Estevan Mercury 20221214

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New tree, same festive spirit

By David Willberg

For the second straight year, the City of Estevan is delivering some added Christmas cheer to local residents in the form of a towering, brightly-decorated Christmas tree.

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The spruce tree was installed on Nov. 30 at the intersection of King Street, 13th Avenue and Souris Avenue North.

“It’s probably about a 20-year-old spruce that was destined for removal off of the SaskPower easement,” said Rod March, the city’s manager of parks and facilities.

Getting ready for Christmas. Estevan first responders help Angel Tree through toy drives.

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Christmas greetings special. Find it inside this week’s paper. Having fun together. Estevan downtown starts celebrating with Miracle on Fourth.

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The city had been looking for another tree this year. Tyler Wyatt with Tyros Tree Care notified the city about this tree, saying that SaskPower wanted it removed due to close proximity to a power line.

“He said it would be a perfect fit for Souris again this year,” said March. “So, SaskPower contacted me just to make sure that everything was legitimate. We signed a simple little agreement to remove the tree without any repercussions for anyone. Tyler went out there on his own time, removed the tree, brought it in and set it up, all as a donation to the city.”

Last year the idea of a large Christmas tree drew rave reviews from people in the community. The city and Tyros were on the lookout for a particular type of tree that was scheduled for removal.

March noted that someone did reach out to the city to say there was a tree on private property that

had to be removed and wondered if it would work. But Wyatt noted the one on SaskPower land was shaped a little better.

“Certainly there is more interest, and as we move forward, we’re always going to be, I believe, putting up a tree in there, unless [city] council wants something

different. But it’s a perfect location for a tree,” said March.

Some people have asked why the city hasn’t planted a tree at the site, but March said there is a “smorgasbord” of utilities underneath and above the median, so it’s impossible to plant something. There

are also issues with line of sight for the busy intersection.

If a tree was planted, SaskPower would have to cut it down in time to make sure their lines are clear.

The city’s water and sewer division used a hydro-vac to create a hole that is 10 feet deep and

provide a clear area for installation purposes. Then he installed a 10-inch steel pipe from KRJ, and filled it with concrete up to about six feet.

“The pipe that’s up there in the middle planter right now sits there all year round. It’s very stable,” said March.

He noted the Estevan Police Service escorted Tyros Tree Care and the tree into the city. Then it was shaved so that it would fit into the steel pipe, since the trunk was a little bigger than the pipe. Once it was in the ground, guidewires were installed.

“It’s just so nice to see it all come together,” said March.

Bob’s Electric installed the lifts so the maintenance crew could decorate. Bert Baxter Transport put the tree in place on Nov. 30, and the tree’s arrival was something people were looking forward to, March said.

The process of adding all the lights and the star at the top started on Thursday and wrapped up early this week. The tree was lit for the first time on Monday night.

The cold weather delayed the decorating process, March said.

Last year’s tree had 3,100 lights and a Christmas star. This year the tree is even bigger and it’s a big effort by so many people to make this happen, March said.

A timer is in place for the lights to come on at 5 p.m. and they will remain on until 11 p.m.

March expects the tree will remain until early to mid-January.

Death of Estevan man in Regina correctional centre ruled accidental, says jury

By Ryan Kiedrowski, SASKTODAY.ca

Breathtaking rural Sask. Brothers discover the world of aerial videography.

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The coroner’s inquest into the 2020 death of Kalin Dean Holonics wrapped up Dec. 7 after three days of proceedings.

A six-person jury determined that Holonics’

death was accidental due to a combined drug toxicity of fentanyl, acetylfentanyl and gabapentin. The time of death ranged between 12:30-5:30 a.m. on July 9, 2020.

An 8x12 image of Holonics, who was from Estevan, was positioned atop the

table where his parents sat –a smiling young man whose life was cut short, providing a subtle, but powerful presence.

Through the course of the inquest, the jury heard testimony from an expert in forensic pathology, several inmates who knew Holon-

ics, and many levels of staff who worked at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre during the time he was incarcerated.

To some degree, testimony from all witnesses noted illicit drugs entering the facility as being a root cause of what led up to Holon-

Merry

ics’ death. Several times, the slang term of “bad action” drugs was used to indicate a potentially fatal batch had entered the jail — an offshoot of product available at the time in the larger community filtering into the cracks of RPCC walls.

Former Estevan resident recognized with Premier’s Award.

The towering Christmas tree in central Estevan was lit up Monday for the first time this season. Photo by David Willberg

There is always something new at Henders!

EEY FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE

DRAMATIC PLAY: SANTA’S WORKSHOP

Our classroom will be transformed into Santa’s Workshop with Christmas games and stations. December 22 & 23 at 10:00-11:30 and 1:30-3:00.

Please call (306)634-7233 for more information or to register

Win a 2022 Ford F150 XLT (plus other prizes), Draw Date December 31, 2022

@ Memorial Hall Contact the Legion @ (306) 634-3135 for more information

ESTEVAN - WARM HEARTS: JACKET REPAIR PROJECT

Have a clean jacket that needs mending that you don’t want anymore?

We have volunteers ready to fix them and then they’ll be donated to organizations that hand them out for free! Contact meg@swrc.ca for details or to volunteer.

NON-PROFIT WITH AN EVENT OR FUNDRAISER

Do you know a Non-Profit organization that has an Event or Fundraiser coming up? Advertise for free with the Estevan Market Mall Community Bulletin Board. For more information contact Christine @ cjones@ estevanmercury.ca or (306) 634-2654

ESTEVAN 60 & OVER CLUB

If you are interested in playing Cribbage, Bridge, Canasta, Whist or Shuffleboard, please contact: Darlene Sylvester @ (306) 421-7820, Gary St. Onge @ (306)421-6113 or Elizabeth Olson @ (306)461-5822 for more information.

Midale woman doubles down on Christmas cards to spread joy

Last year Mariah Erickson of Midale sent 500 Christmas cards out, but this season she decided to up her efforts and will deliver closer to 1,000 holiday letters, spreading the festive spirit and joy.

Erickson says she’s always enjoyed sending and receiving Christmas cards, and her campaign just kept growing and changing with time.

“Last year I did more exchanges and international cards,” Erickson shared in an email to the Mercury. “This year I did a twist on it. A lot of the cards were handdelivered.”

She added that this year she had many helpers, assisting her with her Christmas card campaign.

“I sent to a lot to senior homes, to Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon, I sent [cards] to some vets in Regina, thanks to my aunt for her help with that. I also sent cards to the troops – that one is an every year tradition,” Erickson shared. “I’m also sending cards to my family and friends.”

She also did some exchanges with people, but only in Canada due to postage costs.

Erickson sends cards throughout the year for different occasions, and she has a lot of pieces in her possession. Her collection consists of cards that people have donated to her, and others she picked up from thrift stores. She said that even after she is done with sending out 1,000 cards this year, she would still have roughly 5,000 pieces to store. And she wanted to downsize the collection,

while also making others feel good, so it motivated her to keep the campaign growing.

“Why keep them if they are just sitting when they could bring joy to someone?” Erickson said. “And people have told me before that they are having a bad day and getting a card from me turned their frown into a smile. That’s part of why I do it. I just want people to know someone is thinking of them and I think it’s my life’s mission to bring smiles to people. Plus, I believe the world needs more smiles, and Christmas can be a difficult time for a lot of folks,” Erickson shared.

She signs cards like anyone else would at Christmas time. This year she started her campaign in September, and she is not done yet. She is currently doing the final

touches and finishing up with mostly her personal cards. But once she is done with her Christmas campaign, she will continue cheering others with different cards.

“I can’t really give a lot to people. Sure, money is fine to

give, but I’ve got cards and card-giving is my hobby. I send cards in general 365 days of the year. Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc. I’ve got cards for everything and really enjoy sending them.”

Holonics never caused any trouble

Fellow inmates described Holonics as “a good guy” with a positive demeanour. He was fond of reading and was actively composing a book about his experience with addiction.

After deliberations, the jury came up with 11 recommendations, mostly for the RPCC facility, including one that all corrections facilities in the province enact a drone policy of a no-fly zone within 500 metres.

The others were:

•Update video camera technology for the highest quality possible.

•Have a paper checklist for correction officers to use during their checks, noting item in order to spot trend or “red light” occurrences.

•Add one body scanner to be used for outside crews returning to the facility.

•Review the size of windows in the cell doors, and install larger windows with scratch-resistant coatings.

•Have a full-time drug dog and handler on-site for random drug checks for the period of one year, then review the results.

•Terminology for working groups not be referred to as “gangs”, rather “crew” or “team”.

•Investigate the use of hard plastic heart rate monitors worn by inmates.

•All reviews, investigations and inquests should occur between 120 days to six months after an incident.

•Erect a fence that is at least 10 feet tall around the perimeter, 200 feet from the last barrier.

•All staff train for lifesaving measures, including how to use Narcan, with a refresher course every two years, in person if possible.

The first of 14 witnesses at the inquiry was Elijah Watchman, a correctional officer of over five years who was not only responsible for the area Holonics was in, but also a friend of Holonics’ before his incarceration, as they played basketball together. Watchman described having had conversations with Holonics daily, and that they had a good relationship. He called Holonics “…very intelligent, a smart man…” and noted he “never gave us any trouble.”

Christopher Lemay, a corrections officer of 16 years and Watchman’s partner, echoed the sentiments about Holonics.

“He spoke intelligently

and he was polite at all times,” Lemay said.

Watchman and Lemay began their shift on July 9, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. and began preparing for the first stand count of the day after a briefing from the night staff, who noted the previous evening presented “no issues”.

During the count, Holonics did not emerge from his cell. As was standard practice, a nearby inmate was asked to take a look into the cell. That inmate was Larry Worm, who stepped in, came back out, and according to Lemay, “…looked like he saw something he didn’t want to see.”

That’s when Watchman walked to Holonics’ cell and noticed the man laying facedown on his mattress, which had been moved to the floor of his cell.

When Watchman neared Holonics, he could tell the

Bring The Heat This

inmate was not well. Watchman proceeded to “call a Code Blue” and medical staff responded to attempt lifesaving measures while an ambulance was en route.

Hourly checks had been implemented shortly after Holonics’ death, whereas only three checks were performed during evening shifts previously.

Also during the inquiry, Nicholas Brown, the lawyer representing Holonics’ family, asked about a culture of complacency to Darrell Olbrich, the director of the Regina Provincial Correction Centre, in light of a CCTV video a corrections officer appearing to take a “glance” into cells during three checks in the early morning of July 9, 2020. Olbrich disagreed with the checks being called “bare minimum,” explaining that shining a flashlight into a cell for 20-30 seconds would run the risk of waking the inmate.

Gough will now report these recommendations to the chief coroner now that the inquest has concluded. His closing remarks included his personal condolences to the family of Holonics.

“This has not been an easy process and I’m sure it has been difficult to hear some of the evidence,” he said. “Your contribution to the process has been important and it aids in the process of the coroner’s inquest.”

ESTEVAN ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION & SENCHUK FORD

Kalin Dean Holonics died in July 2020.

Mariah Erickson of Midale is sending out about 1,000 Christmas cards this season to cheer people all around the country and beyond. Photo courtesy of Mariah Erickson

Mariah Erickson started working on her Christmas cards campaign in September.

Former Estevan resident earns a Premier’s Award for promoting the agriculture sector

By David Willberg

Tate Wrubleski has always had an interest in working with different forms of media technology. Now his skills and his passion have earned him a provincial recognition.

Wrubleski is among those to receive the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service for 2022. He was saluted in the emerging leader category for his work with the Ministry of Agriculture, where he is a multimedia communications specialist.

“Whether working with producers and agribusinesses, or internally with government clients, he establishes a level of trust and follows through on his commitments while ensuring high-quality work,” states his bio. “He consistently brings new ideas forward and clearly lays out the rationale, explaining the strategic purpose and detailed explanation of additional costs to support decision making.”

The bio goes on to say Wrubleski never hesitates to help the team. He regularly provides training sessions on video or photography and is eager to share his knowledge freely.

“He adds to the entire ministry as he helps staff deliver more engaging meetings and presentations. Tate is also a cultural champion as an active member and co-chair of the employee youth committee,” the bio says.

As a multi-media specialist, Wrubleski said he and other people work on a lot of projects that show up on the provincial government’s website. They provide graphic design work, look after social media and handle internal communications within the ministry.

A lot of his job has been creating videos that showcase the sustainability practices and the care exhibited by ranchers and farmers for the environment. He will also take generic photos that can be used in marketing materi-

als across the country and internationally.

“When it comes to video, I look after the whole process from scripting and coming up with the idea and the strategy behind it, and then when I go to do the video, it’s usually almost like video journalism,” said Wrubleski. “In a sense, it’s doing an interview … with a camera and a microphone on them.

“Drone work is just something that adds value to it. I come back to the office, edit it and we post it on social media.”

The Faces of Farming videos that can be found on the Ministry of Agriculture’s YouTube and Facebook pages have footage that he has produced over the last couple of years. He believes there are about 20 of them.

“Through that I’ve been able to visit cattle ranches, I’ve visited a First Nations-owned community farm, I visited a chicken farm, a dairy farm, a honey farm … pretty well every type of farm that we have

in the province. It’s nice to see the diversity of agriculture.”

He has drawn on some southeast farms for material, and he hopes to continue to draw on the region.

“Some of the videos that I do will be crossshared with [the Ministry of] Trade and Export Development here in Regina, so we’re able to reach broader audiences that way,” he said.

His interest in multimedia started when he was nine years old. He made home movies and music videos with his sister Blair. His interest grew when he was at the Estevan Comprehensive School.

“I was able to hone in on my video skills in high school and do more serious videos. And then me and a friend, Curtis McGillivray, who is also a filmmaker in Regina, we competed in some film competitions in Regina. That’s where it started.”

They teamed up to win medals at Skills Canada provincials.

After graduating from ECS in 2014, Wrubleski studied business at the University of Regina, so the interest in film took a back seat until his final year of university.

“A lot of what I’ve learned in video has been through YouTube. I tell a lot of people I got to YouTube University.”

For video and photography, Wrubleski believes a combination of YouTube and personal experience worked best for him. But he said he owes a lot to Brian Wright and other people he encountered at ECS.

He couldn’t find a job immediately after gradu-

ating university, so he came back to Estevan and worked as a freelance videographer, handling wedding videos, corporate materials and more.

One day, while checking the job postings on the Government of Saskatchewan’s website, he saw the opening for a multi-media specialist.

“I felt like it suited what I wanted for a job and something I’d be good at, and it’s been great since.

I’ve been in that same position for three years now,” said Wrubleski.

He’s surprised at how soon he was recognized.

“When I started with the ministry, it was before COVID and everything, and I didn’t really know anything about agriculture.

I didn’t know anything about government, and I didn’t know anything, really, about working in the workplace. But I think a large part of just being a recipient of this is that I’ve been able to work with a really great team here that really values culture.”

People have been supportive and have helped him along his journey. When he does a good job, they acknowledge it, and that inspires him to come to work every day.

He doesn’t view himself as an emerging leader, but he believes he has come a long ways in the past three years, and is more confident in talking in the workplace and about agriculture.

The award was presented on Dec. 6. Premier Scott Moe couldn’t attend, so the job for presenting awards belonged to Estevan MLA Lori Carr, which was nice, Wrubleski said, because he has known Carr for years, and Wrubleski went to school with Carr’s son.

“The ceremony was good. The protocol office who looked after it did a really good job of putting everything together. Everything was really organized. There were multiple speakers. They had bios for everybody. They had music and a really good dinner.”

Holiday Train to return to Estevan and North Portal

A popular event in the Estevan area is going to be making its return on Dec. 18.

The CP Rail Holiday Train will roll through the southeast for the first time since 2019. In the past two years, CP Rail held virtual concerts for the Holiday Train due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The holiday train features brightly decorated railroad cars and entertainment to boost Christmas spirit. The initiative will raise money, food and awareness for local food banks in communities along the CP network.

The train that will visit the southeast has been touring the mid-west U.S. since early December. It will cross the Canada-U.S.

border at North Portal. The train is expected to arrive at 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 18 and the performance is slated to start at noon.

Then it is to arrive in Estevan at 3 p.m., and the performance is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. Once it is finished in Estevan,

the train will head to Weyburn and then Moose Jaw, which will be its final stop for the year.

Times are subject to

change. Performances are to last 30 minutes.

Those who attend the local shows are encouraged to bring a donation for the

Estevan Salvation Army’s Food Bank.

Performers will be Kelly Prescott and Alan Doyle. Prescott is no stranger to local fans, as she has been part of the Holiday Train in the past, often with other members of her family.

She was in Estevan earlier this year as the opening act for the Dallas Smith concert that Estevan won through the SiriusXM Music Towns competition.

Doyle is best known as the lead singer of the Newfoundland folk-rock band Great Big Sea and has been touring as a solo act in recent years. Great Big Sea had 11 gold albums, with such hits as Ordinary Day and When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down).

Tate Wrubleski at work, capturing footage that can be used to promote agriculture in Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy of Tate Wrubleski

Tate Wrubleski, left, accepts his Premier’s Award from Estevan MLA Lori Carr. Photo courtesy of Tate Wrubleski

The CP Rail Holiday Train will be rolling into southeast Saskatchewan on Dec. 18. File photo

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EDITORIAL

Feds continue to overreach on firearms

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The federal government is continuing with its effort to make it harder to legally own firearms in Canada.

When the Liberals returned to power in the fall of 2015, Canada’s gun laws were as good as you’d find anywhere. The Conservative government under Stephen Harper had repealed the long-gun registry, which only served to cost taxpayers large sums of money. The laws in Canada not that long ago allowed people to own guns, but there were some weapons that could not be had legally, likely because there was no tangible benefit for the public in someone owning such guns.

Our laws are much better than what we see in the U.S., where the laws play such a big role in the high death rates due to gun violence.

But ever since the horrible mass shootings in Nova Scotia in the spring of 2020, we’ve been seeing the federal government chip away at the firearms that Canadians can legally own.

The latest measure is an amendment to Bill C-21, which seeks to widen the definition of a “prohibited weapon” to include “a firearm that is a rifle or shotgun, that is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner, and that is designed to accept a detachable cartridge magazine with a capacity greater than five

cartridges of the type for which the firearm was originally designed.”

That’s a mouthful.

Critics say the measure will target hunters, farmers and Indigenous peoples, and it means far more firearms would become illegal.

The Liberals will tell you that it’s not as serious as the opposition Conservative Party and other critics think. They’ll tell you there aren’t a lot of these firearms currently owned by Canadians. But if that’s the case, then it’s incumbent on them to articulate the facts to support this position, rather than having so many legal gun owners in Canada wondering how they will be subject to this latest crackdown.

When you hear lines like “largest single gun ban in Canadian history” and “ban thousands of Canadian hunting arms”, alarm bells should be going off, regardless of how the Liberals are trying to spin this.

The amendment might sound great to gun critics, urbanites and those who don’t know the first thing about firearms. And there are a lot of those people who are in the Liberal Party or who support the Liberals at this time. This move plays to Trudeau’s base.

It’s going to tick off a lot of people, but those people likely weren’t going to vote for the Liberals in the next election anyways. It won’t cost the Liberals a lot of votes.

As stated before, legislation on guns need to strike a balance. You can’t have American-style laws. We continue to see the aftermath of those laws. But the Liberals are showing the folly of taking the measures too far and trying to take too many guns out of Canadians’ possession.

Most gun owners in this country are responsible people. Some of them have their firearms largely for display. For others, it’s a tool, not a weapon. They have a specific purpose on their farm. They’re used for hunting.

As for those who aren’t, if people really want to get these firearms, they’ll find a way. And with more guns on the banned list, you’re going to have more people looking for a way to find something.

You’d also going to have more Canadians who will be committing a crime because they own something that was perfectly legal months ago and has never been used to hurt another person.

You would not have prevented the tragedy in Nova Scotia with these new restrictions. That person would have found a way to secure what he needed, (remove comma) and then would have committed those terrible crimes.

The government needs to rethink this latest amendment, (remove comma) and to spend more time talking to people who actually understand that some guns have a place.

Christmas might be tough, let’s change it

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When I think of winter holidays, I think family and friends, laughs, bright warm colours and twinkle lights; the tree and beautiful balls, some old and some new, but each with a story; miracles and gifts; music that takes me back to childhood and makes me want to hug someone; aromatic mulled wine and yummy hot chocolate; and interesting dishes and meals that have been known and comforting throughout my entire life.

When I think Christmas and especially New Year’s (it still remains a bigger holiday for me), I think happiness.

Has the picture always turned out the way I described? Of course not.

My first holiday season in Canada, I felt really lonesome. My family and friends were across the ocean, and that first year I missed them the most. I celebrated with them online, but because of the nine-hour time difference (they are ahead of us), by 4 p.m. we were done. Some of them went on to party, others went to bed. And I was sitting on my own by the tree with my laptop and felt completely miserable.

One year, when my brother and I were still kids, there happened to be a full-fledged family-wide fight. So instead of getting all together with the rest of the relatives, our parents ended up taking us to the cabin for the New Year. It didn’t feel cozy or festive inside, there was no tree or decorations, and we didn’t have time to catch up. It also felt like the North Pole outside. Of course, we were still together as a family, but that New Year’s Eve definitely was very different.

One year my hubby and I were coming back from a warm holiday on Christmas Eve. We were all happy, tanned and rested.

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

His brother-in-law was supposed to pick us up from the airport, and we were planning on celebrating with his sister’s family. But instead of having a sweet and cheerful night, we ended up spending most of it in the airport, as customs officers thought my hubby could have been a drug dealer, I assume, and went through every inch of his luggage.

There were other mishaps around Christmas time, but I still love the holiday season. However, it might feel very different for many people.

A lot of things may make holidays really stressful. The absence of loved ones, when others are having fun together, the extra expenses, which often don’t fit the budget, the pain from losing someone, which may become even more pronounced around this time of the year.

The holiday season may have a negative effect on mood and mental health and contribute to the worsening of symptoms related to anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

Besides, we tend to think of holidays as a joyous time. But in reality, for many of us, it’s the time when emotions heighten, and they are not always positive. The Canadian Psychological Association points out that our expectations from the holidays are often set extremely high, so it becomes even more stressful.

Besides, it almost guarantees that our vision for the season will be really hard or impossible to achieve, so we end up disappointed. (There is even a special term for it – holiday stress or holiday blues.)

But while holidays might not be as joyous for many people, there are many things and ways we could use to cheer others up. It doesn’t matter if their holiday season is looking bright or grey, a kind gesture shouldn’t hurt anyone. And there are a lot of people in Estevan and area who are providing great examples.

Mariah Erickson of Midale found a way to spread joy by sending hundreds of Christmas cards to strangers. The Estevan Road Runners Club came up with another fun idea: they will be doing a HoHoHoliday run by seniors’ homes to make residents and everyone else, who’d spot a bunch of fully-dressed running Santas, smile. St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation also made it a bit more special for the local seniors by organizing tea parties as a part of their Festival of Trees this year.

The Estevan Community Hamper Association and its Angel Tree, with great support from the community, do their best to take some financial stress off of people’s shoulders during holidays.

There are many ways to cheer others up, show that there are people who care about them and their wellbeing, make it a bit brighter for them and remind others that there is a lot of good around. And I’m sure everyone who has a little bit of extra love, energy, positivity and care to give, can do something special for someone they do or don’t know to make sure that this holiday season is better for everyone.

Absence makes the heart grow fond for events

David Willberg Willberg’s World

The leadup to Christmas was a little different the past couple of years.

Two years ago, we didn’t have many events happening due to the pandemic restrictions. Few community celebrations. No Christmas assemblies in the schools. The events that did happen only occurred after organizers adjusted the way they do things.

Last year many of the events returned, but not all of them. Some of them were still altered, and there was always uncertainty about if they would happen or not because of COVID-19 restrictions.

We did have a few new events in the community, such as the Estevan Downtown Business Association’s Miracle on Fourth Street.

This year we’re close to the normal we once knew. And the events help make late November and December more enjoyable.

The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation held the gala for its Festival of Trees. The Dickens Village Festival had everything we’ve come to expect with that fun annual weekend in Carlyle. The Rotary Club of Estevan brought back its annual Christmas Carol Festival on the weekend, the CP Rail Holiday Train will be back this year to spread Christmas cheer and support the Estevan Salvation Army’s food bank, and Woodlawn Regional Park’s Christmas in the Park will return to kick off Woodlawn’s Festival of Lights.

(Thankfully, the Festival of Lights always went ahead, but a couple of years ago, people were strongly urged to remain in their vehicles, rather than wander around to look at the lights).

And school kids will get to showcase their singing and acting talents at their Christmas assemblies.

The return of the events is something I was looking forward to for this Christmas season. Absence makes the heart grow fond. I haven’t been able to get to all of them, but I’ve been happy to make it to as many as possible.

I don’t think I’m the only one who is happy to see the pre-Christmas activities back for this year.

You had to wonder if some of these events would be able to return. I was never in doubt about an event like the Festival of Trees. I knew that once the foundation had the opportunity to bring the gala back, they would. There were too many people in the community who enjoyed the event, and the supper has always been such a successful fundraiser.

But I was concerned about some of the smaller events that might not have had the same level of support in 2019 as they did 20 years earlier. And I thought some of these event organizers would use the pause they had to rethink how they do things.

Many of these events are also fundraisers for the community. The Holiday Train is a great example. Local families missed seeing the train’s brightly-decorated rail cars and hearing the great music. The virtual concert was a good effort by CP to make something happen, but it definitely wasn’t the same.

But the Holiday Train is also a valuable event for the Salvation Army’s food bank, and for food banks across the country and into the U.S. People make food and cash donations when they come to the train stop. CP Rail has traditionally made a donation to the food bank while in Estevan.

The community has done a good job of stepping up and supporting the food bank and the Salvation Army’s community efforts as a whole over the past couple of years, but the ministry has missed having this fun afternoon.

People are also more willing to be out now than they were a year ago. Last year a lot of people were leery. Saskatchewan had just gone through its toughest wave of the pandemic, and there was plenty of hesitancy and uncertainty after the virus had mutated into the Omicron variant.

This year we know more about Omicron than we did at this time a year ago, we don’t have to worry about masking mandates and proof of vaccination requirements, and we’re just more eager to do things. There are still people who are hesitant about COVID, but not as many as there were in the past two years.

Events have always made Christmas a little more fun. They instill that Christmas spirit into us. It’s fun to enjoy activities, look at the Christmas lights and listen to the Christmas music and be among those who have a similar level of enjoyment.

After all, this season only comes once a year. And for many, it’s too long of a wait until we get to enjoy Christmas festivities again.

Estevan first responders help Angel Tree collect gifts

It looked like Canadian Tire in Estevan was a crime scene on Saturday afternoon, with many emergency services’ lights on and the high presence of first responders.

Fortunately, the scene was filled with kindness, generosity and the Christmas spirit as the Estevan Fire Rescue Service, Estevan Police Service and Estevan RCMP were collecting donations for the Angel Tree program as part of the annual Stuff the Trucks campaign.

The initiative, spearheaded by the EFRS, attracted many donations. People were coming out of the store with toys and other gifts for kids in their hands. Others

brought shopping carts filled to help those who can’t buy presents this year.

“Everything went pretty well. The crew was on scene from 1-5 p.m., and they were able to get a fair number of gifts and play,” said Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies, adding that they also forward any monetary donations they received from the public to the Community Hamper Association, so they could purchase more gifts for the Angel Tree.

The community’s generosity helped firefighters to fill their trucks as well as the law enforcement’s vehicle with Christmas gifts for local kids. First responders

delivered a pile of donations they collected to the Angel Tree on Sunday.

Davies noted that the annual Christmas toy drive is an important initiative for the fire department.

“We feel that it’s something important that needs to happen for the city and the surrounding area. It’s fun and easy for us to support that,” Davies said.

He recalled that some time ago they used to host the toy drive campaign in front of the fire hall, and they became heavily involved with it. And ever since its inception, the initiative was greatly supported by the members and the department. For the

firefighters, it goes beyond the one-day toy drive.

“The department members do our best to support that,” Davies said. “We’ll do our Stuff the Trucks every year,” said Davies. “And then in conjunction with that, we also always wait till the end, and prior to [the Angel Tree Toy Store] opening, we see if there are any shortfalls for things they may need or different ages for presents that might be lacking.

“And then the Estevan Firefighters Association goes out, and we’ll spend a significant amount of money trying to top that up, we go on a shopping spree around the city. It’s something our group got involved in, and that’s just one of those things that we take ownership of and try to help as best as we can.”

Earlier this month, EPS members, along with Police Chief Rich Lowen, were also visiting local schools as part of their annual Pack the Cruiser initiative.

Officers visited with students and staff in Estevan and Bienfait and collected toys that were accumulated for the Angel Tree program.

This year Pack the Cruiser was a big hit, the EPS says.

“Thank you to all the students and staff for making it a huge success,” EPS said on their website.

All donations will be displayed at the Angel Tree’s Toy Store, where families that applied for or were referred to the program will be able to pick a gift for their kids at no charge.

The Estevan Police Service visited local schools as part of the Pack the Cruiser annual campaign to collect their donations for the Angel Tree. Photo sourced from Estevan Police Twitter page

donations during the annual Stuff the Trucks campaign last Saturday. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Miracle on Fourth charged Estevan’s downtown

Estevan’s downtown indulged in Christmas atmosphere on Saturday.

The second edition of the Miracle on Fourth, presented by the Estevan Downtown Business Association, was as good and maybe even a bit better than the inaugural event, said Robert Godfrey with Lemon Wedge Marketing, which is a part of the DBA and helped organize the event.

“Saturday was incredible. It was just a really great day,” Godfrey said following the event.

Christmas activities and great deals offered by the stores attracted many people to Estevan’s downtown. Guests were invited to do crafts with the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum, enjoy free hot chocolate and hot dogs, courtesy of Estevan Lions, take hayrides by Graham Collie, sponsored by Henders Drugs, play street hockey with Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears and attend two free matinees at the Orpheum Theatre, spon-

sored by Jenny Joans, A&A Jewellery and Jewels & Jems Furniture Redesigns. The latter was attended by over 300 people, Godfrey said, and other activities were a hit too.

“We had great feedback from everyone we talked to … Everyone was just really happy to be able to come out and celebrate Christmas and get ready for the holiday season,” Godfrey noted.

The original plan included having the Estevan Bruins play street hockey with the kids. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it due to a scheduling conflict, nor could the volunteers from the Estevan Comprehensive School student representative council. Despite these minor changes, the day went really well, with many people enjoying the beautiful weather, holiday festivities and Christmas shopping opportunities. And Godfrey noted that they were really thankful to have members of the U18 AAA Bears come in and participate in the street hockey.

The DBA members participating in the Miracle were also happy with the turnout, Godfrey said.

“I had a chance to stop in with most of the Downtown Business Association members, and they were all thrilled with how well the day went,” he said.

The weather co-operated, and the City of Estevan also helped make sure everything worked out well for the big community event.

“A big thank you to the City of Estevan and Norm Mack and his crew. Before the event, they went and scraped the road, removed all the snow and they also applied a liquid ice melt product, so that Fourth Street was in really great condition. It wasn’t slippery, and it was perfect for all of the people that came out. It was perfect for the horses. And we’re so thankful for that,” Godfrey shared.

As the second edition of the Miracle on Fourth was still underway, the DBA

“We’re already planning

for next year. We’ve

tevan,” Godfrey said.

“On behalf of the entire Downtown Business

Association, we want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and thank everyone for coming out and supporting the local businesses. We look forward to seeing everyone at Miracle on Fourth Street in 2023.”

Softball association appeals to council for funds

Estevan city council heard a request for funding from the Estevan Minor Softball Association during Monday night’s meeting.

President Wade St. Onge, speaking to council, said they play on six diamonds in the Pleasantdale area, and they have a partnership with the city on the facility.

The softball association wants to proceed with upgrades at the park. Two of the six diamonds have been in disrepair for a number of years because they weren’t being used, but the number of young athletes playing softball has grown and now they need all six diamonds for most of the season.

About 200 young people, the vast majority of them girls, registered for softball in 2022.

Safety is the biggest con-

cern, most notably when it comes to fencing. All six diamonds have a six-foot high backstop, and there is a gap between the backstop and the dugouts. Some fences in that gap are only three feet high.

“The bleachers aren’t necessarily enough for everybody [among the spectators] and people are sittings and bring their own lawn chairs,” said St. Onge.

Line drives can be a danger for spectators and players, he said.

Dugouts were quite small when they were constructed, measuring four feet in width and 16 feet in length. Some have been expanded, but they’re still cramped.

“Some of this work we do ourselves if we can,” said St. Onge.

They also need to relo-

cate the bullpens out of the outfield.

Minor ball also wants to upgrade the canteen and install a couple of sheds for their equipment. And they have investigated the possibility of a canopy to provide shade during the heat.

The association also wants to host a Western Canada championship, similar to the one hosted by the Estevan Minor Baseball Association this summer. Estevan has been a great host for tournaments in the past, St. Onge said, and people marvel at the facilities.

The last major upgrades were for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.

The association completed some work this year and they want to complete some of the more pressing tasks next year. Then they would

take care of the rest at a later date. The estimate they have is about $65,000, and they want to have a partnership with the city in which the city would match them dollar for dollar.

Council members voiced support for the request. It was pointed out that there is contingency money in the budget each year for organizations that come forward with requests to upgrade facilities like this.

Council received information regarding private rentals of the Crescent Point Lounge at Affinity Place during Estevan Bruins’ home games.

In a letter to council, Diane Wenham with the city said the lounge can be rented for $79 per hour during Bruin games. The room

is then shut to the public and they need to open a secondary bar for skybox owners. This has caused conflict with people who regularly watch games from the lounge. When the lounge is rented out, Wenham said the Bruins sell 50 tickets to the interested company, but that doesn’t mean there will be 50 patrons in the lounge.

Wenham suggested increasing the rental rate and to have a minimum food and beverage fee to guarantee a total sale of $1,000 on a weekday and $1,500 for a weekend. Further, people in skyboxes would still be able to purchase drinks from the lounge.

The issue was tabled to get the Bruins’ input.

•••

The city of will be assessed a $35.74 per capita

library fee by the Southeast Regional Library next year, so total fees will be $387,814.

One building permit worth $25,000 was issued last month, bringing the total for the year to 39 permits worth more than $5.99 million. •••

The City of Estevan is going to invest the money collected for the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home through the city’s health levy.

The $1.3 million will be invested with Royal Bank of Canada Securities for a three-year term at 4.75 per cent. The rate might fluctuate with the market.

It was noted at the meeting that this is a guaranteed investment and the city’s money will not be at risk.

already started collecting feedback and suggestions from the public and businesses for the next year. And while this year’s event checked all the boxes, they still want to make it bigger and better next time.

got a few ideas of new things that we’re going to add, ways that we can make it bigger, ways that we can have even more fun in downtown Es-

The second annual Miracle on Fourth was a big success that provided the community with many fun activities and great Christmas shopping opportunities. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Santa visited with guests and went on a hayride during the Miracle on Fourth.

Estevan U18 AAA Bears were a part of Miracle on Fourth playing street hockey with kids.

Passion project, Prokop Productions, promotes rural communities in Sask. and Alta.

Up until this summer, Carnduff ’s Taylan Prokop knew nothing about drone footage. But once the inspiration and curiosity kicked in when he watched his uncle making aerial videos, there was no turning back.

Prokop Productions, an initiative that specializes in capturing breathtaking aerial videos of rural Saskatchewan and Alberta communities, started just a few months ago, but already has attracted a lot of interest online and beyond.

Taylan started exploring the world of aerial videography in late August and is using technology to showcase colours, shades and beauty of Prairie provinces from above. To share the results of his work, he founded the Prokop Productions YouTube channel, which gained some attention online and beyond, as Taylan became one of the guests on the John Gormley radio show in November.

But it all started with one visit when the technology and opportunities they provide resonated with Taylan’s interests.

“This summer I was at my brother’s wedding in B.C.,

and my uncle was a photographer. He has a drone, and he was playing with it in the mountains, and I kind of got interested in it,” Prokop recalled.

Taylan had no experience with video or photography or flying gadgets, but shortly after, he bought his first drone and started experimenting and learning about it. He quickly figured out how to fly it and started shooting videos, taught himself to use video editing software and got into the world of music to complete the videos. Once he posted the first results of his work, they instantly gained a lot of attention.

“My first video that I put together was of Carnduff, Saskatchewan, where I currently live. I posted it on Facebook, and it blew up. I think it has over 7,000 views now and over 100 shares,” Taylan said.

The video was posted on Sept. 15, setting off the future of Prokop Productions. With the popularity of his first experiment, Taylan shot more aerial footage, this time capturing the beauty of Oxbow, its valley and the com-

munity, which also gained a lot of attention online with thousands of views and over a hundred shares.

“I thought, there’s obviously a market for this type of video, so I created the YouTube channel and kept making videos going around. I made a couple of videos of abandoned buildings, farmhouses, and a couple other interesting locations. And I’m still doing town reels because people like having attention on their little rural communities that never really have eyes on them. And it’s cool for people to see all the different corners of the country and the provinces,” Taylan shared.

His brother Mason, who resides in Edmonton and who’s been gaining interest in photography lately, shared Taylan’s fascination and joined him in this project in October. He started creating Alberta content so that the Prokop brothers now work hand in hand, promoting the Canadian sites that are often left unnoticed by the rest of the country.

“He picked up his own drone and started making videos with me. We talk usu-

ally every night about what we’re doing on the channel, what kind of videos we want to make in the next week, plan and do all the business stuff,” Taylan said. “We’re trying to cover every little area of the Prairies … And the goal, I guess, would be to expand outwards, all over Canada. But that’s a long way away.”

Outside of the initial Carnduff and Oxbow videos, Taylan so far captured Bienfait, Gainsborough, Rafferty Dam, Carievale, Lampman, Redvers, Alameda and some abandoned rural houses in Saskatchewan, and Mason also added the videos from rural Alberta.

While the initial steps didn’t take Taylan long to get off the ground and start creating professional videos, further growth will depend on many variables as it will involve a lot of travelling. To help with reaching their dreams, he created a Prokop Productions account on Patreon.com – a platform that allows raising funds to support creators in their projects.

“Our goal is to continue doing what we’re doing and just build a big catalogue of rural towns around the

Southeast leads the way for December’s land sale

The Government of Saskatchewan’s latest public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights, held on Dec. 6, raised more than $11.9 million for the provincial coffers.

The December sale is the fifth of six such offerings scheduled for the 2022-23 fiscal year, with a current total of more than $46.1 million. In terms of the calendar year, this sale completes 2022 with a total of more than $52.2 million in revenue.

This amount is an increase over the December 2021 sale, which brought in $9.9 million.

Of the 136 parcels posted, 103 received acceptable bids covering 16,184.469 hectares. The average bonus bid was $736.34 per hectare.

The southeast region saw the most interest this month, bringing in $9.6 million for 76 leases covering 8,217.836 hectares. The Lloydminster

area brought in more than $2.2 million for 22 leases and two exploration licences covering 7,576.444 hectares.

A total of 87 leases for 9,068.1119 were available in the southeast, and 76 were sold.

The highest bonus bid received on a lease was $2.3 million for a 259.657-hectare parcel west of Oxbow. It was awarded to Millennium Land Ltd and is within the Steelman Frobisher beds oil pool. This land was issued with rights from the base of the Midale beds to the top Precambrian, and it is prospective for oil in the Mississippian Frobisher beds.

A parcel south of Lampman received the highest dollar per hectare bid of $336,594 per hectare. Hummingbird Energy Inc. bid $1.183 million for the 32.327-hectare lease. This parcel is prospective for oil in the Frobisher beds.

The highest bonus bid

received on an exploration license was $602,881.93 for a 1,688.272-hectare licence

west of Cut Knife. It was awarded to Metropolitan Resources Inc.

Prairies and really the country. But there’s challenges to that. I mean, the further you go, the more expensive it becomes to travel to the location. So, we started our own Patreon. Hopefully, some people want to donate to that or join and become a member to help us create more content in the future,” Taylan explained.

Taylan said while learning all parts of the industry from scratch was pretty difficult, it’s also been interesting. He thought flying would be the most fun part, but editing and colouring the footage, which he thought would be the most difficult, became his favourite pieces of the process.

Not only did it take a lot

of research, but it also required a lot of talent to get the product of Prokop Productions’ quality. Taylan said it definitely feels interesting and rewarding, and so far it’s a passion project for him and Mason.

“We love the flying and then getting home with all your footage and watching it on your big computer monitor … It’s really crisp, and then you start colouring, and it looks so beautiful when you bring up some of the colours in the footage. It’s definitely a passion for both of us. It’s really cool. And other people enjoy what we’re doing, so it’s kind of a service passion. We like making these videos for the communities,” Taylan said.

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Taylan Prokop, left, founded Prokop Productions, a video aerographic project capturing rural communities, and soon was joined by his brother Mason Prokop out of Alberta. Photos courtesy of Taylan Prokop

Aerial view of Redvers – the community captured in one of the beautiful videos by Prokop Productions.

By Ana Bykhovskaia

A young and aspiring photographer joined the Art Concepts studio during the Miracle on Fourth.

Emily Tarnes, 17, was at the studio on Saturday, sharing beautiful shots of the wildlife and nature she captured travelling around the southeast and beyond. She had prints of her latest works and copies of her 2023 wildlife calendar, which made great Christmas gifts for those who stopped by.

The Mercury got to talk to Tarnes about photography - her hobby, interest and potentially a business opportunity.

Photography came into Tarnes’ life about five years ago. And while she was getting deeper into the hobby, exploring different types of photography, and learning about composition, light, gear, editing and more, she also has been trying out different prospects for sharing the results of her work with others.

Tarnes started with static creative photography, but not long after, wildlife captured her interest.

“We were on the way

home from Calgary and I saw these moose in the field, so I took some pictures. That was the first time I ever thought about wildlife photography, and ever since I’ve been really interested in it,” Tarnes shared. “I always go on weekend trips out with my camera to find animals.”

Tarnes’ interest in wildlife photography has been growing since 2020. She’s learned a lot about wild animals populating southeast Saskatchewan, their habits, their environment and also about what it takes to capture a great shot.

“[When trying to get a picture of wildlife] you have to always be ready, it’s unpredictable, so you just have to hope for the best in those pictures,” Tarnes noted.

She also got interested in birds and started learning more about them. Some of her captures were included in the 2023 calendar. Besides, she became an aurora hunter and dedicated a lot of time to catching and perfecting her northern lights shots.

This year, she took her skills to the next level, as she got to shadow professional photographer Byron

Fichter, who is also part owner of the Art Concepts Custom Framing gallery.

“In school, we have this class, it’s like a career work exploration. So, I chose photography, and I came and learned from Byron here,” Tarnes shared. “He taught me lots about editing and then he took me to the racetrack, and we did a lot [of shooting] there … It’s definitely very different, but it’s fun to learn new types of photography.”

She said she progressed a lot since she started with wildlife, not only in the sense of the quality of her pictures but also with the knowledge both about the industry and about local fauna.

“I know lots of places to find the certain animals that I’m looking for. And I also got some better gear, so it’s definitely improving,” Tarnes said.

When she goes on photo trips, she may travel as

far as six hours away from home. Her grandmother joins her and they drive around the back roads until they spot something. Then they’ll park and observe, as sometimes animals would come nearer or would allow the photographer to get closer and capture a magnificent picture.

While her main interests are wildlife and nature, Tarnes also started exploring the world of family photoshoots and other

photo gigs. And as she was progressing with photography, she also started learning more about ways to share the results of her work. She created Emily Tarnes Photography pages on social media and also came up with her first-ever calendar last year.

“I just wanted to find a way to get people to see my pictures. And lots of people use calendars, so I thought it was a good idea. I saw some other photographers doing it around here too,” Tarnes said.

Her mom and Fichter help her a lot when it comes to marketing, and she also had a lot of support from her family, friends and local photo community. This year she released her second calendar and also started doing some prints on metal and canvases.

Tarnes said at least for now, photography is something she does for fun, but she enjoys learning about marketing as well.

“Right now, it’s still a hobby, I just like to do it to enjoy it. But it’s cool that I can do it as a business as well,” she shared.

Her contact information can be found on the Emily Tarnes Photography Facebook page.

Signs of impairment by alcohol and drugs

Adults must walk a fine line when consuming alcohol.

Though some adults may feel impaired after a single drink, many others can still drive safely after enjoying an alcoholic beverage with dinner or during a gathering with friends. Despite that, it’s important that adults behave responsibly and recognize that even a relatively small amount of alcohol can impair their judgment.

Drivers typically experience some loss of judgment and altered mood even when their blood alcohol concentration is .02, which is well below the legal limit to operate an automobile.

When that BAC rises to .05, drivers can expect to experience a loss of smallmuscle control, a reduction in alertness and even difficulty steering.

And it’s not just alcohol that can affect drivers, as motorists taking prescription medications or new medicines are asked to avoid driving until they realize how a given drug affects their judgment, coordination and reaction time.

With so much on the line each time they get behind the wheel, drivers have much to gain from recognizing the physical and mental signs that suggest they should avoid

driving after consuming alcohol or taking medication.

Physical indicators

Prescription medications and other medicines can produce a host of side effects, and these are generally listed on product packaging or within the materials people receive when picking up their prescriptions. The NHTSA notes that even over-the-counter medications can cause side effects such as drowsiness, nausea and blurred vision, each of which can make it unsafe to operate a motor vehicle.

After consuming alcohol, individuals can look for these physical symptoms, the presence of

which suggests they are not fit to drive:

•Slower reflexes; •Delayed reaction time; •Slurred speech; •Nausea; •Fatigue; and •Lack of co-ordination, including clumsiness, stumbling or a general feeling that balance is off Mental indicators

It can be easy for individuals who have been drinking to make light of mental indicators that suggest they should not drive. Jokes about forgetting how they spent the night might elicit a laugh, but forgetfulness is a key indicator that someone has consumed too much alcohol to drive

safely. Additional mental indicators include:

•Feelings of confusion;

•Difficulty understanding complex ideas;*A loss of inhibition; and

•Delayed realizations.

Alcohol and medication can adversely affect

a person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.

Recognition of the physical and mental signs of impairment can increase the likelihood that drivers avoid getting behind the wheel after taking medication or consuming alcohol.

Emily Tarnes has been getting more and more into photography for about five years, and she’s been selling calendars with some of her best captures for two seasons now.

Estevan Bruins were busy on and off the ice

By David Willberg

It was another busy week for the Estevan Bruins, with four games in a six-day span.

The Bruins picked up 4-2 victories on home ice over the Kindersley Klippers on Dec. 6 and 7.

In the first game, the Bruins took a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Jagjeevan Phangura and Gabriel Filion 3 1/2 minutes apart. Filion’s goal was his first in the SJHL.

Estevan peppered Klippers’ goaltender Cody Jaman with shots on goal early in the second but couldn’t add to the lead.

Markers by Jaydon Jessiman and Kyler Smith tied the game, but a few minutes after Smith scored, Tim Tychonick put the Bruins back in the lead, and Mitch Kohner restored the twogoal advantage before the period was out.

Cam Hrdlicka made 25 saves for Estevan, while Jaman stopped 31 shots for Kindersley.

The following night, Adam Paplawski opened the scoring for the Klippers on a power play with just over six minutes to play in the first period.

The Bruins’ Kade Runke tied the game midway through the second, and from there, the Bruins took over, Salvatore Collora scored for Estevan with less than a second to play in the frame.

Collora added his second of the game 2:37 into the

third. Matthew Mazzocchi’s goal pulled the Klippers to within one, but a few minutes later, Kohner put the Bruins ahead by two once again.

Jackson Miller stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced to get his first win in the SJHL. Jaman came up with 41 saves for Kindersley. The Bruins outshot the Klippers 20-8 in the second and 16-3 in the third.

“I thought both games we had slow starts in the first period,” said head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic. “Even though we scored two in the first game, I thought we started off slow in both of them. Pretty similar games. I thought we took over the games in the second and the third.”

The Bruins dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Melfort Mustangs Friday night.

The two teams were scoreless until the later stages of the second period. Hayden Tuba scored for the Mustangs with 6:28 to play in the middle frame to open the scoring. But a short time later, the Bruins had a twoman advantage, and Alex Blanchard scored 77 seconds after Tuba to tie the game.

Kade Runke scored on a break 53 seconds into the third period to put the Bruins ahead, but Riley Ashe’s goal midway through the third deadlocked the game again.

Melfort outscored Estevan 2-1 in the shootout, which went five rounds.

“I thought we played really well,” said Tatarnic. “We need to score on some more of our chances, and we gave up that tying goal in the third period. It’s something they have to learn from that. Even though it’s a 2-1 game, come playoff time, if we’re fortunate enough to be there, we have to tighten things up.”

It was the sixth and final meeting of the season between the two teams, and it was a physical contest for much of the night.

“They’re a physical team and they skate well and they finish their checks,” said Tatarnic. “We’re a team where it doesn’t really bother us that much. We can play any way.”

Hrdlicka stopped 25 shots for Estevan,

while James Venne made 33 saves for Melfort. Mitch Kohner scored with 18 seconds to play in overtime to lift the Bruins to a 5-4 victory over the host Melville Millionaires on Sunday night.

Melville came out flying, scoring three times in the opening 11 minutes and outshooting Estevan 24-6 in the first. Cooper Chisholm, Carter McKay and Isaac Suppin scored for the Mills.

Tatarnic pulled Hrdlicka after McKay’s goal and inserted Miller, but it didn’t stop the Mills’ momentum.

The Bruins came flying in the second, outshooting Melville 19-6 and getting goals from Owen Barrow and Runke to pull within one. Evan Forrest tied the game 26 seconds into the third period, and Ilia Chmelevski scored on a Bruins’ power play 84 seconds after Forrest’s goal to give the Bruins their first lead of the night.

But then the Bruins ran into penalty problems, and Louis-Frederic Theberge scored on a Melville power play to tie the game.

Miller stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced to get his second victory in five days. Clement Labillois had 25 saves for Melville.

Estevan (19-14-0-1) were to visit the Yorkton Terriers on Tuesday night. (Results not available at press time). Then they will close out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule when they play the Notre Dame

Bears beat twice by league-leading Blazers

The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears suffered a pair of blowout losses on the weekend against the Saskatoon Blazers, the top team in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League.

Estevan fell 7-3 to Saskatoon on Saturday. Carter Onrait opened the scoring in the first period, and Carter Tuplin tied the game at 2-2 late in the first. But Saskatoon took over from there.

Tristan Grohs would get one for Estevan in the third.

Kaden Perron made 29 saves for Estevan.

The Blazers raced out to a 4-0 lead Sunday. Goals by Kole Keen and Onrait in the second pulled Estevan to within two, but Saskatoon added four more for an 8-2 victory.

Riley Deck started and allowed the first two goals. Perron came on and finished the game.

Estevan (6-14-4) will close out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule when they host the Notre Dame Hounds on Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m., and the Moose Jaw Warriors on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. and the following day at 2:30 p.m. •••

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins split games they played at the Lumsden-Bethune Lions.

Estevan won 8-3 on Saturday. Carter Beck scored twice in the first period and Jordan Marcotte also scored, and then Marcotte and Declyn Henderson scored in the second for a 5-0 Estevan lead through two periods.   Beck and Marcotte finished their hat tricks in the third, and Conrad Hase also scored.

Ty Fehrenbach made 29 saves for Estevan to get the victory.

The following day, Estevan lost 5-4 in overtime to the Lions. Emmett McCarthy scored in the first, Beck tallied in the second, and Spencer Copeland and Turner Knockaert had goals in the third. Estevan was down 4-2 with seven minutes to play in the third.

Lumsden-Bethune scored the winner with one second remaining in extra time.

Keagan Carley made 27 saves in the Estevan net.

Estevan (15-3-2) will visit the Weyburn Wings on Dec. 14, host the Lions on

Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Affinity Place and the Swift Current Broncos on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. at Affinity.   •••

The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins picked up one of a possible four points on the weekend.

Estevan lost 5-4 in overtime to the Melville Millionaires on Saturday. Estevan led 4-1 in the third period on goals by Porter Crossman, Grayson Brock, Nathan Gardiner and Bos-

ton Tait, but the Mills stormed back with three goals before the end of regulation, and scored the winner on a power play in extra time.

Quinton Sliva made 27 saves for Estevan.

The following day, Crossman, Gunner Moore and Deegan Lemoine had the Estevan goals. Jaxon Kuchinka made 24 saves for Estevan.

Estevan (2-8-2) will visit the Millionaires on Dec. 17,

the Regina Monarchs the following day and the Regina Aces on Dec. 20.   •••

The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins’ lone game was a 6-1 loss to the Regina Buffalos on Saturday. Cooper Hale had Estevan’s lone goal.

Nathan Quennelle made 45 saves for Estevan.

The Bruins were slated to visit the Weyburn Wings on Dec. 13. (Results not available at press time). Estevan and Weyburn will meet

Hounds Dec. 14 in Carlyle, starting at 7 p.m. •••

The Bruins have announced forward Keagon Little will rejoin the team after the Christmas break. Little will be finishing his first semester at Briercrest College where he was a member of the men’s hockey program.

Little spent two seasons with the Bruins and was part of the team that won the SJHL championship last season.

Tatarnic said Little approached the Bruins about a return. He wasn’t surprised that Little wanted to come back.

“When you go to school at a young age, there’s always a possibility that someone might decide to put that on hold for a bit,” said Tatarnic.

“Looking forward to getting back to Estevan and competing for another championship,” Little said in a news release.

Tatarnic looks forward to seeing Little and Cody Davis, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, after the Christmas break.

“You add those two guys to the lineup, and I believe it makes us four lines deep,” Tatarnic said.

Meanwhile, forward Logan Ziegler has left the team for what Tatarnic called “personal reasons”. Ziegler was named the SJHL’s rookie of the month for November. Tatarnic said the club has left the door open for Ziegler to return, but he believes Ziegler is likely finished with hockey.

again on Dec. 20 at 6:45 p.m. at Affinity Place.  •••

The Estevan Ironside Energy Atom AA Bruins went 3-2 at a tournament in Assiniboia on the weekend.

Estevan opened the tournament with an 8-5 win over the Swift Current Broncos.

Penn Tytlandsvik finished the game with four goals and Ethan Phillips had three goals and two assists. Braxton Shier had the other goal.

Then they defeated the Prairie Generals 7-3. Phillips had four goals and an assist in the game, while Tytlandsvik had three goals.

Estevan improved to 3-0 in the round robin with a 5-2 win over the Battlefords Barons. (Game sheet was not available).

The final round robin contest was a 13-4 loss to the Saskatoon Lightning. Phillips finished with three goals and an assist and Tytlandsvik also scored.

Estevan finished the tournament with a 10-2 loss to the South Prairie Silverbacks in the semifinal. Shier and Phillips had the goals.

Ty Blackburn was in goal for all five games.

The Estevan Bruins faced the Melfort Mustangs Friday night at Affinity Place.

Jye Zawatsky (9) skates the puck into the Saskatoon Blazers’ zone during Sunday’s game. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

The Estevan U9 female Bearcats female hockey team went to Odessa to play in their first tournament of the year after only having one practice as a team.

The team hosted tryouts in October and picked a team with mostly Estevan players and one player each from Oxbow and Alameda. They beat the Lumsden Purple Lynx 6-1 and Warman Bengals 8-2 on Friday. Then they played again on Saturday against the Prairie Storm Ice and won 4-3 to finish first in their pool.

In the A final against the Prairie Storm Hurricanes, the Bearcats lost 2-0.

The team also has allfemale coaches this year. •••

The South East Aaron Well Servicing U18 AA Goldwings won their final league games before the Christmas break.

Up first was a 2-0 victory over the Swift Current Wildcats on Dec. 10. Katelyn Thackeray opened the scoring midway through the second period for the Wings, and Hadley Gerle notched the insurance goal less than five minutes into the third.

Phoenix Preston-Winder

earned the shutout in goal for the Wings.

The following day, the Wings won 3-2. Thackeray opened the scoring in the second period for the second straight game, and Jada Naviaux and Gerle also scored.

Ivey Grant was the Goldwings’ goalie.

The Wings finished with a record of 8-2-1 in the preChristmas portion of their schedule.

The Carlyle U18 A Wildcats lost 6-2 to the Balcarres Barracudas on Dec. 10 in Balcarres.

Jaycee Gervais and Presley Graham had the Wildcats’ goals.

Riley Scott was the Carlyle goalie for the game.

The Wildcats (1-7) will visit Balcarres on Dec. 14, host the Barracudas on Dec. 17 in Arcola at 4 p.m., and visit the South East TS&M U18 A Goldwings

on Dec. 19 in Midale at 7:30 p.m.

The South East Whitecap U15 AA Goldwings dropped two games against the Northwest Sharks in Weyburn on the weekend.

The first game was an 8-2 loss on Saturday. Tyra Kmita and Julia Durr had the goals for the Wings.

Kiera Barker allowed six of the goals and Josie Ellis surrendered two.

Sharks come home with silver from

The Estevan Sharks water polo athletes travelled to Saskatoon for a two-day provincial tournament.

In the mini (10U) age group, Estevan sent two teams to the tournament. They each played four games and then their semifinal and final games.

Each of the atom (13U) boys, bantam (15U) boys and the joint atom/bantam girls played three games in the round robin, then the semifinal game and a final.

The Sharks also had three atom/bantam level girls and one bantam level boy play for the open league tournament, resulting in two busy days for these athletes.

For the Estevan 1 mini team, Rosalie Horrocks, Elijah Vanstone and Eli Sclear scored goals over the

two days. With the Estevan 2 mini team, Jaxon Reihnardt, Eoin Jones, Jaxson Ward, Laine Petterson and Eli Sclear managed to score. The finals saw Estevan 2 playing Weyburn for the gold medal. These athletes came home with the silver medal. Estevan 1 played Regina but were out-swam and came in fourth overall for the tournament.

The atom boys team had Royce Millford and Carter Yunick competing to be top scorer, and these goals were supported by Hudson Enns, Carter Smelt and Samual Boal.

The atom/bantam girls team was joined by the Weyburn Hurricanes athletes for this tournament.

Swimmers Mahlyn Bomberak, Jennika Linthicum,

Ryan Hoeving and Jillian Rosengren managed to score for the Sharks. Estevan/Weyburn met Regina in the final and swam, passed and fought hard, and came home with the silver medal. Bomberak, Linthicum and Hoeving also came home with bronze medals from the open women’s team.

The bantam boys joined with one of the Regina teams, with Malcolm Sherling, Keegan MeenieKindlein and Tyler Gillies scoring a point each. In the finals, the two Regina teams met. Gillies and Sherling came home with a silver medal in the finals and their teammate Meenie-Kindlein also came home with a gold medal from competing with the open men’s team.

The Estevan Motor Speedway (EMS) is going to have its biggest racing attraction return next season.

The Dakota Classic Modified Tour said in a post on its Facebook page that it would be returning to Estevan in 2023. The speedway then confirmed the news and added it would have a 2023 race schedule released soon.

Speaking after the speedway’s annual general meeting on Nov. 29, president Brad Pierson said the EMS expected to be part of the tour in 2023.

The last time the tour was in Estevan was in 2019. The speedway was supposed to have a doubleheader to open the racing showcase in 2020, but those plans were scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Estevan was off the tour again in 2021 and 2022 due to restrictions in place at the Canada-U.S. border.

The tour attracts top modified drivers from throughout the U.S. and also has some

Canadian racers. A stock car division is also offered. Six feature races are contested in six days.

Pierson said they had a good turnout for the annual meeting, which he believes is an indication that fans, volunteers and drivers want to know what’s happening.

“It makes you wonder when you go in and you see a better turnout than usual, are people there to complain? But the whole meeting went really well, nobody showed up to complain and we had some really good ideas put forward,” said Pierson.

In the past three seasons, the track had most of its programs through doubleheaders in an effort to accommodate drivers from Manitoba and other areas. Thanks to border restrictions, U.S.based drivers weren’t able to race here in 2020 and 2021, and only a few came to Estevan in 2022.

The speedway expects to have drivers from Williston,

Minot and other North Dakota communities next season.

“We had a meeting … with those tracks, and all three of us have worked really hard on our schedules to support one another and not run over each other, and to just work hand in hand to provide the best show for the drivers and the fans,” said Pierson.

The number of doubleheaders proved to be “taxing” for the volunteers and the drivers, Pierson said.

“We’re just looking forward to getting back to what I would deem as more of our standardized schedule, with two or three doubleheaders throughout the year, but other than that, it will be mostly one-night shows,” said Pierson.

The track will continue to have five classes: slingshots, and IMCA modifieds, stock cars, sport mods and hobby stocks.

Joining Pierson on the executive are vice-president

Aaron Turnbull, treasurer Lynn Trobert and secretary Jen Schaff. Byron Fichter, Chris Hortness, Jared Stang and newcomer Corey Mann will also be on the board.

Schaff and Mann are new on the board. Trobert and Hortness were re-elected after their two-year terms wrapped up.

Eric De Ruyck, who joined the board two years ago, won’t be back for 2023. Pierson said De Ruyck was a “fantastic” member and will continue to work behind the scenes through track preparation efforts.

Financial statements were released. The track had a profitable year, Pierson said, but not as much as they had hoped. The speedway is uncertain what it will do for a big attraction next season, but the monster truck spectacular during the Saskatchewan Day long weekend was a big success. And they will have at least one Enduro race next year.

Then on Sunday, the Wings lost 7-4. Ella Schenher and Kamryn Kish each scored twice.

Ellis was in goal for the Wings.

The Goldwings (3-12-1) will play their final league game before the Christmas break when they host the Prairie Storm Lightning on Dec. 19, starting at 7:15 p.m.

The Estevan Southland Pulse U15 A Bearcats dropped their lone game during the past week, falling 2-1 to the Weyburn Goldwings 1 on Dec. 10.

Rayelle Curtis opened the scoring for Estevan a little more than eight minutes into the first period. Weyburn tied the game in the second and added the winner in the third.

Kayla Mitchell was in goal for Estevan (2-4-2), who will play their final pre-Christmas games when they host the Balcarres Barracudas on Dec. 17 at the Power Dodge Arena at 3:30 p.m., and then visit the Weyburn Goldwings 2 on Dec. 18 in Radville.

The Estevan IG Wealth Management U13 AA Bearcats split road games against the Lumsden-Bethune Lynx on the weekend.

The first game was a 5-2 loss Saturday at the Lumsden Arena. Haven Bourassa and Taigan Duke had Bearcats’ goals.

Baya Summers was in goal for Estevan.

The following day, the Bearcats upended the Lynx 5-3 in Bethune. Chelsea Madsen, Nevaeh Duke and Bree Poelen scored in the opening 13 minutes of the first period to give Estevan a 3-0 lead.

The Lynx responded with three of their own to tie the game, but then Madsen scored 7:05 into the third period to put Estevan back in front, and Ruby Graf added the insurance goal late in the third.

Taylor Short was in goal for the victory.

The Bearcats will host the Swift Current Wildcats on Dec. 17 at 5:45 p.m. and the following day at 10:30 a.m. Both games will be at the Power Dodge Arena. Then they will host the Weyburn Goldwings on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in Lampman.

The Estevan under-nine Bearcats competed at their first tournament of the year on the weekend. Photo courtesy of Kaylyn Wolensky

Estevan Sharks-Weyburn Hurricanes atom-bantam members were, back row, from left, coach Chad Knoll, Sawyer Tollefson, Dylan Martens, Ryan Hoeving, Jennika Linthicum, Jill Rosengren and coach Neal Linthicum Front row, Jessa Bumpas, Alexis Rotheisler, Blair Wilson, Meredith Knoll, Mahlyn Bomberak and Marlow Molstad. Missing is Julie Labrecque.

Photo courtesy of the Estevan Sharks

Letters to Santa Sponsored

Alameda man charged with two counts of attempted murder

A report of an alleged probation breach led to a situation in which a man is now facing charges for attempted murder.

In a news release, the Saskatchewan RCMP said that on Dec. 7 at approximately 3:45 p.m., the Carnduff RCMP received a report of an adult male breaching the conditions of his probation in Alameda.

Officers responded to a residence in the town. The RCMP says the man answered the door and the officers told him he was under arrest.

“The male did not comply and went into the house and retrieved a firearm,” the RCMP said in the news re-

lease. “An altercation occurred which included the discharge of a firearm by the responding police officers.”

No physical injuries were reported and the man was then arrested without further incident.

After investigation by the Saskatchewan RCMP’s General Investigation Section, Theodore Allan Brycks, 67, of Alameda has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer under Section 239(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, and four counts of failing to comply with a probation order under Section 733.1(1) of the Criminal Code.

He was scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court on Dec. 9. The charges have not been proven in court.

As this matter is before the courts, the RCMP says it has no additional details to share at this time.

Notice of Call for Nominations

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the office of:

Board Member: South East Cornerstone School Division No. 209 Subdivision 1 and Subdivision 6 will be received by the undersigned on the 11th day of January, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Board Office, 80A–18th Street N.E., Weyburn AND during regular business hours from December 12, 2022 to January 10, 2023 at the Board Office, 80A–18th Street N.E., Weyburn.

Nomination forms may be obtained at the following location(s): The Board Website: www.secpsd.ca The Board Office at 80A–18th Street N.E., Weyburn Dated this 5th day of December, 2022.

Shelley Toth, Returning Officer

The church was filled with spectators and performers. The night opened with a prelude by the Northwest and Southeast Wind and Brass Ensemble, followed by the Star Spangled Banner and O Canada by the Northwest and Southeast Choruses.

Among other festival performers were Kirkman Rennalls and Anna Korol with piano solos, Danielle Evenson and Allison Holzer with an organ/piano duet, Spruce Ridge School Choir, Laurie Fornwald with a vocal solo, the Estevan Comprehensive School Choir, a flute solo by Sandra Bazin, and a performance by The Way featuring Cheri Haberstock, and Cindy and Kevin Guillemin. Guests were also invited to enjoy the community singing.

Kyle Whitehead was the director, Holzer and Evenson were the accompanists and Estevan Rotary president Roy Ludwig handled

Estevan runners joined the virtual HoHoHoliday run – the most festive fun run in Canada – as the event disruption states. This fivekilometre run/walk combines the magic of the holidays with community engagement and fitness. Local participants will be a part of a holiday movement and virtually join 10,000 Santas across Canada who are spreading cheer in their local communities, while also raising funds to support Make-AWish Canada.

Twenty-seven local Santas signed up to partake in this fun, non-timed run or walk, slated for Dec. 17, starting at

Flashback

–Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 The

Rotary’s Christmas Carol Festival attracts crowd

gency shelter and supplies for those who have lost their homes to disasters or conflicts. They also help build schools in developing countries so that the kids could have access to education.

“Rotary has more than 1.2 million Rotarians all over the world with more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries. Our largest initiative is the eradication of poliovirus,” Ludwig said.

Spruce Ridge Choir, directed by Meagan Casemore and Sarah Leverton, performed two songs to the accompaniment of Shelagh Eskra

the duties of the master of ceremonies.

In his opening remarks, Ludwig outlined the role the Rotary Club of Estevan plays in the community and listed their latest initiatives and achievements.

“We host fundraisers to raise money for the city projects, for local projects.

We have major fundraisers like Lobsterfest and a golf ball drop, where we raise between $25,000-45,000. All of those funds are spent back in the community. The biggest initiative we’ve had lately was the first helipad at St. Joseph’s Hospital with a Rotary contribution of over $100,000,” Ludwig shared.

Over the past few years, the Rotary Club of Estevan also helped the local humane society acquire needed equipment and they supported the girls’ softball diamonds with their projects. Besides, they directed funds towards purchasing turnout gear for local firefighters, playground equip-

ment at Woodlawn Reginal Park, bathroom facilities at Royal Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park, emergency room chairs for the hospital, and concession and dugout renovations at Mel Murray Cactus Park ball diamonds.

Rotary’s international initiatives include the Shelter Box, which provides emer-

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, they’ve reduced polio cases by 99.9 per cent since their first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly three billion children in 122 countries from the disease.

Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

10 a.m. at the corner of Smith Street and Yardley Place.

The runners, dressed in Santa suits, will go by the Estevan Regional Nursing Home, long-term care at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Creighton Lodge, and then return to Smith Street and Yardley Place.

Sheila McGillicky, who organized Estevan’s HoHoHoliday run along with Tamara Stephany, said she got a notification about the virtual event and posted it on the Estevan Road Runners’ Facebook page to see if there was any interest to join.

“A couple of people were to do it, and then it just kind of exploded after that,” McGillicky shared.

The course is a bit longer than five kilometres and will go west on Smith to 13th Ave and then north on

Local Santas will take on the five-kilometre holiday course, going by senior living facilities in Estevan to spread some smiles and Christmas spirit. Stock photo by unclewilco / iStock / Getty Images Plus.

13th to Wellock Road. The runners will go through the parking lot of the Estevan Regional Nursing Home so that any residents in the dining room will see them.

Then, the participants will go west on Wellock Road to Irvine Crescent, where they

will take the path to Royal Heights Park and over to Nicholson Road, which will take them to the hospital. At St. Joe’s, running or walking Santas will go through the smaller parking lot by the long-term care (LTC) unit to give a wave to any residents

that may be watching for them.

From there, they will come back down Nicholson to Creighton Lodge and give residents a wave on their way by. They will then follow Hillcrest Drive to King Street, take King Street back to 13th Avenue and then head back down Smith Street.

When they started planning for the route, one of the runners suggested they could spread some cheer to people in the nursing home. And McGillicky was able to come up with a route that also included LTC and Creighton Lodge. She noted that another local runner partook in this virtual event last year, and they also did a fun run in costumes on Halloween. So, this time their festive and healthy efforts went another step further.

The main goal of the HoHoHoliday Run is to spread some smiles and Christmas spirit. The event is meant to be fun and maybe brighten someone’s day.

“We just plan to go out and spread a little bit of Christmas cheer, maybe put a smile on people’s faces. Hopefully, it’s a nice day out there and maybe we’ll just make somebody’s day a little bit better,” McGillicky said. “Christmas might be tough on some people, especially some of the residents of the nursing home, the long-term care and Creighton Lodge. It might just give them an extra little smile.”

While the registration for the event is done, McGillicky said the community is welcome to come wave to the Santas or join them for a walk or a run, spreading joy.

The HoHoHoliday fivekilometre run is coming to Estevan for participants to enjoy a healthy and fun activity that should also cheer the onlookers.

Estevan police seeking assistance with vehicle theft; make arrests for impaired driving and assault

The Estevan Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying suspects in a vehicle theft.

On Dec. 11, the EPS published pictures related to the theft of a vehicle from a south-end gas station. The theft occurred in the morning hours of Dec. 11.

The vehicle was stolen from a local gas station and was towing an ice shack. The vehicle was located a short time later as it lost control and the ice shack rolled. Police, through investigation, determined the individuals responsible for the theft drove up to the gas station in what they believe to be a stolen automobile from Pilot Butte.

Officers have since learned that the vehicle had been involved in several incidents in Weyburn in the afternoon. With the assistance of the Weyburn Police Service, they have further received better photos of suspects from the Estevan theft and are asking the public to assist in identifying the individuals responsible.

Anyone who has any information related to the incident is asked to contact the EPS at 306-634-4767.

Police remind the public to be diligent in securing their vehicles to prevent crimes of opportunity. Do not leave your vehicle running unattended as it only takes moments for it to go missing. Further, police ask that the public report suspicious vehicles.

In other recent police news, members received a report of an assault on Dec. 8.

Investigation into the matter resulted in an arrest and charges for assault under the Criminal Code. A man was released on conditions and will make a court appearance at a later date.

On the same day, police received separate reports of two motor vehicle collisions. One of the accidents led to an individual being transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital with what the EPS said were minor injuries. Both incidents remain under investigation.

Police are also looking into an incident related to

theft of power. The suspect vehicle was observed parking and plugging in at a local business without the consent of the owner.

From Dec. 9-11, the EPS dealt with 59 occurrences resulting in a total of 21 charges. Of the charges laid, five were un-

der the Criminal Code and 16 were under the Traffic Safety Act.

“There were many Christmas parties happening around the city and we would like to thank the many that found a safe ride home,” EPS posted on their website.

The morning of Dec. 10, a traffic stop was conducted. A male from Moose Jaw was arrested for outstanding warrants. He was also a suspended driver and ticketed for such under the Traffic Safety Act. He was also subject to a standard field sobriety test and performed poorly, therefore his licence was suspended for 72 hours. The matter remains under investigation and Criminal Code charges are pending.

Later that day, members conducted a traffic stop and a driver from Regina was tested for impaired driving. The male provided two samples of breath, was charged under the Criminal Code and then released with a court date in January.

Several traffic stops were conducted through-

out the weekend, resulting in charges under the Traffic Safety Act. The EPS reminds the public to travel for road conditions, which may mean they are required to travel under the posted speed limit to ensure proper stopping time.

Members located a male who was a suspect in a theft that occurred in late November. He was arrested and charged for theft under $5,000. He will appear in court in January to speak to those charges.

On Dec. 11, police were also dispatched to a motel on the east side of Estevan for a report of an assault. The suspects had left the scene prior to members’ arrival. A female from Alberta was located and arrested for assault with a weapon and mischief. She was released with a court date later in January.

Other calls for service included domestic disputes, people reporting scams, false alarms, driving or parking complaints, harassing communications and intoxicated subjects.

Firefighters respond to nine calls for service in a week

The Estevan Fire Rescue Service had a steady flow of calls last week.

The first call came on Dec. 5 at about 5:30 a.m. from the northeast side of the city, where a carbon monoxide alarm went off in a business. A higher concentration of CO, which was enough to set off the alarms, was found in a laundry room. With it contained to one room, an evacuation wasn’t required.

SaskEnergy was called to the scene to further investigate the situation and address the issue.

Another business in east Estevan requested the EFRS’ assistance on Dec. 6 at about 11:30 p.m. Fire Chief Rick Davies said the callers were having issues with getting access to parts of the building as doors weren’t functioning properly.

“It was more of a service

call versus an emergency call. But we assisted the best we can,” Davies said.  Dec. 8 turned out to be a fairly busy day around the fire station with four calls for service, but fortunately, there was “nothing too serious”, Davies noted.

At about 8 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to a business in south Estevan for a fire alarm. Upon arrival, it was found that occupants of the building

were having issues with the sprinkler system and were working on it, so firefighters’ assistance was not required.

Then at about 3 p.m., crews were dispatched to a vehicle accident that occurred in the north-central part of the city. Davies said vehicles sustained minor damage, and one driver was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital with what were described as minor injuries.

Just 15 minutes later, crews were called to a business in northeast Estevan, where a fire alarm went off But prior to them responding, the business owners phoned the fire hall and advised that it was false, and assistance wasn’t required.

At about 4 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a residential CO alarm that went off in a house in the northeast area. Crews

responded and quickly determined that CO wasn’t an issue. The alarm system for water detected a minor leak in the furnace room and was activated.

The next set of calls for service came in on Dec. 11, when three residential fire alarms went off in houses in the northeast, northcentral and southeast areas. All were confirmed to be false, and firefighters’ assistance wasn’t required.

The

vehicle theft. Photo sourced from the Estevan Police Twitter account

Warm Hearts – Jacket Repair Project is entering its second winter, being truthful to its original goal – to divert clean, mendable jackets, and sometimes other winter items, from landfill.

The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) started Warm Hearts last year with jacket drop-off locations in

Regina, Saskatoon, Lloydminster, Moose Jaw, Estevan, Rosthern and Biggar. They teamed up with local volunteers who were fixing donated jackets to bring them over to local organizations for further free distribution.

“The Waste Reduction Council focuses on waste reduction, so we try to bring about anything that

comes to mind about reducing waste,” said Meg Dorwart, communications and events co-ordinator with SWRC. “[Warm Hearts project] is hoping to help keep jackets out of the landfill. But it’s also just a win-win because these jackets are obviously very valuable, and it’s nice not only to keep jackets out of the landfill, but also to keep the value of the jackets by repairing them and then putting them back into the community to folks that actually really need them.”

Last winter Warm Hearts worked on 172 winter jackets, which were diverted from landfills, regained their value and redistributed back into communities. In Estevan, 15 winter coats were donated, however, none of the items collected last winter needed to be repaired.

“Hopefully this year, we can get some of those jackets that were destined

for the landfill and save them from that,” Dorwart said, adding that if people want to donate jackets that don’t need to be repaired they can still reach out to SWRC to get some help in co-ordinating their donation.

Throughout winter, Estevan and other locations are going to be accepting donations of used, repairable jackets and other winter clothes to then fix them and give back to people. The organization asks supporters to make sure items are clean before dropping them off Dorwart said currently they have only one person in Estevan who agreed to volunteer their time to repair donated items, and the SWRC would be glad to have a few more people who could help them with the project. The volunteers could be asked to do anything from patching up a hole with hand-stitching to using a sewing machine to replacing or fixing a

zipper. Dorwart noted that volunteers can always pick projects that match their skills.

Estevan’s donations are accepted at the Church of God and then redistributed through the Church of Christ.

“If someone in the public has a jacket that needs to be fixed in Estevan, they’ll drop it off at the Church of God. And then they let the volunteer know, and the volunteer goes and picks up the jacket and fixes it,” Dorwart explained. “And then when they are finished, they drop it off at the Church of Christ because they’ve got a collection in their basement that they distribute into the community.”

The SWRC is planning on expanding its map of Warm Hearts – Jacket Repair Project drop-off locations this season. Moose Jaw already joined the initiative, and a couple of other communities are

currently trying to get everything organized.

Dorwart also thanked the companies that continue helping the SWRC with this project.

“Affinity Credit Union and SaskEnergy are providing funding to help with organizing and all the advertising costs that go along with trying to promote the project across the province,” Dorwart noted.

Jacket and other outdoor winter clothes can be dropped off at the Estevan Church of God Monday and Friday from 9 a.m.noon, Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:3011:30 a.m. Once they are repaired, they are taken to the Estevan Church of Christ to be redistributed to anyone in need through their clothing exchange project at no cost.

To arrange for a donation or to fill out a form to volunteer with Warm Hearts, please contact Dorwart at meg@swrc.ca.

Warm Hearts – Jacket Repair Project’s donation drop-off location is the Estevan Church of God, left. The repaired jackets are then taken to the Estevan Church of Christ, right, to be distributed to those who may need them.