The second half of 2017 generated lots of unique and wonderful stories about people in the region and their experiences, and some great stories on events that drew lots of attention. Here are some of those stories:
Riding a jigger: Members of the Wisconsin-based North Central Railcars Ltd. were in southeast Saskatchewan in July, and they were briefly joined by Adriaan Lievaart, a local farmer who has taken an interest in the railcars, commonly known as jiggers.
They made a round-trip on the rail line from Estevan to Tribune, which is operated by Long Creek Rail.
Lievaart has restored a jigger that was used by Canadian National Railway.
Jiggers were used by maintenance workers and other employees who rode the tracks
Welcoming new Canadians: Estevan held its first citizenship ceremony in nearly 15 years, and 23 people receiving their Canadian citizenship.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada hosted the ceremony at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum on July 19. The new Canadians took the oath of citizenship, received their citizenship certificate and proudly belted out O Canada.
Dr. Michael Jackson, who served as presiding officer, said citizenship was the culmination of a lengthy journey for the 23 people. He applauded them for coming to Canada to make it their home, and reminded them of their duties as Canadian citizens.
Victor Walk: It was a homecoming of sorts for former NHL star Theoren Fleury, as he came to Estevan in July for the Victor Walk. Fleury shared his story of surviving childhood sexual abuse at the hands of his former hockey coach, Graham James.
Fleury was born in Oxbow and raised in Russell, Manitoba, but he still has a lot of family in the Estevan area. He said the crowd that greeted him in Estevan was the largest for any Victor Walk event.
The local walk began at the Estevan Subway and wrapped up at the Estevan Courthouse. Fleury and others spoke at a rally. After the rally, supporters went to the Orpheum Theatre to watch Victor Walk, which documents the first walk in 2013. 聽
鈥淓stevan has been a shot in the arm for all of us,鈥� said Fleury.
Estevan鈥檚 Heroines: The Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) celebrated the contributions of women to the community with the exhibit Heroines during the summer months.
The exhibit was a followup to Estevan Women: The Dynamics, which appeared at the EAGM in 1998. Heroines featured photos and biographies of 18 women making a positive contribution to the community.
EAGM director Amber Andersen said having strong female mentors, leaders, volunteers, allies and friends is a big component of having a great community. The 18 women recognized represent a fraction of the strong female leaders in the community, she said.
Fresh Air Fitness celebrates: Fresh Air Fitness, which offers outdoor fitness activities at the Woodlawn Regional Park, opened early in the summer, and celebrated its grand opening in late August.
The grand opening featured demonstrations of its exercise equipment, yoga classes and martial arts programs. People could also participate in an obstacle course, and walk through the nearby Preddy Trails.
Co-founders Peggy Rohatyn and Debby Knight first introduced the idea of Fresh Air Fitness to the public last year. Since then, they have worked hard to bring their dream to reality.
Forever in the Clouds: Estevan has another tribute to its military history. Forever in the Clouds is a monument that pays tribute to the 21 people killed during an airplane crash at the former Estevan Airport site on Sept. 15, 1946.
The monument was carved out of a 500-year-old Douglas fir tree by Alberta chainsaw artist Darren Jones, who also carved the Estevan Soldier鈥檚 Tree monument that now stands next to the Estevan Courthouse.
A decision has yet to be made on the location for Forever in the Clouds, but it is hoped it could be on the opposite side of the courthouse lawn from the Soldier鈥檚 Tree.
Once complete, Forever in the Clouds will have the faces of the 21 men killed in the plane crash. The faces of two of the victims are still needed.
Memorable experiences: Estevan鈥檚 Bailey Gaignard had a couple of memorable experiences in 2017 through his involvement with the army cadet program.
The first was the Maple Leaf Exchange, which is a senior course opportunity that sent him to the United Kingdom, Belgium and France in the summer. He participated in field exercises and learned more about military history. Sixty cadets from across the country were selected.
The other was a two-week army cadet national expedition in the Yukon Territory from Sept. 5 to 19. He was the only Saskatchewan army cadet selected.
Completing a labour of love: Kelly Tytlandsvik鈥檚 30 years of dedication to complete a locomotive steam engine paid off last year. Tytlandsvik, who organizes the Estevan Model Engineer Show each year, had the locomotive on display at the show in October.
The name of the locomotive, No. 8717, reflects the amount of time he put into the project. He started working on it in 1987 and finished it in 2017.
鈥淚鈥檓 relieved to have it finished,鈥� Tytlandsvik said. 鈥淎fter 30 years of working on it, off and on, for many years, the project is done. It鈥檚 nice to have it done, and off the bench in the shop.鈥�
Best Christmas gift ever:Margaret Messer of Midale received the best Christmas gift of her life, when local military historian Craig Bird helped her trace the military history of her father.
Messer had been searching for information about her father, Alcide Baillargeon, who fought in the First World War. She approached Bird for information and it didn鈥檛 take long for him to deliver an answer.
鈥淐raig said he could help me and he did,鈥� said Messer.
Baillargeon was originally from Quebec. He joined the army in 1915 with the 233rd Battalion鈥檚 Royal Engineers. As a sapper, he would search and destroy mines, clear obsoletes and generally work around explosives. He was discharged in 1917, and Bird believes Baillargeon had post-traumatic stress disorder.
Still sharp: Local resident Blanche Keating had an extra reason to celebrate on Dec. 25, as she turned 100 years old. A birthday celebration was held on Dec. 9, with friends and family in attendance.
Not only has Keating joined the ranks of the centenarians, but she still resides in her own home 鈥� the house she has lived in since 1961.
鈥淚 do a lot crossword puzzles and I do a lot of reading,鈥� said Keating.
Keating was born in the Weyburn area in 1917, and came to Estevan with her husband and their 11 children in 1960.
