Estevan Mercury 20230301

1220 4th Street, Estevan 306-634-3666

Great convention. Highlights of Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation gathering in Estevan.

PAGE A3

Estevan Kinettes contributed over $10,000 to Telemiracle 47’s $5.5 million total

Oxbow’s emergency. Disruptions to Galloway Health Centre’s emergency room discussed.

PAGE A6

New beginnings. Southeast College announces two new members.

PAGE A7

Several members of Kinette Club joined Telemiracle 47 in Saskatoon this year. Saskatchewan’s charity wrapped up its latest edition Sunday night, and as of 5 p.m., the final numbers on the video tote board showed a total of $5,519,229 raised. With this year’s incredible generosity added, the total

Coming back. Valuable event celebrating local women is to make a return this spring.

PAGES A8-9

They made it! Bruins claim their playoff spot. Recap of the recent games.

PAGE A10

raised by Telemiracle since 1977 is now over $158 million.

Jessica Beal, Breanne Van De Woestyne, Raelene Fieber and Tara Kyle attended the event for the Estevan Kinette Club.

The day after the event, Kyle, who is the local zone representative for the Kinsmen Telemiracle Founda-

tion board, said the latest Telemiracle was “amazing as it always is”.

“It’s awesome to see the camaraderie. It’s awesome to be there in that building and see the people working together and just coming together as a whole province and doing what’s best for the province,” Kyle shared.

It was her ninth time

participating in the fundraiser for Saskatchewan’s charity. She noted that as the province is coming back out of COVID-19 restrictions, the event is reshaping as well, which was great to see.

“It’s starting to come back to how Telemiracle used to look, which was super exciting, because it’s not

just about the funds that we raised for the people, it’s also about creating those connections and bonding with your fellow Kins and creating lifetime friendships,”

Kyle said. “So, it was really awesome to be able to get a little back to normal. We’re not quite back to all normal yet, but it’s getting there.”

New walking track policy for Affinity Place repealed; city to seek feedback from the public

By David Willberg

The new policy governing the walking track at Affinity Place has been shelved, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be addressed again.

Estevan city council decided Monday to repeal the document, just two weeks after council had ratified it. Council cited the response from the community and concern with some of the clauses as reasoning for the decision.

The document will be sent back to city staff while council seeks more public feedback. It is to be brought back to council later this year, potentially in the fall.

Four concerned citizens – Megan LeBlanc, Tessa Young, Hunter Piche and Jill DesAutels – submit-

ted letters to council voicing their opposition to the policy. Also, Councillor Tony Sernick sent a letter to council outlining some of the issues from the Estevan Minor Hockey Association. Leblanc recommended several changes for the document.

“Initially council made it clear the rules for the track were not going to hinder or harm anyone,” LeBlanc wrote. “We believe the current rules do exactly that to many community members who use the track.”

LeBlanc’s recommendations ranged from simple measures such as being courteous to all other users and proceeding around the track counter-clockwise, to keeping exercise equipment at least 12 inches from

the track path. Mini sticks, pucks, balls and other objects won’t be allowed, and group training on track lanes must be single file.

Young noted she homeschools her oldest child and they go there to race each other in the mornings before they start school. She was concerned the policy council approved two weeks ago said no racing or sprinting. “We have always been encouraged and cheered on by the retired walkers that are there, saying ‘Good for you’ and ‘a boy his age should be running’,” Young wrote.

Piche said Affinity Place is a hockey rink, so hockey players should not have limited time on their home facility track. The repealed policy had limits on the amount of time players

could spend training on the track.

“From young minor hockey players all the way up to juniors, off-ice training and warmups play a huge role with on-ice performance and also safety,” wrote Piche. “Properly warming up off ice is huge when it comes to on-ice injury prevention.”

Piche suggested any quiet time should be in the morning. Desaultels wanted to know why no equipment would be allowed on the sides of the track. She suggested a skipping rope or a mat would be fine. She also voiced concern about who would monitor the track and determine the difference between a jog and a sprint.

“My children often use the track to run when we

can’t get outside. I encourage them to run, and as long as they are staying to the side and being respectful of the other walkers, I don’t see the harm in encouraging some physical activity on the track,” she said. She also asked who would watch for the patrons that walk four across the track.

Councillor Shelly Veroba, who voted against the policy two weeks ago, said people want to see it go back to the way it was previously. Issues would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. As for not allowing sprinting, people do it to build cardiovascular strength, and people were confused between sprinting and running.

A2 » PREVIOUS

With this year’s incredible generosity added, the total raised by Telemiracle since 1977 is now over $158 million. Photo submitted

By David Willberg

A southeast Saskatchewan family is facing some large expenses after a medical emergency in the U.S. that won’t be covered by insurance.

Rebecca Fee of Estevan said her grandfather Louis Lamothe, who resides in the Halbrite area, had a stroke on Feb. 3 in Yuma, Ariz., and spent more than three weeks in Arizona. By Friday morning, he was in stable condition, and he had been medically cleared to fly home once the family could finish arranging a medical flight for him and secure a hospital bed for him in Saskatchewan.

He flew back to Saskatchewan on Monday and was resting comfortably at Regina General Hospital, Fee said in a post on a GoFundMe page she created.

“His stroke has left him paralyzed on the left side, unable to speak, and unable to swallow. He has extensive rehabilitation ahead of him in Regina … which is an hour and a half from their hometown,” Fee wrote.

Their insurance request through Saskatchewan Blue Cross was denied.

In the GoFundMe page, Fee said he answered questions truthfully on his application.

Fee noted the insurance company decided they are not covering the Lamothes because at some point, his cholesterol medication changed from 10 to 20 milligrams.

“We don’t know when, and

we don’t even think he knew this as he answered all questions very truthfully, or so he thought,” Fee wrote. “This is something to be aware of. It caused an immediate cut off of insurance, and had my grandma [Arlene] been on the same policy as him, hers would have been cancelled immediately too.”

Louis has had a heart attack in the past and has COPD, but Fee said the information was included in the application.

Arlene didn’t know about the dosage change, either, Fee said.

“I don’t know how we can prove that he didn’t know this, and was answering those questions truthfully and honestly,” said Fee.

Fee said it took 15 days after Louis’ stroke for Blue Cross to notify the family his claim wouldn’t be covered.

“They [Blue Cross] never once let on that it wouldn’t be covered. They needed to gather documents from his family doctor back home, and they had to communicate with the hospital here, they had to communicate with us to ask about all his prescriptions and stuff like that, so I guess it’s a long process, but I think 15 days was a very long time to put him in one of the most expensive hospitals in Phoenix,” said Fee.

In an email to the Mercury, Cheryl de Villiers, the director for marketing and external affairs for Saskatchewan Blue Cross, said they remain confident in the

handling of the Lamothe claim overall.

“Privacy requirements prohibit us from providing specific details about the claim and claim decisions. All decisions undergo a formal review with multiple stages involving both internal and external experts including medical care providers,” she said.

“It’s an active and consultative process from the point of purchase to ensure plan members understand their coverage, its limitations, and the appeals process available should any new information emerge that warrants additional consideration in a claim decision.”

Travel insurance is essential, she said, and it’s critical

that individuals understand what they are covered for and provide accurate medial information when purchasing coverage. It’s equally essential to ensure people update their travel insurer when health circumstances change.

“If you’re ever unsure about your plan contract, we urge individuals to reach out to their insurers for support before travelling,” she said.

By Feb. 6, Fee was able to drive to Arizona to be with her grandmother to help her through this time. For the most part, she has been the only family down there. Louis’ brother came for a few days as well. Fee and her grandmother have been staying in hotels in Phoenix to be near him. They

have sold their fifth wheel in Yuma. They have been sitting in the intensive care unit every day for 12 hours a day, praying he would get better, Fee said.

Because insurance rejected their case, they are responsible for paying up front for his medical flight home through an Ontario-based organization named Angels of Flight. It will cost C$56,435, but Fee said the organization has been a big help. She started communicating with Angels of Flight a little more than a week ago.

“They’re very fast to answer the phone,” said Fee. “They were immediately in contact with the hospital as soon as we filled out the paperwork. We’re staying in hotels, so I’ve had limited access to computers and printers, but we managed to figure it all out to get them the paperwork.”

The cost covers flight and crew member expenses, fuel, permits, state approvals, preflight medical assessment, ground transport from facilities, communication and more. Angels of Flight also co-ordinates everything for the transfer.

“They will provide air ambulance, ground transportation, gather his medical reports, provide the medical team for the transport, and do all communication required between all the hospitals and/ or the rehab facility,” said Fee.

Fee noted they had little help from the hospital in Arizona. They were told multiple

times they would have a case manager at the hospital to help deal with this, and after more than 25 attempts to try to call them, they got through twice only to be told they would get a call back. Fee said it didn’t happen.

She pointed out the nurses and doctors in Arizona were absolutely outstanding and go above and beyond for the family.

Louis gets confused sometimes, Fee said, which might be due to the swelling and the brain fluctuating. He sleeps a lot during the day and has constant migraines, which she believes is due to the swelling from the stroke.

As of Monday morning, the campaign, Please Help us Return Louis Lamothe to Canada, had raised $16,875 of its $100,000 goal, with 116 donors. The funds would be used to help pay for the flight and the three-week ICU bill. She expects the total bill will be at least $100,000, with multiple CT scans, chest xrays, ultrasounds, intubation tube and more.

“I know they have a lot of medical bills ahead of them, on top of this medical flight, so any help we can get is great,” said Fee.

She plans on reaching out to the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation to see if they’re eligible for support, and they’re looking for other avenues.

“We have a lot of great friends and family that have started helping to pitch in,” said Fee.

Money raised at Telemiracle helps Saskatchewan people

This year the Estevan Kinettes raised $10,520.94 to contribute to the Telemiracle 47 total. Kyle noted that it was one of their higher numbers, and none of it would be possible without help and support from people in the southeast.

“We couldn’t have done it without the community, without them we wouldn’t have been able to raise that much money,” Kyle said.

This year Estevan Kinettes ran a successful online auction, and also raised money through a Toonie for Telemiracle matinee at the Orpheum Theatre on Family Day, a silent auction at a Bruins game, through the GratiTuesday at the local Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse Casual, and Pizza with a Purpose at the Black Grasshopper.

“We had quite a few different little things that added up and contributed. And for any of those projects, if the community wouldn’t have participated, then we wouldn’t have been able to bring that money to Telemiracle,” Kyle said.

« A1

At Telemiracle, Estevan Kinettes had many various duties including registrations, security and being a messenger, which is taking donations to the treasury.

“We did all kinds of different positions. You get to learn all kinds of new skills,” Kyle shared.

She said her favourite part of Telemiracle was to see that Saskatchewan once again came through and contributed $5.5 million to give to the people of this province. And the second-best part was getting to do their big Kin supper once again, where they all got together to share a meal afterwards the broadcast.

While this year’s total was below the 2022’s most successful event that eclipsed the $8 million mark for the first time, the organizers were very grateful for the support and all the funds that were raised, which will be used to help people in Saskatchewan.

“Telemiracle remains rooted in Saskatchewan and the generosity of Saskatchewan people really shined

through once again this weekend,” said Telemiracle 47 chairman Scott Lamb. “These donations are going to help so many people across the province.”

Among the many highlights of this year’s show were the 80 talented Saskatchewan performers who appeared on throughout the telethon. Not only did these acts showcase the scope of talent from every corner of the province, they also raised money for the telethon – which was once again matched by Nutrien, who presented their donation of $108,182 just before the end of the broadcast.

“Every dollar counts and we are so grateful to the people of Saskatchewan for their continuing support,” said Lamb. “The best part is that all the money raised stays right here in Saskatchewan, to help their friends, neighbours and communities.”

Another highlight came in the form of tributes in memory of former long-time host Bob McGrath, who made more than 40 appearances at

Telemiracle, beginning with the first telethon in 1977, with a final live appearance in 2018 and a cameo in 2021. McGrath passed away on Dec. 4, 2022. All Telemiracle proceeds stay in Saskatchewan and are granted through the Kinsmen Foundation for specialized medical and mobility equipment, assistance with medical travel, and new and innovative health care equipment.

The foundation typically receives over 1,000 applications for assistance annually.

Donors that made phone pledges during the telethon can honour them by mailing their donation to Telemiracle at Box 83000, Saskatoon SK, S7K 9S1.

Kyle thanked everyone in the Estevan area who contributed to the success of this year’s Telemiracle.

“I just want to thank the community because without them this isn’t possible. I am so appreciative of all the support that they give us every year,” Kyle said.

Planning begins shortly for Telemiracle 48, to take place Feb. 24-25, 2024, in Regina. Details leading up to next year’s show will be posted at www.Telemiracle. com.

Previous rules for walking track will be used

“It’s hard to say to someone ‘No, you can’t sprint when you’re the only two people on the track.’”

She and Ludwig pointed

out it’s not just a hockey rink, it’s a sports venue and events centre with all sorts of users.

Councillor Rebecca Foord said the issue should serve as

a lesson for both council and the public. She said people have accused council of doing this behind closed doors, but it was first discussed publicly by council in December.

“Going forward, if we were to do policies like this or have requests for policies, maybe we should have a public consultation or send

out a survey or something online,” said Foord.

A survey will be posted on the city’s website, and printed copies will also be available.

It was also noted that while the policy allows for strollers, it did not mention wheelchairs. Foord and Ludwig apologized for the oversight, and said

wheelchairs are and will be allowed.

Councillor Kirsten Walliser said the consensus among people she has talked to is people enjoy the track and that teams use the track for fitness purposes. That’s the part of the policy that needs to be worked on in the coming months.

She wants to know how

many hours minor hockey and other organizations need for dryland training.

Until the amended policy is brought forward, the old rules will apply, which means no loitering, walking singlefile over the bridge at the east end of the building, no playing mini-sticks and respecting other users.

Estevan Kinettes Breanne Van De Woestyne, Raelene Fieber and Tara Kyle delivered a cheque for $10,520.94 that the community helped them to raise for Telemiracle 47. Missing is Jessica Beal. Photo sourced from the Estevan Kinette Club Facebook page

Louis Lamothe, right, and his wife Arlene are facing considerable expenses after he suffered a stroke in Arizona.

Photo courtesy of Becca Fee

Hunting, fishing, habitat and conservation all discussed at SWF convention in Estevan

By David Willberg

The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s (SWF) first provincial convention in Estevan in nearly 50 years was worth the wait.

The 94th annual convention was held from Thursday to Saturday in the Energy City, with most of the activities happening at the Estevan Comprehensive School. About 175 delegates attended the convention, but with spouses and other guests factored in, the total crowd size was 225250 people.

It was the first in-person convention for the SWF since 2020. Estevan was supposed to host the convention in 2021, but the event had to be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We really have to take our hats off to the Estevan Wildlife Federation. They’ve been outstanding, and the meals have just been superb,” said SWF executive director Darrell Crabbe. “You want to keep everybody fed, and we have a lot of really good conversations and a lot of fun.”

The first activities were actually last Wednesday with registration and a social at the Western Star Hotel. Opening ceremonies were held Thursday afternoon at ECS, with speeches from dignitaries and local and provincial representatives.

Estevan Wildlife Federation president Wanda Michel said she was pleased to see everyone in attendance. “I’m very proud of many of the members within the branch and within our community who have come together to share this amazing adventure,” said Michel.

She told them that as a child, Disneyland was going ice fishing on a Sunday afternoon. Her father,

Frank Mosley, ensured they enjoyed the outdoors growing up. Michel and her siblings learned how to appreciate the outdoors.

“We have come together today because of our passion, but more than that, we are here to achieve our vision, to ensure the wildland legacy we leave for our children will be a different land that surpasses that which we inherited,” said Michel.

Randy Nelson, a longtime conservation officer, delivered the keynote address on Thursday following the opening ceremonies.

Nelson is from Saskatchewan originally but moved to B.C. to become a fisheries officer, even though he’d never seen a salmon before going to that province. He became the most decorated fisheries officer ever in that province, as he received a number of awards.

Nelson shared stories from throughout his career, often weaving humour into his tales. He noted that some of the experiences in his first book would make people laugh due to the stupid things people do.

The first planeload he checked in his career had four people from Regina aboard with 70 walleye. The next night, Americans on a float plane had two metal washtubs filled with fillets and over 200 lake trout.

“At the end of that [first] summer, the plant operator said I brought more fish in than any commercial fisherman,” said Nelson.

He had more than his share of serious incidents in his career, including being hit by rocks, getting attacked by a grizzly bear, and suffering knee and shoulder injuries. But he also had so many good days on the job.

In his second book, he talked to conservation officers and game wardens across North America for

some of the “wildest, craziest, funniest and most bizarre” stories he could find. Nelson noted people think about big game in Africa when they hear about poachers, but they don’t think about what’s happening around them.

Part proceeds from the sale of the second book go to help fallen officers. Nelson also praised those who were in attendance.

“You know what’s right when you go out there, and if you see something, you have the ability to report it. I truly believe ethical, legal hunters are the best conservationists, that have the best chance of delivering the message and helping us stop poaching.”

Crabbe was impressed with Nelson’s speech. He noted a presentation from the Saskatchewan conservation officers is always a highlight of the convention. So to have Nelson telling tales about the chases he was on would be a hit with delegates.

Also on Thursday, Crabbe delivered his report, and members received updates on finances, marketing, habitat trust and education efforts.

The annual contributions awards banquet was held, with recognition awards for branches and individuals.

The conservation officers’ presentation was Friday morning. Several conservation officers discussed illegal activities they encountered and stopped.

“We always like to see poachers get their due and their punishment,” said Crabbe.

Dr. Chris Somers, a biology professor at the University of Regina, discussed projects, including the Boundary Dam reservoir fishery, a winter catch and release of northern pike and great horned owls in southwest Saskatchewan.

Numerous other reports were delivered, including a lengthy one on fisheries and branch projects.

A fundraising dinner on Friday night was a big success. Some things that

Crabbe thought would be big sellers were not, and those that they thought would do all right proved to be very popular.

Money raised will go to SWF habitat programs.

As for Saturday, the Ministry of the Environment’s Wildlife Unit spoke and answered questions on a number of topics. An annual highlight was the enforcement dog presentation, with conservation officers showcasing the training of one of the dogs and the animal’s ability to detect shell casings and gun powder.

Also on Saturday was the parade of cheques, when branches donate to programs. Crabbe said they receive $200,000-$250,000 for SWF efforts, such as habitat trust, land securement, education or fisheries. The EWF presented $25,000 to the SWF.

An awards banquet on Saturday night featured a speech from Environment Minister Dana Skoropad,

of: 2 Councillors – Town of Midale ADVANCE POLL has been set for Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Town of Midale office,

and a variety of awards were handed out for photography, conservation, stewardship and resource management.

Local band Crossroads provided entertainment.

The trespass legislation that was enacted in January 2022 was a frequently-discussed topic, Crabbe said. Delegates shared thoughts on how to improve access and communications with landowners.

“Because of the winter in many parts of Saskatchewan, we have a … large congregation of large ungulates – the deer, elk and moose and that sort of thing – so that’s certainly an issue,” said Crabbe.

The SWF receives calls

of those species in small towns, villages, farm yards and other locations. Chronic wasting disease is an escalating problem across Saskatchewan, he said, and it is working its way eastward. He noted it was recently diagnosed in Manitoba. Crabbe saluted the efforts of the EWF in making the convention happen. He noted the EWF has a lengthy history of being supportive of the provincial organization’s efforts, particularly when it comes to land purchases, and donating and helping programs. This past weekend represented another example of the strength of the EWF, Crabbe said.

www.40daysforlife.com - Subscribe!

The next internationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil runs from February 22 - April 2

Help save lives by joining others across the world in Prayer & Fasting.

CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS

Join the 40 Days for Life campaign today. Sign up for breaking news, devotionals, and prayers from 40 Days for Life.

Knowing that “with God, all things are possible,” people of faith and conscience unite in 40 days of prayer and fasting. Christ told us some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. The two go hand in hand. Prayer keeps us rooted in the fact that it is our desire to carry out God’s own limitations with God’s help.

When you SUBSCRIBE, you will get the daily prayers which only take approximately 5 minutes!

A conservation officer K-9 demonstration was one of the highlights of the convention. Photos by David Willberg

Estevan Wildlife Federation president Wanda Michel welcomed delegates to the convention.

Randy Nelson was the keynote speaker at this year’s Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation convention.

Staff

Sales Manager

Pat Pasloski - ppasloski@estevanmercury.ca

Sales Assistant

Christine Jones - cjones@estevanmercury.ca

Editor David Willberg - dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Editorial Staff

Ana Bykhovskaia - abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Production Manager

Ana Villarreal - avillarreal@estevanmercury.ca

Production

Morgan Hodgens - mohodgens@estevanmercury.ca

Laura Kish - laura.kish63@gmail.com

Administration

Vaila Lindenbach - admin@estevanmercury.ca

Volume

Contact us:

(306) 634-2654

68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.estevanmercury.ca

@Estevan_Mercury facebook.com/EstevanMercury

Subscription Rates:

In Saskatchewan - $105

In Canada - $126

Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3. The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc.

Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice.

Conditions of editorial and advertising content:

The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied.The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors.

The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication.

All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision thatThe Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.

EDITORIAL

Council listened to the public outcry

Over the past couple of weeks, members of Estevan city council have been receiving all sorts of feedback regarding the policy for the walking track at Affinity Place.

It reached the point that council voted Monday night to repeal the policy, only two weeks after it was enacted. The city will go with the walking track’s previous rules, which were nowhere near as onerous, send the new policy back to city staff, gather feedback in the coming months and take a look at the policy again later in the year. (The fall was bandied about as a potential target date).

Kudos to the members of the community who approached council through the appropriate channels. They talked with council members. They talked to city staff. Four people submitted letters to council. You might disagree with these people’s arguments, but at least they didn’t take the wrong route and merely gripe on social media.

Councillors Shelly Veroba and Tony Sernick said virtually all of their council-related calls in the past couple of weeks were due to the walking track policy. And it’s worth noting that Veroba was opposed to the policy.

It showed just how many people use the walking track for a variety of reasons. But the battle for those opposed to the policy isn’t over.

City council says it wants your opinions.

It will have surveys, both in paper form and online. If you took the time to voice your thoughts through an appropriate channel in the past couple of weeks, we hope you’ll take the time to respond to the survey.

If you are opposed to the policy, let the city know. If you’re in favour of it, express your thoughts. If you have some ideas to improve the policy, express them. Hopefully this survey will be as open-ended as possible so people can adequately share their thoughts.

If you don’t speak up on this one, then you shouldn’t complain once the policy is brought back to council for approval later this year.

The walking track is a great amenity for Affinity Place. For starters, it’s free. And it’s accessible. It’s centrally located. It can be used by virtually everyone. It’s perfect for seniors. Want a nice easy walk to burn off calories when it’s -20 C outside and there’s a bitterly cold wind? Go to the walking track.

And it’s not just seniors who use it. You’ll see mothers walking around the track with their strollers. You’ll see people jogging, using both the track and the stairs for some added intensity. And you’ll see teams enjoying dryland exercise in the areas around the track.

We’ll see what comes of this. Will the city decide to forego the policy for good? Perhaps. But it’s more likely it will opt for an amended document, one that doesn’t have

blackout periods for minor hockey dryland during the late afternoons and evenings, and perhaps one that isn’t so restrictive. Hopefully, the next policy will also be a little more specific. There was going to be confusion on whether the full concourse area was part of the walking track. Will objects like free weights, mats and skipping ropes still be banned? How is the city going to enforce this policy?

Will there be a city employee stationed at the walking track during quiet times to ensure people aren’t sprinting?

It would have been good if council would have gone through this process before approving the policy, but that’s a lesson learned for next time.

This does not mean council needs to go through the process of public consultation for every policy it enacts. Some of their policies are internal in nature. Could you imagine if they would have gone through public consultation for the employee social media policy?

But when it comes to the walking track at Affinity Place, consultation is absolutely necessary because of the track’s value to the community.

And it’s imperative that the public take advantage of this opportunity and others when they are presented.

Where are we in the transportation crisis?

Over the last month, I’ve been on board close to 10 planes, flying to various destinations, most of which I wouldn’t call troublefree.

Some of my flights were landing and taking off from Israel right after recent terrorist attacks, a deadly West Bank raid and a Gaza-Israel exchange of fire. Others were going in and out of Turkey just over a week after the terrible earthquakes that resulted in vast destruction and claimed over 44,000 lives in that country alone.

Some of the boardings took me to visit Russia – a country actively involved in war and, for that, constrained by global sanctions, aimed at ensuring that hardly any international flights go there and that their remaining fleet will become obsolete sooner rather than later with no proper maintenance available.

It was quite a trip. But guess what, the only transportation problems I experienced happened in Canada. It wasn’t too bad, yet it was weird to go through all those places without a hiccup to then get hindered in Canada.

First, my flight from Tel Aviv to Toronto was delayed as the plane didn’t leave Canada on time due to a snowstorm. (Okay, that’s totally understandable; after all, it’s still winter here.) But then my plane from Toronto to Regina kept being pushed back, as were a number of other Air Canada flights that night.

Nobody explained what was going on, but it looked like another mess. After 12 hours on a plane from Israel, I ended up having an eight-hour layover in Toronto and arrived in Regina at 4 a.m., tired as hell but happy to be back. A day later, I came across an article about WestJet busing their passengers from Cal-

Twenty Lines About…

gary to Regina and realized my situation wasn’t bad at all. (In case you missed it, passengers there were offered an eight-hour bus ride to the Queen City as their flight was cancelled due to “unscheduled maintenance”, said a WestJet letter posted on social media by Chris Henderson, who was among those affected by the situation. They were also told that no other flights were available for days.)

I also had a bad experience trying to fly from Regina to Calgary late last year. I bought the cheapest tickets, which still cost me around $800, and then the flight was delayed multiple times and then cancelled. Fortunately, I was able to board another plane within 24 hours and go on with my plans. I also almost became a part of the transportation disaster that hit North America around Christmas. Yes, it was a common problem caused by weather and other factors, but here in Saskatchewan, it played out the worst.

Unfortunately, anyone who tries travelling in Canada or internationally nowadays probably has an anecdote to tell. It’s been bad ever since the pandemic. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and COVID-19 globally highlighted many of those really thin links. I’d say healthcare had the most of them and is the number one on the list of systems struggling really badly.

Transportation, freight and passenger, can easily claim the second spot. Those systems had issues prior to 2020, but what we are left with now is complete chaos. I’ve touched on these two areas in conversations with people

from different countries, and they all say that the systems are in a serious crisis. However, what I see here in Canada and especially in Saskatchewan is nowhere close to other places.

Of course, it always can be even worse, but when we talk about Canada, we expect high-quality standards in everything, which unfortunately isn’t the case right now.

While the global healthcare system will take many years to fix, as the pandemic claimed too many professionals worldwide and it takes a long time to raise new ones, at least at first glance, transportation issues feel like they should be easier to get back to normal. It’s getting close to a year since most of the COVID-related restrictions were dropped.

Air travel operated okay before the pandemic, so it feels like it should be pretty realistic to expect that the companies would be getting back to how they used to be. However, it looks like the opposite is happening and we are probably not even past the pick point of the transportation crisis, at least in Saskatchewan.

I’m sure we’ll get through it one day and will be able to go places fast and easy (as much as it’s possible in the Prairies with our long distances). But I don’t have any guesses about when it can happen.

As Air Canada narrowed their route offering, WestJet constantly struggles with staff shortages and other issues, and other companies hesitate to enter a tricky Saskatchewan air travel market, there will be more and more absurd stories about how people couldn’t get where they had to be. Hopefully, it won’t be like that for too long and planes in Saskatchewan won’t follow the route of buses, but for now, it seems that we need to have a plan B if we actually want to get somewhere.

It’s that wonderful time of the year

David Willberg

Willberg’s World

The days are getting longer. The temperatures are (supposed to be) getting warmer. It’s the start of March.

And that means it’s time for playoff hockey in the southeast.

There really isn’t anything like postseason hockey in sports. The intensity and the emotion are ramped up. Often the games are played with a best-of format. And if the series reaches the point of a deciding game, the proverbial best-of-one, then that desire to win is ramped up even more.

Estevan hockey fans had a reminder last season about how great playoff hockey can be, when our beloved Estevan Bruins won the SJHL title for the first time since 1999. There were 2,662 fans packed into Affinity Place for Game 7 between the Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers. None of the fans who were there will ever forget that night (although the Bomber fans were certainly wanting a different result).

Our hometown Bruins have punched their ticket for the playoffs. They aren’t going to be the top-seeded team in the playoffs like they were last season. They likely won’t be the favourites in their first-round series. But they’re still a very good hockey team.

They’re well-coached. They have strong goaltending. They have a number of players who were part of last year’s championship team, and they’re not going to want to have their championship reign come to an end.

But there’s more great hockey in the southeast than just the SJHL.

The Big Six Hockey League playoffs are well underway. We already know there will be new champions in the senior hockey loop after the Bienfait Coalers dethroned the Carnduff Red Devils.

There’s been some great hockey already, and there’s more to come. Three teams in the Big Six are also still alive in provincial play, as they try to bring a provincial title back to this region.

Minor hockey playoffs are still going, too. Teams are competing hard. Success in minor hockey should never be predicated on wins and losses; there are so many other factors to be considered. It should be about skills development, having fun and finding a passion for the sport.

But the chance to win a championship doesn’t come around very often. If you have a chance, pounce on it. There are so many things that kids should remember from their minor hockey experience. If a championship is one of them, be it league play or provincials (or both), then that’s great.

And for those in the U18 age group, this will be the last season in minor hockey, so you know they’ll want to go out on a high note.

Some teams didn’t make the playoffs. Others have already been knocked out. They felt the sting of having their season end in February. But that doesn’t mean their season was a failure.

If you’re able to get down to your local rink to check out some great playoff hockey, then I encourage you to pounce at the opportunity.

The rink is a winter hub of activity in the community, regardless of whether it’s a city like Estevan or a village as small as Alida or Torquay. It’s a place where people will come to watch hockey, socialize and enjoy a great rink burger (or some other food). With the number of teams slowly being whittled down, your neighbourhood arena might not be as busy as it was in mid-January, but there will still be a lot going on.

And once the playoffs are done, we’re going to get quality hockey of another kind in Estevan: the Estevan Strippers’ annual Spring Bust Tournament from April 12-16. This tournament has grown to become the largest recreational hockey tournament in Saskatchewan, with 40 men’s and women’s teams. Thanks to the cabarets, Spring Bust not only carries a big economic spinoff for the community, but it raises funds for local organizations, too.

There was something missing in the community in the spring of 2020 when postseason hockey and tournaments were suddenly dashed in mid-March with so many teams still playing. And there was definitely something missing in the spring of 2021 when no playoff hockey occurred.

We were reminded last year just how much fun playoff hockey can be.

It really is a wonderful time of the year.

Kill emissions, not the industry

The editor:

The Liberals’ new just transition plan that was released recently will do nothing to help the thousands of Canadians working in the energy sector who are trying to plan for their futures.

The plan is vague and lacks any kind of concrete action or timelines, leaving

workers without certainty about how they will manage this major change that will affect their jobs, families and communities. While the Liberals continue to kick the can down the road when it comes to putting forward legislation on the transition, Conservatives know that Canadians deserve better from their government.

Canada is fortunate to have such abundant natural resources, and we must find ways to utilize those resources while also reducing emissions, which can be done through technologies such as carbon capture, utilization and storage.

Canadians have been waiting years to find out what the Liberals have in store for them with this

transition, and will now have to wait even longer for any kind of certainty about their futures. The Liberals continue to fail to see what truly needs to be the focus in all of this: killing the emissions, not the industry.

Robert Kitchen Souris-Moose Mountain

Cornerstone board seeks funding for renovations at ECS and new joint-use school in Estevan

The South East Cornerstone Public School Division will once again apply for two major capital projects to be included in the 2023 provincial budget.

One is a significant upgrade for the Estevan Comprehensive School to accommodate more classes for Grade 7 and 8 students from Estevan’s public schools, along with an associated new Estevan pre-kindergarten-Grade 6 joint-use school with the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division.

The concept has been discussed for several years. Meetings were held in 2019 and early 2020 to discuss the future of school facilities in Estevan.

The other major project being applied for is a new pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 school facility in Carlyle.

Two minor projects seeking approval will be a ventilation upgrade at ECS and

upgrades to McNaughton High School’s home economics area and library in Moosomin.

At the Feb. 15 meeting of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division, the board members noted the two major projects being applied for will most likely bear a long-range target date, but need to be filed in order to get on the Ministry of Education’s priority lists while the minor projects are expected to carry a much shorter, more urgent target date.

The motions will be forwarded to the provincial ministry in early March.

The decisions were made after a comprehensive and educational report was delivered by Andy Dobson, manager of facilities and transportation for the division.

Dobson said this dual portfolio came his way six years earlier and included a total staffing level of 321 em-

ployees, along with two separate but equally important administration and management structures.

The need for more school bus drivers was a prevailing theme throughout the presentation, but not the only vital topic for the discussion that included wide ranging areas of supervision and management that goes into those departments.

Caretaking operations and safety concerns for 36 schools, division offices in Weyburn and Estevan, plus five bus service garages and six teacherages, are also under the purview of Dobson’s management team.

Along with 134 regular bus route buses and 40 spare buses, there are now increases to accommodate in the bus route schedule with the departure of 22 contracted service routes. This is leading to the purchase and then expansion of a bus service garage in Moosomin later

this spring and summer. The division also has 49 fleet vehicles to manage. Property procurement and disposal, other than buses and vehicles, also comes under the direction of Dobson and his team. They manage lease agreements with teacherages, childcare centres and the Southeast College. Dobson added that petroleum and natural gas leases are also handled by this sector. Mineral rights were also retained on properties formerly owned by the division. These small parcels of a few acres each carry three-year leases with lease fees and a collection of oil royalties on sites no longer used for schools.

Project management such as roofing issues, facility demolitions, upgrades and insurance claims, as well as snow removal, grounds maintenance, fencing and ventilation systems, are all included in the facilities portfolio.

Meet Mack! He’s a big playful puppy once he warms up

you. He’s very food motivated which means training should come easy and he already knows the sit command. Mack could be good with other animals if introduced properly. He would do well with someone that likes to go for walks and adventures. If you are looking for an energetic, goofy, playful pup, Mack is the right guy for you!

Hi I’m Morgan! I’m a high-energy, fun-loving goofball. My favourite things to do is playing fetch and tug of war. I’m also a big fan of the snow! The staff at the shelter say I’m a good learner, and will thrive with someone who can help me reach my full potential. With proper introduction I could get along with dogs or cats. I’m a happy, healthy boy and can’t wait to meet my new family!

Estevan Lions Club members Ed Sinclair, Nick Sidhu and Roger Kirby served up hotdogs and popcorn during the club’s annual Family Day activities on Feb. 20. People of all ages turned out to enjoy the activities. In addition to free food at the Nicholson Centre, a free swim was held at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s pool.

Photo courtesy of the Estevan Lions Club

Emergency room closures addressed with large crowd at town-hall meeting in Oxbow

By Gord Paulley

Concerned citizens from Oxbow and the surrounding area held a town meeting on Feb. 21 at Oxbow’s Memorial Hall regarding the temporary disruptions to the Galloway Health Centre’s emergency services.

The timing of the meeting was appropriate, as service was twice disrupted during the Family Day long weekend, and numerous other disruptions have occurred this year. Another interruption occurred from the evening of Feb. 23 until the morning of Feb. 24.

Approximately 250 concerned residents from Oxbow, Alameda and the surrounding area attended the two-hour meeting.

Dana Krienke was the moderator. Cannington MLA Daryl Harrison and Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen were present.

Also on a panel were Galloway Health Centre manager Caroline Hill, Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) director of primary health care for district SE9 Candace Kopec, and SHA director of acute care Colleen Easton.

Mayors, reeves, various councillors and community leaders also attended.

Tamara Brock had a few questions for the panel, including:

•What is the difference between a health centre and a hospital?

•How does this affect nursing staff and funding?

•Hospitals have been offering $50,000 signing bonuses. Has the Galloway Health Centre applied to the SHA rural and remote

signing team for this additional funding bonus?

Easton replied: “Health centre is just a term used 30 years ago and the name does not affect nursing staff and funding.” Regarding a health signing bonus, Kopec said: “Unfortunately, the Galloway Health Centre does not appear as a designated bonus centre.”

They were also asked whether there is a full complement of staff at the Galloway Health Centre, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, environmental service workers, care aids and any other positions required to keep the facility in use. As part of the question, they were asked about the staffing requirements per shift.

Both Kopec and Easton reiterated that the Galloway Health Centre is an important part of southeast Saskatchewan health care. Nobody wants to see emergency services disrupted and those at the meeting were pleased to learn that two-and-a-half full-time nursing positions had been filled in the past week. As well, a request for additional staffing for the health centre has been submitted.

Regarding out-ofcountry recruitment, once a foreign employee comes to Saskatchewan, people wanted to know about the additional training and the timeframe required before starting.

“That question is difficult to answer,” replied Easton. “It depends on what country the person comes from and what their staff designation is. They need to meet the licens-

ing requirements of what is needed by the provincial government.”

Apparently, the timeframe for this additional training is approximately three months.

Another question was on the process to ensure concerns of community members are acknowledged, and if the concerns are checked regularly and thoroughly.

“The proper website is www.saskhealthauthority. ca. That link has additional contact information available for various departments,” said Easton.

The moderator then offered the microphone to those in attendance. Over 20 asked questions and expressed their concerns.

The naming status was brought up repeatedly. The panel continued to remind the audience that the only difference between a hospital and health centre is the number of multipurpose beds or acute care beds that it has. It does not affect the nursing complement needed or costs.

It was learned that Oxbow had nearly three times the number of emergency patient calls when compared to Redvers the past two years. Again, the panel advised it was obvious that the Galloway emergency centre is a well-used and much needed facility.

Various other matters were discussed including the reopening of the palliative care room, having EMTs helping with overloads, and whether the Galloway Health Centre should be operated as an acute-care centre and a hospital.

On a positive note, it was frequently mentioned that the Galloway Health Centre has been able to retain three experienced doctors who provide highquality care and coverage for the area.

The meeting ended shortly after 9 p.m.

“It was a great crowd tonight with some good questions,” said Harrison. “All the RN positions are currently filled in Oxbow. The Government of Saskatchewan continues with our four-point Health Human Resources Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain healthcare workers.

“In September 2022, 150 new nurse training seats were added, including 10 more additional nurse practitioner seats, 124 RN seats and 16 psychiatric seats.

“In January of 2023, more than 550 seats were added to 18 post-secondary programs for priority health professions that are in demand or hard to recruit.”

Ian Cushon is a concerned citizen and organic grain farmer who also attended the meeting.

“I was impressed with the large turnout and wellorganized town hall on such short notice. It was very important to hear from the SHA on staffing issues and disruptions to service at the Galloway Health Centre. There was some good news, that the vacant nursing positions have been recently filled and ER service disruptions will be less likely,” said Cushon.

“Health care issues and disruptions impact all our communities and shortages of nurses and doctors are a growing problem across Canada, but especially in rural areas.

“As soon as possible, the

province must create many more health-care training spaces for Saskatchewan residents and encourage them to practice and work in rural Saskatchewan.

“The province also needs to reduce the barriers to qualified nurses and doctors trained from other provinces and countries, so that they can work in Saskatchewan sooner than later.”

Sandy Dalziel is another concerned citizen who was also pleased with the crowd.

“It was refreshing to see some of our questions answered but we still require clarification from the SHA on several matters,” said Dalziel. “I also wish to commend Tamara and Tara Brock, along with others, for putting this event together on such short notice. Their efforts are truly appreciated.”

As a result of this meeting, the Oxbow and Area Concerned Citizens Committee is in the process of compiling questions that will be submitted to the SHA and still require answers. They are hopeful that an early response is provided with results to be shared to the region.

Sobeys pharmacy in Estevan now closed

The pharmacy at the Sobeys grocery store in Estevan has permanently closed.

The final day for the service was on Feb. 24. In a letter sent to customers, Sobeys stressed the grocery store will remain open.

“The decision to close a pharmacy location is never taken lightly and various contributing factors are taken into consideration,”

Sobeys wrote in a letter to customers.

The company did not elaborate on those contributing factors.

Patients’ pharmacy records will be transferred to the Estevan Pharmasave.

“The team there would be happy to help you with your prescription and other pharmacy service needs as of February 25, 2023,”

Sobeys wrote.

Paul Wyke, an external communications specialist, said Sobeys is grateful for “teammates’ commitment and dedicated service” to Sobeys pharmacies and their communities.

Sobeys did not comment on what would happen to the employees at the pharmacy, what would happen to the pharmacy space or if there had been a decline in the number of patients.

Approximately 250 people attended the meeting at the Oxbow Memorial Hall. Photo by Gord Paulley

College announces hirings for two executive positions

The Southeast College has announced the hiring of a couple of people for key roles within the organization.

Sheena Onrait, who is a long-time employee of the college has been appointed as the executive director of communication and strategic enrolment. She started her new role on Feb. 21.

Onrait started her career at the college in 2007 in the administrative department. Throughout her tenure, she has held various positions, including campus management, regional management and most recently manager of marketing and communications.

Her post-secondary accomplishments include multiple diplomas in business, marketing and accounting from Saskatchewan Polytechnic; a certificate in public relations from the University of Regina and a graduate certificate in strategic enrolment management from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.

She said she considers herself to be a lifelong learner and values the education that she has been fortunate to achieve.

Onrait will continue to work out of the Estevan

campus, and she will travel to other campuses when necessary.

“Over the past six to eight months, Southeast College has been working on the development of a strategic enrolment plan. Part of my new position will be to continue with the development and carry through the implementation,” said Onrait.

“Strategic enrolment plans are a lot like strategic plans. They provide a framework that helps to determine optimum program enrolment, student recruitment practices, student support services and student persistence.

“I will be supporting our registrar’s office, our campus management team, our onestop services team and our marketing, recruitment and engagement team.”

Onrait is an active member of the Estevan community, volunteering as the secretary for the Estevan Minor Hockey Association, a member of the Estevan Economic Development committee, and is slated to be the next president of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce.

She is also volunteering with the Southeast Women of Distinction event later this year.

“I look forward to continuing Southeast College’s amazing work. The continued development and implementation of our strategic plan and strategic enrollment management plan have been the highlights of my career thus far, and I am eager to see how it impacts our prospective, current, future and alumni students,” says Onrait.

Southeast College president and CEO Vicky Roy said the executive team looks forward to working

Coldest Night of the Year walk supports ministry

Supporters gathered at the Estevan Gospel Chapel on Saturday for the annual Coldest Night of the Year Walk in support of Choose Life Ministry.

“The Coldest Night of the Year Walk was a lot of fun,” said Choose Life founder Shelley Boyes. “It was not too cold, thankfully, and everyone had a great time.”

Between $6,000 and $7,000 was raised for Choose Life’s Homestead for Hope program, which supports young women with life-controlling issues.

There were 22 participants in Estevan and two virtual walkers. Five volunteers helped out.

Supporters could walk a distance of two or five kilometres through south Estevan.

After the walk, people congregated at the chapel for soup, a bun, cookies and coffee, giving them a chance to warm up and socialize.

This year’s top fundraiser was Andrea Miller, who brought in nearly $2,000 for Choose Life. She was among the virtual walkers, as a prior commitment prevented her from being in Estevan that day. Joanne Johnston was second with roughly $1,500. Boyes noted both have participated in the walk previously and are supporters of the ministry.

“We didn’t have the participation that we had hoped for this year,” said Boyes.

“Many of the walkers who had previously participated had other commitments this weekend. But we’re going to try to do it again next year, and hopefully we will have better participation and be back up to the kind of fundraising that we had in the first years of the event.”

This is Choose Life’s biggest fundraiser of the year. People can still donate to the walk at cnov.org/Estevan.

finance, and tech security and innovation. The companies he has served with range from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms across Asia, Europe and North America.

He has also had the privilege of serving on boards of directors that include a public reporting entity and his professional organization.

“I am looking forward to working with Dr. Vicky Roy as we share a passion for ethics, corporate social responsibility, innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship in education. It will be my goal to contribute to the college’s strategic growth and development in the southeast region of Saskatchewan.”

Furthermore, the college described him as a strong advocate for sustainability and social justice.

He is a fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and has a master of business administration with concentrations in strategic leadership and technology, along with a bachelor of commerce with a major in accounting.

Roy said she is excited to work with such a talented professional who has a vision for innovation, sustainability and community engagement.

with Onrait on a strategic level.

“Sheena’s new role is very exciting for us. She has the skills and competencies to lead this new division that will provide synergies between admissions, recruitment, campus management and services to students, as well as strategic enrollment and communication,” said Roy. “Sheena is the right person for moving this new division forward and has the right talent to succeed.”

The college has also announced that Timothy Spielman is the new vice-president of finance and administration. He will oversee finance, information technology, facility management and capital projects. He also started his new role on Feb. 21.

The college says Spielman will be a valuable addition to its team, with over 25 years of experience in post-secondary education and leadership in technology start-ups, multinational organizations and nonprofits. His academic endeavours include course instruction, as well as creating, developing and implementing numerous new certificates, diplomas and degrees.

These endeavours were with a variety of academic institutions serving Indigenous, international and domestic students, with positions ranging from faculty member to dean in Western Canada. He has worked with the University of Lethbridge, SAIT, St Mary’s University, Thompson Rivers University and Medicine Hat College. His corporate experience is in the areas of strategic leadership, accounting and

The college said Spielman’s ethical approach to management and participative leadership style have earned him praise from every team he has led and board he has served on.

“Timothy’s extensive background in post-secondary teaching and administrative management, as well as his expertise in capital projects and finance, will help us move forward with our mission to enrich the lives and livelihoods of our staff, learners, industry and the communities we serve,” Roy said.

Night

the Year walks are held at locations across the country

tions

Sheena Onrait

Coldest

of

in support of organiza-

that help the hurting, homeless or hungry.

Calder, Joanne and Sawyer Johnston were pleased to be at the Coldest Night of the Year walk.

Photo by Shelley Boyes

There might be a new name, but the event’s goal

By David Willberg

A popular event will be happening in the southeast region this spring for the first time in four years.

The Southeast Women of Distinction Awards – presented by Support You Life Coaching and Consulting by Stacey Wempe – will be handed out on May 10 at the Estevan Exhibition Hall. A local committee, Women 4 Women, will be organizing this year’s event.

Previously it was known as the Quota International of Estevan Women of Today Awards, which ran from 19992019.

Committee members for the Southeast Women of Distinction Awards are Becky Cassidy (event committee chairwoman); Tania Hlohovsky-Andrist (nominations and awards committee chairwoman); Breanne Van De Woestyne (public re-

lations); Mary Anne Veroba (awards banquet, entertainment and program); Brittany Zahn (nominee announcement celebration); Michelle Erdman (finance); and Tara Daoust and Lori Gervais (guest experience).

“We created a committee with women that are very experienced in event planning from southeast Saskatchewan, that I know are efficient and goal-driven, and then we gave ourselves the name Women 4 Women,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy told the Mercury they decided to bring the event back because they believe it’s “incredibly important” to celebrate the women of southeast Saskatchewan.

“With the event not happening since 2019, we just decided it was time to bring it back and continue on the tradition that’s been running for so many years,” she said.

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1339 4 St, Estevan • www.trobertlaw.ca

The organizing committee has tried to give a nod to the Women of Today Awards while having a few additions.

The awards will be handed out at a midweek luncheon. A guest speaker, Corliss Rassyle, will present her Be the Best You speech.

Five awards will be handed out. Two of them are the same as the Women of Today Awards: Outstanding Contribution to the Workplace and Outstanding Contribution to the Community.

Two others honours are similar. The Ida Petterson Memorial Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur is now the Innovator Award for Entrepreneurship and Leadership; while the Shirley Orsted Memorial Award for Outstanding Young Woman of Today is now the Outstanding Young Visionary Award.

306-634-5555 www.skyliftservices.com

NE W CONCRETE YARD DECOR 913 5th St, Estevan • 306.634.7922

• Fountains • Birdbaths • Benches • Planters • Pots and much more.

ty and Inclusion Award, which is for those who are overcoming barriers or those in nontraditional fields.

The new award is the Equi-

Supporting the outstanding women outstanding in our community and everywhere! #9, 508 12th Ave • 306-634-7685

#EmbraceEquity Recognizing Women’s Day

crescentpointenergy.com

Taking care of you from the inside out. Estevan Market Mall 306.634.9577

The Management, Staff and Residents of Creighton Lodge would like to honor MELODYE PIERSON and remember her for always supporting the Lodge and for being a dedicated volunteer.

inclusion, because it’s a really important part of society and making sure that everyone has a place,” said Cassidy. INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day AMANDA MACK REALTOR® 306.461.9363

From left, Brittany Zahn, Mary Anne Veroba, Breanne Van De Woestyne, Michelle Erdman, Lori Gervais, Tania Hlohovsky-Andrist, Tara Daoust and Becky Cassidy are the members of Women 4 Women, which is organizing the event.

Photo courtesy of Breanne Van De Woestyne

International Women’s Day

It’s an open-ended category to include women in nontraditional roles, as well as those who have helped other women, newcomers or people from different cultures and ethnicities.

The deadline to submit a nomination is March 27.

“One thing we really are focusing on is making sure everyone from the southeast corner knows they are welcome to be nominated or to nominate somebody, because it’s really important that we receive [regional nominees],” said Cassidy.

They would accept nominations from the Canada-U.S. border to the south, the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border to the east and Highway 13 to the north.

Nomination packages and instructions can be found online at sewomenofdistinction. com. Nominators are asked to fill out the form and include the necessary information on the candidate.

“We’d like to see five for each award,” said Cassidy. The nominee needs to sign off on the form. In a press release, Cassidy said a Woman of Distinction is someone who has made a commitment and a significant difference in their community by showing vision, creativity and initiative.

“They have been a role model and continually inspire others through their leadership. They are innovative and have broken new ground or old barriers and continue to be an agent for change,” she wrote.

As for the guest speaker, Rassyle is described as a “coffee-drinking, nature-loving serial entrepreneur and mom of three,” according to a press release for the event.

“She has a passion for personal development and is the person to call when you are ready to step up to lead your life. She is an educator, author, speaker, connecter, podcast host, and your motivational

BFF. She is a Canadian inspirational speaker, a certified Success Principles coach, a Dare to Lead trainer and the founder and CEO of Corliss Co. Consulting Inc.,” states the press release.

Rassyle is the best-selling author of the book Lead your Life; How to Live with Purpose, Passion and Confidence, and the host of the Conversations with Corliss podcast.

“She is very inspirational. She is comparable to Brené Brown in the way that she thinks and in the way that she perceives women and life and how to reach your goals.”

Men will enjoy listening to her as well, Cassidy said.

The mission of Women 4 Women, according to Cassidy, is to honour the ongoing efforts, dedication and leadership of the strong, talented and outstanding women who help shape communities.

“Taking the time to celebrate the contributions of the outstanding women from southeast Saskatchewan is not something that should be left in the past,” said Cassidy. “This event was an important pillar in the community, and there is a need to keep the tradition going.

“The Quota Club had organized the awards for many years, and now that they no longer have a chapter in Estevan, a group of us felt that we should continue to build

on the legacy of the previous awards events.”

Everybody they have talked to about the event is very excited to hear it is making a comeback, she said.

A Trailblazer Memorial Walk is also being introduced for the awards ceremony. It will honour women of the past who made significant contributions to the workplace or the community. Four women who have passed on are to be recognized this year, Cassidy said. There will be banners with photos and an explanation of why they are deserving of the honour.

The four women will be announced at a later date.

Beneficiaries for the event have not been decided, Cassidy said, since this is the first

year for resurrected celebration. There has been talk about scholarships for young women.

“Us, as a committee, are going to announce that after we see if we raise any money at the event,” said Cassidy. “Raising money … would be an awesome thing, but the main thing is just celebrating women.”

Tickets for the luncheon are $40 each or $300 for a table of eight, and can be purchased at Henders Drugs or from any committee member starting on March 1. Cassidy said they will be able to accommodate 250 people, and she noted the Women of Today Awards would always sell out.

The candidates for each award will be revealed at a celebration April 21 at Southeast College.

Corliss Rassyle will be the guest speaker at the event.

Photo courtesy of Women 4 Women committee

City Hall: 1102 4th Street

am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800

Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue

am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880

MAYOR’S MESSAGE:

We are proud to host Dr. Eric Crimson in our community on March 2. This is a free event - for more information, see www.estevanhub.ca

GUARD/MATRON

The Estevan Police Service is seeking applications for a casual Guard/Matron position.

Guard/Matrons provide constant observation of persons held in custody at the Estevan Police Service Detention Center. Hours of work can vary and will include night shifts. Length of shifts vary from three to eight hours to a maximum of 40 hours per week. Successful applicants may also be called upon on short notice. Training will be provided.

Application packages can be picked up in person or downloaded from our website at www.estevanpolice.ca

Completed packages are to be forwarded to the attention of;

Murray Cowan

Deputy Chief of Police

Estevan Police Service

301-11th Avenue, Estevan, Saskatchewan

S4A 1C7 • 306-634-4767

Anyone interested in this position may also contact Fern THIESSEN fthiessen@estevanpolice.ca or call 306.634.1510 for further information

PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR SIDEWALKS SAFE SO ALL CITIZENS CAN ENJOY A SAFE PASSAGE WHILE WALKING

Traffic Bylaw 2016-1963

Depositing Substances

53. (1) No person shall deposit any natural substances on any highway, public sidewalk, boulevard or ditch within the City of Estevan

(3) The occupier of property in the City of Estevan shall remove any snow, ice or other obstruction from the public sidewalk adjacent to such property within twenty-four (24) hours of the time such snow, ice or other obstruction appears on such public sidewalk.

* In the event that this subsection is not complied with, the City may remove such snow, ice or other obstructions at the expense of such occupants or owner, and in the event of the non-payment of such expense, such expense may be charges against the property as a special assessment to be recovered in like manner as and with the taxes.

A harmless form of bacteria called Total Coliform is routinely monitored in the distributed water. If found, coliform show a break down in the disinfection process or possible outside contamination. Positive results require additional testing to test for pathogens

Turbidity (on-site)

Turbidity is a measure of the clarity of the water. For our water supply, turbidity shall not exceed 0.3 NTU from any filter.

Fluoride (on-site)

A sample after each main repair or construction

1 - A positive on an area that was under a boil water due to construction

1. After each filter on a continuous basis.1. Continuous0

2. Daily from the storage reservoir before entering the distribution system

3. At the same frequency and locations as for bacteriological samples.

2. Every 2 hours 0

3. Completed for the bacteriological samples 0

Fluoride is added as a dental aid. Levels are not to exceed 1.5 mg/l 3656300

Fluoride (off-site testing)

Levels not to exceed 1.5 mg/l 52520

Chlorine Residual (on-site)

Chlorine is added to disinfect the water and the levels must be maintained at a chloramine residual greater then 0.5 mg/l and free ammonia of >0.1 mg/l < 0.5 mg/l throughout the distribution system.

Chemical – General

bicarbonate calcium; carbonate; chloride; conductivity; hardness; magnesium; nitrate; pH; sodium; sulphate; and total dissolved solids; aluminium; arsenic; barium; boron; cadmium; chromium; copper; iron; lead; manganese; selenium; uranium; and zinc

Pesticides and Organics

Atrazine, Bromoxynil, Carbofuran, Chlorpyrifos, Dicamba, 2,4-D, Diclofopmethyl, Dimethoate, Malathion, MCPA Pentachlorophenol, Picoram, Trifluralin

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM’s)

THM’s are a disinfection by-product and are not an immediate risk but over time THM ingestion is a suspected carcinogen. Each individual sample is not to exceed 350 ppb and annual average not to exceed 100ppb

Cyanide and Mercury

Haloacetic Acids (HAA)

Organics

Benzene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Carbontetrachloride, Dichlorobenzene, Dichloroethane, Dichloropjenol, Ethylbenzene, Monochlorobenzene, Perfluorooctanesulfonate, Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Tetrachloroethylene, Tetrachlorophenol 2.3.4.6, Toluene, Trichlorowethylene, Trichlorophenol 2.4.6, Vinyl chloride, Xylene

1. Every 4 hours per day for treated water entering the distribution system

2. At the same frequency and locations as for bacteriological sampling, for free and total residuals.

1. Every 2 hours operators perform an analysis and monitored continuously 0

2. Completed for the bacteriological samples 190 samples and 304 spot checks0

440

1 every 2 years10

880

We switched to Rafferty water source and after the new source of water was online we saw a significant reduction in our disinfection byproducts.

Microcystin LR or total Microcystin toxins One sample per summer

Ultraviolet Intensity

Ultraciolet Intensity (mW/cm2) of each lamp, Lamp Status, nd flow rate through cells

Bruins clinch playoff spot

The defending SJHL champions have punched their ticket for the postseason.

The Estevan Bruins scored three times in the third period to defeat the Yorkton Terriers 4-2 on Saturday night at Affinity Place. A short time after the game ended, the Battlefords North Stars wrapped up a 6-2 victory over the ninth-place Notre Dame Hounds, securing the Bruins’ postseason berth.

Estevan (26-21-3-2) has 57 points with four games remaining. Notre Dame (17-254-2) sits ninth with 40 points and eight games left. The most the Hounds can finish with is 56 points.

“Your first goal is just to make the playoffs every year. You want to be in that dance, because you can’t win anything if you’re not in the playoffs,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic. Yorkton struck first in Saturday’s game on a goal by Brett Butz late in the first period. Estevan had chances to score, clanging a couple of shots off posts, but couldn’t convert on their opportunities.

Defenceman Owen Miley tied the game early in the second after pinching in from the point and converting a rebound from a Cody Davis shot.

“I thought our first period was good, we just didn’t score,” said Tatarnic. “I thought our second period was bad, and then I thought we had a good third period. I thought in the second period we kind of got lost in the defensive zone a bit, so we have to clean it up a bit.”

Jagjeevan Phangura put the Bruins ahead 44 seconds into the third period on a 5-on3 powerplay. Tatarnic called a timeout to discuss strategy moments before the goal.

Owen Barrow doubled the lead less than three minutes later on an impressive individual rush.

“I think I got a little bit lucky with it. I fanned on the shot a little bit. I’m just glad it went in,” said Barrow, who noted most of his goals come from winning battles in front of the net.

Greg Nelson scored for Yorkton midway through the third to pull the Terriers to

within one, but Cody Davis put the game away with the 4-2 goal. It was the third chance after Davis was stopped on a breakaway.

Cam Hrdlicka made 35 saves for the Bruins, while Yorkton’s Cody Allen stopped 34 of the shots he faced.

Earlier in the week, the Bruins snapped a four-game

losing skid in a 7-1 win at the Melville Millionaires on Wednesday.

“It was awesome just to get everyone’s confidence up and show what we can do,” said Barrow.

Estevan had the lone goal of the first period when Ryan Zaremba, a 16-year-old callup from the Regina Pat Canadi-

ans U18 AAA program, scored his first goal in the SJHL.

Davis then scored twice in a 3:17 span of the second period to give Estevan a 3-0 advantage through two periods.

Melville gained a measure of hope when Ethan Ansley scored 41 seconds into the third period. But goals by defencemen Kaelen Whitting-

ham and Aleksa Babic 2:18 apart put the Bruins up by four and dashed any hopes of a Melville comeback. Whittingham’s goal was his first in the SJHL.

Phangura and Kade Runke rounded out the scoring for Estevan.

Hrdlicka made 30 saves for the Bruins.

“For us, it’s no secret we’re pretty banged up right now,” said Tatarnic. “We have some sick bodies and [Daniel] O’Neill is suspended. Going into Melville, I thought we were going to be short seven guys. It turned out to only be five, and then tonight was four. So, we’re slowly getting better.”

O’Neill will miss one more game due to suspension. Among the others who missed last week’s game, Keagon Little is most likely to be back as he recovers from an illness. Forward Mitch Kohner and defenceman Tyler Guy are sidelined on a day-to-day basis.

The Bruins will be back on the ice on March 2 when they visit the Notre Dame Hounds. Then they host the Hounds two nights later at 7 p.m.

Eight teams will come together to Shoot for a Cure

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs’ senior girls basketball team will host their 12th annual Victor Elias Memorial Shoot for a Cure pink tournament March 3 and 4, and this year they will be raising money for one of their peers.

Eight teams will be entered in the competition. Estevan will have its annual pink game against the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles on March 3, starting at 6 p.m. There will be a pre-game ceremony for Teigha Lesy and family, who will be this year’s tournament beneficiary.

Teams will be wearing pink during the game.

Elecs head coach Jessie Smoliak said Lesy is a Grade 11 student at ECS who has been diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL).

“It is a fast-growing, aggressive subtype of diffuse large Bcell lymphoma. It occurs in the thymus or in lymph nodes in the centre of the chest,” said Smoliak.

“The team chose Teigha so

she can benefit from the proceeds to offset any expenses that she and her family may have [travel, meals, accommodations, etc.]. It hits home for my team as Teigha is their age fighting cancer. This is the least we could do to help her and make her feel supported. She needs to know she is not alone in this fight against cancer.”

The Elecs have already held some fundraisers, including a basketball camp at Westview School and at ECS in January for Grades 5-8. The players have visited a variety of businesses in the city, asking for cash and prize donations for the tournament.

They volunteered at the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre for a family Valentine’s Day party, and Smoliak said the Elecs received a generous donation to give to Lesy.

The team is working with the ECS student representative council this week to challenge the student body in a pink solo cup donation fundraiser, and they are raising money to shave a teacher’s head.

“The tournament admission, pink t-shirt sale, raffle table, and donations collected from the tournament will all be going to the Lesy family,” said Smoliak.

Smoliak noted the community is always so generous, regardless of the beneficiary.

“I’m amazed how our school and the community come together for an event to help those in need, from the generous donations to volunteering,” said Smoliak. “It is a good lesson for my girls to see how thinking of others can go a long way. Giving back is always a team lesson that I encourage – community and school with one another.”

In the past, some teams have provided donations. A couple of years ago, Yorkton Regional did a bottle drive and donated all of their proceeds to Shoot for a Cure. This year, Moose Jaw Vanier pre-ordered pink t-shirts that ECS is selling. Vanier athletes will be wearing them before their games to support Lesy. Weyburn will be part of the pre-game ceremony Friday night.

“Every year the teams are so kind and supportive. I really appreciate their positivity,” said Smoliak.

Other teams at the tournament will be Yorkton Regional, North Battleford Comprehensive, Moose Jaw Peacock, Regina Winston Knoll and Moose Jaw Central. The final will be at 7:30 p.m. on March 4.

Smoliak noted the Elecs have a young team this year with 10 Grade 9s on the 14-player roster, but Smoliak

and the coaches don’t treat them as a young team. They have goals and expectations for the players to reach.

“They are a very athletic, versatile, and energetic group of players who have a passion for the game. They are constantly encouraging and supporting one another on and off the court. We are proud coaches that we don’t have to enforce this during practice and games; it’s just the group of girls they truly are,” said Smoliak.

Since the McLeod Series

was cancelled, the game with Weyburn will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.

“I think it is going to be a positive experience for both teams as the tournament fundraiser for Teigha makes it more than just about a game. I know Teigha’s courage and strength during her fight against cancer have been very inspiring to the girls. I know they are looking forward to supporting Teigha this week and after the tournament,” said Smoliak.

Estevan U18 AA Bruins sweep Lumsden-Bethune

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins are off to the next round in the playoffs.

Estevan, the top-ranked team in the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League’s U18 division, defeated the LumsdenBethune Lions 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night to sweep the best-of-five quarter-final series in three straight games.

Emmett McCarthy and Turner Knockaert scored in the first period to hand Estevan a 2-0 lead. With their season on the line, Lumsden-Bethune fought back and scored

once in each of the second and third periods to tie the game.

Carter Beck’s short-handed goal less than a minute into overtime lifted Estevan into the next round of the playoffs.

Ty Fehrenbach made 20 saves for Estevan in the victory. The Bruins will now play the Swift Current Broncos in the next round. The series will open March 2 at Affinity

Place at 8 p.m. Game 2 will be March 5 in Swift Current, and Game 3 is slated for March 9 in Estevan at 8 p.m. Games 4

and 5, if necessary, would be March 11 in Swift Current and March 12 in Estevan, respectively. Game 5 would start at 6:30 p.m.

•••

The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins dropped their final two home games of the regular season. Estevan lost 5-1 to the Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. Boston Tait had Estevan’s lone goal, scoring early in the second period to make it a 1-1 game. Swift Current tallied twice in the

second and added two more in the third.

Jaxon Kuchinka made 41 saves for Estevan.

The following day, Estevan lost 6-4 to the Regina Aces. Estevan had a 3-1 lead in the second period on goals by Cameron Milbrandt, Austin Sawatsky and Nathan Gardiner, but Regina notched the next five goals.

Reese Copeland had the other Estevan goal. Quinton Sliva made 27 saves.

Estevan (4-20-2-1) will close out the regular season

by visiting the West Central Wheat Kings on March 4 in Kindersley and Swift Current on March 5.

The Estevan Ironside Energy U11 AA Bruins won their final two home games of the regular season, defeating the Northeast Wolfpack 9-2 on Saturday and 8-2 on Sunday.

and Brooks Cote also scored.

Cote added two helpers. In Sunday’s game, Phillips had four goals and two assists and Tytlandsvik finished with three goals and two helpers. Kane Massier had Estevan’s other goal.

Ethan Phillips finished Saturday’s game with four goals and an assist, and Penn Tytlandsvik had three goals and a helper. Tyson

Stubel

Ty Blackburn was in goal for Estevan for both games. Estevan (14-4) will close out the regular season with two games in Moosomin against the Rangers. Then the Bruins will host the year-end U11 AA tournament for the teams in their league from March 10-12.

An official steps between the Bruins’ Salvatore Collora (19) and Yorkton’s Dalton Mayes during Saturday night’s game.

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior girls basketball team is looking forward to the annual Shoot for a Cure tournament. Photo courtesy of Jessie Smoliak

It was a successful week in Regina for many Estevan-area athletes during the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games.

In artistic swimming, Team South East won the gold medal for their routine. Team members included Ava Allen of Midale, Sasha Mantei, Sierra Mantei, Rowyn Shier and Isabelle Pyra of Estevan, and several swimmers from Weyburn.

They had the top preliminary round score of 58.2213, and the best final round score of 58.5147.

In the A-flight solo, Rowyn Shier was fourth with a championship score of 53.6603. Isabelle Pyra finished fourth in the B flight with a championship score of 52.3257 and Sierra Mantei was seventh with a championship score of 49.5727.

In the B final for duets, Ava Allen and Sasha Mantei were second with a championship score of 55.6479.

In weightlifting, Alix Rae won a gold medal in the female 45-kilogram event. She had a 31 in the clean and jerk and a 24 in

the snatch for a total score of 55.

Kirsten Cathy East of Carlyle won a silver medal in 76-plus kilogram female weightlifting. She had a 55 in the clean and jerk and a 44 in the snatch, for a total of 99. Talen Pinacie-Littlechief of the White Bear First Nations won silver in the female 71-kilogram event, with a 35 in the clean and jerk and a 29 in the snatch for a 64 total.

In figure skating, two Estevan figure skaters won medals in the juvenile Star 8 free skate. Rachel Duncan won silver with a score of 25.36 and Sydney Brooks was third with a 21.46.

Magdalena Szlapacka was eighth in the pre-juvenile free skate and Mackenzie Bohn was 14th in pre-novice free skate with a score of 30.48. Ashley Piper of Estevan was among the coaches.

In table tennis, numerous southeast athletes were entered. Carter Morrison of Carlyle won the bronze medal in junior male singles. Morrison went 3-0 in the round robin to reach

the medal round and didn’t lose a set. He then went 0-2 in the medal round and brought home the bronze.

Team South East won bronze in team junior male.

Others competing were: Leif Clark of Stoughton was fifth in cadet male singles; Erica Gener of Estevan was sixth in cadet female singles; Tenley Clements of Stoughton was sixth in junior female singles; Bailey Baumgartner of Stoughton was seventh in cadet female singles; Mala Wilson of Stoughton was seventh in junior female singles; Easton Berner of Stoughton was eighth in junior male singles; Hannah Mercer of Estevan was eighth in junior female singles; Kierra Grace Goudy of Stoughton was ninth in cadet female singles; Conner Mercer of Estevan was ninth in cadet male singles; Madison Lee Richaud of Forget was ninth in junior female singles; Kaden Piper of Stoughton was ninth in junior male singles; and Kruz Brigden of Stoughton was 11th in cadet male singles;

The female curling team, comprised of Kristen Carl-

Estevan hosts doubles bowling tournament

Seventeen doubles bowling teams were entered in a 10-pin tournament at Estevan Bowl on Feb. 19.

Teams from Montana, Manitoba and other parts of Saskatchewan joined the Estevan contingent for the competition. They bowled six qualifying games, and then the field was trimmed to the top six teams, with the first and second-seeded teams getting a bye to the final.

Total pins and handicap determined the scores for the opening round.

Seeds 3-6 all bowled a one-game, total-pinfall match and the lowest-scoring team was eliminated. The remaining tandems kept playing until one team remained. That team then joined the top two entries for the final, with the third place team from the first game eliminated, and the two surviving entries meeting for the championship.

The total prize fund was $2,250 and the top six teams received a cash prize.

Ricky Darvis and Payden Anderson of Plentywood,

Mont., finished first. They had the top score of 3,123 in the qualifying round and emerged victorious from the final.

Nick Richter and Quinn Materna of Regina finished second. They were sixth after the initial games, but they went on a winning

streak and played their way into the final.

Keith Goudy and Dillon Krupka of Estevan were third, followed by Candice Chura and Chris Boyle of Dauphin, Man., Blaine Boyle and Chris Boyle of Estevan, and Chris Tarnes and Jason Kuchinka of Estevan.

son and Malina Stead of Estevan, and Heidi and May Fradette of Lake Alma, finished fourth. They went 3-0 in the round robin, but then lost both of their games in the medal round.

Their coach was Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud of Estevan.

In wrestling, Avery Barnett of Carlyle was fourth in the 61-kilogram female event, and Kohen Brown-

ridge of Arcola was seventh in the 38-43-kilogram male competition.

The Special Olympics bowling team included Sarah Henry and Cynthia Goudy of Estevan. They finished sixth in the co-ed competition. Henry was 14th overall in the female division, while Goudy was 18th.

Indy Froese of Estevan was part of the South East entry that finished eighth

in the five-on-five male futsal event. This was the first year for futsal, which has similarities to indoor soccer.

In gymnastics, two Estevan athletes competed.

Heidi Byers was 35th in female all-around artistic gymnastics and Eliza Gall was 41st.

Team South East finished with 20 medals overall, including five gold, seven silver and eight bronze.

Shanelle Rioux joins Football Wall of Fame

The accomplishments for one of Estevan’s long-time football players and contributors have been saluted.

Shanelle Rioux has been inducted into the Estevan Football Family Wall of Fame for all she has done with both minor and high school football in the city. She is listed as a 2022 inductee, but couldn’t make the enshrinement ceremony in December and was recognized on Feb. 18 during a football clinic in Weyburn.

Rioux entered Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football once she was old enough to play with the U10 Miners in 2011. From there, she progressed through the U12 Chargers, U14 Steelers/ Oilers and the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs.

Her Grade 12 year saw her join the Regina Riot women’s football team. She also assisted minor football in forming the Estevan Kinette Club U18 Viragos female football team. Rioux was the team’s first head coach.

In 2019, she was one of the first athletes chosen for the All-Canadian Ti-

tan team for the Grey Cup festival in Calgary, and in 2022, she competed with Team Canada for the women’s football International Cup in Finland.

The Wall of Fame started in 2021. Rioux is the first player to be inducted.

The previous honourees

were builders, coaches and sponsors.

“Shanelle is still inspiring young women that football is no longer a male-dominated sport, and even when you think odds are against you, you can keep grinding your way and find success,” minor football said in a Facebook post.

Bears wrap up season with games in Yorkton

The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears finished off the 2022-23 season by picking up three of a possible four points in Yorkton.

Kole Keen scored twice in the first period and added two assists for Estevan in a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Estevan led 2-0 through two periods, and after Yorkton scored one, Riley Craigen and Easton Lee scored for Estevan to put the game away.

Riley Deck finished with 34 saves on the night.

The Bears’ final game of the season was a 5-4 shootout loss on Sunday. Cade Cole opened the scoring 63 seconds into the game for Estevan, but Yorkton scored three times in the next 8 1/2 minutes to lead 3-1 after the first period.

Cole added his second of the game in the second period for Estevan, and Tristan Grohs and Teigan Semchyshen also scored for the Bears in the middle frame for a 4-3 advantage.

Yorkton tied the game with 1:42 to play in the third.

Overtime settled nothing, and the Maulers outscored Estevan 1-0 in the shootout.

Kaden Perron made 28 saves in the loss.

Estevan finished with a 12-24-8 record on the season and wound up 10th in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League standings. They will miss the playoff s.

Estevan U13 AA Bearcats ousted from the postseason

The first-ever season for the Estevan IG Wealth Management U13 AA Bearcats came to an end Sunday night.

Estevan lost 5-3 to the Lumsden-Bethune Lynx at the Power Dodge Arena in Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series. Estevan also lost 2-1 in overtime to the Lynx in Bethune on Saturday.

Chelsea Madsen’s goal with 2:12 to play in the second period tied Game 1. Neither team scored in the third.

Lumsden-Bethune notched the winner with 2:12 to play in the first overtime period.

Taylor Short was in goal for the Bearcats. The teams were tied at 1-1

after the first period of Game 2, with Haven Bourassa scoring for Estevan. Madsen and Bourassa tallied in the second for a 3-1 Estevan advantage through two periods.

Estevan led 3-2 until the last two minutes of regulation, when Lumsden notched the tying goal, the go-ahead marker and the insurance tally in a 42-second span.

Baya Summers was the goalie.

••• The South East Whitecap U15 AA Goldwings lost 11-2 in Saskatoon against the Impact on Saturday in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. Kamryn Kish had both goals for the Wings. Kiera Barker was in goal for the game.

The Wings will host the Impact on March 2 in Weyburn. Game 3, if necessary, would be March 5 in Saskatoon.

The seventh-seeded Carlyle U18 Wildcats opened their postseason with a 5-3 upset over the No. 2 Milestone Flyers Friday in

Cassia Gagnon,

enya Einarson and Cherish Kaysaywaysemat scored less than a minute apart in the second period to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Kaysaywaysemat and Alexys Roppel tallied in the third. Riley Scott was in goal. Game 2 is March 1 in Kipling, and Game 3, if necessary, would be March 3 in Milestone.

Keith Goudy and Dillon Krupka of Estevan finished third in a doubles 10-pin bowling tournament at Estevan Bowl.

Photo courtesy of Levi Rosenbaum.

The South East won the gold medal for artistic swimming team routine at the Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina. Photo courtesy of Abby Kradovill

Kevin Mortenson congratulated Shanelle Rioux on being the latest member of the Estevan Football Family Wall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mortenson

Milestone.

Kas-

Bears’ goaltender Kaden Perron drops down to make the save while Riley Craigen (22) keeps a Yorkton opponent at bay. Photo by Calvin Daniels of Yorkton This Week.

CLASSIFIEDS

HEALTH

HIP/KNEE

Replacement?

Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING?

The Disability Tax

Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $30,000 Lump sum

refund

Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide!

Providing assistance during Covid.

Expert Help: 1-844-453-5372

SEED & FEED

AGPRO SEEDS LTD. BUYING HEATED, DAMAGED OFFGRADE CANOLA & FEED GRAINS. #1 buyer on the prairies, top price paid! Call/text: 306-8730481, AgPro Seeds bids: agproseeds.com, Email: sales@agproseeds.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: needed this winter for dozers, excavators, rock trucks: near Carrot River, Sk. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc.

S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 brydenconstruct@ www.

LAND

FARMLAND LAND FOR SALE

WANTED

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.

Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

Find QUALIFIED, LOCAL EMPLOYEES, using the strength of community newspapers! Visit www.swna.com or call 306-6491405 to find out how!

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

Private mortgage lender. All real estate types considered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228 www.firstandsecondmortgages.ca

Norman Brosinsky Norman Brosinsky, age 93, passed away on February 17, 2023 after a long and well lived life. Originally of Stettler, AB and formerly of Estevan, Norman was dearly loved by family and friends. Born in Compeer, AB, Norm married Elenore in 1954 and moved to Estevan to work for Gulf Canada. After retirement, he and Elenore owned Bastian’s Ladies Wear. Together, they raised four daughters in a loving home. Besides his family, Norm had several passions including playing and coaching baseball, hockey, curling (scored an eight ender) and golf (he had two hole-in-ones). Norm’s kind heart endeared him to all and he was always quick with a joke for every occasion as well as being an auctioneer at charitable functions. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren benefitted from his sweet nature and could always count on Grampa to make them feel like the most special person in the world. He and Elenore shared a love of bird-watching and enjoyed their backyard and all the wildlife that visited.

Norman is survived by his loving wife Elenore of 68 year, daughters Susan Jackson (Don), Tami Zurakowsi (Darwin), Karen Edwards (Tom), Jennifer Pettitt (Mark), grandchildren Shari Kolke, Ben Kolke, Kylie Jackson, Janel (Skylar) & Sydney Edwards, Max Pettitt and great grandchildren Evelyn Kolke, Nico & Holden McGonigle. A private family gathering and no funeral at Norman’s request.

Appendix C FORM L [Section 78 of the Act]

Councillor: Village of North Portal

th th

A Bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person wishing to discuss the notice of assessment or potential appeal may contact the assessor at the Village of North Portal, PO Box 119, North Portal, SK, S0C 1W0.

NOTICES

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her along with the applicable fee of $100.00 with: Secretary of the Board of Revision, Western Municipal Consulting, Box 149, Meota, SK, S0M 1X0, by the 1st day of April, 2023.

Dated this 23rd day of February, 2023.

Lindsay Davis Administrator/Assessor

23031DS1

FOR SALE

FINANCIAL SERVICES A little ad with a big noise CLASSIFIED ADS WORK OBITUARIES FOR SALE Barristers & Solicitors Paul Elash K.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D. Gainsborough: Thursday a.m. Carnduff: Thursday p.m. 1312 - 4th Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0X2 P. (306) 634-3631 • F. (306) 634-6901 • www.kohalyelash.com If you dream it … If you’re planning it … If you’re selling it … If you want to buy it … You’ll find it all in … The Estevan Mercury Classifieds! HEART & STROKE FOUNDATION OF SASKATCHEWAN Finding answers. For life.

Flashback

Wednesday, March 1, 2000

Fire fi ghters rescue people from an elevator

Estevan fire crews had a busier week with five calls for service. Fortunately, none of the calls were major, said Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies.

On Feb. 23 at about 11:30 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to a commercial building in southeast Estevan for an elevator rescue.

“Crews responded and found that the elevator had a malfunction and there were some people inside. So, crews assisted with getting them out without incident,” Davies said.

Previously, on Feb. 19 just after 5 p.m., fire crews were dispatched for a commercial fire alarm in the central area of the city. Crews responded and confirmed that it was a false alarm, so they returned to the station.

Firefighters also responded to a residential carbon monoxide alarm that went off on Feb. 21 at about 1:45 a.m. in northeast

Estevan. Firefighters picked up some CO readings in the house, so SaskEnergy was dispatched to the scene. Crews remained at the location until the house was fully ventilated and assisted SaskEnergy with determining the cause of the alarm. Davies said CO leaked due to a malfunction in the HVAC system.

On Feb. 26 at 11:45 a.m., crews were called to the northeast side of the city for a residential fire alarm.

Firefighters were able to get a hold of the homeowner and determined that it was a cooking-related issue and no emergency was occurring. The same day at about 1 p.m., a commercial fire alarm went off in northeast Estevan.

“Alarms were ringing. We determined that the sprinkler system had gone off in an area of that building, which was causing the alarms. We also determined that there was no fire or

emergency. We believe it was due to the weather,” Davies said. “Crews responded, we assisted with

isolating the sprinkler system and making sure everything was good at that building.”

Estevan firefighters were also part of a regional training session on the weekend in Weyburn, covering such

topics

The members of the Estevan Coal Riders who won the Regina Non-Contact Broomball League championship in 2000. Back row, from left, Greg Clark, Willie Brown, Brian George, Trent Lowes, Mel Murray (coach), Jeff Trytten, Kelvin Rutten, Steve Bedecs and Gerald Clark. Front row, Jim Colbow, Jeff Aspenlieder, Barrie Korf, Al Stasiuk, Terry Hardy, Frank Bedecs and Merv Hagel

as extrication from a motor vehicle, a vehicle fire, ladder rescues and interior firefighting.

Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service participated in training in Weyburn on the weekend.

Photo by Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review

Young people develop artistic skills at camps

The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) was busy from Wednesday to Friday during its annual winter break camps.

Karly Garnier, the education, outreach and programming co-ordinator with the EAGM, said several different classes were offered. A couple of outside instructors were brought in to guide the camps on Thursday and Friday, and Garnier led an all-day craft camp for children ages six to 12 last Wednesday.

“We were doing canvas paintings, room decorations and a wide variety of stuff,” said Garnier.

Chandra Hollands led Thursday’s session on shape-based art for pre-kindergarten children.

Megan Charlton of Purl Passion led an introduction to knitting workshop for kids the following day.

“It’s a chance to bring in more specialized learning and teaching,

something different, and add a bit of variety,” said Garnier. “There are lots of institutions doing day camps, so I just wanted to offer something different.”

The EAGM also had its weekly family art sessions, but instead of offering it for the toddler age group, it was geared towards school-aged youths. Garnier noted Charlton will be back at the EAGM next month to teach a program for adults on knitting hats.

The all-day camp last Wednesday was full, Garnier said, and they had 20 people for family art. The other programs had good attendance, she said.

“People are always looking to keep the kids busy on February break,” Garnier said. “We like to offer whatever we can.”

The EAGM will also have a camp during spring break in April.

Family Day in Oxbow

and Renewal

Faye Garnier, instructor Chandra Hollands and William Garnier at the EAGM’s winter camp.

Oxbow Economic Development hosted a Winter Festival to mark Family Day on Feb. 20. Activities were held in and around the Oxbow Arena and Curling Rink. People enjoyed skating, curling and other indoor activities, food, live music, crafts, a bake sale and more throughout the day. Photo courtesy of Oxbow Economic Development

BEST OF ESTEVAN – 2023

RULES:*

- Fill in your favourite local business/service name on the lines below.

- A minimum of 25 categories must be completed in order for your vote to be counted.

- Every ballot with 25 categories completed will be entered to win $100.

- Ballots must be submitted by March 8, 2023.

- To enter, drop off a newsprint ballot at the Estevan Mercury (68 Souris Avenue), send a picture of a completed newsprint ballot to contests@estevanmercury.ca or complete the online ballot at https://forms.office.com/r/zbkGfr0ewQ.

- Only ONE ballot per person will be counted.

Businesses that receive the most votes in their category will be declared the ESTEVAN MERCURY’S READER’S CHOICE BEST OF ESTEVAN.

AUTOMOTIVE

Auto Detailing ____________________

Auto Glass ______________________

Autobody Repair __________________

Car Dealership ___________________

Car Wash _______________________

Gas Station ______________________

General Auto Repair _______________

Oil/Lube Change _________________

Tire Shop ________________________

Towing __________________________

BEAUTY

Beauty & Health Spa ______________

Body Piercing _____________________

Botox/Filler ______________________

Brow Technician __________________

Cosmetics ________________________

Eyelash Technician ________________

Hair Removal _____________________

Hair Salon _______________________

Nail Salon _______________________

Skin Care ________________________

Tanning Salon ____________________

Tattoo Artist ______________________

BUSINESS & SERVICES

Accounting Firm __________________

Ag Livestock Service _______________

Ag Machinery Sales _______________

Ag Machinery Service _____________

Bulk Fuel Supply __________________

Cleaning Service __________________

Computer Repair & Service _________

Daycare Service __________________

Equipment Rentals _________________

Graphic Design ___________________

Home Based Business ______________

Hotel/B&B _______________________

Insurance Company _______________

Investments/Financial Advice

Law Firm _________________________

Marketing Company_______________

Pet Boarding _____________________

Pet Grooming _____________________

Pet Supplies ______________________

Photographer _____________________

Print Shop ________________________

Promotional Products ______________

Real Estate Company ______________

Realtor___________________________

Safety Training ____________________

Self Storage ______________________

Senior Housing ___________________

Sewing/Alterations ________________

Skate Sharpener __________________

Snow Removal ____________________

Taxi Company ____________________

Travel Agent ______________________

Veterinarian ______________________

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Billiards/Pool _____________________

Campground/RV Park _____________

Driving Range ____________________

Family Fun _______________________

Fitness Centre & Gym ______________

Fun for Kids ______________________

Golf Course ______________________

Local Event _______________________

Museum/Art Gallery ______________

Personal Trainer ___________________

Tourist Attraction __________________

Yoga/Meditation Centre ___________

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Audiologist Clinic _________________

Chiropractor Clinic ________________

Dental Clinic _____________________

Denture Clinic ____________________

Massage Therapist Clinic ___________

Optometrist Clinic _________________

Pharmacy ________________________

Physiotherapist Clinic ______________

Vitamins/Supplements _____________

Weight Management ______________

RESTAURANTS

Asian Cuisine _____________________

Bakery___________________________

Breakfast _________________________

Buffet ____________________________

Catering _________________________

Chicken__________________________

Chicken Wings ___________________

Cup of Coffee ____________________

Dessert __________________________

Family Restaurant _________________

Fast Food ________________________

Fine Dining _______________________

Fries_____________________________

Hamburger _______________________

Ice Cream ________________________

Lounge __________________________

Outdoor Patio ____________________

Overall Restaurant _________________

Pasta ___________________________

Pizza ____________________________

Sandwich & Sub __________________

Steak ___________________________

HOME & GARDEN

Building Centre ___________________

Concrete Contractor _______________

Electrician ________________________

Fireplace _________________________

Floor Covering ____________________

Garden/Greenhouse ______________

General Contractor ________________

Home Improvement ________________

Hot Tub __________________________

Kitchen Renovation ________________

Landscaping/Excavating ___________

Lawn Service _____________________

Lighting __________________________

Paint ____________________________

Painter ___________________________

Plumbing & Heating _______________

Roofing __________________________

Window Covering ________________

Windows & Doors_________________

OIL INDUSTRY

Drilling Company _________________

Equipment Rentals _________________

Hotshot __________________________

Oilfield Construction _______________

Oilfield Hauling ___________________

Oilfield Trucking __________________

Safety Service ____________________

Service Rig Company ______________

Supply Store ______________________

SHOPPING

Appliances _______________________

Art & Home Decor ________________

BBQ/Smoker & Supplies ___________

Bicycle Shop _____________________

Camping & Outdoor Equipment

Cannabis ________________________

Cell Phones ______________________

Children’s Clothing ________________

Computers _______________________

Drug Store _______________________

Electronics _______________________

Eyeglasses _______________________

Florist/Plant Shop _________________

Fresh Produce ____________________

Furniture _________________________

Gift Shop ________________________

Grocery _________________________

Jewellery _________________________

Liquor Store ______________________

Mattresses _______________________

Meat/Deli ________________________

Men’s Clothing ___________________

Office Supplies ___________________

Shoes ___________________________

Sporting Goods ___________________

Women’s Clothing _________________

BEST OF THE BEST

Best Customer Service _____________

Best New Business ________________

Favourite Place to Shop ____________

$100 CASH

Name:__________________________________

Phone Number: __________________________ Winners

ALL SUBMITTED BALLOTS WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN!*