Regional News-Optimist February 4, 2021

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So Saskatchewan!

An avid photographer from the Turtleford area had a chuckle when she saw this sign lost amid mounds of snow, prompting her to say, “This is so Saskatchewan. I don’t think there wil be any rules broken.” Look below to see where the sign was found. We agree there’s no likelihood anyone would want to tackle those banks anytime soon.

Photo by Louise Lundberg

Travel from UK indicated Staff According to the provincial government, the UK COVID-19 variant (B.1.1.7) has been detected in two residents in the Regina zone.

Tuesday’s report on COVID-19 cases in the province revealed the contact investigation determined that one case has travelled from the United Kingdom and the second is a close contact of the traveler.

These individuals were tested mid-January.

Tuesday’s report stated that while the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory is testing travelers for variants of concern, those tests must be genome-sequenced at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

This process can take one to two weeks.

Both residents quarantined following the travel and are now no longer infectious.

Public health’s contact investigation indicates that all contacts of these residents have been identified and there is no indication of further transmission.

If required, public health will issue a public service announcement to alert the general public to any risk due to any confirmed case of a variant of concern.

Non-essential travel is not recommended at this time. The best protection against all COVID-19 variants remains the same as protection against COVID-19: stay home, physically distance, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask and get tested if you are experiencing even mild symptoms.

The Government of Saskatchewan is considering the impact of variants on COVID-19 planning including any required increase to public health measures and surge capacity planning.

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Complexity of case against Swiftwolfe causes delay

By Lisa Joy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / News-Optimist

The case against a Moosomin First Nation man continues to be delayed due to its complexity.

Jonathan Swiftwolfe, 24, has been in custody since multiple RCMP detachments – including the North Battleford RCMP Gang Task Force - teamed up to locate and arrest him.

Swiftwolfe had another appearance scheduled in North Battleford Provincial Court on Jan. 28, 2021, and the matter was adjourned to Feb. 19 due to the number of charges he is facing and the complexity of the case. The adjournment was at the request of Swiftwolfe’s legal aid de-

fence lawyer.

Swiftwolfe was wanted since April 2020 for breaching his probation conditions and he was considered armed and dangerous. He was wanted on warrants for charges including seven counts of failure to comply with a probation order, possession of a weapon contrary to a probation order, two counts of flight from police, two counts of assault, two counts of uttering threats, dangerous operation of a vehicle, operating a vehicle while prohibited, mischief, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Both RCMP and the Moosomin First Nation Band had issued a warning to the public saying they were concerned for the

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safety of Moosomin First Nation residents while Swiftwolfe was at large.

“The safety and security of Band members on the Moosomin First Nation is the primary concern for Chief and Council,” said Moosomin First Nation Chief Bradley Swiftwolfe in December 2020. “A peaceful end to this situation involving Jonathan is hoped for.”

Jonathan Swiftwofe was arrested on Highway 40

near Sweetgrass First Nation on Dec. 6, 2020. When police arrested him they found a loaded firearm in the vehicle that was within his reach.

When RCMP issued the public warning about Swiftwolfe, in describing him they said he has the word “Westside” tattooed on the right side of his face and neck. Westside Outlaws is a street gang that started in Onion Lake Cree Nation.

Cassandra Fox, 24, was with Swiftwolfe and also arrested. At the time, she was wanted on warrants for assault with a weapon and failure to comply with a release order. She was scheduled to enter a plea and election in North Battleford Provincial Court on Jan. 6, 2021, but failed to appear and a warrant for her arrest was issued.

The charges against Swiftwolfe and Fox haven’t been proven in court.

Jonathan Swiftwolfe

Dangerous Offender Hearing for Smockum delayed after he changes lawyers

By Lisa Joy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / News-Optimist

Warning: Some may find the details in this story disturbing A Dangerous Offender Hearing has been postponed for a man convicted of attempted murder and charged with sexual assault, and choking to overcome resistance in two separate incidents.

A hearing for Cory Smockum, 38, was to be heard in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench on Feb. 1 but isn’t proceeding after Smockum changed lawyers. This means there is insufficient time for his new lawyer to be ready for

a two-week Dangerous Offender Hearing.

In July 2020, Justice Grant Currie granted the Crown’s application to hold a Dangerous Offender Hearing for Smockum. He was found guilty in February 2020 of attempted murder after a five-day trial in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench. The charges are a result of an incident Oct. 14, 2018, near Hanley, Sask. The court heard that Smockum sexually and physically assaulted his former girlfriend in a garage and threated to kill “everyone he could that night.”

During the trial, the victim told the court she was choked unconscious three

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times and on the third time “everything went warm,” her vision went and she “made peace with dying that night.”

The victim had broken ribs, a brain bleed, injured knees, stitches on her lip, black eyes, ear damage, a cut on the side of her head and bruising. She spent six days in hospital.

Smockum was also charged with aggravated sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance. A mistrial was declared on those charges after there was a hung jury. In June 2020 the Saskatoon Prosecutions Office said they would retry Smockum on the sexual assault charges.

The Crown, however, has

since said they don’t plan to try Smockum again on the aggravated sexual assault and choking to overcome resistance charges.

During Smockum’s trial, the court heard that he had a 2016 conviction after being arrested by North Battleford RCMP in 2015 and charged with sexual assault, assault and choking to overcome resistance. The choking charge was dropped and the assault and sexual assault charges were changed to assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault causing bodily harm, respectively. Smockum was found guilty in 2016 of assault causing bodily harm.

Continued on Page 8

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 3

N.B. finance director takes La Ronge CAO job

By Becky Zimmer

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / News-Optimist

Steven Brown, Director of Finance in the City of North Battleford, has been unanimously selected by La Ronge town council as their new chief administrative officer at the town office.

Mayor Colin Ratushniak said they knew when hiring for this position was going to be inheriting

a bit of a mess financially and structurally, he said, but Brown is coming into La Ronge with a wealth of experience and a history of integrating into his new communities.

“His experience working with different municipal levels of government, his financial backgrounds, and his overall approach with how he wants to integrate with the community, not only as an employee but also

just on a personal level, is really important.”

Due to some outside consultation, a lot of work needs to be done to ensure the CAO position is one where people can succeed instead of fail, Ratushniak said. Even during Brown’s interview, Ratushniak said they were excited for him to come on board.

“He wants to have that communication with all his managers and his employees.”

Brown is currently working as the director of finance for the City of North Battleford and has nine years of senior management experience in Humboldt, Prince Albert and the provincial government.

At right, Steve Brown at a pre-pandemic North Battleford city council meeting. Photo by John Cairns

Battleford fire chief sees no concerning trends

40 Years of Firefighting

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Battleford Fire Chief Larry Gabruch was honoured Monday by Battleford Fire Department members for 40 years with the fire department. Above is Gabruch displaying a gift. Below, the text on the plaque presented to Gabruch by the members of the fire department. Submitted by Mayor Ames Leslie of Battleford

It was an eventful evening for Battleford Fire Chief Larry Gabruch last Monday.

Gabruch presented the annual report for the Battleford fire department to town council, complete with numbers from 2020.

Later that night, Gabruch and his department were hard at work fighting a massive blaze that destroyed the car wash at Battleford Esso. There were 20 firefighters on the scene battling the blaze during the overnight hours, with damage estimated into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Highlights of Gabruch’s annual report include the following: Calls for service in 2020 to the department numbered 50 for the town

of Battleford, which is below the 10-year average of 57.6. False alarms saw a noticeable drop from previous years. There were 14 false alarms in 2020, well below the 10-year average of 20.3 per year.

Most categories were in line with the 10-year average, but there were two vehicle fatalities, which “is obviously not a good thing,” said Gabruch.

In the RM of Battle River, Gabruch reported the Battleford Fire Department had 47 calls for service, which is well above the 10year average of 30.4.

The main difference was the number of motor vehicle accidents. A total of 20 calls in the RM were vehicle accident responses, well above the 10-year average of 8.8.

“It’s not really surprising we have that quantity of accidents given the amount of highways that

we provide coverage for,” Gabruch said. In the department’s coverage area are Highways 4, 16, 29 and 40.

The total response overall was 97 calls for service, which is nine above the 10year average.

Overall, it was a “pretty average year, which is a good thing in our business,” said Gabruch.

Council was also satisfied with the numbers in the report. Councillor Kevin Russell asked if the department had noticed an increase in needle pickups, and Gabruch said there had. He said they are noticing needles generally on the perimeters of the community, not near schools.

They were not attributed to any one civic location.

Councillor Doug Laing mentioned the amount of training the fire department members had been receiving during COVID-19

and the steps taken to “get in the required amount of training and keep everyone safe,” he said.

Gabruch said the department holds two practices a week, and has various protocols in place for responding to calls. There is also a strict protocol to log members in and out, and the fire hall is locked down to all public and firefighters’ families as well to “shrink the bubble as much as we possibly can.”

Gabruch did note they had one member in isolation at the time, but apart from that he indicated they have avoided an outbreak within the department.

“So far so good. We’ll just keep our fingers crossed that we can fend off any seepage of the virus into our department with the existing protocols we have in place.”

Sask. food banks raise over $3 million Staff

Food Banks of Saskatchewan are reporting they ended 2020 on a good note, with fundraising for the Home for the Holidays campaign topping $3 million.

That is the amount raised by all the food banks. The campaign was kicked off Nov. 23 with a $250,000 donation from Nutrien.

In a news release, they report Nutrien contributed over $8 million to Food

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Banks of Saskatchewan since 2010 including $100,000 towards the Crisis Response Fund.

As well, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses made a major donation of $250,000 early in the campaign. In the spring of 2020 they also donated $55,000.

The donations go to 36 registered food banks across the province, with funds used for food, purchasing PPE for staff and volunteers, and managing food distribution.

“We are happy that

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for providing crucial support over the holidays,” said Laurie O’Connor, Executive Director, Food Banks of Saskatchewan in a news release. “On behalf of all of the food banks, thank you to every donor who joined Nutrien in making a financial gift. These donations ensured everyone in our province had safe and nutritious food over the holidays and positions the food banks to be able to respond to demand in the months ahead.”

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“We have seen first-hand the important work the food banks do. Saskatchewan people showed up to support this campaign and we extend our thanks to everyone who joined Nutrien in making a donation,” “We want to extend our biggest thanks to Nutrien

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Letter

Economic realities

The commentaries offered on this editorial page are intended to provide thought-provoking material for our readers.

Contributors’ articles, cartoons or letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any Regional News-Optimist staff.

Dear Editor In times like these when the markets for fossil fuels are down, and have been for five or six years now, both Jason Kenney and Scott Moe have got to utilize this time to create jobs where needed and while the cost of borrowing is at its lowest.

Yes, we will be dealing with Covid for probably most of this year in one way or another, however there is a lot of work that needs to be done and as soon as is possible.

Most provinces in Canada, including Alberta and Saskatchewan, have crumbling infrastructure that needs to be addressed, so why aren’t they investing in what has needed to be done, and which would put people to work?

We have a global climate change crisis that both premiers seem to be denying as they indicated by their continual fight to scrap the carbon tax. Instead of fighting it they could have introduced it themselves and with some of that revenue, put people to work on environmental initiatives, that needs to be done I might add.

If Kenney and Moe expect the economy to recover on a return of another oil and gas boom, I think they are setting themselves up for a huge disappointment. If they choose austerity over long term careful planning, everybody loses. That has been proven time and time again.

Truth be told, unless we take back control from the powerful in this world we are destined for an increasingly dismal future for humanity. One study I read by the Rand Corp. indicated that $47 trillion has been displaced upward over the last 40 years. That’s not chump change.

Erik Hansen Unity

Letter

Never too late

Dear Editor Although Christmas is long past, it is never too late to appreciate the varied gestures of goodwill made from the community towards residents in long term care during the Christmas season.

Creative handmade cards and clever tree ornaments were made and delivered from at least four schools to River Heights Lodge. One school even sent enjoyable individual gifts. Thank you, teachers, for showing your students ways to think of and reach out to others.

Staff at my mom’s facility gifted each resident with a huge calendar and a quality lotion – so practical. My mom received a large plush blanket that even matched her bedspread from the Secret Santa gifting that the staff organized. There were also cards and a personal letter.

Early in the season, Milbanke Flowers delivered small potted Christmas greens to each room.

Since many residents are not able to communicate their thanks to you, their families do. It warms our hearts to know that others thought of them and wanted to add some sparkle to their Christmas.

Thank you!

Diane Loewen North Battleford

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Commentary

Will Canada finally get interprovincial alcohol trade?

By Sylvain Charlebois

Professor / Dalhousie University

Interprovincial alcohol distribution in Canada has always been a nightmare. For our wineries, breweries and spirit makers, selling alcohol to Americans is easier than selling to consumers outside their own province.

Many Canadian alcoholic products like wines, beers and spirits have won international prestigious awards but can’t be sold to most Canadians.

It’s simply ridiculous.

But a private member’s bill in Ottawa is offering Canadians a renewed chance to ‘free the beer.’

Canadians held their breath with the Gerard Comeau case a few years ago. In 2012, Comeau was pulled over and fined more than $292 for bringing more than the 12pint limit of beer back to New Brunswick from neigh-

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.

bouring Quebec.

The case went to the highest court in the country and the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2018 that the fine was constitutional, giving provinces reason to protect their markets.

Conservative MP Dan Albas has other plans. In December, he presented and tabled a private member’s bill to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act so Canadianmade wine, beer and spirits could be accessible in a direct-to-consumer program, with shipping through Canada Post, between provinces.

Only four provinces now allow direct-to-consumer shipping of alcoholic products: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Most provinces, including highly-protective Quebec and Ontario, are very much against opening their markets.

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New Governor General

By R.H. Wood

North Battleford

I would like to make a suggestion before replacing our G.G. becomes a horse race (perfect pun – no?). Why not ask Prince Harry and Meghan to fill the vice-regal role? They are well liked, young, have started their family, and obviously sought a new path in life beyond London. I am sure that this choice would greatly please her gracious Majesty. They would have status, income, free travel, security and any number of staff,

Interprovincial Alcohol

Continued from Page 4 The genius of this can’t be underscored enough. If Albas gets his way, the bill will prohibit Canada Post, a federal Crown corporation, from

aides and limousines (my favourite perk). After all, two of the early Governors General were drawn from the British royal family.

I can’t help thinking how well living next door to the Trudeaus would work out for everyone. Harry has received much praise for his own armed service record, for his interest in veterans and for establishing the Invictus Games. Meghan, already involved in patronships, lived in Toronto for years and would shine in this new role.

Why can’t the vaccine manufacturers send us single dose, pre-filled syringes with fixed ultrafine needles that won’t get blunted on vial caps which also reduces sterility?

refusing direct delivery to consumers of beer, wine or spirits originating in another province. Trade barriers upheld by the Supreme Court between provinces would be secondary.

Provincial governments would have the right not to

adhere to the new regime.

But if they do, businesses in their own province won’t be allowed to sell outside their province either. Opting out goes both ways.

Provinces opting out would obviously need to explain to their constitu-

W

The

ood Pile

Keep busy during the February break with Wintertainment Staff There is a raft of things to do over Wintertainment week in North Battleford.

The events are free, but require pre-registration.

Hosted annually by the City of North Battleford’s Parks and Recreation Department, Wintertainment aims to provide something for everyone to enjoy winter and the amenities of the city during the school’s February break. This year, of course, COVID precautions are in place, making pre-registration necessary to manage attendance levels.

“We look forward to seeing you from a dis-

The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 5

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tance,” an announcement on Wintertainment states.

There will be opportunities for creative crafts for ages eight and up, such as learning to hand sew while making animal finger puppets, creating animal suncatchers, animal bookmarks and pop-up art cards.

Family Day is Monday, Feb. 15, at the NationsWEST Fieldhouse.

There will be free public skating at the Don Ross Arena on the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th.

At the Riverview Skating Rink, there will be winter ice games with Lamarr Oksasikewiyin on the 16th.

On the 18th, grab a helmet for the tobaggan hill contest at the Don Ross Hill.

There will also be an outdoor glow skate at the Connaught School rink on the 18th. Glow sticks will be provided.

A chance to learn now animals use snow to survive in the winter will be led by eco-educator Elizabeth Bekolay at Finlayson Island on Feb. 19.

Space is limited, masks are required, and COVID precautions will be in place at all events. To check out dates, places and times and to register, visit www. cityofnb.ca or call 306445-1755.

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G.G., perhaps I should have used “carnaptious” instead. I don’t think either word can be used to describe Harry and Meghan. Mr. Trudeau,

phone Her Majesty back and secure this important symbolic position for Harry and Meghan. If you pull this off, I might even vote for you, if and when.

million to $400 million worth of booze was sold online last year, up 75 per cent from 2019.

Food distribution rules have changed with COVID-19. Consumers have more choice than ever, thanks to online ordering.

Supply chains are more open and democratic than ever, which is why this bill is timely and utterly needed.

But that’s just a theory.

As usual, politics will get in the way. This bill likely won’t survive a spring election, or the wrath of larger provinces like Ontario and Quebec.

Both the LCBO in Ontario and SAQ in Quebec are influenced by the growing emphasis on getting consumers to buy local foods more often. It’s hard to argue with a perspective like that. But a Canadian product, for many, is indeed local.

Nevertheless, if we can ‘free the beer’ this time, it will be a miracle. So don’t hold your breath.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. www.troymedia.com

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ents why interprovincial restrictions will remain.

Some great wines, beers and spirits are produced in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward County and Niagara on the Lake in Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia.

Understandably, this bill received little or no media attention because of the pandemic and our focus on vaccines. But helping struggling businesses is not just about providing financial assistance during COVID-19. It’s also about empowering the economy and helping businesses grow.

Today’s robust online commerce environment represents a great chance for the federal government to give wineries and brewers in smaller provinces the ability to prosper and have access to larger domestic markets.

According to some industry estimates, the global online alcohol market was at $35 billion in 2020. In Canada, $350

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Worse, it seems that the health intelligentsia can’t decide if they are counting vials or doses and are at sixes and sevens trying to decide if they need to multiply or divide by 5 or 6 (like miles and kilometers). Not only this, they can’t decide who should be LAST, forget first, to get vaccinated. Why also do they call people with positive tests “cases” when they are not unwell?

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The Ackerman orchestra: By request Getting the story on the Ackermans Band was not easy. Some detective work led me to Ernie Ackerman’s widow, Elaine, in Unity. Elaine sent me the 50th anniversary document (a priceless piece of Ackerman heritage with the complete story on Don and Ernie Ackerman from their childhood years). Shelly Flowers was the composer of this remarkable book, from which I’m lifting two substantial paragraphs, because I cannot write them better.

In the 1970s, we went to a dance in Neilburg with Earl and Velda Nutbrown.

I was impressed with the Ackerman Orchestra, one of the best I had ever heard. Our friends noted the band was popular and in high demand. The band had a remarkable range of genres – country, rock and roll, old time and current popular tunes. In addition, members of the band played many different instruments – accordion, drums, saxophone, banjo and guitars. And, their vocals were impeccable.

Neilburg area friends Glen and Shirley Rogers booked the Ackermans for their wedding dance in 1964. The band received nothing but good comments. The Ackermans played Neilburg, Cut Knife, Unity, Wilkie, the Battlefords and Saskatoon (to name a few) and the communities in between.

In their heyday, the band often played two, or even

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iebert on Heritage

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three, times a week.

Don and Ernie Ackerman were twins.

They were born in January, 1939 to Tony Ackerman and Beota (Bea) Reinbold.

They received elementary education in Rutland and Grades 10 to 12 at Senlac.

The Ackerman family also included Doreen (born in 1935) and Adeline (born in 1937).

Ernie Ernie had set his mind on a career in education. He applied to enter teacher’s college. Classes were scheduled to begin in September, but some of the crop had not been harvested. Tony and Bea were also in the process of building a house on the farm and they relied on Ernie to help. Finally, Ernie came to the conclusion farming was his destiny.

In 1962, he enrolled in the Vocational Agriculture Program at the University of Saskatchewan.

In 1963, he and Elaine Hinch were married.

They bought the George McLean farm a couple of miles from Tony’s and Bea’s. In 1970, Tony had an auction and then rented

Special Meeting of The Members to present the

Financial Statement

on Monday, Feb 22nd @ 7pm via Zoom meeting.

For more information please contact the office at (306) 937-5656 or by emailing contact@northbattlefordgolf.com

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the farm to Ernie. In 1975, Tony and Bea retired in Lloydminster and Ernie and Elaine moved back to the family farm. Ernie and Elaine had three children: Shelly, Brent and Kevin.

Don Don also had his heart set on becoming a teacher.

He enrolled in teacher’s college in 1958-59 at the Avenue A campus in Saskatoon. He taught in Macklin for five years. In 1965, Don moved to Cut Knife High School to teach French where he taught for the remainder of his career except to take time earn a B.Ed. in 1971.

When Don was teaching in Macklin, he met Delores Hollman. They married in 1965. Gregory was born in July, 1972 and Sherri in April, 1975. Don retired, but he still engaged in substitute teaching. He also taught driver’s education in the Biggar School Division. Delores worked at the Royal Bank in Cut Knife.

The Orchestra During their childhood years, the Ackerman children became known for their musical talent. When Grandma Reinbold gifted a pump organ to the children, their musical careers were on their way. The children couldn’t reach the pedals with their feet so one would pump while the other would play. Next, Tony bought a button accordion at an auction sale.

The children worked out a playing arrangement – 15 minutes each. If one tried to hog the accordion, the fight was on. Then a schoolteacher (Mrs. Kermeen) taught them scales – a major advancement.

The teachers encouraged them to play and sing for

The Ackerman Orchestra: James Stabbler, Ernie, Greg, Don, Richard Stang, circa 1990. Photo submitted

Christmas concerts. They acquired the name, the Rutland Serenaders.

In the beginning, the band consisted of the twin boys and the two girls.

Then Tony joined to play drums. Their first dance was at Airedale School on March 10, 1952. They were a big hit. As a result they were booked to play every Friday night. Doreen (age 15) played the violin; Adeline (13) played the accordion. Don and Ernie (11) played the banjo and piano respectively. Everyone referred to them as the Ackermans. The name stuck.

Don and Ernie remembered that first dance.

They hitched a team to the bobsled, loaded the instruments and headed off. The dance ended at 3 a.m. They upset the sled, the violin case broke open, the dance pay money fell out, but they got the sled back on track and made it home.

Yes, the Ackerman kids were an interesting crew.

Their taking turns on instruments, getting into the odd squabble and performing at schools and local functions laid the foundation for a great dance orchestra a few years down the line.

Evolution of the Band The departure of Adeline and Doreen, who both became teachers, and who got married and moved to other communities, meant other musicians were required to step in.

During this time, Ernie and Don also expanded the repertoire of instruments they played. Ernie took up the accordion and later the electric organ and keyboards. Don learned to play guitar, saxophone and mandolin.

Tony reminisced that when Don was young his saxophone almost touched the floor when he was playing. When the boys were 13, they started doing some numbers with vocals.

Don sang lead and Ernie sang harmony.

Over the years, the group had many talented musicians join the band. A few lasted only a short time while others stayed a long time. In 1962, when Tony

took ill, the band needed a drummer. Fortunately, Fred Fischer stepped in. He was a regular with the band for 14 years.

Barry Beausoleil played guitar and trumpet for 12 years.

Richard Gilles played bass guitar for nine years, and his father, Phil, played steel guitar and fiddle for 14 years.

Richard Stang played bass for 12 years and then subbed now and then.

The following musicians joined the band at various times: On piano - Elaine Brown, Irene Whitney, Annette McLean, Leila Carson, Evelyn Mason (McLean) and Donna Lozinski (McLean); on saxophone - Arnold Forbes; on guitar - Albert Gerling, Miro Kwasnica, Tony Kellar, Matt Boser, Gary Gogel, Burt Breaut and Alice Gilles; on drums - Gary McKeown, Clem Boser, Gerry Berg, Art Wagner and Ted Churchman. Jim Gilles joined the band part time.

After playing for many years the band almost came full circle to being a family band again. Don played electric guitar, saxophone, banjo, mandolin and sang lead. Ernie played the accordion, keyboards and sang harmony.

Greg Ackerman (Don’s son) played electric guitar (lead and rhythm). He also sang some lead vocals and harmony. Greg had played with the band since he was 14 years old.

Kevin Ackerman (Ernie’s son) played bass guitar and sang lead and harmony on occasion. He started playing drums at a young age and began accompanying the band to dances when he was 11 years old. Despite his young age, he did the odd tune with the band. Kevin began playing with the band when he was 17 years old.

Larry Flowers (Ernie’s son-in-law) stepped in with the band for four years. He played bass guitar and sang lead and harmony. He often subbed for Kevin and Greg.

Drummer, James Stabbler joined the band in1986.

He was pretty much adopted by the family.

Ernie and Don felt fortunate to have played with so many talented musicians over the years.

The Music Over the years, the Ackermans accrued a remarkable number and range of dance tunes. The band’s bread and butter was old-time dance numbers.

The emphasis was on “the beat” – the perfect rhythm that was the hallmark of the Ackerman band. They also added country and western and ‘50s tunes.

They actually played music from five decades past.

Don and Ernie played by ear. Some tunes required practice, but the band rarely got together to practice new tunes. Kevin noted he, Greg and Larry had to be really good at playing by ear because Don and Ernie would more than occasionally slip in a song at a dance they had never heard before.

The Ackerman’s first recording, from an amateur hour talent show, was accomplished in 1951.

They made a 78 with a song on each side. The first full album, Party Punch, was accomplished in Saskatoon in 1968. Don and Ernie were joined by Fred Fischer on drums, Richard Gilles on bass guitar and Barry Beausoleil playing rhythm guitar and trumpet.

Three years later, the same musicians got together in Edmonton and recorded Party Punch, Vol. 2 and again in Edmonton in 1973 for Vol. 3. Calgarian, James Stabbler, is featured on Vol. 3 with special drum arrangements. The Party Punch series was well-received. Some teachers even used the cassettes to teach dance to their students. In 1990, the band recorded a cassette ‑ By Request ‑ a collection of their fans’ favourite songs.

The Dances Decades ago, dances were held in rural schools or small halls. The band knew a few songs (polka, fox trot, schottische, oldtime waltz), which they played over and over.

Continued on Page 7

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 7

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of the Battlefords MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY TO THE WORLD

1391 - 100th Street. North Battleford, SK

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Each Office Independently Owned & Operated

www.remaxbattlefords.com An old black and white photo of the Ackerman Orchestra: Ernie, Doreen, Adeline, Don. Photo submitted

The Ackermans

Continued from Page 6 There was no bar, but a few of the locals had a bottle of 50-proof whiskey in their cars. Children had tons of fun – playing hide and seek, chasing each other and dancing the schottische with their mothers.

When they were too tired to play, they were tucked under the benches and covered with coats.

There was always a stag line at the back of the hall by the door – young men who wanted to dance but were too afraid to ask a girl. After frequent trips out for a shot, finally one young man strode over and asked a pretty young girl to dance. Then they all had enough courage to ask.

Square dances were popular. There were always two or three over the course of an evening. Callers included Mrs. Whitney, Ernie Whitney, John Brown, Edgar Schoular and Lorne Johnson. One time at a square dance in Unity a man broke his leg.

Dances were held on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The Ackermans had an arrangement to play in Freemont every third Friday of the month. They averaged a 100 dances a year. Dances didn’t end at 1 a.m.; they went to sunrise or until the musicians fell asleep.

Passing the hat was the usual method of payment for wedding dances back in the ‘50s. There would be a bowl on the stage; a dancer would pin money on the bride’s dress then give the band money for the right to dance with the bride.

Dine and dance venues became popular in the late ‘60s. Tables would be set up on either side of the dance floor so patrons could enjoy a meal and drink. There was a great debate over liquor permits. Women were not allowed in bars until the mid ‘60s, but they were attending dances. So the rationale was to allow liquor at dances with restrictions.

All restrictions were lifted in the ‘70s.

The Ackermans played for weddings, anniversaries, dance clubs, polka fests, graduations, benefits, hall openings, homecomings, seniors’ homes and fundraisers. They even played for a couple of funerals. The list is not exhaustive. Don and Ernie have played free of charge

for friends and those in need over the years.

The Ackermans were also radio and television celebrities with shows for CKKR in Rosetown, and Nelson roundup shows at CKSA TV in Lloydminster.

The Ackermans witnessed some truly remarkable things over the years.

Once a disgruntled man set Ernie’s keyboards banner on fire. Sadly, at a wedding, the grandfather of the bride fell over and died, surely the most melodramatic event a band can experience. At a dance in a rural community, a fairly drunk man came up to make a few announcements and fell off the stage.

At another rural dance, a woman close to the stage, in a low cut dress with spaghetti straps, was dancing up a storm when part of her anatomy fell out. She quickly recovered but the damage had been done. It was alleged that the band skipped a few beats.

Ackerman Fashions The Ackermans Band wore many different outfits over the years, all of which reflected the era. In the ‘50s, they wore white shirts and dress pants. In the’ 60s, they wore black pants, white dress shirts with metallic gold vests and blue sports coats topped off with bow ties.

Without question, they were the sharpest looking band around. They wore these outfits up into the ‘70s.

The ‘70s was a bad fashion decade. The band’s outfits reflected the crazy colour patterns, bell bottoms and flowered acetate shirts. Men’s hair was long.

One outfit the band wore included Hawaiian-themed psychedelic orange shirts and brown bell bottom dress pants.

The ‘80s fashion culture had toned down. Dress was casual – sport shirts and dress pants (usually black).

Fashion for bands in the ‘90s made sense. When the band celebrated its 40th anniversary, all band members dressed in western-style shirts with thin coloured stripes. On other occasions, they wore shortsleeved dress shirts.

Transportation Modes of transportation changed radically over the years. In the ‘50s, the Ackermans travelled by horse and buggy with their instruments. Later, they would load a two-ton truck

(half full with oats), take off the duals, cover the oats and instruments and kids with a tarp and head off for the dance. This was proof that the boys would do anything to get to a dance.

Snow drifting could be a problem. Cars were unreliable in snow. Tony once walked three miles in deep snow to Bill Lane’s farm while the rest stayed in the car to keep warm. Everyone appreciated Bill bringing a team of work horses to pull them back on the road.

When Fred Fisher played with the band, he drove a van and pulled a trailer. On one occasion, he missed a corner and hit the brakes. A guitar hit Barry Beausoleil on the head and knocked him out.

The band drove a number of vans over the years.

Their white 1960 van (bought in 1970) didn’t have power steering and the vehicle blew tires often. Then there was a 1978 Ford van. The air conditioning quit in 1993. It was a little shaky, but still worked fine.

Most bands were up against it when it came to transportation and the Ackermans were no exception. Weather, poor directions, mechanical problems and fatigue took their toll, but somehow the band made it through.

The Ackermans bought a lot of gas travelling to many towns and halls in western Canada. They have played in Moose Jaw at the air force base, Drumheller and Edmonton, Alta. to name a few. Travelling far distances, setting up, playing, tearing down and packing up the trailer and getting home in the early hours of the morning, can wear on the most hardy of musicians, but the Ackermans were up for it.

50th anniversary celebration March 10, 2000 marked the 50th anniversary of the Ackerman band. The Unity Little Assembly Dance Club hosted a celebration.

It was a happy affair and the Ackermans were appreciative.

(Source: Don and Ernie thanked and commended Shelly Flowers for all her work and research that went into the 50th anniversary book. The writer also acknowledges Shelly.

The book was the primary source of information for this article.)

Kayla Petersen

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

Regional News-Optimist

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Agrimex spring trade show cancelled again Staff The Battlefords Agricultural Society’s annual trade show, Agrimex, has been cancelled again.

A statement issued by the society says, “It is with great sadness that Battlefords Ag Society has decided to cancel the Agrimex spring trade show for the second year in a row due to Covid restrictions, but mostly to ensure the safety of all patrons involved. After canceling last year’s show, which would have marked our 35th annual, we were hope-

ful to bring a bigger and better show in 2021.”

The society says it hopes to run a huge trade show with the summer’s exhibition this year, depending on Covid restrictions and health and safety regulations.

“We have been working on the Northwest Territorial Days Exhibition this year, which was also cancelled last year, which would have marked the 132nd year. The only other time the show was cancelled was due to the Louis Riel Rebellion,” states the release.

Also cancelled for the second year in

Crimestoppers looking for info on possible arson At 1942 Kramer Place in North Battleford, a fire structure was reported on Jan. 30 around 12:53 p.m.

Police are looking for any information or witnesses that may have noticed anything or anyone

between the times of Jan. 29, 5 p.m. – Jan.30, 12:53 p.m.

If you have any information regarding this fire, please contact Battlefords RCMP at 306446-1720 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Smokum hearing

Sentencing of Smockum is postponed until the courts decide whether or not to designate him as a dangerous offender. If Smockum is found to be a dangerous offender the prison sentence can be an indefinite term.

In addition, dangerous offenders are subject to lengthy supervision orders.

Continued from Page 2 He was found not guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

A new date for Smockum’s Dangerous Offender Hearing will be set at the next criminal pre-trial meeting.

a row is “The Evening Out.” The society hopes to put the event together later in the year if restrictions are lifted.

Last year, more than a dozen Ag Society events had to be cancelled. As a non-profit charitable society that runs entirely on events and rentals income, the society says it has had an “extremely tough year.”

Everyone’s safety is of utmost importance, so the board of directors and staff have decided these cancellations are the best thing for everyone involved, stated the release.

“As things upon up we will have a reopen plan in place, which will be a new normal for everyone, but we are certain we will carry on.”

The society has thanked its sponsors “who believe in us and all we do for the Battlefords, our community and surrounding areas.”

The release calls on residents to follow safety guidelines.

“We hope to see each and every one of you in the near future, but in the meantime please stay safe and diligent so we may all get together soon.”

Man charged in drug bust north of Biggar tentatively headed to trial in May

By Lisa Joy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / News-Optimist

A trial is tentatively set for a man charged in a major drug bust north of Biggar where an RCMP officer was shot last year.

Kurt Miller, 39, is facing charges in North Battleford Provincial Court in connection to the incident in the R.M. of Glenside in May 2020.

Miller’s matter will be brought before the court again on Feb. 18, 2021, to confirm the trial date of May 10 to 13, 2021.

Regina Police arrested Miller during a traffic stop in May 2020. The next day, Mitch Hutchinson, 49, was

arrested on Miller’s rural property 27 kilometres north of Biggar after police obtained a search warrant.

During the traffic stop

by Regina Police, Miller was charged with trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine. He was also charged with possession of proceeds of crime under $5,000, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and breach of probation.

As a result of the rural property search near Biggar, Miller was charged with numerous drug-related offences including possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alazopram (Xanax), gamma-hydroxybutyrate

(GHB), Iysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for the purpose of trafficking, possessing proceeds of crime over $5,000 and 16 firearms-related charges.

Hutchinson was charged with possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alazopram (Xanax), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking marijuana, possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, and 18 firearms-related offences.

During the police search of the rural property - including two out buildings and two vehicles - they seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, GHB, Xanax

pills and LSD. They seized weapons including a semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun, a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun, a spent anti-tank weapon, a revolver and body armour. They also found $16,080 in Canadian currency, money counters, eight cell phones, computers, tablets, and packaging for drugs.

In July 2020, Hutchinson was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Miller also has an appearance in Regina court on Feb. 11, 2021, on drug and weapons charges in separate incidents out of Regina and Lumsden.

The charges against Miller haven’t been proven in court.

For more court and crime news, see www/newsoptimist.ca/news/follow-the-sirens

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 9

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Town crime stats in for 2020; numbers holding steady

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The RCMP detachment crime statistics for the Town of Battleford for 2020 show numbers holding steady for the town overall, with a few crime categories showing declines.

Sgt. Jason Teniuk made the presentation of the quarterly RCMP report to council Jan. 24. The statistics for the year show total calls for service of 1,256 in 2020, up from 1,244 in 2019, for a difference of nine per cent.

A number of crime categories saw declines in Battleford in 2020 compared to 2019. Persons offences are down from 125 to 108, business break and enters down from 11 to four, resi-

dential break and enters down from 29 to 19, other break and enters holding steady at five, property offences down from 317 to 276, drug offences up from seven to 11, criminal code offences even at 120, traffic collisions up from 15 to 17, impaired operation of a motor vehicle up from 20 to 32 and provincial traffic offences down from 95 to 83.

For the fourth quarter, calls for service were up from 263 to 278. In that quarter property offences saw a big jump from 46 in 2019 to 68 in 2020. Meanwhile, criminal code offences were down from 30 to 21.

For the entire detachment area, including North Battleford and the surrounding area, calls

for service were up from 23,229 to 26,724, a difference of 15 per cent.

Sgt. Teniuk was asked by Councillor David George about the drug statistics being up. Teniuk urged council to look at that number “positively.”

“It means we’re tapping into some of what’s going on,” said Teniuk, referring to progress with arrests.

They had some good success recently, with Teniuk pointing to a ten-kilogram bust on the highway and another one in an apartment.

“We’re taking multiple kilos of cocaine and meth off the streets,” said Teniuk.

Having said that, “we’re touching a very small percentage of what’s actually going on.” But it’s a start

Battlefords RCMP Sgt. Jason Teniuk provides the RCMP report for the Town of Battleford to council members. Microsoft Teams screenshot by John Cairns

and there is more to come, he said.

Regarding safety in the community and whether more could be done, Teniuk said, “I feel safe, I have to be honest with you.

I’ve been in the community a long time.”

He said he would like to say others should feel safe, but there are things that go on in the community that aren’t good.

“That’s a fact, that’s just a reality of what life brings.”

As for what the town could do specifically to help them out, Sgt. Teniuk responded, “I don’t know if I could ask you for anything right now.”

One thing he is thinking the RCMP could do in the future is present to council on their full resourcing strategy in the Battlefords, including how many members they have and how many are working at a time.

Until they (the RCMP and the town) understand what they have, what their needs are, and where they want to go, Teniuk said, it would “be very remiss of me to start saying we need this and we need that and we need everything else.”

USask’s VIDO begins COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials Submitted

The first volunteers have been selected for a vaccine trial of COVAC-2, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Vaccine and infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

“We are excited to start clinical trials,” said VIDO Director Dr. Volker Gerdts. “Our team has worked hard to advance the development of this vaccine to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The trial was designed as a combined Phase 1/ Phase 2 study. Phase 1 will vaccinate 108 healthy volunteers in a placebocontrolled study at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV) in Hali-

fax. Two doses will be administered to each volunteer 28 days apart.

“The goal of this trial is to help demonstrate vaccine safety in people,” said CCfV principal investigator Dr. Joanne Langley. “As part of this, we will monitor the health of the volunteers for a year after their vaccination.”

VIDO has worked on infectious disease vaccine projects with CCfV, the most recognized site in the country for vaccine clinical trials, for more than a decade.

COVAC-2 is the first of VIDO’s two subunit vaccines to enter clinical testing. Subunit vaccines contain purified viral proteins that are not infectious, and the technology is used in sever-

al commercially available vaccines—including for hepatitis, diphtheria, and whooping cough. This vaccine will not require ultra-cold storage temperatures as do vaccines based on synthetic messenger RNA or mRNA. “I think where our protein vaccines will have an advantage is they will better protect against these new variants,” Gerdts said.

VIDO’s vaccine development efforts are financially supported by the Government of Canada through Western Economic Diversification Canada and by the Government of Saskatchewan through Innovation Saskatchewan.

“As we continue the fight against COVID-19, domestic vaccine development and production have never been more impor-

tant,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said.

Successful data from clinical trial Phases 1 to 3 are required prior to authorization for public use. Acceptable Phase 1 data will allow VIDO’s vaccine to enter Phase 2 testing involving hundreds of volunteers across Canada. The goal of the Phase 2 trial would be to examine vaccine safety and the immune response the vaccine generates in people, an indicator of how effective the vaccine could be.

VIDO’s vaccine development leveraged the expertise of several international and national partners including Seppic in France and the Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI) in Switzerland which developed Sepivac SWE™, the

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adjuvant in COVAC-2. An adjuvant is an ingredient that improves the immune response of a vaccine.

The vaccine antigen, developed by VIDO, was produced under good manufacturing practices (GMP) at Quebec-based Biodextris using a cell line from the National Research Council of Canada. An antigen is a molecule that triggers an immune response.

“This milestone of reaching a Phase 1 human trial is a testament to VIDO’s worldrenowned expertise in infectious disease research both for human and animal health,” said USask Vice-President

Research Dr. Baljit Singh. “USask is on the forefront of vaccine development and this is another achievement in advancing VIDO as Canada’s centre for pandemic research.”

With both provincial government and federal funding, VIDO is also building a manufacturing facility that could produce up to 40 million vaccine doses per year depending upon the production efficiencies of specific vaccines. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2021, with vaccine production for facility certification planned for 2022.

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Page 10 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

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$7.5 Million Investment in Livestock and Forage Research in Saskatchewan The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund is investing more than $4.1 million for 24 livestock and forage-related research projects and nearly $3.5 million in operational funding for the Prairie Swine Centre and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. These projects will help our producers meet the Saskatchewan Growth Plan objectives of increasing livestock cash receipts to $3 billion and increasing value-added revenue to $10 billion by 2030.

Hon. Scott Moe, Premier

Jeremy Cockrill

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MLA for The Battlefords office@jeremycockrill.ca 306-445-5195

Ryan Domotor

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USask professor mapping tool tracks ‘very aggressive’ wild pigs 20210201_News Optimist Ad_Ag Research.indd 1

By Nick Pearce

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter /Saskatoon Star Phoenix

Ray Beck has seen the damage wild pigs can do when left unchecked.

Beck, a roughly 20year rural municipality pest control veteran, says he’s seen wild boars ruin a nine-hole golf course “basically overnight” on a visit to Texas. In the five southern Saskatchewan rural municipalities he serves, he’s managed to mostly eliminate the problem, he says — largely with a rifle.

“It is incredible, the power of their noses.”

University of Saskatchewan professor Ryan Brook has developed a mapping tool that may help people like Beck. The tool, which is compatible with Google Earth, uses 296 rural municipalities to track wild pigs across the province.

Brook said anyone interested can download the maps on the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project Facebook page. The data includes resident reports, photos from trail cameras, and tracking collars to project wild pig concentration.

He says the mapping tool may have a wide range of uses. Hunters can also use it to inform where they track pigs, while hikers can use it to plan routes.

If farmers and ranchers are concerned about damage to their property, they can zoom in on their community and surrounding area to see the risk. That gives them a chance to take preventative measures like putting up fencing.

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Todd Lewis said a tracking tool

2/1/2021 10:23:36 AM

should help farmers keep up to date on the risks wild pigs pose to their properties.

“They’re very invasive, and can really cause a lot of problems both to crops … also they’re just terrible with livestock,” Lewis said. “Very aggressive animals. It’s a real problem, if you do have them.”

Brook said that’s because the animals root through fields with their snouts, shredding farm land. Because of their destructiveness and capacity to spread disease, they’re considered one of the worst invasive mammals facing the province.

Brook said the animals were brought to Saskatchewan in the 1980s and ’90s, but they escaped from their fencing and spread

rapidly. They have roughly six piglets per litter and multiple litters per year, and have home ranges of about 300 square kilometres or more, Brook added.

He said they’re nearly impossible to eradicate in some parts of the province, but the tracking tool may help inform residents of any risk. While he’s unsure how many there are in the province, he said they’re spreading quickly.

“We are on track toward having more wild pigs than people.”

At right, University of Saskatchewan Professor Ryan Brook is mapping the rapid spread of wild pigs in the province like those pictured. Photo provided by Ryan Brook

A presentation of the mapping tool tracking wild pigs in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 11

Eight years since the Canadian penny departed

By Dean LaBerge

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / Grizzly Gazette

Feb. 4, 2021, will mark eight years since the Royal Canadian Mint stopped distributing the Canadian penny. The Government of Canada had announced that the penny would be phased out of Canada’s coinage system in the budget presented on March 29, 2012. The reason for this move was that the cost of producing the coins had outstripped the actual value of the coins themselves.

With the 1 cent coin costing 1.6 cents to make, the Government calculated that it would save about $11

million per year.

There was a lot of initial confusion about how this would all work, about how businesses would make change for their customers… and how customers would ensure that they received their exact change.

It all seemed somewhat confusing at the time, but eight years down the road, it feels perfectly natural.

While there might be a sentimental soft spot for a coin that many of us grew up with, it is more convenient not to have to deal with all the extra change. Especially as inflation grew and the penny became worth less and less.

The Canadian penny

had been around for a long time, going back to 1858 in what was then known as the Province of Canada.

The Royal Mint produced these coins in England at this time. The Royal Mint also produced the coinage for Canada after it became a country in 1867 (the Dominion of Canada), but the first Dominion of Canada pennies weren’t added until 1876. Pennies started being produced in Canada when the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint opened in 1908.

The last Canadian penny was minted on May 4, 2012, at the Royal Canadian Mint location in Winnipeg.

National Thank A Mail Carrier Day

By Dean LaBerge

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / Grizzly Gazette

Feb. 4 is National Thank A Mail Carrier Day. Mail carriers, and all other Canadian postal workers, for that matter, deserve even more recognition than usual this year. In Canada, we are rapidly approaching the grim milestone of one year of living under COVID-19. The pandemic has changed how we go about our daily business, how we interact with loved ones

and friends, and how we celebrate our milestones and holidays. We have reduced our face-to-face contact with one another by reducing our social gatherings and limiting our shopping habits.

Thankfully we live in an age with unprecedented ways of staying connected through technology, with video conferencing, email, and text messages. This is a wonderful blessing during these times, but these means of communication can be impersonal

at times and do not allow for the transfer of physical items. We can also order just about anything that we want or require through online shopping, but this system still needs a way to get the purchased items to the intended recipients.

Try to make a point of thanking your mail carrier or the friendly staff at your local post office. They have worked even harder than usual this year to help keep us going and deserve to know how much they are appreciated.

An 1876 penny featuring Queen Victoria. By Jerry “Woody” from Edmonton, Canada – Creative Commons

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City’s new Smart Water Meter program will benefit residents and the environment Smart Water Meters are coming to North Battleford.

The exciting new program will bring efficiency and innovation to the city, offer more insights into customers’ water use, empower residents and encourage sustainability.

“It’s all about having more real-time information,” Mayor David Gillan says.

“Right now people get a quarterly water bill and sometimes there’s things that happen. Maybe somebody has a leak, their consumption is quite high, and it’s a big surprise. Now, people will be able to go online and monitor their consumption.

It’s a lot more information for the homeowner, and a lot less surprises.”

The Smart Meter program will provide accurate, on-demand water usage information that can be accessed any time, from anywhere with an internet connection.

That means no more water bill estimates and no more mailing or phoning in meter reads. Residents can expect real-time reading, accurate billing, and no longer having to squeeze into a tight space to get a meter reading.

“This creates efficiency for both the homeowner and the city,” Gillan says.

Not only are homeowners able to monitor for unusually high consumption, which may indicate a hidden problem such as a broken underground sprinkler, customers can also set alerts and notifications for irregularities in their water consumption.

“We can inform residents that we’re noticing something out of the ordinary, such as leaks or backflow,” Gillan says.

“If someone is on vacation, they can ask someone to go in and fix the water before it turns into a complete disaster.”

Smart Meters also help reduce North Battleford’s environmental footprint. Less crews will have to be dispatched across the city to collect data and early alert systems will create less waste of potable water.

Installations are set to start on March 1, with installation being completed by zones.

Properties will receive a series of hand-delivered communications to notify them that their zone is scheduled for an upgrade.

To find more details about the smart water meter installation and track the upgrade progress, visit www.cityofnb.ca/smartmeter.

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Page 12 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

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LOCAL BUSINESS

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 13

LOCAL BUSINESS

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Page 14 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

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Village is quiet, except for the snow machines

By Lorna Pearson

M

Correspondent

T H E B AT T L E F O R D S

When folks at Trevessa Beach saw the story on TV of the fish shack sailing down Lake Diefenbaker they moved some of their fish huts closer to shore. They weren’t taking any chances on theirs leaving the area. While out walking last week I picked up a Canadian flag, thinking it might belong to the seniors’ hall, but I don’t think so. Who might it belong to?

Sunday morning this week gave us a bright beautiful morning with another coating of hoar frost that sparkled in the sun for a couple hours, then blew off.

There has been some activity around but all is very quiet, except for the snow machines having

eota News

fun out there. Because of the lull, I asked the Meota Lions Club for a report of their activities over the past year.

Meota Lakeshore Lions, marking a 37th anniversary in 2021, boasts a long list of organizations and community projects that have seen the benefit of the members’ activities.

Among the list supported are Meota Community Complex, Meota Regional Park Authority, Meota Curling Club, Do Drop In, Meota and District Fire Department, Cody Duhaime Memorial

Regional

news-optimist Presents

Serving the Battlefords since 1908

Our 2020 BaBies

of the Year section

Fund, fitness centre, library Meota branch and Meota Golf Course. The Lions also help finance defibrillators for Do Drop In, the hall and first responders.

Supported outside the community are Cavalcade for Diabetes, CNIB, Canadian Cancer Society, Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, The Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords, Sask.

Hospital new Beginnings, Terry Fox Foundation, STARS Air Ambulance, Humboldt Broncos, Lady Minto Health Care Centre, Sask. Baseball Hall of Fame, Camp Easter Seal, Canadian Red Cross, Ronald MacDonald House and organizations helping those with special needs.

Between January 2019 and January 2021, the club donated $23,876.68.

Parents and Grandparents DON’T Miss OUT!

This is your chance to show off your adorable babies!

About as pretty as it gets on Memorial Hill in Meota. Photo by Lorna Pearson

A major source of revenue is the recycling collecting depot in Meota. In 2020, rather than conduct a bottle drive, members asked refundable containers be left at the curb or dropped off at the depot.

According to a club report, support for this fundraiser by the community is enthusiastic.

Another traditional fundraiser is sales of

4995

$

(gst Included)

A SPECIAL FULL COLOUR FeaTURe will be published FEBRUARy 18, 2021 in the Regional News-Optimist

DEADlINE: FEBRUARy 15, 2021 SUBMISSION FORM for BABIES OF 2020 Baby's Full Name:���������������������������������������������� Birth Date: (MONTH/DAY /YEAR) �������������������������������� Parent’s Names: ����������������������������������������������� Grandparent’s Names ������������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������������������������� Contact Name: ������������������������������������������������ Phone Number: ������������������������������������������������ Mailing Address:- ���������������������������������������������� PAYMENT METHOD: Cash Debit VISA Mastercard Mail or Drop off submission form and payment to: Battlefords Publishing, 892-104th Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 1M9 or email: adtakers@newsoptimist.ca Photos can be picked up anytime after February 15, 2021

HE

CIRCLE T

EST NORTHW atchewan’s

west Sask

Free North

Tourist

n

20 Editio Guide 20

ing projects as well. These include a pasta supper, car sink raffle and bartending for special occasions.

“We really appreciate all the support we get from our community and the surrounding area,” the report states.

Meota Lakeshore Lions welcome new members.

Anyone interested can contact a member of the group.

Tax Implications for CERB benefits

By Dean LaBerge

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / Grizzly Gazette

FOR ONLY

chocolate bunnies at Easter time. This year, instead of selling the treats door to door, the club donated them to Battlefords Trade and Education Centre and to nursing homes in the Battlefords. These were appreciated by residents and clients.

The Lions acknowledge ongoing COVID-19 safety precautions have put a crimp in other fundrais-

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has been a lifeline to millions of Canadians as they navigated the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we are all aware, many businesses were forced to close down or vastly reduce their operations in 2020 to comply with their regional or local public health orders to reduce the spread of this virus. This situation directly led to millions of Canadians losing their jobs or being furloughed until their employers were able to open up again.

CERB was introduced to provide financial support to both employed and self-employed Canadians whose income was directly affected by COVID-19. Eligible applicants for CERB could receive $2000 for every qualifying 4-week period ($500 per week) between March 15 and September 26, 2020.

This was a welcome program for many Canadians during this tumultuous time, providing income to 8.9 million individuals across the country when they could not work through no fault of their own.

With tax season on the horizon, now is an excellent time to take stock of how these benefits will affect your taxes if you haven’t already.

CERB is a taxable benefit, so it will count towards the individual’s income for the year when they file their 2020 tax return. However, unlike most people’s pay from their employers, the income tax for these benefits was not withheld when they were paid out, so this could make for a very unwelcome surprise at tax time.

Calculating the tax owing on the CERB benefits can get a little tricky because all of a person’s income from before and after they received these benefits also needs to be accounted

for, in order to add up the individual’s total income for the year. Once a person has this figure, there are free online income tax calculators for 2020 that will help them work out how much federal and provincial tax they will owe, such as the one at Wealthsimple (https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tool/tax-calculator/). Once the person knows how much tax they will owe for the year, they can calculate how much tax is due for the CERB benefits. Divide the total tax figure by 52 to get a weekly figure. Then multiply the weekly figure by the total number of weeks that the CERB benefit was received for the year. This will give the amount of taxes that are owed on the CERB benefits.

If you received CERB benefits in 2020, it is a good idea to ensure that you have enough money set aside to cover the taxes that will be owing on these benefits. If you haven’t put Continued on Page 16

ATTENTION NORTHWEST SASKATCHEWAN! We are gathering information and advertising for our 2021 Edition Circle The Northwest.

Business owners this is your chance to be included.

Do you have an interesting story?

Call Valorie Higgs 306•441•5665 or email valoriehiggs@sasktel.net Deadline for submissions Wednesday March 26, 2021

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 15

First round of vaccinations arrive

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

With such a variety of weather in January, folks are hoping for some more stability from Old Man Winter and Mother Nature for February.

Unity was abuzz with excitement when Long Term Care residents and staff as well as doctors and nurses received COVID-19 vaccinations Jan. 22 and 23. With vaccinations underway, we can only hope that program combined with increased vigilance by residents will continue to pave the way for a break in COVID craziness.

Happy birthday to my niece, Janelle. She starts off the February birthday frenzy that our two families experience that will include seven birthdays overall.

Even though the arena is not the same as it was last year at this time, there is still some activity. Unity Minor Hockey president, Dan Feser, says he is proud of how players have persevered and coaches have continued to make hockey fun and engaging for the participants. There is also public skating and shinny time available but must be booked through the online booking system. Arena staff continue to provide a fresh facelift to the inside with paint projects and oth-

U

nity News

er minor fine tuning.

Unity Sports Wall of Fame mourns the loss of three inducted members in the builders’ category, lost in the last month of 2020 and first month of 2021.

Ed Prediger was a dedicated volunteer for hockey in Unity for more than 45 years, most notably of the Unity Miners.

Oscar Housen was a longtime volunteer and umpire for Unity Minor Ball and continued as a booster and supporter for the program long after he retired from the plate. He was also a longtime Lions and Legion member, blood donor and overall community ambassador and volunteer.

Adolf Fischer was a founding member of the Unity Minor Hockey executive, served as goal judge for many years and was also president of the Wild Goose Hockey League and SWHL along with many years on the Unity Miners executive. Fischer was best known behind the plate for many years of serving as umpire for men’s and ladies’ fastball in both Unity and across the province, in addition to working at

Unity Sports Wall of Fame lost three of its inductees in the past couple months, leaving residents to share memories of these men’s contributions to the sports community. Photos by Sherri Solomko

summer games, Western Canadians and national events.

The Town of Unity outlined some clarification on fees as part of residents’ then quarterly, now monthly, utility bills, noting recycling fees will increase by $3 in 2021. Good news for residents is no new taxes for 2021. People are welcome to contact any councillor, the mayor or the town office for questions or concerns on town matters.

If you aren’t following Mayor Sharon Del Frari’s Facebook page, you should be. She provides regular live updates about various issues that pertain to residents. She is happy to report the water meter replacement program is almost complete and thanks everyone for their co-operation in getting this task done.

Here’s hoping this finds you all safe, healthy and socially distanced. Until next week ...

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Young artists invited to submit music-themed entries to festival

Festival Fanfare

By Kelly Waters

Battlefords Kiwanis Musical Festival

Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival

Encourage youth with

visual art interests to create musical-themed entries for consideration in the annual drawing contest. Any Battlefords area child or

LOCAL MATTERS. Remember that time when sponsored your Church fundraiser?

Facebook Remember when bought a case of Girl Guide Cookies to support your daughter?

Remember when provided free pizza to your son or daughter’s soccer team when they won the championship?

Neither do we!

Local Businesses and their owners are the heart of our town.

They live here. They play here. They invest here.

They need our support, now more than ever.

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youth up to the age of 18 is welcome to enter. The deadline is Feb. 26. A winning entry will be chosen with the winner being recognized. Many of the submissions will be displayed on site at this year’s festival venue, the Dekker Centre.

To submit, mail Battleford Central School attn: Lindsay Charabin, Box 400, Battleford, S0M 0E0 or Light of Christ School Division Office attn: Trina Bahrey 9301- 19th Ave. North Battleford, S9A 3N5.

With the late entry deadline on Feb. 6, Battlefords Kiwanis Musical Festival will soon begin the process of organizing the performance schedule for each musical discipline in the areas of vocals, speech arts, piano, band instruments, and strings.

Keep in mind that volunteers are needed for the festival. Those who would like to add their name to the volunteer list can talk to any committee member or email l.sander@hotmail. com.

Live entries, which include all solos as well as duet/small ensemble performances entered by participants who live in the same household, will be heard at the Dekker Centre. The hope is that those performances will be live streamed for more audience access. Bands and other ensembles that are rehearsing regularly may enter the festival by making a recording in their own venue. Those recordings will be heard by the adjudicator, who will provide a written adjudication as well as a spoken adjudication by Zoom or video. Stay tuned for live audience ticketing details closer to the festival dates of April 19 – 28 as these are unpredictable times.

Battlefords and area businesses are consistently supportive of the festival sponsoring many scholarships and awards. To be eligible for an award or

scholarship, a participant must be 19 years of age or younger and have lived in or studied in the Battlefords and district for a minimum of six months prior to the festival. If a participant is furthering their education elsewhere but still supported by parents living in the Battlefords district, this also meets the criteria of eligibility.

A new opportunity for 2021 are Provincial Excellence classes. These classes are for students in 12 years and under, 14 years and under, and 24 years and under categories.

In 2021 there will be first and second place scholarships for all age categories and disciplines. Starting in 2022, the Saskatchewan winners in each group will get to participate in the inaugural Western Canadian Festival. They will join young musicians from British Columbia and Alberta. *** Eddy Van Halen died this past year. He wasn’t just a rock star, he was considered a virtuoso in his genre. Born in the Netherlands in 1955, Van Halen came from a musical family receiving training in classical music and theory. His innovative signature two-handed, finger tapping guitar technique derived harmonic ideas from his training on the piano.

“The piano is a universal instrument. If you start there, learn your theory and how to read, you can go on to any other instrument.”

“Some people think a song without words isn’t a real song. Tell that to Beethoven and he’ll kick your ass!”

“Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.” ‑ Eddie Van Halen (1944– 2020)

CERB benefits

Canada Revenue Agency to arrange a payment plan (https://www.canada.ca/ en/revenue-agency.html).

This tax situation can get overwhelming but being proactive now can prevent a nasty shock down the road.

Continued from Page 14 anything aside to cover these taxes, start as soon as possible. If you don’t think that you will have enough set aside to pay these taxes, consider contacting the

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Second Front

Saulteaux opens new cannabis dispensary on Highway 4 north of the Battlefords Staff

Saulteaux First Nation had a grand opening on Friday, Jan. 29 of its new cannabis dispensary situated on Saulteaux-owned land at the corner of Highway 4 north and Forest Hall Road on the outskirts of North Battleford.

A release issued on the occasion of the grand opening explained that tTo make the dispensary possible, the Chief and Council from Saulteaux First Nation signed its own Cannabis Bylaw as a Sovereign Nation in asserting jurisdiction and exercising inherit aboriginal and treaty right to self-determination.

Saulteaux First Nation is a proud owner of majority shares in partnership with REALEAF and forging ahead in cannabis industry, stated the release.

“Our community along with Council and Elders took this initiative to create jobs and revenue. We need more houses and we need

to support our youth in sports and recreation. We are looking to branch out to other locations on Saulteaux First Nation lands including the Resort Village of Cochin. REALEAF Dispensary is open for business, said Chief Kenny Moccasin.”

There are more than 150 First Nation Dispensaries across Canada. In Saskatchewan, Saulteaux First Nation is the eighth First Nation to sign its own Cannabis Bylaw.

The following First Nations have signed their own Cannabis Bylaws; 1.) Sakimay First Nation 2.) Ochapowace First Nation 3.) Muscowpetung First Nation 4.) Thunderchild First Nation 5.) Peepeekisis First Nation 6.) Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation 7.) Red Pheasant First Nation 8.) Saulteaux First Nation

Councillor Gabe Moccasin, Councillor Dolphus Moccasin, Brandan Anderson, Mani Nero, Chief Kenny Moccasin, Councillor Rebecca Gopher and Councillor Adam Night at the grand opening of new cannabis dispensary situated on Saulteaux First Nation-owned land at the corner of Highway 4 North and Forest Hall Road.

Bernadette Gopher, Chief Kenny Moccasin and Councillor Rebecca Gopher get ready for a balloon release marking the opening of the dispensary.

Drummers at the event: Councillor Dolphus Moccasin, Denny Night, Councillor Gabe Moccasin and Danny Katcheech. Photos submitted

For more local news see www.newsoptimist.ca/news/news-local

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OBITUARIES BARKER: On December 23, 2020 an angel was taken to heaven with her daughters Cathy and Bev by her side.

Wendy Barker was born August 12, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario to parents James and Phyllis Craster.

Wendy’s childhood years were spent in Montreal where she went to school and nursing school.

After nursing school, she began an adventure with Cuso doing missionary work across the world. By looking at old passport visa’s, Wendy did volunteer work in Jamaica, Granada, Antigua, Guadalupe, Helsinki and Denmark. After returning from her Worldly adventures, she became a nurse at Hay River North West Territories for two years. Then in 1972 Wendy moved to Saskatoon where she attended Pentecostal Bible school for one year. Next Wendy nursed in Humboldt.

After Humboldt she worked in North Battleford with Indian Affairs and last she worked as a nurse at Villa Pascal. At this point in her life is when she met her husband Ralph Barker. Wendy and Ralph were married in 1979. Not long after, their first child Catherine was born and next came Beverly. Both Catherine and Beverly were the love, pride and joy of her life. Wendy was a devoted mother and she also became a step-mom to Ralph’s children, Wanda Buziak, Yvonne Lloyd and Rick Barker. Wendy and Ralph’s first home was on 92nd St. in North Battleford where they lived up until the kids were in school. The next move in Wendy’s life the family moved to an acreage at Hamlin overlooking the Saskatchewan River. Here Wendy was known to take her camera, pets and through the year’s children and grandchildren for walks along the riverbank. With camera in hand Wendy was always looking for birds for flowers or anything of beauty in nature. Wendy also loved doing puzzles, scrapbooking, reading, travelling and most of all visiting. Wendy was very compassionate in her faith and was very involved in grief sharing. Through grief sharing she helped with veterans’ affairs, pastoral nursing and she was always the one to say Grace over every meal that was shared. Wendy also served on the Battlefords Union Hospital board. She was known to have helped get telehealth started. She was also involved with girl guides for 65 years. Wendy’s family history goes back to England for centuries having a castle named Craster castle. To this day Wendy and all her families names are carved in the wall of the castle. The castle has now become a bed-and-breakfast.

When Wendy’s husband Ralph passed away, the Hamlin acreage was sold and Wendy moved to Harwood Manor where she became a beloved friend a compassionate listener and every day, she would deliver the mail. Wendy was teased by family when Harwood Manor made a commercial and Wendy and Marcel Lavertu were interviewed. The family also teased Wendy for her comment about Harwood Manor as to how she loved the desserts. The family would like to thank all the staff, the residents and cooks who made Wendy’s stay so enjoyable at Harwood Manor Wendy will be fondly remembered and missed by her daughter, Catherine and Kyle Neovard: granddaughters: Naomi Barker and Tyler Vanstone , Pyper and Ammryn Neovard; Daughter, Beverly and Justin Pesony: grandchildren: Layla Barker, Jagr George, and Maddyn Pesony; Step-children: Wanda and Larry Buziak: sons: Trent ,Jordan and Alicia Buziak: grandchildren: Tye and Abbie Buziak, Taylor and Addison Buziak; Yvonne Lloyd and children: Devin Lloyd and friend Savana Foth. Danielle and Josh Bosomworth; great grandchildren: Declan and Duncan Bosomworth, Michelle and Ian Crone; great grandson, Sawyer and Darren Lloyd; son, Rick and Janet Barker and children: Kayla and Jason Wiley; great granddaughter, Lilly, Jonaya and Kyle Tenetuik; great granddaughter, Viola, and Colten Barker; sister-in-law, Olivia Craster and children Ben and Marina Craster, Rebecca and Peter Waytiuk, Emily and Graham Fleming: grandchildren: Georgia and Annabell Fleming. Wendy is pre-deceased by her husband, Ralph Barker; brother, Mike Craster and parents: James and Phyllis Craster. The family would like to thank Dr. Campbell for her compassion and care of Wendy Barker.

Donations to be made to the Canadian Cancer Society 1910 McIntyre St, Regina, SK S4P 2R3

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Raymond Stokalko October 26, 1929 – January 22, 2021 Raymond passed away peacefully, in the arms of the love of his life Helen, at his home early Friday morning January 22, 2021. He lived a long and full 91 years with his wife of 66 and a half years.

He will be sadly missed by his wife Helen (nee Radzewon), sons; Karpo and family, Ivan and family, Mark and family, Simon, and daughter Oksana Panchuk and family. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A private family Prayer Service will be held Wednesday January 27 at 7pm and a private family Funeral Service will be held Thursday January 28 at 11am.

Arrangements entrusted to Cherished Memories Funeral Home.

ISAAK: It is with great sadness that the family of Walter Isaak announce his passing. Walter passed away peacefully at Diamond House in Warman on January 24, 2021 at the age of 87 years.

Walter was born to John and Sara (Klippenstein) Isaak in the Glenbush area on July 30, 1933. He grew up on a mixed farm along with 2 sisters and 3 brothers. He attended Daylight school until he felt he had enough formal education.

Since a number of the teachers lived in the Isaak house, Walter felt very monitored in his mischievous escapades.

Walter enjoyed playing most sports but especially ball and hockey. He worked for a number of local farmers and trucking businesses. Walter’s mother passed away in 1951 when he was still a teenager. When his older siblings left home to various careers, Walter invested in agricultural land. He spent summers farming and winters working in Grand Prairie, AB., Saskatoon, or other odd jobs so he could afford to farm. He joined the Glenbush MB church in 1959 and married Wilma Loewen in 1960. After working in Saskatoon the first winter, they moved to the farm in the Medstead area. Farming left little time for summer sports, but winters Walter helped with managing the senior hockey team. During this time Walter and Wilma had two daughters and a son. In 1969 he was elected to be a Councillor for the RM of Medstead, and 7 years later he became Reeve until 1984. Since his adult children had no interest in farming, he sold his agricultural land in 2003 and was fortunate to return to trucking for several firms. In 2018 Walter was diagnosed with chronic leukemia and seemed to respond well to treatment.

However, to be near a treatment center his family convinced him to leave the community he loved and move to Warman.

Fortunately, Walter made some good friendships and found a good fellowship group to meet his spiritual needs. After several admissions to hospital in August and September, Walter moved to the Diamond House Personal Care Home in Warman in October. Gradually he became weaker and his chemo needed to be discontinued. Walter finally lost his battle with Leukemia on January 24th and passed away peacefully to his eternal home.

He will be deeply missed by his family. He is survived by his wife Wilma, his children Shari (Joey) Holtorf of Neuanlage, Janice (Duncan) Ledsham of Lethbridge, Lyndon (Jill) Isaak of Saskatoon. Grandchildren Logan (Julia) Nickel (Dallas, Connor & Hailey) of Hepburn, Raquel Nickel of Saskatoon, Dustin & Kayli Ledsham, Garnett Ledsham all of Lethbridge. Surviving siblings: Helen (Don) Gallagher of Saskatoon, and Victor (Anne) Isaak of Dallas, Texas. Predeceased by his parents and siblings Erika (Vern) Schmidt, Elvin (Shirley) Isaak and Dave (Gwen) Isaak. Family interment at a future date. Arrangements entrusted to Martens Warman Funeral Home (306-934-4888)

FRANKS:It is with great sadness that the family announce the passing of Frank (F.J.) Franks on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at the age of 84 years. After serving in the air force, he farmed and raised Simmental cattle at Maidstone, SK. Frank was a hockey referee and then involved in oldtimers hockey travelling to international tournaments. He was a member of the Lloydminster Exhibition, Chuck Wagon Association and organizations including the Legion, Craven Country Jamboree, and the Canadian Western Agribition. In his retirement, his passion was for traveling the world. He held more than one fully stamped passport and had a story about each country he visited. He always had a high regard for the less fortunate countries and to appreciate how good we live in Canada. Donations in memory of Frank can be made to the Saskatoon Ronald McDonald House or the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. Funeral arrangements in care of Martens Funeral Home in Warman.

VARGA: Albert Michael Varga, Born April 3, 1936 Melville, Saskatchewan.

Passed Away January 17, 2021 Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Albert leaves to cherish his memory: his loving sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren: Patrick and Janet: Justin and Brooklyn of Saskatoon, SK; Dwayne of Regina, SK; brother: Leonard Varga (Betty Crow); sister, Marlene Varga; sisters-inlaw: Lorna Greenberg and Lottie Roussel; nieces, nephews and their families.

Predeceased by his wife, Hilda; parents: Mike and Annie Varga; in-laws, Martin and Lena Roussel; brothers: Jim (ULena), Ernest, Alfred (UAdeline); sister, Margaret (UGerald); brothers-in-law: Elmer (UIda) Roussel, Albert (UIrene) Roussel, Isaac (UMary Jo) Roussel, Angus Roussel, Benny Roussel and Abe Greenberg; sisters-in-law: Alice (UMike) Dickson, Leona Roussel and Mary Catherine Roussel. Mass of Christian Burial was held Thursday, January 21, 2021 from St. Joseph Calasanctius Roman Catholic Church in North Battleford, SK. Celebrant: Fr. Phinh Do; Cross Bearer: Mr. Pat Smith; Reception of the Body: Placing of the Pall Ilene Wettergreen & Kenneth Holliday, Flowers & Crucifix - Patrick, Janet, Justin & Brooklyn; Liturgy of the Word: Scripture Reader Mr. Eugene Rice, 1st Reading - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11, Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 23, 2nd Reading - 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14, 17b18, Gospel - John 14: 1-6 - Fr. Phinh Do; Prayers of the Faithful: Mr. Eugene Rice; Music Ministy: Pianist - Dwayne Varga, Selections “Here I Am Lord” - “Panis Angelicus”, Final Fairwell: “Go Rest High On That Mountain” - Vince Gill, Recessional: “Tribute to Dad” - by Dwayne, “Lord Of The Dance”. Honour Gaurd: Knights of Columbus; Honorary Pallbearers: “All who shared Dad’s Life”. Active Pallbearers: Patrick, Dwayne, Janet, Justin and Brooklyn. Memorial Donations are requested to Mass Offerings, Donors Choice or Western Development Museum, Box 183, North Battleford, SK S9A 2Y1.

Cremation followed the service. Interment of Cremated Remains will be held at a later date in the City Cemetery, North Battleford, SK. Arrangements were entrusted to Robert MacKay of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium (306-446-4200) CARD OF THANKS The family expresses our heartfelt thanks to those showing expressions of sympathy. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus, St. Joseph Calasanctius Parish, Dr. Campbell, Battlefords District Care Centre and to Bob MacKay and staff of Eternal Memories Funeral Service and Crematorium. __________________________________________________

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TRUEMNER: It is with sadness the family of Clifford Garnet Truemner, resident of Glaslyn, SK announce his passing on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at St. Paul’s Hospital, Saskatoon, SK. Memorial Donations are requested to that of the donor’s choice. Service Of Celebration & Thanksgiving will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be sent to www.eternalmemories funeral.ca Arrangements are entrusted to Robert MacKay of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium (306-446-4200).

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NOTICES / NOMINATIONS Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 19

HEALTH SERVICES

HIP/KNEE Replacement?

Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $50,000 Lump sum refund.

Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide!

Providing assistance during Covid.

Expert Help:

1-844-453-5372 BAYNE: It is with sadness the family of Violet Angevinne Bayne, resident of Battleford, SK announce her passing on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. Visitation (Viewing) was held Sunday, January 31, 2021 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at ‘The Garden Chapel’ – 1332 – 100th Street, North Battleford, SK. Celebration Of Life will be held at a later date. Left to cherish her memory, her loving children, Bruce (Peggy) and Karen; granddaughters, Abigail-Rose and Opal.

Memorial Donations are requested to Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, 301-2550-12th Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 3X1 or to Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, Box 1358, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8. No flowers by request. Condolences can be sent to www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Arrangements are entrusted to Robert MacKay of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium (306-446-4200).

MCLENAGHAN: In Loving Memory Cecilia Clara McLenaghan March 19, 1926 - January 23, 2021 Cecilia passed away peacefully on January 23, 2021 at her home in Harwood Manor at the age of 94 years. She is lovingly remembered by her children: Ali (Ron) Bergeron of Saskatoon, SK, Joh-Anna (Bill) Huber of St. Thomas, ON, Gwyen McLenaghan of Calgary, AB, Larry (Claudette) McLenaghan of Battleford, SK, Donna McLenaghan (Brian Veroba) of Calgary, AB. Her many grand children, great grand children and her great-great grandchild. Numerous nieces and nephews and relatives who shared in her life. She is survived by her brothers: Len, John and Ray and sisters: Kay and Angie. She was predeceased by her husband of 48 years, Vivian McLenaghan, her son, Ross McLenaghan, her granddaughter, Tasha McLenaghan, her parents: Joseph and Clara Pernitsky, sisters: Bernilda Hooey, Clara Rodak and brother, Joseph Pernitsky.

Cecilia was a kind and gentle person with a terrific sense of humour and a great love for her family. She was born in Russia and traveled with her family to Canada in 1928 where they settled on a homestead in Saskatchewan. She married Vivian McLenaghan and they resided in Wilkie, SK where they raised their six children. She worked for many years as a nurse’s assistant in Wilkie Union Hospital and at the Battlefords Regional Care Centre. She loved flower gardening, sewing, crocheting and had a passion for china, crystal and jewelry. She hosted many family gatherings and her home was always open to family and friends. Her famous line was “Don’t work too Hard”. Cecilia has gone with Jesus but will be forever loved. The family would like to thank Harwood Manor for the excellent care and services provided to her during the time she made it her home. If friends desire, memorial donations may be made directly to Harwood Manor Recreation Fund – 2691 Clements Dr, North Battleford, SK S9A 1H9. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date and will be announced. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Trevor Watts of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium.

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BIRTHDAYS

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS Battleford shop, steel framed, 75’x50’ - fenced 1.4 acres, two 14’ electric drive thru doors, hoist and compressor incl. Offices, two bathrooms, shower. Excellent repair welding and truck shop. Reduced $329,000. 306-446-4462 or 306441-5552

WANTED Old Mobile home or camper-trailer PH/TXT 306-220-0429 or 306283-4747. Langham, sk.

LIVESTOCK 31 Bred cows for sale. Closed herd program, due to calf start March. 306-717-3297 Black and Red Angus Yearling and 2 yr. old Bulls on moderate growing Ration. Performance Info available. - Adrian or Brian and Elaine Edwards Valleyhills Angus Glaslyn, SK. Phone: (306)4410946 or (306)342-4407 Nordal Limousin & Angus 2021 Bull Sale. Feb. 18 Saskatoon Livestock Sales Saskatoon Sk. offering 87 2 Yr.old Limousin ,Black Angus & Red Angus. Catalogue online at www.nordallimousin.com Contact Rob Garner 306 946 7946. Rob Garner Box 85 Simpson SK. S0G4M0.

Anne Taylor Feb. 8th

What an Amazing Milestone for a wonderful & special friend who means the world to us.

We are so lucky to have her as part of our family.

Congratulations and Best Wishes Anne

Love Peggy, Carol, Brian & Families

306-445-7261

FUNERAL SERVICES

Eternal Memories Funeral Service and Crematorium

2691 - 98th St., North Battleford (306) 445-7570 24 hours

1332 - 100th St., North Battleford (306) 446-4200 24 hours

Trevor Watts - Owner/Director Robert Mackay - Director Vanessa Macnab - Apprentice Funeral Director Funerals | Burials | Cremation | Preplannig WE ARE LOCALLY AND FAMILY OWNED

892-104th Street | North Battleford | 306-445-7261

Serving Families with Dignity, Respect & Compassion

THE BATTLEFORDS

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In the Estate of Leonard William Graham, late of Turtleford, Saskatchewan, deceased.

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 25 day of February, 2021.

Battle River Law Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291 - 102nd Street Box 905

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS In the Estate of Juliette Roseline McDonald, late of Battleford, Saskatchewan, deceased.

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 26 day of February, 2021.

Battle River Law Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291 - 102nd Street Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Executor of the Estate of Juliette Roseline McDonald.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS In the Estate of Nancy Rose Denise Demyon, late of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, deceased.

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 19 day of February, 2021.

Battle River Law Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291 - 102nd Street Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Executor of the Estate of Nancy Rose Denise Demyon.

FARMS/ACREAGES FOR RENT WANTED: Acreage near North Battleford, prefer 10 acres plus, but will consider all.

Phone: 403-807-9798

North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Administrator for the Estate of Leonard William Graham.

IN MEMORIAM In Loving Memory of Rebecca "Becky" Ann Kost May 20, 1958 January 31, 2016 Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. We are so grateful to have had you in our lives. Love you.

Love Mom, Dad, Ruth, Jane, Nora, and Sam

Thank you for your donations in memory of Bob Sparling, ................................... North Battleford William Lamb R.M. (Scotty), Ross .......................... North Battleford Ivy Lamb Charlotte Lahti, ................................ North Battleford Walter T. Nelson, .............................. North Battleford Al Gotto, ........................................... North Battleford Dr. Iain Weston, ............................... North Battleford Dr. Lipsett .......................................... North Battleford Dean Williams, ................................. North Battleford Carl Peterson, .................................. North Battleford Victor Youst, ..................................... North Battleford Eward Sander, ................................. North Battleford Colleen Cote, ............................................ Medstead David W. Shury, .......................................... Battleford Patricia Garner, ......................................... Medstead Joseph & Viola Beland, ...............................Denholm Simon Schmidt, ............................... North Battleford Jim Nachtegaele, ............................. North Battleford Bruce Gotto, ..................................... North Battleford Alex Polischuk, ................................ North Battleford Les Martin, ....................................... North Battleford Ronald Johnson, .............................. North Battleford Arthur Kenkel, .................................. North Battleford John Soloninko, ............................... North Battleford John Welykochy, .............................. North Battleford Lucie Sutherland, ............................ North Battleford Wilfred Lindeman, ............................ North Battleford Merven Stepko, ................................ North Battleford Jacquelyne Byers ............................. North Battleford Harold Anderson, ....................................... Battleford John Maybuck, ................................................Cando Sylvia Duhaime, .............................................. Meota Guy Jullion, ......................................................Edam Ruben Peters, .................................. North Battleford Dwight Sloan, .................................. North Battleford Cheryl Nolin, .................................... North Battleford

Given with Love to enhance patient care

Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation 306-446-6652 Charitable #13936 3626 RR0001

Page 20 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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FARM SERVICES

FEED & SEED Round Bales: 250 gfd. Oats, 300 Wheat straw, 200 Oat straw. All net wrapped. Phone/Text 306291-9395 Langham, SK.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Heavy Duty Mechanics required:

battlefords humane society

Late model, clean CAT, JD equip; winch, dump, gravel trucks, and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided Wage negotiable.

Clean drivers abstract a must.

Hi everyone, I’m Slinky!

Hi I’m Winnie!

I got my name cause me and my brother slinked our way into a car engine to keep warm before we were brought to the shelter. I am here looking for my new forever home. I am still a kitten so I like to do kitten things. I like to run and jump and climb.

You won’t find me stirring up trouble and bugging my friends at the shelter, I’m a young adult and I’m past my troublemaking stage and I’ve entered my lazy bones stage! I like to lounge around, cuddles are pretty good.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction Box 100, Arborfield, Sk. S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

Call the Animal Shelter 306.446.2700 FEED & SEED

COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

REACH MORE THAN

8

RENTALS & LEASES

OUT OF

10 CANADIANS

TOWN OF BATTLEFORD

LAND LEASES

Ashraful (Ash) Alam CAO – Town of Battleford

306-481-5440 Source: News Media Canada

For more details on this turn key opportunity.

Owner willing to negotiate rent to own option.

• Door‐to‐door • Carrier service • Total coverage or personalized coverage

CALL NOW! 306‐445‐7261 FOR THE BEST COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNITY B AT T L E F O R D S

Approximately 150 acres of hay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Lease NO. 4: Approximately 150 acres of hay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Lease NO. 5: Approximately 5 acres of cultivated land.

Lease NO. 6: Approximately 5 acres of cultivated land.

Lease NO. 10: Approximately 10 acres of pastureland.

Lease NO. 11: Approximately 12 acres of pastureland.

Lease NO. 14: Approximately 2 acres of hay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Lease NO. 16: Approximately 27 acres of lay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Lease NO. 18: Approximately 19 acres of hay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Lease NO. 20: Approximately 13 acres of cultivated land.

Lease NO. 22: Approximately 18 acres of pastureland and cultivated land.

Lease NO. 23: Approximately 6 acres of pastureland.

Lease NO. 24: Approximately 26 acres of hay land, but possibility of being cultivated.

Tenders must be received by the undersigned by 12:00 PM (noon) on February 19th, 2021. These leases will be for a period of (5) years, commencing March 1st, 2021 and terminating on March 1st, 2026.

Information on the above parcels can be obtained from Town Hall and is available on the Town’s website. A post-dated cheque for March 1st, 2021 in the amount of your bid must be included with the Tender, and all Tenders are to be clearly marked “LEASE #” with the corresponding number.

Minimum tender per parcel shall not be less than $150.00 plus GST. Highest or any tender may not necessarily be accepted.

CALL NICOLE AT

THE

Lease NO. 1:

AVAILABLE FOR RENT 1500 Square foot commercial kitchen/retail space Fully equipped, clean, licensed kitchen Very affordable rent space High traffic building in downtown battleford Additional 700 square foot space also available

TENDERS

The Town of Battleford is now accepting sealed tenders for leasing of the following land within Town limits:

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN/ RETAIL SPACE

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The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 21

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Kanaweyimik is an independent, non-political child welfare agency providing child welfare and family services to five First Nations. Moosomin, Mosquito, Red Pheasant, Saulteaux & Sweetgrass First Nations contract for services with Kanaweyimik.

KANAWEYIMIK CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES INC.

The following is a general description of a Supervisor position.

Salary will be commensurate with experience, training and education. This is a fulltime, permanent position.

Located in Battleford, Saskatchewan, Kanaweyimik is an SUPERVISOR – PREVENTION SERVICES independent, non-political Child and Family Services agency providing services to ve First Nations communities.

Job Description

THERAPIST/COUNSELLOR POSITION 1.0 General Description

• The Supervisor isFull-Time directly responsible to the Executive Director of Kanaweyimik.

• The Supervisor is responsible for supervising the Prevention Program and employees in prevention Kanaweyimik is offering a full-time therapist/counsellor position within a unique, exciting and newly established program. counselling program. We provide a multi-disciplinary, holistic, • The Supervisor will comply with provisions of the Kanaweyimik Personnel Manual as it exists from therapeutic treatment service to individuals and families who to time.violence and abuse. Our program uses havetime experienced both Western therapeutic and Aboriginal cultural perspectives.

2.0 Duties Related to Supervision Extensive training and ongoing clinical supervision will be • Provide direct supervision and guidance to all Prevention Program staff. Document supervision and provided.

direction given to Prevention Program staff.

QUALIFICATIONS Provide direct supervision and monitor the Warrior Program. Document supervision and direction • •A Masters degree in a related eld or a Registered Psychologist in given Saskatchewan to the Warrior Program facilitators.

• Experience providing individual, group and family therapy • 3.0 Knowledgeable and sensitive to Aboriginal issues with an Duties Related to Administration of the intergenerational abuse •understanding Carries out thedynamics intent ofand purpose of the Kanaweyimik Personnel Manual as it exists from time • Computer skills to time and may make recommendations for the revision/amendment of Personnel Manual as • Excellent verbal, written and time management skills required.

• A clear criminal and child abuse records check • •A valid driver’s consistent licence Ensures application of the Personnel Manual, Administration Policy Manual, Family An immediate negotiable start date with very staff, competitive ServicesorAct and Standards by the Board of Directors and LAC’s. salary and benefts.

• Ensure all reporting requirements are met for Prevention Program.

Due to the focus of the position being provide services to • Make recommendations onto policy, case management, financial and personnel matters as they First Nations individuals in an agency operated by member First relate to programs and services.

Nations, preference will be given to those applicants for this • Authorize sick leave, annual leave, overtime, travel expenses and confirm work attendance for all position who are of aboriginal ancestry.

prevention staff; Please forward detailed resumés by email to: tony@tonymartens.ca in all B.C. management meetings as scheduled. or• byAttend mail to: and 9621 -participate 161A Street, Surrey, V4N 2E8. Please

The Resort Village of Cochin is looking for a full time

Office Assistant

to work in the village office.

Office duties including but not limited to; entering payables, interacting with customers, answering phone calls, emails and assisting the Administrator.

Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, $20.00 to $25.00 per hour wage depending on experience. Please email your resume to:

cochinadmin@sasktel.net if interested, by 3:00 pm on Friday, February 26th 2021.

Meadow Lake Chrysler is looking for a hard working, motivated technician to join a fast growing Dealership in an area with huge earning potential.

If you are looking for an amazing place to work in an area that offer an unlimited outdoor life style, this may be your place to live.

We are a forward thinking, balanced work environment employer. We look to promote within and support our working partners to grow into a comfortable life…

We offer a signing bonus, performance bonuses, top Wages with earning potential to exceed $40.00 per hour, comprehensive benefits package, flexibility and an amazing work environment. Chrysler experience is an asset, but FCA and OEM training provided at any level.

Please send resume to: marilyn.walsh@wyantgroup.com

address to the attention of Tony Martens, M.Sc., BSW, RCC, RSW.

4.0 Duties Related to Finance

Deadline for in accepting applications March 31, 2014 at 5pm • Assist drafting annualisbudget for Prevention Program then submit to Executive Director by the local time.

end of January of each fiscal year.

Contact person:prevention Tony Martens 604-583-6612.

Onlythroughout successful • Monitor expenditures the year and ensure that the approved budget candidates who make short listReport will be any contacted. expenditures arethe followed. over expenditures to the Executive Director.

Recruitment process to continue until a successful • Bring isany expenditure not in approved annual budget to the attention of the Executive Director for candidate selected.

approval.

• Approve requisitions for cheques from Prevention Program as per approved annual budget.

• Identify and secure additional funding sources as needed.

5.0 Duties Related to Liaison • Represent Kanaweyimik as and when required at local, provincial and federal levels.

• Initiate and maintain good working relationships with local, provincial and federal officials of other agencies and/or groups who are involved with the funding of Kanaweyimik.

• Prepare and present information on Kanaweyimik programs and services to local, provincial and federal agencies, involved with First Nations.

• Attend Inter-agency meetings in each of the five First Nation communities as scheduled.

6.0 Qualifications The qualifications of the Supervisor shall be determined in the absolute discretion of the Board of Directors depending upon the needs of Kanaweyimik Child & Family Services at the time. The following attributes are assets: • A University Degree from a School of Social Work and/or Business Administration or equivalent work experience and training in a related area with relevant courses or workshops in prevention services and administration.

• Extensive working experience and proven ability to work in the social services area with families and children.

• Extensive administrative and management experience.

• Ability to organize, delegate, supervise and coordinate activities of staff members and complex programs.

• Ability to formulate budgets, administer same and report on budgets.

• Extensive working experience with First Nations people, with an understanding of the particular issues encountered by First Nations people.

• Extensive working experience and a clear understanding of the dynamics of First Nations family systems; complexity of social problems encountered by First Nations families.

• Extensive working experience with different levels of government associated with program and service delivery to First Nations including but not limited to local, First Nations, provincial and federal levels of government.

• Must provide a clear criminal record check.

• Must provide 3 professional references; and further agree to a global reference check.

• Must have a valid drivers licence.

DO MEANINGFUL WORK WE’RE HIRING SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS

At First Student, our School Bus Drivers are an integral part of the communities they serve.

We are your friends, family, and neighbours!

We are proud to offer:

• Competitive Wages • Flexible Hours • Free Training

Apply: ca.firstgroupcareers.com Call: 403.223.5670 We are an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce.

SALES CONSULTANT Immediate Opening WANTED • Motivated • Self Driven • Customer Orientated • Social Media Skills and • Computer Proficient

OFFERING

Application deadline is February 19, 2021 at 5:00 pm. Start date to be determined. Please forward resumes by fax, email or mail to: (306) 445-2533, “mailto:marleneb@kanaweyimik.com” Only successful applicants will be contacted for scheduled interviews. Recruitment process to continue until a successful candidate is selected.

• Competitive Compensation Plan • Employee Benefit Plan • Retirement Plan

Kanaweyimik Child & Family Services, Inc. P.O. Box 1270 Battleford, Saskatchewan S0M 0E0 Attention: Marlene Bugler

If this sounds like a career you would be interested in, please submit your resumé to blaine@scottcampbelldodge.com

“Where Friends Send Their Friends" HWY 4, NORTH BATTLEFORD 306-445-6640 SCOTTCAMPBELLDODGE.COM

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Page 22 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

Regional News-Optimist

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Telling a nosy person, ‘It’s none of your business’ Ed and I spoke yes‑ terday about the need for both secrecy or privacy and transparency and ac‑ countability before others.

There is often a thin line between how much others need to know about us and what is none of their business. Ed and I agreed appearances could be deceiving when it comes to others. People may not be what they appear to be.

Not one of us is innocent of saying one thing but do‑ ing another. How we act in front of company may be a shade more agreeable than when we are with just our everyday family.

Nothing seems to upset folks as much as finding out that another person is a

N

eighbourly Advice

According to Ed

By Raymond Maher

www.accordingtoed.com

revraymaher@accesscomm.ca hypocrite. What a hypo‑ crite says publicly is not really what they believe in their personal life.

Few have patience with a deceiver, a pretender, or a phony unless it is them‑ selves. Few are willing to be totally honest about their thoughts and motives.

The confession booth has

been a way for people to be real about themselves without public recognition and embarrassment.

The person confessing before a priest acknowl‑ edges God knows the secrets and sins we hide from others. Coming honestly before God in confession is more than

what we have done wrong.

We know there is forgive‑ ness from God and a fresh start with Him. It’s hard to honestly admit when we have been wrong or did wrong on purpose.“I’m sorry, I was wrong” is hard to say. It’s a continual struggle to do things God’s way instead of our way.

There has always been secrecy ‑‑ not telling all there is to tell. We demand that we have a right to keep who we are and what we do and have done to ourselves. This secrecy leaves God out of our lives. Christians can and do ignore God, but God does not forget us. God wants to hold us fast with His right hand and guide

us in our lives. No amount of ignoring, hiding and avoiding God will result in God being indifferent to us.

In Psalm 39, David says of God: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”

The Bible never hides the truth that great believers and champions of God can and do sin in the most damaging ways concern‑ ing themselves and others.

Only Jesus was sinless

and able to overcome all temptations.

As king, everything was permissible for David, but that did not mean he had a right to sleep with another man’s wife because she was beauti‑ ful, and her husband was away fighting as a soldier for him the king. Tempta‑ tions will always be an irresistible impulse or an impulse to be resisted.

David forgot he was not on his own as king with a right to do anything and keep it a secret. Neither should we, for none of our secrets or sins are hidden from God. God does not invade your privacy as He always knows everything about you.

Worship Together Spend some quality family time together.

Worship at the church of your choice.

Our community has a number of churches and a variety of denominations for you & your family.

(RC) St. Joseph Calasanctius Parish 1942 - 98th Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 0N4

TerriTorial Drive alliance church

306-446-1695

PASTOR: Rev. Phinh Do

DAILY: Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Fri. - 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted WEEKEND MASS TIMES: Saturdays - 7:30 p.m. Sundays - 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

ANGLICAN PARISH

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Rev. Trevor Malyon

1401 - 98th Street, North Battleford, SK

St. Georges Anglican Church Battleford Sunday @ 5:00 p.m.

St. Paul’s Anglican Church North Battleford Sunday @ 11:00 a.m.

Battle River Parish YouTube channel CJNB Radio 1050 a.m. Sunday mornings 7:45-8:30 a.m.

Contact: 306 445 4155 stpaulnb@sasktel.net

306-445-5901

Reverend George Yando Sunday Services 10:30 AM Everyone Welcome

PRE-REGISTER

Living Water Ministry

Hope Mennonite Fellowship 1291 - 109th Street, North Battleford

Sr. Pastor Brian Arcand Pastor Anand George Phone: 306-445-3803 Cell: 306-441-9385 Fax: 306-445-4385

Sunday Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Pastor: Dean Covert

Church Phone 306-445-4181

All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Parish 902 - 108th Street, North Battleford

Divine Liturgy: Sundays at 4:00 p.m.

Celebrant: Very Rev. Janko Kolosnjaji 306-664-2301 (Office) 306-244-2604 (Home)

Battleford United Church 52 - 4th Avenue West Battleford, SK

306-937-3177 Rev. Gayle Wensley

SUNDAY SERVICES 11:00 a.m.

Third Avenue United Church Rev. Dexter van Dyke

Sunday Worship Services at 10:30 am Pre-registration required to register at

306-445-8171

www.thirdavenueunitedchurchnb.ca Email: thirdaveunited@sasktel.net

Everyone Welcome

Sunday Evening Service 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

1371 - 103rd Street (Use East Door)

Battlefords Cowboy Church Services 1st & 3rd Thursday of each Month

Battleford Legion Hall 7:00 p.m.

PASTOR - Rick Martin

LIVING FAITH Sunday Services 10:30 am CHAPEL 1372 102nd St 306-445-3009

Battlefords Seventh-Day Adventist Church

ROMAN CATHOLIC ST. VITAL’S 11 - 18th Street, Battleford, SK

Phone 306-937-7340 PASTOR - Fr. Sebastian Kunnath

Saturday Evening Mass - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass - 10:30 a.m.

Maidstone/Paynton United Church of Canada Phone: 306-285-3823 Contact: Don Retzlaff

No Services till further notice

Church & CE Wing: 306-893-2611 For booking the Wing: 306-893-4729

Various Weekly Programs Pastor Casey Sitter www.livingfaithchapel.ca

1702 - 106th Street, North Battleford

Come Join Us Sundays at 11:00 am Loving God Growing Together Serving Others Phone Church: 306-445-4818 Fax: 306-445-8895 Email: tbcnb@sasktel.net www.trinitybaptistchurch.ca

Pastor James Kwon

Corner 16th Ave. & 93rd Street, North Battleford

Phone 306-445-9096

Saturday Services Bible Study - 10:00 a.m.

Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021 - Page 23

WHO DOES IT? w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

Professional Directory CONSTRUCTION

ACUPUNCTURE

Sakihew Acupuncture

• Mental Wellness • Sleep Issues • Weight Loss • Pain Management

Co-Jack Construction

Established in 1996 Complete Building Renovations

Look for the RIGHT business for the JOB DEADLINE FOR THURSDAY EDITION IS MONDAY BY 4:00 PM

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Derrick Shynkaruk General Contractor

• New Construction • Renovations

Brad Pearson

Jeanine Starchief

TCMD, L.Ac, R.Ac

Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture

Suite 102, 1102 - 102 Street, North Battleford.

306-317-6744 Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm

AGRICULTURE PARTS

Bob Frolek's

Cell: 306-824-0184 Home: 306-342-2122

ELECTRIC CONTRACTOR

djshynkaruk@gmail.com GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Ag Services • Solar • Residential Commercial • Maintenance

AGRA PARTS PLUS WRECKING

• Older Tractors • Combines • Swathers • Balers & Tillage • Other Ag Related Equipment

Box 5 Medstead, SK S0M 1W0

306.441.1980 306.445.3144

Owner co-jack@sasktel.net

Jeff Schommer

306-481-4892 306-445-6769

3 miles N.W. on Hwy. 16, 2 1/2 miles west on Sunshine Road

Kevin Ryhorchuk

schommshandymanrenos@yahoo.com

306-441-8727

Have a "To-Do" List?

We Will Take Care of it!

‘Hauntingly beautiful’: Rural Sask.’s abandoned buildings captivate photographers

By Nick Pearce

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / The StarPhoenix

Chris Attrell preserves what others leave behind.

The Saskatchewan photographer has spent the better part of 15 years doing so, often criss-crossing Saskatchewan’s back roads in a white Cadillac Deville to find lost buildings and overgrown front yards. Those subjects have inspired hundreds of portraits of abandoned places, charting family histories decades after people left their homes.

Attrell sees history and people where others may simply see an old car, an empty kitchen, or a sagging porch.

“That’s what I try to give people in my art: a sense of what it must have been like,” he says.

The old, unwieldy subjects can make for slow work. Owls nest in attics and bedrooms. Abandoned yards are home to hidden water wells. Rusty nails sprout from collapsed sheds. Shotgun shells and liquor bottles litter living room floors. Walls can be covered in graffiti.

Attrell attributes some of the chaos to rural trespassers looking for easy entertainment. He ignores it, instead imagining a family gathered around a Christmas tree or a tube television. He thinks of a young couple walking across a now-overgrown front yard with a newborn,

a grandparent passing away quietly in their sleep upstairs.

Without the stories in his head, all that’s left is the furniture and the floorboards that nobody stripped.

Attrell’s fascination with abandoned rural settings began when he first visited Saskatchewan from Alberta 17 years ago as he drove past the ghost towns dotting Highway 13. Attrell found himself wondering at the stories behind the abandoned buildings.

“Why did these people leave? Entire towns, gone.

Half of them on Highway 13 weren’t there anymore, or (there was) almost nothing,” he says.

He moved to Shaunavon, a town near Highway 13, in 2006 and began shooting abandoned structures in the area regularly.

Capturing photos of abandonment works best in the fall or winter. Instead of long stretches of clouds and canola fields, Attrell prefers bare trees and bledout colours of aged wood.

“There’s a hauntingly beautiful look to everything that you can’t really capture in summer,” he says.

Though rural photography was a common pastime, Attrell’s use of night skies and minimal photo editing have drawn attention online.

“A lot of people have been exploring ghost towns for some time, but he put it out there and made it cool,”

Saskatchewan photographer Chris Attrell has spent the better part of 15 years criss-crossing Saskatchewan’s back roads in a white Cadillac Deville to find lost buildings and overgrown front yards.

says Leanna Jenkins, a photographer who takes lessons with him.

Attrell worries the influx of photographers seeking to capture images of forgotten Saskatchewan in the last decade may cause some abandoned places to lose their allure, particularly if people are not respectful. In one case, the owner of a site Attrell frequented tore down an abandoned house because a different photographer was conducting unauthorized tours around the prop-

erty.

Attrell, for his part, always asks permission before going onto private property for a shoot.

Jazzy Pearl, a Saskatoon photographer who used to take classes with Attrell, similarly believes abandoned buildings are special and deserve to be well-treated. “(These buildings) are all crumbling apart. Not useless, but (they) have no purpose anymore and they’re sitting still there.

(They’re) a remembrance

of what once was there, of the people who were there.

You know nothing about them,” Pearl says.

“It’s like being in a living museum where you can appreciate peoples’ lives and how they lived.”

Years after he first wondered why people left those abandoned homes on Highway 13, Attrell is slowly getting answers.

Some of the former residents of the those homes have contacted him after seeing his photos.

Many are elderly, and

seeing the photos brings them back to standing on their front porches and playing as children in nowabandoned kitchens.

For many homeowners, what they remember about their lives along Highway 13 is “the silence, the stillness, the nothingness,” Atrell says.

“Once they became adults they moved to a town or a city and they haven’t experienced that since. So when they see the pictures, it’s like they can go back and feel it.”

Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, February 4, 2021

VOICE OF

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BUSINESS

Regional News-Optimist

2021 Event Calendar

STRENGTHENING BUSINESS

Phone: 306-445-6226 Find us on Facebook www.battlefordschamber.com P.O. Box 1000 North Battleford SK S9A 3E6

FIVE THINGS COMPANIES SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT NEXT From: The Canadian Business Resilience Network (cbrn.ca); by Karen White, Vice-President, Crisis and Issues Management, NATIONAL

In a year where “unprecedented” has truly lost all meaning, how do organizations approach crisis planning moving forward? We have worked with countless organizations to plan, develop and test crisis communications plans leading up to 2020. Eight months ago, had you suggested a worst-case scenario that saw entire countries in lockdown, strained medical systems around the world and global-scale economic downturns and uncertainty, NATIONAL might have suggested that your test case crisis scenario was too extreme and far-fetched. However, here we are facing a real crisis that is so extreme it did not even make the list of possible planning scenarios.

Organizations have differed in how they cope and live with COVID-19. No two organizations are experiencing this pandemic the same. As many organizations adapt and learn to live with COVID-19, it is time to start thinking about recovery. It will not always be a linear process, and there will be progress and continued challenges and opportunities.

As companies across Canada adapt to the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape, here are five things to be thinking about in the recovery phase: 1

Update your strategic plan. What has changed as a result of COVID-19? Have your priorities shifted? Are your targets the same? Should your focus shift? Reflect on major initiatives or strategic priorities and consider what to stop, start, pause, continue and what is new. Revisiting your forecasts and budgets and engaging in scenario planning is also a good chance to review priorities.

2

Embrace change management. In business, change is constant, and the level of change we are seeing as a result of COVID-19 is nothing short of hyper-drive. Individuals and entire workforces are working in new ways, and companies are adapting service delivery and products. We are also seeing a number of workforce reductions, as organizations adapt to survive and thrive. Having a clear change management plan and path forward that is communicated in an open way is crucial to success during times of change.

3

Prioritize employee engagement. Employees are your most critical asset and good employee engagement is key to retaining and attracting employees. In times of uncertainty, employees are asking many questions of their employers; and the best among them are not waiting to be asked for this crucial feedback. So, how do you help keep employees engaged during these challenging times? There are a few things that work well in finding out what your employees need and how to respond like surveying your employees and seeking their feedback through informal channels.

4

Be prepared for cyber security incidents. With nearly 50% of Canadian professionals are working remotely at home, cyber-security has become a new priority for organizations of all shapes and sizes. The shift to working from home meant organizations accelerated their technology adoption and introduced tools such as virtual private networks (VPN), and collaborative software such as video-conferencing and instant messaging platforms. IT professionals have been engaged to step up cyber-security practices, for example, many introduced multi-factor authentication as a common guard against threats. While many Canadians report their organization has a foundational or better understanding of cyber threats, there are some organizations who still do not know enough.

5

Increase and diversify your virtual communication tools. With more people working from home, virtual meetings and presentations will continue to be a part of our COVID-19 recovery plans. We have mastered the mute button, and appreciate the need for good Wi-Fi, sound and lighting.

A crisis does not have to be the end; it can often create new opportunities and beginnings. We have seen organizations pivot and thrive in this uncertain climate. The lessons we learn and the chances we take will define our capacity to be resilient.

Date: Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 From: 12 Noon to 1:30 pm

Induction of 2021 Chair: Melanie Roberts Director of Programs, North West College

Tickets: Member with 2 meals - $50 plus GST Charcuterie Board for 2 Member with no meal - $10 plus GST Order your tickets today!

Email: admin@battlefordschamber.com Phone: 306-445-6226 Guest Keynote Address

Hon. Jeremy Harrison Minister of Trade & Export Development, Minister of Immigration & Career Training

Chamber members, send your Member Milestones to admin@battlefordschamber.com or Call 306-445-6226

The pandemic has shown us what is working, and what is not inside organizations—presenting an opportunity to grow back even better.

The Battlefords is a growing and vibrant community full of people who make it a wonderful place to call home. The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce, through the Action Battlefords initiative, was looking for an innovative way to help tell the untold or untapped stories of these inspiring people, businesses and organizations. The community responded, and a group of leaders was formed to guide the establishment of this podcast. In this podcast series, award winning photographer and journalist Matt Jacques introduces you to these people and explores what makes this community special for them.

View the story intros and listen to the podcasts at: www.battlefordsuntapped.com

Being a member of a Chamber of Commerce can mean: • 68% increase in the reputation of a local business • 49% increase in its consumer favourability rating • 80% increase in the likelihood that consumers will patronize the business in the future • 73% increase in consumer awareness Look in your favourite business for their Chamber Member plaque!

GET CONNECTED IN 2021!