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City of Estevan and Economic Development Board announce a co-operation agreement for a new business The City of Estevan has entered into a co-operation agreement with the Ocean Man First Nation and Buffalo Potash Corp. to examine the feasibility of constructing a polygeneration facility, with its opportunity of diversification, innovation, and employment.

The facility will be an industrial complex consisting of separate, yet integrated modules that will use southern Saskatchewan’s coal, potash, natural and inert gases, brines and other raw materials to make high quality synthetic fuel, generate power through co-generation, and other valueadded products such as potassium-based fertilizer, hydrogen syngas, battery materials, and pitch for carbon fibre.

“The idea here is rather than burning coal to make electrons, we convert the coal and other resource materials to other products – so we go from power generation to polygeneration,” said Steve Halabura, CEO of Buffalo Potash Corp.

“There’s a lot of good reasons for that because Estevan’s strengths are in the workforce, service and supply industry, infrastructure – connection to U.S. rail and roads and the existing infrastructure with Shand and Boundary Dam power stations.”

As a first step in converting this vision into value, the partnership is examining the feasibility of constructing a potash business based upon

six modular mines, capable of collectively sending up to three million tonnes of raw potash feedstock per year to a potashbased fertilizer production facility that would be located in Estevan.

The location of the modular mines and the fertilizer production facility have yet to be determined.

Ocean Man First Nation will be an equal one-third partner, with their land expertise as well as utilizing their service providers and members as employees in the project.

Early indications are that this may be a feasible business and may provide hundreds of jobs to Estevan and the larger southern Saskatchewan community. The City of Estevan and its partners are in the process of acquiring lands for the first phase of the production facility and for the first proof-of-concept mine.

They also entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for senior construction financing, which may be some $500 million.

Discussing the future steps of the project, city manager Jeff Ward said: “We’ve progressed past the idea stage and we’re now looking at physical assets and services to move this forward.”

“It’s definitely a pivot of our normal natural resource industry and we think this is a potential solution that can

Participating in a group photo are, back row, from left, Jeff Pierson, Jared Galenzoski, Greg Hoffort, Josh LeBlanc, Ashley Gallaway, Josh Biggs and Chris Tarnes; middle row, Jeff Ward, Roy Ludwig and Lori Carr; front row, Steve Halabura, Richard Sadick and Jeff Taylor. Missing: Quinton Hardage with Buffalo Potash Corp, Chief Connie Big Eagle and Dave Hoffman with Ocean Man First Nation, and Estevan Economic Board members Joe Billesberger, Brian Enns, Michelle Dickie, Terry Keating, Kurt Schmidt and Jackie Wall.

Photo submitted use our workforce as well as some of the resources we have here in the city to really move forward and keep employment in the area.”

“The province of Saskatchewan has been working with the City of Estevan and these proponents to try and bring this project to fruition

and it’s very exciting to see that they’re ready to move forward with this project,” added Estevan MLA Lori Carr.

If successful, this project

is poised to create a new and unique business opportunity that has the potential to be a significant economic driver as the community moves forward.

Estevan’s crime severity index figure among the lowest for Saskatchewan cities for 2019

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Statistics Canada released its crime severity index (CSI) data for 2019 on Thursday, and it shows that Estevan’s figure remains comparatively low.

Among policing jurisdictions that have a population of at least 10,000 people, Estevan municipal, which is covered by the Estevan Police Service, finished 94th in the country with a CSI rating of 86.94.

Estevan’s violent crime

rating was at 55.07, which left it in 201st place. The non-violent crime index, which includes break and enters, thefts, mischief incidents and more, was 98.2, which was 73rd in the country.

More than 300 communities were surveyed.

“Overall I think we’re doing a very good job,” said Police Chief Paul Ladouceur.

“When we look comparative to other cities in the province right now, and across Canada for that matter, our rates are very positive, and it shows

that we’re continuing to push in the direction that we wanted to, and seen reductions in some of those areas.”

The 2019 data continues a four-year trend of relatively lower numbers for Estevan.

The Energy City was 95.57 for 2016, 75.23 in 2017 and 90.37 in 2018. Estevan was 76th for 2018.

The 2017 figure was the lowest recorded in Estevan dating back to 1998; the number for 2019 is the fourth-lowest.

It’s also the fifth straight year that the violent crime

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index was lower than the overall CSI for Estevan.

“The goal is to keep on that trend,” said Ladouceur.

“There’s always the possibility that you can have a bad year, and I don’t want to say that this is a perfect science, but the goal is certainly to continue on that downward trend, and I think our members do a really good job of being out there, and having a very positive relationship with the community.”

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Estevan Mercury named the best in Saskatchewan The Estevan Mercury won a pair of coveted honours at the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association’s (SWNA) awards.

The awards were for 2019 and were announced Oct. 28.

Entered in Class C, which is for newspapers with a circulation of 2,000-6,499, the Mercury was recognized for having the best front page and for being the best overall paper.

In the top front page category, the Mercury received praise for its content, layout and typography.

In the best all-around paper voting, the Mercury had the highest scores for community news and advertising content. They also finished tied for first for sports coverage,

local features and classified advertising.

The judges noted the Class C category was a pleasure to adjudicate, and they thought it was rewarding to see the efforts of localized editorial staff members focused on bringing the news of their respective areas to light.

“The Estevan Mercury was the cream of the crop due to their focus on local stories and commentary.”

There is little in the paper from outside of its distribution area, and the judges said that should be the goal of community-minded papers.

The Mercury also finished third for the best editorial page.

Deanna Tarnes, the publisher and sales manager for the

Mercury, said she was proud of the team’s efforts.

“We take great pride in being Estevan’s source for local news and stories. Our small team works hard every day to bring the current news to you and provide a valuable, effective platform for local businesses to advertise. It is really nice to be acknowledged for our efforts with these awards,” she said.

Also, Southeast Lifestyles, which was produced out of the Mercury’s office until earlier this year, scooped up a couple of recognitions for Class D papers, which have a distribution of at least 6,500.

The publication was second for best editorial page, with top marks for its local content and appearance, and

it was third for the top front page, thanks to its content and photography.

Lifestyles finished fourth in the best overall paper category for Class D, with judges

impressed by its community news, advertising content and features.

RCMP detachments saw increases for index figures « A1 and good community engagement. People aren’t afraid to call police if they observe a crime or a suspicious activity.

Ladouceur said the numbers were about what he expected, both in terms of the overall number and how Estevan ranked in the country.

Among Saskatchewan cities, Estevan was ninth of the 11 jurisdictions with a population of at least 10,000. The city had the lowest CSI among the six communities with municipal policing, while Martensville and Warman, both of which are RCMP detachments, had a CSI lower than Estevan.

“It’s always good news when

you can say you’re scoring the best in the province and you’re scoring certainly well across the country,” said Ladouceur.

The economy continues to have an impact on the EPS. The nature of their calls is changing to social incidents such as domestic disputes, as well as alcohol and drug abuse incidents associated with a decline in the economy.

He is concerned about the number of incidents for non-violent crimes, but he’s pleased to see the low tally for violent offences.

Ladouceur believes people should feel safe in Estevan. A community survey that was released in

August 2019 showed people were generally satisfied with the service carried out by the EPS, and they feel safe living here.

“I live in this community, my family lives in this community, and I have friends that live in this community, and I think we’re very fortunate to have a very safe community,” said Ladouceur. “The reason for that goes to the hard work of the men and women on the Estevan Police Service, but also to the community as a whole.”

The data for the Estevan, Carnduff and Carlyle RCMP detachments was also released Thursday.

The CSI for the Estevan RCMP in 2019 was at 94.98, up from 77.49 in 2018 and the highest it’s been since reaching 126.88 in 2013.

The violent crime figure was 52.34, compared to 29.82 in 2018, and the non-violent CSI was 110.09 in 2019, up from 9a4.46 the previous year.

The Carnduff RCMP was at 51.49, an increase from 35.02 in 2018. The violent crime index for Carnduff was 38.70, while the nonviolent crime index was 55.98.

The Carlyle RCMP had a CSI of 51.49, which was up from 35.02 in 2018. The violent crime number

Estevan residents ready to go to polls Some Estevan residents have already voted for the 2020 civic election, but the majority of voters will likely go to the polls on election day Nov. 9.

The advance polls were held Nov. 2 and 3 at the Estevan Church of God. There was also a drive-thru poll at

the Estevan Fire Rescue Service building on Oct. 30, and people have been taking the opportunity to vote through mail-in ballots.

The drive-thru voting was offered for the first time, as the city wants to ease the concerns of those voters who are hesitant to enter a polling

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The city has processed about 150 mail-in ballots as of last week, and the option is still offered, but city clerk Judy Pilloud stressed that people need to understand that ballots must be received in the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. on election day, or the ballot will be deemed spoiled.

The mail-in ballots will be counted on election day, rather than after the election. And once someone has declared they want to receive a mail-in ballot, they have to vote through that method; they can’t vote in person.

“I have had many calls on mail in ballots and people making sure they have the correct information to enable them to vote,” Pilloud said.

On election day, there will be one main polling station at the Church of God from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will also be a drive-thru polling station on election day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fire hall.

“Please enter this voting location at the south entrance off the alley on 13th Avenue and snake around the front of the building to the drive thru entrances,” Pilloud said. “An election worker will provide a registration Form R to declare your ability to vote and once your ID has been verified you will be given a ballot to complete.

“You hand this ballot back to the election worker and you drive out of the truck bay and exit east onto Souris

stood at 38.70, while the nonviolent figure was at 55.98.

North Battleford had the highest CSI in Saskatchewan, and the second-highest in Canada among jurisdictions with a population of at least 10,000, trailing only Thompson, Man. The overall Crime Severity Index for Saskatchewan was 148.18, up from 140.59 the previous year.

CSI includes all Criminal Code violations. The number of police-reported incidents for each offence is weighted, and all weighted offences are then added together and divided by the corresponding population total.

Avenue North.”

There will be people directing traffic on site, so motorists are asked to drive slowly.

If there is any emergency requiring the fire department, voters are asked to stop and wait until all fire vehicles and personnel have cleared the property and voting will resume.

D ue to COVID-19, there are no mobile polls, but there will be special polls. The city has made arrangements with care facilities to provide mail-in ballots and accommodate residents safely.

Pilloud said she has a wonderful group of election workers who have stepped forward to make this election successful.

“We have many returning workers, but also a few new faces. I could not accomplish this election alone and I am very grateful for Connie Spencer and all my workers.”

On election night, the votes will be phoned in to council chambers. Unofficial results will be released through the city’s website and social media.

It ’s not known how long the results will take to tabulate, but the city used an electronic polling system for 2016 election and a 2014 councillor by-election that has sped up the process significantly.

Be sure to visit www.estevanmercury.ca on election night for full results.

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Economic development and business issues the focus of Estevan city councillor candidates’ forum

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

Economic development and other business-related issues were the focus of the candidates’ forum for Estevan city councillor, held Thursday night at the Access Communication studio.

Each of the 11 candidates in the civic election shared their platforms and offered thoughts on the future of the city.

In order to comply with the social distancing restrictions, candidates were divided into two groups due to the number of people running for councillor.

The first six were Blaine Chrest, Lindsay Clark, Rebecca Foord, Travis Frank, Mark Henderson and Tony Sernick. The second group was Geoff Thiessen, Shelly Veroba, Kirsten Walliser, Bernadette Wright and Allan Yergens. Frank and Veroba are the only incumbents.

The councillor candidates gave their opening remarks and received prepared questions on why they would run for councillor at a challenging time for the community, and the role the city would have to play in economic development.

The potential polygeneration facility that was announced earlier that day was brought up repeatedly throughout the debate, with the candidates expressing confidence in its potential.

Chrest said the city needs to strike a balance between attracting new businesses and being here for those that are already here.

“Working with them as well, maybe we can come to some compromise, and maybe help them out with the expenses they’ve been having. I know I’ve had a few people already approach me about their utilities and taxes.”

He is pleased to see a diverse group of candidates running for council, and he hopes they draw on the different backgrounds of the 11 people.

Clark said he believes the city has assembled an economic development committee, and he is confident in their abilities to find new opportunities. The new council has to support that committee.

“Also, I want to see local companies that want to expand to new markets throughout the country to have the same access to economic de velopment programs, ” said Clark. “We should take advantage of their proven track record and their expertise.”

Council needs to take a message to SaskPower and the provincial government about the importance of power generation in this area.

Frank noted that when he ran four years ago for the first time, the need for an economic development employee was a hot topic of conversation. Now nobody questions the role. “ We w e n t f r o m a r g u i n g whether we would have one person to (having) an entire board of directors and business owners, and two employees working with us, a business incubator for new people to start a business and some of the

best tax incentives anywhere in the province,” Frank said.

The city needs to do what it can to facilitate new businesses to ensure new small businesses will open and large businesses will come.

Foord said the city needs to be involved in economic development as much as possible, and the polygeneration facility reflects the work that has already occurred.

“We can’t sit around any longer and wait for federal and provincial government decisions to be the factor that’s mainly changing our lives,” she said. “We’re the ones that live here and we’re the ones that need to be fighting and pushing for economic development.”

The city should be committed to supporting existing industries and taking care of those who are involved, but also be aware the rules for industries are changing.

Henderson said the most recent council has taken positive steps with tax exemption incentives to attract new businesses, and with the establishment of the business incubator.

“But the role of council can’t be to sit back and wait for something to stick. It must work to make sure that some of these ideas gain traction, and we must continue to evaluate these incentives and remove them if they do become stagnant,” said Henderson.

Estevan can be a great fit for companies from a geographic and economic perspective, Henderson said. He also encouraged council to constantly work to promote the city.

Sernick said city council, the economic development group and local citizens need to welcome businesses with open arms.

“The city simply needs to be easy to do business with,” said Sernick. “Taxes and regulations must be kept in line or businesses will move to the surrounding areas.”

He pointed out that not only do Unit 6 at the Boundary Dam Power Station and the Shand Power Station need to be retrofitted with carbon capture and storage technology, but Whitecap Resources wants to purchase more captured carbon dioxide for its enhanced oil recovery efforts at its Weyburn unit.

Thiessen said there can be tax initiatives for new businesses, but also existing businesses in Estevan.

“I think if we give businesses the best opportunity to grow and thrive, our community also grows and thrives. I think being transparent with developing opportunities, advocating again for the federal and provincial grants that are available, and looking for varieties of initiatives to build a strong and stable economy.”

It’s also important to listen to people, to continue to advocate for carbon capture and storage, and to revitalize downtown and make Estevan a place to shop.

Veroba recalled that in the 2016 election, there were questions about economic development, and she saw the need for an economic development officer.

Since then, the economic development board has been formed.

From left, Lindsay Clark, Travis Frank, Tony Sernick, Blaine Chrest, Rebecca Foord and Mark Henderson were in the first group of candidates to participate in the forum.

From left, Kirsten Walliser, Allen Yergens, Bernadette Wright, Shelly Veroba and Geoff Thiessen were part of the second group of candidates in the forum.

She noted when she attended an economic development course and spoke to other communities, she found out that Estevan was the envy of other communities because the city had someone in the role.

“That was something they all wanted and felt their communities needed,” said Veroba. “As a city, if we want to put out the welcome mat, then we need to have someone opening that door with consistent efforts.”

Walliser said economic development is a complex position.

Comparing it to the work of a charge nurse, she said the charge nurse does not provide bedside care; rather, it’s someone who coordinates the care patients receive, while relying on the expertise and communication of bedside nurses, and then takes the information and advocates to change the environment.

“I believe the city needs to take that co-ordination and planning role of economic develop-

ment,” she said. “The coal transition co-ordinator, the economic development board, the chamber of commerce and individual residents are those front-line (people), besides experts.”

Wright said it’s important for the city to work with the economic development board, including the coal transition co-ordinator, to promote economic growth and recovery by supporting existing and attracting new businesses. “ This may inc lude working with community partners and stakeholders, reviewing the community needs assessment, confirming new businesses are not redundant and comply with city bylaws and zoning, and also creating a welcoming environment for businesses to grow and thrive.”

Continuing to work collaboratively will enhance economic development in Estevan, she said.

Yergens said the economy is down and the city needs to persevere until the downturn is finished.

He suggested looking for small things that can start in the city.

“I think our main object is the oil industry and all that’s here.

The oil is still down there, and we just have to get it to market,” said Yergens.

The oil industry needs to get going, because if it is going again, then Estevan will do all right.

As for questions from the public, the first six councillor candidates were asked about what they would do to support present businesses, and how they would handle the wild swings in assessment values from the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency.

The second group was asked about how to position Estevan as an affordable place to live, and how to attract and retain small businesses in the city, beyond what currently exists.

For coverage of the mayoral forum, please see Page A5.

The civic election is Nov. 9.

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Editorial

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EDITORIAL

Volume 115 Issue 31 Contact us: (306) 634-2654 68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.estevanmercury.ca @Estevan_Mercury facebook.com/EstevanMercury

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Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated

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Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors.

The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication.

All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected

by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that The Estevan Mercury receives credit.

Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.

We acknowledge financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.

Project offers reason for hope Ever since it became clear that Units 4 and 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station would eventually be retired, one of the questions that has been front and centre is how we’ll find the businesses and industries to provide the jobs lost when 4 and 5 come offline, and conventional coal power is phased out.

We’ve seen some positive developments.

The addictions treatment centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital is now open; it has brought jobs, good jobs, to the community. The Estevan Shoppers Mall has announced ambitious plans to renovate and modernize the shopping centre.

Several businesses have opened in the Estevan area in recent months. These are all positives; they show people have faith in the community and are willing to take a chance on Estevan during an incredibly challenging economic time. These are a diverse group of businesses, and they are generating employment.

But they obviously aren’t going to generate the jobs that coal-fired power generation will bring.

That’s why it was so intriguing, and encouraging, to see an announcement about a memorandum of understanding between the City of Estevan, the Ocean Man First Nation and the Buffalo Potash Corp. to establish a polygeneration facility in the Estevan area.

According to the news release, it would “use southern Saskatchewan’s coal, potash, natural and inert gases, brines and other raw materials to make high quality synthetic fuel,

generate power through co-generation, and other value-added products such as potassiumbased fertilizer, hydrogen syngas, battery materials, and pitch for carbon fibre.”

The announcement received plenty of attention at the all-candidates forum hosted by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce later that day, and most on social media seemed to support it.

Polygeneration is complex and it would carry a large price tag, but if this concept were to proceed, it could carry an enormous benefit for the region and offset job losses we’re eventually going to suffer here.

It would also make use of our existing resources.

This would definitely be the largest and most ambitious project that has been announced by the economic development committee since it was formed.

And it’s good to see them come forward with something tangible that we can envision.

It would be nice to have Units 4 and 5 remain online with carbon capture and storage technology, but that’s not going to happen.

It would also be nice to see the Shand Power Station and Unit 6 at Boundary Dam – both very powerful units that create a lot of jobs – retrofitted with CCS technology, but that’s not a guarantee. We have to hope for the best, but be prepared for the day in which those facilities could also be shuttered.

There’s also no guarantee this polygenera-

tion facility will happen, either. There are still lots of questions to be answered, everything from where it would be located, to when it would open, to how much it would cost.

We have to remember that Thursday marked the signing of a memorandum of understanding, not the final go-ahead or a ground-breaking for the project.

But this is still an encouraging development for our community, to have an announcement of something that could happen, that isn’t just an abstract thought, and would employ hundreds of people.

It’s also a reminder that there are a lot of good people in the community who are working hard now to find resolutions to these challenges facing our city, rather than waiting until 2024, when Unit 4 will already be closed and Unit 5’s closure will be imminent.

Economic development tends to happen slowly. It can be best described as glacial, and it can require a lot of time without positive results.

It’s also something that is typically hushhush. If someone steps out and announces something too soon, the partners often are quick to bail.

That’s why it often seems like nothing is happening, even if there is a lot that is occurring.

So it’s imperative to have these discussions now, do all we can to move forward now, and find the ways to create jobs in the community, with both big and small projects.

How often we need reminders to remember things we shouldn't forget I like exploring the world. Even if I go somewhere I've been to before, I always find something new.

Thus, life recently took me to Calgary. And while I go there pretty often, I don't think I've ever been there during this time of the year.

While the city was still all about Halloween, I already could see some preparations for Remembrance Day. One of them was the Field of Crosses (a few of them were not really crosses but Magen Davids), installed in memory of over 3,500 southern Albertan soldiers who served and lost their lives fighting for Canada in different wars in the 20th century.

The memorial has been put up along Memorial Drive every year in November for over 10 years already, but it was the first time I saw it. Each piece had a name, age, rank and date of death on it. As details and names are found, more crosses are added to the field, which is open to the public in November up until Remembrance Day. This impressive monument (which by the way was started by a private person) made me think of the lives each cross represents and also about how much our life values have changed since the beginning of the 1900s.

I don't know if it actually was like that, but when I read or hear about what was going on around the world during the last 100 some years, often it seems that back then death was pretty routine, it was just a normal part of living and losing thousands and millions of people to disease or war was something acceptable.

A friend recently phoned and said he was shocked to learn how many Russian (meaning

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About…

Soviet) people died during the Second World War. Numbers vary, but just to give you an understanding the country lost up to 11 million soldiers and up to 17 million non-combatants to the Great Patriotic War from 1941-1945.

Just to compare, at that time the population of Canada was about 11 million people. But these days, I rarely think of the horrors of those times.

That Field of Crosses in Calgary brought me back to the meaning of Remembrance Day, which unfortunately so often now just turns into November long in my consciousness.

Looking at the crosses, I was thinking about people they commemorate, who, if they survived, probably would have a kid or five, who in their turn would have families of their own.

And if still alive these deceased soldiers could have been great grandfathers or even great great grandfathers by now. But all these lifelines were broken. So were millions and millions all over the world.

When those soldiers were dying, probably many of them were buried in collective graves. It was later when historians or grateful descendants found some names and details about them. How many of them ended up being food for powder serving greater states or global goals?

The world and our values have changed since then. Maybe not in every corner, but in

the western world they did. Now we fight for every life. We try to ensure we live longer, and safety took a steroid shape.

We said never again on many occasions, and we try to stick to these promises. In the world that we live in today, every life matters (I don't mean it to resonate with the movement, just read it literally). Back 75 years ago, states would sacrifice thousands in an attempt to save millions. Now, not one life can be sacrificed unless a person chooses to.

Even though one day we all will die and it's just part of life, we do our best to stay in this world as long as we can. But we can, because others died for us in the craziness of the 20th century. And every cross on that field and millions of crosses and collective graves in different countries are powerful reminders.

Candles have been used as symbols of life for many years. On Remembrance Day candles will be lit in front of every cross at Calgary's Field of Crosses, but to symbolize the real scale of loss each candle should be infinitely reflected in a labyrinth of mirrors, representing not only lives that were lost, but also millions of lives that never happened.

What I was trying to say is that the horror of the 20th century’s wars could only happen when it did, when the value of humans' lives was different. But only now can we fully understand what happened and the price that was paid. It took us millions of lost worlds to start treasuring life more.

And all we can do to commemorate the lesson ancestors taught us is to do our best to remember them and remember the price they paid.

Op-Ed A5

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Make sure you have the right name In recent months, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has started the practice of sending out public service announcements when there is an “increased risk of COVID-19 exposures” at businesses and other sites.

They used to send one out for each notification, but in recent weeks, due to the rise in cases and the growing number of potential exposures, they now send out one advisory once a day, with all of the locations.

As of Monday morning, we’ve had five such advisories for businesses in Estevan, two advisories for Redvers and one for Kenosee Lake. It’s another testament to how well we’ve done in the southeast, and how low our caseload has been compared to other areas.

Anyways, one such advisory was on Oct. 26 for the Days Inn Estevan. It proved to be incorrect; the business should have been the Hotel Estevan.

Now, let me be clear: I don’t think the SHA had an axe to grind for the Days Inn and its great staff and management.

I’m guessing that representatives of the SHA, or the Ministry of Health, have probably stayed at the Days Inn, had a meeting there or dined at one of its restaurants, and had a great experience there, just like anyone else who has been there.

The Symons and Pierson families have been a huge part of our region for years.

A guest who stayed at the hotel from Oct. 10-17 later tested positive, and so SHA notified the public, which is what they’ve done hundreds of times in the past seven months. Whether we like it or not, it’s the right thing to do.

And I’m sure that SHA has been virtually flawless with these reports. Mistakes have probably been made in the last few months, but they’ve probably been few, or the SHA would have no choice but to rethink its public notification procedure.

They made a mistake this time.

The Days Inn deserves credit for not only issuing a statement in response to the SHA news release on Oct. 26, but doing it before SHA’s news release came out. It’s better to keep the public informed, and assuage their concerns, than to take the ostrich approach and stick their heads in the sand.

And once they found out they didn’t have a guest who later tested positive, they explained the situation on social media, without ripping into the health authority.

Unfortunately, the SHA didn’t admit to their mistake publicly until Sunday morning, more than 18 hours after the Days Inn revealed the incorrect information.

SHA should have immediately released a statement and an apology to the Days Inn on their social media feeds, rather than waiting until Sunday morning.

An entity with as many employees as SHA could have certainly issued a 100-150-word apology early on a Saturday evening.

When people see that someone who tested positive for COVID-19 was at a business, it gets their attention. For those who were at the business during the affected date(s) and time(s), they’re really paying attention. And for some, it sets off alarm bells.

We know there are those out there who are paranoid about COVID-19. When they see that a business had a customer or guest who tested positive, they seem to think it makes these businesses more susceptible to it happening again.

To sit back and say you won’t go to a restaurant because they’ve had one customer test positive for COVID-19 during the past seven months is fallacious reasoning. This mentality by some is part of the reason why businesses are taking such a hard financial hit during this pandemic.

Keep in mind that a business or a grocery store or a retail business likely had no way of knowing that the person was COVID positive when that person was in the business.

I have been in most businesses in Estevan subject to one of these increased exposure news releases since those notifications were issued. And I wouldn’t hesitate to be in any of them again.

Our local businesses are very serious about enforcing the standards issued by SHA. You go into the any business that has been listed by SHA thus far (and those that haven’t been) and you’ll likely see a business that exceeds the cleaning and sanitization standards issued by the provincial body. You have every reason to shop with confidence.

They care about us, our health, and the health of their employees.

You can feel comfortable about the standards at our local businesses. And you should be willing to go to these businesses, even if they’re the subject of an advisory.

Lest We Forget

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Each office is independently owned and operated.

Ludwig and Walton offer thoughts at mayoral candidates’ forum The two candidates for mayor in the upcoming civic election in Estevan gave their thoughts on a number of issues facing the community during a candidates’ forum Thursday night.

Incumbent Roy Ludwig and challenger Ray Walton were each given one minute for an opening statement, a minute to answer each of the prepared questions from the chamber, a minute for each question from the public, and a one-minute closing statement.

Prepared questions from the chamber focused on why they would run for mayor during a challenging time for the community, and how the city can assist with economic development.

Both prepared questions came from the public.

Walton said he decided to run because there has been an economic downturn for some time. It started with oil and continued to the mines and power generation. Hospitality and retail sectors have also felt the pinch.

“Someone has to step up.

I feel that I am that person. I have worked in the oil, power and farms most of my life. I have friends and family who work in this community,” said Walton.

Ludwig noted that it is important for the city to support economic development to retain and grow jobs and investment in the community.

With the closure of Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station in 2021, and the closure of Unit 5 in 2024, Ludwig said it’s important for council to continue with its efforts.

“As we work through these challenges, I believe my experience will be an asset. We already have in place the start-up incubator which will help new busi-

Ray Walton, left, and Roy Ludwig were part of the mayoral candidates’ forum Thursday night. ness begin and provide needed office space. Also our rural tech hub is getting off the ground.”

The focus then shifted to the questions from the community. Chamber executive director and moderator Jackie Wall randomly drew questions that were submitted from the community before the forum.

During the questions from the public, one question dealt with the amount of discussion that takes place behind closed doors during council meetings, the second was asked about support for first responders and other city employees dealing with mental health issues, particularly in light of Estevan Police Service Const. Jay Pierson’s well-document court battles regarding post-traumatic stress disorder; and the third was on physician recruitment and retention.

Ludwig took issue with the assertion about discussion behind closed doors, saying in camera discussions are for staff and money issues. He noted they spent nearly an hour

discussing one issue during the final council meeting before the civic election.

“As much as some of our public may feel that we do too much behind closed doors, I cannot agree. Sorry. I believe we have been a transparent council, and if re-elected, we will be a transparent council.”

Walton said he would be a very accessible mayor, and he hopes council would take the same approach.

“One of the biggest complaints that I’m hearing when I’m campaigning is there’s no openness in council,” said Walton.

On the mental health front, Walton said the police chief and police board need to develop a program to deal with these matters, because they are significant, not just in policing, but in other workplaces.

“I hope we can come to some type of mutual agreement that will satisfy everyone involved, and maybe set the groundwork for the future of this type of com-

plaint,” said Walton.

Ludwig, who is the chairperson of the police board, said they take the mental health of everyone seriously, especially first responders. He noted that everyone is not privy to what is discussed, and details cannot be made public.

Finally, on physician recruitment and retention, Ludwig said it’s tough to recruit doctors, and the city has been helping with physician recruitment.

“Although it is a battle to keep our doctors and get more, especially the specialists, we have been making inroads,” said Ludwig.

Walton said when doctors come to Estevan, they need to feel welcome in the community.

“We have to make sure there are special events and things they like to go to, things that their families have been involved in in other cities,” Walton said.

Each candidate then gave a one-minute prepared statement to close out the evening.

COVID-19 positive individual did not stay at Days Inn; SHH apologizes One of the reports of a potential increased COVID-19 exposure at an Estevan business by the Saskatchewan Health Authority was an error.

The Days Inn Estevan said in a Facebook post Saturday evening that they were incorrectly advised by the SHA on Oct. 26 that there had been a person staying at the hotel who had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

In co-operation with the SHA, the Days Inn released a statement on Oct. 26, prior to the SHA making the announcement.

After publication of the possible contact, it was discovered by SHA officials that the individual in question had not stayed in the hotel and there was no known risk to any patrons or staff.

“While this is good news

for us, we want to thank all of our staff for their continued efforts in keeping our facilities safe. We would also like to thank all of our guests who have continued to support us during this pandemic and have followed our safety protocols in place at the Days Inn, Ice Factory, The Beef Bar and Black Beard's Restaurant.”

The initial news release on Oct. 26 indicated that the guest had stayed in Estevan from Oct. 10-17. The two-week period for people to self-isolate has since elapsed.

In an email to the Mercury, The Saskatchewan Health Authority said it apologizes for the error in a COVID-alert public services announcement that named the wrong hotel in Estevan. A correction and apology for the error was issued on Nov. 1, 2020.

“If there are errors in the

business names, date and/or time, the SHA will issue a correction to ensure all individuals were aware of the exposure risk,” said Dr. Lanre Medu, a medical health officer.

“COVID-alert PSAs are issued if health officials are uncertain that they have identified all known close contacts for an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. The further action is to notify the community about possible locations where individuals with COVID-19 may have attended while infectious.

“This is simply about notification to potential contacts, and is not about the business nor a reflection of the measures the business has taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

The SHA has issued another advisory about an Estevan location.

A person or persons attended the Southern Plains Co-op’s Estevan grocery store while likely infectious.

One occurred Oct. 25 from 3-3:30 p.m., and the other was Oct. 27 from 1-1:30 p.m.

In a post on the Co-op’s Facebook page, general manager Brian Enns their staff has been working diligently to ensure safety of customers and staff during the COVID pandemic.

“Our high traffic contact areas are constantly cleaned throughout the day, along with till areas being sanitized between each customer,” he wrote.

The safety of the public will continue to be of high importance during this time.

Staff members at all locations are required to have their temperature taken twice a day and have been doing so since March.

We Remember

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A6

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Estevan downtown business family is welcoming a new convenience store/coffee shop

By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

The downtown business community for Estevan keeps growing on a monthly basis.

A new convenience store and coffee shop, called Southeast Pop Coolture, opened its doors at 1230 Fourth Street on Oct. 24.

Orvil Mahinay said he was thinking about starting his own business for a while, but his original plan was different.

"We wanted to start a coffee shop first, but then we realized that most people would want to just grab something to eat, easy, like snacks, pop, something like that. So I came up with an idea to mix the convenience store with a coffee shop," explained Mahinay.

He's been saving some money for a long time. His dream was to open a business and possibly build a resort in the Philippines, where he was born. But the current pandemic put a break on travelling, so Mahinay decided to put money to use here instead.

Besides, he could see a demand for a to-go food and coffee place downtown, and he took it as an opportunity.

Mahinay said that he wanted the name to be catchy and original, so he used the word "pop" as in pop music – something that everybody listens to at least sometimes, especially during the pandemic when people are spending more time at home. And then he played with the word "culture" adding the "cool" element

to it. But there was another gameplay part to the name.

"We also took the word pop because it's similar to pop, like Coke or soda pop. And ‘coolture,’ instead of having it spelled as culture, we put it with cool, like we are cool," Mahinay explained.

Besides, spelled with double o, the word "coolture" brings up associations with a chilled drink.

Six people are operating the store currently. They all have other full-time jobs, so to keep the store open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Mahinay, who also works fulltime, needed quite a bit of help.

"These are my friends who help me to run and operate the store, so I'm very thankful to these friends of mine that

DOING BUSINESS IN ESTEVAN

Nyze Cretecio, left, helps Orvil Mahinay with the new convenience store/coffee shop in downtown Estevan. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia they are here and helping me progressively evolve, change and get better," Mahinay said.

Southeast Pop Coolture serves customers snacks and drinks to go, including a variety of freshly brewed coffees, cappuccinos, teas and ice coffees, homemade sandwiches and juices at more than affordable prices. People can also pick up some packed snacks and bottled drinks.

The new little store is still stocking up on supplies. In the future, they may consider bringing in other meals and food options.

The building the new

coffee shop occupies used to be a sports apparel store and the Southeast Pop Coolture is taking up just half of it. Mahinay said that he hopes another small business will be willing to come in and share the space.

"We converted half of the building to be used by us, and the other half of the building by whoever wants to come in.

I'm (inviting) small businesses to (join me) and open (here)," Mahinay said.

It's planned that the building will remain an open space, where people would be able to see everything two businesses have to offer in

one visit.

But so far, Mahinay is focusing on the convenience store/coffee shop, exploring the market and seeking some ideas as to what else customers would want to see at this new place.

"As we progressively evolve week after week listening to people, we'll look into what else we can offer. We may even try to do hot meals, maybe hot soups," Mahinay said.

He added that the first few days of testing the water have been pretty good with many people stopping by and checking the new place out.

Commercial / Industrial Lots For Sale… $1.00* Do you have a commercial business looking for a great location with ample space to develop or expand? Look no further than Glen Peterson Industrial Park in Estevan!The Glen Peterson Park which is located east of Kensington Drive includes available lots on Nesbitt Drive and Bourquin Road.

Through Economic Development Estevan, eligible businesses canfill out an application to see if theyqualify to purchase a onedollar lot. Situated in Estevan, these lots are fully serviced by city water and sewer and have access to high-speed Internet via fibre optics directly to the premises.

With proximity to Southeast College, local retail sector, and residential subdivisions, these lots are ideal for light commercial businesses.

Estevan’s Economic Development and Coal Transition Coordinator Richard Sadick says this incentive provides a great opportunity for businesses in the city. “The Glen Peterson Industrial Park is an ideal location for commercial and light industrial businesses to build, withample lot sizes ranging from 1.1 acres to 2.7 acres.”

The incentive also aids in job creation, encourages new construction and supports local contractors.

New businesses that choose to build in the Glen Peterson Industrial Park, are also eligible for the new business tax incentive that can provide 3-5 years municipal tax exemption for qualifying business.

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Currently the area is home to several businesses and the Southeast College. Five lots of varying size are currently available.

The full list can be found at www.

EstevanEconomicDevelopment.ca To apply for one of the Glen Peterson Business Park Properties, please contact us: Richard Sadick Economic Development Coordinator City of Estevan | Corporate Services 1102 4th Street | Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 306-634-1843 *Terms and conditions apply. All applications are subject to the approval of the Estevan Economic Development Board

Wear a Poppy We shall not forget.

November 11th is

REMEMBRANCE DAY a day to honour

VETERANS 901 13th Avenue Estevan, SK

Lampman, SK 306-487-1611

306-634-3209

306-634-0193  dunlophearing@gmail.com

www.estevanmercury.ca

November 4, 2020 A7

Estevan family, whose house was damaged by fire, is grateful for help and support

By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

It was the middle of the night and the Pettitt family was deep sleeping when a loud banging on the door and screams coming from the outside woke them up.

"Around 3:30 in the morning our neighbour came pounding on our door and ringing our doorbell. When we opened the door, he said, 'You have a fire out back of your house,'" Mark Pettitt recalled.

On Oct. 25, the fire that started in a greenhouse, attached to the main house, posed a serious threat not only to Pettitt's estate but also to their wellbeing and even lives. It could have ended up much worse if not for the neighbour's fast reaction and also his dog, which was the one to wake the owner up in the middle of the night by barking.

"I just thought it was someone coming by us for whatever reason, who knows, maybe their car didn't work or something. And then he was yelling, 'Fire, fire, there is a fire out back.'

"You go into a little bit of a shock and then adrenaline rush.

There are things that I can't remember, what I said or what I did, but there are also things that I remember very clearly like how big the fire was and the fact that we needed to get everybody out safe."

When Pettitt went outside, half of the greenhouse was already fully engulfed in flames, glass was all shattered and the fire was moving fast towards the house. There were three of them in the house at the time, and they all made it out safely.

They called 911 immediately. However, it was the neighbour's call that was made some five minutes earlier that helped save the home.

"That early warning basically saved our house, because the fire crews were able to get the fire under control before it got a grip on the house. Because when it came onto the house, they were already there and were able to quickly extinguish it," Pettitt recalled.

The fire consumed the attached greenhouse and was moving towards the house. Photo submitted Firefighters working at the scene said that if the call would have come three to five minutes later, the fire would spread over the rooms, and chances are the entire house would have been lost.

"We are very thankful to the neighbour and his dog that woke him up," Pettitt said.

"Estevan police also provided support out front of the house, because we were gathering a few things like a pair of boots and jackets and stuff, and they made sure that we were not in any harm’s way and they contacted the Red Cross to put us out for the night and made sure that we were secure.

"We can't say enough good things about our fire department and our police. Our emergency services in Estevan are fantastic and they put their lives at risk when they go to work every day. And we are grateful and thankful to that crew of men and women."

Fast and professional actions by the Estevan Fire Res-

cue Service members kept the damage to a minimum.

"I think we have probably the best fire crew around.

It's been demonstrated by the many calls they've done, and people, houses and businesses they saved."

While the house was saved, it still was very nervewracking to watch firefighters battling the flames.

"The fire was heading from the greenhouse towards the house. We could watch it and made sure that when it got into the house we were outside already and far away. We were asked to get into our vehicle and move our vehicle away from the house and sit there."

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.

The Pettitt family spent the first few days in a local hotel, and now they moved to a condo where they will be living for the next several months while their house is being cleaned up and fixed.

"It's been a wild few days,

that's for sure," Pettitt said.

He also noted that he's been on the board of the United Way Estevan for over 20 years, raising money for their member agencies, and they often say that one way or another every person in the community is connected to their member agencies. This time, the Red Cross, one of the organizations the United Way supports, was helping their family as they provided emergency shelter for the first 72 hours and covered the food and any essential clothes one might need. Pettitt thanked the local Red Cross volunteers who were working with their family.

"Life happens to all of us in different ways, and this happened to us that night, and we are very thankful that we all

got out, it was the main thing.

And now it's back to getting our work lives re-established and our living space re-established," Pettitt said.

"One thing that I took home out of this whole experience is, we have a (fire) alarm system and then we also have extra smoke detectors, and they did go off, but they didn't go off until the fire actually got into the house. When we move back in, we are going to make sure we have a smoke detector connected to our central service in our attached garage ... It just gives the family a little bit of extra warning."

Pettitt also said that they received a lot of support and help from the community.

"Every little call and ev-

ery little word, whether it be through text or Facebook post or whatever just means the world, because I truly believe that's why my family loves Estevan so much is the caring community that we have and the ability to have support when you need it."

While they are not sure what they may need to make it through the next few months, homemade food is something that they really appreciate through these trying times.

Pettitt added that both private people and the local restaurants have been amazing, treating them with various meals throughout these days.

"We truly appreciate the help that we've received," Pettitt said.

Thanks to the fast action of firefighters, even though the house sustained some damage it was saved.

kids speak What do you usually do for Remembrance Day?

Kalun Beaudry

Jaycee Malaryk

Age: 9 “I wear a poppy and participate in our school ceremony.”

Age: 9 “My family wears poppies for Remembrance Day.”

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www.estevanmercury.ca

Medical student chose St. Joseph's Hospital as her base for a year of practical learning

By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Estevan's St. Joseph's Hospital is welcoming another longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) program student, Marlize Hipwell.

An aspiring physician, she is following the path of Lindsay Richels, the 2018 LIC student, and Paige Baldwin and Brianna Hutchinson, who were a part of the program in 2019.

Hipwell came to Estevan at the end of the summer. She started at St. Joseph's Hospital on Aug. 13 and will be receiving first-hand education and experience until July 2021.

In the interview with the Mercury, she said that she's been enjoying the opportunity.

"It's been really good. The staff here is really, really nice, everyone's been really supportive and really invested in my learning, which I really appreciate. So it's been a really great experience so far."

Hipwell said she's been

busy doing a little bit of everything around the hospital and worked alongside a variety of doctors.

"Some of my favourite things have been participating in deliveries and then meeting in the clinic with patients and being involved with their care more than one time, seeing them over time ... I really appreciate the longitudinal care that I can have with patients here."

She added that so far she was able to try on different roles and receive some experience in different emergency and essential services provided at the hospital.

Hipwell is in the third year of her medical education, which she is receiving from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine. She was born in South Africa but lived most of her life in Manitoba.

Hipwell moved to Saskatoon for her undergraduate and medical degrees, which brought her to the LIC program.

"I heard about this op-

portunity to do my third-year medical school in Estevan, and I thought it would be great," said Hipwell.

"The reason I chose this program, in general, is because it was an opportunity for me to get a lot of hands-on experience."

She added that Estevan was a bit closer to her and her husband's families that reside in Manitoba; besides, she heard good reviews about the program from past LIC students.

After four years of basic medical education, Hipwell intends to apply for family medicine and also do additional training in surgical skills so that she could perform C-sections.

And while Hipwell's experience has been great, because of the pandemic-related restrictions and regulations, it was somewhat different from what the previous LIC students went through.

"For me as a student (the pandemic) has affected whether I can see patients or

not," said Hipwell.

She went on to explain, that as a student she can't be in contact with anyone who is potentially COVID-19 positive or was in contact with a person who may have been exposed to the virus.

"And the other thing that I've noticed as a student here at the hospital is when I have half of my face covered it can be really difficult to connect with patients because they can't see my emotional expressions unless it goes to my eyes, but the only way that happens is if I'm smiling. So I found that it's really difficult to show my empathy with the face covered," Hipwell said.

"Although (masks) are very necessary and I'm perfectly fine complying with that, it's just that it's been a challenge in providing patient care."

A lot of appointments with patients take place over the phone these days which also affects the experience. But Hipwell said that in general it wasn't too difficult, and since the pandemic hit while she still was in her second year, by the beginning of her practical term she was already ready for a different set-up.

Despite some challenges posed by the pandemic, Hipwell said she is pretty happy with the experience and education she is currently receiving.

"My experience in the hospital has been amazing.

Marlize Hipwell is the latest LIC student who chose to receive some hands-on education at St. Joseph's Hospital. Photo submitted Everyone here is extremely knowledgeable, they've seen a lot of things and they are eager to teach. That's been amazing. I've learned a lot in a few months that I've been here."

Hipwell added that while she hasn’t had much time to spend out in Estevan as she is steadily busy at the hospital, the Energy City also seemed friendly and nice.

CLUES ACROSS 1. Home of the Cowboys 7. “Hawaii Five-O” actor McBride 10. Most aged 12. Fitted with a shoe 13. Courteously 14. They form over cuts 15. Western Alaskan river 16. Aggressive men 17. Farm animal 18. Young woman (French) 19. Sixth month of Hebrew calendar 21. Short cry 22. State capital 27. Rural delivery 28. “Twilight Zone” creator 33. Gigabyte 34. Flammable hydrocarbon 36. Supervises flying 37. An actor who plays a principal role 38. Furnace for pottery 39. Fall back 40. Afrikaans word for language 41. Chinese city 44. Fleshy 45. Inventor 48. Taxis 49. A citizen of Spain 50. Important age for aging workers (abbr.)

51. Body part

"I'm in the hospital lots, so I don't see a lot of the community, but the stuff that I have seen has been great. Everyone is really nice and really welcoming," Hipwell said.

The LIC program was launched in Estevan in 2018 and has been going strong and steady since then teaching young and aspiring physicians medicine.

CLUES DOWN 1. Chinese mountain range 2. Romanian city 3. Fishermen cast it 4. Shelter from wind 5. Sign language 6. Pigpen 7. Make sore 8. Flat metal shelves 9. Forms that say who you are 10. Cigar lovers’ necessity 11. Popular cooking ingredient 12. Skin covering the head 14. Unshakable 17. Exclamation meaning “Finally!”

18. One of the wise men’s gifts 20. Take away from 23. In accordance with the law 24. Nicole Kidman’s husband 25. NY Giants legend 26. Utilize 29. Beloved Hollywood alien 30. Unwell 31. More destitute 32. Grinded together 35. Sun up in New York 36. Italian-made cars 38. Most sacred site in Islam 40. Rip apart 41. Go in a specified direction 42. Freshwater mussel genus 43. “__ the Man” Musical 44. One thousand cubic feet (abbr.)

45. West coast time zone 46. Mimic 47. You can get one in summer

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A9

October Crown land sale brings in $770,000 The Saskatchewan Crown land sale for oil and gas mineral rights in October was worse than the previous one in August, but better that the one before that.

The Crown land sale results announced by the Ministry of Energy and Resources on Friday saw $769,849 in revenue brought in. In August, it was $2.4 million, while the June sale saw $442,000.

Land sales occur every two months are posted several months in advance. Oil companies, typically through their land agents, will ask the Ministry of Energy and Resources to put a certain parcel up for bid (e.g. post it), and then bid competitively on that parcel.

This is the fourth of six oil and gas public offerings for the 2020-21 fiscal year and brings the cumulative total to $5,317,643.

This time around there

were 137 leases covering 14,513 hectares posted, but only 59 parcels covering 6,329 hectares were sold.

Crescent Point Energy Corp. was the most active bidder in this offering, picking up eight leases totalling 777 hectares for $211,526, an average of $272 per hectare.

It is odd that Crescent Point itself would show up on this land sale, as the company has traditionally always used land agents to mask their activity. It also indicates that after a few years of disposing of acreage, Crescent Point is again in the game of acquiring it.

The Estevan and Swift Current areas brought in the majority of the bid activity.

The Estevan area received $362,967 in bids for 39 parcels totalling 2,574 hectares. The highest bonus bid received in the Estevan area was on a 259-hectare lease located four kilometres west of Lampman and adjacent to the Bryant Midale Beds Oil Pool and the Bryant Frobisher Beds

Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service were staying low during the Halloween weekend and were ready to come out and help at any minute if the need would have come.

However, Estevan Deputy Fire Chief Rick Davies said there were only a couple of calls on Halloween this year.

The Halloween night went smoothly, but the fire station responded to a couple of other calls for duty over the weekend.

A commercial fire alarm went off on the south side of Estevan at about 6 a.m. on

Saturday. Fire crews responded, but no smoke or flame was found either on the exterior or interior of the building and the alarm was deemed false.

"Crews arrived and investigated and didn't find anything.

They believed it was an issue with the fire alarm system itself, so the building was turned back over to maintenance people to further investigate," Davies explained.

After that, crews stood down and returned to the station.

The next call came in the same day at about 8 p.m., when

By Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Oil Pool. Aldon Oils Ltd. bid $40,111 or $155 per hectare on this parcel.

Villanova Energy Inc. bid $772/hectare on a 32 hectare lease, which is the top dollars per hectare received on a parcel in the Estevan area.

Crescent Point Energy Corp. was the most active bidder in this area, picking up five leases totalling 324 hectares for $103,080, an average of $318 per hectare.

In the Swift Current area, 15 of 34 posted leases sold, totalling 2,202 hectares. That brought in $209,794, averaging $95 per hectare. The highest bonus bid received in the Swift Current area was $71,971 on a 259-hectare lease located two kilometres east of Pennant, adjacent to the Battrum Roseray Sand Oil Pool and the Pennant Upper Shaunavon Oil Pool.

Another lease near Pennant, totalling 65 hectares, received $29,612 or $457 per hectare, the top dollars per hectare in the Swift Current area. Crescent Point Energy

Corp. was the successful bidder on both of these leases.

Crescent Point Energy Corp. was the most active bidder in this area, picking up three leases totalling 453 hectares for $108,446, an average of $239 per hectare.

A n o t h e r c o m p a n y, 818541 Alberta Ltd. bid a total of $36,237 for two leases located in the Kindersley area.

One lease, totalling 518 hectares, is located four kilometres south of Luseland and was picked up for $18,187 or $35/ hectare. The other lease, totalling 259 hectares, is located nine kilometres northwest of Kerrobert and was purchased for $18,050 or $70 per hectare.

The highest bonus bid received in the October public offering was $84,922 for a lease in the Lloydminster area. This 259-hectare lease was awarded to Lacadena Land Company Inc. and is prospective for heavy oil in the Mannville Group.

The scheduled date for the next public offering is Dec. 1.

A Crescent Point Energy lease near Stoughton. Photo

by Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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Legion encouraging people to mark Remembrance Day and to honour veterans, but to stay home The Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is continuing to make plans for a Remembrance Day service unlike any other that it has had before.

The service will begin on Nov. 11 at 10:45 a.m., but it will be held at the cenotaph near the Estevan Court House, regardless of the weather conditions that day.

Traditionally the service has been at the Estevan Comprehensive School, with the past two editions happening in the school’s gymnasium to accommodate larger crowds, and to allow the ceremony and the service at a temporary cenotaph to be in the same area of the school.

Since the Comp. is closed off to outside visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony will be held at the downtown cenotaph.

Troy LeBlanc, who is

the chairman of the Remembrance Day ser vice committee for the Estevan legion, said a limited number of people will be able to attend the service next week, but they have found a way for everyone to watch it, and some other programming that celebrates veterans.

Ever y thing will be streamed through the legion’s Facebook page or through Access Communications, who will be filming the outdoor ceremony.

There will be some customary elements of a Remembrance Day service, such as the playing of the Last Post, the two minutes of silence, the reading of the Roll of Honour and Flanders Field. But there won’t be a guest speaker or the marching in of the colours.

There will also be a wreath ceremony at the cenotaph, with local dignitaries and community leaders involved.

LeBlanc hopes that

people will take advantage of the live streaming opportunities to watch the service online.

“I’ve been monitoring the numbers closely with what’s going on, not only in our community but around the province. I’m making some slight contingency plans if our (attendance) numbers are reduced, but right now we’re sticking within the parameters that are given, and staying within that 30-person limit.”

The plans are coming along about as well as can be expected, he said.

“I strongly urge everybody to enjoy from the comfort of their home.”

LeBlanc said the legion has been receiving a lot of questions from the public about Remembrance Day this year and what will be able to proceed.

The ser vice will be part of content throughout the day on the legion’s Facebook page and on

Access Now. They have also scheduled Remembrance Day ceremonies from previous years, interviews from local veterans, a story about the Estevan Soldiers’ Tree monument, and the multimedia presentation.

Also shown will be the presentations that Capt.

Craig Bird, a local military historian and the commanding officer of the No. 2901 Estevan Army Cadets, has made in honour of anniversaries for Vimy Ridge and the Battle of the Scheldt.

The legion has started distributing poppy trays to businesses in the community. Proceeds from the sale of the poppies will be used to help veterans-related causes. LeBlanc noted that the poppies will be available in communities as far away as Midale. People can also contact the branch and drop by to purchase poppies or wreaths.

The cenotaph near the Estevan Court House will be the site for this year’s Remembrance Day service.

Bells at St. Giles will ring at dusk on Nov. 11 The Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch will have a couple of evening activities on Nov. 11 as part of Remembrance Day. The bells of St. Giles An-

glican Church will ring 75 times at dusk to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. It’s similar to what happened two years ago, when the bells rang 100

times in honour of the end of the First World War. Troy LeBlanc, who is the chairperson of the branch’s Remembrance Day committee, said a few members of

the legion will be at the city’s cenotaph at 5 p.m. to observe a couple minutes of silence before the bells ring, and then to listen to the bells once they start. The bells should begin

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around 5:15 p.m.

“It will all be live-streamed and shown on our Facebook page,” said LeBlanc.

Once the bells have finished ringing, there will be a virtual poppy drop shown on the cenotaph. It will last about two hours.

“It’s going to look like the poppies are being dropped down onto the cenotaph,” he said.

LeBlanc hopes a multimedia presentation that has been shown at the Estevan Remembrance Day ceremonies in the past can be shown again, but the location has yet to be

announced. It has photos of veterans from the Estevan area who served in the First World War, the Second World War and other combat missions and peacekeeping efforts.

The poppy drop has been a part of the Remembrance Day service the past couple of years in Estevan, with people coming up and placing their poppies at the makeshift cenotaph at the Estevan Comprehensive School at the end of the Remembrance Day service. But the service can’t be held at the Comp. this year due to COVID, and the large gathering isn’t allowed.

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Bruins set for the 2020-21 regular season to begin

By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca

The Estevan Bruins are looking forward to the start of the 2020-21 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and some new competition.

The Bruins defeated the Weyburn Red Wings 6-4 Saturday night to wrap up the preseason portion of their schedule, which they finished with a 3-1 record. All four games were against the Red Wings.

After sweeping the Wings in games on Oct. 23 and 24, the Bruins dropped a 5-2 decision in Weyburn on Oct. 30.

Weyburn led 3-0 after the first period and 4-0 through two; Cody Davis and Kade McMillen scored in the third for Estevan.

Emerik Demers was in goal for Estevan.

Saturday’s game saw the two teams tied at 4-4 after two periods, with Cole Fonstad, Troy Hamilton, Davis and McMillen scoring for Estevan.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson’s goal seven seconds into the third period gave Estevan the lead, and Devan Harrison tallied 6:51 into the final frame for a two-goal cushion.

Eric Clark picked up the win in goal.

Loon-Stewardson was playing with the Bruins for the first this past weekend, after being acquired from the B.C. Hockey League’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs for a player development fee. But he’s no stranger to Saskatchewan, as he spent the last two seasons with the Battlefords North Stars, winning a league title in 2019 and scoring 30 goals during the 2019-20 season.

“I’m really happy to be

Bruins goaltender Eric Clark and defenders Devan Harrison (4) and Aleksa Babic (26) scramble to keep the puck out of the net against Weyburn. Photo by David Willberg coming to a prized organization like the Bruins. You can just tell, walking throughout the arena, that it’s a privilege to throw on the B’s jersey and skate with the Bruins.”

He noted he played with McMillen at an SJHL Showcase back in January.

“I’ve played against probably three-quarters of the team, and it’s always fun when you’re switching that up and joining the same teams as them, because they don’t know what you’re about. They know what your playing style is about but they don’t know what your … personality is about.”

He’s glad to be back in Saskatchewan, and he hopes his play here can help him advance to the next level in the game.

Estevan will open the 2020-21 regular season Friday night at the Melville Millionaires, and then host Melville the following night, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic said the players are looking forward to a new opponent. They were involved in an extended training camp that started Sept. 9, and then they had the four preseason games with Weyburn.

Several players who didn’t skate against Weyburn will be in the lineup against Melville, and some who played this weekend won’t be in the lineup against the Mills, most notably defenceman Austin King-Cunningham, who has two games remaining on a suspension, stemming from

an incident last season.

Tatarnic said it was good to play Weyburn four times in the preseason because there was some added intensity for the games.

“There were some hard plays and some emotions running high out there, so that’s good to see,” said Tatarnic.

It also helped some of the new players see what it takes to be a junior hockey player.

Teams are scheduled to play a 50-game regular season, down from the usual 58, with each team having 25 home games.

Estevan will be placed in a six-team south group that also includes Weyburn, Melville, Notre Dame Hounds, Yorkton Terriers and Humboldt Bron-

cos. Estevan will play these teams in home-and-home series before the Christmas break, with the vast majority of the games occurring on Friday and Saturday nights.

Games against the six northern teams are scheduled to begin in January.

The Bruins learned on Monday that they would only be allowed to have 150 fans for their home games to start the regular season.

In a message sent out to supporters, the Bruins said the current attendance cap was mandated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Ministry of Health, which advised the SJHL that the cap will be reviewed again prior to the start of Week 2 of the regular season.

Bears play first regular season U18 game The first regular season game in Eclipse Downhole Solutions Estevan U18 AAA Bears history didn’t go as head coach and general manager Jeff Smith wanted, but he still found some positives.

The Bears lost 9-1 to the host Regina Pat Canadians Sunday afternoon. Carson Birnie of Arcola had the Bears lone goal, and it was significant, as it was the first regular season goal in franchise history.

Birnie stole the puck from a Regina defender and snapped a shot past Regina goaltender Drayden Ramage with 2:09 to play in the first period.

“We had a few chances before that, too, so

you could really sense that we were pushing for it, so it was really good to get that franchise’s first goal in the first game,” said Smith.

It pulled Estevan to within a goal at that point, but the Pat Canadians scored 11 seconds later to restore the two-goal advantage, and added four in the second and two in the third.

Smith said Regina looks to be the best team in the south, and provided the Bears with a measuring stick of where they need to be to win.

“We’re nowhere close to where we need to be, but it’s tough with the practice schedule that we have and everything else. From training camp to practice to our exhibition games until now, even though it was a blowout tonight, we’ve made leaps

and bounds of progress,” said Smith.

There were positives besides Birnie’s goal.

They had a good forecheck and they spent some time in the Pat Canadians zone. They would have a couple of good shifts, but then struggle for a couple of shifts.

“That’s something that we’re going to have to correct as a team. We have a really young team, so this will be a really good learning curve for our team,” said Smith.

Goaltender Jackson Miller had a great game in net, even though he surrendered eight of the nine goals; Kelton Pyne came in briefly in the second and allowed a goal.

“It would have been a 15-1 or 16-1 game if

“We are disappointed that the SJHL’s proposal to begin the season at a higher cap, subject to observing social distancing and other health and safety protocols, was not approved.

That would have enabled us to accommodate all of our season ticket holders, which stand at about 600. This had been the communication to our teams until November 1st, and now each team will be adjusting to the new attendance cap.”

The 150 spectators would be equivalent to about six per cent capacity at Affinity Place.

The Bruins will now have to completely re-evaluate their plan for season ticket holders this season. They ask for patience while they resolve this situation.

Jackson did not play as well as he did,” said Smith.

The Bears wanted to get a game against Regina early on, so that the kids could see what it takes to be a strong team.

Smith said there was a special feeling associated with the first game.

“The speech before was just saying ‘Guys, there’s not many players that get to play in the team’s very first game, so it was a special moment for all 20 guys on the team,” said Smith.

The Bears will be back on the ice Nov. 6 when they visit the Swift Current Legionnaires.

Then they will host the Legionaires the following day at 1 p.m. for the first regular season home game in Bears history.

Estevan Mermaids preparing for first virtual meet The Estevan Mermaids synchronized swim club is among the local sports clubs experiencing a different year in the 2020-21 season, but they have been meeting and are looking forward to a virtual competition.

The club was able to start practising early this year, because the RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre’s annual shutdown was held in the spring instead of the fall. Normally the Mermaids’ season doesn’t begin until October.

“So far this year, we’ve

been focusing a lot, at the beginning, on figures,” said club communications co-ordinator Amanda Fonstad. “Their first competition in November, they have a series of just figures in the water – one of them is a ballet leg and another is the barracuda.”

But there is also a dryland component to synchronized swimming that requires athletes to be fit in and out of the water, so the Mermaids have an hour of dryland training twice a week with a fitness coach.

Swimmers have to perform headstands and splits outside of the water.

The Mermaids have approximately 30 members split between four teams: a junior team, a 15-and-under team, a 12-and-under team and a limited to competition team for those 10 years of age and younger. The latter team will only compete at provincials at the end of the season.

“We have a decent number of athletes,” said Fonstad. “Most of our teams have eight athletes

as an average, so we’re lucky because we don’t have to worry about splitting them up because our numbers are too big.”

Included in the swimmer count is a high performance athlete, Haley Copeland. The Mermaids have nine certified coaches.

Their first competition is coming in November: the Marnie Eistetter Figures Meet.

It will be a digital competition.

“Our athletes will be performing in our pool here, and we will be recording them, and

then sending the recordings to Saskatchewan Artistic Swimming to then be judged and marked,” said Fonstad.

The athletes will only get one chance to successfully perform their routine, since they only get one shot at a live competition. They will perform the routine the same way they would during an in-person meet.The judges will make their evaluations based on the video.

The meet would have happened Nov. 28 and 29.

Thus far, it appears the

other meets will happen virtually as well.

The club is in the midst of a fundraising campaign, in which they will sell Purdy’s chocolates prior to Christmas. The deadline to purchase chocolates is Nov. 16.

Fonstad said the swimmers are happy to be able to be involved in something and to be active and have some sort of a season. They have come a long ways since the first practice on Sept. 8, and the extra pool time has helped them a lot.

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Co-op has been Paying it Forward on Fridays

Scarecrow collection

The Southern Plains Co-op has given people another reason to look forward to Fridays.

The co-op launched Pay it Forward Fridays, when it has been offering something special for the public.

“Back in March, when COVID all started (in Saskatchewan), we started doing just a pay it forward, and we would do treats,” said Carol McKay, the co-op’s manager of human resources.

The co-op took the treats to the fire hall, the police station and other essential services.

Next, when the businesses in the community started opening it up again, the co-op opened started delivering to more places, because they recognize how special it is to receive a gift.

And they started preparing small giveaways for customers at their food stores, located in Estevan, Oxbow and Carlyle.

“Every location would

The participants at Estevan Diversified Services (EDS) celebrated Halloween by hosting a scarecrow competition last week. The uniquely decorated scarecrows were put on display in the dining room of the main EDS building. Some of the participants worked individually, while others were in groups. Alexis Freitag was selected as the winner, thanks to her scarecrow that had brown overalls and a flannel shirt.

do a package of items, and then they would randomly pick family groups, and give these packages,” said McKay. Six draws are made each Friday at every store.

These packages would include gift cards, hot chocolate and other items.

Prior to Halloween, people were winning chocolates and other candies.

“Next month it’s going to be senior-related.

We’re going to pick seniors for our pay it forward Fridays. It ’s been well-received and we put the winners on Facebook, with their approval for that picture to be posted.

It’s … just something fun recognizing people,” said McKay. “Pay it forward movements are really cool because it’s a surprise. It’s not planned. It’s not this is who it’s going to go to, with names in a draw box.

It’s just random and it’s been working fairly well for us.”

There will also be six

draws at each of their four convenience stores every Friday. Their Alameda location will have a giveaway, as will the bulk agro location in Estevan.

It means they’ll be giving away a lot of items every Friday to seniors and others in the southeast.

The people who receive the gift are ver y happy, and the social media posts for Pay it Forward Fridays rate among the most popular for the co-op.

McKay said they want to help people up and cheer people up at this time. And as they move into the Christmas season, she thinks these gifts will have an even greater impact.

“In December, that special gif t of paying it forward to someone, whether it be shoveling snow or a cup of coffee or a grocery order, it can be anything from small to large and it’s just wishing you a happy day or a better day.”

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November 4, 2020 A13

Music plays a significant role in military life

By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca

Music might not be the most obvious, but it’s definitely one of the very important parts of the military. Ahead ofA7 Remembrance Day, longtime Estevan cadet officer and Saskatchewan Pipe Band Association board member Capt.

Robert Rooks, CD, talked to the Mercury about some military musical traditions associated with ceremonies and the role of music on battlefields and in regular life.

There are certain pieces of music in the military that people hear and associate with particular events, but not always do they know why these particular pieces are played and how they came about. Rooks opened up the story behind the Last Post, a piece that is played during the Remembrance Day ceremonies, as well as at funer-

als and which is a bugle call.

"If there is the Last Post, there must be a First Post someplace. How this came about is back when we didn't have communications like radios, cellphones and other, the military used buglers to alert officers and soldiers to what was going on," Rooks explained.

"When a regiment would be camped out during battle and nightfall comes, they set sentry posts, because at night it's more dangerous because 90 per cent of the troops go to sleep, so you had to have sentry posts. So you had a number of sentry posts guarding the area."

Rooks went on to explain that when sentries were taking their posts, sergeants would take a bugler with them and inspect each post.

"He starts at the first sentry post, and when he arrives there and everything is OK at

The bugle is a musical instrument often used as a matter of communication in the military back in the day.

the first post, the bugler sounds the certain bugle call, so those back at camp know that the first post has been inspected.

Then they would go to every other post and when they got to the last post, the bugler would play the Last Post. Then the camp commander knew that the camp was secured," Rooks explained.

The bugle calls came from the British army and were adapted by Canadian soldiers during the First World War. The Last Post later gained symbolical meaning.

"It came to be used for soldiers' funerals because it was last of the soldier's life.

And on Remembrance Day we remember all soldiers that were killed in action and one of the things we do we play is the Last Post."

The Remembrance Day ceremonies will look a bit different this year and it will be by invitations only, but Estevan will still hear the Last Post preceding the two minutes of silence.

After that, another bugle signal, the Rouse, "wake up" in German, known by many people as Reveille (French), is played.

"After they play the Last Post in respect to the soldier's death, then they play the Rouse for his awakening in the next life," Rooks explained.

The bugle calls were means of communication; they woke soldiers up and informed the commanders about the situation at the camp. There were special calls for meals and other routines, as well as for military actions. But music, in general, was also always a big part of the military be it battlefield or ceremonies.

"A parade without music is just a drill," Rooks quoted a colonel he knew. "But when you put music in it, when it's a big parade, they stand straighter, march smarter, it's just that much better, because music brings more life to the situation."

Canadian and British military always had brass and pipe bands. Back in the day, the bands would play in action restoring soldiers' morale.

"The last to that was World War One when pipers played in action," Rooks said. "Quite often they were the first ones to jump up and start piping to give the troops a little more encouragement.

And they weren't necessarily protected."

But pipers back then were soldiers first. Rooks recalled the history of the Edmonton pipe band, which joined the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in 1914 and piped the PPCLI to France and back. The original duties of the bandsmen were treacherous, unarmed pipers playing were the first over the top, as they did in the leading wave at Vimy Ridge on Easter Monday in 1917, and later, at the conclusion of the battle, the men were sent, again unarmed, into no man's land to retrieve the wounded and dead.

Besides, pipers, who knew Gaelic, Scottish language which Germans didn't know, were delivering messages between the frontlines and the headquarters, so the enemy couldn't intercept the communication. They were also used as runners and carriers. But they still were musicians.

"The importance of music, it goes way back. They figured drums were the first things used in the army to send messages. And then after a while came bugles, then pipes," Rooks said, adding that the drum and pipes bands appeared in the military as well.

The PPCLI pipe band led the regiment through the streets of Ottawa on March 19, 1919, upon their return to Canada. They were demobilized the following day along with the regiment.

The 2901 Estevan (Elks) PPCLI Army Cadet Corps Pipes and Drums Band is descended from that band and

The South Saskatchewan Regiment's Buglers and Drummers Manual is a part of the Southeast Military Museum collection. thus wears a full Highland kit and Hunting Stewart tartan.

They were formed in 1976 and Rooks, who had been a bugle player when he was a part of the South Saskatchewan Regiment prior to its being stood down, recalled how he had to learn from several great pipers to later start teaching young musicians.

The Estevan (Elks) PPCLI Army Cadet Corps Pipes and Drums Band usually participates in the Remem-

brance Day ceremony. But since they fall under the Department of National Defence and are currently restricted from holding any music training, they won't be at the cenotaph on Nov. 11. Rooks said that Angela Durr, who is a part of a civilian band, is planned to play at the ceremony as a piper, so that music, often an unnoticed but essential part of all military ceremonies, would still be a part of the Estevan's Remembrance Day.

Estevan Lions thank all those who purchased tickets from the 2020/2021 lottery. The money raised is used for numerous Lion projects including: • scholarship • free swims • family day • an outdoor rink • various local needs

Your support is appreciated!

This lottery started October 16th with Leroy’s win and runs for a year.

Most weekly draws are for $300, but the first, Christmas, and final are for $1500.

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Local students selected for honour band

Hillcrest Breakfast Club still serving students

Saskatchewan Honour Music Groups will be making history by delivering their first-ever virtual program in 2020.

Students auditioned in May for a position in the honour band, choir or orchestra. Four students from the Estevan Comprehensive School were selected: Garrett Schwab, Curtis Phillipchuk, Emily Frostad and Ashley Frostad.

This will be the second year in the honour band for Schwab, Phillipchuk and Emily Frostad, while Ashley Frostad is in her first year.

The Frostads have since moved to Regina with their families.

Guest conductors have met online in advance of the concert and sessions were provided for the musicians.

The students played their parts online, and then a technician put it together.

The virtual Honour Groups concer t will be Nov. 7 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. through the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association’s YouTube page.

The Hillcrest Breakfast Club has had to reinvent the way in which it serves students, but it has found a way to continue meeting young people’s nutritional needs.

Sara Pippus, who is the school community liaison at Hillcrest, said they shifted away from the buffet-style breakfast, and the kids can’t gather in the breakfast club’s room. But now they have placed a pantry of dried goods in each room, and then each morning they pack a cooler with individual breakfasts for the students.

“We’re finding that a lot more kids are able to access our breakfast program that way, which is good, and we are able to serve more kids, so that’s what we’re doing right now,” said Pippus.

Each day they serve 80-100 kids, which is more than normal. In past years, when they had the buffet-style lunch, they would serve about 65 kids.

“And it depends on the day. Some days every student in the school will utilize our breakfast, and sometimes we’ll have days where not as many do. It changes every day, which keeps us hopping and is quite good, too,” said Pippus.

Each day the breakfast program serves little bags of cereal, muffins, yogurt and turkey bites and cheese. A juice or milk will be served for a beverage.

The breakfast club also serves fruit options such as a sugar-free apple sauce.

“We try to mix it up depending on the day. We try to hit all of the food groups, if possible, and most of the things we’re serving right now are pretty heavily pre-packaged, so that’s something that we’re trying to look at

Garrett Schwab and Curtis Phillipchuk have been selected to perform through the Saskatchewan Honour Band’s virtual concert. Missing are Emily and Ashley Frostad. Photo submitted

making changes to, so that it’s easier on our budget,” said Pippus.

Students have adapted well to the change.

They’re a resilient group, she said, and they have adjusted well to all of the changes.

“The ones who have had to do all of the organizing and things are probably the ones who are in a little bit of a scramble, but now that we’ve settled in, we’re past the mid-October point, and we’re settling into how things will go for the next little while,” she said.

A lot of parents were asking about the breakfast program and how it would work prior to the start of the school year.

“I think there’s a lot of people who rely on breakfast for various reasons, that we just think it’s really good to have everybody (included).

We know when we serve breakfast like this that anybody who wants it can have it, and the universality of it makes it so that the kids don’t get missed.”

The breakfast club would traditionally have several volunteers helping out each day with the breakfast buffets. This year they are limited to just two volunteers. They selected a couple of volunteers who are closely connected to Hillcrest through the school community council.

A spare volunteer has also been trained.

Throughout the summer, the school was planning to make sure it would be able to have a breakfast program. It took some effort, but they’re able to serve as many kids as possible in the limited time they have, and they’ve done it well.

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Flashback – Wednesday, Nov. 7, 1990

Cheers to Redhead Equipment for providing a huge tractor and an operator to pull the docks out of the mud at Rafferty Marina. The docks were stuck big-time.

Cheers to all those who know how to bake chocolate chip cookies, brownies and cinnamon rolls, and for passing on that knowledge to others.

Cheers to the City of Estevan for cleaning snow off of the King Street sidewalk and Pleasantdale Valley pathway. It makes for an enjoyable and safe walk outside.

Cheers to the Estevan Chamber of Commerce for having the all-candidates forums for the provincial and civic election. Hearing the candidates’ thoughts, and seeing how they think on the fly, helps voters to make a decision.

Cheers to all of the wonderfully decorated homes we saw in the city prior to Halloween.

Hopefully we see these homes, and others, looking great for Christmas.

Cheers to everybody that is wearing a poppy prior to Remembrance Day. Just because we can’t attend a service this year doesn’t mean we shouldn’t wear a poppy.

Cheers to St. Giles Anglican Church for serving a fowl supper this year. Even though we didn’t get to enjoy it together, the food was still great.

Jeers Jeers to customers who come into stores and don’t follow the guidelines of either wearing a mask or social distancing. Some people are starting to feel unsafe at work.

Jeers to those who were driving around recklessly last Tuesday when a layer of ice was coating the roads. Slow down and drive smart in those conditions.

Jeers to the lack of uncertainty for how many fans can attend Estevan Bruins games this season, and to fans upset with the Bruins over how they’re handling crowd restrictions. This isn’t their fault.

And now they have the headache of trying to accommodate 150 fans when they sold 600 season tickets.

The Estevan Figure Skating Club made certain that the youngsters in the children’s ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital got a share of Halloween even though they couldn’t go out. A total of $54 was collected from club members for treats and supplies and delivered on Oct. 31, 1990. Back row, from left, Lynn Dutton of the skating club, Anne McLaughlin, Sister Therese Roddy (executive director) and Sharon McClelland. Front row, Vaughn Fichter, Erica Keating, who made the delivery in her dinosaur costume, Tyler Fichter and Tyler Parent.

Voss performs at a concert in Estevan Saskatchewan country and roots musician JJ Voss performed Friday and Saturday night in Estevan at Art Concepts Custom Framing.

Voss, who hails from Cupar, was slated to play at Art Concepts back in March, but the concert was delayed when COVID-19 struck.

His third album, Come Along with Me, was released in March, but COVID put the brakes on a 21-performance tour of Western Canada to promote the nine-song recording.

Voss played se ver al songs from the new album while in Estevan , and some of his other music. He also shared stories with the audience about his upbringing in the Cupar area, and some tales about his music.

Voss says he aims to make relevant music that addresses social issues, and takes a stand for what’s right.

Saskatchewan country musician JJ Voss performed at Art Concepts Custom Framing in Estevan on Saturday night.

He wants to do something constructive with his voice and through his music.

Come Along with Me was written by Voss and several other songwriters.

Nyla Rose Brooks

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The number of people that could attend at Art Concepts was limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, so Voss performed on two separate nights in Estevan.

NEW LISTING

To submit a cheer or a jeer, please email it to dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca, or visit www.estevanmercury.ca.

 NEW ARRIVAL 

Vo s s won t h e 2 0 1 2 Roots Album of the Year Award from the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards for his second album Show ‘Em Who’s Voss.

LINDSAY CLARK FOR CITY COUNCIL

“A positive voice for our community” • An active and committed member of the Estevan community for over 40 years • Proven leadership in both professional and volunteer capacities • Vision firmly rooted with experience coupled with innovative energetic ideas I’ve witnessed firsthand the power this community has when we all come together to work towards a joint cause. It’s the positives of Estevan which inspired me to come forward to provide continued leadership through the challenging times ahead.

Remembering their courage and sacrifice on

Remembrance Day and always.

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We Remember

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Lori Carr, MLA #92 Highway 39 E Estevan, SK

Estevan Constituency Office 306-634-7311 loricarrmla@sasktel.net

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A16 November 4, 2020

www.estevanmercury.ca

Officer recognized for arresting impaired drivers A member of the Estevan Police Service has been recognized for apprehending impaired drivers in 2019.

Const. Paul Chabot was presented with the Van De Vorst Family Award for Excellence in Prevention at the police station Friday by Connie Hagel, who is the community leader of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). He apprehended eight impaired drivers in 2019, the most of anyone in the EPS, and received the Van De Vorst silver award.

The award is presented to officers who arrest a certain number of impaired drivers in a year. Chabot had the most with the EPS. “It’s to raise awareness, of course, but it’s also to recognize the efforts the police do in catching impaired drivers,” said Hagel.

Chabot was presented with a certificate, a medal, a MADD mask and other items by Hagel.

He was nominated by someone at

the police station, and the nomination then went to Saskatoon for approval.

The recognition is named after the Van De Vorsts, a family of four killed by an impaired driver in a collision near Saskatoon in 2016. Members of the family created the award to salute officers.

Hagel, Chabot and Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan said they hope to see a time in which this award isn’t presented in Estevan, because it would mean nobody is driving while impaired in the city.

Cowan said he saw a presentation by the Van De Vorsts at the meeting for the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, with photos and videos of the crime scene, and it was very moving to watch.

“You want to talk about emotion?

They get extremely emotional every time they talk about this and do this presentation,” said Cowan.

It means a lot to the Van de Vorst

family when they see people like Chabot receiving the award, and the work he is doing to take impaired drivers off the road.

Hagel said the Van De Vorst family travels across the country to make presentations, and would love to visit each community to present a certificate to an officer.

Hagel said the local MADD chapter will be busy over the next few weeks with Christmas approaching. There was a spot check in the community on Saturday night due to Halloween, while additional spot checks will happen in the coming weeks.

“We can’t do a whole bunch (due to COVID), but we’re trying our best, and we’re still here. We’re still raising awareness.”

The annual Red Ribbon Campaign was launched Nov. 1. People will tie a red ribbon to their vehicle or another possession to express a commitment to sober driving.

Estevan Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter community leader Connie Hagel presents the Van De Vorst Family Award to Estevan Police Service Const. Paul Chabot.

Many towns and villages will have council elections Many towns and villages are going to have elections on Nov. 9.

The Town of Bienfait has one of the largest fields, with two candidates for mayor – Ken Bonokoski and Dave MacKenzie – and 12 for councillor: Ivan Boyer, Les Christensen, Rob Forester, Brad Friars, David Johnson, Randy Marchand, Steven Matthewson, Deidre Maurer, Gerald Resler, Keith Smith, Dion Thievin and Shirley Wheeler.

The Town of Carnduff will have elections for both mayor and councillor as well.

Ross Apperley has been challenged by Kris Carley for mayor. Roy Annetts, Jamie Dkirick, Kelly Exner, Mike Fowler, Kevin Daryl Lesy, Shane Marsh, Mike Pirie, Linda Powell, Joel Purves and Greg Wall are vying for six councillor seats.

Lampman has a full slate of candidates for its town council election. Janice Bernier and John Jones are

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There’s also a large number in the village of Macoun, with Glenys Baerg, Suzanne Kuchinka and Kelly Foord running for mayor, and Chris DeBruyne, Todd Dougall, Grant Dube, Jack Hancock, Jergen Hauck, Dale Hillier, Jim Kolenz, Vince Martin, Vi Neb, Frank Schaefer, Dave Schindel and Judy Sovdi in the race for four councillor seats.

Stoughton has two candidates for mayor, Zachary

Calibaba and Clarence Hoffort, and 12 for six councillor seats: Colleen Andris, Robert Andris, Stefan Clark, Karen Coderre, Shirley Coderre, Danielle Hoffman, Derek Hoffman, Bradley Gervais, Edgar Matthes, Scott Ogilvie and Alysson Slater.

Other communities have elections for mayor or councillor.

Jennifer Sydor has been acclaimed as the mayor in Carlyle, and there are seven candidates for six councillor spots: John Brownlee, Nicole Currie, Hugh Hislop, Scott Kirkness, Kelly Lutz, Gordon Paulley and Jared Riddell.

In Alameda, Perry Kinder was acclaimed as mayor, but there are nine candidates for six councillor seats: Skylar Antoniuk, Jeff Cameron, Jen-

RAY WALTON

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nifer Cobham, Dean Copeland, Janelle Dorrance, Donna Griffin, Dwayne Henderson, Elizabeth Lischynski and Christine Tanghe.

In Frobisher, Robert Blowatt Jr. and Cole MacCuish were acclaimed as the two councillors, while Kyle MacCuish and Mark Brock are vying for mayor.

There are seven candidates for the four councillor seats in Gainsborough: Roger Galon, Adrienne Gardiner, Cathleen Murray, Randy Reynolds, Michael Riddell, Kevin Stanley and Terri Thoring.

Victor Huish was acclaimed as Gainsborough’s mayor.

Bob Chuba, Blair Hanna and Trina Hitchens are vying for two councillor seats in Glen Ewen. Glen Lewis will be the mayor.

Dwain Dzuba and Jay Riedel have filed to be the mayor of Roche Percee.

Charlotte Wrigley and Dennis Fichter were acclaimed as councillors.

Lucille Dunn has been acclaimed as the mayor in Manor, while Paul Corkish, Gerald King, Craig Savill, Alana Wilson and Darcy McCrimmon are running for councillor.

Kalvin Nankivell has been acclaimed as the mayor of Kisbey, but there are eight candidates for four councillor seats: James Johnston, John Votour, Grant Beuckert, Sheldon Wyatt, Mel Foy, Wyatt Hall, Elisa Jackson and Brody Singleton.

Ty ler Boiteau, Dan Daae, Ashlee Friess, Terry Malaryk and Mark Mason are aspiring for four councillor spots in Torquay. Michael Strachan was acclaimed as

mayor.

O t h e r c om mu n i t i e s won’t need an election, and candidates were acclaimed.

Town of Arcola: Keith Erick will be the mayor, and Elaine Hislop, Cindy Kolenz, Scott Tessier, Jenn Wotta, Geordan Workman and Clay Chapman will be the councillors.

Town of Midale: Allan Hauglum will be the mayor, while Armond Hauglum, Conrad Keturakis, Dennis McIndoe, Gregg Prawdzik, Ryan Thompson and Clinton Lund will be the councillors.

Town of Oxbow: Doug Pierce was acclaimed as mayor, while Michaela Bachiu, Mark Barnes, Rachelle Kitz, Wendel Nordin, Rodrigo Rabanal and Ron Rossow will be the councillors.

Town of Redvers: Brad Bulbuck is the mayor, and Owen Gavelin, David Pryde, Michelle Jensen, Ken Thomas, Derek Soroka and Donna Gilbertson are the councillors.

Village of Alida: Tim Cowan will be the mayor, and Darryl Dubuc, Jason Purves, Marvin Ferris and Sheri-Lee Patton are the councillors.

Village of Carievale: Gary Annetts was acclaimed as mayor, while Shandelle Lamothe, Greg Martin, Kassandra McNamara and Coby Murray will be the councillors.

Village of North Portal: Kaylah Turner will be the mayor, and Amy Belitski and Amy Armstrong were acclaimed as councillors.

Village of Storthoaks: Sydney Choicoine will be the mayor, while Richard Choicoine, Dylan Blerot, Melissa Cosgrove and Kevin Mann will be councillors.

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Recognizing Veterans.

Wear a poppy.

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www.estevanmercury.ca

November 4, 2020 A17

Elections will be needed in some rural municipalities on Nov. 9; others have been decided by acclamation Many of the rural municipalities in the southeast corner of the province are going to have elections on Nov. 9.

There will be elections in all three divisions in the RM of Estevan No. 5, with Lorne Jahn facing Jeff Mack in Division 1, Dennis Blackburn facing

Kevin Daoust in Division 3, and Ramona Dukart, Tania Hlohovsky Andrist and Dakota Michael in Division 5.

(For profiles on each of the candidates, please visit www. estevanmercury.ca) Terry Keating has been acclaimed as reeve.

One of the biggest races will be in the RM of Cymri

No. 36, where there will be three votes. Keith Eldstrom and Joe Vilcu are vying for reeve, Harvey Schindel and Greg Wallin want to be the councillor in Division 1 and Darrel Druck and Cody Martin are on the ballot for Division 5.

Aaron Toles has been acclaimed in Division 3.

Time to give thanks If ever we’d had an unusual Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it was this year.

While we traditionally celebrated with three families together (son and family, nephew and his wife and Hubby and I), this year the meals were spread out over the weekend. As wonderfully delicious as ever, it just seemed so odd to be restricted in this way.

Although the traditional Thanksgiving weekend was over several weeks ago, I’m still musing over the blessings in our lives. A little picture posted above my computer screen (unknown number of years ago?) says it all: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer but because it has a song.”

(Chinese proverb).

If anyone claims to have the answers to what’s

Linda Wegner Words of Worth going on in our world right now, I suspect there’s an ulterior motive or some misguided information involved. There’s just one thing that I do know for sure, though: God is still in control and He doesn’t have to and certainly doesn’t always, let us in on His agenda. W hen it comes to end-times, apocalyptic or otherwise, I don’t have answers but I do have a song.

“My Jesus knows just what I need….” (Mosie Lister) Not only does He know what I, you, and every “we” reading this, He is there to grant us peace

and to supply our needs.

That’s cause enough for a song.

I wrote last week about the loneliness that can and often does accompany grey skies but again, these too shall pass.

As I was reading my Bible one day, this short prayer popped out at me and I related to David’s cry.

Although He was talking about physical enemies, his prayer to God spoke encouragement to my heart. The good news is that it is applicable no matter what our challenge.

“I am Yours, save me!” (Psalm 119:94 NLT)

Races are happening for reeve and Division 5 in the RM of Antler No. 61.

Bernard Bauch and Jocelyn Hainsworth are running for reeve. David Hutton and Darren Sandgaard are vying for councillor in Division 5.

Edmond Aime will be councillor for Division 1, Thomas Bastable will be the councillor for Division 3 and Donald Revet will be the councillor for Division 7.

In the RM of Moose Creek No. 33, Kelvin Luedtke and Howard Sloan are vying for reeve, while Kimberley Dietze and Tim Freitag are up for Division 3 councillor.

Jeremy Neielsen will be the councillor for Division 1 and Jeff Humphries will be the councillor in Division 5.

Kelly Brimner will be the reeve for the RM of Moose Mountain No. 63, and Donald Boutin will be the councillor for Division 1. There will be races for Division 3 councillor between Paul Delalleau and Rick DeGeer, and Division 5 councillor between John A. Wilson and Jessica Shirley.

In the Rural Municipality of Souris Valley No. 7, there will be an election for councillor in Division 5 between David Pattyson and Garry Kuntz.

Glenn Walkeden was

acclaimed as reeve, while acclaimed councillors are James Joice (Division 1) and Kevin Skjerdal (Division 3).

In the RM of Reciprocity No. 32, there will be an election for reeve between Alan Arthur and Wade McWhirter.

Roy Annetts (Division 1) and Louis Gervais (Division 5) were acclaimed.

An election will be needed for councillor of Division 1 in the RM of Browning No. 34 between Katia Bigney and Richard Brokop.

Pius Loustel was acc laimed as reeve, Derek Fichter will be the councillor for Division 3, Brian Fornwald will be the councillor for Division 5 and Stephanie Wourms will be the councillor for Division 6.

There will also be a race for reeve in the RM of Techumseh No. 65 between Zandra Slater and Dwight Sheils Jerry Wilkes was acclaimed as councillor in Division 1, George Ingram will be the councillor for Division 3 and Richard Bowes will be the councillor for Division 5.

The following RMs won’t need an election, and the candidates have been acclaimed.

RM of Argyle No. 1:

Allen Henderson (reeve), John Ryckman (councillor for Division 1), Krystyn Gillies (Division 3) and Sheldon Jeffery (Division 5).

RM of Mount Pleasant No. 2: Chad Baglole (reeve), Clinton Taylor (Division 1), Terry MacFarlane (Division 3) and Clint Paton (Division 5).

RM of Enniskillen No. 3: Trevor Walls (reeve), and Barry Fitzpatrick (Division 1), Ryan Nielsen (Division 3) and Rae Wright (Division 5).

RM of Coalfields No. 4: Richard Tessier (reeve), Heather Brokenshire (Division 1), Dylan Tokarchuk (Division 3) and Leonard Johnson (Division 5).

RM of Cambria No. 6: Darwin Daae (reeve), Robert Adams (Division 1), Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud (Division 3) and Joy Steinke (Division 5).

RM of Storthoaks No. 31: Brian Chicoine (reeve), Valbert Rekken (Division 1), Dell Real (Division 3) and Bernard Poirier (Division 5).

RM of Benson No. 35: David Hoffort (reeve), Jason Mack (Division 1), Gregory D ukart (Division 3) and Cordell Janssen (Division 5).

RM of Brock No. 64: Larry Gordon (reeve), Lucas Hislop (Division 1), Darren Ipplito (Division 3) and Douglas Ilchuk (Division 5).

Allan Yergens for City Council

35 Years of Experience & Knowledge

Municipal Council (elected officer) Money Management • Negotiation Skills • Result Oriented About Allan: • He grew up west of Estevan in the Outram area where he successfully farmed for over 45 years. Allan moved to Estevan in 2016.

• Served on RM of Cambria municipal council for 35 years, first as councilor then Reeve for 27 years.

• Served on St. Joseph’s Hospital Board & Mainprize Park Board.

• Negotiated with Sask. government when Rafferty Dam was build and separating the RM. • Involved in tendering for road building.

• Founding shareholder and board member for the Weyburn Inland Terminal.

• Estevan Kinsmen Club member for many years.

As a City of Estevan Councilor, Allan would like to see: • Improved access to recreation sites like Rafferty Dam & Boundary Dam. • Continue to pressure the provincial government for a new nursing home • Tax dollars used most efficiently

On November 9, Vote for Allan Yergens!

Their Country Needed Them, They Answered the Call.

Remember Them.

We Shall Not Forget.

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A18

Obituaries Louise Grace Seipp 1928 - 2020 Louise Seipp, late of Estevan, SK passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, October 19, 2020 at Hillview Manor, Estevan at the age of 92 years.

Louise was a woman of integrity, honesty, compassion, love, and care. This beautiful soul, our Mother, Mother-inLaw, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Godmother, Aunt, and friend has left a legacy of love behind through the lives of her family and friends. Louise always made any house a home and welcomed everyone with open arms.

Louise was a member of the Catholic Women’s League and of the Ladies Auxiliary at the St. Joseph’s Hospital. For the last 10 years Hillview Manor was home to Louise, she considered the staff to be her extended family. Louise will be greeted in Heaven by her parents, Otto and Catherine Schmidt; husband Leo Seipp Sr.; son Leo Seipp Jr; sisters, Elizabeth Chapman and Anne Dukart; as well as numerous in-laws. Left with precious memories are Louise’s children, Beverly Seipp, Gregory (Rita) Seipp, Elizabeth (Terry) Stone, Robert (Caroline) Seipp, Richard (Jackie) Seipp, Catherine (Dale) Reed, Michael (Glenda) Seipp, David Seipp and Timothy (Lesa) Seipp. Louise will be deeply missed by her 22 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; brothers-in-law, Gerald Seipp and Frank Dukart; sister-in-law Grace Carlson and numerous nieces and nephews; staff and residents of Hillview Manor and Betty Kreager who was not only a cherished friend but someone Mom regarded as family.

A Private Prayer Service was held on Friday, October 23, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Hall Funeral Services, Estevan with Connie Wheeler presiding.

A Private Funeral Mass was held at St. John the Baptist Parish, Estevan on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Sathiadas Antony presiding.

Private Family Interment followed at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, Estevan.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, 200 - 4545 Parliament Ave., Regina, SK S4W 0G3 in memory of Louise would be appreciated.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan cared for the Seipp family Deb Heidinger, Funeral Director.

The family of Louise Seipp would like to thank Rev. Sathiadas Antony, Connie Wheeler and the CWL Honour Guard. Thank you to everyone for the cards, phone calls, flowers, food, text messages, donations and kind words. A special thank you to the staff at Hillview Manor for the excellent care given to Louise.

Thank you to Deb Heidinger and Hall Funeral Services for their compassion and care.

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Saskatchewan drilling expected to take another nosedive: PSAC forecast

By Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter If this year wasn’t bad enough for the oilpatch, next year’s drilling activity is expected to be even worse, with substantially fewer wells drilled across the country.That includes Saskatchewan, which is projected to drill less than a quarter of the wells in 2021 than it did in 2014.

That’s according to the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC), which released its 2021 forecast via Zoom call Thursday from Calgary.

PSAC interim president and CEO Elizabeth Aquin was joined by Ben Brunnen from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), John Gibson from BMO Capital Markets, Rowena Gunn from Wood Mackenzie, and Bemal Mehta from JWN Energy.

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living memory in the oilpatch, and what is expected for next year and the following years.

“All in all, it has been a dismal year for the industry in general and for the oilfield services sector, in particular, that bears the brunt of the downturns earlier than our customers, laying off valuable employees sooner from lack of work, cost pressures and liquidity challenges,” Aquin said.

“We’ve seen, as others have mentioned, capital budgets have been slashed from the demand destruction of the pandemic, low commodity prices that this year fell into negative territory for the first time ever, and the continued protests and legal challenges over critical infrastructure that would give us access to the much needed global markets, continued uncertainty from federal policies and capital investments that are now threatened by the new ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) culture that questions investments in fossil fuels.”

The drilling forecast was based on assumptions of average oil price of US$42 per barrel for WTI, $2.50 per thousand cubic feet for AECO gas, and a Canadian dollar worth 76 cents US. The forecast for 2020 as the year wraps up is 2,850 wells drilled. For 2021, the expectation is 2,600, a decline of 250 wells for the entire country.

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For Saskatchewan, there were 1,889 wells drilled in 2019. The forecast for 2020 is 1,066 wells, a decline of 44 per cent. Most of those wells had been drilled in the first quarter.

For 2021, the forecast is just 900 wells, a decline of a further 16 per cent from an already devastating 2020. For reference, there were 3,665 wells drilled in Saskatchewan in 2014.

Alberta is expected to see similar declines, dropping from 2,401 wells in 2019, to a forecast of 1,348 for 2020, and 1,230 for 2020. Put another way, Alberta, whose oilpatch is multiple times larger than that of Saskatchewan, is expected to drill one third fewer wells in 2021 than Saskatchewan did in 2019, and that was a comparatively poor year for Saskatchewan.

Part of this is the dramatic increase in drilling rig efficiency, with rigs generally producing three times as much as they did five years ago. Mergers and acquisitions mean that five drilling companies now do 80 per cent of all drilling in Canada.

An important consideration is the length of wells, or meterage. Aquin noted that from 2014 to 2021, wellbores have grown, on average, 40 per cent longer.

In Saskatchewan, the average is now over 2,000 metres.

But total meterage has declined from over 25 million metres in 2014 to just over eight million in 2020, “a massive 67 per cent decrease in just six years,” Aquin said.That’s brought total meterage “down to levels not seen in recent history.”

The need for crude-by-rail

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is expected to drop to zero next year, according to Brunnen.

Aquin noted some service companies have benefited from the $1.72 billion well abandonment program to close orphan and inactive wells. She noted the work has been challenging and slower than hoped for; PSAC is projecting just over $450 million to be spent on well abandonments in 2020, and just under $700 million in 2021. All the funds must be used by 2022.

The work in Saskatchewan is expected to double from this year to next.

“On a positive note we’ve again already started to see some beginnings of recovery coming in Q3. So rig rates have started to increase,” Gunn said.

Regarding how Saskatchewan is doing, Gunn, replied in an email, “So we’ve seen Saskatchewan hit hard by the recent crash, in part because it is so heavily liquids weighted and the current environment has been a challenge.

“We do forecast cashflow for 2020 to remain positive but there has been deep implications for production. On average across Canada, we expect 2020 production to fall about three to four per cent, for Saskatchewan that’s much higher, at about 12 per cent.

Although we expect production will recover over the next few years, Saskatchewan is the only region where we do not forecast production to ever reach 2019 highs again.

“However, just to frame that a bit, by 2025, we expect it to be pretty close, only 1-2 per cent off 2019 production levels.”

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November 4, 2020 A19

Police responded to accidents from freezing rain Road junction. EMS attended the scene and treated and released one of the drivers for minor injuries.

The Este van Police Service (EPS) and North Portal Fire Department also responded to the scene.

Highway 39 was closed until a tow truck removed one of the damaged semis.

No charges were laid.

T h e RC M P t h a n k s motorists for their patience during these highway closures and remind motorists to drive according to road conditions.

The icy road conditions kept members of the EPS busy, too. Officers were dispatched to west Estevan for a report of vehicles that were unable to move as a result of freezing rain. The highway was blocked off by police for a short period of time until road crews from the City of Estevan and the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure were able to salt and sand the

CROSSWORD ANSWER

The icy road conditions created by freezing rain led to a number of incidents in and around Estevan on Oct. 27.

At approximatel y 9 a.m., members of the Estevan RCMP responded to a traffic incident on Highway 47 north of Benson.

A light rainfall with below zero temperatures caused a sudden onset of extremely icy road conditions, which caused a semi to slide off the highway into the ditch and another semi to partially block the highway. A service truck also entered the ditch.

There were no injuries.

The highway was closed for a short time until the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, assisted by the RCMP, were able to open the highway again.

Shortly after opening Highway 47, the RCMP responded to a collision of three semi-trailer units on Highway 39 at the 703 Grid

road surface. No collisions occurred in that area.

There was one minor collision reported in west central Estevan as a result of the slippery road conditions. Minor damage was sustained and no injuries were reported.

The freezing rain forced the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure to issue travel not recommended advisories for much of southeast Saskatchewan during the morning, while Environment Canada issued special weather statements for the Estevan and Carlyle regions.

• • • The Estevan RCMP is investigating the theft of a generator that occurred late

on Oct. 25 or early Oct. 26.

According to information supplied through the Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network, the generator is described as a white Terex generator trailer/light plant with the lights removed.

The engine is described to be a Kubota.

If you have any information please contact the Estevan RCMP at 310RCMP. • • • Members of the EPS attended to a central Estevan residence Oct. 26 regarding a domestic dispute in progress and a possible theft of a vehicle. Upon arrival, police were able to defuse the situation

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF ESTEVAN NO. 5 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act, that unless the arrears appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following amended list are fully paid before the 4th day of January 2021, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Part of Lot Part of Section 000217100 000932100

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF RONALD HENRY, LATE OF ESTEVAN, IN THE PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN, DECEASED. All claims against the above Estate, duly verified by Statutory Declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 15th day of December, 2020.

ORLOWSKI LAW OFFICE PROF. CORP. 1215 - 5th Street ESTEVAN, Saskatchewan S4A 0Z5

Head Office Box 5054, 2500 Victoria Avenue Regina, SK S4P 3M3 Canada

Liquor Permit Advertising Form Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, 1997, Notice is hereby given that Masterbuilt Estevan Lodging Ltd has applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) for a Restaurant permit & Tavern endorsement to sell alcohol in the premises known as Microtel Inn & Suites Estevan at 120 King St Estevan SK. Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this notice.

Every person filing a written objection with SLGA shall state their name, address, and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objection(s). Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds, and be legible. Each signatory to the petition and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious or competition based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing.

Write to: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Box 5054 REGINA SK S4P 3M3

LSD 9 NE

Lot

Sec.

17 32

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MOUNT PLEASANT NO. 2 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MOUNT PLEASANT NO. 2 land and title number described in the following list are PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN fully paid before the 11th day of January, 2021, an interest Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 11th day of January, 2021, an interest based on a tax Note: sum foragainst costs in amount required by subsection 4(3) of lien will be A registered theanland.

Blk.

Twp

01 03

Plan

Rge

08 09

Title Number

Total Arrears

Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is each parcel. included in the amount shown against each parcel.

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Part of Sec Twp Rge Meridian Section

Meridian

W2

130418490 136838830

W2

142186079 142186091

$1,575.68 $1,052.24

14

02

33

W1

106574373

618.08

20.00

638.08

35

02

33

W1

149603441

785.07

20.00

805.07

NE

32

03

32

W1

148820069

762.23

20.00

782.23

NW

32

03

32

W1

105325039

902.25

20.00

922.25

SE

32

03

32

W1

105325073

753.39

20.00

773.39

NE

34

03

32

W1

129276669

403.62

20.00

423.62

The Rural Municipality of Cymri No. 36 Municipal By-Election 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that: (1) A vote will be held for the election of:

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Title No.

27 1-3 13 29 15-16 L-M

02 01 03 3 E 14 Par H 01 20

10756 635 10756 10756 4947 AF2174 61A02222 635 76R43100

145168409 147050894 139605633 147016267 140299364 148846269 135141421 135545070 144746860

Total Arrears

NOTICE OF POLL

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 4th day of January, 2021, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

Plan

Advert Costs

Dated 4thday day of 2020 Dated thisthis 4th ofNovember, November, 2020 Lydia M. Hammell Lydia M. Hammell Administrator Administrator

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST VILLAGE OF GAINSBOROUGH PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Blk

Total Arrears

PT SE

Michelle Dickie Administrator

Lot

Title No.

SE

Dated this 30th day of October, 2020

11 02

Police arrested an intoxicated male who was banging on a bar door after hours downtown. He was arrested and lodged in cells until he could sober up and look after himself.

Police received a complaint on Nov. 1 of a mischief to property in the 1500-block of Second Street, in which graffiti was spray painted on a garage. Members then located more graffiti in the 1400-block of Second Street. The EPS is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying any suspects or persons of interest in this matter. Please call the EPS at 306-634-4767 or CrimeStoppers if you have any information.

The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Assessment Number

and ascertain that there was actually no theft involved.

One of the occupants left the residence without further issue. The matter remains under investigation.

Police were called to a disturbance at an apartment complex in northeast Estevan on Oct. 30. Once on scene, members were able to de-escalate the situation without any arrests.

Police received calls for service at two separate licensed establishments, regarding the current Public Health orders not being followed. Police are investigating both incidents further and will be in contact with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

Total Arrears Costs 220.00 1382.99 607.62 220.00 860.16 856.43 5666.35 909.51 1517.23

14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80 14.80

Total Arrears And Costs 234.80 1397.79 622.42 234.80 874.96 871.23 5681.15 924.31 1532.03

Coucillor for Division No. 6 (2) The vote will take place on Wednesday the 2nd day of December 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Midale Civic Center, 128 Haslem Street Midale, SK.

(3) I will declare the result of the voting at the Municipal Office, Midale, SK on Thursday the 3rd day of December, 2020, at the hour of 10:00 a.m.

Dated at Midale, SK, this 28th day of November, 2020 Sarah Leck Returning Officer

Dated this 4th day of November, 2020.

Stacey Johnson, Administrator

Tenders - R.M. of Estevan No. 5

Notice of Advance Poll

Tenders will be received at the office of the R.M. of Estevan No. 5, until 5.00 p.m. local time November 10, 2020, and opened at the next council meeting November 12, 2020, for Used Concrete Bridge Girders in “as is” condition:

The Rural Municipality of Cymri No. 36 Municipal By-Election 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that:

12 of 19” thick x 4’ wide x 20’ long concrete bridge girders 6 of 19” thick x 4’ wide x 30’ long concrete bridge girders

(1) An Advance Poll will be held for the election of: Councillor for Division No. 6

Bids may be for all or some; however, preference will be given to bids for the entire stock.

(2) The Advance Poll will take place on Friday, the 27th day of November 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Midale Civic Center, 128 Haslem Street Midale, SK.

For more information please contact RM office at 306634-2222. Girders can be viewed at the RM of Estevan Maintenance yard located in SE-35-2-8 W2nd. The highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

Please remit in a sealed envelope marked with “bridge girder tender” to: R.M. of Estevan No. 5 #1 322 4th Street Estevan, Saskatchewan S4A 0T8

Dated at Midale, SK, this 28th day of October, 2020.

Sarah Leck Returning Offcer

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• • • • •

Brochures Business Cards Invoices Oilfield Ticket Books Envelopes

• • • • •

Flyers Posters Menus Programs Labels

• • • •

Raffle Tickets Booklets Cheques whatever you need printed!

If you need it printed on paper, we can do it!

306-634-2654

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www.estevanmercury.ca

City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800 Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880

Municipal Election November 9, 2020

Church of God - 1920 Wellock Road 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

•

0

ADVANCE POLLS

MAIL-IN BALLOT

Estevan Fire Hall - 801-13th Avenue Getpm your Mail-In Ballot 11:00 am - 7:00 online at www.estevan.ca

or call Connie Spencer at November 2, 2020 LOCAL between 10:00 am & 3:00 pm GOVERNMENT ELECTION 306-634-1802 Monday

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL

[Section 82 of the Act] Whereas a poll is not required pursuant to The Local Government Election Act, 2015 for the office of:

(Section 81 of the Act] Notice of Poll

Board Member: Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division No. 140

TuesdayPUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that:

or Email a request to DRO@estevan.ca

Municipal Election November 9, 2020

1 A poll has been granted in the City of Estevan for the election of: 0 ADVANCE POLLS Mayor Councillor Southeast Cornerstone School Division No. 209 Holy Family Separate School Division No. 140

FRANKE, Becky MELLE, Karen

November 3, 2020 between 10:00 am & 3:00 pm Dated at Estevan, this 9th day of October, 2020.

•

Municipal Electio 0 Municipal MAIL-IN BALLOT Get your Mail-In Ballot online at www.estevan.ca or call Connie Spencer at 306-634-1802

Monday

November 2, 2020 between 10:00 am & 3:00 pm

November 9, 2020

or Email a request to DRO@estevan.ca

Tuesday

2 Voting will take place on Monday the 9th day of 0 Estevan Fire Hall DAY November, 2020, at the polling places listed below.ELECTION November 9, 2020 November 3, 2020 between 10:00 am & 3:00 pm

ELECTION DAY

Estevan Fire3 I Hall Election DriveThru will declare the result of the election at City Hall, 1102 4th Street, Estevan on the 9th day of November, 2020.

November 9, 2020 801 - 13th Avenue November 9, DriveThru

801 - 13th Avenue

Friday Oc tober 30, 2020 between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL

[Section 82 of the Act] Whereas a poll is not required pursuant to The Local Government Election Act, 2015 for the office of:

Polling Area

Board Member: Southeast Cornerstone Public School Division No. 209

#2

#1

Polling Place

Church of God - 1920 Wellock Road 8:00am-8:00 pm

Es tevan Fire Hall - 801-13th Avenue 11:00am-7:00 pm

Address

Church of God - 1920 Wellock Road 8:00am-8:00 pm 801 - 13th Avenue

Church of God (8:00 am - 8:00 pm) Estevan Fire Hall Drive-Thru (11:00am -7:00 pm)

1920 Wellock Road

2020

0

Friday Oc tober 30, 2020 KEATING, Kevin between 4:30 pm andDated 7:30atpm EsOctober, tevan2020.

Fire Hall - 801-13th Avenue MCCRIMMON, Eric Estevan this 9th day of 11:00am-7:00 pm Dated at Weyburn, this 9th day of October, 2020.

ADVANCE POLLS

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Tuesday SATURDAY LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM PUBLIC SWIM 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM LANE SWIM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

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THURSDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00Monday AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM November AQUA AWE 1:15 PM -2:00 PM2, 2020 SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

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FAMILY SWIM 6:15PM - 7:15 PM PUBLIC SWIM 7:15PM - 9:00 PM

•

MAIL-IN B

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TUESDAY LANE SWIM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM LANE SWIM 7:00 AM - 7:45 AM LANE SWIM 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM AQUA AWE 9:15AM - 10:00 AM LANE SWIM 12:15 PM -1:00 PM LANE SWIM 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM SURF & SWIM 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

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**NO NOV 6 OR 27 *** ONLY OCT 9,16,30 & DEC 4,11,18

SUNDAY 3, 2020 LANE SWIM 1200 PMNovember - 12:45 PM LANE SWIM 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM FAMILY SWIM between 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM DEEP WATER 10:00 am & 3:00 pm POWER 8:00 PM - 8:45 PM

or cal Connie Spen 306-634-1

or Email a re DRO@estev

PLEASE NOTE - Due to the pandemic-related protocols, Lane Swim, Aqua Step, A.I.S., Deep Water Power Awe programming has moved to a PRE-Registration process. Users must pre-register online or by calling the Information Desk. For all other activities space is limited. Patrons will be screened upon arrival and asked a few questions as per the Operational Health and Safety Guidelines. Water fountains are not available.

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ELECTION

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Estevan Fire Hall