Bienfait umpire recognized for his role in Saskatchewan baseball.
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Lots of scares.
Southern Plains Co-op pulls off another successful Trail of Terror at Woodlawn.
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Senior Living.
Years of dedication to Creative Tables, which continues to help those fighting cancer.
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Estevan wins.
Co-op Challenge sees Elecs boys and girls perform to their best.
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Halloween is here. Find safety tips and a colouring contest on
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2024 READ
Lori Carr re-elected as Estevan-Big Muddy MLA; Sask. Party continues to have a majority government
By David Willberg
Lori Carr is going back to the Saskatchewan Legislature as the Estevan-Big Muddy MLA.
With all 29 polling stations reporting, Carr was sitting at 5,112 of the 7,309 votes cast, or 69.9 per cent of the popular vote. Phil Smith of the New Democratic Party was second with 926 votes, Phil Zajac of the Bu alo Party of Saskatchewan was third at 740, Andrew Cey of the Saskatchewan United Party was fourth at 449 and Billy Patterson of the Saskatchewan Green Party was fth at 82.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Monday night and Carr took a big lead when the rst two polling stations reported results just before 9 p.m.
“It feels awesome to be able to represent Estevan-Big Muddy this time around,” Carr said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday.
“I have had the honour of my lifetime serving for the past eight years, and I’m truly looking forward to the next four.”
Carr was rst elected in the April 2016 election, and was re-elected in 2020, receiving 62.43 per cent of the popular vote four years ago.
“As I was door-knocking and talking to people, every now and then the other parties would come up [in conversation], and I just talked to people quite frankly about the realities of what some of them wanted to do, and if it was even possible,” said Carr.
She thought Zajac might get more than the 24.26 per cent of the vote he attracted four years ago, but she believed her work over the past four years would resonate with voters.
“I am happy to see that the margin for him was less and mine was more this time around,” said Carr.
Provincially, the Saskatchewan Party will form
its fth straight majority government. As of Tuesday morning, the party had 35 of 61 seats in the Saskatchewan legislature. e Saskatchewan New Democratic Party captured the other 26 seats. e Sask. Party majority wasn’t declared o cial until late Monday.
“We always knew it was going to get closer,” said Carr. “We’ve had 17 years of having the opportunity to serve. We were asking for a fth term as government. It’s not the longest-serving across Canada but we’re getting pretty darn close … so we’re asking a big thing.
“We have had some difculties with health care, obviously, that we’re coming through, and we can hopefully see an end to it. And that’s not just specific to Saskatchewan, that’s right across Canada.”
At the start of the night, Carr thought the Saskatchewan Party would win 40 seats.
Several high-pro le Sask. Party cabinet ministers were defeated in Regina and Saskatoon, as the NDP won all 12 ridings in Regina and 12 of 14 in Saskatoon. Carr, who had been the minister of Highways and Infrastructure, said she welcomes the chance to be back at the cabinet table, if Premier-elect Scott Moe would welcome her back into the role.
“I really think having a role in cabinet has helped our voice in this constituency get heard loud and clear, and I de nitely want to have that voice moving forward,” she said.
Carr is looking forward to seeing a signi cant number of new Sask. Party MLAs in the party’s caucus.
“ e year I got elected in 2016, there were 16 of us, so that was quite a number of new MLAs. We’ll have a few more this time, I’m thinking. But I think it’s exciting. I think it’s renewal and I think
we’ll have fresh ideas.” Health care was the biggest concern that she heard from people during the campaign. When she started talking to them about the Health and Human Resources plan, as well as its objectives for the coming years and the strides she says the government is making, she believes people can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Education was a concern for some, she said, and there was a lot of talk about the future of the energy sector.
“We are the Energy City, therefore they want to know what that looks like in the future, so I tell them what the premier’s been saying, that as long as it’s feasible to burn coal, that’s something we want to do, but we still need to plan for the future.” If the province does proceed with small modular reactors, the rst would be built in Estevan.
Phil Zajac says he is disappointed with the results for the Estevan-Big Muddy constituency in the Oct. 28 provincial election.
Zajac, who is the leader of the Bu alo Party of Saskatchewan, was their candidate in Estevan-Big Muddy. He nished third in the riding with 740 votes, behind incumbent Lori Carr of the Saskatchewan Party, who nished with 5,112 votes, and Phil Smith of the New Democratic Party (926 votes).
Zajac said a lot of work went into trying to win the Estevan-Big Muddy rid-
ing this year. He was also the Bu alo candidate for Estevan four years ago, nishing second to Carr with 24.26 per cent of the popular vote.
“It’s four years of work,” said Zajac. “In comparison to one month of work last time [in 2020], so it’s a lot of work. And we got a great team. We have a great group of people that are running, but unfortunately, we didn’t have the result that we wanted.”
“We did a lot of everything. We did town halls, we went to town meetings,” he added later. “I went to all the emergency room closure meetings, went to all doctor retention meetings. We’re the only people that
were there, and it’s a little disappointing.”
He said they did a lot of door-knocking as well and had a good response.
“We had lots of people [at the Bu alo Party’s social Monday night in Estevan]. All through today, probably 80 people came. We got a lot of support in Estevan, just the numbers didn’t reect that well.”
He said they never expected they would nish behind the NDP locally in the election, and he didn’t expect anything from the Saskatchewan United Party.
“It’s kind of surprising,” said Zajac.
As for the results for the 15 other Bu alo Party can-
didates in the province, Zajac said they’re getting votes in all the ridings.
“Again, not the results that we hoped for, but we’re a new party still. We’ve only been around for not quite ve years, so there’s lots of work to do, and Bu alo’s not going anywhere.”
Zajac said the party will carry on with the work that it’s been doing, and he is looking forward to the next election in four years.
Zajac had the most votes of any Bu alo Party candidate in 2020, and also had the most votes for the party this time. He became the party’s leader in March 2022.
Andrew Cey of the Saskatchewan United Party
Harrison re-elected in Cannington
“We will continue to produce power in this community and have good-paying jobs,” said Carr. In her victory speech delivered to a crowd of supporters at the Estevan Elks Club, Carr thanked the members of her campaign team and introduced the committee members. “ is is the team that helped me with all of my door-knocking, and I’m happy to say we were able to door-knock all of Estevan, as well as every rural town in our constituency,” said Carr.
(SUP) was fourth with 449 votes in his rst foray in running for elected o ce.
He said he was glad to give the party a voice in Estevan-Big Muddy.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Cey. “I’m kind of happy, being the rst time out, to do what we did and to have the votes that I did get, I thank those people. I’m looking forward to the future, but I guess there’s some work to do, and if we can help move the needle and bring forward the issues that did get brought forward, it helps the people of the constituency, and that’s what we’re there for,” said Cey.
Cey described it as a good and rewarding expe-
riding
rience, and he met some really good people. It was a challenge, because he lives outside the constituency in Lang, so he had to take some time o from work to get into Estevan-Big Muddy for some campaigning.
“It’s just trying to help out, so I’ll be looking forward to a little bit of rest now that we’re at the end,’ said Cey. He was hoping the SUP would pick up a few seats, and he was disappointed to see them shut out.
Smith of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party and Billy Patterson of the Saskatchewan Green Party could not be reached for comment. Patterson nished fth with 82 votes.
She reminded the audience that due to changes in the provincial boundaries, her riding doubled in size, mostly to the west. Radville was among the communities added. e constituency now extends beyond Highway 6 to the west.
Carr told the crowd she is thankful to live in the Estevan-Big Muddy constituency and have the support of its residents.
“It was a vast area to take in, and all of these people were able to help me,” she said.
To the east of Estevan-Big Muddy, Daryl Harrison of the Saskatchewan Party was elected to a second term as the MLA for Cannington with 6,034
votes of the 8,188 votes cast, or 73.6 per cent of the popular vote. Dianne Twietmeyer of the Saskatchewan NDP was second with 1,058 votes, followed by Michelle Krieger of the Bu alo Party (540), Barbara Helfrick of the Saskatchewan United Party (420) and Natalie Lund-Clysdale of the Green Party (196). Also, former Estevan resident Barret Kropf of the Saskatchewan Party was elected as the new MLA of Dakota-Arm River. For in-depth coverage of the provincial election, please visit our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca.
St. Joseph’s Hospital launches consultation survey
St. Joseph’s Hospital is launching a survey so people can share their thoughts on the needs of the hospital.
e survey will be launched Oct. 30 and the hospital is providing a number of di erent avenues for the community to respond, said St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Candace Kopec. People can share their thoughts through an online Survey Monkey using a QR code. e hospital is also directing people to its website, stjosephsestevan. com, where they can nd the QR code and the link to the survey.
“For those who don’t feel comfortable doing it
online, we do have paper copies available at the City of Estevan [o ce] as well as a number of RM o ces,” said Kopec. For those who are still unable to complete the document but are interested in being part of the process, Kopec recommends they phone the hospital to speak to someone who will help them complete the forms.
“We really want it to be con dential so people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts about the facility, good or bad,” said Kopec. “We don’t want them to think that we’re going to know who is giving those comments. Now there is an opportunity to include
their contact information if they want to be part of a focus group later.”
e hospital has hired a third-party consultant to help it through this process and to aggregate the responses. e summary will be provided to the
hospital’s leadership team and council. Results will be released after the hospital has engaged community members for additional input through working groups.
Kopec isn’t aware of any community surveys by the hospital in the past.
If a quarter of the people in the Estevan area respond to the survey, Kopec said that would be a success. e hospital is also promoting the project among its sta , because Kopec said the employees have family and friends with a “vested interest” in the health care provided.
“I think what we want to nd out is what is important to our community.
Of the services we have, what are we doing well? What do we need improve on? What do I, as the executive director, and the leadership team, as well as the local council, have to advocate on behalf of the community if we do need to make improvements and need support by others to do that?”
e survey touches on a number of di erent programs at the hospital, and there are some open-ended questions so people can provide comments.
Ideally, people who consider St. Joe’s to be their home facility will ll out the survey, because those are the people the hospital serves. Former residents of the Estevan area are also encouraged to participate. Kopec pointed out people come from signi cant distances for services, including the CT scanner, and the hospital’s foundation is fundraising to bring an MRI scanner to the hospital that would meet the needs of the southeast. Kopec said St. Joseph’s Hospital is committed to improvements to o er the best care, and the hospital wants the communities to have a voice in this process.
“ e more people we can get to complete survey, the better understanding we have of the community needs,” said Kopec. e deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 22.
Carnduff man facing 11 charges; appears in court
A Carndu man has been charged with 11 offences after an incident that occurred in southeast Saskatchewan.
According to a news re-
lease from the Saskatchewan RCMP, on Oct. 23 at approximately 10 a.m., the Carndu RCMP received a request for assistance at a rural property northwest
of Glen Ewen.
O cers responded and determined a man had assaulted a woman. O cers attended the rural property and located a man who was wanted on a warrant by Carndu RCMP for breaching court-ordered release conditions. He was arrested at the scene without incident.
After further investigation, the RCMP says ocers located and seized two rearms, ammunition, a pocket knife, approximately two grams of cocaine, and drug tra cking paraphernalia from the rural property.
As a result of a continued investigation, 31-yearold Zachary Hillis from
Carndu is charged with one count each of unauthorized possession of a rearm, unsafe storage of rearms, assault, uttering threats, and possession for the purpose of tra cking (cocaine). He is also charged with two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and four counts of failing to comply with his release conditions.
e charges have not been proven in court. Hillis made an appearance in Estevan Provincial Court on Oct. 28. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to make a video appearance on Nov. 4. e Carndu RCMP continues to investigate. e Mercury and SaskToday will continue to have coverage of this story.
By Ana Bykhovskaia of SaskToday.ca and David Willberg
Bienfait’s Barrett Fleck honoured as Top Junior Umpire in Saskatchewan
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
For Barrett Fleck, umpiring isn’t just a job; it’s a passion that has driven him to excel on the baseball diamond.
e former Bienfait resident, now studying in Regina, was recently recognized as the Junior Umpire of the Year by Baseball Saskatchewan. is prestigious award marks a milestone in his eight-year journey as an umpire, a journey de ned by dedication, perseverance and a love for the game.
Fleck’s journey began in his hometown of Bienfait, where he rst took up the role of umpiring U11 baseball games. What started as a local opportunity quickly developed into a serious commitment.
“I really fell in love with the game of baseball and umpiring as a profession,” Fleck said. “I cared to learn more and become better.”
As he honed his skills, Fleck sought out opportunities to expand his umpiring experience. Six years ago, he approached Estevan Minor Baseball to inquire about umpiring more games. It was here that he met Kevin Culy, a mentor who played a signi cant role in Fleck’s development.
“Kevin took me under his wings and taught me a lot of high-level things about baseball,” Fleck recalled. “ e importance of getting calls right, managing a game and handling high-pressure situations.”
Over the years, Fleck’s commitment to his craft led him to umpire at some of the highest levels of amateur baseball in Saskatche-
wan. He has been a regular gure at 18U AAA league games in Estevan and has also o ciated with the Saskota Baseball League across southeast Saskatchewan.
“I travel to communities all around southeast Saskatchewan umpiring senior baseball,” he explained.
His skills caught the attention of provincial baseball organizations, and last summer, he was selected to o ciate at the Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster.
“I had a very good showing there and was awarded the gold medal plate for the tournament,” Fleck said.
His success continued at the Softball Western Championship, where he was chosen to umpire the gold medal game for both the boys’ division and a winner-winner game for girls’.
e recognition from Baseball Saskatchewan came after a nomination by his friend Wade St. Onge.
“First, he has performed in an outstanding manner. His mechanics, movement and positioning are exceptional and have been evaluated very highly. His judgment has become incredibly accurate, with him routinely making very difcult calls accurately,” St. Onge wrote in his nomination.
“Second, he has contributed in many ways besides simply o ciating on the diamond. He is always willing and happy to sacri ce his desire to o ciate in order to help with the development of younger umpires.”
Re ecting on the moment he received the award,
Fleck said, “It was quite a humbling moment reading that email and learning that my hard work nally paid o . It really hit me when I was on stage, realizing I was selected by very high-level people who have seen some very high-level baseball.”
For Fleck, umpiring goes beyond making calls on the eld; it’s about being part of a sport he loves.
“I don’t really look at umpiring as a job at all. It’s truly a passion of mine,” he said. “Getting the award is de nitely an honour, but umpiring those games is the reason I got the award. I would choose to umpire every day of the 365 days a year if I could. It’s truly a passion, and I love being on the diamond.”
Despite the challenges, Fleck’s passion has kept him committed.
“Sometimes there are games where you have to work a little harder than others, and sometimes there are people you have to cross paths with who make umpiring a bit di cult,” he admitted. “But the sun will rise again, and life goes on ... If every game was easy, I wouldn’t be the umpire I am today.”
roughout his career, mentorship has been a cornerstone of Fleck’s development. He credits Culy and St. Onge as key gures who helped him reach new heights.
“I want to thank all my mentors, especially Kevin and Wade,” he said. “Wade not only helped me grow as an umpire but he also nominated me for this award. I’m very grateful for their guidance.”
Fleck’s journey as an umpire has also led him to pursue educational opportunities that align with his passion for sports. Now living in Regina, he studies at the First Nations University of Canada, focusing on secondary Indigenous education. Additionally, he is working towards a bachelor of kinesiology with a major in sports and recreation management.
“With my kinesiology degree, I’ll be able to work in the sports industry if I choose to someday,” he explained, adding that his studies complement his career aspirations in the world of baseball.
As he looks ahead, Fleck’s next big step is a six-week training program at the Wendelstedt Umpire School in Daytona Beach, Fla., after Christmas. e
program, which is led by MLB umpires, trains aspiring professionals for potential careers in Major League Baseball.
“Attending Wendelstedt Umpire School is the only option for me if I want to someday move up to Major League Baseball,” Fleck said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business.”
e chance to study at Wendelstedt is a testament to Fleck’s dedication, as the program will give him the skills and exposure needed to pursue a professional career in baseball umpiring.
“I was fortunate enough to be accepted into Wendelstedt, and it really is a step in the right direction for where I want my baseball career to take me.”
For Fleck, the recognition from Baseball Saskatchewan and the opportunity to train in Florida are just the beginning.
“Saskatchewan people are crazy about baseball, and it’s a huge summer sport,” he said. “To be honoured as the top umpire in the entire province for the 2024 season is quite an accomplishment, and I’m very happy.”
As he continues his studies and prepares for
his next chapter in Florida, Fleck remains grounded in his love for the game and is grateful for the support he has received along the way.
“I want to thank everyone who has helped me, and honestly, I want to thank the people who have given me a hard time on the diamond and made me work extra hard. Because if every game was easy, I wouldn’t be the umpire I am today,” he said. e award was presented
in mid-October at a ceremony in Regina, where teams, coaches, umpires, and volunteers from across Saskatchewan were recognized for their contributions.
“It was a big event with a large turnout,” Fleck said. “All the provincial champion teams, umpires of the year, coaches, sponsors and volunteers were recognized. It was great to see so many people who are passionate about the sport.”
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There was an appetite for change in Sask.
Just not enough for the NDP
Entering this year’s provincial election, everyone knew the results were going to be a lot closer than those of its predecessors. It was just a matter of how close.
e Saskatchewan Party wasn’t going to garner 60 per cent of the popular vote, and it wasn’t going to nish with 50-ish seats again. e New Democratic Party was going to have its highest number of seats since the 2003 election, when they won 30 and formed government for the last time.
Would the NDP pick up enough seats to regain power and end the Saskatchewan Party’s 17-year reign? As it turns out, no.
e Saskatchewan Party was re-elected to a fth consecutive majority government, tying a record in Saskatchewan set by the NDP from 1944 to 1964. But the Sask. Party is down to 35 seats as opposed to a much higher number we’ve seen in recent years, which will be a disappointing number for the party.
Here in Estevan-Big Muddy, Lori Carr was returned for a third term as our MLA. Not a surprise. is riding has been a Sask. Party stronghold since 1999.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is Phil Zajac, the leader of the Bu alo Party who ran in this riding, didn’t get a larger share of the popular vote. He scooped up 740 votes this time, well below the number of four years ago.
e Bu alo Party and the Saskatchewan United Party were both shut out across the
province, and you have to wonder if concerns about a vote split hindered their support. It might have caused some people to vote Sask. Party.
Or perhaps some of the Sask. Party’s policies helped them take support from the Bu alo Party and the SUP, even if those policies hurt them in Regina and Saskatoon.
You can expect to hear a lot of talk about rural-urban vote splits in the wake of the election. e NDP swept Regina’s 12 ridings and took 12 of 14 Saskatoon seats. Most of the victories weren’t close.
Pundits expected the NDP to win the bulk of the big-city seats; few would have expected 24 of 26 seats. e NDP’s two other seats came in northern Saskatchewan.
e Saskatchewan Party swept Moose Jaw, Prince Albert and the 29 seats in rural and small-city Saskatchewan.
e NDP has to be patient if it hopes to regain its support in rural Saskatchewan. Carla Beck has done a good job of reaching out to the non-city ridings since she became leader in June 2022; it’s going to take years of work before it starts winning in those ridings again. And it might not be able to regain power without rural Saskatchewan.
is isn’t Manitoba. e majority of Saskatchewan’s seats aren’t in one community.
One of the challenges facing the Sask. Party is the lack of representation in Regina. A good cabinet in Saskatchewan will
have male and female ministers from the big cities, small cities and rural areas. But it’s not going to happen with zero MLAs from Regina.
One other discussion needs to emerge from election night: modernizing the ballot-counting process. In Estevan, we’ve had electronic polling for municipal votes since the 2014 civic by-election. It works great. We know the election results within an hour of the polling stations closing. And it makes life easier on election workers who previously had to work past midnight to tabulate the results. e provincial election night this year was frustrating. It took nearly 90 minutes for the initial results to come in from Saskatoon and Regina. Many constituencies in the big cities, as well as other ridings, didn’t come in until nearly 10 p.m. And the rst polls for Yorkton weren’t reported until closer to 10:30 p.m.
Electronic polling stations are expensive. And with 61 constituencies and numerous stations in each riding, it would likely be cost-prohibitive to have all of them in place in time for 2028. But a pilot project for some of these ridings might be worth investigating.
It was an interesting election, the most suspenseful one since 2003. Now that the election is over, the intrigue of the next four years in the Saskatchewan Legislature begins.
The best in the world or best right now?
e World Series has been happening and baseball fans are watching the American and National League champions go head to head in the best of seven to crown a champion.
It has long been thought odd that something called the World Series features teams primarily from one country, with the one exception being the Toronto Blue Jays as the only non-U.S. based team in Major League Baseball.
ere have been many other iterations of championships highlighting truly international competitors, including one which started about 18 years ago, the World Baseball Classic. Organized in partnership with Major League Baseball and held every four years, it attracts professional players from leagues around the world who compete while representing their home countries, and grants the winner the title of world champion.
e tournament is broadcast in more than 13 languages and watched by millions. But despite its popularity, the title of world champion is also used to crown the winner of the Fall Classic, the World Series, a decidedly continental contest.
Author Josh Leventhal said it was all about the marketing that pushed baseball to embrace the international tagline. Emphasizing the global signi cance of the game, Major League Baseball saw it as a way to draw more people to the ballpark.
Professional leagues thrive in other countries but the title chased by the American and National Leagues is the World Series champion, implying the winning roster is the best in the world.
In the spring of my Grade 4 year, I was part of a softball team that was not only a
Shelley Luedtke
That’s My Outlook
lot of fun to play on, we were also pretty good. When the season came to an end we won the right combination of games and were named city champions. City champions! at must have meant we were the best team in the city, right?
We were understandably excited, yet we weren’t the only city champions. We were just one of several, actually. We were the top team in our age group in our division, but many other city champion teams were named that year as well, representing other age groups and separate divisions. Yet the title mattered, didn’t it?
When the results of a survey rating job applicant behavior were released last year, it a rmed a growing pattern. Potential employees are lying at high rates during the job application process. ey lie in cover letters. ey lie in interviews. Fully 70 per cent confessed to faking elements of their resumés with 52 per cent saying they lied about a previous job title to make it sound more impressive. e title mattered that much.
I was watching interview segments with a variety of public gures like a singer, actor, politician and an athlete. Various titles were used to introduce them: ‘everybody’s favourite pop star’, ‘most important actor of our time’, ‘hardest working women’s rights advocate’, and the widely over-used ‘GOAT’. Let’s start with a descriptor “everybody’s favorite’. Not likely. No one is everybody’s
favourite. Titles like ‘most important’ or ‘’hardest working’ can be aptly applied to countless people. And just how many different athletes are going to be labelled the greatest of all time? We act as if attaching one of these elevates the one to whom it is attached.
ank goodness there are all kinds of musicians putting out all kinds of music all the time. You can have your favourite and I can have mine. Same goes for actors, artists, writers and all those who bring their talents and points of view to the public square. All are important.
While we acknowledge on the national stage those doing the work of lobbying, I would suggest the hardest-working advocates are likely at the grassroots level. And as for all those athletes considered the greatest? Well, I have had innumerable enjoyable hours watching many do what they do and I will continue to enjoy it, not debate the skill of one over the other. e best need the others to help them develop to that level.
Major League Baseball is getting ready to bring another season to an end and in doing so will crown a new World Series champion. Will it mean they are truly the best team in the world this year? Does it matter? eir organization and their fans will eagerly embrace it until spring training 2025 when the conversation begins again. e best, favourite or greatest will change from year to year, even day to day for that matter, depending on who is attaching the title. at means instead of just focusing on what it might say on the banner, we get to enjoy the bounty of what came before, and better yet, who’s coming next. at’s my outlook.
Canada Post food drive brings in thousands of lbs.
e 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, organized by Canada Post in partnership with the Salvation Army Estevan, saw a wave of community support on Oct. 26 as residents donated non-perishable food items to stock the local food bank.
e event had Canada Post employees collecting food donations from residents’ doorsteps throughout the morning. ese contributions were then brought to the Salvation Army, where volunteers sorted and organized the items before restocking the food bank’s shelves.
“ is is our 27th annual Stamp Out Hunger with Canada Post,” said Ronza Reynard, director of ministry for the Estevan Salvation Army.
“ e need is very important in our city right now.
ere are some people who nd themselves in di erent situations, and we’re just trying to help them. Sometimes
life happens, and you need that little extra help. So, that’s what we’re trying to do here: it’s just a community supporting community.”
e food drive aims to ensure that the food bank remains stocked with essential items. While monetary donations are accepted, Reynard emphasized that the event primarily focuses on food donations.
“Last year, we came in just over 2,700 pounds. So, we were hoping to hit 3,000. If we do that, we’ll nd that to be quite enough for us, and every little bit helps,” she said.
e Estevan food bank currently supports over 300 people each month. Reynard highlighted that new faces are turning to the food bank every month, re ecting the increasing cost of groceries and the need for support.
“ e groceries we provide are for a three-to- veday range. We aren’t the sole
source of groceries for anyone, but we can help with a few extra supplies,” Reynard said.
Volunteers, including Microtel employees, played a crucial role in the success of the event.
“We have a number of folks from Microtel. ey’ve split up the day. ey [were] here in the morning, and then another group [came] in the afternoon,” Reynard explained.
She added that such partnerships are vital.
“It’s great when we partner with di erent people. We’re always looking for volunteers, especially for big projects.”
Reynard also noted that the community’s understanding of the importance of donating fresh, unexpired food has signi cantly improved over the years.
“We want the people who come to us to have some sense of dignity. We don’t want anything going in the food bank
Warm Welcome Kitchen busy to open its season
People in the Estevan area continue to turn to the Warm Welcome Kitchen to meet their needs, not only for a hot meal but for socializing.
e kitchen serves meals at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at St. Giles Anglican Church and ursdays at Trinity Lutheran Church, following the same schedule as last year.
“We’re seeing an average of about 50 people at each meal,” said kitchen board president Wendy Godfrey.
Attendance is similar to last year, she said, which isn’t a surprise with the state of the economy and current food prices. Warm Welcome has always had some young families in attendance, but Godfrey noted they are seeing more, so the kitchen volunteers want to make the gatherings more kid-friendly.
e suppers also provide a sense of community for those who are lonely or don’t know a lot of people.
“We’ve seen newcomers to the community, and it’s a great way to learn about the
community and meet new people. When you’re new to a community, you may not know anybody, so this is a way to nd some friends,” said Godfrey.
Chicken and spaghetti are among the main dishes that have been served, she said, and it’s always a full meal with a side dish and a vegetable. e kitchen program is part of the Food Rescue Program through Sobeys, so if Sobeys donates hamburger, it might mean spaghetti or another pasta dish is served.
“We rely a lot on donations, and our cook [kitchen co-ordinator Donna McGillicky] is wonderful. She’ll look and see what is donated, and she can create a really good meal out of that. She’s very creative,” said Godfrey.
e Warm Welcome Kitchen needs three or four volunteers each night. Godfrey noted McGillicky does most of the preparation work on her own, but assistance is needed with setup, service and cleanup.
“We’ve been fortunate,” said Godfrey. “We’ve had service groups ask if they can help, and they’ll send three or four people to help with a meal. Groups are always welcome, but individuals, we’ll always take the help that we get.”
Donations are also always accepted, too. Being part of Food Rescue helps with their meal expenses, and people have stepped forward with produce grown in their garden. Financial donations help the kitchen to purchase items they don’t have for the meal.
e kitchen is looking forward to its annual Grocery Dash fundraiser. e winner will get a two-minute shopping spree at Sobeys to purchase up to $1,000 in free groceries. Gift cards will be presented for second and third place prizes.
e draw date will be Nov. 5 at St. Giles before supper is served. Tickets are $10 each and will be available until the draw date.
that’s expired,” she said. e event concluded successfully, with hopes of reaching their target of 3,000 pounds of donations. ( enal amount of food collected wasn’t immediately available).
e Estevan Salvation Army continues to accept donations throughout the year, and Reynard encourages anyone who missed the event to still consider supporting the food bank.
“People can de nitely drop o monetary donations or food items. If someone didn’t
get picked up because they were late, we’ll still take it.”
e Salvation Army is also encouraging community members to partake in the Creative Food Drive in November.
“During the month of November, all businesses choosing to enter can gather donations at your place of business and make a creative display to be captured by photo,” the Salvation Army said.
Photos are to be sent by Nov. 29 to lynn.rosso@salvationarmy.ca. Points will be
awarded based on the quality of the items and the creativity of the presentation. e 2024 business food champion is to be chosen on Dec. 11. Suggested donation items are pasta sauce, spaghetti, macaroni, peanut butter, oatmeal, cereals, rice, and canned items like beans, veggies, tomatoes, ham, turkey, chicken and tuna. Last year Siever, Fonstad and Erdman won the friendly competition with a Moustaches for Movember-themed display.
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e Southern Plains Co-op had local families excited and spooked last Friday with its annual Trail of Terror at Woodlawn Regional Park.
e free community event attracted roughly 3,500 participants, who enjoyed a range of Halloween thrills from less scary trails to a high-intensity haunted adventure, making it the favourite highlight of the fall season for many.
e event kicked o at 4 p.m. with a sensory-friendly version in partnership with Limitless, ensuring that all members of the community could take part.
“We make an e ort to ensure that it is inclusive of all di erent types of people,” said Brooke Spagrud, Southern Plains Co-op’s marketing and community relations manager. “It’s called the Trail of Terror, but really, it’s only scary for the last two hours,” she added, describing the evening’s three-tiered format
that catered to all ages.
As dusk fell, more families arrived, eager to experience a mild scare before the “scare and fright” trail opened at 7 p.m., where Spagrud herself joined the team of scarers, noting the overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. A carefully crafted trail and Halloween-themed stations greeted participants along the way, including new additions to keep things fresh.
“We try to add on and do new things every year, and we try to reuse the old decorations we’ve had as much as possible, but also try to maybe set them up di erently so that everything feels new and fresh,” Spagrud said. “We added the two tents this year, and we built a lot of displays out of pallets this year, too.”
e event’s success relied heavily on the dedication of the co-op’s sta , family members and friends, and local partners, who kept things running smoothly. Spagrud estimated they had about 50-60 volunteers ensuring everything was ready for guests in time and the event was running smoothly throughout the evening.
e Estevan Fire Rescue Service manned the parking area, the Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears
helped with games for the kids and several local businesses provided necessary supplies, while the co-op family fed and spooked the crowd, doing the planning, setup and execution of the Trail of Terror.
Despite some minor challenges, the event concluded without any significant incidents, wrapping up on schedule by 8:30 p.m.
Re ecting on the e ort and community support involved, Spagrud expressed gratitude for everyone’s role in making the event memorable.
“I’m super happy about how the event went. It never ceases to amaze me how our team comes together to
pull o an event like this. We do most of this all in one day … It’s a very busy day. We have great people and great teams,” Spagrud said.
“ ank all of our sta and their friends and family who help and put this event on with us. anks to the community for coming out and being patient with the longer lineups, although I do feel like the lineups were moving fairly smoothly. And also, thank you to other supporting businesses and organizations that help us.
“You can’t do something like this without a great group of people and a lot of hard work.”
Festival of Trees will offer lots to the community
e St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation is once again looking forward to celebrating Christmas and the community during its biggest fundraiser of the year – the Festival of Trees, slated for Nov. 16 and 17.
Several events are once again slated for the weekend, starting with the Estevan Kinette Club’s Christmas Marketplace at the Wylie-Mitchell Building and the Estevan Exhibition building at 10 a.m. Foundation executive director Lori Gervais said there will be lots of vendors coming to help people with their Christmas shopping needs and other purchases.
“ e Kinettes are a super-important part of our fundraiser every year,” said Gervais.
at night will be the 12th annual gala supper. It will start with the Jingle and Mingle Happy Hour, which Gervais said has been a popular addition, and then supper by EB’s Catering will be served.
“It’s something that has become a beloved event, a sta-
A number of urban municipalities in southeast Saskatchewan will need to have elections on Nov. 13.
Lampman and Oxbow will have the largest elds for residents. Lampman has two candidates for mayor, Scott Greening and Jay (John) Jones, and 13 for councillor: Jadon Carndu , Randy Fleck, Tanner Frycz, Steven Massel, Mark Morrissette, Twyla Quantrill, R.J. (Roy) Raynard, Daryl Runge, Ryan Saxon, Dena Scott, Ian Stewart, Kelly Storlie and Garrett Woodley.
Meanwhile, Doug Pierce was acclaimed as mayor in Oxbow, but there are 17 candidates for councillor: Derek Adams, Philip Amosah, Amy Backstrom, Mark Barnes, James Fonstad, Kim Friesen, John Hut oetz, Brad Mayer, Derrick Menzies, Starr Mercer, Sylvia Mohrbutter, Alison Nicholls, Donna Nyeste, Rodrigo Rabanal, Calvin Rosenthal, Ken Swanson and Orlando Vistal.
Six councillors will be elected in each community.
ere will be elections for mayor and councillor in the villages of Carievale, Kisbey and Macoun as well. George
ple event, a traditional Christmas party for lots of businesses,” said Gervais. “It’s changed over the years. We pick out the good parts and try to keep things going that work well, but also give it a bit of a pizzazz every year.”
is year the theme is Red Carpet, so Gervais said it will be a fancy evening. People are encouraged to play BlackTie Bingo for the chance to win prizes. A similar event has been successfully tried at fundraisers elsewhere in Saskatchewan, she said.
“Bingo is something I think is pretty universal, everybody has had some experience with it and it’s not going to take a lot of explaining for people to understand how to play,” said Gervais. ere will also be a silent auction with items donated by businesses, organizations and people in the community, a live auction and music courtesy of Teagan Littlechief of the White Bear First Nations. Littlechief is no stranger to the community, as she has performed at a number of events.
Kerr and Gregory Martin are up for the mayor seat in Carievale, and Gary Annetts, Shawn Gallant, Ken Grobbink, Kassandra McNamara and Scherise ompson are vying for the four councillor spots.
In Kisbey, Elisa Jackson and Kevin St. John are the candidates for mayor. John Dayman, Randy Graham, Kalvin Nankivell, Brody Singleton and Sheldon Wyatt are the hopefuls for the four councillor seats.
In Macoun, Suzanne Kuchinka and Frank Schaefer are the mayoral candidates, while Kelly Foord, Juergen Hauck, David Schindel, Judith Sovdi and Vanessa Taylor are going for the four councillor seats.
ere will be a runo vote in Carlyle to determine who will ll the last councillor seat. Five people – John Brownlee, Hugh Hislop, Lauren Hume, Kelly Lutz and Gord Paulley – led for councillor before the initial deadline on Oct. 9 and were acclaimed. A second call for nominations was issued, and Mary Mo at and Tracy Van Dresar led nomination papers prior to Oct. 23. e person who receives more
She also sings O Canada prior to the start of Saskatchewan Roughriders’ home games, has won several awards from the Saskatchewan Country Music Association and even won the rst Estevan Idol contest in 2003.
“It’s going to be fantastic, and it’s something anytime I’m out in the community and people are asking me about the gala, as soon as I say Teagan’s name, people are thrilled. Lots of people are excited to see her perform, but so many
votes between Mo at and Van Dresar will occupy thenal councillor spot. Jen Sedor has been acclaimed to another term as Carlyle’s mayor. ere will also be a runo vote in Gainsborough. Cathy Murray, Michael Riddell and Randy Reynolds submitted their nomination papers before the initial deadline Oct. 9 and were acclaimed. Kevin Stanley, Nicole Jedel, omas Rawn and Teresa oring led their forms during the second call for nominations period, and will challenge for the last councillor seat. Victor Huish has been acclaimed as mayor.
In Bienfait, David Johnson, Deidra Maurer, Dennis Gonas, Paul Carroll, Melissa Rensby, Daniyale Lalonde and Bill Mann are vying for six councillor seats. Ken Bonokoski has been acclaimed as mayor for the next term.
In Midale, Melissa Brady, Mona Ganje, Armond Hauglum, Clinton Lund, Gregg Prawdzik, Sylvia Teichgraber, Ryan ompson and Willy Wieler are the eight candidates battling for six councillor seats. Allan Hauglum has been acclaimed as the town’s mayor.
people who have seen her perform are thrilled and say she’s the best of the best, so we’re really excited about it. And I did hear through her manager that she’s working on some Christmas music,” said Gervais. A few tables are still available by calling 306-637-2474 or by emailing info@sjhf.org. e number of tables has increased from 65 last year to 75 in 2024.
e second day of the festival features the Hometown
ree people – Bill Campbell, Joan Selk and Corey Mack – are running for two councillor seats in Roche Percee. Jay Reidel has been acclaimed as mayor. ere will be a mayoral election in Stoughton between Stefan Clark and Tyson Slater. As for councillor, Kim Butler, Anthony Campbell, Shirley Coderre, Brad Gervais, Chris Gri n and Cory Ohrling were acclaimed.
Several communities had their councils decided by acclamation:
Alameda: Michelle Krieger was acclaimed as mayor, and Braden Batt, Matthew Faber, Angela Millar, Kirsten Tanghe and Christine Tanghe will be the councillors. ere is a vacant seat on council; a call for nominations will occur at a later date.
Arcola: Scott Tessier (mayor), and Elaine Hislop, Mike Boulet, Sheila Sim, Geordan Workman, Jennifer Wotta and Mike Waelchli (councillor).
Carndu : Ross Apperley (mayor), and Kelly Exner, Shawn Larson, Linda Powell, Joel Purves, Randy Swayze and Gregory Wall (councillor).
Fourth Street intersections slated to open
e City of Estevan has provided an update on the downtown revitalization project in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street.
In a letter posted to the city’s website on Oct. 21, Jesse Gerhardt with ASL Paving wrote the intersection of Fourth Street and 11th Avenue is now open, while the intersections at 12th and 13th Avenue remain closed, with plans to reopen them in the second week of November.
“ e intersection at 13th Avenue is expected to be available on a base surface, pending direction from SaskEnergy on a gas line,” wrote Gerhardt.
e granular road structure for the 1200 block is nearing completion, paving the way for the remaining curbs and asphalt installation. Concrete curbs will be installed by the end of October.
“Asphalt installation is set to begin this week, completing the 1100 block and continuing into the 1200 block,” Gerhardt wrote. e second and nal lift of
Family Fun Day, presented by the Estevan Mercury. is year’s lineup includes Santa’s Workshop at A nity Place, starting at 10 a.m., with Christmas crafts and activities, Santa’s Sleigh of gifts, Santa’s library, family photos and a sel e station.
Other highlights will include a play zone with bouncy castles at the Estevan Leisure Centre’s multipurpose room at 10 a.m., the inaugural North Pole playtime with crafts, stations and sensory activities at the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre, also at 10 a.m., a visit from Santa Claus at the Estevan Market Mall at noon, a family swim at the Access Communications Aquatic Centre at 1 p.m., and the chalet, with free milk and cookies for children, at McDonalds.
“ is is something that we’ve built o of for many years, and it gives people … a day of activities, all free by donation,” said Gervais.
Proceeds from the Festival of Trees will be directed to the fundraising campaign to bring
Redvers: Brad Bulbuck (mayor), and Dawn Eilers, Owen Gavelin, Donna Gilbertson, Jeremy Kampp and Ken omas (councillors). An additional call for nominations will be issued at a later date to ll a vacant councillor seat.
Kenosee Lake: Edward Plumb (mayor), and Ralph Gilliss, Mark Weatherald, Ray Boutin and Braden Liboiron (councillors).
Manor: Lucille Dunn (mayor), and Gerald King, Darcy McCrimmon and Alana Wilson (councillor). ere is a vacant seat to be lled at a later date.
North Portal: Amy Armstrong (mayor), and Amy Belitski, Callie Fair and Chase Buchanan (councillor).
Forget: Melissa Gowan (mayor) and Tracy Beaulieu
in November
asphalt is planned for 2025. Replacement of sanitary sewer mains and services, as well as storm sewers, has been completed. Temporary water services for the 1100-block of Fourth Street are being removed. Curbing will be installed up to the 13th Avenue and Fourth Street intersection at the end of October. Installation of paving stones and Stratacell is ongoing on the 1100 block.
“ e intent is to nish the 1100 block and continue through the 12th Avenue intersection if weather permits,” Gerhardt said.
e removal of existing light poles along the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Fourth Street has been completed, along with trenching through intersections where the subgrade has been installed. Light pole bases have been positioned for the 1100 block, with conduit installed to the Stratacell limits. Sidewalks remain accessible, Gerhardt said, except at locations where Stratacell installation is taking place.
“ is installation will occur on the 1100-block before the seasonal shutdown. Appropriate fencing has been implemented, and detours have
been established to guide both pedestrians and vehicular trafc.” Back alleys are functioning as two-way streets.
an MRI scanner to the hospital. Gervais believes everyone in the community wants to participate in any way possible, and they all have a “very close to home” story of why it’s important to them.
“It’s not a hard sell. Everybody in our community absolutely agrees that it’s an important project, and we’ve had some great success with fundraising, so I feel like this is another way that people can celebrate the foundation and also help an important cause, and celebrate a kick-o to Christmas,” she said. e campaign has generated more than $4.2 million, including the $2 million donation from Elaine Walkom in memory of her late husband Grant that kicked o the campaign. e goal is $6.5 million.
“People are reaching out quite often, asking how they can donate, and coming up with great fundraising ideas … so we are very open to any kind of people that want to participate with us,” said Gervais.
(councillor). A further call for nominations will happen at a later date to ll the vacant seat.
Frobisher: Kyla MacCuish (mayor), and Cole MacCuish and Harley Scovoranski (councillor).
Glen Ewen: Glen Lewis (mayor), and Blair Hanna and Robert Chuba (councillor). Alameda, Arcola, Carndu and Redvers each have up to six councillors; Kenosee Lake, Manor, Storthoaks and Torquay have four; North Portal has three; and Forget, Frobisher and Glen Ewen will have two. e candidates in the village of Alida were not available. e next edition of the Mercury will have a look at elections in the rural municipalities.
Lego builders bring colourful creations to Estevan
By Ana Bykhovskaia
e Estevan Leisure
Centre’s 60 and Over Club room was a busy place on Saturday as Lego enthusiasts from across Saskatchewan gathered for the annual Brickery event, hosted by the Saskatchewan Lego Users Group (SLUG).
andthewinnerwastobe awardedthistrophy.
Co-organized by Christopher Ursu and his wife Jillian, the showcase featured a variety of intricate Lego creations, drawing builders and fans alike.
“We have a collection of Lego creations by builders from all over Saskatchewan. Mostly southern Saskatchewan, but they come in from di erent places,” said Christopher Ursu. “My wife Jillian and I are from here, and we wanted to organize a show closer to home. We often go o to shows in places like Saskatoon, so it’s nice to have one down here.”
e event showcased a wide range of themes, from space and pop culture to medieval castles. is year’s exhibition also included several motorized models, which added an extra element of motion and interaction.
“Lego has had for many years, decades, their power
functions in di erent capacities,” said Ursu. “Some of the builders in the group have been experimenting more, adding motorized sections. It kind of grabs the attention of the audience.”
One of the highlights of Brickery was the “I Heart [blank]” challenge, where builders designed models inspired by a personal passion, incorporating heart elements.
“We decided our challenge would be ‘I Heart ___,’ and then we’d ll in the blank. So we’ve got everything from ‘I Heart Love’ to a literal beating heart,” Ursu explained.
Attendees were invited to vote for their favourite creations, with the winning design receiving a trophy adorned with heart-shaped pieces.
e annual showcase is a popular event, attracting Lego fans of all ages. According to Ursu, the event’s regular attendance seats at
byEstevan’sChristopherandJillianUrsu.
about 400 people, and their busiest year saw about 700 attendees. He noted that they seemed to be on par with their average interest this year.
e event also serves as a social hub for the SLUG community, which has been growing steadily.
“We’re about 50 members, hovering around that,” said Ursu. “We’ve had people who come in and build with us for a season, and then they kind of disappear, or we’ve had people who’ve been here from the beginning. Myself and a few others have been part of SLUG for 15 years.”
SLUG’s community is diverse, attracting members from across the province and even beyond.
“Our membership is made up of people from Saskatchewan, and we also have members from Alberta, Manitoba and even British Columbia,” Ursu said. “ e builders that come to this show are usually from Saskatchewan,
but we get people from all over.”
In addition to organizing the Brickery, SLUG members recently completed lming the second season of the Lego show with Access Communications.
“Shows like this inspire people and share our interest. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can have fun with building Lego,” said Ursu.
e show, which features teams building creative models under time constraints, highlights the fun and skill involved in Lego building.
“We have a panel of judges, and teams are given a set. ey have to build something within half an hour, and then we make our judgments based on who captured the theme the best,” Ursu explained. “It’s a bit more tricky when you only have access to the pieces in the box.”
For those who missed this weekend’s event, SLUG has more shows
planned, including the Brick Stories exhibition in White City this December and a major showcase at the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum next summer.
SLUG’s inclusive nature has helped it grow steadily, welcoming newcomers with various levels of experience.
“Anyone over 18 who has an interest in the hobby can join,” Ursu said. “We’ve had people who like collecting sets, and others who want to give building a try. Even if you start o small, you can build your collection over time.” e group shares resources and tips, fostering a sense of community among its members. Ursu noted that members help each other, whether by lending pieces or o ering advice on how to build collections or anything else.
“Our main focus has always been trying to encourage people to build their own things,” Ursu said.
e Estevan Mercury was among the participants of Saturday’s Trick or Treat on 13th, which involved businesses and organizations on and around 13th Avenue in Estevan.
e Mercury and other businesses were decorated for Halloween and handed candy to local families. A total of 138 kids showed up at the Mercury’s building. Haley Igham from Recharge Massage Studio organized the event. is marked the rst time the businesses around 13th Avenue have hosted
a Halloween event, and there is talk of making it even bigger next year.
Other participants were Pharmasave, Athlete World, Dairy Queen, Soak & Style, the Days Inn, Fired Up Grill and the Estevan Fire Rescue Service. Families had to visit
every location and receive a stamp to enter the draw for the prize basket.
Also, the Mercury will be open on Halloween until about 7 p.m. to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. In conjunction with the Mercury’s colouring contest, young readers are asked to drop o their colouring pages and pick up candy or treats. All entries will be eligible to win a prize basket with candy. Winners will be contacted on Nov. 1.
A legacy of inspiration through the Creative Tables
By Stephanie Zoer
After 15 years of dedicated service and creativity, Darlene Olsen is concluding her journey as the driving force behind Creative Tables, an event that has brought people together and raised awareness for cancer patients.
On Oct. 17, at the Arcola Prairie Place Complex in Arcola, around 300 people gathered to enjoy the event, which is to go down in history as the last one Olsen will host.
As in other years, tables were purchased and the hostess of the table created a theme. e imagination at some of the tables was very elaborate. Guests come to match the tables, and there is usually a small gift from the hostess for the guests to take home in memory of the night.
Olsen welcomed everyone to the evening and thanked everyone for supporting this important cause. She applauded all of
the hostesses over the years for bringing out their creative side with the unique designs of the tables.
“ is would not happen without you,” said Olsen. “You have made the Creative Tables such a success with your support over the years.”
She remembers the fourth year that she held the event. e day before she went to get her liquor licence, she was told it was lled out wrong and she was not getting one. She explained to the liquor store that she had lled it out the same way the rst three years, and was informed that those years were wrong as well.
With no liquor licence, the show had to go on, as the hall was booked and tickets were sold, so they made all the fancy drinks they could think of without the alcohol. e night went over very well.
DarleneOlsen
wanted to do something. She, along with a few others, raised over $40,000 to shave their heads. It was one of the best fundraisers they had.
Nora Yeates, the CEO of the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan (CFS), said the program began in 2018.
In ve years, $20 million has been raised, with every cent staying in Saskatchewan.
ey have helped purchase a rural bus, and now another one is in the works.
sung in a while, but her voice carried throughout the hall.
Supper was prepared by Steve and Allison’s Catering from Lampman, with the dinner rolls donated by Arcola Foods.
On the north and west side of the hall were the silent auction items. Guests eagerly bid as they knew it was all for a good cause. Nicole Currie came to the podium and spoke about Olsen, her compas-
sion and how fabulous Olsen is.
“She is the most caring person I know,” said Currie. “ ere is not a person she does not know, and she has touched many lives.”
When COVID-19 hit, there wasn’t a Creative Tables event, and Olsen
New chemotherapy chairs were purchased for the Allan Blair Cancer Centre, along with screens for the nurses to keep tabs on their patients. e other side has a TV for patients to watch. ey are also looking into upgrades for the cancer lodge in Regina. e mammogram program has been dropped to the age of 40, so more women will be needing the rural bus.
Deborah Brimner-Chalus provided entertainment. She admitted she had not
As Olsen steps away from Creative Tables, her legacy of kindness, creativity, and advocacy will endure. While this may be the nal year for Creative Tables under her leadership, the event’s in uence will continue to inspire others. Olsen has been with Mary Kay Inc. for 46 years, and the company is heavily involved in the Feel Good Look Good program for cancer patients. ey offer women who have gone through cancer treatments the opportunity to try new skin care and makeup products, giving them the feeling of being beautiful. Many women go in with self esteem issues and they leave this program feeling like a million dollars. Her work with the Look Good Feel Good program will continue, as will her passion for supporting cancer patients in meaningful ways.
Hill View Manor Licensed Personal Care Home
larger
remain together in thecomfor table surroundings of our home. Our dedicated team of healthcare professionals and aides arekind and cour teous. We offer all levelsof care so all residents can “Age in Place” and we arecommitted to making each resident feel rightathome.
e Estevan Leisure Centre was buzzing with excitement on Oct. 26, as hundreds of local families gathered for Spooktacular Treats for All, a Halloween-themed event organized by the City of Estevan. With the support of 13 participating businesses and organizations, the event aimed to o er an accessible and inclusive Halloween experience for children of all ages.
According to Jacquelyn Massey-Rounds, marketing and communications manager for the City of Estevan, this year’s event saw a noticeable increase in participation.
“We have more [people] this year. We’re up to 13 this year participating in terms of vendors, businesses and community organizations, which is up from our eight last year,” she said.
e city made adjust-
ments to accommodate the growing interest, reorganizing the space to t more participants, with hopes of expanding further next year.
e event provided a safe environment for trick-or-treating, catering to children who may face challenges during traditional door-to-door Halloween activities.
“Not every child has the ability to safely trickor-treat during Halloween. We wanted to be able to roll out an event that was accessible for all,” said Massey-Rounds.
She emphasized the importance of inclusivity, noting that the setup was designed without obstacles like stairs, and it avoided sensory triggers such as strobe lights and loud music, making it friendly for children with various needs.
e community’s response was overwhelmingly positive.
“With over 300 chil-
dren through our doors, this year’s second Spooktacular Treats for All was a success,” the city said in a post after the event.
e Spooktacular Treats for All event was part of a larger e ort by the city to create engaging,
family-friendly activities during the fall. Alongside this event, other activities at the Estevan Leisure Centre that day included an Access Communications’ free swim, the library’s book sale, a hockey tournament, and more,
o ering something for everyone. Re ecting on the event’s success, she added, “Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger. We’re happy to provide something for trick-or-treaters with mobility issues or just
a fear of trick-or-treating as well.”
Last year, over 200 children participated, and this year’s turnout indicates the event’s growing popularity within the community.
Next on the city’s Halloween o ering list is the Eerie A nity: A Night of Fright haunted house slated for Oct. 31 at A nity Place. 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.
“We wanted to give something to the teen range that don’t really know what to do if they’re past the age where they don’t want to trick-ortreat, but they still want to do something for Halloween. Our Eerie A nity gives them something to be able to come to and still enjoy Halloween and be in the spirit,” MasseyRounds said.
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
Run the Course brings runners together for a fun family event to support Fresh Air Fitness
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
Runners of all ages gathered at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course on Oct. 26 to participate in Run the Course, a nontimed run organized by Fresh Air Fitness, a free outdoor gym in Woodlawn Regional Park. e event, which attracted about 60 runners, was free to participate in. People could donate towards the facility for ongoing maintenance and future development needs.
Fresh Air Fitness is operated by Peggy Rohatyn and Debbie Knight, who have been instrumental in providing the Estevan community with a space to exercise outdoors without the burden of membership fees. e gym, located in the free part of the
park, features a variety of tness equipment designed for users of all tness levels.
Run the Course was a family-friendly event, encouraging participants of all ages and tness abilities to participate. With a focus on community spirit rather than competition, the event was non-timed, allowing runners and walkers to enjoy the scenic route at their own pace. Organizers arranged for multiple distances, ensuring that everyone could nd a suitable challenge.
Rohatyn expressed gratitude to participants, volunteers and local businesses who supported the event, especially to Ward Tuttle, who’s been the event sponsor since its inception, and the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course.
Estevan hosts first Early Childhood Summit
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
Southeast College’s Estevan campus was abuzz on Oct. 19 as it hosted the rst-ever Early Childhood Summit, organized by the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre (EEYFRC).
e event aimed to bring together educators, day-home operators, daycare educators, caregivers and parents to learn and share insights and resources for early childhood development.
Misty Pennington, director of programs and community engagement at the EEYFRC, said the rst summit was a success.
“We hosted our Early Childhood Summit, and we had it open to caregivers, home operators, as well as educators from our daycares. I would think probably 60 per cent of our attendees were educators from local daycares,” said Pennington. “We had attendees not just from Estevan, but also from surrounding areas like Bi-
e event featured three speakers: Melanie Young with South East Cornerstone Public School Division and the EEYFRC, Brooke Zulak from Sara East Speech and Language Services, and Trina Battersby from Prairie Pathway Services. Each
provided a 35-minute talk on topics relevant to early childhood care and education, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Pennington noted they had about 45 attendees, which was higher than initially anticipated.
“We were really happy with the turnout. Initially, we thought it would be
Firefighters deal with grass fire, alarms
e Estevan Fire Rescue Service dealt with alarms and a minor re, and also partook in Halloween community events. Crews were dispatched for a small grass re south of the city on Oct. 24 at about 3 p.m. ey were quickly informed that while the small grass re had taken place, it was believed to be extinguished. e EFRS duty o cer responded and con rmed the re was out and that their assistance was no longer required.
Earlier last week, a com-
mercial re alarm went o in northwest Estevan just before midnight on Oct. 22. Fire crews investigated and determined that no emergency was occurring, and the alarm is believed to be caused by an issue with the alarm system within the building.
“Because of this system issue, crews actually had to respond multiple times throughout the night to that same location,” noted Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies.
e EFRS was dis-
like 20 people hosted at our own space, so the fact that it was 45 was phenomenal.” e summit provided a unique opportunity
for local daycares to access professional development without the need for long-distance travel.
“We had great feedback from all the local daycares because for this kind of PD [professional development], they have to travel quite far,” said Pennington. “ ey were able to send more than one employee to it, to enjoy and spark that passion again in their careers.”
As a follow-up to the event, Pennington expressed interest in organizing similar gatherings in the future.
“Any gaps that we identify, or any help that people need, we want to try and ll those gaps,” she said. “We would love to bring in other speakers on various topics to try to educate our community members, especially being able to do it for free.
“One of our pillars in the family centre is specifically day home support, so we’ve been trying to gure out di erent ways to o er support to our day homes within Estevan. We tried doing a support group and then we tried doing a busy pack with some di erent activity ideas and some di erent supplies in there,” Pennington added. “But we really [wanted to] get all these people in one room to share all this information and connect, so we’re so happy that it was well received.”
Pennington invited those interested in future events or for potential speakers to reach out to the EEYFRC.
She also reminded the community of the centre’s ongoing initiatives, including the availability of free formula and diapers on-site for those who need it.
patched to another commercial re alarm in the northeast area in the evening of Oct. 23. Fire ghters investigated and determined that the alarm was due to a cooking-related issue, so the crews on scene assisted with ventilating the smoke and resetting the re alarm system.
e re department also helped the Southern Plains Co-op during their Trail of Terror event on Friday and partook in a Halloween Scavenger Hunt on Saturday.
PUBLIC NOTICEishereby giventhatprovision hasbeen made for advance polls forelectorswho:
•are physically disabled;
•havebeen appointed as electionofficials;or anticipatebeing unable to voteonthe dayofelection.
Votingwill take place at on:
Advanced Polls
City Hall 1102 4thStreet, Estevan, SK
TuesdayOctober29, 2024 between thehoursof4:30pmand 7:00 pm
WednesdayOctober30, 2024 between thehoursof4:30pmand 7:00 pm
Estevan Fire Hall Drive-Thru 801 -13thAvenue, Estevan,SK
Saturday November 2, 2024 between thehoursof11:00 am and1:30pm
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
CE NTRE SCHEDULE
NOTICE OF ABANDONMENTOFPOLL [Section82ofthe Act]
Whereas apollisnot requiredpursuantto TheLocal Government Election Act,2015 forthe office of:
BoardMember: SoutheastCornerstone Public School Division No.209 KEATING, Kevin MACDONALD, Craig DatedatEstevan,this11th dayofOctober, 2024.
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
AppendixC
FORM DD
[Subsection148(1) of theAct]
Ballotfor Vote on Resolution Plebiscite
Note: Mark your ballot fororagainst thebylaw or resolutionbyplacing an“X” in thecircletothe right of thewords that expressyour intention. Do not write anywordorother figureonthisballot.
Voteonthe Resolution as stated:
Wouldyou supportthe constructionofa thirdindoor icefacility in the City of Estevan
No
Yes
In theCity of Estevan
Datedthis 10 dayof September ,2024
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
LOCALGOVERNMENTELECTION
[Section81ofthe Act]
Notice of Poll
PUBLIC NOTICEisherebygiven that:
1A pollhas been grantedinthe City of Estevanfor theelectionof: Mayor Councillor
SoutheastCornerstone School Division No.209 /Acclaimed Holy Family Separate SchoolDivisionNo140 /Acclaimed
2Votingwill take place on Wednesday the13thday of November,2024, at thepollingplaces listed below.
3I will declarethe result of theelectionatCity Hall, 1102 4thStreet,Estevan on the14thday of November,2024.
Address
PollingAreaPollingPlace
#1Church of God(9:00 am -8:00 pm)1920 Wellock Road
#2 Estevan Fire Hall Drive-Thru (9:00 am -7:00 pm)801 -13th Avenue
#3Suds Zone Drive- Thru (9:30 am -6:30 pm)238 4th Street
DatedatEstevan this 10thday of October, 2024.
Judy Pilloud ReturningOfficer
LEISURE
CLASSIFIEDS
Verna Morsky
With sadness in our hear ts, we announce the death of Ver na Morsk y on October 12 2024 Cher ishing her memor y are her loving family: her sister Adeline Wazny; her children Rand (Marsha) Morsk y Dar lene Fletcher (Ted Kuntz), and Pam (Greg) Dechief; her grandchildren Greg Morsk y Drew Morsk y, Ellen Morsk y; Natalie (Josh) Cahill Grant (Chr istina) Fletcher, Nicole Fletcher ; Adr ienne Dechief (James Linde) Derek Dechief, Amber (Cahill) Carew and Aver y Dechief; and her great-grandchildren TJ Cahill, Maisie Fletcher, Thea Fletcher, Ar ia Mullin, Piper Mullin, and Nixon Fletcher Ver na was predeceased by her devoted husband Nick in 2019
They were bor n in Br ightstone, MB and moved to Estevan at the tender ages of 21 and 24 They lived a full life wor king together at many successful businesses in Estevan volunteer ing in the communit y, and raising their family They for med many life-long fr iendships They were proud wor ld travelers who conquered the 7 continents, but their hear ts were always at home with their family We celebrated the joy love and the remar kable life she shared with all of us at 11:00 a m on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Hall Funeral Ser vices Estevan A luncheon followed in the Taylor ton Room at the Days Inn Estevan A pr ivate family inter ment took place at the Estevan Cit y Cemeter y Those wishing to pay tr ibute to Ver na via a donation in her memor y may do so directly to the St Joseph s Hospital Foundation (designate to Palliative Care) 1176 Nicholson Road Estevan SK S4A 0H3 Hall Funeral Ser vices in Estevan provided care for Ver na and her family – Dustin Hall Funeral Director
Michael Bartolf
Mr Michael Bar tolf of Oxbow SK passed away at St Joseph s Hospital, Estevan, SK, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at the age of 95 He was predeceased by his wife Ruth (Sauskojus); parents Johann & Mar ia (Hedr ich); sister, Mar y (Fred) Henger ; four brothers, John, Henr y (Linda Tetzlaff), Adam (Evelyn Thompson) and Freder ick (Nina Johnson); sister-in-law Anna (Dwane) McIlroy; t wo brothers-in-law, Walter (Eleanor) Sauskojus and Gerhardt (Gerane) Sauskojus; nephew, Bill Bar tolf; and niece Susan Kroll Michael is sur vived by his son David; brother-in-law Kar l (Beck y) Sauskojus; nephew Nick Henger and nieces Linda Muchanski and Bett y Henger (children of Mar y); nephews, Dennis (Wendy) Bar tolf and Garr y (Gisele) Bar tolf and Elaine (Reg) Peet (children of Henr y); niece, Teresa (daughter of Adam); nephew and godson Rod Bar tolf and nieces Lor i Muz and Chr istina Mctaggar t (children of Freder ick); nieces Char lotte Runner Ruth Kronfuss and Kathr yn Mar ks and nephews Dean Sauskojus, Kenneth Sauskojus, and James Sauskojus (children of Walter); nephews, Jason Sauskojus, Jesse Sauskojus, and Jeremy Sauskojus (sons of Gerhardt); nieces, Nancy Schott and Joanne Tubman and nephews David Sauskojus and Mar k Sauskojus (children of Kar l); and nieces Mar ion Matter n and Mar lene Jekel and nephews David McIlroy Steven McIlroy and Paul McIlroy (children of Anna) A funeral ser vice will be held at the St Peter Lutheran Church, Oxbow, SK , on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 11:00 a m Pastor Adr ian Kramer will officiate Bur ial will take place at the Oxbow Cemeter y following the ser vice Donations may be given to Bow Valley Villa Box 207 Oxbow SK S0C 2B0 Oxbow and Distr ict Lions Box 602 Oxbow SK S0C 2B0, St Peter Lutheran Church, Box 389, Oxbow, SK, S0C 2B0, or to a char it y of your choice Arrangements are in care of Redpath Funeral Home, Oxbow (306)-483-2401 To send condolences to the family please visit: www redpathfuneralhome
Man charged for fleeing police, possessing drugs
A flight from police ended with an arrest and multiple charges over the weekend.
According to the Estevan Police Service, a member attempted a traffic stop on a truck in the early morning hours of Oct. 27 in the 1200-block of Third Street. The vehicle was
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observed being driven erratically. The vehicle did not stop for police and drove away at a high speed.
Police did not pursue the vehicle but were able to obtain enough information to identify the driver.
At approximately 8 a.m. the same morning, the EPS located the man. Brandon Tremblay, a 27-year-old man from Lampman, was arrested and charged with flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving while impaired by drug, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime and breach of a conditional sentence order. He was remanded for court on Oct. 28. He was remanded into custody for a bail hearing on Nov. 4.
That same day, members responded to a report of four youths banging on windows and shooting what the caller believed was a BB gun at a residence in the Hillcrest area. Members attended and spoke with the complainant and no damage was reported. The youths were not located in the immediate area.
Earlier last week, the EPS announced charges against two people, stemming from a call regarding a suspicious vehicle on Oct. 21. The EPS was advised the vehicle was parked on the Bienfait Grid Road near Kensington Avenue. Police attended and located the vehicle with two occupants, including a 19-year-old female driver who was intoxicated and reportedly refused to provide a breath sample for the roadside screening device. She was arrested and transported to the police station where she was lodged in cells until sober.
A 29-year-old male passenger was arrested on outstanding warrants with the EPS. He was transported to the police station and lodged in cells, and was to be released the following day. Additionally, both occupants were ticketed for possessing open alcohol in a vehicle.
That same day, a hit-and-run collision was reported in a north Estevan grocery store parking lot,
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causing extensive damage. The matter remains under investigation.
Police received a complaint of a man sleeping in a car in the 700-block of Seventh Street. He was trespassing and the property owner wanted him to leave. Police attended and the man was removed without incident.
Officers received a report Oct. 22 of a vehicle passing a school bus while the stop arm was extended and lights were flashing. The matter remains under investigation. The public is reminded to be mindful of traffic laws concerning school buses.
On Oct. 23, EPS members monitored school bus stops and school zones, with no traffic offences reported.
Police conducted a well-being check on a local woman, who was found safe in her residence.
Officers were dispatched to an east-central Estevan residence following a report of a man in possible emotional distress. The 42-year-old man was transported to the hospital for further assessment after being spoken to at length by police. Following the incident, a search warrant was obtained, leading to the seizure of multiple firearms and ammunition from the residence. No further details were released, and the matter remains under investigation.
In another call, police and EMS responded to a north-central Estevan residence where a woman was reported to be in medical distress on Oct. 24. She was conscious and alert, and was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Police were called to a residence following a report of a domestic disturbance, resulting in the arrest of a 22-year-old man for mischief on Oct. 25. He was lodged in cells, and the matter remains under investigation. No further details were immediately available.
In another incident, EPS officers responded to a report of a collision in the 700-block of King Street. Witnesses stated the driver of the vehicle appeared to
be impaired. A 42-year-old man from Estevan was arrested for impaired driving and was transported to the police station, where he provided two breath samples, each nearly three times over the legal limit. He was lodged in cells and was to be released once sober. No injuries were reported, but the parked vehicle sustained significant damage.
Police conducted a traffic stop Oct. 26 with a vehicle in the 900-block of Henry Street to check for sobriety. An approved screening device demand was made of the female driver, however, she failed to provide an adequate sample of breath. The 28-year-old woman was arrested and charged with refusal/failing to provide a sample under the Criminal Code. She was lodged in cells and was to be released with a court date in December to speak to the charges. The EPS received a report of harassing communications. That file remains under investigation and is pending statements.
Police responded to a local bar for a report of a fight involving four or five people. After speaking with several witnesses, police were unable to determine exactly what had occurred. One man sustained minor injuries, however, no medical attention was required. Taxi cabs were summoned to transport some of the people involved home.
While out on patrol at bar closing, police noted a woman dancing on top of a party bus. It was also noted some occupants were inside drinking alcohol. All occupants were warned, and the remaining alcohol was seized. The EPS responded to 49 calls over the weekend including eight charges under the Traffic Safety Act; two requests for well-being checks on individuals; an assistance request with a youth experiencing a mental health crisis; two reports of suspicious people; one report of trespassing and more.
Other calls for service on the weekend included breach of peace, mischief, theft under $5,000 and false alarms.
Obituaries Obituaries
| Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca A14
Elecs threepeat in Co-op Challenge volleyball clash
By David Willberg
e Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs are the Coop Challenge champions for the third consecutive year.
e Elecs defeated the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles in both matches Oct. 23 in Weyburn to take the annual showdown involving the senior boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams at both schools.
e senior boys won 3-0 (33-31, 25-19 and 27-25) over Weyburn and the senior girls won 3-2 (16-25, 25-15, 25-16, 18-25 and 1715). e nal set of the girls’ game was brie y interrupted by a re alarm that forced the evacuation of the school.
ECS won all four matches in this year’s Co-op Challenge, as the Elecs won 3-0 for both the senior boys and girls on Oct. 9 in Estevan, but it’s the team that captures the most sets that takes the showdown. Estevan defeated Weyburn 12-2 on the set front, and the Elecs clinched the series when the senior boys took the rst set on Oct. 23.
ECS also outscored Weyburn 334-261 in total points.
Senior boys’ head coach
Bryton Such was impressed with the Elecs’ service reception and posture during their movements, which is something they’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks. He was also pleased with how ECS spread out the o ence to keep the opposition guessing.
He thought they might be able to win all six sets against Weyburn, but he recognized the di culty of going into another team’s gym and executing.
“Weyburn’s a good team and they’re well-coached. I think that it’s de nitely a realistic possibility with the group of guys we have. Kudos to them [Weyburn], they served really well, they put us into some uncomfortable situations and they made us earn every point in every set that we got.”
As good as they were during the challenge, Such believes ECS could be even better and rank among the best teams in the province. Such said there are some athletic, talented volleyball players in Estevan, and the coaches do a really good job in bringing out the best in them in important moments.
“Some of the guys I coach
on this team, they’ve been in provincial nals, they’ve been in some really tight matches at nationals, and so they de nitely know how to play under pressure,” said Such.
Senior girls’ head coach Hunter Perkins said they didn’t feel as much pressure for their match in Weyburn, knowing ECS had already clinched the series.
“ ere was a little bit of relief there, and we just wanted to have fun,” said Perkins. “It was some of the
girls’ last Co-op Challenge, so even with that pressure o , it was still nerve-wracking in that way.”
Perkins won the Co-op Challenge when he was a volleyball player for ECS, and now he has captured it as a coach.
Cammy Henry and Emily Sauder have been part of all three Co-op Challenge victories for the senior girls, and Perkins said they have a lot of talented young players, too. He credits the Estevan
Extreme club program for developing players so they can enjoy success at the high school level.
Perkins also noted this isn’t the rst time they’ve had a game interrupted by a re alarm this year. It also happened at a tournament in Yorkton. When it occurred in Weyburn, they tried to stay warm outside while they waited for the re department to nish inside the school, and after they were allowed to return to the gym, they had time to
Minor football teams wrap up the season
e Estevan Lions Club U14 Oilers wrapped up the 2024 season by winning the consolation nal of the Moose Jaw Minor Football League.
Estevan defeated the Moose Jaw Vikings 13-6 at the Dana Quewezance Memorial Field on Saturday. Hayden Tokarchuk scored on a running play late in the rst half to put Estevan up 7-0, and after Moose Jaw scored in the second half to pull to within a point, Taya Stigings on a short quarterback sneak to restore the seven-point lead.
Coach Christian Pfeifer said the Oilers did everything well, just as they did all year.
“ e defence played out of their minds, just like they always do. We held them to one score, and you can’t really ask for much more of a defence than that,” said Pfeifer.
Kieran Kyle intercepted two passes in the rst quarter. At the end of the rst half, the Vikings moved the ball deep into the Oilers’ territory, but Estevan forced a turnover on downs. en, late in the fourth quarter, Ben Guer-
tin picked up his rst interception of the year to snu out a potential game-tying Vikings’ drive.
e o ence moved the ball really well, Pfeifer said, and the Oilers had some big plays on special teams, recovering two mu ed punt returns by the Vikings.
Also, Oilers’ running back TJ ompson was named the league’s top offensive player.
“His football IQ is the biggest thing,” said Pfeifer. “He’s a very smart player. You tell him to do something once and he won’t forget it for the rest of the season. It makes it easy to coach him.”
e award capped a great minor football career for ompson, who was named the MVP of the U12 league in 2022, and was part of the Estevan
U12 Chargers team that won the league championship in 2021.
Most of the team will move up to the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs’ football team next season. Pfeifer praised the players for the strides they have made this season and for the resilience they showed.
“It’s been nothing but resilient football and fan-
tastic play from everybody on the team. I couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” he said.
***
e Southeast U18 Estevan Kinette Club Viragos’ season wrapped up Sunday in a 72-24 loss to the Melville Vipers in a Prairie Girls Football League semi nal game.
Coach Mark Tribiger said they had some issues on special teams that set the Viragos back right from the start. Melville is a strong team, and they showed it once again Sunday.
Morgan Hase, Kassidy Wallington and Aurora McCutcheon all scored touchdowns for Estevan.
Defensively, Tribiger said Jaycee Sopp and Kristen Loro made some big plays and put pressure on the quarterback.
While the Viragos were winless this season, Tribiger said it was still a good year as they put up more points this season than in the rst four years combined.
***
e Estevan Power Dodge U12 Chargers were slated to wrap up the season with a consolation
warm up again. Both coaches lauded the crowd in both Estevan and Weyburn. Such was pleased to see the number of people who came out to root for the Elecs. In Weyburn, it was great to have some Estevan fans supporting them, while Weyburn did a great job of getting some energy for its home games. Perkins noted the Weyburn crowd was very loud and excited, and the atmosphere in Weyburn made the games in that city more di cult.
game Saturday against the Moose Jaw Spartans, but the game was cancelled because both teams were battling injuries and due to availability of o cials.
Running back Dexx Tendler was named the league’s O ensive Player of the Year.
“He basically ran our o ence. Every team knew that he could score whenever he was holding the ball. ere was a game where he had 10 touchdowns, and I think that sealed the deal for that discussion,” said head coach James Haagsman.
Other players on the team had strong seasons, too. e o ensive line was comprised of mostly second-year players. Haagsman said the players have made big strides during the season. Some of them hadn’t played football before, but he could see the progress after two months of football.
Approximately half of the team will be eligible to return next year, and Haagsman said the U10 age group is developing nicely, so there should be some good new recruits next season.
Estevan U13 AA Bruins second at home tournament
e Estevan Primec Control Canada U13 AA Bruins nished second at their annual home tournament, held from Friday to Sunday at A nity Place and the Power Dodge Arena.
Estevan lost 4-3 to the Melville Millionaires in the gold-medal game of the four-team Primec Controls Challenge Cup. e two teams were tied at 2-2 after the rst period and 3-3 after two. Melville scored the winner with less than ve minutes to play in the third.
Andin Barlow scored twice, and Penn Tytlandsvik notched a goal and two assists in the nal.
“It was a good game, tight right till the end,” said coach Lorne Tytlandsvik. “It was a little disappointing to lose, but at the same time, I think the kids learned a lot and it was a fun weekend.” e coach was pleased
with how the club’s puck movement improved during the tournament.
“Getting a good forecheck going … helped with our success, but it was good to see the puck movement and the defence handling our defensive zone better. ere were lots of positive things,” said Lorne Tytlandsvik.
Estevan opened the tournament with a 9-2 win over Weyburn on Friday night.
Penn Tytlandsvik had four goals and an assist for Estevan, and Ethan Phillips had a goal and ve helpers. Barlow, Tucker Hilstrom, Kip Geiger and Braxton Shier had the other goals.
Up next was a 4-4 tie against the Regina Blues.
Penn Tytlandsvik scored twice in the game. Bentley Hebert and Nixon Laurent also scored. Phillips assisted on three of the goals.
eir nal game of the round robin was a 6-1 win over Melville. Geiger had the hat trick for Estevan. Hebert scored twice and Penn Tytlandsvik also scored.
Ty Blackburn and JJ Nagy shared goaltending duties for Estevan during the tournament.
Regina defeated Weyburn in the bronze-medal game.
e coach said there was a lot of fun on the ice during the tournament and the hockey was competitive.
“In our league, almost any team can win any night, and with four teams from
our league playing in this tournament, aside from a couple of lopsided games, most games could have gone either way, especially in the nals … so the competition and the parity are close,” he said.
Lorne Tytlandsvik thanked the sponsors, team supporters, volunteers and other clubs for their support, and added there were a lot of positive comments about Estevan throughout the weekend.
He expects the tournament will give the Bruins a boost. ere are little things they need to keep working on, but getting four games at home helps the team improve.
Estevan is 2-2 in the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League to start the season. ey will host the Regina Mustangs on Nov. 2 at 4:30 p.m. at A nity Place.
Brewers, Sereggela win provincial awards
Estevan continues to be recognized for its success on the baseball diamond.
e Estevan 18U AA Brewers were named Baseball Saskatchewan’s Senior Team of the Year at the provincial awards night on Oct. 19 in Regina, while Pete Sereggela has been selected as the Sponsor of the Year.
According to Baseball Sask., the Brewers’ combined record for the year was 34-4. ey went 24-4 in league play to take top spot in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League’s 18U AA circuit.
e Brewers’ season was capped o by winning not the 18U AA Tier 1 provincial championship, but also the 2024 18U AA Western Canada Baseball Association championship.
At both the provincial and Western Canada championships, the team posted
perfect 5-0 records.
“ eir strong defensive play was evident as they only gave up a total of six runs through ve games at the Western Canada championships. Another highlight of their season was a 19-game winning streak from July 9 to August 18,” the bio stated.
According to the bio, the graduating players led an emphasis on sportsmanship, as they received many compliments from opposing parents, coaches and umpires on their professional conduct and attitudes.
“ e team played great baseball, had fun doing such and the players were truly great ambassadors for the city, province and the sport of baseball.”
Also, the Regina 13U AAA White Sox were selected as the minor team of the year, as they won the
Canadian
ment for their age group.
was added to the team for
As for Sereggela, according to his bio, he has been at the forefront for many years by not only sponsoring the Estevan Tap House Wolves senior team in the Saskota Baseball League, but also supporting other minor baseball and sports teams.
At every home game for the Wolves, Sereggela attends with a large group of friends, watching from a storage garage and inviting all who are attending the game to come for a visit, a drink and more often than not, pizza from the Tower Café.
During the playo s, when Estevan had a home game, Sereggela and a large group of friends and other business owners were in attendance.
e bio states that during one game, Sereggela decided to hand out free pizza coupons to every person present.
“ ere are not many businesses or business owners that would do something like that, but Pete is recognized and known by everyone in Estevan for that type of generosity,” the bio states.
For several years now, as a way to support the
Bruins lose back-to-back one-goal games
e Estevan Bruins dropped a pair of 4-3 decisions on the weekend.
Up rst was a game Friday night against the defending SJHL champion Melfort Mustangs at A nity Place – the Bruins’ rst game since Oct. 16.
Reilley Kotai opened the scoring midway through the rst period for Melfort, and Zac Somers tallied 2:15 into the second for a 2-0 advantage.
“ ere was going to be a little bit of rust, but overall we have to be better defensively,” said Bruins’ head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic.
Carter Onrait scored for the Bruins 26 seconds after Somers’ goal, but Austin Shepherd replied for the Mustangs 62 seconds later to restore the two-goal lead.
e Bruins then had a power play that lasted nearly 10 minutes, after Nicholas Andrusiak was assessed a ve-minute major for ghting and a ve-minute match penalty for striking the head of a Bruin opponent; Andrusiak has since been assessed a two-game suspension. e Bruins also had a pair of two-minute, two-man advantages during the extended power play, but didn’t convert until early in the third when Kieran Ronan scored his rst SJHL goal.
“You have to capitalize on those. I thought on the rst
ve-on-three, we just gave it away, and the second one we kind of gave it away, too,” said Tatarnic.
Cade Kennedy scored with 6:10 to play in the third period, but Kotai added his second of the game 22 seconds later.
Two of Melfort’s goals were a result of not battling in front of the net, Tatarnic said, which resulted in “gimmies” on rebounds, and another was o of a four-ontwo rush.
Kyle Kelsey stopped 21 of 25 shots he faced for Estevan. Madden Mulawka had 29 saves for Melfort.
Onrait said it took some time for the players to shake o the rust after a nine-day break.
“We just needed to get back in our mindset that we were playing hard. We were playing a hard team, and we need to compete and play 60 minutes,” said Onrait.
Melfort, who has the best record in the league at 10-3, represents a good measuring stick for the club.
“ ere were a lot of guys on their team last year versus this year, and same with our team, so it’s a little more di cult to compare, but I think we’re doing well,” said Onrait.
e following night, the Bruins lost to the host Melville Millionaires.
Leo Jewitt opened the scoring for Melville midway through the rst period, but
Kent Moors tied the game a couple minutes later, and Luke Hogan put the Bruins ahead late in the frame. Both goals came on a power play.
Edward Knittig and Ryan Roethke scored with the man advantage in the opening eight minutes of the second to put Melville ahead, but Hogan tied the game again with another power-play goal late in the frame. Matt Kjembus scored with 21 seconds to play in the third period for Melville to break a 3-3 tie.
Benjamin Polhill stopped 29 shots for Estevan, and Luke Brunen had 26 saves for Melville.
For highlights of the games, please visit our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca
In o -ice news, forward Cole Robertson – a 19-year-old forward from Manitoba whose rights had been acquired from the Kindersley Klippers earlier this month – has yet to join the Bruins. Tatarnic said there are technical issues with Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League that have to be worked. He hopes Robertson will be in Estevan this week.
e Bruins (4-5-1-1) will be back on the ice Nov. 1 when they visit the Yorkton Terriers. e game will be played at the Cote First Nations Arena north of Kamsack.
Wolves, there has been a pizza coupon fundraiser through Sereggela and his businesses in downtown Estevan. is fundraiser helps the team raise over $3,000 each year to help pay for fees, umpires, equipment and new jerseys when they are needed. ese coupons y out of players’ hands as people know when this happens and are excited to help support the Wolves and Sereggela’s e orts.
Bienfait’s Barrett Fleck was named the top junior umpire at the event. For more on Fleck, please see Page A3.
