Estevan Mercury 20221102

Time

The

Estevan

was haunted

Caught

Another

Big

Estevan

By David Willberg

Members of the public had their opportunity to speak to SaskPower about the proposed solar power facility for Estevan, during a public engagement session at the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion on Oct. 26 and 27.

Shawn Silzer and Andrea Boutin from SaskPower were on hand to

meet with people and answer any questions they might have. Informational materials were available for people to take home.

SaskPower announced its plans earlier this year to construct a 100-megawatt solar power facility in the Estevan area. It would be the largest solar power plant ever constructed in Saskatchewan.

Joel Cherry, a media relations and issues man-

agement consultant with SaskPower, said they attracted close to 40 people, which he said is a satisfactory number.

“Engagement is a really important part of the whole process of bringing a new project to life, so it was good to get out and hear people’s concerns,” said Cherry.

People wanted to know where the facility would be located, the type of

land it would be built on, the cost of the facility, the potential economic spinoff and the jobs that would be created. Silzer and Boutin answered their questions whenever possible.

“Some questions we were able to field and certain other things will come out as part of the RFP [request for proposals] process as well,” said Cherry. “So generally we heard a whole variety of

questions from people in the area, and it’s good to get that sort of engaged feedback from people because we are able to use that going forward for this project and others.”

Other people asked about SaskPower’s future supply plans and how solar fits into an equation that also includes coalfired power and carbon capture and storage.

Little witch Olivia Ursu and firefighter William Ciepliski explored the Estevan Public Library’s haunted house on Saturday.

The library was transformed into a spooky setting for the event, to the delight of the hundreds of people who attended.

event, please see Page A3. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Enjoy the spontaneous musical collaboration of a Jam Session!

Monday, November 7, 2022

1:00 – 4:00pm

St. John the Baptist Parish Hall 109-12th Avenue, Estevan

and guests al welcome to attend.

Light refreshments will be served.

EPS releases business plan that will govern operations moving forward

By David Willberg

For perhaps the first time in its history, the Estevan Police Service has compiled and released a business plan that will govern how it operates.

The plan can be found on the EPS website, and has three goals: a safe community, a healthy organization and efficient service. Each of those objectives includes various measures and barometres for success.

Chief Rich Lowen said when he was first hired, one of the goals was to establish a business plan for the EPS.

“It’s a tool that we use in policing to identify a direction for the service,” said Lowen. “We got combined input from the board of police commissioners, who gets an input from the community to see what they would like their police service to be doing.”

It’s a way to communicate with the public, and show transparency and accountability in how they’re working.

“They can see the results of the work that we’re doing throughout the year,” said Lowen.

The EPS also drew from a community survey that was completed in 2019 to see what people wanted from the police.

“As we move forward throughout the years, we’re going to increase our public consultations, so that we have direct input from the public as well, and that will go through the police board back to the service as well.”

The public consultation could include meetings, another community survey or something else.

Lowen noted other police agencies have similar documents through business and/or strategic plans.

The police chief said this will be a “living, breathing document” that he hopes will be part of the service for as long as it’s in Estevan. It will be reviewed regularly, and changes would occur based on community needs.

“We’re going to report back quarterly. We’ll release that information to the public and … at that point, they’ll see what will be the numbers that we’ll be reporting on.”

The plan is the direc-

tion for the EPS and the quarterly reports will be the results, he said.

Lowen noted the primary goal of having a safe community should be the top objective for any policing agency. It has calls for action on traffic safety, illicit drugs and intelligence-led crime response.

He cited the example of traffic enforcement. They have always carried out traffic enforcement, but the public doesn’t know how much they do or where the focus is. They always carry out drug investigations, but the public might not know the number of arrests or charges.

“People need to see the work that we do behind the scenes to support our members, and show some of the initiatives that we brought in during the past year. Some of those initiatives will be starting in the new year, and we’ll work together with our members to see how they want to move forward on those things.”

The second goal of a healthy organization is to ensure members work efficiently and have a healthy place to work while looking after the community,

with objectives on enhanced training and professionalism and improved workplace wellness.

As for the efficient service, it’s a way to report to the public on how to look at budget numbers or how to try to stretch policing dollars as far as possible. Objectives will include budget accountability and to reduce the demand for emergency services in mental health calls.

A business plan was among the calls for action from the Saskatchewan Police Commission when results from its inquiry into the Estevan Police Service were released earlier in October. Lowen said this report would have happened regardless of the commission’s recommendations, as he believes a business plan is a necessity for any policing agency in today’s environment.

“We started working on it as soon as I started here back in September of 2021, to start putting it together and establishing what it would look like,” said Lowen.

It will be included in a follow-up audit that the police commission is to conduct next year.

would be southwest of Estevan

“Some people rightly said solar is only available when the sun shines, whereas coal, for example, which has a long history in Estevan, is available 24-7,” said Cherry. “We want to get across that this isn’t to replace coal per se, it’s part of our future supply plan that includes a whole diverse mix of options.”

Solar is great because it can support the system with emissions-free power during the day when the sun is shining, he said, and SaskPower can backstop it with different options for power sources when solar isn’t operating.

He believes it’s also important to have quality engagement from the people who did attend the session.

“We want to get as many people out as possible, obviously, and we did do some advertising of this, but we were able to have productive conversations with a decent number of people,” said Cherry.

SaskPower has selected land southwest of Estevan, not far from the Boundary Dam Power Station, to build the facility. Estevan is known as the Sunshine Capital of Canada due to the amount of sunshine it receives each year, the chosen site is in close proximity to suitable transmission infrastructure, and there is relatively flat landscape.

The solar power facility would be on six to seven quarters of land, which

could be at least 1,000 acres, on a site that is presently private farm land.

“SaskPower does own land in the area, but a lot of it is reclaimed coal land,” said Cherry. “And that’s a question that we got, too, from people who attended the open house. Why use agricultural land instead of reclaimed land that SaskPower owns? The reason for that is that reclaimed land is not as stable, and there would be a significant cost increase in

constructing a facility on that land.”

The Crown corporation would not own or operate the facility, but will select an independent power producer (IPP) through a competitive process that is currently underway. Eleven IPPs are considered to be qualified.

“We are also in the middle of getting responses from IPPs as to how they would build, operate and decommission the facility. The deadline for those responses is January 2023,” Cherry said. The successful IPP is expected to be selected next summer. Once the IPP is selected, construction will begin. The solar power facility is expected to be online in 2026.

With a project of this nature, when it is constructed by a third party, a lot of the details, such as the project itself and the type of solar panels and configuration, will be decided by the successful IPP.

RCMP investigating collision with vehicle and pedestrian

The Estevan RCMP

RCMP received a report that a 47-year-old female pedestrian was struck by a

vehicle after she left

at a resi-

vision south of the city. The incident occurred sometime between midnight and 4:30 a.m.

Initial investigation determined the pedestrian was walking from a residence towards Highway 47 when she was struck. The pedestrian sustained what the RCMP described as serious, nonlife-threatening injuries, and she remains in hospital.

Bring The Heat This

The Estevan RCMP continues to investigate the collision and is asking for any information the public can provide.

If you have information to provide, please contact the Estevan RCMP by calling 306-637-4440 or your local RCMP detachment. Information can also be submitted anonymously.

Shawn Silzer and Andrea Boutin from SaskPower received feedback from Ivan Knuckey during a public engagement session held in Estevan on Oct. 26 and 27.

Library’s haunted house a big attraction

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Estevan Public Library turned into a centre of attraction on Saturday.

Children program coordinator Tracy Matheson said close to 300 people went through their haunted house that day. Many kids would go through the adventure several times and then would stop to play, visit or view others’ costumes.

The level of spookiness at the haunted house was

adjustable, thanks to the volunteer with a chainsaw who was there to scare guests.

“If there were really, really little kids, our volunteer would make sure he does not scare them as much or just make the noise of the chainsaw,” Matheson said. “Kids really seemed to have a blast. And we scared some of the parents, scared some of the grandmas. It was good.”

Upon the exit, kids re-

ceived candy bags, which they could enjoy right there at the library’s play zone or take home.

The library started setting up the haunted house at the beginning of the week for the family pumpkin carving. The city provided a lot of decorations, and the library added some fine tuning so that by Saturday the attraction indeed looked scary and entertaining.

“We just bought some of the things to put in the glass jars and the glow sticks. And then made the treat bags for the kids. But most of the stuff was from the city. So, I think if we’re going to do it next year, we might have to buy some other pieces just to make it a little bit bigger,” Matheson said.

While it took quite a bit of time to prepare, Matheson said for the library it was important to do something fun for the community and invite people over so they also could get to know what the library has to offer.

“We wanted to get the families out and see what stuff we do offer at the library,” Matheson said. “And some guests actually stayed [after going through the haunted

house]. Some would stay in the kids’ area. Some people that never had a library card got some library cards today. So it was nice.”

They also had a group of new Ukrainian families stop by. They just recently came to Saskatchewan and were travelling through the southeast,

exploring different communities.

Matheson said the feedback they received was good, and the library was also happy about how the event turned out.

“Kids had fun, parents had fun and it was a good turnout. That was the main thing.”

To wrap up Halloween activities, the library also invited teens for a scary movie on Sunday.

For more information about the Estevan Public Library’s programming and offers, visit their website at estevanlibrary.weebly.com or follow them on Facebook.

Joint effort turned SV Museum spooky and fun

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Souris Valley Museum turned into a real Halloween hub on Saturday.

They invited the community to come and enjoy their Spooky Museum. The project was spearheaded and hosted by the museum and involved several local organizations and groups. Melanie Memory, director/ curator at the museum, said the event went well.

“It was really, really good. We had an awesome turnout. Lots of families and young kids were here to participate in all activities that we had. We had some excellent groups that

came out to help us celebrate Halloween, and we did a lot of activities and games,” Memory said.

The preparations for the event started in August when the museum staff was bouncing ideas off each other and brainstorming what they would like to do at the end of October. Then in September the museum reached out to Estevan organizations to check if anyone was interested in putting their heads together to create something memorable and fun. The Spooky Museum Family Fun event was a collaboration between the SV Museum, Estevan Art

Gallery and Museum, Estevan Area Literacy Group, Estevan Public Library, Estevan Early Learning Family Resource Centre and Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS). The Estevan Comprehensive School’s student representative council (SRC) also provided resources for the event.

“We had nine ECS students volunteer, which was very helpful. We needed them to pull it off as far as helping us get everything like manning different stations, and just different jobs I needed them for,” Memory said. “They helped at the front, just keeping track of people coming in the door and handing out treat bags, helping at craft tables with the different organizations. It was very, very good to see them come and want to help. I was grateful for all their help.”

The museum also rented a cotton candy machine from the Estevan Kinette Club, and students helped make and sell the treat as well.

People were invited to dress up and come over to the museum to do fun Halloween crafts, have their faces painted, cook witches’ stew, enjoy treats, take pictures at the photo booth and just have a good time. Over 400 people used

the opportunity and spent their Saturday afternoon at the museum.

Memory said for them it was a great opportunity to get to know the people they serve better, and also to show off what the museum has to offer.

“It gives children and families another opportunity to wear their costumes, celebrating Halloween … We wanted to offer families another thing to do. Young people are always looking for things to do with their kids, and this is definitely one of

those things,” Memory said. “And I think, for us [celebrating Halloween at the museum also allows] to stay relevant in the community and [remind people] that we are here.

It may increase our profile in the community and [let people] know that there is another museum here. We want to share that and become noticed in the community, and I just think it’s important that we do that.”

While kids were doing crafts or waiting for their faces to be painted, many adults took time to explore

the museum’s collection, look at items on display and check out antique cars and the fire truck.

Memory said they were really happy about how the day went and was grateful to the community.

“I just want to thank the community for supporting it and making it a really successful event.”

For more information on Souris Valley Museum’s programming and collection check their website at sourisvalleymuseum.com or follow them on Facebook.

Amy Gignac was helping Eva and Alice to unpack the treats they received at the haunted house.

Sherry, Kade and Tieran Schlamp posed for pictures at the photo booth, set up by the Souris Valley Museum. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Edwin Recolaso with daughter Char and grandkids Ian and Jaxon Lang explored the Spooky Museum on Saturday.

Paw patroller Elle Salmers and bat Adleigh Barlow made a stop at the library’s play area.

Contact us: (306) 634-2654 68 Souris Avenue N. Estevan, SK S4A 2M3 www.estevanmercury.ca

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The waiting game continues

It seems like we’ve been waiting a long time for the new score clock to arrive at Affinity Place.

The idea of having the latest in video board technology, hanging from Affinity Place’s ceiling, was first discussed in the summer of 2021, when representatives of the Centennial Cup committee pitched the idea to Estevan city council. It was to be the legacy project of the Centennial Cup in Estevan.

Ultimately, council decided to wait until enough tickets were sold for the tournament to be profitable before giving the tournament committee the green light to purchase the clock.

It meant that the unit would not be in place in time for the tournament, but you can’t fault council for erring on the side of caution on that front, especially since there was still a lot of uncertainty at the time due to COVID-19.

The hope was that the scoreboard would be installed this summer for hockey season. That didn’t happen, either.

And now it appears it’s not going to happen for another seven months, as we have to wait for the score clock to arrive in Canada (apparently it’s still in China) and then for it to be installed.

In a normal year, Affinity Place is a busy events centre. From the middle of September to the middle of March, it’s hopping with activity during afternoons, evenings and weekends with hockey and figure skating. And you’ll still find ice sports happening in late March and much of April.

If you don’t see hockey players or figure skaters on the ice, then there are two reasons. One, there’s a special event happening, such as the upcoming St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation Festival of Trees in November. The other reason would be the Christmas/New Year’s break, when there is less happening.

This season, though, is even busier than normal. The 2023 Scotties/Tankard women’s and men’s provincial curling championships will be here in January and February, affecting the scheduled ice users for more than three weeks.

Now, let’s be clear: we’re not opposed to this event. We see the tremendous opportunity associated with this event, the people it will attract and the economic spinoff it will carry.

It will create opportunities to have other big curling events here in the future. There are some curling competitions so big that they have to be held at Affinity Place. The Scotties-Tankard is one of them.

Hopefully, though, the next big curling event at Affinity won’t impact users like the Scotties-Tankard. You can also understand why hockey organizations and others are flustered they won’t be able to access Affinity for so long.

Affinity’s regular ice schedule is compressed this year. You don’t have any wiggle room. If you try to squeeze the installation in, and something goes awry, then you’ve got a problem, and you’ll have users who will be even more agitated.

Even with the two-phase installation approach that was discussed, there’s no guaran-

tee it would have worked. The only window of opportunity was during the Christmas holidays, when most teams take a break.

But then you’re going to dash the Christmas break plans of a lot of people.

And it’s going to take a while to teach people how to operate the clock.

It’s too bad, because the curling that we’re going to have here early next year would have looked great on those video panels. So would hockey. So would have the Dallas Smith concert that Estevan earned through the SiriusXM Music Towns competition back in September.

When Affinity Place first opened in the spring of 2011, the overhead score clock with video panels was one of the cool creature comforts of the facility. We could see instant replays. The officials might not have liked it, because sometimes their mistakes were exposed, but there were so few facilities in junior A hockey that had this kind of a luxury.

And it should be noted that the score clock still works fine. It’s still big and bright and you have no reason to expect it won’t function for the rest of the season, or several more years.

But the chance for an upgrade presented itself, so why not jump at the chance?

Like everything else, technology has changed and evolved. There are better units out there, which will improve the in-game experience of fans.

Yeah, it’s disappointing that it won’t be installed until the spring.

Hopefully, this will be the last delay for this project.

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My Halloween costume was unique, but one most here have been wearing forever

I didn’t have enough time to actually dress up for Halloween, but this year, on Oct. 31, instead of a costume, I had the honour to put on a very significant role I’ve never had before.

On Monday, after almost 10 years in this beautiful country and a long and sometimes tricky paperwork journey, I was officially proclaimed as a Canadian. So please, welcome a brand-new citizen.

In my 2021 New Year column, I listed citizenship as one of the main things I was looking forward to in 2022. It wasn’t guaranteed that I would get to finalize this long-term goal and dream this year or at all, but I did. And I’m very happy. So through this column, I just wanted to invite you to share the excitement of this bright moment with me. After all, life doesn’t spoil us and our loved ones with too many of those. And this week I got to have an indeed unique and happy event, and I got to share it with my family and friends.

(And while I was going through my ceremony at home, my wonderful, one-of-a-kind team decorated my office with balloons and Canadian flags, welcoming me into this new role and to this country. So when I walked into the Mercury office Tuesday morning and saw what they’ve done for me, I was laughing and crying like a child. Thank you guys so much for your support!)

The final step in becoming a Canadian was a somewhat brief online ceremony. (COVID-19 reshaped it just like many other things.) There were over a hundred of us, new citizens, and we all had our journey. Judge Carriere,

who was our official for the ceremony, pointed out that her Canadian citizenship story could be described in four words – “I was born here.” But for us this path was different.

My path has taught me a lot. Almost 10 years in Canada gave me enough time to analyze my past and think about my present and the future. I learned a lot about this country, what defined and keeps defining Canada, about the people here and their values. The ceremony just reminded me of how honoured and privileged I am to be invited to officially become a part of Canada, where differences are the basis of joint well-being, where diversity historically has been making the country stronger and more prosperous, and where people can indeed enjoy their freedoms. (If you feel that there are no freedoms left in Canada, I welcome you to come to spend a few months in Russia or travel to other regions of the world where other new citizens were hailing from.)

The ceremony official reminded all of us that Canadian citizenship comes with rights and responsibilities. Once we became citizens, we were entitled to the rights and freedoms afforded to all Canadians, which most of us experienced in a very limited form before (if at all). Those who were born Canadi-

ans know your rights and probably feel that they are something essential, but for me, the list felt like a unique collection of precious stones, which builds a foundation for success.

Legal rights, equality rights, mobility rights, Aboriginal Peoples’ rights, the right to peaceful assembly, the right to vote, freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom to practise religion. Most of those rights have been butchered in Russia in one way or the other over the past 10-15 years and are non-existent now. They haven’t been in place in many other countries as well. I can’t even describe what a wonderful and almost weird feeling it was to gain freedoms rather than lose them, which for most immigrants is all we knew before.

Of course, rights and freedoms come with responsibilities. Citizens must obey Canadian law; express their opinions freely while respecting the rights and freedoms of others; help those in their community; take responsibility to protect the environment and preserve the heritage; and eliminate discrimination and injustice. Another beautiful list. Something I genuinely want to follow.

Of course, not all people are responsible, and things happen. But my experience here proves that there is more good than bad. It might not be the way it used to some 20-30 years ago, but it’s still good. And after all, it’s all of our responsibility to do our best to keep it good for ourselves and the generations to come.

Thank you, Canada, for including me. I won’t fail.

Demise of government liquor stores was inevitable

David Willberg Willberg’s World

Ever since the Saskatchewan Party became the government in 2007, the days of government-owned liquor stores seemed to be inevitable.

It was just a matter of the right time.

The government announced in the Oct. 26 throne speech that the remaining 34 government liquor stores would be shuttered, and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) stores would be closed.

It feels similar to when the government decided to pull the plug on the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) in 2017. When the time was right, the government would axe the service. Five and a half years ago, the government thought it was time to wind down STC.

The obvious difference is when the government pulled the plug on STC, there wasn’t a viable option in place to move in and replace the valuable service. With the exit from liquor sales, the private sector will capably fill the void.

Lori Carr, who is the minister responsible for SLGA and also Estevan’s MLA, noted that revenues for SLGA liquor stores were down 94 per cent since 2018. Profits dwindled to $3.2 million in 201-22 and were expected to plunge further to $395,000 in 2022-23.

And she thought it would cost a lot of money to make SLGA stores competitive again. Before too long, the government would lose money on the sale of alcohol – a thought that would have seemed impossible even 10 years ago.

I’ll be honest: I’ve always wondered why Saskatchewan and other governments are involved in selling liquor to begin with. It puts itself in a position in which it is competing with the private sector.

Crown corporations like SaskPower, SaskEnergy and Saskatchewan Government Insurance make sense. The government is providing an essential service to Saskatchewan people in an area where the private sector might not be able to meet needs. But the sale of alcohol can be capably carried out by the private sector, and in the end, alcohol is not an essential service.

I’m a beer geek. I love my craft beer, and I will always be a champion for Saskatchewan breweries. But I also recognize that alcohol is not essential, not like electricity, phone service, insurance and heating. Alcohol is a luxury. There are lots of people out there who don’t drink and live a full and enjoyable life.

The people who work in our liquor stores are great. This is not a knock against them. I feel bad for them and I know they took pride in their work.

The government said the stores will be closed by March 31, 2023, and 284 full-time equivalent jobs would be impacted.

If the government is going to end liquor sales, then it needs to have plans in place to have other opportunities for these employees. And that is a big challenge. You cannot just shuffle them over to some other government department.

If a private company is willing to move into the existing building, then there’s no guarantee they will take on the staff who worked at the SLGA store.

The government says it will work with the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union to negotiate a workforce adjustment plan for affected employees, but that doesn’t mean there will be positive results for all, or even most of those put out of work.

We should have seen this coming when the government shifted its publicly-owned liquor stores in small towns to the private sector. In many communities, these stores were the only place to purchase alcohol, other than a bar or a licensed restaurant. This move would have played a big role in why profits for SLGA have been sliding in the past few years.

We have also seen some large private liquor stores move into larger centres, with better selection than what would be found at an SLGA store.

I typically do most of my shopping at private liquor stores. Their selection for what I’m looking for is better. If I preferred the macro-breweries, I might spend more time and money at an SLGA store.

The government-owned stores have tried to expand their offerings, but they haven`t kept up when it comes to both Saskatchewan and out-of-province craft breweries.

You also didn`t see a lot of craft beer in the coolers at the government outlet.

It’s going to feel weird to not have government liquor stores in Saskatchewan, and it will be particularly tough to see good people lose their jobs.

But you had to expect it would happen eventually.

Government sent a message with Thatcher’s invitation

The editor:

With the opening of the fall session of the Saskatchewan legislature, the Saskatchewan government made a loud, clear statement on where they stand on Saskatchewan’s intimate partner violence crisis. They invited Joanne Wilson’s murderer to the throne speech.

Saskatchewan’s rates of intimate partner violence are higher than anywhere else in the country. Thousands of people, primarily women, experience this type of

violence every day. Many of them are dying. The decision to invite Colin Thatcher is telling.

It tells us that the Saskatchewan Party’s tough on crime mandate only applies if you’re worried about having your garage broken into or your business vandalized. Suffering physical, emotional or sexual violence at the hands of a partner? Sorry. Facing homelessness and poverty if you try to leave the relationship? No dice. Bringing a convicted killer to an event like the throne

speech is a clear middle finger to anyone that’s every suffered at the hands of someone they loved.

It’s also the ultimate in hypocrisy. The Sask. Party has long relied on a reputation of bucking the system and speaking up for the west on a national level. The inclusion of this murderer because he happens to be friends with an MLA reeks of the cronyism and politics as usual they so often accuse their federal peers of. It’s hard to trust that your representatives truly have

the interests of the populace at heart when a call like this one is made.

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. In this case, Premier Scott Moe and his colleagues are telling Saskatchewan that they have no intention of standing up for victims of violence, and that they are not terribly choosy about who they’ll rub shoulders with. It might be time to start listening.

Jane Howard Estevan

New score clock at Affinity Place won’t be installed until next spring

The wait will be a little longer for a new score clock to be installed at Affinity Place.

Estevan city council received a report from parks and facilities manager Rod March at the Oct. 24 meeting. It outlined the options for the new unit, which is the legacy project of the Centennial Cup hockey tournament held in Estevan in May.

The supplier, IKS Media, said it would likely take five days to remove the current scoreboard and install the new one.

March noted the parts are currently in China and are to be shipped in October or November to Vancouver, and then sent to Regina. A guaranteed shipping date has not been finalized.

Despite multiple efforts, an agreement is not in place for someone to purchase the current clock, but March said IKS continues to look on the city’s behalf and there is interest in Alberta.

Due to events booked at Affinity in the 2022-23 season, including the provincial men’s and women’s curling championships that will happen in January and February, Affinity Place is fully booked for this season. March said there is little room to manoeuvre for scheduling without having a significant impact on user groups.

“We are aware of these impacts, and we are committed to find the best solution for the users and patrons,” March wrote in the correspondence that was read by Mayor Roy Ludwig.

March brought forward two options. The one that council approved unanimously was to install it next May after ice is removed and there is less demand on the facility. It also gives IKS the opportunity to fully inspect Affinity’s clock hoist system

and building mechanics at a time when they intend to have lifts in the building for curling provincials.

“Inspecting systems in advance will allow IKS plenty of time to deal with potential issues prior to a mid-May 2023 install,” March wrote.

It also gives IKS time to find a buyer for the current clock.

The other option was a two-phase approach that would have involved removing the existing clock and installing a temporary video screen, similar to what was in place for the Centennial Cup. It would occur over three nights from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. at a mutually-agreeable time to reduce the impact to users.

The existing clock would be packaged for sale and stored somewhere in the city.

The new clock would be installed over a two-day window.

March noted there are risks with option 2 because a delay may affect the facility users’ ability to operate as intended.

“IKS is optimistic that the procedure will proceed as planned, however, they caution that problems do arise, and we should be prepared for this,” March said.

IKS is supportive of the mid-May installation, and the warranty on the new clock will begin once it is fully in service.

Councillor Rebecca Foord noted that with the clock, it’s not as easy is turning it on and having. Time will be needed to train clock operators.

“Having it in December during the Bruins’ and the Bears’ season and everything else, I don’t think would be a feasible option, just because of the training purposes, because it will be just too crammed. A May installation will help diminish the risk for mistakes and errors,” she said.

Councillor Tony Sernick suggested exploring the possibility of hiring someone to operate the clock. Council will receive a report before making a decision.

•••

The dog park will remain at the Kin Hillside Playpark.

The park was approved in early June 2021 and open that fall. Council wanted a one-year trial period before making a final decision about the park’s future.

Land development services manager Richard Neufeld noted that since the

park opened, land development received one complaint regarding feces and another regarding noise. The latter caller thought the park was not a safe place for children.

Neufeld also pointed out the parks department did not receive much for negative feedback, other than a call complaining about noise and safety.

“We have found that as predicted, peer pressure has worked,” said Neufeld. “The park is operating on a use-itproperly or lose-it basis.”

There has also been a “great deal of positive feedback” from dog park users, he said.

Members of council said they have not received any negative comments.

Council held a special hearing regarding the city’s new zoning bylaw. Nobody stepped forward to comment on the issue.

Neufeld noted the proposed bylaw has been advertised for four weeks and sent to the necessary entities without any inquiries.

There have been a few recommended amendments to the document regarding signage, the West Valley Village development in west Estevan, signs for garage sales and open houses, signs on city-owned property, placement of signs in locations that can become a traffic hazard, and upgrading cell phone towers in the city, among other issues.

Neufeld noted SaskTel is looking to upgrade three towers in residential areas. Cellular towers are allowed in most districts, except for residential, but the technology for the towers has improved greatly in recent years, and he suggested council could still allow the towers to proceed.

The current score clock at Affinity Place was installed in 2011.

BUSINESS

Downtown business offers many gift ideas, plans on adding coffee bar and more

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Lemons Gifts and More, a family-run business that also views their customers as part of the family, is nearing its first anniversary in Estevan and has many development plans.

Lemons Gifts and More opened at 1205 Fourth Street in Estevan in December of 2021, offering a variety of gifts and souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, collectibles and more.

Brenda Bender, the store owner and operator, has been managing retail for many years, but she is also a master herbalist and plans to use her knowledge and expertise in the store.

“My goal with the store eventually is health and wellness. So there is lots of new to come,” Bender said. She’s owned a health food store before, and managed

Dolly Sue’s Marketplace and Petals to the Metal Flower Shoppe and Boutique in the last few years. Opening her own store, Bender knew she wanted to grow it in a new direction, in which she personally had knowledge and experience.

Not that long ago, she got to spend a few months abroad, and that’s where her ideas started growing and the name was born.

“The name came from me spending time in Spain when my daughter was studying as a fashion designer. On her graduation, I went there and spent three months in Spain with her and her husband. And loved it, loved the culture, loved the lemon trees, just loved it,” Bender recalled.

“My daughter had a small lemon plant and it had grown very quickly into a huge lemon tree and it’s

now one of our friend’s orchards. And just seeing the growth of that lemon tree and then thinking about the coffee bar and thinking fresh, fresh food, vegetarian, vegan is where I’m going with it. Because I want more freshness and more wholesome.”

When opening Lemons Gifts and More, Bender had to take over the high-end Dolly Sue’s inventory, and she is currently working on thinning it down to open up space for new ideas. In the near future, she plans to bring in a flower store and open a coffee bar, offering fresh, high-quality coffee, vegan and vegetarian soups and salads and baked treats to go, with her unique recipes.

“I am going to be catering a couple of specialties that nobody else has that are recipes that are passed down generations … I also will be working with fruits and stuff that are in season with the farmers market, the local farmers.

“It’s what I want to give to the community from me, what I have left in me,” Bender said, adding that her daughter, who currently helps at the store, would run the coffee bar, and she would take care of flowers and the rest of the store.

Later on, Bender also

plans to grow her health and wellness offering and bring in some healthy foods, while keeping the other elements as well as gift variety, including jewellery, collectable angels, décor and most popular lines of clothing.

In the meantime, Bender is working on new signage and lights and renovating the area in the front of the store for the coffee bar, while also building a kitchen in the back and preparing the space for the flower boutique.

While the first months in the business were trying economically and personally, as Bender had to say goodbye to her brother over the summer months, she is optimistic about the future of the business and her soonto-come offerings. She is

hopeful that the community shares the value of shopping local, and despite a slower economy, local businesses will be able to continue serving people and meeting their needs.

“It’s slow in the sense of retail, it’s a slow economy right now. And I don’t think I’m alone in that,” Bender said. “Shop local is really important to keep emphasizing and getting people to support the local businesses to keep us here.”

On top of Dolly Sue’s collection and many gift ideas, Lemons Gifts and More has a wide collection of Christmas décor of all kinds, which is 25 per cent off all the way until the end of the year.

The store also features a community piano for

people to come and play at any time.

“My community piano is really important to me to have the locals come in and when they have coffee, they can sit down and play. We have lots of people that come and play this piano. It is very beautiful.”

Bender said the store is her happy place, and she wants it to be such for her customers as well.

“Customer service is a big thing for me,” Bender said. “And I want people when they come through the door for it to be their happy place. They don’t have to stress and worry. And that’s why my motto is no pressure shopping. Just come in and look, and if you want to buy something I can help you find that. But there’s no pressure.”

Annual fundraiser to focus on mental health

An organization in southeast Saskatchewan is hosting an upcoming fundraiser, and has turned to a retired hockey star to be its guest speaker.

The Long Creek Agricultural Environmental Group Program (AEGP) will bring Theoren Fleury to speak on Nov. 26 at the Oungre Memorial Regional Park hall. Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud with the AEGP said this is the third time they have tried to bring Fleury to Oungre, but their previous efforts were thwarted by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Ziehl Grimsrud said the AEGP board is comprised of local farmers, and it has been in existence for nearly 20 years. They have traditionally held an event in the fall.

“We’re now a go, so we’re

busy selling tickets and promoting. We’re hoping to have people come out and listen to Theo’s story,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.

Mental health will be a big focus of the event. Fleury will discuss his previous experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual assault and how those affected his mental health.

Doors will open at 4 p.m. The event will start at 5 p.m. with a volunteer first responder briefly discussing their experiences. A woman from the Tribune-Oungre area will share her thoughts on mental health and how it’s affected her family.

After a brief social time, supper will be served. Then Fleury will take to the stage.

“We’re looking forward to finally doing this. It’s some-

thing our group has thought to be important for a long time and for a lot of people, and people seem more open to speak about mental health now,” said Ziehl Grimsrud.

“I think this is a good thing.”

Ziehl Grimsrud noted this is not meant to be a fundraiser. If there is a financial surplus, they have three organizers to donate to which support mental health initiatives.

Typically they will have 80 people in attendance, but they hope to have 400450 people present this year. Ticket sales have gone well.

Ziehl Grimsrud said the AEGP has also hosted fall events that focus on issues for agriculture producers like weather, cattle feeding systems, grazing livestock, fencing and more.

New program launched for newcomer youths

A new program for Southeast Advocates for Employment was launched earlier this year to help newcomers in the southeast region find a job.

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Settlement Program is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

It is designed to assist newcomers between the ages of 15 and 30 years old, who are out of school, currently unemployed or underemployed, and are legally able to

work in Canada, to find and retain employment.

The objectives of the YESS Program are to help youth navigate through the labour market and to successfully transition into sustained employment.

YESS services include:

• Employment counselling to help develop employment readiness through resumé and cover letter writing, career planning, interview preparations and other employment-related workshops;

• Resumé screening and

matching to help assess if a candidate is qualified for a role based on education, experience and other information captured in the resumé and job search process;

• Mentorship to help gain relevant work experience;

• Networking opportunities to help connect youth to local employers and develop partnerships with employers for work placement opportunities; and

• Work placements to help them develop the necessary skills to transition into and maintain employment.

Lemons Gifts and More owner Brenda Bender says the store is her happy place. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Lemons Gifts and More is located at 1205 Fourth Street in Estevan.

Fundraiser generates big funds in Lampman

The After Harvest Party fundraiser in Lampman on Oct. 22 allowed the Lampman recreation board to surpass its fundraising goal for a new ice plant at the town’s community complex.

The event was held on Oct. 22 at the Lampman School gymnasium. It featured a live auction led by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, a silent auction that had dozens of items, a catered supper, and live music by the Uncoolas.

Former NHL enforcer Stu Grimson was the guest speaker and prominent Saskatchewan broadcaster Rod Pedersen was the MC.

“To say it went amazing would be an understatement, it was incredible, more than we ever imagined,” said Lampman recreation director Brittany Sutherland. “Our community came together, and everyone had so much fun. The food was yummy, the speakers were great, and Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers were fantastic and helped up surpass our fundraising goal.”

The big-ticket item during the live auction was the naming rights for the arena. Border Insulators purchased it for $41,000 over five years.

The other large item was a pump jack donated by Grimes Sales & Service (2020), which was sold to an undisclosed bidder for $35,000.

“This was the first big fundraiser and gathering we had been able to host for years,” said Sutherland. “I think everyone in the community was eager to have a good time and support the worthy cause. The auctions were very competitive … yet friendly.”

A total of 65 items were available in the silent auction and eight could be had in the live auction.

“We also had great success auctioning off the order to eat, always a crowd favourite at our small-town fundraisers,” said Sutherland.

Pederson and Grimson did a great job of entertaining the audience, Sutherland said. Grimson, who played 729 NHL

Some RMs will hold elections this fall

A number of rural municipalities in the southeast will hold elections this fall to determine councillors, while other RM councillors were decided by acclamation.

In the RM of Coalfields, there will be an election in Division 6 between Terry Sernick and Bruce Craig. Elected by acclamation were Brett MacKenzie in Division 2 and Travis Johnson in Division 4.

There will not be an election in the RM of Cambria. Acclaimed were Don Hurren in Division 2, Justin Marcotte in Division 4 and Stephen Terrett in Division 6.

In the RM of Souris Valley, there will be an election in Division 2 between Kevin Lohse and Kelly Ashworth. Shaun Stroeder was elected by acclamation in Division 4 and Merv Hutt has been acclaimed in Division 6.

Nobody has stepped forward to run for Divisions 4 and 6 in the RM of Browning after two calls for nominations. Those will be decided in byelections. Blake Fornwald has been acclaimed as the councillor in Division 2.   Dwight Monteyne (Division 2), Malcolm Herman (Divison 4) and Kevin Wallewein (Division 6) were acclaimed as councillors in the RM of Benson.

In the RM of Cymri, there are two candidates for Division 2: Bradley Goettling and Henry Wiebe. Marnell Eagles

was acclaimed in Division 4 and Dallas Toles was the only candidate in Division 6.

In the RM of Tecumseh, acclaimed were Ed Young in Division 2, Tom Breault in Division 4 and Gerry Knibbs in Division 6.

Those elected and acclaimed will serve fouryear terms.  Election date for the RMs is Nov. 9.

For a story on the RM of Estevan election, please see page A13.

games for seven different NHL organizations and amassed 2,113 penalty minutes while serving as an enforcer, reflected on his career and the people he encountered.

“They were very entertaining, we loved hearing all their stories [and] would definitely recommend having them at an event,” said Sutherland.

Pederson is the host of the Rod Pedersen Show. He is a former play-byplay announcer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Regina Pats.

“Rod, being from Milestone, really understood the crowd. He is very genuine, comical and full of wit,” said Sutherland.

“Stu was at one time a force to be reckoned with in the NHL. He has a kind, gentle demeanour with a strong towering presence. He told stories of what it was like being an enforcer in the NHL, the good, the bad and the ugly. Together they were able to give the crowd an inside look at what sports and community have in common and how one cannot survive without the other.”

The money raised will be directed towards the purchase of new thermosiphon ammonia ice plant, which is expected to add to the life span of the complex while lowering the operating costs.

While they don’t have

final figure for the amount of money, Sutherland said the event raised well over $150,000, which exceeded their needs for the equipment.

“Our community needed to get together and start bringing that feeling back that COVID hindered,” said Dustin Ferguson, who is a town councillor and recreation board member. “I saw so many people smiling, laughing and joking that night. Just enjoying being together as a community. The level of support and strength was felt by all and to myself as a councillor it said ‘this community wants to thrive.’”

“I was so excited to surpass our goal and know

that our project would be covered, I knew that all the hard work and visions that the rec. board had put together had all paid off,” added Sutherland. “But I think it was almost as rewarding seeing everyone together enjoying each other’s company.”

Sutherland said they are grateful to the sponsors, donors, volunteers and everyone who attended the event.

“Because we all came together our community had one heck of a successful event and was a night we will talk about for years.”

The ice is expected to be installed in mid-November.

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is an impor-

Marvin Blue is one of

participants for Movember

has been part of the initiative since 2012.

extremely fortunate that people have supported

as much as I have over the years,” he said in an interview with the Mercury.

Blue started his involvement in 2012 because his

cousin, the late Jay Pierson, had started fundraising for Movember in honour of Pierson’s father Jerry, who died from prostate cancer.

“He invited our cousins and our family to join a police team,” said Blue.

Now he’s fundraising on his own, but the support remains.

“Some years are a bit more involved and … more time is put into fundraising,” said Blue. “I’ve got a moustache that doesn’t usually show up in the first three weeks, so I’ve had to get creative with my photos, and that’s taken on a

different life. It surprises me that people donate for some of the things I’ve taken photos with.”

Last year he raised $2,020, which Blue said is above normal. He has had some years in which he has exceeded $3,000 or even $4,000, and other years he has been around $250 or $500. In each of the past six or seven years, he has eclipsed $1,000.

With blonde hair, it takes a while for the moustache to become noticeable.

“The first couple of years, I’d take a selfie or some sort of picture like that, I’d

document the moustache progress,” said Blue.

But then he would take a random, funny photo, such as him showing off the duster while not wearing pants, and he’d get $500 within a day or two. He would take another photo that wouldn’t yield results, so he’d try another photo without pants, and another $500 would roll in.

People might find his efforts humourous, and he hopes he made them laugh enough for them to donate money.

Blue said he’s grateful for any donation he received, and he hopes people will remember the causes associated with Movember.

“I’ve lost people to all of those, and I’m sure everybody knows somebody who has,” said Blue.

Several members of the Estevan Police Service will be fundraising for Movember once again this year, too.

The Donut Dusters 2.0 will be comprised of Sgts. Evan Handley, Tyler McMillen and Braden Lonsberry, and Const. Cole Hoover. Handley is the team captain.

The three sergeants have been part of a team together for multiple years, while Hoover is joining them for the first time. They adopted the Donut Dusters name for the first time last year.

Handley noted the EPS’s involvement with Movember started more than a decade ago through Jay Pierson, who was a

long-time member of the EPS and was often the top Movember fundraiser in the community.

The EPS wants to continue Pierson’s legacy of Movember support.

“Jay was a very close friend to all of us at the service, and it’s especially very important to me to honour his legacy every year by growing my horrible moustache,” said Handley.

The EPS will have other members who won’t fundraise but will grow moustaches in support of the Donut Dusters.

“Whatever you do to help out men’s health and mental health, in any way, shape or form, is awesome,” Handley said.

The Donut Dusters raised over $3,000 as a team last year. Each year they want to improve upon the previous year’s total, so Handley hopes they can eclipse $3,000 once again.

If people want to donate, they can search for the team name or any of the individual member names, and then make a donation.

Other people have sent Handley money and he has donated it in their name.

“We just want to support our ‘mo’ brothers and sisters all over Canada.

It’s fun, I like to grow the moustache, even though it turns out horribly every year, but it’s just something to show our support and help honour Jay,” said Handley.

During the month of November, men across Canada and around the world will grow a moustache, and receive support from people they know, affectionately called “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas.”

Funds raised during Movember are directed towards the fight against prostate and testicular cancer, and to create awareness of men’s mental health and suicide prevention issues.

This year for November, or Movember, as it is known, everyone is invited to take part in the Estevan Mercury’s Movember Selfie Contest, regardless of whether you can grow a moustache.

People are encouraged to take a selfie with their moustache, even if it’s wool, paper or a filter.

It will run all November, with posts encouraging people of all ages to enter to win.

There are three categories:

•The Real McCoy is for those who can grow a moustache the traditional way. Let us know a bit about your moustache, if you started with a clean slate for the month, if your whiskers are original and you’ve never shaved, or you’ve just been growing it out for a longer period of time.

•Fake It is for those who can’t or don’t want to grow a moustache but want to put their best face forward to raise awareness. Did you craft it out of wool or puffballs? Did you draw it on with a marker or drink a glass of milk? Or did

you experiment with your favourite app filter? Show what you have come up with.

•Baby Cookie Duster allows kids to be involved. Help them draw, cut, colour and glue the most creative moustache they can think of.

To enter to win, send your selfie sporting your new Mo to contests@estevanmercury.ca or our Facebook page before Nov. 17. Starting Nov. 18, the public can vote via Facebook likes. There will be a prize for each category, and the winners will be decided by likes on the Mercury Facebook page.

Sponsors will have their logo and will be mentioned on all Facebook posts throughout the contest.

Marvin Blue has grown a Movember moustache each year since 2012. Photo courtesy of Marvin Blue

AUTOBODY

Local athlete, umpire and business saluted

A couple of talented young people and a local business, all of whom love baseball, were recognized during the recent Baseball Sask. awards night.

Carter Beck of Carnduff was selected as the Male Player of the Year, while Carter Williamson was chosen as the Lou Slotsve Junior Umpire of the Year.

Beck played in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League (SPBL) U18 AAA league in his second year for the Southeast Performance Pump Twins.

“His talents on the field have steadily improved year over year and 2022 showed just that,” stated a bio from Baseball Sask.

He led the SPBL with a .456 batting average, .835 slugging percentage and 1.404 on-base plus slugging ratio. He also was on base 59 per cent of the time he was at bat, and he struck out just four times in 109 at bats.

Beck was also the Twins closer, and he amassed 26 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. He did not surrender an earned run all year.

“Numbers like these do not come up very often and as such Carter was awarded with the top hitter award and league MVP,” said Baseball Sask.

Beck was named to Team Sask. for the Canada Games, where he batted in every game and led the provincial team in at bats and runs batted in, and was second in hits.

“In the offseason, Carter spends his baseball time in the gym and the local southeast baseball training centre improving his game, plus spending time with young catchers and hitters,” Baseball Sask. said. “Carter has a quiet and constant smiling demeanor about him which makes him approachable with young baseball players.

“With his summer team, the Southeast Twins, Carter is a natural leader. He is very encouraging to his teammates, which helps keep a positive mood in the group. But he will also be pointed with his teammates when the team focus is not there.

“That is one more thing

that makes Carter special, he plays hard … takes every result for what it is, and stays in the moment.”

Williamson was instrumental in game coverage all summer, according to Baseball Sask. As a young official, he wants to learn the craft and quickly applies new information on the field.

“Carter helped Estevan and area cover many games at provincial tournaments that Zone 1 hosted, and earned himself a spot at the Western Canada championships in Estevan this past August.”

He is described as very composed at a young age, even in games where the pressure should have impacted his performance, but it did not. There were many compliments from coaches, parents and fans.

“One of the local sponsors of the Western Canada tournaments was so impressed by the performance of this young official at such a high-level tournament, that they donated additional gift cards to this young umpire,” his bio stated.

Performance Pump was presented with the award for the Patron (Sponsor) of the Year. Baseball Sask. said the company has been an integral part of the sport in Estevan over the years.

“They are a wonderful, locally-owned company who supports minor sports within the community,” stated its bio. “Estevan has been very lucky to be the recipient of their

generosity throughout the years.”

The business is the name sponsor for the Twins. This past season, they donated four score clocks to Estevan Minor Baseball. They are also a jersey sponsor for one of the U11 teams.

Performance Pump is always more than willing to help out with any equipment maintenance needs or just to lend a

hand, Baseball Sask. said.

The company has spent just as much time on the diamonds as any member of the organization.

“Estevan Minor Ball considers themselves very lucky to have a company in their community who supports them. They are honored to nominate Performance Pump Services for Patron (Sponsor) of the Year,” Baseball Sask. said.

Bears knock o ff defending league champions

The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears went into Wilcox Saturday for a game against the defending Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League champions, the Notre Dame Hounds, and emerged with a 4-2 victory. It was the Bears’ third straight victory.

Carter Skarbon opened the scoring midway through the first period for the Bears. Carter Onrait’s goal 1:20 into the second period gave the Bears a 2-0 advantage, but two goals by the Hounds tied the game before the end of the second period.

Blaze Gutzke’s powerplay goal with 8:38 to play in the third period put the Bears ahead for good, and Kole Keen added an empty-net goal with 37 seconds to play.

Kaden Perron stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced for Estevan.

The Bears (4-8-1) will host the Tisdale Trojans on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. and the following day at 2:30 p.m.

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins won both games they played on the weekend, defeating the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 in overtime on Friday and doubling up the Regina Rangers 8-4 on Saturday.

Swift Current scored once in each of the first and second periods for a 2-0 lead, and the two-goal cushion held until midway through the third when Strahn Douglas scored.

Spencer Copeland tied the game with a power-play goal three minutes later.

Carter Beck’s goal early

in overtime was the winner.

Ty Fehrenbach made 32 saves in goal for Estevan.

The following day, Estevan fell behind 2-0 in the first period and 3-1 in the second but had five goals in the middle frame.

Beck scored twice in the second-period barrage. Emmett McCarthy, Tayson Dietze and Jordan Marcotte also scored in the middle frame.

McCarthy also scored in the first, while Talys Brock and Conrad Hase tallied in the third for the Bruins. Copeland had four assists on the day.

Keagan Carley had 28 saves in the game.

The Apex Bruins will visit Swift Current on Nov. 4 and the Moose Jaw Warriors on Nov. 5 and 6.

Estevan opened with a 5-5 tie against the South Side Athletic Club Lions.

Porter Crossman opened the scoring in the first period for Estevan, and Gunner Moore added to the lead in the second. After the Lions scored twice, Crossman had two goals for a 4-2 advantage through two periods.

The Lions would get two in the third to tie the game again. Tristan Brownridge scored in the third for a 5-4 Estevan lead, but the Lions tied the game again.

Nathan Gardiner had three assists in the game.

Jaxon Kuchinka made 30 saves for Estevan.

Estevan’s next game was a 6-3 loss to the Prince Albert Pirates. The Pirates scored five times in the opening 14 minutes of the game to lead 5-0.

Jayden Chernoff and Crossman scored in the second for Estevan, and Austin Sawatsky scored in the third.

Quinton Sliva made 33 saves in the loss.

The Bruins then lost 7-3 to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Brandon led 4-1 after the first period and 7-1 with nine minutes to play in the second.

Brownridge scored twice and Riley Gigian also scored.

Kuchinka made 36 saves during the game.

Estevan’s lone win was an 8-4 triumph over the Yellowhead Chiefs. The

Bruins scored four times in the second to take a 6-2 lead.

Boston Tait, Crossman, Brownridge and Gigian scored for Estevan in the middle frame. Owen Pushie and Moore scored in the first, and Brownridge and Tait had goals in the third. Gardiner had three helpers in the win.

Kuchinka made 39 saves.

Estevan’s final game was an 8-4 loss to the North West Stars. Moore and Kail Hilstrom each had two goals for Estevan. Kuchinka made 40 saves in the loss.

The TS&M Bruins will return to league play when they visit the West Central Wheat Kings on Nov. 5 and the Swift Current Broncos the following day.

Baseball Sask. president Terry Butler presents the Male Player of the Year Award to Carter Beck. Photos courtesy of Baseball Sask.

The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins had a 1-31 record at the Graham Tuer Memorial Tournament in Regina.

Carter Williamson, left, accepts the top junior jumpier award from Baseball Sask. president Terry Butler

Kent Phillips of Performance Pump accepts the Patron (Sponsor) of the Year Award from Baseball Sask. president Terry Butler

Bruins return home and beat the Hounds

By David Willberg

The Estevan Bruins’ return to home ice was a successful one.

The Bruins defeated the Notre Dame Hounds 5-2 Saturday night at Affinity Place in the Black and Gold’s first home game since Oct. 13.

Cody Davis opened the scoring four minutes into the first period for Estevan – the third straight game in which Davis has notched a first goal. Then Kade Runke and Owen Miley had power-play goals 2:13 apart for a 3-0 Bruins’ advantage.

Cyprus Smith-Davis scored early in the second period for the Hounds. Estevan had chances to add to the lead on a two-minute, 5-on3 power play, but couldn’t convert. Notre Dame had a golden chance to score on a breakaway, but Bruins’ goaltender Cam Hrdlicka came up with the save.

Jagjeevan Phangura scored with 7 1/2 minutes to play in the second to restore the Bruins’ advantage, and Tyler Guy added to the lead 68 seconds later.

Jacob Ligi’s power-play goal late in the second for the Hounds finished the scoring.

Hrdlicka finished with 28 saves on 30 shots for the Bruins. Johann Tremblay-Kau stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced for the Hounds.

“It’s really nice to be at home again,” said head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic. “It seems like we’ve been on the road for three months. Our guys are comfortable here. It’s nice to get that win to get us back to .500. We have some tough games coming up here, but at least they’re at home, and we’ll go from there.”

The win came after a road trip through western Saskatchewan. The Bruins lost 7-2 to the Battlefords North Stars – the top-ranked team in the country – on Oct. 25, but recovered to beat the Kindersley Klippers 3-2 in a shootout the following night.

Davis opened the scoring 6:57 into the first period against the Stars, but goals by Riley Girod, Jake Southgate and Zane Florence gave

the Stars a 3-1 lead after the first period.

“It was really important to set the tone for the game, and I thought we came out flying and we jumped on them,” said Davis.

The goals for Southgate and Florence came after the Bruins’ Logan Walker was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing.

Runke had the Bruins’ other goal. Bradley Blake,

Kian Bell, Evan Waldie and Tanner Gold also scored for the Stars.

Hrdlicka started for the Bruins and stopped 14 of the 18 shots he faced. Jackson Miller came in after the Stars’ fourth goal and made 25 saves on 28 shots.

Justen Maric stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced for the Stars.

“I thought we played really well in the first 10 min-

utes, and got the one-goal lead,” said Tatarnic. “We made a couple of mistakes and there was a five-minute power play, and all of a sudden it’s 3-1. When we play a team like that, we just have to be mentally stronger and make good decisions.”

Davis scored a shorthanded goal 6:43 into the game against Kindersley, but Aidan Taylor responded with a power-play goal 87 seconds later.

Kayden Ostrom’s goal for the Klippers would be the only tally for either team in the second, and Kindersley held the 2-1 lead until Alex Blanchard scored for the Bruins with 5:39 to play in the third.

Neither team scored in overtime, and the shootout was scoreless until the fourth round when Runke scored.

Hrdlicka stopped 32 of 34 shots he faced and all four attempts in the shootout. Cody Jaman made 37 saves for Kindersley. Tatarnic said he thought the second period against Kindersley was “terrible”, and he communicated those thoughts to the players.

“I think they got the message and they responded really well in the third period, and we were able to get the tying goal and the shootout win. I thought they played really well in the third period and probably deserved a regulation win,” said Tatarnic.

Davis said he believes the club is better as a team after playing six straight games on the road, but they were eager to play at Affinity Place again.

“It’s nice to finally get some games at home. I think we’re a little bit tired of the road and we’re ready for this home stretch,” said Davis.

Tatarnic said the Bruins now need to make their home games count, and they’re happy with the team they have now.

The Bruins (10-10) will return to the ice Thursday night when they play the Humboldt Broncos at 7 p.m. at Affinity Place. Estevan will then host the Battlefords North Stars on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Humboldt again the following night. Battlefords and Humboldt are the top two teams in the league.

The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins had some positives from their annual home tournament, but finished with a 0-4 record.

Estevan opened the tournament with a 9-5 loss to the Weyburn Red Wings and 9-1 to the Regina Blues on Saturday, and 6-4 the Dakota Warriors out of Bismarck, N.D. on Sunday morning to finish the round robin at 0-3.

In the bronze medal game, Estevan played the North Dakota entry again, and lost 9-2.

Coach Chris Light said he thought they had a really strong game in the first meeting with the Warriors.

“We played a full 60 minutes this first game. We outshot their team by a two-to-one margin, and they had a hot goalie and we couldn’t buy a goal. We

did outplay them. And then in this last game, we just ran out of gas,” said Light.

The teams from Weyburn and Regina are really strong, Light said. The North Dakota team was comprised of secondyear players, and they were backstopped by a strong goalie.

Light stressed the Bruins have shown a lot of

progress this season, even though they went winless in their home tournament, and they are 0-4 in league play, too.

They have a young team this year with largely firstyear players.

“It is a work in progress, but I do feel like we do get a bit better with every game,” he said.

Weyburn defeated Regina in the A final.

Red Devils trounce Coalers to open Big Six season

The 2022-23 Big Six Hockey League season began the same way that the previous one ended: with a Carnduff Red Devils victory.

Carnduff routed the Bienfait Coalers 12-2 Saturday night in Bienfait. It was the first meeting between the two teams since last season’s thrilling best-of-three quarter-final series, which

Carnduff won 2-1. The Red Devils went on to win the Big Six championship.

Nico Anderson scored the first goal in the league this season 3:45 into the first period to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead. Two goals by Trey Stocker, and individual tallies by Jackson O’Brien, Tanner Reynolds and Kyle Garagan made it a 6-0 game after the first period.

Garagan, Anderson, Ben Hiltz, Devon Carriere and Devon Smith scored in the second period for Carnduff

Kaelan Holt and Kaleb Poole tallied in the third for Bienfait, while Carriere added his second of the game for the Red Devils.

Cody Dumaine was in

goal for Carnduff, and Zack Miller was the goalie for Bienfait.

Next weekend will be the first full weekend of play. Games on Nov. 4 are the Carlyle Cougars at the Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings, the Oxbow Huskies will visit the Redvers Rockets, and the Red Devils will

be at the Arcola-Kisbey Combines.

The following night, the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings will visit Carnduff, Oxbow will be at KiplingWindthorst, and the Midale Mustangs are at the Combines.

All games are to start at 8 p.m.

A total of 11 teams are in the league this season. ArcolaKisbey and Kipling-Windthorst are back after a hiatus. They will join Carnduff, Bienfait, Carlyle, Oxbow, Redvers, Yellow Grass, Midale, the Moosomin Rangers and the Wawota Flyers. Teams will play a 20game schedule.

Estevan U15 Bearcats get their first win

The Estevan Southland Pulse U15 A Bearcats female hockey team defeated the Borderland Badgers 6-3 in Moosomin on Sunday afternoon to earn their first victory of the season.

Lainee McMillen and Brianna Fleck scored in the opening 3:31 of the first period for the Bearcats. Ella

Fornwald tallied in the second, and then Sailor Cowan, Dannie Eaton and Kaybree Fonstad notched goals in the third.

Kayla Mitchell was in goal for the Bearcats.

Estevan (1-1) will visit the Badgers again on Nov. 5, this time in Wawota, and then they will be at the Wey-

burn Gold Wings the following day.

•••

The Southeast Whitecap U15 AA Goldwings lost 9-6 Saturday and 8-4 Sunday to the Northwest Sharks in Battleford.

Julia Durr and Ella Schenher each scored twice for the Wings in Saturday`s

game. Emma Holzer and Peyton Birnie also scored. Josie Ellis was in goal. Schenher had a hat trick in Sunday`s game, and Addison Warren also scored. Kiera Barker was the goalie.

The Goldwings will host the Regina Rebels on Nov. 5 at 12:15 p.m. and the following day at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn.

•••

The South East TS&M U18 A Goldwings dropped two straight games, 2-1 to the Prairie Storm on Sept. 26 in Midale and 4-2 to the Regina Rebels three nights later in Regina.

Lola Brady had the lone goal against the Storm. Kailyn McFadden was in goal.

Brielle Farr and Kallie MacMillan had the goals against the Rebels. Karley Martin was the goalie.

The Gold Wings will host the Carlyle Wildcats on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Midale, and then visit the Wood River Ice Cats on Nov. 6 in Lafleche.

•••

The South East Aaron Well Servicing U18 AA Goldwings’ lone game during the past week was a 4-2 loss to the Regina Rebels on Oct. 29.

Katelyn Thackeray and Jada Naviaux were the goal scorers in that game. Phoenix Preston-Winder was in goal.

The Goldwings will host the Parkland Fire on Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and the Warman Wildcats the following day at 2 p.m.

Logan Ziegler (12) and Jaryd Sych battle for the puck during the Bruins’ 5-2 on Saturday night.

The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins faced Weyburn in a game on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

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It is with heavy hearts that the family of Harry Fraske announces his passing on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Estevan, SK at the age of 89 years.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife Karin and their daughters, Linda (Randy) and Lisa (Ken); grandchildren Sarah (Jack), Kara, and Cody; great grandson Finn; brothers Alfred (Thelma) and Leo (Patricia); numerous nieces and nephews; and his special fourlegged companion ZoZo.

Harry was predeceased by parents Gottlieb and Agatha Fraske and other siblings that did not survive infancy.

In lieu of a service, an informal Celebration of Life will be held at Harry and Karin’s home on Friday, November 4, 2022 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm.

A special thanks to the Unit A nursing staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital, to the Home Care and Palliative Home Care nurses, and to both Dr. Edward and Dr. Sarah Tsoi. Your kind and compassionate care was appreciated.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Estevan and Area Home Care, 1176 Nicholson Road, Estevan, SK S4A 0H3 in honor of Harry.

Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Harry and his family - Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.

Harry Fraske 1933 - 2022

Co-op’s Trail of Terror made thousands scream

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Southern Plain Co-op turned last Friday into a night to remember for thousands of people.

Between 2,500 and 3,000 visitors, some wearing costumes and others just enjoying the atmosphere, went through the Trails of Horror and Terror at Woodlawn Regional Park’s Preddy Trails.

The trails opened at 5

p.m. for people with disabilities and their families, including but not limited to, sensory sensitivities and limited mobility, in partnership with Limitless DAS.

Then, at 6 p.m., when it was darker, young families and those that wanted to experience a less scary version of the trails, were invited to check out all the decorations put out by the co-op at Trail of Horror.

And finally, starting at 7:30 p.m. the pathways turned into a Trail of Terror with monsters, goblins and other scary things waiting for the community to come meet them and make some noise.

Everything that night, from spook stations for the kids to tricks and treats, to hot chocolate and hot dog booths, to the trails themselves, was free to everyone. Co-op employees, local hockey players and volunteers from many Estevan organizations helped with filling the trails with ghosts, zombies and witches, along with running the games and food tables, and with putting everything together.

The Southern Plains Coop team started preparing their 2022 Halloween bash as early as last August, and it took them the entire day to set all of their ideas and decorations up at Woodlawn.

Brooke Spagrud, marketing and community relations manager for Southern Plains Co-op, said the event was bigger and better than ever before. The traffic was steady throughout the night, and the park was filled with screams and laughter, which were the biggest sign of success.

“We expanded the trail and made the trail larger, and chose a different path road,” Spagrud said. “And there were more decorations needed and more displays.”

This year, the Estevan Bruins were joined by the Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears, who helped light up the pathways. Estevan Public Youth Centre volunteers also helped populate the trails and serve food. Most groups helping with the Trail of Terror were long-time event supporters and were excited to be back this year.

“Because it’s such a fun event, and it’s something that everybody really looks forward to every year, we have really good relationships with groups and organizations that have helped us out,” Spagrud said. “So there are always organizations returning with aid, which I think is a sign that there’s a good working relationship there.”

While there were a lot of helpers, the main workload was on the hosting Southern Plains Co-op team, and Spagrud said it’s almost impossible to put a number on how many people it took this year to make this big community event happen.

“There are people from all across the organization that helped. Even if they didn’t help specifically at the trail, they were helping us gather supplies in the store to take out there or move stuff around. There are a lot of moving parts, but the majority of the event is run by co-op employees and their families,” Spagrud said.

She added that Trail of Terror is a very valuable project for the co-op, and they plan to keep running and growing it in the years to come.

“It’s just another way that the co-op gives back to the community. We are community focused and aim to support our members however we can,” Spagrud said. “Over the years this event has just continued to grow and grow and become a local favourite. And we just enjoy putting it together and providing something back to our community.”

The group that puts Trail of Terror together is already meeting this week to debrief and share their ideas for the future. As the event keeps growing, different departments come up with suggestions on how to improve various bits and pieces, to keep this popular tradition fun and safe for everybody.

For the full list of organizations that helped Southern Plains Co-op and made the Trails of Horror and Terror possible this year, please visit the co-op’s Facebook page.

“Shout out to everybody that was involved with planning it from the volunteers to the organizations that helped us, because truly without them, we would never ever be able to put this on,” Spagrud added. “It really takes a village to put

Successful fundraiser for Hitchcock Hall

The Hitchcock Hall sold out of their 50/50 tickets several days before the draw.

And once the draw was finished, Mindy Schoff, president of Hitchcock Hall, presented lucky winner Jeff Pratt of Estevan with 50 per cent of ticket sales proceeds, which were $2,500. The other half of the money will help maintain the hall, used for many great community events.

“We would like to thank everyone for participating in our 50/50 fundraiser,”

said Schoff. “We were able to sell all 500 tickets. With all tickets sold, we were able to fundraise a total of $2,500 for our hall. Jeff had also graciously donated a portion of his winnings back to the community as well.”

With these funds, the hall will be able to do more updates on its building and keep its events going.

Their next community function will be Hitchcock Christmas Potluck. The hall has been putting this on for

many years. Schoff said she used to attend them as a child and has been putting them on for almost 14 years as well.

“We usually all get together and enjoy a great meal, a visit from Santa and end the evening visiting and having horse-drawn sleigh rides,” Schoff shared.

After a successful fundraiser, Hitchcock Hall plans to have another draw next year and they hope to have great success as they did with this one.

Mindy Schoff, president of Hitchcock Hall, presented Jeff Pratt of Estevan with his winnings for the 50/50 draw.

this together. And it’s a lot of work for a four-hour event, but I think many would say it’s worth it because seeing

everybody getting scared and laughing and having a good time is really what it’s all about.”

The Estevan Bruins were on location providing some Halloween entertainment.

Shyra and Zalia Carlson stopped for a picture with the Southern Plains Co-op’s interpretation of the Sanderson sisters. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

Thousands of people came to check out Southern Plains Co-op’s Trails of Horror and Terror this year.

Alena Kilasova was kidnapped by a horror clown at the Trail of Terror entrance.

Witches were supplying guests with treats and souvenirs to make Southern Plains Co-op’s Trail of Terror even more memorable.

Flashback –Wednesday, Nov. 2, 1988

RM of Estevan has election in one division

The RM of Estevan had elections for Divisions 2, 4 and 6 scheduled to take place in the fall of 2022.

However, only one division has two candidates competing for councillor. The other two had only one person put their name forward.

Two nominations were received for the office of councillor in Division 2, and an election will occur between Don Hilstrom and Barbara Connely.

The first advance poll for Division 2 was on Nov. 1. Additional advance polls will be at the RM of Estevan office at #1-322 Fourth Street on Nov. 2 from 4-8 p.m., and Nov. 3 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Election day is Nov. 9, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Division 2 -

Don Hilstrom

Don Hilstrom has been a part of the RM of Estevan council for 10 years. Outside of being a councillor for the RM’s Division 2, Hilstrom also performed the duties of the RM reeve on two different occasions.

“I bring lots of experience to the position,” Hilstrom said.

The public’s concerns about road conditions were among the main reasons that motivated him to put his name forward to begin with.

“It started with just building some new roads around the community where I live, and just improving the area in general,” Hilstrom recalled, adding that roads and other issues that matter for the community remain a reason for him to run in the RM of Estevan elections.

“Industry is the biggest part of the RM road system. Oilfield, farmers, ranchers, hunters – roads are so important in the framework of the RM. And that’s what we’re all about.”

He said his years representing Division 2 and working with the RM of Estevan have been good, and they were able to accomplish many projects. Last year they were able to pave in the Boundary Dam area, build a new 011 road to the south and a new bridge at the Short Creek Valley.

“We are always improving,” Hilstrom said. “We just keep on doing stuff. We do it in unison with all the other councillors, of course. We got a good working relationship with the other councillors and the new reeve Jason LeBlanc.”

Hilstrom has a life-long career in raising bison and cows. His son Eric helps him with it and is gradually taking over the operation.

“That’s a moving thing. I’m doing less, and he’s doing more. So it’s working good,” Hilstrom said.

Hilstrom started raising cattle with his father, joining the family-run operation that’s been going on for four generations now. The family has been residing in the area

since 1903, and Hilstrom’s three adult children also live in the RM now.

“We have a real vested interest in making sure that taxes stay as low as we can keep them and the roads are as good as they can be,” Hilstrom said.

Hilstrom’s latest committee appointments with the RM included agricultural councillor, city/RM, mines, SE community advisory, Woodlawn Regional Park, road bans, fire ranger, policy, public works, weeds and finance.

Division 2Barbara Connely Barbara Connely is a newcomer in the world of politics. She said she has zero experience but does have a vision and time to represent people living in Division 2, where she’s lived for 35 years.

Right before the pandemic, Connelly sold her business, Purr-fect Dry Cleaners, which she ran for 18 years. Now she is retired, and she said she is willing to use her time to listen and address the concerns of division residents.

“I think it’s just time for a change in the RM. Nothing against my opponent I’m running against, I know him very well just because I’ve lived out here for 30-some years. I just think it’s time for a change, get a little new blood in there,” Connely said.

“Because I’m retired, I feel like I have time to commit to polling people’s concerns and ideas … I’ve already spoken to probably 150 households. And I’m getting some really good feedback. What I’m doing is I’m just asking everybody [about]… number one, how to improve the RM; and number two and three, are issues and concerns. And I’m just taking notes.”

Some of the concerns and ideas Connely heard from the residents were resonating and included road conditions, lights at the football field, the traffic flows in that area and others. She noted that not all of the issues that were mentioned might be the RM’s responsibility, but if elected, Connely plans to work with the notes she’s taken and try finding solutions, and also continue to check with the residents regularly to address their needs in a timely fashion.

“I want to address everybody’s issues eventually,” Connely said.

“I’m pretty much a likeable but vocal person, just due to the fact that I’ve run my own business for many years,” Connelly added. “People could phone me and address an issue and I would be on it in a second. I think I would be an asset to the RM of Estevan under [Reeve] Jason LeBlanc … I just think I could do it. But it’s a learning process, I don’t have any political experience. But I just want to do something, and I want to do something good.”

Division 4 –James Trobert

The RM of Estevan received only one nomination for the office of councillor for Division 4, and that was James Trobert.

“James was born in Estevan and has lived in the RM throughout much of his life, both while growing up on his parents’ hobby farm [where he helped raise cattle, pigs and chickens] and again since 2014 when he and his wife Doris purchased their present acreage. James attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, receiving his bachelor of arts degree [with distinction] in political studies in 1994 and later his bachelor of laws degree in 1996. Since graduation, he has practised law in Estevan,” according to the information provided on the RM of Estevan website.

“Away from the office, James has been a member of many local boards and committees, including past president of the United Way Estevan, public address announcer and volunteer coach for Estevan Minor Football, actor in the Lampman Community Theatre, as well as being active in the federal political scene. His first term as councillor for Division Four has been an extremely busy and rewarding time for him.

“During his downtime, he enjoys spending time with his four children, playing farmer on his acreage, camping, travelling, reading and enjoying a fine cigar.”

Division 6 –Steve Smith

Steve Smith was the only person to file for councillor in Division 6.

“Steve was born and raised on a farm in the RM of Browning, [about 20 kilometres] east of Lampman.

He rented a half section of land and began farming at the age of 14. After graduating high school, he found employment with Carson Welding & Maintenance, thus beginning his 30-year career in oil and gas construction, where he was the southeast Saskatchewan area manager of five locations. Prior to this, he had a short on-and-off career

with Luscar at the Bienfait and Boundary [Dam] mines. Volunteer work came in the form of assistant coaching for his daughter’s softball team, spanning over 10 years,” says the RM of Estevan website.

“As councillor for Division 6, he will do his best to listen to and address the concerns of his ratepayers, as well as assisting the rest

of council in creating a sustainable future for the whole RM. Steve looks forward to creating new economic development opportunities that will support current commercial businesses, as well as working with council to balance current and future budgets. He also strives to create a team environment with staff, council and ratepayers.”

The Scotsburn School boy’s soccer team captured the city’s elementary school title with a victory over St. John’s School. At the back with coach Ed Hujber, from left, Wade Brokenshire, Bruce Mantei, Danny Blackburn, Brett Boxrud, Michael Barnard, Bradley Daae and Joey Dzuba Middle row, Robin Hodgens, Brian Mantei, Aaron Sovdi, Shawn DeBruyne, Philip Blue and Chris Tarnes. Front row, Tayler Barabash, Ryan Saxon, Nicky Steinke, Nolan Haukeness, Jeremy Ross and Austin Hector

James Trobert, Division 4, elected by acclamation. Photo sourced from RM of Estevan website

Barbara Connely, Division 2 candidate. Photo courtesy of Barbara Connely

Don Hilstrom, Division 2 candidate. Photo sourced from RM of Estevan website

Steve Smith, Division 6, elected by acclamation. Photo sourced from RM of Estevan website

Estevan Lions Club celebrates special milestone

By David Willberg

The Estevan Lions Club celebrated 65 years of fulfilling its motto of “We Serve” at an anniversary bash on Oct. 25.

Current and former Lions club members, representatives from other clubs, and numerous supporters came together for the festivities. After supper, birthday

cake was served to the crowd.

A bench was unveiled by Marjorie Fowler, Audrey Johnson, Verna Morksy and Lynn Senchuk – the widows of John Fowler, John Johnson, Nick Morsky and Allan Senchuk, who had a combined 224 years of experience with the club.

“May many Lions families and community members see this bench and take

a rest and reflect on the dedication of these four gentlemen, how they showed and set a great example for all of us now and in the future to humbly follow. Their legacy and dedication to the Lions will not be forgotten,” said president Travis Olver.

Club member Nancy Brodeur created a slideshow with highlights from the club’s rich history.

Second vice-district governor Heather Vermeersch, who is a former Estevan Lions Club member now part of the Carlyle Club, presented a number of awards. She also led the installation of the Estevan club’s officers.

Vermeersch noted the club has a proud history and they are known for the successful fundraisers they have had, such as their golf tournaments, which brought in thousands of dollars for CNIB, and their lottery. Several club members went on to become district governors.

The local club has also hosted a number of successful conventions.

Vermeersch also pointed out her husband Jim was a member of the Estevan club when they lived in the Energy City, and being back in Estevan brought back a lot of good memories.

“This club has a long history. I know that. I was able to be part of that for a while. And I know there’s many stories that could be told. And hopefully, having looked at the video that Lion Nancy put together, it brings back lots of memories for people,” she said.

Without the support of

Are you living in fear or faith?

Fear is a great motivator when you find yourself in a life-threatening situation.

Fear can cause you to run faster, fight harder and act more quickly than you normally would.

For a short period, fearbased reactions can be very useful. Over the long run, though, a fearful approach to life tends to lead to avoidance of problems and poor decision making. 1 Samuel 17 is a perfect example of this truth.

Twice a day for 40 days,

a giant named Goliath challenged God’s people. When the army looked at him, all they saw was his nine-foottall frame and the immense strength that he possessed. Scripture says that “[King]

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Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified” (verse 11). Every day, the army drew up its battle line and shouted the war cry as if they were going to fight (verse 20), but when they saw

Goliath and heard his shouts, “they all ran from him in great fear” (verse 24). The discussion focused on what they could not do, and the more they spoke about their fear, the more fearful they became.

Then, one day, a young man named David showed up. When he heard what was happening, his response was, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; I will go and fight him” (verse 32). After a brief discussion, King Saul decided that he has no other option, and allows Da-

the Lions, Heather Vermeersch said her husband would have never become a district governor, which he did after they moved to Kenosee Lake. He remembers the Family Day swim that the Estevan club does each year, with hot dogs and a free swim at the Estevan Leisure Centre.

“For him, that was the ultimate service that this club provided,” said Vermeersch.

It was because of Lions like Allan Senchuk that Vermeersch decided she wanted to do more in the club.

vid to fight Goliath. You likely know how the story ends.

What made David run forward when everyone else was running away? What gave him confidence when men many years older than him were scared?

David’s secret was that he was listening to a different voice.

While the army focused on Goliath’s threats, David was reassured by the promises of God. They listened to fear and discouraged each other from even trying, while

She hopes the local club will continue serving and making a difference. Among those recognized at the 65th anniversary celebration were Ron Senchuk for 37 years, Bob Abernethy for 30 years, Albert Ribling for 20 and Ed Sinclair for 15. Furthermore, Senchuk was presented with a chevron in honour of the 60 years that his father Allan Senchuk was part of the club.

Former Lions who were in attendance were recognized, and told they were welcome in the “den” at any time.

David found strength and confidence in the fact that God was with him.

Fearful thoughts produce fearful leaders which, in turn, produces fearful followers. Given that each of us leads others in some way, we would do well to guard our thinking.

It is not up to you to win the battle alone, but you must have faith to believe that it can be won.

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’” (Hebrews 13:6).

MAYOR’S MESSAGE:

Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ

From left, Ron Senchuk, Lynn Senchuk, Marjorie Fowler, Verna Morsky, Audrey Johnson and Kevin Mortenson participated in a bench unveiling.

Albert Ribling cut the cake at the Estevan Lions Club’s 65th anniversary.