The many accomplishments of Ray and Doris Frehlick were celebrated by many on Nov. 16. The Estevan city council, and an assortment of people who鈥檝e worked with the Frehlicks in business and community involvements, came to give the couple accolades for their many achievements, on many levels, from involvement in sports boards and community fundraising, to excellence in conducting business in the oil and gas industry.
Barry Bridges, an Estevan lawyer, spoke extensively to guests at a lunch event held in the lobby of Affinity Place, about the accomplishments credited to the Frehicks over the years.
Bridges congratulated them for their recent induction of Prairie Mud + Chemical Service into the Saskatchewan Business Hall of Fame at the Association of Business Excellence (ABEX) awards. Bridges also spoke of Ray Frehlick鈥檚 many business successes, with the assortment of businesses he has started and owned in Canada and the U.S., including his most successful and familiar local business, Prairie Mud.
Bridges looked back on the history of the Frehlick family鈥檚 community involvement through their business work, noting that Ray and Doris started a number of other businesses, such as a laundromat and dry cleaning operation in Estevan, motivated by any need they saw in the community, and a willingness to provide for that need. Bridges added that the Frehlick family also participates in another of Estevan鈥檚 major industries running successful agricultural operations with both livestock and grain.
鈥淩ay and Doris鈥� efforts were not all directed at business either. Ray has been a member of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and they鈥檙e active with the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, and Ray is involved in the Petroleum Services Association of Canada, and the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society, along with many other business and organizations,鈥� he said.
Bridges spoke about the extensive community involvement of the family, noting that Ray has been involved with minor hockey, baseball, and was integral in his efforts to support significant sporting events like the Saskatchewan Summer Games and the Western Canada Cup.
Ray also received accolades for his contributions in the construction and improvement of countless pieces of local infrastructure, such as Affinity Place, Frehlick Hall and St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital, and received thanks for the fundraising he has recently done for the construction of the new Estevan Nursing Home.
鈥淩ay put into practice the belief that everyone needs to do their part for the good of our community, our province and our country,鈥� said Bridges. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 business, or community organizations, Ray has a saying I like to repeat: 鈥業t takes leaders.鈥欌��
A grateful Ray Frehlick spoke of how necessary it is for the Canadian oil industry to prevail through the approval of pipelines, saying that it is a necessary step in the slow recovery in the value of the price per barrel of oil, and the industry as a whole.
Frehlick also fondly of his past community efforts, celebrating the amount of money the new arena fundraisers he participated in were able to raise.
鈥淭his city is very fortunate to have the community support to have a facility like (Affinity Place). One that is first class, universal and accessible to everybody,鈥� said Frehlick. 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 many other in Alberta or Saskatchewan that compare to this facility.鈥�
Ray emphasized the necessity of the volunteer spirit he has sought to exemplify in all his work, noting that there has been a decline in the presence of volunteers over the years, and that such a trend must be reversed.
鈥淭here are a lot of of great organizations like the Legion, and the Elks that do so much for communities, that can鈥檛 find volunteers, and it鈥檚 going to hurt our communities. I hope everyone steps up for any organization. Volunteer your time,鈥� said Frehlick. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got the best community in the province. Let鈥檚 make this province the best in the country. We can all do it together.鈥�
