flon Bombers at 4 p.m. The winners from the Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) and the Alberta Junior Hockey League wrap up the opening day at 7:30 p.m. MT. “We are looking forward to the entire nation being focused on this year’s championship as a result of the participation of all nine leagues in the event, as well as our initial undertaking with Tim Hortons in the awarding of the Centennial Cup,” said CJHL president Brent Ladds.

The host Estevan Bruins begin their quest for their first national championship on May 20 when they face off against the LHJAAAQ representatives

in their tournament opener.

Estevan will also play the champions of the Ontario Junior Hockey League on May 21, the Superior International Junior Hockey League on May 23 and the Alberta Junior Hockey League champions on May 25. All Bruin games will start at 7:30 p.m.

The game against the Alberta champions will wrap up the round robin.

The other pool features the Bombers and the champions from Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Maritime Junior Leagues, as well as Ontario’s Central Junior Hockey League.

During the round robin, games will start at noon, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. each day, except for May 22, when there will be

games at 4 and 7:30 p.m.

The top three teams in each pool will advance to the playoffs. The top seed from each pool gets a bye, while the second and third place teams will play in a quarter-final matchup.

The quarter-finals and semifinals are set for May 27 and 28, with games starting at 4 and 7:30 p.m., followed by the championship game at 7:30 p.m. on May 29. TSN and RDS will broadcast the final, with all preliminary-round and playoff games livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca.

“The Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, is one of Canada’s most prestigious national championships, and fans have the opportunity

to experience the best Junior A hockey in the country,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “It is an exciting time to announce the schedule and finally be one step closer to this year’s tournament, a unique event with hockey fans being able to watch each of the CJHL’s league champions in this competition.”

Tickets are on sale for the 2022 Centennial Cup; fans can purchase a 25-game fulltournament package for $210 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

SaskToday.ca, which is our provincial news hub, will have coverage throughout the tournament and in the days leading up to the competition.

Minor football looking for flag football players Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football is looking for players, ages six and seven, who can be part of a flag football league this summer.

President Kevin Mortenson said he wants to see about 50 players, which would be enough for four squads. Each team would have five players on the field at a time.

“We’re going to be going with the NFL flag football flagship,” said Mortenson.

“My representative is Mike Thomas from Football Sas-

katchewan, so we’ve got a good working relationship with him.”

The deadline to register was supposed to be April 15, but after speaking with Thomas, Mortenson said he learned equipment could be delivered to Estevan within a week, so they will accept players until the end of April.

Due to the snow that the Estevan area has received, they likely won’t begin play until May 10. They would practise on Tuesday nights and play

on Saturdays and Sundays.

The season is expected to end in June.

Games will be played at Chow Field and the playing surface would likely be 70 yards long and 30 yards wide, which is smaller than a standard field.

If anyone wants to play flag football, they can contact Mortenson at 306-421-3377 or email him at emfmort@ gmail.com. He won’t accept registration fees until the first practice.

The Estevan Kinette Club U18 Viragos female football team has been practising at Westview School with non-contact drills in the gymnasium since early February. They will shift to Chow Field in May once the snow has melted.

The Viragos will play a home and home this spring with the Moosomin Generals, with one game on June 12 and the other June 26. They will also have a home game against the Yorkton Gridders

on June 19.

The U14 Estevan Lions Club Oilers will be practising once a week at Chow Field on Friday evenings starting next month. The U12 Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate Chargers and the U10 Power Dodge Cudas will practise Thursdays.

The practices will help the kids get ready for league games that start in late August or early September.

Mortenson noted people from Estevan have been tak-

ing a Level 1 officials’ clinic course online. And the Saskatchewan Selects program will be coming to Estevan on May 23 for a skills development camp. Children ages 10-17 can participate. Thirtytwo kids have registered for the camp so far.

The Selects take teams of Saskatchewan athletes to San Antonio, Texas, each February for the Pigskin Classic tournament. Many local athletes have played in the tournament over the years.

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April 27, 2022 A15

Estevan Bears new coach impressed by spring camp The new head coach of the Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears was impressed with the talent he saw on the ice at the club’s annual spring camp.

Ryan Pilon, who was hired by the club late last month, said they were really excited with the talent that was on the ice. Approximately 70 kids turned out and they were divided into four teams for practices on Friday and scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday at both the Power Dodge Arena and Affinity Place.

“The overall pace of play and competition was really strong, and we as a staff were really happy with it,” said Pilon.

Veteran players were mixed in with future Bears for the camp. Pilon said many of those returning players looked like they have already taken a “step in the right direction” from last season, and look like they’ll be part of the team moving forward.

Returning goaltender

The Estevan Bears hosted their annual spring camp during the weekend at the Power Dodge Arena and Affinity Place.

Kaden Perron impressed, and Pilon believes the defence will be strong with the returning and incoming talent.

“Our top forwards are going to be elite players in the league with some of our returning guys – the (Kole) Keens and the (Carter) Onraits, the (Carter) Tuplins and

the Cade Coles – they’re elite players in this league, and we’re going to be leaning on them a lot moving forward,” said Pilon.

He didn’t divulge names of the prospects who stood out at camp, as those won’t be released until they start announcing commitments. Seven

or eight of the kids at the camp were from the Estevan area, and Pilon was impressed with what he saw from the local contingent.

“A lot of the kids were hitting up two or three camps, so being one of the later ones, we were still very impressed with the kids and how mature

some of the kids were that we were able to evaluate,” said Pilon.

“We were really happy with the pace of play and there are some hard decisions to make now with the coaching staff. With those hard decisions, it’s a good problem to be in.”

The snowstorm that hammered Estevan and other parts of southeast Saskatchewan during the weekend didn’t hinder the camp. Players arrived Friday afternoon and were in Estevan well before the snow started Saturday morning.

Pilon said the Bears are a “first-class” organization. The people have been great to work with, and he is looking forward to building a proud and winning tradition with a team where kids want to come play.

He also praised the Bears’

home rink of Affinity Place.

“I haven’t seen a junior facility of this calibre,” said Pilon. “It’s sure a treat walking into work every day, being able to walk into that rink.”

Everyone he has encountered since coming to Estevan has welcomed him to the community.

The Bears have also announced the return of Jason Johnstone as an assistant coach for the 2022-23 season. Johnstone was part of the organization for the abbreviated inaugural season in 2020-21 as an assistant coach.

He brings a wealth of coaching and scouting experience, the Bears said, from coaching in Weyburn Minor Hockey for many years and scouting with the Melville Millionaires.

Thank you

to our administrative team!

Eels looking for swimmers for the upcoming season The Estevan Golden Eels swim club will be back in the pool for a competitive season this year, and they are looking for swimmers to join the highly successful organization.

Deanna Tarnes with the club said the season is slated to start on May 16, after the annual pool shutdown at the Estevan Leisure Centre is completed.

Forty-three swimmers had registered as of Friday and they can accommodate 17 more.

“With COVID the past two years, we just need to rebuild a little bit,” said Tarnes.

In order to join, members have to be at least seven years old and comfortable swimming in the deep end. They also need to be capable of swimming a full

I N

length of the pool.

In past years, they have had enough young swimmers to replenish the ranks after swimmers age out.

The Eels have been the class of Saskatchewan’s summer speed swimming program, as they won provincial championships from 2015-2019.

“It’s a strong program, and kids usually stay in it. Once you join, you’re an Eel for life. It’s a short season, a fun season and it’s something different.”

The majority of the swimmers are returning members who have been part of the five straight provincial championships, but the Eels are looking for a few new families.

Practices happen every day at the leisure centre pool from 4-6 p.m. They

Y O U R

split into age groups and swim for an hour at a time.

The first meet of the season will be in Estevan on June 18.

Charlotte Andrist will be the head coach and they are looking for two junior coaches. Andrist was a head coach last year and has been a junior coach previously.

Their season was cancelled in 2020 and last year they held practices, but because of COVID there were no full meets. There were a couple of competitions in the summer once restrictions were lifted, with one in Weyburn and the other in Oxbow. Tarnes noted it was the first meet in Oxbow in their new pool.

For more information, email estevangoldeneelsclub@gmail.com.

(L-R) Amber F - Office Manager, Leanne F - Controller, Rhonda H - Sales, Aby A - Human Resources, Tami S - Accounts Receivable, Callie F - Accountant, Kristina C - Senior Office Clerk

C O M M U N I T Y

Tundra Oil & Gas is proud to support projects and initiatives in the communities where we live and work.

Through the Richardson Foundation, we recently donated: $100,000 to the Bienfait Memorial Arena in support of a new ice plant $15,000 to the Alameda Recreational Board for community rink upgrades $75,000 to the Pierson Recreation Rejuvenation Committee to upgrade the sports grounds $6060 to the Gainsborough Swimming Pool Board for swimming pool upgrades

(Left to right): Amanda Pukas, Jesse Juneau, Craig Lane (Vice President, Production Operations, Tundra Oil & Gas), Ivan Boyer, Bill Mann, Richard Tessier

(Left to right): Nicole Karst (Alameda Recreational Board) and Craig Lane (Vice President, Production Operations, Tundra Oil & Gas)

Pictured (left to right): Chelsey Terin (Souris River Watershed District) and Craig Lane, Vice President, Production Operations Tundra Oil & Gas.

(Left to right): Caitlyn Ryckman (Gainsborough Swimming Pool Board), Craig Lane (Vice President, Production Operations, Tundra Oil & Gas) and Shayla Reynolds (Gainsborough Swimming Pool)

(Left to right): Jill Caldwell (Committee Member) Craig Lane (Vice President, Production Operations, Tundra Oil & Gas), Mary-Anne Minshull (ViceChairperson) and Marnie McCutcheon (Treasurer)

www.tundraoilandgas.com

A16 April 27, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

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

MAYOR’S MESSAGE: The Bruin’s Playoffs are in full swing!

Please get your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Sale by Tender 1. Under the provision of the Tax Enforcement Act the City of Estevan offers for sale the following properties: Civic Address

Legal Land Description

522 FIRST STREET 310 FOURTH STREET 717 THIRD STREET 1118 SECOND STREET 737 FOURTH STREET

LOT: 5; BLOCK: 90; PLAN: C3929 LOT: 6, 7, 8; BLOCK 103, PLAN: C3929 LOT: 15; BLOCK: 31; PLAN: AG4740 LOT: 26; BLOCK: 60A; PLAN: 102248557 LOT: 20; BLOCK: 32; PLAN: AG4740

2. A tender must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Property Tender” addressed to the City of Estevan.

Address: 1102 4th Street Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 3. Tenders must be received by 4:30 p.m. on May 13, 2022 4. A certified cheque to the municipality for 25% of the amount of the tender must accompany the tender. Tenders submitted without certified funds will not be considered.

5. Highest, or any tender, not necessarily accepted.

ESTEVAN POLICE SERVICE 6

6. Successful bidder will have fourteen (14) days to provide the balance of cash to complete the purchase. The deposit will be forfeited if the successful bidder does not finalize the agreement for sale within the required time.

SALE BY PUBLIC TENDER

7. All legal costs, title transfer fees and applicable taxes are the responsibility of the purchaser and are in addition to the bid price.

8. Tender information packages can be found on our website: www.estevan.ca Dated the 13th day of April 2022 Trina Sieben, Tax Assessor, City of Estevan

CITY OF ESTEVAN – 2022 WATERMAIN FLUSHING SCHEDULE 6

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R/T Shaker 5.7L HEMI

10,587 a 3 m Administrative

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30,000.00

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clearly marked V

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Monday

22

2nd

The City of Estevan will be flushing water mains to ensure good water quality for all users of City water. This work includes the turning of main water valves around the City and flushing large quantities of water from various hydrants in each area. During this process you may notice a substantial drop in pressure, this will be brief. As well, discoloured water is possible during the days your area is scheduled for this work (see schedule below), please run a faucet, (bathtub is best), for a few minutes until the water is clear again. Please contact City Hall at 634-1800 if issues persist. Thank you for your understanding during this important maintenance!

(1) Thursday, and Friday June 9-10 Area bounded by Perkins Street and Luscar Park on the North, Water Treatment Plant on the South, Woodlawn Ave on the West, and Hwy 47S Service Road on the East (Includes Luscar Park, City of Estevan Public Works yards, and businesses on Hwy 47S Service Road) (2) Monday - Friday June 13-17 Area bounded by 6th Street on the North, Valley Street, 1st Street, and Westview Place on the South, Alice Road and Woodlawn Avenue on the West, and Souris Avenue on the East (includes Westview, Central, and downtown regions) (3 Monday - Friday June 20-24 Area bounded by 6th street on the North, McDonald Road and Perkins Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington Ave on the East (includes the Eastend, Bay Meadows, and Valley view regions, and Jubilee Place) (4) Monday - Friday June 27-30 Area Bounded by City Cemetery on the North, King Street on the South, Sister Roddy Road on the West (formerly Woodlawn Avenue), and Souris Road (Hwy 47N) on the East (includes Dominion Heights, Pleasantdale, and Royal Heights regions, as well as Cundall Drive, Woodend Place, Chinook Bay and Hwy 47N Service Road) (5) Monday - Friday July 4-8 Area bounded by Spruce Drive and Princess Street on the North, King Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes Hillside and Scotsburn regions)

MAY 9-15, 2022

MAY 14 th

May 9 & 10 - City crews clean sweeping May 11 - Organic Waste ( North Side) May 12 - Organic Waste ( South Side ) May 13 to 15 - FREE LANDFILL WEEKEND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY 9am to 3pm at GFL Environmental, 500 Bourquin Road

For more information go to:

www.estevan.ca/operationcleansweep

Leisure Centre Pool will be shut down for maintenance until May 16, 2022. Please check our social media posts for upcoming scheduling.

(6) Monday - Friday July 11-15 Area bounded by King Street on the North, CPR Railroad on the South, 14th Ave on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes 7th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street, Centennial, Trojan, and Soo Industrial regions) (7) Monday - Friday July 18-22 Area bounded by Kensington on the West, Sawyer Road on the East, North and South City Limits (includes Glen Peterson Industrial Park, East Industrial, Southeast Industrial regions, and properties along Hwy 39E Service Road)

Sanitary Sewer Main and Storm Sewer Jetting Program Beginning Monday May 2, 2022, and continuing to Friday, August 26,2022 the Water and wastewater Division will be carrying out Sanitary Sewer Main jetting, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. During the periods of jetting, residents and businesses are advised to securely cap basement floor drains. You may smell an odor in your home, this can be resolved by simply opening windows for a short period of time and running water to ensure all traps are full of water. Storm sewer will have no effect on homes and business’ and will commence August 29,2022 2022 Program Area will encompass all streets South of Railroad Tracks, and East of Souris Ave within City limits including: Jubilee Place Murray Street Duncan Road McDonald Road McLeod Ave Galloway Street Rooks Ave Perry Crescent Perkins Street 1st Street A

1st Street 2nd Street 3rd Street 4th Street 5th Street 6th Street 2nd Avenue 3rd Avenue 4th Avenue 5th Avenue

6th Avenue 7th Avenue 8th Avenue 9th Avenue 10th Avenue Souris Avenue South Sun Valley Drive Park Drive Sunset Bay

Mississippian Drive Devonian Street Escana Street Imperial Avenue Pacific Street Superior Avenue