COOK?? A13
MISSOULA CHILDREN’S THEATER
WHO HAS TIME TO COOK
WHO HAS TIME TO
Find Deals
A14
Estevan’s Crowds
Issue 21
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
www.estevanmercury.ca
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
Police find cocaine at Affinity Place The Estevan Police Service (EPS) is conducting an investigation after cocaine was found at Affinity Place during Tuesday night’s Power Dodge Estevan Bruins hockey game. According to police chief Paul Ladouceur a citizen located a substance in a plastic bag on the lobby floor and turned it over to the EPS. The bag was found outside the main washrooms. The substance later tested positive for cocaine. “The bag was seized and tagged to be destroyed after the powder was found to indeed be cocaine,” said Ladouceur. “When we tag an item for destruction it means that if there are no positive leads in a certain amount of time, the item will be destroyed. But we will certainly be carrying on our investigation, and will be looking at any video we can obtain, and talking to any potential witnesses we can find to determine where the drugs originated.” A large amount of children were present in the area, which is a cause for concern for the EPS. “We are urging parents to be cognisant, and to educate their children on the dangers of ingesting anything they find,” said Ladouceur. “The worst case scenario is a child could have found the package and thought it was candy or some kind of sugar and the results could have been catastrophic.”
According to Ladouceur the amount of cocaine found is often referred to as a “dime bag” and was most likely for personal consumption, and had an estimated street value of around $100. “We’re urging the community to report anything they find like this so we can investigate and take the proper steps,” said Ladouceur. “It’s a stark reminder of the drug situation in this community, and we will continue to work diligently to crack down on drugs and drug-trafficking in the community. We’ve said it time and time again, if you’re going to deal or traffic drugs in this community, you will be caught.” Police urge anyone in the community who finds a substance they believe to be narcotics to contact an officer so the substance can be properly disposed of. “If you find what you believe to be an illegal substance, and handling is necessary, we strongly encourage people to take the right precautions,” said Ladouceur. “Put on gloves or try to protect yourself in some way, and immediately contact police. Don’t try and throw out the product, just wait for police arrival so we can properly dispose of the substance.” Anyone with information regarding the drugs that were found is asked to contact the police.
Pete’s Run through the rain Late last week, American Peter Kostelnick ran through the city of Estevan on his way from Alaska to Key West, Florida. He ran 40-to-70 miles per day, even in conditions as inclement as we saw Friday. The self-supported Kostelnick ran from Weyburn to Estevan that day and as of Monday afternoon was midway through North Dakota. Photo by Corey Atkinson
City approves new cannabis policy The City of Estevan has adopted a new reasonable suspicion policy that will govern how it handles issues related to cannabis and alcohol use. In a document released at the Sept. 17 meeting of Estevan city council, the human resources department wrote that due to the legalization of cannabis, scheduled for Oct. 17, and the potential impact of medicinal cannabis in the workplace, the city is adopting the policy to add structure to its current practice of zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in the workplace. It also sets specific criteria for employees when reasonable suspicion occurs within the workplace. “The intention of this program is prevention,” the report says. “The goal is to protect all employees, contractors, and private citizens from harm resulting in the use of drugs or alcohol.” Reasonable suspicion is based upon the employee’s conduct, as observed by a person in a management or supervisory capacity. The manager-supervisor or workplace
safety co-ordinator may come upon this knowledge firsthand, or may be advised by a person who has observed the employee in a state that gives rise to reasonable suspicion. If an employee has grounds to believe a manager or supervisor is in a state which creates reasonable suspicion, they will inform the manager or supervisor’s immediate supervisor. The determination that reasonable suspicion or cause exists must be based on specific, direct and factual observations concerning the appearance, behaviour, speech or body odours of the employee. Reasonable suspicion guideline testing is based upon suspicious actions or behaviours that indicate probable use of drugs or alcohol. The manager or supervisor will approach the employee in a respectful, quiet manner. If the primary manager suspects impairment they will inform the employee, and they will contact a second manager or supervisor, along with a
human resources (HR) and union representative, to conduct a secondary assessment. The HR representative will review the process, interview the employee and act as a resource. If the primary and secondary manager or supervisor are not in agreement regarding impairment, HRR will then either confirm or deny impairment. If impairment is confirmed, they will then contact the testing agency and the employee will be escorted to a certified drug or alcohol testing facility for testing. If impairment is denied, the employee will be immediately returned to work. “The City of Estevan is under a legal obligation to ensure health and safety in the workplace, which includes taking appropriate measures to prevent workplace accidents arising from the inappropriate use of alcohol and other substances,” the policy states. As for over-the-counter or prescription medications, employees are expected to investigate, through their
physician or pharmacist, whether a medication can affect safe operation, and to take appropriate steps to minimize associated risks, including notifying their manager or supervisor if the medication could affect the safe performance of their duties. Also, employees shall not report for duty or remain on duty while having a blood alcohol concentration of .04 per cent or greater. An employee who is tested and found to have an alcohol concentration of at least .04 per cent, will be subject to an immediate leave of absence without pay pending a further assessment with a substance abuse professional. An employee who is tested and found to have alcohol concentration of less than .04 per cent but greater than or equal to .02 per cent, will immediately be removed from the workplace without pay until at least the start of the employee’s next regularly scheduled duty, and in the case not less than 24 hours following administration of the test.
As for cannabis, the policy states that the legalization of marijuana or an authorization or prescription for medical cannabis does not give the employee the right to use it in the workplace. “Both the city and the employee are subject to specific obligations with respect to the use of medical cannabis in the workplace,” the policy states. Those in safety-sensitive positions or duties, such as those who operate heavy equipment, are required to immediately disclose the use of medical cannabis to their manager or supervisor. Accommodations for medical cannabis are assessed on an individual basis. The policy will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet its objectives and that it remains responsive to current and evolving needs. It will also be subject to formal evaluation within one year after implementation and on a regular basis thereafter.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 306-634-3696 www.senchuk.com