Estevan Mercury 20231004

GET YOUR FLU SHOTS

Gratitude throughout the paper.

Thanksgiving

Kids special can be found in this issue

Learning about history. St. Giles Anglican Church puts on blanket exercise as part of Truth and Reconciliation

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Efforts to bring MRI to Estevan continue; people urged to maintain support

Free suppers return. Warm Welcome Kitchen invites people to enjoy meals and socialize.

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By David Willberg

Two people looking to bring an MRI unit to St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan were encouraged with the discussion they had during a meeting with hospital representatives last Wednesday.

Building future together. Sacred Heart looks at Truth and Reconciliation commission’s calls to action.

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Elaine Walkom, who offered to donate $2 million to bring an MRI scanner to the hospital, was joined by Dean Martens to meet with hospital executive director Candace Kopec, hospital foundation executive director Lori Gervais, and Emmanuel Health CEO Corey Miller.

"We're more encouraged than we were before. We went into this meeting not knowing what the outcome would be, and feel better about it," Walkom said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday.

Walkom said Miller wants to have a proposal for the MRI delivered to the provincial government in time for the government's 2024-25 budget deliberations.

went well. They talked through the project requirements, and how St. Joseph's Hospital would be working with the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to put together a proposal for the full MRI project for St. Joseph's. It will be presented to the ministry and the provincial government for their consideration for budget submissions.

"This proposal will be ready and be put through for that process for consideration," said Miller. "It will be a full proposal, so not just a donation of $2 million, but what is the total cost of capital equipment, renovations and installation costs and start-up costs, and then what are the ongoing operating dollars to run that piece of equipment so that the government knows what they are committing to. What are the annual costs of running that program as well?"

Wellness at the farm and outside.

Mental Health Awareness special.

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She came away from the meeting very impressed with Miller, who has been involved with the installation of several MRI machines around the province from his time working in medical imaging and nuclear medicine for the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

"We felt that he was pretty upfront with us, explained a lot of things and took his time. There's so much involved," said Walkom, who noted they learned a lot during the session, such as the need to hire a radiologist before getting an MRI.

Miller said he thought the meeting

The MRI would be located in the same area as the CT scanner and the laboratory at the hospital. Miller said it would be a small addition to the area housing the medical imaging equipment. There are three smaller rooms adjacent to the wall of the building, and those three spaces would be removed. An addition would be needed for a radiofrequency cage for the MRI.

"We need to have an assessment of the building done to make sure that where we think we can put it, we can put it in fact," said Miller. "We'll have to have some of the equipment vendors who sell MRIs and their technical teams to come out and do that evaluation for us and with us."

Miller described the MRI as a complex piece of equipment. It needs to go in a technical and specific room that's shielded from electromagnetic fields.

"It's lined with … some sort of gel between layers of copper, and that protects the outside area beside the magnet from this high-field magnet. It also protects the magnet from objects from outside of the room."

Four safety zones have to be around it.

Miller did not divulge the projected cost for bringing and setting up an MRI at St. Joseph's, but he said that information would be coming. And while it would exceed the $2 million offered by Walkom, her contribution is a great head start for the equipment, he said.

"It's not very often you have a $2 million offer, and we want to make sure we steward that and we're responsible to that gift and to the community."

He hopes the proposal can be submitted before the end of the month.

"We want to make sure we have a plan that's realistic in front of the decision makers so they are fully informed of what the commitment they're making will be."

Miller is also not sure of how long it would take to have the unit operational if it were to be included in next year’s budget.

Martens noted he’s had phone calls from people in northern Saskatchewan who want to see an MRI at St. Joe’s because of the impact it would have on other people in Saskatchewan.

A2 »MARTENS

From left, Candace Kopec, Lori Gervais, Corey Miller, Elaine Walkom and Dean Martens gather for a group photo after a meeting last Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Elaine Walkom

Estevan doctor to be suspended ahead of flu and cold season for breach of undertaking

By Ana Bykhovskaia

An Estevan doctor is being suspended for breaching the condition of his undertaking. Dr. Mehdi Horri’s two-month suspension is set to start Nov. 1.

Bryan Salte, associate registrar and legal counsel with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS), said the decision was made after “Horri admitted unprofessional conduct by seeing a female patient without a chaperone present, contrary to the undertaking which he signed, and failing to report the breach to the college, again contrary to the undertaking that he signed with the college.”

The situation occurred on March 20, and the decision followed a penalty hearing held on Sept. 22.

According to documents provided by the CPSS’ registrar’s office, the situation occurred 21 days after Horri signed a stricter undertaking, in which he committed “to not have any professional encounter or any portion thereof with female patients except in the presence of a female practice monitor; and to immediately report to the college any known or suspected breaches of the terms of this undertaking by himself, or any known or suspected breaches of the terms of an undertaking by a practice monitor.”

In the description of the incident, it was outlined that the name of the patient was one of those that can be of either gender, and the chaperone didn’t go into the examination room with Horri since she thought it was a male patient. After the four-minute

visit was over, she noticed that the patient in question was a four-yearold girl, who was accompanied by her father throughout. Horri didn’t call the practice monitor into the room at any time.

The incident was reported the same day by the practice monitor.

Lawyer Matthew Wiens, representing Horri, noted the doctor failed to report the incident to the college himself since he thought the practice monitor would be doing so, according to a report by the Leader-Post.

In his explanation to the College, Horri said he has very strict arrangements with the practice monitor for all female patients, and she is supposed to enter the room before him any time there is a female in the room. But when he entered the room to see the young patient that day, he said he did not realize that the practice monitor was not present. Once he realized that, he said he left.

“It was an isolated error on a busy clinic day and was in no way intentional or reflective of lack of diligence or appropriate systems in place within the clinic,” Horri wrote to the college.

According to the information provided by the college, they have not been notified of any other issues regarding compliance with the chaperone/practice monitor condition since this breach.

Salte said there was more than just the circumstances of the breach that resulted in a decision to suspend Horri for two months.

“The information about the circumstances of the breach was only part of the information presented to

stances of the breach, the information included that Dr. Horri had on two occasions previously been found guilty of unprofessional conduct; that the undertaking was given following a suspension hearing at which the council considered whether to suspend Dr. Horri until the investigation into other concerns about his conduct was complete; that the undertaking was very detailed and specific; and that before Dr. Horri signed the undertaking, he was required to meet with a representative of the college to go over the undertaking and confirm that he understood all of the terms of the undertaking,” Salte said.

Besides the personal reasons mentioned above, the registrar’s office said a suspension should be considered by the council on the broader grounds.

“In order to regulate the medical profession, it is imperative that undertakings given to the college must be strictly complied with,” outlined Salte.

“[Besides], when imposing penalty, it is not just the physician’s individual circumstances that are relevant. It is also relevant that a penalty is a precedent that will be considered in any future similar circumstance, and the penalty must be sufficient to discourage other physicians from engaging in similar conduct and maintain the confidence of the public that the college is able to act appropriately to address unprofessional conduct by Saskatchewan physicians.”

Salte noted that penalty hearings before the council are conducted similar to sentencing hearings in a criminal court. The opposing lawyers present their arguments for the council, which then meets in private to consider the information and makes a decision. The written reasons for decision are usually presented at the next council meeting, which in Horri’s case hasn’t occurred yet.

Council’s reasons will presumably explain why the suspension is not to start until Nov. 1, but Salte noted: “The usual reason for delaying the effective date of a suspension is to allow the physician to make arrangements for their patients and to lessen the effect of the physician’s removal from practice on their patients.”

While the council realizes a doctor’s suspension is tough on patients and hospitals, they also have to base their decisions on misconduct to ensure justice and better discipline and service for all.

“One of the realities is that any time that a physician is suspended it will have an effect on their patients. Courts and other discipline commit-

tees have frequently emphasized that the penalties imposed should reflect the seriousness of the misconduct and the need for the physician’s services should be accorded less weight,” Salte explained.

“Among the reasons for that is that a different approach would be unfair to physicians who are less in demand, as they would be treated more harshly than a physician who was more in demand who engaged in the same type of unprofessional conduct.”

News about Horri’s suspension was met with a lot of emotions among Estevan residents, with some people expressing their frustration and disappointment, and others calling to support the doctor whose service they appreciate. Several local Facebook users made posts suggesting that if someone is upset about Horri’s suspension, they should contact the college’s quality care, CEO and deputy registrar.

“Let’s see if we can flood them all with emails and calls directly and keep our family doctor,” one of the users who named himself Fernando Julio posted in one of the local groups. “If the college is to ensure quality care for the public, cutting access off to a physician is not what should be done.”

Horri’s suspension will occur during the cold and flu season.

There will be no changes to his undertaking when he is back Jan. 1, as Salte noted that it’s already very restrictive.

Horri’s lawyers as well as his office haven’t responded to the Mercury’s request for comments by press time.

Martens: “It’s not just southeast Saskatchewan fix”

« A1 "It's not just a southeast Saskatchewan fix, it's a Saskatchewan province fix," said Martens. "I don't know why the politicians can't figure that out when ... [even regular] people can see that if we get everybody funnelled to one more [location], it will make things better."

The more pressure applied, the better and faster an MRI in Estevan would happen, he said.

"The community has to stay pushing this and stay onside and make sure they know how it's moving ahead, because that's been one of our bigger things is having everyone onside and wanting to see this," said Martens. "I haven't heard one bad thing but I really hadn't expected to," added Walkom. "People are really excited about this because it's going

to be a large help to their lives."

They believe Miller's previous experience in acquiring and setting up MRIs elsewhere in the province will be beneficial.

"I think it's huge," said Walkom. "He … knows the people to contact and contractors that do the specialty work."

Miller said he invited Gervais and Kopec to the meeting because

he believes they will be very important people in securing the MRI. Walkom's desire to see an MRI unit installed at the hospital became public in mid-September. She offered $2 million for the purchase of the MRI and the training of two staff members as a legacy project in honour of her late husband Grant. The Walkoms own Hank's Maintenance, a successful oilfield business

Estevan police looking for missing person

The Estevan Police Service (EPS) continues to ask for the public’s assistance in locating a missing person. Amanda Rachelle LaFond, age 32, was last seen on Sept.

29. The EPS says LaFond was given a ride to Midale that day at approximately 8:30 am. She indicated she was attempting to get back to Saskatoon.

LaFond was reportedly wearing a grey hoodie, and white pants or pyjamas, and carrying a backpack.

LaFond has reportedly not communicated with the Estevan Police Service or her family in the past week. She does have family in the Saskatoon and

Battlefords areas.

If anyone has seen or spoken to her, they are asked to call the Estevan Police Service at 306-634-4767 or their local police agency.

LaFond is described by the EPS as approximately 5’5” in height and heavier set, with black hair and brown eyes.

Any updates on this case as they become available will be posted to our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca.

in Estevan.

She made the offer in March, and the Ministry of Health sent a letter denying the request two months later. Their decision has been widely panned throughout the province.

The Mercury and our provincial news hub, SaskToday.ca, will continue to have coverage of this story.

Amanda Rachelle LaFond was last seen on Sept. 29. Photo courtesy of the Estevan Police Service

By David Willberg

More than 70 people were taken on a journey through Canadian Indigenous history during a Kairos Blanket Exercise at St. Paul’s United Church on Saturday afternoon.

The event was an opportunity to learn more about the relationship between settlers and Indigenous people, as well as the trauma that has been inflicted on Indigenous people over the years.The gathering was held on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, and most of the people present sported orange shirts with the reminder that Every Child Matters.

Rev. Alex Campbell from the Anglican Church of Canada, who is a minister in charge of Indigenous ministry based in Yorkton, said he was pleased when he was contacted by Rev. Wilma Woods of St. Giles’ Anglican Church about coming to Estevan.

“She wants to get something done, and the first step of getting things done in our communities was to get this … Kairos Blanket Exercise into our communities so our community learned the ways and means of the Indigenous people of this land we are on,” said Campbell.

The event was organized by St. Giles but was held at St. Paul’s because the United Church’s auditorium has more space. Campbell noted the crowd was the largest they have ever had for a blanket exercise.

Woods said she was

pleased to see all of the elders who were present. She warned the crowd the blanket exercise would be an emotional journey.

“I am so grateful that I see people of all ages here. For generations past and generations to come, this is hugely important,” said Woods.

Several elders from Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan were also on hand to lead the exercise. Iris Acoose guided the participants through the process and the other elders also spoke.

While the event was organized by a church, it was open to people regardless of their faith.

The afternoon began with a showing of the documentary Doctrine of Discovery, which looked at the history of relationships between Indigenous people and settlers, and how the actions of white people continue to have an impact on Indigenous communities.

After a break to place all of the chairs in a circle and lay the blankets within the circle, the blanket exercise began. The blanketed area was the northern part of Turtle Island, which was Canada’s name at one time. Each of the participants stood on part of a blanket. They were portraying the Indigenous people, while the elders were the settlers and Canadian officials.

The exercise began on an upbeat note, with the participants talking, laughing, and trading items they had acquired. They were told Indigenous people fished, hunted and had their own communities, with

unique governments, cultures and traditions. Children were an important part of communities.

However, through treaties, the blankets were reduced in size, creating less space to stand.

Then the number of participants was reduced. Many of them contracted disease through blankets brought by settlers and “died”, so they had to sit down. Others died during the construction of the railroad, while others were victims of the residential school system. Some who were holding dolls symbolizing babies had the dolls taken away.

At the end, blankets were draped around the shoulders of the few still standing in the circle. It was noted that progress has occurred, but much work remains. Numerous scrolls were read during the exercise that documented the history of Indigenous people in Canada. It was pointed out the Indigenous people went from strong and independent to relying on the government, and lost rights and freedoms many Canadians take for granted.

The elders also pointed out that blankets play an important role in Indigenous cultures.

Once the exercise was finished, each person in attendance shared their thoughts on what they experienced. Some cried as they talked about seeing the shrinking land and the number of Indigenous people who died.

Supper was served to participants after the blanket exercise.

Métis Nation and SV Museum mark Truth and Reconciliation Day with community lunch

By Ana Bykhovskaia

About 80 people attended the Estevan Local 25 Métis Nation and Souris Valley Museum's come-and-go lunch Friday at the museum and its courtyard.

The event was organized to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which was the following day.

Bonnie Sernich, Shirley Wheeler and Jill Ruep with the Métis Nation, as well as the group's president Linda Sopp, cooked traditional hamburger soup and bannock, and the museum once again hosted the event. Museum's director/curator Melanie Memory noted the food was "amazing".

Individuals and groups made sure they stopped by, enjoyed the lunch and visited with organizers and other

guests. Many people were wearing traditional-for-theday orange T-shirts.

Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig and several city councillors made it to the event, and so did the Estevan Bruins team. The hockey players helped serve the meal and also took an opportunity to explore the museum and its collection.

"The Bruins did all the serving … It was nice that they were here to help and support," Sopp said.

Memory noted that she was happy to see Bruins having interest in their exhibits. Many of them are not local, so it would help them learn more about the community they are living in now.

Sopp said that as years go by, there are more events and more attention is paid to the cause, and more people

get involved with different awareness events and campaigns, which brings results.

"We are getting more recognition. And now we can stand proudly. We were always taught not to be proud of who we were. But now, with everything the way it's going, people are recognizing us more, we're getting more and more sup -

port from the city, different companies and others, so it's working," Sopp said. She added that as a group they are also doing more educational activities and see engagement growing. They are currently focused on activities for Métis children and adults and will have some ribbon skirts and beading workshops among

other events. They are also partnering with the Southeast Newcomer Services to do dog sled demonstrations, an event that will be open to the public, and more.

"We want to start recognizing our Métis culture, artists and traditions more," Sopp said.

Memory said the museum plans on continuing

its partnership with the Estevan Local 25 Métis Nation for the Truth and Reconciliation event.

Donations from this year's lunch were directed to the local Métis Nation. For the latest activities organized by the local Métis group, follow MN-S Estevan Local #25 on social media.

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The blanket exercise at St. Paul's United Church in Estevan attracted a large crowd, as they learned more about Indigenous history.

Blanket exercise participants were presented with items at the start of the learning experience.

The Estevan Bruins came out to the Estevan Local 25 Métis Nation and the Souris Valley Museum's event on Friday to help serve lunch. Photos courtesy of the Souris Valley Museum

EDITORIAL

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Volume 118 Issue 14

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EDITORIAL

Honouring Champions of the Truth this week and every week

It's National Newspapers Week in Canada.

This is an opportunity to reflect on what the local newspaper means to your community and your region.

Of course, as was noted last week, the Estevan Mercury is celebrating 120 years of serving the Energy City. When we printed our first edition in 1903, Saskatchewan was still a member of the Northwest Territory, and Estevan had yet to be proclaimed as a town, let alone a city.

We're very proud to be Estevan's No. 1 source for news, we're proud to be Estevan's oldest business and we're proud to be a fixture in the community.

While we are the best weekly paper in the province, our story isn't unique. There are a lot of weekly newspapers in Saskatchewan that have been around for well over a century. There are a lot of newspapers that are the oldest businesses in their respective communities. And there are a lot of communities in which the paper is the primary source of credible information. (Note: Facebook doesn't count).

This year's theme is Honouring Champions of the Truth. We'll admit the National Newspapers Week theme can often be a little hyperbolic. There are lots of champions of truth

in society. Journalists are among them, but we're not the only ones.

Part of our job is to bring you the news. It might require a little digging at times. People might not be happy with us at the end of the day. It could be the demise of a friendship or a strong working relationship.

You might not like the story. That doesn't mean it's false. You might not agree with the message. That doesn't make it untrue. You might want articles to cater to your worldview and reinforce your opinions. If that's the case, seek out those stooge outlets.

Some people forget that covering an event does not equate an endorsement.

Your community newspaper is still your best option for local news. Here in Estevan, we've committed ourselves to covering every facet of life in the community: politics, law enforcement, fires, courts, education, health care, sports, culture, agriculture, business, energy and more. We are honoured when people trust us with their stories.

We're not dependent on the same 10 or 15 sources to bring the news to you each week. We still work weekends. We don't turn to irrelevant government press releases to fill our pages. And we're not leaning on news from

outside of the southeast.

Our job is to report on what's happening in the region. People pick up our paper to read about what is happening in the southeast, not to find out about the manufacturing numbers from the provincial government. Our advertisers want to have local news on the page where they advertise. In many cases, we're the only ones talking about certain issues or covering events.

And it's our job to bring breaking news to you as well through our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca. The Mercury's portion of the website is updated several times per day, again with local content.

There's always a lot of pressure on your local paper, because so many people continue to read it. Our efforts are out there every week for the public to evaluate. If we make a mistake, regardless of the size, people will see it, and there's no taking it back. Errors can be costly.

We often think of sports, music, art and the theatre as performance-based industries, but a newspaper also fits that criteria, with everything from the stories to the photos to the ads to the overall appearance of the page. We have an important job. We think we're doing it well. And it's our intention to keep doing it for a really long time.

A simple thank you goes a long way

I started swimming about four years ago. With its ups and downs, the pool has been a part of my life ever since. And even though it started as a simple workout, it definitely became more than that over time.

First, swimming was a challenge. A challenge to accept a change in my life. A challenge to get up in the mornings. A challenge to stick to a routine. A challenge to get through my brain's resistance to getting in the water when it was cold outside. A challenge to enjoy a workout when physically it was on the harder side. A challenge to stay engaged and not get bored while swimming.

Soon, with the help of a talented local instructor, I got a handle on the technical part of swimming and, boy, did it make a difference. Once I didn't need to think about the "how" of swimming, I started falling in love with it. However, that didn't happen instantly and was rather a journey.

After some further training, I got to a point where my body could automatically do the job and my brain was all to myself – a rare condition in today's world of information overload. So, the first few times I wasn't sure what to do with myself, because, unlike most other circumstances, when in the pool, you can't do anything except for swimming.

You can't scroll through the phone; you can't listen to anything (of course, unless you go the extra mile for special equipment, but it wasn't something I wanted to do); you can't watch TV; and even talking with a fellow swimmer is a not going to work without detriment to the workout itself (which I indeed enjoyed and didn't want to ruin for myself).

For the first time since my first smartphone, every day or every other day I was left

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

alone with myself for about half an hour. It sounds like nothing but try it. I feel that we have forgotten how to be bored, how to just think without a problem-solving component, how to do nothing; we never have time for it. So, when I stepped into these long-forgotten waters, anxiety that just naturally existed inside me as a response to life came up and filled the void.

So, when swimming, I was also trying to calm my brain, which screamed that it was "missing out", "forgetting" and whatever else it could come up with trying to get me out of the pool and into a more traditional, informationloaded routine, seeking an alternative solution. And I did.

One day, a thought about gratitude dairies crossed my mind. I've never tried keeping one (no time, right?), and I felt that it might provide a bit of a structure for my raging brain. So, as I was swimming, I started listing different things I could be grateful for, small or big, from the previous day, along with general ones.

After the first few tries, that gratefulness started turning into a habit. Once I hit the water, my brain right away would turn towards the good things in life, leaving worries, problems and anxiety behind.

When I was done with gratitude, if I was still swimming, my mind remained clear and calm. It didn't need to find "something to do" anymore. I was rather happy to be bored and enjoy the existence with all its nuances.

That was the time when swimming got established in my life and the pool or any body of water turned into my happy place. That little habit helped me to calm down, let go, focus on the positive sides and also spread that attitude.

I don't know about you, but for me, it seems that the wheels are turning faster and faster as life goes on. The centrifugal force often feels enormous and strengthening in its attempt to kick off the passengers. So, when I find a moment of peace, a state of balance, where I don't need to resist, not only do I get a break from the daily craziness, which keeps me in a better condition at the moment, but I also recharge for any upcoming battles.

A bit of a gentle physical activity, combined with gratitude to the world, people around and myself works well, helping to slow down at the time of acceleration.

A clear state of mind nowadays requires constant effort. It's hard to stay mentally healthy, not only because of today's environment but also because of the stigma, prejudice and stereotypes around mental health that keep us away from doing something to help ourselves or reaching out for help.

A little self-care and a little thank you to others and the self go a long way in keeping yourself in a better place. Sharing your experiments and routine stories with others also helps to deconstruct the stigma and inspire people to pay more attention to their inner needs.

I found it beautiful that this year Mental Health Awareness Week, marked on Oct. 1-7, concludes with Thanksgiving. Perfect timing to try the trick. Enjoy your time with friends, family or just yourself, and indeed think of something in your life and in every day to be grateful for. It does change a lot.

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Keep the pressure to get an MRI

One of the most important messages to come from the latest meeting to bring an MRI unit to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan is the need to maintain the pressure.

Elaine Walkom and Dean Martens, who are proponents of the MRI project, met with representatives of St. Joseph’s Hospital last week. Both sides came away from the meeting saying the right things and they appear to be on the same page when it comes to bringing an MRI unit to Estevan.

It’s now been a few weeks since we learned about the Ministry of Health’s baffling decision to deny Walkom’s offer of $2 million to add MRI services for St. Joe’s. Rather than going through the process with her and explaining what needs to be done before approving the machine, they said no. And people around the province have been justifiably hammering them ever since.

It’s imperative for us to keep reminding the government that we want and need an MRI unit in Estevan. We can’t just sit back now and say we’ve done our work to put the issue on the government’s radar. We can’t take a wait-and-see approach to the provincial budget. And we can’t just expect social media to be good enough.

Don’t give the government a reason to think we don’t want this.

The ministry has really painted itself into a corner on this issue. Everybody now knows they said no to a $2 million donation that would have gone a long way in reducing wait lists for a much-needed piece of equipment, and cut down on travel time for tens of thousands of people who have to drive more than two hours to access an MRI.

St. Joseph’s Hospital is going to submit a proposal to have the scanner installed at the hospital. Helping with that proposal is going to be someone who has been involved with the installation of similar machines elsewhere. And it’s going to be largely financed by someone who has justifiably and uncompromisingly said MRI or bust, because of what this means to her and her family.

The MRI would be located in an area where the other diagnostic imaging equipment is already in place, including a CT scanner.

The drive to bring an MRI machine to Estevan feels a little reminiscent of the push to bring a CT scanner to St. Joe’s nearly a decade ago, when we were able to secure the much-needed piece of equipment only because the people stepped up and said we want it.

I have zero qualms with the fact that Estevan could be pushed to the head of the list for an MRI unit because someone is willing to pony up the dough. We have a publicly-funded health-care system. If we can save millions of dollars on equipment purchases because of a generous donation, that’s great.

Perhaps the money that would be spent on a new MRI unit can be used to fund needed equipment elsewhere. And if the government accepts Ms. Walkom’s donation and we get this equipment, perhaps it will inspire more people to follow her lead.

We have very generous people in Saskatchewan who are eager to make donations for health care, but the Ministry of Health’s actions earlier this year didn’t exactly inspire them to make future donations.

I support some form of a universal health-care system, but I also endorse people taking matters into their own hands to improve their communities.

If the government exercises good, common sense, and grants the MRI unit for St. Joe’s, then it’s not going to be here overnight. There is still a lot of work that has to be done. The hospital will have to renovate the area to accommodate the unit. They’ll have to find the necessary staff. Hopefully, that means a few more people will be relocating to Estevan. And they’ll need to get the necessary equipment delivered. It will take time.

Until we dedicate and celebrate the opening of a new MRI machine in Estevan, we need our voices to be heard. Reach out to our MLA. Let her know what you think. Write a letter to the editor. It’s time for this to happen.

New MRI unit would be great for St. Joseph’s

The editor:

As a health-care worker in the Estevan area, and the general vice-president for CUPE Local 5430, I want to echo the calls for the province to accept the generous donation of an MRI at St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan. It is ridiculous that there is no MRI machine south of Regina. Ninety per cent of

Saskatchewan residents waiting for an MRI had to wait at least 246 days, and residents in southeast Saskatchewan have to drive upwards of three hours to access care. We can and must do better.

Estevan has an estimated population of over 11,000 people and would service an area from Coronach to Gainsborough. An

MRI machine in the region would significantly reduce travel time and would take pressure off the Regina MRI machines.

St. Joseph's Hospital is already set up for a wide range of diagnostic imaging, including CT scans. An MRI machine would be an asset to the existing medical team.

The offer to train and

support two MRI technologists required to operate the machine is a welcome addition to the medical imaging team at St. Joseph’s Hospital. It is this kind of direct support which can help attract new specialists to our communities.

old, too late to cut the mustard any longer

The editor:

Not everyone can write the power engineer’s secondclass exam and pass it. I have worked in various power plants for 25 years. My first job was as a fourth-class engineer and had to work myself upward.

I admit I was a greenhorn after graduating from Weyburn. My instructor Jim Legget asked me to stand in front of the class and read something from a text concerning a condensation tank and its process. I stuttered and was nervous at first but later I

learned the ropes.

Hector Bourassa and I were selected to work at the Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan because our marks were the highest. I was hired to commission a boilerturbine generator. One would never believe that the power plant was so huge but still, with the bells and whistles, the operating engineers were able to run the plant safely.

Just consider the boiler drum. It was situated 14 floors up and the combustion chamber was nine floors deep. They used natural gas and pulver-

ized lignite coal to fire the boilers.

They put me as a coal handler when I had to fill the hoppers with coal transferred off a conveyor belt. The job was hot, dusty, and at the end of the day my face was black and I had trouble breathing.

They later put me to work at the EGS, the ancient power plant that ran on stoker-fired boilers. I was in control of the entire shift; the work was cleaner. However, one had to be on the ball, especially when some coal missed the bed, then the steam pressure would drop

down and the charge engineer would be down my back. This meant the megawatts could not be produced for the main grid.

Today I am a qualified power engineer second class, since I worked myself up the ladder. But thanks to the absence of working in the power plants for 37 years, no employers will hire me because of my age I am too old, too late to cut the mustard anymore.

Paul

Council tables request for pathway benches

Estevan city council has decided to wait for more information on a request to have exclusive rights for sponsoring benches on pathways.

Council heard a request on Sept. 25 from the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Local 7606 to purchase 10 more benches and garbage cans for the pathway system. The UMWA said it has been told this is the required number for the pathway system.

The UMWA has already sponsored 12 benches on the pathways in honour of mine employees who have died.

Mayor Roy Ludwig and members of council said the city has had a great relationship with the mine workers, and they appreciate all that the union members do in the community, but he's not certain if the city can grant exclusivity rights for the benches, or if it's even necessary, since the city would usually grant requests on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Coun. Shelly Veroba and Coun. Lindsay Clark suggested giving them first right of refusal for future benches. Clark added it's likely not a good time to refuse money.

Ludwig responded that if the city grants right of first refusal in this instance, other groups would also want it. But he had no problem with granting them the 10 additional benches they want.

The UMWA request would not affect the other benches already on the pathways.

Council tabled the request so that UMWA representatives could come in and address the matter. Clark voted against

the motion, saying he was in favour of UMWA's offer.

• • •

Council granted the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation's request to have its 11th annual Festival of Trees gala fundraiser at Affinity Place on Nov. 18.

The foundation asked to pay a discounted rate of $3,750 to rent the venue. It also wanted to use the new score clock to play a video during the gala.

The city will also purchase a corporate table for the event.

• • •

The monthly report from Shane Bucsis, the manager of the city's water and wastewater treatment plants, shows the city treated more than 160.7 million litres of water and pumped 153.1 million litres into the distribution system in August. There were

no plant upsets and all regulated parametres for drinking water were met.

• • •

In the inquiries portion of the meeting, Veroba said she has spoken with the bylaw enforcement officer about a few unsightly properties in the community. One property has a box spring and mattress.

She believes the city needs to use the winter months to tighten up the bylaw so that it can act on these properties next year. Veroba reminded council that if the city has to go in and take care of a property, the work should be applied to the owner's property taxes.

Coun. Tony Sernick said he has had a couple of people ask him about wheelchair access at Affinity Place. City manager Jeff Ward said they hope to have something in next year's budget.

Too

Bashir Jalloh Regina

Jones Coaldale, Alta.

UMWA Local 7606 has already sponsored a number of benches along the pathways. File photo

Warm Welcome Kitchen is back with free meals

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Warm Welcome Kitchen has brought back its free suppers for the 2023-24 season.

The first free hot meal was served out of St. Giles Anglican Church on Oct. 3, and another opportunity to enjoy some good food and fine company will be Oct. 5 at Trinity Lutheran Church. After that free suppers will be served twice a week from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at St. Giles on Tuesdays and at Trinity on Thursdays. All are welcome to come out and enjoy the free meals.

President Wendy Godfrey said their cook and kitchen co-ordinator, Donna McGillicky, is looking forward to feeding the community.

"Our cook is anxious to get back at it. She had back surgery towards the end of last season, so she missed out on the last month. She's healed up remarkably well, and she's raring to get back into the kitchen,"

Godfrey shared. "She wanted to start on October 3 … so we said, 'Yeah, as soon as you want to start, you can.' So we're really excited about that."

The suppers are back to their regular format, where people can come in, have a full sit-down meal and socialize.

"We're happy that we're back to those nice sit-down meals, so people can get together and have good conversations and enjoy their meal together," Godfrey said.

She noted that they were "remarkably fortunate" this season, as they've received a great donation of food from the City of Estevan's concession at Affinity Place, which was turned over to Butter's Homemade Food. They also received $1,000 from Walmart to kick off the season.

Also, they had a number of local groups and individuals put their names on the list to volunteer, so Godfrey said the beginning of the season will be smooth. But then they will be looking for more donations

and volunteers to keep doing their part.

"Of course, the money is a little short. And money doesn't go as far as it used to when it comes to groceries. So, money may become an issue but right now we've got enough to start at least," Godfrey said.

"It's always going to be costly to put those meals on. Although, our cook, Donna, is wonderful. She'll shop for bargains. And we're very fortunate to be a recipient of the Sobey's Food Rescue program.

They donate quite a bit of stuff to us that proves useful. They provide a lot of meat for us, and meat is so expensive now. So that's a huge, huge help.

"And we are so … fortunate because this is a wonderful community. When it seems we can't go on financially, someone comes with a donation … We just hope for that to continue."

The hope is they'll have enough support to run a full season until the end of April, but it depends on funds.

"We're just looking forward to getting back at the meals and serving people food," Godfrey said.

They accept donations in the form of food and funds, and also welcome people to volunteer during suppers, helping the kitchen co-ordinator to serve meals. Tax receipts are available for monetary donations.

Warm Welcome Kitchen is also currently selling their Grocery Dash tickets for a chance to win a two-minute

shopping spree at Sobeys in Estevan for up to $1,000 worth of groceries. The secondary prizes are $500 and $250 gift cards to Sobeys. Tickets are $10 each. The draw date is Nov. 2. For tickets, to arrange for a donation or to sign up to volunteer, people can reach out to Godfrey by texting or calling 306-421-6122 or messaging Warm Welcome Kitchen through social media. Tickets are also available at Henders Drugs.

Children love giving thoughts about Thanksgiving

The children at Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool were once again eager to participate in this year’s Thanksgiving Kids promotion.

The preschool’s 32 kids were asked why they are thankful. The kids gave an answer and had their photo taken, and the answers, sponsored by local businesses, are spread throughout this week’s edition of the Mercury.

This year marked the first time that the three-year-olds were included in the promotion, and owner Mary Lawrence was interested to see how they would respond.

“Every year, they’re so cute, but every year we also get some different answers,” said Lawrence. “This year there were some that were so sweet.”

There were the typical answers, with the kids saying they are thankful for their parents and other family members, or they’re grateful for their pets. One little girl is thankful for hugs, another loves sleeping with her toy elephant and a third appreciates helping her mother make banana bread.

“We also get some very funny ones, and I honestly think this one was my favourite. A little boy said

he is thankful for Halloween bugs because they’re so funny,” said Lawrence. “Another one liked ladybugs because they’re nice to hold.”

Each year is different and they never know what the kids will come up with.

Lawrence said this is a fun and colourful month at Mary’s Little Lambs due to their decorating efforts. Teacher Patti Ksenych plays the guitar for the kids and teaches them songs. One of them, according to Lawrence, is a cute one named the Gobbler Turkey Song in which Ksenych plays and then the kids run

away to avoid being turkey dinner. Ksenych also has a variety of crafts scheduled.

“Patti said that this is probably one of her favourite times of the year because the children are so sweet and loving about who and what they love. She said it’s such a joy to be with them during this time to hear what they’re thankful for,” said Lawrence.

A puppet, George the Mouse, appears each day when they discuss the calendar, and they talk about the people they love and pray for somebody they know. It’s all part of teaching them to be thankful.

Lawrence is pleased to see the small businesses support Thanksgiving Kids each year and she is thankful for the Mercury to organize the promotion.

“The kids get so excited to see themselves in the paper. I always laminate the paper with all their pictures and all they’ve said, and we post it in the school. The parents are just so excited to hear that this is going to happen,” said Lawrence. The parents and grandparents clip the answers as well and the ads wind up on refrigerators around the community.

23102SS0

Warm Welcome Kitchen's free suppers will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at St. Giles Anglican Church, left, on Tuesdays and at Trinity Lutheran Church on Thursdays.

Southeast College releases new five-year plan

The Southeast College has unveiled its 2023-2028 strategic plan, titled Transforming Innovation for Sustainability.

In a news release, the college said this document has been carefully crafted in collaboration with the board of governors, the college's president, the executive leadership team, dedicated staff, and engaged community members and stakeholders from southeast Saskatchewan, outlining key priorities for the next five years. At its core, the college says the plan is anchored in their fundamental values of innovation, collaboration and sustainability.

Over the next five years, the Southeast College says it is committed to proactively responding to evolving needs; nurturing meaningful partnerships; and upholding responsible stewardship for the bet-

terment of their local economy, social well-being and environmental sustainability. The primary focus revolves around reshaping innovation to promote sustainability, underpinned by two guiding principles: sustainable development and the 3 Cs of innovation: critical thinking, curiosity and customer-centric design.

By placing these principles at the forefront, the college says it aims to drive improvements in environmental and social governance (ESG) practices, aspiring to be a leader in both innovation and sustainability, and thereby making significant contributions towards a more sustainable future for Saskatchewan.

Southeast College board of governors chairwoman Donna Nyeste, reflected on the vision, stating: "Our ulti-

mate goal is to transform lives and foster resilient, sustainable communities that can thrive in a rapidly changing world. Through innovative educational opportunities, we aspire to lead the way in sustainability.

"Our plan underscores our commitment to corporate social responsibility, ethical practices, responsible finance, stakeholder engagement, and more, all contributing to a sustainable future. Our board has full confidence that the dedicated president Dr. Vicky Roy and her team at Southeast College will not only meet but exceed these objectives."

"Working in tandem with our management and staff, our focus will be on cultivating a vibrant organizational culture, fostering strategic collaborations, and fortifying community capabilities," added

Roy. "By investing in staff training and introducing new programs, we intend to empower our workforce, creating a healthier and more adaptable work environment. This, in turn, will enhance our ability to pursue strategic initiatives while elevating accountability and transparency." The college's strategic plan underscores its commitment to strengthening their bonds with Indigenous communities in southeast Saskatchewan, guided by its dedication to truth and reconciliation.

Central to this commitment is the development of an Indigenous Engagement Strategy, developed in collaboration with Indigenous leaders, to address the calls to action and reflect the unique needs and voices of Indigenous communities.

The college's aspiration is

to enhance the well-being and academic success of Indigenous students, working together to create sustainable pathways for their education and future

opportunities. Their vision extends to fostering a more inclusive society that recognizes and values the contributions of all its members.

SWIS continues to help newcomer students, families

By Greg Nikkel of the Weyburn Review

Two representatives of the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program gave a presentation to the trustees of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division on Sept. 13, explaining their role in helping the children of newcomer families to the region.

Aimee Haralson, based in Estevan, and Cassy Baumgartner of Weyburn talked about how they have been able to help new families, some of whom have no English skills when they first arrive. SWIS is under the umbrella of Southeast Advocates for Employment, and is associated with Southeast Newcomers Services.

The two workers cover all of the public and separate schools in southeast Saskatchewan, with

Haralson looking after 21 schools, while Baumgartner has 19.

A third worker is involved with students in Grades 10-12, helping them apply for post-secondary education or employment after graduation.

“At the beginning we help everyone with settlement,” she said, noting they help newcomers apply for a health card, make doctor appointments, and look after various other needs to help them get settled into their new community. For students, they help them get settled into the classroom, letting staff know of any special needs or requirements for the children.

“We try to take care of them until they get comfortable in the community and they are visible, they are being seen and appreciated,” said Haralson, adding they meet with groups of students at

times via Zoom.

If there are events, they get everyone to contribute and help, even those in Grade 2.

“We connect with families at all levels, and find out what is new and exciting,” she said, noting they connect with families through Messenger chat, and find out what is going on with their children at school.

In parent meetings, they find out what supports the parents might need at home, and they also connect with the schools to find out what needs there are from teachers. They attend back-to-school events or meetings as they are able, with Haralson noting that on Aug. 31 alone, she visited a number of schools.

They help families make connections in the community, with programs or services in the community, such as art, recreation or sports.

“We try to organize meaning-

ful events and help them with integration by connecting them with volunteer options,” said Haralson.

There are a number of programs in place, she added, such as the peer leadership training, where new students are helped to take leadership, plus a wide variety of learning opportunities, including music, art, exercise and sports.

“We organize cultural events, potlucks, cultural games, and we have a Christmas party or a yearend gathering,” she added.

There are also practical courses, such as food safety, budgeting basics, getting a line of credit and applying for university.

Asked what they might need help with, Haralson said they would like to see more language help for the parents. The children pick up English fairly quickly at school, but some parents come with no

English at all.

She noted this has been a struggle for some parents, particularly those who have come here from Ukraine to escape the war with Russia.

“This is hard because they didn’t have English as a mode of instruction,” said Haralson, noting if she’s meeting with Ukrainian families, she always has to make sure she has a device with a translator app on it.

On occasion, they have been able to make use of a Ukrainian parent who could speak English, but that person isn’t always available. They also have a need at times of someone who could help with subjects like math, and asked if the board knows of any retired teachers who could assist them by helping students with their homework, which would be appreciated.

The Southeast College's Estevan campus. File photo

Sacred Heart marks Day of Truth and Reconciliation

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Sacred Heart School/

École Sacré Coeur in Estevan hosted many activities ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, continuing to build up students’ knowledge about different aspects of history, culture and more.

In the past, they built a teepee, had language learning, talked about Every Child Matters and had other activities. This year the school decided to focus on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its report.

“We’re trying to take them to the next level. First, they were aware, now [we learn about] how can we actually help? So we’re trying to lay the scaffolding that they can take action and not just the knowledge,” said Michella Prokop, Grade 1 French immersion teacher, who is also the community member on staff for Indigenous learning and Indigenous education.

This year the school looked at 94 calls to action in the commission’s report and the fact that 13 of them have been started or completed, and then tried to address the ones that are still to see progress.

“We’ve chosen as a school to take a rock from Mother Earth, from our community, and write on each rock one of the calls to action that have not been undertaken yet or that have not been completed,” Prokop said. “Each class received a different call to action, wrote on the rock what it is; each class discussed their call to action. We tried to pair them so that young students were learning appropriate subjects.”

When finished, rocks with calls to action were placed around the school, as

well as at different locations in the Pleasantdale community.

“It’s been a great learning experience for our students; they are more than aware of what went on in Canada’s past as far as the residential schools and the suffering and the pain that was caused, and how we’re all moving forward together. And that’s our biggest goal is to get our children in the know … It’ll be the youngsters that are moving forward with Indigenous peoples of our country. So we want them to be informed as to what the future steps are and the positive things that we can do now together,” Prokop added.

Activities in the school were happening throughout the week leading up to Sept. 30.

Prokop noted that they again touched on the Every Child Matters topic, and many kids chose to come to school wearing orange Tshirts on Friday. But the last day ahead of the Sept. 30 was focused on the commission’s report.

Prokop noted the work they’ve been putting into Indigenous education over the past few years has already made a big difference.

“As a school and school division, we’ve really focused on Indigenous education the last few years, and I will say, as a Grade 1 teacher, I definitely noticed that the students are coming in from kindergarten and pre-K with knowledge. I don’t have to impart all of that knowledge anymore,” Prokop said. “They’re much more aware of what’s going on. They’re aware of [why] we acknowledge the land and that there are still Indigenous people living here … And by the time they’re getting to Grades 6,7 and 8, they really have the awareness, the vo cabulary, the concepts.”

City hosts open house to discuss changes in Churchill Park

The City of Estevan hosted a public engagement session on Sept. 26 to hear from residents about their thoughts on the future of play structures at Churchill Park.

A drop-in event, held at the Affinity Place atrium, provided an opportunity to give feedback on topics such as accessibility, shade and more.

Marketing and communication manager Jacquelyn Massey-Rounds said they were "pleased with the attendance on Tuesday evening, being able to welcome discussion from both drop-in attendance, as well as parents and youth busy using the facility [Affinity Place] that evening."

"During the discussion, we welcomed feedback on the priorities of families in the community in order to assess the importance of elements such as accessibility, shade and age-appropriate

equipment, just to name a few," said Massey-Rounds.

"We greatly appreciated everyone that came out and gave their ideas for the Churchill Park play structure," she added.

She noted that they've received a range of feedback but will have a better idea of community input once the online community survey closes and results are reviewed.

The survey is open until Oct. 10. Massey-Rounds said it will help the city see what the community looks forward to having in the Churchill Park space.

This survey can be found at www. surveymonkey.com/r/cityofestevan.

Once the research is completed, the city will proceed with developing particular plans.

Their timeline for the replacement of the play structure would be the summer of 2024.

The play structures in Churchill Park are to be replaced in the summer of 2024.

Grade 1 French immersion students and their teacher Michella Prokop went to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home on Friday to place their rock close to a nearby pathway.

Grade 4 English students and their teacher Flynn Mackenzie partook in activities ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Spruce Ridge to name amphitheatre after major donor

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Spruce Ridge School

in Estevan has been granted permission to extend naming rights to Tundra Oil and Gas to recognize the company’s contribution to the construction and opening of the school’s outdoor amphitheatre, the only one in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.

The school reached out to the division with a proposal in June, after Tundra Oil and Gas provided them with a $20,000 donation for the amphitheatre’s Phase 2. Spruce Ridge asked to recognize the company’s contribution with naming rights.

“We are excited to have the support of many local businesses and individuals in the community, and we feel that it is important to recognize this support,” said the school in the proposal.

Phase 1 of the amphitheatre, which was built out of concrete to serve as an outdoor classroom and per-

formance area, was completed in October 2022. The school used the small hill on their property and its elevation as a backing to the amphitheatre.

Since completion, the structure has been used by classes for presentations and performances. It also has been used by the whole school for an assembly. However, problems with erosion and lack of a power source to run a sound system prompted planning for Phase 2 of the project.

It was completed this summer, when the school installed a pole to provide light and power and did landscaping, including brick walls, mulch, pea gravel and grass.

Phase 1 of the project cost was around $63,500, and Phase 2 came to over $18,000. For Phase 1, the school received several donations from local businesses for a total of just over $16,000. The students and families also participated in numerous fundraisers from 2021-23 to raise money for the project.

Besides, Spruce Ridge had

Anderson Hauling

some school-generated funds in their reserves that they could redirect to this project. With these contributions, they had enough money to cover the costs for Phase 1 of the project.

However, there wasn’t enough money to cover Phase 2, so the school decided to seek out corporate donations last spring. The SCC applied for funds from the Richardson Foundation, which is the giving arm of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, and affiliated companies in Canada. Focused on the visual and performing arts, youth initiatives, education and environmental issues, the foundation provides funding for projects in communities where customers and employees live and work. Tundra Oil and Gas is one of the companies owned by James Richardson & Sons, Limited, with a technical and field office in Estevan.

At the end of June, Craig Lane, vice-president of production operations with Tundra Oil and Gas, came to the school to do a cheque presentation. The money provided was enough to cover Phase 2 of the project and the cost of the recognition sign.

Principal Cheri Haberstock convened an advisory committee, which approved the proposal to name the school’s structure the Tundra Oil and Gas Amphitheatre at the end of June.

Participating in the donation presentation were, from left, Craig Lane, vice-president of production operations with Tundra Oil and Gas; Loni Hollingshead, vice-principal; Marja Stang, SCC chairperson; students Kaitlyn Stepp and Danika Ross; and SCC member Carolyn Murphy. Front row, students Bentley, Kacee and Bailey Stang and principal Cheri Haberstock. Photo courtesy of Cheri Haberstock

GEORGE ANDERSON 306.461.6338

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

The SECPSD board also approved the proposal in September, and the school is now waiting for the sign, recognizing the donors, to be made and installed.

Spruce Ridge School’s amphitheatre, soon to be named after Tundra Oil and Gas, has been already used on many occasions, enhancing the education process of the students.

• Souris Valley Pipeline Limited operates a High Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pipeline in

Life chain in Estevan

Virtual reality experiences within Cornerstone

Michael Graham, the co-ordinator of curriculum development for the South East Cornerstone Public School Division, led the division’s trustees down another new path of education exploration and experiences on during the recent school board meeting.

Graham was joined by Greg Martin, an educator at Carievale School and Chanda Henry, a teacher at Weldon School in Bienfait. The trio provided a large chunk of information regarding the most recent dives into

virtual reality experiences by over 1,200 young students in the division.

“It’s better that you hear from the folks in the field so that’s why we invited Chanda and Greg here,” said Graham, who generally works from the division’s head office in Weyburn.

He said that at a recent virtual conference, Energy Safety Canada had provided an educational experience that he was happy to learn was available at the Energy Safety Canada offices in Weyburn in support of

the regional energy sector, and they were happy to offer it to Cornerstone for their educational experiences.

With that program in hand and armed with virtual reality headsets, the program was launched.

“We made sure there was a curriculum alignment and the program included English and French versions, which was great for the French immersion programs,” he said.

Martin said he was excited about the program adding with a chuckle, “I’m

You’re in good hands.

always up for anything technology.”

He noted some boundaries were established prior to the headset use and the tech-savvy kids required about 100 square feet of space to explore the adventures the nine VR sets provided, so the students were deployed in the more spacious gymnasium for their experiences.

Martin said the discussions with the teacher(s) and each other following the experiences were educational and exciting, and since some of the youngsters had family members working in the energy sector, it meant even more to them.

“They discussed what they did and how they did it,” he said.

Henry said their first foray into the experience saw kids working with the VR headsets in the hallways but she discovered that was too distracting for others in classrooms, so gymnasium time had to be requested and allocated to proceed with the 32 kids who got involved in the program.

It was a challenge, she said, since they were restricted to just the nine head sets.

“Kids just wanted to jump right in,” she said, admitting that she too, waited and wanted to enjoy the experience.

“I’m looking forward to

having more students and more time in the future,” she said.

Graham said this program focused on the oil and natural gas sector but there were many more fields to explore such as in the art world, Indigenous experiences and literature “down the road.” He explained that each program going forward will cost money and the headsets come

with price tags of around $600 each.

“So, we add the software cost to that and we don’t want this just to be a fad and have them lose interest. Some have had the experiences in their high schools so more formal research will follow,” Graham said.

In responding to queries from the board members, Graham pointed out the cost factors and expanded uses, noting that, for instance, the oil and gas companies used these VR programs themselves for training.

He noted the energy resources programs, for example, led to careers in such sectors as energy and mines, environmental impact programming, exploration, extraction and distribution as well as career options that included environmental and earth sciences. He had introduced the three sectors students were going to experiment with so they could be aware of what to look for while using headsets.

Martin and Henry noted that on some occasions bandwidth limitations caused disruptions in the experiences and, on occasion, headsets had to be restarted following glitches that sometimes included the need to recharge batteries.

In total, during last school year, 1,224 students in 19 Cornerstone schools got to participate in the introduction to VR as an educational tool. A total of six educators were formally trained to deliver VR programming.

Pro-Life Estevan and Area organized a life chain in the city on Sunday afternoon. Supporters met up at the St. Joseph’s Prayer Centre for some brief information and a prayer. They then gathered for a group photo in front of the Estevan Court House and stood on Fourth Street, holding signs that expressed their pro-life views. They were asked to stand and quietly pray

to abortion and for those affected by abortion. Similar events were held across the country on Sunday. Photo by David Willberg

Michael Graham of the South East Cornerstone Public School Division. File photo

Canadian rock stars to perform at Affinity Place

The City of Estevan has announced details of a concert that will be coming to Affinity Place.

Veteran Canadian rock acts Trooper, Sass Jordan and the Northern Pikes will be performing on Nov. 9. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:15 p.m.

Trooper is best known for such hits as Raise a Little Hell, We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time), and The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car.

Jordan’s hits include High Road Easy, Make You a Believer and You Don’t Have to Remind Me. She has won multiple Juno Awards and was a judge on Canadian Idol.

The Northern Pikes were formed in Saskatchewan nearly 40 years ago. Their best-known songs include She Ain’t Pretty, Girl with a Problem and Kiss Me You Fool. Tickets went on sale on Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at whowpass.com/affinityplace.

This is the first concert at Affinity Place this year and the first since

Dallas Smith and Kelly Prescott performed last September after Estevan won the SiriusXM Music Towns competition for Western Canada.

South East Cornerstone board receives financial update

It’s going to show up as another tough year on the financial field for the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.

But, on the bright side of the picture, the responses to tighter budget parametres have been encouraging at times.

Marilyn Yurkiw, manager of finance and payroll for the division, provided a look at pending fourth quarter results when she appeared before the Cornerstone board members during their open business session on Sept. 21 with chairwoman Audrey Trombley presiding. Yurkiw said the state -

ments will undergo final reflections of revenue and expenses up to Aug. 31, prior to their submission to their official chartered accountants for assessment.

“Both revenue and expense values will change to reflect actual amortization expenses, as well as payables and receivables will occur up to the time the audited financial statements are completed,” Yurkiw explained.

Grants, mostly from the provincial government that oversees the collection and distribution of most public education funding in Saskatchewan, have amounted to just over $100 million in Cornerstone where the total

revenue is listed at just over $108 million.

Total expenditures, so far, have amounted to $111.8 million, which means an operations deficit of around $3.5 million for the school division in the past fiscal year.

Looking on the brighter side of the picture, however, is the fact the division had forecast a budget shortfall of nearly $6.3 million for the fiscal year.

In explaining the differences, Yurkiw led the trustees through the list of grants for operations and pending confirmations of money yet to be received, tuition fee income, school-generated

funds, complementary services income and other revenues for this year, included nearly $131,000 for the sale of the former Souris School property in Weyburn.

On the expenses side, the pending results show that once again the governing body, the board of education, has come in under budget as has the administration team by the tune of approximately $9,500 and $71,000, respectively.

Instruction costs were also under budget by just under $1.5 million, but this will change, said Yurkiw, as other expenses in this category get recorded as year-end entries.

Plant and transporta -

tion operations were also under budget by about $348,500 and $589,000, respectively. Complementary services were over budget by about $75,000, as were external services by about $374,000.

“As of August 31, 2023 we have spent more than our budget in the purchase of tangible capital assets,” Yurkiw added.

School buses and other vehicles – not yet delivered by the supplier, although they were ordered in 2022 – provided some additional mathematical work for the financial management team. Funds remain designated for these units.

Yurkiw also spoke of such items as furniture and equipment purchases as being over budget for certain items while computer hardware and audio-visual equipment items surfaced on the underspent side of the ledger.

“Both revenue and expense values will change to reflect the actual amortization as well as payables and receivables that will occur up to the completion of the audited financial statements,” she said.

Those audited statements, when approved by the board, will be the ones forwarded to the provincial Ministry of Education for final acceptance.

Police charge two people for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl

The Estevan Police Service has announced two people have been charged for drugs and other offences.

According to the EPS, during the night shift on Sept. 30, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle in the downtown area, resulting

in two individuals from Estevan being arrested and charged with multiple offences.

Zack Elund, age 27, has been charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking fentanyl, possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000, possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, and

operation of a motor vehicle while prohibited.

Angella Chouinard, age 29, has been charged with trafficking cocaine, trafficking fentanyl, possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000, possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose and obstructing a peace officer.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

Both accused remained in custody until they were released in front of a justice of the peace with a court date in December to speak to the matter.

ECS taking steps to address issues in student parking lot

The Estevan Comprehensive School has informed parents and others in the school community about actions it is taking against what it calls “inappropriate activities” in the student parking lot.

ECS principal James Jones wrote that for several

years, the school has had an ongoing issue with garbage disposal, littering, loitering and other issues happening in the parking lot. These involve current ECS students and community members and can be a problem during the day, but the problems can also be more prevalent after hours.

“I am asking the school community to assist us with improving the situation,” Jones wrote in a letter.

ECS is currently looking at ways to deter loitering during non-school hours. To assist, ECS has recently updated video surveillance, will be installing no-loitering

signs, and is looking at upgrading the lighting in the parking lot.

Supervision will increase during the school day. Students found skipping classes and hanging out in the parking lot will face disciplinary measures, the letter stated.

“Failure to follow school

policies surrounding use of the school parking lot may result in loss of parking privileges,” states the letter.

Jones wrote that ECS, including its school grounds, should be a place of pride within the community and he would appreciate people’s help in coming up with

a community solution to these problems. He asks that parents and guardians talk about these issues with their children.

If anyone has ideas to help address these concerns, they are asked to call the school or send an email to contact.echs@secpsd.ca

Trooper, Sass Jordan and the Northern Pikes will be at Affinity Place on Nov. 9. Image courtesy of the City of Estevan

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

DONATING

• There are several ways to donate! Donations are accepted through our website: www.unitedwayestevan.com, through e-transfer to etransfer@unitedwayestevan.com, by phone during the telethon, and in person at the telethon!

HOW TO WATCH

• Live Stream on our website: www.unitedwayestevan.com!

• AccessNow TV (formerly Access 7).

AUDIENCE

• We’d love to have you as part of our live audience! We are looking forward to seeing the entire community of Estevan and invite everyone to come to the Legion Hall to participate. The Telethon will run from 8:00AM on Oct. 13th to 5:00PM on Oct. 14th.

BID ITEMS

• United Way 2023 Bid Items will be posted on Facebook this week and are on display at Murray GM.

• At Telethon, the Bid Line can be called to place bids and bidding will also continue online while the telethon is happening.

• Bid items will be frequently shown on TV and the Live Stream throughout the telethon.

ENTERTAINMENT

• We are excited for all the live entertainment coming to the Legion Hall once again this year! Make sure you check out next week’s Estevan Mercury for the list of entertainers!

If you have any other questions, contact our office, 306.634.7375 or send a message to our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages! Email admin@unitedwayestevan.com

Sask. farmer promotes mental health awareness

By David Willberg

Danielle Wildfong sees a lot of farmers struggling with mental health, and she wants to do something about it.

Wildfong works as a business consultant, helping families with their transition and succession planning, and she also does a lot of public speaking.

Earlier this year, she was the keynote speaker at the Estevan Farmer’s Appreciation Evening, when she addressed the issue of mental health and shared her own battles. She said she wants to speak to farmers about the importance of mental health because she is a farmer herself.

“They’re my clients. They’re my family,” she said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. “I see the struggle that farmers go through in being in a business and being a family. My purpose in life is to really help farmers overcome obstacles and learn how to solve problems together.”

People are typically very receptive to her message. Some might not like what she has to say, but Wildfong views mental health as a very important subject because it impacts people so deeply.

The farmer’s evening was the first time she had shared her mental health journey. She told the crowd how she went to Calgary to get a business degree, but didn’t have a support group when she arrived.

“I’d had a few struggles growing up, just like any teenager, but moving away made me feel … really alone in Calgary and I remember that I needed to come home. I needed to be closer to family and closer to a support group,” recalled Wildfong.

When she returned to Saskatchewan, she had a tough time finding a purpose. Wildfong moved around a lot and had trouble completing tasks. She blamed herself, and it was a big part of what she called a “downward spiral”.

“You start comparing yourself, and comparison is a thief. It steals your joy. It steals

your focus on all the good things that you should be focusing on. All your positives. Your purpose. Your strengths. Your abilities.”

It was particularly tough around 2014. Wildfong couldn’t manage the depression and anxiety, but her roommate at the time, who also had mental health struggles, told Wildfong she needed tools to get through this, with counselling, meditation, yoga, exercise and sleep.

She started to build tools on how she could cope with those things that caused her to think and feel a certain way, and she found a support system. It was also important to create a program that helped her.

“I think the most important message to take away from that program would be that you have to have hope. You have to have faith that better days are coming. And yes, you will droop down again or you will have a low again,” said Wildfong.

Three or four people came up to her after she spoke in Estevan to thank her for the message.

“I think it was tough to get over the hurdle that this is okay and you should share your message, but this is valuable to people, and we’ve got so much

addictions and so much mental health in farming and so much stress, we need better ways to manage it and we need more people to share their stories, because that gives people the help they need.”

Having her best friend present in Estevan helped her share her story.

This is a particularly busy time of year for her. Farmers want to talk about their operations and they want help solving their problems.

“That’s what I focus on, is helping families figure out how to solve their problems and find solutions for such things as family,” she said.

And it’s particularly busy when it’s been a dry year like it was for so many in Saskatch-

ewan this year.

“I will refer to a professional. I am definitely not a professional. I have some training, but I stay within my own … coaching as opposed to counselling, and helping them understand what’s right for them. And if it’s really bad, then it’s helping the family, giving them permission that it’s okay to talk to and see someone.

“And generally the family knows. They’ve observed, maybe bipolar or maybe stress or maybe irrational thoughts or minor anxieties. So generally the family knows if they’re working closely together, and it’s about getting the whole family on board to be a support and to give that person permission.”

Students and

Learning about residential schools

School spent Friday learning about Indigenous history and the importance of truth

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

AS WE APPROACH THANKSGIVING, MAY WE APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE, AND GIVE THOUGHT TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, NOT ONLY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT ALL YEAR ROUND. MEMBER

The City of Estevan invites interested citizens to sit on The Estevan Board of Police Commissioners.

If you are interested in becoming a Member at Large, please send a letter explaining your quali cations and what past experiences you have that could bene t this board in writing by November 10, 2023 to:

staff at Spruce Ridge

and reconciliation. Wendy Alexson, an elder from the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, located north of Broadview, spoke about her experiences in the residential school system. The speech occurred the day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Photo courtesy of Cheri Haberstock

Obituaries

Police handle a variety of calls

Elaine M Haukeness 1950 - 2023

Elaine passed away peacefully on Monday, September 25, 2023, at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Special Care Home, Estevan, Sask., at the age of 73.

Elaine was born, raised and educated in Estevan, SK. She was always busy on the farm with her horses and 4-H as a teenager. After high school she went to travel school in Kansas City and became a travel agent.

She also took a drafting course in Edmonton, AB where she worked for Agt doing drafting. In 1973 she married Leonard Haukeness and during their time in Regina and Saskatoon, Leonard built three houses, and he and Elaine were blessed with two children, Michael in 1975 and Brietta in 1977. In 1981, Leonard and Elaine moved home to the farm near Estevan where she worked as a travel agent for Intra Bannatyne Travel.

Elaine was busy, busy with the kids and keeping a beautiful farm and garden. Elaine loved her job and loved to travel. She had many adventures and travelled throughout the years. Elaine was very talented, and she enjoyed curling, sewing, quilting, cooking, gardening, refurnishing furniture, painting, and crafts. There was nothing she couldn’t accomplish when she set her mind to it.

In 2014 Elaine had a stroke which limited many of her abilities and took her speech, but with her strength and stubbornness she made great strides. She continued with her talents through puzzles, crafts, diamond dots (if you were lucky enough to have one), telling others what to cook and how to do it. In 2021 Leonard and Elaine moved to Long Term Care. Leonard passed away a month later and Elaine continued to live there and make the best of it.

Elaine’s biggest treasures in life were her grandchildren, her love for life and her love for others.

Elaine’s memory will be forever cherished by her family; son Michael Haukeness and grandson Thomas; daughter Brietta (Keith) Kidney and grandchildren: Wyatt and Sierra; great grandson Kash; brother Russell Jorstad; Leonard’s siblings: Russel (Judy) Haukeness, Wendi Haukeness, Miles (Bev) Haukeness and Holli (John) Jordan; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents: Elmer and Doreen Jorstad; husband Leonard; parents-in-law, Elvin and Ethel Haukeness and sister-in-law Randi Haukeness.

A Public Graveside Service for Elaine was held on Monday, October 2, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Forest Glen Cemetery with Shirley Petterson officiating.

Those wishing to pay tribute to Elaine’s memory may do so by way of a donation to Trinity Lutheran Church, 738 2nd Street, Estevan, Sask., S4A 2B3.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to the Elaine’s family - Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director

Robert Peter 1945-2023

With our deepest sadness, we announce that Rob passed away Tuesday, September 12, 2023 after a long and sad battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Rob was born in Estevan, SK on June 8, 1945 to Philip and Nellie Peter. He worked after school at his Dad’s business, Estevan Tire and continued there for 50 years with his brother Warren, better known as the “Peter Boys”. Rob met and married Karen Woodhouse, his soul mate and love for 57 years.

Rob also ventured into the cattle business, oil industry and realty.

Rob enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and trap shooting. He proudly belonged to the Estevan Fire Dept. for 30 years.

After retirement Rob and Karen wintered in Arizona, Lake Havasu area. Rob and Karen enjoyed visiting and watching their grandchildren grow up. Rob loved camping with his family, going to Roughrider games, boating and picnics.

Rob is survived by his loving wife Karen; daughter Susan (Mike) Vallee and their children, Ty (Kelsey) and Erika (Cade); daughter Jennifer (Mark) Geres, their children, Brett and Ben and son Robert (Antoaneta) Peter and their children, Rand and Ian. He is also survived by his brother Glen (Janet) Peter; sister-in-law Donna Peter; brother-in-law Allan (Helen) Woodhouse. sister-in-law Janice Woodhouse and much loved nieces, nephews and friends.

Rob was predeceased by his parents, Philip and Nellie Peter; brothers, Warren and David Peter; niece Joan Marcotte and parentsin-law, Jim and Irene Woodhouse.

The family would like to thank St. Joseph’s Long Term Care for their concern and care.

A Celebration of Rob’s life was held on Monday, September 18, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK with Sandy Dalziel officiating. A time of lunch and refreshments at the Taylorton Room, Days Inn, Estevan, SK followed the service. Donations in Rob’s memory would be appreciated by the family and may be made to the Estevan Humane Society or St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation - Long Term Care.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care for Rob’s familyDeb Heidinger, Funeral Director.

Career OppOrtunities

A variety of calls kept members of the Estevan Police Service busy during the past week.

Officers and Estevan EMS were dispatched to a west-central apartment on Sept. 25 for a report of a possible overdose. Upon arrival, the conscious male was tended to by EMS and transported to hospital.

A scam was reported in which the caller, posing as a grandson, requested money as he was in jail. No money or information was provided.

Members attended to an Estevan motel on a report of a disturbance between two people. Both individuals were spoken to upon police arrival and the matter was resolved without further incident.

A dog jumped a fence in east-central Estevan and bit a pedestrian. The EPS said injuries were minor and the matter is being investigated by the bylaw enforcement officer.

Police received a report of a vehicle driving in north Estevan with people on the roof. The complainant indicated that the people had entered the vehicle before it left the area. Members were

unable to locate the responsible individuals. Members were called about a vehicle driving erratically and travelling through multiple stop signs. This incident is under investigation.

EPS members, along with the bylaw enforcement officer and conservation officers, were able to capture and remove a coyote pup that was hiding near a yard in west-central Estevan on Sept. 26. The coyote was taken from Estevan and released.

Police responded to a call of excessive smoke coming from a backyard fire on Sept. 29. When police arrived, the homeowner was already in the process of put-

Auctions

ting it out. No further action was needed.

Police responded to a disturbance on the northeast side of the city. One subject was arrested for breach of the peace and lodged in cells until the following morning to prevent further disturbances.

Police responded to a dog running at large in northeast Estevan. The owner was contacted and was able to return his dog to the yard.

Police conducted a traffic stop on Sept. 30 and located a motorist who was suspended from operating a vehicle. She was charged under the Traffic Safety Act and her vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Officers responded to a downtown establishment after a male was reported to be asking patrons for their ID and claiming to be a staff member. The male was spoken to and sent on his way.

The EPS is investigating a report of an assault on a taxi driver. The matter remains under investigation.

Also during the weekend, police received a report of a missing high school student. The youth was located

safe a short time later at a friend’s residence.

Police received a report of a suspicious person outside a residence on the west side of the city. Members patrolled the area but were unable to locate anyone.

A report came in of a stolen wallet from the central part of the city. The wallet was located in a vehicle.

Police remind the public to remove valuables from their vehicles and ensure that their vehicle is locked when left unattended.

Police received a report of a fire in a garage in the central part of the city.

Members attended but the fire was extinguished prior to their arrival.

Reports came in of several mischief incidents taking place at different locations. One female has been charged with mischief after statements were obtained. The matter is still under investigation.

Police received a report of a female walking on the highway with a stroller. Members attended to ensure she was safe and there were no issues.

Police dealt with 73 occurrences over the weekend.

Includes: VEHICLES 1993 International tandem truck w/ load handler with magnet and claw; 1993 GMC (Top Kick) 3 ton - Cat diesel motor c/w winch; 1979 Chev tandem; 2004 F 350 1 ton c/w booster pack; 2013 Ford Edge SUV; 2010 Bob Cat side by sideelectric hoist; 732 Clark skid steer FARM AND YARD 500 Versatile tractor; Kubota B2100 yard tractor c/w lawn mower; 3 PTH 5’ Farm King roto tiller; Case-IH 8465 round baler; 6’ bush mower; TRAILERS 24’ tandem flat deck; 35’ tri axle flat deck w/ beaver tails; Home built trailer w/water tank; trailer w/ propane tank SHOP 20 and 10 ton press; Lincoln mig welder; Lincoln 250 Range welder; Casse 9000 watt generator; air compressors; power tools; large quantity of logging chains and boomers; large truck tires ANTIQUES cream cans; crocks; wheels; plow seats MEDICAL Fortress 1700 DT scooter

KEY”M”AUCTION SERVICES Dellan Mohrbutter 306-452-4847 www.keymauctions.com

23102DS0

Oct. 7, 1987

The custodian of Sacred Heart School decided that each month he would award a trophy to the room which was determined to be the cleanest. For September 1987, it was a French and English kindergarten class. Shown here is the English class.

Front row, from left, Grant Guenther Dallas Weinrauch Lynne Bazin Aaron Blomander Eric Hilstrom, Guy L’Heureux and Aaron Peters

Middle row, Jennifer James, Darren Hagel, Ken Gonzales, Becky Teske, Venessa Gervais, Jeremy Mack, Jessica Dukart, Jessie Mantei and Dennis Tyrrel (custodian). Back row, Amanda Minchin Tara Fleury Travis Packer Wade Ganje Colin Joyce and John Cloke

Lions Club’s Dueling Pianos fundraiser to feature local talent

The Estevan Lions Club is bringing the Sirens Dueling Pianos concert to the Estevan Exhibition Hall on Oct. 6.

The event – which will start with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by supper catered by A Little Taste of Heaven at 6:30 p.m. and then the entertainment – will be the beginning of the Lions' major fundraising campaign to upgrade the outdoor rink at Rusty Duce Park.

Travis Olver, who is the Lions' past president and the chair of the fundraising committee and the rink upgrade committee, said as of Sept. 28, they've sold just over 200 tickets. The maximum

Request for Proposal

SARCAN Recycling is seeking a long-term lease with a developer or owner of an existing or new facility in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The building would be approximately 80’ W x 120’ L for an approximate total of 9600 sq. ft. The facility must have access to dock three 53 ft. semi- trailers at the building. The property and building must be zoned for commercial/light industrial use.

Minimum of 20 customer parking stalls and 10 staff parking stalls is required. Possession date would be agreed upon when an agreement has been finalized. SARCAN Recycling is not obligated to accept any proposal without SARC Board approval.

Deadline for submission is November 30, 2023

For drawings and technical details please contact:

Carl Ens, General Manager of Capital Improvements & Special Projects

Phone: (306) 934-8879 (office) (306) 370-7664 (cell)

Email: cens@sarcan.sk.ca

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST

VILLAGE OF CARIEVALE PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act, that unless arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 30th day of November, 2023, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for the costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

capacity for the event is 250 people, and the club hopes to sell out by Oct. 5. The Sirens Dueling Pianos concert will feature Kylee Carver of Fillmore and Jacquie Walbaum of Forget. It is Saskatchewan's only all-female dueling piano pair. Described as feisty, fun and phenomenally talented, Walbaum and Carver have combined their powerhouse vocals and musicianship to bring the public a multigenre sing-along party.

"The Sirens sound like they're a lot of fun, and local talent is always good to support," Olver said.

Kylee Carver of Fillmore and Jacquie Walbaum of Forget will perform during the Sirens Dueling Pianos concert at the Estevan Lions Club's fundraising supper on Oct. 6. Photo courtesy of Sirens Dueling Pianos

"It will just be a nice evening out, a nice meal and great entertainment. Come out, bring your significant other, bring friends and have some fun."

All proceeds from the event will go towards turning the Rusty Duce Rink, which Lions take care of every year, into a permanent facility. The Mercury and SaskToday will have more on the project in the upcoming weeks. Tickets are $65 per ticket or $600 per table of 10 and are available at Senchuck Ford, McComb Automotive or by contacting Olver at 306-421-9626.

City of Estevan

PROCLAMATION

United Way Estevan Telethon

WHEREAS United Way Estevan’s mission is that everyone in our community has the opportunity to reach their full potential and

WHEREAS United Way Estevan’s Telethon raises funds for local member agencies and community impact projects to improve lives for all in our community

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: “I, Roy Ludwig, Mayor of the City of Estevan in the Province of Saskatchewan do hereby proclaim the week of October 8th to October 15th, 2023 as United Way Estevan Telethon Week, and urge all citizens of Estevan to recognize and support the goals and objectives of United Way Estevan.

NOTICE

The Tax Enforcement Act

TAKE NOTICE that the Rural Municipality of Cymri No. 36 intends to be registered pursuant to the above Act as the owner of the land described below.

The municipality claims title to the land by virtue of an interest based on the tax lien registered against the existing title to the land in the Land Titles Registry as Interest Number 174084992, and you are required to

TAKE NOTICE that unless you contest the claim of the municipality or redeem the land pursuant to the provisions of the above Act within six months from the service of this notice on you and, subject to the further provisions of The Tax Enforcement Act, a title will be issued to the applicant.

On and after the date that the title is issued to the applicant, you will be forever estopped and debarred from setting up any claim to, or with respect to, the land.

The amount required to redeem the land may be ascertained on application to the Clerk, Treasurer or Administrator of the municipality.

Dated this 4th day of October, 2023.

Sarah Leck, Treasurer James Donald Robertson and Audrey Lynn Robertson NE 13-05-11W2M Extension 0

Bruins drop two straight weekend games to Weyburn

By David Willberg

The first showdowns of the season in the Highway 39 rivalry between the Estevan Bruins and the Weyburn Red Wings went to Weyburn.

Weyburn defeated the Bruins 6-2 on Friday night at Affinity Place and edged the Bruins 2-1 in a shootout Saturday in Weyburn.

Estevan came out firing on Friday night, as Ilia Chmelevski scored 48 seconds into the game to give the Black and Gold a 1-0 lead. Weyburn tied the game two minutes later on a Jacob Visentini power-play goal.

Blake Heward’s first goal as a Bruin less than four minutes later restored the Bruins’ advantage, but Max Monette scored midway through the first period to tie the game again and wrap up the offensive activity in an eventful opening 11 minutes.

Estevan had a chance to take the lead in the second with an extended 5-on-3 advantage, but couldn’t convert. It remained a tie game until late in the middle frame when Rocco La Cara’s power-play goal with 3:43 to play put Weyburn ahead, and Jerome Maharaj doubled the lead on a break 57 seconds later.

Goals by Dallen Oxelgren and Bradley Banach in the final five minutes of the third rounded out the scoring.

Cam Hrdlicka made 32 saves for the Bruins, while Dazza Mitchell stopped 35 shots for Weyburn.

Bruins’ head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic said he thought the Bruins started well, but a couple of errors resulted in the first two Weyburn goals.

“I thought the mistakes really cost us the momentum,” said Tatarnic. “Then they got the go-ahead goal, and they added another goal, and then we were just chasing the game after that. I don’t think our work ethic was as high as it should have been on Friday at all.”

The coaches had a meeting with the players Saturday morning, and Tatarnic said the Bruins had a much better effort Saturday night.

Estevan again had a lengthy two-man advantage in the first period Saturday, but couldn’t convert, and 15 seconds after the second penalty expired, the Wings opened the scoring on a goal by Jaxson Ruthven.

Neither team scored again until midway through the third period, when Alameda’s Spencer Copeland scored to tie the game for Estevan. It was his first SJHL goal.

While it was a low-scoring game, it wasn’t from a lack of chances. Both goalies were sensational, as Hrdlicka made 33 saves for Estevan while Mitchell had 43 for Weyburn, including four in overtime.

Visentini had the lone goal for

either team in the shootout.

“It took us a while to find the back of the net,” said Tatarnic. “It seems at times we really struggle to score goals, for some reason right now. I thought we played really well.”

Tatarnic believes the solutions are available in-house to the team’s early-season offensive woes. The Bruins have scored six goals in four games.

“We had numerous Grade A chances last night and couldn’t find the back of the net. Our power play was a lot better but we just couldn’t

capitalize,” Tatarnic said Sunday.

Tatarnic was pleased with the performance of Copeland, who played his first two games of the season.

“I thought he worked extremely hard and got rewarded. It’s a good example for our guys. He really cares about being an Estevan Bruin and it shows on the ice,” said Tatarnic.

The games were also the first two in the 2023-24 Highway 39 Cup, which is part of an annual wager between Estevan Police Chief Rich Lowen and his Weyburn coun-

terpart Jamie Blunden. The team that has the better record in the six regular-season matches between the two teams wins the trophy, and the chief of the losing community has to wear the winning team’s jersey for a day.

Estevan won the Highway 39 Cup in its first two years.

The Bruins will be back on the ice when they host the Kindersley Klippers on Oct. 6 and 7. Both games will start at 7 p.m. Then they will play the Melville Millionaires on Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. at Affinity Place.

Elecs get first touchdown of the year against Swift Current

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs suffered another loss Friday night, but managed to score their first touchdown of the season.

Estevan dropped a 39-6 decision to the Swift Current Colts at the Dana Quewezance Memorial Field at Woodlawn Athletic Park. The Elecs’ score came in the third quarter, when they marched down the field on an extended drive and punched the ball into the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run by Preston McGuire.

“The kids were pretty pumped and happy about that, and hopefully that can lead to some more confidence and better execution on offence, and we can put up some more points,” said head coach Mark Schott.

Schott said the Elecs thought they had a major in the first half on what would have been a 70-yard touchdown romp, but it was called back on a penalty. Swift Current had a 14-0 lead at halftime.

There were three plays that Schott said changed the game. One was the negated score in the second quarter. Then, on the Elecs’ first offensive drive of the second half, Swift Current intercepted the ball, which set up a Colts’ score. ECS fumbled the subsequent kickoff, and Swift Current scored again.

“In the span of five or six minutes of game play, there was a three-touchdown swing,” said Schott.

The Elecs’ defensive backs had a strong game against the Colts potent passing attack, Schott said, as they had a

number of knockdowns, while Jayden Smith had an interception on what Schott said was a great play.

The Elecs (0-4) will close out the regular season on Oct. 14 at the Moose Jaw Central Cyclones. ECS will play either Swift Current or Moose Jaw Peacock in the consolation final.

Schott noted ECS also had a rookie scrimmage with Moose Jaw Central and the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles on Sept. 26. The Elecs used mostly Grade 9 and 10 students for the game, and Schott said they had a lot of fun. Central beat Estevan 7-0 and ECS played Weyburn to a scoreless draw.

•

•

• The Estevan Kinette Club U18 female Viragos wrapped

up their season with a 40-6 loss to the league-leading Yorkton Lady Gridders Saturday in Yorkton.

Coach Mark Tribiger said the Viragos were the first team to put up points against Yorkton this season. The Gridders had outscored their opponents 70-0 in their first two games of the campaign.

Morgan Hase scored a touchdown on a long run of more than 60 yards for the Viragos’ points. It was the third straight game that Hase has scored on such a play.

“The players did what we expected them to do,” said Tribiger. “Honestly, our plan was just to give Yorkton a pretty good run.”

Yorkton led 20-6 at halftime.

Tribiger was pleased to

see their graduating players come out and play hard in their final game of football.

While the Viragos didn’t win a game this season, Tribiger is pleased with the strides.

“We’ve come leaps and bounds and we’ve been in every game at halftime. It’s just with the lack of players, we’ve got too tired and couldn’t keep up with them,” said Tribiger.

This coming weekend will be the Viragos’ bye week, and they won’t make the playoffs.

There is talk that the league might drop to six players per team on the field at once for next season, as this is the only youth female league in Canada that plays nine aside. And there is also talk of having separate divisions for junior (Grades 5-8) and senior (Grades 9-12) girls.

• • • The Estevan Lions Club

U14 Oilers played the Swift Current Steelers to a scoreless tie on Sunday.

Coach Paul Duncan said the game was contested in incredibly rainy, wet and cold conditions. Neither offence moved the ball well due to the weather, and the defences were strong.

“It was a really run-heavy game, and the defence, obviously, with no points up, saved our bacon,” said Duncan.

The Steelers marched the ball deep into the Oilers’ territory late in the fourth quarter. On third down, Swift Current attempted a punt for a single point to win the game. It appeared the strategy worked, but the Steelers were called for no yards, the ball was brought out

of the end zone and Estevan ran out the clock.

“I really think we could have played with Swift Current and given them a run for their money, especially if it was clearer conditions for us, because we’re a little bit more of a pass team than we are a run team,” said Duncan.

Arvin Sangar and Brody Hogg had strong games defensively for Estevan.

The Oilers will host the Moose Jaw Vikings on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

• • • The Estevan Power Dodge U12 Chargers dropped a 64-0 decision to the Moose Jaw Lions Saturday afternoon at Woodlawn.

The Chargers will travel to Moose Jaw to face the Bulldogs on Oct. 7.

Brady Wilson (16) watches as the puck enters the net during the Estevan Bruins' 6-2 loss to the Weyburn Red Wings on Friday night. Photo by David Willberg

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs scored their first touchdown this season Friday against Swift Current. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Two Estevan Sharks alumni competed for Team Canada at international water polo event

Two athletes from Estevan competed for Team Canada at the recent World Aquatics Women's U20 Water Polo Championships in Portugal.

Mikayla Hack and Alia Burlock helped Canada to a 12th-place finish. Canada went 2-0 in the round robin, trouncing Chile 26-3 and defeating France 17-11. In the crossover round, they lost 17-9 to the Netherlands, 16-8 to Australia and 12-9 to New Zealand.

A 12-7 loss to Croatia in the first playoff round ended their tournament. Hack said Team Canada spent a lot of time watching club games to evaluate performance and statistics before picking the team.

"They contacted us at the start of January and asked if we would like to be part of the national team, and then we spent the rest of the year training on our own. Because of money, they didn't want us to have to spend more than the tournament," said Hack.

The teammates came together about a week before the tournament.

Hack said she was very

excited to be selected for Team Canada.

"That was one of my goals for this year," she said. "It was something that I was working towards for the first half of the year, and then something that I was very happy I got to work towards for the rest of the year."

Hack believes she improved as the tournament went along, and she was pleased with how the team came together.

"A lot of the European teams had a lot more time to train together, so we found that our team wasn't as put together as the other teams right at the start," she said.

It was really nice to reconnect with Burlock, because they hadn't seen each other in a long time.

Hack spent her initial years in water polo swimming for the Estevan Sharks program. It was an important time in helping her decide this was something she wanted to do.

"The community there was really nice and welcoming, and I found a lot of friends with the Sharks, and a lot of them made it to a pretty high level like I did," she said.

She believes this experience will be really beneficial in her development as an athlete.

"I got to learn a lot of new tactics and skills throughout the tournament, and I'm ready to take that back to my clubs and teach it to a lot of the girls that they can definitely progress," she said.

Hack is currently playing with Team Saskatchewan, and looks forward to what's next for her in the sport.

Burlock noted there would normally be selection camps during the summer months and a tournament to pick Team Canada, but this year it was different.

"Since I'm in the NCAA, some of the coaches came down and watched a few tournaments, and then just talking to other coaches, have connections that way, and that's the same thing for the league in Canada, too," said Burlock. "Coaches would come to tournaments, watch and then get feedback from other coaches."

It was a really fun experience and Burlock enjoyed playing with different athletes from all over the country, many

of whom, including Hack, she has played against previously.

Burlock is in her junior year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she is playing for the water polo team, which competes in the NCAA's Division 1. She noted they are ranked sixth in the U.S. entering this season.

Her family moved out of Estevan nearly a decade ago when she was in Grade 5. They relocated quite a bit through her father's job with Enbridge. While she wasn't in Estevan for long, she's grateful to the Estevan Sharks for her growth as an athlete.

"My mom was actually one of my first coaches and she has no water polo background whatsoever," said Burlock.

The other coaches weren't experienced, either, but they created a carefree environment.

"I've always loved the water. I started out as a competitive swimmer, and I wanted to find something in the winters to do in addition to swimming, but I didn't want to do winter club for swimming," said Burlock.

It was great to be on the

same team as Hack and to reconnect with her. It served as a reminder of how far they have come since they were kids.

This wasn't the first time Burlock has been part of Team Canada. When she was 15, she tried out for 18-and-under and 19-and-under events, and she was brought along for experience at a 2 1/2-week training camp in Montreal. Then in 2019, she was at the 17U Pan-

American Games in Trinidad and Tobago. This was her first trip since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competing against the best in the world in her age group is a great experience, because it pushes her both physically and mentally.

"It's really helped prepare me and take me to the next level of swimming back here," said Burlock.

Estevan U18 AAA Bears split games in the Battlefords

The Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears picked up one win in two games they played on the weekend against the host Battlefords Stars.

Estevan opened with a 6-3 victory on Saturday night. Evhan

Allan and Cooper Flath scored in the first period to give the Bears a 2-0 advantage. Roan Burgess and Carter Onrait tallied in the second to put the Bears up 4-1 at one point. While the Stars would pull

within two a couple of times, that would be it. Taye Shukin and Jase McNichol had goals in the third for Estevan. McNichol and Onrait each added two assists for the Bears.

Kaden Perron made 39 saves in the victory. The following day, the Bears fell 2-0. The Stars scored both of their goals in the opening 10 minutes of the middle frame.

Perron (22 saves on 24 shots) and Cole Ivey (nine saves on nine shots) split the goaltending duties. The Bears will host the Prince Albert Mintos on Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 1:45 p.m.

Estevan AA hockey teams impress to open season

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins picked up a pair of lopsided wins over the Moose Jaw Warriors on the weekend.

Estevan trounced Moose Jaw 7-1 Saturday and 7-2 Sunday in the Bruins’ first two games of the regular season. The Bruins took over after a scoreless first period. Hayden Terrett scored the Bruins’ first

goal of the campaign, and Ryder Miller tallied twice to put Estevan up by three through two periods.

Tristan Brownridge and Tayson Dietze tallied in the third to add to the lead, and Lucas Campbell scored twice before the game was finished.

Ty Fehrenbach made 23 saves to get the win on

Saturday. The Bruins kept the momentum going Sunday, scoring four times in the opening frame. Ryker Mathison, Dietze, Chase Robertson and Conrad Hase had the goals. Moose Jaw scored twice to cut the lead in half, but Brownridge, Terrett and Mathison scored in the third.

Sutter Baily was in on three of the goals. Fehrenbach stopped 25 shots in his second straight start. The Bruins’ next action in league play is Oct. 15 when they host the Prairie Storm, starting at 6 p.m.

• • • The Estevan TS&M U15

AA Bruins defeated the Saskatoon Outlaws 6-1 on Saturday and the Regina Monarchs 6-3 on Sunday. Boston Tait had the Bruins’ first two goals of the season and added two assists, while Nathan Gardiner had two goals and three helpers. Austin Merkly and Tucker Laurent also scored.

Quinton Sliva stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced.

The following day, Estevan defeated the Regina Monarchs 6-3. Tait again led the way offensively with a hat trick, while Gardiner, Raif Henrion and Austin Merkley also scored.

Estevan will visit the Warman Wildcats on Oct. 13 and the Martensville Marauders the following day.

• • • The Estevan Primec Controls Canada U13 AA Bruins began their season at the Evan Thomas Memorial Tournament in Saskatoon from Sept. 28-Oct. 1. Estevan went 3-1 during the competition and

missed out on the A event playoffs in a tie-breaker.

Estevan opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the Regina Tigers Friday, but lost 4-0 to the Humboldt Broncos. Cooper Hale and Austin Tangjerd had the goals for Estevan against the Tigers. The Bruins recovered with a 7-3 victory over the Saskatoon Thunder on Saturday. Tayson Tangjerd finished with a hat trick. Lucas Singleton had two goals, Owen Light had a goal and two assists and Cooper Hale also scored. The Bruins the tournament with a 10-6 win over the Saskatoon Mission. Light finished with a hat trick, while Hale and Bentley Hebert each scored twice. Tangjerd, Ethan Phillips and Lucas Desautels also scored.

Cruz Carter and Josef Hozjan shared the goaltending duties. Estevan will open the regular season on Oct. 8 when they host the Weyburn Wings at 5:45 p.m.

Alia Burlock and Mikayla Hack were part of Canada at a recent international water polo event.

Photo courtesy of Mona Hack