Shelby smashed a pumpkin after competing in the annual PumpKIN Roll, hosted by the Weyburn Kin Club on October 4. Families could either take their pumpkin home or smash it up in a designated area.
Deadline extended for YouthBiz Contest
Community Futures Sunrise, Weyburn has extended the registration deadline for the annual YouthBiz 2025 Contest to Friday, October 10.
This annual competition invites students in southeast Saskatchewan from grades 6 to 12 to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas, build financial skills, and connect with the local business community.
With over $3,800 in cash prizes awarded in 2024, YouthBiz continues to encourage creativity and entrepreneurial thinking in a fun and competitive environment. Students will create business plans, develop marketing materials, and present their innovative ideas.
Teachers are encouraged to book classroom information sessions to encourage participation. Registration deadline is October 10, 2025 and the entry submission deadline
is Monday, November 17, 2025, at 4:00 pm.
Since its launch in 2007, YouthBiz has inspired over 3,500 students, helping them gain skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and digital tools, while awarding more than $36,000 in cash prizes.
“All prizes are sponsored by various businesses in the southeast, and this year we are pleased to recognize our gold sponsors – Weyburn Credit Union and Prairie Sky Co-op; silver sponsor SaskTel and bronze sponsor Cornerstone Credit Union,” says Andria Brady, Community Futures Sunrise General Manager.
For more information and to get started, visit www.cfsask.ca/sunrise and select ‘Youth’ from the menu, or contact youthbiz@cfsunrise.ca.
“We can’t wait to see the innovative entries from young entrepreneurs this year!”
Online booking expands to labs in Weyburn and Estevan
SaskToday staff
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has expanded its online Patient Booking System to include lab appointments in the two communities. This will include online booking for patients in Estevan and Weyburn.
This tool allows patients to schedule appointments for blood and urine collection, electrocardiograms (ECGs) and glucose intolerance testing.
Online booking opened October 1. Appointments in Estevan opened on October 7 and in Weyburn opened on October 8.
The SHA says the online Patient Booking Sys-
tem is the fastest way to schedule a lab appointment, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use the service, patients need a valid health card and a phone number or email address to receive notifications. Those who do not see their preferred appointment type or location, or who need assistance, can call the Patient Booking System Call Centre at 1-833-727-5829, Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (excluding statutory holidays). Walk-in appointments will remain available on a first-come, first-served basis at all testing locations.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
COMMUNITY
Degenstein wins Special Olympics Lifetime award
Special Olympics Weyburn recently announced that Melvin Degenstein has won the Lifetime Dedication Award for Special Olympics Saskatchewan Awards, held on September 27.
Melvin is 80 years young, and has been involved in the Special Olympics Weyburn for over 39 years. Melvin has participated in bowling, floor hockey, and bocce.
He has traveled to Estevan and Saskatoon for five-pin bowling and has brought home numerous medals.
Melvin is a quiet, well-mannered gentleman that is such a great role
AmyPetlock
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Luize Kohane
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model to all his teammates and coaches. He is one of life’s true gentle souls. Melvin does not plan on slowing down!
Along with participating in Special
Olympics, Melvin also attends the Weyburn Wor-Kin-Shop fulltime. Special Olympics Weyburn looks forward to having Melvin out for another season of bowling this year.
Communithon hosts “Leaf Your Mark”
The Weyburn Communithon Committee is excited to announce the return of the “Leaf Your Mark” campaign as part of the 44th Annual Communithon, happening October 24–25, 2025.
This year’s theme is “Communithon is Coming Home”, and the Leaf Your Mark campaign is a fun way for the whole community to show their support.
Schools and businesses across Weyburn
will be joining the “Leaf Your Mark” campaign in support of Communithon until October 17. For a minimum donation of $2.00, you can add your name to a Communithon leaf and see it proudly displayed—symbolizing our community’s shared commitment to supporting local agencies.
During the telethon event, two smaller trees will be showcased, along with one grand display tree featuring the school that
raises the most through this campaign. Together, these leaves will create a powerful visual of how every single donation adds up to something bigger.
This year’s participating schools include: Legacy Park Elementary School (LPES), St. Michael School and Assiniboia Park Elementary School (APES).
Participating businesses include: Welsh Kitchen, Canadian Tire, Route 39 and Pharmasave.
Wheatland Centre game results
In Spades on September 22, Rosealine Levesque placed first, Mildred Sandiford won second and Coral Schindel finished third.
In Kaiser on September 23, Jean Knibbs and Betty Knibbs won first, Norma Kapasaniuk and Melba Bent placed second and Alice Sharnatta and Lavine Stepp placed third.
In Canasta on September 24, Jean Reich won first, Shirley Hubbs placed second, Arlene Goodwin took third, Sherill Taylor came in fourth, Chris Carter placed fifth, and Brenda Paul placed sixth.
During Hi-Low Whist on September 24, Marg Schultz and Fay Johnson won first, Ruth Boren and
Willa Mae Donald placed second, and Janet Van Winkoop and Emily Zyla finished third.
In Thursday Crib on September 25, Marjorie McLeod and George McLeod won first, Kim Jacob and Kathy Jacob placed second, Sheila Wendel and Marlene Szczenski finished third, and Stan Hubick and Sheila Greiner finished fourth.
During Fun Cribbage on September 27, Kathy Jacob placed first, Kim Jacob took second and Stan Hubick came in third.
In Spades on September 29, Sherrill Taylor placed first, Kathy Carson won second and Marge Schultz finished third.
During Military Whist on September 29, Jannette
Tonn, Marg McLeod, Fay Johnson and Marg Schultz placed first, Jean Fahlman, Elaine Frasz, Gladys Lokken and Willa Mae Donald took second place, and Jeanne Molnar, Janet van Winkoop, Mildred Sandiford and Marlene Szczecinski placed third.
In Kaiser on September 30, Jean Knibbs and Betty Knibbs won first, Kim Bent and Melba Bent placed second and Marg Schultz and Fay Johnson placed third.
In Canasta on October 1, Gerry Thompson won first, Ione Schnell placed second, Sheila Wendel took third, Trina Maas placed fourth, Janet van Winkoop came in fifth and Elaine Frasz took third.
During Hi-Low Whist on October 1, Marg Schultz and Marg McLeod won first, Janet van Winkoop and Emily Zyla placed second, and Gladys Lokken and Sharon Eggum finished third.
In Thursday Crib on October 2, Dianne Bell and Doreen Knibbs won first, Marg Schultz and Della Schultz placed second, and Cheryl Vogel and Emily Zyla finished third.
Melvin Degenstein
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
EDITORIAL
OPINION: WHEN WORDS BECOME WEAPONS
Cliff Burns SaskToday.ca
I spend a fair amount of time on social media, interacting with people, posting articles of interest, browsing what friends and other folks are up to.
I recently added an editorial cartoon to my Facebook page, rather innocuous and harmless (I thought), but, clearly, it rattled someone’s cage. This individual responded to my post with a profanity and referred to me as a “libtard traitor”.
It was a ridiculous over-reaction, a remark wayyyy out of proportion to the offending cartoon, the fury of this person so manifest, so intense, it set me back on my heels.
Really?
But that’s the way it is on social media platforms these days, mirroring a society that has become fragmented, polarized and utterly intolerant of opposing points of view.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good debate, but I also expect civility and reason from those who disagree with me. Instead, I see words sharpened into lethal points, weaponized. Our political opponents are no longer merely wrong, they’re Nazis and terrorist sympathizers and pedophiles…
and, yes, libtard traitors. Personal, ad hominem attacks, in lieu of a substantive exchange of ideas.
Which rather begs the question: how are we supposed to have discussions, especially very difficult ones, the kind of conversations that are essential to any healthy, flourishing democratic nation, when every sentence we utter is met with screams of outrage and abuse?
There’s an old adage: the raised nail gets hammered down. Which is exactly what happens when someone dares dissent or offer opinions that are not inoffensive pablum.
And when you combine controversial or hot button topics with a world that is divided, anxious, immersed in violent imagery from films, television and video games, not to mention bristling with firearms, the end result is predictable and often very, very tragic.
As an author, I am all too aware of the power of words to enthrall, inspire and, also, when used thoughtlessly or maliciously, to do lasting harm, especially to vulnerable segments of the population.
My own approach when
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engaging with someone online is to act as if that person is standing right in front of me. In such an instance, am I likely to bellow at them, hurl abuse, bully and threaten them?
I sincerely doubt it. Not my style, and I think that goes for most of us.
Canadians have a well-earned reputation for being temperate, considerate and polite. We don’t tend to beat our chest with nationalistic pride or insist on our moral and political rectitude. For as long as I can remember, our country has had a reputation as peacekeepers, valued intermediaries. Heck, one of our great prime ministers, Lester Pearson, even won a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering an end to the Suez Crisis in 1956—an episode, nearly forgotten now, that could’ve gotten very, very ugly without his intercession.
I’d like to think part of our equanimity comes from being good listeners, with a mindset more modest and unassuming than that of our more bellicose neighbours to the south. None of that hyperpatriotism or manifest destiny nonsense for us.
I’m not sure if it’s possible to enforce any behavioural controls on the wild west that is the internet. I do know that if we don’t at least try, we will be poorer for it, and those gulfs between us will only
grow more vast and unbridgeable. All of us retreating into our personal echo chambers, refusing to poke our heads out because of the risk of contamination, or admit the possibility that the viewpoints we hold so dear might be wrong or misguided or in need of revision.
Leading inevitably to an outcome where everyone is terrified of speaking up in case it draws the ire of someone who perceives them as an enemy and seeks to silence them, first by dehumanizing and disparaging them with cruel invective, then threatening them with hideous consequences should they persist in their folly.
That’s not the kind of world I want to live in and if you’re the same, let’s do our best to tone down the rhetoric, shall we, restore civility to public discourse and treat our fellow human beings in the same manner we would like to be treated.
Otherwise, I fear there is far worse to come, far more casualties in the cultural wars currently raging, a terrible toll exacted by attitudes that refuse any notion of compromise or consensus, determined to fight to the bitter end, regardless of the appalling cost.
“The most powerful moral influence is example.” (Huston Smith).
SE producers make significant progress finishing harvest
Warm, dry weather helped producers make significant progress on harvest this past week, according to the weekly crop report for the period of September 23 to 29.
Harvest progress increased 14 per cent over the week to a total of 84 per cent for the region. Winter wheat, fall rye, triticale, lentil and field pea harvest is now complete. Spring wheat is 92 per cent harvested, barley is 96 per cent, oats are 86 per cent and durum is 96 per cent complete.
Oilseed crops are lagging behind the cereals with canola at 76 per cent, flax at 54 per cent, mustard at 87 per cent and soybeans at 42 per cent harvested. Canary seed is sitting at 69 per cent harvested and chickpeas are 72 per cent.
No rainfall was reported last week in this region. Topsoil moisture conditions are declining with cropland at one per cent surplus, 72 per cent adequate, 24 per cent
short and three per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture for the region is at 58 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and four per cent very short. Pasture topsoil moisture is 60 per cent adequate 36 per cent short and four per cent very short.
Producers are slightly concerned with livestock water quality in this region, with 12 per cent indicating water quality concerns. When asked to describe on-farm surface water supply for livestock, 24 per cent said there are moderate shortages occurring, 15 per cent said shortages are anticipated and 62 per cent said there are no shortages occurring or anticipated.
Crop damage this week was largely due to damage from high winds. Wildlife and waterfowl also caused some damage although it was considered minor. Producers who have wrapped up harvest are now focused on fall field work.
Culturepalooza featured colourful dance performance
Members of the Indian Cultural Dance troupe performed at the Credit Union Spark Centre on October 4, during Culturepalooza events hosted by the Weyburn Arts Council.
Photos courtesy FSI Studio
SPORTS
Red Wings split home-and-home series vs Melville
The Weyburn Red Wings split a home-and-home series against the Melville Millionaires last weekend. The Red Wings currently hold first place in the Bunge Division of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The Millionaires won 8-4 against the Red Wings, during a home game held at the Whitecap Resources Centre on October 3.
Melville had a strong first period, scoring five goals to claim a clear lead over Weyburn. The Wings scored back-to-back goals early in the second period, with a powerplay goal from Roan Burgess, and Josh Sale scoring 54 seconds later. Turner McIntyre also scored for Weyburn in the second period at the 12:20 mark. The Millionaires scored twice in the second to continue with their first period lead.
In the third period, Drew Molde scored for Weyburn at the two-minute mark. The last goal of the game was scored by the Millionaires into an empty net.
Both Ty Matonovich and
Preston Patenaude shared responsibilities in net during the game. Matonovich stopped eight out of 11 shots in the first period, and then 12 out of 14 shots in the second period. Patenaude stopped one out of three shots in the first period, and 14 out of 14 shots in the third period.
The Red Wings won 4-3 in the second half of the series, held in Melville on October 4.
In the first period, Luke Dekay and Sale both scored for the Wings, with one goal for Melville. There was no scoring in the second period.
Melville scored twice early in the third period, before Sale and Molde both scored powerplay goals for Weyburn to secure the win.
Nate Stevens was in net for Weyburn and stopped 22 out of 25 shots.
The Red Wings were in Yorkton on October 7 for an away game. The Melfort Mustangs will be at the Whitecap Resources Centre for a Wings’ home game on Friday, October 10.
Dean Hodgkin of the Weyburn MMA Club received his promotion to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt on October 5. Dean is the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt from Weyburn. The belt was given by Professor Michael Yee from Regina, left. Jordan Donnelly, right, is another black belt from Regina.
Gold Wings forwards, Liv Peck and Skyla McNichol, and defenseman Callie Tomilin, battled against members of the Prince Albert Bears for possession of the puck. The Gold Wings kicked off the start of the season with a home-and-home series against Prince Albert on October 4 and 5.
Gold Wings open season against P.A.Bears
The Weyburn Gold Wings split two home games against the Prince Albert Bears to open their season in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League.
Gold Wings goaltender, Tila Boyd, was recognized as the second Star of the Game. She stopped 32 out of 34 shots on net.
The Gold Wings won
Prince Albert won 3-0 in the first game, held Ocotber 4. The Bears scores once in the first period and twice in the third period.
3-0 in the second game, held October 5.
Harper Dancilla scored an unassisted goal in the first period. Two goals were scored in the second period, with Nola Exner scoring close to the two-minute mark, and Shyla McNichol
scoring a powerplay goal four-and-a-half minutes later. There was no scoring in the third period. Maci Patterson was in net for the Gold Wings. The Gold Wings next game will be in Regina on Thursday, October 16.
Weyburn MMA youth medal at Sask No-Gi
Six young athletes from the Weyburn MMA Club represented their community at the Sask No-Gi open in Moose Jaw on October 4.
This was a provincial Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament featuring some of Saskatchewan’s top submission grapplers.
Competing for Weyburn were Ava Chapman, Valeriia Chorna, Nikolas Nikulin, Harley-Quinn Frederickson, Atlas Frederickson, and Emmett Rogers.
The team achieved outstanding results with Ava Chapman, Emmett Rogers, Harley-Quinn Frederickson and Nikolas Nikulin
each winning gold medals, going undefeated in their divisions. Atlas Frederickson and Valeriia Chorna earned silver medals, after strong showings in competitive brackets.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art focused on ground control and sub -
mission holds, emphasizing leverage and technique over size or strength. It’s practiced in two styles, Gi and No-Gi. In Gi matches, athletes wear a kimonostyle uniform and use grips on the fabric to control opponents. In No-Gi, competitors wear rash guards
open
and shorts, relying on body grips and movement alone — creating a faster, more dynamic style similar to wrestling.
The club continues to grow its youth BJJ program, promoting fitness, focus, and lifelong confidence both on and off the mats.
Wrestling Club registration set for Oct. 9
The Weyburn Wrestling Club is holding a registration night on October 9 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Little Discoveries Day Care gym, to get your kids into wrestling. Please en -
ter the building through the back (west doors).
If you are unavailable to register in person, feel free to go to their website at weyburnwrestlingclub.com and follow the QR code to
register. The season will start on October 14 at 6:30 p.m., at the Weyburn Wrestling Club gym, located at 309 1st Ave. N.W. Please do not enter the building before 6:30 p.m.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
The Taste of the Nations event, hosted by the Southeast Advocates on October 3, was a wonderful success. Approximately 230 attendees came together to celebrate the community’s incredible diversity through food, culture, and connection.
Nominations now open for the 2026 Sask. Order of Merit award
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Saskatchewan Order of Merit (S.O.M.), the province’s
highest honour recognizing outstanding achievement and service. “Being invested with
the Order of Merit is an unequalled tribute from the Crown and the people of Saskatchewan,” Lieutenant Governor Bernadette McIntyre said. “Members of the Order are innovators, groundbreakers and leaders who have positively impacted our province in
countless ways. However, for these remarkable people to be acknowledged, they first must be nominated.”
Established in 1985, the Saskatchewan Order of Merit celebrates excellence across all sectors of Saskatchewan life. Individuals are awarded this honour in
recognition of their significant contributions in areas such as agriculture, business, industry, community leadership, public service, the arts, research and volunteerism.
Nominees must be current or former long-term residents of Saskatchewan. Nominations may be submitted by individuals or groups but must be for a person—not an organization.
Posthumous nominations are accepted within one year of the individual’s passing.
Recipients of the 2026 Saskatchewan Order of Merit will be formally invested by the Lieutenant Governor at a ceremony next year. Members of the Order are recognized within the Canadian Honours System and may use the post-nominal letters S.O.M. Deadline for nominations is November 30, 2025. Online submissions are encouraged, but nominations will also be accepted by mail, courier, or in person.
Photo courtesy Southeast Advocates
New patio at Special Care Home will create enjoyable outdoor space
SaskToday
A dream for a more accessible and enjoyable outdoor space for the residents of the Weyburn Special Care Home has been realized, thanks to the initiative of a staff member.
The project started when licensed practical nurse Kim Chinski secured a $10,000 community grant from the Weyburn Credit Union, announced at their annual community barbecue earlier this year. The funds will go towards the home’s Courtyard Revitalization Project.
“We have weekly barbecues all summer in the courtyard and it will be nice for the residents to be able to dine together instead of being spread out,” said Chinski in a media release. “The space will be a great asset for recreation programs and for residents to visit with their family and friends.”
The residents met over the summer at their
monthly Prairie Lily Council Meeting to discuss what they wanted to do with the funds.
“What makes this project so exciting is the residents are getting a say, after all this is their home so it was important that they determined where the funds should be spent,” said Chinski. “Overwhelmingly, more space to sit and enjoy the outdoors was requested. The courtyard was a nice space but had a lot of unlevel area making it a challenge for the residents in wheelchairs or using mobility.”
The care home already has a screened gazebo so attaching the patio space made sense, said Chinski.
“It’s quite a sheltered area in the courtyard with mature trees surrounding the area.”
Quotes were obtained from local contractors and Rakenrud Construction was chosen as the contractor for the project. The newly formed patio space is approximately
34 by 21 feet.
“It’s been exciting to see the project come together and it will be enjoyed for many years to come,” said Chinski. “With the nice warm temperatures these last two weeks, residents have been able to enjoy the space.”
Weyburn Credit Union said this initiative is all about transforming their outdoor space into a vibrant, welcoming haven for residents, families and staff, a place where fresh air, sunshine and connection can bloom.
“We’re proud to support the care home in their mission to enhance the quality of life for those who call it home,” said the Credit Union on social media. “A huge shout-out to the dedicated team who make it all possible – your heart for care and community is truly inspiring.”
An official grand opening of the patio space will be held in spring of 2026.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
‘We want people to feel safe’: Estevan DBA calls for action on crime
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
The Estevan Downtown Business Association (DBA) has been bringing concerns forward about crimes happening in the area and elswhere in the community.
Members of the DBA have met with the Estevan board of police commissioners and Estevan city council recently, as well as Estevan-Big Muddy MLA Lori Carr.
DBA members Peter Sereggela and Laureen Price say the issue extends beyond downtown and the city, but the DBA wants to be a leader in bringing resolution to this issue.
“As a big part of the community, we’re looking, trying to find a way that we can become a community leader and
make safe spaces like the Garden on Fourth [park] and our beautiful downtown ... places where people feel welcome and feel comfortable to come down and share with their parents, grandkids and others [to] enjoy time downtown.”
Panhandling, disturbances, public intoxication, suspicious activity and thefts have all been reported from the downtown area in recent months.
Price said there have been instances all over the city in which people haven’t felt safe, so they wanted to bring a group together.
“We know that it happens in bigger centres... but we’re just wanting to know what we can do as a community in working
‘I was dumbstruck!’
SaskToday
Stephan Ellis is the latest in Saskatchewan to see a Lightning Lotto win flash across the screen.
The Estevan local won $370,319.50 on Sept. 3 during a gas station stop with his wife.
“I usually play Lightning Lotto when I see a larger jackpot,” he said. “I had a couple winning tickets to cash in when I
stopped at the store, so I used the $14 [winnings] to buy a Lightning Loto ticket—[the win] came up instantly on the screen.”
Ellis said the instant win left him and his wife shocked.
“I was dumbstruck!” he said. “My wife and I both couldn’t believe it.”
“It’s hard to sleep after you win like that,” he laughed.
Hey Dads! Did you ever sell anything from the end of your driveway when you were a kid? Do your kids sell stuff at the end of your driveway now that you’re an adult? Maybe lemonade or chocolate chip cookies or old toys? I was talking to a parent the other day who told me that they were house-cleaning and had a load of old toys to go to the thrift store…or the garbage can. One of their boys asked if he could try sell the old toys before they were donated. The deal was that if he sold a toy, then the rest of the pile would stay in the garage and he could keep selling. Well, this young entrepreneur started selling and that pile of old toys in the garage is getting smaller and smaller with every passing day.
We don’t have any old toys to sell around our place but we do have a garden with dozens of zucchini, hundreds of cucumbers, and thousands of beans. Four of our younger kids (aged 4-9) told me they wanted to set up a stand to try sell some of our produce. We don’t really live in a high-traffic area. We are
with the services that we have available to us in the city, to go forward with some of these programs that can help them as well as help us,” said Price.
Sereggela noted Price has worked diligently on this front. Price said she decided to spend a little time talking to business owners about their experiences and found they were similar to hers.
“I was literally shocked. I had no idea that everybody was having all of these issues, and then as it started getting bigger and bigger, people were saying ‘That happens in this park’, ‘That happened while I was walking’ and ‘This was on the bike path’, and it overwhelmed me because I thought it was an isolated instance down here, and
but I found that it was ballooning all over the city.
“So that’s when we jumped in and thought before this gets way overgrown, we need to maybe start looking and going and talking and letting the council know it’s a problem all over.”
They said both council and the police board were very receptive, especially since Sereggela said the DBA was asking what they can do to remedy the situation. The Estevan Police Service told DBA members they shouldn’t feel bad about repeated calls for suspicious activity.
The EPS offered to have more foot patrols, and Price said it makes a difference when people see officers walking down the street or in businesses.
Sereggela noted the
downtown businesses employ a lot of people, and he has some young staff members working in the evenings.
“We’re concerned for our patrons. We want our patrons to feel safe,” he said. “It started out as ‘Is there something we need to do downtown’ but now it’s more of ‘What can we do for the city’?”
They viewed meetings with the police board and city council as positive.
Price added the DBA went to the city to learn the programs that are out there and if laws could be changed that would enable the police to get people more professional help.
“We’re pretty empathetic of these people,” Sereggela said. “We’re not in a position to help, but we’re not in a position
to judge, either.”
Among the ideas suggested was posting signage downtown and elsewhere so that people know how to contact the police if a situation arises. They also suggested having street captains in a system similar to the Block Parent program.
Estevan is a community that takes pride in all it has to offer, Sereggela said. He raised his two children here, and he doesn’t believe they’d be as successful as they are today if they weren’t here.
Price added people should feel safe in their community, and they don’t want to see somebody get hurt.
If people have ideas on how to address the matter, Sereggela and Price said they are willing to listen.
Estevan man wins big after gas station stop
Ellis said he’s excited to pay off his mortgage and invest the rest for the future.
“It’s a lot more exciting than I thought it would be,” he said. “I love that it’s an instant win.”
Ellis purchased his winning Lightning Lotto ticket from Fas Gas Plus at 1240 6th St. in Estevan. He won his prize instantly by matching all five num-
Veggie Tales of Profit
20 minutes out of town and five miles down at the end of a dirt road. Not exactly a commuter hub. There is an intersection of two dirt roads about a mile away. It has a yield sign, a stop sign, and a couple cow fields around it. We’re talking major traffic…or something like that.
I thought this would be a good opportunity for some life lessons. (My wife asked me the other day if every event has to be some sort of life lesson. What do you think?) The kids picked some fresh produce, loaded up some folding camp chairs, and grabbed an old table from the shop. We were off down the road for an afternoon of raking in the dough. It was afternoon. 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon to be exact. They were raring to go so, out we went. Mid-afternoon is not really rush-hour traffic but we had a few pickup trucks drive by. Every time a cloud of dust appeared in the distance there were kids standing on camp chairs exclaiming, “A car’s coming! A car’s coming!”
A few of those trucks did stop. Some were just
friendly neighbours stopping for a chat. But there were others that actually stopped with mitt-fulls of cash. One of those shoppers looked suspiciously like their older brother, Sterling, on the dirt bike he just bought. But he said his name was John so it must have been a case of mistaken identity. I did think the dark sunglasses and drawn-on moustache was suspicious but he was spending money so I wasn’t going to ask any questions.
The kids were excited about making a few dollars. They even started planning the next days’ sales strategy. Memories were made. Money was made. Lessons were learned. Is there a moneymaking idea your kids are thinking about? Why not let them give it a shot? Time flies. Make every moment count! Especially the profitable ones.
Jason Weening eats a lot of cucumbers with his ten kids and one wife. Read more of their adventures in his book, “Yes, Dear…I’m Watching Them” on Amazon.
bers in the selection for the September 3 draw: 16, 25, 33, 40 and 42.
For more than 50 years, Sask Lotteries has been the main fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture and recreation groups in communities across the province.
Learn more about lottery beneficiaries, games, jackpots, and winning numbers at sasklotteries.ca.
Author and podcaster Jason Weening of Estevan, along with his daughter, Mabel, was one of many booths at Market on the Farm, held October 4, northwest of Weyburn. Photo
SaskPower begins work on decade-plus project to extend coal plants
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
SaskPower has been moving ahead with its plans to extend the life cycle of six conventional coal-fired power units in southern Saskatchewan.
In an interview with SaskToday, CEO Rupen Pandya said the work has already started, and the project is expected to take more than a decade.
“We’ve already started all of the detailed planning to refurb each of the units,” Pandya said. “We’ve laid out what we think is the ideal scenario to support both the refurbishment work as well as reliability of power to the grid.”
He described Unit 6 at
the Boundary Dam (BD) Power Station near Estevan, and Units 1 and 2 at the Poplar River (PR) Power Station near Coronach, as the most critical because they’re the largest megawatt-producing generators in the system. Unit 6 is expected to be the first to be targeted.
“We’ll sequence the work, so we’ll move ... from one unit to the other, so that we’re trying to maximize efficiency of workforce, and learn as you go,” said Pandya.
Work will shift from BD6 to PR1 and 2, and then return to Units 4 and 5 at Boundary Dam. The Shand Power Station has an operational life that extends to
2042 and Pandya said it is in the best condition.
“As we’re working on these units, we are confronted with all sorts of interesting questions,” said Pandya. “We encountered some of these when we did the BD3 conversion to carbon capture.”
The generating stations are often at least 50 years old, he said, so there will be all sorts of “brownfield” issues when it comes to refurbishing, taking them apart and seeing what needs to be replaced and refurbished. Engineering and the supply chain will cause issues. “Everything in the electricity business right now has long lead times on the supply chain,”
said Pandya. “We plan on getting into supply chains almost immediately, but by the time we get the parts, it will be three or even 3 1/2 years down the road just to even get the parts. So, you get the spot, you pay for it, and you have to wait for it to actually be delivered in the supply chain.”
He noted the generator casing and major components will be long lead items. SaskPower has what he called an “advanced refurbishment program”, so if the utility was forced to end the life cycle for those units in 2030, which has been the federal government’s intention, then SaskPower would have taken a different approach.
Work is also underway to bring BD4 back to a stand-by condition. The unit was taken out of full-time service in 2021 but remained an option in case it was needed during peak load times until last year. Water feed pumps have been reverse-engineered; Pandya said they are critical components in a generator that had failed over time. Once the pumps are installed, Unit 4 will be available once again.
Control systems won’t be modernized until the retrofit occurs.
“It’s one of the oldest generators of the entire fleet ... so it will be one of the last generators in the entire fleet ... that will be
life cycled,” Pandya said. He hopes Unit 4 will be available again in the next few months.
A decision hasn’t been made on how the units will be retrofitted, but Pandya said it will be a key consideration, and it’s not a guarantee that it would be carbon capture technology.
“It will be a key consideration with respect to the retrofit work, because you’d have to do a ... bypass on the generators to assist with the carbon capture technology. You’re not simply rebuilding or re-life cycling the existing generator; you’re actually modifying it for carbon capture and storage readiness,” said Pandya.
Barry Richard Briltz 1943 – 2025 Barry Richard Briltz was born in Estevan Saskatchewan on October 15 1943 He grew up in Willmar and Benson later spending most of his life farming the family farm near Benson After selling the farm Barry and his wife Margaret settled in Weyburn to enjoy their retirement years Following his diagnosis with dementia, Barry moved to the New Hope Pioneer Lodge in Stoughton, Saskatchewan, where he was lovingly cared for until his passing on September 25, 2025 Barry was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Briltz; his parents Peter and Francis Briltz; and his brother Spencer Briltz He will be lovingly remembered by his children: Shari Macalalad Rick (Nenette) and Lauri (Martin) Davies; his grandchildren: Danita Joel Dallas Hayden (Kim) and Jake (Kira); and his great-grandson, Ezra Barry is also survived by his brother Corly; niece, Cyndi Metz; and nephews, David, Trent, and Chris Barry will be fondly remembered for his genuine opinions, zest for life, love of family and lifelong dedication to farming The Memorial Service for Barry was held on Monday, October 6, 2025 at 1:00 p m at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, with Shirley Petterson officiating Interment followed at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens, after which a luncheon was held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Estevan Hall Funeral Services in Estevan provided care to Barry s family – Dustin Hall, Funeral Director
CLUES ACROSS
1. Mongolian politician
5. Coconut palms
10. Rounded knob
14. Japanese city
15. Covers in soft material
16. Walk around
17. Ancient region in Syria
18. French painter
19. Grandmother
20. Cow part
22. Rocky peak
23. Secret plan
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24. Sings to one’s lover
27. More (Spanish)
30. Father
31. Chinese philosophical principle
32. Hat
35. In agreement
37. A person’s brother or sister
38. Evil spirit
39. Monetary units
40. Partner to cheese
41. About Sun
42. A place to dance
43. Performer __ Lo Green
44. Beach accessory
45. Recipe measurement (abbr.)
46. Partly digested food
47. Pooch
48. Honorific title added to family name
49. Salts
Solve the Weyburn This Week Crossword Puzzle
52. Lichens genus
55. Lowest point of a ridge
56. Type of sword
60. Albanian language
61. Gold measurement
63. Italian seaport
64. Longtime late night host
65. Extremely angry
66. U. of Miami mascot
67. Mid-month day
68. Omitted from printed matter
69. Upper body part
CLUES DOWN
1. Two-toed sloth
2. Cooking ingredient 3. Iranian city 4. Publicly outs
5. Steep-sided hollow 6. Spoke
7. General law or rule
8. Extravagantly theatrical
9. Very fast airplane 10. Arm bones
11. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea
Crossword answers
12. __ fide: legitimate
13. Gemstone
21. Counsels
23. Top exec
25. Cool!
26. Touch lightly
27. Extract money via taxation
28. Dyes
29. Cloying sweetness
32. Soft drinks
33. Capital of Guam
34. Chemical compound
36. The bill in a restaurant
37. Car mechanics group
38. Late comedian Newhart
40. Health care for the aged 41. Wise individuals
43. A passage with access only at one end
44. Trim
46. Former OSS
47. The upper surface of the mouth
49. Edible lily bulbs
50. Type of reef
51. Vaccine developer
52. Mottled citrus fruit
53. A place to store lawn tools
54. Rare goose native to Hawaii
57. Hollywood pig
58. Musician Clapton
59. Take a chance
61. Spanish soldier
62. Mark Wahlberg comedy
Student numbers down slightly in Holy Family
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
The Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division has seen a slight dip in enrolments for the 2025-26 school year.
Holy Family had 1,377 youths from pre-kindergarten to Grade 9 between its five schools, according to the Sept. 30 enrolment numbers, which are the figures supplied to the Ministry of Education. The division had 1,403 students a year ago.
Director of education Ken Sampson said the two Estevan schools are down a combined 15 students from last year. Sacred Heart School/École Sacré Coeur had 352 students, down from 371 last year, while St. Mary’s School was at 294, which is up from 290. Both schools are pre-K to Grade 8.
The division expected there would be a bit of a decline this year, Sampson said, because it knew the numbers leaving Grade 8
from Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s would be higher than those coming in at the kindergarten or the pre-K level.
“We knew that would be the case, because of just the way the student demographic population stood at the end of the year,” said Sampson. The numbers at the other schools are fairly consistent as well. St. Michael School in Weyburn, which is a pre-K to Grade 9 school, had 563 students, compared to 560 a year ago, while St. Olivier School in Radville, a K-6 facility, had 69 kids.
St. Augustine School in Wilcox, which is a K-8 school, jumped from 65 to 75 students.
“For a school that size, that’s pretty significant,” said Sampson. Sampson is pleased with how the school year has gone so far. He believes the schools’ administrators would describe this school year as being
the smoothest entry into school in a number of years.
“And it wasn’t just at one pocket at one school, it was pretty much the feeling straight across ... the board,” he said.
Last year in September, Holy Family had “significantly” more students registered at its schools than they anticipated.
“In September a year ago, we welcomed ... 80 more than what we were anticipating. As a result of that, as the first few months went on, we brought together our administrators and our learning facilitators and our representatives from the different schools to really talk about how do we provide that additional support for an influx of students that we do have.”
Supports were added over the course of the school year, including a response to intervention (RTI) support worker at the three largest schools. Holy Family now has an
RTI presence at all of its schools. Also added were English as another language monitors, which helped address a number of areas of concern that were present.
Administrators also felt those positions were critical for the operation of the schools, he said.
As for this year, the new collective bargaining agreement with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Ministry of Education resulted in complexity teachers in schools, he said, so each of the three largest facilities will add a complexity learning facilitator.
The division also holds close to its Catholic roots, he said, and its theme for this year is Pilgrims of Hope, Anchored in Christ.
“Because faith is everything and the centre of all that we do, we permeate our faith into the dayto-day operations of the schools and the division,” said Sampson.
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
The South East Cornerstone Public School Division has seen a slight increase in the number of students for this school year.
According to the Sept. 30 enrolment numbers, which are the numbers used by the Ministry of Education, the school division had 8,274 students this year, up from 8,222 for the same date a year earlier.
“We have seen a little bit of an increase in the Estevan area in particular. There’s a couple of schools there that have gone up a little bit,” said director of education Keith Keating in an interview with SaskToday.
He suspects Aurora Recovery’s family reunification centre that opened in Estevan in June might have played a role in the higher numbers in the area.
“We’ve always fluctuated a little up or down,” said Keating. “That 50 out of 8,000 students isn’t a huge increase, but it’s nice to see those numbers going up a little instead of a little down.”
According to the division’s numbers, the Estevan Comprehensive School remains at 771 students for the second straight year.
As for Estevan’s four kindergarten to Grade 8 elementary schools, Spruce Ridge School remains the largest at 384,
up from 364. Hillcrest School is at 126, down from 140; Pleasantdale grew slightly from 206 to 209, while Westview School slipped from 179 to 175.
The Weyburn Comprehensive School remains the largest in the division at 967 students, up from 945 the previous year, but it is a Grade 7-12 school while ECS is Grades 9-12.
As for the other Weyburn public schools, Assiniboia Park Elementary slipped from 250 to 248, while Legacy Park is at 567 students this year, down from 615. Both schools are K-6.
Keating attributed the increase at WCS, and the decrease at Legacy Park, to large Grade 7 numbers.
Planning is ongoing for the new pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 school in Carlyle that will replace Carlyle Elementary and Gordon F. Kells.
“We’re getting to the point where hopefully by the new year we’ll be able to go to tender on that to look for contractors, so we’re working with the Ministry of Education and SaskBuilds on trying to get through that project,” said Keating.
Keating said it has been an excellent start to the school year for South East Cornerstone.
“I’ve seen a lot of good things happening out in schools with teachers and kids, and I look forward to the year we’re going to have ahead,” he said.
Kendra Elliott displayed a clay cow figurine, one of her favourite pieces that she created for the Great Weyburn Pottery Throwdown exhibit at the Weyburn Art Gallery. The potters attended a talk and tour event as part of Culture Days in Weyburn.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
New business gets green light for sign
SaskToday
In an effort to balance historic preservation with downtown business support, Weyburn City Council has granted conditional approval for a new wall sign on the iconic Old City Hall building.
The decision was made Monday during council’s regular meeting, following a recommendation from Shara-Lee Malcolm, the city’s planning and developing coordinator.
Local entrepreneur Mark Hadley said the sign is for his new business
Prairie Canucks Cards and Collectibles at 160 – Third Street NE.
The city’s approval comes with a set of strict conditions designed to protect the building’s heritage integrity. These include limiting the sign’s size to the available wall space, ensuring a minimum 2.5-meter clearance from the sidewalk, using lightweight and complementary materials, and mandating non-invasive installation methods.
The sign will be a standard non-LED wall sign on
the lower right portion of the front of the building.
Malcolm, in her report, told council signs on a heritage building carries important implications, as improper installation can damage historic materials, obscure architectural features, or compromise the structural integrity of the façade.
To mitigate potential destruction, careful consideration should be given to both the size and placement of signage to ensure it does not detract from or conceal character-defining
SaskToday staff
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency invested more than $15 million into Rafferty Dam this year.
Daryl Harrison, the Minister responsible for the WSA, provided an update October 1 on three infrastructure projects that were completed around the dam this year.
“Rafferty Dam is an important piece of infrastructure, serving and protecting various communities and industries in southeastern Saskatchewan,” said Harrison.
to upgrade the control structure at the diversion channel from Boundary Dam to Rafferty, and another $2.5 million was provided to the Rural Municipality of Estevan to improve the 11-kilometre stretch of Rafferty Road, located between Highway 39 and Highway 18.
The road project was completed earlier this summer. It was narrowed to the standard size of a grid road and a road stabilization and treatment product was applied, which will reduce longterm maintenance costs.
elements.
The Old City Hall, built in 1913, is a Municipal Heritage Property in the City of Weyburn. The redbrick building is detailed with Tyndall Stone and comprises two storeys. The building is situated in the centre of downtown Weyburn.
The WSA invested more than $10 million to repair the underdrainage system on the Rafferty Dam spillway to maintain and improve functionality and safety during highflow events. The spillway improvements include repairing and installing new drainage piping and constructing a new drainage pumping station.
Work on the diversion channel includes upgrading the control structure and armouring segments of the channel with rock to manage erosion control and the flow of water in the channel.
In addition, more than $2.5 million was invested
The WSA said it managed water levels to ensure a successful project delivery and adequate storage to meet needs in the region. These projects were identified as part of the WSA’s 10-year infrastructure rehabilitation plan, with a goal to advance priority maintenance projects throughout the province.
Rafferty Dam was formed in 1994 when it was constructed on the Souris River. It provides water to the region, including the city of Estevan and the Shand Power Station, as well as flood protection for residents downstream in southeast Saskatchewan and North Dakota.
Canaan Braun, Ranson Jordens and Owen Goodfellow filled garbage bags with leaves during a fall cleanup of the Weyburn Therapeutic Animal Park held on October 5.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review