It seems like just yesterday we were reflecting on the year that was 2022 and looking ahead to what 2023 would bring.
That was a year ago.
It seems like each passing year goes by a little bit faster. Of course, that's not the case; it just feels that way. But until someone comes up with a way to slow down time, we're going to be facing the same situation every year: reflecting on how fast the days go by.
It's been another eventful year in the southeast. And it hasn't always been easy. The Nov. 1 incidents in Estevan that left two people dead and a member of the Estevan Police Service seriously injured served as a reminder that yes, these sorts of things can happen here.
And it reinforces the fact that we need to continue to provide support when it comes to mental health issues. Sadly, we're always going to need to do more.
One positive note about this story is that the officer who was shot was back at work in early December, just five weeks after the incident.
We saw the importance of holding government responsible for their decisions. Elaine Walkom's story that went public after the Ministry of Health denied her request to donate $2 million for the purchase of an MRI scanner at St. Joseph's Hospital brought the need for an MRI machine in the southeast back into the forefront.
There's a lot of work and fundraising remaining to make an MRI happen in Estevan, but for those down here who need it and have to travel at least two hours to Regina, sometimes in adverse weather conditions, they have a reason for hope. Now that the business plan is in place, the government needs to do the right thing and green-light this project.
We continued to have difficult discussions on the future of power production in the city. It seemed like this issue was in the news from the start of the year. And while we might want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend this isn't happening, it's going to be a big story for our community for the next few years. Remember: we're talking about the future of the community.
We also had a lot to celebrate. Brayden Pachal became the first person born, raised and trained in Estevan to win the Stanley Cup. And he brought the greatest trophy in hockey home to Estevan for his day with the Cup.
We had the provincial women's and men's curling championships here in January and February, bringing a considerable boost to the local economy.
We once again saw some tremendous fundraisers as people in the southeast again showed their unending generosity.
And we went through a full year without pandemic-related restrictions. This year was as close to normal as we have experienced since 2019.
So, what can we look forward to next year? Elections, for one. There will be the provincial vote in October. The municipal and school board elections will be a few weeks later. It will be interesting to see how the provincial election plays out, and who will run in the civic election, especially the Estevan mayoral race, where Roy Ludwig has already announced he won't seek re-election.
If you're hoping to see a federal election in 2024, well, that's less likely. The Liberals aren't going to want to go to the polls with their support lagging, so they'll be eager to keep the NDP happy. If the Liberals do suddenly decide this is the time to have an election, that might be a sign they see weakness in federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
If we have a new prime minister by the end of 2024, it likely means Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned.
We'll get to look forward to the traditional assortment of events, activities and milestones.
And you get to look forward to reading about it through the Mercury, whether it be in print each week or online via our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca.
