Estevan Mercury 20230322

She said it was time. Long-term Estevan physician announces retirement.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2023

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2021

The skating carnival

Time to curl. Oilfield Technical Society Bonspiel is coming up.

Find preview on PAGE A8

Rivalry resumes. Bruins against Bombers. Check out the recap of the first playoffs games.

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Addictions recovery centre to expand with more beds for post-treatment care

By David Willberg

An expansion in the number of post-treatment beds for the addiction recovery centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital is a welcome addition for the facility.

of the centre, said the inpatient treatment teaches people how to connect with feelings, change their behaviours and change their thinking so they start feeling good about themselves.

they do it where they’re in charge,” said Cafik.

Royal gift. Estevan youth learns about his connection to King Charles III.

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Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley announced Thursday the number of spots for the post-treatment phase would increase from six to 20. The expansion is expected to be finished by the end of March and will be open to people from across Saskatchewan.

While the addictions treatment program is at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the sober-living area is located at an undisclosed site, away from of the hospital grounds. There are four pretreatment spots and 32 inpatient beds that are part of the program.

“We build a recovery plan for them that incorporates sobriety with spiritual and good-eating habits and these fundamental principles,” said Cafik. “We get them connected to a recovery community and learn to reach out and support each other. And that’s done in an environment that’s safe. They’re safe from drugs, they’re safe from outside influences, etc.”

Fly time. Southeast Techhub invites public to join Estevan Drone Racing Club.

Details on PAGE A13

St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort said this is brandnew funding that will be included in the 2023-24 provincial budget, which is scheduled to be released on March 22.

Anthony Cafik, who is a senior addictions counsellor

Sending them back into society can be daunting because they’ve battled addictions and they might not have a safe environment to return to, he said. They might come from a lifestyle that is unhealthy, and their income might have been affected while receiving care. That’s where the post-treatment phase comes into play.

“What we do is we can provide them another level of care, where they take what they’ve learned in treatment, incorporate their recovery plan, and

It’s a structured environment, but they have to plan their day and recovery, and take responsibility for their lives. Cafik compared it to having one foot in treatment and the other foot out. They get to apply the skills they received in treatment in a supportive environment.

“We teach them how to get treatment and how to get balance in their lives. If you think about addiction, there is no balance and lots of chaos,” said Cafik.

The sober-living area might get them involved in volunteering, or they might have part-time work so they’re looking after themselves, even paying for their stay.

The addiction treatment centre has been working with the Saskatchewan Housing Authority on this phase.

The six post-treatment beds have always been in use since the centre opened in the fall of 2020. Cafik believes the additional 14 spots will be gobbled up quickly, too, because of their value.

Hoffort said the hospital has found that the sober-living area has been a great benefit to patients maintaining their road to recovery. “The demand has far exceeded our ability to provide the bed space,” said Hoffort. “We’ve been overcapacity virtually since we opened the six beds. Certainly this is a much-needed

approval of our project from the health authority and the government, and we’re quite appreciative.”

The amount of time spent in post-treatment depends on their needs, Hoffort said. With the inpatient environment, it can last anywhere from four weeks to a few months. It’s up to the patient.

Anthony Cafik is the manager of the addiction recovery centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital. File photo

The competitive/senior group donned colourful attire and showcased their skills during the Estevan Figure Skating Club’s carnival on Sunday afternoon at Affinity Place. The skaters performed solos, duets and in groups. This year’s theme was Disney on Ice, so the routines were choreographed to songs from popular Disney movies. For more on the event, please see page A9. Photo by David Willberg

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Estevan Police Service has started a wellness initiative for their members and staff

The three-month program is aimed at encouraging physical well-being.

Chief Rich Lowen said they “have worked very hard to make sure [the officers] have the mental health services that members need to ensure that they are able to do their jobs, and [they] wanted to recognize that physical fitness takes a big part in that as well, as it helps maintain wellness, focusing on a well-rounded lifestyle that helps [them] do [their] jobs.”

“We just wanted to encourage and provide a little bit of an incentive for the members here,” Lowen said.

The wellness initiative was started by the EPS along with the Estevan Police Association in partnership with Encompass Fitness Studio. It’s open to all

sworn members and EPS staff that are willing to participate, and Lowen said about 90 per cent of the service members signed up.

The organizations worked together to do a baseline assessment of all participants, which included several exercises and tests, provided by Encompass. “We started with a baseline assessment. We wanted to get a good understanding of where each person was with their physical health and a number of components from cardiovascular health to their strength to their power, and mobility,” said Brady Johnson, the owner of the Encompass Fitness Studio.

“This wasn’t standardized against anything. It was just to understand where [they were] at, so we could give them an area to focus on for the next three months that would make the greatest difference for them. The goal of the program is to get people to be

more active than they currently are in overall wellness.”

Now, from March through May, participants will be involved in individual programs to improve any area they want or need to work on.

“In the next three months, we’re going to be offering incentive programs for them to participate in, everything from nutrition programs on how to eat better to fitness programs that Encompass offers, like mobility training. We’re hoping to promote a better lifestyle, promote members’ health and wellness, help their mental health, and also give them more endurance to take on the physical challenges that they have here at work,” Lowen explained.

Policing is a physical job, and the EPS has an inhouse gym that members can use. However, Lowen noted that once members finish the provincial academy, physical workouts are not mandatory. So, they

wanted to create an incentive to motivate members to dedicate some time to their well-being.

“We just want to encourage that they stay healthy and stay well. It works for their benefit. It works for the benefit of the service and works for the benefit of the community when members aren’t off injured or off sick. It helps them in their daily life working here. So, we look at physical activity, exercise, nutrition, mobility, sleep, hydration and stress management,” Lowen said.

“EPS offers a bit of an incentive for members to join, like, we’ll offer them some time off, if they participate, and further time off if they follow up with their assessments and show improvement.”

Johnson added that due to the nature of work where members have different shifts, participants have individual programs with particular goals.

“Some members are coming into Encompass

for fitness classes, some have been given individual workout programs, and some are focusing on nutrition. We’ve created nutrition plans,” she explained.

Johnson said Encompass was “excited and happy” to be a part of the project.

“I think it’s a great initiative. It’s great for them and for the community. And we’re just really pleased that they chose us. It’s more of a beta test, this first round, [that will help us see] what’s going to work well and what’s the impact and the response from it. And then hopefully, it’s something we can continue to work on together and in the future,” Johnson said.

In June, participants will go through another assessment, and then the service will be evaluating the impact. Lowen added, they hope many members will keep going with the recommendations, and the service will probably offer the initiative again in a year.

“We want to do it annually so that every year we’ll be able to give them a baseline and measurement to see how they’re doing,” Lowen explained.

Throughout the year, the service will evaluate if there are any changes in attendance, sick leave use, as well as general morale and mental health of the membership. Lowen said they hope to see positive outcomes, and so far it’s been taken well by the members.

“I think it’s a good thing and I think it’s been really greeted well by the membership. The members are really taking hold of it. We created a fitness committee, where the members actually are having input into how they would like to see it evolve. In the future, I’d like to see it evolve into not just physical fitness programs, but also other wellness programs, whether that’s yoga, meditation or other therapies that we can offer to ensure that our members stay healthy,” Lowen added.

City council gives its blessing for new day care

Estevan is one step closer to getting some relief on the shortage of available childcare spaces.

City council approved a development permit for a proposed 90-space childcare centre during the March 13 meeting. It would be a 24-hour facility, located in an unused space in the professional services building known as the West Estevan Mall, located off of Nicholson Road, to the south of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Land development services manager Richard Neufeld told council that

he has received just one phone call about the project, and it was from somebody expressing their support.

“Typically I don’t receive phone calls in support of things when they go out [for public notice], so it was a nice thing to see,” said Neufeld.

A parking analysis on the property has shown that there is more than sufficient spots to accommodate the proposed project without limiting parking availability to the remainder of the property.

An outdoor play area

would be located adjacent to the north and east portion of the building.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said this is a “fantastic” development for the community, while Coun. Shelly Veroba said a 24-hour day care would be great news since so many people in Estevan are on shift work.

“I love this idea,” said Veroba. “I love the fact that this is going to be a 24-hour day care.”

She pointed out that when she grew up in northern Manitoba, there were a lot of centres that were open around the clock, so

it was normal to her. When she moved to Estevan, the day cares weren’t open as long, and she had to adjust.

She also suggested the city contact the Southeast College to ask them to start a day care worker program as a full-time course.

“It would be nice if they could put 12-15 people through a course and get it through quicker,” said Veroba.

She recognizes it has been a challenge to find qualified staff to work in the day cares. And she believes staff members at day cares are underpaid, so she

suggested lobbying the government at the upcoming Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association to get workers higher wages.

The provincial government recently announced that $10 per day childcare would start in April, but Veroba believes the government should have also announced support so that childcare employees receive the wages they deserve.

Neufeld said the next step for the development will be to get building permits in order, because a day care is a higher-end building code requirement than

a doctor’s office, which was the previous use for the area.

Then the request will need to be sent to the Ministry of Education for the licence.

The lack of daycare spaces in the community has been frequently discussed for a while.

It was discussed at length during the Estevan Chamber of Commerce’s Coffee Talk with Estevan MLA Lori Carr in February.   Veroba noted some single parents have been unable to return to their jobs, including some on shift work, because they haven’t been able to find childcare.

Addiction recovery centre providing ‘excellent care’

“We’re finding that the folks in the post-treatment beds are staying for several months,” said Hoffort.

With only six posttreatment beds, patients would have to go to other communities for the necessary care.

“Some will go back to the care in their own communities. Some will return home. There is any one of a number of options,” said Hoffort. “This was

an option that we initially wanted to set up when we started the program, and one that we found there’s significant demand for, and it’s proven to be quite successful for the clients who use it.”

Hoffort said they have not been able to make use of all 32 in-patient beds. The number of people receiving care varies on a day-to-day basis, but typically is around 24. They have filled vacancies for

counsellors, but those people are still a month or two away from arriving.

Cafik said he hopes this is just the start for posttreatment beds. They can meet the demand for 20 spots in their present location, but their hope is to eventually find a different location that would allow for further growth.

“We want to expand that in the future. The sooner the better,” he said.

Hindley said St. Jo-

seph’s has been providing excellent care to Saskatchewan residents, and the government was pleased that this expansion will allow them to enhance the effort.

St. Joseph’s Addiction Recovery Centre was one of the successful proponents chosen through what the government called a competitive request for proposals process initiated by the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan

Health Authority, seeking addictions treatment services across the continuum of care, including intensive outpatient services, inpatient treatment services, and recovery or transitional services.

The Government of Saskatchewan said it would add at least 150 more addictions treatment spaces to expand capacity beyond what is already available in the system. The 14 spaces announced

are part of the first phase of expansion.

Negotiations are underway with other successful proponents from the RFP, and additional addictions treatment spaces will be announced in the coming months.

Saskatchewan currently funds 475 pre-treatment, detoxification, treatment, and post-treatment beds across the province operated by the SHA and third-party partners.

The Estevan Police Service, in partnership with Encompass Fitness Studio, started a wellness program for EPS members.

Dr. Christie announces her retirement after close to 40 years working in Estevan

By Ana Bykhovskaia

After close to 40 years of serving her patients in Estevan, Dr. Allison Christie has announced that she has retired as of March 10.

In an interview with the Mercury, she said, at age 75, it was time for her to slow down and eventually be closer to her family, all of which are in Scotland.

It took her a while to make a decision and retire after working in Estevan, mostly at St. Joseph’s Hospital, since October 1983.

“My family is all back in the U.K., and I thought, well, maybe I should go stay with my family for a while,” Christie said. “It’s hard to leave because I’ve been here a long time. But I decided it was time.”

Christie came to Canada in August 1982, after spotting an ad posted by a doctor from Gravelbourg in a newspaper in Glasgow.

“He always liked to get locums in the summer from Glasgow. And I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a good idea, maybe I should just try to travel and work at

the same time.’ And then I really enjoyed my work there,” Christie recalled.

Before coming to Canada, she worked in London for two years, and knew first-hand that big-city work and life weren’t her things. When she came to Saskatchewan, it was “so peaceful and quiet,” that she decided to stay. The next 40 years of her life she dedicated to rural Saskatchewan healthcare.

She also got calls from Melville, Grenfell, Rose Valley and Nipawin, but eventually, she ended up signing a contract in Estevan.

“They were very short on doctors here, so I came down and Dr. Cheah, and he gave me my job in Estevan. I signed a contract for two years and stayed a bit longer,” Christie recalled, laughing.

There was a brief break in her work in Estevan in 1997 when she went to Alberta and then to the U.S., but she liked Estevan better and ended up coming back in 1999.

“I really preferred Es-

tevan, so I came back,” Christie shared.

She said working in a smaller community was a benefit for her on many fronts.

“The people were very, very, very friendly. We seemed to have a lot in common. The job was good. It was interesting, because not only did you do general practice, but you had some hospital responsibilities as well, which is satisfying. Because we’re two hours away from Regina, that means patients need a little bit more care than just general practice.”

While she enjoyed the all-around job, Christie decided to leave the hospital in 2019 and has been working in the office since then until retirement.

“I’ve enjoyed working with the other docs in the office and just doing that,” Christie said.

Throughout her career in Estevan, one way or the other, she would get to meet almost every family.

“I think I knew everybody in Estevan,” Christie said with a laugh. “I’ve

Envision continues needs assessment with survey

The Envision Counselling and Support Centre has started their needs assessment process, focusing on their geographical area, which covers a large portion of southeast Saskatchewan.

Envision held a series of focus groups in February and early March.

Now they are continuing the research with a short survey, asking the residents of the southeast to take a few minutes and share their thoughts.

Envision said a needs assessment is a way to understand needs or gaps in services in the current programming of an organization, or address areas where new services could be beneficial.

“Our last needs assessment was completed in 2018. Our goal this time is

to be able to compare the new data to previous assessments in order to see how the community needs have changed and ensure Envision is properly supporting that growth where we can,” said Envision executive director Lynda Rideout.

Focus groups were held in Weyburn, Carlyle, Oxbow and Estevan in February and March.

“We would like to thank those that were able to make it out to our focus groups over the course of the past month. The connections were so impactful and we truly feel that we are well on the right track to obtaining the necessary data to move forward with strategic planning at our agency,” said Raven Daer, outreach co-ordinator with Envision Counsel-

ling and Support Centre, in an email.

For those who were unable to come out and share their thoughts, Envision developed a short and anonymous survey so that more people could participate.

“The data that we collect from this survey will help us to better understand what services are needed within our communities. This will help us to better support individuals within our corner of the province,” Daer continued.

The information about Envision’s programs can be found on their website at envisioncounsellingcentre. com.

The survey will close on April 30.

“Please feel free to share the survey and spread the word, the more responses the better,” Envision said.

known the same families for three generations probably, so I’d say I know at least half of [the people in Estevan] at one time or another either in the emergency room or the office in the hospital.”

Work took up most of her time, but Christie has always had a passion for music and was a regular guest at the Estevan Arts Council concert series and other concerts coming to town. She’s been to Johnny Reid’s performances in Estevan twice - once last year, and once during an earlier visit.

“I love music. I play the piano very badly,” Christie said with a laugh. “When I came to Canada, I hated country western, I hated it. All of a sudden, I got it in the 90s, I suddenly loved it … I got to know the songs, life stories and I started enjoying country music. And I’ve always loved classical music as well. But I did try take some CDs home to one of my nephews. He didn’t like country western at all. It was Garth Brooks, he was Regina one time and it was just so good.”

She said even though it was time to make the decision she made, it wasn’t an easy one.

“People around have always been friendly,” and she sincerely enjoyed the country she made her home for four decades.

“I’m still sad, I’m still kind of regretful but I feel it’s the right choice,” Christie said. “I’ve always enjoyed working … I loved working but a time comes when you have to say no, this is it.”

She added that Tommy Douglas, Saskatchewan premier from 1944-61, was her hero as his government introduced the continent’s first single-payer, universal healthcare program.

“I’m proud to say that he lived only 50 miles away in Weyburn,” she said.

While she eventually plans on going to the U.K. to be with her family, Christie said she will be around for some time. She still has property in the area and probably will come to visit later.

She plans on keeping the same phone number for about a year as well, she added.

Dr. Allison Christie, left, was recognized with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for healthcare services. Estevan MLA Lori Carr presented the medal. File photo

Dr. Allison Christie, left, received a standing ovation as she was walking towards the stage to accept the TS&M Outstanding Contribution to the Workplace Award during the Women of Today ceremony in 2019. File photo

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EDITORIAL

Investment in addictions recovery affirms the value of the program

Estevan received a pre-provincial budget gift last week, when the government announced an additional 14 post-treatment beds for the addiction recovery centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

The budget can be an uncertain time. There are people waiting to find out if they’re going to receive funding for the project they believe is needed. There’s obvious disappointment if they’re excluded.

The treatment for addictions is definitely needed. Not just in Estevan but elsewhere. And it goes beyond the number of in-patient beds.

wouldn’t have increased funding for the facility twice in the past three years.

When the government announced plans three years ago to reinstate the centre at the hospital, people in the community cheered. Long-time residents remembered when it was here and the positive impact it had. They remembered the disappointment when the government of the day closed it in the 1990s. Many of them wanted to see it return.

We could all see the need in the community. And it’s not just a facility for Estevan. It has helped people from throughout the province.

but you have to think it would be valuable to help people with the transition period.

Now more people who complete their training in Estevan can receive further assistance here. They won’t have to seek that care in another community.

The way we view people with addictions has thankfully shifted over the years. It used to be a source of humour for many. And you still hear a lot of jokes at the expense of people with alcohol and drug abuse problems, although they might not generate the same response as 25 years ago.

It’s hard to believe it was just three years ago the provincial government announced an addiction recovery centre would be returning to Estevan. Less than six months later, the centre celebrated its grand opening.

It started with four pre-treatment slots, 20 recovery beds and six sober-living spots.

It can now accommodate 32 patients for in-patient treatment, although all 32 aren’t in use. We certainly hope that they will be filled before too long, because there are people who certainly need it.

And now we have the expansion of the post-treatment beds, which are also needed.

The government obviously thinks some good things are happening here, or they

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Estevan had been short on doctors and healthcare specialists well before the pandemic.

Probably every person in the area has been affected by it in one way or another. Be it long waiting times for virtually any medical service, lack of a family doctor, regularly changing doctors, an impossibility to get help when needed or a burn-out vibe. Seems that the problem is almost as old as this community.

When I was talking to Dr. Christie about her career in Estevan, she recalled that back in 1983 she ended up signing her first twoyear contract here, as they were “really short on doctors”.

Of course, the problem is not specific to Estevan and rather global and very deep. Even before COVID-19, the growing aging population, a rapid increase in chronic diseases –that same problem of boomers getting closer to retirement also affects the health workforce – and the highly stressful nature of work all contributed to shortages among physicians and nurses.

The pandemic that hit medical professionals the hardest made it even worse. Too many died, too many burned out.

And it’s really difficult to fill the void. Health education programs have limited capacity. It takes a specific and relatively rare set of talents and skills for one to become a doctor. It takes a long time to educate and train a healthcare worker. And while millions are undergoing their programs right now across the world, others retire or die at the same time. A tough catch-up game to play.

The global medical recruitment and retention crisis led the World Health Organization to create the Global Strategy of Human Re-

It has also brought some good people to Estevan to work and provide care to those going through a difficult time. People who work in addiction treatment facilities who are dedicated and caring individuals hopefully recognize the difference they make. It’s not an easy job. Like so many in health care, it’s mentally draining.

The program that is offered in Estevan is also tailored to the needs of the patient.

Which brings us to last week’s announcement. The six sober living spots for the addictions program in Estevan have typically been full. That shouldn’t be a surprise. There have been a lot more in-patient beds than life-after-treatment spots.

It’s not a required follow-up for treatment,

Ana

Bykhovskaia

Twenty Lines

About…

sources for Health: Workforce 2030 in 2016. At that time, they predicted a global staff shortage of 18 million by 2030 and started working to cut this number. By 2020 their efforts resulted in a 29 per cent growth in the health workforce. The original shortage forecast decreased to 15 million by 2022 and potentially will go down to 10 million by 2030. Yet, it’s still far from problem solved. There is some progress globally, but we here, in rural settings, see signs of any progress later and need to put in more effort to actually get our piece. Steps are being done to attract physicians to rural Saskatchewan. The latest one was the announcement of the enhanced Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) aimed at attracting and retaining more family physicians in rural and northern communities across the province.

The total incentive is now up to $200,000 over five years (instead of four), more than four times the amount that was previously offered. Eligibility for the incentive also expanded beyond new graduates and will now include physicians practising in rural and northern communities who have been assessed through the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program.

It sounds like a good plan and a big increase from the $47,000 in total offered before. But will $200,000 be enough to stimulate the rural medical community growth? Time will show.

But there’s also more awareness about the root causes of addictions, in much the same way there’s more understanding about those who have mental health issues.

And there’s a greater understanding of trying to have programs for those battling substance abuse. Nobody would question the need of addiction care facilities in Estevan and elsewhere. Dropping the program that we now have in Estevan would be absurd.

It’s important that we show support for those who have substance abuse issues. Those who have made the decision to come forward, make a positive change in their lives and seek assistance deserve support. And that’s why we need facilities like the one in Estevan, from the beginning to the end of the process.

Now that everybody is fighting for their physicians, the cost of having doctors will probably go way up.

While countries and communities are trying to find ways to ease the crisis, the entire healthcare system may eventually change. How may it look? It’s hard to say. I believe there will be more and more digitalization where possible, more virtual contacts for consultations and assessments, more online forms and more initial digital analysis.

AI will probably be able to take over some of the tasks soon, but definitely not all of them, not even the majority. And as long as we want to live bright and long lives, we’ll need a healthcare system with doctors and nurses.

The Canadian Medical Association developed their solutions to the healthcare crisis. Their suggestion list includes the expansion of a team-based approach so that more patients have timely access to family doctors, creation of a national health human resource strategy to rebuild the country’s health workforce, improvement of workforce data collection across the system to track ongoing gaps, investment into the new training and education infrastructure, and introduction of pan-Canadian licensure to allow for better physician mobility.

Their recommendations also include scaling up virtual care and leveraging the promise of artificial intelligence to improve access to care.

When and if implemented, these measures may reverse the situation long term. Other solutions will be found along the way. But in the meantime, I feel that the most useful thing to do is to take the best care possible of our health and well-being, so that at least some stress is off the system.

The world is short on healthcare workers, what do we do?

Saskatchewan First sounds like a good idea, but…

David Willberg Willberg’s World

The provincial government has passed the Saskatchewan First Act, the controversial document that aims to enhance the province’s economic autonomy and try to distance it from what it describes as federal overreach.

To be clear: I’m all for Saskatchewan having more freedom when dealing with the federal government. Especially this current government. We’ve seen the feds overreach on jurisdictional authority ever since Justin Trudeau become prime minister in 2015.

The most glaring example of this came when the feds ramrodded a carbon tax on Saskatchewan and other provinces. But the feds’ arrogance extends beyond the carbon tax.

I’m also a fiercely proud Canadian who would never vote in favour of western separation. And I know that Saskatchewan leaving Canada would never work.

At times, you have to wonder whether Trudeau actually realizes how much he has alienated the west, or if he has any clue about how people in rural Canada live. He seemingly doesn’t know, or doesn’t want to know, how much Canada needs those who live outside the big centres.

Western alienation has long been an issue in Canada, but the resentment towards the east has never been as strong as it is now, at least in my lifetime. The push for western independence has never been stronger, even if it’s completely unfeasible.

But the question that lingers is will Saskatchewan First work, and how long will it last.

Saskatchewan, Alberta and other provinces should have the same rights and perks within Confederation as Quebec. No double standards.

I get that Quebec has more than eight million people, which is more than Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba combined, and the threat of Quebec separation was a threat that hung over the heads of this country for a long time. Repealing Quebec’s perks would be a good way to reignite the sovereignty debate for that part of the country.

But what’s good for Quebec should also be good for us.

Do I think we should have more autonomy over our natural resources? Absolutely. We know the needs of our province. Ottawa seemingly doesn’t. Do I think we should be able to decide our own environmental policy? Definitely. Investment in innovation and technology is better than taxation.

Saskatchewan First had a rocky start, with claims from Indigenous communities about a lack of consultation. There has been a promise to launch a legal fight. The government says there have been discussions with Indigenous and Metis communities, but we’ll see if these measures are enough to soothe the criticism.

There are other problems with Saskatchewan First. You also have to wonder whether Saskatchewan First will resonate once we have a change in the federal government. (That day is destined to happen; people eventually vote for a change in government, at least at the federal level. It’s just a matter of when that will happen).

Would we still see the need for Saskatchewan First if we have Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre? Would that push Saskatchewan First into the backburner to gather dust, at least until the Liberals eventually regain power?

The name is a bit of a sticking point, too. It sounds like a reset of something Donald Trump would say. That’s not something that’s going to play well with a majority of Canadians, who want nothing to do with Trump or any of his verbiage.

Ultimately, Saskatchewan First, as long as it’s in effect, will play to the Sask. Party and its base, as well as those with more conservative ideals than most in the Sask. Party. There’s a lot of deep animosity in this province towards the federal government and its policies on everything from natural resources to firearms to agriculture to taxation. Going after the feds is going to be popular.

It’s something that Moe has been doing since before he became premier, and he’s going to keep doing it as long as he’s premier or Trudeau is no longer in power, whichever comes first.

If Saskatchewan First gets overturned by the courts, which I think it will, then Moe can say he tried and point the finger at the courts for this legislation’s defeat.

Those who are opposed to Saskatchewan First would celebrate its defeat, but they need to remember why it is being introduced in the first place and the popularity it will have with those who live outside of Regina and Saskatoon.

Carlyle writer visits Estevan to meet with readers

By Ana Bykhovskaia

Corinne, also known as H.C. Hewitt in the world of books, is the author of the Abbington Pickets series. She was at the Estevan Public Library last Wednesday to visit with young and adult readers.

Her day in the Energy City started with a kids’ book reading in the afternoon. Hewitt, who’s been writing and publishing since 2015, said she always wanted to create a book for a younger audience. And as she was working on an adult series, she decided to take her characters and adapt them for a different audience, and that’s how Papa’s Chair was born in 2021.

“Papa’s chair is actually the chair that Jacob built for his kids over Christmas when he came back from the war, so that is in the third book [of the Abbington Pickets series],” Hewitt noted. “He also built Abigail a little box in the first book, and I brought the box with me as well.”

The book teaches kids a bit about the past and the ways people used to live and do things. Hewitt also has a colouring book with the same characters.

Later on Wednesday, Hewitt met with adult readers. For this presentation, she brought over her collection of antiques, some of which appear and are being used in her books. She also showed the guests how to make butter the old-fashioned way, and everyone had a chance to try it at the end.

“I always like to try to do something that’s fun that they did way back then,” Hewitt explained. “And Jacob is a carpenter, and that’s what I brought to show the adults. I collect antique carpentry tools.”

The Abbington Pickets series includes Jacob of Abbington Pickets, Jacob’s Place, Letters from Jacob and Jacob’s Secret, and is also complemented by Bible Study Companion for Jacob of Abbington Pickets and the Abbington Pickets Cookbook.

The story starts in 1898 and carries on to 1906 and then through to 1920. Her latest book, Jacob’s Secret, was published last December.

The story, being developed in the books, was inspired by Hewitt’s childhood in Saskatchewan. She was born and raised “on the edge of the Moose Mountains northwest of Manor.

“The Abbington Pickets series takes place in southeastern Saskatchewan … I grew up just a little way from Cannington Manor. My grandma

worked there as a guide for 18 years. She dressed up and she got me dressed up. I would go there [with her] and learn the history,” Hewitt recalled.

“I always wanted to write a book about it. It’s not about the people of Cannington Manor. That’s my place. I changed it to Abbington Pickets, and I changed the characters. There are a few truths to some little bits here and there, some of the facts that have happened in that time frame.”

The plot of the series comes from Hewitt’s imagination, but she used some historical episodes, such as an “unbelievable” blizzard that went through the area or some myths she heard as a child. She also used some of the real buildings she’s seen and explored in Cannington Manor.

“If you lived in the Cannington Manor area ... you

would be like ‘Ah, yes, I know that place,’” Hewitt noted.

While she is currently working on a book outside the series, she plans to continue with the Abbington Pickets series.

“I’m working on researching a book about my great great-grandfather, who came over from England with his family of five children and his wife, and he wrote a diary about their adventure from there to here. So, I’ve got to piece it together from the beginning and make an ending. He had quite a life,” Hewitt shared.

“And I’m also trying to get the fifth book in the series, which may be a Christmas book, but I’m not 100 per cent sure. I don’t know if that’ll come like I thought this year, but we’ll see. That’s my hope. I always put big goals.”

Hewitt has also always loved quilting and has been designing quilt patterns for a long time. Until not that long ago, her family lived in Alberta where for 12 years she owned a quilt shop. When she started writing, she also started designing relevant quilt patterns and said she has about 15 patterns that pertain to her books.

After returning to Saskatchewan in 2021, Hewitt’s husband joined her father and their son in farming, and she said now it’s sometimes hard to find spare time for writing or quilting, yet she keeps going.

She still sells quilt patterns, which along with novels are available online through her website www.hchewittauthor. com. Books also can be found on marketplaces and in online bookstores.

Franklin is a very friendly, chatty boy! When he wants some attention, he will be sure to let you know. He likes receiving all kinds of pets, especially chin scratches and belly rubs. He’s the kind of cat that will greet you when you get home. If you’re looking for an outgoing cat who enjoys the company of other cats and people, he’s your guy!

Vanilla is a shy girl and very sweet yet independent. She loves to play, and when she’s done you can find her curled up on her bed. She loves pets and affection on her own terms.

Hi I’m Morgan! I’m a high-energy, fun-loving goofball. My favourite things to do is playing fetch and tug of war. I’m also a big fan of the snow! The staff at the shelter say I’m a good learner, and will thrive with someone who can help me reach my full potential. With proper introduction I could get along with dogs or cats. I’m a happy, healthy boy and can’t wait to meet my new family!

Two dolls, the main characters of Papa’s Chair, as well as some antique items, were on display during kids’ reading at the library.

H.C. Hewitt was at the Estevan Public Library on Wednesday afternoon to read Papa’s Chair to kids. Photos by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia

During the meeting with the adult audience, H.C. Hewitt taught her readers how to make butter the old way, as characters in her books would make it.

BUSINESS

Drewitz highland students receive results from exams

Students from the Drewitz School of Dance, under the direction of Lorie-Gay Drewitz-Gallaway and assistant teacher Hunter Hildebrand, participated in Scottish Dance Highland Alliance exams in December.

The examiner was Karen Baird from Glasgow. This year’s exams brought in the students examined in Dance Star exams as well as medal, national and jig examinations.

Students participated from the studio via Zoom, as Baird was in Scotland.

Recently received results are as follows: Highland medals and awards:

Dance star 1 successful pass: Quinn Zahn, Taylor Curtis, Addison Melle and Harper Eskra.

Dance Star 2 successful pass: Paige Van Ry Broek, Anna Beatty, Emma Grobbink, Lilee Van Sickle, Emma Salkeld and Desiree Krahn.

Dance Star 3 successful pass: Grace Hall, Mollie Kingdon, Alice Mowchenko, Kayleigh Reed and Delaney Tamblyn.

Dance Star 4 successful pass: Tyler Zabel, Elizabeth Harmsworth, Ava Mann and Taylor Ellis.

Dance Star 5 successful pass: Kennady Poole, Aspen Mayuk and Sophia Deitz.

Pre-bronze highland fling highly commended: Harper Eskra, Delaney Tamblyn, Lilee Van Sickle, Emma Salkeld and Keira Kessler; commended plus: Anna Beatty, Desiree Krahn, Quinn Zahn and Paige Van Ry Broek.

Pre-bronze sword highly commended: Coco Mercer, Grace Hall, Emma Salkeld, Graceigh-Mae Sullivan, Mollie Kingdon, Kayleigh Reed, Chloe Marsh and Alice Mowchenko; commended plus: Paris Irwin, Keira Kessler and Tyler Zabel.

Pre-silver medal highly

commended: Ava Mann, Kennady Poole, Taylor Ellis and Elizabeth Harmsworth; commended plus: Aspen Mayuk and Sophia Deitz, Silver medal highly commended: Summer Gardiner;

commended plus: Kelsie Wilson.

Pre-gold medal highly commended: Ekko Sanguin; commended plus: Logan Hase, Payton Sernick, Tegan Mosley and Alyssa Saccary.

Gold medal highly commended: Alexis Paton, Sophia Fleck and Aurora McCutcheon; commended plus: Logan

Hase, Sienna Kuntz and Cana Marsh.

Scottish Award 1 medal highly commended: Kerison

Burnett.

Scottish Award 2 medal highly commended: Marley Nashiem; commended plus: Halle Adams.

Scottish National Medals and Awards:

Pre-bronze national highly commended: Taylor Ellis and Ava Mann; commended plus: Elizabeth Harmsworth, Sophia Deitz and Kennady Poole.

Silver national highly commended: Summer Gardiner; commended: Kelsie Wilson.

Gold national highly commended: Sophia Fleck; commended plus: Sienna Kuntz, Cana Marsh and Payton Sernick; commended: Alyssa Saccary, Tegan Mosley, Alexis Pa-

Farmers’ market indoor sales start April 1

Dates are set, vendors are lined up, and the Estevan Farmers’ Market is ready to start the 2023 season. Market manager Marilyn Simons said they are very excited to get going.

The first indoor sale will take place on April 1 in the Estevan Market Mall hallway. They will continue each Saturday until May 13. Indoor sales will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The outdoor sales will start on May 6 and continue throughout

the summer until early October. They will occupy the space in the Estevan Market Mall’s parking lot in front of the former SLGA liquor store. Outdoor sales will go from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year, the farmers market indoor and outdoor sales will overlap for two weeks at the beginning of the season, just as they did last year with May 6 and May 13 sales occurring both indoors and outdoors.

“We are very fortunate to have enough vendors that want

to be a part of our market so that we can put those that prefer inside in the mall and those that prefer the outdoors in the parking lot,” said Simons. “Some vendors’ displays don’t fare well if the weather isn’t kind, so we are thankful to give those vendors some extra sale days inside.”

The Estevan Farmers’ Market has 27 vendors approved for their spring indoor sales, with about 20 participating every week. Throughout the summer, about 25-30 vendors will par-

ticipate in outdoor market sales every week.

Both new and returning vendors are joining indoor and outdoor sales this year.

“We’re very excited to have returning vendors, and then we always welcome new people that want to venture into becoming entrepreneurs … We encourage as many people that want to apply to come talk to us,” Simons said.

Simons added that people can reach out about becoming a vendor at any time. Even if the lists for upcoming sales are finalized, they stay in touch and try to include vendors in their further sales.

“We always have an ongoing approval list,” Simons noted.

During indoor sales, the Estevan Farmers’ Market will offer customers a variety of baking, crocheting, knitting, canning, woodworking signs, bath bombs, clothing, kids’ clothing, gift baskets, jewelry and much more. Vendors bringing in their sea-

sonal offerings, such as all kinds of plants and later vegetables, will join others at outdoor sales.

New for this year will be crystals, wood-burning and custom tumblers. Other vendors will be offering new types of traditional foods.

“We even have some fundraising groups booked throughout the year.” Simons added. “We are still taking bookings, so please reach out to us.”

The market will also host several traditional events throughout the season, and hopes to introduce some new attractions.

“We have our staples, we have our customer appreciation day and our kids’ day. But we’re going to interject some new ideas. We may have a Roughriders’ Day where we will ask people to come dressed in their favourite Roughriders’ gear. We may also have a Christmas in July, where we will ask people to come dressed in their ugly Christmas sweaters or maybe ugly Christmas tank tops, depending on

ton, Ekko Sanguin and Aurora McCutcheon.

Scottish Award 2 national highly commended: Kerison Burnett

Irish jig medals and awards:

Pre-bronze jig highly commended: Cana Marsh, Sophia Fleck, Tegan Mosley, Ekko Sanguin, Alyssa Saccary, Payton Sernick and Alexis Paton; commended plus: Sienna Kuntz and Aurora McCutcheon.

Bronze jig highly commended: Payton Sernick, Sophia Fleck and Cana Marsh; commended plus: Alexis Paton, Alyssa Saccary and Ekko Sanguin; commended: Aurora McCutcheon and Sienna Kuntz.

Gold jig highly commended: Marley Nashiem; commended plus: Halle Adams.

Scottish Award 1 jig commended plus: Kerison Burnett.

Scottish Award 2 jig commended plus: Halle Adams and Marley Nashiem.

the weather,” Simons said with a laugh. “We want to try various things … so pay attention to our social media posts and come participate [and win some] prizes.”

Simons added that they are very grateful to everyone supporting the Estevan Farmers’ Market.

“We would like to thank the mall for allowing us to keep using their space year after year.

We also appreciate all their hard work in helping us plan and execute our indoor sales. We’re also so thankful for our supporters. Without them we could not be doing what we love,” Simons said. “They return year after year and support these little businesses. And these little businesses turn around and keep the money in our community. That’s why we love to support local. For the weekly vendor lists and other announcements, follow the Estevan Farmers’ Market social media pages or email estevanfarmersmarket@gmail. com to become a vendor.

Southeast College is governed by a seven-person Board of Governors. Due to retirement, one position is coming vacant. The Board is looking for an expression of interest from

• • Technical, Business Management, Communications/Marketing, Previous Diversity • a commitment to post-secondary education and training, and have the capacity to meet should include resume, summarization of professional background, previous experience on Deadline Southeast College For further information contact Christin at (306) 848-2370.

From left, Marley Nashiem, examiner Irene Baird of Glasgow and Halle Adams at the examination.

Estevan & Carlyle Let’s get down to business. Support your credit union at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Register at affinitycu.ca

SOUTHEAST COLLEGE BOARD MEMBER RECRUITMENT

Mandated through provincial legislation, Southeast College provides academic and skills training opportunities in response to regional and industry needs in the southeast corner of the province. Southeast College is proud to be the Trainer of Choice, serving approximately

Vern Buck was

of the community and the province’s credit union system

Vern Buck is being remembered for his work ethic, his guidance of the credit union in Estevan and his love of the southeast region.

Vern died on March 13 at the age of 84.

He was the CEO of the Estevan Credit Union (and later Spectra Credit Union) for 32 years and spent 42 years in the credit union system. Vern worked in the financial sector before joining the credit union.

When Vern retired in 2004, a large crowd gathered to attend his retirement celebration and to pay tribute to his leadership. The following year, Vern was presented with a Saskatchewan Co-operative Order of Merit Award.

In 2013, Affinity Credit Union named a meeting room at its Estevan branch after him. It came shortly

after the amalgamation between Affinity and Spectra.

“Almost everywhere you look at Spectra Credit Union, you will see the lasting legacy of Vern Buck,” the credit union said at the time.

Throughout his 42year career with the credit union, he sat on several boards, both provincially and nationally, and was asked to guest speak at international conferences.

After he retired, Vern and his daughter Laurel purchased A & A Jewellery, alongside his in-laws. Two years later, Vern’s brother became a partner. But Vern and Laurel Buck have been sole owners of the business for over a decade.

He could always be seen at the business, and Laurel noted he continued to do the books until the day of his death. Laurel believes it was a reflection of his work ethic that he always

wanted to remain part of the business.

“He loved coming in and visiting with the staff

and customers,” said Laurel. “He had a sharp mind for the books.” Since his passing, many

people have been expressing their condolences to Laurel and the family. People have been telling her about his character, what a gentleman he was, how great he was to work for and how much he meant to the community. Others shared stories of their encounters with him.

“I keep hearing ‘gentle’ and ‘gentleman’ and ‘kind’,” said Laurel. She believes it reflects how many people came to love him over the years.

“He was my best friend, confidant, business partner and consultant, an easy-going travel companion and had a sense of humour. He had a good sense of humour. We travelled a lot. We enjoyed travelling a lot together.”

Vern and his wife Marlis loved to travel, and even after Marlis died in 2001, he and his daughter continued to see the world.

In the community, Vern was actively involved with Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan, serving in many facets of the church. He co-chaired the Saskatchewan Summer Games when they were held for the first time in Estevan in 1980, was a strong supporter of Ducks Unlimited, often joined his daughter for Rotary Club of Estevan meetings.

Vern was part of the committee trying to bring a new regional nursing home to Estevan, and was the chairman of the Hearthstone Community Campaign that raised funds for the nursing home.

Vern was born in Regina in 1938. He lived for a short time south of Bromhead and then moved to a farm north of Torquay. A funeral service was held on March 18 at Trinity Lutheran Church.

EPS announces a few more charges at the Comp.

The Estevan Police Service is reporting a few charges have been laid at the Estevan Comprehensive School recently, thanks to an increased police presence at the building.

None of the charges were for violent incidents.

One charge was under the Tobacco and Vapor Products Control Act for a 15-year-old youth for vaping in a vehicle in which there were children under the age of 16 present. The fine in that case is $280.

The youth was recently seen vaping on a school bus as it was being loaded to leave the school for the day.

Also, on March 15, police were called to ECS after two 15-year-old youths were caught using cannabis on school property. Police have charged both youths accordingly under the Cannabis Control Act.

The fine for the infractions is $1,400.

The EPS says educational efforts continue with respect to youth vaping as well as doing so at school.

In other recent police news, members attended to a couple of disturbance calls in the Trojan subdivision on March 14. The parties involved were provided some assistance in getting connected to community services.

Police were dispatched to a report of a structure fire in a multi-dwelling structure. Police and the Estevan Fire Rescue Service attended and determined it was smoke from a cooking incident. No further police action was required.

Members received a report of a theft from a local business. The matter is still under investigation.

Police were called to a report of an attempted scam using the Reader’s Digest method. The complainant realized it was an attempted fraud and didn’t provide any information.

Police were called to a local liquor establishment on March 16 for a report of an unruly female. The female had been denied any further service and was told she wasn’t welcome in the business from this point on. She left prior to police arriving, but was located and advised she would be charged under the Alcohol

and Gaming Regulations Act if she returns to a licensed premise after being asked to leave.

Police received a report of uttering threats. An individual called a local business dissatisfied with the service that he received and threatened an employee.

The matter is still under investigation.

The EPS was kept busy during the weekend, as members responded to a total of 87 occurrences, according to information posted on its website.

Calls included assaults, frauds, noise complaints,

causing a disturbance, thefts, failing to comply with release orders, harassment and a number of traffic-related matters.

The EPS reports that several mandatory breath tests were completed, with no arrests or suspensions resulting from the tests.

Police also conducted several foot patrols through various establishments and interacted with patrons. All were planning safe rides home.

a big part

Vern Buck, pictured here with his daughter Laurel, died on March 14 at the age of 84. Photo courtesy of Laurel Buck

The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) is looking forward to hosting its first event of the year –the 64th annual open bonspiel on March 24 and 25 at the Power Dodge Curling Centre.

Event committee chair

Sam Bakala said plans for the event are coming together. The OTS expects this year’s event should run similar to last year’s, which he said was well received.

Twenty teams were signed up as of Monday afternoon. The OTS hoped to have 24 to fill the tournament draw. The deadline to register is March 22.

If they have more than 24 teams, Bakala said they might start a waitlist. If they were to have an even number of teams registered, though, they could add more teams to the draw.

Bakala said they have received a lot of interest in the bonspiel.

Welcome all curlers to the Estevan OTS

“We’ve got some donations being dropped off,” said Bakala. “We’ve got some sponsorships and donations coming in through the website and emails. The interest seems to be fairly decent.”

Once the registration deadline passes, the OTS will need to finalize the draw. They also have to pick up the donations and get some set-up work at the curling rink.

The first games are tentatively scheduled for noon on March 24. The curling will happen throughout the afternoon and evening, with the final draw at 8 p.m.

Games will resume in the morning of March 25 and the finals are slated for 8 p.m. for the three different events.

A steak supper will be served between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on March 24 at the curling rink. A 50-50 draw and the prize draw will happen that night.

An on-ice lounge was added for the past couple of editions of the tournament and it proven to be popular, so it will be back for this year.

“It’s just somewhere the guys can sit down right on

ice level, right next to the sheet where they are curling, and they can have a few drinks and be right at the action,” said Bakala.

A lot of the teams are from Estevan and the surrounding areas, but there

Have Fun!

that we haven’t seen before, but it’s good to see them. They’re all welcome,” said Bakala.

The OTS also has to put up its banners, signage and promotional materials.

Bakala said the bonspiel is not just a sports event, but it’s a social weekend that provides lots of opportunities for networking.

“You see a lot of people that you only see at these events,” said Bakala. “Obviously [there are] a lot of industry people that you know and you deal with a lot of times, and not face to face, so it’s a good opportunity for everybody to get together.”

are also some teams from outside the region. Other curlers will be coming from outside the southeast to round out a roster.

“I think we’ll see a few new faces here this year

It also brings out a lot of people from the community who come for the social aspect and watch the curling.

“We’re as much about the socializing and having fun as we are about the curling,” said Bakala.

The Mid-West Surveys rink won the A event at the 2022 OTS Bonspiel.

Bruins drop first two playoff games in Flin Flon

By Eric Westhaver of the Flin Flon Reminder

The Estevan Bruins found themselves down in their best-of-seven quarter-final series with the Flin Flon Bombers.

Flin Flon won the first two games on the weekend in Flin Flon, taking Game 1 by a 4-1 score on Friday night and Game 2 5-2 a night later.

Three first period goals did the trick for the Bombers on Friday. The Bombers applied pressure from the outset and opened the scoring seven minutes in. Dawson Karol took a shot from the corner, well behind the goal line, that took two bounces off defenders and snuck through the skates of goalie Cam Hrdlicka.

A short time later, Cory King blasted a point shot through traffic and past Hrdlicka to make it 2-0. Then a shot from Jacob Vockler was stopped by Hrdlicka, but the puck dribbled through his pads and Alexi Sylvestre whacked the loose puck home for a 3-0 advantage.

Estevan scored early in the second period on a slick passing play, culminating with Mitch Kohner finding Kade Runke near the side of the net and beating Flin Flon netminder Harmon LaserHume. Owen Miley almost drew the Bruins within one on a point shot, but that puck hit the crossbar.

Vockler tipped a pass up and over Hrdlicka for the final goal of the game.

Hrdlicka, who was named the Bruins’ regular season MVP last week, made 43 saves on the night while Laser-Hume stopped 29 shots.

As for Game 2, the Flin Flon Bombers took over in the third period and snagged a 5-2 win.

Game 2 was a much more physical affair than the series opener, but the Bombers would strike first. Jaeden Mercier grabbed a bounce in the slot from a point shot and buried it past Estevan goalie Cam Hrdlicka.

Flin Flon’s Rylan Pearce nailed Estevan’s Mitch Kohner with a high hit, causing Kohner to fall to the ice.

Kohner was helped to the dressing room following the hit, but came back to play in the second. Pearce was ejected from the game and assessed a five-minute penalty for a hit to the head.

Estevan tied the game at

1-1 when Aleksa Babic tied the game up with a blast from the point late in the frame. With three minutes to go, the Bruins’ Jagjeevan Phangura took a tripping penalty and gave the Bombers a powerplay, which would be a

turning point for the home team.

Alexi Sylvestre found the puck, muscled it out of the scrum and took a whack at the net, bouncing it over Hrdlicka and in to give Flin Flon the lead.

Vockler got on the board three minutes into the third period with a deflection, batting the puck out of the air and past Hrdlicka. Moments later, Brock Mueller banged in a rebound to put the Bombers up 4-1. Then, with Bruin Tyler Guy in the box, Ethan Mercer shovelled a backhand rebound past Hrdlicka to make it 5-1.

The Bruins would get one goal in the final minutes. Phangura took advantage of a Laser-Hume puck miscue to cut the lead to three - but that was as close as the visitors would get.

Laser-Hume stopped 27 shots on the night to get his second straight win, while Hrdlicka made 33 saves and Jackson Miller stopped three in relief of Hrdlicka.

Game 3 was slated for March 21 in Estevan. (Results not available at press time). Game 4 is the following day. Game 5, if necessary, would be March 24 in Flin Flon, followed by Game 6 March 26 in Estevan and Game 7 March 28 in Flin Flon.

Estevan figure skaters dazzle the crowd at carnival

The Estevan Figure Skating Club was able to hold its carnival this year for the first time since 2018.

Club members entertained the crowd Sunday at Affinity Place with solos, duets and group performances. The youngest skaters in the CanSkate program performed. The theme was Disney on Ice, so the skaters choreographed their routines to well-known songs from Disney movies. The show opened with a duet by Danae Schlamp and Janiyah Laforga. Sydney Brooks, Rachel Duncan and Madzia Szlapacka had a trio performance. Izzy Fonstad, Madison Nielsen and Aspen Watson delivered a trio routine, Rachel Duncan had a solo. There were also three CanSkate performances, and group dances for the juniors and intermediates.

After an intermission, Szlapacka had a solo performance; Harlow Ludwig and Meeka Gedak had a duet; Sydney Brooks performed a solo; Sofia EranaSchmegelsky, Elaina Sliva and Keomi Mazo skated as a trio, and Amelia McQuoid and Alexis Kolenz delivered a duet.

There were three more CanSkate group performances and a group routine courtesy of the competitive/senior group.

The afternoon wrapped up with a salute to this year’s coaches - Ashley Piper, Janice Grocholski and Jolene Millions. Then all of the members skated to Nowhere to go but Up, so the ice surface was a very busy place.

The club had 24 skaters

between the senior, intermediate and junior levels this year, said Piper, and more than 100 in CanSkate.

Piper said it was a good season. They had three competitions for the juniors, intermediates and seniors.

The first one was in Moose Jaw in January, followed by Melville in February and Weyburn in March. The latter was the Winter Classic, which is provincials.

Piper said Szlapacka

won two silvers, Brooks won two bronzes and Duncan brought home a gold and a silver.

Those three skaters also competed at the Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina in February.

The skaters have come a long way, Piper said, and they all worked very hard this past season.

“Especially for the carnival, because our last competition … didn’t end until

March 5, so we only had two weeks to get ready for this carnival,” said Piper.

The Disney on Ice theme was the same that they had selected for the carnival that was to happen in 2020, but had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.

“We just had to reuse all of the supplies that were bought for that carnival,” she said.

This was Piper’s first year as head coach, and she was

pleased with how everything went. The figure skating club will wrap up its season with testing, and Piper is confident the skaters will do well during the assessments. They will also get to further develop their routines and start working on programs for next season. The CanSkate members will continue with their practices until the season is finished.

U18 AA Goldwings eliminated in double-OT thriller

The South East Aaron Well Servicing U18 AA Goldwings’ season came to an end Friday night in a 2-1, double-overtime loss against the Regina Rebels.

After a scoreless first period, Regina took a 1-0 lead with 6:24 to play in the middle

frame. But the Gold Wings replied on a goal by Hadley Gerle at the 2:38 mark of the third to tie the game.

Neither team scored for the rest of the third or during the first overtime, and it remained a 1-1 game until the Rebels scored with 6:09 to

play in the second extra frame. Phoenix Preston-Winder was in goal for the Goldwings.  Regina won Game 1 2-0 Wednesday night in Regina. The Rebels scored once in each of the second and third periods.

Ivey Grant was in goal for the Wings.

Game 2 will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Harry O Memorial Arena.

Game 3, if necessary, would be the following night in Regina.

The Goldwings had an-

other great season. They went 16-6-2 in the regular season to finish second in the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League’s U18 AA circuit’s South Division. It was also the second-best record in the league.

They swept the Swift Cur-

rent Wildcats in two straight games in the first round of the playoffs.

The Goldwings also won their division at the annual Wickfest tournament in Calgary. The tournament is hosted by hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser.

Bruin Kaelen Whittingham (5) gains a step on the Bombers’ Brent Gulenchyn during Saturday’s game. Photo by Eric Westhaver of the Flin Flon Reminder

All of the members of the Estevan Figure Skating Club gathered to skate together during the grand finale.

The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins have taken a 1-0 series lead in the bestof-five South Division final with the Regina Vics.

Regina opened the scoring in the first period, but Sutter Baily and Ryker Mathison replied for Estevan before the period was out. Mathison’s goal came with 34 seconds to play.

Carter Beck’s goal with 97 seconds left in the second period put Estevan up by two after 40 minutes.

Conrad Hase scored 1:50 into the third for a 4-1 Estevan lead, but Regina tallied three times in the third, including twice in the final three minutes, to tie the game.

Kobe Wotta’s power-play goal 2:41 into overtime lifted Estevan to the victory. It was the Bruins’ third power-play goal of the night.

Ty Fehrenbach made 24 saves for Estevan.

Game 2 will be played Tuesday night in Regina.

Estevan and the Vics are meeting in the south final for the second straight year. The winner will advance to the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League’s U18 final, which is also the provincial final.

Estevan reached the south final by defeating the Swift Current Broncos

The Estevan Comprehensive School’s cheerleaders came home with a silver medal from the provincial cheerleading championships in Regina on the weekend.

Estevan finished with a score of 69 to finish second in their division, 2.2 points better than Aden Bowman Collegiate, who came in third in the six-team competition. Thom Collegiate finished first with 81.3 points.

While there was a gap between the first and second place teams, Elecs coach Bonnie Chepil-Kvamme was still thrilled with their performance.

“They knocked it out of the ballpark entirely,” she said.

After their third-place showing at the Best of the West competition earlier this year, Chepil-Kvamme said she wanted to work on the difficulty and execution for both stunting and pyramids. Estevan had the second-best marks in both categories at provincials.

“The improvement was

in five games in their best-of-five south semifinal. Swift Current had a 2-1 series lead, but Estevan won 4-3 in overtime on March 13 and 5-2 on March 15.

Spencer Copeland scored 1:50 into overtime to lift Estevan to victory in Game 4.

Estevan led 2-1 after the first period on goals by Beck and Jordan Marcotte.

Swift Current tied the game early in the second, but Wotta restored Estevan’s advantage.

The Broncos tied the game again midway through the third period.

Fehrenbach made 24 saves for Estevan.

In Game 5, Copeland and Wotta scored less than five minutes apart in the first period to give Estevan a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Swift Current pulled to within one early in the second, but Marcotte scored on a power play less than a minute later.

Copeland added his second of the game on another power play for a 4-1 lead.

The Broncos would get one back, but Beck notched a power-play goal before the period was finished.

Swift Current rounded out the scoring with a marker late in the third.

Fehrenbach made 17 saves for Estevan.

noticeable from Best of the West to provincials,” she said. The routine was also adjusted to have more crowd involvement at provincials, she said.

The cheerleaders surpassed any expectations she had for this year, as the Elecs were largely a new team with 80 per cent of their athletes in their first year. They worked very hard to get to this point this year, and Chepil-Kvamme said they acted like an experienced group of athletes.

“They spent so many hours in that gym,” said Chepil-Kvamme. “They wanted to place and they did more than place. They surpassed third place, which is what we were shooting for.”

Chepil-Kvamme expects next year will be an “amazing” one for the Elecs.

She said they will miss their Grade 12 students –Semia Harding, Shaya Gill, Chelsea Brady and Kate Shmidt – because the graduates really took the lead this year, especially Hard-

ing, Gill and Brady, as they have been part of the team since they were in Grade 9. Shmidt joined for this year.

“Because of their help and their encouragement and their work with the new people, I think we’re going to have a really great year next year,” said ChepilKvamme.

All of the athletes were a great group who had a positive attitude and enthusiasm, and were very coachable.

“They’ve got such a good, strong work ethic, and they’ve learned a lot of techniques that moving forward are going to benefit the ECS cheer team,” said ChepilKvamme.

Ashley Tedford was the other coach for this year and was a big part of the growth and success. And she is thankful for the parents, who were very co-operative in getting the young athletes to the school in time for 6 a.m. practices.

“They were just a great, cohesive and supportive group,” Chepil-Kvamme said.

Rockets take 2-0 series lead in Big Six final

The Redvers Rockets are one win away from winning the Big Six Hockey League championship.

Redvers has a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-five final against the Moosomin Rangers. The Rockets won Game 1 6-3 Friday night in Redvers, and Game 2 3-1 two nights later in Moosomin.

The Rockets scored three times late in the sec-

ond period and twice early in the third in Game 1.

Moosomin had a 2-1 lead with less than six minutes to play in the middle frame. But then Kenton Miller, Presten Kopeck and Todd Gervais scored in a 3:09 span of the second period to put Redvers ahead by two after 40 minutes.

Kopeck and Brady Gaudet added goals 42 seconds apart in the third for a 6-2 advantage.

Remy Lamotte had Redvers’ other goal.

Carter Sawchuk had two goals for Moosomin and Monty Driver also scored.

Cody Matthewson was in goal for Redvers, while Levi Horn was the Rangers’ goalie.

In Game 2, Devin McGonigal scored 20 seconds into the first period to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. It would be Moosomin’s only goal of the night.

Oliver Poirier scored midway through the first period for Redvers to tie the game. Kopeck scored what proved to be the winning goal midway through the second, and Jordon Miller added the insurance goal in the third.

Matthewson (Redvers) and Kyler Beckett (Moosomin) were the goalies.

Redvers will have the opportunity to wrap up

the final March 24 in Redvers. Game time is at 8 p.m. Game 4, if necessary, would be two nights later in Moosomin at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, two Big Six teams saw their bids for provincial titles come to an end on the weekend.

The Carlyle Cougars lost 4-3 to the Wadena Wildcats Saturday in Wadena. The Wildcats won the best-of-three final in two straight games.

Wadena won Game 1 4-3 in Carlyle a week earlier.

Meanwhile, in the senior D provincial final, the Kyle Elks beat the Carnduff Red Devils in three games.

Kyle won Game 1 8-3 in Carnduff on March 12. Carnduff won 8-5 in Kyle on Saturday to keep the series going. But Kyle won 8-1 Sunday to clinch the championship.

Elecs basketball teams compete at Hoopla quali fiers

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs senior girls’ and boys’ basketball teams were busy on the weekend, competing at regional qualifiers for the Hoopla provincial tournament.

The senior girls were at the 5A tournament

in Lloydminster. Seeded eighth, they faced ninthranked Warman in the first round of playdowns Friday, and won 79-73. Then they played top-ranked Swift Current later in the day and lost 104-37, which ended their season.

The Elecs senior boys were ranked eighth for their regional tournament at Moose Jaw Peacock. They also faced Warman in the first round of the playoffs, but lost 77-41.

The senior boys dropped down to the consolation

round and faced fifthranked Yorkton Regional, and lost 93-44.

A couple of other southeast rural teams were at regional boys’ playdowns. Oxbow Prairie Horizons School Black Knights, seeded 15th for the 3A competi-

tion, lost 109-32 to Regina Christian School in the first round. Then they lost 70-66 to No. 10 Creighton in a consolation game.

The Stoughton Central School Bulldogs hosted one of the 1A boys’ qualifiers. Stoughton, ranked third in

the province, punched their ticket for Hoopla by winning 101-52 over Middle Lake in a regional competition game.

Stoughton will face No. 2 Lake Lenore in the first round of Hoopla, which is March 24 and 25.

Kobe Wotta (27) looks to make a pass against Swift Current on March 15.

The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs’ cheerleaders were second at provincials this year. Photo courtesy of Bonnie Chepil-Kvamme

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Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | SASKTODAY.ca

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

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

George Keith’s new BMW had just downshifted into first gear and nothing he did would make it shift up into second.

He called the dealership, and they told him to bring it in at 7 a.m. the next day. When he arrived, he was told that he was going to have to wait another hour because the mechanics did not start until 8 a.m.

George was livid. Why would they have 7 a.m. appointments if nothing could be done until 8? He had a

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ

meeting at 8 o’clock and now he was stuck in a waiting room. When the mechanics finally came on duty, they fixed his car in less than five minutes. This made him even angrier.

ing that morning. Nor am I saying that God overlooked all those who were in the building and lost their lives.

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If it was something so simple, surely, they could have squeezed him in the day before. Now, his entire day was behind schedule. George jumped in the car and took off, hoping to catch the end of his meeting.

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My point, however, is this: sometimes what looks bad right now may be a blessing. Unwanted circumstances can lead to unexpected joys. The truth is, we simply do not have enough information. We do not know the big picture. Looking back, George Keith is thankful for his faulty transmission. Without it, he would not be here.

As he raced downtown, George looked over his right shoulder and saw an airliner flying low over the Hudson River. Then, the jet turned and flew straight into Tower Two of the World Trade Center. George stopped and watched as the tower burned and collapsed in a heap of rubble. The meeting he missed that morning was on the 73rd floor of Tower Two.

Please hear me clearly:

When trouble comes, try to avoid overreacting. Focus on what you can learn from the circumstance. Wait and see how things play out. Pray and trust that God is at work.

As the cross demonstrates, our best blessings sometimes come from the worst circumstances.

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“I know… you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident – it happens to prove your faith” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Estevan youth now has a connection to the King

By David Willberg

Seven years ago, Kolton Tweed submitted an entry through the RCMP’s Name the Foal contest, which encourages kids to come up with potential names for the horses that will become part of the RCMP Musical Ride.

His suggestion to name a horse Noble was picked, and he received a variety of prizes from the RCMP.

Now Noble is back in the news, and Kolton is getting lots of attention.

It was announced earlier this month that Noble, a seven-year-old mare who performed through the Musical Ride, would be gifted to King Charles III later this year at Charles’ coronation.

Kolton’s mother Jodi said they were shocked to find out.

“I received an email on Monday afternoon [March 13] … and I read it, and it was about the RCMP horse Noble, and I thought this was interesting,” said Tweed.

The email was from RCMP Sgt.-Major Scott Williamson, a Rocanville native who is the riding master for the Musical Ride. He asked Tweed to contact him about the horse.

Jodi placed Williamson on speaker phone so that her husband Rob and Kolton could listen to Williamson’s explanation for the phone call.

“When he called to tell us that Noble was no longer with the Musical Ride, I thought ‘That’s a cool gesture that they call the kids and tell them when the horse is retired.’

I was not at all expecting

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him to then go on to say ‘Well, he’s been gifted to the King.’ That was jawdropping, actually,” said Jodi. While it was cool to pick a name for a Musical Ride horse, they hadn’t thought about it much since then. They never met her during a Musical Ride performance, but they did find out the mare had 90 shows in 50 different cities.

Williamson told them Noble was selected as the King’s riding horse because she has a calm demeanour and an athletic build. As for the name, Williamson described it as “serendipitous”, Jodi said.

Kolton said he came up with the name Noble after seeing it in a book. But the character wasn’t a horse.

Jodi said they read a lot in their family, and suspects the character might have been a prince or a princess in a story.

“We started brainstorming ideas and we thought Noble sounded pretty cool,” said Jodi.

Kolton told the Mercury he was also in shock when he found out about his newfound connection to royalty, but he is really happy and recognizes it’s a really big honour.

“Noble has moved on to bigger and better things,” said Kolton.

Sgt-Major Williamson took Noble over a few weeks ago and will be returning for the coronation ceremony later this year. Noble will be participating in the coronation and is to become the King’s charge horse once

the King’s current horse George retires.

“There’s a whole history on the RCMP website of the RCMP gifting horses to the Royal Family, when George was gifted to the Queen, and that the statue of the Queen in front of the legislative building in Regina is actually her on Burmese, which is a black mare that was gifted to her by the RCMP in 1969,” said Jodi.

The RCMP already has

photos of the King with Noble and issued a news release about the gift.

While they haven’t been invited to the coronation, the Tweeds have been asked to attend the Musical Ride when it comes to Saskatchewan, so they can be recognized at that time.

“They’d like our family to be their guests, and they will have a gift from them,” said Jodi.

Kolton said he has re-

ceived a lot of attention. People have been talking with him. He likes horses, and he has friends who are big horse people, so he has been able to ride a horse a couple of times.

It’s been a very surreal time, Jodi said. W inning the contest several years ago was cool and a neat experience, but nobody could have ever imagined that this would have been an outcome, she said.

Kolton Tweed holds a picture of Noble, the horse that he named for the RCMP Musical Ride that has now been gifted to King Charles. Photo courtesy of Jodi Tweed

Estevan Drone Racing Club to help people understand the technology and learn to fly

By Ana Bykhovskaia

The Southeast Techhub has recently introduced another innovative initiative to benefit people in the area.

The Estevan Drone Racing Club held its first meeting at the Wylie Mitchell Hall on March 8. Anyone willing to learn more about drones, figure out how to fly them and then race is welcome to join them every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.

Southeast Techhub executive director Gord More said the idea of creating a club came to him in December when he was working on the business plan for the hub. It was born out of his personal experience of being a professional, licensed pilot for around 10 years and running into people with a lot of misunderstandings about the technology of drones and

also a lot of interest towards those flying machines.

“I was filming the speedway race cars with my highspeed drone, and I didn’t realize how much people were enjoying it until later on. People would approach me and said that it was really a lot of fun watching the drone go around. And with my tech hat on, I realized, what a fantastic opportunity to break down the misunderstanding that some people have about innovation and technology,” More shared.

Drones are a lot of fun, More said, and he wants to build on that energy. He has two drones that club members can try and see if it’s for them. And if they want to further develop the hobby and eventually start racing, they can learn how to build their own drone or buy one later on.

“The key part here is they

learn how they can control the drone, and they learn more about how drones work, so the misunderstanding that a lot of people have about what drones are, would go away,” More said.

He added that the ultimate goal of the Estevan Drone Racing Club resonates with the general Techhub’s goal, which is building a space, both physical and cultural, for technology and innovation in Estevan. And the club is another tool for it.

He noted that in the future, he hopes Estevan can attract and host drone racing events of different scales.

“There is international drone racing, where winners travel the world and can make millions of dollars a year in prize money and sponsorships. I would love, at the ground level, to turn this drone racing team into another port tournament that Estevan can host. Maybe not at the international level, but at one of those lower levels. I would love to see it grow to the point where we have people coming from other parts of the world to race here in Estevan,” More said, sharing his vision.

Come summer, the club hopes to move their practices to the Power Dodge Arena.

There is no cost to become a member for the first year, and people can use More’s drones to see if that hobby is for them. More noted that the club is open to all ages; it’s for kids as much as it is for “big kids.”

“I also want to be really clear, it’s open to women and men, and I strongly encourage the women in the community to join as well.

We need more women in technology,” More said.

He added that he finds that often drones might be a bit too difficult to figure out for most kids under the age of seven or eight, but they are still welcome to come and try.

The club will also have an opportunity to fly and race in front of the public this summer.

“During the races this year, during the intermission, the speedway has given us permission to race the drones around the speedway track,” More said.

Racing drones can reach speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour. For organized races, they fly through hoops to ensure they stay on a virtual track, More explained. Sometimes hoops

are regular, but there are also races where neon LED hoops are used to make lit-up drones, racing in the dark, even more fascinating.

Estevan Drone Racing Club gets together at the Wylie Mitchell Hall every Wednesday to learn how to fly. Photos courtesy of Gord More

The Estevan Drone Racing Club uses More’s DJI Avata drones, which are practical when learning how to fly and race.

For more on the Estevan Drone Racing Club and to register go to their website through estevanhub.ca.

The Estevan Drone Racing Club welcomes members of all ages and encourages women to join.

Estevan city council is moving forward with a pilot project as it grapples with looming changes that would affect the future of the wastewater treatment plant.

Council approved the initiative at its March 13 meeting. The pilot project will test out subsurface wetlands for the water treatment process.

Shane Bucsis, the manager of the city’s water and wastewater treatment plants, said one option for the subsurface wetlands has a cost of $35 million but with lower annual operating and maintenance costs than the current system, while the other has a forecasted capital expense of $17 million but would

cost slightly more for operations and maintenance.

The subsurface wetland concept is currently under construction in Alberta, tendering in B.C., and operational in Yukon and Montana. Bucsis said the approval process in Saskatchewan requires the system to be proven to operate in this climate.

The cost to set up a trial system would be approximately $400,000, he said. The city can apply for a grant through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that has a high success of covering 50 to 80 per cent of the costs.

If this pilot was done somewhere else, Bucsis said the city would still need to do a test plant to figure out

the sizing of the wetlands for Estevan’s process if the city chooses to go in this direction.

Currently, the only approved option in Saskatchewan for the city is a membrane bioreactor (MBR) that would run a projected cost of $45 million, with much higher operating costs.

Ever since the wastewater treatment plant opened in 1996, the plant’s effluent has been used as boiler feed water at the Shand Power Station after going through the wetlands. Through this agreement, the city doesn’t release any wastewater into the environment. But with the potential shutdown of the Shand Power Station at the end of the decade,

Wednesday, March 21, 1990

Band and instrumental winners were recognized at the Estevan and District Music Festival Association’s highlights concert mid-March 1990 at the Comprehensive School. Back row, from left, Michael Dramnitzki, Aaron Hiske and Kris Pilsner. Middle row, Susan Biberdorf, Jeff Breckenridge, Dietta Durr, Crystal Neuman, Twyla Vicary, Melanie Cote, B.J. Engel and Shauna Hiske. Front row, Erin Barker, Leslee Moyse, Nanette Beaulieu, Kimberly Burham, Allison Marcotte, Rhonda Foote, Lisa Neumann and Mandy Moroz Kneeling are, Blaine Hujber, Kristopher Burham and Byron Barnstable

the city wouldn’t have this option any longer, so the effluent would have to be released into the Souris River, with much stricter standards.

Magna Engineering was contracted to do a feasibility study of the potential replacement or major upgrades to the current wastewater treatment plant.

Jennifer Massig, the CEO and a senior engineer with Magna, delivered a speech to council before members made their decision.

The pilot authorization would begin in the spring, and construction could begin in the late spring or early summer. The process will be completed with the Water Security Agency. By fall, Massig said they would

have a really good idea of how the system works in Estevan, what the changes might look like, how much they can shrink the footprint and more.

During the process, detailed design can begin, so the whole detailed design package could be submitted after 12 months. It would allow for the earliest possible date for construction to begin.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said the city looks forward to working in a partnership with Magna and the Water Security Agency.

Bucsis made a presentation to city council at the Feb. 27 meeting on the potential challenges facing the city. An open house was held on March 6 and 7.

“A local company came and suggested we use their potential products as a part of the solution,” said Bucsis. “I let them know that I am open to anything, but it would need to be approved by the Water Security Agency and not affect our current operations. I will work with them to see if there are viable additions to the process.

“There was no negative feedback, and everyone seemed to understand the potential value of seeing if the wetlands would be a solution.”

Bucsis said once the city starts construction, or if rate increases are needed, then he expects more feedback at that time.

As

Traffic Bylaw 2016-1963

Depositing Substances 53. (1) No person shall deposit any natural substances on any highway, public sidewalk, boulevard or ditch within the City of Estevan

(3) The occupier of property in the City of Estevan shall remove any snow, ice or other obstruction from the public sidewalk adjacent to such property within twenty-four (24) hours of the time such snow, ice or other obstruction appears on such public sidewalk.

* In the event that this subsection is not complied with, the City may remove such snow, ice or other obstructions at the expense of such occupants or owner, and in the event of the non-payment of such expense, such expense may be charges against the property as a special assessment to be recovered in like manner as and with the taxes.