weyburn Vol.114 No. 47 - Weyburn, Saskatchewan Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 10 Pages
CUPW members remain off the job Canada Post employees walked off the job Friday and remain on strike. Page 4 Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40069240 Publication Mail Registration No. 09093
review
It’s Back!
Christmas Cash Page 10
Former coach encourages players
Jacquie Williams gave the address at the opening ceremonies for the 5A girls championship. Page 6
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SaskPower will appeal convictions, fines in relation to Weyburn deaths
The SXS Group sings in ‘Popstars – the 90s’ musical
The SXS Group posed as they sang in the stage musical,“Popstars – the 90s”, to be performed Nov. 20-22 at the Comp School, along with a dessert theatre matinee on Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. The group includes Ivan Zaika, Photo – Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca Markuss Skujins, Isa Olvera, Maryann Ejiofor and Lily Moffat.
Weyburn RM residents bring questions on turbines to newly-elected council By Greg Nikkel, SaskToday.ca Residents of the RM of Weyburn brought their questions and frustrations with the proposed Enbridge wind turbine project to a public meeting on Thursday evening at Cecilia’s Hall. T h e n ew l y - e l e c t e d council was present for the meeting, which was called following a petition submitted requesting that one be held on the issues around the project. A lawyer from SARM was also present, and three representatives from Enbridge were on hand to provide information. RM resident Kim Brady told the Enbridge representatives early on they didn’t really want them there, but many of the questions that arose were aimed at the company. The SARM lawyer, Mike Morris, explained the legal process that the RM council will have to follow if they are going to amend their zoning bylaw and Official Community Plan, and any amendments made has to have approval by the Minister of Government Relations. He noted while this meeting was petitioned for, it does not replace an RM council meeting where votes are taken on the zoning bylaw, if amendments are proposed. Asked if the RM will conduct an impartial and full environmental review of the proposal, residents were told the RM will do the best job they can, and that they have really good staff capable of carrying out any required work. If they need further assistance, such as legal help, they will be able to access that as well. Pressed on this, the
residents were told if the RM staff doesn’t have the expertise to look into this, they will look to an outside party to help them out. On issues like noise levels and setbacks, the Enbridge representatives said they will endeavour to follow the RM’s bylaws. Sam Munckhof-Swain, director, Indigenous economic partnerships for Enbridge, acknowledged that they were putting the council in a tough spot, and also gave an apology for how the news about the proposal came out, shocking and angering many residents. He said Enbridge will be holding an open house on Dec. 11 at McKenna Hall, and they will be providing an update on the project, including adjustments that they have apparently made to the timeline and to the proposed setbacks, based on the feedback they have been getting from RM area residents, “so we have enough time to get it right.” In a statement made by Enbridge after the meeting, the company said, “At the town hall, we plan to share a new project schedule that will allow more time for community engagement and a revised wind turbine layout that incorporates larger minimum residential setback distances, among other design considerations. In the meantime, Enbridge remains committed to having conversations with Weyburn-area residents, gathering input and working with the community to help shape what we believe will be a beneficial project for the area and the local economy.” As the meeting went on, many questions were referred to the upcoming
open house, where more details will be spelled out about the project and how they are responding to residents’ concerns. Newly-elected Reeve Bud Grohn told the company representatives, “I don’t feel this should cost taxpayers one single dollar to bring this into the community. That’s the only reason I ran for council – I didn’t do this for fun.” In response to what they would do if the noise levels exceed what’s in the RM bylaws, Munckhof-Swain said, “What
we’ll do is make sure we comply with your bylaw. It’ll be on us to fix it.” Residents questioned the continued use of a health study done in 2014 on wind turbines, as Brady pointed out the study itself states it is not to be applied to any areas outside of the study area, and that the study authors felt it was inconclusive. One resident asked if the council was willing to send this project to a referendum of the ratepayers, and they mostly nodded their assent. Continued on page 4
T h e S a s k a t c h ewa n Power Corporation will be appealing the convictions that they violated Occupational Health and Safety regulations, in relation to the deaths of two linemen in Weyburn in 2020, along with the fines levied in court. The Crown corporation was fined a total of $840,000 for the convictions, with the penalty imposed in Weyburn provincial court on Oct. 18. These are among the highest fines ever imposed on a company for such charges in Saskatchewan. SaskPower was found guilty on April 6 on three counts of violations of the Occupational Health and Safety regulations, and the Saskatchewan Employment Act, after two SaskPower linemen, Scott Bill and Cole Crooks, died in a workplace incident on Oct. 8, 2020, in Weyburn. The two men were more than 15 feet above ground in a bucket truck that had had tilting issues, tying in power lines on Government Road South and Sixth Avenue, when the bucket tilted and both men fell to the ground, killing both workers. Following an investigation, SaskPower was charged with four counts of violations, and were subsequently found guilty of the first three counts.
Chatting after the RM meeting on turbines
These charges stated the following: “Count 1 alleged that SPC failed to provide and maintain plant, systems of work and work environments, as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Messrs. Bill and Crooks at work. “Count 2 alleged that SPC failed to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to protect the workers. “Count 3 alleged that SPC failed to require or permitted the workers to be raised on an aerial device without using a personal fall arrest system that met the requirements under the legislation.” Judge Michelle Brass fined SaskPower $300,000 on the first count plus a surcharge of $120,000, and $150,000 on each of the other two counts, along with surcharges of $60,000 on each charge, for the total of $840,000. SaskPower confirmed they are appealing the convictions and fines, but do not have a court date set as yet. “This does not diminish the great loss of Scott Bill and Cole Crooks, and we reiterate our deepest condolences to their family and friends,” said a statement from SaskPower media relations.
Photo – Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
Sam Munckhof-Swain, director, Indigenous economic partnerships for Enbridge, along with Alex McNichol, director power business development Canada, chatted with Kim Brady following the public information meeting hosted by the RM of Weyburn at Cecilia’s Hall on Thursday evening.