advisor and executive di rector, along with Brad Swiftwolfe, are happy to share news of their first annual day of celebration, recognition and sharing held at the Western Development Museum, May 23. The goal was showing appreciation of everyone’s contributions to date to the success of Battlefords Regional Community Coalition.
Evans said inspiration for the event’s creation came from Chief Crystal Okemow in 2020, who began to champion for change and began the hard conversations around racism in the Battlefords.
“Her passion and direction are what really began this journey and she was the main award recipient. Recognition and raising awareness are what inspired this event … racism is still a huge issue in the Battlefords,” says Evans.
Between 90 and 100 people attended, who came by both personal and open invitation, and included federal and provincial attendees.
Evans said some of the highlights included the emotion and political will and buy-in for change.
“The recipients’ com-
more engagement and par ticipation from the chamber of commerce as well as local business,” adds Evans.
Honourees and the reasons for recognition were:
Prairie Merchant –“Your participation and continuous support has made all the difference in our work to champion change – thank you for your kindness and generosity.”
Each of Cenovus, BATC CDC, ISC and the Province of Saskatchewan – “Your contribution has made all the difference in our work to champion change – thank you for your generosity.”
Each of the City of North Battleford and Town of Battleford – “Your continuous support and contribution has made all the difference in our work to champion change – thank you for your participation and generosity.”
Sarah Chileen – “Thank you so much for the generous time you have given the BRCC –the time you have volunteered is most valued and appreciated.”
Dana Martin – Thank you so so much for the generous time you have given the BRCC – the time you
cluded these words, “You make a difference. Your contributions as a regional leader have made such a meaningful difference in the lives of those you serve – thank you for your kindness, compassion and generosity.”
This industrious and monumental organization, BRCC, began when the Battlefords Regional Community Coalition held a series of meetings in 2018, and a workshop that included a number of specific community organizations that served Indigenous people such as BATC, BTC, Prairie Health, RCMP, both municipal governments and several First Nations and Métis representatives.
The BRCC made the decision at a critical point that had revealed deep divisions in Canadian society. Significant events exposed separations; they did not create them.
Evans told the News Optimist and SASKTODAY.ca, “These activities gained the input to promote a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to identifying local needs and priorities. Crime and addiction issues were identified early in the
process as well as opportunities to make change working together. All participating First Nations and both municipal governments provided direction from conception.”
A breakfast meeting hosted by the City of North Battleford in June of 2018 had no set agenda but humble conversations started the foundational talks of building the Battlefords Regional Community Coalition.
Evans says, “In February of 2019 Brett Wilson and his Prairie Merchant team attended our first formal meeting of the BRCC – in that meeting direction was given to the BRCC project manager by the five Firsts Chiefs of Saulteaux First Nation, Sweet Grass First
Nation, Moosomin First Nations, Lucky Man Cree Naton and Little Pine First Nation as well as the City of North Battleford and the
of
to create an agreement to guide this new and unchartered relationship.”
Continued on Page 3
Employees of the Battleford Immigration Resource Centre wore traditional outfits as they hosted Taste of Culture June 1 and 2 at the Agrivilla in North Battleford. See inside for more photos. Photo by Averil Hall, Freelance Reporter/Photographer
Evans goes on to outline that, June 21, 2019, four short months later - the “Sacichawasihc Framework Agreement” was signed by five First Nations governments and two municipal governments. The agreement is a jointly developed regional community framework that provides continuity and relationship sustainability moving forward. It provides a long-term approach to system change and regional issues management through a collaboratively designed process.
Evans and Swiftwolfe: “Local and national governments, businesses and organizations have important roles to play in addressing racism, discrimination and fostering equitable outcomes and respect for all citizens.
“Racism and discrimination perpetuate the historical disadvantage experienced by Indigenous peoples. Issues of inequality,
racism and other closely related concepts are deeply rooted and complex.”
At the annual SUMA awards in February of 2020, an award was presented to BRCC in recognition of its work.
Post-Covid, 2021 to date, the work continues to build a better Battlefords regional community, better province and better nation.
Evans concludes by stating, “The big picture and the path forward for success: The Collective Impact Anti- Racism Project is a major undertaking. The BRCC has engaged the Anti-Racism Network to begin actionable work in our region with achievable benchmarks. This work of course could not be given attention without the generosity of industry, the private sector, government funds and the people who care for engaged inclusive positive change. Together we will make a difference.”
BTC Chief Wayne Semaganis, BTC. | Photos courtesy Bonnie Evans Jeyneika Okemow-Bull and Dana Martin of the Battlefords Indigenous Resource Council. Athabaska MLA Jim Lemaigre.
Leanne Albert, BATC governance, Bonnie Evans, BRCC advisor, and Sarah Shileen.
Chief Crystal Okemow and Waylon Falcon, Cenovus Energy.
Chief Crystal Okemow, Sarah Chileen and Mayor Ames Leslie.
Chief Crystal Okemow and North Battleford mayor David Gillan.
Chief Crystal Okemow, John Gulak, Prairie merchant and Mayor Ames Leslie of Battleford.
Chief Crystal Okemow, Lucky Man Cree Nation.
Sask atchewan Inflation RemainsLow DuetoRemoval of Carbon Tax
Sask atchewan’s Consumer PriceIndex rose by only 1per cent in April2024 over April2023. This marks thesecondlowestincreaseamong theprovinces andsitsfar belowthe national averageof2.7 percent.
Removing theCarbonTax from home heatingishelping our province tackle inflation.Our government will always fight forthe people of Sask atchewan andstand up againstpoliciesthathur tour province
Hon. Jeremy Cockrill, MLAfor TheBattlefords office@jeremycockrill.ca
306-445-5195
Opinion The truth about gov’t debts and deficits
By Roslyn Kunin
Do government debts and deficits matter? Some people think not. Some argue that governments control the money supply and can always generate more funds. This spending provides health care and other public services we want, which would otherwise require higher taxes.
This reasoning is not entirely accurate. If government were to keep on increasing the money supply to cover its wasteful spending, this would generate the kind of inflation that has brought countries like Argentina to their knees. The value of our wages, savings, pensions and anything else measured in dollars would be eroded. Inflating the money supply is not the answer.
Deficits arise when current income is insufficient to cover current expenditures. Government income is taxes. When government spends more than it receives, the resulting deficit becomes debt, which it must borrow to cover, usually by issuing bonds. If anyone is to buy the bonds, interest must be paid on them, and that interest must be paid out of incoming tax revenue.
For some time and until relatively recently, interest rates were very low. While this was not good news for retired people and others trying to live off savings, it was good news for anyone with debts, including governments. Borrowing was cheap. However, if your debts become big enough, low-interest costs can start to add up.
Although interest rates on most Canadian government debt remain low, the government spends more tax dollars on interest payments than healthcare, which most Canadians feel needs more funding. Similarly, the United States government spends more on interest payments than defence, despite the critical need to defend democracies. As existing bonds mature and are replaced at higher rates, the debt costs in both countries will continue to increase.
There is some justification for governments to go into debt, such as when the funds are used to increase economic output, our well-being, and tax revenue. Generating infrastructure in areas like transportation and communication is one way to increase productivity. Another is to invest in people by providing them with the kind of education and training that allows them to get better jobs and higher earnings.
That type of spending is to be encouraged as falling productivity contributes to declining per capita incomes and, thus, the standard of living in Canada.
Many governments accumulate debt not to improve their country and its citizens through long-term investments in infrastructure and education but rather to implement short-term measures designed to win votes. These measures often fail to increase well-being enough to justify their costs and can sometimes even diminish it.
A telling example comes from the U.S., which is facing a highly contentious presidential election this fall. Votes are being courted from current and future college graduates through the promise of student debt forgiveness. The American government has already forgiven US$155 billion in student debt for over four
Hon. ScottMoe,Premier, MLAfor Rosthern-Shellbrook
scottmoe.mla@sasktel.net
306-747-3422
million borrowers, amounting to 0.6 percent of the country’s total annual output. The current administration is now considering increasing this amount by another $7 billion.
Forgiving debt isn’t always bad, but it carries the risk of encouraging people to take on more debt than necessary, expecting they won’t have to repay it. What is bad is one of the criteria for deciding whose debt gets forgiven. Among the lucky ones who may see their debt disappear are students who chose to study programs with poor job prospects, known as ‘low financial programs.’ These are precisely the educational
choices that should not be rewarded by debt forgiveness or any other means.
Students should be encouraged to choose courses that lead to in-demand careers. This not only ensures that graduates have good job prospects but also benefits society through their increased productivity. Both students and all others, including governments, should think twice before taking on any debt to ensure that the borrowed funds will generate enough income to repay the loan.
Dr. Roslyn Kunin is a Troy Media columnist, public speaker and consulting economist.
Give us hockey fans big picture
Dear Editor
Close-up TV views during live play in hockey games are not only distracting but interfere with viewers’ understanding of the flow of the game.
Full ice views during live play are the only useful alternative.
Harvey Walker
E-mail: adtakers@newsoptimist.ca
Management
Gordon Brewerton - Senior Vice-President, Prairie Newspaper Group
Reporter: Sherri Solomko • Photographer: Averil Hall
Contributors: Elaine Woloshyn, Eric Callbeck, Kathy Utri, John Bowyer, R.H. Wood
Production - Manager: Claude Paradis
Mailroom - Manager: Melissa Pitkeathley
Scott Foster • Donna Smith • Anamarija Barna
Battleford
The June 6
By R.H. Wood
Battleford
North
June 6, 1944 is a date etched in history when a significant advance was made, and a turning point reached in the Second World War. The Normandy landings were a sequel to the Dunkirk nightmare when some 300,000 troops were rescued from France with relatively few casualties. The landings in contrast were made with a considerable cost in lives. They were comparable to the First World War battles when thousands of troops were assembled and deployed only to become fodder with little or no benefit. This is what happened to my father’s 18-year-old brother in 1917. This was a loss
WoodPile
from which my father never recovered. He was a machine gunner in that conflict, eventually being wounded and invalided to a school room, not a hospital, in England. He vowed he would never return to the hell of the trenches and was seconded to the embryonic air force and had started training shortly before the
Armistice was signed. He was a hardened man not to be trifled with.
Yes, Mr. Trudeau should indeed attend the ceremonies in France in memory of the Canadian loss of life in the Second World War. Only a handful of veterans remain. A monument to the Regina Rifles will be unveiled in its permanent home in a village called Brettevillesur-Mer in Normandy.
Eighty years have now passed since the end of the Second World War and seemingly the world has not learned from this and previous conflicts. The invasion of Ukraine and the destruction in Gaza are blots on mankind but who seems to really care? These conflicts will end, those responsible will die and memories will fade. For myself and others that is not good enough. Mankind must do better,
and we must remember and teach our children history and the lessons to be learned.
The true to life statue is the work of Don Begg, an Alberta sculptor. Four hundred and fifty-eight members of the Regina rifles lost their lives in the Second World War. One hundred and two were killed in the D Day landing on Juno beach.
Funding for the statue was raised by the Royal Regina Rifle Trust from private and provincial contributions.
Any talk at this time of obligatory national army service and possible conscription in the UK, both in force when I was a student, makes one fearful for the future. Surely our leaders can and must do better. Never mind the environment, the future of our planet is at stake and in their hands.
North Battleford business closures disappointing
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
When news broke on social media that BD Meats, in downtown North Battleford was closed and a closure announcement was also noticed at Fisher’s Drug Store, residents sounded the alarm bells. A short time later, Giant
City Track Friday
Tiger announced their location in the Battlefords would also be closing in July. Compounding the concern was learning that M & M Meats incurred a temporary closure as well. The Battlefords News-Optimist and SASKTODAY.ca reached out to a number of people and organizations, with
few responses as of May 31. Linda Machniak, Battlefords Chamber of Commerce chief operating officer, responded saying, “This news is disappointing but we wouldn’t consider it a blow. There is some exciting business news coming to our community, including
the recent announcement of a Starbucks opening in the near future.”
Machniak also states Fisher’s Drug Store pharmacy and store is now open for business as usual.
Giant Tiger had not responded to our inquiry about their corporate decision to close the location in North
Athletes invited to SOLE-stice Classic
Submitted
Youth interested in learning and honing track and field skills are invited to attend a SOLE-stice Classic regional meet at North Battleford City Track Friday, June 9 beginning at 10 a.m. The SOLE-stice Classic is a series of meets designed to replace the Hershey Meets. These meets are grassroots events for young athletes to get involved in running, jumping and throwing competitions. This pro-
gram is being sponsored by Aboriginal Track & Field of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Athletics. Participants can run, jump and throw in an event that stresses fun rather than competition. For some participants, the program offers an opportunity to refine their natural abilities. For others, it may be the spark that ignites their interest in an activity that is mentally, physically and socially rewarding. The regional meet in North
Battleford will be accepting on-site registration. No entry fees are charged to participate. First and second participants from the regional meet advance to the provincial meet held in Saskatoon on June 22 at Gordie Howe Complex. Age group classifications are determined by the participant’s year of birth — Meteors (born 2015-16), Comets (born 2013-14) and Stars (born 2011-12).
Events offered are: Meteors — 50m, 100m,
standing long jump, ball throw; Comets — 60m, 150m, 600m, long jump, ball throw; Stars 80m, 150m, 800m, running long jump, ball throw;
Battleford, however, they are not the only Giant Tiger location closing in the province.
A monument to the Regina Rifles has a permanent home in a village called Bretteville-sur-Mer in Normandy. | Photo by John Cairns
Taste of Culture
Agrivilla at the Battlefords Agricultural Society exhibition grounds hosted an array of cultural experiences during two days of Taste of Culture June 1 and 2 hosted by the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre. Bouncy castles were available for the children | Photos by Averil Hall, Freelance Photographer/ Reporter Food trucks were popular.
Butterfly & Thistle was donating the proceeds of these pins to the new Ukrainian immigrants.
Mason Hemmerling was excited to have the Balloon Man fashion a sword.
Chizuru Kishida, who works for the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre, wore her kimono to the Taste of Culture.
Freshly baked desserts by Joylicious.
Yani Cui stands in front of the sign of the Hanabi Sushi & Grill restaurant.
Daragang Magayon talks to a customer about the many souvenirs she has available.
A tap dancer entertains the crowd.
SJHL Hall of Fame coming soon to the Battlefords
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
The storied hockey history of the Battlefords North Stars and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will be celebrated in the Battlefords. Excitement and anticipation are mounting as the SJHL Hall of Fame weekend, taking place in the Battlefords June 21 and 22, will soon be here.
Kennedy Schmidt, marketing and office manager for the Battlefords North Stars, affirms that, ever since inductees were announced during the latter part of the 2024 season, excitement has been growing for the event.
“At present there are more than 250 registered for attending both the golf event and the gala ceremony. The maximum for golfers, with event taking place at Jackfish Golf Resort, is 140,” said Schmidt.
Organizers say peo-
ple are eager to have a weekend dedicated to celebrating the past hockey accomplishments of the Battlefords North Stars in the SJHL.
“Do to prior personal commitments Kelly McCrimmon and Todd McLellan are not able to attend but will be sending a video speech,” added Schmidt.
The gala induction event will include a surprise jersey number being retired, but which one it will be won’t be officially announced until the Saturday evening portion so as to surprise everyone there.
Schmidt said, “It has been really cool for all involved while also deciding who was going to be inducted. To also see all those who have been a part of the North Stars 50-year history and to see their accomplishments as a player or coach and what they have also accomplished af-
ter Junior A.”
Over the past 50 years, Schmidt estimates almost 1,800 players have worn a North Stars jersey. Adding in coaches, billets, volunteers, avid fans and supporters means there were a lot of people to get the HOF information to.
“We will have lots of North Star alumni attending who, in the future, I’m sure will also be inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame. There are still tickets available to attend the induction banquet at the Access Communications Centre as well as a little bit of room left to register a team for the golf tourney,” confirmed the North Stars marketing manager.
The Battlefords is proud to be the host community for such a prestigious event, welcoming home some of their notable stars.
You can read details on the inductees on the North Stars web and social media pages. SASKTODAY.ca
has also included some of these stories.
Inductees for the 2024 event include: the North West Hockey
Development organization, the George family, the Smith family, Wade Belak, Todd McLellan, Kelly McCimmon, the
Blair Atcheynum and Blake Tatchell.
Blair
Atcheynum Drew Bagnal Wade Belak Travis Clayton
Kelly McCimmon
Blake Tatchell
Tracey Cook
Todd McLellan
The George family
North West Hockey Development
The Smith family
The 2016-2017 North Stars | Photos courtesy Kennedy Schmidt
2016-2017 North Stars team, Drew Bagnall, Travis Clayton, Tracey Cook,
Reigning champion NB Beavers showcase talent in 2024 NSRBL season
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
The start of the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League season for the North Battleford Beavers is a clear indication the team is looking to retain the championship title won in 2023. Last year’s championship victory was the team’s first in two and a half decades and reignited the team’s drive for the 2024 season.
The senior men’s baseball team had a full schedule in May and their goal was to come out strong and continue their momentum from there.
A season opening decided victory was
evidence the Beavers have come to play. Offence in their opening game was strong, knocking in 16 runs. Defence was obviously also a factor as the Beavers earned a shutout victory, with Aaron Cadrin earning the win on the bump.
As of May 30, the Beavers sit on top of the league standings with a 4-0 record, with their most recent win against the Unity Cardinals, who they battled with for the league title in 2023.
The Beavers have scored just three less than five dozen runs in their four games this season.
The Beavers have only one rain-out game so far
in the nine-team NSRBL lineup – against the Oil Ducks on May 29.
The team’s next action is June 3 versus Standard Hill Lakers, on the road and they are home to the Lashburn Cardinals on June 4. The full schedule is available on the league’s website.
Regular season action concludes with July 4 games, and playoff season starting shortly thereafter.
The Beavers’ Mason Carriere and Joel Cubbon are in the top batters for stats for the league so far this year. Aaron Cadrin sits in the number seven spot for top pitchers.
In other NSRBL news, league co-commissioner
and Baseball Saskatchewan vice-president, Regan L’Heureux of Unity will
Legion Stalwarts
Fred Light Museum in Battleford hosted the Battlefords Vintage Auto Club’s Annual Show ‘n Shine June 1. | Photos by Averil Hall, Freelance Photographer/ Reporter
A 1950 Olds was among the many vehicles entered.
1959 Ford retractable.
ItyBity vanity plates aptly describe this entry.
A 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster coupe.
be inducted into the Sask. Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. L’Heureux won the
2022 Baseball Canada Volunteer of the Year award.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 70 recently presented years of service awards to members. Back row - Trevor Lambie (30), Leonard Taylor (35), Grant Schumutz (50), Gordon Parkinson (20), David Bacon (10), Gordon Saunders (10), Rosemarie Stadnyk, Maurice Stadnyk (25), John Caldwell (sergeant at arms); Front row - Daniel Sigouin (president Branch No. 70), Gordon Brown (35), Bruce Chadwick (55), Sharlene Martin (20), Gayle Bacon (10) and Donald Backus (30) A 50-year medal was previously presented to Ray Marjoram who unable to attend. | Photo submitted
Interpretation in drawing
By Marilyn Richardson Battlefords Art Club
Members of the Battlefords Art Club met recently to practise new skills and share the tools and techniques we have been using. Recently, I was the facilitator for such an event. About a dozen of us met to sketch and draw in pARTicipaction.
We drew a poinsettia. Before we started, we explored the values (dark/ light) in our drawing by photographing our subject with our phones and editing to black and white. This technique helped clarify the values of our subject. Then before we started the sketching, I demon-
strated hatching, where I used the overhead mirror allowing the other members to try this technique as I explained. We created straight-line hatching in five squares running horizontally across our page. Each square used more lines and became darker in value. We did the same exercise with curved lines to fill each space making each square progressively darker. Then we turned our attention to sketching. Some chose to use hatching, others used shading. It was interesting to see the various mediums available for sketching: pencil, conte, chalk pastel and watercolour pencil.
Some people have used computer programs to project drawings to make precise likenesses. Others use line transfer techniques. In our exercise, I emphasized that it may not be the artist’s goal to make a likeness. Every person was encouraged not to judge their production but to experiment. After all, some famous masters have created wonderful works that do not attempt to replicate the subject. I invited people to have fun making their interpretation of the plant we were drawing.
For information about the Battlefords Art Club, please email battlefordsartclub@gmail.com
Workshop participants were invited to have fun making their interpretation of the plant we were drawing. |
Photos submitted
Celtic band returns to Battleford June 15
Lepage, Emma Wood, Kera Doherty-Kennedy and Paul Runalls. | Photo submitted
Submitted
Back of the Bus, Saskatchewan’s fun Celtic/ folk group, is delighted to return to the Battlefords for a concert showcasing their vocals, humour, sweetly blended harmonies and energetic stage presence.
On Saturday, June 15
Back of the Bus appears at the Battlefords Community Players Theatre Stage, 102- 26th St. in Battleford.
Back of the Bus will perform songs from their vast repertoire of Scottish, Irish, Folk and East Coast tunes. The band has been on the Saskatchewan Music scene since 2003 and currently features Jim Walls, Anna Bekolay, Kathi DavisLepage, Emma Wood, Kera Doherty-Kennedy and Paul Runalls. In 2020, was part of the national cast for Telemiracle 44. They
have appeared 9 times at Saskatoon`s Bassment.
The band is delighted to welcome new member Kera Doherty-Kennedy who grew up in North Battleford, as well as the returning Emma Wood, who was away this past year studying music therapy in Montreal.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite, The link can also be found on the band’s Facebook page.
Back of the Bus band has been on the Saskatchewan music scene since 2003 and currently features Jim Walls, Anna Bekolay, Kathi Davis-
Sifto salt plant at Unity celebrates 75th anniversary
By Helena Long Freelance Reporter
The Unity plant producing Sifto salt has been in operation for 75 years.
Compass Minerals celebrated that milestone anniversary the last week of May with two festive events.
An open house was held May 28. Management and office staff welcomed interested members of the public to tour the plant. Tours were preceded by a slideshow detailing the plant’s history, and followed by refreshments on the front lawn. Visitors also got to take home gift bags containing a box of table salt.
Plant employees and retirees had their own celebration two days later. Approximately 200 people came out May 30 for tours, supper, visiting and special children’s activities.
Even Brandon Risner, vice-president of manufacturing, and Allen Dupree, senior vice-president of environment, health safety and sustainability, from the Compass Minerals head office in Overland Park, Kansas attended to help hand out personal protective equipment for those touring the plant.
Each employee was able to take their own family on a tour, showing them where they worked and explaining their specific contribution to the production of salt and the running of the plant.
The assembly line where table salt was being packaged into cartons was a highlight for many, especially the kids on the tours. Another highlight was the automated packaging of
water softener salt and the automatic palletizer. Former employees remembered when loading the heavy bags of salt onto the pallets was done by manual labour.
Employee family members touring the plant included not only spouses and children, but also parents. One mother said she was most surprised by “how big” many of the pieces of machinery were.
She also commented on the age of some of the equipment, but then remembered the plant has been in continuous operation for 75 years old. While all the equipment and machinery has been updated and replaced at one time or another, the original structure still houses the heart of the salt plant.
A new building, normally an indoor tarping station for truckers, served as the headquarters for the celebration. There was a constant hum of excitement in the room whether family members were suiting up in PPE before visiting the plant itself or sharing their experiences after returning from the tour.
There was a running slideshow of photos of the plant and its employees, starting with the building of the plant all the way up to the present day.
One popular display was a banner displaying names of the many people who have worked at the salt plant at one time or another. The list of employees was sorted by the decades the individuals were hired.
Current and retired employees along with family members checked for their names on the banner. One
new employee was even observed taking a photo of his name on the 2020s list.
Seeing the names of former co-workers brought back many memories, and some names – today known in the community for other accomplishments – were a surprise. “Oh, I didn’t know … worked here,” was a comment overheard more than once.
There was no time to be bored. The adults enjoyed checking out the slide show and employee lists and visiting with friends, co-workers and former co-workers, while the children played on a bouncy castle, had their faces painted by Keziah Dugas or made special requests of Larry Goodall of Wilkie who was kept busy creating balloon creatures.
The salt plant in Unity has been an integral part of the community for 75 years. Hundreds of residents have worked there at one time or another. Currently there are 52 employees, so Compass Minerals is a significant employer in Unity.
Dominion Tar and Chemical Company chose the Unity location and started construction of the salt plant in August, 1947. The site was selected, according to a presentation made at the public anniversary event, “because it had all the components for a successful operation, that is, a good salt bed, a water supply, a commercially viable supply of natural gas, and rail facilities for transportation.”
Production of salt began in April, 1959 under the name of Prairie Salt Company, a subsidiary of Dominion Tar
Compass Mineral employees and visitors return from the plant to the office, after a tour, May 28. As part of their 75th anniversary celebrations, Compass Minerals allowed interested members into the plant to have a peek into how the various types of salt are produced.
and Chemical Company. Although there have been various parent companies of different names over the years – with Compass
Take Pride July 22-28
Minerals being formed in 2005 – the familiar Sifto brand has been consistent throughout.
Congratulations to Sifto
and Compass Minerals on 75 years of salt production and contributions to the Unity community and economy.
Battlefords Area Pride kicked off National Pride Month last Saturday, June 1 with free family fun at the NationsWest Field House. Several families with participants totalling around 80 people enjoyed two hours of bouncing and sliding on bouncy castles along with free access to sports equipment on the courts. Follow Battlefords Area Pride on social media for information regarding local Pride Week events being held July 22-28. Local Pride Week is not held during National Pride month to not compete with or take away from the large-scale events held in Saskatoon. | Photos submitted
Marcella Adams, right, production superintendent at Compass Minerals Sifto salt plant in Unity, hands out personal protective equipment to visitors so they can go on a tour of the plant.| Photos by Helena Long
In Case You Couldn’t Read It Last week
Andrew Albers: From the majors to coach with Saskatoon Berries baseball
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Growing up and playing minor ball in North Battleford was the start of Andrew Albers’ storied baseball career. Albers has returned to Saskatchewan and will serve as pitching coach for the Saskatoon Berries, the newest baseball team in the Western Canadian Baseball League
Albers was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school but chose to attend the University of Kentucky instead of signing a professional contract. He played four years at the university in the southeastern conference. Albers was drafted again in his senior
season, this time by the San Diego Padres. His career took him through independent baseball in Quebec to the Minnesota Twins in 2011. He made his major league debut for the Twins in August of 2013. His inaugural appearance showcased eight and a third scoreless innings in the big-league debut.
Albers proceeded to have MLB stints with the Blue Jays in 2015, the Mariners in 2017 and multiple years with the Twins. The former North Battleford resident also played in the Korean and Japanese major leagues.
The Saskatoon Berries pitching coach represent-
ed Canada on the national team three times at the World Baseball Classic, and seven other times in tournaments such as the Pan Am Games and Premier 12.
In an interview with Albers for the Battlefords News Optimist and SASKTODAY.ca, he says, “I’m getting used to the city and it is nice to finally settle down somewhere after many years on the road and I am enjoying Saskatoon.”
The Saskatoon Berries will start their season May 24 weekend, with their home opener May 28.
Albers affirms the weather has hampered some outdoor practices
however they have seen most guys in the last couple days, while others are just wrapping up their college seasons. The pitching coach says they are a good group of guys who are eager to be here.
Saskatoon, and Saskatchewan, fans appear ravenous for the Berries season with the home opener sold out, except for standing room only tickets.
“The marketing team has done an amazing job and people are really excited about the season and that will add to a great atmosphere at the park,” says Albers.
Albers adds he is excited about what the new season brings and looks for-
ward to getting that underway and helping players on their baseball journey.
“It’s a short season for baseball, so it’s all about navigating information to give guys, getting to know players and giving them to the best opportunity to grow. Can’t overload with info to start out with, so just trying to figure out what information is useful,” notes Albers.
From his past pro experience, Albers’ approach to the game and his role is to help players understand there will be good days and bad days. In the bad days, it’s about finding a way to adjust and compete, giving one’s team the best chance to win.
“My takeaway message for pitchers: find a way to compete and attack hitters.
Go about a routine and get in a routine and make adjustments along the way, as needed.”
Being part of the Saskatoon Berries team in the WCBL results in a full circle for Albers as he once played for the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets back when the WCBL was know as the Western Major Baseball League.
An the Berries organization appears excited to see what Albers can do in the bull pen.
“Congratulations to our pitching coach, Andrew Albers, on his berry much deserved induction into the 2024 Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2024,” is their comment on Facebook.
Almost five-decade-old organization continues to positively impact youth in the Battlefords
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Nicole Combres, executive director of BGC tells the News Optimist and SASKTODAY.ca the organization formerly known as Battlefords Boys and Girls Club, now known as BGC Battlefords, was established in 1976.
“The intent of the organization is to provide for the recreational, cultural, educational and social needs of all children five to 14 years of age in our community. Our mission is to provide safe, supportive places where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life,” said Combres.
The vision of BGC Battlefords is for all children and youth to discover and achieve their dreams, and grow up to be healthy, successful and active participants in society.
Combres said, “Operating on Treaty 6 Territory, BGC Battlefords welcomes all children and youth from the community and surrounding areas, including all financial circumstances, socio-ethnic backgrounds and abilities. Our members are as diverse as the communities we serve … BGC Battlefords provides a safe place to go, positive role models and quality recreational and educational activities. All of our programs include nutritious snacks and access to fun, enriching activities and caring adults who support our members in becoming healthy, responsible, com-
passionate and competent individuals.”
The organization employs 62 staff. Activities and programming are enhanced by 69 volunteers committed to the organization, its programs and events.
“We served a total of 944 participants, with 765 of those being children and youth through direct program/service delivery.”
Each year, BGC Battlefords offers two streams of summer programming. The first is their fee-for-service, registration-based Summer Adventure Day Camps. The weekly camps operate during the months of July and August, providing children ages five to 14 a fun, safe and enriching place to go while on summer break. The program runs weekdays, excluding stat holidays, from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“During that time, all children are provided a balanced breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack at no additional charge. Each week has a unique theme and activities for each day will follow the theme. Field trips take place every Thursday and follow the theme of the week. Children have plenty of opportunity to enjoy and play in the warm summer weather, put their creativity to use during crafts and challenge their minds with educational activities,” affirms Combres.
When the weather permits, children also get the opportunity to play in the splash park. Whether children attend one day or the entire summer, Combres says they are sure to have a great experience.
“The second stream of summer programming offered by our organization is our summer parks drop-in program. During the months of July and August, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday [to]Friday (excluding stat holidays), BGC Battlefords offers drop-in programming at Centennial Park, Kinsmen Park and Senator Herb Sparrow Park. This program is free of charge and is available to any child between the ages of 5-14,” states the executive director of BGC Battlefords.
The summer park dropin program is strictly outdoors so only operates when weather permits. Children can be part of crafts and experiments to keep their minds thinking and their bodies active. Water features of all three locations are also incorporated, and available for this second stream of programming. Parents/guardians are welcome to drop their child off and pick them up at any point during the program. Nutritious and balanced snacks and a bagged lunch are provided.
The organization says one of the highlights of the past year definitely includes exceeding pre-pandemic attendance with the number of children and youth attending club programs higher than ever before.
“While the number of overall BGC participants rose 26 per cent since 2022, so did the number of members who received direct program service delivery (15 per cent increase).
Through over 33,000 Club visits, 765 unique members received over 49,000 snacks and meals,” affirms
BGC Battlefords.
Some of the challenges for the organization in the past year include a 41 per cent increase in visits and a 44 per cent increase in nutrition provided, resulting in significant operational costs.
“Due to increased numbers of members attending our programs, increased staff were required, resulting in unexpected and unbudgeted staffing costs. The rising costs of food also led to budget overages. Like other businesses and organizations across the country, recruitment and retention continued
to be a struggle,” said Combres.
Beginning in 2022, BGC Battlefords and clubs across the country embarked on an impact journey – the Learning & Impact Project (L&I Project). The purpose of the L&I Project is to prove and improve the impact of clubs across Canada, individually and collectively, through evaluation.
“Through the L&I Project, our goal is to ensure we are providing the best services and programs to our community that we can, and [to] be able to share with you the im-
Sky Watch
pact we are making. The continuation of our learning and impact journey in 2023 reinforced the impact being made and proved that, because of our club, children and youth are more physically active, more comfortable being themselves, more confident in their futures, more excited to try new things, better prepared to do their schoolwork, more confident in their abilities and more comfortable leading. This truly is unbelievable Impact,” exclaims the BGC Battlefords executive director.
A funnel cloud sighting set off alarm bells in the Battlefords area Wednesday, May 29. An alert had been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada, but no reports of the funnel touching ground were received. | Photo by Averil Hall/Freelance Reporter
North Stars’ success aided by board and billets
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Teamwork makes the dream work. That is one of the affirmations that has helped the Battlefords North Stars Junior A hockey team succeed.
The team’s success story is also built off the ice with board members, volunteers and billets. Kent and Kara Rosen are two of the people whose longtime commitment to the Stars has helped contribute to the ongoing success story.
Kara has been a board member since 1988. In these years, she has taken on the role of game day co-ordinator, as well as being in charge of season and playoff tickets for many years. She is current-
ly serving as treasurer and interim secretary.
Kara’s husband, Kent has helped with both the fishing derby and the agriculture fundraising project.
The dynamic duo, as they are fondly referred to, have been North Stars billets for 28 years, beginning in 1996. On Feb. 11, 2020, the couple was recognized as the North Star Sask. Energy Billet Family.
Kara says, “I enjoy being involved in the community, and being able to volunteer as a board member is rewarding. Billeting is a very rewarding experience as you can watch these young men become great husbands, fathers and professionals.”
The Rosens acknowl-
edge the billets they take in become an extension of their family, with the parents of these young men becoming some of their closest friends.
“Some of the biggest highlights? Being around for all four of the SJHL championships won. We have made two trips to the national finals. Last year in Portage we watched them win silver. That was a very proud moment for us,” says Kara.
The decades-long volunteers say that, with the good, there are also the lows like players getting hurt or not playing. They aim to help the players balance the good with the bad and commit to being their best cheerleaders to keep spirits up through these
challenges.
Kara adds, “With good communication and a good understanding of your expectations at home, it makes life enjoyable for us and our billets.”
It is no surprise to anyone who knows the Rosens that the upcoming Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame celebrations being held in the Battlefords will include Kara on the planning committee.
This dedicated volunteer admits hockey season can be very busy when balancing work with home and volunteer commitments, but says, “Honestly, after all these years, it is just a normal routine come the end of August. You use the schedule a lot to
plan your meals. The billets help around the house. There really is no secret.”
Kara found the 50-year reunion event in 2023 very gratifying as she was able to see players from 19732023. She appreciated the opportunity to get together and exchange stories about being a North Star or a Baron.
A favourite highlight for the billet family includes this great memory.
“One of my favourites is when coach Hasselberg asked us to entertain Igor and his family. Igor was living in the States, but is originally from Belarus.
When we first met, his English was very limited.
After his three years with us, his English improved. Igor now lives in the States
but we will get a surprise visit at least twice a year.”
Thirty-six years of solid dedication to the team by Kara, encouraging her husband to join in some of the activity as a volunteer, and almost three decades of offering their home as a billet family, makes for miles of memories made and immense gratitude from the team for their continued commitment.
The Junior A hockey team, based out of North Battleford was founded in 1973 as the Battlefords Barons, before evolving into the North Stars brand in 1983. The team has won four SJHL championships, most recently in 2023. The team celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023.
How NB Public Library benefits the community
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
The North Battleford Public Library was officially established June 12, 1912, and was built with the assistance of $15,000 in grant funding from the Carnegie Foundation of New York.
The original library building is one of only 13 Carnegie libraries built west of Ontario, of which only nine exist today. The original North Battleford Public Library now houses the Allen Sapp Gallery, an internationally known Indigenous art collection.
Colin Evans has been with Lakeland Library Region since 2015 and his
official job title and role is public services manager and head librarian at the North Battleford Public Library.
The North Battleford Public Library mission statement is to “Serve our community by promoting life-long learning and literacy, offering people access to information, and providing people the facility and opportunity to embrace it.”
Asked what are some of the challenges of a community library, Evans responds, “One of the challenges in meeting these goals is providing excellent library services to our diverse population which include recent immigrants, Indigenous people and at-
risk individuals. We have addressed these needs by offering biweekly dropin counselling sessions in partnership with Catholic Family Services, expanding our foreign language collection (including Ukrainian language texts) and increasing outreach to First Nation reserves surrounding our community.”
The North Battleford Public Library manager also said highlights are part of his work and have included being able to offer services to everyone who comes through the front door, regardless of personal circumstances.
“We are one of the last spaces in our community where there is no expec-
tation to spend money in order to enjoy our services and we offer programs and materials for all ages and backgrounds,” says Evans. Special programs and activities from May to September are part of what is offered at this Lakeland Library location. Evans says some of the upcoming programs include:
The annual Teddy Bear Clinic in the Library Central Park May 24 for children and their caregivers.
Bokashi composting seminar with Rhea Good June 17 at 7 p.m.
Author reading with Candia Kirkpatrick June 26 at 7 p.m.
TD Summer Reading
Club celebration featuring Eric Paetkau July 27 at 3 p.m. and an adult concert at 7 p.m.
TD Summer Reading Club for children from June 10 to Aug. 31. With the North Battleford library open each weekday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday hours offered until 6 p.m., there is a wide variety of services and programs for people of all ages. Access to magazines, newspapers, DVDs, Blu-Rays, video games, ebooks, free Wi-Fi, a seed library, virtual reality, Nintendo Switch and more much are offered at the location.
North Battleford Public Library is managed by the
Lakeland Library Region as part of the provincial, ‘One book, one province’ library system, which provides equitable library services to all residents of Saskatchewan. Even with the presence of the Internet in our homes, our community libraries offer a plethora of information resources in print and other forms that are organized and made accessible for reading or study. It can serve as the hub of learning and resource opportunities. You can find all the latest news, updates and information on the North Battleford Public Library at https://northbattlefordlibrary.com/ and/or follow their Facebook page.
Smile Cookie sales raise $21,000 for Living Sky Innovation Fund
SASKTODY.ca
This year in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake, Tim Hortons restaurant owners Glenn Isaac, Marion Michnik, Kim Lefevre and guests helped raise $21,771.65 to support the Living Sky Innovation Fund Communication Board Project through the franchise’s Smile Cookie campaign.
They donated 100 per cent of proceeds from sales of Smile Cookies between April 29 and May 5. The donation from the Smile Cookie campaign will be used to purchase augmentative and alternative communication boards (or AAC Boards) for playgrounds across the division to ensure all students have a voice.
“Many students have difficulty verbally communicating for a variety of reasons, so they need other ways to talk. Communication is a human right, and these boards
provide a way to communicate along with also promoting play and inclusion for everyone,” explained Shari Dueck, a speech and language pathologist with Living Sky School Division.
The Living Sky Innovation Fund, in partnership with the Living Sky School Division speech and language department, plans to have at least six boards installed before the start of the next school year.
Christeena Fisher, Living Sky Innovation Fund Coordinator, said this about the campaign, “We are so incredibly grateful to our local Tim Hortons owners for partnering with us to support the Living Sky Innovation Fund, and more specifically the Communication Board Project. This fundraiser definitely exceeded our initial thoughts of what we could accomplish! On top of the generous financial support, we are still a new
fund in the community and being able to create awareness around what the fund is and introduce the initiatives we hope to support with it is a huge opportunity.” She added “Thank you again to our local Tim Hortons locations, to our amazing speech and language team, to all the volunteers that helped during the week, and for the overwhelming generosity shown by all.”
Smile Cookie Campaign Facts
• The first-ever Smile Cookie campaign in 1996 raised funds to support Hamilton Children’s Hospital. Since then, the annual charitable campaign has raised a total of more than $111 million for charities and organizations that are selected every year by Tim Hortons restaurant owners.
• Nationally, Tim Hortons restaurant owners support over 600 local charities and community groups through the Smile
Participating in an official presentation of Smile Cookie campaign proceeds are Marion Michnik, Glenn Isaac, Adria Runge, Lindsay Zubiak, Rachelle Stephenson, Christeena Fisher, Shari Dueck (kneeling), Brenda Vickers, Tonya Lehman. Michnik and Isaac are two of the local Tim Hortons owners. Runge, Zubiak, Stephenson and Dueck are speech language pathologists (SLPs) with Living Sky School Division, Fisher is executive assistant and Living Sky Innovation Fund co-ordinator, Vickers is director of education and Lehman is deputy director. | Photo courtesy Tim Hortons
campaign
groups across the
Artists to be recognized at SK Arts gala
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
In a media release earlier this month, SK Arts (formerly the Saskatchewan Arts Board) announced their selections for special recognition at an event May 27.
A Darke Hall Soiree, held on May 27, will honor artists and organizations. The new event, entitled Arts of Celebration will be hosted by comedian and actor Dakota Ray Hebert and will include mainstage performances, with live work being conducted during the opening reception. In addition, pieces from a number of the evening’s honorees will be featured in an exhibition of artwork from SK Arts’ permanent collection.
The list of artists being honoured includes two North Battleford residents, one Borden resident and one Biggar resident.
Miguel Fenrich is a young author and publisher from Battleford. He is passionate about the literary arts in Saskatchewan and helping other writers become authors. His first novel, Blue: A Novel, was published in June 2022, and his second, What Lies in the Valley, was published in January 2023. He started his own publishing company, Supernova Press, in Battleford in March 2022. Fenrich was nominated by Brianne Hager.
“It’s a huge honour to be recognized as an emerging artist by SK Arts at their inaugural Arts of Celebration event at the end of May. Artists spend countless hours honing their crafts and working to share their work with the public, and to be seen and recognized at this event for the work I’ve done in the community is a phenomenal feeling,” said Fenrich.
The author and publisher added, ““Not only do I get to celebrate myself as an author of two novels and as the owner and publisher of Supernova Press here in Battleford, I’m blessed to get to stand beside talented artists from Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, the Battlefords and so many other communities across Saskatchewan.”
In addition to his gratitude to SK Arts for hosting this event to celebrate artists in various mediums at different stages in their careers, Fenrich is thankful for organizations like Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, SaskBooks and the North Battleford Public Library, among many others, that have supported his journey thus far.
“I’m not only looking forward to celebrating on May 27 in Regina, but to continuing to share stories that matter with the Battlefords as I’ve been blessed to already as an author, publisher, journalist, photographer, actor and storyteller, and in the many
projects yet to come,” affirms Fenrich.
While working as a reporter for the Battlefords Regional News Optimist, Fenrich netted nine Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Awards in 2022/23. When he’s not writing, you can find him reading, exploring the prairies with his camera or performing live theatre on a stage somewhere.
You can find more information about Fenrich and his work at www.miguelfenrich.ca.
Cindy Hoppe, fibre artist and Chair of the Saskatchewan Craft Council, resides in Biggar and was nominated by Emily Kohlert on behalf of the craft council. The nomination read in part, “Cindy is an innovative fibre artist who has long supported and participated in the craft community through her leadership and practice. She has been on the SCC board for over 10 years. Her staple technique of ‘thread painting’ is unique and inventive and has influenced many other artists.”
In an interview with the News Optimist and SASKTODAY.ca, Hoppe said, “I was pretty surprised with the nomination, while I am unable to attend the Monday gala as my May is pretty full and it is a long way to travel.”
Hoppe says she started to draw in Grade 1 and her love of art began with painting. Raising a family put a halt on her work however she rediscovered her love of art working with her mom, Verna Harris. The duo was part of the Battlefords Craft Festival for many years.
The fibre artist became drawn to doing artwork with cloth realizing there were a lot of painters out there.
“Hopefully, when the work is done, you can’t tell if it’s a painting or a quilt and I refer to it as painting with a sewing machine,” says Hoppe.
Hoppe will be hosting the Prairie Art Road Trip July 20 with several artisans showing in her yard. Details can be found on the website, prairieartroadtrip. ca. Hoppe’s work can be seen on her website cindyhoppe.com and the Sask. Craft Council online story. Biggar Guardian Pharmacy also has a small display.
North Battleford artist and educator, Jackie Kroczyński, has also been recognized. Part of her nomination read, “Jackie wrote and recorded an album of her own songs which she released on IWD in 2023. She received a Saskatchewan Music Awards nomination, two Saskatchewan Country Music Awards nominations, and recently performed three artist showcases at Folk Alliance International. She also has
been teaching music, band, and guitar to students from grades K to 12 for 26 years.”
In an interview with the News Optimist and SASKTODAY.CA, Kroczynski says, “This is a real honour and I’m very grateful to be recognized among so many fabulous Saskatchewan artists. I’m really excited.”
The North Battleford artist will attend the Arts of Celebration event taking place at Darke Hall in Regina, May 27, and is happy to get an opportunity to talk to so many people in one gathering.
“I’m being [recognized] in the established artists and arts leaders category for my work as a musician and educator. Music has always been so important in my life. I decided to become a teacher so that I could teach music to students. The band teachers that I had were really inspirational. I am also a performing musician,” says Kroczynski.
The North Battleford artist’s most recent album, She’s A Story, was released for International Women’s Day in March of 2023. The 10 songs on that album are all stories of the trials and triumphs in women’s lives. She’s A Story is also nominated for the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards –Alt Country Album of the Year, with the awards in June. Most of her music is story-based.
Kroczynski began piano when she was four. She has taught for 27 years, always music, band and arts education as her main teaching areas. The artist has been writing and recording music for four years, and prior to that performed with several bands.
“I think it’s really won-
derful that SK Arts has opened up their event to include so many more people. Saskatchewan has a ton of hard-working, talented artists who should be recognized; this is just a small sampling. As an artist it is always beneficial to receive public recognition. It helps with being able to apply for grants, and getting your work out to where people can hear it.”
Kroczynski has a website, https://jackiekroczynski.com.
The best way to support artists is go their shows and exhibits, buy their product and support them on social media, as well as telling others about your experience.
Artist, youth mentor and community organizer Alana Moore of Borden is also on the list of nominees. Rachel Broussard’s nomination in the media release states, “Alana Moore and Amber Phelps-Bondaroff have been working on a community-engaged art
project for people living with dementia and their care partners. Belong Where You Find Yourself works with 12 artist participants from Yorkton and will lead to a gallery exhibition at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery in 2023.”
Shandean Reid, communications strategist for SK Arts, says, “In a call earlier this year, SK Arts received nominations for artists and arts organizations whose work in the last 18 months was considered worthy of celebration, and SK Arts will honour all of those recommended at this soirée. This new event, Arts of Celebration, will honour more than 70 artists and arts organizations, and marks an attempt by SK Arts to celebrate our province’s arts community while moving away from a traditional awards format.
The agency believes that this will allow SK Arts to celebrate more artists than the Arts Awards allowed and encourage those build-
ing their artistic dreams.” SK Arts CEO, Michael Jones, says, “For years, SK Arts has hosted an annual Arts Awards event, but we were always struck by the number of amazing nominations we received for individuals and organizations that we could not honour in that type of ceremony.”
The event will reflect the wide spectrum of arts practiced in the province, from the community level, all the way up to Saskatchewan’s most recognized national and international artists.
The SK Arts team says the agency will review Arts of Celebration after its debut to determine its viability as a long-term replacement for the Saskatchewan Arts Awards.
You can read more about the vision, mission and values of this Saskatchewan organization and all artists being recognized at the Arts of Celebration event at www.saskarts.ca.
Fibre artist Cindy Hoppe of Biggar, quilting in her studio. Photo by Chandra Archdekin
Musician Jackie Kroczynski of North Battleford.
Photo by Nicole Romanoff
During SK Arts’ 75th anniversary celebrations in 2023. Photo by Mark Greschner
Seeding making rapid progress as weather warms up
By Elaine Woloshyn Correspondent
Too much precipitation? Not enough? The rainfall has varied within a few miles. Rain gauges do not lie. Whitkow-Mayfair area did not receive any snow. The temperature did dip low but if there was frost in the low areas it was not a big problem. Few farmers are finished seeding but by the time this paper comes out, some will have had. The weatherman reveals warm weather for the next week. Yahoo. Perhaps more grass can get mowed and garden seeding completed.
Congratulations to local farmer Kyle Woloshyn and his partner Gillian Harris on the birth of a baby girl named Aliana May 18. Proud grandmothers are Darlene Woloshyn and Gillian’s mother Dorothy Harris of Ontario. Greatgramma is 95-year-old Olga Woloshyn in North Battleford.
This past weekend Mayfair’s Creative Corner
organization was pleased with the interested crowd who came to support the following vendors: Joanna Roth author of children’s books, massage therapist and reiki practitioner; April Lafreniere selling Farmasi Skin products / makeup and cinnamon buns; Mary Werezak Tupperware; Shelly Esakin tea towels, dish cloths and pot scrubbies; Julie Prebushewski homemade jams and condiments; Elaine Woloshyn baking and plants; Gail Adamus crochet stuffed characters (which certainly had the children’s attention); Heather Welsh plants and good condition garage sale items; Dora Brown large assortment of bedding plants; local library with books and baking; and the hall an assortment of kitchenware. Many hungry people sat with their lunch amongst much laughter and visiting.
Belated birthday wishes to 93-year-old Doug Grigor formerly of Mayfair. Doug is a resident
of Idylwild Senior Citizens Lodge in Spiritwood. Wife Alice resides in Mayfair and helps extensively with fundraising for seniors’ activities.
The small hamlet of Whitkow will be seeing some action next weekend. The Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Ascension of Our Lord will have Father Leonid Malkov officiating the divine liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 8. Potluck lunch and visiting local cemeteries are to follow the service. Included in the cemeteries are Kindrachuk, Demyon and Glasslake. For more information please call Raymond Ewanchuk at 306-971-2658
A new imaging system is currently being installed at Spiritwood and District Health Complex. The Saskatchewan Health Authority advises service is limited to X-ray emergencies only until July 16.
Also in the busy town of Spiritwood, a folk festival is scheduled for Aug. 30
and 31. More pavilions can still be added. It is on a smaller scale than ones in cities but a good weekend of traditional ethnic food, costumes and music. Mark your calendars for an upcoming fun weekend.
A free weekend for anyone wanting to take
in the “Taste of Culture” held on the Battlefords exhibition grounds this weekend June 1 and 2. There will be much action with music, market vendors, and fun kids’ activities, food trucks and more.
Leoville and District has its popular history book titled “After the Dust” online. One can search and purchase by going to their website www.ourroots.ca and typing in “After the Dust.” History books are a great source of names from generations ago and are interesting to read.
Local athletes set their sights on provincial meet
By Kathy Utri Correspondent
and overall points award. They will compete at districts in Meadow Lake this week where the top three will advance to provincials.
Maidstone High School graduation 2024 was
celebrated on May 24. Congratulations to all the graduates and their families. We’ll have a picture, names of grads and a list of awards next week.
Week 4 for Maidstone Disc Golf welcomed a couple more new players. Top averages for this week:
Tier 1 -8 Matt Sayers; Tier 2 +0.25 Brendan Donovan; Tier 3 +14 Brad Lejeune. Drawn winners were Steven Frerichs and James Croke.
A multitude of community sales last Saturday had shoppers bustling from one address to another for deals. How could one possibly take in over 25 garage sales as well as score goodies at Silver Lake Market, watch ball tournaments in Maidstone and at Silver Lake, see the Comets honouring ceremony (more on it next week), enjoy lunch at the co-op charity barbeque and nab some of the
lush plants at Bloomers?
What a workout.
The summer market at Silver Lake had a terrific startup with lots of outof-town visitors. From hot sauce to goats, baking, homemade crafts, crocheted doll clothes, pet treats and pet care (nail trims and grooming), there was something for everyone. Due to events happening nearby this weekend (Party in the Pasture and Marshall Days), the market will not be open this week but will proceed on Saturday, June 8. Maidstone Gully
Multiple 4-H Achievement Day on Sunday, May 26 was a resounding success. After a week of rainy weather, the club was blessed with a sunny day. Thank you to Eleanor Pegg for opening the event, all the sponsors and the crowd of spectators who came out. Project displays and
record books were proof of the hard work members put in all year. Indoor and outdoor demonstrations showcased the versatility of the club’s youth in a wide variety of projects. Thank you to the judges: Archery – Chad and Dawn Kinchen, Beef – Chance Jurke, Canine – Tanya Kenyon, Cloverbuds –Maxine Johner, Coffee Club – Chad and Dawn Kinchen, Lighthorse –Anya Kuziw, Movies and Munchies – Kathy Tucker, Photography – Maxine Johner, Sewing – Linda Rodh, Sheep – Wendy Reece, Small Engines – Pat McLaren, Record Books –Heather Thompson and Rhiannon Hanson. No matter what placing they received, all the 4-H members, leaders and families are to be commended for a job well done. Good luck at Expo in Lloydminster June 1 to 3.
Cool weather and curiosity created a pleasing turnout for Mayfair’s Creative Corner craft and farmers market sale last weekend. | Photos by Elaine Woloshyn
Crocheted creatures caught the eye of young shoppers at Mayfair Hall.
Maidstone High School’s record-breaking athletes during the 2024 BRAA track meet May 21 and 22: are Tristan, Alyssa, Ben and Olivia. | Photo submitted
Maidstone and District News
A variety of wares were offered at the Mayfair Creative Corner sale at Mayfair Hall.
Meota run/walk raises more than $19,000
Submitted
Meota Catholic Church organized a five-kilometre walk/run May 18 and $19,447.14 was raised with the proceeds donated to the Battlefords branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
The cool air was invigorating as more than 130 people gathered for the walk/run. They met in front of the Meota Catholic Church which hosted the event and where the trek began. Because of the frigid weather, it was decided to avail the warmth of the church to hear opening remarks by Charles Baillargeon overseeing the event. Michele Winterholt, executive director of mental health, addressed those present on the issues and awareness of mental health facing our society.
Maurice Duhaime spoke on mental health issues faced by their family. The Cody Duhaime Memorial Walk was
spearheaded by his wife Sylvia until her passing.
Thousands of dollars were raised and donated over the years. There remained $14,281.14 which Maurice presented to this event.
Signs of humour, encouragement and satire
Meota and District News
were posted along the course. Bev Soucess and James Beaton played and sang to the thrill of participants. Most delightful was Marcel Duhaime’s beautiful team of Clydesdale horses and wagon. Anyone needing a ride simply
had to climb aboard and literally “hitch a ride.”
Participants ranged in age from 95-year-old Elsie Gabruch to Cohen Wheaton at seven months old.
From the church steps a youth choir led the sing-
Hardy seniors play early spring golf on the prairies
By Eric Callbeck Meota
A hearty five played golf Thursday, the seniors’ morning — Ken Morton, Marcel Duhaime, Annette Duhaime, old-timer Jackfish Day and I. Jack did his usual on the fifth hole and put his drive long and straight down the middle. That left about 180 yards left to reach the green. Marcelle used his Yuma fine-tuning to advantage and dropped it approximately six feet from the flag. Annette being a stalwart anchor put it down. There was a great deal of rejoicing as
eagles are fairly rare birds among us seniors. The 5 C weather may have deterred many of golfers but the warm feeling as we left the course made up for any discomfort. The house on the end of Second Avenue was delivered Thursday. The rainsoaked clay proved to be an obstacle, but with true grit, the 70-foot-long structure was set in place thanks to the Neufeld team and the good construction by Ted. Activities for the week saw Cletus Sherman and Anna Marie Wallbilling topping bridge play Tuesday. Margaret Dyck and Jean Beattie were sec-
ond. Third and fourth ended in a tie between David Sharpe and Richard Groves and Gerry Craig and Albert Blais. In Thursday bridge, first were Donna Scherman and Catriona Winterhalt and second were Vern Iverson and David Sharpe. Third were Jean Lawes and Eric Callbeck. Friday Canasta HF winners were Eric Callbeck and Janice Morton. Second were Gail Hildarman and David Sayers. HKF canasta winners were Adele Roschuck and Karen Kelly. Second, were Bev McCrimmon and Allen Sayers and third were Carole Spenst and Vern Iverson.
the mother of Cohen Wheaton, who at seven months was the youngest participant. | Photos submitted ing of O Canada with the flag briskly waving in the northwest breeze. The horn blew and everyone started their journey led by runners and joggers and followed by walkers. Friends and family walked together in solidarity. The route ended back at the church where hot dogs, refreshments and bananas were served to reinvigorate and socialize.
Robert St. Amant and Charles Baillargeon, both marathon runners,
conceived this idea and are proud to announce $19,447.14 was raised. All the funds were donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association Battlefords Branch. The cool weather brought out the best in participants with many warm and giving hearts. Thank you to participants, donors, helpers and sponsors of this event. The success was exhibited by the true value of caring for others. We are very grateful. Thank you.
Robert St. Amant and Charles Baillargeon present a cheque to Michele Winterholt, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Battlefords Branch.
Elsie Gabruch, 95, was the oldest participant in the Meota May 18 walk/run in support of mental health. Jenna Boisvert is
Braving less than balmy conditions to play seniors’ golf at Meota Golf Course Thursday were Ken Morton, Marcel Duhaime, Annette Duhaime and the oldtimer Jackfish Day. | Photo by Eric Callbeck
Frontier Mall starting an interior farmers market
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Shirley Blyan, assistant property manager for Terracap Management Inc. who operates Frontier Mall in the Battlefords, is excited to announce the creation of an interior farmers market at this location.
“The event is being created in the hopes of increasing traffic and helping out our local vendors. We will have the vendors located throughout the mall,” says Blyan.
The indoor market offers vendors an opportunity to sell product in a safe, clean, secure environment for the small
fee of $10 per table for the season.
Blyan said at present they are reserving tables on a first come, first serve basis. The interior farmers market will begin June 15 and run until Sept. 28 on Saturdays.
Frontier Centre continues to host activities to engage the community and to recognize special and seasonal events. Roger Emberley will be part of the Father’s Day event on June 8, along with Larry the Balloon Man and a pop-up shop where children can purchase a little gift for Father’s Day with prices ranging from five cents to one dollar. There are hopes to also hold a mini powwow demonstration.
“We will also be hosting a fall fest in September, a Halloween scavenger hunt in October, pajamboree in November and a Christmas concert in December We also have Santa visiting us in December,” adds Blyan.
Frontier Centre has previously hosted in 2024 a February talent show, a St. Patrick’s Day singalong, and an Easter scavenger hunt and craft room in March. Mother’s Day, 2023, also saw a similar activity to what is being held for Father’s Day.
Frontier Mall construction started in September of 1973 with completion in 1975, marking 49 years for this premier shopping centre in the Battlefords.
The mall space once included Woolworth’s, SAAN store and Safeway but tenants have changed over the years. The self-contained shopping experience was well received and continues to be a shopping centre of choice for many residents and visitors alike. While changes have kept the location continually evolving, it has stood the test of time and will mark its golden anniversary in 2025.
Frontier Centre hosts over 200,000 square feel of retail space and ample free parking, surrounded by major retailers and a multi-use recreation complex. You can find all the latest news and updates on their social media page.
In Case You Couldn’t Read It Last week
Budget constraints force Jackfish Breakwater Project tender rejection
SASKTODAY.CA
The Resort Village of Cochin has rejected all tenders for the position of project general contractor for a proposed Jackfish Breakwater Project.
Four companies responded to the call for tenders by at the end of April all were rejected.
Art Notes
“[All four] exceeded our budget and contingencies,” mayor and council state in a press release.
“There was no choice but for the Resort Village Council to reject all tenders and investigate alternative options with the project team in consultation with the project engineers and
Art has it’s
By Linda Hauk Battlefords Art Club
subject matter experts.”
According to the release. the breakwater needs to be refurbished and with some urgency.
The plan was to begin stockpiling rock in June, have shovels in the ground by the end of August, and complete construction by the end of 2024. This would leave cleanup of the site access, finalizing donor recognition and recognition of First Nations
ups and downs
Several Battlefords Art Club members attended an imaginative painting workshop hosted by the Chapel Gallery and instructed by Alexsi Ann. We worked on landscapes and portraits with emphasis on values, saturation, colour temperature and even how colour is used to communicate emotions.
Alexis sees herself as a colourist first
and secondly a painter. Her students considered her an excellent coach who allowed seeing a more playful process that can change how to interact with colour from day to day. Here are examples that started from thumbnail sketching to application of paint to canvas right side up, upside down or even reflected in a mirror.
For more information about the Battlefords Art Club please email:battlefordsartclub@gmail.com.
historical connections with the lakes area until early 2025.
A budget for this project was $1,800,000 developed in consultation with an engineering firm. This amount is in place through a combination of donations, grants, funds committed for 2024 and a planned resort village debenture of $600,000. All funds received are maintained in a separate project
account with sources and amounts recorded.
A federal-provincial infrastructure grant is in place until the end of March 2025 and the resort village officials anticipate all other donors will support an extension.
“We will continue to receive committed funds and fundraise because of the level of priority,” the council states.
“Our goal is to find a
solution and get this project competed as soon as possible,” officials state in the press release.
“That leaves redesign, if needed, in the hands of council and continued fundraising shared by council and all resort communities who will benefit from the refurbishment and suffer the consequences should the breakwater be allowed to fail.”
Battlefords Art Club members applied principles of colour interaction to projects created at a workshop led by Alexsi Ann. | Photos submitted
Empowering farmers – A path forward on the Canada Grain Act and Canadian Grain Commission modernization
By Ian Boxall President / APAS
The Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) are pillars established to serve grain producers. It’s our collective responsibility to ensure that the framework governing grain regulation and oversight prioritizes the interests of the backbone of our industry –farmers.
Established in 1912, the Canada Grain Act sets standards for Canada’s grain industry, ensuring quality, safety, and fairness in grain trading. Under its purview, the Canadian Grain Commission operates critical programs that ensure quality standards, information
Opinion
access, and protection from payment default.
The March 26, 2024, Canada Grain Act Summit in Saskatoon provided a crucial platform for producer groups to address critical issues concerning the Act and CGC, sparking discussions vital for our agricultural sector’s future. Throughout the summit, participants engaged in discussions pivotal to the Canadian grain industry’s competitiveness and prosperity.
Understanding the CGC’s role and mandate was central. Participants stressed maintaining objectivity in CGC operations and governance for fairness and transparency. To achieve this, those regulated by the
CGC should not unduly influence its decisions, ensuring policies serve producers’ best interests.
The need to enhance producer protections, including increased oversight of quality assessment at primary elevators, dispute resolution mechanisms and payment security, were emphasized. The CGC must act as a guardian of producer rights, ensuring accountability and equity throughout the agricultural value chain.
Transparent, consistent, and efficient delivery contracts and market information emerged as critical themes.
Enhancing market clarity with information such as forward export sales,
empowers producers to make informed decisions. Participants noted successful use of a consistent grain contract in Australia, yet similar streamlined models are lacking in Western Canada due to the reluctance of grain companies to engage and the CGC to initiate discussions on improvements.
The Summit emphasized the significance of sustainable funding approaches for the CGC and upholding stringent quality standards to preserve the integrity of Canadian grain and maximize agricultures contribution to the economy. Participants learned about inspection and funding systems
in Australia and the US, how their systems are maintained and administered with clear provisions for funding including services delivered for the public good.
Maintaining grain export integrity is key for economic prosperity and reflects our commitment to excellence. As we navigate trade dynamics and emerging consumer trends, integrity, accountability, and transparency remain essential, ensuring the grain industry’s continued prosperity for today’s farm families and generations to come.
The newly appointed Chief Commissioner of the CGC, David Hunt, will be stepping into the
role at a crucial time. His leadership will be pivotal in navigating the concerns of grain producers and ensuring that the CGC continues to function as a cornerstone of fairness and transparency in these complex times.
Our commitment to addressing challenges and driving positive change is unwavering. Let’s build on the summit’s momentum, fostering collaboration and commitment for a stronger, more resilient agricultural sector benefiting producers. It’s crucial to reaffirm our commitment to the Canada Grain Act principles to maintain Canada’s status as a trusted grain supplier globally.
Decriminalization won’t solve Canada’s drug crisis
By Doug Firby
Canadian cities must do something to curb the alarming rate of deaths from lethal drugs like heroin, fentanyl, cocaine or methamphetamine. But the solution, if one is even possible, should not be through decriminalization.
As disastrous experiments in British Columbia and Oregon so starkly show, decriminalizing the possession of hard drugs has led to an increase in deaths and turned some city streets into hellish no-go zones for citizens who aren’t there to get a hit. If you’ve been to Portland recently, as I have, you’ll see portions of the downtown transformed into postapocalyptic encampments of drug-addicted homeless people. Vancouver’s East Hastings, meanwhile, has been branded “Canada’s worst street.”
Yet, despite tales of horror from those two jurisdictions, the City of Toronto is pressing ahead with an application to Health Canada to be allowed to decriminalize possession of hard drugs. The obstinance of public health officials in that city has sent Ontario Premier Doug Ford into apoplectic fits.
Ford argued governments should instead invest in drug treatment centres.
“That’s what we should be doing. Not legalizing hard drugs. Like, you’ve got to be kidding me. Like, letting people do cocaine, and crack and heroin? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ford said last week. “I will fight this tooth and nail.”
Toronto health officials are not wrong that addiction should be
treated as a health issue, not a criminal matter. But there is an overpowering naïveté in the belief that decriminalization will, in itself, save lives. Portland’s experiment failed because officials didn’t do enough of the other things that must be done at the same time.
Portugal – the poster child of drug death reduction – provides an instructive example. In 1999, Lisbon was known as the “heroin capital of Europe,” and overdose deaths were averaging 360 a year in the country of 10 million citizens.
Alarmed officials formed a multi-partisan party coalition that backed sweeping change that redefined the problem of addiction. Through an eight-point program, of which decriminalization was just one part, Portugal effectively altered the environment around drug addicts to change their behaviour.
The detailed strategy included shifting from court-based incarceration to custody in the Commissions for the Dissuasions from Drug Abuse (CDTs); creating mobile teams to deal with addicts on the street; staffing those teams with experts; creating ways to test and administer treatment; decriminalizing (not legalize) possession of small amounts of drugs and encourage addicts to seek treatment or to face penalties; helping addicts find employment; tracking the costs of drug addiction, including the total cost to society; expand public education; and, giving treatment officials, instead of police officers, the power to make decisions about drug users.
spectacular. By 2018, the number of heroin addicts in Portugal had dropped from 100,000 to 25,000. The country also achieved the lowest drug-related death rate in Western Europe, one-tenth of Britain and one-fiftieth of the U.S. João Goulão, a former family doctor who designed Portugal’s radical approach, was hailed as a genius.
Then things began to unravel. As the country struggled with budget deficits, Portugal reduced resources allocated to its programs, undercutting efforts to encourage addicts into rehabilitation programs. Drug dealers, meanwhile, continued to use Portugal as an entry point to import hard drugs into European Union countries.
Between 2015 and 2021, drug users in treatment declined from 1,150 to 352. Funding dropped from $82.7 million in 2012 to $17.4 million in 2021. Overdose rates have reached a 12-year high and have doubled in Lisbon since 2019. Crime, often drugrelated, rose 14 percent from 2021 to 2022.
“What we have today no longer serves as an example to anyone,” Goulão says.
As Gregory Shea, senior fellow at Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management, writes: “To code the case of Portugal’s illegal drug initiative ... as a binary choice – in this case, to decriminalize drugs or not – misrepresents the change effort required and, consequently, how to sustain it. .. . If you decriminalize and do nothing else, things will get worse.”
In short,
decriminalizing hard drugs while failing to adequately fund other strategies will not only fail but, worse, will likely create an expectation that lifetime drug use is a right.
In British Columbia, Premier David Eby said he hopes other jurisdictions in Canada will learn from his province’s mistakes. While he maintains addiction should be treated as a health issue and not a criminal one, public consumption of illicit drugs must have hard limits.
Do public health officials in Toronto understand all that is required for a decriminalization effort to succeed? It’s not clear that they do, nor that they have the ability to tap into the substantial resources required to reduce addiction. All levels of government need to be committed to this effort, not for one year or five years, but over the long haul. As in, quite possibly, as far into the future as we can see.
The federal government, which initially supported B.C.’s decriminalization experiment, has become more circumspect. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks told the House of Commons it’s too early to draw conclusions about drug decriminalization: “We’re still evaluating the data,” Skip the data and listen to the people across the country who are fed up with witnessing the rampant consumption of hard drugs on the streets. It’s not the way any of us want to live, and it’s not the Canada we want to live in.
Provincial governments, notably
Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, are also largely opposed to decriminalization. Other provinces say they have no plans to go there. And Conservative Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, our prime minister-in-waiting, has been outspoken against it.
So, with three levels of government at odds over decriminalization, the prospects of running a co-ordinated strategy that would mirror Portugal’s initially successful project couldn’t appear dimmer.
The real lesson from B.C.’s disaster is that if you’re not ready to go all in on doing it right, you are much better off not doing it all.
Has anyone besides me awakened to the sound of a running furnace?
Temperatures sure dip down at night and frost has been reported in the Meeting Lake area. We do look forward to sunny days. Weather, even if the reports look good, can quickly become a devastating surprise.
The 95th birthday gathering for Olga Woloshyn was a success on Sunday, May 26 in North Battleford. Her relatives include the Tomanek and Hrynewich families and many were in attendance. Older Whitkow area neighbours, Ann Ewanchuk, Henry Konopelski and Stella Ewanchuk, enjoyed visiting many other generations of relatives and friends.
Music was supplied by Orest Demyon from Hatherleigh district and Helmay and Arnie Loewen from North Battleford.
This music and a small program brought out some interesting stories. A reading by great-grandson seven-year-old Shay was touching. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren presented roses to Olga.
People from Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, Spiritwood,
Saskatoon and other areas came to this milestone gathering.
Canada Day will be here before we know it as the days pass so quickly. Many communities host celebrations. Meeting Lake Regional Park is hosting a bunnock fundraiser tournament on Saturday, June 29. Entry is $50 per four-member team. Three games are guaranteed. One can call Jim Golding at 306-3715594 to register and get more details.
An appreciation barbecue to honor Doug and Doreen Lamb of Meeting Lake is on Saturday, July 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. in their yard near the lake. There will be directions posted near the roads closer to the park’s south and from Spiritwood’s direction. This couple were integral in the Thickwood Trails Snowmobile Club for many years and are moving to Battleford. RSVP by text to Sam Ginther at 306-2309449.
Borden and District News
By Lorraine Olinyk Correspondent
Borden’s Diefenbaker Daze was a great weekend of activities with good weather to accompany it. The parade on Saturday organized by the Borden Lions had many entries led by the RCMP and flag bearers Heather Bisson, Brittany Ketzel, Sheldon Carr and Bev Assman. The Lions kiddie cars were next, followed by a donkey and several horses and riders from Serenity Farms. Most of the entries threw out candies for the kids. Sylvia and Brian had two horses including a harnessed palomino and cart. Floats were entered by the Village of Borden, Little Sprouts and Friendship Club/museum, which was a people carrier pulled by Ed Neufeld’s vintage JD tractor. Decorated cars or trucks were from Affinity Credit Union, Borden Co-op, Block’s Agencies and GO2 Septic Services. The Crankit Auto Care entry featured the Putt Putt Garage Band of Ross and Jeff McBain, Andrew Hess, Jamie Brandrick and Kendall Redhead on a flat deck playing music. Rustic Cellar of Langham entered a vintage truck as did Aaron Wensley. Archie Wainwright drove his Cockshutt 40 tractor.
Other entries included the RM grader, Hammertime
Roofing and Carlie Hess with a decorated golf cart. Borden Fire and Rescue brought up the end of the parade with their four vehicles.
The Putt Putt Band stopped by the post office after the parade and played a few tunes.
Activities continued all day at the sports grounds. Three bouncy castles were a big attraction for the kids. There was a well-attended steak supper and a cabaret in the evening.
Saturday afternoon the Borden Museum officially opened with a ribbon cutting, introducing summer student Kaidyn Turgeon. Volunteers served free ice cream to the 30 or more in attendance. The museum is open during June on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday morning there was a pancake breakfast
Another new baby has arrived in Mayfair district. Congratulations to Cody and Ashley Zyznormirski on the birth of their second child, a girl named Lainey who arrived May 29. Mary Zyznormirski of Battleford and formerly of Mayfair is a proud great-grandma. Grandparents are Gordie and Lorelei who reside on the farm and Gauthier in Meota.
In our area, farmers have wrapped up the seeding for 2024 with varying amounts of precipitation throughout the countryside. Hoping there will not be too many setbacks for the various crops planted. To have a day
to celebrate the end of seeding, D. and E. Woloshyn along with their four children are having a 50th anniversary celebration on Sunday, June 9 in Mayfair Community Hall from 3 to 7:30 p.m. The program is at 3:30 p.m. Supper will be provided to friends and family. Please come and reminisce about the good times we’ve shared with so many wonderful people over the years. None of us are getting any younger.
Medstead had lots of action this past weekend when their club hosted the District 33 4-H Show and Sale. This was a busy weekend starting on Friday,
May 31 with the local club’s achievement day and Saturday, Big River 4-H Club came for the regional show. 4-H is much more than winning. Perseverance is the key. Keep going when things get to be challenging and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Medstead club has beef, sheep, craft and outdoor skills projects. As of Monday, June 3, dark clouds and more rain are forecast for the next few days. Weather is something we all have to put up with. Surprisingly there aren’t too many mosquitoes out yet but the ticks sure are rampant.
and joint church service at the back of the care home with close to 60 attending. Rev. Sheldon Carr from St. John’s Anglican Church led the service and Pastor Doug Hacking of Riverbend Fellowship Church read the gospel and gave the reflection. Readings and prayers were done by Brenda Tumbach, Darrel Wiebe and Pastor Gwen Hacking. Gospel hymns by were Celtic Country — Ed Neufeld, Bob Wardhaugh, Sean O’Connor, Perry Nicol and Archie Wainwright. Monetary donations went to the care home.
A event slo-pitch winners were Jaegermeister of Borden over Super Deadly from Saskatoon. Walk off Warriors won the B side. On the C side, Bat and Boujoe (Cole Sutherland) beat out Walk It Off (Walkers), both local.
Medstead Multiple 4-H Club members celebrated achievement day May 31 and the next day hosted Big River 4-H Club for the District 33 Regional 4-H Show and Sale. | Photos submitted
Olga Woloshyn was guest of honour at a 95th birthday celebration May 26 in North Battleford.
An outdoor church service was held at Borden Care Home June 2, featuring Celtic Country.
Lions kiddie cars and Serenity Farm horses and riders in the Diefenbaker Daze parade June 1. | Photos by Lorraine Olinyk
Friendship Club and Borden Museum members on a people carrier pulled by Ed Neufeld’s JD tractor.
Maidstone and District News
Class of ‘24 honoured
By Kathy Utri Correspondent
Maidstone High School
Graduation 2024 was celebrated on Friday, May 24. Congratulations, graduates. Everyone looked terrific in their finery and it was an inspiring ceremony. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Those who received scholarships/bursaries were: Isabelle Carson
– Maidstone Chamber of Commerce Bursary $500, Waseca Recreation Board
Bursary $500; Jaxon Chant
– Nic Weston Memorial Bursary $1,000; Rachel Currie – Allan Craig
Bursary $500, MHS Staff Scholarship $500, Synergy Credit Union Bursary
Bursary $1,000, Black Seal Society Bursary (Quo Vadis) $1,000, Eidsness Scholarship $500, Jim Mitchell Scholarship
$1,500, SCC Bursary
$500; Sydney Gerlinsky
– Black Seal Society
Bursary (Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc) $1,000, Jim Mitchell Scholarship
$1,500, Kinsmen Club
Bursary $1,000, SADD Bursary $250, MHS Art Scholarship $500; Tyler McMillan – Baytex Energy Ltd. Scholarship $500, Maidstone Oilmen’s Bursary $500; Lisa Melnyk – Legion Ladies Auxiliary
Bursary $500.
Show & Shine 2024 was enjoyed by many on May 28. With 46 vehicles on display, good food and beautiful weather, visitors had a lot to take in.
Pine Island Lodge thanks Lloydminster Auto Club and Lloydminster Just Kruzin Specialty Vehicle Club for an entertaining show which also included several local vehicles and one from North Battleford. Turtleford and District Coop at Maidstone provided the barbecue, Maidstone Health Care Auxiliary ran the dessert booth and raffles, prize donations came from Maidstone AG Foods, Maidstone Pharmacy, Lou’s and Sue’s, Sunny’s and PIL families, and all the staff and many volunteers came out to assist in making the day a success. Proceeds go to the Pine Island Lodge activities fund to provide residents with handi-van trips and activities to help them stay and Embers had a wonderful time at their year-end day camp at Graham Town (a western town northwest of Lloydminster) on May 25. Activities included learning about and riding horses, a wagon ride, petting animals, costume dress-up, eating yummy food and much more. They loved it. Guides went to Champetre County (a Wild West themed ranch near St. Denis,) where they had a
fun cabin stay and enjoyed trails, a maze, outdoor games, a campfire and animals. They can’t wait to go back. There are still lots of Girl Guide cookies available. Please contact Hayley 306-218-0172.
Maidstone Pharmacy has a new owner – Dana Karlson, an experienced pharmacist and business owner for over 20 years. We’re excited to welcome him to our community. We’re also pleased to learn that while Michelle Jesse has stepped down as owner, she will still be serving us in the pharmacy. Michelle has worked hard to give us excellent service for the past 13 years and certainly deserves a less demanding lifestyle. Thank you, Michelle, for all you’ve done for our community.
Reminders:
Silver Lake Summer Market – Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Aktiv Moms Walking Group (new and seasoned moms) – Tuesdays 10 a.m. at Delfrari Park (one hour). No cost
Lashburn Day 2024 –Saturday, June 8 starting at 8 a.m. – pancake breakfast, parade, live music, grad barbecue, car show, children’s activities and everything in between.
Maidstone Hotel Golf Tournament at Silver Lake – June 14. Call 306-8938222 to register.
Nico Hawryliw Fund supports Edam Minor
Submitted
The annual grant from the Nico Hawryliw Fund was recently presented to Edam Minor Ball. The Nico Hawryliw Fund was established in 2011 and previous grants from the fund have supported district needs including health, home care,
CITY OF NORTH BATTLEFORD NOTICE OF ZONING BYLAWAMENDMENT
Public notice is herebygiven, Pursuant to Section207 of the Planning andDevelopment Act 2007 that theCityofNorthBattlefordIntends to passa Bylawtoamend Zoning Bylaw No,1971.
It is proposed to amendthe ZoningBylaw,which formspartofthe BylawNumber1971, asfollows:
Changethe zoning of thelandareashown below fromFuture Urban Development (FUD) to C3 –ArterialCommercial.
North Battleford Golf and Country Club junior golf program, BGC Battlefords and Battlefords Trade and Education Centre. The fund has provided more than $15,000 in grants over the years.
This year’s grant of $1,342.31 will support the upgrades at the Paul McCaffrey Ball Park in Edam. The
group is updating facilities including the washrooms and canteen. The renovation project has had strong community support from businesses and families.
Alli and Lionel Hawryliw, Nico’s parents, say, “It has been a privilege to be able to donate money to worthwhile causes in our city and surrounding area. This would not have been possible without the tremendous support we received when Nico was sick. We are grateful for the continuing opportunity to make our community better.”
Andi and Nico Wall (Nico Hawryliw’s niece and nephew) play for the Edam Blue Sox and were on hand to present the grant.
Reasonfor Amendment:
The City andRed Pheasant Cree Nation have aser vicing agreement that requires development of theRed Pheasant Urban Reser vetobeapproved through theCity’s standard approval process.
The current development on theRed Pheasant site offTerritorialDrivewas approved as a buildingonly, matching thecurrent FUDzoning. The current development area needstobe rezonedtoC3toallowfor uses to be approved forthe building.
Bylaw Inspection
Anyinterested person mayinspect theBylaw at City Hall, 1291-101st Street, North Battleford, SK,Monday through Friday,between thehoursof9:00a.m.to4:30p.m Copies areavailabletopersons through theOffice of theCityClerk
Public Hearing
Representations respecting the Bylawwill be considered by Council on the17th dayofJune, at the DonRoss CentreRoom 107 (CouncilChambers)at5:45 p.m. Council shall hear any person,group of persons, or persons acting on their behalf, whowishtomakea representation. Council will alsoconsider written comments received at thehearing or whichare delivered to City Hall before the hearing.
Information
****Please note: If you wish to provide comments regarding the application, we ask thatyou consider submitting your comments in writingtoour officebyemail, mail or in person at City Hall. The deadline to submit comments is June 7th,2024, by 12 pm noon.
FORMORE INFORMATION: Gary Fung, Junior Planner City of NorthBattleford gfung@cityofnb.ca (306)445 –1710
Maidstone High School Class of 2024: back row – Tre Pelletier-Mudryk, Darwin Rhinehart, Cooper Whitney, Cale Frank, Kalib Boyer, Tyler McMillan, Emmitt Schempp; middle row – Santiago Mendez, Jayden Smith, Dante Meredith, Tyson Lavoie, Lisa Melnyk, Damion Laybourne, Benjamin Fritz, Atley Newsted, Jaxon Chant; front row – Sydney Gerlinsky, Isabelle Carson, Mercedes Minky, Kaidence Klein, Macayla Klein, Maja McIntosh, Jade McIntosh, Emma Maier, Rachel Currie, Sadie Robb. | Photo submitted
Accepting a $1,342 grant from the Nico Hawryliw Fund are: back row - Connie Pollard, Zolton Pollard, Chris Blaquiere and Kelly Baillargeon; front rowAndi Wall, Nico Wall and Rylee Baillargeon. | Photo submitted
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
CASHMORE: George Har vey1938-2024 Har vey passed away peacefully with his family by his side on May 9, 2024 at the age of 85 years He was bor n on the family far m at Midnight Lake, SK on November 7, 1938 Har vey is sur vived by his daughter Theresa, granddaughters Melissa(Kyle) great grandchildren Caleb Ali and Lennox; and Br ittany(Br uce) great grandchildren Lucas and Ivy; son David (Megan), grandsons Brett, Grayson and Owen; his sister Audrey and her family; and his late wife Mar ion s family Har vey was predeceased by his wife Mar ion parents George and Ivy brother David, in-laws Mike and Clara, grandson Bret and numerous other relatives Har vey star ted wor king for Sasktel after his high school graduation and wor ked for 32 years at which time he retired Upon retir ing from Sasktel, he retur ned to full time far ming until he fully retired in 2008 He was a volunteer fire fighter for Nor th Battleford for 17 years and volunteered for many organizations including Cancer Societ y, Telephone Pioneers of Amer ica, Meals on Wheels, Nor th Battleford Legion, Glaslyn Museum, WDM and many more Har vey enjoyed going to all of his grandchildren/great grandchildren's activities whether it was hockey, baseball or dance He always enjoyed travelling and went on numerous tr ips all around the wor ld Har vey was a loving and hardwor king man who was willing to do whatever was asked of him whether it was for a fr iend or family member Har vey had the following wr itten in his office: A Grandfather is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher and a little bit fr iend My Mother said "Don't worr y about what people think now Think about whether your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will think you have done well A child grandchild great-grandchild laughter is the greatest medicine His family would like to thank all of the staff at BUH that treated Har vey with the utmost care and respect From the amazing ER staff including Dal, who first cared for him, to all of the staff on 3rd South and Dr Campbell who took amazing care of Har vey and helped make this time easier on our family Thank you to Eter nal memor ies for your compassion and care at this time As per Har vey s wishes there will be a pr ivate graveside ser vice at a later date Donations in Har vey's memor y can be made to BUH 3rd South Palliative Care or the donor's choice The family would like to send a big thank you to ever yone for all their suppor t and kindness dur ing this time
SCOTT: Elpha - 1929-2024
With heavy hear ts we announce the passing of our beloved mother and grandmother Elpha Scott on Apr il 27 2024 After gifting us with ninet y-five years of her unwaver ing love and compassion, she left us content and without pain Elpha is sur vived by her son George; daughter in law Marg Tipton grandchildren David Scott (Bonita Whitford) Susan Etcheverr y (Geoff), and Nicholas Scott (Cheeto, Cracker); great-grandchildren Mya, Weston, Harr ison, and Sullivan; cousins; and fr iend Linda Elmer She was predeceased by her father Elmer Woodyard, her mother Irene Woodyard, and her brother Thor nton Woodyard Elpha was bor n on a far m near Wilkie, SK on March 7th, 1929 She spent her childhood growing up on a far m with her brother Thor nton Elpha was proud to have ser ved in the Canadian Air Force as a cler k in her ear ly 20s, until she moved to the Battlefords in 1954 Elpha was a dedicated and loving mother to her son George whom she gave bir th to in 1956 She went on to wor k at Woolco for 20 years in the fabr ic depar tment and retired at 63 Elpha was talented at knitting, crocheting, and sewing, and enjoyed this passion as par t of the Battleford Quilters club for many years She ser ved as a member of the Battlefords Legion, Women's Auxiliar y and the Hillcrest Seniors Club Throughout her life Elpha quietly demonstrated the qualities of a loving mother and a car ing fr iend She was a beacon of kindness, strength, patience, and intellect Her abilit y to accurately recall past events, and which years they occurred, and which people were involved, even as she aged into her nineties, never ceased to amaze us This shows what she valued in life: the exper iences she shared with the people she loved She always managed to see the good in people Dur ing her time at River Heights Lodge she was dubbed Precious by her fr iend Linda We cannot think of a more perfect way to descr ibe her While we are sad to see our Precious Elpha go, we are also grateful for ninet y-five years of her love She will live on through the pr inciples that she taught us, and that we are now teaching our children If your path crossed with Elpha's, know that she cher ished those moments, and held those memor ies close to her final days Inter ment to follow at a later date The family extends a thank you to ever yone who offered their condolences Funeral arrangements have been entr usted to Eter nal Memor ies Funeral Ser vice & Cremator ium - Elle Dell Funeral Director
HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS
Notice of Call for Nominations
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the offices of:
Vanessa Macnab •Elle Dell
Apprentice Funeral Director
Larissa Wack
Mayor: Resort Village of Kivimaa Moonlight Bay
Councillor: Resort Village of Kivimaa Moonlight Bay
Will be received by the undersigned on the 22nd day of June, 2024 from
67 Lakeshore Drive (Village Office) and during regular
hours from June 7, 2024 to June 21 2024 at 67 Lakeshore Drive (Village Office) Nomination
Notice of Call for Nominations
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the office of: (complete as applicable)
Mayor: The Resort Village of Aquadeo (Municipality)
Councillor: The Resort Village of Aquadeo (Municipality)
Number to be Elected 4 will be received by the undersigned on the 22nd day of June 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at the Resort Village of Aquadeo Office (Place)
Nomination forms may be obtained at the following location(s): The Resort Village of Aquadeo Office.
Dated this 3 day of June, 2024 (Retur ning Officer or Nomination Officer)
Canadian Navigable Waters ActPublic Notice
TheCityofNorth Battleford(herein referred to as “the City”) hereby givesnoticethatan applicationhas been made to theMinisterofTransport,pursuanttothe Canadian Navigable WatersAct,for approval of theworkdescribed herein andits site andplans
Pursuanttoparagraph 7(2) of thesaidAct,the City hasdeposited with theMinisterof Transport,onthe onlineCommonProject Search Registry (http://cps.canada.ca) and under registry number 10172, or underthe NPPFile Number 2024-611728, adescription of the followingexistingworks alongwithits site andplans:
F.E. Holliday WaterTreatment Plant(WTP) rawwater intake structure onthe NorthSaskatchewanRiver at approximately52° 44’ 21.09” N(latitude)and 108° 16’ 19.78” W(longitude)inNorth Battlefordinthe Province of Saskatchewan
Commentsregarding theeffect of this work on marine navigation canbesentthrough the CommonProject Search site mentionedabove underthe Comment section(search by the above referenced number) or,ifyou do nothaveaccess to theinternet, by sending your commentsdirectlyto:
TransportCanada(TC)willnot make your commentsona projecta vailabletothe public on theonlinepublic registry.However,any informationrelated to aworkisconsidered asunclassifiedpublicrecordand couldbeaccessible uponlegal request.Assuch, the informationand recordsprovidedshouldnot containconfidential or sensitiveinformation.If you want to provideconfidential or sensitiveinformation that youthink should notbemade public, please contactTCbeforesubmitting it
Commentswill be considered only if they areinwriting (electronicmeanspreferable) and arereceivednot laterthan30daysafterthe publicationofthe last notice.Although all commentsconformingtothe abovewill be considered,noindividualresponsewill be sent Postedat: NorthBattleford, Saskatchewan this 30th dayofMay 2024.
Issued by: KevinKristian, Water/Wastewater Plants Superintendent on behalf of theCityofNorth Battleford
Dot Andrews, Returning Officer Resort Village of Kivimaa - Moonlight Bay
M’stone Comets return for honouring ceremony
Submitted by Kathy Utri Correspondent
On Saturday, May 25, the former Maidstone Comets softball team was honoured at Silver Lake’s “Battle of the Ages” ball tournament.
The Comets team played league, provincial and tournament ball from 1950 to 1970, winning the provincials in 1957 and 1959. Sixteen players were
able to attend: Audrey Schwartz Pierce, Carolyn Schempp Donovan, Doreen Huxley Hope, Gail Perry Hilkewich, Jackie Newsted Schmidt, Janice Foster Wakefield, Joy Eidsness Collinge, Joyce Gerbig Orange, Karen Pike Johnston, Leona (Onie) Warman Huxley, Margaret Richardson Boggust, Mary Blyth Holtby, Pat McKee Taylor, Pat Newsted Bullock,
Sandy Johnston Pederson and Vicki Taylor Milner. Each was presented with a Maidstone Comets lapel pin upon arrival.
A special guest was also present — Yvonne Micknik was the Saskatchewan Softball director for 40 years and played for the North Battleford Golden Gems.
The ladies were ushered to chairs placed in the centre of the infield.
Two U13 ball girls wore the original Comets ball uniforms. Each former player was presented with a handmade card and a carnation by a U13 player. Aaron Graham gave a history of each player, position and number of years played. Bruce Mitchell coached the team for 23 years and he was always getting young players to join the team. Most players started when
they were 14 and played until they left to further their education. Some did play for most of the 20 years.
In 1971, Bruce was honoured with an evening of thanks and a recliner chair for all his dedicated years of coaching. Francis Brynes umpired most of the home games. Upon his retirement, the Comets presented him with a 25year engraved tray.
The ceremony concluded with Joyce Orange throwing a pitch to home plate. It was such a pleasure to be amongst the group as they reminisced and celebrated lifelong friendships. A commemorative plaque will be hung at diamond No. 1 in Delfrari Park in Maidstone.
The Comets want to thank Aaron Graham, Joelene Harrison and all the Lakers girls’ ball teams for the time and research they put into this event. Thank you also to the Standard Hill Lakers for the lunch and refreshments, Brenda Mitchell for taking pictures, and all who helped in any way to make the day so special.
of Scott& TerritorialDirve Sun. 10:30 am Ministries forthe wholefamily 306-445-5158 www.tdac.ca
Maidstone Comets alumnus pose with current members of the Lakes U13 ball teams. | Photo submitted
Meota News: Golf scramble to support local daycare
By Eric Callbeck Meota
The annual walk for mental health proved to be a great success. Shown in the photo is Lion Laurie Ward presenting a cheque of $500 to Charles Ballargeon who chaired the event. The fivekilometre walk drew 130 people participants. The drive raised $ 19,447.14 which was donated directly to Michele Winterholt, executive director of Canadian Mental Health
Association Battlefords Branch. Marcell Duhaime gave rides with his beautiful team of Clydesdales and wagon. A lunch of hot dogs, refreshments and bananas was enjoyed after the culmination of the walk.
A golf scramble in support of kids and a local daycare will be held on June 22 at the Meota Golf Course. It will begin at 3 p.m. with a shotgun start. It will include a silent auction and a steak supper. A cemetery bee is
scheduled for Saturday, June 8.
Thursday seniors’ golf was well attended with 20 participants. Winners with a score of 35 were Ken and Elisabeth Buchinski, Marcel and Annette Duhaime and Eric Callbeck. Taking home the consolation prize were Ken Morton, Larry Dyck and Elsa Ferguson. A great day to be outdoors and to have coffee with friends.
Tuesday bridge winners were Linda Ard and David Sharpe. Second were
By Trudy Janssens
Meota Lakefront Paddle and Sail
Sailing season is off to a slow start this year, but Meota Lakefront Paddle and Sail members have been planning for a busy summer season.
Windows in the clubhouse have been installed, planning for another fundraiser is in full swing and boats have started to go out. MLPS is fortunate to have Lori and Gill Risling as active members. The Rislings are amazing stand-up paddle board athletes. They are the driving force behind
Margaret Dyck and Jean Beattie and third were Fraser Glen and Barb Mitchell. Thursday bridge saw a one-two tie between Catriona Winterholt and Anne Cozier with Barb Mitchell and David Sharpe. Friday canasta HF saw Janice Morton and Eric Callbeck in first. Second were Gail Hilderman and Cora Christianson. HKF winners were Linda Ard and Stella Rendle and second were Arlene Walker and Carman Doirer.
the Louisiana Hayride Show. Their efforts have allowed MLPS to move ahead with crucial repairs to the clubhouse.
This year we are aiming to raise enough funds to complete the installation of two doors that are weather-worn and compromised. This show is professional and lots of fun. It’s on Saturday, June 15. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available from Elaine 306-892-2229 or Danielle 306-386-7890 or www.showpass.com. There is a possibility tickets can be
purchased at the door, provided we’re not at capacity. Phone Danielle to check availability.
We are also planning a mobile sailing school with the help of Sask Sailing. Dates are confirmed for July 15 to 19.
Online registration is handled by Sask Sailing. You can go to their website for more details.
This year’s lessons will include instruction on the Lasor One sailboats that the club owns. We now have members who are looking forward to weekly sessions on the water. So it’s a great opportunity to advance sailing skills. Younger members might even be encouraged to get into racing. With that in mind, it won’t be long and we will see a regatta happening on Jackfish Lake.
Thank you to all members who have renewed. The organization has now turned the corner and the focus can get back to having a great recreational facility in the community. We appreciate all the local support. Meota is truly a great place for non-motorized water sports. The clubhouse is a wonderful place to spend the day and we are open to rental of the facility. Call Jerry at 306-717-0842.
Meota Lakefront Paddle and Sail member Joe Gerlinsky out for
Meota Lakeshore Lion Laurie Ward presenting a cheque of $500 to Charles Ballargeon who chaired the walk for mental health in Meota. | Photo submitted
By: Perrin Beatty,President &CEO of theCanadian ChamberofCommerce, andLisa A. Baiton, President &CEO of theCanadian AssociationofPetroleum Producers
Acursor yglance at most of Canada’seconomic indicators reveals atroubling reality —our greatnationisonthe cusp ofdecline. Per capita GDP hasstagnated,showing less than 1% growth between the beginning of2018 and the end of 2023. According to the OECD, Canada is projected to have the lowest real GDP percapitagrowth among all38advanced countries over the next four decades Additionally,overthe past sevenyears,Canada hasranked 44th out of 47 countries in investment growth rates tracked by the OECD. The Bank of Canada has issuedwarnings, citing weakproductivity andlow business investment as a national emergency
As aresult of all this, Canada’slivingstandards are slumping.Arecentpoll by Pew Researchfoundthat75% of Canadians believe that our children will have alower standardofliving than we do. Moreover,amidstrapid and tumultuous geopolitical transitions in trade, economics and energy,Canada’slongstanding relationships with trading par tners and our reputation as aG7member and NATO par tner are at risk
Canada’seconomic challengesare large and many and easily identifiable. But where are the solutions? Arecent repor tonthe economic impact of Canada’sconventional oil andnatural gas sector unequivocally points to some.
The study,conducted by the CanadianChamber of Commerce’sBusiness Data Lab, illuminates the oftenunderestimated potential of Canada’s conventional oiland gassector to address our mostpressingeconomic and social issues.
The conventional sector (which excludesthe oil sands) represents about two-thirds of total oiland gasinvestment in the countr y. It contributes significantly to Canadian prosperity while also playing avitalroleinenvironmental stewardship and energy security. Plus, it operatesextensively acrossthe nation, ser ving as the economicbackbone of numerous communities.
The sector is deeply under valued. Consider the Canadian Chamber’sfindingsonindustr yemployment: Canada’s conventional oil and gas sector suppor ts 493,000 direct, indirect andinduced jobs nationwide, accounting for 3% of totalnational employment. Andfor ever ymilliondollars spentin the sector,nearly five jobsare supported,a ratio that compares favourablytoother sectors of the economy These are well-paying jobs, too.At$90 an hour, the average conventional oil and gas industr yworkerearns over twice the national averagewagefor other occupations
The industr y’stotal economic contribution extends to government revenues as well.In2022, the conventional
sectorand theoil sands contributed$45 billion to government coffers in theformoftax and royalty payments, enabling funding for essential servicesand infrastructure benefiting allCanadians
Additionally,the conventional sectorplays apivotal role in maintaining apositive balanceoftrade forCanada. Without conventional oil and gas expor ts, Canada would facea significant trade deficit, impacting economic stability, currency value and international competitiveness.
Thesolution to our challenges is staring us in theface. And unlocking Canada’senergyadvantage and maximizing the benefits of our natural resources requires just four steps stepswetruly canfollow.
First,wecan adopt apragmaticapproachtoenergy transition, investing in technology,facilities and infrastructure onanunprecedented scale.
Second, we canstreamlineour approach to majorprojects, ensuring timely approvalsand permitting processes.
Third, we cancreate an attractive investment climateby reforming our regulator yregime and actively promoting major investment oppor tunities.
Finally,wecan capitalizeonthe oppor tunity presented by liquefiednatural gas (LNG), one of themostpromising avenues for sectoral growthand asignificant contributor to global emissions reduction.
Canada’sconventional oil and natural gas sectorismore than justanindustr y; it is acornerstone of our economy, providing livelihoods forcountless Canadians and showcasing our nation’singenuityand resilience. However, to unleash its full potential,weneed to embraceinnovation, fostercollaboration, and advocate forpoliciesthat forward both prosperity and environmental stewardship.
The road ahead is challenging,but thepotentialrewards are immense. Together,policymakers and industr ycan harness Canada’senergyadvantage and leadthe world towards a more prosperous, equitableand sustainable future.
Sask. Chamber of Commerce2024 SummerTour
Battlefords &District ChamberofCommerceboardand staff members were pleased to welcomethe Sask.Chamberof CommerceCEO and COOtothe BattlefordsonMay 29th,2024. While here, they toured Strathcona ResourcesHamlin Rail Facility, and MeotaWest 2SAGD Facilitybeforeenjoyingsupper and astayatJackfishLodge Golf &Conference Centre.They plan to continue theirsummertour of local Chambersand communities in MeadowLake onThursdayand Lloydminster on Friday
L-R:GlendaRye,ChairBattlefordsChamber;Prahba Ramaswamy, CEO,Sask. Chamber;Linda Machniak, COO, BattlefordsChamber and Virginia Wilkinson, COO, Sask. Chamber.Phototaken by Melanie Roberts.
Winnersofthe “Fastest Hole in Golf” at the 10thChamber BusinessGolfChallenge, May 24th, 2024 at the NorthBattleford Golf & Country Club.L-R TimSletten, Pat Delainey, Doug Flasch, and Chad Gartner of Innovation Federal Credit Union
They conquered Hole 18 in 52 seconds. We also wish to send aBIG thank youtoall of the sponsors, volunteers, golfers,suppor ters,host facility and restaurantand ever yone whomade theday such asuccess.
BBEX Nominations Now OPEN!
Nominateyour favouritebusinessoremployeeinthe celebration of the30thBattlefordsBusiness Excellence (BBEX) Awards.Nominatingisaseasyasa fewclicks. Go to www.battlefordschamber.com, clickonthe BBEXicon, and followthe steps
•Agriculture and Agri-Business Award• Young Entrepreneur Award
•Micro Business Award• Member’s Choice Award
•Business of theYear
•ImpactAward
•Heritage Award/ Business Hall of Fame
Nominations can be submittedinany of theopen categoriesasnoted above, with theexceptionof Businessofthe Year.That recipient is selected from allofthe finalists at theAwards GalainNovember 2024.
When youproceedtothe nominations page, it will provideadescriptionofeach awardcategory, and provideany datesortimelines to be followed. For example, theYoung Entrepreneur has an age requirement in thedescription.
Once nominations arereceived, theChamber will reach outtothe business or person, and provide the package to be submittedfor consideration, along with requiredphotos.
Public nominations areopen untilmidnight June 20th, 2024. Nominee businesses and individuals then will haveuntil midnight July 25th, 2024, to submit thecompleted application kit.
Finalists in each categorywill be announced by Labour Dayweekend, and recipientswill be announced at theGala.
