Vol.110–No. 24 • 12 Pages
Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Wednesday, June 12, 2019
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Ag, Oil & Business • 2
Opinion • 4
Sports • 6
Obituaries/Classified • 8
Premiers will work to support oil and gas industry By Greg Nikkel Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan hosted newly-elected Alberta Premier Jason Kenney at the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show, with both leaders expressing their strong support for the oil industry. The Oil Show had around 4,000 people pass through the gates, said Oil Show chair Del Mondor. “This was down slightly from 2017 but still a number that we are very pleased with. Once again the oil show did not disappoint. Weyburn was buzzing with activity. The weather was great. With Premier Moe and Premier Kenney coming it added to just how special this year was.” He noted that the two keynote speakers added a lot to the quality of the show this year. “Rex Murphy and Vivian Krause were excellent with their own message of frustration that we all feel,” said Mondor. “Our sponsors and board members all stepped up to provide a great time and helped with making this year very successful. We hope to see everyone back in 2021.” The two premiers took part in a question-andanswer period emceed by Mondor, where they talked about the issues facing the industry in their respective provinces. Premier Moe and Premier Kenney first stepped up to the podium, where they signed the MOU to harmonize the regulations governing the movement of service rigs between the two provinces.
According to a news release, regulatory changes for service rigs will remove unnecessary red tape without compromising safety. Service rigs will continue to follow stringent and appropriate safety standards, including valid permits for transport and operation, as well as established Occupational Health and Safety requirements. Some commercial trucking requirements are not suitable for service rig equipment that spends 95 per cent of its time at a worksite and only five per cent of its time on the road. The premiers will also work together at the Western Premiers’ Conference later this month to develop a unified western approach to harmonization for a joint application seeking appropriate exemptions from federal regulations to make it easier for service rigs to get to job sites across western Canada. “Working together with Premier Kenney and his government, we are laying the groundwork to ensure that service rigs operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan’s oil and gas sectors are not bogged down by unnecessary regulations,” said Premier Moe. Asked by Mondor what the outlook is for the oil industry in each province, Premier Moe said, “We are in a rebuilding mode in the oil industry. We are open to working closely with Alberta to align our regulations.” He added there are three main things the industry needs: a better tax environment for the in-
Premiers sign MOU at the Oil Show
Review Photo 0104 — Greg Nikkel
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe shook hands as Moe displayed the memorandum of understanding they signed at the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show on Wednesday. dustry, the ability to transport oil and gas to market, and new trade agreements with other countries for oil and gas from Saskatchewan. “Saskatchewan does business with 150 countries around the world. I won’t comment on the fourth ‘T’ which we certainly don’t need around there,” said Moe to applause. “Alberta has been
through four very difficult years of economic stagnation,” added Premier Kenney, noting their economy has shrunk by four per cent as a result of the oil industry slowdown, with over 200,000 unemployed residents. With his election win, however, Kenney said there are signs in the economy that things are starting to turn around
again, such as an increase in the small business confidence index in the last few weeks, plus increased activity in real estate and some businesses starting to hire again. Kenney pointed out that Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor signed the repeal of the province’s carbon tax into law just the day before, which was loudly applauded by the
audience. Asked what each province can do to respond to the current economic situation for the oil industry, Premier Moe said in his view there are a number of things that can be done, and suggested that Canada has caused some of their own problems with the policies and taxes that are in place. Continued on page 3
Sisters ride across Canada to raise funds for guide dogs
Horse riders on a cross-country journey for guide dogs
Review Photo 0376 — Greg Nikkel
Katie Keca, with her horse Phoenix, and her sister Jewel and her horse Ora, took a moment in their crossCanada journey to stop in Weyburn on Thursday and to visit the Oil Show at the fair grounds. The girls are from Niagara, Ont., and are on their second half of their ride to raise funds for guide dogs for the blind, through the Lions Foundation. They initially rode from Halifax to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and took a year off before resuming on May 5 from Kenora, Ont. Travelling with their brother Joseph, their aim is to ride to Vancouver, B.C. Donations can be made on their website, kecingcanada.com.
By Greg Nikkel Two sisters from Niagara, Ont., Katie and Jewel Keca, rode their horses through the Weyburn area on Thursday and Friday as part of their cross-Canada ride to raise money for guide dogs through the Lions Foundation. This is the second part of their cross-Canada ride, as it began in 2017 when they rode from Halifax to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. This ride took about four months to ride 2,500 kilometres. The girls took 2018 off, and then on May 5, they started out from Kenora, Ont., with the goal to press on through to Vancouver, B.C., and this time, they are accompanied by their brother Joseph in a support vehicle. “The first time we didn’t have any support with us. We had packs on our bikes and slept in tents. This year we have support with Joseph driving with us,” said Katie during a brief stop. They walked their horses along Highway 39 and up Government Road to see the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show on Thursday. That evening they had
to hunker down at the Vogel farm as a long thundershower came through the area with heavy rain, and on Friday they set off for Pangman. Playing on their name, they have set up “Kecing Canada” (pronounced “catching Canada”), and have a website where people can donate money for guide dogs for the blind. The website is at kecingcanada.com, plus they are on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, all using “kecingcanada” as the tag line where people can follow their journey to Vancouver. The support from people they meet along the way has been very good, said Jewel. “Canadians are super generous and helpful,” she said. “It’s definitely a lot easier this year with Joseph helping us, and we can stock up on food and water,” she added. Asked why they are raising money for guide dogs, Katie explained that Jewel began fostering puppies for guide dog training, and did this for four years, and as a family they have fostered about a dozen dogs. Continued on page 3