ESTEVAN, Sask. — Jason LeBlanc’s support for the STARS Air Ambulance runs deep.
A farmer, an auctioneer and the reeve of the RM of Estevan, LeBlanc said he has donated to the cause and has helped out with fundraising auctions for the organization.
On a personal level, he said his brother was the patient on the first STARS flight out of Estevan in the early 2010s after his sibling had a blood clot in his leg.
“STARS was able to get him to Regina on time. The outcome could have been a lot different had STARS not been here,” said LeBlanc.
Now he is among five community leaders from across the province selected for the STARS Rescue on the Prairie fundraiser on Sept. 17. LeBlanc and the other participants will be taken to a remote location, where each person has to raise at least $50,000 before returning to civilization.
“This year, they said instead of working and being our auctioneer, would you be interested in taking the challenge to go get hidden for a day and try to raise as much money as you can? And I said yes to it. I accepted the challenge,” said LeBlanc.
His bio on the STARS website states that LeBlanc is a fourth-generation agricultural producer, currently farming 15,000 acres. He grew up working on his family’s mixed grain and cattle operation.
LeBlanc also founded LeBlanc Auction Service when he was 18 years old, and the bio said his success led to the company's acquisition by Ritchie Brothers 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,” his bio stated.
In 2024, LeBlanc 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,” the bio said. “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.”
In 2024, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Auctioneer’s Association’s Auction Era Hall of Honour.
LeBlanc joined the SaskPower board of directors in 2025. He and his wife Sherrill have three daughters.
“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 benefited from Jason’s auctioneering expertise – just to name a few," the bio stated.
Donations have been coming in since LeBlanc announced his involvement. Supporting STARS is something people should want to do, he said, but he stressed STARS makes good use of the funds, and he and the other participants won't be paid.
“I’d like to have as many people involved as we can, or maybe have some [donation] challenges,” said LeBlanc, noting a teacher and some miners have supported his effort and challenged their peers to help out.
The other people involved seem like great people, LeBlanc said, and he knows they’re doing their best to garner support.
He added there are some non-profits that don’t make good use of the money they receive. But LeBlanc said STARS is run “very, very well.” The people with STARS believe in the cause, and it costs a lot of money to keep the helicopters in the air and to have the pilots and the trained medical staff.
“I really, firmly want to keep it going. Not every province is fortunate enough to have air ambulance, but Saskatchewan is.”
He’s also talked to people in the southeast who have been part of Rescue on the Prairies about what to expect, but LeBlanc said the event changes every year.
People can support LeBlanc by clicking here.
