review
weyburn Vol.114 No. 40 - Weyburn, Saskatchewan Wednesday, October 2, 2024 - 12 Pages
Weyburn NHL legend to Concert Series share story
Rail Safety Week speaker
presents
Sanda LaRose spoke to WCS students about distracted driving. Page 2
George Canyon Wednesday, Oct. 9th 7:30 p.m. Cugnet Centre
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40069240 Publication Mail Registration No. 09093
Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Jeremy Roenick to speak at Red Wings event. Page 11 $1.25 (Includes GST)
Reeve to run for second term in RM of Weyburn
Creating Rangoli art at the Spark Centre
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
Harwinder Kaur and her daughter Sukhleen, along with Marie Barranco, worked together to create a Rangoli art piece on Saturday for Culture Days. This was created in the rest space on the second floor of the Credit Union Spark Centre, and will remain in place until the end of Culture Days on Oct. 12.The designs are created using different coloured sands.
Weyburn Comp students told of fatal consequences of distracted driving By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca The poignant and tragic story of the death of Kailynn Bursic-Panchuk only days after her 17th birthday was shared with the students and staff of the Weyburn Comprehensive School, as part of Rail Safety Week. Kailynn’s mom, Sandra LaRose, shared the story last Wednesday about her daughter and how she died because of distracted driving at an uncontrolled rail crossing. Kailynn was 16 at the time of the accident on Aug. 16, 2018, and was preparing to enter her Grade 12 year at the Weyburn Comp. “She looked away for a split second. She was distracted, and her distraction ended with tragic consequences,” said LaRose, who went on to describe her daughter for the audience of high school students in the Cugnet Centre. “Kailynn was just like every one of you sitting here today. She was happy and outgoing, full of energy, and she had an infectious smile, and a laugh that was unforgettable,” said her mom, noting she loved animals, and loved it when her family moved to a farm when she was five years old and would hold her kitty or sing to the goats in the pasture. “She was someone everyone adored, and I’m not just saying that because I’m her mom,” said LaRose. “She wasn’t perfect. She was a teenager, a young lady, but she was my perfect.” She added that even now she is awed by the number of lives Kailynn touched. “Her compassion and empathy had an impact and influence on everyone she met, and she would stand up for anyone. If you were in trouble, she’d be there for you,” said her mom, adding
she played volleyball, was on the SRC, had two parttime jobs, was in drama and choir, and still had time to keep an honour roll average with her marks. “Kailynn had it all. She had big plans, she was going to change the world. She had dreams, goals and aspirations,” said LaRose, noting that she never made it to graduation day, and didn’t even start her Grade 12 year classes. She noted that she and her friends had plans for their senior year, and Kailynn was a passionate writer who wanted to teach English and creative writing, and influence her students like her teachers influenced her. “She was smart. She knew right from wrong. That’s what makes her accident that much harder to understand, how someone so smart could make a wrong decision. She was human, and humans make mistakes,” said LaRose. The accident occurred
at an uncontrolled rail crossing just off Highway 39, just past the P&H grain terminal, where her car was hit by a train. In the days and weeks that followed, LaRose found out that Kailynn was distracted by her phone, and by having her music turned up loud so she didn’t hear the blare of the train horn at the crossing. She was flown by STARS helicopter to the Regina General Hospital for emergency surgery, and Sandra and her husband drove up to Regina to be with her. She didn’t know at first any details, but as she drove, the details started to come to her phone that Kailynn’s car had been hit by a train, and that she was in critical condition. After the initial emergency surgery, Kailynn and her mom were taken by plane up to Saskatoon where she was put into the pediatric intensive care
unit, and she fought hard for her life for six days. On the fifth day, which was Kailynn’s 17th birthday, doctors told her that if she did survive her injuries, she would have no quality of life. The next day, on Aug. 22, she passed away. “She paid the ultimate price for a moment of inattention. Kailynn paid the ultimate price for a moment of distracted driving,” said LaRose. Her accident came four months after the tragic bus accident that hit the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, and LaRose noted that hit her hard, and Kailynn made the decision to become an organ donor, making sure her parents knew of her wishes. As she sat with Kailynn’s doctor at the hospital, as he shared how her daughter had died, Sandra told this to him, asking that her last wish be honoured. Continued on page 2
LPES students walk for Terry Fox Foundation
By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca Norm McFadden will run for a second term as reeve of the RM of Weyburn, he said in an interview on Monday, just after he filed his nomination papers. McFadden had previously served one term as councillor for Division 5, and four years ago was elected as the reeve. For this last term, the RM council had met some of the goals they set out to do, such as the new Nickle Lake road, the new office building on First Avenue and establishing rec agreements with the City of Weyburn, among others. “I believe there’s still a lot that can be done in the RM,” said McFadden, noting one of his next goals is to get the road to North Weyburn and the airport paved. “We’ve been putting money away for that,” he said, noting a major project will be starting next year with the Department of Highways, to twin Highway 39 and to replace the intersection at Highways 39 and 13 with a traffic circle. The tenders for these projects will not go out until after the upcoming provincial election, but he said it’s possible that some preliminary work could be done before the snow flies if things work out timingwise. McFadden admits he’s not necessarily a fan of traffic circles, “but it will be safer what it is now.” One of the major issues for the RM will be the proposed wind turbines that Enbridge is proposing to build, with about 27 turbines to be in the RM of Weyburn, and the balance in the neighbouring RM of Griffin. “As a council, we represent everybody in the
Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca
The students and staff of Legacy Park Elementary School walked through Jubilee Park on Friday afternoon, as they took part in the Terry Fox National School Run. Each student was asked to donate a toonie, and some students donated much more to go towards cancer research.
Norm McFadden RM. We represent people who don’t want the wind turbines, and people who do want them, and there are people who don’t care one way or another. We can’t take sides,” said McFadden. While Enbridge has paused the process to seek an amendment to the RM’s zoning bylaw on setbacks for the turbines, the RM has put a moratorium on the project as well, said McFadden. He pointed out that if and when the council amends the zoning bylaw for setbacks, it goes to Community Planning, and they will either approve it, reject it or ask that it be changed, and this applies for anything the council might do on the project. The reeve noted that with the turbines being built near Kipling, he was told that RM will expect to receive about $16,000 per turbine per year in taxes. If Weyburn were to receive something similar for the turbines being proposed here, that could offset the amount of taxes the RM levies on its ratepayers, he said. In the meantime, the council wants to put forward a resolution at the next SARM convention, to lobby the government to put in regulations, as currently the province has none to regulate the development of turbines, and it comes down to the local RMs to try and determine how to regulate them. Meantime, McFadden said he had a steep learning curve in taking on the role of reeve four years ago, and believes he is still learning something every day. “I’ve enjoyed it, and I believe there’s lots of potential in this RM,” he said. A large part of what has made the position enjoyable has been the high quality of staff in the office and in the RM, along with the other councillors. McFadden also supports having a strong relationship with the City of Weyburn, pointing out that they are able to help each other, and both municipalities benefit when there are new businesses in the City or in the RM. Continued on page 2