Joyful Noise Comin’ Atcha!
The African Children’s Choir performed at the Alliance Church May 14 as the group of young children, many of whom have lost parents, entertained the crowd with The Trackside Motocross Park was busy Saturday as they hosted the first race of the Southeast Corner Racing Circuit schedule. For results and more photos please see musical enthusiasm. page B4. Photo by Chad Saxon.
Mailing No. 10769 Mailing No. 10769
Wed., Wed.,May May21, 14,2014 2014
www.estevanmercury.ca www.estevanmercury.ca
Issue Issue1 2
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 112 YEARS SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 112 YEARS
Late models shine at Speedway
Crude-filled tanker cars derail By Chad Saxon editor@estevanmercury.ca
Exterior view of the Estevan Shoppers Mall, which has just been sold to Artis Reit. Estevan’s emergency services personnel, and residents, were able to breath a sigh of relief Thursday after a train derailment was resolved without major incident or injury. mall ever since it opened retail development firm that By Norm Park The derailment, which normpark@estevanmercury.ca in 1974. manages 25 million square occurred Thursday at around Pickering said there are feet of space in North Amer11 a.m., saw four tanker cars The Estevan Shoppers 24 or 25 retail outlets in the ica with 235 properties under filled with crude oil jump the Mall has been sold. mall, depending on the space their banner, 182 of them betracks just north of the DevoThe city’s one major requirements and that it is ing in Canada and the rest in nian Industrial Subdivision. roof-covered retail mall has currently 95 per cent leased the United States, most notaAlthough the worst was been sold by Commerce out. He noted that in recent bly in the Minneapolis area feared in the immediate afThe Estevan Motor Speedway kicked off the 2014 season on Saturday with its Capital of Winnipeg to an- years major roof repairs had where they just purchased termath, none of the tanker first race program. The evening featured the first of six appearances this season other Winnipeg-based real been carried out along with the 601 Carlson Tower, a cars duringlate the deby ruptured the WISSOTA model class. Steven Pfeifer’s No. 11 car was one of seven estate development firm, a big repaving project for a 15-storey office complex for railment, on more on Saturday’s races, see page B1. enteredwhich in theoccurred class. For Artis Reit (Real Estate In- good portion of the mall’s $75 million, and other propa low speed section of track vestment Trust). extensive parking He tankers ertiesand in the in Estevan. No oil leaked from anylot. of the thePhoenix cause ofarea the near CP’s oil transloading Four tanker cars, each filled with crude oil, derailed Thursday morning The sale took effect in said other behind-the-scenes and southwest sunbelt. The derailment remains under investigation. Photo by Chad Saxon. facility but not at it. early May and it was learned upgrades had been complet- company has an asset base “It could have been very the members of Estevan’s to deal with these types of was the City’s first since active inmall’s planning for the of gation Transport that ICR Commercial Real ed on the air exchange overby $5.1 billion.Canada. serious, but thankfully it was fire and police departments situations,” he said. “I want 2004 when a number of cars worst-case scenario given Fire rescue service Estate of Regina has been and electrical systems, makKeville noted, the perEsnot,” said Mayor Roy Lud- as well as the emergency to also thank CP. They did left the track near Estevan the amount of hazardous sonnel arrived at the scene appointed as the manage- ing it a value-added centre tevan acquisition is one of wig in an interview Monday. measures organization for a very good job of ensuring Diversified In that and materials that are within minutesinvestments and set about ment partnerServices. in the deal. one that is transported capable of the smaller “We consider ourselves very their quick work in securing that nothing was spilled even instance, ammonia leaked through Estevan a daily securing thebut scene asThe transaction was expansion if that on is what is for Artis, theand comfortunate.” and assessing the scene. though the cars were laid from the derailed cars, forcbasis. sessing whether or not there carried out for $10.1 mil- required in the future. pany is enthusiastic about Ludwig,Baker who was in “All of ourondary peoplepriority that over. Theytodecanted and as47it ing evacuation resiAlthough the expansion worst-case the waspotential. a leak. position the Highway By Jordan lionthe using cash onofhand, Kevill said Lloydminster for the Sas- were involved did a fantastic worked out, thank goodness dences in the area. scenario did not materialize, By 1:30they that like afternoon, editor@estevanmercury.ca asphalt work. and includes all retail units plans are not out of the ques“What about katchewan City Mayors’ job, and it’s just a comfort nothing was spilled, so it was In the years before and the preparation was evident a media conference “Depending on how long that takes, within the mall plus the as- tion either in terms of an- the Estevan deal is was the Caucus the derailment knowing that webecause have theit’s ex-notathat total success.” the parking 2004 incident, the other in theseparate aftermath of the derailheld at that the city has alAswhen construction season heats up quicklong of a contract from after sociated lot. It was retail outlet on growth occurred wasweather, quick tothe thank pertise within ourthe community Thursday’sTheatre, derailment EMO group been the ment, under Investigation ⇢ A2 er than the City of Estevan’s railway to the Orpheum we City’s noted that Artis hadhas already lot,which muchislike theinvestirecent ready experienced as well as attention turns to numerous infrastructure expect that as soon as that is done we can purchased the property hous- addition of a stand-alone the potential and the strong projects slated for completion this year. finish the parking lot as well,” said Ludwig. ing the neighbouring Sobeys Tim Hortons restaurant, or blend of local tenants with Amber Smale, city manager, noted the He said the cement curbing in the food outlet a couple of years an extension under a mall the national retailers. I bemost important projects will help alleviate parking lot is complete or nearly complete, earlier, so the company was roof, which could be carried lieve that’s what really atsomeAs ofwork the pain commuters feel driving on bypass and they expectpotential to complete bothoflifts with the mall. on the east or southern tracted noting them,” if Kevill added, continues on the heavy-truck around removal the of truckfamiliar route designation on Sixth out doesn’t go anywhere,” said Weldeab, that section one of Estevan’s busiest stretches of road. pavement before the winter. The mall’s local mansides of the mall. noting that ICR already manthe northern outskirts of Estevan, the City is also looking to Street. If the city began to thno longer allow trucks on Sixth of Sixth Street continues as a truck route there should be The big project this year is the repavLudwig called the Sixth Street and 13 ager, Michael Pickering, has “There are plenty of ages nine properties for Artis review and revise which roads within city limits are going Street between Kensington and Second, Smith asked if the inclusion of Second Avenue as well. ingcontinue of 13th Avenue, orheavy Highway 47 in North, Avenue intersection “horrendous,” and access is been retained thea owners in many other cities, androads theywas are to accepting trucks the future. they would be restricting to all trucks by over certain opportunities He addedwith that existing the issue for of these between Fourth and Sixth Streets. awaiting the repair work with the same and management firm to spaces, but there is no firm managers of well-known Going forward council agreed during their regular weight or whether existing businesses on that stretch of that they haven’t been built to withstand heavy-truck traffic, “We’re doing theallowing preliminary expectancy the rest of the city’s in oversized that role. loads. decision or included. work planned mall outlets in Regina, such meeting on May 5 that fewerwork trucks onlevel city of streets road as would be permitted on thecontinue street with Sixth Street right now and we anticipate starting concommuters. “Mike’s knowledge and at this early stage,” as Shoppers Landmark on is better than the opposite. Most of Sixth Street isn’t a truck route, but there is a Mayor Roy Ludwigsaid said there will be further consultastruction in July. That’s the most important Recently, crews laid fresh pavement experience is a good fit for Kevill. “We will meet later Albert Street South and the City council had previously raised concerns with 375-metre stretch west of Kensington Avenue to Second tion with the public who will have the opportunity to come one right now,”being said Smale. “The other on FourthAvenue Street in area that saw us,” said David Kevill of the to discusswith this,their but we know about Westthe Landing Mall as along Fourth Avenue a designated truckone route,down and during thatanallows them. forward concerns truck routes the we’re doing is the parking lot at Affinity repair work last year. ICR management team. there is surplus land that can University Park Drive. a review of the routes around the city, council identified The recommendation to council noted the City should bylaw is drawn up. Place.other Thatareas is almost We’re “We finallyeither got that horrendous patch Theofaccounting, in awhole varietyreason of ways.” in good three to be underway. reconsidered, Alice Road from revisit classifying that section Sixth Streetleasas a be used “The behind this,“The and Imall knowiscouncil is just finishing up the electrical that needs that we had done in the winter; we fiing and lease administration There are approximateshape, as is the local econWoodlawn Avenue to the west city boundary, Woodlawn truck route or include Second Avenue from Third Street fully behind it, is the degradation of our streets and roads. to be done, thenRoad that to parking lot can nally got whichaswill be route a will be conducted acrescannot of excess landto watch omy, them and Ideteriorate,” know they said had Wesix simply continue Avenue fromand Alice the south city boundary andthattopaved, Sixth Street a truck so heavy loads arefrom ablethe to ly be paved.” huge improvement. I know people will be Regina office of ICR. included in the deal that been looking at it for awhile. Ludwig. “Now that we’ve got the heavy-truck bypass, we Sixth Street from Second Avenue to Kensington Avenue. loop back around to Kensington. Mayor Royfrom Ludwig the parking happy with Ludwig.said He said Commerce Capital or can for futurepossible This the dealheavy-truck has been a couple wantbeto assigned restrict wherever traffic The report city said engineer Kiflom Weldeab wasthat,” said Weldeab as it they stands, the Sixth Street truck route lot paving is something the city has been planned the pavement work for last its predecessors have been development. of years in the making,” on our streets.” returned to council last week. goes nowhere. waiting on for too long, but raised it takessome a secProjects majority owners of that the Artis Reit is a large Kevill said. Police ⇢ A2 “It doesn’t loop ⇢A2 around. the That is a truck route Councillor Kevin Smith concerns over the
Shoppers Mall sold
Infrastructure work is the City’s 2014 focus
City discussing which streets will remain open to trucks
Senchuk
Ford Sales Ltd.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 www.senchukford.ca