Estevan Mercury 20210609

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Happy anniversary!

Downtown oasis celebrates its decennium.

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ESTEVAN MERCURY

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021

Estevan came together for a vigil honouring Indigenous children Safety first.

Local woman awarded for her safety efforts at workplace.

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Kid's Kollege Nursery School Big day. Kid’s Kollege Nursery School wishes farewell to little grads.

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Many people in the crowd wore orange T-shirts commemorating children that died in the government residential school system.

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Golf boom.

Oilfield Technical Society’s event attracts 290 golfers.

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2021 Graduates It’s Carnduff turn. CEC getting ready for graduation ceremony.

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As the deep words were said and the drums were played, dozens of people bowed their heads in downtown Estevan last Friday honouring the children who died in the residential school system.

The Métis Nation Saskatchewan Estevan Local No. 25 held a vigil in recognition of 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, on the site of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. Close to 100 people gathered by city hall to listen to drums, speeches and prayers, recognizing people that suffered and died in the residential school system.

The words and prayers said that day touched on many people attending the ceremony.

Métis Nation Saskatchewan Estevan Local No. 25 president Linda Sopp opened the ceremony.

“That is just the tip of the iceberg because there are many, many other places where that has happened,” said Sopp in regards to the discovery of children’s remains.

Elder Michael Lonechild from White Bear First Nations, who is also a famous artist, took the word first.

“It ’s a sad, shocking moment when you first hear stuff like that. Because like all of us, people, we love our children. Never hurt my children, will never do anything illegal,” Lonechild said.

He spoke to the people present at the ceremony about the need to see people first, not the colour of their skin.

“We all bleed the same colour of blood, that’s red.

We belong here, we all belong here now,” Lonechild said in his address.

He prayed in Cree and said that when the elders pray, they always pray for the children. He also played a drums song as a part of the vigil.

The Mayor of Estevan Roy Ludwig continued from there, making a speech on behalf of the city.

“It’s a privilege to be here today on behalf of Estevan city council and our community to recognize all of the pain and suffering that our Indigenous peoples, our Métis peoples and our

Inuit peoples have suffered over the residential schools … We’re looking forward to working with our Indigenous partners to turn the page on some of these very tragic events that have happened in the past,” Ludwig said.

He also said a prayer of St. Francis in English.

Elder Nor m F leur y from the Saskatoon area also gave a speech. He touched on many points, focusing on similarities and differences between people.

“As we all maybe don’t know, when we talk about the three Indigenous nations in this country, that’s First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, we all have the same but we’re not of the same, A2 » ELDER

From left, Elder Michael Lonechild, Elder Norm Fleury and Mayor Roy Ludwig said prayers to honour Indigenous children that suffered in the Canadian residential school system. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaiaa

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Elder Fleury spoke on differences and similarities « A1 we have distinction. And that’s linguistically, culturally, songs, stories, legends. We’re a totally different people,” said Fleury.

By the time of the vigil, the people of Estevan had brought over 250 pairs of children’s shoes to city hall in memory of the children who never returned home from residential schools.

Fleury noted that those shoes represent the questions about the system that existed in this country for over 160 years and remain unanswered.

“We haven’t answered those questions yet, of the five Ws and H. Who, why, what, when, where and how did that happen? You have to ask yourself that question,” Fleury said.

He added that just like Estevan has four directions to enter the city, people also need to learn to respect the different ways of life. But he pointed

out that there are also a lot of common points that bring the different people together.

“We have a lot in common. But we have a lot of those differences. And those differences are important because that’s what makes us who we are,” Fleury said.

“We need to empower ourselves. And we have to move forward. And we have to come together.”

Most vehicles passed by the gathering quietly, and a few honked horns in support of the cause, but one driver shouted swears while flying by the city hall. Fleury, who was speaking at the time said, “A lot of people are not ready, that’s okay, because people aren’t ready to go here, but you’re here, we’re here together, we’re here for a reason or we wouldn’t be here.”

Fleury finished by saying a prayer in Michif and encour-

aged those present to work together so that the future is different from the past.

“It was never a partnership like we’re standing together today. It was one way. It was called cultural genocide. And now we understand that, but we got to empower ourselves and hold our hands together and come together and work against this, so this never ever happens again.”

He also suggested that to be sustainable the change has to start from the bottom, from people living in communities like Estevan.

“This is not the end. It’s the beginning. And we’re going to work forever together, either in the spiritual world or here and stay connected,”Fleury said.

The ceremony came to an end with breaking bannock and fried bannock made by local women.

People who gathered by the city hall on Friday prayed for Indigenous children that never came home. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Mercury welcomes new freelance reporter My name is Josie Hlohovsky, and I am going to be a writer for the Estevan Mercury this summer.

I am a 17-year-old student from Estevan, and I have three siblings, including a twin sister, an older sister and a younger brother. My parents live and work in Estevan, and I went to school here until grade 10, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the city, cutting my grade 10 year off early, along with my sport. I play water polo,

a popular sport in Estevan.

I have been involved in water polo ever since I was seven years old, and when I first joined the Estevan Sharks water polo club, I was one of the worst athletes. Small, slow, a brick in the water. I got older, and I learned how to get better, even getting good enough to get the attention of Team Sask. coaches, a water polo group spanning all of Saskatchewan. Because of my interest, my twin and I became more and more invested in the

sport, and continued to play, finally culminating in my twin’s decision to move to Regina during her grade 10 year, leaving me in Estevan.

We played together that entire year, going on to qualify for a national tournament and winning more honours. We travelled to Edmonton, to Calgary, even across the ocean to Croatia, to play water polo, and were planning to go to Montreal for the national tournament. Unfortunately, most

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of my bigger ambitions and dreams were cut short by the pandemic, and I went on to stay in Estevan for the lockdown.

I have since joined my twin in Regina, attending Martin Collegiate high school, training full time in Regina under strict guidelines.

I’ve always had a big imagination, and beginning grade 9, I started to write my ideas down, creating short stories and small novels. My writing was cut short by intensive training

and a new job as a lifeguard at the Estevan pool, but, over the lockdown, I tried again. I wrote a lot, and ignited a new passion for writing. I became a contributor for the Estevan Mercury because I wish to pursue that passion, into

adulthood, hopefully.

I’m not very old, and I’m not very experienced, but I want to get some experience, earn what I hope is a good reputation, and I’m very glad to be working for the Estevan Mercury.

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Cornerstone Family and Youth Josie Hlohovsky

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Cornerstone Family and Youth is an important organization for the Carlyle area, providing programs for families that are accessible and often free.

there, allowing them to have two or three families together in a bubble.

“They provide programs for new moms, and it’s a way for new moms to get to know other new moms in the community, and for young children to start learning that socialization process at a very young age,” said Lauren Hume, the vice-chair of the Cornerstone Family and Youth board.

“We’ve been making Make and Take kits, and these are things that … families can do with their children, like a Father’s Day card or a bird-watching Bingo, which is what we have ongoing right at the moment,” said Hume.

Children will enjoy activities that are planned for them, to go along with games and materials.

“We usually have a mother’s time, and we try to invite people like the public health nurse to talk about things of interest to young moms. It might be something on vaccinations or something on feeding your child or toilet training or helping your children sleep through the night,” said Hume.

After school promote art and physical activity, among other topics, and they have activities on days in which there isn’t school.

Families are typically very positive in the feedback they offer for Cornerstone Family and Youth.

A few of the programs do have a registration fee, but most are free.

There might be a cost for a child to attend a summer camp.

“Sometimes there are families that can’t afford a low fee, so we do have things in place where we can help families out if they’re financially needing it for the programs,” said Hume.

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept Cornerstone Family and Youth from having in-person programs for more than a year. For a while, they tried some programs in people pre-registered for the time they would be

But the restrictions that were in place for much of this year prevented that from happening as well.

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Those kits have proven to be very popular, with people trying to get them ahead of time. Cornerstone Family and Youth has been supplying 30-40 kits per week.

A girls group for teenage girls is a mentorship program with older girls.

“We do activities together as a group, and the girls have an older girl who is not a sister or a mother to look up to and talk about things,” said Hume. “It’s been a very successful program over the years, and this year we’ve had to go to Zoom for it. Hopefully in the future we will be able to go back to in-person programming.”

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One thing that Cornerstone Family and Youth does not have is a designated location for its programs. They have made use of other spots in the community, such as the Carlyle Public Library. They are looking to eventually find a permanent home that would be suitable.

“We had reached the point where, pre-COVID, we had nearly outgrown the library,” said Hume. “We were having some days where we would have 40 or 50 children there. It was more than we could handle.”

Cornerstone Family and Youth has a dedicated group of volunteers and the board is a good group to work with, Hume said. They have worked hard to keep the programs going. They also have a full-time co-ordinator in Carli Wolbaum.

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Garden Park on Fourth to celebrate milestone decennium with several art projects

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Garden Park on Fourth, a stunning downtown oasis, is once again full of flowers and ready for people to stop by and enjoy.

This year the project started by Gale Tytlandsvik, the local green thumb and champion for community beautification, will mark its 10th anniversary. To make it special, Tytlandsvik decided to make the cozy area, located on Fourth Street between the Salvation Army and the SaskTel building, even more attractive by creating impressionist landscape murals on the east side and an art project on the west.

Originally, Tytlandsvik hoped to beautify the garden earlier, but the construction on the SaskTel side put those plans on pause. Now that all the construction debris is cleaned up, the plants are in and planters are painted, and she hopes to proceed with the art projects in the near future.

She wants to paint the Salvation Army building's wall sky blue, and then Brenda Blackburn will paint gold frames on which Tytlandsvik will eventually design landscapes, thus creating an outdoor art gallery.

"The first mural is going to be shades of pinks and purples. And

then I think we'll go into shades of yellows and oranges. And towards the end, blues and greens," Tytlandsvik explained. "We don't want it to compete with the flowers, so it's just going to be simple with elaborate gold frames."

She received a grant for materials through the Estevan Arts Council and the artists will volunteer their time and talent, but there will be more expenses coming with the project, some of which she'll cover with money left from planters and flower beds sponsorships and through donations from the community.

Tytlandsvik also hopes to create a metal art piece along the west wall to cover up the air conditioner box on the SaskTel building. Dart Services already installed the poles, and an oil company donated one-inch rods, which Tytlandsvik will use to build an art piece this year.

Also new this year is a small vegetable and herb garden along the west side of the little park that also can be enjoyed by citizens once it’s fruiting later this summer.

When the garden was just starting, many people said that it would be vandalized or even destroyed.

However, throughout the 10 years, there were only a couple of minor incidents, and on the bright side,

there was a lot of positive feedback as many people utilized the garden to have a break, enjoy the flowers or take some beautiful shots.

"I love that people tag me now on Facebook when they've done wedding pictures or something in here," Tytlandsvik said.

Especially at the beginning of each season, the garden takes a lot of her time, but Tytlandsvik is doing her best to organize everything so it's as low maintenance as possible.

There is a lot of work to do throughout the summer. Besides taking care of plants, Tytlandsvik always has some improvements to do. In the near future, she hopes to see a pergola put up to create some shade over the garden and also hard-rubber paving installed around the planters.

While the first one will make the garden more comfortable for visitors, the second will turn it into less work for volunteers, as it's an easily washable surface that doesn't catch any debris and also prevents weeds from coming up.

However, as these projects are pretty expensive, they are not in the current garden's budget. If someone wants to support Tytlandsvik's efforts in beautifying downtown, they can reach her through The Garden on 4th Facebook group.

The person behind the entire project, Gale Tytlandsvik is to start working on murals to beautify the downtown oasis even more for its 10th anniversary. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Children learn about the importance of bike safety during family centre clinic on the weekend Young people were able to learn about the value of bicycle safety during a free clinic hosted by the Estevan Family Resource Centre on Saturday at the Royal Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park.

“This is a great time of year to do it, because lots of kids are going to be out riding their bikes over the summer, so it’s good to make sure they’re safe,” said family centre executive director Jennifer Dunne.

Const. Don Dechief from the Estevan Police Service was present to speak to the kids about basic safety tips for bicycles.

Fifteen kids participated in a morning session, and another 12 were part of an afternoon class. All participants in both groups were between the ages of six and 12.

“It’s always great (to have in-

terest), and it’s good that we’re able to keep events free, which is what we do at the Estevan family centre, and it’s great to have support from the community with lots of parents who really want to learn.”

DeChief and the family centre talked to the kids about the importance of riding safely, wearing a helmet, making sure they know what they’re doing on the roads and concentrating on their biking.

“Make sure you’re confident and that you know how to ride on a street,” said Dunne.

Some of the cyclists were beginners, while others have been riding a bike for a few years. But they were all really confident and willing to learn the tools and tips that were presented.

“I know that a lot of the

schools are teaching some of the rules of the road for bike safety, so some of the kids know them already, know some of the arm signals, and for some of them it’s new, so it’s great to be able to give them some of those tools,” said Dunne.

Children jumped on their bikes and weaved their way around some mounds set up on one of the park’s pathways.

Thanks to the response from the community, Dunne said the family centre would look at hosting a bike safety class again, likely earlier in the year.

The family centre tries to keep everything they offer free, and they receive funding and donations to have programs to ensure that everyone in the community can participate.

Carter Abbott weaved his way around the obstacles set up at a bicycle safety clinic.

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Weathering a financial storm It used to be an ominous day, unless you revelled in other people’s struggles: the presentation of the audited financial statements for the City of Estevan.

Those days are past.

The document was released at last week’s meeting of Estevan city council. It showed that the city has done a reasonable job of weathering the financial toll from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes, the city took a hit on fees and services, but that was to be expected. After all, user fees for the Estevan Leisure Centre were going to be down because the facility was closed for 2 1/2 months, and some people weren’t as eager to get out and exercise or use a program as they were pre-COVID. And facility rentals were going to be down as well, because of restrictions on gathering sizes and limitations on what we could and couldn’t do.

Taxes receivable were up due to the pandemic, because some people didn’t have as much money as they did a year earlier.

Not that many years ago, the city would have to dip into the overdraft or need shortterm borrowing in order to pay the bills until property taxes came in during the middle of the year The city continued to pay down its long-

term debt, which is the excess of liabilities over assets, and reduce the long-term debt, although it should be noted that long-term debt does account for much of the city’s liabilities, so paying down the long-term debt should, in theory, result in a lower net debt.

There’s work to be done, but the picture is still better than it was a decade ago.

Council and the city like to point to the net debt, which was at $18.3 million at the end of last year, compared to $19.6 million at the end of 2019, but most of the public is more concerned about the long-term debt, which decreased from $23.7 million to $21.1 million.

It is an encouraging sign that both forms of debt are still lower than it was at the start of 2020.

When COVID-19 first hit Saskatchewan nearly 15 months ago, we didn’t know the impact it would have on municipal coffers. We knew that it wouldn’t be as bad as the provincial and federal governments; after all, the city wasn’t going to have to trot out stimulus spending, or programs to help out businesses hammered by the pandemic, or people who lost their jobs.

But the city was still going to feel the pinch of lost user fees, and allowing people to defer their property taxes and utility bills

to a later date.

From an overall financial perspective, the city was in pretty good shape at the end of last year. And once things do return to normal (or get as close to normal as we’re going to get for a while), the financial picture should still be pretty good.

Oh sure, we’re always going to be able to think of things we’d do differently. We’d spend less in certain areas, or not at all in others. We all want to see lower taxes, although a lot of us would be surprised at just what our property taxes and utility rates pay for if we did find ourselves in the decision-making seat.

We can all think of a few areas where we wish council would spend more. We can all think of a few roads that we wish the city would resurface, especially in residential areas, although many might be surprised just how expensive it is to repair a road, especially if the underground infrastructure has to be repaired first.

Yes, the city and the elected officials can always do better. And they should always strive to do better. But when you look at where the city’s finances were when 2020 began, and where they were at the end of the year, they did a pretty good job of weathering the financial storm brought on by the final 10 months of 2020.

If you forgot how to be happy, look at cows 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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The last few weeks I spent a whole lot of time working cattle.

Cows and their little ones, some of which are not that little anymore, made me work out more than any Hollywood coach could.

And oddly enough, besides a nice stretch of running days, these big funny mammals also gave me a good life lesson.

After a long and cold winter in the yard, the herd was ready to go out. But it took Mother Nature a while this year to dump some rain over the southeast and nourish the soil with moisture, allowing pastures to come back to life and turn green. So we had most of the stock by our side until June.

Days and nights their hooves were trampling the dirt, carrying their big bodies around and turning the carrels into a grey desert of blowing dust. Once the rain turned ditches green, the juicy grass became a real temptation and the fence wasn't a hindrance anymore for at least one curious black cow with a white face. She turned breakfasts out on the grass into a good tradition, and docilely returned to her baby once we would open the gate every morning.

While calves were just happy to stick to their mothers, it seemed that they wouldn't mind getting out on the grass for the first time in their lives either. Their noses were often covered with dirt making them look somewhat like hounds, proudly returning from digging a fox out of its hole.

We love our cows. But, I'd say we also were 100 per cent ready for a bit of a break from taking care of the cow community with enough offsprings to fill a decent-sized school.

Even though everybody was ready to get cows out of the yard, it wasn't a fast and easy thing to do. The procedure itself required several people, quite a bit of time, a lot of patience

Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… and tonnes of energy. With whoops and hisses in an ocean of tails, chewing mouths, big, soft flanks, hairy napes, tapping hoofs, snivelling noses, big warm eyes and alarmed shaggy ears, we had to find cow-calf pairs, bring them into a smaller pen and then get them separated for a few minutes to ensure the babies were healthy and ready to spend the summer away from home. For those short moments cows, usually calm and quiet, turned into trumpets of Jericho, trying to break not such a solid fence wall with their almighty mamas' voices.

The calves wouldn't make the transfer easy either. Kicking and bunting, these 200-pounders were trying to fight their way back to mamas. I only caught one kick, but I definitely mastered the art of ducking and jumping up the fence almost to the level of a clumsy Ninja Turtle.

And since all this excitement was happening right here, in southeast Saskatchewan, our traditional wind gently added to the joy of the adventure, as the battles accompanied by cows' acapella were happening in the dusty clouds.

When all the preparations were done, calves were loaded into one trailer and cows into another one. We could finally leave the sandy hell behind and head out to the beautiful destination.

We parked trailers side by side and opened the doors. First carefully, but more confident with every moment, cows and calves started coming out.

In the first seconds, anxious mamas went running to find their babies. But once the animals realized that nothing bad happened, they noticed how green it was around and all of a sudden they changed completely.

Have you ever seen cows dance? That's what happened.

Cows and calves started running and jumping, throwing back legs up and tilting their heads towards the grass as if they wanted to put a notch of freshness on themselves.

They weren't so much eating as sniffing and celebrating. And I could have sworn that I saw a bunch of smiles flashing on their faces as they were doing their welcoming summer dance.

That was the moment when I also realized that true happiness comes from small and simple things, which are also very real and which we need the most. In a chase for some big achievements or endless things, we don't really need, we too often forget about being happy and celebrating life around us, being grateful for changing seasons, fresh air, food and water, blue skies and solid ground under our feet.

We rush through life so much, planning for tomorrow, for the weekend, next vacation, kids' college, retirement, that we forget to find satisfaction in the moment that we have right here, right now.

There, out in the pasture, smiling while watching dancing cows, I once again learned that happiness pivots on living in the current moment rather than aiming at some future achievements.

The future isn't guaranteed. The current moment is all we have to be happy. And the best way to do so is to express gratitude for everything we have now. And that's exactly what those cows did.

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| Wednesday, June 9, 2021 | estevanmercury.ca

David Willberg

Each office is independently owned and operated.

“Estevan” will remain on the city’s water tower

Willberg’s World

I’ll take it for granted again It was a weird feeling on the weekend. It felt like 2019.

I was actually out in the community and covering events.

There was the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s Oilmen’s Golf Tournament, the opening day of spray parks in the city (just in time for a heat wave), a bicycle safety clinic offered by the Estevan Family Centre, and the opening day for the Southeast Performance Pump U18 AAA Twins baseball team.

There was more to cover, but there’s only so much space in the paper.

It was definitely a weird feeling to spend time sorting through photos for this week’s paper. In many weeks over the 15 months, the photos I’ve had to sort through have been submitted pictures or file photos.

We haven’t spent a lot of time just being out in the community.

I look forward to doing it more often. And I know I’ll eventually take it for granted again.

We’re into Phase 1 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Road Map, or the sequel to the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan. There are things we can do now that we couldn’t do a few weeks ago. In a week and a half, we’ll be into Step 2, and we’ll be able to do even more.

Maybe, just maybe, on July 11, we can stop wearing our masks when we go into a business (some national businesses might still have mask mandates) and we can pack the grandstand at the Estevan Motor Speedway with 1,500 people.

Of course, we’ll need people to keep getting vaccinated, and my guess is we’ll need our current case count to remain low.

If July 11 rolls around and we’re able to bid adieu to masks, social distancing and crowd limitations, both indoors and outdoors, then we should be thankful. We can shake hands, hug and sit next to a stranger without feeling nervous. We can see each other’s smiles again.

We won’t have to worry about self-isolation any longer.

All of these actions I’ve listed above are ones that most of us will enjoy. Some won’t; they’ll still have the lingering concerns about the pandemic that has touched every aspect of our lives.

And eventually, all of these actions will become normal again, and we’ll take them for granted.

Yes, there’ll be the “remember when” comments about COVID, when we reflect on the months in lockdown in spring 2020; the time spent living with restrictions, wondering what activities would be the next to be called off; and crossing our fingers that we don’t get hit as hard as other parts of the world, or even other parts of the country.

But those thoughts will subside.

I could sit here and tell you that in a year, I’ll still have that incredible feeling of going out and covering something.

But that would be a lie. I know I’ll take it for granted. I’ll likely take it for granted six months from now.

That doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy going to golf tournaments, or attending council meetings without a mask, or entering the hospital or a school for an event. I’ll enjoy them, every bit as much as I enjoyed them before March 2020.

But the day will come when I won’t think of how unique it is to do those things. It’ll be something that I really enjoy doing, as part of a job that I really enjoy doing.

In two years, I won’t be thinking how special it is to be at an Estevan Bruins hockey game against the Kindersley Klippers on a Saturday night. Excited to be there?

Absolutely.

I’ve missed seeing smiling faces. I don’t like taking pictures covered by masks. I want to see the smile on a kid’s face when they know their picture is going into the paper. I want to see the smile on a recipient’s face during a cheque presentation.

And I want to have people stand shoulder to shoulder for photos. Socially distanced photos don’t work in print.

Again, though, these are all things I hope I won’t have to think about in a few months’ time.

Eventually, it won’t feel special boarding a plane or travelling to the U.S. for a Sunday drive.

And that’s just fine with me.

Estevan’s water tower will retain its famed paint job once refurbishments to the structure are complete.

The repair work that will be taking place on the City of Estevan’s water tower this year will not result in the elimination of one of its most recognizable features.

Estevan city council discussed painting and lighting for the water tower during its meeting on June 4. Among the issues that came up was whether to still have “Estevan” painted on the structure, with the quotation marks around the community’s name.

In a report to council for the meeting, Shane Bucsis, the manager of the water treatment plant and the wastewater treatment plant, said there would be a “major refurbishment” of the water tower this year, which would require repainting the tower after construction was complete. Bucsis wanted council’s input on whether to retain the current paint scheme, which is grey with “Estevan” in black paint.

Options he presented were to maintain the status quo; paint the City of Estevan’s logo on the tower while leaving the rest of it grey; remove the quotation marks from around Estevan; get feedback from the public on the colour scheme; or decide how Estevan would be painted on the tower while keeping the structure grey.

LED lights will be installed at the bottom of the tower, shining to the base of the bowl. These colours could be changed

for different events.

“The more creative or different colours that are needed for the tower, the more expensive the cost would be to paint the tower,” said Bucsis. “At this time, I do not have a cost for different colours … it would vary on the design. As well, the more variety of colours, they will fade differently. The repainting of the tower can get quite expensive as touch-ups are needed for the paint.”

Lighting for the tower was looked at in the past and it was around $60,000.

The cost of the lighting will be included in the refurbishment project. The City of Estevan is using gas tax funding from the federal government for repairs to the tower.

Members of council were quick to voice support for keeping the quotation marks around Estevan.

“I love the modern aspect of our logo, but I also think the icon of our quotation marks is just so cool,” said Councillor Travis Frank.

Councillor Shelly Veroba said one of the first questions she received when she was elected to council for the first time in 2016 was about the quotation marks.

While it’s not known for sure, Veroba said it’s believed the person who was hired to paint Estevan on the water tower saw that there were quotation marks around

the city’s name on the paper, and took that literally.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said there will still be an arrow atop the water tower pointing towards the Estevan Regional Airport.

Councillor Rebecca Foord said she was a little leery about putting the logo on the repainted water tower, in case the city changes its logo. The city would then have to pay money to repaint the building with the new logo.

“I really do like the idea of the lights.

There are a lot of cities, bigger cities … that light up their big monuments in order to commemorate certain things or for big events,” said Foord.

When asked by Councillor Tony Sernick about which colour would work best with the LED lights, Bucsis said grey is the preferred option.

It was noted at a council meeting late last year that while the water tower is structurally sound, there is work that needs to be completed, including: making the metal thicker for some spots on the bottom bowl; replacing the piping for the tower; making the hatches the proper size; repainting the exterior and installing bird deterrents; recoating the inside; adding cathodic protection to reduce long-term wear on the metal; and replacing the walkways.

Creating a big splash Bennett Kowal was among the young people excited to be at the splash pad at the Royal Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park on Friday afternoon. Friday was the opening day of the season for the spray parks, and young people and families flocked to them amidst a heat wave in the southeast. There are also splash pads at Padwick Park and the Dennis Moore Centennial Park; they are slated to remain open until September.

Photo by David Willberg

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Estevan’s MADD chapter now has a crashed car A smashed-up vehicle will be making appearances in Estevan this spring and summer, but it ’s not something that should cause people to panic or call police.

The Crashed Car Campaign is an initiative of the Estevan chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Connie Hagel, who is the chairperson for the local MADD chapter, said they have a car that looks like it has been in a serious collision. It has the MADD logo and a few other sponsor decals.

“It’s just a visual of what

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can happen if you drive impaired,” said Hagel. “It’s another awareness thing that we’re going to do.”

The crashed car will be in the community in June and July. The first location is the Estevan Comprehensive School.

It arrived on June 2, and will shift locations every two weeks.

The Comp. was selected because it’s a high-traffic area, the school year will be finished soon and it serves as a good visual reminder for the students.

“We just want to make

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everybody, not only the students but the parents who are driving them in and out of the Comp., aware. I thought it was a good place to start. All of the other places that I pick will be the entrances to the city,” said Hagel.

If she can save one life through the Crashed Car campaign, Hagel said she’ll be happy.

The Crashed Car has been utilized by MADD Canada for a number of years, and Hagel said it has proven successful in other provinces. Since it went so well, Hagel wanted to have it in Estevan. MADD Canada provided its blessing.

“It’s a really good tool to use for awareness, and it was in MADD Canada already, so it’s not like it’s something new. We’re just bringing it into Saskatchewan now,” said Hagel.

She’s not concerned that people will see the Crashed Car and call police,

Estevan MADD Chapter chairperson Connie Hagel, left, and Sgt. Evan Handley with the Estevan Police Service flank the crashed car. Photo submitted thinking that an actual collision has occurred. “ The Estevan Police

will know that it’s out there, and there’s no mistaking that it’s a visual aid to help

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us show people what happens when people do drive impaired. This vehicle was not in an accident. We make it look like an accident, but it hasn’t been in an accident.”

Hagel noted she has had the support of the Estevan Police Service, the Estevan RCMP, Saskatchewan Government Insurance and other partners on the project and for the MADD chapter.

The decals will be highly visible, and there’s no doubt it will be a MADD vehicle.

Estevan MADD chapter volunteers will also be out in the community this summer to perform checkstops with local police officers.

They were part of the stops during the Victoria Day long weekend.

Hagel also wants to have the Impaired Driver Caught Here signs at locations in which local police have apprehended an impaired motorist.

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Recreation dance club found way to give the kids a season they would remember

This year’s graduating members of the Estevan Recreational Dance club are, from left, Abi Ross, Paige Wilson and Kendra Cossette. Photos submitted The past 12 months have brought plenty of challenges and rewarding experiences for the Estevan Recreational Dance Club, and they still gave the members the chance to showcase their skills.

The club had 160 kids between the ages of three and 20 this year. The number of dancers was down from the 190 they had in 2019-20, but considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooke Wilson was pretty happy with the numbers.

They wrapped up their season in May with a couple of annual highlights: their photo and costume on May 15, and their fifth annual recital May 29 and 30. “ The photo day was pretty emotional for me, just getting to see the kids’ smiling faces again, since when they were getting their photos, they could hand the mask really quickly to a member of their household,” Wilson told the Mercury.

To see their smiles, while in their costumes, and

with their hair and makeup, and to see them so happy, meant the world to Wilson.

“They’ve had so much hardship in the past year and a half, and they’ve lost out on so much, and I wanted to really make sure that dance was not something they were going to miss out on,” said Wilson.

The recital was held at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. The dance club set up a mock stage with curtains and a stage floor, and the goal was to make it feel like a proper stage.

“Throughout the weekend, we would cycle our groups in. They would have 15 minutes in a waiting area, where they would rehearse, and then 15 minutes in the performance area,” said Wilson.

The performing arts guidelines allowed for very limited performances, with an audience of under 30, so the club wanted to have parents come watch their kid dance in a small but memo-

rable setting.

“It was really important to me that the parents came and saw all of the hard work that their kids had put into the year, despite all of the challenges that we faced,” said Wilson.

Members of the dancers’ immediate families could attend. Chairs were separated by three metres. And after the dancers performed, the chairs were wiped down for the next group. Groups didn’t come into contact with each other.

For many of the kids, it was their first recital in front of a live audience.

The club also has three graduating students who deserved some form of a send-off: Kendra Cossette, Abi Ross and Paige Wilson.

Wendy Godfrey recorded the recital on video, and the plan is that for those classes that were split into two or three groups, the videos will play alongside each other at the same time, so that it feels like the whole

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group is dancing together.

The video will be available for the dancers’ families.

The 2020-21 season started by applying the finishing touches to the previous season, which ended early due to the arrival of the pandemic. Students filmed their routines.

Then they officially started the new season in October. A few kids didn’t come back due to the pandemic, but the club still had a healthy contingent of dancers.

Practice sessions happened at their new home – the old stone church at the

intersection of Third Street and 12th Avenue. It was a perfect, beautiful location for them.

The kids adjusted to all of the hurdles tossed their way, including a mandatory mask mandate in November, and restrictions of no more than eight students in a class at a time.

“That threw us for a bit of a loop, but we split some of our classes into two or even three groups, depending on the size, and they would alternate weeks in the studio. When they weren’t in studio, they would join us live through a Google Meet,” said

Wilson. “We would have half of our class on my computer, watching and dancing along with us.”

It was hard for the kids that they couldn’t see all of their friends every week, but they would still interact through technology.

Traditionally they would end their season in March, but due to a late start and the adjustments in practices, they extended the season.

The parents have also been very patient with all of the changes, Wilson said, and did a good job of adapting and giving the kids the best year possible.

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Oxbow Chase the Ace found lucky winners

By Ana Bykhovskaia The Oxbow and District Recreation Board's virtual Chase the Ace reached its historical high before it went to three lucky winners on June 2.

There were 20,000 tickets to sell, and Tami Scott, an active member of the recreation board, said it was a real communitybased project with a lot of participation.

The enormous support that the board saw from people all across the province and especially the southeast, reinforced by an impressive jackpot, allowed the board to sell out tickets before the deck of cards was gone and two weeks before the licence expired.

It meant that almost a week before the final draw date, the jackpot was sitting at its historical high of $60,006.

"We certainly didn't expect the rush that there was and it was exciting. It was very busy, but it was exciting. People started purchasing immediately after the second last draw," Scott said.

With 19 cards left in the deck, the last batch of 2,336 tickets was sold in 18 hours, bringing the weekly pot to $4,672. It was won by Allan Coffey on the draw day.

Since the Ace of Spades and an impressive jackpot coming with it had to go, the game continued. On the eighth try, the lucky ticket with the names of Oxbow's Ken Hood, Mae Durante and Sam Dickson on it was drawn. Hood, one of the winners, explained that Dickson has a superstition about the number eight, which helped them win the game.

"The number eight is lucky in Chinese. We were the eighth person to pick a card. Ken picked and he told his wife, if her name comes up, she has to pick eight. And our number comes up. And he picked eight and that's where the Ace of Spades was," Hood shared.

He added that winning felt "excellent," as "money always helps no matter what, not that we couldn't live without it, but it's nice that it went local."

The three individuals came

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Winners of the Oxbow and District Recreation Board's virtual Chase the Ace were, from left Ken Hood, Mae Durante and Sam Dickson. Photo submitted together to buy one ticket almost by an accident.

"Mae is the restaurant owner (in Oxbow). We go and have coffee and breakfast there pretty much every Friday. And the pot was getting bigger, so I told her she should buy some tickets because I didn't know if she knew about it.

And then she said, 'Well, how about we go in together?' And I said, 'Well, if the two of us are going together, we have to get the luckiest person I know, Ken, in too. So he showed up and we all threw our money in together and for about a month we're buying every week and it worked out good," Hood shared.

While they played together, the jackpot they won will help each one of them in a different way.

"I've got a Visa I'm paying off and I'm going to side my house, which we're doing anyway but this will help pay for the siding. Mae, she is from the Philippines, and she is going to put money towards her car and she was planning to go sometime later this year to Philippines to see her mom.

And Ken, he's probably going to donate quite a bit back to the town, the community. He says the older you are, you don't need as much money.

We'll help out the town a bit," Hood said.

Winners also thanked

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everybody for participating and supporting the community.

The game raised $100,000 for the rec board's needs allowing them to focus on some of the projects this year and to continue improving the community facilities in 2022.

They hosted this event to raise funds for the five facilities it is responsible for in Oxbow: the community rink, the swimming pool, the memorial hall, the Ralph Allen Memorial Museum and Bow Valley Park. Among other expenses, these funds will contribute to paying off the debt of the new

swimming pool and will help cover the projected cost of a new hall, which the recreation board says they would like to construct within the next seven or eight years.

"The projects this year are for the swimming pool, where we're helping to repay the debt, and the rink is saving up for some new equipment. So that's where the money is going to go this year," Scott said.

The board also thanked all involved with the successful fundraiser.

"Thank you so much to the rec board members for

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working every week, to Bob Goodward and Kimberley Sully on being our designated proxies, to Rhonda Hodgson and the staff at Affinity Credit Union and to Christy Hook and staff at the Town Office for doing in-person sales every week and finally to Lian Heiser who made sure all the etransfers and money part of the game were well looked after.

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Audrey MacMurchy saluted for her commitment to safety on the job

By David Willberg A local woman has been recognized for her commitment to promoting safety when on the job.

Audrey MacMurchy, who works at Kingston Midstream (KM) Ltd. in Estevan, is the winner of the WorkSafe Saskatchewan Safe Worker Award. The recognition is presented by WorkSafe Saskatchewan, a partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety.

“It’s quite an honour and it’s quite exciting,” said MacMurchy. “I feel honoured and humbled and quite grateful that they offer this award to give a pat on the back for what they feel is a job well done.”

An administrative assistant for the project, engineering and integrity department at KM, there are six groups and 42 employees with the department, which covers engineering services, project services, operations engineering, integrity, projects and construction.

MacMurchy started with KM in 2014 as a temporary contract administrative assistant on a six-month contract, and within three months she

had a permanent full-time position. Most of her time has been spent in project, engineering and integrity.

“Safety is a number 1 priority for the Kingston Midstream company as a whole,” MacMurchy told the Mercury. “We are always on the watch for doing all of our work safely, and making sure everybody gets home safe.”

She’s not part of the safety department, but she does a lot of work on their behalf.

The safety department and other department managers set the safety standards and requirements, she said.

The project managers keep safety as the highest priority during the project design and planning stages. The construction co-ordinators use their expertise in procedures and stay focused on field safety.

“The inspectors oversee and maintain safety at the work site. There are many more KM departments and employees with the same uncompromising attention to safety. It’s a lot about common sense and always doing the right thing, even when it seems inconvenient schedulewise or cost-wise.”

The decisions may be individual but it’s also a huge team effort.

Estevan leads in June Crown land sale Saskatchewan's June public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights held on June 1 generated $516,069 in revenue for the province, and the Estevan area drew the most interest.

This public offering is the second of six oil and gas sales scheduled for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

The Estevan area was, again, the major focus for bid activity, bringing in $438,874 for 16 parcels totalling 1,519.862 hectares. The highest bonus bid received on a parcel was $226,911 for a

129.500-hectare lease in the Estevan area.

This was also the highest dollars per hectare received on a parcel in this offering at $1,752 per hectare. The lease was awarded to Crescent Point Energy Corporation and is prospective for oil in the Bakken formation.

Of the total 42 parcels posted, 24 parcels received acceptable bids. These bids covered 3,814.759 hectares and the average bonus bid was $135.28 per hectare.

The next public offering is scheduled for Aug. 10.

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MacMurchy spearheaded the creation of a checklist which includes health, safety and environment components to ensure new employees have all the necessary information.

She also ensures contract inspectors have access to safety manuals and have all required document templates.

“I assisted in the development of our COVID-19 Preventative Measures Plan for contractors and vendors during the project construction phases. I assist the project managers in ensuring the current safety documents are communicated to inspectors and contractors,” she said.

MacMurchy personally submits hazard identifications and task observations to the safety department as part of their accountability.

“Communication is key to safety. Talk it over. Ask the questions, then make a decision how to proceed.”

After all the stringent safety assessments and measures taken to ensure safety, the company still needs to be prepared in the event of an incident. MacMurchy is a member of the KM incident management team (IMT).

“O ur emergency response co-ordinator has spent countless hours planning for incidents and training our IMT and our emergency response team. If anything ever goes wrong we will respond quickly; all knowing what we need to do, when we need to do it.”

In the very early stages of

COVID, KM developed plans to keep employees safe, both while continuing to work and in general.

Mental wellness is a huge part of safety as well.

The people she works with at Kingston Midstream have always been very receptive to the message she has.

“We all live a safety culture at work and at home.

We’re always on the lookout for safety,” she said.

At home, there are always discussions with her sons before doing any tasks, such as if they need safety glasses, or if they have proper gloves on.

She’ll ask them to make sure they’re wearing the proper footwear, and ask them to be careful when driving or doing work around the home.

Even with the Estevan Roadrunners running club that she is part of, she encourages people to dress appropriately for the weather, and wear ice cleats if they’re jogging during the winter.

MacMurchy believes every employee at Kingston Midstream would be a deserving recipient of this award, and there are lots of people in other companies who would be excellent choices.

Among the other nominees for this 2021 award are her fellow workers Brodie McColl, Travis van Meer, Don Dukart, and contractor inspector Rodney Scholpp.

“Safety is about caring – caring about the people, the environment and property.

And then taking that caring a

Audrey MacMurchy, who works at Kingston Midstream’s Estevan office, holds the award she received from WorkSafe for her commitment to safety. Photo submitted step further by planning and carrying out safe practices, fulfilling WCB’s WorkSafe Saskatchewan’s Mission: Zero - zero workplace injuries, zero fatalities, and zero suffering,” she said.

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A10 June 9, 2021

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

2021 WATERMAIN FLUSHING SCHEDULE The City of Estevan will be flushing watermains to ensure good water quality for all users of City water. This work includes the turning of main water valves around the City and flushing large quantities of water from various hydrants in each area. During this process you may notice a substantial drop in pressure, this will be brief. As well, discoloured water is possible during the days your area is scheduled for this work (see schedule below), please run a faucet, (bathtub is best), for a few minutes until the water is clear again. Please contact City Hall at 634-1800 if issues persist. Thank you for your understanding during this important maintenance!

(1) Thursday, and Friday- June 10-11 Area bounded by Perkins Street and Luscar Park on the North, Water Treatment Plant on the South, Woodlawn Ave on the West, and Hwy 47S Service Road on the East (Includes Luscar Park, City of Estevan Public Works yards, and businesses on Hwy 47S Service Road) (2) Monday – Friday- June 14-18 Area bounded by 6th Street on the North, Valley Street, 1st Street, and Westview Place on the South, Alice Road and Woodlawn Avenue on the West, and Souris Avenue on the East (includes Westview, Central, and downtown regions) (3 Monday- Friday June 21-25 Area bounded by 6th street on the North, McDonald Road and Perkins Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington Ave on the East (includes the Eastend, Bay Meadows, and Valley view regions, and Jubilee Place) (4) Monday –Friday June 28-July 2 Area Bounded by City Cemetery on the North, King Street on the South, Sister Roddy Road on the West (formerly Woodlawn Avenue), and Souris Road (Hwy 47N) on the East (includes Dominion Heights, Pleasantdale, and Royal Heights regions, as well as Cundall Drive, Woodend Place, Chinook Bay and Hwy 47N Service Road) (5) Monday – Friday July 5-9 Area bounded by Spruce Drive and Princess Street on the North, King Street on the South, Souris Avenue on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes Hillside and Scotsburn regions) (6) Monday -Friday July 12-16 Area bounded by King Street on the North, CPR Railroad on the South, 14th Ave on the West, and Kensington on the East (includes 7th Street, 8th Street, 9th Street, Centennial, Trojan, and Soo Industrial regions) (7) Monday- Friday July 19-23 Area bounded by Kensington on the West, Sawyer Road on the East, North and South City Limits (includes Glen Peterson Industrial Park, East Industrial, Southeast Industrial regions, and properties along Hwy 39E Service Road)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

A Message From The Mayor Rotary Lobsterfest is June 19, 2021.

Please contact any Rotarian to get your tickets.

Pursuant to subsection 187 (1) of The Cities Act, notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the City of Estevan for the year of 2021, has been prepared and is open to inspection April 21, 2021 to June 21, 2021.

Notice of Assessment

The Assessment Roll can be viewed on our website www.estevan.ca, as well assessment information can also be obtained by calling 306-634-1811. Please note due to the current situation regarding COVID-19 the assessment roll will not be available for viewing at City Hall at this time.

Any person having an interest in any property who wishes to appeal the assessment of that property to the Board of Revision is required to file a notice of appeal in writing to: The Secretary of the Board of Revision, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, SK S4A 0W7 on or before the 21st day of June, 2021.

Dated this 21st day of April, 2021 Trina Sieben Tax Assessor

2021 Storm and Sanitary sewer main jetting Beginning Monday, June 14, 2021 and continuing to Friday, August 27, 2021, the Public Works Service Division will be carrying out a Domestic Sewer Main Flushing/Jetting Program between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the occasional carry over to 6:00 p.m. During the periods of jetting, residents are advised to securely cap basement floor drains.

2021 Program Area will encompass all streets North of 6th Street, and East of Souris Ave within City limits including: Hwy 47 Service Road Drader Street Princess Street Edward Street Albert Street Isabelle Street Eva Street Henry Street George Street King Street Smith Street Souris Avenue Victoria Avenue Alexandra Avenue Arthur Avenue Dufferin Avenue

OUR ESTEVAN: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN BYLAW NO. 2020-2039

Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Estevan, pursuant to Section 207 of the Planning and Development Act, 2007, will consider adoption of the Our Estevan: Community Development Plan Bylaw no. 2020-2039.

The intent of the Bylaw is to provide a comprehensive longterm land use vision for the City that will manage land use through the next decade. The vision is within the framework provided through the Planning and Development Act and the Statements of Provincial Interest regulation. The Bylaw may be accessed through the City Clerk’s office or by contacting Land Development Services.

Interested parties may contact Land Development Services to discuss this Bylaw through appointment.

Prior to consideration of this Bylaw, a public hearing will be held: Date: July 12, 2021 Location: Council Chambers, City Hall Time: 6:00 PM The public hearing is your opportunity to make presentations directly to Council. Those unable to attend may submit written comments to the City Clerk.

City Clerk, cityclerk@estevan.ca City Hall, 1102 – Fourth Street, Estevan, S4A 0W7 The Bylaw may be viewed at City Hall during regular office hours or viewed online at www.Estevan.ca.

Brooks Road Clasky Drive Abbott Bay Frehlick Bay Symons Bay Rooney Road Ross Court Wahba Court Seregella Place Sillers Street Matchett Bay Kensington Avenue Nesbitt Drive Bourquin Road

Bannatyne Avenue Pine Avenue Poplar Bay Spruce Drive Phillips Place Garner Place Edward Place Garrish Place Maple Bay Willow Bay Yardley Place Hastings Place Milne Crescent Holmgren Bay Petterson Drive Heritage Drive

The Council of the City of Estevan pursuant to the Cities Act that the Council of the City of Estevan, gives notice of its intention to implement bylaws to establish and statutory authority to set Property Taxes and Service Fees within the City of Estevan

PUBLIC NOTICE

On May 31, 2021 meeting the first reading of these bylaws was passed and the final readings is expected to be on June 14, 2021.

The proposed Bylaws 2021-2042, 2021-2043, 2021-2044, 2021-2045 may be inspected by any person in the City Clerk’s Office, on the main level of City Hall, between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday.

Dated this 2nd day of June, 2021.

Judy Pilloud 1102 4th Street Estevan, SK S4A 0W7

FITNESS

ESTEVAN LEISURE CENTRE - 2021

SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE - May 10 - June 30, 2021 Sunday

Monday

SPIN

6:10 am - 6:50 am *NOT ON MAY 24

SPIN

9:10 am - 9:50 am

SPIN

10:10 am - 10:50 am

GRIT

9:10 am - 9:50 am *NOT ON MAY 24

EASY STRETCH

10:10 am - 10:50 am

Tuesday

Wednesday

GRIT

SPIN

6:10 am - 6:50 am

6:10 am - 6:50 am

SPIN

CORE BARRE ABOVE

9:10 am - 9:50 am

SPIN

10:15 am - 10:55 am

*NOT ON MAY 24

Thursday

SPIN

6:10 am - 6:50 am

SPIN

9:10 am - 10:15 am

9:10 am - 9:50 am

CORE BARRE ABOVE

10:15 am - 10:55 am

10:30 am - 11:10 am

SPIN

Friday

Saturday

GRIT

6:10 am - 6:50 am

GRIT

9:10 am - 9:50 am

SPIN

9:10 am - 9:50 am

EASY STRETCH

10:10 am - 10:50 am

GRIT

11:10 am - 11:50 am

AFTERNOON / EVENING

SSES NO CLA 4TH MAY 2

SPIN

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm *NOT ON MAY 24

DEEP WATER POWER 8:00 pm - 8:45 pm

SPIN / CORE

5:10 pm - 6:10 pm *NOT ON MAY 24

SPIN

5:30 pm - 6:10 pm

SPIN

5:30 pm - 6:10 pm

SPIN

SPIN

6:30 pm - 7:10 pm

5:30 pm - 6:10 pm

WEIGHT ROOM OPEN

9:00 am - 9:00 pm

!

OPEN

6:00 am - 10:00 pm

OPEN

6:00 am - 9:00 pm

OPEN

6:00 am - 10:00 pm

OPEN

6:00 am - 9:00 pm

OPEN

6:00 am - 9:00 pm

OPEN

9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Must be 16 years of age to participate in fitness classes and have a completed Par-Q Questionnaire prior to participating in classes. The questionnaire lets our fitness instructors determine abilities and needs of each participant.

PLEASE NOTE - Due to the pandemic-related protocols fitness registration has moved to a PRE-Registration process. Users must pre-register online or by calling the Information Desk. Patrons will be screened upon arrival and asked a few questions as per the Operational Health and Safety Guidelines. Drop in is available for the weight room. Space between workout stations have either increased or a machine has been put into 'not in use.' Water fountains are not available.

www.estevanmercury.ca

June 9, 2021 A11

Mind, Body & Soul Communicating during conflict; keys to improve assertiveness

W

hether arguing or sharing our point of view, communication is key to healthy, long lasting relationships.

However, learning to do it effectively is challenging. Understanding the different types of communication styles is a great starting point to effectively communicate in relationships.

There are four main communication styles. Each style will get you different results, but assertive communication is often the most effective for healthy relationships.

Passive: Passive communicators often believe others’ thoughts and opinions are more important than their own and do not share their opinions often due to fear or nervousness.

Aggressive: Aggressive communicators, on the other hand, share their opinions at the expense of others and in a way that may demean the other person in the conversation.

Passive-aggressive: These communicators may seem passive in the moment and do not directly address conflict but will often express their true feelings to others.

When dealing with passive-aggressive communicators, you often don’t understand where you stand with them.

Assertive: Assertive communicators show respect for those in the conversation. Someone who is assertive will be honest and open without becoming hostile or offensive. Being assertive is a great tool to express feelings, needs and thoughts, and to increase self-esteem.

Key tips for assertive communication include being fair, clear and confident

when expressing what is expected. Additionally, try to use relaxed, positive body posture and maintain good eye contact while expressing feelings openly and respectfully.

One way to express feelings respectfully is to focus on one’s own feelings and the situation rather than the other person.

This can be done by using “I statements” instead of “you statements,” which help to diffuse situations of conflict.

An example of a “you statement” is, “You are always late and never respect my time,” which often feels like an attack.

A “you statement” can turn the recipient defensive, shut down communication or escalate the situation.

Conversely, an “I statement” is, “I feel insignificant when my time is not respected.” This version focuses on the situation rather than the other person.

Practising this skill and communicating more assertively leads to healthy, long lasting relationships based on respect.

You are not alone. If you need someone to talk to, contact Envision Counselling and Support Centre to find out more about rapid access programs like walk-in counselling and Bridging the Distance.

These programs accommodate both inperson and telephone needs. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 9-1-1.

I

Ups and downs

found it hard to choose a theme for this week’s article, not because there weren’t ideas in my head but rather that there were so many.

On a positive note, our son arrived this weekend for a short but most welcome visit. On a more sombre note, it’s been months since we first planned a get-together.

COVID restrictions kyboshed that one, but back to a positive note, this much anticipated time is Len and his wife’s added demonstration of their love and care to us.

As if we haven’t heard enough of COVID, it’s great to see that our provincial number of cases continues to decline. One not-socelebratory aspect of this is that there still are folks who refuse to acknowledge the severity of the pandemic and consequently, who refuse to take precautionary measures as stressed by our provincial government.

Above all of this, however, is the gut wrenching and heartbreaking revelations of the pain and death of so many Indigenous children forced into residential schools.

We live fairly close to a First Nations territory and I have a number of friends from there. In speaking with

them, I’m amazed at the strength they’ve displayed in choosing to move forward.

Their local government and ours work together on a number of projects and I am extremely proud of all of those involved.

Divisions and challenges have faced humanity throughout all of history. I doubt that there is anyone reading this article who hasn’t come face-to-face with seemingly insurmountable difficulties nor, hopefully, with times of great joy and rejoicing. Ups and downs we call them.

Let’s never forget that belonging to Jesus Christ doesn’t exempt us from the severity of the “downs” but neither from the hope that is found in Him. Amen.

“My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 12:30)

Linda Wegner Words of Worth

3 strategies to protect mental health Improving one’s overall health and maintaining that health over the long haul can have a profound impact on quality of life. Routine exercise can serve as something like a fountain of youth that allows people to keep their cardiovascular fitness, metabolism and muscle function on par with their younger counterparts.

When attempting to improve long-term health, it’s important that people emphasize mental health as much as they do their physical health.

In regard to mental health, prevention efforts can function

in much the same way that exercise serves physical health.

Routine exercise helps people to maintain healthy weights, reducing their risk for various conditions and diseases.

Preventive efforts designed to improve mental health can significantly reduce a person’s risk for anxiety and depression.

Various techniques and strategies can be utilized to promote mental health, and these three are simple and highly effective.

1. Get enough sleep Sleep loss can contribute to emotional instability. The

amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for humans’ emotional responses. When an individual does not get enough sleep, his or her amygdala goes into overdrive, leading to more intense emotional reactions. The prefrontal cortex is another part of the brain that needs sufficient sleep to function properly. Without it, the prefrontal cortex, which is integral to impulse control, cannot function properly. Adults can speak with their physicians about how much sleep they should be getting each night.

Those needs change as indi-

viduals age.

2. Eat a balanced diet A balanced, healthy diet doesn’t just benefit the waistline. A balanced diet that includes protein, healthy nonsaturated fats, fiber, and some simple carbohydrates can reduce the likelihood that mental health issues like fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritability will arise during the day.

3. Volunteer in your community People who volunteered in the past were more satisfied with their lives and rated

their overall health as much better than people who didn’t volunteer. Perhaps the most noteworthy finding in the study was that people who began volunteering with lower levels of well-being tended to get the biggest boost from volunteering. Volunteering provides opportunities to socialize, which can help ward off the loneliness that can sometimes contribute to anxiety and depression.

Mental health is important, and protecting it should be part of everyone’s health care regimen.

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A12 June 9, 2021

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Kid's Kollege N

Children enjoyed lear

From left, Lilah Teixeira, Violet Garrioch, Maddie Grobbink, Ava Reinhardt and Blakely Clearwater enjoyed the pirate day at Kid’s Kollege Nursery School. Photo submitted

The young children who were enrolled at the Kid’s Kollege Nursery School at the Estevan Alliance Church enjoyed the experience and had a good year together.

Twenty-four students ages three and four were registered this year.

One class of 12 met in the morning every Tuesday and Thursday, and the other class of 12 met in the afternoon, also on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Owner and teacher Mandy Littlefield said the past year featured a pirate treasure hunt, a year-end teddy bear fancy tea party, gym ac-

tivities and much more.

“We have lots of stories, and finger plays and songs. This year we weren’t able to sing, so we did more rhymes and action rhymes and things like that to get the kids involved and learning things,” said Littlefield.

They always go through the alphabet, colours, shapes and numbers, and they talk about seasons, months, holidays and days of the week.

COVID-19 restrictions kept them from have show and tell sessions, and it meant that it

was a differe Littlefield sa still had fun learned.

Two we line classes in April, she parents pic son packets lessons we Parents an watched th home and crafts and together.

The fou will be read into kinderg year.

“They ar to go and l ward to go

www.estevanmercury.ca

June 9, 2021 A13

Nursery School

rning at Kid’s Kollege

ent year, but aid the kids n while they

eeks of onhappened e said. The cked up less and video ere posted. nd students he videos at completed worksheets

ur-year-olds dy to move garten next

re all ready looking foroing to big

school,” said Littlefield.

A graduation ceremony was held last month. The pre-school tried to hold it outdoors, but it was a cold, windy and rainy day.

“Each family came one at a time and we have a little graduation bridge that they walk across, and then they could collect their little diplomas and have some picture opportunities. We were able to have some outside, but then we also had some opportunities inside for photos and stuff, because the weather was not co-operating with us

that day,” she said.

In a nor mal year, Kid’s Kollege would have a little program for all of the parents, but they weren’t able to have that this year, so they went with the individual graduation times with the invited guests.

Littlefield is a second generation owner of Kid’s College. She took it over in 2005, but her aunt started it in the late 1980s. Kid’s College has two teachers with Littlefield and Judy Moroz.

In the fall they plan to be back to the regular class size of 16 students in each.

Students learning in the classroom at Kid’s Kollege Nursery School. Photo submitted

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A14 | Wednesday, June 9, 2021 | estevanmercury.ca

601 - 5th St. • Estevan, SK

Payden Benning wins OTS Oilmen’s golf tournament The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) had a great turnout for its 64th annual Oilmen’s Golf Event, held Friday and Saturday at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course.

Ash Domes, who was the chairperson of the golf event committee, said they had 290 golfers. The weather cooperated, the sponsors were supportive and the golf course was great to work with.

A few more golfers were entered on the first day than the second.

For this year’s tournament, the entrants played 18 holes on either the Friday or the Saturday, and the person with the lowest score was the winner. Payden Benning fired a 1-under-par 71 to take top spot.

He finished tied for first with Austin Orsted. Benning was declared the winner because he had the lower score on the back nine; Benning finished with a 34 over the final nine holes, while Orsted shot a 36 from holes 10-18.

D re w Fe nw i c k came in third with a 72.

Domes said they had no problem in getting everyone to complete their round each day, despite the number of golfers entered.

“Everyone finished it off in good time. We got e ver yone set in place. Everything went smooth, mostly due to the golf course,” said Domes.

The Oilmen’s is known for its strong social element, and this year was no different,

despite the pandemic.

A supper could still be served in the clubhouse for the golfers once they finished their round.

“The feeling was a lot of people were good to get out and interact with people they haven’t seen at a platform or an event, or where they haven’t been able to be in a group setting for a long time,” said Domes.

The golf course was in excellent shape for the weekend, Domes said, especially when one considers that the southeast hasn’t received much moisture since the golf season began, outside of during the Victoria Day long weekend.

Everyone followed the rules that were set out by public health, and everything went well, Domes said.

Payden Benning, middle, accepts the Oilmen’s golf tournament championship trophy from Estevan OTS president Tony Sernick, left, and tournament committee chair Ash Domes.

Minor ball teams enjoy success to start season The Southeast Performance Pump U18 AAA Twins baseball team opened their 2021 season by splitting a pair of doubleheaders.

The Twins started with a 5-4 win over the Saskatoon Giants Saturday at Lynn Prime Park. The Twins scored three times in the first inning and twice in the second to lead 5-2, and then the teams settled into a defensive battle.

Carter Beck and Callum Holinger each had two hits and two runs batted in (RBIs) for the Twins.

Kaiden Lyons earned the win on the mound, allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Giants recovered to beat the Twins 14-7 in the second half of the double bill.

The Twins scored five times in the third to lead 5-2, but then the Giants tallied 12 times in the fourth.

Kieran Stewart had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins.

He also came on in relief as a

pitcher and didn’t allow a run in the final three innings.

The Twins opened their next double header with a 9-7 win over the Regina Athletics on Sunday. The Twins scored four times in the first and added three in the second. Holinger had three hits, three runs and an RBI. Bryson Andres came on in relief, and gave up two runs, both unearned, in four innings to get the win.

The second game saw the Twins give up five in the first inning, and trail 7-3 after six, but then plated three in the seventh to nearly pull off the comeback.

Spencer Copeland had four hits and two RBIs for the Twins.

Aiden Trimble gave up six runs, four earned, and struck out seven in 3 1/3 innings.

Their next game is June 9 when they host the Regina Wolfpack at 7 p.m. at Lynne Prime Park.

• • • The Estevan U18 AA

Mason Fichter takes a swing during the Southeast Performance Pump U18 AAA Twins opening game of the season Saturday against the Saskatoon Giants.

Brewers had a perfect start to open the season, sweeping doubleheaders against the Weyburn Beavers and the Regina Paces.

The first game against Weyburn was a back and forth contest that saw the lead change hands several times, but the

Brewers scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to win 14-13. Logan Romaniuk knocked in the winning run, and Tyler Saigeon led a balanced attack with three hits and four RBIs. Kaleb Bechtold and Riley

Niven were on the mound for the Brewers.

The next game saw the Brewers fall behind 3-0 early, but then took over in a 13-3, six-inning rout of the Beavers.

Each player the Beavers dressed had a hit, with Saigeon getting three RBIs. Tayce Miller and Cade Bendtsen didn’t allow a run in 5 2/3 combined innings of relief.

Estevan then swept the Regina Pacers in a doubleheader Sunday. The Brewers led 7-2 after two and limited the Pacers offensively from there. Bechtold and Bendtsen each had three runs for Estevan.

Hunter Stewart picked up the win by allowing two runs in four innings, while Bendtsen didn’t allow a run in three innings of relief.

The Brewers wrapped up the weekend with a 3-2 win over the Pacers. Kaleb Poole knocked in the winning run for the Brewers in the bottom of the seventh. Saigeon had two

hits and an RBI for Estevan.

Miller allowed just two runs, one earned, in 6 1/3 innings of work, while Romaniuk pitched 2/3 of an inning in relief.

Their next game is June 9 at the Beavers.

• • • The Estevan TS&M 13U AAA Estevan Brewers travelled to Moose Jaw to face the Canucks in a doubleheader to start the season on June 5.

In the first game, the Brewers were down five runs in the top of the seventh inning and scored seven times to take a 13-11 lead, only to have Moose Jaw score twice in the bottom of the seventh for the game to end in a 13-13 tie.

The Brewers carried that momentum into the second game, and behind strong pitching and timely hits, they beat Moose Jaw 15-8.

The Brewers next games are June 12 at home versus the Regina White Sox.

Saskota Baseball League looking forward to starting June 15 A long-time fixture of the spring and summer sports scene in southeast Saskatchewan is less than a week away from its scheduled start date.

The Saskota Baseball League’s opening night is slated for June 15.

President Kelby Trimble said they will have the same regular season format as last year, with nine teams divided into three divisions.

The Estevan Tap House Wolves, who reached the league final last year only to be defeated by the Carlyle Cardinals, will be in the west division, along with another Estevan team, the Southeast Diamondbacks, as well as the Arcola Threshers.

The Cardinals will be in the North Division. Joining them are the Kenosee Cubs and the Kipling Royals.

The East Division has the Oxbow Chiefs, the Carnduff Astros

and the Redvers A’s.

“Each team will play a home and home within their division, and then play each other team just once,” said Trimble.

Teams will play a total of 10 games in the regular season. Most of the games will be Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Harbourne Memorial Tournament is scheduled to proceed this year, if the Saskota Baseball League gets the go-ahead. The Harbourne tournament has traditionally been the method for deciding a league champion, with most of the games played at Kenosee Lake.

Last year saw the league have a more conventional playoff system, with best-of-three series for the quarter-finals, semifinals and final.

Games for the Harbourne would be played during the Saskatchewan Day long weekend.

“At the league meeting, it was voted that the Harbourne was definitely (what they wanted),” said Trimble. “Everyone didn’t mind the playoff system, but I think everybody likes the Harbourne because it’s been going for how many years, it’s at a nice provincial park and you get to have a fun weekend.”

It also brings the whole league together for the competition.

Trimble said the players in the league are eager for the season to begin.

They’re still looking to find out what tournaments, capacity levels and even provincials will look like this year. Provincials are tentatively scheduled to happen the week after the Harbourne tournament.

“Everything went great last year in the Saskota, and everything’s going to go great again this year,” said Trimble.

The Carlyle Cardinals are the defending champions in the Saskota Baseball League. File photo

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June 9, 2021 A15

Riley Raynard excited to have new race car, and thankful for all the support that made it possible A long-time driver in the Estevan Motor Speedway’s (EMS) hobby stock division is excited to have a new race car, and he believes it should extend his racing career.

Lampman’s Riley Raynard raced the car for the first time at the May 30 season opener at the EMS. It was a learning experience, especially when it comes to the hand controls on the vehicle.

“I think we could do some things that could help make it a little bit easier yet, but other than that, a little bit of adjustments here and there, and it should be pretty good,” said Raynard.

Raynard picked up the car a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be gone for a few days, but it ended up being a nine-day absence. Parts had to be ordered, and he needed to ensure everything needed was there.

He’s looking forward

to racing the car once all the kinks are worked out. He went off the track four times during the opening program, but still wound up sixth in the hobby stock feature.

“It’ll be awesome. I can’t wait to get that thing going around the track well,” said Raynard.

Raynard’s exploits in racing have been well-documented. Born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, he started racing a hobby stock in 2012 at the age of 14, has won numerous races and has been recognized for his commitment to the sport. In 2014, he was awarded the prestigious Ken Schrader Real Racer Award from Speedway Illustrated magazine.

He is among the drivers at the EMS who has supported Laps for MD, donating $1 for each lap led to the fight against muscular dystrophy.

His previous car had a

Home run derby a fun afternoon Local softball players were able to showcase their power on May 24 as part of the inaugural Blanny’s Gear Charity Home Run Derby.

Jordon Blanchette, who owns Blanny’s Gear and who organized the event, said they had 12 players entered. It was a good opportunity for people to get out and do something.

Quinn Brown defeated Preston Leatherdale in the final of the single knockout elimination event. Brown hit nine home runs over the course of five rounds.

The longest home run was 361 feet.

There was also a women’s bracket with four women entered. Cathy Blanchette was the winner with four home runs.

Jordon Blanchette also had a radar gun set up to measure velocity when players were hitting balls off a tee.

Devin Shirley was the winner at 93.3 miles per hour. A total of 35 people hit in the velocity contest.

People reached out to

Riley Raynard drove his new race car for the first time at the Estevan Motor Speedway season opener. Photo

by Byron Fichter Fotography hand brake to the left of the steering wheel, and a sprint car pedal that was attached to the ground.

The pedal had a ring around the top of his foot so his foot could rest on the ground.

The new car has full hand controls. “ We have a brake to the right of the steering

wheel, and that controls the brakes fully. And there’s a ring … that probably only goes around the back of the steering wheel, and I pull the ring to use the gas,” said Raynard. “We have to figure that out a little bit more, but I think once we get the steering a little bit easier, then I think it’s going to work a lot better.”

A GoFundMe campaign

Softball excited to be playing games

him for an opportunity to compete in the derby. It’s the first time he has organized the event.

“It turned into a good thing. I think we’re going to be doing this quite a bit more.”

Mets Stadium was selected due to its deeper dimensions to centre field and the foul pole. The powerful winds that day made it difficult to hit a home run to some areas of the park.

Prizes were awarded for the home run contest and the velocity competition. Entry fees for the velocity contest were donated to Limitless, which enhances the quality of life for individuals and families living with disabilities, by strengthening communities, promoting inclusion and eliminating access barriers.

Blanchette said Limitless was chosen because Conrad and Kandyce Meili, who run the organization, are great people, and they’re doing great things to support young people in the community.

The athletes who are part of the Estevan Girls Softball Association have been practising since early May to get ready for games, and now they’re enjoying league play.

The association started league games on June 1, two days after Phase 1 kicked in for the Re-open Saskatchewan Road Map that allowed for league games in outdoor team sports to begin.

It was welcome news for the association and other outdoor team sports in the province.

“We started our season … at the same time that we normally would have in a regular year, but we just followed all of the restrictions with only practising, having eight per group and not being able to intermingle teams or play any games,” said Becca Foord, a board member and coach who is in charge of marketing and social media for the association.

Approximately 135 kids are registered for this year, which is close to the 150-160

they would have in a normal year. There were a lot who decided not to join this year due to the previous restrictions, Foord said, but the association did bring in some new players.

Teams are signed up in learn to play, under-12, U14 and U16-19 leagues.

Estevan teams will be playing games in their Borderline League, facing squads from communities east of the city. The season will last six weeks, and conclude in mid-July.

There will also be provincials this year, and Estevan Girls Softball expects to have teams in three different age groups.

Parents have been stepping up to help out this year, Foord said. Softball Saskatchewan has introduced an app for coaches with practice plans, helpful tips for running teams and other information that can be accessed on a phone.

And there will be a mentorship program eventually in which the older girls come and help out with the younger girls.

was created last year to help Raynard purchase the new race car, and a lot of sponsors have been helping him out.

“That’s a pretty huge part of racing,” said Raynard.

The new car, with all of the added equipment, was pretty expensive, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Raynard is looking forward to putting on a show for the

fans with the car.

“I don’t know how much longer I have to run my car and everything, and how much strength I’ll have in the next couple of years. If I have a couple of years or five years, then we have something figured out.”

It’s going to prolong his ability to race, and racing is all he’s wanted to do.

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5th Annual Truck Raffle 1st prize: 2021 Ford F150 XLT 2nd prize: $10,000 cash 3rd prize: $5,000 cash 5 Early Bird Bonus Draws of $1,000 ea Draw date: Dec 31, 2021 @10 pm Early Bird Draw: Oct 2, 2021 @ 8 pm Tickets: $100.00 ea purchase at Senchuk Ford Sales or Legion Office

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Carnduff 2021 Graduates Class of 2021

Alex Belke

Allyson Stanley

Andrew LaBelle

Bri Redpath

Brynn Larson

Carson Baily

Carter Hanson

Charlene Mae Manubag

Conner Gardiner

Connor Murray

Crysten Steenbruggent

Desiree Moore

Emma Revet

Ethan Wilson

Halyna Ignatiuk

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2021!

We wish each and every one of you a happy graduation!

Office: 482-3132 Cell: 485-7535

Box • 178 Carnduff, SK S0C 0S0

All the Best

Jade Enger

Jackson DuPerrier

to All of Our Graduates

Jenna Meredith

Celebrating the

Graduating Class of 2021

“

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

- Helen Keller

Have A Happy And Safe Grad!

“

We wish you all the best as you embark on your future.

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June 9, 2021 A17

Carnduff 2021 Graduates Class of 2021

Carnduff grads are to celebrate milestone The Carnduff Education Complex (CEC) is getting ready to celebrate Grade 12 students and their achievements in an almost traditional manner.

The graduation ceremony is slated to take place at 6:30 p.m. on June 28 – the time of the year when previous generations of Carnduff students said goodbye to the school.

With restrictions being eased, the CEC is planning on providing an indoor graduation ceremony for 34 students and their parents with everything being as close to a usual graduation as possible this year.

“It will fall under the provincial guidelines that will be in effect. And we look forward to following very similar ceremo-

nies that we used in the past to recognize and celebrate our graduates,” said school principal Ryan Nichols.

The graduation day agenda isn’t finalized yet, however, the main plans are already laid out.

“There’ll be several messages, the principal’s message, the valedictorian’s message, the recognition of scholarship winners, and obviously, the recognition of all graduates and what their future plans are past Grade 12,” Nichols said.

The past year has brought in a lot of changes and challenges for everybody, and the graduating class had a lot of adjustments along the way, but they successfully made it through.

“The last year for the gradu-

ates of 2021 has been a different year, I think. But it was a very successful year. And the group of students has been resilient throughout the process that we had to work through during the school year,” Nichols said.

With all the restrictions the pandemic brought in, the school primarily focused on the academic courses, leaving aside all extracurricular activities graduates may have done during their last year in the past. However, when it comes to graduation day, Carnduff 2021 grads will have everything other graduates usually did.

Nichols said they are a great group of young individuals and wished them success further down the line.

“The graduating class is a great group to work with, from day one, from kindergarten to now. They are a very resilient group, very positive,” Nichols said.

“And all our administration staff and all of our staff, from teachers to our educational systems, we wish them nothing but the best in the future, moving forward after the graduation.”

Justin Hollinger

Jesse Macfarlane

Kamryn Gilliland

Kassidy Johnson

Kyle Livingston

Lucas Day

Mariah Miller

Michaella Dhennise Baleta

Searra McMunn

Shaylee Baglole

Starla Mann

Taybrie Bolton

Congratulations 2019 Grads!

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Enjoy the summer; I wish you success on your next adventure.

Daryl Harrison, MLA

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Walking for the children White Bear First Nations community members, and others who wished to show their support, came together at noon on Wednesday to march in memory of the 215 children whose remains were found near a former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C., and to support those who survived the residential schools. Organizers of the march were overwhelmed as community members of all ages came out to show support. Photo by Kaitlyn Meisner

Tytlandsvik will build ECS Grads of 2020 monument The 2020 Grad Legacy Project Committee has provided an update on the project that will pay tribute to the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) graduating class of 2020.

The committee has announced that local artist Gale Tytlandsvik will be designing, building and overseeing the installation of a unique and meaningful sculpture in Torgeson Park, across from ECS. Work on the sculpture will begin with installation slated for the fall or earlier, if weather and contractor availability permits.

The sculpture will recognize all 2020 graduates by name and will be a lasting acknowledgement in the community. The Class of 2020 had their final year of high school cut short and was unable to celebrate their achievements in a graduation ceremony due to restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voluntary cash donations from 2020 grad parents, as well as other individuals and members of the business community in Estevan and area, are funding this project.

The committee has also gratefully accepted donations of labour and materials from several local businesses. If 2020 grad parents were unable to donate last spring and would like to still do so, please email an e-transfer to 2020ecsgrad@gmail.com.

Any questions regarding the project may also be directed to the same email.

Estevan city council gave the project their blessing at the May 31 meeting, with members of council expressing their support for the project.

Tytlandsvik previously co-ordinated the creation of the Band Plays On (2012) metal sculpture that depicts five band students playing their musical instruments and serves as a lasting tribute to the late Colin Grunert, who was the longtime band instructor at ECS. The sculptures are located between ECS and Spruce Ridge School.

As for the Class of 2020 sculpture, it was decided to stick with blue and silver –

colours of 2020 graduates.

And the statute Tytlandsvik is to create will be an abstract wave.

"That's what they felt like the year had been, a wave, like a wave of emotions," the artist noted. "It'll be pipes put together, lined up side by side, blue and silver, shades of blue. And then there will be a piece of metal along the top that is like a wave."

The project will be installed at Torgeson Park for anyone in the city to enjoy and remember the grads of 2020.

However, with several projects on the go and with other specialists needed for the art project currently tied up, Tytlandsvik said she probably won't be able to get to working on the monument until fall.

"It has to happen really quick because you have to sandblast and then you have to weld and then you have to sandblast your weld. And then as soon as you're done sandblasting you have to do the epoxy primer before it starts to rust.

And once you do the epoxy primer, you have to paint within a week. So it's not like we can just do a little bit here and there.

Once it gets started it's pretty much you got to go full done," explained Tytlandsvik.

Pride Month in June is an important time

By Josie Hlohovsky

Pride Month is the month of the year when people of the LGBTQIA+ community celebrate their resilience and growth.

The LGBTQIA+ community, also known as the LGBT community or the gay community, celebrate individuality, diversity and sexuality, accepting people who do not identify with their birth gender, and those who feel attraction towards those of the same gender, such as lesbian or bisexual people.

June is Pride Month, dubbed so because of the Stonewall riots, or Stonewall uprising, that occurred on June 28, 1969.

In Greenwich Village, New York, police raided a gay and lesbian hotel, the Stonewall Inn, prompting members of the LGBTQIA+ community to fight back when police

became violent.

The LGBTQIA+ community has grown with the rise of social media and the communities and places of support people can find online. But it is sometimes still challenging for people to learn who they are all on their own.

Envision Counselling and Support Centre is an organization spanning all of southeast Saskatchewan, with locations in Weyburn, Carlyle, Oxbow and Estevan. They are open to any individual person in southeast Saskatchewan who is looking for support in any capacity, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community who may be struggling with their identity.

“We definitely saw new individuals for this past year, over the pandemic,” said Juli Dzuba, the outreach co-ordinator at Estevan’s Envision office.

Their counselling covers many issues, such as domestic 21062CC1

violence and mental health.

Most of their resources are generalized and everything is gender neutral, she says.

“One really good resource is our rapid access counselling,” said Dzuba. “They’re hour-long appointments for anyone who wants to talk to a trained counsellor … we do mental health counselling too, so there’s no mandate to what people can talk about.”

Envision has many places to help people struggling with who they are, mostly online this year. “It was a lot different this year during the pandemic. It was all virtual.”

Dzuba mentions working with schools, limited this year because of the pandemic, and urges people to look at their website for more resources and options for support.

The Estevan Comprehensive School also has a place of support for LGBTQIA+ students; a club called the Gay-Straight Alliance, or the GSA. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the club wasn’t allowed to meet this year. Students and young kids can always speak to their school counsellors if they are having struggles with their sexuality or identity.

Over the years, the LGBTQIA+ community has broadened their horizons and

accepted more and more identities into their group, including people who do not identify with their birth gender, or those who feel like they’re not a part of the gender spectrum.

The term ‘Two Spirit’ is used by Indigenous people who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit.

It is used by some Indigenous people to describe their sexuality, gender and/or spiritual identity. According to Wikipedia, Two Spirits is a modern, umbrella term used to describe Indigenous people who fulfill a traditional third gender ceremonial and social role in their cultures. Two Spirit fits into the LGBTQIA+ community as its own identity, as the term Two Spirit is not synonymous with non-binary or gender non-conforming.

Non-binary and gender non-conforming people are people who do not identify within the gender of male and female. They are also referred to as genderqueer, and fall anywhere within the spectrum of male and female, some even outside the spectrum.

Flags are a big part of the LGBTQIA+ pride. The most popular or most common flag, a rainbow flag, reflects the diversity of the community, and is widely used as the universal pride symbol.

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Obituaries Doreen Kuchinka 1931 - 2021 The family of Doreen Kuchinka sadly announces her sudden but peaceful passing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, Sask. on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at the age of 90.

Doreen’s memory will be forever cherished by her daughterin-law Helen Kuchinka; grandson Jeffery (Corinne) Kuchinka and great grandsons: Jayden, Jaxon and Kale; granddaughter Suzanne Kuchinka (Graham Fox) and great grandsons: Kashtin, Kooper and Jack; son Clayton (Joyce) Kuchinka; granddaughter Jennifer Kuchinka and great granddaughter Avery; grandson Jason (Amber) Kuchinka and great granddaughter Emma; daughter Karen Kuchinka; grandson Shawn Daoust and granddaughter Tess Daoust; son Alan (Cara) Kuchinka; grandsons: Austin, Carter and Noah Kuchinka and Aden Haywood.

She was predeceased by her husband Barnard T. Kuchinka; son Derek John Kuchinka and parents: John James and Ethel Louise (Cox) Blair.

A private Graveside Service was held at the Macoun Cemetery, Macoun, Sask. on Thursday, June 3, 2021 with Carmella Backlun, Certified Funeral Celebrant officiating.

Donations to the Creighton Lodge Trust, 1028 Hillcrest Drive, Estevan, Sask., S4A 1Y7 in memory of Doreen would be greatly appreciated by her family.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to the Kuchinka family - Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.

Peter Warren 1937 – 2021 Against his wishes, Warren Peter passed away May 27, 2021.

Warren was born July 27, 1937 to Philip (Flip) and Nellie Peter of Estevan Sask. Warren married his junior high sweetheart, Donnamae Parkinson, and fathered 4 daughters yet still left this world with a full head of hair. He loved his girls but also embraced his sons-in-law. Warren and his best friend and brother, Robert, took over the family business after his father retired and “the Peter Boys” as they were referred to well into their 60s ran the Estevan Tire Centre.

Warren enjoyed fishing, boating, hunting, gardening, golfing, BBQing and power napping. Taking risks investing in snowmobile racing, exotic cattle and oil thrilled him. Nothing frustrated him more than when he and Donna’s ailing health prevented them from wintering in Lake Havasu, Arizona where they enjoyed golfing and trips to Laughlin. In 2016, Warren and Donna relocated to Nanaimo, British Columbia, to be micromanaged by their daughters. Friends and family were everything to him. Warren had a great love of entertaining, storytelling and visiting.

One of his last audible phrases was “Isn’t this a hell of a deal, Donna?”

Warren will be missed for his witty sense of humor, love and loyalty to his family and his ability to make anything a competition.

Warren was predeceased by his parents, his brother David Peter, his brothers-in-law George Parkinson, Floyd Parkinson, Larry Demchuk, sister-in-law Lorraine Parkinson and sadly his daughter Joan Marcotte. Warren is survived by the love of his life, wife Donna of 60 years, daughters Barb Frank (Randy) Mari Jayne Meyer (Blair), Beverly Lundine (Mike), son-in-law Lance Marcotte (Karen), grandchildren Justin (Mai), Jodie, Andrew (Nicole), Jennifer (Scott), Nicolas (Anika), Jacob (Kiya), Chase (Kayla), Jacie (Nathan), Griffen (Mya) and Payton, great grandchildren: Tora, Charlotte, Tommy and Jack, his brothers Rob (Karen) Peter, Glen (Janet) Peter, sisters-in-law Shirley Peter, Betty Parkinson, Marlene Demchuk, Bette Bouchard, brother-in- law Alex Bouchard, numerous nieces, nephews and special friends.

A private family service will be held in Nanaimo BC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Palliative Care Unit, Regional General Hospital in Nanaimo where he received exceptional end of life care. Special thanks to Dr Kirsty McIlwaine, Dr Lindsay Eaggen and every staff member he encountered in that facility. Thanks to the staff at Berwick for their kindness and carez Susan (Sue) BERGEN Sue passed away peacefully with her husband by her side after complications, from a fall at her care home, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at the age of 69 years.

She was predeceased by her parents Al and Jean Miller; and father-in-law and mother-in-law John and Eileen Bergen.

Sue will be lovingly remembered by her husband Blair; son Wayne and his son Prestin; daughter Tammy (Jeremy) and their family Sophie, Trinity and Ryan; brother-in-law and sisters- in law Bernice (Bryan), Brian (Nancy) and Belinda (Don); as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Thank you to the staff of the Regina General Hospital 5A and the Pasqua Hospital 3A for the wonderful care shown to Sue. A Private Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Donations in memory of Sue may be made to Estevan Humane Society, Box 1095, 1 Jenson Road, Estevan, SK S4A 2H7 or the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, #225 - 1874 Scarth Street, Regina SK S4P 4B3. Family and friends are invited to view the online obituary and tributes page at www.reginafuneralhome.ca.

Arrangements entrusted to Regina Funeral Home and Cemetery (306) 789-8850.

Cornerstone provides update on masks outdoors The South East Cornerstone Public School Division has provided an update on wearing masks when outdoors during recess at its schools.

With the provincial release of the outdoor team sport competition guidelines allowing for athletes and coaches as well as spectators to be unmasked, the school division says it has been reviewing the current outdoor recess masking requirements.

With the heat wave in the southeast last week, the direction became more timely.

“We have been in consultation with our local medical health officers and have been advised that wearing a mask

Estevan firefighters responded to a report of a power pole fire Thursday night.

The call came in at about 9:30 p.m. A power line was arcing in the north-central part of Estevan.

Crews arrived on the scene

to find that a section of a power line has burned away. Firefighters blocked out the area to prevent any bypassers from getting into a danger zone until the SaskPower specialists arrived.

"The threat was low of any fire for reoccurring, and

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It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Clifford (Swede) Larson at Leduc Extendicare at the age of 95 years.

Those that knew Clifford best will remember his great sense of humour, colorful jokes and stories. He was fortunate to have lived and worked in many locations here in Canada and overseas in Pakistan, Lybia, Greece and England. He loved spending time with friends and was an avid hunter, but what he loved most of all was the time spent with his family, and he will be greatly missed.

Clifford will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 71 years, Frances; two daughters, Kathy Marsh of Estevan, Sask., Penny Beraskin of Edmonton and son David Larson (Alanna) of Warburg and Son-in-Law John Smith (Carol) of Regina, Sask.; 8 grandchildren Vanessa (Craig), Jeffery, Jamie (James), Brock (Erin), Brittany, Tara (Jay), Danny and Patrick and 10 great grandchildren Boyd and Kaybrie (Vanessa in Regina), Sydney and Allie (Jamie in Estevan), Kash (Brittany in Edmonton), Jayden, Cole, Austin, Gage (Tara in Devon), Jonny (Danny in Devon); sister Jean Fullerton (Norman) of Winnipeg, MB and brother Jerry Larson (Evelyn) of Norquay, Sask. and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Clifford was predeceased by daughter Carol Smith (John), grandson Steven Larson (David), brother Doug Larson (Nettie) and sister Lorraine Olmstead (Harvey).

A celebration of his life will be held with family later this summer in Norquay, Sask.

Condolences: www.serenity.ca Serenity Funeral Service, Leduc (780) 980-3688

Email David at editor@estevanmercury.ca

ties where physical distancing is possible.

Students will remain in their cohorts and in their designated spaces.

“Please discuss with your child whether you wish for them to wear their mask while outdoors or not,” Little wrote.

Physical education classes being held outdoors will adhere to the provincial guidelines.

The public health order remains in effect for indoors and thus students, staff and all visitors will continue to wear masks while indoors until the health order changes and the division is notified by government.

Fire crews respond to a power pole fire

Clifford Larson

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while outdoors remains an important additional layer of protection, especially when children are not able to physically distance. While the current guidelines are that masks are not required if children can physically distance at recess, we also know that recess is a social time and that physically distancing does not loan itself to connections among children,” director of education Lynn Little said in a letter.

Effective June 3, wearing masks while outside will continue to be encouraged; however, it will no longer be mandatory. If students are not wearing masks, the school division will encourage activi-

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SaskPower crews came in to do repairs for that line. So the area did receive a minor outage for a brief period while they're doing repairs," said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.

The recent spell of hot weather brought the Estevan area into a high fire danger indexing range. However, with moisture coming early this week, Feser said the region was at the lower end of the high scale and potentially would go into moderate to low with more precipitation forecasted for the rest of the week.

In the meantime, he reminded the public to exercise caution when burning anything and report controlled burns to prevent unnecessary dispatches for the fire department.

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Notices / NomiNatioNs Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

Auctions Pratchler Online Auction by Ukrainetz Auction# 91585. Runs June 21-24th. Quarter of land; Modular Home; Tractors; combines; swather; grain trucks; haying; bins and more.

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A20 June 9, 2021

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Lions Club reminding public about value of its lottery after scam call claiming to be a Lion.

The lottery is the major fundraiser for the Estevan Lions Club, as this is when they receive much of the money for the work they do in the community.

The Lions Club supports youth in sports organizations and culture activities such as the Estevan and District Music Festival. They organize the Family Day free swim each year, and sponsor the disc golf course at Torgeson Park. They also support the Rusty Duce Playpark.

Other initiatives include scholarships for the Southeast College and Estevan Comprehensive School; and support for the new Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee, the Habitat for Humanity Estevan chapter, the Salvation Army’s Food Bank, the STARS Air Ambulance and individuals with needs.

“The Lions Club lottery is strictly for community services within our Estevan area,” said Sinclair.

It’s a year-round lottery whose first draw for the 202021 season was Oct. 16 of last year. Its final draw will be Oct. 8 of this year. There will be a draw for at least $300 each week, and larger draws a few times during the year.

He described it as a 5050 draw that generates about $20,000 in net revenues for the club. It’s been around for about 45 years.

The Lions will start selling tickets for the 2021-22 lottery in late September or early October.

“We are … individuals in the community going out and meeting the community people where we can. I know with COVID we did do a lot more telephone calls as initial contact in the last year. Generally we don’t do that. We like

Tenders will be received by SaskPower for the sale of hay. The successful bidder will be required to cut, bale and remove bales by 2021 September 01. There will be one cutting only and it must be completed by 2021 August 15.

to get out and meet the public personally. We go out and beat the concrete and talk to people.”

People who have purchased a ticket through the lottery typically know the person who sold them the ticket.

Several parcels of land are included, mainly located southwest of Boundary Dam Power Station.

Two lots are southeast of Boundary Dam Reservoir.

Bids will be lump sum for each parcel. Prints showing the lot numbers and their extent are available from the guardhouse at Shand Power Station.

For further details contact Neil Worsley at (306) 421-8042.

Written tenders contained in a sealed envelope marked HAY TENDER on the outside will be received until 4:00 p.m., Thursday, June 17, 2021, c/o Neil Worsley, Shand Power Station, Box 1310, Estevan, S4A 2K9.

CROSSWORD ANSWER

The Estevan Lions Club is reminding the public about the importance of its lottery, and how to know if they’ve won a prize, after a report came into the Estevan Police Service about a Lions Lottery scam.

The May 25 edition of the Estevan Police Service report said that police received a complaint about an attempted fraud.

The EPS reminds the public not to provide any personal or financial information to anyone they do not know and to check FraudBusters online if they think the phone call or email is fraudulent or sounds too good to be true.

Acting Police Chief Warren Morrical said this type of fraudulent activity is encountered frequently by residents of Estevan, but he is not aware of any other instances recently in which the contact person has indicated they were associated with a Lions Club.

In this occurrence, the complainant was provided a telephone number to call to speak with a “Lions Club Agent”and in doing so provided some personal information.

There has been no reported loss by the individual. The matter remains under investigation by the EPS and has been further forwarded on to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for their follow-up.

Estevan Lions Club president Ed Sinclair said this is the first time that he has heard of the scam, and once he was made aware of it, he did some research and saw that Lions International had an advisory on its website regarding a fraudster

TENDER

Highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

Payment terms: Receipt by SaskPower of certified cheque within 5 working days of bid acceptance by SaskPower.

Note 1.

SaskPower does not guarantee any tendered hay to be free of noxious weeds or poisonous plants and is not responsible for any damage caused by insects or other wildlife.

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL

Note 2.

The bidder shall ensure that they operate with due consideration for the condition of the property and not enter or run equipment if field conditions are such that damage to the land will occur (i.e. wet or soft field conditions).

The Village of Macoun pursuant to subsection 217(1) of The Municipalities Act, notice is hereby given that the property assessment roll for the Village of Macoun for the year of 2021, has been prepared and is open to inspection in the village office between the hours of 12:00pm and 3:30pm Mondays & Wednesdays and between the hours of 8:30am - 12:00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays May 31, 2021 to July 31, 2020

Note 3.

Bales still on the ground after 2021 November 01 will be assessed a fee of 50¢ per bale per month, payable in advance.

Carmen Dodd Vicary, CAO Village of Macoun

Stay up to date with

P.O. Box 58 454 Appleton Ave., Macoun, SK S0C 1P0 Phone: (306) 634 9352 Fax: (306) 634 9377 email: macoun.sask@gmail.com

NEWS at: ESTEVANMERCURY.CA BREAKING

SOUTH EAST CORNERSTONE PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 209

PROPERTY SALE - TENDER

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

South East Cornerstone Public School Division is offering for sale through public tender the following properties:

Monday, June 21, 2021 Prairie Dog Drive-In, Theatre (Carlyle, Sk) Highway 9 Moose Mountain, No. 63 Sask.

Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.

1. Haig Elementary School, located at 1113 Coteau Avenue, Weyburn Saskatchewan. Legal description of property is; Block A & B, Plan No. AP5285. Site Area: 6.98 acres 2. Souris Elementary School, located at 316 – 5th Avenue SE, Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Legal description of the property is; Block C, Plan No. 90R56781. Site area: 3.31 acres 3. Radville Bus Shop, located at Anderson Avenue, Radville, Saskatchewan. Legal description of the property is; Lot 1, Block 8, Plan No. FR 1021

Meeting held through audio (vehicle radio) Auditor’s report • Election of Directors Review of Operations

4. Bienfait Teacherage, located at 301 Walsh Street, Bienfait, Saskatchewan. Legal description of the property is; Lot 10, Block 5, Plan N0. 51574 Sealed tenders are to be clearly marked ‘SECPSD Property Bid’ and will be received by the undersigned until 2:00 p.m., CST on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

The School Division wishes to inform bidders of the following conditions: Tenders to be reviewed on each parcel separately.

Properties will be sold as is.

The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all tenders received and the highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

The provisions of The Education Act, 1995 regarding disposal of real and personal property will be strictly adhered to.

PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGE

The Southern Plains Co-operative Limited Board of Directors are recommending a change to the current bylaw 4.01 to read as follows:

Existing Bylaw

4.01 General meetings of the Co-operative shall be held at such locations in Saskatchewan and in the trading area of the Co-operative, as may be determined by the Board of Directors.

Proposed Bylaw replacement

Further information is available by contacting; Andy K. Dobson Manager of Facilities & Transportation South East Cornerstone Public School Division No. 209 80A – 18th Street NE Weyburn, SK S4H 2W4 Phone: (306) 848-0080 andy.dobson@secpsd.ca

4.01 (a) General meetings of the Co-operative shall be held at such locations in Saskatchewan and in the trading area of the Co-operative, as may be determined by the Board of Directors. (b) Electronic Attendance: The Board of Directors may permit members to attend a meeting of members by means of telephonic, electronic or other communication facility that permits all persons participating in the meeting to communicate adequately with each other during the meeting.

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Flyers Posters Menus Programs Labels

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Raffle Tickets Booklets Cheques whatever you need printed!

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

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CHEERS & JEERS A21 | Wednesday, June 9, 2021 | estevanmercury.ca

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Flashback – Wednesday, June 9, 1971 Cheers Cheers to seeing kids out playing baseball and softball at ball diamonds in the community once again. It’s really encouraging to see them out having fun again.

Cheers to the local chapter of the Métis Society of Saskatchewan for organizing the vigil in honour of the 215 children whose remains were discovered in Kamloops, B.C., earlier this month. This topic needs to remain at the forefront of our conversation.

Cheers to the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society for hosting the golf event at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course. Everybody who entered seemed to have a great time.

Cheers to the opening of the splash parks in Estevan. The timing couldn’t have been better, either, with the hot temperatures we had in the area on the weekend.

Cheers to the quality discussion that we’ve seen at Estevan city council meetings this year.

The meetings have usually lasted more than an hour, proving that there is more than enough material to have two meetings a month.

Cheers to the quotation marks remaining around Estevan on the city’s water tower. Some might scoff at them, but they are distinctive and they set the community apart.

Jeers Jeers to the people who always complain.

They have nothing better to do. Enjoy the beautiful days, smell the roses and have a coffee.

Jeers to the poor signage for the heavy truck traffic needing to detour off of Fourth Street. No wonder there is so much truck traffic going down residential roads when they don’t know where to go.

Jeers to the employee(s) of a local business who locked up their garden centre, leaving a customer stranded inside. The customer had to call for assistance from another employee attending to the carts in the parking lot.

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

The annual Track and Field meet held at Pleasantdale School brought forth some happy divisional winners who received Crests to mark the athletic achievements. The winners were, back row, Bradley Harde, Ricky Densely and Debbie Holm. Front, Loretta Vass, Patty Lynn McGrath, Ken Harris, Donna Broadhead, Bryan Renwick, Marie Commeault and David Heide receiving for his brother Greg.

Agency helps youths learn about bike safety Bicycle safety was the focus of a presentation organized by Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) on May 28.

The session was held via Zoom in partnership with the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, as part of Bicycle Safety Week in Saskatchewan. Guest speaker Cara Zukewich, the child injury prevention program co-ordinator at the SPI, shared information on how to be safe while biking.

Among the topics covered were helmets, rules of the road, the proper bike fit and safety tips for riding.

About 90 young people were registered for the Zoom session. Everyone who participated received a bike safety kit courtesy of SPI. Aimee Haralson, who is the co-ordinator for SWIS in Estevan and Weyburn, said the clinic was for students in kindergarten to Grade 12, and parents of younger children who might need guidance during the discussion and demonstration.

The youths were asked to

have bikes and helmets handy as part of the training.

“I’m happy but I’m not surprised with the registrations,” said Haralson. “Each time we do have events, we actually do get quite a bit.”

SWIS always works hard to make sure the learning sessions are a success, she said.

This was the first time that SWIS has held a presentation on bicycle safety, but they would like to have them more often.

“It’s always information that children of whatever age (need),” said Haralason. “That’s why we have opened it to everybody who loves to bike. We always look after their safety.”

This is a topic that she believes was needed because kids love to ride their bikes. When she has meetings with students of different age levels, they talk about activities they want to do, and they often cite cycling.

And it was a perfect time because May 28 was near the end of Bike Safety Week in Saskatchewan.

Jamielle Montecillo won a draw for a new bicycle, hel-

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Jamielle Montecillo was the winner of a bike, helmet and bell through a virtual bicycle safety session organized by Settlement Workers in Schools.

Photo submitted met and bell. their transition to post-secondSWIS supports the chil- ary education and employment. dren of newcomers from kinHaralson noted this predergarten to Grade 12, and has sentation was open to everyanother employee who helps one and not just children of those in Grade 11 and 12 with newcomers.

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A22 June 9, 2021

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