Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The death of Ashley Richards in 2012 as she was working the first day of her job as a flagger in a construction zone inspired a couple from Watrous to help make the job safer.

Kim and Donna Kreutzer decided to create the Guardian Angel Autoflagger, a device that allows the flag person to operate the arm stopping traffic from a safe distance. They have one major new client, the Province of Saskatchewan.

“When Ashley Richards got killed about eight years ago in Midale, they decided there had to be a better way to keep people safe,” said Edward Anderson during a news conference the morning of Sept. 7 when the province unveiled the new devices. Anderson is the marketing manager for Guardian Angel Autoflagger Manufacturing.

“The secret to our machine compared to the other ones is it’s mounted on a truck or any receiver hitch and plugs into the trailer plug,” said Anderson.

Unlike larger devices, the one created by the Kreutzers is easy to move around and more suitable for smaller jobs like highway patching.

Set up is very quick and can be done without the operator ever having to be on the highway.

To run it, the flag person sits in the vehicle and moves the arm up or down without getting out and can move as needed.

In the pilot program, Moose Jaw and Outlook will join Prince Albert in assessing how effective the devices are, the province said.

“We’ve been working hard to improve the safety of Saskatchewan highways,” said Highways Minister Fred Bradshaw.

Bradshaw, who lives near Carrot River, brought up an incident in which three members of the Carrot River Wildcats football team were killed in collision in 2015.

“At that time, the flagger was also injured,” said Bradshaw. “This will be very visible and this is what we can have out there to save lives.”

Bradshaw said he is hopeful the devices will soon be in use across Saskatchewan highways once the pilot project is complete.

Near misses, miscommunications and feedback from the flag person will help the province calculate the effectiveness of the device. A video camera on the device records in loops so there is a record of any incidents that might happen.

The province has purchased six for the pilot project but Guardian Angel has also sold some to private industry, such as a towing company.

Two of the flaggers will be based in Prince Albert and serve the northern district, two are in Saskatoon for that area and two have been placed in Moose Jaw for use in more southern areas.

Anderson said that on average in North America, a tow truck driver is killed every nine days and fire departments have also expressed interest. 

In response to a question, Anderson said the device does not replace flag people as it requires a person to operate it.

“All it does is put the flagger out of harm’s way,” he said, adding that people he has talked to in the construction industry refuse to allow their family to work the flag person job just based on how dangerous it can be.

A planned candidate forum in Nipawin has been cancelled after only two candidates would confirm attendance. 

Liberal candidate Estelle Hjertaas, one other unnamed candidate confirmed on Friday that they would attend, but the Chamber opted to cancel as not a broad enough representation would be on hand, Nipawin and District Chamber of Commerce president Ben Paskaruk said.

“Because we didn’t have full representation of all the candidates, we decided it would not be in anyone’s interest to do a forum without all points of view being represented,” he said. “We need to be impartial and giving a platform to everybody that deserves it.”

The Chamber heard that the timing of Sept. 8 was just too close to the Prince Albert forum on Sept. 7.

Instead, the Nipawin Chamber will use the Prince Albert forum as a launchpad and direct a few questions from residents of Nipawin to the candidates here. 

“We’ll do our best if any of our membership has any questions, we will get them forwarded through,” said Paskaruk. “If our membership has any pertinent questions to ask, we’ll make sure those get forwarded.”

Members of the Nipawin Chamber will get an email on how they can access the Prince Albert forum. 

The Prince Albert forum is scheduled for Sept. 7 with introductions at 6:30. Following opening remarks from each candidate, the public will have their chance to ask questions starting at 7:30 pm. 

The event is to be held in person at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library and will also be livestreamed on the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page. 

Liberal candidate Estelle Hjertaas said she was disappointed to hear the event was cancelled, since it gives voters a valuable chance to hear incumbent MPs answer questions and defend their record.

“Debates and all candidate forums are an important part of our democracy – they allow voters to ask candidates questions and get a sense of who they are,” Hjertaas said in a press release.

“These events are a means to hold elected members and candidates accountable and ask them about their views on local issues. I enjoyed attending them as a voter, and believe it is very important for me to attend as a candidate.”

One man is facing a charge of second-degree murder and another is charged with being an accessory to aggravated assault in connection with a homicide at Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation on Sept. 3.

Brandon Cameron, age 26, was found dead in a truck in a rural area near the community at 6:47 am on Sept. 3.

That same day, Rosthern police arrested Straughn Smallchild, age 22, without incident at a residence in the community.

Smallchild faces one count of second degree murder and will appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 10:00 am.

The following day Cory Little Pine, age 32, was also arrested at a residence in the community and charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to aggravated assault. He will also appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Sept. 7 at 10:00 am.

In the circumstances around Cameron’s death, RCMP officers in Rosthern were told by EMS personnel of a deceased male in truck and, based on the information, the RCMP Mayor Crime Unit North took the lead.  

Investigators determined that the rural truck scene was related to another report of an altercation at a residence on the Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation at 1:21 am on Sept. 3.

Officers searched for the three people reported to be involved and did not find them. A second report about the same residence was received at 3:55 a.m.

As a result of the connection between the two scenes, a search of the residence swas conducted at 7:00 a.m. by Rosthern RCMP.

Also assisting in this investigation were the Saskatchewan RCMP Emergency Response Team, RCMP Police Dog Services, Saskatoon RCMP Forensic Identification Services and Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

Spending $100,000 on a new program aimed at keeping members of the Prince Albert Police Service health could be money well spent if it keeps even one officer from having to take paid leave to cope with stress, Chief Jonathan Bergen said recently.

PAPS announced on Sept. 2 that they had implemented a new strategy geared to help all staff –  not just sworn officers – cope with the mental stresses brought on by the job

“We recognize that the job we’re called upon to serve at times includes very difficult duties,” said Bergen in a digital media conference. “The trauma that our members are often exposed to can have lasting effects and so as a police service, investing in all of our staff – not just police officers – and making sure we’re keeping them healthy with preventative programming and managing and coping techniques is an investment in our police service.”

The new program, which started in July, is headed by Nicola Sherwin-Roller, an art psychotherapist and certified counsellor. Sherwin-Roller also operates her own private practice.

Sherwin-Roller has employed two additional resources; registered social worker Sherry LaFaver and Mr. Blue, a four-year-old Labradoodle whose job it is to engage with members and staff.

“This is not about coming in after trauma has happened,” Sherwin-Roller said. “This is about building capacity and awareness and working with members and staff in their everyday job responsibilities to support them and develop strategies that fit their unique needs.”

The new program allows employees of PAPS to get confidential support at the police station or substation or at a private office location.

“When we keep our members healthy, they are better equipped to serve the public,” Bergen said. “This strategy is new.”

In the 40,000 plus calls for service officers have responded to over the last year, some included scenes of violence that would weight on any person and an officer is no exception, he said.

“What they experience and what they observe and have to manage in their daily duties can be very difficult,” Bergen explained. “making sure that we’re giving them the tools to manage what they see is preventative and its critically important and making sure that we’re doing ahead of time.”

Waiting until there is problem helps no one and is unlikely to bring the best outcomes.

“It’s an investment into the organization and it’s an investment into our people,” said Bergen.

A variety of reasons went into the decision including the volume of work officers have.

“We’re under a difficult call load. The amount of calls our members service is quite high. When you compare us, we’re unique in how many calls we have here in Prince Albert,” he said.

There have been a number of traumatic incidents that have had an impact and the service is also interested in providing after-care.

“It’s critically important whether the member has the access to that care before but also to make sure that they’re following up after a significant incident so they have the programs and support that they need,” said Bergen. “Some things are very difficult to observe and there’s a human response to that.”

The service had a unique opportunity to use the money that would have paid one officer’s wages and test out the program while that officer is seconded to another agency for a year, he said.

They could have hired a short term officer to replace the seconded one but making sure all officers have good mental health support could have an even bigger benefit.  

“If 100,000 – and it’s a lot of money, we recognize that – but if one member is away for an extended period of time, that could very easily cost us $100,000 where we don’t have a member serving the community. If two members are away for any period of time, that doubles,” Bergen said.

They will continue and assess the strategy – a process that is being developed now – into 2022 but Bergen acknowledges the challenges of quantifying the benefits of a program that stops things from happening.

“We’re going to meet and discuss those measures next week,” he said. “It’s a difficult program to measure, we know that. How do you measure something that you prevented?”

Local Journalism Inititative Reporter

One local business could have their name called twice when the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce holds its annual ABEX awards in October.

Limitless Gear Clothing is in the running for both the New Venture Award and the Young Entrepeneur Award, via its owner Cody Demerais.

With a past marked by chasing risk like substance abuse and looking at the lives of other people and not wanting a nine to five job, Demerais stepped out on a long limb several years ago and launched his own clothing brand from the trunk of his car.

“I think I have a flat out addictive personality. It goes along with having ADHD. For years I gave myself more into addictions than anything else. No matter what job, career or where I was at in life, I gave more to addictions than I did the rest of my life,” explained Demerais. “I was unhappy with everything I was doing. I knew I wanted to be creative, I wanted to make an impact on the world.”

Demerais was raised by a single mother and as time went on, his anger at his situation showed up in his behaviour, landing him in jail for a time after a drunk-driving collision with his best friend. Both survived but it was a long road to recovery.

He realized that he could not continue taking the physical risks he was taking and decided to change everything about his life and then use his success to help others.

“Coming from my past, where a lot of parents used to tell their kids, don’t hang out with Cody, because of the rambunctious ways or the addictions back in the day or all the things I used to get myself into, it was disappointing knowing that I wasn’t reflecting a very good image to the rest of the world,” he said. “I know I wasn’t living up to a potential that I truly deserved.”

He has also spent his time in the physical labour trenches and found no happiness there and then he watched the movie Limitless (2011) and it gave him the insight into his own personality that he needed to change his path and turn his creativity into a business. 

“I used to get up in the morning and swear every time I laced up my work boots when I was working in the trades. I told myself this is not what I want to do for the rest of my life so I ended up doing something that every time I worked on it for a few hours here and there, it gave me some fire in my brain,” said Demerais.

“It was working on the brand. I realized, if that’s what makes me so excited and happy, how come I’m not doing this full-time?”

So he started perfecting his concept, got some samples and hit the road with his idea – and found some happiness.

“When I started a brand a few years ago out of the trunk of my car with about 100 or so t-shirts, it felt empowering that I was giving myself to something better than just substance abuse addictions,” said Demerais.

Now, he spends his hours working on his business rather than chasing another addiction – other than the risk or thrill of making it in the business world.

“I remember telling my mom, I would rather go bankrupt and not have a single dollar to my name and know I tried my very best to see what a full store would look like,” said Demerais.  

After three years of working out of the trunk of his car, Demerais opened a physical location on Central Avenue in downtown Prince Albert in 2019 – a location he loves and, despite his ambition to grow and spread his brand to other provinces and possibly the country – a location he plans to keep.

“I absolutely love what I do each and every day and the day I don’t enjoy it anymore, is the day I most likely don’t do it anymore,” he said.

The ABEX Awards will be livestreamed in a virtual gala at 7 pm on October 22. Registration is possible online at www.saskchamber.com.

In the New Venture Award category, Limitless Gear Clothing is up against Brew Ninja from Regina, and Curbie Cars of Saskatoon.

In the Young Entrepeneur race, Demerais takes on Amy Bertram of Dancer’s Edge in Warman and Daniela Mintenko of Dandy’s Artisan Ice Cream in Regina.

Applicants are independently judged by a group of business experts who review the quality of the application and supporting documents.

An increased risk of catching COVID exists for everyone who was at the Zion Lutheran Church in Nipawin on Aug. 29 between 10 and 11 am.

The SHA issued the alert on Sep. 3 and said that anyone who was at the church should immediately self-isolate and remain that way until Sept. 12.

They should be tested immediately for the virus and then again on Sept. 8 unless they have received two doses of the vaccine and the second dose was prior to August 15.

Vaccinated people do not need to self-isolate but should monitor for symptoms of being infected until September 12.

If symptoms develop, then self-isolate immediately and seek testing.

Self-isolation means you need to stay home, avoid contact with anyone who is not fully vaccinated (individuals who are considered fully vaccinated have received two doses of vaccine and are at least two weeks past their second dose), and stay away from work, school, stores, social events and any other public setting.

Symptoms can include things like fever, cough, headache, muscle and/or joint aches and pain, sore throat, chills, runny nose, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, dizziness, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.