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Issue 27
SERVING THE ENERGY CITY FOR 113 YEARS
www.estevanmercury.ca
Wed., Nov. 18, 2015 Mailing No. 10769
Remembrance Day service draws large crowds By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
The annual Remembrance Day service continues to be an important event for many people in the Estevan area. Hundreds of people filled the Estevan Comprehensive School on Nov. 11 for this year’s service, which was hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. Some of the people who attended had to stand at the back of the room, as all of the seats were filled. President Troy LeBlanc said the Legion is very appreciative that Estevan residents continue to attend the service each year. He said there has been greater support for the Canadian Forces and for Remembrance Day since October 2014, when Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was killed in Montreal and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was killed in Ottawa in separate terrorist attacks less than two days apart. “More people are coming out,” said LeBlanc. “There’s also been quite a big push at the schools for the students to remember.” Seating in the cafetorium was reduced due to the Estevan Comprehensive School’s Grease musical, which was performed a couple days after the Remembrance Day service. But LeBlanc said the seating arrangement worked fine.
The service started with the marching in of dignitaries, veterans and Legion members. The Last Post was played, and then the crowd observed two minutes of silence. Reveille followed. LeBlanc read the Roll of Honour – the names of Estevan area residents who perished during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean Wars. Long-time Legion member Ken Clarke read In Flanders Fields. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the famous poem, written by John McCrae about the field where many First World War casualties of war are buried. Amazing Grace was played on the bag pipes, and a wreath was laid at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A multi-media presentation featured photos and names of people from the Estevan area who served with the Canadian Forces. While most of them fought in the First and Second World Wars, there were others who served in recent conflicts or in peacekeeping missions. An offering was taken for disabled war veterans. The service then shifted to the school’s courtyard for the cenotaph service. Elected officials, representatives from protective services and military agencies, members of service groups and youth organizations
Members of Estevan’s Girl Guides groups placed a wreath at the cenotaph during the Estevan Royal Canadian Legion’s Remembrance Day service. laid wreaths. Guarding the cenotaph during the ceremony were two members of the Estevan Army Cadets, Lance Cpl. Axel Kulach and Master Cpl. Victoria Glowatski, and two members of the Wylie Mitchell Air Cadets, Flight Sgts. Parker McKelkie and Shawn Bissonnette. LeBlanc noted poppy sales were also
very good this year. Many local businesses had trays with poppies for sale leading up to Remembrance Day. While he doesn’t have the numbers for Estevan as of yet, he said the numbers look good. Money from the poppy sales will be directed to veterans’ causes and other organizations that are regularly accessed by veterans.
Police chief pleased with blitz numbers By David Willberg dwillberg@estevanmercury.ca
Police Chief Paul Ladouceur believes local residents are getting the message when it comes to the Estevan Police Service’s (EPS) ongoing crackdown on impaired driving. The EPS held check stops throughout the community on Friday and Saturday night. Friday was the bigger of the two, as several police agencies teamed up to check more than 700 motorists. None of the drivers were impaired. “Over the course of the evening, we had checks set up on all entry and exit points to the city of Estevan,” Ladouceur told the Mercury. “We wanted
to find anybody potentially coming into the city after having beverages outside of the city, and … people who were heading home outside of the city after drinking within the city.” People might not want to pay for the high cost of a taxi if they live 20 minutes outside the city, but he believes it doesn’t negate the need for a designated driver or another means for a safe ride home. “It costs nothing for a designated driver,” Ladouceur said. “Call a friend, call a family member or plan ahead. Or drink at home.” They also had check stops near the CP Rail crossings, and roaming check stops at various locations, such as Fourth Street, King
Street and the roads leading into Affinity Place, where the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins had a pair of home games. Check points were set up throughout the city on Saturday night as well. They didn’t involve as many officers, but police checked several hundred motorists. Once again, none of the motorists checked were impaired, but police did apprehend an impaired driver just after 4 a.m. in a residential area. Members of the CP Rail Police, the Weyburn Police Service, the RCMP and the Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan assisted the EPS with the check stops. The RCMP officers were located at the
“If it’s something that the public sees as beneficial, and the police sees as beneficial, we’ll continue to do it,” said Ladouceur. The police have the financial resources and the personnel to continue with the impaired driving crackdown. He noted there won’t be an increase in the police budget from the growing enforcement. It’s all coming through provincial funding, Combined Traffic Services or a shuffling of officers’ schedules. They also don’t need to hire more officers, he said. They just need to be deployed differently when necessary. “This isn’t a matter of saying ‘Let’s bring in 10 officers on overtime, because
city’s entrances. SGI provided financial assistance for the crackdown. “A number of the officers that we saw out on the roads on Friday and Saturday nights were either part of the Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan, which is supported by SGI, or by the Operation Overdrive Program, which is supported by SGI,” said Ladouceur. Ladouceur said they were pleased with the results, because their goal is to not have any impaired drivers on Estevan’s streets. The check stops are going to continue. The public support, especially on social media, has been “phenomenal,” he said.
that doesn’t help anyone,” said Ladouceur. With the Christmas season approaching, it’s even more imperative for the police to be out-and-about and to be visible in the community. They’re also asking the public to be more responsible at their holiday functions and outings. People have been given plenty of warning about the crackdown, he said. It’s been posted constantly on social media and it’s been discussed extensively in the media. And impaired driving is one of the most preventable crimes out there. “If you get caught, you get stopped and you get charged, don’t say you weren’t warned,” said Ladouceur.
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