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Issue 21
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY SINCE 1903
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Mailing No. 10769 | Publication No. 40069240
ESTEVAN’S
SOURCE FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
Candidates begin federal election campaigns By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The federal election campaigning is underway, and that means the candidates who have been nominated in Souris-Moose Mountain are out looking to win the public’s support. The election writ was dropped on Sept. 11, launching a 40-day campaign that will culminate with the election on Oct. 21. Four candidates have already entered the field: Robert Kitchen of the Conservative Party, Phil Zajac of the People’s Party of Canada, Judy Mergel of the Green Party of Canada and Travis Patron of the Canadian Nationalist Party. Kitchen, who resides in Estevan, won the Souris-Moose Mountain constituency in the 2015 federal election, was nominated as the Conservative candidate nearly two years ago. Since then, he has been meeting with constituents about their concerns and bringing those issues to Ottawa. It was good to have a head start on the field, but he doesn’t take it for granted. “You build on it time after time after time, and make certain that we’re building on it, and again, it’s a learning game, and we continue to learn and I’m continuing to learn,” said Kitchen. Prior to the election being called, and since the campaign started, Kitchen and his team have been lining up candidates. They have a campaign office open in Estevan – the only office they intend to have. A grand opening was held on Sunday.
“We’re getting out and getting signs up, and getting people who are volunteers, because lots of people have been coming to step forward as volunteers, in Weyburn, in Estevan, in Moosomin and throughout the whole riding,” he said. It is a big challenge to reach every community in the Souris-Moose Mountain riding, which is 43,000 square kilometres. As for the federal results, in order for the Tories to regain power, Kitchen said the party will have to help Canadians get ahead by eliminating the federal carbon tax and bringing in other measures. Kitchen was expecting an election to be called on a Sunday, either Sept. 8 or 15. Federal elections are traditionally called on Sundays, and Sept. 15 would have been the last possible date for the election. He criticized Justin Trudeau on his decision to call the election on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Phil Zajac, who also is from Estevan, was acclaimed as the People’s Party of Canada’s candidate in the spring. He brought party leader Maxime Bernier to the riding in July, and then attended the party’s first-ever national convention in August. “We learned a lot about campaigning and how to prepare and what to do, and when you live in a big district like SourisMoose Mountain, it’s a lot of ground to cover,” said Zajac. It’s going to take a lot of hard work in the next few weeks to win the constituency. A2 » LIBERALS
Fall is claiming its rights After the extensive rains Estevan received last week, the nature around the Energy City started switching to fall mode. Astonishing 30 C temperatures at the beginning of the week couldn’t trick the vegetation and more and more trees are turning colours making for picturesque views. The still water played along, doubling on the beauty of the landscape. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia
Feser reflects on fallen firefighters ceremony in Ottawa By Ana Bykhovskaia abykhovskaia@estevanmercury.ca
Firefighters from all across Canada and some from the U.S. met in Ottawa on Sept.8 to participate in 2019 Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFF) Memorial Ceremony and pay tribute to their fallen comrades. Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser, who attended the event as a zone director for the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs, shared his first-hand experience with the Mercury. “It was great,” said Feser. “Our organization sent a member, a director every year to attend to show support for this initiative.” It was the 16th annual memorial ceremony hosted by the CFFF. The ceremony itself took just one day, but there were other activities and events organized around it, so Feser had to be in Ottawa from Sept. 5-9. “We head out early because we fly out the fami-
Cheyanne Morrison, left, escorted by Rosetown Fire Chief Dennis Ogg and Dean and Gloria Morrison, accepts honourary helmet at the memorial in presence of the president of the CFFF David Sheen and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna. Photo courtesy of CFFF lies (of firefighters) that are going to be recognized that particular year. They typically come in on a Friday, so they are shown around and taken in the capital city as well. There are a few church services and whatnot that
are hosted and held for the families, suppers for dignitaries right until the actual ceremony on Sunday,” said Feser, explaining that there is always a lot of background work, too, that they help with such as prepping
and raking the grounds, setting up the chairs for the ceremony, cleaning off the memorial and getting the wall ready for the names of deceased firefighters to be unveilled. A2 » “IT’S LIKE...
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