Estevan Mercury 20221026

Renovations at busiest border crossing in Saskatchewan

complete

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The upgraded port of entry at North Portal officially opened Tuesday morning.

The multi-year border infrastructure project is completed and will contribute to the Saskatchewan and Canadian economy, while also helping to keep Canadians safe.

Construction work for this project began in May 2018, while planning, designing and contracting work started long before that. The upgraded facility now looks very different and is more functional than it used to be.

“The infrastructure upgrades in North Portal were very significant. If the last time you were in North Portal was in May of 2018 or earlier, you would hardly recognize the facilities that we are in today. Since construction began in May of 2018, the improvements here have been remarkable. As a person who spends a great deal of time here at North Portal, I’m grateful for those upgrades. I’m very glad that my workplace is no longer a construction zone,” said Scott Kienlen, corporate chief for the CBSA in the southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan district, who was operationally in charge of the project.

Lisa Laurencelle-Peace, executive director for Prairie Region CBSA, who was at North Portal for the official opening ceremony, listed the major changes that have been done over the past five years.

A third processing lane has been added for vehicles entering Canada. Primary inspection line booths with two levels have been constructed. These booths enable CBSA officers to speak with drivers of cars or transport trucks in any line. A larger, higher canopy was built, and it now provides protection from the elements for transport trucks and other oversized

vehicles. The warehouse building, where the opening ceremony took place, is larger and has been renovated.

Other improvements include increased parking, better security and lighting, and solar panels that provide sustainable energy to meet part of the facility’s energy needs.

“I remember my first day in this job [in the fall of 2019]. There were fences, and pylons, and tape, holes in the highway, temporary primary inspection booths out on the highway that were like garden sheds. And then around back here, there was another small garden shedtype facility up on a raised platform, and that was the commercial warehouse. This is where we examined the over 100,000 loads of commercial goods coming into the country,” recalled Benjamin Tame, who’s responsible for CBSA operations in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan.

“And I was astounded. All of the things I had heard about North Portal, all of the guns they intercept, all of the hundreds of thousands of commercial

loads that are processed here, that actually happened here. So I’m very excited, very proud that the passion that resides in the employees at the port of North Portal is now matched with the infrastructure to deliver on our mandate.”

“We’ve improved the lighting, we’ve improved the signage. Coming from the U.S. there is more of a straight-on approach now. Before you have to curve over, we did a realignment of the highway,” Kienlen noted.

All the upgrades were done while the port remained open and operational.

“We worked all through construction, the border was fully operational during that time. So there were some challenges when we were doing that. We had temporary booths and lanes and different things like that. But I have to say the staff were fantastic, … as well as the travelling public, a lot of positive comments as they were coming through,” Kienlen said.

The addition of the third lane and other improvements allowed for

reduced wait times at the border and eliminated traffic jams that occurred before, Kienlen said.

The upgrades at the facility were done under the Canada-U.S. Beyond the Border Action Plan.

“The upgrades will contribute to long-term economic prosperity in this region. All these improvements allow those who serve at North Portal to do their jobs more safely and more efficiently,” Laurencelle-Peace said. “These improvements were also designed with travellers’ needs in mind, and everyone crossing into Canada at North Portal benefits from the upgrades that were done here.”

The price tag for these improvements was $26 million.

“This capital investment is well-spent on Canada’s 10th busiest port for commercial traffic [and the busiest border crossing in Sask.] – a port located on a major trade corridor that links Saskatchewan to the American Midwest and the Port of Charleston, South Carolina,” Laurencelle-Peace said.

“Because of these im-

provements, travellers will have more time to spend at their destinations, whether they are at home with family, visiting with friends, shopping or taking in the beautiful sights in southeastern Saskatchewan,” she added.

The upgrades will also allow Canadian and American businesses that use this port of entry to conduct their business more efficiently, saving them time and saving their customers money.

The infrastructure upgrades also mean that CBSA officers and staff who work at the North Portal port of entry will be able to perform their duties more safely, efficiently and effectively.

Michael Lonechild, a Cree artist from White Bear First Nation, and his helper Matthew Redstar opened the day with a pipe ceremony and prayers. The CBSA purchased Lonechild’s artwork to be displayed permanently at the port of entry. At the opening ceremony, Lonechild spoke about his art, “a colour wheel” – his own system of mixing colours, and his passion for painting.

A third processing lane has been added for vehicles entering Canada, inspection booths have been redone to allow for using any of the lines for both commercial and passenger traffic, and the canopy was rebuilt at the Canadian border crossing.

RCMP Regimental Ball in Estevan brings community and police together

It was a night of ceremony, tributes and socializing at an RCMP Regimental Ball at the Beefeater Plaza in Estevan on Saturday.

The Estevan, Carlyle and Carnduff RCMP detachments teamed up to host the event, which attracted nearly 150 people. RCMP officers from the southeast and elsewhere in the province were joined by people from the community.

Staff-Sgt. Steven Ross with the Estevan RCMP said they had people from at least six different RCMP detachments and south district management. Also present were those from the Estevan Police Service, other law enforcement agencies, first responders, municipal officials and White Bear First Nation Chief Annette Lonechild.

The regimental ball featured a number of elements unique to the event. The formal portion began with the head table being piped in and the performance of O Canada by Teagan Littlechief. Then the host for the evening, RCMP Chief Superintedenent Tyler Bates, who is the commander for the RCMP’s South District and the highest-ranking member in attendance –paid the piper with scotch.

Staff-Sgt. Deneen Woodrow, who was the MC, gave a brief history of the force, which was followed by regimental traditions such as the ceremony to honour fallen comrades, a blessing of the meal, the first plate being served by

the highest-ranking member to the most junior member in attendance, a toast to the king, a toast to the force and Bates’ remarks. The formal part of the evening closed with the piping out of the head table.

“With the formal portion, there are some specific guidelines that we have to follow for it,” said Ross. “There are a few regimental events that we do. This one’s a regimental ball, because that allows members of the public to attend.”

One table was empty during the night to honour fallen officers from the force who died in the line of duty.

Ross noted it’s particularly meaningful after the death of five officers in the past few weeks.

There were also displays of Indigenous art and RCMP artefacts.

The informal portion of the evening featured music by the Chris Henderson Band. Henderson and Littlechief teamed up for a duet at one point.

The money raised through the ball will be directed towards Southeast Regional Victim Services. Ross said they don’t know how much money was raised, but they expect it will be approximately $5,000. The event received

excellent support from corporate sponsors.

Ross said Victim Services was selected for their efforts to help people throughout the southeast.

“They’re a partner agency for us and they do provide a lot of support in the communities, support for victims, whether it’s people providing statements or they connect people with support services, or they provide support for people testifying in court,” said Ross.

It marked the first time in a couple of years that the RCMP has been able to gather and raise money, and Ross was pleased with the night as a whole.

Lonechild’s art will be on display at North Portal port of entry

“When I started to paint, it was like therapy. It would always let me make a journey into my paintings. I would always find adventure in whatever I did. It was a fire that burned inside of me to paint. And today it burns just as wild as it used to when I was young,” Lonechild shared. “Thank

you very much for [being willing to] display my paintings in your beautiful buildings. On behalf of me and my friend, I would like to say thank you for inviting us.”

As a show of appreciation, on behalf of the CBSA, Tame presented Lonechild and Redstar

with blankets created by Indigenous artists.

Laurencelle-Peace also recognized the achievements of CBSA colleagues at Public Services and Procurement Canada, as well as Graham Construction, who led the construction project.

“Thanks to your hard work, travellers who use this port of entry will enter or return to Canada quicker and more efficiently,” Laurencelle-Peace said.

“And I would like to take a moment to recognize all the CBSA staff who work

at North Portal. The work you do here at this border crossing is vital to Canada and particularly to this region of Saskatchewan.

“The CBSA’s motto is Protection, Service, Integrity. You ensure the security and prosperity of Canada by managing the access of people and goods to and from Canada. I could not be more proud to serve alongside you.”

The North Portal port of entry is operational 24 hours a day throughout the year.

The CBSA purchased three paintings by Michael Lonechild, a Cree artist from White Bear First Nation, to be permanently displayed at the renovated port of entry.

A table was set aside for the fallen members of the RCMP during a regimental ball in Estevan on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Estevan RCMP

| Wednesday, October 26, 2022A3

Estevan’s Levi Stepp is coming home to perform

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Levi Stepp, accompanied by Rachel Andrist, is going to present Stepping Stones, a unique cabaretstyle show, at St. Paul’s United Church on Nov. 13, starting at 2 p.m.

Well-known in the Estevan area for his talents, Stepp is coming back to Estevan after more than a year and is looking forward to performing and reconnecting with the people of the city.

“I am working hard to prepare my show for back home. I enjoy being able to come back home and perform in the community that gave me the love and support when I first started. So I’m very excited to come back and be able to share my stories as of late with all of you in the community,” Stepp shared.

Stepping Stones, an afternoon of song with Levi Stepp – From Broadway and Beyond! is the title Stepp chose for his performance in Estevan.

“I thought why not use a name, my name in the title? I’m fortunate enough to have that and I look at life [from a perspective that] the universe gives you a lot of paths that you can go on. And each thing that you choose to do with it, each opportunity that comes, is a stepping stone on your journey, on

your path of life,” Stepp explained. “I have chosen songs and material to share with the people in the community, the stepping stones of my life so far from growing up on the farm to performing in musicals and then going away to the big city and starting my career, which is a testing career at times, and that will also be talked about.”

“But no matter whether it’s struggles or successes, or soul-finding opportunities, they are still one stone and one stepping stone on the path of life. So I’m very lucky and I’m excited to share with all of you.”

Andrist will be Stepp’s live accompanist. They haven’t worked together before, but Stepp said he always hoped they’d get a chance to perform together.

“You can perform songs and shows in so many different styles, but there’s nothing more than getting to collaborate with a live pianist, getting the energy and the music from a live person playing ... So I wanted to take advantage of the fact that we have some great musicians that are also from Estevan, as Rachel is. And being able to perform in a space like St. Paul’s United Church with great acoustics where it’s just her at the piano and me singing is a joy,” Stepp said. “It’s an honour to be able to sing with her at the piano, she’s had a wonderful career herself.”

A local talent, Stepp graduated from Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto in August 2021 and spent this past summer in P.E.I. where he was doing his first professional contract in the musical Anne and Gilbert at the Theatre Island Festival. In the interview with the Mercury, he said he’s been pretty busy since he left Estevan, especially last summer, but he was happy to enter the world of professional perform-

ing, which he chose as his career.

“It’s been good. It’s been a whirlwind. But it feels great to make my first step into the musical theatre performance world. As an industry, it is very crazy, but it’s nice to start it off and I hope for many years to come,” Stepp shared.

The Anne and Gilbert musical is a sequel to Anne of Green Gables, in which Anne and Gilbert go off to college, fall in love and get to spend the rest of their lives together.

“It was great being able to tell that story on stage,” Stepp said. “It filled my heart and soul to be able to follow your dreams and do what you love to do. And to do that every day and get paid for it is a joy ... I couldn’t have asked for any better honestly. Not very many months after school and I was going across the country for my first professional contract, which was a long contract as well, six months I was there, which is a long time. And to do a show for that long right out of the gates from graduation into the performance world is a win, an amazing opportunity that I would never take for granted, that’s for sure.”

For the musical, he was performing as Anthony and Alec, but he also was prepared to play Gilbert to substitute for the lead actor.

“I had to learn and perfect the role of Gilbert, the lead guy, in case he was unable to make a show,” Stepp explained. “It was a great experience to be able to be in the ensemble, learn my own tracks, but also get to learn the main male track.”

Right out of college, Stepp also got to do a musical, Little Women, with his peers and classmates that were self-producing.

Now that his contract in P.E.I. is over, Stepp is back in Toronto, where he is signed with the agency 10 Talent Management,

and he is auditioning for new shows and opportunities. At the same time, he is teaching beginner piano and voice lessons to children and adults at a local music school.

“It is great to have opportunities and auditions coming my way because there are very few of them. And to get one, it’s just a win in itself. And that keeps you going in the industry. This coming Mon-

day, I have one that I get to go to, so I’m very fortunate to have the opportunities that I have here in Toronto right now,” Stepp shared.

Stepp said while he indeed enjoys living in the city, he is also grateful for everything his childhood at the farm gave him and is looking forward to coming back to Estevan.

“I would like to say thank you to the community and everyone for

inviting me back. And I look forward to sharing my journey and my stepping stones with the community that means so much to me, and where I found my love for what I do,” Stepp said.

He will spend about a week at the Energy City, doing the show and reconnecting with family and friends.

For Stepping Stones, the doors open at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 13.

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Levi Stepp as Mr. John Brookes in the musical Little Women. Photos courtesy of Levi Stepp

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Levi Stepp dancing as Anthony Pye in Anne and Gilbert in Charlottetown, P.E.I., during the Island Theatre Festival.

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

That’s a lot of captured carbon

It’s amazing the difference a year can make.

At this time a year ago, the carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at the Boundary Dam Power Stations was in the midst of challenging times. It had been offline for an extended period of time due to a carbon dioxide compressor motor failure in July, and when it did return, a leak in October affecting the compressor cooler again put the facility offline.

But the most recent quarterly report for the facility, released by SaskPower last week, paints a different picture. It shows that it was online 94.5 per cent of the time for the third quarter, from July 1-Sept. 30. That follows a very successful second quarter, in which it was online 96 per cent of the time from April 1-June 30.

In March, it was online 99.1 per cent of the time.

So over the past seven months, it’s been online for more than 95 per cent. We’re pretty confident that there isn’t a windpower facility that can boast that number.

It’s great to have it online, but we also have to note the amount of CO2 that has been kept from entering the Earth’s atmosphere. In the previous three months, it was more than 219,000 tonnes of CO2, or about 73,000 a month. The previous three months, it captured 218,537 tonnes.

And in March, it was at more than 72,000 tonnes.

If the trends of the past seven months continue, the CCS facility will surpass five million tonnes of captured CO2 late this year or early next year.

Take that, CCS critics. Seven months of consistently excellent performance is what BD3 needed to regain the confidence of people with open minds.

Yes, the CCS facility has been offline for a couple of weeks this month for scheduled maintenance, but any facility is going to have to come offline eventually.

And there will be times in which the CCS facility will have to come offline for unexpected reasons, but that’s going to happen with any power-generating option. You just have to hope that when it does happen, the shutdown is for a brief period of time, rather than what we saw in the second half of last year and the first couple of months of this year.

Ironically, these numbers came out a week before an open house on solar power that is scheduled to happen Oct. 26 and 27 at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. There are those who don’t want to have solar power in Estevan, because they view it as an enemy of coalfired power and CCS.

We look at it differently. We want to

have both. We want to have the gamechanging, world-leading technology found at Boundary Dam, and we want to have it supported by solar power.

Those who criticize CCS need to realize that it is providing baseload power in an environmentally-friendly fashion, to the tune of more than 70,000 tonnes captured a month. And those who criticize solar power have to recognize its potential, even if it’s as a support option at this time.

The CCS critics will never be happy, not as long as it is applied to coal-fired power generation, and not as long as the captured carbon is used in enhanced oil recovery to benefit the oil and gas sector. The CCS facility could capture one million tonnes of CO2 in a year (which is viewed as the best-case scenario for BD3 when the project was announced in April 2011) and the critics would still look for ways to carve the facility.

When you see numbers like the past seven months, it shows how effective the technology can be. It can be an effective tool to combat climate change and it can provide baseload power to Saskatchewan residents.

And it’s worthy of expansion to the remaining coal-fired generating fleet in the Estevan area.

What do you like about Halloween?

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I’ve never liked fall. Of course, there is no bad weather, but there are bad clothes. But still, fall never did the job for me. Especially the October-December stretch.

Dark, wet, empty, grey and colourless. What’s there to like?

Fortunately, since I was a teen, I learned about a way to break this stretch up a bit and Halloween became a highlight of those months of darkness. You may ask, why not since childhood, as it’s usually one of the big excitements for kids.

Well, we didn’t have Halloween when I was a kid. This tradition, that’s so widespread in North America, as you probably know, hearkens back to religious beliefs and visions.

Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Back then people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. (Celts lived over 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland and the United Kingdom).

Hundreds of years later, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a time to honour all saints. That day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.

Well, in the atheistic Soviet Union, where I was born, and then in succeeding Russia, we didn’t have that tradition. I guess it made its first steps on the vast expanse of post-Soviet countries in the late 90s, but it came into my life only in the late 2000s, bringing in some colours to brighten the fall.

Once I got to know the holiday, I seized on an opportunity to mix the darkness of October days with bright costumes, fun

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

parties and warm get-togethers.

To tell you the truth, until just a few years ago, I’d never been out trick-ortreating or carved jack-o-lanterns. (I tried these fun activities for the first time when I was around 30, and I was really grateful to Estevan for allowing me to become a kid again and get a taste of what it’s like.) I still haven’t decorated much for the day as no one usually comes to our place. But I’ve always enjoyed the fancy decorations and sincerely appreciated the effort people in town put into turning their houses into real Halloween dens.

This year, it seems that Estevan is a bit less Halloweeny than before. Maybe it still was too early when I last cruised around to see what was out there for Halloween. Maybe I just didn’t hit the right addresses. (If you know of real Halloween houses in Estevan, please, share the street addresses in the comments.) Or maybe the economic situation doesn’t bode well for spending extra on skeletons and bats. One way or another, I still appreciate people who put their time and money into colouring the city to make fall a bit more fun for themselves, but also for others.

Historically, this holiday, which used to celebrate the end of summer and harvest, honour saints and mark the beginning of cold winter days, was strongly associated with death. The season change was a natu-

ral context for it. But over the centuries, it gradually evolved into a day of fun activities. Death-related spooky costumes are now mainly replaced with bright movie or cartoon characters, historic personalities, outfits reminding of food, furniture and who knows what else.

There are still some odd witches, vampires, ghosts and other boogies you can meet on the streets or at Halloween parties, but they are rather an exception. Over my dress-up years, I tried costumes of a blue-winged angel, dragon, Cruella Deville, old grumpy housemaid and Count Dracula for a change.

To me, it doesn’t matter if I get a chance to dress up or decorate, if I get to party or trick-or-treat, if I carve a pumpkin or end up just watching what my friends do, I still love Halloween. Of course, for most people today this holiday lost its original meaning and purpose. It doesn’t really have anything to do with saints and even ghosts. But I really value its contemporary role, as it makes fall more fun, exciting and bearable.

I’m not sure what this year’s Halloween will have for me, but I’ll try to make the best of it so I have enough good vibes to make it through the darkest month of the year. And I hope you get a chance to enjoy this fun holiday as well.

This year it falls on a Monday, so whether you plan on celebrating Halloween or not, please keep an eye out for kids hunting for treats outside throughout the weekend and at the beginning of the week. And also, don’t forget to check out our Halloween special on PAGES A17-18, it will add colours to your week.

That’s not how you decide a football game David Willberg Willberg’s World

The Estevan Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate U12 Chargers’ reign atop the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League is sadly over, after losing 28-26 in extra time in the league final.

The kids on that team have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, it hurts to lose the final, and it hurts even more when you lose in such a close, hard-fought contest. But the kids should be proud of how they played and the strides they made this season.

For those who will continue playing football next year, they’ll hopefully take what they learned throughout this season and apply it.

Also, kudos to the Moose Jaw Lions for winning the championship. They were down 26-7 at half-time. Their defence stepped up and shut out the powerful Chargers’ offence in the second half.

But you do have to wonder about the format used to decide the champion.

The teams played a couple rounds of overtime. The game was still tied. So they used two-point convert attempts to decide the winner.

Huh?

You start practising in the summer, play hard for six weeks in the regular season, have a tough battle in the semifinal, an even tougher battle in the final, go through overtime, and then decide a champion by taking turns lining up a few yards away from the end zone.

I’m not a fan of that.

In a league final, you should play until there’s a winner. Regardless of the sport. No shootouts in hockey. No starting the runner at second base in baseball.

If you want to have gimmick finishes in the regular season, that’s one thing. But once the playoffs begin and the season is on the line, the way you decide a champion should mirror regulation game play as much as possible.

If it means you have to play for an extra hour or two to decide your winner, well, that’s what happens. Draw up your schedule accordingly.

Football is a sport in which extra time has been a challenge. Leagues much higher than the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League have wrestled with how to determine a winner when regulation time just isn’t enough.

The NFL has certainly had lots of problems over the years with its extra time, but that’s largely because of their baffling infatuation with sudden-death overtime.

The CFL’s overtime format is okay for the regular season, but it’s not one that should be used in the playoffs.

This is not to take away from the Lions’ title. They earned it. If you can shut out that Chargers’ offence in the second half and overtime with your season on the line, and rally from a deficit, you deserve to be the champions.

If Estevan won the league title, I’d be upset over the format, too. (Although I’d spend a little less time harping about it).

The Chargers have been the success story for local football for several years now. In the past six legitimate seasons (2020 doesn’t count), the Chargers have won a league title, finished second twice and finished third once. Their championship last season was the first for Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the U14 team does next year. After all, the players who were on the U12 team last year that won a championship will be back together at the U14 level. Past performance is sometimes the best indicator of future success. We’re all hoping that the kids who enjoyed so much success at the U12 level in 2021 can turn the trick when they hit the U14 age group.

And if they succeed at the U14 level, then that will bode well for when they hit the Estevan Comprehensive School’s football team.

This year’s Chargers team also had some significant contributions from its first-year players.

It hasn’t always been easy for football in Estevan since the sport returned to the minor level in 2008 and the high school level in 2009. There have been a lot of losses. Many of them were lopsided.

Youth sports isn’t all about winning and losing. It’s about having fun, making friends and finding a love for the game. But it’s a lot easier to have fun when you win rather than when you lose by 42 points.

It’s been a lot of fun following the success of the Chargers the past few seasons. They have something good here.

Hopefully, the next time they win a title, it won’t require the teams trading two-point convert attempts.

Patron gets a one-year prison sentence for committing hate speech

By David Willberg

The former leader of the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party will be spending additional time in jail for spreading hatred against Jews.

Travis Patron of Redvers – who was convicted for wilful promotion of hate against an identifiable group in early October – was sentenced to one year in prison Thursday afternoon in Court of King’s Bench in Estevan. He was credited for 131 days spent in remand on this charge, with 1 1/2 days for each day, so he has already served 197 days of the sentence. Patron will spend 168 more days in prison.

He will then serve one year of probation. Patron will have to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, and must appear before the court when required to do so. Further, he cannot publish or post on any internet website or social media platform where such posts or publications can be read by the general public, or any information about any individual who is of the Jewish faith or origin.

Crown prosecutor Ryan Snyder was seeking two years’ probation.

Snyder outlined his case for the one-year sentence to Judge D.N. Robertson Thursday morning. The prosecutor noted that while the maximum sentence is two years, he does not know of anyone who has received a sentence of more than a year for wilful promotion of hate.

“Certainly if there was a

case that could attract the maximum, perhaps this is it, but … I couldn’t find any cases where anybody received more than a year.”

He also pointed out that Patron was putting the material out there for all to see, with links to his Facebook page and the CNP website, rather than putting it in a dark corner of the internet.

And he noted that Patron has not been apologetic or repentant for his remarks.

“He’s been in custody for some time,” said Snyder. “If he hasn’t learned anything, well, he’s going to be before the justice system again.”

A victim impact statement was brought forward from B’Nai Brith Canada executive director Michael Mostyn, which detailed how Patron’s previous statements about Jewish people have affected the Canadian Jewish community.

Patron was representing himself during the trial and the sentencing. When Robertson asked the defendant if he had anything to say, or if he wanted to apologize or express remorse, Patron remained silent.

The silence continued when asked if he would like counselling or if he has plans for the future. Robertson then noted silence was Patron’s choice.

During the sentencing hearing, Patron carried a large plastic bag filled with documents and folders, but they were never used.

After a recess, Robertson handed down the sentence. He cited several precedentsetting cases and noted several

aggravating factors, including Patron’s prior criminal record.

“My hope is that on release, you will return to the right path as a productive citizen, and put these foolish and dangerous thoughts behind you. But that’s up to you. If you continue to make trouble for others, you will also make trouble for yourself,” Robertson said in addressing Patron.

Wilful promotion of hatred is a serious offence because it attacks and undermines tolerance, which Robertson described as a virtue and a basic Canadian value.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said it was pleased with the sentence.

The FSWC pointed out that in an online video titled Beware the Parasitic Tribe, which led to the wilful promotion of hate charge, Patron claimed that Jewish people “infiltrate the media, they hijack the central bank, and they infect the body politic like a parasite,” and “what we need to do ... is remove these people, once and for all, from our country.”

“The judge’s sentencing decision sends a clear message that promoting hatred against Jews has consequences in Canada, including imprisonment,” said Jaime KirznerRoberts, director of policy at FSWC. “While justice has been served, unfortunately, it took more than three years for a guilty verdict to be reached since the moment police were first notified of Travis Patron’s hatemongering in 2019, which is far too long.

“Patron is just one of many extremists who use online platforms to spread anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories, and such hate is having a real impact on the Jewish community’s safety. As we see hate crimes in Canada increase year after year, the country’s government and justice system must make combating hatred, and bringing perpetrators of such crimes to justice, a priority.”

Patron was convicted for spreading hate against Jews on Oct. 5. The trial began on Sept. 26 with jury selection. Opening statements followed, and then the prosecution presented witnesses. Patron did not have any witnesses.

Closing statements occurred on Oct. 3. The judge gave instructions to the jury in the morning of Oct. 5, and the jury needed less than an hour of deliberations to convict Patron.

He was charged with the crime by Carlyle RCMP in February 2021, nearly two years after the video was posted.

Earlier this year, he was convicted on two counts of assault causing bodily harm against two women in Regina in 2019, and was sentenced to concurrent 18-month sentences. He was credited for time served on that sentence, but remained in custody while awaiting the hate speech trial.

And last year, he was found guilty of mischief after an incident at the Redvers branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and two counts of breach of an undertaking.

Volunteers lend their expertise at Estevan’s

rst Repair Café

People who needed repairs completed on their home electronics or clothing could drop by the Estevan Public Library on Saturday for the first-ever Repair Café in the city.

Patrick Fisher did what he could to fix computers, small electronics, and audiovideo equipment, while Erin Kraushaar of Infinite Crafting did the same for clothes and textiles on her sewing machine. They were kept busy throughout the day with people who booked appointments or who dropped in for help.

The Repair Café is a popup, one-day event hosted by the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council to provide people a chance for free assistance.

Fisher said they don’t make a guarantee that they would be able to fix something, but they would give it their best effort.

“Somebody has brought in a pair of pants that needed to be repaired,” said Fisher. “Somebody has brought in a jacket that needs a new zipper. I’ve taken a look at a laptop that had some software issues.”

Later in the day, people brought sewing machines, a tablet, a sound system and another computer.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Fisher. “I think … a lot of stuff nowadays, we wind up in a throwaway culture, and part of it is new electronics. They’re built to work, and then … they don’t work. So, I think any chance we have to take something and prevent it from going into a landfill

or just getting thrown away is a good opportunity.”

Those who booked an appointment were given top priority.   Fisher said the feedback they received was positive. The public was glad that somebody would take the time to look at their items, even if it couldn’t be fixed. In Fisher’s case, his job involves information-technology at Affinity Credit Union’s Estevan branch, and he also

worked with electronics during his time with Golden West Broadcasting.

“If it requires additional parts or something like that, we wouldn’t be able to help with it. If people come in, we’ll take a good, honest look at it and see what we can do.”

Repair Café events have been held in Regina and Saskatoon, and Fisher said the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is now trying to reach out to smaller centres.

Erin Kraushaar and Patrick Fisher volunteered at a Repair Café at the Estevan Public Library on Saturday afternoon.

SASKTODAY.ca

Small businesses on the move: Estevan entrepreneurs talk about changes

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Several small local businesses recently changed their locations, following their dreams, improving their spaces and growing.

The Mercury talked to some business owners that recently changed their addresses about their operations, achievements and plans.

Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesigns  New address –1132 Fourth Street

Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesigns is nearing its second anniversary. The first stretch, a really busy time for them, culminated with moving to a new location, but staying in downtown Estevan.

They currently occupy the former Southeast Youth Employment Services space, and Daralee Kittelson, who owns and runs the business with Dorothy Tait as an employee helping her with various projects, said they are pretty happy with their new store.

Kittleson noted that while they now have a bit less space, for them this move was an improvement.

“It works great for our retail stuff. The workshop in the back is a little bit smaller, but it works great for us. It’s better quality [for our needs],” Kittelson said. “And we wanted to be downtown for sure, so we kept our eye open ... And then this one came available and just worked out that we could move in right away and it still works for space.”

They are a part of the Estevan Downtown Business Association and wanted to stay downtown, as that partnership has been working well for them. They signed the lease in September and officially opened at the new location on Oct. 5.

When they first opened, Jewels and Jems was offering furniture redesign and sign design workshops. They were also selling some renewed furniture and accepting pieces to be redone. Since then, their offering has grown quite a bit.

They currently still have custom furniture, take on projects and offer seasonal and occasional workshops, but they also expanded into kitchen cabinet refinishing, which proved to be really popular with the community.

“We can come in and repaint your existing cabinets and give them a bit of an update,” Kittelson explained.

They also brought in some materials and products for sale, which would allow people to work on their furniture redesign projects, be it something they started or learned about at a workshop or something they want to do on their own.

“For people that want to redo [furniture] themselves, we do offer a full line of furniture paint and all the accessories and brushes and everything that goes along with it,” Kittelson said.

They are currently booking Christmas redesign workshops, and doing kitchen cabinets and furniture redesign projects.

Jewels and Jems Furniture Redesigns is open Wednesday-Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment only Monday and Tuesday.

The General Store  New address –1207 Fourth Street

After two years in operation in Estevan, The General Store reopened at their new location, just across the street from where they used to be, on Oct. 12, after a fast-paced three-day move.

“It was insane. We had so many people come up to help. I couldn’t have done it without vendors, friends and family. It was amazing,” said store owner Kendra Sutherland.

They are now occupying the space that was previously taken by Jewels and Jem Furniture Redesigns. The space is bigger than what they used to have, and Sutherland said she has several ideas for the space, but she won’t get to that until later.

“I have so many irons in the fire and I’m not sure

which direction we’re going to go yet,” Sutherland said. “I’m going to try to get through Christmas because we’re always really busy. So just get through that and regroup and see where we land. Because you constantly have to evolve.”

The past two years have been successful for The General Store. They’ve grown to over 80 vendors, offering their unique, mostly hand-made products on a regular basis.

“Estevan rocks. People are awesome. Everybody’s so supportive. It’s been excellent,” Sutherland said.   While there is some turnaround with vendors, the volume of supplies remains pretty steady, she added.

“Usually, every six months, we have about 10 vendors switch out. And then around Christmas, everybody wants in. We have some turnaround with vendors, but that’s good because we need new stuff in here.”

When the need to move

came about, Sutherland knew she wanted to stay downtown, so she took the building that came available at that time. She had to knock some walls down to make the space work for her needs, but now the store looks good and is open to customers.

The General Store offers a wide range of items, supplied by Saskatchewan home-based businesses and local crafters. They strive to mix their offerings up and be able to provide people with great ideas for gifts and items for many different occasions. They have anything from homemade food, to jewellery, to home décor, to plants, to candles, to bath and body supplies, to clothes, to books, to toys, and much more.   They will also have popup vendors joining them through the Christmas season.

The General Store in Estevan is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The General Store owner Kendra Sutherland moved her successful small business to 1207 Fourth Street, across the road from the previous location.

Daralee Kittelson runs Jewels and Jems

Furniture Redesigns, now located at 1132 Fourth Street. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

A9

DREAMS

Co-op’s new agro centre celebrated grand opening

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Southern Plains Co-op invited the community to join them in celebrating the grand opening of their new Agro Centre on Oct. 20.

Guests were treated to barbeque lunch, cake and cookies, and also could tour the new facilities to learn about the centre’s new offerings.

The agro centre moved to 101 Dukart Drive, along the Estevan Bypass on Highway 39, at the end of summer. They transferred everything they had at the Kensington location and expanded their offer to be able to supply chemicals and fertilizer. Besides, they have a big property, which allows having a lot of items that can be stored outdoors on hand.

“We offer a full package, agronomic services, right from soil testing to crop scouting. Fertilizer blending, recommendations. We have people who’ve worked in the livestock who have a

good idea of what livestock needs are as far as feed. We have an excellent petroleum department as far as their oil and diesel and everything else they may need. We are trying to be everything for everybody,” said Jason MacDonald, Southern Plains Co-op crop input manager,

He added that while moving a store was a bigger job than he could have imagined, now that they officially opened at the new location everything is working well.

“It’s going good. We got a good location, we got good facilities. So we’re moving forward and getting bigger,” MacDonald said.

The centre at Kensington had oil, feed and an agro store. Jennifer Kolb, senior agro clerk, said in the new agro store they have everything they used to have on Kensington and will be expanding their offering upon seasonal needs. The new, bigger facility also allows for better storage for oil and other supplies.

But the two biggest changes were the addition of the chemical warehouse and the fertilizer blending facility.

The chemical warehouse allows the centre to properly store high volumes of bagged seed, farm chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.

“This has to be a special shed so that it’s safe. So we’ve added this piece here,” MacDonald explained.

The fertilizer blending facility is brand new and is top notch, MacDonald said, which is beneficial for the farming community.

“Our fertilizer blending facility is our crown jewel; it’s state of the art,” MacDonald said.

“Our system here will do 300 metric tonnes an hour. We can impregnate the fertilizer with different nitrogen stabilizers. We can add micronutrients … directly into the fertilizer so that when producers are seeding, all their micronutrients are getting all across

wherever they’re putting fertilizer and it’s a nice uniform distribution of everything. And it’s fast. It’s lightning fast.”

The Co-op Agro Centre has two agronomists, MacDonald and Megan Moore, on staff to provide consumers with information, consultation and advice, based on their unique needs.

“We’ve been trained to know what to look for. We have a wide expanse of knowledge … not necessarily from books or from our training, but working with producers all over Western Canada to see what works, what doesn’t work, how different practices can be added to help them gain better yields that they’re after,” MacDonald noted.

“And we always have to take economic and agronomic and try to blend those together so that we’re doing the right thing that’s

right for our producer. We don’t want to waste their money. At the same time, we want to make sure that they’re getting the best benefit that they can achieve.”

“But the number one limiting factor to all farming operations is water. Most guys will tell you that if it doesn’t rain, nothing will grow. And that’s true. You can add all the fertilizer you want, use the best seed, do everything right possibly in your power.

And at the end of the day, Mother Nature still controls the weather. Not much we can do about that. But I find that farmers don’t plan for disaster. They plan for success. And over the last 28 years that I’ve been doing this, they are definitely getting more successful and they’re definitely pretty good at their jobs,” MacDonald concluded.

While some things are still not in anyone’s power, the move and expansion allowed the Co-op Agro Centre to be able to cover most of the needs of local farming and ranching communities.

“We’d like to be everything to everybody. And as much as we spend money on stuff that’s grain-oriented, the ranching community is huge for us in this area,” MacDonald said. “We sell lots of posts. A lot of the ranchers are still using our agronomic services, still using our products, even if they’re not producing grain …  Livestock producers, well, all farmers are the salt of the earth, and we’re trying to serve both of those industries so that our feet are well entrenched in the agriculture industry in southeastern Saskatchewan,” MacDonald said.

Jason MacDonald, Southern Plains Co-op crop input manager, and Megan Moore, sales agronomist, at the brand-new fertilizer blending facility. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Crop input manager Jason MacDonald said their new fertilizer blending facility is state of the art and opens many opportunities for local producers.

CCS facility posted strong third-quarter numbers

During the third quarter of 2022, from July 1-Sept. 30, SaskPower’s CCS facility at the Boundary Dam was available 94.5 per cent of the time, capturing 219,750 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

According to data released by SaskPower on Oct. 18, while online, the facility had a daily average capture rate of 2,500 tonnes, with a peak one-day capture of 2,742 tonnes.

“This strong performance resulted in an emissions intensity of 436 tonnes of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour (CO2/MWh), well within the federal carbon tax threshold of 549 tonnes CO2/MWh,” SaskPower said in a news release.  Unit 3 at Boundary Dam was available 99.5 per cent of the time over the second quarter. BD3 can be online

when the CCS facility is not operating, but the CCS facility needs Unit 3 to be functioning.

The second quarter of this year marked the second straight three-month stretch in which at least

200,000 tonnes of CO2 were captured through CCS.

The acid plant at Bound-

ary Dam was available 80.4 per cent of the time during the most recent quarter, resulting in 1,469.7

tonnes of sulfuric acid being produced, significantly exceeding targets and setting a new quarterly record, according to SaskPower. Sulfuric acid has numerous potential industrial uses for SaskPower and can be sold as a revenue source for the company.  SaskPower noted the CCS facility will be down for a two-week planned maintenance outage in midOctober.

Since Unit 3 went online in October 2014, a little more than 4.8 million tonnes of CO2 have been kept from entering the Earth’s atmosphere, as of Sept. 30. That works out to about 600,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

In the first nine months of this year, the CCS facility has captured 556,332 tonnes of CO2.

Estevan’s Smile Cookie campaign beat its record

The city of Estevan received a cheque for $12,639, raised by the two local Tim Hor-

through their 2022

Smile Cookie campaign. The cheque presentation took place Friday afternoon at the Dennis Moore Centennial Park,

which benefits from the cookie sales.

Estevan Tim Hortons franchise owners Mandy and Ryan Irwin said this year, with community support, they were able to beat their own record set last year when the campaign generated $12,241.

Through four years of fundraising for the Dennis Moore Centennial Park, Estevan’s Tim Hortons were able to raise $41,548.

This year city council and staff, led by Mayor Roy Ludwig, volunteered their time to help make smile cookies to support the campaign. In previous years, city representatives would stop by Tim Hortons to help as well. But this time around their support went to the next level, and they were putting many more smiles in the community over several days.

Mandy Irwin said the city’s support with the campaign was greatly appreciated and they hope to see this partnership continuing.

This year Smile Cookie sales took place in September. Customers were invited to purchase the decorated cookies at Estevan’s two Tim Hortons locations, with 100 per cent of proceeds from sales going to the park. Next year

Tim Hortons plans to move the campaign over to the spring.

The first Smile Cookie campaign was launched in 1996, originally raising funds for Hamilton Children’s Hospital. Since then, the annual charitable

effort has raised a total of more than $77 million for charities and organizations selected every year by Tim Hortons restaurant owners. Recipients include local hospitals, community care organizations, food banks and schools.

Crews battle grass, power pole fires

Estevan fire crews received several calls for service last week, including some about grass/ wildland fires, a power

pole fire as well as several alarms.

On Oct. 18 at about 1:30 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a grass/wild-

land fire at a property just outside the southeast city limits. Crews spent a few hours on scene, as the fire went through a yard and

damaged some property.

While still responding to this call, at about 3 p.m., firefighters were called to a power pole fire occurring east of the city along Highway 39.

“Crews split off in response to that, they extinguished the fire there and were assisting SaskPower,” said Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies.

Both fires were successfully extinguished, and no injuries were reported from either of them.

On Oct. 17 at about 8:30 p.m., firefighters were alerted to a residential fire alarm that went off on the south end of the city. Crews responded and investigated, but couldn’t find a reason for the alarm, so it was concluded that there was a fault in the system.

Firefighters were dispatched to another residential fire alarm that went off on Oct. 22 at about 4 p.m. on the northeast side of the city. Crews responded and determined it was cooking related, so their assistance was not required.

The CCS facility captured nearly 220,000 tonnes of CO2 in the third quarter of the year.

From left, Estevan Tim Hortons franchise owners Mandy and Ryan Irwin, Mayor Roy Ludwig and city manager Jeff Ward participated in the Smile Cookie campaign cheque presentation. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Calls for

Estevan police have seen a further decline in volumes of calls for service and infractions this year.

According to September’s crime statistics released at the Oct. 19 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, EPS members had 549 calls for service in September, bringing the total for the year to 4,984 calls.

In September 2021, they had 666 calls, and a total of 7,503 calls for the first nine months of the year.

The decrease for the year is 2,519 calls or 33.6 per cent.

The five-year average yearto-date for calls for service is at

6,228, which means that so far this year, the EPS had 20 per cent fewer calls and infractions.

One category saw an increase on a monthly base in September. Crimes against property increased from 35 to 48 in September in comparison with the same month a year earlier, and have jumped from 221 to 266 on a year-todate basis.

Last month there were 25 thefts under $5,000, 17 cases of mischief/willful damage, two residential and two other break and enters, one theft of motor vehicle and one theft over $5,000.

Police Chief Rich Lowen

still on the decline for

said that there was nothing specific contributing to a spike in thefts under $5,000, however, the EPS keeps reminding the public to exercise caution, lock their vehicles and houses, and secure their belongings.

“We had a small rash in relation to thefts of things like copper wire that we reported through media. Other than awareness for the public, it’s really nothing that we look for. We did address some of the thefts that occurred and investigated as they happen and made some arrests,” Lowen said.

Crimes against the person went slightly down in compar-

ison to September 2021, from 15 to 13, but were up on a yearto-date basis with 114 such crimes in 2022 as opposed to 103 in the first nine months of 2021 – an 11 per cent increase. This September all 13 cases were assaults.

Criminal Code traffic violations have slightly decreased on monthly and year-to-date basis as well, from eight in September last year to seven in September of this year, and from 97 in the first nine months of last year to 76 so far this year –a 22 per cent decrease.

Four cases last month were impaired/exceed related offences, two were cases of drug

impairment and one was listed as dangerous driving and other.

There were no violations of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act in September 2022 or September 2021. There have been 25 so far this year, compared to 27 in the first nine months of 2021 – a seven per cent decline on a year-to-date basis.

Five-year averages for each category are 97.4 for crimes against the person, 247.6 for crimes against property, 91.6 for Criminal Code traffic violations and 34.8 for Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Special Const. Anna Volmer, who is the city’s new

police

bylaw enforcement officer, submitted the last report for former bylaw officer Morgan Prentice. The bylaw officer handled 66 occurrences last month, including 27 unkempt property inspections, 12 animal calls, 13 other bylaw concerns, 10 parking violations, two animal violations, one call about a neglected animal and one cat trap call.

So far this year, there were 1,035 calls and violations. Unkempt property inspections have accounted for the largest share of activity with 513 infractions, followed by parking violations at 189 and animal calls at 98.

V.S. Style Boutique  New address –Estevan Market Mall, former Ardene location

For online V.S. Style Boutique owners Oksana Sych and Irina Vlezko, opening a real, physical store was always a dream and a goal. This fall it came true when they opened a pop-up store at the Estevan Market Mall.

The move came soon after their small business’ first anniversary. In early October, they were able to welcome their first customers at the former Ardene space at the mall. The changes came with help and support from mall manager Arlene Stebeleski.

“Already last year we were asking Arlene if there was a way to move to the mall. We are a small business, so we couldn’t afford to take up

a big space,” recalled Sych. “And she came up with an idea of splitting up the space to make it more affordable for small businesses to come in as pop-up stores, and presented that idea to her employers.”

The project came to fruition this fall and V.S. Style Boutique was happy to be the first one to take the opportunity. Sych noted that Stebeleski not only helped them to get the space but was also working with them to arrange and fill it, providing racks, shelves and everything else needed.

Estevan’s Sych and Vlezko opened V.S. Style Boutique as an online women’s clothing store last summer. Since then, the business has visited every corner of the southeast, won quite a few hearts of lo-

cal fashionmongers and kept growing and adjusting to the needs of Saskatchewan, Canadian and American women.

“We started with two racks of clothes, and now we have seven of them that we take with us to different communities for pop-up stores at various events and places … We also purchased a van that we use for taking our collection around. We call it ‘our bus’ik’ [pet name, made of English bus and Ukrainian affectionate ending],” Vlezko said with a laugh.

They’ve been putting in endless hours the last year and reinvesting all they make to get their dream business off the ground, and now their hard work is starting to pay off. They have orders coming in from all across Canada

EPS releases information on fatal August collision

The Estevan Police Service has confirmed that alcohol was a factor in a fatal collision that occurred in south Estevan in early August.

Emergency crews were called to the collision on Highway 47, just south of the junction with Highway 18. Police said at the time that it appeared alcohol was a factor, and Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan has confirmed the person operating the offending vehicle had been drinking.

“The offending vehicle simply came across the highway, crossed the yellow centre line and struck the other vehicle head on.”

But the level of impairment likely won’t be confirmed, he said.

The driver of the offending vehicle was transported to hospital in Regina by STARS Air Ambulance, where she later died from her injuries.

The driver of the victim vehicle was taken to hos-

pital with injuries and was later released.

No further information has been released on a serious collision that occurred in Estevan during the Thanksgiving long weekend. The motorist in that collision struck two trees and a fence and was airlifted to hospital in Regina via STARS.

The EPS said at the time that it appeared impairment was a factor in that incident, too.

and the U.S., see some stability in their operation and are finally able to pay themselves some wages.

“We travel a lot, and that helps with growth,” Vlezko said.

But we also have our regular local customers, they call, ask, they are really supportive and that’s amazing,” Sych added. “We are really

grateful for that support, for our local customers that accepted us. And we are really thankful to the mall and Arlene for helping us.”

The owners hope they’ll continue with growth and stability going forward.

“Everything is possible, all you need is hard work, strong will and to love what you do,” Vlezko said.

“And we definitely like what we do and do it with passion,” Sych added. “And our husbands help and support us a lot.”  V.S. Style Boutique’s hours vary from week to week. For more information and for their collection that updates every week keep an eye on their Facebook page.

Cathy Jesse $1,500.00

Draw Date Winner Amount Ticket

Irina Vlezko, left, and Oksana Sych, who operate the online clothing store V.S. Style Boutique, opened their first offline store at the Estevan Market Mall.

Unique Make Music with Friends program sees significant growth over its first year

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The monthly Make Music with Friends program at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Estevan is nearing its first anniversary, and the progress they’ve made so far is impressive.

Anita Kjersem, who is a part of the fellowship committee at St. John the Baptist Parish, said they initiated this concept last winter and were impressed with how the idea turned out.

“It is the result of efforts by a core group of local musicians who just wanted to get together with other like-minded people who love to play music on a casual level,” Kjersem explained.

“There hasn’t been anything like that … And I

didn’t know of anything that was going on at that level like this.”

Make Music with Friends is open to the community and offers monthly jam sessions, which enable anyone who plays a musical instrument and likes meeting interesting people to get together and play along. Although it was designed as a dropin program, almost all of the musicians have been attending every session, Kjersem said.

The first Make Music with Friends jam session was held in December 2021. The initial gathering started as an intimate group of approximately 20 people, however, it’s now grown to over 80, with participating musicians playing guitars, keyboards, a saxophone, accordions

and drums. In addition to the musicians, the jam sessions are attended by singers, dancers and their guests. Kjersem said everyone is welcome to join them to play, sing, dance or just watch the event.

“Everybody can come and enjoy the social atmosphere. It’s open to all faiths and churches in Estevan and around,” Kjersem said. “It’s not a faith-based event. It’s more on socializing, music, fellowship and just making friends.”

Make Music with Friends is a unique opportunity to perform and watch others performing, play and sing along, enjoy some fine tunes and just have a good time with good people. The program attracts participants and guests not only from the Estevan area but also from many close and afar communities, including Bienfait, Roche Percee, Torquay, Lake Alma, Lampman and many others.

“We regularly get carloads of dancers from Weyburn, Wawota, Oxbow, Arcola, Yorkton, Melville, Regina coming in to visit, as well as Melita, Manitoba. We even had visitors this summer from Chilliwack, B.C., and Calgary, Alberta,” Kjersem said.

“It’s almost a tourist attraction to some degree. And it’s become an outing for residents at Hill View Manor, Creighton Lodge and the Estevan Regional Nursing Home. They’ve also stopped in to enjoy some socializing and music, which they love, that’s right up there on their number one list, with family members.”

Kjersem added that sometimes SMILE Services, which helps residents of senior living facilities come for jam sessions, ends up making more than one trip to accommodate everyone willing to go for the event. Not only do the residents enjoy the activity, but their families appreciate such an opportunity as well.

The event is open to all ages, and Kjersem noted that they see slightly different crowds coming in depending on the season, as well as on which day they are hosting the event. If it’s

a weekend, they see more families with kids, and if it’s a Monday afternoon, they usually have more retired people attending.

Musicians mostly play country classic hits, as well as many old tunes like German polkas and waltzes. Performers sit together and take turns playing. The co-ordinator develops a list of performances so that everyone knows when their turn is. Those who know the tune are welcome to play along. Musicians also take suggestions from guests.

“They bring their instruments, and we like a little bit of advance notice as to who’s coming with what instruments because then we will reserve a space for them. It’s at the front of the hall, and they all sit in, and they can all play every piece that is played, but specifically, our co-ordinator will give them time,” Kjersem explained.

Light refreshments are provided for guests, which is often supported by local businesses. The St. John the Baptist Parish fellowship committee is very appreciative of it. Kjersem also thanked the parish itself for the support of the program.

“We have to thank Father [Sathiadas] Anthony, our pastor at St. John the Baptist Parish, for giving us his approval. Over the pandemic, we updated our hall and we’re quite excited to show it off,” Kjersem said. “[We also had] a lot of support from our pastoral assistant Connie Wheeler, she’s another strong cheerleader for us.”

The next jam sessions will take place on Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 at St. John the Baptist Parish Hall at 109 12th Avenue. from 1-4 p.m.

“We just continue to welcome any or all musicians who would like to join the jam session, there’s no right or wrong or different level, just whatever they want to play,” Kjersem said.

“The afternoon is fun, free and entertaining. Please come out and make music with friends.”

The 2023 Make Music with Friends jam session dates will be announced through the Estevan Market Mall’s bulletin board in weekly editions of the Mercury, on bulletin boards around town and in other sources.

For more information or to register call Kjersem at 306-421-7538. Dropins are also welcome, so just bring your instruments and come play, dance, sing or enjoy the day.

Jason Stepp, left, and David Kjersem played live music at the Make Music with Friends on Sunday at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. Photo by David Willberg

New residents have arrived at Hill View

By Jeannette Betteridge

October has been an exciting time at Hill View Manor.

We recently have had a few new residents come into our home, including Alvin G., Derek K. and Sylvester M. Welcome to our home.

Many activities have been happening in October, including exercises, Bingo, card games, crokinole, bowling, a bean bag toss, shuffleboard and magnetic darts, to list a few.

A Halloween party is planned for the residents of our home on Oct. 31. This will be fun for all. We will be dressing up for our party, and there will be prizes for the scariest, funniest and best costumes. Lisa Kuntz will be here singing and playing for the party.

The last Friday of the month is loonie bingo, followed by wine and cheese or fruit juice for anyone not wanting wine.

Outings this month were to Walmart and Black Beard’s Restaurant for lunch.

This month has been great for live entertainment, which includes the Caragana Ramblers, Susan Shepard, Wilma and Val, Keith and Gary, Laurie Fornwald and Lisa Kuntz.

In October, we have three birthdays: Pat S, who will be 87 years old, Betty K., who will be 99. and Doreen G., who turns 96. Happy birthday to all.

An ice cream social will also be enjoyed by the residents. This is a favourite, with great ice cream and socialization time for all of our folks.

We are a licensed personal care home that provides all levels of care. This includes Level 1-4 care, memory care, end of life care, palliative care and respite care. Our Philosophy of “Aging in the Right Place”, provides residents the choice to live at Hill View Manor as long as they like regardless of their care needs.

Our dedicated team are kind, courteous and committed to making each resident feel right at home.

Always Time for a Music Lesson!

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P e r s o n a l C a r e H o m e • E s t e v a n, S K

5TH

Chargers fall in league fi nal, but coach says they should hold their heads high

The Estevan Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate

U12 Chargers came so close to repeating as the champions of the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League.

The Chargers fell 28-26 to the Moose Jaw Lions Saturday in the league final in Moose Jaw. Estevan held a 26-6 lead at half time, but Moose Jaw slowly chipped away at the advantage, and

they tied the game at 26-26 late in the fourth quarter.

Chargers’ coach Matt Schell said the team did everything well in the first half.

“We shut them down defensively, we forced turnovers, we hemmed them in. They didn’t do a lot against us, except for the last minute and a half in the first half … when we forgot to tackle for

one play and they took it to the house,” said Schell.

Estevan’s blocking on the offensive side of the ball was excellent, Schell said, and they had a game plan for the Lions’ tough defence.

Waylon Mantei scored three touchdowns for Estevan. TJ Thompson, who was named the offensive MVP for the league this season, had the other score. Schell noted that Mantei had some long runs, while Thompson’s running wore down the Lions’ defence.

Quarterback Ryder Mantei had some nice passes and the players were getting open.

Moose Jaw returned a fumble for a touchdown in the second half, and Estevan made some mistakes, but Schell believes the Chargers still played well.

“I just feel that our team deserved more than what we got out of that game. Our team was the better football team on that day,” said Schell.

The Chargers also had some big plays called back by penalties in the third and fourth quarters.

Each team had two possessions in overtime but couldn’t convert. So they went to twopoint convert attempts to decide the winner. Moose Jaw scored on their second effort, while Estevan was stopped short of the goal line.

“It was probably one of the most exciting football games that I’ve been a part of. It’s was awesome. It was crazy. It was fun. We fought like hell. We knew this team was going to be tough, but we watched enough film and we had the game plan.”

One of the Lions’ coaches came up to Schell after the game and applauded the Chargers on the strategy.

Schell said it was a great year. They went 5-1 in the regular season and narrowly beat the Moose Jaw Spartans in the playoffs.

“We don’t hold any shame. We hold our heads high,” said Schell.

A lot of players who helped the Chargers win the league title last season graduated to the U14 age group for 2022, and they had a couple underage players on the offensive line this yera, but they still thrived.

Schell praised Thompson’s selection as the offensive MVP.

“He was a superstar running back, and then he turned into a superstar fullback, he turned into a superstar receiv-

er. He did it all for us. He is going to be extremely missed on this team.”

Schell predicted this won’t be the last time Thompson wins a league MVP award.

“He’s one of those kids who gives you everything he has, and he asks for nothing in return, other than the ball. He wants the ball, and that’s all you can ask for from a kid like him.”

The Chargers will lose a little more than half of the 28 players to the U14 Oilers next season, but Schell is confident they will be a force next year.

Bruins drop weekend doubleheader against Melfort

The Estevan Bruins lost both games they played on the weekend against the host Melfort Mustangs. The Bruins gave up two

late goals in a 3-0 loss to the Mustangs on Friday night and then fell 3-2 on Saturday.

Riley Ashe’s goal six minutes into the first period gave Melfort a 1-0 lead in Friday’s game. The score remained unchanged until late in the third period, when Ryan Duguay and Tye Evans scored 44 seconds apart. Evans’ goal was into an empty net.

The Bruins had a few quality chances to get on

the board when it was a 1-0 game, but couldn’t convert.

Cam Hrdlicka made 33 saves for the Bruins. Joel Favreau stopped all 19 shots he faced for Melfort.

Owen Miley opened the scoring for the Bruins 4:11 into the first period of Saturday’s game. It remained a 1-0 game until midway through the second, when Zac Somers scored two power-play goals 56 seconds apart.

Election of Area Authority

As

Notice of Nominations for Members of Area Authority

The

Area No. 165

Public Notice

is hereby given that for a period of fourteen days after the date stated hereunder I will accept duly completed written nominations of owners or occupants of land in the area for membership of the area authority. The number of vacancies to be filled is 3 and forms of nomination papers may be obtained from the undersigned.

Completed nomination papers may be mailed or delivered to me at Box 236, Torquay, SK, S0C 2L0.

Date of commencement of the fourteen day period: 19th day of Oct 2022.

Dated at Estevan, Saskatchewan this 19th day of Oct 2022.

Narrie Lowe Returning Officer

Duguay added to the Mustangs’ lead in the third period. Kade Runke pulled the Bruins to within one when he scored with 2:04 to play in the game, and the Bruins had a late power play, but couldn’t net the tying goal.

Jackson Miller stopped 29 of 32 shots for Estevan. James Venne made 21 saves for the Mustangs. It was a penalty-filled contest, as the Bruins had six power plays and the

Mustangs had nine. Estevan had several players in the penalty box midway through the second period.

The Bruins were slated to be back on the ice Tuesday night at the Battlefords North Stars. (Results not available at press time). Then they will visit the Kindersley Klippers the following night.

The Bruins’ next home game is Oct. 29 when they host the Notre Dame Hounds at 7 p.m.

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL

Rural Municipality of

Whereas:

Dwight Monteyne, nominated for the

Councillor for Division No. 2; Malcolm Herman, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division No.4; Kevin Wallewein, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division No. 6 are the only candidate(s), I hereby

that

voting for the office(s) will take place on November 9,2022.

Dated at Benson this 7th day of October, 2022.

Chantel Walsh Returning Officer

Special

Waylon Mantei fends off Moose Jaw Lions defenders in Saturday’s league final. Photo by Randy Palmer of Moose Jaw Today

Chargers’ running back TJ Thompson was named the offensive MVP of the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League. Photo courtesy of Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football

Estevan plays host to top

By David Willberg

The local curling season began in style, as the men’s and women’s masters curling provincials were held at the Power Dodge Curling Centre from Thursday to Sunday.

Nine of the top over-60 men’s teams and six elite over-60 women’s teams in the province were in Estevan.

In the women’s division, the Bev Krasowski rink, competing out of Saskatoon’s Nutana Curling Club, defeated Moose Jaw’s Lorraine Arguin 6-5 in the final.

The Krasowski entry scored once in the eighth end to win.

Krasowski and Arguin were tied for first in the round robin at 4-1, but Krasowski was slotted in first place on the tie breaker and advanced directly to the final. Arguin had to go through the semi-final round.

Meanwhile, Gordon Bell won the men’s event, defeating Bill Weppler 10-8 in the final in a battle of two teams from Regina’s Highland Curling Club. Bell was down 8-4 with two ends to play, but scored two in the seventh and stole four in the eighth.

It wasn’t his first big rally of the weekend. In the semifinal, he defeated Eugene Hritzuk of the Nutana Curling Club 7-6. Bell scored

three in the eighth to tie, and stole one in the extra end.

There were a couple of local teams entered. Estevan’s Bill Kapiczowski opened the tournament with two wins on Thursday and two more on Friday to sit atop the round robin at that point with a 4-0 mark. The wins were 8-5 over Rod Quintin, 7-2 over Mark Walter, 8-6 over Weppler and 8-7 over Francis Schmeichel.

Then he lost 6-5 to Max Kirkpatrick and 5-1 to Hritzuk on Saturday, and 7-0 to Weppler in a semifinal on Sunday.

“We had a pretty good run of four games there on Thursday and Friday. Saturday wasn’t quite as good. I thought we played well in the fifth game, but the sixth game against Hritzuk, we had some bad breaks and we just got behind and we couldn’t get back,” said Kapiczowski.

In the semifinal against Weppler, Kapiczowski said they made a mistake in the second end that allowed Weppler to steal one and it snowballed from there.

He noted the last time they competed in the event was in Whitewood in 2019 and they didn’t win a game.

“To go 4-3 and finish second in the [round-robin] standings, we’re pretty satisfied.”

They were able to make

some crucial shots in their four wins, Kapiczowski said, which carried them to victory. But they weren’t making those shots in the final games.

“There are no gimmie games in this one,” he said. “ They’re all experienced curlers. I know there are some teams that went 1-4 or 2-3, but any one of them was capable of going all the way. You had to curl really well to stay in there and even have a chance.”

Other members were lead Lawrence Hansen, second Ron Rittaler and third Gary Cheney.

The Walter rink, competing out of the Lampman Curling Club, finished with a 3-3 record, which put them in a tie for fourth with Bell and Kirkpatrick at the end of the round-robin. Bell was awarded fourth on the tie breaker.

Walter opened with a 10-5 loss to Kirkpatrick and the defeat against Kapiczowski, but recovered to win 7-0 over Bell and 7-5 over Brad Heidt. He picked up a 6-5 win over Schmeichel to move to 3-2, but then lost 7-4 to Quintin in his final game.

Other members of the Walter rink were lead Gerald Clark, second Jim Brown and third Dave Wetsch.

The masters competition was supposed to be held in

Estevan in March 2020, but it was called off late in the first day of play due to

COVID-19 restrictions that were coming into place. Then it was to happen this

past spring, but it was called off just days before it was to start.

Elecs’ season ends in loss to Moose Jaw Vanier

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs wrapped up their season on Saturday in a 36-21 loss to the Moose Jaw Vanier Vikings.

Coach Mark Schott said it was Estevan’s best offensive outing of the season. The Elecs put up more than 300 yards of total offence and moved the ball well through the air and on the ground. Khalifa Eishein had a 56-yard run for a touchdown.

The offensive line had another strong game against Vanier, he said.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Elecs were okay, he said, but Vanier was able to make some big plays offensively.

“Vanier ended up making more big plays than we did, and that was the difference in the game,” Schott said

In the last few games of the season, the Elecs used both Tristan Tober and

Dorian Sifton at quarterback, and they played well on Saturday. Sifton completed a touchdown pass to Tober for the Elecs’ final score of the season.

“That was a unique thing to see, because it’s usually Tristan throwing to Dorian,” said Schott.

Tyson Czernick had the Elecs’ other score – a oneyard run in the first half. Estevan’s defence also recorded a safety. ECS was down 14-7 at halftime.

The game was the Tier 2 semifinal in the South Rural Football League. Vanier will now play the Swift Current Colts in the Tier 2 final.

Thirty-six of the 37 players from this year’s ECS team will be eligible to return next season. Their only graduate is offensive lineman Zack Goyette, who played just three games for ECS this season due to scheduling conflicts. When he played, Schott

said Goyette was a strong presence on the offensive line who added some depth.

Goyette did not play in the final game against Vanier.

“We’re looking forward to getting everyone back, and taking a step next year to hopefully get some wins and hopefully compete for the Tier 2 title or move into the middle of the league [standings],” said Schott.

The league is typically dominated by Grade 11 and 12 players, and the bulk of the Elecs’ players this season were in Grades 10 and 11.

“We had some Grade 9s play some key roles for us, so across the board, another year of experience and just developing and learning the game, hopefully that can lead to some better success overall on the field for the future,” said Schott.

Goldwings split games to begin their season

The South East Aaron Well Servicing U18 AA

Goldwings female hockey teams split their games on the weekend.

The Goldwings began with a 4-1 victory over the Notre Dame Hounds on Oct. 18. Bostyn Runge had the Goldwings’ first goal of the season seven minutes into the opening frame.

Meaghan Weger and Mazey Hillrud scored for the Wings before the open-

ing frame was done for a 3-1 lead, and Brooke McKinnon scored in the third.

Phoenix Preston-Winder was in goal.

The Goldwings lost 3-2 to the Parkland Fire in Melville on Oct. 22. Paytin Copeland and Katelyn Thackeray scored for the Wings in the second period.

Ivey Grant was in goal.

The Goldwings were supposed to play their

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Written objections to the granting of the permit may be publication of this notice.

state their name, address, and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objection(s). Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds, and be legible. Each signatory to the petition and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious or competition based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing.

Write to: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Box 5054 REGINA SK S4P 3M3

Pursuant to Section 62 of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997 the above advertisement shall be published once each week for two successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the municipality in which the proposed outlet is or is to be situated, or if no newspaper is published in the area, then in a newspaper published in Saskatchewan and circulating in the area.

home opener the following day against the Regina Rebels in Midale, but that game was postponed due to weather conditions. It will be made up at a later date.

Their next scheduled home games are Nov. 5 against the Parkland Fire at 7:30 p.m. and the following day against the Warman Wildcats at 2 p.m. Those games are slated to be played in Midale.

The South East TS&M U18 A Goldwings lost 6-2 to the Regina Rebels in their first game of the season Oct. 22 in Midale.

Lola Brady opened the scoring for the game, and for the Goldwings’ season, at the 6:38 mark of the first period. Jenna Emmel’s early in the second tied the game at 2-2. But Regina would get four more before the end of the game.

The Wings will host the

Wishing ever yone everyone a safea and happyand Halloween

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority

The Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, 1997,

The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997

The Ada Lacoursiere rink was among the teams entered.

Bill Kapiczowski, Gary Cheney and Ron Rittaler sweep Lawrence Hansen’s rock during a game on Saturday.

Prairie Storm on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Midale. Then they will visit the Rebels on Oct. 29.

Sharks bring swimmers to Estevan for home tournament

Estevan Sharks water polo club hosted their home tournament on Oct. 23 at the Estevan Leisure Centre.

The weather conditions impacted the turnout slightly for the tournament, but the athletes who came had a great time.

The morning started at 9 a.m. with the atom girls competing. The Estevan Sharks played against the Regina Armada Orange, as well as a combined Weyburn Hurricanes and Saskatoon Pirates entry.

With only three teams, the round robin consisted of teams playing each other twice, and then the top two teams competed for first and second place. Estevan placed third, but had well-played games, swimming hard each time they were in the pool.

Jennika Linthicum scored seven goals, Marlow Molstad threw in six goals, Blaire Wilson had three goals and Jillian Rosengren scored once. Meredith Knoll, Rymma Dubchak, Sofiia Dotsenko and Viktoriia Maydanska rounded out the team, which won one game at the tournament.

Midday brought the largest group to the pool, the minis division, which is for

athletes under 10 years of age. The Estevan Sharks had three of the six teams entered in the age group, and each team played five games. It was a long and well played tournament for the kids. The host Sharks had white, blue and purple teams.

Sharks Purple athlete Jaxson Ward scored 16 goals, Elijah Vanstone had five goals, Grace Trepanier in her first tournament notched four, and Ayla Smelt and Matvii Maidanskyi each scored once. Rosalie Horrocks and Simon Hall swam hard to assist their team to their four wins.

Sharks Blue had some hard-fought games and came out with one win. Jaxon Reinhardt scored 14 of the team’s goals, Eoin Jones scored eight, Brynna Sherling tossed the ball in for two goals, and Laine Petterson chipped in the last of this team’s goals. Nicolai Mitchell, Aksel Senholt and Jackson Prefontaine rounded out the team for this tournament.

For the Sharks White, Eli Sclear and Raymond Johnson both scored four of the team’s goals and Willow Van Sickle scored their final goal in their games. Sawyer Klotz, Gavin Tinant, Leighton Pet-

terson and Milana Dotsenko played hard in every game but the Sharks White missed out on a win.

To wrap up the day, the atom boys played. There were only three teams at this tournament with the Estevan Sharks playing the Weyburn Hurricanes and Regina Armada Orange. The boys played fast-paced, nail-biting games against the other teams.

They faced the Weyburn Hurricanes in the semi-finals and then the Regina Armada

Orange in the final in a backand-forth game that Regina won 10-8. During the six games, Carter Yunick scored 22 goals, Hudson Enns tossed in 17, Carter Smelt had seven, Dalton Maley threw for five, Samuel Boal scored three and Sawyer Bomberak had one. Langston Sherling, Sebastian Martens and Kade Herperger also swam and worked hard to help their team with their three wins and a tie in the round robin.

The Sharks U15 and open

players competed in their first tournament of the year at the Lawson Aquatic Centre in Regina on Oct. 15 and 16.

The U15s played with and against other athletes from Weyburn, Regina and Saskatoon on Oct. 15. The U15 girls were coached by Neal Linthicum and joined by two Weyburn players to round out their team. They played four hard and fast-paced games, coming out with one win.

Mahlyn Bomberak emerged with eight goals, Ryan Hoeving had seven,

Marlow Molstad scored twice in her first U15 tournament, and Jennika Linthicum came out with one. Weyburn players Maria Zaika and Sawyer Tollefson were vital players but did not score.

Keegan Mennie-Kindlein and Malcolm Sherling joined the Regina Armada White team. They played four times but missed out on a win at this tournament. MennieKindlein came out with four goals, while Sherling tried hard in his first bantam tournament and was rewarded with one goal.

The following day, Bomberak jumped back in the pool to swim for the Regina Armada Black in the open division, which is for individuals older than 15, and she scored one more time in this division during her two games.

Meenie-Kindlein swam with the open boys for three games and his team had tied two of those games.

“The Estevan Sharks are very proud of all our players that attended the first Community League tournament of the season,” the club said in a news release. “Congratulations on all that you accomplished this past weekend and wishing you all the best in the pool during this season.”

Bears win twice over the Mintos on the weekend

The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears won twice on the weekend against the Prince Albert Mintos.

The Bears edged the Mintos 4-3 on Saturday night to end an eight-game losing streak, and then beat the Mintos 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday afternoon.

Carter Onrait’s shorthanded goal with 2:59 to play in the third period broke a 3-3 tie. Carter Skarbon scored for Estevan

in the first period, Marc Belanger tallied in the second and Kole Keen had a goal in the third.

Kaden Perron stopped 34 shots for Estevan.

Prince Albert came out strong on Sunday and led 2-0 by the midway point of the first period. Evhan Allan scored for Estevan with 1:25 to play in the first period, and Blaze Gutzke tallied with 5:26 to play in the second.

Allan added his second of the game midway through the third to send the game to overtime, and scored the only goal in the shootout.

Riley Deck made 33 saves on 36 shots.

Earlier in the week, the Bears lost 6-2 to the Regina Pat Canadians on Oct. 19. Skarbon and Cutter Knight had the Estevan goals.

Perron stopped 21 of 27 shots.

The Bears will visit the Pat Canadians on Oct. 26 and the Notre Dame Hounds three days later.

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins had two close losses, 2-1 against the Regina Wild Friday and 5-4 against the Prairie Storm on Saturday.

Landon Marcotte scored the Bruins’ lone goal against the Wild eight minutes into the first period.

Keagan Carley made 29 saves in the victory.

The following day, the Bruins and Storm combined to score six times in the second period, putting the Storm up 5-4, only to have neither team score in the third.

Jordan Marcotte scored twice for Estevan, while Carter Beck and Ryker Mathison also scored. The Storm scored the winning goal after Marcotte’s second goal.

Ty Fehrenbach was in goal.

The Bruins (4-2-1) will

host the Swift Current Broncos on Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and the Regina Rangers the following day at 3:30 p.m.

The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins mounted a comeback against the Prairie Storm on Saturday at Affinity Place but lost 3-2.

Estevan fell behind 3-0 early in the third period, but Gunner Moore scored twice in the final six minutes of the game to pull Estevan to within one.

Jaxon Kuchinka made 28 saves on 31 shots for the Bruins, whose record now stands at 2-3-1-1.

The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins lost 7-4 to the Regina Blues on Sunday.

Cooper Hale, Owen Light, Mason Schmidt and Merek Wilhelm had Estevan’s goals. Easton Pushie had 36 saves for Estevan. Estevan (0-4) will host their annual home tournament this coming weekend.

The Sharks Blue faced the Sharks White in a game at the Estevan Sharks home tournament. Photo by David Willberg

Jayden Chernoff (27) pursues a Prairie Storm opponent during Saturday’s game at Affinity Place.

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Richard Garrioch, late of Estevan, formerly of Torquay, SK passed away on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 69 years.

Richard is survived by his wife Audrey (Bonokoski); sons, Andrew (Amy), Lyle (Amanda), Ian (Agnes), and Evan (Tom); brothers, Gerald (Carol) Garrioch and Don (Lynda) Garrioch; sisters, Karen Dieterle and Velma Mann; grandchildren, Kolton, Kenadie, Karter, Hunter, Hudson, Violet, Dawson and grandchild #8 arriving in February 2023.

Richard will also be lovingly remembered by his brothers-inlaw and sisters-in-law, Anton (Loretta) Bonokoski, Jerome (Bev) Bonokoski, Neil Bonokoski, Duane (Dunia) Bonokoski, Anna Marie (Ken) Baker, Delores Butler, Jeanette (Robert) Badley, Barb (Randy) Clauson, Bernice (Kevin) Bloor, Norma (Dave) Romanoski, Della (Rod) Kupper, Laura Erick and Angie Muir; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

Richard was predeceased by parents, Raymond and Lillian Garrioch; brother Bernard Garrioch; brothers-in-law, Lorne Wanner and Grant Mann; nephew Nicholas Mann; nieces, Tricia Garrioch and Josephine Banic; parents-in-law Mary and Isidor Bonokoski; brothers-in-law, Ron Bonokoski, Daniel Bonokoski, Allan Tenold, Rodney Butler; sister-in-law Susan Bonokoski; nephew Arlin Clauson and niece Lana Diane Butler.

The Funeral Mass was held on Monday, September 26, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C Church, Estevan, SK with Rev. Sathiadas presiding. The lunch reception was held immediately following the service. The private family internment took place at the Estevan City Cemetery Columbarium.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to the Rajput Endowment, Royal University Hospital Foundation, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W8. This endowment is in support of Parkinson’s Research or to St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (Palliative Care Unit), 1176 Nicholson Rd., Estevan, SK S4A 0H3 in memory of Richard.

Richard’s family would like to thank Dr. E. Tsoi and Dr. S. Tsoi as well as the nurses and speech therapist at St. Joseph’s Hospital for their excellent card. Thank you also goes out to all family and friends for the gifts of flowers, food and heartfelt condolences that were graciously received.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Richard’s family - Deb Heidinger, Funeral Director.

William (Bill) Barnstable

It is with heavy hearts that the family of William (Bill) Barnstable announce his peaceful passing on Saturday, October 8th, 2022 at the age of 87 years.

Bill will always be loved and cherished by his family: Carey (Heather), Curtis, Clark and Craig (Theresa); ten grandchildren: Shelby (Jaedyn), Jonathan (Tiffany), Joshua, Courtney (Ryan), Colton, Darien, Kieran, Dana, Carson and Eric; two brothers: Orville (Ethel) and Kirk (Anita); brother-in-law: Lloyd Redpath; as well as numerous extended family and many dear friends. Bill always enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and always appreciated the beautiful outdoors.

Bill was predeceased by his wife of 60 yrs, Beverly; his daughterin-law, Tina; parents, Roy and Susie Barnstable; brothers, Robert (Evelyn) Barnstable and Raymond (Helene) Barnstable; sisters, Gayle (David) Redpath and Myrna Redpath; in-laws, John and Lucille McMaster.

A Memorial Service was held at 10:00 a.m. on October 17, 2022, at St. Albert Funeral Home, 9 Muir Drive, St. Albert.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hope Mission, 9908-106 Ave NW, Edmonton AB. T5H 0N6.

A special thanks to the nursing staff on unit 15 at the Sturgeon Hospital and those who cared for him at Chartwell Greisbach, during his time there.

Vince McGillicky 1947 - 2022

Vince’s family sadly announces his passing at age 74, after an eight-year journey, which he faced with bravery and determination. He passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, Sask., surrounded by the love of his family.

Vince is survived by loving wife of 48 years, Sandra McGillicky; daughter Leigh-Ann (Darrel) Tessier; brothers: Leroy (Julie) McGillicky of Coronach, Sask. and George (Donna) McGillicky of Estevan; sisters: Eleanor (Laurence) Mack and Genevieve Fichter, both of Estevan, and Elaine (Barry) Newton of Victoria, BC; brotherin-law Lawrence Mack (Thelma Short). He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Vince was predeceased by his parents: Charles and Rose McGillicky; brother Joseph McGillicky; sister Mary Mack; brother-in-law Joseph Fichter; parents-in-law: Edward & Marion Slabick and brother-in-law Edward Slabick Jr.

A celebration on Vince’s life will be held on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. in the Taylorton Room at the Days Inn Estevan, with Shirley Petterson officiating. A time of fellowship and refreshments will follow. Dress is casual. Please wear your LA Dodgers, Boston Bruins, Saskatchewan Roughriders or any other jersey or t-shirt that you may have.

A live stream of the service will be available. Please visit Vince’s tribute page at www.hallfuneralservices.ca for details.

If friends so desire, donations in Vince’s memory may be made to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan (designate to the Allan Blair Cancer Centre), 200 - 4545 Parliament Avenue, Regina, SK S4W 0G3, or online at https://cancerfoundationsask.ca/.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Vince’s familyDustin Hall, Funeral Director.

Bruins reflect at annual meeting

The Estevan Bruins posted a small fiscal surplus during the 2021-22 season, according to audited financial statements released during their annual general meeting on Oct. 17 at Affinity Place.

The club had a surplus of about $11,000 for the fiscal year ending on April 30. The number does not include revenues from Game 7 of the SJHL final between the Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers, as that game was played on May 6.

Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic noted there were expenses associated with the playoff run and hosting the Centennial Cup. It was also expensive to play the Flin Flon Bombers in the league final.

“Our Games 3 and 4 to Flin Flon, that trip with three nights in a hotel and meals for the guys was about an $18,000 trip,” said Biggs. “We’re very appreciative of our sponsors and our fans for attendance and 50-50 sales, but there’s definitely a lot of cost involved.”

He noted the Bombers will also receive half of the gate revenues for Game 7, as per the SJHL constitution.

But Biggs noted the Bruins are in their best position financially in the five years he has been on the board.

“We’re in a good place, but that being said, we’re not going to be sitting back on our laurels,” said Biggs. They also had to face

financial challenges associated with losing virtually all of the 2020-21 season, and the restrictions in place for much of the 2021-22 campaign

The club has some fundraisers planned and is looking at options for their guest speaker for their annual Sportsman’s Dinner.

The Bruins also elected their executive for this year. Joining Biggs on the board will be vice-president Andrew Tait, Amanda Minchin, Cody Schrader, Aaron Ludwig, Stephen Truman, Garrett Lasko, Tony Sernick and Amanda Wanner.

Ludwig will be the team’s person for the board of governors, Truman will be the Estevan Minor Hockey Association board representative, Lasko will be the Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears liaison, and Sernick will be the city council representative.

Biggs noted that through Tatarnic, the Bruins are looking to further their relationship with the Bears and Estevan Minor Hockey, hence the representation on the board, as well as the Breakfast with the Bruins program and the high-performance camps the Bruins hosted this summer.

An update was also provided on the new overhead, centre-ice scoreboard.

“They’re worried about trying to install it without affecting any of the other user groups,” said Biggs. The new scoreboard is the legacy project from Estevan hosting the 2022 Centennial Cup.

Richard Garrioch 1953 - 2022

Melanie Tribiger Hearing Aid Practitioner

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Flashback –Wednesday, Oct. 22, 1997

Two young rodeo stars from Carnduff are among those who qualified to compete at an upcoming event in Las Vegas.

Piper Bigney, age 15, and Hayden Bigney of Carnduff, 17, will rope at the Mike and Sherrylynn Johnson Vegas Tuffest Jr. World Championships from Dec. 1-5. They will be

among the 840 contestants from different states and four provinces.

The Tuffest Jr. Worlds happen during the first weekend of the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.   Hayden will be in the 19-and-under boys’ tiedown roping, and Piper will be in the 15-and-under girls breakaway roping.

“We held 38 qualifiers across the United States and Canada to give our rodeo youth an equal chance to make it to Vegas and the opportunity to win their share of $1 million-plus in cash and prizes,” said Sherrylynn Johnson, the event’s organizer and four-time qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo.

Mike Johnson, meanwhile, qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 23 times. He noted the event offers barrel racing, double mugging,

All decorated for Halloween

This house on Prospect Avenue in Oxbow is among the many that is well decorated for Halloween this year.

Owners Curtis and Tracy Schnell love Halloween and like to put up a display each year to bring joy to others. They are also glad when the public drives or walks by to check it out. They even had their neighbours get involved in the decorating process this year.

Photo by Rachel Schnell

goat tying, breakaway roping and tie-down roping. There are different age groups, with 19U, 15U, 12U and 10U.

Each champion will take

home $10,000-$30,000 in cash.

“We’re the highest stakes payout in four events for youth in rodeo history,” he said.

Piper Bigney will compete in the breakaway roping event.

Hayden Bigney is entered in boys’ tie-down roping.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Bigney