Reflecting on loss. Macoun family discusses experience during and after house fire.
PAGE A3
Senior Living. Hospital foundation shows support for seniors.
PAGE A5
Night of great music. Rotary Club of Estevan hosts annual carol festival.
PAGE A6
So much talent. ECS students put on a great show with Mamma Mia! Musical.
PAGE A10
A family’s journey. Knox York has been through a lot in his first 2 1/2 years.
PAGE A11
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2024
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MarshaPoole, DebbieWade, CindyBrennerandJolieBaydawiththeEstevanCommunityHamperAssociation andAngelTreeprogramworkedhardtohelplocalfamilieshavefestiveholidays.PhotocourtesyofJolieBayda
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e Estevan Community Hamper Association and the Angel Tree program are bringing joy to hundreds of local families this Christmas, as they wrap up another season of giving.
e programs, which provide Christmas hampers and gifts to families in need, are concluding their e orts with the Toy Store open to parents Dec. 1617, and hamper pick-ups scheduled for Dec. 19-20. is year’s campaign saw an outpouring of support from the Estevan community, allowing organizers to assist around 310 families and approximately 450 children, which is a slight increase from last year’s 410 kids and 293 hampers for families.
While toy donations exceeded expectations, nancial contributions experienced a slight dip compared to previous years, organizers said. Despite these uctua-
tions, organizers ensured that every child would receive a thoughtful, beautifully wrapped gift, as well as a lled stocking stu er, and all families that applied would receive a festive food hamper arranged with help from the Southern Plains Co-op.
“For 450 kids, you always have to ll some spots,” said Jolie Bayda, co-chair of the programs. “Even last night (Dec. 15), we went to Walmart at 8 o’clock to grab some things for 10- to 13-year-old girls. … at’s a tough age – some 10-yearolds still play with Barbies, and others want belly button rings. … It’s a challenge every year [to have enough gifts] for both genders [in that age category].” ose who need could also pick up handmade or store-bought toques and scarves. Handmade donations came from annual supporter Angela Brokenshire as well as from Bridget imsen. e Estevan Kinette Club continued its
tradition of taking care of pyjamas for kids on the toy store list. (For more on the Kinettes and imsen’s efforts, see PAGE A2).
e hampers were organized a bit di erently this year, and didn’t contain any perishable food items, which meant they could be distributed earlier to bring joy to families.
Local businesses and organizations played a central role in the campaign’s success. Soak in Style, Fired Up Grill, DMS and Walmart were the four community locations for the Angel Trees, with Soak and Style also trying to incentivize people to stop by with a toy donation by running a draw. Both the Shand Power Station and the Boundary Dam Power Station also had Angel Trees for their employees, while Estevan’s rst responders continued their annual support through initiatives like the RCMP and re ghters’ toy drives, and the Estevan Police Ser-
vie’s Pack the Cruiser event at local schools.
“ ese events are always big ones for us,” said Bayda. “And they are always so much fun.”
e Estevan Community Hamper and Angel Tree programs have been a pillar of support during the holiday season in the region for more than 30 years. Each year, they rely on a combination of monetary donations, toy contributions and volunteer support to meet the growing demand.
Despite the challenges of organizing such a largescale e ort, Bayda said the work is rewarding. She thanked everyone involved with the initiatives for their support.
“A huge thank you to the community, again, for always supporting us and stepping up when we need them. umbs up,” Bayda said.
To learn more or support future campaigns, visit the programs’ social media pages.
By Ana Bykhovskaia
What began as a personal coping strategy for Bridget imsen turned into a remarkable act of generosity, as she donated over 350 handmade items to the Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas gifts to children in families that applied for the Community Hamper Association’s Christmas hampers.
e Angel Tree program ensures all local children receive gifts during the holiday season.
imsen, who has been on a mental health journey, turned to crocheting last year to help manage her condition. Starting just before Christmas in 2023,
imsen began crafting winter toques, Afghans and slippers, which was a process that helped her keep away bulimia, a disease she struggled with years ago.
“Last year, it was trying to interfere with my life again, so I needed to dig in my toolbox. Mental health taught me to have my toolbox handy. And crocheting was my tool to use,” imsen said, explaining how the craft helped her battle bulimia. “It keeps my hands busy, my mind busy, and keeps bulimia at bay.”
At that time, it was purely her hobby, but soon she felt it would be nice to help someone else by giving her creations away. at’s when the idea of donating them to the Angel
Tree came to her mind.
“I started making toques, and next thing I know, it got to 50, 100, 200, I’m like, okay, I’ve got to do something, nd somewhere to donate it, so I decided to donate it to the Angel Tree,” she shared. “ at way, I’m helping myself and helping others.”
By October, her totals were staggering: 332 toques, seven Afghans and 14 slippers. Each item was made with care and a special touch of kindness.
“As I crochet, I say a prayer for each one. It may not be the same prayer, but there is a little prayer crocheted in that toque, Afghan or slipper,” she said. imsen noted that once she decided to donate her
duringtheEstevanfiredepartment’stoydrive.PhotocourtesyofBridgetThimsen
handcrafted pieces, the support she received from utilizing this tool to battle bulimia became even stronger, giving her a renewed sense of purpose.
“It supported me. At least that way I knew that I had a goal, and my goal just kept getting bigger and bigger each time. I knew that last year, [the Angel Tree program in Estevan] gifted over 400 people, so I knew I had to be somewhere in that range,” she said, adding that it doesn’t only help her to get through some tough moments, but also helps her heal.
imsen said when she
brought her pieces over to the Estevan re ghters who were collecting toys for the Angel Tree at Canadian Tire, they were really surprised and also excited.
imsen noted the donation made her feel good as well and inspired more work.
She continues to channel her energy into crocheting, and she is already preparing for 2025.
“I’ve started for 2025. I just have to sit there and sew them up,” she said, adding that her ultimate goal — set playfully by a local radio station — is to reach 1,000 handmade items.
imsen’s hobby and generosity have inspired others to contribute as well, with neighbours and co-workers donating yarn to support her e orts. Her donations are not only keeping kids warm and supporting imsen’s mental health but also spreading holiday cheer in the community.
For those who may have extra yarn to donate, imsen is welcoming contributions, hoping to transform even more supplies into gifts for children next year. People can reach out to her through her Messenger account.
By Ana Bykhovskaia SaskToday.ca
e Estevan Kinette Club has successfully wrapped up another year of the community’s favourite PJ Project, ensuring many local children wake up on Christmas morning in cozy new pyjamas.
e initiative, co-chaired by Chelsey Istace and Kristol Nagy, collects and distributes pyjamas to children on the Estevan Community Hamper Association’s list, helping families in need share in the festive tradition.
“ e support was amazing as always,” Istace shared. “We had tons of people bring in donations from the Estevan Recreational Dance Studio, Spruce Ridge School, Sacred Heart School and other organi-
zations. ere were tons of di erent incentives around town, so everybody was very supportive again this year.”
e PJ Project’s mission is deeply rooted in the community, with local retailers stepping up to ensure the initiative’s success.
“We actually shopped local for all of the PJs this year,” Istace noted. “It’s nice that local retailers have supplies for us because we used to have to go out of town a lot.”
is year saw extraordinary participation from local schools. Spruce Ridge Elementary topped the contributions with 302 pairs of pyjamas, boosted by a friendly internal competition that o ered a pizza party for the winning class. Sacred Heart School also made a strong showing with their “wear-a-pair,
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bring-a-pair” initiative, collecting 96 pairs.
e project also beneted from monetary donations, which were used to purchase larger sizes often in high demand.
“Some of the smaller sizes, we were able to give out more than one pair,” Istace said. “But for the bigger sizes, we had to do shopping three di erent times.”
ere were about 450 children on the Kinettes’ PJ list this year. All of them received a new pyjama set, and some even two, thanks to the community support and the project’s long-term partners.
“A shout-out to the Bruins for letting us host our kicko for the PJ Project at their game and thank you to Jenny Joans for being our drop-o location year after year,” Istace added.
| Wednesday, December 25, 2024 |
A Macoun family is grappling with the loss of their home after a devastating re on Dec. 8-9 reduced their house to ashes.
Chantelle and Cody Loewen, along with their two daughters Kensley and Brexley, are now re ecting on the traumatic experience and expressing gratitude for the support from their community. e re, which started just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 8, began in the family’s attached garage. What rst appeared to be a minor concern quickly escalated. Chantelle recalls the initial signs.
“My husband smelled some plastic burning,” Chantelle said in the interview with the Estevan Mercury and SaskToday on Dec. 17. “He had come out to the living room area where I was sitting and said, ‘ ere’s some plastic burning or something burning, can’t you smell that?’”
What followed was a frantic search for the source of the smell, which Chantelle noted was a common odour, and during the rst moments didn’t present anything major.
“I was checking all the outlets and stu like that, thinking, okay, maybe there’s one of those charger blocks burning,” Cody said.
“I went and checked my hair straighteners and stu like that to see if it was that,” Chantelle explained. “ en I came back to the living room and noticed there was smoke, or like a smog, in our porch. I opened the door just a crack and right away shut it and said, ‘It’s coming from the garage.’”
In that moment, instincts kicked in. Chantelle and Cody rushed to get their two daughters and the family dogs out of the house. Cody entered the house again to retrieve his truck keys, while Chantelle returned to save the family birds.
Once out, the family sat in the truck, waiting for the re department to arrive.
“It felt like forever in the moment, just because you’re sitting there watching it, but I don’t think it was that long,” Chantelle said. “Obviously, they had to go get suited up and go to the re
department. And they’re out of Midale and out of Estevan, and the roads were not great because it was raining and snowing, so they had to be careful getting there.”
She noted that the re ghters got to the scene quickly, but the re was spreading faster, and despite e orts by local re departments, the house could not be saved. Sitting and watching it burn, they rst hoped it was possible to contain it to the garage.
“We never thought that we would be losing our house,” Chantelle said. “We never thought that we would lose everything in our house because it started in the garage. e garage is attached, but we had hoped that they would be able to contain it.”
“And I was just trying to save whatever I could and moved a few bigger things out of the shop just to save them,” Cody added, noting that at that point they were afraid the re would spread over to a detached shop. But fortunately, the wind was blowing the other way, so the shop remained untouched.
When the Loewens left between 11 p.m. and midnight, re ghters were still battling the ames. e family still believed the damage might be contained to the garage, but the re ultimately reached the basement.
“ ey were putting out the re in the garage, and it had gone through the attic at [the time we left], but they had it mostly contained, and the house was still a structure when we left,” Chantelle shared. “Obviously it’s smoky smelling, but we thought we’d be able to go in and still gather some possessions you can’t really get back, things that are mementos.”
By 5 a.m., she got a hold of someone on site, and they sent her pictures. e house was no longer there at all.
“[I was told] the re had gotten to the basement, unfortunately, and once it had gotten to the basement, there was no saving the house because of the structure of the basement [and its] false oor,” Chantelle recalled.
e loss came at an already di cult time for the family and
just weeks before Christmas. Chantelle, who has also experienced signi cant personal losses over the past year, spoke about the emotional weight of losing irreplaceable keepsakes.
“I’ve lost my dad, my grandma, and my other grandma. … For me, the hardest part is not being able to regain the things I had of theirs,” she said. “I had some of my dad’s ashes set aside to do necklaces or plant a tree, and I lost all of that.”
Amid the hardship, Chantelle remains re ective.
“Everyone keeps saying, ‘You’ll be okay, you have your family,’ but it still hurts to lose the things you can’t replace,” she said.
Despite the devastation, Chantelle and Cody were quick to praise the outpouring of support from friends, family and the local communities.
“ e community was amazing. Everyone really came together,” Chantelle said. “We had lots of clothing donations, furniture donations — everything you kind of need. Also, cash donations and e-transfers. It was absolutely amazing because in that moment you need everything again.
“We’d like to thank everyone, thank the community, and thank Midale, Macoun and Estevan and just all our family and friends and everyone who supported us through all of this,” she added, noting that their family has strong connections to Estevan, has lived in Macoun for the last nine years and plans to stay in the community.
Cody echoed his wife’s sentiments.
“ anks to the community for helping us out. Everybody really stepped up, so we’ll de nitely be paying it forward in the future,” he said.
In the days following the re, the Loewens found temporary refuge, rst at family members’ place, then in a hotel and nally moving into a trailer house in Macoun. eir priority remains keeping life as normal as possible for their daughters, ages nine and seven.
“ e kids go to school in Macoun, so we’re trying to keep their life as normal as possible,” Chantelle explained. “ e older
completelydestroyedtheirhouseearlierinDecember. PhotoscourtesyofChantelleLoewen
one is taking it a bit harder — she’s more sentimental and missing things from people — but they’re both back in school this week.
“ e other one is sad, but she has more of an easygoing personality. She’s still enjoying going back to school and stu like that. ey’re both back in school this week. ey have their Christmas concert tonight, and this week they’re doing much better than last week,” Chantelle said.
e family’s animals, including cats and rabbits, remain on their acreage, and the Loewens return to care for them and their yard.
e loss of all of their Christmas gifts was tough for the kids and the family. However, they regrouped, and while this
Christmas will be smaller, the Loewens are determined to celebrate. Chantelle noted that the Estevan Community Hamper Association and the Angel Tree were able to put them on their list for toys and a Christmas hamper, which was also appreciated.
For now, the Loewens are focused on rebuilding their lives and coping with the losses. ey said they have almost everything they need right now, and don’t need any major donations, but are very grateful for everything they received in the aftermath of the tragedy.
If any further needs arise or for updates on ways to support the family, community members can visit Let’s Help the Loewen’s Facebook page.
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We
Don’t shoot the messenger for this one, but winter is o cially here.
Christmas vacation is underway for local schools. Government o ces, some professional services and others are closed until 2025. A lot of people will be o for part of or all of the holidays, but a lot of businesses are still open.
Regardless of whether you have to work, you can still nd fun things to do during the Christmas holidays.
Winter can be what you make of it. You might not nd the bevy of outdoor activities, festivals and other fun things that you have in the summer months. You’re not going to get those glorious nights around the camp re when it is 20 C at sunset at 8:30 p.m. But winter can still be a pretty good season. ere’s more to winter than sitting around your house with the heat on, waiting for the snow to melt and spring to arrive. And you can do more outside than just clear snow from your driveway and your sidewalk.
Recent snowfall did more than frustrate motorists and guarantee a white Christmas. It gave us more activities to enjoy. ere might not be enough snow on the ground
for snowmobile enthusiasts to break out their sleds just yet, but there are other fun potential activities.
We’ve seen more people snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in recent years. Snowshoes have come a long way from those big, wooden, oppy things of years past. We have a lot of really nice parks in the southeast, from Moose Mountain Provincial Park near Carlyle to Woodlawn Regional Park south of Estevan, and they have great trails for us to enjoy throughout the year, including the winter months.
And you can go for a walk with only your boots as your winter footwear.
You can go tobogganing down one of the hills in your community, make use of an outdoor rink once it’s open or just go for a walk. If temperatures warm up, as was the forecast, then it gives even more incentive to spend time outdoors.
Go for a drive out in the country and enjoy the scenery with the snow covering the elds in the area.
Other activities will resume once school is back in session and people are back in town. e Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins will be back on the ice as they make a push for
How sweet it can be
On tables or under trees in the coming days might be some favorite goodies, traditional baking and likely several sweet treats. Chocolate will be a featured ingredient in some of it.
Chocolate has been with us for centuries, tracing back to the ancient Mayan people and perhaps even earlier to the Olmecs of southern Mexico.
As chocolate made its way into Europe it was a luxury that truly only the rich could a ord. In fact, it was considered a ‘royal’ treat since it was popular in royal courts among those who had money. But then a Dutch chemist discovered more inexpensive ways to work with the beans. We have Coenraad Van Houten to thank for making chocolate accessible to the rest of us.
I’ve been to Las Vegas several times and have a favorite among all the activities there. Touring the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, of course.
Located just outside Vegas is an unexpected oasis of freshly-crafted gourmet chocolates, hand-made, on site. Using family recipes dating back to 1910, the company specializes in small-batch, premium chocolates.
Behind walls of windows are chocolatiers who go to extraordinary lengths to create the perfect selection of confections, packing each box by hand. ey are dressed like surgeons—covered head to toe so as not to contaminate any step of the process.
As you progress through the tour you learn that they make their own caramel in original copper kettles, mix their own avorings and grind nuts on site. e result of all this is premium chocolate that is very, very tasty.
When I was a teenager I began learning how to make chocolates. My parents
bought molds and a recipe book, and I read and practiced. I gradually learned a bit about the process—and enjoyed eating my mistakes along the way.
I started out making pretty rudimentary solid ones but then began experimenting with a variety of centers—nuts, cherry, and my favorite—caramel.
Caramel was the toughest one because you have to boil the confection for the exact right amount of time at the exact right temperature. If you miss, the texture is all wrong and it can become grainy or hard.
One Christmas, a batch I was making was going ne until I got overly ambitious and tried making too many di erent kinds at the same time. e biggest problem was the nicky caramel—which needed more attention than I was giving it.
When I started pouring it into the molds, I knew something was not quite right but decided to pretend there wasn’t a problem. I nished them up—paying careful attention to decorate the tops as prettily as possible. e lovelier they looked on the outside, the better it would cover up what might be happening on the inside.
As you might expect, the caramel batch was awful. ey looked perfectly lovely, but the insides were gritty and inedible. e outside covering tried to hide what was going on inside, but once through the outer layer---all was exposed.
ink of how often we do that in our lives. We have struggles, hurts, and pain that we don’t want to show so we cover
a playo spot. Senior hockey will be back with the second half of the Big Six Hockey League’s regular season. Minor hockey will return as well. And there will be lots of action at the local curling rink, too. We’re blessed to have a lot of great cultural facilities in the southeast as well, and they’ll be o ering programs for the next few months. And there are other events that will be happening in the next few months, activities that will be lots of fun for people to enjoy. Some of them will be indoors. Now, we do have to exercise common sense. If there’s an extreme cold warning in e ect, it’s probably not a good time to take up cross-country skiing. If heavy snow is in the forecast, it’s probably best not to take that long country drive. And it’s probably not a good idea to be outside at 8:30 p.m. on a normal night, unless you’re dressed for the conditions. But still, the fun doesn’t stop just because winter is here. ere’s still a lot for you to do. And with the shortest day of the year in the rear-view mirror, we get to look forward to a little more daylight with every passing day.
and dress it up, hoping others won’t see the truth. Sorrow, depression, grief, anxiety, fear, insecurity, loneliness, isolation, the list goes on. ey are hard things to talk about. So we dress it up—try to make it all look pretty on the outside, hoping it will be a good cover for what is on the inside. At the end of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory tour there are samples to taste, followed by a visit to the gift shop where you can shop for your favorites. e packaging was stunning, but honestly no amount of ribbons and bows could make the chocolate any tastier. My mom did a lot of baking, particularly at Christmas. My favorite was the little dish of odds and ends at the end of the day—pieces she didn’t want to keep, or the edges of squares as she sliced them up. ey had all the avour—they just didn’t look as perfect as all her other baking. Some might call them the ‘rejects’. I called them incredibly delicious—and my favorite to eat each year.
I’ve read that some premium chocolatiers discard ‘rejects’ because they wouldn’t dare let an inferior looking product go to market. How sad that something that would taste delicious doesn’t get consumed simply because it doesn’t look perfect. e world tempts us to chase after what looks pretty on the outside—money, success, status, in uence, luxury. Yet what looks appealing externally too often turns negative and leaves a bad taste in our mouths. We should focus on the inside— character, integrity, compassion, kindness, and generosity. ings that don’t sour. When it comes to the fancy chocolate on our table, the gifts under our trees and most importantly the people in our lives, what’s inside is where you nd the sweetness. Merry Christmas. at’s my outlook.
TheEstevanPPCLIArmyCadetRifleteamhada shootoutwiththeirsponsor,theElk’sLodge,to seewhowouldpayfortheChristmasmeal. Representingthecadetswere,backrow,fromleft, MajorMartin,Sgt.Birdsell,Lt.Willetteand LanceCpl.Heinz.Frontrow,Lt.Mack, Cpt.NijmanandCompanySgt.MajorDutton Thecadetswonby48points.
By David Willberg
e St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation has held a couple of programs in the weeks leading up to Christmas to help local seniors celebrate Christmas.
e rst is the annual Secret Santa for Long-Term Care. When people visit sjhf. shop website and click on Secret Santa, they can purchase di erent gifts for the residents of the long-term care unit, ranging from a resident experience for $20 to a catered meal for residents for $250.
Other options include happy hour ($50), resident outing ($75), ower arrangement ($80), a ride in the SMILE Services van and a trip to an Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins’ game ($125) and musical entertainment ($200). e cost is enough for an experience for all of the residents.
“It’s something that has morphed over the years into di erent things,” said St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation executive director Lori Gervais. “We started this … where we were out in the public with a tree … where people could speci cally choose a resident.” e options are experiences that long-term care residents enjoy. Each gift can have multiple sponsors during the year, so there isn’t just one catered meal or one happy hour for the next 12 months.
“ ey always love a happy hour or a catered meal or different activities that the sta can provide, taking the residents out to a Bruins’ game
or out to di erent events in the community,” said Gervais.
e sta at long-term care tracks what the residents are interested in, and they were pretty happy with last year’s Secret Santa o erings, so the same options were retained this year. But Gervais said they always think about who they have in long-term care, and what are the most helpful and interesting options.
Secret Santa has evolved over the years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an online store for people looking to donate to the residents.
“It’s always well supported. Our community always steps up,” said Gervais. e initiative wrapped up just before Christmas.
Gervais said the support from the community has once again been strong this year, but she recognizes there are other opportunities for donations in the Estevan area.
“We hope that people spread it [the support] around, and some years the support is better than others, but I think there are lots of areas in the community that are looking for support,” said Gervais.
e foundation also recently wrapped up its annual tea parties, which are associated with the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Festival of Trees and sponsored by Sun Country Hearing. Gervais said the tea parties have also morphed over the years.
“ ey used to be part of the Festival of Trees weekend, and we would bring as
ResidentsoflocalcarefacilitiesenjoyedteapartiesthroughtheSt.Joseph’sHospitalFoundation.
many residents as we could to A nity Place to take them down onto the ice surface and see the beautiful setup for Festival of Trees and celebrate the trees themselves.”
en the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the foundation found their best option was to safely bring those tea parties to the residents.
“It wasn’t always easy to get all of the residents there [to A nity Place], or we can’t get all of the residents there, especially on a weekend. During COVID, when we took everything into the nursing homes and the special care homes, we’ve continued that, even though the pandemic is over. I nd that we have a better time in their own home environment, and bringing it to them is much less stressful for them.”
e tea parties are always well attended and lots of fun.
Gwen Van De Woestyne has done a great job as the chairwoman for the tea parties committee, Gervais said. Local musicians donate their time to sing and play the piano, or play old-time music.
e rst tea party this year was at Estevan Diversied Services, which Gervais said is one of their best-attended and most lively tea parties of the year. en they went to Mainprize Manor in Midale, and the care homes in Estevan, including longterm care, Hill View Manor, Creighton Lodge and the Estevan Regional Nursing Home.
Each person gets a gift bag thanks to the support of the sponsors. e residents always look forward to the events.
“It’s the Christmas season, so it’s always nice to give that way, and entertainment itself is always good. We go in and spend a little time and have a little visit and let everybody know why we’re out and about and spreading Christmas cheer. As far as I can tell, the residents are always happy to see us and spend a couple of hours with us.”
e 70th edition of the Rotary Club of Estevan’s Christmas Carol Festival delivered a celebration of music associated with the holiday season.
A large crowd gathered at St. Paul’s United Church on Saturday to listen to the choirs, groups, pianists and instrumentalists who performed. Well-known and obscure Christmas carols alike were on the agenda.
e festival kicked o with the Northwest and Southeast Choruses performing three selections that they also sang at their 52nd annual Celebration of Christmas Music a week earlier. From there, young people had their chance to show their abilities, with a piano solo by eresa Prabhu, a couple of selections by the Musical Monkeys Studio, a piano duet by So e Morrow and Hudson Hozjan, and a couple of songs by the Spruce Ridge School choir.
SpruceRidgeSchool’schoirprovidedlotsofentertainmentatthisyear’scarolfestival.
band e Way, comprised of Cheri Haberstock, and Kevin and Cindy Guillemin.
e audience had a couple of opportunities to showcase their talents during a community car-
Perennial favourites Danielle Evenson and Allison Holzer wrapped up the rst half with a piano duet.
e second half featured a piano solo by Garth Sotto, a vocal solo by Vicki Graham, a performance by Evenson on piano and Sandra Bazin on ute/ piccolo, a piano solo by Fiona Prabhu, a duet courtesy of Dustin and Gracie Hall, a piano solo by Kirkman Rennalls and a performance by local praise
ol sing, and the festival wrapped up with the Rotarians delivering their annual rendition of We Wish you a Merry Christmas.
Rotary Club of Estevan president Chris Ho os was the MC for the evening, and he shared some of Rotary’s accomplishments and contributions to the community. Proceeds of this year’s carol festival will be directed to the Estevan Salvation Army.
e Estevan Mercury is looking for submissions for one of our most popular promotions.
e Babies of 2024 special will be released on Jan. 22, 2025, and, as always, we need submissions of the kids who were born in the Estevan area in 2024. You can celebrate your little one’s arrival by submitting a special free baby announcement. Please send the photo and details to kball@glaciermedia.ca or drop it o at 68 Souris Avenue North in Estevan. We ask that you include a high-resolution photo, along with the baby’s full name,
the date of birth and the names of the parents. Businesses can show their support for this promotion by emailing cjones@glaciermedia.ca or kball@glaciermedia.ca Photos and ads will also be placed on our provincial news hub at sasktoday.ca. Estevan Mercury sales manager Christine Jones said Babies of the Year is one of her favourite annual promotions, thanks to all of the happy, excited and joyful babies, and the pride that parents have to be part of the promotion. e Babies of the Year is a great way to share your joy with the community.
e new-look Estevan board of police commissioners gathered Dec. 18 for its rst meeting since late October.
It was the rst session since the Nov.13 civic election, and it started with the swearing in of the members from city council who are part of the board.
Mayor Tony Sernick, who had been on the board as a councillor since January 2023, and Councillors Kirsten Walliser and Tom Mauss took the oath of o ce. Recording secretary Josh Shitta-Bey was also sworn in.
As mayor, Sernick is an automatic member of the board and its chairman. Walliser and Mauss are to be on the board for the next two years. ey join members at large Roberta DeRosier and Jacie Vandermeulen, who each have one year remaining on their respective terms.
e board promptly reviewed the monthly crime statistics for October and November. e EPS responded to 6,850 calls for service in the rst 11 months of the year, down 8.1 per cent from the 7,452
they had for the same period in 2023. e EPS had 694 occurrences in October, virtually the same as the 697 they had a year earlier. ere were 14 crimes against the person for the month, including 12 assaults, one sexual crime and one assault causing bodily harm. e EPS handled 15 crimes against the person in October of 2023. irty-eight crimes against property were reported, with 17 thefts under $5,000, 16 mischief/ willful damage complaints and ve residential break and enters. Forty-six such crimes occurred in the same month in 2023.
e EPS had two incidents of drug tra cking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, versus one the previous year; and 21 Criminal Code tra c violations, versus 14 the previous year. e October tra c violation charges included 11 for impaired/exceed-related o ences, four for impairment by drug and six for dangerous driving and other.
As for November’s
numbers, the EPS had seven crimes against the person, with two sexual crimes and ve assault, while there were 14 crimes against the person from November 2023. Crimes against property remained stable at 26, with one arson, four residential break and enters, two thefts of a motor vehicle, 11 thefts under $5,000 and eight mischief/ willful damage complaints last month.
e EPS had 10 Criminal Code tra c violations, with seven impaired/exceed-related o ences, two for impairment by drug and one for dangerous driving and other. Eleven infractions were dealt with in October 2023.
ere were no charges under the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act.
For the rst 11 months of the year, the EPS responded to 157 crimes against the person, up 12 from the 145 in the same period a year earlier. ere were 107 assaults, 38 sexual crimes, 11 assaults causing bodily harm, three robberies and one attempted murder.
e EPS has handled 408 crimes against property, up 11 per cent from 366 the previous year. e bulk of the calls has been 201 thefts under $5,000 and 124 mischief/willful damage incidents. e EPS has had 34 residential break and enters, 25 thefts of a motor vehicle, six business break and enters, ve thefts over $5,000 and one arson. ere have been 24 in-
fractions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, with 14 for tra cking and 10 for possession. Last year there were 32 for the rst 11 months of the year.
Finally, the EPS has had 123 Criminal Code tra c violations, with 80 for impaired or exceed-related o ences, 23 for im-
pairment by drug and 20 for dangerous driving and other. ere were 144 violations through Nov. 30, 2023. e ve-year average is 6,812 calls for service, with 126 crimes against the person, 313 crimes against property, 109 Criminal Code Tra c Violations and 30 CDSA incidents.
By Stephanie Zoer
Redvers hosted its eighth annual Winterfest on Dec. 14, and committee members Kaylenn Gaudet, Samantha Matthewson, Jena Cowen and Kendra Miller are incredibly pleased with how it turned out.
e day began with magician Sitrick James. Committee member Kendra Miller said he was very entertaining and kept the kids involved by having them come on stage and help with the acts. e children loved it.
e Redvers branch of the Royal Canadian Legion hosted a successful trade show with many people looking for that last-minute item, and lunch was served
there as well throughout the day.
e curling rink was lled with bouncy castles and a huge 40-foot by 40-foot corn maze.
“Kids were running around in there all day, it was amazing,” said Miller. ere were plenty of things to do for the kids and they were well entertained, with a colouring contest, scavenger hunt and crafts. Miller said there were lineups at all the kids’ events, which also included face painting, temporary tattoos, and hair tinsel.
Many of the children’s activities were at the Golden Age Centre. ey also o ered tractor rides, adult paint classes and cookie decorating. ere was something for everyone to enjoy.
e Redvers Fire Department had an obstacle course set up where people could try their hand at knocking down a door and running with the re hoses.
At the rink, there was a stock car display. Several cars were present, and children had the opportunity to sit in one, which they thought was pretty cool.
e skating rink was another popular place, as kids were able to skate with the Redvers Rockets, which was a big highlight to the kids.
“Kids loved skating with their favourite player and having their picture taken,” said Miller.
Santa Claus was the most popular attraction, with over 200 kids having photos taken with him and telling him their wants for Christmas. Santa and Mrs. Claus stayed all day and strolled the streets, watching out for the Grinch, who was also on the loose.
Floor hockey was hosted at the school gymnasium and crowds of kids came to play this game, showing their skills at the game.
At the end of the afternoon, the scavenger hunt cards were handed in for a winner and the colouring contest champion was selected.
As people began to wind down, a bon re was held by the re ghters at the corner of Broadway and Railway, and hot chocolate was served.
Supper at the curling rink, with a young singer from Langbank entertaining the crowd with Christmas carols.
Fromleft,BrittanyYatesranthestreetswhiledressedasthe Grinch,stealingcandyfromthekidsandlaterhockeywith QuinnMiller.PhotoscourtesyofKendraMiller
e parade had several oats light up the night as crowds lined the streets, but the Grinch had to be watched as she tried to steal as much candy from the kids as possible.
Ra e tickets were sold all day and the draw for the basket was held at the Memory Tree ceremony.
e day ended with the Rockets defeating the Carlyle Cougars 4-3 in an exciting Big Six Hockey League game.
Miller said the day was excellent and she feels the great weather was a big factor as well. ere were so many people, the streets were buzzing with happiness and festive excitement.
Estevan city council passed several recommendations related to rental rates for city facilities and equipment during the Dec. 9 meeting.
In a correspondence to council, leisure services manager Erin Wilson wrote the city has long supported various community events, such as the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins Sportsman’s Dinner, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Festival of Trees, and the Estevan Comprehensive School’s graduation ceremony. Many of these events have requested and received reduced rates or complimentary items.
“While we value the role these events play in enriching our community, it is essential to ensure that the city’s contributions –both nancial and in terms
of sta resources – are appropriately recognized and managed to sustain these services e ectively,” Wilson wrote.
In recent years, Wilson said council has approved discounted rates for several user groups, with reductions ranging from $1,000 to nearly $5,000. e city incurs signi cant costs when providing setup and takedown support for events, including casual and full-time custodial sta , maintenance employees, arena technicians, parks workers, beverage sta and management.
Council has previously established commercial and non-pro t rates, Wilson said, but the practical application of these rates and associated sta time has exceeded expectations.
On occasion, Wilson
said the city has provided sta time and equipment for o -site use at no cost. ese instances can create nancial implications and operational challenges for sta and equipment management.
Facility users have borrowed city equipment and returned it themselves. While this reduces transportation time, sta members are still required to manage, clean and repair these items upon return. Increasing awareness of these practices has led to more frequent requests, creating an additional strain on resources.
Council accepted four recommendations: re-evaluating the current fee structure to better re ect actual costs and ensure fairness to all user groups; maintaining fee consisten-
cy across user groups; lim-
iting the o -site use of city sta and equipment; and establishing rental rates for equipment.
Coun. Shelly Veroba said the second recommendation will establish consistency, which is something to strive for.
Coun. Kirsten Walliser wanted to know about difculties that have occurred with events under the present model. Wilson said she wanted the new council to know what is happening.
“ ere is a lot of manpower that can go into some of these requests. ose rental rates are based on those minimum numbers to just cover the cost of hours and to be able to use our sta in the most efcient way possible,” Wilson said.
If a group says it will be
there at 4 p.m. but doesn’t show up until 4:30 p.m., then it has an impact on taxpayers.
“Having that consistency and predictability means that we can save those overtime costs and the impact on the employees,” Wilson said. Council did not approve the possibility for direct donations to organizations.
“We’re looking at consistency, we’re looking at limiting o -site use, and we’re looking at establishing rental rates for both the fee structure and equipment,” said Veroba.
Earlier in the meeting, council received a request from the Estevan Comprehensive School to reduce the rental rate of A nity Place for the school’s graduation ceremony, slated for June 14, 2025.
e Comp. wanted a reduction in the rental fee from $7,800 to $3,900 to reduce its expenses. e school asked for the rate to continue through 2029, which would extend beyond the current council’s term.
Council members expressed concern about leaving the next council with this decision.
Walliser noted the grads have been planning for about six months, so to change what they are paying puts them at a disadvantage. She also pointed out they’re able to rent the facility for a day, but A nity Place becomes unavailable for more than just grad day.
Council approved the rate for this year, but not the fee associated with future years.
Students from the Estevan Comprehensive School dedicated many hours to rehearsing and working behind the scenes in preparation for their presentation of the musical Mamma Mia!, and their efforts were rewarded when the show went on stage.
More than 900 tickets were sold between the three productions from Dec. 1315 in the school’s cafetorium. e crowds were delighted as the students sang and danced to the music of Swedish supergroup ABBA on the stage.
“It was the best,” Connely said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. “We had the most fun, and I was so impressed with how well it actually went.”
Approximately 25 students were in the cast and 20 more were part of the crew. Connely estimates each person involved dedicated at least a couple hundred hours to be ready for showtime.
e crowd each night was great, Connely said, but the audience on Dec. 14 stood out the most, as they were dancing in the aisles.
Director Jillian Connely and production manager Adrienne Dechief were thrilled with the nished product.
Both Connely and DeChief are ABBA fans. Connely has seen the Mamma Mia! movie many times, while Dechief has been in the audience for the musical.
“It’s the same atmosphere … as when I was in the audience for the professional show, that our students brought and created for the audiences here in Estevan, with that excitement and that joy that ABBA music brings. e energy that the students brought was very equal,” said Dechief.
A lot of the kids had no idea who ABBA was before the students started working on Mamma Mia!, Connely said, and Dechief added it was good to see them learn the dance moves from the era.
“We have a new generation of ABBA fans, I feel,
in Estevan now,” said Dechief.
e cast and crew faced adversity in the weeks leading up to the production.
Construction was taking place in the cafetorium until the last two weeks before the show dates, so they didn’t get to bring the cast and crew together until December.
“ at is not easy on a professional level, so having a high school level of actors and technicians, to do something like that, is quite spectacular,” said Connely.
ey had the chance to work with light cues before they were moved out of the cafetorium, but the sound, the special stage lights, the lights behind the set and the spotlights were added in the last couple of weeks. e stage crew had to learn to move the set pieces, set
up all of the props, close the curtains and do all of the backstage work just before opening night.
Connely singled out Grade 9 student Ethan Nixon for his work on sound.
“He crushed it. He was so awesome,” said Connely.
Most of the rehearsals took place in the school’s drama room. When the cast returned to the cafetorium, they had to adapt to a much larger stage.
“As much as we rehearsed with them every day pretty much through November, it was an adjustment for them to get onto the stage itself, said Dechief, who marvelled at how much the kids were able to accomplish throughout the process.
“ ey had fun, and that’s the biggest thing that any teacher wants from any ex-
tracurricular, is for the students to nd joy, especially in the extracurriculars. at’s what our students did,” said Dechief. is was Connely’s second ECS musical; she co-directed e Little Mermaid earlier in 2024. It marked the rst time Dechief has been part of the musical as a sta member, but she was involved with High School Musical and the Wizard of Oz as a student.
“I have a di erent outlook and respect for my teachers who did it, because it’s a huge undertaking, and as a student, we see the directors and the sta working hard, but we don’t see all of the behind the scenes things they do, so that was eye-opening,” said Dechief. It was wonderful to share her experiences and bring them to another group of students, she said.
Knox York is a 2 1/2year-old boy from Estevan who has been through a lot in his young life.
In a letter sent to the Mercury, his mother Taylor and father Jake said that at eight months of age, they noticed that Knox’s eyes began to water and roll to the left, at which time he was absent for a few moments before coming to. In the following days and weeks, his parents said there was an increase in frequency and severity in the occurrences, so they
consulted a doctor and were referred to a neurologist in Saskatoon. Over the next year and a half, they said Knox was put on seven di erent mediations and a medical ketosis diet. He also had 11 electroencephalograms (EEGs), three MRIs, genetics testing for epilepsy and a PET scan in Saskatchewan, with no concrete answers or plan on what might be causing the seizures and what impact they were having on him. After not getting any
answers and with worsening and varying types of seizures, Knox’s parents sought answers at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn., from Dec. 8-14. Using the reports from previous testing, a team of neurologists were able to conclude that Knox has a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour (DNET) in his left temporal lobe, which is causing refractive focal epilepsy.
“Larger seizures are crossing into the right hemisphere and causing loss of function in the right side of his face and arm,” his parents said.
Knox underwent a 24hour EEG at the Mayo Clinic, during which he had three larger seizures and seven absence seizures. ey were able to con rm where the seizures are stemming and the magnitude of the impact throughout the brain.
“ e family met with three neurologists and a neurosurgeon, who shared answers and were able to bring comfort and relief to the family after experiencing so many unknowns,” his parents said.
e symptoms of Knox’s seizures have been progressively getting worse, they said, even in the days since returning home. Knox has been on medication for the last year and a half and the ketogenic diet since April, which has helped reduce
the frequency to seven visible seizures per night, often resulting in disorientation and vomiting.
Knox will undergo surgery at the clinic to have the tumour removed. As of the Mercury’s press time, the family was awaiting a call from the neurosurgeon for a surgery date, which is likely happen before the end of the year. ey are hopeful that the removal of the tumour will completely eliminate the seizures, and allow Knox to communicate, as the tumour is in the region responsible for speech and comprehension.
sister Brady Friess has taken on the task of helping to relieve some of the burden that the family has been facing.
“While they are thankful to nally have some answers, the road ahead is daunting. is journey comes with overwhelming costs, including medical bills, travel expenses, and time away from work. ey should be able to focus entirely on their son’s health without the added weight of nancial strain of nding answers outside of the country,” Friess said.
She has been organizing fundraising events, from
By Greg Nikkel SaskToday.ca
e schools in the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division have seen an increase in the number of students needing intensive supports.
Trustees were told at their Dec. 11 meeting they now have 99 students requiring intensive supports, up from 77 students a year earlier.
e Ministry of Education gave a breakdown of the types of supports needed, as well as how many students are at each Holy Family school.
ose needing occasional supports totalled 29 students, including four with multiple disabilities, and those needing frequent supports were at 70, including 16 with multiple disabilities.
ose needing occasional supports include four with an intellectual disability; one with bipolar, depressive or anxiety-related disorders; four on the autism spectrum, 11 others diagnosed and 13 undiagnosed disorders.
ose requiring frequent supports include 13 with an intellectual disability;
three with an orthopedic disability; 19 on the autism spectrum; three with physical health impairments; 21 with other diagnosed disorders, and 27 students who are as yet undiagnosed.
Broken down by schools, St. Michael has 42 students needing supports; Sacred Heart/Sacré Coeur has 22; St. Mary’s has 15; St. Olivier has 10, and St. Augustine has 10. •In other school board business, the ministry sent out parameters for student assessments, and is asking for nominations of teachers from each school divi-
sion who will work with the ministry to develop assessment protocols for use across the province.
Saskatchewan is currently the only province in Canada that does not do provincial assessments of students from Grades 1-12.
e ministry is looking to do assessments of Grades 1-3 in reading; Grades 4, 7 and 10 in English language arts; and Grades 5 and 9 in math.
According to information from the ministry, student assessments will be based on the provincial curriculum; will inform
grade-level understanding; will communicate student performance to students, parents and teachers; and will inform a review of curriculum, policies and programs.
e ministry does not want assessments to lead to teaching of additional content outside of the curriculum, to replace teacher-prepared classroom assessments, or to be used by the ministry to rank schools or teachers.
e goal for the timeline is, in the 2025-26 school year, to do reading data collection for Grades
a Christmas cookie tray fundraiser that sold more than 130 trays in less than a few hours, and to his-andhers prize ra e packages.
“We live in such a wonderful community and people have been asking how they can help,” Knox’s parents said.
Taylor York has been posting updates on social media to keep those thinking of and praying for Knox up to date on his journey.
Anyone who would like to help ease the burden on the family can send a donation with a kind message to knoxsjourney@gmail.com.
1-3; do a math assessment eld test for Grades 5 and 9, and an English language arts eld test for Grade 7. e ELA eld test will be held for Grades 4 and 10 in the 2026-27 school year, with math assessments in Grades 5 and 9, and ELA assessment in Grade 7. Full operation of assessments will then be set for the 2027-28 school year. For the current school year, the ministry wants to have teacher development of assessment items, classroom engagements and procurement of software and con guration.
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FourstudentsfromtheEstevanComprehensiveSchoolcompetedwiththeirpeersfromacrosstheprovincein arecentprovincialdebatetournament.RachelDuncan, SarahPyra, MokshRabariandAdalynChristoferson wereentered.ChristofersonandPyracompetedintheGrade9and10division,whileDuncanandRabari competedwithotherGrade11and12students.Basedonhisscoresfromtheevent,Rabariwas invitedtothenationalpublicspeakingchampionshipsinWinnipegfromFeb.8-10,2025.
By Stephanie Zoer
Being raised across the road from a grain elevator and train track, Ivan Paradis fell in love with the old buildings.
As a kid in Manitoba, he had the opportunity to go inside the elevators as he knew the manager well and also had an uncle who managed one.
Paradis was very intrigued with the buildings and the trains, and began to build them from scratch in 1990, but they were on a larger scale. He has seen the models downsized.
Approximately 3 1/2 years ago, Paradis and his wife Sheryl and three sons moved to Arcola, as there was more opportunity for work in the community.
Sheryl works at the Arcola Co-op gas station and his sons are also working, but Paradis is on disability, and he needed something to do.
He now makes tiny elevators and train-related buildings, but it is a lot of work to prepare to make one.
Paradis and his wife have travelled all over Manitoba, and he has built every elevator in the province. It begins with pictures, and they take around 30-40 photos, changing angles by ve degrees. ese photos are loaded onto his computer and the selection starts there.
He will make a blueprint of the project, determining the height and where the windows and doors are placed. is process takes four to ve hours, as he wants the buildings to be
small replicas of the big ones. Most decals he can make on his computer, but at times Paradis needs to order them in, and this can be costly.
ese little buildings are done at the smallest scale and aren’t over eight inches high, so they need small tools to work with them.
It takes several di erent les, knives, pliers, nippers, rulers and tweezers to get the job done, and he has to create multiple templates.
Some elevators take longer than others, but he easily puts 40-60 hours in a piece, as the glue needs time to cure, and there are several glues he works with.
Paint is another timeconsuming task, and Paradis has hundreds of colours to match up with the original grain elevator.
Every piece is cut out of styrene plastic and meticulously placed, and every
feature on the big elevator is placed on the small one. In Saskatchewan, he has seen and photographed one-third of the elevators, including those in Arcola and Stoughton.
Paradis attended the Farm Toy Show in Arcola, and he was pleased with the outcome. He hopes to attend more in the future. He also plans to make larger ones for lawn displays and he takes custom orders.
To him it is considered a hobby, and he is hoping to keep it this way, but in the meantime, there is a plan to visit Stockholm, Alta., in the future to check out the four to ve-foot elevators created there. ere are also some near Yellow Grass. Since his house is lled with models, and he is running out of room, right now he will slow down a little until the next shows in the new year.
| Wednesday, December 25, 2024 |
e Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs senior girls’ basketball team came home from the Weyburn tournament as the champions.
ECS opened the tournament with a 73-22 drubbing of the Lumsden Angels. Elecs’ coach Jessie Smoliak said ECS started the game strong with intense defence and led 21-4 at one point.
“On o ence we planned on running the oor in transition, which is what we did well. Lots of good ball movement, which led to everyone scoring in this game – which resulted in a team win,” said Smoliak.
Sadie Aspinall had 21 points and three assists, Megan Porter notched 13 points and four assists and Sarah Nykiforuk had six points to go with 16 rebounds.
ECS’s closest game was a 58-57 win over Moose
Jaw Central in the seminal. ECS had a strong start o ensively again, Smoliak said, but allowed too many plays from inside the key. ECS was ahead by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, but ran into foul trouble and wasn’t playing aggressive defense like they were against Lumsden. Smoliak said ECS needs to be more disciplined with the lead rather than turning the ball over.
Aspinall had 20 points, six rebounds and two assists; Porter added 13 points, four rebounds and ve assists; and Jordyn Tarnes had eight points and six rebounds.
ECS then had a 77-59 win over Moose Jaw Vanier in the nal. Smoliak said ECS had a great start and led 29-16 at one point. Porter had 26 points, ve rebounds and two assists, while Tarnes had 16 points,
TheECSseniorgirls’basketballteamcelebratesafterwinningthe Weyburntournament.PhotocourtesyofJessieSmoliak
16 rebounds and three assists. Ellie Wiebe contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
“I was happy to play Moose Jaw teams this weekend as they are always
e Estevan Figure Skating Club had ve skaters attend the Skate Saskatchewan Pre-Juvenile and Juvenile Sectionals on Dec. 14. So a Erana-Schemegelsky skated in the pre-juvenile U11 category. Erana-Schemegelsky earned a personal best score of 13.17.
competitive. I loved coaching against other female head coaches, former players and athletes that I have played against, so it made for a fun weekend catching up,” she said.
Fromleft,SofiaErana-Schmegelsky, MeekaGedak andJaniyahLaforgacompetedinRosetown.
Aspinall and Porter have friends on both Moose Jaw teams as well, as they play on the Golden Ticket club team in the fall and spring.
“It was great to see their sportsmanship on the court
Estevan city council received a letter from Midale’s Harry O Memorial Arena committee on Dec. 9, as the committee is looking to remind the city about the role it plays for Estevan, and vice versa.
ere has been renewed discussion about the need for a third indoor ice surface in Estevan in recent weeks. Midale arena chairwoman Marnell Eagles said the Midale group is a strong supporter of bettering one’s community, but it wants the city to consider the potential challenges a third arena could have on neighbouring communities and their recreation facilities.
and support o the court during the weekend,” Smoliak said.
e coaches were proud of how their post players performed during the weekend, as Smoliak said the coaches have been harder on them, asking them to step up rather than relying on guards.
“ ey sure showed how much they have been improving. We played as a team this weekend which showed with the tournament win. A lot more to work on before the end of the season, but they are showing a lot of positive changes,” said Smoliak.
ECS had a tough start to the season with a couple of early losses, but Smoliak described them as learning opportunities.
e Elecs closed out the pre-Christmas portion of their season with their alumni game on Dec. 19.
utilize facilities such as ours, Estevan would be helping sustain small-town arenas, which are vital to the survivability of small-town communities.”
Midale is committed to ongoing renovations and improvements to ensure the arena remains a top choice for Estevan teams, she said.
“We hope that you will consider Midale Harry O. Memorial Arena as a practical, cost-e ective alternative to a new facility, bene tting both our communities,” she said.
Coun. Brian Johnson wanted to know how many hockey players from Estevan are going to Midale for practices and games, and which age groups they are in.
“If we can have that information from the Midale scheduler, that will help us make a decision in the future,” he said.
Meeka Gedak competed in the pre-juvenile U13 category. She earned a personal best score of 17.56, and also debuted in Star 7 with her short program, earning a score of 11.06.
Braxton Pouteaux skated in both the Star 6 and Star 7 events. In Pouteaux’s Star 6 long program skate, she scored
Janiyah Laforga entered in the pre-juvenile U13 category, and also earned a personal best score of 16.32.
18.48, earning herself a bronze medal. In her Star 7 short program, she scored 14.91, which resulted in another bronze medal.
Rachel Duncan skated in the Star 9 short program. She had a score of 21.09 to bring home a gold medal.
e club’s next competition will be Jan. 10, 2025, in Dalmeny for a regional event.
She noted the signi cant improvements at the Harry O during the past few years, including installing a dehumidi er; updating changeroom showers to provide a clean and safe environment; providing a water bottle ll system; purchasing a new Zamboni; and investing in new epoxy ooring.
e Harry O Memorial Arena also includes a bar, canteen and an adjoining curling facility, which can be used for o -ice conditioning.
“To remain successful, our arena relies heavily on neighbouring communities,” she wrote. “By choosing to
He wants the same information for Bienfait, since the Bienfait Memorial Arena has asked the city to partner on a renovation of their facility.
Mayor Tony Sernick said he can’t recall the amount of ice time in neighbouring facilities dedicated to Estevan minor hockey, but he believes it’s over $100,000 that is being spread around in ice time rentals.
