Estevan Mercury 20230707

It’s been 19 years. An update on Courtney Struble and her disappearance.

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SHOPPING DOWNTOWN?

Happy birthday Canada. Bienfait celebrates country’s big day with a red and white boom.

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Three people charged following large police presence in south Estevan

By David Willberg and Ana Bykhovskaia

The Estevan Police Service has announced charges against three people in connection with a large police presence that was seen on June 27 at the Willow Park Greens home park in south Estevan.

Police said on June 28 they had laid charges after a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 100-block of Willow Park Greens.

Legacy project is completed.

Centennial Cup’s gift is installed at Affinity Place.

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“The warrant was primarily focused on a weapons and firearms related type of a search,” said Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan. “However, we were interested in other property as well. There was a lot of moving parts with this investigation.”

Members of the Estevan and Weyburn Police Services’ joint tactical support team – along with the EPS crisis negotiators, K9 unit and forensic units – were at the scene last week. The Estevan RCMP also provided assistance. Cowan said about 18-20 officers were involved. He added they want to be prepared when it comes to anything connected to a weapons-related investigation, and they also factored in the history of the individuals, who he said are all known to police.

Best of luck!

Mercury and community celebrate Oxbow Prairie Horizons School graduates.

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“We do take those necessary precautions, so in the interest of safety and public safety, we don’t take any chances in that way,” said Cowan.

Despite the number of officers at the scene, the EPS said the morning of the search warrant that no risk to public safety existed, but police asked the public to avoid the barricaded area to allow for on-scene investigators to process the site.

Great oilfield event. Estevan

OTS to get industry members together for mixed golf tournament.

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The investigation was led by the EPS criminal investigations unit as well as the drug intelligence unit. The area remained cordoned off well into the night, according to Cowan, as forensics and criminal investigating units searched and processed the scene. Officers worked late on the investigation.

There were reports of a loud boom in the area earlier in the morning and drones were spotted at the scene.

“When the tactical team was doing their clearing of the residence, the bang that would have occurred would have been a distraction device that they set off,” said Cowan.

Setting off the device was a precautionary measure given the circumstances that they were dealing with, he said.

“When you have unknowns and variables that you’re not certain of, we don’t take any chances with them,” he said.

Police also employed a drone for surveillance purposes.

Members of the Estevan Emergency Medical Services and the Estevan

Fire Rescue Service were on standby at the scene, but their services were not required.

Jody Bonnor, a 57-yearold man, is facing the following charges under the Criminal Code:

•Two counts of possession of a firearm knowing it was obtained by the commission of an offence in Canada;

•One count of possessing a firearm without a licence;

•One count of possessing a firearm while prohibited from doing so; and

•One count of assault.

Cowan said the alleged assault occurred at the police station after the arrest

and involved a staff member of the EPS.

Stacey Jackson, a 34-year-old woman, is charged with two counts of possessing a firearm knowing it was obtained by the commission of an offence in Canada, and one count of possessing a firearm without a licence.

Ashley Meyers, a 22-year-old woman, is facing one count of obstructing a peace officer.

“These folks are known to police,” said Cowan. Bonnor was remanded into custody after he was arrested and charged. He appeared in Weyburn Provincial Court by video on June 29, and was back in

Estevan Provincial Court on June 30. He was released with conditions and will be back in court on July 10.

Jackson was also remanded in custody and was to be released on June 29 with an Aug. 21 court date.

Meyers has been released with a court appearance scheduled for Aug. 14.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

Two other people were arrested on June 27. They were released without charges in connection with this incident. The EPS says additional charges may occur as the investigation into this matter continues.

Members of the joint tactical support team were ready to respond last week when a search warrant was executed.

Photo submitted

GRAB A COLD DRINK AT HENDERS AND BEAT THAT THIRST!

The large police presence was seen at the Willow Park Greens Trailer Park last week. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

July 5,

Nineteen years later, Courtney Struble’s disappearance remains unsolved

This week marks 19 years since Estevan’s Courtney Struble was last seen. In November this year, would have turned 33.

Struble, 13 years old at the time, disappeared on July 9, 2004. That night, she had been watching movies with friends. When the time came to go home at about 11:30 p.m., she declined a ride, opting for a walk.

All of her friends and family members say they’ve never seen her again.

Police agencies have been investigating ever since she was last seen on July 9, 2004. At first it was the Estevan Police Service handling the case, and then the RCMP took over the investigation a few years later. Struble’s disappearance was first treated as a

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Over the past 20 years, Estevan and other areas have seen the growth and development of many well-spoken leaders, thanks to the Toastmasters Club.

The local branch celebrated its two decades in service on June 25 at the WylieMitchell Hall.

Throughout the day, current and former members of the club, as well as guests and dignitaries, learned about its installment and past years, the adventures participants have experienced and activities they have on their agenda today. The day also saw some humour, table topics, and of course, toasts and testimonies. The theme

runaway but eventually was investigated as a homicide. She was last seen walking towards her residence in Estevan, according to the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police website. There have been reported sightings of Struble, however, she has not been located, and investigation and searches have failed to locate her.

At the time of disappearance, Struble was 161 cm, weighing 57 kilos. She has been described as Caucasian with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a birthmark on the nape of her neck and a 1 1/2-inch scar on her left shin.

Nineteen years later, it is still an unsolved open case with the RCMP’s “F” Historical Case Unit. On June 30, the RCMP confirmed

of the event was Remember When…

President Alf Tide, who’s been a part of the club since its inception, started by sharing some memories about the Estevan Toastmasters’ early days.

“I am the only person here that is one of the original charter members of this club. In the year 2003, I remember that meeting, it was held at the Beefeater in the Fireside Room,” Tide recalled. “We had 20-some members when we first started and we met at the Southeast Regional College from 2003 till about 2006 [when the college was at the ECS] … Then from 2006 to 2012 we met at the St. John’s Community Centre … And then we moved to the

Courtney Struble disappeared in Estevan in 2004; at the time she was 13 years old. File photo

that the investigation is still ongoing and the case status is “active”.

Last year, the day after

library where we spent most of our years and we have a great room there.”

Tide noted that the pandemic put a strain on the club, pushing their meetings to an online format and then to a hybrid with some people participating in person, and others joining virtually. They are seeing more engagement now and plan on firing up the new season of Estevan Toastmasters in the fall.

The word then went to Division B Director Dan Lonechild.

“Twenty years, it’s rather long, there are a lot of clubs out there that didn’t last all that much,” Lonechild said.

“The fact that you got to 20 years with this club is a huge milestone. Things came away. People came away. But you still stuck by.

“That means a lot because that means you see something within Toastmasters, you see something special with the club itself, that makes you want to stay. You see camaraderie, you see friendships forming. We’re not just forming relationships and friendships, we’re forming a family of sorts, a Toastmasters family. And the fact that you guys kept this club for 20 years, that’s impressive.”

the anniversary of Struble’s vanishing, the RCMP launched a campaign to help with the investigation.

friends and shared more stories about the local club and Toastmasters themselves.

On behalf of the club, treasurer Katharina Ulbrich recognized some of the members for their support and presented them with certificates. Among those celebrated that day were Tide, coach Leanne Woodhouse, and air cadets Isabelle and Amelia McQuoid, who help the club members a lot.

Member Sinder Jhajj started off the Remember When theme, sharing his story of how he joined the club and how it has helped him improve his public speaking. Then all guests also had a chance to introduce themselves and share stories they remembered about the club and outside it.

Woodhouse did an invocation, which was followed by lunch.

Starting July 10, 2022, Struble’s image and information were featured on digital billboards and police social media channels as part of Project HOME (Help Our Missing Emerge), a province-wide, multi-jurisdictional campaign that aimed to bring attention to long-term missing person cases in Saskatchewan.

Last year, the RCMP “F” Division said investigators believe there could be individuals who know what happened to Struble. They also understand that circumstances change and someone who was initially hesitant may now be more comfortable coming forward with information.

As part of the campaign, seven billboards were placed in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Prince Albert and

North Battleford, displaying the pictures, names and some brief details about the majority of those who remain missing in the province. Additional information about the long-term missing person cases across Saskatchewan can be found on the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police website at www.sacp.ca/ missing-persons.html.

If you have information about Struble’s whereabouts, please report it to “F” Division RCMP Historical Case Unit at (639)625-4111, Toll-free 1-833502-6861, or over email at saskmissingpersons@rcmpgrc.gc.ca. You can also report information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or through www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

Area B24 director Michel Fisher and Division B director Dan Lonechild were the dignitaries at the Estevan Toastmasters Club’s 20th-anniversary celebration.

Area B24 director Michel Fisher was another dignitary who partook in the celebration.

“The founder of Toastmasters, Ralph Smedley, said, we learn best in moments of enjoyment. And I have enjoyed learning about Estevan through my contact with your club. I have enjoyed seeing the community that you’ve built within your club and the diversity because it’s really inspiring,” Fisher said.

“And I’ve heard stories about what your Toastmasters are doing in the community events, be it sports events or looking after community services. It has been inspiring, and I just I love it.”

Tide read some letters from charter members and

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“On behalf of Toastmasters across our district, I’d like to congratulate the Estevan Toastmasters for 20 years of helping people become more effective communicators and leaders. As the team was planning this celebration event, it was really interesting and encouraging to hear the stories from some of the early members, stories about the vision that they had for the club, and the work that they went through to grow the membership base and get chartered,” Woodhouse shared.

“Estevan Toastmasters has seen a tremendous evolution over the last 20 years, from paper manuals to online projects and education materials, from speeches on managing meetings and engaging humour to projects on writing blogs and hosting podcasts, from in-person meetings to hybrid meetings, where some members, like me, are joining from across the province, or even around the world. And today, their leaders and members are working hard to make sure the club is adapting and vi-

President Alf Tide, who’s been with the Estevan Toastmasters Club since the day of its inception, was the MC for the event and was also recognized for his contributions to the club. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

brant while also having a lot of fun along the way.

“At the time when communication and leadership is becoming even more critical, Estevan Toastmasters is in a unique position to continue to cultivate great leaders,” Woodhouse said.

Marie Donais Calder was a guest speaker. She talked about the victims of the plane crash of 1946 south of Estevan and her book Together Forever in the Clouds.

Her presentation was followed by humour from Lutos Villanueva, one of the members of the Estevan club who partook in a speech competition and went to districts in

Edmonton. His speech was followed by table topics by Erin McQuoid and toasts and testimonies with an open mic.

The Toastmasters Club’s mission is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

The club meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Estevan Public Library and is open to anyone interested. For more information, visit Estevan Toastmasters’ Facebook page or call (306) 421-9397.

Grade 9 to be discontinued at Oungre’s school

The South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s board has unanimously approved the elimination of Grade 9 classes for Lyndale School in Oungre.

It was noted by the board members that this request came from the school and

A2 SIMPLE EFFICIENCY. SIMPLY A GREAT LAWN.

its school community council, based on the knowledge that Grade 9 classes had gone unfilled at the school for the past couple of years.

The division said those students preferred to attend Grade 9 classes in either Estevan or Weyburn instead to increase their exposure to a more diverse selection of programs and classes.

The school now becomes a kindergarten to Grade 8 facility for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

Club treasurer Katharina Ulbrich, left, presented a certificate of gratitude to coach Leanne Woodhouse

Bienfait celebrated Canada’s 156th birthday

The annual Canada Day celebrations in Bienfait remain a popular event.

Activities were held in the town throughout July 1 to mark Canada’s 156th birthday. From the morning pancake breakfast provided by the Southern Plains Co-op, to the parade that rolled throughout the town, to the nighttime fireworks and

everything in between, large crowds were on hand for the festivities.

“I thought it turned out really well,” said Bienfait Recreation Board president Ryan Fleck. “There was lots of people who came out and lots of kids enjoyed the activities, and I’m sure the adults did, too.”

Nearly 40 entries were received for the parade.

A water main break on Carbon Avenue forced the parade to be rerouted, but Fleck said there weren’t any problems with the adjustments.

Prizes were awarded to the top-three finishers in two categories. In the business division, Reliance Oilfield finished first, followed by Tyros Tree Services in second and GFL in third. As for the nonprofit floats, Blue Sky Air was first, the Souris Valley Museum was second and the United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 came in third.

A large crowd lined the parade route to see the wide variety of entries. Semitrailer units, classic vehicles and horse-and-rider tandems were also entered. The participants tossed candy to the crowd, delighting the children who waited with anticipation.

A house-decorating competition was held as well. The home at 201 Carbon Avenue was first, followed by 238 Walsh Street and 436 Young Street.

Once the parade was finished, activities happened throughout the afternoon, including Bingo at the Bienfait branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, a dunk tank, birthday cupcakes, the annual softball game pitting the firefighters versus the farmers, and a mini-firefighters rodeo.

It’s difficult to gage how many people were present,

but Fleck believes some of the activities drew 150300 people. The swimming pool was filled with kids throughout the day, too.

They had a couple of new food trucks out for Canada Day this year, and the birthday cupcakes were supplied by Teremok Bakery, which opened earlier this year. Fleck said the cupcakes proved to be very popular.

The Bienfait Fire Department held a cabaret Saturday night.

The fireworks also proved to be a big hit, as many people converged on Bienfait for the show.

“They were at least 15 minutes long, and what we put in for fireworks, we upped it by $1,000 this year, so that really helped us out in that way,” said Fleck.

Fun party to kick o ff summer at family centre

The Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre invited its little patrons to bring their parents and guardians over for their Kick-Off to Summer Family Party on June 28.

To fill the day with fun, the EEYFRC brought in a petting zoo and a face painter and also set up many outdoor activity stations with bubbles, chalk, a beanbag toss, as well as hopscotch, hula hoops and various sensory bins. They also had some activities inside the centre, where they created dinosaur stations, and their drop-in and play was open as well.

All of the stations had early learning components, like gross and fine motor skills, language and other development opportunities.

While it wasn’t the school yearend for the family centre, as their programming continues throughout the summer, they just wanted to make the last day of school memorable for local families.

“We just wanted to do something special. Kids are all done school today, and we just wanted to celebrate with all those families,” said Misty Pennington, director of programs and community engagement with the EEYFRC. “What I love about these events is moms and dads usually both come and usually grandmas and grandpas too, so it’s really truly a family affair.”

The centre is staying busy with many new patrons joining them regularly. They recently extended their drop-in and play hours to 7 p.m. on Mondays to allow for working families to utilize the centre as well.

For more about their programs, go to the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre Facebook page.

For those wanting to support the EEYFRC, there will be a fundraising barbeque held at Global Golf Plus at the Estevan Market Mall on July 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

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The United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 had an entry in the Canada Day parade. Photos by David Willberg

Paisley-Rose Folk visited with animals at the petting zoo during the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre’s Kick-Off to Summer Family Party.

Tamara and Sarah Leverton from the Southern Plains Co-op walked the parade route and handed out candy.

From left, Willa and Macy Curtis were eager to celebrate Canada’s 156th birthday.

A large number of floats entered the Canada Day parade.

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EDITORIAL

The local push for the provincial election has begun

The 2024 provincial election might be nearly 16 months away, but the efforts for the vote are seemingly already underway in what will be known as the Estevan-Big Muddy constituency.

The Saskatchewan Party nominated Lori Carr to be its candidate in this riding. Carr will be seeking her third straight term as an MLA, and hopes to continue the Saskatchewan Party’s reign in this constituency.

It was a rather quiet nomination meeting, as only a few people were present. Carr was unopposed, so it’s not like there was any suspense. It was over in three minutes. There was no guest speaker. No controversial comments during a victory speech.

We know it’s June and it was a beautiful night outside, but still, it would have been nice to have a few more people present.

When Carr won the Saskatchewan Party’s nomination in 2015 in a hard-fought battle with Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig, the prevailing thought was that she would have her toughest fight in winning the nomination. Ah, for the days of a nomination meeting like that.

As for 2024, Carr has the incumbent’s advantage over any opponent and the backing of the powerful party if she finds herself in a tight race. It would be an upset if she lost. But expect tougher competition next fall.

Phil Zajac, who finished second to Carr in 2020 while running for the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, is now the party’s leader. He has said he will run in Estevan next year.

Both Zajac and the party will be more of a known quantity next time around. You have to remember the BPS was only a few months old in 2020.

The new Saskatchewan United Party is also on the scene. We’ll see if they have a candidate here. If they do, it will be another rightof-centre candidate to cut into Carr’s support.

In the last provincial election in 2020, Carr was re-elected, but she had 62 per cent, the lowest share of the popular vote for a Sask. Party candidate since Doreen Eagles in 2003. It was still a convincing victory, but not at 70 per cent support that we saw in previous elections.

We’re not saying that there will be a threeway vote split and the New Democratic Party will win but a new right-wing party could further erode Carr’s support.

As for our former natural governing party, the NDP, their current leader, Carla Beck, has been trying to undo the damage caused by former leader Ryan Meili in rural Saskatchewan. She has a lot of work to do.

Hopefully, the NDP can find someone from the riding for the next election. The can-

didate in 2020 was a parachute from Weyburn who didn’t exactly win people over. People were surprised when the Buffalo Party finished ahead of the NDP in Estevan, but anyone who watched the all-candidates forum before the election could see the result coming a mile away. The combination of an out-ofriding candidate and Meili’s leadership turned off a lot of voters down here.

We’ll see what some of the other parties – the Saskatchewan Green Party, the Progressive Conservatives and the Saskatchewan Liberals – have for local candidates down here.

There’s one other variable to account for.

It will be a new riding, a much bigger riding. How will people in Radville and other communities respond to the candidates and their platforms? Will they follow the trends we see here? Or will they be more open to someone else?

The further you move away from Estevan, the greater change you see in issues. What’s important to us might not register as a concern in Radville.

Candidates will have to spend a lot more time on the road next year.

There’s definitely going to be some interesting things to watch over the next 16 months.

Let’s try to stay in touch despite blockage

Seems like it’s happening. Meta (the parent company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) started blocking posts by licensed Canadian media, and we don’t know how much longer we have.

Some of our colleagues have already received alarming messages from their readers, who instead of the news links they traditionally saw in their feed, are now seeing messages saying, “this content isn’t available in Canada; in response to Canadian government legislation, news content can’t be viewed on Facebook.”

According to Meta, “in response to Canadian government legislation, Facebook restricts the sharing and viewing of the news content from Pages connected to a news outlet in Canada.”

So, “if you are in Canada, this means: you can no longer share or view news links or content on Facebook, including news articles and audio-visual content posted by news outlets; you can no longer see links or content from any news outlet Pages, even if you search for them or previously followed them.” (Spelling and punctuation preserved.)

We, at the Mercury, haven’t heard any of this strongly-upsetting news from our readers, but I’m afraid it’s a matter of time, and not that long of a time.

Some of our readers, who are subscribed to our newsletter, have recently received an email saying that soon newsletters and direct visits to our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca will be the only way for us to stay in touch, and for you to read community news online. (And here in Estevan, Dave and I put in a lot of work, heart and soul into delivering the news to you).

It’s important to note that the Mercury printed newspaper is not going anywhere. So, picking up your paper old-style will still be an option as well, but that convenient way to have all your community news, your kids’ pictures, your sports results and the latest updates all in one place along with the news

Ana Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines

About…

from your friends and community groups and businesses through social media feed, is not going to work soon.

The federal government’s Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, was approved in Ottawa in mid-June. And as a result, Canadian journalism and your access to news are under threat due to the reaction from tech giants. The Online News Act will essentially force companies like Google and Facebook to pay Canadian media companies copyright fees when their content appears on their platforms, regardless of who is sharing it.

Meta is already proceeding with their threat. It sounds like Google might be next.

Just so you understand what it means for most of us, local journalists, I’ll share how the past 10-15 years have been in the industry. We dedicated endless hours and years of learning, experimenting and rebuilding our reporting habits and skills to fit the online reality. We became faster and put online first, despite all the challenges. We learned SEO and other often hard-tounderstand things about internet algorithms, so that you, our readers, could still rely on us for your community news needs. By 2023, our Mercury Facebook page has over 9.1K active followers, which, you must agree, is pretty good for a community the size of Estevan. It’s been a long journey, which seemed like it was just the beginning, but...

At this point, it appears like those efforts are to be buried, thanks to the new legislation. Of course, it’s the tech giants’ reaction that makes it hard on us, but I feel it was pretty predictable.

In the end, this move will hurt everyone but those who want to make journalists’ work

harder. Social media will be even more of an ocean where every person, but not a professional media outlet, can spread any kind of information, and it will be left up to users to sort and filter it. The changes will also make it more difficult for professional newspeople to reach the audience and do their job – tell the public about everything that’s happening around you so that you could base your opinion on facts rather than social-media nonsense.

It will be less convenient to get your local news, but we are not going anywhere.

What can we do to stay in touch?

As I said, the paper will be available as usual. But if you relied on social media as your platform to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Estevan and southeast Saskatchewan, you’ll have to adjust this habit a bit. We do have daily newsletters, which come in various options, as you can subscribe to news from particular communities or a province-wide collection. You may also want to bookmark SaskToday. ca’s main page or particular Estevan Mercury page, to make it easier to find your regular local news updates.

Our paper, website and newsletters are all free.

Please, share this column and the information in it with everyone you think values local news. Your family. Your friends. Your neighbours. Encourage them to sign up for our newsletter so that they will continue receiving their local news and stay informed.

Those who know Dave and I and who’s seen us at your local events, know, we work hard, seven days a week, morning through night so that people in the community were always as informed as one editor and one reporter can get you.

So, let’s do our best to keep our communication going. I can make a promise to you that we will continue doing our job as best as we can, so please, try finding us online and making it a habit to check what we do. After all, everything we do, we do for our readers.

Back to the other coast

David Willberg Willberg’s World

What a difference a year makes.

At this time a year ago, I had just finished shaking off the cobwebs and the jetlag from Atlantic Adventures – an unforgettable trip through three provinces in 10 days that brought incredible scenery and countless memories.

Now I’m back in more familiar territory: the west coast of B.C. for a 10-day, early July sojourn. Summer holidays in southwest B.C. are a lot of fun, and it will be the first time I’ve been in the Lower Mainland for an extended period of time in the summer in four years.

As you read this, I should be on Vancouver Island. It’s actually my first time on the island since I moved to Estevan in 2000. So, this is long overdue. There’s been a ferry ride. (I’m not sure if it was one of those “fast ferries” that were all the rage in B.C. in the late 1990s, and eventually became a source of rage when they proved to be not-so-fast and not-so-affordable).

Obviously, a community like Victoria or Nanaimo will have gone through a lot of changes since my last visit. And my interests will have changed a lot, too. The museums and the history that wouldn’t have intrigued me as a teenager are now something I enjoy. The businesses that were there 25 years ago that I didn’t pay attention to might be ones to visit now, even if my time in the city is limited. Restaurants I’d visit now are those that I might have walked past without a second thought in the mid-1990s.

I’ll be looking for that cool independent eatery to enjoy a great meal, some local craft beer and an experience I can’t get elsewhere.

Vancouver Island is a lot more than just the bigger cities. There are a lot of really cool small towns and small cities on the island, with their unique businesses and attractions.

And, of course, there’s the scenery. The proximity of the ocean. The mountains and the hills. The scenic drives.

Back in 1991, my family spent much of our summer holiday on the island. I was the impatient kid who couldn’t wait to get to the next destination. Why would it take two days to get from Nanaimo to Port Hardy on the northern tip of the island when it’s 387 kilometres? Why all the stops?

I didn’t ask “are we they yet”? I was 12. I could tell we weren’t there yet. No giant sign that said “Welcome to Port Hardy”. But the pace drove my ADHD mind crazy.

Now I wish I could have those days back. Enjoy the drives. Enjoy the scenery. Recognize that I might only get one chance to see what I’m seeing. Granted, when I was last on the island in 1998, I didn’t think it would take 25 years to get back, or more than 30 years to see the areas north of Nanaimo.

I’d have put the map away and enjoyed the views.

And when on the ferry, I should have enjoyed staring at the ocean and how you can see for many miles. But I usually enjoyed the views of the screen at a video arcade.

We won’t make it to the entire island during our time here. As much as I’d like to see Tofino and Ucluelet, there’s only so much time that we have. Some other trip.

And as you’re travelling along, you’re always thinking “geez, next time I’m here, I want to stop and see that attraction” or “I have to have a meal in that restaurant.”

Vancouver Island is another example of what I’ve said before: there’s so much to see and do in this country. Living in the second-largest country in the world, you’re bound to see some magnificent scenery. Oceans, mountains, glaciers, dense forests, there’s so much to enjoy. Or you can savour Saskatchewan’s plains, rolling hills, sunrises and sunsets that seem to last forever.

Hopefully, this won’t be the last time I’m on Vancouver Island for the next 23 years; it’s been too long to wait and there is just too much to see or view or enjoy.

But the common denominator of every holiday is they’re too short and they pass too quickly, and before I know it, it will be time to get back to work.

Liberal jobs plan doesn’t help

The editor:

The Liberals’ attempt to rebrand their Just Transition initiative has been a total failure, and energy workers and their communities are the ones who are paying the price.

The so-called Sustainable Jobs Plan or Bill C-50 is simply a renamed version of the Liberals’ old Just Transition, which we know is anything but just.

Energy workers, especially those in the coal industry, have been waiting for years for this government to release the details of the transition plan that would help them plan for the future, but all they have gotten is a plan for a plan that is ultimately useless to those who are most affected.

Bill C-50 contains zero concrete measures as to how the government is

going to support energy workers and their communities, despite the Liberals’ promising that this information would be available back in the spring of this year.

This is completely unacceptable given that this plan will displace 450,000 workers in Canada directly and indirectly working in the energy sector, the most productive sector of Canada’s economy.

Conservatives believe in transformation, not transition; technology, not taxes; and being led by the private sector, not government. We will bring home affordable and accessible traditional and alternative energy, and put Canadian resources, innovation, and workers first.

Lori Carr to represent Sask. Party in the 2024 provincial election

By David Willberg

Lori Carr wants another term as the MLA of the Estevan-Big Muddy constituency.

Carr was acclaimed as the Saskatchewan Party’s candidate for the riding at a nomination meeting on June 28 at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, with a handful of people in attendance.

Carr has been the riding’s MLA since 2016. She was re-elected in 2020.

The deadline to oppose Carr for the Sask. Party nomination passed on June 14, so she already knew that she would be unopposed. Up until that date, she admitted there were anxious moments to see if anyone would put their name forward.

“Obviously there’s a lot of work that has been taking place that hasn’t completely come to fruition. The [new] nursing home [for Estevan] would be a prime example of that,” she told the Mercury. “I’ve worked very hard over the past number of years to get that moved to the top of the list. Obviously we’re there to the point where we’re in the business-case stage.”

She never had any doubts about running in the 2024 vote.

“I’m really enjoying the work that I’m doing, and I don’t think the work is completely done yet, so I’m looking forward to that work,” she said. “I didn’t give any thought to stepping down because I’m committed to what I’m doing and I want to continue with that.”

Health care is an issue regularly brought up with her constituency office, and she said the government is in the process of reducing surgical wait times to three months or less.

“We’re working very closely with health care and ensuring that we can

try to accomplish that, and not just for people that live in big cities, but people in rural communities. Those services are just as important to them in making sure they’re accessible,” said Carr. There is also the issue surrounding the future of coal-fired power generation in Saskatchewan and the federal government’s plan to phase out conventional coal as an option by 2030.

“I think we’ve got the best path forward we can at this point in time, with the regulations that we have in place, and Premier [Scott] Moe has made it quite clear that come 2030, whatever is best for the people of Saskatchewan is what will determine what the power mix is, and if it’s coal, then so be it,” said Carr.

If nothing else, it will be a different riding. Several rural communities, including Radville, Gladmar, Lake Alma and Beaubier, were added to the Estevan

constituency in the oncea-decade redrawing of the provincial constituency boundaries last year. It resulted in the name change to Estevan-Big Muddy, and it means that the riding will be considerably larger than it was for the 2016 and 2020 votes.

“The footprint of my constituency has literally doubled,” said Carr.

The changes in name and territory will officially take effect when the 2024 election is called.

She expects that many of the issues she will hear will be similar to Estevan, including recurring ones like health care and education.

She has yet to spend time in any of the new communities in her riding, but she has sent them all a letter, saying that during the summer, if the opportunity presents itself, she would like to attend a municipal council meeting and listen to concerns they might have.

Carr also plans to stop by municipal offices to introduce herself.

“I know that 10 years ago, they were actually in Doreen’s [former Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles] constituency at that point in time, and so we had done some door knocking for Doreen … so I’m very familiar with those communities.”

Competition could also be stronger. Phil Zajac, who finished second to Carr in the 2020 provincial election while running for the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, has since become the BPS leader and has stated he would run in Estevan in 2024. A new right-wing party the Saskatchewan United Party, has also sprung up.

“We have been addressing issues that maybe some of those other parties stand for as well,” said Carr.

The Sask. Party has now nominated five candidates for the next election, which is slated for Oct. 30, 2024.

Robert Kitchen Souris-Moose Mountain MP

Lori Carr was nominated as the Sask. Party’s candidate for Estevan-Big Muddy in 2024.

First Night Market

The Estevan Night Markets, organized by the Estevan Downtown Business Association, opened the season with a bright and fun first event of the summer. On June 29, vendors and guests gathered at the RBC parking lot in downtown Estevan for an entertaining shopping night. On top of a variety of great local vendors, the market offered face painting and bouncy castle, a new food truck and music performances by Robert Godfrey and the Souris Valley Theatre cast that is to perform in the first show of this season – Ranchers and Rustlers II: The Big Heist. The Estevan Humane Society and its animals were also on location, and the EHS had a taco in a bag fundraiser. Markets will run every Thursday 6-8 p.m. throughout summer weather permitting.

Council receives update and financials for new score clock

The legacy project for the 2022 Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship is now in place and has been used for the first time.

The new score clock was installed earlier this month.

Panels were used for the graphics for the Rotary Club of Estevan’s annual Lobsterfest fundraiser on June 23.

City treasurer Trudy Firth delivered a report on the cost of the clock to council for the June 26 meeting.

“The Centennial Cup committee wanted to use the profit from hosting this tournament to go towards a new score clock for Affinity Place. This was their chosen legacy project,” she wrote in a correspondence.

The total cost was $401,239.68, but Firth said the cost to the city will only be $15,750.14, as the event profit was $234,418.20, the food and beverage profit from the tournament was $81,071.34, and Kingston Midstream’s Richard-

son Foundation provided $70,000.

“The net cost to the city of $15,750.14 resulted in the acquisition of a valuable capital asset,” said Firth. “Hosting of this Centennial Cup provided a huge economic spinoff for the city as a whole and was overall a great success.”

Coun. Lindsay Clark asked about the status of the previous score clock, which had been part of Affinity Place since the events centre opened in 2011. If a buyer can’t be found, then he suggested putting it in the annual auction for the city’s used equipment, which draws interest from outside the province.

“If somebody wants it, we have to get it sold,” said Clark.

Mayor Roy Ludwig replied that the city was initially told that there should be a taker for the old score clock, but that hasn’t happened yet.

An old scoreboard that they sold at a recent auc-

tion had been in storage for years.

Coun. Kirsten Walliser, who asked for the report, thanked Firth for the document. Walliser heard a lot of questions about how much money the city made on food and beverage at the tournament.

“To be able to show that a profit was made, but it was directly put back into Affinity Place, is wonderful for the community to see, but also important,” she said.

Now that the fall season is a few months away, Walliser said community groups need to realize the

new score clock is not a small, simple piece of technology.

“The reason the city has processes and procedures around the clock is the taxpayers made a considerable investment in bringing the clock here for years to come,” said Walliser.

Coun. Travis Frank said people were excited to see the clock in use at Lobsterfest, and he thought it looked amazing.

“It’s going to be a great asset, and it’s nice to see that Affinity Place will continue to be maintained and updated,” said Frank.

Council awards waste and recycling tender to GFL

GFL will continue to be responsible for waste collection and curbside recycling services in Estevan for the next five years.

Estevan city council awarded the tender for those services to the company during the June 26 meeting. The previous fiveyear contract expired June 30.

City treasurer Trudy Firth noted a request for proposals was issued on SaskTenders. The city received three inquiries, but only the submission from GFL.

The breakdown for the contract is:

Monthly charge for biweekly residential curbside recycling: $11,297;

Monthly charge for weekly residential waste collection: $12,064.84;

Monthly per-unit charge for city-wide litter containers waste collection: $3.56;

Dump service for threeyard trash bins: $15;

Dump service for fouryard trash bins: $20;

Dump service for sixyard trash bins: $30;

Container availability of 30-yard trash bins: $2; Delivery of 30-yard trash bins: $85;

Monthly charge for service of Sixth Street recycling depot: $150; and

Fuel surcharge is a variable rate based on a monthly national diesel rate.

Firth said over the last five years, the city has had no sig-

nificant issues with the service provided by GFL. The company has an account manager who is willing to rectify any issues that may occur.

In an email to the Mercury, she said the monthly total for waste collection and recycling will vary. It depends on the actual number of waste and recycle carts being serviced that month, and it also varies on the fuel surcharge.

Using averages for the number of carts and estimates for the fuel surcharge, she said the monthly cost is $31,000 to $33,000.

Firth pointed out this is the rate for the next five years.

“Garbage is a hot topic right now, and prices only seem to be going up, and as we’re looking for new places to put garbage, I think this is going to be reasonable,” said Coun. Rebecca Foord.

Coun. Travis Frank said GFL has been good for the community, it employs a lot of people here and it has operations here.

And Coun. Shelly Veroba encouraged people to make greater use of the recycling service so they don’t have so much garbage.

The new score clock for Affinity Place has been installed and is now operating.

Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Support for search and rescue in the southeast

The South East Saskatchewan Search and Rescue (SESKSAR) group recently received a boost from a local business.

Conquest Equipment provided a monetary donation to SESKSAR to support its goals and mission. SESKSAR’s new president Dan Hardern was there to accept the cheque.

“SESKSAR would like to send out a huge thank you to Trinda Jocelyn, Brendon Mason and the entire team at Conquest Equipment in Estevan for their very generous dona-

tion to our South East Saskatchewan Search and Rescue organization,” Hardern said. “It is community-minded businesses such as Conquest that help to keep our organization alive and able to serve our communities.”

SESKSAR is a member chapter of the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV). It is a volunteer organization that can be used as a resource for policing agencies in cases when someone goes missing.

SESKSAR covers the

entire southeast corner of the province, from the Manitoba border to the Yellow Grass area, and from the U.S. border to the Carlyle area. It has a number of members who are professionally trained and equipped to respond to a call day or night at any time of the year to assist with search and rescue operations, and it is actively recruiting and training new members. For more information about SESKSAR go to their Facebook page at Southeast Saskatchewan Search and Rescue.

Elks Canada grand exalted ruler promotes organization’s bene fi ts during visit to Estevan

By David Willberg

The national grand exalted ruler for Elks Canada was in Estevan recently to visit with members of the Estevan Elks Lodge and promote the efforts of the organization across Canada.

Leonard Shain visited the local lodge as part of his cross-country tour. It was the first time he was in Estevan since 2007, when his father and mother were installed as the provincial heads of the Elks and Royal Purple, respectively.

“I thought it was important to come on back and see how the members have been doing since then, and show them the support that they showed,” said Shain, whose one-year term as national grand exalted ruler expires next month.

Shain is from Coronach originally but now resides in Sherwood Park, Alta. He said it’s been an interesting term, and he has enjoyed meeting and interacting with members from across the country.

“We’ve been able to share ideas of what other lodges are doing, and we’ve been able to learn, from lodges, some success stories that we can share. Everybody is so welcoming to both my wife and me as we travel across Canada,” he said.

He spoke to the local lodge about what he has learned during the past year and offered ideas for potential projects that could spark some interest.

In the past five years, Shain noted the local lodge has donated $1,500 to the Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children, which is their national charity, another $1,300 to the Saskatchewan Elks Foundation, and more than $6,000 to local projects. They also supplied $3,500 through local sponsorships. Other donations were over $5,500. And they have volunteered more than 6,000 hours in the community.

“That shows that they care about their community and want to give back to it,” said Shain.

Shain wanted to join the Elks because his parents were members and he knew the value of giving back. He joined the Sherwood Park Elks after attending one of their meetings in 1998.

He heard a presentation about a program the Elks support in Alberta called the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research (ISTAR). A child or adult who comes into ISTAR with a stuttering problem has to deliver a speech once they’re

finished. Some will need 10 minutes to say two sentences when they start ISTAR, but make incredible progress in six weeks.

“I thought if that’s what the Elks do, I’m in,” said Shain, who loves hearing the success stories of cochlear implants or hearing aids.

“It’s gratifying to know that you helped, somehow, raise funds so that we could support them. It’s giving back. They say you shouldn’t get anything out of the Elks, but you get gratification that you’re helping those less fortunate, but you’re not asking for a pat on the back to get it,” he said.

It took eight years for Shain to progress through the different chairs on the national executive to become the grand exalted ruler. He had support from members from his home lodge to help him feel more comfortable speaking in front of groups. And he had the backing from members in Alberta and across Canada.

The Elks are struggling to get members, he said, just like other service groups. They get volunteers for projects,

but it’s tough to find members. They are working on a two-year plan to promote the Elks outside the order and attract more members.

“Hopefully next year we’ll be able to roll out things to the lodges and really help them increase their membership,” he said.

The Estevan Elks Lodge has about 85 members. Don Hilstrom, who is part of the local executive, said they had 1,300 when he joined during an oil boom in the 1950s. In more recent times, they were around 400 members.

DRILLING REPORT

The membership has gone through peaks and valleys. They get people to sign up but only remain for two to four years.

“We’re targeting, trying to get the younger ones,” said executive member Scott Dryden. “Thirtytwo years ago, I was the young one here, and it was trending up, and I always watched the younger ones who are coming in.”

Dryden echoed Shain’s comments that it has been a struggle.

The Elks have a great social element and Dryden has enjoyed meeting new people.

Hilstrom said they have helped a lot of young people with hearing problems over the years.

“I remember back in the early 90s, a co-worker didn’t even know his daughter had a hearing problem,” added Dryden. “And one day he tapped me on the shoulder and he asked ‘You’re with the Estevan Elks?’”

The co-worker then thanked Dryden because the Elks helped with his daughter’s hearing aid.

“It felt pretty good to be an Elks member when

I got that tap,” Dryden said. The Estevan lodge is 98 years old, and is looking forward to celebrating 100 years of helping the community.

• Souris Valley Pipeline Limited operates a High Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pipeline in Southeast Saskatchewan, a component of the gas is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S).

• As a member of Sask 1st Call, Souris Valley Pipeline would like to remind you to call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888.

• Statistics show that a significant cause of pipeline ruptures is due to third party damage.

For pipeline safety concerns or emergencies call toll free 1-866-PIPELINE (1-866-747-3546) Before excavating call Sask 1st Call at 1-866-828-4888 for a free locate. www.sask1stcall.com

PIPELINE LTD. 24 HOUR PHONE SERVICE 1-866-747-3546

SESKSAR’s new president Dan Hardern, right, accepted a donation to help with the organization’s needs from Brendon Mason with Conquest. Photo courtesy of Dan Hardern

From left, Estevan Elks Lodge members Don Hilstrom and Scott Dryden, Estevan City Coun. Lindsay Clark, Elks national grand exalted ruler Leonard Shain, and Elks Lodge members Bert Hale, Clark Izsak, Barrie Mack and Bruce Ehrmantraut

Oxbow Prairie Horizons School (OPHS) celebrated its 2023 graduates on June 29.

The traditional graduation ceremony took place at the school gymnasium starting at 5 p.m. A parade followed at 7 p.m. from the school, past the senior homes and up Main Street.

The theme of the year was Starry Night, and the grads’ colours were blacks, silvers and whites.

Pat and Jody Jeannot, two beloved past teachers, were guest speakers and offered great words of wisdom and cookie bars.

This year 24 graduates walked across the stage at OPHS.

“They are a very diverse group that will follow many different paths in life. They are a group that will find success on those paths, whether it be to head off to work, to take a trade, to travel a while or to go off to university,” said Pamela Dmytriw, OPHS grad advisor.

This year, students got to enjoy a return to school as usual. Dmytriw noted that it was a breath of fresh air to have extracurricular activities in full swing and lots of school activities. The previous pandemic years’ grad experience allowed the current graduates to be more creative and mix and match what they wanted.

“This group blended some

of the traditions picked up in the pandemic with the traditional grad we were able to have, making it a whirlwind month for them,” Dmytriw said. She noted that for many in the class, they will be excited to be done school, which was a stepping stone in their path. Now they can find their way in life with what excites and intrigues them, and the school couldn’t be happier for them.

It was a big year for the students, not only due to graduation, but also with many other achievements in academics, sports and other areas. Several of the OPHS graduates have received extra scholarships to the universities and colleges they will be attending. Some have also received very notable scholarships from their other activities, such as 4-H and involvement in agriculture.

Dylan Frey was a pro-

vincial bronze medallist in senior boys’ javelin. Mackenzie Miller was a provincial bronze medalist in 3A cross country. Miller, Frey, Spencer Copeland and Loek Armstrong were also provincial a bronze-medal team in 3A track and field. And Mari Lemieux and Miller were selected for the Sask. Basketball Senior All-Star Classic.

Frey had also many accomplishments in his senior

year of 4-H at regionals, with several first and second-place finishes. He also received a scholarship that day for his future studies.

The school celebrated all their graduates’ achievements along with the students and their families and wishes the OPHS class of 2023 all the best in their future endeavours.

“Find your path and know that the whole world is out there for you. Take

time to travel and figure out who you are if you have the chance. Spend your life doing something you love. Make good choices and when you don’t - own the bad ones. You’ll still make mistakes but that’s part of life,” Dmytriw wished to the grads.

She added that they are proud of their graduates for achieving this milestone and wish them nothing but the best for their future.

Cadence AmosahLoek

ArmstrongKaiden BrockKathleen BumataySpencer CopelandSamantha Cuz

Kianah Dyer

Dylan FreyMadison

GarlingXander GervaisNicholas HustinsEthan Junk

Oxbow Prairie Horizons School saw 24 graduates walking across the stage this year. Photo courtesy of Starr Mercer Photography

Another great year for the Alameda Fish Derby

The Alameda Fish Derby was another successful tournament.

The 26th annual derby, sponsored by the SourisMoose Creek Wildlife Federation, took place on Grant Devine Lake on June 24.

A catch-and-release jackfishing tournament with a prize for the longest fish, it attracted a total of 166 registered participants who weighed in 31 fish altogether.

Don Norbert claimed first place weighing a 14.2-pound fish. Curtis Gordon came in second with a 9.135-lbs jack.

Glen Zimmerman was third at 9.120 lbs. Kevin Frith claimed the fourth spot with a jack weighing 7.93 lbs. Ken Valentine made it fifth with 7.245-lbs fish. Hunter Taylor was sixth with a 6.34-lbs result. Paul Skoczylas came in seventh with 6.165 lbs, and Harley Jahn was eighth in the adults’ division at 6.06 lbs.

Norbert also had the longest fish, which was 40 inches long, and received another prize for that.

In the youth division, Rhyla Hildebrand came in first with a fish weighing 3.675 lbs, followed by Tucker Gordon with a 3.605-lbs catch and Chase Gordon with a fish weighing 3.55 lbs.

“Congratulations to all our winners,” said organiz-

ers. “Thank you to everyone who attended and participated. Thank you to all our sponsors and donors for their continued support.

Hope to see you all out next year.”

The fishing part was followed by supper and prize and cash presentations at the Alameda Rink. Funds raised through the event will be used to support the rink’s operations.

Cheyanne KlattMari

LemieuxKristine

MillerMackenzie

MillerNicholas MuirEmerson Peet

Kylan PierceKross

PunshonAlyssa Rejano Lily Rinas

Callie Smith Jay-Dee Van Rooyen

Rhyla Hildebrand was first among the youths participating in the Alameda Fish Derby and was presented with a prize by Chris Farnden

Chris Farnden, right, presented top prize to Don Norbet, who came in first in the adults’ division and also caught the longest fish. Photos courtesy of Skylar Antoniuk

A10

Elite young softball players showcase skills

By David Willberg

The second annual Energy City Exposure Showcase provided young softball players with the opportunity to showcase their abilities to scouts and coaches from the U.S., while providing a boost to the local economy.

The event was held from June 30 to July 2 at the Pleasantdale Softball Diamonds. A total of 10 teams, including the U17 and U15 Southeast Sun Devils squads, put their skills to the forefront for post-secondary talent evaluators.

Event organizer Morgan Walter, who has played softball at the post-secondary level in the U.S., said it was a “fabulous” weekend with beautiful weather.

“It’s just been such a wonderful weekend,” she said. “Thanks to all of the volunteers and everyone who was able to help me out in making this event run smoothly.”

The showcase began Fri-

day with a skills camp hosted by Michael Mook from West Texas A&M University. Players underwent testing to provide the college coaches with the most upto-date statistics for each player in attendance.

Mook hosted a youth skills camp Saturday morning, and then games ran Saturday afternoon and throughout the day Sunday.

Walter noted the scores were of secondary importance. There wasn’t a championship final in either age group. In the case of the U17 Sun Devils, which she coaches, she said they developed as a team, had fun, enjoyed the environment and made strides leading up to provincials. And she hopes the U15s had the same experience.

Four different schools were on hand scouting. West Texas A&M was joined by three North Dakota schools: Valley City, Bottineau and Devil’s Lake.

“It was very nice to have all of these coaches come up and scout some players,”

Walter said.

The organizers try to make the environment as enjoyable as possible for everyone, so she said they had activities for people between the games, and everyone enjoyed themselves while playing and talking to people.

Lots of scouts and coaches were engaging the players after the games.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the coming weeks, a lot of these players end up committing with some of these schools, which is obviously excellent,” said Walter.

“Our total goal out of this event is to try to showcase the talent that we have up here, and to provide the girls with the opportunity to get looked at and commit to a school.”

The showcase is also beneficial for the local economy.

Walter said her goal is to

support businesses in Estevan, and she gave hotel and restaurant suggestions to those coming from out of town. Players were given coupons to businesses throughout the city.

“I really encouraged all of these players and parents to go out and support these businesses,” said Walter. “And that’s what it’s all about. I want this event to be able to help the economy in Estevan, and also provide our softball players with an opportunity to play.”

She heard rave reviews from players and parents about the hotels where they stayed and the restaurants where they ate.

“I know a lot of them were wanting to come back, and probably a lot of that is just due to the friendly businesses and the people that we have in the city of Estevan,” said Walter.

Walter also expressed thanks to the City of Estevan for preparing the facility and having it ready for the event.

She hopes this will also help softball in Estevan and

boost the number of girls in the sport.

“[We want] to have an event such as this in the community for younger players to come out and watch, and hopefully for these older girls to be an in-

spiration to them, and just truly show what the softball talent is at here,” said Walter.

She hopes the showcase can continue to grow, and it could bring 12-15 to Estevan in the future.

Scholpp wins modified feature on Canada Day

Local racing fans had a taste of what will be coming soon during the Canada Day feature at the Estevan Motor Speedway.

Seventy-three cars, including 19 modified drivers, entered Saturday between the five different classes.

With the Dakota Classic Modified Tour just a week away, a number of drivers from the U.S. made their debut or a rare appearance

at the track to become familiar with the design.

Yet it was Kody Scholpp, the winner of the speedway’s modified track championship the past three season, who won the feature race. He finished ahead of Steven Pfeifer, who first raced a modified at the track in 2001, and Travis Hagen, who won the modified title in Estevan in 2019.

Kollin Hibdon of Pah-

rump, Nev., was fourth. Hibdon is among those expected to be on the tour when it begins July 8 in North Dakota.

Hagen leads the points standings with 193, 10 more than Scholpp. Pfeifer is third with 179.

Kayden Hjorteland won the hobby stock feature with a thrilling last-second pass.

Kyle Satran was second, Connor Hanson came in

third and Diezel Raynard finished fourth. Satran sits atop the hobby stock class with 155 points, three more than Hjorteland. Brennor Grinstead is third with 151.

The stock car class saw Mike Hagen finish first, followed by Jeremy Swanson, Chris Hortness and Adam Goff

Hortness and Goff are now tied atop the standings

with 189 points each. Kyle Scholpp is third with 183.

Robby Rosselli was the winner of the sport mod class, finishing ahead of Keenan Glasser, Brock Beeter and Ryder Raynard.

Rosselli leads the sport mod points with 155, with Raynard in second with 144. Beeter is third at 141.

In the slingshot division, Brogan Wagner picked up his third victory of the sea-

Modified tour returning to the speedway

After a four-year absence, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour is making its return to the Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10.

The tour had been one of the highlights of the year on the speedway calendar from when the track opened in 2000 through the 2019 season. But it wasn’t in Estevan from 2020-2022 due to the border restrictions that were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now that those restric-

tions have been lifted and cross-border travel is close to normal again, Estevan will be back on the tour, which visits six different tracks in six days.

Modified and stock car drivers from across southeast Saskatchewan and many American states will be competing.

“Everyone from our board to our racers to the fans seems to be super excited for it,” said speedway president Brad Pierson.

Some drivers that he

has met over the years have reached out to him to say they’re excited to race here.

“There’s just lots of talk, not only from our North Dakota drivers, but there’s been a lot of hype about Estevan Motor Speedway over the past three years that a lot of these guys from further down south haven’t been able to experience it,” said Pierson.

There will be some firsttime drivers at the tour stop. Other drivers who have been here in the past

have advanced their careers in racing, Pierson said, but might be back in Estevan for the tour. One of them is Ricky Thornton Jr., who won both the stock car and modified feature races during the Estevan tour stop in 2019.

Another would be Tom Berry Jr., who swept the tour’s six races last year.

“We get so many drivers from California, Arizona and Nevada,” said Pierson.

Another one to watch, according to Pierson, is

Kollin Hibdon, who is a really strong, young modified driver.

There will be a strong contingent of local drivers and American racers who regularly compete in Estevan. One of them is Estevan’s Aaron Turnbull, who won the tour in 2013.

Another is North Dakota’s Travis Hagen who was the tour’s runner-up behind Berry last year.

It’s hard to know how many drivers they will have for the Estevan tour stop,

son. Eli Turnbull was second Jacek Ashworth came third and Kolby Fichter was fourth. Sladen Pfeifer leads with 187 points. Wagner has 184 points and Ashworth is third with 183.

The next program at the speedway will be the Estevan stop on the Dakota Classic Modified Tour on July 10. The next edition of the Mercury will have more on the tour.

but they hope to have a large contingent of both classes.

Pierson noted a doubleheader weekend on July 22 and 23 will also be a big deal for the track because it will be the annual Dirt Wars programs. The first night, they’re going to announce the naming of the races in honour of Riley Raynard, who was a longtime racer in the hobby stock class. And they’ll have their annual kids night on the second program.

Hadley Gerle of the U17 Sun Devils pitches during a game Saturday. Photos by David Willberg

Rayelle Cooley and the U17 Sun Devils showcased their skills for coaches and scouts.

Avery Stigings connects for a hit during the tournament.

Three Estevan athletes earn water

Twin sisters Josie and Alex Andrist shared in the Player of the Year award in the senior women’s (18-and-over) age division. The Andrists led the senior women’s Team Saskatchewan entry to a silver medal at nationals in April in Regina.

During the National Championship League season, the twins were part of a Saskatchewan squad that went 18-2 in league games. They suffered their third loss of the year in the

gold medal game against the Calgary Renegades. Alex has committed to play for the Cal State East Bay Pioneers, which is coached by former Estevan resident Auriel Bill, who is an alumni of the Sharks and the Pioneers.

The Pioneers compete out of Hayward, Calif. Josie, meanwhile, will compete for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in an intercollegiate league that plays a lot of games against NCAA opponents. The two sisters’ new teams are expected to face each other next season.

Also, the Team Sask player of the year in the 15-and-under girls category was awarded to

Mahlyn Bomberak of Estevan. Bomberak had a successful year as part of the 15U girls’ team, which made selections before every tournament. She was selected to attend the Western Finals in Calgary, as well as travel for the Alberta Open. She also was selected for training and a tournament in California this spring.

Bomberak was recognized for her dedication to water polo and making extra effort to attend camps and practices in Regina throughout the year.

All three Estevan athletes will be travelling to Montreal in July to compete at the National Provincial Championship tournaments in the 19U and 15U divisions.

Josie and Alex Andrist shared the award for the top senior women’s (18-and-over), while Mahlyn Bomberak was selected as the top 15-and-under athlete for Water Polo Sask. Photo courtesy of Tania Hlohovsky-Andrist

Fornwald the president of the CurlSask Board

A long-time supporter of curling in Estevan has been elected as the president of the CurlSask board.

ested in bringing highlevel curling events to the community to provide a boost to the economy.

“It’s really exciting to have it right here in our community rather than travelling around from province to province to see some of these world-class curlers. Bring them into our community and the economic spin-off is really exciting and important to our community,” she said.

As president of CurlSask, she’ll be working with the “excellent and skilled” staff members, trying to promote the sport.

They have a high-performance sport development model to have their athletes succeed at national and international levels.

And they will continue to hold events to crown provincial champions.

… I should be present for the provincial ones.”

“Curling has always been a passion of mine growing up. I belong to a curling family, and I’ve curled all my life, and I continue to still curl, and I’ve been giving back to the sport,” she said.

She also became inter-

In 2018, the Estevan Curling Club hosted the SaskTel Tankard provincial men’s curling championship and the Home Hardware Canada Cup of Curling. The latter was a Curling Canada event.

Then in January and February of this year, Estevan

Photo courtesy of CurlSask

hosted the Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s competition and the Tankard.

“It’s really exciting when we can do that,” she said.

Even during the offseason, Fornwald was busy with curling. She will be at an annual CurlSask youth summer camp in August.

When the season starts, she’ll be travelling to a lot of competitions.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make every one because I have to fit it into my work schedule, too, but

Promotion of the sport is also important. A lot of the curling rinks suffered a hit to their numbers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, so she wants to build the numbers back up again. She learned a lot as the vice-president because she was the right-hand person for the president, so it will be a smoother transition to the top role.

The majority of the board members are new for this year, and she is looking forward to working with them.

“It’s really exciting the skillset that they bring,” said Fornwald.

She noted she had been the lone southeast representative on the board, but now there is someone from Weyburn, too, so she’s happy the region has a larger presence.

In an email to the Mercury, CurlSask said it is very excited to have Fornwald as its president for the next two years.

“Her expertise in business, operations and leadership will be an asset to our organization,” CurlSask said. “As an active member of the Estevan Curling Club and no stranger to creating successful large-scale curling events, she will take curling into the future as we try to regrow and renew curling long into the future.”

The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) will wrap up its slate of 2023 activities by hosting its second annual mixed golf tournament on July 8 at the Hideout Golf Course at Hidden Valley.

The tournament will start at 2 p.m. and 74 golfers had signed up as of Friday morning. The maximum number that can be accommodated is 90 players.

Estevan OTS president

Tony Sernick said if they reach capacity, there would be 10 players, or five twoperson teams, per hole.

It’s a two-person bestball format. All five of the twosomes will tee off, and then each tandem will decide which ball they want to play and play that respective ball until they finish putting. Then they will

tee off together again on the next hole.

“It’s a little intimidating at first, because it’s not every day you tee off in front of so many people with a crowd like that. Maybe a hole or two into it, everything just went well,” said Sernick.

Supper and awards presentations will take place in the tented area known as The Saloon at Hidden Valley. The top-three finishers will be recognized, and every hole will have a close approach or the longest putt prize.

Last year’s tournament was a success, he said, as they were finished golfing in about 2 1/2 hours and they were finished supper a couple of hours later.

“It’s a quick afternoon,” said Sernick. “That’s the different part about it. It

Best of luck to ALL GOLFERS

doesn’t take your … full day away.”

The location at Hidden Valley also drew rave reviews from the golfers.

“They love the format,” said Sernick. “And that is the totally different thing about it, is having so many different people on a hole. Normally you’re limited to four people per group.”

It’s a different experience than playing on a lon-

ger course. The longest hole at Hidden Valley is under 300 yards, so golfers like it because it’s shorter, and with the way the course is laid out, everyone gets to see everybody over the course of the round.

“Different groups interact on different tee boxes, so it’s a good 2 1/2 hours getting out with friends and making new friends,” he said.

Welcome golfers! Good Luck to all the Golfers

Craig and Donna Reiger were the winners of the first-ever OTS mixed golf tournament last year. Photo submitted

The OTS will accept golfers until the day of the tournament, but there won’t be a waitlist once it fills up.

GOLFERS Welcome

Helen Fornwald has taken the reigns of the organization for the next two years. She has been a member of the provincial board for the past five years, and has been working her way up the board’s roles since then. Two years ago, she was elected to be the vice-president.

Helen Fornwald is excited to move into the president’s role with CurlSask.

Estevan legion members are out at the community events this summer, selling their truck raffle tickets.

The seventh annual fundraiser will help the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch No. 60 to support many community organizations and projects throughout the year. Some impressive prizes are up for grabs through the raffle, and after the legion covers the prize costs, the remaining funds are put back into the community.

The main prize this year is the 2023 Ford F150 XLT pick-up truck valued at $75,935, or $50,000 in cash.

The second prize is $10,000 cash. The third lucky winner will take $5,000.

legion truck ra

There also will be five earlybird draws of $1,000 each. The early-bird draw will take place Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Legion Club Room on Fourth Street, and the main draw will traditionally be hosted on Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. at the Legion. Winners will be notified by phone.

Tickets are $100 each, and there are only 1,500 tickets available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at Senchuk Ford Sales Estevan, Henders Drugs or at the legion office and club room. E-transfers are also available through truck. raffle@sasktel.net. Please include your name and phone number in the notes with the e-transfer.

The Royal Canadian Legion Estevan branch is running its annual truck raffle fundraiser, in which one lucky person will win this traditionally red Ford F150 XLT pick-up truck with a retail value of over $75,000, or $50,000 cash.

CLASSIFIEDS

LAND FOR SALE

FARMLAND WANTED

Anna (Annie) Nettie Ciepliski

January 24, 1916 - June 12, 2005

Stephen James Ciepliski

November 29, 1908June 28, 2006

A bouquet of roses just for you

Sprinkled with teardrops instead of dew. And in the center, a forget-me-not, You are not forgotten dear Mum and Dad

Nor will you ever be

As long as life and memory lasts

We will remember thee, So dearly loved and sadly missed, Forever loved and remembered by your family. Sending you all of our prayers and love, Walter, Marion, Basil (Sally) and the rest of the family

Darcy Barnstable Racer’s Prayer

In the battle that goes on for life, I asked for a field that’s fair, A chance that’s equal with all in Strife, The courage to

HEALTH

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land. NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS Saskatchewan born and raised, I know farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way. Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com

WANTED

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS & LABOURERS WANTED

For all heavy equipment: ie. dozers, excavators, scrapers etc.

Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d. Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc.

Fax: 306-769-8844

brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT IS HIRING: Parts Technicians, Service Managers, Agriculture & Heavy Equipment Techs - Journeyman, Apprentices and Sales roles. View Open Roles www.rockymtn.com/careers. Possible Relocation and Signing Bonus Offered.

Koch, Deborah Ann 1953 - 2023

Deborah Ann Koch, late of Regina, SK, passed away on Friday, June 23, 2023 at the age of 69 years.

She was born to parents Martin Mack and Connie Steier, on October 6, 1953 in Estevan, SK.

She was predeceased by her mother and father and her loving companion of 20+ years Wayne Nagy of Ogema, SK. Debbie is survived by her sisters Tina (Ron) Just of Saskatoon, Carol Mack of Edmonton and brother Daryl (Marlette) Mack of Edmonton.

Debbie worked as a hairdresser for 40 years, retiring in 2017. She made many lifelong friends from the customers she met. Debbie was also a member of the Big Sisters organization in Regina for many years and was presented with the Big Sister of the Year award in 1986. She always had a passion for caring for others, especially her nieces, nephews and the elderly. Debbie was also a lifelong Saskatchewan Roughriders fan and season ticket holder for 25+ years.

The family would like to thank Debbie’s friends Pat, Cathy, Steph and Trevor, Vi, Ruth and many others who visited and spent time with Debbie in the last few years. Thanks also to the palliative care nurses at the Pasqua Hospital and Grace Hospice at William Booth nursing home for the excellent care they provided.

As per Debbie’s wishes there will not be any services held. To leave an online message of condolence please visit www. speersfuneralchapel.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

BESPFLUG, BERNICE LOUISE

MARY (Nee Tarnes)

February 2nd, 1932July 7th, 2010

Thirteen years have passed dear Mom, Since God called you away, But still we miss you, Each and every day.

God knew that you were suffering, That the hills were hard to climb, So He closed your weary eyelids, And whispered “Peace be thine”.

Thirteen years have passed dear Mother, Yet we do not cease to smile, We merely thank the Lord, That we walked with you a little while.

We have only memories of you dear Mother, But we will cherish them our whole life through, Your sweetness will live forever, In our treasured memories of you. In loving memory of a dear Mother, Mother-in-law, and Grandma.

Love Robert, Wendy & Christopher

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

Find QUALIFIED, LOCAL EMPLOYEES, using the strength of community newspapers! Visit www. swna.com or call 306-649-1405 to find out how!

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 49 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Darcey Barnstable

Though his smile is forever gone

And his hand we cannot touch, We still have so many memories

Of the one we loved so much. His memory is our keepsake

With which we never part, God has him in His keeping We have him in our hearts. Sadly missed but never forgotten.

Love: Mom. Glen, Brian, Hunter, Hope, J.J., Connor, Cole, Cazlyn

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE ESTATE OF DARLENE RUTH PRICE, LATE OF ESTEVAN, SASKATCHEWAN, DECEASED before the 5th PUBLIC GUARDIAN AND TRUSTEE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Barristers & Solicitors Paul Elash K.C. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Schrader, B. Mgt., J.D.

St. Joseph’s Hospital relies on donations to fund equipment purchases. Your Memorial Gift honours your loved one and makes it possible for our hospital to continue providing quality care for Estevan and area residents. A letter will be sent to the family acknowledging your gift; please include their name and address as well as your own. You will receive an income tax receipt. Please send your donation to:

St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation 1176 Nicholson Rd, Estevan, SK S4A 0H3 Phone: 306-637-2474

23071GP1

You’re going to lose access to local news on Facebook and Google.

Dear readers,

Your access to local, provincial and national news is going to be revoked on Google, Facebook and Instagram.

And it’s not because of anything we’ve done. Recently, Canada passed the Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, which ent company behind Facebook and Instagram. in Canada as a result.

Facebook and Instagram. Google will also remove links to our sites and articant content licensing agreements already in place with our parent company,

Undoubtedly, this will have a huge impact not solely on us but, more importantly, on people like yourself who may use these platforms to discover what’s happening in your community and to get context to events happening in your own backyard.

We’re not planning on going anywhere, but here’s how you can help:

1. Sign up for our free daily newsletter by scanning the QR code. free (And encourage your family and friends to do the same.)

2. Follow us on Twitter.

3. Bookmark our website as the homepage on your devices.

4. If you own/operate a local business, consider supporting local by placing ads with 100% Canadian-owned media outlets, like us.

With your help, more people will be able to get their local news from a trusted source. In today’s age of misinformation, that’s more important than ever. Thank you. We appreciate you.

Sincerely,

Madden Matthies enjoyed cotton candy during the Canada Day celebrations hosted by the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs at the Kin Hillside Playpark. The clubs continued their tradition of hosting Canada Day festivities for families, with hundreds of people in attendance. The Kin club members served up hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, cotton candy and refreshments. Families also enjoyed a petting zoo, swimming, games, a picnic and more.

by David Willberg

Photo

Estevan firefighters responded to a couple of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms that were activated by elevated levels of gas in the air.

The first call for service came in on June 27 at about 1:30 a.m. Crews were dispatched to a residence in the northwest area of

the city. They quickly confirmed the CO readings were higher than normal in the home. The investigation showed that the cause was the generator running in the yard, as there was a power outage in the area. Firefighters stayed on scene, ventilated the house down to safe readings and

pm | (306) 634-1880

advised the homeowner to try to get a different setup.

Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies noted that while it doesn’t happen very often, they do see outdoor equipment result in higher CO levels in the buildings and it’s something to be mindful of.

“We’ve seen such cases, not so much from genera-

Flashback –

Wednesday, July 2, 1986

Estevan Tire won the squirt division of the Estevan Minor Girls’ Softball League. Not only did the team win the playoff championship, but the pennant as well.

Front row, from left, Leanne Davis, Leslee Moyse, Krystal McKenzie, Jessica Gress and Tammy Carlson

Back row, Nadine Fichter, Patty Hickie, Tammy Lazar, Natalie Dubreuil and Kathy Foster

tors, but from vehicles running in the backyard or in a garage or something like that. If there’s an HVAC intake or open windows near where a generator [or running vehicle, or other equipment producing CO] is, the exhaust can be going inside, and it’s possible that it could build up over time inside. It’s

not very common, but you can easily understand how it could happen,” Davies said.

Another CO alarm went off in the morning of June 28 at about 5:15 a.m. in a residence in the northeast area of the city. Crews picked up higher readings of CO upon arrival, but couldn’t instantly find the source, so SaskEn-

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

ergy was called to the scene. Firefighters stayed on site and ventilated the building down to safe levels, and the scene was turned over to SaskEnergy to further investigate the cause.

No one was affected by higher carbon monoxide levels in either of the cases to his knowledge, Davies said.

The City playpark program is now active, please get out and enjoy our parks. Also the Souris Valley Theatre is opening starting July 3, 2023 with Ranchers & Rustlers II - The Big Heist, please get out and enjoy the great entertainment.

CONSTRUCTION BULLETIN

The City of Estevan is undertaking construction for the Watermain replacement. The affected area includes all of Mcleod Avenue. Property access and parking restrictions are to occur. This work will commence June 5, 2023 and will take approximately eight (8) weeks to complete (subject to weather)

City of Estevan will perform this work within the current Bylaw regulations and specifications.

Safety

Construction site could be dangerous. If you have children, please ask them to keep a safe distance from the site. We will take every precaution to ensure public safety, but we need your assistance to constrain the natural curiosity of younger children. Please DO NOT attempt to go close to areas affected.

Theft or Vandalism

2023 Property Tax Notices

2023 Property Tax Notices were mailed out Thursday, June 8, 2023.

Please contact City Hall if you did not receive your property tax notice or need to update your mailing / contact information.

2023 Taxes are due: July 31, 2023

Penalties are accumulative, applied the 1st of each month starting August 1, 2023 as follows:

August .5%, September 1%, October 1.5%, November

2.5%, December 3.5%

Arrears Penalty of 10% will be added to all outstanding amounts on January 1, 2024

Payment Options:

• In person at City Hall, Open Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

➢ Payments accepted by Cash, Cheque or Debit

• Mail to: 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7

• City Hall Drop Box – located at main entrance at City Hall. Cheques only please.

• Payment can also be made on-line / or at your financial institution.

• Pay via credit card through a third-party service provider called Plastiq.

Customers using this service will be charged a 2.5% service fee per transaction by the provider.

o To pay via Plastiq please visit their website at www.plastiq.com you will need a credit card as well as the 12 digit roll number (don’t include the decimal, but use all the numbers) that is found on the top right hand portion of your Notice of Property Tax Levies

Interested in pre-paying your taxes monthly?

The City of Estevan offers (TIPPS) tax installment payment plan service. TIPPS allows property owners to pre-pay their property tax bill in 12 monthly installments making budgeting easier with no added fees or penalties. Monthly withdrawals are made on the first banking day of each month.

TIPPS applications forms are available at City Hall or by visiting our website at www.estevan.ca

The best time to start would be August 1, 2023 to prepay for 2024. Contact City Hall 306-634-1800 for more information.

(1) Tuesday - Friday July 4-7

Area bounded by Spruce Drive and Princess Street on the North, King Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes Hillside and Scotsburn regions)

(2) Monday -Friday July 10-14

Area bounded by King Street on the North, CPR Railroad on the South, 14th Ave on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes 7th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street, Centennial, Trojan, and Soo Industrial regions)

(3) Monday- Friday July 17-21

Area bounded by Kensington on the West, Sawyer Road on the East, North and South City Limits (includes Glen Peterson Industrial Park, East Industrial, Southeast Industrial regions, and properties along Hwy 39E Service Road)

If you see any act of vandalism, theft or anyone suspiciously tampering with equipment, signage or barricades, please contact 306-634-1800, or after hours call Police.

Questions and Concerns

The City of Estevan, Engineering Services apologize for any inconveniences that this work may cause.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience. If you have any question or concerns, please call at 634-1800 or approach the supervisor or foreman on site.