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Landmark Razed

Thirty-two firefighters from Turtleford, Glaslyn and St. Walburg worked through the night to suppress the huge fire that reduced the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator in Turtleford to a pile of smoldering rubble late in the day Tuesday, Nov. 29. For more on the fire, please turn to Page 30. Photo courtesy Rebecka Bloom Photography

Page 2 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

VOLUME 49/2016

1291 - 101st Street North Battleford, SK S9A 2Y6

B ulletin NORT H BAT TLEFOR D CIT Y

Box 460 306-445-1700

STAY UP TO DATE on the latest CITY NEWS!

NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Monday, Dec. 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Council meetings are open to the public.

Planning Committee scheduled for Dec. 19 is cancelled.

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

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

HOW IT WORKS

Lend a helping hand to a resident who needs it and then tell us about it, and if you receive help from someone, nominate them as a “Snow Angel." Write or e-mail your Snow Angel story to us.(North Battleford residents only) • include the name and address of the Snow Angel • MAIL NOMINATIONS TO: City of North Battleford • P.O. Box 460, 1291 - 101st Street North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Y6

OR E-MAIL NOMINATIONS TO:

dmacdonold@cityofnb.ca

The City of North Battleford will send a thank you to the Snow Angels anti enter them into monthly prize draws.

NationsWEST Field House

Parent Night Out

Leave your kids with us for a few hours of KID FREE time.

Friday December 9th

Mov ie

Call 306-445-1790 or visit us for more information or to register.

Late fees will apply for late pick-up. Must be pre- registered to participate.

Be one of the first 5 people to email: dmacdonald@cityofnb.ca With the subject: “SWIM” And Win a Family Swim Pass

NationsWEST Field House Battlefords CO-OP Aquatic Centre

Holiday Camps 9am-5pm / Ages 6-12 Dec 28th Space Theme Dec 29th Snow Theme Dec 30th New Years Eve Theme

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Full Day Camps at Field House & Aquatic Centre Bring a bag lunch, Snacks provided Drop off & Pick up 1/2 hr before & after camp Call 445-1745 or 445-1790 for more info or to register

Battlefords CO-OP Aquatic Centre ★ NationsWEST Field House ★ Sport Fields

e u r Allen Sapp Gallery ★ The Chapel Gallery ★ Civic Centre & Don Ross Arena s i s Don Ross Centre ★ Walking Trails ★ 400 m Outdoor Track ★ Finlayson Le vice r e Island Trail Adventure ......and tons and tons of programs, parks & activities!!!

S Check us out: www:cityofnb.ca • Book a facility: centralbooking@cityofnb.ca or (306) 445-1755

RECREATION PROGRAMS Visit the Recreation section at cityofnb.ca

THE CHAPEL GALLERY

Join us for a fun and relaxing evening out with your friends. Make some tasty personalized appetizers (healthy option class available). Take your delicious creations home with you.

Indoor Playground

Free, drop in play time for tots, 5 years and under.

Thursdays 10:00 am - 11:30 am Territorial Drive Alliance Church.

Children must be supervised by an adult.

Centennial Park Activity Centre The perfect place to hold a family gathering, or meeting.

Christmas CHEERS

with guest performer Aaron Arcand.

A reception at the Chapel Gallery.

Wednesday, December 14th from 5pm-9pm.

Watercolour painting demonstrations with artist Graham Flatt 6pm – 9pm

For information and availability

BATTLEFORDS CO-OP AQUATIC CENTRE

Open until 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday Nights

Appetizers & Wine - $35 December 7th 6:30 - 9pm

In The Don Ross Centre Kitchen One complimentary glass of wine with registration.

Additional glasses by making a donation.

Healthy Option Appetizers - $35 December 15th 6:30 - 9pm

In The Dekker Centre Kitchen (no wine) For more information or to register please call the Aquatic Centre at 445-1745 Limited space available. All supplies provided.

Call Central Booking 306-445-1755

PUBLIC SKATING

Civic Centre: 12:15 – 1:45 pm FREE Saturdays at the Civic Centre Wednesdays 1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. (Adult & preschool) Don Ross Arena Thursdays 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 pm-2:30 pm (Adult & preschool) FREE NOON HOUR SHINNY

NEW

Don Ross Arena Mondays 12 – 1:00pm Bring your own sticks, skates, gloves and helmets are mandatory Thank you to For sponsoring Free Shinny Pre registration is required for all classes, to register or for more information, call or drop in to the Leisure Services Office 306-445-1790 or at the Don Ross Centre (Door #5) or NationsWEST Field House

visit our website at www.cityofnb.ca

Participate in ANY AQUA FITNESS class from now until Dec 23rd and be entered for a Holiday Treat - a 1 Hour Massage at Vitality Acupuncture & Massage Courtesy of Chantel Cunningham, RMT Draw to be made Dec 23rd at 1pm Call 306-445-1745 for more information

ALLEN SAPP GALLERY

Open until 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday Nights

Time to find the perfect gift.

The Allen Sapp Gallery is OPEN LATE until 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday and Thursday Nights.

More time for you to shop without hassel and find the perfect gift for that someone special (or treat

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 3

www.newsoptimist.ca

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Director of Operations Stewart Schafer, sitting next to Director of Finance David Gillan, leads the presentation of the operations, waste management and water and sewer budgets for 2017. Photo by John Cairns

306-445-6640

Budget deliberations: night two

Operations, utilities, waste management the focus

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Operations, waste management and utilities were the focus of the second night of budget deliberations Monday at City Hall in North Battleford.

The night saw administration officials go into detail, not only on capital projects but also the proposed increases that local residents will have to foot the bill for — water and sewer, garbage and recycling.

It was a routine evening with no changes to the draft budget currently before council. The indication after the meeting was that deliberations were still on track to wrap up Wednesday night, when the underground pipes and roads levy is to come up for discussion.

The main story for taxpayers Monday is the proposed increase in waste and disposal fees.

Director of Operations Stewart Schafer went through the waste management budget for 2017, which calls for $2.185 million in waste and dis-

posal fee revenue. To meet that revenue target, public tipping fees are going up from $114 to $125 per tonne, an increase of 9.6 per cent with a projected increase in annual revenue of $141,000.

This would be the first increase since 2013, and also the first hike since the City took over the waste management facility.

The City is also eliminating the commercial discount for smaller contractors (excluding waste haulers). The problem is much of the waste coming in, such as roofing or construction materials, is not being produced locally, and Schafer said the City is having a hard time determining where the waste is coming from.

“It’s being abused,” said Schafer of the discount.

So with the exception of the larger contractors, who have been compliant, the City will be eliminating the commercial discount.

The intention is for residential waste to still count towards the discount, however.

Other fee increases are also coming. The Curbside

Garbage Collection Fee is going up from $9 per month per homeowner per bin to $10, for a value of about $60,000 per annum.

The Curbside Recycling Collection Fee is also going up from $6 per month per homeowner to $6.60 per month, for a value of about $36,000 per annum.

This would be the first increase since the new garbage and recycling pickup regime came into effect.

Increases are also coming for both the water utility and sewer utility rates, but those numbers were already known prior to Monday.

A three per cent increase was proposed by administration for the base water and sewer rates, as well as for consumption rates. Councillor Kelli Hawtin asked about the rationale for the three per cent increase for both rates and consumption and Director of Finance David Gillan explained some of that in detail.

“I think the City has always had a consumption aspect for people who want to manage it as best they can,” said Gillan.

However, the City “needs a certain amount of assurance and a certain amount of revenue,” which is what the base rates are for.

The water utility was the area that saw considerable issues in 2016 due to the oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River. The oil spill-related costs are covered by Husky. Of note was the amount of $3,561,110 listed for “water services expense recovery” for 2016 in the budget document.

The water and sewer utility is also seeing a considerable number of bigticket items earmarked in the five-year capital budget. The biggest line item for 2017 is water tower repairs estimated at $300,000.

The state of the water tower has been a concern for a while. A study was done last year and the repairs are due for this year.

Schafer noted the City

sent divers into the water tower last year to check on it’s condtion, resulting in a precautionary drinking water advisory being issued.

The findings were not good news.

“The legs of the water tower are corroding on us,” said Schafer.

The bowl itself is not in bad shape, he also indicated. But the legs are a priority, and the plan is to address that and other issues at the tower in 2017 so that it can keep running for many more years. The $300,000 is going towards that.

There were also a number of proposed utility capital items listed that would require a debt limit increase in order to be funded.

The biggest of those items would be a new force main. A force main is a pressurized main pipe that

can carry water, sewage, and other materials.

The cost for that 2018 project is currently estimated at $18 million, though City Manager Jim Puffalt said the engineers were looking at some alternatives that could bring the cost down. This project could potentially be a candidate for some federal infrastructure funding.

With the costs so high for that project alone, a debt limit increase from the current $45 million would be required. The debt limit was expected to be a topic Monday, but a major discussion did not transpire, at least for now.

The need for a new force main was revealed in a recent study done of the sewer system. It is required, explained Puffalt, to address a developing situation near the Allen Sapp Gallery.

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Page 4 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Share your view!

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

Commentary

Will you be home for Xmas? Can family count on you?

Impaired driving is the traffic safety focus for December Submitted SGI

As the holiday season nears, impaired driving will continue a top priority for SGI and law enforcement throughout Saskatchewan in December.

It should be top of mind for Saskatchewan residents as well.

Police will be targeting impaired drivers with stop checks and strategic enforcement. They’ll be looking for any sign of impaired driving including erratic or aggressive driving, weaving in and out of traffic, driving too fast or too slow, driving without lights at night, tailgating, delayed response time to hazards or traffic signals and driving on the wrong side of the street. Drivers are encouraged to pull over and call 911 if they see a driver they suspect is impaired.

rom

This Corner

“The holidays are a time for family get togethers and festivities with friends,” said Earl Cameron, executive vice-president of the Auto Fund. “To quote a popular holiday song, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me’ - you really do owe it to yourself, your family, your friends and everyone else on the road to drive sober and safe.”

Last year over the holiday season, seven people died and 33 more were injured in 119 impaired driving-related crashes in Saskatchewan.

On top of the life-shattering consequences, impaired drivers could face licence suspensions, vehicle seizures, education programs and mandatory ignition interlock.

Currently, there is zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol for new drivers and all drivers under 19, and penalties for experienced drivers start at a blood alcohol content of .04. A conviction could cost up to $8,770, plus legal fees. Consequences are even steeper starting Jan. 1. Changes include a three-day vehicle seizure for experienced drivers charged with having a blood alcohol content (BAC) over .04, strengthened ignition interlock laws and zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in drivers 21 and under.

“Alcohol-related driving deaths and injuries shatter families,” said Cameron. “Fines, jail time and loss of licence resulting from impaired driving can also cause significant financial stress. How will your family be

affected if you’re injured in a crash, end up in jail, lose your job or cannot pay the bills?”

Get home safely this holiday season with these tips: • Arrange a limo, party bus or shuttle for larger groups • Give taxi vouchers or safe ride rebates to employees attending office parties • Get you and your vehicle home safe with Operation Red Nose (call 306-446-7177) or a designated driving service • Volunteer one of your free nights to drive friends and family to their parties • Give your teen driver incentives to drive you to and from your holiday party, ensuring they follow all GDL restrictions outlined on their licence.

• Book a hotel room at or near the event and spend the night.

You can also help family and friends get home safely by offering to be the designated driver, calling them a safe ride or letting them stay the night.

“Promise you’ll be home for Christmas,” said Cameron. “Your loved ones are counting on you.”

Visit SGI’s website at www.sgi.sk.ca for more information about the upcoming impaired driving law changes and details on current impaired driving laws.

Follow SGI on Facebook and Twitter for safety tips to #TakeCareOutThere.

‘Shirl’ located

By Becky Doig Editor

Last week a letter to the editor was published entitled “Seeking Shirl.”

Ryan Thomas described how he had found love letters written by “Shirl” to Mr. N.S. Stiko in the spring of 1955.

Thomas was able to glean several details about Shirl from the contents of the letters, including the fact she came from North Battleford.

This week Thomas wrote to say, “Shirl has been found! [She is] alive and well, still living in the North Battleford area.”

He says she contacted him and, after he asked a few questions, he determined it was the Shirl he was looking for.

“It took her a week to build the nerve to call me. She said she couldn’t remember writing the letters more than 61 years ago and probably was a little concerned about what was in them. Pretty tame stuff in today’s world.

I’m positive Shirl and her family will get quite the kick out of reading the letters.”

Since Shirl was shy to contact Thomas we’re uncertain if she’s willing to share any more of the story. But if she, is we invite her to contact the newsroom at 306-4457261.

A community newspaper published Thursdays

by Battlefords Publishing Ltd. 892 - 104th Street, North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 1M9 Telephone: 306-445-7261 • Fax: 306-445-3223 E-mail: newsoptimist.news@sasktel.net Publications Mail Agreement Number 40051948

2012 SWNA

BEST OVERALL

NEWSPAPER (Circ. Class E)

Becky Doig Editor

John Cairns Reporter

Shannon Kovalsky Reporter

Alana Schweitzer Publisher

Valorie Higgs Sales Manager

Scott McMillan Advertising

Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

Candace Mack-Horton Advertising

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 5

www.newsoptimist.ca

I’m still tired, but now have a little hope “I’m tired.”

That’s what I wrote in my notebook earlier this week, when struggling to figure out a topic for a column.

In the previous weeks I’ve engaged in countless debates online regarding pipelines, energy policy, and the sheer hypocrisy of those who decry the development and use of fossil fuels, yet use them every minute of their daily lives.

Saskatchewan Finance Minister Kevin Doherty gave notice the province must hold the line on the overall budget for public sector workers. There is no more money, because we’re in a billion dollar deficit position, pretty much entirely due to the decline in oil and potash revenue.

The Trudeau government had announced a policy to close all coalfired power generation in Canada by 2030. My house is roughly six miles away from each of two coal-fired power stations and two mines supporting them. From my yard, I can throw a rock in three different directions and hit homes owned by two miners and one power plant worker. I figured that day our house might have dropped 20-30 per cent in value. Others I spoke to around town agreed with me.

I spent an hour talking to a drilling rig owner who feels beat up by some of the oil companies who have demanded their vendors (like him) cut their prices so much they simply

JOIN THE CONVERSATION To comment on From the Top of the Pile or any other articles in this issue, go to www.newsoptimist.ca It’s easy. Just sign in with Facebook, Twitter, Disqus or Google.

rom

the top of

the pile

By Brian Zinchuk

Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers

Association 2012 Columnist of the Year can’t work at those rates.

Nearly the entire fleet of independent Saskatchewan drillers is parked, yet larger, Alberta-based players have moved in to work for these rock-bottom rates.

These businesses are starving, as are their people.

A parked rig employs no one. An active rig feeds 21 families, from the rig personnel alone, and a similar number of support staff, if not more.

These oil companies, in turn, have been beat up

by OPEC, which two years ago this week, opened up the taps and caused the greatest, and longest, oil downturn in living memory. I’ve spent two years reporting on this downturn, scraping for any positive story I could find.

They have been few, and

Budget

Force main expensive fix for sewer bottleneck Continued from Page 3 “There’s a bottleneck,” Puffalt said, “just around the Allen Sapp Gallery, and … it hasn’t caused, yet, but it could cause, backups in the city. It’s important that before we get to that stage that we start looking at basically twinning that line before it gets to the wastewater plant.”

Also discussed Monday was the budget for operations. Schafer led the presentation of that section.

A major priority is the rehabilitation work on the main runway of the airport. It’s a four-year project being funded by the City and the Community Airport Partnership grant program.

The first phase was completed in 2016 with the center of the west section of the runway milled and repaired, said Schafer.

Next up for 2017 is finishing the milling and repaving of the east half of the center portion of the main runway.

They also plan new fuel pumps at the airport refueling station to replace the existing ones, and plan to contract for an airport manager.

The two biggest capital items for operations include a frontend loader budgeted at $230,000 and a tandem dump truck complete with box for $150,000. The new fuel pump for the airport is estimated at $95,000 and several other capital items are budgeted, with all 2017 projects for operations being funded from reserves.

Wednesday night was scheduled to be the final night of deliberations and Puffalt told reporters he expects “we will have a

better idea by Wednesday” of what the complete budget will look like.

Officials indicated that Wednesday would be the night of UPAR (underground pipes and roads) discussion.

There are also a number of presentations by grant applicants that night, including for the Dekker Centre, the Humane Society, North Battleford Transit, the North Battleford Golf and Country Club, Destination Battlefords and others.

Check out The Battlefords RCMP Daily Report on our website at

increasingly, far between.

But, within minutes of that discussion with the driller, my dour mood was uplifted.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to a podium in Ottawa and announced that the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement through Saskatchewan was a go, as was Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion, from Edmonton, Alta. to Burnaby,B.C.. A few weeks earlier, Donald Trump was elected, and this past week I’ve been reading there’s a good possibility he will approve the Keystone XL pipeline quickly, possibly as soon as his first day in office, Jan. 20. (That pipeline long ago got Canadian approval from the previous Stephen Harper government).

A Liberal prime minister named Trudeau threw his weight behind two pipelines. I’m still picking my jaw off the floor from that. He killed a third,

Northern Gateway, but that proposal had some serious flaws, especially tankers traversing the long, narrow and rocky Douglas Channel to Kitimat, B.C. If Enbridge had picked Prince Rupert as the terminus, maybe it would have been a different story.

Any way you look at it, three out of four pipeline proposals likely starting construction next year is huge. I haven’t seen a major export pipeline built since 2009, and my business is, quite literally, Pipeline News.

Saskatchewan reached some sort of equivalency agreement with the federal government on coal-fired power that makes it tenable if carbon capture and storage is used. If that’s the case, perhaps our house didn’t lose $100,000 in value after all. Maybe my neighbours will keep their jobs, too.

Perhaps most importantly, OPEC, and Russia have thrown in the towel on this downturn. They’ve agreed to cut back production. Oil prices jumped 10 per cent in a day, and have continued a slow climb.

In trying to drive everyone else broke, OPEC has largely hurt themselves in the process, and now they need the pain to stop.

If oil prices come up a bit more, maybe it won’t be so hard to find those positives storie. Maybe, instead of layoffs, I’ll be talking to people about hiring.

Maybe, when my kids ask if we’re going on a holiday this year, I’ll be able to say, “yes.”

I’m tired, but now have reason to feel a little invigorated again. There’s hope in the air, finally.

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

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New Home

Check out this custom build in Battleford’s prestigious Telegraph Heights. Open floor plan complete with high end finishings including hardwood and tile flooring, custom maple kitchen cabinets with island and lots of storage (Bernier Millworks) plus a large walk-in pantry. Master bedroom features walk-in closet and ensuite. Natural gas fireplace in living room. Finished basement with 9’ ceilings and 36” windows to allow lots of natural light. Basement features spacious living area and 2 large bedrooms and full bathroom. New home warranty provided. MLS® 577474. Call Kevin Menssa to view.

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Page 6 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Saskatchewan Environmental Society calls for tougher pipeline rules, penalties Staff The Saskatchewan Environmental Society has called for some big changes and new regulations in the wake of this summer’s Husky oil spill.

They released details of their proposals last Friday, which are being submitted in letters to the ministries of the Environment, the Economy and Natural Resources. They call for major changes in the way pipelines are built and regulated.

One change they call for is mandatory environmental impact assessment for any proposed oil pipeline project crossing an important river, lake or wetland.

“That was not required for the Husky Energy gathering line where the spill occurred,” said SES president Bert Weichel in a news release. “Nor was it required for the expansion to the Husky Energy oil pipeline system that was built across the North Saskatchewan River last year.”

SES also called for inspection and emergency response protocols to be upgraded. While they were happy to see that flow lines

were going to be licensed in an announcement made by the province last week, SES called for all oil pipelines to be regularly inspected by the provincial government and for those to be carried out by the Ministry of Environment, not the Ministry of Economy.

The society also called for better preparation to respond to a spill. SES urged the province and Husky Energy to upgrade emergency readiness for oil spills and to have a plan to ensure the response equipment will be available and on the water within a matter of hours.

The society also called for all oil pipelines intersecting with water bodies to be equipped with the latest spill technology, as well as automatic shutoff valves that respond quickly to pressure anomalies.

Peter Prebble, SES board member and their lead researcher on the Husky Energy oil spill, called for pipeline specifications to require extra heavy walled pipe along sections of the route where a spill could have serious consequences, such as riverbanks, river crossings, major lakes and protected

... much more substantial change is required if we are going to ensure the safety of oil pipelines and the protection of drinking water supplies in Saskatchewan.

- Bert Weichel areas.

SES also called for the province to impose fines under the Pipelines Act and the Environmental Management and Protection Act against Husky Energy for polluting the North Saskatchewan River and endangering an important drinking water resource.

Prebble added that Husky should also be required to upgrade the safety fea-

Thank You

tures on its pipelines at river and lake crossings in the province. “This broader corrective action is precisely what was required of Enbridge following its oil pipeline spill in Michigan in 2010,” Prebble said.

“Husky Energy should be held to a similar standard.”

Prebble also raised concerns about the number of unanswered questions still lingering about the spill.

from

“Examples of those questions include why Husky Energy changed its account of when the oil spill was first discovered and reported, why the initial response to the spill from Husky and the provincial government was so slow, how much oil actually spilled and what steps Husky Energy was taking to monitor the stability of the slope along the North Saskatchewan River prior to the pipeline rupture occurring,” he stated, referring to the prevalence of ground movement in the general area of the pipeline.

Prebble and Weichel expressed dissatisfaction with Husky Energy’s spill report to the province on Nov. 17.

They called on the government to initiate an independent third-party investigation into the spill.

Their recommendations were released just days after Environment Minister Dustin Duncan announced

changes to the Pipelines Act last week. According to a government release Nov. 28, those included creating a legal framework for phased-in licensing of more than 80,000 flow lines which are currently exempt, building an online pipeline licensing system, establishing new inspection, investigation and compliance audit powers for ministry staff, updating and modernizing penalty provisions and some licensing and construction improvements.

But the SES representatives said that is not enough and more was needed.

“We welcome the amendments to the Pipelines Act announced by the provincial government on Nov. 28, but much more substantial change is required if we are going to ensure the safety of oil pipelines and the protection of drinking water supplies in Saskatchewan,” said Weichel.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION To comment on this story and others, go to www.newsoptimist.ca It’s easy. Just sign in with Facebook, Twitter, Disqus or Google.

The Candlelight Processional

Paul & Pauline Sayers, Peg Gilchrist & Kaelee Forgrave of Elite Productions

thank the following businesses and individuals who made the first Candlelight Processional so successful.

Brilliance Sponsor

CJNB Radio - Battlefords Publishing -Caleb Village - Battleford Furniture Ltd. - Betty Bubbles - Discovery Co-operative Ltd. Eternal Memories Funeral Services & Crematorium - Home Hardware Building Centre - Glenn & Caren Hornick - McDonalds Restaurant Ltd.

Candlelight Sponsor

BeeJ’s Stationers - The Battlefords Funeral Service - Anderson Pump House - Bonnie Brae Farms Ltd. - CJV the Carpet People First Rate Financial Ltd. - Innovation Credit Union - River City Plumbing & Heating Ltd. - Sobeys - Sound City - Craig & Co.

Flame Sponsor

Fortier Mattila Appraisals Inc. - Fortress Windows & Doors Ltd. - Meota Agencies - Salon Platinum - No Frills Gas Bar - Splash Splash Auto & Pet Wash The Choir and Musicians under the Direction of Annette Duhaime Mayce Achtemichuk, Shirley Adamus, Linda Ard, Anne Baillargeon, Charles Baillargeon, Myrl Barron, Ben Bernier, Margie Bowers, Linda Brebner, Clarence Briand, Eileen Bru, Nena Byl, Marcel Cadrain, Cherell Cadrain/Orchison, Susan Cadrin, Evelyn Campbell, Jo Carter, Irene Caslor, Karl Caslor, Mark Chapman, Kelsey Comley, Marie Anne Corbeil, Karen Cubbon, Louise Doom, Lynda Erlandson, Jaki Esquirol, Cecilia Ferron, Gary Francis, Joe Fransoo, Judy Fransoo, Nestor Fransoo, Sharen Gansauge, Marilyn Glass, Gil Griffith, Lillian Hall, Joan Harrison, Linda Hebert, Susan Hertes, Shane Hosegood, Elaine Huber, Mike Huber, Liz Hurlburt, Tammy Iverson, James Jones, Nancy Kearnan, Debbie Kemp, Lois Kendel, Tanja Kolbas, Rick Kostiuk, Val Laing, Michael Lee, Dorothy Lehman, Delores Lessard, Gisele L’Heureux, Renee L’Heureux, Cody Loewen, Linda MacDonald, Gift Madojemu, Hermoine Martel, Agi McQuaid, Hannah McTaggart, Gail Meiers, Bev Meikle, Donna Nielsen, Janet Olson, Wendy Pawelko, Jean Pawlus, Elaine Poirier, Michelle Pontes, Bernadette Provost, Falynn Prystupa,Vangie Rhode, Sharon Rose, Rebecca Rutley, Don Salie, Connie Sapriken, Donna Schommer, Vivian Seib, Jane Shury, Margaret Sigouin, Frank Simpson, Andrea Stewart, JoAnne Stirton, Cicely Tuffs, Marg Uhlig, Dr. Van Der Merwe, Germaine Vany, Kerry Volk, Thelma Wakelin, Lawrie Ward, Shirley Ward, Faith Warkentine, Cathy Watson, Danielle Weiler, Janice Whitbread, Monica Yonan, Bob Zurowski, Brenda Zurowski.

Musicians- Blair Archibald, Noah Esquirol, Erin Foreman, Sarah Hadley, Dr. Marie LaCock, Dr. David Morton, Anjuli Marie Otter, Sarah Whitbread.

The Candlelight Processional is actively looking for choir members and musicians for the 2017 Production.

Please contact Peg @306-445-8699

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Canada Music Week recital held at Unity

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 7

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North Battleford’s Dianne Gryba, Cecilia Burton, Junice Headley and Cathy Swerid, Marjorie Klassen of Glenbush and Carolyn Voss of Spiritwood brought a few of their students to Unity Nov. 27 to join students of Robyn Rutherford and Diane Neil in a special Canada Music Week recital at the Unity Baptist Church.

After 22 students had either performed a piano piece or sung their recital selections, guest artist Will Ballantyne performed for the audience of more than 80.

The recital was presented by the Battlefords Registered Music Teachers Association. As Canada Music Week is meant to highlight Canadian composers, pieces written by Canadian composers were highlighted in the program. In addition, four students – Carter Flanagan, Molly Orobko, Amara Menki and Zenon Orobko — played piano selections written by Saskatchewan composers.

The afternoon’s repertoire ranged from fun piano pieces such as Bouncing on My Bed, Spiders Web and Monster Trucks played by younger students Layla Bahrey, Ryland Morin and Sam Haase to the lovely, lyrical notes of Farewell performed by Adam Stifter, the lively Dance of the Marionettes by Brooklyn Mamer and award winner Jacelyn Stabbler’s rendition of Far Away Friend.

Also playing piano were Tyrone Marodza, Mathew Escorpiso, Shae Worthington, Natawna Foreman, Grace Heck, Ava Bahrey, Tayla Skinner, Ainsley Orobko and Sarah Bargen.

Jacelyn Delhommeau and Kaybree Spendelow played the Mosquito Rag duet.

Most had memorized their pieces and came to the grand piano in the Unity Baptist Church without the written music.

Two of Dianne Gryba’s students, Courtney Wout-

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Top photo, Dianne Gryba plays the accompaniment for music student Jordyn Nachtegaele as she sings a German song about nature and love. Above, Fiddler Will Ballantyne was the guest performer at the Battlefords Registered Music Teachers Association annual Canada Music Week recital, held this year in Unity Nov. 27. Photos by Helena Long

ers and Jordyn Nachtegaele, sang vocal selections, and were accompanied by Gryba on the piano.

Before introducing the guest artist, Gryba thanked the students and parents for their commitment, noting that music is “a slow learn” with “nothing instant about it.” She also referenced the research that shows learning music improves overall learning.

The afternoon ended with the performance by the multi-talented Ballantyne, who not only sang and played guitar, but also demonstrated his mastery of the fiddle and mandolin.

He told the students and other audience members the mandolin is primarily used in bluegrass and Celtic music. Ballantyne, however, played fiddle tunes on it as fiddle tunes are what

he best knows, performing a medley of Irish Washerwoman and Irishman’s Heart to the Ladies, followed by a tune written by a Jewish fiddle instructor from New York.

Ballantyne concluded his performance by returning to the guitar and singing How Deep is the Father’s Love. He told the audience that although it is not a Christmas song, he believes it is what Christmas is about, that music and other talents are a gift from God and that Jesus was sent to Earth so we could be reunited with God. The BRMTA holds a Canada Music Week recital each year, most often in North Battleford. Music loving Unity residents were pleased to have the opportunity to attend the recital at home this year.

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

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NBCHS bands headed to New Orleans

Students to explore music and experience culture

By Shannon Kovalsky Staff Reporter

North Battleford Comprehensive High School bands held a concert Thursday.

Different grades showed off their repertoire for a packed crowd of friends, family and their fellow students. Photos by Shannon Kovalsky

$200 Gift Card

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Regional Optimist

North Battleford Comprehensive High School’s concert and jazz bands will be heading to New Orleans come March.

The extracurricular bands will be travelling south for a five-day performance tour and clinic at Tulane University. Band Director Jackie Kroczynski says the trip came highly recommended from another band teacher in Estevan, but she’s no stranger to the city either, having already been there five times.

“I love it there. The jazz, but not just the jazz, all kinds of music — the city just lives and breathes,” says Kroczynski.

She says she hopes her familiarity with the city will help make the tour more than just an ordinary band trip.

“Because I’ve been there I have some other things for them to do that aren’t otherwise on the tour,” says Kroczynski.

“People tend to stick in the French Quarter, but there’s some other things I’d like them to see as well. One thing we’ll be doing is going down to City Park where the New Orleans Museum of Art is.

“It’s the most beautiful, beautiful, park you’ve ever seen with giant oak trees. And the museum has a sculpture garden, so we’re going to be going there.”

Although Kroczynski says she wants

the students to see all that New Orleans has to offer, that doesn’t exclude the famous French Quarter. The bands’ concerts will be held in Washington Artillery Park, which, Kroczynski says, is “right at Jackson Square in the French Quarter, in the busiest part of New Orleans.”

Ultimately, Kroczynski says, “I want them to see how the music and the culture all go together, how people are outside playing music all the time, [and how] the food, the people and the hardships the city has lived through over and over again is part of the music.”

The bands are still in the middle of fundraising for their trip, having started last May, and Kroczynski says they will be fundraising right up until the tour, with a car raffle and a “Mardi Gras Coffee House” still to come. The coffee house fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 28 at NBCHS. Besides the cultural experience, the students are sure to experience in a place as historically eclectic as New Orleans, Kroczynski says she also hopes it will show future students what being in high school band is like.

“We’re really excited about the kids playing music here at the high school. I’m really hoping to help raise the profile of the band in the community,” says Kroczynski, adding, “I want to get more kids coming from elementary schools in band.”

NBCKB Rocks the Dekker Centre

Staff Reporter

Local choir groups will be joining together for Wintersong, a choir concert with singers of all ages, at the Dekker Centre Sunday at 3 p.m.

Dianne Gryba who, along with JoAnne Kasper, is the concert’s co-artistic director, says Battlefords Junior and Preparatory Choirs, Kamala Youth Choir and Gallery Singers will all be taking part, along with some special guests.

North Battleford native Tricia Florence, a former Kamala Youth Choir member, will be joining the choirs for Wintersong, along with former-resident Matthew Armet, who has been a member of the Stratford Theatre Company for six seasons.

Accompanying the choirs and special guest singers will be Tom Kroczynski on bass, Jan Mi-

On Sunday night the adult section of the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band directed

by Jackie Kroczynski gave their Christmas performance at the Dekker Centre, entitled Music for a Winter Day. The 25-member band performed a variety of music. The band also announced the formation of an annual $1000 music scholarship in the name of Wayne Jenner, to be awarded for the first time next year.

Photos by John Cairns

Holiday Gift

Contest Rules:

ENTER !

TO WIN

ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH!

All entries must be dropped off at one of the participating businesses on or before December 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm.

The LUCKY WINNERS will be drawn from entries on December 13, 2016.

Please fill in the entry form.

Photocopies will be accepted.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and have NO cash value.

One winner from each participating business will be awarded. Some restrictions may apply.

Contest is open to everyone except News-Optimist employees and their immediate families.

00

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1281 - 100th St. 306-446-4300

manager, will also be taking the stage. McGinty will join Battlefords Junior Choir to perform I Like Candy Canes.

Wintersong will feature a variety of musical styles, but Gryba says this year, “We’ve leaned pretty heavily towards the more accessible music. We’ve got Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley,” as well as “standards from the ‘50s [in the style of] Frank Sinatra,” and Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up. Tickets for Wintersong are available at the Dekker Centre box-office at www.

DekkerCentre.com or by phone at 306-445-7700 Ext. 2.

From Stockings & Ornaments to Garland & Décor.

Dealer Licence #911462

Downtown North Battleford|306-445-4111

chael Bourgeois on percussion and Connor Newton on saxophone.

Gryba says that the idea to combine the choirs for an end-of-year, Christmas-themed concert was partly the result of having the space for it, with the Dekker Centre playing host since it opened in 2013, which was the debut of Wintersong.

“We’ve been edging up to 80 singers or so,” says Gryba, “and it’s really nice to put them on that big stage and we are thrilled to be able to call the Dekker Centre our home because it’s a first-class venue.”

In fact, Moe McGuinty, Dekker Centre general

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All-ages choir presents Wintersong Sunday

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 9

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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NBCHS bands headed to New Orleans

Students to explore music and experience culture

By Shannon Kovalsky Staff Reporter

North Battleford Comprehensive High School bands held a concert Thursday.

Different grades showed off their repertoire for a packed crowd of friends, family and their fellow students. Photos by Shannon Kovalsky

$200 Gift Card

1292 100 Street North Battleford (306)446-2112

OPEN Sundays 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Regional Optimist

North Battleford Comprehensive High School’s concert and jazz bands will be heading to New Orleans come March.

The extracurricular bands will be travelling south for a five-day performance tour and clinic at Tulane University. Band Director Jackie Kroczynski says the trip came highly recommended from another band teacher in Estevan, but she’s no stranger to the city either, having already been there five times.

“I love it there. The jazz, but not just the jazz, all kinds of music — the city just lives and breathes,” says Kroczynski.

She says she hopes her familiarity with the city will help make the tour more than just an ordinary band trip.

“Because I’ve been there I have some other things for them to do that aren’t otherwise on the tour,” says Kroczynski.

“People tend to stick in the French Quarter, but there’s some other things I’d like them to see as well. One thing we’ll be doing is going down to City Park where the New Orleans Museum of Art is.

“It’s the most beautiful, beautiful, park you’ve ever seen with giant oak trees. And the museum has a sculpture garden, so we’re going to be going there.”

Although Kroczynski says she wants

the students to see all that New Orleans has to offer, that doesn’t exclude the famous French Quarter. The bands’ concerts will be held in Washington Artillery Park, which, Kroczynski says, is “right at Jackson Square in the French Quarter, in the busiest part of New Orleans.”

Ultimately, Kroczynski says, “I want them to see how the music and the culture all go together, how people are outside playing music all the time, [and how] the food, the people and the hardships the city has lived through over and over again is part of the music.”

The bands are still in the middle of fundraising for their trip, having started last May, and Kroczynski says they will be fundraising right up until the tour, with a car raffle and a “Mardi Gras Coffee House” still to come. The coffee house fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 28 at NBCHS. Besides the cultural experience, the students are sure to experience in a place as historically eclectic as New Orleans, Kroczynski says she also hopes it will show future students what being in high school band is like.

“We’re really excited about the kids playing music here at the high school. I’m really hoping to help raise the profile of the band in the community,” says Kroczynski, adding, “I want to get more kids coming from elementary schools in band.”

NBCKB Rocks the Dekker Centre

Staff Reporter

Local choir groups will be joining together for Wintersong, a choir concert with singers of all ages, at the Dekker Centre Sunday at 3 p.m.

Dianne Gryba who, along with JoAnne Kasper, is the concert’s co-artistic director, says Battlefords Junior and Preparatory Choirs, Kamala Youth Choir and Gallery Singers will all be taking part, along with some special guests.

North Battleford native Tricia Florence, a former Kamala Youth Choir member, will be joining the choirs for Wintersong, along with former-resident Matthew Armet, who has been a member of the Stratford Theatre Company for six seasons.

Accompanying the choirs and special guest singers will be Tom Kroczynski on bass, Jan Mi-

On Sunday night the adult section of the North Battleford City Kinsmen Band directed

by Jackie Kroczynski gave their Christmas performance at the Dekker Centre, entitled Music for a Winter Day. The 25-member band performed a variety of music. The band also announced the formation of an annual $1000 music scholarship in the name of Wayne Jenner, to be awarded for the first time next year.

Photos by John Cairns

Holiday Gift

Contest Rules:

ENTER !

TO WIN

ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH!

All entries must be dropped off at one of the participating businesses on or before December 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm.

The LUCKY WINNERS will be drawn from entries on December 13, 2016.

Please fill in the entry form.

Photocopies will be accepted.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and have NO cash value.

One winner from each participating business will be awarded. Some restrictions may apply.

Contest is open to everyone except News-Optimist employees and their immediate families.

00

OFF reg. price

PH. 306-445-3300

We are your repair specialists!

• iPhone • Smart Phone • Tablet “Quality Service”

Water Damage?

We Can Fix It!

LOANER PHONES available for ALL Carriers

HOLIDAY GIFT GIVEAWAYS

ENTRY FORM

Please drop off your entry form at any of the participating businesses.

Name: __________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________________________

We’ve Got you Covered!

Toll Free 1-877-223-SAVE (7283)

*TAXES & DUTIES EXTRA

www.bridgesgm.com

1281 - 100th St. 306-446-4300

manager, will also be taking the stage. McGinty will join Battlefords Junior Choir to perform I Like Candy Canes.

Wintersong will feature a variety of musical styles, but Gryba says this year, “We’ve leaned pretty heavily towards the more accessible music. We’ve got Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley,” as well as “standards from the ‘50s [in the style of] Frank Sinatra,” and Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up. Tickets for Wintersong are available at the Dekker Centre box-office at www.

DekkerCentre.com or by phone at 306-445-7700 Ext. 2.

From Stockings & Ornaments to Garland & Décor.

Dealer Licence #911462

Downtown North Battleford|306-445-4111

chael Bourgeois on percussion and Connor Newton on saxophone.

Gryba says that the idea to combine the choirs for an end-of-year, Christmas-themed concert was partly the result of having the space for it, with the Dekker Centre playing host since it opened in 2013, which was the debut of Wintersong.

“We’ve been edging up to 80 singers or so,” says Gryba, “and it’s really nice to put them on that big stage and we are thrilled to be able to call the Dekker Centre our home because it’s a first-class venue.”

In fact, Moe McGuinty, Dekker Centre general

Your Home for the Holidays

All Bugatchi Shirts

61

All-ages choir presents Wintersong Sunday

By Shannon Kovalsky

GIVEAWAYS

$

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 9

www.newsoptimist.ca

2501 - 99th Street, North Battleford

218 - 22nd St. West, Battleford, SK

306-937-2642

Offer good until 12/31/2016. Hours: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Mon. - Fri.; 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Sat.

Looking for a UNIQUE

Christmas Gift?

Paddock Woods Beer Soap Happy Hour For Your Shower!

• Cleansing • Shaving • Moisturizing

WE ARE MORE THAN A FURNITURE STORE

Highway 4 North • North Battleford

306-445-2232 Located in

Meet the Artist

Strait Line Auto Sales Bringing country value into the city North Battleford, Saskatchewan

www.straitlineauto.com 2602 - 99th Street • 306.445.5885

Jody Miller Showing on

December 10th 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

ARTrageous

Custom Art Finishing & Gallery

Jody Miller Artwork starting at $40.00

Jocelyn Schmunk

Suite 2 2062 - 100th St., North Battleford

306-445-1488

Page 10 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

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Local organizations gather for Day of Remembrance for Violence Against Women

Left, Ann McArthur, executive director of Battlefords Interval House, and Erin Woytiuk, family violence outreach co-ordinator at Catholic Family Services, took turns at the podium in a speech recognizing the 14 women who were killed in Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique massacre in 1989. Right, a candle was lit in remembrance of victims of gender-based violence and placed next to the names of the women who were killed in the Ecole Polytechnique massacre. Photos by Shannon Kovalsky

By Shannon Kovalsky Staff Reporter

Representatives from Catholic Family Services and Interval House were present at Discovery Coop's Marketplace Cafe Tuesday in recognition of National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Ann McArthur, executive director of Battlefords Interval House, and Erin Woytiuk, family violence outreach co-ordinator at Catholic Family Services, took turns at the podium in a speech recognizing the 14 women who were killed in Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique massacre in 1989.

They also highlighted steps that need to be taken to end gender-based violence, including having conversations with

young people.

Dec. 6, the anniversary of the shooting, was

Today we take the time to pause and remember the women who were killed in Montreal in 1989 and to reflect on what is still happening today.

- Erin Woytiuk established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada as a national day to commemorate the women

Members of the RCMP who were at the remembrance ceremony talk with Ann McArthur following the program. The RCMP detachment operates Victim Services.

who were killed at Ecole Polytechnique, but also to recognize all women who have been victims of gender-based violence.

Now the 27th anni-

versary of the massacre, Woytiuk discussed why honouring the victims and speaking out about gender-based violence is still important today.

"We live in a society where violence against women is still very prevalent,” she said.

“In the Battlefords we have a high rate of crime and a lot of violence against women and interpersonal violence against women and children, so today we take the time to pause and remember the women who were killed in Montreal in 1989 and to reflect on what is still happening today."

As for how society can work toward ending the pervasiveness of genderbased violence, Woytiuk advocates speaking to children to normalize the conversation and open a dialogue about violence against women and girls.

"We can have an open dialogue with our children about respecting each other and start with

young children and teach in schools to respect one another," Woytiuk said.

For people who have been personally affected by violence, Woytiuk highlighted several services available.

These include Catholic Family Service's Family Violence Outreach program and Children Exposed to Violence program, both of which provide counselling. Victim Services is run out of the RCMP detachment and Interval House provides emergency housing to women and children in need.

At the end of the program workers from Interval House distributed an informational sheet directing anyone interested in learning more about the campaign to end violence against women at www.rosecampaign.ca.

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Page 12 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Buziak fitting in with Pats

By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

It’s a big jump from playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to being on the ice in the Western Hockey League.

However, making the move up to the world of major junior hockey hasn’t been an issue at all for Battleford’s Braydon Buziak.

“So far it’s been a really good experience,” Buziak said. “I’ve been able to

make the adjustments I need to play at this level and I’ve been having a blast.”

The 18-year-old forward, who had 19 points in 55 games for the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars last year, has suited up in 17 games for the Pats so far this season.

Buziak had a wild start to his rookie campaign in the WHL, as he scored five goals in his first six games of the year.

“I was just trying to go out there early on and do the little things right,” Buziak said. However, to be able to get that many goals right off the bat to start my WHL career was pretty cool.”

He hasn’t found the back of the net since then, but he got back on the score sheet on Nov. 20 with an assist against the Vancouver Giants.

Although he hasn’t scored a goal in awhile,

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Buziak is more focused on playing a physical brand of hockey that he’s known for.

“We have guys like Adam Brooks and Sam Steel that can seemingly score a goal at any time for us,” Buziak said.

“My main role is to go out on the forecheck, win

battles in the corners and create energy whenever we need it.”

Heading into a road game Tuesday night against the Kootenay Ice, the Pats have a 19-2-4-0 record and are in first place in the WHL’s East Division.

“I think what sets us

apart from other teams is the speed that we have in our entire lineup,” Buziak said.

“Austin Wagner is one of the fastest guys in the WHL, but every single guy on the roster can win a race to a loose puck at any given time.”

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Slow start costly for AAA Stars

By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

If it wasn’t for a disastrous opening to the night for the Battlefords AAA Stars, the outcome of their game with the Prince Albert Mintos might have been different.

Despite a strong effort in the final 40 minutes, a 3-0 deficit after a little over five minutes of play was too much to overcome for the Stars as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Prince Albert Mintos in Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League play at the Civic Centre Tuesday night.

“I don’t know if we were intimated from the last time we played them (a 6-1 loss in Prince Albert on Nov. 24) or what it was, but the first 10 minutes was kind of a mess for us,” Stars head coach Jean Fauchon said.

“We were able to refocus after that and we hung right with them for the final 50 minutes. We kept battling until the end, and we got within a goal, but they were able to get two goals late to pull away.”

The Mintos took control of the contest by scoring three goals in a 2:51 span

in the opening frame.

After a bad turnover led to a goal by Kyrell Sopotyk, Kade McMillen fired home a power play goal from the point and Jacob Leicht slid a shot

by Stars goaltender Lance Alm to give the visitors a comfortable cushion.

“In the past, we’ve had fast starts where we’ve been good for the first five or 10 minutes and then things went downhill,” Fauchon said.

“Tonight, was the exact opposite of that. We’ll talk to the team about that and going forward will look to maintain our usual quick start over the course of a full 60 minutes.”

Ian Hillis brought some life to the Stars during the second period, as he teamed up with linemate Adam Beckman on a pair of goals to cut the Mintos’ lead down to one.

“Our line (which also includes Mackenzie Donovan) has been doing a lot of work lately on breakout drills so I think that helped a lot,” Hillis said. “I’ve also been working a lot on trying to get as many shots on net as possible, because you never

know what can happen.”

“Ian’s been playing very well lately,” Fauchon said.

“He’s got a real nose for the net and a quick release, which is showing up on the scoreboard.”

The Mintos put a halt to any comeback late in the second period as Ty Mosimann found the back of the net after a feed from SMAAAHL leading scorer Logan Barlage.

Austin Lamotte would round out the scoring for the Mintos with a topcorner snipe in the third period.

“That fourth goal was big for us, as we fell asleep a bit in the second period,” Mintos head coach Ken Morrison said.

“We started to get away from our style of game and began to do some more risky plays. All of a sudden, it was a 3-2 game and the guys had to buckle down. We have a lot of young guys on our team, so they’ll have to learn to play the same way all of the time.”

Lamotte, McMillen and Sopotyk each had a goal and an assist for the Mintos, who are in fifth place in the SMAAAHL stand-

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 13

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Battlefords AAA Stars forward Jordan Mish made a move to get around Prince Albert Mintos defenceman Kade McMillen at the Civic Centre Tuesday night.

Photo by Lucas Punkari

ings with a 12-9-1 record.

Cale Elder made 30 saves for the visitors while Alm turned aside 41 shots in a losing effort.

The Stars, who have a 9-12-2 mark, fell to ninth in the standings and are one point out of the playoffs after the Swift Current Legionnaires pulled out a stunning 7-1 win over the league-leading Moose Jaw

Generals Tuesday night.

They’ll look to regain the coveted eighth spot in the standings this weekend as they’ll visit the Yorkton Maulers for a pair of games on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

“We’ve been taking the body a lot more on the road, and we were hitting everyone it seemed when we played Tisdale in their

rink last weekend,” Hillis said.

“We were able to wear them down after awhile and that’s what we need to do this weekend.”

The Stars will return to the Civic Centre on Dec. 17 and 18 to take on the always strong Regina Pat Canadians, in their last games before the Christmas break.

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Page 14 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Junior basketball teams begin seasons

Jaylyn Schulkowsky of the John Paul II Crusaders junior girls’ basketball team controlled the ball after she stole it from a Unity Warriors player during a tournament game Saturday at John Paul II Collegiate.

By Lucas Punkari

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A mix of youth and experience is the main story for the junior basketball programs at John Paul II Collegiate and North Battleford Comprehensive High School this season.

That’s especially true for the Crusaders junior boys’ program, who have won two out of the last three Battle West District championships.

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years is really starting to show with the new players that are coming through,” Crusaders head coach Nate Jurgens said. “When you come into the gym at lunch time, there’s always kids playing basketball.

“There’s a couple of familiar faces here this year on the team, but we have a number of new players, including a couple of players from the Phillippines who moved to the area with their families.”

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Braden Rumpf of the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings junior boys’ basketball team powered his way by Kyle Parker of the Unity Warriors during a game at John Paul II Collegiate Saturday. Photos by Lucas Punkari

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tournament.

“This is a talented group and our biggest asset is that the guys understand how to push the pace,” Jurgens said.

“They’ve been playing basketball for a number of years now, so they have a lot of experience already.

Their ability to move the ball is very impressive already, but there’s a number of aspects in the game that we can get better at.”

The Junior Vikings also competed in the tournament, where they finished with a 1-2 mark, and showcased a talented defence during their three games.

“That part of the game is something that I stress with the guys every year, and they are already doing a great job of stopping the opposing team from penetrating into the key,” Vikings head coach Jeff Gibson said.

“We’ve got a good core group with five players coming back, but we’re still a fairly young team.

We’ll be working a lot on our offence in the next week, as we missed a lot of shots this weekend.”

Meanwhile, the Vikings junior girls’ team had an impressive start to their

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season, as they went 3-0 at the tournament.

“We have nine players back from last year’s team so we have a good veteran group this year,” Vikings head coach Kara Wilkinson said. “We only had one returning player a year ago, so it’s good to have a lot of players who are familiar with the systems that I like to run as a coach.

“Plus, many of the girls play club basketball and were involved with the team that played at the Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan a few months ago. It’s almost like they haven’t been off of the court since last year’s high school season ended.”

The Crusaders junior girls’ team also turned in a solid performance in their home tournament, as they finished in second place with a 2-1 record.

“I think it was a pretty solid weekend for the girls,” Donna Hansen, who splits coaching duties for the Crusaders with Kristina Binette, said. “We have a young team, but they were able to adapt to the challenges quite well.

“We have four returning players and we’ll be relying on them early for some veteran leadership, but we also have a number of talented Grade 8 players that have a lot of speed. They will be able to fit right in with our veteran group.”

The Vikings will be back in action this weekend as they’ll travel to Melfort for a tournament.

Both local schools will be competing at the North Battleford Comprehensive High School junior boys’ and girls’ basketball tournament on Dec. 16 and 17.

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The Twin Rivers Curling Club hosted the Junior Slam Classic, sponsored

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There were two divisions, Under 18 and Under 15, which were comprised of 19 teams from across the province.

The top two teams in each division were competing for the opportunity to curl at the Meridian Canadian Open Grand Slam of Curling event, prior to the finals in both the men’s

and women’s divisions, on Jan 8.

They will have a chance to curl on the Civic Centre ice and receive instruction from a select group of professional curlers that will be competing in the Meridian Canadian Open.

That event is part of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tour and will take place from Jan. 3 to 8.

In the under 18 division, Dustin Mikush’s rink from the Humboldt Curling Club won the ‘A’ event.

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The Stockmanski team from the Shellbrook Curling Club picked up the ‘B’ event honours.

The level of competition in both divisions was exceptional during the weekend.

The organizers thank the players, coaches and spectators for supporting

the event, and especially Northland Power for their generous support of junior curling.

The next major event at the Twin Rivers Curling Club will be the men’s northern region qualifiers from Jan. 19 to 22.

Spots at the provincial men’s playdowns, which will be held in Tisdale from Feb. 1 to 5, will be up for grabs at the event.

The winner of the provincials will represent Saskatchewan at the Tim Hortons Brier in St. John’s, N.L. in March.

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Sherri Hamilton-Beech has fond memories from her childhood of days spent with her sister pretending to officiate marriages and services in the old church Follow us online: homehardware.ca across the field from the farm where she grew up.

The Langmeade Church, originally built in BOOST MULTIPLE VEHICLES 1908, had fallen into disrepair long before HamiltonON A SINGLE CHARGE Beech and her sister were children.

In the years since, 12000mAh battery. Multi members of the surroundcord adapter for phones ing community grew conand other mobile devices, cerned about the building’s super bright flashlight. foundation.

Stays charged in storage “We were told there Ài>`ÞÊÌ Ê for 6 months. was a chance that it would collapse,” says Hamilton8720-006 Beech. Ê Ü iÀiÊÞ ÕÊ Then, more than a year ago, the church’s secre i>ÃÌÊiÝ«iVÌÊ Ì¶ tary Jack Higgins put the / iÊ > >`>Ê « Þ i ÌÊ wheels in motion on the

Ài` ÌÊ ÃÊ>Ê iÜÊ>`` Ì ÊÌ Ê Langmeade Church proj > >` > ÊÌ>ÝÊ >ÜÃÊÌ >ÌÊV Õ `Ê 11301 - 6th Avenue, North Battleford Ài>`ÞÊÌ Ê i> Ê ÀiÊ iÞÊv ÀÊÞ Õ° ect.

306-445-3350 “He’s the one who ini7i½ÛiÊLii Ê i « }Ê > >` > ÃÊ >Ý âiÊÌ i ÀÊÌ>ÝÊÀivÕ `ÃÊv ÀÊ ÛiÀÊ{äÊÞi>ÀÃ°Ê Ê * i>ÃiÊV> Ê ÀÊV iÊLÞÊÌ `>Þ°Ê tiated a meeting about the Ü iÀiÊÞ ÕÊ church,” says Hamilton i>ÃÌÊiÝ«iVÌÊ Ì¶ Beech.

Higgins explained he / iÊ > >`>Ê « Þ i ÌÊ was too old to continue

Ài` ÌÊ ÃÊ>Ê iÜÊ>`` Ì ÊÌ Ê Email: cloud9limo@sasktel.net on as secretary and a de > >` > ÊÌ>ÝÊ >ÜÃÊÌ >ÌÊV Õ `Ê i> Ê ÀiÊ iÞÊv ÀÊÞ Õ° cision would have to be made whether to move the iÊLii Ê i « }Ê > >` > ÃÊ >Ý âiÊÌ i ÀÊÌ>ÝÊÀivÕ `ÃÊv ÀÊ ÛiÀÊ{äÊÞi>ÀÃ°Ê ÊV> Ê ÀÊV iÊLÞÊÌ `>Þ°Ê church to a new founda{°Óx»ÊÝÊΰÇx» Ài>`ÞÊÌ Êv `Ê iÞ tion or tear it down. The Ü iÀiÊÞ ÕÊ i>ÃÌÊiÝ«iVÌÊ Ì¶ majority of the people at / iÊ iÜÊ > >`>Ê « Þ i ÌÊ Ài` ÌÊ the meeting raised their ÃÊ ÕÃÌÊ iÊ iÝ> « iÊ vÊ > >` > Ê />ÝÊ hand to save the church, >ÜÊ V > }iÃÊ Ì >ÌÊ V Õ `Ê «ÕÌÊ ÀiÊ iÞÊ ÊÞ ÕÀÊ« V iÌ° says Hamilton-Beech, but that wasn’t enough to get the church project off the ready to ground. {°Óx»ÊÝÊΰÇx» “It was put off. Last year it didn’t get moved H&R BLOCK where you because of weather.” least expect it?

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Langmeade Church was headed for oblivion when Ê iÞ Ài>`ÞÊÌ Êv ` a group of community members pulled together to Ü iÀiÊÞ ÕÊ i>ÃÌÊiÝ«iVÌÊ Ì¶ move the building onto a new foundation Nov. 29. / iÊ iÜÊ > >`>Ê « Þ i ÌÊ Ài` ÌÊ The ÃÊ ÕÃÌÊ project is dedicated iÊ iÝ> « iÊ vÊ > >` > Êto />ÝÊthe memory of Jack Hig >ÜÊwho V > }iÃÊ V Õ `Ê «ÕÌÊ ÀiÊ gins, wasÌ >ÌÊ a long-time activist for preservation of the iÞÊ ÊÞ ÕÀÊ« V iÌ° structure. For more photos of the project please turn to Page 19. Photos by Sherri Hamilton-Beech

“He ended up in the hospital, he was really sick and I went to visit him,” recalls Hamilton-Beech.

“When everyone talked * i>ÃiÊV> Ê ÀÊV iÊLÞÊÌ `>Þ°Ê to him before the end, he felt like the church wasn’t going to get moved. Too much time had passed and he thought itÓ°Óx»ÊÝÊx°Óx» was going to fall, so that’s what initiated [the move].”

After Higgins passed away, Steven Garelle, who bolstered the supports in order to get married in the Langmeade Church in the summer of 2014, began the preparation and planning

Ã

to move the church to its new foundation.

“He would have been so proud. He never stopped asking about it. The last while when you talked to Jack the biggest thing for him was ‘I sure hope that church gets moved.’”

Higgins is buried in the churchyard and one of his sons was there when the church was finally moved to its new foundation Nov. 29.

Hamilton-Beech says there are now plans to continue to restore the church for future generations.

7

Page 18 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 21

Easier to beg for forgiveness, probably not

By S. Yvonne Prusak Municipal Planner

At a recent ratepayer meeting in one of my communities, the age-old question was raised by a local farmer, “Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do on my land? Why should I need to ask permission to do something on my property?” There are primarily two reasons why municipalities want to regulate land uses.

In 1983, the Province of Saskatchewan adopted the Planning and Development Act for the first time, which authorized councils to adopt an official community plan and zoning bylaw to regulate all land uses within their municipal jurisdiction, including agricultural lands. Amended in 2007, the act authorizes a municipality to list items that are “permitted” and “discretionary” within zoning districts throughout the municipality. It is under

this provincial authority that municipalities can tell everyone (including farmers) what they can and can’t do.

There is no point beating around the bush, folks.

The first reason a municipality would want to regulate land uses is so that they can tax you appropriately.

They want to know if you’re building something residential or commercial, because those developments are taxable on a farm.

Other provincial legislation is strict on what a municipality can regulate for farmers (Agricultural Operations Act, Nuisance Provisions Act), so the municipality shouldn’t be asking you to put in permits for corrals, grain bins or barns if the use of those buildings and structures are strictly agricultural.

If your business changes, and you begin to operate a commercial venture out of your farm, you may need a

permit.

Most farmers these days have enough cultivated and arable land to exempt their residence on the farm, so likely you won’t be paying taxes on the house, if you remain farming.

Remember, taxes are not revenue generators, but they do assist in the paying for your roadway maintenance, landfill or transfer site, administrator and staff, libraries and other services the municipality

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By George Garrett Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Keith Foster $19.95 ISBN 978-1927756-65-2 The legendary traditions of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are based on individual members who excelled.

In The Life & Times of Lighthouse McNeil: An Adventure in the RCMP , George Garrett chronicles the exploits of one such legendary member – Alexander Stirling McNeil.

Born in Winnipeg in 1908, McNeil joined the RCMP in 1931, taking his training at “Depot” Division in Regina. By the time he retired in 1966, he had served in more than 30 detachments across Canada and became a legend in his time.

He earned his nickname “Lighthouse McNeil” in 1931 while playing with the Regina Roughriders, forerunner of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Standing at six feet, four inches, he made an easily

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visible receiver. Returning to the huddle after one particular play in which the quarterback hadn’t thrown to him, he protested, “Why didn’t you throw the ball to me? I’m like a ruddy lighthouse out there!”

McNeil was involved in several significant events in Saskatchewan’s history, such as quelling a coal miners’ strike in Estevan in 1933, and helping track down Albert Johnson, the Mad Trapper of Rat River.

In the course of his career, McNeil met several prominent personalities, including Wop May, a First World War ace who was nearly shot down by the Red Baron, and Grey Owl, whom he called “a scoundrel.” McNeil arrested a drunken Grey Owl one morning when he was chasing the camp cook with a meat cleaver.

When the RCMP formed an aviation section

in 1937, McNeil became part of it. He was on a flying mission when Canada declared war on Germany.

He immediately radioed in to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, spending much of his military career doing intelligence and security work. After returning to the RCMP, he was appointed officer in command of the Musical Ride.

Garrett demonstrates that McNeil was a strict, no-nonsense disciplinarian. One of the problems he faced while in Prince Edward Island was the high number of fatalities caused by speeding and drunk drivers. McNeil ordered zero tolerance for violations. Within a year there were no traffic fatalities on the island.

McNeil was also incorruptible. Garrett cites several examples of him standing up to temptation.

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The second reason is to ensure compatible land uses occur, which includes the protection of agricultural lands. When a rural municipality writes planning documents, it must receive ministerial OK in Regina before it becomes effective.

This review includes a stop at the Ministry of Agriculture (among other ministries) for them to review the documents to

ensure the municipality is not infringing on farmers’ rights. If the municipality has an approved zoning bylaw, then the Ministry of Agriculture is comfortable with what is included in the document, therefore, the Minister of Government Relations is, too.

You may be wondering why agricultural lands need protecting? I remember one of my first days on the job, and I had an irate ratepayer call to complain because the neighbours’ grazing cows were too close to their property. They asked if the municipality couldn’t do something to quiet the cows down, stop the smell and make the farmer move the cows away from their acreage? Since that day, I’ve heard complaints from acreage owners about noise from cow-calf operations, dust from combining at harvest and frustrations due to delays from livestock drives. In each one of these cases, it has been

premier of Prince Edward Island asked him not to enforce the Liquor Act on election day, McNeil curtly informed him it was the law of the island and would be strictly enforced.

Garrett quotes excerpts from McNeil’s memoirs, allowing readers to hear him speak in his own words. This helps bring to life the man behind the legend. Garrett also quotes recollections from

McNeil’s wife and two children, as well as testimonials and reminiscences from other members of the force, for the same effect.

The RCMP has created many legends throughout its existence. Thanks to Garrett’s The Life & Times of Lighthouse McNeil, the legend of “Lighthouse” McNeil lives on.

This book is available at your local bookstore or from www.skbooks.com.

great to refer to the zoning bylaw and remind the ratepayer that they chose to live in an agricultural district, which is supposed to be for cattle drives, horses grazing and crop farming.

Regardless of whether you’re a farmer or not, the municipality has adopted these regulations for a reason, such as wanting to assist you in protecting your investment. You let us know that you’re having a commercial operation on your farm, and your clients may end up with a better road to get to your business, which means more money in your pocket. Oh, and one other thing, please don’t say, “It’s easier to beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission”.

— S. Yvonne Prusak, BASc, MA, MCIP, RPP, is a Municipal Planner with municipalities and communities in Northwest Saskatchewan. She specializes in land use planning and development.

16114DS0 16122DS0

Page 22 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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The legendary John Grieve Oliver: builder, ferryman and entrepreneur iebert on Heritage Richard W. Hiebert, Ph.D

President, Battlefords Heritage Society

Part 2 of 3 Before the North West Mounted Police could assume their duties however, in the new land, they required places to live – barracks, secure bases of operation (forts), mess halls, jails, commanders’ quarters, storehouses for food, stables and sick horse veterinarians’ quarters, etcetera. Enter John Grieve Oliver.

John Oliver was the first white man to visit the site of what is now (140 years later) the thriving and expanding community of Battleford. There was nothing here, which is to say there were no homesteads, no settlers, no white men and no commercial outlets of any kind on either side

of the river.

In 1876, John Oliver was commissioned by the government of Alexander Mackenzie to go West as the foreman of a construction crew with instructions to build the territorial government’s quarters at Fort Livingstone. Shortly after arriving at his destination, John Oliver received word to stop work and proceed to Battleford, which had been selected to replace Fort Livingstone as the territorial capital.

Oliver supervised the building of Fort Battleford under the command of James Walker. The construction of buildings and a stockade at Fort Battleford on the scale needed to meet the requirements

John Grieve Oliver’s steam-powered ferry on the North Saskatchewan River circa 1904.

of 120 men was a daunting task. Regular officers (constables) worked alongside Oliver’s men, and under his direct supervision, to accomplish this backbreaking work.

Oliver also built Government House on the rise overlooking Telegraph Flats (Battleford) and the Battle River. Lt.-Gov. David Laird and the North West Territorial Council governed the vast lands of the North West Territories from this location

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that the more products you use, the higher toxic concentrations can get in your body. Considering the amounts of products the average person uses a day, you can begin to understand how a little dab here and a quick spray there begins to add up.

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from 1876 until 1882, at which time the seat of government was transferred to Regina. Government House also provided living quarters for the governor and his family.

Oliver also built a number of other government buildings including the auxiliary residence (white house) immediately west of Government House.

The building was last used as a nuns’ residence when Government House housed Saint Charles Scholasticate decades ago. The old nuns’ residence was in relatively good shape. Beautiful religious paintings graced this remarkable structure in the living and drawing rooms.

Tragically, this wonderful 140-year-old heritage structure was destroyed by arsonists in June of 2015.

Even more tragic was that Government House, a national heritage site, had been destroyed by fire in 2003. Both buildings were not secured (anyone could walk in to either of them at any time).

John Oliver also built the brick-faced Lands Titles Office (a provincial heritage site, which was recently entered by vandals; mercifully, it survived) about 75 yards west of Government House. One asks, “Who were the stewards and guardians of these priceless heritage properties?” “Where were they?” “ Why were these priceless heritage structures not secured?” How little we care about our history.

After Oliver and his men had honoured their government contracts and completed their building projects, Oliver returned East to secure a timber lease at Turtle Lake where he built a sawmill at the mouth of the Turtle River and a house he named Ogemah, a Cree word for leader. When the Rebellion broke out in 1885, John Oliver and his men fled to the fort at Battleford. Unfortunately Oliver’s buildings were burned to the ground.

Oliver was an expert mechanic. He installed sawmills in Whitefish and Fort Vermilion. He

was later employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company who ran steamboats on the Mackenzie River many hundreds of miles from his home at Battleford.

Oliver was extraordinarily successful in everything to which he set his mind.

He seemed to possess the Midas touch. He built a sawmill, and also the first grain elevator at Battleford.

He also owned a highly profitable drug store (dispensary), the Oliver Drug Company for a number of years at Battleford. Most important, John Oliver built the first steam-powered ferry that crossed the North Saskatchewan River from Battleford to North Battleford and beginning in the spring of 1900.

Oliver wasn’t the only ferry operator to ply his trade on the North Saskatchewan River. But he was perhaps the most notable, because his ferry, which he aptly christened the Battleford, was the first steam-powered and engineered unit, and it was constructed to logically confront the rise and fall of the water levels of the North Saskatchewan, with its constantly shifting sand bars. Oliver’s ferry was superior, a reflection of his talent as an engineer, mechanic and builder. Oliver had no equal when came to the design and construction of any building, river scow or ferry.

An imposing immensely powerful 300-pound Métis giant of a man by the name of Joseph Octave Nolin operated his mentor’s steam-driven ferry on the North Saskatchewan River after Oliver was no longer in business. Nolin lived on the north shore at North Battleford straight south of King Hill. He was known to dive into the water and swim across the river if he felt like it.

Currents apparently didn’t bother him.

Stories are told of his great physical strength.

He once lifted a reticent 600-pound heifer onto his ferry. On another occasion, he jumped into the river to rescue a horse from drown-

ing, pulling it to safety on a sand bar.

And some years before Oliver, the famous Gabriel Dumont, Louis Riel’s military general, ran a ferry (not powered by steam); he also ran a ferry at Gabriel’s Crossing by Fish Creek near Batoche. He closed it down shortly before the Rebellion of 1885 to lead the Métis fighters against the North West Mounted Police at Duck Lake, and against General Middleton and the Canadian army at Fish Creek and Batoche.

Oliver trained and hired a number of ferry operators over the years to share the load.

Running a ferry was extremely hard work. It was interesting to note that ferries still plied the North Saskatchewan River for many years after the iron bridge opened in 1909.

That’s because you could actually move domesticated farm animals, farm machinery and road equipment in large numbers and quantities much faster than across the iron bridge.

Moreover, there was no chance of angering a rather impatient citizenry who needed to get to North Battleford, or Battleford, for one pressing reason or another.

Near the end of the 19th century, John Oliver took stock of his many successes. He had it all —a fortune, fame, a wonderful wife and family, and the admiration of the citizens on both sides of the river. He had it made, but he didn’t see it that way.

Because Oliver needed a challenge – to prove himself and to others that he could do something no one else could — he was continually testing himself. He had done this all of his life.

Historian Don Light summed up Oliver’s attitude perfectly. When John Oliver found out that he had an opportunity to go west as head of a government construction crew, he stated with emphasis, that he “would not miss this opportunity and this wonderful challenge.”

Continued on Page 23

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 23

The legendary John Grieve Oliver: builder, ferryman and entrepreneur

John Grieve Oliver circa 1898.

Continued from Page 22 But now what else was there to prove, or do? Suddenly he had an epiphany, a revelation. River crossings from Battleford to the north shore and back on a state of the art steam ferry! He noted that the motley assortment of rafts, scows and primitive ferries crossing the North Saskatchewan were inadequate – embarrassing really. So John Oliver decided that he would build the first steam ferry, but not just a run-of-the-mill ferry. He would build the best , a ferry that no one else could

build.

John’s first task was to put some ideas together.

He made trips to the Lake of the Woods in Southern Ontario, Edmonton and Prince Albert to see firsthand their respective lake and river crossing vessels.

He noted their strengths, and their deficiencies, which were many. During the winter of 1898, he drew up his plans. His construction skills included formal drafting. Oliver was an excellent draftsman.

After determining his craft’s overall shape and dimensions, he used math-

Mrs. John Grieve Oliver (nee Julia Cousins)circa 1896.

ematics and physics to determine the ferry’s centre of gravity. Based on their respective weights, Oliver was able to determine where to secure the boiler and fire pit, fuel supplies, cabin and smoke stack relative to the gravity centre.

And, of course, he needed to know how to distribute the weight of his cargo, livestock and passengers.

Other ferrymen used trial and error. Mistakes were common and some ferries capsized.

You can see in the picture of Oliver’s craft that the bow is curved up and

Youth arrested in connection with thefts Staff

Two male youth are in custody following a stolen vehicle spree in the Battlefords and Maidstone area early Monday.

Maidstone RCMP responded to reports of theft of vehicles in the town of Maidstone in the early morning hours.

The vehicles were involved in a collision at the intersection of Highways 16 and 21. The two stolen vehicles, a blue Ford pickup and a white Dodge truck collided with one another, police say. The Ford was abandoned at the collision scene and a short time later the Dodge was located abandoned west of Paynton. RCMP say both had been stolen from Maidstone.

With the assistance of Battlefords Police Dog Services a 14-year-old male from the Battlefords area was arrested without incident.

With further assis-

tance from the Battlefords RCMP Detachment, a third vehicle, stolen from Maidstone, was recovered in the Battlefords and a 16-year-old male from the Battlefords was arrested.

A fourth vehicle was recovered in Maidstone that had been stolen from the Battlefords overnight.

The RCMP say it is believed perpetrators are still

at large. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maidstone RCMP at 306-893-4800.

Maidstone RCMP remind the public of the importance of securing vehicle keys and keeping the outdoors well lit at night.

Police say no formal charges have been laid at this time, however they are anticipated.

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streamlined – much like the Viking war ships of old. Oliver used physics.

He understood that drag is inversely proportional to thrust. He got this from the great English physicist, Sir Issac Newton.

What did this mean in practical terms for the operation of Oliver’s ferry? If one doubles the thrust, one quadruples the drag. So, the pragmatic thing to do is reduce the drag as much

Mrs. A.B McKenzie (nee Oliver) circa 1966.

as possible. Hence the upward curved hull and bow. It’s easy to say but difficult to do. The ferry builder would have to be a consummate worker in wood, a carpenter with advanced skills in the use of hand tools – hammer, saw and plane. John Oliver was definitely that.

He found ideal tall and straight stands of white spruce with few knots 60 miles northwest of Ed-

monton. He brought in logging crews and workhorses to fell, de-branch and skid the logs to the North Saskatchewan River, which were then floated downstream to his saw and planing mill at Battleford.

Smaller pieces, for cross buttresses and supports were cut and planed in Oliver’s Turtle Lake sawmill and transported by horse and wagon overland to Battleford.

Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Christmas concert preparations dominate the daily agenda

By MCS Staff There is an old expression, “the calm before the storm.” However when referring to Christmas Concert preparations, the expression should read the other way, “ the storm before the clam!”

Each class is busy learning their songs, poems and lines for their skits. Then classes will join together, with more than 80 students in total, to practice the group songs. The younger students are wide-eyed as older students and teachers invade their room, since it is the largest in the school.

The Grade 6 and 7 class try to be excited to practice singing again, but know it is probably their last concert and they have smiles on their faces. The teachers make line ups and then change their minds, daily.

Soon the real excitement begins when the classes start to practice on the stage. The first practices always run smoothly, but the excitement starts to fade when they realize they are going to the stage to practice, again!

Throughout all the preparations, students re-

aymont Central School News

member their families and community members will be coming to watch on the evening of the performance, so they do their very best and to make sure everyone leaves with big smiles on their faces, a few laughs and a great feeling of pride.

The Grades 2 through 5 classes have been invited to the Maymont Seniors’ Center on the afternoon of Monday, Dec.12, to perform. The students will be performing a couple of songs and a poem before enjoying the cookies the seniors will be sharing with them.

Cassidy Serhienko did not advance to the final round in the Loran Scholarship competition. She reported that it was a lot of fun, interesting and she met a lot of great people.

Cassidy does receive some money to help with her education in the fall.

Driver training classes are now complete. Several

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Pleasantview Farms - 95 Fancy Tan & TWF Charolais cross Heifers Bred to low BW Red Angus June 18 to Aug 10.

X Anchor Bar - 60 RWF & Red Simmental cross heifers bred Red Angus June 20.

Brien Mouly – 90 Red & RBF Heifers and 25 Black & BBF Heifers bred to Davidson Red Angus Bulls June 21 to Sept 1.

Steve Ramsay - 30 second & third calvers bred to Red & Black Bulls to start calving April 1st.

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students still have to practice their driving with the instructor, but their classes are done.

The library has their very own elf on a shelf.

The students have named him Frederick. One day he was sitting on some books and roasting a marshmallow over a flickering, imitation candle. Another time he was in the doorway, behind a large piece of paper wishing the students a great evening of popcorn and movie watching. Students are excited to go into the library each day and see where Frederick is hiding!

The school community council sponsored a movie evening Dec. 2. Students were treated to a free viewing of Santa Paws.

They also had warm, buttery popcorn and juice boxes to drink. They had a lot of fun. Thanks to the SCC members for all your work.

JeanAnne Jackson and Cathy Gillatt attended the school division’s Math

Professional Learning Committee workshop Nov. 29. There are several meetings throughout the year to discuss the new math initiatives.

One of the school’s goals for the 2016-17 school year is to implement the 6 + 1 Writing Traits.

Staff members volunteered to make a different bulletin board each month to promote the trait that is the focus for the month. In October, Twyla Stott and Cathy Gillatt made a bulletin focused on Ideas. In November, Jean Brehon and JeanAnne Jackson focused on Organization. In December, Ryan Nickell and Sean Lockwood will be making the bulletin board for Conventions.

The flu bug has hit several of the students and staff members in the last few weeks. Let’s hope that it passes quickly so everyone will feel great for Christmas!

Don’t forget, the Christmas Concert is Dec. 19 at 7:15 p.m.

Keeping travellers safe Submitted

RCMP F Division

This weekend Saskatchewan RCMP featured # 24Stor iesI n24Hou rs about impaired driving on RCMP social media accounts.

These experiences provided a small glimpse of what RCMP members see as they work to keep impaired drivers off the roads.

In total, members reached more than 190,000 people with their messages. The hope is these individuals will continue to share the safe driving message and people will change their behaviour and not drink and drive.

In addition to #24StoriesIn24Hours, RCMP were out conducting enforcement on Saskatchewan’s roads.

From Friday, Dec. 2 until the end of day, Sunday, Dec. 4, 24 people are facing charges (from across all three RCMP districts) of either: impaired operation of a motor vehicle, impaired care and control of a motor vehicle or failure/ refusal of approved screening device. No charges were laid for impairment by other drugs.

One adult male driver

was travelling in a vehicle seen swerving on the road and hit a curb prior to their contact with police. One adult male was located in a vehicle parked in the middle of a gravel road very close to a main Saskatchewan highway, sleeping on the steering wheel.

Saturday, officers located impaired persons at 9:28 a.m., 9:49 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 3:40 p.m. and 4:39 p.m.

“The reality is, every single individual in the stories we featured was travelling in a vehicle on Saskatchewan’s roads with everyone else prior to their contact with police,” says Sgt. Al Hofland of F Division Traffic Services “Thank you to those members of the public who chose a safe way to get home this weekend.

December is a busy month with many celebrations.

Our members will continue to work diligently conducting enforcement targeting impaired and distracted driving, aggressive driving and seatbelt use.

Don’t risk your life or the lives of others. Don’t drink and drive.”.

To read all the stories featured in 24 hours, you can view them on RCMP Facebook accounts.

Student of the Week Dolton Morrison — Grade 9; favourite subject - gym; favourite food - pizza; favourite app - Clash Royale; last book read - the outsiders; favourite free time activity - hockey.

Photo submitted

31 heads scored at Big Buck Night Submitted

The 31st annual Big Buck Night was held at Sonningdale Hall Dec. 3 with more than 160 in attendance and 31 heads were scored by Jim Wiebe and Bentley Cohen.

(Scoring is listed in order of first, second, third) Typical white-tailed deer: big buck - Adam Mischuck, Mayfair, 181 1/8; Cary Wirachowsky, Landis, 167 0/8; youth (16 and under) - Dakota Warkentine, Sonningdale, 141 3/8; Gabe Tallis, Langham, 117 2/8; good old boys (55 and over) Russ Beaudoin, Maymont, 169 0/8; Jeff Brown, Langham, 153 4/8; ladies - Robin Diederichs, Biggar, 132 3/8, Melissa Gesell, 121 4/8.

Non-typical white-tailed deer: big buck- Seven Quiring, Kinley, 206 1/8; Koale Litwinow, Biggar, 187 3/8; ladies - Kim Westgard 144 3/8.

Typical mule deer: big buck - Abbey Dalman, Biggar, 181 1/8.

Non-typical mule deer: big buck - Stev Lovenuk 196 4/8 The Sonningdale Hall Committee acknowledges the contributions of volunteers and the support of the community and donors to this event.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 25

It’s business as usual

Same familiar faces. Same location. Same great service.

To our loyal and valued customers, We’re pleased to announce that we’re now part of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. This was not a decision we made lightly, but it was made in the best interests of our family and the continued success of the business. Joining Ritchie Bros. allows us to continue building strong connections closer to home, while offering our customers new and enhanced services.

But, it’s business as usual at Kramer Auctions, and we’re confident that with our combined experience and expertise, farmers – whether sellers or buyers – are the winners! Rest assured that our auctions will continue to be handled with honesty & integrity. You can look forward to seeing the same familiar faces offering the same great service you have grown to trust.

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Page 26 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Drone captures images of T’ford elevator fire

Above, ADRA held their annual Santa Claus Day in the Meota Community Complex on Dec. 3 when over 100 folks turned out to take part and enjoy. Santa poses with Delaine, Beckett and Kannon Roger. Above right, inside the hall the children were decorating gingerbread cookies. Photos by Lorna Pearson

By Lorna Pearson Correspondent

Outside there were rides in a wagon pulled by Marcel Duhaime’s team from near Edam. The children loved every minute spent around this lovely team.

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The baby shower planned for Gloria Jung, from the store, has been changed to Jan. 15, at the Do Drop In, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eden and Gloria welcomed their healthy baby girl on Dec. 4, so she will be six weeks old when her baby shower is held. Gloria’s mother has been here from Korea for a couple weeks already and is happy to join them in the excitement of a first baby.

Congratulations to them all.

Those with Facebook may have seen the drone pictures of the elevator at Turtleford burning down, remarkable what modern technology provides us with. I think that the second grocery store in Turtleford was closed this fall also, so they have lost two important businesses recently. I recall many years ago when the elevator at Cavalier burned and word got to the Prince School about noon. Didn’t take a car full of boys long to decide it would be more fun to go watch that than attend school.

The Meota Lions Chorus entertained at Villa Pascal on Dec. 2, always a happy time for residents.

Monday evening contract bridge played in Meota found top score by Jette Dasilva. Second was Trudy Iverson. Duplicate bridge the next evening here saw top score go to Jette and Terence Dasilva, followed

by Maureen Campbell and Eric Callbeck and then Margaret Dyck and

eota News Jeannine Beloin. Thursday evening in town, top score was by Lucille and Bernard Gregoire followed

by Donna Scherman and Mary Greenwald and then Jane Groves and Jeannine Beloin.

Shirley and Lawrie Ward attended the Saskatchewan Lions District 5-SKN convention in Prince Albert Nov. 11 and 12 and witnessed three members from Spiritwood receive recognition awards. These fellows were Torben Nielsen, George Pretli and Bryan Turgeon. Most Lion members are dedicated and accomplish so much in their communities, it is good to see this recognized by the organization.

Canasta was played at the Do Drop In on Dec. 2 with three tables in play.

One table had six players.

It was another fun evening and many close scores.

Top couple were Shirley Tebay and Arlene Walker with second high being Murray McCrimmon and Janice Morton. Third were Pat Chapman and Charles Walker. A nice time of visiting and lunching followed and was enjoyed by all.

When I opened my iPad Saturday morning there were 75 messages. It took me most of the day to clear the birthday greetings. I am so fortunate to have had another one, but

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By Rita Young A hardy bunch of Battlefords Art Club artists braved the elements Tuesday and came to paint.

Many were creating cards for our exchange at our Christmas party Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Kihiw Restaurant.

A Christmas reception will be held in the Chapel Gallery Dec. 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. for all the gallery members.

We all look forward to the holidays with family and friends. We all hope you have a happy holiday season and look forward to good things in the new year.

glad they come only once a year. It certainly leaves one with a happy feeling regarding the many folks you know. So thanks to all.

The seniors’ Christmas supper was held Dec. 4, in the Do Drop In with 43 people registering. The meal was fantastic with turkey and ham and lots of salads and vegetables, dressing and gravy and condiments and many desserts. After supper the president, Eric Callbeck, thanked everyone – the cooks and organizers, those who brought food for the food bank and so on. Christmas cards were signed by most folks and will be sent to former Meota people to show they are not forgotten and are wished a merry Christmas.

Christmas carols were sung with Rose Delainey on the piano, and led by Lawrie Ward. Door prizes were drawn for including the poinsettias that decorated the tables, so many went home with a souvenir of some kind and a happy tummy.

The Meota/North Battleford Bridge Clubs gathered at the Pioneer Hall in the city Nov. 26 for their annual Christmas party.

Guests attended from Vermilion, Alta., which added a nice touch to the affair.

In the morning session, top score for the novice group went to Joeann and Rudy Wiens. Second were Mary Greenwald and Bea Prutti. In the regular B event, top score was by Bernie and Lucille Gregoire. Jim Drysdale and Steve West were first in the A event and second were Bernie and Lucille Gregoire and tied for third were Jean Lawes and Fraser Glen and Maureen Campbell and Eric Callbeck.

In the afternoon game, the novice group found top scores by Gerry Craig and Mary Phelps. Second were Mary Greenwald and Jane Groves, The regular group top score was by Bernard and Lucille Gregoire. Second were Jim Drysdale and Steve West, third were Jean Lawes and Fraser Glen and fourth were Marie West and David Clennet The noon meal was catered

by Marie Schneider and enjoyed by all.

Continued on Page 27

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 27

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Lakeland Library Region headquarters had special visitors last week when Christmas elves from the John Paul II Collegiate Mission Team dropped by.

Staff enjoyed the candy canes and the tree decorating help. Photo submitted

Colin from headquarters recommends The Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the War by Jonathon Dimbleby.

It is a well-researched account on the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. Dimbleby makes the argument that The Battle of the Atlantic was the crucial campaign that ultimately defeated the Third Reich” It is an easy and accessible read, even for those who know little about the Second World War.

Exchange student hosted Continued from Page 26 Nov. 22 Historic Battleford Lions hosted the visit from the district governor of Zone 2, Paul Danis and his wife Lion Elsie from Wakaw. This event was held in the St. Vital Parish Hall. There were representatives from Spiritwood, Unity, Battlefords and Meota Lakeshore Lions clubs. Attending from Meota were Rose Delainey, Vera and Virgil Trytten,

Lou and Maurice Schaffer and Shirley and Lawrie Ward. The governor presented certificates for families who have hosted exchange youth in the past year. This year, a girl from New Zealand is coming to the Cole family in Edam for a month. From Dec. 12 to Jan. 9 she will experience a winter Christmas in Canada while missing out on a warm and sunny Christmas back home.

Jan. 13 the Meota Hobby Band is entertaining at St. Joe’s at 3 p.m. This follows bingo games at 2 p.m. and is followed by a Christmas supper at 4 p.m.

The next meeting of the seniors at the Do Drop In is Dec 9 at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by a noon potluck lunch and birthday cake.

Looking forward to more folks turning out with new ideas for activities or projects.

3 0 6 • 4 4 6 • 1 2 1 2

Community choir performance enjoyed

By Margaret MacEachern Correspondent

MAIDSTONE — Raylene Hope took her mother Bev Stewart to Edmonton for an eye appointment.

They enjoyed a visit and the night with Denise and Bill Young. Denise wanted to say hello to all her friends in Maidstone.

Jean Hartman was to Lloydminster to do some shopping and she also visited at the hospital.

ine Island

Apartments

Tuesday coffee at Pine Island Suites was enjoyed with show and tell and playing the game Betty’s bitter butter. Tuesday evening the community choir sang and enjoyed visiting, coffee and dessert.

I visited newcomers

Picturesque

Bill Morrant and Marlene Pike. Both are still unpacking and getting settled in.

Communities in Bloom are doing a fantastic job decorating for Christmas.

It is well worth the drive around town to see the decorations.

Some people have the lights on but a lot were waiting until Dec. 1.

Everyone is busy with all the Christmas suppers.

Not good to step on the scales!

Volunteer opportunities Submitted

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The Prince Albert Parkland Health Region is in need of caring, compassionate and committed volunteers to fill the following service positions: Parent-Tot Program – Spiritwood and District Health Complex 306-8834432. Parents along with their young children may visit residents on a one-

to-one basis or in small groups. Parents are responsible for their children at all times. Shifts are flexible, once or twice per week.

Entertainment – Evergreen Health Centre 306-984-2136. Volunteer performers (musicians, magicians, actors and others) share their talents with residents in long-term care. Other volunteers assist by inviting residents to a specific area for enter-

tainment, parties, sing-alongs and other activities and assist with snacks and lunches.

On Call Volunteers – Hafford Special Care Home 306-549-2108. Extra volunteers are often needed for the long-term care residents on an oncall basis, to assist with outings, parties, social gatherings, shopping trips or taking residents to appointments. Shifts are as needed

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Page 28 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Scoring night hosted by wildlife federation

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

You know how to make December a whole lot more fun? Support one of the many events being hosted in our community.

This Saturday the annual scoring night for the Unity Wildlife Federation starts at 5 p.m. The $5 admission at the door includes lunch, and refreshments will be available.

This event is in preparation for the annual wildlife awards and supper Feb. 4.

Have you picked up your tree from the Lions Christmas tree lot yet? You can find the sellers in the entry of the Delta Co-op food store while the tree selection is kept cold outside in the former hardware fenced space.

Winter Wonderland held on Dec. 1 was another fun, festive event that kicks off Christmas.

Multiple events were held on Main Street that offered something for everyone including two decorating stations, sales, promotions, hot chocolate, demonstrations, sleigh rides and much more.

You know another great place to go to get into the Christmas spirit is church.

The season of Advent is now being recognized at all of our community

nity News churches and the message, music and fellowship you will experience is sure to get you centred for this Christmas season.

The annual Rider Touchdown Lottery included a big winner from Unity. Pat and Wanda Gumpinger won a 2016 Buick Encore which they picked up in Regina Nov. 29th. The Gumpingers are active Rider fans and have been supporting the team through this lottery for some time. The win came on Pat’s birthday making it an extra special surprise.

Scott Gilbert won a Bose radio and speaker system in the lottery.

The Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation Cash lottery included multiple bonus prizes of $1,000.

Four winners from Unity were Mary Leeson, Richard Sword, Janice Leeso and Sherry Sword.

St. Peter’s School students have been working hard at developing the skills they need to be successful lifelong learners. Everyone has been working on pre- and postassessments, learning new

and exciting ways to become great readers and engaging in educational opportunities that students will remember for years to come. The teachers have started the big undertaking of the Christmas concert.

At Unity Public School, staff and students will get to enjoy a Christmas dinner Dec. 13 thanks to the school community council.

Preparations are also underway for their Christmas carnival.

At UCHS, Roasting Thor will be performed Dec. 13 and 15, with dessert served at the final performance. Warrior football held their wind up banquet and awards. Most improved player was a tie awarded to Marlo Beunaventura and Tony Horner, both demonstrating their commitment to improvements that benefited their team all season.

Top offensive player was quarterback Dakota Kloster, who played his first year in this position and was a threat both in throwing the ball and running it.

The Heart and Soul Award was earned by Drew Horner who played both sides of the ball, played while injured and never gave up his resolve to be the best player he could be all season.

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UCHS drama is ready to rock the stage next week with Roasting Thor, a superhero comedy.

The Unity Lions, who support many initiatives in the community, opened their annual Christmas tree lot and business was brisk as usual. Jenn Hoffman picks out her family’s Christmas tree while long-time Lions member Stan Moncreiff helps her carry it out. Photos by Sherri Solomko

named most valuable player. He had some highlight reel plays all season firing up the offense whenever he was on the field.

Top lineman was Adam Baker, who transitioned to defence this year and the team is looking forward to having him for another year in a Warriors uniform.

Rookie of the year was Caden Lewin. This Grade 9 player was often lined up against older, larger and heavier players, but he was never fazed and committed to his role each and every time he was on the field.

Top defensive player was Drayton Lauinger, making him a two-time winner of this award.

Graduating players were recognized for their contributions to this year’s Warriors — Keegan Woodhouse, Austin Fluney from Luseland, Dakota Kloster, Damien Bowey, Tony Horner and Justin

Rewerts. All senior players were acknowledged for their leadership, commitment and production on the field.

The rink is kept busy with hockey tournaments on weekends with novice last weekend and initiation and atom scheduled for January. The midget AA team sits second in their league.

You can register now for the annual Boxing Day funspiel at the Unity Curling Club by calling 306-2282212. You can also enter to win a Rider ice bucket full of goodies by taking a photo of yourself at the rink in a crazy or ugly Christmas sweater. The pictures will be posted on the club’s Facebook page. All ages can enter and the draw will take place Dec. 20.

When you are out doing your Christmas shopping why not get something a little extra for those fami-

lies who could use a hand this holidays? Contribute at the many drop off depots for the Secret Santa campaign. Contact committee members Sharon Riou at 306-228-4264 or Bea Stephenson at 306-228-2494, if you want to submit a name of a family or individual who could use a hand this Christmas. Come out and lend a hand by assembling hampers Dec. 21 at St. Peter’s Hall.

Coffee row folks cannot even keep up with all the activity in Unity this December. It certainly brings additional smiles and laughter as “rowers” review the latest and greatest in festive fun in our community. Action at both the hockey and curling rink is sure to make an appearance on the topic table, too.

So you see we keep busy in Unity with activities and wisdom from our friends on coffee row. Until next time …

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The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 29

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Unity ranchers earn success in the ring

St. John Ambulance SAVING LIVES at work, home and play are displayed throughout the week and are shown on the day scheduled for judging in their specific class.

“The most important thing at the shows is to have your animals looking their best at all times.

Displaying the animals includes washing, trimming, feeding and watering,” McAleer says.

“As a breeder it is important to be professional and people-friendly at all times.”

No banners resulted from the McAleers’ trip to Regina in November, but they are still billing their outing there a success.

“The week was well worth it because of the exposure we had,” McAleer says.

“We met lots of new customers and breeders from all over the world interested in Speckle Park genetics. I sold a heifer calf in the

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He says he 306-445-3472 also sold a bred heifer out of the show Call and register ring and embryos internationally, with other sales today! pending. to, McAleer Ranching is a s a family business, says well as McAleer. many ex“My mom and dad are tended famwhat keep everything run- ily members ning. They head the com- and friends that mercial operation and are always willing to partner with myself in the help.”

Speckle Park herd. My His brother Colton, a younger sister Raelyn is veterinarian, and his wife the one to thank for all the Tahirih give feed, medical social media involvement and breeding advice. His and my girlfriend Brittany sister Jessica and her hussupports me and helps out band Brendon also help in in whatever way I need her any way they can.

Seniors supper draws more than 70 guests

By Dorothy Schwartz Correspondent

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

McAleer Ranch had a successful showing of their Speckle Park cattle at the 2016 Farm Fair International that took place in Edmonton, Alta. the week of Nov. 11.

This wasn’t the first time they earned success with their cattle. In 2015, they won reserve champion senior female at Farm Fair International, but this year was their first grand champion title. Their bull entry earned junior champion status. They also won a Get of Sire award.

Speckle Park cattle

were declared a distinct purebred breed in 2006.

Bill and Eileen Lamont of Maidstone developed the breed. The McAleer family got into the breed because they believed Speckle Park could benefit their herd.

“They’re an easy-keeping, feed-efficient and lowmaintenance kind of cow,” observes Dustin McAleer.

“The Speckle Park cows winter well on just hay, [which] makes feeding through the winter easier and cheaper.”

McAleer says the hybrid vigour shown on cross cattle is exceptional, allowing the operation to enjoy a constant demand for heifer

calves that sell at premium prices.

“Plus the meat is second to none. They marble easily, making their meat tender, giving it an excellent taste,” he adds.

McAleer Ranch makes the effort to enter cattle shows because, in McAleer’s view, “anytime someone wins a banner at a show it helps bring them exposure. I think it also means we are taking the right steps to continually improve our herd.”

Showing cattle at an exhibition like Farm Fair International or Western Canadian Agribition takes commitment, as animals

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MAIDSTONE — Cards were played at the Maidstone Drop In Centre Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. High score went to Dorothy Schwartz who supplied lunch. Low went to Cheryl McCaskill.

Bingo was played Nov. 30 with Joan Smith and Margaret MacEachern doing the calling. The loonie pot was won by Cheryl McCaskill. Lunch was provided by Dorothy Schwartz.

A number of seniors enjoyed the festival of trees last week. A variety of interesting and beautifully decorated trees were on display. A total of 276 people signed the guest book plus all the elementary school children. Between $13,000 and $14,000 was

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McAleer Ranch Speckle Park entry in the 2016 Farm Fair International show in Edmonton earned a banner as Junior Champion Bull. Photos submitted by Sherri Solomko

rop in Centre Maidstone

raised by the Red Hat Society ladies to benefit the lodge and hospital residents.

The monthly meeting was held Dec. 2. The upcoming catered Christmas supper on Friday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. was discussed.

Eavestroughs on the building have been repaired. A Christmas bingo will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. Each person is

to bring a $1 gift and a $3 to $5 gift. Chili on a bun luncheon will be discussed at the next meeting on Friday, Jan. 6 at 1bp.m.

More than 70 seniors enjoyed a delicious free supper at the Legion Hall Dec. 4. This event was sponsored by the Maidstone High School leadership group. A number of door prizes were given out at the end of the evening.

The handi-van, driven by Rodney Marfleet and assisted by his wife Brenda brought some of the residents of the Island Lodge, who enjoyed an evening out.

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Page 30 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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Combined effort keeps fire from spreading Staff A familiar Turtleford landmark has been reduced to a pile of rubble after a dramatic blaze destroyed the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator located in the town next to Highway 26.

Turtleford RCMP say firefighters from Turtleford, St. Walburg and Mervin were called to the blaze at an elevator in Turtleford at about 10:50 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Volunteer firefighters from Turtleford, St. Walburg and Glaslyn combined forces to keep the towering inferno from spreading to the nearby Turtleford Coop grocery store.

Turtleford Fire Chief Brent Edwards says, “they spent most of the night protecting the co-op grocery store and some other buildings on Main Street” that were threatened due to the

heat. The fire was eventually extinguished Wednesday morning and Highway 26, which was closed during the night, was opened again by 5 a.m.

Investigators were at the scene of the fire Thursday, Dec. 1, but had to reschedule for early this week because, says Edwards, “it’s too hot for us to access right now.”

The cause of the fire has not yet been made public.

Professional Services We Offer: YOUR ONLY FULL TIME CLINIC North Free Hearing Tests IN NORTH BATTLEFORD Hearing Aid Demos Earwax Removal FREE HEARING TEST Repairs & Adjustments Multiple Styles and CONSULTATION Li Lifetime Batteries Good for one diagnostic hearing assessment.

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—­Photos courtesy Rebecka Bloom Photography

Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium

The Battlefords ONLY Locally Owned Funeral Provider

"Sharing memories of those we've lost is how we keep from really losing them”

The staff of Eternal Memories Funeral Service and Crematorium cordially invite you and your family to a Holiday Memorial Service as we remember the life lived by your loved one: Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at Western Development Museum, Hwy’s 16 & 40, North Battleford, Saskatchewan RVSP at 306-445-7570 Dainties and refreshments will be served. www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca

2741 - 99th Street, North Battleford, SK

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IN MEMORIAM

GONDA: Mass Of Christian Burial for Margita Gonda, resident of St. Josephs Home, Saskatoon, SK. and formerly of Hafford, SK. will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 with the Vigil Of Prayer at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 – both Services from St. Solange Roman Catholic Church at Hafford, SK. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service, North Battleford, SK (306-446-4200) __________________________________________________________ KURASH, Jo-Anne nee Lust February 24, 1951 – November 26, 2016 Jo-Anne Kurash beloved mother of Laura and Sean and Nana to four grandchildren of Calgary, passed away on Saturday, November 26, 2016 at the age of 65 years.

In Loving Memory

Ph.: 306-445-7265 / 306-445-7266

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A Celebration of Jo-Anne’s Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road S.E.) on Friday December 9, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. __________________________________________________________

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In Remembrancer Sandra Illingworth

November 16, 1975 - December 14, 2012 Time speeds on four years are gone Since death its gloomy shadow cast Upon our home, where all was bright And took from us a shining light, We miss that light, and ever will; Her vacant place none can fill, Here we mourn, but not in vain, For in Heaven we will meet again Sadly missed and remembered everyday by parents, Jim & Debbie Prescesky, husband Darin Illingworth, sons Jace & Tyler, brother Donald Prescesky, (Ashley) Luke and many more relatives and friends

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Page 32 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

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OBITUARIES TOSCZAK: The family of Octavie Tosczak is saddened to announce her passing on Friday, November 11th, 2016 at the age of 99 years.

Octavie was born in Limerick to Peter and Louise Mergen on October 20th 1917.

Octavie will be remembered by her loving family: son Lloyd (Mary) Tosczak and his children Darlene (Dave) Betty, Donald (Trisha) Tosczak, Kurt (Cheryl) Tosczak and Tracy (Mike) Gordon; daughter Marie (Jack) Milnthorp and her children Leonard Weber, Josephine Copeland (Kevin), Belinda Weber and 6 step children; daughter Eleanor Tosczak; daughter Rose (Don) Frogner and her children Dean (Therea) Frogner, Tina Frogner and Jason Frogner; daughter Elaine (Bill) Curtain and her children Mary Curtain and Michael Curtain; son Paul (Susan) Tosczak and his children Ian (Selay) Tosczak, Matthew Tosczak, Daniel (Laura) Tosczak and Nicolas Tosczak; son Roland (Brenda) Tosczak and his son Trent Tosczak; son Gerald (Lavern) Tosczak and his children Daylin Tosczak and Wade Tosczak; daughter Brenda Tosczak (Ken Rintoul) and her son Kristian Rintoul; daughter Lillian (Kel) Lybeck and her children Natasha (Chris) Herron and Chrystal Maxium; daughter Debbie (Dan) Verhalle and her son Mark Verhalle; as well as numerous great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Octavie is predeceased by her husband Walter; son in-laws Leonard Weber, Maurice Boutin and Myron Head; daughter in-law Gail Tosczak; siblings Helena, Catherine, Emile and John; parents Peter and Louise Mergen; step-father Peter Hirsch. A funeral mass for Octavie was held on Friday, December 2nd at 11:00 am from St. Vitals Catholic Church with Father Greg Elder as celebrant. Interment took place from Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, with luncheon followed at the St. Vital Church Hall. Memorial donations in Octavie’s memory may be made to Battlefords District Care Centre, Ward 4, Box 69, Battleford, SK, S0M 0E0, or to St. Vitals Catholic Church, Box 58, Battleford, SK S0M 0E0. Condolences for the family may be left at www.sallowsandmcdonald.com. Funeral arrangements for Octavie have been entrusted to the staff of Sallows & McDonald - Wilson & Zehner Funeral Home, North Battleford (306) 4452418

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ADOPT A PET Amelia is one of our special kittens and has found her way into everyone’s heart that has met her. She was mauled by a dog at a young age and although it has caused some minor handicaps for her, it hasn’t slowed her down. She will need a home where she will not be chased or picked on by other animals and where she will be strictly an indoor cat. If you are interested in meeting this special girl come down to the shelter !!

Hey guys my name is Baxter and I was found wandering around town searching for a home and family and a second chance at love. I am a really sweet kind gentle giant that just loves to be around people and see them smile and laugh. I am pretty laid back and am quite happy and content to just lay down and nap as long as I am in the same area or room as you. If your thinking about a new furr baby to your home and family then come on down to the shelter today.

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

REGISTRATIONS

T H E

B AT T L E F O R D S

GYMNASTIC C L U B

Phone: 306-445-2298 Email: battgymclub@hotmail.com

Winter 2017 Session Registration Wednesday, December 14 - 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the gymnastics club

The session will start January 9th and end March 24th.

There will be no classes February 20th-24th.

Cost: 45 min classes $105; 1 hour classes: $120; 1 1/2 hour classes: $145 $32 GymSask/GymCanada fee will be added for all new members New-Rhythmic Gymnastics Recreational and Competitive classes offered on Tuesdays.

Competitive try outs will be held Tuesday December 6th at the gym at the following times.

Birth Year: 2008-2007: 5:00-5:45 2006-2005: 6:00-6:45 2004-2002: 7:00-7:45

PIKE: Randy Gerald Pike passed away near Waseca, Saskatchewan, on November 9th, 2016 at the age of 65 years. Randy will be greatly missed by his family: his Mom Lois; siblings: Keith (Debbie) Pike, Kevin (Yvonne) Pike, Melanie (Morris) Freeston, 8 nephew and nieces: Brett (Val) Pike, Melissa (Shawn) Klisowsky, Serise Pike (Nelson De Almeida), Maxine (Jordi) Johner, Angela (Richard) Perkins, Tara (Jim) Pierce, Lanelle Freeston, Chandra (Bryan) Fischer and 18 great nieces and nephews. Randy was predeceased by his father, Gerald Pike and by his grandparents, Everard and Winifred Pike and Cyril and Muriel Corker. The memorial service for Randy was conducted from the Maidstone Legion Hall on November 16th, 2016 at 11:00 A.M., with the Reverend Jessie Pei officiating. A slideshow presentation in celebration of Randy’s life was played before and after the service. The Eulogy was given by nephew-in-law, Richard Perkins. The hymns sung were, In The Bulb There Is A Flower and The Lord’s My Shepherd accompanied by Eileen Evans on the piano. The active pallbearers were nephew and nieces: Brett Pike, Melissa Klisowsky, Serise Pike, Maxine Johner, Angela Perkins, Tara Pierce, Lanelle Freeston, Chandra Fischer. The Honorary pallbearers were all those who shared in Randy’s life.

Eulogy Good Morning, On behalf of the family and myself I would like to welcome you all here today to celebrate the life of Uncle Randy. I would also like to extend our gratitude for the tremendous support our family has received in this difficult time and for those who were not able to attend but offered their condolences. I am Richard Perkins, I married Uncle Randy’s niece Angie. Uncle Randy and I hit it off when I first entered the Pike family because we spoke the same language….sports. We curled a number of years in the Lashburn bonspiel together on a family team. In one particular A final game we made it to, the game was tight and Uncle Randy had a difficult shot. After many minutes of deliberation, Uncle Randy had called his shot. He headed to the hack and got ready to shoot, then stood back up and I knew we were in trouble as he came all the way back down the ice. After more minutes of deliberation, he decided on the same shot. Unfortunately, he ended up missing the shot and me not having the patience that uncle Randy possessed, I threw my slider across the rink. Funny thing though we ended up winning the game and Uncle Randy made the final shot to win. It was like he had his strategy. It was supposed to be. Not only did he possess strategy, he had the skills to back it up. Uncle Randy was humble in victory. He would always find a way to keep the game close, interesting and fun. Randy Gerald Pike was born in Maidstone, Saskatchewan on September 7th, 1951. He was the first child of four, born to Gerald and Lois Pike. Keith, Kevin and Melanie followed. Gran often spoke highly of how helpful Uncle Randy was with chores and as a big brother. One time while helping with the laundry, putting the clothes through the ringer, Uncle Randy must not have let go of the clothes he was putting through because the next thing Gran knew Uncle’s arm was stuck in the ringer. He was dedicated to his baby sister as when his other two brothers were off causing trouble, Randy would be pulling Melanie in the sleigh or just playing with her outside, keeping her out of Gran’s hair. He attended school at Forest Bank and transferred to Maidstone when the school closed in grade 6. During his high school years, Randy was involved in all sports….curling, baseball and soccer. He played hockey for a short while. He possessed skill in all of the sports he played, but above all Uncle always was a courteous team member and his sportsmanship was impeccable. Uncle Randy graduated from Maidstone High School and from there he worked at Nelson Lumber, building modular homes. He found this job very boring and his next adventure led him to the Waseca Credit Union where his heart was….with numbers. At this time, Randy’s family grew by 3, his sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Debbie, Yvonne and Morris, which he considered his own sisters and brother. Uncle Randy worked there for some 12 years and then decided to head back to the family farm. As the farm began to grow, Grandad and Uncle Randy found the need for extra hands. Uncle Keith joined the team on the farm in 1986. I know that Uncle Randy loved working with his Dad and his brothers. Although Kevin was not full time on the farm, he spent many nights after work helping with harvest. It was always a family event. Randy had so many jobs on the farm. He was the chief trucker and did many hours of swathing. As the farm grew and technology advanced, Randy’s jobs on the farm grew as well. He was the weatherman, grain tester and the commodities “manager to the extreme - maybe even to the point of pushing Uncle Keith’s last button.” His honesty was a trait that shone through. When doing the books and balancing accounts for the farm, he was the first to write a cheque to pay back if the farm was overpaid. The books had to be balanced. Uncle Randy worked hard, but never lost sight of his love of sports. His favorite summer sport was baseball. His first ball team was with the Waseca Legion, which his Dad coached. After his minor ball years, he joined the Standard Hill Lakers team where he played for a number of years, until he and Keith left and played with the Lloydminster Travel Lodge Bears. The Travel Lodge Bears was a fastball team that he played with for 10 years. He enjoyed playing third base with this team and was known for his quick hands and never rushing a play. After this they played with Endiem. At the age of 35, he found himself back with the Standard Hill Lakers Old-timers team, where he continued to play for another 25 plus years. On this team he had the opportunity to play again with his brothers, many cousins, nephews and two nephewsin-law. I had the pleasure of sharing a year of old-timers ball with Uncle Randy. I had played against him in years previous playing young lakers against old-timers at the Standard Hill Lakers tournament. One game at an old-timers ball tournament in Melfort, Uncle Randy was up to bat with two out and runners on base. Wouldn’t you know it, Uncle cracked the ball over the left field fence to win the game. I was not at this particular game and don’t know the specifics, but have heard about it many times as he was the hero that day, not that you would ever have heard that from him. Winter found Uncle Randy on the curling ice. Believe it or not his love of curling began in the Waseca curling rink. He was a natural from the first rock he threw. He did various bonspiels and even had a shot at provincials one year for sure. He enjoyed curling with his brothers on a family team and took part in the Farmers Bonspiel in Lloydminster every year. He represented Saskatchewan when he curled with the Foresters Dominion curling in Oshawa and another year, played for Quebec when they ended up short a player. He curled in Waseca, Maidstone, the Super League in Lloydminster, and found himself at home with the Lashburn curling club. Uncle Randy loved the game and when he wasn’t on the ice himself he was watching the game on TV or traveling to the Brier to enjoy the action. Aside from good curling, he also would take the time to come to the rink and support his own nieces and nephews’ attempt the game. He would find his way to the rink any time there was a bonspiel on in town to support. Later Uncle Randy found another sport to excel in - bowling. He had a quiet, soft delivery that worked perfectly for him and you would always find his scores on the board. I remember bragging to Uncle Randy about the score I had accomplished in one game and then having him trump me with his 401 single and 919 triple…..not that he told me that, but he did wave the score sheet in my face just to shut me up. That was his and my relationship. One story that was shared with the family was that Randy was fought over at Keranda Christmas parties when they bowled. Any team that Randy was on was sure to win. Uncle Randy was community minded and he volunteered many hours of his time. He was a member and treasurer for the Maidstone Museum, Secretary of the Waseca wheat pool for a number of years, and Waseca hall board member and treasurer for years. Uncle Randy was a family person and although he was quiet and never said much, he believed in keeping the family together. You could guarantee that he would be at every function….birthdays, Christmas, Easter. It didn’t matter, he would be there. When my kids found out about Uncle’s passing they were distressed by the thought of him not being at their birthday parties and who would give them their birthday card with the money taped in it. And who would be Santa and pass the Christmas presents at our yearly Christmas party, as that was Uncle’s job. Although Uncle didn’t have his own children, he involved himself by following his nieces and nephew in their sports and activities and in these past years watching the “great” nieces and nephews enjoy sports and activities. He loved watching and the kids loved that he came and took the time to be a part of their lives. Aside from his immediate family, he found the time to go and watch his cousin’s kid’s activities as well. After his father passed away in 2012, Randy, being the oldest, took on the responsibility to support and care for his mother. With a loving hand, Uncle Randy took a lot of pride and honor with this responsibility. He truly loved family….all of his family. We will always remember his quiet presence, his quick wit and that smug little smile we all know as he looked at us over his glasses. Not many of the family doesn’t have a memory of Uncle losing his keys, or his wallet, locking his keys in his vehicle or misplacing his gloves or phone. He was honest and trustworthy. If you told him anything you would be guaranteed it would go no further. His memory was impeccable and he knew every family member’s birthday and many of the extended family’s birthdays as well. If you needed any sports stats or numbers of any kind Uncle was your guy, he was math minded. Uncle never had a bad word to say about anyone and always was a peacemaker. You would always find Uncle with his rubber boots with his Keranda hat on. He was a gentle soul and he will be missed more then he would ever imagine. We had some fun together. One time uncle and I attended an Eskimo game together. When we got there, I headed to the washroom and Uncle headed to get beer. When I came back I found him in the longest line with a short line just next to him. I asked him why don’t we go the other line, its shorter? He smiled at me and said, “Look who’s serving the beer in this line!!” Life is going to be different around our house now….for us and my kids. We will forever miss our visits through the fence, the kids running over for a short visit only to have me go over 2 hours later and find Uncle Randy and the kids playing ring toss. It started off as a normal harvest this year, but after the unfortunate bad weather, we came together as a family doing whatever we could to get the harvest done and to lose Randy in the middle of it has been devastating to our family. Uncle Randy was taken from us too soon, but he left us doing exactly what he loved….farming with his family. The family would like to thank you for coming to this celebration of Uncle Randy’s life. I would like to read you a poem that I feel sums up our family’s loss. Randy….. You showed us a lot of things, we learned a lot we didn’t know. But you forgot to teach us one last thing….how to let you go. We know you didn’t mean to leave us, sometimes we have no choice. We will miss being your family, hearing our names called by your voice. If God could grant us one last wish, we’d ask to say goodbye.

You always meant a lot to us, we could never love you less. We know it’s true when they say, he only takes the best. The interment for Randy was held in the Forest Bank Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd. of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements.

Card of Thanks The family has been completely overwhelmed by the tremendous support from our friends, family and the community. Special thanks to those who visited, for the phone calls, those who brought food, gave flowers and donations in Randy’s memory. Thank you to the emergency personnel for your support and professionalism in such a distressing time. Thank you to Reverend Jessie Pei, pianist Eileen Evans and to Richard Perkins for the special eulogy. Also thank you to the nephew and nieces for being pallbearers, and to the Lashburn Curling Club for setting out the lunch. To the caring people of McCaw’s Funeral home – Thank you.

Lois Keith and Debbie Kevin and Yvonne Melanie and Morris _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 33

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FOR SALE - MISC

HEALTH SERVICES

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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HOUSES FOR SALE

HOMES FOR SALE OR RENT in North Battleford

LAND FOR SALE ACREAGE FOR SALE south of Blaine Lake on Hwy #12.

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East half 28-43-23W3. Detail Inquiries to 1-306-307-4171 Send offers to land Box 669 Cutknife S0M0N0. Highest or any offer not neccerily accepted. Closing date December 20, 2016.

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FARM & RANCH LAND WANTED ° All sizes of parcels ° Professional advice & representation to get the most money for your land ° Extensive marketing for maximum exposure of your land to investors & local farmers ° Have investor buyers ° Leaseback option available “Our family team has you covered every acre of the way” Harry Sheppard C: 306-530-8035 www.sheppardrealty.ca Regina, SK

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CARD OF THANKS

Battlefords Victim Services would like to acknowledge the

W. Brett Wilson Foundation

for their financial contribution to our program in 2016.

The foundation continues to promote voluntarism by providing the means to host our Volunteer appreciation events.

FARMLAND WANTED

Battlefords Residential Services Inc. NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS! Box 751 North Battleford, Saskatchewan SUMMARY OF SOLD Battlefords Residential Services Inc. PROPERTIES S9A 2Y9

North - 10 1/4’s Box 751 North East - 14 1/4’s BRSI acknowledges and gratefully thanks Saskatchewan North West - 12 1/4’s North Battleford, East - 57 1/4’s W. Brett Wilson S9A& 2Y9Family West - 50 1/4’s

for their generous 2016 donation.

BRSI acknowledges and gratefully “Promoting a happy and rewarding life for everythanks member of our family, in a quality home created by superior staff using compassion and innovation.”

SERVICES FOR HIRE

TENDERS

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APARTMENTS/CONDOS FOR RENT 1 Bedroom Apartment for rent in Battleford, quiet working adults, no pets, no children, no smoking, reference required. Must be employed. Phone 445-2943

RM of MEOTA #468

INVITATION FOR TENDER Tender to issue a purchase order for supply and spreading of type 106 traffic gravel on designated RM roads during the 2017 year. Tender is based on approximately 18000 cubic yards.

For more information please see Sask Tenders.

FEED & SEED NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. Currently Buying: Soybeans, Feed Barley, Wheat and Oats.

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CALL: 1-306-873-3551, WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com NutraSun Foods Ltd of Regina wants to buy your Organic Hard Red Spring and Conventional Hard White Wheat. Please contact Abe Ens at 306-751-2440.

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AUTO MISCELLANEOUS Wrecking over 250 units... cars and trucks. Lots of trucks...

Dodge... GMC... Ford... Imports...

1/2 ton to 3 tons... We ship anywhere... Call or text 306-821-0260.

Lloydminster.

TAX ENFORCEMENT FORM 2 (Section 4)

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST TOWN OF HAFFORD 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 the 28th day of January, 2017, 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 Description of Property

Lot

Blk

Plan

07 17 06 11 08 03 18 23 01 06

02 03 C 04 04 C 01 02 D 15S

N2670 Ext 0 N2670 Ext 0 BM6153 Ext 0 N2670 EXT. 0 N2670 Ext 0 BM6153 N2670 Ext 0 N2670 Ext 0 BT5960 AX252 Ext 0

Title No. 118837569 126342570 142124598 147203401 130669498 129354633 146776045 137991213 134602253 118840169

Total Arrears

Costs Advertising

2022.05 421.25 1878.61 2301.23 1219.92 800.00 778.47 370.94 287.35 235.09

10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00

Total Arrears & Costs 2032.05 432.25 1888.61 2311.23 1229.92 810.00 778.47 380.94 297.35 245.09

Dated this 29 day of November, 2016.

John Sawyshyn Administrator

newsoptimist.ca

your news all the time and online LEGAL / PUBLIC NOTICES

Rural Municipality of Mervin No. 499

PUBLIC NOTICE OF DISCRETIONARY USE SUBDIVISION Public notice is hereby given that pursuant to section 55 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007 that the RM of Mervin No. 499 has received an application for a discretionary use parcel subdivision. The application includes the creation of one (1) parcel for the intended use of single-parcel country residential development within the NW 1/4 Section 13-51-21-W3M, represented by Parcel D, as shown in “Schedule A”. This is currently permitted as a discretionary use in the Agricultural District - Schedule A, section (B)(f) of Bylaw 94-4 known as the Zoning Bylaw.

Schedule A

Central - 219 1/4’s South - 100 1/4’s South East - 46 1/4’s South West - 65 1/4’s PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND.

W.BRETT WILSON & FAMILY

RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-955-2266 saskfarms@shaw.ca “Promoting a happy and rewarding life for every member of our family, in a quality home

BIRTHDAYS

For their generous 2011 donation.

85

Years Young Steve Rawlyk

created by superior staff using compassion and innovation.”

Come & Go Tea Saturday, December 17, 2016 2:00 - 4:00 pm Slawa Hall 792 - 108th Street North Battleford

HOUSES FOR RENT

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

SERVICES FOR HIRE Rob’s Snow Clearing. Walks and driveways. Book early. Phone 306 - 445 - 2736, 441 - 5677

Council will consider this application at the regular scheduled Council meeting on Tuesday, January 10th, 2017 at 11:00 am in the RM of Mervin office. If you wish to comment on this proposal, please do so in writing prior to Friday, January 6th, 2017 to the RM of Mervin No. 499, Box 130, Turtleford, SK, S0M 2Y0. For additional information please visit www.rmofmervin.com or contact the Municipal Planner at (306) 845-7333 or at planner.rm499@rmofmervin.com S. Yvonne Prusak, BASc, MA, MCIP, RPP Municipal Planner November 14, 2016

Page 34 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Winter Road Haul 2017 Class 1 Drivers needed for deliveries in MB & NW Ont. (800) 665-4302 ext. 251 or e-mail: orderdesk@penneroil.ca

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

Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program.

Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855768-3362 to start training for your work-at-home career today!

306-445-7261 CLASSIFIEDS SELL IT FASTER

TUESDAY’S BEST

ONLINE

www.newsoptimist.ca COMING EVENTS

Third Avenue United Church

brings you an “Invitation to a Miracle”

by Joseph M. Martin Through poetic narration, scripture passages and creatively arranged carols, the timeless story of the birth of Christ is presented

Sunday, December 18th 10:30 am

EVERYONE WELCOME

Third Avenue

UNITED CHURCH

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Doug’s Paint Shoppe Inc. We have a position available for a Full or Part-Time

SALESPERSON

• No experience is necessary.

• We will train.

• A keen eye for decor is an asset

Apply in person with resumé to:

Doug’s Paint Shoppe Inc.

1561 - 100th Street, North Battleford 306-445-7775

Meota Regional Park Now accepting applications for the following position:

FULL-TIME PARK MANAGER Starting May 2017 and working May - Sept

• Must have a valid driver’s license • All applicants must be available to work weekends • Applicants must have excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills • Must be willing to work harmoniously with co-workers • Consideration given to application by couples Email resumés to meotapark@sasktel.net

1301-102 nd Street, North Battleford

JOB OPPORTUNITY Family Finder Assessor/Recruiter Full Time Position

Visit our website

www.newsoptimist.ca for more community events

Community Events Calendar ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

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

Tuesdays

Battlefords Humane Society Chase the Ace Diamond in the Ruff Lottery. Tickets $5 each or 3 for $10. Weekly winner gets 20% of that week’s sales plus CHANCE TO WIN 30% progressive jackpot! Tickets must be purchased weekly to WIN! Don’t miss a draw - weekly subscriptions available. All proceeds to Shelter-Us Building Fund. Draws every Tuesday morning, 9:00 a.m., Lakeland Vet Clinic. Call The Shelter for more details 306-937-MEOW (6369). Lottery licence LR15-0091.

Saturday, December 10

Topline Dance Club - Gold Tones from 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. at 1351-100th Street, Legion Hall, downstairs. Lunch served, minimum age 19, dress casual. Contact Sharon 306-446-0446, Leela 306-445-7240 or Jean 306-445-8815. SOLD OUT

Saturday, December 10

Radisson Royal Purple Tea & Bake Sale at the Radisson Hall at 2:00 p.m. Santa arrives in town at 2:00 p.m. to give out candy bags from Radisson Firemen.

Saturday, December 10

The Gord Slater Annual Jacket Drive & Kids Mini Carnival at Connaught Elementary School, 902 - 107th Street from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. We are collecting jackets, also donations for door prizes and items for the silent auction. For more info please call gord.slater@hotmail.com or Sandra 306-441-8003.

Tuesday, December 13

Seniors Fun Day at St. Joseph Hall 1942-98th Street, North Battleford. Bingo at 2:00 p.m. Coffee 3:00 p.m. Entertainment 3:00 p.m. by Meota Hobbey Band. 4:00 p.m. Hot Christmas Supper. All seniors welcome.

Wednesday, December 14

Borden Senior’s Club Christmas Bingo at the Borden Community Centre Club Room at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, December 16

Chickadee Songwriters Circle at 2495 Ross Crescent at 7:00 p.m. Featured Artists: Laird Brittin, Jeff Arndt, Doug Sylvester, Kjelti Katherine. Voluntary donation with proceeds to Boys and Girls Club. Phone 306-445-6887 for more information or to reserve your place, email chickadee@sasktel.net.

Saturday, December 17

Club 70 Dance - Leon Ochs at the Royal Canadian Legion, 1352 - 100th Street, North Battleford from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight. Everyone welcome. Lunch served at 12:00 midnight.

Saturday, December 17

Battlefords Cowboy Church Inc. - Pot Luck Supper and Christmas Carolling at the Legion Hall in Battleford starting at 6:00 p.m. Bring a dish - everyone welcome.

For more info contact Shirley Smith at 306-937-2733.

This section, which will appear weekly in Tuesday's News-Optimist and Thursday’s Regional Optimist, is provided free-of-charge to non-profit organizations. To list the Community Calendar please call News-Optimist at 306-445-7261 or fax the information to 306-445-3223. Please provide complete information including event, time, date and location. Although we will do our utmost to make sure your event appears in this section, News-Optimist does not guarantee all submissions will appear.

Deadline for submissions is 5:00 p.m.

Thursday prior for Tuesday's & Thursday’s publication.

There are a growing number of children in care in offreserve who require families. This program requires individuals with considerable knowledge of First Nations family systems and communities to conduct duties that are of direct benefit to the First Nations children in care offreserve under the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Services. The position identified will be located across the province working under the governance of the designed for individuals of aboriginal ancestry. The Assessor proposed will have a range of skills/experience in assessing and supporting families.

QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor of Social Work Degree (or equivalent i.e. B.I.S.W.) (a certificate of Social Work may also be considered); • Should have experience in working with and supporting families; • Should have knowledge on child development and the impact of abuse and neglect, disability and other special needs, and attachment issues as it relates to matters in child welfare services; • Should have the ability to understand family dynamics (i.e strengths, deficits, ancestral clan trends, acceptance/ support from the community, etc.) conduct genogram/ family clan research, and possess good interviewing skills; • Criminal record Check (approved), Valid Driver’s License and Driver’s Abstract (approved); • Demonstrated knowledge and awareness of cultural diversity amongst aboriginal communities.

Salary to commensurate with education and experience, as per B.T.C. Human Services Corp. salary grid.

Closing date for applicants: Friday, December 16, 2016 Please submit or fax resumé with 3 professional references to: B.T.C. Human Services Corp.

Box 1426 North Battleford, Sk. Phone: 306-445-4149 Fax: 306-445-5568 E-mail: btchsc@sasktel.net We sincerely appreciate the interest of all applicants, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Manager of Pasture Operations Meeting Lake Grazing Association Inc. of Mayfair, SK is now accepting tenders for a contract pasture manager for the 2017 grazing season.

Please email: meetinglakegainc@gmail.com for a tender package.

Closing date Dec. 15, 2016

Employment Opportunities The Resort Village of Aquadeo is currently seeking a motivated individual for the position of:

Chief Administrative Officer: This position is a full-time position starting immediately.

Applicants for this position should have their Standard Urban Certificate in Local Government Administration or have accounting and administrative skills learned from previous work experience and are willing to take the Local Government Administration course (can be taken by correspondence). Personal Asset Skills for this position are: ability to work independently and manage time, detail oriented, leadership qualities, planning and accounting skills. Experience in Word/ Excel and accounting packages are required assets.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a detailed resumé with references and salary expectations in confidence to the address listed below. Education transcripts, diplomas and/or certificates plus current criminal record check will be required.

Resort Village of Aquadeo Bo 501 Cochin, SK S0M 0L0 Email to: aquadeoadmin@gmail.com Fax to: 1-306-386-2544 We thank all those that apply but only those applicants selected for an interview will be notified.

Reporter Correspondents required for all rural areas

• All District First Nations • Cando • Cochin • Cut Knife • Glaslyn • Hafford • Lashburn • Livelong

• Mervin • North of the Gully • • • • •

(Maidstone)

Maidstone Paradise Hill Medstead St. Walburg Turtleford

NOTE: These are freelance opportunities, not salaried positions.

Ideally, reporter correspondents should reside within the communities listed above.

For more information contact:

Becky Doig (Editor)

email: newsoptimist.news@sasktel.net or toll free 1-866-549-9979

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITY JANITOR/ MAINTENANCE B.T.C. Human Services Corp. requires an energetic, motivated and career-minded Janitor/Maintenance who will be responsible for keeping building in clean and orderly condition, and will perform heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. Duties may include tending furnace and boiler, performing routine maintenance activities, notifying management of need of repairs, and clearing snow or debris from parking lot.

Qualified applicants should contact B.T.C. Human Services Corp. at: 691-109th Street, North Battleford, Sask. Or mail your resumé with 2 professional references to: P.O.Box 1426 North Battleford, Sask. S9A 3M1 or email: btchsc@sasktel.net Deadline for applications is December 9, 2016 We all thank all applications and wish to advise that only those individuals that have been selected for an interview will be contacted.

IN MEMORIAM

Living Sky School Division No. 202 Growth Without Limits, Learning For All

Now accepting applications for the following positions:

Bus Driver • Route KE2 - Kerrobert Caretaker • Battleford Central School Teacher • North Battleford Comprehensive High School Closing noon, Tuesday, December 13, 2016 Student Transportation Driver • Medstead Area - driver to transport student to and from school daily using personal vehicle, call for more details Open until successful candidate is found - apply ASAP Details and link to online applications can be found on our website at www.lskysd.ca All applications must be submitted online.

KANAWEYIMIK

We are looking for Bus Drivers for our rural locations! If you live near Cut Knife, Hafford, Spiritwood or Wilkie, we would love to talk to you. Training opportunities are available.

Please call our office at 306-937-7972 for more information.

Full-Time

The following is a general description of an Intake/ Kanaweyimik Worker is offering full-time position. therapist/counsellor Investigation (Sociala Worker) Salary will position within a unique, exciting and newly established be commensurate with experience, training and education. counselling program. We provide a multi-disciplinary, holistic, This is a full-time, permanent therapeutic treatment service toposition. individuals and families who have experienced violence and abuse. Our program uses both Western therapeutic and Aboriginal cultural perspectives.

Extensive training and ongoing clinical supervision will be provided.

INTAKE/INVESTIGATION WORKER (SOCIAL WORKER)

QUALIFICATIONS

1 POSITION

• •The Intake/Investigation Worker is directly responsible to A Masters degree in a related eld or a Registered Psychologist the Supervisor and/or Executive Director; in Saskatchewan Experience providing individual, group and family therapy • •Manage a caseload in the area of child welfare and family •support services; Knowledgeable and sensitive to Aboriginal issues with an understanding of to theprovide dynamics of intergenerational abuse • Intake services initial screening, assessment • Computer skills and referral services for clients contacting and/or referred • Excellent verbal, written and time management skills •to Kanaweyimik for services in the area of prevention and A clear criminal and child abuse records check •protection; A valid driver’s licence • An Responsible for child abuse investigations referred to immediate or negotiable start date with very competitive Kanaweyimik with the assistance of RCMP as required; salary and benefts.

• Services to families in need of support to prevent children Due to the focus of the position being to provide services to coming-into-care; First Nations individuals in an agency operated by member First • Nations, Maintain computerized recordings, preference will bedata, givencase to those applicantsindividual for this and family files, etc; position who are of aboriginal ancestry.

• Coordinate case planning sessions and monitor case Please forward detailed resumés by email to: tony@tonymartens.ca plans to ensure families are receiving services; or by mail to: 9621 - 161A Street, Surrey, B.C. V4N 2E8. Please • address Will comply with the provisions the Kanaweyimik M.Sc., BSW, RCC, RSW. to the attention of Tony Martens,of Personnel Manual as it exists from time to time.

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

who passed away December 14, 2012

Always remembered and sadly missed by Jack & Viola

CARD OF THANKS

Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish

would like to thank the following people for their support of the

“Visions of Sugarplums” Supper Auction

on November 19th, 2016: Pius, Ida and Gary Pfeifer of the Tropical Inn Doris Binette and Staff of the Tropical Inn

INVITATION TO TENDER

To the donors of Artworks: Rosemarie Stadnyk, Jean Pawlus, Gold Eagle Gas Bar, Milbanke Flowers, Oasis Outdoor Adventure & Sport Insurance, Brian Wappel, Elaine Iverson, Grace Gerein, Faye Erickson, Yvonne Rogers, Allen Sapp Gallery, Guy’s Furniture, Navarro Masonry, Christine Chown, Dean Bauche, Helen Menssa, Michael Brokop

RM of MEOTA #468

To our Silent Auction Donors & Monetary Donors:

A & M Auto Centre, A & W Restaurant, Academy of Learning, Action Realty - Alberta Mak, Anderson Pump House, ,Arun Chacko - Crew 6, Battleford Funeral Service, Battleford Tribal Council, Battleford Hearing Center, Beaver Grill Express, Becky Page, Betty Znack, Bill & Don’s Men’s Wear, Blend Restaurant, Blue Rentals, Blue Shield Locksmiths, Boston Pizza, Bridges Chev Buick GMC, CAA Saskatchewan, Centennial Music, Cherry Insurance, Chris Pollard, Christine George (Epicure), Cockburn Construction, Country Cuisine, Craig & Co, Crandleberry’s, Debbie MacGregor, DJ Engraving, Don Jerry Bulk Foods, Doug’s Paint Shoppe, Dragon Palace, Easyhome, Erna Day, Esquirol Family, Fabricland, Family Pizza, Father Cuong Luong, Father Doug Jeffrey, Father Gerard Legaspi, Fisher’s Drug Store, Fortress Windows & Doors, Fountain Tire, Fran’s Beauty Salon, Freedom RV & Marine, G& C Asphalt, General Plumbing Heating & Electric, Glenn & Helen Kayfish, Glenn & Caren Hornick, Gold Eagle Casino, Gold Eagle Gas Bar, Gold Eagle Lodge, Gutters Bowling & Gaming Centre, Guy’s Furniture & Appliances, Hair Trends/Joan’s Secret Closet, Hélène Blais, Hudec Law Office, Humpty’s Family Restaurant, Investor’s Group, Irene’s Bed & Breakfast, Irene Bohun , Isabelle Legaspi, Jackfish Lodge Golf & Conference Centre, Janice McNeil, Jean Pawlus, Judy Lavoie, Kal Tire, Koopman’s Autobody, Lakeland Veterinary Services, Lavish Studio, Lone Star Hotel, M & M Meat Shops, Main Diner, Marj & Lionel Baillargeon, Marg Tipton, Marielle Cook, McDonald’s Restaurant, Meridian Surveys Ltd., Modern Janitorial Sales & Service, Moon’s Kitchen, Mr. Ribs, Nancy Wappel, Nester Brunwald, Noelle Bidwell, No Frills, North Battleford Agencies, North Battleford Golf and Country Club, North Battleford Hyundai, Nu Floors, Nutter’s Bulk & Natural Foods, Oasis Outdoor Adventure & Sport Insurance, OK Tire, Pal & Marija Takaric, Pat Steiert, Pawlus Life Services Inc., Peavy Mart, Pennydale Junction, Peter Pielak , Phase 4 Hair & Esthetics, Phyllis Cook, Pinoy Market, Platinum Salon & Spa, Pleasant Garden, Priscilla Wakelin, Rainbow Toyota, Ranch House Kentucky Fried Chicken, Rose Balfour, Rose McDonald, Rustic Nine Golf Course, Sarah Blais, Sask Tel, Seven Eleven Store, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Silvester Glass & Aluminum Products Ltd., Sobeys, Second Chance Goods, Second 2 None Catering Inc., Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Sound City, Table Mountain Regional Park, Tammy Hagerty, The Yellow Submarine, Tim Horton’s, Toshiba’s Business Solutions, Triod Supply, Tyrel Smith Massage Therapist, Ultra Print Services Ltd., Universal Church Supplies, Valley Ford, Yvette Richardosn, Zeke’s Quality Jewellers Ltd.

Deadline for accepting applications is March 31, 2014 at 5pm local time.

Only successful applicants will be contacted for scheduled interviews. Recruitment process to continue until a successful candidate is selected.

Sandra Illingworth

Tender to issue a purchase order for grading services to roads in division 1, 2, and 4 in the RM of Meota #468 based on 1200 hours. There will be an alternate price for grading services in division 3, 5, and 6 in the RM of Meota #468 based on 900 hours.

For more information please see SaskTenders.

TENDERS

QUALIFICATIONS person: Tony Martens 604-583-6612. Only successful • Contact Must have a University Degree from a recognized School candidates who make the short list will be contacted. of Social Work; Recruitment process to continue until a successful • Must have at least 5 years experience and proven ability candidate is selected. to work in the social services area with families and children; • Must demonstrate knowledge of The Child & Family Services Act; • Must have work experience assessing families and children; • Must demonstrate a clear understanding and knowledge of native family systems; • Must demonstrate knowledge in the area of family violence dynamics; • Must demonstrate knowledge of the effects of separation as it relates to placement of children; • Knowledge of the Cree language is an asset; • Computer skills are a position requirement; • Excellent verbal, written and time management skills are required; • A clear criminal records check MUST BE PRESENTED AT INTERVIEW; • Must have a valid drivers licence.

Application deadline is December 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm.

Start date to be determined. Please forward resumés by fax, email or mail to: (306) 445-2533, marleneb@kanaweyimik.com.

In Loving Memory of a dear daughter-in-law

How we miss the welcome footsteps Of the one we loved so dear; Oft we listen for her coming (for that morning cup of coffee) Fully sure that she is near.

However, four years have passed since that sad day, When the one we were waiting for was called away.

To our Live Auction Donors: Westwood Turf Farm, Battleford Furniture, River City Plumbing & Heating, L7 Electric, Do-All Holdings Ltd, Discovery Co-op, Bee-J’s Office Plus, Orville & Theresa Bilous, Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium

CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES INC.

Kanaweyimik is an independent, non-political child welfare Located in Battleford, Saskatchewan, Kanaweyimik is an agency providing child Child welfare family services independent, non-political andand Family Services agencyto five First services Nations.to Moosomin, Mosquito, Red Pheasant, providing ve First Nations communities.

Saulteaux & Sweetgrass First Nations contract for services THERAPIST/COUNSELLOR POSITION with Kanaweyimik.

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 35

CALL NOW • 306-445-7261 FOR THE BEST COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNITY • DOOR-TO-DOOR

• CARRIER SERVICE

• TOTAL COVERAGE OR PERSONALIZED COVERAGE

To our Auctioneer: Kramer Auctions – Michael Higgs To our Emcee: Chris Pollard To our Art commentator: Michael Brokop

Special thanks to all who attended, all who donated, all who made purchases, and thanks to all our volunteers, especially the Fundraising Committee. With your help, we were able to make this event a huge success!

All money raised will be used in the on-going upkeep and repairs to our historic church and rectory.

TO BOOK CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING CALL 306-445-7261

Page 36 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Christmas: The drain on bank accounts Ed, my old neighbour from Saskatchewan, is not a big fan of Christmas. Being very reluctant to part with any of his money, the Christmas season cramps Ed’s determination to be tightfisted.

Buying presents depresses Ed so much that he leaves the shopping to Ruby, his wife. “Opposites attract so that ‘the shopper’ type and ‘the don’t buy it’ type, always connect to live unhappily ever after,” is a common statement by Ed in any season.

When Ed called last I had just returned from the bank. I told him I needed to send out Christmas gifts to children and grandchildren. Since we are far from our family,

money is our gift that allows them to buy their own Christmas presents.

We have found all ages seem to enjoy getting cash. Ed shuddered at the idea of draining bank accounts to celebrate Christmas. He contends Christmas gifts should be limited to a handshake or a hug. Then everyone could smile knowing their bankroll is unhurt.

For many the Christmas season does seem to be about gift giving and the drain on bank accounts. No law says we must give presents at Christmas. For many, gift giving is at the heart of Christmas, the activity that makes it unique and meaningful. If a

eighbourly Advice According to Ed

By Raymond Maher www.accordingtoed.com

revraymaher@accesscomm.ca person was to advocate no Christmas presents, he or she might be viewed as some weird or wacko character. Such an opinion would be a voice crying in the wilderness. Many would want the person to stop campaigning for no gift giving at Christmas.

They would demand the person repent of such a joy-killing proposal.

It seems that we are reluctant to change the things we enjoy. We do not want to modify the way we do things or the way we are as individuals.

We are not reluctant about seeing how others should change. When others refuse to change we may label them as stubborn or set in their ways. In the Old Testament, God sent

prophets to his people at various times, because they needed to change their thinking and acting. It is so hard for us to change. God often needs to give us a nudge or a push.

John the Baptist was sent by God to change the thinking of the people about the Messiah promised by God. John called the people to repent by being baptized by him in the Jordan River while confessing their sin. John proclaimed that one wgi was coming after him was mightier than himself, one able to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He would be able separate his own wheat from the chaff (know the motives of

people’s hearts in his final judgment).

The time was at hand for God to send his longpromised Saviour or Messiah. Jesus was coming to save people from their sin.

Many folks could admit they were sinners in need of a Saviour from God, but many could not admit it. Religious leaders like the Pharisees and Sadducees were confident they did not need to change, for they were children of Abraham. They saw others needing to change as sinners, but not themselves.

God’s Christmas gift for everyone is His Son, Jesus Christ the Saviour, the best gift possible for sinners.

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 37

www.newsoptimist.ca

Celtic Country performs at care home tea

By Lorraine Olinyk Correspondent

orden Radisson

The Borden Care Home Auxiliary held their annual Christmas tea Dec. 2 with good attendance. Celtic Country, comprised of Bob Wardhaugh playing accordion, Sean O’Conner with his special Celtic drum, Ed Neufeld playing guitar and Archie Wainwright on vocals provided entertainment. They played a number of country, Celtic tunes and a few Christmas songs, which the residents and guests enjoyed.

The door prize was won

by Laura Loeppky of Borden. The auxiliary uses the proceeds from their teas to buy Christmas presents and other needed items for the residents of the care home and also to decorate for special holidays.

After being in business for many years, Stan Foster has closed the doors on Foster’s General Store, due to having to replace the old oil furnace.

The building opened in

1905 under Bibbons Clark & Son and was sold to Smith and McQuarrie in 1907. Working in the store in 1923 was Ted Foster.

After he married Winnie in 1927, they both worked at the store.

In 1933, Smith & McQuarrie bought the OK Economy store in Borden and Ted managed it for 10 years before buying them out. In 1943, Ted Foster and Frank Fuller took over and, in 1946, Fuller left Borden and it became Foster’s Store.

After Stan finished his schooling, he began working at the store with his parents until Winnie passed away in 1983 and Ted in 1986. Stan has run the store since then.

Over the years many local people have worked in the store and it has housed a lot

Erica Boucher and six-week-old Lincoln Knox were guests of honour at a baby shower in Borden Dec. 2.

of antiques, many of which are now in the museum.

The Borden Farmers’ Market with home-based businesses included, held their Christmas sale in the Borden Community Centre on Dec. 3, with 15 vendors selling in the main hall and 11 in the seniors’ centre.

Grad 2017, with only three students, and the help of the Borden School Community Council, served food throughout the day.

Presentations from the Borden Farmers’ Market were made by treasurer Connie Kenakin: $250 to the Borden firefighters, with Debbie Hembery accepting; $50 to the Grad 2017 class; $75 to Peter Thiessen for his help at the fire hall all summer.

The village will also get a donation for use of the fire hall.

Cash prizes were given out by the farmers’ market to Irene Hamp and Julie Innes of Radisson, Orville Epp of Langham, Rae Rounce of Regina and Georgina Blushke of Saskatoon.

Brenda Baker had a Tupperware draw that went to Lynette Schmidt of Borden and Audrey Baker gave a Regal draw prize to Kathy McGaffin of Saskatoon. A handmade teddy bear raffled off by the Grad 2017 class went to Kristina Kennedy of Saskatoon, who donated it back to give to a needy family in Borden.

A baby shower was held in the Borden Seniors’ Centre on Dec. 2 to honor Lincoln Knox, son of Erica (nee Wensley) and Shayne Boucher of Saskatoon. Gloria Derbowka welcomed everyone. Carol Crabb led games won by Candice Mukanik, Eleanor Walton and Bev Assman.

Gloria presented the community cash gift and the many other gifts, which were opened and passed

Celtic Country entertaining at Borden Care Home Tea Dec. 2. Members are Bob Wardhaugh, Sean O’Cooer, Archie Wainwright and Ed Neufeld.

around for everyone to view. Erica thanked everyone then lunch was enjoyed by all the guests.

Borden School held a book fair and science fair Nov. 30. At the program Grade 3 and 4 recited Open a Book and Grade 1 and 2 played Jingle Bells on simple small instruments.

Kindergarten, wearing animal hats, answered questions to “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?” in unison. The junior band with Grades 5 to 8 participating, played horns, flutes, clarinets and other instruments Grades 5 to 12 held a science fair with their projects set up in the hall, science lab and library.

Continued on Page 38

Danika and Brooke organized a display of Sugar in Beverages for Borden School’s science fair. Photos

by Lorraine Olinyk

Hey Kids!

Get into the Christmas spirit and send your letters to Santa!

Letters will be featured in our Christmas edition on

December 22th, 2016.

Adura

The ® RY VINYL TILE | PLANK Meridian LUXURY VINYL TILE | PLANK Collection ®

Adura

Adura

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1545-100th Street North Battleford

306-445-8169

Box 1029 892 - 104th Street, North Battleford, SK S9A 3E6 battlefords.publishing @sasktel.net

Terry Blanchette

“Serving the Battlefords and area for over 50 years!”

Page 38 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Borden Friendship Club members marking November birthdays are: standing Bev Assman, Tom Hrenkiw, Gary Whitt; seated - Peggy Wainwright, Shirley Whitt and Brenda Tumbach. Photos by Lorraine Olinyk

Entertaining at Borden Nov. 30 from Rosthern were Edna Balzer, Stan Epp, Darlene Bergman and Jean Janzen.

Seniors host potluck Continued from Page 37 Some of the topics were on Rust, Sugar in Beverages, Birds and How They Fly, Volcanoes, Seed Germination, Candles, Aero-

NORTH BATTLEFORD 306-446-7177 or 306-480-9876 Dates: Nov. 25 & 26, 2016 Dec. 2 & 3, 2016 Dec. 9 & 10, 2016 Dec. 16 & 17, 2016 December 31, 2016 Hours 9:00 pm - 2:00 am

dynamics, The Telegraph, BB Guns, Fresh Water, Science Behind Making Ice Cream, Fruit Batteries, Pitching, Water Bottle Flipping, Growing Peas in Different Liquids and many more interesting topics.

The Borden Friendship Club held their November potluck supper and birthdays celebration Nov. 30, with more than 50 in attendance. Blowing out the candles on the cakes brought by Helen Sutherland and Sandy Long were Shirley and Gary Whitt, Tom Hrenkiw, Peggy Wainwright, Bev Assman and Brenda Tumbach. Supplying the ice cream was Stan Foster.

Entertaining were The Gals Three and a Guy from Rosthern – Darlene Bergman playing piano, Jean Janzen the autoharp, Stan Epp on guitar and Edna Balzer plays a digital guitar. They had a few instrumentals, Stan sang Love Me Tender, Forever and Ever, Amen and Try and Change the World and the trio sang a number of songs.

Saturday, Dec. 10, is Santa Claus Day in Radisson when Santa will hand out candy bags at 2 p.m. on Main Street, courtesy of the Radisson Volunteer Firefighters. The Royal Purple will have a tea, bake sale and raffle in the hall at 2 p.m.

Connie Kenakin of Borden Farmers’ Market presents a cheque of $250 to Debbie Hembery for the Borden volunteer firefighters.

Combining most likely done for the season

By Dorothy M. Mills Correspondent

It has been a long, tough fall season for the farmers trying to combine. Octo-

6 1 20

Babies

Full Colour Pull Out Feature January 5, 2017 - Regional Optimist

Jaxon Robert James Paules

September 19 Parents: Amber Rose & Bobby Paules Grandparents: Deena Paules, Robert Paules, Carmen Rose, Gage Bird

One lucky submission will be drawn for a SPECIAL GIFT compliments of Battlefords Publishing

DEADLINE

For submissions is January 2, 2017 LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE - So hurry in!

Cut out & include with payment

2016 Beautiful Babies

Mail to or drop off at:

Baby’s Full Name: ____________________________________________

Box 1029 892 - 104th Street North Battleford, SK S9A 3E6

Parents: ____________________________________________________

Battlefords Publishing

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Price includes picture.

Max color photo size is 4x6.

Print information clearly on form & back of photo.

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aljennie ber was almost a write off.

Weather did clear a little allowing the combines to roll again in mid-November. The farmers struggled and got as much combined as they could before another light snowfall brought everything to a halt.

When they did combine it was surprising how dry the grain was, but there was also a lot of tough grain taken off. This will likely be the end of combining for this year. They could do more by the grain freezing dry, but it will still be tough.

The years are slipping away so fast and we are losing many of our older people. I just got word of the passing of Muntin Simonson of Emma Lake.

Muntin was one of the first students at Rayner Heights School when it opened in 1946. He walked a few miles to school with his brothers and sisters.

In 1954 his father had to move to Prince Albert Hospital for treatment for tuberculosis. They later moved to Emma Lake.

Muntin passed away on September 15 at the age of 79. He would have been 80 years old in November Looking for past columns from Regional Optimist correspondents? Visit www.newsoptimist.ca under the Community tab.

Look for Correspondent Corner.

2016. He was a busy man in the community and handy man around Emma Lake. He will be missed by all his family and friends.

Sympathy to the families at Prince Albert and Emma Lake.

In early October we got word of Glenn Custer of Saskatoon passing away.

Three weeks after Glenn passed away his wife Arline Custer (nee Trambull) of Ruddell died in late October. Sympathy to all the families.

William (Bill) Custer of Red Deer, Alta. passed away Nov. 27 at Red Deer.

He was 85 years old. Bill was born to David and Linda Custer of Baljennie and attended old Baljennie school. He married Ether Wintersgill and continued to live on the farm and help his dad do the farm work.

They moved the old Monarch School teacherage and made it over into a home.

They later moved to Battleford and he worked for a farm machinery company.

They lived on an acreage west of Battleford on hHighway 16. Later they moved to Saskatoon to raise their family of four children, later moving to Red Deer. Bill was a lovely man who enjoyed his woodwork hobby.

The Western Development Museum has had two work bees in the last month. Volunteers were in again from the Saskatoon Western Development Museum as well as a few county volunteers. They are busy working on antique tractors, repairing to get them mobile and running again. There are more bees for the volunteers planned for Jan. 6 and 20.

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016 - Page 39

www.newsoptimist.ca

29

Sandra Schmirler (1963–2000) Curling champion and Olympic gold medallist

A shooting star in Canadian curling In the 1990s, Canadian woman’s curling was synonymous with the name Sandra Schmirler. She won three Canadian Curling Championships—the Scotties Tournament of Hearts—and three World Curling Courtesy of the Sandra Schmirler Championships prior to leading the Canadian Foundation woman’s curling team to victory in the 1998 Winter Olympics. The games in Nagano, Japan were the first ever to include curling as an official sport, making Schmirler’s victory in ‘98 even more significant. However, a little over two years later at the age of 36 Sandra Schmirler passed away due to health complications involving cancer. Her untimely demise shook the curling community and the country as a whole.

Sandra was born and raised in Biggar, Saskatchewan. Though she was athletic throughout her childhood, she only began curling in Grade 7. In her formative years she excelled at speed swimming and also participated in volleyball, baseball and badminton. In Grade 9 Sandra joined the Biggar Curling Club’s ladies league and in Grade 12 she helped her high school team win a provincial championship. While attending the University of Saskatchewan—where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education—she made her first appearance at the Saskatchewan provincial playoffs.

After graduating, Sandra relocated to Regina where she gained the nickname “Schmirler the Curler” and continued to play the sport competitively. She participated in professional curling at the provincial and national level throughout the 1980s. Her career really took off in the 1990s after a series of numerous important wins, and ultimately peaked with her impressive gold medal win in Nagano.

In 1999, shortly after the birth of her second daughter, Schmirler was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma with doctors unable to determine the primary source of the cancer. She underwent various treatments in an attempt to fight the disease but ultimately died in palliative care in 2000.

She has received several posthumous tributes including an induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and a renaming of a street and recreation centre in Regina in her honour.

Sandra Schmirler’s legacy is carried out through the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, a nonprofit organization created in 2001 by friends and family members of the regretted athlete. The foundation’s main goal is to raise funds for the purchase of life-saving equipment to help premature and critically ill babies—a testament to Schmirler’s love of family. Her love of curling lives on as well: Sandra’s daughter Sara England carries on the tradition as a competitive curler with a bright future in the sport.

Where are we from?

THE 52 LARGEST GROUPS IN CANADA’S MULTICULTURAL MOSAIC

CANADA’S AUSTRIAN COMMUNITY Austrian-Canadians have been successful in business, sports, entertainment, academics and the arts. Individuals who’ve made notable contributions over the years include: mathematician Paul Mandl; physician and medical researcher Hans Seyle; and photojournalist Walter Curtin.

Canadians claiming full or partial Austrian ancestry numbered 197,990 at the time of the 2011 National Household Survey. More than a third of this population lives in Ontario, with the largest concentrations residing in Toronto and Hamilton. Large numbers of Austrian-Canadians can also be found in British Columbia and Alberta, and smaller but still significant populations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec.

The earliest communities of Austrian-Canadians largely settled in Saskatchewan in the midnineteenth century. They came across the Atlantic by steamship and quickly adjusted to life on the prairies. Migrants from the early twentieth century were more urban and tended to locate in major Canadian cities. The last and largest wave of Austrians—numbering approximately 67,000—immigrated to Canada just after the Second World War and continued to do so until the early 1970s.

Currently, Canada’s Austrian community has several organizations that promote social exchange via planned events in various urban centres. Several German-language newspapers printed within Canadian borders cater to Austrian-Canadians in conjunction with other Germanic groups.

Quiz TEST YOUR CANADIAN KNOWLEDGE

Question 1: What 1909 novel is still considered the bestselling Canadian book of all time?

Question 2: Which province’s name means “swift flowing river” in Cree language?

Question 3: Which provincial capital was the first city in North America to use a central emergency phone number—originally 999, now 911—in 1958?

Question 4: Which CFL team has won the most Grey Cups, with 16 championship victories?

ART, LITERATURE AND ENTERTAINMENT

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

SPORTS AND LEISURE

ANSWERS

CANADA: NATURAL SOURCE OF PRIDE SINCE 1867

1: Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery 2: Saskatchewan 3: Winnipeg, Manitoba 4: The Toronto Argonauts

Canadian treasures

WEEKS TO GO

infO Canada THE STORIES BEHIND OUR SYMBOLS

SASKATCHEWAN FLOWER: Prairie Lily Saskatchewan’s floral emblem is the prairie lily (Lilium philadelphium). This red and sometimes orange summer bloom was suggested as a provincial symbol by the Natural History Society and officially adopted in 1941. Today, it’s infrequently found growing in meadows and wooded areas and is a protected species in the province.

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Page 40 - The Battlefords, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Regional Optimist

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