Estevan Mercury January 13

Community

Sports

Energy

Former Estevanite wins medical award

Elecs win B side at home tourney

Local oil industry adjusting quickly

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Issue 35

SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 113 YEARS

www.estevanmercury.ca

Wed., Jan. 13, 2016 Mailing No. 10769

Bruins Clip Weyburn’s Wings The Estevan Westmoreland peewee AA Bruins skated to a 5-1 win over the rival Weyburn Youngfellow Wings at Affinity Place on Sunday. Solid defence from the likes of Turner McMillen (17) and Cade Bendtsen (7), seen here clearing a puck from Layne Gilroy’s crease, helped the Bruins (10-7-2) earn the win. Photo by Wanda Harron.

Police calls for service decline by 10 per cent

Permit numbers plunged in 2015 Building activity in the Estevan area was at its lowest level in years, according to the year-end building permit report issued by the City of Estevan.

There were 75 permits worth a little more than $11 million last year, compared with 157 permits worth $34.9 million in 2014. The dwindling permit numbers weren’t a surprise, thanks to the slowdown in the local economy that left people leery about investing in building projects.

“Obviously we knew it was going to be a slower year, given the local economic conditions, so it wasn’t totally unexpected to see what we did in terms of permit numbers and valuations,” said land development services manager Rob Denys.

Denys expected about $15 million in building activity last year, so the final figure was lower than expected.

In recent years, Estevan has usually eclipsed the 100 permit mark,

and it has surpassed $40 million in value on a number of occasions. The numbers for 2015 were the lowest for Estevan since 2007.

The bulk of the building activity in 2015 was also for lower-value categories. Thirty miscellaneous permits worth $787,132 were issued. Another 18 permits were issued for garages; they had a value of $498,589.61.

As for the other categories, seven single-family residential permits were approved, with a total value of a little more than $2 million; four multi-family permits for more than $2.8 million were issued; one secondary suite for $50,394 was approved; six commercial permits for $1.8 million were granted; four industrial permits for $551,200 were issued; and six institutional permits worth nearly $2.5 million were approved.

The total number of new housing units created by the permits was 23, which was a significant decline

from the 108 new units for 2014.

The single-family residential category appeared to suffer the biggest losses. The seven permits represented just a fraction of the activity seen in 2014, when 73 permits worth more than $9.9 million were granted.

Denys expects 2016 will result in a similar number of building permits as last year, but that will be dependent on the local economy.

“Obviously businesses are being a lot more cautious, and as far as new building investment, it’s really hard to say what will happen, because it’s generated by the local economic conditions,” said Denys, adding that new residential construction was very robust for a number of years.

Based on his conversations with developers, there is still some willingness to invest in commercial properties, retail services and retrofitting existing commercial buildings, so Denys expects there could be an uptick in that category in 2016.

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While the Estevan Police Service (EPS) encountered a number of high-profile calls that grabbed the public’s attention last year, the police did experience an overall decline in the number of calls for service.

The police had 7,877 calls last year, which was down almost 10 per cent from the 8,731 they received the year before.

“I’m not surprised,” police Chief Paul Ladouceur told the Mercury. “We’ve noticed a decrease, obviously, in some of the activity in the city. When we look at the numbers, as the population decreases a little bit, and a lot of the people who were … transients have moved on … that’s going to have an impact.”

Still, there are increases in some crime categories that are a cause for concern.

Among the major categories, there were 163 crimes against a person, compared with 152 in 2014. There were 29 sexual crimes, 118 assaults, 14 assaults causing bodily harm and two robberies. Assaults saw the biggest increase, as there were 106 in 2014, which Ladouceur finds troubling.

The other categories remained the same or had little change.

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Estevan Mercury

Ladouceur opposed to cuts in staffing

Small truck fire quickly subdued

By Sam Macdonald smacdonald@estevanmercury.ca

Thanks to the quick thinking and quicker action of two truckers driving north of Estevan, a small fire was contained and what could have been a disastrous scenario was avoided.

At around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, a southbound transport semi truck driving into the city along Hwy. 47 North carrying a full load of propane caught fire at the Steelman intersection.

The driver of the transport truck and the driver of a vehicle following that truck acted quickly, containing the blaze with fire extinguishers until members of the Estevan Fire Rescue arrived on the scene to completely extinguish the flames and cool down the tank which the truck was towing.

“Thank goodness for the quick actions of the truck driver and one of his coworkers there,” said fire Chief Dale Feser. “The fire had huge potential to be a catastrophic event. It was

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⇠ A1 Police also investigated 353 crimes against property, compared with 364 in 2014. There were 32 residential break-and-enters, 14 business break-and-enters and three other such crimes.

Police also handled 11 motor vehicle thefts, four thefts over $5,000, 154 thefts under $5,000 and 135 mischief/willful damage complaints.

The number of mischief/ willful damage complaints was down from 164 the year before, and the number of thefts over $5,000 was down from the 10 in 2014. But the number of thefts under $5,000 was up from 134 in 2014.

Controlled Drug and Substances Act infractions experienced a big increase from 162 in 2014 to 205 last year. There were 124 charges for trafficking, a 118 per cent increase from the previous year’s 57, and 78 charges for possession, compared 105 the year before. Police also had three charges for production, while they had none the previous year.

“The reason we’re seeing that increase is the fact that we have a dedicated drug and intelligence position now,” said Ladouceur. “It’s not so much that the drug activity is going through the roof and has increased, we’re just investigating it thoroughly and catching them.”

In terms of Criminal Code traffic violations, there were 162 charges for impaired driving, a 28 per cent decrease from the 225 seen in 2014. Dangerous driving and other incidents dropped by 64 per cent from 11 to four.

Ladouceur believes the decrease in impaired driving charges can be connected to an ongoing crackdown by police.

“Our members at the forefront and on the street have been doing an outstanding job,” said Ladouceur.

“And so has the community.

Kudos to a community that picks up the phone and dials the police when they see a suspected impaired driver.”

It’s unfortunate that it took a couple of serious incidents in October that involved impaired drivers, to bring the community togeth-

a small fire, in origin, and it was kept at bay.”

The cause of the fire was a mechanical failure in the truck’s braking system, located on the lefthand side rear wheel.

The mechanical failure led to an excess of friction between the brake pads and the wheel, leading to a fire when they overheated.

“It was not a disaster, by and large, due to quick thinking. It had huge potential to be a catastrophic event, but it wasn’t because the fire was still small,” said Feser. “Had that fire impinged on the tank, we’d have been looking at evacuating a one kilometre square radius of the site, as well as shutting down the highway to prevent access.”

Because of the actions of the motorist and coworker involved, the highway remained open, and the affected truck was escorted along the Estevan Bypass by Estevan Fire Rescue members, to where it was repaired at a nearby shop. The truck remained drivable after the incident, since the damage was limited to the breaking assembly on one wheel.

Feser said his biggest concern with the situation was the potential danger of a boiling liquid or expanding vapour explosion.

“I’m far less concerned with a fully loaded tank instead of a half-empty or just a container with residue in it, because the vapour is what we’re concerned with,” said Feser.

“Propane, in liquid form when stored in tanks, absorbs heat. When the tank is more empty, the vapour is going to heat up a heck of a lot more quickly and the liquid inside isn’t able to absorb the heat from the direct impingement.

“That would have led to a very climactic end to the situation.”

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er and emphasize the dangers of impaired driving, but those accidents also created more awareness about the need to fight impaired drivers.

The crackdown will continue this year.

“It is something we will be continuing with long into the future,” said Ladouceur.

He hopes the check stops have deterred people from driving while impaired.

Some of the other incidents, like domestic violence, don’t have an actual category; if an assault occurs during a domestic, then it is listed as an assault. The chief noted it would be labour intensive to check if an assault or a mischief complaint involved a spouse or a partner.

“We are actually looking at a process on how we can better categorize a domestic,” said Ladouceur.

Ladouceur stated several times last year that he believed the number of domestic incidents was on the rise in Estevan, due to the stress and the tension associated with the economic slowdown.

The chief also wants to find a way to track the nonreported domestic violence.

“I would suspect those numbers are much higher than the actual reported calls,” said Ladouceur. “I want some idea of early intervention, or how big of a problem this is in the community.”

The EPS works closely with the Envision Counselling and Support Centre, and while Envision can’t divulge specific details on the cases they are handling, it gives the police an idea of the basic numbers.

Clearance rates for last year were not immediately available, and likely won’t be released until February or March, since investigations

are still ongoing from many cases that happened later in the year.

The public’s initial reaction might be that since call numbers are down, the amount of criminal activity in the city is also down, and so funding for the EPS can be cut back. But the police handle a variety of calls, and the calls for service don’t include speeding tickets and many other traffic infractions.

The public can’t just look at percentages, either; the focus should be on hard numbers. And in many categories, the numbers have remained stable.

Also, some of the categories that have experienced an uptick represent their most time-consuming calls.

“We’d like to see the numbers go down in all categories,” said Ladouceur.

The EPS currently has 26 officers – a figure that includes the chief but not the police force’s special constables. Ladouceur believes they have an adequate number of members, and so he won’t be pushing for a staffing increase, but he would also be opposed to a decrease.

“Public safety is paramount,” said Ladouceur.

“When we look at numbers going down, calls for service are down not just because the economy’s slower or people move on. Calls for service sometimes go down because the police are doing a good job, and not as many incidents are happening or occurring where people need to call.”

If the number of police officers is cut back, the amount of crime in communities will start to climb again, because it’s difficult for police to operate with a reduced number of officers.

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Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

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Former Estevanite shares coveted Kendel medical profession award Dr. Mark Wahba, the son of the late Dr. Yosri Wahba and Susan Wahba, was the co-recipient of the Dr. Dennis A. Kendel Distinguished Service Award which was announced in the latter part of 2015.

The award presentation is made annually by the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Wa h b a s h a r e d t h e award with Dr. Ryan Meili.

Both physicians practice in Saskatoon with Meili being a family physician at Westside Community Clinic and Wahba serving as an emergency room physician at the local hospitals.

In making the presentation, Dr. Grant Stoneham, president of the college, praised the two “young but very deserving candidates.

Their initiative, innovation and leadership have already had very positive impacts on the health services provided in their workplace.”

Wahba, a graduate of Estevan Comprehensive School worked for a number of years in the ER departments in Regina after completing his medical degree

Dr. Ryan Meili (left) and Dr. Mark Wahba flank Dr. Dennis Kendel for this photo shortly after the two Saskatoon-based physicians had been named the 2015 co-recipients of the Dr. Dennis A. Kendel Distinguished Service Award. Photo curtesy of Doc Talk magazine. and recalls his Estevan days fondly, it being a community where long-standing friendships were formed.

“I’m honoured to share this award with Dr. Meili, he’s a pretty good guy,” said Wahba.

“If I can try to improve health care at the sharp end and Dr. Meili can try to improve health care at the blunt end, hopefully we’ll make things better for people.”

The nomination for Wahba paid additional at-

tention to his talent in implementing improvements in quality care on site and his organizational efforts.

Wahba will soon be joining a team of medical professionals heading to Haiti to continue the work

being performed by former teams of medical volunteers who are helping the Haitian people recover from the devastation that rocked their country during an earthquake in 2010.

Recovery efforts have been

slow within this povertystricken country.

More information about Dr. Wahba and the volunteer team will be featured in the next edition of Southeast Lifestyles coming out this weekend.

Fire department had a record-setting year

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The Estevan Fire and Rescue Service experienced another record-setting year in 2015.

According to fire Chief Dale Feser, the department received 243 calls for service, which included residential and commercial fire alarms, motor vehicle collisions, rescue calls and hazardous materials calls.

“It’s been a very challenging year, but nothing we can’t handle,” Feser told the Mercury. “It keeps us on our toes, and it dictates where we’re going to be focusing our training endeavours for the next year.”

The previous record of 236 calls was set in 2014.

The call volume translates to nearly five calls per

week, or a call every 36 hours, which is a very busy schedule for a paid, on-call service. They also had 52 training sessions.

“Typically firefighters will be attending the fire hall for two hours, minimum, of training, once every two weeks,” said Feser.

But the firefighters will meet for specialized training if they need to brush up their skills, and there will also be training for new recruits.

The department participated in 12 public activities, too, which included public relations events such as the open house and visiting schools during Fire Prevention Week.

“When we take a look at it, and you tally all that up, basically the guys are doing something almost

in fire alarm calls; a 14 per cent hike for rescue-related calls for issues such as motor vehicle collisions, and swift and ice water rescue; a 12 per cent jump in hazardous materials response calls; a 17 per cent increase in fires; a six per cent jump in calls; and an overall 21 per cent increase in call volume, when compared with the 12-month stretch from Nov. 1, 2013 to Oct. 31, 2014.

Also, October and November of 2015 were particularly busy months for the department due to wildland fires, vehicle accidents, residential fires and structural fires. There was an apartment fire in October that resulted in the destruction of a building and the displacement of several people.

Fire Chief Dale Feser every day for the fire department and the citizens of Estevan,” said Feser.

The fire department expected they might experience a reduced schedule last year due to the sliding economy in the area, but that didn’t materialize.

Feser noted that from Nov. 1, 2014, to Oct. 31, 2015, the fire department had a 46 per cent increase

“Not only were the call volumes on the rise, but the severity index of those calls we were tending to was on the rise,” said Feser, who is in the process of tabulating a call severity index.

The fire chief believes the numbers reinforce the need for attracting and retaining firefighters. The fire department currently has 26 firefighters, plus Feser and administrator Rhonda Gillespie.

Recruitment and retention of firefighters is an issue facing fire departments in Estevan and across North America. But Feser also wants to have high-quality firefighters who will be committed for the longterm.

“They definitely have to be the right type of individual to do this type

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There’s a lot of training that’s involved in getting to be part of the fire department. And that’s what we find, is that a lot of people don’t have that time to commit any longer.”

The department has changed its recruitment program, so now they have spring and fall recruiting intakes, instead of accepting new recruits at any time in the year. Successful recruits then take a 40-hour training course to give them the necessary skills.

Feser said the changes have already made a difference, because it helps them develop the necessary abilities, and it enables new firefighters to be more effective when they have to respond to a call.

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Estevan Mercury

No charges yet in pedestrian collision Estevan police Chief Paul Ladouceur says it could be a few more weeks before a decision is made on whether to lay charges in the fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision in downtown Estevan more than three months ago.

The police and the crown attorneys have received the collision reconstruction report, and the document is now being discussed to determine the next step for charges.

“I suspect that it will just be a number of weeks before a decision is made on how it will proceed on that investigation,” the police chief said in an interview with the Mercury late last week.

The accident occurred in the 1200 block of Fourth Street on Oct. 6, 2015, and left a 69-year-old woman dead and a 74-year-old man seriously injured. Some in the community have questioned why there haven’t been any charges.

The case was turned over to the Crown shortly after the accident.

But Ladouceur said they’re dealing with some different legislation, including the Traffic Safety Act and the Criminal Code, so it’s not unusual for an investigation to take this long.

There were also two more serious accidents that occurred in Estevan within the next eight days, and there are only so many resources available, so police want to have quality accident reports.

“I would much rather see an investigation take its time, and be meaningful and accurate, than to rush through,” said Ladouceur.

Once a decision is made on whether to charge the motorist, the next step will be to determine whether the charges are traffic or criminal in nature. The criminal charges carry harsher penalties.

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Volunteers are needed for cancer fundraiser The Canadian Cancer Society continues to look for participants and other volunteers for its inaugural Estevan Jail-N-Bail fundraiser on Jan. 26 at the Estevan Shoppers Mall.

As part of the event, local residents will be tossed into a makeshift jail at the Estevan Shoppers Mall.

They will need to call people they know for donations so they can make bail.

“We have a bunch of great volunteers out in Estevan, and they’ve been helping me with getting posters out,” said Sophie Pitman, a campaign assistant/event planner with the Canadian Cancer Society’s southern Saskatchewan office.

One person has already agreed to go to jail during the day. Another has stepped forward to volunteer in another capacity. Kathryn Gilliss, who was the event chair for last year’s Relay for Life in Estevan, will be one of the Jail-N-Bail judges. The judges are tasked with presiding over sentencing ceremonies, and determining how much money each jailbird needs to raise.

A stint in jail will likely last an hour or two.

They also have a couple of snitches who have suggested individuals they know to be arrested.

“We’re looking for most wanted jailbirds,” said Pitman. “Their bail

will be set a little higher, but they will be included in media releases, and it shows they’re involved in the community.”

They would also need judges, bailiffs, prosecuting attorneys, defenders, courtroom attendants, detectives and drivers. The detective will accompany the driver to arrest jailbirds at their workplace. Volunteer shifts can last anywhere from an hour to a full day.

The jailbirds will be allowed to fundraise before the event, and supporters can make online donations.

“If you really want to participate, but time is of the essence, that’s okay,” said Pitman. “You can raise

the money before online.

Come to the jail, get tried, (pay your bail) and get your pardon.”

The cancer society also offers a house arrest, so they won’t come to an office to pick up a jailbird. Rather, people can get their donations, and the cancer society will arrange a way to pick up the money.

The Jail-N-Bail is taking the place of the Relay for Life in Estevan this year.

It’s a fun event, she said, and it has become popular in other communities across the province.

“Everyone is trying to eradicate cancer, and we’re doing it in a fun way,” she said.

Envision will train volunteers The Envision Counselling and Support Centre is seeking volunteers to operate its 24-hour abuse and sexual assault support line.

The agency is looking to grow, thanks to its recent expansion in programming to help exploited individuals.

“We all have something to offer that will make our community a little stronger, a little more vibrant. And when we work together, there’s no limit to the heights we can reach.” said Envision executive director Christa Daku.

In a press release, Envision said statistics show 60 per cent of sexual abuse or sexual assault victims are under the age of 17. One in three teen dating relationships has physical aggression present.

The agency reports the sexual assault rates have risen in Estevan over the past year.

Envision believes violence affects all classes, genders, ages, ethnic and racial groups. It can happen to anyone at any time though no one likes to admit it happens in their own communities and families.

Those are just a few reasons why Envision is looking for help to keep the support line running. Without dedicated volunteers, the agency would not be able to offer this support.

If anyone has ever considered volun-

teering, this would be a good time.

Envision currently has 19 volunteers and they are looking to add more.

“We like to recognize our volunteers anonymously for the great work that they do in our community and surrounding areas,” said Envision

Envision volunteers are able to help from the comfort of their own homes with the use of their cell phones.

People have the flexibility of signing up for shifts according to their own schedules. Every volunteer is asked to sign up for at least two shifts

volunteer co-ordinator Renée Borhot. per month. Those with small children “The best part of my job is being have not had a problem or an inconcreative in ways to show our volun- venience during daytime shifts. There teers how much we truly appreciate are at least two people scheduled on them. All the wonderful volunteers the phone line at all times. we have with us … do this … work, The next round of volunteer not because they are publicly ac- training will be Jan. 30 and 31, and knowledged, because they’re not, Feb. 6 and 7. Anyone who is interbut because they know the support is ested in attending is asked to register needed in southeast Saskatchewan.” by Jan. 27.

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January 13, 2016 A5

Reid excited for Estevan concert

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

One of the best pieces of advice that Johnny Reid has ever received came from his father, who once said, “If you can figure out a way to make a living doing something you’d do for free, then you’re going to have it made.”

Reid has parlayed his love and talent for music into a career as one of Canada’s biggest country music stars; a performer who has numerous platinum albums and an assortment of awards. But the words of his father, a Scottish diesel mechanic who brought his family to Canada in 1988 when Johnny Reid was 13 years old, still ring true.

Reid will be performing at Affinity Place on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Perhaps it’s fitting that his appearance will be on Valentine’s Day, since the name of his latest album and his latest tour are What Love is All About.

“The life I love consists of basically four blocks: write, record, release and tour,” Reid told the Mercury while speaking from Nashville, Tennessee. “I’ve written the record, I’ve recorded the record, I’ve released the record and now it’s time to get out there and tour the record.”

He looks forward to getting out on the road and sharing the music with everyone. Reid will often be nervous after an album is released, since he wants it to resonate with people.

The response so far has been favourable. It recently went platinum – an increasingly difficult feat due to the changing way in which people purchase music. The thrill of having a platinum album is a feeling that never grows old.

“When we released our first album … people were out there buying records … even all the way up to the Fire It Up album,” said Reid. “Then digital sales came in, and it was more of a singles-driven market, but we never changed. It was one thing that never changed for us. We always sold albums.

“I’ve always taken great pride in making an album, not just a single, and making a cohesive body of work that reflects the time period for myself during the time of writing it.”

The title track was the first song he wrote for the album.

Reid penned it while he was making regular trips to Europe, after a song he wrote, Fire it Up, was recorded by famed British singer Joe Cocker and experienced a lot of success overseas.

While writing some more songs while overseas, Reid realized he

was working on a new album.

Music has been a big part of his life since he was young and singing in his native Scotland. But he was also passionate for sports, and a good enough athlete to play football in university.

“It was my last year (of university), I was almost finished, and I had been been singing my whole way through primary school, middle school, high school and even college,” said Reid. “I was singing in college, and I realized quite quickly that I was a better singer than a football player.”

So rather than trying to play professional football – which he said was never really an option – he heeded his father’s advice, and ventured into the music world, trying to make money with his music, even though he would have done it for free.

“For me, it was never really about buses and billboards,” said Reid. “It was always about taking a God-given talent, and sharing that talent and that gift with as many people as humanly possible. And if I can make a few dollars along the way, to take care of my family, then that would be gravy.”

Even when he was a struggling musician, he was still writing and singing, gaining traction

Canadian country music singer Johnny Reid will perform at Affinity Place in Estevan on Feb. 14. Submitted photo. and making some money to carve out a living.

It was his 2005 album, Born to Roll, that made him a star in Canadian country music circles.

Three of his albums have gone double platinum, and three more went platinum.

N a t a l i e M a c M a s t e r, J J Shiplett and Aaron Goodvin will be the opening acts for Reid’s appearance in Estevan. He says he knows all three, as they are part of his recording label.

Tickets are still available for the concert.

Salvation Army provides seasonal wrap up report While the local Christmas Kettle and food bank drive for the local Salvation Army program topped the targets, so too did their national campaign, according to information released by the Army from their Toronto headquarters.

This year the Christmas Kettle campaign raised over $22 million, which exceeded their $21 million goal. The local campaign, as reported in last week’s Mercury, netted $36,000 from the kettle collections alone, surpassing the targeted amount of $35,000. The total campaign, including the mail-in and bring-in cash donations amounted to $115,000 which surpassed

the local goal of $85,000.

Majors Heather and Wilf Harbin, who were directing their first campaign in Estevan, said it was an impressive community effort.

“We were very busy, with the campaign plus the food bank donations.

We weren’t able to pick up a large food donation from the No Frills grocery store until this past week, due to the busy schedule.

The grocery stores, like No Frills, Sobeys and Southern Plains Co-op have been generous all year and especially at Christmas, them and their customers,” said Heather Harbin.

With growing demand for services, locally as well

as nationally, the Salvation Army will use the additional money to fund much-needed programs in 400 communities.

All the kettle donations remain in the communities in which they are raised, which enables the Army to help vulnerable people, with basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and other provisions.

The Army also operates life-changing programs such as substance abuse recovery programs, housing supports, job and skills training, budgeting and education classes, all of which help people find a way out of poverty or difficult circumstances.

16013AA1

at: h t n io n u it d e r c I want a

“We are truly grateful for the continued support of our donors, volunteers and community partners, which enables us to help struggling Canadians during the Christmas season and throughout the year,” said commissioner Susan McMillan, territorial commander for the Army in Canada and Bermuda.

Hosted by more than 2,000 locations across Canada, including about five in Estevan, the annual Christmas Kettle campaign is the organization’s

largest fundraising drive of the year and would not be possible without the thousands of kettle attendants who volunteer their time.

The Army noted significant assistance is provided by a number of corporations, including the food stores and other major franchised outlets.

Without their support, said McMillan, the campaign would not be successful.

“Their support allows us to raise awareness of our efforts to provide essential services to vulnerable

people and provides a convenient way for their generous customers to donate to our work.”

Last year, the Army helped more than 1.85 million people in need.

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest nongovernmental direct provider of social services in the country. They are now located in more than 125 countries.

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Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, Saskatchewan. Postal address: Box 730 Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 2A6 The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice.

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Making it work, takes a little longer There has been some undeserved hammering of SaskPower and its Boundary Dam Unit 3 project lately, not only from the political fronts, which would be expected, but also from regions and individuals who don’t have and don’t appear to be interested in the whole story. They would rather cherry pick negatives, as do political opponents who are declaring the BD3 program a lost cause and poor investment.

As we said in the past, based on facts and future, it’s not. And, we say that not because SaskPower makes up a huge component of our community, but because the carbon capture system is working, albeit not always at peak efficiency and not always online but, this was to be expected.

Yes, SaskPower should have been more forthcoming about the frequency of the shutdowns and the loss of efficiencies when they occurred. Those poorly reported halts in production provided fodder for the critics, and there have been more than a few.

To claim SaskPower is losing tub loads of money on this project, is, quite purely, hogwash.

As it has been pointed out time and again, if BD3 had not gone into refurbishment and carbon capture mode, whatever

Prairie Perspective MURRAY MANDRYK Murray Mandryk is a political columnist with the Leader Post

Out-migration hardest on rural Sask.

Without trying to be overly harsh, the news we are again losing our young people to Alberta is likely less of a surprising development to rural Saskatchewan than it is to the province as a whole.

After all, most of rural Saskatchewan never quite had the same reprieve from this trend that the cities enjoyed a few years back. (The exception being smaller cities like Kindersley, Weyburn and Estevan that were at the heart of the oil boom, and likely most benefited from it.)

Rural residents, especially those in the smallest cities, towns, villages and farms, have always faced the double whammy of not only losing their young people to Alberta, but also to the bigger Saskatchewan cities like Regina and Saskatoon.

But seeing one’s kids move away is something no parent can ever get used to. This may be why it’s the one issue in Saskatchewan that always hurts and never

SaskPower would have needed to build to replace it, would be at least three-quarters of its $1.5 billion cost.

Yes, there were $17 million in additional costs after the fact to compensate for original design and build flaws. Most of that will be recovered through legal means.

Yes, there was a $12 million loss on early sales of carbon dioxide that has now been turned into profit, not further losses.

Coal can still be a primary source of fuel, here and elsewhere.

We learned that when Ontario made the supposedly bold move to turn to electrical power production that was going to be green, to meet the green committees’ aspirations. The process turned ugly very quickly politically, practically and financially. Ontario’s Hydro One and its hybrids are currently billions and billions in debt that they’ll never be able to crawl out of for at least five decades.

In Thunder Bay, for instance, they eschewed Saskatchewan’s coal in favour of producing power using biomass. The problem was, biomass was not massive enough so the refurbished former coal-fueled plant is now burning imported wood and it’s costing them $1,600 per megawatt hour to produce. Compare that with the $126 to $130 per megawatt hour cost to produce

residential power in this province, and then tell us Ontario is on the right track.

Ontario’s companies have been forced to turn to nuclear, with huge construction costs and even larger maintenance costs and larger than large decommissioning costs at shutdown.

Their add-on costs (above the more traditional fuel sources) to provide a small fraction of their needs through wind and solar contracts, currently stands at $9.2 billion.

In some sectors Ontario Hydro One can produce power for $135 per megawatt hour, but adding green energy to the mix, is adding at least 50 per cent to the cost.

The folly is costing each Ontario taxpayer hundreds of dollars.

In the meantime, in an act of desperation, Ontario is selling 13.6 per cent to the private market, as one analyst noted, it’s not a P3 project, but rather a P4. It’s a perverse, public, private, partnership. That has led only to a jumble of governance representative shuffles with appointments being made to boards, or sometimes elected representatives taking a seat at the table.

Regulatory agencies are in a state of flux and rate regulations are bypassed.

It makes SaskPower’s go for green look pretty darn good.

quite seems to go away.

That small taste of growth success that was enjoyed by some of the towns and smaller cities whose economy is more tied to the oil only left rural-based communities hungrier for what could be.

Moreoever, at least the cities can claim they (and the province as a whole) are growing because of the influx of new Canadians who have arrived in this province. New arrivals have been a huge part of the on-going (albeit, somewhat slowed) increase in both Saskatchewan jobs and population.

And even though many of these immigrants are simply taking up service sector or retail jobs, they are still contributing to the economy. However, they tend to be contributing to the city economies where they have settled.

According to numbers from Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan gained 53,921 people from other provinces since 2013 compared with 59,560 people who left Saskatchewan for other provinces, a net out-migration loss of 5,639.

But more to the point, half of those people left for better opportunities in Alberta, an old, familiar story to parents from both the cities and rural area of our province.

It is an issue made even more familiar by the politics of our province.

Many of you will remember the Grant Devine Progressive Conservative campaign of 1982 where one of the themes was “bring the children home.” Or, you may recall those 1991 NDP election commercials in

which a bus pulls up at a farmyard and a young girl is given a hug by her parents before she boards that Alberta-bound bus.

Now, the Saskatchewan Party is already running advertisements touting their record on population growth during the past decade, which is considerably better than that of the previous decade under the NDP administration.

However, the information is also framed as a loss of Saskatchewan people to Alberta. In recent years, that hasn’t been the case.

And why Saskatchewan’s out-migration record is so bad is now an interesting question because Alberta is clearly suffering even more from the downturn in oil.

Doug Elliott, publisher of Sask Trends Monitor, noted Alberta’s mining/oil/gas jobs in the first 11 months of 2015 declined by 11 per cent. But in Saskatchewan, the decrease was only six per cent in these sectors.

Yet, overall job growth in Alberta in the first 11 months of 2015 was 1.4 per cent, almost triple the 0.5 per cent job growth in Saskatchewan.

Elliott argued this is why we continue to see young Saskatchewan people flock to Alberta for better-paying job opportunities.

The statistician noted Alberta is even creating more jobs in the public sector areas of health and education, a trend that started before the arrival of its NDP government in May. We are again losing ground to Alberta, a reality that hurts everywhere in this province.

Put the sign of success on your front yard.

Lynn Chipley

A7

306-634-1020

lynn.chipley@century21.ca

Letters to the Editor

Oh, those Coach says thanks for the help people The Editor: The Swift Current Atom AATarpon Energy Broncos would like to sincerely thank the Estevan Atom AA Bruins coaching staff and parents for their assistance during our recent visit.

On the morning of Jan. 10, we awoke to minus 36 degree Celsius temperature and to a team bus that would not start. Game time was 11:45 a.m.

Bruins head coach Derrick Wilhelm, Ryan Onrait and a few other parents willingly came to our hotel, picked up our team equipment, our players and our parents while others helped

Norm Park All Things Considered I got into a meaningful conversation with an old friend last week and that triggered additional thoughts in the aftermath hours.

How do friendships get formed and how and why do they evolve as they do?

Some friends you get to see every day or every other day. But then, we have friends we don’t see for months or years, yet the friendship survives and can even escalate.

You would think with the wonders of cyberspace and Internet these friend connections would be more frequent. But they aren’t, and that is a bit of a mystery to me.

I can text, Facebook or email my buddies from high school pretty well at will, but I don’t. And they don’t connect with me frequently, either.

But it seems, when we do connect, at some special anniversary or homecoming event or some such thing, the love and respect for one another is in full display, as are the stories from the past that get bigger and better.

And when the old stories are done, we talk very casually, easily and frankly about where we’re headed and how we’re truly doing and the BS factor is eliminated because even if you’ve been separated by two or three decades between meetings, your friend(s) still know you too well and vice versa. You don’t BS your friends, unless, of course, you’re planning on pranking them. Then the gloves are off and no holds barred. Because that’s what friends do, too.

I often choke up remembering true and fast friends who are gone now. I don’t feel guilty that I didn’t get to see them that “one last time,” or had that memorable re-visit. Their image and memories of the fastness of the friendship are good enough and, strong enough to not allow me to harbour regrets.

Most often distance keeps you from connecting in person with old friends. You leave school or universities and head out in separate directions. The fast friends you make an effort to locate, you at least know where they are, who they married (or didn’t marry) and what profession they’re engaged in. You connect in the flesh when you need to and that’s just great. The get-togethers are usually memorable because they are far apart and the spirit of the friendship is intact and you know it, just by looking them in the eye and exchanging that hug and handshake. Everything’s all right. No need to apologize for not keeping in touch, you’re still my friend.

I phoned a dying friend a few years ago. I remember the conversation clearly because I knew I wouldn’t be able to visit him in time.

“That doesn’t matter Parksie, the visit doesn’t matter. You know and I know what was important for us. I know you’ll remember, you were my best friend.”

I wasn’t a recent best friend, but I had been a best friend. We knew and understood the status, I lamented that I didn’t even get to know his youngest children and he said that was OK too, because they knew about me and that’s all they needed.

After he died, I wrote to those kids. Giving them another perspective of their old man.

I guess that’s what friends can do, just because they want to.

Then there are acquaintances and fair-weather friends who bring joy, relief and craziness to our lives on infrequent and unexpected occasions. Where are they now? They provided glancing blows of their personalities and then they’re gone. But that confirms the fact, all friends are important aren’t they?

work on our bus.

On behalf of the Swift Current coaches, players and parents, I want to thank you all for your friendship and for your willingness to help us.

Your kind gesture will not be forgotten.

In Sport, Kyle McIntyre Coach Swift Current Tarpon Energy Broncos

CUPE and city react to agreement The City of Estevan won’t have to worry about negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 726, which represents the city’s unionized staff, for nearly three more years.

As reported in last week’s edition of the Mercury, the two sides finalized a new three-year CBA on Jan. 4, which was just days after the previous CBA expired. The new agreement will expire on Dec. 31, 2018.

City employees will receive a six per cent wage increase over three years, with a 1.6 per cent jump this year, a two per cent hike for 2017 and a 2.4 per cent jump in 2018.

“We think it’s fair because of the way the economy is right now,” said Glenys Baerg, who chaired the negotiations for the city.

The accepted wage increase was offered by the city.

“We were going to ask for a little bit higher than that, but we know with the economy the way it is, and the oil the way it is, that there are a lot of people out there who don’t have jobs right now,” said Baerg. “They got laid off or their hours cut.”

Baerg hopes the public won’t be upset that city employees will be receiving a raise while the economy is slumping. City employees work hard, she said, and this year’s raise will cover increases in the cost of living.

Mayor Roy Ludwig, who chaired the negotiating committee for the city, said the city also had to be cognizant of the current economy when they entered the negotiations, but they also felt the talks were fair and the wage increase was reasonable.

“Given the fact that there is inflation out there, and you try to keep up with inflation, this agreement is fair in that regard,” said the mayor.

There are some other changes in the new CBA, most notably for employees going on maternity leave. Previously a staff member had to go on employment insurance immediately after their maternity leave began, without any benefits.

But if the employee agrees to return to work for at least six months after the maternity leave ends, the city will pay up to 90 per cent of their wages for the first two weeks of the leave, while providing full benefits throughout the leave.

“We have a lot of young people coming up, and the ones that have had

babies, it was a concern that they had, that it was a lot of cost for them,” said Baerg.

Ludwig noted it’s becoming more common for employees to receive benefits during their maternity leave.

Also, employees with at least 25 years experience will now receive six weeks of paid vacation per year.

Only 22 CUPE members voted on the deal, and 15 were in favour. The agreement needed support from the majority of the members to be ratified.

The city’s negotiating committee was unanimous in their support for the pact.

Both sides characterized the negotiations as amicable. While Baerg was involved in negotiations for the first time, Ludwig has been part of numerous negotiations involving the city and its staff members.

“We had good discussions and good communications between the two groups, and as a result, the negotiations went fairly well,” said Ludwig.

Three negotiating sessions were needed to reach a deal.

Baerg hopes the two sides can work closely together to make the city a good place to work moving forward.

Sask. residents feeling confident Canadians are still in a positive frame of mind when it comes to their personal finances, but they’re not quite as positive as they were a year ago.

That information came from a recent CIBC survey released in early January that had Canadians taking stock of their finances heading into the new year.

On the whole, residents in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec saw declines in their future financial picture while confidence was displayed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The CIBC poll found that 69 per cent of Canadians said they feel positive about their current financial situation, which was down five per cent from a year ago, led by the declines in the aforementioned trio of provinces.

Alberta is now the least positive region in the country with 62 per cent feeling positive, down 21 per cent from last year, yet the out-migration of young people in Saskatchewan heading to Alberta remained nearly as strong as before.

Sentiment in Ontario, (68 per

cent) and Quebec (71 per cent) is also lower in this year’s survey, with Ontario’s being down five per cent to 68 per cent, while Quebec’s declined seven per cent to 71 per cent.

While Canadians 55 years of age and older remain the most positive about their finances, they also saw the biggest decline in this year’s survey falling from 82 per cent a year ago to 74 per cent this year.

Looking ahead, 80 per cent of Canadians say they are confident they will meet their financial goals, while 88 per cent of those polled in Manitoba and Saskatchewan believe they will achieve their financial goals, the highest score in the country.

“While many Canadians remain positive about their financial situation, some are feeling less optimistic than they were at this time last year,” said Christina Kramer, executive vicepresident, CIBC. “Whether you feel positive or have concerns about your finances, the new year is an ideal time to make changes, so you feel prepared for the year ahead.”

Manitoba and Saskatchewan were the only regions to show an increase in longer term goals, becoming the most confident region in the country at 88 per cent when it comes to believing they will achieve their future goals.

Confidence in meeting future goals in Alberta and Atlantic Canada (72 and 69 per cent respectively), showed slight declines compared to other regions.

In the poll that covered all age groups, people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan saw their financial confidence level rise from 71 per cent to 78 per cent heading into the new year, while in B.C. it dropped by one percentage point to 71 per cent.

The Angus Reid Forum online survey was carried out on Dec. 7 and 8 of last year surveying 1,508 randomly selected Canadian adults. The margin of error for this sampling variability was plus or minus 2.5 per cent 19 times out of 20.

The results were statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region.

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A8 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

SaskPower sets new Saskatchewan Express consumption record looking for talent SaskPower established a new record for power consumption with the return to colder seasonal temperatures on Jan. 11.

Saskatchewan’s new record peak load reached 3,640 megawatts (MW) at 5:31 p.m. on Monday. Last year’s peak of 3,628 MW was set on Jan. 8.

“We’ve had a relatively mild start to winter this year, but as expected we continue to set new records for power consumption,” said Mike Marsh, SaskPower president and CEO. “In order to make sure our customers keep having access to the reliable cost-effective power they depend on, we’ll continue to work hard to

renew our equipment and bring innovative power supply options to Saskatchewan.”

New peak records have been set in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 and twice in 2015.

Customer numbers continue to climb for SaskPower. In 2014 more than 8,300 new residential, commercial and industrial customers were added.

To lighten the load and curb power bills this winter, SaskPower’s customers have the power to save by turning down thermostats, by even a few degrees which can make a big difference and can save up to two per cent on heating costs if the tem-

perature is turned down for just eight hours.

Using a car plug-in with a timer, also helps.

Most vehicles only need to be plugged in for about four hours.

This can save about $25 per year.

Turning out lights, also helps. Due to shorter days, interior lights in the home are on longer, but just remember to turn them off when leaving a room. Cutting down on power by using LED light bulbs also helps.

Customers with equalized payments should keep an eye on their bills and any balance being carried, to avoid one large bill at the end of the year.

CRTC seeks public input The Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is inviting Canadians to express their views on local and community programming.

From Jan. 12 to Feb. 3, Canadians will be able to share their opinions on an online discussion forum.

Last September, the CRTC launched a review of local and community programming. Having analyzed the initial feedback, they are now publishing a working document intended to propose possible approaches and generate discussion.

The CRTC would like to discuss what role local and community programming plays in the lives of Canadians. The discussion forum will serve as a platform to answer questions such as the following: Do you consider the local events in your area are sufficiently covered on television, in terms of quantity and quality? If not, give us ideas of what could be done to improve such coverage.

What information sources, other than local TV, do you consult to stay

informed of local events and why?

What type of programming available on the community channel is of interest to you and why?

What could be done to improve your community channel? For example, should community channels in smaller markets broadcast professional local news to ensure they cater to the diverse needs of their communities?

During the Let’s Talk TV proceeding, the CRTC identified several challenges faced by local antd community television in this digital age where both content and viewers are increasingly moving towards online services. Moreover, a survey conducted as part of that proceeding revealed that 81 per cent of Canadians believe that local

news is important. In this light, the CRTC wishes to discuss future approaches for ensuring access to local information and community access programming on multiple platforms.

The online discussion forum will be held from between now and Feb. 3, the last day of CRTCs public hearing on local and community programming.

The CRTC said the working document proposes potential approaches to generate discussion. It does not give priority to one approach over another.

The percentage of Canadian households subscribing to cable, satellite or Internet protocol television services was 82 per cent or 11.6 million households, in 2014, and over $150 million was spent on community channels.

This week’s

New Arrivals

By Sam Macdonald smacdonald@estevanmercury.ca

Saskatchewan Express is searching throughout the province for anyone who wants to take to the stage and perform, having put a call out for auditions for its cast. Singers and dancers from urban and rural Saskatchewan, of any talent level, are encouraged to audition.

Michele Glaze, auditions co-ordinator with the Saskatchewan Express, describes it as a “pre-professional performance group” that does a series of shows, in and sometimes outside of the province.

“Basically, we tour throughout Saskatchewan over the summer. We’ve also, on occasion, gone to the Western Canada Games in Kamloops, and were in Ottawa for Canada Day,” said Glaze.

“Primarily, it’s touring in Saskatchewan, and we predominantly cast Saskatchewan performers.”

Glaze said the Saskatchewan Express trains and rehearses for, and puts together about three or four different shows to perform on tour. Performers in Saskatchewan Express visit a long list of places and events of significance throughout the tour. Destinations include many of Saskatchewan’s provincial parks and an assortment of community events, including the Queen City Exhibition. Performers with Saskatchewan Express often perform at centennial and anniversary events in various communities.

“We provide the training. We’re looking for people who can sing and dance, but we provide a lot of training, and are happy to teach them. There are many people who get scared off and think, ‘I can’t dance,’ so there’s lots of

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singers who shy away from auditioning,” said Glaze. “We also cast dancers, so they do the really technical choreography. For anyone else, most of the time, if you can sing, you can dance because you understand movement and rhythm.”

According to a media release from Saskatchewan Express, many performers who toured with the group ended up pursuing and going to great places in careers in the preforming arts, visiting the Panama Canal, the Hawaiian Islands, and several Disney World locations, as well as many other locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Many who have started their careers with Saskatchewan Express have appeared in musicals, movies and television.

“I encourage anyone who’s seen us perform to come out and audition,” said Glaze. “We do touring in the winter and do school tours. I would encourage everyone not to hesitate. There’s no harm in coming out and giving it a try. We’re very kind in the audition room, whether it’s someone’s first or fifth time.”

Anyone interested in auditioning can register by filling out an audition form available at Saskatchewan Express’ website, www.saskatchewanexpress.com, calling 306-522-3403 or emailing Glaze at michele@saskatchewanexpress.com.

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January 13, 2016 A9

Learning To Dance The Estevan Public Library is currently hosting belly dancing lessons. More than a dozen people participated in classes on Sunday afternoon, with instructor Tara Kyle teaching techniques and providing advice. Further classes will be on Jan. 17, 24 and 31.

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A10

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

Housing construction reflects current economic conditions The housing construction statistics from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation are now reflecting the more current state of the provincial economy outside of Saskatoon and Regina.

Housing starts in urban areas with populations between 10,000 and 49,999, which includes cities such as Estevan, Weyburn, Lloydminster, Moose Jaw and Prince Al-

bert were trending downward in 2015, with some upward spurts noted in some communities in the last quarter of last year.

The overall totals, however, showed a distinct slowdown in building.

In the Energy City for instance, the fourth quarter of 2015 showed 10 single residential units going up compared with 23 in 2014, which was the first full year in which there were

indications that the oilpatch was slowing down.

The construction of multiple units also showed a definite decrease in 2015’s final quarter when there were no start-ups for multiple family units compared with 12 in the final quarter of 2014.

In the total picture, CMHC reported that in 2014 there had been 72 single residential homes built in Estevan but in

2015, that figure slipped to just 18 homes.

The downward trend was even more succinct in the multiple unit construction scene with 91 of them being built in Estevan in 2014 compared with only four in the year just past.

That meant Estevan finished with just 22 housing starts in 2015 compared with 163 in 2014, a stark reminder of the trending economic conditions.

Things weren’t any better with our neighbour to the north as Weyburn slipped from 89 total units in 2014 to just five in the past year.

In Lloydminster, another well-known oil industry city that straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, the total housing starts sunk from 730 to 152 with the numbers being accumulated from both sides of the border.

In North Battleford, the slide was about 50 per cent with 64 total housing projects in 2015 compared with 113 a year earlier.

Yorkton, not so directly affected by oil activity, had a more modest decline, going from 62 units in 2014, to 42 in 2015.

Swift Current was another city with a 50 per cent cutback in housing starts, moving from 146 to 77.

Two impaired drivers sentenced At a regular sitting of the Estevan provincial court Jan. 11, two men were sentenced for impaired driving related offences.

Richard Charles Thomas was sentenced to 30 days concurrent in custody with two concurrent

driving bans, after pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated on two separate occasions.

Crown prosecutor Derek Davidson read information to the court indicating that on Oct. 4, 2014, Thomas was found speeding at

153 km/h on police radar., on Main Street and Hwy. 39 in Bienfait.

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tration. He was discovered to have bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. Thomas was required to give two breath samples, which indicated he had a blood alcohol level of 1.0 mg/mL. The Crown recommended a period of custody of 30 days, given the proximity of Thomas’ offences and the presence of a prior criminal record.

Thomas’ lawyer indicated that the accused’s readings weren’t particularly high over the legal limit, and that he was employed with the City of Winnipeg and married. Presiding Judge Lane Wiegers indicated that the nature of Thomas’ offences were of a serious enough nature, that if they were to continue, he’d face significantly longer jail time. He also acknowledged that Thomas had a criminal record that

entailed prior offences in Winnipeg. In addition to his time in custody, Thomas was ordered to pay a victim fine surcharge of $200.

James Patrick Loder was fined a total of $1,560 and given a oneyear driving prohibition, after pleading guilty to driv-

ing while impaired on Aug. 20, 2015, in Estevan.

Police were travelling eastbound on Fourth Avenue, when they found a

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swerving westbound truck with a broken driver’s side tail light. After the police switched on their lights, the vehicle moved northward onto Third Avenue, pulling into the first available driveway. Loder then exited the truck and started to run eastbound down an alley.

The police eventually apprehended Loder and required him to provide breath samples. The first sample he provided was1.6 mg/mL, and after five subsequent attempts at obtaining a second sample, he refused to provide another.

The Crown and Loder’s lawyer made a joint recommendation of a fine of $1,200 and a one year driving ban. The Crown noted that although Loder provided an early guilty plea, there was insufficient insight into the severity of his offence because he refused to provide a second breath sample, and the first reading was significantly higher than the legal limit. It was also noted that Loder had been convicted for prior offences, including mischief under $5,000, assault, and a prior motor vehicle offence.

Wiegers noted that in light of the facts, a sentence beyond the mandatory minimum was necessary.

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January 13, 2016 A11

Police alerted to Revenue Canada scam The Estevan Police Service (EPS) received several calls on Jan. 6 about a scam involving someone who claimed to be from Revenue Canada.

Police investigated the matter and determined the calls were fraudulent. It remains under investigation. People are urged to be cautious when giving out personal information over the phone.

A government agency will not call people and ask for personal information to confirm their identity.

People who are looking for more information on scams and how to protect themselves can visit the Canadian AntiFraud Centre’s website.

In other recent calls for police, members assisted the RCMP on a complaint of a suspicious vehicle north of the city during the Jan. 4 night shift. When police arrived, the vehicle was located and a traffic stop occurred. A 55-year-old Lampman man was found to be intoxicated and had lost his way. He was arrested and transported back to the EPS building, where he was charged with impaired driving and driving while over .08. He will appear in court in early February to answer to the charges.

Police located two youths in the Estevan Comprehensive School’s parking lot during the Dec. 6 day shift. They were using a controlled substance and a small amount of cannabis was seized. The matter remains under investigation.

Police also received a complaint of lewd behaviour from the central area of the city.

Officers conducted multiple curfew checks during the Dec. 6 night shift. A 24-year-old man is facing charges of failing to comply with his curfew conditions.

Police were dispatched to a central Estevan establishment for a report of a disturbance during the Dec. 7 night shift. An intoxicated 26-year-old man assaulted a staff member after being asked to leave the establishment. He was arrested and transported to the police station where he was lodged in cells. The matter remains under investigation.

A 40-year-old Estevan man was arrested and lodged in cells for public intoxication, after the male entered the police station in a severely intoxicated state.

He was released once he was sober.

A 23-year-old Estevan man was charged under the city bylaw for urinating in a public place, after being caught outside a central Estevan residence.

A 21-year-old man was charged with two counts of breaching his release conditions and possessing cocaine during the Dec. 8 night shift, after police conducted a curfew check. He was out on bail after being charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking last month. He has now breached his release conditions three times in less than three weeks. He was held in custody to be brought before a judge.

Police were also called to one of the outdoor rinks for a report of people drinking. When police arrived the suspects were gone.

Empty alcohol containers were located at the rink.

The fine for consuming alcohol in public is $250.

Police will be conducting more checks at the outdoor rinks due to this incident.

Members responded to a residential alarm in northwest Estevan during the Jan. 9 day shift. Everything was just fine.

Police also responded to a 911 call in west Estevan. Police arrived and determined that everyone was fine and no further action was needed.

Members stopped a vehicle in the Estevan Shoppers Mall’s parking lot and a 21-year-old man from Redvers was arrested for possession of marijuana. He was released on a promise

to appear for court. He and another man were also charged for possessing and consuming alcohol in a vehicle.

Police were busy during the Jan. 9 night shift despite the cold temperatures.

Police were then called to a fight in a taxi. Members attended and arrested a 44-year-old man for causing a disturbance by fighting.

He was lodged in police cells for the evening. No criminal charges are pending.

Police attended to a number of residences during the evening to do curfew and condition checks on individuals. The checks revealed one individual was not complying with the conditions and he will be charged to appear in court at a later date.

Police investigated a reported motor vehicle theft. It was determined not to be a theft but the driver

Officers on patrol located two males fighting on the front lawn of a residence.

Police broke up the fight.

After speaking with the host of the party, the two individuals were allowed to return to the party.

was suspended from driving due to a previous charge for impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath sample. The person was charged with driving while suspended, and will appear in court in March.

Members conducted traffic enforcement on the west end of Estevan during the Jan. 10 day shift.

Eighteen traffic tickets were issued in a short period of time. Nearly half of those tickets were for driving at a speed greater than 60 kilometres per hour when passing an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights in operation. Fines can exceed $200 for drivers who fail to slow down.

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A12 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

Broten to speak at NDP supper in Estevan The leader of the opposition party in the Saskatchewan Legislature will be in Estevan on Feb. 4.

Cam Broten will be attending the Estevan constituency New Democratic Party’s supper and annual general meeting slated for the Estevan Legion Hall that evening.

Supper and meeting organizers have set the supper for 7 p.m. with the annual general meeting to follow.

Broten, along with the NDP’s candidate in the upcoming provincial election, Cameron Robock, will be addressing the gathering.

A silent auction has also been set up as a fundraising attraction.

The sale of dinner tickets are going well said Angela Robock. Further information about the dinner and meeting can be obtained by contacting her at 306-634-2904.

A slate of four candidates has been lined up to contest the Estevan Riding that has been represented by the Saskatchewan Party’s Doreen Eagles for several years. She announced her retirement last year, with Lori Carr becoming the Sask. Party’s candidate while Robock was selected as the NDP’s candidate a few months earlier. The Progressive Conservative Party has nominated Paul Carroll to carry their banner into the April 4 election, while the Green Party is represented by Sigfredo Gonzalez.

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Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

Bruins busy at deadline

Oxbow Black Knights point guard Dave de Sagun scores two of his 57 points during the second quarter. Photo by Jamie Harkins.

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

Elecs power past Knights

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

It wasn’t the final the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior boys’ basketball team was hoping to win at their Energy City Invitational home tournament Friday and Saturday, but a 96-77 B-side championship victory over the Oxbow Black Knights did help the team realize what they have to do to come out on top.

“Losing our first game kind of opened our eyes and we realized that we might not be the best team around,” said Elecs power forward Reagan Wallewein. “We might have to fight to win every game and not just be laid back.”

The Elecs opened the tournament with a 55-54 loss to the Regina F.W. Johnson Wildcats on Friday night putting them into the B-side of the Energy City Invitational. The next morning Estevan trounced the Fillmore ‘33’ Central Falcons 90-20 setting them up for the championship final that afternoon against the Black Knights, who fell 59-38 to the Moose Jaw Vanier Vikings on Friday before defeating the Lumsden Devils 72-36 Saturday morning.

The Yorkton Regional Raiders defeated the Moosomin Marquis 63-48 in the A-side final.

After falling behind 5-2 to Oxbow early in the first quarter, Estevan took control of the game out-rebounding

the Black Knights on both sides of the court and draining continuous shots from outside and in close. Estevan led 30-14 heading into the second quarter, which proved a much more competitive one for the Black Knights who were led offensively by guards Ben Macfarlane and Dave de Sagun. The Elecs went into halftime with a 53-36 lead.

Oxbow scored eight quick points on two threepointers from Raymond Decena and Brandon Muir as well as a two from de Sagun to put the team within 11 of the Elecs early in the third quarter. Estevan came back to control the play despite a continuous drive to the basket from de Sagun resulting in a number of trips to the foul line when he wasn’t hitting shots from outside the arc. Heading into the fourth down 70-49, de Sagun refused to give up and scored at will, but couldn’t bring his team ahead. Of the 77 points the Black Knights scored against Estevan, the Oxbow guard accounted for 57.

“I was just feeling the shot out there and I was just popping them in,” said de Sagun, who joined the Oxbow team this season along with Decena as co-operative players from Carnduff.

They knew heading into the game that Estevan would be a tough opponent considering their size advantage, so the plan was to outrun them, said de Sagun. He added the problem with that is the Elecs also had a bigger

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the team an opportunity to come together and work as a unit. He said they have a strong team this season with big and athletic players and if they can master a tweaked offensive strategy of running more fast-paced

Estevan Elecs forward Donny Mortenson flies past Oxbow Black Knights guard Ben Macfarlane. Photo by Jamie Harkins.

Elecs coach Dustin Wilson.

“It wasn’t as competitive as we would have liked for our home tournament compared to last year when we were in the finals, but it helped us learn, (so we’ll) take it and move forward with it.”

Wilson said the Elecs were experiencing a bit of Christmas-break rust heading into their first game on Friday, but the tournament as a whole did allow

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bench and were fresher than they were late in the game.

“It was a positive game in the sense that some kids understood (what) we were looking to do offensively and they can carry that forward into the practices,” said

schemes and outworking the opposition at the small stuff they should win most of their games.

“I’m expecting personally that we go to Hoopla and have a good showing there,” said Wallewein. “I’m hoping that we can maybe even get a medal there. I think everyone on this team is motivated and if we all push ourselves we can all come out on top.”

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The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins did what’s best for the hockey team today in the lead-up to the SJHL’s trade deadline on Sunday, but the moves did come with a heavy cost.

Late Sunday night, the Bruins added former WHL goaltender Daniel Wapple to the roster after the Vancouver Giants took the 20-year-old netminder off their suspended list making the Saskatoon native available. Wapple began the season as the Regina Pats starter where he posted a 3.20 goals against average (GAA) and .907 save percentage (SP) in nine contests before being shipped to the Giants.

“He’s essentially a no-brainer for us,” said Chris Lewgood, head coach and general manager of the Bruins. “He’ll be looked at as one of the top players in our league.”

The 5-foot-11 and 170-pound goaltender has appeared in 134 WHL games since entering the league with the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2012-13 posting a career 3.10 GAA and .903 SP. Lewgood said they listed him earlier in the year when it appeared Regina would need to make room for another 20-year-old on their roster, while already having a strong young goalie in Tyler Brown. Wapple began practicing with the Bruins on Monday alongside fellow Estevan netminder Nathan Alalouf.

“Tyler Fuhr has been let go,” said Lewgood, about the Bruins regular starting goalie who posted a 3.63 GAA and .888 SP in 28 games this season. “It’s just a numbers thing with 20-year-olds. We’re already going with nine 20-yearolds instead of eight. We’re only allowed to dress eight, so to have two 20-year-old goaltenders was a tough situation. Fuhr has answered the bell over the last month here and he’s been one of our best players, so it’s really hard to see him go, but at the end of the day we had to do what we thought was best for the hockey team and go with the more seasoned player.”

The Wapple pickup came on the heels of the Bruins trading 19-year-old defenceman Nathan Peabody and future considerations to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines for 19-year-old forward Landon Gross. The 6-foot-2 and 190-pound Gross began the 2015-16 season with the Kindersley Klippers where he picked up 16 goals and 25 points in 25 games.

Lewgood said Peabody will be missed in the room due to his positive nature and quiet mild mannered style as well as on the ice for his steady play. However, he said the acquisition of Gross adds another high end forward to their team.

“We keep adding depth to our forward group and we’re going to score goals,” he said. “We’re going to keep teams in their defensive zone and our offensive zone and if we work hard I feel that we’re going to be hard to contain.”

The Bruins began their roster shuffle on Thursday acquiring Melville Millionaires leading scorer Tyson Predinchuk, a 20-year-old forward who paced the Millionaires with 13 goals and 28 points in 35 games, for 17-year-old prospect Turner Ripplinger and future considerations. Ripplinger has recorded 18 goals and 34 points with the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League’s (SMHL) Regina Pat Canadians this season.

“For a long time we saw Turner Ripplinger as a big part of our future and it’s tough,” said Lewgood, noting they also released veteran forward Ryan Duret to make room for the new pieces up front. “Turner is a great kid and somebody we would really like to have here, but we have to do what’s best for the hockey team today and Turner is well entrenched in that midget AAA team and therefore Predinchuk is going to offer us a lot more today.”

The team also added 20-year-old defenceman Tyler King to the roster on Thursday after the 6-foot and 194-pound rearguard was released from the WHL’s Kootenay Ice, where he posted eight goals and 37 points in 68 games last season.

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104 - Hwy. 47 South, Estevan, SK 306-634-5588 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13, Carlyle, SK 306-453-2519

B2 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

Vipers come back to bite Bruins

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

A flat third period cost the Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins a needed win at Affinity Place on Sunday afternoon.

Leading 4-0 heading into the final 20 minutes, the Bruins gave up five unanswered goals to the Sask Valley Vipers (13-82) resulting in a 5-4 loss to the boys from WarmanMartensville. The loss made for an unsavoury end to a good weekend for the bantam team, who began the post-Christmas portion of their schedule with a 5-2 home win over the Swift Current Kabos Raiders (3-14-4) on Friday followed by a 3-2 defeat of the Saskatoon Frostbite (611-5) at Affinity Place the next evening.

“They outplayed us,” said Bruins coach Tom Copeland, whose team fell to 13-5-4 with the loss.

“These teams that come out of the north are really good hockey teams. You give them an inch, they’re going to take it. You can’t do that. That’s on us. They didn’t win that game, we gave it to them.”

In a physical first few minutes to start the game, the Bruins’ Liam Rutten opened the scoring by deflecting a pass out front from the corner by Mason Strutt past Vipers goaltender Carter Woodside. A checking from behind and head contact penalty to defenceman Cole Brooks with just over five minutes remaining in the first period earned Brooks a game misconduct and brought the Bruins down to five defencemen for the rest of the game.

The Vipers seemed to control the play early in the second period, but it was Estevan’s Jake Palmer on

a one-timer from the slot who would score first eight minutes in. The Vipers had a glorious chance to get that one back two minutes later on a penalty shot

by Holden Knights, who curved into the zone before deking forehand and then shooting backhand from the top of the crease on Bruins netminder Morgan Wanner who fired out the glove to make the save.

Penalty trouble for Sask Valley late in the second came back to haunt them when Palmer scored shortly into a power play from the top of the crease on a pass by Strutt from behind the net. Strutt then scored one himself on a breakaway from just outside the blue line with under two minutes to go on a wicked shot from the slot that found the top corner glove side.

Less than five minutes into the final frame, the Vipers’ Kyrell Sopotyk converted a rebound to make the score 4-1 before Nolan Doell brought them within two 53 seconds later on a shot from the hash marks that Wanner got a piece of with his blocker. Nineteen seconds later, Sask Valley found the back of the net once again when Josh Pillar found himself staring at an open side of the net after Wanner went down to stop a shot that bounced off the post and into the crease.

Penalty trouble then proved the downfall for Estevan as Doell first scored the tying goal with 12:44 left on the man advantage with a shot from the bottom of the circle that somehow found an opening between Wanner’s pad and the post he was hugging. Eight seconds after killing off another penalty, Sopotyk put the Vipers up for good with a wrist shot through a screen that snuck into the

top corner glove side.

“We thought we had some chances to score in the first periods and their goaltender played very well and we just kept on pushing,” said Vipers coach Shaun Priel, whose team downed the Crescent Point Wings 8-0 in Weyburn the previous day after starting off the weekend with a 6-5 home defeat to the Saskatoon Outlaws at Warman Legends Arena on Thursday. “We told the kids ‘get one every five minutes and see if we can get ourselves back in the game. Get the tie and anything more than that is a bonus.’ Fortunately we got one early and one right after that and the kids got momentum and kept on pushing and we were able to put some pucks away that didn’t go in in the first two periods.”

Copeland said they’ll take the four out of six available points from the weekend, but when a team goes into the third with a four-goal lead it should have been six out of six points. He said they’re chasing down the first place Yorkton Xerox Terriers (19-1-4) and those are wins that can’t be given away.

“The four ties we have this year are all give

Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins captain Mason Strutt skates into the Sask Valley Vipers zone before firing a shot top corner. Photo by Jamie Harkins. away ties,” said Copeland.

“They’ve all come back on us in those ties. We’ve got (Dalton) Schrader out, we’ve got Brooks-y out, so then you’ve got a lot of young guys still learning to play, but they’ve got to step up. It’s January now. There is no excuse. They should be able to do it.”

Robbie Burns' Night Banquet & Dance Saturday, January 23rd • Roast Beef Dinner • Piping & Highland Dancing • Music by Dave Elliot

Open to the Public - Children Welcome - Bring the Whole Family

Tickets: Adult $30.00 Children under 10: $15.00 To be held at The Wylie Mitchell Hall.

Tickets available at Home Hardware Paint Desk - Ask for Angela Performance by: 2901 Estevan (Elks), Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Royal Canadian Army Cadet Pipe Band.

Pick up tickets early - Tickets advance sale only

CALL FOR TENDER

ESTEVAN HOUSING AUTHORITY invites local businesses to submit Tenders for service and/or supplies for the year 2016.

Tender packages are available at the Housing Authority Office - 530 - 12th Avenue.

All sealed Tenders are to be returned to this office no later than January 28, 2016 at 12:00 noon.

The following tender packages are available: Plumbing & Heating: General repair and maintenance, hot water heater replacement.

Roofing: General roofing repairs, shingle replacement.

Electrical: General repairs, installation and maintenance.

Appliance Repair: General appliance repair and maintenance.

Appliances: Supply fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, and dishwashers.

Paint Supply: Provide paint and supplies.

Painting Labour: Provide labour to paint apartments and duplexes.

Flooring: Supply and installation of carpets, linoleum and underlay in housing units.

Snow Removal: Provide equipment rates for housing sites.

Cleaning: Unit cleaning and carpet shampooing.

Tile Cleaning: Provide equipment and supplies to wax once and strip/wax once at two senior buildings.

We want to thank all our current trades and suppliers for their ongoing dedication and support in maintaining the property of the Estevan Housing Authority. We look forward to doing business with the successful tradespeople and suppliers in 2016.

If you have any questions, please call Diane Thul, Housing Authority Manager at 306-634-6700.

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January 13, 2016 B3

Bruins and Broncos meet in atom battle

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

The Estevan Carlyle Motor Products atom tier one Bruins played a solid first and third period against the Swift Current Tarpon Energy Broncos at the Civic Auditorium on Sunday, but a second period lapse proved the difference in the 9-8 loss.

“Estevan is a great team,” said Broncos coach Kyle McIntyre, noting the only reason they made it to the game is through the generosity of the Bruins’ parents who came to their aid after their bus froze that morning. “It was very exciting, back-and-forth, real old time fire-wagon hockey.

The last (team) to score was going to win.”

The Bruins jumped to an early first period lead against the Broncos when captain Nathan Wagstaff

blasted a shot top corner from the bottom of the circle two minutes and 15 seconds in, only to see Swift Current’s Anthony Wilson reply a little over a minute later with a backhand to the low glove side of Estevan netminder Chloe Sorenson after deking through three defenders in the slot.

Estevan got that one back on a spin-around marker

by Ty Hoste a little over a minute later and then went up two while shorthanded with 11:26 remaining when Carson Birnie cleared the puck out of his end only to retrieve it in the neutral zone and skate past two defenceman before backhanding a shot into the top corner of Bronco goalie Tyler Olfert’s net.

After Jordan Marcotte put Estevan up 4-1 a minute-and-a-half into the second, the Broncos’ Hudson Darby, Rylan Williams,

Wilson and Theo McGuire lit the lamp to give them a 5-4 lead a little more than halfway through the frame. Estevan’s Hoste and Wagstaff replied before the third began, but Swift Current’s Wilson scored twice more and Connor Choo Foo notched another to make it 8-6 Broncos heading into the period.

The Bruins got their forecheck and drive to the net going early in the final period and tied the game up once again on markers from Hoste and Kersey Hollingshead. Swift Current’s Choo Foo put the away side up for good with 10:30 remaining when he whacked a puck into the low glove side from in close.

The Bruins’ 9-8 loss comes on the heels of a 7-4 defeat to the Broncos at Affinity Place one day earlier. Estevan coach Derek Wilhelm said they put up a

Estevan atom Bruins’ Carson Birnie gets a shot off from in close on Swift Current goaltender Tyler Olfert. Photo by Jamie Harkins. better effort in the Sunday match, but just fell asleep in the second making a comeback attempt in the third a little too far out of reach.

Wilhelm said the loss is an example of the many one-goal defeats the team has suffered this season, which shouldn’t be the case considering how well they’ve played. He said they’ve lost five games by one goal so far and if they can find a way to win those matches they’ll be in good shape moving forward.

McIntyre said both teams play a similar game and are fairly evenly matched, so their next date Jan. 30 and 31 in Swift Current should be fun. He said judging by these games it’ll

's

Bruin Ty Hoste tries to deke Bronco Carter Herman during the second period of Swift Current’s 9-8 win over Estevan at the Civic Auditorium on Sunday. Photo

by Jamie Harkins. be high scoring and they’ll be ready.

“We owe them two losses in their barn,” added

Wilhelm. “We’re going up to win two hockey games.

That’s the only thing that will be acceptable.”

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Bruins Go 1-1 With Notre Dame The Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins went 1-1 on the weekend, losing 5-4 to the Notre Dame Hounds (14-6-5) Friday at Affinity Place before coming back to beat the 14-10-1 Notre Dame Argos 5-4 on Sunday also at Affinity Place. The loss to the Hounds ended an eight-game undefeated streak for Colton Winton, above trying to break past an Argos defenceman, and the Bruins (15-7-6). Estevan will now head onto the road for their next four games before coming back to the friendly confines of Affinity Place in a Jan. 24 match against the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League leading Notre Dame Bantam Hounds (23-2-1). Photo by Jamie Harkins.

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B4 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

Elecs have high hoop dreams

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

Blizzards Engulf Mustangs Attack The Weyburn DQ Blizzards scored a 5-2 win over the Estevan atom Mustangs at the Civic Auditorium on Sunday. Estevan’s Morgan Kjersem, above taking a shot on net in the first period, scored two goals for the home side, who move to 4-7-2 on the season.

Photo by Jamie Harkins.

Bruins roar past road foes

By Jamie Harkins sports@estevanmercury.ca

A full team effort helped the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins to five of a possible six points in a three-game road swing through northern Saskatchewan on the weekend.

Estevan began the trip with a 5-4 win over the Kindersley Klippers (1818-0-1) at the West Central Events Center on Thursday before posting a 3-2 shootout loss to the La Ronge Ice Wolves (18-15-1-2) the next night at the Mel Hegland Arena. The Bruins completed the trek Saturday with a 4-3 victory over the SJHL leading Battlefords North Stars (28-10-1-2) at the North Battleford Civic Center.

Chris Lewgood, head coach and general manager of the Bruins, said the team played really well in the final two periods against Battlefords after going down

2-1 on two power play goals against in the first 20 minutes. He said there always seem to be a lot of penalties early on when playing in Battlefords, but once the game got going and the two team’s intensity and speed took over the referees let the players decide the outcome.

“It’s the second time we’ve beat them,” said Lewgood. “We match up very well against those guys when we play our game and focus on what we’re doing.”

Lewgood noted they’ve taken five out of a possible 10 points in their five meetings with the North Stars this season and three of the times they’ve met have come on the tail-ends of long trips for Estevan. He said these meetings have shown the Bruins (21-160-2) are capable of playing with anyone in the league.

“We had a plan in place and the guys went up and executed it,” he said. “We weren’t perfect, but we were

very good and those are the kinds of efforts it takes.

Three good teams, teams that can keep you accountable, teams that can score on you, and in La Ronge it was a matter of it (going) down to the shootout. We missed on some opportunities and probably could have had six (points) out of six.”

The road trip was the first action missed by top end forward Braden Oleksyn, who is expected to be out for three weeks with a shoulder injury. Oleksyn joins centre Keaton Longpre on the injured list as the only two players currently out of the lineup with ailments.

“Longpre’s out for another week or two yet,” said Lewgood. “We’re not going to rush either guy back.

We’re going to let them heal and then strengthen and make sure they’re 100 per cent before they get back in the lineup, (so) no risk of aggravating the injury.”

The Estevan Bruins celebrate a goal at the North Battleford Civic Center against the North Stars Saturday night. Photo courtesy of the Battlefords News-Optimist.

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior girls’ basketball team is looking to continue their upward trend.

Jessie Smoliak, head coach of the Elecs, said they began the season with a championship victory at an early December tournament in Caronport. She said that result bodes well for the young but familiar team of six Grade 10s, four Grade 11s and three Grade 12s as they try and build upon last year’s success.

Smoliak said they only lost two veterans from last season’s squad who put together the most competitive campaign of her seven-year coaching career highlighted by a McLeod Series win over the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles.

She noted the Caronport win translated into a finals showing at a later December tournament in Swift Current and the hope is that success continues this week with an exhibition game tonight at Regina Belfour Collegiate followed by a Moose Jaw tournament on the weekend.

“Last year was our most competitive year,” said Smoliak. “The girls really gelled with one another.”

Playing summer ball together has helped the players get to know each other’s tendencies on the court and helped the team come together for a singular purpose, said Smoliak. She added each member of the team knows their role, is respectful of their captain Tess Lindquist and is motivated towards making this an exciting year.

“Our goal is to obviously take the McLeod Series again and then to get to regionals and hopefully get to Hoopla,” she said. “Hoopla is always our main goal of the year. We just have to make sure we peak at the right time and that will be conferences and regionals.”

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Tables of 8 - $1000 Call 306-634-7730 Or email operations@estevanbruins.com

www.estevanmercury.ca

January 13, 2016 B5

Exciting additions and tough subtractions for the Bruins ⇠ B1 King has notched 17 goals and 79 points in 232 WHL games over the past four seasons with the Ice and Spokane Chiefs.

Lewgood noted Predinchuk is a veteran forward who has seen it all over the course of his career both with the Millionaires and the WHL’s Chiefs and Port-

land Winterhawks. He said the 6-foot-4 and 190-pound right-winger has played in key situations, been a leader on his teams and will be a guy they can look to for additional scoring.

“We’re really excited to have King-er as a left-shot guy that can work our power play,” added Lewgood. “He’s an offensive minded guy who

can help settle things down on our power play, which is going to be real big for us.”

Predinchuk, who suited up in the Bruins’ past three games posting one assist and two penalty minutes, said he felt pretty good out on the ice despite the difficulty of finding his spot in his first weekend with the club. He said there is a lot of skill and

speed on the team and the additions of Wapple and King, whom he’s played against in his SMHL years, should prove helpful as well.

“Wapple is a great goaltender,” said Predinchuk.

“He’s been in the Western League for the last few years, so he’ll definitely be good back there. And King is a good d-man as well.”

Lewgood said the Bruins are in very good shape on the ice after the trade deadline with the various additions, but the subtractions to the roster make the day one of the hardest to go through. He said Duret and Fuhr have done a lot for the hockey team during their time in Estevan and it is difficult to see them go.

“Our dressing room has

lost two very good people and, so as far as satisfied, I don’t feel satisfied today,” he said. “But in time when we get back to it (and) we get back into the swing of things, we’re more than happy with the guys that we brought in.

It’s just tough to see guys like that go and Peabody was a good player for us too and a good person.”

Melle Jewellers RETIREMENT

STORE CLOSING CONTINUES!

FINAL DISCOUNT

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Thank you Estevan and area for your patronage for 30 years.

1223 Fourth Street, Estevan SK • 306-637-4006 Store Hours : Tues - Sat 10 am - 5 pm

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104 - Hwy. 47 South, Estevan, SK 306-634-5588 Bay #1 - Hwy. 13, Carlyle, SK 306-453-2519

B6

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

The new lounge at Creighton Lodge has been well used since it was open for use in the latter part of 2015. File Photo.

Creighton Lodge highlights A YEAR IN REVIEW What a year it’s been!

We are in our sixth year since the R.M.’s took over the ownership of Creighton Lodge and 2015 was the year that saw the most changes. It started off warmer than the typical Saskatchewan January.

It was quiet around the building after the hustle and bustle of the 2014 Christmas season, but our ever faithful Freddie and the Freebies, Happy Wanderers, Church of Christ singers and Bob Olson and family began the year of entertainment.

Long-time resident and friend, Mary Grube moved to Mainprize Manor and we welcomed Otillia Gervais and Lucille Bonokoski into the Lodge.

February showed us its real winter colours with very frigid temperatures.

We stayed nice and warm inside most of the month with our regular entertainers and special guests Ross LeBlanc and Susan Shepherd. We had a special afternoon with the Grade 4 class of Pleasantdale School on Valentine’s Day. We said good bye to Joyce Schoff as she moved on to Mainprize Manor.

March found us busy selling tickets for our fundraiser for the new lounge.

We were also baking up a storm getting ready for our Easter Bake sale. We had our regular entertainers, plus Mel Herman and Doreen Anderson entertain one Sunday. We did our regular exercises with Audrey Dupuis, Sharon Dayman and Irene Tarnes. Monica MacKenzie was away for a while. Crafter’s Corner and our cocktail hour were well

attended.

April was busy with the winding up of our ticket sales for our fundraiser draw on May 2. Our bake sale was a huge success with the residents raising $1,967 which will help pay for their monthly KFC dinners. We were very saddened by the death of our resident and gardener, Jeanne Wanner.

She left us with many plants and a wealth of knowledge and we are so grateful for that. We welcomed Ruth Gibson and Jan Leonard to the Lodge family.

May 2 was our draw for our fundraiser at a wonderful dinner at the Taylorton Room. Our winners were Shane Davenport ($5,000), Justin Marcotte ($3,500) and Brian Morressey ($1,500). The fundraiser was a huge success for the Lodge.

We also continued with some activities run by our loyal volunteers. Joan Wock calls Bingo every Wednesday and her daughter, Christina, brings her St. John’s Ambulance trained dogs over to the lodge to do dog therapy with our residents.

We had special guest, Lori Fornwald, entertain us this month. She was a real treat.

June brought us lots of entertainment with our regular folks, Freddie, Happy Wanderers, Bob Olson and the Church of Christ singers and also Lois Sutcliffe on piano, the ECS choir, the Red Hat Singers and some of Megan Miller’s vocal students. We sure love it when there’s lots of music happening around here. Our birthday party and KFC volunteers were here as usual to help us

with those activities. We don’t know what we would do without Doreen Dirks, Margaret Mack, Marge Heidinger, Jean Delorme and Doreen Hagen. The United Way Day of Caring was a blast with lots of help from the Enbridge crew. We needed to move plants and make pots and also create new flower beds due to the lounge expansion happening soon. Many thanks to all those volunteers.

In June the new sewer line was laid and July brought in the heavy machinery to start construction of our new lounge. What a buzz as we all watched in anticipation of what they were going to do next. We were so excited that we had finally raised enough money to do this long-awaited project. The community has been such a supporter of the Lodge, and we are so thankful for that. We’ve been seeing a lot of family members throughout the building, visiting with mom’s, dad’s, grandparents and so on. We love it when we get to meet the extended Creighton Lodge family.

August was another dusty month around here.

We were covered with dust caused by the expansion but we were OK with it as it meant one thing. We’re getting closer to the end. We had a special concert by pianist Audrey Andrist, violinist James Stern and their son Kenneth who played some jazz for us on his electric guitar. We are fortunate that they come to the lodge when they are in Estevan visiting their family.

Our spiritual needs are met every Sunday by one of

the churches of the Estevan Ministerial Association and we are forever grateful for this. We also enjoyed mass and regular communion, also supplied monthly by a few local churches.

Long-time resident, Hector Boulet moved to ERNH this month and new resident, Joe Gervais, moved in.

September was the month for the Creighton Lodge Songbirds to take the show on the road and that’s exactly what they did. We took the Smile Van to the Nursing Home and put on a vocal concert for them and also treated them to some hand bell music. We then joined them for coffee and goodies and a great visit.

We had a great clothing sale at the lodge, put on by Lynne’s clothing line. It’s a real highlight for us when we can all go shopping together. Another road trip to the Orpheum Theatre to see the show Las Vegas was fun for all who attended.

Another long-time

R

some décor items and we anxiously awaited some of our furniture. The ultimate treat this month was our Christmas tree donated to us

by Chamney Crushing from the Festival of Trees.

December was full of excitement as we had our first Christmas party in our new lounge. We had 160 people for supper which was catered by A Little Taste of Heaven. Residents were able to invite friends and family, we had volunteers and staff also in attendance, and what a great evening! We said goodbye to Julia Farkas as she moved to Hillview Manor. We’ll sure miss her kindness and humour.

That pretty well sums up another fantastic year at Creighton Lodge. Our hearts go out to our many volunteers, our faithful staff, our management team and trust committee and the community of Estevan and area for their huge support of the Lodge and its activities. Happy New Year!

60 and Over Club reconvenes “Did you make any new year’s resolutions? Me neither,” Mark Twain once said. “Old age is when you know all the answers but no one will ask you any questions.”

The 60 and Over Club is happy to report they were very busy during the holiday season with Christmas and new year’s celebrations.

Their building is available for use for special occasions.

For more information, contact Lorna Stubel.

G N I S O !

L E C L E R A O S T/ST N E 016 2 / M 0 E 3 y R ETI Januar

resident, Lenora Wanner, moved on to get nursing care. In her suite now resides Art and Angeline Friesen. We also said good bye to Gwen Walton who moved over to ERNH and we welcomed Magdelena Boire to the Creighton Lodge family.

October was a very dusty month to say the least.

Our entertainers still came, our exercise ladies still came and life carried on as usual in a gyproc dust fog.

Even the trick or treaters found their way to the Halloween candy at the front desk through all the mess.

But, we were almost there. We actually hoped we’d be using the new lounge for Christmas.

November was the ultimate. The tarp came down to reveal a lovely huge lounge, painted, with a lovely stone wall. We just needed to add some furniture and it will be everything we hoped it would be.

We were able to add a lovely Yamaha Clavinova electric piano, an electric fireplace,

The shuffleboard winners for the week of Jan. 4 were Jo-Anne McKinn and Lorna Stubel. Joe Claude and Verna Morsky were second.

Margaret Sawyer finished first in bridge. Irma Lesiuk was second and Joe Claude was third.

Kim DeLaval finished first in cribbage. Paulette Gosselin was second and Shirley Clarke came in third.

A boy had reached the age of four without giving

up the habit of sucking his thumb. His mother tried everything, from bribery to threats. Finally she said, “If you don’t stop sucking your thumb, your stomach is going to blow up like a balloon.”

Later that day, while walking in the park, the mother and son saw a pregnant lady sitting on a bench.

The four-year-old watched her for a moment before saying, “Uh-oh, I know what you’ve been doing.”

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B7

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016

Oil industry showing flexibility and exercising coping skills

By Norm Park normpark@estevanmercury.ca

The southeast oilpatch players are treading water as fast as they can.

Production of medium and light sweet crude oil continues unabated, but there are flash points of concern looming on the horizon if international prices for crude oil don’t swing into recovery mode within the year.

Warren Waldegger, chairman of Saskatchewan Headquartered Oil Producers and president and CEO of FireSky Energy Inc., said production from locally located oil companies will remain on stream, “unless they are debt-free and can shut down operations until the price turns around, and I don’t know if there are any of those around here,” he said.

That means the industry

Warren Waldegger is simply figuring out the new world order with most or all of the corporate fat and inefficiencies trimmed away.

“It’s about contracting operations and controlling costs,” said Waldegger.

“Nobody can sit back, you deal with what’s in front of you.”

Right now, what is in front of local producers is limited, but not impossible. Thanks in large part to a declining Canadian

dollar compared with the U.S. greenback, some producers are able to wring as much as C$50 a barrel for Midale crude, a good quality oil that will fetch a premium price on occasion as will local Bakken light crude. For the most part though, he said, Mississippian and Midale crude were selling at a discount with the wider exchange rate gap helping to ease the sting of price slides.

Most of the crude is travelling to land-locked refineries in North America via pipeline. Waldegger said he didn’t know of any oil being shipped by rail lately, other than a few barrels that were committed to the rail lines due to long-term contract agreements signed earlier.

With most storage tanks and pipelines filled with an over-abundance of North American produced

crude oil, Waldegger suggested producers and refiners are witnessing declining expenditures running parallel to declining volumes and sales.

“Our industry recycles the money pretty effectively. Some larger operations are managing their scope and risk factors and focusing only on the best, most efficient targets, which means there isn’t much exploration going on. That will eventually show up as a contracted industry, if there isn’t new production coming on stream.”

But the vast majority of companies, either headquartered in Saskatchewan or doing a lot of business in Saskatchewan, will maintain operations and oil flow for the time being and into the near future.

January Contract

Top farm family sought The planning for the 51st annual Farmer Appreciation Evening is progressing on schedule with the guest speakers lined up and the venue booked, said co-ordinator Alf Tide.

The appreciation supper will return to the Days Inn Plaza after a one-year switch to Affinity Place last year to accommodate the additional people who were anxious to attend the 50th anniversary edition.

The event, one of the highlights of the winter season, is slated for the evening of March 10, said Tide and the featured guest speaker will be tornado hunter, Greg Johnson.

“We always have 4-H

speakers, and last year we had three of them, one from each club and we’ll do that again this year, one 4-H speaker from Benson Beef, Outram-Madigan Beef and Browning Beef clubs,” he added.

The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Trevor Gowen.

“The one thing we don’t have yet, are a lot of nominations for Farm Family of the Year,” said Tide, who added they had a few nominees, but always want more, since there are many deserving farmers and ranchers in the southeast part of the province who deserved recognition for their efforts. The dead-

Perry Holmgren 306-634-4242 latus@sasktel.net like us on

line for nominations is Feb. 12 this year.

The dinner, he said, is open to everyone and the event is again being cosponsored by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce — where the nomination forms can be obtained, and where tickets to the event

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may be purchased — and the Estevan Exhibition Association.

Tide has been the coordinator of the Farmer Appreciation Evening for about eight years now and has served on the local organizing committee for the past 21 years.

“The banks have been pretty understanding. The debt that was incurred was at low interest rates, so if the companies are careful, they should be able to manage the balance sheets and some companies who are in a stronger financial position than others, will see this as an opportunity to expand,” he said. “Some of the weaker companies may not make it. After all, we didn’t expect the North American market to contract so quickly, but the moves have been made now, so this is our reality,” he said.

With the exception of new regulations concerning flaring and venting, the provincial government has not made any moves on the oil resources files to hinder the continued operations of local producers.

THE THE ESTEVAN ESTEVAN MERCURY MERCURY DRILLING REPORT REPORT DRILLING

10E269 10G299 Nine new January 2016 12D331 Eighteen newlicenses licensesissued issuedtotoMonday, Thursday, May 2,11, 2013 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz ...............................................................16-18-12-31 13B037 CPEC Glen Ewen N Hz.....................................................................................................

2A3-3-3B10-34-3-1 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz ...................................................................11-6-6-1512J237 CPEC Viewfield Hz .........................................................................................................3C5-28-2D8-28-7-10 ...........................................................Highrock Resources Hz .................................................................2-30-4-5 11J193 Red Beds Gainsborough Hz .......................................................................................

4A16-14-3A14-13-2-30 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz ...................................................................16-11-7-211H433 Kingland Auburnton Hz .....................................................................................................4D16-1-2C15-1-6-2 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz ...................................................................12-27-8-713C125 Petrex et al Queensdale W Hz ........................................................................................3D8-27-2B11-27-6-2 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz .....................................................................3-22-1-512G154 .............................................................. Spartan Energy Hz...............................................................12-13-14-3013B299 ...............................................................Dawn Energy Vert ...............................................................12-13-14-3013B127 Advance #4 ............................................. CPEC Viewfield Hz ...........................................6C12-2-4C12-3-8-9 ...............................................................Crescent Point Hz .....................................................................4-22-1-512E307 DZ #1 ......................................................V40C Tableland Hz .........................................1A1-14-4D16-2-1-11 13C062 12C096 12J173

RIG REPORT

WAITING ON PROGRAM

RIG REPORT

Mosaic Esterhazy 2 EH .................................................................................................................12-22-19-33 CPEC Wawota ................................................................................................................................8-13-12-33 15J288 Nabors Mosaic Potash 1-5-19-1 Mosaic K1 Esterhazy 1 WSW .......................................................................................................

15-13-20-33 15J297 Savanna Saturn 9-5-44-8 KRC Cantal South DD 51678 Betts ..................................................................................................4D16-18-2D16-18-5-33 Spartan Energy 8-34-6-2 Phase et al Manor .............................................................................................................................10-11-8-1 50949 Trinidad Crescent Point 9-12-8-11 Triwest Alameda East SWD 14L345 Trinidad ................................................................................................................16-9-4-2 Crescent Point 12-8-3-10 Kinwest 08 Alameda .........................................................................................................................11-28-3-3 CPEC Viewfield Hz ..................................................................................................... 7D15-29-3D15-32-10-6 Silver Spur Viewfield Hz ...................................................................................................... 4C13-3-4B4-3-7-7 CPEC Viewfield Hz ....................................................................................................... 3D16-23-2D16-26-9-8 CPEC Veiwfield Hz ............................................................................................................1D1-24-2D1-19-8-8 CPEC Viewfield .................................................................................................................3C4-12-3D1-12-9-9 CPEC Viewfield ..............................................................................................................2C12-19-1C16-24-8-9 CPEC Viewfield WSW .........................................................................................................................9-10-8-9 CVE Weyburn .................................................................................................................................15-26-6-12

B8

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 In MeMorIaM

Auto MiscellAneous Wrecking over 250 units... cars a n d t r u ck s. L o t s o f t r u ck s. . .

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Betty Johanna Mary Wright January 11, 2005 Dear Mom...

I still remember The sound of your last breath I can still hear words that You said just before your death I can still feel your hands Entangled warmly in mine I can still envision your smile Faint but still so fine Although I do remember The last promise I made to you stopping my flow of tears I haven’t been able to I Miss You Love Always, Aaron, Shauna & Family In Loving Memory of Betty Horrocks (Ackrill) September 13, 1922 January 16, 1993 The special years will not return When we were all together But with the love inside our hearts You will walk with us forever.

Lovingly remembered David, Pat, Melodie, Jodi & Families.

Norbert A. Parent June 6, 1928 January 14, 2015 The angels gathered near your bed,so very close to you, For they knew the pain and suffering that you were going through.

I thought about so many things as I tightly held your hand, Oh, how I wished that you were strong and happy once again.

But, your eyes were looking homeward, to that place beyond the sky, Where Jesus held his outstretched arms; it was time to say “goodbye”.

I struggled with my selfish thoughts for I wanted you to stay, So we could walk and talk again, like we did just yesterday.

But Jesus knew the answer and I knew He loved you so, So, I gave to you life’s greatest gift, the gift of letting go.

Now my heart will carry memories of the love you gave to me, Until we meet in heaven where the best is yet to be.

May the winds of love blow softly and whisper in your ear That we’ll always love and miss you and wish that you were here.

Forever in our hearts, Pat and family.

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We hold you close in our hearts And there you will always stay.

Remembering you is easy, We do it every day, But missing you is a heartache that never goes away.

We love you, we miss you every day Mom and Dad, Barry, Emma, Barrett, Gabbie, Bradley, Sophia, Kayla

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For Our Classifi ed Sale Never Ends!

Published weekly by the Prairie Newspaper Group L.P., a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. The Glacier group of companies collects personal information from our customers in the normal course of business transactions. We use that information to provide you with our products and services you request. On occasion we may contact you for purposes of research, surveys and other such matters. To provide you with better service we may share your personal information with our sister companies and also outside, selected third parties who perform work for us as suppliers, agents, service providers and information gatherers. Our subscription list may be provided to other organizations who have products and services that may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to participate in such matters, please contact us at the following address: The Estevan Mercury, Box 730, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 2A6; or phone (306) 634-2654. For a complete statement of our privacy policy, please go to our Web site at: www. estevanmercury.ca The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group L.P., a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc.

Businesses/Private Parties placing Classied Advertising (Want Ads) in either The Estevan Mercury or the Southeast Lifestyles and requesting these ads to be BILLED TO AN ACCOUNT WILL BE CHARGED THE FOLLOWING RATE: $11.95 for the First 20 Words + 25¢ for Each Additional Word ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO 5% GST Please remember …

Each Abbreviation Counts as One Word (You don’t save money by abbreviating, you just make your ad more difcult to read) Web Sites (i.e. www.world.ca) count as three words

FARMLAND WANTED NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS! SUMMARY OF SOLD PROPERTIES Central - 217 1/4’s South - 97 1/4’s South East - 43 1/4’s South West - 65 1/4’s North - 10 1/4’s North East - 14 1/4’s North West - 12 1/4’s East - 56 1/4’s West - 49 1/4’s AVAILABLE

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CHARGED CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES

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Remember Your Loved Ones with a Memorial Tribute in The Estevan Mercury NOTICE

For Sale - MiSc Adver tisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

For Sale - Canary Seed 98% germ.

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PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Re a c h ove r 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 re a d e rs weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1400 or email classifieds@swna.com for details.

R E F O R E STAT I O N N U R S E RY S E E D L I N G S o f h a rd y t re e s , shrubs, & berries for shelterbelts or landscaping. Spruce & Pine from $0.99/tree. Free Shipping.

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CLASSIFIED DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 4:00 P.M.

PAYMENT FOR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE Prepaid Classied Advertising Rates – $9.99 per Week for up to 20 Words Over 20 Words Please Add 25¢ per word REMEMBER TO ADD 5% GST!

Box 730, Estevan, SK S4A 2A6

or e-mail: classieds@estevanmercury.ca Business Ofce Located at 68 Souris Avenue North in Estevan (Across from the Water Tower) Phone 634-2654 for further information Ofce Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday through Friday

Note: No Refunds are issued for Cancelled Classied Ads – If you cancel your ad before expiry, Credit will be given which may be applied to future advertising ***** CHECK YOUR ADS We will only accept responsibility for Errors the First Time an Ad appears.

PLEASE NOTE

Rewording or changing an ad after it has appeared in the paper requires Payment for a NEW AD No Credits are issued for ads that are Changed Cancellations Must be received by 4:00 p.m. Friday for the Mercury and 3:00 p.m. Wednesday for the Trader

Name ____________________________________________ Address __________________________________________

MAIL YOUR ADS TO: The Estevan Mercury Box 730, Estevan, SK S4A 2A6 or e-mail: classieds@estevanmercury.ca with payment or card number included Please Select Your Category from the Classied Index Remember: Each Abbreviation Counts as One Word (You don’t save money by abbreviating …

You just make your ad more difcult to read PLEASE PRINT

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Telephone No. _____________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Number of Weeks ___________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Amount Enclosed ___________________________________ VISA/MC No. _______________________________________ Card Expiry Date ____________________________________

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

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Obituaries

Obituaries

BRUNHILDA (MANTEI) STEIDLE 1928 - 2015 Brunhilda (Mantei) Steidle was born on November 15, 1928 in Outram, Saskatchewan and passed away at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg on December 26, 2015.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Utho Steidle and their children Doreen, Heather (Don) and Robert (Kelli) and eight grandchildren; Chris (Bena), Graham, James and Katie Gwozdecky, Nickolas and Gabrielle Dudek, Caprice and Neal Steidle of whom she was most proud.

She is predeceased by her parents, Reinhold and Henrietta, her sisters Lorraine, Carey, Erna and Linda and her brothers Carl and Allan.

Brunhilda, known as “Bunny”, attended her local schools and graduated from the Estevan Collegiate in 1948. She received a registered Psychiatric Nursing Diploma from the Saskatchewan Training School in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in May, 1952. Shortly thereafter she moved to Winnipeg and in 1955 graduated from the Misericordia General Hospital as a Registered Nurse. She was proudly dedicated to her profession for 38 years, retiring in 1992.

Bunny’s graduation yearbook associated with “gaiety and laughter”. As the oldest child in a family of twelve siblings, Mom loved her big extended family and all of her nieces and nephews. She never forgot a name or a birthday and there never was a charity to which she was unwilling to give. Mom loved flowers, her garden and the colour purple.

Although a private family cremation has already been held, we will hold a Memorial Service Saturday, June 25 to celebrate the life of this great prairie lady. More details on this event will be published closer to the date.

The family would like to thank all her physicians, especially Drs. Da Silva, Kroeker and Migally, the nursing staff of 5S of the Victoria Hospital, Pastor Todd Hoeffs of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and her special friends, Josie Yancey and Marie Biberdorf for their love and support during these past months.

For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit our website. Chapel Lawn, www.chapellawn.ca 204-885-9715.

Obituaries Mary Hovind April 12, 1929 – January 7, 2016 It is with sadness we announce the passing of Mary Hovind of the Royal Oak, Lacombe on January 7, 2016 at the age of 86 years.

Mary was born in Petrova, Czechoslovakia on April 12, 1929.

She emigrated to Canada in 1938 with her parents and worked at the Estevan Hospital as a dietary technician from 1969 to 1994.

She is survived by her children; Debra (Kevin), Jim, Donald (Susan), David (Kim), her grandchildren; Kevin, Darren, Tyler, Lexi, Kirby, Jody, Sarah, Jacquiline, Bradley, her great grandchildren; Brea, Ty, Landon, Andrew, Mya, Mailiya as well as sisters Margaret (Stewart) , Anne (Vernon), and Helen (Ron).

Mary was predeceased by her husband Lloyd Hovind in 2006 and by her parents John and Anne Renchko.

A Celebration of Life will be held from St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, 5005 C&E Trail, Lacombe, AB. on Wednesday, January 13th, 2016 at 2:00 PM. If friends desire memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Society, #200-1301-8 St. S.W., Suite 200, Calgary, AB. T2R 1B7.

Expressions of sympathy may be made by visiting www.wilsonsfuneralchapel.ca.

WILSON’S FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM, of Lacombe and Rimbey in charge of the arrangements. 403-782-3366 403-843-3388 “A Caring Family, Caring For Families”

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Obituaries

Obituaries

John Phillip “Phil” Pfeifer 1934- 2016 With fond memories and a sense of loss, sadness and relief, we announce the passing of one of Estevan’s true icons on New Year’s Day of 2016.

In spite of a terminal cancer diagnosis more than two years ago, Dad continued to live life his way until late summer.

His way meant being what he always was. He had the respect, love and friendship of those who knew him. Being productive, fiercely independent and his get it done attitude never stood in the way of his generous, caring and thoughtful nature.

When he wasn’t busy saving the residents of Estevan by exterminating mosquitos and weeds during his day job, he could be found donating his time to charitable canvassing or gathering up and returning shopping carts from the grocery store parking lots or snow blowing many of the neighborhood driveways or supplying baking to friends and causes or…well, you get the picture. Dad’s capacity to give was only equalled by his desire to never be a burden or to be treated special.

We often hear of people fighting courageous battles during difficult times or through episodes of illness. Whether it was his own episode with cancer or during his time as primary caregiver to mom, Dad chose not to battle through but to live through these difficulties. Did I mention this was since retirement?

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, he moved with the family to Portage la Prairie and Yorkton, Sask. at an early age. Never a scholar, dad loved hockey and despite his diminutive size, relied early on his attitude to be part of numerous provincial and interprovincial championship Bantam and Midget teams.

He married LaVina McDougall in Yorkton on June 23, 1956 with son Ty arriving the following year. Dad worked his entire career for Bowman Brothers later to become Acklands Ltd. As a “clean up” manager who was dispatched to fix distressed branches of the company, the family relocated several times prior to settling in Estevan in 1970. Sometime after retiring into boredom in 1996, dad was told by his former boss “Phil, we had to hire three guys to replace you”. Dad of course took this as the supreme compliment.

After LaVina’s passing in 2002, dad unretired working several different jobs until becoming seasonally permanent at Southeast Tree Care where he admitted to having found the perfect job… working outdoors and driving around on a tractor. Dad continued to work his perfect job literally until the day he was admitted to hospital in August.

After a life well lived, Phil will be welcomed into the Peace by wife LaVina, parents Constance and John Pfeifer, brother Allen Pfeifer, sisters Shirley (Bob) McGifford, Joan (Ray) Walsh, Barbara (Ed) Eisenzimmer, Madeleine Lange and inlaws Pauline and Charlie McDougall. Phil is survived by his son Ty (Mary Jane), grandsons Scott, Andy and Jim (Tess Clark) Pfeifer, sister-in-law Georgina Pfeifer, brother-in-law Bruce Lange, numerous nieces and nephews and by his very special friend, Eileen Brown. Eileen’s love, caring and companionship undoubtedly extended the length and quality of dad’s life…she gave him reason to live.

Special thanks to Eileen’s children and spouses, Bob and Beth Wock and family, Larry Doan and family and to all those who took the time to visit with dad over the last few weeks. Finally, thanks to Dr. Omosigho and a big shout out for the entire staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan for their care of dad.

A celebration of Phil’s life will be held in Estevan in the spring. Notice will be sent out when a date is confirmed.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Estevan.

Happy New Year Dad

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Legal Stephen J. Orlowski, B.Ed., LL.B.

Barristers & Solicitors Paul D. Elash, B.A., LL.B. Aaron Ludwig, B.Sc., LL.B. Genevieve Golas, B.Mgt., J.D.

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Sales Representative Cell: 306-421-7516 dwight.thompson@century21.ca

Financial Planning

Kohaly, Elash & Ludwig Law Firm LLP

ORLOWSKI LAW OFFICE

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Insurance & Investments Services “In the business of creating , enhancing and insuring client’s net worth” Reynold Bert Certified Financial Planner

Ron Areshenkoff Mutual Fund Advisor Life Insurance Representative

Telephone: 306-634-3631 Fax: (306) 634-6901

FINANCIAL

Gainsborough: Carnduff: Thursday a.m.

Thursday p.m.

Phone: 306-685-2250 Phone: 306-482-3731

403B 9th Avenue, Estevan, SK S4A 2V4 PH: (306)634-7979 Toll Free: (877)779-0948 info@spectrafinancial.ca Insurance Offered Through Spectra Financial

Manulife Securities Investments Services Inc. is a Member MFDA IPC.

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From Design to Final Finishing, Your Complete “Turn-Key” Project Management Solution – Ready-To-Move & Onsite Projects From Design to Final Finishing, Your Complete “Turn-Key” Project Management Solution – Ready-To-Move & Onsite Projects

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306-634-2654

B10 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

Obituaries

Obituaries

Obituaries

Obituaries

Donna Brown 1957 - 2016 Donna passed away peacefully in the Redvers Health Centre on Friday, January 8th at the age of 58 years.

Donna was the third child of Glenn and Eileen Brown in a family of six. Requiring special care, Donna spent some years in the Valley View Centre in Moose Jaw before happily settling in a group home in Redvers.

Donna is lovingly remembered by her mother Eileen Brown; 3 brothers, Randy Brown, Wayne (Kathy) Brown and Allan (Anita) Brown; 2 sisters, Karen (Perry) Kocis and Jane (Ken) Cutler; nieces, Carly (Khodi Dill) Brown, Kristen (Josh) Johnson, Shawna Brown, Stephanie (Ryley) Trenchuk, Deanne (Tyler) Harris and Alyssa Brown; nephews, David (Megan) Brown, Dustin Brown, Tannor Kocis, Brett Kocis, and Ryan Kocis.Donna is also remembered by Marsha, staff and friends at the Redvers Activity Centre as they were all a part of her family.Donna is predeceased by her father Glenn Brown.

Although Donna was unable to speak, she could always find ways to make her wishes known and she clearly communicated her likes and dislikes. Donna did master one word – “Mom” – whom she loved more than anything in this world!

Donna had a beautiful spirit and she loved to be the center of attention! She always had a smile on her face and loved to laugh. Nothing could make her laugh harder than being mercilessly teased by her siblings, especially her brothers.

Going out for lunch, getting her hair and nails done, shopping for new clothes, wearing jewelry, and listening to music were a few of Donna’s favorite pastimes. But most of all, Donna loved people and she found a wonderful network of friends in the community of Redvers where she resided for the past 26 years.

We witnessed first-hand the caring and love she received from care-givers in her group homes and the Redvers Activity Centre. Donna truly enjoyed the many daily activities that the centre provided and the numerous outings. As Donna’s health deteriorated, she was moved to the Redvers Health Centre in palliative care. Once again, the level of support and care provided by the Health Centre staff was amazing.

Donna left this world peacefully with loving caregivers by her side.

She has shed the constraints that she lived with in this world and is now free to soar. We will miss Donna’s infectious laughter, her innocence and enduring spirit.

Special thanks to the Redvers Group Home, Redvers Activity Centre, and Redvers Health Centre, along with Dr. Prahbu, for their loving care, support, and understanding.

A Celebration of Life for Donna will be held on Friday, January 15, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Redvers Activity Centre, Redvers, SK with Don Kindopp officiating.The lunch reception will immediately follow the service.

Memorial donations may be made to the Redvers Activty Centre, PO Box 418, Redvers, SK, S0C 2H0 in memory of Donna. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hall Funeral Services, Redvers.

Ken Raine 1923 - 2015 Peacefully passed away December 17, 2015 at Hill View Manor, Estevan, Saskatchewan surrounded by family. Born on September 7, 1923 in Reston, Manitoba, he lived to be 92 years of age. The funeral was held Monday, December 21, 2015 at the Estevan Church of God with Pastors Walter Engel and Geoff Thissan officiating. Arrangements were i n care of Hall Funeral Services.

Ken will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Marion (Don) Wallis of Surrey, BC, son Lee (Joanie) Raine of Calgary, AB and daughter Kathy (Barry) Aspinall of Estevan, SK; grandchildren, Donaleisa (David) Leavers, Joey (Treena) Wallis, Rachelle (Mike) Babcock, Kristen (Jon) Klok, Natasha Raine, Leticia (Jared) Stephenson, Devin (Stacy) Aspinall; great grandchildren; sisters, Fran Vandale and Ella Bristow; sister-in-law Joy Raine, as well asnumerous nieces and nephews.

By the time Ken was 11 years of age, both parents had passed away. At the young age of 14, he left home and moved to a farm near Manor, Saskatchewan, where he worked until joining the Royal Canadian Airforce in 1941. Following training, he served overseas on coastal command working on Halifax bombers and seaplanes, until he was discharged in 1945. Ken returned to Manor where he married Doreen Cudmore and started farming. Ken and Doreen had four children, but lost a son to illness. In 1957, they moved to Estevan where Doreen passed away a short time after. He later married Ina Miller who not only loved him but his three young children. Ken was employed by the Estevan School district, Estevan Housing authority as well as owner of Outreach Bookstore for several years. Following Ina’s passing, Ken moved to Hillview Manor 2009 and enjoyed the many friendships he made there.

Ken was an honorary member of the Estevan Rotary and a member of the Estevan Legion.

His greatest inspirations in life were his family, reading, music and his BIBLE. His family and friends will miss his dedicated life and faith in God that he displayed. He has left us a strong legacy.

Thank You: Our family would like to thank everyone for their support through prayers, visits, phone calls, cards, food, flowers and memorial donations.

Special thanks to Eunice and Staff of Hill View Manor for providing a loving environment for Dad to live and all the care and comfort given in his final days. Thanks to the Estevan Legion for their involvement in the funeral service.

Marion, Lee, Kathy and families.

Fisher lands coveted job This province’s newest Saskatchewanderer loves photography, both the still and video versions. His name is Neil Fisher and he’s proud to be adding Saskatchewanderer to his resume.

“I’ve already done a fair bit of exploring in Saskatchewan, but I still see it as an exotic, far-off land with countless wonders waiting to be discovered,” he said.

Fisher has already explored various other parts of Canada, as well as the United States, Australia and Switzerland and has travelled along Canada’s west coast and through the Prairies and up in the Arctic before heading to Australia, capturing it all in photographs and videos while entering comments in a blog and through other social media.

Fisher is a native of Coquitlam, BC, but now calls Saskatoon home.

Before coming to Saskatchewan, Fisher worked as a marine mammal trainer at the Vancouver Aquarium and as an videographer, telling stories about the Aquarium’s animals and the employees who work there.

The Saskatchewanderer project has grown in popularity over the years with the wanderer setting out to visit as many provincial locations as he or she can within a one-year time frame.

Planning for Fisher’s 2016 expeditions is now underway. He will be employed as the official Saskatchewanderer until December of this year.

The program is supported by Tourism Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).

Please Support the Canadian Cancer Society

Your Guide to Area

Faith Lutheran Church Sunday Service 10:30 am Nicholson Centre Pastor Dan Krauss Phone: 306-471-8130 All Are Welcome Faithlc.ca

ST. PAUL’S UNITED CHURCH

Sunday Worship 10:30am Nursery & Children’s Ministries Available Sunday School at 9:30am

Friday Night Youth 7:30 pm (gr 7-12) Children’s Clubs -Wednesdays- 7-8 pm 140 King Street (across from Staples)

306.634.2601

www.estevanalliancechurch.com /estevanalliance

PASTORS: JIM KEDGE & WAYLON KLIX

Trinity Lutheran Church E.L.C.I.C.

Sunday Worship & Sunday School - 10am

738 - 2nd Street, Estevan Church Office: 306-634-5684 E: trinity.luth@sasktel.net Website: www.etlc.ca

THE SALVATION ARMY Estevan Community Church

11:00 a.m. - Sunday Service ALL WELCOME!

1302 - 8th St., Estevan Office Phone: 306-634-3116 Email: estevan.cofc@sasktel.net TIM PIPPUS

SUNDAY SERVICES: Bible Study - 10:00 a.m. • Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Evening Worship - Sunday and Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

Bible studies on any subject can be arranged at your convenience. Please call us.

GOSPEL CHAPEL ESTEVAN

1202 - 2nd Street Phone: 306-634-3761

“Holding fast the faithful word”

Pastor: Josh Permann Sunday:Worship 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday: Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday: Club DJ for kids 6:30 p.m.

www.estevangospelchapel.ca

1107 4th Street • 306-634-2074 • www.facebook.com/salvationarmyestevan

St. Joseph’s Prayer Centre Everyone welcome to join our daily prayers, inspirational Bible DVD viewings and lively discussions

2 - 4 pm Monday - Friday Series topics change monthly Call for more information 1033 3rd Street Estevan

306-634-9191

EMAIL: stpaulsuc@sasktel.net Website: stpaulsestevan.ca ALL are Welcome!

306-634-2885 • 1418 3rd St. Estevan

CHURCH OF CHRIST

PASTOR STEWART MILLER

Coffee & Fellowship after Worship

Sunday Worship Service and Sunday School • 11:00 am

An Associated Gospel Church

St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church Corner 12th Avenue & 2nd Street

Phone: 306-634-2190

Fax: 306-634-6845

Pastor: Father Brian Meredith Associate Priest: Father Thuy Nguyen

MASSES: Saturday: 7:00 p.m.

Sunday: 10:00 a.m.

REAL LIFE

REAL PEOPLE

REAL GOD

Sunday Service at

10:00 am

Followed by coffee time 100 King Street, Estevan, Sask • (306) 634-8133 • livinghope-ca.org

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Isabelle & Souris Reverend Randy Kleemola Phone: 306-634-2024 email: st.peters@sasktel.net

www.stpeterslutheranestevan.com

Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. - Bible Study 10:30 a.m. - Divine Service with Holy Communion and Sunday School A Congregation of LUTHERAN CHURCH - CANADA

His Glory Bible Church

(Light of Life Ministries International) Join us in Glorious Praise and Worship With: Pastors Dr. and Mrs. Jimi Akinsete Where: Westview School 1607 2nd Street, Estevan When: 10am on Sundays Experience Healing, Deliverance and Breakthroughs

www.estevanmercury.ca

January 13, 2016 B11

Swenson chooses Last Mountain for candidacy

Career Opportunities

Rick Swenson, the leader of the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party has decided to toss his hat into the ring in the Last Mountain-Touchwood Constituency in this year’s provincial general election.

“After several months of consideration, meeting with party executive members and local residents, I have decided to seek election in Last Mountain-Touchwood,” Swenson said.

The PC Leader said he has been talking on the phone with residents in that constituency for many months about the particular problems they have been experiencing in that area. In making the decision, Swenson said the lack of effective representation by their current Sask. Party MLA assisted him in making the decision. Last Mountain

–Touchwood has been hit particularly hard by years of flooding, deteriorating road and highway infrastructure and indifference to health and housing needs of seniors, he suggested in making his intentions known publicly this week.

On top of those everyday needs, Swenson said the current provincial government has granted a huge land exemption of 60,000 acres to a Chinese coal company to develop a solution potash mine in the Earl Grey-Southey area. He said local residents are concerned the mine may go ahead without proper due diligence and consultation and residents were concerned about what long-term effects this might impose on the community with the granting of this exemption. The last minute attempts to deal with

Klaws Trucking

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

the Quill Lakes flooding situation and the proposed draining of these lakes into the Qu’Appelle River system, without a longterm plan in place, are a couple more major concerns, the PC Leader said.

“Many voters in Last Mountain-Touchwood believe my previous experience as an MLA, cabinet minister and leader of the official opposition can provide them with the voice necessary to have their concerns heard and respected rather than taken for granted by the current Sask. Party government,” Swenson said.

“The PC Party of Saskatchewan has shown it can be an effective voice for change by stopping the Wall government’s sale of Saskatchewan farmland to outside pension plans and speculators, and

exposing the waste of taxpayer dollars on the south Regina bypass. The provincial government seems to have an extra billion dollars for this bypass project to satisfy the business interests of the Premier’s political friends. Maybe some of that money should be directed toward the real needs of Last Mountain-Touchwood.”

So far, the party has nominated three candidates, including Paul Carroll in the Estevan constituency and they said they would be announcing the upcoming nominations in at least five more constituencies, including Swenson’s. Party sources indicated the nomination total could climb to 14 or more within the next two weeks as interest in the revived PC Party appeared to be growing, making it an alternative choice for voters.

Wanted

GROUNDS SUPERINTENDENT

Drivers Wanted

to haul crude oil and water.

Successful applicant must have all valid safety tickets.

To apply:

Cell: 306-461-6744

Email: klawsit2011@hotmail.com

Chamney Crushing

Woodlawn Regional Park is seeking a qualified applicant for the position of Grounds Superintendent.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the successful applicant will be responsible for hiring and supervising a grounds crew of 6-10 staff and will be responsible for the upkeep, repair, maintenance and improvements associated with all buildings, grounds and equipment at Woodlawn Regional Park.

Preference will be given to applicants with Safety Certification, Mechanical Ability and applicable experience.

Interested applicants can forward their cover letter, resume and references by email prior to January 25, 2016 to: g.hoffort@estevan.ca Woodlawn Regional Park offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package

is seeking

Experienced Heavy Duty Mechanic and an Experienced Crusher Operator Send resume to:

kcchamneycrushing@hotmail.com Call Bruce at: 306-421-0562 or fax: 306-634-4167

VILLAGE OF ROCHE PERCEE The Village of Roche Percee invites applications for the part time position of Administrator.

The Village of Roche Percee has a population around 125 and is south of Estevan on highway #39.

The successful candidate must possess technical skills in municipal administration including tax and assessment rolls, financial management, public relations, and a knowledge of the Munisoft computer system. Preference will be given to persons who hold at least a Standard Certificate or be prepared to obtain their certificate through the University of Regina Extension program.

Please submit your resume and letter of application including salary expectations and references on or before January 29th, 2016 to: Email: villageofrochepercee@sasktel.net Fax: 306-634-4693 • Phone: 306-634-4661 Box 37, Bienfait, SK S0C 0M0 We thank all candidates who apply. Only those chosen for interviews will be contacted.

WW1529

B12 January 13, 2016

Estevan Mercury

Hospital foundation fills position The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation has announced that Melissa Schlosser has joined the organization as their new parttime administrative assistant.

Schlosser will replace Kristin Dupuis, who has moved into the role of administrator at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Schlosser comes from an accounting and administrative background, but is also expe-

rienced with charities and nonprofit organizations. She was the office manager for the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins hockey club for two years, where she managed the front office, coordinated volunteers, tackled their accounting and assisted in organizing events such as the club’s annual Sportsman’s Dinner.

She has also been involved

in numerus other fundraisers throughout the community, raising money for multiple sclerosis by helping to organize the Ladies Night Out annual crawfish festival and having a food booth at the annual Estevan Fair.

She also volunteered for the inaugural Colour My Foundation Colour Run for the SJHF. “The combination of Me-

lissa’s work, volunteer and event planning experiences have allowed her to have a smooth transition into the scope of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s organization,” the foundation stated in a press release. “The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation board of directors are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Melissa and would like to welcome her on board.”

Melissa Schlosser

Stock growers receive funds for special projects Conservation Action Program (SODCAP) who will also be involved in the delivery of the pilots.

“Agricultural producers are key partners in our ongoing efforts to protect and recover species at risk,” said Catherine McKenna, minister of the environment and climate change Canada. “With this fund, we’re supporting the many Canadian ranchers and farmers using land stewardship practices that benefit wildlife. We also look forward to continuing our work with all stakeholders, on innovative solutions that conserve species at risk across Canada.”

“We’re glad to take the lead on this,” said SSGA president Doug Gillespie. “Most of Saskatchewan’s remaining native grass

prairie is on privately-managed ranchland.

Stewardship is a core value of the SSGA and our members are in the best position to protect habitat for species at risk.”

Landowners face a variety of circumstances on how they balance production with conservation, Gillespie said, and they need appropriate and adaptable options to suit their requirements. The SSGA’s proposal includes some innovative ideas — like habitat restoration, results-based conservation agreements and grass banking — as well as money for fencing and other infrastructure that will protect the land and the water.

“Ranchers, livestock and species at risk can co-exist, and they have been for

generations,” said Tom Harrison, executive director of SODCAP Inc., a grassroots organization that has been delivering programming in the target area. “We look forward to assisting SSGA with the development and delivery of these voluntary agreements,” Harrison said. He added that the conservation tools and strategies utilized will be new to Saskatchewan, and in many cases, also new to Canada.

“SARPAL is the right approach,” Gillespie said. “Regulations and fines don’t make sense when the ranching industry has voluntarily protected this habitat all along. Given the right tools, we’ll be able to do what’s best to support biodiversity on the land.”

Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive

CITY PAGE

1102 4TH STREET • ESTEVAN, SK 306 • 634 • 1800

Employment Opportunities Make a difference everyday with the City of Estevan a vibrant and growing community in Southeast Saskatchewan, with excellent educational, medical and recreational facilities. We have a strong business / industrial sector and are located only 10 minutes north of the U.S. border. The City of Estevan is searching for a talented member to join our team who wants to grow with the organization and community while supporting a customer first approach.

City Treasurer Education -University Degree with Accounting or Finance Major from an accredited post-secondary institution -Valid Class 5 Drivers License Experience and Additional Requirements -Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Designation -Five (5) to Seven (7) years of increasing responsibility in the accounting sector.

-Municipal experience would be an asset.

-Progressive experience managing and leading people -Strong interpersonal skills with advanced writing and verbal abilities

-Skill in operating office equipment and software including financial, office, and data management software.

-Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks while exhibiting advanced decision making skills.

-Ability to prioritize demands and work independently To thrive in this environment, you will have a desire to make a difference. Be part of our prospering community, and a challenging work environment while still maintaining a strong work life balance.

The City of Estevan offers a competitive salary and an outstanding benefits package.

Deputy Fire Chief Education Grade 12 education or equivalent NFPA Compliant Fire Service Level 1 Instructor NFPA Compliant Fire Service 1001/ Level 2 NFPA Compliant Fire Service 472 Hazmat Operations Training Valid Class 5 Drivers License Additional Experience and Training NFPA Compliant Fire Service Officer Level 2

NFPA Compliant Fire Service Level 1 Inspector Five (5) to Seven (7) years of increasing responsibility in Emergency Services Progressive experience managing and leading people Strong interpersonal skills with advanced writing and verbal abilities Skill in operating office equipment and technology including related administrative, financial, and office software Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks, exhibiting sound judgment skills.

Ability to prioritize demands and work independently.

For further information or to apply, please contact:

Aubrey Agarand, Human Resources, City of Estevan 1102 4th Street Estevan, Sk S4A 0W7 Fax: (306) 634-9790 Email: apply@estevan.ca We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

These positions will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

SINGLE DETACHED HOUSE FOR SALE BY PUBLIC TENDER Sealed tenders addressed to the City Clerk’s office, City Hall, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 0W7 and plainly marked on the envelope “Tender for Purchase and Removal of Single Family Residential Dwelling, Estevan, Saskatchewan” will be received until 2:00 pm CST, on Friday January 29, 2016, for the following Residential dwelling premises, excluding land;

City of Estevan Bylaw 89-1294 Section 34 (e): “The occupier of property in the City of Estevan shall remove any snow, ice or other obstruction from the public sidewalk adjacent to such property within twenty-four (24) hours of the time such snow, ice or other obstruction appears on such public sidewalk.“ 701 Souris Ave. | 306-634-3942 estevanartscouncil.com Contact us for more information on our programs

Put it in Perspective

January 30th, 2016, 10am to 4pm - Art Room at the Leisure Centre Join Diana for a drawing workshop which focuses on capturing different perspectives in drawing. Practice using various drawing exercises and learn skills which can be transferred to almost any other two dimensional mediums. No experience necessary but please register in advance with the Art Council office.

CIVIC ADDRESS: 1025 Third Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan BUILDING TYPE: 1 ½ -Storey Single detached bungalow Year Built: 1931 Square footage: 1092

City of Estevan, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 0W7

IF YOU HAVE ANY CITY CONCERNS PLEASE CONTACT 306-634-1800

• Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive * Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive •

Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive

• Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive * Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive • Don’t Drink and Drive •

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) announced they received $2.58 million from Environment and Climate Change Canada to lead a voluntary, producer-driver project to conserve habitat for species at risk in Saskatchewan.

The Species at Risk Partnership on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) fund supports projects that engage the agricultural sector in preserving key wildlife habitat. Potential initiatives through this project are designed to fit landowners’ unique circumstances and will include new and inventive conservation strategies that meet the needs of producers and habitat. The work will take place over five years in southwestern Saskatchewan in areas covered by the South of the Divide