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Hometown drummer
finds fame in FIST
By Mark Moroz
This summer the valley is going to be alive with the sound of music. Hard
rock to be exact. Classic acts and some of today’s top rockers are
going to cram Craven with their musical mayhem. And Jeff Stephen, who
was born and raised in Estevan, is going to be a part of it.
He has recently joined up Ron Chenier (lead guitar/vocals), Laurie “Slammer”
Curry (keyboards/vocals), Jason MacDonald (bass), perhaps better known
as FIST to hard rock enthusiasts.
“From my point of view, to land a gig like this at 32 years of age
is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Stephen.
Ron Chenier originally formed FIST in 1979. The band has toured worldwide
and just released its eighth album called, “Fleet Street Revival”,
a compilation of hits from previous releases. The CD was produced in Chenier’s
brand new recording studio in Yorkton called Freedom Sound and is available
through the band’s website.
Stephen was approached by Chenier in Yorkton to drum for FIST and “fire
the band up again,” as he puts it. At the time Chenier, who is also
a producer, was mixing a live show for Stephen’s other band Crossroads,
which he still plays for on a regular basis.
“I was kind of alarmed that he asked me to play for them because
he is a veteran of 30 years or more in the business, but I said I’d
be honoured,” Stephen says. “I was intimidated a bit because
I know FIST and I know Ron. I just knew the integrity of that gig itself
was big. My main concern was can I play it, can I fill the shoes and that’s
when I looked him in the eye and said, ‘You’re not doing this
to make me have a dream here,’ and he said, ‘No, no trust me.’
”
Stephen has been with the band for about three months now, learned 19
different tracks and played on the latest album. So far it’s been
a dream come true.
“It’s been exciting. Even to go to rehearsal every day. You’re
excited, you’re pumped. It really pumps your adrenaline,” Stephen
says. “It’s overwhelming right now and we haven’t even
done our first show. Just the press, the phone calls, the e-mails we get
from overseas it’s incredible. People are saying, ‘Where have
you been, where have the albums been? We missed you.’ There’s
a real loyal following from that era of classic rock. It’s not really
a reality yet until we play that first show, but I’m really looking
forward to that.”
He won’t have to wait much longer. The band kicks off their tour
this Friday and Saturday at the Moosehead Inn.
Stephen has been drumming since he was six and honed his skills in school
bands.
“I went through all the school circuits in Estevan and was part of
the marching band over at EJH and I was very involved in high school,”
says Stephen, recalling his early days of drumming. “I owe a lot
of what I know to those teachers.”
Even though music has always been a part of Stephen’s life and he
has experience on stage, he has never done anything quite like his latest
gig.
“FIST takes a lot of energy, planning and power to produce,”
he says. “You just can’t play night after night because you
just can’t physically sing and play those songs three nights in a
row. They are very demanding.”
The band’s music is full of energy, driven by tight, punchy guitar
riffs and drumbeats. It is very melodic and intricate, but has a raw,
hard edge.
“It is referred to as heavy metal but it’s not,” says Stephen.
“It’s hard rock. It’ll hit you hard.”
FIST has been rehearsing every day for the past three months as they get
set to do their first tour since 1997. This has kept the band busy, very
busy because each member has other business-related interests in the entertainment
industry to juggle as well.
FIST will play a number of shows in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba,
including the hard rock festival in Minnedosa and they will be on the
main stage in Craven on July 15th. The band also hopes to tour Sweden
and Europe this time next year.
Stephen says that the band regrouped because Chenier and Curry, original
members, felt the world was ready to get hit hard by FIST again.
“Music has turned around again. If you listen to the bands coming
out now, it’s more of a grunge rock. But if you listen to FIST, it’s
generally almost the same thing, but Ron was writing this 20 years ago,”
says Stephen. “It’s time to pursue it and do the rooms and concerts
again.”
Stephen’s musical ride is only beginning and he anticipates what
the future will bring.
“I’m hoping, in a sense I can have a bit of a reunion. In a
lot of the venues we’re playing at I personally will know a lot of
people. I really hope they come in support of the band and classic rock
in Canada for that matter and have a really good time and enjoy the show,”
he says. “That’s the bottom line for me. I want people to come
and have a good time and enjoy what they hear.”
For more information about FIST and their new CD visit www.fist.ronchmusic.com
For FIST tour dates visit www.Pollstar.com
Minister preaches
forgiveness
Rev. Dale Lang of Taber, Alberta discusses “The Power of Forgiveness”
while in Carnduff May 30.
The scars still remain in Taber, Alberta, a town of 7,000 people in Southeast
Alberta.
On April 28, 1999, a former student at Myers School walked into the school
hallway with a gun. He told a friend that he thought what happened at
Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado eight days earlier, when
two students killed thirteen schoolmates and themselves, was pretty cool
and he wanted to know what it would be like to shoot somebody. The boy
walked down the hallway, and in an act of random violence, shot two students.
17-year-old Jason Lang was shot in the chest. A few minutes later, Jason
lost consciousness, and never regained it.
Jason’s father, Rev. Dale Lang, a minister at St. Theodore’s
Anglican Church in Taber, was at the Carnduff High School May 30, talking
to over 100 people about “The Power of Forgiveness.” Lang recounted
the events that led up to his son’s death, his journey to forgiveness
from God, and the freedom one gets when they forgive. He also described
some of the problems in our society that are causing shootings in schools
like Columbine, Myers and others.
Lang remembers the feeling when he arrived at the hospital. The person
who informed him on the phone was unable to say what had happened, and
Lang kept thinking about what could have gone wrong. But he was shocked
when the nurse told him “Jason was shot.”
“Of all the things I could have thought about on that day on the
drive over, that wasn’t one of them,” said Lang. “I remember
I asked the question ‘where was he?’ I think I asked that question
because in the back of my mind was an idea, after growing up Calgary,
that one had to be in the wrong part of town. Her response was that Jason
had been shot in school.”
Lang never thought a Columbine type incident would occur in Canada, let
alone in Taber at the school and involving his kids.
At that point Lang and his wife were in shock. They sat down, said a prayer
for Jason, but when the nurse came towards him, the only thing Lang could
think was “I don’t want to hear this.” It was at that point
she said “Jason didn’t make it.”
“Two years and hundred of times I’ve thought this over, I still
can’t find words to help people understand how I felt in that lonely
time,” said Lang. “I’ve never felt so alone, it was a black
horrible, unbelievable moment, I hope and pray none of you here tonight
ever have to face that kind of moment.”
It was three days after the shooting that Lang was able to forgive the
boy. Two days later, Lang performed the memorial service at Myers School.
The shooting not only had an effect on Lang, but the school and the community,
and the service partly served as an act of healing.
“At Myers School at that time, there were teachers who couldn’t
walk the hallway where Jason was shot, there were several young people
who were petrified to go back there, that was one of several reasons why
we had the service there,” said Lang.
At the end of the service, Lang asked people to join him in prayer, he
prayed for the boy who killed his son, and asked the community to forgive
the boy and his parents and to support the boy’s family.
Lang believes his ability to forgive comes from the faith he has in Christ
and it helped him get through the difficult times, that it probably “saved
his life.”
“I don’t think I would have committed suicide, but without it
I would have likely been a destroyed person emotionally, spiritually and
almost everywhere else. It’s the kind of thing that often breaks
people.”
But it wasn’t until three months after the shooting that Lang said
he truly understood what forgiveness means. He was preaching at the church,
when a lady came up afterwards and said she couldn’t understand how
he could forgive the boy, because she’d lost her daughter 15 years
earlier to a drunk driver, and she’d been angry ever since.
“My heart went out to that lady in church that night because we’d
had the same pain: she’d lost a child in a random act of violence
that was totally preventable,” said Lang. “But then I began
to understand what forgiveness is all about. God gave me the grace to
forgive, and when I chose to do that, I was set free in that place.”
“When you choose to forgive, you get healing and freedom,” added
Lang. “I’m not a betting man, but if I was I would bet there
is somebody out there tonight who has had someone else hurt them deeply
and they haven’t been able to get over it. But I want to encourage
you and let you know when you take the steps to forgive, you will eventually
have that feeling removed.”
Lang then described some issues that are affecting society and causing
problems like the ones in Littleton and Taber: self-centerd atittudes
and instant gratification; desensitization through media violence; and
treating people as objects rather than people with value through issues
like abortion, euthanasia and pornography.
Lang has still been unable to talk to the shooter due to medical problems
that at one point left the boy in a coma. But he has spoken with the boy’s
parents several times and they know their son has been forgiven.
Lang does this because he believes God has called him to, but there are
other reasons. “It brings value out of a senseless death. My son’s
death had no meaning, no good reason or logic to it, and as I go around
I realize that at least there’s some value to it, it doesn’t
stop the pain but it makes me believe he didn’t die for nothing.
And, as long as it’s helping people, having impact, even if I reach
only one person wherever I speak each time, I believe it’s doing
good and if that’s the case then I’ll keep it going.”
High school students tend to be the most responsive to it, and Lang said
he’s had principals come up to him and remark how much more attentive
the students were than normal.
Lang said he takes comfort in knowing his son went to Heaven and he’ll
be able to see him again one day. Ironically, he’s found the incident
has actually strengthened his walk with God.
“Some people think it’s a funny thing to say, but when you come
across the difficult things in life, you have to make a decision in what
you believe and what you don’t, and God has continued to be very
gracious to our family through all of this time, so it’s a deeper
faith than ever before.”
Stepp captured
Cup
By David Willberg
Torquay’s Joel Stepp is a Memorial Cup Champion.
Stepp’s Red Deer Rebels defeated the Val d’Or Foreurs 6-5 May
27 to capture the Memorial Cup, symbolic of Major Junior Hockey supremacy
in Canada.
This is the second major victory for Stepp in a year, as he was part of
the Canadian Under 18 team that captured gold at last August’s Four
Nations Cup.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” said Stepp. “At the beginning
of the year, it was our goal to make it to the Memorial Cup, and we made
it there and we won it. It was amazing, you can’t have words for
it, it’s just an unbelievable feeling, I’m glad I experienced
it and hopefully we’ll do it again next year.”
Stepp played a pivotal role in Red Deer’s victory, scoring a powerplay
goal in the last second of the second period to close Val d’Or’s
lead to 5-4 and give the Rebels momentum. Stepp called the goal the biggest
of his career.
“We were on the powerplay, and they took another penalty, which made
it a five-on-three, and (defenceman) Ross (Lupashek) came over the blueline,
took a weak shot on net, I redirected it, it went top corner,” said
Stepp. “I think it was a pretty big boost for the team because there
was only a second left and if I didn’t score we would have been going
in two goals down and it showed everyone we could win that game.”
The Rebels would score the tying goal early in the third period, then
Jeff Smith would cap the comeback midway through overtime to win the first
Memorial Cup in Rebels’ history.
Stepp’s other goal in the tournament came in the Rebels 4-2 round-robin
victory over Ottawa when he scored a shorthanded goal late in the first
period. He was named the game’s second star for his efforts.
Despite numerous other accomplishments, he considers this his greatest
moment in his career.
“It’s not even close, winning the Memorial Cup is almost like
winning the Stanley Cup,” said Stepp. “There’s 58 teams
in the country, and we were the best team of all of them! It’s unbelievable,
it’s a once in a lifetime experience, you have to take it and go
with it, and nothing can compare to it unless you win a Stanley Cup. We
are all excited and it’s great.”
Stepp will now look towards NHL draft June 23-24 in Florida. The 6’0,
180 pounds centre is projected to go in the second round by the NHL’s
Central Scouting Bureau. He said he doesn’t know what to expect on
draft day, but hopes his second major championship in nine months will
increase his stock.
“My mindset was to play my game, and I did, and hopefully the scouts
saw that and maybe I’ll go high in the draft,” said Stepp. “They
go there to watch players, and we won, and the scouts and general managers
love a winner so that’s just another positive for me and another
thing to go on.”
Estevan City Council
Notes - May 28, 2001
*Members of the Estevan Sharks pee-wee and atom teams were presented Certificates
of Achievement for their recent provincial Water Polo championships.
*Council granted the Estevan Exhibition Association’s request to
have a Beer Garden during all three days of the rodeo July 18-20.
*Judging for the Golden Garbage Can against Weyburn will be June 5. Council
is looking to regain the award after losing the past couple of years.
Weyburn Mayor Don Schlosser sent Council a letter accepting Mayor Tim
Perry’s challenge.
*Councillors Brian Johnson and Barrie Korf questioned the signing bonus
in the new contract for Police Chief Ray Delorme. Johnson believes the
bonus creates a bad precedent.
*Installation of a stop sign to replace a yield sign at Nicholson and
Wellock was approved.
*The Recreation and Parks Department is looking to host the 2004 Saskatchewan
Summer Games.
*There will be reseeding on some sports fields due to faulty weed control
killing the grass.
*Larry Ward and Gordon Klarholm will be appointed to the 2001 Estevan
Board of Revision for assessment, to meet June 13 and 14.
*Council will have a booth at this year’s Showcase, where they will
answer questions regarding policy, assessment and other issues. Councillor
Bernie Collins enquired into having an EMO information booth.
*Council approved tenders of $24,674.20 to F and L Concrete Ltd. for work
on sidewalks and sewer lines; and $15,415.49 to Glen Peterson Construction
for basement excavation at the Border Wholesale Location and filling and
compacting a hole at 6th Street and 14th Avenue.
*Council approved a bylaw change increasing the number of sub-classes
eligible in establishing the Mill Rate.
*Korf gave a notice of motion to have Councillor Roy Ludwig apologize
to Councillor Patricia Schryver and have Ludwig resign from Council. Ludwig
allegedly made disparaging and offensive remarks to Schryver after the
May 14 Council meeting and in the days following. Ludwig apologized for
calling Schryver “Bessie” but denied using other offensive language
as described by Schryver and her husband Jeff in a letter he read to Council.
Ludwig’s fate was to be decided at this week’s Council meeting.
(Information not available at press time.)
*Collins, Korf and Perry all wished City Engineer Firoz Kara the best
in his new job at Medicine Hat. Collins thanked Kara for his years of
“yeoman” service to the city.
St. Mary’s
Celebrates reopening
The work is
finished at St. Mary’s School.
The school celebrated the completion of a year of hard work on May 30
with the unveiling of the renovated area of their school. The ceremony
was attended by representatives of the city, provincial Education Department,
Public and Separate School Board and former members of the Separate School
Board. The most Reverend Peter Mallon, Archbishop of Regina, brought the
blessing on the school.
Amongst the events were passing of the key that ended in the hands of
Principal Tom Koskie, and the ribbon cutting involving Kindergarten student
Shelby Frehlick, Grade Eight student Colin Beaulieu, Koskie and Past Principal
Bev Hickie.
The new part of the school was completed in January and features four
classrooms, gymnasium, common area and a stage. While renovations were
completed, students attended classes in the new part of the school.
“When we first opened the new part in January, just bringing them
into the new area, the expression on their faces was just out of a picture
book, just in awe,” said Koskie. “After that, they’ve just
been involved in the school and loved the facility.”
Phantom Tourist
is back
Tourism Awareness Week is coming June 3 _ 9. Be on the lookout for the
Phantom Tourist. He or she can wear many disguises. The Phantom Tourist
will be wandering through various businesses in Estevan during the week
watching for things such as friendliness and quality of service.
On Saturday, June 9, 2001, Estevan Tourism in conjunction with various
local businesses will be having a free hotdog barbeque at the Tourist
Information Centre. Various Estevan Mascots will be in attendance! A short
program will run at 12:30 pm with greetings from various local dignitaries
and the presentation of the prize package to the Kidnapped Tourists. The
Tourist Information Centre is located on Hwy #39 west of Estevan.
Rumble, Fair coming soon
Two events for the Estevan Exhibition Association will be happening later
this month.
The “Rumble in the Dirt” will be June 16. The annual cabaret
will begin at 8:00 pm at the Estevan Curling Club, with Crossroads providing
entertainment. Admission is $5.00.
The Estevan fair starts two days later, running from June 18-20. West
Coast Amusements will be importing at least 29 rides. Admission is $2.00,
and the midway will be open from 4:00-11:00 pm.
A number of events will be happening in conjunction with the fair. Monday
night is Senior’s Night, and features a Pedal Tractor Pull in the
Civic Auditorium with several celebrity pullers. Other entertainment will
come from the Lightening Creek Band and “Musical Memories.”
Tuesday night is Teen’s Night. The Carl Johnson and Gavin Haukeness
bands will combine for a concert that evening, with a karaoke stage to
follow. Belly dancer Jeanne DeRosier will entertain audiences of all ages.
Wednesday night will feature the Third Annual Baby Crawl and Praise Teams
from various churches.
There will be a free stage with local entertainment each night in front
of the Wylie Mitchell Building.
Bands capture gold
By David Willberg
It was pure gold for the Estevan Comprehensive School Concert and Jazz
Bands at Musicfest Canada.
Both bands captured gold at the national band competition in Hull, Quebec
May 25-26, with all seven adjudicators selecting them for gold. Under
the format of the competition, there is no set number of teams that can
win gold, but band Director Colin Grunert believes it is still a “tremendous
achievement” and “something that would be pretty rare.”
As for individual honours, Brad Seipp captured the Jazz Outstanding Individual
Soloist award on Alto Sax, while the Concert Band as a whole won the Outstanding
Musicianship Award.
This was their tenth trip to nationals, and the fifth straight year they
came back with a medal.
“Obviously it makes you feel good, that you can take a group of students
in September, work with them for a year, and have as great success as
we had,” said Grunert. “But it makes me proud of the kids because
they put instruments in their hands, they make the music; you like to
think you’re leading them down the right path, teaching them the
right things, but it makes me proud because these kids don’t get
the credit that they should.”
“They came together as a group and they performed as well as anyone
in Canada. It’s a good feeling, both for me and for the kids, and
I’m happy because they can succeed and do well.”
But there was more to the trip than just the festival. During the 26 hour
bus ride to the Ottawa-Hull area, they took time for other activities,
including boat and mining tours in Sault Ste. Marie.
They stayed at a camp and prepared many of their own meals, which helped
reduce the cost of the ten day trip to $325. Grunert believes the time
on the bus and at the camp helped build group unity through spending a
lot of time together in a confined space, and helped a lot of the young
students spend time receiving mentorship from experienced ones.
Grunert hopes the success should be a motivator for the returning performers
next year.
“They want to succeed, they want to do as well as the year before,
and continue the tradition of success that they’ve had,” said
Grunert. “Success breeds success in a lot of ways.”
Tours highlight
week
By David Willberg
Luscar Coal Ltd. celebrated last week’s province-wide Mining Week
with free public tours on May 31.
The first tour, at 9:30 am, was full and took 47 people to the Shand Power
Station, the Shand Greenhouse and the Boundary Dam Mine. The second tour
at 1:30 pm took 34 people, including 19 Grade Five and Six students from
Carievale School, to the Boundary Dam Power Station. A plan to take the
second group to the Boundary Dam Mine was cancelled due to rain and concerns
the bus would get stuck in the mud.
According to Tour Guide Mary Walliser, the tour presented the chance for
people to learn more about the mines and what goes on inside.
“We started with the power plant and we talked about how coal (gets)
from the time it’s dropped off at the plant to when electricity is
actually made from it, and I explained the entire process, usually pretty
simply so they can understand it,” said Walliser. “Then we went
to the Greenhouse, and explained the process there, and then we went into
the mines, and we went into the pits to see where the coal is coming from,
how everything works, how the dragline runs, and (tried to help them)
understand environmental issues.
“From the time the coal comes from the barrel to electricity being
made, they understood everything,” continued Walliser.
Walliser believes the mines benefit from the tours as well because it
gives the mines a chance to show the public what the company is about,
what they’re doing and how Southeast Saskatchewan benefits from mining.
It also helps their perception because people gain an understanding of
what’s actually happening, rather than hearing it by word of mouth.
Walliser was pleased to have the Carievale students come for the second
tour, and hopes a lot of them had a real learning experience from the
Boundary Dam tour.
“They probably would have liked to have gone into the mines, it’s
too bad we couldn’t take them there, because that’s most interesting
for the kids, to go into the pits and see where the coal is coming from,”
said Walliser. “For the power plant, I think they really liked to
see the big machinery, because flipping on a light switch, they have no
idea where it comes from, so I think they like to see where the electricity
comes from. And they think it’s fun to put on the hard hats and the
glasses.”
Home Building Centre
celebrates
Home Building Centre (formerly Beaver Lumber) celebrated their grand opening
May 28-June 2 with sales, draws and refreshments for customers
Artwork selected
Carri McKinnon and Joe Frey had their respective artwork selected at a
reception at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum May 25 to be displayed
at the annual Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Council’s provincial
adjudication in October.
The announcement was made by adjudicator Lorne Beug. McKinnon and Frey
were two of 16 artists who submitted five works of art in the Estevan
Arts Council’s annual local adjudication. The event served as the
start of the second annual Arts Festival and Street Fair.
During the evening, Artist in Residence Judy McNaughton showed slides
of her work and discussed her community projects which will be completed
this summer. Music was provided by local students.
Daycare goes Hawaiian
In conjunction with Child Care Week, May 28-June 1, the Estevan Daycare
held a Hawaiian Day. The children made lei’s, grass skirts and had
fruit salad for their afternoon snack. There were special events planned
throughout the week.
SMILE Services
organizing parade
SMILE Services is once again organizing the parade for this year’s
Estevan Pro Rodeo on July 17 at 4:00 pm.
The theme for this year’s parade is “The Wild Wild West,”
with a plaque to be awarded for best interpretation of this theme and
other parade categories.
To register a float in the parade, please contact SMILE Services.
Oil show this week
By David Willberg
The ninth biennial Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show is this week in Weyburn.
On June 6-7, thousands of oilfield workers will converge on the city’s
Exhibition Grounds, Colosseum and Curling Club. The event is expected
to draw 3,500-4,000 people to Weyburn, causing Weyburn hotels to be booked
solid and accommodations to be used in Estevan and Regina.
According to committee Chairman Ray Frehlick, most of the work on the
project is finished after meeting weekly for the past six weeks.
“There’s not much work to do other than setting up the exhibits,
with the exhibitors moving in on Monday,” said Frehlick. “Everything’s
fully booked, the inside exhibits are fully booked, so it’s packed
with exhibitors.”
Over 200 companies will have a booth at this year’s exhibition to
show off new products and technology. Highlighting the seminars will be
a presentation on Carbon Dioxide flooding, a “bear-pit” session
with SaskPower on the future of power rates in the oil industry and energy
sector, and the President of Apache Canada speaking at a noon luncheon
Thursday.
Amongst the Estevan companies to be represented at the exhibition include
Weatherford, Waterflood Services and Sales, Ensign Drilling and TS&M,
while Champion Technologies will have a seminar along with hosting a booth.
Frehlick believes the show is important because it gives people an opportunity
to examine some of the new technology on the market.
“It gives operators and exhibitors a chance to look at new technology,”
said Frehlick. “When you talk about Carbon Dioxide there is a lot
of interest because Pan Canadian is the first to start a huge Carbon Dioxide
project and I think everybody’s eyes are focused on how successful
they will be, and Carbon Dioxide flooding has other applications in Southeast
Saskatchewan in the older fields, so certainly there’s a lot of interest
in that.”
This is one of two Oil and Gas shows in the province, with the other being
in Lloydminster. Frehlick remembers Estevan once tried to host one, but
it didn’t attract the exhibitors nor the people to view them. He
believes the success of the Weyburn show is from the Weyburn Oilfield
Board and the people in the energy sector.
“Certainly the oil show has proven you have all the latest in technology
and equipment to view at these exhibits and it keeps the energy sector
near the leading edge of newer technology and ideas, so I think it’s
a great thing for the industry,” said Frehlick.
Executives attend
Desk and Derrick
By David Willberg
Estevan hosted the 49th annual Desk and Derrick Region VII meeting May
23-27.
Desk and Derrick, founded in 1951, is an international, educational, non-profit
organization for men and women employed in the energy and oil industries.
83 women converged on Estevan during the weekend for tours, seminars and
meetings.
Two of the women attending the convention were Region VII President Candis
Wells of Palestine, Texas and Vice-President Nell Lindenmeyer of Farmington,
New Mexico.
It was Wells’s first trip to Estevan and Lindenmeyer’s third.
She had visited Estevan during previous Region VII meetings in 1988 and
1992. Both were impressed with what they saw in the oilfield and the way
Estevan treated the employees.
“It’s a very active industry, they have a number of wells that
you can see from the main roads,” said Wells. “One thing I’ve
been very impressed (with) is the environmental standards, every place
we’ve visited has been clean. Environmental standards are very much
adhered to, and they’re very proud of the fact that they are an area
that does consider the area that lives around them.”
“I’ve always found Estevan to have one of the best support mechanisms
between the industry and the women of Desk and Derrick,” added Lindenmeyer.
“When I was here in 1988 and 1992, I found it to be an exceptionally
warm community with the support they give to this industry in the good
times and the bad times exceptional.”
Lindenmeyer added she did not realize how prolific the oil industry in
Southeast Saskatchewan is, and she believes the progress will continue
with more education.
On May 24, Wells was able to visit the Pan-Canadian Carbon Dioxide facility,
Newalta Corporation’s waste management facility, and the Midale terminal
for Enbridge Pipelines. The next day she toured the Shand Power Station
and the Boundary Dam Mine, which she found interesting since she’d
never visited a power facility before.
Lindenmeyer was part of a group that toured the IMC Potash mine in Esterhazy
on May 24, the largest potash mine in North America. On May 25 she presented
a seminar on “Empowering the Members.”
A number of Desk and Derrick issues were discussed on Saturday, including
election of Directors and selecting a host site for 2002.
Wells was impressed with the discussion on environmental issues.
“Most of the places we visited were able to give us an idea of what
they’ve been doing to work well with the people in Estevan and area,
like at Pan-Canadian where they’ve been working to get a new Carbon
Dioxide project on-line, and they’ve been working really well with
the farmers in the area to make sure no mistakes are made in that area
with the environment.”
“It’s always an enlightening moment for the Region to come together
to find that bond and purpose that helps them unite in their goals for
greater knowledge and greater purpose,” concluded Lindenmeyer.
Oilfield “very
healthy”
By David Willberg
With the removal of road bans over a month ago, work is progressing well
in Southeast Saskatchewan’s oilfield.
According to Blacksmith Resources Ltd. President Carl Henneberg, the patch
is very healthy after a good winter drilling season and spring break-up.
Henneberg reports 21 drilling rigs in the region right now, and anticipates
28-30 to be operating in the next month or so, which should offset some
production declines.
“I think everyone’s been quite busy since road bans were lifted,
there was quite a bit of work we couldn’t get to during road bans
and we’re hoping to catch up with it,” said Henneberg. “Things
were quite wet, so that’s slowed up a few projects. But in general
it’s been good, and the price of oil is about $28.00 per barrel,
and if it stays up there it should be a very good summer.”
Employment numbers have been steady in the past year, and Henneberg believes
the key for continued strong employment is drilling, and as long as there
are 20-30 active rigs in the area, numbers should be strong.
“I thinks there’s an opportunity for increased employment, but
this is (already) a very substantial industry in this area, and will continue
to contribute to good economic levels in Southeast Saskatchewan,”
said Henneberg.
Like many people, Henneberg is watching the Carbon Dioxide flooding project
at Pan Canadian’s Weyburn plant with a lot of interest. If the project
is successful, Henneberg believes it could lead to more projects like
it and that may increase oil production in the future.
Environmental and industrial standards have created challenges in the
past year for the patch, but Henneberg believes the oil companies are
ready for it and adapting to the new standards, which he considers a positive.
“In general, the oilfields that we work with in Southeast Saskatchewan
are mature, they’ve been well built and exploited, but there are
some smaller pools yet to be discovered, and with changing technologies
we believe the patch will be active for the foreseeable future,”
said Henneberg.
OTS hosts tournament
The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) held their 44th annual Golf
Tournament at Woodlawn Golf Course June 1-3.
Almost 350 golfers from across Alberta and Saskatchewan competed in the
three day event, with Scott Blackstock emerging victorious for the fifth
consecutive year. Blackstock said afterwards that winning gets better
every year.
“It does, just because there’s always good golfers here, and
to play with the better golfers, have some luck and beat them, it’s
fun,” said Blackstock. “Most of the guys I play with are good
friends and good golfers, so there’s always competition.”
Blackstock posted a 78 Saturday, keeping him top championship flight.
The lowest score on Sunday wins the tournament, and Blackstock’s
73 was five strokes better than runner-ups Scott Dutton, Ron Dunville
and Kim Hilkewhich.
“I was more focused, and I concentrated a little more on the whole
game and tried not to let the wind get to me because it gets to everyone,”
said Blackstock.
Dunville won the Rusty Duce Memorial Trophy for best round on Saturday
with a 72, edging out Hilkewhich’s 73.
Other flight results from Sunday included Terry Littlechief winning the
first with a 76, Sean Garaghon the second with a 76, Grant Latimer the
third with a 79, Jim Ehrmantraut the fourth with an 80, Jeff Kelly the
fifth with an 82, Bill Stanley Jr. the sixth with an 87, Brad Bannett
the seventh with an 89, Shaun Iverson the eighth with an 87, and Jim Harper
the ninth with an 89. Bill Stanley captured the Masters Championship with
an 86 and Les Avery the Master first flight with a 91.
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