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What a year.

Alameda School hosts Autism Awareness Week and more.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022

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Estevan Bruins bring SJHL championship back to the Energy City Unbelievable support. Hospital foundation shares results of radiothon fundraiser.

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Young and restless.

Local 12-year-old entrepreneur discusses experience.

PAGE A7 Members of the Estevan Bruins gather to celebrate after winning the SJHL championship at Affinity Place on Friday night.

Photo by Wanda Harron Photography

By David Willberg

Thank you for keeping us safe.

Latest news from world of Estevan policing.

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Caring about world around.

St. Mary’s marks Earth Day with big project.

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For the first time in 23 years, the Estevan Bruins are the SJHL champions.

The Bruins shut out the Flin Flon Bombers 2-0 on Friday night at Affinity Place in the seventh and deciding game of the best-of-seven SJHL final.

It’s their third league title in franchise history and their first since 1999.

Estevan also won the SJHL championship in 1985.

Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic is thrilled to bring a championship back to the city.

“Being new to the community, you got a real sense of how passionate the fans are about winning this championship. It’s been a long time. I’m just glad to be a part of it, and I’m looking forward to celebrating it a little bit more down the road.”

Kian Calder’s point shot 5:01 into the second period opened the scoring Friday night and proved to be the series-winning goal. Olivier Pouliot tallied on a power play with 8:22 to play in the third to add to the lead.

Boston Bilous made 29 saves for the Bruins to get the shutout victory. Cal Schell made 28 saves for Flin Flon.

“This is amazing,” said Bilous. “It’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to do it for each other and for this city. We’re just so happy we could bring a trophy to this town.”

The Bruins had the best scoring chance early in the game, including a shot by forward Cody Davis that hit the post.

Flin Flon’s best scoring chance in the opening frame came with less than two minutes to play, but

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Bruin goaltender Boston Bilous made a great pad save off of Jaeden Mercier. The Bruins then had several scoring chances on Bombers’ goaltender Cal Schell before the period was out.

A couple of minutes into the second period, Pouliot hit the crossbar.

After Calder’s goal, both teams had scoring chances. Drew Kuzma had a glorious opportunity for Flin Flon late in the period but was stymied on a great defensive play by Bruins’ defenceman Nolan Jones.

No penalties were called in the game until coincidental minors were assessed to each team midway through the third. Bombers’ defenceman Lapointe then received a double-minor for high sticking, which created the power play that led to Pouliot’s goal.

Flin Flon would get one power play in the third, but Bilous made a couple big saves to keep the 2-0 lead in tact, including one off of Jacob Vockler.

With seconds to go, the celebrations began.

The Bruin goal horn blared repeatedly and the players flooded onto the ice to celebrate with no time remaining.

After both teams were presented with plaques, Bruin captain Eric Houk was presented with the championship banner and the trophy, which he then shared with his teammates. After the players had their victory lap with the trophy, they gathered for a team photo with the staff.

Bilous was selected as the playoff MVP. He finished with a 12-4 record, a 2.0 goals against average, a .928 save percentage and two shutouts.

Tatarnic said there were plenty of deserving candidates, including forwards Pouliot and Pearce

and defenceman Dayton Deics, but Bilous was also a worthy pick.

“Boston was a big factor in those games for us to win, and in that position, everything you do, every play matters. You’re not on the bench when a goal is scored on you. You’re always on the ice,” said Tatarnic.

Bilous said he was surprised when he heard he was the playoff MVP. He thought it could have gone to five or even 10 other players.

“I could go with so many guys, literally. A handful of forwards and a handful of defencemen,” said Bilous.

Bilous said the Bruins didn’t make a lot of changes between Games 6 and 7, but they played the type of game they always play at Affinity.

“It’s definitely difficult playing in Flin Flon, and I think that definitely had a play in the outcome with the atmosphere in the arena. We didn’t change too much coming back. It’s not nice losing 6-1 … but we just forgot about it right away and we knew we had one game to get the job done at home.”

Both teams had already qualified for the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship, presented by Tim Hortons, before the final.

Estevan is in as the host team for the 10-team tournament, which will run from May 19-29. Flin Flon will be the SJHL representative.

Joining the Bruins and the Bombers at nationals this year will be the champions from the other eight junior leagues in the country. This is the first time it has been a 10-team tournament.

But the guaranteed spot in nationals didn’t diminish the intensity of the SJHL final, as all A2 » BOSTON

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Estevan Bruins’ captain Erik Houk prepares to share the league championship trophy with his overjoyed Estevan Bruin teammates. Photo by Eric Westhaver of the Flin Flon Reminder « A1 seven games created lots of physical play.

The home team won every game in the series. Flin Flon forced Game 7 with a 6-1 win over the Bruins on May 3. Rumsey had the Bruins’ lone goal in the game.

In Game 6, Tatarnic thought the Bruins had a really good first period but made three costly mistakes in the second period that led to three Flin Flon goals.

“I wasn’t too concerned, because I knew we were coming home to our rink, where we’ve played really well,” said Tatarnic.

Tatarnic thought the club didn’t play their best defensive hockey in Games 4, 5 and 6, but he thought Game 7 felt more like Games 1 and 2, which the Bruins won at home and allowed only two goals.

“I thought we were really good on the D [defensive] side of the puck, and we really didn’t give them too many Grade-A scoring chances,” said Tatarnic.

While Estevan was outscored 21-16 in the series, Tatarnic said their confidence didn’t waver.

“You could lose 15-0 in the game before, and it doesn’t really mean anything for the next game,” said Tatarnic.

Two local players were part of the Bruins throughout the year: forward Cody Davis of Alameda and defenceman Alex Von Sprecken of Estevan. Both players are in their third season with the club.

“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about, and it’s good to do it in my hometown of Estevan, so it feels good,” said Davis, whose older brother Jayden spent four years with the Bruins.

It was particularly special to win the clinching game on home ice.

“It definitely felt better, I think, at home in front of all the fans and in Game 7. There was a little bit of nerves, but overall it was a great experi-

A sold-out crowd of 2,662 people filled Affinity Place for Game 7 of the SJHL final.

Photo by Wanda Harron Photography ence and definitely better,” said Davis.

Davis was inserted on a newly formed checking line alongside Houk and Keagon Little. They were tasked with containing Flin Flon’s top line, led by Kuzma, who had been strong the previous four games.

It was the first time they had played together this season, but they quickly proved to be effective.

Von Sprecken marvelled at the support from family and friends.

“I just wanted to say thanks to all of them and it was just a great group of guys to win it with,” said Von Sprecken.

He recalled being at the

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Bruins’ games when they advanced to the 2018 SJHL final against the Nipawin Hawks and Game 7 against the Humboldt Broncos in the 2019 quarter-finals, and remembers how electric the crowds were for those games.

“It’s unreal. The people up there. Everyone cheering.

It’s loud in there. I couldn’t believe it,” said Von Sprecken, who hadn’t played before a crowd as big as Game 7.

A sold-out crowd of 2,662 fans attended the game.

The winner of the 50-50 took home more than $65,000.

Game 7 is a ner vewracking situation, but Von Sprecken thought they came out strong and it carried over throughout the night.

Bilous said he knew from the moment he joined the team that they had the potential to be great.

“Tarts [Tatarnic] was recruiting great players who just wanted to come to a team and win,” said Bilous.

“Right from the get-go, we knew we were going to have a long season and playing a lot of hockey, and right from the get-go, we had our mind set on a championship to win

that thing.”

The Bruins are now in the midst of a 13-day break before the Centennial Cup. Their first game will be May 20.

Players took a few days off after the final before returning to the ice. The league trophy has been making appearances throughout the community. Tatarnic expects the team will be healthy for nationals.

Tatarnic has won several junior A league championships as a coach and guided the Woodstock Slammers to the national championship game in 2012 when the tournament was held in Humboldt. He told the players to enjoy the championship and then be ready to get back to work.

“Embrace it and enjoy it, and live in the moment, because this might not come back around again for you, so just enjoy being there,” said Tatarnic.

Estevan will be making its first appearance at nationals since 1999, while the Bombers last played at nationals in 2001, when they hosted the tournament.

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Exciting events are back at Alameda School

By Ana Bykhovskaia Alameda School has been busy with many activities and events lately.

Principal Christina Vellacott, who started with the school in 2021-22, said while COVID affected the year, they still found opportunities to have fun and are now bringing some great projects in.

They started the year with no masks and fewer restrictions, but then everything got stricter again. Since January, they started to open up again and have a few more events and in-person meetings. And as 2022 was progressing, the school got busier, finally inviting community members to join them once it was allowed.

One of the first things to be brought back was the Grade 2/3 visits with elders in the community.

"Kids go and do a reading with them every now and again at the Merrymakers.

Our kids are looking forward to that and they are super excited every time they get to go to the Merrymakers and read.

And then we also have the elders excited to have the kids come in and read to them," Vellacott said The school was supposed to have their book fair in midApril, but it was postponed because of the snowstorm. The event was moved to the end of the month and incorporated

Last Friday, Alameda School invited the community to their traditional LIT concert.

Photo courtesy of Christina Vellacott into a big Autism Awareness Week filled with festivities.

The week kicked off with some classroom videos for the kids to get more of an understanding and depth of knowledge on what autism is and how they can support people in the school that are living with autism.

Alameda School principal Christina Vellacott and her family – husband Michael and daughter Kyrie.

Photo courtesy of Christina Vellacott

Last Tuesday, a representative of the Saskatchewan Health Authority did an inclusion presentation for all classrooms.

"She did the K-Grade 3 in one presentation and then she did a little bit more of a mature presentation for our Grade 4-6s and 7-9s. And that was wonderful because then the kids got more of an understanding and could see some of the role models they might have, like Johnny Depp and people like that who do live with autism that we don't realize do and that they can still live a very functional life," Vellacott explained.

Wednesday saw the school working on a collective puzzle piece art project.

Students coloured puzzle pieces, which represent autism awareness, decorating them with something either unique to them or ways they can support people with autism. The pieces were then put up on display in the school.

Thursday had a big sur-

prise for the students, as one of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Albert Awachie, visited the school to read to the younger students in the morning and then answer some questions older kids had later on. In the afternoon, the school also hosted their Reading Tea for the students, staff and the community. "We had a ton of people, the gym was full of tables and people – grandparents, aunties, uncles, some parents. It was just really nice to get them back in the building," Vellacott said.

One of the families sponsored a hot lunch, and students were wearing blue shirts at their request to show their support for peers with autism.

On Friday, students watched some movies about people living with autism.

Vellacott said the students were very receptive, engaged and excited about all events throughout the week.

While the filled with events Autism Awareness Week came to an end in April,

school activities were not over.

On May 6, Alameda School invited the community to their traditional LIT. "It's something that's been in the tradition of Alameda School since the 50s, I believe. It's a performance that the students do for the community. This year we're doing singing and some talents with some kids dancing, some kids doing solos," Vellacott explained.

With uncertainty earlier this year, students had only a few weeks to get ready for the LIT, but Vellacott said the main excitement was that it was a big event for the community that kids and parents could finally enjoy together.

Vellacott started as Alameda School's principal this year and said she's been enjoying the new role.

"It's been a wonderful experience. This little town of Alameda is so supportive of their kids and their staff and the students. And it's just been such a wonderful ride,"

Vellacott said.

She grew up on Vancouver Island and then moved to Saskatoon for university, where she met her husband to be. The family then moved to northern Manitoba, where she taught in a fly-in community for a year.

"It was just too remote for us, but we loved it. We wanted to be a little bit closer to family, and we moved to La Loche, Saskatchewan and taught there for three or four years. Then we moved down to Oxbow and I taught in Oxbow last year, and then I was offered the job here for this year," Vellacott shared.

It's her first time working as a principal, and she said the experience has been pretty surreal.

"It's totally a different role than a teacher, which I didn't realize it was this much of a different role. But it's been really good. And I think the thing I love most about being the principal is that I get to make relationships with every student in the school, and not just the ones in my classroom," Vellacott said.

She's also been coaching the Girls at Bat program through the Toronto Blue Jays Care Program, which is for all girls from kindergarten to Grade 9.

"The Jays Care Program has been really phenomenal.

They gave us free T-shirts, they gave us a whole bunch of free equipment so that we could actually run the program, and then we didn't have to worry about finding ball gloves and bats and all those pieces for the girls," Vellacott said.

The program is wrapping up in mid-May. Before the end of the year, the school will also host the track meet on May 25, which will be open to parents and the broader community.

"In the past, it's been quite a community event, less than a school event," Vellacott said.

The school year will wrap up with an awards ceremony in June.

Warm Welcome Kitchen has had record-setting attendance The Warm Welcome Kitchen has had its largest crowds ever in recent weeks, and so it has made the decision to extend its season.

Wendy Godfrey, who is the chairwoman of the kitchen committee, said they decided to stay open for the month of May, rather than close for the season at the end of April, which is customary.

“We had enough money, because of course money comes into the decision,” said Godfrey. “You have to have to be able to afford to make the meals. We had enough money, and our cooks were in agreement that they would like to keep cooking for one more month.”

The kitchen has been averaging close to 90 people per meal, with 93 served on their busiest

night. They are surprised with the recent surge in guests.

“During the winter months, we sat at around 70 … and between 65 and 75 for all of our meals. Now all of a sudden they jumped up,” she said. “It could be because of the nice weather. People are able to walk to get meals where they didn’t have transportation. In the winter, it’s harder to do all that.”

They were prepared for the influx in patrons.

“Our cooks are just amazing, for one thing,” said Godfrey. “They always cook just a little bit more than they think we need. When they see that … if a ton of people are coming in right at the beginning of the meal, they can often throw in something.”

It means they might prepare something different from the meal they expected at the start of the night, but Godfrey said they can quickly prepare something with hamburger, even if it’s frozen.

“Nobody has been turned away and nobody is going hungry,” said Godfrey.

The meals are currently being served at St. Giles Anglican Church. Warm Welcome has continued to offer take-out meals rather than having the sit-down suppers they have offered in the past.

“Although we are now allowed to do sit-down meals, we decided to do take-out meals for the remainder of this season, and with any luck at all, we will be having sit-down

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meals come the fall,” said Godfrey.

Amanda Leigh is the current kitchen co-ordinator, and is doing a “fantastic job”, Godfrey said. Leigh is always looking for new recipes and trying something different to create a good variety of meals.

L eigh is the daughter of Christina Farquhar, who is the former kitchen co-ordinator. Farquhar and other volunteers are always willing to help out.

Meals such as stir fries, lasagna and spaghetti have proven popular.

Beef dishes have also been a staple.

“She gets the meat and then tries to find something creative to do with it, the meat being the most costly thing,” said Godfrey.

The kitchen committee decided the end of May was the best

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time to wrap up their season. They thought the season had to end eventually, and Leigh needs time off because she also has a full-time job. Volunteers also need a break.

Godfrey noted the kitchen has launched a grocery dash fundraiser.

Tickets are available for $10 each, and the winner will get a twominute shopping dash in Sobeys and put whatever they want in their cart, up to $1,000. There will be some restrictions.

There will also be secondary prizes of $500 and $250 gift cards, and a beautiful hand-crafted blanket made by Marlene Culbertson.

Tickets will be available until May 30, and the draw will be made at their final meal of the season May 31.

EDITORIAL A4

| Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

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Don’t say no to funding Volume 116 Issue 48 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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The federal government has announced another round of funding for communities affected by the transition away from coal-fired power generation through its Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) program.

The Town of Bienfait will receive more than $1.6 million, with the bulk of it being used for work on its fire hall, but also to restore a couple of tourist sites: a museum located in the town and the old steam locomotive off of Main Street.

The RM of Estevan, meanwhile, is going to get nearly $4 million for the paving of two key roads: Kensington Avenue from the north edge of city limits to the Estevan truck bypass, and the road that runs from the Estevan Regional Airport to Highway 47.

These are not projects that would be described as absolutely essential, except for possibly the new Bienfait fire hall. These communities have more than survived with the projects above in their current state. But they are important projects for these communities to move forward.

In the case of Bienfait, the museum and the locomotive won’t be big draws, but could serve as good attractions if given the opportunity. They showcase the town’s history and give people a reason to stop in the town if museums and history are their thing. (And there are lots of those people out there).

They also provide some history on the area

for those who are new to the community.

As for the new fire hall, you only have to ask the people of Estevan or Carlyle to find out the impact a new fire hall can have on the community and its fire department. It’s something you can provide for the existing fire department, and it’s yet another incentive that the fire department can offer when recruiting. And when dealing with a volunteer or paid on-call force, you want to make sure you have a healthy contingent of members.

The two roads in the RM of Estevan have been gravel for a long time, but that doesn’t mean they should always be gravel. If you want to have increased development along these roads, then a paved road is a more attractive feature than gravel.

It wasn’t necessarily a good look to have Kensington paved to the city limits, and to have the truck bypass paved, but then to have a short stretch of gravel.

Nor did it look good for those coming in and out of the Estevan Airport to have a short stretch of gravel road between Highway 47 and the airport.

If you want to attract investment, then make it as inviting as possible. Some people don’t “get” the reasons for a gravel road.

Yes, it means that you have to maintain asphalt, and in a number of years, it’s going to have to be resurfaced. Given the amount of heavy

trucks that will be using these roads, longevity will be a challenge, but that doesn’t make this poorly-spent money.

We’ve seen PrairiesCan step forward with support for southeast communities previously. It’s supplied big support to the Town of Coronach for its diversification projects, and it has contributed to a number of local efforts, including the downtown revitalization planning. (It is worth noting that revitalization in Estevan won’t proceed without support from other governments).

It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves in a situation in which PrairiesCan is providing support for a transition from coal. Estevan, Bienfait, Coronach, the RMs surrounding those communities and other locations are receiving funding because the government has decided to phase out conventional coal power by 2030, 12 years earlier than the initial plan.

But communities can’t say no to this support. The money from the feds is allowing things to happen. Yes, they have to fit under the guidelines set out by the feds, but they’re still projects that enhance communities.

So it’s important for communities to go for this money, even if they might not like why it’s available to them in the first place.

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and seek out all of the options available to you, especially when you’re in public office.

Minimum wage increase is coming to Saskatchewan, what will it bring?

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Grocery prices have been growing like grass after the rain, at least since the beginning of 2022, and have been even worse lately.

Fuel prices have been spiking since February.

Prices of things like vehicles, especially used ones, appliances and fertilizer have been almost like a forbidden ground for the last year and longer.

Everything adds up quickly, making our already over-indebted lives even less affordable.

And low-income families are hurt even worse.

So the announcement of the minimum wage increase for Saskatchewan came pretty naturally last week. In early May, the government of Saskatchewan announced that the minimum wage will go up 27 per cent before the end of 2024.

As of Oct. 1, 2022, the provincial minimum wage will increase from the current $11.81 to $13 per hour. The next change will occur in a year.

Starting Oct. 1, 2023, the minimum wage will jump to $14 per hour and on Oct. 1, 2024, it will increase to $15 per hour.

Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan noted that the move is the result of upward pressure that global events keep putting up the cost of living. The wage increase is supposed to improve the situation for the people of Saskatchewan by ensuring a more appropriate income level for low-income residents to handle the growing cost of living.

The changes are also to make Saskatchewan more attractive in sense of bringing in new jobs and investments, and consequently improving the standard of living for people in general.

Currently, Saskatchewan is last among all Canadian provinces and territories on the minimum wage list, with Manitoba superseding it by 14 cents. The top positions belong to Nunavut with a $16 per hour minimum wage, followed

by Yukon ($15.70), Northwest Territories and B.C. ($15.20), and Alberta and Ontario ($15), with other provinces spread between $15-11.81.

The federal rate is $15.55, which means that even if nothing changes over the next few years,

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… which is highly unlikely, Saskatchewan will still be slightly below the federal level. However, $15 per hour definitely looks more appealing than Saskatchewan's current $11.81.

At the first sight, the minimum wage increase seems to be a big win for everyone.

Higher earnings should move more Saskatchewan families out of poverty, which also means that potentially fewer people will rely on the government's financial support. At the same time, a minimum wage increase may boost the economy. Put it simply, if people make more money, we spend more money.

Besides, higher wages in general and especially for low-income workers are known to increase morale and may affect the interest and effort employees put into work. While it's something difficult to measure directly, in the long run, it should translate into increased employee retention and reduced recruitment and training costs. On top of that, a higher level of morale and engagement should affect the level of service.

But while the increase of the minimum wage may seem like the most natural move in the current situation, unfortunately, it's not that straightforward.

One of the main serious potential issues is that the increase in the minimum wage may result in the growth of unemployment for lowskilled workers and young people. As the cost of labour grows, employers tend to reduce the number of employees and/or their work hours to absolutely necessary. Cutting expenses is only a natural reaction to growing costs, aimed at keeping the balance.

Besides, the increase in minimum wage usu-

ally results in growth in wages and salaries across the board, which affects the operating expenses for businesses. And in the end, even with cuts, it may lead to increased prices of products and services.

(While employees' wages are not the base for the cost of the product, they do affect the total).

And here we go again, needing to raise the minimum wage to make life affordable for lowincome families.

When you look at the minimum wage increase from the perspective of inflation, it does sound like a vicious circle, doesn't it?

On top of that, higher labour costs also may redirect the employers towards outsourcing more jobs to less expensive foreign labour markets, which would result in a higher and broader job loss in the short run, and potentially fewer investments, and thus less growth and development for Canadian industries in the long-term.

Another potential risk is higher competition for minimum wage jobs. Here is an example.

When I just came to Estevan I was shocked by how much money people were making in the oilfield. Any low-skilled job was paying well – as much or even more than I could make with my degree. Of course, it wasn't about minimum wage, but rather about a particular industry, but my first reaction was to give up my education and experience and try finding a way to get into the oilfield, ready to take any job.

With a higher minimum wage, overqualified workers may start taking minimum wage positions, which would prevent the new, less experienced generation from entering the market.

Bottom line, the minimum wage increase is expected to provide a better living for many people in Saskatchewan, thus also improving work ethics and potentially boosting the economy. It may come with some possible negative consequences, such as growing inflation and/or job losses.

But one way or the other, the decision is made, so soon we will see which way this change takes us.

Flooring

OP-ED A5

Blinds Paint

| Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

David Willberg Willberg’s World

floorstoreestevan.ca

Radiothon for Life raised over $110K for hospital’s Unit A

We deserve champs like this I’m a life-long hockey geek. So, when I first moved to Estevan in September 2000, the Estevan Bruins immediately became my favourite beat.

The Bruins were about 16 months removed from winning an SJHL title in 1999. I didn’t imagine it would take more than two decades for the next one. Then again, in 2000, I didn’t think I would be here in 2022.

Yet, thankfully, here I am.

And your Estevan Bruins are the SJHL champions.

The 23-year championship drought came to an end Friday night in the Bruins’ 2-0 win over their very worthy adversaries, the Flin Flon Bombers. It was a physical, close-checking game filled with intensity. The Bruins deserved that victory.

The only downside for me was I couldn’t be there. I tested positive for COVID-19 the day before. While my symptoms were light to mild, and I probably could have gone, I decided to stay home, watch the game on SaskTel Max, and not risk attending an event with more than 2,700 people present (including players, staff, volunteers and media).

A big thanks to Wanda Harron Photography for sending photos throughout the night, and my colleague Eric Westhaver at the Flin Flon Reminder for some celebratory photos.

Anyways, enough with the self-pity. Let’s talk hockey.

When the Bruins were awarded the 2022 Centennial Cup in December 2019, following a very competitive bid process, I was obviously fired up for the great hockey we would see here.

All these great teams from across the country would be coming. And there would be so many people coming to Estevan.

But I also thought about the team that the Bruins would have, and the opportunity to win a league championship.

It wasn’t always pretty my first years covering the team.

They missed the playoffs four times in the first six seasons.

One of those seasons they did make the playoffs was in 2004-05 – a year in which they were the top-ranked team in Canada at one point. Injuries to a couple key players in the South Division final against the Yorkton Terriers (a series the Bruins lost in seven) likely cost the Bruins a league title and possibly a national championship.

That 2004-05 team would be the only time the Bruins would win a best of seven in an 18-year span.

Starting with the 2017 season, the Bruins have now won seven series in six years. There was the thrilling run to the SJHL final in 2018 that captivated our region. Estevan lost in Game 7 of the league final against a highly-favoured Nipawin team. Then they beat the Humboldt Broncos in the first round in Game 7 in overtime in 2019 – a game that had all sorts of national attention the year after the Broncos’ bus tragedy in April 2018.

Before this year’s final began, a lot of people were telling me Estevan would win handily. I knew otherwise. Flin Flon has a great team. We saw during the regular season that Estevan and Flin Flon couldn’t play an uninteresting game. (Sorry for the double negative).

There were also concerns about the intensity of the final.

After all, both teams were going to advance to nationals, regardless of the result. Would they have the same desire to win if they didn’t have to worry about elimination?

Ultimately, both teams had the chance to win a championship. And anyone who has had anything to do with the game at a high level can tell you they don’t get many chances to win a title. When you get a chance, seize it, even if there’s more hockey to be played after the championship game.

The league final had so many memorable moments: a power failures the night of Game 2; Jamie Valentino’s attempted theft of the Bombers’ moose leg in Flin Flon after Game 3 and the Bombers’ response; the Bruins Eric Houk scoring the game-tying goal with 5.8 seconds left in Game 5 and Olivier Pouliot getting the overtime winner.

After losing by five in Game 6, Estevan made the necessary adjustments for Game 7, and delivered the win in front of their passionate fans.

We’ve been able to watch a great team this season. We, as a community, should be very proud of them, not just the players, but everyone who is involved with the organization and helps make Bruins hockey possible.

I know I am.

And with the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship, presented by Tim Hortons, less than two weeks away, they aren’t finished yet.

Jessica Goulet and Jan Fleck were accepting donations for the Radiothon for Life in-person and over the phone.

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Radiothon for Life for the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation received outstanding support once again this year.

The 11th annual event wrapped up at 6 p.m. last Wednesday and finished with a total of $110,175 for health care in the community.

St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation executive director Lori Gervais said the entire day went incredibly well.

"It feels completely overwhelming but wonderful at the same time.

The whole day feels wonderful. It was phenomenal," Gervais said. "The whole day was a highlight. It was great to be outside. It was great to see people again.

And it's always overwhelming. There are not enough words to express how thankful we are for the overwhelming support of everybody, always, in Estevan and all of our surrounding areas."

This year's fundraiser started at 6 a.m. and aired on Golden West Broadcasting’s Estevan radio stations.

It was held at the hospital's grounds and hundreds of people stopped by to make a donation and enjoy the beautiful weather and barbecue lunch, provided

by Southern Plains Co-op. Gervais noted that the lunch hours were extremely busy with a non-stop flow of people coming through. Having the fundraiser at the hospital again, and also outside, added a positive twist to the experience.

"I think [having it] outside was great. [Having it] over at the radio station [like in 2021] was wonderful as well, because we were out for the people to see. But what we've always missed with doing that is the staff. So being able to be back out here, at the hospital, allowed for the staff to participate.

They could come out for the barbecue, they could come out and donate, they could come out on their breaks and hang out and just be a part of it again," Gervais said.

As always, there wasn’t a goal or expectations as to how much money they wanted to raise, as every dollar that goes towards maintaining and improving the local hospital counts.

Gervais said that once again they were overwhelmed with the community's

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Tammy and Joan Senchuk stopped by the Radiothon for Life at St. Joseph’s Hospital to make a donation. generosity and support.

"The goal was always to raise money for local health care, but there's no real goal. We are raising money for health care and raising awareness for our community. It is important for people to realize the importance of their contribution because without their generous donations, we would never be able to do what we do," Gervais said.

Donations kept coming in online, over the phone and in person throughout the entire 12 hours. Gervais said the Radiothon is always really busy, but also a really fun day. And volunteers that come every year to help with the fundraiser happen made the day even better.

"The volunteers we have are awesome volunteers, they come in every year. And throughout that day, they answer phones and take donations and write receipts. We couldn't do what we do without them," Gervais said.

She added that many generous donations were coming from local businesses and people. Whitecap Resources phoned in a $10,000 donation, and Jeff

Sandquist, who moved out of the community years ago but remains a big supporter of St. Joseph's Hospital, reached out to make a big donation as well.

Gervais noted that there were a lot of people and businesses making bigger donations of $500 and $1,000, but she pointed out that any and every contribution matters and makes a big difference.

"The $20 donations are just as important to come in because people give what they can," Gervais said.

There was some merchandise on display for purchase from the hospital, with proceeds going towards the radiothon's total. Besides, several businesses were fundraising for the radiothon ahead of the event.

All money raised this year will be used to update and upgrade Unit A, which is the hospital's medical unit.

"There is a list of renovations.

There're all kinds of things that we want to be done up there. I don't have a grand total of actual renovations, but $110,000 is going to take them a long, long way," Gervais said.

A6 May 11, 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: Our Clean Sweep Campaign is in full swing. Please make use of the free landfill this weekend and the Household Hazardous Waste Collection May 14, 2022.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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) (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)

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

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

IT TAKES MORE THAN A SIGN.

BUSINESS A7

| Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca

Josh LeBlanc REALTOR ® 306.421.6778

A special milestone for long-standing business

By David Willberg One of Estevan’s longeststanding businesses is marking a special anniversary this month.

A&A Jewellery and Gifts will celebrate 50 years in business with its annual sale.

Laurel Buck, who has been an owner of the business since 2006, said the store opened in 1972 by Adrian (Red) Bourassa. He gave the business the A&A name because of his first name and his wife’s name, which was Agnes.

Eventually, the company was sold to Donald and Verna Hahn, and they owned it for a while. Dennis and Marlene Moore then purchased the business and owned it until 2006, when the retail store was sold to Buck, her father Vern, and Laurel Buck’s uncle and aunt, Wayne and Audrey Shelstad. The Shelstads left two years later to start their own jewellery store in Alberta.

Buck remained a social worker at the Violence Intervention Program (now Envision Counselling and Support Centre) after her family purchased the store, but she helped out on evenings and Saturdays.

She started working full-time in the store in 2008.

Buck proudly pointed out that her father is still part of the business at age 83.

“He comes in and does the books every day,” said Buck.

When her family pur-

chased the business, they added more giftware to go along with the selection of jewellery.

They have also remodelled the business.

She noted that the various owners have wanted to keep the original store name over the years because of its reputation and its prominence in the community.

“It’s been locally-owned by people who were well known in the community,” said Buck.

“Dad was well-known, and of course Dennis was as well and the Hahns and the Bourassas [were]. I think it’s always been owned by people who have been in Estevan for ages.”

Buck noted that the building has a rich history. It was home to Wellock’s Meat Shop at one time, and it was the site of other businesses during its history before becoming a jewelry store in 1972.

The 50th anniversary will offer 17 days of sales. The jewellery and gift wear is up to 75 per cent off, and each day they will have prizes and giveaways.

It started on Monday morning and will continue until closing on May 28.

All specials will be instore.

“It’s just going to be a lot of fun,” said Buck. “We have stuff we’re going to just blow out. We want to make some room for some new items. We’re just looking forward to a good sale and having a blast doing it.”

Each year they have an

anniversary sale, but this one is going to be bigger and better than most, because it’s their 50th anniversary.

Buck noted that when her family purchased A&A, the price of gold was $800 per troy ounce. Now it is $1,800-$1,900 per troy ounce, which is a unit of measurement for gold, and is equivalent to about 31.1 grams.

The business has seen a lot of other changes in recent years besides the greater emphasis on giftware. The online world is a big change, as they’re now competing with those outside of the community. Social media has created a big change. And the prices have obviously gone up.

Working in the jewellery business, she gets to see a lot of excited people. But the best part is when someone buys an engagement ring and they’re excited to give it to the person they want to marry. She gets to see the excitement on the fiancée’s face when they come in for their wedding bands, and they keep coming back after the wedding.

“That’s the best thing, is building that relationship with people,” said Buck.

Buck said she has always loved gemstones, diamonds and other jewellery. But as far as the business, she had no idea about running the store, and thankfully she always had her father to help out.

W hen Buck’s family bought the business, she remembers asking the Moores

Laurel Buck talks with a customer at A&A Jewellery & Gifts. The long-time Estevan business is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Photo courtesy of Laurel Buck

A&A Jewellery and Gift continues to offer a variety of merchandise for customers.

Photo courtesy of Laurel Buck about what they do when there are no customers in the store.

But there will always be so

much work to do, because they have to worry about marketing, human resources and other

tasks associated with having a long-standing and respected business in the community.

Business teaches skills to local youth For many kids, mowing lawns will be their unofficial first job, as they will be paid to cut grass for neighbours and other friends.

But an enterprising local 12-year-old has turned his skills with a lawnmower into a first business.

Charlie Hayes is the owner of Charlie’s Lawn Services. He cuts grass and rakes leaves for people in the community.

“A family friend reached out to my mom and asked if I could cut grass,” said Charlie.

“My dad thought I was too young, but he taught me anyways, and then the word spread from there.”

He was 10 years old when he started in 2020.

Last year he cut 14 lawns on a regular basis.

People would hire him to look after their yards when they went on holidays, too, so he believes he tended to 25 different yards in the summer.

And he’s cut the grass for businesses, including this city’s oldest business, the Estevan Mercury, and he has handled Souris Vista Townhomes in the Westview

Charlie Hayes has learned a lot through his yard care business. Photo courtesy of Brian Hayes area of the community.

“It’s important to cut in patterns, horizontal, diagonal and vertical, to help the grass heal, and it’s also important to cut high when it’s really hot out to keep it looking green.”

Charlie said he started cutting grass because he wanted to purchase a new computer. He has able to buy the new system, but he’s

still out mowing lawns and raking leaves.

He never imagined he would be so busy cutting grass. He will usually work three or four hours a day in the summer. And sometimes he has so much work that he needs other people to help him out, including his younger sister, friends and others. When that happens, he’ll split the revenues.

Charlie Hayes, pictured cutting grass at the Estevan Mercury building, has learned a lot through his business, Charlie’s Lawn Services. Photo courtesy of Brian Hayes Charlie has a healthy number of customers lined up for this year, with some new clients in the mix.

He said he loves being outdoors and learning new things.

His father, Brian, said the business has been a great way for Charlie to interact with new people.

“As a parent, I’ve been just really pleased with how the people of Estevan have just really given Charlie a

Greenhouse & Petting Zoo

Locally owned family run greenhouse near Bienfait

chance,” said Brian. “He’s a young guy, and I know most people, most men, anyways, myself included, are pretty protective of their lawns. But there are a lot of great people in our city who have given Charlie a chance.”

They will visit with Charlie at their yards and share stories with him. One customer named Bob gives Charlie chocolate as part of the payment.

“A lot of people he cuts for are older people who can’t cut themselves,” said Brian.

And he has looked after the yards of people who live out of town.

Charlie pays his father for gas to get him and his equipment to a job site, in addition to paying anyone who helps him.

“Not that it’s a whole lot, but it’s enough to teach him that any type of business comes with overhead and expenses, and that a paycheque is never what it seems,” said Brian.

Charlie’s Lawn Services has been a great learning experience. Charlie encourages others to not be afraid and to try hard.

“Estevan has lots of people who like giving kids a chance,” said Charlie.

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A8 May 11, 2022

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Estevan Police Service welcome new constables, filling up vacancies

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Estevan Police Service lost several constables due to various reasons and was recently able to land three new hires.

Const. Cole Hoover has already graduated from the Saskatchewan Police Academy and is currently working the streets in Estevan. Const. Jordan Ross is getting ready to graduate from the academy.

And Const. Vaughn Golden will be going to the academy in August.

The three new officers are joining the community and want to be a part of it.

Police Chief Richard Lowen said the three new members are replacing officers that have left the service earlier and moved onto other areas.

“These are all part of our regular complement,” Lowen said.

The EPS is currently short on members as the new hires haven’t completed all the required training yet.

“We have one officer [Hoover] in field training, he’ll be taking a complement position. And we have an officer [Ross] in the academy who will be taking a complement position, he’ll be coming out at the end of May. And then Vaughn Golden will be going in [to the academy] in August to fill out our last open position [after five months of training],” Lowen explained.

As a part of our Salute to Policing special ahead of the national Police Week, the EPS is introducing their new members to the community they will live and work in.

The first one to join the EPS was Hoover, who’s been working in Estevan since December.

Hoover was born in Calgary and raised in the little village of Delia, Alta. He said an image of a police officer was always in his head, so once the time came he chose to go for a two-year diploma in criminal justice studies at Lethbridge College.

“Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to be a police officer. I like being able to problem solve and be a positive influence on people.

I like the idea of mentorship and policing puts me in a good position to do that. I think having that kind of a unique ability to interact with folks on some of the worst days gives you a chance to really make a difference in people’s day to day lives,” Hoover said, adding with a laugh that as a kid, he dressed up as a police officer almost every Halloween and on regular days as well.

While in school, he was the president of the Leo Club, the volunteer organization that was part of the policing studies. He also volunteered with the youth-mentoring charity Big Brothers Big Sisters in Lethbridge for two years and was a ski patroller at Castle Mountain.

“All my college experience with Lethbridge was really positive. And I heard really good things about the Estevan Police Service. There were some folks in Lethbridge that spoke highly of it. So, I was interested in coming here to look for employment. I was certainly attracted to the idea of small-town policing still.

We appreciate all you do today and everyday

Thank you!

“Estevan is a nice size, in terms of a small city. And I liked the fact that I could go somewhere and get to know my community and become as involved as I can,” Hoover shared.

“It’s an amazing career and I knew it was really challenging to get into and you had to take all the right steps to do it. So, I set my goals high from a young age, I wanted to get hired young, and I wanted to make those dreams come true. Estevan gave me the opportunity to make that happen.”

He moved to Estevan in midDecember 2021 after attending the police college in Regina and started working right away.

“It’s been really welcoming.

Everybody’s been really kind to me. Both people within the service and outside of the service have really rocked me with open arms and made me feel like I’m at home,” Hoover shared.

“I have family from Saskatchewan and the idea of nice Saskatchewan folks who treat you like friends and family really rang true when I got here just because that’s what I found so far.”

Hoover said that in the future he probably would want to become a canine operator. And if one day a school resource officer position would ever come up, he’d be interested in getting involved with students.

“I like working with kids and I think being able to be a positive influence on the young generation is really effective. I think it’s a good use of the position of being a police

Const. Cole Hoover, right, and Const. Vaughn Golden will join the ranks of Estevan Police Service this year.

Photo courtesy of EPS officer,” Hoover said.

Hoover is also a hockey referee and is looking forward to getting back on the ice next season. He noted that Estevan’s location at the U.S. border was another attraction for him as he enjoys travelling.

Another hire, Const. Golden, will take his course at Regina’s academy in August, but he is already in Estevan and is using this

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time to get to know the community and the service.

Golden hails from Alberta. He also graduated from the criminal justice program at Lethbridge College in 2019. He then got hired by the Alberta Sheriff ’s department and worked as a court sheriff for 2 1/2 years in Lethbridge. Then, following in the steps of his good A9 » NEW

Thank you to the Police Services in our communities.

We appreciate you.

HENDERS DRUGS 1220 - 4th Street, Estevan • 306-634-3666

www.SASKTODAY.ca

May 11, 2022 A9

RCMP was busier than normal to start year The Estevan RCMP has been busier than normal to start the year, thanks to the weather and protests.

Sgt. Steven Ross said the blizzard that struck the southeast in late January and early February resulted in more than two dozen calls in one night.

They were not as busy for the snowstorms that slammed the region in April.

“The first one in April, we might have had two or three calls related to it, and with the second one, I don’t even know if we had a call that was specifically related to the snowstorm, or people being in the ditch as a result of it.”

The first storm in particular received a lot of attention before it hit, and Ross believes people heeded the warnings.

The RCMP also had to tend to the protests that happened in Januar y and Februar y regarding the provincial and federal COVID-19 mandates. An added police presence was seen in the

North Portal and Northgate areas for protests during the Family Day long weekend.

People were well-behaved at those gatherings.

“Our presence was more of a preventative measure than anything. We wanted to be prepared in case there was a larger event like what happened in Ottawa. We wanted to try to avoid that as much as we could,” said Ross.

The RCMP has had a number of other investigations. They laid charges for a few cases of illegal tobacco. Ross said that crime is becoming more common.

“We’ve laid charges in three or maybe four possession of illegal tobacco investigations. It’s been in larger quantities, too. The biggest one was 125 cartons of illegal cigarettes.”

People were from Canada and apprehended locally, rather than trying to smuggle cigarettes across the Canada-U.S. border.

The RCMP has also laid

charges in connection with property crimes.

“There was a bunch of stolen property recovered that was associated to a number of reported break and enters in both the Estevan detachment area and the Carnduff detachment area,” said Ross.

The RCMP has also responded to its traditional assortment of calls and infractions, ranging from traffic tickets to impaired drivers, and vandalism to assaults. Not of

the calls have happened more often than normal.

It’s been quiet lately, but Ross is expecting activity levels to pick up in the coming weeks, especially since activities can happen as they used to without COVID restrictions.

“I would anticipate there will be likely more driving complaints.

The winter sometimes limits those because the driving conditions aren’t good, but the summer the driving conditions are usually favourable,” said Ross.

There are also more vehicles on the roads in the summer.

With camping season and more people travelling on vacations, there are more break and enters and property thefts occurring. Once seeding season starts, they get a few thefts from tractors in the fields.

The Estevan RCMP currently has seven officers, with Ross, a corporal and five constables, so the detachment is fully staffed.

There is also a detachment services assistant who does a lot of the administrative work and provides some dispatching services.

Ross arrived in the community last October, and he and his family have been welcomed everywhere they have gone. His kids have become involved in extracurricular activities, which has helped with their adjustment.

He also looks for ward to spending more time out in the community. He attended a number of village and RM council meetings, and he spoke at a recent ratepayers’ annual meeting for the RM of Browning.

“With the weather getting better and more activities starting to happen, we’re actually looking for opportunities for things to stop in at, or participate in, as we’re able,” he said.

If any communities have planned events, the RCMP would like to know so they can make an appearance.

New constables are now in different stages of training « A8 friend Hoover, he applied and got hired with the EPS. Golden moved to Estevan in March and started working with EPS in an administrative capacity, helping out with dispatching and learning the office side of things. He is waiting for his term at the Saskatchewan Police Academy, which is set to begin in August. Then Golden will come back to Estevan in uniform and will be out on the streets.

He said he had always been interested in policing, and just decided to follow his dreams.

“When I heard the lights and siren of police cars going places, I was always interested in what was going on.

That’s what piqued my interest. And then when I was in high school, I became close

with a few police officers back in my hometown, and really got a liking for the job and that type of work, wanting to do something a little bit different every day,” Golden shared.

“When I was in high school, that’s when I decided that I was going to pursue policing as a career … And then once I was in that program at the Lethbridge College, that solidified, and it made me decide that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

He added that the sheriff ’s job became his stepping stone between college and policing, which allowed him to get a little bit of field experience.

In the future, he hopes to become a canine handler.

And being at the very beginning of his career, he said that so far, he just wants to

do well.

“I’m just excited to start the job, do my training, do well there in training and then come back and just learn as much as I can. That’s my main goal right now,” Golden said.

He hasn’t been in Estevan for too long, but the first experience was positive. He said he enjoys the “small-city feel”, which Lethbridge, a community of over 90,000, didn’t have. Besides, the Estevan Bruins and the city’s deep engagement with hockey made the community even more attractive for Golden.

“You get a little more sense of community here.

And I am big into hockey.

Lots of hockey in Estevan, which is nice, a nice hockey city,” said Golden, who is also a hockey referee and hopes to do some work on the ice

next season.

He added that running was another hobby of his.

Chief Lowen said that it ’s always challenging to fill any police vacancies

these days because they are competing with all the other police agencies in Canada. However, this time it wasn’t too difficult, as they had good candidates

that came forward.

Const. Ross is currently in training in Regina. The Mercur y will have more about him in the upcoming weeks.

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PrairiesCan announces million in funding The Town of Bienfait and the RM of Estevan have announced that they have received targeted infrastructure funding from the Prairies Economic Development Canada’s (PrairiesCan) Canada Coal Transition Initiative-Infrastructure Fund.

The town and the RM are part of the Southeast Sask.

Economic Partnership (SSEP).

PrairiesCan provides targeted funding investments that build on regional strengths and encourage innovation.

The Town of Bienfait received a contribution of $107,398 that will be used to repair and revitalize tourism elements already in place. A press release says two tourism assets need repair and/or refurbishment.

The first is the Bienfait Coalfields Historical Society Museum, which is housed in the former CP Rail station that was built in 1907. It features a Canadian Legion, hospital rooms, a CPR office, a caboose and a one-room schoolhouse.

Funds will be used in the train station/museum and schoolhouse for interior repairs or replacements of windows, walls, door frames and ceilings, and exterior repairs or replacements including the deck, front office awning, eavestroughs and fence repairs.

The second is the 1907

steam locomotive used by the Manitoba & Saskatchewan (M&S) Coal Company with a Canadian National Railway (CNR) caboose.The locomotive and caboose are a designated municipal heritage property.

The 1907 steam locomotive engine, caboose and coal train require sandblasting and repainting, while the caboose requires additional repairs to ensure it is safe for tourists and tour guides, including roof, chimney, floorboards, walls and floor runner repairs and replacements.

The Town of Bienfait also plans to install interpretive signage at the museum and locomotive sites, providing detailed information about the history and significance of each asset, and to place an attraction sign on the highway to direct passing traffic to the tourism elements in the Town of Bienfait.

“Bienfait has a great history of coal mining and the locomotive (steam engine) on Main Street is a beautiful piece of history,” said SSEP member at large Paul Carroll. “Also, the Bienfait Coalfields Historical Museum displays agriculture, coal, oil and other historic industries from the area. We, as a community, have an obligation to preserve that history and proudly today we can say that along with PrairiesCan, the

long-needed restoration repairs to the locomotive and Bienfait Coalfields Historical Museum will be brought to fruition.”

Bienfait also received a contribution of more than $1.5 million that will be used for the construction of a new fire hall to ensure adequate fire protection for the town. The new fire hall will ensure adequate fire protection for the Town of Bienfait and the surrounding area in the RM of Coalfields, which includes the communities of North Portal, Frobisher, Roche Percée, Hirsch and others.

“Once again, Bienfait has worked diligently with PrairiesCan to fund a new and expanded fire hall,” said Bienfait Mayor Ken Bonokoski.

“With the ever-increasing size of equipment and additional industries located nearby, the fire hall replacement timing is almost perfect.

“Currently, the municipality has been renting space to house the firefighting vehicles.

With all of the equipment housed in the same building, it will increase the efficiency to prepare and respond to emergencies. The space will be utilized for maintenance, training and fire suppression growth for the municipality and the volunteer firefighters. Bienfait as well as surrounding municipalities shall benefit from the necessary

improvement.”

The RM of Estevan was successful in obtaining two federal infrastructure contributions for paving projects. The first contribution of more than $1.3 million will upgrade and pave Kensington Avenue to the Estevan bypass to provide a direct link between the commercial and industrial businesses on the north side of Estevan and the truck bypass.

The RM of Estevan was also successful in receiving a federal infrastructure contribution of more than $2.6 million that will be used to develop and pave the two-kilometre section of Grid 704 from Highway 47 to the Estevan Regional Airport to support growth and development.

Completion of this upgrade supports the expansion of current businesses and will support the attraction of new business to southeast Saskatchewan.

Transitioning from a gravel road to a paved one would contribute to making the area more appealing to investors, thereby supporting economic development in the RM of Estevan, City of Estevan and surrounding region.

“The RM is extremely pleased to receive these infrastructure funds. These improvements will augment the development of the tourism

and the logistic and distribution economic pillars set out

by SSEP,” said RM of Estevan Division 4 Councillor James Trobert, who is also an SSEP committee member.

“Additionally, the improved paving infrastructure will give the RM of Estevan the ability to showcase its progress, sustainability and commitment to the growth of agriculture, business and industry. Specifically, paving the Grid 704 access from Highway 47 to the Estevan Regional Airport will further amplify the importance of the airport as a first-class facility in attracting new investment to this area of the province.

“Similarly, paving Kensington [Avenue] north will significantly upgrade the transportation network to service the needs of both current and future users of a very busy road in the RM of Estevan and promote future development along the Estevan Bypass and surrounding corridors.”

“On behalf of and along with the rest of the partners of the SSEP group, the RM of Estevan is very pleased and excited to have been the recipient of funds designated towards significant infrastructure projects that will significantly enhance the economic pillars and drivers set out by SSEP,” said RM of Estevan Division 6 Councillor

Steve Smith, who is also a committee member.

Smith noted the affected portion of Kensington Avenue has more than 1,000 vehicles per day.

“With the possible expansion of both current and future businesses for RM No. 5 and the City of Estevan this new piece of infrastructure will complete an existing piece that will greatly enhance, support and attract these expansions,” he said.

“Both of these projects will greatly support the tourism trade for the area currently being developed by the SSEP group as well as support all existing ratepayers in the area by having newly paved infrastructure to travel on.”

Tim Keating, regional economic development director of SSEP, said, “It’s great to see all of our hard work and efforts come to fruition. There has been significant time and effort put into these projects by our staff and committee members and we are thrilled to see these approvals come through to support key economic development infrastructure for the RM of Estevan and Town of Bienfait.

“We wish to thank PrairiesCan for their funding and support of these vital projects for our region and communities.”

Estevan Kinsmen to fundraise for the Wakely family "They have given without restraint to their community, and now it is our opportunity to give back."

With this phrase, the

Estevan Kinsmen Club invited the community to a fundraiser they are organizing for the family of one of their own. Keith Wakely passed

away in mid-March, leaving behind his wife Branda and their children Aaron, Jared, Thomas, Brielle and Nevaeh.

A Dutch auction, with a $7,000 prize package to be won, will be held at the Wylie-Mitchell Hall on May 14 starting at 7 p.m.

Kinsmen member Phil Zajac, who is assisting with the fundraiser, said it was important for the club to help during times of great need.

"Kinsmen Estevan is a group of fellows that always helps out during a time of a need," said Zajac. "Keith Wakely … was an Estevan Kinsman, and he was deeply

involved in the community.

He has a really large family with kids and a wife. I know that the community of Estevan, when people need help, they come out and help."

He added that the Estevan Kinsmen puts these fundraisers together when there is a need. They've helped a few families that have come to them before and had great success. And they also try to help in other ways.

"We try to help anytime we get asked, whether it's a big or small need. And we do all different types of things …

This is just a chance for us to give back to the community

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again," Zajac said.

The main attraction of the fundraiser for the Wakely family will be a Dutch auction. For it, several local businesses have given donations of $7,000 worth of services or products. And the top bidder will get to choose from four vendors including Brand Source Estevan, Thunder City Power and Leisure, 306 Tools and Rosalie's SK Travel Deals.

The night will also see a live auction. There will be music and some entertainment. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Entry tickets are $20. They are available in advance at Henders Drugs, the Ice Factory or at the door on the night of the event.

All proceeds will support the Wakely family.

• • • • • Serving Southeast Saskatchewan for 38 years • • •

Wakely passed away at St. Joseph's Hospital on March 14 at the age of 56.

He worked at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam for 21 years, first as a millwright, and then a safety co-ordinator and a planner. Wakely was always there to lend a hand to his community, be it as a club leader or just a helpful neighbour , but was always someone you could count on.

Wakely's son Thomas, at 16 years of age, was awarded the Challenger Coin, normally reserved for police officers, for his part in rescuing victims of a road accident in Estevan in October 2015.

Thomas was recently pursuing military training when he was stricken with serious medical complications, a battle he continues today.

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Speedway preparing for the upcoming season The April snowstorms might have caused a slight delay for the Estevan Motor Speedway to start its season, but it’s still looking forward to what will be a busy campaign.

The track’s 2022 season opener is slated for May 13 and 14 – one of several doubleheaders on the docket for this year.

“This late snow has put a bit of a glitch into the start of our program, just with it being so wet out at the speedway,” said track president Brad Pierson.

A track preparation day – which Pierson said was needed before the season started – was pushed back from April 30 to May 7.

Another double-header is scheduled for June 3 and 4. A points night is on for June 17 – the only regular program of the season that isn’t a doubleheader.

Further races are July 1 and 2, July 22 and 23, Aug. 12 and 13, and Aug. 26 and 27.

A fall race is slated for Sept. 10 and the year-end fall enduro is on for Sept. 17.

A spring endure, which had been pushed back from May 7 to 21, has now been cancelled due to a lack of entries.

This marks the third straight year the speedway has leaned on doubleheaders for their schedule.

“When we were making the schedule back in January, we just weren’t confident that the border was going to be open without restrictions, which hurts our U.S. car count,” said Pierson. “But we’ve had such good support from our Manitoba drivers and from other tracks in Saskatchewan and Alberta, that we thought it was best to stay with these doubleheaders, for the people that are travelling long distances.”

A couple of drivers out of Red Deer, Alta., have committed to race most of the season. Drivers from across Saskatchewan want to race here more regularly, Pierson said, and the schedule makes it easier for them to come here.

They hope to also see some American drivers now

that border restrictions have eased.

“We have been notified that we are going to get a few of them here on a consistent basis, but we’re just not exactly sure how many are going to make it because of the vaccination status,” said Pierson.

Fans can look forward to each program boasting the IMCA modifieds, sport modifieds, stock cars and hobby stocks, along with the slingshots developmental class.

The Manitoba contingent has provided a boost to modifieds and sport mods.

One of the highlights of the season, the late model program, is scheduled for Aug. 12 and 13. There will be a kids’ night, and Pierson noted last year’s kids’ night was the best they have ever had.

“We opened up the pits ahead of the race, and it just made you so excited to see the kids and families before the race, how well the drivers treated them, opened up to entertain them and show them around their cars and their haulers.”

The Estevan Motor Speedway will open its season on May 13. File photo It was probably Pierson’s favourite event of the summer.

The Dakota Classic Modified Tour does not appear on this year’s schedule, due to the uncertainty associated with the Canada-U.S. border.

There is also a monster trucks program for July 30 and 31 that Pierson believes will be huge for the community. He said there will be some “high-end” monster

trucks and some supporting attractions.

Monster trucks last appeared in 2015. There will also be a ride truck in which people can pay and get a ride in a vehicle.

“I think we’re just really excited, for the first time in two years, is we don’t have [crowd] restrictions. We went through a year and a half of only being to have 150 people in the stands,” said Pierson.

During the past two years, people have realized what a strong form of entertainment can be found at the track.

Pierson noted the track has been approached by a couple of new people to Estevan, one being a videographer and another being a social media person, which he believes should result in improvements for the track’s promotional efforts.

Paralympic medallist visits Sacred Heart School Students from Sacred Heart School/École Sacré Coeur in Estevan had the opportunity to hear from a Paralympic medallist on May 3.

Brittany Hudak, who hails from Prince Albert and was born without part of her left arm, spoke to the kids through the Classroom Champions program, which partners up school classes with world-class athletes.

Each month she has been sending videos on different topics to Grade 5 and 6 students at the school, with a challenge at the end of each month.

“It helps bring the topic to life, and it’s a way of seeing how the students are comprehending some of the lessons and really putting their learning at the forefront,” said Hudak. “Some of the lessons that we’ve really kept in mind are more along goal-setting and perseverance.

So, it’s more important to set a goal and be working towards achieving it.”

Even if a child doesn’t achieve the objective, it’s better to have one because it will put you in a good position.

She was excited to be at the school and to see all of

the kids in person.

Hudak won two bronze medals at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. She earned one medal in the women’s standing 12.5 kilometre individual biathlon race – the second straight time she has won bronze at the event.

Earlier in the Games, she was third in the 15-kilometre cross country race.

She also competed in cross-country skiing at the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.

She started cross-country skiing when she was 18 after meeting a Paralympic skier who though Hudak would be a good fit for the sport. A couple of years later, a biathlon coach asked her to try the sport, which combines cross-country skiing and shooting.

“I think biathlon in general, it’s always so exciting because you’re trying to combine two completely different sports together and try to be good at both on the same day,” said Hudak.

It forces her to ski hard, arrive at a range and hit a target.

They also get to see so many different trails and locations while competing

outdoors.

Many of their competitions in the past two years have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID, so it was different getting ready for the Paralympics with fewer competitions. But it was still great to be part of the games.

“I always enjoy the experience of just getting to represent Canada, and being with all of my teammates and staff.

Everyone comes together to create a culture of excellence when you’re at the Games, so that’s always surreal to be a part of that.”

This year’s Paralympics didn’t have the same festive atmosphere or interactions due to concerns over COVID-19, but she believes organizers did a good job of keeping everyone safe.

Hudak became involved with Classroom Champions through a mutual friend. The agency asked her to see if she would be interested.

“I had a mentor when I had first started skiing, so right away I knew the benefits of mentorship, and I was intrigued to be an athlete mentor with Classroom Champions, so it

Brittany Hudak signs the shirt of William Stead after her visit to Sacred Heart School. Photo by Megan Vanston went from there,” said Hudak.

The students were receptive to her message. Goalsetting seemed to be their favourite message during the year.

It didn’t take long for

her to realize it was a great program to be part of, thanks to the live chats throughout the year that allow her to talk to the kids and answer their questions. And they get to put

a face to the name.

This was her second community event through Classroom Champions. The first was in Surrey, B.C., prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twins win four straight games to start season The Southeast U18 AAA Twins won all four games they played in their opening weekend of the season.

The Twins started the campaign in style Saturday with a pair of lopsided victories over the Swift Current 57s, winning 12-2 in six innings and 15-4 in 5 1/2 frames.

Both games saw the mercy rule invoked.

The Twins jumped on the 57s early in the first game with five in

the second inning and three in the third. They finished the game with six hits and 10 walks.

Spencer Copeland, Hunter Stewart and Cooper Walbaum each had two runs batted in (RBIs) for the Twins.

Kade P hillips and Aiden Trimble each pitched three innings.

The Twins fell behind 4-0 after two innings in the second game, but then plated seven in the third and four in each of the fourth

and the fifth.

Nathan Yunick had three runs, two RBIs and two singles for the Twins.

Mitch Himmelpach pitched the first inning for the Twins, and then Hunter Stewart came in for the final four innings.

The Twins then pulled off two come-from-behind victories Sunday against the host Moose Jaw Canucks, winning 10-7 and 9-7 on Sunday. The second victory

required an extra inning.

In the first game, the Canucks led 7-3 through four innings, but then the Twins had three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.

Walbaum had two runs, a single and two RBIs in the first game, while Conner Kerr had two runs, two singles and an RBI. Himmelspach allowed just one walk in three innings of scoreless relief.

The Twins were down 4-1

through four innings, but pulled even with two in the sixth and one in the seventh. Then they outscored the Canucks 5-3 in the extra inning.

Carter Beck hit a home run and a triple, scored three times and had two RBIs. He also picked up the win on the mound.

The Twins will have their home opener on May 14 against the East Central Red Sox at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Lynn Prime Park.

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EWF kicks off fishing season with walleye classic The Estevan Wildlife Federation kicked off the 2022 fishing season by hosting its annual Walleye Classic on Saturday at Boundary Dam. A total of 42 teams entered the catch-and-release competition. Each team could weigh in up to six fish.

The team of Ryan Englot and Dean Schenk finished in top spot, as their six fish weighed a total of 17 pounds. They also the largest catch of the day at 7.6 pounds.

Dave Clark and Jesse Bourassa were second at 16 pounds. Delvin and Linda Kushriryk took third (14.42 pounds), Brad Frater and Sheldon McManus were fourth (13.44 pounds), and Craig Schmidt and Dave

Kaytor were fifth at 13.36 pounds.

Most of the teams entered weighed in six fish.

The weather was sunny but windy to start the day.

A thunderstorm that rolled through the Estevan early in the afternoon put the tournament on hold, but anglers were eventually able to return to the water.

Awards were handed out at the EWF’s clubhouse after the event.

This marked the first time since 2019 that the EWF has been able to have a normal walleye classic.

Fishing season begins on May 5 in southern Saskatchewan each year. The walleye classic takes place on the Saturday after the start of the season.

Dean Schenk, left, and Ryan Englot, right, accept their prizes from fishing derby organizer Mike Halirewich. Photo by Doug Hayward

May the 4th be with you, SGI claims centre’s style On May 4, the SGI claims department launched a teamstyle handling of claims to provide a better customer experience.

Since the launch fell on May 4, the corporation used the date to do some team building and have some fun. Many Estevan SGI claim centre employees took the opportunity to dress up as their favourite movie characters, playing with the Star Wars catchphrase.

Karen Parachoniak, the manager at the Estevan Claims Centre, said it was an awesome day.

“We launched an internal change to the way we handle claims. The launch date of that project was May the 4th. So of course, there’s that Star Wars connection, ‘May the force be with you.’ So, to celebrate, we just had a bit of a team-building day out at our office,” Parachoniak explained.

“It was a Star Wars theme.

We had activities at the office for the staff, and we encouraged everybody to dress up as their favourite Star Wars character.

And that was a lot of fun.”

For one day, the local

"May the force be with you!" The Estevan SGI claims department celebrated inner changes with Star Wars outfits on May 4. Photo courtesy of Karen Parachoniak SGI office had four Princess Leias and other characters working with customers. Employees also had a Star Warsthemed lunch, with blue milk, cookies and more. “ We ordered food in for everybody just to come

and connect with everyone again. With COVID we really weren’t able to get together for a long time in the office, so we took advantage of that for sure,” Parachoniak said.

A pinata filled with candy and gift cards was set up for

the employees to work out any pent-up stress.

Parachoniak added that they try to have some activities and exercises every so often to build the team morale and put a positive spin on what they do.

“ Working in claims, sometimes we see people on the other end of the claim when they’ve had a bad accident or something,” she explained.

Parachoniak also noted that the adopted changes won’t

affect customers’ experience. “ We’re still intaking claims the same way we always did. It’s an internal way we are handling claims. So for the general population, nothing’s changing as far as auto claims go,” Parachoniak said.

Restaurant and wildland fire, highway collision and other calls for fire department in a five-day span

By Ana Bykhovskaia It could have felt like Estevan firefighters went through a very intense basic firefighting training at the end of last week, with nine calls for service of all types.

On May 4 at about 4:30 a.m. fire crews responded to an accident that occurred on Highway 47 about 15 kilometres north of Estevan. A moving vehicle collided with a stationary vehicle, with one staying on the road and blocking traffic in both directions, and the other one hitting the ditch. Both vehicles remained upright, and Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser said fortunately, the drivers sustained only minor injuries.

"Traffic was shut down in both directions for a brief period of time as we established traffic control and isolated the vehicles. And once towing companies were able to arrive on scene, we were able to remove the vehicles and traffic was restored to normal. The scene was then turned over to RCMP to continue to investigate the cause of the collision," Feser said.

Firefighters spent about two hours at the scene.

At about 4:30 p.m. firefighters were called to a child entrapment that occurred at a playground in north-central Estevan. A kid got

stuck in the swing seat. Firefighters were able to remove the seat from the main structure and then get the child out without any injuries. The youth remained calm throughout the incident and was returned to their mother afterwards.

On May 5 at about 10 a.m. firefighters were called to Empire Beauty Salon, where a carbon monoxide alarm went off. Some CO was located inside the commercial occupancy, and SaskEnergy also responded to the scene. Crews ventilated and cleared the area, which was also filled with sewer gas. Business owners were advised to check all of their vents for the building.

At about 12:30 p.m., fire crews headed out to the RM of Estevan.

A wildland fire occurred southeast of the city.

"Crews arrived on scene to find that there was a substantial fire that was occurring on a property.

They were able to put the fire under control and eventually extinguish it.

There were a few outbuildings that were lost as a result of the fire prior to the crews' arrival. There were no injuries as a result to any of the family members or firefighters during the extinguishing of this fire," Feser said.

The fire occurred as a result of hot works that were being done at the property.

"Just a reminder, anytime that you're grinding or welding or working on equipment, you want to make sure that you have water or fire extinguishers handy in order to extinguish the fire quickly prior to it growing in size," Feser said.

Shortly after crews got back in service, they were called to a commercial fire alarm occurring in a school in the northern part of Estevan. Once on scene, firefighters found that a maintenance crew was doing some work in the boiler room in the basement and forgot to call the monitoring agency. It was deemed a preventable alarm as there was no emergency occurring.

On May 6, fire crews responded to a report of an elevator entrapment.

"Crews arrived on scene to find that there was an individual they're able to make contact with. In the process of isolating the car, it was found that it was still functional.

When it went up to the seventh floor, other tenants of the building entered the car, and they were able to bring the car back down to the main floor.

Everybody was removed from the elevator car without incident. The elevator car was tested and seemed to be operational," Feser said.

On May 7 at about 6 p.m., a fire at a Black Beard’s restaurant had firefighters rushing to the scene. The

fire occurred on the bottom side of an oven. Crews were able to quickly isolate gas lines and extinguish the fire without incident. The fire resulted in some minor damage, however, it forced the restaurant to close until further notice.

"All of the natural gas services were locked out due to the damage to the gas line as well as the cooking appliance until it has been fixed and corrective action has been taken," Feser explained. "The scene then was turned back over to the restaurant owners."

At about 8 p.m., another commercial fire alarm went off in occupancy in the southcentral area of the city. A fire had occurred in a microwave oven, which was quickly turned off. Crews spent some time ventilating smoke and resetting the fire alarm panel. Nobody was injured as a result of this incident either.

Feser and Deputy Chief Rick Davies also attended the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs' conference in Yorkton May 5-8. The focus of the conference was on legal obligations for fire chiefs.

"This was the first in-person conference in two years. So, it was great to get out and see everybody.

We really focus this year on the laws that pertain to the fire service

roles and responsibilities of the fire chiefs, deputy fire chiefs as well as occupants, owners and tenants of buildings," Feser said.

Saskatchewan fire chiefs also discussed changes that are coming from National Fire Protection Association with public education, as well as some new codes that are being introduced with electrical supply centres.

"We took a look at what's called ESS [energy centres], basically grouping rooms that house rechargeable batteries for certain occupancies.

So this is going to be something new.

They're either houses with lithiumion or lead-acid style batteries. We have to do a lot of pre-planning when it comes to something like that because conventional firefighting techniques oftentimes aren't the best," Feser said.

He added that with SaskPower's announcement of its biggest solar facility coming to the Estevan area, local firefighters have to ensure that they are ready for any emergency that may occur.

Feser said the conference was very well attended.

"We got to thank Yorkton fire department, they were the host fire department for this venue this year and did an outstanding job," Feser said.

New general manager at CF Sunrise The board and staff at Community Futures Sunrise have announced Andria Brady has been selected as the new general manager, effective May 1.

A long-time resident of southeast Saskatchewan, a passionate community leader and supporter of entrepreneurship in the region, Brady said she is excited to continue the excellent work done by the

organization.

“I’ve been connected to the Community Futures program for many years, as a volunteer and most recently as the Go Digital Sask. co-ordinator. I know small business owners are the backbone of our rural economies and am looking forward to providing them with the services and programs they need to succeed,” said Brady.

She brings a wealth of experience to draw from, in the financial service and non-profit sectors. She has also been instrumental in developing the award-winning Go Digital Sask program, which connects entrepreneurs in southeast Saskatchewan with digital supports to enhance their e-commerce capabilities and online presence.

“We are delighted that Andria

will transition into the role of general manager with Community Futures Sunrise. She has been with the organization for many years, in many different roles, and we are fortunate to have her take on the management role with the office. The Sunrise team, under her leadership, will continue the great work they’ve done for small businesses and communities in the southeast region,” said Sunrise board

chairman Edward Plumb.

Brady replaces Verna O’Neill, who has stepped down after many years as the GM. CF Sunrise is a business and economic development organization, providing services in southeast Saskatchewan. To find out more about CF Sunrise, visit them online at https://cfsask.ca/sunrise or call 1-306-842-8803.

CLASSIFIEDS A13

| Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca Obituaries

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John Fedyk 1931 – 2022 John Fedyk, late of Estevan, SK passed away suddenly with his family by his side on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at the age of 91 years.

John will forever be remembered by his family: wife of 68 years Gertrude, son Peter Fedyk (Gay), son Tim Fedyk (Sheryl), daughter Charlene Kosior (Don), special family friend Brenda Fedyk, grandchildren: Kyle Fedyk (Karissa), Josh Kosior (Andrea), Shayla Fedyk, Kohlan Fedyk (Rebecca), Landon Kosior (Alycia), Brody Kosior, Kensey Fedyk, great grandchildren: Marek Kosior, Nevaeh Fedyk, Vaylen Fedyk, Parks Kosior and Joah Fedyk. John will also be deeply missed by his sister-in-law Mary Fedyk, brother-in-law Stan Fleck, sister-in-law Della Sands, sister-in-law Jean Fleck and numerous nieces and nephews, extended family and friends

Clean CAT, JD equip; winch, dump, gravel trucks, and trailers.

Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided Wage negotiable.

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and Beefeater coffee gang.

John was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Tina Fedyk, father and mother in law Christian and Josephine Fleck, sister Mary Berthelette (brother in-law Hyacinth) , brother Tony Fedyk, brother Steve Fedyk (sister in law Rose), brother in law Herman Fleck (sister in law Annie), sister in law Francis Slater (brother in law Raymond), brother in law Clarence Fleck (sister in law Anne), brother in law Raymond Fleck, brother in law Lawrence Fleck (sister in law Loretta), sister in law Lillian Fleck brother in law Barry Sands, grandson Tyler Fedyk.

In keeping with John’s wishes there will be no formal service at this time.

Memorial donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan, 1738 Quebec Ave., Saskatoon, SK S7K 1V9 in memory of John.

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

Thank you to the EMTs EPS the doctors and all the nursing staff in the emergency unit. Also, thanks to everyone who sent food, flowers and all the condolence messages.

1A TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED: Winch trucks & trailers; dump trucks & pups/ quad wagons. Hauling heavy equipment, gravel, & camp shacks.

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Jo-anne M. Mathieu 1966 – 2022 Jo-anne passed away peacefully with her son by her side on Monday, May 2, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 56 years.

Jo-anne will forever be remembered by her husband Louis Mathieu; children and their families, son Ryan Mathieu (grandson Jacob Kirk), son Jordan (Rebekah) (grandchildren, Ariel, George, Hayden, Paige and Rylan), daughter Lynnette (Mike) Wilkenson (grandchildren, Judith, Beth and Gary), and daughter CaitLynn Mathieu (Chris) (grandchildren Luna and Link). Jo-anne will also be deeply missed by her mother Margaret Mack; siblings, Magdelene (Henry) George, Loretta (David) Millman, Leona (Mark) Gervais, Greg Mack; brotherin-law Bob Stephanson; Louis’s siblings, brother Patrick (Candace) Mathieu, brother Allan (Kyla) Mathieu and sister Marcella (Wayne) Boyko as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Jo-anne was predeceased by her son Roland Mathieu; father John Mack; sister’s Marcella Mack and Teresa Stephanson as well as Louis’s parents, Eugene and Eleanor Mathieu.

The Celebration of Life for Jo-anne was held on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK with Connie Wheeler officiating. The lunch reception took place at the Royal Canadian Legion, Estevan, SK immediately following the service.

In memory of Jo-anne, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Jo-ann’s family – Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Card of Thanks Thank You The family of Dora Eagles would like to extend our sincerest thank you to family and friends for their prayers, flowers, cards of condolence, food, phone calls and donations.

A special thanks to the Venerable Wilma Woods for officiating the service. Our appreciation goes out to you for making Dora’s celebration of life so meaningful. Also, thank you to Margaret Duncan for accompanying on the piano at the service.

Thank you to all the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital Estevan, Weyburn General Hospital and Regina General Hospital. Also, thank you to the Midale First Responders and Estevan and Weyburn EMS. Your kind and compassionate care was truly a blessing during a difficult time.

A very special thank you to Hall Funeral Home - Yvonne Clark and staff.

Your compassion, professionalism, and attention to detail during the arrangements for Dora’s service provided our family the freedom to capture her very loving nature and display her admiration for family and friends.

Thank you to the attendees for supporting us in our grief on the loss of our mom, grandma, great grandma, and great great grandma. Your presence was appreciated and made this experience a little less difficult.

The Family of Dora Eagles

The family of Stanley Fornwald would like to thank the following people: The Estevan St. Joseph’s Hospital Long Term Care staff for their excellent care, kindness and compassion during Stanley’s last days.

Dustin Hall and his staff for the wonderful care you showed Stanley’s family while planning and assisting with the Funeral and Prayers. As well, thank you to Dustin for singing at both occasions. Stanley’s family was blessed to have his remains in your care.

The choir, Shelley Fornwald at the Prayers, and Laurie Fornwald, along with Jocelyn Fornwald, and Boyd and Sharon Sephton at the Funeral Mass. The music was so beautiful and uplifting.

Amanda Hagel, Stanley’s home care nurse for the last year. Thank you for the excellent medical attention as well as the kindness you showed to both Dorothy and Stanley.

Dr. Tsoi, Stanley’s doctor, whose care enabled Stanley to live well through many trying health issues.

The Lampman ladies who set up and served the lunch after the Funeral Mass and for Scratch Bakery who prepared the delicious squares.

Father Anthony Phung Tran, for the spiritual guidance he provided to Stanley and the family. Thank you also for presiding over the Prayers, Funeral Mass, and Interment.

Finally, to all friends and family who attended Prayers, the Funeral Mass, called, sent well wishes, or made a donation in Stanley’s name.

Dorothy and the family are very blessed to have so many reach out in care and compassion.

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 ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT is NOW HIRING: Managers, AG Equipment Techs, Heavy Equipment Techs - Journeyman & Apprentices, Parts Techs. View Open Roles & Apply: www.rockymtn.com/careers. Relocation Offered.

Notices / NomiNatioNs

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

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NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.

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A14 May 11, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

Flashback May 9, 1984 A bike rodeo, conducted by Estevan city police, was held at the Estevan Curling Club in early May 1984.

The winners advanced to the regional competition, held later in Carnduff. Front row, from left, Kim Jenish, Kirk Gosnold, Kerry LaChapelle, Ivan Cleveland, Corrina Kropf and Cathy Hines. Second row, Lara Hubenig, Travis Zimmerman and Laura Voll. Members of police department in the back row, Cst. Brian Renwick, Cst. Wayne Pierson, Cst. Doug Wood, Sgt. Ray Delorme and Cst. Gary Weimer.

St. Mary’s School shows it cares about the environment

By Ana Bykhovskaia After many days of preparation and talks, St. Mary's School’s Grade 2/3 students celebrated Earth Day in the most wonderful fashion.

They started with an almost-professional performance of the song I am the Earth by Glyn Lehman.

Then they headed outside to pick up garbage around the schoolyard and on streets nearby.

Grade 2/3 teacher Megan Woodard said that while they missed the official date because of the Easter break, they still wanted to mark it as they were working on the Earth Day project for a couple of weeks.

"We've been learning a song called I am the Earth

by Glyn Lehman ... and the message is really important.

It's talking about how kids will inherit the Earth one day, and we talked about how it's not very fair how there's garbage all over the place. And we thought that even though

we can't change the entire world, we can at least help the community of Estevan," Woodard explained.

Together, the kids and the teacher came up with an action plan to clean the community around them. They went outside looking for trash accumulated over the winter on the school grounds and the nearest streets. Later this month, they are planning on going back again to check if they need to clean up the area again, and they will see from there if they will keep on coming back to this action plan.

"The goal is to help make Estevan a better place to live for future generations," Woodard added.

Noah Hoffort, Jade Sindayen, Ayla Smelt, all the Grade 2s, and Grade 3 Maelie Flamme explained that cleaning litter was their way to take care of their school and their community. They added that keeping the world around them free of garbage would help protect animals

Public Notice Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 Notice of Intent to Amend the Zoning Bylaw Pursuant to Section 207 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007, the Council of the Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5 hereby gives notice of its intention to amend Zoning Bylaw 5-2014 by passing bylaw 2022-09.

Intent: The proposed text amendment is for accessory buildings or accessory structures in the Agricultural Resource (AR) and Country Residential (CR) Districts shall only be required to obtain a report from a professional engineer if the building or structure is within 15 meters of the crest of a slope greater that 15%.

Reason: The reason for the amendment is to allow for less restrictive conditions for accessory buildings or accessory structures built in the Agricultural Resource (AR) and Country Residential (CR) Districts.

Public Inspection: Any person may inspect the proposed bylaw at the R.M. of Estevan Municipal Office at #1 – 322 – 4th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. Copies are available at cost.

Public Hearing: Council will hold a public hearing to receive submissions, written or verbal, on the proposed bylaw at 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 in the Council Chambers of the R.M. of Estevan No. 5, #1-322 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan.

Dated at Estevan, Saskatchewan this 4th day of May, 2022.

Michelle Dickie, Administrator

and allow for trees to grow better, producing oxygen for everyone.

Woodard said that students were really excited about the project and to perform the song for the principal, teachers and the media. They also were really engaged with the message of the song.

"We are the Earth, what does that mean? We talked about how God wants us to be caretakers for the Earth and make it a better place for future kids. And they were really excited about it," Woodard said.

Grade 2 student Emma Salkeld said that for her, learning the song and performing it all together was a bit of a challenge because at some moments, Grade 2 students were singing different from Grade 3s.

"It was pretty hard. I'm not really used to getting interrupted, because, in my family, we don't like getting interrupted. And it was hard when they, the Grade 3s, had to stay apart. We were like, 'I am the Earth', and they were 'We're in your care'," Salkeld explained, adding that even though performing wasn't the easiest, she liked the message of the song.

"It's about the Earth, that we should help take care of the Earth because God made it for us. And God

The Grade 2/3 students at St. Mary's School learned and performed the song I am the Earth by Glyn Lehman to start their Earth Day activities.

On Earth Day, students were split into groups and went outside to clean their playground and the streets nearby. wanted us to have a lot of fun.”

Emily Schott and Grace Trepanier, also in Grade 2, added that by picking up litter that day they were putting the song to work, and students

enjoyed it.

"I think it was fun cleaning up," said Brae Wolensky, another Grade 2. "It just made me feel good because I'm helping the Earth."

"People should clean up because it makes you feel good because you're doing the right thing," added Taylor Wilhelm, Grade 3.

"I think that you should treat the Earth how you want to be treated. If you help the Earth, the Earth will help you," said Schott.

"I think we need to clean up, so animals aren't endangered," said Audrey Gustafson, Grade 3.

"I think that nobody should litter," added Logan Dupuis, Grade 2.

"I think that we should take care of Earth, because Jesus got us here, and He wants us to be caretakers of Earth," concluded Deana Shtykova, Grade 3.

"It's funny to see how excited they get about trash.

But it is exciting to help take care of our community, and I think they're really happy to

SOUTHERN PLAINS CO-OP

CALL FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS To be elected at the May 31, 2022 Annual General Meeting The Southern Plains Co-operative Limited. invites nominations for the position of Director.

The 3 year terms for the following directors have expired: James Lainton • Darcy Calder • Rhonda Huish Nominees must meet the qualifications and requirements specified in the Co-op’s Bylaws. Details on the qualifications and requirements can be picked up at the Administration Office.

Nominations must be submitted in writing, no later than 5:00 p.m. May 17, 2022 to: 826 4th Street, Estevan, Sask. S4A 0W1

Questions Can be directed to the Nominating Committee:

Linda Thauberger-Smith 306-529-4438 Richard Ruetz 306-483-2121 • Lynne Hewitt 306-577-9590

care for each other and the Earth," added Woodard.

While picking up garbage, kids also separated items that could be recycled, and Woodard said the project will have another twist later on.

"Later this year, we're going to do an art project where we're going to take this garbage, any recycled materials that we find, and we're going to try to make some sort of art projects. So, we are trying to find creative ways to make our environment look good and take care of the plants and the animals and each other too."

22052WW0 22052WW1

www.SASKTODAY.ca

May 11, 2022 A15

Congratulations to the Estevan Bruins on winning the SJHL Championship!

A16 May 11, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

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