The Weyburn Review
Nate
CLASSROOM
By Norm Park, Contracted Reporter for SECPSD
To help South East Cornerstone Public School Division board members get a good handle on what is involved with Monitoring Report #3, a trio of administrators from Legacy Park Elementary School in Weyburn visited the Cornerstone boardroom on Feb. 12 to explain how they collect, measure, monitor and deliver that information and assistance. That information becomes vital in the transfer of knowledge and connectivity between educator and the young recipients.
Legacy Park’s principal Arlene Dobson led off the discussion followed by vice-principals Jacalyn Neilmeyer and Tyson O’Dell, after Director of Education Keith Keating introduced the topic of collecting and measuring and delivering information that helps educators and students experience continuous
improvements.
Planning and decisions in SECPSD depend greatly on data gathered on a continuous basis, Keating explained.
“There is a litany of details for the 202425 school year,” he told board members who were in the midst of their monthly open business session.
Keating pointed out the additional data that had been collected and made use of since the last monitoring report had been presented. He added the focus remains on such things as early learning literacy, mathematics and graduation status as students move onward from one grade level to the next.
“The plan indicates areas where schools and division might provide additional focus to incur improvement. Further data provides the basis for decisions regarding program implementation and evaluation,” he added.
Dobson, supported that thought as she noted how Legacy Park “relies on data,” and how they “look at all the features and the (school) division gives us all those data opportunities.”
With the assistance of a few graphs, charts and photos, Dobson and the Legacy Park team illustrated how school activities enable them to collect data and “dig down to classroom specifics.”
She went on to explain how data comes into play when staff members discuss their plans and make decisions to ensure that when needed, “we make sure interventions are in place.”
She said it was awesome to hear staff members talking about the process.
Neilmeyer focused most of her attention on attendance issues, absentee rates and whether family concerns and other “things beyond our scope,” may come into play.
Continued on Page 2
RM OF WEYBURN SETS BYELECTION
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
A byelection will be held on April 16 to fill the Division 1 councillor’s seat in the RM of Weyburn, council decided on Friday.
The council also formally acknowledged the judge’s decision, made on Jan. 29 to set aside the election win by Doug Dembisczak.
Nominations will be open from Feb. 26 to March 12, and advance polls will be open from April 1-11 at the RM office. Election day will be on April 16, also at the RM office.
The returning officer will be Jenna Smolinski, as appointed by the council.
After some discussion behind closed doors, council also decided that the RM will pay the court costs for Dembisczak and Mike Dorsch, who had contested Dan Cugnet’s former council seat.
LEISURE SERVICES DIRECTOR
LEAVES CITY
The City of Weyburn announced on Friday that Leisure Services director Andrew Crowe will be leaving the City later this month to pursue a new job in B.C.
Over the last six years, Crowe has been instrumental in advancing leisure programming and recreational opportunities for the community.
“On behalf of the City of Weyburn, I want to thank Andrew for his dedication and contributions,” said Mayor Jeff Richards.
shows off his Toronoto Blue Jays pride, with a very blue display booth at the Heritage Fair held at Assiniboia Park Elementary on February 13.
- Photo by Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
Community News
Leisure Director to leave City of Weyburn
The City of Weyburn announced on Friday that Leisure Services director Andrew Crowe will be leaving the City later this month to pursue a new job in B.C.
Over the last six years, Crowe has been instrumental in advancing leisure programming and recreational opportunities for the community.
“On behalf of the City of Weyburn, I want to thank Andrew for his dedication and contributions,” said Mayor Jeff Richards.
“Under his leadership, our leisure services have grown tremendously, and his impact will be felt for years to come. Andrew is a dedicated professional, and we wish him great success in this next chapter of his career.”
During his tenure, Crowe oversaw key projects and improvements across the Leisure department, including the construction and operations of the Credit Union Spark Centre, and the completion of the Fleet Storage facility.
With a strong management team in place, the department is well-positioned to continue delivering exceptional services and recreational oppor -
tunities to residents.
“Andrew’s leadership, vision, and passion have played a vital role in the success and development of Weyburn’s leisure services,” said City Manager Mathew Warren. “We are grateful for his contributions and are confident that our experienced team will continue to build on this strong foundation.”
Reflecting on his time in Weyburn, Crowe expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community.
“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last six years,” he said. “It has been an honour to work alongside a dedicated team and see the growth and success of our programs. Weyburn is a fantastic community, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to it.”
The City of Weyburn has begun the process of recruiting a new Leisure Services director.
In the interim, City Manager Warren will serve as the acting director of leisure services, ensuring a smooth transition as the department continues to operate under the leadership of its management team.
LPES admin drill down to 10 focus areas
Continued from front page
At some points investigation may lead to some support for the family and how they can see the value of attendance, in other words, “is there something going on where we can help?” she said. If not, then a referral system may
be called upon to assist, or as she noted, the students are not left behind, “every student has a team behind them.”
O’Dell spoke of universal screening and the school’s student survey data to measure the qualitative specific of the school.
ed, such as “where are our concerns, what can we do and what do we do with it after collecting (data).”
“Each kid has a screen,” he said, and that “sorts out who needs more support.”
That leads to more questions and activities, he add-
By answering these questions, the teachers and administrators are able to drill down into 10 main areas such as showing respect, manners and etiquette in classrooms, washrooms, buses, noon hours and common areas.
This leads to conflict resolutions that can be delivered
in a calm environment, and “creates a culture of belonging,” he suggested. Dobson concluded the presentation by informing the board how the data collection is displayed on a wall in the school so the whole school can see the improvement plans, the whole child education plans.
“Data is the foundation for everything we do at Legacy Park,” she said.
School divisions face challenges with increased newcomers
By Sabrina Kraft Weyburn Review
In the role of education, the degree of complexity is changing all the time. Members of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School board had an opportunity to address new complexities in the educational environment with MLA Mike Weger, Weyburn-Bengough.
“There are lots of gifts that (newcomers to our province) bring along with them, but at the same time, there’s some challenges that come with that as well. Language acquisition is one,” said Ken Sampson, director of education with Holy Family. “The degree of complexity with which students are actually coming to our schools is ever-growing.”
In January, the government provided a $3.6 million investment to fund a specialized support classroom pilot in eight school divisions, which started in February and runs until the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Sampson noted that at
their last Provincial Education Plan (PEP) meeting, they had received tremendous positive feedback in terms of the degree to which that program, those dollars, have been able to positively impact those schools.
The province is now looking ahead to expand the program, announcing 200-plus specialized support classrooms introduced across the province.
One of the statistics that was noted during the meeting, is that the amount of students who do not have English as their first language is quite high in the school division, and it is continuing to grow.
“It’s not growing arithmetically, it’s going exponentially,” said Sampson. “From a complexity perspective, we’ve gone from 58 one year to 77 another. We’re just at 100 now. EAL numbers are, again, going exponential.”
“The real positive thing that came from the directors meeting for this particular area was the degree to which
they would be allowed to be flexible and how they rolled that out and how they created that space to support that level of complexity in schools,” said Sampson. “If we could continue with that flexibility, that would be awesome.”
“The challenge is that we also have more students in our schools than we have ever had,” said Chad Fingler, superintendent of schools for Holy Family. He brought up the question of equating the cost of education per student being considered at the government level.
“Is a cost of education per student the best statistic that we need to be looking at? At the end of the day, the struggle is keeping up with the increased population, and you’re always going to be a couple steps behind when you see a population increase, and then it coming from immigration as well. It’s bringing all of its extra challenges, and we’re just trying to keep up with that. It’s hard to predict it,” answered MLA Weger.
Pre-K staff members, Maryssa Schultz and Marley Brown, help out a group of students as they made their own pizzas at St. Michael School. The students also picked leaves for a fresh salad from a tower of different plants they grow in the classroom.
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Photo by Greg Nikkel/SaskToday.ca
Community News
Connecting data to achieve student success is key at Cornerstone
By Norm Park, Contracted Reporter for SECPSD
Tracey Kiliwnik brings a wealth of data connectivity and first-hand experience to the table when she is asked to provide details regarding student success rates in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.
Kiliwnik, the co-ordinator of learning supports for the school division, was the follow-up presenter of information that was being deliv-
ered to the board members during their Feb. 12 meeting in the Weyburn head office.
The main topic was the division’s Monitoring Report that calls for collecting information, measuring, delivering and reporting results of their drive toward continuous improvement in the classrooms.
The focus is on collaboration to discuss interventions and supports at three tier levels and then the distribution of these supports, she
explained.
The concept is to assess and then provide tiered intervention menus to solve problems, she told the board members who were attending the meeting.
Universal screening was explained to the board, and that identifies students who may be at risk and identifies the areas of need (group or individual) and resulting progress and growth following appropriate interventions. The universal
Art students, Konner and Ember, worked on their sculpture piece to depict a social issue, in class at St. Michael School on Wednesday. Their piece will show a homeless person, to illustrate the fact that homeless people are humans who need to be cared for.
Weyburn police charge woman
The Weyburn Police Service responded 70 calls for service during Feb. 9-16.
Notable incidents during the week included a disturbance on Feb. 10. Police responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence, and a adult male agreed to leave and go stay with a friend. Police provided a ride, and there were no charges laid.
On routine patrol Feb 11, police stopped a vehicle with an adult female driver who became uncooperative. Police recognized the driver and found she had a warrant for her arrest, and was arrested without incident. Vehicle VIN number checked on police records found it had been stolen out of Winkler, Man. The woman was charged with possession of stolen property and remanded in custody for a later court appearance.
Police were conducting a curfew check on Feb. 13, when they discovered an adult male was not following his release conditions. The man was later located, arrested and remanded in custody for a further court date as they have numerous past breaches as well.
Police observed a truck with a burnt-out taillight driving at night on Feb. 13.
Emergency lights were activated as to initiate a traffic stop when the vehicle sped away at a high rate of speed.
Investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.
Police were called after an intoxicated male kicked the mirror off a taxi after being given a ride to a local business on Feb. 15. Police located the male who was arrested without incident, placed in custody until sober and later released on condi-
tions with a future court date.
Mental Health/ wellbeing Checks: Police responded to eight of these occurrences over the week with one incident resulting in an adult male being taken to the hospital for assessment.
There have been reports of moose reported in City limits. Just a reminder to motorists like the deer, keep your distance and they will make their way back out of the city.
NOTICE OF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Pu bl ic No ti ce is her eb y gi ve n th at no mi na ti ons of candidates for the offices of:
Councillor: R.M. of Weyburn No 67 Division 1
wi ll be re ce iv ed by th e un de rs ig ned on th e 12t h day of Ma rc h 2025, fr om 9: 00 a. m. to 4: 00 p. m. at th e R. M. Of fice , and dur in g re gul ar bus in es s hour s on Fe br uar y 26, 2025 to Ma rc h 11 , 2025, at th e R. M. Of fice , We yb ur n, SK.
Nomination forms may be obtained at the R.M. Office
Dated this 19th day of February 2025.
Jenna Smolinski Returning Officer
screening process takes place three times per academic year, she noted.
The screening process includes early literacy and math from Grades 1-9 and various other screens from Grades 4 through 12. That includes phonological awareness screening tests at the Kindergarten level during the early years evaluation processes.
Diagnostic assessments follow to identify root causes and the skills that require more focus. The following monitoring moves provide information on successful interventions and closing gaps while ensuring the monitoring teams can circle back to identify further supports and interventions.
“This allows schools to use their resources within,”
Kiliwnik said. Colour coded graphs were used to illustrate the co-ordinator’s pathway explanations.
The response to intervention data gathering is done on the district, school and classroom levels, she added with the individual educator being able to review the skills, their levels and progress being made. She used a math graph to show how the system is rolled out.
The student profile is a collaborative form to lead and support conversations throughout the response to intervention process. This assists classroom teachers in making plans for students who may require further support and assessments.
A review of cumulative records prior to the start of
the school year is recommended since it supports the student profile process, she said. Then, evidence based documents/data accompanies the interventions and strategies used by the team as part of the action plan. If the student continues to struggle, Kiliwnik said the matter refers back to the Student Support Team.
Keith Keating, the division’s director of education, said at the conclusion of the presentation that there are lots of processes that may be followed “to get students what they need to be successful.”
Board chairwoman Audrey Trombley said it was heartening to see the enthusiasm of the staff members, the presenters, who delivered the information.
Drivers hospitalized after collision
Two drivers were taken to hospitals after a serious collision that occurred on Feb. 13 on Highway 39, Saskatchewan RCMP said in a media release on Feb. 14.
At about 1:15 p.m., Estevan RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 39, approximately six kilometers southeast of
Officers immediately responded along with local fire department, EMS and STARS. Estevan and Weyburn RCMP Collision Reconstruction also attended.
Investigation determined a tow truck and semi trailer collided. The tow truck driver was transported to
hospital by STARS with injuries described as serious in nature. The driver of the semi trailer was taken to Estevan hospital with injuries described as minor. Both drivers were lone occupants of the vehicles. Highway 39 was temporarily closed, but has since reopened.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Midale.
Presentation made to RM opposing wind turbines Agriculture, Oil & Business
The RM of Weyburn council heard a presentation at Friday’s meeting by environmental specialist Rose McInnes, who is also an RM resident, opposing the proposed wind turbine project by Enbridge in the RMs of Weyburn and Griffin.
She outlined the environmental hazards the turbines will pose for the RMs, knowing that Enbridge wants to amend the
height restriction currently in place in the zoning bylaw. This request by Enbridge did not come up at Friday’s meeting.
The impact of the turbines would be wide-ranging, she said, from killing earthworms and insects, to birds and farm animals, with the negative impact on earthworms to have a “cascading effect” on other parts of the ecosystem.
“With the increased size of turbines, the effects on humans can be felt up to 15 km away,” said MacInnes, who set up a model of a turbine with a house to show the scale of how big the turbine will seem from 1,000 metres away.
In the event of bird strikes by the big fan arms, she asked Enbridge what they would do, and said she was told they could turn the fan speed down. If that didn’t work, she said, their answer was, “We’ll do our best to mitigate the situation.”
MacInnes noted there are rare and endangered species of birds who fly through the
region where the turbines are proposed to go.
She noted that Enrbridge would only go once a week through the area to look for bird fatalities – but the problem is, she said, the coyotes are in her vicinity every night, so in a week’s time, there would be nothing left.
Looking at the numbers, the revenues to the RM won’t be as good as they thought. Since Enbridge relocated some of the turbines, there will now be 27 of them in Griffin, and 19 in the RM of Weyburn, with Weyburn to receive annual revenues of $187,000.
With a decrease in property values, caused by the presence of the wind turbines, that amount would drop to an estimated $154,037.
She also accused Enbridge of a lack of transparency, and noted the company stated a wish to abide by local laws and policies, yet they are trying to amend the height restrictions on the turbines.
Weyburn Theatre board members Sean Purdue and Laila Bader hand out free popcorn during Family Day activities at the Credit Union Spark Centre. Construction on the new Weyburn Theatre continues at its location on Third Street.
Photo – Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
Editorial & Opinion
Is Pink Shirt day still needed? Editorial
Pink Shirt Day began with a bullying incident in 2007, and here in 2025 the initiative has spread to well over 110 countries around the world.
Coming up, Pink Shirt Day will be observed on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and classrooms in all of the schools will be filled with children of all grades, wearing pink shirts in solidarity with this national initiative.
To date, the sale of pink shirts has raised an impressive $3.155 million since this effort began, and proceeds have been distributed to youth anti-bullying programs throughout western Canada.
The question one might ask is, are these programs doing any good? Are there fewer incidents of bullying in schools or in society in general?
It is an accepted statistic that one in every five kids are affected by bullying. In a large school, such as Legacy Park or the Weyburn Comprehensive, that adds up to a lot of youth who are being harassed, threatened, beaten up or otherwise bullied.
What is being done to keep these kids safe? What about adults who find themselves being harassed or bullied, such as elder abuse, or workplace incidents?
It comes down to the attitudes and actions that are allowed by the “powers-that-be”, whether they are teachers, administrators, bosses, coaches, or whoever else is in charge.
They see what goes on in those they are in charge of, and no doubt many hope there is a healthy resolution to be found before they have to intervene in a given situation.
One of the attitudes that needs fixing, and this goes for society at large and not just in our schools, is the worth of each human being.
Every person has worth, no matter who they are, how unique or different they are in appearance or in their beliefs, culture or way of living. This worth must be upheld by those who are responsible and in charge, and must be taught in the schools, homes and in our culture.
No doubt this is part of the Pink Shirt materials that will be disseminated this year, but it must be continued to be taught and ingrained into our young people all year round, in every circumstance.
The slow proliferation of such ideas is no doubt why Pink Shirt Day is still needed in 2025, and will continue to be needed for years to come – but we must keep at it, and maybe, someday, there won’t need to be these initiatives any more. – Greg Nikkel
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The Weyburn Review
My Nikkel’s worth: A nasty mid-winter convergence
By Greg Nikkel gnikkel@sasktoday.ca
Back a quarter-century ago (which sounds like a long time ago, but really isn’t), the move “The Perfect Storm” hit the theatres.
Normally I wouldn’t want to see a movie like this, as it involves frighteningly massive waves on the ocean, where you know there’s disaster waiting.
Visiting Tracy’s family in Sault Ste. Marie at the time, we went to the theatre to see it, and sat up fairly close to the screen.
The effects, not to mention the massive amounts of salt water washing over everybody, were impressive, and you came away with
the overall feeling of having lived through an incredible experience.
Well, we sort of had a “perfect storm” of circumstances this year, and it wasn’t (and isn’t) very fun.
First, our furnace went down –and when? On a Friday night going into Saturday just as the cold air moved in that we are still in the midst of right now.
We took a motel room for a total of three nights so we wouldn’t be freezing to death in our house, and we had a technician come in to fix the furnace. We got the heat back, but upon coming into the house after our second night in the motel, we heard water flowing – into the basement. Pipes burst, and the
warm air from a fixed furnace only encouraged that.
So, a third motel night was needed until the water could be shut off and the source of the flowing water was found.
At the same time as all this, I’ve been dealing with some health issues, and they are still not resolved as I write this, just in case dealing with the other stuff wasn’t enough to challenge us.
Ironically, our convergence of storms all hitting at once involved a lot of water. At least now, as we wake up to -37 temperatures every morning until our apparent nice weather this weekend, it’s getting tough to deal with this.
More or Less: Faith in Action
By Leslie Coulter
lcoulter@glaciermedia.ca
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several of the young men that have been in our community as part of their mission work with the Mormon church.
There are always two of them, and they change locations every six, 12 or 18 weeks.
Elder Wilde recently left for his next mission. Elder Malcolm has now joined Elder Alexander living in and serving the people of Weyburn.
These young men are here to serve and share their faith. I recently needed a little extra manpower for a task, and they were more than willing to
help. When I asked how I could repay them, their answer was plain and simple - to let others know they are here to serve.
They are available to help with almost any physical work such as shovelling snow, simple garden work, raking leaves, cleaning, loading and unloading vehicles, and various other chores.
I also inquired about the rules they are to follow during their time of service and most of them are for safety and integrity. They must stay within sight and sound of each other, which is why you will see them in pairs. They will not be alone with a child or someone of the opposite gender.
Using power tools is also on the “no” list.
Everything they do is free. No money will be accepted, but I did find out that they will accept cookies! When helping someone, they will not proselytize. However, they are happy to answer any questions about their faith.
They also teach English as a second language and give out copies of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and teach about Jesus Christ. If you haven’t had a chance to interact with these young men, please reach out to them by texting 306-8978277. They are incredible people who are in Weyburn to help and serve.
Sports & Leisure
Weyburn Red Wings celebrate two weekend wins
Red Wings player, Liam Fitzgerald, reached around the Estevan goalie’s outstretched hand to put the puck in the net, during a Family Day matinee game on Monday afternoon. Weyburn doubled up on Estevan 6-3 for the home ice win.
Weyburn Gold Wings post wins vs Regina, Swift Current
The Weyburn Gold Wings won both of their home games over the weekend, as they blanked the Regina Rebels 4-0 on Sunday night, and 3-2 over Swift Current on Saturday.
In Sunday’s win, there were no goals in the first period, then Weyburn’s Jade Olszewski scored in the second, assisted by Nola Exner and Liv Peck.
The Gold Wings dominated the third period with three more goals, the first by Peck, assisted by Exner and Olszewski.
Julia Durr scored from Hallie Parada, and Kadence added an emp -
ty-netter, assisted by Kiah Shields.
Goaltender Amy Swayze earned the shutout, stopping all 16 shots on net.
In Saturday’s win over the Wildcats, Weyburn opened the scoring with Dansereau getting the first goal unassisted in the first period.
Shields added to the score in the second period, assisted by Dansereau in the second period, then Exner scored from Makenna Sumners and Liv Peck.
Swift Current tried a comeback with two goals, but the Gold Wings
hung on for the win.
Swayze was again in net for the entire game, making 28 saves on 30 shots by the Wildcats.
The Gold Wings will again host two home games this weekend, as the Saskatoon Stars come to Weyburn on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m., both at Crescent Point Place.
The Weyburn Red Wings added two “W’s to their standings over the weekend, with a close 1-0 win over Nipawin on Friday, then a Family Day victory over Estevan by the score of 6-3.
The rare matinee game on Monday was also Alumni Day for the Red Wings, as they welcomed many past players to come and watch, with 1,355 people filling the stands.
The game began with an Estevan goal 22 seconds in, but the Red Wings responded with three goals to round out the first period.
Jaxson Ruthven first scored, assisted by Chad Lebeau, followed by Liam Fitzgerald, assisted by Jerome Maharaj and Cyprus Smith-Davis, then Luke Schraeder scored, assisted by Josh Karman and Maharaj.
The Bruins scored twice in the second period, with
Weyburn’s Max Chakrabarti scoring in between, assisted by Simon Martin and Ethan Dekay.
The Red Wings rounded out the scoring in the third with Smith-Davis finding the back of the net, assisted by Fitzgerald and Martin, then Braigh LeGrandeur got the final goal, assisted by Matthew Edwards.
Angelo Zol was in net for the game, making 27 saves on 30 shots by the Bruins.
In Friday night’s game in Nipawin, the lone goal was scored midway through the first period by Karman, assisted by Ethan Dekay and Ruthven.
Zol was in net for the game, earning the shutout victory by stopping all 21 shots.
The next home game for the Red Wings will be hosting the Nipawin Hawks on Friday, Feb. 21 at Crescent Point Place.
A player development camp for prospective female football players was held on Saturday afternoon at the Credit Union Spark Centre, with coaches from Football Saskatchewan on hand to run the girls through a number of drills.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Sports & Leisure
WCS Eagles boys, girls host historic McLeod Series vs Estevan
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
The Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles and Estevan Comprehensive
School Elecs each won one game to open the best-offour McLeod Series. The Elecs have a sizable lead when it comes to the point
differential tie-breaker.
The opening games of the McLeod Series were held Feb. 12 in Weyburn.
The Eagles senior boys
defeated their counterparts from ECS 80-75 in a backand-forth contest to open the night, while the Elecs senior girls routed their Weyburn foes 72-44 in the second contest of the night.
Weyburn came out flying in the senior boys’ game, taking a 25-8 lead after the first quarter. Estevan fought back, cutting the deficit to 33-30 at half-time. The Elecs had
a seven-point lead with nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but the Weyburn Eagles fought back to claim the 80-75 win.
As for the senior girls’ game, the Elecs led throughout the contest and wound up winning by 28 for one of ECS’s most convincing victories in the McLeod Series in years.
The second half of the series will be played Feb. 26
at the ECS gymnasium. The senior girls will play at 5:30 p.m. and the senior boys’ game starts at 7:30 p.m.
The Elecs have a 147124 lead over the Eagles in the point-differential tiebreaker after the first two games.
ECS is seeking its second straight victory in the McLeod Series. Weyburn holds a 47-40 edge in the history of the series.
Weyburn Comp Eagles players Spencer Bell and Wyatt Kot were hemmed in tightly by Estevan players in getting the rebound during McLeod Series action last Wednesday evening. The Weyburn boys won their game 80-75 over the Elecs.
Photos – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
WCS Eagles player, Tamberly Kreger, took a glance up at the net while surrounded by Estevan and Weyburn players, in this play during the McLeod Series on Wednesday evening at the Eagle gym. The girls lost their half of the series by a score of 72-44, before the two teams head to Estevan on February 26 for the second half of the historic series.
Remember that time when Amazon sponsored your church fundraiser?
Remember when Facebook bought a case of Girl Guide cookies to support your daughter?
Remember when Google provided free pizza to your child’s soccer team when they won the championship? Neither do we!
Community News
SaskPower engineer, Darcy Holderness, provided a detailed update on the plans to build two small modular nuclear power plants in the southeast region, at a luncheon hosted by the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 11 at the Weyburn Legion Hall.
The road to small modular nuclear power will be a long one
By Greg Nikkel SaskToday.ca
The planning work and the regulatory processes will take SaskPower years to complete before they decide in late 2029 if they will go ahead to build two small modular nuclear reactors in the Estevan area.
This was part of the message to members of the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce, as they hosted SaskPower for a lunch-and-learn session on Feb. 11 at the Weyburn Legion Hall.
be producing power until about 2034 or 2035 at the earliest.
There are a lot of costs associated with these plants, such as safety requirements, the lengthy regulatory process needed, and a full decommissioning plan to be in place, with the money to cover it in the bank, plus plans for the safe operation and disposal of used nuclear waste.
in the U.S., and Saskatchewan is looking to scale these down to 300mW units for this province’s use.
The reactor unit would be placed about twothirds underground adjacent to a thermal power plant, not unlike what is in place at Estevan currently where coal is used to generate the power.
For the two sites they’re looking at, the actual plant site will only use about 15 acres each, but the most important feature is the access to the water for use in the power generation process.
To answer the question of “why nuclear, and why now?”, engineer Darcy Holderness explained the current and coming situation for SaskPower.
Between 30 and 40 per cent of power generation uses natural gas right now, hydro provides about 20 per cent, coal generation is about 22 per cent, and some power is produced by solar and wind, with SaskPower’s grid producing around 3,500 megawatts of power on any given day.
The timeline right now is staff are planning around two 300 megawatt-small modular nuclear plants, with sites narrowed down to two in the Estevan area. Sites had also been considered in the Elbow area, but those are now set aside.
The two sites right now are on Rafferty Dam, about nine km south of Macoun, and the other is on Boundary Dam south of Estevan. The final site or sites will be finalized by this summer, said Holderness.
SaskPower will then take until the end of 2029 to make their decision to actually go ahead to build, and if they do, there is another five-year period for construction, so a modular nuclear plant would not
Benefits of going with small modular nuclear plants include no greenhouse gas emissions whatsoever; it’s very cost effective; the 300 megawatt size is perfect for Saskatchewan’s power grid size; it’s very reliable, and uses assets available here, namely a constant supply of uranium, as Saskatchewan has one-third of the world’s supply.
Explaining what happens to spent nuclear fuel, Holderness said first the waste has to sit in a wet storage pool for seven or eight years, as the water fully shields the radiation as it begins to cool down. Then, while still in the water, the fuel is loaded into containers which are welded shut, and the goal is to have these shipped to a central underground storage area for spent nuclear waste.
This site is currently under construction and should be ready to take waste by the 2040s, from all nuclear facilities in Canada.
The specific plant being considered by SaskPower is a unit made by GE Hitachi, which uses a boiling water reactor, said Holderness. There are about 33 of these units in place around the world and
The cost estimate currently is around $5 billion, said Holderness, but right now SaskPower is in the conceptual cost phase. He also pointed out the first plant will cost much more than the second one will, with estimates the second plant may cost as much as 40 per cent less.
Once completed, he estimated it would have a workforce of about 120 to 140 personnel, compared to one of the Estevan plants which has around 100 personnel on site, not counting contractors brought in as needed.
Asked why not locate a Candu reactor on Lake Diefenbaker, with the ability to produce much more than the 300mW of power these small modular reactors would, Holderness said it is something that could be looked at.
The only way it would be economically feasible is if there were agreements in place with other jurisdictions to purchase power, or if a big data centre were to locate in the province which would require a large amount of power to run.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Grade 9 students, Gracie and Vianna, worked on their art sculpture project at St. Michael School. The students were designing components to illustrate a social issue with the sculpture, in this case about the harm caused by nets and pollution in the ocean.
Charitable gaming grants awarded Community News
Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) provided $1.5 million in charitable gaming grants in the third quarter of 2024-25, benefiting more than 700 groups and organizations across the province.
Grants for Weyburn organizations totaled $39,645, and included the following: Little Discoveries Early Learning Co-operative, $3,747.12; Weyburn branch, Royal Canadian Legion, $2,370.75; U11AA Panther Drilling Wings, $180; U15A Weyburn Dodge Wings, $643.75; and the Weyburn and District Junior Hockey Association, $777.50.
Other groups included the Weyburn Humane Society, $25,884.75; Weyburn Knights of Columbus, $3,819.60; Weyburn Lacrosse Association, $119.25; Weyburn Senior Beavers Baseball Club, $1,892.58; and the Weyburn U13AA Young Fellows, $210.
In Yellow Grass, the Hwy. 39 Barrel Racing Series received $175. In Stoughton, the Tecumseh branch of the Royal Canadian Legion received $125; the Stoughton and District
Playschool Co-operative received $276.54, and Stoughton Early Learning Facility received $1,573.03.
The Torquay Community Centre received $5,386.88, and the Tyvan Community Hall Co-operative received $910.61.
Four groups received funds in Milestone, including the Milestone Flyers Co-ed U11 team, $180.50; Milestone Minor Ball Association, $602.50; the Milestone Public Library, $117.50, and the U13 Milestone Flyers, $365.
In Radville, the Holy Family Parish received $103.75; the Radville Laurier Recreation Development Fund received $232.50, and the Radville Public Library branch received $250.
Ceylon’s The Gap Recreation Committee received $446.75, and the Lake Alma Recreation board received $1,807.21. The Pangman Volunteer Fire Department received $732.50.
“These grants help charitable and nonprofit groups provide a variety of programs and services across our province - everything
Southeast College presents 26 bursaries across region
This past week as part of Southeast College’s Student Appreciation Week, students in Adult Basic Education and various post-secondary programs received $31,000 in financial bursary awards.
from animal rescue to youth sports to arts and culture, and so much more,” Minister Responsible for LGS Jeremy Harrison said. “Nearly 2,500 groups and organizations qualified for a charitable gaming grant last year, and this year we have been encouraging even more groups to apply.”
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is one of the recipients of the grants, helping to fund their important work in support of pediatric and maternal health services.
These quarterly grants are paid to groups and organizations in good standing that conduct licensed charitable gaming activities. The grants are equal to 25 per cent of the net revenue raised by each charitable event, up to a maximum of $100,000 per group or organization annually.
The amount of each grant paid by LGS to each charity is calculated by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) based on financial reports and other information submitted by the group or organization.
This year, the format for distributing Southeast College Bursary Awards was changed. Students received the awards at the midpoint of their programs to ensure they had access to funds when they needed support the most. Award presentations took place in Weyburn on February 10, Estevan on February 11, and Whitewood on February 12. A total of 26 awards were given to 26 different
students throughout the Southeast College Region.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and everything they have achieved and continue to work towards,” said Jody Holzmiller, Interim President and CEO. “We have received encouraging and positive feedback from our students, donors, and communities regarding the slight change in the bursary and scholarship distribution format. We are so grateful for the ongoing support that our College and our students receive.”
Applications for academic-based scholarships will open in March, with distribution occurring as
part of our annual graduation ceremonies.
Southeast College bursary donations are made possible thanks to community organizations, businesses and individuals, as well as various fundraising events such as the College’s Swing for Scholarships Golf Tournaments. Eligible funds are matched by the Ministry of Advanced Education through the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship (SIOS) program.
Southeast College is proud to offer innovative and flexible programming that encourages students to learn where they live.
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.
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Classifieds
Olga Marie Froh With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Olga Froh, late of Regina, SK, on Tuesday, February 4th, 2025, at the age of 99 years Mom was predeceased by her beloved husband, Joe Froh and her parents Olga is survived by her children Judy (Michael), Don, and Connie (Curt); as well as numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews A special thank you goes to Debbie Froh who has provided mom, and all of us, much appreciated help and love The family also extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at Palliative Care Unit, Trinity Lodge and the Renaissance Olga will be deeply missed by her family and friends and all who were fortunate to know her Her passion for life, generosity and boundless love left a lasting impression on all who knew her Flowers are gratefully declined; those wishing to donate in Olga’s memory may do so by cheque to the Khedive Heritage Hall, P O Box 189, Pangman, SK, S0C 2C0 Funeral Service will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 2:00 p m To leave an online message of condolence or to view a livestream of the service please visit www speersfuneralchapel com
Brenda Jean Kosior
Brenda Jean Kosior, late of Weyburn, SK passed away on February 7, 2025 at the age of 74 years She was predeceased by her parents, Gordon and Jean Ogden; her in-laws, Bill and Pauline Kosior; her brother and sisterin-law, Cliff and Adeline Corbett; brother-in-law, Joe Gaab Brenda is survived by her husband of 55 years, Laurence Kosior; her daughter, Laurie (Dale) Kitzul of Foam Lake, SK and their children, Krista (Evan) Radom and children [Bridger, Granger], Keegan (Kendall) Kitzul and son [Jake], Danica (Landon) Leshchyshyn and son [Miller], Deanna (Brody) Kitzul ; daughter, Tanya Meyers of Weyburn, SK and children Dustin, Jordan and Sydney (Ty); her son, Brent (Stacy) Kosior of Griffin, SK and children, Charlotte, Reid and Blake Brenda Jean Ogden was born Sept 1st, 1950 in Regina, SK A bouncing little girl for Gordon and Jean It has been said that she was the apple of her daddy s eye, and maybe a tad bit spoiled Brenda attended school in Fillmore from Grades 1-12 and enjoyed activities like basketball and 4-H while growing up Although she was an only child, she didn t feel like it because she had so many Ogden cousins nearby to play with and the comfort of Grandma Amy and Grandpa Roy nearby After high school Brenda went on to work in the Regina Hospital as a Nurses Aid She soon had her head turned by a handsome man by the name of Laurence John Kosior and they were married on May 31 1969 at Fillmore SK Laurence and Brenda resided at the family farm southeast of Griffin from 1969-2010 During that time they had a grain and cattle farm and raised their children; Laurie Ann Tanya Lee and Brent John Brenda enjoyed gardening and always had a large vegetable garden and several large flower beds around the yard which the kids still grumble about weeding Over the years Brenda and Laurence welcomed 12 Trainees from six different countries into their home These trainees worked on the farm and often became like family Brenda loved watching her children play sports and spent many hours driving them to figure skating curling hockey and baseball Her and Laurence also enjoyed many years of curling around southeast Saskatchewan and many friendships were made Brenda went on to follow her grandchildren around to many sporting events and even learned to watch the games on LiveBarn and Facebook when she wasn’t able to attend Brenda drove a school bus to Griffin School for 25 years She always enjoyed the students and liked teasing them but rest assured, she kept them in line Brenda took up golfing in her later years and enjoyed the camaraderie and friendly competition She even managed to get a hole-in-one at the Weyburn Golf Course, which she was very proud of Brenda was a fantastic cook and no one ever went hungry around her table Often the meals were homegrown from their bountiful garden, canning, chickens and beef Brenda loved socializing and especially loved family gatherings and all the joking and teasing with her cousins Brenda was an avid volunteer in her community and spent many hours volunteering at the Griffin Rec Centre and then at the Catholic Church board after moving to Weyburn in 2010 Brenda was also very passionate about politics and helped organize many Conservative Party events Most of all, Brenda was extremely proud of her ten grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren After a brave battle with pancreatic cancer, God saw her getting tired and called her home She will be greatly missed Prayers were held on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 7:30 p m from RD Family Funeral Chapel, Weyburn, SK A Mass of Christian Burial for Brenda was held on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:30 a m from St Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, Weyburn, SK with celebrant Fr Amobi Pallbearers were: Dustin Meyers, Keegan Kitzul, Reid Kosior, Blake Kosior, Mike Sobchuk, Steven Sobchuk and Dan Kerridge Luncheon was held at the McKenna Hall in Weyburn, SK Interment was at the Hillcrest Cemetery, Weyburn, SK For family and friends so wishing, charitable donations in memory of Brenda may be made to Griffin Recreation Centre, Box 113 Griffin, SK S0C 1G0 or to St Vincent de Paul CWL314 3rd St NE Weyburn, SK S4H 0W7
Arrangements were entrusted to RD Family Funeral Chapel & Crematorium Weyburn SK (848-0333 1-888-848-0333)
Expressions of sympathy to the family may be sent to our website at: www rdfuneralchapel com Honouring Life and Celebrating Memories
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and
of security held, if any must be sent to the undersigned before the 13th day of March, 2025.
&
NOW HIRING:
Bryden Construction & Transport Co. requires SHOP LABORERS
Duties involve cleaning the shop and equipment, assisting in the service/ maintenance area, and general laborer duties. Clean driver’s abstract required. Job location is Arborfield, Sask. Room and board provided. Send resume with work references to: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca or fax 306-769-8844
saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm
Community
Envision offers program to help families connect
A new six-week “Connected Families” program will be launched by Envision Counselling in March.
The program will run from Wednesday, March 12 to Tuesday, April 15, from 6-8 p.m. at the Weyburn Credit Union’s community room. Parents are urged to enroll if they have the following wishes for their growing family:
• You want to help your child willingly cooperate without bribes, threats or punishment;
• You want support to feel more confident and peaceful as a parent;
• You want to yell less, and connect more;
• You want strategies for those moments when
you’ve tried everything you can think of, and you’re stuck;
• You just wish someone would give you the words to say;
• You want to strengthen and sweeten your relationship with your child(ren) before they get into the more difficult years ahead. Those interested in enrolling can call the Envision office at 306-842-8821, or e-mail to intakeenvisioncounsellingcentre.com.
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
The City of Weyburn will put together a full accessibility plan for the municipality to be in place by the end of 2025.
All municipalities need to have such a plan in place by December of 2025, according to the Accessible Saskatchewan Act.
The initial phase, from now until March, is to do an initial assessment to identify barriers in physical, technological, systemic, attitudinal and communication areas.
They will also identify key stakeholders, and do consultation with persons with disabilities and community organizations.
The development of the plan will involve a collaborative effort among various stakeholders, including council and administration; persons with disabilities; community organizations, and the Saskatchewan Accessibility
Office, to help guide the process.
After the consultations, the plan will then be drafted from April to September, including actionable strategies to address identified barriers, and then the group will seek public feedback in October.
The accessibility plan will be posted for public review and feedback, and revisions will be made according to the community input, and the plan will then be finalized by the Dec. 3 deadline.
The goal of the plan, in the end, is to ensure the City meets its vision as a “Community For All”, by promoting inclusion and equal participation for all residents, regardless of ability; enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities by improving access to facilities, services and information; and to foster a culture of respect, diversity and community pride.
FULL TIME LABOURER WANTED R.M. OF LOMOND NO. 37
A vacancy exists for an individual to fulfill the seasonal full-time position of labourer for the Rural Municipality of Lomond No 37. The role includes working with a maintenance workforce consisting of four other employees including the municipal Foreman The potential for permanent full-time may become available.
The R.M. of Lomond No 37 is located south of Weyburn, SK with the shop located in Goodwater, SK. The municipality has a population of 275 residents and includes a wide range of agricultural, residential, commercial, and oil & gas developments.
The position will commence on April 1st, 2025 and continue to December 31st, 2025. Work schedule is 40 hours per week with occasional overtime required.
General duties & responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Construction and manual labour with some machinery work
- Crack sealing, mowing ditches, rock picking, culvert installation, road sign installation, snow removal, fence removal and replacement, grass seeding, and general yard and equipment maintenance
- Promote and maintain workplace safety practices at all times.
- Willing to work in a team environment
The successful candidate must possess:
- A valid class 5 driver ’s license however a Class 1A would be an asset.
- Road-building knowledge and experience is an asset.
- Road maintenance knowledge and experience in road construction.
- Ability to service and maintain equipment
- Experience with CAT grader and other heavy equipment experience is an asset.
- Ability to pass pre-employment drug testing.
Applicants are invited to submit a resume including:
- Past and present work experience.
- Education and skills
- Certifications
- Current driver ’s abstract.
- Expected Salary
- Three references
Please forward your resume via email to rm37@sasktel.net, by fax to (306) 4562440, by mail to Box 280 Weyburn, SK S4H 2K1, or in person to the Municipal Office located at 327 Railway Avenue, Goodwater, SK.
Application deadline is 3:00 pm Wednesday, March 5th, 2025.
We thank all applicants, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Resumes will be retained on file for a period of two years.
Weyburn Arts Curator, Regan Lanning, applied facepaint to three-year old Paisley, during fun activities held at the Credit Union Spark Centre on Family Day.
Photo – Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
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