It was just a couple of years ago that Jacquie Mvula saw a need in Estevan for the services that are provided by her business, Sun Country Hearing Ltd.
Jacquie, who was born and raised in Estevan and is the daughter of Jim and Evelyn Sandquist, came back to the Energy City in 2014 to open the business.
“The area did not have an audiologist or even a full-time clinic, so I decided to move closer to family and fill the void,” she said.
She already had her own clinic in Alberta, and she sold it to move back to Estevan.
“I love my career and enjoy doing what I do,” she said.
Jacquie is an alumni of Minot State University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders in 2003, and her Masters in Audiology in 2005.
“After graduating, I worked in other private clinics in Reed Deer and Edmonton from 2005 to 2010,” she said.
Then she started Heartland Hearing in Stettler, Alberta, which she owned from 2010 until her return to Estevan.
Sun Country Hearing has only been open for about 18 months, but they have already built up a strong base of customers. The business is located in a strip mall off Kensington Avenue in northeast Estevan. Melanie Tribiger works as the company’s administrator, but handles many other responsibilities.
The business provides the gamut of auditory services: hearing aid fittings, adjustments and repairs, hearing tests, ear wax removal and custom hearing protection.
It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Monday to Thursday. As the client base grows, they expect to be able to expand their hours further.
They are expanding services, too, such as monthly ear cleanings and checkups for people living at the Estevan Regional Nursing Home. They will be doing pre-screening sessions for schools that are interested, starting in September.
“We are also going to be adding a portable audio metre, so we can offer local schools free hearing screenings, and also offer on-site industrial testing out of town,” she said.
Sun Country Hearing sees all ages of clients. The most common demographics for hearing aids are seniors, veterans and men working in environments that are excessively loud. The ear wax removal and hearing tests bring in clients of all ages.
They will see anyone who is at least five years of age.
There are challenges associated with the business. Jacquie said they want to inform the public that they are in Estevan and are willing and prepared to serve the people of the city. They also want to let people know about the importance of healthy hearing.
May is Speech and Hearing Month. Jacquie said will be promoting the need for proper hearing protection for spectators at the Estevan Motor Speedway.
It’s an important month to bring awareness about speech and hearing issues.
“There are so many people out there with hearing loss, and they just ignore it, avoid it and deny it until it’s noticeable for them,” said Jacquie. “Their families might complain, and sometimes it’s something that could have been fixed a lot time ago. It could be was. It could be a middle ear problem.”
She encourages people to have a baseline test done in case something does go wrong later.
When she is not at work, Jacquie loves to spend time with her husband Isaac and her two sons, Noah and Karson. She volunteers in the community, travels when she has the chance, and enjoys swimming and golfing.
