Vol.115 No. 04 - Weyburn, Saskatchewan
weyburnreview
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 10 Pages
Red Wings set to compete
Seven players from the Weyburn Red Wings were chosen to compete at the SJ/MJ showcase. Page 6
Babies of 2024 Contest
See page 10 for details.
Rotarian shares rafting experience
Doug Loden shared photos and stories of international rafting. Page 7
A double ringed sundog
A sign of the “Extreme cold warning” over the southeast region over the weekend was the sight of sundogs, including this double-ringed one seen on Saturday afternoon just outside of Weyburn. The phenomenon is caused by extreme cold air with ice crystals blown into the air by the wind. With temperatures around -30, the wind chill was around -40 or lower.
Cornerstone board chair accepts SSBA award
By Norm Park, Contracted Reporter
SECPSD
for
It’s an award for individual achievement within the ranks of the several city and regional school boards spread across the province. But, for Audrey Trombley, the recipient of the long-standing Award of Distinction, it is one that she would more readily like to share with the entire South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s board of trustees.
“I see it as more of an award for the entire board rather than just one person,” Trombley said in an interview following the Saskatchewan School Board Association’s award presentations held in Regina on December 2, 2024 during their fall conference.
Trombley, along with Lloydminster trustee David Thompson, were the recipients of the individual awards while the Northern Lights School Division board received the group award for innovation and excellence.
Trombley was nominated for the award by the South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s board of trustees. She said it “was refreshing to know that after all these years and the 14 years as board chair, the board still supports me.”
Asked how she found the strength to continue in the leadership role over a length of time, she said. “I guess maybe I’m not afraid to speak up when I believe things need to be addressed. I also believe that nobody
achieves excellence on their own. It takes a team to make a difference and every board member is an important member representing the voice of their communities. Locally elected boards are key in providing quality education in our diverse province.”
Trombley said she has been fortunate to be able to work with outstanding board members and administration through the years while maintaining respectful relationships.
Her leadership qualities come from the fact that she had learned some valuable lessons on that topic while taking a trustee development training course at Humber College back in 2003, prior to running for the position as a rural trustee in 2003.
She was then elected chair at the first meeting of an amalgamated board of the Weyburn Rural and Radville School Divisions, and then within the SECPSD structure following further provincially mandated educational system mergers. She added, “I also worked as an administrator for 40 years, so I’m comfortable with elected boards and governance models.”
Trombley said she has started keeping a log or journal of her board chair activities since she feels that within a few months she will be able to include current board vice-chair Megan Schick in as many activities as allowed and then “I will not let my name stand for the final two years of my term.”
That decision has been made more firmly since Trombley has faced a series of medical challenges for the past two years, starting with an infection that came about following a minor surgical procedure in February of 2022. The super infection spread and eventually led to the amputation of part of her right leg and a further amputation was administered in August of last year.
She was pleased to report that after being a wheelchair user since the second session, she was to be the recipient of a prosthetic leg and hopefully would be able to walk with some aid within a few weeks following therapy and training.
In the meantime, the SECPSD chair is not going to just sit in a wheelchair, or sit on her laurels either.
“We will continue to lobby for education funding. We understand the next provincial budget will include additional funds for classroom complexity and we hope that comes to fruition.”
The newly launched provincial Education Plan is now a work in progress and there were no surprises for SECPSD since the plan’s outcomes aligned with the regional board’s ongoing plans and programs, she said.
“I am hopeful the Minister of Education will consult with the boards when and if there is a situation to be addressed and ensure boards maintain the local autonomy as intended.”
As it turns out now,
Holy Family approved for portable class at St. Michael School
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
The Holy Family school division received approval for a grant of $725,000, for a portable classroom at St. Michael School in Weyburn, the board heard at their January meeting on Wednesday evening. Chad Fingler, superintendent of school operations, noted that their facilities manager, Mike Kaip, has initiated work with a consulting firm, 1080 Consulting, to “get ahead of the game” and start the process rolling for the relocatable classroom.
The consultants will post a request for proposals (RFP), as Holy Family is one of about 35 approved relocatable classrooms and they want to get a good selection of contractors to choose the best one for this project.
Fingler felt with the size of this grant, larger than what they had received before, would cover the consulting fees and the cost to move the classroom in over the summer.
Trombley is grateful that the current board members are in a supporting mode and she is prepared to lead the educational governance parade forward for the next couple of years.
“There might be additional costs, which we won’t know until further down the road,” he added.
Trustee Jerome Sidloski asked if the province would consider
having the classroom “stick-built” instead of being portable.
“Yes, but it should still be built in a fashion that it can be relocated if needed,” said Fingler, adding it will most likely be a prefab relocatable classroom.
The tenders for it should be back and awarded by mid to late February, so it can be built and ready by early July or earlier.
Board chair Bruno Tuchscherer noted that previously the board had to pay extra to have a portable classroom moved here, but Fingler felt it will likely be covered under this grant this year. He noted the earlier grant was lower, around the $450-500,000 range, and a grant last year was around $600,000, where this one is $725,000.
Education director Ken Sampson noted of the 35 classrooms approved this year, 15 of them are for Regina Catholic school board alone, and six or seven are going into Saskatoon.
“We are in the starting gate position, hopefully ahead of the crunch, so we’re in a strategic position to do this,” said Fingler.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Audrey Trombley with Lt.-Gov Russ Mirasty and outgoing SSBA president Jaimie Smith-Windsor.
Photo - Norm Park, Contracted Reporter
Practising ‘throwing’ techniques
Pottery students Haleigh Oberkirsch and Erin Kruit worked on pieces on the pottery wheel, after learning some techniques from instructor Darlene Martin on Saturday afternoon at the Spark Centre’s pottery studio. The students had two full-day classes on the weekend to learn about throwing on a pottery wheel.
SE ‘champions’ gather to foster collaboration
Community Futures
Sunrise brought together
40 dedicated individuals on Jan. 13, united by their enthusiasm for the vibrant potential of southeast Saskatchewan.
Representatives from 17 communities gathered in Carlyle, including elected officials, municipal staff, business leaders, community organizers and passionate advocates, joined forces to share ideas and work toward a
stronger, more connected region.
“These were true community champions,” said Andria Brady, general manager of Community Futures Sunrise. “The energy and optimism in the room were truly inspiring – it was a powerful moment for everyone involved.”
Participants engaged in dynamic breakout sessions to celebrate their community’s strengths,
identify areas for improvement, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Throughout the afternoon, the theme of “support and collaboration” resonated strongly, emphasizing the power of working together to amplify regional success.
The insights gathered from the session will be compiled into a comprehensive report, which will guide the group’s next steps.
The next meeting is set for Tuesday, Feb. 25, via Zoom, and everyone who is interested in contributing to the future of southeast Saskatchewan is encouraged to join.
“Within just 24 hours, we had several more people express interest in being a part of this initiative. It’s fantastic to see such enthusiasm,” said Brady.
Early years data shared for Holy Family board
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Data collected on early years students in Holy Family school division was shared with the board of trustees on Wednesday evening, showing the rate of growth and development the youngest students are exhibiting.
The group of 120 early learners were observed in a period from mid-October to mid-November, and of those, 76 were in Tier 1, which is where the students ought to be in terms of their age and development.
Tier 2 indicated students who could benefit from being in small groups, and Tier 3 are students who need individualized instruction.
Of the Tier 1 students, 47 of them are at St. Michael School, while seven are at St. Augustine School and six are at St. Olivier in Radville.
Education director Ken Sampson noted that the levels of growth during the school year were better prior to COVID, and have slowly been returning to normal levels post-COVID.
ferent focus today,” Fingler added, noting where families once considered academics to be most important for their kids, now they’re getting the kids out to community programs like hockey, dance, music lessons and other sports.
“Our families are engaging kids in activities differently than we saw before. … There are social impacts. As educators, we have to continue to evolve. There is a constant focus on the changing dynamics of the families we are serving.”
Sampson noted the provincial education plan is starting to also reflect some of these evolving changes.
The reading scores, which all of the schools and the division keep a close eye on, are also reflecting these changes.
With the high number of EAL students in Holy Family, Fingler said they are not skewing the reading scores, in fact these students are generally very strong students have been doing well in reading scores.
• Holy Family will be handing out gifts to staff for Staff Appreciation Week, coming up on Feb. 9-15.
“Everyone is welcome, whether you’re from a town, city, village, First Nation or a rural municipality, if you’re passionate about helping southeast Saskatchewan thrive, we want to hear from you,” she added.
“Children are coming in with more complexities than before, but we’re well on the road to recovery,” said Sampson. “It’s going to take some time to get back to those preCOVID levels.”
There have been some shifts in society that becoming evident, noted Chad Fingler, superintendent of school operations and research.
To get involved, contact Community Futures Sunrise and join this growing movement to shape the future of the southeast region.
“Society is different than it was 10-15 years ago. Some is due to COVID, and some is due to exposure to technology,” he said.
“Families have a dif -
Sampson said the Central Office staff have settled on 20-oz. insulated water bottles with the division logo on it, with a straw, lid and slide. This will be a gift to all staff in Holy Family, along with a letter of appreciation from the education director and board. He is arranging to go out to all of the schools to hand these out, and is hoping that local trustees may be able to assist in this as well.
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Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Bus driver recruitment remains a high priority for SE Cornerstone
By Norm Park, Contracted Reporter for SECPSD
“It’s a high stress job, no getting around it,” said Andy Dobson, manager of facilities and transportation when speaking to the SE Cornerstone School Division’s trustees on January 15. There may be issues with difficult riders, the students, parent interventions, weather and road conditions and mechanical issues.
But, the rewards for school bus drivers may be found on various levels.
Recruitment of these special drivers remains at the top of the Must Do list for Dobson and his department team. Drivers retire, school populations grow, routes are cancelled, others are added.
To illustrate some of the challenges, Dobson informed the board members during a short presentation at their meeting, that the system currently transports more than half the student population by bus to their designated schools. The number now stands at 4,642, an increase of 118 from his last report issued for the last half of 2024.
Two urban bus routes have been added, one each
in Weyburn and Estevan, to accommodate the hike in usage. Unfilled routes are currently found in Estevan rural, Arcola and three more in the Carlyle region. Days when buses don’t run are usually due to weather concerns, but on occasion they are caused by mechanical issues (22.5 route days), or not having a substitute driver, (114 route half-days and 558 route days). The weather has resulted in cancellations for 684 full route days since the start of the current academic year, he said.
On the bright side of the picture, Dobson noted that recent attempts to reach out to attract more drivers has resulted in 19 new hirings while there were only three retirements and three resignations.
Drivers can and do overcome some terrible street conditions to deliver their valuable cargo to the schools, he said.
The recruitment initiatives that include a host of outlets and processes, are perhaps now starting to pay off. Ads have been placed, newsletters have gone out, directors have reached out, information pamphlets have been handed out at vari -
Basil Holyer celebrated his 100th birthday at the Wheatland Centre on January 9. He worked to support his family, by fabricating and inventing things. Carpentry was his second profession, and he built many homes in Weyburn. He worked the farm until the later years in his life, and has since always kept busy with something.
Photo – Submitted
ous trade shows and other public venues, bonuses have been given to current drivers who recruit others and so on.
“We do all the training,” Dobson said, referring to the follow up with newly recruited drivers who undergo extensive checks and balances on driving skills and safety issues before achieving their provincial green light status to take on a route.
The drivers quickly become familiar with the equipment on board and mechanical set ups of their buses with the assistance of the SECPSD trainers.
Spirit of Inclusion Award presented
Police remind drivers to take caution in winter
The Weyburn Police Service responded to 67 calls for service between January 1 to 19, resulting in a total of 25 charges. Of the charges, 15 were laid under the Criminal Code of Canada, six under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and four under the Traffic Safety Act.
Over the past week Weyburn Police Service had a busy week dealing with several calls relating to motor vehicle collisions. Over the week Police responded to a total of five collisions. These collisions were related to road and weather conditions along with driver error. With the constant weather changes, police would like to remind the public to plan and drive appropriately for the weather and road conditions.
Police received a report of a theft of TV from
A Spirit of Inclusion Award was presented to Pastor Victoria Mwamaska (centre) of Zion Lutheran Church by Inclusion representatives, Alisa Sonnenberg and Jackie Wilson. The church has given Inclusion Weyburn use of their space for the Summer Teen Camp and Dodgers Teen Camp that meets there twice each month. They’ve provided a room to store Summer Camps in Sensory Room equipment over the winter. Each December, Inclusion Weyburn hosts sensory-free Santa visits there. A few years ago the women’s group invited the organization to give a presentation to share information on Inclusion Weyburn, and sent us home with many donations.
a residence on Jan. 12. Police were able to identify a suspect and later located the TV and returned it to the owner. A result of the investigation lead to theft charges being laid on a Weyburn male.
“It’s hours of training,” Dobson noted, but the end results provide a safe ride for students, whether their school day ride is a typical 20 to 48 minutes on average or as extensive as the 90-minute journey that includes students travelling in the Estevan/ Torquay region or the Weyburn/Oungre sector. shall bully another person though written or electronic communication. Penalties for such an offence can be a fine of up to $2,000. *Anyone with information regarding one of these matters, or any other matter of a criminal nature, is encouraged to contact the WPS at (306) 848-3250.
It was reported that a vehicle was stolen from a driveway on Sixth Ave. S on Jan. 16. WPS began the investigation with extensive patrols throughout the city along with advising other police agencies. Later in the day the truck was located in a rural area on fire. The matter is still under investigation and the police are requesting information regarding this vehicle theft.
The Weyburn Police Service Criminal Investigation Unit, along with the assistance from patrol and PSD Oakley, executed a search warrant on a residence within Weyburn on
January 17. As a result of the search warrant police seized controlled substances and evidence of drug trafficking. As a result of the investigation Ryley Mantai and Julia Huard are jointly charged with the following: trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a weapon dangerous to public. Ryley Mantei also faces several charges under the Criminal Code of Canada for failing to comply with a Release Order. Mantei was remanded in custody and made his first court appearance on January 20 Police would like to remind everyone that we do have a bullying by-law. It states that no person shall bully another person in any public place and no person
Photo – Courtesy Jackie Wilson
4 agriculture, oil &business
AgWest acquires Agriterra Equipment in
Weyburn, Yorkton
AgWest Ltd., a trusted name in agricultural solutions, is bringing enhanced support, service, and premium equipment to farmers in Yorkton and Weyburn with the acquisition of Agriterra Equipment’s local locations. Effective January 15, AgWest assumed ownership and retained Agriterra’s experienced staff to ensure a seamless transition for customers.
This acquisition reflects AgWest’s continued growth as a trusted name in agricultural solutions, bringing its customer-first approach and innovative offerings to Saskatchewan.
“This expansion is a natural progression for AgWest as we extend our presence into Saskatchewan,” said Ronald Slaats, CEO of AgWest Ltd.
“By adding Yorkton and Weyburn to our net
work, we’re strengthening our ability to provide local farmers with the premium solutions and trusted support they need to succeed.”
Yorkton and Weyburn play a key role in Saskatchewan’s agricultural success, contributing significantly to the province’s 35.5 million tonnes of total crop production in 2024. By expanding into these communities, AgWest is ensuring local farmers have access to the tools and services they need to sustain and grow their operations.
Farmers in Yorkton and Weyburn will continue to have access to AGCO parts, service, and trusted brands like Massey Ferguson and Fendt. They’ll also benefit from advanced precision agriculture tools through AgWest’s Precision Plus team, including Precision Planting and PTx Trimble solutions— designed to make operations more efficient and productive during critical farming seasons.
AgWest’s commitment to retaining AgriTerra’s experienced staff ensures farmers will continue to see familiar faces they trust while gaining access to enhanced tools, technologies, and services for their operations.
AgWest strives to offer more solutions for farmers than any other agricultural company. To learn more, visit www.agwest.com.
AgWest acquires ownership of Agriterra Equipment
The Agriterra Equipment location in Weyburn is one of two that was recently acquired by
aims to ensure local farmers have access to the tools and services they need to grow their operations.
Four energy companies partner with Sask DLC to create oil-and-gas online course
Three additional energy companies are partnering with Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) and Teine Energy to support the creation of new online oil and gas high school courses with work placements.
Cenovus Energy, Vermilion Energy and Whitecap Resources have joined Teine Energy’s commitment to provide support and industry expertise to Sask DLC’s development of new Energy and Mines - Oil & Gas 20 and 30-level online courses.
The four energy companies, each with operations in the province, are providing a combined total of up to $160,000 over two years to support the creation of the new courses and to fund a coordinator position to facilitate student work placements and industry engagement opportunities.
Your neighbour in energy and communit y
For more than 75 years, Enbridge has been more than pipelines in Saskatchewan. We’re a neighbour, committed to the places we live and work
We create loc al jobs, support loc al business es, and invest in what strengthens the community. In 2023 alone, we contributed over $500 million to Saskatchewan’s economy.
From powering homes and vehicles to fuelling local business es, Enbridge is proud to be part of Saskatchewan’s grow th.
Learn more at enbridge.com/s askatchewan.
“The energy sector is an important part of our province’s strong and growing economy - both locally and globally,” Minister Responsible for Sask DLC Everett Hindley said. “It is exciting to see Saskatchewan students will be able to learn about the career opportunities that exist here in our province and gain the skills and knowledge they need to have a successful future in the oil and gas industry.”
Starting in Semester 2 of this school year, students will be taking Energy and Mines - Oil & Gas 20 as part of the pilot of this new online course with work placements. Energy and Mines - Oil & Gas 30 will be available to students starting in the 2025-26 school year.
In the 20 and 30-level elective courses, students will take 50 hours of online theory to learn about the industry, safety and career paths available to them as well as 50 hours of hands-on learning through an industry work placement. Registration for these classes is limited to ensure all students are matched with the work placement required for course completion.
These new online courses are based on the Ministry of Education’s existing Energy and Mines curriculum and are available to full-time Sask DLC students or high school students attending local
schools throughout the province, to supplement their in-person learning.
Beyond the financial support of the course development, Teine Energy and Whitecap Resources have also agreed to host student work placement hours at their locations throughout Saskatchewan to supplement student learning.
“Whitecap Resources is very pleased to support this initiative, which will give students an opportunity to gain an understanding about the oil and gas sector that provides economic prosperity and energy security to the Province of Saskatchewan and the entire country, and in turn, further economic security of individuals who choose to work in the industry,” Whitecap Resources President and CEO Grant Fagerheim said.
“Teine looks forward to continued collaboration with Sask DLC on the Oil & Gas program and providing opportunities to students with hands-on experience within our field operations,” Teine Energy Vice-President of Production and Operations Tyler Homan said. “The future of our Canadian industry and energy economy relies on bright and talented young minds and workers driving their own success and sharing the prosperity across our communities.”
The four companies also have the opportunity
to provide a representative to the steering committee that is providing valuable industry feedback to the Sask DLC course developers currently creating these new online courses.
“Cenovus relies on the ingenuity and talent of our people to drive our success,” Cenovus Energy Vice-President, Lloyd Thermal and Conventional Heavy Oil Operations Nicolas Zaher said.
“By providing students with accessible courses, Sask DLC is developing a strong pipeline of talent for our company, equipped to take on the energy jobs of today and tomorrow and advance our industry in this important region.”
“At Vermilion, our people are our strength,” Vermilion Energy Inc. President and CEO Dion Hatcher said. “That is why we are excited to work on this collaborative initiative to help students gain valuable skills to help them find a fulfilling career in the energy industry.”
These new courses complement similar hands-on learning and work placement opportunities available to students through Sask DLC, including Agriculture Equipment Technician; Autobody; Construction and Carpentry; Electrical; Mechanical & Automotive; Parts Technician; Power Engineering; Precision Agriculture; Tourism, and Welding.
AgWest Ltd. AgWest
Photo – Submitted
editorial opinion
&
Op-Ed: will rural and urban municipal amalgamations in Sask. become reality
I have heard it said that Saskatchewan may be one of the best Canadian provinces in which to live, if not thee best.
With wide open spaces, clean air, abundant fresh water and unparalleled natural beauty, Saskatchewan is a jewel in the crown of Canada.
People in this province are “Saskatchewan tough,” resilient, capable and hard-working. The province is known for periods of harsh weather, strong winds and brutal summer hailstorms, all of which contribute to the hardy constitution of its citizens.
For those who are born and raised here and call this province “home” it is hard to leave and not return for holidays, homecoming celebrations and family gatherings to reconnect with one’s roots.
Saskatchewan is a large land mass with a relatively small population base yet has always pulled its own weight on the Canadian stage. Employers worldwide have welcomed Saskatchewan raised individuals with open arms because of their strong work ethic which is a trademark of sorts.
Of late Canada and the world have perceptively changed. Change is inevitable and ongoing.
Although Ontario and Quebec are two provinces which have always been granted the lion’s share of the Canadian spotlight, Saskatchewan has been a thriving province with the “slow and steady wins the race” mentality. But the current Federal Liberal government in Ottawa has made some questionable policy decisions which have negatively impacted the entire country.
Out of control spending and mismanagement by Ottawa has resulted in high inflation in Canada. The desire to streamline operations in every sector of the economy to help mitigate high costs, promote efficiency and reduce duplication of effort has led to such measures as amalgamations. Ottawa, and especially Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault, has made no secret of repeating that the policy of a Carbon Tax is being enforced in order to change behaviour, not to make a beneficial difference to the climate.Yet the “Carbon Tax” as it is known to most Canadians, contributes greatly to inflation in this country, causing the price of all goods and services to rise. Life has become expensive in urban and rural areas. It is felt more in rural areas where the cost of living has traditionally been higher.
In December, newly re-elected Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s Sask Party government released a very limited time survey asking for input into its proposed updates to the basic legislation around Municipalities.
Not surprisingly, one of the critical issues that the provincial government is looking at is amalgamating municipalities. Merging urban and rural municipalities. Typically urban municipalities are more socialist and have higher service costs since every person must be provided with water, sewer, garbage removal and other services. Alternatively, rural folks are more self-sufficient, providing their own water, sewer management, often their own heating systems and they have plenty of space to walk around so they have little need for public parks and exercise facilities.
Amalgamation of rural and urban municipalities will present no benefit for the rural municipalities. It may be a benefit to the urban municipalities which could benefit by scooping up the typically large cash reserves normally held by rural municipalities. However, an urban municipality which tries to fix itself by gobbling up the rural municipalities surrounding it is putting a Band-Aid on a festering sore.The sore must be cleaned up before a Band-Aid is applied.
This move to merge municipalities is no different than what we see and hear happening to our eastern neighbor as Winnipeg Metropolitan District (WMR) and Brandon districts are being set up. These endeavours which came about with a secretive abdication of the responsibilities of the rural municipalities over a convincing “sales pitch” extolling the virtues of efficiency by globalist socialists who value citizens’ freedoms far less than they value bureaucracy and heavy-handed government policy. Ask yourself, are you willing to relinquish the freedom to have an input in how your municipality is governed?
Saskatchewan has a limited opportunity to pay attention and heed the agenda that has already been largely exposed in Manitoba with the WMR. Ken Drysdale, Chris Riddell and the rest of the members of the Manitoba Stronger Together group have compiled an exposé about the WMR: https:// www.manitibastrongertogether.ca/wmr20-50. This is ultimately what is intended by the socialist bureaucrats who are floating the idea of merging municipalities in Saskatchewan. The WMR 2050 plan legislates the closure of public streets, closure of private wells in rural areas, forces maximum number of “units” (dwellings) on private property, among other things.
The Sask Party government survey closed on December 14, 2024. The results of the survey are not available at this writing. Saskatchewan residents need to become involved by contacting their local municipal councillor or reeve and begin an important dialogue before it is too late to prevent The End of Your Municipality -- Jan Derwores.
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As I am writing this, and you are reading (all two of you fans out there), I am on some wellearned days off. I’ve accumulated a few days’ worth and I need to start using them up – and my body is basically saying, “Finally!”
I’ve been sick on and off for the last while, at first with a bad cold and cough that I’ve mostly gotten through now. What do I have now?
It’s hard to describe it – my body has decided that I need an excess of mucus and phlegm in my throat, which makes it really hard to have any kind of appetite for food, coupled with this sore on my tongue which makes it painful to eat anything.
Now, in the long run, this may be good for me to lose some weight – but in the meantime, it’s very frustrating when my body is in need of food energy of some sort and I just … can’t eat anything.
Anyway, I’ve been working through all this with doctors, and I’m hoping to get better eventually – meanwhile, I can get some rest and not have to get up when it’s still night outside, which is one of the joys of wintertime.
The days of -30 to -40 with wind chill can get wearying too, but that’s the price of admission
rest time, folks!
to live on the Canadian prairies in the midst of winter. The rest, reading, writing, watching movies from Christmas (gifts, not Christmas movies) are all good and part of the restfulness I hope to enjoy in the next couple of weeks here. Plus, we may get to see my parents and brother and sister-in-law out in the Maple Creek area, as long as the weather enables us to make the journey. We’ll have to see what the weather brings in the next while.
What I’m hoping won’t happen is what we encountered a couple of years ago. We had perfect weather all the way down there, and for the return trip, the highways were covered in ice, literally, and we had to stay overnight before attempting the drive back home, basically along Highway 13 for most of the way instead of the #1.
I tried to drive the TransCanada, with its layer of ice, and semis were blowing by at full speed, scaring the crap out of me … so we said, ‘nope, not gonna do that …’
Anyway – our hope is for a better set of circumstances this time, but there’s no way to know with an unpredictable weather system blowing in. So anyway – have fun, people, and I will try to do the same.
A WRITER’S ODYSSEY
By Sabrina Kraft
As any pet owner knows, your beloved animal(s) fills a special place in your heart and become part of your family. After a long happy life, our family recently said our last goodbye to Sneakers, a black-and-white cat. Sneakers entered our life after I moved back to Weyburn with my son, so she roughly would be 17 or 18 years old. I remember my dad showing up at our apartment door with this little kitten in his arms. Having both an infant son and a kitten in the home at the same time was interesting, but she was always gentle with him in all of her interactions.
As a true indoor cat, Sneakers had the many joys of having everything she needed and was a little spoiled. After we moved from the apartment to our new home, there was a little worry as she could not be found for a little while. In the end, she was just exploring the basement, as she never had one before.
A few years back, we introduced a new cat to our family, and brought in Cloud, a ragdoll. We kept him in a large cage at first, as he was a kitten at the time, and there was a little concern
that Sneakers would not be very welcoming. After time, they became acquainted with each other. It was interesting to see the new kitten bring out that playful side of Sneakers, when they would have moments of play and chase. She would always find a way to tell him that she had enough, and wanted to be left alone.
The first signs of health dangers happened a few years ago, when the vet discovered cancer in her teeth. She had to get one canine tooth pulled, and then we kept her under watch.
As she aged, she had hip problems, and recently her fur has become tough and unmanageable. There were many signs of poor health, with a few more teeth lost, and weight loss.
When I held her in my arms recently, she felt so light, but her purr was so mighty that it rumbled in my chest. I know in my heart that she had a loving family and a full life. It was a very sad day for us when we took her to the vet for end-of-life services, and we will cherish her memories forever.
Seven Red Wings chosen to compete in SJHL/MJHL Showcase
Seven players from the Weyburn Red Wings will represent Saskatchewan in the SJHL/MJHL Showcase at the end of January. Selected for Team Gold are Max Chakrabarti, Ethan Dekay, Angelo Zol, Jaxson Ruthven, and Jerome Maharaj. Selected for Team Blue are Simon Martin and Turner McIntyre.
The 2025 SJHL/MJHL Showcase will take place in Winnipeg from January 27 to January 29. It will welcome 60 elite players from each league, and three teams from each league will be formed to compete against each other during the event. This will be the sixth SJMJ Showcase, and the SJHL has a 20-9-1 record over that span. The SJHL Squads are split up into Team Gold (U20), Team White (U20) and Team Blue(U18).
Regular Season Games
The Weyburn Red Wings split a pair of games over the weekend, losing to Melville on Friday night, before winning over LaRonge on Saturday. Melville claimed a 3-1 win over the Red Wings on January 17. They scored once in the first period, and twice in the second period. The lone Weyburn goal was scored by Ryder Rommalaere in the third period, with an assist by Drew Molde. Rommalaere received a game star.
Angelo Zol was in net for the Red Wings, and stopped 23 out of 25 shots on net.
The Red Wings dominated over the La Ronge Ice Wolves, winning 8-2 on January 18. In the first period, goals from Lucas Schmid, Drew Molde and Cyprus Smith-Davis gave the Red Wings a decisive lead. A lone powerplay goal from the Ice Wolves was scored in the last few minutes of the game.
In the second period, the Red Wings continued to add to their lead, with goals from Dallen Oxelgren, Max Chakrabarti and Jerome Maharaj. In the third period, Chakrabarti added another goal to his tally. The Ice Wolves scored their second of the night, and in response Turner McIntyre scored a powerplay goal for Weyburn.
Once again, Zol was in net for the Red Wings, stopping 23 out of 25 shots on net.
The Red Wings hosted the Notre Dame Hounds on Tuesday night. They will face Flin Flon at Crescent Point Place on Friday, January 24 at 7 p.m.
The Wings will have two road games to finish up January, traveling to Yorkton on Saturday, January 25. The SJHL season Showcase will be held, before regular season games return with the Red Wings travelling to Estevan on Friday, January 31.
Seven
Red
Wings ready for SJMJ Showcase
Seven players from the Weyburn Red Wings will represent Saskatchewan in the upcoming
ey Showcase. In no particular order, selected for Team Gold are Max
Jaxson Ruthven, and Jerome Maharaj. Selected for Team
Gold Wings drop road games to Prince Albert
The Weyburn Gold Wings dropped two road games in Prince Albert over the weekend.
The Prince Albert Mann-Northway Northern Bears won 2-0 in the first game, held January 18. The first goal was scored in the opening period and the second into an empty net during the last seconds of the third period.
Goaltender Amy
Up for two points
Weyburn Comp Eagles player Miggi Picardal went up for a basket, which he scored, plus he was able to do a free-throw for a foul on the play by Yorkton. This was part of the intermediate boys basketball tournament held Friday-Saturday at the WCS Eagle gym. Moose Jaw Central won the tournament and the Eagles finished second which is their best tournament finish of the season. The WCS boys played hard all weekend and they are continually improving with each game played. Their record so far this year is seven wins and eight losses.
Swayze of Weyburn received a game star. During the 59 minutes and 11 seconds of goaltending, Swayze stopped 43 out of 44 shots on net.
In the second game, Prince Albert won 4-3, Prince Albert opened the scoring in the first period. A powerplay goal from Gold Wing Hannah Guttormson in the last few seconds brought Weyburn
even.
Kiah Shields scored the second goal for the Gold Wings, followed by Prince Albert scoring a power play goal. The Bears pulled ahead in the last few seconds of the period.
Prince Albert added to their lead early in the third period, with Julia Durr scoring the Wing’s third goal of the night. Durr received game star recogni-
tion for her effort.
Tila Boyd was in net for the entire game for the Gold Wings, and stopped 37 out of 41 shots.
The Gold Wings will host Regina at Crescent Point Place tonight, January 22, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. They will then face Regina with two away games on Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26.
Weyburn U11 minor hockey teams host girls and boys tournaments
Two U11 minor hockey tournaments were hosted by the Weyburn Minor Hockey Association during the weekend.
The U11 girls teams competed in the “No Guts, No Glory” tournament. The female tournament had four teams: Weyburn AtoMc Gold, Weyburn AtoMc DQ Blizzards (bronze), Moose Jaw Mavericks (silver), and Battlefords Sharks (gold).
The U11 B teams hosted the Great Goal Post Challenge, with eight teams in total competing.
The D final teams were
the Estevan Stream Flo Bears and Weyburn AtoMc Blue (D side winner). The C final teams were the Regina Mustangs and Quad Town Rebels (C side winners). The B final teams were the Assiniboia Rebels and Weyburn AtoMc Black (bronze winners). The A final teams were Weyburn AtoMc Red (silver winners) and the Swift Current Rangers (gold winners).
In other minor hockey news, the U13 East Wey Wings travelled to Melita, Manitoba for a two day tournament where they se-
cured their spot in the A Final game. Although they battled hard, they ended with a 4-3 loss to Melita.
The U11 AA Panther Drilling Wings competed with 32 other U11 Tier I teams at the 56th Annual George Watson Classic. They gave it their all throughout the tournament - winning five consecutive games, getting them to the ‘A’ Final.
The Panther Drilling Wings fell short to the Saskatoon Wild Lightning, ending up winning second place.
enjoyed competing at the Credit Union Spark Centre’s Mainil Field.
SJHL/MJHL hock-
Chakrabarti, Ethan Dekay, Angelo Zol,
Blue are Simon Martin and Turner McIntyre.
Photo - Courtesy Ryder Burns/Weyburn Red Wings
Pink and Blue meet on the field
Players for both the Blue and Pink teams went after the ball, during a fun soccer match on Saturday afternoon. Weyburn’s U5 and U7 soccer players
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Sharing about river rafting experiences
different countries.
Rotarian shares experiences of int’l river rafting
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Longtime Weyburn Rotary member Doug Loden shared photos and stories from his river rafting experiences at a club social evening, held Thursday at the Weyburn Legion.
As a former missionary in Africa, he has riverrafted on the Tana River in Kenya, the Nile River in Uganda, and on this continent, the Frazier River in B.C. and the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in the United States, his most recent adventure.
The first trip was in Kenya, where he and his family lived for three years, and his son Stephen’s scout troop organized a river-rafting trip.
The trip began beneath a waterfall down the river, and Doug had a rough start, by getting pulled into the river three times in a row. He tried swimming out of the water each time, but it wasn’t until he stopped swimming that the river kicked him out of the churning swirl of water. He later asked one of the instructors why he kept getting pulled into the water, and found it occurred when he put his paddle in to where the currents were strong. When he asked what he should do, he was advised that relaxing in the water to be kicked out by the churning current was the best action to take.
The second trip, on the Nile, was with three of his sons, Stephen, Andrew and Ryan. One difference was an amount of instruction on land prior to going into the water. As the guide, he watched to make sure the raft travelled the safest way down the river and through the rapids.
There were still some dangers on the water, one of them being a whirlpool – and two of his
sons fell into it, Ryan for 10 seconds, and Andrew was under for about 30 seconds. They both came up out of the water all right and continued on.
With the rough rapids, at one point the rafter flipped over and he flew for a fair distance. The raft was able to pick up most of the passengers in the water nearby, but Doug had flown far enough that a chase kayak tracked him down and pulled him with a rope over to the raft.
He later asked his son Andrew what the experience was like, and was told the water just got darker and darker before it got lighter and lighter again.
Moving on to the Colorado River trip, which he took last May, Doug noted the First Nations people call the Grand Canyon the “upside-down mountain”.
“That’s a really good description,” he said. “Where we were, there were no roads, just amazing sights all the way.”
This is one of the few places where one can see 10 to 12 layers of rock, Doug noted, passing on some facts a geologist at the site told him. He asked why the gorge is so deep, compared to other old rivers that have no canyon, such as the Mississippi River. The geologist noted that the river had a steep descent which caused the river to rampage down and cut its way through the landscape for thousands and thousands of years.
They embarked down the Colorado River in two large rafts, put on by Wilderness River Adventures, each carrying about 14-15 people, with all supplies for the overnight stays tied securely down in the middle of each raft. There are big rapids on the river today, he added, but nothing
NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL
The Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98 Municipal Bi-Election 2025
Whereas the following have been nominated for the office of: Division 4 – Councillor Steven Mix
As the only candidate, I hereby give notice that no voting for the office will take place on February 19, 2025.
Dated at 4:00 p.m. this 16th day of January, 2025.
Shelly Verbeurgt Returning Officer
like before the Glencairn dam and Hoover dam were put in to regulate the flow of the river.
Doug showed a brief video from the back of the raft, showing the water washing up over the passengers as it flew through the big waves. For his part of the trip, there were three overnight stays, with the staff of the rafting company setting up to feed the passengers three times a day – including one evening when they were given a prime rib beef supper.
Doug and seven others left the trip to hike out on a 15-km uphill trail, the Bright Angel Trail. To help with the heat of the day, he soaked a wool shirt that he hung around his neck,
and the let the moisture from it keep him cool for much of the climb up out of the Canyon. He said the climb took them up about a 5,000-foot elevation.
“I thought it was a very good idea,” he said of the water-soaked shirt. “I had no sense of it being warm.”
After seeing the video of the rafts hitting the rapids, he was asked if he was scared, and he said he had full confidence of being kept safe on the river. Doug added that once he found out just how cold the water was, he was determined not to be falling into it.
“I wasn’t worried,” said Doug. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go down in a small raft. Those rapids could tip a smaller raft so easily.
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
The Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division received more funds from the Ministry of Education as their enrolment was higher than the initial estimate by about 80 students.
In addition, there are new staff being put in place in the school division to help with some of the challenges that come with a higher enrolment.
On the funding for the 80 students, education director Ken Sampson noted with adjustments to their grant by the ministry, they aren’t getting quite the level of funds they thought they would be.
Chief financial officer Georgia Hanwell explained the ministry had originally given them $54,000 for extra enrolment, but when it turned out to be 80 students, the $54,000 was taken back, and instead Holy Family was given $356,000 more in funding.
When initially applying for grants for the next school year, Holy Family had estimated they would have an enrolment of around 1,320 in total, and it was based on this that staffing was put in place.
Unbeknownst to the school division, the Ministry actually bumped that estimate up by nine, to 1,329, and the funding for this was in the grant funding for Holy Family.
Hanwell told the board she had never heard of the Ministry doing this before, bumping up an estimate without telling the school division.
Chad Fingler, super -
intendent of school operations, said in part the province was looking at the numbers of immigrants coming into the province.
Hanwell pointed out some school divisions saw estimates that exceeded the actual enrolment numbers, so when final enrolment figures came out, they took a big hit to their budgets as a result.
“The good news is, we’re not being clawed back on funding,” noted Sampson.
• New staffing that is being put in place in Holy Family includes two fulltime equivalent RTI (response to intervention) support workers, and two EAL (English as additional language) monitors.
Sampson explained Weyburn’s St. Michael School will have one of the RTI support workers, and the other one will be shared between St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart in Estevan.
The EAL monitors will be in Weyburn, and the other will look after the two schools in Estevan and St. Olivier in Radville.
These positions are “in response to the additional complexities our schools are being presented with. We are a magnet for families coming into Weyburn and Estevan, and new families who are arriving in Canada as well. We’re very grateful to provide the additional services.”
The EAL monitors will help new Canadian families to access resources and services available as well as helping to build their English language skills, all under the direction of the school administrations.
Mom
and daughter learn about painting
Teresa Richards, left, and her mom, Leslie, practiced some of the techniques they learned in a class about watercolour painting, held at the Weyburn Public Library on Saturday morning.
NOTICE
Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Rural Municipality of Griffin No 66 has passed an Interim Development Control Bylaw with approval from the Ministry of Government Relations
INTENT
The Interim Development Control Bylaw was passed with the intent of providing development guidance during the development of an Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw for the Rural Municipality of Griffin No 66.
REASON
As more development has come to the Rural Municipality of Griffin No 66 is has become apparent to council the need for an OCP and Zoning Bylaw. Issued at Griffin Saskatchewan, this 8th day of January, 2025.
Tawnya Moore Administrator
Weyburn Rotary member Doug Loden, left, shared his stories of white-water river rafting on four different rivers in four
He spoke at the Weyburn Rotary’s social evening held on Thursday evening at the Weyburn Legion Hall.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Shelly
ROOFING
Saskatchewan strengthens border security
To enhance border integrity between Saskatchewan and the United States, the Government of Saskatchewan has introduced a Saskatchewan Border Security Plan (SBSP). The SBSP enables the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety to mobilize Provincial Protective Services (PPS) officers to work in partnership with provincial policing services and federal agencies to boost law enforcement’s presence near the border.
The SBSP will take immediate action to redeploy 16 officers from conservation, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and canine-handler teams to regularly conduct patrols and public safety campaigns near the border. These resources will include one mobile command unit for conducting commercial vehicle inspections, up to 16 patrol cars equipped with licence plate readers, and specialty equipment, such as drones, snowmobiles, allterrain vehicles and three planes for conducting surveillance activities.
In addition, Saskatchewan has the ability to offer surge capacity of up to 95 officers to support federal border agencies if significant illegal activity occurs at the border. The province will explore options, such as creating a Border Integrity and Intervention Team with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service; expanding the mandate and complement of the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Teams (STRTs); and prioritizing the enforcement efforts of
and
forcement teams
crossword puzzle answers 9
We hope you enjoyed this HUGE crossword puzzle and were able to answer most of the questions without using the internet.
If you missed the January 16th edition of the Weyburn Review with the puzzle and clues, they are still available at our office, 904 East Avenue, Weyburn, Saskatchewan.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca