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Issue 25
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
EPS is ready for cannabis legalization By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur believes the Estevan Police Service (EPS) will be ready once cannabis becomes legal on Oct. 17. Speaking with the Mercury, Ladouceur and Deputy Chief Murray Cowan said the issue has been discussed for a long time, but the legalization date still arrived quickly. The EPS has focused a lot of time and energy on having a plan in place, ranging from the number of retail outlets – Estevan will have one – to the test the EPS will administer to detect impairment by drug. “We have trained two of our members in drug recognition. They are considered experts in the field, so our members will be able to call upon them if they suspect an impaired driver by drug.” Other officers will take that training in the future. The two trained members can be called on at any time if there is suspicion of impairment by drug. A number of officers are also being trained in standardized field sobriety testing, which is the first phase to determine if someone is potentially impaired by drugs. The EPS, the Weyburn Police Service and the RCMP have been teaming up on educating school students regarding drugs and impairment by drugs. Officers have taken a federally-developed training module online through the Canadian Police Knowledge Network, which was offered to all police officers in the country. They have also taken a provincial course. “Certainly we’re well positioned when it comes to the legalization of cannabis,” said Ladouceur. There have been concerns regarding a surge in the number of motorists apprehended for driving while impaired by drug, while others are concerned youths will be using cannabis in droves. “Pot isn’t something new. It’s been around for years,” Ladouceur said. “So to sit back and be naïve enough to think that people aren’t already using it, or people aren’t already driving after using it, would be a very naïve approach.” He predicted there would be a spike in impaired driving by drug cases, because so many
Premier Scott Moe addresses provincial issues in visit to Estevan
resources will be directed that way. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that more people are doing it. It means we’re doing a better job of detecting it. Will more people do it? We’ll have to wait and see.” The saliva test is the one the EPS will be using. There have been concerns about how the saliva test can be affected by such factors as weather, but Ladouceur pointed out it’s a tool in determining sobriety. “In combination with the roadside saliva testing and a drug recognition expert, I think we’ll be well-grounded to say ‘We’re confident that this person is impaired by drugs.’ It’s not just the test you’re relying on. It’s the expertise of the experts.” It’s often not hard to pick out an impaired driver, Ladouceur said, whether it be from alcohol or marijuana. He ’s also confident charges for impaired driving by drug will hold up in court. People have been unsuccessfully challenged the drug recognition experts at the Supreme Court of Canada level. There have been cases in which people have been successfully prosecuted for impairment by drug. “I think it’s a learning time for everyone, everyone from police officers to the judiciary, to lawyers, both defence and Crown attorneys,” said Ladouceur. The EPS is taking a waitand-see approach when it comes to cannabis consumption by members. It’s an issue that will be discussed with the Estevan Police Association. “With or without policy, an officer can’t show up for work if they have drugs in their system that may affect their judgement,” said Ladouceur. The police chief noted different agencies have taken different approaches. The Toronto Police Service has said officers cannot use cannabis within 28 days before working a shift. The Calgary Police Service has taken a zerotolerance approach. Other services are following the Canadian Forces lead with “fit for duty” approach. “I’d personally like to see a little more guidance on what ‘fit for duty’ means, and I think that part of the problem is there’s still a lack of knowledge A2 » CBSA
questions from local reporters on issues facing the province and the Estevan area, including the future of Units 4 and 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station, the proposed equivalency agreement with the federal government and the issues posed by the ongoing oil price differentials. SaskPower announced earlier this year it would retire Units 4 and 5 at Boundary Dam. Without an equivalency agreement, they would come offline at the end of next year. An agreement would allow Unit 4 to remain online until 2021, and Unit 5 to stay online until 2024. “Right now we have the equivalency agreement that we have sent in to the federal minister of the environment’s office, and we’re waiting for her signature,” said Moe. “We’re waiting for her approval so that we can move forward in what is the most affordable manner on behalf of all the people of the province, but also to move forward with respect to understanding that traditionally we’ve had a large part of our power source come from this Estevan area through coal mining.” Not only would the agreement extend the life of Units 4 and 5, but it would also affect the Shand Power Station, Unit 6 at Boundary
By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Premier Scott Moe was in Estevan on Saturday for one of the first times since winning the Saskatchewan Party’s leadership race in January and becoming the province’s premier. Moe was in attendance at the Saskatchewan Party’s southeast regional meeting, which attracted supporters from the Estevan, Cannington, Last MountainTouchwood, Moosomin and Yorkton constituencies. He discussed several initiatives that have occurred and have been successful, and plans for the next provincial election, expected in 2020. He then answered questions from the party members. That night, he spoke at a social for the membership. “Most certainly we’re going to be thanking the people of the southeast region of the province of Saskatchewan for their support, not just over this past year with all of the things that have happened within the party with a leadership race … but thanking them for their support over the last 21 years, as we are a relatively young political party,” said Moe. In between the two meetings, Moe answered
Dam and the units at the Poplar River Station near Coronach. The agreement was sent to federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna a few months ago. The government has been asking its federal counterparts, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to approve that agreement so that Saskatchewan can move forward with its power generation needs. “ We are not shifting away from the methods that
we had produced power over the decades,” said Moe. The premier has a number of concerns with the federal government, and the length of time for the equivalency agreement is one of them. An equivalency agreement would not affect any potential decision on whether to retrofit the Shand Power Station or Unit 6 at Boundary Dam with carbon capture and storage A2 » PREMIER
Early morning pursuit leads to collision and arrest stop the vehicle, it didn’t stop right away. Cowan said there were no dangerous speeds involved in the pursuit, but the vehicle did turn off of Perkins Street onto an area adjacent to Park Drive, and went down the hill, causing damage to all four tires. The pursuit continued, with the vehicle reaching Souris Avenue South and making its way up the hill. Members were able to stop the vehicle around the intersection of Souris Avenue South and Fourth Street, after a collision between a police car and the suspect vehicle. “One of the police cars had to pull in front to stop the (suspect) vehicle,” said Cowan. The police car sustained what Cowan described as
By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has released details of an incident that occurred Thursday morning in the Hillcrest area. Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan said police were notified at about 5 a.m. of a domestic type of incident in the Hillcrest area. While they were travelling to the scene, they were informed that a woman had allegedly been pushed out of a moving vehicle, and the suspect was likely still in the area. “As members got to the area, they noted the suspect vehicle that was described to them at the time,” said Cowan. When they attempted to
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Premier Scott Moe spoke to the media during a visit to Estevan on Saturday.
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“minor damage,” and was still drivable after the collision. The damage will be repairable. The suspect vehicle suffered “major damage,” but Cowan said there was already a lot of damage to the vehicle before the collision. “We determined that the vehicle was stolen out of Medicine Hat, and had obviously been damaged in the meantime, and had been travelling down to this area,” said Cowan. Due to property that was in the vehicle, a search warrant was obtained. Cowan didn’t have specifics into what was found, other than drug paraphernalia and prescription medication. The EPS has been looking into why the two people were in the Estevan area.
Blake Dunstall, a 34-year-old man from B.C., has been charged with driving while impaired by drug, dangerous driving, evading police, driving while disqualified, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property worth more than $5,000, and violating his release conditions. C a t r i n a C o o p e r, a 33-year-old woman from Moose Jaw, was charged with possession of stolen property worth more than $5,000, and violating her probation order. The charges against Cooper were stayed during an appearance in Estevan Provincial Court on Monday. The matter is still under investigation, and Cowan said additional charges could be laid for assault and possession of stolen property.
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