ESTEVAN — December brought the usual frantic pace to start the month, with all sorts of events and activities taking place prior to the start of the Christmas holidays.
The Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears set a franchise record for goals in a game in an 11-2 drubbing over the host Yorkton Maulers.
Six members of the Estevan Police Service were presented with Van de Vorst Family Memorial Awards by the Estevan chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in honour of the officers' efforts to apprehend impaired drivers.
Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service participated in their annual toy drive at Canadian Tire for the Community Hamper Association's Angel Tree program.
Carlyle was transformed into a quaint Victorian-era community for the annual Dickens Village Festival.
The Southeast and Northwest Choruses teamed up for their 52nd annual Celebration of Christmas Music, with performances in Estevan and Crosby, N.D.
A fierce overnight fire destroyed a home in Macoun on Dec. 8 and 9, with the family of four and their pets escaping. The family has received considerable support since the fire. The family has since started the process of rebuilding their lives.
Estevan city council approved committee appointments, discussed arena and equipment rental fees and approved remuneration rates for the next four years during its December meeting.
The Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held its past-presidents dinner, with reflections of the past year and the election of the organization's executive, including Jim (Frosty) Forrest as president.
The provincial Serious Incident Response Team announced it was investigating the in-custody death of a White Bear First Nations man at the Carlyle RCMP detachment. He had been arrested in connection with an assault at White Bear.
The Serious Incident Response Team also revealed it had investigated a member of the Estevan Police Service for a domestic incident that resulted in charges.
The Estevan Downtown Business Association hosted its annual Miracle on Fourth Street celebrations, with sales, activities and more on Fourth Street.
The General Store in Estevan held a campaign prior to Christmas that generated support for the Estevan Humane Society and the Estevan Salvation Army.
Former Alameda resident Todd Holt skated with his sons Kaelan and Taysen for the Big Six Hockey League's Carlyle Cougars in their win over the Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings.
The Rotary Club of Estevan hosted its annual Christmas Carol Festival, with community members providing entertainment.
Woodlawn Regional Park held its Kick-Off to Christmas, with many people turning out for activities, fireworks and the launch of the annual Festival of Lights.
Students from the Estevan Comprehensive School performed their musical, Mamma Mia!, on Dec. 13-15, delighting the crowd with the collection of ABBA music.
The Community Hamper Association filled more than 300 hampers for local families before Christmas, while its Angel Tree program had toys for roughly 450 kids.
Meanwhile, the Estevan Kinette Club held its annual PJ Project, collecting pyjamas for all of the kids on the Angel Tree list, while Bridget Thimsen created more than 350 crocheted items for the Angel Tree.
An effort is underway to have the Galloway Health Centre in Oxbow designated as a hospital, and to have acute care service restored.
The CPKC Holiday Train rolled through North Portal and Estevan on Dec. 18, bringing Christmas cheer on a cold and snowy day, as the southeast was under a snowfall warning. The snow created adverse driving conditions in th area.
Torquay's Levi Stepp teamed up with Rachel Andrist for the Steppin' into Christmas concert at St. Paul's United Church on Dec. 19.
Estevan firefighters responded to a major structure fire at Motel 6 by Highway 39 West at night on Dec. 22-23.
