C2 May 23, 2012
Estevan Mercury
Estevan landed the prize, and now it’s complete By Brian Zinchuk of Pipeline News It wasn’t a sure thing that the new Saskatchewan Training Institute would end up in Estevan. Indeed, during early discussions, Weyburn was also under consideration. However, the Energy City fought hard and landed the big prize. Estevan Mayor Gary St. Onge said, “It’s huge. We’ve been working for a long time on it. “It’s a natural fit, when you look at the energy in the area, not just oil, but coal and SaskPower. In the past, people have been sent away for training as far as Alberta. Hopefully they can do most of it here now.” “We encouraged the community college to put it in Estevan,” said city manager Jim Puffalt. “Logi-
cally, this is the centre of the Bakken oil play and a lot of the service industry is based here.” “It was important enough for use that we provided the land,” St. Onge said. The City contributed one lot in its then-brand-new Glen Peterson Industrial Park, on the east side of the city, south of Walmart. The land was valued at $750,000. “I think the land helped it along,” Puffalt said. “It’s a really impressive building,” St. Onge said. Indeed, St. Onge’s own daughter, Lori, is one of the first students, taking the office education course. She was awarded a scholarship on March 1. St. Onge also spoke about the possibility of offering training to people south of the border.
North Dakota’s Bakken Craig Brown, who spear- with other people.” play is one of the hottest in headed the project. “We owe St. Onge noted local oilNorth America. The state him some thanks here,” St. men Jim Wilson of Wil-Tech has more than doubled its Onge said. “He worked very Industries, Kelly Lafrentz production in the past two hard to get it here, along of Kelly Lafrentz Truckyears. Issue 6 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009 SERVING CANADA’S SUNSHINE CAPITAL SINCE 1903 As for the late compleECS HANDS OUT AWARDS C1 tion of the facility, he noted, “It was longer than anyone TURNBULL WINS MODIFIED FEATURE B1 expected, but so was everything else,” he said, alluding to the challenging weather Estevan has had during the Phone: (306)634-2654 Fax: (306)634-3934 construction phase. Puffalt said, “It’s a great opportunity to move our Off the Top economy into a learning atmosphere. It takes advanChild tage of the resources around porn case here. “It helps our whole adjourned Southeast Estevan will be home to the cause, of course, that is the heart Community College’s of the energy sector. But, as far The case against an Estevan expanded Energy Training In- as we’re concerned, this isn’t a area, and can help get people man facing two child pornog- stitute. Southeast College project as much raphy-related charges has been An announcement on the site as this is a provincial project.” and start their training. adjourned. If Friday’s announcement was of the new ETI campus was made Bernard William Sterling was Friday, ending months of delib- certainly music to the ears of in Estevan Provincial Court Thurs- erations by the College as well as mayor Gary St. Onge who said you can find people, you can day. Sterling appeared on his own politicking by both Estevan and he was thrilled not only with the behalf and requested an adjourn- Weyburn, the two communities announcement that the ETI will train them here.” ment of one month which was that were in the running for the be located in Estevan but with the Judge James Benison. coveted project. show of support by the federal and St. Onge pointed granted tonextbyscheduled His court appearAlong with word that Este- provincial governments. ance is July 9. “The fact that it is going to van was chosen as the site for the The 38-year-old is facing one ETI, it was also announced that be here is great,” said St. Onge. former Southeast Regional charge of possession of child por- both the federal and provincial “We have a lot of variety in our nography and one charge of mak- governments have thrown their job market here and a lot of people College president and CEO ing child pornography available to support behind the project. that need training. It’s big and we PAP Registration No. 10769
others. He was arrested in March as part of Operation SALVO, a nationwide child porn crackdown that involved law enforcement agencies from throughout Canada. In all 57 people were arrested as part of the crackdown and over 100 charges were laid. The Saskatchewan portion of Operation SALVO was handled by the Saskatchewan Integrated Child Exploitation Unit. The ICE Unit, which was formed in October 2008, identied ve targets in Saskatchewan, one of whom was Sterling. Following an investigation by the ICE Unit’s Regina-based south branch Sterling was arrested with the help of the Estevan Police Service.
Career Training Opportunities
Office Education Certificate
ing, and Bernie Bjorndalen of Panther Drilling were among those who worked hard to make the project a reality.
ETI campus to be located in Estevan
The two sides will each provide $7.092 million for the project for an impressive total of $14.185 million. Craig Brown, the CEO of the College, said their staff has been working on the ETI expansion project for three years and he is thrilled to see their efforts come to fruition. Brown added that although the ETI will be located in southeast Saskatchewan, it is a facility that will benefit the entire province. “This is an institute that will provide training to continue to allow the energy industry to grow and ourish and that will benet the whole province,” said Brown. “It’s located in Estevan be-
are really glad to hear it.” Asked what tipped the scales in Estevan’s favour, Brown said although there was a lot of lobbying by both communities for the ETI, their nal decision was based on business case review which evaluated the merits of both cities. “We had a detailed checklist and Estevan came out on top in almost all categories,” said Brown. “Also, we see the training institute as not only being just for Saskatchewan but hopefully it will service also the northern part of the United States and Manitoba so Estevan just seemed to be centrally located for that. “There was lot of lobbying and I was really pleased that both
Continued on A2
$1.00
(GST included)
RELAY
FOR
LIFE
ANOTHER SUCCESS
A3 68 SOURIS AVENUE N. ESTEVAN, SASK S4A 2M3 email:
editor@estevanmercury.ca adsales@estevanmercury.ca prepress@estevanmercury.ca sports@estevanmercury.ca classieds@estevanmercury.ca website: www.estevanmercury.ca
A Fair Ride
People attending the Estevan Fair got ipped upside down and all around on the Spin Out ride on Monday.
The June 1, 2009 edition of the Mercury heralded the announcement that the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute would be located in Estevan. WEDNESDAY
Enterprise Sask. ofce coming to Estevan
Risk of thunderstorms High 26 Low 16 POP 40%
THURSDAY
By Chris Jaster of The Mercury
Chance of thunder-showers High 26 Low 15 POP 40%
This 32-week SIAST accredited certificate program provides FRIDAY practical and applied training related to the business environment. Graduates are prepared for employment as administrative SATURDAY assistants, administrative support staff or receptionists in fields such as government, education, law, medicine, engineering, Inside manufacturing, travel, insurance, banking and business. Register now as seats are limited!
A round of applause erupted at the Elk’s Club on Wednesday when Michel Cyrenne announced Estevan would be home to the South East Enterprise Saskatchewan Regional headquarters. The announcement came at the conclusion of a speech he gave at the Estevan and District Board of Tourism, Trade and Commerce luncheon. “I think it’s great for the community to have that headquarters in Estevan. It provides that presence from that economic development side in the community,” said Cyrenne, the community development manager for the TTC, after the meeting concluded. In addition to the headquarters, Estevan gets four more jobs and the respect from the rest of the province for hosting a regional office of Enterprise Saskatchewan. The decision for the ofce to be based in the Energy City was not easily made. A group of six people, including Cyrenne, looked at a number of factors before reaching their decision.
Cloudy with showers High 21 Low 14 POP 60%
Sunny High 27 Low 13 POP 0%
Location:
Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute Campus, Estevan
September 4, 2012
TTC would not be sharing its ofce space with the regional headquarters due to lack of space. The TTC and Enterprise Saskatchewan regional office will have a close relationship, however, as the regional ofce will provide an overall economic development service for the regions as a whole. This is similar to the TTC’s role to the RM and City of Estevan. Thus, the two organizations will be working side by side on any project in the Estevan area, but Cyrenne thinks sharing the city can have an added bonus by playing host. “I suspect we’ll be having a very close, positive relationship and I think that’s probably where the benet of having them located here in Estevan is,” he said. “It will give us the opportunity to build a stronger, closer relationship with the Enterprise region.” Edie Spagrud was named the CEO of the Enterprise region on Monday. Spagrud, who is coming from Humboldt, is a certied professional economic developer that was the CEO of Carlton Trail REDA for ve years. Spagrud was unavailable for comment.
Congratulations on your new bu 0il 0d 0in 0g 0
Careers ....................... C9 - 10 Church Directory ............... C7 Classieds.................... C4 - 8 Obituaries ............................C8 Editorial .............................. A4 Energy ................................ B9 Business..............................B5 Professional Directory .......C5 Service Directory ................C6 Sports ........................... B1 - 4
Relay Cowboy
Scott Slager is riding a stuffed cow at the Barnyard Buddies camp at the 2009 Relay for Life. The Buddies were one of 38 teams to take part in this year’s relay. For the story on the relay and more photos see page A3.
*
THIS SPRING, KEEP YOUR MONEY.
$
$
SECURITY DEPOSIT **
Senchuk
Start Date:
The group looked intensely at centrality in the region, services in the community, the community’s ability to attract and maintain staff and it wanted to take into account the CEO’s preference for where the headquarters should reside. They determined an urban setting was best suited which narrowed the field to Weyburn and Estevan. After that, it was simple mathematics. “We drew a 100 kilometre radius around Estevan and Weyburn as well as a number of other communities,” Cyrenne said. “When we did that around Weyburn, we were eliminating about a third of the region. When we did it around Estevan, there were small parts of the region outside that radius, but for the most part it captured most of the population.” Cyrenne maintains he tried to remain as neutral as possible in the decision-making process although he did research the benets to the ofce coming to Estevan. A number of properties have been identified as the potential home for the Enterprise regional headquarters, but nothing has been conrmed. Cyrenne conrmed the
$
DOWN PAYMENT *
DUE AT DELIVERY ††
$
FIRST PAYMENT ‡
%
PURCHASE FINANCING ‡‡
Offers vary by model. Not all combinations apply. See dealer for details.
“Your Home of After Sales Service”
Ford Sales Ltd.
118 Souris Ave. N., Estevan 634-3696 • Website: www.senchuk.com • E-mail: sales@senchuk.com
WISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY: *The Ford Five-0 Event (“Five-0”) is in effect from May 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009 at participating Ford of Canada Dealerships. During the Five-0 Event one or more combinations of $0 À rst month’s payment, 0% APR purchase Ànancing for up to 60 months, $0 down payment, $0 due at signing, and $0 security deposit will apply to the purchase Ànance or lease of select new 2009 and 2010 Ford vehicles. Offers vary by model and not all combinations will apply. Offers are available to retail customers only. Offers include freight and air tax, but exclude license, insurance, PPSA, registration, administration fees and all applicable taxes. These offers are subject to vehicle availability and may be cancelled at any time without notice. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time offers. Some conditions apply. ‡ $0 Àrst month’s payment required on the purchase Ànance or lease of all new 2009 and 2010 Ford vehicles delivered on or before June 30, 2009. Off er valid from May 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009. First monthly payment will be paid up to a maximum amount of $500/$750/$1,000 per eligible 2009 and 2010 Focus, Fusion, Mustang, Taurus, Escape, Ranger / Edge, Flex, Taurus X, Explorer 4Dr, Explorer Sport Trac, E-Series / Expedition, F-150, F-Super Duty. Off er only available to customers who Ànance or lease through Ford Credit. Off er not available to cash purchase customers. Off er is only available on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. A, X, Z plan customers are eligible for $0 À rst month payment, see dealer for details. Not combinable with Commercial Fleet Incentive program, CPA, GPC or Daily Rental Allowances. Rainchecks only available on the purchase of eligible vehicles. ‡‡ Pay $0 À rst month’s purchase À nance payment at your participating Ford dealer and for the remaining 59 -month’s of the total 60 month purchase Ànance contract, receive 0% APR purchase Ànancing on most new 2009 Ford Focus (excl. S), Ranger Super Cab (Sport, XLT, FX4, Edge (excl. SE), Explorer Sport Trac 4x2 & 4x4, Escape XLT I4 (excl. Manual), V6 & Limited, Flex, F-150 (excl. Regular Cab), F-250-450 (excl. Chassis Cabs) and F-350-550 Chassis Cabs (Gas & Diesel) for a maximum of 60 months to qualiÀed retail customers, on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest APR payment. †† $0 due at signing offers include freight and air tax, but exclude license, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees and all applicable taxes. Excluded variable charges can be amortized over a purchase Ànancing term, but are required up front charges for lease customers. See your Ford Dealer for complete details or call 1-888-566-3333. **$0 Security Deposit on the lease of most new 2009 and 2010 Ford vehicles (excluding 2009 Ford Shelby GT 500 & 500KR, E-Series Cutaway, F-350 Chassis Cabs, F-450 & F-550 Chassis Cabs Gas & Diesel Engines / 2010 Ford Shelby GT 500 & 500KR, Transit Connect, E-Series Cutaway, F-350 Chassis Cabs Gas & Diesel Engines, F-450 & F-550 Chassis Cabs Gas & Diesel Engines) effective April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009. Security Deposit may be required by Ford Credit based on customer credit terms and conditions.
Contact our registrations department to have a course package mailed to you, or visit our website for more information. The new Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship could save you $500 in tuition for this program! Contact our Career Counsellors to learn more.
Call toll-free 1-866-999-7372
www.southeastcollege.org
1/3 page SRC Office Education Certificate ad 5” x 10”
306-634-8886 ~ 421 Mississippian Drive ~ Estevan, SK
Congratulations on your Grand Opening! Contact us at: (306) 634-6494