Telethon time. United Way Estevan ready for beloved annual fundraiser.
PAGE A2
Unique find. Local business discovers 99-year-old link to the past.
PAGE A6
Successful event. First-ever fundraiser supports Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation.
PAGE A7
Agri News. Find out what is happening in the agriculture sector.
PAGES A8-9
Great start. Elecs sweep first half of Co-op Challenge against Weyburn.
PAGE A12
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2024
SoutheastSaskatchewanresidentswereonceagaintreatedtodazzlingdisplaysbytheauroraborealislastweek.Thenorthernlightslitup theskiesforseveralnights,creatingopportunitiesforgreatpicturesbyphotographers.ThisimageoftheMarylandChurchinSteelmanwas takenonThursdaynight.Foradditionalpictures,pleasevisitourprovincialnewshubatsasktoday.ca.PhotobyHelianadeSouza-Wagner
By David Willberg
e eld is set for the Nov. 13 civic election in Estevan. ree people led their nomination papers for mayor and 10 more submitted the requisite forms for councillor before the deadline of 4 p.m. on Oct. 9. Candidates then had 24 hours to withdraw their nomination forms, but nobody dropped out of the race.
Rebecca Foord and Tony Sernick, who are wrapping up their rst respective terms as city councillors, both led their papers for mayor, as did rst-time candidate Zacch Vandenhurk.
ey are hoping to replace Roy Ludwig, who has been Estevan’s mayor since 2012 and a council member since 1994. He announced last year he would not seek re-election.
As for the race for councillor, two incumbents, Shelly Veroba and Kirsten Walliser, have led their papers, as has former councillor Brian Johnson, who was on council from 2000-2016. e other candidates are Kevin Andrews, Stephen Daniel, Dave Elliott, Mathew Dubowski, Rhyan Hagel, Tom Mauss and
Robin Wog. Six councillors will be elected.
Elliott ran for council on multiple occasions in the 2000s, the last time being 2006, while Hagel was one of three candidates who ran for mayor in the 2016 race that Ludwig won.
Two other members of the present council, Travis Frank and Lindsay Clark, are not seeking re-election.
Advanced polls will be at city hall on Oct. 29 and 30 from 4:30-7 p.m., and a drive-thru advanced poll will be set up on Nov. 2 from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the re hall.
On election day, the city will have one polling station at the Estevan Church of God. ere will also be two drive-thru polling stations on Nov. 13, at the re hall on the north side of the city and Sudz Zone Car Wash on the south.
Should citizens in the hospital or a care home require a ballot on election day, arrangements can be made for a mail-in ballot to be dropped o and picked up by 4:30 p.m.
Mail-in ballots will be back for the 2024 election, after they were used for 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retaining mail-
in ballots for this election is expected to be bene cial for snow birds, senior citizens and others who can’t make it to a polling station. Electoral information has been added through a link on the city’s website and will be updated as the election draws near.
Voters must be at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen on election day, as well as a resident of Saskatchewan for at least the last six months before Nov. 13 and a resident of the city for at least three months, or they must be an owner of assessable land for at least three months immediate-
ly preceding the day of the election.
Local residents will have the opportunity to hear from the candidates on a couple of occasions. e rst will be a town hall on Oct. 16 at the Wylie-Michell building that is being hosted by the Concerned Citizens Estevan SK group. It is being billed as a chance for people to ask questions to the candidates.
e other is the candidates’ forum that will be hosted by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Cham-
ber members are invited to submit their questions in advance to executivedirector@estevanchamber.ca. e chamber says questions will help shape the discussions and ensure the issues important to members are addressed.
Coverage of the school board and the RM of Estevan elections can be found in this week’s edition of the Mercury. e next edition of the Mercury will have pro les on the candidates, while future editions of the Mercury will have more on the other urban and rural municipality elections in our distribution area.
e United Way Estevan is ready to launch its 48th annual telethon, a 33-hour live event aimed at raising $348,000 for local member agencies and community impact projects.
e event will kick o at 8 a.m. on Oct. 18 and run until the following evening at 6 p.m. at the Estevan Royal Canadian Legion. is year’s theme is You Are the Community.
“We are super excited,” said Mark Pettitt, the United Way Estevan’s president. “We have a full slate of entertainment with some new performers, but we also have people who’ve been helping us out for years coming back.”
For the full entertainment schedule, see Page A14.
e telethon will feature a mix of singing, dancing and musical performances from local artists and children of di erent ages, continuing a tradition that has become a hallmark of the event.
e excitement is build-
ing with the auction of handmade items, which will be on display at Murray GM in Estevan on Oct. 16.
e Kick-o to Telethon Lunch will occur starting at 11:30 a.m. After the event, the items will be moved to the legion with bidding to occur in person and online, starting the morning of the telethon.
“You can bid on those at United Way 2024 Bid Items on Facebook, starting October 18,” Pettitt added. Pettitt noted that support
from volunteers, donors and performers has been overwhelmingly positive.
“ is community totally amazes me every year,” he said. “We think we have the best support... from volunteers to donors to member agencies to community impact partners.”
e funds raised will go to support 11 local member agencies and eight community impact projects, including the breakfast program at Hillcrest School, the United Way Day of Caring, and
A second Estevan physician is facing practice restrictions from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS). According to the CPSS website, Dr. Alexander Arthur has agreed to practice restrictions, including that he is required to have a practice monitor present for any professional encounter with female patients. Arthur has been practising in Estevan since the summer of 2022.
Bryan Salte, the associate registrar for the
CPSS, said it received two complaints from female patients which alleged improper conduct by Arthur.
“Dr. Arthur agreed to have a practice monitor present for any professional encounter with female patients, pending the outcome of the investigations,” Salte said in an email to the Mercury and SaskToday.
“As the investigations are not completed, there has been no decision on what, if any, action will be taken by the college in relation to those complaints.”
initiatives at the Estevan legion.
Preparation for the telethon has been a monthslong e ort involving the dedication of board members and volunteers.
“I can’t say enough about how great our board is and how dedicated each member is to making Estevan a better place,” said Pettitt. “It really feels like a family.”
e event, which is livestreamed on Access Now and the United Way Estevan website, allows people from
across Canada and around the world to participate.
“We actually have people around the world call in sometimes or make a donation from as far away as Australia,” Pettitt said.
e long-running fundraiser continues to highlight the importance of community collaboration.
“Each volunteer is part of the community, and every donation and act of support proves that ‘You Are the Community,’” Pettitt emphasized.
e event still needs some volunteers. If anyone is interested in joining, they can call the o ce at 306634-7375 or email admin@ unitedwayestevan.com. For those unable to attend in person, the telethon can be watched online via the United Way Estevan website and on Access Now. e pledge line will be open during the telethon at 306-340-4625. Email for e-transfers is etransfer@ unitedwayestevan.com.
He went on to say the practice restriction will remain in e ect until the investigations are complete. From there, the college could go a number of different routes, including no further action, resolving the concerns about Arthur’s conduct through an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, charging him with unprofessional conduct or another measure.
If Arthur is charged with unprofessional conduct, the charge or charges would be posted on the College website.
Dr. Mehdi Horri is currently unable to have female patients due to a practice restriction, stemming from a number of charges he is currently facing from the CPSS.
e Mercury and SaskToday will have more details as they become available.
StargazersinsoutheastSaskatchewanweretreatedtoanothermagnificent sightonSundayevening.TheCometC/2023A3(Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)was observedpassingbyonaclearnight.Billedbysomeasthe “CometoftheCentury”,itwasexpectedtocomeas closeas71millionkilometrestotheEarth. PhotobyStephanieSouthcott
e elds have been set in Estevan-Big Muddy, Cannington and other ridings throughout the province for the Oct. 28 provincial election.
ere will be ve candidates in each of the two southeast constituencies.
In Estevan-Big Muddy, incumbent Lori Carr of the Saskatchewan Party is vying for her third term in the Saskatchewan legislature. e challengers are Andrew Cey of the Saskatchewan United Party (SUP), Billy Patterson of the Saskatchewan Green Party, Phil Smith of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) and Phil Zajac of the Bu alo Party of Saskatchewan. Zajac is the party’s leader.
e Estevan Chamber
of Commerce will host an all-candidates’ forum for Estevan-Big Muddy on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch.
“ is event provides a unique opportunity for the media and the public to hear directly from the candidates vying to represent the Estevan constituency in the upcoming provincial election,” the chamber said in a news release.
In Cannington, incumbent Daryl Harrison of the Saskatchewan Party is seeking his second term
in o ce. He is being challenged by Barbara Helfrick of the SUP, Michelle Krieger of the Bu alo Party, Natalie Lund-Clysdale of the Green Party and Dianne Twietmeyer of the NDP. Helfrick became the SUP candidate shortly before the deadline to submit a nomination paper. Her bio and photo had yet to be uploaded to the party’s website as of Saturday night. According to the Elections Saskatchewan website, the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Progress Party (formerly the provincial Liberal Party) do not have a candidate in Estevan-Big Muddy or Cannington in the election. e deadline for nominations was 2 p.m. on Oct. 12. When the election was called, the Sask. Party held 42 of 61 seats in the legislature. e NDP had 14, the SUP had one and there were three independents. One seat was vacant. e Sask. Party is seeking its fth straight majority government. For regular updates on the election, be sure to visit our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca.
EstevanFireRescueServicememberColbyWainman helpsMargotErdieoperateafirehoseduring anopenhouseonOct.8atthefirehall. Membersofthefiredepartmentbarbecued hotdogsforfamilies,andtoursofthefiretrucks andthebuildingwereavailable.Thefirehose wasahitwithchildrenthroughoutthenight. Theeventwasheldinconjunctionwith FirePreventionWeekfromOct.6-12.
PhotobyDavidWillberg
e South East Cornerstone Public School Division is reporting a decrease in the number of students for this year, but some of its schools, including a couple in Estevan, have seen an increase.
According to the Sept. 30 enrolment numbers, the school division had 8,224 students, which is down 71 from the previous year, but director of education Keith Keating said the number of students for 2023-24 was up 150 from the previous year.
“Last year we saw a fairly large increase in some of our numbers across the division, just with people moving in,” Keating said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. “ is year there seems to be less kindergarten students coming in than Grade 12s we have going out.”
He described the numbers in Estevan as “relatively stable”. e Estevan Comprehensive School
is down 24 students from 794 to 770, but the Grade 9-12 school is still the second-largest in the division, trailing only the Weyburn Comprehensive School, which had 945 students but is Grades 7-12.
As for Estevan’s elementary schools, which are kindergarten to Grade 8 (K-8), Pleasantdale is up from 200 to 206 students, Hillcrest School has grown from 132 to 140, Westview is down one from 180 to 179, and Spruce Ridge has dropped from 388 to 361 students.
Total enrolment for the ve schools in Estevan is 1,656, down from 1,694 the previous year.
“ at was about what we projected in the City of Estevan,” said Keating.
As for the rural schools, Alameda School, which is K-9, went from 83 to 81 students, Arcola School (K-12) jumped from 235 to 242; Bienfait Weldon School (K-8) went from 119 to 120; Carievale School (K-8) went from 86 to 88; Carlyle Elementary School (K-6) dropped from 249 to 233; Gordon F. Kells High School (Grades 7-12) slid from 215 to 201; the Carndu Education Complex went from 316 to 313; Manor (K-12) dropped from 54 to 49; Macoun School
(K-8) grew from 57 to 61; Midale Central School (K12) jumped from 153 to 163; Lampman School (K12) slid from 157 to 149; Lyndale School (K-8) grew from 61 to 63; Oxbow Prairie Horizons School (K-12) dropped from 368 to 364; Redvers School (K-12) declined from 266 to 260; and
Stoughton Central School (K-12) saw an increase of nearly 10 per cent from 159 to 174.
“Our projections were fairly close in a lot of places. It seems like Estevan is relatively stable,” said Keating.
“We’ve seen an increase over the past number of years in Weyburn, but this year the kindergarten numbers coming into Weyburn were well less than what we’ve seen in previous years.” Keating said the division has had a great start to the school year. It’s been wonderful to see the students and teachers in the classroom, and he’s happy with what’s happening in the division.
Southeast Advocates has announced a new initiative aimed at empowering local youths while giving back to the community.
e project, called Southeast Youth for Change, is led by the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program and Transitions, operating under the umbrella of Southeast Newcomer Services.
e project is designed to engage youth in semi-monthly service activities that bene t the Estevan community. eir
rst event, scheduled for Oct. 21, will see teens lending a helping hand to local small businesses, non-profits or individuals in need by cleaning outdoor spaces.
“We are open to helping anyone who is in need of help, like elderly people or a small business in Estevan,” said Cali-Marie Mack, SWIS co-ordinator. “We had the long-term care at the hospital reach out to us about helping clean up their patio. And I thought that was a great [option], exactly what we wanted to do.”
(Section 82 of the Act) Notice of Abandonment of Poll
Whereas a poll is not required pursuant to The Local Government Election Act, 2015 for the offices of:
Councillor: Rural Municipality of Coalfields No 4 –Division 3
Councillor: Rural Municipality of Coalfields No 4 –Division 5
I
Division 5 – Acclaimed, Dalan Wheeler
Dated this 11th day of October, 2024 Monica Kovach Returning Officer
Mack explained that the idea came about because of a desire to get youths more involved in the community while promoting Southeast Advocates.
“I [felt] that there’s no better way than getting out there in the community by helping the community,” she said.
e initiative involves youth from various peer leader groups who work with Mack, as well as Transitions co-ordinators and Transitions consultant. e youth will handle
tasks like raking leaves and picking up garbage in the fall and more in the future.
“Right now, we just want to get the kids outside as winter’s coming around,” said Mack, adding that future plans include snow shovelling as Estevan braces for colder months.
For many of the youths involved, this is a way to earn volunteer hours needed for school while contributing meaningfully to the local community.
Mack noted, “We’re
The Rural Municipalit y of Estevan No 5 Municipal Elections 2024
Whereas Jason LeBlanc, nominated for the office of Reeve, And;
Whereas Suzanne McNabb, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division One (1), And;
Whereas Kevin Daoust, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division Three (3), And;
Whereas Ramona Dukar t, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division Five (5).
Were the only candidates nominated for these positions, I hereby declare elected by acclamation, and give notice that no voting for these offices will take place on Wednesday, November 13th 2024.
Dated this 10th day of October, 2024
Michelle Dickie, Returning Officer
hoping to get about 10 kids to come out,” and emphasized that the project not only helps the community but also makes teens comfortable with volunteering alongside friends.
ose interested in receiving assistance from Southeast Youth for Change can reach out through the Southeast Advocates - SWIS & Transitions Facebook page or by calling the o ce directly.
“We’re just starting out, and we’ll see how far we can take it,” Mack said.
For the rst event on Oct. 21, the group will pick a maximum of three places for the day. Anyone interested in receiving help will need to provide their own yard care items for the volunteers.
Southeast Youth for Change will continue organizing community service events twice a month, focusing on outdoor tasks before moving on to winter activities like snow removal. e team is eager to make a positive impact, one project at a time.
Sales Manager
Christine Jones - cjones@glaciermedia.ca
Sales Kim Ball - kball@glaciermedia.ca
Editor David Willberg - dwillberg@glaciermedia.ca
Editorial Staff
Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@SASKTODAY.ca
Production Manager
Ana Villarreal - avillarreal@glaciermedia.ca
Production
Laura Kish - lkish@glaciermedia.ca
Administration
Morgan Hodgens - mohodgens@glaciermedia.ca
Contact us:
(306) 634-2654
68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.sasktoday.ca
@Estevan_Mercury facebook.com/TheMercury
Subscription Rates:
In Saskatchewan - $105 In Canada - $126
Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group
Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited
Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc.
Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice.
Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors.
The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication.
All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision thatThe Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.
We
Your vote can make a difference
Regardless of who you voted for in the 2020 provincial and Estevan civic elections, and no matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you shouldn’t have been happy with the voter turnout for those two elections.
e provincial election voter turnout came in at roughly 52.86 per cent, down about ve per cent from the 2016 edition. Meanwhile, the civic election in Estevan was well under 50 per cent for voter turnout.
Granted, the provincial and civic elections took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time in which numbers were spiking in many parts of the province (although not so much in the southeast). And while there were options such as drive-thru polls and mail-in ballots to encourage people to vote, there were still some who essentially shut themselves o from the world during the pandemic. ere also wasn’t a lot of suspense for the provincial election. We all knew the Saskatchewan Party was going to win its fourth consecutive majority government, and it was going to do so decisively. e only question was the margin of victory. We also knew a lot of their victories in rural ridings would be in landslide fashion.
If people think the result is a foregone conclusion, it might discourage them from voting. After all, why take the time
to cast your ballot if you think it won’t make a di erence? If you’re supporting the favourite, it’s just one more vote in the landslide. If you’re backing another candidate, it wouldn’t change the end result, which is a drubbing.
Expect it to be much closer this year, although it would still be a big upset if the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party knocks o the Saskatchewan Party, and it would be an even bigger shocker if the Saskatchewan Party were to be dethroned in its rural stronghold seats (unless there were to be a large wave of support for another right-of-centre party).
As for the civic election, there are a number of factors that should result in a larger turnout. For starters, there’s more interest in the mayoral race. Four years ago, most people expected Roy Ludwig (who is wrapping up his third term as mayor) to defeat challenger Ray Walton, who was a very capable candidate and certainly put in a candidate’s workload, but ultimately Ludwig won with 1,632 of just over 2,300 votes cast.
Ludwig isn’t running after 12 years of service as mayor and 30 on council.
ere’s a really intriguing race for mayor this time between Rebecca Foord and Tony Sernick, who are each wrapping up their rst term as councillors, and there’s a third candidate in Zacch Vandenhurk, who is looking to make the jump into the
mayor’s chair despite no previous council experience.
Also, 10 candidates are vying for just six city councillor seats.
Adding to the intrigue for the election is the plebiscite that will be taking place on a third ice surface for Estevan.
Voting isn’t limited to election day. You can vote at an advanced poll for both the provincial and civic elections. Both levels of government are continuing with mailin ballots, which should prove to be a popular option for snowbirds and seniors. e city will continue to have drive-thru polling stations. Both levels of government are looking for ways to get as many people as possible to vote.
We’d de nitely like to see a surge in the number of people voting in the civic election, which tends to have lower turnout. You have a level of connection with your mayor and councillors that you don’t have with your MLA or MP. In rural settings, the MLAs for Estevan-Big Muddy and Cannington have large areas to cover; your local mayor and councillors do not. If you don’t vote, then you shouldn’t complain. Yes, there will be a small fraction of people who are unable to vote in this election for a variety of reasons, but most of us don’t have an excuse other than apathy. And if you don’t vote, and you don’t get the desired result, then often you have nobody to blame but yourself.
A flow of thoughts washes over me
I love the water. Oceans, rivers, lakes, waterfalls … the sound relaxes and inspires me, so when I am near it, I grab a pen and paper and let my imagination spill out on the page.
And boats? I love them. Put me on the water in just about any type of craft and I am thrilled. But to be honest, I make a far greater e ort to appreciate water when I am travelling than I do in my proverbial backyard.
I’ve been on steamboats, harbor tours, day cruises, rafts, speed boats, pontoon boats, paddle boats and canoes on any number of lakes, rivers and oceans from the Mississippi to Mexico; Orlando to the Okanagan; Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho to the coast of Washington; but I had never taken a ride on the Prairie Lily Riverboat on the South Saskatchewan River, the iconic boat cruise in Saskatoon.
We had talked about it many times but never made the e ort. We’re not tourists in the Bridge City. ose activities we did in other places, not here at home. But oh, what we were missing.
To celebrate an anniversary, my husband and I decided the Prairie Lily was a great way to kick o our weekend. We chose the sunset cruise and got to see views of the city and water that opened my eyes.
How many times had I driven over the city’s bridges but not taken a moment to really see what surrounded me? I’m more concerned with thoughts of tra c than natural beauty, but not that night on the boat.
Shelley Luedtke That’s My Outlook
e Prairie Lily captains announced that the 2025 season would be its last.
e boat doesn’t need to retire, but the captains do. When we heard the news we remarked how glad we were we chose this year to nally get tickets because next year, considering it could be its last, might be very busy as people seek it out before it is no longer an option.
We tend to do that. When we hear something is ending, we show up. Consider news of a store going under. People line up to get inside and buy. ey are likely hoping to nd closing-out bargains, but imagine how much better it would be if we showed up earlier and prevented the ‘going out of business’ part in the rst place. But the thought of a goodbye does that.
en there are the musicians who announce their farewell tour. Ticket sales skyrocket as fans realize this is their last chance to see the artist perform. It works so well some bands have admitted to making it all up.
Perhaps a buyer will step up and ensure the Prairie Lily continues its sightseeing sails into the future, but as we wait to see what happens with that we are reminded that while we may be able to establish a
“farewell date” for a few things in our life, most we cannot. On a beautiful afternoon a few years ago, I was sitting by the Black Sea lling pages of my journal. One passage expressed the quandary I was experiencing in delighting in the setting and wanting to appreciate it, while at the same time dealing with a sense of sorrow knowing I would never experience that location again.
“It is so peaceful out here. A few people are out walking or jogging along the shoreline. Are they regulars? I wonder how often they pass by this location. Do they see it, or are they merely making their way to another destination? Do they realize how lucky they are to look at this every day or is it so familiar it has become ordinary? I know I will never be here again and so I am doing my best to take it all in.
“I’ve sat by so many lakes, rivers and oceans yet on this day I am seeing this body of water and feeling this sea breeze on my face for the very rst time. And only time, likely. It is a hello and a farewell at the same time. Poignant, and yet I am not entirely sad. Joyous, yet with a lump in my throat. Just very grateful to have been here at all.”
Perhaps that is the feeling of gratitude I should be expressing every new place I am able to visit and every new sight I am able to experience. ere will be a stream of emotions that ood my mind as I realize saying hello and farewell can bring a very special mist to my eyes. at’s my outlook.
By David Willlberg
e trustees from the Estevan area who will be part of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division’s board for the next four years are looking forward to what will happen.
Karen Melle and Virgilito (Gil) Sotto will be the two city of Estevan trustees on the board, while Kristy Phillips will be the representative for the Estevan rural subdivision, known as Spruce Ridge. All three were elected by acclamation.
Melle is the most tenured member of the three, as her experience dates back to the late 1990s when she was part of the Estevan Catholic board, which amalgamated with its Weyburn and Radville counterparts approximately 20 years ago to form Holy Family. Melle has been on the Holy Family board since its inception.
Melle said she “strongly considered” not seeking re-election, and she was hoping somebody else would step up and join the board, but she also still enjoys the work of being a trustee and watching the division progress, while keeping tabs on how the money is being spent.
“It was a tough decision this time to put my name forward, but I would never like to see a seat empty,” said Melle.
Melle said she enjoys seeing the successes of the children and how the ad-
ministration is able to provide quality education, even when funding is an issue.
e Holy Family board is “quite experienced”, she said, with some trustees who have been there for many years.
Issues for Holy Family for the next four years will include complexities they are seeing in the schools and having the funding required to meet the needs of students and sta . It will also be important to continue to incorporate their Catholic faith into education.
“Arti cial intelligence is, of course, something on everybody’s minds and the complexities that it may bring into our schools, along with Indigenous culture, the Indigenous education is very important as well,” she said.
Sotto is wrapping up his rst term as the Estevan rural trustee and is now
shifting over to a city rep. He said he wants to help the students and their best interests and continue to help the community.
His rst year on the board was spent observing what happens. e early focus of the term was on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the welfare of the students.
“It’s really nice to be part of the Holy Family board, because I can see that they are leading by example. And then the Catholic teachings and faith were always in the goal and purpose in every meeting that we have.”
e board gave him a lot of support when he was new and they understood he was learning.
Sotto doesn’t expect there will be much of a difference between representing the rural and the city residents.
“I am more in contact with the city, so I can help more people and families here in the city. I can help more people like families here in the city and I know most of them, especially the new Canadians, the new immigrants that have come in here, too.”
Phillips attended the Catholic school system in Estevan prior to the merger into Holy Family and is part of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. She said it is important to represent their faith, community and rural areas.
“My children were all members of the Holy Family school division,” said Phillips.
She believes she will have a lot to learn in terms of what happens with the board, but she does have some idea of the complexities associated with the board. And she can draw
The Rural Municipality of Benson No 35 Municipal Elections 2024
Whereas:
Kenneth Wa llewein, nomina ted for the office of Re e ve; Jason Mack, no mina ted for the off i ce of Council lor for Divi si on No. 1.
Dwight Monteyne, nomin at ed for the office of Council lor for Divi si on No.3
Cordell Janssen, nomina ted fo r th e of fi ce of Cou ncillor for Divisi on No. 5 were the only candida te (s) nomina ted for these po sitio ns, I hereby give notice tha t no votin g fo r the office (s ) w ill ta ke p lace on We dnesday, Novem ber 13, 2024
Da ted at Benso n this 11th day of October, 2024.
Chantel Wa lsh Returning Officer
on the experience of Melle, who is her mother.
“We have conversations regularly about issues that
the … schools face and the boards face within our province,” said Melle. “It’s always a conversation that we partake in, and she’s given me some ideas of what I can expect as a board member.”
Phillips said she would like to see what type of additional funding Holy Family can receive from the provincial government to help with the complexity issues that occur in the classroom.
It’s becoming increasingly di cult to nd people to step up and move into the school board positions, she said, and she’s happy to use her experience as a past school community council member and student to contribute to Holy Family.
NOTICE OF POLL (Section 81 of The Local Government Election Act, 2015)
Town of Midale Municipal Election
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with The Local Government Election Act, 2015 that a vote will be held for the election of Councillors (6) - Town of Midale ADVANCE POLLS have been set for Wednesday, November 6, 2024, from 10:00 a.m to 11:30 a.m at the Mainprize Manor and Health Centre, 206 South Road Midale SK AND Wednesday November 6, 2024, from 12:00 noon to 4 p.m. at the Town of Midale office 233 Main Street Midale SK ELECTION DAY POLL voting will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 9:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m., at the Midale 39er’s Building, 203 Main Street, Midale, SK Election results will be declared on the Thursday November 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Dated at Midale this 11th day of October.
Dena Scott Returning Officer
(Section 82 of the Local Government Election Act, 2015)
Municipal Election 2024
Whereas the following has been nominated for the office as stated below and this is the only candidate for this office, I hereby give notice that no voting for the office of Mayor will take place on November 13, 2024:
Mayor - Allan Hauglum
Dated this 11th day of October, 2024.
Dena Scott (Retur ning Officer)
A & A Jewellery in Estevan was among the businesses hit hard by the ooding brought on by a severe thunderstorm in late August.
e water damaged the business’ basement, and while the long-time company remained open after all of the water, owner Laurel Buck said there was significant losses.
While hauling things away from the basement, she found signatures and writings dating back to 1925 on the basement’s wall. Buck said the oldest name was a Nellie Phillips.
“Somebody said she worked at McCready’s Hardware Store, but I don’t know if that was in this building or another building,” said Buck.
Other names were on the wall, and she believes the last one was from 1957 – the
A&AJewelleryfoundthisuniquewritingwhilecleaningupfrom afloodthatoccurredinAugust.
same year Estevan became a city. She’s not sure why people were writing their names on the wall in the past. She thought Phillips was there because it was from the year
the building was constructed.
“I thought maybe it was something interesting to do, but I don’t know if it’s people who worked in the building and the owners
and sta that have put their names up there, but it’s really piqued my interest into the history of the building,” said Buck.
She had previously found a message that said the
building was “born” in 1925 and added onto in 1960.
During recent ceiling work, Buck said they could see where the old building was and where old bricks were removed.
In some cases, she’s not sure of the language of the writing.
Buck said she is interested in nding out which businesses have occupied A & A’s present home in the past.
“I’d like to do a plaque and put it out front for the 100th year,” said Buck.
“I think there’s so much history downtown that maybe this will start something, with the new look downtown, and we can have our plaques on our walls of how old our buildings are and what businesses have been in here before,” she added later. “After Christmas, I’m hoping, when I have more time, to just delve into the history and the records.” If anybody knows knows anything about the building’s history, Buck said she would love to hear it. She knows there was a butcher shop in there at one time because there were troughs in the basement and large hooks in the ceiling. e restorations work in the basement wrapped up about two weeks ago. e business lost about $30,000 in inventory and non-inventory items, such as a ring bu er and a ring stretcher, and there are other things lost that Buck says they likely won’t notice until later. But the support from the community has been great, and they’re looking forward to the completion of this year’s work for the downtown revitalization project and the upcoming Christmas shopping season.
e swimming pool inside the Estevan Leisure Centre is going to have a new name for the foreseeable future.
Access Communications Co-operative announced last Wednesday it had purchased the naming rights of the Estevan Leisure Centre’s swimming pool, which will be known as the Access Communications Aquatic Centre (ACAC).
“Access is proud to partner with the City of Estevan for the Access Communications Aquatic Centre,” said Access president and CEO Carmela Haines. “Our sponsorship re ects our ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of those in the communities we serve. Community is at the heart of our co-operative and we’re thrilled about this partnership.”
Terms of the purchase were not released, but in an email to the Mercury and SaskToday, Access manager of corporate communica-
tions Mark Rathwell said it is a multi-year agreement. e sponsorship is a mix of cash and in-kind support that includes technology and advertising.
Access noted the pool is a focal point for the community, o ering programming for all ages, including Surf & Swim, lane swims, adult independent swimming and Aqua t classes.
It is the home of such organizations as Estevan Sharks water polo, Estevan Golden Eels summer speed swimming and Estevan Mermaids synchronized swimming. Birthday parties, Star sh Aquatics swimming lessons and Wibit Pool Track also happen at the pool.
“ e City of Estevan and the Estevan Leisure Centre team are pleased to welcome this partnership with Access Communications,” said leisure services manager Erin Wilson.
“Sponsorships like these assist us in continuing to be able to provide a facility and programming that welcomes patrons of all ages and support our community’s needs.”
Wilson said the money for the partnership will be used to support operations in the facility rather than a particular project.
“We look forward to working with Access for the term of this agreement and hosting a community day annually to celebrate their presence in the Estevan Leisure Centre,” she said.
Rathwell pointed out Access has similar partnerships in North Battleford, Weyburn and Yorkton, among other communities. It purchased the naming rights for the pool in Yorkton’s leisure centre. He noted the swimming pool was always the focus of its attention for sponsorships
in the Estevan Leisure Centre.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to support the communities that we operate in and the customers that support us,” he said. Access is looking to provide its technology to the facility, including Internet, phone, public Wi-Fi hubs and more. It will also promote the facility and services on its community channel.
To celebrate the partnership, Access is hosting a free swim day at the aquatic centre on Oct. 26 from 1-5 p.m. Entry is on a rstcome basis. Access said it will be giving away juice, cookies and Access merchandise. It will also be drawing for a prize basket that includes an Amazon Firestick. To learn more about the Access Communications Aquatic Centre, visit www. estevan.ca/aquaticcentre.
e Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation held its rst-ever par-3, nine-hole golf tournament on Sept. 14 at Mainprize Regional Park, followed by a supper, and live, silent and Dutch auctions.
e foundation said the event received overwhelming support from the community, bringing them closer to achieving 100 per cent of its sponsorship goals.
“ e day was nothing short of perfect, with 144 golfers competing for the chance to win a $1 million hole-in-one prize. Cash prizes totalling $500 were awarded at each hole, with $200 going to the golfer closest to the pin, $200 for the longest putt, and $100 for the closest to the line,”
the foundation said in a news release. “As the tournament wrapped up, a large crowd gathered to see if any win-
ners could land the elusive hole-in-one prize. While no one claimed the grand prize, the competition was erce, and spirits remained high.”
Participants were then treated to a roast beef supper, prepared by Chef Ron’s kitchen of Mainprize Park. e evening’s auctions kept
e two Estevan trustees for the South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s board were elected by acclamation.
Craig MacDonald and Kevin Keating were the only two who led their nominations by the Oct. 9 deadline. MacDonald is a newcomer, while Keating is returning for his second term for Estevan and has been on the board for 15 years.
MacDonald, who hails from Edmonton, has resided for most of his life in Estevan. While he is new to the board, he has extensive experience working for the division.
“I came here in 1965 to work in the oilpatch. roughout most of my career, I was self-employed. I owned two di erent businesses. I worked in the oilpatch until 1999 and retired from oilpatch and did some consulting work until 2008,” MacDonald shared.
“I retired but my wife didn’t think I needed to retire so she put my name in out at the South East Cornerstone Public School Division to be a caretaker. I was there for 13 years and through that time I ended up becoming the head caretaker at the school, and
KevinKeating,left,andCraigMacDonaldare thetwoEstevantrusteesfortheSouthEast CornerstonePublicSchoolDivision’sboard.
PhotoscourtesyofKevinKeatingandCraigMacDonald
then I went onto the division looking after 11 schools.”
MacDonald worked for the SECPSD until 2021, and after retiring thought he would run for the school board if it was to come up.
“I could see where they needed some help in decision making. And I’ve got 13 years [of experience working] on the other side of Cornerstone so if I can make a di erence as a trustee, I think it’ll be a big asset to the decision making for them,” MacDonald said.
“I’d like to see the board, when they’re making decisions on di erent things, to have the most information they need.
“I hope I can make a difference for them. Over the years, some of the decisions they made were pretty hard to make and I don’t think they were as informed as they could have been,” he added.
Keating was the maintenance supervisor for SECPSD before he retired and ran for the school board, and now he has vast experience of being on the board. Prior to moving to the Energy City, he was the trustee for Subdivision 4, which includes Bienfait, Lampman, Alameda and Oxbow.
Keating’s been a trustee for Estevan for the last term, and said he looks forward to continuing to work on sever-
al projects in this corner of the province.
“We have a really good board, and we have extremely good sta . Four years go by pretty quickly and, COVID is over, we’re thankful for that. But the four years have gone really well. e board has worked well together,” Keating said.
“We are working towards nances with the government, of course. And we have a good working relationship with our teachers and our sta ; of course, that’s in arbitration right now, but hopefully that will come to fruition here fairly quick.”
He noted that one of the highlights for the division is having the new school being built in Carlyle. But there are more projects he’d like to see become a reality.
“I’m still on the facilities committee for getting a new K-6 school in Estevan, which would involve the separate school division and ourselves. We’re still working on it. We put it in the budget every year, but so far, [it hasn’t happened].”
e last term Keating was on the board alongside Eric McCrimmon, who Keating thanked for his input.
the excitement going as attendees bid on a wide range of items, including unique handcrafted pieces.
e Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation, a non-profit registered Saskatchewan
e Estevan Fire Rescue Service responded to accidents and alarms recently.
On Oct. 7 just after 2 p.m., re ghters were dispatched to a commercial re alarm in northwest Estevan. Crews responded and investigated; it was found that the alarm was due to accidental activation of a pull station. Maintenance sta at the scene were able to reset the system. On Oct. 8 at about 8 a.m., crews were dispatched to a collision in the central part of the city. Fire Chief Rick Davies said the accident turned out to be minor in nature. Crews assisted police at the scene. e same day at about 12:30 p.m., re ghters responded to another two-vehicle collision in the north-central part of the city. It was quickly determined that it was also a minor incident and reghters’ assistance was not required.
Crews were dispatched to a residential re alarm in the south end of the city on Oct. 9 at around 9:45 a.m. Just prior to them leaving
the station, they were updated that it was a cooking-related incident and that their assistance was not required.
“I found him [McCrimmon] really informative and really good, so I think we’ll miss him now that he’s decided to step down,” Keating added.
| Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Now that fall is here and many producers have wrapped up harvest operations, there is an increasing number of controlled burns in southeast Saskatchewan.
Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies said if someone in a rural municipality is going to conduct such a re, it’s up to them to report it through the Controlled Burn Line at 1-866-404-4911.
“It is their responsibility to report it, and they can do that by calling a number that will put them in contact with the provincial dispatch, where they’ll be asked some questions to do with their burn, the land location, which RM they’re in, who the re department is, how long the burn is going to be, just di erent questions like that,” said Davies.
If they want, they can call into their re department to give them a heads-up that a burn is happening.
“I would recommend that it’s a requirement, for
various reasons. Again, a lot of times, passersby along highways and things like that will report res,” said Davies. “If there is a controlled burn that is occurring out in the country and a re department is dispatched because there are
no reports, that landowner will be subject to an invoice from that responding re department.”
If a burn is reported in advance in the area, then dispatch will know not to send out the re ghters, or the department can just
check in to see what is happening.
If the re does get out of control, then the producer would be subject to the cost of the department’s response.
“It would de nitely be in their best interest to call for
assistance if it does get out of control,” said Davies.
And should somebody need to reschedule a controlled burn due to weather conditions or other factors, Davies asks them to call the Controlled Burn Line.
“I don’t think they need to give much of a notice,” said Davies. “I think they can get everything to go, phone it in and say we’re going to be starting this.”
e re department doesn’t get a lot of calls stemming from controlled burns. People in the area are typically very responsible with their noti cations, and Davies hopes people are becoming more aware of the need to take the necessary steps in advance.
“It seems like for the amount of burns that do happen in the fall and stu around here, we aren’t dispatched to very many, or there aren’t very many issues, so I feel that a lot of people do know what to do. We will try to get informa-
e Happy Little Hooves pony and donkey sanctuary is inviting the public to its facility southwest of Estevan.
An open house is slated for Oct. 19 at 11 a.m. Not only will people be able to meet the animals who call Happy Little Hooves their home, but there will be tours, demonstrations and a celebration as Happy Little Hooves marks ve years since it opened in 2019. Laura Stock, who operates Happy Little Hooves with her sister Rhonda, said there will be tours throughout the day. Demonstrations will cover grooming; vitals; rst aid; hoof trimming; the di erence between ponies, donkeys and mules; and ground driving, since one of the miniature animals knows how to pull a cart. “It will be a come and go. People will come for
certain demos that they want to see, or they come for the tour,” said Stock. ere will also be a ribbon cutting for the new shelter that was made possible by support from the Rotary Club of Estevan. Rotary donated $3,000 to Happy Little Hooves last year, which covered the cost of the shelter and all of the materials.
Stock said the nish-
ing touches are being applied to the structure, and the ribbon cutting will be around 3 or 3:30 p.m.
“It will give the little guys shelter in the winter from the cold, and also it will be available if we need to partition it o to halter the little ones that are difcult to halter,” said Stock. Animals can also use the shelter in the summer months.
tion when we can through the RM o ces,” said Davies.
Fall is a busy time for farmers to burn grass, stubble or bush piles, as is the early spring before seeding starts.
If someone is going to have a controlled burn, they should pay attention to the wind conditions. Davies also recommends it happen in the evening.
“As the sun sets, you get the cooling and the moisture that come out at night, which can help extinguish that re throughout the evening, versus doing it in the middle of the day. As the day progresses, things usually warm up in the afternoon and wind will pick up.” e re chief reminds the public it is illegal to have any kind of controlled burn within the city limits. e res also can’t happen if there is a burning ban in the RM, but no such bans are currently in place.
Happy Little Hooves currently has 47 animals that all have special needs. ey have four mules, four donkeys, six larger ponies and 33 miniature horses. e open house was supposed to happen on Oct. 5, but had to be postponed due to the powerful winds that plowed through the southeast that day. Admission to the open house will be by donation.
Public speaking is also an important part of being part of 4-H. Kiyahsaid one of her speeches was about her father,how he brought herintothe tractor and how much she enjoyed theexperience.
The 4-H motto is LearntodobyDoing, and 4-H has taught her alot of things, including what to dofor her steer before it is sold at auction.
Kiyah said she would recommend being in 4-H to other young people.
“They get to spend timewithotherpeople, and …you can play around with your friends, she said.
By Stephanie Zoer
For the past nine years, Wilson’s Old Tyme Harvest has brought together people from all walks of life for a celebration of farming traditions that span three generations. It began with Ken Wilson, his son Kevin and his grandson Colton. is annual event o ers a nostalgic glimpse into the way harvesting was once done, combining history with hands-on demonstrations.
e three men had gone to shows in the U.S. that had antique machines and felt this was something they could do in Canada. e three generations have a passion for the old equip-
ment and it makes them incredibly happy when they get something running for the rst time in 15 years. Approximately 150 people came to the Wilson farm recently to see how this old equipment once worked. For the Wilsons, it is a pleasure to show them. Campers began arriving four days prior to the event. It is also a time for old friends to socialize and talk of the past.
Kevin Wilson said the weather was perfect for the day, but a few days before, they had rain, which did a ect the ability of doing some of the harvest in the eld. ey had made up sheaths before and could
show the crowd how the threshers worked.
All the equipment is in working condition, and during the winter months they start the machines up to ensure they keep running. At times, a part is needed, and this is when they contact others who have the equipment to see if they have the parts.
A new item this year was the purchase of a British American oil shed from the 1940s. It measurers 30 feet by 40 feet and is being used as a museum for the old oil and gas stu . ey also have a nice, original six-foot porcelain sign on display.
e kids were entertained with the antique hand-operated grain cleaner. Wilson said they had four to ve bushels of grain, which went through the machine many times and kept the kids busy all afternoon.
e farm, located north of Manor, has bigger plans for next year when it celebrates the 10th edition on Aug. 30.
Wilson’s partner Marilee Simmons takes care of the posters and dragging equipment. She is a big part of the event, and she already
has wheels in motion for next year.
“It is what we do,” said Wilson. “We love to x up this old stu to preserve the history, because who else is going to do it?”
A luncheon was provided by the Wawota Raise the Rafters group, and Al Flecher once again led the parade around the farmyard.
Don and Rod Lees had their McCormick tractors on display and had several in the parade.
“ e older crowd loves to connect with the past,” said Wilson, “but it is great to see the younger crowd get involved, and some had no idea how this equipment worked and were blown away.”
Although the equipment is a reminder of the past, the Wilson’s Old Tyme Harvest serves as a gathering point for family, friends and farming enthusiast who come to share stories, memories, and a love for the land.
Jason LeBlanc says he had some un nished business as the reeve of the RM of Estevan, and that’s why he decided to seek his rst full term in the role.
LeBlanc was acclaimed as reeve on Oct. 9, as he was the only person to submit nomination papers for the role. He became the reeve in August 2021 after Terry Keating resigned.
“I came in and got to know the job a little bit and understand the RM, and we’ve made huge improvements and many, many changes. We’re moving forward. We want to be a progressive RM, and now we have many projects on the go,” said LeBlanc.
Building roads, paving and getting infrastructure in place are all things the RM wants to do to make it a place to live and do business.
e RM has also improved the relationship with the city, and he’s looking forward to meeting with what will be a new city council after the Nov. 13 civic election, as there will be at least four new members.
LeBlanc has been in on meetings regarding solar power, small modular reactors and coal mining and their future in the RM, and he thought now is not the time to step aside.
He said he’s not disappointed he was elected by acclamation, and he hopes it’s a sign that people think he’s doing a good job.
“Not everybody likes it when change is made, so you’re not going to get 100 per cent satisfaction when you make change, but we have a place and a purpose and reason to why we’re making the changes, and I would think the majority of people understood once they gave us a call and had a talk,” he said.
LeBlanc isn’t surprised there won’t be an election in the RM this fall, because he believes the councillors and the RMs do a good job of keeping the public engaged. ey also avoided tax hikes during the term.
Also acclaimed were in-
cumbent Councillors Kevin Daoust (Division 3) and Ramona Dukart (Division 5), and rst-time candidate Suzanne McNabb (Division 1).
McNabb replaces her father, Lorne Jahn, who had been on council for 31 years.
LeBlanc noted McNabb is the fourth generation of her family to represent Division 1, as her father, grandfather and great-grandfather were also in the role.
“I can’t say enough good about Lorne. He was so
good in there, and helped us on so many things … and he certainly knew the history, and kept us on the straight when I came with an idea that maybe had already been invented 30 years ago, he knew it.”
As for the next four years, LeBlanc said he has been in discussions “and battles” with SaskPower and the Water Security Agency on a couple of roads in the RM. One is the Shand Access Road from Highway 39 to the Shand Power Sta-
tion, which is a paved road that LeBlanc said was never done properly.
“Ground is shifting. It’s built on top of open pit mining, and it needs to be … redone and rebuilt.”
e other would be the road that runs from Highway 39 to Highway 18 and crosses Ra erty Reservoir.
“We de nitely want the top of that dam xed and redone, but we want that entire road from Highway
18 to 39 to have some care put into it. We’ve spent an enormous amount of money over the years trying to grade it and make sure it’s done properly but it’s tough. at’s a tough road, it’s a busy road.”
e remaining members of the RM council are Don Hilstrom (Division 2), James Trobert (Division 4) and Steve Smith (Division 6). ese divisions will be up for election in 2026.
Wh er eas ap ol li sn ot re qu ir ed pur su an tt o TheLocal Government ElectionAct,2015 forthe officeof:
BoardMember: Holy Family RomanCatholic Separate School Division No.140
SOTTO, Virgilito MELLE, Karen
DatedatEstevan,this11th dayofOctober, 2024.
Wh er ea sa pol li sn ot re qu ir ed pur su an tt o TheLocal GovernmentElectionAct,2015 forthe office of:
Bo ar dM em be r: So ut he as tC or ne rs to ne Pu bl ic School Division No.209
KEATING, Kevin MACDONALD, Craig
DatedatEstevan,this11th dayofOctober, 2024.
Pilloud
The City of Estevan requires Municipal Election Workers forthe Municipal Election on November 13, 2024,
We arelooking for Polls Clerks, Issuing and Receiving Deputy Retur ning Officersand Supervisors
e Estevan Police Service has announced two charges against a youth in connection with a driving incident.
According to the EPS, on Oct. 6, police attempted a tra c stop on a speeder south of the city. e vehicle ed and was not pursued. rough investigation by police, the vehicle was identi ed and later that morning was seized from a residence for investigation.
e individuals in the vehicle at the time the vehicle ed were identi ed and interviewed. In its Oct. 11 news release, the EPS announced a 17-year-old Estevan male youth has been arrested, charged with one count each of ight from police and dangerous driving, and released from custody. His licence has been suspended and the vehicle impounded.
In other recent police news, o cers received a report of a hit and run collision on Mayfair Bay on Oct. 7. e matter is under investigation.
Police responded to a collision involving a vehicle and a cyclist on Oct. 8. According to the EPS, an eight-year-old riding a bicycle was assessed by Estevan EMS on scene and was found to have received minor injuries. e incident occurred at the intersection
of Fourth Street and 14th Avenue. e driver of the vehicle was charged under the Tra c Safety Act.
As a result of a complaint related to theft from a vehicle and mischief, on Oct. 9, the EPS charged a 15-year-old Estevan female with theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking. In the same investigation, a 14-year-old Estevan male was charged with mischief, theft from a vehicle and theft under $5,000. Both youths were released on conditions of no contact and not to attend a local business. ey will appear in Estevan Provincial Court at a later date to answer to the charges.
e same day, members attended to an apartment complex in the south side of the city in response to a report of a man throwing items from a balcony. e matter is still under investigation.
Police arrested and released an Estevan male on outstanding arrest warrants on Oct. 11. He was later released and is scheduled to appear in court in November.
EPS members were called to a local hotel to assist in identifying a substance that had been left in the room. Police determined it was a narcotic. e
individual who rented the room has been identi ed and the matter is still under investigation.
Members received a request to check on a 32-year-old Estevan man as his friends were worried after they didn’t have any success in getting in contact with him. Members were able to locate the man and put him in contact with his friends.
e EPS received a request to check on a 36-yearold Estevan man as it was out of character for him not to show up for work. Police located him and put him in contact with his employer and family.
A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged for theft of shoes from a business. He was released with conditions.
A 45-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle. No further details were released.
Several mental health calls came in during Oct. 11 nightshift.
A member attempted to make a tra c stop on a newer-model pick-up truck along Wellock Road early on Oct. 12. e truck ed from police at a high speed in a residential area. Ocers terminated the pursuit and the truck was last seen around Albert Street and Bannatyne Avenue.
Police received a report of uttering threats. e
matter is still under investigation.
O cers conducted a tra c stop on a 39-year-old woman and during the stop, the o cer observed signs of impairment. e female tested positive on the oral uid device. She was taken for blood samples at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Her driver’s licence was suspended and her vehicle was impounded. e EPS received a report of mischief to property on Oct. 13. An employee at the Estevan Leisure Center had their vehicle damaged. e matter is still under investigation.
Members dealt with an assault on a police o cer during the weekend. In this occurrence, an Estevan woman who allowed her dog to run o leash assaulted police when o cers were dealing with her and her dog. No injuries occurred during the altercation and she has been charged under the Criminal Code.
Police conducted highvisibility check stops on the weekend. More than 250 vehicles were checked. Nineteen mandatory breath tests were completed. One threeday licence suspension was issued due to drug-impaired driving. Seven summary o ence tickets were issued, three of them for open alcohol and four were for other tra c infractions.
Police responded to 51 occurrences from Oct. 1113.
Please Support the Canadian Cancer Society
An early-season tournament at the Bienfait Memorial Arena will serve as an important fundraiser for the rink.
e Battle in the Barn for adults is slated to take place Oct. 26 and 27. Seven co-ed teams are entered in the tournament; each team will have three skaters and a goalie on the ice at a time.
Daniyale Woolsey, the secretary and ice scheduler with the arena, said they wanted to have di erent divisions, but they went with co-ed teams.
She noted the Battle in the Barn minor hockey tournament has been a really good fundraiser for the rink in previous years, and so they decided to try it for adults.
“I think a lot of men and women in southeast Saskatchewan are eager to hit that ice, and it’s just a good way to start o the season,” said Woolsey.
e ice has already been installed at the Bienfait rink.
e arena’s kitchen will be open to serve players and spectators, and there will be a trade show in the upstairs area of the rink. Woolsey said the tournament should o er some pretty good hockey.
“I have a team that I’m on, and I’ve never done three-on-three, so this could be interesting,” she said.
Woolsey expects the tournament will happen next season as well to help support the arena.
e Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs’ volleyball teams swept the opening night of their Coop Challenge series with the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles.
e senior girls opened the night by defeating Weyburn 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-20) and then the senior boys also won 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-15).
Senior girls’ coach Hunter Perkins said the team’s two seniors, libero Cammy Henry and left-side hitter Emily Sauder, had great games. Henry had an “incredible” night passing the ball and Sauder attacked the ball very well.
“Karina Hjorteland, our setter, played well and ran our o ence for the night, and some good serving performances from players like Sadie Aspinal put some good pressure on Weyburn,” Perkins said. He praised the crowd, saying it was great to see so many people in the stands.
Senior boys’ coach Bry-
ton Such said it was an amazing night, and he echoed Perkins’ comments about the crowd.
“It brought so much en-
ergy and excitement to the games,” said Such. “It was awesome to see so many people out to support the teams and to watch some
amazing volleyball.” e boys had good, consistent service pressure, did well managing their out system play and did a great
job of taking care of free balls.
“I also think we did a good job of keeping the home crowd involved and
giving them lots to cheer for,” said Such. “We have some things to clean up as we move forward, but overall we took care of business.”
e school had the Very Important Volunteers group from Sacred Heart School/ École Sacré Coeur run their canteen and they plan to donate their proceeds to a local charity. e Southern Plains Co-op sponsors the event and the school accepted cash and food donations at the door for the Estevan Salvation Army’s food bank.
e Co-op Challenge is an annual four-match battle between the senior boys’ and senior girls’ volleyball teams from Estevan and Weyburn, with two matches in Estevan and two in Weyburn. e team that wins the most sets in those four matches wins the series.
Estevan has won the Coop Challenge the past two years. e second half of the challenge will be Oct. 23 in Weyburn.
e Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears su ered two straight losses on home ice against the Prince Albert Mintos.
Prince Albert scored three times in the nal 11 minutes of the third period Friday night to win 6-3. e teams were tied at 1-1 after the rst period and at threes through two. Aidan Mohan opened the scoring for Estevan, and Dylan Brass and Brendan Jones had the Bears’ goals in the second.
Estevan had a great scoring chance in the third but hit the post. Prince Albert took the lead midway through the frame, and scored twice more late in the game. e 5-3 goal was disputed, as the Bears thought the Mintos interfered with goalie Brady Carr, but the goal stood, and the Bears’ bench was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing the call. Prince Albert scored on the ensuing power play. Carr made 24 saves for Estevan.
Prince Albert won 4-2 the following day. e Mintos led 1-0 after the rst and 2-1 through two, and then pulled away in the third. Roan Burgess scored in the second period to bring Estevan to a 1-1 tie, and Cooper Flath tallied with nine seconds to play in the game.
Cole Ivey made 30 stops for the Bears.
Estevan will look to get revenge on the Mintos when they visit Prince Albert on Oct. 18 and 19.
RoanBurgessoftheEstevanBearsfendsoffPrinceAlbertdefendersduringFridaynight’sgame.
By David Willberg
e most decorated franchise in the history of the Big Six Hockey League won’t ice a team in the 202425 season.
e Bienfait Coalers, who have won 15 championships in the league’s 65-year history, have announced they will be taking a leave of absence this season, leaving the league with eight teams. It’s believed to be the rst time since the late 1980s, when the Estevan Bears were part of the league, that Bienfait hasn’t had a team.
Tim Miller, who stepped in as coach last season, said the leave of absence is due to a lack of players. ey had 14 or 15 players for this season, including two goalies, but with a handful of players on shift work, it would have been tough to ice a team some nights.
“I didn’t want to risk going to the [fall] meeting, and
then doing a schedule and then we have to back out. So, we will take the year of absence and start pounding the pavement once the hockey season ends to see if we can’t have a team next year,” said Miller.
He pointed out some teams are paying players, but the Coalers do not.
“We have guys holding out, waiting for a paycheque, basically,” said Miller. “ ey’re holding out to the highest bidder, and so you have guys worried about the name on the back and not the jersey [logo] on the front. ere’s guys jumping from team to team on a yearly basis. And it’s not just our league, either. It’s other leagues too.”
Miller noted the Big Six has now lost three teams in the past two seasons, and there are a couple other teams who are struggling.
e Coalers are also competing with teams in Estevan
for sponsorship dollars, and the Bienfait squad doesn’t want to be hurting minor hockey teams’ revenues.
“ e Coalers always prided themselves that they’re one of the teams that didn’t pay players,” Miller said.
e league’s rule on import and elite players also hurts the Coalers. Teams can carry up to four such players, and there is no longer an exception for home-grown or locally-based imports. ose over the age of 35, and those who played under 65 games of hockey at junior A or higher, are exempt from the rule.
Several players left over from the Coalers’ run when they won ve straight league championships from 20112015 retired at the same time, he said.
“We’re nding it a hard time to get that younger group to come in, so hopefully we can change that in the o season.”
e club had some younger players who were ready to play this season, but they need more of them. e club has built up its executive and it held fundraisers to build up its scal strength. He hopes the club can be resurrected for the 2025-26 season, but it will require a lot of work.
Miller predicted the Coalers’ absence will have an impact on the rink as well.
e kitchen won’t be open during the games, and it leaves the community without an event during the winter months.
e remaining teams are the Carndu Red Devils, Carlyle Cougars, KiplingWindthorst Oil Kings, Midale Mustangs, Moosomin Rangers, Oxbow Huskies, Redvers Rockets and Wawota Flyers. e Rangers are the defending league champions.
League president Craig Barber is disappointed the Coalers won’t be back.
“ ere should still be a team there. ey’re close enough to Estevan and should be competitive, but they didn’t have enough guys,” said Barber.
e league will open the 2024-25 season with the Red Devils visiting the Mustangs on Oct. 25. e rest of the teams will start the following weekend.
Other than Bienfait taking a leave of absence, Barber said there weren’t a lot of big issues brought forward at the fall scheduling meeting in late September. He noted the Round Lake Bears, who play out of the Ochapowace Nation, approached the league to see if they could join, but Barber said the meeting was to hammer out a schedule, and they had already decided on a format.
It’s also a long way to Round Lake, he said. Barber estimates it would be a twohour, 45-minute drive from Midale.
Teams will play a 16game schedule this season, with two games against each of the other seven teams, and an extra game against two other teams determined randomly. All eight teams in the league will make the playo s. All playo series are to be best-of- ve contests, and there will be three weeks to play each series.
“For guys who are in provincials, it gives them a lot more window of opportunity [to play the games]. Now with a best of three in provincials, you got a weekend to go somewhere, you’re not going to have to sneak a whole bunch of games in during a short time.”
Barber is looking forward to watching some really good hockey this season, and he believes there are several teams in the league capable of winning the championship.
e Estevan Power Dodge U12 Chargers are o to the semi nal round in the Moose Jaw Minor Football League’s playo s. Estevan defeated the Assiniboia Rockets 44-26 on Monday afternoon at the Dana Quewezance Memorial Field at Woodlawn Athletic Park. Dexx Tendler had four of Estevan’s touchdowns and Jax Trombley notched the other three.
Estevan led 19-18 at half time and allowed just one touchdown in the second half. ey forced Assiniboia to turn the ball over on downs a couple of times late in the fourth quarter, including a defensive stand when Moose Jaw was within several yards of the Estevan end zone.
“I’m very proud of the defence today,” said coach James Haagsman. “ ey pulled it out for us for the win.”
Estevan put the game away with a rushing touchdown moments after the second turnover on downs.
“I told them that our chances for the playo s
hinge on certain key plays, and they were able to step up to the challenge,” said Haagsman. When the two teams met earlier this season, Estevan won 66-54. Since that time, Estevan has added Trombley to the team, making a big di erence to their defence.
Estevan will now play the Moose Jaw Lions in the semi nal round Friday night in Moose Jaw. e two teams met earlier this season, with the Lions winning 51-47, also in Moose Jaw. Haagsman knows there will be a short turnaround time between the two playo games, but he believes there should be enough time for the Chargers to recuperate. ***
e Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs closed out the regular season with a 46-22 loss to the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles on Saturday.
Coach Chris Bayerle said the defence came out strong, but the Elecs were pinned in their end for much of the game’s early stages.
Doran Sifton, Preston McGuire and Jayden Smith had the Elecs’ touchdowns. Smith’s score was on a kicko return.
e game was the annual Senior Bowl, and the graduating Grade 12 students for both teams were recognized.
e Elecs nished the regular season with a 0-6 record. ey will visit the Swift Current Colts in the rst round of the playo s on Oct. 19 in a consolation round game.
***
e Southeast U18 Estevan Kinette Club Viragos and the Estevan Lions Club U14 Oilers had the weekend o .
e Viragos will close out the regular season when they host Swan Valley on Oct. 19 at Woodlawn. e game is slated to start at 3 p.m.
e Oilers, who had the top record in the Moose Jaw league during the regular season at 5-1, will host a home playo game for the semi nal round. e date, time and opponent were not yet available.
e Estevan Bruins’ rst northern road trip of the season proved to be a success.
e Black and Gold picked up ve of a possible six points, as they defeated the Humboldt Broncos 5-3 last Wednesday, and then had two games against the Kindersley Klippers on the weekend: a 4-3 loss in a shootout on Friday, and a 4-2 win on Saturday.
Goaltender Kyle Kesley, who signed with the Bruins on Oct 7, was stellar in all three games. e 20-year-old goalie, with 75 games of Western Hockey League experience over two seasons, made 47 saves against Humboldt, 48 in the rst game against
Kindersley and 45 in the second Klippers’ game. e Bruins raced out to a 3-0 lead in the rst period against Humboldt. Hayden Pimm’s rst goal as a Bruin opened the scoring midway through the frame, and Kent Moors and Luke Hogan also scored for a 3-0 advantage.
Former Bruin Gabriel Filion had the lone goal of the second period, leaving Humboldt down two after 40 minutes. e two teams traded goals in the third. Marik Marnic’s goal pulled Humboldt to within one, but Estevan hockey product Carter Onrait notched what proved to be the game-winning goal mid-
way through the third for the Bruins. It was Onrait’s rst goal in the SJHL. Jacob Strizzi pulled Humboldt to within one with 1:38 to play in the third, but Moors notched his second of the game into an empty net 46 seconds later to dash any hopes of a Humboldt comeback.
Ty Matonovich had 27 saves for Humboldt in the loss.
In Friday’s game, defenceman Jagden Taylor opened the scoring 2:05 into the rst period for Estevan with his rst SJHL goal. Kindersley’s Kyler Smith tied the game with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the rst.
e teams swapped goals in the second. Luke
Hogan scored early in the frame, but Zakery Anderson tied the contest a couple minutes later. Michael Carter restored the lead for Estevan with his rst in the SJHL, but Braden Cunningham tied the game with three seconds left in the stanza. e Klippers outshot the Bruins 21-7 in the second period.
Neither team scored in the third or overtime, and Kindersley outscored Estevan 2-1 in a ve-round shootout.
Brett O’Halloran had 30 saves for Kindersley.
e Bruins’ Odin George scored the rst goal of the game with 3:51 to play in the rst period of Saturday’s game. Camden Cunningham pulled the
Klippers even ve minutes in to the second, but Ewan Rennie recorded his rst two goals in the SJHL for Estevan, rst with a power-play goal and then with a pretty marker on a short-handed break.
Dawson Karol pulled the Klippers to within one just over three minutes into the third, but Hogan
dashed the comeback bid when he scored into an empty net with 53 seconds to play. e Klippers outshot the Bruins 18-8 in the third.
Nathan Claydon stopped 32 shots for Kindersley. e Bruins (3-3-2) will host the Yorkton Terriers on Oct. 16, starting at 7 p.m.
Town of Lampman
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given thatfor theelectionof: Mayorofthe Town of Lampman (1) Councillor of theTown ofLampman(6)
1. Notice of Advanced Poll for theTown of Lampman will take place on the 6th day of November2024, from 4:00pm to8:00pm at the LampmanTown Office, 303 Main Street, Lampman SK.
2. Notice of Poll for the Town of Lampman will take place on the 13th Day of November 2024, from 9:00am to 8:00pm at the Lampman Town Office, 303 Main Steet, Lampman, SK.
Nominated for Mayor: Scott Greening, Jay (John)Jones
Nominated for Council: Jadon Carnduff, RandyFleck, Tanner Frycz, Steven Massel Mark Morrissette, TwylaQuantrill, R.J.(Roy) Raynard, Daryl Runge Ryan Saxon, Dena Scott, Ian Stewart, Kelly Storlie, GarrettWoodley
Dated at Lampman, SK this 11th day of October, 2024. Teresa Dyck/ Returning Officer
ELECTION DAY voting will take place on: Wednesday, November 13th,2024,from 9:00 a.m. to8:00p.m
Atthe Bienfait Legion Hall, 506Railway Street, Bienfait, SK.
DatedatBienfait, this 11th day of October 2024.
Jessica Franklin Returning Officer
When yougivetoUnitedWay Estevan, youare giving to our CommunityImpactPar tnersand Member Agencies.
•Canadian RedCross •CNIB• CreightonLodge Tr ustCommittee• Envision Counselling and Suppor tCentre
•Estevan Area Literacy GroupInc. •EstevanDiversifiedSer vices Inc. •EstevanEarly Years Family ResourceCentre Inc.
•Estevan Regional NursingHomeAuxiliary •SaskAbilities •St. Joseph’s Health Care Auxiliar y
•Hillcrest BreakfastClub •Day of Caring •EPYC(Estevan PublicYouth Centre) •ECS Bur
•ECS StudentinNeed Food Program• TrinityTower Hi-RisersAssociation
Estevan Royal Canadian Legion Hall
Friday Saturday
October 18th &October 19th
•There areseveral ways to donate!Donations areaccepted throughour website: www.unitedwayestevan.com, through e-transfer to etransfer@unitedwayestevan.com,byphone during thetelethon, andinpersonatthe telethon!
•LiveStreamonour website: www.unitedwayestevan.com
•AccessNow TV (formerlyAccess 7)
•We’dlovetohaveyou as par tofour live audience!Weare lookingfor ward to seeing theentirecommunity of Estevanand inviteeveryonetocometothe Legion Hall to participate. The telethon will runfrom8:00AMonOctober 18th to 5:00PM on October19th.
•UnitedWay 2024 BidItems will be posted on Facebook this week andare on displayatMurrayGM.
•Atthe telethon,the BidLinecan be called to placebidsand bidding will also continue online whilethe telethon is happening
•Bid itemswillbefrequentlyshown on TV andthe Live Stream throughout thetelethon.
• We areexcited forall theliveenter tainment coming to theLegionHallonceagainthisyear! Makesureyou checkout next week’s EstevanMercury forthe list of entertainers!
Friday,October18th
8:00 AM OpeningCeremonies
8:30 AM Interview– EstevanDiversifiedSer vices
8:45AMLittleCousins Quar tet
9:00AMInter view –ECS StudentinNeed Food Program
9:15AMMacounSchool
9:45AMSpruceRidge School
10:00AMInter view –St. Joseph’s Health Care Auxiliar y 10:15 AM Sacred Hear tSchool
10:45AMInter view –Estevan Regional NursingHomeAuxiliary
11:00AMPleasantdaleSchool Choir
11:15 AM BidItems
11:30AMHillcrest School
12:15 PM Interview– Hillcrest
12:30PMLaurieFornwald
12:45PMJason Weening
1:15 PM PrairieBells
1:45 PM Interview- SaskAbilities
2:00 PM St.Mar y’sSchool
2:30 PM Punchthe Rain
2:45 PM Interview– CNIB
3:00 PM Porphyrios
3:30PMInter view –Envision
3:45 PM Dustin andGrace Hall
4:00 PM ECSCheer Team
4:15 PM BidItems
4:30 PM DrewitzSchool of Dance
5:30 PM Rober tGodfrey
6:00 PM Interview– EstevanAreaLiteracyGroup
6:15PMDaae Family
7:15 PM ECSMusical
7:45PMEPYCVideo
8:00 PM BidItems
8:15 PM TwoStepp
9:15 PM Minute to WinItGames
9:45 PM Exodium
10:15 PM EmilyThompson 10:45 PM Long Live theGlory
Saturday,October 19th
12:00 AM ECSSRC Takeover
6:00 AM Yoga with Heidi
6:45 AM BidItems
7:00 AM Kick Boxing
8:00 AM Canadian RedCross
8:15 AM Pyra Children
8:30 AM St.Giles Anglican Choir
8:45 AM Margaret Duncan PianoStudents
9:30AMEstevan Gymnastics
10:00 AM BidItems
10:15 AM Interview– CreightonLodge
10:30 AM Living Hope Church
11:00 AM EstevanRecreationalDance
11:30 AM EstevanEarly YearsFamilyResourceCentreVideo
11:45 AM BidItems
12:00 PM CaraganaRamblers
12:30 PM ShannonMar tinPiano Students
1:15PMHansonTrio
1:45 PM BidItems
2:00 PM Karissa LaBrash
2:30 PM Interview- DayofCaring
3:00 PM TheSzakacs Family
If you have anyother questions, contactour of fice, 306.634.7375 or send amessage to our Facebook, Twitter,orInstagram pages! Email: admin@unitedwayestevan.com
YOU are the Commu ni ty
