St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation hosts another successful Festival of Trees.
PAGE A3
Another milestone. Boundary Dam CCS facility keeps providing low-carbon power to SK homes.
PAGE A7
It’s 4-H month. Agri News special brings latest updates and achievements from the local clubs.
PAGES A8-9
Getting holiday ready. Estevan Kinettes hold big Christmas Marketplace sale, benefitting the hospital.
PAGE A12
Community leader. Marking Men’s Month with annual special, sharing a story of Estevan’s very own Kevin Mortneson.
PAGE A15
HENDERS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2024
Tony Sernick looks forward to the next four years as Estevan’s mayor
By David Willberg
Tony Sernick is looking forward to what will happen during the next four years when he is the mayor of Estevan.
Sernick won Estevan’s mayoral race in the Nov. 13 civic election, nishing with 1,254 votes, ahead of Rebecca Foord, who had 1,108, and Zacch Vandenhurk, who received 317.
Joining Sernick on city council will be Councillors Shelly Veroba, Kirsten Walliser, Brian Johnson, Dave Elliott, Tom Mauss and Matthew Dubowski. (See Page A2 for more on the councillor race).
Sernick and Foord ran for mayor after each had one four-year term of experience as a city councillor. Vandenhurk was running for council for the rst time.
Former mayor Roy Ludwig, who had been in the role since 2012 and a member of city council since 1994, announced last year he would not seek re-election. Sernick expects he’ll spend a lot of time talking to Ludwig about what to expect in the coming weeks.
“We obviously had a brief conversation yesterday [on Nov. 13], and I was thinking ‘Geez, I hope he doesn’t change his phone number,’” Sernick said with a laugh. “As I was thinking that, he told me that ‘Obviously, my phone is always on, and call me at any time.’ And my response was ‘I’ll be calling lots’.
“It’s a new job, it’s a huge learning curve in the rst year, and Roy will denitely be appreciated many times,” said Sernick.
One trait that Sernick said he will take from Ludwig is the long-time mayor’s love for the city and the job.
During the election campaign, people were telling Sernick about the importance of having a positive attitude. He recalled that when he joined council, the “elephant in the room” was the future of coal- red power generation. e community knew adversity was coming with conventional coal electricity to be phased out by 2030.
“From four years ago to now, there’s just a positive attitude. People want to move forward, and we don’t want to live worrying about adversity all of the time. ere is some optimism in the last couple of years. Our [provincial] government is saying we’re going to use our coal assets until the SMRs come in.
at’s optimism.”
People are also encouraged that Estevan will be the site of Saskatchewan’s rst SMRs should the project proceed.
Sernick expects he will spend a lot of time getting to know the new council. He’s glad to have a couple of incumbents to work with in Veroba and Walliser, and Johnson was on council from 2000-2016. Sernick believes Johnson has likely forgotten more than Sernick knows about being a councillor.
“We’ll be leaning on the three veterans,” said Sernick.
He knows Elliott through their respective work in the oil eld, but he hasn’t dealt with Johnson, Mauss or Dubowski before.
Sernick recalls that when he was elected in 2020, there were four new councillors and everything worked out well.
“Hopefully everybody brings the attitude of it’s a learning curve for everybody,” said Sernick. “Obviously we campaigned individually, we’re all there individually in a sense, but now that we’re all in the [council] chamber, it’s all about becoming a team and being united to further better our city.”
He will miss seeing Foord on council. ey had similar views on having a positive message during the campaign, and he suspects that is why the vote was so close.
“People were torn. Many people I talked to said ‘I’m torn. I don’t know who to talk to.’ She de nitely will be missed but I guarantee you it won’t be the last time we hear of Rebecca Foord,” said Sernick.
e new council is also going to be thrust into budget deliberations, which he said will be a learning process for him
as well. Discussions on the scal plan are expected to start soon so the document can be nalized early in the new year.
“I remember my rst budget, we got thrown into it at the same time of the year, and it was just a huge learning curve, and it was also a good time for the council, really, to get to know each other.”
When spring arrives, the downtown revitalization project will be a priority once again.
“I de nitely want to ensure, which I’m sure we do, that we have a good plan going forward, because Priority No. 1 is to get that downtown buttoned up and then energized,” said Sernick.
Sernick thanked friends and family, supporters and others for making this happen.
“ is is our victory. is isn’t my victory. at’s one thing I will take going forth.”
He also thanked Foord and Vandenhurk for opposing him, and those who were involved with running the election.
A total of 2,695 votes
were cast in the election. e main polling station, located at the Estevan Church of God, was expected to close at 8 p.m., but it ran out of ballots due to the number of voters, so those who were at the church to vote by 8 p.m. were still allowed to cast their ballot. e last vote was submitted at around 8:15 p.m. Drive-thru polling stations were at the Estevan Fire Rescue Service building and Sudz Zone Car Wash on election day. e city also had advanced polls on Oct. 29 and 30, and a drive-thru polling station at the re hall on Nov. 2. Mail-in ballots were also an option this year. Candidates, their supporters and others were at city hall Wednesday evening to await the results. e uno cial results were fully tabulated just before 9 p.m., thanks to the electronic polling stations used by the city for elections since a 2014 byelection. Sernick and the other members of council will be sworn in at a special meeting on Nov. 22. e rst scheduled meeting for the new council is Nov. 25.
Estevan’s city councillors react to election wins
By David Willberg
Estevan’s new city councillors will bring a blend of experience and new blood to council chambers.
Estevan voters elected the six people who will serve as councillors for the next four years during the Nov. 13 civic election. Shelly Veroba nished rst in the councillor race for the third straight election, collecting 2,175 votes. Coun. Kirsten Walliser, who was the other incumbent councillor in the eld, was second with 1,992 votes. Brian Johnson, who was a councillor from 2000-2016, came in third with 1,762 votes.
Dave Elliott (1,464) was fourth, Tom Mauss (1,233) was fth and Matthew Dubowski (1,048) was sixth. All three are rst-time members.
e defeated candidates were Robin Wog (995), Stephen Daniel (919), Rhyan Hagel (783) and Kevin Andrew (629).
First again Veroba is the rst candidate in more than three decades to nish rst in three straight councillor elections. She was “pleasantly surprised” she was rst this time, but she believes she has done a good job of representing the community over the past eight years.
In the initial months of the new term, Veroba believes it will be important to get the newcomers up to speed while nishing the downtown revitalization project on Fourth Street.
“In the spring, the n-
ishing touches will be applied and then there will be the nal lift. For next year, what I’m really interested in is hearing from the other councillors, as well what their main objectives are and what they want to see done.”
She believes Perkins Street needs to be looked at during the upcoming term.
Community safety will also be a priority through her work with the Estevan Community Wellness Committee.
She will be interested to see which committees she will be part of to start the term. She voiced an interest in remaining part of the St. Joseph’s Hospital board and rejoining the Estevan board of police commissioners.
Veroba said she will support the new council members and mayor-elect Tony Sernick.
A second term Walliser said she is excited to be back on council for a second term, and she hopes she can be a mentor for the new members.
“I really appreciated all of the insight that [former] councillor [Travis] Frank and Councillor Veroba gave me early on, trying to just get my feet under myself, and I hope I can do the same for the new council,” said Walliser.
Everyone on the previous council had a unique perspective and a di erent way of looking at the challenges that came, she said, and Walliser believes council has that same composition this time, with their own
voices in the community.
During the campaign, Walliser said she heard lots of questions about the future of the community, and the role innovation and the Southeast TechHub will play.
She is looking forward to the budgeting process because it gives council the chance to hear from managers and third-party groups about their priorities. She is also eager to take the document into the community so people can see what it means for Estevan and the city’s nances.
Walliser said she now feels more comfortable going out, meeting new people and making the most of opportunities to hear new ideas from other municipalities about what has worked well or what challenges they’re seeing.
Back after eight years Johnson rejoins council after an eight-year hiatus. Since the 2016 election, he has continued to track council and decided now was the time to put his name forward.
People he talked to during the election campaign said they were undecided on who they should vote for. He couldn’t answer them because he didn’t know who he was voting for either.
“We had such a good allotment of people who put their names forward,” said Johnson. “It was hard for me to make a decision on a few of the candidates,” said Johnson.
A lot of people he talk-
ed to were concerned about how their tax dollars were being spent and they wanted more transparency from council.
When he was defeated in 2016, Johnson decided to focus on some of the other projects he had at the time, and it was a nice break from municipal politics. Now he’s fully retired and has extra time to dedicate to council.
Johnson believes the new council will need to work together as a team, share ideas, and nd some common ground if there are di erences.
If training is o ered for the new council members, Johnson said he would take it to see if there’s anything he can learn.
Fourth time’s a charm Elliott was elected in his fourth attempt at council. He previously ran in the 2003 and 2006 civic elections, and a 2005 councillor by-election. He said it feels good to be on city council, although his previous defeats didn’t make this election victory any more special.
People he spoke to told him the city needed a change, and he believes a lot of the frustration is connected to the downtown revitalization project.
Elliott said he has no agenda, and he hopes he will be able to do a good job for the city.
He expects there will be a steep learning curve on some fronts, but not so much on others.
“ e biggest thing will
be dealing with the budget, which is the rst thing that I think is coming up for us. at will be a hurdle,” said Elliott.
He said he has dealt with mayor-elect Sernick in the past through their employment in the oil eld. He has also known Veroba for years.
Learning curve expected
Mauss said he has never been a part of anything like council before. He heard comments about taxes and the downtown revitalization project during the campaign, and there were questions about a potential third arena.
He heard complaints about the previous council, but didn’t agree with all of them.
“I’m actually very positive with what’s happened with the city in the past few years. It looks really good,” said Mauss.
He expects there will be a steep learning curve when it comes to being on council, but he is looking forward to it.
Mauss expects the budget will be the biggest issue facing city council at rst, and he anticipates the downtown project and the third ice facility will also be discussed. He is looking forward to talking about things and dispelling the negativity he hears from some citizens.
“Estevan is starting to look, optically, a lot better than when my wife and I rst moved here. “When we rst moved here ve years ago, the downtown was in a
rather sad state, and it’s really starting to look better. e mall is starting to look better.”
A young voice Dubowski is believed to be the youngest person ever elected to city council at age 26. He said it’s good to have the opportunity to be on council at such a young age.
People who talked to him during the campaign expressed concerns with the budget and how the city would be able to fund the services and amenities that contribute to making Estevan a good place to live, while resuming the e orts to reduce the debt.
He has had some past dealings with Veroba, Walliser and Sernick.
“I started going to council meetings last year, started talking to them and then I decided I would run, so that was the extent of my relationships with any of them.” He knows there will be a steep learning curve, and it will be very di erent from watching council as an observer.
“A lot of the behindthe-doors stu and how everything works behind the scenes, and how everything keeps running, it will be de nitely steep and I need to get some information going in my head.”
Dubowski wants to see the downtown project wrapped up as smoothly as possible early in the term, and he wants the di erent communities around Estevan to feel heard and understood.
Estevan mayoral candidates reflect on results
Rebecca Foord and Zacch Vandenhurk are glad they took a run at being the mayor of Estevan during the Nov. 13 civic election, even if the result wasn’t in their favour.
Foord nished second in the mayoral race with 1,108 votes, behind mayor-elect Tony Sernick, who had 1,254 votes, while Vandenhurk was third with 317.
Foord said people told her they were excited about the potential for new lead-
ership in the city, and they hoped she would bring forward their concerns.
“Sometimes issues get brought up, and they don’t work out in people’s favour, so people are just excited to bring those forward again, no matter who got in at the end of the day,” Foord said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday,
She is excited for everybody who was elected to council on Nov. 13. ere will be a learning curve for all those who were elected, but she noted when she was elected for the rst time four years ago, there were four new members as well.
“I fully trust in our city management and our leadership to be able to ease those people into their new roles, and just make their transition smooth,” she said.
Foord has a degree in political science, but she learned so much about how things work once she was
elected to council. e budget process and the committees helped her understand how things work.
Foord is con dent Sernick will do well as Estevan’s mayor. She said they became good friends over the past four years, and they have a good working relationship. If Foord or anyone else has a question, she is con dent they can reach out to him.
Vandenhurk, who was running for council for the
rst time, said that from Oct. 9, the day he led his nomination papers, until election night was one of the proudest times of his life.
“I challenged myself into something that I didn’t think was possible for me. I didn’t expect very many votes. I did end up with those 317 votes, which is more than I expected. I am more proud of myself than you can ever imagine,” said Vandenhurk.
ere are people who are proud of what he did, because he challenged people who have experience when he did not, and he supports and congratulates Sernick on his win.
“He will be a great advocate for Estevan,” said Vandenhurk, who noted Foord put up a very strong ght as well.
Vandenhurk suspects the younger crowd didn’t come out to vote, and he believes he would have had stronger numbers if they did.
He believes he made the right move in running for mayor, because he wanted to be a mediator for council.
“I did it so I could sit and listen to the council, be the face of the city, and make the decisions accordingly with my heart and with my mind. A lot of politicians don’t use their heart, and that gets a lot of people under the leadership of that person a little frustrated,” he said.
Vandenhurk believes council members have a little more power than the mayor, but that in uence is something he doesn’t need. Foord said she would continue to follow city council closely. She has been interested in it since she was a student at large on council in high school. She’ll also continue to be part of the South East TechHub, where she is the chairwoman, and she will remain a member at large on the St. Joseph’s Hospital board.
Vandenhurk said he would run for mayor again in four years, and he’ll be better prepared. He’ll watch the council meetings and other public sessions closely, and he’ll start campaigning earlier to get his name out there.
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Festival of Trees Gala raises funds for local MRI
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e 12th annual Festi-
val of Trees Gala, hosted by the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (SJHF), drew hundreds of attendees to A nity Place on Nov. 16.
e glittering Red Carpet Christmas evening was a major success, raising vital funds for the foundation’s campaign to purchase a new MRI machine for the hospital.
“It went fantastically,” said Lori Gervais, SJHF executive director. “Everything went o as we had hoped and even better.”
e sold-out gala welcomed about 550 guests and volunteers, who enjoyed a gourmet meal provided by EB’s Catering, live entertainment from
acclaimed musician Teagan Littlechief, live and silent auctions featuring unique items, a game of black-tie Bingo, which was new this year, and a wide variety of drinks provided by local vendors.
e gala featured a mix of traditional and innovative fundraising activities, including a live auction that showcased prizes like trips co-ordinated with CAA, an electric scooter donated by Vern Symons, a custom bar crafted by Tim Gervais that incorporated the front end of a Dodge car, a painting by acclaimed artist Michael Lonechild and more.
“People do get way more competitive when it comes to the live auction,” Gervais noted, emphasizing how the format drove some high bids.
One standout addition was the auction of naming rights for the hospital’s Christmas tree, which drew signi cant interest and generous contributions. It was sold for $3,900.
Eight decorated trees were sold through the live auction for a total of $17,750. Proceeds from trees were designated to particular areas or programs at the hospital, including emergency, diagnostic and dietary departments, long-term and palliative care, the adult day program, lab and environmental services.
Other items sold through the live auction were a Toronto getaway ($6,200), Lonechild’s painting ($1,250), the scooter ($2,750), a trip to Victoria ($4,200), Disn-
eyland tour ($4,400), the car-shaped bar ($4,100), an Alaskan cruise ($7,750) and an Experience Estevan package ($3,800). More than $56,000 was raised through the live auction alone.
Volunteers and community supporters played an integral role in the event’s success. Gervais expressed gratitude for the community’s involvement, especially groups like 4-H, who assisted with setup and cleanup.
“ e volunteers are instrumental. I couldn’t do what we do without everybody that steps up to help,” she said.
e evening also provided an opportunity to recognize major donors, including Elaine Walkom, whose $2 million donation in memory of her late husband Grant laid the groundwork for the MRI campaign.
“I want to thank Kingston Midstream for being our title sponsor,” Gervais said. “And we thank Elaine Walkom. She was there that night and we got to thank her publicly for her generous $2 million donation to start this project o in the rst place.”
As of the morning of the gala, the MRI fund had reached $4,300,818 out of the $6.5 million goal. e Festival of Tree will boost the number, but Gervais noted that e orts to reach the goal continue nonstop, thanks to the support from the southeast.
“Already there was someone in here this morning with a $500 donation,” Gervais said Monday morning, re ecting on the ongoing community support.
While nal gures for the event are still being tallied, Gervais is optimistic.
“In comparison to years
past, I think we’re there,” she said.
Looking ahead, Gervais praised the enduring enthusiasm for the Festival of Trees and its mission of supporting the local hospital’s main needs. She also noted that their kick-o to Christmas campaign is not over yet.
“Sun Country Hearing is the title sponsor of all our Christmas tea parties. So, over the next few weeks, we will go to all the different care homes in town, as well as the Diversi ed Services, and we will have a tea party that’s sponsored by Sun Country Hearing with live music and some gift bags that we’ve put together for all of the seniors and all of the participants,” Gervais added.
e Mercury and SaskToday will announce the total raised through the festival once the numbers become available.
Families flock to Hometown Family Fun Day events
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e Hometown Family Fun Day, which is a traditional part of the Festival of Trees put on by the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation (SJHF), brought festive cheer to Estevan on Nov. 17, with families enjoying a variety of activities across multiple locations.
Sponsored by the Estevan Mercury, the event aimed to provide community-centred holiday fun while supporting a local cause. e day o ered something for everyone. Kids and their families could
partake in North Pole crafts at the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre, enjoy cookies and milk at McDonald’s, and visit Santa at the Estevan Market Mall, where he listened to Christmas wishes and posed for pictures. At the Estevan Leisure Centre, children enjoyed bouncy castles, Christmas stories, family pictures and a free family Christmas swim.
“ e Hometown Family Fun Day went o without a hitch,” said Lori Gervais, executive director of the SJHF. “We had made some changes to that where it was some other groups
around town, some charitable groups that did the activities for others, and it was a great idea. It saved us some time and energy and allowed others to participate.”
Gervais noted the day’s success was evident in the high turnout and festive atmosphere.
“From what I could see, there were kids everywhere having a great time, which is exactly what we’re hoping for – families getting out and participating.”
e fun day was part of a broader weekend of activities supporting the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. While the weekend included events like a gala that catered to adults, Sunday’s family-friendly programming o ered opportunities for everyone in the community to participate.
“It’s about the community and having everybody nd some part of the weekend that they can participate in,” said Gervais. “ e gala is fantastic and a great Christmas party and a kicko to Christmas, but it’s not for everybody, it’s not for families. To have the family fun day on the Sunday where everybody else can take part in everything is our goal, and it looked like everybody was having a great time.”
While all activities were donation-based and attendance numbers weren’t o cially tracked, Gervais estimated that hundreds of people participated.
“Between the free swim and standing in line to see Santa and doing all the bouncy castles, and there was the library with kids’ stories getting read and
there were lots of other things for them to do, I feel like there are hundreds of people that go through.”
e Festival of Trees is the SJHF’s annual kicko to the holiday season and a fundraiser for the hospi-
and
tal
its needs. is year funds raised through the festival are supporting the MRI campaign.
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EDITORIAL
It won’t get easier for new council
Entering the 2024 civic election, we knew there would be changes for Estevan city council. We just didn’t know the extent.
We knew there would be a new mayor, since Roy Ludwig wasn’t seeking re-election after 12 years at the helm of city council. We knew there would also be at least four new city councillors, since two incumbents, Tony Sernick and Rebecca Foord, were running for mayor, and two other members from the previous term weren’t seeking re-election.
Sernick is the new mayor of Estevan, moving into the top job after four years as a councillor, and Shelly Veroba and Kirsten Walliser will be back as councillors. Also back as a councillor is Brian Johnson, who held the role from 2000-2016. eir experience will be vital for the newcomers, Dave Elliott, Tom Mauss and Matthew Dubowski, who will face a steep learning curve, especially with city budget deliberations happening in the near future.
Anyone who runs for council should have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the job, the issues facing the community, the work they will have to put in and the realities associated with being an elected o cial in the 2020s. But there’s only so much preparation work you can do before you get thrown into the re.
ere will be a learning experience for Sernick in his move from a councillor to the mayor’s chair. He had to learn a lot in rapid fashion when he was elected as a councillor four years ago; now he has to go through
more education. ere will likely be a lot of conversations between Sernick and Ludwig in the coming weeks and months. We know some of the issues that will have to be addressed in the initial months, not the least of which is the downtown revitalization project, which has dragged on into November and won’t be nished this year. e new council will get to decide how they will proceed with remaining aspects of the project and how they want to remedy some of the issues that are lingering.
ere was a lot of talk about transparency during the election. While the most recent council did more to engage the community and they discussed a lot more in open council, there is still more that can be done, and budget deliberations might be a good time to start.
ere were questions about how to bring in more businesses and additional development. We’ve seen some new businesses set up shop during this past term; some have survived and even thrived. Others have not. A cut to business property taxes is easier said than done; a more realistic option might be additional incentives for new businesses. e city had the CANDO program to entice new residential and business construction; it might be worth having something similar.
And, of course, there’s the ever-lingering question about the future of the community. It’s brighter than four years ago, thanks to discussions about how to keep coal mining in the mix and the potential for small
modular reactors in the Estevan area, but these aren’t guarantees. Council will need to keep applying pressure with these and other projects. While voters expressed their opposition to a third arena in Estevan during the non-binding plebiscite Wednesday night, that doesn’t mean the idea is dead. Knowing that 60 per cent of voters were opposed, council will have to tread lightly on this issue. ( at’s another opinion piece for another time). ere were some encouraging signs on election day. Long lineups were reported at the Estevan Church of God. ey ran out of ballots at one point, and the polling station needed to remain open beyond 8 p.m. to get everyone through. Steady tra c occurred at the drive-thru polling stations. e number of voters remained under 3,000, but interest was higher than four years ago.
Municipal politics isn’t easy. It’s a significant time commitment with low pay and constant stress scrutiny. In 2024, with the prevalence of social media and the lack of accountability on those platforms, it makes the job even more demanding. It deters a lot of good people from running. e candidates who ran, regardless of whether they were elected or not, deserve credit and applause for their decision to let their names stand. e campaign, while only a few weeks long, is challenging. For those who were successful, it’s about to get even tougher.
Tuning in to what we need to hear
“Wassup? How y’all be? How you doin’ tonight?”
These inane phrases and nonsense vocabulary went on for two minutes and 13 seconds in a large event where an individual was trying to introduce the next speaker. The one doing the introduction was a celebrity – someone with enough apparent clout to draw attention to the cause. Yet whatever influence she was supposed to bring, I would suggest she destroyed it by her inability to put coherent thoughts or complete sentences together.
But she was a celebrity and our culture turns to celebrities often. They are called on to endorse products and organizations; causes and candidates.
We bring out celebrities regularly to try and shape public opinion, and to sell everything from soda to shoes. However, despite the millions of dollars spent to get celebrity endorsements, the research does little to suggest it is very e ective. Most studies have found a boost in stock prices of about a quarter per cent when a deal is announced, and sales see an initial four per cent rise.
But that seems to taper o over time, and there’s the risk involved if a celebrity should happen to fall from grace and take down their reputation and endorsed products in the process.
No doubt a famous face can draw attention, but are we going to value their opinion so much we stop using our own judgement? Exactly whose voices are we allowing in? Who are we listening to?
Shelley Luedtke
That’s My Outlook
In the course of a day we are exposed to many voices — family, friends, neighbours, co-workers and clients, not to mention the voices coming through our monitors, TVs and devices by broadcasters, pundits, newscasters, hosts, programs and advertisements. It gets challenging knowing who to tune in, and who to tune out. Or does it?
I was once part of a team building exercise that required input from everyone as we tackled what was an intentionally-hard task. People were speaking at the same time, trying to get their opinions out there quickly so we could get moving and beat the other team we were up against. ere was a lot of noise until a deeply respected man began to speak.
In his quiet, gentle manner, he proposed a plan that got us all thinking because we could hear him and respond. We knew that what he had to say would be worth listening to. And it was.
ere are times when I try and remember what my dad’s voice sounded like. He died when I was a teenager but when I think of certain phrases he would say I feel I can recall the sound. He was a voice worth listening to. As are my family and friends, and those in my life on a daily basis who know me and care about me. at’s why I do not understand why we
give so much of our time and mental energy to those who know nothing about us but who make their living trying to in uence us. ere are so many others we should be taking the time to listen to. Seniors. Teenagers. Our spouse. Children. Our friends. ey are far more deserving of our attention.
Instead of talking with the people in our physical space, too often we see individuals isolating themselves on their devices, scrolling through post after endless post and ignoring others in the room. Watch a group of people together out for a meal, a meeting, sports event or anywhere people gather. ose they know and love are within arm’s reach, yet where is their attention? On a screen.
I see it and I do it. And it means I’m missing out. Missing out on the words and wisdom of those who know me and understand me. Replacing the voices of those who care about my well-being and instead giving my attention to those who want to rile me up, shape my values or in uence my decisions. It’s why we need to give thought to who and what we are choosing to listen to. Sometimes, especially at the end of a long or busy day, we tell ourselves we simply want to watch or listen to something “mindless”. ere is no such thing. We process more than 60,000 thoughts each day indicating our brains are always at work. What we put into our heads is the furthest thing from mindless.
Who we listen to makes a di erence. Let’s be sure we stay tuned in to the voices that matter most. at’s my outlook.
Estevan voters rejected the idea of a new third arena for Estevan during a non-binding plebiscite that was held during the Nov. 13 civic election.
Out of the 2,574 votes counted, 1,538, or 59.5 per cent, voted against the potential project, while 1,046, or 40.5 per cent, were in favour.
Estevan Minor Hockey Association (EMHA) president Stephen Truman said the organization isn’t giving up hope on the idea of a third rink.
“Obviously the plebiscite didn’t break the 50 per cent in favour threshold that the EMHA was hoping for, but in no way is this a negative result,” Truman said in an email to the Mercury and SaskToday. “Almost half of our voters are in favour of growing our community and that is signi cant. is is not a resounding no.
“What this means is it’s time to get to work. We need to chase down provincial government funding. We need to work with the city to investigate an Estevan destination and tour-
ism levy. We will look at avenues of fundraising and look at bringing folks together just like when we accomplished A nity Place.
“What this really does is give us the opportunity to work with other user groups to nd out what common ground we have and explore all the wants of the community to ensure all of Estevan’s youth have the tools they need to be successful.”
e EMHA said it didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for the plebiscite, so now it needs to show how and why the project will be achieved. Truman said he wasn’t surprised with the results, because he knows it would be a signi cant burden on Estevan taxpayers. And while he understands the question had to be vague, the EMHA didn’t have time to put the proper plan in place that comes with fundraising and other revenue streams.
“It leaves it open for skepticism by the community. If there’s a number of tax dollars involved, identifying exactly what the Es-
tevan taxpayers are going to be on the hook for, it gives them a much better idea to make a more informed decision.”
As for the Bienfait Memorial Arena Board’s pre-election request to have the city fund half the costs of a renovation of the arena to make it the primary third ice surface for Estevan, Truman said the EMHA already uses as much ice time as they can in Bienfait.
“ ey want to see their facility remain viable, and we do also, because we want to continue using that facility, and if we lose that facility, as an association, we’re in trouble. We already consider that our third arena,” said Truman.
Mayor-elect Tony Sernick brought forward the idea of the non-binding plebiscite in August when he was still a councillor. He said he thought there would only be around 2025 per cent support for the plebiscite.
“ ere’s talk of an arena, talk of a eldhouse, talk of a pool, talk of pickleball
courts,” said Sernick. “ e results were higher than I thought they would be, so that’s good, so we’ll see what comes forth.”
It’s going to be a group of people who come forth with an idea, he said, that would make the third arena happen.
He reiterated that he’s torn on the issue, but he does support it, because he sees the economic spino associated with a third arena, but he understands people are concerned about how to pay for it and if it’s what the community needs.
When A nity Place is being used for non-ice activity during the hockey and gure skating seasons, it leaves Estevan with just one rink.
Regardless of what happens with Bienfait’s request, Sernick said there needs to be collaboration with surrounding municipalities.
24114DS2
| Wednesday, November 20, 2024 |
New co-op grocery store in Carlyle celebrates grand opening
By Stephanie Zoer
Carlyle witnessed an exciting milestone with the grand opening of the new Southern Plains Co-operative grocery store on Nov. 14, a state-of-the-art facility set to serve the community with enhanced retail options. e event was a celebration of local partnerships, cultural respect and community spirit. e ribbon cutting ceremony began with a heartfelt blessing from renowned artist and elder Michael Lonechild from the White Bear First Nations (WBFN). Lonechild is also a pipe carrier. Lonechild said his people smudge with white sage every morning, asking for a blessed day, and for people to have the opportunity to get ready for the day ahead. As he walked with the smudge into the front foyer, he asked the greater powers to bless the building and its employees.
His blessing underscored the importance of unity, re-
spect for the land and the signi cance of his collaboration between Indigenous communities and local businesses.
Lonechild said a prayer in his Indigenous language to complete the blessing.
Southern Plains Co-op general manager Brian Enns said this new facility was a great opportunity for so many people.
Carlyle’s rst co-op store opened in 1940, and more than 80 years later, it was still booming with success.
Enns said that Carlyle is a very vibrant town, with growth, a great deal of support and a new school coming soon.
Town Councillors Gord Paulley and Nicole Currie added to the speeches by reminding people that a short time ago, the co-op also opened a new liquor store. e co-op also supports the town with the Fuel Good Day fundraiser. Next up was RM of Moose Mountain No. 63 Coun. Jack Wilson, who
spoke on the history of the store and how it has grown. Back in the day, shares cost $5, which was a big price in those days, and it began mainly with a group of farmers. e store has continued to do well and now there is a beautiful new store to enjoy and shop in.
Stephanie Kuch has been the store manager for 16 months and she has been in the grocery industry for over 20 years. She was excited to nally cut the ribbon for the grand opening and said a lot
PhotobyStephanieZoer
of work had gone into getting this store ready for the day.
e project began in September 2023. She visited the project site daily and brought progress to her sta at the store to keep the excitement going.
e 20,000-square-foot store is located on the south side of Highway 13 and can be seen easily from the highway. It was built by Quorex Construction out of Regina, with several trades involved, including Croft Electric and
Reinhardt Plumbing.
When it was nally time for the store to be lled with stock, 400-600 hours of preparation took place to get ready. Several Southern Plains Co-op team members and managers came from Estevan and Oxbow to help so they could maintain the existing location while preparing for the opening of the new store.
“It truly shows how a local co-operative comes together to take care of the community’s needs,” said Kuch.
Kuch is not only the store manager but also looks after the grocery department. Although they have all the full-time positions lled, they still need a meat manager and are always looking for part-time sta , which is an opportunity for students.
“Over the past several weeks I was so grateful for the Carlyle team and all the help through Southern Plains Co-op,” said Kuch. “ e week of opening, the dedication to push ourselves became stronger every day to ensure that we had the store looking the best we could for the community,” she said. Kuch and her team are looking forward to serving their customers in the new place.
While shopping at the grand opening, customers were o ered co ee by Michael’s Co ee Shop and an employee walked around the store handing out small bags of chips for customers.
“It was a very busy day,” said Kuch, “But all the hard work was so worth it.”
Border hours amended at North Dakota crossings
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), is adjusting hours of operation for ports of entry (POEs) in North Dakota and Minnesota,
beginning at midnight on Jan. 6, 2025.
“ is will allow CBP to increase border security while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade and travel. CBP o cers will be deployed to
busier ports of entry, enabling the agency to use its resources most e ectively for its critical national security and border security missions,” the CBP said in a news release. ese adjustments have
been made in close co-ordination with the CBSA, the CBP said, to ensure aligned operational hours that further enhance the security of both countries.
e CBP says it continually monitors operations, tra c patterns and volume, and analyzes the best use of resources to better serve the travelling public. e CBP went on to say it will remain engaged with local and regional stakeholders, as well as communities to ensure consistent communication and to address concerns.
e Port of Noonan, which is south of Estevan, will expand its operating hours to 9 a.m.-7 p.m., as will Fortuna, which is south of Oungre. e CBP says Northgate, which is southwest of Oxbow and Alameda, will permanently maintain its current hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., while Sherwood, which is south of Carievale, will permanently maintain its current hours of 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
ENERGY
SaskPower marks 10 years of CCS progress
SaskPower’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at the Boundary Dam Power Station’s Unit 3 continues its strong performance as the facility recently marked 10 years of operations.
According to a news release issued by SaskPower on Nov. 13, as of Sept. 30, 2024, the CCS facility had captured 6,434,234 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being emitted into the atmosphere since CCS came online in early October 2014.
“SaskPower’s CCS facility has made Boundary Dam Unit 3 the cleanest-burning coal power unit on Earth, and has turned Saskatchewan into an international expert for the development of CCS projects in a wide range of industries,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister responsible for SaskPower.
“By capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere, SaskPower’s CCS facility has also saved SaskPower customers over $160 million in carbon taxes since 2019 and enabled new innovations in elds like enhanced oil recovery.”
When operations began in the fall of 2014, Boundary Dam became the rst power plant in the world to successfully use CCS technology. During the past decade, the CCS facility overcame challenges associated with being the rst of its kind and is now achieving record capture rates.
In a 12-month period beginning in August 2023, the CCS facility captured more than 900,000 tonnes of CO2 and achieved a peak daily capture rate of 3,047 tonnes. In the same timeframe, SaskPower says Unit 3 maintained an average emissions intensity of 348 tonnes of CO2 per gigawatt
hour, well below the carbon tax threshold of 549 tonnes.
“Boundary Dam Unit 3 remains an important part of our generating eet, producing enough lower-carbon baseload power for 110,000 Saskatchewan homes,” said SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya. “With stable op-
Man pleads guilty to 2021 homicide
e man who was charged in connection with the death of another man in Estevan more than three years ago has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Gurwinder Singh Toor entered the plea in Court of King’s Bench in Regina on Sept. 12, and was sentenced to 3,650 days in prison, which is equivalent to nearly 10 years. He had already been in prison for 1,185 days when he was sentenced, and he has been given credit for 1,778 days served. e 3,650-day sentence is in addition to the time he has been incarcerated, so the total sentence will be 5,428 days, which is equivalent to nearly 15 years. Toor was also issued a 10-year rearm ban and he will have to provide a mandatory DNA sample. Toor was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Angelo Galido, who was located deceased in his Estevan residence on June 7, 2021. Toor, also
of Estevan, was arrested nine days later in Calgary and he has been in custody since his arrest. Galido and Toor were known to each other. e case was initially supposed to go to a jury trial in Court of King’s Bench in Estevan from Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 2023, but it was pushed back to April 14, 2025, in Estevan.
It was to be a trial by judge. “ e Crown believes that a manslaughter conviction was appropriate in all the circumstances,” said senior Crown prosecutor Bryan Carter in an email to the Mercury and SaskToday. “ e sentence imposed by the Court holds Mr. Toor accountable for unlawfully causing the death of Angelo Galido.”
erations achieved, we can focus on maintaining a low emissions intensity in the years to come.”
SaskPower has also released the third-quarter numbers for July 1-Sept. 30 for Boundary Dam. e Crown corporation said the quarter included an abnor-
mally hot and humid summer, resulting in a slightly lower daily average capture of 2,675 tonnes per day, and a peak daily capture of 2,980 tonnes.
“However, CCS reached the fall 2024 planned outage without any major unplanned events,” SaskPower said. e planned shutdown started on Sept. 13 and the facility was back online Oct. 23.
Overall, the CCS facility was available 80.6 per cent of the time in Q3, surpassing the goal of 75 per cent, and it captured 202,353 tonnes of CO2. is resulted in an emissions intensity of 316 tonnes of carbon dioxide per gigawatt hour, well below the carbon tax threshold of 549.1 tonnes. e acid plant at CCS was available 47 per cent of the time, producing 932 tonnes of sulfuric acid. Unit 3 was online 81.2 per cent of the time, surpassing the goal of 80 per cent. In the rst nine months of the year, the CCS facility has captured 675,874 tonnes of CO2.
AGRI-NEWS
Jason Frey remains a champion for 4-H
By David Willberg
Jason Frey’s time as the president of 4-H Saskatchewan is coming to an end, and he is proud of what has been accomplished.
Frey was elected to a two-year term as president in March 2023. Since that time, he has been involved with what he called some fairly big changes, including the restructuring of the regions in the province, reducing the number from four to three – east, west and north.
e council has approved a new three-year strategic plan, and now they’re working within the parameters of the document. ey’re also trying to redesign their record books and some of their information on the beef projects. e provincial body is also looking to overhaul and modernize its website.
Numbers for 4-H have grown a little bit this year, he said, while the number of volunteer leaders has also jumped. He believes the growth is due to growing
awareness about the impact of 4-H.
“It’s a good program, and the more the kids as members enjoy it, the more they bring new members to it,” said Frey.
As for the uptick in the number of leaders, Frey believes it’s because adults want to make sure young people are learning and gaining life skills.
Frey said young people gain life skills through their involvement in 4-H and its motto of Learn to do by Doing.
“Our members are out there physically doing it themselves. ey’re not watching other people do it,” said Frey. “ e clubs do lots of di erent things, helping out other people around their communities, whether it’s elderly people or other things.”
Public speaking is a huge aspect of 4-H. Young people have to prepare and deliver a speech every year.
“ e kids have the drive and the passion. ey want to get out and do things and make things better. When
people look at resumés later on in life and they see there’s 4-H experience, that speaks volumes to those employers that these kids are de nitely ones they want to hire and look at. It’s a really good and well-rounded program,” said Frey. e beef component is a big and well-known part
of 4-H, but Frey points out there are other options. Light horse is a common one, but there’s also sheep and chickens. For those who don’t have livestock, options include cooking, mechanics, scrapbooking and sewing. ere are also avenues to meet new people and make new friends. For ex-
ample, on Nov. 15, District 41, which encompasses the southeast corner, came together for the fall rally.
Youths enjoyed a potluck supper, played games, and had fun and met members from the other clubs.
roughout the year, they participate in judging competitions on everything from cookies to owers to cattle, enabling them to learn how to compare and rank items while providing sound reasoning for their selections.
4-H also has scholarship opportunities for graduating members and travel opportunities. A recent membership forum was held in Ottawa.
“It gives kids opportunities to get out and about across the country to see di erent things and meet di erent people.” e Saskatchewan 4-H transformed its annual general meeting into a youth conference, with di erent speakers who educated the young people on agriculture and other topics. A big dance is a highlight of the event.
Southeast 4-H Clubs enjoying activities
e Carievale 4-H Beef Club came together Nov. 4 to have a meeting at the Gallant Farm.
ey had two special guests, Ryan Brown and Brett Green, who came to show club members how to properly groom calves for show day.
Brown did a clipping and gluing demonstration for the older members and explained how to properly care for animals’ hair, while Green taught the cloverbuds how to brush their calves and which combs to use. ***
On Nov. 3, the Arcola-Kisbey 4-H Club had a re-organizational meeting at the Lees’ shop.
e club is excited to have ve new members join it this year: Josie Lees, Cade Dayman, Alexis Foy, Morgan Anderson and Quinn Anderson. Returning members are Emma, Kyla, Becca, Jackson and Hanna Lees; Jade, Andrew and Matthew Charlton; and Bode and Nyia Pretty.
Members discussed what they want to do for regu-
lar club meetings, making halters, working on record books, having a judging and a demonstration day, and touring local cattle or dairy farms.
ey also talked about their fundraisers for this year. ey are still collecting recycling and possibly holding a bottle drive and doing cleanups after events at the Arcola Prairie Place Complex.
e election of executive positions took place, with Matthew Charlton (president), Kyla Lees (vice-president), Jade Charlton (treasurer), Jackson Lees (reporter) and Becca Lees (secretary). e general leader is Arden Charlton, and the assistant leaders are Je Lees and Garon Pretty. Jackson Lees was presented with last year’s Busy Beaver Award and Emma Lees got the Helping Hands Award for their contributions. e club also talked about its part in helping with the upgrades to the Arcola Fairgrounds because that’s where the club has its achievement day.
e club Christmas party will be booked soon and the next meeting will be Dec. 8. If anyone has an event at Arcola Prairie Place that needs cleanup the following day, contact Je Lees at 306-577-1375. ***
e Glen Ewen Mixed 4-H Club held its rst general meeting of the 2024-25 season on Oct. 5. is year the club has six members: Eli Bartlett, Abby Bartlett, Paden Hitchens, Rayah Lovell, Aniya Douglas and Emery Hitchens, and everybody will be doing a sheep project. Leaders are Myrna Babbings as general leader, Pamela Bartlett as project leader, and Daniel Bartlett and Mckenzie Lovell as screened volunteers. e executive members are Eli Bartlett (president), Paden Hitchens (vice-president), Rayah Lovellas (secretary), Abby Bartlett (treasurer and reporter), Abby Bartlett and Paden Hitchens (member representatives), and Pamela Bartlett and Myrna Babbings (adult representatives of District 41).
“We run a 4-H camp in the summertime, a north one and a south one, and the kids always look forward to going to 4-H camp,” said Frey. A provincial 4-H show was introduced in the summer.
Anybody who showed cattle at their achievement day was invited to bring their steer with them and show it one last time while meeting kids from across the province. In 2025, it will happen in Yorkton during the provincial judging competition.
“ is year we want to bring sheep into it, and the goal is to try to bring in as many projects as we can from archery to whatever we can get, and give kids a chance to show o what they worked at all year … and to meet kids from across the province.” Frey is glad he had the opportunity to be the provincial 4-H president, because it’s a very rewarding organization, and to see kids have fun and succeed at what they’re doing is “awesome”, he said.
e rst district meeting of the year was Oct. 16 in Carievale. ose who attended were Myrna Babbings, Pamela Bartlett, Mckenzie Lovell, Abby Bartlett, Rayah Lovell and Paden Hitchens. e Dis-
trict 41 fall rally will be hosted by the Carndu Beef 4-H Club this year. Show Your 4-H Colours Day occurred Nov. 6. Pamela Bartlett asked each member what they wanted to do; some ideas were
making a sheep stand, a shearing stand and a sheep sign. Myrna Babbings asked the same question; responses included curling, skating, sledding and baking. Myrna also talked about record book neatness.
Candidates elected to rural municipality councils
Elections were held for a number of rural municipality councils during the Nov. 13 civic election. Saskatchewan RMs held elections for reeve, and councillor in Divisions 1, 3 and 5 this year. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 will be contested in 2026.
e RM of Coal elds No. 4 and the RM of Tecumseh No. 65 had elections for both reeve and at least one councillor. In Coal-
elds, Arnie John was elected as the new reeve, capturing 83 votes to nish ahead of Richard Tessier, who had 39, and Ken Hesketh, who had 30. As for Division 1, Heather Brokenshire defeated Bruce Craig 12-3 for the councillor job.
In the RM of Tecumseh No. 65, Christy Goudy won a threeway race for reeve, collecting 104 votes to wind up ahead of Jerry
Wilkes (75) and Zandra Slater (43). Mike Picard beat Guy Russell 39-1 in Division 1, and Richard Bowen defeated Tanya Dubois 36-18 to win in Division 5.
e RM of Argyle No. 1 had an election for reeve, with John Ryckman defeating George Howden 102-25.
e RM of Mount Pleasant had an election for councillor in Division 3. Rebecca Scott edged
Terry Macfarlane 25-23. ree people were vying for councillor in Division 1 in the RM of Enniskillen No. 3. Yvonne Douglas nished rst with 27 votes, followed by Leslie Logue (22) and Tyler Fitzpatrick (1). In the RM of Storthoaks No. 31, Bernard Poirier defeated Ivan Moreau 14-3 to become the councillor for Division 5.
Jack Wilson defeated Jessica Shirley 29-11 to win the councillor seat for Division No. 5 in the RM of Moose Mountain No. 63.
Gregory Johnston defeated Douglas Ilchuk 20-15 to become the new councillor for division No. 5 in the RM of Brock No. 64. e remaining RMs and subdivisions in the southeast were decided by acclamation.
Saskatchewan4-HpresidentJasonFrey.Filephoto
Alida and Area 4-H Beef Club enjoying growth
e Alida and Area 4-H Beef Club has continued to experience growth, thanks to the opportunities it provides for young people in the area.
Club leader Sheldon Kyle said the club has 29 members, up from 27 last year. Not only does it boast members from the Alida area, but there are young people from Redvers, Storthoaks, Maryeld and even Moosomin. e club meets monthly in Redvers, usually at the archery club’s venue on a Monday or a Wednesday. Days and times are exible to accommodate members’ other commitments, such as hockey and dance.
Kyle believes there are several reasons the club has continued to grow. One is the multi-generational nature of 4-H. Parents who were 4-H members see the value of the programs and get their kids involved. When the children get involved, they enjoy it and try to get their friends involved.
“4-H is a very unique program. It’s not like a sport where you just need to be good at one thing,” said Kyle. “ ere’s so many more things about 4-H. ere’s community involvement. Some members really seem to enjoy that and give up their time.”
Other young people enjoy interacting with other youths.
“Some of them [the younger members] get to interact with teenagers, and the teenagers get to interact with younger members as well. Some of the kids enjoy that. ere’s the public speaking aspect. You learn to become a more e ective communicator, which some kids excel at.”
Other young people enjoy the beef program. ey like raising a steer and being part of the agriculture sector.
“Right now is an exciting time in the beef industry, so some kids are excited about that stu as well, where it’s actually pro table and they’re making a little bit of money that they’re putting towards their education or their rst vehicle,” said Kyle.
He believes Alida and other 4-H clubs help build community leaders as well. “A lot of the families that we have involved are the people that are the volunteers within our community, so they understand that, and they’re trying to foster that within their children as well by becoming a member of the 4-H club,” said Kyle. While Alida is listed as a beef club, it has other o erings for its members, including a sheep project that isn’t available in all locations. ey also o er various projects, such as poultry and even small animals like rabbits.
Kyle tasked the older members to come up with a fun and educational activity that they plan and
organize once the business meeting is nished.
He stressed one of the bene ts of 4-H is individual competition. Members work as a team, but they are ranked in the top three in di erent categories, such as showmanship, con rmation, record keeping, judging and more.
“Family members tell me they like the 4-H program as well because their kids are still ranked and placed,” said Kyle.
Members learn they might be great at public speaking or grooming their steers, but maybe aren’t as good at showmanship.
“It allows them to testdrive everything and nd out what their strength is or where their passion lies. It’s a good life skill at a young age, because it teaches them that in life there are other things. You don’t need to be good at everything. It’s good to be a well-rounded person and at least try everything.”
e members spend some time volunteering in the fall and Kyle is a
big believer in giving back to the community. In the past, the club has held food drives and battery collections. ey recently donated money to health care.
When members apply for a job, employers will often be impressed if 4-H appears on a resumé.
At the end of the year, the kids ask people to come to the regional 4-H sale and purchase their steer.
“Our community is really good to us as far as donations and support and stepping up to the plate during our regional sales to support the members through the purchase of their 4-H calves.”
Kyle believes the club wouldn’t be as strong as it is without the families and
their support. It’s one thing to be a member, but parents get the kids to and from the meetings and pitch in when
an event is happening.
“I’m blessed with a really good group of families,” he said.
Salvation Army gears up for festive season with Christmas kettles, mailouts, holiday cookies
As the holiday season approaches, the Estevan Salvation Army is launching a suite of community-centred initiatives to spread festive cheer and lend a helping hand to those in need.
From their annual kettle and letter appeal campaigns to a Holiday Smile Cookie collaboration with Tim Hortons, and the return of the much-loved Teddy Bear Toss, the organization is in full swing for the season of giving.
e Salvation Army’s Christmas mail-out is already in progress, with envelopes distributed to households. While there might be potential delays due to the Canada Post strike, community members have other ways to deliver their donations if they
want. ey can drop them o at the o ce or at one of the holiday kettles. is year, the organization has set a combined fundraising target of $125,000 from the mailouts and kettle campaign, which is the same as last year.
e kettle campaign kicks o Dec. 2 and will run until Christmas Eve. Donations can be made at No Frills and the Southern Plains Co-op Monday through Friday from Dec. 2-24; and at Walmart from Dec. 16-24.
e Salvation Army is actively seeking volunteers to man the kettles, with opportunities available for anyone looking to contribute.
“We still have multiple spots open. We’re encour-
aging those who have the time, maybe high-school students that have volunteer hours, businesses who want to get out in the community and show their support for the Salvation Army, wearing their brand wear, and just to engage in community and help us out with that,” said Ronza Reynard, director of ministry for the local Salvation Army. “We’re looking forward to a good season. We’ve had a few people already calling and inquiring about when they can get on the kettle.”
In a rst, the local Salvation Army is the designated charity for Tim Hortons’ holiday cookie campaign, running from Nov. 18-24. Half of the proceeds will bene t the Salvation Army’s food
bank, while the other half supports Tim Hortons’ summer camp program. Volunteers are also needed to help decorate cookies at the Salvation Army o ce, with nished treats sold at two local Tim Hortons locations.
“We’ll be decorating them down here at the Salvation Army Monday to Friday in the afternoon from 1-3. If somebody has some time on their hands and they’d like to volunteer and come down and do some decorating, feel free to give us a call here at the o ce, and we will nd a space for them,” Reynard said.
“And then we’re just encouraging people to go out and buy cookies. Who doesn’t love cookies? Pick up a box for yourself or for
Appendix C FORM CC
[Clause 139(1)(b) of the Act]
Declaration of Results
Councillor: Town of Lampman for the election held on the 13th day of November, 2024.
Names of Candidates Number of Votes Acclamation/ Elected
Jadon CARNDUFF 114
Randy FLECK 111
Tanner FRYCZ 80
Steven MASSSEL 71
Mark MORISSETTE 38
Twyla QUANTRIL 94
Roy (RJ) RAYNARD 123
Daryle RUNGE 116
Ryan SAXON 117
Elected
Elected
Elected
Elected
Dena SCOTT 165 Elected
Ian STEWART 92
Kelly STORLIE 148 Elected
Garrett WOODLEY 99
Number of rejected ballots, except those on which no vote was made:.
*Number of ballots counted but objected to:.
Spoiled: (e.g Issued to a person who declined to vote). 3
Total number of voters who voted as indicated on each Form Z (or Form AA for voting machines). 249 I declare that this is an accurate statement of the votes cast for the office of Councillor for the Town of Lampman. Dated this 14th day of November 2024.
Teresa Dyck (Returning Officer)
your workmates, or drop them o to somebody and say thank you for all your hard work, show some appreciation to somebody that you’ve partnered with over the year,” she added.
Another beloved tradition, e Teddy Bear Toss, is set to return on Nov. 23 when the Estevan Bruins will play the Battlefords North Stars at A nity Place, starting at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own teddy bears or purchase them at the event to throw onto the ice. Once collected, the bears will be taken to seniors in care homes across the region.
“ is is a special tradition for us,” said Reynard. “We visit seniors’ homes, share a teddy bear, a calendar and a Christmas card.
It’s our way of saying Merry Christmas, especially to those who may not have family nearby.” Funds raised through holiday season initiatives will support a range of local programs, including the food bank, children’s backpack initiatives, sending kids to summer camps and others. Reynard emphasized that every dollar raised stays within the community to bene t local programs.
Reynard also reminded the public that anyone planning to apply for a Christmas hamper this year, should do so before Nov. 29. For more information or to get involved as a volunteer, contact Randy at the Salvation Army o ce at 306-634-2074.
NOTICE OF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS -BY ELECTION RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BENSON NO. 35
Public notice is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the offices of:
Councillor: Rural Municipality of Benson No.35, Division No.2
Number to be Elected: 1 will be received by the undersigned on the 11th day of December 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,atthe Municipal Officelocated at 370–1st Avenue, Benson, Saskatchewan.
Nominations will also be received during regular business hours November 13th to December 11th, 2024, at the municip al of f ic e at 370 –1st Avenue, Benson, Saskatchewan.
Nomination forms may be obtained at
Dated this 13th day of November 2024.
Chantel Walsh Returning Officer
Emerging Estevan writer hosts reading at library
By Ana Bykhovskaia
A room of eager listeners at the Estevan Public Library was treated to an intimate author reading on Nov. 16, as AnnaRose Lawrence stepped into the spotlight to share her creative journey.
e event, attended by over 20 individuals, was not only a showcase of her published story but also an inspiring glimpse into her upcoming book, writing process and personal motivations.
Lawrence, the library’s adult program co-ordinator, is an emerging author who has been quietly crafting her narratives for several years.
normally I’m the one introducing the author,” she said with a smile, addressing the unique blend of her roles as both the event host and its main attraction.
e author’s reading revolved around Lawrence’s story, e Curse of the Draconic, featured in the anthology Creatures, Crowns, and Curses. e tale was entered into a writing contest hosted by Quill and Flame, a publisher committed to producing clean, family-friendly stories.
“I’d entered one of their contests before and lost,” Lawrence revealed. Undeterred, she crafted a new story to t a di erent contest.
“I wrote something similar to a story I’d done before but reworked it completely,” she explained, emphasizing the collaborative role her family and friends played in re ning the nal version.
Lawrence’s talk provided a personal look into her writing process. She traced the roots of her storytelling back to her childhood, fueled by an overactive imagination and a desire to explore worlds beyond her own.
“Short stories are all the adventures I didn’t have time for,” she said.
e creative process for
e Curse of the Draconic wasn’t without its challenges. Working with a tight word count and a deadline, Lawrence rewrote the story multiple times with feedback from her close-knit circle of beta readers.
“Writing is complicated, and creating worlds is complicated,” she noted.
Her e orts paid o , as her story was selected for publication, joining 16 other written and some photo pieces in a collection that has become a fundraiser for the Hair for All Foundation.
“All the proceeds from book sales go to creating wigs for individuals with cancer or alopecia,” Lawrence shared, highlighting the philanthropic aspect of the anthology.
e book is available online through Amazon as an electronic and physical copy.
Lawrence also shared with the audience an exclusive announcement about her rst solo book, rough the Puddles, slated for publication in March 2025.
e book compiles 20 of the best short stories from the rst year of her website, Umbrella Stories, which she began as a creative outlet during the challenges of the pandemic.
“2020 was hard for everyone, and journaling is the bane of my existence,” Lawrence said. “So, I started writing short stories to process all of my emotions, and after a while, I wanted to share those stories.”
She described her website as a place for readers to “puddle jump through stories,” emphasizing her belief in the transformative power of short ction.
e forthcoming collection captures what she calls “the joy of puddle jumping,” a metaphor for escaping into whimsical adventures.
“Can you remember the last time you jumped in a puddle? Nothing brings out your inner child like puddle jumping,” Lawrence said, reading from the book’s blurb. “Get lost in whimsical tales of dragons, knights, monsters, princesses, potions, love, loss, a hint of reality – no rain gear required.”
Lawrence encouraged attendees to stay connected through her newsletter, Umbrella Ramblings, and/ or by following her writing and publishing progress on her social media through AnnaRose’s Um-
brella Stories pages. e event ended with a reading of e Curse of the Draconic, transporting the audience to a kingdom in turmoil as a cursed princess navigates a world of magic and mystery. Attendees praised Lawrence’s storytelling and asked some questions during the Q&A session that followed.
For those interested in following her work, Lawrence’s website, www.annarosesumbrellastories.com, remains the gateway to her enchanting world – one puddle jump at a time.
Envision and library hosting Death Café in Estevan
e Envision Counselling and Support Centre and the Southeast Regional Library are hosting a Death Café in Estevan on Nov. 27. e conversation will focus on increasing ease and comfort with death and dying conversations.
e event will take place at the Estevan Public Library.
“Most people tend to shy away from discussing death and the process of dying, but a growing movement of acceptance and understanding is aiming to remove the anxiety that surrounds these talks,” Envision said in a news release. “Any par-
ticipants seeking an honest discussion about the end of life are welcome to join Envision while engaging in conversations surrounding one of life’s most di cult topics.”
“A Death Café is a global movement to increase awareness of death, with an approach to helping
people make the most of the nite lives,” explained Raven Daer, communications specialist for Envision Counselling and Support Centre. “ is is not a grief support or counselling group, but more of an opportunity to increase ease and comfort with death and dying conversations.”
e gathering is not exclusive to any particular group or individuals with a certain personal experience, rather it’s open to anyone who could bene t from getting more comfortable with talking about death.
e event is set to be held from 7-9 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to pre-register for the free event by calling Envision at 306-637-4004.
“ is is something that is still fairly new to our area, so we are just very excited to have the opportunity to introduce this to the Estevan community and to see what transpires from it,” said Daer.
Virtual physician program now in place in Redvers
A virtual physician program has been implemented for the Redvers Health Centre.
According to a news release from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, residents in Redvers and area have stable access to emergency room (ER) services thanks to this program.
“ e virtual physician program is a temporary measure that
helps sustain and support access to emergency health services while the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) continues to stabilize health human resources, particularly in rural and remote communities,” the SHA said in a news release issued ursday.
During periods when local physicians are not available to provide on-site coverage and local
recruitment e orts are underway to ll provider vacancies, the SHA said the virtual physician program supports the Redvers health-care team in addressing the emergent medical needs of patients presenting to the ER.
Using the existing technology of HealthLine 811, the program provides the local health-care team with remote access to an ER
physician located elsewhere in the province, to continue safely and e ectively assessing, triaging and providing treatment to patients in the ER.
“Redvers joins many other rural communities, like Broadview and Kipling, where [a] virtual physician is being utilized to support safe, ongoing access to ER services,” the news release stated.
e SHA announced in the summer of 2023 that the virtual physician initiative was being brought in for the Galloway Health Centre in Oxbow, and it is still used when needed. Individuals requiring emergency services should call 911. Non-urgent health-related questions may be directed to the 24/7 HealthLine service by calling 811.
AnnaRose
AnnaRoseLawrence’s
Estevan Kinette Club’s Christmas Marketplace kicked off the holiday season
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e Estevan Kinettes Club’s annual Christmas Marketplace returned on Nov. 16, o ering a festive array of hand-crafted and other goods while supporting the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Festival of Trees.
Held at the Wylie-Mitchell and Estevan Exhibition Halls, the event boasted 70 vendors, drawing crowds despite the inclement weather the area experienced on Saturday.
“It’s been a great turnout. We’ve had quite a few people through the door this morning,” said Janelle Luddington, the Kinette organizing the event.
She admitted she was initially concerned about the rain and snow but she was thrilled to see Estevan residents showing up in full force. e marketplace, which has evolved over the years, continues to balance its roots in handcrafted goods with newer o erings. While the event includes some home-based businesses, the focus remains on small artisans and craftspeople.
Vendors travelled from as far as Brandon, Man., and Regina, as well as places in the southeast, reecting the event’s regional appeal.
“We do try to stick with our craft show roots,” said Luddington.
“ ey come from many areas,” Luddington said, adding that many vendors have participated for years,
creating thriving businesses that originated from their booths at the marketplace. Proceeds from the event were directed to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, with funds helping cover the Kinettes’ naming rights for the hospital’s maternity ward.
e event also underscores the dedication of the Estevan Kinette Club to the community with members handling setup and operations.
“We have all of our Kinettes involved today,” said Luddington, noting a few members were unavailable due to family or work obligations. With plans already underway for next year’s event, Luddington said the Kinettes are set to continue this cherished tradition, but she probably won’t be involved anymore, as she moved out of Estevan a few years ago.
Schools were placed in hold and secure
Two schools in southeast Saskatchewan were temporarily placed in a hold and secure last week due to an incident.
Redvers School and École de Bellegarde enacted the measures due to a vehicle that was reported to be stolen. People were asked to report sightings but not to approach the vehicle. Exterior doors were locked and classes continued as normal.
In the case of Redvers School, the “all clear” was issued at 10 a.m., about an hour after the initial order was issued.
In an email to the Mercury and SaskToday, the RCMP con rmed it asked for a hold and secure to be put in place at two schools. e RCMP says the situation was resolved and there was no risk to public safety. e order was issued after the Carndu RCMP received a report that two armed
City Hall: 1102 4th Street
8amto4:30 pm |(306) 634-1800
individuals were travelling in a 2025 grey Honda Pilot in the RM of Storthoaks. e vehicle was con rmed to be stolen out of Manitoba.
e Saskatchewan RCMP said o cers immediately began looking for the individuals and asked for the two schools to enact hold and secure. At one point, it was seen travelling west from Bellegarde. e individuals and the vehicle were located, but no charges had been laid as of the Mercury’s press time.
Any updates will be posted to our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca.
e Estevan RCMP, Carlyle RCMP, Saskatchewan RCMP Tra c Services and conservation o cers with the Provincial Protective Services branch assisted with the le.
LeisureOffice: 701 Souris Avenue 8amto4:30pm| (306) 634-1880 LEISURE CENTRE SCHEDULE AppendixC FORM KK [Section156 of theAct] Notice of ResultsofVoteonBylaw,ResolutionorQuestion _______________City _____________of ___________Estevan (Municipality) Question: Wouldyou support theconstructionofa thirdindoor icefacility in theCityofEstevan?
forthe voteheldonthe 13thday of November 2024
Number of Ballots Counted
Number of Ballots Rejected
Number of Ballots Spoiledand Declined
Number of ballots counted butobjected to
Icertifythatthe above is an accurate statementofthe votes castonthe Plebiscite/Question.
forthe electionheldonthe 13thday of November,2024.
NamesofCandidatesNumberofVotes or Acclamation/Elected KevinAndrew629
StephenDanie 919
Mathew Dubowski1048 Elected
Dave Elliot1464 Elected
RhyanHagel 783
BrianJohnson 1762 Elected
TomMauss 1233 Elected
Shelly Veroba 2175 Elected
KirstenWalliser 1992 Elected
RobinWog 995
Number of Ballots Counted 2695
Number of Ballots Rejected 0
Number of Ballots Spoiledand Declined 28
Number of ballots counted but objected to 0 Unused Ballots500
TotalNumberofBallots Supplied3223
Totalnumberofvoter whohavevoted as indicated in thepollbook is 2695
Icertifythatthe above statements arecorrect of thevotes cast
forthe office of Mayor forthe City of Estevan
O
Datedthis14thday of November,2024. (Returning Officer)
CLASSIFIEDS
Flashback – Nov. 17, 1993
The 2901 Estevan (Elks) PPCLI Army Cadet Corps were the recipients of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Proficiency Challenge Cup for the 1992-93 training year. The presentation of the award was made at an Army Cadet League dinner in Regina in November 1992.
Two men arrested in Estevan over the weekend
e Estevan Police Service responded to 41 calls for service over the weekend of Nov. 15-17, including a complaint of an indecent act at a local restaurant, which is still under investigation; a report of an individual uttering threats; mischief to property; tra c complaints; suspicious vehicles and persons; intoxicated persons causing issues in licensed premises; and bylaw concerns.
In addition, as a result of a Report Impaired Drivers (RID) call on Nov. 15, a 30-year-old man from Regina was arrested and charged with impaired driving and operation of a vehicle with a blood alcohol content over .08. He was issued an inde nite driving suspension, and his company vehicle was impounded for 30 days. He will appear in court at a later date.
A 25-year-old Estevan man was arrested and charged with break and enter to a residence and mischief after a call to the EPS on Nov. 16. He was subsequently released on conditions and will make an appearance in Estevan Provincial Court at a later date.
Earlier last week, the EPS received a couple of complaints on
Nov. 11 regarding possible frauds.
One occurrence is about an individual renting equipment and then cancelling payment, and the second occurrence is regarding money being paid for services, after which the complainant did not receive the services as agreed. Both matters remain under investigation.
e EPS received a complaint of a disturbance at a residence, which resulted in the arrest of an Estevan youth for mischief. e youth was grossly intoxicated at the time and he was lodged in cells until sober. e investigation into the associated mischief continues.
EPS members attended to a collision at the intersection of King Street and Souris Avenue North on Nov. 12. e matter remains under investigation.
Police received a report of theft of property from a motor vehicle. e vehicle was insecure and a number of tools were taken. e matter is also under investigation, and the EPS reminds the public to be diligent and to secure their property and vehicles to prevent thefts.
A complaint came in regarding a dog being left in a vehicle while the
owner was at work. e matter was forwarded to the bylaw enforcement o cer for further follow-up. Police attended to a multiplex for a reported disturbance. Two tenants in the building weren’t getting along and had a dispute over property. Members initially mediated the situation, but a short time later the individuals resumed the argument.
EPS members attended again and spent considerable time working towards a negotiated return of property before the matter was resolved for the evening.
e EPS received a call from a local business owner who located an injured banded pigeon. Police dispatch assisted the business owner in contacting the owner of the bird, who resides in Manitoba. Arrangements were made by the business owner for the safe return of the bird to its owner.
Police have recently received several complaints from citizens and property owners regarding youths gathering on a property and discarding large amounts of trash. Members attended to a similar complaint during the night shift and issued a summary o ence ticket for littering
with a voluntary payment amount of $580.
On Nov. 13, police assisted with tra c control at the drive-thru election poll locations. No major issues occurred.
A cell phone was located at a local convenience store and turned into EPS. If you have misplaced your phone, please stop in at the police station and provide a description to claim it.
Police and re crews responded to a two-vehicle collision at King Street and Cundall Drive. No injuries were reported, and it was determined that the collision did not require further police involvement. Both vehicles remained operational and the drivers exchanged information before leaving the area. e EPS received a report of a hit-and-run collision on Nov. 14, in which witnesses were able to provide details and the driver was located. e matter remains under investigation.
Members are investigating a report of an individual uttering threats. e investigation is ongoing with additional statements being obtained.
Fire crews called to rollover by Estevan
Estevan Fire Rescue Service members responded to a couple of accidents last week.
On Nov. 16 at around 11 a.m., crews were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover approximately 10 kilome-
tres north of Estevan. No entrapment or injuries were reported. Fire ghters assisted on scene with the occupants and tra c until it was cleared up.
Earlier last week, the EFRS was dispatched to a two-vehicle collision in the north-central part of the city on Nov. 13 at about 9.15 p.m. Crews responded and quickly determined the incident was fairly minor
and their assistance was not required.
On Nov. 12 just before 8.30 p.m., re ghters were dispatched to a commercial carbon monoxide alarm in central Estevan. Since crews were out doing some training, they were quick to respond to investigate. Upon arrival, members recorded small amounts of CO in the building, so crews worked to ventilate
it out. Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies said the cause wasn’t determined at the time, so there was supposed to be some further investigation. ere were no reports of illness or injuries.
On Nov. 15 just before noon, re ghters were requested for a smoke investigation west of the city. An on-call duty o cer responded to investigate while crews remained on standby.
e smoke was located, and it was determined to be a small controlled burn, occurring out in the country, so re ghters’ assistance was not required.
On Nov. 17 at about 2.30 p.m., a residential re alarm went o in the northwest part of the city. While responding, re ghters were updated that it was conrmed false with the homeowners, so they stood down.
Think abundance, not scarcity
“ ere are no trees in Saskatchewan.”
I have heard that statement many times, mostly from people who moved to Estevan from places like British Columbia or northern Ontario. Compared to what they expect, Saskatchewan, and Estevan in particular, seems rather barren. However, the statement is not true. More than half the province is covered with trees. Go up north and
there are trees everywhere. A few months ago, I came across an aerial photo of Estevan from the 1950s. When I showed it to my
Tim
Pippus
of the Estevan Church of Christ
girls, the rst thing they said was, “Wow, there are no trees in that picture.” e photo looked odd to them because their understanding is that Estevan has trees.
ey see our town differently than someone who has just moved here from British Columbia. ey see what is here, not what is lacking.
A scarcity mindset is dangerous because it only allows us to see what we do not have. For example, if I believe that I do not have any real friends, I will au-
tomatically overlook all the good friends that I do have and notice only those who treat me poorly.
If I could give everyone one present right now, it would be the ability to see their blessings. Even in the worst circumstances, there is something for which to be grateful and gratitude changes everything.
More than that, I would give us the ability to believe in a God who can do anything, anywhere and at any time. After all, God deals in abundance, not scarcity.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Front row, from left, WO C. Dixon, MWO J. Turner, CI B. Johnson, OCdt. R. Scott, Lt. D. Fieber, Capt. R. Rooks, Capt. K. Turner,
OCdt. R. Kitchen, CI N. Calder, P/Maj. G. From and Sgt. C. Willmot. Middle row, D. Rooks, B. Durr, LCpl. M. Johnson, S. Syrjanen, C. Murfitt, Cpl. A. Woodhouse, Cpl. L. Johnson, LCpl. C. Davidson C.G. White M. Jeworski, LCpl. M.A. Walliser and LCpl. M.E. Walliser
Back row, B. Dzuba, Cpl. B. Rutledge, LCpl. S. Loreth, Sgt. C.N. White, T. Bauman, LCpl. M. Jeworski, LCpl. C. Mantei and Sgt. A. Durr
Estevan Kinettes looking for donations of pyjamas
e Estevan Kinette Club is once again hoping the community will get behind it for the annual PJ Project.
Committee chairwoman Kristol Nagy said the club will kick o the community initiatives at the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins home game on Nov. 22. People can drop o their donations or they can sponsor a pair of pyjamas.
e PJ Project works closely with the Community Hamper Association and its Angel Tree program. A hamper recipient with at least one child can select a toy for each youngster through the Angel Tree’s Toy Store that will be set up before Christmas. ey also get to select a pair of pyjamas.
“It’s one more item that they can enjoy in their Christmas gifts. We kind of went with the concept that everybody should have a new pair of Christmas pyjamas to enjoy over the holidays, so we just
wanted to make sure that we can collect them and hand them out to those that maybe wouldn’t be able to be involved in a tradition like that,” said Nagy.
Last year the PJ Project received roughly 800 pairs of pyjamas to distribute, so each child received two out ts. But they still had to use some funds to have enough PJs for all sizes and all groups. Most years they hand out just one set for each child.
Nagy said drop-o points will be set up in the community so that the public can donate to the PJ project. People have been asking if the Kinettes are still running the program this year. e Bruin game will be a good reminder to the public that the project is continuing.
“We usually have good success in that people are very excited to come see us and bring their donations to us. We usually bring a table lled with pyjamas
for both boys and girls, and they like to come look at them and sponsor a pair at that event.”
Since the Kinettes handed out two pairs of pyjamas to each recipient, they didn’t
carry over much inventory to this year.
e PJ Project has been happening in the community for roughly a decade.
Nagy said they always get a lot of support from the
community, and this is a concept that people seem to connect with.
“It might be something relatable to a tradition in their own home, and they get very excited to get
themselves into donating, along with their children or grandchildren. It seems to be something that the community … has been really drawn to, ever since we started it,” Nagy said.
Mayors and councillors elected in towns and villages
Elections were held in a number of urban municipalities in southeast Saskatchewan during the Nov. 13 civic election.
e two largest elds were in Lampman and Oxbow. Lampman had two candidates for mayor and 13 for councillor.
Scott Greening was elected as the new mayor, nishing with 153 votes, compared to 92 for John Jones.
In the councillor race, the six elected candidates were Dena Scott, who had 165 votes, followed by Kelly Storlie (148), Roy (RJ) Raynard (123), Ryan Saxon (117), Daryl Runge (116) and Jadon Carndu (114). e other candidates were Randy Fleck (111), Garrett Woodley (99), Twyla Quantrill (94), Ian Stewart (92), Tanner Frycz (80), Steven Massel
Names of Candidates Number of Votes Acclamation/ Elected Scott GREENING 153 Elected John (Jay) JONES 92 Appendix C FORM CC [Clause 139(1)(b) of the Act] Declaration of Results Mayor: Town of Lampman for the election held on the 13th day of November 2024.
Number of rejected ballots, except those on which no vote was made:.
*Number of ballots counted but objected to:.
Spoiled: (e.g Issued to a person who declined to vote). 2
Total number of voters who voted as indicated on each Form Z 249
I declare that this is an accurate statement of the votes cast for the office of Mayor for the Town of Lampman
Dated this 14th day of November, 2024. Teresa Dyck (Returning Officer)
(71) and Mark Morrissette (38).
Oxbow had 17 candidates battling for six councillor seats. Elected were James Fonstad (236), Derrick Menzies (224), Sylvia Mohrbutter (200), Philip Amosah (191), Starr Mercer (193) and Brad Mayer (145). e defeated council hopefuls were Allison Nicholls (143), Derek Adams
(141), Calvin Rosenthal (114), Kim Friesen (113), Rodrigo Rabanal (86), Ken Swanson (80), John Hutoetz (78), Orlando Vistal (65), Mark Barnes (27) and Amy Backstrom (17). Carievale, Macoun and Kisbey had elections for mayor and councillor. In Carievale, Gregory Martin defeated George Kerr 4818 to be the next mayor. e four councillors will
NOTICE The Tax Enforcement Act
ANDREW JAMES YOUNG & TANIS NADINE YOUNG
TAKE NOTICE that the Town of Lampman intends to be registered as owner under the above Act of the land described as LOT 8-BLK/PAR 1-PLAN AG5479 EXT 0, Title No. 141995931 & LOT 9-BLK/PAR 1-PLAN AG5479 EXT 0, Title No 141995953.
The municipality claims title to the land by virtue of an interest based on the tax lien registered against the existing title to the land in the Land Titles Registry as Interest Number 198197993 & 198198039 and you are required to TAKE NOTICE that unless you contest the claim of the municipality or redeem the land pursuant to the provisions of the above Act within six months from the service of this notice on you and, subject to the further provisions of The Tax Enforcement Act a certificate of title will be issued to the applicant and you will thereafter be forever estopped and debarred from setting up any claim to, or in respect of, the land
The amount required to redeem the land may be ascertained on application to the Clerk, Treasurer or Administrator of the municipality For any questions about the tax enforcement process please contact Taxervice at 1-877-734-3113.
Dated this 13th day of November 2024.
Teresa Dyck, Administrator Town of Lampman
be Ken Grobbink (61), Shawn Gallant (55), Kassandra McNamara (51) and Gary Annetts (42). Scherise ompson (36) was defeated.
In Kisbey, Elisa Jackson was elected as the new mayor, defeating Kevin St. John 45-24. Elected as councillors were Sheldon Wyatt with 60 votes, Brody Singleton and Kelvin Nankivell with 57 each, and John Dayman with 56. Garth Randy Graham (23) was defeated.
In Macoun, Frank Schaefer defeated Suzanne Kuchinka 70-33 in the mayoral race. e four councillors will be David Schindel (90), Vanessa Taylor (85), Judith Sovdi (81) and Juergen Hauck (68). Kelly Foord (44) was the other candidate.
ere were seven candidates for six councillor seats in Bienfait. Elected were Bill Mann (123), Dennis Gonas (117), David Johnson (107), Paul Carroll (98), Melissa Rensby (97) and Daniyale Woolsey (88). Deidra Maurer (83) was defeated.
Six councillors were elected from an eight-candidate eld in Midale, with Gregg Prawdzik and Ryan
ompson each getting 101 votes, followed by Clinton Lund (97), Melissa Brady (90), Armond Hauglum (74) and Willy Wieler (73). Mona Gange (59) and Sylvia Teichgraber (52) were the other candidates. Stefan Clark will be the mayor in Stoughton, nishing with 174 votes, well ahead of Tyson Slater’s 74. Elections were needed in Carlyle and Gainsborough, after a second call for nominations to ll a vacant seat yielded more than one candidate. In Carlyle, Tracy Van Dresar defeated Mary Mo at 119-48 to join that town’s council. Four candidates were vying for a vacant seat in Gainsborough. Nicole Jedel won with 28 votes to join three other candidates, ahead of omas Rawn with 25, while Kevin Stanley and Teresa oring each had 10. In Alida, Sheri-Lee Patton (45), Darryl Dubuc (44), Jason Purves (43) and Dale Jones (41) were elected to council. Kevin Bensette (nine) was defeated. Roche Percee had three candidates vying for two spots. Bill Campbell (37) and Corey Mack (27) were elected, and Joan Selk (19) was defeated.
24113DS0
International Men’s Day
Kevin Mortenson has dedicated many hours to volunteering and operating successful businesses
By David Willberg
Kevin Mortenson’s family has long been a part of the community, both through the business world and with volunteering.
Mortenson was born and raised in the Energy City. His father Don opened Don’s Tire Shop in 1958, and the company remained in the family and was a xture for well over 50 years. Don Mortenson was also part of the Estevan Lions Club, the Estevan Kinsmen Club and was an avid member of the local square dance club with his wife Frankie.
Kevin Mortenson has followed in his father’s footsteps; he ran Don’s Tire for years and joined the Lions Club in 2000.
He gives his parents a lot of credit for setting good examples of community leadership.
“Both my dad and Nick Morsky had told me … as soon as I started operating the tire shop – I took over from dad in 1994 – that you have to … take your community seriously because these are the people that are going to be supporting your business while you’re operating it,” said Mortenson in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday.
Mortenson and his wife Linde stayed in Estevan and raised three children: Samantha, Brooklyn and Donny. All three are now adults. It was around 2000 when Mortenson started getting serious about volunteering and doing more for the community beyond his job. Morsky invited Mortenson to an Estevan Lions Club meeting, and Mortenson has been a member ever since. In around 2002 or 2003, when Brooklyn was ve or six years old, she decided she wanted to play soccer. Estevan Youth Soccer was looking for volunteer coaches, and even though Mortenson didn’t know anything about the sport, he decided to volunteer as a coach. He remained in the role until 2013.
He also had a couple of stints as the soccer association’s president and he held other executive roles. He also volunteered with painting lines.
“Last year was the rst time in quite a few years that I wasn’t involved with soccer,” said Mortenson. “I wasn’t painting lines. I was on the board up until last year, but I was just painting the lines, and obviously, it has to be done.”
Mortenson recalled that 24 hours before his rst stint as soccer president
ended in 2013, he became the president of Estevan Minor Football.
“Steve McLellan was leaving for Alberta. He was president of Estevan Minor Football at the time. I wasn’t the rst choice, but I was the eventual choice for taking over for Steve.”
A lot of people think he was one of the founding board members of minor football, but he wasn’t.
Mortenson said Sheila Leach-Dougherty and other people deserve the credit for getting minor football o the ground in 2008.
Donny started playing minor football in 2008 with the U10 program. at led to Kevin coaching and becoming involved. Before too long, he started o ciating.
“I say it every year, and I’m trying to put my foot down, that this is the last year I’m going to o ciate football. But I’ve been saying that for probably 10 years,” said Mortenson.
Except for two years when his son was at the U12 level, Mortenson coached a U10 team almost from the program’s inception until today. He has also been involved with the Southeast U18 Estevan Kinette Club Viragos female team since it started in 2020.
“I spearheaded that with Shanelle Rioux. I’ve been a manager or a coach. I’m stepping away from coaching, but I’m always on the eld. I’ll hold the bags or just help set up drills whenever possible, but I don’t have the in uence of a coach anymore,” he said.
Mortenson said he would continue to help out the Viragos as much as needed, and he is now the commissioner of the Prairie Girls’ Football League, a role he is enjoying. Over the winter, he will be focused on recruitment, not just for the southeast entry, but for other teams in the league so that female football can continue.
“It’s not just an Estevan problem. I’ve talked to Melville and Moosomin especially, because they’re pretty close to us, and the feeling you get from their coaches is if they don’t get any more girls, they’re probably not going to have a team in 2025,” said Mortenson, who wants to see a couple more teams in the circuit.
Interest has been shown from the Regina area, but they’re not yet ready to eld teams.
As for his business involvements, Mortenson still has the old Don’s Tire Shop at the intersection of Fourth Street and Kensington Avenue, so he’s
going to make good use of the building now that it’s vacant by opening the Cancukcade family entertainment centre in the near future, with an assortment of arcade games for people to enjoy.
Mortenson has been hosting private birthday parties and sports team windups, and he has also been renting out bouncy castles, which have been seen at events in the community. e business will have a couple in atables, including a soccer area. He’s also working on an indoor miniature golf area and an arti cial ice surface and boards with an interactive net for shooting. An axe-throwing range and a tennis simulator are other options he’s investigating. ere will also be ice cream after he purchased the Cherry on Top truck 18 months ago.
Mortenson has been involved with the local economic development committee and wants to see more businesses move to the community. He said it’s been rewarding to do all of this in Estevan and help the community. He would like to see a few more people step up and be more involved to give some fresh faces and voices, and also help young people get involved and stay in the city.
“Hopefully the community will grow,” he said.
KevinMortenson
Armwrestlers flock to Estevan for competition SPORTS
e rst winter storm of 2024-25 couldn’t stop the Man-Sask Armwrestling Challenge from happening on Nov. 16 at the Fired-Up Grill restaurant in Estevan.
Estevan Southern Impact Armwrestling Club member Desiree Da Silva, who organized the competition, said they had about 40 competitors and 75 entries. People came from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana and North Dakota for the competition.
Da Silva said they likely would have had more people competing if not for the storm. A number of people called her to cancel their participation.
Weigh-ins for the competition took place Nov. 15 and 16, and then the competition started with super matches in the early afternoon, with competition in both left and right arm.
“ ey took one [competitor] from Manitoba and one from Saskatchewan, and they put them against each other. ey’re equal calibre, years of experience and things like that. And then it’s a super match, so it’s a best of ve … and whoever wins the best of ve gets the points for the team,” said Da Silva.
Ten super matches were contested. Da Silva said it was very competitive and it was good to see Saskatchewan beat their Manitoba foes.
After the super matches, the tournaments began. American competitors joined their Saskatchewan and Manitoba counterparts. Youths were up rst and then adults had their turn.
“We did a double elim-
ination. It makes it a faster tournament … and it makes for a shorter day,” said Da Silva.
Among the local entrants, in the youth divisions, Scarlett Dow nished rst in both the junior left and right arm, Ana Krzeminski was second and Lexton Cassin was third. Cowan Ludtke was rst in senior boys’ left and right, Phillip Gellner
was second in boys’ left and rst in right, Autumn Dow was third in girls’ right and second in left, Kody Tucker was rst in boys’ left and second in right, and Keegan Tucker was second in senior boys’ left. Da Silva was rst in women’s left arm and second in right arm in the 154-pounds-and-under division, and third in left 155-plus.
Dan Driedger was third for right and left arm in the men’s 200-242 division, Erik Lee was second in right arm in the 177199 class, Cowan Ludtke was second in left arm in 177-199, Cody Tucker was third in 177-199 left arm, and Brandt Schick was rst for 176-and-under right arm and second in left arm. Aaron Holmes com-
peted in 220-242, Bryan Tucker was in 200-242, and Phillip Gellner was in 176 and less.
Driedger and Lawrence also won their bouts in the super matches.
Da Silva said she was pleased with the e orts of the local athletes at the competition, and the competitors were pleased with the location, turnout and prizes. ere wasn’t any negative feedback other than the weather.
She said she had some help from Sask Arm Wrestling with securing referees for the event, and she was able to purchase everything she needed locally.
“It involved me organizing the super matches and nding people to do the super matches. It also involved a lot of paperwork on my end, printing paper, getting entry fees ready, waivers, etc.”
Da Silva hopes this event will further boost the pro le of arm wrestling in Estevan. e previous events have usually brought in one or two new members.
e club meets Wednesdays and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at the Flawless Sales and Services shop on Souris Avenue North.
Carlyle Cougars beat Redvers, lose to Carnduff
e Carlyle Cougars defeated the Redvers Rockets 6-5 in a shootout Friday night in an early-season clash between two of the top teams in the Big Six Hockey League, but then lost 4-3 to the Carndu Red Devils the following night. Redvers had a 3-1 lead at one point in the second period, but Carlyle fought back to tie the game before the frame was nished. e two teams traded goals in the third.
Ben Johnstone had two goals for Carlyle, and Taysen Holt, Cale Adams and Jon Gaudet also scored.
Presten Kopeck nished with four goals on the night for Redvers, and Jordon Miller also scored.
Curtis Meger was in goal for Carlyle, and omas Bauche was the
Rockets’ goalie. e following night, Carlyle raced out to a 3-0 lead, with Brett Turgeon, Josh Romanyk and Riley Niven scoring for Carlyle in the opening 15:20 of the game. e latter two goals came nine seconds apart.
Casey ompson scored before the rst period was out, Cooper Bowman tallied 61 seconds into the second and Matthew Plews tied the game midway through the stanza. Brandon Trask scored the winner with just over six minutes to play in the third.
Cameron Pateman (Carlyle) and Cody Dumaine (Carndu ) were the goalies.
Two other games were played on the weekend. e Oxbow Huskies edged the Kipling-Windthorst
Oil Kings 2-1 in overtime on Friday. Alex Von Sprecken scored the winner 61 seconds into overtime on a power play.
Cody Davis notched the other Oxbow goal. Carson Harcourt had the Oil Kings’ goal.
Zack Miller was in goal
for Oxbow, and Zachary Barath was the goalie for Kipling-Windthorst.
e Midale Mustangs beat the Wawota Flyers
7-4 Saturday in the Flyers’ season opener. Josh Bear scored twice in the opening seven minutes of the rst period for the Mustangs, and Sterling Bear had a goal and three assists for Midale. Dallas Kickley, Connor Burk, Matt Geske and Jonas omson also scored. Carver Ottenbreit was in goal for Midale. Brady Dinwoodie, Taylor Ernst, Turner Jacobson and Lucas Hislop scored for Wawota. Brendan Rinn was the Flyers’ goalie. e Flyers will visit the Huskies on Nov. 22. ree games are slated for Nov. 23: the Oil Kings at the Red Devils, the Moosomin Rangers at the Rockets and the Cougars at the Mustangs. ose games are all expected to start at 8 p.m. Carndu will be at Wawota on Nov. 24 at 6 p.m.
Bruins drop three straight during northern road trip
e Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins struggled in their second northern road trip of the season, picking up just one of a possible six points while getting outscored 17-4.
Melfort outshot Estevan 14-5 in the third, but Kennedy had the lone marker in the frame. Logan Belton scored the winner 53 seconds into overtime.
Melfort outshot Estevan 46-14 on the night. Mad-
e road trip started with a 3-2 overtime loss against the defending SJHL champions, the Melfort Mustangs. Benjamin Polhill stopped 43 of 46 shots, and Cade Kennedy forced overtime when he scored for Estevan with eight seconds to play in the third period. Melfort dominated the rst period, outshooting the Bruins 21-4, but emerged with just a 1-0 lead on a goal by Zach Turner. e Mustangs doubled the advantage in the second on a goal by former Estevan U18 AAA Bear Zayden Sadlemyer, but the Bruins halved the de cit when defenceman Michael Carter scored his rst in the SJHL with 3:36 remaining in the frame.
den Mulawka made 12 saves for the Mustangs.
Estevan then dropped two straight at the La Ronge Ice Wolves, starting with a 10-1 blowout loss on Friday. Reed Gramlich opened the scoring for Estevan 41 seconds into the game, but La Ronge took over from there, tying the game 11 seconds later. e Ice Wolves held leads of 4-1 after the rst period and 9-1 through two.
Cole omas and Connor Frost each had a goal and three assists for the Ice Wolves. Mason Bueckert scored twice and added a
helper, and Nathan Da Silva, Hudson Cameron, Zane Normand, David Vitt, Seth Dragan and Rylan Silzer also scored.
Polhill and Jacob Morris each allowed ve goals for the Bruins. Graham Brown stopped 28 shots for La Ronge.
e following night, the two teams were scoreless until midway through the second period, when Kieran Ronan scored on a power play to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Jacob Cosette tied the game a few minutes later.
Da Silva put the Ice Wolves ahead 85 seconds
into the third, Normand added to the lead with a short-handed goal a few minutes later, and Vitt nished the scoring midway through the frame.
Polhill stopped 38 of the 42 shots he faced, while Graham Brown stopped 24 shots for La Ronge. Forward Cole Robertson made his Bruin debut in the games. He was held without a point. e Bruins were without injured forwards Kent Moors and Luke Hogan, who are their top two scorers, as well as forward Cody Polumbus during the road trip.
In o -ice news, goaltender Kyle Kelsey has left the club to join the Victoria Grizzlies of the B.C. Hockey League. He had a 2.70 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in seven games with the Bruins. Estevan (5-9-2-1) will host the Battlefords North Stars on Nov. 22 and 23. Both games will start at 7 p.m. e game on Nov. 23 will be the Bruins’ Teddy Bear Toss game; fans will toss bears and other stu ed animals on the ice after the Bruins score their rst goal of the game.
Elecs senior boys compete at volleyball provincials
e Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior boys’ volleyball team went 1-3 at the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association’s 5A provincial tournament at Balgonie Greenall.
Estevan opened the tournament Friday with a 2-1 (19-25, 25-16, 15-6) loss against Regina Martin, but they recovered with a tight 2-0 (31-29, 26-24) win over the host Balgonie entry.
ECS won the tie-breaker on account of their win during the round robin.
e Elecs then lost 2-0 (2514, 25-13) against Lloydminster and 2-0 (25-21, 25-21) to the eventual provincial champions, Saskatoon St. Joseph, to nish the round robin. ECS and Balgonie both had 1-3 records, but
e Elecs’ season came to an end in a 2-0 (25-21, 25-19) loss to Saskatoon Aiden Bowman in the quarter nals. Meanwhile, the Lampman Grizzlies made it to the quarter- nal round of the 1A girls’
eir tournament ended in the quarter- nals in a 2-1 (1525, 25-14, 15-7) defeat against Rouleau.
e Grizzlies won provincials last year.
provincial tournament in Allan and Colonsay. Lampman opened with a 2-1 (25-22, 20-25, 15-12) loss to Kenaston, but responded with a 2-0 (25-19, 25-23) win over Medstead and a 2-0 (25-17, 25-21) loss to the eventual provincial champions from Annaheim. e Grizzlies closed out the round robin by defeating Lemberg 2-0 (25-10, 25-13) to nish third in their pool with a 2-2 record.
