weyburnreview
Vol.114 No. 33 - Weyburn, Saskatchewan
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 - 10 Pages
Trick or Treat
Page 3
Page 6
Work on First Avenue progressing, plans made for 2025 projects
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Road construction on the City of Weyburn’s biggest project this year, First Avenue, is progressing better than planned, and city council approved plans to prepare for paving of King Street in 2025.
Council heard an update about First Avenue from city engineer Jennifer Wilkinson on Monday evening, who noted the upgraded road work was able to be extended up to 11th Street from Government Road, and weather permitting, paving may be completed on much of it by the end of next week.
“First Avenue has gone exceptionally well. We’ve been surprised how much base structure is in place, which has allowed us to get all the way to 11th Street. We were able to do the underground work,” said Wilkinson, who noted they had to get the underground infrastructure work done before it’s paved over.
The paving contractor, Genco, has done from Government Road to Second Street, and a paving crew will be back in Weyburn by Sunday and may be able to complete most of the paving over the next week, she said, noting this is all weather dependent.
Asked about the work on 16th Street, Wilkinson said that project is mainly the replacement of a large storm drain along the boulevard, which is partly under the roadway.
Council was also told that this was Wilkinson’s last council meeting, as her last day as city engineer will be on Thursday.
Looking ahead to next year, the City has identified King Street from First Avenue to Fifth Avenue as their next high-priority project, with plans to do the work in 2025.
Wilkinson noted there has been no significant work or repairs to this section of road for the last 10 years at least, and the road surface has deteriorate with significant cracking and potholes.
The City has applied for joint funding through the Urban Highway Connection program, as this is part of Highway 35, connecting up with Highway 13 at First Avenue.
The first step this year was to award a tender to Walker Projects Inc. to do the design for road reconstruction and rehabilitation. The tender bid was for $29,900, the lowest of six bids from consulting firms.
Wilkinson said the unknown factor for funding for this road is the provincial election, slated for this fall.
Another project Weyburn is involved with is proposed upgrades to 22nd Avenue in conjunction with the RM of Weyburn, as part of that roadway is in the RM while the City’s portion is from Government Road up to the entrance to Evanston Park.
The RM has applied for funding under the Clearing the Path corridor program administered by SARM, and to be eligible for funding, a resolution had to come also from the City of Weyburn.
• In other council business, councillors were given a tour of the City’s web site for the municipal election, set for Nov. 13, 2024. The poll dates, locations, budget and election worker remuneration were set at the May 27 council meeting.
City clerk Tina Clay, the city’s returning officer, has helped set up the web pages for the municipal election along with Kyle Hertes, the city’s communications coordinator, who has been appointed as the associate returning officer.
The website went live on July 30, and the election worker application forms were posted on July 31. The candidates booklet has also been posted, with all of the information that a candidate will need to know to enter the city election race.
For the public, the web pages will have information about the candidates once they start filing this fall. Nominations for candidates open on Sept. 25, and will close on Oct. 9 at 4 p.m.
Showing how to
Bonk wins nomination for Conservative candidate
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Moosomin MLA Steven Bonk won the nomination to represent the Conservative Party of Canada in the riding of Souris-Moose Mountain when the next federal election is called, after a vote was taken on Friday and Saturday.
The nomination will now be scrutinized by the Souris-Moose Mountain riding association, and by the federal party in Ottawa, before Bonk is officially appointed as the candidate for the party.
Kevin Kay, president of the riding association, said there is a five-day appeals period for the nomination process to be scrutinized,
and there may be an official announcement by the end of the week to confirm if Bonk is accepted as the official candidate for Souris-Moose Mountain.
He noted there have been a number of concerns raised about the process for this nomination, and the association is awaiting more information as part of the appeals period.
A member of the riding association, Lyndon Dayman, said he’s asked Kay for a meeting of the association to go over what happened, and noted the association can reject Bonk as the candidate, although it may be overturned by the national party council. He said the nominations committee is
also doing a review of what happened, but he doesn’t know what might come out of that process.
Bonk went up against Torquay Mayor Mike Strachan for the nomination, a process that wasn’t without controversy as the two candidates were only given a tight, two-week window to get their nomination papers in and have the vote held after current MP, Dr. Robert Kitchen, announced he would not run when the election is called.
Kitchen said he will continue to serve as MP until that time.
For the vote, speeches and votes were held in three locations, in Moosomin on Friday, and in Estevan and Weyburn on Saturday, with the vote tally from all three locations counted after voting was done at the Weyburn Legion. With Assiniboia now added into the riding, members had wanted a voting station there as well, but that wasn’t set up, so the turnout by members was apparently very low, said Dayman. Following the announcement of the vote results by Kellie Sidloski, chair of the nominating committee, Strachan commented, “Conservatives are going to win this riding, and I’m happy to see a good Conservative win the nomination. I know it wasn’t me, but Steven will do a good job.”
For his part, Bonk said, “I’m extremely humbled to win this nomination. I want to thank my teammate, Mike Strachan. It was an honourable campaign, and he’s a good man, and I’m very happy with the way everything happened.”
He added his thanks to the Conservative members
of Souris-Moose Mountain who voted for him, and said, “I will endeavour to represent them to the best of my ability at the next election.”
He noted to the members present for the vote results that Souris-Moose Mountain is one of the strongest Conservative areas in all of Canada, “and it’s important we export those values to the rest of Canada. We really are in need of that right now.”
Bonk also expressed his gratitude to Kitchen for serving this riding for the past nine years. “I know he sacrificed a lot, and he has the respect of everyone in this room.”
Just prior to the candidates’ speeches in Weyburn, longtime Conservative supporter Murray McGillivray voiced his displeasure with the short timeline for this vote, and said, “I am not happy with the way this has been set up.”
He pointed out that this kind of short window of time has never happened for this riding over the years, and he has been a member of the party for many years. After the speeches, several members came up to thank him for voicing this concern over the process, telling him it needed to be said.
plant a tree Parks superintendent Curtis Block showed the proper way to plant a young tree, at the Tatagwa Tree Day on Saturday morning.There were 140 trees planted on the north side of the Souris River, including poplar, Manitoba maple, blue spruce and silverberry shrubs.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Demonstrating blacksmithing at the Heritage Village Dave Carlson did a demonstration of blacksmithing at the Heritage Village, as a part of the Heritage Village Days held on Friday and Saturday. All of the houses and buildings were open for tours, plus there was food, live music and children’s activities over the two days.
Nickle Lake Regional Park held their annual Halloween in the Park on Saturday.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Steven Bonk
Jorde Chartrand came home from Nationals with a gold medal and tournament MVP.
Police charge three for drug trafficking
The Weyburn Police Service responded to 84 calls for service during the period of Aug. 5 to 11, resulting in a total of 23 charges. Of the 23 charges, six were laid under the Criminal Code of Canada, 12 under the Traffic Safety Act (TSA), and five under the Controlled Drugs & Substances Act (CDSA). Of the six criminal charges, two were in relation to individuals who either failed to comply with a condition of their release, or failed to attend court as required to do so.
A traffic stop conducted by patrol and WPS CIU officers resulted in three individuals being charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act on Wednesday evening.
An adult female faces charges of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, as well as trafficking cocaine; an adult male faces charges of possessing methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, possessing fentanyl for thepurpose of trafficking, and possession of property obtained by crime; and a second adult male faces charges of possessing cocaine as well as two counts of failing to comply with a condition of his release. One male was released with an upcoming court date while the other male and the female were held in custody to appear in court.
The Weyburn Police are investigating a reported theft from a local business. The business has provided
video surveillance and a suspect has been identified. Charges are pending further investigation.
The Weyburn Police Service responded several times throughout the week to a couple individuals who were either causing a disturbance, or on property or in a residence where they were unwanted. One individual was ultimately charged with mischief while the other ended up with charges related to another matter.
During the week, police received a few reports of a “bitcoin” scam. One version of the scam involves an individual who represents themselves as a police officer, fraud investigator, or bank employee who makes contact with a person and gives a convincing story that their bank account has been compromised. Somewhere in the twisted story the caller persuaded them to send money via a bitcoin terminal. Some have fallen victim to this scam for a significant amount. Personal and/or financial information should never be given or shared with anyone without making absolutely certain that you know who it is and that it is for a legitimate purpose.
The Weyburn Police Service reminds residents that lost items that are found, are often turned in to the police with hopes it can be returned to its rightful owner. Items turned in to the police include cell phones, keys, wallets/ purses, credit cards, identification, watches, hats, etc.
Looking for treats at Mainprize park Trick-or-treaters enjoyed the beautiful weather on Saturday, as they collected treats during
the Park” event at Mainprize Regional
From
Letter: RM of Griffin voices concerns about Enbridge’s Seven Stars wind turbine project
(The following statement was made by the RM of Griffin council about Enbridge’s Seven Stars wind turbine project):
The RM of Griffin first learned of the Seven Stars Energy Windmill project when a couple Enbridge representatives stopped at the RM office on June 25, 2024. Given the nature of
the project they were asked to attend the next council meeting on July 9, where council learned the details of the proposed project.
From there Enbridge made an announcement with the province on July 16, two days before the only information session for residents of the area to acquire information about the project.
We were very disappointed and concerned that there was no communication with the RM of Griffin prior to June 25 from the previous company EDF which sold out their interest to Enbridge.
At that July 9th meeting we learned the number of windmills, location of the project, and the setback of only 750 meters that Enbridge was proposing. This setback is common in other windmill projects but given the size of these windmills at approximately 198 meters (650 feet), this setback is not reasonable and is also echoed by most of our ratepayers. There are no set standards from the provincial government; and there should be.
If someone is a landowner and is getting a windmill on their land and wants it within 750 meter
of their residence maybe that is okay. However, for anyone opposed who has a residence in the project area, it is reasonable to expect a larger setback than the proposed 750 meters from where they live. Given the size of the windmills, a 1500-meter setback would be more realistic.
If they don’t fit in this project area, then perhaps the area needs to be larger or less windmills erected.
At the end of the day the RM of Griffin should have been consulted long ago.
We have also had other ratepayers express valid concerns about potential health effects and the impact the wind farm will have on property values; particularly acreages within the project area.
The RM also represents the ratepayers who will have leases on their land if the project goes forward, and must also respect the rights of those land owners.
A lot of work went into planning this project by the previous company EDF, which for one reason or another, they chose not to include the RM of Griffin in their planning. So here we are.
Another very large concern that the RM of Griffin
has, is that the project area has a very limited number of primary grid roads suitable for heavy construction equipment. Many of the road allowances are undeveloped or not capable of carrying the heavy equipment needed to build this project. If this project proceeds, Enbridge will be required to pay the cost of all road construction in this area, including associated costs; of acquiring easements, acquiring clay and culverts, crop loss, gravel requirements on the new roads, maintenance during windmill construction, and any other road related expenses or damage. This is no different than the oil companies who were required to build roads within the RM when they wanted to drill on undeveloped road allowances or inadequate roads. As the council for the RM of Griffin we represent both those in favour and opposed to the project. However, as previously stated, we are very concerned about the inadequate setback of 750 meters and the significant road infrastructure costs with this project that both need to be addressed by Enbridge.
the “Halloween in
Park.
left are Makinley Wall, Taisley Wall, Lachlan Baillie, Lakken Baillie and Brexley Wall.
Photo - Submitted
A golden sunset at Nickle Lake
A family group is silhouetted as they did some fishing from a dock at Nickle Lake Regional Park on Saturday evening. The sunset glow came at the end of a beautiful summer day at the lake.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
3 Halloween in the Park
Trick-or-treating as a family
A number of families made the rounds of
day wrapped up with a Halloween-themed movie.
A frightening site to see The Seghers family campsite went all out for the “Halloween in the Park” event at Nickle Lake Regional Park on Saturday, including interacting actors in the coffins. Many families went trick-or-treating in the evening, and camp
For more photos and stories from our community, visit our website at SaskToday.ca
A ‘grape’ pair of costumes
A pair of girls dressed up as bunches of grapes as they went trick-or-treating for “Halloween in the Park” at Nickle Lake Regional Park on Saturday.
Making the rounds for treats
Many youths were dressed up in character for trick-or-treating at Nickle Lake Regional Park, as they took part in “Halloween in the Park” on Saturday.
A
the special event.
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Nickle Lake Regional Park on Saturday evening for treats, with the park providing maps of where candy was available. The
Photos - Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Looking for treats at the regional park
large family made their way around Nickle Lake Regional Park for “Halloween in the Park” on Saturday, as they went trick-or-treating. The park provided maps of where the camp sites were that had candy available for
agriculture, oil business
Harvest operations underway in SE, producers desiccating pulse crops
Harvest operations have begun to get underway in the southeast region, along with producers desiccating pulse crops to prepare them to be taken off.
The southeast region is at one per cent of harvest completed so far. Broken down by crop, about 23 per cent of the fall rye has been harvested, along with six per cent of winter wheat, 10 per cent of lentils and chickpeas, and 15 per cent of field peas.
About five per cent of barley has been harvested as feed, and three per cent is ready to be straightcombined.
Producers are finishing haying operations in the southeast, with no second cut potential this year due to the lack of rainfall. Dryland alfalfa yields are estimated to be about 2.46 tons per acre, with greenfeed estimated at 2.31 tons per acre, brome hay is estimated at 2.43 tons per acre, and tame hay is estimated at 1.62 tons per acre.
Irrigated alfalfa has an estimated yield of 2.5 tons per acre, and silage yields are estimated to be 6.88 tons per acre.
Rain was variable across the southeast, with most areas receiving little to no rainfall. While rain would be too late for advanced crops, producers in the region would welcome rain to help with grain fill and bushel weight on
Taking off the crops
One of three combines took a crop of lentils off a field located south of Weyburn on Sunday afternoon. Harvest is getting underway throughout the southeast region, with lentils, field peas and chickpeas the main crops being taken off right now.
later-seeded crops. With the persistent dry conditions, topsoil moisture continues to decline. Currently, cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 26 per cent adequate, 53 per cent short and 21 per cent very short.
Hayland topsoil moisture is rated as 25 per cent adequate, 55 per cent short and 20 per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 20 per cent adequate, 57 per cent short and 23 per cent very short. The lack of moisture is the main cause of crop damage throughout the southeast region. Wind, aphids, gophers and grasshoppers also caused crop damage, with overall minor damage reported.
As canola continues to mature, producers are observing sclerotinia stem rot emerging in fields, along with aborted pod development due to the extreme heat during flowering.
With the start of harvest, provincial Ag minister David Marit issued a
statement, with a reminder of the importance of farmers to be mindful of safety issues in the field.
“Our producers are known around the world as sustainable and reliable
suppliers of high-quality, nutritious and safe agri-food products. With a 27 per cent increase in agri-food export volume in 2023, we hope to continue this strong and vibrant trend with a success-
ful harvest. I wish everyone a safe and bountiful finish the 2024 growing season,” said Marit. Producers are reminded to keep safety top of mind in all they do. This includes
taking frequent breaks, having adequate meals and sleep, having fire suppressing equipment on hand, watching for power lines when moving machinery and more.
APAS voices worries over possible rail strike
Following the recent decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) continues to urge Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Teamsters Canada to reach a prompt resolution and avert any disruptions in rail service.
APAS also calls on the
federal government to explore all options to prevent simultaneous work stoppages at both railways, to avoid financial damage to Saskatchewan’s agricultural producers, and to safeguard trading relationships with international customers.
The CIRB decision opens the door for workers at both CN and CPKC to take strike action as soon as Aug. 22, threatening billions of dollars in agri-
cultural exports across the country.
Canadian grain exports totaled $36.2 billion in 2023, with Saskatchewan making up over half of those exports, and 94 per cent of Canadian grain shipped by rail. In Saskatchewan, farmers rely heavily on the timely transportation of grain to ports, with an average distance of 1,850 kilometres by rail to market destinations.
As harvest season approaches, a rail disruption could see farmers face delayed payments, as well as impact storage of on-farm inventory, jeopardizing producers’ cash flow and financial obligations.
The ability of Saskatchewan farmers to market their grain is also vital to the Canadian economy and to maintaining our nation’s reputation as a dependable trading partner.
Residential real estate sales up in Weyburn
Saskatchewan reported 1,667 sales in July, a sevenper-cent year-over-year gain and over 20 per cent above long-term, 10-year averages. The thirteenth consecutive
month of above-average sales in the province has contributed to year-to-date sales that were 10 per cent above July 2023 and 19 per cent above the 10-year average.
In Weyburn, there were 17 sales in July, which is up 21.4 per cent from a year ago, and up 37 per cent compared to the 10-year average. Broken down for July, nine of these properties were detached homes, two were semi-detached, along with three apartments, two mobile homes and one multifamily property.
The sales year-to-date in Weyburn total 94, which is down five per cent compared to 2023; this includes 70 detached homes, two semidetached three townhouses, 15 apartments, three mobile homes and one multi-family property.
While new listings saw a modest year-over-year gain around the province, this had little impact on inventory levels, which were down 20 per cent year-over-year and remain over 40 per cent
below long-term trends. In Weyburn, there were 24 new listings in July, which is down 47.8 per cent from a year ago, and is down 20.5 per cent compared to the 10-year average. It’s also down 25.5 per cent for the year-to-date.
The inventory of residential properties in Weyburn is at 87, down 29.3 per cent from a year ago, and down 45.3 per cent compared to the 10-year average. Weyburn has 5.12 months of supply, which is down 41.8 per cent from a year ago, compared to less than two months supply in larger urban centres in the province.
“Strong housing demand continues to support aboveaverage monthly sales levels, preventing any significant inventory relief in many markets across the province,” said Association CEO, Chris Guérette. “Limited supply choice, specifically in the more affordable segment of the market, is likely preventing even stronger sales activity in our province.”
Saskatchewan reported a residential benchmark price of $344,800 in July, up from $343,300 in June and nearly five per cent higher than July 2023. Home prices trended up across all property types in July, with year-over-year gains ranging from over four per cent in detached to 11 per cent in row/townhousestyle properties.
The benchmark price in Weyburn was $242,200 in July, which is up 4.6 per cent from a year ago. This applies to a three-bedroom home with two baths, an attached garage and gross living area of 1,162 sq. ft.
“With just over three months of inventory across the province – below two in some of our larger centres –it remains a challenging time for prospective buyers right now,” said Guérette. “Supply constraints, when paired with strong demand, continue to place upward pressure on prices – as evidenced by record benchmark prices in some communities for the second consecutive month.”
The Government of Saskatchewan’s Crown petroleum and natural gas public offering, held on Aug. 6, raised $7,208,879.51 for the province, with the Weyburn-Estevan area generating the most revenue.
One hundred and eight parcels were posted for this offering provincially, and 96 parcels received acceptable bids. These bids covered 14,374.288 hectares. The Weyburn-Estevan area generated the most revenue, bringing in
$4,716,387.14 for 68 leases totalling 5,709.704 hectares, out 70 leases posted. The highest bonus bid went to Saturn Oil & Gas Inc., which offered $895,408.90 for a 441.778-hectare lease located 17 km north of Stoughton, within the Viewfield Bakken Sand Oil Pool. The bid works out to $2,026.83 per hectare. Millennium Land (444) Ltd. made the highest dollars-per-hectare bid, offering $7,217.54 per
hectare for a 32.410-hectare lease located six km west of the village of Frobisher and bidding a total of $233,920.47 for the lease. This lease is within the Steelman Frobisher Beds Oil Pool. After three public offerings this fiscal year, government has raised $30,077,586.23 in revenue. There are six scheduled public offerings each fiscal year. The next scheduled offering in Saskatchewan is October 1, 2024.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
review weyburn
Conservatives need to clear up issues
Many Canadians are hoping for a change of administration in the next federal election, and efforts are underway by the various political parties right now to line up the best candidates to run.
The Conservative Party in the riding of Souris-Moose Mountain ought to be happy to have one of the strongest levels of support in all of Canada, according to the last election — but they are shooting themselves in the foot with a candidate selection process that seems to be mired in controversy.
This is not how a party should be getting ready for an election that is likely not to be called until 2025. It may actually be called earlier than that, seeing as the ruling Liberals are in a minority government with the NDP propping them up.
Some of the details of what happened in the selection process, or how, are not exactly clear at this point, but there are reviews and investigations going on to determine the truth of the matter.
What we do know is the MLA for Moosomin, Steven Bonk, was suddenly announced as a candidate for Souris-Moose Mountain, and a second candidate, Mike Strachan, was hurriedly able to file his papers to also run as a candidate.
There was a rush put on for this process, which caught many party members by surprise.
In addition, a vote was arranged for in three locations, in Moosomin, Estevan and Weyburn — but the problem was, the area of Assiniboia has been added to the riding, but no polling station was set up for that area.The result is, people who may have had an interest in voting for the candidates were not able to due to the distance and the timing.
Bonk ended up winning the vote, which apparently had a low voter turnout, again due to the rushed nature of the selection process.
After the vote, there is a five-day appeals period, and an appeal has been filed in regard to the process, but there are many questions about how and why this selection process was rushed, and why a candidate was brought in from outside the riding.
Will some of these concerns and questions get answers from the various committees and the riding association, or will the matter get swept under a rug? The coming days will tell the story in that regard, including whether there will be answers for the concerns raised.
In the meantime, when the next federal election is called, who will be the candidates standing for the vote for the electorate of Souris-Moose Mountain? We don’t know how other voters across Canada will cast their ballots, and the hoped-for change of administration may or may not happen. The voters of this riding will hopefully have a selection of candidates to consider, but there should not be other issues overshadowing that vote. The choices need to be clear. — Greg Nikkel
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Canadians had much to be proud of, and happy for, as a result of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, which wrapped up on Sunday with the closing ceremonies.
We saw Canadian athletes earn a total of 27 medals, the most for an unboycotted Games, including nine gold medals, seven silver and 11 bronze, landing us in 12th place in the list of participating nations.
Now, it’s true, many people did not bother watching or checking in on the Games, because they have no interest in races or sport events like swimming, diving, judo, boxing, basketball, volleyball, skateboarding or break-dancing.
Even if a person has no real interest in some or all of these sports, they should still take some pride that Canada did really, really well in some of these sports, such as hammer-throw.
Who knew we’d be good, as to have gold medals for both the men’s and women’s side of this sport?
And who could’ve predicted that, of the nine golds, three of them were won by a 17-year-old swimmer, and she also had a silver? Plus we had a gold in canoe sprints, and the 4X100m men’s relay team, whose members redeemed
By Greg Nikkel
gnikkel@sasktoday.ca
themselves after a poor showing individually.
None of the four men on the team were able to make the finals of their events, including the great sprinter Andre Degrasse — but they came through in spectacular fashion to win the gold, while the Americans botched the race so badly they were disqualified.
I could mention something about all the boasting and showboating by American runners, but I’d rather focus on the success of our four runners from Canada who won the gold medal.
One thing I noticed too is some of the performances were by athletes considered “old” for their sport, such as the overhyped Simone Biles, who isn’t exactly young for a gymnast, or Canada’s own Ellie Black. They both did really well, in spite of going up against athletes a decade younger than them.
Canada’s pole-vaulting medal winner, Alysha Newman, is another example as she is 30 years old, and provided our first medal in this event. Her funding was very nearly cut off, but she was able to convince Team Canada to let her compete — and she came through with an amazing medal performance.
A WRITER’S ODYSSEY
By Sabrina Kraft
I have returned from vacation, where I spent over two weeks in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia. There was a lot of sightseeing completed with my family during this time, and it was nice to shut off from work for a little while.
One of the things that I had to adapt to was the strict recycling regulations that are followed in Nova Scotia. There were four bins in each household: compost, paper, plastic and garbage. One would even see these four bins in parks, restaurants, gas stations, and any public building.
There were weekly pick up schedules for the recycling, compost and garbage. We could even download an app, to check what bin we needed to use, if we had any questions. After living it for over two weeks, I could definitely see why Nova Scotia is a leader in our waste management approach and environmental stewardship. And the amazing thing? These same waste management approaches can be achieved right here in Weyburn!
I know of a lot of people who compost for
their own garden, but there is also a compost pile at the Weyburn landfill that can be used at no charge for those who live in an apartment or condo.
Many restaurants now offer recyclable containers when take out or delivery is ordered. Just clean those up, use them for your own leftover containers, or drop them in your recycle bin.
Paper products are also easy to recycle. There are bins located at Goliath Disposal where someone could drop off their cardboard, newspaper or paper products. If you have sensitive materials that need to be shredded, there is a program at the Wor-Kin Shop.
The important thing is to avoid cross-contamination, and make sure you are recycling and reducing as much waste as possible. For a complete list of what can be recycled here in our fair city, go to the City of Weyburn website at https://weyburn.ca/recycling-collection.
Together, we can make our own community a leader in recycling!
Weyburn Minor Football starting new season
Weyburn Minor Football will be kicking off their new season on Monday, Aug. 19 at the WMF Field at 6 p.m., with equipment pickup night and the first practices.
Each night following, on Aug. 20-22, there are practices from 6-8 p.m. to prepare for the new season of minor football.
Through the summer, Weyburn Minor Football
has been holding minicamps for U10, U12 and U14 aged players, to introduce players to the game and practice some basic skills for playing football. There is still time to register for those still wanting to come try out football as well. Check out their website at www.weyburnminorfootball.org for more information or to register.
Running and throwing practice
A group of potential players for Weyburn Minor Football practiced running and throwing the football, during a mini-camp session on Wednesday evening at the Weyburn Minor Football Field. The mini-camps have been held throughout the summer, and the new season starts on Monday, Aug. 19.
Getting ready for a new season
A mini-camp for players interested in possibly joining Weyburn Minor Football was held on Wednesday evening at the WMF Field. Mini-camp sessions were held each Wednesday evening through the summer, and the new season will start on Aug. 19 with equipment pickup and the first practices of the year.
Weyburn Lacrosse players taking part in National finals
A number of Weyburn Lacrosse Association athletes are competing in Lacrosse Canada’s National Box Lacrosse championships in Regina this week, in the following age categories.
In the U13 category, on the co-ed team, is Cohen Baumgartner, on the U13 Female team is Bree Tuchscherer and Paycen Babiarz.
The U15 Co-ed team includes Quinton Stinson, Leo Missal and Hudson Maloney.
The U15 Female team includes Hunter Moon, Maci Patterson, Chloe Tuchscherer and Julie Labrecque.
The U17 Co-ed team includes Alex Labrecque, and the U22 Female team includes Brittney Honig, Bethany Honig, Callie Dammann, Jessica Benning, Ella Schenher, Ella Johnson and Sayde Johnson, and on the U13 Jr. Rush team is Cruz Carter. In the first day of games on Monday, Team Saskatchewan had the following results: The U15 male team won 2-0 over U15 Team Quebec, and the U17 male team doubled up on Team Nova Scotia by the score of 4-2. Games will go on this week with the finals on Saturday in each of the age categories.
Weyburn pitcher Chartrand MVP of national softball champs
Pitcher Jorde Chartrand of Weyburn and the Southeast Carnduff Steelers are back-to-back Canadian National women’s softball champions, and Jorde was awarded two MVP awards. They took part in the
Canadian Women’s Softball Nationals held in Blackfalds, Alta.
The team ended up in second place after roundrobin play behind Ontario’s Oakville Angels.
Jorde was awarded the All-Star Pitcher award for her round-robin play with a 0.47 era and a .438 batting average.
Sunday was the 1-2 game, and the winner went straight to the gold medal game and the loser went to the semi-final.
Jorde pitched a complete seven-inning game allowing only one earned run. She also went twofor-four at the plate scoring, one of the runs in the 5-4 win over Oakville Angels, sending them to the semi-final game against Quebec and the Steelers to the gold medal game.
Oakville defeated Quebec in the semi-finals so the Steelers had to face Ontario again today in the gold medal game.
Jorde pitched another gem going the complete seven innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run in the exciting 6-3 win.
The Steelers were trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning with the top of the line up coming up. Three players singled to load the bases, and Jorde hit a three-RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 3.
A few more hits and an error by Oakville put the Steelers up 6-3 going into
the top of the seventh. A pop-up, a strike-out and a ground out ended the game with the Steelers on top 6-3.
Jorde was awarded the MVP of the Championship series. She is a senior at the University of North Carolina Greensboro on a Division 1 softball scholarship, and is taking sports psychology.
Chartrand is All-Star pitcher
Weyburn pitcher Jorde Chartrand was named the All-Star pitcher for the Canadian National Softball Championships, as she had a .46 earned-run average, and a .438 batting average in the round-robin of the tournament.
Pitcher is MVP of nationals
Weyburn pitcher Jorde Chartrand was named the MVP of the Canadian National Softball Championships, held at Blackfalds, Alta. Her team, the Carnduff Steelers, won the national championship over the weekend.
Photos – courtesy Caroline Chartrand
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Classic and new Dodges on display
Provinces call on feds to change capital gains rules
At the annual conference of Federal, Provincial, Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture in Whitehorse, Yukon in July, the Ministers of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba expressed serious concerns about changes to the capital gains tax proposed in the 2024 federal budget and the impacts they will have on the agricultural sector.
The changes to the capital gains tax was not a topic on the agenda of the annual meeting of FPT Ministers of Agriculture. Provinces raised this important topic during roundtable discussions, and noted that these changes will inadvertently, disproportionately and unfairly target producers and their succession plans.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy,” Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit said. “We must work with our producers, ensuring their success and the proposed changes to capital gains taxes will make it harder for us to do just that. It is our position that the federal government reverse this harmful policy and work with producers and provinces to keep our agriculture sector strong and vibrant.”
“The proposed changes to the capital gains tax are deeply concerning for Alberta’s agricultural community,” Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson said. “These changes will unfairly burden our farmers and ranchers, who are already facing significant challenges. The federal government must reconsider these measures as they threaten the long-term viability of Canada’s agricultural sector and the livelihoods of those who depend on it.”
“The Ontario approach has always been to reduce taxes and red tape for farmers, agricultural employers, and agribusiness stakeholders,” Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Rob
Flack said. “Raising capital gains taxes at a time when so many farmers are approaching retirement and managing farm succession planning is a serious mistake and our government opposes it unequivocally.”
Intergenerational transfers play an integral part in succession planning for family farms. Increasing inclusion rates from one-half to twothirds for individual capital gains above $250,000, and from one-half to twothirds for corporations, will penalize farming operation transfers. Farmers and ranchers who rely on selling their assets for retirement will also see their retirement plans diminished.
The changes to the capital gains tax will jeopardize the long-term viability of family farms who are unable to keep pace with federal tax measures, in addition to other increasing costs associated with the farming industry. Putting these critical farming businesses at risk will have wide ranging implications to Canadian food security, rural communities, and the Canadian economy. In the longterm, these impacts may be greater than the federal government’s anticipated revenue generated by these tax measures.
Ministers urged the federal minister to make agriculture a priority around the federal Cabinet table, and ask that the proposed changes to the capital gains tax impacting the broader agriculture and food industry be immediately reversed.
Inclusion participants go kayaking Nash Warren, a participant in the Inclusion Weyburn
as they went kayaking at Nickle Lake Regional Park
youth to take part in fun recreational activities with one-on-one staff helping them out.
Hunting licenses now available in province
Hunting season is nearly here, and it’s time to plan and get ready! There are several things hunters can do to prepare themselves for the upcoming season.
Big Game Draw and regular licences were available for purchase as of August 1. The quota limited antlerless mule deer licences are available on a first-come, firstserved basis beginning Aug. 15.
Hunters have a few options to purchase a licence:
• Online through the Hunting, Angling and Trapping Licence (HAL) system, 24 hours a day.
• In person at a Government of Saskatchewan field office with front counter service or at select provincial park offices.
• In person from any Saskatchewan hunting li -
cence issuer.
• By phone at 1-855848-4773 (you will require a credit card).
Hunters must provide their HAL identification number, or any other identification number previously added to their HAL account.
New this year, the Saskatchewan Trappers Guide is now a standalone document, designed to give trappers the specific information they need.
Both the Trappers Guide and the Hunters Guide in -
clude comprehensive lists of season dates, important information on regulations, licences and fees, and highlights of what is new for 2024, including expanded dark goose hunting opportunities.
Visit saskatchewan.
ca/hunting to download a copy of either guide or pick up printed copies at Government of Saskatchewan field offices with front counter service, select retailers and some provincial parks.
Know the rules: per -
mission to hunt on private lands. Approximately 85 per cent of the land in southern Saskatchewan is privately owned or controlled. Consent from the owner is mandatory prior to entering and hunting on any private land:
• Consent can be provided in writing, orally or through signage.
• Consent can be sought and provided by any method including in person, by telephone and through email.
Two long rows of Dodge and Chrysler vehicles, both classic and modern models, were on display at the second annual Mopar Madness Car Show, which took place in front of Weyburn Dodge on Saturday.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
summer camp, is with staff member Brenna Verbeurgt
on Wednesday. The summer camp enables
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
community lifestyles 9 &
Summer clay class works on gnomes
A classroom of students worked on making clay gnomes on Wednesday evening. A row of their projects completed so far this summer lined the table at the front of the room at the Credit Union Spark Centre. In the front row are, from left, Oscar Brolly, Lexi Bell and Lexi Hillstead.The participants are part of the Mental Health program at the Weyburn Comp, which set up free clay classes through the summer.
Upgrades to be made to Sask. 9-1-1 services
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and SaskTel have laid the groundwork for the next generation of 9-1-1 services. Saskatchewan is the first province to transition all primary 9-1-1 communication centers to the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) environment, in compliance with the new federal mandate.
“This is the first step of a multi-year, multimilliondollar project that will pave the way for deploying new technology and modernizing the province’s emergency response system,” Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Paul Merriman said. “This project will dramatically
enhance public safety in Saskatchewan.”
Once the project is complete, Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) will offer multiple ways for the public to communicate with 9-1-1. These enhanced features will provide emergency services with more informed and safer responses.
“The implementation of NG9-1-1 technology represents an important leap forward for Saskatchewan’s emergency communication systems,” said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “By leveraging advanced digital technologies, we can ensure that every call for help is met with the
quickest and most effective response possible.”
This new technology is the foundation to enable PSAPs to expand their capabilities in the coming years. In the future, the public will be able to share text messages, video and photos through the 9-1-1 system. These capabilities are not available until future years.
Funding for the project is being provided through the 9-1-1 service fee.
The SPSA and SaskTel will continue to work with secondary PSAPs in the province to ensure their technology is upgraded by the end of March 2025.
Established in 2017, the SPSA is a treasury
board crown corporation responsible for wildfire management, emergency management, Sask911, SaskAlert, the Civic Addressing Registry, the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program, and fire safety. SaskTel is the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider in Saskatchewan, with over $1.3 billion in annual revenue and approximately 1.4 million customer connections including nearly 670,000 wireless accesses, 242,000 wireline network accesses, 292,000 internet and data accesses, 111,000 maxTV service subscribers, and 72,000 security monitoring customers.
SK Arts to hold info, grant-writing sessions
The SK Arts programs will host sessions in the southeast area with in-person and virtual sessions, providing information on programs and grant-writing sessions.
Program consultants will be available for information, and to hold the grant-writing workshops for local arts organizations.
They will be in Weyburn on Tuesday, Aug. 27 for three sessions.
From 10 a.m. to noon, they will be at Legacy Park Elementary School, to provide artist-in-schools information for teachers with program consultant, Jody Greenman-Barber.
They will be in the Credit Union Spark Centre’s Weyburn Art Gallery from 1-2 p.m., for a session for independent artists, groups and collectives in schools. The session will be held with consultants Jody Greenman-Barber and/or Chancz Perry.
There will be an evening session in the art gallery also, from 5 to 7 p.m., for a SK Arts grant-writing workshop with the same consultants.
A virtual session will be held on Aug. 28 with Southeast Regional Library from 10 a.m. to noon, for artist in communities, independent artists and professional arts organizations.
The consultants will then be in Estevan at the art gallery and museum, with sessions at 1-2 p.m. for artists, group and collectives, and 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a grant-writing workshop. The final session will be in Oxbow on Aug. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the library, where they will have a table at the farmers market.
SK Arts provides funding and support to the arts, for the benefit of all people in Sasaktchewan.
‘Festival in the Park’ to be hosted in Fillmore
Music, food and a farmers market will be featured for Fillmore’s first “Festival in the Park” on Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Lanny B Park. The festival is slated to run from 3 to 9 p.m. at the park, located at 18 McCullough Street.
Live entertainment will be provided by The Blend, Kylee Carver, the Caragana Ramblers, and the Mariachi Latino Band from Regina.
A pop-up farmers market will also be held, along with food and refreshments available from various vendors.
Lanny B Park was es -
tablished and is maintained by LaVaughn and Ralph Duxbury. The park is open to the public to enjoy, and the goal of the festival is to draw attention to the park and to the attractions in and around Fillmore.
The Festival in the Park is not for profit, with proceeds going to cover the costs of the entertainment. Prices for vendors to take part will depend on sponsorship. If there are sponsors willing to donate to the event, to enable it to be held free of charge, they should contact LaVaughn at 306-457-7580.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
10 Heritage Village Days
Cranking out a rope
Shelby Meyer turned the crank handle of the ropemaker at the Heritage Village Days on Friday. An adult anchored the other end of the rope while she turned the crank to braid the twine into a rope.
Making a rope the old-fashioned way Titan and Tammy Lenek worked together to make a rope the old-fashioned way during Heritage Village Days, helped by volunteer Nathan Elmy.
Checking out a one-room schoolhouse
A family had a look through the Meadowbrook School classroom, a one-room school in the Heritage Village, open for tours as part of Heritage Village Days on Friday and Saturday.
Listening to a Victrola at the Heritage Village
A group of children from the Weyburn Gymnastics Club’s summer program listened to an old record played on a Victrola while visiting one of the houses at the Heritage Village on Friday. All of the houses and buildings were open for tours by visitors during Heritage Village Days.
Dancers entertain at Heritage Village Days
Dancers from De Tricky Feet dance studio performed a routine they had just learned at dance camp, as they entertained at Heritage Village Days on Friday afternoon. A number of small groups from the studio performed short routines for parents and visitors to the Heritage Village.
Dancing for parents at entertainment tent
A group of young dancers performed a routine for their families, as they were part of the entertainment at Heritage Village Days on Friday afternoon. The dancers were from the De Tricky Feet dance studio, which had held a dance camp.
Photos - Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Raising the flag at the Heritage Village
The Weyburn Legion’s Colour Guard and retired RCMP officer Pete Broccolo saluted as the Canadian flag was raised at Meadowbrook School, to officially open Heritage Village Days on Friday. The village was open for tours, entertainment and activities on Friday and Saturday.