Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Issue 39
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Scott Moe wins Sask. Party leadership race By William Acri wacri@estevanmercury.ca
“Just watch me” were the words from Scott Moe to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the carbon tax, moments after Moe won the Saskatchewan Party’s leadership race on Saturday evening in Saskatoon. Those three words were originally said by Justin Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott Trudeau, when a reporter asked him how far he would go in quelling the Front de Libération du Québec revolt that gripped the attention of the nation in the early 1970s. The elder Trudeau took it as far as invoking the War Measures Act, and if that’s the attitude Scott Moe is taking with the federal government on the carbon tax, 2018 is going to be a very interesting year for the people of Saskatchewan. It was a close race between Moe and runner-up Alanna Koch, with Moe winning the leadership by a margin of just over 1,000 votes on the fifth and final ballot. A2 » ESTEVAN
From left, new Saskatchewan Party leader Scott Moe with Estevan MLA Lori Carr at the Sask. Party’s leadership convention. Moe won the leadership race on the fifth and final ballot, and will be Saskatchewan’s next premier. Photo submitted.
Police board recommends one marijuana retailer in Estevan By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The Estevan board of police commissioners wants to see just one retailer selling marijuana in the city. The police board discussed the issue at its monthly meeting on Jan. 24. The provincial government had allocated two retailers for Estevan, but the police board thought that one was sufficient. Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said that when the information regarding the retailers first came out, municipalities were given two options. The first was to opt
out, and not have any dispensaries. The second was to have such businesses, and be allocated licences on a per capita basis, hence two licences for Estevan. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) would honour a request to have fewer retailers than what was allocated, Ladouceur said. “I did have some discussion, both with land development here very briefly, as well as with SLGA directly,” said Ladouceur. “It was more an inquiry with SLGA as to whether there is room to move the number of licences.”
The police chief was concerned that Estevan was allowed to have licenced dispensaries, which would be as many as Moose Jaw and Prince Albert, which are three times the size of the Energy City. “It begs the question of, in a community of 11,000 people, do we really require two establishments?” asked Ladouceur. At the same time, Ladouceur said the city could always seek a second licence in the future if there is sufficient demand. Ladouceur expects there will be a large emphasis on regulation of new
Collision north of Estevan leaves a pedestrian dead A pedestrian was killed after he was struck by a vehicle north of Estevan. Members of the Estevan RCMP, the Estevan Fire Rescue Service and the Estevan Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were called regarding the accident at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. The incident occurred
at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Township Road No. 25, about one-and-a-half kilometres north of the city limits. The pedestrian, a 27-year-old Estevan man, was transported to hospital by EMS, where he was pronounced deceased. His name was not released. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured and
remained at the scene until emergency crews arrived. An RCMP collision reconstruction investigator attended the scene. Traffic was detoured for a period of time and the road was reopened early Saturday morning. The RCMP continues to investigate the incident. No further details were immediately available.
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur dispensaries, and Mayor Roy Ludwig added there will be a large learning curve associated with marijuana sales, legislation and enforcement. “In fairness, from an enforcement standpoint, and from a monitoring standpoint, I think it would be prudent to start with one,” said Ladouceur. “The city is small enough that anybody who does want (marijuana can get it).” He said the city has the option of having no dispensaries, but he discouraged that direction. Ladouceur said it would open the door to black market sales, or allow black market sales to continue, and it would also
lead to people travelling to other communities. “If they’re not purchasing locally, they’re more apt to drive to another community to purchase, and are they then using that drug on the way back to Estevan, thereby increasing the risk of an impaired by drug (accident)?” said Ladouceur. “If legalization is there, and marijuana is available in most communities across the province, I think it’s obviously advisable to allow it (here).” Ludwig said people could also purchase it online. Location of the marijuana vendor is a factor the police board will have to discuss in the future, Ladouceur said. Some people have suggested that a dispensary should be in the industrial area, but he believes that could be an unwise move. “We don’t put our liquor stores in industrial areas,” said Ladouceur. So it means the business will likely need to be in a more visible area, and he said land development agrees. “As long as we have that there’s a distance they have to be from schools,”
said Ludwig. Lynn Chipley, who is a member-at-large for the police board, voiced a concern regarding high prices if there is just one retailer. It could lead to an alternative market, she said. The police chief expects there will be guidelines set by the province for pricing and taxation, just like tobacco or liquor, which he said is good news. Loren Resler, who is also an at-large member on the police board, wanted to know what would happen if three applicants were vying for a licence, since only one would be granted locally. Ultimately, it will be the SLGA that determines who gets the licence, Ladouceur said. “They have outlined publicly how that decision process would likely flow,” said Ladouceur. “It would likely go through a lottery process, with obviously a background check on applicants, and then they would decide.” He believes it will be a fair process. The police board’s recommendations will now be taken to Estevan city council.
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