1. A season to remember.
It might have been the most noteworthy season in Estevan Bruins' history.
Not only did the Black and Gold win their first SJHL championship since 1999, but they were the host team for the largest Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship ever.
The Bruins were the top team in the SJHL during the 2021-22 regular season, finishing with a 43-10-2-3 record and 91 points, one more than the Humboldt Broncos.
Estevan quickly dispatched of the Notre Dame Hounds and the Yorkton Terriers in the playoffs to advance to the league final, where they would face the Flin Flon Bombers.
For the first time, the Centennial Cup would be a 10-team affair, so both Estevan and Flin Flon were guaranteed a spot in nationals. But that didn't ease up the intensity. Estevan won the first two games on home ice, but Flin Flon won the next two in the Flon.
The Bombers had a 2-1 lead late in Game 5, but the Bruins tied the game with five seconds remaining and won it in overtime.
Flin Flon won Game 6 to send the series to Game 7, which would be played May 6 at Affinity Place. Kian Calder scored what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the second period, Olivier Pouliot added the insurance goal in the third and Boston Bilous stopped all 29 shots he faced for a 2-0 win in front of 2,662 fans at Affinity Place.
While the Bruins didn't enjoy the same measure of success at the Centennial Cup – they went 1-3 and missed out on the medal round – the tournament itself was an unquestioned success. It attracted teams and fans from across the country, and scouts and other hockey people from throughout North America, to Estevan from May 19-29.
The influx of people was a boon for Estevan's hospitality sector and business community as a whole.
People who came to Estevan raved about Affinity Place, the calibre of the hockey, the people of the Estevan area, the hotels, restaurants and other businesses, and the efforts of the organizing committee and the community as a whole.
The Brooks Bandits won the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Ontario's Pickering Panthers in the final. The Bandits also won the tournament when it was last held in 2019 and have won nationals three times in the past decade.
2. The future of coal power.
It's the story that won't go away: speculation about the future of power production in the Energy City.
Unit 3 at SaskPower's Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan is home to world-leading carbon capture and storage technology, but the future of other units is murky.
Unit 4 at Boundary Dam was retired in late 2021 but was brought back online in early 2022 to meet the province's power needs during a winter cold snap. Unit 5 is to come offline in December 2024.
A decision has not been made on the future of Shand Power Station or Unit 6 at the Boundary Dam Power Station, but they will have to come offline eventually if they aren't retrofitted with CCS technology.
Conventional coal-fired plants will have to come offline in 2030.
In April of this year, SaskPower announced plans to add a 100-megawatt solar power facility in Estevan – the largest solar power plant ever in the province. It would be constructed on more than 960 acres of private land southwest of the city, drawing the ire of some who want to see it built on unused SaskPower land.
It would also be operated by an independent power producer.
SaskPower is also progressing with small modular reactor technology. In June, it announced that GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 would provide the technology for the project. Then in September, SaskPower revealed that the Estevan and Elbow areas were being considered for the project. Rafferty Dam, Boundary Dam and Grant Devine Lake are all options for a location.
SaskPower is looking to construct two 300-megawatt reactors that would employ approximately 150 people each.
A decision on the location for the SMR technology is expected in 2024, but the final decision on whether to proceed isn't expected until 2029. The reactors aren't expected to be operational until 2034.
Open houses have been held to discuss both solar power and SMRs, and SaskPower participated in a question-and-answer session with local residents in November.
Also during the year, work continued on the geothermal demonstration project located near Torquay through the efforts of Deep Earth Energy Production.
3. Support for Ukraine.
A major international story had a significant impact on the southeast region this year.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. As Ukraine was fighting back, defending their country against the Russian advance, the war was still ongoing into the last days of 2022 with no signs of a resolution happening soon.
The conflict has been tough on the many Ukrainians who made the Estevan area their home a long time ago, as their loved ones, now living in a war zone, were finding themselves in unprecedented danger.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled their country, and some have landed in southeast Saskatchewan. Most of the newcomers were able to find local jobs and place their kids in schools, gradually settling in a new community.
With the support they received from local people, the first family arrived in Estevan on April 9.
In the spring, the Sunflower Network was formed in Saskatchewan to assist Ukrainians expelled by war in coming and settling in the province. A group of entrepreneurs came together as volunteers and have been working hard to help many Ukrainian families. Some of them have settled in Estevan through the Sunflower Network, while others have found work elsewhere in the province. Members of the Sunflower Network are from various industries in Saskatchewan.
Support from the community for Ukraine and Ukrainians has been strong since the war began. Many events have been held to help the people of Ukraine overseas and those coming to Canada. One of the first ones – a big fundraising supper in April – was attended by hundreds of people.
Towards the end of the year, two local women also created the Moms Helping Moms initiative to assist expecting mothers from Ukraine who just moved to Estevan and to help other mothers, who are already here or are to come to Estevan with anything they may need for their children.
4. Estevan is MusicTown.
It started with a local resident nominating Estevan for the Sirius-XM MusicTowns contest.
It ended with Estevan hosting a concert featuring a top Canadian country music star.
Sirius-XM announced in late June that Estevan was one of four finalists in Western Canada for the MusicTowns competition, along with Nanaimo, B.C., Sylvan Lake, Alta., and Lloydminster. Similar contests were held for Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
The person who nominated Estevan wrote in their submission: "I know our town, and I know that the generosity of your offer would make us rise up and make all of us so very grateful. We have never hidden from the reality of what the next years will bring."
The community that received the most votes would win a free concert later in the year with a prominent Canadian musician. Multi-Juno Award-winning country star Dallas Smith was the pick for Western Canada.
Even though Estevan was the smallest of the four finalists for Western Canada, the Energy City emerged victorious.
The concert was yet another event to create a buzz in Estevan. Kelly Prescott served as the opening act for the concert.
And then Smith took to the stage to the delight of the crowd of more than 2,500 people.
Smith played many of his biggest hits, opening with Some Things Never Change and If It Gets you where you Want to Go. He also played Wasting My Time from his days with the rock group Default.
5. LeBlanc charged.
It was a story that rocked the community in mid-May.
Joshua Regis LeBlanc, a real estate agent and former teacher, was arrested on May 13 on three charges under the Criminal Code: luring a person under the age of 18, sexual exploitation and sexual assault. He was released from custody the following day on strict conditions. The charges have not been proven in court.
EPS Deputy Chief Murray Cowan said the complaint about LeBlanc was received shortly before the charges were laid.
LeBlanc had been employed as a teacher with the South East Cornerstone Public School Division from 2009-2021. He was employed at the Estevan Comprehensive School from August 2011 until he resigned on June 30, 2021. LeBlanc had not been in the classroom since Sept. 3, 2020.
Days after charges were announced, the EPS issued a call to the public, asking for any other victims to come forward.
His most recent court appearance was Dec. 19.
6. Armed standoff on Fourth Street.
It was the type of incident that Estevan residents aren't used to seeing.
Members of the Estevan Police Service were called to a domestic disturbance at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Feb. 8 in the 600-block of Fourth Street. It wound up becoming an armed standoff that lasted nine hours.
The EPS quickly determined a single occupant in the home had barricaded himself inside, while a second person had fled the residence.
The EPS and the Weyburn Police Service's Joint Tactical Support Team (JTST), as well as crisis negotiators from the EPS and RCMP, were on the scene. Police were seen with their weapons drawn.
Fourth Street was blocked from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue were shut down from Fifth Street to the back alley north of Third Street.
At one point in the day, the EPS delivered a letter to the residence, which was written by the individual's brother.
Dave Dornian, a 62-year-old man was safely taken into custody by JTST members after surrendering to officers. He was taken to a Regina hospital for an assessment and later charged with two counts of assault. One count resulted in a 12-month conditional discharge. The other count was stayed.
Two other intense police encounters occurred last year.
One was an armed standoff in the 1300-block of Eighth Street on Aug. 5. The situation developed into what the EPS described as an armed standoff with a barricaded person and a potential hostage.
The Weyburn and Estevan JTST, along with crisis negotiators and extra patrol members, were called in for support. Following a brief period of negotiations with the suspect, Jordan Hochstein, he gave himself up without further incident.
Another person, known to Hochstein was in the residence and was unharmed.
The other incident occurred on Nov. 4 in the 1200-block of Fourth Street that resulted in barricades being set up in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Fourth Street for a brief period. Zachary Lewis was charged with pointing a firearm and uttering threats.
He later emerged from a residence in the 1200-block of Fourth Street and surrendered to police.
Charges against Hochstein and Lewis have not been proven in court.
7. Fighting the restrictions.
It was a recurring story, both locally and nationally, in the first two months of the year: the fight against COVID-19 restrictions.
The first local rally occurred in mid-January when protestors gathered at the North Portal border crossing – the busiest in the province. Many people attended to voice their frustration with the government's regulations, ranging from vaccine mandates to mask requirements to vaccine requirements to cross the border.
The frustration grew to a national level with what organizers called the Freedom Convoy in late January and early February. Protestors from across the country converged in Ottawa to express their opinions about COVID-19 restrictions, including one that required truckers to be vaccinated to cross the border.
Ken Hilton of Carnduff was among those who participated, and Stacey Wempe of Estevan flew into Ottawa at one point to join and witness the protests.
After the Freedom Convoy began on Jan. 22, a rally was held in front of the Estevan Court House that attracted a large crowd. They then held a convoy of their own to North Portal before returning.
The Freedom Convoy protests later spread to some of Canada's busiest ports of entry, snarling highway travel and impacting the economy. Protests were scheduled to happen at North Portal and Northgate during the Family Day long weekend in February, but the North Portal protest was moved to a field near the border. There was also an increased police presence in the area during the long weekend.
The provincial government lifted the proof of vaccination requirement on Feb. 14, and the masking mandate was lifted for businesses on Feb. 28. Some places, such as health-care facilities, still require people to wear masks.
Most of the border restrictions ended in early October, although border crossings in southeast Saskatchewan, with the exception of the North Portal border crossing, still have limited hours.
8. Two December fires.
While they were different in nature, two fires in December in the southeast generated lots of attention.
The first was a freight train derailment and fire that occurred about two kilometres northwest of Macoun on Dec. 1. The Village of Macoun and the RM of Cymri had to declare a state of emergency and some residents of both municipalities had to be evacuated. Highway 39 around Macoun was closed from Thursday morning until the early hours of Dec. 3.
There were no injuries in the derailment.
Two cars carrying liquefied petroleum gas were among those that derailed and firefighting efforts were delayed due to the extent of the blaze.
Amber Mantei drove past the scene shortly after the derailment occurred, and prior to emergency crews arriving. Her video and photos went viral in Canada.
"We believe the incident must have happened just before we got there," Mantei said. "We could see a light grey smoke in the distance as we were coming up to Macoun."
But as they were approaching the village, there was a large, fiery explosion. They didn't hear anything, but the flames soared over 100 feet in the air.
Those who reside within 2,200 metres of the train fire had to be evacuated. Most were able to find a place to stay with friends or family for the night. They were allowed to return to their homes the following day.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
The other was a fire at the Happy Nun Café in Forget, one of the top tourist attractions in the southeast. The restaurant and concert hall was destroyed by the blaze on Dec. 15.
Nobody was injured in the fire.
The Happy Nun has earned accolades as a concert venue over the years, including the Saskatchewan Country Music Association's award for the past three years. It was a finalist for the SaskMusic music venue of the year recognition that was handed out on Dec. 10.
Since the fire, many people have stepped forward with tributes to the Happy Nun, praising it for the food, service, ambiance, acoustics and willingness to create a memorable experience.
There is no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
9. Honouring the Queen, saluting leaders.
Fifty-five members of the Estevan and surrounding communities were recognized for their contributions during the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal presentation ceremony on Nov. 17.
The honour was announced earlier in the year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II beginning her reign. After she died in September, it was decided the presentation of medals would proceed.
The Queen's death resulted in an outpouring of tributes from people around the world, including some who live in Estevan.
As for the medal, it was a way for Saskatchewan to honour her majesty for her service to Canada, while also recognizing the significant contributions and achievements of Saskatchewan citizens.
The local ceremony was a joint effort between the Province of Saskatchewan, the City of Estevan and the Estevan Police Service. Most recipients were
"They come from our broad region, they have diverse backgrounds and represent every age group, but they have this much in common. You are here this evening because you have made a significant contribution to your community, to your province and to your nation," said Estevan MLA Lori Carr.
Carr noted that 7,000 Saskatchewan residents were awarded Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medals for their service to their fellow citizens.
The medals were awarded for contributions in different areas, including volunteering, philanthropy, military, healthcare, protective service, business and commerce, arts, public service, sports, journalism, politics, and health and fitness.
10. The wacky weather.
Southeast Saskatchewan residents are used to crazy weather, but this year was particularly noteworthy, and in one case it proved to be tragic.
The southeast region was struck by a powerful blizzard on Jan. 31 that created zero visibility and forced highways to be closed.
Abraham Neufeld, 39, was first reported missing that night during the storm. The tractor he was driving became stuck, and he was disoriented after trying to walk to his residence near Tribune.
The tractor was found still running but there was no sign of him. He was later found deceased.
The blizzard resulted in many calls for emergency crews. The Estevan RCMP handled dozens of calls, while the Estevan Fire Rescue Service was kept busy with calls out of town.
The winter snow was largely gone by mid-March, but returned with a vengeance a month later. Estevan and other southeast communities were struck by a powerful blizzard on April 12 that dumped over a foot of snow and again caused highways to be closed.
Snow removal crews and contractors did their best to keep the roads unplugged in Estevan.
"We got a lot more snow than we anticipated. It's one of the biggest snowfalls Estevan has ever seen … in that short of a period from cutting grass one day to six-foot drifts in people's yards. It's pretty amazing," said Norm Mack, the city's manager of public works' roads and drainage division.
The southeast region received another blast of snow on April 22 and 23. It created more problems with the roads, but the bigger challenge was power outages. Some areas in the southeast were without power for days, as power lines were weighed down with significant amounts of wet, heavy snow.
The winter of 2022-23 didn't have a tame start, either. Estevan had a decent blanket of snow by the time mid-December rolled around, but then a snowstorm struck from Dec. 13-16, dumping much more snow and creating challenging travel conditions.
Travel was not recommended on a number of highways on Dec. 14 and 15.
The snow was whipped around by strong winds, necessitating a blowing snow warning on Dec. 16. Again, travel was not recommended on local highways, and some roads within the city were closed that morning.
A full snow-clearing effort by the city took place in the days after the storm.
