Semi-colon tattoo event sparks mental health conversations
Sara Parks SaskToday.ca
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s Weyburn Branch is once again inviting the community to take part in its annual Semi-Colon Tattoo event, aimed at raising awareness around suicide prevention and mental health.
Now in its eighth year, the event will take place on Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Under Your Skin Tattoos in Weyburn. Participants can choose from a selection of predrawn, pre-approved designs, with only 90 tattoo appointments available. As of this week, nearly half of those spots have already been spoken for.
“Not only does this event raise awareness, but it opens up the conversation around suicide, and creates a connection to CMHA Weyburn in our community,” said Tasha Collins, program director, Canadian Mental Health Association - Weyburn Branch.
Since its inception, the semi-colon tattoo initia -
Ryan Young SaskToday.ca Saskatchewan-based Prairie Clean Energy (PCE) announced it has secured financing from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Weyburn Credit Union to support its flax processing facility in Weyburn.
Chief executive officer of PCE Mark Cooper is happy FCC and the Credit Union were willing to partner, as it is the culmination of a long period of talks.
Cooper says a gradual increase in production is planned between now and the end of next
tive has resulted in 594 tattoos and raised $18,980 in donations, all thanks to the generosity of Under Your Skin Tattoos and its artists, said Collins.
The semi-colon symbol has become a widely recognized emblem of mental health advocacy, representing a pause in a sentence – and in life – rather than an end.
While the event itself is informal, with participants arriving at their scheduled time to receive their tattoo, CMHA Weyburn will have a table on-site with information about suicide prevention and mental health resources. The timing of the event aligns with World Suicide Prevention Day, observed annually on Sept. 10.
CMHA staff and board members, along with Under Your Skin artists Mark and Ryan, as well as Mark’s family, work together for this event.
For more information, visit their website, e-mail at tashac@cmhask.com, or find them on social media.
year. Starting this fall, the facility will handle five tons per hour of straw input, producing about two and a half tons of pellets per hour and about two tons of fiber per hour, with one crew working 40 hours a week. He said about six people will be working there full time by the end of this month, and Cooper expects a total of 30 jobs will be created at this facility, along with 20 indirect jobs—local balers to collect the straw and truckers to move the straw and ship the product to customers—once it runs at full scale.
Laurie Norman lead the annual Toy Run with Santa’s Sleigh, followed by members of the Independent Riders. Toys and cash donations were collected for the Weyburn Salvation Army’s Christmas Hamper program.
“We’re excited to get into production. We have customers waiting for the product, and some products will start shipping in October, more in November, and I expect that folks across the prairies will be seeing our product in stores and available for them to purchase for their own use here before Christmas time, which is very exciting,” added Cooper.
Supply in the short term will be abundant as Prairie Clean Energy secured over 25,000 tonnes of flax straw from this year’s harvest, along with more than 60,000 acres
of flax straw under longterm right-of-first-refusal agreements with farmers across the prairies, mostly in Saskatchewan.
PCE’s most common products include the fiber—marketed in Europe to companies that use it to make paper—and pellets, which are marketed in North America for use as cat litter or animal bedding.
Asked whether demand for flax could grow in the future, given the ongoing canola tariff issue with China, Cooper said it could.
“The bottom line for producers is that be -
cause of our presence in the market and because we can buy their straw, we improve the economics of flax growing by about 30 per cent, so we make it more attractive for farmers to grow flax and that’s what we’re here to do: add additional revenue streams for them and to see the acres of flax grow.
“We believe that current economics plus the fact that we now make the agronomics more attractive puts us in a position to see more flax acres growing next year, and we think that will happen each year that we’re
going to be going. We’re going to be buying more and more straw, so this is the third year we’ve been buying; it’s the most we’ve bought, and that’ll be even more so next year. We feel very confident about the future of flax on the prairies, and I think producers are excited to have a spot to take this agricultural nuisance of theirs and put it to good productive use, and we’re happy to make that happen in Weyburn.”
The total cost—between the facility, equipment and other items—is approximately $10 million.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
COMMUNITY
Sask. VIDO commits to partnership for vaccine research
Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) signed a partnership extension with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), based in South Korea. The partnership focuses on post-pandemic global health.
Minister of Trade and Export Development and Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Warren Kaeding witnessed the signing as part of his trade mission to South Korea.
“This renewed partnership reflects Saskatchewan’s commitment to being a global leader in science and innovation and highlights the success of our investments into VIDO,” Kaeding said.
“By working with international partners like the IVI, we help ensure that our expertise continues to have worldwide impact, and underscores Saskatch-
ewan’s Research Strategy released earlier this year.”
The Government of Saskatchewan provides key operational funding to VIDO through Innovation Saskatchewan, ensuring the organization has the resources to advance worldclass research and respond to emerging global health challenges. In addition to providing annual operating support, Saskatchewan has committed more than $19 million to support the development of Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research, positioning VIDO as a global leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development for humans and animals.
Based at the University of Saskatchewan, VIDO has collaborated with IVI for more than 20 years. The previous memorandum of understanding signing between VIDO and IVI was also witnessed by the Premier.
A long line of hungry patrons enjoyed a barbecue at Prairie Sky Co-op customer appreciation on September 4. The Co-op will host Fuel Good Day on September 16, where 10 cents from each litre of gas sold will be donated to the Young Fellows Park, Milestone SCC and Prairie Hills First Responders.
Changes to blue bin recycling program
SK Recycles, skrecycles.ca, is now responsibile for processing recyclable materials in Saskatchewan.
This means the items accepted in your blue cart will change. The City of Weyburn, through their annual contract with Goliath Disposal, will remain the service provider for curbside collection for residents, managing blue carts, billing, collection schedules, and education.
Key changes:
Glass containers and jars are no longer accepted in the blue cart.
Some new items that will be accepted in the blue cart include:
• Paper cups and lids (separate first)
• Aluminum foil and disposable aluminum pans
• Plastic plant pots/saucers
• Single-use coffee pods (rinse, remove foil lid)
• Lightweight paper and plastic hangers
• Gift bags (without glitter, remove handles)
These items can now be taken to SARCAN for recycling: glass, flexible plastics (plastic bags, wrap, bread bags, frozen food bags, chip bags), and foam packaging. Visit sarcan.ca for more information.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
The Weyburn Red Wings mascot, Howie, received a hug from Blaine during the 50th anniversary celebration for the Weyburn Group Home Society, held on September 6. Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
EDITORIAL
OPINION: THE REST OF THE WEST SHOULD CUT THE PST
Submitted by Kris Sims Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Alberta is currently the only province in Canada without a provincial sales tax.
It’s a city on a hill for taxpayers who are fed up with paying more tax when they head to the cash register to buy something.
Taxpayers across the West should be fed up because nearly half of their paycheques are going up in smoke thanks to taxes.
There are income taxes, fuel taxes, property taxes, business taxes, carbon taxes, capital gains taxes and sales taxes.
Federally, there’s the five per cent GST, and in every province but Alberta, there’s a form of PST.
Sales taxes inflict more pain on the wallets of taxpayers with less income. It doesn’t matter if you make $1 million per year or $10,000, the sales tax percentage charged remains the same.
Sales taxes take a bigger bite out of smaller paycheques.
Alberta taxpayers are saving huge amounts of money from not having to pay a PST.
For example, Alberta has more than 825,000 students who are returning to school.
Parents will spend an average of $788 on back-to-school supplies
per student, according to a Deloitte survey. If Alberta parents spend even half that much, they are saving about $27 in PST per student. Across the province, families are saving about $22.6 million by not having to pay a PST while shopping for school supplies.
That’s because families aren’t paying a seven per cent PST on things like clothes, shoes, backpacks, notebooks, calculators, lunch bags, laptops and phones.
Alberta’s Taxpayer Protection Act prevents a PST from taking root. If a government decided impose a PST in Alberta, it would have to win a referendum on the question first. That’s not the case in the rest of Western Canada.
Taxpayers in Saskatchewan are forking over more than $3.3 billion in PST this year to the provincial government. A Saskatchewan family making $75,000 annually, pays about $2,100 per year in PST.
That’s because the Saskatchewan government keeps tacking it onto to almost everything you buy. The government raised the PST from five to six per cent and removed exemptions for used cars, restaurant meals and children’s clothes in 2017.
The government also started charging PST on event tickets in 2022. That means the Saskatchewan
government is charging you more to watch the Riders.
Take used cars, every time you purchase a used car in Saskatchewan that’s worth more than $5,000, the government expects you to hand them a cheque for the six per cent PST on it, no matter how many times it’s been bought and sold before.
On a vehicle worth $10,000, buyers will have to fork over $600 extra to the government.
It doesn’t matter how old the vehicle is. It doesn’t matter how many times it’s been bought and sold, the provincial government is standing there with its hand out, taking more.
Provincial governments are bloodthirsty when it comes to the PST.
It’s the same story in British Columbia.
Back in 2004, the B.C. government noticed that wise British Columbians were saving some of their big purchases for their summer trip to Alberta, because
they were saving about $150 on a new washer and dryer set because Alberta doesn’t have a PST.
Former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell’s government tried to tell retailers in Alberta to take pictures of British Columbia license plates in their parking lots and to send the B.C. government the sales receipts.
Why?
So, the B.C. government could charge those shoppers B.C.’s seven per cent PST on top of the items which the family had purchased in Alberta.
The stores told the B.C. government to go pound sand and the government had to drop the case. Alberta academics and politicians chattering about a PST need to look at their neighbours and remember that a sales tax makes life more expensive for those who need help most.
Saskatchewan and British Columbia need to look at Alberta and realise how much taxpayers can save if they cut their sales taxes.
New funding to enhance maternal mental health support in province
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $100,000 in new annual funding to the Saskatchewan Perinatal Health Network to develop and deliver a province-wide maternal mental health support program. The program will provide free in-person and virtual peer support services for new and expecting parents across Saskatchewan.
“This investment helps ensure that families across Saskatchewan have more access to mental health support during the life-changing experience of pregnancy and the birth of a baby,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said. “We want expecting and new parents to know that free, compassionate support is available in a safe environment, where they can connect and share with other parents.”
The Saskatchewan Perinatal Health Network (SaskPHN), formerly the Regina Perinatal Health Network (RPHN), supports women and their partners who experience or are at risk of developing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.
The new funding from the provincial government will enable the network to expand its peer support outreach to communities outside Regina, introduce an online booking platform and increase virtual appointments.
“As a community-based organization, our goal has always been to address the feelings of social isolation many expecting and new parents face, and to connect families with
trauma-informed perinatal mental health support,” Perinatal Health Network Program Coordinator Lin Carr said. “This funding will help us coordinate care across multiple agencies, ensuring families receive quality mental health support from prenatal stages through the first few years postpartum.”
Those who need help can visit www. saskphn.ca to learn more or book an appointment.
This initiative enhances capacity to provide timely and accessible services as part of a new provincial approach to maternal mental health to better support the well-being of mothers, their children and their families throughout the course of pregnancy and after childbirth.
The provincial government also provides funding for the Wellbeing Course for New and Expecting Parents offered through the University of Regina’s Online Therapy Unit. A Non-Birthing Parents Resource is available as well through the program and will continue to be enhanced in 2025-26.
The province has also boosted annual funding to HealthLine 811 by $6.6 million in 2025-26. HealthLine 811 supports nurse and counsellor positions for mental health, addictions and maternal mental health calls. The Ministry of Health is also working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to establish a maternal mental health coordinator position at 811.
Southeast College welcomes USask nursing students
SaskToday
A new era in healthcare education has begun in Southeast Saskatchewan as Southeast College officially launched the University of Saskatchewan Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Weyburn Campus. This fall, nine students arrived as the inaugural cohort of the future Class of 2028.
The program is the result of a partnership between Southeast College and the University of Saskatchewan, aimed at addressing the growing need for registered nurses in rural communities. By offering the BSN program locally, students can now pursue a four-year nursing degree without leaving the region.
“There were a few factors,” said Southeast College President and CEO Jody Holzmiller. “One, recognizing the need for registered nurses in rural Saskatchewan and in the southeast corner. And two, I think it’s safe to say that Southeast College is always open to partnering opportunities to provide more education to our residents.”
The Weyburn Campus was a natural choice for the program, already hosting a practical nursing program through a brokerage relationship with Saskatchewan Polytechnic, which consistently operates at full capacity.
While clinical placements and hospital partnerships are being coordinated by the University of Saskatchewan, Holzmiller said early meetings with local healthcare providers were met with enthusiasm.
“I think there is a level of excitement,” she said, adding that the U of S sent a team out who met with local providers.
“They spent some time in Estevan and St. Joseph. They spent time here at the General Hospital. And I know from that, those initial meetings, there was a great level of excitement. Folks in those facilities in both of our cities were very happy to hear that this programming is happening.”
For Holzmiller, the launch of the BSN program is a meaningful milestone.
“The more variety of education that we can provide, as well as those twoand four-year programs that we can provide, I think it’s just a great notch in the college’s belt, for lack of a better term.”
She said she appreciated being invited to participate in the student pinning ceremony held on Sept. 2, where she met the new students and university representatives.
“It was apparent that the level of excitement is mutual from both the U of S side and the college side,” said Holzmiller.
Southeast College welcomed their first group of nursing students, the future BSN program Class of 2028. These nursing students include Janae Armstrong, Ayana BeBeau, Ava Keller, Jessie Kosmenko, Barnabas Mbah, Laksmi Palomares Erickson, John Tsikira, Makayla Vaughan, and Kassie Wagman. They were welcomed by Kristen Pawliw, Distributed Undergraduate Programs Coordinator; USask College of Nursing, Jody Holzmiller, CEO and president SE College; Kristin Tyhy, Campus Manager for SE College; and Dr. Karen Juckes (PhD), assistant professor, USask College of Nursing.
Card games held at Wheatland Centre
Several card games were held at the Wheatland Senior Centre recently.
In Spades on August 15, Mildred Sandiford placed first, Kathy Carson won second and Rosealine Levesque finished third.
In Military Whist on August 25, Faye Johnson, Marge Schultz, Rose Levesque and Elaine Frasz placed first, Janet Van Winkoop, Jean Knibbs, Mildred Sandiford and Phyllis Lindskog took second place, and Ruth Boren, Bev Johnston, Gordon Bell and Emily Zyla placed third.
In Kaiser on August 26, Marge Schultz and Faye Johnson won first, Elaine Frasz and Jeanne Molnar placed second and Kim Bent and Melba Bent placed third.
In Canasta on August 27, Janet Van Winkoop won first, Elaine Frasz placed second, Trina Maas took third, Pat Peterson came in fourth, Sheila Wendel placed fifth, and Brenda Paul placed sixth.
During Hi-Low Whist on August 27, Dave Frayn and Brenda Paul won first, Marg Schultz and Fay Johnson placed second, and
Janet Van Winkoop and Emily Zyla finished third.
In Thursday Crib on August 28, Trina Maas and Marlene Szczecinski won first, Stan Hubick and Sheila Greiner placed second, Gerry Thompson and Elaine Frasz finished third, and Fran Long and Phylis Lindskog finished fourth.
In Spades on September 1, Janet Van Winkoop placed first, Marg Schultz won second and Gladys Lokken finished third.
In Canasta on September 3, Jean Reich won first, Eveline Porte placed
second, and Sheila Wendel took third.
During Hi-Low Whist on September 3, Marg Schultz and Janet Van Winkoop won first, Willa Mae Donald and Ruth Boren placed second, and Dave Frayn and Brenda Paul finished third.
In Thursday Crib on September 4, Don Peterson and Heather Carter won first, Marg Schultz and Della Schultz placed second, Marlene Szczecinski and Joni McNaughton finished third, and Elaine Frasz and Gerry Thompson finished fourth.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
SPORTS
Red Wings split opening pre-season series against Melville
The Weyburn Red Wings split a pre-season series against the Melville Millionaires. They lost 6-2 at the newly named Whitecap Resources Centre on Friday night, and won 5-4 in a shootout victory in the Melville CN Community Centre on Saturday.
During the Weyburn home game on Friday night, Sawyer Aquila scored early for the Red Wings at the 4:08 mark in the first period, with Melville tying the game with a late goal at 19:01. There
was no goals for either team in the second period.
In the third period, Ryder Woods scored at the 2:55 mark for Weyburn, but Melville dominated the rest of the period and scored five goals for the victory. Keane Reid was the Red Wings’ goaltender, and stopped 26 out of 31 shots for the first two and a half periods. The Red Wings attempted to sore some goals by pulling the goaltender for half a minute, and when Reid was back in net he stopped 11 out of 11 shots.
WCS volleyball team finishes third
The WCS Senior Boys Volleyball team travelled to Oxbow last weekend for their first tournament of the year.
In the round robin, Weyburn played Kipling, Estevan and Redvers. On Friday evening, they won their first game, beating Kipling 25-12 and 25-16 but ended up losing their second game to Estevan by scores of 16-25 and 11-25.
In their first match on Saturday morning, they played Redvers and beat them by a score of 25-5 and 25-7, ending up second in their pool, with two wins and one loss after round
robin play.
In the quarter final game, Weyburn played the hometown team, Oxbow, and beat them in three games, losing the first match 2325 but coming back to take the next two matches 25-20 and 15-11, advancing them to the semi-finals against Rouleau.
Rouleau was victorious, beating WCS in two straight games in the semi-final, 19-25 and 21-25. WCS then played Carnduff in the bronze medal game, beating them 25-16 and 25-20 to capture third place in the first tournament of the year.
During the road game in Melville on Saturday night, Melville started strong with one goal in the first period, followed by two goals in the second period. Ryder Rommelaere scored a late second period goal for the Red Wings, assisted by Luke Schraeder and Dylan Westmann.
In the third period, Talen Lewis scored the second goal of the night for Weyburn, which was shortly followed by Melville claiming their fourth goal. Later in the period, Simon Martin scored a powerplay goal for the Wings, assisted by Hosh Sale and Lucas Schmid. Aidan Mohan
tied the game with a shorthanded goal for Weyburn at the 16:01 mark, unassisted, to tie the game.
There was no goals scored in the overtime period, and both teams sent seven players onto the ice for the shootout round. Schmid scored as the seventh player for Weyburn,
earning the shootout victory for the Wings.
The Red Wings were back at Whitecap Resource Centre on Tuesday night, to face their Highway 39 rivals, the Estevan Bruins. The other half of that preseason series will be tonight, September 10, at Affinity Place in Estevan.
The Weyburn Red Wings split a pre-season series against the Melville Millionaires, losing 6-2 Friday night and rebounding with a 5-4 win on Saturday.
Photo courtesy Highway 39 Photography
The WCS Eagles girls soccer team faced off against the Yorkton Sacred Heart Saints at Jubilee Park on September 6. They won the first game 1-0 and lost the second game 6-1.
A great night on Friday saw football rivals match up under the lights in front of a packed, loud crowd at the WMF field, as the WCS Eagles won 13-11 over Yorkton Raiders.
The Eagles opened the first quarter with a quick score from QB Cooper Knox completing a pass to Tace Odima, who broke a few tackles and took it 70 yards to the end zone. Missing the extra point, the Eagles grabbed a 6-0 lead. It was back and forth action, with a missed field goal by Yorkton, resulting
in a score of 6-1 at halftime.
In the second half, the Raiders closed the gap with a field goal and the score stayed 6-4 until late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles finally pushed another touchdown through in the fourth quarter when Nash Hignett ran it in from one yard out with less than two minutes left to give the Eagles a 13-4 lead after the extra point.
The Raiders did not go away and marched down the field for a quick score on a long trick play pass to
narrow the score to 13-11.
The Eagles defence closed out the final seconds to seal the victory.
The Eagles improve to 1-1 on the year and Yorkton falls to 1-1 sharing second place in the league with two other teams at this early point of the season.
The Weyburn Comp Eagles are busy this week as the Junior Varsity group entertained Peacock and Central at Darold Kot Field. The senior Eagles will host the Greenall Griffins on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Photo Sabrina Kraft/Weyburn Review
Potential for Sask women’s hockey league excites co-founder
David Willberg SaskToday.ca
Hockey fans in southeast Saskatchewan and across the province will have another high-level hockey option to enjoy this season.
The Southeast Saints, based in Midale, will be charter members of the new Saskatchewan Senior Women’s Hockey League. Megan LeBlanc, an Estevan woman who is the founder of the Saints and a co-founder of the league alongside Jenna Merk, said they have been working on the league for some time.
LeBlanc has played hockey her entire life and said she always strived to get to the next level. She wants to keep playing competitive hockey.
“All of a sudden you age out of university years, and then you’re just done. There’s definitely a gap there, and I think moving back to Saskatchewan and seeing all of the boys and all of the men have their senior leagues and senior teams, it came to light the gap ... in women’s hockey,” she told SaskToday.
Midale is the best place to host the southeast entry, she said. LeBlanc has been
in many rinks in her life, and she said Midale stands out for its support of women’s hockey. The South East U18 AA Gold Wings, who play out of Midale, won the provincial and South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League titles last season.
“I’m hoping in the future, definitely the girls who play Gold Wings will be able to carry onto our senior teams. All around, Midale is just a great rink, great community and hockey team. When the question was asked where are we going to host this team, without hesitation the first rink I thought of was Midale, and then we had a conversation with them, and it’s all looking like it will work out,” said LeBlanc.
It also helped that Midale is located between Estevan and Weyburn.
The Saints have already received strong support. LeBlanc said they want to put the best possible roster on the ice.
“Each game we want to have the best roster, the best chance of winning,” said LeBlanc.
Other communities have shown interest as well, she said. In the short time since the league was announced,
they have received messages about sponsorships and more.
The other southern teams are the Gull Lake Falcons, Grenfell Prairie Fire, Rouleau Reign and Vibank Bruins. Northern teams will be announced soon, LeBlanc said. Teams will play 12 games in the first season, and she hopes the league can grow from there.
“This is just the beginning. It’s only to grow and take off from here,” said LeBlanc.
Teams will play their divisional opponents during the regular season, with the winners of the South and North Divisions meeting in the league final.
LeBlanc hopes the league will eventually resemble men’s senior hockey, with teams in close proximity. She said there will be a mix of older players who remain highly skilled and younger players who competed at high levels.
“We have a very wide range, and the hope for the future is to keep it at least AA or higher, and from there, the more it grows and the more people that want to play, we’ll start doing subdivisions. We just want to make
sure this league is successful to start with, and from there, we also have it as a goal so that everyone who wants to play competitive hockey will have the opportunity to do so.”
Smaller communities are also excited to be hosting teams, she said.
LeBlanc noted the Saints are not to be confused with another Southeast Saints recreation club that plays out of Stoughton in the Super 7 Women’s Hockey League.
“Our goal with the Southeast Saints program, we have the two hockey teams now established. One’s in the senior league. One’s in the rec league. We want to make sure that everybody from around our little corner has an option to play, even if it’s someone who’s a mom who just wants to get out and have a social life and be active in the cold winter months.”
Megan LeBlanc of Estevan founded the Southeast Saints and co-founded the Saskatchewan Senior Women’s Hockey League, which begins play this season.
Photo David Willberg/SaskToday.ca
Team Black edges Team Gold to win Bruins’ Gerry Aspen Cup
SaskToday staff
Team Black defeated Team Gold 5-4 in the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins’ annual intrasquad game Sept. 7 at Affinity Place. Forward Reid Blanchard had two goals and one assist, and local product Carter Hirsch also scored twice to lead the way for the victors. Rookie defenceman Daniel Tverdovsky had the other goal. Returning forward Chase Holt had two goals in the third period for Team Gold, who outshot Team Black 44-38. Cash Olson and Orsen Poll also scored.
With the win, Team Black earned the Gerry Aspen Cup, named after the Bruins’ long-time former trainer and volunteer. Aspen constructed the Bruins’ dressing room when Affinity Place opened in 2011. He was on hand for the game and presented Team Black with the trophy. He also addressed the team after the game.
The Bruins will now shift their focus to the preseason, which begins this week. The team will open their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home series against the Weyburn Red Wings Sept. 9 and 10, followed by games versus the Manitoba junior league’s Virden Oil Capitals on Sept. 12 and 13.
The two home preseason games will be Sept. 10 and 12 at Affinity Place.
The Bruins will open their regular season Sept. 19 in Melville, with the home opener the following night in Estevan.
Bruins’ former long-time trainer and volunteer Gerry Aspen, right, presented Team Black with the cup named in his honour.
Photo sourced from the Estevan Bruins’ X account
Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young and Steel Reef Chief Operating Officer Austin Voss.
Energy minister tours SE oil recovery sites
SaskToday
Minister of Energy and Resources Colleen Young toured two key southeast facilities that support innovative and sustainable energy production on September 4: Whitecap Resources Inc.’s enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project in Weyburn, and Steel Reef Infrastructure Corp.’s (Steel Reef) Viewfield gas processing facility, including their combined heat and power project, in the Estevan area.
“Our oil and gas sector is a bedrock of the provincial economy, supporting jobs, families and a massive service and supply industry,” Young said. “Saskatchewan energy producers have a proven track record of developing and implementing new technologies to reduce emissions and keep production strong into the future. Our province is ready to play a key role in helping Canada realize its potential to be a global energy superpower.”
The Weyburn CO2 EOR project has been operating for nearly 25 years. It collects carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial emitters and injects the gas underground to enhance oil recovery. To date, the facility has stored more than 44 megatonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of removing 9,310,647 cars off the road for one year. It has also produced more than 120 million barrels of
oil during this time.
“Whitecap is proud to own and operate one of the world’s largest carbon sequestration facilities, right here in Saskatchewan,” Whitecap Resources Inc. senior vice-president of business development and IT Dave Mombourquette said. “This project helped pioneer enhanced oil recovery and world-leading best practices for EOR project implementation. It continues to enable lowdecline, stable oil production while also reducing emissions. Saskatchewan’s foresight in capturing CO2 from Boundary Dam continues to pay dividends as the current main source of CO2 that drives Weyburn’s EOR recovery today. The province’s attractive energy policies, combined with its skilled workforce, make Saskatchewan an ideal place for us to continue our investment to realize the full potential of the province’s vast energy resources.”
Steel Reef continues to support associated gas capture from oil production. Instead of associated gas being vented or flared to the atmosphere, the gas is collected and processed into various saleable products and used to generate electricity. The company has used the Government of Saskatchewan’s Oil and Gas Processing Investment Incentive (OGPII) several times to support its flare gas capture investments in the province.
Steel Reef has built the first phase of its combined heat and power project at its Viewfield gas processing facility in the Estevan area, which includes a turbine for power generation and integrated waste heat recovery units, reducing the need for associated gas consumption for utility and process heat for flare gas processing.
With phase 2, Steel Reef will install additional turbines and electrical substations at Viewfield, as well as its facilities in Coleville, North Portal, Saskatchewan Ethane Extraction Plant (SEEP) and Steelman to align with multiple long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with SaskPower to provide in excess of 100 megawatts of carbonefficient power for Saskatchewan communities. On average, each site will produce approximately 20 megawatts of power to be brought onto the SaskPower grid by late 2027.
“We were pleased to tour our Viewfield facility alongside the Government of Saskatchewan to highlight the importance of economic growth and shaping a reliable, responsible and sustainable energy future,”
“This was an opportunity to showcase how we are advancing emissionsto-energy technologies, and how we are investing in electricity-generating
Estevan to host rural innovation conference this fall
SaskToday staff
Rural innovators from across Canada will gather in Estevan this September as ICED Rural 2025, Canada’s only rural innovation conference, returns Sept. 23–24 at Affinity Place.
The event, organized by the Southeast Techhub (SETH), together with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network (SIEDN), will showcase new ideas in energy, technology and education and spotlight the role of rural communities in shaping the country’s future.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Rural innovation in energy and education.” It will bring together entrepreneurs, academics, Indigenous leaders, policymakers and industry experts to discuss cutting-edge initiatives transforming rural Canada.
Over two days, ICED Rural 2025 will feature 11 presentations, including:
turbines powered by recovered flare gas. This process reduces emissions and provides electricity from a previously unavailable source. By working with the government and industry peers — and thanks to the dedication of our talented employees — we are strengthening Saskatchewan’s energy sector and delivering long-term opportunities for growth and competitiveness.”
The ministry continues to promote the responsible development of Saskatchewan’s oil and gas resources through various emissions reduction programs. As of 2024, Saskatchewan’s oil and gas sector has reduced emissions from venting and flaring at upstream oil facilities by 71 per cent, compared with 2015 levels.
Saskatchewan is a global leader in low-emissions oil production from EOR. The Government of Saskatchewan urges the Government of Canada to support sustainable oil production, including by making EOR an eligible use of captured CO2 under the federal Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit. Saskatchewan’s competitive royalty structure, stable and predictable regulatory approach, programs that support innovation, emissions reductions and new infrastructure make the province one of the best places in the world to invest in oil and gas.
Canada’s next energy frontier.
• Turning coal into graphite — updates on southeast Saskatchewan’s pilot project.
• University of Regina energy systems engineering program — training the next generation of innovators.
• Southeast College computer science training program — students learn through real-world industry projects.
• Indigenous perspectives on energy and innovation — bringing resilience and community knowledge to solutions.
A rural innovation exhibit will run alongside the presentations, showcasing companies and startups from across Canada that are driving change in energy, technology and education.
• GE Hitachi and SaskPower: SMR technology in rural communities — exploring small modular reactors as a driver of economic growth.
• Drilling for natural hydrogen — a look at
A highlight of this year’s program is the Rural Sask Pitch 2025, a $15,000 competition giving rural entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their ideas to investors, industry leaders, and policymakers.
Title sponsors GE Vernova Hitachi and SaskPower are backing the event, supporting southeast Saskatchewan as a hub of rural innovation.
NOTICE OF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS BY-ELECTION RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BENSON NO. 35
Public notice is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the offices of:
Councillor: Rural Municipality of Benson No 35, Division No 2. Number to be Elected: 1
Councillor: Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Division No. 4. Number to be Elected: 1
will be received by the undersigned on the 8th day of October,2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Municipal Office located at 370 – 1st Avenue, Benson, Saskatchewan.
No mi nat io ns wi ll al so be re ce iv ed dur in g re gul ar bus in es s hou rs Se pt em ber 8 to O ct ober 7, 2025 , at th e mu ni ci pal of fic e at 370 – 1s t Av enue, Be ns on, Sa ska tc hew an. Nomination forms may be obtained at the following location: RM office located at 370 – 1st Avenue, Benson, Saskatchewan.
No mi nat io n fo rms mu st be pr ope rl y ex ec ute d and ac co mp ani ed by a co mp le te d Pu bl ic Di scl os ur e St at em en t and a cu rre nt Cr i mi nal Re co rd Ch ec k fr om th e RCM P as pe r R. M. of Be ns on No .3 5 By la w 2016- 006 – A By la w to Re qui re Cr im in al Re co rd Ch ec ks wit h No mi nat io n Fo rms
Dated this 8th day of September 2025
Chantel Walsh Returning Officer
Photo courtesy Government of Saskatchewan
St., 10th St., 11th St., McGillivray Bay, Hartney Ave., 1st Ave NE
YouthBiz 2025 Contest now open
Community Futures
Sunrise, Weyburn is excited to announce that YouthBiz 2025 is now open for student entries.
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 3, 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.
ing-in ceremony on September 8.
Weyburn Chamber accepting Golden Sheaf nominations
The Weyburn Chamber of Commerce has announced that nominations are now open for the Golden Sheaf Award, which is presented at Ag Appreciation Night.
The Golden Sheaf Award gives the Chamber the opportunity to recognize excellence in agricultural achievement and to help foster rural-urban understanding and consideration.
Golden Sheaf Nominations can be picked up at the Chamber office or downloaded from the Chamber website at www. weyburnchamber.com. The deadline for nominations is October 17, 2025. The Ag Appreciation Night is an annual banquet to recognize the importance of agriculture in our local economy, celebrating the hard work and dedication of local producers and
ranchers. The evening includes dinner, the presentation of the Golden Sheaf Award, and a featured guest speaker.
The Ag Appreciation Night will take place on Friday, November 7, at McKenna Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. To purchase tickets please contact the Chamber office at 306842-4738 or register online at www.weyburnchamber. com.
The propos ed Seven Stars Energy Project is expected to bring more than $100 million to the Weyburn and Griffin region, including tax revenues over its anticipated 30-year lifespan. It will als o create up to 200 construction jobs, with spin-off benefits for loc al business es.
But this isn’t just about what we want to build. It’s about how we plan to build it
We’ve made changes based on what we’ve heard increasing the distance between the wind turbines and homes, adding land to give more space, and installing radaractivated lighting to keep the night sky dark
That’s what being a good neighbour means —listening and committing to doing this right.
Learn more at enbridge.com/s evenstars
The Weyburn Police Service welcomed Const. Landon Seifering, centre, during a swear-
Const. Seifering previously worked with the Sask. Highways Patrol. Pictured, l-r, WPS board member Laura Morrissette, Deputy Police Chief Shane St. John, Police Chief Brent VandeSype, Const. Seifering, WPS board chair Ron McCormick, and Mayor Jeff Richards.
