Estevan Mercury 20220608

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022 WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2021

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Fair and Rodeo are almost here and it’s much bigger than before; volunteers still needed Help’s coming.

Volunteer Search and Rescue K9 team progresses with training.

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It multiplied.

Estevan’s Rock Snake comes out of hibernation.

PAGE A8

New season is here. Estevan Motor Speedway welcomes racers and fans.

PAGE A13

Con-grad-ulations!

Community wishes farewell to Lampman School grads.

PAGE A18

By Ana Bykhovskaia The long-awaited weekend of double excitement is almost here.

The Energy City Ex Fair and Rodeo, organized by the Estevan Exhibition Association, is happening June 9-12 at the exhibition grounds with tons of entertainment, events and activities.

The West Coast Amusement midway rolled into the city Monday and is getting ready to make Estevan laugh and scream again after two long years away. The fair will be open starting at 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at noon Saturday and Sunday.

The Domestics Art Show will open its doors on Thursday as well and will be inviting guests through Sunday during the same hours as the fair.

Beer gardens and food trucks will be available at the fairgrounds during their open hours.

The KCRA Rodeo program will traditionally start with the SMILE Services parade on Thursday at 5 p.m. A Kids’ Rodeo will be Friday at 6.30 p.m.

Thursday will also see the Rodeo Queen contest – something that Estevan hasn’t had for many years.

(To meet the contestants, see Page A9).

The main rodeo program will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday and at 2 p.m. on

Sunday. Saturday will also see the cabaret kicking off at 9 p.m.

EEA president Crystal Ross said their entries for the rodeo are way up this year.

“We have approximately 13 bull riders as of right now if nobody gets hurt at the rodeo before ours or in a different event. We have multiple ropers and barrel racers and multiple peewees and juniors. I can’t give an exact number of contestants, but I do know that we are triple what we were last year,” Ross said.

“It’s going to be an outstanding family rodeo and it’s fun, it’s interactive and those families stay all weekend and support our community so it’s going to be just perfect for Estevan.”

Everything is coming together quickly, but to have the days go smoothly the EEA still needs more volunteers to step forward.

“We need lots of volunteers for the gate yet,” Ross said. “They can call me directly at 306-421-5105, and I will find them a spot.

We need lots of gate volunteers for sure.”

Bringing together two big summer community events is a big job, so for this edition, the EEA decided to stick to timeproven entertainment and see how it goes, then probably start bringing in something new.

“It hasn’t been done in

In 2021, the Estevan Exhibition Association invited the community to join them for a rodeo weekend after a year of a break. File photo over 20 years. So, we’ve had to redo the entire roadmap as to what needs to be done, what has to get done, what’s going to happen and how it’s going to look. We don’t know that until those four days are over. And then we can look forward to 2023 and make adjustments, changes or additions. [We need to] just feel it out, because we really don’t know what it’s all going to look like. We have a picture in our head, but it has to happen before we know if it’s going

to come to fruition or not,” Ross said. “[For this year] we’re just sticking with what we know so that we don’t make mistakes or try to do too much and not have enough experience with how the four days are going to look.

But we thought we would just do what we know how to do and make it the best we can make it and then in 2023, maybe we can add quite a few extra things.”

Most major preparations are completed now, and the EEA is setting

everything up in hopes the community will be there to enjoy the events and support their initiative.

“It’s happening and it’s going to be phenomenal,” Ross said.

Cash admission at the gate is $5 on Thursday and Friday for adults, while kids are free; and $15 for adults, $10 for students, and five and under are free on Saturday and Sunday. Midway bracelets are separate. The EEA has no control over their cost, and are $50 for any one-day bracelet.

Estevan MLA has new cabinet portfolios Premier Scott Moe announced a cabinet shuffle on Tuesday, and among those affected was Estevan MLA Lori Carr.

Carr moves out of Social Services to become minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement, minister responsible for the Public Service Commission, and minister responsible for Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.

Replacing her as minister of Social Services will be Gene Makowsky.

Carr has been a cabinet minister since the summer of 2018. Her first post was as the minister of Highways and Infrastructure. The following year, she was named the minister for Government Relations, minister responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission, and minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs.

She became the minister for Social Services in November 2020.

The newly shuffled

cabinet was sworn in at a ceremony at Government House by Lt. Gov. Russ Mirasty.

Carr was informed the day before that she would have a new role. At first, she was surprised with the new post because she was used to the Social Services portfolio, but she is excited to move into SaskBuilds and Procurement.

“Social Services was a really interesting file,” said Carr. “When you’re dealing with [something that is] so people-oriented and

human services-oriented, it was really good for me to be there and I think I truly grew in that portfolio.”

When she witnessed the situations that people found themselves in, she gained a greater understanding of what people are going through in the province.

She said she is proud of some of the work that was done, particularly last summer with the Cowessess First Nations regaining jurisdiction over child

welfare. Carr said it was the first agreement of its kind in Canada.

“Everybody is watching, and I just truly believe it’s going to be successful.”

She said there was work with Regina and Saskatoon on homelessness.

“There’s still lots of work left to be done, but I think the ball was rolling to really try to help those individuals get the services that they need so they can move onto success,” said Carr.

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The Estevan Comprehensive School saluted student achievement from the 2021-22 school year during its annual awards night June 1.

Many awards were handed out to students for their success in the classroom, their involvement with extra-curricular activities and their commitment to the school as a whole.

Scholarships and bursaries were presented, too, by local businesses, organizations and families. The scholarships were not just for academic achievements but for community involvement.

Athletic awards will be handed out on June 8.

For a full list of award winners, you can visit our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca.

Lou Abucayan and Lauren Kobitz were named Mr. and Miss ECS for 2022.

Photo courtesy of James Dobos

Carnduff ’s Dennis Day donates big to children’s hospital Dennis Day has shown his support for family-centred care in Saskatchewan.

Day, whose family operates Fast Trucking Service in Carnduff, revealed June 1 that he was donating $250,000 to Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. The announcement was made at the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in Weyburn.

It came the same day in which his mother Vi was named a Southeast Saskatchewan Legend for her contribution to the oilpatch.

In a press release, the hospital foundation said community involvement has always been important to the Day family. Dennis Day’s mother Vi and late father Tony instilled in their children the value of giving back to the community at a young age.

“I want to help people, like my parents have always done. Caring for the community is important in my family,” Dennis said.

The foundation said the impact of the family’s donation will be felt across communities in Saskatchewan.

It will ensure continuous enhancements to equipment, technology, programming and research at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. Not only will it contribute to keeping chil-

Dennis Day and his mother Vi present a cheque for $250,000 to Laura Gawletz, philanthropy manager with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. Photo submitted dren and moms-to-be in Saskatchewan healthy, but the foundation says it will save lives.

“I care about everybody and that’s the way I was raised,” Dennis Day said about his reason to donate to the foundation.

In recognition of this gift, a treatment room within the day medicine and pediatric oncology at the children’s hospital will be named in Dennis Day’s honour. This specialized

room serves children from all corners of Saskatchewan every day as they receive vital care in their treatment plans, including chemotherapy, blood transfusions and insulin therapy.

Bright windows, space for engaging activities and calming images provide an area for children to feel comfortable while treatments can last for hours.

“Dennis Day’s deep commitment to community, family and well-being are

true Saskatchewan values; ones which the children and families from all four corners of our province are fortunate to benefit from.

Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is extremely grateful to Dennis for his generous gift to Saskatchewan’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, and the children and families who need its specialized services each and every day,” said foundation president and CEO Brynn Boback-Lane.

Sask. has new energy minister « A1 With SaskBuilds and Procurement, this portfolio is more business-orientated, she said. All capital projects that happen within Saskatchewan will flow through SaskBuilds at some time if it’s over a certain dollar amount.

“We’ll look at the projects, work with the ministries, set out priorities, work on budgets and get those RFPs (requests for proposals) in, it’s very detail

oriented,” said Carr. “And it’s really important work, because all of that stuff will work towards the growth plan and reaching our goals by 2030.”

One of the goals for the provincial growth plan for this decade involves irrigation, she said. SaskBuilds will have to decide how it will look, the up-front engineering, the amount of time needed for construction and the total cost.

Carr expects it will be a multi-year project.

SaskBuilds and Procurement is a relatively new cabinet post that was brought in by Moe in November 2020. It was established from the merged responsibilities of the former Ministry of Central Services and SaskBuilds.

“The premier decided it was best to be taking a look at them more holistically rather than in individual silos,” said Carr.

The public service commission will tend to all of the public service employees with the Government of Saskatchewan such as pay-

roll and benefits, and awards for those within the public service. She has also been assigned with the Global Transportation Hub, which she is excited to watch grow.

And she is now the deputy government house leader to Jeremy Harrison.

Several other changes were announced to the cabinet. Perhaps the biggest move was Bronwyn Eyre, who moved out of Energy and Resources to become Saskatchewan’s first-ever female minister of Justice and Attorney General. Jim Reiter replaces Eyre as minister of Energy and Resources.

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First ever Sask. volunteer search and rescue K9 unit progresses with its training

By Ana Bykhovskaia The first in Saskatchewan volunteer search and rescue (SAR) canine unit came together in the southeast for training on May 28-29.

Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV) canine teams could be seen in the Carnduff area, as well as at the Spruce Ridge and Estevan Comprehensive Schools’ grounds during that weekend. Eight members of various volunteer search and rescue chapters from across the province, led by instructor Dan Vas, came to Estevan to participate in rural and urban tracking training.

The group has been working with their dogs, learning to communicate and develop skills needed to partake in search and rescue operations if a need comes.

It was brought together by Katia Bigney, South East Saskatchewan Search and Rescue (SESKSAR) chapter, an intermediate K9 handler, and Teresa Nahachewsky, Regina SAR, also an intermediate K9 handler, and consisted of Raelene Peet, Wood River SAR, intermediate K9 handler; Kathy Gollings, Meadow Lake SAR, intermediate K9 handler; Teri Lynn Van Parys, Parkland SAR, novice K9 handler; Louise Yates, Regina SAR, novice K9 handler; Laura Garvey, SESKSAR, novice K9 handler; and Leanne Strokov, SESKSAR, intermediate K9 handler.

The first day was dedicated to rural tracking, as canine teams were going through fields, bluffs, valleys, water, etc. For the second day, they switched to urban tracking, working in the areas where there are higher levels of contamination of human scents. To practise, a member would lay a track in an area with lots of smells, and the dog had to hold it and find an article(s) left by the human.

SARSAV K9 unit currently has 12 teams in total that have been training for almost a year. And some of the teams may be able to go through RCMP testing under their civilian canine search and rescue standards to get certified towards the end of this year or in the spring of 2023.

“When they get called out to be on a search, we want them to be ready.

We want them to be fully trained. And we want them to leave no doubt that they work that area to find the articles or human. This is not a sport. This is where potentially a life could be on the line. We can’t have dogs that are not fully trained, so if it takes a little longer, we will have to do it that way,” Vas said.

“Right now, we do have some dogs that are progressing very well. But we want to make sure that when we get ready for certification with the RCMP, they can be called out as soon as they get certified.”

Getting a canine team to the certification level is a long process that takes a lot of dedication. Every week handlers get together virtually to learn more about training and share their progress. Bigney said that it takes about 10-20 hours of work per week per dog to teach, learn and implement the knowledge in a positive manner, working in any weather at any time of the day and any season.

“It is like starting out with the ABCs. And now they’re learning how to write paragraphs. And finally, when they go for certification, they’ll be ready to write a novel,” Vas explained.

Besides virtual workshops and individual practices, teams go through a series of in-person training. Estevan’s meet was the first one for this summer. It will be followed by sessions in Regina in June, North Battleford in August and Shaunavon in Septem-

SARSAV K9 unit partook in training in Estevan in last weekend of May. From left, Katia Bigney, SESKSAR chapter, intermediate K9 handler; Raelene Peet, Wood River SAR, intermediate K9 handler; Kathy Gollings, Meadow Lake SAR, intermediate K9 handler; Teri Lynn Van Parys, Parkland SAR, novice K9 handler; Dan Vas, instructor; Teresa Nahachewsky, Regina SAR, intermediate K9 handler; Louise Yates, Regina SAR, novice K9 handler; Laura Garvey, SESKSAR, novice K9 handler; and Leanne Strokov, SESKSAR, intermediate K9 handler.

Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia ber, as the unit will further progress with rural and urban tracking.

The training process will culminate with certification whenever each team is ready to be tested.

“Dan [Vas] has made a proposal to the RCMP “F” Division at Regina if they would be prepared to test our intermediate dogs that are ready to be tested. And we’ve got an affirmative on that. But we have to make sure that at the end of our September training we have dogs that are ready,” Bigney said. “It boils down to their progression between the [May] weekend and the September training. There will be a review. And if there are intermediate dogs that are ready, they will be submitted for the application that’s required to be tested by the RCMP.” For the latest training session the focus was on tracking, but they also did mock obedience and agility tests. The three disciplines will later be tested by the RCMP along with caninehandler fitness and canine temperament.

On the second day of training, the teams ended up working in the rain, and while it might have added some discomfort for both dogs and handlers, it actually resulted in closer to a real-life emergency-learning environment.

Katia Bigney and her dog in training are following the track.

“Some places [had a lot] of standing water, and that was very realistic of what we can expect,” Vas said. “All dogs were able to complete their assignments. Deep water in the ground, three to four inches, made a big difference in terms of how the handlers had to approach the scenarios realizing that the scent would not be as easy to be found. But it’s just made the handlers work a little harder mentally to be able to succeed and make their dog find the track and then find the articles. So that was a huge success.”

He added that for dogs, water also added more work, but it was the humans’ job to read their animals as they were trying to track and find articles, which sometimes went under the water.

“One of the things that we were practising was a team effort. We have to first analyze what the area brings to the whole picture.

It makes us a better team when the human and the dog work together [for a positive] search outcome,” Vas noted.

During the sessions in Estevan, novice dogs were learning the basics of tracking and doing shorter tracks, as they don’t have the attention span of more advanced canines.

“If you want to think about the nose as a muscle, the more we exercise the

stronger the muscle will get.

And that’s exactly the same thing with the nose. You want to build up endurance with the dog. Just like if you run too fast, you get tired, the nose muscles can get tired. So you build this up. At the same time, you’re building the stamina as handlers are getting to read their dogs, they’re learning the dogs’ behaviours,” Vas explained.

“Now the advanced dogs are working on things like sharper turns in the track and finding more articles.

We are learning how to get our dog to react to the article [give handler an alert] so that we know it’s there … Advanced dogs are also starting to learn patterning.

So we will teach them their left and right so that when they are off-leash, we direct them,” Nahachewsky added.

Once professional in tracking, dogs can find articles of any size dropped by humans way faster by the scent. Besides, they can sniff items in the dark and in hard to search areas.

Vas added that while it’s a big job, training still has to be fun for both the dogs and the humans. The unit and canine teams have to have good chemistry and camaraderie to be a successful search dog group.

Bigney said that even though getting a dog up to the level required for search

and rescue operations is a serious commitment and bringing a unit together was a big step as well, it was important for SARSAV and for her to get it going to fill the existing gap.

“It’s a challenge for our community because in Saskatchewan we do not have any dogs certified by the RCMP canine search and rescue standards and criteria. And the RCMP represents the largest area that we would be dispatched to.

And there are no civilian search and rescue dogs at this point to date that have been certified to serve our community,” Bigney said.

Every handler of the SARSAV K9 unit has to be a member of any Saskatchewan SAR chapter and has to have their basic searcher training. Since SARSAV covers all of Saskatchewan, for meetings most canine teams travel long hours to get to the location, yet for the instructor, it’s the longest commute, as Vas now resides in New Brunswick.

The association pays for his flight, and he donates his services to ensure that Saskatchewan has a professionally trained canine civilian search and rescue unit, so that if someone goes missing, there would be the best resources available in all regions of the province.

“We’re all in this big team effort,” Vas said.

Instructor Dan Vas debriefs exercise with Teri Lynn Van Parys, middle and Kathy Gollings, who laid the track for the dog.

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

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EDITORIAL

Volume 116 Issue 52 Contact us: (306) 634-2654 68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.estevanmercury.ca @Estevan_Mercury facebook.com/EstevanMercury

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Promote our story every chance we get Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is currently in the U.S., promoting this province’s energy sector to as many movers and shakers as the premier and other members of his delegation can reach.

It’s a message that we need to share as much as possible.

As we have said countless times before, Saskatchewan is blessed to have the natural resources that we have. It’s not just an oil and gas thing, although the oil sector is an undeniably important part of Saskatchewan.

It’s also mining that needs to be promoted. And, of course, you can always talk about the value of Saskatchewan agriculture, or the innovations that are happening out here to reduce carbon emissions through the carbon capture and storage project at the Boundary Dam Power Station.

It’s easy to be skeptical about this trip.

After all, this province still has a large fiscal deficit, although that deficit might be eradicated if oil prices remain high. Some will say there are better uses of our premier’s time and our taxpayer dollars than sending him and other delegates – including former energy and resources minister Bronwyn Eyre – to Washington and New York for six days in June.

And you have to wonder if we’re going to see any tangible investments in this province from government officials gallivanting around the northeast U.S.

But still, it’s good to have our premier and others in the government out promoting Saskatchewan and all that we have to offer. After all, if they are out selling the province, then it makes it easier for other groups in the private sector to promote Saskatchewan.

Moe might not be as strong of a salesman as former premier Brad Wall, but he still speaks with authority when it comes to Saskatchewan.

It’s easy to forget all that we have here.

We know we have so much. Ask people outside of Saskatchewan about this province, and their minds immediately drift to agriculture. And farming, in all of its forms, is vital. Many of our finest citizens and greatest entrepreneurs are farmers. But people outside of Saskatchewan might not think about mining, or the oil and gas sector, when it comes to Saskatchewan assets.

We have potash, uranium, coal, helium, lithium and so much more for those looking to invest in mining out here. We have the oil and natural gas. We’ve proven enhanced oil recovery. We’re finding ways to make our industries more environmentally friendly.

We’re coming off of a couple of important events for our energy sector. One is the recent Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in Weyburn. If you’ve been to the oil show before, you know much of what it’s about.

A chance for those in the industry to come

together, showcase their technology, interact, network, have a great time and listen to speakers.

It’s also a chance for politicians and other supporters to drop by and say thanks. This year’s oil show included an appearance by Pierre Pollievre, who hopes to be the next leader of the federal Conservative Party.

Needless to say, his speech went over well with the patch representatives in attendance.

The other is Saskatchewan Mining Week from May 29-June 4. Events are held across the province to remind people about how important mining is to Saskatchewan and to bring awareness to those who are interested in learning.

Luncheons, seminars and the alwayspopular mine rescue competition are among the attractions for mining week each year.

These two events are valuable for Saskatchewan. And while they’re considered separate, they’re undeniably connected in ways beyond the calendar.

When it comes to Saskatchewan and its natural resources, public relations is everyone’s responsibility.

We might not get big money floating into the province from the trip by the premier and others into Saskatchewan, but it’s more than just bringing lots of investment.

Sometimes, it’s just as simple as reminding people that we’re here, and we have so much to offer.

A stressful season is still starting off Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 SourisAvenue 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.

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This seeding season so far has been the champion of stress in my short farming career.

I’ve been around the farm for about eight years, and by now, I know that most farmers are the kind of people that seem to suck stress in with mother’s milk. I won’t talk for everyone, but about 98 per cent of farmers I’ve met were like that.

And that’s understandable. Unlike most other industries, in farming your well-being is not only about your skills, knowledge and abilities, but also mainly depends on things that are much greater than you are. How not to stress about it?

In my first few years, I fell for that, on a regular basis losing my mind over things we had no control over. First of all, the weather, which in not a single summer has been perfect for farming, according to my brotherin-law. (Those of you who got married into farming rather than growing up on a farm may understand that frustration).

Markets are another thing that make farmers lose sleep. And that’s on top of running big and complicated operations with ever-changing technologies, laws and regulations that are not just farms but serious businesses these days.

But after some time around the farm, I learned to distinguish between regular farming anxiety and the real deals. (One of my interviewees, Randy Johner, who runs a big operation in the Midale area, really helped me through his calm and positive attitude. Thank you!)

And while I now filter the farming stress pretty well, this year so far has definitely felt like a real deal.

Since last fall, the high fertilizer prices

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… were the highlight. At least, farmers had enough time to digest the fact that it’s high and it’s going to stay high, at least for now, get over the peak of the stress associated with it, and just get themselves into huge bills that for many could smell like bankruptcy if not paid in the fall.

That alone created enough anxiety, but that wasn’t even the beginning.

June came through the doors somewhat unexpectedly this year.

Last weekend I was riding in a tractor, rolling the rocks – my annual duty at the farm – and couldn’t believe that it was already a calendar summer. Usually, by the first days of June, we complete the seeding and I’m done with rolling shortly after. This year, I’m just starting with my task.

I think tornado warnings are the only problems we are missing so far this seeding season. One may argue that it’s not the time for these yet, but I thought that it wasn’t the time for snowstorms in late April either.

A couple of storms that dumped a pile of snow on the area, of course, brought the much-needed moisture. But they also pulled the strings on more bells of anxiety. I was happy to see the cracks on the driveway filling in, but it was the first time since I got into a farming lifestyle when the snow was still melting in late April-early May. The start of seeding was delayed for most of the farmers in southeast Saskatchewan

and Manitoba. And that would be okay if once the snow was gone we could just get out in the fields and keep going.

If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.

The following rainstorms flooded parts of fields that were already seeded and those that haven’t been touched yet, further delaying the progress. Some seeds never sprouted due to high moisture, leaving fields patchy.

The forecasts with more precipitation coming over this way felt like a sword of Damocles that chased many farmers out into the half-dry fields. Dump stubbles made a mess here and there. I’m glad we didn’t have equipment stuck yet, but there definitely were more turning and twisting this year, as we had to seed around areas that were still under water.

Yet, when I was rolling my first field of this season, peas seeded there before the big rainfall were already pretty tall, and I had to be really gentle on my turns trying not to damage it as much.

Some parts of that field seemed pretty dry already, but others still had water standing there. And being on my first field in June definitely felt off.

It’s the second week of June, and a few farmers are done, while others are getting close. All we need is probably another week of dry weather for now, and then some good rains during the growing season to bring that anxiety level down.

But sometimes I can’t stop thinking about that genius that decided to domesticate wheat and settle down way back in the day. Couldn’t he foresee that in reality, it will be the wheat that will make humans go crazy over its needs every single year?

OP-ED A5

Carrie Catton

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David Willberg Willberg’s World

Finding the balance on gun laws Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest effort to show how little he knows about life in Canada outside of big cities involves handguns.

Trudeau has introduced new gun-control legislation that, if passed, would impose a freeze on buying, importing, transferring and selling handguns. If approved, it would, in theory, cap the number of such guns in the country.

Trudeau’s move has had a number of consequences.

For starters, you have to wonder if he expected this would result in a surge in handgun purchases. Many businesses that sell handguns have seen increased sales in the past week. Some people are concerned they might not be able to do so shortly.

Should a handgun freeze be approved, there will be negative consequences for businesses that sell them.

This move will no doubt play well in large urban settings, where many have been calling for an outright ban on these items. And while many are saying the handgun freeze is another over-reach by the federal government, there are a lot of people in urban centres who wish the feds would go even further.

And so the Trudeau government seems intent on alienating people on both sides of the argument.

It’s not easy purchasing a firearm in Canada. I can’t just walk into a local business and purchase one. There are a lot of processes that have to be met. And the laws for carrying a firearm are also pretty stringent.

Let me preface what I’ve said thus far, and what I’ll say in the rest of the column, by telling you I am not a gun owner. I likely never will be. I am not a hunter, although I could certainly see why it would be an enjoyable experience, regardless of whether you get a deer, a moose, a pheasant or whatever else you’re seeking.

Ultimately, with my eyesight, it’s likely in everyone’s best interest that I not be operating a firearm. And I’m likely not an ideal person for an activity in which stillness and quiet are pre-requisites.

Not that long ago, I viewed Canada as having some of the best firearm regulations anywhere in the world. We had measures in place that allowed people to own guns, but there were still restrictions in place that prohibited certain firearms that were not good for the public peace.

You want to own a gun? Good. But to do so legally, you have to check all sorts of boxes.

And we had finally ditched the wasteful long-gun registry, which became a financial millstone for this country.

The horrific shooting rampage that occurred in Nova Scotia in the spring of 2020 has been a catalyst for change. I can’t imagine what the families and friends of the victims of that shooting went through, but stricter gun laws wouldn’t have changed anything. The person who murdered all of those people would have found the firearms regardless.

And it is something we need to be aware of: we can have the tougher gun laws, but there are still people who will find ways to get around them.

It also seems like our government is intent on using recent mass shootings in the U.S. as a cause for having even tougher firearm regulations.

This is not a call for U.S.-style gun laws. The rules in place in the U.S. are atrocious. It’s astounding that U.S. lawmakers can’t seem to find a solution to the mess they’ve found themselves in for decades, and they’re willing to allow more people to die while upholding their “right to bear arms.”

(And with each mass shooting in the U.S., the arguments of the gun lobby get worse. Giving teachers guns and having armed security guards at schools is not the answer. Clamping down on gun owners on some fronts would be a far better solution).

If you look at the gun crime numbers from Canada from 2013-2019, and compare them to those of the U.S., you see which country had the better laws in place.

There is a middle ground to be found.

Unfortunately, our current prime minister seems intent on moving further away from that middle ground, and bringing in more gun laws that only serve to satisfy urbanites who seemingly want to see all firearms banned.

Take a bow, Estevan.

You deserve it.

The editor: We recently had 11 days that were simply fantastic for our community.

In my opinion, the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, was just what the doctor ordered, and the community stepped up in every way. Estevan needs more events like this that benefit everyone.

To everyone involved in getting this event here, including; the Estevan Bruins, the Centennial Cup organizing committee, volunteers and the City of Estevan, thank you. You deserve all the credit in the world.

Where we stood out the most was how the community handled it. I did my best to talk to as many people from out of town as possible. The feedback I received was unbelievable.

Everything was positive.

Everyone mentioned how

friendly and accommodating the community was.

One story I needed to share was an interaction with a parent from Montreal who had a son playing on the team from Summerside, P.E.I. This gentleman was retired from the Montreal Police Department after a 35year career.

He and another parent had stopped in the dealership to look at a couple of older vehicles we have on display. I saw him wandering around and so I asked him if he had been helped out or was he being ignored? He laughed and said “I haven’t been ignored anywhere in this community”. As we continued to talk, he said this experience has changed him.

He was going back to Montreal a different person and it was thanks to the community of Estevan, thanks to the hospi-

tality. He was 100 per cent serious. He couldn’t believe how friendly everyone was. He said “It’s not what I’m used to, where I come from”.

The families and fans did a lot of shopping and eating out in Estevan. They loved the specials that the stores and restaurants offered, as well as all of the signage throughout the town welcoming everyone to Estevan.

I was told years ago the word “welcome” is the warmest feeling word in the dictionary. I like to use it often and the community evidently likes to use it as well.

As we move forward, we have to treat every event we host like we did this one. Let’s step up and decorate the city again welcoming players and fans. This summer Estevan Minor Baseball is hosting three provincial tournaments and two Western

championships. We have a major curling event coming in January.

Side note: Curling Canada loves Estevan and it shows as they continue to bring events to our community. I have a feeling Hockey Canada now loves Estevan. Looking forward to hopefully having another major event from them in the next few years.

My biggest fear was having an empty rink for the final. You often see that on TSN for Hockey Canada events when the local team isn’t involved.

Not here. Estevan delivered again. As the game was on, I was getting texts from out of town watchers saying how good the rink looked with all the fans.

In closing all I can say is, Estevan you did well.

The real winner of this event was our economy.

Brad Pierson, Estevan

New regional nursing home committee to proceed with needs assessment The new effort to build a new nursing home in Estevan has taken another step forward.

The new nursing home committee held a meeting with the provincial government in mid-May, with most members of the committee in attendance.

At that time, the committee was told the provincial government is looking for consultants to provide project management and advisory services to complete a needs assessment for Estevan.

The nursing home committee had a needs assessment completed a few years ago that looked at where the nursing home should be located, how it should be designed and numerous other factors.

“We talked to all of the stakeholders, and we did have many discussions over potential issues. We talked to different builders,” said Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig, who is part of the new nursing home committee.

“We did get a lot of feedback over this interim while we were waiting for the province to approve the nursing home, but this here … with the RFP [request for proposals], we do see light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re hopeful that this will mean after the RFP, that

Progress continues on a new regional nursing home for Estevan. File photo we will actually be carrying through and coming up with a game plan to bring this nursing home to fruition.”

Because the province is in charge of this needs assessment, and this is the approach they want to take, the new nursing home committee hopes they will get input.

The assessment will have milestones set in place along with an action plan.

“The project administration will be involved. The project costs, including consultants. Now with this moving forward, hopefully it will be broad and all-encompassing, and with the committee’s input, we will come out here with an action plan, hopefully with definitive dates, and we’ll see where that goes,” said Ludwig.

Ludwig noted the committee has been assured it will have input throughout the process, as they have looked at a number of different scenarios while they’ve been patiently waiting for the government to move forward.

“The committee feels that we do have valuable input, and hopefully that will be allowed,” said Ludwig.

He expects there could be some similar findings as the previous needs assessment, but with the province as the lead, they will be footing the bill.

Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the findings.

And they will continue to press Estevan MLA Lori Carr and the provincial government on the project.

“I know she wants to be involved, and I believe with her help and guidance, that we can see this project to its completion,” said Ludwig.

The provincial budget released earlier this year included $600,000 to continue early planning and a needs assessment for the replacement of the Estevan and Watson long-term care facilities, as well as the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.

Last year the government committed $275,000 for the planning of a new long-term care facility in Estevan.

The new nursing home committee has had the necessary funds in place for the project to proceed since 2015.

“It’s been a long haul,” said Ludwig.

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Glen Ewen couple wins Oxbow Chase the Ace

By Ana Bykhovskaia For two years in a row, the Oxbow and District Recreation Board hosted a successful, sold-out Chase the Ace fundraiser.

On June 1, after the last of the 20,000 tickets printed for the event were sold in a matter of minutes, a lucky winner took home a maximum jackpot.

“Through this game we have shared $40,000 on a weekly basis and $60,000 in the ace jackpot last [Wednesday] night,” said the rec. board on their Facebook page.

“Congratulations to Trina Hitchens on winning $1,552 [the weekly pot] and Danny and Dianne Merkley on winning the big prize. Thank you all so much for your support.

The recreation facilities in Oxbow are the beneficiaries.”

The Merkleys reside on a farm northeast of Glen Ewen, and they’ve been big supporters of the fundraiser and also a part of the Oxbow community.

Dianne said that winning the jackpot was “unbelievable”.

The family was playing the game since the beginning and all the way through, probably missing just one or two draws.

They had kids playing

sports in Oxbow and Dianne noted that they like to support everything that they can, so if the game is offered again, they will keep playing.

She said that the winnings will give them a bit of peace of mind with their farming operation.

“We’re seeding right now and that’s taking a lot of money with prices of everything up high, so it probably will help,” Dianne shared.

Oxbow and District Recreation board member Tami Scott said that the night of the fundraiser was really exciting. Since the tickets were sold out two weeks before the deadline, they had to keep pulling names and cards until the ace of spades was drawn. So it went down to five cards before the desired one was finally picked.

The recreation board invited the community to join them for the last draw, and about 20-30 people came to witness the finale at the legion in Oxbow. But the board ended up phoning most people whose names were drawn, including the winners.

“I was watching on my iPad, and I had my phone beside me just in case.

And when they called my

husband’s last name, I was totally shocked. And then to pick the right card was [unbelievable],” Dianne said.

She added that she was watching it on her own, as her family was out at the shop, and she was the one to pick the right card.

However, her screen froze for a moment, and while everyone at the legion was already applauding the winner, Dianne still didn’t know that she caught the ace of spades.

The night in general was a lot of fun, Scott said.

“Everybody was having fun. There was lots of chitter-chatter about whose name was getting drawn, lots of very fun and friendly teasing,” Scott shared.

The recreation board has five facilities that they oversee, including the arena, the swimming pool, the museum, Bow Valley Park and the Memorial Hall. Money raised through Chase the Ace will help with annual disbursements. Besides, in the long run, the board plans on building a new hall, so they’ll be keeping money aside to eventually get started on that project.

Scott thanked the board, which consists of 10 members, and all the supporters for working

Dianne and Danny Merkley receive their Oxbow Chase the Ace winnings from Tami Scott. Photo courtesy of Tami Scott together for a successful fundraiser.

“We’re so grateful for the people who chose to play, and I feel grateful for the whole recreation board. Everybody really stepped up, it was a group effort, so that made it

much easier,” Scott said.

Dianne also thanked everybody involved with the game.

“Tami and all the volunteers, they did a wonderful job. That’s a lot of work for doing that for as long as they do, and I just

think that they do wonderful,” Dianne said.

With the success of the two virtual/in-person Chase the Ace fundraisers, Scott said that they probably will have another one starting in September.

St. Mary’s students learn value of sign language Dozens of students at St. Mary’s School in Estevan spent the past few months learning about the importance of sign language.

A sign language club was started in February, under the guidance of school librarian Lyse King and kindergarten education assistant Laura O’Hanlon. The students showed what they had learned late last month during a gospel assembly in which they signed the Hail Mary.

“We came up with the Hail Mary because May is the month of Mary, and we thought that would be an appropriate prayer to learn,” said King.

They also wanted to showcase what the students had learned during Catholic Education Week.

The librarian noted

she has been teaching her grandchildren how to sign, and she was talking to a few students about it. They thought it was a good idea to form a club.

She also knew that O’Hanlon has learned sign language. King and O’Hanlon approached St. Mary’s principal Ryan Jutras, who gave them the green light.

They started out with about 70 students, although not all of them have remained with the club. Lately they have had around 35 children showing up.

The club meets during recess two days each week.

Since St. Mary’s employs a split recess, kids in Grades 4-8 meet during the first break and those in Grades 2 and 3 gather during the second.

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The younger grades have been the larger group.

“They have learned signs for colour, feelings, family, animals and some foods,” said O’Hanlon.

Students have also learned the days of the week, the alphabet, and how to count in American Sign Language, added King.

It’s been a lot for the kids to take in.

“I would say that we’ve had a really good response,” said O’Hanlon. “There’s been lots of positive feedback, especially the younger ones who have seen us use sign with some of the students in the past in the school.”

It’s a good opportunity for them to learn another language and learn to communicate with some of their peers.

“The teachers are saying ‘They’re showing me different signs, or how to do this.’ Even with Mr. Jutras, they’re asking Mr. Jutras if he knows how to spell his name in sign language,” said King.

O’Hanlon and King also taught the children how to say “How are you?” in sign language, and so the students will use it to interact in the hallways.

Students at St. Mary’s School recently did a Hail Mary in sign language during the school’s gospel assembly. Photo by Lyse King “They’re excited to be learning, and the younger grades are hoping that we will be able to continue next year, and they’ll be able to add onto the basics,” said King.

O’Hanlon noted she was about the same age as some of these kids when she started learning sign language, and that led her to continue learning into adult years.

“It’s something that I am able to use now and communicate with the deaf community, and it’s come in handy as just an additional

skill. There’s a lot of benefits to it,” said O’Hanlon.

Several students took time to explain to the Mercury why they have enjoyed being part of the club, including Grade 3s Comfort Abeka, Rosalie Horrocks, Elaina Sliva and Bella Lapitan, and Grade 8s Kylie Ibot, Neveah Wakely, Kathryn Orlowski and Eva Schmidt.

Each student had different reasons for wanting to join the club. They have all learned different things and found their own reasons to enjoy it.

“I’ve liked learning about this new language because I haven’t ever done anything with sign language before,” said Elaina.

“I like being part of the club because I can talk with people in sign language,” said Bella, who looks forward to being part of the club next year.

“I think it’s an important skill to learn, in case someone’s mute or deaf so you can communicate with them,” said Nevaeh, who wants to take professional sign language classes.

“It would be very beneficial for getting jobs and other things like that, because you have a better understanding of people around the world as well,” said Kathryn.

“I think it’s important to learn something new, and it will probably benefit me later in life,” said Eva. The older students expect they will continue to learn sign langue once they are no longer at the school.

King noted she started teaching sign language to her grandkids because it makes connections with the brain, and assists with other forms of learning.

“We started teaching them to read a book in sign language and to read the book in front of everyone in our group,” said King.

“So it’s making those connections that this word or this letter means this, and it helps then in their regular reading or their regular learning.”

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Co-op had record sales in 2021-22 fiscal year

By David Willberg The Southern Plains Co-op enjoyed record sales volumes in 2021-22.

According to audited financial statements released at the co-op’s annual general meeting (AGM) on May 31, the co-op had more than $86 million for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2022, compared to the previous record of $79.5 million set in 2019. Sales in 2021-22 were $13.2 million higher than in 2020-21.

“As health restrictions eased during the pandemic, sales have increased, particularly in the fuel volume coupled with price. The local economy is gaining momentum.

The oil and gas sector has seen welcomed growth in activity, along with the agriculture industry,” wrote board chair Scott Kienlen.

“Our financial picture remains very strong and we are confident in the future of our co-op.”

The cost of sales was $72.6 million, so the coop had a gross margin of more than $13.4 million.

Operating and administration expenses amounted to nearly $13.1 million.

The co-op received more than $1.6 million from the Federated Cooperatives Ltd. loyalty program and $2.8 million from patronage refunds,

while its income tax expense was $645,196. The total net savings for 202122 were more than $4.1 million.

The patronage allocation from Southern Plains Co-op to its members will be more than $2.7 million.

“Of course, paying back cash to our members continued even during the pandemic,” said general manager Brian Enns.

The past year saw the co-op start construction on a couple of projects that have been in the works.

One was a liquor store in Carlyle and the other is an agriculture facility on the Estevan bypass.

The liquor store opened on May 19, just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend. The co-op also has liquor stores in Estevan and Oxbow.

As for the agriculture facility, it opened for chemical and fertilizer sales in late May. Enns noted there is some work remaining. The rest of the operations will eventually move from the Kensington Avenue agro centre to the Estevan truck bypass.

The cardlock location on Kensington Avenue will remain.

“At Southern Plains, we have a strong balance sheet, so we are positioned to continue to look for other opportunities and maybe diversify into other

It was another successful year for the Southern Plains Co-op, which has locations in five communities, including Estevan. areas if the opportunities arise,” said Enns.

The co-op is looking to have a new grocery store constructed in Carlyle in 2023-24.

A new board member was elected during the AGM. Connie Nagel will replace Darcy Calder, whose latest three-year term has come to an end.

He decided not to seek re-election after 15 years on the board. Calder was thanked for his years of service. Rhonda Huish and James Lainton were

re-elected to three-year terms.

Lynne Hewitt, Richard Ruetz and Linda Thauberger-Smith will have their current terms end next year, while Frances Boutin, David Murray and Kienlen have their terms end in 2024.

Kienlen noted the coop currently employs 211 people, which is the most in its history.

The co-op also continues to contribute to local communities with donations and by sponsor-

ing fundraisers for local events and projects. It is once again booking inperson events such as barbecues.

Members also approved a bylaw that allows people to become a member by submitting an application in writing or completing an online membership application on the co-op’s website. Previously people could only apply in writing.

The AGM was held at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch, the

first time the session has been held in person since 2019. In 2020 and 2021, the meeting was held at Carlyle’s Prairie Dog Drive-In. The Prairie Dog served as good hosts, and it was a unique experience, he (Enns) said.

“It was nice to have our meeting in person again,” said Enns.

In addition to Estevan, Carlyle and Oxbow, the co-op has operations in alameda (Alameda) and Gainsborough.

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Community invited to help make Estevan’s rock snake family grow to set a record

By Ana Bykhovskaia Estevan’s rock snake family keeps growing.

Last summer Brae and Maddyn Wolensky and their mother Kaylyn started a rock snake, which by the end of summer reached over 500 rocks in length.

The snake hibernated at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum over the winter, and this year they split the mother snake into three pieces. The hope is that the snake family will keep growing with the help of the community and one day will set a record.

Kaylyn said that since the snake grew too big for its original location last summer, the family decided to split it up to allow for more growth.

The three snakes, which consist of rocks painted by the Wolenskys as well as by many community members last year, now inhabit three locations. The

girls placed the first baby snake at the original spot by the walking trail adjacent to Rooney Road. The second offspring is over by the hospital alongside the walking path at Hawkes Bay. The third rock snake resides in the free part of the Woodlawn Regional Park by the trail behind Fresh Air Fitness.

“It’s hard to find a place to put it that’s not on the walking path because it can be a tripping hazard.

And you don’t want to put it on the grass where it’s going to be mowed over.

So, it’s hard to find a spot,” Kaylyn said. “[We also wanted to find locations] that are in well-travelled areas for people to see. We thought of Woodlawn, too, because of campers, they might come and see it and support us.”

The new snakes were put out in the last weeks of May, and they originally consisted of most of the

rocks that were painted last year. Kaylyn said that some faded due to rain and weren’t painted rocks anymore, so they were left out.

The snake started as a COVID project, which gave Brae and Maddyn something to do when many other things were on pause. The community engagement turned it into a fun game and inspired the girls to keep going with the exciting project.

“We go and check it, we go down the rocks to see if there’s any more added on,” Kaylyn shared.

For the art to stay on the rocks, the Wolenskys use acrylic paint from a dollar store, as well as nail polish.

And the rocks that turn out really nice are sprayed with a clear coat. Kaylyn added that there were a lot of really good rocks that people contributed to the snake last year.

Towards the end of the season, the Wolenskys

will try putting the three snakes back into one to see how well the community has been feeding their rock pet.

The Mercury will follow the growth of the rock snakes and will keep you updated.

Brae and Maddyn Wolensky put up three rock snakes by the walking trail adjacent to Rooney Road, over by the hospital on Hawkes Bay, and at the Woodlawn Regional Park by the trail behind Fresh Air Fitness. Photos courtesy of Kaylyn Wolensky

Estevan Bruins salute the Sereggela family The Estevan Bruins used their annual Sportsman’s Dinner fundraiser on May 26 to recognize the contributions and support of the Sereggela family.

The Sereggelas have backed the Bruins for more than 50 years. Current Bruins’ president Josh Biggs noted that in the early 1970s, when the old Western Hockey League Bruins moved to New Westminster, B.C., and it appeared Estevan would be without junior hockey, the late George Sereggela Sr. was one of the three investors who helped establish the Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League version of the Bruins.

George Sereggela Sr. also purchased the first membership share.

Over the years, the Sereggela family has supported the team as volunteers, billets, board members and even playing for and coaching the team.

And they have sponsored the team through their various businesses.

“The Sereggela family are avid season ticket holders and are proud life-long fans of the Bruins,” said Biggs.

Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic pointed out that when he was considering coming to Estevan in 2020, George Sereggela Jr. was the team’s president, and Tatarnic found him to be a “first-class person.”

“I met his family, and I have to say the same thing about all of them,” said Tatarnic. “They made me feel very welcome and they made my family feel very welcome again, and they took us under their wing and treated us really well. They’re big Bruins supporters and they’re passionate fans and our community is really lucky to have them.”

Players have often been seen in the Sereg-

gelas’ restaurants during the season.

The club presented the Sereggelas with a commemorative 2022 Centennial Cup Bruins’ jersey with No. 22.

George Sereggela Jr. said they are lucky to live in Estevan. It takes an army of fans, billets, sponsors, volunteers and others to sustain a junior hockey program.

He said they continue to back the Bruins for two reasons: a love for the Bruins and a love for the community.

“When dad came here, being an immigrant, he was extremely grateful for being adopted by Estevan, and the Bruins were one of the manifestations that he had to give back to the community and show thanks,” said Sereggela. “It’s certainly been a privilege of ours to be associated with the Bruins, particularly this group.”

A junior hockey team

The Estevan Bruins paid tribute to the Sereggela family during this year’s Sportsman’s Dinner. means a lot to a community, as it’s a source of pride and unity. It’s been wonderful to see the players develop and be a source of inspiration and influence to young people in the community, said George Sereggela Jr. “I think they’re certainly role models to

many,” he said.

The community needed a memorable season from the Bruins, and the team delivered.

Sereggela Jr. thanked everyone who was involved in making the Centennial Cup a reality, from the bid committee to the host committee,

and from the volunteers to anyone else involved.

“Thank you to Hockey Canada for its confidence, and for giving us the opportunity to showcase our organization, our city, our facilities and most of all the wonderful people of Estevan,” said Sereggela Jr.

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Two young riders to compete for the title of Estevan Rodeo Queen

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Energy City Ex Fair and Rodeo is kicking off on Thursday to bring a lot of excitement to Estevan.

Revamped after long years of a break will be the Rodeo Queens contest, which will see two young participants competing for the title.

Rhonda Gillespie with the Estevan Exhibition Association said they were happy to bring this piece back, as it has a lot of value for the city, the association and the community.

“This is the first time that we’ve brought it back after a very long hiatus. It’s kind of a break into it again to get everybody back excited,” Gillespie said.

“The idea with the queen contest is to promote an ambassador for the Estevan Exhibition Association. As well, in conjunction with the city of Estevan we want our rodeo queen to be visiting vendors, different community organizations that are hosting events and just making a presence and promoting the Estevan Exhibition with what we have as well and helping to promote anything that’s going on within the city.”

Besides, the queen will set an example for future generations of kids involved with rodeos and the lifestyle.

The contest consists of four aspects that the participants are judged on.

They will have to make a speech on something they are passionate about, which will be on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. after the parade. They will also be judged on their horsemanship patterns.

Then on Friday night during the Kids’ Rodeo, the girls will be out helping the young participants, trying to be the face of the rodeo and introducing themselves to people.

In that aspect, their social skills will be judged as well. The fourth part of the contest will be 50/50 ticket sales. Each candidate will get a point for each ticket that they sell. The maximum winning for the 50/50 draw will be $2,500.

The crowning of the 2022 Rodeo Queen will take place on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the rodeo arena. And then rodeo queen will be carrying the flag for the grand entry of the KCRA performance at 5 p.m.

On top of the title, the queen will receive a scholarship the EEA put up for an award. The winner will

Breanna Fichter also receive a keepsake belt buckle, which has been sponsored, and will have the crown for a year, after which she will have to pass it on to the incoming queen at the next rodeo.

And there is more.

“There’s quite a few donations of prizes for different categories. There’s the People’s Choice Award. So the public is able to vote, they will have to find the table that is promoting the girls and they can put their ballots in the box and vote on the one that they think would be the best ambassador for the city of Estevan and the Estevan Exhibition Association,” Gillespie said.

And now is the time to meet the contestants.

Breanna Fichter Breanna Fichter has been watching rodeos since she was a little kid.

When she was about eight years old, she set her mind on becoming a barrel racer. Since then, she’s been working on her dream.

She’s heard about rodeo queens before, and once the EEA decided to offer one this year, she decided to participate.

“It just seems like something that would be really nice, because a lot of little kids do look up to me, especially with barrel racing and stuff. So it’d be nice [to do it] for them,” Fichter said.

Fichter grew up on a family farm just outside of Lampman. She said her grandfather was so big into horses that the family calls him the horse whisperer. He raised Fichter into horses and riding.

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Holinaty will also be barrel racing during the weekend, and excitement ahead of the contest and competition was definitely there.

“It’s intimidating for sure. This is the first time I’m really doing anything big, this big in my own hometown. It’s the first time that a majority of people sitting in the stands are going to know me. It’s really intimidating. But …

I’m getting my practice in as much as I can. And I’m going to try and prepare myself as good as possible,” Holinaty said.

While she was getting ready to try claiming some titles, she also wanted to inspire the riders to come by her own example.

“Nothing came to me easily in the horse world, I had to work for a lot.

And it was a lot of work.

And I just want to put a message out there for all the younger girls, like me when I was sitting in the stands when I was young, growing up thinking that I wanted to do that. I just want to leave a message for all those girls - you can do anything that you put your heart to. As long as you work for it and follow your dreams, you’ll get there someday. I did it and I still can’t believe it some days,” Holinaty said.

Rykelle Holinaty

with her mother and father being her biggest supporters, helping her with everything. She picked a horse and started learning.

She’s been taking lessons for years, and now she is participating in the rodeo herself.

“I’m here today and it’s mind-blowing to me,” Fichter shared.

She said she’s always loved challenges, so participating in the contest just added to the excitement of the rodeo, in which she will also be barrel racing and steer riding. The latter will be the most challenging for her this year.

Ahead of the big weekend, Fichter lauded people for bringing the fair and rodeo to Estevan.

“I want to thank everyone who has put this rodeo together. It’s going to be amazing … I hope everybody shows up because it’s going to be a really fun weekend,” Fichter said.

Rykelle Holinaty Rykelle Holinaty got into horses growing up.

She was born and raised in Estevan, and as she was always around horses, she

rode a lot as a kid, but nothing competitive until a bit later in life.

“I got into high school, and this is when Valerie Paulson came in and took me under her wing, introduced me to the world of riding and competition and really helped me with my passion for riding and furthering my abilities and skills. And that’s where I am today, mainly because of her competition-wise,” Holinaty shared.

Holinaty barrel races and is working on getting into cow horse competitions now.

After graduation from the ECS, Holinaty got into Vermillion, Alta., for the veterinary technician program. Now that she’s completed the first year of school, she came home for a break. After the second year is in the books, she plans to specialize in equine medicine, massage and therapy. She is currently working at the Estevan Prairie Animal Health Centre.

When Gillespie and Paulson told her about the queen contest it was a nobrainer for her to join.

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Farm Family of

Farm Family of the Year Award recipients reflect

By David Willberg Agriculture has been a big part of the Walter family’s life for well over a century.

And now the family has been recognized for their efforts to not only grow and thrive in an ever-changing industry, but to be part of the community.

Walter Family Farm, a mixed operation located just outside of Lampman, is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Estevan Farm Family of the Year Award. A presentation took place at the farm Monday night.

The farm traces its history back to 1903, when George Walter immigrated to Canada. George Walter’s great grandson Mark Walter noted they still farm the same quarter section of land where George Walter settled.

George Walter’s son Anton and grandson Richard kept the farm going, and now it is operated by Mark Walter, his wife Judy, their children Allan Walter and Stephanie Wourms, and their families.

“We have a mixed farm. We have a large grain farm and a large cattle side,” said Mark Walter.

He didn’t disclose how much land they have, but they have more than 700 cows.

“Most of our grain land is within eight miles of us,” said Judy.

Mark purchased his first land in 1978, and at that time, farmed with his father and some brothers. In 1995, Mark and Judy started farming on their own with their children.

“The farm has gotten a lot bigger, obviously. Also the technology has changed. More electronics in the equipment in seeding. Young people seem to be more adaptive to that technology,” said Mark.

The family was shocked to find out they were selected for the award, and they weren’t even aware they had been nominated. They didn’t get into farming for the recognition. They continue to do it because they enjoy the work.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” said Judy, who thought someone was pulling a prank on them. “You’re just kind of in shock or disbelief.”

The family was looking forward to the presentation Monday night.

“We just told some of our workers and friends that there’s a free supper Monday night, but we really hadn’t said anything to anybody. It will be interesting,” said Mark.

Judy was looking forward to meeting the people who were involved in the selection process.

Challenges of farming

Walter Family Farm is located just outside of Lampman.

Photos submitted by Courtney Walter

Congratulations

to the Farm Family of the Year!

Having a large mixed operation has its challenges. On the beef side, they currently have to contend with the high price of feed grain.

“All of the costs in agriculture have gone up quite a bit in the last couple of years or actually in the last 10 years,” said Mark. “I don’t think the beef prices have kept up.”

On the grain side, those who have been able to harvest a crop in the last couple of years have done very well due to the drought conditions.

It’s been easier to turn a profit on the grain side

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The Walter Family won the 2022 in recent years than cattle, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a guarantee.

“Our costs on the grain side of things have probably doubled in the past 12 months, from fertilizer to chemical,” Mark said. “Fuel has doubled from 18 months ago.

The costs go up. You have to obviously get a crop to survive.

But I know we have relatives west (of here) that had no crop last year.”

Having a mixed operation also means there is little down time.

“That’s where you have to rely on very good employees and try to share jobs so that nobody’s overwhelmed by working constantly,” said Mark.

If somebody is going to be away for a while, they are able to co-ordinate it so that another person is around to manage everything. But Judy believes the family and the employees are good at the give and take and providing advance notice of their plans.

Farming is a profession that creates a different type of work each day, which they find exciting. Mark believes the workers enjoy that element of the profession.

Technology has brought about a lot of changes. With GPS, a tractor will move straight with the push of a button. Sectional control means they don’t overlap on the seed and fertilizer, which has resulted in big savings.

“There is a variable rate on the fertilizer on the seeders.

We don’t do that ourselves, but there are lots of farmers that do that,” said Mark.

They might not have the newest of equipment, but it has come a long ways from when they first started.

“We do a lot of repairing ourselves,” said Mark. “Our son-in-law Kevin (Wourms) is very good. He rebuilds the transmission on the four-wheel drive, rebuilds a couple of rear ends on the tractors in the winter. So we stay busy that way. Some guys like to be inside in the wintertime,

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f the Year - 2022

t on five generations of excellence in agriculture

2 Farm Family of the Year Award. and some guys like to be outside with the cattle, so there’s something for everybody.”

With the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board, farmers are able to market al of their grain, and that has been a challenge and a learning experience.

“Mark would involve his children’s opinion on what they think is a fair price to pay contracts,” said Judy. “We try to involve the children that are directly farming with us.”

Family takes an active role The family has taken a big role in the operation. Son Allan Walter and his wife Courtney, and daughter Stephanie Wourms and husband Kevin, represent the fifth generation on the farm. And there is a sixth generation that enjoys being out on the farm, as Mark and Judy have grandchildren who are ages five and under. The children like meeting the employees and riding around in the equipment.

“We have family meetings a couple of times a year to set goals. They each bring their own different skills. Some have agriculture degrees. Some have engineering degrees.

One is mechanical and one likes cattle. I think the blend of different skills is crucial to making a successful farm right now,” said Judy.

It’s been rewarding to farm with their children, and it’s been fun to watch their grandchildren grow on the farm.

“If we didn’t have any children involved, we wouldn’t be

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at the scale we are today,” said Mark.

The Walters also have a couple of full-time employees and some seasonal workers.

“Since 2012, we’ve had one or more people from out of the country employed as seasonal workers. Some of them have come back for up to six or eight years, some have only come the one year and then go back and return to school,” said Judy. “I find that interesting. I’m a retired teacher, and the young people, with lots of questions and thinking – they really enjoy their time here, seeing a different part of the world, and learning how farm operations go in Canada – I find that really interesting.”

As for Mark and Judy, they expect to remain on the farm for a while yet. Mark hopes to keep working for a few more years and then reassess. They’ve talked about selling the cattle to ease the workload, but right now they’re good.

“We’re gradually turning over decision making to the next generation,” said Mark. “Some things you learn take years to learn.”

Allan has a degree in crop science and makes significant contributions with his knowledge of sprays, chemicals, seeding and working with the ever-advancing technology.

And he remains in touch with friends from university to draw on their experiences and knowledge.

“Our daughter and daughter-in-law both can contribute and do contribute to the office work and the paperwork. They’re better on the computer than I am,” said Judy.

“They’re faster and can do more problem solving with issues when they do arise.”

In the case of Courtney, she works at a veterinary clinic in Estevan as a vet technician, and she helps with vaccinating and tagging cattle.

Both Stephanie and Courtney have operated combines at harvest time.

Mark and Judy also have a daughter Stacey who lives in Regina, and a daughter Lee-Anne in Texas who has a doctorate in animal nutrition and works for Merck Animal

Health. They head to Texas a couple of times per year to visit her, and she still returns to the farm.

Community involvement Community is a big part of the selection criteria, and the Walters have certainly taken an active role in various organizations in the Lampman area. Mark has been on the Lampman Recreation Board for a number of years. They managed their son’s minor hockey team for a number of years, and Judy has been involved with Girl Guides and the local band association.

She was a big part of the United Church when there was still one in the town.

Allan was on the RM of Browning council for a number of years, and now Stephanie is on the council. Both Allan and his wife have been on the Lampman Curling Club board for a number of years, and both Mark and Allan are strong curlers who have competed at the provincial level.

“Our children were in the 4-H beef program and it involves a lot of volunteering. We weren’t the leaders, but the kids learned a lot of responsibility and how to work with animals. It’s a great program,” said Judy.

The Farm Family of the Year Award is selected by a local committee with seven people. Traditionally it has been presented during the Estevan Farmers’ Appreciation Evening, but that event has been called off the past three years due to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award has been handed out at the farm of the recipients the past two years.

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Kid’s Kollege Preschool 2022 Grad Kid’s Kollege educates and entertains students Children enrolled at the Kid’s Kollege Nursery School at the Estevan Alliance Church celebrated the end of a successful year in May. They had 21 students ages three and four. Half of them attended the school Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and the other half had their classes on the same days in the afternoon.

Owner and teacher Mandy Littlefield, who works alongside Judy Moroz, a teaching assistant at Kid’s Kollege, said that throughout the year they did a lot of learning and were able to host their traditional events such as a pirate treasure hunt and a year-end

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fancy teddy bear tea party.

“We always work through the alphabet and seasons and holidays, colours and shapes.

Every year, we have a great big pirate day where we do a treasure hunt, learn about the letter X, and find where X marks the spot and find a treasure.

That’s their favourite day of the year,” Littlefield shared.

“And then we have a teddy bear tea party right near the end of the year where we dress up fancy and have a tea party with our teddy bears.”

She added that the students are always excited about doing and learning new things. The school has a show-and-tell day when kids have to bring something to show everybody and tell about it, which they really enjoy doing. They also use the gym once a week, so a lot of kids say that the gym is their favourite thing about school.

The school also held a graduation ceremony in May with parents invited to attend.

“We had a good turnout for [the graduation]. The kids performed their songs and rhymes that they’ve learned throughout the year and walked across the stage to get

Lila Donovan

a little diploma,” Littlefield said.

Now that the school year is finished, the four-year-olds will move on to pre-kindergarten, but the younger students will come back in September to continue with their preschool education.

Littlefield said that they had a very good year. There were a few challenges with COVID-related restrictions, but fortunately, they were able to end the year in a more normal way.

Littlefield said that to keep it interesting and exciting for kids that are returning, they alternate the program from year to year. “[For example], this year we made alphabet booklets.

We made a special page for each letter of the alphabet, and then they got to take that home once it was completed.

The next year, it’ll look a little different, we won’t do the booklets, we’ll do something else,” Littlefield explained.

All the activities students do at Kid’s Kollege are both educational and fun. At the end of the school year, they get a little report card that summarizes what they’ve

Xander Erdie

At Kid’s Kollege, students learned about the letter X on a pirate day, when they went on a big treasure hunt.

Photo courtesy of Mandy Littlefield been learning throughout that year.

“I also always ask them what their favourite thing about school is and just try to give them some encouragement for what to do next year,” Littlefield added.

For the year-end, Kid’s Kollege also makes a video for

each student, which is a collection of videos and pictures taken over the months.

“And we always say thank you for being part of our school, for coming out each week, how much we enjoyed having them and just good luck to them into kindergarten,” Littlefield said.

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Doubleheader opens the Estevan speedway season It was a few weeks later than hoped, but the Estevan Motor Speedway opened its 2022 season with a doubleheader Friday and Saturday nights.

Races were held both nights in each of the track’s five classes: the IMCA modifieds, stock cars, sport mods and hobby stocks, and the entry-level slingshots class. Nearly 60 cars entered each night between the five divisions.

In the modified class, Ed Turnbull grabbed the lead at the start of Friday’s feature, and then had to hold off Kody Scholpp in what proved to be a thrilling duel over the second half of the 25-lap feature. Scholpp would come close to passing Turnbull a few times, but couldn’t seize the lead.

Tyson Turnbull was third and Tyler Wagner came in fourth.

In Saturday’s feature race, Tyson Turnbull took top

spot. Scholpp was second, Ed Turnbull was third and Joey Galloway was fourth.

The stock car class was the closest of all Friday night. Scholpp, who also races a stock car, had the lead for most of the race, but had to drop out after he was involved in a couple of incidents.

Chris Hortness took the lead, and was in top spot entering the final lap, but lost the advantage to Ryan Atkings coming out of turn two.

Hortness would get it back in the final corner, and he edged Atkings by less than one-tenth of a second.

Geoff Mann was third and Gary Goudy Jr. was fourth.

Scholpp won the feature on Saturday night. Austin Daae was second, Gregg Mann was third and Hortness settled for fourth.

Leevi Runge was the winner in the sport mod class both nights. Friday

night’s race was a cautionfree feature. Runge jumped into the lead early on, and without a yellow flag to bring the field together, Runge was able to win by nearly five seconds.

Keenan Glasser was second Friday night. Brian Kentner was third and Justin Fichter was fourth.

Rylan Raynard was second to Runge on Saturday, with Fichter third and Glasser in fourth.

Connor Hansen captured the hobby stock feature Friday. He took the lead six laps into the feature, and then held off challenges from multiple drivers.

The race had several cautions, including one with a couple of laps remaining, but the field couldn’t catch Hansen.

Kaiden Tuchscherer was second, Kayden Hjorteland was third and Riley Mann came fourth.

Tuchscherer was the

Kody Scholpp (02), Kyle Scholpp (2) and Corey Mann (114) raced in the modified class at the Estevan Motor Speedway’s season opener. Photo by David Willberg winner for Saturday night’s feature. Landon Runge was second, Hansen was third and Kruz Wilson was fourth.

Cash Saxon won Friday’s slingshot feature. Like the sport mod feature, it happened without a caution, allowing Saxon to pull away

and win by about five seconds over Eli Turnbull. Jagger Ashworth was third and Jacek Ashworth was fourth.

Jace Emmel captured the feature race on Saturday. Eli Turnbull was second for the second straight night, while Jacek Ashworth was third and Jagger Ashworth came

in fourth.

The speedway season was supposed to open May 13 and 14, but those programs were cancelled due to rain.

A spring enduro race was also called off.

The next program at the track will be June 17, starting at 7 p.m.

Drew Fenwick wins Estevan OTS Golf Tournament Drew Fenwick saved his best for last at the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society 65th annual Oilmen’s Golf Tournament, held from Friday to Sunday at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course.

Fenwick fired a 4-underpar 68 to win the championship flight of the tournament’s 36-hole division by five strokes over Mark Spencer. Fenwick put an exclamation mark on the victory by sinking a tricky, winding putt for birdie on the par-5 18th hole.

Scott Dutton was third with a 74 and Mike Ross was fourth with a 75.

This marked the first time that Fenwick has won the tournament, and just the second time he has been in the competition, as he is relatively new to the oilpatch.

“My putting was really good, as was my short game.

I didn’t drive the ball very well, but I saved some strokes

on the green,” said Fenwick.

In the 36-hole portion of the competition, golfers play 18 holes on Friday or Saturday to decide their flight.

Then they play another 18 holes on Sunday, with the score that day determining the champion and other flight winners.

In Fenwick’s case, he shot a 78 on Saturday to join the championship flight. He shaved 10 strokes from his score in the first round even though the winds kicked up on Sunday, making the course tougher to play.

He thought his short game was the difference between the two rounds.

“Yesterday [Saturday] the conditions were way better, but I somehow saved a lot of strokes today on the green,” said Fenwick, who noted he prides himself on consistency, so it’s rare for him to have a 10-stroke swing in a one-day span.

The course was in really good shape for the tournament, but the winds on Sunday made it tough to play.

Fenwick’s father was also in his foursome on Sunday, which helped him relax.

As for other flight winners in the 36-hole tournament, Nolan Rohatyn won the first flight with a 70, five strokes better than Payden Benning. Brent Gedak and Brad McLaughin tied for first in the second flight, but Gedak was declared the winner after a count-back.

Mark Bittman captured the third flight by shooting an 87 and finishing three better than Darrel Moore.

Dallas Kuntz won the fourth flight with an 81, six better than George Starkowski.

Seventy-three golfers were entered in the 36-hole tournament.

There was also an 18-hole tournament, with golfers playing either Friday or Sat-

urday. Clark Driedger won with a 70, two shots better than Lyle Odgers and four ahead of Blaine Kovach and Warren Waldegger.

Flight winners were: Gordon Burlingham in the first flight with a 78; Hunter Piche, second flight, 81; Lorne Brenner, third, 85; Brad Dutton, fourth, 87; Clay Bayda, fifth, 89; Mike LaCoste, sixth, 91; Kelly Gervais, seventh, 92; Ken Shaw, eighth, 94; James Cameron, ninth, 96; Steve Warning, 10th, 101; Dave Dayman, 11th, 106; Andrew Barr, 12th, 112, and Derrick Struble, 13th, 123.

Most flights in the 18hole tournament had a tie for top spot and required a count-back to determine the winner.

A total of 162 golfers entered the 18-hole tournament.

A steak supper was served to the tournament’s par-

Drew Fenwick was the 36-hole tournament champion at the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s Oilmen’s Golf Tournament. ticipants Saturday night at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Fenwick noted the

tournament had a great social atmosphere for the participants.

Estevan Comp. hosts table tennis tournament The Estevan Comprehensive School hosted an open table tennis tournament on May 28.

More than 30 players competed in several categories, with open singles for any players, junior boys for mostly high school boys, junior girls for high school girls, under 200 for beginners and over 200 for advanced players.

The 200 is based on the individual player’s rating, which is tracked by Table Tennis Canada and can be found on the national organization’s website.

In open singles, Tyler Clements of Saskatoon won gold, Derek Mercer of Estevan took silver and

Dallas Kickley of Estevan won bronze.

In the B event, Ysmael Pallarca of Weyburn won gold, Phil Duke of Regina took silver and Jaime Collins of Estevan won bronze.

In junior boys, the A event medallists were Emmanuel Pallacra of Weyburn (gold), Easton Berner of Stoughton (silver) and Justin Folbar of Estevan (bronze). Jed Centeno of Stoughton won gold in the B event, with silver going to Connor Mercer of Spruce Ridge School and bronze going to Jaxon Burback from ECS. In junior girls, there was just the A event, and three athletes from Stoughton

swept the podium: Maia Wilson (gold), Shelby Vogel (silver) and Bailey Baumgartner (bronze).

For the under 200, June Aceron of Estevan won gold in the A event, with Vogel and Wilson getting silver and bronze, respectively.

Two ECS students, Burback and Darian Dennis, won gold and silver, respectively, in the B event, while Jesse Duxbury from Stoughton won bronze.

There were three events in the over 200. In the A side, Tyler Clements from Saskatoon won gold, with Derek Mercer from Estevan getting silver and Ysmael Pallarca from Wey-

Representing the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs at a table tennis tournament were, from left, Yoon Suh Jang, Conner Mercer, Justin Folbar, Jaxon Burback, Darian Dennis, Michael Schmidt and Lindsay Collins. Photo submitted burn getting bronze.

Medallists for the B event were Phil Duke of Regina (gold), Emmanuel

Pallarca from Weyburn (silver) and Jaime Collins from Estevan (bronze).

As for the C side, Jed

Centino from Stoughton won gold, Folbar from ECS silver and Berner from Stoughton bronze.

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Flashback – Wednesday, June 10, 1987 Pictured are the trophy winners of each boys’ age group in the Estevan Roman Catholic Separate School Division track and field meet, held June 5, 1987 at St. Mary’s School.

Back row, from left, Jason Marcotte, Aaron Lalonde, Curtis Gervais and Jeremy Fresz.

Front row, Blaine Hujber, Paul Gutheil and Brent Genaille.

Elecs compete at track and field provincials

Tiana Seeman won bronze in the senior girls’ quadathalon competition. Photos by Kelly Phillipchuk Students from the Estevan Comprehensive School had an impressive showing at the recent track and field provincials championships in Regina, bringing home medals and posting numerous top-10 finishes.

Justin Linthicum and Carter Onrait were on the southeast entry that won a silver medal in the fourby-100-metre relay with a time of 45.63 seconds.

Linthicum was also 10th in the triple jump with a distance of 10.79 metres,

and seventh in the 200 metres with a time of 24.39 seconds.

Onrait had a 12th place finish in the long jump with a distance of 5.29 metres.

Tiana Seeman won bronze in the senior girls’ quadathalon with a score of 2,174. The quad includes the 100 metres, long jump, shot put and the 800 metres, with athletes getting points for their results in each event.

Randi Milbrandt had

Carter Onrait was part of the team that won silver in the 4x100-metre relay. two top-five finishes. She was part of the southeast entry that finished fourth in the 4x100-metre relay with a time of 54.97 seconds. She was also fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 23.14 metres. And she was 16th in the hurdles with a time of 14.52 seconds.

Brandon Driedger was on the southeast team that finished fourth in the boys’ four-by-100-metre relay with a time of 49.28 seconds.

Frances Aceron finished fifth in the junior girls quad with a total score of 1,777.

Kenneth Reischke was sixth in the 800 metres with a time of two minutes and 11.07 seconds, seventh in the 1,500 metres with a time of 4:40.16, and was part of the southeast team that was 13th in the fourby-400 metres with a time of 3:59.31.

Sam Meek was 10th with a distance of 11.97 metres in the shot put.

Katelyn Zukewich was

Justin Linthicum won silver on the 4x100-metre relay team.

12th in the 400 metres with a time of 1:09.60; 11th in the 800 metres with a time of 2:47.80; and 12th in the 4x400 metres with a time of 4:59.48.

Peyton Phillips was 10th in the 200 metres with a time of 25.55 seconds. Phillips also competed in the 100 metres (12.47 seconds), the long jump 4.94 metres) and the 4x100-metre relay.

Gracie LeBlanc was 11th in the long jump with a leap of 4.35 metres. She

also competed in the javelin with a toss of 18.61 metres.

Also competing were Hannah Terrett in the discus with a throw of 22.65 metres; Jessie Gibson in the long jump with a distance of 4.76 metres; Kody Tucker, who had times of 1:02.46 in the 400 metres and 2:27.87 in the 800 metres; and Jayren Schulz, who had times of 2:32.84 in the 800 metres and 12:13.74 in the 3,000 metres.

Southeast Twins continue to roll in league play The Southeast U18 AAA Twins continued their great start to the season by winning three of four games in a four-day span.

The past week started with a 6-5 loss to the Regina Athletics on Thursday – the Twins first loss of the

regular season. The Athletics rallied with three in the bottom of the sixth.

Carter Beck had two hits and two runs for the Twins, and Hunter Stewart added a triple and two RBIs. Sutter Balog allowed three runs and struck out

11 in five innings.

The Twins recovered with a sweep of the White Butte Broncos on Saturday, winning 11-5 and 9-7.

The Twins scored eight in the third inning in the win over the Broncos.

Brody Dorrance had three hits, two runs and an RBI,

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and Mitch Himmelspach added two hits, a run and an RBI. Mason Fichter gave up four runs and struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings.

The Twins trailed 4-0 after three innings and 7-5 through four in the second game, but recovered to win. Nathan Yunick had four RBIs, and Ty Fehrenbach added three hits, two runs and an RBI. Hunter Stewart didn’t allow a run in 3 1/3 innings of relief.

The Twins’ final game was a 13-8 win over the Moose Jaw Canucks. The Canucks jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Twins would score at least twice in five of the six innings they played. Five players had at least two runs, and Callum Hollinger and Conner Kerr had two hits each.

Carter Beck didn’t allow a run or a hit in four innings of relief, and struck out 12.

The Twins are scheduled to visit the Regina Wolfpack Tuesday. (Results not available at press time).

Then they host the Regina Wolfpack on June 8 at 7 p.m. at Lynn Prime Park, and visit the Parkland Expos on June 12 in Melville.

••• The Estevan U18 AA Brewers went 1-3 during the weekend.

Estevan started with an 11-6 loss to the Muenster Red Sox on Saturday.

Estevan led 4-3 entering the bottom of the third,

but surrendered three in the third and four in the fourth.

Jacob Mayer had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers.

Logan Romaniuk and Sam Bendickson each went three innings for the Brewers.

The next game was a 13-1 win over the Prince Albert Royals. A nine-run second inning gave Estevan a commanding lead.

Tyler Saigeon (three runs, three hits and two RBIs) and Tanyan Strudwick (three runs, two hits and three RBIs) led the offensive outburst.

Jared Kuchinka went 4 2/3 innings and struck out eight.

Sunday’s action saw them drop a doubleheader with the Regina White Sox. First was a 9-8 loss.

The next game saw the Brewers trail 5-2 through three innings, but fought back to take a 7-6 lead after four in the seventh. The White Sox would get two in the seventh to win 8-7.

Matty Fornwald had two runs, two RBIs, a double and a triple for the Brewers.

Strudwick and Hunter Siever were the pitchers.

The Brewers will host the Regina Buffalos at noon on June 11, and the White Butte Broncos on June 12 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Lynn Prime Park.

••• The South East U15 AAA A’s went 0-4 on the weekend, losing 16-11 and

15-8 to the Regina Athletics on Saturday, and 15-11 and 11-10 to the Regina White Sox on Sunday.

The A’s had an 8-0 lead after two innings, but the Athletics scored at least two runs in each of the final five innings.

Tyson Hardy had two home runs and seven RBIs for the As, while Caden Dorrance had three hits and a run.

Axton Martin had a home run and three RBIs in the second game. Luke Holman had three hits and two RBIs. The two teams were tied at eight after seven innings. But the Athletics scored seven times in the eighth.

Hardy started and gave up three runs, none earned, in three innings.

The A’s had seven runs in the fourth to lead the White Sox 10-2 in the first game, but five runs for the White Sox in the fourth pulled them close, and they had seven runs in the sixth.

Draven Naviaux had a home run for the A’s, and Daxtyn Brown had two runs, two hits and three RBIs. The A’s and White Sox were tied at 7-7 after seven innings, after the A’s scored five in the sixth to rally from a 7-2 deficit. The A’s then scored three in the eighth, but the White Sox plated four in the extra frame. Hardy hit another home run and finished with two runs, two hits and three RBIs.

CLASSIFIEDS

Melanie Tribiger Hearing Aid Practitioner #5 - 418 Kensington Avenue Estevan, SK

A15 | Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | SASKTODAY.ca CARD OF THANKS The Family of Les Kvamme would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to friends,Relatives, co-workers, neighbours for their comforting,, warm thoughts and acts of kindness; the cards, on-line messages, phone calls, food, visits, at the time of Les’ passing. Thank you to Yvonne Clark and staff at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan for their assistance with funeral arrangements; to Royal Canadian Legion, Estevan for preparing and serving the luncheon following the service. Special thanks to Sandy Dalziel, Officiant for meeting with the family to plan and deliver the memorial service; to Christopher Hamel (eldest grandson) for delivering the eulogy; to Emily and Haley Kvamme (granddaughters); Adam and Trinda Jocelyn (grandson and wife) for sharing their memories of Grandpa Les. In person or virtually we thank you for your presence at the memorial service.

The Family is very grateful to the staff at Galloway Health Centre/Long Term Care, Oxbow for the care Les received while in their facility, most appreciated is their efforts to make Les as comfortable as possible and visiting family feel welcome and supported.

We also acknowledge and appreciate the generous memorial donations made to the New Estevan Regional Nursing Home in Les’ name.

The family greatly appreciated the Tower Restaurant’s gift of pizza and lasagne which was shared by the Kvamme Clan the evening of the memorial service. Les always ordered Tower Pizza when his kids came home to visit.

Eileen Kvamme & Family We the family of Bev Betner would like to thank all those who braved the weather or watched on line, as we celebrated her precious life.

Special thanks to Sandy Dalziel for guiding us through a lovely service of remembrance.

Special thanks to Dustin Hall for all of his unending assistance and support over the last eight months.

Thank you also to Yvonne from Hall Funeral Services for her friendship and assistance with the arrangements.

Last but not least - Thank you to all of our relatives and friends for their calls, cards, gifts, prayers and condolences. You have all helped our family through a very difficult time and we are eternally grateful.

Marilyn Shirley, Ed, Dan, Delbert and families

HEALTH

REAL ESTATE

LOTS FOR RENT IN THE CITY OF REGINA, SK

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS In the estate of Rodney G. Gust, late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased. All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 21st day of June, 2022. Arron Gust, Administrator.

45 Wakefield Cres., Regina, SK, S4R 4T2.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

1BR/1BA 1222 - 6th Street Sealed tenders will be accepted by the Estate of John D. Slatnik for the following property: 1222 - 6th Street, Estevan, SK. The property will be sold "as is". For additional information on the property, you may contact Rod Slatnik, Executor at (306) 949-4924.

Tenders should be marked "Property Tender" and mailed to: Estate of John D. Slatnik, c/o Rod Slatnik, 6779 Maple Ridge Drive, Regina, SK S4X 4C3.

Tenders will be accepted until June 15, 2022, at 3:00 pm.

The highest or any tender not necessarily accepted.

The successful tender will have to enter into an Agreement of Purchase and Sale as a condition of the acceptance of the tender.

(306) 949-4924

NOTICES

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.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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The Estevan Fire Rescue Service responded to several calls last week.

Firefighters were called out to an overhead hazard on May 31 at about 7 a.m., as a power line on Kensington Avenue was arching.

“Once crews arrived on scene, we were able to secure the location to prevent people from coming into the area. It was a low hazard as it wasn’t arcing terribly bad. SaskPower did arrive and the scene was turned over to them to continue repairs for that particular location after they isolated power,” said Estevan

LAND FOR SALE

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TOP PRICES PAID IN SASK. Phone: 306-873-3006 or Visit AGPRO website for bids: agproseeds.com CERTIFIED SEED: Very Early Yellow Pea, Forage Peas. Polish Canola, Spring Triticale. Also, Wheat, Oats & Barley. Contact Mastin Seeds at 403-556-2609. mastinseeds.com

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WANTED NUMISMATIST PURCHASING COIN COLLECTIONS & ACCUMULATIONS! Royal Canadian Mint, Canada & World Collections Wanted. Also buying 9999 bullion, old money, jewelry, nuggets, sterling, gold, silver, coins, bars, monster boxes +++ ESTATES WELCOMED! Todd 250 864 3521.

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

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Barristers & Solicitors

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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.

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Carnduff: Thursday p.m.

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Fire Chief Dale Feser.

Later that afternoon a commercial fire alarm went off south of Estevan. Crews contacted the manager immediately and learned that there was a crew that was on site working on the fire suppression system and neglected to call the monitoring agency. With no emergency occurring, firefighters did not respond to that location.

“A reminder that anytime you do any work on suppression, sprinkler systems or fire alarm systems, prior to commencing the work you always want to make sure that the monitoring agency is informed and then again afterwards when the work has

been completed,” Feser said.

On June 4 at about 8 a.m. firefighters responded to a residential smoke alarm that went off in the northeast area of the city. It was quickly found that cooking breakfast got away from the homeowner, resulting in excessive smoke that triggered the alarm. The homeowner was actively ventilating the building, so there wasn’t enough smoke remaining for any further actions on behalf of the fire department.

Shortly after that, fire crews were called out again.

An elevator was stuck in a building in central Estevan, and a person was trapped inside.

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Fire crews help with arching power line, entrapment and more

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“Crews arrived on scene to find that one person was still trapped in the elevator car system. We safely isolated the elevator and lowered it to the main floor and were able to get the individual out of the elevator without incident,” Feser said.

The elevator then was isolated until it could be repaired.

The EFRS also provided a crew for fire suppression, in case it would be needed, over the weekend at the Estevan Motor Speedway’s races.

“We are glad to see that that’s up and running and providing citizens great entertainment for the area,” Feser said.

OBITUARIES

Marion Blackburn 1940-2022 Marion grew up in good old, rural Saskatchewan on a mixed farm. She was the youngest of four children, in a hard working, happy family.

She married and shared 36 1/2 years of working together, raising a family, sharing and fulfilling dreams with her husband and equal other-half, Irvin Blackburn, before he passed in 1995.

She was also predeceased by her dad and mom, Lorne and Hannah Ireland; brother Bill Ireland; grandson Chris McEwen; and brother-in-law Jack Wyatt.

Marion is survived by her three daughters and their beautiful families: Marilyn (Dean) McEwen, Carol (Bruce) Tipper, and Connie (Garth) Berg; seven most wonderful grandchildren and their significant others; 18 most perfect great-grandchildren; her cat Ziggy; sisters Pat Wyatt and Shirley (Borden) Bare; as well as many nieces, nephews and their families.

Health issues were becoming a concern, but Marion was determined and succeeded staying in her home until being hospitalized for less than one day before her passing.

Mom was a hard working, caring person, that gave all she had to all she could. She did not want any fanfare or a service. A private family interment will be held at a later date.

With the covid world and lack of family/social contact the last 2+ years, her cat Ziggy has been her true companion and there for her every single day. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local humane society or pet rescue in her name. She so loved all furry four-legged family members!

She will be forever loved and held close in the hearts of many.

Online messages of condolence may be left at www.paragonfuneralservices.com.

Elaine Kobitz 1943 ~ 2022 Elaine Thelma Kobitz of Medicine Hat, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on Tuesday, May 24th, 2022 at the age of 78 years.

Elaine’s memory will be cherished by her husband, Gordon Kobitz; son, Kevin (Sheila) Kobitz; daughter, Denise (Don) Roseborough; grandchildren, Kourtney Kobitz, Katelyn Kobitz, Lauren Kobitz, and Landon Roseborough; as well as her brother, Keith Hedin.

Elaine was predeceased by her parents, Albert and Thelma Hedin; and her brother, Cameron Hedin. Elaine loved cooking, camping, and travelling. She also loved talking to everyone and making plenty of friends over the years.

The Memorial Service will be held at Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel, 1 Dunmore Road SE, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 1Z5, on Monday, June 13th, 2022 at 11:00 am with Pastor Shane Hein officiating.

If unable to attend, family and friends are welcome to participate via livestream by logging on to www.saamis. com and joining the live webcast on Elaine’s memorial page at the above date and time. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Alzheimer Society of Canada https://alzheimer.ca/en or Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation https://cpff.ca/.

Condolences may be sent through www.saamis.com or to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Elaine Kobitz.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORIUM, “The Chapel in the Park”, Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Should you wish any additional information, please telephone 1-800-317-2647.

Rev. Craig Douglas Hollands 1968 - 2022 Craig Douglas Hollands was born in Hamilton, ON on February 24, 1968 - the oldest son of Doug and Margaret Hollands. Craig’s family moved to Regina, SK that spring and then to Saskatoon in 1974 where he spent his growing up years.

Craig attended Okanagan Bible College where God called him into full-time ministry. After graduation he married Amy Wiebe on May 19, 1990. Craig was a Youth Pastor at Cedar Hills Mennonite Church in Surrey, BC and then at Ebenezer Mennonite Church in Abbotsford in 1993. In 1999 Craig took a solo Lead Pastor position at Carrot River Mennonite Church, moving their young family to Saskatchewan. Craig became the Worship and Music Pastor at Prince Albert Alliance Church in 2006.

Craig & Amy have two children, Chandra born in 1996 and Joel born in 1998. Craig loved being a dad and shared his love for fun with his kids. Approaching the end of his life, his greatest sorrow was not being around for their future.

April 1st, 2020 Craig became the Lead Pastor at Estevan Alliance Church. Craig’s guidance helped the church through the pandemic and God blessed their efforts. Being a community person, Craig connected with his people as much as possible and he loved living in Estevan.

Craig was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and it returned in 2021. This time treatment was unsuccessful. Craig spent his last 9 weeks in the hospital visiting with family and friends as he was able. Craig entered the presence of his Heavenly Father on the morning of May 25th, 2022 with Amy at his side.

Craig will be remembered as a man of integrity. He had a heart of compassion and was a true servant, always having time to help a friend or neighbor. He loved to laugh and loved people.

Craig was optimistic and saw the best in everyone. He was a fun uncle and made kids feel special. He was a wonderful husband and the best dad to Chandra and Joel. His presence is greatly missed.

Craig is survived by his wife Amy, his children, Chandra and Joel (Harmony), his mother Margaret, his brother Keith (Vickie), and their children, Jenna and Nick. Craig was predeceased by his pre-born children Erin, Kaesha and Sam, and his father Douglas.

A Celebration of Life for Craig was held at the Estevan Alliance Church on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Inurnment will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon.

Gifts of remembrance can be made to the Alliance Global Advance Fund, online at https://thealliancecanada. ca/give/ or your local Bible Camp.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to the Hollands family - Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.

NOTICES

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A16 June 8, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

Guilty plea entered in Estevan child porn case

An Estevan man has pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing child pornography from earlier this year.

Trevor Dean Curtis entered the plea on May 16 in Estevan Provincial Court. The charge is under the Criminal Code.

He was released on conditions and will be

sentenced on July 11.

Curtis was charged back in January, after members of the Estevan Police Service patrol division, Criminal Investigation Division and the Saskatchewan Integrated Child Exploitation Unit conducted an investigation.

•••

TENDER Tenders will be received by SaskPower for the sale of hay. The successful bidder will be required to cut, bale, and remove bales by 2022 September 01. There will be one cutting only, and it must be completed by 2022 August 15.

Several parcels of land are included, mainly located southwest of Boundary Dam Power Station.

Two lots are southeast of Boundary Dam Reservoir.

Bids will be lump sum for each parcel.

Prints showing the lot numbers and their extent are available from the guardhouse at Shand Power Station.

The Estevan Police Service has received a number of complaints recently regarding trailers that are not attached to vehicles while parked on city roads.

The EPS reminds the public that it is an offence to do so under the City of Estevan’s traffic bylaw.

It states “No person shall leave a recreational vehicle which is not attached to a motor vehicle on a highway.” The EPS notes that all city streets are designated as highways.

A recreational vehicle is defined under the traffic bylaw as including the following: campers, travel trailers, fifth-wheel trail-

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For further details, contact Louise Schnare at (306) 637-4259.

Written tenders contained in a sealed envelope marked HAY TENDER on the outside will be received until 4:00 p.m., Thursday, June 16, 2022, c/o Louise Schnare, Shand Power Station, Box 1310, Estevan, S4A 2K9.

Highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

Payment terms: 5HFHLSW E\ 6DVN3RZHU RI FHUWL¿HG cheque within 5 working days of bid acceptance by SaskPower.

Note 1.

SaskPower does not guarantee any tendered hay to be free of noxious weeds or poisonous plants and is not responsible for any damage caused by insects or other wildlife.

Note 2.

The bidder shall ensure that they operate with due consideration for the condition of the property and QRW HQWHU RU UXQ HTXLSPHQW LI ¿HOG FRQGLWLRQV DUH VXFK WKDW GDPDJH WR WKH ODQG ZLOO RFFXU L H ZHW RU VRIW ¿HOG conditions).

Note 3.

Bales still on the ground after 2022 November 01 will be assessed a fee of 50¢ per bale per month, payable in advance.

ers, tent trailers, truck campers and trailers designed to carry items such as boats, jet skis, snowmobiles and motorcycles.

To access a digital version of the full traffic bylaw, the EPS asks people to refer to the residents’ section of the City of Estevan website. The EPS appreciates the public’s assistance in addressing these complaints.

In other recent police news, on May 31, police arrested an individual on four outstanding warrants.

Police came into contact with him when they identified him operating a motor vehicle. He is facing a

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new charge of suspended driving. The vehicle he was driving was towed. He is also facing charges after resisting members during the arrest. He was released later on in the evening.

A 42-year-old woman is facing several different charges after being arrested June 2. Police apprehended her for public mischief after she reported false information to police.

She will also face charges of assaulting a police officer and committing an indecent act. The woman is also being charged under the 911 Systems Act for placing false reports to a 911 dispatch. She is alleged to have called 911 at least 11 times and none of the calls were for a police, fire or medical emergency.

Police arrested a 38-year-old man for impaired driving after he left a local establishment in northeast Estevan.

He provided samples of breath that were more than three times the legal limit. He was later released after sobering up.

Police were called to a residence June 3 for a well-being check. While investigating, members determined an assault had occurred. The suspect was no longer at the scene but was arrested later in the

day. The 53-year-old man was released on conditions to have no contact with the victim. He will make his first court appearance on July 18.

During the night shift on June 3, there was a report of a sexual assault.

Members were able to identify the suspects and they were arrested the following morning. After further investigation, two males have been charged with one count each of sexual assault. One of the males was on a probation order and was charged for failing to comply with conditions of that order.

They will make their first court appearance on Aug. 15.

On June 4, police investigated a report of a theft from a grocery store. Two suspects were identified and arrested. They will make their first court appearance on July 18.

Officers were called to a report of a group of young males on the roof of the Estevan Comprehensive School on June 5. Police attended and located the subjects. The matter is still under investigation to determine if any damage resulted from their actions.

The males will also face charges under the Trespass to Property Act.

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June 8, 2022 A17

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:

Please support the upcoming Rodeo and Exhibition, there will be fun for the whole family!

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 6341800 if issues persist. Thank you for your understanding during this important maintenance!

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

(5) Monday - Friday July 4-8 Area bounded by Spruce Drive and Princess Street on the North, King Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes Hillside and Scotsburn regions) (6) Monday - Friday July 11-15 Area bounded by King Street on the North, CPR Railroad on the South, 14th Ave on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes 7th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street, Centennial, Trojan, and Soo Industrial regions) (7) Monday - Friday July 18-22 Area bounded by Kensington on the West, Sawyer Road on the East, North and South City Limits (includes Glen Peterson Industrial Park, East Industrial, Southeast Industrial regions, and properties along Hwy 39E Service Road)

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

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

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

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

CAT TRAPS With consistent temperatures, Cat traps are now available for trapping purposes. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer has a limited number of traps for residents to use during the week.

The following are some of the requirements for traps on loan:

Street Sweeping Schedule can be seen on our website at: http://estevan.ca/ street-sweeping-schedule/

• Traps can only be loaned out from Monday to Friday during the BEO’s working hours • All traps are to be monitored hourly by the home owner or their designate • Traps can be loaned out for a maximum of three (3) days at a time • Once a cat has been trapped the BEO is to be called immediately for pick up • Trapped animals are to be treated humanely while in the residents care until it can be picked up by the BEO. • Permission is to be given to the BEO to enter your property to retrieve the trap • Should the cage be damaged, lost or stolen the residents will take responsibility for the cost of repair or replacement.

LEISURE CENTRE SCHEDULE

POOL

TUESDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY LANE SWIM 6am-9am

LANE SWIM 6am-9am

LANE SWIM 6am-9am

LANE SWIM 6am-9am

LANE SWIM 6am-9am

PROGRAM RENTAL

AQUAFIT 9am-9:45am

AQUAFIT 9am-9:45am

AQUAFIT 9am-9:45am

AQUAFIT 9am-9:45am

AQUAFIT 9am-9:45am

LESSONS 10am-12pm

LESSONS 10am-12pm

LESSONS 10am-12pm

LESSONS 10am-12pm

LESSONS 10am-12pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm

FAMILY SWIM 1pm-3pm

LESSONS 1pm-3pm

LESSONS 1pm-3pm

LESSONS 1pm-3pm

LESSONS 1pm-3pm

LESSONS 1pm-3pm

PUBLIC SWIM 3pm-5pm

SURF & SWIM 3pm-3:45pm

SURF & SWIM 3pm-3:45pm

SURF & SWIM 3pm-3:45pm

SURF & SWIM 3pm-3:45pm

SURF & SWIM 3pm-3:45pm

LANE SWIM 5pm-6pm

GOLDEN EELS 4pm-6pm

GOLDEN EELS 4pm-6pm

GOLDEN EELS 4pm-6pm

GOLDEN EELS 4pm-6pm

GOLDEN EELS 4pm-6pm

LANE SWIM 5pm-6pm

LESSONS 6pm-8pm

LESSONS 6pm-8pm

LESSONS 6pm-8pm

LESSONS 6pm-8pm

LESSONS 6pm-8pm

LANE SWIM 6pm-6:45pm (No May 27th)

FAMILY SWIM 6pm-7pm

DEEP WATER POWER 8pm-8:45pm

LANE SWIM 8pm-8:45pm

LANE SWIM 8pm-8:45pm

LANE SWIM 8pm-8:45pm

LANE SWIM 8pm-8:45pm

PUBLIC SWIM 7pm-9pm (No May 27th)

PUBLIC SWIM 7pm-9pm

7am-9pm

LANE SWIM 9pm9:45pm WEIGHT ROOM SQUASH COURTS WALKING TRACK

FITNESS

7am-9pm

SPIN 9:10am-9:50am

WEDNESDAY

May 16 - June 25, 2022 THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY PROGRAM RENTAL

LANE SWIM 12pm-1pm PUBLIC SWIM 1pm-5pm

LANE SWIM 9pm-9:45pm

6am-10pm

6am-10pm

6am-10pm

6am-10pm

6am-10pm

SPIN 6:10am-6:50am

SPIN 6:10am-6:50am

GRIT 6:10am-6:50am

SPIN 6:10am-6:50am

GRIT 6:10am-6:50am

STRONG 9:10am-9:50am

SPINERGY 9:10am-9:50am

BARRE 360 9:10am-10:15am

SPINERGY 9:10am-9:50am

STRONG 9:10am-9:50am

EASY STRETCH 10:10am-10:50am

SPIN 5:30pm-6:10pm

SPIN 5:30pm-6:10pm

EASY STRETCH 10:10am-10:50am

Schedule is subject to change.

Please visit www.estevan.ca for updates on closures and cancellations.

Proper footwear, exercise wear and swimwear is required to participate.

A18 June 8, 2022

www.SASKTODAY.ca

Lampman grads celebrate their achievements Lampman School celebrated its graduates last Saturday.

The theme for this year was The First Chapter of the Rest of Our Lives.

The last few years of the education process weren’t the easiest, but fortunately, 13 grads were able to come to the end of their school time in a traditional way.

“We started off the year with COVID regulations in place, of course, being hopeful that we could, by June, have a bit more of a traditional grad. And it turned out that we’re able to do that,” said principal Annemarie Rosner.

The ceremony portion was put on by the school’s parent committee, and then the grads continued with a community parade – something that also became a great attraction and a new tradition due to the pandemic. The last was organized by the parents.

“We [also] did go forth with purchasing the banners again, and they’re highlighted along Highway 361, to celebrate our 13 graduates,” Rosner added. “It’s a group of kids who are actively involved in our school and community.”

The graduation ceremony and theme were focused on Lampman School’s traditional colours, which are dark forest green, black and white. The graduation ceremony was also kept along the lines of what generations of Lampman graduates have experienced.

For the big day, parents wrote one-page bios for their children to be read during the ceremony. For each student, there was a tribute to parents and a reply. Robin Ulrich, who is a previous teacher who left a positive mark on this group, was a guest speaker. There was also a tribute to the teachers, a diploma ceremo-

ny, a rose ceremony for the parents and two dances.

Rosner said that despite all of the challenges the pandemic brought in for the students, they’ve made it to the end well.

“They’ve been true champions through the last two and a half years for sure.

They’ve really embraced the challenge and did the best that they could, given the challenges that existed.

And we were all really relieved when we were able to go forward with a grad that would be in our gym that resembles more of a traditional grad,” Rosner said. “So although the year started off a little stressful, in the end, we were able to put together something special for the kids.”

She also praised the graduates for all their achievements and who they are.

“They are true leaders in every sense of the word, all 13 of them. They are stu-

Lampman School wished farewell to 13 graduates of 2022.

Photo courtesy of Annemarie Rosner dents who are actively involved in our school and community. They’ve got a wide range of interests and strengths and have diverse plans for after graduation.

And we all as staff look forward to hearing about their future endeavours. They’ll be greatly missed as they’ve left a positive impact on our school,” Rosner said.

“We wish them well and we thank them for all that they’ve done making our school a better place. Stay in touch, keep us in the loop and just keep being you.”

Lampman

Kelsey Carson

Madeline Christensen

Kailey Dube

Roger Enns

Ryder Farnsworth

KayZee Ferber

Lucas Fleck

Lindsay Johnson

Bethany Prentice

Albert Raflores

Spencer Sauder

Derek Weinrauch

Congratulations, Graduates! :FBST PG IBSE XPSL IBWF MFE ZPV IFSF UPEBZ BOE XF SF IPOPSFE UP DFMFCSBUF XJUI BMM PG ZPV 8F XJTI ZPV UIF CFTU BT ZPV UBLF UIF OFYU TUFQ Thanks for making us proud!

#VT t 'BY XXX IVUUTUSVDLJOH DB

Congratulations

Class of 2022!

Enjoy the summer; I wish you success on your next adventure.

Daryl Harrison, MLA canningtonconstituency@sasktel.net 306-443-4400

Honoring Our Grads With these ever changing times, Congratulations on this Milestone achievement, Graduates. We salute your hard work and dedication!!

Grimes Sales S ale & Service.

Ph: 306-487-2525

Best of luck in your future endeavors!

Congratulations to the

CLASS OF 2022 CLIFF NANKIVELL

Congrats to all Graduates!

Hayden Willock

Trucking Ltd. BOX 123, KISBEY, SK S0C 1L0 (306) 462-2130 nankivelltrucking@sasktel.net nankivelltrucking.ca

WAY TO GO ALL

2022 LAMPMAN GRADUATES!

&RQJUDWXODWLRQV WR ͏H Graduating class of 2022!

306-487-4127 www.carsonsafetyservices.ca

Celebrating the Graduating Class of 2022

RM of Browning No.34

Town of Lampman

Box 40, Lampman, SK (306) 487-2444

Box 70, Lampman, SK (306) 487-2462

“Optimism is the faith

that leads to achievement.

Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

- Helen Keller

”

DR. ROBERT KITCHEN MP

Souris-Moose Mountain

Toll Free 1-866-249-4697 • www.drrobertkitchen.ca