Estevan Mercury 20230329

Let’s celebrate the winners. Find the Best of Estevan special section inside this week’s paper.

The lights were back

Sweating and freezing. Estevan challenges Boundary Dam waters as part of Dash and Splash.

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Staying active at any age. Senior living special spotlights leisure centre’s fitness opportunities.

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Provincial budget includes $1 million for Estevan’s new regional nursing home

Finally, the champs. Redvers Rockets capture Big Six championship. Details on PAGE A10

By David Willberg

The Government of Saskatchewan has allocated another $1 million towards a new nursing home in Estevan, but local residents will have to keep waiting for construction to begin.

The provincial budget, released last Wednesday, shows that for the third straight year, there is money for the long-awaited facility. The government provided $275,000 in 2021-22 and $200,000 for 2022-23.

Saying goodbye. Estevan Art gallery and Museum wishes farewell to its leader of 12 years.

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“This brings us to nearly a million and a half [dollars in support],” said Don Kindopp, the chairman of the new nursing home committee. “It shows a commitment by the government to getting the nursing home replaced.”

The money for the upcoming fiscal year is more than double what had been

allocated the past two years combined.

Kindopp said the money in the previous budgets was for planning, including an

updated needs assessment that the provincial government required. He expects the $1 million will go to looking at the various plans

and options around the new nursing home.

“We continue to be reassured that as the local committee, we will have

some influence, we will look at options and the overall plans for the new nursing home,” he said.

Residents of the Estevan area, and people across much of Canada, were treated to a display of the northern lights last week. This photo was taken by Melina Shepley just north of Estevan early on Friday. It proved to be a great night of taking photos of the aurora borealis for many in the community.

Estevan MLA Lori Carr is praising the provincial budget, which was handed down last Wednesday in the Saskatchewan legislature.

The document has a $1 billion surplus, with a record $3.7 billion in capital investments, a reduction of up to $1 billion in operating debt, and a net debt-toGDP projected to be 14.1 per cent, as of March 31. There are no new taxes or tax increases.

“We’re going to take that billion dollars and we’re going to put it towards debt. The majority of that surplus does come from resource revenues, and as we all know, revenues won’t always be high, so we’re going to take this opportunity to shift some of that onto the debt for Saskatchewan, while at the same time, we’re still making significant investments right across the province,” said Carr.

The budget projects the average price for a barrel of oil to be US$79.50 per barrel (West Texas Intermediate), which is higher than the current price. Total oil and natural gas royalties are projected to be $963.1 million.

The average potash price is projected to be US$369

per tonne, for total potash royalties of $1.4 billion. The exchange rate is to be 74.35 cents U.S.

The government is trying to find a way so it’s not so reliant on resource revenues, Carr said, due to their volatility.

“We need to ensure that the base that we have is funding the core expenditures, and not relying on … the extras revenues,” said Carr. “I think we’ll look at that in the years to come, but this year, it was postCOVID and really finding that balance and deciding what we do next with some of the things in years past.” The provincial government uses industry averages when it comes to projected natural resource revenues, she said, so she doesn’t believe the numbers are too ambitious.

In addition to the money for the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home, there is going to be some double lanes added to Highways 39 and 6. There will be twinning northwest of Weyburn to address what Carr called “congested areas”, and around the junction of Highways 39 and 6 near Corinne. Also, Highway 6 will be twinned to the

hamlet of Rowatt on Highway 6. Currently the double lanes end just south of the Regina bypass.

The budget also includes light preservation work for Highway 39 from Midale to Macoun, medium preservation work for Highway 361 east of the junction of Highway 47, and heavy preservation work for Highway 33 from Stoughton to Fillmore.

But there isn’t money in the budget for Highway 47 from Estevan to Stoughton, Highway 18 from Estevan to Outram or the Roche Percee access road, all of

which are considered top priorities in the Estevan area. “I know our crews do a great job of patching them the best that they can, but they definitely need some upgrading,” Carr said.

Also not included in the budget is the proposed expansion of the Estevan Comprehensive School to add Grade 7 and 8 students, and the associated construction of a new, jointuse, kindergarten-Grade 6 school that would replace five of the six elementary schools in Estevan.

Carr noted the consoli-

dation of the Carlyle Elementary School and Gordon F. Kells High School in Carlyle into a new kindergarten to Grade 12 school was the top priority for Cornerstone, and money for that project is in this year’s budget.

The City of Estevan will receive $2,229,991 through the provincial revenue sharing program, up from $1,963,999 in 2022-23, based on the formula used to calculate the municipal grants.

Carr noted the province is growing at its fastest pace in more than a century.

Saskatchewan now has 1.2 million residents, according to numbers released by Statistics Canada hours before the budget came down.

Leader of the official opposition Carla Beck and finance critic Trent Wotherspoon said the budget missed the mark, claiming the document neglects both the cost-of-living and health-care challenges.

“If you’re a parent struggling to make ends meet, this budget does not help you. If you’re a young person in this province hoping for investments in your future, this budget does not help you,” said Beck. “If

you’re a burnt-out healthcare worker, this budget does not help you. If you’re a student in an overcrowded classroom, this budget does not help you.

“Budgets are about choices, and the Sask. Party chooses to neglect the issues keeping regular people up at night.”

Despite sitting on massive resource revenues, Beck said Premier Scott Moe’s out-of-touch budget provides no tax relief, no new tax credits or benefits for families, and no reversal of the Sask. Party’s recent energy and power rate hikes.

The NDP said the budget did not deliver:

•Cost-of-living relief for cash-strapped families;

•A scrapping of the provincial sales tax on construction labour;

•An end to pension clawbacks;

•Tax cuts and lower power and energy bills;

•Ambitious investments in health care;

•A jobs plan to grow the province;

•Education funding that keeps pace with inflation;

•Emergency funding to prevent tuition hikes; and

•Harm reduction measures.

New school for Carlyle announced in the budget

A new kindergartenGrade 12 school is coming to Carlyle.

The provincial budget was handed down on March 22, and included is $4.4 million to begin planning on five new major school capital projects.

One of those projects is the new school to replace and consolidate the Carlyle Elementary School and Gordon F. Kells High School.

The new Carlyle school project is to receive $1.3 million.

The project has been at or near the top of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s priority list for a number of years. Earlier this year, Cornerstone announced that it was applying to the Ministry of Education for two major capital projects, including the new Carlyle school.

The Town of Carlyle posted a video of Finance Minister Donna Harpauer announcing the budget. When she revealed the money for Carlyle, a audible gasp of excitement could be heard. The town then confirmed that Carlyle was getting a new school.

The announcement brought positive reaction from several circles.

“Carlyle and surrounding area will benefit from this announcement for years to come. Residents will see the new school constructed on a new green space at the south end of town. SECPSD [South East Cornerstone Public School Division], in anticipation of a new school, secured this property several years ago,” said Cannington MLA Daryl Harrison.

The school and a potential community complex will be

south of the railroad on the west side of Main Street.

“I am sure the students and staff will enjoy their new space. Congratulations.”

Director of education Keith Keating also applauded the decision.

“We are grateful that Carlyle was announced … to start the planning process for a new school that will incorporate Gordon F. Kells and Carlyle Elementary into a new prek-12 school,” said Keating. “SECPSD looks forward to working with the school, school community councils and community as we work to provide the best opportunities possible for students in Carlyle.”

Jim Vermeersch is the Cornerstone board vicechairman and a trustee for SECPSD, representing subdivision 2, which includes the communities of Arcola,

Carlyle, Manor, Maryfield and Wawota.

“I am excited about the new capital funding for a design phase that was announced in the budget for Carlyle. This is very positive for the community. I am cautiously optimistic that this will result in the building of a new school fairly quickly,” he said.

Carlyle Mayor Jennifer Sedor has been on town council since 2012 and its mayor since 2020. She was extremely pleased with the government’s decision.

“It was an amazing experience to be in the room when the Carlyle school project was announced,” she said. “We were fortunate enough to have the majority of council present for the announcement.

“There is a definite buzz of excitement around town, but

also some skeptics out there. The announced funding is just for the planning phase of the build and that has some wondering if this project will be put back on the shelf. We have been assured that this will not be the case and construction is set to commence after the next budget is presented in March of 2024.”

The town has been planning for a new school for some time.

“Town council has talked about a possible school build for many years. The present council has been actively preparing for this build over the last year and a half, with exploration into development of, not only the new school, but a larger community complex, with much of the preliminary concept researched by Councillor Jared Riddell.

“While no definitive design or budget has been

approved for the project, residents can find more information on the concept at the Carlyle Community Complex Foundation website.

“Over the next year, council will work closely with the SECPSD and Ministry of Education to develop a solid plan and budget for the community complex project. Communication and input from residents will be an important aspect going forward.”

Presently, exact building time frames are not known.

“We hope to see the community complex project completed in three to five years,” said Sedor. “This project will boost the Town of Carlyle as an economic driver in the region and provide a solid foundation for a higher quality of life for all residents.”

Interest remains high for new nursing home

The latest needs assessment from the government is apparently finished, he said, but the new nursing home committee has not been made privy of the document’s contents. Needs assessments that he has seen have looked at the demographics of the area, future long-term care beds in the region, facility location, delivery of service, requirements for the residents and more.

“I’m sure there will be factors weighing whether we should locate it on the grounds of St. Joe’s Hospital or whether we should locate it somewhere else,” he said.

It will also look at what is best to meet the needs of long-term care residents and what provides the best home-like environment for them.

“Some of the standards for long-term care that have been looked at in several provinces and with the new federal government guidelines on long-term care, I think all those factors will be worked into the needs assessment to come up with the location and design of the facility,” he said.

During the past six to seven weeks, a lot of people have stopped him to ask about what is happen-

ing with the new nursing home, which he said reflects the level of interest in the project that remains in the community.

Kindopp believes the government wants to see the new nursing home completed, but there are a lot of procedural steps that need to happen.

Estevan MLA Lori Carr said she was pleased to see the $1 million included in the budget.

“All of the architectural pieces will come next. Ob-

viously, the work needs to be done before we proceed with the build.”

Carr said all aspects of the planning must take place before construction can begin.

The new nursing home committee and the provincial government were supposed to meet on March 28 to discuss the contents of the needs assessment document, but the meeting had to be postponed.

“My understanding is that the needs assessment

has to go before the government for approval before it comes to us,” said Kindopp.

That meeting is now slated to happen in the first half of May.

“It is tough having to say, ‘We’re going to hear ‘The needs assessment is soon to be completed, and then when it was completed, we had a meeting planned and then the meeting was called off.”

Kindopp also noted that the new nursing home

committee was saddened to hear of the death in mid-March of Vern Buck, who was a valued member of the new nursing home committee and the chairman of the Hearthstone Community campaign, which served as the fundraising arm for the new nursing home committee. The new Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee has had the necessary 20 per cent in funding for a new building to proceed since 2015.

Alameda man facing new charges following December incident

of new charges in connection with an incident involving the RCMP late last year.

Theodore Allan Brycks was in Estevan Provincial Court on March 16. Two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and four charges for breaching his probation order were withdrawn.

In an email to the Mercury, the Saskatchewan RCMP said the charges were withdrawn based on the evidence of the investigation and in consultation with Crown prosecutors.

But he is now facing new charges, including single counts for:

•Unlicensed possession of a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearm;

•Pointing a firearm;

•Assault of a police officer;

•Possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm while prohibited;

•Using a firearm while committing an indictable offence;

•Resisting or obstructing a peace officer; and

•Uttering threats.

He is also charged with three counts of breaching a probation order.

All charges are under the Criminal Code. No charges have been proven in court.

Brycks was remanded into custody for court on March 20. He will make his next appearance on April 3.

An Alameda man is facing a series

Estevan MLA Lori Carr

March 29,

Sunny and chilly Dash and Splash at the dam

By Ana Bykhovskaia

About 30 people joined the Energy Dash and Splash – a polar bear swim preceded by an optional run or walk – at the Boundary Dam beach.

Since Boundary Dam doesn’t fully freeze in winter, there was no need to cut holes in the ice, like it’s usually done for polar bear dips. Instead, people could go for a swim, as they’d do in summer, only with air temperatures sitting at about -5 to -7 C and water being just warm enough not to turn into ice.

The fun sporty event took place Saturday, after it was postponed from March 11 due to a blizzard that day. This time the weather gifted participants and their supporters with a beautiful sunny and moderately chilly day, which allowed those doing the run/walk and the dip to enjoy the real drive of outdoor sports and winter swimming.

The Dash and Splash was organized by Peggy Rohatyn and Debby Knight, who run Fresh Air Fitness, an outdoor, free-of-charge gym located at Woodlawn Reginal Park. This year they offered participants to choose if they wanted a run, walk, bike, crosscountry ski or snowshoe jaunt before going in the water. Even though there was a wide variety of options, most people just did the walk or run, and one person opted for a dip only.

“It was good. I’m glad the weather is nicer than what it was supposed to be. And it turned out good,” Rohatyn said. “We

lost a few people because of the date change, but we gained a few, and I think everybody that did it had fun or had an experience.”

After the walk or run, people headed towards the water. Some kept most of their clothes on, others removed some of their clothes. Some ran into the water as fast as they could, while others slowly walked in. Most people were in and out, but several participants took their time and stayed in the water for one to five minutes or even a bit longer.

The Estevan Fire Rescue Service was on site, ready toenter in case their help would be required. Fortunately, the event went without incident.

Knight was among the participants for the first time. She did a five-kilometre run, which ended in the Boundary Dam water. She said, the dip was not as difficult as she expected, and she enjoyed the experience.

Rohatyn noted that they had quite a few new participants. About onethird of the people were returnees, while the rest tried it for the first time.

“A lot of people want to try it to say okay, it’s off my bucket list, which is which is good … But we also probably had about 10 that came back,” Rohatyn said.

Wendy Godfrey also joined the event and hopped into the water after going for a warm-up walk as part of the Wendy Tries Things Access Now TV show.

“It was a beautiful day for the Energy Dash and Splash. Thanks to Peggy and Debby and all the

sponsors and others involved with the event. It was a lot of fun,” Godfrey said on her Facebook page. There was a bonfire, hotdogs and hot chocolate, courtesy of Southern Plains Co-op, for people to warm up afterwards. Organizers also arranged for bathrooms and changerooms, courtesy of Smart Rental. Woodlawn Regional Park took care of clearing the snow, and swag bags for participants were sponsored by Henders Drugs, Performance Pump Ltd., Kingston Midstream and Cuts Unlimited.

The event was also a minor fundraiser for Fresh Air Fitness, and Rohatyn said they’ve had a lot of support from people willing to help, ranging from the organization, to participants, to those who refused the refund and donated their participation fee even though they couldn’t make it on the rescheduled date.

“If anybody thinks that Estevan is not a community of giving, they’re crazy. We just get such good support. We really do. People are so generous, they come out and they do it, they volunteer, the businesses help us out. It’s just remarkable,” Rohatyn said. “We absolutely could not do these without the support of the people and the businesses in town.”

The next fundraiser for Fresh Air Fitness will be the Coal Country Run, coming up in May, and they lowered the price on that this year. The Mercury and SASKTODAY. ca will have more details coming up soon.

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Discounts apply to regular priced items only

Some people ran into the water as fast as they could, while others took their time entering. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Participants started with up to a five-kilometre walk or run to warm up and bring their heart rates up before going into cold water.

Wendy Godfrey, middle, partook in the Energy Dash and Splash as part of her Wendy Tries Things TV show.

Estevan firefighters were at the beach to ensure everyone’s safety. Fortunately, their help wasn’t required.

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Should we be happy with the budget?

Volume 117

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When evaluating a provincial budget, or any other government’s fiscal plan for that matter, most people are going to look at three things.

The first is taxes. Will we be paying more to the government? In the case of the 202324 Saskatchewan budget, the government says no. But they didn’t reduce or cancel any taxes, either.

Next is whether there is a surplus or a deficit. The government says it’s going to have a $1 billion surplus in the upcoming fiscal year. It’s a modest projection. But keep in mind last year the government projected a deficit, and said it would have a few more years of financial losses before a surplus would be coming. Thanks to the price of oil, their projections were off

Finally, people will want to know what’s in the budget for them. In the case of Estevan, the most high-profile item is $1 million for our new nursing home. It’s the third consecutive year the budget has pledged money for long-term care in Estevan. And the $1 million is more than double the amount we’ve had the past two years combined.

Still, it’s not as much as most of us would like to see, and it serves as a reminder that we’re still years away from having this muchneeded new building completed. Carlyle residents are rejoicing because the budget contained the initial commitment for a new school. They’ve been waiting for a long time, too. But this money is just a start. It’s go-

ing to take a while before kindergarten-Grade 12 students are in that new facility.

On the highways front, there will be work done on Highway 39 from Midale to Macoun. There will also be some twinning on Highway 39 outside of Weyburn, Highways 39 and 6 around Corinne, and Highway 6 south of Regina. But it sounds like this could be the last twinning for Highways 39 and 6 for a while.

There could always be more in the budget for us. We could have more than $1 million for the new nursing home.

The budget could have had a commitment for the renovation and expansion of the Estevan Comprehensive School, and the associated construction of a new kindergarten to Grade 6 joint-use school that would house students from five of our six elementary schools.

Since Carlyle is getting a new school, it might be a while now before the provincial government is ready to invest in another large education project for the southeast. At the same time, you have to wonder how much desire there is to have a joint-use school in Estevan.

Others will want to see more money for the classroom, so that school divisions don’t have to consider cutting programs.

There could have been additional highways in the southeast. The Roche Percee access road will be waiting for another year. Highway 47 from Estevan to Stoughton and Highway 18 from Estevan to Outram will also continue to deteriorate.

And people will always want to see tax decreases, whether it be for the provincial sales tax, income tax, the education portion of property tax or more.

If you’re hoping the document would include another $500 per person cheque to offset the high cost of living, then your expectations were lofty.

There is a measure of ambition in the document. The price of oil is projected to be $79 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate. Oil is currently below that amount. If it remains below the budgeted figure, the government will have to make some cuts. The government also expects to receive plenty of money from potash.

If we do wind up with a surplus, the government needs to work on reducing debt while replenishing reserves. The debt has been climbing over the past decade as the province suffered through a provincial recession and had to navigate us through a pandemic that had terrible economic consequences.

The rainy-day fund could also use some attention after being depleted for years.

You’re never going to make everyone happy with a budget. Everyone will look through the document and ask “What about me”? or they will say “You could have done more”. There is a balancing act to find.

Hopefully, the government’s projections are accurate. It would be too bad if they have to reopen the document this summer and cut some projects that need to happen.

I was told that once we say “I know”, we seize the opportunity to learn.

Our brain almost instantly shuts down if we give it the command that we are entering the known grounds. Yet quite often a lot of what we hear after that is new to us, but it’s our unwillingness to widen our comfort zone that screams “no” or “I know” before we even consider trying.

I used to say no to yoga and running because I knew those activities weren’t for me. I’d listen to people explaining how it works, how it makes them feel, discuss the benefits, but I didn’t hear what they were saying.

I used to say I don’t eat eggplants, which was a bit weird because I’ve never even tried them. I just knew I didn’t like them.

I declined many good things in life without even checking them out because I knew they weren’t my thing. And some probably indeed weren’t. But while it was hard to change many of my blocks, (and it is still always a work in progress), once I switched my “no” to a “yes” and tried (especially with yoga), pretty soon I realized how much joy and use it could be.

I learned later than I’d want to that unless we step out of our comfort zone or widen it, we are doomed for decaying. Life is endless movement, and our comfort zone is the exact opposite state. We are built to move, and even if we find ourselves in the happiest places, once we stop, we soon start feeling uneasy. The comfort zone is the state when life becomes predictable and organized, we have

Ana Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines

About…

the same things and people filling our days and our spaces, we use the same knowledge and skills, we go through the same experiences. And even though it’s called a comfort zone, quite often there is not much literal comfort in it. It’s more of a known zone, which makes up our life.

The comfort zone is also a stage. When we just enter a particular period, everything is still new and full of excitement and challenges. But as we get more used to it and decide to extend it without any further improvements and changes, it turns into our own Groundhog Day prison, where the key to get out would cost us our hard-earned comfort.

That’s where fear usually kicks in. Why gild the lily, right? Things outside the comfort zone are unknown and might be bad, so we start stressing out about them even before we try and protect our comfortable space with “nos” and “I knows”. But fear is a part of our natural emotional palette. It helped our ancestors survive by making them react (quite often just move). And it still should make us move, we just need to let the “no”-break go. It doesn’t matter how much we know and have experienced by now, all of it is still a

drop in an ocean, which can be represented as a circle. All I have is inside it, all I can learn and bring into my life is around it. The perimeter of the circle is the choices and options I have. If I widen my comfort zone even a hair, my perimeter will grow bigger.

So, I’ll have more touchpoints with the outer world and more opportunities, as well as more knowledge, understanding, skills and experience within my circle.

How we step out of our comfort zone varies from person to person. I was covering the Energy Dash and Splash last weekend, where about 30 people went for a polar bear dip at Boundary Dam. (That’s what inspired this column). I’m pretty sure that even those who’ve done it before were still stepping out of their comfort zone when hopping into close-to-freezing water on a -7 C day.

But people took different approaches to it. Some ran into the water, while others gradually walked. Some scooched down, and others went for a swim. Some were in and out, whereas others took their time. But they all knew they wanted the experience (for many different reasons). They had a goal and the willingness to overcome obstacles and fears probably motivated them even more.

We may have different approaches to widening our comfort zone, and sometimes life just makes us do it. But when we do, a lot of great things start happening.

And if you lack inspiration or need a bit of motivation to make that first step, look around – Estevan is filled with examples and role models to look up to.

Stepping out of comfort zone might be tough, but often rewarding

Where was the table for CCS?

David Willberg

Willberg’s World

SaskPower representatives were back in Estevan last week for an open house, giving local residents the opportunity to learn more and ask questions about the future of power production in the province.

Such an event is likely going to be very different in Estevan than anywhere else in the province. The questions are going to be different. People will want to know what will happen to the employees once conventional coal power comes offline in 2030.

They might want to know if additional funding will come to Estevan to assist with the transition from coalfired power.

SaskPower can bring information about wind, solar and geothermal power, the potential for small modular reactors and an update on a large transmission line project that will be constructed from the Estevan area to North Dakota (that will be another opinion piece for another time) but people will want to hear about coal and the carbon capture and storage facility at the Boundary Dam Power Station.

So some might have found it startling to see the lack of promotion materials on CCS. There was nothing that celebrated five million tonnes of captured CO2 at the Boundary Dam Power Station. No pamphlets. No information sheets.

The banner at the front entrance that hyped the future supply plan? There were graphics for natural gas, solar, wind and nuclear. But nothing for coal or CCS. Maybe there isn’t a CCS icon available.

SaskPower will tell you CCS remains a big part of electrical generating plans after 2030, but when they aren’t promoting the technology at an open house in Estevan on power production, people are going to speculate.

I give SaskPower all the credit for having these open houses and answering questions from the public. It can’t be easy having an event like this in Estevan. They get the same questions from local residents. Some of them are interesting. Some are from people with informed opinions or who want information. Some people are looking to vent. And others just have absurd thoughts.

People in this area want to know what is going to happen after 2030 and how it will affect their home values, their jobs and more. We all are affected in some way by coal-fired power.

But there should still be promotion of carbon capture and storage’s future. Even if a decision hasn’t been made on further investment into CCS technology at the Shand Power Station and for Unit 6 at Boundary Dam, our concerns can be eased a little with some information.

Given all they had for solar power, small modular reactors and more, it likely wouldn’t have taken much to have one person there with pamphlets and other printed materials, extolling the virtues of CCS and promoting the accomplishments that have been made over the past 8 1/2 years, ever since CCS came online during a celebration with people from around the world in attendance. Hyping CCS doesn’t need to happen at every open house. But it should happen in Estevan.

Coal-fired power generation is a part of our history and still plays an instrumental role in our community. I’m proud to be from a mining community and I’d like to think most people in the Estevan area share that pride.

I want to see Saskatchewan’s largest-ever solar power facility built in the Estevan area, but at this stage it remains a supporting power source rather than a baseload option.

I’m intrigued by the potential associated with small modular reactors, but the key word is potential. I’m also baffled that people still equate SMRs with conventional nuclear power.

And I’m a big proponent of geothermal power and I’m proud that we’re getting closer to great things happening in southeast Saskatchewan.

But I’m also concerned about the future of coal-fired power in the southeast. The days of conventional coal might be drawing to a close, but CCS is proven technology and it should be given the chance to make an even greater difference.

And while SaskPower can talk about its plans for CCS to be part of the power mix in 2030 and beyond, a mining company won’t stick around for just one unit at Boundary Dam, regardless of how innovative the technology is.

But for the next few years anyways, anytime SaskPower has an open house on the future of power production in Estevan, it would be wise to promote CCS.

B&T Gun Show sees a lot of interest, but industry struggles, organizer says

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Various guns and knives, ammunition and cases, gun rests and targets, bullets and scopes, thematic books and everything else one interested in guns may have a use for could be found in Estevan this weekend.

The eighth edition of the B&T Gun Show returned to the Wylie-Mitchell building this weekend, with hundreds of people making their way through rows of gun displays.

With about 25 vendors participating, occupying all 90 tables available, the show’s traditional venue looked pretty busy on the first day. However, Kevin Thompson, the lead organizer of the event alongside Lionel Bender, said the industry in general is going through hard times due to new policies, which have affected many vendors.

“With the new laws, especially with the handguns, it has put a damper on the whole gun industry; some of our vendors have lost 40 per cent of their business ... But we are getting a good event and trying to get as many people here as possible. It’s not like it was when I first started this gun show in 2014, but we have knifemakers, guns, there’s one lady that sells jewelry, we have a bunch of everything for all people. It’s not just guns,” Thompson said.

This year, vendors came from different communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Some of the Alberta vendors that partook in the event before have lost their business, Thompson said. He also noted that the industry experiences shortages of some products like primers, powder, ammunition and more, which makes it even more difficult.

The show was put on pause in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and

made its return last year, but it had to be held at the Royal Canadian Legion in Estevan due to scheduling conflicts. The 2019 show would have had the same number of tables due to building capacity, but Thompson said with handguns, which were very popular in early 2010s, they had more people coming through the doors.

“When you have handguns, you’ll have more of a crowd, because not everybody is out here trying to buy rifles and shotguns. A

lot of guys are here to buy handguns,” Thompson said.

“In 2014, me and my father [Gordon Thompson], we built the Estevan gun range for the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. The handguns were getting really popular in 2010ish probably, it was getting crazy with it down here in the southeast. So that’s why I proposed to the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation at the time that we will donate the whole proceeds to the new construction of the pistol range, because of

the high demand for handguns.”

Over the years, the proceeds from the B&T Gun Show have been donated to the children’s hospital in Saskatoon, multiple sclerosis and diabetes research, as well as to St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Royal Canadian Legion Estevan branch.

“We’ve probably donated close to $90,000 in … seven years,” Thompson said.

This year the organizers will need to use part of their proceeds to cover expenses, as they had to buy more tables, Thompson said. But the rest of the proceeds they plan to donate to the United Way Estevan.

“I try and find new nonprofit [organizations] that I can donate to that will help, and I’m trying to keep the money in the community,” Thompson said.

Thompson noted that every year for the show he seeks variety, so if anyone is interested in participating in the future, they can reach out to him at 306421-9842.

The show continues on Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Wylie-Mitchell Hall.

A lot of people stopped by the Wylie-Mitchell building on Saturday to check out the B&T Gun Show. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

With the main focus on firearms, the B&T Gun Show also had a variety of other relevant items on display.

SaskPower provides update on future power production options during Estevan open house

By David Willberg

The potential future for power supply options in Saskatchewan was discussed during open houses Thursday and Friday in Estevan.

The Days Inn’s Taylorton Room was filled with informational placards on solar power, small modular reactors and other plans for the future. There was also information on the Southwest Power Pool project – a transmission line that will be constructed from Estevan to North Dakota so it can be used for importing and exporting electricity.

SaskPower spokesman Scott McGregor said it’s important for the Crown corporation to give the public insight about what is coming next.

“We want to welcome people from Estevan to understand perspectives, hear concerns, answer questions and give information about what is the future for SaskPower,” said McGregor.

Thursday night’s portion of the open house was very, very busy, McGregor said, with about 50 people present during the three hours. Friday was slower, but they

had what McGregor characterized as “really, really good” conversations with a number of people.

A lot of questions focused on what could happen to SaskPower workers once conventional coal-fired power generation ends, which is scheduled to happen in 2030. Others wanted to know about small modular reactors and how they would be managed.

“They want to know the economic opportunities, jobs and so on, and where we are in the process,” said McGregor. “A lot of questions about how the nuclear waste is managed. We have good resources for that as well.”

SaskPower has reached an agreement with the Southwest Power Pole for the 650-megawatt transmission interconnection, McGregor said. The agreement starts in 2027.

A representative of SaskPower’s land department talked about the process for establishing the route, talking to land owners and more.

“Transmission lines can go both ways. It’s kind of like a game of tug of war. If one side needs it and we have the

capacity to go that way [we can help] … and it can go the other way as well,” McGregor said.

The agreement starts in 2027.

The SPP project includes building a new switching station near Estevan; two single-circuit, 230-kilovolt power lines each six kilometres in length to connect the new switching station to the SPP; and a rerouted power line between the new switching station and the Boundary Dam Power Station.

McGregor noted in the future, the demand for electricity is going to increase due to growth in the province. Building up the generating capacity and the ability to deliver reliable power will help with reliability.

As for the federal government’s deadline to phase out conventional coal-fired power by 2030, SaskPower is evaluating all options to ensure reliable power, including natural gas and importing power.

“We have a very diverse mix going into the future

and yes … conventional coal won’t be part of the future past 2030, but that said, we do have a number of options available to us,” said McGregor.

SaskPower brought a map to the open house that showed the potential intake areas.

“These, right now, are showing what our studies have shown us so far as to what would be more suitable,” said McGregor.

But he stressed they are not definitive on where an SMR could be constructed. It’s just showing where their data indicates the most promise currently exists. The three for the southeast are in the Boundary Dam and Rafferty Dam areas. There aren’t any around Grant Devine Lake near Alameda for now.

“That’s not to say Alameda is not being considered. It’s just right now these are where we’re going to start doing a bit more of a detailed survey,” he said.

There are also a few potential locations for the Elbow area. A decision is expected to be made next year on the site for the SMRs, and a decision on whether to proceed is slated for 2029.

SaskPower representatives also had information and supply sheets about waste, technology and water use for cooling.

The Crown corporation’s representatives also fielded lots of questions about carbon capture and storage technology at Boundary Dam, and the potential for expansion to the Shand Power Station.

McGregor said a decision has not been made about the future of CCS.

“CCS at BD3 is an important part of our generation,” said McGregor. “The future of it, one way or the other, we’ll be making that announcement once those decisions are made.”

If Shand won’t be retrofitted with CCS technology, similar to what has happened with Unit 3 at Boundary Dam, then there has been speculation it could be converted to natural gas. A decision hasn’t been made there, either, McGregor said.

SaskPower also had information regarding the 100-megawatt solar power facility that it plans to construct in Estevan. That project was announced last spring.

Man pleads guilty for vehicle incident and assault north of Estevan

A man who was charged following a multi-vehicle incident north of Estevan earlier this year pleaded guilty to four counts on March 13 in Estevan Provincial Court.

Justice Guillas, 19, pleaded guilty to one count each of assault, assault with intent to steal, resisting a police officer and mischief.

Three counts of assault with intent to steal, two counts of assault and one count of failing to comply with a release order were stayed.

Judge Bruce Henning sentenced Guillas to 335 days in prison, following a joint submission from the Crown prosecutor and Guillas’ attorney. Guillas had spent 61 days in jail on remand, which was credited to his sentence as time and a half, reducing his sentence by 92 days.

Guillas will spend 243 days in prison from March 13 onwards.

He will also have to pay restitution of $460 to Troy LeBlanc for the injuries that were sustained.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Quan said that late on Jan. 12, Guillas was the passenger in a vehicle driven by his mother Karie. He grabbed the steering wheel and began yelling. Karie Guillas stopped the vehicle in the middle of Highway 47 north of Estevan.

Quan said Justice Guillas exited the vehicle and stood in the box of the truck. Another vehicle collided with the Guillas truck and he was thrown from the box.

Justice Guillas went to the vehicle and tried to remove LeBlanc, who Quan said was the driver of the vehicle. Quan

noted the accused started punching LeBlanc.

Another vehicle stopped at the scene and Quan said Guillas tried to take that vehicle, breaking the signal light with a shovel. He also tried to seize another vehicle, according to the statement Quan read.

When members of the Estevan RCMP arrived at the scene, Quan said Guillas tried to take the Taser from an officer.

LeBlanc suffered a broken and dislocated ankle that required surgery. He provided a victim impact statement for the sentencing. Henning noted LeBlanc was “quite traumatized by the event”.

Karie Guillas, who was crying and shaking her head at times during the sentencing, said the Crown prosecutor’s account was not what transpired. She pointed out that her son

was thrown 10 feet from the vehicle in the collision with LeBlanc’s vehicle, causing her son to suffer injuries.

She described Justice Guillas as a quiet person.

Henning noted that Justice Guillas has accepted the account of the joint submission, but Karrie Guillas said he doesn’t remember anything from that night.

Justice Guillas is from Estevan but was residing with his father in Manitoba at the time.

Justice Guillas’ attorney, Joelle Graham, noted that he has struggled with addictions and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. He was a really good football player in his younger days and enjoys working on vehicles. He has a Grade 11 education and would like to attain his general education diploma.

“It’s something he’s been doing quite well at the Regina Correctional Centre,” said Graham. “He has been active in trying to get into programming and trying to get his education, and I have no doubt that once he is out of remand and those programs become available to him, that Mr. Guillas is the type of individual that would be able to get into … schooling quite quickly based on his good behaviour while in custody.”

He seems to be better in a stable and structured environment, Graham said, and he hopes to find employment as a mechanic.

Graham noted Guillas will require surgery for his cheek and nose due to injuries sustained in the collision.

Henning noted that Guillas should be able to find em-

ployment due to his interest in cars. But Henning also urged Guillas to leave the drugs behind, especially since the drugs will make mental health issues worse.

While Guillas is in custody, Henning said he could seek additional educational programs and upgrades.

“It will be very important that you follow through and that you … co-operate with the programming,” said Henning.

He cautioned Guillas that if he receives another set of assault charges, Guillas could spend a long time in prison and possibly even be declared a dangerous offender.

“You can use that time [in custody] productively and it would appear you are doing well in custody, so that is something that is positive,” Henning said.

Infant simulators, coaches used to support teachers

By Greg Nikkel

A number of supports are in place to help teachers in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division, including the use of infant simulators, and instructional coaches, along with professional development days and other courses.

Michael Graham, curriculum co-ordinator for Corner-

Estevan

stone, made a presentation to the board of trustees on March 16, including bringing in an infant simulator or “robot baby” to show what is being used. He told the board he looked into the possibility of purchasing the infant simulators after coming across a student who was carrying a bag of flour dressed up with a diaper, as part of one of her classes.

He initially bought three of the simulators, and they had a lot of success with them at the Weyburn Comp, McNaughton High School in Moosomin and the Carnduff Education Complex.

As demand grew, they have since been used at the Estevan Comp, Yellow Grass School and Oxbow Prairie Horizons School, with requests from

other schools. Graham has subsequently purchased a couple more of the simulators.

They have been used in the psychology 30 classes, as well as life transitions 20 and 30 classes, he said.

Holding one of the robotic babies, he noted they have sensors that will let a student know when the baby needs feeding or a diaper change, and they come

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inserting flyers into papers, manually feeding machine pockets with flyers, moving pallets of flyers and products.

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with a car seat that also has sensors.

In other supports, teachers are provided with an instructional coaching team, which includes Susan Wilson, Pam Stephen and Raquel Oberkirsch. Between the three, there have been 134 in-class coaching visits as they worked one-on-one with teachers, along with eight community engagement events with Indigenous partners in their home communities, and 32 professional development in-service supports.

Wilson and Stephen have also supported 38 new, or new to Cornerstone, teachers, or teacher in new subject areas.

In coaching teachers, they co-planned, modelled and provided feedback to teachers with content support, differentiation support and instructional strategies, said Graham, along with resource sharing and development.

In building “thinking classrooms” in math, for kindergarten to Grade 12, there have been three PD events, with 10 teacher participants at Moosomin, Weyburn, Estevan, Gladmar, Maryfield and Cyber Stone, along with six teacher participants that were schoolsupported in Carnduff, Moosomin, Radville and Wawota. There were 10 teacher par-

ticipants that were part of South East Cornerstone professional learning communities in Carnduff, Estevan, Weyburn, Moosomin, Radville, Rocanville, Oxbow and Wawota.

The school division also supported teacher mentorship, with 15 in the current school year, the highest number since the 201516 school year, noted Graham, who said mentors support new teachers or teachers in new areas, used play-based learning, cross-curricular instruction, multi-graded classrooms and small-group instruction.

Some of the content areas for the professional learning communities included using AutoCAD in high school math and art; middle years robotics and automation; gender and sexual diversity; the science of reading; teacher clarity, and administration in small schools.

Graham held accreditation seminars for teachers of math and science courses, to enable them to deliver final exams at their high schools. He had 20 initial applicants plus seven external to Cornerstone, and had three renewal applications plus 10 external applicants. The total cost of the accreditation was $36,316, but with fees paid by the external applicants, the school division saved $12,801 in the costs.

Scott McGregor at SaskPower discussed small modular reactors Friday morning.

AC Power Contractors wins Estevan OTS bonspiel

The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) held one of its long-standing annual events on the weekend – its 64th annual open bonspiel at the Power Dodge Curling Centre.

Twenty-one teams entered the competition. Games were held throughout the afternoon and evening on Friday, and a steak supper was served to the competitors that evening. The games resumed on Saturday, and the A, B and C finals were held Saturday night.

AC Power Contractors won the A event, defeating PRIMEC Controls 7-4. AC Power skip Layne Hawrylak said the team went 5-0 during the weekend.

“We came out, had fun … and everything just managed to come together. We had a tough three games with some strong teams, and we managed to pull it off,” said Hawrylak.

In the semifinal round on Saturday, they faced the Mid-West Surveys team, skipped by Riley Wallewein, which won last year’s bonspiel. Hawrylak said it was a very close game in which the Mid-West team had a chance to win in the final end.

AC Power also played National Oilwell Varco, Weatherford and Allscotts Tots. The latter game was also a close one, as AC Power needed to score two for the victory.

There were some really good teams among the 21 squads entered, he said.

This was the first time Hawrylak has won the event after six or seven times attempts.

“It feels really good, actually,” he said with a laugh. “It’s one of those things where if you curl in it for so long, you’d like to bring one home. I’m proud of the team and how well we curled this weekend.”

The bonspiel is also known for its strong social element, with the curlers having fun on and off the ice. That happened again this year, Hawrylak said. He lauded the OTS for doing a good job of hosting the fun event.

The ice conditions were strong throughout the weekend.

“We had a decent amount of curl and a good speed usually,” he said.

The team has curled together throughout the season. Hawrylak, third Cassidy Willerth and second Ryan Olsen all work together at AC Power, while lead Amanda Wilson is Hawrylak’s wife. They were all happy to finally win the tournament.

Earlier in March, they finished second at a farmers and friends bonspiel in Midale, and that prepared them for their league playoff, where they won their final game. Then they won the OTS competition.

“We will definitely be part of it again next year,” he said.

Owen Oil Tools defeated Innovative Artificial Lift Systems 6-2 in the B event final. The Surepoint Group won the C-side final, defeating Allscotts Tots 6-5 in an extra end.

The bonspiel was also the last event of the 2022-23 season at the Power Dodge Curling Centre, bringing an end to what was a busy season.

Southeast Techhub bringing pitch competition to attract and stimulate innovative start-ups

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Do you have an innovative idea in mind, but don’t have the budget to get it going? That might change soon.

The Southeast Techhub is bringing its first pitch competition to Estevan.

The competition is slated to take place in November. The winner will be provided with $10,000-$20,000 in seed money and free use of Techhub space to start a new, technology-based business in Estevan.

The idea is that the participants will need to come up with their tech or innovation start-up, which they plan to develop in Estevan, and they will need to pitch their business idea to judges.

“It’s similar to what you see on Dragon’s Den … but it will be a more humane version,” explained Southeast Techhub executive director Gord More.

“We’re not here to make drama for TV. We’re here to help people start their business. When we ask questions, it will be hopefully questions that will make the person think about how they can improve their business; they won’t be a drill. But standing up in front of a group of people with your presentation for 15 minutes is what it will look like physically.”

He noted that “innovation has no boundaries”, and they hope to see any ideas pitched from apps, to some know-how that may help local businesses or in-

dustries, to video games, to anything else tech-based.

“It is for anything in the world, anything that we can do better. It’s totally open. So, it can be someone in the oilfield, trying to find a better way to do something there. A farmer trying to do something better on the farm, it can be someone in the city wanting to do a tourism app. It could be a youth wanting to create a new video game. It’s open to all,” More said.

More will become one of the judges. Joining him, tentatively, will be Southeast College CEO Dr. Vicky Roy, several people with Innovation Saskatchewan and a couple of other people. Once all participants are done their pitch, the judges will break and decide who the winner is.

“We will judge the potential base of the idea, how much of a market there is for their idea, and how strong and deep their business plan is,” More explained.

The competition is open to all Saskatchewan residents over the age of 18. But they will have to be physically present for the competition itself in November. And if they were to win, they will need to move to Estevan at least for some time to start their company here. They would need to acquire their business license with the city, and they will have to be based in Estevan to get the seed money, which will be trickle-funded to them over time.

“The goal here is to have real technology innovation start-ups in Estevan,” More explained.

“We also expect that because of the size of the seed pot, we’ll get other businesses, who will see what we’ve created for both physical and cultural space for technology and innovation in Saskatchewan and will want to set up here.”

Starting in September, Southeast Techhub will be providing free workshops to competition participants to help them develop and strengthen their ideas. Workshops will be open to anyone willing to participate.

“Workshops will focus on how to program in English. And what that means

is, if you don’t know how to code, totally fine … If you’ve never done much on a computer, you’ve never programmed much, we’ll train you how you can take your innovative idea, your technology-based idea, and write a technical scope document, that’s programming in English, such that you can take that document and give it to another person who can program and they understand what you’re trying to do. And they will also understand what they need to do. That’s the bridging document,” More explained.

“And then we’ll also teach them how to do a proper business plan with a technology, innovation bent to it.”

The Techhub currently has one tentative sponsor, and they are seeking more people and businesses to join them as sponsors for the project.

“We’re looking for local people and local businesses who want to support creat-

ing a physical space and a cultural space for technology and innovation businesses in Estevan and to become a sponsor of the pitch competition,” More said. For more information, people can call More at 306-634-2724.

Members of the AC Power Contractors team that won the A event were skip Layne Hawrylak, third Cassidy Willerth, second Ryan Olsen and lead Amanda Wilson. Photos courtesy of Sam Bakala

This year’s bonspiel featured plenty of curling action at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Photo by David Willberg

Estevan Leisure Centre o

ers many physical activity opportunities for seniors

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things one can do for health, especially at an older age.

Moderate activity can prevent or delay many of the health issues that seem to come with age. It also helps muscles grow stronger so people can keep up with daily activities without becoming dependent on others. The Estevan Leisure Centre offers many various physical activity opportunities, which are adjustable for senior patrons and are available at different times seven days a week.

“Here at the leisure center, we do offer opportunities for seniors to come and enjoy our facility. We have many fitness classes, both aquatic or land, that can be adapted, and certainly options to keep everyone active,” said Erin Wilson, leisure services manager for the City of Estevan.

“We love to see people using our walking track. And I know that is something all ages can use, but it is great to see the seniors out there walking.”

There are many fitness classes offered at the leisure centre, both land and aquatic, Sunday through Friday, and the gym and the pool are also available from early morning through later at

night seven days a week. All classes are modifiable, and Wilson noted that morning and day options are really popular with local seniors. They run virtual aqua fitness classes Monday-Friday from 9-9:45 a.m. and there is also a time called adult independent swim (AIS), Monday-Friday from 10:15-11 a.m., when people

can come do their own activities. Wilson explained, that “it is an opportunity to just come in and do water walking, stretch, or just have some quiet time in the hot tub or steam room.”

Land classes include everything from spin classes to easy stretching, and a barre program to typical fitness classes.

“There’s a lot of seniors that do join us. And it’s great to see them. We want to keep them active, we love to be able to connect them, so they’re able to have that emotional and social aspect of a well-balanced life,” Wilson said.

Cycling and water activities are the most popular, along with the walking

track, but the weight room and squash courts also see quite a bit of use. And everything offered at the leisure centre is covered under one pass.

“One of the best parts about coming to the leisure centre is you can get all of these different options and try out a ton of different activities, all for one price,

which is definitely budgetfriendly as well,” Wilson said, adding that they also offer a special rate for seniors.

She noted that it is important for the city to keep offering a wide range of various physical activities for people of any age.

“We want to keep our community members healthy. We want to keep them happy. And we want to keep them involved in the community. That’s what keeps us strong,” Wilson said.

While it provides many opportunities for physical activity, the Estevan Leisure Centre is also a hub for many organizations. It houses the Estevan 60 and Over Club, the Estevan Public Library and the Estevan Arts Council, all of which have many opportunities for entertainment, development, learning and socializing for people of all ages.

“All [these organizations] have multiple programs that can be accessed for any age. But we definitely like when we get to see the seniors take advantage of those opportunities,” Wilson said. If anyone does have any questions, they can contact the leisure centre and they will be happy to help direct them in the right direction, Wilson added.

The Estevan Leisure Centre has a spin bar, a walking track, pool and fitness classes for the community to stay active.

Hill View Manor enjoying March ac tivities

By Jeannette Betteridge

In keeping with a St. Patrick’s Day theme, there was a coin hunt at Hill View Manor earlier in March.

A prize was given to the resident who found the largest number of green shamrock coins. All prizes were green in colour. What a great time. Also, it can become a little competitive for all residents who take part.

Other activities for the month included daily Bingo, exercises three or four times per week to help us stay fit, card games, mov-

ies, crokinole, bowling, bean bag toss, Yahtzee and shuffleboard. Shared read is a group activity we do a couple of times a week for anyone who may be a little visually impaired or might just want to listen to the short stories.

Catholic mass and Lutheran communion are held once per month. These are always the first Wednesdays of the month. The Estevan Public Library visits our home the second Tuesday of the month for anyone wishing to sign out a book or an audio book.

The last Friday of the

month is loonie Bingo followed by wine and cheese or fruit juice for anyone not wanting wine.

Outings this month have been to Walmart and Black Beard’s Restaurant for lunch. We also went to Make Music with Friends. This is a favourite outing; the music is wonderful and enjoyed by all who attend.

In March we celebrated three birthdays: Alvin G. (89), Janet T. (81) and Audrey B. (86). Happy birthday to all.

Entertainment this month was courtesy of the Caragana Ramblers,

Wilma and Val, Keith and Gary, the Szakacs Family and Susan Shepard. Hill View Manor pro-

vides a warm, welcoming, home-like atmosphere, where residents will find wonderful cooking and

baking smells daily. Good times and lots of laughter are enjoyed by all; we are one big family.

e r s o n a l C a r e H o

S K

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

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

Time for a Music Lesson!

Place”

“Living in the Right

A10

Redvers Rockets win Big Six championship

By David Willberg

For the second time in their franchise history, the Redvers Rockets are the Big Six Hockey League champions.

The Rockets routed the Moosoimin Rangers 10-2 Friday night in Redvers to sweep the best-of-five league final in three games.

Redvers’ last championship came in 2018.

The Rockets eliminated any suspense early in Game 3 by scoring four times in the first period and adding another early in the second for a 5-0 lead. They led 7-1 after two.

Presten Kopeck had three of Redvers’ first five goals and finished with four goals and two assists on the night.

Kenton Miller had two goals and three helpers. Todd Gervais, Daylin Smallchild, Bradey Fidierchuk and Brady Gaudet also scored.

Cody Matthewson was in goal for Redvers in the clinching game.

Dawson Springer had both Moosomin goals.

Levi Horn and Kyler Beckett split the goaltending duties for Moosomin.

Coach Ken Potapinski said their goaltending was really good this season, while

the defence and the forwards were very strong.

The Rockets were the class of the Big Six almost from the start of the season. After a loss to the Oxbow Huskies on opening night in November, Redvers rattled off 19 straight wins in the regular season to finish first overall.

“Oxbow came out really strong [that night], and we weren’t really ready. Then we just focused on each game at a time after that and improved a few things and it worked out all right,” said Potapinski.

The Rockets went 8-0 in the playoffs and outscored their opponents 57-12.

“It’s a really strong league,” said Potapinski. “The top four, five or six teams are very strong. You can’t take a night off at all.”

In the final, the Rockets converted their chances and the defence played pretty well, Potapinski said. Redvers won Game 1 6-3 and Game 2 3-1, but Moosomin had the lead in both contests.

At the start of the season, the Rockets knew they had a really good team. Brothers Jordon and Koltyn Miller and their cousin Kenton were back for this season. Jordon Miller suffered a fractured

fibula in his leg in Game 2 of the league final while blocking a shot, but he still finished the game. He didn’t find out the extent of the injury until after the game.

Potapinski was the head coach of the 2018 team, and they have a lot of players from that squad who played this year. They also have a lot of players from the

2020 team that made it to the league final against the Carnduff Red Devils, only to have the series dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, and the 2022 team, which lost to Carnduff in the final.

“I think everybody thought about it all summer, and it left a sore spot, so we definitely wanted to prove

something after last year,” said Potapinski.

But they have also picked up some really good players who have made a big impact on the team’s success.

Most of the players on the Rockets are home-grown talents who grew up cheering for the senior Rockets.

“It’s a good minor hockey system that they put

through, and a really good bunch of devoted parents at the start of the year,” said Potapinski. Some move on to play junior hockey elsewhere, but a lot of the players are from farm families and they come back to Redvers to be part of the business after they are finished playing junior and post-secondary hockey.

Estevan U13 A Bruins drop provincial final to Martensville

The Estevan U13 A Bruins came up one win short in their quest for a Hockey Saskatchewan provincial title.

Estevan lost 5-1 to the Martensville Marauders Sunday afternoon at Affinity Place in Game 2 of the best-of-two provincial final. Estevan won 5-3 in Game 1 the previous weekend in Martensville, so the teams promptly played off in a 10-minute mini game that was not sudden death.

Martensville won the mini game 2-0 to capture the championship.

“They capitalized on a couple of their chances, and there was a couple of chances in the first and second that we didn’t put in the back of the net, where we put them in the back of the net in Game 1,” said head coach Brant Kersey.

Estevan trailed Game 2 by a 2-0 score after the first period

and 3-0 through two periods. Hugh Ross scored on a power play early in the third to give the Bruins some life, and Estevan had other opportunities to score, but they couldn’t convert. Martensville then scored twice before the end of the game.

The Bruins had a territorial edge to start the mini game

and had a power play midway through the 10-minute frame, but Martensville scored after an Estevan turnover deep in their own zone.

The Marauders added an empty net goal.

The Bruins were comprised of players from three local house league teams – the

Storm, Wolves and Panthers. Tryouts were held in November and a team was picked. They went undefeated to win a tournament in Winnipeg earlier this season. In provincials, they defeated Swift Current, who won provincials last year, and Yorkton to make it to the provincial final.

“It’s been really good,” said Kersey. “The kids have shown a lot of growth and they have shown a lot of heart and determination against some very tough competition.”

Game 2 against Martensville was their first loss in a meaningful game this season, Kersey said, which made it sting that much more.

The team members play against each other in house league hockey and the Moose Mountain Minor Hockey League, but the team environment grew since tryouts.

Most of the kids knew each other before the Bruins were selected, Kersey said. They go to school together or they have played together previously. They know what to expect from each other.

“But it is not easy when you’re going into a game on a weekend where you’re play-

ing against each other, and then you have to bring them to practice on Tuesday and there’s still a little bit of ill will because there’s a really competitive group in there,” said Kersey.

He expects the experience from provincials will help the players with their development. A handful of them will likely take a run at the AA level next year. A number of them will have gained confidence knowing they can play at a higher level.

“Provincial hockey is no joke. There’s some really, really talented people out there and talented players, so knowing that they can compete at that level, I think either when they go to the U15, they’ll have confidence to play at that level, and the first-year players, I expect big things out of them next year,” Kersey said.

Estevan hosts U9 and U11 female tournaments

The Estevan Minor Hockey Association held its final tournament of the season on the weekend, bringing U9 and U11 female teams to the Energy City.

Games were held at Affinity Place and the Power Dodge Arena from Friday to Sunday.

The Estevan U11 Bearcats won silver in their tournament, losing 3-0 to the Regina White in the A final.

They went 4-0 in the round robin, defeating the Regina Black 4-3, the Swift

Current Colts 5-4 in overtime, the Prairie Storm 7-1 and the Southwest Cyclones 6-1.

Estevan finished second in the round robin. They finished tied with the Regina White for first, but the White won the tiebreaker because they scored more goals.

The Regina Black defeated the Colts 3-0 in the bronze-medal game.

The Bearcats were comprised of players from the two Estevan teams that competed in the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League this season. In the U9 division, the Twin Cities Sabrecats, comprised of players from the Martensville and Warman

areas, won the gold medal game 3-1 over the Milestone Selects.

Estevan went 1-2-1 in the round robin, defeating Swift Current 13-0 for their lone victory. Estevan lost to the Selects and the Lynx in the round robin, and tied the Regina White. The U9 Bearcats were comprised of players who competed on teams in Estevan minor hockey. Those teams have male and female players.

Chris Hammett, the coach of the U11 Bearcats, said it was a really good weekend of female hockey to conclude the season.

Players and fans of the Redvers Rockets celebrate after winning the Big Six Hockey League championship Friday night. Photo courtesy of Kendra Miller

Levi Garagan (15) skates past a Martensville defender during Sunday’s game in Estevan.

The Estevan U11 Bearcats finished second at their home tournament during the weekend. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

By David Willberg

For the second straight season, a series between the Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers went to a seventh game.

Flin Flon defeated Estevan 4-1 Sunday night at Affinity Place in Estevan to force a Game 7 in the SJHL quarter-final series. Game 7 was to be played Tuesday night in Flin Flon. (Results not available at press time).

The winner of Game 7 advanced to the SJHL semifinal round.

Flin Flon had a 2-0 series advantage after winning 4-1 in Game 1 on March 17 and 5-2 the following day. And it appeared they were headed to a 3-0 stranglehold when they led 3-1 with 13 minutes to play in the third period of Game 3 last Tuesday.

Jagjeevan Phangura and Ilia Chmelevski scored less than two minutes apart in the third to tie the game, and Owen Barrow scored on an odd-man rush with 47 seconds to play in the first overtime period to give Estevan a 4-3 win. It was Barrow’s second of the game, as he scored a shorthanded goal in the first to open the scoring.

Barrow said it was the

biggest goal he had scored in a long time.

“[Defenceman] Owen Miley made a huge save in front of the net when Cam [goaltender Cam Hrdlicka] was on his stomach. He got it to the boards, and I picked it up and ran with it.”

Barrow said they talked about the importance of blocking shots and playing as a team before the start of the third period.

Cam Hrdlicka had 33

The Estevan Extreme under-14 male volleyball team brought home a gold medal from the SaskCup No. 2 tournament in Regina on the weekend.

Estevan went 3-0 in pool play, defeating the Regina Volleyball Club White 2-0 (25-12, 25-10), the Yorkton Bongos 2-0 (25-17, 25-6) and Moose Jaw 2-0 (2512, 25-10). They lost their crossover game to Huskies Premier 2-1 (14-25, 25-20, 15-8).

The Extreme beat the Lloydminster Rustlers 2-0 (25-18, 2513) in the quarter-final and the Regina Volleyball Club Green 2-0 (25-17, 26-24) to make it to the gold-medal game.

Estevan had another chance at the Huskies Premier in the goldmedal game, and won 2-0 (2521, 25-22).

Fifteen teams were entered.

saves in the Game 3 win, and he was the story the next two games.

In Game 4 the following night, he stopped 35 shots in a 3-0 Bruin win.

The Black and Gold carried the bulk of the play to start the game, and the Bruins were rewarded when Evan Forrest scored with less than seven minutes to play in the first period. Phangura doubled the margin with a power-play

goal less than seven minutes later.

Keagon Little finished the scoring with an emptynet goal in the final minute.

“We just played a really good game defensively,” said Hrdlicka. “Besides their power plays, I don’t think they got too many opportunities at five-on-five. We really kept them to the outside, we were strong in front of our net, so I definitely have to credit the guys for helping

me out there, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to pull it off if they weren’t playing so well in front of me.”

Hrdlicka was even better the following night, as he stopped 66 shots in a 2-1 Bruins’ overtime victory.

Flin Flon held a 1-0 lead in the third period when Alameda’s Cody Davis scored to tie the game. And Davis was the overtime hero, as he scored the winner with 3:11 to play.

The Bombers outshot Estevan 16-8 in the first period, 23-6 in the second and 15-6 in overtime. Estevan outshot Flin Flon 14-13 in the third.

The Game 5 win ended a stretch of 13 straight wins by the home team in playoff matchups between Estevan and Flin Flon, dating back to a Game 3 win by the Bruins in Flin Flon in a first-round match-up in 2014.

Mitch Kohner scored on a power play in the first period of Game 6 to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. But Kohner and Chmelevski left the game with 11 seconds to play in the first after the teammates inadvertently collided. Chmelveski skated off under his own power, while Kohner needed help leaving the ice.

The Bombers scored three times in the second and added one into an empty net in the third.

Hrdlicka made 42 saves. The announced crowd at Affinity Place was 1,952 fans.

Last year the two teams met in the SJHL final, with the Bruins winning in seven games. A full recap of Game 7 can be found on our provincial news hub at www. sasktoday.ca.

Stoughton Bulldogs win bronze medal at Hoopla

The Stoughton Central School Bulldogs’ senior boys’ basketball team came home from the Hoopla provincial tournament in Prince Albert with a bronze medal in the 1A division.

Stoughton, seeded third for Hoopla, routed 13th-ranked Allan Composite School 97-39 Saturday to wrap up a third-place finish at Hoopla. The Bulldogs dominated from the outset and led 55-12 at halftime. They outscored Allan 42-27 in the second half.

The Bulldogs had double-digit point contributions from three players. Kaden Piper led the offence with 30 points, Carter Goudy finished with 26 and Carson Baumgartner had 15.

Stoughton opened Hoopla with a 63-42 loss to secondranked Lake Lenore. The Bulldogs trailed 33-20 after the first half.

Goudy had 20 points for the Bulldogs against Lake Lenore.

The Stoughton Central School Bulldogs brought home bronze from the provincial basketball tournament. Photo sourced from the Stoughton Central School’s Facebook page

The Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers played three times in Estevan last week.

The Estevan Extreme U14 male volleyball team took top spot at a weekend tournament in Regina. Photo by Kristin Dupuis

By David Willberg

Two talented young athletes from Estevan are grateful for the opportunity they had at the recent Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown.

Kaylee Carlson, competing in archery, finished fifth in individual female recurve. She sat sixth with a total score of 979 after the first two rounds.

“Our targets are numbered six through 10, so we shoot three rounds at a time, and we shot 120 arrows,” said Carlson.

Points are based on where the arrows land on a target.

In the preliminary playoff round, she defeated an archer from P.E.I. 7-1 but then lost to a competitor from B.C. 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

“You and an opponent shoot a round of three arrows, and then you total up your score at the end, and whoever gets the highest score gets two points, and then if you tie, you each get one point,” said Carlson. The first person to six points wins.

The archer from Quebec who won the gold medal was a “phenomenal shooter” who picked up lots of points, Carlson said.

“There were many other great shooters. It was pretty tough,” Carlson said. In the recurve team mixed competition, she was part of the entry that finished sixth. Saskatchewan had a combined score of 1,923 in the first two rounds and was defeated by Manitoba in the quarter-finals.

Carlson, age 19, has

been in archery for 16 years. She hopes to remain involved in the sport, but not at such a competitive level because she is now focused on post-secondary studies. She is also thinking of coaching.

“It was my first event such as this, where it’s people from across the country as opposed to provincials, so definitely with the nerves and stuff, I got to see what it was like to be put under that kind of pressure.”

Sebastian Murphy of Estevan competed in three events in snowboarding at a venue about half an hour outside of the P.E.I. capital.

“I met so many great people, and it’s the best snowboarding I’ve ever done in my life,” said Murphy.

He was 14th in each of big air and male slopestyle. In big air, he sat 16th after the first qualification jump with a score of 38.40 and was ninth in the second qualifier with a score of 48.80. The top 12 competitors advanced.

In slopestyle, he was slotted in heat 1, and had scores of 49.47 and 42.60. His better score was used, and he was 14th after the heats. Once again, he was just short of advancing to the final.

In those two events, Murphy and the other competitors were judged in difficulty and execution.

In snowboard cross, which is a timed event, he was 30th in the qualification round and finished fourth in the first elimination round, so he didn’t advance to the quarterfinals.

“I had never trained in that, and there are people who go there and that’s what they do mainly. But for slopestyle and big air, what I was focusing on, it was definitely the highest level of difficulty I have competed against.”

He faced some really strong athletes from B.C. and Quebec.

Slopestyle is his favourite because he can do rails and jumps all in one run.

Murphy, age 16, has been in snowboarding for

eight years. He started competing through his mother and step-father. He started joining them at Mission Ridge Winter Park in Fort Qu’Appelle, made some friends and grew as a snowboarder.

“I have a little park set up in my backyard, because I’m near the valley, so usually I’ll build a little rail and jump back there,” said Murphy. And he gets the questions from other people about how he is able to

compete in snowboarding when he lives in Saskatchewan.

This was his one shot at the Winter Games, as next time he’ll be too old to compete, so he said he’s glad he went and he met a lot of friends at the Winter Games.

“It just opened me up to all of the great people in snowboarding and ways I can take it,” said Murphy, who wants to one day be able to snowboard every day.

Apex Bruins advance to provincial final

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins are off to the provincial final.

Estevan defeated the Regina Vics 4-1 in Regina Monday night to win the best-of-five South Division final in four games. Estevan will now play the Saskatoon Riverkings in the Hockey Saskatchewan provincial final, which is also the final for the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League.

Conrad Hase and Spencer Copeland scored in the first period of Game 4. Copeland’s goal came on a power play with 1:49 to play in the first period.

Hase added his second of

What is the Eels?

the game in the second to put the Bruins up by three.

Regina notched one goal midway through the third period, but Declyn Henderson scored into an empty net in the final minute to close out the scoring.

Ty Fehrenbach made 32 saves in the victory.

Regina forced Game 4 with a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday night at Affinity Place.

Emmett McCarthy scored with less than six minutes to play in the first period to put Estevan in the lead. The Vics tied the game in the second, and took the lead in the third.

Ryker Mathison’s goal

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midway through the third period knotted the game up at 2-2, and Carter Beck scored with less than six minutes to play in regulation to put Estevan in the lead.

But Regina tied the game again with 3:07 remaining. The Vics scored the winner with 6:14 to play in the first overtime period.

Fehrenbach made 31 saves for Estevan.

Estevan last won the provincial title in 2009. It was their fifth provincial championship in nine years. The Bruins also captured the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League championship that season.

Ryker Mathison (12) stickhandles into the Regina zone during Saturday night’s game.

Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Sebastian Murphy soars through the air in the snowboarding event.

Photo courtesy of Sebastian Murphy

Kaylee Carlson represented Saskatchewan in the archery event. Photo courtesy of Kaylee Carlson

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OBITUARIES

Gloria Jean Kolenz 1950 - 2023 Gloria Kolenz, late of Estevan, SK passed away on March 18, 2023 at the Estevan Regional Nursing Home at the age of 72 years. Gloria will forever be remembered by her sisters: Shirley (Chic) Wheeler of Bienfait, SK, Carol (Wilf) Rosin of Spruce Grove, AB, Kim (Ken) Murray of Estevan, SK and Alison (Michael) Martel of Estevan, SK; nieces and nephews, Pam (Paul) Currie, Teresa Smyth, Kelly Wheeler, Scott (Emma) Wheeler, Todd (Christine) Wheeler, Shelley (Tim) Greaney, Tina (Curt) Daniels, Wade Mickel, Thomas (Chelse) Murray, Jennifer Himmelspach, Beth (Dylan) Paradis and Johnathan Martel; great nieces and nephews, Adam (Teanna) Currie, Rheannon Currie, Christopher Smyth, Jesse (Courtenay) Smyth, Dakota and Madison Wheeler, Zack (Trish) Greaney, Detra Greaney, Carly Daniels, Tamara (Jamie) Massan, Vincent and Griffin Mickel, Jaida Murray, Dakota and Cooper Himmelspach, Hannah and Bryson Paradis, Cody, Quinton, Thane and Cooper Wheeler, Kanon, Maddison, Makailah and Mackenzie Wheeler; great great nieces and nephews, Abbigale, Cullain and Oliver Smyth, Piper and Anna Currie, Lola and Stella Greaney, Josh and Abbie Greaney, Hailey Daniels-Massan and Axel Mickel. Gloria will also be deeply missed by many extended families and special friends, Marge and Marilyn. Gloria was predeceased by her parents, John and Anne Kolenz and brother-in-law Vince Mickel.

The Celebration of Life for Gloria was held at the Royal Canadian Legion (large hall), Estevan, SK on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. with Shirley Petterson officiating. Lunch was immediately following the service. Interment will take place at a later date.

A live stream of the service will be available for the next 90 days. Please visit Gloria’s Tribute page at www. hallfuneralservices.ca for details.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to The New Estevan Regional Nursing Home, 1201 - 2nd St., Estevan, SK S4A 0M1 in memory of Gloria. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Gloria’s family - Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director

W. Vern Buck 1938 - 2023

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Vern passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 84 years. Vern was born in Regina, SK, on August 14, 1938 to Emma Mielke who later married Frank Buck. He lived a short time south of Bromhead and then moved to a farm north of Torquay. Siblings Jean, Frank Jr. and Walter completed the Buck family. Vern married his neighbour and high school sweetheart, Marlis Shelstad in 1961. To this union, came one daughter, Laurel. After graduation, Vern worked at the CIBC in Estevan, Roleau and was working in Kindersley when he and Marlis married. Vern then took a job at the Credit Union in Bienfait and both he and Marlis worked and lived above the Credit Union. Marlis then moved to the Estevan branch and Vern followed shortly after. After 10 years in the system, he became the CEO and remained in that position for 32 years until his retirement in 2004. Vern loved his job. Throughout his 42-year career with the CU, he sat on several boards both provincially and nationally and was asked to guest speak at international conferences. He was well-respected in the Credit Union system and was considered a forward thinker, keeping up with technology and new innovations while remaining community-minded.

In 2006, Vern and Laurel bought A & A Jewellery. Vern came into the store Monday to Friday and was still doing the books right up until his last day. He enjoyed visiting with the staff and customers.

Vern and Marlis loved to travel both for business and pleasure. After Marlis passed away in 2001, Vern and Laurel travelled to many destinations, including Norway, Germany, Italy, often with his in-laws Wayne and Audrey Shelstad. Las Vegas was a regular destination for jewellery shows.

Heather Liggett 1947 - 2023

With sadness, Heather’s family announces her passing at the Galloway Health Centre, Oxbow, Sask. on March 16, 2023 at the age of 75.

Heather’s memory will be forever cherished by her husband Allan Liggett; daughters: Tammy Sjodin (Dale Howes), Carri Tressel, Sara Griffin, and Devon Tinant (Blair); daughter-in-law Vickie Lowenberg; grandchildren: Eric Sjodin (Valerie), Serena Sjodin (Douglas Stephenson), Katelyn Marsdin, Daniel Lowenberg, Lacey Lowenberg, Brady Lowenberg (Kimberlyn), Christopher Tressel, Stephan Galbraith, Emili Galbraith, Chantelle Loewen (Cody), Keena Mcknight, Jaden Griffin, Brennan Tinant, and Gavin Tinant, as well as 16 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Ronald Gunn, and sister Shirley (John) Carefoot.

Heather was predeceased by her son Darwin Lowenberg; sonin-law Greg Sjodin; grandson Carter Tinant; parents: Jean & James Gunn; mother-in-law and father-in-law: Viola & Walter Liggett; brother-in-law Leonard Semaniuk, and sister-in-law Joy Denton.

The Funeral Service for Heather was held on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at the Frobisher Union Church, Frobisher, Sask. with Sandy Dalziel officiating. Interment followed in the Frobisher Resthaven Cemetery, after which a luncheon was held at the church.

Memorial Donations to the Frobisher Union Church, Box 86, Frobisher, SK S0C 0Y0 or Galloway Health Centre (designate to activities), Box 268, Oxbow, SK S0C 2B0 would be appreciated by Heather’s family. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Heather’s family - Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.

Helen Josephine Wog

1939 - 2023

With heavy hearts, the family wishes to announce that Helen Wog, late of Estevan, SK passed away at the Regina General Hospital on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at the age of 83 years.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and Bill Shalanski; husband Ron Wog; brothers, Peter and Metro Shalanski and a great granddaughter.

Helen is survived by her sons, Robin Wog and children, Marnie Wog and Roman Wog, Trevor Wog and children, Amy Mutton and Desiree Schlaphkohl and Travis (Susan) Wog and children, Kelsey Wog and Kyle Wog. She will also be missed by her seven great grandchildren. A Graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, Estevan, SK with Jeri Lee Jones officiating. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow at the Royal Canadian Legion, Estevan branch - small hall. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Helen’s familyDeb Heidinger, Funeral Director.

Trinity Lutheran Church was a large part of Vern’s life. He attended church regularly and served on committees there for most of his life. He enjoyed both the spiritual and social life at Trinity. He remained active in the community, having co-chaired the Saskatchewan Summer Games in 1980 and was on the New Estevan Nursing Home committee.

One of Vern’s gratifying moments was finding out who his birth father was in his 70s and then meeting his two brothers, Ron and Richard Olson and sister, Helen Nicholson, with whom he shared a special relationship.

Vern enjoyed woodworking and woodturning, hunting, playing games and cards, visiting with friends and family and had a wonderful sense of humour. He spent many evenings out for coffee with his companion Judy Pierce until her passing. In his later life he spent much time researching ancestry and had built a large family tree. He will be deeply missed by Laurel and all who loved him.

Vern was predeceased by his wife Marlis (nee Shelstad) Buck; parents, Frank Sr. and Emma Buck; parents-in-law, Art and Ann Shelstad; siblings, Frank Jr. Buck and Walter Buck; sisters-in-law, Lois Buck, Marge Shelstad and Barbra Olson and brother-in-law Ivor Nicholson.

Vern is lovingly remembered by his daughter Laurel Buck; sisters, Jean (Jim) Olson and Helen Nicholson; brothers, Ron (Pat) Olson and Richard Olson; brothers-in-law, Vernon Shelstad and Wayne (Audrey) Shelstad; sister-in-law Gayle (Garry) Baraniuk as well as numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.

The Funeral Service for Vern was held on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Estevan, at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Sharon Kane officiating. The interment was held at the Estevan City Cemetery with the luncheon at the church social hall following the interment.

A live stream of the Funeral Service for Vern will be available for the next 90 days. Please visit Vern’s tribute page at www. hallfuneralservices.ca for details.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 738 2nd St, Estevan, SK S4A 2B3 or to a charity of choice in memory of Vern. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Vern’s familyYvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Thank You

Thank you to Estevan EMS, EPS, the Doctors and nurses of St. Joseph’s Hospital ER and Dr. Horri for their care and compassion. Thank you to Pastor Sharon and Trinity Lutheran Church for the beautiful service and lunch. Thank you to Yvonne Clark and Hall Funeral Services for their care of Vern. Thank you to friends and family, to numerous to mention, for their love and support of Laurel and the Buck family. Your kindness will not be forgotten.

Wednesday, March 18, 1987

EPS arrests one person for sexual interference and more

The Estevan Police Service has announced sexrelated charges against one person.

The EPS says it charged a 26-year-old Estevan man March 22 for sexual interference, sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching.

The EPS said it would not release the name of the individual to protect the identity of the victim.

He appeared in court on March 23 and March 27 to answer to the charges.

No further information was immediately released.

The same day, the EPS attended to a disturbance at a south Estevan residence. An Estevan man was arrested and charged with assault and two counts of uttering threats. He was later released on conditions of no contact and not to attend the residence of the victim.

In other recent police news, police were called to a residence in the Hillside area on March 21 for a re-

port of a domestic disturbance. Members were able to speak with both parties and diffuse the situation. No further action was required.

Police were called to a two-vehicle collision in the Trojan area. No injuries were reported, but both vehicles had to be towed from the scene. The matter remains under investigation.

Members arrested a 35-year-old man from Estevan for failing to comply with his conditional sentence

order. He was held in custody and will appear in court on March 22 to speak to his matter.

Police were called to a residence in the downtown core for a domestic disturbance. One subject involved had left the residence prior to members arriving on scene. It was determined that an argument had taken place and no further action was required.

On March 24 during the night shift, the EPS received a report of criminal harass-

ment and threats. The matter is still under investigation.

Police are also looking into a report of an individual breaching their release conditions by contacting the victim. The matter also remains under investigation.

On March 25, EPS members were called to the Pleasantdale area to a report of an accident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle. It was also reported that the offending vehicle has left the scene. On arrival, police determined the vehicle did not hit the pedestrian at all, rather the pedestrian had fallen on the street as the vehicle was passing by. The individual that had fallen was

transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital by EMS for an assessment. No further details were immediately available.

On March 26, a 27-yearold Estevan man was arrested and charged with breaching the conditions of his undertaking as a result of contacting someone he is on conditions not to contact. He was held in EPS cells pending court on March 27. No further details were immediately available.

Members were also dispatched to a domestic dispute in northwest Estevan. The matter was resolved without further issue and one of the occupants was transported to another residence for the night.

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL

The Village of Macoun pursuant to subsection 217(1) of The Municipalities Act, notice is hereby given that the property assessment roll for the Village of Macoun for the year of 2023, has been prepared and is open to 12:00pm and 3:30pm Mondays & Wednesdays and Thursdays April 3, 2023 to May 11, 2023. Carmen Dodd-Vicary, CAO Village of Macoun P.O. Box 58 454 Appleton Ave. Macoun, SK S0C 1P0 Phone: (306) 634-9352

Fax: (306) 634-9377

e-mail: macoun.sask@gmail.com

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Three students from Hillcrest School received certificates of merit and cash awards for winning in the Elks Purple Cross literary and poster contest in March 1987. In front, from left, Peggy Anderson ( first), Melissa Main (second) and Karise Grummett (third). At back is Jean Broadhead, Honoured Royal Lady for the Order of the Royal Purple.

Park’s Dr. Brown fundraiser has ‘best year yet’

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Dr. Brown annual fundraiser at the Oungre Memorial Regional Park (OMRP) last Saturday was a “huge success”, said the fundraising committee chairwoman Loran Tosczak on Monday.

“We didn’t technically count everything yet, we’re still waiting for some things, but I would say it’s our best year yet,” Tosczak said.

With about 160 people attending, the event attracted over $75,000, which will help the park with its pool and kitchen upgrades and general maintenance.

The event itself went well, Tosczak said.

“It was awesome. It was quite fun, and lots of people. It was beautifully decorated in there and we all came fancy, so it was fun to have a night out. And it always helps when everybody says they enjoy themselves at the end of the night and can tell all the fun work that went into it,” she shared.

The fundraising committee, consisting of Tosczak, Chrissy Lohse, Roseanna Stendall, Melissa England, Katie Bloor and Patricia Stroeder, got their heads together in January and started preparing for their big annual event. After three months of work, they accumulated over 130 silent auction items and more than 90 live auction items. They also had items for a Dutch auction, hosted Heads and Tails games and received some cash donations.

“There were a lot of items, a lot of different things, there’s something for everybody. There were hand-crafted things and barnwood items people made, agricultural items like fertilizers or spray. There were lots of tools of all kinds, leaf blowers and items like that,” said Tosczak, listing off some of the items available.

“And there were some fun packages that were put together. There was a patio set that had a rug, and a fancy umbrella ... that had solar lights in it. There were

handmade picnic benches, bikes, half of beef locally grown, kids’ toys, RM history books, barbecue packages,”

“We were blown away with the amount of support this year. The most items we have ever received.”

Jeff Tosczak and Darren Boren of Weyburn were the auctioneers and provided a great atmosphere.

It took a week to set everything up for the event, and the place was beautifully decorated. A little Taste of Heaven Catering from Estevan has been preparing their suppers for years, and once again they did an amazing job, Tosczak said, serving a delicious roast beef and mashed potato supper, with pasta and vegetable salads, and dessert parfaits to wrap it up.

The auctions went “very well,” and while the final numbers are still being calculated, the funds will be helpful with the OMRP’s capital projects and operational costs of the facility.

“They are going to try to get some new diving boards for the indoor pool. They are going to get new tile for the hot tub and change some appliances in the kitchen,” Tosczak said. “Some enhancement to our indoor pool, which is a big part of our park. I think a lot of people come for the pool … And the kitchen is

open year-round, so it will help keep all those appliances functioning and add new things.”

The committee was grateful for the support they received this year.

“We are blown away with the support. We are lucky to live in a fantastic giving community, with so many willing to come out and help set up, clean up, build items, move our six feet tall snowbanks and donate items year after year.

They always find great new items to keep each year exciting,” Tosczak said.

“Thanks to everyone who came out, donated –locals, Weyburn and Estevan businesses and organizations – and helped.”

Tosczak said next year they hope to get closer to 200 guests and they look forward to having another great event.

“We are looking to plan for a fun new theme, maybe try a decade theme, and all

the new items we receive. We did not offer entertainment this year, but we will look for options next year,” Tosczak said.

The Oungre Memorial Regional Park was founded in 1968 on a site that had been a gathering place named Foster’s Grove, which was a spot for school events and church picnics for people from miles around. The OMRP remains a vital part of the surrounding communities,

and the Dr. Brown committee strives to promote community involvement where families and future generations can gather through activities offered at OMRP.

The committee members for the past 30 years have volunteered countless hours to raise funds for their community park. The funds raised always go directly back to the park to help pay their capital expenses and continued maintenance.

Easter Colouring Contest

Rules:

1) Color your heart out!

2) Have a grown up drop it off (68 Souris Ave E) or email it to the Estevan Mercury (contests@estevanmercury.ca).

3) All entries will be entered to win $50

4) All entries must be received by April 9, 2023.

5) Random draw will take place on April 10 and your grown up will be notified.

Child's Name:_________________________________________

Name: ______________________________________

Age:_________________________________________________

Grown Up's Name:_____________________________________

Dr. Brown fundraising committee members are, from left, Chrissy Lohse, Roseanna Stendall, Loran Tosczak, Melissa England, Katie Bloor and Patricia Stroeder

About 160 people turned out for the annual Dr. Brown fundraiser for the Oungre Memorial Regional Park. Photos sourced from Dr. Brown Fundraiser – (OMRP) Facebook page

“As we celebrate another milestone at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM), our 45th anniversary, and we close in on my 12th anniversary as director/curator, it feels surreal to announce my resignation from this position on March 31, 2023,” wrote Amber Andersen, the EAGM’s director/curator, in a press release, informing the community about her decision.

After many years, and hundreds of programs, exhibitions and fundraisers, Andersen announced that she will be stepping out of the role. She said her work with the EAGM provided her with many opportunities.

“I have long been passionate about providing innovative and professional programming in unexpected places, but with a particular focus on rural audiences,” Andersen said in the press release. “Growing up on a farm in southwestern Manitoba, I quickly garnered an appreciation and love of art-centric programming.

“I realized how significant access to the arts is, hence, my attraction to a rural, regional art gallery and museum in southeastern Saskatchewan. I was hired for the director/curator position in 2011. So many things about the community and institution have changed since then.”

In this position, she has guided the institution through many challenges and successes. Andersen has curated over a hundred exhibitions and worked with hundreds of artists and innumerable volunteers, over 20 summer students and several interns. She has had the “immense pleasure of working with one amazing, long-term, and dedicated employee,” Karly Garnier.

“I have worked ceaselessly over the years to continue to adapt to new modes of presenting art, such as the Inside/Out project, where artworks were directly curated in Plexiglas-lidded plinths placed throughout a [Woodlawn] regional park while balancing a curatorial schedule that included established and significant Canadian artists while also responding, curatorially, to the needs and wants of the community.

This has provided a format of excellence that has cemented the EAGM as an important museum and art gallery, not only in Saskatchewan but also in Western Canada,” Andersen wrote.

City Hall: 1102 4th Street

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

One thing she really enjoyed about being a director/curator of the art gallery in Estevan, was that people often didn’t have specific expectations of what an exhibit should look like, which allowed her to be creative and innovative. Inside/Out is just one of the examples with great results.

“That program is really opening up the idea of working outside of the gallery and incorporating that outreach to bring people to the gallery. That has been really special for me,” Andersen shared. “The mini residencies that have been developed, are also such a big hit with the community. But for us, it’s really nice to have that presence right in the gallery and have that magic in that space.”

She noted there’s never been a lot of red tape, which allowed her to experiment with ideas and formats, and which “made the position so magical” to her.

There were so many changes throughout the years, but she said she always enjoyed being a programmer.

“I’m a programmer at heart. And this position has offered me the opportunity to really explore so many different avenues. That has been such a pleasure for me,” Andersen shared.

“My proudest moments were always working with artists that stated ‘what a gem of an institution’ we had in the community and relaying the renown the institution has outside our community.”

She also noted that she uses the word programming as a “huge chasm”, involving many aspects. She began her career in the art field as an art educator, and her work always included curatorial components. One of her goals was to get people intrigued about the art and get them to come into the galleries.

“My passion lies in how to get people excited … so I’ve always taken that approach … of curating for your public, for your community, and this is why it’s always so different,” Andersen said.

Working with two spaces at the EAGM, Andersen tried to pick a theme that two exhibits shared and show the public two different perspectives on the same topic, breaking a talking point. She also would always keep an eye on what was happening in the art world across the province to bring the most interesting ideas and artists to

Estevan, creating space for thought and conversation.

Andersen said it is really hard to summarize 12 years of her history with the EAGM. They used to have the After Dark concert series, where musicians would perform at the gallery. She was on the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games committee, working with other not-for-profits that were engaged in heritage and culture, trying to bring that into the game, and had many other opportunities to work with other organizations across the province.

They ran many fun and exciting fundraisers, including the Rafferty Ramble, hobby horse races, Duelling Pianos cabarets, art auctions and more. There have been endless community engagement events like speed dating, the Halloween haunt, mom prom and many others.

Her position also included the directorial part, which is management. Under her lead the EAGM changed the roof, floorings, and signage, the building was painted multiple times, the outdoors

has changed significantly, the interior of the gallery as well as the North West Mounted Police Museum’s interior and exteriors have seen improvements, and the museum’s collection has been growing continuously.

Garnier’s equal passion for programming made Andersen’s time with the EAGM even more special.

“My sincerest thanks to Karly Garnier, my education, outreach, and programming co-ordinator, who shares my love of programming and has supported me throughout my tenure, and to my board of directors, over many years, for supporting my innovative, and often unchartered approach,” Andersen said.

“It’s been a great opportunity to work in a team that’s really motivated.”

“And a huge thank you to all the people that worked and volunteered here and all the different people [I worked with] throughout the years. It’s such a huge honour experience to have worked with so many different people.”

While Andersen is leaving the EAGM end of this month, she is staying in Estevan to start with another valuable organization.

“A programmer at heart, I am leaving this position and joining an equally passionate not-for-profit team that provides opportunities for rural audiences.

Remaining in Estevan, I will begin a new job on April 3, 2023, as community development co-ordinator with South East Sport, Culture and Recreation District. I look forward to continuing to work with the Estevan community and beyond. It has been an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings for this institution, which will always hold a place in my heart.”

Andersen added that her new work will introduce her to new ideas and concepts. She believes that sport, culture and recreation intertwine, and while some of her experiences with the EAGM resonate with her new position, she is also looking forward to the fresh aspects of it.

“I really look forward to stepping into the role, learning new things, [discovering] different ways of thinking and seeing, and then bringing in these skill sets that I’ve honed while working at public art galleries,” Andersen said.

Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880

office of the Assessor from 8:00

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.

After 12 years, Amber Andersen, director/ curator with the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum, has announced her resignation. Photo courtesy of Amber Andersen

City Wide will be April 4, 2023 starting at 5:30 pm at Leisure Services. Please out and sign up for the many activities coming as jump into Spring.