Estevan Mercury 20230412

She is on fire. Local firefighter competes for calendar, fundraises for children’s hospital. Details on PAGE A3

Ready for spring

Attraction for youth. Estevan Public Youth Centre invites new patrons and volunteers.

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Potential might be here. Company holds open house to answer questions about lithium brine extraction.

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New neighbourhood plan for Glen Peterson Park opens options for development

By David Willberg

Great perspectives. Former southeast resident chosen as one of the CFL’s Women in Football, to join Edmonton Elks.

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The City of Estevan hasn’t given up hope on selling the remaining vacant lots inside the Glen Peterson Park.

Estevan city council discussed a 35-page neighbourhood plan for the area in northeast Estevan during Monday night’s meeting. An open house will be held and a survey will be posted online before council gives final approval to the document.

It’s time to have fun. Details on the Estevan Strippers’ Spring Bust tournament happening this week.

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Richard Neufeld, the city’s manager of land development services, said the plan was first drafted a few years ago but was never adopted. It reached the point in which it was approved for public discourse, but the city was also focused on other priorities such as the official community plan and the zoning bylaw, which was adopted by the provincial government in February.

“I want to get this project finalized,” Neufeld said regarding the plan.

The city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

also delayed implementing the plan.

There are six parcels in the park that haven’t been developed, but one of them has been spoken for, Neufeld said. There aren’t any financial incentives, as those are in another document, but one thing that Neufeld believes will help is that some developments are no longer allowed.

“For example, with the old zoning bylaw, you could put a tire recycling firm, you could put a tank farm for industrial use [in there], stuff that wouldn’t be visually appealing or could have odors associated with them, and we screened them out to make it more of a business park rather than an industrial park,” Neufeld said.

He is confident these changes will help with filling the vacancies, but he admits the economy will decide if they are filled.

The Glen Peterson Park was first unveiled well over a decade ago. A proposed solution to the empty lots was

to allow for a new approach that would include, among other things, residential development within the area, pathways, college dormitories and more. A committee of landowners within the neighbourhood contributed to the overall theme and goals of the plan, Neufeld said. But the consultations happened a few years ago and some of the landowners in the area have changed.

The subdivision also has a commercial development east of the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Nesbitt Drive that has been in place for more than a decade. Neufeld noted that further east of the stores is the foundation of what would have been a hotel, and then there is land that would have been used for a dormitory for the Southeast College’s students back when Estevan was experiencing a shortage in rental properties.

A seniors’ complex with access to Walmart has also been discussed.

“It also then allows for connectivity if you do that, where if you had a dormitory or something like that there, you could have sidewalks connecting it to the college and then you can have pathways or sidewalks connecting it to the area around Walmart,” said Neufeld.

The King Street extension, which has been developed through a partnership with the Southeast College, is also a big step forward, Neufeld said.

“In 2019, that was something that was looked upon as being really long term, and now we have the situation where the roadbed is pretty well done thanks to the efforts of the college and their program.”

Any land along the new road should be appealing, he said, and it also gives another access point for Glen Peterson Park.

“One of the issues that we had, and this was around 2019, was you had that intersection at Nesbitt and Kensington, and the whole

area in there is basically a cul-de-sac or a dead end, because there’s no alternative access to get out of there. And that was not looked at as an attractive feature by some businesses that had inquired about moving in there.”

During Monday night’s meeting, Coun. Lindsay Clark suggested a different name for the King Street extension, and said he hoped it would be paved, because some other roads in town never received asphalt.

Neufeld agreed that it will need to have a different name.

“The road bed is there, so my assumption is that the day will come that it will be an operational road. I’m not sure what day or what year, but it will happen.”

With no businesses on the King Street connector at this time, Mayor Roy Ludwig said this would be an opportune time to make a name change.

A date for the open house hasn’t been set.

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The big and loud Energy City Ex is returning to Estevan from Thursday, June 8 to Sunday, June 11, thanks to the Estevan Exhibition Association (EEA).

The four-day fair and rodeo will bring a lot of beloved entertainment back and will also offer many new fun opportunities. Not only will Estevan have a chance to enjoy the rides during the week and on the weekend, but the KCRA Rodeo program has also grown and will occupy three days from June 9-11.

The KCRA Rodeo is expected to see about 250 participants both local and from outside the city.

“Adding that third day is going to be really, really big,” said Estevan Exhibition Association president Crystal Ross.

She explained that riders who want to go onto finals have to qualify with so many rodeos. But they also have to do 51 per cent of each rodeo. With most rodeos being a two-day weekend, it sometimes becomes tough for participants to qualify, and the three-day event helps competitors with their summer schedule and turns the Energy City Ex into an even greater attraction.

The big weekend will open up with the traditional SMILE Services Parade ending at the fairgrounds on the Thursday. West Coast Amusements will welcome the first riders of the midway starting at 4 p.m. on June 8. A kids’ rodeo, featuring young

local talents, will take place on the first day as well.

Ross said there will be another event on that Thursday, but she preferred to “keep this cat in the bag” for now.

New for this year will be a big quilt show, with masters from many different areas displaying their work throughout all four days. There also will be many food options.

“Our wonderful food vendors are going to be back and some extras are showing up this year,” Ross said.

On Friday gates for the midway will open at 4 p.m., and the main rodeo performance will start at 7 p.m. at the Graham Collie Arena on the EEA grounds.

Saturday is traditionally be one of the busiest days. The gates will open at noon for the rides, and the rodeo action will start at 7 p.m. The Johner Brothers and Sons will be the main act at a cabaret that night. Saturday will also see a free stage for local talents and entertainers.

“I’m excited about that one,” Ross said.

Entries are not open yet, but Ross said people can start thinking about what they could do, as the stage will be open to any kind of talent, be it juggling, playing drums or guitar, singing, dancing or anything else.

Also on Saturday, new for the contemporary Energy City Ex. will be the King of the Prairies Steer and Heifer Jackpot Show, hosted by the Benson 4-H Club as their main fundraiser.

“We’re going to have some

cattle showing, which is a part of the old-time fair that it’s been missing for the last few years,” Ross noted, adding that they are already accepting entries for the show. “And it’s open for anybody [to participate].”

Sunday morning there will be a cowboy church service at the grounds. The gates for the rides will open at noon again, and the matinee rodeo performance is at 2 p.m.

Beer gardens and many other entertainment options for guests of all ages will be available at the grounds Thursday through Sunday.

The EEA is also calling for rodeo princesses to put their names up to compete for the title of Rodeo Queen. Registration is now open and will close at the end of April. Organizers encourage anyone in southeast Saskatchewan who is ready for a season of person-

al and horsemanship growth, who would like support in their local horse community, want a scholarship award for college, is 15-19 years old, and wants to make some awesome memories this summer to enter the contest.

“It’s open to anybody in southeast Saskatchewan as long as they can compete and have a horse. And they can borrow a horse, they can rent a horse and they can ride their own horse. It’s wide open,” said Rhonda Gillespie with EEA.

The contestants will compete in four disciplines: ticket sales, speeches, horsemanship, and appearance and personality. They’ll be working on some of the components ahead of time, while others will be judged during the rodeo.

“Ticket sales will start May 1. This year we’re going to change it up a little bit, and we’re going to do the horse-

manship component prior to the start of the fair, so they don’t have to be under pressure when attending the rodeo parade and the kids’ rodeo. Their horsemanship pattern will be done ahead of time [on June 5]. Then they’ll be required to ride in the parade, and they will be in attendance with the kids’ rodeo, which would be Thursday night,” said Gillespie.

“The crowning will take place before the start of the rodeo performance on Saturday. And then they will be leading the grand entry for Saturday’s performance and Sunday’s performance. They’ll also have to ride in the grand entry for Friday night, but they won’t be crowned until Saturday.”

She said last year’s return of the queen contest was a success. The girls helped promote the association and also pushed themselves out of their

comfort zone and grew personally and professionally.

Anyone willing to partake or find out more about the Rodeo Queen contest can reach out to Gillespie at 306421-9701 or Stacey Holtz at 306-421-2262.

Gillespie also encouraged the businesses and people to decorate the community ahead of the weekend and make it feel festive for themselves and many guests that will be in town for those four days. People and businesses are encouraged to put up some signage and decorate windows or the front of stores or homes. Straw bales, cowboy attire and any other kind of rodeo symbols, as well as any other ways to make the city look a bit more festive and welcoming can be used.

“Our contestants come from every corner. There are some that come from Manitoba. Some come from Alberta, and pretty much every corner of Saskatchewan. They come and they support our businesses and stuff, so it’d be nice to show some excitement in the community by welcoming these people in,” Gillespie added.

While Ross said the EEA has an “awesome board”, to make the fully loaded four days of action an absolute success, they would need more volunteers to join them and help with many different tasks from running gates, to helping at beer gardens and many more efforts.

Anyone interested in volunteering can send an email to eea@sasktel.net.

Unit 4 to remain on standby for another year

By David Willberg

SaskPower has announced another stay of permanent retirement for Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station (BD4).

SaskPower spokesman

Joel Cherry said BD4 will be kept in a “lay-up status” until March 31, 2024, or until the

Great Plains Power Station goes into service.

“We want to make sure we have that extra power when we need it, as we have [previously],” said Cherry. “We’ve used it [BD4] intermittently since it was first put to standby at the end of 2021.”

Unit 4 was taken offline in December 2021, follow-

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ing SaskPower’s decision in July 2018 to not retrofit the conventional coal-fired unit with carbon capture and storage technology, as it had done with Unit 3 at Boundary Dam. But SaskPower kept BD4 available for a few months in case it was needed to provide baseload power for the hottest days of the summer or the coldest days of the winter.

The Crown Corporation announced last spring that it would keep BD4 as a powerproducing option through March 31, 2023.

Now it is extending BD4’s life by another year.

From April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, Cherry said BD4 operated for 3,315 hours, which is equivalent to about 138 days, or about 38 per cent of the year.

“Our system continues to grow. There’s just more demand for power from our customers. We’ve also had some severe weather events. We’ve had planned and unplanned outages at other facilities where BD4 was useful to come in and backstop that. It was on a case-by-case, situational basis where we would use that facility,” said Cherry.

If SaskPower has advanced notice, it takes about two days to bring BD4 back into service, Cherry said, but typically it will take anywhere from two to seven days. It’s a large piece of equipment, so it’s not as simple as flipping a switch or pressing a button, he said.

Bringing Unit 4 back online involves readying systems for operation. This would include checking equipment, filling systems and working with Westmoreland Mining LLC for coal deliveries.

“We undergo similar processes when any unit is returned to service, for example after planned or unplanned outages,” said Cherry.

Great Plains, a natural gas plant, will be located in the Moose Jaw area. The 360-megawatt facility is expected to begin operation next year, although Cherry said he doesn’t have a specific date.

“If it comes on later than

March 31, we would extend BD4 longer, until the [Great Plains] power station is online,” said Cherry. Once Great Plains does come online, BD4 will be permanently retired, he said. “That facility [BD4] was built to add to our system in 1970, so it’s at the end of its life, and it’s only going to be useful for so much longer. So, once we have the additional baseload power from Great Plains available, we’ll retire BD4.”

Meanwhile, Unit 5 at Boundary Dam, which is scheduled to come offline at the end of 2024, will be on standby until “at least” the end of 2027, Cherry said. That is when Unit 6 at Boundary Dam is scheduled to come offline, unless it is retrofitted with CCS technology.

SaskPower is not expecting any changes to staff once BD4 is offline permanently or BD5 shifts to standby, Cherry said.

In 2022, the Estevan Exhibition Association combined the fair and rodeo into one event. File photo

Plus One Club promoting Midale’s Got Talent

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Midale’s Plus One Club

is calling for local talents from the town, along with Estevan, Weyburn and anywhere else, to join them on May 5 for a fun community event.

After a long break, the club is once again putting up a Midale’s Got Talent night. The original edition of the event was held in 2014 and was popular with the community. There were attempts to bring it back before, but the pandemic interrupted those efforts. Now, club members decided it was a great time to push the button and bring this great entertainment back again.

Lois Feaver, a board member with the Midale Plus One Club, said they have a variety of acts lined up already from a young drummer to gospel singing, as well as dancing and more. But they still would like to see a few more talents join.

“We want to make it a great night of entertainment for onlookers. If you know someone who has some hidden talent, or you

would like to show off your singing voice, comedic talent, instrumentals, dance or something completely new, let us know,” Feaver said.

The event is open to anyone of any age.

She added that they have some judges but are also looking for a few more to help decide the winners, who will be recognized with prizes.

“[The judges] will be adding in some comedic relief and some heartfelt compliments along the way as well. So, we really just want some people to join in, and the more acts the better. We all think that it would be a great night if we had a lot of people join in.”

Ideally, they would like to have between 10-15 performers with a couple of acts each. This will allow for a great variety and will also ensure that the night doesn’t go too long for onlookers.

“I think it’s going to be great. I’ve talked to a few performers and it sounds like it’s going to be very entertaining,” Feaver said.

Midale’s Got Talent will also be a fundraiser for the Cymri 4-H club,

with money being raised through 50/50 sales and a raffle for prizes donated by local sponsors. The club decided to have free admission for Midale’s Got Talent, so as many people as possible could join them.

The canteen will be running throughout the night, thanks to the local 4-H club.

Midale Plus One Club is a community service organization, and they’re dedicated to giving back to the local community through their fundraisers and other efforts.

“We are able to provide financial assistance to different causes and benefit our town in many ways. And that’s why we’re doing this. It’s a fundraiser for our local 4-H club. We were told that there are quite a few kids that could use some help with some equipment and other things, so we really want to help them out,” Feaver said.

Feaver added that they believe in giving back to the community and reinvesting funds locally. The club, which is an offshoot of the former Midale’s Li-

ons, donates to many local sports teams and the Midale Central School breakfast program, provides school bursaries, maintains the Manley Park, hosts a popular annual Santa Claus parade and does so much more. Midale Plus One Club board member Margaret Hauglum said that being a

genuine community organization, the club also sometimes helps at weddings and other social events doing 50/50 sales, working at the bar and with other aspects.

Hauglum originally was a part of the local Lions and then in 2017, along with other members, they decided to establish the Plus One Club.

“When the Lions phased out, we just said we are going to start a new club,” Hauglum recalled. “We had a meeting and we thought we’ll call it the Plus One Club because there is always room for everyone.”

She noted that the club is all about helping others, giving back and having a good time together while doing so.

“We welcome anybody who would like to join our club,” Hauglum said.

The Midale Plus One Club is also going to start running a farmers’ market this year. A future edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.

The Midale’s Got Talent event will take place at the Midale Civic Centre, which is upstairs at 128 Haslem Street in Midale. Performers arrive at 6:30 p.m., and doors open at 7 p.m.

If anyone would like to learn more about the Midale Plus One Club or wants to join Midale’s Got Talent as a competitor or judge, they can contact Feaver at 306-458-7258, get a hold of the members through their Midale Plus One Club Inc Facebook page or email them at plusoneclubinc@ gmail.com.

The deadline to apply for Midale’s Got Talent is April 30.

Firefighter is partaking in calendar contest

By Ana Bykhovskaia

An Estevan firefighter is taking on a lifestyle challenge and partaking in the Saskatchewan Fire Fighters 2024 Calendar competition, which is also a fundraiser for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Annie-France Bizier, who’s been a part of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service for about a year now, said the fundraising component of the competition was one of the main reasons for her to join, but she also wanted to test herself.

Registration for the competition opened in January, when Bizier submitted the application explaining why she wanted to participate. She also had to provide a couple of pictures illustrating where she was in her fitness journey.

In mid-February, she was notified that she made it to the next round, along with another 15 firefighters from across the province. The voting and fundraising have recently opened on the Saskatchewan Fire Fighters website.

All participants that made it to the next level were assigned trainers that are currently working with them to

get them ready for the big selection night that will take place April 22 at Casino Regina.

Bizier said she is a personal trainer herself, specializing in pelvic floor dysfunction, and she knows a lot about fitness and nutrition. But she decided to take the opportunity to leave the work to the trainer and try to get the best results faster.

“We’ve been working with a trainer, and he’s also donating his time for the fundraiser, so it’s wonderful that they can get people to participate in that capacity as well,” Bizier noted.

The selection night will see participants showing off in their formal wear first and then in sleepwear, which would be underwear for men and a tank top or sports bra and sports shorts for women.

Then they’ll also have to perform with their turnout gear, Bizier explained.

The physical journey is personal for every participant, she noted.

“They don’t require you to look a specific way. If you didn’t want to go hardcore, get a six-pack and all that stuff, I don’t think you necessarily have to. You just put in your best effort,” Bizier said.

“As for the trainer, though, he does have an overall trajectory where he maps out, ‘Okay, so we want you to be around this body fat percentage or weight by this date, and by that date, we’re hoping to reach this.’

“Obviously making it realistic and sustainable so that you don’t have to starve yourself. So, it’s not so much like it’s a calendar that sets the standards, it’s whatever you want to do, whatever you feel you’re capable of doing with the trainer.”

She’s been sharing her fitness journey with friends and the community to try to attract attention to the cause and help with fundraising, but it’s another challenge, as she is more of a private person.

“I’m dealing with my own insecurities and lack of selfconfidence, so I’m working on that and working on building that up. It’s interesting,” Bizier shared.

She’s never competed in this kind of event but has always been into testing out different theories on herself. Bizier went to school for fitness and took many nutrition courses.

“It’s always been a passion of mine,” she said, noting that it’s sometimes hard for

her to let go of control and follow the trainer’s recommendations, but she is doing her best to “surrender”, trust the process and get the best results.

Two other current Estevan firefighters, Lincoln Empey and Mike Wock, partook in the competition in the previous years, and Bizier got some good advice on the fitness process and the selection night from them.

“They gave me just little tips and tricks, but that is literally life-changing,” Bizier shared.

Former Estevan firefighter Justin Charron was in the calendar, too.

While people can vote in advance, they will also do so during the selection night. The winners will move on to the actual photoshoot that will happen in the summer. They will also have to sell at least 40 calendars each, Bizier said, with proceeds benefitting the hospital as well.

Bizier is a mother of four, volunteers with the EFRS and is also looking into putting up free workshops for postpartum fitness.

To vote for Bizier go to the Saskatchewan Fire Fighters website at saskfirefighterscalendar.com/vote.

Plus One Club members are, from left, Lois Feaver, Margaret Hauglum, Linda Carlson, Clarence Carlson, Cory Torgunrud, as well as Edna Anderson, Rayna Ferguson and Rebecca Ferguson in the front. Photos courtesy of Lois Feaver

Annie-France Bizier has been a paid on-call firefighter with the Estevan Fire Rescue Service for about a year.

From left, Cliff Lowry, trumpet, Dan Thompson, guitar, and Rob Daniel, guitar, were all a part of the 2014 edition of Midale’s talent show.

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Unit 4 reasserts its reliability, even after its supposed retirement

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When Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station went offline in December 2021, the prevailing expectation was that it was curtains for the long-standing, reliable member of SaskPower’s baseload generation fleet.

But a funny thing happened. SaskPower realized it still needed BD4. So a couple of months after its retirement, it was pressed into service to meet the needs of customers on those cold winter days. And it’s been back in service many more times since then.

In fact, from April 1, 2022, to March 31 of this year, it was online the equivalent to 138 days, or roughly 38 per cent of the year. BD4 has had more comebacks than a retired rock group.

SaskPower says Unit 4 will now remain on standby until March 31 of next year, or until a new natural gas power station in Moose Jaw comes online.

While those of us in Estevan are largely happy to hear that SaskPower has to keep pressing this stalwart back into service, providing constant reminders of coal’s reliability, it might not be the most reassuring development for SaskPower.

The Crown corporation will tell you that it has had to lean on BD4 so much because of growing power demands. And there is something to be said on that front. There are

now more people living and working in Saskatchewan than ever before. They will need electricity.

But if SaskPower is constantly returning to a unit that was supposedly retired 16 months ago, then maybe some of these generating options aren’t meeting expectations, and these options aren’t as effective as some idealists want you to believe.

During those cold winter nights, you need a power option that we can count on. We know coal will work. We know solar won’t be on at night. And on the coldest nights, when wind doesn’t blow, wind-powered turbines won’t be there for us, either.

Ditto the summer months. Granted, you’ll get up to eight more hours a day of light to fuel the solar-power panels. But what about at night? And if the wind isn’t causing the turbine blades to spin, then you need something to keep our air conditioners and our fans on.

If some of the non-coal options were working as well as some hoped, then we wouldn’t have to keep turning back to coal.

The days of conventional coal are numbered. We know that. Due to the current federal government, conventional coal’s demise is going to come 12 years earlier than originally planned. And SaskPower seems to be

looking towards a life after CCS, regardless of how well the facility at Boundary Dam operated in the final 10 months of last year. Based on the amount of time BD4 was online last year, we don’t have those options in Saskatchewan to replace coal right now. Natural gas works for baseload power, but the price is unreliable.

What are we going to do if coal, whether it be conventional coal or CCS, isn’t an option come 2030? Small modular reactors won’t be operating until at least 2034, based on timelines released by SaskPower. The feds love hydroelectric power, but it’s not as feasible for Saskatchewan as it is in say, Manitoba.

Importing power? That’s not going to be cheap. Manitoba and North Dakota are good neighbours, but they aren’t running a charity.

Clearly, SaskPower has to be pleased with Unit 4’s performance over the past year. And it has decreed that once Unit 5 comes offline at the end of next year, it will be in a lay-up status until the end of 2027.

You have to wonder how much Unit 4 will be pressed back into service between now and its final demise, whenever that might be.

Until Unit 4 permanently retires, you can be sure it will be counted on a lot.

No one is immune, and we should remember it

Last week I had the great pleasure of watching Prisoner of Tehran, a performance by the Motus O dance theatre from Ontario. (Sincere gratitude to the Estevan Arts Council for making it possible.)

And what an influence that was.

For those of you that weren’t there and have never heard of it, Prisoner of Tehran is a collaboration between Marina Nemat - a speaker and writer, the author of the samenamed book, which became a bestseller in many countries – and Motus O. This unique performance literally and visually tells the story of Nemat, the Iranian revolution, freedom and loss of it, oppression, persecution, survival and hope.

Nemat was born in Iran, this now deeply Islamic state, when it was a secular authoritarian monarchy. Her description of prerevolutionary Tehran was so drastically different from everything we know and hear about Iran. It was a very different country. Men and women could get education and work, girls would wear mini skirts or anything they wanted, would spend time together with boys, listening to Western hits and discussing popular philosophic ideas.

They were free to grow, learn, develop and succeed. Even though 98-99 per cent of the population was Muslim, Iran, in memories of then-young Christian Nemat, was full of colour and life, and people around her enjoyed those freedoms.

She was 14 years old when the Iranian Revolution happened in 1979, and everything soon started changing. In her memories, the revolution overthrew what supporters described as a corrupt and evil Shah, but as it turned out later brought in more cruel powers. At the time of the revolution, as Nemat recalled, no one around her could explain what exactly will happen and what revolutionists wanted to achieve.

Ana Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines

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After all, the authoritarian monarchy was replaced by a long-lasting Shiite totalitarian Islamic republic, and the strict religious laws returned. (Iran had been a secular state since 1925.)

In the performance, it was beautifully described and expressed how those changes wouldn’t occur over a day or two. It was really easy to miss them and keep on with life for some time until it was too late. It took time to rewrite the constitution and gradually start taking many people’s freedoms away.

For Nemat it felt like the new regime banned their right to have fun. She was young and along with her friends, she would hit the streets and protest the new rules. Soon, still at a very young age, she became a political prisoner, came close to being executed, was sentenced to life in prison, survived what most girls and women around her didn’t, then was freed and fought her way to Canada in 1991. She later was able to move her parents over as well but has never been to Iran again as she says she’d be executed if she sets foot on the native land.

I didn’t know much about pre-revolutionary Iran before this event, and it left me stunned by how quickly and unpredictably things may change. But it also left me with an aftertaste of feeling that I actually witnessed somewhat similar changes.

When I just came to Canada, I was teased a lot with questions if Russia had running water or electric power. These were

just jokes, probably inspired by the echo of the Cold War and the competitiveness of those times. Not that the U.S.S.R. was as out of touch as the U.S. painted it, but Russia in the 2000s definitely made a lot of progress in many areas and at least Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities were advanced by the 2010s.

But that widespread vision of Russia as a developing country probably made the many barbarian moves and laws implemented by the Russian government over the years and the war against Ukraine expectable and then explainable for many people around the world. Even though for me the war was a shock that crushed my worldviews, Russian involvement was still something that made more sense, at least at an unconscious level, than imagining that the U.S., the U.K. or friendly Canada would turn into a dictatorship state, exterminating its own people, attacking neighbours and threatening the rest of the world. But the performance made me look wider at evil’s potential.

As was underlined in the Prisoner of Tehran, no one is immune. Even if you were lucky to be born in a deeply democratic country, it’s not guaranteed it will last forever. It’s not guaranteed that those living in democratic states today won’t be stripped of their right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and other rights we often take for granted when living in an established democracy. After all, Hitler rose in Germany, and not in some developing state.

Motus O theatre performs on a tour all around Canada and stops at high schools a lot, inspiring today’s kids, tomorrow’s adults, to be a bit more conscious of how fast and drastically life can change.

New league sign of changing times?

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Saskatchewan seems to be embracing a new model when it comes to developing young hockey players.

Hockey Sask. announced last week the creation of a new AA hockey league for second-year players at the U15 level. The eight-team loop will begin play next season. Weyburn has a team, Estevan does not. (More on that in a bit).

It will be interesting to see the impact of this league. Would the top U15 players from a region wind up on a team? Would they go to school there during the hockey season, like what we see with the Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears, or would players travel to a city for games and practices?

What kind of impact would it have on the existing Saskatchewan AA Hockey League and its U15 AA circuit? Will it become a league for those in their first year of U15 hockey?

And will the players who aren’t in this new U15 AA league suffer from reduced visibility?

Will there be a trickle-down effect that impacts house leagues?

These are questions that are going to be answered in the next two years, not in April, as Hockey Saskatchewan tries out this new system. It’s apparently worked in other provinces.

It’s worth noting that Estevan wasn’t the only city snubbed for the new league, so don’t go blaming Estevan Minor Hockey and its efforts. Moose Jaw doesn’t have a team in the new league. Martensville has a team rather than Warman, while Melville has a team instead of Yorkton.

So there does seem to be a bit of a trend of putting teams in markets that don’t have U18 AAA hockey.

I think this new team should have been here. We have the Bears. Kids who will play in the new league would get a head start on their playing time in Estevan.

And frankly, Affinity Place is a much better venue than Weyburn’s Crescent Point Place, and I think the kids would far rather play here.

It’s also worth noting there are a few really talented local products who will be heading into their second year of U15 hockey next year. Estevan had a powerful U13 AA team in 2021-22; I was looking forward to seeing how those kids fare in their second season of U15 hockey.

At the same time, I do understand the challenge that adding another team would create for our already-loaded winter ice sports schedule. This year was obviously particularly daunting for those allocating ice time. And while next year should be more normal, another team would force more teams to head out of town for ice time.

This new league comes at a time of growing change in Saskatchewan minor hockey and where young athletes play. Fifteen years ago, the Western Hockey League’s draft was almost entirely kids from U15 AA or AAA leagues. In the most recent WHL draft, 17 of the 22 players selected were from hockey academies, such as the famed Notre Dame Hounds program in Wilcox or the Prairie Hockey Academy in Caronport. It’s hard to say whether this was a high-water mark for the academy system, but the shift to prep leagues has been happening for a while.

A new league for second-year U15 AA players might help keep kids playing in their hometowns, or they might be closer to home.

This announcement comes at the same time as we hear that the B.C. Hockey League is talking of separating from Hockey Canada and creating a new elite junior A hockey league that could also have some teams from Alberta.

This new league would likely attract even more top under-20 players from Saskatchewan than the B.C. and Alberta junior hockey leagues do now. Consequently, it would mean even fewer scouts coming to watch games here. I’m not sure how many top-end prospects would opt for the B.C. league over staying in Saskatchewan, but even if it’s two or three players per team, it’ll impact the calibre of play.

And if the new B.C. league does proceed, then the efforts of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to promote players and their accomplishments will be more important than ever.

Lots to consider. I think I’ll put it at the back of my mind and go watch the Estevan Strippers’ tournament. Lots of fun, recreational hockey to enjoy.

EPYC welcomes more youth and volunteers, takes registrations for cornhole fundraiser

The Estevan Public Youth Centre (EPYC) hosted an open house on Wednesday with the executive director and board members onsite to answer youths’ and parents’ questions about the organization.

While technically the EPYC is in its third year, it saw a slower start during the pandemic and moved into its permanent facility just a year ago. The move allowed them more stability, and now they are looking forward to further growth and development, welcoming more local youths and are always seeking volunteers.

Adam Elliott, EPYC’s executive director who started early this year, said things have been going really well. He had quite a few youths of different ages utilizing their space and participating in different activities offered throughout the week and on the weekend.

“I have a lot of really good kids coming in and made some very interesting connections with them. It’s been so much fun,” Elliott said.

Elliott adjusted some processes and also moved some things around when he started, which “threw a bunch of youth off ”, he said. But it allowed for more open space for activities, and eventually, patrons got to like the new setup and the fun opportunities it gave them.

EPYC has drop-in times Tuesday-Thursday for Grades 5-12, and Elliott said these days he has more younger patrons stopping by. Fridays and Saturdays are for those in Grades

7-12 only, and they can have the place for themselves until as late as 10:30 p.m. On Saturday nights, EPYC also invites their patrons to play Dungeons and Dragons, which is open for anyone in Grades 5-12.

Elliott noted that Kessel Run Games, a game store in downtown Estevan, has given them a lot of board games for youths to enjoy and also helps youths figure them out.

Elliott said last month they had about 130 visits altogether, and each day he has anywhere from three or four to 20 youths attending.

“A lot of kids keep coming back,” Elliott said. “We have different games and little tournaments. We had a pool tournament one night, we had blindfolded hide-and-seek, which is always interesting. We have just dance games and little contests on that. There is a lot of different things.”

Elliott said he has a lot of different prizes for their tournaments as well.

The EPYC also tries to invite guests to provide youths with some useful information. They had a youth advocacy group come in, and are planning on a visit from a dog trainer who’d bring some animals with her and would teach patrons about them. Also, they’ve partnered with the Estevan Public Library and will be doing more interesting projects and activities with them this spring and summer.

Elliott is also planning on running a leadership program for youth in the near future. He hopes some of the patrons would take leadership roles and

become more involved with planning and running EPYC’s activities. The program will also help with community engagement and other aspects of their lives.

“I’ve talked to a couple already that are interested in doing it. And I said to them that it’s not just you get to come in and you’re the boss. You get to help run activities and panels, games, and if there’s different events or fundraisers or things you want to do, we can do that. But then also part of it is you take this leadership program that we’re going to do, and so you come in and we’ll sit down and have meetings and go through these lessons of what it means to be assertive, and how we motivate others, and so on,” Elliott explained.

He now has three programs that will run for several weeks each, teaching youths different aspects of being a leader. One is about assertiveness, the other one is on motivation, and another one is dedicated to respect and power. He plans on adding to this list as they progress.

EPYC board secretary Heidi Hesselink said the board is also looking into potentially expanding their programs and adding some mental health components that would help youths with self-esteem and more, and also start offering some opportunities which would be helpful for youths further in life.

The centre is always open to new kids to start using it. They are putting a lot of effort into reaching those kids that aren’t busy with extracurriculars and letting

them know that they do have a place to make connections, and develop their social and other skills that they need to be successful in the community.

To keep their operations going, EPYC is running a cornhole tournament fundraiser at the Wylie-Mitchell Hall on April 29. The registration is now open, and the proceeds will help the centre with its operating expenses and allow for some programming opportunities for patrons.

There is no charge for people to come and watch the tournament, and board members said they hope the community will show up to cheer and hang out afterwards as there will be music and drinks available.

Elliott noted that he is also always looking for volunteers to join him in spending time with their youth.

“When it comes to volunteers, I don’t care how old they are. Because there were some people that were like, ‘I’m too old to hang out with teenagers.’ No, you’re not, because I got so many teenagers here that just want to hang out, play pool or play Monopoly. We have shuffleboard, or we just sit down and play video games. It’s not a crazy running around thing. So even if you’re a grandparent, you can still volunteer,” Elliott explained, adding that he is also open to any ideas for programming.

If anyone is interested in volunteering at the EPYC or has ideas, they can contact Elliott through the Estevan Public Youth Centre Inc. Facebook page, call the centre at 306-421-3134 or just walk in any evening.

Osama Kamel, left, stopped at the EPYC during its open house and visited with board members and staff, including Larissa Smeltzer, Susan Colbow, Patrick Fisher, Adam Elliott and Heidi Hesselink

A6

Camel Towing eager to meet community’s needs

By David Willberg

Camel Towing Services

owner Curtis Godlien says he saw a need for his type of business in Estevan, and he’s happy to be in the Energy City and serving customers.

Godlien said the business has been open in Estevan for about six weeks, but it has been operating elsewhere for about five years. The other main shop is in Qu’Appelle, and they also have a yard in Regina.

He found that nobody was providing heavy towing services in Estevan, and he was intrigued by the city’s potential.

“I came out, looked at some properties around here, and I got a steal of a deal on one, so I thought ‘Why not?’ I bought it [the property], and now we’re ready to give ‘er,” he said.

Heavy towing would in-

clude large trucks, trailers and equipment. They would look after medium-duty towing for such vehicles as school buses and work trucks, and light-duty options such as cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks. The business is accredited by SGI. Eventually, they might look at providing repairs for heavy-duty vehicles as well, and they want to start selling used vehicles. At the other location in Qu’Appelle, they sell used trucks and RVs. But whether those services come to Estevan will depend on how busy they are with towing. Thanks to the size of the property, with 3.2 acres of land, there is room to expand. Camel Towing is located at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Perkins Street, in the building formerly occupied by E. Bourassa & Sons.

“We have a nice big yard, a nice shop and a nice big office,” said Godlien. “Everything I was looking for. I wish I could have had this site in Regina or Qu’Appelle.” They have been busy since opening, and Camel

Trucking has a new employee in Estevan who started this week. An office administration person also works at the Estevan location. Godlien looks forward to getting out into the community to meet business

people and let them know his business is open.

Customers have been really happy with the services provided at Camel Towing, he said.

“They’re really happy that they have somebody here in town now, and definitely a

professional towing outfit. We usually have pretty good response times, and we have equipment to pretty much do anything,” he said.

Godlien has two heavy wrecker trucks in Estevan, a tractor unit with a 53-foot Landoll trailer for buses, a medium-duty flat deck for towing a variety of vehicles, a step deck with a tractor unit and a lynch truck, so he believes they have enough equipment for now. He wants to be ready as things do get busier.

“We’ll be doing a lot of equipment hauling … and excavators and stuff like that,” said Godlien.

He is pleased to be able to offer a service to people during their time of need.

“There’s never a boring day,” he said. “There’s always something to do. You’re meeting the people and helping others usually when they’re in a bad situation.”

SJB Church to fundraise for new community centre

St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church is running a fundraiser for a community centre, which is to be located at the former St. John School.

A fundraising supper and a family-oriented comedy and magic show by

Doug Arden from Regina will take place April 15 at the Wylie-Mitchell Hall. Tickets are $75 and available at Mid-City Plumbing and Heating at 1237 Sixth Street and at the door. Cash and cheques are accepted.

The church is trying to raise funds to repurpose a space that it reacquired from the city in the late summer of 2022.

Kim Skjonsby, who is on a fundraising committee for the project, said they don’t know yet how

the new community centre will be used. They plan on starting with assessments, and then the building will need quite a bit of work.

“The facility is still usable. We’ve got a gymnasium and stuff,” Skjonsby said. “There is a number of different [options for the building], but of course, it all takes a lot of fundraising, a lot of money

and a lot of time and effort. We’re just starting. It was purchased and the money was put up by one parishioner, so we’re trying to pay them back some of the money. And then move from there into doing assessments on the building and what it’s going to take to get it back in operation.”

He added that they’ve

received a lot of donations to help with the project and now are starting with fundraising by organizing the big community event.

“Come on out for a night of fun and fellowship and support a great cause,” Skjonsby said. Doors open at 5 p.m., supper is at 6 p.m. and entertainment will start at 8 p.m.

Curtis Godlien has opened Camel Towing in Estevan, and so far is pleased with the public’s response. Photo courtesy of Camel Towing

Arizona Lithium holds open house in Estevan

The potential for lithium brine extraction in southeast Saskatchewan was the focus of a public engagement open house in Estevan last Tuesday.

Arizona Lithium held the event at the Affinity Place lobby. Representatives of the company were on hand to provide information and answer questions from the public. Multiple brief presentations were held. Since the session took place at the same time as the annual city-wide registration at Affinity Place, they had a lot of people stop by to learn more.

Paul Lloyd, the managing director for Arizona Lithium Ltd., said they wanted to talk to the local community about its Prairie Project, which is a brine extraction process for lithium carbonite. The lithium would be used for vehicle batteries.

“There’s a huge demand for lithium at the present time, with the electronic ve-

hicle revolution and … storage of renewable energy,” said Lloyd.

The Prairie Lithium project is currently in the pre-development stage. They are exploring an area west of Estevan and south of Weyburn.

“We are looking to employ people in this general area, and as we continue with the development and start to go into production, we’ll be looking to employ a number of people with the production facility,” said Lloyd.

The brine extraction process utilizes existing oil and gas infrastructure and works with local contractors.

Zach Maurer, an executive director with Arizona Lithium, said they would utilize a lot of service providers in Estevan, including service rigs and truck drivers.

“The same services that you would use to drill an oil well, are the services we use as well,” said Maurer.

It would therefore em-

ploy a similar number of people as an oil battery site.

Lloyd said they have proven a resource of lithium that is a world standard.

They know there is a very large amount present in the area, and there is a lot of data points in regards to that resource. Now he said they need to find the most effi-

cient way to extract the lithium from the brine material.

“We are actively doing that, and we expect to see some very positive results in the next 12 months. A lot of that work is being done in Regina,” said Lloyd. Their work in Saskatchewan is focused on extracting lithium in this basin.

“If we can bring that to the market, in a market where there is a huge shortage of supply, in both the U.S. and Canada, we will do that, and we will do that as fast as we can,” said Lloyd.

Arizona Lithium also has a project in Phoenix that is at the development stage.

Lloyd said he is very en-

couraged with the turnout. He is surprised that people have such a level of interest in the story, and most people who have dropped by seemed supportive.

People wanted to know if they plan to extract the lithium and the timeline for when they plan to start the process.

Last year Prairie Lithium announced it had acquired three additional wells from a Saskatchewan-based oil producer that were set to be abandoned due to the wells’ limited oil production. Although the wells no longer have use for oil production, Prairie Lithium said they do provide the company with the opportunity to access the production and disposal formations required for its lithium operations.

The company has also entered a strategic partnership with Deep Earth Energy Production to exchange subsurface mineral permits and establish an area of mutual interest to explore future lithium opportunities.

April’s oil and gas public offering generates $11.1 million

The Government of Saskatchewan’s Crown petroleum and natural gas public offering, held on April 4, raised $11,113,459 for the province.

Of the 147 parcels posted for the sale, 105 received acceptable bids. These bids covered 22,424 hectares, and the average sale price was $495.59 per hectare.

The Estevan area saw the most interest, bringing in $6,439,086 for 50 leases totalling 4,346 hectares.

The highest bonus bid in this area, and the entire province, was $2,615,989 for a 258.692-hectare lease located 19 kilometres northeast of Midale. It was awarded to Buffalo Hill Resources Ltd. The $10,112.37 per hectare bid was the highest per hectare amount received on a parcel in the sale.

Another lease 15 kilometres northeast of Midale received a bid of $1,255,202, or $6,475.02 per hectare.

The 193.853-hectare lease was awarded to Midale Petroleums Ltd.

These leases are prospective for oil in the Frobisher Beds and the Bakken Formation.

Fifty of the 53 leases posted in the southeast received bids.

The Lloydminster area also saw considerable interest, bringing in $3,294,125 for 36 leases and two exploration licences totalling 9,617 hectares, an average

of $342.53 per hectare. A total of 63 leases and three licences were posted.

The highest bonus bid received on a lease in this area was $607,585, or $1,376.79 per hectare. This 441.306-hectare lease is located 11 kilometres north-

east of Maidstone, near the Rush Lake Mannville Sands Oil Pool and the Dee Valley East Mannville Sands Oil Pool. The successful bidder was Scout Energy. An exploration licence, totalling 747.744 hectares, received a bonus bid of

DRILLING REPORT

$1,165,650 or $1,558.89 per hectare. This licence is located nine kilometres east of Maidstone and was awarded to Millennium Land Ltd.

In the Kindersley-Kerrobert area, the total bonus received in the area

was $1,180,889, an average of $181.24/hectare.

Three leases encompassing 758.279 hectares were sold for $375,235.46, while four licences for 5,757.292 were sold for $805,653.90.

As for the Swift Current

area, the total bonus received in this area was $199,358.88, an average of $1902.46 per hectare. All 10 leases posted were sold.

The next scheduled date for a public offering in Saskatchewan is June 6.

Monday 24th April 2023

Southeast College Atrium

Low Carbon Eco2 Energy is proposing a new straw residue and waste wood fuelled biomass facility, to be known as the Estevan Renewable Energy Park, situated in Estevan. The project will be located within the City of Estevan on a 25-acre site northeast of the intersection of Kensington Ave and King St.

The project will generate 45 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity, as well as green heat. The project could be expected to save 58,500 tonnes of CO2eq – resulting in a >98% emissions avoidance when compared to the reported2020 Saskatchewan energy mix.

Further information can be found at the website address below and in person at the open house event.

Representatives of Arizona Lithium chatted with local residents during the engagement session.

How to reduce chance of distracted driving

The prevalence of technology has ensured that many things are competing for people’s attention at any given moment. T hat includes when people are driving, which has contributed to a dangerous, recurring issue. With so much to gain from eliminating distracted driving, drivers of all ages can consider these strategies to avoid distractions while behind the wheel.

Turn off notifications:

The average smartphone user receives 46 app push notifications each day. That figure could be closer to 80 push notifications per day. There’s no denying the allure of such notifications,

so drivers who find them too hard to resist can turn all notifications off prior to getting behind the wheel. This is quickly and easily accomplished through the settings function on a smartphone. Don’t make calls: Hands-free capabilities may make it easier to keep both hands on the wheel, but they don’t ensure drivers’ minds will stay on the road. Hands-free phone calls and voice-activated messaging apps take drivers’ minds off the road. When behind the wheel, resolve to stick to driving and driving alone by avoiding making phone calls or receiving and sending messages.

Stay focused at stoplights: Red lights present another tempting chance to peruse text messages, emails and push notifications. But drivers can easily be drawn into conversations that continue long after a red light has turned to green. So it’s best to maintain your focus at stoplights by waiting patiently for the light to turn and avoiding your phone entirely.

Utilize airplane mode if necessary: If none of the above recommendations are working, drivers can always switch their phones to airplane mode when driving. Doing so effectively blocks all incoming messages and distractions from being received by the phone until airplane mode is then turned off All accidents involving

measures to reduce their vulnerability to distractions while behind the wheel.

Police apprehend impaired drivers on the weekend

con-

ditions, assistance to other police agencies, requests to keep the peace, a report of a break and enter to a residence and uttering threats to cause bodily harm.

As a result of a traffic stop on Souris Avenue, a 30-year-old Estevan man was issued a 72-hour driving suspension, a summary offence ticket for possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis and charged with failing to comply with release conditions.

A 41-year-old Torquay woman was issued a 72hour driving suspension for testing positive for THC on a roadside screening device. Her vehicle was also impounded for three days.

Members arrested a 24-year-old Weyburn man for operating a conveyance over .08 and impaired operation after a traffic stop on the west edge of Estevan. He was issued a threeday driving suspension, his vehicle was impounded and

Proposed Development: Landscape Construction Business Parcel C Plan 102264926 in the SW 13-02-08-2

Intended Discretionary Uses: The proposed development is for a Landscape Construction Business, which includes Tree & garden nurseries, and greenhouses, Aggregate storage and Shops and garages for future storage.

Public Hearing: Council will hold a public hearing to receive any written or verbal submissions on the proposed discretionary use application at 10:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in the Council Chambers of the R.M. of Estevan No. 5, #1, 322-4th Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan. Written submissions will be presented to Council and can be sent by mail, email or fax.

Dated at Estevan, Saskatchewan this 6th day of April 2023.

Michelle Dickie, Administrator

he will appear in Estevan Provincial Court to answer to the charges at a later date.

Police arrested and charged a 29-year-old Estevan man with breaching his conditional sentence order. He will appear in court in May to answer to the charge.

Officers attended to a residence in the 1300-block of Seventh Street for a complaint of an unwanted male in a residence. A 61-year-old man was arrested and lodged in cells until sober.

Police were called to a complaint in the Royal Heights area, where a 40-year-old man was arrested for being intoxicated in a public place. He was lodged in cells and will be released when sober.

Also last week, police received a report of criminal harassment and uttering threats on April 5. Witnesses have been interviewed and a follow-up with the suspect will determine a course of action.

Police were monitoring the intersection of 13th Avenue and King Street when a vehicle was ob-

served proceeding through a red light. The vehicle was stopped and through investigation, it was learned that a nearby vehicle shot an air soft BB at the car. It startled the driver enough that she went through the red light to get away. The suspect in the incident reached out to the complainants and was

put in contact with police. The subject attended the police station on his own and took responsibility for his actions.

Police were called to a disturbance at a local establishment. The matter was resolved and the involved parties were sent on their way.

Avoid

distractions

Pursuant to Section 55 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007, the Council of the Rural Municipality of Estevan No.5, gives notice that a discretionary use application has been received and the details are as follows:

A11

Shaylee Foord chosen for Women in Football

By David Willberg

A former southeast Saskatchewan resident is one of nine women from across the country selected for the second edition of the CFL’s Women in Football program, presented by KPMG.

Shaylee Foord is the Edmonton Elks’ representative for this year’s initiative. Each CFL club will welcome one additional woman to join its football operations department for a few weeks, including training camp, from May 14 to June 3. Foord will be

working in the Elks’ football operations department. She was excited to be selected, and is looking forward to spending every day on the field for a month, as she called it “her favourite place to be”.

“The Elks were looking for an operations assistant,” Foord said in an interview with the Mercury. “I travelled last year with our U18 girls’ provincial team to Regina as the general manager, so I think that experience was a big help.”

Foord said she will get to be involved with meetings and helping out with vari-

ous aspects of the team. She can also sit in on coaching sessions if she wants to learn more about that aspect of the team.

This won’t be Foord’s first experience in football. In addition to her work with Alberta’s U18 female team, in which she was also the equipment manager, Foord had been a player with the Edmonton Storm female football team since 2019. She is a receiver and a defensive back.

Through the Storm, she became involved with officiating in the city for the past two seasons. She started to work as an official after the Storm’s season was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a little bit of minor football still happening in the city that year.

“I actually tried officiating because it was the closest I could get to a field for a year, and I found that actually a lot of the things that I love about officiating are the same things I like about playing,” said Foord. “It’s the teamwork, it’s having your own job to focus on and your own things to focus on.”

She enjoys the interactions with the coaches and the players on the field. It’s a great social atmosphere, Foord said, and it forces her to be certain about the calls she makes and confident in what she knows.

Through connections she

made in officiating, she has also started coaching, especially in flag football. She will also be travelling with the U18 female team to nationals in Ottawa this year.

Foord didn’t have the opportunity to play youth football in the Estevan area when she was growing up. High school football came to the Estevan Comprehensive School in her Grade 9 year, but she didn’t try out because she didn’t think about playing, as she’d never seen girls play.

“I wonder if there’d been a girls’ program, or if I’d seen girls on the team, if it would have changed my mind,” said Foord.

She’d never seen a female football team play until watching the Storm.

And while football is now such a huge part of her life, it wasn’t a passion when she was younger like it is now. She did go to some Saskatchewan Roughrider football games.

“It’s really meant a lot in the past couple of years to meet a lot of women who are working in football, and playing and coaching and doing that kind of stuff,” she said.

She attended a conference in Ontario in March for women in football, and she said it was “really, really cool” to see women who have come to

the game from different pathways.

“I’ve always seen myself hopefully in those roles someday,” she said.

The CFL says the participants will gain knowledge and practical experience working in professional football as they continue their journeys with the game. In addition, KPMG will offer participants additional business-related mentorship.

Two participants from the program’s first cohort last year were hired fulltime with their clubs, including Elisha Torraville with the Elks as manager of football operations. Foord said she will be working closely with Torraville.

Sharks’ athletes selected to further skills with Team Sask.

While the Estevan Sharks’ water polo season came to a close recently, four local athletes are continuing to spend lots of time in the water, as they have been selected for further training and competition with Team Saskatchewan.

The Sharks’ Ryan Hoeving and Mahlyn Bomberak, who are both 14 years old, and 13-year-old Jennika Linthicum train with other athletes from across Saskatchewan with the under-15 provincial team in Regina.

Also selected is Oxbow’s Rachel Tober, 14, who is a former member of the Sharks now swimming in Regina.

These athletes will be travelling to California over the Easter break for nine days of intense training and scrimmaging with numerous teams. The team also has plans to attend the Kap7 water polo tournament at the end of their time in the state.

They left for California on Sunday.

In an email to the Mercury, Nadine Linthicum said water polo is a popular and widely-played sport in California. Approximately 58,000 high school athletes play in the state.

She noted these three athletes played with Team Sask. against the Gold Coast entry at the Alberta Open in Calgary at the beginning of March.

There are 12 players on the under-15 team.

Linthicum said the players are selected after they play with developmental and highperformance groups of athletes throughout the season, which is a step up from the local club level. Then Water Polo Saskatchewan evaluates the athletes.

Water Polo Sask. said the team is a gateway for these young athletes to pursue their athletic and academic careers beyond high school. The organization believes the exposure to the high-level competition played at some worldclass facilities will be an invaluable experience.

Liquor Permit Advertising Form

Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, 1997,

Notice is hereby given that CamduffGolf Club Society has applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) for a Special Use - Sports Facility Golf Club permit to sell alcohol in the premises known as Camduff Golf Club at Hwy 318 N Camduff SK.

Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this notice.

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

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

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

Shaylee Foord, pictured here playing with the Edmonton Storm.

Photo courtesy of Shaylee Foord

From left, Jennika Linthicum, Mahlyn Bomberak and Ryan Hoeving are furthering their water polo skills in California. Missing is Rachel Tober.

Photo courtesy of Nadine Linthicum

Shaylee Foord is excited to be named one of the CFL’s Women in Football for this season.

Photo courtesy of Shaylee Foord

ECS students win medals at table tennis competition

A number of students from the Estevan Comprehensive School travelled to table tennis provincials in Saskatoon on March 31 and April 1, and several came home with gold medals.

Ty Hoste won the gold medal for high school boys, and teamed up with Conner Mercer to win silver in boys’ doubles.

Erica Gener captured the gold medal in junior girls, and teamed up with Osama Kamel to take silver in mixed doubles.

Kamel won silver in boys’ singles.

Namira Taneem and Hannah Mercer were the gold medallists in girls’ doubles. Taneem brought home the bronze in junior girls’ singles.

Getanshu Patel won bronze in boys’ singles, and he teamed with Geetarth Patel for bronze in boys’ doubles.

Moksh Rabari was fourth in boys’ singles and mixed doubles.

Estevan Strippers '

By David Willberg

The largest recreation hockey tournament in the province is going to bring five days of entertaining games to Estevan and Bienfait.

The Estevan Strippers’ Molson Spring Bust Tournament will run from April 12-16 at Affinity Place, the Power Dodge Arena and the Bienfait Memorial Arena.

Thirty-six teams will be entered between the tournament’s nine divisions.

The first four games will be played April 12, starting at 6 p.m. Additional contests start at 6 p.m. on April 13.

The action ramps up with games at 3 p.m. on April 14 and 10 a.m. on April 15.

The championship games for each division will begin at 10 a.m. on April 16. The final games are at 4 p.m. that day.

Steve Godfrey with the Strippers said roughly half of the teams are from out of town and will stay in local hotels, so the tournament carries a big economic spinoff

“Everybody that comes in always stops and eats

here, and it generates all of the revenue for not only the town but the Strippers, with the amount of work that the Strippers do and donate to local charities,” said Godfrey. The tournament also features a strong social element. The Power Dodge Curling Centre will be the site for beer gardens each night. They run from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. the first two nights, 2 p.m.-2

Strippers won division at N.D. tournament

a.m. on April 14 and 15, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. the final day.

The cabarets, which are a popular fixture of the tournament, will be held at the beer gardens April 14 and 15. DJ Dale Orsted will provide music during the first night, while the band Third Degree Birnz will play on the second night. They have performed at the cabaret in the past.

“Everybody knows what

Molson Spring Bust Tournament

organizations in the community, ranging from youth sports to family programs.

“It’s one of the biggest reasons we have this tournament, is to be able to give back to the community and support the community,” said Godfrey. “And the community really supports us in doing those things, so it’s really a two-way street.”

A Safe Ride Home program, sponsored by Baker Hughes, will be offered the nights of April 13-15.

Godfrey said he has received a lot of emails from people who are excited to come play hockey, enjoy the social element and attend the cabarets.

conflict. Spring Bust is happening later than normal due to the timing of the Easter long weekend, so they are up against the start of the Regina Adult Safe League playoffs. Also, one team from last year doesn’t exist now and another team couldn’t get enough players.

Still, they have two divisions of women’s teams, three divisions of over-45 squads and four divisions of over30 entries. Each division has four teams.

Despite the loss of four teams, Spring Bust remains the largest tournament of its kind in Saskatchewan.

The Estevan Strippers recreational hockey team finished first in their division at an over-50 tournament in Grand Forks, N.D., earlier this weekend.

Estevan went 2-1 in the round robin. They opened with a 7-5 loss to the St. Paul Bushwackers, but they recovered to defeat the Bemidji Old Farts 4-3 and the Portage Plainsmen 5-4 in a shootout.

The Strippers faced the Old Farts again for first in their division. Bemidji stormed out to a 3-0 lead. The Strippers battled back to tie the game at threes and scored the game-winning goal with 57 seconds remaining in the third.

The tournament has 60 teams involved in many different divisions. As Estevan was in the over-50 division, the average of the team must be at least 50.

kind of stuff to expect,” said Godfrey. “They’re always current, plus they play some of the older rock-and-roll stuff and a little bit of country stuff, so everybody enjoys them, and we enjoy having them. They’re really helpful in terms of supporting the club.”

The support shown for the cabarets allows the Strippers to donate to a variety of

“Our guys are looking forward to hosting it again, so it’s looking pretty promising,” said Godfrey.

People are encouraged to drop by the rinks and watch what will be some good hockey, he said, but it’s always a lot of fun.

During the past few editions of the tournament, there was 40 teams, but they lost an over-40 division because of a scheduling

“I haven’t seen one [that’s bigger], and if there was one in Saskatchewan, we would have attended it,” Godfrey said with a laugh.

Godfrey said they’re now working on last-minute details before the first game. It’s always a busy time in the weeks leading up to the tournament, as they need to get everything together, set up the Power Dodge Curling Centre, secure the prizes and make sure the teams are lined up.

The ECS Elecs had a great showing at table tennis provincials earlier in the spring.

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Collins

Members of the Strippers that competed in Grand Forks were, back row, from left, Chuck Dzuba, Tony Sernick, Tim Bangsund, Chris Hammett, Gord Steeves and Craig Gusikoski. Front row, Chuck Haines, Jody Waloshin, Steve Godfrey, Brent Gusikoski, Chris Terret and Brian Dueck. Photo submitted

The Estevan Strippers’ Spring Bust tournament will feature games over five days.

File photo

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Ellen Waugh

August 20, 1927March 23, 2023

Surrounded by the love of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and countless friends, Ellen Waugh passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the age of 95. As we think of what we want to tell the world about Mom, four things come to mindstrength; resilience; hard work; and deep-in-the-belly laughter.

Mom characterized her life as being difficult at times - which is an understatement based on the numerous challenges she faced - and also filled with joy and fun. She was extremely proud of her eight children, 18 grandchildren, and growing number of great-grandchildren, and ever-so-grateful for the good friends and relatives who supported her throughout her life.

Ellen met and married Robert Waugh in 1948. After a brief stint living in Edmonton, Dad got a job as a mechanic on the oil rigs, and they began moving with a drilling rig through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba - living in a 2-bedroom rig shack with two little boys (then two little boys and two little girls) until they settled in Lampman, Saskatchewan where four more children were born. Together they ran Waugh Enterprises Ltd. - an oilfield maintenance company that also through the years sold Ski-Doo snow machines, dug basements and waterlines, hauled gravel, sold gasoline, and did anything else that might help feed their family. Mom was the original “hybrid worker” - somehow managing to dispatch trucks, do the books, pump fuel, answer phones, and run the business while also cooking school lunches, sewing clothes, gardening, doing laundry, singing in the community choir, and coffeeing with important girlfriends. At 60, she went back to school and completed her caregiving certificate and thoroughly enjoyed her career supporting others. In retirement, she took many wonderful trips, played a lot of cards, made a lot of pierogies, told a lot of jokes, made a lot of quilts, entertained many people, and laughed a lot. She was - truly - amazing!

In 2012, Mom moved to Kelowna, B.C. where her much-loved sister Kay Boyko and daughter MaryJane Drouin and numerous grandchildren lived - a decision she says was one of the best of her life. She spent this last decade telling jokes, playing cards, hosting meals, and feeling satisfied with her life. Her parting words were:

“Forgive past hurts and look to a better future. It is not healthy to hold old grudges; we grow up and change.”

Ellen was predeceased by her husband Bob in 2006, and her son Doug in 2012. She is survived by her children Gord (Joanne), Dianne, MaryJane, Rick (Sonja), Charlene (Gary), Roberta (Scott), and Janine (Kirby); 18 grandchildren (Jason, Lori, Byron, Rylan, Jenna, Danielle, Cailan, Kirsten, MacKenzie, Samantha, Adam, Kendra, Cameron, Logan, Evan, Hailee, Jordana, Vanessa); and numerous great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Ellen’s life took place on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in the social room of her Kelowna, B.C., condominium. A private family burial will take place at a later date at Elm Lawn Cemetery, Lampman, SK.

Gary Alexander Ronyk

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CLASSIFIED ADS WORK

Notice to Creditors

In the estate of Mervin Dale McKnight, late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased. All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 3rd of May, 2023. Bridges & Company LLP

1329 Third Street • Estevan, SK S4A 0S1 Solicitors for the Executors

Notice of Preparation of Assessment Roll

Village of Frobisher

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Village of Frobisher for the year 2023 has been prepared and is open for inspection in the office of the assessor from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, April 5, 2023 to May 4, 2023.

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Any person wishing to discuss their notice of assessment or potential appeal with the assessor may do so in person at 423 Main Street, Bienfait, SK or via phone at 306-388-2323 ext. 3

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

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment is required to file his or her notice of appeal, by the 4th day of May, 2023, with: Liana Stepan, Secretary of the Board of Revision Village of Frobisher c/o Western Municipal Consulting Ltd. PO Box 149, Meota SK S0M 1X0

Payment in the amount of $250 per residential property and $500 per commercial property, which will be returned if the appeal is successful, must be submitted to: Village of Frobisher PO Box 190, Bienfait SK S0C 0M0

Dated this 5th day of April, 2023

Halkyard

February 18, 1943 - March 30, 2023

With sadness, the family announces the passing of Gary Ronyk on Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Regina at 80 years. Gary was born and raised in Bienfait, SK, a town known for producing colourful characters of which Gary was one. He was predeceased by his father Alexander Ronyk and mother Verna (McIlmoyl) Ronyk; sister Myrna Babyck; son Terry and daughter-in-law Crystal. Gary is survived by his son Kelly of Regina; grandchildren Sydnie, Cassandra, Austin, Haley and Mackenzie; sister Gaye Gedak; brother Reg Ronyk (Gwenn); brother-in-law Lorne Babyck; as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank his doctors and health care workers over the years who, along with family members ensured he could live independently in his own home; and also the doctors, nurses and support staff at the Regina General Hospital who treated him with care and compassion in his last week.

Gary wished to have no funeral service. Family and friends are invited to leave tributes at www.reginafuneralhome.ca.

Arrangements entrusted to Regina Funeral Home and Cemetery (306) 789-8850.

John Bonokoski 1925 - 2023

John quietly passed away on March 14, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Special Care Home, Estevan, Sask. at the age of 97. He was the second youngest of 14 siblings. John is survived by his wife of 75 years, Lucille; daughter Lila (Bill) Nicholson; son-in-law Steve Foster; 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Sharon Foster; son Wayne Bonokoski and 13 siblings. John was born in the Torquay area and lived on a farm, eventually becoming a farmer southwest of Torquay. John and Lucille lived on the farm where their three children were raised and then a brief period living in Torquay before building a new house in Estevan. His last few years were spent at the St. Joseph’s Special Care Home in Estevan.

John began curling as a young man and continued in Estevan where after retiring he added golf to his sports. He filled in much of his time reflecting on his belief in the Catholic faith, and of course there was time spent with his TV keeping up on sports and visiting with friends over coffee.

The Prayer Service was held on Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan and the Funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Estevan, with Rev. Sathiadas Antony the celebrant. Everyone was invited for a time of fellowship and refreshments in the parish hall immediately following the service. Later in the day, the family attended the Rite of Committal at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens.

If friends so desire, donations in John’s memory may be made to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (designated to Long Term Care), 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, Sask., S4A 0H3. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to John’s familyDustin Hall, Funeral Director.

In the Estate of Merton Edward Robinson, late of Weyburn, Saskatchewan

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by Statutory Declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 30th day of April, 2023 to:

Kohaly, Elash & Ludwig Law Firm LLP

Barristers and Solicitors

1312-4th Street

Estevan, SK S4A 0X2

Solicitor for the Estate

Estevan firefighters responded to a vehicle versus wildlife collision last week.

The call for service came in on April 5 at about 8:30 p.m. The driver couldn’t

Flashback –

Wednesday, April 12, 1989

Various winners of poster, essay and a poem competitions were announced at the Estevan Legion’s annual Vimy Ridge banquet on April 8, 1989. Back row, from left, Cory Ferguson, Nicole Donovan, Lara Nieviadomy, Chris Barton, Margaret Ribling, Tammy Barker and Steve Feser. Front row, Tina Wock, Heather Ribling, Frank Fuchs, Tammy Bergen, Sherisse Jenish and Lana Merchant

avoid a collision with a moose on Highway 47 about 15 kilometres north of Estevan. Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies said there were

no entrapments, however, there were minor injuries that were tended to by the Estevan EMS. Firefighters remained on scene due to road conditions and as-

sisted with traffic control until the vehicle and the animal were removed from the road. The vehicle sustained damage and had to be towed.

Estevan P S R E S

Estevan

Press

Monday to Friday, April 14th, 2023 to May 15th, 2023.

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

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her accompanied by a $50.00 appeal fee which will be returned if the appeal is successful, with: The Assessor, R. M. of Cymri No. 36, Box 238, Midale, Sk. S0C 1S0, by the 15th day of May, 2023. Dated this 14th day of April, 2023.

Sarah Leck Assessor

is looking to fill INSERTER POSITIONS

Part Time, 20-40 hours per week

No experience required

Duties would include: hand inserting flyers into papers, manually feeding machine pockets with flyers, moving pallets of flyers and products. Apply by: April 14, 2023

Apply by sending your resume to:

jobs@estevanwebprinting.com

Estevan Mermaids host annual water show

The Estevan Mermaids demonstrated the progress they have made during the 2022-23 season during their annual water show on April 2 at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s pool.

The evening started with performances by the mini-Mermaids program, with the youngest swimmers divided into three groups.

The show then shifted to solo routines. Masters athlete Chanel Thievin; junior swimmers Sasha Mantei, Ava Allen and Laura Swirski; youth members Rowyn Shier and Sierra Mantei; and under-12 competitors Isabelle Pyra and Violette Andrieieva impressed the crowd with their performances.

A couple of duets were performed, courtesy of Ava Allen and Sasha Mantei, and Calla Campbell and Alyssa Halkyard.

The Mermaids also had four team routines.

The 10-and-under limited team was comprised of Harper Eskra, Ella Biette, Lexington Beaudry, Kayden Pukas, Eva Meyers, Brinley Groenveld and Patience Meyer. Next was the U12 limited team with Rory Miller, Ava Collomb, Harper Davies, Lia Mantei and Lainey Halkyard.

The youth team consisted of Sarah Pyra, Isabelle Pyra, Mahaley Fonstad, Sierra Mantei and Rowyn Shier. Finally, the Southeast Connections team included Ava Allen, Sasha Mantei, Marley Kradovill, Ella Leko, Payton Caldwell and Lily Popescu.

A scholarship was presented to Swirski, who

is this year’s graduating swimmer, and then there was a recognition of board members and coaches. Susan Swirski was thanked for her contributions to the program.

Coaches for this year included head coach Shannon Wanner, and assistant coaches Ava Allen, Laura Swirski, Anna Lawrence, Amber Mantei, Kelsey Potoma, Chanel Thievin and Susan Swirski. A grand finale wrapped up the evening.

City Hall: 1102 4th Street

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

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

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

We are happy to announce the upcoming Strippers Tournament. Please come and watch some great hockey and be entertained.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT

Pursuant to subsection 187(1) of The Cities Act, notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the City of Estevan for the year of 2023, has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the Assessor from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the following days: March 22, 2023 to April 21, 2023.

Bylaw No. 2023-2066 required under section 184(2) of The Cities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment or classification to the Board of Revision is required to file notice of appeal with: Secretary to the Board of Revision – City of Estevan 1102 Fourth Street Estevan, SK S4A 0W7

On or before 4:00 pm on the 21st day of April 2023. For further information, please contact the Tax DepartmentCity of Estevan (306) 634-1811.

Trina Sieben – Tax Assessor City of Estevan

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Council of the City of Estevan pursuant to the Cities Act that the Council of the City of Estevan, gives notice of its intention to implement a bylaw to borrow the sum of $2,000,000 for the purpose of 2023 Capital projects in the City of Estevan

On March 27, 2023 meeting the first reading of the Bylaw 2023-2069 was passed and the final readings is expected to be on April 10, 2023.

The proposed Bylaws 2023-2069 may be inspected by any person in the City Clerk's Office, on the main level of City Hall, between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday.

Dated this 28th day of March, 2023.

Judy Pilloud

1102 4th Street

Estevan, SK S4A 0W7

The Southeast Connection team showcased their skills at the water show. Payton Caldwell flies through the air while Ava Allen, Ella Leko, Sasha Mantei, Lily Popescu and Marley Kradovill were in the water. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

All of the Mermaids’ swimmers performed together for the grand finale.