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Setting record. Adventurer is crossing Canada by canoe and on foot. PAGE A3
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The puck will drop on the Centennial Cup on Thursday Top gun. OTS brings shooters together for competition. PAGE A6
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By David Willberg Estevan is ready to welcome people from across Canada for the 2022 Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship, presented by Tim Hortons. The prestigious tournament will run from May 19-29 at Affinity Place in Estevan, and will feature the host Estevan Bruins and a representative team from each of the nine junior A hockey leagues in Canada. This will mark the first time that the tournament has had 10 teams. It had been a five-team tournament with four regional champions and a host team since 1990. It’s also the first time that Estevan has hosted the competition. Cory Prokop, who is one of the five head committee co-chairs for the tournament, said plans are coming together nicely. He expects the hockey is going to be great and this will be a great 11-day stretch for the community. “I think everybody that bought a ticket should be excited to see some of the teams coming in,” said Prokop. He believes the Brooks Bandits – who won nationals as the host team the last time the Centennial Cup happened in 2019 – will be a strong team as the Alberta Junior Hockey League representatives. Brooks has been the top-ranked team in Canada for most of the season. He’s also looking forward to seeing the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions, the Dauphin Kings, and each of the league champs from Eastern Canada. “I think there will be some good competition and some great hockey to be watched over the next couple of weeks here,” said Prokop. There will be three games played each day during the round robin from May 1925, with games starting at noon, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The exception is May 22, which will have two games, starting at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Bruins will have their first game on May 20 against the Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Québec’s champions, Collège Français de Longueuil. Then they will play the Ontario Junior Hockey League champions, the Pickering Panthers, on May 21, the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s Red Lake Miners on May 23 and the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits on May 25 to wrap up the round robin. The other pool will feature the SJHL finalists, the Flin Flon Bombers, who qualified for nationals when they reached the league final against Estevan. Also in that pool are the Maritime Hockey League champion Summerside Western Capitals, the Ottawa Jr. A Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League, the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
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The Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers are among the teams that will compete in this year’s Centennial Cup. File photo by Wanda Harron The top three teams from each pool will advance to the playoff round. The top team in each group gets a bye to the semifinals, while second and third place teams play in the quarter-finals. Quarter-finals will be May 27 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and semifinals are the next day at the same times. The national title game will be May 29 at 4 p.m. That game will air on TSN. Tournament ticket packages are sold out.There was a surge in tickets sold in midMay. Prokop said it was partially due to the Bruins winning the SJHL championship in a thrilling seven-game series against Flin Flon, and partly because fans from other teams that have qualified have been snapping up passes. Approximately 1,900 ticket packages were available. “It just means good things for the tournament,” said Prokop. “I think we were going into it with a high-end budget of 1,500 tournament packages being sold prior to the tournament start, and then just concentrating on single-game tickets after. To be 100 per cent sold out of the tournament packs at this point is just amazing.” There will also be about 100 tickets available at each game for those affiliated with the teams. After the deadline passes to grab those 100 tickets, they will be rereleased for anybody to purchase. “I think anybody that took the opportunity to purchase a ticket package is pretty happy, because of the situation we’re in right now,” Prokop said. Organizers have also been busy securing volunteers, as there were hundreds of shifts that needed to be filled. All were filled by the time a volunteer appreciation barbecue was held Monday night. “To see the response from the community and how quickly that roster filled up was pretty amazing,” said Prokop. “It’s just a testament to what all of us already knew
about the community and the volunteer spirit that we have in Estevan. We’re very lucky to have the community that we have here.” The committee organizing the tournament has been “agile” with the changes that have occurred, including the switch from a five-team tournament to 10 earlier this year. And there was plenty of uncertainty over the past couple years after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, which was to be held in Portage la Prairie, Man., and the 2021 tournament, to be played in Penticton, B.C. Estevan initially bid on the 2021 tournament, but finished in a dead heat with Penticton, so Estevan was chosen for 2022 instead. “I think all of us are confident that this will be one of the best Centennial Cups ever. That’s the way we’re approaching this as a local host committee. That’s what we want to see, and we’ve been happy with how Hockey Canada has worked with us on the financial side of things, because bringing in 10 teams as opposed to five certainly changed the finances of an event like this,” said Prokop. “And their willingness to work with us, to make sure that we were kept whole from a financial perspective, and don’t face the additional challenges because of a larger event, has been wonderful.” Bruins head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic said he’s familiar with some of the teams other than Flin Flon. He spent years coaching with the Woodstock Slammers of the Maritime league against Summerside. “They have a pretty experienced team and they’ll be a tough team to deal with at this tournament,” said Tatarnic. And he knows the Brooks Bandits will be great. Brooks has been the top-ranked team in Canada for most of the season. A2 » TOURNAMENT
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Estevan Mercury wins seven provincial newspaper awards
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The Estevan Mercury was one of the big winners at this year’s Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association Awards, announced Friday afternoon. The Mercury won seven awards. In the General Excellence Awards, the paper was named the best overall publication in Class D, which is for papers with a distribution of at least 6,500, and features papers from most of the largest markets in the province. The Mercury had a total score of 855 out of 1,000, which left them 56 points ahead of second-place NWT News/North, located in the Northwest Territories. The Mercury also won for the best editorial page in its class. The Mercury had the highest marks in its class for advertising content, advertising design, local features and sports; and finished tied for first for community news, classified advertising and presentation. In the Premier Awards, reporter Anastasiia Bykhovskaia won more awards than any other reporter in the province, as she took home four individual recognitions, including three for writing - Best Sports Story for “Women of Estevan: Story of love
for sport that knows no gender boundaries,” an article on Amanda Minchin with the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course; Best Saskatchewan Arts and Cultural Story for “The Other Side TV crew visits Alameda museum in search of spirits, and their findings are fascinating”; Best Health/Healthcare Coverage for “Unspoken heroes. Behind the scenes of the Estevan EMS life and work in caring for the community”; and Best Photo Essay for her collection of photos from last year’s Estevan Comprehensive School Grad Bubble Parade. The page was laid out by Mercury production supervisor Ana Villareal. Meanwhile, Estevan Mercury editor David Willberg won the award for Best Business Writing for “Owner laments the loss of the Moosehead Inn after fire destroys beloved Kenosee Lake business". The Mercury also finished second for best front page in Class D and third in Best Special Section for its 101 Things to Experience in Estevan this Summer. Willberg said there are so many people to thank for these awards: the staff who dedicate so much time to producing a quality product each week; the readers who
have remained loyal to the paper, both with print and online editions; the advertisers who continue to believe in the Mercury; the sources who are willing to talk for stories; the carriers who distribute the paper each week and the talented people at Estevan Web Printing who print the publication. “We’re a small but dedicated team. We work hard. Sometimes we have to work long or additional hours. But we’re immensely proud of what we do here to deliver a quality product to the community.” He also noted how happy he was for former sales manager and publisher Deanna Tarnes, who moved on earlier this year to work for the family business, The Floor Store, after nearly 20 years in the newspaper industry. “Deanna meant so much to all of us here at the Mercury. She did such a great job of steering this paper through the two years of challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and I am so happy that she was able to be part of the team that wins best paper one more time.” This marked the second time in the last three years that the Mercury has won the award for best paper.
Investigation results in charges against Estevan man An Estevan man has been charged with multiple sex-related offences following an investigation. A search warrant was executed at a residence in northwest Estevan on May 13 after an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Estevan Police Service. EPS members arrested Joshua Regis LeBlanc, age 35, of Estevan, who was charged with luring a person under the age of 18, sexual exploitation and sexual assault. All three charges are under the Criminal Code. This investigation is ongoing with assistance from the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit. EPS Deputy Chief Murray Cowan said the complaint about LeBlanc was received recently, but he didn’t divulge when the incident actually occurred. “There’s still a lot of work to do with it, including some assistance with the ICE unit out of Saskatoon,” said Cowan. It’s not known if additional charges will be laid after further investigation.
“We acted on the complaint that was received,” said Cowan. LeBlanc had been employed as a teacher until last year. In an email to the Mercury, the South East Cornerstone Public School Division said it is aware that he has been charged with several offences. “The school division does not know the details of the allegations, but will cooperate with police in any investigation,” deputy director of education Keith Keating said in the email. The division said LeBlanc was a teacher with the division from 2009-2021. He was employed at the Estevan Comprehensive School from August 2011 until he resigned on June 30, 2021. LeBlanc had not been in the classroom since Sept. 3, 2020. South East Cornerstone said it is not able to respond to questions of a personal nature regarding any employee. The information would include employment details such as any leaves, suspensions or other absences from work, or any possible disciplinary matters. Keating wrote that the first priority
of the school division is always the safety of its students. The division supports and encourages students to come forward when they have concerns. “When made aware, the school division takes appropriate action to address any matters of concern,” Keating wrote. Cowan added that he couldn’t divulge whether LeBlanc was still employed as a teacher when the incident occurred, because he didn’t want to risk identifying the victim. The ICE Unit’s role is primarily with electronic devices, such as retrieving information from computers, cell phones and more. “Whenever they’re involved, that’s their area of expertise,” said Cowan. LeBlanc had been an active member of the community over the years, taking a lead role in many fundraisers and sitting on a number of committees. He has been released on strict conditions. His next court date is scheduled for July 4. None of the charges have been proven in court.
Tournament carries a big spin-off « A1 The Bruins also watched the Manitoba champions from Dauphin closely this year. The Kings are led by former Bruins head coach Doug Hedley. Kings’ forward Logan Calder is the brother of Bruins’ defenceman Kian Calder.
“You do a little bit of homework on each team, but you don’t want to get too carried away with it, because you still want to focus on what you have to do as a team,” said Tatarnic. The Bruins have been preparing for the teams that will
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be here, particularly those they will face in their round-robin pool, and they’ll be watching each team closely once the tournament begins. “We’ll get to see some of these teams play before we get to play them. I know we’ll get to see Quebec play Brooks a day before we play Quebec, and we’ll get to see Ontario play before we get to play them,” said Tatarnic. Prokop has seen a lot of excitement building in the community for the event. There will be events happening in
Estevan in conjunction with nationals. Businesses have been posting signs in their windows welcoming teams to Estevan. “It’s hard to drive a block and not see a couple of signs,” said Prokop. The tournament is expected to carry an economic spin-off of $3 million-$5 million, thanks to all of the people who will be coming to Estevan for the tournament, and spending money at the city’s hospitality businesses, retail stores and more.
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United Way Estevan Day of Caring WHEREAS United Way Estevan strives to positively impact the quality of life in our community through giving back to our community, family and friends. and WHEREAS United Way assigns local volunteers to local projects to make a difference where we live, and WHEREAS United Way Estevan’s Day of Caring organizes teams of volunteers to make significant positive impact in our community, assisting local individuals and non-profit agencies to complete projects in the spirit of caring.
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BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: “I, Lindsay Clark, Deputy Mayor of the City of Estevan in the Province of Saskatchewan do hereby proclaim May 25, 2022 as United Way Estevan Day of Caring: and urge all citizens of Estevan to recognize and support the goals and objectives of United Way Estevan.
Lindsay Clark Deputy Mayor
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‘I’m walking 7K in Indigenous peoples’ shoes.’ Former Estevan resident crossing Canada by canoe and on foot By Ana Bykhvskaia From coast to coast by canoe and feet – Bert terHart’s big new adventure is underway. Once again, all he has for navigation tools are current maps he created from Canadian topographic data and using Cassens and Plath Ultra sextant, an artificial horizon and a compass. No electronic navigation aids whatsoever. TerHart, a former Estevan resident who gained fame after he became the first North or South American to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop using only traditional navigation tools, and only the ninth person in the world to complete such a trip, is currently paddling and portaging his way across Canada to become the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world and then cross a continent completely under his own steam. Throughout seven months, he will be following voyageur routes through seven of Canada’s 10 provinces, paddling many of the same rivers that Canada’s best-known explorers and cartographers paddled, as well as generation upon generation of Indigenous peoples for millennia. By following traditional routes across the country without GPS or other forms of electronic navigation, terHart is trying to raise awareness regarding the roles that Indigenous peoples had in creating this country. “All the names we know – David Thompson, Samuel Hearne, Alexander MacKenzie, Simon Fraser, Samuel de Champlain, Henry Kelsey, the list goes on and on – the successes of these extraordinary explorers, surveyors, and cartographers lay at the feet of
Indigenous peoples all across Canada. Without their help, their work would have been impossible and Canada, as we know it, would not exist,” said terHart. Another idea behind this trip across Canada was to inspire Canadians young and old to live out their own adventures big or small. “In your life, you will hear ‘cannot’ far more often than can. It’s too hard. It’s too far. You’re too old. The only yes you need is the one you tell yourself. Give yourself permission to say yes. If you can do that, you can do anything.” said terHart. “If you’re willing to live just a little bit outside ordinary and you are persistent in those choices, then those small choices will add up to something that you cannot possibly imagine. I’m a firm believer in living your life just a little bit outside the box.” Soldier, sailor, adventurer and serial entrepreneur, terHart doesn’t like to be told no. He said he likes taking upon things that are next to impossible. “It’s a big challenge. But if you have really large goals, then you can fail over and over and over again and still succeed,” terHart said. He explained that with setting a large goal, one small failure or challenge along the way doesn’t mean that you won’t reach the goal, while with small goals the chance of failing due to some minor hiccups is much higher. And for him, solving problems and overcoming challenges on the way to a big goal is what made this adventure attractive. “Small failure will derail a small goal. So you may as well just dream big, and then fail often and still succeed as opposed to dream small, fail once and then the whole thing goes over the side,” terHart said.
Another former Estevan resident and now councillor in Revelstoke, B.C., Tim Palmer, left, accompanied Bert terHart for a few kilometres as he was passing through the city. Photo sourced from Kai Nani Across Alone Facebook page
Bert terHart plans to cover about 7,000 kilometres across Canada using his canoe, Kai Nani, and his feet as means of transportation. Photo sourced from Kai Nani Across Alone Facebook page He named his new attempt to make history Kai Nani Across Alone. Kai Nani is a Polynesian term that translates to synergy or harmony between wind and water. His wife, who is of Hawaiian and First Nations descent, originally chose that name for his canoe. TerHart said that by canoeing and portaging through Canada, he wants to see the world around through the eyes of those who were making this route for centuries. “I wanted to gain a more profound understanding of the role that the land, the rivers and the lakes played in Indigenous cultures. You can read about it until pages turned to dust, but I thought there was only one way to experience Canada as a Canadian. I’m a very proud Canadian. So I thought, the way to experience my country and to get a deeper understanding of the way that Indigenous peoples felt, was to see the country as they did.
“And if you’re travelling through these [beautiful Canadian landscapes] very slowly, with an open heart and open mind, pretty soon, some of what Indigenous people may have felt about their own environments begins to seep into you, because that’s just the way nature works. “It’s true, what they say, if you want to understand something about a person, you should walk a mile in their shoes, so I’m simply choosing to walk 7,000 kilometres in their shoes.” TerHart added that he is fascinated with how competent and resistant Indigenous people were. While he doesn’t have any digital navigation, he still uses the best of the contemporary world’s technology in the sense of gear and some tools, which the ancestors didn’t have and still were making it across harsh Canadian land. “My clothing has to be unbelievably good, it’s technologically incredibly advanced,
Bert terHart said that mimicking the travel that Indigenous peoples would do back in the day helps him to see Canada through their eyes. Photo sourced from Kai Nani Across Alone Facebook page
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but it’s no better than what they had back in the day. They had tools that worked extremely well, including clothing, and they were made with very primitive instruments, so to me it’s astonishing.” TerHart left Steveston, B.C., on April 1. Since then he has trekked all across British Columbia and made it to Rocky Mountain House, Alta., by May 16. He plans on crossing into Saskatchewan towards the end of the spring and hopes to make it across the northern part of the province in 11 days. The Mercury spoke to terHart while he was still in Yoho National Park, B.C. He said it was one of the more difficult days, and he was completely exhausted. “Today was pretty hard because I ended up walking something like 40 kilometres, which is an awful lot, up and down the mountains, towing the canoe, so I’m a little tired but it was a beautiful day,” terHart shared. Highway 1 between Golden and Lake Louise was closed, and the adventurer had the entire road for himself. TerHart hopes to make it to Big Shippagan Light, N.B., and the Atlantic Ocean by November. The short Canadian summer season puts a lot of pressure on the amazing adventure. TerHart left home in the snow and will be finishing his mission when temperatures most likely will be below zero for good. And to make sure that the route is completed, he has to keep walking and paddling through any weather, making 20-40 kilometres a day. The first month of his adventure, when terHart had to cover many kilometres going uphill and upstream because of the B.C. landscape, was also filled with a lot of rain. “It rained basically every other day,” terHart said after covering his first 1,000 kilometres through B.C. “It rained last night so my tent is just a sponge right now. It’s wet.” Since terHart is repeating the route of Indigenous peoples and voyagers, rather than travelling west-east, his track takes him north and south lots, following river streams that run north-south. “There are no straight lines at all. This is awful, going north and going south and all you want to do is go east,” terHart shared. At 63 years old, he realistically evaluates the challenges, yet he said it doesn’t affect his attitude. “I feel great. I don’t think B.C. is going to be the hardest part of it. It’s the longest province to get through, and there’s more walking. I think I’ve probably walked 500
kilometres and paddled 500 kilometres. But there are other parts of the trip that are going to be equally challenging in different contexts. But I feel very good about it,” terHart said. And while getting through often tricky routes is already a huge physical challenge, he added that the most difficult part of the adventure is actually knowing that you have to keep moving every day. “There’s no rest, it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, or if it’s sunny or windy, or you’re feeling terrible, or if you’re really sorry, you just have to get up and go. To be honest, that’s more than half the battle. It’s physically or mentally one of the most challenging things because the pressure to keep going to make it is enormous. And this pressure is going to exist for seven months,” terHart said. Kai Nani Across Alone adventure also carries a call for action, as terHart has created a petition, suggesting to rename Howse Pass, which links the Columbia River valley in the interior of British Columbia to the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. This pass is one of only a handful to cross the continental divide and as such served as a primary route for trade and travel for generations of Indigenous peoples for millennia, which terHart would like to see being reflected in the new name. “The message about Indigenous people has been extremely well received. It’s a very difficult message to convey if you’re an old white guy like me,” terHart said with a laugh. “[People I talked to about it] agree firstly, that the role that Indigenous people played in creating this country is underappreciated. And they’re happy to know that I’m trying to do something to address that. And secondly, that there’s something more concrete being done with respect to renaming Howse Pass.” Joseph Howse was a fur trader, explorer and linguistic scholar, who created A Grammar of the Cree Language. Since Howse was over the pass only twice, and also had a river and a mountain named after him, terHart suggests finding a name that would better reflect the pass’s Indigenous heritage and role. As of May 16, the petition had 123 signatures out of the 200 goal. The link to the petition to have the Howse Pass renamed can be found at kainani.ca. More about the progress and terHart’s adventures can be found at kainani.ca, the5capes.com and through Kai Nani Across Alone Facebook Page.
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Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice. Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication. All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that The Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.
The Centennial Cup is finally here It was about three years ago that the City of Estevan and the Estevan Bruins submitted their bid to bring the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship to Estevan. At the time, Estevan was gunning for the 2021 tournament, but after our city finished in a dead heat with Penticton, B.C, for the tournament, it was decided that Penticton would host in 2021 and Estevan would get the tournament for 2022. We know what happened from there. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled due to COVID-19, and after some uncertainty, it was decided that Estevan would host this year, as they rightfully should. It’s unlikely that a Centennial Cup host has had to endure more question marks to get to the point of hosting the event. Since the announcement was made in December 2019 that the 2022 competition would be held in Estevan, the two other editions of the Centennial Cup have been cancelled. There had to be numerous times in which the tournament’s local steering committee wondered if they would ever get to this point. Would COVID claim another national championship? Would Penticton get the 2022 tournament, pushing Estevan back to 2023? Would they be able to play before a capacity crowd at Affinity Place?
During the winter, it was decided that the national tournament would be a 10-team showdown for the first time, instead of the conventional five entries. That meant all sorts of pivots. It meant there would be more teams here. It meant there would be more games, which puts a greater strain on the ice at Affinity Place and the City of Estevan staff who work at the venue. And it created all sorts of logistical issues. But we’re here. The Centennial Cup is ready to begin. And this community is all kinds of excited for the tournament to begin. Granted, if people weren’t excited about this championship, the Estevan Bruins run to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League title would have changed minds. It’s been more than a week and a half since our beloved Black and Gold won its first SJHL championship since 1999, and the community is still on a high. It’s important for us to show how excited we are about the tournament. We think it’s great to see all of the signs up in the community, welcoming people to Estevan. It’s one thing to talk about wanting to have a big event in the community; it’s another thing to show it. We can also greet people and tell them how happy we are to have them here. You’re going to see a lot of people you haven’t seen previously.
We know that people are going to come here and rave about the venue where the games were held, the excellent hockey they watched, the quality accommodations that they had in our hotels and the service and food they had at our restaurants. Hopefully they will also rave about our business community as a whole and the appearance of the city. But let’s also remember that for the rest of the month, we’re all going to be ambassadors of our community at all times. Even when a team is facing the Bruins, we can be classy while still cheering loudly for the home team. Let’s make sure our city looks good, too. This tournament is the type of event that we’ve been waiting for, likely the biggest for Estevan since the 2018 Home Hardware Canada Cup curling showdown. There will be a multi-million dollar spinoff, especially now that the tournament is bigger than it’s ever been before. For some people, this will be their first and only impression of Estevan and its people. For others, they are coming knowing that they likely won’t be back again. If you’ve come to Estevan for the Centennial Cup, welcome to the Energy City. We’re glad you’re here. And for those of us who make Estevan our home, let’s make the most of these next two weeks.
The Oscars of the newspapers world About a month ago I learned that four of my works were nominated for the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association's (SWNA) awards in different categories. In this case, to join the competition against other newspapers, I needed to go through everything that's been done over the past year and decide what stories or photos might have a chance. I applied in more than four categories, hoping that this year I would at least make it to the finals in one. The one that I was banking on didn't make it even to the playoffs, so when the news about the other four pieces landing at the top came in, to tell you the truth, I was more upset than excited. A month went by quickly, and last Friday we all gathered for our Saskatchewan newspaper people's Oscars. Just to give you an idea of what the newspaper award night looks like, I'd mention that it was held at 3 p.m., over Zoom and there were about 30 of us, unique and eccentric newspaper journalists and others from all across the province. No red carpets or insane gala outfits. We all dropped our daily buzzing around, which we do in an effort to cover it all and deliver the news to our audiences, and got together to learn the names of 2021 SWNA awards winners. It was a little moment of celebration for people, most of whom work endless hours days and nights just because journalism is their calling. I got my husband at my site to share the moment in case or when the Mercury, as a paper, would end up getting something. I knew we would receive some awards, as we
Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… did put a lot of work into upgrading our paper ahead of 2021. We changed the approach to the front page and were doing our best to keep every paper diverse, entertaining and colourful. We would dig for local news and put light on local people, all while trying to be timely even though we are a weekly edition. Of course, we put all these efforts in for our readers and the community, but I assumed it would be noticed by colleagues as well. Also, a hope kept lingering on that I might get one first place with the story about the Estevan EMS. After all, it was a really interesting piece to do as our awesome paramedics actually let me into the station and an ambulance and helped me understand and feel what their workday looks like. Other pieces I liked too, but since my strongest didn't make it to the finals, personally I didn't expect much. But things definitely went the other way. Boom, boom, boom, boom, and I got it all. I thought that getting one award would be awesome, but getting first place in all four categories, in which I made it to the finals, was unbelievable. When Brad Brown of The Quad Town Forum, who was the MC for the ceremony, took his hat off for my hat trick third award,
I felt like it was a real Oscar. I guess I should have felt like a hockey star, but sports are still not my strong side. I've never had a hat trick before in any world, so to get there and to fix the result with another acclamation was amazing. And, on top of all that excitement, Brown did pronounce my last name right every single time, which I don't think has ever happened in Canada before (and that's including my convocation and wedding). Last year at the Mercury was great in sense of creativity, big promotions, new specials and experiments with the design of the paper. I loved it, and that's what allowed for a better quality, more interesting and more valuable stories. Our small but diverse and strong team worked hard and well together, thinking outside the box and using a "why not?" argument as often as we could. Despite all the challenges, despite all the hoops we had to jump, it was definitely a successful stretch, and the total of seven first places and a second and a third felt like an awesome way to summarize everything we've done as a team that year. But even though having a highly professional journalist taking his hat off in celebration of my success felt amazing, having readers reach out after reading my stories and share your feedback is still the most priceless part of my job. Knowing that what I do matters to you, makes you smile, reminds of something, makes you think or just provides some good entertainment is something that means more than any award to me. Thank you for reading!
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| Wednesday, May 18, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
David Willberg
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Beyond one’s grasp
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The respect should never wane For whatever reason, May has become a month for showing respect for first responders and front-line health workers. National Nurses Week was last week from May 8 to 14. This week is National Police Week and National EMS Week. (With our tribute sections, we decided to stagger the three, so Nursing Week and Police Week were the week prior, and EMS Week will run in this paper. For those who are wondering, national Fire Prevention Week, which is when we have our annual salute to firefighters, will be in October. You can look forward to a special section for that week in the Mercury. Serving as a first responder, or a front-line healthcare worker is an incredibly noble calling. In many smaller communities, your EMS workers and firefighters will be paid on-call staff rather than full-time employees, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the requisite skills and training to save a life. They are every bit as proficient as those who work full-time. We can be absolutely confident if we find ourselves in a situation in which we need the talents of a firefighter or an EMS employee in small-town Saskatchewan. Of course, police officers and nurses are more likely to be full-time jobs. Second guessing often goes with these jobs. There’s no shortage of people eager to carve the knives when a police officer or a nurse makes even the slightest mistake. The critics will be eager to rip into these professionals, and be quick to paint them all with the same brush. A police officer going out and doing their job on a dayto-day basis is typically not viewed as news. It becomes news when that officer does something remarkable, as we’ve seen here in the past when an officer has saved someone’s life. And it definitely becomes news when that officer is charged with a crime or with professional misconduct. A nurse goes to work and meticulously administers care to patients over the course of their shift. That’s not news. But when a mistake occurs, it garners headlines. EMS workers have been described as unsung heroes in the healthcare profession. In fact, our reporter Anastasiia Bykhovskaia deservedly won an award for an article last year that used the “unsung heroes” term in her headline. They often don’t get the credit they deserve. But they often respond to situations that require them to use the skills they have to provide life-saving care, to provide treatment for a serious injury, or to quickly get a patient to a hospital, whether it be here or another community. I have an understanding of the challenges of the jobs, not from experience but from observation. My father spent 30 years as an RCMP officer. Mom was a nurse for 38 years. My sister is an RCMP dispatcher in the very busy office in Surrey, B.C. My best friend is a sergeant with the Vancouver Police Department, and his dad was an RCMP officer. And sometimes I wonder why someone would want to enter a profession like policing, nursing, firefighting, paramedic or even doctor, especially in times like these in which everyone has a camera, people are eager to take things out of context, and some people will post, share and believe anything they see on social media that fits their worldview. These have always been difficult, demanding jobs, but the advents of technology in the past 20 years have created a new litany of challenges for those in these noble callings. Many people who work in these professions have had to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder due to the scenes they have encountered on the job. Thankfully, there is a greater understanding of PTSD than there was 15 or 20 years ago, and supports exist that didn’t exist at one time. But it’s still tough. Many still suffer in silence because they don’t know how others would react if they shared their story. So they “suck it up.” And often we don’t know about it until it’s too late. Others will suffer from burnout because of the long hours associated with the job. So yes, it’s nice to have a week to salute nurses, police officers and EMTs. It’s great that we’ll salute our firefighters later this year. But let’s make sure the support and the gratitude is there for these essential services throughout the year.
Another weather system went through southeast Saskatchewan last week. A rainfall warning had blanketed the region for more than 24 hours. With up to 60 millimetres of rain in some areas on top of the recent snow, Estevan saw some flooding in different areas of the city. A playground at Hillside Park was still unapproachable as of Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, no major flooding was reported in the area. Yet, with a significant amount of moisture in the ground, most local farmers still couldn’t get out in the fields on Monday. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia
Joint tactical unit boasts highly-trained officers from both Estevan and Weyburn The Estevan and Weyburn Police Services have had a joint tactical unit since 2020, with highly-trained officers from both communities. The unit is comprised of 12 officers, with seven from Estevan and five from Weyburn. They respond to calls within both communities, whether it be a preplanned deployment or an unforeseen high-risk situation. “If we need more members with additional training or additional equipment capabilities, then they call us in to deal with that,” said Detective Sgt. Trevor Roberts of the EPS, who is the team lead. They have also responded to calls in the rural areas at the request of the RCMP. Roberts said they work closely with the RCMP’s crisis negotiator team and the critical incident command, which is a supporting element for an incident or deployment. Roberts estimates the tactical unit is called out about 10 times per year. Previously the EPS had a containment warrant entry team (CWET) but Weyburn did not. Local officers had been called to Weyburn over the years, and he believed there was a need to work in partnership with them, creating a unit with the best-suited members from both communities. “We just saw the need that if they were interested in a team that’s their own or a joint one, it makes sense because we work together so often anyhow,” said Roberts. “Just the way some of these investigations and call-outs overlap the communities, it’s nice to have access to the best candidates from both cities to make up a group of the 12 best, most suited people to respond to these calls.” Roberts noted that some of the members were part of the EPS’ CWET previously. He views this as an evolution to a tactical team with more equipment and training capabilities to assist police in both communities. “What’s unique with us, too, is some of our members have received training not just locally here in Saskatchewan, but we’ve worked with teams in other provinces and also taken some internationally as well with SWAT teams and tactical teams,” said Roberts.
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The joint tactical unit for the Estevan and Weyburn Police Services was called out to a standoff in Estevan earlier this year. File photo To be considered for the team, Roberts said an officer needs several years of policing experience. When there is an opening, officers from both services can apply. Candidates need to go through firearms, scenario-based screening and fitness testing. “It’s a rigorous process over a few days in which they’re scored accordingly in each component, and then it’s based on the fitness and the best results from the selection days that they’re put through,” said Roberts. A selection day was held in Estevan last December in which applicants went through the different testing components. “There’s a lot of work that goes into those applicants on their own time to get ready, and … to get physically and mentally prepared for a process like that,” said Roberts. Many members have an interest early in their careers in the tactical side of policing, and a lot of time spent when they’re off duty to stand out and
be ready to be selected. When the team is deployed, they bring a lot of equipment to a scene or a location that a police officer might not typically have. An incident like the armed standoff that occurred in Estevan late in the winter made more people aware that the two communities have such a team. “A lot of times when the team’s deployed, people don’t even realize that maybe we were called out in the middle of the night or the early morning hours … unless you’re maybe a close neighbour or see us as a team doing something.” But because the incident was highprofile, and occurred during the day and on a busy road, more people knew the team existed. Roberts said it has benefited both services to access the tactical and training skills of members from both cities, giving them the numbers needed to maintain a properly-sized team with people who are adequately trained.
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Estevan OTS trapshooting event a great attraction despite weather By Ana Bykhvskaia The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society hosted a wet, but fun and successful second annual Top Gun Trap Shoot on May 14. The event was held at the Estevan Wildlife Federation's range. With rain on and off Friday, the OTS lost a few participating teams, but president Tony Sernick said they still had a good turnout and a great day. "Other than the weather, everything went perfect. In the morning it was raining but wasn't so windy. And then thankfully, when the wind came up in the afternoon, the rain quit. So it was definitely the best of both worlds for everybody … All in all, it was a good day," Sernick said. Despite the weather, 110 participants accepted the challenge and showed up for the event. Shooters were coming from all over Saskatchewan, as well as Alberta and Manitoba. "[OTS events] bring three provinces together," Sernick said. Derek Fichter of Lampman was named the 2022 OTS Top Gun champion. His score was 82 out of 100 shots. Fichter tied for first place last year but lost in the countback.
He was the outright winner this year, five shots ahead of second place. Based out of Estevan, Certified Energy Services won the 2022 OTS Top Gun team champions title. It was the second year in a row Team Certified won the team event. Estevan's Skylift Services claimed second place in the team event, and Kobold Completions out of Calgary came in third. The original plan was to have the second edition of the OTS Top Gun Trap Shoot spread over two days, as the interest last year was high enough. However, when it came to registrations this year, the numbers were just right to fill one day of the schedule. "Last year, it was the first year we did it, and the event filled up very quickly. This year, one day filled up quickly and that was about it. So instead of making it two days, we just stuffed it all into one," Sernick said. Due to weather and/or other circumstances, several participants didn't make it to the shooting range. But fortunately, others were able to cover for them to keep it going. "Honorable mention to our two trap shooting celeb-
Over 100 shooters registered for the second OTS Top Gun Trap Shoot. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia rities – Logan King and Sam Meek – that shot multiple times during the day to fill in for teams that were short. Always a treat to watch these young men shoot traps. They are good and don't miss too often," Sernick said. The EWF provided the
range and the warm clubhouse, where shooters could dry out, and have some refreshments and a meal. "[The EWF] were absolutely fantastic. They do all the hard work, they set up everything. They get the guns and the bullets and obviously
they keep the score for us. We just do the registration part and line up the lunch," Sernick said. He added that the OTS puts a lot of effort into bringing sporting events like this one and, of course, their golf tournament and curling bonspiel to help the local facilities. "We like to do it to help everybody in town. The curling rink benefits, the golf courses benefit and, in this case, the trap shooting club benefits. We have a broad list of participants, basically every event we have 100 to 200 people in it. And when we bring those events to those organizations, that keeps their clubs going. So we are proud to do that," Sernick said. The interest in the event
was high, so Sernick said they plan on keeping it in the future. "It brings out a different crowd from the oilpatch and everybody appreciates it. It was a good day." Now the OTS is getting ready for their annual oilmen's golf tournament at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course, slated for June 3-5, which is going back to the more traditional format, where the event is spread over three days with a choice of going 18 or 36 holes. The registration is now open. On July 9, the OTS will also bring in a new event – a mixed golf tournament at Hidden Valley's Hideout Golf Course. The mixed tournament would get women involved, whether it be the women who are working in the oilpatch or the spouses of oilmen. Sernick said they have a really good committee, and they are excited to bring in new events and get more organizations involved. "There's definitely a good team, the OTS committee right now, where each person chairs an event and they get support from other people, but it's as simple as just bringing everything together and helping all the organizations out," Sernick said.
Arrest leads to drug investigation The 2022 OTS Top Gun Champion - Derek Fichter with a score of 82 out of 100 shots. Photo courtesy of Tony Sernick
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Estevan police arrested a man wanted in B.C. Members from the Estevan Police Service patrol and K9 units located a man with outstanding arrest warrants near an Estevan downtown establishment. As officers were attempting to take him into custody, he fled on foot. At that time, the K9 unit was deployed and the subject was apprehended. A search incidental to his arrest revealed a substance believed to be cocaine. The 26-year-old man
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Great support for McHappy Day Cate L'Heureux and Tim and Chris Jenish from the Estevan McDonald's were eager to greet customers at McHappy Day on May 11. Thanks to the support of customers, managers and crew members, the local McDonald's raised $4,780.75 for the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon. Twenty-five per cent of all sales during the day went to the house. They also raised money by selling McHappy Day merchandise, including socks, pins and paper hearts. Local schools also participated by selling hearts to raise money. Photo courtesy Robert Godfrey of Lemon Wedge Marketing
City faces challenge with street line painting Estevan is among the communities from across the country dealing with a shortage of street paint. In a letter to Estevan city council on May 9, Norm Mack, the manager of public works’ roads and drainage division, said back in January, the city was made aware there could be a street paint shortage in North America due to a raw material supply chain issue and COVID-19. The city immediately prepared its tender for street paint. The city has received word from General Paint that it would not be receiving its shipment of paint this year due to supply chain challenges. The price for the tender was $70,830.10. General Paint did find another manufacturer of street paint in Quebec, but the price has risen from $95 per five-gallon pail to $140. Delivery could take four weeks. “I have talked to other cities and private contractors about the shortage and every com-
munity is in the same situation,” said Mack. Council ultimately decided to spend the tender amount and receive less paint. It means crosswalks and some of the other jobs might not get done this year. Mack noted there is some paint being stored at the Estevan Regional Airport that can be used to paint lines around town now. He believes it is important to get as much painting done as possible before the Centennial Cup begins Thursday. “Maybe the supply chain will ease up and we’ll get our paint later,” said Mack. He also pointed that governments are at the top of the list for getting paint. • • • The Estevan Patch Garden concept is going to have a different location than what was originally proposed. Council once again discussed the project at its meeting on May 9. The initial proposed location was an empty parcel of city land off of Smith Street in central Estevan, which was
viewed as ideal for the project, but there was opposition from some area residents. Councillor Shelly Veroba said council wanted to know if there was a better location. She believes there are a lot of positives associated with the project, but it should be in another spot. The nearby residents aren’t opposed to the concept, but they don’t want it on that site, she said. “I think it would be different if we had no other alternative location … but I honestly think that there’s going to be a different location available,” said Veroba. Councillor Travis Frank, who called this a great endeavour, said they have been working with the management team to find an ideal location to fit the neighbourhood. Veroba suggested the garden be in an area that is more open. Once the garden is open, everyone in the community will understand what it is and the benefits. Chris and Bethany Paul have conceived
the idea of a “take as you need” garden for Estevan that would help families struggling to provide healthy meals for their families. There would be a number of measures in place for when people would be able to take produce, and it would have community involvement and mentorship as well. • • • Council granted a community event permit for the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society to have a supper and dance at the Power Dodge Arena during the annual OTS golf tournament from June 3-5. • • • Five building permits worth $2.27 million were issued in April, bringing the total for the year to 11 permits worth more than $2.38 million. Included in last month’s total was one multi-family permit worth $1.8 million and a commercial permit worth $300,000. There was also a garage permit and two miscellaneous permits.
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Estevan EMS one of the pioneers in providing palliative care to local patients By Ana Bykhovskaia The COVID-19 pandemic brought endless challenges for every industry across the world. And while a lot of the processes and operations were disrupted or reshaped by the global emergency, it also resulted in some positive and helpful changes. Estevan EMS experienced all types of shifts first-hand. While they had to readjust many of their procedures and protocols to ensure patients' and their own safety, they also were one of the first ones to join a new program, aimed at training paramedics in providing palliative care to patients at their homes. Gene Stephany, operations supervisor with the Estevan EMS, said that they've been providing palliative care to residents for about a year now, and it's been working really well. "It kind of started during COVID time. There was a lot of dark clouds but one of the silver linings that we found was getting involved with the palliative care program," Stephany shared. "Most of the health authority paramedic services are trying to get to this point, and we were some of the lucky ones who got in on the first grouping of this course." Este van EMS had all their staff certified in L earning Essentials and Approaches to Palliative and End of Life Care (LEAP),
which is a palliative care program for healthcare professionals used across Canada. Estevan paramedics went through several modules of training and then worked with Regina palliative care specialists, who shared their experience and directed the EMS members as to what they needed for equipment, medications, protocols, etc. Once that was in the books, Estevan paramedics were able to respond to this type of calls for service in a new way. "If we go on calls and we identify a patient as needing to contact palliative care services, we can refer them back and then get them into that program. [And with patients needing palliative care] we go to their house, and sometimes when home care or palliative care is not available, we'll access and manage their pain, manage their symptoms, a lot of it involves helping support the family,” said Stephany. “It's a difficult time for everyone, it is difficult for the patient, but it's also a difficult time for the family and everybody else involved. So we're involved in that, trying to answer all their questions," Stephany explained, adding that oftentimes people feel more comfortable asking difficult questions when they are in their own homes. Before the change, when paramedics would go to a home knowing that a patient was a part of the palliative care program, they had to
Estevan EMS have been providing palliative care to patients for about a year now. File photo
take them to the hospital. Due to their condition, palliative care patients much rather would be in their own homes, but EMS couldn't provide the needed care. "Our reaction two years ago was to put them on the stretcher, take them down to the hospital, have them treated at the hospital, and then an hour or two later load them back up again and run them back to their house," Stephany said. "It was upsetting for the patient and the family. Where now we can just contract that treatment right in their own home. So, there's no disturbance to the atmosphere in the home and the support systems and the comfort everybody's got there. We can just treat them, answer any questions they have, and at the same time, save all that hassle and save a spot in the emergency to where the patient would have been taken for that." Stephany noted that palliative care fits with what they do and feels just like a natural extension of their jobs. And the local paramedics enjoyed that extension, he said. "Honestly, it's really so satisfying. Before you'd go and you knew the patient needed treatment that you weren't allowed to give them. So you would take them into the hospital, and you knew they were being disrupted, even though you're doing the best thing you can for the patients, you knew that this was disrupting their comfort level, and they didn't really want to go, but it had to be done. “Where now there's a real feeling of accomplishment when you can go in there and help somebody out, and still maintain that level of comfort, that level of dignity … It's just better for everyone. And our guys are really happy with it, for sure," Stephany said. Besides the palliative care services they provide to the community,
Gene Stephany is the operations supervisor with the Estevan EMS. File photo
When a call for palliative care comes in, dispatchers let EMS know of the nature of the call and they respond in a quieter manner to keep patients comfortable. File photo once a month Estevan EMS staff goes to local palliative care to join other specialists, working together to get the best for the patients.
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"It's a collaboration with all the different services involved. There are pharmacists, nurses, palliative care, physicians are there, paramedics are there. We all talk about the cases and then make decisions about who's able to take care of what and then advise the family of the easiest way to get a hold of the resources they need," Stephany explained. After training was done, it started off fairly slow, as the ser vice was new and Stephany assumed that a lot of people were worried that there will be a lot of noise
St. Joseph’s Hospital Salutes our Partners in Emergency Services.
in the neighbourhood if an ambulance shows up in front of a house. But he noted that these calls are done in a very different manner. "There's a special way. The patient or their family will call into our dispatch centre, and our dispatch centre will tell us that this is a palliative care call. So we do it very discreetly, and a lot quieter than most people are used to seeing us run around town." Now that more people know that the Estevan EMS can provide palliative services and know more about how it's done, the number of calls went up. And Stephany said that they are glad to provide all the help they can to the community.
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May 18, 2022 A9
Oxbow EMS overcomes some challenges but needs more help to keep going The RM of Enniskillen and Oxbow EMS keep working hard to ensure that they can continue providing medical help to local people in a timely manner. After the council heard of the significant challenges Oxbow EMS faced every day, they started to look for solutions; if there were no changes soon, local emergency medical service was at risk of losing full-time paramedics and having service disruptions. Among the challenges presented to council included the employment twists the Oxbow paramedics had to deal with. They have been required to work a blended continuing care assistant (CCA)/ paramedic position, which means that they had to work eight hours at the Galloway Health Centre as a CAA and were paid as a CCA, which is up to $10 less per hour than their regular paramedic wage. And they only received their regular paramedic wage when they were on a call or during a transfer. So to get paid fairly for doing the job they received education for, they had to work longer days, facing exhaustion. “For example, if they worked from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then were called out at 4 p.m. for a transfer to Regina, that meant at least another six hours added to their day, not including wait time in Regina. On the next day, if they did not work their CCA shift, they would only receive their $5/hour on-call wage,” explained Pamela Bartlett, the chief administrative officer
for the R.M. of Enniskillen, in her letter to other RMs, councils and the media. One problem resulted in another one. Because Oxbow paramedics were working more regular CCA hours than paramedic hours, they were required to enter into the Canadian Union of Public Employees agreement. According to the RM of Enniskillen, they were the only EMS in Saskatchewan that had paramedics under the CUPE, which wasn’t working for them. When there was an issue, and they called CUPE, the union was not well versed with their case and did not have many clauses in the contract that pertained to paramedics, as they were not in the union that specialized in their field. All other paramedics under a union in the province are a part of the Health Science Association of Saskatchewan union. So this inconsistency created recruitment and retention challenges. Anyone coming to the Oxbow service would not receive any seniority that was able to be transferred to any other service within Saskatchewan, and all of their years of service in Oxbow would be lost. “Many paramedics graduating from school will use the smaller towns to learn and gain experience, but Oxbow was not given that opportunity. Working as a CCA at the hospital also created issues with recruitment and retention as graduates and employees felt they went to school to be a paramedic,
not a CCA, and paid up to $10 less per hour for their skills, which was not any interest to them. They, therefore, would not take the job or would not stay. One of the last challenges was that there was nowhere to stay while on call when they first moved to the area or were filling shifts while coming from another community,” Barlett said. The last issue has been solved with the R.M. of Enniskillen Wellness Clinic, which opened this spring and became Oxbow EMS’s full-time base. But other problems needed provincial help to be resolved. “At the 2022 SARM [Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities] Convention, I stood up and spoke to the health ministers regarding the challenges our EMS workers were facing; however, the ministers could not say anything due to the budget announcements the following week after the convention,” Barlett shared. After the budget was announced, on April 5, the Oxbow EMS workers were given the good news – challenges they had been fighting
for many years would soon be solved. It was learned that they will no longer be in blended positions, will no longer be required to be CCAs at the hospital, be paid on their pay schedule as paramedics, and be transferred to the Health Sciences Union. “Now that they have a full-time base that they can stay at during the day, this transition will occur closer to summer 2022,” Barlett said. However, there was another issue that needed to be resolved for the service to keep operating. In the conversations with the paramedics, the RM of Enniskillen learned that their ambulance continually needs repairs. Every time the ambulance breaks down, this causes Oxbow EMS to be out of service, and the ratepayers could be waiting for an ambulance from Carlyle, Redvers, Stoughton or Estevan. “One paramedic had the exhaust system fall off while going down the highway, and he had to take it off and put it in the back with him and the patient until they were back in Oxbow and could get it fixed. This is only one
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example of what our paramedics have gone through in this ambulance,” Barlett said. She added that the province currently only replaces around eight ambulances per year for the entire province’s EMS fleet. “If your answer is to wait for Saskatchewan Health Authority to replace the ambulance, the ratepayers could be waiting an exceptionally long time. What happens until then?” Barlett asked. “When the Sun Country Health Region was in existence, machinery and equipment were purchased or donated and then it was sometimes transferred or given to another community. This was one of the first concerns in our beginning discussions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. They advised the RM that there was a servicing agreement/gift agreement that could be signed and that this is what other communities were signing when there was a gift being given to SHA.” This means that if the RM is the purchaser, it gifts the ambulance to SHA to license, insure, repair and
manage. However, the ambulance and the equipment inside that has been gifted cannot be given or transferred to any other community or EMS service unless the RM agrees to it. The RM of Enniskillen has been fundraising for a new ambulance for some time now. The new machine has been ordered through Demers Ambulance in Saskatoon at $302,000. Due to chassis supply issues, it likely will not be here until the fall. “We raised a gross profit of $54,000 at the fundraiser, and there were cash donations of $25,000; we are close to one-third of our goal. There will be fundraising efforts continue in the future,” Barlett said. She said they are reaching out to the surrounding municipalities and their ratepayers asking them to consider donating any funds or allocating any of their 2022 budgets towards the Oxbow ambulance. Tax-deductible receipts are available. The current ambulance will be kept at the Oxbow base as a replacement ambulance if needed.
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AGRI NEWS A10 | Wednesday, May 18, 2022 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
Southeast producers have received muchneeded moisture in the past six weeks By David Willberg While the rain and snow that the southeast region has received in the past six weeks have created challenges for some, it has provided the moisture that local producers have needed. Sherri Roberts, a crops extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, said the entire southeast region has been shifted from drought status, to adequate or surplus moisture. There is a small area in the Broadview area in need of precipitation, but that’s it for a region that spans from Ogema to the west, Highway 1 to the north, the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border to the east, and the Canada-U.S. border to the south. Forty-seven RMs are in her coverage area. The stretch from Estevan to Carnduff was particularly dry until recently. “It was really clear that they hadn’t gotten the snow. I was looking at half-empty dugouts and I was thinking ‘Oh my goodness, their dry conditions are going to continue once again for them,” said Roberts. But the combination of the two April snowstorms and the heavy rains in May left full dugouts and sloughs filled with water. “It’s all, I think, very good news,” said Roberts. The Hume area, located east of Weyburn, had been really dry for the past three years, she said.
There were also pockets southwest of Radville, and near Weyburn and Midale, that needed moisture. “Now, the last couple of weeks here, they’ve had quite the recharge,” said Roberts. The Redvers area was really dry before the second April snowstorm dumped wet and heavy snow. The most recent crop report, released on May 12, showed that about seven per cent of the crop had been seeded in the southeast. Roberts concedes it’s below the five-year average, but she believes producers will be happy to have the moisture once the crops are seeded. She said producers would rather find themselves in a situation with adequate or surplus moisture, than to seed into dusty and dry conditions, a situation that’s playing out in the southwest. “They’re worrying about germination possibilities and over here, it’s just that we’re delayed. People sometimes get into that habit where they want to be done seeding by the end of May.” Producers who have been able to get into the fields have been working long hours on nice days to get the crop into the ground, because they know the rain is coming. If the rain does continue, then Roberts said some producers might have to look at changing around some of their rotations and going for some shorter-season crops, such as barley. “I’m already told the cereal acres are up this year, canola acres
Southeast Saskatchewan producers have had to contend with a lot of precipitation this spring, but the moisture was needed. Photo by Beyond Images / E+ / Getty Images. are down, and those cereals, of course, they don’t need as many days for maturity, although the quicker you can get them in, the better it is, because they might miss that July-August heat,” said Roberts. At this point, there isn’t a risk of widespread unseeded acres in the southeast. In some instances, the moisture will sit in the field. But she believes it’s too early to be worried. If the southeast gets into the last week of May, and cool temperatures and more moisture are in the
4H KID OF MONTH presented by
4-H Member of the Month: Kyla Lees
Name: Kyla Lees Club: Arcola-Kisbey 4-H Beef Club Age: 16 Age group: Senior Years in 4-H: Eleven
Being part of 4-H has helped her improve her public speaking skills. Lees has finished first at the club level in the past, which punched her ticket to districts.
The Lees family has long been part of the Arcola-Kisbey 4-H Club, and Kyla Lees is proud to continue that tradition.
She also won the the reserve champion steer and grand champion home-grown steer awards at the annual 4-H show and sale in Weyburn in 2019.
Kyla Lees has been a member of the club for more than a decade. Her parents were members, and both of her sisters – one older and one younger – have also been part of the club.
Lees expects she will take the skills she has learned through 4-H and apply them in the future.
Those family connections, combined with her love of cattle, influenced her decision to join. “I enjoy meeting all of the new people, learning the new things and all of the opportunities it provides,” she said.
“It gave me more confidence and made me more comfortable talking to people,” she said.
She said she would recommend being part of 4-H to other people, and she views the Arcola club as a good one to join. “You know everyone and you are friends with everyone in it,” she said. “It is also more hands-on and personal to you.”
forecast, then it might be an issue. “Do you have the proper amount of equipment and the labour you need to be putting in the acres that you need, or does a hiccup like this year put you behind the 8-ball, and then in that case, you maybe need to be looking at your rotations or expanding the amount of equipment you have,” said Roberts. Roberts reminds farmers that the temperatures are going to warm up, so the soil temperatures might eventually be warmer when they
put the crops into the ground. “Germination is going to happen more quickly, and you may be able to make up that lost time. They’ve done studies, particularly at Indian Head, where they put soy beans into the ground, they put them in a little bit later. The later ones germinate and come up out of the ground a lot faster than the ones that were seeded early into that cold ground, and it made up for it.” She also asked them to consider seed treatments, because root ruts could be a problem.
Water to be released from Grant Devine Lake The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) has issued an update on the impact that the rain in southern Saskatchewan is having on reservoirs. The additional rainfall was expected to bring Boundary and Rafferty reservoirs closer to the preferred operating levels, but is not expected to result in filling. Grant Devine Lake is near full supply level and a release was initiated on May 12, but flows are expected to remain in channel on Moose Mountain Creek and the Souris River downstream of the dam. “The public should exercise caution around fastmoving water and should not attempt to cross any areas where the depth of water is unknown. Significant rainfall has the potential to result in rapid changes in water levels,” the WSA said in a news release. The agency also advises that if the spring storm causes power disruptions to local municipal water systems, local drinking water advisories may be issued as required.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a heavy rainfall warning for southeast Saskatchewan on Thursday. The warning was lifted late Friday. Environment Canada reported that the Estevan area received more than 85 millimetres of rain in the first 14 days of May. Included in the total was 26.2 millimetres on May 9, 21.8 millimetres on May 12 and 24.4 millimetres the following day, for a total of more than 72 millimetres from May 9-13. Some areas received more rain. Heaviest accumulations from last week’s rainfall were expected over south-central areas of the province, particularly in the Poplar River Basin near Coronach, eastern portions of the Old Wives Lake Basin near Assiniboia and at Avonlea Creek. With snowmelt runoff complete for this area of the province, the Water Security Agency ( WSA) does not expect significant impacts to water flows and levels; however, localized issues are possible where accumulations are highest.
The WSA said last week that snow melt and runoff is largely complete in southeast Saskatchewan, and the risk of localized flooding from the combination of two late winter storms, plus warming temperatures and additional rain, has also receded. Flows along the Souris River have peaked and are beginning to drop. Areas east of Regina from the U.S. border to Jan Lake, where conditions have been wetter over the past month, could see increasing flows, potentially to flood levels, particularly on Pipestone Creek, Antler River and tributaries within the Lower Red Deer River Basin near Hudson Bay, including the Fir and Overflowing rivers. The Assiniboine River is still seeing some higher flows after spring runoff; significant precipitation could cause the river to spill over resulting in localized flooding. The WSA says it will continue to monitor and provide updates to the potential for flooding from this precipitation watch and the runoff across the province as the spring melt continues.
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Aceron to play for Team Sask. at Canada Games A talented young basketball player from Estevan will represent Saskatchewan at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara Falls. Frances Aceron, who is in Grade 10 at the Estevan Comprehensive School, found out recently she had been selected. She will play on the under-18 team, even though she was eligible to play for the under-17 squad. She decided to try out after receiving encouragement from ECS Elecs’ senior girls’ basketball coach Jessie Smoliak after this past season. “She told me it would be a really good idea if you were to try out, even if it was just to see who your competition was,” said Aceron. Once she arrived at the camp, the coaches tested out all of her skills and abilities, and then she was invited for another tryout. Aceron believes she was selected because there weren’t a
lot of point guards at the camp. “I know there are a lot of girls that are really wellrounded, like a lot of guards, but my kind of skill that I brought to the team was being a [point] guard,” said Aceron. During the season, she had to distribute the ball, know the team’s plays and understand her role. At first she was surprised because she made the U18 squad instead of the U17 team. Aceron and her family thought there was a typo on her invitation. But the coaches believed she would play her role well and help the athletes mesh as a team. Team Saskatchewan will have four practices, and then head to their first tournament in Brandon. Other competitions are scheduled for Edmonton and Vancouver before they head to Niagara. “I’ve practised with them once. It was up in Saskatoon, and we had about eight one-
Frances Aceron (3) of Estevan has been selected to play for Team Saskatchewan at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. File photo hour practices in one weekend,” said Aceron. She also expects they will
enjoy some team bonding during the tournaments. Aceron has known some
of her Team Saskatchewan colleagues through Basketball Saskatchewan when she was younger. She also played some from rural communities during the Elecs’ basketball season. “I’m getting to know them this season,” said Aceron. Sports have long been a big part of Aceron’s life. When she was younger, she was into soccer and gymnastics. She had to make a decision when she was in Grade 5 which sport she wanted to focus on, and she picked basketball. “One of my favourite things about the game, is not only the competitiveness of the sport, but also meeting new friends and being able to meet new people and develop relationships with friends. That’s really important, and one of the most important things with sports.” In addition to her time in Estevan, she has played in Regina and for a club team
in the U.S. She is grateful to the school and club basketball programs for helping with her development. “I really owe playing club and playing high school a big part of my development, because it’s where I got to develop my skill and hone things and learn a lot experiences. Especially playing with older girls, it was really important. It pushes you to not only develop skills, but know the knowledge of playing someone older or someone more experienced. You can gain a lot of knowledge from that.” She is looking forward to seeing how much playing at the Canada Games helps with her development. “It will be really exciting to see teams from all over Canada, like British Columbia and Alberta … and playing with some of the top girls in the province and in the country,” said Aceron.
Gymnasts face Bruins in athletic showdown Members of the Estevan Gymnastics Club invited the SJHL champion Estevan Bruins to the club’s facility on Thursday night to see how the hockey players would fare in a different sport. And not only did the event, knowns as Grips Versus Sticks, provide a lot of entertainment, but it was a valuable fundraiser for the club. Tateum McPherson with the gymnastics club was pleased to see the attendance and the support from the Bruins. The event raised nearly $20,000, which exceeded their goal of $15,000. “ We were just super blessed to have that much support from the community,” said McPherson. Funds were generated through a comedy night on May 7 at the Beefeater Plaza featuring comedian Brittany Lyseng. That night also had silent and live auction items donated by people from the
Members of the Estevan Gymnastics Club and Estevan Bruins gather for a group photo following the Grips Versus Sticks showdown. Photo courtesy of Tateum McPherson community. A Calcutta allowed people to bid on an athlete of their choice. Some of the gymnastics club members were in two disciplines, but most were in just
one. The Calcutta alone fetched more than $3,000. “The day of the fundraiser on May 7, we still had silent auction items coming in from businesses in Estevan,” said
McPherson. “It was really good to see.” Some of the gymnasts who are in the competitive stream of the club came out to show their support.
Sun Devils 15U team plays first-ever home games at Pleasantdale The Southeast Sun Devils 15U softball team played its first-ever home games Sunday afternoon at the Pleasantdale Softball Diamonds. Facing the Lumsden Cubs in a doubleheader, the Sun Devils dropped the first game 7-3 but won the second game 13-8. The Sun Devils opened the scoring in the first inning, but Lumsden scored two in the second and gradually pulled away. Miley Granberg and Karsyn Gervais each had two hits for the Sun Devils. Sadie Aspinall won the starter, and
she struck out six in three innings. In the second game, the Sun Devils scored four in the third, and added three in each of the fifth and sixth innings to lead 13-5. The Cubs mustered three in the seventh. Aspinall led the offensive attack with three hits and four runs knocked in, while Lainee McMillen had two hits and three runs. Rowyn Nicholls gave up a run in three innings. The Sun Devils have players from throughout the southeast for their first season this year.
Sydney Brooks of the 15U Sun Devils softball team awaits a pitch Sunday at the Pleasantdale Softball Diamonds. Photo by Ana Bykhovskaia
Twenty-one gymnasts, ranging in age from seven to 13 years of age, and 26 Bruins from ages 17-21, were part of the fun competition. The highest box jump drew the most interest, because people wanted to see who could jump the highest based on a percentage of their height. Bruin forward Cody Davis of Alameda jumped 80.8 per cent of his body height. Lyla Hale was the winner for the gymnastics club at 80 per cent. In the longest chin-up hold using a reverse grip, Carsyn McDonald held for two minutes and nine seconds, which McPherson described as “incredible”. The top Bruin was Zach Burfoot at one minute and 28 seconds. Jackson Miller won the longest consecutive frog jump for the Bruins. Gymnast Brynley Rosengren was the top gymnast in that discipline. The longest elevated straddle or pike hold saw seven-yearold Bria Stepp hold it for three minutes and two seconds, which McPherson believes is a club record. Cam Hrdlicka was the
top Bruin at 40 seconds. Since the teams were tied after four events, there was a tie-breaker push-up contest. Lila Hale with the gymnastics club finished with 50, while Alex Von Sprecken, who hails from Estevan, had 55. “For next year, the girls are excited and they’re going to come back and get the ‘w’,” said McPherson. When the showdown was offered for the first time in October 2020, the gymnasts won six of seven competitions. McPherson believes the Bruins were better prepared this year, and the categories were ones that the players would have a chance at, such as leg strength. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards the programming and purchase equipment for the gymnastics facility. “It’s a really good fundraiser for us, and it’s cool for them to come in and support us. Lots of our girls watch the Bruins’ games and are Bruins’ fans. We support them and we’re glad they can come and do the same for us.”
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A12 May 18, 2022
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Coal Country was walked, run and biked through on Saturday By Ana Bykhovskaia Even though Mother Nature put a lot of effort into flooding the area, local runners and bikers of all ages took the challenge and were rewarded for their commitment. On a chilly morning for the Coal Country Run on May 14, not only did the clouds that have been covering the Estevan area thin up, but even the sun made an appearance to cheer the participants. The event was a fundraiser for Fresh Air Fitness. Debbie Knight, who runs the Estevan outdoor gym alongside Peggy Rohatyn, said that numbers were down a bit this year. Nevertheless, they still were able to have a great day and attract some funds to maintain and develop the popular attraction known throughout the province. They had 49 registrations for the five-kilometre run or walk, 25 registrations for 10-km run or walk, and 10 cyclists registered for the 20km biking part of the event. The mini mile portion of the
About 70 people registered for the walking and running portion of the Coal Country Run. Coal Country Run saw record participation, with 19 young athletes having their names down for it. The short run for the kids was called Chase the Triplets this year, as the little runners were trying to catch up with the Stephany triplets - Renee, Rachelle and Gabrielle. And while a few adult runners didn't show up on the day of the event, all younger participants were there in time to join their run. "The youngest mini miler is 23 months old. And I know that because it's my little
great-granddaughter," said Knight. "She did the whole thing, and then she was still running in the mud puddles after that. They all had fun. It was great." The 2022 Coal Country Run's fastest female fivekilometre runner was Jill Desautels with 29 minutes and 22 seconds. The fastest male runner was Jordan Duff, who covered the five-kilometre route in 21 minutes and 33 seconds. Duff was also named the fastest overall runner. For the 10-km run, the fastest female was Natasha Tinant, and her time was 53 minutes and 38 seconds. The
fastest male runner was Levi Rosenbaum with 50 minutes and six seconds. Rosenbaum was also named the fastest overall 10-km runner. In the 20-km bike ride, Roberta Derosier was the fastest female, and Kevin Mortenson was the fastest male cyclist. They hoped to see a bit more interest in the cycling event, but probably since it was the first time and also due to the weather, there weren't too many people joining. "We had a good day even in spite of Mother Nature, she was being a bag lately. We believe those people that showed
up enjoyed themselves. We enjoyed ourselves and I think everything turned out pretty good," Knight said. Weather and a two-year break they had to have due to COVID affected the general participation, Knight assumed. While they still organized the run over the past two years, it was different from the traditional Coal Country format. Knight said bringing the original event back wasn't too difficult on their side, as they have a really good working group. "We've got a real good core group of volunteers and it is a real team effort. We've
For the first time, the Coal Country Run invited local bikers to join the event.
This year for the mini mile young athletes were asked to play a game called Chase the Triplets.
Estevan Ukrainian community hosts latest supper fundraiser
Ho on nH oonoring r ii n ng g H o r
CARRIE LEPTICH CARRIE LEPTICH CARRIE LEPTICH
nd May May 22 22nd
Leisure Centre Leisure Centre Leisure Centre 701 Souris Souris Avenue Avenue 701 701 Souris Avenue Come and and Go Go Tea Tea Come Come and2-4PM Go Tea • 2-4PM No2-4PM gifts please No No gifts gifts please please
OVER THE TOP On behalf of Bonny and Lindsey Roy along with their sons Schuyler and Jordan, a very large and heartfelt thankyou goes out to both sponsors and raffle purchasers alike for helping to raise $6270 recently. This fundraiser took place at this years annual Strippers Spring Bust hockey tournament. We thank them for the opportunity to canvas their crowd, many of whom know the Roy family. There were many very nice prizes, lots of folks will now travel in style with luggage from Estevan Meter, Aero Advertising, Sunset Embroidery and Crown Advertising. Next up was an everything goes gift certificate from Senchuk Ford. Golf from Hidden Valley and Vancouver Island’s Pheasant Glen will entertain some more. Fitting for a few was a variety of shirts and coats from Murray GM and The Tap in Regina. A hockey Gloves and Stick package by the team of JL Bike and Skate plus Prairie Mud Service. Then we were off to a campfire package with Great Western Brewing and Kingston Midstream. After all that travelling and socialising a good night’s sleep is welcomed on a queen mattress from Room by Room Furniture. Two silent auctions, featuring a Champion Chemical Winnipeg Jets hockey weekend package and a priceless collection of Brad Friars hockey memorabilia and sweater all displayed in a shadow box or “poetic theatres” as they are called, contributed towards the total and are welcomed also. These funds will certainly help carry Bonny and Lindsey forward on the journey to full recovery from injuries suffered in his horrible motorcycle accident.
Thank you again to all. Brad Dutton and Wire Stephen
got some that have been helping out with this for years and years. And they know what they're doing." "And another thing is we had [Southern Plains Co-op] sponsor a whole lunch and provide everything for us. It's just so generous and amazing that they do that." Seven vendors showed up for the indoor part of the event. OM Yoga provided the stretching before the run, and Re-charge Massage Therapy Studeo provided that service afterwards. Money raised through the event will be used to maintain and upgrade Fresh Air Fitness. Even though they didn't have as many participants, they received some good donations throughout the year including a bigger one from Kingston Midstream. And compiled with funds raised through other efforts last year, Knight said they should be good to go ahead with all their projects this summer. Besides, they are already planning for the next sports event. The second Force Competition will be held on July 23 at Fresh Air Fitness and the registration is now open. Knight noted that this year they have teams of two, and they've got a male category, a female category and a mixed category which would be one male and one female. "It's a good challenge. There are so many people doing so many things. This community has just blossomed as far as fitness opportunities out there. And that's great. That was our goal when we started [Fresh Air Fitness and events around it] to make our community healthier and give them a place where they can go to [for that] and that's free," Knight said.
Estevan’s Ukrainian community made a delicious meal and also had some Ukrainian merchandise up for sale to raise money for Ukraine.
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Este van once again showed up to support the Estevan Ukrainian community, which has been fundraising for the people of Ukraine struggling because of the Russian invasion. On Saturday, the Estevan Ukrainian community invited local families to join them at the Royal Canadian Legion Estevan branch’s Club Room for a traditional supper. Delicious homemade cabbage rolls, perogies, sausages, buns and desserts were served to help raise money for Ukraine. Merchandise with Ukrainian symbols was always available for purchase at the site. Many families took the opportunity to support an important cause and also enjoy a authentic meal. Some could compare to what their parents or grandparents have treated them to. All proceeds from the event will go to relief support. Saturday marked the 80th day since Russia started a war against Ukraine, which still sees no resolution.
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Beverly Betnar 1959 - 2021 It is with tremendous sadness that Bev’s family announces her sudden passing in Corpus Christi, Texas on October 27, 2021 at the age of 62. Bev will be forever loved and remembered by her siblings and in-laws: Marilyn (Don) Graham, Shirley (Bruce) Petterson, Ed (Linda) Betnar, Dan (Kathie) Betnar and Delbert (Linda) Betnar, and her special nieces and nephews: Shawn (Janine) Petterson, Christie (Dean) Wigley, Jared Betnar (Mariana Martins), Erin Betnar (Dustin Kuntz), Meghan Betnar (Daryl Donovan) and Daniel (Sarah) Betnar, and great nieces and nephews: Mathew and Mason Wigley, Carson and Ian Petterson, Lila and Emma Donovan. She was preceded in death by her parents: Bill and Pauline Betnar; her dear friend Dorothy Earnest and her significant
Clean CAT, JD equip; winch, dump, gravel trucks, and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided Wage negotiable. Clean drivers abstract a must. 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
other Mark Gowin. A public Graveside Service to honour Bev will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at the Estevan City Cemetery, with Sandy Dalziel officiating. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Bev’s family - Dustin Hall & Yvonne Clark, Funeral Directors. Terri-anne Krupka (Wheeler) 1987 – 2022
HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS REQUIRED:
Surrounded by love Terri-anne passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 34 years. Terri-anne was born in Estevan, SK and was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend. Terri-anne is survived by her devoted husband Dallas Krupka and their daughters, Mischa and Aljena and her stepchildren and grandchildren, Ilja, Tatjanna (Dakota) (grandchildren, Sylus, Willow and Elliot) and Nadja; father Terry Wheeler; a very special and very much loved by Terri-anne, her grandmother Phyllis Wheeler; mother Shirley (Greg) Jackson; brother Justin (Katelyn Kostiuk) and their sons Riley and Jayden; brother Austin (Shiane Goodwin) and daughter Miley; sisters, Destiny and Savannah and Amber’s son Levi Hirsch. Terri-anne will also be deeply missed by Dallas’s family: mother Laura Krupka; siblings, Darlene Walliser, Geraldine Bernhardt, Denise Krupka and Ken Krupka; special nephews, Elijah Crowe and Matthew Inglis as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family and friends. Terri-anne was preceded in death by her grandfather Douglas Wheeler; infant brothers, Michael and Andrew; sister Amber Wheeler and Dallas’s father Mitch Krupka. The Celebration of Life for Terri-anne was held on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Estevan, SK with Carmella Backlun officiating - Funeral Celebrant. Interment was held at Bienfait Cemetery with the luncheon following at the Royal Canadian Legion, Bienfait, SK. In memory of Terri-anne, donations can be made in trust to Mischa and Aljena Krupka. Please make cheques payable to Mischa and Aljena Krupka Trust Fund. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Terri-anne’s family – Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.
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.
In MeMorIaM
Career OppOrtunities
Obituaries
LAND/PASTURE FOR RENT
LAND FOR SALE
motor scrapers, dozers, excavators, graders, rock trucks. Lots of work all season. Camp job; R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d. 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
WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN HEATED... LIGHT BUGS... TOUGH MIXED GRAIN SPRING THRASHED WHEAT... OATS PEAS... BARLEY CANOLA... FLAX “ON FARM PICKUP” WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN 1-877-250-5252
MOBILE HOME
LOTS
FOR RENT IN THE CITY OF REGINA, SK Prices start at $675/month Please contact us for current promotions Tiny Home Lots start at $450/month
CLASSIFIED ADS WORK 306-533-0986
www.sherwoodmodular.com
Notices / NomiNatioNs Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com. PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.
AGPRO SEEDS: BUYING HEATED, DAMAGED CANOLA. On farm pickup, prompt payment! TOP PRICES PAID IN SASK. Phone: 306-873-3006 or Visit AGPRO website for bids: agproseeds.com
FORAGE SEED FOR SALE: Organic & conventional: Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, Red Clover, Smooth Brome, Meadow Brome, Crested Wheatgrass, Timothy, etc. Star City, SK. Birch Rose Acres Ltd. 306-921-9942.
HealtH ServiceS
Feed & Seed
1A TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED:
FARMLAND WANTED I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.
MYRTLE L. THORSON February 13, 1933 - December 16, 2020 Join us in celebrating Myrt's life on Saturday, May 28th, 11 AM at Grace United Church. 210 3rd Street NE, Weyburn. Sharon Elliot officiating. In lieu of flowers or cards, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.
Lovingly Remembered Marvin H. N. Olischefski October 18, 1934 - May 22, 2010 The special years will not return, When we were all together, But with the love inside our hearts, You will walk with us forever. - Love Terry, Brian, and Gaylene
Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way. Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com
Wanted to Rent For Rent 30x34 shop in Estevan with small fenced compound beside it. Available May 15th, 2022. Long or short term lease. $500.00 per month, plus heat and power. Call or text 306-482-7443.
Wanted
Financial ServiceS Private mortgage lender. All real estate types considered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228 www.firstandsecondmortgages.ca
NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS
It’s been 2 years since you left us, but I know you’re in a better place and have no more pain. With love from Justine and families
Winch trucks & trailers; dump trucks & pups/ quad wagons. Hauling heavy equipment, gravel, & camp shacks. Wage negotiable. Clean drivers abstract a must. 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
CERTIFIED SEED - Wheat6 varieties - Oats 7 varieties - Barley7 varieties very early yellow Pea, Forage Peas. Polish Canola, sPring tritiCale. mastinseeds.com 403-556-2609
local news & stories
Farm ServiceS Card of Thanks
Integrity Post Frame Buildings SINCE 2008
CASH for ALL gold & silver! Bullion, coins, bars, jewelry, nuggets, sterling, 9999 SILVER +. Also buying COIN COLLECTIONS, ROYAL CANADIAN MINT COINS & old money. Canada & world collections WANTED. Todd 250-8643521.
Built with Concrete Posts Barns, Shops, Riding Arenas, Machine Sheds and More
WANTED: Old advertising dealership signs, gas pumps, globes, pop machines, light ups. White Rose, Red Indian, Buffalo, North Star, Case Eagles. etc. Collector paying TOP PRICES. 306-2215908
sales@ Integritybuilt.com 1-866-974-7678 www. integritybuilt.com
THANK YOU From the family of LAWRENCE STEPHANY Thank you to our family, friends and neighbours for all you kindness with the passing of LAWRENCE, for your visits, calls, flowers, food & donations to ERNH. Thank you to Yvonne and Dustin at Hall Funeral Services, Father Anthony and Connie for the beautiful service, Dustin Hall and Doris Trobert for their lovely music and the CWL for catering the luncheon.. A special thank you to Trina and Doug Bloor for your support during this time. The Stephany Family (Linda, Christine, Gene and Tamara, Gabrielle, Rachelle and Renee)
BUSINESS SERVICES LEGAL Barristers & Solicitors
Paul Elash Q.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D. Gainsborough: Thursday a.m. Carnduff: Thursday p.m. 1312- 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0X2
P. 306-634-3631 • F. (306) 634-6901 • www.kohalyelash.com
AUDIOLOGIST
REAL ESTATE
Your HEARING team.
Terry L. Germain
Hearing Tests Hearing Aids Sales, Repair & Batteries Ear Wax Removal
“Your ears deserve an audiologist” Melanie Tribiger #5 - 418 Kensington Ave.Jacquie Mvula Hearing Aid Practitioner (Across from Walmart) M.S., R. Aud. JACQUIE MVULA locally owned & operated
306-636-EARS (3277)
M.S., R. Aud. Audiologist/Owner
#5 - 418 Kensington Ave, www.suncountryhearing.com Estevan (across from Walmart) | (306) 636-3277
Serving Estevan & SE Sask for 30 years. Put the knowledge and experience to work for you! Text/Talk To Terry for all of your real estate needs.
Each office independently owned & operated
306.421.2021
A14 May 18, 2022
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Wednesday, May 8, 1968 Estevan Kinsmen honored their Pee Wee LERK’s hockey league champions at their last meeting treating the boys to dinner and then presenting them with the trophy and crests. The team was, front row, from left, Ron Hargest, Paul Murray, Gary Wood, captain with the trophy, Mark deBoth and Murray Lutes. Second row, Jan Terhart, Michael Strain, Darcy Rohatyn, Wayne Harde and Gordon Woods, assistant coach. Third row, Grant Abbott, Russel Kennedy, Gary Dyer and Randy Stepp. Back row, Joe Wasylenka, president of Kinsmen, and Dennis O’Handley, coach.
Fire alarms had crews out in the community Fire sirens could have been heard on a couple of occasions in Estevan last week. After a stretch of numerous emergencies in four days earlier this month, the Estevan Fire Rescue Service members had a bit of a break with only three fire alarms going off in the city in seven days. The first call for service came in on May 9 at about 3 p.m. A fire alarm went off at
the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course. However, seconds later, the fire station received a call from the facility stating that contractors on site were doing some work, which triggered the alarm. No response was mounted for the call. On May 10 at about 7 p.m., a residential fire alarm went off in northwest Estevan. "Crews arrived on scene to find that the homeowner
actually just got out of the shower and the steam mimicked some smoke there, which set off the alarm. So there was no emergency occurring at this particular location," said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser. "Just a reminder, please ensure that smoke detection and heat detection devices are located in the proper spots, as smoke can be mimicked by steam. If they're too
close to the kitchen and or cooking areas, they can get quite a few nuisance alarms as well." On May 13 at about 2 p.m., fire crews responded to another fire alarm that went off in a commercial building in the east-central area of the city. There was no smoke or flame visible from outside, so firefighters entered the building to find contractors were drilling through the
VILLAGE OF ROCHE PERCEE Notice of Assessment Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Village of Roche Percee for the year of 2022 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 8am – 4 pm on the following days: May 3rd-4th May 12th-13th May 17th-18th May 26th-27th May 31st – June 1st
NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL R.M. of Estevan No. 5
A Bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and assessment notices have been sent as required. If you have any questions regarding your assessment, please contact April Olver at the Village of Roche Percee office located at 609 Birch Avenue Roche Percee, SK S0C 0M0 or by phone (306)634-4661.
Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the R.M. of Estevan No. 5 for the year 2022 has been prepared and is open to inspection from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., on the following days: Monday to Friday, May 13, 2022, to June 15, 2022, excluding holidays.
is required to file his or her notice of appeal along with the applicable fee of $150.00 with: Saumya Vaidyanathan Secretary, The Board of Revision, Box 149, Meota, Saskatchewan, S0M 1X0, by the 4th day of June.
A bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required. Any person wishing to discuss the notice of assessment or potential appeal may contact the assessor at the R.M. of Estevan No.5, #1, 322 - 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0T8. A notice of appeal, accompanied by a $100.00 appeal fee which will be returned if the appeal is successful, must be filed with the Secretary of the Board of Revision, Saumya Vaidyanathan, P.O Box 149, Meota, SK, S0M 1X0 by the 15th day of June, 2022.
Dated this 3rd day of May, 2022
Dated this 13th day of May, 2022.
April Olver Assessor
Michelle Dickie Assessor
Any person who wishes to appeal against their assessment
drywall, and the dust mimicked smoke and triggered the alarm. "A reminder to the construction crews or anybody that's doing any work around any fire detection systems,
One person arrested after armed robbery Members of the Estevan Police Service responded to a report of an armed robbery early Sunday around 2:30 a.m. The assailant hired a local taxi company, then allegedly forced the driver from the vehicle at knifepoint and stole the vehicle. Police located him travelling westbound on Highway 39, and with the assistance from the RCMP and Weyburn Police Service, disabled the vehicle with the use of tire deflation devices near Weyburn. The vehicle stopped and the subject then fled on foot. The identity of the accused was determined through other investigative means and the subject was taken into custody when he turned himself into the Wey-
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to cover up detection heads while doing the work and then pick the covers off immediately after to avoid any nuisance alarms from occurring," Feser said.
burn Police Service around 4:30 a.m. Riley Mills-Miller, age 23, of Estevan, is facing the following charges: stealing a motor vehicle with a weapon, threatening to use a weapon in committing an assault, failing to stop while being pursued by police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public, and failing to abide by a probation order. All charges are under the Criminal Code. He has been remanded into custody and will appear in court on Monday morning. None of the charges have been proven in court. The driver of the taxi was not injured during the incident.
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Sacred Heart welcomes community for open house Sacred Heart School/ École Sacré Coeur promoted learning for those who will be entering kindergarten or prekindergarten during an early years’ open house on May 10. The event included stations that showcased programs for literacy, physical activity and French language skills, as well as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The school also promoted its play-based program and offered some sensory stations. Teacher Megan Vanstone said the school hasn’t had the opportunity to get families from the community into the school the past couple of years, which changed how it promoted pre-kindergarten and early years programs. “Now that COVID restrictions are gone, we felt comfortable letting families in and opening the doors,” said Vanstone. The children picked up a passport on their way in, and they would get a sticker
for each station they visited. Partners such as Settlement Workers in School and the Early Childhood Intervention Program were also present. Passports were turned in before families departed and they received a goody bag once they were finished. Stations were set up in the school that showcased some of the strengths of the program. Tents were in the library to simulate a big campout, allowing youths to explore the library, look at different literacy activities and read books. The French-language stations showed the skills kids will work on for kindergarten and Grade 1. Vanstone noted technology is a big part of what they do. “ We had some coding activities and robotics,” she said. “We did some building in STEM, and we had the kids working with iPads. They shot straw rockets through the hall. There was a
bunch of different things they could engage in with their families.” About 50 families were in attendance. Some of them have kids already in the program, but others were families they hadn’t met before. Parents have come in to register since the open house, and Vanstone believes they might not have considered Sacred Heart before. Other people have emailed the school to say how much they appreciated the event and how great it was to come and see the school. They can accommodate 16 kids for pre-kindergarten. A play day and orientation session will be coming up soon, but this was a chance for kids to see the school before those events. “We’ve heard nothing but rave reviews, and we were really excited to have everyone.” Anyone who is interested in registering for pre-k or kindergarten can contact the school.
Remember how Jesus responds to tough times Sometimes, when one starts with the wrong idea, it can be difficult to see things correctly. Fo r e x a m p l e, w h e n my Sunday school teachers talked about Jesus being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, I pictured a quiet, orderly scene. People came from town, found Jesus, and told him that the high priest would like to see him. In response, Jesus got up and quietly followed them back to town. That picture could not be further from the truth. Mark 14 says, “As he ( Jesus) was speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs” (verse 43). That does not sound very peaceful. Rarely does an armed crowd show up in a quiet and orderly fashion. Then things deteriorated even more. “The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck
Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear” (verses 4647). John tells us that Peter was the one who drew his sword and started swinging ( John 18:10). This should not surprise us. Peter said that he would die with Jesus if he had to, and he was true to his word (Mark 14:31). The scene must have looked more like a mob brawl than a quiet night in the park. However, during this chaotic scene, two amazing things take place. First, Jesus healed the man (Luke 22:51). Jesus was always about healing and restoration. When others were ready to fight and wound,
Jesus stepped in to heal and mend. The second amazing thing is that even though he is the one facing crucifixion, Jesus is the calming influence. He reminds them that violence never brings about the righteous things of God ( James 1:20). They come in anger and Jesus responds in love and service. Those two pictures are worth remembering any time you start to question who Jesus is and what he might do. During the most chaotic and stressful night of his life, Jesus heals and Jesus calms. He can do the same for you.
SOUTHERN PLAINS CO-OP LIMITED
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2022 Estevan Legion, Small Hall Meeting at 7:00 pm • Auditor’s Report • Election of Directors • Review of Operations • Door Prizes Existing Bylaw Approval of Membership 3.02 No person may become a member of the Co-operative unless that person has submitted a written application for membership, and until the said application has been approved by the Board. Share Purchase Requirements 3.03 Members and applicants for membership are required, as a condition of membership, to subscribe for (10) $1.00 Common shares in the Co-operative. All (10) $1.00 common shares must be paid for in cash at the time of application. Proposed Bylaw Replacement Approval of Membership 3.02 A person may become a member of the Co-operative by: i) Submitting a written application for membership or, ii) Completing an online membership application, utilitzing a check box consent for signature and submitted via Southern Plains Co-op website, iii) And the said application has been approved by the Board of Directors Share Purchase Requirements 3.03 Members and applicants for membership are required, as a condition of membership, to subscribe for (10) $1.00 Common shares in the Co-operative. All (10) $1.00 common shares must be transacted at the time of application for membership.
An open house for early years education was held at Sacred Heart School/École Sacré Coeur on May 10. Photo by Megan Vanstone
Greatest Needs fundraiser by Kinsmen keeps raising funds for Wakely family The Greatest Needs fundraiser, put on by the Estevan Kinsmen Club last Saturday, attracted some funds to support the family of Keith Wakely, who passed away in March. Kinsmen Club member Phil Zajac, who helped organize the fundraiser, said the event went well but saw some tweaks along the way. “It was really good,” Zajac said. “It got a little bit busier as the night went on.” The original plan was to have a Dutch auction with high-end bid items from four
Estevan businesses, however, it was decided to opt out of it. “We decided to not proceed with the auction halfway through the night. Just because of the attendance … we would have had to raise more money. And we wanted to make sure that there was some money left for the family. So we had to not go forward with the auction,” Zajac said. The silent auction, featuring a signed George Reed Saskatchewan Roughriders’ jersey, a Roughriders signed football and much more, along with monetary donations from
people in attendance, brought in some funds for the Wakely family. “We want to thank all the vendors who gave silent auction gifts and who put up gifts for the event. Nothing happens without the goodwill and the community like that, and it was a good turnout and a nice night for the family,” Zajac said. He didn’t have the total from the night, but he said if anyone is willing to support the Wakely family, they still can reach out to any of the Estevan Kinsmen.
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City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800 Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880
MAYOR’S MESSAGE: Due to rainfall, the Free Landfill Weekend has been moved to May 21, May 22 and May 23, 2022.
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
FREE WEEKEND AT THE LANDFILL Revised Dates May 21, 22 and 23, 2022 Proof of Residency will be required. 1. Items allowed to be dropped of for “free” include: furniture, grass clippings, tree branches and regular household garbage including appliances (excluding refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and mattresses/box springs). 2. All hazardous materials will not be accepted. 3. According to Bylaw 96-1489 11.(2) all loads must be completely covered or secured to prevent littering while in transport to the landfill. 4. No Commercial refuse or rural customer refuse will be accepted for free. 5. No Railway Ties Landfill Hours: Monday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Weekends 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
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)
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:
Street Sweeping Schedule can be seen on our website at: http://estevan.ca/ street-sweeping-schedule/
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