1220 4thStreet, Estevan
306-634-3666
Mon- Fri9am -9pm |Sat 9am- 5pm
We have allyourfavourite snacks!
Sun& Holidays 12pm- 4pm
Celebrating local businesses together. Ads marking Small Business Week to be found throughout the paper.
Estevan votes. Find all your city councillor candidates’ profiles on
PAGES A10-11
Flashback from WWII. Former Estevan resident brings an authentic vehicle to the Energy City.
PAGE A3
Diving deeper into Indigenous culture. Spruce Ridge hosts a mass learning event.
PAGE A9
World of engines. North America’s oldest Model Engineering Show returns for another year.
PAGE A13
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024
By David Willberg
e United Way Estevan’s Telethon was one for the record books.
e 48th annual fundraiser, held Oct. 18 and 19 at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, received $380,676 in pledges and donations; the goal was $348,000. e funds donated by the community will support the organization’s member agencies and community impact projects.
“ e community has just stepped up in such an incredible way for the United Way Estevan Telethon, which then means, because we’re over our goal, that the member agencies and community impact partners are allowed to have some more money,” said United Way Estevan president Mark Pettitt.
e telethon went on the air at 8 a.m. Friday morning and the donations quickly started arriving. More than $122,000 came in on the rst day, and the total was more than $172,000 as of Saturday afternoon.
e rst big donation on Saturday afternoon came in from SaskPower, with a contribution of more than $113,000, thanks to funds raised by the employees and matched by the corporation.
en the employees and management of Westmoreland Mining LLC’s Estevan mines brought in their donation, which was $84,630, as the corporation matched the amount raised
by the employees. at donation at 2:40 p.m. pushed the telethon to more than $370,000, well past its objective.
After the telethon reached its goal, Pettitt called Deborah Osburn, a member of the national United Way board from Saskatoon.
Osburn congratulated the board and the community, and said the amount of money raised was a “remarkable accomplishment”. She also pointed out that the Estevan board is one that gets things done and it makes a di erence in the community.
During the call, Pettitt cited information from the 2023 annual report that said the member agencies and community impact projects have helped 7,500 people in the city.
“It is a reminder of the di erence that you’re making … so this is a great achievement,” said Osburn.
Pettitt noted it’s the rst time the United Way has called somebody from Saskatchewan about surpassing the goal.
“She could feel the success and she could also feel the elation we had,” said Pettitt.
e previous o -air record was $377,152, set in 2019. is year’s telethon set the new benchmark just before 4 p.m.; the telethon wrapped up at 5 p.m.
Pettitt said he never imagined the telethon would eclipse the $380,000 mark for the rst time. He thought the $350,000$360,000 range – which was the o -air gure the previous four years – would still be amazing.
“One, we’d have reached our goal where we’ve allocated money to our member agencies, but two, we’re in that zone which I think is really a place where Estevan can be consistently, but to have this happen is
just amazing and it’s very humbling.”
e entire 33-hour event was broadcast live on Access Now TV. People could also watch it on the United Way’s website. is year’s theme was You are the Community.
Entertainment took place throughout the 33 hours. School students and other youth organizations accounted for much of the talent in the initial hours. Bands and duets had their turn Friday night.
Members of the Estevan Comprehensive School’s student representative council spearheaded the telethon from midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday during the annual ECS Takeover.
Additional entertainment took place Saturday. e Szakacs Family of Carndu served as the closing act.
Ninety-seven handcrafted bid items were available for people to bid
on through a silent auction. e Hearts and Hands Quilting Guild supplied a quilt for a ra e. e auction and the ra e brought in $7,958.
People volunteered throughout the 33 years by answering phones, operating cameras, hosting, helping out in the kitchen, in the banking room and at the receipt table, and in other capacities. is year marked Pettitt’s second stint as president; he was also in charge in 2007. While a lot has changed in 17 years, much remains the same.
“We live in a very generous community. Everyone who gives doesn’t have to give. Everyone who gives chooses to give, whether it’s a performance, whether it’s volunteer time here, whether it’s money, we all choose, in our own lives, to give. And Estevan gives back in spades.”
Concerned Citizens host Estevan election town hall
People in the Estevan area had their rst opportunity to hear from the candidates running in the upcoming civic election during a town hall hosted by the Concerned Citizens Estevan SK group on Oct. 16 at the Wylie-Mitchell building.
Well over 100 people attended the forum to listen to the opinions of each of the three candidates for mayor and 10 hopefuls for city councillor. e event was moderated by Myles Fichter and Milton Vicary, who are both members of the Concerned Citizens.
e forum started with each candidate having up to three minutes to deliver an opening statement, and it wrapped up with each getting two minutes for closing remarks.
inclusion policy passed by council at the August meeting; the ways in which they would improve communication coming out of city hall; the amount of time spent discussing matters in committee; the city department where they would reduce spending; the best way to attract more businesses to the community; and how they would get the community through the loss of conventional coal- red power while preparing Estevan for the arrival of small modular nuclear reactors.
e crowd was respectful during the event, and most stayed around for duration of the town hall, which lasted more than three hours.
In between those two prepared speeches, the candidates elded questions on a number of issues in the community. Rather than asking a question to one individual speci cally, and then giving the rest of the eld the chance to respond, each query was posed to all of the candidates, and then each had two minutes to respond in order. Some passed on providing an answer because they didn’t have enough information on the matter, or because their opinion had already been articulated by multiple people.
two candidates for mayor, Zacch Vandenhurk and Coun. Rebecca Foord, seated near the middle of the other candidates, while the other mayoral candidate, Coun. Tony Sernick, was at the end of the row.
Stephen Daniel, Matthew Dubowski, Dave Elliott, Rhyan Hagel, Brian Johnson, Tom Mauss, Robin Wog, and incumbent Councillors Shelly Veroba and Kirsten Walliser – were also in random locations.
e candidates were also seated randomly, with
e 10 councillor candidates – Kevin Andrews,
Fichter and Vicary had the rst question, asking
From children to senior citizens, everyone
“I’ve
He thanked the board for their
the candidates about their vision for the community for the next four years. en members of the Concerned Citizens and the general public had their opportunities to approach the candidates. ey were asked for their thoughts on the diversity, equity and
Another candidates’ forum, hosted by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, will take place on Nov. 6, starting at 7 p.m. at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
e civic election is slated for Nov. 13.
For pro les of the city councillor candidates in this year’s civic election, please see pages A10 and A11.
TheEstevanGymnasticsClubdemonstrated theirtalentsattheTelethon.
ing
Pettitt called the board “the best group of people I have ever worked with in my life”. People are hurtingnancially right now because in ation has caused issues with a lot of people’snances, so to have this kind of support is wonderful.
e United Way’s allocations committee will meet in the future to divide the surplus among the different organizations.
“Our year ends at the end of December 2024, so anything that does come in from now until then will be part of the grand total for our fundraising year,” said Pettitt.
Former Estevan resident brings Second World War Jeep to showcase history
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
A unique piece of history was making the rounds in Estevan on anksgiving Monday, thanks to a passionate collector dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Second World War.
Former Estevan resident Ted Beck, a military veteran, purchased an 83-year-old Jeep, originally designed for combat, back in February. Known
for its simple, rugged design, the vehicle has been a conversation starter and a nostalgic sight at gatherings across the region since then.
Beck came to the Energy City for a visit and brought his 1941 vehicle to show it to Lester Hinzman, who has a keen interest in military history.
e Jeep, which Beck purchased in Vancouver, Wash., is a classic example of utility vehicles that played an important role
Originallybuilttolastjust90days,this1941Jeep hasenduredandrunswell83yearslater.
during the war. Originally built to last just 90 days, Beck’s vehicle has endured, a testament to its durability.
e Jeep features a gas tank under the seat, a design that might seem precarious by modern standards, but was common during wartime. Beck said the vehicles were mass-produced and meant for short-term use, but his military piece is still running after 83 years. Most of the vehicles shipped to Europe weren’t worth bringing back, Beck said, and the one in his possession has never left North America.
e vehicle carries historical markings reminiscent of those used in the African theatre, rather than the more common D-Day invasion symbols seen on similar models.
Beck shared that when he brought the Jeep into Canada, he had to undertake modi cations to meet stricter legal requirements.
Beck said he plans on adding functional mounts for a vintage general-purpose machine gun (GPMG), and his friend
has proper historic GPMGs they want to put on for demonstration at car shows.
While Beck is passionate about this piece of history, he also currently has another important mission. He was in Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadian) armoured regi-
ment, and now his daughter Kiersten Beck is a crew commander in the tank and will soon be deployed to Latvia. In the name of his daughter, he is raising funds for the Homes for Heroes Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing housing for veterans.
Beck set up a fundraising page with the goal of bringing in $5,000, and has already raised close to $2,600.
To support Beck’s initiative and help his family raise money for housing for veterans, people can go to h4hf.crowdchange. ca/79802/page/235624.
Plenty of local events to choose from for Halloween
Estevan will be a busy community in the days leading up to Halloween. Some events have already happened, including the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum’s (EAGM) miniature haunted house craft at the Estevan Public Youth Centre on Oct. 18, the Souris Valley Museum’s annual Spooky Museum on Oct. 19, and art classes with witch and ghost crafts at the EAGM on Oct. 21.
But there are still more activities to choose from.
One of the most popular events of the season, the Trail of Terror organized by the Southern Plains Co-op, will take place at Rotary Hall and on the Preddy Trails of Woodlawn Regional Park on Oct. 25. e free family event includes spook stations and games for kids, tricks and treats, hot dogs, drinks and the decorated trails.
A sensory-sensitive and mobility-friendly version of the Trail of Terror will start at 4 p.m. Young families and those who want to experience a “less-scary” version of the trails will go through at 5 p.m. After a break to change the decorations, the full version of the trail will be at 6:30 p.m., with zombies, clowns, ghosts and other scary creatures to be found. Additional events will be happening on Oct. 26. e
second annual Spooktacular Treats for All will happen at noon at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s multipurpose room. e accessible trick-or-treating experience will be lled with treats, sensory-friendly activities and fun for families.
Participating organizations include Souris Family Pharmacy, South East Eyecare Ltd., Rotary Club of Estevan, Estevan Kinsmen Club, Estevan Area Literacy Group, the Southeast College’s Estevan campus, Souris Valley Museum, Souris Valley eatre, Special Olympics Estevan, Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre, United
Way Estevan and Tourism Estevan.
Also on Oct. 26, the Estevan Public Youth Centre will have a Halloween Costume Contest on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will have a Halloween Karaoke Party at 8 p.m. and the Black Grasshopper will host a 1950’s-themed Halloween Bash, also at 8 p.m. e Estevan Public Library has been hosting a number of events leading up to Halloween. ere will be a murder mystery-inspired escape room for teens and adults, happening on Oct. 29-31.
Participants are tasked
with helping the Bookish Bureau of Protection to solve the murder of renowned author Jon O’Hare within an hour.
Halloween at the Library will take place on Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
Spruce Ridge School will host a haunted house on Oct. 30, starting at 6:30 p.m., and the Eerie A nity: A Night of Fright haunted house will be Oct. 31 at A nity Place.
For Eerie A nity, younger children will go through at 6:30 p.m., and older youths get their turn at 7:30 p.m. Admission will be a non-perishable donation to the Estevan Salvation Army’s food bank.
FormerEstevanresidentTedBeck,right,tookLesterHinzmanonaridein a1941militaryJeep.PhotosbyAnastasiiaBykhovskaia
EDITORIAL
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:
A reminder of our wonderful community
Amid all the chatter associated with two upcoming elections, and with all of the other things that happen on a day-to-day basis, sometimes we need a reminder of what an incredible community we live in. Leave it to the United Way Estevan –and the many people who support it – to do just that.
e United Way hosted its 48th annual Telethon on the weekend. When all of the pledges and donations were tabulated, the United Way had raised more than $380,000, which represents a new o -air record.
e orts of more than one recipient of United Way funding.
People know that when they give money to the United Way, the donation is going to help people in the community. It doesn’t get trapped in overhead expenses and some of the other issues that have hindered other non-pro ts. And people can see the bene ts when they access the services of the member agencies.
by answering phones, operating cameras, hosting, helping out in the kitchen, taking donations and more.
e telethon is an event that brings out the best in so many of us, and once it’s nished and the o -air total is announced, you get that special feeling, knowing that people in the community are going to bene t.
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.
In Saskatchewan - $105 In Canada - $126 We
Long-time residents of Estevan are well-versed in the impact of the United Way on the area and the support the telethon receives each year. Numbers released by the United Way in their annual report for 2023 show that 7,500 people bene tted, either directly or indirectly, from the e orts of the member agencies and/or the community impact projects. at number is likely higher; you might not have bene tted from the e orts of one of these organizations or programs, but you likely know someone who has, even if many people won’t talk about it.
And there are a lot of people in Estevan who have undoubtedly bene tted from the
Children learn from an early age about the bene ts of the United Way. Hundreds of school students perform during the telethon each year. Yes, there are the joys associated with getting out of school, being on TV and showcasing their skills for family and friends, but the kids fondly remember their time at the telethon.
ey have fun with the fundraisers and they get to learn how their money makes a di erence. It’s an early introduction to the bene ts of volunteering.
e telethon brings so many people together. Not only do the kids make a big impact, but there will be entertainers of all ages and types. You’ll see singers, dancers and instrumentalists. e bid items and the quilt ra e allow people to show their creativity.
And there are people who volunteer
e United Way Telethon wasn’t the only thing happening in Estevan this past weekend, with the oldest model engineer show in the continent, an early childhood summit, Halloween activities, a fundraiser, youth sports and more. It’s not going to slow down in the coming days, either, with more activities for Halloween, more fundraisers, more youth sports and other e orts. ese are all great parts of the community, too.
Who says there’s nothing to do in Estevan?
Even during the tough times, these years of uncertainty, and even with all of the political talk, we still rally together to show support for each other in so many di erent ways, whether it be through donations, volunteering or looking for ways to make a di erence. And that’s part of what makes Estevan such a great community to be in.
Emotional intelligence as part of school curriculum may change a lot
I was chatting with a good friend recently about education – what’s taught, what should be taught and whether the system needs to change. We didn’t agree on everything, but there was one area where we overlapped: the need to teach communication and emotional intelligence (EQ) in schools.
It just seems that over the past couple of decades, we’ve become very sensitive, but at the same time, we seem to have forgotten the basics of communication, let alone successful communication.
Over the past few generations, more families have had both parents working, which means children are often left to navigate social and emotional development on their own. We’ve also moved away from the idea of “the village” raising a child. e extended family networks that used to o er support, guidance and a safety net aren’t as close and a lot of times even accessible as they once were. is shift has left gaps in how kids learn to understand emotions and handle them, resolve con icts and connect with others. e traditional way of picking up these skills by observing and imitating those around us doesn’t work as it used to anymore.
And then, on top of that, we had two years of the pandemic, which was pretty hard to explain to the little humans but de nitely a ected their socio-emotional lives.
I believe teaching EQ is about equipping kids (and adults who lack it) with life skills that will serve them throughout life. Children who understand their own emotions and can empathize with others are better prepared to handle stress, solve problems and build healthy relationships. Stats suggest people with developed EQ are more likely to thrive in academic settings and can better navigate the challenges of workplac-
es and life in general.
Earlier this year, Windsor-Essex schools in Ontario piloted a program to teach socio-emotional skills. e program was developed in the U.K., and the hope is that the program will help kids with identifying, monitoring and regulating their emotions. Within the frames of the program, among other approaches, teachers are helping kids understand their emotions by comparing them to other known things in life, which allows students to eventually better deal with what’s happening inside them.
But the project isn’t just about learning about emotions. When students know how to understand and handle their reach emotional world, they are better in academics as well, and their general attitude is more positive.
While schools might not be an obvious choice for EQ education, do we actually have other realistic options?
ink back to a time, not so long ago, when families were bigger, and kids often had cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents within arm’s reach. at sense of a shared, communal upbringing helped children learn social skills naturally. You’d watch your older sibling calm a friend after an argument or see your mom navigate a tricky conversation with a neighbour.
But today, family units are smaller, and our support networks are spread out. In this more fragmented setup, kids aren’t exposed to those teachable moments as often.
Besides, many children now spend more time interacting with screens than with
their peers. Of course, technology has its bene ts, and suggesting to “take away phones and tablets” is not an option nowadays, but technology doesn’t teach empathy. ese two major changes in our lifestyle leave schools in a unique position to step in and ll that gap, integrating lessons on emotional awareness, empathy and communication into the regular curriculum. ese e orts shouldn’t be about making kids “nicer” but about preparing them for real-world life, challenges and, hopefully, success. After all, communication and the ability to understand self and others in different situations are key in any area. Companies across various sectors, from tech to health care, from trades to education, have started to prioritize EQ when hiring because they know employees who can manage their emotions and communicate well are better team players. So, by teaching EQ in schools, we’d be helping kids build foundations for their future.
Sure, implementing an EQ curriculum will require resources, training and support, but I believe it’s a worthwhile investment. We’re living in a time when mental health concerns are rising, and it’s clearer than ever that kids need more than academic knowledge to thrive. Emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity.
So, if we’re already teaching students how to solve math problems, drive vehicles and be nancially savvy, why not teach them how to navigate emotional quizzes, too? Schools are the perfect place for this: not only do kids spend so much of their day there, but learning these skills alongside their peers would make other lessons more impactful. And with such curriculum modi cations, we’ll not just help kids be better students, but we’ll nurture more understanding, empathetic and resilient individuals.
EDITORIAL
Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…
SaskPower fined $840,000 for two workers’ deaths
By Greg Nikkel SaskToday.ca
SaskPower was ned a total of $840,000 for the deaths of two linemen in Weyburn in 2020. e penalty was imposed in Weyburn Provincial Court on Friday morning.
e Crown corporation was found guilty on April 6 on three counts of violating Occupational Health and Safety regulations and the Saskatchewan Employment Act, after two SaskPower linemen, Scott Bill and Cole Crooks, died in a workplace incident on Oct. 8, 2020, in Weyburn.
ey were more than 15 feet above ground in a bucket truck that had tilting issues, and were tying in power lines when the bucket tilted and the men fell to the ground.
Both were 19-year experienced journeymen, and according to the court records, had worked in this bucket truck countless times before, but “neither worker had their safety belt lanyards anchored to the ‘D’ ring located in the bucket speci cally for the purpose of fall protection.”
Judge Michelle Brass noted that this bucket had a tilting issue that continued in spite of work done by SaskPower mechanics. She pointed out that none of the mechanics gave evidence at trial, “so it was not known what was done to address the tilting issue.” In addition, she said, a supervisor on the ground had failed to remind the workers to tie onto the safety line.
e charges stated the following: “Count 1 alleged that SPC failed to provide and maintain plant, systems of work and work environments, as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Messrs. Bill and
Crooks at work.
“Count 2 alleged that SPC failed to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to protect the workers.
“Count 3 alleged that SPC failed to require or permitted the workers to be raised on an aerial device without using a personal fall arrest system that met the requirements under the legislation.”
e Crown prosecutor had recommended a ne of $500,000 for each count and a surcharge of $200,000 for each, for a total of $2.1 million, while SaskPower asked for a ne of $200,000 on each charge for a total of $600,000.
In the end, Brass ned Sask-
Power $300,000 on the rst count plus a surcharge of $120,000, and $150,000 on each of the other two counts, along with surcharges of $60,000 on each charge, for the total of $840,000.
In a statement issued Friday, the Crown corporation said, “SaskPower is analyzing the decision and the sentence delivered by the court.”
Ken Hoste with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2067 commented after the verdict that he is hopeful the nes will bring closure to the families, and will change the safety culture at SaskPower.
“No ne or court ruling is going to bring these guys home to their families,” said Hoste. “I hope
this highlights that a top-down change is needed to the safety culture at SaskPower.”
He added he didn’t come in with any expectations of what the nes would be.
“I know there have been higher nes for workplace deaths in the province, but I didn’t have any expectations as to the numbers,” he said.
“I only hope it helps bring closure to the families. When something like this happens, Weyburn is a close-knit community, and these people are dedicated linemen. Really, I just hope the family, friends and co-workers, everybody can get some closure there,” he said, adding that he was not going to speak for the families as
he couldn’t imagine what they’ve been going through.
Hoste said the union represents workers province-wide, and “it has a ected every single member in the province, whether we work in generation, the T&D side or the line trade. We’re just hoping it brings forth meaningful and sustained change to the safety practices and top-down safety culture at SaskPower.”
e hope also is that this verdict and ne will encourage workers to speak up if they see something wrong safety-wise at a work site.
“I hope it encourages workers to speak up. e general rule is, if you see something wrong with regards to safety, say something. I hope that this encourages more of our members to feel empowered to speak up when something isn’t right regarding safety,” said Hoste, adding that as a union, they will continue to collaborate with the company on safety issues and practices.
e union sits in on health and safety committees and has some input there, he added, “but at the end of the day they decide how they will go forward with things.”
In additional statements by SaskPower on this case, they stated, “Scott Bill and Cole Crooks were valued members of our SaskPower family. eir loss continues to be felt by us all. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of these two employees.
“SaskPower continues to make the safety of our employees, contractors and the public our highest priority. We are always working to improve safety and learning at SaskPower, and this includes delivering the programs we created with employees through our Roadmap to Safety initiative.”
A6
Megan LeBlanc opens Athlete World in Estevan; provides year-round training opportunities
By David Willberg
Megan LeBlanc has taken her tness studio business and has expanded it to provide year-round training opportunities and help people get in shape.
She started her company, Meg LeBlanc Fitness, three years ago, but wanted to do more, so she opened Athlete World, a new gym and athlete training centre with a synthetic ice surface for
hockey players to improve shooting and stick-handling skills. She believes the synthetic ice is the only one southeast of Regina.
“It’s an extension of what I was doing before, and also adding in more of the athlete development side and the hockey training side of it. Putting in synthetic ice and shooting lanes has been a big addition to the business,” said LeBlanc. Located in a strip mall
in the 1300-block of Seventh Street, Athlete World o ers personal, group and online training, weight loss programs and other similar services during the day. Starting at 3 p.m., it turns into what she called an “athlete centre” where teams are training. While the simulated ice surface is a drawing card, she works with other sports besides hockey.
She also has an athlete development program for
the U11, U13, U15 and U18 levels.
“It’s a youth tness class where you learn how to train like an athlete and just overall how to be healthy, and that runs twice a week, and also, on top of that, if you are a hockey player, you have access to the shooting lanes twice a week,” she said. “So basically, you get two workouts and two shooting sessions every week, and if you’re not an athlete or if you’re not a hockey player, then you just do two workouts.”
People can wear skates on the ice surface while they work on their skills, or they can wear shoes.
“It’s di erent than real ice. It’s as close as it gets to real ice without it actually being real ice, but you can de nitely walk on it a lot easier than if you were to go walk on normal ice,” she said.
Still, it feels like a normal ice surface when wearing skates, she said.
LeBlanc’s introduction to synthetic ice came when she advanced through the hockey ranks. She took personal training in school and experienced cool facilities throughout North America. LeBlanc came home to Estevan, pondered her dream
facility and built it, believing that if she would have had a facility like Athlete World when she was a kid and advancing through the game, it would have helped her skills.
“ ere’s so much potential in the young athletes in Estevan, and this facility and these programs are what allows you to unlock the next level.”
After graduating from high school and female minor hockey, LeBlanc went to school in Edmonton and lived there for four years.
She played collegiate and university hockey, and she also worked for a professional hockey training company that allowed her to train on and o the ice with every skill level from U11 to the NHL.
“I learned so much there, getting to be able to train with … my boss [Shawn Belle] who used to play in the NHL, so it was cool just learning from those types of people and seeing all those setups there with all of the cool [things] like synthetic ice and having their training facilities literally designed to train athletes,” said LeBlanc.
While she enjoyed living in Edmonton, Estevan is home for her and she loves being in the city.
Support for Athlete World has been great, she said. LeBlanc is pleased to have opened the gym, and if she didn’t start out with Meg LeBlanc Fitness three years ago, she doesn’t believe Athlete World would be happening now, because she has learned a lot.
114
KRJ Custom Fabricating has earned a reputation for its craftsmanship, quality of work and creativity for nearly three decades.
Now a new ownership team has stepped forward to continue the tradition.
e business announced in a Facebook post on Oct. 15 that it had been sold, with Daniel Peterson as the president, and Kody Hall and Burt Blondeau as the other partners. ey purchased the business from Ken Mehler, who is Hall’s grandfather, and Randy Franke.
Peterson said he has done this work at home over the years, and he thought it would be good to purchase the established company rather than compete against it.
“I’ve always been a fabricator of sorts for myself. en for the last four years, I’ve had a fabricating shop that I’ve been working out of on my acreage, and doing it on the side here and there, and then started doing it full-time a couple of years ago,” said Peterson in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. “I worked in the oil eld for 15 years before that.”
ey will be keeping the KRJ name, because Peterson said it’s trusted in the community. Peterson has known Mehler and Franke for quite a few years, and if he needed something bent or another speci c task completed, he turned to them.
Hall, who started working at the company nearly 20 years ago, said he hoped that one day he could be an owner in the business, and so it was nice to have Peterson come in and head up the deal while including Hall.
“We do such a wide variety of stu . at’s the main thing that we like. It’s not like I’m building slip tanks day after day or toolboxes day after day.”
ey also get to build things like benches and signs, which look good and are appreciated by people.
He is glad the company is going to stay in the family.
“I think that was a big thing for us for sure. It’s nice to keep at least one of the guys around for family-related [reasons], it keeps the business or the company at least somewhat family-owned, and at the same time, it’s nice bringing in Dan. He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” said Hall.
KRJ has a CNC plasma table; metal brake; metal shear; aluminum, stainless and regular steel welding; and now is getting into retail steel sales. ey have struck some deals with steel suppliers around the province, and stock orders are expected to show up this week.
“We saw a need … and we gured let’s see if this is something we can branch o and also o er to people,” said Peterson.
KRJ has four full-time employees, plus a part-time o ce assistant and a high school employee. Hall expects the company will continue to be active in the community and support local causes.
Franke said he and Mehler had talked to a few di erent companies about a sale in the past 10 years, but none of the discussions were overly serious. But when this group approached them to see if they were interested
in a deal, it felt like the right time.
“Knowing the guys that wanted to buy it, that they would keep things basically the way they were, and they knew a lot of our customers, that was one of the biggest things we wanted to make sure was the customers over the years were all taken care of, and the business would basically stay the same,” said Franke.
It helps that Mehler’s grandson is one of the new
owners, Franke said, because the business will remain in the family, and Franke is also pleased to see the KRJ name remain.
“Everybody knows the name, so that’s good for us, and it shows that we did something right,” said Franke.
Mehler and Franke will continue to own Pongo Holdings. Franke noted his focus had been on KRJ while Mehler concentrated on Pongo.
Franke said he will miss working in the shop and showing what can be accomplished.
“You never did the same thing twice, hardly,” said Frnake. “You always had to think about it. It was always unique stu , unique projects, whether it was welding or on the plasma cutter, doing di erent signs and pictures for people, and just being creative.”
It was a special feeling when someone came in with a strange idea and they could gure it out, and build and complete it.
Franke thanks the customers for their support over the years and hopes everything goes well with KRJ’s new ownership.
NDP’s Estevan candidate criticized over lyrics
By John Cairns SaskToday.ca
e New Democratic Party’s candidate for Estevan-Big Muddy in the upcoming provincial election received criticism last week over music lyrics.
e Saskatchewan Party issued a news release last Tuesday that claimed Phil Smith, who resides in Regina, had numerous songs with language that glori ed misogyny and criminal activity.
Smith has since apologized for the language and said he no longer believes in the things he wrote.
NDP Leader Carla Beck responded to questions by bringing up some recent incidents involving former Sask Party MLAs for Cut-Knife Turtleford, Ryan Domotor, and Moose Jaw Wakamow Greg Lawrence.
“I wasn’t aware of that,” said Beck about the accusations, adding “song lyrics are one thing. Getting caught up in a sex tra cking sting, or having assault charges for choking or assault, those are another thing.”
e Sask Party listed 16 instances of lyrics from a total of 10 songs, and noted the music could be found
on Smith’s SoundCloud account.
“Either Carla Beck and the NDP completely failed to do basic vetting on Phil Smith or the NDP are comfortable with his misogynistic, pro-drugs and pro-crime lyrics,” the Sask Party release stated. “Carla Beck owes the people of Saskatchewan an answer.” Beck made clear in her response that she thought there were more important issues.
“We have critical healthcare services that are not available in the second largest city in the province. We had an emergency room in Saskatoon that is three times over capacity. We have more health-care workers leaving the province than any other province. ere are people who aren’t getting the care that they need. It’s about time that we had a government that actually focused on the things that matter to Saskatchewan people and had a plan to x it.”
When asked if the candidacy would be reviewed, Beck said this:
“When I look at what’s facing people in this province, when I look at the things that people care about, that people want, not
just Scott Moe and I but all leaders in this province should be focused on, I’m not sure that it’s things that happen on social media or song lyrics. It’s probably that they want to get a doctor so they don’t see their loved ones die on a waitlist before they get health care.
“It may be being able to pay their bills, put some presents under the tree for the kids or put gas in their tank to get to school,
I mean, if that’s what he wants to focus on, he can ll his boots, but we’re focused on the things that Saskatchewan people need.
“We’re focused on the things that we can deliver for Saskatchewan people and putting that plan forward to be able hit the ground running on day one if we are given the privilege of forming government after October 28. Scott Moe can focus on that, we’re go-
ing to focus on the people of this province in delivering better because we know people in this province deserve better than what they’ve got that right now.” is is not the rst time past activities have come back to haunt candidates
in this election campaign. Last week, David Buckingham, running for the Sask Party in Saskatoon Westview, apologized after Speaker Randy Weekes accused him of using a racial epithet during a caucus meeting.
Estevan Photo Club hosts annual competition
e photography talents
of Estevan-area residents were celebrated on Tuesday night during the annual inhouse competition for the Estevan Photo Club.
A record 84 pictures were received from club members this year. Photographers of all skill and experience levels submitted their creative e orts to be evaluated by adjudicator Jon Gillies, the club’s former instructor, who came down from Weyburn to be the adjudicator.
He selected the top three in di erent categories and explained his reasons to the club.
“To have Jon come back … to judge our photos, and for him to see how much we’ve developed, how much we’ve grown as photographers, it’s fantastic,” said member Heliana de Souza-Wagner.
e club was not expecting to have so many photos from its 15 members.
“You could tell by his comments that we just have grown,” said de Souza-Wagner. “We’ve learned from Jon and from each other, and all these workshops that we take.”
Ellen Delorme’s cat photo was selected as the photo of the year. Gillies reminded the club’s mem-
MembersoftheEstevanPhotoClubare:backrow,fromleft,
bers that he is not fond of cat pictures, but he loved Delorme’s submission.
“As we were setting up the tables, we were talking about things that we remember about things that Jon used to tell us in the past, and one of the things that we were all giggling about was we saw the cat
pictures, and we thought ‘Oh, I wonder what Jon is going to say when he sees this.’ And amazingly enough, it took best of show,” said de Souza-Wagner.
e club meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the EAGM. De Souza-Wagner said they
bring in local photographers as guest speakers to talk to the club and o er advice on technical settings and the art form.
“We go on outings. We go on road trips together and try to learn as much as we can,” said de Souza-Wagner.
Members learn a lot during their photo trips, she said, because each member has their strengths. De Souza-Wagner said improving her night photography skills helped her develop.
“You can’t use auto. You have to be on manual. And it’s dark, so I learned where all of the buttons on my camera are. So, night photography is really good. It really teaches you about white balance and ISO, and you become really good, and you learn about the settings.”
Further information about the club can be found on the EAGM’s Facebook page.
Estevan firefighters called to grass fire by hospital
e Estevan Fire Rescue Service responded to a grass re and alarms last week. Fire crews were dispatched to a re occurring on the northwest side of the city on Oct. 17 at around 10:30 a.m. Fireghters con rmed that a small grass re was occurring. Crews extinguished the re. No injuries or damage were reported. Earlier last week, reghters were dispatched for a residential re alarm in the northwest area on Oct. 16 just after 9:30 a.m. Crews investigated and quickly determined it was a false alarm, so their assistance was not required.
On Oct. 18 just before 11 a.m., members were dispatched to a commercial re alarm in the south end of the city. An investigation showed the alarm was not re-related but due to carbon monoxide. Further inspection didn’t nd any issues, so it was
deemed to be a possible issue with the alarm system. A few minutes later, a commercial re alarm went o in the south-central area. Crews investigated the scene and determined that the alarm was due to cooking in the building. Fire ghters assisted with resetting the alarm and
making sure all was well. On Oct. 19 just after 1 a.m., a residential re alarm was triggered in the north-central area. Crews investigated, determined that the alarm was a cooking-related issue as well, and con rmed that their assistance was not required.
Wrapping up the week, on Oct. 20 at around 6:30 p.m., Estevan re ghters were dispatched to a commercial re alarm in the northwest area. While they were responding, it was con rmed that the alarm was due to an accidental activation of a pull station, so crews stood down.
LouiseSchnare, LindaMurphy, LaurieShackleton, adjudicatorJonGillesandEvelynMansuy.Frontrow,BrianVanderwal, MarleenVicary, EllenDelorme, MaryJacobs, ChuckChow, HelianadeSouza-WagnerandGayleWorsnop.Missing:MarilynMcCutcheon,MatthewDubowskiandFayBonthoux.
More than 600 Estevan students learn more about Indigenous culture and history
By David Willberg
Students from three Estevan schools learned more about First Nations peoples in Canada during an Indigenous Education Day on ursday at Spruce Ridge School.
Spruce Ridge principal Cheri Haberstock said approximately 620 students converged on the school, with students from Westview and Hillcrest Schools also attending.
“It’s such an exciting time that we had all of these people here from our community and from outside of Estevan as well, just sharing their knowledge, sharing their culture with us. It was absolutely awesome,” said Haberstock.
Much of the school was in use during the afternoon. A giant treaty oor map –set up by Raquel Belle eur, who is SECPSD’s instructional coach for Indigenous and treaty education – was located in the kindergarten to Grade 2 room.
Many of the speakers had connections to southeast Saskatchewan. Tawney Johnson, who is of Cree descent and an employee of the Lamp-
man Public Library, led the Medicine Wheel story pit; Jill Ruep, who traces her Métis ancestry back to the 18th century in Saskatchewan, talked about the Métis language, culture and values; Camryn Murray, a Michif from Estevan and a Spruce Ridge alum, talked about Metis dot art; Misti Big Eagle-Bayliss of the Ocean Man First Nations discussed Indigenous artifacts from the southeast; Linda Sopp, who is the president of the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan in Estevan, talked about Métis culture and traditions; Gil and Peggy Wasacase of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation talked Indigenous medicines, smudging, beadwork; and Parker Schmaltz discussed hunting practices.
“A lot of them brought in things for the students to see and touch. One of our speakers talked about traditional medicines and how important those are in First Nations culture,” said Haberstock.
e presentation on hunting also looked at the importance of animals for Indigenous cultures, she said. Another speaker
brought “beautiful” leather goods made with porcupine quills and beadwork. Students saw lots of dream catchers and smelled sage.
Several Métis speakers spoke of the people and all of their cultural traditions.
“It was just a full day of learning. Our students, unfortunately, were not able to go to every single station, but each class got to go to three of the stations,” said Haberstock.
Hoop dancer Trent Littletent showcased his skills and culture for the students. He performed for Westview and Hillcrest students, and was to entertain the Spruce Ridge kids, but was called away to an emergency. Videos of Indigenous culture were shown instead.
“It’s so much more meaningful when they get to see somebody talking about their culture, to see someone performing a dance from their culture,” said Haberstock.
He was also at Pleasantdale School earlier in the day.
While the closest reserve to Estevan is nearly an hour away, during the planning e orts for the education day, Haberstock realized there are a lot of Indigenous people in the Estevan area. ere is a “huge” Métis population in this part of the province, she said.
“I nd a lot of people I talk to, they didn’t realize they were Métis or they’re just learning that they’re Métis, and they’re becoming very proud of that, and they’re eager to share because they’re trying to learn about their own culture as well.”
ParkerSchmaltzdiscussedIndigenousculturewhileatSpruceRidgeSchool.
Truth and reconciliation won’t occur until people learn more, she said.
Haberstock pointed out she didn’t learn anything about residential schools or Indigenous peoples and their culture when she was
younger. She learned a lot from the presentations she was able to hear.
“I think it’s really important that our children today learn more than we ever did.” e event received
$4,500 from A nity Credit Union, which covered honourariums for the speakers and stickers for the kids that said “Reconciliation is Learning”, and Kingston Midstream showed their support as well.
Whereas
Notice of Abandonment of Poll
I
by acclamation:
Devona Putland Subdivision 1
Notice of Poll and Advance Poll
Jim Henderson Subdivision 3
Tami Scott Subdivision 4
Michelle DeBruyne Subdivision 6
Dated at Weyburn,
this 10th day of October, 2024.
Shelley Toth, Returning Officer
Notice of Poll and Advance Poll
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been established for the election of:
Board Member: South East Cornerstone School Division No 209 Subdivision No 2
Voting will take place at the polling places listed below.
Arcola
November 6, 2024 4:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m Arcola School 302 Souris Ave.
November 13, 2024 9:00 a.m.
Kenosee Lake
November 13, 2024 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m Four Seasons Drop-In Centre, 31 Waseca Ave.
Manor
November
November
Wawota
Kevin Andrews is taking a rst shot at running for Estevan city council.
Andrews said after tracking the decisions of council during the past three years, as well as attending council meetings in person and watching them on YouTube through the city’s website, he hasn’t been happy with the direction the city has been taking, and he wants to make some changes.
Andrews wants to see the city’s business taxes reduced to make them more competitive, and he wants to see the city’s debt reduced further, which would allow for further tax reductions and for more people to come to Estevan.
He also wants the city to stop adding uoride to the water supply; the measure, which helps prevent tooth
Dave Elliott is stepping forward once again as a candidate for Estevan city council, emphasizing what he says is a practical, scally-responsible approach to municipal governance.
Elliott, who has lived in Estevan for more than 20 years, said he was encouraged to run by several community members seeking “a calm voice” and someone who approaches issues “in a more common-sense sort of way.” Although he has been involved in local affairs for many years, including revious runs for council in the early 2000s, Elliott believes the core issues facing the city have remained largely the same.
“You’ve got infrastructure, you’ve got hope streams and plans of all kinds, and people with different agendas coming forward,” Elliott said in a recent interview. “There’s so many things the city needs to address, and it’s all basic. It’s all infrastructure. ere are pipes in areas that are old. ere’s road work
decay, happens in other communities. A non-binding plebiscite was held in the 2014 civic byelection on using fluoride in the water, and residents voted to continue the process.
Andrews thinks another plebiscite might be warranted.
“I’d like to stop it [ uoridation] right away until we have that [the plebiscite], because it’s poison and I don’t think anybody wants to get poisoned any more than they have to, but a plebiscite would likely be one way to do it,” said Andrews.
He also says he wants to educate Estevan residents on organizations such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Local Government for Sustainability, Partners for Climate Protection and the United Na-
that needs to be done. It’s all stu that you just plan for.”
Elliott expressed concerns over the recent downtown revitalization project, pointing out that some expenditures could have been reduced if the city had been willing to make adjustments to initial plans.
“We have to watch our money a little better,” he said, noting that council had opportunities to cut costs but did not. “Money management [is important] and working forward to further reducing debt. is council did reduce debt, which is a good thing. But now we’re increasing it again. I don’t think by as much as what they reduced, but we’re kind of going backwards now with this thing.”
He emphasized the need for a “tighten the belt” approach to avoid further debt and “move forward on an even keel”.
While Elliott largely focuses on financial stewardship, he acknowledges that municipal management is an
Shelly Veroba is running for a third term on Estevan’s city council, emphasizing the need for experienced leadership as the city prepares for changes, with at least four new members on council.
“With so many seats empty, I do believe there needs to be some experience with council,” Veroba said.
Veroba nished rst in both the 2016 and 2020 councillor races. She has lived in Estevan for 36 years and manages Creighton Lodge, a position she believes helps her understand the community’s needs. She’s been involved in a number of di erent boards.
Looking back at her time on council, Veroba highlighted key achievements such as the city’s pathway system.
tions Sustainable Development Goals, all of which he accuses of destroying communities. He said efforts like Gather 2030 have been pushing back.
“ ere’s a battle going on, and I’d like to do that same thing … getting their information to bring to the city and let people know what’s actually going on with these organizations,” said Andrews.
He has been standing on street corners in Estevan on an almost weekly basis with signs that tout the challenges facing Dutch farmers and other issues.
Prior to this term, Andrews said he hadn’t tracked Estevan city council closely, but he knew that things were happening he didn’t like. But he had just retired and was enjoying spending time
DaveElliott
ongoing balancing act.
Born in Ontario, Elliott and his family moved to the southeast in the late 19`70s and he eventually ended up residing in Estevan. Elliott has a background in the oil industry and for years was involved with youth programs, including army, sea and air cadets and scouting. But he is probably most known for his DJ work throughout his time in the southeast. Additionally, for a long time he has been active with the Estevan Kinsmen Club, helping to establish an outdoor rink in Hillcrest Park – a project he remains proud of.
with his family. When the pandemic hit, he started paying closer attention.
“I think everybody should get involved as young as possible, because if you don’t do anything, you’re going to get somebody that you might not want, doing to you what they’re doing, and that’s where it got to me.”
Stephen Daniel is relatively new to Estevan, but he is already taking a shot at Estevan city council.
Daniel moved to Estevan last year because he found Estevan has a strong conservative-minded population. But after a while, he started questioning whether city council shared those beliefs. He became concerned when he started reading about the downtown revitalization project and the policy council approved in August on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“I do have a lot of political knowledge,” he said.
MEET YOUR estevan city 2024 Estevan, Remember to Vote
“The pathway system was huge. It gets people out moving, and people are meeting each other, getting to know their neighbours,” she said.
Veroba also pointed to the Churchill Park project as an example of successful community input. She also noted the downtown revitalization project as a highlight of her last term, but also a learning experience.
“One thing I’ve learned from the downtown revitalization project is communication. As much as we felt that we did get the word out, there were still a lot of people who didn’t understand how the project came about, so when we had rst started working and thought the di erent phases of what we could apply for, somehow that got misinterpreted that we were
going to continue with all of the phases,” Veroba said.
“I think the downtown revitalization is going to be an asset to our community once it’s completed. I think it was a good project, but I think we need a lot more communication moving forward with all of our projects.”
She also noted that in both of her terms, the city debt has gone down, and council kept tax increases minimal with a few years of zero increases.
As she looks to the future, Veroba identi ed infrastructure improvements as a priority, particularly addressing the condition of roads like Perkins Street.
“ ere are some roads that need to be looked at. But I also think we need to continue with the communication and with ensuring
and support for small businesses.
Although this is his rst campaign for a councillor seat, Hagel is no stranger to local politics, having previously run for mayor in 2016.
Hagel emphasized the importance of restoring the community’s trust in local government, which he feels has eroded over recent years.
“People started getting more depressed and disappointed in their local governments,” he said. “ e stress was starting to emerge from the referendum [case] there for Fourth Street, and people just started feeling like they were unheard.
“I took note of all this, and I started talking to some people, and then I decided that now would be a good time to put my name in and try to bring a connection back to the community from city hall,” Hagel added.
If elected, Hagel plans to improve the city’s ap-
that our community maintains a safe feeling for all the citizens,” she said. Regarding the future of the coal industry in Estevan, Veroba expressed cautious optimism. She pointed to discussions about converting coal to graphite and hydrogen as potential ways to sustain the local economy.
proach to budgeting and scal management, focusing on accountability and community engagement.
“I would like to see more common-sense budget management, talking to the people and trying to get more input. And when you do get the input, I want it to be more respected, more looked at instead of just thrown to the side,” he explained.
“ ese people are voting you in to manage their tax dollars. If they don’t have any form of con dence in you doing this, then at the end of the day, why are we running the city like this?” Hagel, who was born and raised in Estevan, has two bachelor’s degrees — one in history and anthropology from Brandon University, and another in history and psychology from a university in Oklahoma. He has worked in the coal and energy sectors around Estevan.
Supporting small businesses is another key part of his platform. During his campaign, Hagel spoke with local business owners who felt they were
Kirsten Walliser wants a second term as a councillor on Estevan city council.
Walliser ran for the rst time in 2020, nishing fth in the 11-candidate race to claim one of the six seats on Estevan city council.
She said she found a lot of her time in her rst four years on city council was spent learning about the process of government, the jurisdiction that council has locally and how it relates to provincial and federal partners.
“It wasn’t until later in the term that I felt like I really knew how to take citizens’ concerns and be able to have action on their behalf, and use that experience and
A friend of his was pushing Daniel to take a shot at running for council, so he decided to take a shot.
Daniel said he has also heard a lot of concerns about the city’s budget and the lack of scal transparency. ere are some things he believes council hasn’t been completely honest about.
“I’m also concerned about growth, and … this is a problem with all small towns, is the young people moving away, so I definitely want to talk to people and gure out if there is something that council can do to attract more businesses,” said Daniel.
Reducing business taxes would help bring investment to the community
“I spent the past 25 years reading up on politics and stu like that, and I truly believe there is a strong conservative population, but the council is not doing things in favour of the conservative population; they’re doing their own thing,” said Daniel.
unaware of city incentives.
“A business of two years would like to see more rst-time business owner incentives being o ered,” he said. “I would like to try to make it more open for local businesses to try to start up by helping them nd better incentives on making them more visible and accessible.”
He believes that helping small businesses thrive is vital for the local economy.
“[I’d like] to reduce commercial taxes, try to help the small businesses because they’re the backbone of our city’s economy,” said Hagel.
the knowledge gained. I would like four more years … and to be able to e ectively make change on the citizens’ behalf.” Walliser said a lot of good things have been happening in the community during this term. In the next four years, Walliser wants to see an improved communications strategy that really hears where people’s concerns are, but also where their passions are while bringing people together.
“A lot of what people are looking for is already here, and they just haven’t found it yet,” said Walliser.
But there are still some other things that need to happen. Sidewalks still need to be upgraded. A growing number of peo-
Candidate Kirsten Candidate Shelly Veroba
Candidate Stephen Candidate Kevin Andrews
Candidate Rhyan Hagel
Candidate Dave Elliott
ShellyVeroba
KevinAndrews
Rhyan Hagel, a candidate for Estevan city council, is running on a platform of budget transparency, increased communication
RhyanHagel
city councillor CANDIDATES
and increase prosperity.
He knows there are also concerns about the future of coal in the Estevan area, and he said he wants to learn more about the issue.
“My understanding is that energy is a provincial jurisdiction and not federal … so people are talking about closing down the plants, but they’re being pressured from the Liberal government,” said Daniel.
When he lived in Eastern Canada and worked in Ottawa for Transport Canada, he was the nancial agent for the Conservative Party’s riding association where he resided. But this marks the rst time he has run for an elected public ce.
“I’m a rm, rm believer in majority rules. In my opinion, this is part of what democracy is. e majority
rules. I keep telling everybody all the time, it is impossible, 100 per cent impossible, to please everyone in society … and so the best you can do is to please the majority,” said Daniel. ere will be some people who won’t agree with that direction, he said, but Daniel thinks it’s probably the best way to govern.
Matthew Dubowski might be the youngest candidate in the eld for Estevan city council in the 2024 civic election, as he is just 26 years old, but he says he has come to appreciate the community.
“I’d really love to have the privilege to be a part of continuing the city’s great legacy that it has and the history, and just continue on with making it a really good place and desirable place to not only move to, but live and continue living in and grow old in,” said Dubowski, who was born and raised in the Energy City.
Dubowski said he decided to run in the Nov. 13 civic election because he has seen a division in
the community, and believes there are di erent groups of people who don’t feel safe. He wants to work towards allowing everyone to feel safe, welcome, cared for and loved in the city.
ere have been a few incidents in the past few years that left him wondering if the city had the proper supports, such as mental health.
“I want to make the community better and safer for everyone so that everyone feels welcome here,” said Dubowski.
He wants to see the downtown revitalization project completed. He said there have been a lot of “hiccups” with the project, with unforeseen price increases, powerful storms and other
weather challenges.
“It’s really put a wrench in things, so I would like to see that done, completed, and over the next four years improved upon so that what the original people had envisioned for downtown really makes it a point of beauty in Estevan.”
Dubowski has not run for public o ce before, and so this is a new experience for him. When he was in school, he said he viewed politics as having a negative connotation, something that shouldn’t be discussed.
MatthewDubowski
Over the past four or ve years, he has started to understand the importance of politics at different levels, including municipal. He has been paying closer attention in the past year or two.
“It really directly affects all of our lives, and it really goes quite a ways to making just our environmental conditions and general happiness better, and so the last few years, I’ve really begun to appreciate all of that,” said Dubowski.
Johnson, who previously served on council from 2000 to his defeat in 2016, said his decision to run again is driven by a deep connection to his community, a desire to continue contributing to its development and having more time to give.
“I’m fully retired now... and people I’ve been talking to were asking me to run for the position of city council again. So, I decided to come back as a councillor and see how things go for this election.
“I believe the ratepayers of this ne community demand sound leadership and good governance by their municipal elected o cials,” he added.
During his previous tenures, Johnson witnessed a period of significant growth for Estevan, particularly during the economic boom driven by the oil industry.
“We had a lot of things going on… Estevan al-
ple in the community are walking, and there are still some busy roads in the city that don’t have an accompanying sidewalk.
The water main replacement program has proven to be “incredibly” valuable, she said, and it needs to continue.
“I would like to see the city continue to work provincially and federally for a solution to the water mains and the sewer mains in the Westview area,” said Walliser.
most reached 12,000 people,” he said, recalling the bustling period when the community was actively expanding, leading to new housing developments and projects.
Johnson highlighted the impact of the Boundary Dam Carbon Capture and Storage facility, a project he witnessed developing first-hand through his career at SaskPower.
“It was very rewarding to be on city council during that time, to learn all those things, to understand all those things, and to be involved in all those things,” Johnson said, adding there were many other diverse projects completed and started while he was on council.
Johnson was born and raised in Estevan, raised his family here, and worked in various sectors throughout his life. He worked in the oil eld, at power plants and mines.
Looking ahead, Johnson’s priorities are focused on responsible budgeting, “helping out the citizens and the businesses that need to
BrianJohnson
be listened to”; “helping out the seniors with their needs and making sure that they could still live in their homes and that their taxes aren’t going to go too high and force them out of their homes.” He also identied other local concerns, such as job opportunities for young residents, community well-being, safety and cleanliness.
“All those things are important,” he said, emphasizing the need for well-maintained roads, snow clearing and proper signage. He also pointed to the issue of weeds, which has been a persistent nuisance in parts of the city.
Robin Wog is looking to bring his business knowledge to Estevan city council.
Wog said he thought about running for councillor in 2020, but he had just moved back to the community and he had quite a bit on his plate, so he thought it wasn’t the right time to add an extra responsibility.
He now wishes he ran last time.
With a diverse background that includes decades of living in Europe and working in the European lm industry, Mauss is now seeking to bring a fresh perspective to local governance.
Mauss was born in Western Germany, raised in Saskatchewan and Estevan, and then returned to Estevan in 2019 after living in Germany and Switzerland for almost 40 years. He currently works in the Saskatchewan lm industry.
One of Mauss’ key motivations for running is his desire to counter divisiveness, which he perceives as a growing problem in political discourse.
“I don’t like the finger-pointing,” he said. “Through my time in Europe, I saw that it can work di erently. You can criticize or have a di erent idea or say that idea is bad without [resorting] to finger-pointing and name-calling.”
on the budget, and he doesn’t want to see the taxpayers on the hook for a lot of expensive projects. He understands that the water tower refurbishment, road repairs and the downtown revitalization might be covered under federal or provincial grants, but he still wants to see the best use for taxpayer dollars.
He advocates for a more co-operative approach to policy-making, where ideas are valued on merit, rather than partisan lines.
“No one person, party or group has a patent on good ideas,” Mauss explained. “Good ideas can come from anywhere, and we should be able to take them, work with them, and nd a consensus, and sometimes it’s not even necessarily finding that consensus.”
Re ecting on his years living in Switzerland, Mauss noted the country’s political system as a model for collaboration.
“There hasn’t been a majority government ever. e executive is made up of seven people from four di erent political parties, and they have to nd a way,” he said.
Mauss also acknowledges the challenges facing Estevan, including the city’s accumulated debt, which has been a concern for many residents. He commended the progress made in the past decade.
“ ey took on an accumulated debt of over $40 million, and it’s down to about $13 million now,”
he said. “I think they’re doing a great job, and of course, things go up and down, and there is a de cit on revitalization, but it’s nothing to be extremely worried about.”
Looking ahead, Mauss sees several important issues on the horizon for the city, including discussions around new facilities and the ongoing downtown revitalization.
“If people want the city council to look at certain issues, they’re going to have to look at it,” he said, pointing to an upcoming non-binding plebiscite on a new ice facility as an example of community-driven decision-making.
plebiscite, referendum or something similar so that more than seven voices are heard.
Wog’s family moved to Estevan when he was seven years old. He grew up here, got married and raised a family in the city. He moved to Alberta for a couple of decades, but later returned home.
“We relied heavily on the experience of those who had been there before, so not only am I looking forward to new ideas, but also being able to support them and get them up to speed as well,” said Walliser.
When she was elected to council in 2020, she was one of four new members. At least four new members will be elected to council in this civic election as well, and if she is re-elected on Nov. 13, Walliser would look forward to working with them to ease their transition to council.
“I de nitely decided it was time to do it, just because I’m not going to sit on the sideline and watch everything unfold in more of a negative way,” said Wog. “I see things di erently than the way this past council, mayor and administration has run it.” Wog said his focus is
“I want to make sure the public’s involved in any … major decisions being made on larger-scale projects that aren’t absolutely necessary, outside of aging infrastructure like curbs, sidewalks, sewer and water, storm sewers and that sort of thing, those are things that have to be looked after on a regular basis.” It might mean having a
“When I did move back, I just thought if I’m moving back home, I want to be a bit of a contributor to this town and its future,” he said. is is the rst time that Wog has sought public o ce, and he said he is the furthest thing from a politician. He has been part of some boards in the past, which he said would be bene cial if he were to be elected. He understands scal bottom lines and the bidding process.
“It … can be a little bit of direction to the rest of the council that maybe doesn’t have any hands-on experience with that sort of thing, to understand what’s involved in the bid process,” said Wog.
Kirsten Walliser
Candidate Matthew Dubowski
Candidate Robin Wog
Candidate Brian Johnson
Stephen Daniel
Candidate Tom Mauss
KirstenWalliser
Former Estevan city councillor Brian Johnson is campaigning to reclaim a seat on council in the upcoming municipal election.
RobinWog
StephenDaniel
Tom Mauss, a candidate for Estevan city council, emphasizes the importance of collaboration and open dialogue as central themes of his campaign.
TomMauss
Verna Morsky was a big part of business community
Verna Morsky’s contributions to Estevan’s business community were so significant that not only is she in Estevan’s business hall of fame, but her name is attached to the hall.
Morsky died on Oct. 12 at the age of 90 from injuries sustained in a fall weeks earlier. Her daughter Pam Dechief remembers her mother as a hard-working, generous and kind person who loved the community.
Verna Morsky and her husband Nick, who died in 2019, worked together as partners in every business venture they entered, Dechief said.
“One was successful because of the other,” said Dechief. “Not only was she a wonderful mother and did
things with the kids all of the time, she was an equal partner with dad in the businesses.”
e couple operated the Derrick Motor Inn for decades, turning it into one of Estevan’s premier businesses. It was not only popular with out-of-town guests but people in the community who had weddings, banquets and other functions at the hotel. Dechief said her mother did a lot of work behind the scenes in the kitchen and elsewhere.
“ ey knew that their business was successful as well because of the employees they had. If something needed to be cleaned up, mom … she was there with the broom and the mop, and working right alongside somebody that was helping clean up. It
wasn’t a ‘You do this’, it was a ‘We’ll do it together’ attitude,” said Dechief. ey also owned apartment buildings in the city.
“Mom and dad’s work ethic just came through with all of us kids, and we’ve hopefully given mom’s grandchildren some of that nice work ethic, along with the kindness and generosity with family and the community,” said Dechief.
e Morskys developed many personal relationships with customers, and Dechief said people wanted to do business with the couple.
“If you got a handshake from either my mom or dad, that was a business deal. at was a deal and it was honoured by both sides,” said Dechief.
Surprised by God
We would be shocked if we could hear the Bible for the rst time again.
On every page, something unexpected happens. e only reason we are not surprised is that the stories are so familiar to us. ink about some of the unexpected interactions that God has had with His people.
For example, every culture has stories about a creator, but none imagined that God would become part of the creation. at the creator would lower Himself and become human is surprising, to say the least. Not only did he become one of us, but he also came as a baby. A tiny, helpless baby. If I
were God, I would have come as a mighty warrior or a powerful king. God’s action in this case was so unexpected that almost no one noticed his entry into the world.
VernaMorskywasamong theinitialinducteesinto Estevan’sBusinessHall ofFame.Photocourtesy ofPamDechief
ey made many friends in Estevan, and they viewed the Energy City as a great place to raise a family be-
One might expect him to be born in a prominent place to an important family. at did not happen. Instead, he was born in a barn in Bethlehem.
Surprisingly, Jesus grew up in a town that had a lessthan-stellar reputation. It was common for people back then to ask, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Oddly, Jesus did not grow up in an easy place, but a di cult one.
When he gathered his
cause of the progress that has occurred. “ e prosperity of the businesses made the community better o to make better parks, roads and facilities for everybody in town,” said Dechief.
e Morskys moved to Estevan in the 1950s when they were in their 20s. Dechief recalled her parents came out here for greener pastures, they fell in love with the city and they decided to stay.
In 2011, when the chamber launched the business hall of fame, it revealed the couple was not only charter members, but the hall would be named the Nick and Verna Morsky Business Hall of Fame.
Prior to her fall, Dechief
followers, no one would have guessed that he would choose shermen and common people rather than the intellectuals or the religious elite of his day, but that is what he did. He also befriended the wrong sorts of people.
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11) was a common question.
Everyone believed the saviour would be given a crown of gold and would rule the world. Instead, Jesus took a
said her mother still loved to play cards at the Estevan 60 and Over Club at the Estevan Leisure Centre, and was still an avid walker at A nity Place and the Estevan Market Mall. She supported the day hospital program at St. Joseph’s Hospital. And she drove until she fell; she had just purchased a new vehicle ve days earlier. Dechief said she has received a lot of messages and phone calls from people she has known for at least 20 years.
“I know them because of my parents,” said Dechief. “Very overwhelming support. We are very grateful as a family to know that people in the community still remember her.”
and
crown of
e best surprise of all, though, came on that Sunday morning when the women went to the tomb and found it empty. No one expected that either.
When one follows God, you never know what might happen next. at is a good thing, though, because that means there is always hope.
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted” (Job 5:9).
Model engineers remain fascinated by the hobby
e Estevan Model Engineering Show remains a place for people who are fascinated by the hobby to gather, socialize and discuss their projects.
e 35th edition of the event took place Saturday and Sunday at the Wylie-Mitchell Building. Event organizer Kelly Tytlandsvik said they had 32 exhibitors this year, and while some from past years couldn’t make it for various reasons, a couple of newcomers showed up and brought a lot to the event. All aspects of model engineering are invited, including gas and steam engines, locomotives, traction engines, motorcycles and shop-built equipment, among others. Many people from the community dropped by the hall to take a look. Participants came from all three Prairie provinces and the northern mid-west U.S.
“We have a lot of interesting stu . We got an engine here where the only other one like it is in Germany,” said Tytlandsvik.
Another exhibitor located a very rare old engine, and he reproduced it into an operating model. Nobody else ever made them in miniature, Tytlandsvik said. One participant started bringing his late father’s equipment, as the father had attended the show for many years. One person had a miniature lathe and milling machine, and two people brought some radio-controlled items.
“It’s a nice, eclectic version of all kinds of miniature engines … and there’s a little bit of everything,” said Tytlandsvik.
Wives of the exhibitors brought a variety of products to display, ranging from quilts to geological rocks.
e show is also a chance for people to social-
ize and trade ideas on what they’re building.
“Guys will bring material for someone else that might be quite a few miles away and looking for some material. One person might have some extra, so he brings it to the show,” said Tytlandsvik. At another show, Tytlandsvik recalled seeing one person having trouble getting an engine to run, a fellow exhibitor came over and helped him out, which led to a friendship that grew over the years.
e Estevan show also provides a boost for the economy, with most participants spending two nights in the local hotels and eating at restaurants. Tytlandsvik doesn’t charge anything to the exhibitors, as he has sponsors who support the show, and he is grateful to have their backing.
Dwight Punshon of Bu alo Pound said the Es-
tevan gathering is a very good show. He always sees lots of good engines at the event, and he says he nds lots of unique displays.
Punshon brought two engines with him, a Fairbanks Hit and Miss and a 1975 Dodge Colt four cylinder.
He’s glad to have an event in Estevan because there aren’t a lot of people in the southeast region who are into the hobby.
“We all come from quite a distance to come to this show,” said Punshon.
He took up the hobby through his father, who was also into model engineering. He nds it to be very challenging and a rather enjoyable experience.
e show is the oldest event of its kind in North America.
HaldenBjornson,left,andBrendaRedmanchatatthe EstevanModelEngineeringShow.
Souris Valley Museum hosts successful Spooky Museum
e Souris Valley Museum celebrated another successful Spooky Museum event on Oct. 19, welcoming around 150 visitors for an afternoon of Halloween-themed activities and fun.
e event o ered a variety of engaging attractions for families, but with it being a busy weekend in Estevan, the attendance was down this year from the 200-300 people who attended in previous years.
e museum partnered with several local organizations. Returning for an-
other year were the Estevan Area Literacy Group, the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum and the Estevan Public Library. Two new participants this year were the Estevan Arts Council and the Estevan Humane Society.
Melanie Memory, the museum’s executive director and curator, said each group had Halloween-themed activities and entertainment for the guests.
e library supplied Halloween take-home craft kits. e literacy
group o ered crafts and treats. e EAGM created a table racetrack for kids.
e Estevan Arts Council contributed by having one of their board members lead interactive puppet scripts, which proved to be a hit with the children. e Estevan Humane Society brought along their adoptable pets and sold merchandise to raise awareness and support for their cause.
e museum itself hosted a scavenger hunt, a popular activity that had visitors searching for hidden eyeballs throughout
the building, each with a letter that needed to be unscrambled into a “Halloween” word.
“We decorated through the museum quite a bit more than we usually do,” said Memory. “We had spider webs and dressed up all the mannequins in Halloween costumes.”
Other highlights provided by the museum included a photo booth, Halloween-themed goodie bags and a cotton candy stand, where proceeds went toward the museum’s locomotive res-
Themuseumpartneredwithseveralothercommunity organizationsforafull-scaleHalloweenexperience.
toration projects.
“ at’s just a little fundraiser for us. We’re trying to raise money for our locomotive restoration,”
Memory said, adding that they are at about $12,000, with a goal for the project set at $35,000.
e event, which ran from 1-3 p.m., attracted many parents and children dressed up in a variety of costumes, adding to the festive spirit.
“It was a good day overall,” Memory said. “Lots of people came in their costumes, and parents dressed up with their kids.”
With the Halloween season in full swing, the museum is already preparing for its next set of activities, including participation in the city’s Spooktacular Treats for Everyone next weekend.
Memory noted they are having a lot of Halloweenand fall-themed activities throughout October.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the Souris Valley Museum’s website at sourisvalleymuseum.com or follow them on social media.
Departing Estevan trustee criticizes government
By Norm Park
Eric McCrimmon, who was one of two Estevan trustees for the South East Cornerstone Public School Division from 2020-2024, is speaking out regarding the direction of public education.
In the roundtable portion of the Oct. 15 Cornerstone meeting, McCrimmon gave a scathing indictment of the current provincial government, indicating he believes that the Saskatchewan Party was leaving public school divisions in a position where they are now sinking into an overall nancial, social and administrative abyss through no fault of their own.
McCrimmon spoke out against government mishandling of educational issues on several fronts, including their interference in educational governance and regional decision-making. Before expressing his concerns, McCrimmon paid tribute to and thanked the many professional people in SECPSD who operated within the division, including custodians, teachers,
librarians, instructional coaches, maintenance workers, educational assistants, bus drivers, administrators and more.
“It is far too clichéd to say I am leaving with mixed emotions. Despite the great experience I’ve had serving my community by working on the board, the primary emotion I am experiencing now is frustration,” he said in a prepared statement.
McCrimmon added in his opening statement: “I am frustrated because our education system is under attack by the Sask. Party provincial government intent on dictating their whims and cutting funding to public schools while increasing funding to private schools.”
e one-term trustee then added that in 2021, the government mandated that employees had to be vaccinated to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that was the right thing to do at the time, but was one of the few times the Saskatchewan Party gave local voices a choice in how they govern public schools. He indicated he believed it
was a political choice by the provincial government to make school board trustees across the province be the scapegoats of a controversial decision like mandating vaccinations.
McCrimmon went on to say that following this moment of local autonomy to make the best decision for local students and families, “the dictations and ministerial directions began owing in.”
He cited the pronoun policy and the use of the notwithstanding clause to take rights away from vulnerable children as examples.
“ e Sask. Party hurriedly set up a provincial online school, ordering Cyber Stone [the locally-governed online school] to close its virtual doors. Your local school division’s hard work to set up a virtual school to best support students was wiped away by the Sask. Party, while still allowing Catholic and private schools to have their own online schools, separate from the public one.
“Even worse, the Saskatchewan Distance Learn-
ing Corporation is a Crown corporation, not a school board, so you don’t even have local trustees governing the activities of the Sask. DLC. You only have a politically appointed board of directors. eir names don’t even seem to be public.”
McCrimmon then added the provincial government showed their true colours by antagonizing teachers and bargaining unfairly. He said
their use of billboards for their messaging last summer was clear evidence of bad-faith bargaining.
“Teachers are still ghting for a fair contract, a contract that recognizes the numerous hours and dollars spent volunteering, marking, prepping outside of school hours; and a contract that provides su cient funding for school boards to provide those supports to students and teachers.
“ e government also increased funding to private schools, allowing them to claim they have increased education funding while still allowing our public schools to deteriorate and classroom sizes to grow.”
McCrimmon noted in closing that he had decided not to seek re-election because he was no longer willing to be a scapegoat for the provincial government, he felt was intent on eroding public education.
He said he witnessed how the Saskatchewan
School Boards Association and some trustees across the province are afraid to speak out against the provincial government because they now have no way of increasing funding outside of provincial grants.
“ is issue is made worse when you are dealing with a provincial government intent on dictating how autonomous, locally-elected school boards operate.”
He said there is still a place for school boards to make local choices, but not under the current provincial government.
With a nal suggestion that voters seek an alternate governing party route, to nd a party that would better support public schools and end provincial interference in local school board decisions, while ending funding for private schools, McCrimmon wrapped up his address. He stated, in the nal remark that students, for the future of Saskatchewan, “deserve better.”
EricMcCrimmon.File photo
City Hall: 1102 4th Street
8amto4:30 pm |(306) 634-1800
LeisureOffice: 701Souris Avenue
8amto4:30pm| (306) 634-1880
Municipal Election
November 13,2024
NOTICE OF ABANDONMENTOFPOLL [Section82ofthe Act]
Wh er eas ap ol li sn ot re qu ir ed pur su an tt o TheLocal Government ElectionAct,2015 forthe office of:
BoardMember: Holy Family RomanCatholic Separate School Division No.140
SOTTO, Virgilito MELLE, Karen
DatedatEstevan,this11th dayofOctober, 2024.
LOCALGOVERNMENT ELECTION
[Section 81 of theAct] Notice of Poll
PUBLIC NOTICEisherebygiven that:
1A pollhas been grantedinthe City of Estevanfor theelectionof: Mayor Councillor
SoutheastCornerstone School Division No.209 /Acclaimed
HolyFamily Separate School Division No 140 /Acclaimed
2Votingwill take place on Wednesday the13thday of November,2024, at thepollingplaces listed below.
3I will declarethe result of theelectionatCityHall, 1102 4thStreet,Estevan on the14thday of November,2024.
PollingAreaPollingPlace Address
#1Church of God1920 Wellock Road (9:00am-8:00pm)
#2 Estevan Fire Hall Drive-Thru 801 -13thAvenue (9:00am-7:00pm)
#3 Suds Zone Drive- Thru 238 4thStreet (9:30am-6:30pm) DatedatEstevan this 10thday of October, 2024.
NOTICE OF ABANDONMENTOFPOLL [Section82ofthe Act]
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.
AppendixC
FORM DD
[Subsection148(1) of theAct]
Ballotfor Vote on Resolution Plebiscite
Note: Mark your ballotfor or againstthe bylaw or resolution by placing an “X”inthe circle to theright of thewords that expressyour intention. Do not writeany word or other figureonthisballot.
Vote on theResolutionasstated: Wouldyou supportthe constructionofa thirdindoor ice facility in theCity of Estevan Yes No
In theCity of Estevan
Datedthis 10 dayof September ,2024
Clause83(1) of theAct]
Notice of Advance Poll
In theCity of Estevan
PUBLIC NOTICEisherebygiven that provision hasbeen made for advancepolls forelectorswho: •are physically disabled; •havebeen appointed as electionofficials;or •anticipatebeing unabletovoteonthe dayofelection.
Votingwill take place at on:
Advanced Polls
City Hall 1102 4thStreet,Estevan,SK
TuesdayOctober29, 2024 between thehoursof 4:30 pm and7:00pm Wednesday October30, 2024between thehoursof 4:30 pm and7:00pm
Estevan Fire Hall Drive-Thru 801 -13thAvenue,Estevan,SK
Friday November 2, 2024 between thehoursof 11:00amand 1:30 pm
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
Judy Pilloud Returning Officer
Judy Pilloud Returning Officer
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
Judy Pilloud Returning Officer
Flashback – Nov. 1, 1978
Hillsidewonthecity soccerchampionship forpublicschools Oct.27,1978,defeating Westviewinthefinal. Frontrow,fromleft, TrevorSweeney, Dean Harder, GrantLatimer, JamesHnatyszyn, Doug Hayward, JasonMolyneaux, TennyDirpaul andMarkNyeste Middlerow,Steven Harder, TimKing, Lee McIntosh, TroyBeechinor, SavasOmay, Aaron Rookes, DennisGorrie, GarnetMehlsandcoach DonAnderson.Backrow, DaroldBiette, Trevor Sitter, JayHorrocks, EricHepper, Michael Chamney MurrayGeil SheldonMolyneauxand RobertStendall
EPS monitoring drivers around ECS
e Estevan Police Service says it is monitoring the area around the Estevan Comprehensive School following several reported driving complaints.
A visible police presence was planned before and after school, and during lunch speci cally to identify drivers operating vehicles in an unsafe manner.
In other recent police news, a report of a theft/ fraud came into the EPS on Oct. 14. A business took payment for work and failed to complete it. e matter is under investigation.
Two 12-year-old females were arrested following a report of mischief at a local school. One of the youths is facing a charge of mischief and the second was warned of her actions.
A report was received for the theft of a motor vehicle and misuse of credit cards. e vehicle and credit cards have been recovered and the matter is under investigation.
Members received a report of a collision on Kensington Avenue on Oct. 15. One driver was charged for
making an improper lane change. No injuries occurred and tow trucks were not required.
e EPS received a report of youths knocking on the front door of homes and running away in the Hillcrest area. Members patrolled the area but did not locate anyone meeting the description provided. Police remind the public to caution their children against this activity as it might be traumatizing to homeowners that live alone. Further, it is a criminal o ence for which an individual could be charged.
e EPS received a complaint of vehicles disobeying a school bus stop arm and red ashing lights along King Street during morning pickup and afternoon drop o s on Oct. 16. Police will be monitoring and taking enforcement action against motorists who fail to stop as required.
O cers dealt with a report of two young people setting an item on re near Perkins Street and McDonald Road. Police located them and educated them on the dangers of
re. ey had lit a piece of plastic on re and thrown it in a water puddle. ey were taken home, and parents were updated. e kids were co-operative and seemed to understand the dangers of what they were doing.
Police issued a three-day driver’s licence suspension and vehicle impound after a tra c stop in the city centre Oct. 17. A driver tested positive for THC on an oral uid device.
A 28-year-old Oxbow man was issued a 120-day driving suspension and summary o ence tickets for driving while suspended and driving as a learner while unaccompanied, after a tra c stop on Sixth Avenue. e man tested positive on an oral uid device for THC and transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for blood tests. Charges are pending the results.
e EPS responded to 41 occurrences over the weekend of Oct. 18-20. e calls for service included nine tra c o ence violations; ve Criminal Code charges that included two condition breaches and three impaired
driving charges; three roadside driver’s licence suspensions served as a result of positive readings obtained using an oral uid screening device for drugs; two domestic disturbances; and two mental health-related matters that both resulted in an individual being transported to hospital for further assessment.
In a detailed news release on Oct. 19, EPS said that following an investigation by their patrol division, a 36-year-old man was charged with ight from police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle after he ed at dangerous speeds from EPS members attempting to conduct a tra c stop on Oct. 12. e same day, a 43-yearold man was charged with two counts of fraud under $5,000 and two counts of unauthorized use of credit card data stemming from a complaint received earlier in the month.
A 25-year-old man was arrested under the Mental Health Act and transported to the Weyburn Mental Health Facility for assessment.
EPS also received a complaint of a quad stunting in the 400-block of Willow Park Greens. e quad was located, and the owner was spoken with. e witnesses were unable to positively identify the driver of the quad and as a result, the owner was cautioned regarding the observed driving actions.
On Oct. 20, EPS members conducted a well-being check on a three-yearold child after she missed a Facetime call with her mother. e child was determined to be with her father and was con rmed to be ne.
Police also responded to an elevator emergency at A nity Place; the elevator was found to be in good working order, and no one was trapped in it. A domestic dispute was reported at an apartment complex in the south side of Estevan. A 28-yearold man and 24-year-old woman were yelling at each other. Members attended, the two parties were separated, and the woman left to return to her own home in Regina.
Items seized from American traveller
Members of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently seized
a number of items at the North Portal border crossing. According to a post on the CBSA’s X account and an email sent to the Mercury and SaskToday, ocers seized two undeclared loaded pistols, a prohibited ri e, ammunition, alcohol and cigarettes from an American traveller on Sept. 25. None of the goods were returned to the traveller, who paid a $2,000 penalty for the release of their vehicle.
Curling club ready for exciting season SPORTS
| Wednesday, October 23, 2024 |
It’s going to be another busy season for the Estevan Curling Club.
Club manager Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud said the ice was installed at its Power Dodge Curling Centre a little earlier than normal. Some of the senior curlers gave three of the six sheets a test run Oct. 15.
“We put a call out, asking for curlers to come help us get the green out of the ice and to see what kind of curl we have and what kind of speed we have,” she said.
Open house evenings will happen on Oct. 23 and 24 at 6:30 p.m., giving members and potential curlers the chance to come down to the rink. League play will begin Oct. 28.
All of their regular leagues are back this season. e afternoon dropin league will happen on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Tuesdays will have the Estevan Police Association’s youth league and the TS&M Supply doubles league. Wednesday evenings will o er the Great Western recreational league, which Ziehl Grimsrud called a
six-pack format, with sixend games played over six weeks, and six beers to go with the curling.
“We did that last year, and it was very popular, so we’ll be doing that again,” she said.
ursday nights will feature the open league, and Sundays will boast the Southern Plains Co-op youth curling for kindergarten to Grade 5 students. Traditionally the Sunday league ended at Christmas, but this year it has been extended into February.
Ziehl Grimsrud said teams are starting to register for their leagues. e Sunday and Tuesday youth leagues are getting close to capacity, she said, and numbers are comparable to last year.
Each month the club will have free drop-in curling on Friday nights, and it is looking to have a learn-tocurl program in January for a few weeks. en the club will work with the curlers to get them into leagues.
As for special events, a CurlSask U18 triples bonspiel will be taking
place Dec. 6 and 7. In triples, teams are comprised of three players instead of four, and each curler throws two rocks in an end. Instead of awarding points for each end, they play three sets of two ends each. A team is awarded points if they win a set, and the third set is worth more than the rst two.
“It is a development in curling that has come forth
as a means of teaching kids to play di erent positions … on the team in order to learn the game,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.
In the new year, the club will host its annual Southern Plains Co-op U15/U18 youth bonspiel. Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association events will be happening throughout February, with junior doubles districts Feb. 7 and 8,
senior doubles and senior boys’ districts Feb. 14 and 15, and regionals for senior doubles and senior boys’ teams on Feb. 28 and March 1.
e season will wrap up at the end of March with the Estevan Oil eld Technical Society’s annual Open Bonspiel.
e club is also working with CurlSask to run a oneday youth curling camp for
those ages nine to 15, but a date hasn’t been nalized. e club also hopes to see a return of Special Olympics curling this season.
Upgrades in the building include new monitors upstairs and downstairs. Cameras are now above the rings on all six sheets; previously they were above sheets two through ve. A oor has been added to the service sheets next to sheets 1 and 6.
“Hopefully that will help with cleanliness out on the ice surface and for deterioration out on the side sheets,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.
e curling club is also waiting to nd out if it has been awarded the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women’s curling championship. e club announced in April its intention to submit a bid for the competition, and the document has been submitted to Curling Canada. Ziehl Grimsrud said the club expects to nd out in late December or early January if it will host nationals.
Youth football teams busy in playoffs, league play
e Estevan Compre-
hensive School Elecs’ football team’s season wrapped up Saturday in a 39-12 loss to the Swift Current Colts in the consolation round semi nal.
Head coach Chris Bayerle said the Elecs lost the eld position battle in the rst half. e defence held up well for the rst 18 minutes of play and kept the score at 7-0 for Swift Current. Preston McGuire scored for Estevan on a 24yard run to tie the game in the second quarter. Swift Current responded with another touchdown and intercepted an ECS pass late in the stanza, resulting in another Swift Current score before halftime.
e second half was heated, Bayerle said, and the Elecs o ence was challenged by Swift Current’s defensive line. McGuire scored on another running play to nish the scoring for Estevan.
Dorian Sifton had 175 yards passing, and Khalifa Elshein collected 102 yards receiving.
Indy Froese picked up a fumble forced by Brody Bembridge, and Nick Ogadansky registered a quarterback sack.
It was the nal game of high school football for 16
TheSoutheastU18EstevanKinetteClubViragosplayedathomeagainstSwanValleyonSaturday.Filephoto
members of the Elecs who will graduate from Grade 12 next June. ***
e Southeast U18 Estevan Kinette Club Viragos nished their regular season with a 42-32 loss to Swan Valley on Saturday at the Dana Quewezance Memorial Field at Woodlawn Athletic Park.
Coach Mark Tribiger said it was one of the best showings the Viragos have had this season, and the
girls played their hearts out.
Aurora McCutheon, Kassidy Wallington and Morgan Hase accounted for the Viragos scores.
“Our defence was a team e ort, and we stood strong the majority of the game,” said Tribiger.
Estevan will visit Melville in the opening game of the playo s in the Prairie Girls Football League. ***
e Estevan Lions Club
Elecs compete at cross-country provincials
e Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs sent a number of athletes to the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association’s (SHSAA) cross-country provincials at the Carlton Trail Ski Club’s Dixon Hills near Humboldt on Oct. 12.
Two students from Estevan nished in the top 10 of their respective divisions. Adeon Sullivan, competing in junior boys, was sixth with a time of 15 minutes and 26 seconds. Henry Blue, entered in intermediate boys, was seventh with a time of 11 minutes and 41 seconds.
ey were the top two nishers among students who were part of Team South East.
Five athletes competed in senior boys. Moksh Rabari was the top nisher with a time of 17:25. Also competing in that division were Kimi Zepeda, who had a time of 17:56, Dongjun Won (18:01), Phillip Gellner (18:22) and Ethan Ostrander (18:53).
Other Elecs athletes were Kaiden Pick, who had a time of 13:02 in intermediate boys, Kasia Harding (24:43) was in junior girls, and Sarah Kamel (21:10)
was in senior girls; e intermediate division athletes raced over three kilometres, while the junior and senior competitions were four kilometres each.
ECS nished with a cumulative score of 111 points, and Estevan helped Team South East nish third in junior boys with 70 points. According to the SHSAA, the race course cut through natural forest, wilderness trails and elds. It involved challenging and varied terrain, elevation changes and varied scenery.
U14 Oilers lost 20-7 to the Weyburn Falcons Saturday afternoon at Woodlawn in their Moose Jaw Minor Football League semi nal.
Estevan’s lone score came on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Taya Stigings. She was lling in for Ryder Mantei, who was unable to play due to injury.
“Taya went in at QB and she played very well,” said coach Christian Pfeifer. e defence also had
a strong showing in the game, he said.
Weyburn led 7-0 at halftime.
Estevan was the topranked team in the regular season with a 5-1 record, and had a rst-round bye.
ey will play the Moose Jaw Vikings in the thirdplace game at Woodlawn on Saturday. ***
e Estevan Power Dodge U12 Chargers lost 55-20 to the Moose
Jaw Lions Friday night in Moose Jaw in their seminal game.
Jax Trombley had two touchdowns for Estevan and Dexx Tendler notched the other score.
Coach James Haagsman said the Chargers su ered a lot of injuries to their ball carriers and couldn’t keep up with Moose Jaw’s o ence. Estevan will close out the season by playing the Moose Jaw Spartans on Oct. 26 in the third-place game.
Theiceisinplaceforthe2024-25seasonatthePowerDodgeCurlingCentre.
Bruins awarded victory by forfeit win over Yorkton Terriers
A 3-0 loss to the Yorkton Terriers on Oct. 16 has become a 1-0 win for the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins.
e SJHL announced Monday that the Terriers have forfeited the victory over Estevan, as well as wins on Oct. 11 and 18 against the Nipawin Hawks and Melville Millionaires, respectively.
According to a news release from the SJHL, the Terriers were caught using an unidenti ed ineligible player. e wins and points in the standings from those games will be awarded to Nipawin, Estevan and Melville, leaving the Bruins with a 4-3-1-1.
According to an SJHL news release, section 4.1 of the SJHL rules and regulations identities the parameters for this matter:
“No player shall be permitted to participate in a league game unless he appears on that team’s player protected lists. Noti cation of protected players lists, certi ed players and a liated players are to be completed through the
electronic registration process. In addition to the right of the commissioner to forfeit a game for the use of an ineligible player, the o ending team will receive a mandatory ne of four hundred and fty dollars ($450).”
e players involved with these contests will still be credited with all personal statistics, but for all games that Yorkton used an ineligible player, they will have their team goals reduced to zero. Since the Bruins were shut out, one goal will be added to their total to make the score 1-0. It will not be awarded to any speci c player. All individual player stats will remain as is. Only team stats are changed.
In the game, Jaron Desnoyers opened the scoring on a Yorkton power play with just over seven minutes to play in the opening period. It remained a 1-0 game until midway through the third. Keenan Ingram scored midway through
the frame to give Yorkton some breathing room and added his second of the game into an empty net with 1:53 to play in the game.
Callum Creig stopped all 23 shots he faced for Yorkton. Kyle Kelsey made 29 saves for Estevan in the loss, including 13 in the second period. Tatarnic said Kelsey has been as expected.
“He stops the ones he should stop and makes the occasional big save after that, so he provides what you need from a goalie, and you can tell he’s a veteran,” said Bruins’ head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic.
e Bruins will go with Kelsey and Benny Polhill in goal moving forward. Liam Hallett will be released from the roster, and if he decides he wants to keep playing junior A hockey, the Bruins will accommodate a trade.
“He’s got some time to think about it. We had preliminary discussions, and we told him to go
Iherebygivepublic noticethatnovotingfor thesaidofficewill take place andthatthe following persons have been electedbyacclamation.
Subdivision No.2– Town of Radville andRadville Rural– Teresa VanDeSype
Subdivision No.3–SpruceRidge Rural– Kristy Phillips
Subdivision No.4–Queen ElizabethRural – RockySidloski
Subdivision No.5– Town of Milestone - Kathie Yanko
Subdivision No.6– VillageofWilcox - Kate MacLean
DatedatWeyburn, this 9th dayofOctober, 2024.
GeorgiaHanwell
ReturningOfficer Holy Family
School Division No.140
Elecs senior girls win home tourney
TheEstevanComprehensiveSchoolElecs’seniorgirls volleyballteamwontheirhometournament,held FridayandSaturdayattheschool’sgymnasium. ECSwent7-0duringthecompetition,defeatingthe LampmanSchoolGrizzlies2-1(19-25,25-16and 15-5)inthefinal.UpnextfortheElecsisthesecond halfoftheCo-opChallengevolleyballserieswiththe WeyburnComprehensiveSchoolEaglesonOct.23 inWeyburn;theseriespitstheseniorboys’andgirls’ volleyballteamsfrombothschools,andEstevanholds a6-0leadaftersweepingmatchesOct.9inEstevan. PhotocourtesyofHunterPerkins
home and think on it for a week, and we’ll see if he continues to play or goes to school,” said Tatarnic.
e club has also announced the acquisition of forward Cole Robertson from the Kindersley Klippers. e Bruins sent a fourth-round pick and a player development fee to the Kindersley Klippers for Robertson’s rights. He had been playing for the Amarillo Wranglers of the North American Hockey League.
Robertson is a 6’3” forward who put up 60 points in 44 games in his nal season of U18 AAA hockey with the Winnipeg Wild.
Estevan will host the defending SJHL champions, the Melfort Mustangs, on Oct. 25 starting at 7 p.m. en they will visit the Melville Millionaires the following night.
Bears split weekend games
e Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears picked up three of a possible four points in their games at the Prince Albert Mintos on the weekend.
Estevan defeated Prince Albert 6-5 on Friday. Bears’ captain Roan Burgess’ second of the game with 4:23 to play in the third period lifted the club to the win. Cooper Flath also scored twice for the Bears. Aidan Mohan and Boston Schmidt notched the Bears’ other goals.
e Bears held multiple two-goal leads in the game, but Prince Albert fought back and tied the game at 5-5 by the midway point of the third period.
Brady Carr made 24 saves in the victory.
Estevan lost 2-1 in overtime to Prince Albert the following day. e two teams were scoreless after the rst period, and Gunner Moore scored what proved to be the Bears’ lone goal with one second to play in the middle frame to give Estevan a 1-0 lead.
Prince Albert tied the game early in the third and notched the overtime winner with 2:16 to play in extra time.
Carr stopped 37 of the 39 shots he faced.
Estevan (5-3-1) will be back on the ice Oct. 23 when they visit the Yorkton Maulers. en they will host the Battlefords Stars on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.
Halloween Colouring Contest
