Regional News-Optimist October 29, 2020

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

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Strong win for Jeremy Cockrill in the Battlefords

Whoooooooo!

Sask. Party sweeps back into power

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

This scary fog breather can be found at a spooky Haunted Forest Halloween event Linda Price and her family set up in their rural yard in the Rabbit Lake area runs the three weekends preceding Halloween. There is one weekend left – that is if you are not too scared to check it out! A final viewing will be held on Oct. 30 for the really brave! Admission to the venue is by donation, with the proceeds divided between Spiritwood Minor Hockey and the SPCA. To see more photos, visit www.newsoptimist.ca. Photo by Alan Laughlin

Fireworks, controversy at mayor’s forum

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

It was a lively and sometimes even controversial all-candidates forum for the mayor’s race in North Battleford on Tuesday.

The forum was put on by the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Downtown North

Battleford Business Improvement District. Three of the five candidates in North Battleford agreed to take part: Lois Laing, David Gillan and the incumbent Ryan Bater.

Candidate James Sieben withdrew due to illness and Misa Nikolic objected to the format. See more on that further on in this story.

Like the provincial allcandidates forum the week before, this event was held without members of the public present in the audience at the Western Development Museum. The forum was videotaped for Access 7 TV and streamed on Facebook Live on the chamber’s as well as the Continued on Page 3

It was a “big honkin’ win” for the Sask Party across the Northwest region Monday, with Jeremy Cockrill winning the Battlefords to complete a clean sweep of the region for the governing party.

Monday night’s returns, with all 54 polls reporting, had Cockrill winning with 4140. NDP candidate Amber Stewart had 1701, Harry Zamonsky of the PC Party was third with 212, and Joey Reynolds of the Green Party brought up the rear with 114. A total of 601 vote-by-mail ballots were sent out and were still to be counted at press time.

This is the third election win in a row for the Saskatchewan Party in the Battlefords, after Herb Cox held the seat for the party in the last two elections. The victory was along the same lines as Cox’s win in 2016, with Cockrill sweeping most of the polls reporting results Monday.

It was a subdued scene at Cockrill’s campaign headquarters compared to

Meagan and Jeremy Cockrill on election night.

Photo by John Cairns

Cox’s victory celebrations in 2011 and 2016. There were few people in the room to celebrate due to pandemic restrictions, but it was nevertheless a joyous scene for Cockrill and his family and supporters.

“It’s encouraging to see the hard work in the last number of months come to fruition,” said Cockrill, who acknowledged once again the challenges of campaigning during a full-blown pandemic.

“It was obviously a much different campaign just given obviously we were in the midst of a pandemic, and the guidelines around social distancing and so on. I

would say the reaction at the doors was great here in the Battlefords, both on the Battleford side and northtown. People were excited I think just to have someone at their door and then excited to hear about our plans for another four years in government.”

Cockrill is a graduate of Trinity Western University and manages his family’s business Fortress Windows and Doors; he has also been a basketball coach with the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings.

In a statement on Facebook, NDP candidate Stewart thanked “friends Continued on Page 17

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Treaty Six Territory | Saskatchewan | Canada

Advance Polls will be held to allow voters to vote prior to Election Day. The following location, dates and times have been scheduled for the Advance Polls: Don Ross Centre — Lobby and Gymnasium Address: 891 — 99th Street Saturday, October 31, 2020, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Monday, November 2, 2020, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 5, 2020, 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Regular Polls Regular polls will take place on Monday, November 9, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

One Central Poll location has been established at: Civic Centre — Lower Auditorium Address: 1902 104th Street.

Visit www.cityofnb.ca/vote.html for more information

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Thank you to the following service clubs for providing free skating: Bonaventure Lions Club • North Battleford Lions Club • Kiwanis Club of the Battlefords • North Battleford Kinsmen Club • Royal Canadian Legion Branch #70 • North West Hockey Development • Rotary Club of the Battlefords • North Battleford Elks Club • St. Josephs Knights of Columbus #7336

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 3

Fireworks, even controversy at mayor’s forum work on crime reduction, and engaging youth in activities such as sports.

“I don’t like to drive by and see empty ball fields, empty soccer pitches, empty gymnasiums. We have all the assets and the best volunteers we just need some funds to give our kids access.”

He called this one of his highest priorities if elected.

Laing stuck to her main issues, which focused on addressing crime, a focus on mental health and addictions, and to create economic opportunities in North Battleford so that “everybody has that opportunity here”.

“Things have kind of gotten a little astray, and so my goal is to address that issue,” said Laing.

A variety of questions were posed on topics such as the newly re-elected Sask. Party government, building relationships with Indigenous people,

Continued from Page 1 Downtown North Battleford websites.

The three candidates stuck to familiar themes of their campaigns. Ryan Bater touted his experience and his ability to build relationships, and his accomplishments over the last four years including righting the financial ship for the city.

“We’ve been able to get our finances under control.

We’ve reduced our long term debt by 23 per cent over the last four years,” said Bater. He pledged a “continuous focus on crime reduction table property taxes and getting our economy back on track.”

Gillan pointed to his experience in municipal administration as finance director in Battleford and North Battleford. He pledged action on the crime issue, addressing the city’s “image as a crime town.” Gillan pledged

downtown revitalization, economic development, street repairs, city human resources issues, and the hot-button issue of amalgamation with Battleford.

You can view all the responses at the chamber’s and at the Downtown North Battleford Facebook pages where the full forum video is posted. The forum will be broadcast on Access TV Nov. 2 at 8:30 p.m., Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 4 at 8:30 p.m., Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

The event was not without fireworks, some of which took place off the debate stage. One involved a dispute that erupted over the format on the day of the forum.

One candidate, Misa Nikolic, took issue with the format and pulled out just prior to the event. At the Downtown North Battleford Facebook page, Nikolic posted his reasons

North Battleford mayor candidates Lois Laing, David Gillan and Ryan Bater took part in the all-candidates forum held by the Chamber Tuesday. Photo by John Cairns

why he decided not to participate.

“I did not like that the format wasn’t shared with me until the day of the forum,” Nikolic stated. “Other candidates had a distinct advantage in that regard. I had planned for a typical political debate, where candidates could question each other, and in which they are arranged standing in an arc so they can all face each other. Here, James [Sieben] and I would have

been set on the stage above and behind the other candidates, and judging by the camerawork, I would have been out of picture most of the time. Great view of the water bottles, though! Too bad they aren’t running.”

There was also a question raised about the participation of Warren Williams at the forum.

Williams, who is a current chamber director, was tasked with posing the chamber’s questions

to candidates at the forum. But it prompted one member of the public to write in on social media asking why Williams was involved, since he was also running for council.

Williams decided to bring up that question live at the forum and addressed it head-on, where he emphasized, “I’m not creating the questions, I’m simply reading them.”

“It’s a valid comment,” Williams said.

N.B. man in court for child porn, sexual assault

By Lisa Joy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / News-Optimist

A North Battleford man appeared in Saskatoon Provincial Court Oct. 22 on sexual assault, child luring and child porn charges.

Oakley Blackstar, 63,

was arrested by the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE) in September after ICE received a complaint about a man enticing a 16-yearold girl from the Saskatoon area through a popular online chat application to

engage in sexual activity at a local hotel or other location.

The ICE investigation identified the girl who said a man took her to his hotel room in June and sexually assaulted her. The investigation also revealed that

the man was grooming the girl through the exchange of naked pictures after they became online friends. The ICE Unit identified Blackstar as the suspect.

Police located and arrested him in North Battleford. Police seized his cell

phone for further forensic analysis and to identify other child victims. The ICE Unit says there may be more female victims who may have had a similar involvement with Blackstar.

They are asked to contact the ICE Unit or their local

police department.

Blackstar was released from custody after an appearance in court last month. He is now scheduled to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court Nov. 19 to elect how he wants to be tried.

Guilty plea to manslaughter for N.B. death

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

A North Battleford man has entered a guilty plea to manslaughter in connection to the death of a woman in the city.

Keenan Mirasty entered the guilty plea in provincial court Tuesday morn-

ing for unlawfully causing the death of Sequin Mooswa in North Battleford on March 8 — thereby committing manslaughter. A stay of proceedings has been entered by the Crown regarding Mirasty’s second-degree murder charge from that date.

Mirasty has also en-

tered guilty pleas to an uttering threats charge and three breach charges.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 16 at 9:30 a.m. in North Battleford provincial courtroom number 2. At Mirasty’s court appearance Tuesday, defence lawyer Don MacKinnon request-

ed preparation of a presentence report to include Gladue factors, and Judge Dan O’Hanlon has made that order. The indication from MacKinnon was that this would be a contested sentencing.

According to RCMP, police had received a request on March 8 to check

on the wellbeing of Mooswa, and found her deceased in a home on the 1900 block of St. Laurent Drive. An autopsy was conducted on Mooswa on March 9. Mirasty was arrested March 10 and has been in custody since then.

It was a relatively brief court appearance for Mi-

rasty, who made his latest provincial court appearance by closed-circuit video from jail. The court date had initially been scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the second-degree murder charge, but that did not proceed as Mirasty entered the guilty plea for manslaughter.

Man from Waterhen charged for child pornography Staff Kyle Mansil Fiddler, age 30, recently of Estevan, has been charged with possession of child pornography, transmit child pornography and failing to comply with an order of prohibition.

The Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit charged Fiddler with child pornography offences in relation to an investigation that began in August 2020 of numerous complaints about the accused Internet activities

WE ARE OPEN CJV

and making child pornography available through several different social media platforms.

On Oct. 21, members of the Saskatchewan ICE Unit and Estevan Police Service executed a search warrant at a residence in Estevan

identified as a location where the offences were occurring. Child pornography was located at the residence and a mobile phone and computer device were seized for forensic analysis.

Fiddler was arrested at the location was held in

custody overnight and appeared in Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Estevan on Thursday Oct. 22, where he was remanded.

He was scheduled to reappear in Weyburn Provincial Court on Oct. 27.

According to a CBC

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news report from 2018, Fiddler was going by the name Mansil Fiddler, and was using the name Medicine Dog when he launched a First Nations Song Challenge. CBC reported that he said he was from Waterhen First Nation.

Page 4 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Commentary

Canada’s drifting fiscal ship needs an anchor

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.

The bottom line is clear: there has to be some limit to borrowing

By Aaron Wudrick

National Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

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

A ship without an anchor risks drifting into stormy waters. The same is true of governments that borrow and spend. More than six months into the global pandemic, it’s time for the Trudeau government to figure out what safeguards to put in place to ensure our temporary plunge into record deficits doesn’t become a permanent problem.

Unfortunately, the government doesn’t have a great record when it comes to fiscal anchors. In its 2015 election platform, the Liberal party proposed two: balancing the budget by 2019 and reducing the federal debt-toGDP ratio to 27 per cent in the same year. Suffice it to say, the government failed on both counts. And did so well before the pandemic hit.

But the pandemic did hit and now, with a deficit that could reach as high as $400 billion, some kind of guidance isn’t just a good idea; it may be essential to keeping the federal government’s borrowing costs low.

Ratings agencies have warned the government needs to produce a plan laying out how it intends to shrink the deficit. One agency has already stripped Canada of our coveted AAA status and more could follow. That matters. Lower ratings mean higher borrowing costs and higher borrowing costs mean either higher taxes or lower spending on programs.

Borrowing costs are already a big deal. Last year, Ottawa spent $24.5 billion just to cover the interest on the federal debt. That’s more than the provincial budgets of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick combined. Even a fractional uptick in the government’s cost of borrowing would mean billions more in taxpayer money diverted to interest payments and away from program spending.

So the bottom line is clear: there has to be some limit to borrowing. The only debate is over what metric Ottawa should choose to best demonstrate that its plans are moored to some kind of anchor. There are a number of options on the table.

The most obvious is a balanced budget. The challenge with this measure is the time horizon. Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole has suggested he would aim to eliminate the deficit in about a decade. The Trudeau government could take a similar approach — but actually stick to it this time. There is no question that balancing the budget will be a big challenge but providing a concrete plan to eliminate the deficit over the medium term would send a strong signal that increased spending will not continue indefinitely.

There is also the federal debt-to-GDP ratio, which has leapt from approximately 31 per cent to nearly 50 per cent this year. Keeping the ratio stable and then reducing it over time represents a weaker anchor than a balanced budget — especially since Ottawa’s debt-to-GDP ratio is only half the story. Although the federal government

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does not explicitly backstop provincial debt, as a practical matter it is hard to see how it would not be forced to step in if a province were at risk of default. And among all countries with AAA status, Canada has the largest component of government debt carried by subnational governments.

Finally, the government could also freeze or limit the growth of program spending. The era of routine departmental budget increases and hefty raises in labour contracts is over. The government simply has less money than it used to and will need to spend what it has much more carefully. A ceiling on the growth of program spending would both signal it recognizes constraints and

also provide some predictability about the future path of expenditures.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has indicated that a fiscal update is coming later this fall. It must include an anchor to guide federal budgeting for the future. The best anchor would be a concrete plan to get back to a balanced budget. But failing to include any anchor at all would be nothing short of irresponsible. Without it, we risk drifting into an angry, endless sea of red.

Aaron Wudrick is national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. www.troymedia.com

Social distancing and Halloween Halloween is a unique day each year when people gather together for parties, parades and of course, trickor-treating. Oct. 31 is a day that most children eagerly await each year because it means an opportunity to don a costume and come home with bags full of sweet treats.

This year Halloween figures to look different than it has in years past. Homes may have carved pumpkins on the doorstep and paper ghosts blowing on tree branches.

And horror movies will no doubt dominate streaming service top 10 lists. But thanks to the COVID-19 virus, certain Halloween traditions may not be possible.

Depending on regulations in your city or town, parties, trick-or-treating and school functions may be canceled or significantly modified. Since COVID-19 is so easily spread, health officials have long touted the need for social distancing. And while masks in public have long since become the norm, Halloween masks may not be sufficient.

So what is the public to do in the wake of the risks of going out for Halloween?

A community newspaper published Thursdays Owned & Operated by Prairie Newspaper Group LP a division of GVIC Communications Corp.

892 - 104th Street, North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 1M9 Telephone: 306-445-7261 • Fax: 306-445-3223 Serving the Battlefords since 1908 E-mail: newsoptimist.news@sasktel.net

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

· Maintain social distancing if trick-or-treating is allowed. This could mean staggering times to go on the search for candy and avoiding homes where trick-or-treaters have already lined up. · Consider small gatherings that enable youngsters to exchange candy with a limited group of friends or neighbors. · Wear your mask or special face coverings when trick-or-treating. Consider building a costume around the masks so it fits with the Halloween theme. · Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer when water and soap is unavailable. Limit the number of houses you visit to reduce your risk of infection. · Ask family or friends to send digital treats, such as gift cards or certificates. · Consider car parades instead of traditional trick-ortreating.

Despite the COVID-19 virus, Halloween enthusiasts can find ways to be safe and have fun this year.

Gordon Brewerton Senior Group Publisher

Administration

Joyce Wappel Office Manager, Aliya Cooke DTI/Receptionist

Editorial

Jayne Foster Editor - John Cairns - Lisa Joy Reporters

Advertising Sales

Candace Mack-Horton Sales Manager Noah Cooke

Composition

Claude Paradis Prepress Manager

Circulation

Grace Merritt - Melissa Pitkeathley, Inserters

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A sporting event

By Helen Row Toews Playing ball has long been part of summer entertainment for folks on the prairies. To spend an afternoon watching the game with hotdog in hand, or to personally participate in the sport can be great for relaxing, exercising or meeting new people, even if you’re not the sporty type. Despite limited involvement in this activity, I searched back into the annals of time and came up with one thematic tale to share. Here goes.

Many years ago, when I was young and reasonably fit, I joined a softball team who promoted themselves as playing purely for enjoyment. In fact, it appeared all fun and games on the surface, but beneath each low-brimmed ball

cap lurked a dark desire to be at the TOP of the league! They longed to clutch the shiny plastic trophy at season end, and some stopped at nothing to win the tawdry golden prize.

As for my team, it was soon understood I was no prize player and I found myself dispatched far into

left field. It was a pleasant place. Mostly I watched ants go about their business or imagined what was being served for supper in the houses nearby.

Until one fateful day.

We’d all arrived at the ball diamond in good spirits and mingled with the opposing team before getting underway. Sud-

Granola Bars

By Dr. R.H. Wood North Battleford

How blessed we are to live in a civilized land where elections are fair and fisticuffs free, but do they all have to happen at the same time and get mixed up with Halloween?

Don’t bother feeling sorry for snowbirds who

The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 5

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W

The

ood Pile

are missing out on their winter vacations and cruises unless you are one of them. This year they will be able to chauffeur

even more grandkids and others to our doors. Last year we had 120 plus bus passengers. Gifts are anticipated in return for egging, confusing the occasion, for me at least,

On November 9th 2020

denly, I recognized an old classmate among the crowd; a tall strapping fellow with burley arms and a sneering face. He spotted me too and nodded curtly in my direction.

“Crud,” I muttered under my breath. This pompous fellow had asked me on a date during high school, but I’d refused him citing a life threatening heart disorder and broken leg. I’d had neither, and he knew it. It hadn’t gone well.

The game progressed without incident until we were up by one run in the seventh inning. The other team wasn’t happy, and sneering guy was getting mad.

“Hey Helen,” he shouted, as I came up to bat, “How’s your heart? Looks like it’s a problem today, because you can’t hit a damn thing.” Continuing, he jeered, “Maybe you should break another leg;

it’d be less embarrassing than playing like crap.”

Needless to say, I struck out and trailed sadly off to my usual position, questioning my presence on the team. Then sneery guy moved in to bat with bases loaded. As the ball crossed home plate he wound up and walloped it high, high, high in the air – straight at me.

Ack! My team hollered and screamed, his team hollered and screamed, but above the raucous din his powerful voice could be heard bawling, “RUN! She can’t catch!”

Was I going to fumble?

Would I flub it up? Was it my destiny to join Charlie Brown as the perpetual goat? I squinted into the sun and capered across the grass with vain hopes of catching the bloody thing.

Down it plummeted from the clouds (or thereabouts) and dashing forward I lunged into the air, thrust-

ing my glove up, up into the sky.

Unbelievably, it bounced in, I grabbed it, the umpire hollered, “You’re out!” and I experienced the one and only triumph of my short, unathletic career.

In conclusion, the moral of this story could well be about sportsmanship, fair play or team spirit, but actually is as follows: if you lie to an arrogant idiot it may come back to haunt you. Just saying.

Helen has lived on the family farm near Marshall much of her life. She works as a writer, EA and bus driver for her local school.

This, along with her love of the Canadian prairies, travel and all things humorous, is what she draws from to write these tales.

To find more of Helen’s stories or to order Prairie Wool books please go to myprairiewool.com or Amazon.ca

with Easter. As a small child in Scotland, I had never heard of Halloween.

Later I learned that my father had no time for it.

Easter was celebrated by extra obligatory church attendances.

Not a single child has offered us a treat such as a song, dance or recitation. Thus their reward for favouring us with their presence is now always the same, bought in bulk at W. or C. We hand out disappointing, gritty, un-sugared, moderately healthful granola bars, gaily and deceivingly wrapped. This may please the parents, but the kids, not so much – all they want are root-rotters.

I quite enjoy tricking them and saving teeth at the same time.

As enlightened adults

we should be wary at Halloween and all other times of the glistering treats politicians wave before us. These too are merely deceivingly presented granola bars for which we ourselves have paid or are

about to pay for and then some.

Despite COVID let’s hope kids and adults still have fun this year and we don’t have too many bars left over for me to consume.

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Page 6 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

Regional News-Optimist

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North Battleford Mayoral Candidate Profiles

Ryan Bater

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Incumbent mayor Ryan Bater is making his pitch for a second term by touting the need for North Battleford City Hall to have experienced leadership in place to lead the city out of the current pandemic.

“The city really needs experienced leadership from the mayor and council to get through what is currently the largest economic and health crisis of our generation,” said Bater.

He particularly points to the challenges seen at the city’s leisure services facilities.

“Experience is really important. We’ve got a situation right now where the city is seeing a massive decline in revenues in our recreation facilities. These are due to closures, and now public health orders that limit our occupancy. When we opened the Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre in August, we realized 22 percent of the revenue that we saw during the same time period last year. So we anticipate losing or having reduced revenues of about $500,000 in that single facility over the next year.

Ryan Bater

“I have four years of experience as mayor, eight on Council, overcoming a number of challenges positioning the city to weather storms like this and come out on the other end in a stronger position, and I really think that that experience is important during this unprecedented time.

We’ve got our finger on the pulse of how to overcome these challenges. We talked about the financial outlook the other night at council. I am prepared, I am ready to lead council and administration through this, because we are going to see reductions in revenues in recreation.

We have to ensure that our facilities are still available to the public because it’s a large part of the quality of life here — but we have to balance that, of course, with people’s safety and the ability of the city to fund them financially.”

Bater says that his campaign will be based on

On November 9th

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the infrastructure people don’t see, but we also replaced the infrastructure people do see — we have new streetscapes, we have introduced new sidewalks and amenities and trees.

We’ve been able to attract 23 new businesses downtown since doing all this work, and that includes the new cinema, that includes Giant Tiger, it includes a new boutique, some new restaurants.

Downtown is the vibrant place to be again, and I’m very proud of that, and I am committed to moving forward on continuing downtown revitalization.”

He also points to other areas of the city that are growing.

“We have also the Yellow Sky neighbourhood, which we used to refer to as the south east quadrant.

This is the fastest growing commercial area in the entire region. We’ve seen in the last couple of years investments in new hotels, new restaurants, a new strip mall, and the work out there is very noticeable. Of course, council also made the decision to invest in the Carlton Trail upgrade to allow further economic development and we’re looking forward to that.”

Infrastructure will remain a priority next term,

“keeping the city moving forward.”

“We generated a lot of momentum in some very key areas in the last couple of years,” said Bater. “We want to keep moving forward with our community safety initiatives which include research-based crime prevention strategies. That includes the CPTED, the security camera registry, supporting Citizens on Patrol, safety audits, community perception surveys and so on. We want to keep supporting the Gang Task Force, which has had a tremendous impact on violent weapons and illegal drugs in our city.

“We also want to keep moving forward on all the financial fiscal responsibility measures that we’ve seen in the last couple of years. These are very important. Four years ago, this council inherited long-term debt of around $43 million. We were able to make debt reduction a priority, and as reported the other night we are on track for a $33.1 million debt-balance at the end of the year. Which means we have effectively been able to pay off 23 percent of our long-term debt in this term, which is a remarkable achievement. And I’m committed to continuing that momentum.”

Bater also points to efforts to revitalize the downtown.

“I’m very proud to be part of the council that made downtown revitalization a priority. It was this council that adopted the Downtown Master Plan, it was this council that initiated the replacement of the underground infrastructure. We had pipes that were 800 to 100 years old under the ground that were failing. So we replaced

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“We were really operating as an island before,” said Bater. “I don’t think that our relationships within the region as strong as they ought to have been and that’s why council made that a priority. Now we have a situation where First Nations leaders are meeting with mayors on a regular basis. We meet every month. And we are meeting with federal cabinet ministers, we are meeting with leadership in the RCMP. We have met with provincial cabinet ministers. And it’s all about addressing the shared challenges and potential opportunities within the region.”

He says he is encouraged by the number of people running for office. However, “in order to be a good mayor you really need to know how to be a good councillor first. Council experience is key, and I think I’m the only mayor candidate who brings that to the table.”

Being mayor, said Bater, is “a very big responsibility, it’s a very big job.

It’s one of those jobs that I think people don’t realize the responsibilities until they are in the role, and that’s why I think experience is very important.”

David Gillan

David Gillan has been a director of finance in both North Battleford and Battleford over the last six years, and it is that inside Call: 306-445-2741 • Cell: 306-441-5665 experience he hopes to email: valoriehiggs@sasktel.net • 9028 Mitchell Ave. N.Bford bring if elected mayor of North Battleford.

“I’m leaving my professional career to do this, to find the real change,” said Gillan, who is hoping to make a shift from the administrative ranks to elected office.

“So many people have come up to me and said, Dave, you know how it Your curiosity fuels our commitment to keep you works inside can you informed on local news, events and businesses. please run and try and find short term solutions Together, we make a community that’s connected and long terms solutions every minute at newsoptimist.ca to this,” said Gillan, whose and every Thursday in your background includes an The Battlefords Regional NEWS-OPTIMIST M.B.A. as well as inter00 46-43 306-4 national corporate experis rd fo WE large CAN ! encetlewith companies 7 OU Y LP 0 HE t 67 m in BaAsia. al 5- ing.co e n o h 4 i g b T 4 lum pitch is that he Re 6- His kp fords lu put that administrae 30can l t t w. a w B w e Th tive knowledge y to use as adya yuTrhsudrs eTrh v 1908 e ce a “full-time” mayor. He d y n r e si lisheve ords Battlef | Puhbed g the Publis has already Ggiven O Fr notice to leford Servin tt Eo f a B A | T orth GS A Nn sDiVg ee,t,2N018 E A AV I N A Ke d T 4theSrtr15 A T S that he is leavKwBattleford 2-1 C 9o ve0mb ethe town.

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for City Council.

says Bater.

“We have sewer and water underneath our streets that really needs replacing.

We have a UPAR (underground pipes and asphalt replacement) program, which is very effective at achieving that, and I’m very committed to continuing with that. We have been able to replace underground pipes and asphalt at a rate that we’ve never seen before. It’s a very innovative model, it replaces the local improvement program.”

“We’ve also seen major investments in some key infrastructure to allow further economic development. I mentioned the Carlton Trail project, there’s also the 100th Street service road. That project has been sitting there for 13 years ready to go, and I’m really happy that we’re able to see that.”

Bater also points to regional accomplishments such as the joint Parks and Recreation Master Plan between North Battleford and Battleford — already approved by North Battleford council and due to come up for ratification at Battleford council — as well as the Battlefords Regional Community Coalition which emerged from the signing of the Sacicha-

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David Gillan at a Chamber of Commerce presentation.

Photo by John Cairns

know who everybody is, I know exactly what their jobs are, I know what the issues are. Of course I’ve been away three years — there’s always a few projects I’m not aware of or whatever. But generally speaking, I don’t need orientation to go to work, that’s the thing. I’m not clouding it with the job at the town of Battleford. For me, it’s the city’s business, and every day I’ll work at it.”

Particularly, Gillan is motivated by a desire to affect change in a number of areas, such as on the crime issue. He made it known he is concerned about the reputation the city has due to the Crime Severity stats.

“When I talk about crime and I talk about this image of the city, it’s actually the whole region because this ‘Crimetown’ image affects everybody,” said Gillan. “Collectively, the region has this big black cloud on top of it, right?”

“Unless someone fulltime is going to work on

this and try to address it for myself I don’t know there’s any other candidate with the inside knowledge that I have, and willing to stop full-time, and work at this. I’m coming out of my profession to help the community full-time to finally deal with this issue.”

Gillan has released his platform and it includes a number of policies. In dealing with the crime issue, Gillan advocates some short term and long term actions. In the short term, he says they can “challenge the status quo,” ensure all policing resources are accountable and coordinated, research the best practices in other similar sized communities, and develop a new model of community led policing.

For the long term, he advocates encouraging affordable sport and creative arts activities to reduce generational crime, and to ensure City Hall “act as a catalyst to mobilize a collective city to fight this problem.”

Continued on Page 7

Regional News-Optimist

Mayoral candidate profiles: Gillan

Continued from Page 6 Another platform plank is attracting good paying jobs. Gillan says one way to attract those jobs is through industry development.

“We really need to find industry as well to replace things like Maple Leaf and things like that,” said Gillan, pointing to the Maple Leaf Foods plant that was shut down years ago.

“There’s a lot of companies overseas that want to do light manufacturing in Canada and the U.S., and assembly work,” said Gillan. “All these things to avoid tariffs and avoid taxes and to reduce shipping costs and all kinds of

reasons. But you have to know where these people congregate and how to get to them, and how to speak their language. Again, something no other candidate can do but me — it’s just because of my unique background.”

Finally, Gillan’s platform calls for improving service delivery for services such as potable water, sanitary sewer, fire protection, transportation networks, parks and recreation and personal/property safety.

“I want to make sure City Hall is a very servicefriendly place,” said Gillan, who made clear not to expect a spending spree at City Hall if he is elected.

“We have to be very

Lois Laing

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Lois Laing is a longtime resident of the Battlefords who has been active in the local business community.

But it was during a recent time when she lived outside the community when she got her motivation to run for mayor of North Battleford.

She still had business interests in the Battlefords and often came back to North Battleford, and noticed the city’s decline during those visits.

“I was devastated to see what has happened in the city the last few years,” said Laing, who pointed to a population that had “lost hope.” At that point, the light bulb in her head came on.

“I thought, you know what? I’m going to run for mayor,” said Laing, who said “we’re going to bring this back to the thriving, happy connected community it was before.”

Laing first came to the Battlefords in 1982 to run Miller Hatcheries, and dealt mostly with the farming community. But she later operated a furniture store and a welding and consulting business. Laing also started growing a rental-house business.

Laing also worked in the school division as an educational assistant where she worked with at-risk youth. It has given her insight into addictions and homelessness issues and that carried over to her rental business.

“That’s sort of been my thing — I try to house people that need help and have difficulty finding housing and I like to try and help

The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 7

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Lois Laing

people with their problems before it becomes ‘finding comfort in all the wrong places.’”

She moved back to the city a year ago. “I think I want to stay here for the rest of my days. I just want it to be a more positive place.”

Laing has come forward with a pro-business, pro-opportunity platform, including a commitment to keep taxes down.

Laing noted she had lived in Warman and said she noticed a big contrast to North Battleford in the way things are run. “The biggest difference is their taxes are cheaper than they are here,” said Laing.

“I’m not quite sure why that is, but if I become mayor I’m going to put a cap on taxes. And I’m going to investigate just how taxpayers dollars are spent here in the city and see if there are some places we couldn’t let the general population have a little bit of relief.”

As for her platform, her first plank is creating “opportunities for all.” The way to do that, she said, is by “removing obstacles” to opportunity.

One of the biggest obstacles, she says, is cost of living — the taxes. The second, she said, is the “crime rate that has gone on here that has put us on the map. And that breaks my heart, because that’s not North Battleford.”

Key to addressing the crime issue for Laing is addressing addictions and

frugal with our spending and we have to watch all our spending. Of course I’m an accountant by trade, and all these things, so of course you know I’m going to be prudent on money right? So I won’t spend a nickel if I don’t have to, because that’s my personal way of doing things.”

Above all else, Gillan is seeking an improvement of the way things are done at City Hall, citing that there is “always a need to continuously improve every organization”.

“It’s time for a real serious change,” said Gillan. “These are obviously some of the bigger issues, but obviously there is a lot of work to do to make any organization better.” the marginalization of individuals.

“These drug addictions and gang affiliations all start when there’s nobody else accepting you in society,” said Laing. “It could be because you are taking drugs, it could be so many things — it could be the colour of your skin. All of these issues are going to be addressed by me. Because every single one of us, no matter what the colour or creed, every person is just as valuable as the other one including those going down a bad road.”

She also wants to see jobs and the economy addressed. She wants to see better paying jobs such as those in the manufacturing sector return to North Battleford, and believes tax incentives could achieve that.

“If we changed our policies and perhaps our incentives we could attract people back here again,” said Laing.

On downtown revitalization, she said what’s been done downtown is “very beautiful — except for the empty stores, and the empty lots.” She expressed a desire to collaborate with others in the city to address the issues there.

“Once we learn how to talk to one another and share ideas, amazing things can happen,” said Laing.

Laing is encouraging those interested to visit her website at loislainggoldenticket.ca, where her complete platform can be found. She welcomes any feedback or phone calls from the public about issues they are concerned about.

“I want to hear from the people that live here how they feel and what they want to see. This is their city and they should have a part of it.”

See more candidate profiles on Page 8

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Move in ready home with so much to offer. This 4 bedroom home is situated on an over sized lot on a very quiet street in the Town of Battleford.

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Great starter home at 1412-104th Street North Battleford, SK having 1 bedroom and full bath on main, a bedroom and open area on second level and one bedroom and 3 pc bath on lower level. Large dinning room off kitchen and a roomy back yard deck off kitchen area. Upgrades include the furnace, water heater and shingles. Back yard is fenced and has a garden shed. Give us a call for a viewing.

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

Regional News-Optimist

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

North Battleford Mayoral Candidate Profiles

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Social issues are at the forefront of the campaign of gallery assistant and archivist Misa Nikolic, who is running for mayor in North Battleford.

Nikolic, who moved to the community earlier this year, said the reason is running is because he is “fed up.”

“I have seen a lot of things that I am unhappy with (that) I think are being handled poorly, at a time of crisis, frankly, that calls for leadership,” said Nikolic.

“And that leadership has been lacking.”

He has mostly worked in the arts and heritage industry. One of his positions in Alberta required him to visit some 200 communities, which opened his eyes to what is possible.

“There are a lot of municipalities that have similar problems to North Battleford and some of them have come up with really innovative solutions — solutions to crime, to stagnant population, to economic decay. If we want to address those things we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we need to look at

Misa Nikolic

the success stories and find out how they did it.”

He points to Medicine Hat, which “famously solved homelessness in their city.”

“They had a multipronged strategy to address not just homelessness but poverty, food insecurity, they offered job counselling, family counselling, addictions counselling. If you’re committed and you get other agencies involved, which they did, there’s an economic benefit because abandoning those people to the justice system and the healthcare system is a lot more expensive.”

“Looking at North Battleford, historically our crime problems go back about four decades. And successive administrations here have always done the same thing — more policing, more policing. But we’re still a crime city and we are known as a crime city and it hurts us, it hurts

tural facilities.

“When somebody comes to North Battleford to visit like our museum or the art gallery, they’re not just dropping a couple of bucks into the donation box. They’re buying gas.

They are buying a meal.

They’re going to buy stuff at a gift shop. They’re going to go to on Facebook and tell people about the experience they had. And that’s what’s hard to measure, but it’s a big deal and it’s an economic driver.”

His platform calls for making the cultural sector a priority, and would make reconciliation a permanent process. “This needs to be at the forefront of everything council does and it needs to be a renewable process so we can address issues like institutionalized racism and inter generational poverty.”

“Those people aren’t ‘vagrants’ or ‘outsiders’ or ‘others.’ They’re our neighbours, they are the community.”

Nikolic would review the city’s handling of the pandemic and introduce measures to prevent unwarranted spending. And he calls for pedestrian-oriented planning to address the city’s sidewalks.

What makes Nikolic distinct from the other candidates, he said, is that he has a wide ranging education and experience, but

he’s “not afraid to admit when I don’t know something or be corrected if I have made a mistake, and I’m not afraid to call on experts for their advice.”

He also emphasizes he will bring something dif-

ferent to the table at City Hall.

“We need more discourse, more conversation.

And we need to reassess priorities and that’s not going to happen if everybody’s in agreement.”

James Sieben

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

James Sieben is seeking to be the candidate representing youth issues in his bid to be the next mayor of North Battleford.

“My main motivation, I suppose, was just to get the youth voice heard,” said Sieben, who at 22 years old is the youngest candidate in the race.

He works as a lab technician at Parkview Optometric Services and has studied at McGill University and is currently doing an online computer science degree through the University of Regina, taking two classes at the moment.

“I didn’t think there was anybody really young running and I didn’t think the youth was being represented, so I wanted to be that person,” said Sieben, who has grown up in North Battleford and went to John Paul II Collegiate.

James Sieben

His main concern, he said, is to “let the people’s voice be heard, and I think I’m a pretty good listener and can bring that to the table.”

Sieben believes a number of youth concerns are not being addressed and would make those a priority.

“The main thing is there’s not much for youth to do after 9 o’clock,” said Sieben, “and then after that a lot of the youth get into gangs, get into drugs.

The main way to curb that would be to introduce more activities for young people around the town. And that is not being addressed at the moment.”

Continued on Page 9

MISA NIKOLIC for Mayor of

2020

Misa Nikolic

our reputation. But it’s not undeserved.”

Nikolic said he wants to bring a different perspective — not a business or finance perspective, he said — and “challenge the established logic.”

He wants to bring more target management techniques to City Hall and “start tightening up the reporting relationships, the communication chain.

There’s a lot of things that are broken and in the absence of real leadership, you have different administrators pulling in different directions with their own agendas. These people were not elected and they weren’t giving instructions to pursue those agendas.

But council is largely unaware of these things because the information they get is heavily filtered.”

Nikolic said there will be still be finance and business experts on staff at the City and will still have some say, “but I want to have a better balance because right now they are drowning out other voices.

They don’t have the sociological expertise, they don’t have the cultural expertise, and some of the decisions they are making are based on assumptions and stereotypes instead of data. And I am a data driven decision type of person.”

Nikolic points to the economic benefit of cul-

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 9

North Battleford Mayoral Candidate Profiles Mayoral candidate profiles: Sieben

Continued from Page 8 On other issues, Sieben said he would like to see more resources devoted to fire and emergency services in the city. But he is not a fan of the

community safety officer program and says it should be cancelled.

“I don’t feel they’re really doing much around the town,” said Sieben. He said he’s heard people say the CSOs aren’t necessary, and who complain about being given tickets by the CSOs.

Instead of CSOs, Sieben would “like to see more funding for the RCMP and local police.”

Sieben also has concerns about the downtown revitalization work done, particularly the road and undergrounds work.

“I understand that

they’ve done it to replace the piping which is OK, but I suppose some of the lanes aren’t done right, some of the turning lanes are weird,” said Sieben. “I think there was way too much money spent on it, and way too long a time period spent on it.”

As for budget issues, that is one area that Sieben believes is being done well.

“I would just continue what’s being done over the last four years.”

For this campaign, Sieben isn’t planning to send out brochures. Instead he is getting his message

out as best he can, mainly online.

“I just want to thank everybody who has supported me so far,” said Sieben. “I’ve had a number of people approach me and say they would vote for me so I’m very happy to hear that.”

North Battleford City Council Candidates

Crowded field in North Battleford council race Staff It is a sizeable and competitive field in the council race in the city of North Battleford.

Here is a rundown of the people who have come forward to fill the six seats available on city council, in the order of their nomination filings at City Hall.

Matthew Parker literally couldn’t wait to run for council. He was the first candidate to officially file his nomination papers to run soon after the nomination period opened.

In a candidate profile, Parker described himself as an “advocate for real change in North Battleford.

Real change doesn’t start at the top of a city government, it starts in your home. I want to make that easier for you.” He is born and raised in North Battleford and has been active in the community through work as a counsellor in the local schools and through coaching for the local swim club.

Incumbent councillor Kent Lindgren is seeking a second term on council.

In a news release, Lindgren said he has a firm belief in local challenges and issues being dealt with through community created solutions; through his career and extensive local volunteerism, Lindgren said he strives to address critical underlying problems in the community such as health care, food security, gender equity, supportive housing

abd Indigenous relations through reconciliation.

“Until we address the reasons we have our challenges, we will never be able to make the instrumental changes and create solutions as needed,” said Lindgren in his statement.

“I am running for a second term on council, because we have accomplished much in the last four years, but there is more to be done.”

Incumbent Kelli Hawtin is seeking a third term on council, having first been elected in a byelection in 2014.

In her statement at the city’s election page, Hawtin said, “We have some challenging systemic issues which can only be addressed through regional cooperation, solutions, and advocacy. I have proved to be an inquisitive representative, and will continue to ask questions that are essential in good decisionmaking. I will continue to respond to residents on matters of concern and will support reasonable property taxes to allow a balance of addressing affordability today, and the needs of the future.”

Warren Williams, a senior account manager with Bralin Technology Solutions Inc., has been heavily active in community organizations. He has previously been president of both the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce as well as the Rotary Club of the Battlefords.

Voting in North Battleford Elections North Battleford is following SHA Public Health Guidelines.

Voters are encouraged to bring a mask to wear at the polls.

Other safety precau-

tions include: Hand sanitizing stations when entering and exiting the poll; Masks and protective shields for election officials;

In his profile at the city’s election page, Williams has pledged to “advocate for the citizens of North Battleford and address their concerns,” to “assist in making North Battleford a more businessfriendly city,” and to “find productive solutions for serious social issues.”

Dennis Mercer’s profile states that he has devoted the past 20 years to teaching at John Paul II Collegiate, coaching high school sports and clubs, and sinking roots into the community for his family.

“Despite its rough reputation, I believe North Battleford is a great city to lay down roots, to grow and prosper, to raise a family.

I am keenly interested in serving on council in support of this ideal.”

Clay Lazar has worked as a firefighter and paramedic in the community and has identified poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, crime and gangs as issues. On the city’s website he states, “I will bring the focus on providing resources for these issues, so we can help and support the people that need it most. When the core of a community is stable, our community and people can prosper.”

George Plews works as a letter carrier for Canada Post and previously for Nav Canada as a flight service specialist for 35 years.

He has lived in North Battleford the last 30 years.

According to his pro-

file at the city’s website, he says he would like the city to be more business friendly, says tax increases “have been reasonable and I hope they stay that way,” and wants to change the city’s image.

“North Battleford has been seen negatively in the media, and I want to change that.”

Incumbent Greg Lightfoot, who owns and is senior financial advisor at Hein Financial Group, is seeking his third term.

At his city election profile Lightfoot states, “My commitment is to make North Battleford a safe, comfortable, and attractive place for all, and to continue to draw new business and residents to our community. With my experience in budgeting and fiscal responsibility, I will work to keep taxes low and continue to pay down debt.”

Len Taylor is also seeking a third council term, in addition to stints as an MP and MLA. In a news release, the Taylor campaign noted the last four years on city council have been challenging because of funding issues, senior administration staff changes, and the unexpected COVID circumstances, but Taylor believes “the next two years will be even more important in the city as it prepares to recover from COVID closures and other challenges, because the city will experience reduced provincial funding,

reduced revenue from city services, and increased costs for very important police and other protective services.”

The news release also states the most important benefit Taylor will bring to council “is an understanding of the city’s past, present and future with experience as well as a proven history of community commitment and common sense.”

According to the profile of Thomas (Bill) Ironstand at the city’s website, Ironstand is a lifelong resident of North Battleford and his platform includes “clearly identifying the effectiveness of the community crime initiatives; spending money on infrastructure that makes sense to all citizens; asking questions of leadership when citizens voice concerns; youth initiatives.”

Ross MacAngus has worked as a peace officer for 18 years in North Battleford and most recently in Battleford.

Among his priorities listed at his city candidates’ profile.

MacAngus supports upgrading infrastructure but “we must make sure they are picking the right projects,” and says that “making people feel safe and growing our community are things I will focus on if elected to council.”

Sheldon Rafuse has also filed papers to join

the council race. Rafuse is born and raised in North Battleford and according to his election profile he wants to see property tax addressed.

“We have all witnessed an increase in property tax and crime rates, and if elected, I want to focus on lowering residential and commercial property tax.

It is crucial for North Battleford to offer reasonable residential and commercial tax rates in order to attract and retain families and businesses. My plan is to focus on creating longterm job opportunities that will result in growth for our economy. I am passionate about working for the people of North Battleford and will strive to attain a safe, attractive and affordable city to live and raise a family.”

The final candidate to file, Valorie Higgs, is a longtime former employee and manager of the Battlefords News-Optimist sales department.

On her candidate profile page Higgs points to that experience as an “excellent and rewarding opportunity to connect with our business community.

This allowed me to come to understand its concerns, challenges, and vision. As a newspaper employee, I also connected with our citizens and listened to and related to their concerns.

Presently, I am self-employed and can now devote my time to work for and serve our community.”

Shared surfaces regularly sanitized; Single-use pens provided to each voter; Physical distancing markers at 6-foot intervals; Masks available for voters upon request.

Advance Poll Dates

Don Ross Centre Saturday, Oct. 31 Noon - 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2 Noon - 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 5 2 - 8 p.m.

Election Day Polls Civic Centre Monday, Nov. 9

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You are eligible to vote if you meet the following criteria as of November 9, 2020: you are a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on the day of the election; you have resided in Saskatchewan for at least six consecutive

months; you are a resident of North Battleford or you have owned assessable land within the municipality for at least three consecutive months.

See cityofnb.ca for more information on voting in the North Battleford civic elections.

Direct Billing for Indian Affairs & Social Services Book with our Experienced Audiologist: Call 306-445-5700 #2b 11204 Railway Ave E North Battleford, SK S9A 2R7

Page 10 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Battleford Town Council Candidates

Eleven candidates in Battleford town council race

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

There may not be a race for mayor in Battleford this year, but there is no shortage of candidates running for the six council seats.

Eleven candidates are in the race in Battleford. Five incumbents are seeking to return to council, but they face plenty of competition from six individuals hoping to gain a spot on council on Nov. 9.

Here is a look at the 11 candidates based on their profiles submitted to and posted at the town’s election candidates page: Kevin Russell is seeking re-election to a second term on Battleford council.

His platform posted on the town’s election page includes keeping Battleford safe, continuing to build and invest in infrastructure, advocating for future arena upgrades, continuing to see through ongoing projects that are on the go including St. Vital Church and the lagoon project, keeping taxes and utilities low, keeping the history of Battleford on the forefront, and investing in the town’s youth.

Judy Pruden is seeking a second term on council.

According to her election profile at the town website, her reasons for running include safety for residents, economic development and downtown revitalization, promoting the town by developing tourism based on their history, and expanded recreation for all ages.

Doug Laing is seeking a third term on council.

His profile states that he would like to continue to develop relationships with all our neighbours and other levels of government.

He also would like to look for opportunities for their downtown and commercial business areas while maintaining a small town atmosphere.

In his profile posted on the town’s website, Richard “Rick” Zarowny states that “if elected I look forward to ensuring the growth of Battleford continues with fiscal responsibility in mind so that both residents and businesses have a comfortable place to call home.” He has worked in the satellite communication industry for 38 years and

On November 9th let’s re-elect

LARRY CLARKE for Counselor

Division 3, R.M. #468 Meota, Sk. Vote at R.M. Office Let’s Get “ER” Done October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Prairie Employment Program promotes and supports employment inclusion for people with different abilities in our community. We believe that everyone deserves a fair chance to seek and secure meaningful work regardless of the challenges or barriers they face in life. Everybody has value, gifts, and strengths that they can offer to local businesses and places of work.

had previously been a town councillor in Osler, Saskatchewan before moving to Battleford.

He was born in North Battleford.

Gordon Yarde has been a resident of Battleford for 43 years and a councillor for 27 years. According to his election profile Yarde states that he feels a “responsibility to share my years of knowledge and experience for the betterment of Battleford, and I want to be part of an enthusiastic team that is willing to promote the Town.

“We as a council must be careful that increased taxation does not become a burden to the Town and remains fair to all residents including seniors.

We must also continue to build relationships with the surrounding First Nation communities.”

Shelley BoutinGervais has been on council for the past eight years. According to her election profile, Boutin-Gervais said her priorities are to ensure infrastructure keeps up with growth; reserving and promoting the rich

history of Battleford; keeping residents active, safe and involved in the community (from youth to seniors); economic development; and being fiscally responsible and transparent “Together we can continue to make Battleford a great place to live, play, work and invest.”

Alexis Christensen has lived in and around Battleford her entire life, and has spent 10 years working in long term care and 10 years working as a teacher with Living Sky School Division; she now works for BATC as their director of communications.

Christensen said on her Facebook page that her platform includes youth recreation initiatives, economic development, community events and initiatives, history preservation and serving the community.

Mark Coleman holds degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University and Nipissing University and moved to Battleford in 2015. According to his profile at the town’s election

Voting in Battleford Election day is Monday, Nov. 9.

Advance Poll Thursday, Nov. 5 Alex Dillabough Centre 2 - 8 p.m.

Regular Poll Monday, Nov. 9 Alex Dillabough Centre 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You are eligible to vote if you meet the following criteria as of Nov. 9: you are a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on the day of the election: you have resided in Saskatchewan for at least six consecutive months, and; you are a resident

page he is passionate about “safeguarding a positive future for our youth; ensuring fiscal competence; and feel we as a community have a tremendous amount of potential for growth.”

Cory Schaffer has lived in the town since 2002. At his profile posted on the town’s election page, Schaffer states: “I believe in a strong work ethic as well as an honest, responsible and respectful approach to people and problems. I feel strongly that we as citizens of the town need to have a council that is open and willing to deal with all issues the town may face. The Town of Battleford is a beautiful place to live. I humbly ask your support to elect me to council so I may work for you to make it better.”

David George has served 16 years on town council in Battleford. He was last on council during the 2012-16 term and at the end of that term he for mayor, losing to Ames Leslie. He has 38 years experience working for 38 years with I.G. Wealth Management. At his elec-

tion profile posted with the town George states his “likes” include “Great community, Great Water, Great Recreation facilities, Great Fire Department.”

He lists his “concerns” as “Covid-19; Taxation and spending; Safety for all citizens; Building strong infrastructure (Roads); Not using the expertise of the people in our community when building or new infrastructure.”

The last candidate nominated in the race is Ken Chartier. According to his profile, he has been volunteer firefighter with The Battleford Fire Department for 22 years, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. I have also enjoyed being the department’s Fire Safety Officer.

“I would be honored to serve my community further as a member of the town council. My goal is to contribute towards the growth and development of Battleford,” Chartier states. “As a town council member we must ensure that our town has policies that promote safety and prosperity of its citizens.”

of Battleford or you have owned assessable land within the municipality for at least three consecutive months.

All voters upon arrival at polling stations must provide identification to be able to vote, in order to prove identity and residency: governmentissued photo ID that shows

your photo, name and civic (street) address or two pieces of identification, both of which have the voter’s name, and at least one of which also has his/ her civic address. See Voter Identifications at www.attleford.ca for a full list or for more information on voting.

For more local news see www.newsoptimist.ca

Dekker Centre announces Fall Mini Series Staff

The Dekker Centre has announced the winners of Homegrown Openers: A Community Contest.

Winners have been chosen and they will be pre-

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of our wonderful clients and the employers who have embraced them and given them a chance to flourish in the workplace. Once you get to know our clients and their differences, their abilities shine through, and their differences disappear!

Please help us celebrate DEAM. Call 306-445-6404, and you could discover the next step on your employment journey or your next golden employee!

Prairie Employment Program Inc. 1202-101st Street • North Battleford, SK S9A 0Z8

Phone: 306-445-6404 Fax: 306-445-6414

sented during the Dekker Centre’s Fall Mini Series: Gypsy Moonbird Gypsy Moonbird plays at 7 p.m on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. that night. They are a rock band based out of the Battlefords formed in spring 2018, but the band’s experience goes back even further. According to the Dekker Centre’s promotional material: “The group aims to keep the spirit of rock n roll alive with their own original music that is influenced by many artists and bands that were a part of the classic rock era.”

Danny Macangus Danny plays Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Dekker Centre. The husband and father of two has lived in the Battlefords his whole life. He “started teaching himself guitar seven years ago and didn’t start playing and singing publicly until six years ago. He listens to a

lot of genres of music but, mostly draws from country, folk, Americana and classic rock.”

Jackie Kroczynski and Ned & Jacob These artists play Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

According to the promotional material, Ned began his first music lessons when he was five years old and decided to pick up the guitar a few years ago after listening to The Beatles and thinking, “Damn, I wanna play that”.

Jacob is a classically trained pianist who started at age four; he and Ned formed a friendship in Grade 8 and have since formed a band together.

Jackie Kroczynski is one half of Jivin’ Jackie and Big Baby T, who honour and celebrate the music of New Orleans. According to the promotional material Jackie has been excited

about making music since before she could walk, and takes that passion into her classroom at North Battleford Comprehensive High School where she directs the band and guitar programs. She has also performed gigs for Christmas, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick’s Day events and is currently working on an album to be produced and released by Grade School Records.

For more information go to dekkercentre.com.

Also, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, the Dekker Centre has temporarily changed their mask policy.

All patrons are asked to wear a mask in the facility at all times, the only exception is when taking a drink from a beverage. This applies for the duration of the performance.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 11

Festival of Trees celebrates 25 years COVID-19 guidelines prompt innovative community format Submitted

Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation is excited to present the 2020 Festival of Trees, taking place in The Battlefords from Monday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Dec. 4.

The Festival of Trees is a tradition within the Battlefords and is celebrating its 25th year.

The 2020 Festival of Trees will see some changes due to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, but it will once again kick off the Christmas season within the Battlefords while raising funds to enrich healthcare.

“We are pleased to be celebrating the 25th Annual Festival of Trees this Christmas season and carry on the tradition within the Battlefords. The event

will look a little different from other years, but what is important is the opportunity to celebrate Christmas together as a community while raising funds for new medical equipment at BUH,” says Claudette McGuire, BUH Foundation’s executive director. “We are excited about the opportunities presented to us with the new format and invite everyone to join us in the Christmas celebrations.”

The theme of 2020 Festival of Trees is “Merry & Bright” and will provide a tour of the Battlefords and all things Christmas. Rather than being held at one location, the beautifully decorated trees, wreathes and accent pieces will be on display and for sale throughout the Battlefords at various businesses and sponsor locations. This

provides everyone an opportunity to safely view and bid on these items, as well as support their local businesses.

Family Day activities are being planned to be held in a virtual format and within your own households. Santa himself may even stop by and have a special message for the children. Stay tuned for these details as they are released.

The Formal Evening of Festival of Trees and the Christmas High Tea will not be held this year.

However, BUH Foundation board of directors and staff encourage all those who would regularly attend these events to still be a part of Festival of Trees 2020 by donating the price of their tickets and receiving a charitable tax receipt.

There will also be raffle packages and an opportunity to purchase tickets on some wonderful items, either as a Christmas present for yourself or for others.

“It is an honour to be celebrating 25 years of Festival of Trees in our community. It is wonderful to receive the support to make this event such a success ever y y e a r .

We know 2020 will look different, but be just as well received and supported

as the previous years. We hope you will all join us as we celebrate Christmas and raise funds for healthcare,” says Sue Pruden-McIvor, BUH Foundation board of directors chairperson.

You may follow the 2020 Festival of Trees “Merry & Bright” Christmas tour on BUH Foundation’s website, bu h fou nd at ion. com and through BUH Foundation’s Facebook page. If you would like to be a part of this event, please contact BUH Foundation’s office, 306-4466652 or email sherry.krelow@buhfoundation.ca. If

you are currently a Festival of Trees sponsor, BUH Foundation will be personally contacting you.

Funds raised from the 2020 Festival of Trees will support the new capital campaign for BUH Foundation, “Diagnostic Detectives: Solving your Health Mysteries.” This campaign will raise funds for new equipment and technology for the lab at BUH. Lab tests and their corresponding results are an integral part of diagnosing patients and providing the proper course of treatment.

The dedicated lab team works behind the scenes to help provide the best care possible. The new equipment will capitalize on the knowledge and skills of the lab team and ensure they have the best to provide the best.

Grant application for bridges gets go-ahead from Battleford council

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The Town of Battleford discussed making an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant application for the north portion of the old Battleford bridge at their meeting last week.

Director of Finance

David Gillan explained the north portion of the bridge was shut down in July based on an engineer’s report that indicated the bridge was in bad shape.

The south portion is in slightly better shape and is still open.

The total cost of rehabilitating the bridges is estimated at $5.6 million.

The capital spend for the north bridge would be $2.9 million, with a 10-year maintenance plan costing $600,000. The south span is $1.3 million with a 10-year maintenance plan costing $470,000.

The hope is to get the ICIP grant for both the north and south span and bring them both back up to

THE CITY OF NORTH BATTLEFORD is creating a more vibrant city for residents through its infrastructure investment projects and its improved relations with surrounding First Nations communities.

In 2015, the City launched its Underground Pipe and Asphalt Replacement (UPAR) to provide stable funding for the replacement of aging and deteriorating infrastructure.

“What we’re doing is identifying the sections of poorest condition in the city and replacing pipes that are literally 100 years old,” says Jennifer Niesink, the City’s director of corporate services.

a “5” rating. Gillan said they are applying for the capital works grant for both bridges, which meets the grant’s designation for a walking and a bicycling bridge.

For capital funding, the hope is they will receive $3.3 million, or 75 percent, with the town to be on the hook for the other $1.2 million. The town would also

be on the hook for the remaining maintenance portion of $1.1 million, for a total town investment of $2.3 million.

Assuming the grant is approved, engineering would begin this year, said Gillan. The town would be looking at $1.4 million in 2021 and then from 202230 the town’s cost would

CITY OF NORTH BATTLEFORD MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2020 November 9, 2020

CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR David Gillan

“UPAR allows us to do major capital projects every year, whether it’s replacing roadways or doing underground pipes. Everybody pays and the City continues to upgrade what needs to be replaced.”

These projects are an investment in North Battleford and will enhance the livability of its neighbourhoods.

Removing lead water lines and installing modern utility infrastructure, while not as visually noticeable as fresh asphalt and new sidewalks, are equally crucial for improving the lives of residents.

BBA, MBA, RMA

The City has also begun the process of installing smart water meters, which will provide a dashboard of information accessible by a smart phone or web portal. It allows residents to monitor their water usage in real-time. Additionally, these smart water meters will allow for on-demand, remote water meter readings.

No more estimates, no more acrobatics to read your meter or having City employees driving around North Battleford and requesting entry to read your meter.

Experienced Accessible

“You can check if you have a running faucet, or if you go on vacation, you can get an alert,” Niesink says.

Results Oriented

“You’ll have options for monitoring, which will be a huge benefit for people as we go forward.”

Full Time Mayor

The City’s Sanitary Sewer trunk force main installation, a megaproject that represents a nearly $15-million investment, allows for the continued growth of the Killdeer and Fairview Heights neighbourhoods. This megaproject is possible with funding from the Provincial and Federal Governments through the New Building Canada Fund - National and Regional Projects in which each party will contribute one-third of the total eligible expenditures. Residents are receiving $15-million worth of infrastructure at a third of the cost.

Creating an inclusive city is also a priority in North Battleford.

The City of North Battleford has donated land to local housing groups. On this donated land from the City, the housing groups are building a new eight-unit rental housing program.

“We’re really proud of that,” Niesink says of the project.

The City is also working with a number of First Nations communities in the surrounding area to collaborate on City issues. On National Indigenous Peoples Day in 2019,the City of North Battleford along with Lucky Man Cree Nation, Sweetgrass First Nation, Little Pine First Nation, Moosomin First Nation, Saulteaux First Nation and the Town of Battleford signed the Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement.

This agreement gives municipal and Indigenous governments a way to work together in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration through the building of government-to-government relationships. The Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement won the 13th Annual Saskatchewan Municipal Awards.

“It is a tremendous accomplishment to have this regional cooperation through the Sacichawasihc Agreement,” Niesink says.

The City of North Battleford is building and investing in a bright future for its residents by improving existing infrastructure, investing in sustainable growth and building relationships on a regional level.

To access services and learn more about

THE CITY’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS, visit www.cityofnb.ca.

range from about $200,000 a year down to as little as $40,000.

As for how it would be funded by the town, there are reserves the town can access. If unsuccessful in their grant application, the town “may have to reconsider the feasibility of maintaining both bridges,” said Gillan.

Visionary

Key Issues to Address: 1. Crime and Safety (including our “crime town” image).

2. Attract industry which attracts good paying jobs.

3. Downtown redevelopment.

4. City Hall efficiency and transparency.

REAL CHANGE FROM A CANDIDATE WITH REAL EXPERIENCE David Gillan David Gillan Virtual Coffee Series Email – electgillan2020@zohomail.com This ad is authorized by David Gillan

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Former Mayfair farmer passes away in Edmonton

By Elaine Woloshyn Correspondent

In almost every report I am either extending get well wishes or deepest sympathy to mostly former Mayfair folks.

This week, a former Mayfair resident who farmed here for 50 years, Garry Napastiuk, passed away Sept. 11 in Edmonton. His wife Sandra (nee Johnson) and he raised a family of four children, lived in North Battleford for a few years and moved back to Mayfair. One of their sons, Sheldon, played in the Canadian Football League.

The town of Maple Creek has a great idea for Halloween. They have made available large pumpkin posters for residents to hang in their windows. The posters indicate to trick or treaters that the household is offering treats. The signs aren’t mandatory, but it is an idea that would brighten

up neighbourhoods and create a safe environment for the children.

Another new baby born this past weekend in our area. Congratulations to brand new parents Cody and Ashley Zyznomirski on the arrival of a baby boy. Proud grandparents are Gordie and Loreili Zyznomirski, who reside near them on the farm, Cody’s mom, Audrey Fendelet Lommer of Hafford and Ahsley’s parents Maurice and Suzanne Gauthier of Meota. Greatgrandparents are Marie Van Dijk (nee Haegebaert), North Battleford and former Mayfair resident Mary Zyznomirski of rural Battleford.

Shaye Clark and part-

ner Carrie Anne of North Battleford recently became parents to twin girls. Shane is the son of Eddy Clark of Mayfair.

Shaye’s brother Curtis is also excited at being a long-distance uncle, as he resides in Houston, B.C. Both attended Mayfair School as boys for a portion of their education.

Some rural communities are advertising pick-up fall suppers. Those who want to participate phone ahead of the day of the feast and show up with the cash to pick up their meal and then hurry home to enjoy.

Life has changed, but I find people are become more creative. Have a fun night, little trick or treaters, as it looks as if the weather is supposed to be warming up.

Remember, 95 per cent of your stress will disappear if you mind your own business. A quip I read on Facebook. So true ...

Geese are migrating to a warmer climate. We still see them flying over our yard in mid-November. We’ll see them again early next March. Photo by Elaine Woloshyn

FARM LAND FOR SALE - RM OF BATTLE RIVER NO. 438 The following parcels of land are offered for sale by tender: 1. Blk/Par A Plan 101812777 Ext 23 Surface Parcel #164497326 Approx. 34.07 acres includes gated yardsite neat Table Mountain surrounded by trees, house with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 car detached garage, water well, sewage lagoon, Drummond Creek flows through.

2. Blk/Par B Plan 101812777 Ext 42 Surface Parcel # 164497517 Approx. 1.54 acres mostly cultivated.

3. Blk/Par C Plan 101812777 Ext 43 Surface Parcel #164497528 Approx. 9.88 acres partly cultivated.

Drummond Creek flows through.

4. SW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 49 Surface Parcel #164496392 Approx. 11.68 acres mostly cultivated.

5. SW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 48 Surface Parcel #164496381 Approx. 31.6 acres pasture.

6. SW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 26 Surface Parcel #164496369 Approx. 17.77 acres partly cultivated.

7. SW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 47 Surface Parcel #164496370 Approx. 44.87 acres mostly cultivated.

8. NW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 46 Surface Parcel #146501030 Approx. 13.51 acres partly cultivated.

Along Battle River.

9. NW Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 25 Surface Parcel #146501018 Approx. 42.97 acres mostly cultivated. Along Battle River.

10. NE Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext 45 Surface Parcel #146500994 Approx. 60,01 acres mostly cultivated. Along Battle River.

Combines have been cleaned up and put away until next summer. Photo by Elaine Woloshyn

Positive COVID-19 at JPII Staff

John Paul II Collegiate in North Battleford was open Friday despite a case of COVID-19 being reported there.

According to Light of Christ Catholic Schools, on Oct. 22, officials from the Saskatchewan Health Authority identified a positive COVID-19 case in an individual at John Paul II Collegiate.

The SHA deemed that JPII can remain open as school safety protocols

have been diligently followed and close contact with the infected individual was extremely limited.

This is according to the LOCCSD Twitter feed.

Communication has been shared with the specific classroom/cohort, as well as the school community.

The SHA is conducting contact tracing. To protect privacy, LOCCSD is not able to share or discuss details.

Close contacts have

been contacted by SHA. Only individuals who are required to self-isolate will be contacted by SHA. LOCCSD asks that people do not contact the school for this information.

“This case reminds us that we all have a shared responsibility to decrease the risk of COVID-19 entering schools. Plans for a safe return to school contain many important measures, processes and protocols,” sated LOCCSD via Twitter.

Contact: Judy Jamieson (306-441-5290) for viewing.

Conditions 1. For sale by tender subject to the reservations, exceptions and encumbrances contained on the existing certificates of titles, but free and clear of any mortgage encumbrances.

2. Mineral titles not included.

3. Offers are allowed only in the following packages: a. Parcels 1 to 9 collectively: b. Parcels 10 (NE Sec 29 Twp 44 Rge 18 W3 Ext. 45).

Please mark clearly which package(s) you are bidding on.

4. All offers to be in writing and accompanied by a certified cheque in the amount of 10% of offer amount payable to Battle River Law in Trust, Cheques will be returned without interest if the offer is not accepted.

5. Balance of the purchase price of the successful offer to be paid to Battle River Law in Trust within 30 days of acceptance of offer or the deposit will be forfeited.

6. Highest or any offer not necessarily accepted.

7. Purchaser will be responsible for payment of any applicable GST. 8. Property taxes will be adjusted to completion date.

9. Property sold as is. Bidders are assumed to rely solely on their own inspection of the land and the title.

All offers to be placed in a sealed envelope marked “Do Not Open Jamieson Land” to be delivered on or before 12:00 noon, November 17, 2020 to: Box 905 201 - 1291 - 102nd Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 2Z3 306-445-6177 Attention: Jeff Baldwin

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 13

Pop quiz: are you a winter driving whiz?

Winter driving can be hazardous, but being well informed can help keep you safe. Here’s a lighthearted quiz that will point you toward the information you need.

1. How often should you change your windshield wipers?

A) Every full moon.

B) Annually, in the fall C) Once per century.

2.When should winter tires be installed?

A) Once the outside temperature drops to seven degrees Celsius B) Once the birds begin their migration C) At sunset on a Tuesday.

3. How often should you wash your car in winter?

A) About once a month.

B) Never: the snow will clean it.

C) As often as your neighbour does.

4.

What should you do if your lock freezes?

A) Force your key to turn the lock and pray that it doesn’t break B) Blow on the key to heat it up.

C) Use a lock de-icer (sold in automotive shops) or heat the key with a lighter.

5. What emergency items should you equip your car with in winter?

A)Ashovel, windshield washer fluid and warm clothing.

B) A blanket, pillow and sleep mask.

C) A bikini, sunscreen and flip-flops.

6. What should you

do if you find yourself behind a snow removal vehicle?

A) Put the pedal to the metal and weave around it.

B) Be patient: the road conditions are sure to be better behind the vehicle anyway.

C) Wildly honk your horn to show your annoyance.

7. What should you do if the back of your vehicle starts to skid on ice?

A) Slam the brakes and scream like a banshee B) Let go of the wheel and close your eyes so you don’t see what happens next.

C) Slowly turn the front wheels in the direction of the rear wheels while looking where you want to go.

Congratulations chances are pretty good you aced it!

Answers 1-B, 2-A, 3-A, 4-C, 5-A, 6-B, 7-C

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Page 14 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

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Winter tires: 3 mistakes to avoid If there’s snow and ice on the roads, winter tires will help keep you safe while driving in these conditions.

Here are three mistakes people are prone to making

when it comes to installing them.

1. Waiting to put them on Summer tires and allseason tires stiffen up when the temperature

dips below seven degrees Celsius, thereby reducing their ability to grip the road. Winter tires, on the other hand, remain supple, providing optimal traction

Running Late....

in cold weather. For this reason, it’s best to consider the temperature when deciding on what date to install your winter tires.

2. Skipping the inspection To do their job properly, winter tires have to be in good condition. Before putting yours on, make sure they have no cracks and a tread depth of at least four millimetres. Consider getting a tread depth gauge to measure this precisely.

If the tread depth is close to the recommended limit, it’s best to get new tires as worn out ones won’t be able to guarantee your safety for the whole season.

3. Choosing the wrong ones Are you shopping for a new set of winter ti­res? If so, be aware that certain tires perform best on snow

while others do better on ice. It’s im­portant to take into ac­count the road conditions you encounter most frequently. Also, consider your individual driving habits.

Though winter tires can improve traction when it’s cold out, they should

be removed once the temperature rises above seven degrees Celsius for longer than a week. Winter tires wear out faster on warm, dry pavement and don’t perform as well as all-season and summer ti­res in these road conditions.

Winter tune-up checklist Keep Your Defrost Working to it’s MAXX Replace Your Cabin Filter Today

This winter, consider asking your mechanic to provide a complete tune-up. This will help ensure that your car runs smoothly all season long.

Though your specific car’s servicing needs will depend on its model, features and age, mechanics generally inspect the follo­ wing

components during a tuneup: • Windshield wipers • Battery • Spark plugs • Belts • Steering and suspension • Filters • Brakes • Engine • Fluid levels (engine oil,

coolant, brake fluid, etc.)

• Headlights and brake lights • Exhaust system • Heating system • Electrical system • Thermostat As garages are usually busy in the winter, don’t delay in making an appointment for your car’s tune-up.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 15

Car care: 6 key fluids to check before winter The fluids in your car help ensure that its various components, the engine included, can operate at their peak. Before winter arrives, it’s essential to ensure they’re topped up.

Here are six fluids you need to check.

1. Motor oil Motor oil lubricates and cleans the engine, thereby reducing friction between its moving parts. Wait about 15 minutes after turning your car off to check the oil level. When refilling the oil, gradually add small quantities until the maximum level has been reached.

2. Brake fluid This hydraulic fluid is crucial to the functioning of your car’s brake system. When the brake fluid is running low, the brake warning light on your dashboard (an exclamation point inside a circle) should light up.

The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear of the engine compartment on the driver’s side.

3. Transmission fluid Transmission fluid lubricates moving parts, facilitates gear shifts and cools the transmission. To check how much of this fluid your car has, start the engine and inspect the transmission dipstick, typically located on the driver’s side of the engine compartment. In some manual transmission cars, the dipstick is difficult to access and the task of checking the transmission is best left to a professional.

4. Coolant Coolant is responsible for heat transfer in the engine and prevents damage caused by boiling or freezing. The coolant reservoir is transparent and found near the radiator. It should never be opened while the radiator is still hot. It’s recommended that you check the reservoir for leaks every few weeks and change the coolant according to your car manufacturer’s recommendations.

5. Gear oil Also called differential fluid, gear oil lubricates the gears that transfer power from the driveshaft to the wheel axles.

Get your gear oil level checked by a mechanic before winter.

power steering system in vehicles with this feature.

Power steering fluid needs to be changed about every four years or when the liquid has turned light brown. The reservoir is located in the engine compartment and marked with a steering wheel symbol.

In addition, make sure to keep an eye on your windshield washer fluid level. Winter road conditions can quickly cause a mess and being able to see clearly will keep you, your passengers and other road users safe.

6. Power steering fluid Power steering fluid is essential to the functioning of the

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Page 16 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

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5 accessories for warm winter driving

If you’re tired of sitting in a chilly car, treat yourself to greater comfort this winter. Here are five accessories that will help

keep you warm.

1. Remote car starter Nobody likes getting into a cold car. With a remote car starter, you can safely

turn on your car a couple of minu­tes before leaving so that it’s nice and toasty when you climb in.

2. Heated car seat covers Heated car seat covers are simple to install and can make winter driving much more pleasant, especially if you have leather or vinyl seats.

3. Heated steering wheel cover People who don’t like wearing gloves while driving can opt for a heated steering wheel cover instead.

This accessory puts a warm, breathable layer bet­ ween

It’s important to have a fully stocked kit in your car that allows you to safely deal with roadside emergencies. In winter, the key items in your emergency kit should include: • Water and non-perishable food (such as granola or energy bars)

• Matches • A candle • Rags or paper towels (useful in the event of a leak or tire change) • Jumper cables • Tow rope • Flares or reflective safety triangles • Whistle (to signal your location in low-visibility

conditions) • Traction aids • Snow broom, scraper and small shovel • Extra windshield washer fluid • Antifreeze • Wide-beam flashlight • Cell phone charger • Warm clothing for all passengers

your hands and the wheel.

Plus, heated steering wheel covers come in a variety of styles.

4. Leather gloves A good pair of driving gloves not only keeps your hands warm but also offers protection, flexibility and grip. Look for quality leather driving gloves with a polyester, wool or cashmere lining.

5. Windshield de-icer With a windshield de-icer, you can spend less time out in the cold scraping your windshield. De-icer formulas are able to melt away frost, ice and snow

• One or more emergency blankets • A small toolbox (with a screwdriver, pliers, etc.)

• A knife (in case a seat belt gets stuck, for example) • A fire extinguisher designed to put out gasoline and oil fires • A first aid kit (with scissors, antiseptic swabs,

in a matter of seconds, allowing you to make quick work of an other­ wise tedious chore.

Finally, make sure to be

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Emergency car kits: a checklist for winter gloves, bandages, etc.)

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In addition to having an emergency kit, it’s a good idea to sign up for roadside assistance. This way, you’ll be able to receive timely help in the event of an emergency.

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Sask. Party wins massive majority, but it’s not over yet

By Brian Zinchuk

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter / Estevan Mercury

The Saskatchewan Party was re-elected to its historic fourth majority government on Oct. 26, taking 50 of 61 seats as of late Monday night, and giving Scott Moe his first “big honkin’ election win,” as he put it, as leader of the Saskatchewan Party and now premier-elect. It was a gain of four seats for the Saskatchewan Party. The New Democratic Party, led by Ryan Meili, won 11 seats, a decline of two.

The 2016 election had the Saskatchewan Party winning 51 seats and the New Democratic Party winning 10, but by dissolution, due to byelections and vacancies, the Saskatchewan Party had 46 seats, the NDP had 13, and there were two vacant seats.

Late into the night it looked like not much at all had changed, with similar the seat counts and leaders of both of the major parties retaining their seats. But that changed late into the night, after the TV stations shut down their coverage.

The Saskatchewan Party kept picking up additional seats, and an upset came in for New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Ryan Meili. With 50 of 50 polls reporting in in Saskatoon Meewasin, he was behind the Saskatchewan Party’s Rylund Hunter by 83 votes.

However, that could change in the coming days, as there were 1,656 vote by mail ballots issued by Elections Saskatchewan for Saskatoon Meewasin. Due to the pandemic, votes by mail received by 8 p.m. on election day will be counted by Elections Saskatchewan on Oct. 28,

Strong win for Cockrill

Continued from Page 1 and neighbours in Battleford and North Battleford for their support.”

“It’s been great to be part of Ryan Meili’s team this election. I’m so proud that we were able to stand up together for a government that puts people first.”

Overall, it is the fourth majority Saskatchewan Party government in a row.

The last time a party had won four majority governments in a row was the Tommy Douglas CCF, who actually won five majorities in a row from 1944-60.

Mail-in ballots were to be counted on Wednesday which could still impact the final seat total. One of the seats still in doubt was NDP leader Meili’s own

instead of on the date of the final count.

Even then, the final result may not be known until the final election count, Nov. 7, 12 days after the election. That’s because votes received in the mail from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 won’t be counted until the final count. Additionally, some voters may have chosen to vote in person instead of by mail, or have chosen not to vote at all, so how many of those vote by mail ballots issued are actually in play is an open question.

Usually not an important factor, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an extraordinary increase in both requests for mail-in ballots and participation in advanced polls. Advance voting was up substantially compared to 2016, with 185,061 votes cast this year compared to 110,716 cast four years ago.

Those vote by mail ballots could be the deciding factor in several races.

There were 61,412 vote by mail ballot kits sent out by Elections Saskatchewan, a record number by a factor of more than 13. Most of the seats in the closest races had substantial numbers of vote by mail ballots issued – ranging from 568 to 2,674, easily enough to sway the final numbers.

Meili’s seat wasn’t the only race which could be impacted by the extraordinarily high number of mail-in ballots. Saskatoon University had the NDP’s Jennifer Bowes leading the Sask. Party’s Eric Olausen by 105 votes, with 1,296 vote by mail ballots issued.

Saskatoon Eastview saw NDP candidate Matt Love ahead of Sask. Party candidate Chris Guérette by 102. That riding had 1,555

vote by mail ballots issued.

An upset came in Saskatoon Riversdale, where the Sask. Party’s Marv Friesen beat the NDP’s Ashlee Hicks by 274 votes. Saskatoon Riversdale has long been an NDP stronghold, represented by past NDP Premiers Roy Romanow and Lorne Calvert. But that riding also had 920 vote by mail ballots issued.

The map was awash with Sask. Party green across all of rural Saskatchewan save the two northern seats of Athabasca and Cumberland. Other than the north, only the more central and western portions of both Saskatoon and Regina went NDP orange.

While there were six parties running and three independents, it was really a two-party race. As of midnight on election night with 99.88 of ballot boxes reporting, the Saskatchewan Party improved its share of the popular vote by 0.6 per cent, from 62.4 per cent in 2016, to 63 per cent. The NDP’s share of the popular vote declined, from 30.2 per cent in 2016, to 29 per cent. That makes the third time the Sask.

Party had received over 60 per cent of the vote.

The brand-new Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan outdid all other minor parties, scoring 11,050 votes for a 2.9 per cent share. That was accomplished with just 17 candidates running. They beat out the Saskatchewan Green Party, which fielded 60 candidates but only gained 9,091 votes, or 2.4 per cent. The Progressive Conservatives had 31 candidates, and garnered 7,935 votes, or 2 per cent. The Liberals, with just three candidates, received 338 votes, or 0.09 per cent.

seat of Saskatoon Meewasin. As of Tuesday morning the Sask Party was assured of at least 44 seats, the NDP nine.

Cockrill’s election win completes a sweep for the Saskatchewan Party in the northwest area. Other results from surrounding area ridings include the following: Ryan Domotor has won Cut Knife-Turtleford, holding the seat for the Saskatchewan Party. Domotor is a former Turtleford town council and administrator for the RM of Mervin. The seat is a longtime Saskatchewan Party stronghold and was held by Larry Doke the last two terms.

Matt Fedler of the NDP was second and Richard Nelson of the Buffalo Party ran third.

Randy Weekes has easily won another term in

Biggar-Saskatchewan Valley. Weekes has been a member of the legislative assembly since 1999.

The incumbent Premier has held Rosthern-Shellbrook. As expected, Scott Moe is again the winner by a wide margin in a riding he has held since 2011, a riding that has long been a Sask. Party stronghold.

Moe spent election night in Saskatoon where he accepted victory, calliing the result a “big honkin’ election win” – in reference to the “big honkin’” car rallies held by the party the previous week in Regina and Saskatoon.

In other area ridings, Jeremy Harrison has held Meadow Lake for the Saskatchewan Party. And in Lloydminster, Colleen Young has also held the seat for the Saskatchewan Party.

The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 17

Page 18 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

sports

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Hockey is finally back in the Battlefords

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

For the first time since early March, the Battlefords North Stars are back in action on home ice.

In their first pre-season game of the 2020-21 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season, the North Stars took on the Kindersley Klippers at what is the newly-renamed Access Communications Centre.

The game was played under the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 150 fans allowed in as spectators — a “sellout”.

The fact that the Klippers were the preseason opponent was also unusual, as past preseasons have seen the North Stars take on opponents from

the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Friday’s game marked the first of four preseason games featuring the two longtime rivals.

It was also a much different lineup of North Stars compared to last season, with many new faces. Many of the stars of last year’s first-place team had moved on due to graduation, but a number of familiar names were in the lineup including Jaxon Steele, Logan Spence, Dylan Esau, Steven Kesslering, Walter Somers, Timon Prexler and others.

Goaltenders Austin Schwab and Kristian Lyon were back with the team and it was Schwab who got the start in this game.

Klippers 5 BNS 2 Unfortunately for the home fans, it was the Klip-

pers who scored first.

Ethan King scored from Logan Linklater at 10:18 to make it 1-0 Kindersley, and then Max Kathol scored from Matthew Mazzocchi to make it 2-0 at 15:52. Shots on goal favoured Kindersley through one period 8-6.

In period two the Klippers made it 3-0 on a unassisted goal by King at 3:46, his second of the game.

The North Stars finally got on the scoreboard when Dylan Esau scored from Carson Reagan and Timon Prexler at 4:42.

But the Klippers answered back midway through the period when Noah Lindsay scored shorthanded from Jack Michell at the 10:11 mark to restore the three goal lead.

Shots were 20-19 for the North Stars through two.

Midway through the third period the North Stars got one back again as Tanner Klimpke scored from Ryland McNinch to make it 4-2.

Matthew Mazzocchi’s goal, from Ethan Grabowski and Lindsay, made it 5-2 Klippers with 2:49 left, and that would be the final score. Final shots favoured the Klippers 3430.

Klippers 4 BNS 1 The two teams returned to action Saturday night at West Central Events Centre in Kindersley, where the Klippers won again 4-1. The Klippers got goals from Aidan Bangs and Mazzocchi in the first period and from Ethan Ironside and Ethan King in the

second.

Steven Kesslering got the lone goal for the North Stars.

The North Stars are back home on Thursday night against the Klippers.

Sharks on the ice The Sharks were in action at the Battleford Arena on the weekend as they began the preseason in the newly-renamed female U18 AAA division against the Prince Albert Bears.

Unfortunately the Sharks did not end up on the winning end of the scoreboard on Sunday, as they lost to the Bears 5-2.

The Bears scored one in the first and three more unanswered in the second to build a 4-0 lead before the Sharks were able to respond.

The bulk of the Sharks

scoring came late in the game. Madison Guitard scored from Emma Tremblay with 3:09 remaining in the second to make it 4-1. In the third, the Bears restored a four goal lead before Madison Glynn scored with 11:27 to go from Lacey Schneider and Nicole Girolam to finish the scoring.

Both Yelena Zaleschuk and Emma Beckman split their time in the Sharks net. The Sharks outshot PA 29-22 but despite the good effort ended up on the short end of the scoreboard.

The Sharks’ next exhibition contest is Oct. 31 against the Saskatoon Stars, time and location to be determined. After that, their first scheduled regular season contest is to be at Prince Albert Nov. 21.

U11 and U9 girls’ hockey teams set up

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

U9

U11

Now that hockey is opening up, something new is coming to the Battlefords: U9 and U11 girls’ teams.

Female teams are being fielded in both of these divisions for this season for the first time, which fulfills a goal of Battlefords Minor Hockey to have female teams in every division.

Jolene Strain, U9 director, noted that due to COVID-19 they could not run their North West girls programs as they did in previous years with the younger age groups, where they did practises and would go to tournaments every third Saturday.

“Because of COVID-19 we weren’t able to do that

this year,” said Strain.

So it seemed a more compelling idea to make a girls team in U9 and U11 divisions for the first time. Strain said there was “enough interest so we were able to do that.”

She says they are working hard on not only the skill development of all the players in the association but also in the development of female players and female hockey as a whole. There are a couple of spots on the team still available and they are accepting late registrations so for more information go to the Battlefords Minor Hockey website at www. battlefordsminorhockey. ca. Under the Saskatchewan Hockey Association’s protocols exhibition games begin no earlier than Nov. 15.

201056C0 201056C1

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 19

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Expression swings added to play space Left, this was the scene on a chilly Wednesday morning at the natural play space playground in North Battleford’s Centennial Park. Battlefords Early Childhood Intervention Program was touting the arrival of their new “expression swings,” the next phase of the playground’s development. The swings were installed by Gord Whitton and staff from the City of North Battleford. The idea, said ECIP’s executive director, Colleen Sabraw, is to allow face to face interaction between parents/ grandparents and their babies on the swing. The new swings cost $5,000-$6,000 and come from a company in Oregon. The next phase for the playground will be to add a wheelchair-accessible “liberty swing” and that is expected to be installed after warmer weather arrives in the spring. Photo submitted

Notre Dame Catholic Church hosts rosary crusade Submitted by the Rosary Committee

Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish

On Saturday, Oct. 10, at noon, Notre Dame Catholic Church hosted a Public Square Rosary Crusade.

We were one of hundreds of cities and towns throughout Canada gathering in commemoration of the 103rd anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima.

Our prayers were offered to show God and His Blessed Mother our love and veneration. Together we prayed for various intentions. Some examples are as follows: for the sick and dying in the Battleford’s and throughout the world, to aid our national leaders in the wisdom and knowledge necessary to solve Canada’s complex problems, for individual strength to withstand the trials we face and for a

troubled world, rife with poverty, discrimination, loneliness, addiction, despair and unrest.

We were very pleased with a beautiful day to have our rally, as it was held outdoors. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we respected social distancing rules and requested mandatory masks. The presence of members from St. Vital parish and St. Joseph’s parish further served our desire for a real sense of community. We are truly grateful to all who attended and helped to make this occasion a success. Thank you!

This is to be an annual event, organised from the head office of Canada Needs Our Lady in Saint Hubert, Quebec. We extend an invitation to everyone and hope to see more of you come and join us in the years to come. May God bless you, one and all, with great health and happiness!

On Oct. 10, at noon, Notre Dame Catholic Church hosted a Public Square Rosary Crusade. Photo submitted

Joint parks and rec master plan halfway to ratification

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The joint parks and recreation master plan between the City of North Battleford and the Town of Battleford is halfway to full ratification.

The City of North Battleford adopted the plan in principle at their Oct. 13 council meeting, the last regular meeting before the municipal election.

It is still to be adopted by the Town of Battleford.

It was scheduled to go to Battleford town council at

Michael Roma of RC Strategies + PERC makes the presentation to council on the Joint Parks and Recreation Master Plan at city council Oct. 13.

Screenshot by John Cairns

their Oct. 19 meeting, but that presentation has been

rescheduled to Nov. 2.

The consulting firm RC

Strategies + PERC worked with the city and town to develop the plan.

Mike Roma of RC Strategies presented the document to council at the North Battleford meeting.

He noted that a public review process took place and feedback was received, and that feedback was reflected in the draft document.

The document serves as a vision for parks and recreation in the Battlefords, with five different goal areas.

Goals identified in the

Master Plan are 1. more active residents, 2. building community capacity, 3. healthier spaces and facilities, 4. access for all, and 5. a vibrant community According to a city memo from Director of Leisure Services Cheryl DeNeire, the “goal of the project was to research, develop, design, and produce a fiscally responsible joint master plan document that includes methodologies that can be used to manage the assets for the greatest benefit of the entire region.

“The Master Plan outcomes establish priorities, which are supported by a detailed action plan.

These priorities are expressed in terms of goals, objectives, action steps, resources, and timelines required to successfully complete the priorities.

Performance measures have also been incorporated to ensure appropriate tools are in place to quantify and measure the implementation of the plan,”stated the memo presented to council.

Page 20 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

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OBITUARIES BELOIN: In loving memory of Edmond Joseph Beloin, born December 22, 1930 in North Battleford the eighth of 16 children. Even from an early age, Ed was a hard worker and entrepreneur. He earned his very first pay cheque as a janitor, where he attended St. Jean Baptiste De La Salle school in Delmas. Ed worked as a carpenter for 3 years with the North Battleford School Unit, building teacherages and doing repair work. He moved to Alberta and worked for the next 3 years at the Cold Lake Airport. While in Alberta, Ed spent 15 years working for Mobil Oil. Ed married Beatrice Hurtibise in 1953 and they had three children, Jeanne, Susan and Robert. In 1968, Ed and Beatrice decided to go into business for themselves. They purchased the Midway Store and Post Office near Iosigun Lake on the Alaska highway, now known as Fox Creek. Ed later married Violet Brewer, and along with his brother Gilbert, they operated the B & B Variety Store which included hardware and lumber. As business was booming, with the help of his brother George, they built a new, larger store first known as Link Hardware. The store later became known as Home Hardware which included the Jewel Box and Homeland Furniture. Ed always joked that people came in to buy a screwdriver or a 2x4 and walked out with a diamond ring or a sofa. Ed’s motto was “If we don’t have it you don’t need it.” To encourage community awareness and tourism in Fox Creek, Ed helped establish the Chamber of Commerce and was involved in starting a museum and erecting an oil rig as the landmark for the town. He also helped raise money to build the Roman Catholic Church. After the passing of Ed’s wives, he reacquainted with Jeannine Bernier, and in 1994, they married and made their home in Fox Creek. In 1996, after 30 years of opening and running new businesses in Fox Creek, Ed retired, and soon after, 1998, Ed and mom moved to North Battleford. One of Ed’s favorite pastimes was playing cribbage, and his most faithful partner was Raymond LaRose. He also enjoyed playing any type of card game, 10 Penny being his favorite. Ed and mom enjoyed many weekends at Turtle Lake with family and friends. They were members of the International Volkswalk Club and attended many conventions and walks which were often 20 – 30 km’s long. Ed participated in enough walks to earn his 5500 km badge. Their last years together were spent in Maples II Condo, where Ed made many friends. He enjoyed playing cards with them and was always willing to help in any way he could around the condo. Ed loved to solve Sudokus and played many games of scrabble with mom. He was a good speller and beat mom most of the time. Together Ed and mom travelled to many places across Canada, the USA, Dominican Republic and Mexico. Ed was a gentle, kind and loving husband to mom. He could never do enough for her. Even while in hospital, Ed was concerned that he wasn’t able to be home to do what he called “his chores”. If she was happy, he was happy!! Ed will be dearly missed, may he rest in Peace. Left to cherish his memory: his loving wife, Jeannine Beloin (Lavoy), his children & their families: Jeanne Buckmaster, Susan Beloin, Robert Beloin and his step-children & their families: Ron Bernier (Claudette), Deanne LaRose (Raymond), Lionel Bernier (Anne), Adelle Bernier, Roxanne Bernier, Marcel Bernier (Karen); his brothers & sisters: Therese Sayers, Jack Beloin (Sharon), Marie Loewen (Abe), Dennis Beloin (Laurie), Gilbert Beloin (Pat); numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren; sisters-inlaw: June Beloin († Romeo), Gabrielle Beloin († Daniel), Lucy Beloin († George), Antoinette Beloin († Armand) & brother-inlaw, Lorne Ray († Yvonne). Predeceased by his parents: Alexis & Marilda Beloin; seven brothers: Romeo, Daniel, George, Joe, Louis, Rene, Armand; three sisters: Josephine Crothers, Bernadette Major, Yvonne Ray. Private Mass Of Christian Burial was held from Notre Dame Parish with Fr. Cuong Luong, Celebrant. Inurnment took place at Prairie Willows Columbaria Garden, City Cemetery, North Battleford, SK. Memorial Donations are requested to Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, Box 1358, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8 or Kidney Foundation of Canada, 1 – 2217 Hanselman Crt, Saskatoon, SK S7L 9Z9.

Condolences can be sent to www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Arrangements were entrusted to Robert MacKay of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium (306-446-4200).

Card of Thanks The Beloin/Bernier families would like to thank Dr. Khurana and the medical staff of Battlefords Union Hospital who tried tirelessly for Ed to regain his health. We would also like to thank everyone who in some way comforted us with phone calls, texts, cards, flowers, food, meals and masses and all those who supported us in some way during this difficult time. Thanks to Father Cuong Luong for the service and Charles Day for the soothing hymns. Thank you also to Robert MacKay and staff of Eternal Memories Funeral Service for their compassion and care.

BATES: It is with great sadness the family and beloved wife of Mr. Barry Bates announce his passing at the Battlefords Union Hospital on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at the age of 78 years. As per Barry’s request, no formal service will be held and a Private Family Service took place. A Public interment will be held at a later date and details will be announced. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Mr. Barry Bates may be directed to the BUH Foundation Po Box 1358 North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8 or the Battlefords Humane Society Po Box 645 North Battleford, SK S9A 2Y7. Left to cherish Barry’s memory are his loving wife of 59 years, Peggy (Margaret); children: Judi Weum (Duncan) and Maureen Bates (Curtis); grandchildren: Tessa Weum (Jaron), Danielle Weum (Randy) and Joelle Weum; step-grandchildren: Rachel Banting (Trevor), Drew Banting; great-grandchildren: Brooklyn, Reese, Lucas, Ty, Piers and Ellis; son-in-law, Lance Weum; brother-inlaw, Butch Daoust (Debbie); numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Barry was predeceased by his parents: Ada and Tom Bates; step-father, Ralph Owen; sister, Bev Tornberg; mother and father-in-law: Ruth and Phil Daoust; sister-in-law, Annette Daoust; step-grandson, Pearce Banting. Condolences for the family can be left at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Vanessa Macnab of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium.

David Wicks July 25, 1932 - October 19, 2020 David Robert Wicks passed away on October 19, 2020 in Rosthern, Saskatchewan. He was born on July 25, 1932 on the family farm near Freemont, Saskatchewan to John and Edith Wicks, the eleventh of twelve children.

He is survived by his loving wife Fay (Boldt) Wicks, his daughters Joanne (Robin) Beam and their children Amy, Joshua, Caleb (Vicki), Joel, Josiah (Emily), and Melodie; Judy (Lance) Simonson and their children Tamara (Paul) Wipf, David (Shauna) and Jessica (Cole) Hanson; Barbara (Ali) Cantelon; and Rebecca (Sam) Stahl and their children Gareth (Hope), Roseanna, and Damaris (Judah) McGeary; seventeen great grandchildren; his sister Cosy (Jim) Romanuk; sisters-in-law Dorothy Boldt and Edna Wicks, and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his youngest daughter Ruth Ann Wicks on October 19, 1976, and his grandson-in-law Tyler Fehr on April 12, 2015. David was educated at the Mount Ethel School in Freemont and in his late teens and early twenties worked in a variety of professions - horse training, meat cutting and farming among them. In 1953 he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and on October 19 of that year sailed for Germany on a NATO peacekeeping mission, as a military supply transport driver. He spent several years overseas and travelled between England, Belgium, Holland and Germany before fulfilling his military contract and returning to Canada. He settled in North Battleford, SK and there, on May 29, 1959, he married Fay. They raised their family in the Battlefords and remained there until 2002 when they moved to Warman, SK. He began working as a glazier for Silvester Glass in North Battleford in 1960 and worked there until his retirement. He was well known in the area for his professionalism and many co-workers and customers became lifetime friends. He was well respected in whatever community he lived and worked in, and will be remembered for his kindness, compassion and integrity but most of all for the wonderful Christian life he lived and the love of God which he showed to others. Memorial donations can be made to the Mennonite Nursing Home, Box 370, Rosthern, SK S0K 3R0. A come and go viewing with physical distancing measures in place, took place on Friday, October 23, 2020 from 7:00-8:30pm at Dalmeny Funeral Home, 139 3rd Street, Dalmeny. Due to COVID restrictions, a private Funeral Service took place on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at the Saskatoon Tabernacle.

Arrangements entrusted to Dalmeny Funeral Home 306-2542022.

HARACH: It is with great sadness the family of Mrs. Sally Harach announce her passing Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at the age of 95 years. A Private Family Service was held Saturday, October 24, 2020 at The Holy Ghost Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church with Very Reverend Bohdan Demczuk as celebrant.

Interment followed at the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations in memory of Mrs. Sally Harach can be directed to the Hafford Special Care Home Po Box 130 Hafford, SK S0J 1A0 or The Holy Ghost Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church Po Box 232 Hafford, SK S0J 1A0. She is lovingly remembered by her children: Diana Hull, Suzanne (Dwayne) Pooyak -Tate, Libbey, Cordell (Mandy) Hull – Emmett, Odin; Art (Mary) Harach- Joleen (Brian) Schneider – Luca, Jordan, Danny (Karen) Harach- Brady, Kenley, Ayla, Jennifer (Tyler) Leepart – William, Nicholas; Denise (Bruce) KowalchukBraden, Ashley, Brooke. She is predeceased by her husband, Pat; brother, Peter Oschipok and son-in-law, Doug Hull.

Condolences for the family can be left at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Trevor Watts of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium

KARP: In loving memory of Pauline Karp, born May 25, 1935 at 24-47-13-3/ Rabbit Lake District, SK., passed away October 22, 2020 in Hafford, SK. Left to cherish her memory are her children and their families: Lynda (Allan) Keyko - Lisa (David) Prescesky, Avery, Nicholas and Katelyn Shawn Tanchak; Daniel (Deena) Karp - Christopher (Chantel), Nicole (Jake) and Lindsay; Esther (Larry) Groat - Trena Tallas and Rikki (Gabe) Boran - Adam and Logan; James (Velda) Karp - Elton (Terra), Cameron (Zayna), Julia - Benjamin (Kristen), Joshua and Jacob; Phyllis Karp - Tristan (Danielle) and Sarah; Richard (Dingbea) Karp - Denise and Kazmir; siblings: Peter Pawlivsky, Nellie & Eugene Pobran, Michael & Sandra Pawlivsky, Phillip & Marion Pawlivsky, Ann Tkach, Daniel Pawlivsky and their families. Pauline is predeceased by her husband, Kazmir Karp; son, Vincent; parents: Mary & Alexander Pawlivsky; brothers: William and John Pawlivsky; brother-in-law, Walter Tkach. Mass Of Christian Burial was held on Monday, October 26, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. from St. Solange Roman Catholic Church, Hafford, SK with Father Frederick Akah, Celebrant. Eulogy was given by Terra Karp & Kristen Karp. Readings - Julia Karp & Sarah Karp. Music Ministry: Pianist - Harlene Simmonds; Soloist - Robert MacKay - In The Garden; Hymns: Amazing Grace and Ave Maria. Honorary Pallbearers were All those who have been a part of Pauline’s life. Active Pallbearers were Elton Karp, Benjamin Karp, Cameron Karp, Tristan Karp, Christopher Karp and David Prescesky. Memorials are requested to Hafford Special Care Centre and Primary Care Site, PO Box 130, Hafford, SK S0J 1A0. Interment took place at St. Solange Cemetery, Hafford, SK. Condolences can be sent to www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Arrangements were entrusted to Robert MacKay of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium (306-446-4200).

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OBITUARIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MANAREY: It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of William Alexander Manarey (Bill), of Saskatoon, on September 18, 2020.

Bill was born to Bidwell and Elizabeth Manarey on April 13, 1946, and grew up in Mervin, Saskatchewan, with his three siblings. Bill was a loving and kind brother, uncle and friend to many, who was always ready to lend a helping hand and was known for his gentle and considerate ways. Bill spent his working years in carpentry, mining, and farming. His work often took him to remote communities in the far north. He was actively involved in the restoration of the historic Pioneer Village. He was a longtime member of the Royal Canadian Legion and was actively involved in charitable ventures.

Bill is survived by his sisters, Pat (Dolly) Blaney and Jean Woloski; brother, Jim Manarey; nieces, Gina Coutts, Lisa Blaney, Katherine Gratton, and Christina Manarey; nephews, David and Robert Woloski; six great-nieces; and one great-nephew. Bill was predeceased by his parents, baby sister, and late wife, Eleanor Reid.

Bill was laid to rest in the Mervin Cemetery near his parents on October 14, 2020. The small service was followed with refreshments and memories kindly hosted by Dorothy Palen Burgess in her home.

"Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure."

IN MEMORIAM

Thank you for your donations in memory of Neil Speers Wettergreen, ..........North Battleford Lorna Bater, ..............................North Battleford Sophia Trach, ..................................... Denholm Marian Noble, ........................................Halifax Jacquelyne Byers, ...................North Battleford Ralph & Eleanor Smart, .....................Battleford Walter Ewanchuk, ....................North Battleford Charlotte Lahti, ........................North Battleford Walter T. Nelson, ......................North Battleford Al Gotto, ...................................North Battleford Dr. Iain Weston, ........................North Battleford Dean Williams, .........................North Battleford Barry Bates, .......................................Battleford Rita A. Kuntz, .....................................Battleford Lionel Leask, .....................................Battleford

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

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WANTED Saint Saviour’s Anglican Church, Lloydminster, Sask is seeking a PART-TIME RECTOR. Parish profile is on the ANiC website. Please forward your resume by email to Bishop Trevor Walters at walters34@shaw.ca. For further information contact: Carol Harbin at 306-821-2022 or email c.harbin@sasktel.net.

Deadline for submissions January 15, 2021

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 21

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the Estate of Robert James Cole, late of Edam, 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 20 day of November, 2020.

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

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Page 22 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MEOTA NO. 468 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2020 Whereas Sherry Jimmy, nominated for the office of Reeve, and Vern Seabrook nominated for the office of Councillor for Division No. 5 are the only candidates nominated for these offices, I hereby give notice that no voting for the offices of Reeve and Councillor for Division No. 5 will take place on November 9th, 2020.

Dated this 8th day of October, 2020.

Kirk Morrison Returning Officer

NOTICE OF POLL THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MEOTA No. 468 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2020 PUBLIC NOTICE Is hereby given that: A vote will be held for the election of Councillor for Division 1 and Division 3 for the Rural Municipality of Meota No. 468.

The vote will take place on Monday, the 9th day of November, 2020, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following location: R.M. of Meota No. 468 Office located in The Village of Meota at 300 First Street East And that I will declare the result of the voting at the municipal office on Tuesday the 10th day of November, 2020, at the hour of 9:00 a.m.

Given under my hand at Meota this 8th day of October, 2020.

Kirk Morrison Returning Officer

[Section 81 of the Act]

Notice of Poll PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that: 1. A poll has been granted for the election of: Mayor: Town of St. Walburg Councillor: Town of St. Walburg 2. Voting will take place on Monday the 9th day of November, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the following polling places:

Polling Place

Address

Elks Hall, St. Walburg

521 - 4th Street East, St. Walburg, SK

3. I will declare the result of the election at

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

FEED & SEED NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. BUYING: FEED BARLEY, SOYBEANS, DAMAGED CANOLA. On Farm Pickup, Prompt Payment! PH: 306-873-3551 WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com “In Business to Serve Western Producers”

*K’AWAT’SI CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IS NOW HIRING* Red Seal Carpenters -Third and fourth year apprentices -Experienced Carpenter’s helpers. If you are interested in this great career opportunity, please send your resume at hr@kedc.ca or call us at 250 230 5498

Heavy Duty Mechanics, Heavy Equipment Operators and 1A Drivers required: Late model, clean CAT, JD equip: winch, dump, gravel trucks and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided.

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

Notice of Abandonment of Poll The Rural Municipality of Meeting Lake No. 466 Municipal Elections 2020 Whereas the following, nominated for office, is the only candidate, I hereby give notice that no voting for the office will take place on November 9, 2020: Councillor for Division 5- Dave Penley Dated this 29th day of October, 2020.

Janelle Lavallee Returning Officer

Notice of Vote The Rural Municipality of Round Hill No. 467 Election 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a vote will be held for the election of Reeve Councilor for Divisions No. 5 A vote will take place on Monday the 9th day of November 2020 from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm at Sandwith Community Hall, Sandwith, Saskatchewan.

Dated at St. Walburg, this 16 day of October, 2020

Photo identification required.

November, 2020, from at the hour of 9:00 a.m.

Returning Officer VOTER IDENTIFICATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO VOTE

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RESORT VILLAGE OF COCHIN PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before December 29, 2020, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

Total Arrears* LOT 6-BLK/PAR 7-PLAN 76B04975 EXT 0 130813040 8,440.31 LOT 20-BLK/PAR 7-PLAN 76B04975 EXT 0 131275133 4,153.88 BLK/PAR U-PLAN 73B01259 EXT 0 141936992 793.97 DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY

Title No.

Costs 360.00 360.00 360.00

Total Arrears and Costs 8,800.31 4,513.88 1,153.97

* On January 1, 2021 the 2020 taxes will become arrears and be added to the amount required to remove the property from tax enforcement proceedings. Penalty is calculated to the date of the Notice and will continue to accrue as applicable.

Dated this 22nd day of October, 2020 Amber Loeppky, Administrator NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

Village of Edam Notice of Poll PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that: A poll has been granted for the election of: Councillor: Village of Edam Voting will take place on Monday, the 9th day of November 2020, from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm at the polling places listed below.

I will declare the result of the election at the Village of Edam Office on the 10th day of November 2020, at the hour of 9:00 am.

Polling Area No. 1

Polling Place

Address

Edam Community Recreation Centre

1408 1st Ave.

Dated at Edam, this 14th day of October, 2020.

Pamela Dallyn Returning Officer

NOTICE OF POLL FOR LIVING SKY SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 202 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been granted for the election of Board Member, Living Sky School Division No. 202: Subdivision 2 (Hafford, Maymont, Radisson)

Advance voting will take place on Sunday, November 1st, 2020 between the hours of 12:00pm and 5:00pm at the Rabbit Lake Community Hall, Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan.

134 Main Street on the 10th day of

TAX ENFORCEMENT

I will declare the results of the voting at the Municipal Office on the 10th day of November, 2020 at 10:00 am.

Dated at Rabbit Lake this 15th day of October 2020 Christina Moore Returning Officer This ad should have run on Oct 22nd.

The Regional News Optimist takes full responsibility for the error, and would like to apologize for any inconvenience that may have occurred.

Voting will take place on Monday, the 9th day of November, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the polling places listed below.

I will declare the result of the election at 509 Pioneer Avenue, North Battleford, on the 10th day of November, 2020 at the hour of 1:00 p.m.

Polling Place: Hafford Seniors Centre Maymont Seniors Centre Goodrich Centre

Address: 118 Main Street Hafford, Sask.

Main Street, Maymont, Sask.

310 Albert Street, Radisson, Sask

Dated at North Battleford, this 19th day of October, 2020.

Allie Raycraft Returning Officer

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Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 23

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NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

NOTICE OF ADVANCE POLL FOR LIVING SKY SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 202

NOTICE OF ADVANCE POLL FOR LIVING SKY SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 202

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been granted for the election of Board Member, Living Sky School Division No. 202:

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been granted for the election of Board Member, Living Sky School Division No. 202:

Subdivision 2 (Hafford, Maymont, Radisson)

Subdivision 3 (Wilkie)

Advance voting will take place on Thursday, the 5th day of November, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the polling place listed below.

Advance voting will take place on Thursday, the 5th day of November, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the polling place listed below.

I will declare the result of the election at 509 Pioneer Avenue, North Battleford, on the 10th day of November, 2020 at the hour of 1:00 p.m.

I will declare the result of the election at 509 Pioneer Avenue, North Battleford, on the 10th day of November, 2020 at the hour of 1:00 p.m.

Polling Place: Hafford Seniors Centre

Polling Place: Saskcan Community Center

Address: 118 Main Street Hafford, Sask.

Address: 301 – 5th Street West Wilkie, Sask.

Dated at North Battleford, this 19th day of October, 2020.

Dated at North Battleford, this 28th day of October, 2020.

Allie Raycraft Returning Officer

Allie Raycraft Returning Officer

NOTICE OF ADVANCE POLL FOR LIVING SKY SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 202 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been granted for the elec�on of Board Member, Living Sky School Division No. 202: Subdivision 2 (Hafford, Maymont, Radisson) Advance vo�ng will take place on Monday, the 2nd day of November, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the polling places listed below.

I will declare the result of the elec�on at 509 Pioneer Avenue, North Ba�leford, on the 10th day of November, 2020 at the hour of 1:00 p.m.

Polling Place: Goodrich Centre Maymont Seniors Center

Address: 310 Albert St. Radisson, Sask.

Main St. Maymont, Sask.

Dated at North Ba�leford, this 19th day of October, 2020.

Allie Raycra� Returning Officer

NOTICE OF POLL FOR LIVING SKY SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 202 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that a poll has been granted for the election of Board Member, Living Sky School Division No. 202: Subdivision 3 (Wilkie) Voting will take place on Monday, the 9th day of November, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the polling place listed below.

I will declare the result of the election at 509 Pioneer Avenue, North Battleford, on the 10th day of November, 2020 at the hour of 1:00 p.m.

Polling Place: Saskcan Community Center

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF ELDON No.471

Notice of Advance Poll Town of St. Walburg PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that provision has been made for (an) advance polls: Voting will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Elks Hall, St. Walburg, 521 - 4th Street East, St. Walburg, SK. Shiloh Broken, Returning Officer.

VOTER IDENTIFICATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO VOTE NOTICE OF ADANDONMENT OF POLLS THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MAYFIELD No. 406 2020 ELECTIONS Whereas the following, being nominated for the office of Reeve and Councillor, are the only candidates for those offices, I hereby give notice that no voting will take place on November 9th, 2020.

Reeve: Craig Hamilton Councillor, Division 1: Bryan Clair Councillor, Division 3: Adam Pain Councillor, Division 5: Myron Prescesky Dated this the 22nd, October, 2020 Brenda Appleton Returning Officer

NOTICE OF CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

[Section 81 of the Act]

Public notice is hereby given that nominations of candidates for the office of:

Councillor for Division No. 6 Will be received by the undersigned at the municipal office during normal office hours until Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 4:00p.m. local time.

RM of Turtle River No. 469 Notice of Poll PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that: A poll has been granted for the election of: Reeve: Rural Municipality of Turtle River No. 469 Councillor Division No. 1: Rural Municipality of Turtle River No. 469

Nomination forms may be obtained from the municipal office.

Voting will take place on Monday, November 9, 2020 from 9:00am – 8:00pm.

Dated this 22nd day of October, 2020.

At the following polling places:

Lee Torrance Returning Officer

Edam Community Recreation Centre located at 1408 1st Ave, Edam, SK Dated at Edam, this 14th day of October, 2020.

Notice of Abandonment of Poll The Rural Municipality of Parkdale No. 498 Municipal Elections 2020 Whereas, Ken Michnik, nominated for the office of Councillor for Division No. 1, is the only candidate, I hereby give notice that NO VOTING for these offices will take place on November 9, 2020.

Dated this 21st day of October, 2020.

Ashela McCullough Returning Officer

Rebecca Carr Returning Officer VOTER IDENTIFICATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO VOTE

Community Safety and Crime Prevention

GET INVOLVED!

Men have a responsibility to stop male violence against women.

A message from the Canada Safety Council

Address: 301 – 5th Street West Wilkie, Sask.

Dated at North Battleford, this 28th day of October, 2020.

Allie Raycraft Returning Officer

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ONLINE www.newsoptimist.ca

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

CALL NOW!

306‐445‐7261

FOR THE BEST COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNITY

Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Accounts Receivable & Inventory Management Clerk Full time contract position for maternity leave (Monday to Friday 8am-5pm).

The successful applicant will have: • Bookkeeping certificate/diploma or higher and relevant work experience • Great attention to detail • Be able to work as a team among our 3 retail locations • Duties will include but not limited to: grain and chemical inventory management, ticket entry/ invoice generating and monthly customer statements.

Position located in Cut Knife, SK at an agricultural retail location.

Training would begin as soon as possible Please email resumes to: allissa.jamieson@veikleagro.com

TOWN OF BATTLEFORD

Employment Opportunity Parks/Recreation Department Parks/Arena Maintenance Attendant Position (Temporary, Part-time position) Under the direction of the Director of Parks and Recreation performs tasks related to the operation of the Arena. This mainly relates to janitorial tasks but may also require assisting with The Arena Operator with other duties.

This is temporary part-time position made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a direct, hands on in-scope position which is included in the Collective Bargaining Unit CUPE Local 3003.

Will be required to work evenings and weekends with varying hours as directed.

Expected employment is from Nov 1st 2020 to March 31st 2021.

Students encouraged to apply.

Only those applicants granted an interview will be contacted Submit resume to: Jordan Schechtel, Director, Parks and Recreation parks@battleford.ca Box 1240, Battleford, SK S0M 0E0 or in person to Parks and Recreation Office 428 – 28th Street (South side of Alex Dillabough Center)

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Rural Municipality of Eldon No. 471

CASUAL/PART TIME OFFICE ASSISTANT

The R.M. of Eldon No. 471 is currently accepting applications for a casual/part time Office Assistant. The position offers employment 2-3 days a week and as needed.

The successful applicant shall demonstrate excellent communication, organizational and computer skills. The candidate will also be competent with data entry and must have the ability to quickly learn new concepts and procedures, and enjoy working with the public.

The candidate must be bondable. Salary to be commensurate with education, skills and experience.

Please forward resumes with three references and the salary expected no later than noon, November 17, 2020. Only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

R.M. of Eldon No. 471 Box 130 MAIDSTONE SK S0M 1M0 Phone: (306) 893-2391 Fax: (306) 893-4644 Email: rm471@sasktel.net

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ONLINE www.newsoptimist.ca

Regional News-Optimist

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Volunteers gather to clean cemetery

By Dorothy M. Mills Correspondent

The Western Development Museum in North Battleford remains closed to volunteers until midJanuary. The museum staff have been able to keep up with regular duties. They are now preparing to Light up the Village for the Christmas season. It will run from Dec. 1 to January and open daily from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

There was a cleanup day at the Baljennie St. Bridget’s Anglican Church cemetery yard Oct. 10. A big thank you to those who turned out to help.

A graveside funeral service was held for Lorna Bater at the cemetery grounds Oct. 13. A group

B

aljennie

of family and friends attended the outdoor service. Lorna will be missed She was a member of the two Baljennie community clubs, Women’s Institute and member of the crime watch program. She did her share to help. Almost every Sunday Lorna and her husband Philip attended a morning church service at the Maymont United Church. Philip and Lorna also did some maintenance work in and about the church.

Get well wishes to my

husband Stanley Mills after having a mild stroke.

He was rushed to Battlefords Union Hospital for tests, then on the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon for further tests.

He was able to come back to BUH before returning home in Battleford for his recovery. He is undergoing further treatments.

We woke up Oct. 20 to the first snowfall of the fall season.

High winds have blown the leaves off the trees but not before they put on a colourful fall show.

Farmers are getting fall work done with only a small amount of harvest to completed. Bales are being hauled for cattle feed.

Halloween will be here soon, but with the way CO-

VID-19 is going it should have been cancelled. It is impossible not to be in close contact with other people and the children.

Do children need all that candy in the first place?

Their health is more important. So just take care and happy Halloween to all.

The past few months Battleford West Place has had a few tenants move out. New we welcome some new tenants. There has been a few dust problems from the gravel road and ever so much traffic passing by. It’s more traffic than what needs to be near a seniors’ home. The problem is being brought up to the Battleford town council to see what changes can be made.

Acclaimed satirical novel has Sask. roots Submitted The protagonist of Morgan Murray’s acclaimed debut novel, Dirty Birds, like Murray, has Saskatchewan roots.

Dirty Birdsis a satirical novel that tells the story of Milton Ontario and his pursuit of fame, fortune, love and the meaning of life as he moves from his

parents’ basement the fictional small town of Bellybutton, Saskatchewan to vibrant and bohemian Montreal in the hopes of becoming a famous poet.

“Things don’t always go Milton’s way,” says Murray. “He’s not particularly talented, nor clever, nor motivated, so he sort of stumbles from one mishap and misadventure to the

next, getting himself into all kinds of trouble.”

Murray, who now lives in Cape Breton with his wife, well-known cartoonist Kate Beaton, and their young daughter, grew up on his family’s farm in rural Alberta, but his mother’s side of the family hail from southern Saskatchewan, where Murray’s great-grandparents home-

TAX ENFORCEMENT

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST

Rural Municipality of Round Hill No. 467 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land described in the following list are fully paid before the 31st day of December 2020, a tax lien will be registered against the land.

NOTE: A sum for costs in an amount as prescribe in the regulations, is included in the amount shown against each parcel (Section 4(3) Tax Enforcement Act).

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY PART LOT BLK PLAN OF LOT PART OF SECTION SW PT SW PT NE NE NW SW NW SW NW SE SW NE NW NE SE SW PT NW SE PT SW NE NW PT NW

SUBDIVISION OR HAMLET

SEC.

TP.

RGE.

MERIDIAN

05 08 17 09 09 15 16 16 18 18 18 04 04 09 09 09 10 16 21 34 34 13 07 09 18 22

46 46 46 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 48 05 05 01 01

13 15 15 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 15 15 15 13 AM1496 89B03540 AH2031 AH2031

W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3 W3

TOTAL ARREARS 468.90 928.13 1,016.90 1,117.44 1,095.51 1,060.20 578.06 982.59 1,042.12 1,302.53 1,584.01 1,531.47 1,679.67 1,318.22 1,347.79 1,516.58 497.15 683.30 5,223.02 1,760.79 1,831.40 2,876.64 1,150.80 368.03 372.09 1,218.90

COST OF ADVERTISING 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92 12.92

TOTAL ARREARS AND COSTS 481.82 941.05 1,029.82 1,130.36 1,108.42 1,073.12 590.98 995.51 1,055.04 1,315.45 1,596.93 1,531.47 1,692.59 1,331.14 1,360.71 1,529.50 510.07 696.22 5,235.94 1,760.79 1,844.32 2,889.56 1,163.72 380.95 385.01 1,231.82

Dated this 29th day of October, 2020 Christina Moore Administrator

steaded near Riverhurst.

“Saskatchewan has always held a special place in my heart,” says Murray.

“My grandparents moved to Alberta in the ‘60s so my grandpa could find work in construction, but we would go back to visit my greatgrandmother each summer,” says Murray.

When Murray sat down to write his humorous semiautobiographical novel, he says Saskatchewan was the obvious place to start.

“I wanted to look at how young people like me who grew up in small rural farming communities often end up having to move away for university or college and to find the sorts of work that higher education often leads to,” says Murray.

“I also wanted to look at the ways that a lot of Canadians, especially those of us descended from European settlers, are pretty oblivious to the colonial roots of our country and what that has meant. Saskatchewan is a pretty strong symbol of that, I mean, it’s literally a rectangle drawn by someone in Ottawa or London who probably had never been there, right smack-dab in the middle of a complicated continent.

The satire pretty much writes itself,” he says.

Setting the early parts of the book in Saskatchewan also allowed Murray to include a number of Saskatchewan references.

These prairie roots seem to be paying off, as early reviews of the book have been strong.

Will Ferguson, winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize and twice the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, wrote of Murray’s novel, “Canadians rejoice.

Our Vonnegut has finally arrived. Morgan Murray’s debut is a great, brawling, sprawling, muscular glory of a story. Funny, dark, and wholly original.”

Dirty Birdswas also picked by The Globe and Mail as one of it’s Hot Summer Reads for 2020.

Regional News-Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 25

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This whole year has been spooky

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

When we can look back on 2020, we will certainly say it wasn’t just Halloween that was spooky. Of course the pandemic was one of the biggest spooky stories, but upcoming elections in the United States certainly can elicit some fear in us, too. Breathe deeply, practise daily gratitude and appreciate each day for what it offers. We can all get through this together.

The first snowfall Oct. 20 was an exciting surprise for children, but not as much for those of us who are dreading winter. Even though a good portion of it was eliminated with some warmer temps Oct. 21, the cloudy days and cool temperatures reminded us winter is on the horizon.

Regardless of how you feel about the outcome of our Saskatchewan election, this province still needs our vigilance and diligence in keeping our curve flat during the pandemic.

Remember to exercise all precautions when handing out treats this Halloween. Families will also need to ensure treats received are quarantined for minimum of 72 hours before being enjoyed. It will be certainly different than any Halloween we have experienced. Thank you to those residents who have chosen to spruce up the neighbourhoods with Halloween displays.

The community has certainly enjoyed the fundraising efforts of Parkview Place, following the travels of Poppy the toilet fairy. Residents have noted it has been pleasantly refreshing to talk about something other than COVID-19.

With Remembrance Day on the horizon, it is up to each of us to find a way to recognize our veterans and Legion members. Unity has one Second World War veteran left and he is a remarkable man, known and loved by many. Do what you can to remember in the limited environment

U

nity News

we are allowed.

Senior hockey, Junior B hockey, Midget AA hockey and minor hockey have all learned of the next phases of return to play for hockey that has included being listed in mini-leagues and how those games are allowed up to Dec. 17.

Hockey will take a twoweek break over Christmas and reassess after the holidays on whether they are able to proceed with the next phases.

Unity Curling Club is ready to rock and roll with leagues beginning Oct. 26. Please check in with the club on their pandemic protocols before you head to the rink.

On the ballot for the Nov. 9 election in the town of Unity are Rick Hill, Brent Weber, Curtis McLean, Erik Hansen, Doreen Bonogofski, Jackson Winterhalt, Janet Hollingshead, Ryan Sernecky, Bob Abel and Ben Weber running for council seats. Mayoral candidates are Sharon Del Frari and Joe Boser.

Advanced polls take place at council chambers Nov. 4 and election date is Nov. 9.

Organizers are hoping to attempt some sort of community activity in place of Winter Wonderland that normally takes place the first Thursday in December.

Please contact Sherri Solomko at the PressHerald office or Carey Baker at the town of Unity office if you are interested in entering a float in a re-invigorated version of the Winterlites parade.

A commitment will be needed by Nov. 1 before planning will continue.

Unity Minor Ball was grateful for the contributions of the Unity Lions and the now extinct UK Royals team who

Potential COVID-19 exposure in North Battleford Saskatchewan Health Authority is notifying the public of potential exposure to COVID-19 at the following businesses in North Battleford where a person or persons attended while likely infectious: October 20 Country Cuisine, 2401 99 Street, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Sport Chek Frontier

Centre, 11429 Railway Avenue East, 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Rob and Kathy’s No Frills Frontier Centre, 11430 Railway Avenue East, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Walmart Supercentre, 601 Carlton Trail, 5 to 5:45 p.m.

October 21 Sobeys, 9801 Territorial Drive, 8 to 8:45 p.m.

contributed funds that helped garner a new score clock and batting cage.

A number of businesses helped with in-kind donations getting this equipment installed.

The first flu clinic took place Oct. 19 at the Agroplex and a second clinic is slated for November. You can also book an appointment at one of the pharmacies in town.

Flu clinic information is available on the website www.saskhealthauthority. ca Thank you once again to Unity Credit Union who recently donated $750 to the Unity Museum as part of their Credit Union Day activities.

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

Even though practices might be all this football season incurs, Warrior football players cherished the opportunity to suit up once again and spend some time on Warrior Field this fall. Photo by Sherri Solomko

Just before snow hit , this morning shot of a golden pathway at the Unity Regional Park ball diamonds demonstrated fall flora at its finest. Photo by Sherri Solomko

NOTICE OF POLL [Section 81 of the Act]

City of North Battleford Municipal Election PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that: 1. A Poll has been granted for the election of: • MAYOR (1) • COUNCILLOR (6)

City of North Battleford City of North Battleford

2. Voting will take place on Monday, November 9, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Civic Centre - Lower Auditorium located at 1902 104th Street.

3. I will declare the result of the election at City Hall on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at the hour of 11:00 a.m.

NOTICE OF ADVANCE POLL [Section 84 of the Act] Advance Polls for voting in advance of Election Day will be held at the following location on the following dates and times: Don Ross Centre – Lobby and Gymnasium – 891 99th Street • • •

Saturday, October 31, 2020 Monday, November 2, 2020 Thursday, November 5, 2020

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL POLL [Section 29 of the Act] Facility Name and Address

Date

Time

River Heights Lodge 2001 – 99th Street

Tuesday, November 3

9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Harwood Manor 2691 Clements Drive

Tuesday, November 3

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Villa Pascal 1301 113th Street

Wednesday, November 4

9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Caleb Village 1802 106th Street

Wednesday, November 4

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

MAIL-IN BALLOTS [Section 92 of the Act] Mail-in Ballot applications will be accepted in-person at City Hall, 1291 101st Street during regular business days and hours until 4:30 p.m. - November 6th.

Mail-in Ballot applications will be accepted by mail, fax, or other electronic means until 4:30 p.m. – October 30th.

Applicants must complete a Voter Registration Form and produce the necessary Voter Identification. Your ballot must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, in order to be counted.

Dated at North Battleford, Saskatchewan this 9th day of October, 2020 Debbie Wohlberg Returning Officer

Page 26 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

Regional News-Optimist

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Do we deserve better from God? “It was hard to be content with our weather this week,” I told Ed yesterday. Every day that I wanted to get at trimming the shrubs around our condo building, the rain was determined to stop me and my electric clippers.

My old neighbour in Saskatchewan was not fazed by my sad story of unemployment due to the rain. He said since I live an hour from the Pacific Ocean, I should expect rain, and work harder and faster when it isn’t raining.

Little does Ed realize that my days of working faster and harder are gone, and unlikely to return without a new knee or hip, or an

N

eighbourly Advice

According to Ed

By Raymond Maher

www.accordingtoed.com

revraymaher@accesscomm.ca assistant I can watch do my work.

Ed is determined that since I trim and weed the gardens as a volunteer at our condo building without pay, that it shows that I lack common sense. My old neighbour questions why I would work for nothing? Ed

argues that if I didn’t do the lawn cutting and shrub trimming, they would have to hire a lawn service or gardener. They should pay me almost equal to a lawn service. He says maybe a little less because I’m old, grumpy, and slow.

As always, I told Ed he could be right, and he

knew I was ignoring him.

Ed’s conviction that I need a better wage than I’m getting reminded me of a parable of Jesus.

The parable goes by the title, “Laborers for the Vineyard.” In the story, the owner of a vineyard went out early to hire day labourers to work in his vineyard. Men wanting to work for the day would go to the marketplace and wait there in the hopes of getting hired. The owner of the vineyard went to the market at 6 a.m. and hired workers agreeing to pay them a denarius or penny for their work for the day in his vineyard.

The owner went back to the marketplace at 9 a.m.

and hired more workers that were there for his vineyard. At noon and 3 p.m., the owner hired more workers, telling them, “Go work in my vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right at the end of the day.” About 5 p.m., the owner saw idle men at the marketplace, so, he also sent them into his vineyard.

When the evening came, the owner told his foreman to call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last hired to the first hired. Those hired last at 5 p.m. received a denarius, and so did all the workers. Those hired first who had worked the

whole day got the same as those who worked the least amount in the day. Those who worked longest grumbled that all the workers received the same payment. The workers hired first were genuinely offended that there was equal pay for everyone. They felt they deserved more than the last workers.

Jesus said that with God, the last will be first and the first last for God’s love is equal for all. Jesus is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. God does not give us what we deserve but better than we deserve in His generous salvation for all believers in Jesus Christ.

Worship Together Spend some quality family time together. Worship at the church of your choice.

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

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

TerriTorial Drive alliance church

306-446-1695

PASTOR: Rev. Phinh Do

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

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

ANGLICAN PARISH Rev. Trevor Malyon

1401 - 98th Street, North Battleford, SK

SUNDAY SERVICES CAN BE SEEN ONLINE AT

306-445-5901

St. Georges Anglican Church Battleford Facebook St Paul’s Anglican Church North Battleford Facebook Battle River Parish YouTube channel CJNB Radio 1050AM Sunday mornings 7:45-8:30am Contact: 306 445 4155 stpaulnb@sasktel.net

Reverend George Yando Sunday Services 10:30 AM Everyone Welcome

Hope Mennonite Fellowship

Battlefords Grace Community Church

1291 - 109th Street, North Battleford

SUNDAY - 11:00 a.m.

Worship Service

Pastor: Bill Hall

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

WORSHIP SERVICES - 11 a.m. Sunday

Church Phone 306-445-4181

Everyone Welcome

Living Water Ministry

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

All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Parish

902 - 108th Street, North Battleford DIVINE LITURGY Sundays & Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.

Contact: Fr. Ivan Derkach 306-937-3767 or 306-317-8138 Social Distancing Protocol in effect.

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

306-937-3177 Rev. Gayle Wensley

SUNDAY SERVICES 11:00 a.m.

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

Battleford Legion Hall 7:00 p.m.

PASTOR - Rick Martin

Third Avenue United Church

ROMAN CATHOLIC ST. VITAL’S

Sunday Worship Services at 10:30 am

Saturday Evening Mass - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass - 10:30 a.m.

Rev. Dexter van Dyke

Pre-registration required to register at

306-445-8171

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

Everyone Welcome

1371 - 103rd Street (Use East Door)

LIVING FAITH CHAPEL

1372 102nd St 306-445-3009

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

Phone: 306-285-3823 Contact: Don Retzlaff

Services: First & Third Sunday 10:30 a.m.

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

Sunday Services 10:30 am Various Weekly Programs www.livingfaithchapel.ca

Battlefords Seventh-Day Adventist Church

11 - 18th Street, Battleford, SK

Maidstone/Paynton United Church of Canada

Sunday Evening Service 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

1702 - 106th Street, North Battleford

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

Pastor James Kwon

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

Phone 306-445-9096

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

Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.

Regional News-Optimist

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The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020 - Page 27

Fall journey to Beauval an enjoyable trip

By Lorna Pearson

M

eota News

Correspondent

John Diehl, a former North Battleford teacher, now living in Okotoks, Alta. celebrated his 75th birthday, quietly at home with his wife Grace and their daughter Deanna and Travis and granddaughter Ava, recently. His choice for a birthday cake was a Rice Krispie cake, adorned with numbers seven and five. Under different circumstances than the pandemic, you can be sure there would have been a grand celebration on this important occasion.

Bridge was played in the Pioneer Hall twice last week. Tuesday afternoon there were only two tables, so they played individual

movements. First was Vern Iverson and second was Betsy Brown, On Thursday evening top couple was Vern Iverson and Mary Phelps and second were Anna Marie Waldbillig and Eric Callbeck.

Canasta was played Oct. 23 with four tables in play.

Top scorers were Evelyn Dutton and Marion Ottis.

Second were Dave Ottis and Eric Callbeck and third were Lorna Pearson and Sonya Bouvier.

Celebrating her 50th birthday with Gramma was Sonya Bouvier from

Calgary. On Oct. 23 we celebrated her big day with her Uncle Brad and Kelly at the new Montana’s restaurant in the city. Saturday she and I drove to Beauval to spend overnight with her parents, Sal and Norm Bouvier. The weather and roads were good and we enjoyed our visit.

We saw little wildlife, but birds on the water and we did enjoy watching a family of otters on the Beaver River, as they played in and out of the water. The activity of the birds at the feeders changed as the magpie would scare away the pine grosbeaks, chickadees, red polls, and juncos and on occasion a magpie would chase the blue jays away.

There were a few eagles too, but not up close.

These pine grosbeaks were seen recently along the Beaver River. Grosbeaks are a winter bird that used to be seen at Chitek also, but not often in recent years.

The yellow evening grosbeaks will be along soon. Photo by Lorna Pearson

I’m sure there was action in and around Meota, but nothing reported to me.

I hope everyone has had their flu shot, as it is most important again this year.

Take care and be safe.

Correction: Last week’s news indicated Meota’s council had been returned by acclamation with the same members, however, there is a new member this term. The council has been

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Page 28 - The Battlefords, Thursday, October 29, 2020

Regional News-Optimist

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24th ANNUAL 26 BATTLEFORDS UNION HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

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2020 $100,000 CASH LOTTERY AND 50/50 ENHANCEMENTS RULES OF PLAY: ALL LOTTERY TICKET DRAWS WILL BE MADE RANDOMLY, OUT OF A DRAW DRUM, AT BATTLEFORDS UNION HOSPITAL (BUH), 1092 107TH ST., NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK.THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT TO PURCHASE LOTTERY TICKETS OR 50/50 ENHANCEMENTS. MAXIMUM OF 12,500 LOTTERY TICKETS AND 250,000 50/50 ENHANCEMENTS SOLD. TOTAL MAXIMUM PRIZE VALUE IS $1,302,600.00. 50/50 ENHANCEMENTS MUST BE SOLD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PURCHASE OF BUH FOUNDATION’S $100,000 LOTTERY TICKET(S). 50/50 ENHANCEMENTS ORDERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER LOTTERY TICKET PURCHASE DATE. EVERY LOTTERY TICKET IS ELIGIBLE FOR EVERY DRAW WITH EXCEPTION OF THE PREVIOUS PURCHASER DRAW. YOU MUST HAVE PURCHASED A LOTTERY TICKET IN ONE OF THE LAST 3 PRIOR YEARS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN THE PREVIOUS PURCHASER DRAW. IF ALL LOTTERY TICKETS ARE SOLD BEFORE THE “ʼREADY. SET. BABY!’ CELEBRATING ALL BABIES BORN AT BUH” DRAWS LOTTERY TICKET CUT-OFF DATE OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 AT 8:30 P.M., ALL REMAINING DRAWS INCLUDING THE 50/50 ENHANCEMENT DRAW WILL BE MADE ON THE “ʼREADY. SET. BABY!’ CELEBRATING ALL BABIES BORN AT BUH” DRAWS DATE OF FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 AT 10 A.M. IF ALL THE LOTTERY TICKETS ARE SOLD BEFORE THE “ʼYOU HAVE IT IN YOU TO GIVE’ BUH’S LAB NEEDS NEW EQUIPMENT” PREVIOUS PURCHASER DRAW AND THE “LAB RESULTS=FASTER DIAGNOSIS=EARLIER TREATMENT=ANOTHER LIFE SAVED” DRAWS LOTTERY TICKET CUT-OFF DATE OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020 AT 6:00 P.M. ALL THE REMAINING DRAWS INCLUDING THE 50/50 ENHANCEMENT DRAW WILL BE MADE ON THE “ʼYOU HAVE IT IN YOU TO GIVE’ BUH’S LAB NEEDS NEW EQUIPMENT” PREVIOUS PURCHASER DRAW AND THE “LAB RESULTS=FASTER DIAGNOSIS=EARLIER TREATMENT=ANOTHER LIFE SAVED” DRAWS DATE OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020 AT 10:00 A.M. FINAL DAY OF LOTTERY TICKET AND 50/50 ENHANCEMENT SALES WILL BE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020 AT 6:00 P.M. THE FINAL DRAW DATE IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020 AT 10:00 A.M. A PROMINENT NOTICE WILL BE DISPLAYED INDICATING TO LOTTERY TICKET PURCHASERS THAT ONLY ONE NAME WILL BE RECORDED ON THE LOTTERY TICKET(S), AND THE PRIZE WILL BE AWARDED TO THAT INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFIED ON THE LOTTERY TICKET(S). BUH FOUNDATION AND SLGA ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DISPUTES WHICH MAY ARISE BETWEEN DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WHOSE NAME APPEARS ON THE LOTTERY TICKET(S). NSF CHEQUES AND DECLINED CREDIT CARDS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES. THERE WILL NOT BE A REFUND FOR TICKET(S) PURCHASED. ALL ADVERTISING AND TICKET PURCHASES WILL TAKE PLACE WITHIN SASKATCHEWAN.