City hires police chief out among the lengthy list of candidates, and they are excited for his arrival in the city. “ ( We i n t e r v i e w e d many individuals over Skype) and his interview went very well,” Ludwig said. “He was quick to answer any of our questions, he had already done research on the community, he took the time to do that. We just had a good rapport right off the get go with Paul. We warmed up very quickly to-
and being in Brockville, we also border the U.S.,” Ladouceur said. “I was born and raised in a small community, so this is keeping in line with what I know, and it is a great opportunity for me to have that top job that I’ve always desired.” Ladouceur said he is a
big believer in community involvement in his personal life and that philosophy carries over to his career. “We’ve gone full circle in policing. Years ago we saw the beat cop on the street and you saw the police in their cruisers and kids were very respectful of the police. They would often go up and talk to the police officers on the street ,and we kind of lost that connection along the way,” he said. “Here we are now
trying to get back to where we started from, and I am a firm believer and supporter of that. “What inspired me to be a police officer was where I grew up there was a police officer that would run radar on our street. I’d be out with my friends tossing around the football and every day that officer was there he would toss that football with us and he’d talk to us about kid things and how to → A2 New
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 111 YEARS
Hockey In Himalayas
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wards him.” In an interview Tu e s d a y, Ladouceur said he and h i s f a m i l y, which includes his wife and three children, are also looking forward to moving to Saskatchewan. “I’m currently with a service of a similar size to Estevan’s police service
Wed., March 5, 2014
www.estevanmercury.ca
Issue 44
The City of Estevan has found its new top cop. Mayor Roy Ludwig announced at Monday night’s regular meeting of council that Paul Ladouceur of Brockville, Ont., has been hired to replace the retiring Del Block. Ladouceur is currently a Detective Sergeant with the Brockville Police Service and will begin work in Estevan on April 14. Ludwig said Ladouceur immediately stood
Mailing No. 10769
False alarms remain problem for firefighters False alarms are once again causing big headaches for the Estevan Fire Rescue Service. In an interview last week, Chief Ron Tocker said they have again been plagued by a number of false alarms, adding that they are beginning to a take a toll on the volunteer members of the department. Tocker first went public Chief Ron Tocker with his concerns in October and noted that after his public appeal the number of false alarms decreased significantly. However, once 2014 hit Tocker said the number of false alarms spiked again. The recent spate of alarms has prompted both Tocker and the City of Estevan to take action. Tocker is again appealing to the public to ensure they are careful when cooking and are fully up to speed on all aspects of their alarm system. “The biggest cause is unattended cooking,” he said. “We had another one last night and one the evening before that. “The second issue is premature dispatch. The monitoring agencies are getting the alarm signal and then dispatching us instantly.” Tocker said instantly contacting the fire department is not how the system is supposed to work. He noted the standard procedure is for the agency to receive the alarm and then call the house in question to see if emergency services are needed. “(The monitoring agencies) are playing on our good faith. They know we are not going to say ‘no we’re not coming.’ They are dispatching us first, then they are calling the homeowner. The homeowner says ‘I just burnt my toast’ so the (agency) calls the police service back and says cancel, but it’s too late. We are already on our way.” Tocker said if homeowners run into a case similar to the one he described, they have to contact their alarm company and instruct them to follow the correct procedures. He also noted the third major cause of false alarms is people forgetting their password when they are contacted by the monitoring agency or forgetting to answer the phone when the agency calls. “We are right back to where we were,” Tocker said. Along with educating the public about the proper use of their alarm systems, Tocker said he also wants to inform residents about the toll this situation is taking on the department. Financially, he estimates that each false alarm costs $300. “With 90 some calls, that is beating my budget up completely just on unwarranted false alarms,” he said. The human cost is also significant. Tocker said when a firefighter responds to an unnecessary call during the day, he is leaving his job for up to an hour at a time. → A2 Penalties
DAAE LEADS BRUINS INTO THE PLAYOFFS
Estevan Bruins forward Austin Daae captured the SJHL scoring championship with 71 points in 55 games. Tuesday he was named the top player and MVP for the Viterra Division. Mercury sports editor Josh Lewis spoke to the Estevan product about his incredible season. See story on B1.
Repairs planned for Highway 39 It wasn’t the twinning announcement that many are waiting for, but the federal and provincial government’s have announced that Highway 39 will be undergoing some major work. In a press release issued Friday, the two levels of government said they will pump $9.2 million into the controversial highway to resurface sections from Estevan to Macoun. Just over $4 million of that figure will come from the federal government under the major infrastructure component of the 2007 Building Canada Fund. Along with resurfacing sections of the highway, the plans also call for improvements to four intersections. “Highway 39 is essential to the economic vitality of Estevan and is also an important north-south trade
route to the United States,” said Souris-Moose Mountain MP Ed Komarnicki. “Our government is proud to invest in this initiative which will improve travel and safety for users of this portion of Highway 39. Our infrastructure investments strengthen communities and are an important driver of economic growth and job creation here in Saskatchewan and across Canada.” According to the press release, Highway 39 was identified as a priority to receive funding under the BCF. The project is one of four highways announced Friday that will see more than 100 kilometres of the core national highway system in the province improved. The federal government is setting aside up to 50 per cent of total eligible costs for each project, to a maxi-
mum of $16,550,929 for the four projects, with the provincial government committing an additional $18,555,121. “We are happy to work with the Government of Canada on this important repaving project,” Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles said on behalf of Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris. “Highway 39 provides a vital trade and tourism route to the United States, and the improved stretch between Estevan and Macoun will benefit shippers, tourists and area residents alike.” The release noted that Highway 39 connects to Saskatchewan’s busiest border crossing, and the area set for repaving carries approximately 3,880 vehicles per day. Highway 39 is a north-south trade route and tourist corridor to the U.S. through North Portal.
Senchuk
Ford Sales Ltd.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 www.senchukford.ca