The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is warning of an emergent situation in the southwest and west central areas of the province. As a result of aggressive contact tracing and testing, the SHA has identified additional individuals with COVID-19 in southwest and west central Saskatchewan. Some of these individuals are linked to known chains of transmission and some individuals have no known source for their infection. This overall increased level of COVID-19 activity means there is an increased risk of transmission to the public in this part of Saskatchewan.
As of July 15, 2020, the following rural municipalities and areas have increased risk of transmission of COVID-19:
• Maple Creek (No. 111)
• Auvergne (No. 76)
• Biggar (No. 347)
• City of Swift Current
• Eagle Creek (No. 376)
• Grandview #349
• Harris (No. 316)
• Kellross #247
• Lac Pelletier (No. 107)
• Newcombe (No. 260)
• Perdue (No. 346)
• Pleasant Valley #288
• Prairiedale (No. 321)
• Tramping Lake #380
PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Visitor restrictions in South West and West Central Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is asking the public for their support and cooperation in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result of an increased risk for COVID-19 in the south west and west central areas of Saskatchewan, visitation at Cypress Regional Hospital, as well as long-term care homes and personal care homes within close proximity to areas with an increased transmission of COVID-19, will be temporarily restricted.
At Cypress Regional Hospital, family members or support people will only be permitted for compassionate reasons. No other visitors are allowed into the facilities at this time and these enhanced restrictions will remain in place at Cypress Regional Hospital until further notice. Compassionate care reasons may include, but are not limited to, family or support persons during end-oflife care, major surgery, intensive care/ critical care or a care partner aiding in clinical care (at the discretion of the patient’s care provider). Detailed information about compassionate care can be found at saskatchewan.ca/covid19.
In the following long-term care homes, visitation will be restricted to outdoor visits and end of life care:
• Biggar
• Cabri
• Eastend
• Elrose
• Eston
• Foam Lake
• Gravelbourg
• Gull Lake
• Kerrobert
• Kindersley
• Lafleche
• Lestock
• Mankota
• Maple Creek
• Meadows in Swift Current
• Ponteix
• Raymore
• Rosetown
• Shaunavon
• Theodore
• Wynyard
Outdoor visitation will remain in place until further notice. End of life care includes palliative care, hospice care or those who are at high risk for loss of life as determined with the patient, family and care team. Detailed in-
Emergent situation
CONTINUED FROM FRONT
Cases are on a number of Hutterite communities in these municipalities. There are also several other, unrelated increases in cases in these municipalities that are presenting an elevated risk. The SHA is actively engaging with the Hutterian Safety Council, local Hutterite leaderships, local municipalities and the business community to ensure all necessary actions are being taken to mitigate as much as possible the further spread of the virus.
The results of an additional 91 COVID-19 tests from residents in the
southwestern and south central Saskatchewan area are expected tomorrow. In addition, more than 160 people are currently undergoing testing in south west and south central Saskatchewan. It is expected that this will lead to case increases in the formal provincial daily COVID-19 case report in the days ahead.
The SHA is reminding Saskatchewan residents to follow public health orders to limit the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining physical distancing of two metres of separation, implement proper hand hygiene practices and limit the size of indoor
and outdoor gatherings. It is important that anyone with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of sense of taste or smell, should protect themselves and others, especially the vulnerable, by staying home, self-isolating and getting tested for COVID-19.
Testing is also now universally available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.
formation about visitation can be found at saskatchewan.ca/covid19
Family members and support people who are permitted must be verified and undergo a health screening prior to entering the facility or home. This includes a temperature check and questionnaire. The visitor will be required to perform hand hygiene (hand washing and/or use of hand sanitizer) when entering and leaving the facility or home and when entering and leaving the patient’s or resident’s room. Visitors will be required to wear a medical grade mask while inside the facility or home and potentially additional personal protective equipment if required. Visitors are not permitted to wait in waiting rooms or other common areas.
Under no circumstances should you visit if you have respiratory, gastric or flu-like symptoms (e.g., common cold, diarrhea, vomiting) or if you have travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.
Virtual Visiting
We encourage families to consider other ways to stay connected with your family members or friends in our long-term care homes, such as phone calls or online means of communication. We encourage families to consider virtual visiting through electronic applications such as FaceTime, Skype and WhatsApp. We are asking families and visitors for their co-operation in following these restrictions.
COVID-19 Testing
It is important that anyone with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of sense of taste or smell, should protect themselves and others, especially the vulnerable, by staying home, self-isolating and getting tested for COVID-19.
Testing is now universally available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.
You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/ COVID19.
There are 42 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on July 16, bringing the total to 923 cases. Thirty-one (31) of the new cases are in the South, six are in the Central region, four are in the Saskatoon region and one is in the North.
Of the 923 reported cases, 114 are considered active. A total of 794 people have recovered.
Eleven (11) people are in hospital. Nine people are receiving inpatient care; seven in Saskatoon, one in the South and one in the North. Two people are in intensive care; one in Saskatoon and one in the South.
PHOTO BY KATE WINQUIST
The R.M. of Newcombe No. 260 is on of the municipalities named last week as having an increased risk of transmission of COVID-19.
Sign of the times: Both the West Central Events Centre and the Aquatic Centre had their lettering installed last week. It looks fantastic! The tentative opening date for the Kindersley Aquatic Centre was scheduled for Sunday, July 19th (but always subject to change due to COVID-19 regulations).
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Meals on Wheels program could use your help
JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com
If you have some free time and enjoy volunteering your time for a worthwhile cause, the Sask Health Authority can help you channel your energy to help people in the community. Bernie Doepker, Director of Volunteer Services for Sask. Health Authority, said volunteers are specifically needed at this time. Because of the pandemic, volunteers over 65 have been asked to step aside temporarily, due to their vulnerability. “This has left most communities with very few volunteers,” Bernie said.
“While we are dealing with this, we really need help from students who are home from university, teens, or those
who are working from home. Even volunteering one day a week would help,” she concluded.
Meals on Wheels receives volunteer help through various groups and businesses, such as banks, insurance companies and dealerships, but every volunteer is needed and appreciated. Anyone between the ages of 16-64 is eligible. Generally, in Kindersley, it would involve a one hour commitment during the lunch hour.
“Any amount of time that is available would be a benefit right now,” Bernie said. “We do have volunteers go through screening, reference checks and criminal record checks as well. Then we go through the orientation that’s needed,” she said. This involves sanita-
tion procedures, protocols and training that’s required. And necessary precautions are being taken to ensure deliveries continue safely in the weeks and months ahead.
If you are interested, you can contact your local Meals on Wheels Coordinator to get signed up. Phone 306-4631000 ext.2504 or email: allison.klein2@ saskhealthauthority.ca or you can regis-
ter on line at the following link https:// app.betterimpact.com/Application?OrganizationGuid-cd025332-9892-45cabfef-9a8743d9cf1b&ApplicationFormNumber=1
“There’s lots of different people who are spending more time at home, so that’s the people we’re trying to reach,” Bernie concluded.
PHOTOS BY KATE WINQUIST
CHECK IT OUT
JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com
Ahusbandsaid,
“My wife’s credit card got stolen the other day. I haven’t bothered reporting it, though, because the thief spends much less than my wife.”
While I’m on the topic of spending money, I’ll mention the latest spending by the Federal Government. Controversy recently arose when the Prime Minister awarded a $19.5 million contract to WE Charity to administer the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), which offers grants of $1,000 to $5,000 to post-secondary students in return for supervised volunteer hours. By the way, this decision
OPINION Following the money trail
was made after Parliament was suspended.
According to the CBC, the Prime Minister’s office made the following statement, “What is important to remember here is that this is about a charity supporting students. The CSSG program is about giving young people opportunities to contribute to their communities, not about benefits to anyone else.”
However Margaret Trudeau received benefits of $250,000 for speaking at approximately 28 events, although WE Charity had earlier said it had never paid an honorarium to her. Margaret’s son Alexandre also received benefits of $32,000 for speaking at eight WE Charity events. And why would they accept such a significant amount of money from a charity? Wouldn’t it be wiser to use that $282,000 to benefit students?
WE Charity explained that sponsored speakers at WE events are often contracted through speakers’ bureaus, one of which was ME to WE Social Enterprises. Though
separate, ME to WE Social Enterprises is still part of the WE organization. Margaret’s fees are usually sponsored by ME to WE Social Enterprise, but WE Charity admitted that sometimes she was paid directly by WE Charity, but that was only because of an error in billing.
But why would it make a difference, when - according to the CBC, profits earned by ME to WE Social Enterprises are returned to the WE Charity. Now the federal ethics commissioner is investigating the WE contract to administer the volunteer grant.
These circumstances may cause Canadians to recollect the forgotten SNC-Lavalin affair. Canadians may also remember that WE Charity founders, Marc and Craig Kielburger, directly financed Trudeau’s leadership campaign.
WE Charity said in a statement: questions have been asked about the program, such as its origin and the choice of WE Charity as the government’s partner.
“These are all valid questions and the government has provided explanations for each. However, controversy has not abated.”
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh agreed, saying,
“This doesn’t clear up why and how the decision was made in the first place.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is encouraging Canadians to email the federal auditor general, Karen Hogan, and ask her to conduct an audit of all contracts between the federal government and WE Charity.
You can contact me at joanjanzen@yahoo.com
Better disclosure of COVID-19 cases needed
To describe rural Saskatchewan as a remote location is often meantor at least taken - as a slight.
But Chief Medical Health Officer Saqib Shahab meant the remark in a complimentary way recently, suggesting distance and isolation have been keys in this province to containing outbreaks of COVID-19.
Last month’s COVID-19 outbreak at two Hutterite colonies near Maple Creek serves as a stark reminder of what the Shahab, the Saskatchewan Party government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority have been saying all along: Outbreaks can and will happen anywhere at anytime.
But doesn’t that mean we need better and more immediate detailed information on outbreaks when they do happen?
This is one thing government should be doing a lot better four months into this pandemic.
“We have seen local outbreaks that can continue to spread … if we let our guard down,” Premier Scott Moe said in a press conference last Tuesday _ a day after the public learned of 54 new cases in just two days that was the largest two-day case numbers in two months.
“Again, the virus can spread at any place at any time. We all have to do our part.”
Shahab added that while 40 or 50 cases sounds like a large number, it’s not that surprising in a communal living setting like a Hutterite colony.
However, the CMO was confident that because of contact tracing and good practices, such spreads can be contained to within specific communities. And because the communities in Saskatchewan are far party, the spread can be that much more easily confined.
cases — Maple Creek , Auvergne, Biggar, Carmichael, Eagle Creek, Harris, Lac Pelletier, Newcombe, Perdue, Kellross and Prairiedale.
There was also some additional detail we don’t normally get. Shabab said not all cases were related to communal transfer from the colonies.
But if this is what Saskatchewan officials have discovered four months into this fight, it’s more than a little curious they haven’t been providing more immediate and detailed information on cases when they do occur.
MURRAY MANDRYK Political Columnist
New cases had been reported on a broad regional basis that did not include specific rural communities until last week when the government took the unprecedented measure of mentioning specific rural municipalities with
Health Minister Jim Reiter added health officials and the SHA were working closely with the Hutterian Safety Council.
But, mostly, what the government told us was what we heard before or already know _ that this is “just a reminder for everyone to just be that much more alert” and that “we all need to be aware of our own symptoms”.
We need more detail _ and certainly more consistent reporting of outbreaks that include specifically where they are happening.
Why they are reluctant to do so specifically in rural communities is a bit puzzling.
The government has had few qualms about reporting COVID-19 cases of those working in city bars or hardware stores that may have come into contact with the public.
One gets why governments might not want to stigmatize small communities or inadvertently breach personal health privacy.
But shouldn’t public health take priority over these other considerations?
Evidently it does, because this is now what the government is doing by announcing a case in a small RMs like Harris with just 193 people.
We simply need more consistency, forthright and immediate disclosure of outbreaks _ regardless of where they occur.
Moe acknowledged last week that not immediately reporting 54 cases on the weekend “did create some concern” after being criticized for not taking three days to release the numbers by NDP leader Ryan Meili.
Moe said his government would back to seven-day a week reporting of daily case numbers.
This is helpful.
If outbreaks can happen anywhere, anytime, we need to immediategly know where they are happening.
WINQUIST kate@yoursouthwest.com
I hope that you will get to know me a little better through this page and have a better understanding of why I came back to west-central Saskatchewan just as I hope to get to know all of you and invite you to share your stories.
I’m not sure why I decided to become a newspaper publisher. English was always one of my better subjects in school. Going through some old report cards, my story, “My Life As A Pencil” was the literary highlight of my Grade 6 year! Was this the beginning of my writing career? Doubtful, for sure. It took another five years before I realized that I did enjoy writing and spelling. My favourite teacher was Valerie Burghardt. She was my Grade 11 English teacher at KCS. I remember reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. They were both so much better than Julius Caesar and Margaret Atwood! (sorry, Mr. Gerle).
My Grade 12 year was similar. I enjoyed Mr. Welte’s English class. I didn’t mind getting up in front of my classmates for the oral reports. I even remember writing a couple of my friend’s assignments for her. (I will not mention any names, but she just opened up a spectacular clothing shop in Kindersley). I’ll admit that my grades were never the best. I struggled with the maths and sciences. I did not make the honour roll. To be truthful, I wasn’t sure that I would get into any post-secondary
schools with a C+ average.
I knew I wanted to do something artistically related when I left high school. I had pretty much made that decision after attending a field trip with “Granny” Smith’s Grade 10 Art class to Saskatoon back in 1985. We went to artist/ sculpturer Bill Epp’s foundry at his farm near Martensville, and I was inspired. Art was no longer just an “easy” credit in school, I made the conscious decision that I wanted to excel, even if it meant doing charcoal still-life renderings of cattails in a vase and plastic fruit in a bowl, over and over again.
I applied to the Visual Communications program at Medicine Hat College and thankfully was accepted. I started this three-year program in the fall of 1987. Most of the classes were art related, but we still had to take English and wouldn’t you know it, a Margaret Atwood novel. It was like Grade 10 all over again, much to my dismay! To make matters worse, the English class was at 8:00 a.m. Much too early for an art student whose creative juices didn’t start flowing until after midnight.
I did manage to pass the class and received my Diploma in Visual Communications in 1990. I was now ready for the real world, wherever that was going to take me.
The real world has taken me to such places as Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Shaunavon, Gull Lake, Maple Creek, and Kindersley.
But that still doesn’t answer the question of why I became a newspaper publisher? Most newspaper publish-
ers have a journalism background or at least a sales background. I have neither. As it turns out, newspapers consist of words and stories, but they also have photos, graphics and other things to catch your eye. If you believe the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” I probably have a million words on my DSL camera.
My obsession with photography takes me back to the year my Dad purchased a Polaroid camera. They made horrible photos, but it was pretty cool how it was instant, even if part of the picture seemed to melt away! No waiting for weeks to get your pictures developed. Maybe it was a photography class with Moff Kay at KCS. Why they combined that class with small engine repair, I have not figured out. It may have been the three years that I took photography in College. I think all of these things had a contributing factor to my photography habit, but it wasn’t until I purchased the Gull Lake Advance in 2009, that I realized how important photos are to a newspaper. I had a small point and shoot camera, but it wasn’t good quality. My husband surprised me and bought me a Canon camera for my 40th birthday, a mere month after I had published my first edition at Gull Lake. That’s when the obsession took place. That camera went everywhere I went. People started calling me the Crazy Camera Lady. Camera Lady would
have been sufficient. I’m not sure why the crazy part was thrown in there. So, even though you will still see articles and stories (after all, this is a newspaper), you will see plenty of photos throughout the area as I go on my weekly adventures through west-central Saskatchewan. I will publish some of my favourites here and on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages, because a picture is worth a thousand words. That, my friends, is why I became a newspaper publisher. I invite you to see this area through the eyes of my camera lens. - KW
During my time as Manging Editor at the Maple Creek News, I was able to take in many high calibre events like the Indian Relay Races.
The days of the Polaroid camera. My sister Carrie, Mom and I.
PHOTOS BY KATE WINQUIST
Who says Saskatchewan is flat? The beautiful South Saskatchewan River hills at Lemsford Ferry crossing.
Surprising number of bird species at Motherwell Reservoir
JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com
Most Kindersley and area residents would be surprised to discover there is a wide variety of bird species near the Motherwell Reservoir and the walking trail, except for one local resident - Floyd Connor.
Floyd has been passionate about birds since he was a kid growing up near Smiley, Sask. It was there that he first identified fifty different bird species, with the help of a bird book he had acquired. That was the beginning of a life-long passion and past time.
In later years, digital photography allowed him to expand his horizons, and capable mega zoom lens further enhanced his photos, helping him to shoot some truly stunning images.
He loves to share his love of nature with others, and is willing to take interested locals on a guided walk at the walking trail. It helps people to be able to put a name to particular species of birds. According to Floyd, the marshy habitat and different varieties of trees in the area are the perfect conditions for his hobby.
Floyd left the prairies to work at Queens University in Ontario. When he moved back to the prairies in 2010, he came to Kindersley and began frequenting the Motherwell Reservoir.
“To be able to show a great horned owl or a yellow warbler with a dignified pin stripe on its breast - that brings satisfaction to me and to the person who is seeing it for the first time,” Floyd said. This novice photographer has managed to capture quite a variety of species, including a Great Horned Owl, Horned Grebe, Northern Flicker, Goldfinch, a clay coloured Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler.
Horned Grebe (male)
Caped May Warbler
Clay Coloured Sparrow
Great Horned Owl
Northern Flicker (male)
American Wigeon (male)
Floyd Conner - local bird enthusiast
KINDERSLEY STALLIONS LINEUP
BEAUDOIN, Dillion
DONALDSON, Kyle
DUNN, Matt
FLASCH, Dylan
FRANCIS, Dylan
HANNON, Shaybe
HARRIS, Corson
HILBIG, Tylin
JAMIESON, Austin
KNUTSON, JD
KOSOLOFSKI, Jeff
LONGMIRE, Landon
LOREN, Ethan
MATERI, Mace
MCGRATH, Dallas
, Tyler
, Jory
,
, Brody
,
, Derek
, Chad
on Thursday evening against the Unity Cardinals. The
had one rough inning, but bounced back for a 7-4 win to remain undefeated on the season. *
Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Unity Junior Cardinals vs Kindersley Stallions* Thursday, July 23, 2020
Kindersley Stallions vs Lloydminster Twins
Monday, July 27, 2020
Kindersley Stallions vs Unity Cardinals
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Kindersley Stallions vs Border City Blue Jays
Redskins finally making name change
BRUCE PENTON
brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
Noclearer evidence that money talks came recently when the owner of the Washington Redskins said he would undertake a “thorough review” of the team’s nickname. In essence, a name change for the National Football League team is imminent.
Through the years, Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder has strongly resisted calls from the politically correct and racially sensitive segments of society to rid the franchise of the name which, as a New York Times story said, “recalls a violent ritual of taking human bodies as trophies.”
The website dictionary.com says ‘redskins’ means “a contemptuous term used to refer to a North American Indian.”
Snyder constantly fought back against critics of the name, saying in 2013 he would NEVER change it, telling the lnterviewing USA Today reporter to use all capitals in his story for emphasis.
Well, ‘never’ apparently didn’t last very long.
If embarrassment about having a racial slur for a team name wasn’t motivation
enough for change, financial threats from giant corporations Nike and FedEx seemed to have done the trick. Nike said it would eliminate Redskins-logoed gear from its shops and online selling sites, and FedEx, whose CEO is a minority ownership partner of the team and whose company has naming rights at the Washington stadium, said it was time for a new name. The implication, of course, was that FedEx and its millions might disappear if Snyder didn’t co-operate.
Many media outlets have been refusing to use the name ‘Redskins’ for the past couple of years, given its inappropriateness. Hardliners who view the pressure to change the name a result of political correctness (along the same lines as the removal of Confederate flags from NASCAR race sites and the dismantling of statues of figures whose shady pasts are just now coming to light) are fighting what they view as capitulating to the liberal elite.
But on the same day as the Redskins name controversy hit the media, owners of the Cleveland Indians announced that they would be undertaking a similar name review. In Canada, the name question came up
in the case of the Edmonton Eskimos, and team management promised a review in consultation with Inuit representatives. Word out of Washington is that the process of changing the team name won’t take long — ‘Warriors seems to be the favourite — and that it could actually take effect before the 2020 season begins. Considering it’s been 28 years since their last Super Bowl title, it’s not as if ‘Redskins’ has been a lucky name. A new moniker just might be the start of a redirection the team needs.
• Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “New Jersey resident James Micioni died in March at 97, leaving his unsuspecting heirs with a collection of vintage baseball cards in excellent
condition — including ones autographed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmy Foxx — worth potential millions. This just in: Gehrig now has competition for Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth honours.”
• Another one from Perry: “Here’s one sports cliché you might not be hearing for a while: ‘We just wanted to take the crowd out of the game.’”
• Former Mississippi State QB Kyle York, 37, via Twitter, after buying one of his old jerseys for $20 on eBay: “How do I know this was mine? Easy. I put it on and immediately threw an interception.”
• Patti Dawn Swansson, the River City Renegade, on the approval given for the Blue Jays to play home games in Toronto despite the supposed closure of the U.S-Canada border: “I’m no epidemiologist, but I’d feel safer telling Mike Tyson his face tattoo looks stupid.”
• British pro golfer Eddie Pepperell, on Twitter: “With every drive Bryson (DeChambeau) hits, I see my impending barista job come closer.”
• From media company ‘Baseballer’: “How do we know baseball is America’s pastime? Because kissing a girl is called getting to first base, not getting
a first down.”
• Jeff Macke on Twitter: “Reminder: Everything was fine before Kansas City won the Super Bowl.”
• Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “In Arizona, a former marine who played receiver in college football caught a 3-yearold thrown from a third-storey fire. The child is fine, but the catch has been overruled as the receiver tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.”
• Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: “Cubs pitcher Jose Quintana lacerated his thumb while washing dishes. Jose. You make big-league money. Look into this really neat invention. It’s called a dishwasher!”
• From Someone’s An Idiot, via Twitter, after a man driving a stolen car crashed into a woman driving another stolen car in Newberg, Ore: “Grand Theft Auto VI: a love story.”
• Jack Finarelli of SportsCurmudgeon.com, on QB Bobby Layne putting a curse on the Lions when they traded him following their 1957 title season, vowing they wouldn’t win another one for 50 years: “He underestimated the ineptitude of the franchise.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
PHOTOS BY KATE WINQUIST
Kyle Donaldson smashes a double
Stallions
Denotes Home Game
Corson Harris
Saskatchewan’s oil drilling has stopped completely, and oil production down 28.2%
BRIAN ZINCHUK Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
REGINA – In recent years, by mid-July there would be 30 to 50 drilling rigs working throughout Saskatchewan. Nearly all would be drilling for oil, but one or two would be drilling for potash or helium.
The active drilling rig count is one of the key leading indicators of the oil industry. As of July 16, there was just one rig working in Saskatchewan, and it was drilling for helium, according to Rig Locator (riglocator.ca). According the Rig Locator, no drilling rigs have been drilling for oil in Saskatchewan since the end of the winter drilling season in mid-March.
Additionally, Saskatchewan’s oil production went from 502,700 barrels per day in March, 2020, to 361,000 bpd in May, a decline of 28.2 per cent. When oil prices cratered in April, many oil producers shut-in (i.e. shut down) substantial portions of their production and all ceased drilling.
The tremendous destruction in demand for oil around the world came with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis which occurred in mid-March. This coincided with Saudi Arabia and Russia flooding the market with additional oil. In mid-April, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil briefly went into negative pricing territory for one day. Since then WTI has comb back
to US$40 per barrel, but drilling has not resumed and rigs are parked throughout the province.
Asked about this on July 16, Minister of Energy and Resources Bronwyn Eyre said, “Remember, before COVID, we had a strong, a strong winter drilling season right we talked about it in the early days of 2020.
“It seems like an eternity ago, but 756 new wells were drilled, which was a strong Q1 for 2020 and for that winter drilling season.”
She pointed out that Saskatchewan had a higher “drilled but uncompleted” (DUC) well count than other provinces at that same time. This could lead to an advantage in the future, she said, as those wells could be brought online more quickly when market conditions improve. The drilling cost is usually around 60 per cent, Eyre said. As new wells, they will have higher initial production rates and better cash flow than existing wells.
“Most new wells qualify for one of our volumetric drilling incentives of a 2.5% maximum Crown royalty rate,” Eyre said.
“I spoke to many, many companies and operators over the course of those months; March, April, May and June and I continue to. Our royalty regime is something that, even through these very difficult age, operators regard, and companies regard, as a beacon of stability,” she said.
Eyre said capital investment in exploration is expected to drop 50 per cent this year, compared to 2019, when it was $3.98 billion. This year she expects it to be closer to $2 billion.
“It’s going to take some time, of course, to get back to those pre COVID drilling numbers. Obviously, we hope the numbers are going to increase even now, going into the latter part of 2020 into the late summer and fall.
“That sharp decline, of course, has had a major im-
pact on the services sector, which is why we’ve been so focused on getting those funds out for the Accelerated Site Closure Program.”
Later in the day the province announced that has approved its first parcel of work packages to be completed through the Accelerated Site Closure Program (ASCP).
A total of 22 packages will engage up to 50 service companies and spread out the work for abandonment activities across the Lloydminster, Kindersley, Swift Current and Estevan areas. The work includes around 300 well abandonments, 300 flowline abandonments, 75 facility decommissions and 700 other activities related to site reclamation, the press release said.
The value of this first tranche of work packages is $12 million and encompasses six different oil and gas companies.Saskatchewan has been allotted $400 million from the federal government for the program.
NDP reaction to no drilling
On July 16 NDP finance and economy critic Trent Wotherspoon said regarding the rig count, “The complete lack of drilling represents a real hardship for Saskatchewan, families and workers and local companies. It certainly hurts our local economy, speaks to the speaks to the hardship that many are facing, and the importance of the energy sector as well to was Saskatchewan.
“And it certainly should serve as an important wake up call to the government to do all it can to build economic recovery and diverse job opportunities, of course, working with the traditional energy sector, but also just doing the simple things that create opportunity like putting Saskatchewan workers and businesses first when we procure and build projects with public money, making sure that those dollars aren’t flowing far outside Saskatchewan to companies and workers,” Wotherspoon said.
“These are folks that are out of work, and we need to do all we can in other sectors as well to secure an economic recovery and provide opportunities,” he said.
Asked if there’s anything else the province can do, Wotherspoon said, “I think it’s critical that you’re engaged with the energy sector and having frank conversations about what they’re facing, listening for those opportunities to make sure that that industry is on a solid footing and that it’s in a position to build some employment and make some investments. Just working together, and listening to needs.”
As for well abandonment, he said, “We’re kind of observing how it’s rolling out it was a bit slow being rolled out in Saskatchewan. I think the question is going to be, how can the province maximize the returns for Saskatchewan people. I think it’s very important that that work not be outsourced, the way that we’ve seen the Sask Party do time and time again.”
Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 21 day of September, 2020, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.
Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.
OF PROPERTY
The Leader Curling Club held a second bottle drive in as many months. Lots of volunteers showed up to sort and bag the bottles and cans. All proceeds are being donated to the G3 Iceplex Building Fund.
$90.00 +GST (Includes photo) Will be uploaded to our website www.yourwestcentral.com at no extra cost. Eulogies & Poems will be charged an additional .20¢ per word.
For Sale: Treadmill, low mileage. Used by a little old man on Sundays. Was $1000 new. $250 you take out of basement. $600 I take out of basement. Reason for selling: bought clothes hangers. gstueck@sasktel.net or text 306-628-7768. Located in Leader.
Be Not Dismayed
LEORA SCHMIDT
thelivingword@mail.com
Lisa recalls times of uncertain support in times past. Working in a busy city as a part time temporary employee she was often informed that her work opportunity was ended, and thus the attendant meager pay check also ceased. Always with a roof over her head, and never hungry, still the nagging anxiety about paying the rent and the uncertain future would gnaw at her mind during the interim before the next job came along. It became a comforting refrain to repeat the prayer of Habakkuk “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.The LORD God is my strength…” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
Lisa says that God has never failed to comfort and provide throughout her life, especially during the most difficult trials. She asserts that even if our human support system vanishes and the future looks bleak, we can be assured that the divine supply has never ceased. God used people, as well as His promises, to bring her support in most surprising ways. Tears, grief, rejection, slander, abandonment, unjust judgment, in the past left her feeling helpless and defenceless, but all these assaults turned her more trustingly to depend upon God. She asserts that God has NEVER failed to supply all her needs through “His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (see Philippians 4:19). As practicing believers, we don’t escape the trials and temptations and grief that exist in the world. As followers of God we know that He walks with us through all these distressing circumstances, and transforms us by increasing our faith. These bleak periods that frighten and unsettle us serve to perfect our character as we learn to trust an unfailing God.
Here are some Biblical excerpts to bolster our faith:
• God supplied manna in the desert to feed an estimated 2.4 million vulnerable Israelites for 40 years as they travelled to Canaan. They didn’t get
sick. Their clothes didn’t wear out. He provided a cloud for covering from the heat of the sun by day, and a fiery cloud for light and warmth from the desert cold and wild beasts by night. He supplied water from a rock in the desert! Isn’t God likewise able to miraculously provide for those who are preparing for the heavenly Canaan?
• God sent a raven to feed his faithful prophet Elijah during famine when in hiding from King Ahab who was seeking his life.
• King David exulted, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
• Jesus affirmed, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
• Peter encouraged,” Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you
• As many as 18 times we are encouraged, “Be not dismayed”, indicat-
ing that God has a solution and control over every situation.
• The apostle Paul gave the assurance that even if “we are faithless, God remains faithful.”
(References for above: 1 Kings 17:1-7; Psalm 37:25; Deuteronomy 7:15, 29:5, 31:8; Exodus 13:21, 22; Isaiah 41:10; Luke 12:7; 2 Timothy 2:13 ESV; 1 Peter 5:7.)
Let us take courage from reviewing these stories and assurances, claim promises, and pray--all avenues which serve to override our fears and build our trust in God’s faithfulness to provide. Then we can give praise by singingBe not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you, Through ev’ry day, O’er all the way; He will take care of you. God will take care of you.
Tree-minders
Don’t forget this important information regarding your trees!
• • • Town of Eston • 217 Main Street • 306-962-4444
Saskatchewan has an annual ban of cutting of Elm trees from April 1 - August 31, as fresh cuts can attract the Elm Bark Beetle that spread Dutch Elm Disease. When the ban is lifted in the fall, Elm wood can be taken to our landfill to be carefully disposed of.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Beetle - this is a fairly new invasive species that kill healthy Ash trees. Signs and symptoms of EAB are difficult to detect. If an Ash tree shows symptoms of EAB, it could have been infested for 5 years already. If you suspect any of your Elm or Ash trees have an invasive disease, please contact the Ministry of Environment (1-800567-4224).
Thank You
Eston Fireworks Show Sponsors!
• Gear Head Tool Solutions
• Glen & Patricia Byrnes
• Beechinor Chiropractic
• Bob Michleborough
• Murray Johnston
• Norseman Electrical Services Ltd.
• Joanna Byrnes
• Pat & Faye McLean
• Karen & Larry Mullis
• Western Sales
• Duane Mullis
• Blaine Ilott
• Leslie & Wilma Thome
• Brenda & Brian Robinson
• Brent Ilott
• Isabelle Ryde
• Rosetown Mainline
• Shelly McLean
• John Sutherland
• Olorenshaw Farm Services
• Morris Andrew
• Leanne & Mark Mutch
• Eston 95 Lions
• Kevin & Leah Mohan
• Marlene Stevenson
• Eston Sheet Metal
• Sebo Enterprises
• WJ Gardiner & Son
• Giles Midtown
• Wyle Coyote Farms
• Qube Oilfield
• Tina Bertram
• Knight Farms
• Trent & Karla Ilott
• Christine Hewlitt
• Prairie Centre Credit Union
• Wyle Coyote Welding
• Randall & Lana Aitken
• Natalie & Monty Massey
• Karen & Roger McLean
• Owens & Sweitzer
• Wes Heely
• Expert Paint
• Garnet Keeler
• R Oliphant Farms
• Doreen Reaburn
• Kindersley Mainline
• RM of Snipe Lake
• Central Plains Co-op
• Rosetown FCC
• Kindersley FCC
• Ed Massey Holdings
• The Jug Family Restaurant
• Fitzmaurice Farms
• Stewart Hunter
• Eston CIBC Staff
• Dale Harpestad
• Shelene’s Physiotherapy
• Doug & Karen Serfas
• D & T Morrice Farms Ltd.
• Eatonia Farming
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Forever Friends: Thanks to the Prairie Centre Credit Union, Ferne, who is a resident of Eatonia Oasis Living was able to FaceTime with one of her dear friends, who happens to be 104 and lives at the Leader Senior Citizens Home!
Eston Communities in Bloom welcomed its newest residents! The housing contractor and movers have packed up and moved on and these families seem to settling in very nicely. SUBMITTED PHOTO
