Feature

Salmers reflects on historical tour
By David Willberg

Caption: Saskatchewan Dragoons Second Lieutenant Greg Salmers was at the Vimy Ridge 90th anniversary celebrations April 9.

The 90th anniversary celebration of the battle at Vimy Ridge was one of the highlights from "the trip of a lifetime" for Estevan's Greg Salmers.
Salmers, a second lieutenant with the Saskatchewan Dragoons, was in France and Belgium from April 5 to 15. He and 29 other members of the Dragoons witnessed the rededication of the Vimy Ridge Memorial on April 9 and toured several other battlefields and landmarks.
The tour was an effort by the Dragoons to honour the 46th Battalion. The Dragoons trace their roots to that battalion.
Salmers has always had a keen interest in history, but participating in guided tours and standing in the battlefields created new awareness.
"You could read about something all you want, but standing in the locale and going through the cemeteries and the memorials was very enlightening," said Salmers.
About 25,000 people were at the Vimy monument rededication, Salmers said, including about 5,000 Canadian high school students. Queen Elizabeth II was also in attendance.
"The Vimy memorial has been completely restored, and it looks good," said Salmers. "On that site, there are tunnels at Vimy Ridge that you can tour, which we did, to see how things were done."
"We went through reconstructed and authentic trenches that were used during the war. Those are still evident and accessible to people."
Some people have been coming to the Vimy anniversary events annually for many years, said Salmers.
The location of the Vimy Memorial is special, he said. The Canadians fought on one side of the ridge, and the Germans had the high ground.
"You could see that once you obtained the crest of that ridge, you had a great vista of the land to the east," said Salmers. "So it was very significant for the Canadian troops to take that ridge, and it was also vividly clear to a person standing there at the 90th anniversary and rededication that it is a special place."
Grounds are well-kept, the historical notes are well done, and it has free access throughout the year.
Salmers grandfather fought at Vimy Ridge during the First World War, and was subjected to a German gas attack.
The other battlefields, memorials and Commonwealth war graves are well kept, said Salmers. His entourage was able to meet the Commonwealth war graves horticulturalist to learn how the graves are maintained and landscaped.
Salmers saw the spot near Mons, France, where the first shots were fired that started the war in 1914, and where the final shot was fired on November 11, 1918. It's now a marked spot on a busy street, he said.
The Dragoons were stationed in Ypers, Belgium, for most of the trip. They left a flag St. George's, which Winston Churchill referred to as "the most sacred place in the British Empire."
"Most of the community in which we were staying was completely levelled in the war," said Salmers. "It took pretty well until the 1980s to rebuild it."
One of the buildings that was destroyed during the war was the Cloth Hall. Members of the Dragoons toured the hall and spent time there with their Commander in Chief, Prince Edward.
Salmers said the Prince is very gracious and engaging, and puts people at ease. Prince Edward also took great interest in the Dragoons' activities.
The Dragoons participated in the nightly ceremony at the Menin Gate on April 14. The ceremony goes ahead each night, regardless of weather conditions. Traffic is stopped in the area. The names of 91 soldiers from the 46th Battalion who perished during the war are on the gate.
"I think an important thing is that at the Menin Gate and the Vimy Memorial, a lot of people are learning about what went on there," said Salmers. "It is part of their education."
Salmers found it interesting that 80 per cent of the German casualties never received a proper burial. About 300,000 Allied soldiers didn't receive one, either. Some fields have both German and Allied graves.
He arranged to have a picture of Lester George Rooks' grave taken and sent back to Rooks' family in Estevan.
"That part of Europe itself is a burial site, which is pretty profound," said Salmers. "There are about 1 million men there in the ground. You can literally walk a farmer's field, and as you walk, pick up remnants of the war - parts of shells, shells still in their entirety - just as easy as it would be to pick up a rock on the Prairies. So that, too, is really vivid."

News

Outstanding Entrepreneurs
(L-R) Joanne Willows, Lynn Chipley and Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud are the nominees for the 2007 Ida Petterson Memorial Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur. The award will be handed out at the SaskPower/Quota International Women of Today Awards on Wednesday, April 25 at the Beefeater Plaza in Estevan. Nominees were announced during a reception April 17.

Police report

*A 33-year-old Estevan male was charged with impaired driving.
*Police received a complaint of harassing phone calls.
*A counterfeit $20 bill was turned into police after a local financial institution detected it. The weight and texture of the paper were somewhat heavier than a genuine bill, and some security features were absent.
*Police are investigating an accident at the 13th Avenue railway crossing. A Kenworth tractor pulling two grain hoppers failed to stop for the flashing lights and did not clear the crossing before the stop arms descended. The stop-arm to protect northbound traffic was damaged and had to be replaced by CP Rail crews.
*Police were alerted to an eight-year-old riding his bike on the east overpass. A concerned citizen stopped to help the child. He was brought back to the police station, his parents were notified and he returned home unharmed.
*An 18-year-old Estevan male was stopped for a driving offence. His driving privileges had already been suspended. Police seized the vehicle and charged the driver.
*An 18-year-old Wawota man was arrested and charged with impaired driving after he ignored a red light.
*A male suffered minor injuries in an assault.
*A male appeared to sustain fairly serious injuries in a disturbance in a bar parking lot and was transported to hospital.
*A 22-year-old Watrous male was arrested for public intoxication after he ignored several warnings about tampering with a police vehicle.
*Police are investigating the theft of an MP3 player.
*A 20-year-old Estevan male was arrested outside of a bar. As he was taken into custody, he squirmed away and fled. He was located several minutes later, arrested and placed in an RCMP patrol car for transport. He inflicted damage to the rear door of the patrol car.
*Police received a complaint of an intoxicated male attempting to enter a north end residence. Officers arrived and located the suspect still in the yard. The suspect was known to the victim.
*A fire was reported near the ball diamonds in north Estevan. It was small and easily extinguished. Youth were spotted fleeing the area.
*Two more fires were reported along an alley in the Hillside-Scotsburn area. One yard had its fence and garbage stand on fire. Grass was burning in another yard. A citizen assisted firefighting efforts. He then spotted two youths emerging from an alley and confronted them. The youths, ages nine and 12, admitted that they lit the fires. They were taken to police and then home. No injuries were reported.
*A group of children were chasing after a child in the Hillcrest area. Police arrived and learned they were chasing a sibling. One youth had a knife, which was seized.
*A 16-year-old youth was charged with possession of a controlled substance after marijuana was seized.
*A missing woman was found on a gravel road on the eastside of the city. She reportedly suffered depression and was suicidal. She was taken to hospital for assessment.
*Another male young offender is facing possession charges after people were spotted smoking marijuana. *A stolen bike complaint is being investigated.
*Two garages were unlawfully entered in the Hillside area. Several tools were stolen.
*A family member returned home intoxicated and started causing problems with his parents. The individual went into a rage and did not leave the residence when asked. He resisted police, a fight ensued in the residence, and the accused was pepper sprayed. *A willful damage complaint in the 1400 block of Fourth Street is under investigation.
*Break-and-enter incidents in the west side and Hillside are under investigation.
*Police are investigating a spray paint incident on a building in the 1300 block of Sixth Street.
*A 14-year-old boy who went missing in the Pleasantdale area was located and returned to his mother.

City explains water main replacements
Caption: Mayor Gary St. Onge and Councillors Lynn Chipley and Shirley Thera spoke with ratepayers April 17 at City Hall.
Ratepayers affected by this year's watermain replacements questioned Estevan City Council and City staff about the project during an open house April 17 at City Hall.
Eight blocks of watermains on Fourth Street from Kensington Avenue to Eighth Avenue will be dug up this year. The City will cover about $1.3 million of the estimated $2.2 million cost, with affected ratepayers splitting the remaining $900,000.
The City has usually paid for half of the project's tab, but city manager Jim Puffalt said the City isn't charging ratepayers for the final stage: an asphalt overlay in 2008.
"We didn't think it was fair to charge the customers for a provincial or a national highway," said Puffalt.
Eight properties on Fourth Street won't need their watermains replaced. Puffalt said that will save another $257,000.
Affected property owners can pay for the replacement immediately or over a 10-year span.
Council and ratepayers will meet with the Saskatchewan Municipal Board later this spring. The board will have final approval on whether the project proceeds.
Traffic on Fourth Street will likely be reduced to one lane in each direction while the watermains are replaced. Heavy trucks will likely be rerouted around the city, Puffalt said, due to the watermain work and the resurfacing of the Highway 39 east overpass.
Once the watermain work is finished, a concrete patch will serve as a stopgap until next year's asphalt overlay. Puffalt is confident the patch will survive the winter.
"We've had consultants give us reports on what the structure should be, and it will be something more substantial than it would be on a residential street," said Puffalt. "It should hold up good enough to get us through to next year."

Sun Country recruiting medical personnel
The Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) has embarked on an intensive recruitment and retention campaign.
Earl Kickley, chair of the SCRHA board, told board members that the campaign will use specially-designed advertisements to attract professionals to work in the region's facilities and programs.
"The advertisements celebrate this part of the province as a great place to live and work," said Kickley.
The ads will be published in a national magazine, several professional magazines, and in newspapers in the Maritimes and Alberta.
"We're hoping to appeal to former residents of the province to come home to work for us, as well as new residents," he said.
The ads are being placed in newspapers in Saskatchewan, as well, to remind nurses and doctors of the jobs existing in the province, and to encourage young people to think about a career in health care, he said.
Kickley said the campaign includes meetings with community officials and businesses within SCRHA to discuss a joint advertising campaign in the future that targets jobs for the spouses of health care employees.
"We want to see if we can work together so that when we receive an application for a nurse, we can hope to find a job for his/her spouse, too," he said. "We think that might be the way to encourage people to work for us."

Successful 2006 for EAGM
Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) board members and supporters looked back on a successful 2006 during their annual general meeting April 10.
Currator Cheryl Andrist said they were pleased with some of the exhibits they had, and the public's feedback, from the last 12 months.
She said "100 Years of Heart," displayed during the first two months of 2007, was among the highlights. Saskatchewan photographer Mark Greschner's black-and-white pictures of 40 Saskatchewan centenarians drew lots of people.
"All of his photographs were of people from Saskatchewan who were 100 years or older, so it really touched a lot of people," said Andrist. "So that one I received more comments and reaction, and very positive reactions, from all the people."
Andrist was also pleased to add Lindsay Arnold as the new gallery educator.
Plans for this year include the Estevan Arts Council's adjudicated art show in the fall, and an exhibit from a Moose Jaw artist that Andrist said will "connect with a lot of people."
Clients at SMILE Services have been invited to submit contributions for an exhibit in December.
"That's quite exciting," said Andrist. "I have already seen their work and curated it, and I think it's amazing how much talent there is in our community."
Andrist would also like to see more attractions at the North West Mounted Police Museum, and more support and involvement from First Nations and Metis people in the region.
Ray Walton will be the EAGM chair for 2007. Lynn Chipley is the vice-chair, Leslie Padwick is the recording secretary and Lloyd Butler is the treasurer and property management chair.
The EAGM carried over about $18,000 in net income over to this year.

Pure Energy finalizes 2007 plans
Flower and tree plants, mural installations and improvements to Estevan's west entrance are among the tasks for Estevan's Pure Energy committee this year.
About 3,000 flowers will arrive around May 28. Pure Energy committee chair Lynn Chipley said they haven't finalized a planting date, but the flowers will be planted at parks and boulevards around the city. Flower beds will be added at the Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre, the tennis courts and the Immaculate Heart High park.
"All of the flowers this year will be the same throughout the city for the 50th anniversary," Chipley told Lifestyles. "We're going to have kind of a colour coordinated city this year."
Chipley said there would be more flowers planted this year than in 2006.
A mural created by Tracy Heppner will be located on a wall of the TD Canada Trust. Three more murals will be erected on the south wall of Pharmasave.
Chipley said they hope to have them mounted before the Victoria Day long weekend.
The murals will be smaller than the first two, and Chipley hopes that people will realize that the murals don't have to be large.
"Some of them have been pretty big, and maybe when people see some of these new ones that aren't quite that size, maybe there's somebody out there who will say 'well I could do that,'" said Chipley. "We are looking for more proposals. We have more buildings."
Estevan schools students have been working on a tile collage. Chipley hopes it will be finished this year, too.
The Westview playpark will reopen this year. Afternoon swimming will take place every day from Monday to Friday for eight weeks during the summer. Ten trees will be planted around the pool for shade, Chipley said, and there will be a sandbox built, too. A playpark supervisor will be present every afternoon.
A toddler playpark in the Valleyview area on Second Street will be finished this year, too, said Chipley.
Fifty spruce trees between 18 to 24 inches tall have been donated and will be planted on Heritage Drive behind the Estevan Shoppers Mall.
Work at the west entrance will include mowing, trimming and removing brush.
A new concrete sign will be installed with an agriculture theme.
Farm-related symbols will be engraved into the sign. Chipley said they plan to do landscaping around the sign.
The long-term plan is to have similar signs at Estevan's four entrances, with a different industry theme for each sign. Oil would be at the north, mining at the east and energy for the south.
Chipley said the addition of horticulturalist Shannon Wanner to tackle planning and preparation work will make a big difference.
"She did all the ordering of all the flowers," said Chipley. "We get to do more of the planning, and then the actual planting, and that will be nice."

A look inside fruit
The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum hosted a reception April 12 for artist Faye Jelly's exhibit "Emergence," which is now in their main gallery.
"Emergence" is a collection of fruit and squash oil paintings on canvas, paper and plywood. It started with a few large paintings and grew into a collection of many small paintings.
Still life central to Jelly's artistic background, and she said she was inspired by the beauty and complexity of the fruit's interior.
"The pieces' insides just became alive for me," said Jelly. "And then I started breaking out the space - using the same group, but as I sat in my studio, it deteriorated - and it transformed and changed."
Jelly started to reflect on different stages of life, from birth to decay, as she watched the fruit's condition worsen.
Jelly placed the fruit's imagery into disconnected and unorganized surroundings, imbedding and/or floating them until their shapes were irregular and less detailed.
Some of the larger paintings in the exhibit required a week of sporadic work, she said. Jelly was able to complete others in a couple days, and in some cases, she was able to finish one or two in a day.
Jelly said one of the most intriguing features of "Emergence" was that when she opened a squash or other paintings, she started to see the inside of a body.
"I know it was just a piece of fruit or a squash, but when you see that squash, doesn't it kind of remind you of lungs?" Jelly asked. "It's beautiful in there. It just reminded me of our own insides."

Additional funding for regional parks
The province is providing the Saskatchewan Regional Parks Association with $200,000 to help cover the cost of improving facilities throughout the regional parks system.
"Saskatchewan's 100 regional parks reflect community pride and offer a wide range of recreational opportunities," Environment Minister John Nilson said. "This money will help renew and rebuild facilities in regional parks throughout the province, making them more attractive for park visitors."
The funding will be available to member parks for a broad range of projects such as improvements to water and sewer systems, solid waste management and visitor and staff safety. Each park will be able to receive grants covering 50 per cent of the cost of eligible projects, up to a maximum of $10,000 per project.

Rally Against Violence in Estevan
The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) is going to host a Rally Against Violence in Estevan and area (RAVE) on Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m.
RAVE will begin at 8 p.m. on the Estevan Court House lawn. Participants will carry hand-held glow sticks in a short sunset walk downtown.
In case of bad weather, the activities will be relocated to the Estevan Fire Hall.
VIP is promoting the RAVE with white and purple coins. "Pass on the Peace" will be inscribed as an incentive to choose kindness over conflict. Once a good deed is finished, people will be asked to pass the coin to another person, and spread the message of peace instead of violence.
Watch for the coins being distributed throughout the city during the week leading up to the event, and at the RAVE.

Women of Today nominees saluted
Caption 1: (L-R) Sheila Leach-Dougherty, Cindy Billesberger and Leslie Padwick are nominees for the SaskTel Award.
Caption 2: (L-R) Debbie Kvamme, Lauren Burnard, Beth Branvold and Joan Biette are candidates for the SaskPower Award.
Caption 3: L-R) Megan Van de Woestyne, Shannon Skidmore, Huyen Pham, Liz Patton, Tracie Hank, Jasmine Erickson and Kirsten Dietz are up for the Shirley Orsted Memorial Award.
Seventeen nominees in four categories for the 2007 SaskPower/Quota International Women of Today Awards were unveiled at a dessert reception April 17.
"We live in a community filled with talented, dedicated and inspirational women, and it gives us great pleasure to take this opportunity to give them this recognition that they so richly deserve," said event chair Jackie Hank.
Lynn Chipley, Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud and Joanne Willows are up for the Ida Petterson Memorial Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur. Cindy Billesberger, Sheila Leach-Dougherty and Leslie Padwick are the candidates for the SaskTel Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community.
Joan Biette, Beth Branvold, Lauren Burnard and Debbie Kvamme are nominated for the SaskPower Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award. Kirsten Dietz, Jasmine Erickson, Tracie Hank, Liz Patton, Huyen Pham, Shannon Skidmore and Megan Van de Woestyne are up for the Shirley Orsted Memorial Award for Outstanding Young Woman of Today.
The award recipients will be announced at a luncheon April 25 at the Beefeater Plaza. Second Lieutenant Jami Suchan, an Estevan native who graduated last year from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, will be the guest speaker.
Proceeds will be split by the Violence Intervention Program, the Southeast Cornerstone School Division and the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division.
See pages 8-11 in this issue for detailed bio’s.

Kisbey celebrating 100th birthday
Kisbey's past and present will come together from July 6 to 8 for the village's 100th birthday celebration.
Registration and an old time dance are slated for the 6th. The Leonards will provide music.
A parade is being planned for the 7th, starting at 10:30 a.m. A history mural has been painted and it will be unveiled at 1:30 p.m. Several antique vehicles will be on display. A program is being planned for the afternoon. A catered supper and a dance with a DJ will take place in the evening.
Spokesperson Verna Reed said organizers hope to attract at least 500 people for the anniversary bash. While they haven't received any registration forms as of yet, Reed said people in the community are excited, and they have received interest from former residents living in Quebec and England.
She said the village should be nice and clean, since Kisbey's annual clean-up competition against the communities of Manor and Arcola is held in June.
The Village of Kisbey was incorporated on May 1, 1907, and the first recorded council meeting was May 22, 1907. The village had 10 councillors at that time; now they have four councillors and a mayor.
The town initially had three street lamps, wooden sidewalks and posts in convenient places to tie horses. Cement sidewalks arrived in 1924, and 12 electrical lights were installed in 1928.
Installation of a sewer disposal system started in January 1968, and natural gas arrived the same year. The school closed in 1987 and students were bussed to Arcola.
In the past 20 years, improvements to the community include: installing street lights in several locations, giving numbers to houses and names to streets, constructing low rentals, installing a cablesystem, paving streets, developing a campground and joining Red Coat Waste Management.

SaskEnergy rates lowest in Canada
SaskEnergy delivered the lowest natural gas rates in Canada and continued its industry-leading commitment to customer energy efficiency, two highlights of an excellent operational and financial year in 2006.
The crown corporation tabled its 2006 annual report in the legislature April 17, recording net income of $53 million, with a dividend declared to Crown Investments Corporation of $34.5 million.
"SaskEnergy stands out as an example of what a well-managed Crown corporation can accomplish, balancing good financial management with sound public policy," SaskEnergy Minister Andrew Thomson said. "By helping its customers and the community at large, SaskEnergy has shown it is a leader in our green and prosperous economy."
More than 15,000 customers have taken advantage of the Saskatchewan Energy Share initiative, to make permanent improvements to their energy efficiency.
"Customers who change to high efficiency furnaces are frequently able to have permanent savings of between $200 or $300 from rates that are already the lowest in Canada," said Thomson.

Poltava Ensemble the next concert
Stars for Saskatchewan is proud to present the Poltava Ensemble of Song, Music and Dance, on Sunday, May 6, at 2:30 p.m. at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
The Poltava Ensemble is part of the United Ukrainian Canadians of Regina. They are composed of some 50 dancers, musicians and vocal soloists. The ensemble continues a cultural heritage established with the first children's string orchestra in Regina in 1922.
Their mission is "to preserve, develop and disseminate the culture of Ukraine and its East European neighbours through the media of song, music and dance, that is by means of artistic performance."
They have travelled extensively across Canada, the U.S. and Ukraine. Their repertoire, although based within Ukrainian culture, incorporates other Slavic cultures that have interacted with Ukraine. Thus, the performances embrace the ideals of multiculturalism and the human spirit.
The Poltava Ensemble presents an eclectic repertoire of Slavic song, music and dance.

Autobody shop celebrates grand opening
5th Street Autobody in Estevan celebrated its grand opening on April 14. Participating in the ribbon cutting were: (L-R) business co-owners Scott Bussian, Joanne Choma and Alroy Yoner, Mayor Gary St. Onge, MLA Doreen Eagles, Chamber of Commerce president Lynn Chipley, and business co-owners Mark Sandquist, Trent Monteyne and Tim Monteyne. Many people were in attendance. 5th Street Autobody offers a wide range of services, including restoration, SGI work, glass replacement, painting and custom painting.

Building activity remains high
Caption 1: Wood Country Estevan sales representative Brian McKnight stands next to the wide selection of paint.
Caption 2: Red River Lumber manager Chad Hirsch with some of the lumber that has been a top seller.
The continued strength of Estevan's housing market has been a boon for local construction companies.
Red River Lumber manager Chad Hirsch said deck packages and garages have been top sellers, and those are seasonal items. But most of their products are in high demand right now with all of the houses and condominiums being constructed around Estevan.
"Every spring people get excited and they want to fix their deck or build a garage," said Hirsch.
Red River has supplied lumber for some of those condo projects. Hirsch said condos will continue to be popular as agriculture producers sell their farms and move into the city.
The oilfield is busy too, and they were selling a lot of rough lumber even during road bans.
A lot of paint has been sold, Hirsch said, and as they move into the summer, deck staining sales will increase.
Hirsch predicted dimensional lumber for the new houses will be a top commodity this summer. Steel is popular for house siding. A semi load of steel arrives each week. Hardware is popular, too.
Hirsch said construction activity will be strong for three to five more years, and it hasn't hit its peak.
Staff retention is a problem, he said, with the strength of the economy and local labour shortages. Keeping product in stock has also proved difficult.
"It's hard to keep the product in the store," said Hirsch. "There's a big turn-around on the material. There are some big home builders that have moved into town, like Deneschuk Homes and Century West Realtors. They're all busy."
Brian McKnight is in sales at Wood Country in Estevan. He said that windows, metal, vinyl siding and maintenance-free decking are their top-selling products, but everything is selling well right now.
Renovations and housing are the reasons that the windows are so popular, McKnight said.
"We just got 400 units of windows, so windows have really been moving well," said McKnight.
Metal is popular for roofing, farm buildings and fences.
Maintenance-free decks are a popular seasonal item, he said, as people don't want to paint and stain their deck anymore. They want to be able to sit on their decks as soon as possible, instead of working on them.
Other maintenance-free products, such as railing systems, will remain popular, too, McKnight said. Vinyl siding sales should remain high, too, and paint will always be in demand.
McKnight said there is a construction boom taking place around the province. Wood Country's stores in McLean and Tisdale are thriving. But he's pleased to see Estevan doing well.
"Estevan's very fortunate to have everything going on," said McKnight. "There's talk of the power plant and they're redoing the streets. Everything's really positive right now in Estevan."
McKnight predicted that farm, commercial, houses and ready to move homes will rate among Wood Country's top-selling items this summer.
Last year was a great year for Wood Country, McKnight said, and their sales have increased steadily for several years. They shipped buildings throughout Western Canada.
He expects the economy to remain strong for the next three-to-five years as well, which should be good news for everyone.
"It benefits everybody in a round-about way," said McKnight. "They feed off of each other."

Premier touts energy efficient home
Premier Lorne Calvert showcased an energy efficient home April 17 in Regina that uses 90 per cent less energy and 50 per cent less water than an average existing Saskatchewan home.
Rolf and Shannon Holzkaemper and their two children will move into their energy-efficient home on Earth Day April 22.
"It's very important for us to set a positive example for our children, all children," Rolf Holzkaemper said. "This home shows how individuals can have a very significant impact on large issues like climate change and global warming."
The Factor 9 Home: A New Prairie Approach began as a demonstration project in 2005 to illustrate significant advances in home energy and water-conservation technologies.
The Saskatchewan Research Council coordinated the project, working in partnership with Communities of Tomorrow, Saskatchewan Office of Energy Conservation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Natural Resources Canada.
The house has high insulation levels, solar panels integrated with the windows on the southern exposure, and a rain water capture and storage system. To provide mechanical cooling in the summer, a network of plastic pipes was installed in 22 concrete pilings to extract cooling from the ground.
The Holzkaempers paid for construction of the house. Several agencies provided funding.

More residential construction
Estevan's construction boom continues. Several new homes are being built in the Trojan subdivision in Estevan's northeast corner. Six single-family residential building permits have been issued so far this year, so expect more houses to be built in 2007.

New homes in north Estevan
Several new homes are under construction along Wellock Road in Estevan's Dominion Heights subdivision. Several more lots have been sold in Dominion Heights, so more homes should be popping up in Dominion Heights this year.

AGRICULTURE
Saskatchewan seeding forecast
Saskatchewan farmers are planning to seed 34.1 million acres, which is slightly below the 10-year (1997-2006) average of 34.3 million acres, and one per cent above last year's 33.6 million acres, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's first weekly crop report for 2007.
Summerfallow area is estimated to decrease three per cent from 2006, to 7.65 million acres, which is five per cent below the 10-year average. Crops that may show increased seeded acreage over last year include: durum, oats, barley, triticale, canola, mustard, peas, canary seed and chickpeas.
Crops that are expected to show acreage decreases include: spring wheat, flax and lentils. Crop reporters indicated that, given that there is uncertainty about seeding plans, seeding intentions could still change. Statistics Canada will release the results of its seeding intentions survey on April 24.
According to Saskatchewan Watershed Authority's April 2007 report concerning the grainbelt region, winter precipitation totals generally vary from below normal in west-central areas, to well above normal in central and northern areas.
Mild and record high temperatures during March melted much of the snow-pack in areas south of a line extending from Yorkton to just north of Saskatoon and across to Lloydminster. The areas to the north of this line are expected to have an above average run-off.
The weekly crop report is based on estimates received from the provincial crop reporters.

March precipitation double normal amount
Southeast Saskatchewan producers should have plenty of moisture to work with, thanks to an abnormally wet March.
According to figures released by Environment Canada, the southeast region's precipitation levels were more than double the normal amount. Most regions in the province also had more precipitation than normal. From November 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007, precipitation was about 32 per cent above normal.
Similar to other areas across the southern prairies, the early melt and dry soil moisture conditions allowed infiltration of much of the melt waters into the soil across the basin. Runoff across the basin was well below normal.
Boundary Reservoir was at an elevation of 559.48 metres on April 2, 2006 or 1.35 metres below full supply level (FSL). SaskPower has been pumping water from Rafferty Reservoir since last July to help augment the water levels on Boundary Reservoir. Little additional inflow is anticipated into Boundary Reservoir.
Rafferty Reservoir was at an elevation of 548.86 metres on April 4. A small inflow continues into the reservoir which will only result in a slight increase in water levels.
Alameda Reservoir was at an elevation of 561.09 metres on April 4.
Administrative Professionals Week
April 22-28, 2007
*Administrative Professionals Week (APW) and Day, formerly known as Professional Secretaries Week, was created as an annual opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of office support staff in business and government and to encourage students to consider secretarial careers. Administrative Professionals Week is held annually during the last full week in April (the standard Sunday through Saturday calendar week). Administrative Professionals Day (APD) is always held the Wednesday of that week.
*Since its inception in 1952, APW has been sponsored solely by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), although when APW was first observed, the IAAP was then known as the National Secretaries Association. A common public misconception is that APW was created by flower distributors, candy companies, or greeting card manufacturers so they could sell more products. The truth, however, is that while gifts often are appreciated, this event was never meant to obligate employers or managers to give gifts.
*APW has become one of the largest workplace observances. Celebrated worldwide, APW brings together millions of people for community events and seminars, with individual bosses recognizing their support staff.
*In 2000, IAAP changed Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day to APW and APD to keep pace with admins' changing job titles and expanding responsibilities. Research shows that many workers around the world still hold the "secretary" job title; however, many alternative titles have become more popular, such as administrative assistant, office coordinator, administrative specialist, executive assistant, and office manager.
*In its association bylaws, IAAP defines administrative professionals as "individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office-related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession."

Columnists

HONOURING THE ELDERS
By Linda Wegner
A friend told me a story yesterday about her mother-in-law. Now this gal is aging but definitely feisty (the mother-in-law) and she's got her wits about her. Seems she recently went to the doctor who proceeded to tell her she had the organs of a 91 year old. I suppose he wanted to make sure she didn't misunderstand what he was saying but this learned gentleman wasn't content to let it go with one airing. While I don't recall which internal object he was describing, the description went something like this: "You have the kidneys (that's a good option) of a 91 year old and furthermore you have the liver of a 91 year old."
While he reminded her of her age, she reminded him of her spunk: "Enough of that 91 year old stuff!" she threw back at him. "I'm tired of hearing that!"
I love that kind of oomph, especially now that I'm nearing my senior years. My friend and I had a good chuckle over that but at the same time I swallowed hard to control the lump in my throat. My mom's not far away from her 90s and you can be sure that up until now she could compete with anyone when it comes to gumption. But things have changed and my earthly tower of strength is frail now and struggling to maintain her grip on life. I'm blessed to have siblings who are in agreement and in prayer for wisdom as we seek to know how to best care for Mom but it still hurts.
Early in the history of Israel, God gave rules for wise living and among them was this gem, "Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder…." Leviticus 19:32
Honour your elders in your youth and be blessed in your old age.

Sports

Most ball leagues show growth
Most of Estevan Minor Baseball's divisions will experience growth this year, according to president Mel Murray.
There will be four teams in blast-o-ball, three in junior mites, five in senior mites, six in mosquito, four in peewee and two in bantam.
Mosquito and peewee have one more team, bantam is up two and senior mites is up three. Junior mites is the only league with a decline. Murray attributed the increases to a greater focus on blast-o-ball a few years ago.
"Those kids have all moved up to senior ball, and it shows that they're staying in ball," said Murray.
Opening day is Monday, April 30.
The provincial Midget AAA championship will be held in Estevan from July 27 to 29 at Lynn Prime Park. Murray said it's the top tournament for minor baseball in Saskatchewan. Estevan is also hosting the Bantam Selects for the second straight year in August.
"We'll have Team Saskatchewan coaches down here for both the Bantam Selects and the midgets, and we'll have college scouts here, probably, looking at the midgets," said Murray.

Driving Range open
Maddie Blischak was one of many local golfers who visited the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course's driving range during its opening day April 14. For many of the golfers, it was their first chance to swing a club since last fall. Warm weather on the 14th gave the golfers an extra reason to show up. Woodlawn's golf course is expected to open soon.
Hidden Valley now open
Kory Clearwater was one of the golfers who visited the Hidden Valley Golf Resort near Estevan on April 17. Hidden Valley's driving range and golf course are now open for the season. The campground opens May 1, and the go-karts will be open starting on the Victoria Day long weekend.
From the Sidelines
Hitmen off to conference final
By Kyle Kapiczowski
The Calgary Hitmen are off to the WHL's Eastern Conference final after beating the Brandon Wheat Kings in six games. The Hitmen were down 2-0 early in the series.
The Hitmen will now face the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Battle of Southern Alberta. The Tigers got to the conference final after they beat the Regina Pats in four games. I think the Hitmen are going to win in seven games. The other conference final is the Vancouver Giants and the Prince George Cougars.
In the Arena Football League, the Philadelphia Soul lost 51-41 to the Dallas Desperadoes. The Souls record is 4-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Their next game is against the Columbus Destroys
Other scores were: Las Vegas lost to the Georgia Force 69-68, the Orlando Predators beat the Tampa Bay Storm 61-37 and the Colorado Crush beat the New York Dragons 49-48.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider trainer Sandy Archer passed away. He was the trainer for 30 years with the team, and he was inducted into the Roughriders Plaza of Honour.
In NFL Europe, the Berlin Thunder won their season opener 15-3 over the Rhein Fire. Their record is 1-0 and they are in a three-way tie for first. Their home opener is next week against the Hamburg Sea Devils.
At NASCAR's Samsung 500 Jeff Burton won the race. Bobby Labonte came in 28th.
In the Craftsmen Truck series, Mike Skinner has a 94-point lead over second place Todd Bodine and a 143-point lead over third place Rick Crawford.
In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers are third in the Central Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. They are battling the Chicago Bulls for second spot in the conference. The Cavs' record is 48-32, and they have two games remaining.
Cleveland beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-76. Cleveland could finish second, third or fifth in the conference. I want them to finish second. I think the Cavs are going all the way.
That's all, folks!

Viewpoints

Tea Time
Getting Into a Bit of a 'Dill' Pickle
By Dani Stobbs
One of the difficulties that we have faced moving from England was one that we did not anticipate: Language! Even though Estevan is an English speaking city, sometimes I feel like I am just speaking alien. There have been ample times when halfway through a conversation with friends, I have permanent confusion strewn across my face.
We had arrived in Canada at the end of August and so we needed to start preparing ourselves for the winter that was steadily approaching us. So we asked the shop assistant where we could find some jumpers. Her eyebrows lifted in bewilderment, as she asks, "What's a jumper? I don't think we sell those."
YOU DON'T SELL JUMPERS? I finally pointed to a jumper, and there was a sigh of relief from the girl assistant as she tells me "That's called a sweater".
Finding a bag of crisps turned into a bit of a chore too! After my 'charades' action of munching on crisps, she asks me "Are you after chips?" I didn't know what she was talking about. I am not after chips! Chips are fries. I want crisps. She led us over to the 'chip' section and we finally realized at that point, we need to invest in a Canadian dictionary. (Looking back now, I am impressed she knew what I was talking about).
Imagine my embarrassment, as my Youth Pastor starts talking about fanny packs. Well… maybe you can't imagine my embarrassment because here in Canada it's a harmless name for a waist bag. In England we call it a 'bum-bag'. The reason that we haven't followed North America's lead on calling it a fanny pack is because it's quite the inappropriate word in England. This got me in quite a fluster. I have lost count for the amount of times that friends have just randomly shouted it out to me, just to see how red I turn!
We were in a bit of a (dill) pickle when we got here, with so many phrases and words that were common place here, but yet a little naughty or completely foreign in England. After seven months of being in Estevan, we are still learning, but we are picking up on the Canadian way. Its going to be a battle of words when we visit England, though.
The Fanny Pack versus The Bum Bag! Crisps versus Chips! Sweaters versus Jumpers! It's all a little confusing for a simple English girl! My apologies if you were anyone that was confused by the crazy English lady getting frustrated because she could not find a bag of crisps!

Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
National Volunteer Week, April 15 to April 21, pays tribute to the millions of Canadian volunteers across the country who give themselves to better their communities. National Volunteer Week is a time for all of us to pause and celebrate the energy and commitment of volunteers.
Volunteering is the lifeblood of Canadian communities. It provides us with a sense of connectedness and well-being. Volunteering helps us build better, stronger, healthier communities.
Volunteers read, cook, coach, mentor and train. They donate, give, chair, befriend and lend a helping hand. They plant, feed, soothe, visit, sew, plan, coordinate, paint, clean, sort and prepare. They are the young and the old and the in between.
The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) has a group of 28 volunteers that man our 24-Hour Abuse/Sexual Assault Line. They give their time every day to lend a listening, empathetic ear to people whose lives have been touched by abuse. Every year they answer an average of 550 calls from people in Southeast Saskatchewan. This week, the staff at VIP would like to say THANK YOU to all our past and present volunteers who bring life and energy to our organization. We appreciate all you do and your dedication to helping us work towards a violence-free community.
This National Volunteer Week, be sure to reach out and thank someone you know who volunteers.
Sincerely,
Trina Battersby
Volunteer Coordinator,
Violence Intervention
Program,
Estevan, SK

What's Happening

Johnson Plumbing celebrates 40 years
(L-R) John Johnson, Dave Lennox and Audrey Johnson cut the cakes during the 40th anniversary celebration for Johnson Plumbing and Heating April 19. John and Audrey Johnson opened the business in 1967. They have had a long-standing relationship with Lennox Industries, and Dave Lennox, the star of Lennox's television commercials, was on hand to offer congratulations and meet with the public.

Sacred Heart face to face
(L-R) Janelle Levesque and Ken Yasinski from Face-to-Face Ministries were in Estevan April 18. They spoke to students at Sacred Heart School and St. Mary's School, and to the general public at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church. Levesque and Yasinski used videos, music and interaction in their presentation. Face to Face is a Catholic evangelization team based out of Saskatoon that offers speaking engagements and retreats.

Coming down
The demolition and burning of the old clubhouse and pro shop at the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course has started.
Parts of the building have already been torn down. Some wood has been salvaged. A controlled burn of the rest of the building was scheduled for April 19.
A new pro shop and clubhouse opened last June.