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LeBlanc confident Savour will continue

Josh LeBlanc is confident Savour the Southeast will return in 2019, but it will have different organizers. In a post on his Facebook page on Monday morning, LeBlanc said that the organizing committee for the event would be taking a break.
Savour pic

Josh LeBlanc is confident Savour the Southeast will return in 2019, but it will have different organizers.

In a post on his Facebook page on Monday morning, LeBlanc said that the organizing committee for the event would be taking a break.

“In order for any event to stay fresh and new, we need to have fresh people on board,” said LeBlanc.

Heidi Hesselink and Jeff Walters have been part of the event since its outset, and Jeff Pierson was also on the committee this year.

Representatives of the Envision Counselling and Support Centre were also involved with Savour this year, since they received funds from this year’s event. The benefitting charity for Savour has been part of an extended organizing committee each year, and has also supplied volunteers for the event.

LeBlanc stressed that he never said Savour the Southeast was finished, or that it wouldn’t happen next year.

Within a few hours of his social media post on Monday, LeBlanc said he received four or five inquiries from service groups and non-profit organizations who want to host the event.

The committee had discussions after the event in May of whether they want to continue hosting the event.

“It’s been a discussion after every one of them – do we keep going with it? Are we doing it? And then we’ve always decided to,” said LeBlanc.

When Savour first started in 2016, it was not intended to be an annual event. It was meant to be a fundraiser for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan. But it proved to be so popular that it continued for the next two years.

“We can see that by the outpouring of support that we’ve had in the past that people love it. It was something that we want to keep trying, and it’s something we don’t want to see leave the community.”

It has raised nearly $150,000 for local charities in its three-year run.

LeBlanc also noted events like Savour are facing new expectations from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. While he didn’t delve into too much detail on that issue, he said there are rule changes coming for trade show discounts and the business and logistics side of events like Savour.

Vendors remain highly interested in the event. The committee was always negotiating with vendors to try to get them to come to Estevan.

“We have had vendors tell us that they will only go to Premier (wine, spirits and food showcase) in Saskatoon and our show,” said LeBlanc. “We have had vendors come back to us and say our show is the most fair show in all of Saskatchewan.

“So we have never really had issues filling up Affinity Place with vendors, especially with the alcohol vendors. They’re always willing and very excited. We’ve had tonnes of newcomers come to the show last year. They said they’ll be back.”

LeBlanc believes it’s important for Savour to continue to happen each year so that organizers can keep in touch with vendors.