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Sask Polytech welding apprentice crowned first Miss Rodeo Agribition What’s next? Written by Saskatchewan Polytechnic women that we can do it just the same as anybody else. No matter who you are, you Thinking about “As long as dedication is there, it can take you anywhere. I have so much passion can do anything,” she says. Her interview also stood out to the panel of judges, recalls Shaun Kindopp, CWA and dedication for welding and rodeo,” says Arianna Dyck, who was crowned the the future? CEO. first Miss Rodeo Agribition in November. Currently studying Check outwelding ourat Saskatchewan Polytechnic Moose Jaw campus for “Arianna’s interview was fantastic. By the end of it, people wanted to jump up her level one technical training, Dyck is taking apprenticeship training through an on the table. She’s a great speaker and a wonderful first Miss Rodeo Agribition,” he agreement with her employer and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Cer- explains, noting she was among three finalists vying for the crown. Post-Secondary Dyck’s passion for rodeo and barrel racing flourished in high school, which is also tification Commission. special “When I’m notsection. training at Sask Polytech, I’m out in the field working and getting when she discovered welding. As she explored her post-secondary options, she knew experience,” Dyck explains.
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Sask Polytech was the right fit to achieve her career goals.
“Sask Polytech24, has resources like short course options. I had the opportunity Ready to add Miss WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2024 READto IT ONLINE AT
Rodeo Agribition duties try Metalworking Madness,” she says. The Continuing Education course geared to to her schedule, the new underrepresented groups including females, Indigenous people, newcomers, people official brand ambassador with disabilities and youth enabled Dyck to further solidify her career choice. “It of the Canadian Western was very insightful and helped guide me towards being a welder.” For the next year, Dyck will travel to various communities and schools to repreAgribition (CWA) says she’s received great sup- sent the CWA as Miss Rodeo Agribition. With her future as bright as welding sparks, Dyck plans on advancing her career port from her peers and instructors at Sask Polytech. and continuing to be a competitor in rodeos. In three years, she sees herself as hav“With the title I cur- ing completed the welder journeyperson certification and continuing to be a voice for rently have of Miss Rodeo women in the field. “Trades are an awesome place to work. I want to be an advocate for women in Agribition, I want to show Following a comprehensive facility and sell power generated to people to follow their trades, and I want to keep pursuing my love of barrel racing and improve my horsecompetition, SaskPower has selected SaskPower through a 25-year power heart and do what they manship.” Learn more atpurchase saskpolytech.ca. to doLP because in the Iyuhánawant Solar to construct and agreement. they will live a more operate end, Saskatchewan’s largest solar “Iyuhána Solar is honoured to fulfilling life,” she notes. facility to As date, will be in the be entrusted with this transformapart which of the comEstevan petition, area. Dyck had to do tive opportunity in Saskatchewan. rodeoachallenges, present With total generating ca- We are looking forward to building a speech and complete an pacity of 100 megawatts and operating this monumental interview. Highlighting (MW ), this emissions-free renewable energy project and suplife in a skilled solar trade facility where women are underwill produce enough power for the porting the clean energy industry represented was a key eleequivalent approximately 25,000 in Canada,” said Maz en Turk, mentof in her platform. homes. Construction is scheduled director of Iyuhána Solar LP and “I talked about women trades because it’s facility is to beginininthe2025 and the CEO of Greenwood Sustainable that’s important to expectedame.topic toForcome online as early as Infrastructure. me, it means a lot December 2026. “This success is the result of being a minority in such a male indus- will play “This newdominated solar facility a strong, collaborative partnership try. With my journey in an important role in our path to net- with Ocean Man First Nation along welding, I want to show
SaskPower selects proponent for new 100-megawatt solar facility near Estevan Estevan is still safe. Local year-end crime statistics reflect 2023. PAGE A2
Everyone’s welcome. Charity kitchen keeps operating, needs a bit of a boost. PAGES A3
zero by 2050 or sooner,” said Sask- with the determination of many Power president and CEO Finding Rupen team members,inhelping to ensureothers purpose supporting 24014SS2of our ongoPandya. “We are proud that the Iyuhána Solar Project was Written by Medicine Hat College The site would be located southwest of Estevan. Photo by thianchai ing collaboration with Indigenous selected support the Ernest Torniado always knewto he wanted to helpchanging others. sitthikongsak / Moment / Getty Images Trained massage therapist, Ernest enjoyed the ability work closely with peoples and the critical role they areas a landscape of renewable energy in toSashis patients to discover suitable treatment plans but due to the repetitive nature of the playing in the successful expansion katchewan and Canada for generations that everyone and everything is employment opportunities with the work, he found himself in a state of burnout, considering other opportunities. When the related project. Additionally, partnering of renewable energy in our province.” to come.” COVID-19 pandemic forced him out of work for three months, he was ready to find a and therefore we must care new career in the healthcare industry. with two of Saskatchewan’s leading The value of the independent “Our partnership with GSI and for each other.” A path In a news release, Greenwood post-secondary academic institupower purchase agreement was notto physiotherapy SaskPower will bring great opportunities With an interest in physiotherapy, Ernest moved from Saskatchewan to enroll in the said the tions, including the Southeast Colreleased. for Ocean Man First Nation, including Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physical Therapist Assistant (OTA/PTA) diploma at project would be one of lege’s Estevan campus, Iyuhána will Hat College (MHC). Thisand two-year programthat trainswill students to workthe undertop the 10 solar facilities by size During the constructionMedicine phase, employment revenue prodirection of occupational therapists and helping in Canada. Iyuhána plans to invest provide scholarships, internships, the project is expected to require apvide stability andphysiotherapists, sustainability forclients our to successfully perform daily activities and mobilize after illness or injury. C$200 million to and direct research projects in clean proximately100 full-time-equivalent Band,”assistant said allowed OceanmeMan Chief Connie “Becoming a therapy to continue working within the approximately healthcare construct the plant. energy to benefit the community. employees on an 18-month timeline. scope, but more Big so on Eagle. the rehab side,” explains Ernest, who began the OTA/PTA proin Fall 2020 with “We an initialare plan proud to pursue that physiotherapy. He chose MHC forAs its a founding partner, GreenGSI said this would be the first A partnership between gram Greenthis projability to transfer the diploma to institutions like Athabasca University, Thompson Rivwood said Ocean Man First Nation of many planned solar projects in the wood Sustainable Infrastructure ect, which is able to generate clean ers University and University of Calgary for degree completion. will an ownership stake in province; by 2035, SaskPower plans (GSI), Saturn Power and Ocean will be heknown Iyuhána Upon finishingpower, the program in 2022, returned toas Saskatchewan and took a rolehave as an OTA at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. His role focuses on helping patients perform Solar. Band members will Iyuhána to support approximately 3,000 MW Man First Nation, Iyuhána Solar Solar, which, in Nakotah, translates daily activities independently, such as getting dressed, feeding, and cleaning themselves. also receive specialized training to of new renewable energy capacity in will permit, finance, construct, to ‘everyone’ or ‘all of us.’ This is “Working in a hospital, I’m able to see patients under different types of conditions maintain the solar facilities and the region. own, maintain and operate thisof abilities derived from oura relationship Nakotah and levels and I’m able to create withbelief them. I like seeing their progress to recovery and getting them out of the hospital.” As the main point-of-contact throughout their treatment, Ernest enjoys being an advocate for his patients and working closely with occupational therapists to find and adjust recovery plans, based on patient needs. Supporting student success Now, still closely linked to his educational roots, Ernest supports current MHC students during their practicum placements. Seeing an ongoing demand for OTA/PTAs in the budget thetoPower Dodge in February or March. By David Willberg Saskatchewan, he hopes graduates and will return support hospitals and rehabilitation centers in need ofArena staff. in the past couple of months. “This is something I now strug“When I started my job at St. Paul’s, one ofmembers four hospitals voiced here in Saskatoon, I was since the conversations with Estevan city council approved Other council gle with, only the second or third therapy assistant ever to be hired. Currently, I am the only therthe 2024 budget at Mondayapynight’s support for the property rink have come up, and just hearassistant working in the whole hospital, covering tax eightincrease. wards, so there isthe definitely meeting, following a discussion a needthat for therapyCoun. assistants.” Travis Frank noted Estevan is ing some of the feedback from those Ernest believesthe empathetic individuals withprovince a passion forthat helpinghas others and making included debate on a property tax only city in the rink conversations … I’m having a a difference in their patients’ recovery journeys would be most successful in an occupaincrease and money allocatedtional fortherapy the assistant not had difficult time seeing that money sit role. a property tax increase in the Power Dodge Arena. years, even though the city’s in our To learn morepast about few becoming an OTA/PTA, or other rewarding careers, visit www.budget if we’re not going to do mhc.ab.ca/SKStudents and findkeep your path with us.up. The document passed by a 6-1 expenses going anything with it this year, and then
Estevan city council approves 2024 budget
A great year of capturing. SaskPower releases CCS numbers and results for last year. PAGE A10
Fun times. Estevan Comp. hosts a busy basketball tournament. Find more on PAGE A11
margin. Coun. Tony Sernick was the lone dissenter; he said there is a lot of good in this year’s financial plan, but he said he couldn’t support it because of a two per cent increase in property taxes, which is expected to generate $320,000. “Although the two per cent doesn’t seem like much, lots of inquiries that I had with mostly commercial property owners, they definitely don’t want to see anything again,” said Sernick. It will be the first increase in property taxes since 2018, although some properties saw their taxes jump in 2021 as part of the city’s response to the provincial reassessment. Sernick pointed out the city has a surplus budget, will continue to pay down debt and has money in the bank, so he doesn’t see the need for the increase. During the inquiries portion of the meeting, he added he had a lot of good discussions about
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Coun. Lindsay Clark added the two per cent increase allows the city to do the things they want to do in the upcoming year. Coun. Kirsten Walliser said the city’s administration and management team have scraped by, year after year, to ensure debt repayment remains a priority while offering the same level of service. They have had to worry about collective bargaining agreement wage increases for the city’s staff and the Estevan Police Association, the rising costs associated with the carbon tax and more. Coun. Rebecca Foord asked about the boards for the Power Dodge Arena, which carried a $250,000 price tag, as there have been discussions about the rink. City manager Jeff Ward responded the money was still in the budget but won’t be committed to a specific project until the discussion is complete, which is expected to be
still say we’re going to increase our property taxes,” Foord said. Coun. Shelly Veroba recalled the condition of the arena boards was criticized before she joined city council in 2016. “I remember teams coming down here from Regina and refusing to play in that rink because those boards were dangerous. I think if something happens and somebody gets hurt, there’s a liability on the city if you know there’s a danger there and you don’t fix it,” said Veroba. She wonders if user groups still see the need for new boards now. If it turns out the boards aren’t dangerous and don’t need to be fixed, she’s fine with not repairing them. She also pointed out most of the projects in the 2024 budget have been on the city’s agenda for some time. Council first discussed the budget during a day-long meeting in early December. It was published on
the city’s website later in the month, giving the public a chance to voice their thoughts on the document. In a report to city council, city manager Jeff Ward said “very little feedback” on the budget was sent to city hall. He noted there was a recommendation from a citizen that the Perkins sidewalk be placed on the north side of the street and run from Third Avenue to McDonald Road. That request was previously made at a council meeting in November. Concerns were also expressed about the downtown revitalization project and how it would impact taxes to downtown businesses. Ward stressed the budget does not apply any increased levy to downtown businesses. One comment mentioned funds for that project should be used for small business tax relief. “City administration would like to clarify that this project will only move forward with a significant grant contribution from the federal government,” Ward wrote. “The only portion paid for by city funds would relate to replacement of the underground utilities. A2 »CITY
A2 January 24, 2024
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Teachers were back on strike For the second time in a week, teachers in the Estevan area and across the province were back on the picket line as part of a one-day strike by members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. Nearly 250 teachers participated in Monday’s demonstration in Estevan. They met at the hall for the United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 to register and create signs, and then they circulated down Fourth Street to Estevan MLA Lori Carr’s office. Carr had the opportunity to stop in and have a brief visit with a few of the strikers. Members of nursing and other unions joined the teachers. Some children were in the crowd. A similar strike was held on Jan. 16. Photo by Anastasiia Bykhovskaia
EPS saw a return to pre-pandemic level of calls in 2023 The Estevan Police Service (EPS) saw an increase in call volumes in 2023 in comparison to 2022, but there was a slight decrease when compared to the five-year average. According to numbers supplied by the EPS, the department had 7,964 total calls for service last year, which is up 20.7 per cent from the 6,596 they had in 2022, but still 1.3 per cent below the five-year average of 8,071 occurrences. Estevan Police Chief Rich Lowen stressed that Estevan remains a safe city. "Overall, Estevan is a very
safe city. You have to be careful and not look at only one or two percentage indicators. When you have lower numbers, a small change can look like a big percentage increase, but it has to be looked at as a whole with all the violations," Lowen said. "The increase in calls for service put us consistent with pre-pandemic levels." The total includes Criminal Code violations, traffic infractions and a variety of calls that the EPS receives. In terms of Criminal Code violations, the EPS responded to 152 crimes against the per-
son, up from 146 the previous year; 403 crimes against property, an increase from 351; and 156 Criminal Code Traffic violations, up from 109 in 2022. Twenty-eight charges were laid under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), slightly down from 32 the previous year. Assaults accounted for the bulk of the crimes against people at 109, followed by 31 sexual crimes, up 41 per cent from 22 the previous year, and 10 assaults causing bodily harm. Last year also saw one murder and an attempted
murder. Crimes against property included 196 thefts under $5,000, 131 mischief/willful damage complaints, 47 break and enters to a residence, which is a 52 per cent increase from 31 in 2022, and 14 thefts of a motor vehicle. There also were three business break and enters, down 67 per cent from nine a year earlier, and one categorized as other, as well as two arsons and nine thefts over $5,000, an 80 per cent increase from five in 2022. Criminal Code traffic violations included 119 impaired
driving/exceeding .08 charges, a 45 per cent increase from 82 such charges laid in 2022, as well as 22 impaired by drug charges and 15 dangerous driving/other charges, up from 10 in 2022. "In 2024, we hope to create greater awareness about impaired driving offences as the numbers across Saskatchewan appear to be on the rise. We will be doing this in conjunction with SGI campaigns to raise awareness, along with targeted enforcement. Our fourth quarter report will be completed in early February on some of the
enforcement indicators that we measured in 2023," Lowen noted. CDSA charges included 15 for trafficking, a 35 per cent decrease from 23 in 2022, and 13 for possession, a 44 per cent increase from nine the previous year. When compared to the five-year average, there was a 14.6 per cent increase in crimes against person. Crimes against property went up by 20.2 per cent in 2023, Criminal Code traffic violations jumped by 20.7 per cent, and CDSA violations were down by 19.5 per cent.
duction is to be $1.2 million after borrowing. Long-term debt for the city is to be at $10.36 million at the end
of 2024. There will not be an increase in the water consumption rate on utility bills.
City will continue to pay down debt « A1 This is estimated to be about $1.5 million out of the total project cost of $8.3 million.”
Another citizen indicated that small business taxes were too high and the 2021 reassessment caused
some businesses to be unfairly adjusted. There was a request to reduce department budgets as well as cut third-
party grant spending. The city will pay down about $2.1 million in debt, and net long-term debt re-
Estevan police arrest man for stealing a vehicle The Estevan Police Service has arrested and charged a 21-year-old Carnduff man for theft of a motor vehicle. According to the EPS report for Jan. 20, the Carnduff RCMP alerted the EPS of the theft, which occurred in Oxbow.
EPS members located the vehicle in Estevan about an hour later. The suspect was apprehended without incident. The accused was also wanted on outstanding warrants for driving while suspended and failing to attend court on other
matters. He was remanded into custody for court on Jan. 22. The EPS says the vehicle appears to be in good condition and has no visible damage. The owners have been contacted. The Carnduff RCMP and EPS continue to investigate the theft.
In other recent police news, members arrested a 31-year-old Estevan female on Jan. 15 for driving while under a court prohibition not to operate a motor vehicle. She was charged and released for court at a later date. The same day, police per-
formed several well-being checks on individuals struggling with the cold weather. Police determined individuals were okay and connected them to services in the community. On Jan. 16, police received a report of theft from a local
Notice to Creditors
Employment Opportunity Job Title: Location:
Controls Technician Estevan, SK (Hybrid)
Job Overview As a result of new and expanded systems, this new role collaborates with various internal stakeholders to provide preventative maintenance, repair and support for Kingston Midstream’s communication systems and critical communication equipment. As a technical expert with knowledge in the oil & gas industry, you are an effective communicator, provide exceptional customer service and enjoy troubleshooting problems to find long-lasting solutions.
Position Responsibilities • Provide expertise for control center problems relating to Communications and Networking issues • Provide communication troubleshooting of various equipment including Ethernet bridges, Ethernet and serial line extenders, Ethernet Switches, Fiber Optic cables, routers, hubs etc. • Troubleshoot maintain, repair and provide back-up support for: Microwave radio system including equipment, towers, and buildings; systems and hardware associated with SCADA • Provide back-up to controls group and take emergency calls in critical areas • Perform preventative maintenance on assigned equipment and ensure all field and office work requests are handled and are properly documented and completed within Azzier • Assist Engineering department with new equipment design and commissioning • Provide feedback to project managers related to budgets • Advise on solutions and future expansion needs to accommodate growth of system • experience in RF transmission (RSL, SNR, Eb/No, EQ Stress, TX PWR) • experience in Microwave radio programming Web based software, PuTTY software, Telnet, AirMux Manager, • experience in Regulatory Licensing with ISED. (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada)
Working Conditions: Based in the Estevan office, this position will work 50% in office and 50% in the field. This position requires moderate physical work and working in potentially hazardous locations. Schedule is MondayFriday 40 hours per week.
Skills and Qualifications • A Technical Diploma in Computer Science/Technology/Network Technician • Must have at least 5 years’ Control Systems and IT related experience; oil & gas industry is preferred • Have strong PC skills and ability to troubleshoot PC issues to get processes software running again • Possess a valid Class 5 drivers’ license and a clean drivers’ abstract • Quick learner, multi-tasking and strong communications skills (verbal and written) Kingston Midstream is committed to providing a flexible work practice to allow office employees to work both from the Estevan office and from a remote location. This position may work remotely Mondays and Fridays and in Kingston Midstream’s Estevan office Tuesday to Thursday. We thank all interested candidates; however, only qualified candidates will be contacted, please submit your cover letter and resume to www.kingstonmidstream.com/careers/
In the estate of GARY FREDERICK MCKECHNEY, late of Estevan, Saskatchewan, deceased. All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 14th of February, 2024. Bridges & Company LLP 1329 Third Street Estevan, SK S4A 0S1 Solicitors for the Executors
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business.The matter is still under investigation. Members also attended to a disturbance in a north-end multi-dwelling property. One of the parties agreed to leave the residence for the evening to resolve the disagreement. On Jan. 17, police turned to the public for assistance in locating a missing Estevan youth, who was last seen around 11 p.m. on Jan. 16 at his home in Estevan. Sometime overnight or early on Jan. 17, the teenager left the residence with only a few belongings. Police said they didn't have any reason to believe he had come to harm, but due to the extremely cold temperatures, wanted like to confirm the youth was safe. He was located shortly after and was well. The same day, EPS members also received a request to do a welfare check on an Estevan man. Members and the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) attended the residence to check on the individual. He was found to be well. The EPS also responded to a report of uttering threats. The matter is still under investigation. Members dealt with multiple noise complaints caused by the same individual on Jan. 18. Police attended to a loud stereo complaint in a north-end apartment building. A 31-year-old Estevan woman was initially warned under the noise bylaw. Just over an hour later,police were called back to the apartment building. She was charged under the noise bylaw and given a $250 fine. About 30 minutes later, police were called back a third time. She was charged under the noise bylaw again and given a $500 fine. Police remained at the scene and witnessed the woman coming out of her apartment and starting to make noise in the hallway, disrupting tenants again. Police warned her about her behaviour and told her to remain in her suite and keep quiet. She refused and was subsequently arrested for causing a disturbance and public intoxication. The woman was brought to the police station and lodged for the night. She was to be released in the morning once sober and more responsible. The same day, police also received a request to do a wellbeing check. A family member was unable to get in touch with their elderly relative in Estevan. Police attended and confirmed the 77-year-old Estevan woman was okay and would contact their family to let them know.
ANNUAL JANUARY
CLEARANCE SALE
COMMUNITY A3
on now in Estevan & Carlyle
| Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
Charity kitchen needs support to ensure full season The Warm Welcome Kitchen has been having a great 2023-24 season so far, with a lot of engagement both from volunteers and the community, but they will need some financial and/or food donations to make sure they last to their scheduled wrap-up date of April 30. Warm Welcome Kitchen board president Wendy Godfrey said things have gone really well for them this year, and she hopes it will continue. “We have a great cook, Donna [McGillicky], who is putting together some fabulous meals. She’s also really taking the time to get to know the people who come. So, she knows what their needs are and she’s helpful that way. And we’ve had some great volunteers, different service groups have come out and they actually brought the food, prepared the meal and served it for us,” Godfrey shared. “Every year Certified Energy comes out the meal closest to Ukrainian Christmas and they do our Ukrainian Christmas meal for us, which is awesome. They provide all the food and the workers for that.” She noted they had numerous service groups and businesses joining them as volunteers. If someone wants to be a part of Warm Welcome in a
volunteer capacity, they can reach out to the kitchen program through Facebook and they will be put on the list to volunteer during one of the meals. “We’ve had a lot of people just come out wanting to help, so it’s been really, really good,” Godfrey said. While several people donated food and funds towards the kitchen at the beginning of the season, Godfrey said they’ll need more support to make it through the end. “We are a little bit low on funds, hoping for a few more donations that will take us to the end of the season. So far, that’s always worked for us: people have always come through when needed. We need a little bit more money to make it to the end of the season, so hopefully we’ll see some donations come in,” Godfrey said. “We’re an unregistered nonprofit so we can’t get grants or government help at all. So, we look for those donations to come in … But the community always comes through when we need stuff, so, even though we’re a little short on funds, I have no doubt that we’ll get the help we need.” She noted if they don’t have enough funds, they will just serve as long as they can. The full-scale hot meals are
Warm Welcome Kitchen’s free suppers are held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at St. Giles Anglican Church, left, on Tuesdays and at Trinity Lutheran Church on Thursdays. File photo served Tuesdays at St. Giles Anglican Church on 12th Avenue and Thursdays at Trinity Lutheran Church on Second Street from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and are free to anyone who comes. Not only do these meals help people a bit financially, but they are also a great way to socialize. Godfrey said they serve about 50 meals each time. They are getting different people out, but there is also a core group who became friends through this initiative. “We have a core group that
never misses out, which is nice, because they’re very connected to each other now. They become a really close group, good friends, which is really a nice benefit of the Warm Welcome Kitchen,” Godfrey said. “We’re not there just to help make ends meet, which of course, for a lot of people, having a couple of free meals during the week really stretches their food dollar, but there are people who need to meet people. Maybe they don’t have any close friends or whatever. “They are welcome to come and
meet people and just enjoy a meal together and some good conversation. And we’re seeing that quite a bit as well.” Warm Welcome Kitchen also hosted a grocery dash fundraiser last year, which Godfrey said was a success. A two-minute grocery dash, up to $1,000 at Sobeys, was the prize, and the winner managed to put $998 worth of groceries in her cart. The non-profit also raised funds for their needs, and they plan on hosting another one this year.
Whiskers and Wine Gala tickets are almost sold out The Estevan Humane Society is counting down to its annual Whiskers and Wine Gala fundraiser. The event is slated to take place on Feb. 10 at the Estevan Exhibition Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by supper and entertainment. “We’re excited to be back, adding some new stuff and keeping a lot the same, which seems to work for us,” said Estevan Humane Society president Tayja Lakusta. The night will see entertainment, auctions and a few new pieces added for a great experience and to help raise funds for Estevan’s no-kill shelter. Braden King from Weyburn, who competed in Season 21 of American Idol, will entertain for the night. “King isn’t just another face in the country music crowd, he’s the
powerhouse standing at the intersection of rock ‘n’ roll and country, proudly embracing the edgier side of the genre. But where he truly thrives is on the road, where he’s a relentless force, gracing audiences with over 100 shows each year,” states his bio. “His performances are nothing short of a high-voltage, in-your-face party — an unforgettable experience that defines the term energy. Whether he’s rocking notorious festivals like Boots & Hearts and Country Thunder, or tearing up dive bars and honky tonks, King brings the same electrifying show to every stage.” Once again, EB’s will be catering the dinner at Whiskers and Wine Gala. “The menu looks delicious,” Lakusta said. New this year will be a wine poll.
A variety of wines donated by local businesses will be individually packed up, and guests will have an opportunity to purchase a ticket and pick a number to get a surprise bottle of wine. “Guests won’t know what they’re getting, so they could get a $200 bottle of wine. It will vary, as it’s a surprise bag,” Lakusta explained. “We also plan on having a slideshow and doing introductions with some animals we’ve got, our longtermers,” she added. The night will also see a silent auction, and the board has yet to decide if they will have a live auction as well this year. As of Monday, the humane society had about six tables or under 50 tickets left. Tickets can be purchased individually or in bundles. To get a
ticket, please, contact Lakusta at 306421-5970 or message the Estevan Humane Society Facebook page. “If anybody’s been waiting for tickets, don’t wait too long, because they’re going to be gone,” Lakusta said with a laugh. Money raised through the Whiskers and Wine Gala will go towards the shelter’s day-to-day operations. To help with fundraising efforts, they also recently started an Estevan Humane Society Fundraising Garage Sale Facebook page. People now can donate items, and the shelter will try selling them through that page with all proceeds used to help with the shelter’s needs. Lakusta noted that the shelter is currently “sitting at decent numbers” for their animals. They have two litters
of puppies coming up for adoption soon. One set will be available starting next week, and a husky litter will come up in mid-February. The recent cold spell outlined some things the shelter will have to address shortly. They are currently working on grants and are accepting donations to cover the expenses of adding the third furnace to make it warmer in the dog area. “We’ve got quite a few shorthaired dogs right now in our care that are not enjoying this cold weather. So, we’re trying to get some stuff planned with that. The city is working with us, trying to get quotes and what the best option would be for our building. So, we are … trying to get that started as soon as possible to improve life down at the shelter for them,” Lakusta said.
Choose Life’s biggest fundraiser of the year is coming For the first time in its history, the Coldest Night of the Year Walk for Choose Life Ministry will be held in Carnduff. The event is slated for Feb. 24, starting with registration at 4 p.m. at 401 Fourth Street East in Carnduff. The walk will start an hour later. Participants will walk a distance of two or five kilometres. Afterwards, there will be a light meal waiting for walkers, starting at 6 p.m. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the ministr y, which operates the Homestead for Hope, a residential rehabilitation program in southeast Saskatchewan for women ages 18 and up with life-controlling issues. The goal is to raise $20,000. Choose Life executive assistant Stephanie Barnes noted that the event is open to people who want to come
and walk with them in person or just want to support the cause and do the walk independently wherever they are. "Anybody can come in and walk. And if you're raising money and you're not local to Carnduff or you can't travel to Carnduff, you can also walk virtually. That's an option as well," Barnes said. Barnes noted they started working on the fundraiser back in November, acquiring the necessary paperwork. The registration and donations have been open since December. As of mid-January, they were able to raise just over $4,000. "We are register ing walkers and teams for the fundraiser. Once people register to walk, others can donate to them through online or cash/cheque donations and all of that gets put towards the ministry,"
Participants in the 2023 Coldest Night of the Year Walk gathered before the start of the event. File photo Barnes explained. "Most of the stores [in Carnduff ] have pledge
sheets, and you can donate through the stores. And we also have Second Chance
thrift stores, so you can donate through there as well." The walk typically attracts people from Estevan and surrounding communities, including Carlyle, Carnduff and Lake Alma, among others, but it also sees people coming from further away. Barnes explained why they decided to switch locations from Estevan this year. "Carnduff is actually where the ministry has its main office, and we also have a store in Carnduff, so it's just a little more local to where the main office is," Barnes noted. "Carnduff is a little more central, too, because we do have a lot of people coming from Manitoba." Barnes said they could still use more walkers and volunteers. People can register up to the time of the walk.
In 2022, the walk raised over $6,000 for Choose Life's Homestead for Hope. Barnes said the homestead stays busy, helping people in difficult situations. "We're busy. We are preparing for our next intake. We are still helping a lot of people in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and all over Canada," Barnes said. Once the previous participants graduate, a new group of women will start in the program. Organizations across the country host Coldest Night of the Year fundraisers to raise funds and awareness for those who are hungry, homeless or hurting. The link to the registration and donation forms, along with the latest information about the local fundraiser, can be found on the Choose Life Ministry Facebook page.
EDITORIAL A4
| Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
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Solar power facility could be an asset in the much larger power mix Whether some people like it or not, the solar power facility that has been announced for Estevan is going to proceed. SaskPower announced on Monday that Iyuhána Solar was awarded a 25-year independent power producer contract for the project – an important next step for the facility to proceed. Among the partners for Iyuhána is the Ocean Man First Nations. We recognize that solar power isn't going to be winning popularity contests in southeast Saskatchewan. We're a coal-mining area, and we should be proud of it. There are people who will say coal mining should be the only option for power production in the area. And you're going to have those who will point out, quite rightly, that solar power doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to producing electricity on a large scale. You only have to look at the numbers in Alberta to see that at the most adverse times, solar power is conspicuous by its absence. So there is going to be some skepticism, both locally and elsewhere, when SaskPower says this is going to be the largest solar project in the province's history at 100 megawatts, enough to power 25,000 homes. This project actually does tick some boxes for why it would be beneficial. For starters, there should be a considerable economic boost during
the construction phase, with about 100 full-time equivalent positions to be created. Those are people who will be staying in our hotel rooms, eating at our restaurants, filling up with fuel at our service stations, and spending money with other local firms. It won't employ a lot of people when it's finished, but we can expect benefits in 2025 and 2026. The involvement of the Ocean Man First Nations, which has long been very progressive, is also good news. Band members will receive specialized training to maintain the solar facility and employment opportunities. And there will be a partnership with the Southeast College's Estevan campus, as Iyuhána will provide scholarships, internships and direct research projects in clean energy. Yes, there are concerns, not just with solar power's unreliability but SaskPower's decision not to build on its own land in the Estevan area. Hopefully, once this facility opens, those concerns won't be as prevalent. Coincidentally, the announcement about the solar power provider came just days after SaskPower revealed that the carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility had its second-best year ever, capturing more than 786,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2023. If not for a brief hiccup at Unit 3 at the end of last year, it would have soared past
the benchmark set in 2016. Unit 3 at Boundary Dam was able to produce baseload power with considerable economic and environmental benefits. It's also been revealed that Unit 4 at Boundary Dam had to be pressed into service for nearly a third of 2023, even though it was supposed to be retired in December 2021. We have to recognize that what was compliant 30 years ago has been phased out or will be retired before too long. You might roll your eyes when you hear renewables or zero emissions lobbed around, and you might be worried about what might happen to our power grid in the next decade, but we can't bury our heads in the sand and say change isn't coming. Solar power can be part of the power mix. So can wind. But we can't be too dependent on them. Geothermal should also be part of the mix. Natural gas should be an option. So should coalfired power with carbon capture capabilities. And small modular nuclear reactors look like they'll be involved as well, although the regulatory requirements and the time needed to build such a facility mean it could be a decade before the first one is operating in Saskatchewan. We shouldn't dismiss the project out of hand. But we also have to be realistic in our expectations for solar power, at least at this time.
No teacher would leave a classroom for nonsense Published weekly by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, 68 Souris Avenue N., Estevan, SK S4A 2M3.The Estevan Mercury is owned and operated by Prairie Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Glacier Media Inc. Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice. Conditions of editorial and advertising content: The Estevan Mercury attempts to be accurate in Editorial and Advertising content; however, no guarantee is given or implied. The Estevan Mercury reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the newspaper’s principals see fit. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors. The Estevan Mercury will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication. All of the Estevan Mercury’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that The Estevan Mercury receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisement produced by The Estevan Mercury, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.
There were the days when I spent hours telling auntie – a teacher with over 40 years of experience (back in St. Petersburg) – all about the local public school system. She's always loved her profession, but our conversations often started with her sharing about how her school life looks. It was just her per classroom had 30-plus students, a third of whom had special needs, with no educational assistants or any other support except for a principal (considered a last-resource punishment) and a school counsellor (one per school, and they are mainly focused on consulting other staff and parents, rather than working with kids). Anything a teacher needed on top of basics was their task, which they could address themselves and/or in co-operation with parents. Most schools are understaffed, so teachers are seriously overworked. And with all that, if not for uncle's income, auntie probably wouldn't be able to make it. All of that could have been considered hazards of the profession in a particular region if not for one big difference – kids over there mostly hated going to school, while here all of my friends' children usually couldn't wait for breaks to be over. And that, I think, changes absolutely everything. You can have the most progressive and interesting programs, the best facilities, and all of the science in the world backing up the approach and methodology, but if teachers don't have the support they need, nothing's going to work. I'm no expert in what schools and teachers really need here and how well they were doing, but when Saskatchewan decided to cut
Ana Bykhovskaia Twenty Lines About… the budget for the education sector some time ago, even I had a feeling that it was going to hurt everywhere. It was just a matter of time before we got to a boiling point. We finally did. For the second week, the entire province has witnessed teachers and school staff hitting the streets trying to get the government to commit to a more long-term and sustainable education growth plan. It's not just a clash of interests, but it's a combination of concerns that resonate with our educators. Large class sizes, limited resources and an increasing workload are challenges that, if unaddressed, could cast a shadow over the quality of education provided in Saskatchewan. (Saskatchewan is fighting for our role and place in Canada and around the world; we can't afford a weakening education system.) Those concerns hit home with almost everyone, as they are not only about the wellbeing of Saskatchewan teachers and their families, but also, and mainly, about what today's and future kids will be able to glean from their school years. Again, from talks with auntie, I forever remembered her feelings about missing school days. In other professions, you often see people get excited about extra holidays. With her, every extra day missed for any reason was always a strong disappointment
and a source of stress. So to me, it always felt that for a teacher to leave a classroom is something almost impossible. Monday was already the second day the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation was on the streets of communities. And while the Canadian Taxpayers Federation pointed out earlier that claims that education funding has been "cut" aren't absolutely accurate, as funding has increased 24 per cent since 2017, I don't think there is a teacher that would miss work due to some minor inconvenience. The struggles they are facing are serious. And they are doing their best to deliver that message. In Estevan this Monday, teachers supported by other unions and kids circulated up and down Fourth Street, as drivers blew their horns. I don't know about other places, but that scene here definitely didn't look like a battlefield. It rather seemed like collaboration, but unfortunately not with the government yet. But collaboration between the government, the STF, parents and students is what's needed the most. We all play a crucial role in this narrative. Through open dialogue, understanding and a shared commitment to our communities' well-being, we can transform this challenge into an opportunity for Saskatchewan to lead the way in fostering a harmonious education system. Our teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of the province. Hopefully, we are to see that future, where the echoes of today's collaborative effort resonate through the hallways of our schools, creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.
BUSINESS A5
Melanie Tribiger Hearing Aid Practitioner 3
Clinic Owner
1320 3rd Street, Estevan, SK
| Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
(306) 636- 3277
SCH@SunCountryHearing.com
New flowers and gifts business to bring beauty to Estevan E d i to r ’s n o te : T h e wrong article appeared in the space for this story in the Jan. 17 edition of the Estevan Mercury. The Mercury apologizes for any inconvenience this might have caused. The new year is starting with the new business opening on King Street in Estevan. Estevan Flower Crew, owned and operated by Desiree Ruckaber, offers a variety of flower arrangements and gifts. Ruckaber has been
a designer for 10 years and is an accredited event designer. A mother of four, she felt that now that her daughters are a little older, this was the time for her to “fill [her] bucket and start [her] own business”. The Estevan Flower Crew flowers and gifts store had a soft opening last week and is gearing up for a grand opening on Feb. 2 from 1-3 p.m. with dignitaries present and a ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. “I just wanted to bring something exciting to Estevan where people
can come into the flower shop with giftware,” Ruckaber said. “We’re a full-service flower shop with custom-made arrangements and gifts to suit every occasion.” The store will cater to all flower needs, offering a variety of arrangements, as well as gifts for different occasions. Besides frontend retail, they will also have delivery and online services available through a website. Ruckaber said customers can expect a unique experience, as all of their
arrangements are designed in-house. “ We’re excited and looking forward to serving Estevan,” Ruckaber said. Estevan Flower Crew employs five people. The store is located at Unit 7A 461 King Street at Scotsburn Square. Estevan Flower Crew’s hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For their latest updates, follow the Estevan F lower Cre w page on Facebook.
Desiree Ruckaber is starting Estevan Flower Crew – a fullservice flower shop with custom-made arrangements and gifts to suit every occasion. Photos courtesy of Desiree Ruckaber
Oilfield equipment recovered, believed to have been stolen The Carnduff RCMP says it has recovered two pieces of oilfield rig equipment that officers believe was stolen. According to the Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers' Facebook page, the Carnduff RCMP recovered the equipment from a home in Oxbow with the help of a community member. The RCMP believes the items were taken in the summer of 2023. Recovered equipment includes a Cameron Measurement Systems vertical tank with valves, serial number 15-501, and a Norriseal Level Controller, serial number 320611. The RCMP says a landlord who rented to numerous transient workers found the equipment while renovating the house. An arrest has not been made. The items had not been claimed as of Monday afternoon. People can contact the RCMP at Oilfield equipment was recovered from a residence in Oxbow. 306-482-4400 if they recognize either piece of equipment or if they have any other information. Photo sourced from Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers Facebook page
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Employment Opportunity Job Title: Cost Analyst Location: Estevan, Sk. Closing Date: 2023-02-05 Job Overview: Reporting to the Manager, Projects Services the Cost Analyst position will provide support to Kingston Midstream Project Managers responsible for the design and execution of capital, expense, and ARO projects relating to the upgrade, maintenance, and retirement of liquid pipelines and facilities. The Cost Analyst will primarily focus on supporting the project team with cost tracking from estimating, Purchase Orders, Field Tickets, Invoices through execution and close out of the projects.
Position Responsibilities: • Provide Project Managers with real time project cost information (Time & Material and Lump sum). • Maintain and communicate project cost processes including forecasting and actual spending. • Enter and update task structure and budget for projects. • Administer Purchase Order processing including invoice processing, holdback management, change orders and status reporting. • Liaise with Accounts Payable to ensure Kingston Midstream Limited accounting standards are met. • Code project invoices in OpenInvoice and forward for approvals. • Attend kick off, pre-job, and post-job (lessons learned) meetings. • Communicate with field inspectors and contractors to ensure financial control processes are current and correct. • Assist Project Managers with other project administration duties as required. • Expectation to process a high volume of invoices in an efficient manner and resolve invoicing issues directly with vendors. • Required to work on multiple projects concurrently and be able to prioritize and meet target service levels.
Skills and Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field • Minimum two years’ experience within Accounts Payable, Contracts or Projects environment. • Proficient with MS-Office products, intermediate Excel skills are required. • Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational and team skills. • High attention to detail with the ability to effectively manage and prioritize workload. • Demonstrated ability to bring issues forward and develop working relationships at all levels of the organization. Kingston Midstream is committed to providing a flexible work practice to allow office employees to work both from the office and from a remote location. This position may work remotely Mondays and Fridays and in Kingston Midstream’s Estevan office Tuesday to Thursday. We thank all interested candidates; however, only qualified candidates will be contacted, please submit your cover letter and resume to www.kingstonmidstream.com/careers/
A6 January 24, 2024
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Sask Polytech welding apprentice crowned first Miss Rodeo Agribition Written by Saskatchewan Polytechnic “As long as dedication is there, it can take you anywhere. I have so much passion and dedication for welding and rodeo,” says Arianna Dyck, who was crowned the first Miss Rodeo Agribition in November. Currently studying welding at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Moose Jaw campus for her level one technical training, Dyck is taking apprenticeship training through an agreement with her employer and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission. “When I’m not training at Sask Polytech, I’m out in the field working and getting experience,” Dyck explains. Ready to add Miss Rodeo Agribition duties to her schedule, the new official brand ambassador of the Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) says she’s received great support from her peers and instructors at Sask Polytech. “With the title I currently have of Miss Rodeo Agribition, I want to show people to follow their heart and do what they want to do because in the end, they will live a more fulfilling life,” she notes. As part of the competition, Dyck had to do rodeo challenges, present a speech and complete an interview. Highlighting life in a skilled trade where women are underrepresented was a key element in her platform. “I talked about women in the trades because it’s a topic that’s important to me. For me, it means a lot being a minority in such a male dominated industry. With my journey in welding, I want to show
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women that we can do it just the same as anybody else. No matter who you are, you can do anything,” she says. Her interview also stood out to the panel of judges, recalls Shaun Kindopp, CWA CEO. “Arianna’s interview was fantastic. By the end of it, people wanted to jump up on the table. She’s a great speaker and a wonderful first Miss Rodeo Agribition,” he explains, noting she was among three finalists vying for the crown. Dyck’s passion for rodeo and barrel racing flourished in high school, which is also when she discovered welding. As she explored her post-secondary options, she knew Sask Polytech was the right fit to achieve her career goals. “Sask Polytech has resources like short course options. I had the opportunity to try Metalworking Madness,” she says. The Continuing Education course geared to underrepresented groups including females, Indigenous people, newcomers, people with disabilities and youth enabled Dyck to further solidify her career choice. “It was very insightful and helped guide me towards being a welder.” For the next year, Dyck will travel to various communities and schools to represent the CWA as Miss Rodeo Agribition. With her future as bright as welding sparks, Dyck plans on advancing her career and continuing to be a competitor in rodeos. In three years, she sees herself as having completed the welder journeyperson certification and continuing to be a voice for women in the field. “Trades are an awesome place to work. I want to be an advocate for women in trades, and I want to keep pursuing my love of barrel racing and improve my horsemanship.” Learn more at saskpolytech.ca.
Finding purpose in supporting others Written by Medicine Hat College Ernest Torniado always knew he wanted to help others. Trained as a massage therapist, Ernest enjoyed the ability to work closely with his patients to discover suitable treatment plans but due to the repetitive nature of the work, he found himself in a state of burnout, considering other opportunities. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced him out of work for three months, he was ready to find a new career in the healthcare industry. A path to physiotherapy With an interest in physiotherapy, Ernest moved from Saskatchewan to enroll in the Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physical Therapist Assistant (OTA/PTA) diploma at Medicine Hat College (MHC). This two-year program trains students to work under the direction of occupational therapists and physiotherapists, helping clients to successfully perform daily activities and mobilize after illness or injury. “Becoming a therapy assistant allowed me to continue working within the healthcare scope, but more so on the rehab side,” explains Ernest, who began the OTA/PTA program in Fall 2020 with an initial plan to pursue physiotherapy. He chose MHC for its ability to transfer the diploma to institutions like Athabasca University, Thompson Rivers University and University of Calgary for degree completion. Upon finishing the program in 2022, he returned to Saskatchewan and took a role as an OTA at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. His role focuses on helping patients perform daily activities independently, such as getting dressed, feeding, and cleaning themselves. “Working in a hospital, I’m able to see patients under different types of conditions and levels of abilities and I’m able to create a relationship with them. I like seeing their progress to recovery and getting them out of the hospital.” As the main point-of-contact throughout their treatment, Ernest enjoys being an advocate for his patients and working closely with occupational therapists to find and adjust recovery plans, based on patient needs. Supporting student success Now, still closely linked to his educational roots, Ernest supports current MHC students during their practicum placements. Seeing an ongoing demand for OTA/PTAs in Saskatchewan, he hopes graduates will return to support hospitals and rehabilitation centers in need of staff. “When I started my job at St. Paul’s, one of four hospitals here in Saskatoon, I was only the second or third therapy assistant ever to be hired. Currently, I am the only therapy assistant working in the whole hospital, covering eight wards, so there is definitely a need for therapy assistants.” Ernest believes empathetic individuals with a passion for helping others and making a difference in their patients’ recovery journeys would be most successful in an occupational therapy assistant role. To learn more about becoming an OTA/PTA, or other rewarding careers, visit www. mhc.ab.ca/SKStudents and find your path with us.
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January 24, 2024 A7
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on USask College of Nursing Expands Nursing Education in Saskatchewan Written by Kylie Kelso, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, University ofSaskatchewan College of Nursing Since 2012, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing has been offering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at various locations throughout Saskatchewan. At the end of 2023, USask Nursing announced the addition of two distributed nursing sites – Lloydminster and North Battleford. Beginning September 2024, students interested in taking the BSN program will be able to complete their entire degree at USask campuses in Saskatoon and Prince Albert or at nursing sites in La Ronge, Île-à-la-Crosse, Yorkton, Lloydminster, and North Battleford. “We have listened to the residents of Saskatchewan and expanded to locations in the province where students previously could not access our BSN program,” said USask College of Nursing dean Dr. Solina Richter (DCur). “It is important our program offering is inclusive of rural areas of the province that have been previously underserved.” The College of Nursing Learn Where You Live model has proven to be successful at distributed sites in La Ronge, Île-à-la-Crosse, and Yorkton. Since the first students entered the BSN program in La Ronge and Île-à-la-Crosse in September 2012, 66 nursing students have completed their degree in northern Saskatchewan. Since starting the program in Yorkton in 2014, 81 students have graduated. When nursing students complete their degree in their community, the majority of graduates stay and practice there. Our northern communities need northern nurses, who are familiar with the culture and people. Saskatchewan has a large Indigenous population, particularly in northern Saskatchewan. “In order to provide quality nursing care, we must actively contribute to a representative nursing workforce that is responsive to the needs of the province,” said Dr. Richter. “We have a long history of Indigenous student success and are recognized as having the highest number of self-declared Indigenous nursing students in the country. 16.6% of seats in the BSN program are reserved for Indigenous applicants.” By expanding to Lloydminster and North Battleford, the College of Nursing aims to ensure all students in Saskatchewan have access to registered nursing education. When these students complete their nursing degree, they will help to fill unmet registered nursing workforce needs in northwest Saskatchewan. “By offering the BSN program at our distributed nursing sites, we are giving students the opportunity to learn where they live in La Ronge, Île-à-la-Crosse, Yorkton, Lloydminster, and North Battleford,” adds Dr. Richter. “We are decreasing the likelihood of these rural and remote communities experiencing a registered nursing shortage, as the students who complete their nursing education in these communities, will likely practice in the community once licensed.” The USask BSN is a 1+3 program. Students take their pre-professional year at USask campuses in Saskatoon and Prince Albert, at the University of Regina, or at a number of regional colleges throughout the province. The remaining three years are completed through the College of Nursing in Saskatoon (USask Campus), Prince Albert (USask Prince Albert Campus), La Ronge or Île-à-la-Crosse (Northlands College), Yorkton (Suncrest College), Lloydminster (Lakeland College), and North Battleford (North West College). For more information on the University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing, please visit nursing.usask.ca.
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The University of Saskatchewan College of Nursing offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at seven locations throughout Saskatchewan.
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A8 January 24, 2024
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Looking local for your next career move? Look no further than Suncrest College! Written by Suncrest College From the trades to University education, the daunting task of post-secondary education becomes a lot less nerve-wracking when you can do it in your own backyard. That’s something Suncrest College is able to offer, with the largest region of Saskatchewan’s regional college network, Saskatchewan’s southeast and south-central areas benefit from the work done at the College. One of the biggest worries for students post-graduation is finding employment. What if your educational institution did that work for you? That’s just another one of the benefits of Suncrest. The College meets regularly with industry experts to identify any and all needs and then implements programming in a strategic way to ensure that post-grad, there’s employment ready for you. That’s just one less stress you’ll need to worry about at Suncrest College. Another stress for those in post-secondary? Finances. Well, instead of having to move to “the big city,” or relocate outside of Saskatchewan, why not stay where you’ve familiarized yourself? Why not stay where you are, and keep that job you’ve had for years? Why pay more to live when there’s an option at home? Just a few more advantages of enrolling at the College! And don’t even get us started on the small class sizes, the additional resources, and the talented staff that keeps the College recognized — not just regionally, but across Western Canada and beyond. We are here to not just suit your needs, but to give you every tool imaginable to find your success — and ultimately, your desired career, too! When it comes to the programming Suncrest is able to offer across the 11 campuses within the region, the delivery is vast and will allow you to choose your path. Want to be a firefighter? Look no further than Saskatchewan’s only professional
firefighting training program. Want to get into the health field? Take your Nursing degree here at home, or become a Continuing Care Assistant, there’s even Practical Nursing to fit your needs and your goals. Want to get into the trades? Well, we have multiple state-of-the-art shops all across the region, and we can pave that next path for you. From welding to power engineering, to industrial mechanics and electrical, we can find a way to fit your needs. Want a degree from Saskatchewan’s universities? You can do that too, right at Suncrest College. If you’re just looking to fill one year of your university schooling too, you can do that at Suncrest as well. Even one year spent at Suncrest could benefit you immensely, with the ability to save and shave your overall debt upon graduation. There’s also corporate training, if you’re looking for something to help develop your skills, increase your certificate training, or want to try something new — the possibilities are endless at Suncrest College. Visit our website today, and learn more about what your future has in store at Suncrest College. Suncrest College — Bright Minds. Bright Futures.
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| Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
Obituaries
In MeMorIaM
Athena Ashley Hryhoriw 1989 - 2024 Athena Hryhoriw, born on August 21, 1989, in Calgary, Alberta, left this world to explore the next on January 11, 2024 at the age of 34, leaving a void in the hearts of all who knew her. She was a celestial spirit, captivated by the stars, and her journey through life was as vibrant as the galaxies she gazed upon. Athena’s early years were spent in the beautiful landscapes of Calgary Alberta, where her love for the cosmos began to bloom. She spent countless nights under the open sky with her telescope, exploring the mysteries of the universe. This passion propelled her to pursue higher education in the realms of physics and astrophysics at the University of Calgary, where she graduated with her degree alongside her sister in 2013. In 2015, Athena embarked on a new chapter, relocating to Canora, Saskatchewan, to be with her loving parents, Bryan and Leslie Hryhoriw. Later, she found companionship in Estevan with her loving partner, Joshua Michel, creating a life filled with shared dreams and shared love. Athena’s thirst for adventure and her fascination with distant lands combined with her unparalleled conviction to not take no for an answer led her to explore over 45 countries, ticking off 6 out of 7 World Wonders along the way. Her passport, a testament to her wanderlust, was filled to the brim with the stories of cultures encountered and the beauty witnessed in every corner of the globe. Some of the most cherished moments of her simpler life in Saskatchewan were spent on the lake fishing with Josh, where her fierce competitive nature shone through. She took great pride in being the one to reel in the biggest fish, constantly placing bets with those around her on who could get the biggest catch. This pride led to many bruised egos of those would bet against her tenancy to win and garnered three first place trophies. She is survived by a host of loving people who will forever cherish her memory including; her parents, Bryan and Leslie Hryhoriw, sister Venessa Hryhoriw (Andrew), two brothers, Christopher (Megan) and Richard Watts, her loving partner Joshua Michel, his mother Wanda and his sister Jenna (Travis) Michel (daughter Jordynn) as well as her uncles, Real (Loretta) Leveque, Roland (Cheryl) Holinaty and Albert (Cathy) Hryhoriw; aunties, Roberta Lambert and Jessmi Holinaty, Sherry (Todd) Massey and Peggy Strong; Joshua’s aunts and uncles; Patricia (Bryan) Kolke, Murray Mosley, Danny (Linda) Mosley, Paula (Stan) Lainton, Don Van De Woestyne, Andrea (John) Corrigan, Carla (James) Ferguson, Jeff (Brenda) Mosley; as well as numerous great uncles and great aunties and many cousins. Athena’s spirit will live on in the memories of those she touched with her warmth, tenacity, and insatiable curiosity. She is predeceased by her grandparents, Wasyl Hryhoriw and Joan Hryhoriw, uncle Murray Holinaty; father in-law Mark Michel; Joshua’s aunt Marina Van De Woestyne and her two cherished feline companions, Toulouse and Gideon. Athena, a cosmic explorer, has embarked on her final journey among the stars, leaving behind a legacy of curiosity, courage, and a deep love for the wonders of the universe. May she find eternal peace in the cosmic tapestry she so dearly admired. And every time you see an orchid or look up at the night sky and see a twinkling star, think of her. Through those who loved her, her memory will transcend time and space. We want to thank everyone for their continual well wishes, condolences, thoughts, prayers, and love as we try to navigate this very difficult time as a family. The Public Visitation took place on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and the Prayers were held at 7:00 p.m. with Connie Wheeler officiating. Both Services were held at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, SK The Funeral Mass was held on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist R.C Church, Estevan, SK with Rev. Leonardo Tamayo Jr. presiding. The family invited everyone to join them for lunch in the parish hall immediately following the service. In memory of Athena, memorial donations may be made to the Estevan Humane Society, Box 1095 Estevan, SK S4A 2H7 or to the Estevan Wildlife Federation, Box 105, Estevan, SK S4A 2A2. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Athena’s family - Yvonne Clark, Funeral Director.
Wanda Styre 1964 - 2024 Wanda Jill Styre of Estevan, Sask. passed away peacefully on January 12, 2024, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born in Regina, Sask. on July 22, 1964. Wanda will be forever loved and remembered by her husband Allan; daughters, Jada (Scott) Griffith, Taysen; Jenna (Darrell) Sydiaha, Jacine (Jeff) Leclair, Jude and Jack; her father, Robert Schmitz; sister Nancy Sawa, Megan (Dustin) Zmetana, Olivia and Kinsley, Matthew Sawa; sister Cecile (Neil) Watson, Dustin Watson (Cassello), Piper and Adrian, Garett Watson (Jennelle), Oscar, Charlie and Sybill; brother Dwayne (Janice) Schmitz, Jesse (Michelle), Tessa; special family friend Terry Downie; in-laws, Gerry (Pam) Styre, Larry (Faye) Styre, and their families. She was predeceased by her mother, Marjorie Schmitz; parents-in-law, Hilar & Elizabeth Styre; sister-in-law Sharon Bjorndal; brother-in-law Randy Sawa, and nephew Kevin Bjorndal. Prayers & Tributes took place on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at Hall Funeral Services in Estevan, led by Mr. Robert Moyse. The Funeral Mass was held on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Estevan, with Rev. Daris Cherian Moolayil the Celebrant. A luncheon followed in the parish hall, after which the burial took place at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens. Those wishing to pay tribute to Wanda via a donation in her memory may do so directly to the Estevan Early Years Family Resource Centre Inc., 255 Spruce Drive, Estevan, SK S4A 2G2 or the Hillcrest Community Program, 609 Rooks Avenue, Estevan, SK S4A 0B4. Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to the Styre family Dustin Hall, Funeral Director.
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CURTIS SLATER In Loving Memory of our Precious Son and Brother, Curtis who died in a work-related accident 19 years ago, January 28, 2005. Age 23 years Loved beyond words Missed beyond measure Always and forever In our hearts. We love you Buddy Sending hugs to heaven from Mom (Donna) and Dad (Pat) and sister Amber-Lee and family
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What am I supposed to do now? Second Peter begins with a beautiful description of God’s grace. “His (God ’s) divine power has given us e verything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who calls us by his own glor y and goodness” (verse 3). Reading that, some may think that there is nothing for us to do. God has done everything. However, that is not true. The next paragraph says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith” (verse 5). In other words, because God has blessed us so richly, we must respond. Specifically, we are to focus on and grow in certain qualities and attitudes. “Add to your faith, Farm ServiceS
Tim Pippus of the Estevan Church of Christ goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Christ Jesus” (2 Peter 1:5-8). These qualities are important because they matter to God. There is no room for say ing, “ I am saved by the grace of God and there is nothing required of me”. That is not true. Peter says that if one does not value these qualities, they do not understand their salvation (verse 9).
It is also important to note that we never perfect or stop growing in these areas. Whether one has been a Christian for a year or 90 years, these qualities should be ever-increasing and deepening within us. To be clear, we are not trying to earn anything. We cannot work our way to salvation. Our best efforts apart from the grace of God fall short by miles. However, with the help of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 3:16), we can respond to the gift that we have received. Once we understand who we are and what we have been given, then what we are supposed to do will become clear. We cannot do God’s part, but we must do ours. 24014SS3 24014SS4
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A10 | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
CCS captured 786,450 tonnes of CO2 in 2023 The carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at SaskPower's Boundary Dam Power Station came close to having a record-breaking year in 2023. The year-end numbers for the facility were released in mid-January. They showed 786,450 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) were captured in 2023, an increase from the 749,045 tonnes in 2022, and just shy of the record of 792,809 tonnes set in 2016. "We've had two very strong years in a row at the CCS facility," said Joel Cherry, a media relations and issues management consultant with SaskPower. According to SaskPower, the CCS facility was available 85.5 percent of the year, exceeding the Crown corporation's target of 75 per cent. The longest outage was for planned maintenance last May, which caused disruption for most of the month. "By and large, the facility has operated quite smoothly," said Cherry.
He pointed out there were a couple of lengthy issues in 2021 and 2022. SaskPower was able to complete some work during that time to get the facility running smoothly again, and the company has made progress on some of the issues related to amine degradation. "We just continue to build on our learning curve to get the facility working smoothly. We've also been able to optimize our work there," he said. The facility has also been operating at roughly 75-80 per cent of its capacity, with 2,800-2,900 tonnes of CO2 captured per day, which Cherry said is a good target for productivity. Since the CCS facility came online in October 2014, nearly 5.8 million tonnes of CO2 have been kept from entering the Earth's atmosphere. SaskPower also released the fourth quarter numbers for CCS. From Oct. 1-Dec. 31, the CCS facility was available 80.5 per cent of the time, capturing 195,050 tonnes
of CO2. While online, the facility had a daily average capture rate of 2,771 tonnes, with a peak one-day capture of 3,044 tonnes. Unit 3 was available 79.9 per cent of the time. The CCS plant cannot operate when Unit 3 is offline, but Unit 3 can operate without CCS. Cherry said the issue with BD3 in the final quarter came with the unit tripping off due to an issue with an airflow censor in late December. This resulted in an emissions intensity of 377 tonnes of carbon dioxide per gigawatt hour, below the federal threshold of 549 tonnes per gigawatt hour. SaskPower is currently working to align emission intensity reporting with federal coal regulations. The acid plant at Boundary Dame produced 3,756 tonnes of sulfuric acid in 2023. This is just shy of the record total of 3,788 tonnes in 2022. The acid plant was online 27.9 per cent of the time, and 432 tonnes of sulphuric acid were produced. "We still had a strong year
for acid production there," said Cherry. "Last year [2022] was a record year for acid production, and this year was our secondbest year." But Cherry conceded availability for the acid plant was low for the final quarter of the year. "There are two processes that take place during the capture process … there is the process to remove CO2 and there is the process to remove SO2 [sulphur dioxide]. So, there are two separate strippers that have closed amine systems." The SO2 can be used for SaskPower's purposes or it can be sold. Whitecap Resources announced last year it had signed a CO2 purchase and sale extension agreement to Dec. 31, 2034, with SaskPower for the purchase of CO2 that is captured at Boundary Dam. The Weyburn Project has safely sequestered over 40 million tonnes of CO2 since first receiving captured CO2 emissions, thanks in part to Boundary Dam. "Whitecap is proud to be
SaskPower continued to lean on Unit 4 at the Boundary Dam Power Station (BD4) to meet the province’s electrical needs. Joel Cherry, a media relations and issues management consultant with SaskPower, said Unit 4 was online for 2,853 1/2 hours in 2023, which is equivalent to nearly 119 days, or approximately 32.6 per cent of the year. BD4 was shifted to stand-by status in December 2021. “A good chunk of that was during the Poplar River Power Station outage,” said
Cherry, referring to a prolonged shutdown of the facility near Coronach that occurred due to flooding in early June. “We had high demand because we also had a couple of heat waves coming through during the time Poplar River was down, and so BD4 really helped us backstop our system through that,” said Cherry. BD4 was online for 1,692 hours, or about 70 1/2 days, while Poplar River was down. SaskPower also turned to Unit 4 during heat waves and cold snaps last year. The
extreme cold that the province experienced for much of this month meant Unit 4 had to be pressed back into service. As of the afternoon of Jan. 17, Unit 4 was producing 60 megawatts of electricity, which was less than its peak years when it supplied 150 megawatts to the grid. Cherry believes the lower output is due to a boiler issue. “It is getting to the end of its life, certainly, and we’re unable to get the full output from it, but that 60 megawatts we’re getting out of it is significant. One megawatt … of baseload
power is enough to power 1,000 Saskatchewan homes, so it is still providing value to our system,” said Cherry. Since it’s an older unit, Cherry said the process of getting Unit 4 fired up again is more manual in nature, and it can take up to 48 hours. BD4 is slated to remain as a back-up power option until the Great Plains Power Station, a natural gas facility near Moose Jaw comes online, which is slated to happen later this summer. SaskPower had previously projected Great Plains would
By David Willberg
associated with a project that has led the way for carbon capture, utilization and storage projects, and we expect that knowledge gained from this project will provide significant benefits to future CCUS projects both in Canada and around the world," Whitecap said in a news release. There are things that SaskPower has learned from its CCS project at Boundary Dam that could be applied to natural gas, which Cherry said is part of the considerations for the future power system. He added the CCS facility has been operating well
to start the year. A couple of shutdowns are planned, with some valve replacements and cleaning in April that should be short and routine, and a longer one planned for September that will include vessel cleaning, chemical cleaning and other maintenance activities. He hopes CCS can continue the pace of the past two years. "All indications are that we've achieved what's becoming a long-term, sustainable, efficient operation there, and we're looking forward to seeing that continue," said Cherry.
be operating this March. “That project is well along, it’s 95 per cent completed. We just have to get that facility completed and running, and that’s certainly going to happen some time
this year,” said Cherry. Unit 5 at Boundar y Dam is scheduled to come offline at the end of 2024 and be shifted to stand-by mode “for some time afterward”, said Cherry.
Unit 4 was brought online regularly last year
Supply chain forum will discuss SMRs The Southeast Techhub and the Southeast College are hosting a day of education and discussion with the SMR Supply Chain and Mining Innovation on Feb. 8. The one-day event will include presentations by keynote speaker Eric Anderson of the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association (SIMSA), Tom Kishchuk o f S I M S A , S a s k Po w e r, Prairie Canada, and National Research Council, as well as a speech from Al Shype from the International Minerals Innovation Institute on mining innovation and potential future job growth. The event will be of
interest to southeast Saskatchewan businesses that are looking to diversify their manufacturing and customer base through s m a l l m o d u l a r re a c t o r s (SMR) and the mining supply chain. The discussions during the day will include the required information on how to proceed, as well as information pertaining to future planning and industry strategy development. The event will be held at Southeast College Estevan Campus from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The registration fee is $25, which includes lunch, in addition to the speakers. More information, including the event’s full-day
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Drilling Licenses 10 new licenses issued to Monday, January 22, 2024
The Torquay U7 Mighty Darts thanks the following business for their donations of the GT SNO RACERS. Each team that attended had one player that went home a winner.
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SPORTS A11 | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | www.SASKTODAY.ca
Elecs’ senior boys host home basketball tournament By David Willberg Nine teams converged on the Estevan Comprehensive School’s gymnasium on Friday and Saturday for the senior boys’ basketball team’s home tournament. Each team played three times, except for the host ECS Elecs, who played twice. Estevan opened the weekend with a 74-68 win over the Yorkton Regional High School, but then lost 78-67 to the Lloydminster Comprehensive School. Other teams entered were from the Weyburn Comprehensive, Regina’s Harvest City, Balgonie Greenall, Regina Huda School, Melville and Porcupine Plain. Elecs head coach Trevor Dutka was proud of how the team played at the tournament. “I think we ran our offence really well [against Lloydminster], and we stepped up defensively. Our … defence was definitely coming into effect. Honestly, the second game was a two-point game, and then Lloydminster’s shots started
Koen Turner (15) of the ECS Elecs powers past three Yorkton defenders during Friday night’s game. falling and ours stopped falling. And it was a little bit frustrating on our part because it was our home gym.”
Yorkton and Lloydminster are teams the Elecs could encounter during the 5A boys’ rural regional qualifier for the
Hoopla provincial tournament later this year. “I just set it up that we played two stronger teams in
Yorkton and Lloydminster,” said Dutka. Three rural teams will qualify for provincials through the rural regional. As for the other teams, Dutka said there was some great basketball played throughout the weekend. There were close games, and he said even those that were decided by at least 10 points were close at halftime. He believes just one team was winless and nobody went undefeated. “The great thing about this tournament, that all the schools said, is you see different teams,” said Dutka. Many of the squads might not watch Lloydminster or Porcupine Plain during the season, and teams like Huda and Harvest City were unknown to some of the other entries. “To see those teams, and see different looks and different offences and defences, and have to restructure your game against those teams, all it does is improve your teams,” he said. Dutka is pleased with the progress the Elecs have made
so far this season. ECS is trying to get better as the season goes along, and that’s especially true this year, as they had injuries earlier in the campaign. Estevan is playing better basketball now and just one player missed the tournament due to injury. “We had to get guys off the bench and the non-starters had to step into starting roles and play a lot more minutes,” said Dutka. “Those guys have stepped up, and as our starters come back, everyone’s going to see a lot of playing time because everybody is capable of getting out there and playing the game. Everyone knows the offence and knows the defence and is playing well.” Up next for the Elecs is to be a tournament in Moose Jaw in early February, followed by the annual McLeod Series four-game showdown involving the senior boys’ and senior girls’ teams from the Estevan and Weyburn Comprehensive Schools. The games in Estevan would be Feb. 7 and the games in Weyburn are slated for Feb. 14.
Getzlaf’s first SJHL goal lifts Bruins to big win Holdin Getzlaf picked a great time to score his first goal in the SJHL. The second-year defenceman scored the winner with 6:23 to play in the third period to lift the host Estevan Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Melfort Mustangs on Saturday night at Affinity Place. Getzlaf took a pass from Zach Burfoot and fired a heavy shot past Mustangs’ goaltender James Venne. An exuberant Getzlaf celebrated with his teammates on the ice and on the bench after the goal. “Someone on their team bobbled the puck. I saw Keagon Little skate up, pass the puck to Burfoot, and then I just tried to get up as far as I could [in the offensive zone]. He set me up perfectly on a platter and I just shot it, and it went in, thank God,” said Getzlaf, whose mother and girlfriend were in attendance, making the moment even more special. “Give him credit. He one-timed it, shot it right away and it was a big goal for us,” said head coach and GM Jason Tatarnic. The win ended the Bruins’ threegame losing streak. The two teams were scoreless after the first period. Zac Somers scored on a Melfort power play 4:27 into the second period to open the scoring, but Ilia Chmelevski responded for the Bruins just over seven minutes later with the Bruins holding the man advantage.
Following Getzlaf ’s goal, the Bruins clamped down on the Mustangs, limiting their time in the offensive zone and not allowing a shot on goal after Melfort pulled Venne with a minute to play. Felix Allard finished the scoring for the Bruins with an empty-net goal. “We knew what we had to do to keep the puck in front of us, and not to allow any entries into the offensive zone,” said Tatarnic. Venne made 18 saves for Melfort, while Cam Hrdlicka stopped 17 shots for the Bruins. The night before, the Mustangs edged the Bruins 1-0. Somers had the Mustangs’ lone goal, scoring on a two-man advantage midway through the second period. Both teams had a goal disallowed. The Bruins’ waived-off marker came late in the third. “I thought we outplayed them yesterday,” Tatarnic said after Saturday’s game. “I thought we were the better team. There was an unfortunate call at the end and when I talked to the league, they thought that goal should have counted. “I’m not blaming the referee. We had a chance to tie the game earlier. It’s a fast game, he has to make a decision right away. Unfortunately for our refs, they don’t have the luxury of replays like other guys do. It’s a tough job.”
Cade Kennedy (23) and the Estevan Bruins defeated the Melfort Mustangs on Saturday night. Getzlaf added he thought the Bruins deserved a better fate on Friday night. The Bruins were also blanked on eight power-play opportunities. Hrdlicka had 22 saves for Estevan, while Venne made 36 saves for Melfort. It was a busy week, as the Bruins had a mid-week road trip to western
Saskatchewan, losing 5-4 in overtime to the Kindersley Klippers last Tuesday and 5-3 to the Battlefords North Stars the next night. The Bruins raced out to a 3-0 lead in Tuesday’s game, with Gabriel Filion scoring midway through the first period, and Chmelevski adding two in the opening seven minutes of the second.
But then Brock Evans took over for Kindersley. Evans, who is still eligible to play U18 hockey, scored once in the second and twice in the third to tie the game. Filion added his second of the game to restore the Bruins’ lead, but the Klippers tied the game in the final minute and won in overtime. Hrdlicka stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced. “We took a really unnecessary penalty with a minute left. They had a 6-on-4 and scored. And then in overtime, it was just an unfortunate break where two guys collided because they didn’t see each other, and it was a 2-on-0,” said Tatarnic. Brady W ilson, Filion and Owen Barrow scored for the Bruins against the North Stars. Jackson Miller made 33 saves for the Bruins. Ben Portner scored twice for the Stars, and Kian Bell had a goal and three assists. The Bruins (16-18-1-2) sit in a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot with the Weyburn Red Wings, but Weyburn has a game in hand. The fifth to ninth place teams are separated by one point. The Bruins will visit the Notre Dame Hounds on Jan. 24 in Wilcox, and then they will host the Humboldt Broncos on Jan. 26 and 27. The home games start at 7 p.m.
Estevan bowler wins provincial title at home A young athlete competing out of Estevan Bowl recently captured a Youth Bowling Canada 10-pin provincial championship. Kadence Krashauur of Estevan finished first in the bantam girls’ division with a five-game total of 776, finishing 324 points ahead of Teal Bramham, also of Estevan, whose total was 452. Krashauur opened with a 157 and had her best score in her second game with a 222. Then she recorded a 148, 124 and 125. Bramham’s best game was her second with a 107. In bantam boys, Ethan Kwitkoski of Hunter’s Eastview Bowling in Saskatoon won with a five-game total of 612, finishing 16 pins ahead of Louis Ley of Estevan. Ley saved his best for last with a 138 in the fourth game and a 148 in the fifth to close the gap on Kwitkoski, who had a big lead after a 165 in the third game.
Archer Kosior of Estevan was third with a total of 500. His best score was in the second game with a 114. Charles Howard-Smith of Estevan was fifth with a 456, including a 113 in the fifth game. In senior boys, Cooper Buniak of Eastview was first with a 1,027, 12 points ahead of Nicholas Young of Estevan, who had a total of 1,015, and 10 further clear of Danyck Belanger of Estevan, who finished with a 1,005 total. Buniak’s best score was a 279 recorded in his third game. He closed strong with a 211 in the final contest. Young had a 244 in his third game and also recorded a 211 in the fifth game. Belanger had a narrow lead entering the fifth game thanks to a 225 to start at a 256 in the third round, but closed with a 182. In senior girls, Samantha Bloos of the Glencairn Bolodrome in Regina had the top score with a 1,002, highlighted by
a 234 in the first game. In the junior girls’ division, Hanna Campbell from Fairhaven Bowl in Saskatoon took top spot with a five-game total of 782. She had the top two scores in the division with a 180 in her second game and a 176 in her fourth. Fairhaven bowlers swept the top three positions. In junior boys, Keaton Bodnarchuk, also of Fairhaven, finished first with a five-game total of 796, highlighted by a 211 in the final game, the highest score on the day. Soren Peterson of Estevan was sixth, finishing with a five-game score of 671. His best game was a 180 in the third. Zach Belitski of Estevan was eighth, with a 664, recording three straight scores of 140 to finish the day; Kohen Brandon of Estevan had a 165 in the fifth game to finish with a 626 and finish ninth; and Tristan Boles of Estevan was 12th with a 509, including two scores of 122.
Estevan bowlers Kadence Krashauur, middle, won gold and Teal Bramham, left, won silver at a provincial bowling competition in Estevan. Photo sourced from Estevan Bowl’s Facebook page
Athletes compete at Estevan table tennis competition Thirty players from six communities were at the Estevan Comprehensive School on Jan. 13 for the Estevan Open Table Tennis Tournament. The competitors ranged from under 11 years of age to older than
60. A total of 168 matches were played in seven different divisions, giving people of all abilities the chance to play. Fifty-four medals were presented. Estevan medal winners were: Gold: Derek Mercer in open A;
Erica Gener, rated under 600 C; Taya Hoste, rated under 150 B; Osama Kamel, junior boys B and rated under 150 A; Jamie Fitzsimmons, doubles A with Oleksandr Filov; and Hannah Mercer, gold in doubles B with Sheena Koops.
Silver: Dongjun Won, rated under 150 B; Connor Mercer, junior A; Andrew Min, junior boys B and rated under 150 A; Lindsay Collins and Hoste, doubles C; and Derek Mercer and Connor Mercer, doubles A. Bronze: Liam Flavel, rated
under 150 B; Kamel, open B; Won, junior boys B; Fitzsimmons, open A and rated under 600 A; Moksh Rabori, junior A and rated under 150 A; and Rabori and Won, doubles B. Jamie Collins also represented Estevan at the event.
A12 January 24, 2024
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Flashback – Feb. 4, 1976
Over 120 people representing various unions and workers organizations left Estevan on Feb. 2, 1976, to travel to Regina where they joined approximately 3,000 others in a mass demonstration against wage controls in the province and throughout Canada. The demonstration was classified as one of the largest ever in Saskatchewan. The demonstrators met at the Exhibition Stadium and later on the Legislative grounds.
Firefighters assist with arcing power transformers The Estevan Fire Rescue Service dealt with various fire alarms and other situations, including arcing power lines last week. On Jan. 18 at 8:15 p.m., fire crews were dispatched to the southeast side of the city for a report of arcing powerlines. Crews responded and didn't find any major fire or damage, but there was arcing that was noted amongst transformers on a pole. So, firefighters stood by until SaskPower arrived and the scene was turned over to them to further investigate and repair.
Firefighters were also called to a report of a car fire occurring in the parking lot of a business in the central part of the city on Jan. 15 at about 11:40 a.m. "Incident command responded and investigated. Thankfully, no fire was found to be occurring, and there were no signs of any damaged vehicles. Speaking to people in the vicinity, nobody had seen something. So incident command terminated the call and returned to the station. I'm not sure what that was all about, probably steaming
from the cold," Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies said in explaining the situation. The same day at about 6:30 p.m., the EFRS was dispatched to a commercial fire alarm at a property on the west side of the city. Crews responded and found that the sprinkler system had been activated. Firefighters assisted property maintenance in shutting down and inspecting the system. "We determined that the sprinklers were initiated due to a problem in the system and not due
to a fire occurring," Davies noted. "So, the scene was turned over to property maintenance for them to further investigate and clean up." Crews were dispatched to a residential carbon monoxide (CO) alarm on the north side of the city on Jan. 16 at about 9:45 p.m. The investigation determined that there was no CO in the building and the alarm was due to a faulty detector. On Jan. 17 around 8:30 p.m., members were dispatched to a commercial fire alarm in the central part of the city. Investigation showed
there was no emergency occurring, but faults were found with the alarm system. Firefighters reset the system and returned to the station. Crews were dispatched back to that same building for a fire alarm on Jan. 18 at about 5 a.m. Firefighters responded, investigated and again confirmed there was no emergency occurring. The faulty alarm was to blame for triggering the system. The alarm was silenced and building management was advised to get a contractor and to inspect and repair the device.
City Hall: 1102 4th Street 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1800
Leisure Office: 701 Souris Avenue 8 am to 4:30 pm | (306) 634-1880
Mayor’s Message
We are excited to share that Robbie Burns night is coming January 27, 2024 – at the Legion, please get your tickets and enjoy.
For Public Safety
Please help keep our sidewalks safe so all citizens can enjoy a safe passage while walking Traffic Bylaw 2022-2064 Depositing Substances 53.
(1) No person shall deposit any natural substances on any highway, public sidewalk, boulevard or ditch within the City of Estevan, excepting:
(a) On 4th Street from Souris Avenue and 14th Avenue where the building is abutting the property line; (b) On 5th Street from 13th Avenue to Souris Avenue where the building is abutting the property line; (c) On 11th Avenue from 3rd Street to 5th Street where the building is abutting the property line; (d) On 12th Avenue from 3rd Street to 6th Street where the building is abutting the property line; (e) On 13th Avenue from the north side of 4th Street North 40 meters. (2) No person shall dump any substance 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. * 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.
SAVE 2.5% IN JANUARY BY PRE-PAYING YOUR 2024 PROPERY TAXES The City of Estevan is offering a 2.5% discount when you pre-pay your property taxes in January. Discounts are calculated based on previous years levy. Please pay the 2023 levy amounts to take advantage of this discount. Payments can be made in person at City Hall or on-line through your personal on-line banking. Discounts will be calculated at time payment is processed. Please note: The discount is calculated on the municipal portion of you taxes only. As per provincial directives the discounts are no longer available on the school portion of your property taxes.
The Estevan Police Service is seeking applications for the position of Police Constable. The Estevan Police Service offers a competitive salary and benefits package, ongoing professional development, and a range of career opportunities. Currently serving and trained Canadian police officers are encouraged to apply. All candidates must possess minimum qualifications, including the following: • 18 years of age • Grade 12 Diploma or equivalent • Excellent physical condition and health with no medical conditions that would prohibit your ability to safely complete recruit training and perform all aspects of police work • Canadian citizen, landed immigrant, or have a permanent residency at the time of application • Valid driver’s license (unrestricted for a minimum of one year) and good driving record • Good moral character • Exemplary employment record • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral • Computer skills For more information on the requirements, selection process, and the application package, please visit our website, www.estevanpolice.ca (Employment Opportunities). A fully completed Personal Disclosure Form must accompany each application. Please submit completed packages, including an up-to-date resume, in a sealed envelope to: Chief of Police Estevan Police Service 301-11th Ave., Estevan, Sask., S4A 1C7 Thank you for your interest in the Estevan Police Service. No phone calls, please. Only successful candidates will be contacted. The closing date is March 15, 2024.