Estevan Remembers
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Catching Air It didn’t take long for local kids to hit the hills as a number of them were out Saturday following the snowstorm that hit the area earlier that day. Jonah Bachorcik was part of a group in the Westview area and caught some decent air when he rose his sled over a makeshift ramp.
Supporting Movember November 14, 2012
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Foord Rising To Top Of SSBA
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www.estevanmercury.ca
Johnson’s Work Praised
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Issue 28
Headway made on doctor recruitment The efforts to replace Estevan lone’s OBGYN are proving successful. St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort said Dr. Idris Yekinni was recently in Estevan for a site visit and before departing the Energy City he signed a memorandum of intent to set up a practice in Estevan. Hoffort said Yekinni must still go through the immigration process before coming to Canada. If there are no hiccups in that pro-
ECS Boys Reach Volleyball Provincials
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cess, Yekinni is expected to be in the city by mid to late January. “We are working with him to get everything in order before he applies and we are pretty optimistic that he will be here in January,� Hoffort said. Yekinni will potentially fill a major void in the local medical community as the area is currently without an OBGYN after Dr. Yusef Kasim decided to close his practice. In an interview with The Mercury Kasim
Greg Hoffort said a lack of patients was behind his decision to leave Estevan. The news of his deci-
sion sent Hoffort on a global search to find a replacement and he is relieved to have Yekinni possibly on his way to Estevan. “It was a tremendous loss when we learned that we were losing Dr. Kasim,� Hoffort said. “There are other physicians in town who deliver babies but when it comes to first time (deliveries) or at risk deliveries you need that back up for the potential of a C-section or other complications. To have that
in Estevan eliminates the transfers and the need for folks to go to Regina.â€? Hoffort said after going through the predicament of losing Kasim, he and others in the health-care community have learned from that experience and will put that knowledge towards Yekinni and his practice. “One of Dr. Kasim’s issues was that he didn’t have an anesthetist here for the first few months and that hurdle has been crossed so he’ll Eight⇢A2
Little progress on truck bypass Although negotiations are continuing, no physical work has begun on the heavy truck bypass around Estevan. According to an e-mail from the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, they are still involved in negotiations with affected landowners along the bypass route. As was reported earlier this year in The Mercury, the ministry and the majority of landowners have been mired in somewhat of a deadlock over the price the province
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is willing to offer for the needed land. In an article published in August, it was noted that the province had made their first offer but it was rejected by the owners. At that time it noted they were expecting a second valuation. Del Block, who is one of the landowners in the area, said the negotiations are continuing and there is an information meeting scheduled for Nov. 21. “We are still working with them, we are still in the negotiation phase,� Block
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and property procurement. The initial timelines presented by the ministry had called for some earthwork to begin this year with the project to get fully underway in 2013. The delay caused by the negotiations is just the latest issue in what has been a somewhat rocky ride for the project. The first plan presented by the government was panned by a number of people who were concerned that its location — notably where the route connects
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said. Aside from working to acquire the land, the e-mail noted the ministry is also making preparations for all utility moves and that plans for all segments have been sent to the required utility companies for their review. It added the utility moves may start later this winter or next sping. Also in the works is the finalizing of the design and tender package to position for the tendering of the project which is subject to environmental approvals
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with Highway 39 west of Estevan — was unsafe. It was felt that having the intersection near the Pioneer Grain Terminal and the adjacent rail tracks presented an unnecessary safety risk. It was later determined that the intersection would be moved further west to avoid the terminal. The City of Estevan has also raised a number of concerns about the pace of work as roads within Estevan are continuing to be battered by the increased heavy truck traffic.
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