Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Estevan farmer, auctioneer, reeve and big supporter of the energy sector Jason LeBlanc is taking part in this year’s version of “Rescue on the Prairie,” an annual fundraiser.
The air ambulance service formally known as “Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) does not charge a fee for its services, but instead relies on fundraisers like this to provide the life-saving service.
“Meet our Rescue on the Prairie participants—5 courageous community leaders ready to trade their business suits for STARS flight suits!” says the STARS.ca web page.
“Their mission? Raise $50,000 each by the end of the day to support STARS’ life-saving work. Dropped into a remote location with only their smartphones, they’ll tackle challenges, rally support, and raise awareness to secure their rescue.”
September 17 is the big day.
Here’s the writeup on the STARS webpage regarding LeBlanc’s participation:
Jason is a 4th generation farmer, currently farming 15,000 acres in the Estevan area. Jason grew up working on his family’s mixed grain and cattle operation. Jason founded LeBlanc Auction Service when he was 18 years old. The success of Jason’s auction business led to its acquisition in 2004. Jason was instrumental in expanding auctions across the Canadian agricultural market and auctioneered across Canada and worldwide before stepping away in 2019 after 30 years in the auction business.
In 2024, Jason joined Steffes Auctioneers as a Strategic Advisor for the Canadian Market. Since joining Steffes, he has played a major role in growing the company’s presence across Canada by strengthening industry connections and supporting continued growth throughout the prairie provinces. Jason’s expertise in agricultural equipment, farmland, real estate, oilfield, and industrial auctions spans decades, and he brings a wealth of networking contacts and industry knowledge to the Steffes team and its customers.
Throughout his career, Jason has received numerous auctioneering awards and recognitions. In 2024, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Auctioneer’s Association’s Auction Era Hall of Honor. He is an active member of the Saskatchewan Auctioneers Association.
Jason currently serves as Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Estevan No. 5. and joined the SaskPower Board of Directors in 2025. Jason was a 4-H member and a hockey player in his youth and has sat on the Estevan Fair Board. Jason, along with his wife Sherrill, have raised 3 daughters, spending countless hours at the rink over the last 22 years. Jason is community-minded and is proud that he has raised millions of dollars through charity auctions for his community, surrounding areas, and people in crisis. Fundraisers for new community arenas and health facilities, STARS, 4-H, and wildlife organizations have benefitted from Jason’s auctioneering expertise – just to name a few.
Jason loves the agricultural sector. These days you will find him managing and working on the farm with his family, working as Reeve of the RM of Estevan and with Steffes Auctioneers. Jason always makes sure to dedicate a great deal of time and energy towards improving his community.
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LeBlanc took a minute from driving a combine on Sept. 2 to tell Pipeline Online why he’s taking part. He said, “STARS has always been a pretty important thing in our family. I’ve had some relatives flown by STARS. My own brother was flown by STARS, lots of friends and neighbors. It’s amazing just how much, how many people have been affected by STARS.
“And I was one of the first ones that ever auctioned for the STARS Gala way back when it was first brought in by Rod Gantefoer, and he gave me a challenge that night to auction off a 50-dollar bill. I don’t remember just what it brought, but most people donate furniture or TVs or something to auction off. And he just said, “Here’s a 50-dollar bill, auction it off,” and it brought in thousands. It was a great night had by all.”
“And I’ve been asked to do again, and I’m getting a little older, and I just want to to do one more of these rounds again for STARS, and see if we can help keep them in the air. The costs are going up, and things are getting a little worrisome, so let’s see if we can do it.”
You can find LeBlanc’s donation page here. And here, you can find the donation link. At the time of writing it appears that he’s in the lead. Let’s put him over the top.
While there are several notable large donations from businesses, LeBlanc said, “It’s not just for businesses to donate. We’re looking for the 50s and the hundreds and the $500 and the $1000s, I mean, it all counts. We’re really relying on everybody. STARS is reaching out for a reason. They need the funds and need the money to keep it going. Because when you don’t expect that you’re going to need stars, that’s when you will need them, and if they’re not there, you can think back to this day and to why you didn’t donate. So we’re asking for everybody to reach in and let’s help stars keep the vote.
LeBlanc said Steffes Auctioneers, whose auctions include oilfield businesses, “jumped in with both feet” when he was asked to take part, and made a “major donation” to “keep STARS alive.”
Join the Pipeline Online Podcast at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, with guest Chris Beaudry, Saskatchewan Minister of Energy and Resources. There’s a trade war going on, and some people want to use our oil as a bargaining chip. Various pipelines are being discussed and how will Saskatchewan grow production along the lines Alberta is doing? Take part live on X, Facebook or YouTube or catch the rebroadcast after the long weekend.
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- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
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