Regional New-Optimist January 3, 2019

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Thursday, January 3, 2019

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BATTLEFORD

ALL PALLISER SECTIONALS Sale ends Jan.15/19

FURNITURE Shots in the air, home invasion open new year “Where the difference is worth the drive” “Where the difference is worth the drive”

Year in Review - Stanley Trial Top Story

Charges laid against NB man Staff It did not take long for firearms offences to get started in North Battleford in 2019.

Just two minutes into the new year, just past midnight on Jan 1, Battlefords RCMP received several calls about two males

Sports Year in Review Page 15

News

Jazz at the Dekker Centre Page 11

Opinion Canadians’ political leanings Page 4

walking on 15th Avenue in North Battleford shooting a rifle in the air.

RCMP report that several units responded and extensively patrolled the area and spoke with witnesses, but suspects were not located.

At 12:25 a.m., RCMP say, they came across two people matching the description of the suspects while responding to another call for service. Suspects were seen walking into the rear yard of a residence on the 1200 block of 111th Street. Other units were called, and police contained the suspects to the rear yard.

As two officers entered the yard, the male pointed a firearm at the officers while hiding behind a female, and threatened to shoot. Responding officers sought cover and tried to verbally engage the suspect.

The male fled, leaving the female behind, who was taken into custody.

Police then report that officers tracked footprints in the snow from the yard to a residence on 12th Avenue. According

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to the RCMP, as officers approached the residence they heard yelling and screaming inside. Officers forced their entry into the residence and saw the homeowner and three other males holding down and beating the male suspect, who was still holding the firearm.

Officers then intervened and arrested the suspect. According to the RCMP, officers determined the male had been at a house party at the residence earlier, but was kicked out for unruly behaviour. The male returned and entered forcefully before police arrived.

The name of the suspect is Eric Davis, 38 years old, of North Battleford.

Davis is charged with offences including assault with a firearm and uttering threats.

As of Wednesday morning, he was remanded in custody and the investigation is continuing, with police saying more charges are expected. The investigation into the role of the female and actions of the people inside the residence is also continuing.

Our readers picked the Gerald Stanley murder trial as the top news story of the year. For more on this story and others that made the news in 2018, see inside.

For the year’s top photos, see Page 10. Photo by Averil Hall

Big headlines in 2018 The good, the bad and everything in between Staff The Battlefords saw some major political changes, major sporting events, major court cases and also major tragedies inside and outside the community this year.

The Battlefords made national headlines in 2018 with the trial of Gerald Stanley for the seconddegree murder of Colten Boushie.

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The year 2018 was also marked by tragedy in the Battlefords with the suicides of young people in the community.

Word of the tragedies made their way to TSN personality Michael Landsberg, who offered his own support by bringing his #SickNotWeak charity to the Battlefords.

The entire nation was rocked by the bus crash tragedy involving the

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Humboldt Broncos on April 6, with repercussions here in the Battlefords as well.

But there was good news as well. The Battleford post office finally reopened in June of 2018 on 22nd Street, after spending years located in temporary trailers on 35th Street.

For more in our look back at the stories that highlighted the past year in our area, see inside.

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Page 2 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

@citynb City of North Battleford (Official)

City Bulletin SNOW ANGEL

Be a Snow Angel this winter, it’s the neighbourly thing to do!

Thee Snow Angel Program encourages healthy, willing residents to help others when clearing snow from sidewalks — especially elderly residents or anyone with health or mobility restrictions.

HOW IT WORKS Lend a helping hand to a resident who needs it and then tell us about it, and if you receive help from someone, nominate them as a “Snow Angel.”

Write or email your Snow Angel story to us.

(North Battleford residents only)

COUNCIL MEETING

• Include the name and address of the Snow Angel • MAIL NOMINATIONS TO: City of North Battleford, P.O. Box 460, 1291 - 101st Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 2Y6 OR EMAIL NOMINATIONS TO: dmacdonald@cityofnb.ca The City of North Battleford will send a thank you to the Snow Angels and enter them into monthly prize draws.

RECREATION PROGRAMS Registration is now on for January 2019 classes.

Run a 5K, TBC, Yoga, Gentle Yoga, HIIT, & more!

To register or for more information call 306-445-1755/306-445-1790 Don Ross Centre 891-99th St. (door #5) or the NationsWEST Field House or www.cityofnb.ca PUBLIC SKATING Helmets are recommended for public skating Don Ross Arena - FREE Public Skating Thursday, January 3, 1:00 - 2:15 pm, Friday, January 4, 10:00 - 11:30 am, Saturday, January 5, 12:30 - 1:30 pm PUBLIC SKATING SPONSORS: Bonaventure Lions Club North Battleford Lions, Kiwanis Club of the Battlefords, North Battleford Kinsmen Club, The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #70, North West Hockey Development, Rotary Club of the Battlefords, North Battleford Elks Club, St. Joseph’s Knights of Columbus #7336

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Admission will be “buy one regular admission, get one free” Tuesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 pm The lesser admission price will be free. Not to be combined with any other offers. Call 306-445-1745 for more information Check out

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to find comprehensive and up to date information for everything that matters to you as a resident, business or visitor and connect with us on social media. To book a Leisure Services facility, please call 306-445-1755 or email centralbooking@cityofnb.ca

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4th Memorial Round Dance

in honour of Allen Sapp and Walking With Our Sisters Feast 2:00 - 4:0 pm Monday, January 28th, 2019 Don Ross Gym - Door #6, 891-99th Street, North Battleford The first 20 lead singers will be honoured.

Giveaways - Canteen on site. NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS ALLOWED. Security will be on site. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

BEFORE IT IS LOST: THIRTY STITCHES Embroidery Art by Marcella Pedersen

on now until January 13, 2019 For more information call 306-445-1760 or email sapp5@accesscomm.ca The Chapel Gallery is located at 891-99th St. in the Don Ross Centre, North Battleford, SK

YEAR IN REVIEW

Big headlines in the Battlefords and area in 2018

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

It always seems like a big news year every year in the Battlefords.

But 2018 was a bigger year than most. The Battlefords saw some major political changes, major sporting events, major court cases and also major tragedies inside and outside the community this year. In fact, the year was so overwhelming that a lot of people are glad to put it behind them and focus on 2019.

Here is a look back at the stories that highlighted the past year in our area.

New faces on the political scene

It sure seems like he’s been in the job longer, but Scott Moe isn’t even done his first year as Premier of Saskatchewan yet.

Moe won the Saskatchewan Party leadership over five other contenders on Jan. 27, defeating Alanna Koch on the fifth and final ballot.

Moe, who had served in cabinet as environment minister and other portfolios, represents the nearby Rosthern-Shellbrook constituency, which borders on the Battlefords. His biggest issue throughout the year was dealing with the challenges related to pipelines and carbon-tax policies of the federal government.

Moe wasn’t the only new face taking prominence on the provincial scene: Ryan Meili was elected as the new leader of the province’s NDP in March.

As for federal politics, in January BattlefordsLloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk was sworn in to take her seat in the House of Commons.

Gerald Stanley trial

The Battlefords made national headlines in 2018 with the trial of Gerald Stanley for the seconddegree murder of Colten Boushie. The shooting took place on Stanley’s property in the RM of Glenside on Aug. 16, 2016. Boushie was a young Indigenous man from Red Pheasant First Nation.

The case drew national attention over the issue of the treatment of Indigenous people by the justice system in Canada; it also prompted debate on the issue of property rights in the province.

The trial took place over a span of two weeks at Bat-

Debbie Baptiste, mother of Colton Boushie, and supporters leaving the courthouse in Battleford following the verdict in the Gerald Stanley murder trial. Photo by Averil Hall

tleford Court of Queen’s Bench. During the trial, Stanley’s defence lawyer Scott Spencer made his case to jurors that the shooting was an accident.

On a cold Feb. 9 evening, Stanley was acquitted by the 12-person jury, prompting protests across the country the next day by Boushie supporters.

One of those protests happened in North Battleford across from the provincial court house.

In April, Stanley returned to the Battlefords to plead guilty in provincial court to unsafe storage of firearms; he received a fine of $3,000. A civil suit has since been filed by the Boushie family against Stanley and the RCMP.

Word of the tragedies made their way to TSN personality Michael Landsberg, who offered his own support by bringing his #SickNotWeak charity to the Battlefords.

The event in March, focusing on the issues of mental health, drew over 2,700 people to the Civic Centre and included big names such as the CFL’s Weston Dressler, TSN personality Tessa Bonhomme, and the musical group One Bad Son. Continued on Page 3

Saskatchewan Winter Games

The much-anticipated Saskatchewan Winter Games took over the Battlefords from February 18 to 24. Hundreds of athletes and even more visitors came to the community for the week of athletic events.

Michael Landsberg in the Battlefords

The year 2018 was marked by tragedy in the Battlefords with the suicides of young people in the community.

TSN personality Michael Landsberg brought his #SickNotWeak charity to the Battlefords. NewsOptimist photo

Hundreds of athletes and even more visitors came to the community for the Saskatchewan Winter Games. News-Optimist photo

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 3

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YEAR IN REVIEW Continued from Page 2

Humboldt Broncos tragedy

The entire nation was rocked by the bus crash tragedy involving the Humboldt Broncos on April 6.

The Broncos had been on their way to an SJHL playoff game when the collision happened, with 16 people on the bus losing their lives. The public responded overwhelmingly to a GoFundMe campaign for donations to help the victims, with $15 million raised.

There was a Battlefords connection to the story: Kaleb Dahlgren, an assistant captain on the Broncos, had formerly been a standout player on the Battlefords AAA Stars.

He survived, but for SJHL fans in the Battlefords and across the league it was a hard year. At the first Battlefords North Stars game of the season in September, a moment of silence was held for the 29 people on the bus.

Husky in court

An ongoing story in 2018 was the environmental charges faced by the

companies of Husky Oil related to the oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River near Maidstone in July 2016. Husky faced 10 counts under the Fisheries Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and the Environmental Management and Protection Act. The first court appearance took place in March in Lloydminster and disclosure took up much of the early portion of the case, with lawyers going through upwards of 10,000 pages of documents. The case has now moved to the case management phase at North Battleford Provincial Court.

Battleford Post Office reopens

A good news story to emerge in 2018 was the return of Canada Post to the historic post office building in Battleford. Their return came after Fieldstone Holdings Corp. bought the building in December 2016 and completed renovation work on the property.

The post office finally re-opened in June of 2018 on 22nd Street, after spending years located in temporary trailers on 35th Street.

Construction in the Battlefords

It was a big year overall for construction in the Battlefords, with construction commencing on both the new downtown movie theatre as well as a new Giant Tiger store on 102nd Street. It was also a year of hotel construction with the new Comfort Inn opening to guests in the summer and with a new Holiday Inn beginning construction in the fall. Both North Battleford and Battleford saw big increases in building permits issued in 2018.

Brandon Stucka sentenced

One of the more prominent criminal cases of recent years wrapped up in July at Battleford Queen’s Bench Court. Brandon Stucka was sentenced in connection to a Highway 16 crash that killed three Edmonton women Sept.

22, 2017. The women were members of Edmonton’s Liberian community.

Stucka was sentenced to 10 years in connection to nine counts in the case, including three counts of criminal negligence causing death.

Ashley Morin missing

An ongoing story throughout 2018 was the search for Ashley Morin, who has been missing since July. A search was conducted of Finlayson Island in September, and an awareness walk took place in October in the streets of North Battleford.

As the year ends the efforts to find Morin go on. She is described as 31 years old, 5’ 2”, 110 lbs with dark brown hair, and was last seen July 10 in North Battleford, wearing grey sweatpants, black shirt with white writing, black hat and sunglasses. A $5,000 reward is being offered for solid information on her whereabouts.

Amber Alert

Canada Post returned to the historic post office building in Battleford. Their return came after Fieldstone Holdings Corp. bought the building in December 2016 and completed renovation work on the property. News-Optimist photo

A scary situation for local residents happened Sept. 16. That night an Amber Alert was issued when a vehicle containing a six-year-old girl was stolen from a strip mall in North Battleford. A massive search took place in and around the commu-

A grand opening of the new Saskatchewan Hospital is expected to happen in the new year. News-Optimist photo

nity, with local residents taking part in searching for the girl.

Happily, the girl was found safe the next morning. An arrest was made of the suspect; sentencing is due to happen in January.

W5

The reputation of North Battleford took a major hit nationally in late September when CTV aired the documentary “Crimetown” on W5, focusing on the city’s crime issues.

Mayor Ryan Bater blasted W5 for making it sound as if eight people were responsible for 38 per cent of all crime in the city, when that number only referred to calls for service in the downtown. It was “really irresponsible for it to have been framed that way,” and an “insult to people’s intelligence,” Bater said at city council.

Concerned members of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce responded to the city’s reputational woes by forming Action Battlefords. Their efforts focused on turning the city’s reputation around by recruiting new members to Citizens on Patrol and setting up programs for youth in the city, as well as hiring a PR firm to promote the good news in the Battlefords.

their zoning requirements for the new retail outlets.

Saskatchewan Hospital nears completion

There were some hiccups with the new Saskatchewan Hospital-integrated correctional facility construction in 2018 including the liquidation of Carillion, one of the partners in the Access Prairies Partnership P3 consortium.

The completion date of the project was also pushed back a few months.

By October, the finish line was in sight, and the media were invited to take part in a tour of the large and impressive-looking new psychiatric hospital.

Patients are now in the process of transferring over to the new facility and a grand opening is expected to happen in the new year.

Revival meetings at Field House

Controversy swirled in the community in November when the NationsWEST Field House was closed to the public for the first two weeks of the month and turned over to a private religious event.

The “Battle for Canada” revival event drew large numbers of people

to the Battlefords, but also drew criticism from regular Field House users who were upset with losing access during that time.

Brydon Whitstone inquest

The last major news story of 2018 was the inquest that took place into the shooting death of Brydon Whitstone on the night of Oct. 21, 2017. Several police and expert witnesses were called to the stand for the inquest, which took place at Queen’s Bench court in Battleford. The witness testimony recounted the events leading up to the shooting of Whitstone by an RCMP member that night.

The six-person jury ruled the manner of Whitstone’s death was “undetermined.” The jury made one recommendation directed to the RCMP: use of a Taser gun or other intervention to immobilize or stun the suspect first prior to the use of a gun. The ruling failed to satisfy Whitstone’s family attorneys, who called for an independent investigation to answer the remaining questions on what happened. Earlier, the ministry of justice had decided not to file criminal charges in the case.

Cannabis

The much-anticipated federal legalization of cannabis took place later than expected: instead of on July 1, the legalization happened on Oct. 17 with two retail outlets opening in the Battlefords. Much of the news in the Battlefords was connected to preparation for legalization, with both Battleford Town Hall and North Battleford City Hall developing and approving

Stephanie Lavallee and Mark Ebert from Semaganis Worme, lawyers for the Brydon Whitstone family at the inquest into his death. Photo by Averil Hall

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Phone: 306-445-7261 Fax: 306-445-3223 Email: newsoptimist.news@sasktel.net

It’s OK to love ‘local’

rom this this From er Corner

Jayne Foster, Editor

Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Dean NcNeill told a Dekker Centre audience recently, “There’s a misconception in cities large and small that people who are doing their thing in the community are ‘local’ talent. ‘How good could it be?

It’s here, right?’ And Canadians are particularly bad at thinking that way.”

While there are all kinds of theories about how we have come to think that way, it is something we should rail against. A concert like the one that took place at the Dekker Centre Dec. 13 is a case in point. The title performers, SJO, were fabulous.

They are musicians highly esteemed not only in Saskatoon or Saskatchewan, but elsewhere (other provinces, other countries, gasp!) One member even grew up here. (In North Battleford? Seriously?)

And they enthralled the Dekker Centre audience with world-class entertainment. In support of young Saskatchewan musicians, SJO set aside time on stage to showcase the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Jazz Band. They are a firecracker group.

You could feel the audience swell with pride as they played, probably especially those who were expecting something a little less exceptional.

I’ve been fortunate in my job to realize how much talent has been produced in the Battlefords, and I say, “let’s recklessly love ‘local.’”

W

artime Wednesday

By Elinor Florence

www.newsoptimist.ca

FAREWELL, BUT NOT GOODBYE – After five years and two months, I’m wrapping up my popular Wartime Wednesdays blog.

Thank you for all your support! I’ll be back in the new year with a new blog called Letters From Windermere.

S

Online

askatchewan Skies

By James Edgar

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.

Bouquet A bouquet of flowers to be given to all in the ER and third floor ward of Battlefords Union Hospital for their loving and excellent service to Shirley Tinio while being confined in the hospital.

Fred Tinio

Canada’s political mood as 2018 comes to an end

By Bruce Anderson and David Coletto Abacus Data

As we close out 2018 and look to 2019, we surveyed 2,000 Canadian adults and explored their views on federal politics and how they were feeling about the direction of the country. Here’s a snapshot of what we found: The Liberals and Conservatives are statistically tied, 35 per cent for the Liberals, 34 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP is at 17 per cent.

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

Liberals 35% Regional

But Justin Trudeau leads by 16 on who Canadians would prefer to be the Prime Minister after the next election.

More Canadians think Canada is headed in the right direction than off on the right track. This is in sharp contrast to how we feel about the world and the United States.

Analysis from Bruce Anderson: “As was the case in 2015, the country seems to be heading for a competitive race, but so far it looks more

Conservatives 34%

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like a two-party race than a three-party contest.

“The Liberals have considerable regional advantages in Quebec and Atlantic Canada but face a strong challenge from the Conservatives in Ontario and B.C. “Under the surface of these voting intentions lie two potential advantages for the Liberal Party. While party voting intentions show a one-point gap, preferred Prime Minister reveals a 16-point advantage for Mr. Trudeau over Mr. Scheer.

“The second potential advantage for the Liberals lies in their lead as a second choice in a market where almost half say they may change their mind before election day.

Among NDP, Green, and BQ voters, switching would tend to favour the Liberals over the Tories.

“The recent movements are a reminder that no outcome can safely be predicted based on current attitudes – they are but a snapshot of current conditions and tendencies.”

NDP 17% Gordon Brewerton Senior Group Publisher

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The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 5

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Trudeau’s policies are killing Estevan When I first came to Estevan 10 years ago, the mayor at the time explained to me that one of Estevan’s greatest strengths was that it had multiple key industries. It had agriculture, like pretty much all of Saskatchewan.

But it also had oil, coal and power generation.

That is an incredibly strong industrial base for any community, I would think, and so did he.

And now, three of those four principle industries are under direct threat and the fourth will not go unscathed, either. The villain here, in all these cases, is the climate change policies of the federal Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. That includes its intention to rid Canada of conventional coal-fired power production (despite hundreds of years of coal reserves), and the imposition of the carbon tax.

I spoke to one of the top real estate professional in town a few weeks ago.

She told me the value of homes in Estevan has dropped by about 25 per cent. She attributes half of that to the oil downturn, and the other half to what is going on with SaskPower. In other words, a very large part of the equity in our home, and the homes of most everyone else, has now been wiped out.

From the top of the pile

By Brian Zinchuk

brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net

In mid-December, new regulations for coal-fired power generation were gazetted, or formalized, if you were, by the federal government. They obliquely refer to the shutting down of Boundary Dam Power Station Units 4 and 5 by the end of 2019.

Each of those produces about 150 megawatts. We should also remember that Units 1 and 2, retired a few years ago, each produced 75 megawatts.

Using rough numbers, Boundary Dam used to produce almost 900 megawatts of power, give or take. It will soon be reduced to roughly half of that. While the approximately 300 megawatt Shand Power station is not affected, yet, the big question is, will it have to shut down at the end of 2029, or 2043? Right now it’s looking like 2029.

The Boundary Dam Unit 3 Carbon Capture and Storage Project promised to breath new life into coal. But it cost $1.5

Colin from Lakeland Library Headquarters recommends the book Führer, Folk and heck Fatherland: A Soldier’s It Out! Story by Douglas Wolfgang Oskar Gagel. “A unique perspective on World War Two from a perspective of a Lakeland Wehrmacht soldier who fought Library in both France and Russia,” An www.lakeland.lib.sk.ca excellent choice for those who are interested in hearing what it was like to be a World War Two soldier’”

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billion, and reduced the output to about 125-130 or so net megawatts. That should give Boundary Dam decades more usage.

Unit 3 is exempt from the 2019 and 2029. However, carbon capture and storage is not being implemented on Units 4 and 5, as had been broadly expected.

If it is to be put onto the Shand Power station, it won’t be complete until 2029.

SaskPower has been asking for an “equivalency agreement” which would allow it to spread its carbon capture reductions from BD3 across the fleet. This province has been asking since at least 2012 (including when both Stephen Harper and Brad Wall were in power, I might add). We still don’t have an answer. I am saying today, if we don’t have it by now, we never will. I hope I’m wrong.

Does anyone really expect three draglines, or any draglines, to be kept going, if Boundary Dam is reduced to just one unit, and if Shand is shut down in 2029? Probably not.

That would likely mean the end of coal mining in Estevan, something this community has done for over a century.

Additionally, oil is under assault by the Liberal government in numerous ways. Killing the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines were unforgiveable actions, which are

Will this massive plant, and its associated coal operations, be kept going if only one of its six units are in operation? Photo by Brian Zinchuk

now causing great pain.

A carbon tax, which will incrementally ratchet up over time, is just another nail in the coffin, for both oil and coal.

While there may be some exemptions from the carbon tax for some agricultural usage, that sector, too, will feel pain, like when semis are used to haul grain to market.

And who knows what the impact will be on inputs like fertilizer?

In Estevan, coal, power and oil and all inexorably linked. The coal is burned to create power, and some of the captured CO2 is used to produce more oil in the Weyburn unit through enhanced oil recovery.

If and when Estevan loses coal and power, it will lose a huge part of the community’s economy – some of the best paying, most stable parts of it.

Irreplaceable parts. No wonder I’ve been told my house has lost $100,000 in value. I should point out that’s $100,000 thus far.

There’s a lot more bleeding likely to come.

Small wonder then when a truck convoy protest was planned on a Thursday to take place less

than 48 hours later, 427 units came, not just from Estevan, but all around.

The Trudeau policies are not only threatening the wellbeing of Estevan, they are literally taking dollars of equity out of every person’s pocket, each and every day.

Let me be perfectly

clear: everyone in Estevan is becoming poorer, by the day, because of Trudeau.

That is why people are mad. And if they aren’t mad yet, they should be. Is your town next?

Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian. zinchuk@sasktel.net.

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Page 6 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

Regional News-Optimist

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

YEAR IN REVIEW

2018 at City Hall

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

It was a year of change at City Hall as key members of the city administration moved out of and in to North Battleford.

Moving on in May was City Manager Jim Puffalt. After four years in North Battleford, Puffalt was hired on to be city manager in Moose Jaw. The search for a fulltime replacement lasted well into the summer, until finally Randy Patrick was hired as the new city manager, with previous experience in Chestermere, Alta., and Thompson, Man. There was change in other key positions.

Director of Finance Amarjit Mahil left for a new opportunity and Steve Brown, formerly with the City of Prince Albert, was hired on to replace him.

As well, Cheryl DeNeire was hired on as the new Director of Leisure Services, replacing Bill Samborski.

Samborski retired in 2018 after serving the city for some 25 years.

The city also had people on work experience placements from Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs through their Joint Indigenous Employment Strategy, part of the ongoing Community Economic Development Initiative between BATC and the city.

Overall it was an interesting year for Mayor Ryan Bater and the city council, one much calmer than the year before as council was spared the upheaval caused by 2017’s provincial budget cuts.

The biggest item on the agenda in 2018 was preparing for the coming federal legalization of cannabis. Council made zoning bylaw amendments in preparation for two retail cannabis outlets selected through the lottery by Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. Among the zoning bylaw changes were provisions allowing cannabis retail outlets as a discretionary use in the C1 Downtown Com-

mercial, the C3 Arterial Commercial, the C3A Large Lot Arterial Commercial and C4 Regional Commercial Districts.

Minimum separation distances were set to prevent cannabis retailers from opening up to 225 metres from schools, libraries, recreation facilities and public parks. The bylaw also allowed cannabis production facilities as a permitted use in the M2 heavy industrial zone.

The preparations for the arrival of retail cannabis took several months, with surveys as well as a public hearing and an open house taking place.

Final passage of the bylaw amendments took place in June. Later on that year, the discretionary use applications were approved for the two retail cannabis outlets, both of which planned locations in the city’s “Yellow Sky” neighbourhood.

Yellow Sky was just one of several neighbourhoods unveiled in 2018 as the city finally rolled out its formalized neighbourhoods initiative.

The southeast was also a focus of the development of a master plan for that area. The “Yellow Sky Master Plan,” which called for 12 phases of development, was presented and approved at council in the fall.

The year 2018 also saw big developments come to the city. In June the city council authorized city administration to sell the remaining portion of Parcel E at 114th Street and Territorial Drive to a numbered company, for a new Holiday Inn. There were some wideranging changes to parking in 2018 as council brought in traffic bylaw amendments in July impacting the downtown.

The main change was more parking areas both on and off the street seeing two-hour time limits, enforced by the city’s community safety officers.

Finally, a major event took place on June 21 as the Treaty 6 flag was raised to its new permanent spot in front of City Hall.

The year in Indigenous news Staff 2018 was a year filled with news stories of interest to Indigenous people in the Battlefords and surrounding area.

A number of those stories were unpleasant. In particular, the not guilty verdict rendered in the Gerald Stanley murder trial was met with outrage from First Nations leaders.

Stanley was on trial in connection to the shooting death of Colten Boushie of Red Pheasant First Nation.

Leaders from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations were on hand for the trial and they were swift to condemn the verdict handed down on Feb. 9 in Battleford Queen’s Bench courthouse.

“What would you do if that was your child?“ asked FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron at a North Battleford media conference that night.

Boushie’s uncle, Alvin Baptiste, decried what he saw as a miscarriage of justice.

“The Indigenous people have been denied of justice today throughout Canada,” said Baptiste. “Our people are not going to wait another 150 years. We want equality right now. We want justice.”

North Battleford was one of the venues for nationwide demonstrations and protests against the Stanley verdict on Feb. 10. The demonstrations carried over to the lawn across from the Saskatchewan legislature, where tipis were set up to protest the treatment of Indigenous people. Debbie Baptiste, mother of Colten Boushie, was among those who joined the “Justice For Our Stolen Children” camp to lend her support.

Indigenous leaders voiced concern again following the coroner’s inquest into the death of Brydon Whitstone, completed in December at Battleford.

Whitstone was shot twice by an RCMP member on Oct. 21, 2017 in North Battleford. The jury

ruled the manner of death to be “undetermined” – a verdict that left lawyers for Whitstone’s family dissatisfied.

“What we’ve seen over the past week gives us pause over the investigation into the shooting of Brydon Whitstone,” said lawyer Stephanie Lavallee to reporters at the end of the inquest. She called for the investigation to “be reopened and done by actual objective non-police investigators.”

While those stories highlighted the serious issues faced by Indigenous people in 2018, there were also more positive stories during the year as well: Philip Favel of Sweetgrass First Nation, one of Canada’s oldest surviving veterans, celebrated his 96th birthday with a visit from Gen. Jonathan Vance, Canadian Armed Forces Chief of the Defence Staff, and Perry Bellegarde, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, at his home in recognition of his service to the country. Favel had served as a private with the Canadian forces in Europe during the war.

North Battleford City Hall continued their efforts in 2018 to reach out and forge partnerships with the surrounding First Nations.

Those efforts included the taking on of work placements from Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs during the summer, as well as meetings involving Mayor Ryan Bater with surrounding First Nations Chiefs.

A big moment happened on June 21, National Indigenous People’s Day, when the Treaty 6 flag was raised to its permanent place at City Hall. The flag raising took place in front of civic officials, Indigenous leaders, elders and veterans, and many onlookers interested in witnessing the historic occasion.

Wayne Semaganis, chief of Little Pine First Nation, called the flagraising, and the holding of the meetings between the city and neighbouring chiefs, a good first

General Jonathan Vance, Canadian Armed Forces Chief of the Defence Staff, presented a gift to Philip Favel of Sweetgrass First Nation on his 96th birthday. News-Optimist photo

step.

“As we move ahead, I am glad to see the leaders of Battleford and North Battleford meeting with the chiefs of the surrounding reserves, because there is a lot of housekeeping we have to do. There has been a lot of neglect in our relationship ... We’ve been excluded for far too long and it’s time that we step up as good neighbours, because basically that’s what treaty is, it’s a good neighbour policy to acknowledge how we’re going to live together, how we’re going to share the future.”

There was some other interesting news involving Little Pine First Nation: in February they celebrated the grand opening of their new band office.

Little Pine also saw the establishment of a security force on the reserve to deal with crime issues on Little Pine and Poundmaker reserves. They conducted their first round of patrols Feb. 16, and the force could be a possible prelude to the establishment of an independent police force there.

Later in 2018, the casino project Little Pine was involved with, Gold Horse

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron at a media conference at the Gerald Stanley murder trial. Photo by Averil Hall

Casino in Lloydminster, opened to the public in December.

There were honours presented to Chief Poundmaker Museum in 2018; they won an award from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada recognizing the museum’s gallery space and indoor exhibits.

There was news about continuing efforts to secure heritage designations for Battlefords Industrial School cemetery in 2018.

The site was granted status as a municipal heritage site and efforts continued to make it a provincial heritage site as well. A walk in memory of those who were buried at the cemetery took place in May. A new approach to improve First Nations student engagement took place at Cando Community School in 2018. Instead of the usual parent-teacher meetings, students were included in the process as they presented their work on poster boards in the school’s gymnasium. The meetings were called student-led conferences (SLC).

“Students come in with their family members and they celebrate their learning together, so it’s kind of a nice new way of doing it and keeping the kids engaged,” said principal Jennifer Larocque in April.

Finally, Kendal Netmaker was back in the news in 2018.

The business entrepreneur from Sweetgrass First Nation and founder of the Neechie Gear clothing line had a new book out, Driven to Succeed: From Poverty to Podium - A First-Nation Success Story.

In that book Netmaker offered his five steps to success, which Netmaker called a “five-step system for anyone who’s stuck right now, feeling like they are in a rut and need to get out of it.”

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 7

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

YEAR IN REVIEW

2018 in construction

of the Battlefords

By John Cairns

MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY TO THE WORLD

Staff Reporter

The year 2018 was tremendous for construction activities in the Battlefords.

Both Battleford and North Battleford saw spikes in building permits issued. At the end of October, North Battleford had issued 117 permits for $24,287,100, almost $7 million ahead of their total for the year before.

Meanwhile, Battleford had seen even higher permit values, with their numbers boosted by a $20 million permit issued for the Thunderchild First Nation cannabis production facility. The 115,000 square foot facility is being developed

by Westleaf Cannabis Inc. on Thunderchild’s land just off of Highway 16.

The other major construction news from Battleford in 2018 was the long-awaited final act in the restoration of the historic post office building on 22nd Street, as Canada Post officially reopened for business at the location in June.

In other building activities in 2018, North Battleford saw construction move forward on the long-awaited new Magic Lantern four-screen movie theatre at the corner of 11th Avenue and 102nd Street.

As well, 1121-102nd Street saw construction activity on what will be a new Giant Tiger location in the city. The indication is the North Battleford location will open on May 18, 2019.

A new hotel was completed in 2018: the Comfort Inn and Suites on Carlton Trail. The 105-room hotel accepted its first guests during its soft opening during the summer, and held its grand opening in October.

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A new Comfort Inn opened in North Battleford 2018 and a Holiday Inn began construction nearby. NewsOptimist photo

While one new hotel is done, another new hotel is going up. The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Hotel began construction this fall.

A sod turning also took place in 2018 as construction began on an eight room co-housing project in North Battleford, backed by the federal and provincial governments and the Battlefords Indian and Metis Friendship Centre.

North Battleford also saw notable demolition activity in 2018, as the building that housed the former Longhorn Steakhouse, as well as the adjoining building north of that location, came down in December.

The biggest construction project of them all in the Battlefords has just about made it to the finish line. The new Saskatchewan Hospital and integrated correctional facility opened up to public tours this fall, as people could see for themselves the almost-finished building with its 284 rooms.

All that was left was to move in the new furniture as well as the patients from the old Saskatchewan Hospital. That process of transferring patients and staff was ongoing as the year ended, and a grand opening is expected sometime

in the new year.

As for the old hospital, the province held an open house in late August outlining their future plans.

Demolition seems the likely final fate of the old building, though the Battlefords North West Historical Society is proposing a walking trail and preservation of various elements of the old hospital site.

Overall, it has been a booming year of construction. In speaking to reporters in September, North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater was buoyant about the construction activities happening in the Battlefords.

“I have been stopped by so many people, I’ve received emails, people telling me how great the downtown looks, how exciting it is to see so much construction downtown, construction in the southeast quadrant,” said Bater.

“The whole city is seeing development right now, and it’s an amazing time to be here. This is during a time when most of the province is still in an economic downturn.”

He added the development activity was “really lifting the spirits of the people here, and I’m loving it, I’d like to see more of it.”

391 2nd St W, Glaslyn 980 sq. ft.

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Lloyd Ledinski MLS®SK739826

Randall Cote MLS®SK746739

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4 40 Acres

Attractive acreage with 40 acres of land just 5 KM from North Battleford. Gorgeous 1,841 sq. ft. home. Kitchen cabinets painted, marble countertops, spacious dining area and main floor laundry. Cozy living room with gas fireplace and acreage views. Basement has bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette and in-floor heat. Double car garage with in-floor heat. 2,856 sq. ft. shop with in-floor heat, 2 boilers (2012). Well, septic tank and nicely landscaped yard. Cared for throughout the years with maintenance and many upgrades.

Dorothy Lehman MLS®SK755521

$659,000

RM of Manitou Lake 2,124 sq. ft.

3

3

RM of Cut Knife 1,395 sq. ft.

3

2 10 Acres

The home has a functional kitchen and dining area with a partial wall separating it from the open living room. A picture window looks out onto the front deck, ideal for lounging and taking in the scenery. The three bedrooms are located at the north end of the home, all in close proximity to the 4 piece bathroom. Downstairs there is a cold storage room, utility room, and two large rec rooms, one of which could be converted into another bedroom. Come and appreciate all the space and amenities this acreage has to offer!

28x28 double car detached garage and a 80x40 curved shed.

$229,000

Brennan Veikle MLS®SK755092

151-1st Avenue West, Battleford 1,402 sq. ft.

4

2

1 CAR DETACHED

2001 built bungalow situated on 9.99 acres of natural prairie located within 12 kms of Lashburn and 14 kms from Neilburg. Spacious foyer with mudroom and direct entry to garage. Vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan make for a great space for entertaining. Beautiful kitchen, living room and dining room feature views of sunsets, country and the wildlife. Beautiful landscapes adorned by rocks capes, mature trees, native grasslands, and peaceful evening sunsets to add to the serenity of this property. Propane tank (rented), septic is pump out, Well is 200ft deep with pump set at 80ft (Elk point drilling), Hydrant at well.

100 amp power with newly added power generator hook up to exterior power service box.(transfer switch).

Curb appeal and close to the river this mint condition home features beautiful hardwood flooring in the living room, spacious bedrooms, 2 full baths and main floor laundry. The lower level features a family room, computer area, bedroom, full bath, den and extra-large storage/utility room. Back yard deck with privacy and gravel area behind the garage would allow for out-of-sight storage.

Nicole Lovell MLS®SK754422

Marlene Kotchorek MLS®SK741056

$448,000

408 Jorgensens Junction, Turtle Lake 1,264 sq. ft.

2

1

2 CAR DETACHED

Kayla Petersen MLS®SK752226

$749,900

Located in the Evergreen Acres sub-division of Turtle Lake this waterfront hideaway has all the amenities of a year round home or a for a weekend retreat. The kitchen, dining and living area is open concept with original log construction, wood panel ceiling and fireplace. Custom kitchen cabinets and entertainment built-ins compliment the space. Sleeping is arranged with two bedrooms on the main floor and a large loft space. Enjoy the outdoors with a wrap-around deck, well treed area and hot tub! This home is a must see and your own oasis. This property is serviced with year round potable water and a septic tank that pumps out to a public lagoon.

RM of Spiritwood

Pasture package includes 312 acres of titled land, along with an additional 1776 acres of lease land that is available and transferrable to the new owner. Seller states that there are 210 acres that was used as hay land, it has been 10 years since this was cut and baled, so needs to be worked and re-seeded. There are 70 acres of slough hay that has been baled each year. Seller states that the land could handle 260/pr with some additional fencing on the south side of the road. Currently they run 200/pr only using the north portion of the land. Home half section also includes an older 5BD, 3BA home that requires some TLC, small barn, chicken coop, and a work shop. Home is heated with wood, and propane, spring fed 30 ft well. Rolling hills, private location, scenic riding trails.

Shawna Schira-Kroeker MLS®SK747115

22 16th Street, Battleford 1,233 sq. ft.

5

3

The main floor offers a large kitchen and dining room area with garden doors to the deck that overlooks the back yard. The main floor also has a large living room with a bow window, three good sized bedrooms, a four piece bath and an ensuite. The lower level has a huge family room that runs the length of the house, two large bedrooms, laundry room, and a utility room with a newer furnace and water heater. Outside you will find a 24 x 26 double car garage, large driveway, and a neatly kept yard with raspberry bushes. Call today for more info.

Shane / Elaine MLS®SK752825

$349,900

$329,900

$700,000

475 2nd Ave, Meota 1,276 sq. ft.

4

3

Thinking about living at the lake? Then do not miss out on viewing this beautiful home located in the Village of Meota, only 20 min from North Battleford. This 1276 sq. ft. executive year round home was built in 2009 and is in immaculate condition. It features a large open living space with large windows throughout, providing plenty of natural light. The property is very nicely landscaped and there is a double attached garage.

Don’t miss out on an opportunity of a life time. Call for more nformation.

Shane / Elaine MLS®SK752727

$429,900

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10321 Henderson Drive 1,375 sq. ft.

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Three bedroom year-round bungalow located on a leased lot in Brightsand Lake Regional Park. This home sale includes fridge, stove, 1 yr old washer and dryer, all furniture, 4 storage sheds, 2 with power, riding lawn mower, 75 watt gen set and some tools. 3 yr lease at $480 per yr, taxes $584 per yr. Water supply is from a well on the property.

Open concept, featuring a kitchen with cherry alder cupboards, granite countertops and island. Large living room with a gorgeous stone natural gas fireplace; perfect for cold nights. Walk out the garden doors onto the deck and look at the landscaped, well-manicured yard with UGSS on timers and independent water lines to each shrub, talk about convenience! Lower level features lots of natural light and a large family room. So many quality finishes in this home including stainless steel appliances, high end lighting, triple glaze windows, Central Air, Central Vac, BI surround sound and much more!

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Brett Payne MLS®SK746150

$224,900

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ION DATE: December 19, 2018 4:03 PM OUTPUT DATE: 11/10/18 DESCRIPTION:

We Hear You JANUARY

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Lloyd Ledinski REALTOR®

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

Regional News-Optimist

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

Ukrainian Christmas Sunday, January 7, 2019

Lloyd Ledinski 306-446-8800 1981-100th Street North Battleford

218 - 22 St. W., Battleford, 306-937-2642

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Happy Holidays from

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Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 9

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

Ukrainian Christmas Sunday January 7, 2019

781 - 110th Street North Battleford

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The Battlefords Constituency

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Biggar/Sask Valley Constituency

1991 - 100th Street North Battleford, SK S9A 0X2

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Page 10 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

Regional News-Optimist

A year in the life of a freelance photographer We asked freelance photographer Averil Hall to pick the top six photos she has shot for us this year and tell us about each one so our readers can get a sense of how wideranging a photographer’s job runs – from shooting lighthearted, colourful events on a sunny day to documenting stark tragedy under extreme conditions. As busy as Hall was in 2018, picking out her top six was a tall order. Here’s what she came up with.

The trial that found a Biggar area man not guilty of seconddegree murder in the death of Colten Boushie was the top news story of our end-of-year poll, and it’s where freelance photographer Averil Hall finds her top photo – defendant Gerald Stanley leaving the steps of the courthouse in Battleford on the second day of deliberations by the jury. The photo appeared online on Jan. 30, 2018. Hall says, “This court case was where I found my ‘voice’ so to speak. I had to speak out and ask for the interviews even though there were other reporters from the bigger news agencies. This is where I started taking the videos when John Cairns, NewsOptimist reporter, was not available.” Hall was working in harsh weather conditions – long days in the bitter cold stationed outside the courthouse – but she persisted. “I had a goal to not only get statements from the Boushie supporters but Gerald Stanley supporters.” Boushie family and supporters were often vocal, but not so Stanley family and supporters. “No one wanted to give statements, and if they did, they didn’t want to leave their name.”

Hall’s number four pick reflects another type of assignment. The conditions weren’t easy, but it was much less serious. “Getting Spooked at Fort Battleford” appeared on Page 26, Nov 1. She says, “It would be difficult to take photos in the dark in the various buildings of Fort Battleford. I asked if I could use a flash when there was a moment without guests. The volunteers did one better and held back the guests so I could grab some pictures. I did stipulate not to scare me. The volunteers were really good at that request except one person didn’t get the message and scared me and I jumped. I, in turn, scared another volunteer.”

Pick five was about as far away from the gruel of a murder trial as one can get, but it had its own logistical challenges. “Happy Canada Day” was featured on Pages 6 and 7, July 5.

Hall says, “This Canada Day had threats of rain. I tried to get the photos from as many venues as possible according to the events’ start times and avoiding the rain.

The day found me driving from the Provincial Park to Fort Battleford, to Meota and back to North Battleford for the fireworks late at night. I tried to take a variety of photos to show the fun and excitement everyone had on that day.”

Hon. Scott Moe, Premier MLA for Rosthern-Shellbrook scottmoe.mla@sasktel.net 1-855-793-3422

Randy Weekes

MLA for Biggar-Sask Valley

randyweekes.mla@accesscomm.ca 1-877-948-4880

News Optimist Ad, Dec. 20, 2018.indd 1

Top pick number two also comes from the Gerald Stanley trial. It was the front page photo of our Feb 13, 2018, issue, along with her photo of the bereft mother of Colten Boushie leaving the courthouse just moments later. Hall says, “There was word after the verdict that Gerald Stanley may leave the courthouse at the side. I stood waiting in the cold weather (-20 something with some wind) to get the picture. I made sure my settings on the camera were just right.” When the moment came, it happened quickly. She had a small window in which to capture the two ends of the spectrum in an emotional and divisive event. “All of a sudden [Stanley] and an officer came running out to the awaiting truck. I had just seconds to get the shot. I grabbed the shot and then ran around to the front and was able to get the shot of Debbie Baptiste coming out the front door in tears.”

Hall’s third pick also comes from the results of a tragic event, the fatal shooting of a man by RCMP in North Battleford. An inquest into the death was held in November in Battleford. The photo of a tearful Dorothy Laboucane in front of the courthouse giving an emotional statement to reporters about her son Brydon Whitstone appeared online on Dec. 5.

Hall says, “This was the third day of the inquest and so far I wasn’t able to get a good picture of Dorothy as she covered her face every time she went into the courthouse.” Hall’s determination helped facilitate the statement Laboucane made after the testimony of the RCMP member who shot her son. “I talked to the victim service agent and one of the lawyers for the Whitstone family, Stephanie Lavallee, mentioning that I would like to get a good picture for the newspaper. They talked to Dorothy and she agreed to give a statement after the testimony of Cst. Abbott. I tried to capture the grief she was feeling.”

Hall’s sixth pick is a photo that accompanied a story she herself facilitated.

“Family struggles with suicides, frustrated with lack of support” appeared on the front page April 12. Cherie Hamilton and her son Kyle are friends of Hall’s. There had been three suicide deaths in her family already when Hamilton’s own son attempted to take his life. The family was frustrated that mental health professionals had little help for them. “Kyle started a Facebook Group to help others who may be going through the same struggles,” says Hall. “They agreed to talk to Jayne Foster and myself. They shared their struggles with the lack of support and the long wait times.”

Saskatchewan’s population continued to grow in 2018, marking our longest sustained period of population growth since quarterly records started being kept in 1971.

Our government will continue working hard to stand up for Saskatchewan and all of its 1,165,903 residents to ensure it’s a great place to live, work and raise a family.

To learn more visit Saskatchewan.ca

Herb Cox

MLA for The Battlefords

herbcox@sasktel.net 306-445-5195

Larry Doke

MLA for Cut Knife - Turtleford larrydoke@sasktel.net 306-893-2619

12/20/2018 4:24:15 PM

Regional News-Optimist

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The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 11

The Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra (above left) and the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Jazz Band (above right) delight the Dekker Centre audience.

SJO and NBCHS delight Dekker Centre audience

By Jayne Foster Editor

The Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra offered up classic and modern/contemporary arrangements of holiday classics to help “swing” audiences into the holiday spirit at the Dekker Centre earlier this month. The audience response was enthusiastic and included

members of the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Jazz Band, who had a chance to perform as well.

The Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra is committed to presenting the highest caliber professional large jazz ensemble music through its programming and through the featuring of local and nationa l ly/i nter nation-

ally celebrated jazz talent.

Artistic Director Dean McNeill told the Dekker Centre audience another thing SJO is committed to is encouragement and support of the upcoming generation of musicians in Saskatchewan.

When the group goes on the road, he explained, they often ask local youth musicians to perform, just

as they asked the NBCHS Jazz Band to play at their Dekker Centre performance. He described the NBCHS ensemble as a wonderful group of musicians.

He also had words of praise for band teacher Jackie Kroczinski.

McNeill, who is married to a band teacher, said, “I have an enormous amount of admiration and respect for all teachers, but music teachers, fine arts teachers … they are very special. They put on public display what they do in the classroom, which generally doesn’t happen to someone teaching geography or math.”

He added, “They generally don’t enjoy something called ‘lunch’ because at lunchtime they are doing this!”

Music teachers are special people who make a big

difference in the community, said McNeill.

“It’s a gigantic, audacious job, and I’ve seen Jackie working so hard with these students – she’s always bringing them to Saskatoon to be at music festivals – she’s carrying on a long tradition of other people I admire so much like Gene Aulinger.

He said, “You have really great teachers in your community, and Jackie is one of them, so be nice to them.”

McNeill also addressed Canadians’ tendency toward self-denigration.

“There’s a misconception in cities large and small that people who are doing their thing in the community are ‘local’ talent. ‘How good could it be?

It’s here, right?’ And Canadians are particularly bad at thinking that way,” said McNeill.

Better Plan Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Dean McNeill performs a solo.

Better Life...

He pointed to the NBCHS Jazz Band as an example. He also pointed to the Dekker Centre as an example of things the Battlefords should be proud of.

“You have something in this community we don’t have in Saskatoon and we are very envious – this beautiful, beautiful building.”

He complimented the staff as being great to work with and the venue as a world class facility.

“It’s such a pleasure to play here,” said McNeill.

“Thank you for that.”

The SJO brought the Christmas classic The Nutcracker Suite to life in the style of famous jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, and featured Saskatoon vocalist Jessica Robinson over three-city tour that started with North Battleford Dec. 13 and going on to Moose Jaw and Saskatoon.

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Vocalist Jessica Robinson joined the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra for a three-city tour that started with North Battleford Dec. 13.

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Former Battlefords resident Paul Suchan visited with friends during the intermission. Suchan is a composer, arranger and entertainer who returns to the Battlefords each summer to conduct the jazz component of Summer School for the Solo Voice founded by Lisa Hornung. Photos by Jayne Foster

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Page 12 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

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Lights at the lake winners announced

By Lorna Pearson Correspondent

There were still a few players out for duplicate bridge on Dec. 20 in the city. High score went to Margaret Dyck and Dave Creegan, second to Catriona Winterholt and Donna Scherman and third were Cletus Scherman and David Sharpe.

Loss of two more pioneers in the Belbutte area are John French on Dec. 17, six days after his 80th birthday, and Ivan Berg on Dec. 24 at 91 years.

From Shell Lake, the loss of one of their long-time teachers (32 years) was Frank Zawada, on Dec. 19.

He married a Spiritwood girl, Jean Atkinson, and they retired from Shell Lake to Saskatoon in 2013.

My Christmas holiday was enlightened by my second daughter Beth and Norm Wynne coming for a few days from Taber, Alta.

We spent one afternoon in

M

eota News

Lloydminster with granddaughters Shari and Lori Pearson, their fellows and families, one nice afternoon visiting my niece in Edam, Elaine and Gary Poole. They were home for two weeks from Yuma, Ariz., over Christmas.

Canasta was played Dec. 28 at the Do Drop In with top score going to Dave Ottas and Bev McCrimmon and second were Linda Ard and Marion Ottas. Not a big crowd but lots of laughs and food.

The Lions Christmas Lighting competition, judged Dec. 20, was won

by Maurice and Florence Bru, second were Maurice and Sylvia Duhaime and third were Doug and Betty Puff. Congratulations to

each and everyone who did put up lights to make the village sparkle and shine.

Also to the workers who put up the pretty streetlights. It is appreciated by everyone driving around and we know it is a lot of work.

My cousin from England has spent a month in Moscow where her husband received medical treatment for MS. She has an app on her cell phone that translates Russian to English – crucial in restaurants and travelling on buses etc. While he was in isolation for 10 days she was free to play tourist and she did.

The time for the Wednesday morning ‘Coffee and Baking’ is 8:30-11 a.m. Drop in and join your neighbor for a relaxing time.

Next shuffleboard tournament will be Jan. 12.

Call Linda Ard to get your name on the slate of players. These are proving to

be quite pleasant days with lots of laughs, good potluck food and some surprisingly good plays, considering no one ever practices. So if you’ve thought of trying this, give her a call.

The next meeting of the Do Drop In is Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m. followed by a potluck lunch – which is always great!

The Meota Curling Club is promising to have some action there this winter. The first bonspiel is an Open Sturling Spiel on Jan. 5. Get your name in by Jan. 3. Let’s get some reports after these spiels, as people are interested in how it’s all going.

Another cancer victim has passed in Victoria, B.C., with the loss of Valerie Wouters on Dec. 27.

Val was only 68 years old, too young. She grew up at Edam so was well known there.

The snowfall Saturday night would have been about 5-6 inches, enough

Hosta of the Year – ‘Lakeside Paisley Print’

Battlefords Boys & Girls CLUB January at the Club • Our Main Site Drop-In Program operates Monday to Friday from 3:30pm to 8:30pm and Saturdays from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Our Satellite Site Programs are available at Bready and EMBM Schools Monday to Friday from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Don’t forget, we now offer a Before-School Program at Bready School!

• If you’re looking for something to do on Saturdays, join us for our Innovation Credit Union Saturday Program where you’ll play, bake and do some crafts!

• Visit us on our website and Facebook page for more programming information.

• Our Main Site will be CLOSED from December 22, 2018 to January 6, 2019. Regular office hours and programing will resume on January 7, 2019.

• Our Hockey Program starts Sunday, January 6th at the Don Ross Arena.

• Early dismissal is January 16th and all our After-School Programs will be open early, so head to our programming as soon as you’re done school!

• Plan now for the February winter break! Our Main Site will now be offering 8am to 6pm programming. No pre-registration required, meals and snacks are provided and it’s FREE for our members.

• Snacks continue to be provided at all of our sites; however, if a child does not want what is provided, feel free to send a snack to their liking.

• We are pleased to continue to offer our Supper Program; however, this year we will be offering it 5 days a week!

We’d like to send a huge THANK YOU to our Supper Program Donors and Sponsors!

• As a reminder, our hours of operation are as follows: • Office: Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 3:30pm • Drop-In Program: Monday to Friday, 3:30pm – 8:30pm and Saturday, 1:00pm – 4:00pm • EMBM After-School Program: Monday to Friday, 3:30pm – 5:30pm • Bready Before-School Program: Monday to Friday, 7:30am – 8:30am • Bready After-School Program: Monday to Friday, 3:30pm – 5:30pm.

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news-optimist Serving the Battlefords since 1908

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where they will be in shade at least during mid-day. A rule of thumb is that the greener the leaf, the more shade they can tolerate; conversely, the yellower the leaf, the more light they require for adequate photosynthesis.

Hostas are water lovers and receive up to 60 inches of precipitation in their native habitat, double what can be expected here on the Prairies. Hostas in full sun, those competing with shallow-rooted shrubs or other perennials, or under a dense tree canopy will need extra water to thrive.

When planting, amend the soil well with peatmoss or compost to maintain adequate soil moisture. And after planting, cover the soil with four inches of organic mulch (e.g. bark, wood chips, compost, or coarse

‘Lakeside Paisley Print’ hosta. Photo by Bob Solberg

peat). This will help to conserve moisture, control weeds, keep the soil cool during the heat of summer, and protect the root zone from extreme winter lows.

Hostas can be moved and divided during most of the growing season until early August (4-6 weeks before frost). The best time is in early spring just as their leaves start to push out of the ground, when the rolled up, purplish pointy leaf buds are only about an inch or so long. The next best time is after the young leaves have ‘toughened up’ in midsummer when they are less Your curiosity fuels our commitment to keep you prone to damage. The later informed on local news, events and businesses. you wait, they more water Together, we make a community that’s connected they’ll require to become every minute at newsoptimist.ca re-established. Dig at least and every Thursday in your four inches beyond the edge The Battlefords Regional NEWS-OPTIMIST of the clump to get as much 0 6-430 06-44 roots as possible. of 3the s rd Gently AN off excess soil foshake WE C7 e l YOU! t 0wash ELP H7 and the soil off at even m 6 B co al ewith4a5 hose. g. n o h i in Start by dividg b T 4 lum 6- the ds Re r kp 0 o ing clump in half.

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that it had to be moved about. I was pleased to see someone with a bobcat move my snow away after I had it off the sidewalk and away from the car. The vil-

We’re HERE because YOU’RE here.

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strap-like. They vary in their hardiness and shade tolerances – from nearly full sun to dappled shade.

They come with or without noticeable fragrance and in a range of prices. With so much choice, how do

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Cream flower stalks loaded with light lavender flowers can reach 24 inches high in mid-summer. Hardy to USDA zone 3, it tolerates part-sun to shade.

Other recent winners include ‘World Cup’ (2018), ‘Brother Stephan’ (2017), ‘Curly Fries’ (2016), ‘Victory’ (2015) and ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ (2014).

One of the past winners that features prominently in my front yard is ‘Patriot’ (1997), a medium-sized hosta with white-edged leaves and dark green centres. One of its outstanding features is its excellent sun tolerance.

General hosta care: Unless you know otherwise, assume hostas are sunshy and should be planted

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There are thousands of hosta cultivars: from dwarfs of only a few inches in height and spread to giants that can be a few feet tall and wide (even taller when in flower). Some have green, blue, yellow or variegated (yellow, cream, or white with green or multiple shades of green) leaves.

Leaves vary from heartshaped to long, narrow and

you decide which hostas to grow in your garden?

The American Hosta Growers Association (www.hostagrowers.org) can help. Since 1996, they have showcased a Hosta of the Year that is dependable, widely available and moderately priced. 2019’s hosta is ‘Lakeside Paisley Print.’

Introduced in 2011 by Mary Chastain, ‘Lakeside Paisley Print’ is a mediumsized hosta, reaching 10 inches high with a 20-inch spread. Slightly puckered, variegated, heart-shaped leaves have moderately green wavy margins. The variegation appears painted on, with a central yellow stripe with lighter green and yellow streaks feathering out from the leaf base.

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By Erl Svendsen

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

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Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 13

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Year rounds out with special concerts, services

By Lorraine Olinyk Correspondent

Fielding Wildlife Federation held their annual meeting and horn measuring on Dec. 7 at Maymont Hall. Winners were: white tail deer typical - Kim Waterhouse at 133 0/8; youth non typical – Abigail Roth at 180 6/8; men’s typical - Darcy Wood at 140 4/8.

Mule deer non-typical for the men was Ken Rebeyka at 211 0/8. Elk was shot

by Adam Pain at 216 2/8, moose by Cheyanne Roth at 86 4/8, and pronghorn antelope by Dale Roth measuring 69 0/8.

Borden School presented A Wonderfully Wintery Christmas Concert on Dec. 20 in the Borden Community Centre. The Busy Bees Preschool sang and acted out Snowflakes Falling, A Christmas Cheer and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Grade 2 and 3 class sang T’was the Day Before Christmas Break and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, then Kindergarten and Grade 1, in costumes, recited Christmas Poem and sang and acted out We’re Icicles and Snowflakes. The Grade 4 and 5 Arts Ed class did a dance/drama All I Want for Christmas. Grade 7 and 8 acted out a play while two boys narrated How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Grade 4 and 5 class, with Mrs. Claus narrating the story, acted out T’was The Night Before Christmas.

The High School Drama Club acted out the play A Story in Peril. Everyone gathered on stage to sing

B

Busy Bees Preschool singing at Borden Concert with Max helping out.

Photos by Lorraine Olinyk

orden& Radisson

We Wish You a Merry Christmas while Santa arrived to hand out gifts to all the preschoolers and the students all exchanged gifts.

Two special church services were held in Borden on Dec. 23with the Riverbend Fellowship holding one in the Friendship Club Room in the morning, with a puppet show for the children, the Christmas Story read

by Dorothy Whitbread and the men leading in singing the carols, with Ron Mills playing guitar and Ruby Wall the piano.

The children sang a song using hand puppets. In the evening Rev Sheldon Carr and Gayle Wensley led a Christmas Eve Service at St. John’s Anglican Church, with the singing of carols, decorating the bare branch Jesse Tree with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus while Brenda Tumbach read the story of the birth.

Bible readings were done

by Bonnie Milman and Gayle Wensley, prayers by Ron Mills and Gayle and Sheldon gave the inspiring message. Were You There on That Christmas Night? was sung by Pamela Pidwerbesky and Gayle Wensley while Sharon played the piano. Holy Communion was led

by Sheldon with Gayle assisting. Everyone lit their candles while singing What Child is This? After

Kindergarten and Grade 1 singing at the Borden concert.

A scene from the play T’was the Night Before Christmas, narrated by Mrs. Claus.

closing with Silent Night, everyone enjoyed beverages and dainties in the lower

Medstead rings in New Year

By Corrina Murdoch Correspondent

The closure of one year and beginning of another give leave to review the events of 2018. Medstead has shown its many draws, from art, participation in the ‘Journey of Creativity’ and hosting renowned fiddle champion, to its sporting success, from track and field to volleyball. Locals have shown their charity through events like the successful Telemiracle fundraiser and pancake breakfasts rallying behind the Humboldt tragedy.

The school saw a win with the successful conclusion of the fundraiser in 2018 wherein the school raised over $20,000.

Showing their forward thinking, Medstead acted as host to the ‘International Women’s Day’ event and representing its great outdoors hosting the Cater Lake awards. The year as a whole held a number of triumphs reflecting the many facets of the Medstead area.

A busy week led to a high-energy finale as an inspiring sporting event came to the Medstead

M

edstead News

arena. In an occasion put on by the Medstead and District Recreation Association (MADRA), the Glaslyn North Stars came to the village to play the Medstead hockey team.

The Medstead Royals – Kirby Kroeker, Darcy Loewen, Lorne Long, Brad Sankey, Kent Jesse, Kevin Anderson, Greg Knot, Trevor Short, Derek Moore, Murray Short, Corey Penner, Curtis Moore, Dave Lange and Marvin Soderberg – donned their blue jerseys and played the puck for the three 25-minute periods. The two goalies, Mervyn Seidle and Woody Cherwoniak, made a solid performance against the team in green.

Hundreds crowded the Medstead arena to cheer on the Royals, a team coached by Dave Garner, with honorary captain Ron Pauls. Kelly Schneider acted as master of ceremonies, broadcasting lively announcements, and

engaging an enthusiastic audience. When the final bell rang, the scoreboard showed 10-3 in favour of the Glaslyn North Stars.

The friendly spirit of the game melded with the energy of the cheering crowd as good sportsmanship made for a successful event.

Medstead acted as host to another hockey game Dec. 28 between the Spiritwood Timberwolves and the Meota Combines. The games led to an energetic festivity at the village hall in an enthusiastic salutation to the Fridays of 2018.

The finishing celebration, Medstead’s New Year’s Eve event at Ubettcha’s Tavern, scheduled FrankN’Barry for 9 p.m. leading up to the countdown.

As the year gains momentum, school-goers have long-favoured activities to look forward to, including bus to swim and food Fridays. The school notes intentions to, in the new year, conduct another round of ‘Chase the Ace’.

Students and parents alike prepare for their return on Jan. 7 and the events it has in store.

hall. St. John’s had many poinsettias decorating the church, which had been placed there by families in memory of loved ones.

Friday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a soup and sandwich luncheon in the Borden Friendship Centre. It is hosted by the Anglican,

United and Riverbend Fellowship Churches and is in support of the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Rick Block, from CFGB, will be speaking on the work of the CFGB in Canada and the world. Everyone is welcome to attend and support this worthwhile cause.

Winning the Enchanted

Forest pass at the Borden Library Tea on Dec. 21 was Gayle Wensley and winning poinsettias at Affinity Credit Union were Stella Hawryluk and Art Flath. The large basket of goodies raffled by the Borden Community Centre Committee went to Greg Worona.

306-445-3757 10020 Thatcher Avenue, North Battleford

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Treatment helps keep their coat in good shape for the winter and improves weight gains in young animals.

Page 14 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

Regional News-Optimist

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sports Share of division lead eludes North Stars

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

A share of the division lead slipped from the grasp of the Battlefords North Stars this weekend at the Civic Centre.

They had led 2-1 in the third period of their game against the Kindersley Klippers, but the Klippers tied the game in regulation and then won it on an overtime goal by Kyle Bosch less than a minute into the extra period, for a 3-2 win.

It was a stunning end to a weekend that had held so much promise for the North Stars. A regulation win would have meant a tie for first place at 48 points apiece, but as coach Brayden Klimosko said afterwards, it was not to be.

“You don’t have to be first place in December, that means nothing anyway,” said Klimosko, pointing to the fact that it was where you stood at the end of the season that counted the most.

Despite the defeat there were lots of positives to point to. The North Stars had performed well in their two games against Kindersley, even with the loss of both Quintin and Elijah Loon-Stewardson and

Braydon Buziak from the lineup due to the flu bug.

“We can compete with anyone. I think that is one thing you can take away,” said Klimosko. “Guys stepped up, guys like [Brett] Gammer were really good for us these last couple of days.”

With a 4-2 win in Kindersley the night before and with the overtime result Saturday, the North Stars earned three out of a possible four points up for grabs against the Klippers.

Unfortunately, the Klippers also got two of those four points, which means their division lead now stands at three over the North Stars as the teams enter the new year.

The weekend results also moved the North Stars ahead of their division rivals the Humboldt Broncos, who had parted with their head coach Nathan Oystrick on Friday.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” said Klimosko.

Hopefully we get a couple days off here and get to work next weekend.”

North Stars 4 Kindersley 2

In the Friday night contest on the road, the North Stars took control by building a 3-0 lead. It started

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Kindersley 3 North Stars 2 (OT)

The North Stars got on the board first with a power play goal by Regan Doig from Owen Lamb at the 6:37 mark of period

North Stars react to Regan Doig’s first goal of the game versus Kindersley Saturday. Photos by John Cairns

Joel Grzybowski was a big reason the North Stars performed so well against the Klippers, earning the club three points despite being outshot in both games.

one. But Kindersley tied it 1-1 on the goal from Clay Keeley from Noah Bankowski and Caden Benson.

In period two the North Stars re-took the lead as Urbanski got his 15th of the season from Noah Form. But in the third period Josh Fletcher’s goal tied it from Tyler Traptow at 11:49.

It was Bosch’s ninth of the season from Fletcher

and Keeley that beat netminder Grzybowski to end it just 46 seconds into overtime.

As was the case the night before, the Klippers outshot the North Stars.

The shot count was 41-26, but it was the Klippers who emerged with the victory.

Despite a 38-save night, Grzybowski took the loss and Zach Johnson got the win in net for Kindersley.

Now the North Stars

have an extended period of time away from the Civic Centre, with the venue hosting the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling in January. The North Stars will not be playing at the Civic Centre again until Jan. 22 against Kindersley.

In the meantime, their next “home” contest will be Friday, Jan. 4, against the Humboldt Broncos across the river at Battleford Arena.

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with a power play goal by MacGregor Sinclair from Austin Becker and Matthias Urbanski at the 10:23 mark of period one. For Sinclair it was his 13th goal of the season.

In the second period Brett Gammer scored from Austin Becker to make it 2-0, and then Ryan Gil got his 14th of the season from Urbanski and Ryan Granville to make it a three goal lead through two periods.

Kindersley got one back at the 2:06 mark of the third as Wil Van Der Sloot scored from Josh Fletcher and Cameron Shorrock.

But Sinclair’s 14th of the season into an empty net erased any doubt about the outcome, although Clay Keeley did score with 16 seconds left to make the final score look respectable.

Shots favored the Klippers 33-23, but a solid performance by Joel Grzybowski in net helped matters considerably as he stopped 31 of 33 shots.

Justen Close stopped 19 of 22 in defeat for the Klippers.

The North Stars came out ahead where it counts the most, on the scoreboard, for their 20th win of the season for 46 points.

That meant an opportunity to tie the Klippers for first with a regulation win in the return match the following night.

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By John Cairns Staff Reporter

There were four games in the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League on the final weekend before the end of 2018.

On Friday night, Meota Combines beat the Spiritwood Timberwolves 10-4 in a game played in Medstead. Scott Maunula had

four goals and Daxen Collins scored twice in the Meota win.

In the other game Shellbrook Silvertips bombed Radisson Wheatkings 14-2. Devon Dicus scored four times and Jody Blais scored three in the win.

The news was not much better for Radisson the next night as they were demol-

ished again by the Edam Three Stars 18-4. Mitch Wall scored four goals and had three assists, while Tristan Deronoski had three goals and two assists in leading the scoring for Edam.

The other game Saturday night was Shellbrook over Perdue 10-3 in Asquith. Braydin Turner had a hat trick for Shellbrook in

the contest. The Pirates are due to play their first game at the new Perdue rink on Jan. 5 versus Edam.

The SPHL returns to action Thursday night in Maymont with the Settlers hosting the Combines. The Combines are on the road again Friday in Glaslyn, while the Battleford Beaver Blues go on the road to Maymont Saturday.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 15

SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW BATTLEFORDS

– 2018 –

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Here is a look at what transpired in local sports action in 2018 in the Battlefords and area.

Hockey:

The Battlefords North Stars had another divisionwinning season in 2017-18, as they sought to repeat their 2017 Canalta Cup triumph.

The North Stars were

led by their high-powered offence. Layne Young easily won the scoring title in 2018 with 107 points, with MacGregor Sinclair finishing fourth with 74.

The North Stars lost out in league semi-finals to the Estevan Bruins. In the end, wins and losses became irrelevant with the Humboldt Broncos bus crash tragedy happening just one day after the North Stars were eliminated.

The finals were even-

With several North Stars alumni in the stands for Alumni Weekend, the North Stars and Broncos put on a show Oct. 27 with a well played and sometimes rough hockey game. It was also the first visit by the Humboldt Broncos to the Civic Centre after the horrific April 6 bus tragedy. Photo by John Cairns

It was another strong year for the Robyn Silvernagle team based out of North Battleford. File photo

tually played, with the Nipawin Hawks winning the Cup in seven games over the Bruins.

Head coach and general manager Brandon Heck departed the North Stars in the off-season, with former Humboldt Broncos and Drumheller Dragons assistant coach Brayden Klimosko taking over those roles for the team. As the team heads into 2019, the North Stars remain one of the serious contenders in the league.

The Battlefords AAA Stars had a difficult 2018, as they finished tenth in the league and missed the playoffs. Early on in the 2018-19 season, they changed head coaches with Norm Johnston departing and with Brett Parker taking over. Parker had just been settling in as a new North Stars assistant coach that season.

The Battlefords Sharks were enjoying their best season in years as 2018 ended. In 20 games they had six wins and four overtime wins for 28 points, putting them fourth in female AAA league standings.

In senior hockey, the Meota Combines finally won the SPHL title, winning their best of five series with the Hafford Hawks three games to two.

Over in the Sask West Hockey League, the Wilkie Outlaws won their fourth title in a row.

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This is action from Nov. 3 at the Civic Centre where the Battlefords AAA Stars were in action against Swift Current. The Stars ended up on the short end of a 5-0 final score. Photo by John Cairns

High School sports

In high school sports it was a competitive season for the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings, but they were unable to defend their 3A football title as they fell to Evan Hardy 42-8 in the playoffs.

John Paul II Collegiate Crusaders made it all the way to provincial nineman 3A semi-finals before losing to Humboldt 23-15.

In six-man play the Hafford Vikings made it all the way to the 1A provincial title, beating Hanley 64-8 in the finals.

Baseball

In the North Saskatchewan River league, the Border City Blue Jays won the title, beating the Lloyd Twins in two straight. The North Battleford Beavers lost out in the first round to Unity while the Battlefords Trappers failed to make the postseason.

Curling

This is action from Nov. 3 at Crusader Field, as Humboldt, in white, took on the John Paul II Crusaders, in blue, in 3A playoff semifinal action.

Humboldt ended up victorious 23-15. Photo by John Cairns

Bait and Tackle

It was another strong year for the Robyn Silvernagle team based out of North Battleford.

They made the provincial women’s curling final for the second year in a row but lost again in the finals, this time to Sherry Anderson.

The Silvernagle team has since been invited to compete in the Pinty’s

This is action from the game between the North Battleford Beavers and the Rosetown Angels in the provincial AA Tier 3 baseball tournament at Beaver Lions Stadium in August. The Beavers took the game 8-7, but ultimately they would bow out in semifinal play to Cabri River Rats, who went on to win the title.

Photo by John Cairns

Grand Slam of Curling event, the Meridian Canadian Open, at the Civic Centre in January.

News that the city had landed the Pinty’s event for the second time had dominated the local sports news in 2018. The Northland Power Curling Centre also was host to a highperformance curling centre for top-level curlers in the province starting in August.

Saskatchewan Winter Games

The big sports highlight of the year in the Battlefords was the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games.

Opening ceremonies took place Feb. 18 and for the next week the areas recreational facilities were jam-packed with sporting events ranging from hockey and curling to bowling, skiing and snowboarding.

By the time the Games ended on Feb. 24 the host Rivers West district had ended up third in the medal count with 69. Saskatoon finished first with 108 while Regina had 89.

Page 16 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

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Three lessons about nature from your old Christmas tree

By Dan Kraus

Senior Conservation Biologist Nature Conservancy of Canada

People living in the northern hemisphere have brought trees and boughs into their homes during the winter for thousands of years. The evergreens that we decorate with during Christmas can represent a celebration of holidays and a reminder that spring will come again.

I’m a Christmas tree traditionalist, and will never give up the ancient ritual of bringing a fresh tree into our home. Each year, Canada’s 1,872 Christmas tree farms produce over three million pine, spruce and fir trees. In addition to supporting Canadian farmers, Christmas tree plantations provide habitat for songbirds, including chipping sparrow and American robin.

But what happens to your Christmas tree after the holidays?

We’ve come a long way since the days when Christmas trees were dumped into landfills. Most municipalities now have programs that chip and compost old trees. Some conservation groups even collect trees to create fish habitat or stop erosion along streams.

These are great ways

to recycle your Christmas tree, but you can also let nature recycle your tree in your own backyard. It takes a little longer than hauling it to the curb, but you can give your tree a second life by giving it as a gift to wildlife. This small act of nature conservation can also help your family learn three lessons about how, even in death, trees are an important part of life and renewal in our Canadian forests.

Lesson 1: Gimme shelter

The first step in recycling your tree is easy.

Just put it anywhere in your backyard until spring.

Many of us do this anyway when we miss the pick-up for municipal tree recycling.

Your Christmas tree will enrich your backyard ecosystem right away. Evergreens provide important shelter for birds on cold nights and during storms and as a safe place to rest while they visit your feeder.

You can even use your old tree as a bird (and probably squirrel) feeder by redecorating it with pine cones filled with peanut butter, strings of peanuts and suet.

Lesson 2: Downed woody debris

Come spring, your tree will probably have lost most of its needles and be

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looking like, well, a dead tree. It’s time to put your tree to rest and help out your flowers by mimicking what happens with dead trees in forests. H&R BLOCK ADS 2007 Scientists call(New trees and Tax Laws) Color branches on the 4Page forest floor 2 of 6 “downed woody debris” (the cool scientists just say DWD). This debris is not trash. It is an important indicator of healthy forests by providing habitat, sheltering wildflowers, holding moisture and helping build the soil.

You can recreate DWD in your gardens. Cut off the tree’s branches and lay them where spring flowers are starting to emerge. Lay the trunk on soil and it will provide a home for many backyard animals. Toads will find shelter under the log, and insects, including pollinators such as carpenter bees, will burrow into the wood.

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Lesson 3: Spruce to soil

By fall, you’ll start to witness the final stage in the life of your Christmas tree, as the branches and trunk begin to decompose and turn into soil. Many of our Christmas trees, particularly spruce and balsam fir, have very low rot resistance and break down quickly when exposed to the elements. The more contact the cut branches and trunk have with the

Your old Christmas tree can enrich your backyard ecosystem. Photo by NCC

ground, the faster it will start to be recycled by fungi, insects and bacteria.

After a few years, not much will remain of your tree. The needles and branches will have

returned to soil, and the trunk will be soft with rot.

It will just be a memory of your new tradition of backyard Christmas tree recycling.

Nature often provides

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Page 18 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

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From Meota to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore

By Lorna Pearson Correspondent

Jerry and Trudy Iverson along with Anne and Charles Baillargeon recently ventured across the globe to embark on a 14day cruise.

A flight from Vancouver took them to Hong Kong for boarding on the Celebrity Millennium.

They toured the city of Hong Kong along with an aerial view of the city from Victoria Peak.

The cruise made three stops in Vietnam, which included Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon). A private tour guide took them to places no tour bus could penetrate. This created a unique opportunity to see, hear, taste and

This is the cruise ship Celebrity Millenium they travelled aboard.

learn about the rich culture of this country.

The next stop was Bangkok, Thailand. It was impressive to see the fine roads and buildings of this area. Tours included many temples and they had the opportunity to savour authentic Thai dishes.

The final stop was Singapore, a city that is a country. The memorable events

included walking through the National Orchid Garden, a tour of local markets and looking at the marvel of building architecture. It exceeded anything that can be seen in North America.

Singapore has a reputation for cleanliness and it was evident.

The experience on board the ship exceeded expectations with meeting

Charles and Ann Baillargeon with Jerry and Trudy Iverson in front of a Japanese covered bridge, built in about 1590, in the city of Hoi An. Photos submitted by Lorna Pearson

people, activities, entertainment and tasty food followed by more delicious

food on a daily basis.

It was an excellent learning experience that

has left many fond memories and a desire to return to Vietnam soon!

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.

ANGLICAN PARISH

TerriTorial Drive alliance church

SUNDAY SERVICES Rev. Trevor Malyon

St. George’s Anglican Church - 9:30 a.m.

191 - 24th Street West, Battleford, SK

St. Paul’s Anglican Church - 11:00 a.m.

1302 - 99th Street, North Battleford, SK

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Battlefords Grace Community Church

1401 - 98th Street, North Battleford, SK

306-445-5901

Pastor: Bill Hall

191 - 24th Street W., Battleford, Sk. 306-937-7575

SUNDAY 10:30 a.m.

WORSHIP SERVICES - 11 a.m. Sunday

Everyone Welcome

Everyone Welcome

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 - 11:00 a.m. - Worship Service Pastor Gerhard Luitjens & Abel & Sonya Zabaleta (Mission Partners)

Church Phone 306-445-4181

Sunday Evening Service 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

1371 - 103rd Street (Use East Door)

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

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

DIVINE LITURGY Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.

Contact: Fr. Ivan Derkach 306-937-3767 or 306-317-8138

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 Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School 1301 - 102nd Street, Phone 306-445-8171

Everyone Welcome

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

1372 102 St 306-445-3009

ROMAN CATHOLIC ST. VITAL’S

Interim Pastor Matt Bombay Sunday School - 10:00 am Sunday Worship - 11:00 am

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.

1231 - 104th Street North Battleford Phone 306-445-7777 www.emmanuelfellowship.ca

St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle Roman Catholic Church SUNDAY MASS - 9:00 a.m.

S0M 0P0

Phone 306-937-7340

Maidstone/Paynton United Church of Canada Phone: 306-445-4338

Clergy Person: Rev. Ean Kasper

10:30 a.m.Service

Church & CE Wing: 306-893-2611 For booking the Wing: 306-893-4465

Various weekly programs “A Community of believers seeking more of God’s presence”

Battlefords Seventh-Day Adventist Church

DELMAS - Fr. Sebastian Kunnath Box 10, Delmas, SK

Pastor: Rev. Allen Huckabay

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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.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 19

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July 27, 1960 – Indians of Saskatchewan get full liquor privileges

not in favour of drinking whether by whites or Indians. He also knew there was a divergence of opinion about drinking among Saskatchewan’s Indian leaders.

Nothing was done until July 27, 1960, when, with the issue of a federal proclamation, Saskatchewan Indians were given the right to purchase and consume alcohol. In the latter instance, they were not allowed to drink liquor on a reserve unless that reserve had been declared “wet” as the result of a referendum.

Hotel owners in Saskatchewan were solidly opposed to opening their bars to Indians. In May of 1961, Premier Douglas addressed the 30th annual convention of the provincial hotel association, urging them to be patient. “We are having this trouble,’ Douglas said, “because we are reaping the harvest of 50 years or more of mak-

ing the Indian a secondclass citizen. We are going to have to make up our minds whether we are going to keep the Indian bottled up in a sort of Canadian apartheid or whether we are going to let him become a good citizen.”

He cautioned, however, that while the Indian had been given equal rights, he had no more right to break the law than the white man.

“If he is drunk or causing a disturbance then he should be put out of the premises the same as a white man should. But he should not be put out just because he is an Indian.” (Regina Leader-Post, May 18, 1961) Nevertheless, incidents of discrimination against Indians in Saskatchewan hotels began to occur. In January of 1971, for example, the pub in the Windsor Hotel in Leask was one of four hotels accused by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians of refusing

Moving on into 2019

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

I want to wish our daughter a very happy birthday. It is hard to believe it has been 24 years since we were a duo on this day and became first time parents the next.

The activity list may have slowed down in town however there are still “to do” options for you. Two sledding hills, outdoor skating rink, 24/7/265 movie theatre and hockey games. The museum also hosts Sunday brunches so you can skip the cooking and support this weekly legion fundraiser Unity Curling Club is ready to rock and roll for a very busy second half of their season.

By all accounts, 2018 was absolutely another remarkable year for Unity.

Hosting events seems to be the some of the heart and soul of the community and it definitely showcases our community to those who attend these events and activities. Unity Western Days feels their event is on the upswing and with the rumored chuckwagons returning to the event, it is expected this annual event will gain ground once again. The annual Fall Fair and trade show also was pleased with their attendance this year considering harvest was delayed and still on the go with many of

U

nity News

the ag folks who normally attend this yearly activity.

Never underestimate the annual Winter Wonderland festivities for drawing in folks from surrounding towns to take part in the community festivities and shopping opportunities, with this year’s event hosting a record number of activities at businesses, mostly in the downtown area. Brand new this year, that definitely brought in out of town participants, was the fall 3-on-3 hockey event that generated a good chunk of change for the Outdoor Rec Venue and have already promised this as an annual event due to its success.

The ball diamonds laid out the biggest welcome mat this year hosting an unprecedented seven events at the diamonds this ball season that included tournaments, provincial championships and U19 Western Canadian softball championships that capped off the season with a big home win by the Unity Panthers. Each of these weekends brought in 200300 additional people to town with the most estimated for the Girls Prairie

League (GPLS) championship weekend that hosted 40 teams.

Unity’s success story was verified when Baseball Sask awarded Unity Minor Ball with club of the year, fully featured in an Oct. 26, 2018 story. As well, a long time softball volunteer was awarded with an award of outstanding achievement, Don Robertson, again featured in Oct 26, 2018. Both awards represent the dedication and commitment by many to ensure the ball diamonds and the ball program are keeping aligned with the future.

Never underestimate the value of school sports events that draw in additional traffic on weekends for tournaments and events like the “Friday Night Lights” football events.

From volleyball season right through to basketball season, there is non-stop action in the UCHS gyms.

Commercial construction was definitely noticeable in 2018 with Delta Co-op starting their 15,000-plus sq. ft. home centre in April and opening their doors in October. Cross Fit lair, in their fourth expansion since opening, are in the final process of their construction project set to open soon. “The gym” formerly located in the upper level of Bluez has moved to the new Crossfit building, now owned by the Crossfit Lair.

service to Indians. The beer parlor was divided into two areas, one with rugs and the other without, and Indians patrons were not served if they sat in the carpeted section. An Indigenous woman said she tried to sit in the “white area” three times and was told to move. In his letter demanding an investigation, FSI Chief David Ahenakew stated that while drinking might not be the most enlightened social endeavor, it was essential, “especially in such a milieu where defences are often lower and the cutting edge of racial tension more keenly felt,” that scrupulous attention should be paid to the basic civil rights of all Canadian citizens. (Regina LeaderPost, Jan. 6, 1971) In his 2016 book, Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (and Yours), Cree lawyer Harold R. Johnson points out that during the negotiations for Treaty 6, the Indigenous people asked the Treaty Commissioner for protection from alcohol. This was written in the Treaty agreement.

Thus, Johnson asserts, the change to the Indian Act in

1960 allowing Indigenous people into bars was, in effect, a Treaty violation.

By the end of the 1970s,

alcohol abuse was one of the biggest problems facing the First Nations of Saskatchewan.

Unity Credit Union began their renovation/construction project in the fall of 2018 and is expected to be complete in spring of 2019.

As well, new construction beside JJ Lamon PetroCan bulk fuel has been taking place. The Richardson Pio-

neer Outdoor Rec Venue also began construction on the former swimming pool site and is expected to be completed in the near future with winter outdoor enthusiasts once again being able to enjoy an outdoor skating rink. Grondin Fu-

neral Services also underwent a facelift in the latter part of 2018 updating the look on the corner of 3rd and Main. As well, Glassford’s Funeral Services building had some frontage facelift procedures in 2018.

Continued om Page 22

Harold R. Johnson was a finalist for the 2016 Governor General’s Literary Award for non-fiction.

(University of Regina Press)

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MIGNEAULT LAW OFFICE Barristers and Solicitors Sallows Building

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Email: val@newsoptimist.ca T H E B AT T L E F O R D S

NOTE: The term “Indian” is used in this article, as that was the word most commonly used to refer to Indigenous peoples during the period under discussion.

Indigenous people were not allowed to drink in Saskatchewan bars until 1960 – the same year they were granted the right to vote.

The push for Indians’ right to purchase and consume alcohol began right after the Second World War. Several thousand Indigenous men and women fought in the Canadian armed services during both world wars. When they returned from overseas, however, the out-dated Indian Act prohibited them from voting, holding powwows, and drinking alcoholic beverages. They were not even allowed to drink with their former comrades-inarms at the Legion halls across Canada.

In 1951, the federal government made several changes to the Indian Act, including an amendment that permitted Indians to consume intoxicating beverages in licensed premises, providing that their provincial government allowed it. The Saskatchewan government, however, was not prepared to act.

Premier Tommy Douglas, a non-drinker himself, was

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Family of Doug Hull wish to announce his peaceful passing on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018 at BDCC. A Private Family interment was held on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 with Rev. Janice Trost officiating.

We wish to extend our sincere Thanks to Dr. Jim Johnson and the staff of BDCC for their kindness and care during Doug’s many years there.

Memorial donations in memory of Mr. Doug Hull may be directed to Battlefords District Care Centre Po Box 69 Battleford, SK S0M 0E0. For those wishing to leave a condolence, you may do so at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to Trevor Watts of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium.

Hours of operation: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm

COMING EVENTS Saskatoon Farm Toy and Collectible Show January 11-13, 2019 at the German Cultural Centre, Saskatoon, SK. Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm. Special features include farm toys and scenes, construction equipment, vintage toys, die-cast models, collectibles, replacement parts and more!

WANTED

FOR ALL OF YOUR BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS Contact Dale Murdoch (306) 774-6100

66 Registered Sales in 2018!

HEALTH SERVICES

VISIT US at the CROP PRODUCTION SHOW in Saskatoon, SK January 14-19, 2019!

LANE REALTY Saskatchewan's

October 19, 1925 – December 16, 2018

Wayne David O’Quinn was born in Toronto, Ontario. He received most of his education across the border and later went on to become an exemplary automotive mechanic. In 1979, Wayne married Jeanne Lavoie. He enjoyed hockey, snow & water skiing, fishing in his boat and had recently discovered ice fishing. He built his first ice shack last year and got to enjoy it for one winter with his dog Bo. Wayne is predeceased by his adoptive parents Patrick & Elizabeth Ryan. Wayne will forever be remembered by his loving family, his wife Jeanne Lavoie O’Quinn; children & grandchildren Derek & Lindsay O’Quinn (Harlow); Tyrin & Melissa O’Quinn (Olivia & Sedric); Nigel & Pamela O’Quinn and Michelle & Shane Atkinson (Charlee); his sister Bonnie Grenier as well as several brothers-in-law, sisters-in law, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Vigil of Prayers will be held Friday, December 21st, 2018 at 7:00 pm at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Meota, SK. Funeral Service will be on Saturday, December 22nd, 2018 at 11:00 am at the Meota Community Complex with Father Peter Paase, Father Roger Lavoie & Archbishop Emeritus Sylvain Lavoie O.M.I officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Battlefords Union Hospital, Box 1358, 1092 107th Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8. Condolences may be made to the family at www.SallowsandMcDonald.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Jennifer Wildeman at Sallows & McDonald ~ Wilson & Zehner Funeral Home 306445-2418. __________________________________________________

GET UP TO $50,000 from the Government of Canada. Do you or someone you know Have any of these Conditions? ADHD, Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Cancer, COPD, Depression, Diabetes, Difficulty Walking, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowels, Overweight, Trouble Dressing...and Hundreds more.

ALL Ages & Medical Conditions Qualify. CALL SASKATCHEWAN BENEFITS 1-(800)-211-3550 or Send a Text Message with Your Name and Mailing Address to 306992-5527 for your FREE benefits package.

SASK FARMS & RANCHES

For all the kind and excellent services given to SHIRLEY TINIO by the personnel of the ER and 3rd Floor Ward of the BUH, we extend our gratitude and thanks. Your service to all in the Battleford Area serves to lighten the load when sickeness and trials visit our life.

Gratefully given by the Tinio family most especially by her husband Fred Tinio.

KRAFT, Anne Katherine

Anne Katherine Kraft (nee Uebell) beloved wife of Kenneth Kraft of Calgary, passed away at South Health Campus on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at the age of 93 years. She was the loving mother of Patricia (Glen) Fithen of Okotoks, AB, Elizabeth (Bob) Stewart of Medicine Hat, AB and Karen Wadden of Winnipeg, MB; she will also be missed by eight grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and numerous other family and friends. Anne was predeceased by her parents, Agatha and Michael Uebell and eight siblings. Anne was born in Young, SK and grew up in Glenbush, SK. She graduated and worked in nursing in Battleford, SK and later went on to work in Weyburn and Ponoka. It was in Ponoka where she met Kenneth. A Funeral Service was held at Mountain View Funeral Home, (1605 – 100 Street SE, Calgary) on Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. Graveside Service followed at Mountain View Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made directly to the Alzheimer Society of Canada 16th floor, 20 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, ON M4R 1K8. Telephone 1-800-616-8816. To express condolences, please visit: www.mountainviewmemorial.ca. __________________________________________________

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

HEALTH SERVICES

FARMS FOR SALE

CARD OF THANKS

WANTED

OBITUARIES

Phone: 306-445-7261 Fax: 306-445-3223 In person/mail: 892 - 104th Street North Battleford, SK S9A 1M9

Farm & Ranch Specialists™

WITH OVER 36 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS

PHONE:

(306) 569-3380 EMAIL:

lanerealtycorp@sasktel.net www.lanerealty.com

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA ELAINE SEHN, late of Battleford, in the Province of 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 17th day of January, 2019.

MIGNEAULT LAW OFFICE Barristers & Solicitors Box 520 North Battleford, Saskatchewan, S9A 2Y8 Solicitors for the Personal Representatives

LAND FOR SALE

FARMLAND WANTED

NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS! PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND. PREMIUM PRICES PAID WITH QUICK PAYMENT. Great References Available a total of 602 QUARTER SECTIONS SOLD across saskatchewan RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca

ANNIVERSARIES WANTED: All Wild Fur (Coyotes, etc), All Antlers (Deer, Moose, etc) And Old Traps. Phone Bryan 306278-7756 or Phil 306-278-2299.

HORSES & TACK Will buy all classes of horses. 306329-4382.

FUNERAL SERVICES

RAY & DORIS JORDAN

Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium

Dec. 31, 2018

2741 - 99th Street, North Battleford

306-445-7570

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Professional

D I R E C T O R Y 1332 - 100th Street, North Battleford

306-446-4200

“The only crematorium in the Battlefords area” Traditional Casket Burial and Cremation Services Serving Families with Dignity, Respect & Compassion

Counsellor for Bronze and Granite Memorials Free pre-planning guides available, assistance with pre-planning services

Trevor Watts - Director/Owner

The Battlefords only Locally Owned Funeral Provider

Robert Mackay - Director

CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS

300 - 1291 102nd Street North Battleford, SK S9A 3V4 Phone:

306-445-6234 Fax:

306-445-0245

PARTNERS

Suzanne L. Odishaw, CPA, CA Jacques la Cock, CPA, CA Derek Sieben, CPA, CA Stephen Mann, CPA, CA

newsoptimist.ca

your news all the time and online

Regional News-Optimist

Executive Luxury Condo, Two bedroom, all appliances. Adult community, Fine luxury. $1200 Security, $1200 Rent, utilities included. Call to view 306-4812836. 306-441-6803.

DUPLEXES FOR RENT 2 Bedroom duplex for rent. Fridge, stove, washer, and dryer. $900-$1100 per month. references required. 937-7252 or 441-6728 (no texts)

Executive Duplex Total Reno’s Available Feb 1, 2019. Security $1200.

Rent $1200 plus utilities. Call to View 306-4812836.

HOUSES FOR RENT

1&2 Bedroom Suites • Fridge, stove, washer, dryer • Some are air conditioned Rental rate: $650 to $1,200 per month Complete application: 1441 - 100th Street Or Phone 306-445-8571 or 306-441-0950

FOR SALE - MISC

FEED & SEED Buying/Selling FEED GRAINS heated / damaged CANOLA/FLAX Top price paid FOB FARM

Western Commodities 877-695-6461 Visit our website @

www.westerncommodities.ca NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. BUYING: Feed Barley, Soybeans, Heated Canola, Wheat, Feed Oats. OFFERING: Top Prices, On Farm Pickup & Prompt Payment! CALL: 1-306-873-3551, WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com

DOMESTIC CARS

PAWLUS Saskatchewan

Motor Licence Issuer

INSURANCE SERVICES LTD. 1292 - 102nd Street, North Battleford

306-445-8059 “serving ALL your insurAnCe &

motor LiCenCe needs”

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

For Sale: Lewis gill puller, Hydra connector, Minnesota bookstore 1907 print. 306-497-2264

A-1 SERVICE; SNOW REMOVAL , INTERIOR PAINTING, SMALL RENOVATIONS, INSTALL BASEBOARDS, ROOF REPAIRS, FASCIA & SOFFIT WORK, OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE CALL 306-445-8439 or 306-4413690

YOGA CLASSES with JODI HOSEGOOD TUESDAYS for 10 WEEKS

beginning January 15th, 2019 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm in the Alex Dillabough Center $80.00 Register in person at Rec Office (south side of Dillabough Center).

You can also register by phone (306) 937-6216 or by email: parks@battleford.ca PETS

TOWN OF BATTLEFORD PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the Town of Battleford intends to adopt a bylaw under the Planning and Development Act, 2007 to amend Bylaw No. 7-2016, known as the Zoning Bylaw.

INTENT The proposed bylaw amendment will: • Rezone Block 111, Plan 00B14152 from partially M-Industrial District and partially FUD-Future Urban Development District to M-Industrial District, as shown within the bold dashed line on “Sketch A”.

SKETCH “A”

ADOPT A PET

Hey guys my name is Blackheart and me and my 10 other siblings were orphaned and abandoned and now we are here at this super big place called the shelter. The shelter staff are super sweet and are taking very good care of us. We are only 7 weeks old right now but in 1 week we will be ready to fly the coop and find our furrever homes and families. If your thinking of adding a new furr baby to your home and family then come on down to the shelter today.

Hey guys my name is Fili and me and my sister were brought here to the shelter and we are now looking for our forever home and families.

We are very sweet and loving and love to play and snuggle and cuddle.

If your thinking of adding a new furr baby to your home and family then come on down to the shelter today.

PLEASE SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PETS! Check out all our Shelter animals in need of homes at: www.battlefordsanimalshelter.com Regional

news-optimist Serving the Battlefords since 1908

APARTMENTS / CONDOS FOR RENT

SENIORS AFFORDABLE HOUSING

876/month

Must be 55+ and make under $44,500 per household.

Call Mel

REASON The reason for the amendment is: • to facilitate industrial development.

PUBLIC INSPECTION Any person may inspect the bylaw at the Town Office, located at 91-24th Street, in the Town of Battleford, between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays. Copies of the proposed bylaw are available at the Town office at a cost of $5.00.

PUBLIC HEARING Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed bylaw.

Council will also consider written comments received at the hearing or delivered to the undersigned at the Town Office before the hearing.

Issued at the Town of Battleford this 3rd day of January 2019.

John Enns-Wind, CAO

PUBLIC NOTICE –

306-490-7414

FEED & SEED

HEATED CANOLA WANTED!!

GREEN CANOLA SPRING THRESHED DAMAGED CANOLA FEED OATS WANTED!!

BARLEY, OATS, WHT LIGHT OR TOUGH SPRING THRESHED HEATED FLAX WANTED!!

HEATED PEAS HEATED LENTILS "ON FARM PICKUP" Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

New easy access 2 bedroom unit in a four-plex 6 appliances $

SERVICES FOR HIRE

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 21

CLASSES & COURSES

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

APARTMENTS/CONDOS FOR RENT

w w w. n ew s o p t i m i s t . c a

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

TOWN OF BATTLEFORD PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the Town of Battleford intends to adopt a bylaw under The Planning and Development Act, 2007 to amend Bylaw No. 6-2016, known as the Official Community Plan.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! Indemand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available.

Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855768-3362 to start training for your work-at-home career today!

INTENT The proposed bylaw amendment will: • Re-designate Block 111, Plan 00B14152 from partially Industrial and partially Parks and Recreation to Industrial on the Town of Battleford’s Future Land Use Concept Map, as shown within the bold dashed line on “Sketch A”.

“Sketch A”

SALE OF TAX TITLE PROPERTY December 10, 2018

Tenders will be received by the Village of Glaslyn for the following property until 4 p.m., FEBRUARY 8, 2019: ANY TENDERS SUBMITTED AFTER 4 P.M., FEBRUARY 8, 2019 WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Legal Description: Land Area: Zoning: Property Taxes:

LOTS 1-3 BLOCK 8 PLAN BH8944 2340 SQUARE METRES HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL (C2) $4501.42 (2018 TAX YEAR)

General Comments: The subject property will be sold on an “as is” basis. There will be a public viewing on Wednesday, January 23 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., no warranties offered or implied on the condition of this property.

Possession Date: Upon payment in full, transfer of title will be submitted.

Required Tender Forms: All submitted tenders are to include the following: 1. The required tender form.

• All tenders are to be submitted on the required tender form (available at the Village office). The tender form must be completed in full. No other information is to be provided other than that asked on the required form.

Form to be submitted to the Village office in person or by mail to the following address: Village of Glaslyn, Box 279, Glaslyn, SK S0M 0YO 2. A deposit equal to 10 per cent of the total bid amount.

• The deposit shall be in the form of a certified cheque, bank draft, money order or cash. Deposits will be returned to unsuccessful bidders.

www.newsoptimist.ca T H E B AT T L E F O R D S

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

Regional

news-optimist Serving the Battlefords since 1908

If you want to drink, that’s your business.

If you want to stop, we can help.

CALL ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

306-446-6166

REASON The reason for the amendment is to: • facilitate industrial development.

PUBLIC INSPECTION Any person may inspect the bylaw at the Town Office, located at 91-24th Street, in the Town of Battleford, between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays. Copies of the proposed bylaw are available at the Town office at a cost of $5.00.

PUBLIC HEARING Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, January 21, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the Town office to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed bylaw.

Council will also consider written comments received at the hearing or delivered to the undersigned at the Town office before the hearing.

No additional documents shall be provided with the tender submission. Additional documents, incomplete tender forms or failure to submit correct deposit amount will result in rejection of the tender. All tenders shall be submitted in a sealed envelope and marked as LOT 1-3 BLOCK 8 PLAN BH8944, the legal address.

The successful purchaser MUST enter into an agreement for sale. Failure by the successful purchaser to conclude the sales transaction will result in forfeiture of their deposit as liquidated damages.

The Village of Glaslyn reserves the right to reject any or all tenders.

Kate Clarke Administrator

Issued at the Town of Battleford this 3rd day of January 2019.

John Enns-Wind, CAO

TO BOOK CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CALL 306-445-7261

Page 22 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

Regional News-Optimist

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NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

Unity News

COMING EVENTS

Continued from Page 19 Rise and Grind was a new business opened on Main Street. This new addition of a speciality coffee shop has also played host to pop up shops and in house concerts which has brought a little taste of urban life to small town Saskatchewan.

The former Sears building was removed from the downtown centre making way for an open lot for business potential. Greenwald Redi Mix owners retired selling their business to the now owners of Prairie Town Redi Mix. Bluez also opened a second liquor store in their location, offering longer hours and easily accessible entrance. Jack’s Pizza, Crepe and Frappe held a soft opening Nov. 30.

This new eatery is located in the former Frenchie’s Pizza place and will offer take out, delivery and casual family style dine in options. Will there be more new business in Unity in the future? Nothing seems impossible with the growth that Unity has experienced over the last several years, with 2018 being one of prominent business growth/ expansion/renovation.

The community also welcomed the addition of another service club, installing the new Unity Kin Club in the early winter months of 2018. It didn’t take long for this new service club to spring into action as they served as volunteers at a number of community events as well as provided labour and material for the installation and rejuvenation of the Kin Park behind Centennial Crescent.

Coffee row numbers have resumed and the groups are happily sharing their holiday experiences as well as their enthusiasm for what’s on tap for Unity this 2019.

So you can see life is full of fun and activity in Unity and our friends at coffee row sharing this traditional part of our community culture. Until next time…

PUBLIC NOTICE Village of Meota Public Notice – Zoning Bylaw Amendments

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Village of Meota intends to adopt two bylaws under the Planning and Development Act, 2007. One bylaw to amend Bylaw No. 04-2010, known as the Zoning Bylaw; and one bylaw to amend Bylaw No. 08-2015, known as the new proposed Zoning Bylaw (ZB).

Visit our website

www.newsoptimist.ca for more community events

Alcoholics Anonymous

Please call our 24 hour helpline at 306-446-6166 for support or information.

Al-anon Family Groups

If someone’s drinking troubles, attending Al-Anon Family Group provides understanding and support.

Meetings Monday at 7:00 p.m. and Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, corner of 15th Ave. & 108th Street. Contacts 306-937-7765, 306-937-7289 or 306-441-9324.

Thursdays

Peer to Peer Support Group for Mental Health meets Thusday mornings @ 9:30 am at 1602 103rd Street in North Battleford. We welcome you to join us as we work towards revovery, and support one another.You will be warmly welcomed by all.

Tuesdays & Thursdays

North Battleford Table Tennis Club at the Living Faith Chapel gym, 1371- 103rd Street at 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Ages 14+, all skill levels. (use parking lot doors off 102nd). Accompanied youth 8-13 years welcome on Tuesdays 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Email tabletennisnb@gmail.com for more information or visit us on facebook.

Tuesday January 8

Seniors Fun Day at St. Joseph Hall 1942-98th Street, North Battleford from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Bingo, coffee and entertainment by Jon Sloan. All seniors welcome.

INTENT: The proposed amendment to the Zoning Bylaws would rezone a portion of land: Under Bylaw No. 04-2010 from the UH – Urban Holding zoning district to R1 – Residential zoning district; and under Bylaw No. 08-2015 from the FUD – Future Urban Development District to R1 – Residential Single Dwelling District. The Village is introducing both bylaws at this time to ensure continuity of conformity of land use on the subject land under both the current ZB and the proposed new ZB. AFFECTED LAND: The affected land is a portion of Parcel A, Plan AE816, and shown within the bold dashed line on the attached plan of proposed subdivision prepared by Regan Rayner, SLS, of Meridian Surveys Ltd. The land is located at the northwest corner of the Village of Meota.

REASON: The landowner has applied to subdivide the subject land in to residential lots. Rezoning to a residential district is required to accommodate the proposal.

PUBLIC INSPECTION: Any person may inspect the bylaw at the Village of Meota office between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday - Thursday excluding statutory holidays. Copies are available at cost.

PUBLIC HEARING: Council will hold a public hearing on February 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM at the Village office located at 502 2nd Avenue East, Meota, SK, S0M 1X0 to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed ZB amendment. Council will also consider written or emailed comments received by the undersigned by January 31, 2019. For additional information, please contact (306) 892-2277 or vmeota@ sasktel.net

This section is provided free-of-charge to non-profit organizations.

To list the Community Calendar please call News-Optimist at 306-445-7261 or fax the information to 306-445-3223. Please provide complete information including event, time, date and location.

Although we will do our utmost to make sure your event appears in this section, we can not guarantee all submissions will appear.

Deadline for submissions is Friday at 10:00 a.m.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Financial thinkers wanted.

We’re looking for fresh customer service talent to join our team.

We create an exceptional experience for members and potential members both face to face and online/mobile.

Visit the careers section of our website to view full details on any of our positions. innovationcu.ca Innovation Credit Union offers

• Competitive wages • Comprehensive benefit program • Matched company pension of 7% • Attractive variable incentive program • Career advancement • Financial education support • Learning on work time • Fast paced exciting environment

TENDERS

Issued at the Village of Meota this 2 day of January, 2019.

Acting Administrator Julie Malenfant

FARMLAND FOR SALE BY TENDER

TO BOOK CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CALL 306-445-7261

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

North West College

Full-Time, Permanent Administrative Assistant

Battlefords Campus / Mistikwa Center

Posting #79-BC-1819 Reporting to the Manager of Corporate Services, this position provides clerical support at both the Battlefords Campus and the Mistikwa Centre in North Battleford to the Corporate Services and Programs departments.

Compensation: $22.10 per hour, with an excellent benefits package Start Date: January 21, 2019 For a complete position profile, and application, visit www.northwestcollege.ca Applications will be received until Noon on January 11, 2019.

www.northwestcollege.ca

RM

Legal Land Desc.

Total Acres

Cult. Acres

Other Acres

2018 Taxable Asses.

2018 Crop History

2018 Taxes

349

NW 30-35-18-W3

147.8

125

*

83,270

SPRING WHEAT

$701.97

349

NW 30-35-18-W3

.07

349

SW 31-35-18-W3

154.64

145

101,090

$852.19

*Other acres consist of some wetlands and some pasture.

Pasture on both quarters was previously seeded to alfalfa and crested wheat grass and can be cultivated.

Terms and Conditions of the Tender are as follows: 1. Tenders to be in a sealed envelope marked “RM of Grandview - Tender”.

2. The highest or any offer will not necessarily be accepted.

3. Buyer must provide a certified cheque or bank draft for 10.0% of the tendered amount.

4. Seller will be responsible for the property taxes to December 31, 2018.

5. All offers must be received in our office by the tender deadline 12:00 Noon, January 25, 2019.

6. Balance of purchase price and applicable GST to be paid within 30 days of acceptance of tender or deposit will be forfeited.

7. Land sold as is without conditions or warranties.

JONES LAW OFFICE

1201-103rd Street P.O. Box 1179 NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK S9A 3K2 Telephone: (306) 446-2211

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019 - Page 23

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PRODUCTS-PERFORMANCE-SERVICES

RIGHT HERE...RIGHT NOW!

Jamie Turuk

• All Your Plumbing & Heating needs • Licensed Gas Fitter • Will Travel

Journeyman Electrician

• All Standard Piercings •

$35.00 plus tax Migraine & Anxiety Piercings available

#5 2112 - 100th Street 306-937-4777 North Battleford, SK dragonhearttattoo@hotmail.com

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

306.441.4465

turuk.electric@gmail.com

TURUK ELECTRIC

306-441-7353

Battleford, SK

• Residential • Commercial • Rural • Service • Free Estimates AVAILABLE EVENINGS & WEEKENDS Devan Oborowsky

ADE R G H G

Realtor®

HI

TRUCK DRIVING Training Division TEACHING YOU • Class 1 • Air Endorsement • Class 3 • 1A Tutoring • Class 5 • Driver Improvement Training

Howard Baxter

devanobe@gmail.com www.dreamrealtysk.com

• New Construction • Renovations

CONTRACTING

Res. 306-445-9969

One Store For All Your Needs!

General Contractor

KELVIN BOHUN

306-445-6769

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

Derrick Shynkaruk

djshynkaruk@gmail.com

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

306-441-5123

Passing you on to Perfection

306.441.1980 306.445.3144

Bob Frolek's

WRECKING

Ltd.

Marv & Sancia 306-441-9650

Phone/Fax 306-446-2606

Serving the Battlefords & Area

hbaxter437@gmail.com howiesplumbing.ca

Flooring, Tile and Blind options to personalize your home!

Call us about your project today!

Kevin Ryhorchuk

306-441-8727

The Carpet People

2741 - 99th Street, North Battleford

306-445-1221

CITY COURIER & MOVING Citycouriermoving.com

Alain Martel

Serving North Battleford & Area

Specializing in Exterior & Interior Renovations Kitchens • Bathrooms Roofing • Siding • Facia • Soffit • Decking • Fencing

Book Now!

FREE QUOTES

For all your winter renovations

Cell:

Email: kelvin.bohun@gmail.com

306-480-6619

Lee Ganzert

Let us take care of your move, short haul or long distance moves...

Box 1828 Phone: 306-446-3535 Battleford, SK Cell: 306-441-0111 S0M 0E0 Email: info@citycouriermoving.com Fax: 306-446-3500

Esthetics By Sharon Jeff Schommer

306-481-4892 schommshandymanrenos@yahoo.com

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

Have a "To-Do" List?

We Will Take Care of it!

Regional

news-optimist Serving the Battlefords since 1908

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Valorie Higgs Scott McMillan Katasha Clarke Phone 306-445-7261 Fax 306-445-3223

www.newsoptimist.ca

Pedicures Manicures Facials Body Waxing Lash/Brow Tinting

Gift Certificates Available

Sharon Colliar

2030 Foley Drive North Battleford, Sask

306-441-7737

Guard'n Angel Home Watch Service and Elder Assistance

• Home Watch • Hospital Visitation • Errands & Shopping • Personal Assistant • Daily Check-in Calls • Decluttering • Elder Assistance & Companionship • Travel Planning & More Guard'n Angel Provides Peace of Mind!

To Discuss Your Service Needs

Call 306-490-2444 Email: guardnangel@myaccess.ca www.guardnangel.net

IP Journeyman Carpenter ljganzert@gmail.com PO Box 2268 Battleford, SK S0M 0E0

306-441-4173 Fax: 306-445-2258

Race Crane Ltd. 24 Hr. - 7/24 Service

306-446-2155

Shop - 10021 Thatcher Ave. racecrane@sasktel.net Serving the Battlefords Area for over 35 years

Blair Geering

Owner/Operator CUFCA Certified Polyurethane Foam Sprayer HMI Certified Polyurethane Concrete Raising Technician

881 - 111th Street

POLAR BEAR

SPRAY FOAM LTD

North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2J9

306-481-5714 or

polarbearsprayfoam@outlook.com

Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, January 3, 2019

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Regional News-Optimist

OFFER ENDS JANUARY 15TH

ASHER

JURA

MIAMI

PALLISER.COM

192-24th Street West, Battleford Phone 306-937-7474 Fax 306-937-7676 www.battlefordfurniture.com mail@battlefordfurniture.com

BATTLEFORD FURNITURE