The ability to hear is about much more than enjoying sounds. As Melanie Tribiger explains, it’s an essential component of communication.
“A person’s hearing is incredibly important, because hearing is what allows us to actually connect with people around us,” she says. “It allows us to have conversations, to communicate, and when that’s a struggle, it leads to isolation.”
Tribiger, a Hearing Specialist, Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences, and owner-operator of Sun Country Hearing, which has locations in Estevan and Weyburn, is passionate about helping people connect meaningfully with one another. She says that when someone has difficulty hearing, they tend to withdraw from their surroundings.
“And we all know that being as connected as possible is important to us as humans,” she says.
Established in 2014, Sun Country Hearing is marking its 10th anniversary. Tribiger purchased the clinic in 2022, and more recently moved the Estevan location to 1320 3rd St and added a second clinic at 433 4th St, #106 in Weyburn.
Both locations offer a comprehensive range of hearing services, including assessments, earwax removal, hearing aid sales and fittings, battery sales, hearing aid repairs and custom earmolds for hearing protection.
For Tribiger, who was born and raised in Estevan, helping people improve their hearing is a lot more than a career. It’s an opportunity to make a difference.
“I’ve lived here my entire life,” she says. “This community is where I make my home, and it’s very important to me.”
Tribiger’s entry into the hearing services field was made through a connection of her own. Having learned that a friend of hers was opening a hearing clinic, she asked if she could work as a receptionist. Watching her friend improve people’s lives, it wasn’t long before she wanted to become even more involved in the clinic.
“I was really inspired, so I took the Hearing Aid Practitioner program through Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton,” she recalls. “As I continued my schooling, my role within the clinic grew.”
By taking on more and more responsibility, Tribiger was able to learn the ins and outs of not only the hearing services industry, but also running a business. She became part of the clinic’s succession planning, and just over two years ago she purchased it from her friend.
Tribiger describes Sun Country’s overall service as providing thorough hearing healthcare.
By performing an extensive, one-hour test, she’s able to learn how an eardrum is functioning and whether it is moving properly and experiencing pressure build-up. Testing also helps her check speech recognition, and whether the brain is receiving signals from the ears correctly.
“When I complete each part of these tests, it’s like I see a puzzle coming together,” she says.
Sun Country Hearing also provides hearing aid fittings – something in which Tribiger takes considerable pride. A proper fitting, she explains, will actually take into account the acoustics of the client’s ear canals, and fit the hearing aid accordingly.
Another important service she provides is ear wax removal. Oftentimes people are uncomfortable with their ear wax, even if build-up is completely normal for everyone. To remove it, she uses instrumentation and suction, as well as a safe method of flushing that essentially sprays the canal walls instead of the eardrum.
Regarding custom hearing protection, Tribiger gets excited about two examples in particular.
For musicians, she says, she can take an impression of the ear and have a mold cast, resulting in a mold similar to those used by newscasters, and she can also input Bluetooth capability into earbuds. For auto racing, she can have an earpiece cast that includes a built-in receiver. She says it’s all about hearing what you need to hear, and minimizing the rest.
“If you’re working in a noisy environment, you’ll still need to communicate with people around you. There’s hearing protection that can help with that,” she says. “I can take an impression of your ear canal, send it to the lab and then select the right kind of filter.”
Tribiger also enjoys facilitating community-focused events, such as the Seniors Tea at the annual Festival of Trees.
“It’s exciting to find new ways to support Estevan through my business,” she says. “I’ve also found my way to the board of the Chamber of Commerce.”
Whether through its comprehensive hearing care or community involvement, Sun Country Hearing continues to make a positive difference in the lives of people in Estevan, Weyburn and the surrounding regions.
“Communication is such an important part of our lives,” Tribiger concludes. “Helping our community communicate more easily is very satisfying.”
Sun Country Hearing can be contacted by calling (306) 636-3277 in Estevan and (306) 842-3277 in Weyburn. Further information regarding the clinic’s services can be found by visiting their website.