Estevan Mercury 20240306

Helping in early years. A young man fundraises for STARS after personal experience.

Changes coming. Estevan chamber to wish farewell to its leader at the end of the year.

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International Women’s Day special. The Mercury continues to celebrate local women.

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Community recognition.

Find all Best of Estevan details on

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Pink game.

Estevan senior girls’ basketball Elecs host annual Shoot for a Cure tournament.

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Cele and Eq y Celebrating Strength, Resilience, and Equality

It’s Armageddon

Council removes Seventh Street snow dump site

By David Willberg

For the first time in more than 15 years, the City of Estevan isn’t dumping snow on the 1400-block of Seventh Street.

Estevan city council voted 4-2 in favour of removing the residential area from its inventory of dump sites at the Feb. 26 meeting. Mayor Roy Ludwig and Coun. Lindsay Clark voted against the motion, while Councillors Shelly Veroba, Travis Frank, Tony Sernick and Kirsten Walliser were in favour. Coun. Rebecca Foord was not at the meeting. The vote occurred several days before a powerful winter storm plowed through the southeast, and the city was not dumping snow at the location on Monday. Council members who supported the motion noted that if they find there isn’t a viable alternate option for dumping snow, they might have to resume using the Seventh Street location.

This isn’t the first time the issue has been brought forward. In 1999, Estevan city council voted to stop dump snow on the south side of Seventh Street, and opted instead for the Pleasantdale valley off of King Street. But council reverted back to the 1400-block of Seventh in 2006-07.

Robert Myers, who has lived on Seventh Street for 28 years, has long been a critic of the snow dump site. He spoke out against it in the late 1990s and has long wanted snow to be dumped elsewhere.

Myers said he was pleased to hear of council’s decision last week, but he’s not happy the snow could eventually be dumped near his home again. If it happens, then he said he would have to try to sell his home, because he wouldn’t wish the noise and the damage to his home from the trucks on anybody. He claims the rattling associated with the trucks has broken the thermal seal on windows, forcing him to

replace them. The trucks create noise when they rumble past his house, and the proximity of the dump site to his home reduced his privacy.

Myers pointed out a neighbouring house has been on the market for two years, and it won’t see because of the noise.

“The quality of living for old people here on Seventh Street is zero,” said Myers.

In her report to council, Hayley DeConinck, the manager of the public works’ roads and drainage division, recommended retaining the Seventh Street location, arguing that if the city were to get a very large snow event, it is the most efficient option from an operations perspective. She pointed out roads and drainage utilized a total of nine strategicallyplaced dump sites to provide the fastest and shortest route from the snow blower at any given location within the city.

“In the event of a large snowfall, when equipment is dispatched to various

locations around the city, the process in place is to utilize the closest dump site,” she wrote. “Currently when both snow blowers are operational, the operators are waiting for empty trucks to return and on average, the snow removal process takes five days to complete,” she wrote.

Recently, access to the Seventh Street site had been changed to 14th Avenue, she said. During normal winter temperatures, there is no concern over deterioration of the road.

“If the decision is to not use Seventh Street dump site overall, it would be double the time to complete a large snowfall event. Due to increased time, this may cause complaints,” she wrote. Snow could be deposited at existing sites, including one adjacent to Valley Street, a pasture on Drader Street North, or a site near the Royal Heights Esso, but she pointed out those would take more time. Council discussed the Pleasantdale valley

site, but Ludwig said they would need to talk to affected residents first.

“Maybe they won’t mind but I’m sure whatever happens, you’ll find some people that aren’t crazy about it,” said Ludwig.

The Seventh Street site was used for snow from Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Streets, as well as some of the downtown core, and the parking lots for the Estevan Fire Rescue Service, Power Dodge Curling Centre, Affinity Place and Power Dodge Arena.

Veroba adamantly argued against the Seventh Street site.

“I took a drive down there, and that little cul de sac, I can only imagine if those big trucks were coming right up to that gentleman’s house,” she said.

Some of the pictures she has seen show how close the trucks come to the side of his garage. The snow dump has been 94 feet from his living room window.

Connor Smith, left, and Cowan Ludtke squared off in the boys’ 14-18 division during the Estevan Southern Impact arm wrestling club’s first-ever Armageddon competition on Saturday at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Athletes put their skill and technique to the test.

For more on the event, see Page A14. Photo by David Willberg

Adjudicators and details announced for the Estevan and District Music Festival

Estevan will be hosting many talented musicians for the Estevan and District Music Festival from March 11-23.

The festival kicks off with band and instrumental March 11 and 12 with Tom Hearn adjudicating.

Hearn graduated high school in Yorkton and received his bachelor of music education (BME) for instrumental and vocal from Northern State University in South Dakota. He has taught in Saskatchewan and B.C. for over 30 years. He is a percussion specialist and has a soft spot for jazz.

Hearn has played in many groups ranging from the Saskatoon Symphony to country bands, polka bands, jazz bands, pit orchestras for musicals, marching bands and jazz groups.

Spoken word, vocal and musical theatre will be held on March 12-14, with Jeri Ryba adjudicating.

Ryba is a voice teacher, adjudicator, accompanist and performer from Moose Jaw. She studied music at the University of Brandon

and received her BME from the University of Lethbridge. Ruba teaches voice in Moose Jaw and is active with the Moose Jaw Community Theatre Arts Organization. Her students have been Saskatchewan Music Festival Association winners and have also competed at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals in musical theatre.

Anna Marie Bekolay will be adjudicating strings and guitar on March 15, being the first separate string adjudicator for the festival. Bekolay is a multidisciplinary artist and collaborative musician who

combines her passion for all the arts, including visual, dance, drama, design and music, to create a new character and evocative music for every project she participates in. Her education includes a BME; Grade 10 violin from the Royal Conservatory of Music; Grade 6 piano; a year of lessons with piano master Rod Salloum in rock and roll, blues, and boogie woogie piano; and an associate diploma in voice performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for which she won a gold medal for the highest mark in Canada in 2006.

Over the years, Bekolay has been involved with 30 different performing ensembles and has participated as a freelance musician in a variety of other projects. She is currently involved in reiki and dance projects, and runs the Dance Space Concert Series, which opened in March 2023. She continues teaching violin and fiddle at the Saskatoon Academy of Music, as well as voice, violin, fiddle, creative piano and recorder in her home studio.

Sarah Clark Gregory will be adjudicating piano from March 18-23.

Gregory began teaching while still in high school, and now runs a multi-location private music studio, teaching piano, voice, theory, composition and classical guitar. Her students have won awards and scholarships at both local and provincial levels in performance and composition.

Gregory holds associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in both piano and voice, and has a bachelor of education in special education. She has directed, sung with and accompanied various concert, community, church and symphony

Late-winter storm brought heavy snow to

Southeast Saskatchewan has been digging out this week from a large blast of winter.

A powerful winter storm tracked through the region on Sunday, bringing heavy snow and powerful winds.

Snowfall totals recorded by the Estevan Regional Airport were not available, but it’s believed at least 20 centimetres fell on the Energy City.

A special weather statement was issued Thursday

afternoon due to the pending storm. It was repealed in favour of a winter storm watch on Friday morning. The watch became a warning on Friday afternoon, with the Estevan area expected to receive the majority of its snow on Sunday.

The City of Estevan said in a news release Monday morning that its roads and drainage division was moving forward with snow removal on all city streets. The city said this is to

alleviate issues caused by Sunday’s snowfall, and prevent drainage issues with warmer temperatures expected to arrive this weekend.

The city noted a number of streets were impassable due to winds and drifting snow, but efforts are well underway to remedy these areas. If citizens are able, the city asks that vehicles be moved from the roads to ease the snow removal process.

choirs in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and B.C. She has been the musical director for eight Broadway-style musicals and performed in four provinces, 38 states, and seven European countries. She is a member of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association, and co-designed/ launched and for many years administered the Community Music Award program for the organization.

A total of 482 entries have been received for this year, up 75 from 2023.

“Please come out and celebrate the musical talent that Estevan has to offer,” said the festival committee. “Thank you to students, teachers, parents and community members who support and encourage music in our community.”

The award ceremony for band, spoken word, vocal musical theatre, strings and guitar will be held on March 24 at 6 p.m., and the piano awards will take place on March 26 at 3:30 p.m.

Crews were out clearing snow in Estevan on Monday morning.

Hayley DeConinck, manager of Estevan’s public works roads and drainage division, thanked the staff and local contractors for the extended hours put in to keep streets maintained.

The Estevan Police Service says it did not receive any reports of collisions or

other incidents Sunday related to the storm. The storm also created adverse driving conditions throughout the region. Travel not recommended advisories were issued at various times for the highways on Sunday. The Ministry of High-

ways and Infrastructure closed several highways in the Estevan area Sunday night. They were open again early Monday morning. Estevan is expected to receive a few more centimetres of snow this week. Temperatures are expected to warm up on the weekend.

Council debated change

« A1 “When he’s sitting there, things are shaking right off the shelf, and his

television, he said, has actually been having to be replaced, because he feels

it’s the shaking vibration the trucks are doing to his home. He’s very fearful that his home itself is being damaged due to the vibration and shaking,” said Veroba.

She stressed the city has eight other dump sites that it has never had problems with.

Clark suggested a reduced use for the Seventh Street location, but he believes it still needed to be in the area.

DeConick pointed out that if they do use King Street as a dump site, then they would have to get Cat operators.

“We can get into the valley for so long, but then you’re going to have to push, like you do on Seventh Street,” she said.

Frank argued that since this had been a low-snow year, this would be an opportunity to find another area.

“I don’t know if I want to say absolutely no forever [to Seventh Street] but I definitely want to see them try some different ideas and see what will work and have a better look at it.”

From left, Tom Hearn (band and instrumental) Jeri Ryba (spoken word, vocal and musical theatre), Anna Marie Bekolay (strings and guitar) and Sarah Clark Gregory (piano) will be the 2024 Estevan and District Music Festival adjudicators. Photos courtesy of the Estevan and District Music Festival committee

Carter Yunick and his family are grateful for the care he received from STARS Air Ambulance after he was involved in a motocross accident last year.

Now he is among the very important patients (VIPs) for the Critical Care on the Air Radiothon for STARS, which will be taking place on April 9 and 10. A profile for Carter, who is 12 years old, went live on March 1, and he already had $575 of his $3,000 goal, as of Monday afternoon.

Carter’s bio states that like a lot of kids, he lives for excitement, with one of his favourite pastimes being motocross racing. His family rides dirt bikes, and he has been competing for a few years. During a race on May 27, 2023, Carter hit a rut on the track near Estevan, which caused him and his bike to fly off the track, causing an open fracture of his right arm near his wrist.

“It looked like his hand was almost going to come

off,” said Tenille, Carter’s mom. Carter was immediately rushed to hospital, where it was determined he needed to have immediate surgery to avoid infection and save his hand. That’s when a STARS air medical crew was called in.

Because Carter’s injuries were considered nonlife threatening, Tenille was able to travel in the helicopter with Carter. The bio states the care she saw reinforced the importance of the level of care STARS provides to its patients.

“The medic who was attending to him didn’t just tend to his medical needs. She also kind of took the role as a mom too,” said Tenille. “There was one point when Carter was coming to that I was really put at ease. She was talking to him and rubbing his forehead, like something I would do as a mom. Those extra things really meant a lot to me.”

Upon arrival at the hospital, Carter was rushed into surgery where doctors

Estevan youth an ambassador for STARS

were able to save his hand. While not everything is back to 100 per cent just yet, Carter is thriving and enjoying all the things that his family worried he might miss out on.

“We never thought

we would see him serving overhand in volleyball again, and he had an amazing serve this season with his school,” said Tenille. “Basketball is another sport … which he is currently in mid-season and

he amazingly picked up right where he was preinjury. He’s adapted so well and him being the competitive, athletic kid that he is was huge for our family.”

At the time of the ac-

Local libraries host Aboriginal storyteller

As part of the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month, Heather O’Watch visited the Estevan Public Library on Feb. 27. O’Watch shared her storytelling journey and talked about her recentlypublished children’s book Auntie’s Rez Surprise.

O’Watch is Nakoda and Cree from the Okanese First Nation. She currently works for a global Indigenous rights organization and is also currently studying for her master’s degree in public policy at the University of Saskatchewan.

When not working or studying, O’Watch spends her time on creative writing.

Estevan Public Library branch manager Jason Redshaw said the event was well-attended and engaging.

“It was a combination of her talking about her story, about the book, and she was also teaching Cree language,” Redshaw said. “It was pretty good interactive storytelling. It was geared for a younger audience, and the kids really enjoyed it.”

O’Watch also taught

kids a bit of Indigenous sign language, Redshaw noted, and “kids really enjoyed that.”

About 40 kindergartenGrade 3 students from Hillcrest School were in attendance for the interactive and educational visit.

Redshaw said the event, “Was very helpful in understanding Aboriginal storytelling, and the language as well. I think it was very, very important for the children to attend.”

The EPL promotes Aboriginal Storytelling Month every year. This

time, they also had several thematic displays set up around the library throughout February.

“It was interactive for the kids. They had a lot of

questions to ask, specifically about the thunderbird, which is very important in Aboriginal storytelling. A lot of kids had questions about that,” Redshaw

cident, she wasn’t sure if he would be able to write again. He couldn’t feel his fingers, and it took a long time for him to get movement back.

As for motocross, it’s not known if he will be able to ride again.

Carter was asked to be part of the campaign after going for a tour of the STARS base to meet the crew that helped him. He agreed to be part of the campaign once he was asked.

“For him being only 12, it’s surprising how many people close to us … have actually used STARS, so he wanted to help out right away. He didn’t hesitate at all,” said Tenille.

As part of his role as a VIP, he will have to do a live on-air interview during the fundraiser and his story is online.

Carter and his family are proud to be sharing their STARS story and ask the public to donate to their campaign in support of the Critical Care on the Air Radiothon.

said. “It was a fun time for them.”

O’Watch also visited students, doing presentations in Midale, Lampman and Bienfait in late February.

Carter Yunick, second from left, with STARS flight nurse Raegan Gardner, flight paramedic Darcy McKay and pilot Patrick Richards

Photo courtesy of Tenille Yunick

Aboriginal storyteller Heather O’Watch visited Estevan, Midale, Lampman and Bienfait recently. Photo courtesy of the Estevan Public Library

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Expect more discussions about Power Dodge Arena moving forward

While Estevan city council has approved $250,000 in upgrades for the boards and the spectator area at the Power Dodge Arena, that doesn’t mean we’ve had the last of the conversations on the future of the rink.

Council decided last Monday to spend the money on the arena, citing safety concerns with the boards and the cramped quarters of the spectator area. (The latter has been discussed for many years). The money was included in this year’s budget, but council wanted to get feedback from user groups, like the Estevan Minor Hockey Association and the Estevan Figure Skating Club, before giving its final blessing. Any further discussions about spending significant money at the Power Dodge Arena will likely be accompanied by chatter about the building’s future. It’s an older venue that’s showing its age. Upgrades have occurred over the years, but eventually, it’s going to have to be replaced.

You’re not going to see the replacement happening any time soon. The current council isn’t going to authorize anything, not with a civic election happening in November. And with at least two members of the current council not seeking re-election,

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it wouldn’t be right to saddle a new council with a large investment like a new rink.

Besides, with the uncertainty associated with the federal government’s plan to phase out conventional coal-fired power by 2030, the city won’t be eager to have any big projects unless absolutely necessary. (The city has a very ambitious goal to retire its long-term debt by 2030).

If you’re expecting a ground-breaking ceremony on a new arena before the end of this year or next year, you’re going to be disappointed.

Two arenas in Estevan is a necessity. If something happened to the Power Dodge Arena, a second rink would instantly move to the top of the priority list.

A lot of people associated with user groups will tell you we need three. And it was nice to have three rinks for the six years from when Affinity Place opened in 2011 until the Civic Auditorium closed in 2017. But having three rinks was a luxury.

But it is a positive to start the planning process soon for the Power Dodge Arena’s replacement. You can’t wait for it to fail, or for it to be on its last legs, before you start looking ahead. Have the plans in place.

Know what you want. Have a ballpark cost estimate. And start fundraising and think-

ing about grants, because it’s not going to happen with just taxpayer dollars alone when it’s going to cost at least $10 million.

When a replacement is discussed, a twin rink concept should be seriously considered. It would require a lot more planning, and would obviously cost more, but the payoff would be significant.

We’d have the third ice surface that so many in the community covet. There would be efficiencies associated with having two ice surfaces sharing the same ice plant.

Players wouldn’t have to travel out of town for home games any longer. And we could have more events offered in Affinity Place during the ice sports season.

The Power Dodge Arena has served this community for decades. But there are elements in its design that are obsolete. Nobody would build an arena in this day and age in which players and officials have to navigate through the spectator area to access the dressing rooms, which are small by today’s standards. It’s good that the city is finally adding more areas for the crowd, but it should have been addressed years ago.

The day is going to come when the Power Dodge Arena has to be replaced. We don’t know when that will occur, but at least the planning can start soon.

A Moomin moment in Saskatchewan

Writer and illustrator Tove Jansson was Finnish, but she must have known a lot about Danish hygge (in a nutshell, a warm atmosphere) when creating her beautiful and cozy world of Moomins.

I know her books are not as popular on this side of the planet as they are in Europe, but I believe a lot of people have heard about them, as, I’d say, they became as big of a part of Scandinavian culture as Mickey Mouse here. (Since 1993 they have their own Moomin World in Finland, so maybe even bigger.)

If you haven’t read stories about the Moomin family and their friends, and if you ever come across them, give them some of your time. No matter how old you are, read them for yourself or to your kids or grandkids. Believe me, you’ll enjoy the sophisticated, warm peace blooming on those pages. (Check with our Estevan Public Library, even if they don’t have them here, they’ll probably know how to get them).

Moomins, a family of white, round, fairytale characters with large snouts who look like hippos, but are trolls, hibernate in winter. Jansson, not the biggest fan of winter, still beautifully described the moment when winter arrives:

“One grey morning, the first snow began to fall in Moomin Valley. It fell softly and quietly, and in a few hours, everything was white. Moomintroll stood on his doorstep and watched the valley nestle beneath its winter blanket. ‘Tonight,’ he thought, ‘we shall settle down for our long winter’s sleep.’ (All Moomintrolls go to sleep about November. This is a good idea, too, if you don’t like the cold and the long winter darkness.) Shutting the door behind him, Moomintroll stole in to his mother and said: ‘The snow has come!’”

The family, their friends and acquaintances, prepare for winter by eating a meal

Ana Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines About…

of not-so-tasty but filling pine needles, which help them sleep through several months. Then they clean their teeth, make sure the doors and shutters are closed, put a mosquito net over the chandelier, so it won’t get dusty, and calmly go to bed until spring.

I didn’t eat any pine needles last weekend, but with the winter storm in the forecast, I felt similar to those creatures, who took winter as the time for recuperation. I made sure I had enough clean water and food, in case the storm would be bigger than expected, put aside the endless to-do lists, made sure all doors were closing tight and the furnace was running fine and … did nothing. But that nothing wasn’t anxiously empty. It was filled with something indeed essential.

I didn’t sleep through this short blast of winter, but it felt like I hibernated, with all worries set aside in favour of a peaceful time-out.

I did read a book and watched a movie with my hubby, I talked to family and friends. On Sunday, I even went out of my nest a few times and shovelled a little patch in front of the house, like Moomintroll (in the books, they sometimes suddenly wake up and learn about winter a bit), appreciating the beauty of the snow.

“One by one, the snowflakes floated down on to his warm snout, and melted. He reached out to grab them so he could admire them for a fleeting moment. He looked towards the sky and watched them drift down towards him, more and more, soft and light as a feather.”

There was no rush or stress in anything I did, and I felt that my home and my soul filled with joy.

That magic lasted throughout the weekend (and probably should have lasted longer with the temperatures staying below zero this week), but disappeared Monday morning when I heard my husband snowblowing the driveway. Just like that. That noise meant that I was not locked in the house by the snow anymore, and life needed to go back to its busy normal. But even though the weekend was wonderful, I didn’t feel sorry because I did get to rest and enjoy what felt like that mystical art of hygge to me.

(In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Hot cocoa with marshmallows in a cozy cup is hygge, too; so is a pot of favourite soup or cuddling up with a loved one with a Moomin or any other good book in your hands.)

There are many ways to practise hygge described in Moomins books (probably unintentionally, I think Scandinavians just naturally feel and live it). We here in North America live a very different lifestyle. (I don’t think any other place, but the U.S., could have invented a to-go coffee cup, because everywhere else coffee is a reason to slow down, enjoy, think, visit, anything but run.) Even though Canada is different, and rural Canada differs from urban, there is more rush, more workaholism and more stress as part of lifestyle when compared to the old world.

Living goal-oriented lives, we sometimes forget to breathe. Thankfully, inspired by Mother Nature, my Saskatchewan Moomin weekend slowed me down and reminded me how influential the pauses are. Hope you had a chance to enjoy some you-time as well.

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Local woman starts pet-care business

Trish Boulding of Estevan says she loves dogs, and with the inspiration from a recent experience, that love for pets translated into her new business endeavour –Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service.

“I am a crazy, crazy dog lady … I have that bond with them,” said Boulding in an interview with Mercury and SaskToday.

She started walking dogs last summer, and later, when her friend’s neighbours in Fernie, B.C. – where she went for the Christmas holidays – asked her to look after their dogs, Boulding happily agreed.

“While we were up there, I walked them twice a day.

… I stayed with the dogs because I like dogs more than people. And that’s

The Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service business idea was born after Boulding was asked to take care of several dogs in B.C. last year.

how it started,” shared Boulding with a laugh. Her new business is in Estevan, but Boulding will be going back to Fernie later this month, because the family that inspired her to turn her passion into a job asked her to come back and look after their dogs again.

“Not only they knew their dogs were taken care of over Christmas, but they

had not gone on a trip in two years, because the last person they had looking after their three pitbulls backed out while they were gone on holidays. So, they’ve been hesitant to go on another one, and that’s why they asked me to come back knowing they can have a stress-free holiday,” Boulding shared. She noted that when you have more than one dog, kennels might become expensive. Besides, not all dogs take after them well, so Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service comes in handy.

Boulding provides dog walking services. She also takes dogs to her place if they get along with her animals. Boulding has three pitbulls and one chihuahua of her own. She also offers a day stay, where she comes in to let dog(s) out or just hang out with animals for the day. She can stay at people’s places and look after their dogs when they are gone. She said she can also travel to other places if her services are required elsewhere.

Boulding is also currently working on a new website and plans on selling a variety of products she designs.

“There’s like 250 prod-

ucts that I have designed, like dog beds, beach towels, bandanas for dogs,” Boulding said. “But it’s not quite done yet.”

For more information, prices and the latest sched-

ule updates from Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service, follow them on Facebook. Boulding can be contacted through messenger and via text/phone call at 306-421-8999.

Art gallery invites public to Gin Joint Speakeasy

Drinks, music, dances and the glamour of the Prohibition era.

The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum has announced details of a thematic night out and a fundraiser.

Art fans and partygoers are invited to the EAGM’s first-ever Gin Joint Speakeasy fundraiser, slated for March 23. The exciting evening will offer food, drinks and dancing to live

music provided by North Portal folk Americana family duo Last Birds.

“We haven’t done any big events in a couple of years, so we decided that it was time to calm the cobwebs off and do something,” shared the EAGM director/curator Tye Dandridge-Evancio. “We were talking different ideas, and one idea that just kept coming around was something

Great Gatsby inspired, something from the roaring 20s. So, we eventually came up with the idea of doing a speakeasy with a theme.

“We are planning on having the ‘20s theme to the event and décor ... And we’re going to have specialty cocktails, inspired by that era.

Fancy 1920s attire for the night is highly encouraged but not required for

the atmospheric event, Dandridge-Evancio said. The night is for those 18 and over.

There are up to 200 tickets available. They are $40 each and are selling quickly. Tickets can be purchased in person or online through the eagm.ca website with an e-transfer to director@eagm.ca.

The thematic party at the gallery starts at 7 p.m. and runs until midnight.

Proceeds from the event will go to EAGM’s regular operations and programming.

“We don’t like to charge for attendance, and we like to keep the cost of participation in our programs and events as low as possible. We always want to offer our programming and facilities to the community like a completely open land, without there being too much of a bar-

rier to be able to participate and take in culture and arts programming.

“So, doing fundraisers like this helps us generate that extra bit of money to keep the facility going, to keep our equipment up to date and fund the fun, engaging events that we offer throughout the year,” Dandridge-Evancio said.

For more information, call the EAGM at 306634-7644.

Trish Boulding of Estevan started Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service this year. Photos courtesy of Trish Boulding

Tails and Trails Travelling Pet Sitting Service offers a variety of options for pet care while owners are busy.

Estevan Chamber of Commerce director is to focus on creative and consulting endeavours

The Estevan Chamber of Commerce will be undergoing a leadership change at the end of 2024.

The current executive director Jackie Wall announced that she will finish out her contract, which ends Dec. 31. The board will be seeking a new executive director for 2025.

“I am looking forward to focusing on the creative endeavours that have been

developing in my art studio, like publishing more books, creating original artwork, expanding my e-commerce product line, and instructing artisan workshops. I will also be expanding my consulting company to further support organizations and businesses through workshops, creative coaching and strategic doing,” Wall shared in an interview with Mercury and SaskToday.

Wall has been an integral part of the chamber’s leadership team since June 2015.

“I was fairly new to Estevan and I was looking for new opportunities,” Wall recalled. “I do have a bachelor of commerce degree, so I’ve always been interested in business. I’ve owned my businesses and I had always thought that I would have the right skill set for being the executive director of a chamber. So, when the job posting came up, I applied for it.”

Through almost nine years at the helm of the local chamber, Wall and the local business community encountered different states of the local economy.

“Oil plummeted just shortly before I came in, so I knew it was going to be a huge challenge within the community as to how we were going to move forward in regards to the boom and bust cycle of oil and gas. Everyone, of course, was hopeful that oil was going to recover quickly. But as we know, that didn’t happen,” Wall said, recalling her early years with the chamber.

“The chamber was also undergoing a lot of changes at that time. It was one of the first ones to discover that we were looking at the end-oflife for the power units. And we started asking SaskPower questions as to what their plans were moving forward. This was even before the GHG [greenhouse gas] legislation.

“So, the chamber has always been very proactive in watching our economy and looking at ways to advocate for the community and to collaborate to move our economy forward.”

Wall’s contributions have significantly impacted the local business community. Her professional leadership has been recognized beyond Estevan. She was celebrated as the Executive of the Year for chambers with fewer than 500 members by the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada during the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s national convention in Ottawa in October 2022. A few weeks later, Wall received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her outstanding service in economic development.

During her tenure, Wall

has overseen several key initiatives. The Estevan chamber membership grew to be one of the strongest in the country, with a retention rate and membership per capita higher than the national average. She helped build a strong organization that operates with financial and administrative sustainability. Wall played a pivotal role in addressing future energy needs in the region. She also forged strategic relationships, provincially and federally, with governments, the Saskatchewan and Canadian chambers of commerce, and key stakeholders.

Wall also served as a director on the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance board and executive for eight years. Also, she worked collaboratively with the City of Estevan, the RM of Estevan and local organizations during challenging times to drive economic resiliency and support the membership.

Current chamber president Sheena Onrait expressed her gratitude for Wall’s leadership.

“The Estevan Chamber of Commerce has been very fortunate to have Jackie at the helm for the past number of years. Her dedication and vision have positioned our chamber well, both in terms of membership growth and regional influence,” Onrait said.

Wall is grateful for her time with the Estevan chamber.

“For nearly nine years it has been my pleasure to serve the membership of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce. It has been a true honour to represent the chamber and our community on a provincial and federal scale. The Estevan chamber has been serving this community for 120 years and is in a strong position to continue that legacy,” Wall said. “It’s been really exciting nine years of growth for me professionally. I’ve learned so much, but the biggest thing was getting to know so many people in the community.

“I will still be around, I will just be serving in a different capacity,” she added.

Wall noted that while the next years are going to bring many changes, she is confident the chamber is in good shape to support membership in challenges and opportunities coming Estevan’s way.

“There are many opportunities that could be happening very shortly. This is the year where we’re supposed to get the announcement that we’re going to get the [small modular reactor] nuclear facilities. Several other projects are being put forward and developing. I like to focus on what is possible, and how we can work to collaborate to

bring people together,” Wall said. “That was a huge part of bringing Coffee Talk into the chamber. So, I would just encourage everyone to have honest, positive and collaborative conversations to move our community forward.

“It’s going to take everyone to move things forward and to make changes. … I would encourage people if they have questions, or if they have ideas, go to the economic development office, come to the chamber.

The more ideas and the more collaboration we have, the better our community is positioned.”

The chamber board is in the midst of a strategic planning process. The recruitment process will commence after the annual general meeting and will be led by incoming board president Denise Taylor and vice president Tania Hlohovsky Andrist.

Wall said she will be assisting the board with the leadership transition.

“I am so passionate about the chamber that I really do want to work with the board and, of course, the new executive director to make sure that they feel confident and comfortable as they move into the position. So, how ever I can serve that, that is really what I want to do,”

Wall added.

The AGM is scheduled for March 20.

•

More, along with Tania Andrist, who is the applied research lead officer with the college’s Centre of Sustainable Innovation, will talk about how the southeast can empower a future of economic growth through innovation and technology.

The three-year proposal is aimed at kickstarting the technology sector in the southeast, which is only possible with community support.

Among others, the proposal will talk about two projects, that, if successful could mean a US$4.5 billion investment and over 500 new jobs. The details will be shared during the presentation.

The event will start with a pizza supper at 6 p.m., followed by the conversation at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge for the event, but organizers ask participants to pre-register to receive a pizza ticket.

Estevan Chamber of Commerce executive director Jackie Wall, middle, pictured accepting a national chamber award in 2022, has announced she will finish out her contract at the end of the year. File photo

City Hall: 1102 4th Street

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

Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue

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

Mayor’s Message

The last Bruin games are March 8 and March 15. Please come out and support the team. Annual Bruin’s Sportsman Dinner is April 13, 2024, get your tickets for a fun evening.

CITY OF ESTEVAN

PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 6th day of May, 2024, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Unit

Women of Estevan: Debbie Hagel –advocating for inclusion for over 40 years

By Ana Bykhovskaia

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, the Mercury is once again paying tribute to a local woman who makes our community a better place.

The IWD 2024 campaign theme is Inspire Inclusion, and, resonating with the theme, we are sharing the story of Debbie Hagel, who for over 40 years, has been advocating and bringing in changes to ensure more people in the southeast and beyond could enjoy equal opportunities and rights.

Hagel has been the executive director of Southeast Newcomer Services

and Southeast Advocates for Employment for years, leading a team of dedicated people in their effort to make the southeast more inclusive for everyone.

“For me, inclusion means having a voice, feeling safe, feeling heard, and contributing to your community in any way that works for you, not somebody else, but for you,” Hagel shared.

While Hagel appears as an intrinsic part of the southeast community, her story doesn’t start here. Roots of the passion

“My parents had six children, and we were all born in different provinces,” said Hagel (nee Grass).

“I appreciate the childhood I had because it was

very unique. Of course, we didn’t have sleepovers, and we didn’t stay in communities really long – we finished off the school year and then we were up and off, catching up to my father, who had already relocated somewhere else. We lived in Alberta, Winnipeg, Montreal, the Maritimes, Ontario, in very, very diverse communities throughout my whole life.”

Hagel was born in Edmonton. Her father, Bill Grass, worked for a large retail company, trying to save stores from closing, if possible. The family moved a lot, living mostly in bigger centres, but sometimes also in smaller communities all across the country, and Ha-

gel ended up going to three high schools. Despite some challenges with this lifestyle, looking back, she says that among other things, regular relocations played a role in shaping her values and interests, and also affecting her professional choices. But there are also other factors, such as her father’s strong personality and her family history.

“I had an uncle, Alan, who had a disability. On my mother’s side, there were 12 children, and Alan was one of the middle children. I remember my mother telling me that he had to be carried around on his pillow for the first six years of his life, and he wasn’t expected to live. And when I was a young girl of 12-14 years old, my uncle Alan was thriving. He lived on his own and had a job,” Hagel shared.

“The family rallied around him, to make sure that he was thriving. He wasn’t outcasted, he wasn’t segregated. He was part of the family and they made it work. And I think for me, that was a big takeaway.

“I always say, every individual has potential. It’s finding that potential and making it work.”

Hagel’s first full-time job was in Brockville, Ont., with a community living association, an agency that was trying to deinstitutionalize individuals with a mental

disability. Off the start, she put her passion to work, but that was just the beginning.

Discovering SE Sask

Even though Hagel travelled a lot, Saskatchewan wasn’t on her map until her parents decided to move here full-time. Her father first found a job in retail in Estevan in the early ‘80s, and shortly after purchased the Carnduff Gazette PostNews. Hagel took a year’s leave to visit her family in southeast Saskatchewan.

“Mom and dad decided to semi-retire, so they bought the newspaper. And that’s how I got out here. I decided to come and visit and actually fell in love with Estevan,” Hagel recalled.

Debbie Hagel, Southeast Newcomer Services and Southeast Advocates for Employment executive director, has been working for over 40 years to make the world more inclusive for everyone. Photos courtesy of Debbie Hagel

AMANDA MACK REALTOR® 306.461.9363

“I did a little bit of work with the target population. We did a summer program where individuals who had an intellectual disability that perhaps weren’t connected to family, could have summer vacation. … We rented a building at Kenosee for the entire summer and rotated individuals, so they could go to the beach, go for walks and to a park.”

That happened close to 40 years ago. Since then, Estevan has long become home, giving Hagel what she was missing elsewhere.

“I knew I wanted to raise my children with a sense of belonging in a community where they knew their cousins and their aunties and their grandparents, because of course, when we moved around so much, we didn’t get that opportunity,” she shared.

“I love Estevan. It has become my home. … And I know that with what’s happening in the background, Estevan is going to thrive again. Just give it a little bit more time, but we are going to remain the Energy City.

I think Estevan is a great, great place to live, to raise children and be included.”

It was in Estevan where

Hagel met her husband and raised their two daughters. And just like her job, her family also was inclusive.

“I have a wonderful family. I was married to a gentleman, he passed away 16 years ago. … He was a farmer to the core and a heavyduty mechanic who worked at the mines. We had two children.

“My oldest is adopted, and she’s First Nations. Part of the ‘60s Scoop. My apologies. I just wanted to be a mommy. We learned as much as we could about her culture and shared that with her. Was it difficult for her to be a First Nations child in a white family? Absolutely. Would I have expected the racial tensions with her growing up? I didn’t expect it, but they were there.

“But we have since met her birth mom. … She’s now family. … My daughter has two mothers, so when she’s in trouble, she’s really in trouble,” Hagel said with a laugh.

The family then had another daughter, and Hagel had to advocate for her younger one during her school years as well, through her child also helping other kids to be included in a notso-perfect system.

Advocating for inclusion here, there, everywhere

In the early ‘90s, following her passion for inclusion, Hagel secured a job as an employment consultant with the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living – an agency advocating and working on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities.

“I had a small caseload down here in the corner, and my job at that time was to find employment for people with intellectual disabilities, but we also had a big responsibility advocating to the government in regard to anything and everything that affects people with intellectual disabilities,” Hagel recalled.

“I remember working with people, and I would ask them, what they [wanted/ needed] and they didn’t

know. Back in time, people were usually told where they were going to live, what they were going to do. And now we were giving a voice to people, and people needed to learn how to use that voice.

“Even back in the 90s, even in this area of the province, we still institutionalized our children with intellectual disabilities. There was a school in Oxbow that closed in the late ‘90s. It was for children that had an intellectual disability,” Hagel said noting the Oxbow school was among the last ones to close, thus opening the way for a more inclusive education system and society.

“That was a big move that took a lot of years to transition. Parents were afraid of change, afraid that their children would get lost.”

Within a few years, Hagel expanded her portfolio to include people with any disability. That put the start to a separate community-based organization – the predecessor of the current Southeast Advocates for Employment.

In a few years, they merged with a similar agency in Weyburn, and eventually, they also decided to widen their scope, turning the organization into a service designed to integrate individuals with any employment barriers.

Hagel’s experience proved that oftentimes it takes an understanding of the system, creativity, willingness and a bit of pivoting to make the community more inclusive for a person with disabilities.

Throughout the years, Hagel and the teams she worked with placed thousands of adults and youth in employment as well as postsecondary courses, opening new opportunities for them and the world around them.

She kept helping people with disabilities in the southeast, when in the early 2010s another opportunity to help even more people came her way.

“In 2012-13, the proposals were coming out to set up settlement gateways across the province to provide settlement for anyone that’s coming in from another country, another province or coming off a First Nation community,” Hagel shared.

They submitted a proposal and soon widened

their audience by covering settlement needs through Southeast Newcomer Services. The Settlement Workers in School (SWIS) program was brought in later to help newcomers adapt to the school system. They also run a program called Transitions, working with youth with disabilities transitioning into either employment or postsecondary, and have a similar one for newcomer youths.

“It’s building blocks to get to where we’re today,” Hagel said, hinting they are working on bringing in another service. “Everything has always been about being inclusive.

“I think inclusion is as important as the air we breathe. Inclusion is a fundamental right that a lot of people are denied.

“We’ve come a long way in the last number of years, night and day, but we can always do better.”

Hagel said everything the organizations she leads have achieved throughout the decades has been a team effort. She takes her passion, puts it into action and with the help of similar-minded people, despite any challenges, they kept changing the region to be more inclusive.

“I don’t believe in the word no. We will make it work. Go to where the dream makes sense, is what I’ve always told people. What is your dream? And how can we get you there? I don’t say no. I make it work. That’s my passion,” Hagel shared.

Debbie Hagel in her office in Estevan in the mid-1990s, working for the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living.

BEST OF ESTEVAN – 2024

RULES:*

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

AUTOMOTIVE

Auto Detailing ____________________

Auto Glass _______________________

Autobody Repair __________________

Car Dealership ___________________

Car Wash ________________________

Gas Station ______________________

General Auto Repair _______________

Oil Change ______________________

Tire Shop ________________________

Towing __________________________

BEAUTY

Beauty & Health Spa ______________

Body Piercing _____________________

Cosmetic/Medical Skin Services ____

Brow Technician __________________

Make Up Artis ____________________

Eyelash Technician ________________

Hair Removal _____________________

Hair Salon _______________________

Nail Salon _______________________

Skin Care ________________________

Tanning Salon ____________________

Tattoo Artist ______________________

BUSINESS & SERVICES

Accounting Firm __________________

Ag Livestock Service _______________

Ag Machinery Sale/Service ________

Banks/Credit Union _______________

Bulk Fuel Supply __________________

Cleaning Services Home or Business _____

Computer Repair & Service _________

Daycare Service __________________

Equipment Rentals _________________

Graphic Design ___________________

Home Based Business ______________

Hotel/B&B _______________________

Insurance Company _______________

Investments/Financial Advice ________

Law Firm _________________________

Marketing Company _______________

Non-Profit Organizations ___________

Pet Boarding _____________________

Pet Grooming _____________________

Pet Supplies ______________________

Photographer _____________________

Print Shop ________________________

Promotional Products ______________

Real Estate Company ______________

Realtor___________________________

Safety Training ____________________

Self Storage ______________________

Senior Housing ___________________

Sewing/Alterations ________________

Skate Sharpener __________________

Snow Removal ____________________

Taxi Company ____________________

Veterinarian ______________________

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

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

- Ballots must be submitted by April 1, 2024.

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

- Only ONE ballot per person will be counted.

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Banquet Facility ___________________

Billiards/Pool _____________________

Campground/RV Park _____________

Driving Range ____________________

Family Fun _______________________

Fitness Centre & Gym ______________

Fun for Kids ______________________

Golf Course ______________________

Live Music Venue__________________

Local Event _______________________

Museum/Art Gallery ______________

Tourist Attraction __________________

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Audiologist Clinic _________________

Chiropractor Clinic ________________

Dental Clinic _____________________

Denture Clinic ____________________

Massage Therapist Clinic ___________

Optometrist Clinic _________________

Personal Trainer ___________________

Pharmacy ________________________

Speech Therapy/Councelling Service ____

Vitamins/Supplements _____________

Weight Management ______________

Yoga/Meditation Centre ___________

RESTAURANTS

Asian Cuisine _____________________

Bakery___________________________

Best Meal under $15 ______________

Breakfast _________________________

Buffet ____________________________

Catering _________________________

Chicken__________________________

Chicken Wings ___________________

Cup of Coffee ____________________

Dessert _ _________________________

Family Restaurant_ ________________

Fast Food_________________________

Fine Dining _______________________

Fries_____________________________

Hamburger _______________________

Ice Cream ________________________

Lounge __________________________

Outdoor Patio ____________________

Pasta ____________________________

Pizza ____________________________

Sandwich & Sub __________________

Take-out/Delivery _________________

HOME & GARDEN

Hardware Store ___________________

Concrete Contractor _______________

Electrician ________________________

Floor Covering_____________________

Garden/Greenhouse ______________

General Contractor ________________

Kitchen Renovation ________________

Landscaping/Excavating ___________

4 4 Gift Card to any Estevan Business of your choice. $100 Winners will be announced in the May 1 edition of the Estevan Mercury, and on sasktoday.ca Ballot becomes the property of the Estevan Mercury, which reserves the right to publish ballot answers and comments. Final decision on ballots, categories and winners will be made by the Estevan Mercury.

Paint ____________________________

Painter ___________________________

Plumbing & Heating _______________

Roofing __________________________

Window Covering ________________

Windows & Doors_________________

ENERGY SECTOR/OIL & GAS

Completion Services _______________

Drilling Services ___________________

Equipment Rentals _________________

Hotshot __________________________

Production Services ________________

Safety Service ____________________

Supply Store ______________________

Transport/Trucking ________________ SHOPPING

Appliances _______________________

Art & Home Decor ________________

BBQ/Smoker & Supplies ___________

Bicycle Shop _____________________

Cell Phones ______________________

Computer Sales/Service ___________

Discount/Thrift Store _______________

Electronics________________________

Florist/Plant Shop _________________

Fresh Produce ____________________

Furniture _________________________

Gift Shop ________________________

Grocery _________________________

Grocery Pick- up/Delivery __________

Jewellery _________________________

Liquor Store ______________________

Mattresses _______________________

Meat/Butcher _____________________

Men’s Clothing ___________________

Office Supplies ___________________

Sporting Goods ___________________

Toys/Hobbies/Games _____________

Women’s Clothing _________________

BEST OF THE BEST

Best Customer Service:

- Business ________________________

- Individual _______________________

Best New Business:

- As of January 1, 2021 ____________

Favourite Place to Shop ____________

Rosie McGregor 1929 - 2024

The family of Rosie McGregor is saddened to announce her passing on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at the Weyburn General Hospital, Weyburn, SK at the age of 94 years. Rosie grew up on a farm near Estevan and resided in Estevan for her adult life. She was a resident of Parkway Lodge Personal Care Home in Weyburn for the past nine years. Rosie is survived by her daughter Marlene Becker; granddaughter Marcie (Brian Gale) Becker; great grandson Rory Gale and her siblings, Stella Schaff, Bill (Shirley) Kish, Alex Kish, Steve Kish and sister-in-law Paulette Kish, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Rosie was preceded in death by her husband Fred McGregor; son-in-law Doug Becker; parents, Michael and Annie Kish; siblings, Nellie (George) Maley, Mary (Robert) Dixon, John Kish and brother-in-law Anton Schaff ; sister-in-law Adele Kish; parents-in-law, William and Alice McGregor and siblings-in-law, Jack (Irma) McGregor, Mary (Harold) Hodgen, Bruce (Lila) McGregor, Bessie (Stanley) Brekke, Gordon (Louisa) McGregor and Jean (Len) Lundahl.

Rosie was a hardworking homemaker who took pride in her beautiful garden and immaculately kept home. Everything she did was done to perfection. She enjoyed games, cards, Bingo, crafts and sports, being a talented

God gets there first

The disciples saw the problem and then Jesus made it worse.

A huge crowd has spent the entire day in a remote area listening to Jesus preach. As nightfall came, the disciples urged Jesus to let the people go so that they could find something to eat.

“You give them something to eat”, Jesus replied. That seemed ridiculous. More than 5,000 people had gathered to hear Jesus. The disciples replied that giving each person even a little bread would take more than eight months’ wages.

You likely know the rest of the story. Jesus took what they had, five loaves of bread and two fish, multiplied it and fed all the people, with lots left over (Mark 6:30-44).

that God can use the little we have and make it into much more than we could ever imagine. This event teaches us that there is no problem too big for God to handle. Those are good lessons, but there is one more that I want to highlight.

Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ

asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do’ (verse 6).

AGRICULTURE

The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It has been used to remind us

When John records this story, he tells it a little differently. Instead of the disciples noticing that the people were hungry, John says that it was Jesus who first pointed out the problem. John 6:5 says, “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ The next verse provides the best lesson of all.  It says, ‘He

Did you catch that? Before the disciples realized that there was a problem, Jesus had a plan. Before they started worrying, Jesus had the solution. He always has a plan. You may feel lost, but nothing about your life confuses Christ. He has answers to the questions that we have not even asked yet.

We always have help and hope.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Report looks at fire deficiencies at Affinity Place

Estevan city council received a fire inspection report for Affinity Place at the Feb. 26 meeting.

The report was carried out by Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Luc on July 27, 2023, and the findings were released after an inquiry by Coun. Tony Sernick.

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CLASSIFIED ADS WORK

Out of the 74 different items checked by Luc, the city was compliant with 63 of them. Ten more were listed as not applicable and one was a no. That was for closed-in fire separations, such as fire doors, being blocked or wedged open.

Coun. Sernick asked that he, Luc and city manager Jeff Ward review the document and his inquiry.

Coun. Travis Frank said it was good information and he wants to see the one issue corrected.

“We’re supposed to be held to the same standard as any other business,” said Frank.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said if it’s not already done, it will be taken care of.

Council also approved a trio of requests for events later this year.

One was from local resident Jennifer Kuchinka to have a walk in support of the Saskatchewan Brian Injury Association. She wants the event to happen on July 23 at Fresh Air Fitness in Woodlawn Regional Park. Kuchinka would represent the association and walk with anyone who can attend.

She was not looking for financial assistance, but was hoping for an endorsement.

Council supported the request. The next was from the Estevan Bruins for a rental fee reduction for the club’s Sportsman’s Dinner on April 13 at Affinity Place. The club wanted the equipment rental portion of $2,440 to be removed, but they will still pay for other costs of renting the facility, which amounts to a little more than $5,000. Former NHLers Jeremy Roenick and Mike Commodore will be the guest speakers. The Bruins hope to sell 75 corporate tables for the event.

The final request is for the Estevan Strippers’ 40th annual Molson Spring Bust recreational hockey tournament on April 3-7. Council approved a request for an event permit, and to waive the rental fee at the Power Dodge Curling Centre for the cabarets and beer gardens, which serve as an important fundraising component of the tournament.

The tournament is expected to attract 40 teams, with at least 20 of them from out of town, making it the largest event of its kind in the province. The Strippers use proceeds from the tournament to support a variety of causes and have donated $230,000 since 1997.

•••

Council received the annual list of land in arrears.

The properties had a total value of $326,761.22, as of Feb. 21. When asked by Coun. Frank on how this compares to the previous year, city manager Ward said there is one property that accounts for roughly $200,000.

The list is advertised on the city page in this week’s Mercury and property owners have 60 days to pay the arrears and costs. All properties outstanding afterwards will have a tax lien registered.

••• Council received an updated sidewalks/pathways snow removal priority map.

The map does not include all of the pathways that have been constructed in the last few years, but it does show priority areas for clearing snow from sidewalks by city crews.

••• Coun. Shelly Veroba said she received a call regarding the Souris Avenue South service road.

The caller wants to see the route properly named, as it is called the 120 Service Road, making it difficult for package deliveries.

The other concern is with drainage. Veroba said a lot of water comes from the hill to the east.

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

St. Joseph’s Hospital relies on donations to fund equipment purchases. Your Memorial Gift honours your loved one and makes it possible for our hospital to continue providing quality care for Estevan and area residents.

A letter will be sent to the family acknowledging your gift; please include their name and address as well as your own.

You will receive an income tax receipt.

Please send your donation to:

St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation

1176 Nicholson Rd

Estevan, SK S4A 0H3

Phone: (306) 637-2474

RM OF BENSON Farmland for Sale

The Estevan Fire Rescue Service dealt with a potential structure fire, road accidents and more last week.

On Feb. 27 at about 6 p.m., members were dispatched to a possible struc-

ture fire occurring in the northeast area. No fire was occurring at the time of arrival, but smoke was visible within the building.

Crews ventilated the smoke and investigated the

cause. Nothing was initially found to be an issue, said Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies, but later it was determined that a heater malfunctioned, causing the smoke and burning smell. No damage was reported. Firefighters also responded to a two-vehicle collision that occurred northwest of Estevan on Highway 39 on

Feb. 29 at about 4 p.m. There was no entrapment. One person was transported to hospital with injuries. Crews assisted at the scene until the incident was cleaned up.

A residential fire alarm went off in the south end of the city on March 3 at about 10:30 a.m. Firefighters quickly determined that the fire alarm was cooking

Flashback – March 10, 1976

Boys’

in Regina

March 1976.

the

Dale Michie, Peter Stepp, Kingo Naka and Mark Bjorndal Back row, Wilf Rosenbaum, Wayne Naka, David Rosenbaum, Gerry Naka and Allan Styre

related, and their assistance was not required.

The same day, just before 5 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision that occurred east of the city on Highway 39. There was no entrapment, but one person had minor injuries. Firefighters assisted on scene until the incident was cleaned up.

On the weekend, 15 EFRS members participated in a two-day ice water rescue course, spending most of the day Saturday and sometime on Sunday learning the theory at the station, which was followed by the practical portion of the training on the Souris River in Woodland Regional Park.

Envision’s 50/50 for a Cause returns with up to $30K up for grabs

Envision Counselling and Support Centre Inc. is running one of its biggest fundraisers of the year, which helps it keep providing its title services and fill the gaps when it comes to mental health in the southeast.

The annual 50/50 for a Cause is starting March 4 with 6,000 tickets up for sale.

“This year, we are going to be running it a little bit differently, but still in collaboration with the Estevan radio

stations. Tickets are going to be on sale from March 4 until March 16, with the grand prize draw date of March 20 at 10 a.m. at the Estevan legion this year,” said communications specialist Raven Daer.

“Tickets are $10 each. We’re not doing any bonus books this year, and the winner is taking home a grand prize of up to $30,000, 50 per cent of the proceeds.”

In the first week, Envision will be selling tickets at different locations in Weyburn and Carlyle. On March 8, they will be at the home games for the Weyburn Red Wings and the Estevan Bruins. The second week, they plan to be at different spots in Estevan, doing their traditional live-on-location radio streams and selling tickets in the Energy City. They also hope to be at

the Bruins’ game on March 15 and the Wings’ game on March 16, which is the last day of ticket sales. On most days, Envision will be at locations between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., except for the hockey games, which are in the evenings. To find a full list of locations and for the latest updates on the fundraiser, please follow the Envision Counselling and Support Centre on social media.

“All of our social media accounts will be updated with schedules and day-today news, just letting folks know where we are and how they can purchase tickets, whether that’s just online if maybe the weather is shutting us down or something. We will be consistently updating our website as well,” Daer said. Cash, credit and debit

VILLAGE OF NORTH PORTAL Notice of Assessment

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Village of North Portal for the year of 2024 has been assessor from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from March 1st to April 1st, 2024.

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

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

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her appeal along with the applicable fee of $100.00 with: Marlene Hassard, Secretary of the Board of Revision, Western Municipal Consulting, Box 149, Meota, SK, S0M 1X0, by the 1st day of April, 2024.

Dated this 22nd day of February, 2024.

Lindsay Davis Administrator/Assessor

cards will be accepted at the locations. Tickets can also be purchased via e-transfer to envisionraffle@gmail. com. More information can be found on their website.

People are asked to include their full name, phone number and email in the message box.

Envision relies heavily on donations and sponsorships to continue to provide necessary and free services to individuals across southeast Saskatchewan. The fundraiser helps them offset rising costs in the upcoming year.

“We are seeing an increase in need for services, but there is also an increase in costs. I know a lot of organizations and businesses are feeling the effects of inflation,” Daer said.

“We are striving to be able to offer our programs and services at essentially no cost to the public. That’s very important to us, but we are noticing that the costs of just keeping our doors open, renovations, day-to-day operations, and [other] things are getting a little bit higher.

“We want to ensure that we are still creating safe and welcoming spaces for folks to come in for support … And we’re always trying to expand our programming. So that is where the donations and the fundraisers really, really do help us because we only get so much funding from the government.”

“Thank you for your ongoing support. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do, without you,” Envision wrote on their social media.

The Envision Counselling and Support Centre is celebrating 30th anniversary this year.

ten pin bowlers competed

at

provincial championship in

Participating in the tournament were, front row, from left,

By David Willberg

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior girls’ basketball team continued to support the fight against cancer during the annual Victor Elias Memorial Shoot for a Cure Pink Basketball Tournament on the weekend.

Nine teams were in Estevan on Friday and Saturday. While the weather created some problems for the schedule makers, the tournament went ahead raising funds for Bob Seibel and Roland Montebon, two local men fighting cancer.

In terms of the on-court action, Elecs head coach Jessie Smoliak said it was a pretty competitive event.

Estevan opened the

tournament with a 5046 loss to the Moose Jaw Central Cyclones, a game Moose Jaw led 28-18 at half-time. The Elecs rallied in the third, taking the lead at one point, and the game was tied at 38-38 after three. Moose Jaw pulled away in the fourth quarter.

“If we would have made more of our shots or free throws, the game would have had a different result,” said Smoliak. Megan Porter and Jordyn Tarnes each had 12 points. Rowyn Siever picked up 12 rebounds.

It was the tournament’s annual pink game, in which the Elecs donned their special pink jerseys and paid tribute to their recipients. Their next game was a

The 13th annual Victor Elias Memorial Shoot for a Cure Pink Basketball Tournament, held March 1 and 2 at the Estevan Comprehensive School’s gymnasium, assisted a couple of local men battling cancer.

Approximately $9,000 was raised for the cancer fights of Bob Seibel and Roland Montebon and their respective families.

During the opening ceremonies Friday night, MCs Jayren Schulz and Osama Kamel chronicled the cancer fights of Seibel and Montebon.

Montebon is the father of two Elecs senior girls’ basketball alumni, Khrystal and Bethany. Both student athletes competed on the team from Grade 9 and were a part of the pink tournament four years ago. Roland Montebon was

69-63 loss to the Moose Jaw Vanier Vikings, the top-ranked team in 4A girls basketball. Estevan was down by five at halftime.

Sadie Apsinall led the offensive attack with 19 points and added six rebounds, Porter had 14 points and Tarnes finished with 12 points and nine boards.

Estevan wrapped up with a 61-49 victory over Norquay, a game that Smoliak described as a “team win” with everyone contributing.

Porter had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Presley Hollingshead had 11 points. Elli Wiebe chipped in with six points and 11 rebounds.

The other teams left after their morning games to get ahead of the storm.

The tournament is about far more than just the oncourt action, thanks to the fundraising and the emotions of the event. The tournament is named after Smoliak’s father, who died from cancer in 2017.

“I know dad would have been proud of the tournament and my team for their efforts in helping others. I had several family members attend the tournament to support my team which is always so comforting,” Smoliak said.

A raffle table, canteen and admission at the door raised funds, and the other teams provided support. The Lesy family gave back to the tournament through

diagnosed with prostate cancer in August. An oncologist at the Alan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina determined what kind of cancer treatment was appropriate for him.

In November and December, he underwent radiation therapy. He has a quarterly hormone injection therapy at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The results of these treatments will be known after some tests this month.

As for Seibel, he was described as ECS basketball’s biggest fan. Seibel was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer in the white blood cells, in May 2020. At present, it is treatable but not curable.

After many blood tests and bone biopsies, a treatment plan for Seibel was implemented. For the first year, chemotherapy hap-

The

a substantial donation. Their daughter Teigha was last year’s beneficiary and she sang O Canada prior to the pink game.

“I’m so grateful for how the community continuously comes together this weekend to support the cause. I am always so overwhelmed during our pink ceremony when I hear how many people are affected by cancer. “This tournament is more than just playing basketball. It has so much more meaning behind the games and that’s the lesson that I am always wanting to teach my basketball girls. The meaning of kindness

ght cancer at Shoot for a Cure

and thinking of others by paying it forward. The Lesy family definitely did that this year and I was speechless with how thoughtful they were.”

Up next for the Elecs is regionals on March 15 and 16 in Prince Albert.

“We have been improving weekly so I was happy with how the girls are playing, but we can always do better,” said Smoliak.

She added she is thankful for everyone’s contribution towards the tournament through donations, fan support, team attendance, the referees, the parents of the senior basketball team, staff members,

community volunteers and the players.

ECS received many compliments on the tournament’s organization, fundraising for a great cause and level of competition.

“I love hearing that teams always want to return to our tournament. All grade 12s in the tournament are always recognized with a flower at the end of their last game to celebrate their years of dedication on a senior team. I know lots of the players appreciate it, including our own as we like to acknowledge their parents as well,” Smoliak said.

Cancer fighters benefit from basketball tournament

pened weekly, and for the past three years, it has included weekly oral medication and a biweekly chemotherapy injection.

This year was the first time Seibel has missed the McLeod Series with the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles, but he was at the Pink Game with his family. He has been a big

Estevan hosts U7 tournament

part of this tournament, sitting in the stands and cheering on every team attending.

His daughter Melissa Holman is a teacher at ECS and a granddaughter is in Grade 12.

Both of the cancer survivors received gifts and hugs from the Elecs.

“As you can see, both men are strong and coura-

geous fighters,” said Schulz. “You both have supported basketball programs and now it is their turn to support you.” Schulz and Kamel noted the pink basketball tournament concept came to Saskatchewan in 2009 when the Assiniboia Rockets supported a basketball player from Fillmore diagnosed with cancer.

ECS hosted a pink tournament for the first time in 2011. There are now 27 teams with pink jerseys in the province.

The Estevan tournament is named in honour of Elias, the father of ECS senior girls’ basketball coach Jessie Smoliak. Elias died from cancer in 2017 after fighting the disease for 24 years.

Bob Seibel, Roland Montebon and their families gather during the opening ceremonies for the Shoot for a Cure tournament.

Sadie Aspinall and the Elecs donned their special pink jerseys for Friday night’s game.

Presley Hollingshead (5) of the Elecs goes up for a rebound during the pink game Friday night.

More

for youths, men, women and master’s men. Some of them entered in more than one class, which meant more than 100 entries were received. A large crowd filled the curling club’s lounge to watch the competition.

Desiree Da Silva, a champion-

ship-winning arm wrestler who started the club last May, said she was pleased to see the number of people who showed up.

“People can pull multiple weight classes, and we had youth that pulled up to adults,” said Da Silva.

Ten to 12 members of the local club competed, but Da Silva pointed out there were at least 20 other people from the Estevan area who entered. National and even world champions came to Estevan as well.

“We had some big names that

Minor Football were part of the Sask Selects’ football team that won a tournament in Florida last month.

Mason Lesy, Dane Tober and Tucker Karcha were on the squad. They practised with the Sask Selects in Moose Jaw, building cohesion with their teammates and preparing for the North American Youth Football Championship, which was held in Haines City and Davenport, outside of Orlando.

Canadian teams from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta faced squads from Florida and Texas. Teams within each age group played at least three games.

Sask Selects teams in the U11 and U14 age groups wound up winning champion-

came out and participated in the masters’ class,” said Da Silva.

She hopes the competition will help build awareness of the sport in the community. Da Silva pointed out there were a lot of people present who heard about the club for the first time thanks to Armageddon, and others showed up because they know somebody who was competing.

“Our provincials is May 4 in Regina, and I’m hoping that this opens more doors for people to come and participate and see what it’s about,” said Da Silva.

Da Silva believes Armageddon flowed well. It started on time and it took nearly six hours to complete all of the divisions. It was a good learning experience hosting an event.

“I’ve been trying to learn little things here and there, but I think hosting it, you … have to go with the flow, and I learned a lot as far as doing the draw sheets and learning how to actually organize a tournament. I’ve always went to them, but I’ve never gotten sponsors and gotten venues.”

Da Silva expressed thanks to

ships. Players were each awarded a ring.

Lesy, Tober and Karcha were members of the U11 championship team. Lesy and Casey Kitz played for the U10 team as well. They finished second in their age division.

Dexter Ciepliski trained with the U12 squad, but did not travel to the Florida tournament.

Dorian Sifton and Preston Sibley from the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs football team played with the Selects varsity team. Players will have a short break from football before minor football’s spring league teams hit the gyms and fields. Selects’ tryouts for the 2025 season are slated to occur in May.

the sponsors who made the event happen. She is looking forward to putting on another showdown.

Da Silva was happy to have the event at the curling club, because she wants to support local organizations and businesses as much as she can. If they were to attract more people for the event, they would have to look for a different venue, or have Armageddon at a different time of year so they

could use the curling club after the ice has been removed.

Da Silva expressed gratitude to the sponsors for supporting the event. They had cash prizes, t-shirts and medals for athletes, so without community support, it wouldn’t have been as successful. The club meets at the Flawless Sales Ltd. shop at 2616 Souris Avenue North on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

AAA Bears drop first two postseason games

The Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears are facing elimination in their the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League postseason series.

The Bears lost 4-1 on Saturday night and 4-0 on Sunday afternoon to open the best-of-five first-round series against the Saskatoon Blazers. Both games were

played in Saskatoon. In Game 1, Dayne Beuker, who was the top scorer in the league this season as a rookie, opened the scoring with 26 seconds to play in the first period. Cohen Harris doubled the lead in the second.

Carnduff ’s Gunner Moore scored the first-ever postseason goal in Bears’ history on a power play with 8:40 to play

in the second period. Goals by Raiden Zacharias and Caine Wilke in the third put Game 1 out of reach. Wilke’s goal was into an empty net. Zacharias added two assists for a threepoint game. Kaden Perron made 40 saves for Estevan, while Grayson Malinoski had 20 saves for the Blazers.

In Game 2, Saskatoon jumped out to a 1-0 advantage four minutes into the first period on a goal by Cooper Ernewein, and doubled the lead when Preston Baerwald scored. Dayton Deschamps and Carter Ralston tallied 20 seconds apart in the second for a four-goal advantage. Perron made 19 saves for

Estevan, while Malinoski stopped 30 shots for Saskatoon to get the shutout.

The Blazers are the defending league champions and had the top record in the 2023-24 regular season at 34-7-3, although one of their regulation losses was against the Bears in December. The Bears finished eighth with an 18-19-7 mark and 43 points,

and made the playoffs for the first time in their three full seasons.

Estevan will have their first postseason home game in franchise history on March 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Affinity Place. Game 4, if necessary, would be the next night at 7:45 p.m., also at Affinity Place. Game 5 would be March 10 in Saskatoon.

Bruins get weekend split against league-leading Bombers

The Estevan Bruins came away with a split in their weekend road games with the league-leading Flin Flon Bombers.

Estevan defeated the Bombers 4-3 in a shootout on Friday night. Joey Lies opened the scoring for the Bombers seven minutes into the opening frame, but goals by Felix Allard and Brady Wilson 2 1/2 minutes apart put the Bruins ahead by one after the first.

Ilia Chmelevski’s powerplay goal midway through the second period put the Bruins

up by two, but the Bombers fought back. Alexi Sylvestre scored on a power play before the period was finished, and added the tying goal with four seconds to play in the third, also on a power play.

Neither team scored in overtime, and the Bruins outscored the Bombers 3-2 in the shootout.

Jackson Miller stopped 50 shots, including 21 in the first period, for the Bruins, while Harmon Laser-Hume made 37 saves for the Bombers. The Bombers responded

with a 3-2 victory on Saturday night. Carter Anderson opened the scoring for the Bombers with a power-play goal 2:32 into the game, but Carsyn Dyck replied for the Bruins midway through the frame.

Sylvestre put the Bombers ahead with a short-handed goal early in the second, but less than a minute later, Zachery Burns notched a powerplay marker to tie the game again.

Lies scored what proved to be the game-winning tal-

ly early in the third for the Bombers. The Bruins thought they had tied the game at the end of the third, but the officials ruled time had expired. Several Bruins were assessed penalties after the game as they expressed their displeasure with the referees’ decision. No disciplinary action was immediately announced.

Miller stopped 42 shots for the Bruins, while Kenneth Marquart had 31 saves for the Bombers.

promptly pulled Miller and inserted back-up Wyatt Bouvier, an affiliated player who spent this season with the Yorkton Maulers of the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League.

Cade Kennedy tied the game for the Bruins less than six minutes later.

son scoring twice and Austin Shepherd rounding out the scoring with his first goal in the SJHL.

Hutchinson had four goals and two assists for Melfort, and Sleeva had a goal and four helpers.

Bouvier finished with 16 saves on the night for Estevan and James Venne made 24 saves for Melfort.

The teams traded goals in the second. Aidyn Hutchinson scored 50 seconds into the middle frame, but Kennedy tied the game at the 5:24 mark. Hutchinson put the Mustangs back in front, but Chmelevski scored for the Bruins with eight minutes to go.

The games against the Bombers came after a 7-4 loss to the Melfort Mustangs last Wednesday night. Clay Sleeva scored on the Mustangs’ first shot 33 seconds into the game to give Melfort a 1-0 lead. Bruins’ head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic

Melfort’s Nolan Patterson scored 60 seconds into the third period, but Raine Hodge responded 40 seconds later for the Bruins. The Mustangs then took over, with Hutchin-

Estevan (24-24-2-2, 52 points) sits tied for seventh in the SJHL standings with four games remaining. They will clinch a playoff spot for the 13th straight season with one more victory.

The Bruins will visit the Humboldt Broncos on March 6. Then they will host the Notre Dame Hounds on March 8 at 7 p.m.

Terry DeBaets, left, and Brad Esmond, squared off in a master’s event.

Scarlett Dow, left, and Sophie McKnight squared off in the youth girls ages seven to nine division. Photos by David Willberg

Several football players from Brandt Truck & Trailer Estevan

Mason Lesy, Dane Tober and Tucker Karcha with their championship rings.

Photo courtesy of Heather Tober