November 27, 2013
WEDNESDAY Bruins Fall To Humboldt
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www.estevanmercury.ca Issue 30
Kettle Campaign Underway
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Victory for Estevan
Hub Program Officially Introduced To Southeast
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Saskatchewan Games Council past chairman Darrell Baker (at right) announced Tuesday at Affinity Place that Estevan has been awarded the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
2016 Summer Games awarded to Energy City By Josh Lewis of the Mercury
Filipino Community Raising Typhoon Funds
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Hidden behind the layer of confidence, there were doubts. Swift Current had a brand new track. They were a bigger centre. They’d gone longer without hosting. But they were all washed away on Monday, when the Saskatchewan Games Council told the Estevan bid committee that theirs was the most impressive bid for the 2016 Summer Games. “My first thought was, ‘holy (expletive), here we go,’” Estevan co-chair Brian Senchuk laughed. The selection committee publicly announced Estevan as the winner during a news conference on Tuesday at Affinity Place. Games Council past chairman Darrell Baker congratulated Estevan in a press release. “The Estevan committee is taking on an important responsibility, as these Games provide many of our athletes with their first multi-sport experience, preparing them to represent our province on the larger national and
international stage.” It will be Estevan’s first time hosting the Summer Games since 1980. Estevan was up against Swift Current, Humboldt and Melfort for the right to host in 2016, and the general consensus was that it was a battle between the two southerly cities on that list. The biggest perceived advantage for Swift Current was that the city recently built a new track, whereas Estevan has yet to get started on theirs. Senchuk said the site visit to Estevan on Nov. 7, where the city drove home the kind of support that can’t truly be conveyed in a bid document, may have put the Energy City over the top. “I think it was huge. The community involvement, the high school participation, the speeches at dinnertime from amongst our youth, I think it really made a huge difference.” During Monday’s conference call, members of the selection committee noted that all four finalists met or exceeded their expectations and “it became a really difficult decision,”
Senchuk said. Site evaluation committee chairman Larry Lafrentz noted in the press release that Estevan’s “strong group of core volunteers are dedicated to creating a memorable multi-games experience, as well as providing for the care and comfort of the athletes. “The community’s existing sport facilities, coupled with planned upgrades and new construction, will provide a legacy of sport development opportunities in the community,” Lafrentz added. Senchuk said that it still hasn’t truly sunk in for him that Estevan will play host to the rest of Saskatchewan in three years. “I was kinda nervous. I was prepared to accept whatever decision they came up with. Hearing our name, I had to think about it for a little while to make it reality. I wasn’t shocked, because I was confident in what we did … I had every belief we did a good job that exceeded what we thought we could do. I knew it wasn’t going to be because of what we did.” For more on this story, see page B1 and estevanmercury.ca
Cornerstone board reorganizes for new fiscal year Harold Laich retained the chairman’s position with the South East Cornerstone Public School Division on Nov. 21, when the board of trustees held their annual organizational meeting in Weyburn. Taking a break from their regular monthly business session, the trustees spent about 20 minutes devoted to the task of rearranging themselves into various committees and leadership roles for the coming fiscal year. In unanimous fashion, the trustees decided
to keep Laich at the helm while selecting Audrey Trombley, a former chairwoman of the division, as vice-chair. “Thanks for your confidence and trust,” said Laich, in accepting the role for a second year. “I indicated when I took it on last year it would only be for two years maximum,” he added. “I will support the chairman and this board, and I also thank you for your confidence,” said Trombley. Admitting that they had done a lot of
pre-meeting background work, the trustees quickly formatted and passed motions regarding their new committee configurations, which included an audit committee, budget manager, Saskatchewan School Board Association representation, First Nations and Metis Committee, Comprehensive schools governance authority representatives, high school athletic association representation along with a couple of ad hoc committees on a sustainability review and a Laich ⇢ A2
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