Estevan Mercury 20221130

Festival of Trees raises big funds for St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation wrapped up its 10th annual Festival of Trees on Sunday, and once again the biggest fundraiser of the year for the foundation was a big success.

For the first time since the pandemic hit, the event returned to its traditional in-person format, and thousands of people attended various events throughout the weekend, supporting the hospital and local health care in all ways possible.

Lori Gervais, the executive director of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, said the event went really well and the support from the community was once again tremendous. She didn’t have the total for the amount of money raised as of Monday morning, but she said they might be looking at record-breaking numbers this year.

“I feel like things went really well. I feel like the auction went unbelievably well. And I think it’s going to be maybe even recordbreaking. But I don’t actually know that yet,” Gervais said, adding that the inter-

est for everything offered throughout the weekend was really high.

On Saturday, the foundation invited the community to join them for the Festival of Trees Gala at Affinity Place. The night saw a festive supper, live

and

Proceeds

“We’re having some of

the 250 finest health care providers ... And as great as this team is, their work is not possible without the generosity of this community we live in,” said St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort during the gala. “We have

about $11 million worth of equipment at St. Joseph’s Hospital and while the government funds a great deal of the operating costs of St. Joseph’s Hospital, they do not fund the equipment. That signifies the importance of Lori [Gervais] and her team and the good work they do raising the money.

“We are very blessed to live in southeast Saskatchewan, where the generosity of this community is simply unmatched anywhere. We want you to please know that this generosity is not lost on us, and it’s never taken for granted. And we thank you so much for all you do to make health care possible for your health care team in your hospital.”

Hoffort added that community contributions are put to work in many different ways. Raised money helps cover the expenses of departmental upgrades, a STARS Air Ambulance helipad, endoscopy units, anesthesia machines, CT scans, blood pressure machines and many other pieces required to provide quality health care.

Hundreds of people gathered at Affinity Place Saturday night for the Country Christmas-themed Festival of Trees Gala.

silent auctions, raffles and entertainment by award-winning Saskatchewan country music artist Codie Prevost.

from the event will be used for the local hospital’s needs.

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Estevan Kinettes returned their Christmas Marketplace to its pre-pandemic scale with 70 vendors spread across Wylie-Mitchell and Estevan Exhibition Halls on Saturday.

Janelle Luddington, who spearheads the Kinettes Christmas Marketplace, said they had people waiting to get in well ahead of time and about 300 shoppers made it through the doors just in the first hour of the sale. The marketplace opened at 10 a.m. and ran through 4 p.m.

“Our show has always been known for being the biggest one in Estevan before Christmas, so a lot of people will start their Christmas shopping here and some might even finish it with the number of vendors that we have,” Luddington said. “It’s good to see it being busy, and everyone seems very happy so far.”

The Kinettes Christmas sale has been running on the same weekend as the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Festival of Trees. The last few years, the partnership between the foundation and the Estevan Kinette Club grew even stronger, and the two events started running under the same umbrella. However, Luddington noted that while all proceeds from the Kinettes’ Christmas Marketplace will go to the hospital, they aren’t part of the Festival of Trees, as in that sense the two events are still separate.

“The proceeds from [the Christmas Marketplace] go to the maternity ward, it doesn’t count for the total of the Festival of Trees, but it goes to the maternity ward maintenance … and it will benefit the hospital,” Luddington said.

The Christmas sale has been running for close to 40 years now, first organized by the local Quota Club and then

by the Kinettes. It’s seen some changes in format throughout its history, but it’s always served as a fundraiser for the community’s needs and has also been a big Christmas kickoff sale.

The Christmas marketplace started as a craft show, then slowly grew into a craft/trade show with many home-based businesses involved. Luddington noted that lately the number of crafters willing to participate started going up again.

“Our goal has always been to be a craft show. Then crafting became less popular and we opened it to home-based businesses, and we became a craft and trade show. And thank God for Pinterest because people started crafting more, and now, we are getting back into being more crafters, but we still have some home-based businesses,” Luddington explained.

This year the Kinettes upped the number of ven-

dors to 70 from 49 a year ago, yet still had more on their waiting list. Those who partook in the event for many years were joined by quite a few new vendors. They also try to keep the marketplace diverse and interesting for customers, so that everyone could benefit from the event.

Luddington thanked the community for being a part of their traditional kick-off to Christmas.

“We always want to thank Estevan for their support. We can’t put this on and help raise funds for the community without people. And we appreciate them and our vendors for coming out and supporting us,” Luddington said. “It’s a good time and it always gives you that feel of Christmas.”

The planning for next year has already started, and Luddington said that even though she moved to Pilot Butte she plans to continue helping organize the Estevan Kinettes Christmas Marketplace.

hospital is inspiring

Kinettes Christmas market attracts hundreds of people Support for

Six travel packages, six decorated Christmas trees and an original painting by Michael Lonechild were sold through the live auction, conducted by Mack Auction Company, generated $63,500 for the hospital that night. Proceeds from each tree went to a particular hospital unit, while the rest of the money raised through silent auction, raffles, table sales and Hometown Family Fun Day donations are to be used for hospital maintenance and the purchase of new equipment.

The number of trees offered for the auction was lower than before. Gervais said they decided to decrease the offering this year, and it worked out well.

“We decided to do that just because it was our first

year back. The trees are getting more expensive to make and the last couple of years with the economy … they hadn’t done as well as they had in the past,” Gervais noted. “So we wanted [to have fewer trees] for two reasons: to make it maybe slightly more exclusive … but also to give it a feel before we go back 100 per cent just in case they didn’t go as well, but they went fantastically.”

The highest bid for a tree was $5,800 and combined tree sales generated $23,500.

Some of the items offered at the silent auction went for more money than they were worth, and Gervais pointed out, “That’s a perfect example of our community supporting us.”

Sunday was a Home-

town Family Fun Day with Christmas activities by donations happening across the community. The day saw Santa’s workshop, gift sleigh and a photo booth at Affinity Place, Christmas movies at the Orpheum Theatre, a Christmas swim at the pool, bouncy castles at the Church of God and milk and cookies at McDonald’s.

“Sunday was great … There was a lot of participation, the community seemed to really get involved, all the stations and stops seemed to have people hanging out and around,” Gervais said.

“And I think doing it by donation really opens the door to everyone, because we want everyone included, so that gives everybody the opportunity to go check it out.

For Gervais, it was her first Festival of Trees in the role of the foundation executive director. She tried doing a few things differently this year. For example, they moved the silent auction up from the main level at Af-

finity Place, and also used other rooms and places for the Sunday activities to allow the staff to get the ice ready for upcoming hockey games. They will later evaluate their biggest fundraiser of the year, and decide what to keep and what to change to make the event even better.

Hoffort praised the foundation for the team’s efforts in putting the Festival of Trees together.

“I want to recognize, and please join me in thanking Lori Gervais for her hard work as the executive director of the foundation. This was her first year in the role and she is really doing a great, tremendous job in pulling this event off after a two-year hiatus,” Hoffort said.

And Gervais thanked the community for their unbelievable support.

“It’s always overwhelming to see how people step up for the hospital,” Gervais said.

“Estevan Market Mall”

Hundreds of people stopped by the Estevan Kinettes Christmas Marketplace at the Wylie-Mitchell and Estevan Exhibition Halls on Saturday.

Grey Cup volunteer reflects on Regina experience

By Ana Bykhovskaia

A local woman spent a week in Regina volunteering and enjoying the Grey Cup festivities.

Caroline Saxon of Estevan has been volunteering at the Grey Cup at locations across Canada since 2013, the previous time Saskatchewan hosted the biggest Canadian football event, which she says is something every football fan should experience.

Saxon didn’t plan on coming out to the cup until a call for volunteers caught her attention.

“They were looking for volunteers, they needed well over 1,000 volunteers at that time [for the Grey Cup in 2013]. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, that would be absolutely wonderful. Because the Grey Cup was in our own prov-

ince and I love football,’” Saxon recalled.

She instantly knew she wanted to go to Regina to volunteer, but she also wanted to watch the game, which she had tickets for. But the only person who agreed to join her, at least for the game, was her niece Lisa Lukye. Saxon shared her experience with volunteering, and from then on, every year the two women would travel to the Grey Cup location to help out during the week ahead of the game, and then be at the stadium on Sunday, enjoying the event.

“We work as a duo, we work together. And it’s absolutely wonderful. When you volunteer, you get to be a part of the big picture. All these people that are there, the friendships that you make. People that you meet come from all over,

even the U.S., to watch the game,” Saxon shared.

Not only is it fun to meet new people and watch the game, but it’s also interesting to explore new communities. Their passion and hobby took them to Vancouver, Hamilton, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary and back to Regina this year. Getting ready to volunteer, Saxon and Lukye research cities where the Grey Cup is so that they can navigate the cities better.

“When we get there, people think that we’re from that city. They say, ‘Oh, you guys know more about what’s happening here than we do, and we are from that city,’” shared Saxon with a laugh.

This year in Regina, they started off volunteering at the Ramada Hotel, greeting people, and they got to meet a lot of the Winnipeg Bombers staying there. On Friday, they volunteered at the REAL District and then got to go to the alumni luncheon – a fundraiser to support former football players.

“Football players of yesterday, they did not have any safety nets in place, like pensions or any of the above. So as they got older, some of them were pretty down and out. So, what they do is they have live auctions and silent auctions. And they have a big dinner, it’s like $150 a plate or so, and they raise money for the alumni of yesterday with these guys,” Saxon explained. “And it’s so nice to see so many of them.”

This year at the luncheon they got to meet a lot of former players, including Saskatchewan Roughriders’ legend George Reed, who Saxon met before at the very beginning of her passion for football. There she also spotted former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“He was sitting a couple of tables from us … and there was no huge security or anything like what you see in other countries,” Saxon noted.

Later in the week, the two local volunteers got to work at the Co-operator’s Centre, providing information to guests, and then Saxon also helped at the NextGen Energy Street Festival on Saturday.

The game day saw the big football fans in the front row right behind the Toronto Argonauts’ bench at the 20-yard line.

“It was just absolutely wonderful. It was such a good game,” Saxon shared.

She added that even though there were a couple of minor glitches, the halftime show was beautiful as well. And another thing that stood out for Saxon this year was the reaction of guests coming to Saskatchewan.

“People from all the other provinces, when they came here, they could not believe how wonderful Saskatchewan people have been to them. They’ve always known Saskatchewan fans are the greatest fans and are so hospitable, but they also were just mesmerized by the venue that we had in a small town in Saskatchewan, in Regina, and that it was so huge that it could house everybody inside for all the events,” Saxon shared.

Next year Saxon and Lukye plan on going to Hamilton again for the next Grey Cup to volunteer, have fun, enjoy good football and reconnect with other volunteers, sportscasters, players and other friends they’ve made through the years.

“All the people that we’ve met from coast to coast have become such good friends that it’s like a big family reunion every year,” Saxon said.

Kinette Club looking for donations for PJ Project

Estevan area residents are once again encouraged to donate new pairs of pyjamas for the Estevan Kinette Club’s annual PJ Project.

Chelsey Istace, who is the chairwoman for the PJ Project committee, said they started to accept donations last week. The Kinettes hope to provide a new pair of pyjamas to each young person who will receive a toy through the Community Hamper Association’s Angel Tree initiative this year.

“We’re still going to need the bigger sizes,” said Istace. “A lot of people like to buy the small, little, cute clothes and stuff like that, but we’re always lacking sizes six and up.”

Pyjamas can be dropped off at Jenny Joans until Dec. 10. People can donate cash or support the campaign through an e-transfer at estevankinettes@gmail.com. Istace said it has been a popular option for those looking to contribute. She asks that people note it’s for the PJ Project when making an electronic donation.

The cash they receive will be used to purchase more pyjamas.

Istace said it’s important for people to purchase the PJs prior to the deadline so the Kinettes know what they have to shop for.

“Estevan does get sold out of pyjamas quite quickly, so we want to

make sure we know what we need to shop for, and get our shopping done as

She

for certain until they get all of the names of Angel Tree toy recipients. Last year they had approximately 465 kids on their list.

The Kinettes handed out virtually all of the pyjamas that they received last year, but they do have a few pairs left over from 2021.

“I feel like every kid deserves a new pair of pyjamas [for Christmas],” said Istace. “A lot of us, we have a family tradition that every Christmas, we get a new pair of cozy, warm pyjamas, and we just want to share that with our community and make sure that all of the children have that same, warm fuzzy feeling at Christmas time.”

Caroline Saxon with Saskatchewan Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther, who was invited to a private fan get-together at Craves and mingled with about 25 fans, signing photo cards and taking pictures. Photos courtesy of Caroline Saxon

quickly as possible, so that we can shop locally,” said Istace.

believes they will need 400-450 pairs this year, but they won’t know

The Estevan Kinette Club’s PJ Project has become a popular annual pre-Christmas campaign in Estevan. File photo

When Lisa Lukye, left, and Caroline Saxon were volunteering at the Ramada Hotel as hostesses/info, they had a nice chat with Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ coach Mike O’Shea and congratulated him on making it to the Grey Cup.

Caroline Saxon, her sister Victoria, niece Lisa Lukye and the Rider football legend George Reed from the 1966 Grey Cup champions. “I was in Regina with my class the evening they landed in Regina. The streets were full of ecstatic fans, and I was afraid. Never saw anything like it. We were in our teacher’s car, and we were swarmed with Riders fans. Then shortly thereafter, he came to our school with the Grey Cup. So unbelievable. I was in Grade 6 and now I am with George Reed hooked, hooked on that game!” Saxon shared.

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How long will we have to wait?

Slowly but steadily, we’re seeing progress towards a new nursing home in Estevan.

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It’s just it’s hard to justify slow and steady to people who have been waiting for the facility to be constructed.

The local nursing home committee has received funding from the provincial government in the past two provincial budgets. Not a lot, mind you, but some support. And the two sides continue to meet, with the most recent session happening in mid-November.

The government has been intent on having a needs assessment completed, even though the local committee had one a few years ago, and you have to wonder how much this one will differ from the previous version.

The good news is the new nursing home committee will be part of the consultation process for this new assessment. They had to be included. After all, they have dedicated so much time and research to this project, and they know what needs to be done better than anyone else. Their vision needs to be incorporated.

But it’s just another delay in a process that has been filled with waiting.

It’s been more than 15 years since the first meetings were held to bring a new nursing home to Estevan. At the time, we

knew that we needed a new building, because the current one was outdated. And it was going to take a while before a new nursing home was constructed and ready to care for our elderly people who deserve to live in a modern facility for their final years.

In 2011, the Hearthstone Community Campaign was created. Thanks to the incredible generosity of so many individuals, businesses, organizations and even municipalities, the campaign reached its $8 million goal in January 2015. It took less than four years to reach the objective and to enter the queue for a new long-term care facility.

We knew that it would take a little while for the province to proceed with the project. We didn’t expect it would take six years to allocate the first funding.

Granted, the government went through a considerable plunge in revenues due to the crash in the price of oil that started in the summer of 2014, just months before Hearthstone reached its goal. Had the economy remained at the level it was at in the spring of 2011 when Hearthstone was first launched, the government would have green-lighted this project years earlier, and it might even be completed by now.

And Estevan was not at the top of the list for new long-term care facilities when

Hearthstone reached its goal. It’s kind of troubling that there have been facilities in worse shape than the Estevan Regional Nursing Home.

For those who donated to this project, thinking it would be completed within a few years of their contribution, the wait has been tough. They want to see their support come to fruition.

For those in the nursing home, with family members in the institution, or those whose family might be in the nursing home eventually, the waiting has been even worse.

And the wait is going to continue. Construction isn’t going to begin the week after the needs assessment is complete. There are still a lot of hoops to jump through before the first shovel is in the ground. And it’s going to take a long time to finish the building and have it ready for those first tenants.

It’s frustrating for the staff, too, because they aren’t able to provide the level of care that they want or expect. Most of them are great, but they can only do so much in an antiquated facility.

You hope that the waiting game is going to come to an end as quickly as possible. And one day, we can look forward to celebrating the completion of this facility and the residents and staff having the building they deserve.

If you plan on getting a passport, read this

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Life has been playing funny tricks on me lately, proving over and over again that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

For about a month now, most of my plans have been finding their way to get me out of my comfort zone and shake things up a bit. The latest surprise came last week.

Now that the travel restrictions are in the past, yet COVID’s effects on all kinds of systems are still a thing of the present, most of you probably have heard about the difficulties associated with acquiring a Canadian passport. I definitely had. And as my Canadian citizenship certificate was on the way, I researched the situation and came up with a personal plan.

The options citizens have today are defined by their travel needs. If you don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon, you can just follow the traditional route – apply for a passport at any Service Canada branch and receive it by mail. The official processing time is at least 20 business days plus the mailing time.

I’ve monitored the discussions about passport processing times for a while, and it seemed that even though it’s getting better, it still may take longer than a month to get your passport this way, which wouldn’t work with my travel plans.

The next option is to apply for a 10-day passport processing. You don’t need proof of travel, but you would need to mention a near, anticipated travel date in your application form. You also would need to either go to a passport office or find a Service Canada Centre that offers 10-day processing. In our case, the closest one is in Regina.

There are also options for an urgent pickup (by end of next business day, done in a passport office with urgent pick-up service,

Ana

Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines About…

walk-in only) and express pick-up (in two to nine business days, done in a passport office with urgent pick-up service, walk-in or by appointments). In these cases, you will need proof of travel and will pay extra fees.

With travel plans in mind, but nothing solidified yet, I chose the 10-day processing route. The soonest appointment available was in mid-January. So I headed to Regina last Wednesday to try my luck as a walk-in.

The centre opens at 8:30 a.m., so I thought if I arrive by noon, I’d have enough time to get everything done, as the application process is supposed to take about 15 minutes, or so I read. Well, my assumptions were wrong. The employee greeted me at the doors and said the line was already too long, so they weren’t accepting any more applicants for that day.

While the centre opens at 8:30 a.m., the building doors open at 7:30 a.m., one of the staff said, and took a pause. So, I built my new plan accordingly – be there at 7:30, waste that one hour waiting, but hopefully save myself some time in line and get it done by 9:30 a.m. at the latest.

Thanks to my schedule, I was actually on my days off, so I didn’t need to worry about work. Thanks to the Value Village close by, I spent several wonderful hours enjoying treasure hunting. And thanks to relatives and friends, finding a place to stay overnight in Regina was easy and indeed pleasant.

The next morning, I was at the doors at 7:33 a.m. (My bad, I didn’t put time for

parking into my equation.) And guess what? I was 13th in line.

The line for the day was formed by 10 a.m., if not earlier. The centre was understaffed due to several reasons, and while everything was indeed nice and very polite, as I was observing the situation, my brain kept suggesting pictures from a Zootopia cartoon – the episode at the DMV, remember?

Once I made it to the application processing booth, it indeed took 15 minutes to get done. But it took me until almost noon to get there. And since I was “planning” to be done before 9:30, by the time I made it to the final point, my brain was collapsing from lack of caffeine and my stomach was singing serenades from lack of nutrients.

(So, we ended up having a good laugh when the employee was helping me with the application, as my stomach tried answering his questions before I had a chance to open my mouth.)

After all, I got it all done and will be receiving my passport in the mail in a few days. Hurray!

Conclusions: if you are planning on applying for a passport any time soon, don’t make my mistakes. Find your best option, come early, eat before you come and/or take some food and coffee with you (they did have a water fountain there), and even though the waiting might be annoying, try to have fun with it. The fact that the system is not working to its best, to say the least, doesn’t mean that employees are not doing their best or that you shouldn’t have a good time despite all the challenges.

Over this past month, the main thing I learned is when my original plans collapse, other doors open, and all I can do is enjoy the new scenarios.

Celebrate. Have fun. But be safe

David Willberg Willberg’s World

For many people, Christmas is their favourite time of the year.

They love the decorations, the music, the gift giving and everything else associated with the weeks before Dec. 25. Enjoyment can extend to festivities and celebrations.

Christmas celebrations are, not surprisingly, a favourite part of this time of year for me. I had a damn good time Saturday at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Festival of Trees. Proceeds went to a wonderful cause, too. The food, drinks and people were terrific. It’s all I would want in a Christmas celebration.

I wasn’t the only one who had a good time Saturday night, either.

I know this won’t be the last fun time out with friends in the next few weeks before I get on the plane to head out to B.C. for the Christmas holidays.

But when you celebrate this season, be sure to do so safely.

For those of you who are looking forward to Christmas, hopefully you’ll emerge from this season with happy memories. Don’t allow it to be sullied by something that could have been prevented, such as an impaired driving arrest, or something worse, because you decided to drive when you could have found other ways home.

And the punishments for impaired driving are pretty stiff. The fines are high. The cost of liberating your car from a vehicle impound lot aren’t cheap, either. The legal fees are significant. The demerits mean you’ll be paying more for your insurance in future years. You won’t be able to drive for a considerable amount of time. And if you wind up getting in an accident, well, that’s much worse.

Living in a small city like Estevan, it’s not hard to find a safe ride home. Now that we’re into winter, it might be a little too frigid to walk home, especially if you have to walk across the city, or if we have one of those extreme cold or wind warnings that we’re known for in December.

But you can still hail a cab (think of it as part of the expense for a fun night out) or get a ride home with a sober friend. If you live out of town, then perhaps a night at a friend’s place might be in order.

Police typically ramp up their enforcement efforts against impaired driving at this time of year. You’ll see them out conducting check stops to find those who are driving impaired, whether it be due to alcohol or drugs. They’ll check hundreds of drivers in a night and they’ll be at high-traffic areas. If you drive while impaired, it’s going to be tougher to evade the long arm of the law.

(Note: if you do see a check stop, please don’t post it on social media. You might be thinking you’re doing a favour for others by helping them avoid the short traffic lineups, but you might be helping an impaired driver).

The need to celebrate safely extends to New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31 might not be the grand excuse to celebrate that it was 30 years ago, but there will still be people out having a good time.

Impaired driving has long been a problem in Saskatchewan. Our rates have often been the highest in the country. We’ve had too many fatalities over the years, too many people whose lives have changed dramatically in an instant, either because they made the wrong choice or they encountered someone who made the wrong choice.

We’re getting better. The situation has been improving in Estevan over the past few years, although we occasionally get reminders that the issue remains.

The story is the same elsewhere in Saskatchewan.

Having a punishment for those who record the “warn” level if their blood alcohol content is between .04 and .07 was a step forward. More people decide to stop after one drink if they know they’re driving home.

I’ve had some friends who have been arrested for impaired driving over the years. They aren’t bad people, but they recognize it was the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. And they’ve resolved to not allow it to happen again.

I’ve never been arrested on a drunk driving charge, and I don’t think I’ve ever driven while over .08.

So let’s be smart and safe. If you choose to drink and have a few, be smart enough to find a safe way home. After all, it sure beats the alternatives.

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This Saturday from 9:00-2:00! @ The Estevan Market Mall

The oil and gas sector is here for Saskatchewan

The editor:

A couple of items in the Nov. 16 edition of the Mercury delivered some added questions and memories within my sometimes befuddled brain.

The editorial regarding Moe Money resource revenue, and the large turbine blade movement article, authored by Stephanie Zoer, were the subjects.

The resource-based money movement opinion piece triggered a memory I have retained from a conversation I had with an oil company president several years ago, but the thoughts he expressed then, I believe are still relevant.

And, I paraphrase here, of course, but he extended the idea that anyone who may have doubted the relevance of this industry to the province of Saskatchewan might be invited to wander through every hospital in Saskatchewan as a starter.

“Count all the beds, and while you’re doing that put a sticker (decal) on every fourth bed noting that this bed (and services) is being fully paid for by the provincial oil industry.”

He then noted with a chuckle the other three were most likely funded by

farmers, potash and coal companies and general corporate and private businesses, as well as the traditional taxpaying community.

The important thing, he felt, was the acknowledgement of the vital role the oil and gas industry played in Saskatchewan, even though head offices were most often located elsewhere. They still played the local and provincial financial responsibility game by the rules. I’m guessing they still do.

As for the turbine blade movement, I really enjoyed the narrative of the 79-metre wind turbine blade journey from Duluth, Minn., to Jenner, Alta., through southern Saskatchewan all in the name of adhering to new mandates for energy production from renewable resources versus nonrenewables.

Was this single turbine blade moved several hundred miles via gasolinepowered flatbed trucks or electrically-powered vehicles? Take a guess.

The company engaged is Quebec based, the blades are being manufactured in the northeast U.S. and delivered to Alberta. This extended trek and deal does not reek of efficiency in my mind, but I can only ques-

tion it, not necessarily criticize it. I don’t have all the facts. Perhaps giant blade building is a truly rare art that, so far, is only being done by very few manufacturers with none being in Canada.

How much did the delivery of this one turbine blade add to the overall cost of the Jenner project? The article stated another 125 blades are to be delivered. This will be at what cost in the overall transportation, time, permits, logistics and personnel scheme of things?

What are these huge, heavy blades made from? In other words, when the time comes to replace them in about 20 years, are they recyclable? Can they be chopped up using electric chain saws and ploughed into the fields on which they were located, to add nutrients to the soil that they oversaw for a couple of decades? Or, do these modern-day double dinosaur sized blades need to be disposed of in some other fashion, not yet determined?

The article contained a number of wow factors in respect to size and scope of the turbine blades and their delivery, and, I’m guessing, also a potential wow factor

in terms of usage, cost and future worth.

We can only hope these 42 turbines in Jenner Alta., will be capable of pumping out ample megawatts of power daily for decades to justify the effort being put into the delivery and assembly process alone.

Maybe we could and should build wind turbine blades in southern Saskatchewan?

Maybe we could and should devise a means to build them in sections so they could be delivered with some efficacy and later decommissioned in an environmentally-responsible manner.

Maybe we could support and finance already defined and refined carbon capture industries and resources to meet future environmental targets.

Maybe we’re already doing that, but the people who need to know, aren’t paying that much attention because they are distracted by the next new shiny object over there, rather than a homemade, sustainable, environmentally-safe future sitting right in front of them?

Norm Park Estevan

Bible Camp fundraises for new cabins

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Estevan Bible Camp celebrated their success, their members and members’ creativity during their second ladies’ tea fundraiser on Sunday at the Estevan Comprehensive School.

About a dozen tables were decorated according to various themes. Participants got to enjoy a festive tea together and then had a chance to get some Christmas shopping done, as many vendors were also set up at the cafetorium. Vendors also donated items for a silent auction with proceeds going to the camp’s new projects.

The themes were decided by table hosts – one or two women who are part of the board or just involved with the camp, and who took over decorating and inviting guests to join them for tea and snacks. Themes varied from winter wonderland to baseball to safari to cowboys and more.

The event started with a video about the Bible camp. Then camp director Ladan MacKenzie talked about what they achieved, thanks to the money raised through the last year’s tea, and also what they have planned for the near future.

The 2021 fundraiser helped the Bible camp to build a bridge across the ravine on their property so that they could start to develop the land on the other side. MacKenzie said the project is complete and paid for. And now they are working on acquiring all equipment and facilities needed for paintball – their newest offering, which will be set up on the north side of the riverbank.

Shawn Bissonnette, who is the camp’s operation director, also demonstrated another game they introduced at the camp, which is called Kendama. It is a Japanese skill toy, a version of a classic cup-and-ball

game, which Bissonette has an “incredible passion” for, as MacKenzie put it.

“[Shawn] compares his time spent figuring out how to play Kendama to a walk with the Lord – the more time he spends, the more effort he puts in, the better he becomes,” MacKenzie shared.

Going forward, they are planning on building new cabins, as the ones in place are smaller and do not always serve the needs of the camp. The old ones would be used for staff. Besides, with a wider program offering, they would need full-time staff to run the programs.

MacKenzie said the

past year, when COVID restrictions were out of the picture, was really good at the camp and they are looking forward to future progress.

“It was a wonderful year,” MacKenzie said. “We’re growing and we’re trying to focus on growth.”

Proceeds from the event will help the Estevan Bible Camp with their development plans, and MacKenzie said he was thankful to everyone who helped put the event together and who supports them.

“A special thank you to everybody who came out. This is an incredible event. It’s a lot of fun. I like being here,” MacKenzie shared.

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Winter Wonderland was one of the themes for table decorations during the afternoon tea fundraiser for the Estevan Bible Camp.

By David Willberg

Those who are looking forward to playing golf and baseball throughout the year, or just looking to have a good time, have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Estevan’s newest business.

Global Golf Plus, located in the Estevan Market Mall, officially opened to the public on Monday. Before that, there was a soft launch that started Friday and allowed many people from the community to try out the golf and baseball simulators, or to enjoy food and drinks in the lounge.

Owners Pete Sereggela and Rob Peloquin are pleased with the response thus far.

“Everyone’s excited and they’re having fun,” Sereggela said, while customers were busy hitting balls in the golf simulator.

Many of those who attended the soft launch were invitees, but others were mall shoppers eager to check out the business.

Global Golf Plus has four Golfzon simulator screens and two Strikezon baseball simulators. Sereggela emphasized the baseball areas are not batting cages. Participants play a virtual game of baseball.

“Within all of those games, there are other games as well. So for baseball, you can play a virtual game, or you can just do a home run derby or practise your pitching,” he said.

Estevan is the first location in Canada to commercially offer the baseball simulators, Sereggela said.

On the golf simulators, there are also arcade games available on any of the machines, and there are some adult hunting games that will

be available on two of the screens and are expected to arrive shortly.

The golf units feature a wide selection of golf courses from around the world, and allow players to try their skills against some of the most famous golf courses. A handful of them, such as Pebble Beach in California, are in the U.S., but most of them are from Europe. Among them is the famed Old Course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland.

“These systems offer you the full game of real golf,” said Peloquin. “They give you sand … matts and rough matts. We have a thing called a sling plate, which means your floor moves to the lie of the fairway or the rough.”

Sereggela said Winnipeg and Red Deer are the closest communities to offer this kind of golf simulator technology.

There was once a golf simulator in Estevan years ago, but the technology has come a long way since that time, Sereggela said.

“This technology is leaps and bounds over any other golf simulator technology that is out there,” said Sereggela. “It works off of cameras. All the simulators, you [used to] have to contact the screen to record a shot, so if you don’t hit the screen, your shot doesn’t get recorded.

“This has an automatic ball feed, so it saves you having to go up to the screen and grab your ball and use a plastic tee. It has an auto feed for golfing, so the next ball gets fed right up through the ground, so you don’t have to go up and back.”

When you’re putting on a traditional simulator, Sereggela and Peloquin said you would have to hit the ball hard enough to not only hit the screen, but simulate the

distance. With this system, if you have a five or six-foot putt, Peloquin said you only have to putt it five or six feet. You don’t have to putt the distance to the screen.

Sereggela said if a baseball team is encountering bad weather, they can come in and use the simulator for practice. And now golfers won’t need to travel to warmer markets to get a round of golf in.

Cornhole and other games are also available for people to play.

The business came about after Peloquin saw and tried out a similar simulator in Winnipeg. He returned to Estevan and asked Sereggela about partnering to open up a golf simulator lounge in the Energy City.

“My immediate response was ‘No, I don’t like indoor golf simulators,’” said Sereggela. “Then we went on a trip, and when I experienced the simulator myself, I was so impressed with what the technology was at, that I said ‘Yeah, I can see myself doing this.’”

The next step was finding the right location – a hightraffic area with enough space and adequate parking. The mall proved to be a perfect spot, and the mall representatives have been great to work with, Sereggela said.

The business has food and is fully licensed for alcoholic drinks. It’s a limited menu, Sereggela said, with snacks, appetizers, sandwiches and flat-bread pizzas among the offerings.

Even though the business is licensed, people of all ages can visit. A private room in the back area can be booked

for various functions and it will comfortably seat up to 15 people, Sereggela said.

Customers can also order in food from preferred restaurant clients of Global Golf Plus.

More than a dozen people

currently work at the business.

Global Golf Plus is open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, and 10 a.m.-midnight from Thursday-Saturday. The simulators are $50 per hour, and that’s a

flat rate for an individual or a group of up to six people.

The business is accepting reservations, but people can walk in and use the simulators if they are not in use.

A grand opening is expected to occur early in 2023.

Envision accepting gift card donations

The Envision Counselling and Support Centre Inc. is offering a way to donate that goes directly to help individuals and families who are struggling during the Christmas season.

Envision’s annual gift card campaign is underway, with the goal to provide gift cards to clients in need.

“Envision is always eager to connect with those who

have supported us in the past to request donations of gift cards to give away during the holidays,” said outreach coordinator Raven Daer. “We are so appreciative of community partnerships because we are able to do so much more as a collaborative.

“Our goal is to offer support and hope during the holidays to those families who may be struggling to get what

they need, whether it be food, warm clothes, gifts for the children or even gas for the car.

Gift cards help to fill the gaps that these families may experience during this colder holiday season,” Daer said.

Lynda Rideout, Envision’s executive director, said the agency uses gift cards from various businesses to disburse to people who need emergency help, based on their situation.

Clients may be going without items such as baby supplies or clothing if they flee a relationship without time to properly pack up.

They might need fuel cards, specifically to attend counselling sessions, when they are isolated in a rural location.

And particularly this year, they may be unable to purchase gifts for the Christmas season.

To provide support to as

many individuals in need as possible, Rideout said that instead of donating toys, gift cards provide individuals with more choices. The preferred stores are those with gas or grocery options.

There are three ways to participate in the gift card drive. Gift cards can be dropped off at Envision Counselling offices in Estevan, Weyburn or Carlyle. Please call ahead to make arrangements, Donations of gift cards can be mailed to: Envision Counselling and Support Centre Inc., Box 511, Estevan, SK, S4A 2A5.

A monetary donation can be made online at www.envisioncounsellingcentre.com.

Choose gift card on the menu option, and Envision will purchase cards to distribute during the holidays.

The baseball simulator is the first of its kind for a commercial use in Canada.

Rob Peloquin, left, and Pete Sereggela are the owners of Global Golf Plus, which is located in the Estevan Market Mall.

EAGM

By Ana Bykhovskaia

residency and a

exhibition focus on animation

The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum introduced two new projects starting in November.

Their Gallery 1 became a platform for the 8 Rooms exhibition, while Gallery 2 was transformed into a maker space for artist in residence Emily Ellis.

Maker Space residency

Emily Ellis is joining the EAGM for two months for a Maker Space residency.

Born in southeast Saskatchewan and now based in Nova Scotia, Ellis began working as an independent filmmaker in 2018. Since then, her short films have been selected and screened in several festivals as close to home as Halifax, and as far away as Barcelona.

She graduated with honours in 2019 from Acadia University, winning the Dr. A. H. Maclean Prize for Best Honours Thesis with her project More than Meets the Eye: Nonconformist Art during the Khrushchev Thaw.

Following that, she

earned a master’s degree in filmmaking and media arts at the University of Glasgow, graduating with distinction, and the Edinburgh University Prize for Best Dissertation with her project Sometimes Nothing is Heaviest.

For her two months at the EAGM, Ellis, along with her production assistant Chandra Hollands, will focus on creating and shooting Histoires Naturelles – an opera animation. The project is directed by Ellis and is done together with Mairi Demings, mezzosoprano, and pianist Zain Solinsky.

“[Mairi and Zain] contacted me back in January because they wanted to do an adaption of Maurice Ravel’s Histoires Naturelles [Natural Histories], which is a 16-minute, short, operatic cycle based on five poems … from a book of the same name by Jules Renard,” Ellis explained. “They’re narrative, character-based poems about animals.”

While poems are not moralistic, the animal char-

acters are very humane, Ellis said.

The two musicians originally thought about doing puppetry, but ended up choosing animation instead for their project, so they reached out to Ellis to ask her to take over the production. And she is currently creating the decorations and characters mainly out of paper maché and some silicon, to then shoot a classic animation.

For the project, Ellis applied for and received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts. She later reached out to the EAGM and found out they were looking for an artist in residence for the same dates as her project, so the gallery became her maker space.

“We’re using the gallery as a maker space. We’re building the sets here and in about a month, we’ll be starting to shoot. That will wrap by the end of January, and then a couple of months of postproduction, and the film will be premiering in the spring,” Ellis shared their timeline.

Demings and Solinsky are working on music out of Toronto, while Ellis is creating and shooting the video part in Estevan. Once the musical part is completed, Ellis will be doing the animation for it.

“It’s different than any project that I’ve done before, just because temporal boundaries already exist. Because the music, the phrases are already defined, and we’re filling them with action,” Ellis said. “It’s a fun challenge.”

Once the animation is completed, Ellis plans to premiere it in Arcola, potentially in Estevan and in

Nova Scotia, and then send it on the festival circuit.

For the next two months, Ellis is working out of the EAGM and the public is welcome to stop by, watch her work, ask questions and even help her with the project. She will also be doing some workshops during her residency.

“We’re going to be doing some programming, the shape of which has yet to be solidified. But we’ll probably be doing some character design workshops, and probably a little bit of diorama construction, paper crafts, like what we’re doing here,” Ellis explained.

For the workshops’ dates and times, follow the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum social media pages or check out their website at eagm.ca.

8 Rooms

The new exhibition at the Gallery 1 is named 8 Rooms and is created by Shirley Brown, Barb Flemington, Seema Goel, Heather Ko-

mus, Anita Lebeau, Suzie Smith, Reva Stone and Diana Thorneycroft.

The exhibition opened on Nov. 18 and will be on display through Jan. 27, 2023.

The eight rooms created by the artists become part of a virtual reality of an animation played at the EAGM.

“Anita Lebeau dreams a lot about rooms,” reads the project description on the EAGM Facebook page.

“Ones that are ‘new’ –that feel like undiscovered places, and yet familiar. She finds her dreams, and things within it, compelling, and it inspired her to do a project around the sensation of dreaming. For this project, she collaborated with seven other artists to create dreamscapes for her animated characters to explore. Her desire was for the characters to enter these spaces in the same way she enters her dreams: with surprise and curiosity.”

Eight Rooms is com-

prised of a collective of artists from rural southwestern Manitoba and Winnipeg. Each diorama is a dreamscape representative of each artist’s individual practice. The only set conditions each artist was provided with were scale/size and that each room needed an entry and exit, with even the latter becoming a matter of artistic interpretation. The goal was to give each artist enough creative room to bring their expertise and research interests to the project.

Lebeau visited the studio of each artist to discuss the approach and to learn more about each artist’s practice, which in turn lent to the final animation.

To see the full animation and learn more, visit the EAGM Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Also, members of the South Sask. Photo Club have a display of pictures from the different members in the front entrance of the EAGM.

Traffic Bylaw 2016-1963 Depositing Substances

remove any snow, ice or other obstruction from the public sidewalk adjacent to such property within twenty-four (24) hours of the time such snow, ice or other obstruction appears on such public sidewalk. * In the event that this subsection is not complied with, the City may remove such snow, ice or other obstructions at the expense of such occupants or owner, and in the event of the non-payment of such expense, such expense may be charges against the property as a special assessment to be recovered in like manner as and with the taxes.

occupier of property in the City of Estevan

This room by Anita Lebeau is one of the eight pieces on display, all of which are used in an animation now playing at the EAGM’s Gallery 1.

The EAGM’s latest artist in residence Emily Ellis is working on decorations for her animation.

Three oilfield companies excited to come together to create PRIMEC Controls Canada

Three familiar names in the Saskatchewan and Manitoba oil and gas sector are combining to become PRIMEC Controls Canada.

The ownership group of Estevan Meter, Virden Meter and Apollo Electric & Controls have decided to amalgamate the three businesses to provide more efficiencies for clients, while also transitioning to a brand that better represents the services offered by the companies.

The new name also aligns with their U.S. affiliate PRIMEC Controls LLC, based in Williston, N.D. PRIMEC stands for Programming, Relief valves and repairs, Instrumentation, Measurement, Electrical and Combustion controls.

A press release for the merger said the three companies have built a reputation of providing top-tier technical sales and services through highly-trained staff and strategic partnerships with world-leading product suppliers.

“Our new name better reflects who we are today, along with our intentions

to grow locally as well as across Western Canada and the USA,” said president and CEO Doug Martens. “While we are rebranding with a new name, customers can expect the same great people, same great service, same management and same ownership that we’ve been known for over the past 55 years.”

“This allows us to continue offering more competitive solutions and improved efficiency for our clients,” he added later.

Martens noted that the four partners who own Estevan Meter are also majority owners of Virden Meter and Apollo Electric & Controls. Virden Meter was incorporated in 2012 and Apollo opened in 2017.

The separate entities were created, in part, to attract additional partners into the business without creating any risk for Estevan Meter by introducing new partners into the larger entity. Now that they have attracted those additional partners, they believe this is the time to bring everything together.

“It’s become, for the most

part, a little cumbersome to operate as three separate entities when really we’re trying to function cohesively in the marketplace,” said Martens.

Some customers receive billing from all three entities, even though they were one entity.

“Hopefully … it upgrades some cost savings for our customers, that they can

streamline their vendor list, and now instead of dealing with three different suppliers, it becomes one supplier. They still get the same level of service, but they’re only getting a single invoice from a single source,” said Martens.

He stressed there won’t be any job losses from the amalgamation. It will create efficiencies internally.

An employee might work for Estevan Meter one day and then work for Apollo or Virden the next.

“And then we’d have to make sure that we accounted for that internally, that the cost of that employee got allocated to the right corporate entity. Likewise with trucks, tools and equipment, and likewise with inventory. We would share inventory as well.”

The inventory would have to be transferred and properly accounted for, which he called a cumbersome process.

“We had just simply outgrown our name, and that was the case for quite some time,” said Martens. “When we formed Apollo Electric in 2017, at that time it was sort of our intention that we might rebrand all of the entities together and have them renamed Apollo Controls.”

When they formed PRIMEC Controls in Williston about a year ago, the partners preferred the name. And when the meeting was held to combine the Canadian companies, the partners and management team liked it more.

This is also part of a potential growth and longevity strategy, he said. The company could expand to other regions in the province or Alberta and not be limited by having meter in the name.

PRIMEC will employ about 75 people.

The transition to PRIMEC Controls Canada will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. They will need to work on communication with customers and vendors, but will still be able to complete transactions as the previous entities.

“Internally, we have a lot of heavy lifting to do, because as three separate corporate entities, we had three different accounting environments, a number of different … designations in terms of safety, quality control, programs and all of those kinds of things, so some of those things don’t have to happen prior to the January 1st deadline and some of them do,” said Martens.

PRIMEC’s sponsorships and advertising in the regions will be slowly updated over time, he said.

City, RM and Sunrise Futures receive funding

The City of Estevan, the RM of Estevan and the Sunrise Community Fu-

tures Development Corporation (CF Sunrise) will receive nearly $1 million

in funding through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative, which is part of Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

The City of Estevan will receive a total of $680,166 to upgrade the intersection at Pine Avenue and King Street ($465,000), to maintain economic development capacity ($150,000), and to obtain a bio-economy development opportunity zone designation ($65,166).

The intersection upgrade at Pine Avenue and King Street coincides with the significant rehabilitation of the Estevan Market Mall. A news release from the city says the project will increase investment into the facility and expand the

retail options offered. This advancement will increase employment opportunities.

Traffic lights will be installed at the intersection, and an east entrance to the mall will be shifted to align with Pine Avenue. This lighted intersection is a crucial piece to the rehabilitation project and will ensure proper and safe access for motorists and pedestrians to access the facility.

“In addition, as the City of Estevan continues to look at diversification of job opportunities and industry in the area, it is crucial to have a point of contact to work with business and government agencies to move projects forward. This funding will support the City of Estevan in order to maintain economic devel-

opment capacity through continued progression and seek additional opportunities within the region,” stated the press release.

The bio-economy development opportunity zone initiative enables areas that are looking to diversify their economy, the opportunity to pull forward green technology into their communities and support the development of new markets for biomass energy.

The funding through PrairiesCan will allow the municipality to obtain the designation and, in doing so, build more domestic opportunities through local advancements.

The RM of Estevan will receive $175,000 in order to further develop economic and community strategies in partnership with the RM of Coalfields and the Town of Bienfait. These funds will assist in expanding economic opportunities across each municipality and work to expand community support.

This funding allocation is an extension to March 31, 2023, for the regional economic development director and team, and directly supports regional economic development activities of the Southeast Sask. Economic Partnership Inc.

CF Sunrise received $135,000 to develop small businesses in Estevan and region as destination businesses for the purpose of business retention, expansion and development.

The destination business program focuses on providing training to businesses

on how to attract new customers from outside of their local marketplace. Additionally, the program provides follow-up support and a platform for business-tobusiness networking.

Since its inception, the program has had more than 100 businesses participate and recently received the 2022-23 Award for Excellence in Innovation at a provincial event.

“The City of Estevan, Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5 and CF Sunrise are doing great work to develop the regional economy, from infrastructure upgrades to expanding job opportunities to diversify and grow the local economy,” said Dan Vandal, minister for PrairiesCan. “PrairiesCan is pleased to see the positive impact this support is having in southeast Saskatchewan.”

“We are thankful to PrairiesCan for their continued recognition of the value CF Sunrise provides the region’s entrepreneurs and communities,” said CF Sunrise general manager Andria Brady. “We look forward to continuing to support the development of our regional economy.”

These funds are vital to the region to assist in making local improvements to infrastructure and to provide professional services to new and existing businesses within our community.

Jointly, the RM of Estevan, the City of Estevan and Community Futures Sunrise thanked PrairiesCan for their ongoing support.

Estevan Meter, Virden Meter and Apollo Electric & Controls have come together on a merger. Photo courtesy of Robert Godfrey with Lemon Wedge Marketing

Letters to Santa to Sponsored

Southeast

Northwest Choruses choirs to hit a milestone

this year’s performance

By David Willberg

A musical tradition that dates back to the early 1970s is back this year, with performances happening on both sides of the border.

The Southeast Chorus, which boasts members from this corner of Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Chorus, which is comprised of members from northwest North Dakota, will come together for their 50th celebration of Christmas music.

Performances will be Dec. 3 at St. Paul’s United Church in Estevan at 7 p.m., and the following afternoon at Concordia Lutheran Church in Crosby at 4 p.m. This year’s theme is Where the Light Begins.

The golden anniversary edition of the concert was supposed to happen in 2020, but was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions and the associated limitations on crossborder travel.

It hasn’t been easy this year, either, with the ongoing reduced border crossing hours at the Port of Estevan. The Americans have been practising on Tuesdays, while the Canadians rehearse on Thursdays.

Shauna Meek, who will direct the concert along with Harlan Johnson, said the preparations have been going well but it’s certainly been different.

“We miss seeing each other,” said Meek. “We’ve already not been together for over two years, and part of being in the choir is the companionship that we share with the American citizens.”

A joint rehearsal was held in Crosby on Nov. 22, giving the Canadian and American singers a chance to see each other for the first time in nearly three years, and another rehearsal with everyone present will occur on Dec. 1 in Estevan.

“It actually sounded really nice. They’re really, really working well together with the different voices, and the people are pretty excited to be back together and singing,” said Meek.

There are approximately 35 members of the Southeast Chorus and around 25 for the Northwest Chorus. The youngest singer is 17 years old. The oldest performers are in their 90s.

Meek and Johnson said they weren’t sure if they were going to be able to perform together

this year. When the rehearsals first started, there were border restrictions in place such as vaccination requirements, and the Arrive Can app was still required. So there is a sense of relief in being able to perform.

Meek noted Johnson came up several times from Crosby to the Estevan practice to sing and help the male vocalists, then had to drive the long way through the North Portal border crossing to get home. A few other American members

have made the extended trek, too.

Johnson has been a part of the Northwest Chorus since 1985 and has been a director for many years. He’s also looking forward to bringing the concert to local music lovers for the first time since 2019.

“It’s a lot more than singing together, it’s the friendships that you make for as long as you’re singing here. That means a lot to everyone in the choir as well.”

As a member for more than 35 years, he has been part of the chorus for most of its history. He knows that it was all Americans when it first started, but the Canadians have been there for most of its history.

It started with the effort of Dr. Harold Woolfrey, a dentist and music lover who wanted to see Handel’s Messiah performed before Christmas.

“He just loved music, and he wanted to get it started. We took over from there. And it’s

been fantastic ever since,” said Johnson.

Typically the first half of the concert would feature a narrative associated with the theme, and the second half would be a variety of Christmas songs.

This year it will feature 10 songs. Most of them are past favourites selected by Johnson and accompanist Danielle Evenson. Meek said there are a couple of new pieces, such as a gospel rendition of Away in a Manger.

“Everyone in the chorus is telling us how much they enjoy singing the songs this year,” said Johnson.

There will not be the narrative portion of the concert.

A supper and birthday cake will be served after the Crosby concert, and Johnson said there will be special music and lots of special people this year.

The program might be shorter this year, but Meek said there won’t be a shortage of quality music.

“We weren’t really sure, when we started this adventure in September, if it was going to work out or not, and we’re really happy that it did,” said Meek.

The Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) has been approved for $100,000 in funding from the Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) Program through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

The grant is to help the PTRC establish and market a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) course, which will become an important tool for disseminating information and knowledge

about the important suite of technologies that constitute CCUS.

Since the Government of Canada announced its capital investment tax credit in the April 2022 budget for new CCUS projects, the PTRC said it has been fielding dozens of requests for both comprehensive and targeted information sessions on how to develop projects.

“The requests for detailed information on all the vari-

ous parts of the CCUS chain – from capture to transport … injection … storage and monitoring, and ultimately … utilization – have been arriving almost daily,” said PTRC president and CEO Ranjith Narayanasamy.

“We realized all of our accumulated knowledge over the past 22 years of CCUS research could be a valuable asset, both for ourselves and for potential client organizations.”

The course, which will be

based on a modular approach to instruction, will take core groups of presentations, and adjust them to the particular needs of individual organizations. Larger industrial partners may require broad and detailed explanations of all the components of a CCUS project, whereas smaller clients like environmental not‐for‐profits or regulatory bodies might need more tailored information for their specific areas of interest.

“It’s possible that an oilfield services company, for example, might only want information on how its drilling or monitoring activities relate to CO2 storage,” said Narayanasamy. “That would mean a course quite different than a steel manufacturer or a cement firm, which might want to know not just about storage, but about capture and transport as well.”

“Over the years, our government has collaborated with PTRC in various aspects of

its CCUS research,” said Dan Vandal, minister for PrairiesCan. “Today’s investment supports the logical next step of making that knowledge and expertise available to companies looking to take advantage of the new capital investment tax credit announced in last April’s federal budget.

“The CCUS investment tax credit is a key part of the government’s broader plan to work with industry towards the goal of decarbonization.”

The Northwest and the Southeast Chorus will gather together on both sides of the border for their celebration of Christmas music. File photo

By David Willberg

Saskatchewan Roughrider fans and residents of southeast Saskatchewan have long known that Teagan Littlechief is a gifted singer.

After all, she has been singing O Canada at Rider games for years. And she has been performing for fans throughout the southeast long before that.

But now there are fans across the country who know about her talent.

Littlechief sang O Canada prior to the start of the 109th Grey Cup in Regina on Sunday – a trilingual rendition that was in English, French and Cree, gaining lots of attention across the country before and after her performance.

“I couldn’t believe how big of a deal it was,” she said in an interview with the Observer. “I thought it was going to be the anthem, and something that was going to be … just another anthem for me. I never really got the publicity that I had with the Grey Cup anthem.”

Littlechief earned the opportunity in part due to her experience of singing at Rider home games, but also because a friend asked her to sing O Canada at Country Thunder in Craven.

“He had mentioned to me that he wanted to try to get me in for Grey Cup. About … a month before the announcement came out was when he reached out and mentioned to me that I got it,” she said.

At first she was to sing O Canada at the Grey Cup in Cree, and then it was going to be in English and French, and then it was in all three languages. The announcement that she would be singing was made Nov. 9.

“The Riders put in a really good word for me,” said Littlechief.

There was also an online campaign earlier this year to have her be the anthem singer, which was great, she said.

Littlechief admits that she hadn’t spoken French in conversation since high

The Estevan Public Youth Centre (EPYC) is seeking a new executive director.

Juli Dzuba, who was hired as their first-ever executive director in the summer of 2021, has resigned from the post as she is moving to another community.

In a press release, EPYC said they will look to maintain their programming schedule as they search for somebody new. Continuing their programming and providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for youths in Estevan will be the most important goals for EPYC as they navigate this change.

“We are doing our best to provide consistent programming for the youth of

school, and Cree isn’t her first language, but she has been learning Cree. Her Cree teacher helped her with that part of the anthem, and a friend in Carlyle helped her enunciate the French portion properly.

“Every time I would

EPYC,” said board chairwoman Cathy Welta. “However, we do anticipate slight changes to the events schedule as we seek to fill this position.”

Dzuba worked to build the foundation for EPYC over the last 14 months, and she said she is grateful for her time with the organization and the opportunity to create a unique space for young people in Estevan.

EPYC said it is still on track to meet its strategic goals.

“We’ve been fortunate to have solidified our strategic goals and have plans in place to move forward through these types of changes,” Welta said in the news release. “We are confident that we

practise one part, I would send it to them, and they would point me in the right direction of where I was supposed to be,” said Littlechief.

She was feeling more confident than nervous Sunday afternoon, she said.

There was some negative reaction on social media to the way she performed the anthem, including some racist comments. But most of the feedback has been positive and the best part was the pride expressed in the community.

She is a youth support

will find the right candidate to continue meeting EPYC’s goals.”

Information for those interested in applying to EPYC’s executive director position can be found through their social media and website. The EPYC board of directors wishes Dzuba well on her future endeavours and looks forward to meeting with new candidates.

EPYC says its vision is to be the space in the community where youths explore their passion, purpose and potential. If you would like to be involved with EPYC through partnership, volunteering or sponsorship, you can find more information on their website at www. theepyc.ca.

worker and addictions counsellor at White Bear, and she wants people to remember the importance of positive reinforcement.

“Since I work at the school at White Bear, a number of the little kids have been coming up to me and saying ‘Miss Teagan, I saw you on Facebook.’ ‘Miss Teagan, I saw you singing on TV.’ ‘Oh my gosh, Miss Teagan, you did so good.’ It’s been all of that, and I think that’s what I really wanted to hear.

“From adults, it’s amazing, but to hear it from the kids, who are the ones, they’re the ones I really wanted to show that hard work pays off and you can make anything come true. Dreams can come true.”

She expects this will help her singing career and Littlechief has picked up a number of gigs already. She has been asked by the Regina Pats to sing the anthem at a game in 2023, and she will continue to perform for the Riders if given the chance.

Teagan Littlechief gained national attention by singing O Canada in English, French and Cree before the start of the Grey Cup in Regina on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Teagan Littlechief

Juli Dzuba

SENIOR LIVING

Process underway for latest needs assessment for Estevan’s new regional nursing home

Don Kindopp, the chairman of the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee, believes progress continues to be made for the building following the latest meeting with representatives of the provincial government.

Representatives of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Ministry of Health and SaskBuilds were in attendance for the meeting on Nov. 14. Kindopp said SaskBuilds sent out a request for proposals, and BTY Consultancy landed the successful build.

Kindopp said BTY will provide project management and clinical advisory. The work on the document began on Oct. 1. Key parameters will include site profile, services, stakeholders, previous assessments and sources of information.

Key activities, according to Kindopp, include data analysis, population and more.

Kindopp expects the report should be completed by the end of February.

“In March, we will have an opportunity to come together and look at the options,” said Kindopp.

The government has

The Estevan 60 and Over Club, located at the leisure centre, is back to its regular operations, and they are looking for new members.

Gary St. Onge, the club secretary, said they lost quite a few members over the pandemic years. Some people returned after restrictions were lifted, but

granted the committee’s request to provide local input for the needs assessment.

“I think it would be safe to say that we know the needs of the community, and we would like to express those needs in terms of the options proceeding forward,” said Kindopp.

The committee wants to give advice on the location, the opportunities for innovative approaches to the building, and how it would fit into health care in Estevan and area.

The new nursing home committee had their own needs assessment completed

a few years ago. Kindopp said this document will have updated figures, demographics and other information.

“If you were going to buy a car three years ago, you looked at what you needed then, and three years later, your needs may have changed,” said Kindopp.

There was a lot of frustration expressed by the local nursing home committee at the recent meeting, Kindopp said. The committee has been working on this for 16 years and had the necessary funds for the building to proceed for almost eight years. The new nursing home commit-

tee had to raise $8 million, or 20 per cent of the estimated $40 million cost, and they reached their goal in early 2015. Donations have continued to come in over the past eight years.

Now they are concerned that the building could cost more than what was previously projected.

“It doesn’t help at the table to be angry, but if you have that anger, and that generates your energy and keeps you going on your cause, then that’s important,” said Kindopp.

Estevan MLA Lori Carr, who is the minister for Sask-

Builds and Procurement, was not present for the meeting because she had to be in the legislature that day.

She’s not sure if the new nursing home committee would have to raise additional funds if the project came in at more than $40 million.

“We don’t know exactly what the project is going to look like and what the cost is going to be,” said Carr.

If they do have to raise more money, that wouldn’t stop the project from proceeding.

“We’re on the timeline now. The needs assessment, we’re going through

the process. I don’t know if more money will need to be raised down the road. That discussion hasn’t taken place. But the process will not be stopped. It will move forward,” she said.

Now that the needs assessment is progressing, Carr predicted the facility should start to proceed nicely.

Carr noted the committee did a “fantastic job” of raising the funds, but she pointed out the nursing home wasn’t included in the budget until 2021.

“So, even though we, as the citizens of Estevan, feel as though the clock has been ticking for years and years and years, the first time the Government of Saskatchewan actually announced that this project was a go-ahead was March of 2021,” said Carr.

It was moving slowly at the start because the government’s focus was on the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the government has turned its attention to matters other than COVID.

The two sides aren’t expected to meet again between now and the March 2023 session. Carr said she would welcome the opportunity to attend that meeting if she can.

some have not. The interest is slowly growing, but they still would like to have more people join them for their activities.

“I think we’ve got about 45 or 47 members. At one time before the pandemic, we used to have at least 75 or so. And when I first joined, we had about 100.

So, we’re always looking for new members,” St. Onge said. “We’ve gotten some new members, but not as many as we’d like.”

Members of the club get together on afternoons during the week to play cards or shuffleboard. Canasta gets them to come in three times a week. Tuesday is the

shuffleboard day, Wednesday is the day of bridge, and Thursday is cribbage. They are also trying to bring in whist.

“We’re back working, we’re back doing different activities we do … It’s basically card games [and] the shuffleboard,” St. Onge noted, adding that if people don’t know how to play members are glad to teach.

Games are followed by coffee. There is a small fee per game, and members also usually run a 50/50 when they get together.

They also have other activities throughout the year, such as a club Christmas supper, which will take

place at the Beefeater this year.

“We have a lot of fun together. There is a lot of joking and laughing while we’re playing cards,” St. Onge shared. “And our president is also very good at decorating our hall for the holidays.”

Some people come more often, and others just come to play a particular game they like. Most days they meet at about 1 p.m. and are usually done before 4 p.m.

While the club is called 60 and Over, St. Onge said he was a bit younger when he joined, as his friend became a member at that time, and he’s been a part

of the group for about 18 years now.

The club’s hall is also available for rent. A few years ago, they applied for a grant and replaced the floor, and now the hall is in good shape.

“It’s a good place and it’s a fair size. So people sometimes rent it for anniversaries or things like that, and then they can use the kitchen that works well too,” St. Onge said.

The club membership for the year is $20. For more information on the club or to rent their hall, please contact Darlene Sylvester at 306-421-7820, St. Onge at 306-421-6113, or Elizabeth Olson at 306-421-5822.

The

to get a new nursing home for Estevan continues to make progress. File photo

Flashback –Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1979

H o m e • E s t e v a n, S K

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.

Westview boys came on top during the soccer competition against other public schools.

Front row, from left, Drew Dutton, Jeff Schoff, Terry Cunningham, Dean Marshall, Derek Colleaux and Brent Woodrow Middle row, Surgiss Arnold, Warren Gervais, Paul Daoust, Dan McKersie, Mike Romanyk, Scott Cotton, Troy Knight and Greg Greenfield. Back row, Mike Fowler, Colin McKersie, Warren Schoff, Jason Molyneaux, Roger Johnson, Jeff Hepner, Trevor Stregger, Ron Reider and coach Jim Kruger

Live theatre is returning to Lampman.

Approximately 20 dedicated cast and crew members have been rehearsing to perform Murder at the Opry, which will be presented at the Lampman branch of the Royal Canadian Legion from Dec. 8-10. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. each night. A supper will be served for the Dec. 10 show, and tickets are virtually sold out for the meal.

Capacity for each performance is approximately 120 spectators. Maureen Ulrich, who wrote the production and also serves as its director, said ticket sales are going well.

“It’s a very loose, comedic, murder-mystery,” said Ulrich. “It’s funny, fast-moving and we offer some music in it as well.”

The script itself is just a means to showcase the cast’s comedic and musical talents, she said.

“I do think the audience will be surprised at just how deep those talents run in our little community,” said Ulrich.

The killer is different each night, she said, and

the cast doesn’t know what to expect.

The production is set in what Ulrich said is Music City and they’re on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Some people provide music and others dance. They even have ventriloquism.

One of their cast members, Cherilyn Gress, has been part of every Lampman Community Theatre production, Ulrich said, and is involved this year even though she has long COVID. Her role is non-speaking, but Gress gets to focus on physical comedy, which Ulrich described as “absolutely brilliant”.

“We are just so lucky to have her performing with us, and I’m hoping that the play itself serves as a little bit of therapy for her,” said Ulrich.

The community theatre has been on hiatus for the past couple of years due to restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of people involved is a little smaller than usual, but Ulrich said that’s OK because the stage is small.

Law enforcement agencies across the province put a lot of time and resources into battling impaired driving and keeping Saskatchewan communities safe every day. Their efforts increase even more during the holiday season.

For our Arrive Alive special section, the Mercury spoke to the Estevan Police Chief Rich Lowen about their impaired driving crackdown initiatives planned for December.

Lowen pointed out they plan to enforce laws and reward drivers for obeying the laws.

For the enforcement part, the EPS plans to amplify their regular patrolling by conducting several highvisibility check stops.

“Apart from regular patrols, what we are going to

do for the month of December is increase our high visibility check stops,” Lowen said. “We’re going to be doing three high-visibility check stops in the area to try and focus on getting impaired drivers off the road.”

When they decide on the check-stop location, they try to be at spots where they get good coverage for the city.

While the EPS doesn’t announce details, such as dates and times for the high-visibility stops, Lowen said the public will see one occurring in Estevan on New Year’s Eve for sure.

On the other hand, local police officers will be out doing positive ticketing in December, to reward the drivers that make the right choices.

“We’ll have the Estevan

Bears [U18 hockey team] helping us … they’re going to be out with us one night handing out some rewards for people that are driving responsibly,” Lowen explained. “And we’ll also work in conjunction with MADD [Mothers Against Drunk Driving] and we’ll have them out on some of our check-stops as well.”

While a lot is done to get impaired drivers off the roads on a regular basis, Lowen noted that it still remains a serious problem.

“It’s always a concern. Impaired driving is never something that we ignore, it’s always something that we want to pay attention to,” Lowen said.

He added that the impaired driving statistics for Estevan have been slightly down lately, which is good

to see. But there are some negative tendencies that he notices as well.

“What’s more concerning is you start seeing impairment by drugs going up a little bit. So we want to make sure we are getting the message out there. Whether it’s [impairment] through alcohol or drugs, make sure you don’t drive.

“If you have been drinking or taking any kind of substance, or even are tired or fatigued, make sure you find a different way.

“Find a way home through a cab, or find a way home through a friend, or spend the night where you need to. Be safe,” Lowen said.

“And make sure everybody is safe for the holiday season. Be responsible if you’re drinking.”

The

fundraiser for the Lampman legion. Ulrich said they want to support the organization because it offers the only hall in the town, outside of the Lampman School gymnasium.

“The legion has a few volunteers and a few members, and they work so hard to keep that building open in memory of people who sacrificed their lives, and we should never lose track of that,” Ulrich said.

The idea for the show came after Ulrich made a couple of trips to Nashville and thought the Opry stage would be a great place to set a play. She’s not a country music fan, but she knows many enjoy the genre.

“We’re having a lot of fun. It’s great because we bring together different people who normally wouldn’t know one another or hang out with one another, and they’re just so great and so accepting of one another. It’s a real family,” she said. Anyone looking for tickets is asked to contact Ulrich at 306-487-7512.

Police Chief Richard Lowen

“Our cast is very hardworking, very dedicated. They get along very well.

They overlook each other’s missteps. And there are a few of them when you’re working on that small of a stage.”

production is a

From left, Tamara Franklin, Cornelia Michaelsen, Damyen Seeman and Doris Trobert are part of the cast for Murder at the Opry. Photo courtesy of Maureen Ulrich

ECS senior girls reach quarter-finals at provincials

The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS)

Elecs senior girls’ volleyball team made it to the quarter-final round at the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s provincial 5A championship on the weekend in Balgonie.

The senior girls went 1-4 during the competition. Their first game was a 2-0 (25-9, 25-19) loss to Prince Albert St. Mary. Estevan then lost 2-0 (25-19, 25-15) to Regina Miller and 2-0 (25-9, 25-19) to Saskatoon St. Joseph to go 0-3 in their games on Friday.

Estevan’s first game Saturday was against Regina LeBoldus, with the winner of that game earning the No. 4 seed and advancing to the playoffs. The Elecs came through with a 2-0 (25-21, 25-21) victory.

“We finally found our

groove as we struggled a bit with the mental game on Friday, but then proved we earned our spot at provincials on Saturday,” said

The Elecs’ tournament came to an end in a 2-0 (25-16, 25-14) loss to Saskatoon Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon. Holy Cross went on to win the provincial tournament.

“ECS performed their best against Holy Cross and we gave them a few scares during our match,” said Franklin.

She believes all teams played up to their potential against ECS, as those teams committed fewer errors against the Elecs.

“Our girls trained and worked hard for their first experience at that level, and we are all extremely proud of each and every one of our players,” said Franklin.

“A fantastic and memorable season and we thank all of our parents and surrounding community for their wonderful support for helping us achieve our goals.”

This was the Elecs’ first appearance at senior girls’ volleyball provincials in more than a decade.

The Carnduff Education Complex Tigers made it to the quarter-final round at the 3A boys’ provincial tournament in Assiniboia.

Carnduff opened the tournament with a 2-0 (2522, 25-20) loss to the host Assiniboia team, who went on to win the provincial tournament. The Tigers recovered to beat Regina Christian School 2-0 (2624, 26-24). Their next game was a 2-1 (24-26, 25-20, 15-7) defeat against Saskatoon Christian School.

The Tigers closed out the round robin with a convincing 2-0 (25-8, 2512) victory over Outlook. Their tournament came to an end Saturday afternoon in a 2-0 (25-22, 2523) loss to Unity.

Southeast football players join Selects teams

Three players from Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football were part of the Sask. Selects team that competed at the One & Only Football Tournament in Las Vegas during the American Thanksgiving long weekend.

It’s a large tournament with divisions as young as six-and-under, right on up to varsity (high school) age. Several teams from Canada and Mexico joined entries from California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas and Alaska.

Three local athletes travelled to the tournament: Dane Tober and Mason Lesy, who played this fall for the Estevan Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate U12 Chargers, and Dane Hogg, a member of the Estevan Lions Club U14 Oilers.

They participated in a summer tryout/skills camp put on by the Sask. Selects,

and were asked to join the Vegas tournament rosters. Training began as soon as minor football playoffs wrapped up and continued every weekend in November at the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw.

Hogg and the U13 Selects faced the Las Vegas Sun Devils in their first game of the tournament. The teamwork, talent and athleticism of the Sun Devils were impressive, and the Selects could not contain them. The Selects lost and dropped down to the consolation bracket.

They played a team from Bakersfield, Calif., in a more evenly matched and entertaining battle. Hogg, at middle linebacker, played a strong game. The Selects won in what was their last game of the tournament.

Tober, Lesy and the U10 Selects squared off first with

the Antelope Valley ‘Lopes from California. The ‘Lopes were more physically ag-

gressive than what the Canadian players were used to, but the Selects rose to the

challenge quickly and managed to win the game. This victory kept them in the top

bracket and secured them another two games.

The second game, against the Las Vegas Knights, was another tough, gritty game. The Selects had many good runs and plays, but lost this match, dropping them out of championship contention and into the consolation bracket.

The third game was a matchup with the Anchorage Cowboys from Alaska. This was a back-and-forth game, with the Cowboys winning by a touchdown.

Lesy played on the defensive line at nose tackle for the tournament, while Tober was on the offensive line at right tackle.

In the coming months, Hogg, Lesy and Tober will join several more Estevan players as they continue to train with the Sask. Selects for the Pigskin Classic in San Antonio in February 2023.

Estevan Bears drop a close game in Moose Jaw

The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears returned to the ice Thursday night in a 3-2 loss to the host Moose Jaw Warriors.

Carter Tuplin opened the scoring for the Bears with 11 seconds to play in the first period. Moose Jaw tied the game in the second, and it remained a 1-1 game until Evhan Allan’s goal with 3:27 to play in the middle frame put Estevan back in the lead.

The Warriors tied the game again in the third, and then Liam Fitzpatrick – the younger brother of former Estevan Bruin forward Caelan Fitzpatrick – notched the winner with 7:26 to play in the game.

Kaden Perron made 36 saves for Estevan.

The Bears (6-11-0-3) will be back on the ice on Nov. 30 when they visit the Notre Dame Hounds.

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins routed the Notre Dame Argos 7-0 on Thursday night in Wilcox.

Ryker Mathison opened the scoring midway through the first period, and Sutter Baily added to the lead 2 1/2 minutes later.

Lucas Campbell scored 1:41 into the second for Estevan, and Kobe Wotta made it a 4-0 game when he scored with three seconds to play in the middle frame.

In the third, Campbell and Baily added their second goals of the game, and Tayson Deitze also scored.

Ty Fehrenbach stopped all 13 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

Estevan (13-3-1) will host the Argos Dec. 4 at 12:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.

The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins went 2-3 at the Winnipeg Jets U15 AAA Classic in the Manitoba capital on the weekend.

Estevan opened the tournament with an 8-2 loss to Manitoba’s Eastman Selects. Gunner Moore and Austin Sawatzky had the goals for Estevan. The markers came 31 seconds apart in the second period.

Their next game was a 5-4 loss to the Maple Leaf Athletic Club in

Edmonton. Reese Copeland opened the scoring for Estevan, but the Athletic Club entry scored the next four. A goal by Porter Crossman and two by Boston Tait left Estevan down 5-4 with 5:48 to play in the third, but the Bruins couldn’t notch the tying goal.

The Bruins’ first victory was a 4-1 decision over the Winnipeg Bruins Brown – one of the top teams in Winnipeg’s U15 AAA Hockey League. Nathan Gardiner opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 43 seconds to play in the first. Winnipeg tied the game early in the second, but Tait notched what proved to be the winner just over a minute later.

Sawatzky and Gardiner added goals in the third.

The Bruins concluded the round robin with a 6-2 loss to one of their league foes, the Northwest Stars. The Stars scored five times in the last 10 minutes of the first period. Tait and Grayson Brock had the Estevan goals.

The Bruins finished the tournament with a 4-3, come-from-behind victory over the Pembina Valley Hawks. The Hawks led 3-2 entering the final minute, but Tait scored with 37 seconds to play in the third, and Tristan Browridge notched the winner with 12 seconds to play.

Gunner Moore and Gardiner also scored.

Jaxon Kuchinka was in goal against the Selects, Bruins Brown and the Stars, while Quintin Sliva was the goalie versus the Maple Leaf Athletic Club and the Hawks.

The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins dropped a 10-3 decision to the Regina Mustangs Saturday at the Power Dodge Arena. Mason Schmidt, Logan Hunt and Tayson Tangjerd had Estevan’s goals. Nathan Quennelle and Easton Pushie shared goaltending duties for the Bruins.

The Bruins will visit the Lumsden Lions on Dec. 2, the Regina Royals on Dec. 3 and the Regina Tigers on Dec. 4.

Elecs head coach Tamara Franklin. “LeBoldus was a team that was determined at not letting the ball hit the ground, but we pushed

through by making sure we used our middles and outside hitters to take advantage of the opposition’s court.”

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs’ senior girls volleyball team was at provincials for the first time in over a decade. Photo courtesy of Tamara Franklin

Mason Lesy (56), Dane Hogg (34) and Dane Tober (67) played for the Sask. Selects in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of Heather Tober

play

The Estevan Southland Pulse U15 A Bearcats female hockey team went 1-2 in games played over a seven-day span.

Estevan won 7-1 over the Weyburn Goldwings 1 on Nov. 21 in Midale.

Sailor Cowan scored twice in the opening 14 minutes of the game, and Brianna Fleck and Dannie Eaton also scored early on.

Miley Lockerby added a goal in the second, and Kaybree Fonstad and Elizabeth Fornwald scored in the third.

The Bearcats lost 4-3 to the Regina Rebels White on Nov. 26. Fornwald, Ryleigh Snell and Halle Lozinsky scored for Estevan.

Estevan then lost 4-1 to the Parkland Fire the following day. Fonstad opened the scoring in the game.

Kayla Mitchell was in goal for all three contests.

The Bearcats (2-3-1) will be back on the ice on Dec. 3 when they host the Regina Rebels Gold at 1 p.m. at the Bienfait Memorial Arena.

The two southeast teams in the U18 A division were on road trips through

southern Saskatchewan this past weekend. The Carlyle Wildcats lost 6-4 to the Wood River Ice Cats in Lafleche on Nov. 25 and 8-2 to the Southwest Cyclones the following day in Gull Lake.

Kasenya Einarson scored twice for Carlyle in Lafleche, and Presley Graham and Jaycee Gervais had the other Carlyle goals. The Wildcats were down 4-0 after the first period, fought back to trail 5-4 early in the third, but then Wood River pulled away again.

The following day, Paige DuPerrier and Einarson scored for the Wildcats.

Riley Scott was in goal for both games.

The Wildcats (1-4) will visit the Prairie Storm on Dec. 3 in Balgonie and host the Balcarres Barracudas the following day at the Carlyle Sports Reena at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, the South East TS&M U18 A Gold Wings lost 4-2 to the Cyclones on Nov. 25 and 8-3 to the Ice Cats the next day.

Kallie MacMillan and Brielle Farr scored for the Wings against the Cyclones.

Lola Brady, Jenna Em-

mel and Alyssa Schweigert had the goals versus the Ice Cats. It was a scoreless game until Brady opened the scoring 2:11 into the second period.

Kaley Martin was in goal versus the Cyclones, and Kailyn McFadden was the netminder versus the Ice Cats.

The Gold Wings (1-7)

The Big Six Hockey League had a full slate of nine games on the weekend.

The Carnduff Red Devils went into Carlyle and doubled up the Cougars 6-3 in a game between two teams that were unbeaten heading into the contest.

Cooper Fox opened the scoring for Carlyle, but Matthew Plews scored twice in the first and added another in the second, while Brandon Task also scored in the middle frame to give the Red Devils a 4-1 lead through two periods.

Justin Hollinger and Tanner Reynolds scored for Carnduff in the third, while Jon Gaudet and Austin Bourhis had goals for Carlyle in the final frame.

Cody Dumaine was in goal for Carnduff, and Ryan Kulyk and Zane Winter shared Carlyle’s goaltending duties.

Also on Friday, the Moosomin Rangers upended the Bienfait Coalers 8-3. Ryan Curzon and Jordan Ross scored for Bienfait in the opening three minutes of the game, but then Moosomin took over with three goals by Carter Sawchuk, two by Dawson Springer, and individual markers by Drayson Skulmoski, Bud Holloway and Monty Driver.

Wyatt Garagan had Bienfait’s other goal.

Kyler Beckett (Moosomin) and Colin Quennelle (Bienfait) were the goalies.

The Wawota Flyers defeated the Arcola-Kisbey

Combines 12-2. Jesse Gabrielle scored 14 seconds into the game and finished with four goals and three assists on the night. Dylan Lamontagne and Jordan Fox had two goals each, while Ayden Lawless, Brady Dinwoodie, Devin Stewart and Corey Ratt also scored.

Reece Kent and Maverick Gusikoski had the Combines’ goals.

Zach Lees was in goal for Wawota, while Zac Eaton and Evan Hauber shared the Combines’ goaltending duties.

The Redvers Rockets knocked off the KiplingWindthorst Oil Kings 7-3. Jordon Miller scored twice for the Rockets, and Bradey Fidierchuk, Craig Gaudet, Presten Kopeck, Colby Potapinski and Braeden Magotiaux also scored.

James Schaeffer, Brandon Munro and Quentin Sproat had the Oil Kings’ goals.

Thomas Bauche (Redvers) and Austin Toth (Kipling-Windthorst) were in goal.

Four games were played on Saturday. The Rangers handed the Red Devils their first loss in seven games this season in a 9-7 decision. Holloway scored twice, while Springer, Sawchuk, Drew Schiller, Jevon Schwean, Paul Stapleton, Blake Rasmuson and Brayden Nabholz also scored for Moosomin.

Devon Carriere and Ben Hiltz each scored twice for Carnduff, while Trevor Geiger, Braden Dumaine

and Tanner Reynolds had the other Red Devils’ goals.

Cody Dumaine (Carnduff ) and Levi Horn (Moosomin) were the goalies.

The Combines suffered another 12-2 defeat, this time against the Rockets. Kenton Miller had four goals in the romp, and John Potapinski and Braeden Magotiaux each scored twice. Gaudet, Justin Perreaux, Oliver Poirier and Jordon Miller also scored.

Lucas Fleck and Austin Fleck had the Combines’ goals.

Robbie Boutin was in goal for Redvers, and Zac Eaton was the Combines’ goaltender.

The Midale Mustangs routed the Oil Kings 9-3. Steven Lindenbach and

will host the Barracudas on Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. in Midale. •••

The Estevan IG Wealth Management U13 AA Bearcats played three times in a three-day stretch.

The first game was a 3-1 loss to the Weyburn Goldwings Nov. 25 at the Power Dodge Arena in the firstever meeting between the

Highway 39 rivals. Chelsea Madsen had the Bearcats’ lone goal with 71 seconds to play in the first period.

Baya Summers was in goal for Estevan.

Estevan then went out on the road, losing 8-0 to the Northwest Sharks on Nov. 26 in North Battleford. Taylor Short was in goal for Estevan.

The following day, Estevan lost 4-1 to the Warman Wildcats. Lily Hlavka’s goal with 5:55 to play in the first period was the Bearcats’ lone tally. Summers was in goal for the loss.

The next game for the Bearcats (1-9) will be Dec. 4 when they host Warman at 3:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.

•••

The Estevan Steel Reef U13 A Bearcats dropped a couple of couple of games against the Parkland Fire: 7-1 on Nov. 18 and 4-0 the following day. Both games were at the Power Dodge Arena.

Julie Berg had Estevan’s lone goal in those games, scoring with 86 seconds to play in the first period on Nov. 18.

Adalyn Christopherson was in goal for both games.

Up next for the U13 A Bearcats (1-5) will be three games in three nights, with games against the Balcarres Barracudas on Dec. 2 at the Power Dodge Arena at 6:30 p.m. and on Dec. 3 at 10:45 a.m. at the Bienfait Memorial Arena, and then they play on Dec. 4 at the Moose Jaw Mavericks 1.

Devon Johnson each finished with hat tricks for Midale. Connor Burk scored twice and Austin Russell had a goal.

Munro, Drew Czerwonka and Dan Loffler scored for the Oil Kings.

Toth was in goal for the Oil Kings, and Talen King was the Mustangs’ goalie.

The Yellow Grass Wheat Kings picked up their first win of the season in a 4-3 overtime victory over Wawota. Conor Lafoy scored the winner 1:59 into the extra frame.

All of the other goals came in the first period. Ethan Klebeck, Jesse Watson and Dylan Frey scored for the Wheat Kings.

Gabrielle scored twice and Devin Stewart also scored for Wawota.

Sunday’s lone game saw the Coalers edge the Cougars 5-4 in a shootout. Klae Bayda scored twice for Bienfait and also had the shootout winner. Kaelan Holt and Wyatt Garagan notched the other Coalers’ goals.

Jon Gaudet had two goals for Carlyle. Billy Greenwood and Nathan Deck had the other tallies.

Zack Miller was in goal for Bienfait, while Landon Audet was the Carlyle goalie.

Eight games are on the docket for the upcom-

ing weekend. The Oxbow Huskies – the lone unbeaten team left in the league – will host the Rockets on Dec. 2. Also scheduled are the Red Devils at the Flyers, the Mustangs at the Oil Kings and the Coalers at the Rangers.

The games on Dec. 3 are the Flyers at the Mustangs, the Oil Kings at the Cougars, and the Huskies at the Red Devils. The lone game for Dec. 4 is the Coalers at the Wheat Kings.

All games are to start at 8 p.m.

The Estevan Southland Pulse U15 A Bearcats had a home game against the Parkland Fire on Sunday. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Local entrepreneur teaches dog owners how to understand their best friends

By Ana Bykhovskaia

For Shayla Hagel, her dog training adventure and later business started with a personal experience about nine years ago.

“When I got my first dog Dobby … we just started having really bad behaviours at home … So, I was like, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ I had to figure that out, so I started learning and taking it all in, and then I just fell in love with dog psychology. Just learning how they think, how they behave, why they behave that way, all that kind of stuff, I just fell in love with it. So, I just kept going,” Hagel recalled.

The industry doesn’t have any regulations, and Hagel, who has a degree in social work, kept educating herself about relationships with dogs and learning from other professionals in the industry from all across North America.

Robin McFarlane, Jay Jack, Chad Makin, Tyler Muto and Nelson Hodges were among her teachers that have been training dogs for 30-plus years.

She travelled to learn from these and other trainers and then stayed in touch with them to keep advancing her skills and knowledge.

Hagel first started training other people’s dogs in 2017, when she opened the Estevan Dog Trainer business. She put in a couple of years of experience locally before she was invited to come to Regina to help a person she knew advance their dog daycare business – an experience that turned indeed negative, and Hagel returned to the Energy

City after losing all she’d been working for.

But with expertise and passion for what she does, in the fall of 2022, she opened a new dog training business called Canine Culture with the motto Training the humans for the dogs.

“I’m hoping to bring back what I started back in 2017 because I did have a really good dog community starting to grow here,” Hagel said.

Her main program consists of three six-hour days of training a week apart at the dog owner’s home.

“It is a full day, and you are learning everything about dogs, not just about your own dog, but all dogs. As a dog owner, you need to know about all other dogs because if you’re out with your dog or another dog is coming onto your

property, you need to know how to stop that and how to intervene. Being a dog owner, you need to learn how to read dogs,” Hagel explained.

The training should start as soon as people get a dog, however, if that didn’t happen it’s never too late to learn how to connect and work with the canine. She added that whenever owners spend time with their dogs, they should be in training mode, and in her lessons, she explains how to do it.

“If you’re out with your dog or if your dog is just loose in your home, well guess what, you’re in training. So, if that’s how you live, I need to teach you how to live in training mode 24/7, I need to teach you how to live dog 24/7,” Hagel noted. “It’s a lot of work. Dogs are simple but

complex. Once you understand their psychology, you’re just like, ‘Ah, yes, that makes total sense.’ But then it’s all about intervening and getting a dog to trust you and understand you.”

She said her course starts with teaching a human to understand their dogs, and then teaching canines to understand their owners.

“Once the dog understands that you’re understanding and respecting him, he wants to learn to understand and respect you. He really does, because dogs have that natural instinct to want to form connections with humans,” Hagel pointed out. “And it doesn’t take long for the dog to learn about the human. It actually takes longer for the human to learn about dogs.”

While there are some tools for training that Hagel can teach dog owners to use, she said she prefers to use basic techniques as sometimes tools rather complicate the process.

“Over in the UK, they have a lot of tools that are banned, that we can use here. So I really like learning from those trainers, because you almost have to use nothing to train a dog And I am a believer that you have to learn how to train a dog without any tools before you introduce a tool,” Hagel said. “And I actually no longer train with tools other than your basic leash, food and your social pressure.”

Hagel said while her main course takes three weeks, the progress also strongly depends on how much dog owners are practising what she’s teaching.

“I tell people: 30 consistent days of doing what I’m teaching you and you’ll have a different dog – one that you can trust and one that will trust you. It’s trust both ways.” She added that while her course takes quite a bit of time and commitment, it indeed gives a lot of knowledge and skills.

“When I started to think about Canine Culture and what it should look like, for me, it’s like a university ... You’re going to learn so much more than you ever expected. And I’ve had many clients tell me that they’ve learned more about themselves through dog training than they ever thought, they learned their dogs were doing things they were doing because of their own human emotions,” Hagel said.

“So, in order to fix [dog’s behaviours], the human has to take control over their own behaviours and emotions.”

While obedience is important, Hagel says the main thing is to learn how to communicate with the animal, which is the main focus of her basic Canine Consultations. She also offers New Dog Owners consults and canine check-ins. And she works with the Estevan shelter and if people are considering adopting one of the shelter dogs, when they’re doing their 14-day trial, they get a free three-hour lesson.

For more information about Canine Culture go to @shayla_canine_culture Instagram page or contact Hagel at 306421-5229.

Shayla Hagel started Canine Culture this fall to help local dog owners to better understand their animals.

or visit www.swna.com for details.

Brynlee Rae Heier September 1, 2022November 17, 2022

Our precious little Brynlee Rae gained her angel wings on Thursday, November 17, 2022 surrounded by the love of her family at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta at the tender age of 2 1/2 months.

Brynlee will forever be loved and remembered by her dad and mom, Anthony Heier & Taysha Prawdzik; grandparents, Lindsay and Amanda Heier and Michelle Prawdzik; great grandparents Molly Heier, Ardelle Pearson, Robert Briltz and Bernie Prawdzik; aunts and uncles, Diego (Laura) Heier, Santiago Heier, Amanda Heier, Shayna Prawdzik and Christian Prawdzik; great aunts & uncles, Shane Heier, Michael (Lisa) Heier, David (Kathy) Heier, Bridget (Mark) Bitt man, Leslie (Eric) Genuis, Lindsay (Amanda) Heier, Chevawn Musumano, Cecilia Wanner, Teresa Lester’s husband Joe Lester, Mary (Patrick) Hilger ,Tanya (Kerry Sawyer) George, Ryan Briltz (Regan Tate), Tricia (Ben) Weckend, Christy (Hamish) Ganson, and Greg (Wendy) Prawdzik as well as numerous friends.

Brynlee was predeceased by Anthony’s siblings, Mary Joseph and Frances; cousin Angel Wanner, great uncle Kevin Briltz; great aunt Teresa Lester; great grandfather, Adolf (Audie) Heier; great grandmother Gayle Prawdzik as well as numerous other cousins.

The public visitation for Brynlee will be held on Thursday, November 24, 2022 from 5:00 p.m- 7:00 p.m. Please call Hall Funeral Services at 306-634-8233 for the location details.

The Funeral Mass for Brynlee was held on Friday, November 25, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C Church with Rev. Sathiadas Antony presiding. The private family interment took place at the Estevan City Cemetery, Estevan, Saskatchewan. Brynlee’s family invited everyone to join them following the interment in the parish hall for a lunch and refreshments.

ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T3B 6A8 or online at www.childrenshospital.ab.ca. **if donating by cheque please add in memo line “In Memory of Brynlee Rae Heier” so her parents will be notified** Hall Funeral Services in Estevan cared for Brynlee’s familyYvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Harry “Eddy” Neumann 1951 - 2022 Harry “Eddy” Neumann of Estevan, Sask. passed away at the Regina General Hospital, Regina, Sask. on November 21, 2022 at the age of 71. Eddy will be forever loved and remembered by his daughter Cristal Neumann and grandchildren: Alexander (Ally), Brandon and Hailey; daughter Lisa Packet (Marcel) and grandchildren: Dillon (Caitlyn) and great granddaughter Jacqueline, Lloyd and Courtney. He will also be missed by his brothers: Fred (Lina) Neumann and Robert Neumann; sisters: Inga Frank and Linda (Tony) Lindhout; sister-in-law Marion Neumann, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Irma and Robert Neumann; brothers: Robert Neumann in infancy and Raymond Neumann, and brothers-in-law: Joe Frank and Dr. Ivar Kristianson.

The Memorial Service for Eddy was held on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Estevan, with Rev. Sharon Kane presiding. A luncheon followed in the Social Hall at the church, after which interment took place at the Frobisher Resthaven Cemetery.

Those wishing to pay tribute to Eddy via a donation in his memory may do so directly to Diabetes Canada, 522 University Ave., #1300, Toronto, ON, M5G 2R5, or online at https://diabetes.ca/

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

Paul

1929 - 2022

Schlingmann

It is with heavy hearts that the family wishes to announce the passing of a dear father, grandfather and great grandfather, Paul Karl Schlingmann of Estevan, SK on November 8, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Long Term Care, Estevan, SK at the age of 92 years.

Paul is survived by his family: sons, Kevin (Lori), Kenneth (Shelli), Robert (Diane) and Darin; daughter, Kim (Reg); grandchildren, Amber, Cassidy, Jesse (Diana), Tory (Ali), Landon (Maria), Justin, Callie (Jason), Kathryn; great grandchildren, Prestin, Zaylan, Chloe, Lexon, Sophia and Brooklyn; step grandchildren, Chelsea and Miranda; great step grandchildren, Miller and Meadow; sisters-in-law Francais, Violet (Mike), Cecilia(Brian) as well as numerous nieces and nephews and his beloved family from Germany.

Paul was predeceased by his wife Dorothy (nee Mehler); parents, Wilhelm and Lucie (nee Gackoski) Schlingmann; stepmother Margarete Schlingmann; brother Ernst (Lilo) and sisters, Gerda (Rolf), Renate (Lothar) and Agnes (Fritz) as well as numerous other family members.

The Celebration of Paul’s life was held on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at the Taylorton Room, Days Inn, Estevan, SK with Jeri-Lee Jones officiating. The interment took place at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens following the service. Following the luncheon at the Taylorton Room, you are welcome to join the family and have a few drinks in celebration of Paul’s life.

A live stream and video tribute of the Celebration of Life will be available for the next 90 days. Please visit www.hallfuneralservices.ca for live stream details.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to the Estevan Humane Society, Box 1095, Estevan, SK S4A 2H7.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Paul’s familyYvonne Clark, Funeral Director. THANK YOU

The family of Paul Schlingmann would like to say “Thank you” to everyone for their text messages, phone calls, flowers, donations and attending our father’s Celebration of Life. Thank you to all the staff at Homecare for the exceptional care you provided to our dad for the last 2 years. Thank you to the staff and doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital - Unit A, Palliative Care and Long Term Care, to Jeri-Lee Jones for doing such a lovely service to honor our dad, to all the staff at Hall Funeral Services for your guidance and attention to the details so even our family in Germany could be a part of the service via livestream. Thank you to the Pierson family for making sure everything at the Taylorton was perfect and being a part of our family.

We are truly blessed to have so many friends and family in our lives and we will forever be grateful to each and everyone of you!

The family of Paul Schlingmann

Christine was born on July 24, 1940 in Estevan Saskatchewan.

She was the daughter of the late Henry Ludwig and his wife Catherine Fornwald and the ninth of thirteen children.

Raised on the family farm near Lampman, she attended Crystal and Lampman schools.

Her first job was at the Bank of Commerce in Regina in 1957 as a bank teller. In 1958, she moved back to the Estevan area and started work, in the office, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan and worked there for 4 years. On June 10, 1961, she married Edward Harold Buttazoni of Estevan. They had four children together: Maurice (1962), Dave (1963), Joan (1964) and Chuck (1965). Chris left her job at the hospital when she married, but liked to be kept busy and was involved with the many schools that her children attended. She also volunteered for various executive positions at many clubs and associations in Estevan (Secretary for the Sacred Heart Home and School Association, Secretary for the ECS Band Parents Association and Treasurer for the “Estevan OverSixty Club”). Chris helped her husband on the farm in Outram, SK starting in 1979 until 1994 and then the farm was rented out from 1994 until 2016. She was married to Harold for over 35 years until his passing on December 16, 1996.

Chris enjoyed many trips to various locations with her sisters, family and friends. On one of the many over sixty club activities, she met a farmer from Weyburn that shared her similar values, views and sense of humor.

On February 14, 2004, she married that farmer, John Joseph Diemert, and moved to Weyburn to start their life together. Upon her second marriage, she became a stepmom to four of John’s children: Rhonda, Doug, Shelly and Margo and their children.

Chris loved being a grandma and great grandma to John’s side of the family. She loved each of the extended family the same as her own. Many fun occasions and family events occurred in Weyburn in addition to many years of activities at the Weyburn Seniors Center. Shortly after the passing of John on November 26, 2015, Chris moved into a beautiful condo, which she loved, and her final volunteering was as the secretary of Coteau Manor Association at her condo.

The love of her life were her children, grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, and recently meeting her first great stepgrandchild. She loved playing cards, reading, puzzles, cooking, using her computer, and socializing with family and friends.

Spending time with family and practicing her faith gave her the most meaning in life. She was a collector of salt and pepper shakers, key chains and many photo albums of the many occasions with her family members. Easter was a big highlight for Chris as each of her children and grandchildren were able to experience coloring Easter eggs with Grandma, a big basket of Easter chocolates for each, and especially the Easter egg hunt. Christmas was also one of her favourite times of year. The decorations, presents, and the thoughts that went into each activity brought joy to Chris. The little things mattered to Chris and were a great inspiration in her life. Her guiding prayer of inspiration was with the understanding that “Lord, I may never achieve greatness in my life, but help me to do the little things!”

She touched the lives of many people, and will be missed by all.

Christine was predeceased by her husbands, Harold Buttazoni & John Diemert; parents, Catherine & Henry Ludwig; mother & father in law, Rose & Alois Buttazoni; brothers, Albert (Ivy) Ludwig & Jerome Ludwig; sisters, Edna (Roland) Deland, Sr. Gertrude Ludwig CSJ, Elsie (Paul) Madden, Sr. Mary Ludwig CSJ & brother in law, Armand Hoffort.

Christine will be lovingly remembered by her son, Maurice Buttazoni (Pam Draheim) & their family, Lucas & Joshua Buttazoni; son, David (Cathy) Buttazoni & their family, Mitchell (Danielle) Kuhn & their daughter, Lilith; daughter, Joan (Dave) Hnatiw & their family, Tiffany Hnatiw (Borden Owen), Stephany (Grant) Hnatiw-Wakulczyk & Steven Hnatiw; son, Chuck (Darlene) Buttazoni & their family, Dawn Buttazoni (Phil Bruce) & Brandon Buttazoni (Janessa Fox); John Diemert’s children: Rhonda (Rodney) Horsman & their children, Raylene (Peter) Ryan & their son, Kaden & Ryan Horsman; Doug Diemert & his son, Michael Diemert; Shelly Hopkins & her children, Cherie Hopkins & Travis (Sonja) Hopkins & their son, Taylor; Margo (Tony) Masich & their children Tyce & Tory; brother, John Ludwig; sisters, Sr. Elizabeth Ludwig CJS, Lorraine (Tom) Tardi, Cathy Hoffort, Anne Welch, Josephine (Doug) Pettigrew; sister in law, Faye Ludwig as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins & friends.

We would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Weyburn Hospital and Midtown Care Home for their care during Chris’s last days. We would also like to thank Fletcher’s Funeral Chapel, Father Valentine Amobi, the choir, altar servers and the catering staff at McHenna Hall for the wonderful lunch. We would also like to thank all our relatives and friends who have sent condolences and gifts.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. from St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, Weyburn, Saskatchewan with Father Valentine Amobi presiding. Private interment will follow at a later date.

John Kish 1935 - 2022

It is with heavy hearts the family wishes to announce that John Kish passed away peacefully on November 16, 2022 surrounded by the love of his family at the age of 87 years.

John was born a New Year’s baby on the family farm on January 1, 1935. He took his schooling at Bethel School and began working on the farm at a young age.

John married Paulette (McGillicky) on June 8, 1964. Even though

John farmed all of his life he was also very active in the community. He served on many boards and committees throughout his years. From the Sask Wheat Pool, RM of Estevan, Library Board, Creighton Lodge Trust Committee, Airport Liaison Committee as well as a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Royal Canadian Legion just to name a few.

John is survived by his wife of 58 years Paulette; children, Sherry (Blaine) Fallis and Janice (Myles Helgason); grandchildren, Brady Fallis and Kylie Fallis as well as numerous sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews.

In keeping with John’s wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no formal service.

The family wishes to express sincere thanks to everyone for their calls, messages and kindness shown through this difficult time.

Thank you to Hall Funeral Services for the fantastic service you provide.

A special Thanks to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home staff.

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

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for John’s familyYvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Christine Anne Diemert It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce the death of Christine Anne Diemert (nee Ludwig) of Weyburn Saskatchewan, formerly Christine Anne Buttazoni of Estevan, Saskatchewan, on November, 17, 2022.

Police looking for suspects after vehicle theft

RCMP officers in southeast Saskatchewan have been looking for suspects following a vehicle theft last week.

The Estevan Police Service said it received information from a tracking system that a stolen pick-up truck from Osage was being operated in Estevan. The vehicle was located and police attempted to stop it.

The eastbound vehicle left the city while being

pursued by patrol units. The pursuit ended within a short period.

According to a post from the Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network, the suspect vehicle, a Red Dodge truck, is believed to have entered a rural farmyard near Frobisher, and suspects attempted to steal a vehicle, but were scared off by the owner.

The pick-up truck was located by the RCMP in

Oxbow, according to a follow-up message, but the whereabouts of the suspects was unknown.

The RCMP said two suspects were in the vehicle. One was described as a larger bald man wear-

ing a medical mask. A description was not available for the other person. If you have any infor-

mation about this advisory, please call 310-RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The power of a positive example

Billy Mitchell had a problem.

His experience as a pilot in the First World War convinced him that airplanes were the way of the future, but no one believed him. Most people thought that airplanes were simply military tools or toys for the rich, so Billy decided to show people what airplanes could do. In 1919, he organized a transcontinental air race. However, it was not as simple as it sounds.

The first problem was that the military surplus airplanes did not carry a

lot of fuel, so Billy had to organize makeshift airports every 320 kilometres. None of the aircraft had reliable navigational or flight aids such as compasses or altimeters. Therefore, Billy decided that the pilots would find their way across the country by following the railroad tracks.

Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ

Also, the open cockpit airplanes were cold, and their engines tended to catch on fire in mid-flight.

clared the winner after crossing the country and back in nine days.

1331075697R2967462.6310.5973.22 2931075671R28616196.0110.59206.60 2-49B63586R5839617.5610.5928.15 15-16EB494774R08548630.1510.59640.74 41B63599SE3850850.2110.5960.80 5-61B63599SE00068298.0610.59308.65 5-641075601SE16385A502.7710.59513.36 7-841075675R52753524.4610.59535.05 9-1041075677R51773174.9110.59185.50 1-263974491R19482159.6010.59170.19 3 &1263974486R61269150.6410.59161.23 pt F & G14AF217494R21801212.9510.59223.54 3CB494797R51380222.0010.59232.59 8GB494781R13301615.5910.59626.18 17-18,pt 1921075699SE381581203.8110.591214.40 I10124539587R5769737.6110.5948.20 431075669R214851375.1610.591385.75 Dated this 30th day of November 2022. Stacey Johnson

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF ARGYLE NO.1 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 30th day of January, 2023, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land. Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

Despite the challenges, 63 teams signed up. Forty-eight would start from the east coast and head west, while the remaining 15 teams would go in the opposite direction. Then, to make the competition even more difficult, Billy decided that the teams had to not only cross the country but return to their starting point.

The race began on Oct. 8, 1919, and immediately caught the public’s attention. Newspapers gave daily updates, the makeshift airports drew huge crowds, and the pilots became celebrities. After a total of 54 crashes and nine deaths, Belvin Maynard was de-

The good news is that people finally understood what Billy believed all along. Within a year, the U.S. Postal Service began an airmail service using the same route as the air race. Not long after that, people started talking about passenger service and the airline industry was born. Sometimes people need an example before they understand what is possible. That is true in spiritual matters as well, so Paul writes, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17).

Whom do you know that is a good example? What do you appreciate about them? How have they helped you? Maybe it would be worth your time to share that with them. Maybe you need to consider your example to others.

Examples are powerful.

Notice to Creditors

In the estate of Evelyn Georgia Catherine Svorkdal, late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased.

declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 14th of December, 2022.

Bridges & Company LLP 1329 Third Street Estevan, SK S4A 0S1

Solicitors for the Executors

Officers had a variety of things to deal with, including executing a warrant by authorities in Alberta for a male wanted on several outstanding charges that allegedly occurred in Edmonton. Robert W. Kelly, age 33, was arrested without incident and was remanded in custody to be transported back to Alberta to speak to the charges, which include sexual interference, luring a child and possession of child pornography.

Police received a report of a theft of property from a garage in the east-central area that is under investigation.

Police are investigating counterfeit currency that was passed at local businesses.

The EPS patrolled at and monitored several events taking place in the city over the weekend, including the Festival of Trees, Christmas parties and retirement parties. There were no major issues stemming from any of these events.

Police conducted traffic stops with multiple vehicles over the weekend. One driver had his licence suspended for three days and his vehicle was impounded. He provided a breath sample on a roadside device with a result below the threshold for Criminal Code charges. Another

motorist was found to be a suspended driver and he was charged accordingly under the Traffic Safety Act.

Police located a Midale man breaching the conditions of a conditional sentence order. He was arrested and lodged in cells, and was scheduled to appear in court Monday to speak to the allegation.

Earlier last week, on Nov. 22, police received a call from an employer that had a staff member who did not show up for work, so they requested a well-being check. Police attended and the female reported she was sick. She was advised to notify her employer.

The same day, police re-

ceived a report of uttering threats in which a young person threatened another young person. The matter is still under investigation.

Members also attended to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of 13th Avenue and Sixth Street. There was damage to the vehicles but nobody was reported to be injured. A Redvers female was charged for failing to stop for a red light.

On Nov. 23, officers received multiple reports of propane tanks being stolen in the city. Several similar thefts have been reported, but police believe there is more that have occurred. If anyone has video surveillance around their property where tanks were stolen,

police would like to review it. The most recent thefts came from the 300-block of Kensington Avenue and the 900-block of Fifth Street. If anyone knows anything, saw anything or has any information to assist police, they are asked to call EPS or Crime Stoppers. There could be a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and/ or charges.

The same day, police received a report of a vehicle that disobeyed red flashing lights and the stop sign of a school bus. This occurred in the Pleasantdale area. Police do have video evidence of the offence as well as the licence plate number and description of the driver. The driver could face

a charge or fine under the Traffic Safety Act.

The EPS says they should not have to remind the public that school bus lights and stop arms are there for the safety of children. The stop sign has lights and writing on both sides of it so applies to vehicles travelling in both directions. Police are pleading with motorists to take extra care and stop for all buses.

Police received a Report Impaired Drivers (RID) line call on Nov. 24 and they were able to locate the individual that was reported to have been driving intoxicated. The individual provided a sample by consent that indicated he hadn’t consumed any alcohol.

Administrator Announcements Acknowledge your loved ones milestones & achievements in the local newspaper! Birthdays Graduations Anniversaries Weddings 2 COLUMN X 5” AD IN THE ESTEVAN MERCURY COST: $99 DEADLINE: PREVIOUS THURSDAY @ NOON 306.634.2654 CONSTRUCTION

FOREMAN

5-BLK/PAR 6-PLAN ED2777 EXT 0 151047345 151047367 1,916.70366.002,282.27 LOT 1-BLK/PAR 9-PLAN ED2777 EXT 0 LOT 2-BLK/PAR 9-PLAN ED2777 EXT 0 132065467 132065489 1,524.83366.001,890.83

LOT 6-BLK/PAR 10-PLAN ED2777 EXT 01529390321,192.21366.001,558.21

LOT 7-BLK/PAR 11-PLAN ER6632 EXT 0 LOT 8-BLK/PAR 11-PLAN ER6632 EXT 0 145810920 145810931 1,723.71366.002,089.71

LOT 9-BLK/PAR 13-PLAN FD4981 EXT 0 LOT 10-BLK/PAR 13-PLAN FD4981 EXT 0

144174236 144174247 144174258 1,358.22366.001,724.22 * On January 1, 2023 the 2022 taxes will become arrears and