Hello Estevan, my name is Rhys (pronounced Reese) Kelso and I am the newest edition to the Estevan Mercury staff. I arrived in town two weeks ago to take the position as web editor at the paper and I am excited to be part of the staff at the Mercury as well as being a member of the city.
I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, please don't hold that against me Roughrider fans, but for the past four years I lived and worked in Hinton, Alberta.
Although it has been a busy couple of weeks for me settling in and learning all the aspects of my new job, it has been a lot of fun. In my first week of work I got to cover a live MMA event at Spectra Place, two Estevan Bruins' hockey games and a volleyball tournament. I am sure once I develop a routine, things will start to go smoother for me, but my first impression of the city is that it is a busy place and there will always be lots of stories for me to cover.
Moving from Hinton to Estevan has taken some adjusting, but in lots of aspects the two places have lots in common. One of the things I will miss the most about living in Hinton is being so close to the Rocky Mountains. It was only a 45 minute drive to Jasper and there was a beautiful view of the mountains from Hinton. That being said, I was born and raised on flat ground in Winnipeg and I'm happy to return. Sure the mountains are beautiful, but it doesn't make for easy winter driving and you always seemed to be walking uphill wherever you went.
I will also miss all the great friends and people I got to work with in Hinton, but I'm looking forward to developing some great relationships here. One of the best parts about a job in the media industry is that you get to meet all kinds of interesting people. If you happen to see me out and about with my video camera, stop by and introduce yourself. I am always up for meeting new people and as a newbie in Estevan, I'm looking forward to all the new people I will meet.
Despite the difference between Estevan and Hinton, the two communities are quiet similar. Both places are heavily involved in mining and oil and gas industries, both places have lots of exciting events going on and both are growing communities, although the housing problem in Hinton is nowhere near what it is here.
Since I graduated from college with my journalism degree, Saskatchewan has always been a spot that I have wanted to make a stop in during my career. Since I was a young child, I have been a huge sports fan, either playing or watching, Unfortunately I was always just average at any sport I tried, but I still wanted to find a career where I could still be a part of sports at a high level. Journalism was the direction I decided to go and I think any good sports journalist needs a stop in Saskatchewan.
I have never lived in Saskatchewan before, but the impression I always got was that sports was important to people in the province and being here two weeks, it is clear that sports plays a big role here. I look forward to covering a full season of Bruins hockey and all the other sports this city has to offer. I will have to brush up on my knowledge of racing for the summer by the sounds of things.
Everything is still new to me in Estevan and any advice or suggestions that people have for me about the city would be greatly appreciated. So next time you see me, say "hi" or send me an e-mail at rkelso@estevanmercury.ca. I am looking forward to quickly becoming a part of the community and spending some time covering great events in Estevan.
