Neck guard sales jump after Sask. hockey player slashed by skate
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More adult players are now investing in the protective equipment.
In the summer of 2018, Glen Tonita began the process of getting natural gas at his business, Regina Maintenance Plus Crane and Equipment, along Highway 46 in the RM of Edenwold.
“I still have no natural gas and no date when it’s going to come in,” Tonita said Tuesday.
The business owner said he wrote SaskEnergy a cheque for around $60,000 for the new line, but there is no timeline for installation.
“They cashed the cheque, then I phoned them and said, ‘Now you’ve cashed our cheque. When can we have natural gas put into the lots?’ ” Tonita said of a conversation with the Crown corporation.
After opting not to spend thousands of dollars to have the work done last winter, Tonita tried to get a timeline in May.
He was told one of the holdups was for SaskEnergy to get permission and a plan to place a line under a railway.
According to Tonita, when he heard about the strike at several Crown corporations, including SaskEnergy, he reached out again.
Despite some hope that contractors might be able to do work during the strike, he said he has learned they can’t install new lines.
“If I didn’t pay my bill for 14 or 15 months, they’re (SaskEnergy) going to take action,” he said with frustration. “I’ve paid my bill and I’m waiting for action and I’m being brushed off.”
650 CKOM reached out to SaskEnergy, which said it could not comment on the specifics of the file without Tonita’s permission.
Speaking in general terms, a spokesperson said timelines for installation can be drastically different depending on several factors.
It includes time for environmental and heritage checks, engineering assessments and potential route plans.
SaskEnergy said the fall is typically the busiest time for installation with 40 crews on the ground.
Because of the Crown strike, these crews are not available.
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Dominick Lucyk