Regional Optimist September 7

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Bus excursion to the Great Wall, the 4,000 mile long and 2,000 year old Morning tour bus excursion to Hangzhou for a visit to the Economic Day 11 - Shanghai/Beijing/YYC construction is said to be the only man-made structure visible by the naked Development and the centuries-old featuring a Free morning.

The afternoon flightLingyin will depart Temple, by 1:30pm for Calgary eye from the the Mingthe Tombs. One of the 13 Ming Emperors' Zone e, the largest square inmoon. theVisit world, where you will arrive at 10:30am on the same day.

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Tenor to present songs of The Great War in first tour Seattle

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Staff Saskatchewan born and based tenor Spencer McKnight will be presenting Songs of the Great War at Third Avenue United Church in North Battleford on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m.

Accompanied by pianist Mark Turner and with special guest Lisa Hornung, McKnight will explore music that came out of one of the defining moments of the 20th century.

McKnight, who is familiar to North Battleford audiences, has garnered himself a great deal of attention on the national music scene. Three-time award winner at the national music festival finals, the singer has performed across the country and now spends some time sharing his talents with towns across the province.

With pianist Mark Turner, McKnight has spent the last year researching composers, poets, and popular songs that were written during the war.

“Many of the composers we’re performing were young men conscripted into the war and many died, leaving behind a handful of songs,” said McKnight.

“The music is so beautiful that our idea of finding songs from World War I grew into a full concert.”

“We discovered a piece

by English composer William Denis Browne, a composer we’d never heard

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Saskatchewan tenor Spencer McKnight accompanied by Mark Turner. Photo by Jayne Foster

of. After researching, we’d discovered that he’d died in action in 1915 and that only six songs remain. At just 26 years old he wasn’t yet a famous composer, but a remarkable young voice who was silenced too early.

If you were an able bodied young man in Britain, you were going to the front no matter whether you were prepared to fight or not. So we researched music from British, French, American and German composers and can’t wait to share it with the audience.”

The concert features many of the biggest popular songs of the Great War including Keep the Homes Fires Burning, Danny Boy, and K-K-K-Katy writ-

ten by Canadian Geoffrey O’Hara in 1917.

“O’Hara’s song was the number one song the summer of 1918, and when we discovered it was Canadian we had to include it!”

McKnight grew up in Leroy and currently calls Outlook home. He began his musical studies at the age of 18 with North Battleford’s Lisa Hornung.

McKnight currently studies with Toronto-based vocal pedagogue Mark Daboll. He has been featured as a soloist in performances across Canada, and is a regular soloist with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. He has been called “one of Canada’s finest young voices.”

McKnight has been performing with pianist Turner, executive director of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, for five years. This recital marks their first concert tour. Admission is $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors at the door.

They have already performed in Maple Creek and Marysburg and will be in Outlook Sept. 17. Summer 2018 dates will be set for Ontario and British Columbia.

In November 2018, they will be part of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra’s “No Exceptions” Festival commemorating the end of the First World War.

Page 2 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

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

Box 460 306-445-1700

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

VOLUME 36/2017

B ulletin

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Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 3

www.newsoptimist.ca

Chamber opposing federal small business tax changes

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

You can count the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce among a growing number of opponents to federal government changes to small business taxes.

The chamber has publicly voiced concern over the changes impacting incorporated small businesses across Canada. Those proposals include rolling back income splitting, removing capital gains exemptions and reducing tax deferral advantages for small business.

“I’m hoping they change their mind on this, or at minimum at least pause for more consultation,” said Warren Williams, president of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce, in speaking to the News-Optimist on Tuesday.

Williams said the Battlefords chamber is joining up with the Saskatchewan chamber and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in opposition to the changes.

Their position is the same, he said.

“This needs to be looked at further, and at minimum we are asking for the review process to be extended until March, 2018.”

The changes were announced in July by finance minister Bill Morneau, with consultations to run until Oct. 2.

At the time, Morneau said the reason for the move was to cut down on wealthy Canadians using the tax system to their benefit.

“Many of the richest Canadians are unfairly exploiting the tax rules designed to help businesses

thrive,” said Morneau in a statement July 18. “We know that businesses, including small businesses, help grow the Canadian economy. These tax advantages are in place to help these businesses reinvest and grow, find new customers, buy new equipment and hire more people. We want to make sure those rules are used to do just that, and not to give unfair tax advantages to certain – often high-income – individuals.”

But Williams called Morneau’s comparisons “slanted,” saying it is really small business owners and private practitioners who will bear the brunt of the change.

“The federal finance minister is drawing some comparisons that are favourable to their plan, which are not really based on reality,” said Williams.

“Suggesting that small business owners are cheating the taxes, you know – that’s insulting, frankly.”

The impact on small business will be extensive, according to the chamber’s news release from last week. According to the chamber, for businesses that employ family members the government wants to scrutinize their compensation and apply a much higher tax rate on income which they consider “unreasonable.” If profits are re-invested in the business an effective tax rate of 70 per cent could be imposed.

Finally, the chamber points to tough new rules making it difficult for children of business owners to get the capital gains exemption, which could result in double-taxation.

Williams explains the

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federal government is looking to roll back a number of changes that were previously brought in, such as income splitting with family members as a way to minimize tax impact.

But those changes were designed to help small business, he said.

“It was not brought in to minimize the tax impact on the ‘bourgeois’ wealthy people,” said Williams.

“That was not what it was brought in for. It was brought in to encourage new business, small businesses. This isn’t the ‘elite bourgeois,’ you know, this is the economic engine people.”

Williams pointed to the example of what happened after the pulp mill closure in Prince Albert. That was thought to be “the end of Prince Albert” he said, but Prince Albert was able to prosper in spite of that thanks to small business growth and the jobs that they created.

The tax changes will have a big impact on the Battlefords, he said, which is dominated by small businesses that employ less than a hundred people.

They comprise 90 per cent of the Battlefords region, Williams estimates.

Other business lobby groups across Canada have made known their opposition to the changes. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said in a news release Tuesday it was going to deliver 14,691 petition letters to federal MPs, from “business owners concerned about the increased tax burden being placed on them by Ottawa.”

“In my 23 years of working on behalf of small

businesses, I have not seen this degree of spontaneous outrage toward any other policy,” said Dan Kelly, president of CFIB, in a statement. “Tax experts are describing these proposals as massive changes with the potential to affect the majority of the 1.1 million small and medium-sized businesses with paid employees.”

CFIB said their petition letters were to be delivered to coincide with the caucus retreat of the federal Liberals in Kelowna, and the Conservative retreat in Winnipeg the same week.

Already there were reports that the blowback to the small business tax changes was going to be a key focus of the Liberals’ retreat.

As for the chamber, Williams said they have issued a “call to action” to their own member businesses, urging them to voice their concerns in letters to the federal government. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has also been urging their members to write letters to their MPs. Williams is hoping there will be some reversal by the federal Liberals to the tax proposals.

“Ultimately, I hope they realize this was not the smartest thing in the world,” said Williams.

He didn’t sound confident, however, saying they “seem to be on a mission with this.”

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Page 4 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Share your view!

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

Last week’s News-Optimist online poll:

The commentaries offered on this editorial page are intended to provide thought-provoking material for our readers. Contributors’ articles, cartoons or letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any Regional Optimist staff.

Road rebuilding in downtown North Battleford has been going on now for months. On a scale of 1 to 5, how frustrating has it been for you?

5. I own a business, and I’ve lost a huge amount of income.

7% 4. I work downtown, and the traffic and parking congestion is ridiculous.

16% 3. I have found other, more easily accessible places to do my business.

7% 2. It’s frustrating, but necessary.

29% 1. I never go downtown anyway. No big deal to me.

40%

This week’s News-Optimist online poll:

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce recently held a forum aimed at helping businesspeople deal with shoplifting. Have you ever shoplifted?

• Of course. Doesn’t everybody?

• Of course not, it’s just plain wrong.

• Yes, businesses can afford to lose a little.

• No, I’d be afraid of being caught.

• Once, and I felt so horrible I never did it again.

• Once, but I’m only sorry I got caught, not that I did it.

Falling Leaves A century ago the plain History & on which I live was still a Commentary buffalo pasture, although from a the great beasts and those who hunted them were gone. Then homesteaders rairie came and, 97 years ago, a Perspective new railway branch was completed and it spawned Books by a tiny village. The villagers William Wardill planted trees, hedges and Catalogue available from: gardens, which flourished Speargrass Specialties because of water from the Box 298, Eatonia, Sk., S0L 0Y0 railway’s never-failing Phone: (306) 967-2910 spring. Yellow leaves fell in the month of my birth www.speargrassspecialties.com 90 years ago. They are falling now.

Most surviving communities on Saskatchewan’s great plain now have indoor bathrooms, natural gas heat, and electric power from the provincial grid. They are linked to the larger world by sophisticated communications systems.

When I was a boy the villages of Saskatchewan were isolated, linked to distant places only by steel rails and telegraph wires. Little in village life began to change until after the Second World War. I was 10 years old when the leaves began to fall in 1937. They fell from Russian Poplars and Manitoba Maples, the only trees the villagers had planted. I was

familiar then with the unchanging rituals of the seasons.

With the first sustained thawing temperatures, snow, pockmarked with black ash from wood and coal stoves, began to retreat into the caragana hedges. Buds on the poplar trees began to swell, injecting the air with the scent of returning growth. The villagers returned to their gardens to dig with forks and level with rakes. In the days that followed the air was filled with the scent of lilac blossoms. By mid-summer the darkening hours brought the powerful perfume of night-scented stocks.

I knew little about the distant world, but I did know my home was in a small oasis surrounded by dust and desolation. People were leaving the prairie lands for the orchards of British Columbia, the Alberta irrigation districts and were going to carve out homesteads in the northern forests.

Although the Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines in the grain elevators barked less frequently than in previous years, people still remained in the village. As the yellow leaves began to fall, they fuelled bonfires in the deep ditches along every street. People dug up their root crops to store in their cellars, which were usually small dugouts within the larger perimeter of surface foundations of concrete. From every kitchen came the mouthwatering smell of sweet relish. There were not so many processed foods for sale then. Nor were there many plastic wrappers and containers other than those made from cellophane and celluloid.

The serious business of preparing for winter began when the storm windows were examined and broken panes of glass cut and puttied in by the man at the hardware store. The man at the lumberyard sold tarpaper and lathes to make barriers extending from ground level

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

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

2012 SWNA

BEST OVERALL

NEWSPAPER (Circ. Class E)

to above the top of surface foundations. Earth was then banked up around the building. Sometimes it was rich blow dirt hauled from wind-piled ridges along country fence lines. The tractor-driven saw in the wood yard whined for hours cutting slabs brought from Up North into stove lengths. Trains disgorged coal into trackside bins and draymen hauled loads of it away to fuel the stoves and furnaces of the village. Merchants made sure there was good supply of coal oil because there were still houses illuminated by coal oil lamps.

As snow began to fall, we heard the jingle of bells on horse-drawn sleighs. Winter clothing was ordered from the T. Eaton Company in Winnipeg. I remember that the standard costume for little boys included whipcord breeches, high top moccasins and fur-trimmed helmets patterned after the ones fliers wore in the Great War. As Christmas approached, toys, books, gramophone records and assorted delicacies were also ordered from Eaton’s, but never in great quantity or at great cost.

There were always Christmas trees, but some people made do with the skeleton of a bush adorned with the wrappers from Blue Goose oranges. The turkey was always locally grown and prepared, stuffed and cooked

by Mother or Grandma. Sometimes Grandpa presented himself with a bottle of homebrew.

When I was 10, the village was burdened with inconveniences, but we had simple pleasures. We had homegrown food, homegrown entertainments and homegrown security. We lacked fear. Whatever the emergency, there was always someone near at hand to care and give aid.

After the fallen leaves have been raked up, snow will come. So will Christmas. Believers and non-believers alike will exchange rich gifts. Make mine simplicity.

Becky Doig Editor

Jayne Foster Interim Editor

Valorie Higgs Sales Manager

John Cairns Reporter

Scott McMillan Advertising

Josh Greschner Lucas Punkari Reporter Sports Reporter

Candace Mack-Horton Advertising

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 5

www.newsoptimist.ca

We’re moving on to ‘drinking, driving and toking’ As a high school student, I was part of a group of pretentious, self-righteous, mostly teetotalers known as Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD). We tied on red ribbons and staged wrecked cars to remind people not to drink and drive. I even had my picture taken while lying in a body bag. Good times.

And as self-righteous teenagers, we felt good that we were doing something about it. Drinking and driving was a horrible menace, taking lives every day across the country.

Step forward a quarter century and guess what?

Drinking and driving is a horrible menace, and still taking lives every day across the country.

In the intervening years there has been no end to demands to get tough on drinking and driving. At least three times in Saskatchewan they have ratcheted up the penalties in one way or another. Other provinces have taken similar measures and the feds have done the same.

Yet, still, Saskatchewan is a leader in drinking and driving.

None of the arguments have changed. This scourge of our society has not gone away, nor will it ever, unless provinces

rom

the top of

the pile

By Brian Zinchuk

Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers

Association 2012 Columnist of the Year prohibit alcohol entirely.

What did you say, Zinchuk? Prohibition?

That didn’t work! Don’t you know? It just led to rum running, speakeasies, moonshine and total flaunting of the law!

Look at what else is prohibited, and seemingly everyone partakes of anyhow! Like marijuana! In fact, we should eliminate the prohibition on marijuana, too! Indeed, let’s elect a prime minister, who has admitted to partaking, to do just that!

And so it came to pass that the Canadian people did just that, and verily the new government put more focus on legalizing toking than the national deficit.

The question I am now posing is this: will my grandchildren be selfrighteous members of Students Against Toking and Driving?

What will the death toll be, 25 years from now,

from marijuana consumption and driving? What demands will we hear from the families of those who are killed? From Mothers Against Toking and Driving?

The oil industry is in a rightful tizzy about the pending legalization of marijuana. In an industry where drug testing is a normal condition of employment, how do you tell people, sorry, you can’t have a perfectly legal product in your system (which remains in your body for weeks) and continue to work? I’ve attended seminars to this effect held by Enform, the petroleum industry safety association. Safety meetings are usually pretty boring affairs, but if you want to get discussion going, bring up the legalization of pot! Oh boy!

Every few weeks or so I see an internet meme go across my Facebook

Impaired drivers keep RCMP busy over weekend Staff Battlefords RCMP responded to 318 calls for service between Friday Sept. 1, 6 a.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 6 a.m., including but not limited to the following: Sixteen calls of possible impaired drivers over the long weekend which resulted in the following criminal code charges: care and control with blood alcohol concentration over 80 mg per cent; impaired care and control of a motor vehicle x2; refusal to

provide breath sample; impaired operation of a motor vehicle; operation of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration over 80mg per cent.

Police also responded to 10 traffic violations for excessive speed and five other moving traffic violations as well as 14 calls of dangerous driving / dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and six traffic collisions.

Police would like to remind motorists that traffic safety is a concern for everyone. Speeding, dan-

gerous driving, impaired driving and incidents of these types are taken very seriously as they pose a direct threat to public safety.

Your vehicle could be towed and impounded for these types of offences as well you could face a loss of licence, numerous fines as well as jail time if found guilty.

If you have information about these crimes, please contact the Battleford’s RCMP at 306-446-1720 or call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Drug charges laid by Cut Knife RCMP Staff On the morning of Sept.

3, Cut Knife RCMP responded to a complaint of an assault. As a result of this investigation a search warrant was subsequently executed at a residence on the Little Pine First Nation which led to the sei-

zure of cocaine, cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia.

The following people have been charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime and breach of an

undertaking: 43-year-old Donnell Jimmy, 31-yearold Lucy Bull, 21-year-old Kevin Kahmahkotayo and 20-year-old Jessa Jimmy, all of Little Pine First Nation.

They appeared in Cut Knife Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Tuesday.

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feed which goes like this: “Why do I have to pass a drug test to work, when people on welfare don’t have to pass a drug test to get a cheque?”

There is a lot of truth to that statement, which is probably why I have seen it dozens of times. The resentment is real.

Do I want to be working on a jobsite with heavy equipment with people under the influence from anything, alcohol or marijuana? And if I don’t want to work near these people with bulldozers, do I want to share a highway with them?

It’s a little rich for the chattering classes to be preaching about drinking and driving and, with the same mouth, espousing marijuana legalization.

Over a decade ago I covered the sentencing of Norma Jean Mooswa. She had been on a multi-day bender, and her blood alcohol level was through the roof when, at high speed, she piled into a car waiting to make a left turn off the highway at Cochin on Canada Day. Three people died in her car (one was pregnant), and three people died in the car ahead of her.

No amount of legislation or penalties stopped her. It wouldn’t have mattered. She was going to drive, and those people

were going to die. But maybe if alcohol wasn’t freely available, it might have made a difference.

Now, I fear, more people are going to die because of the legalization of marijuana. There will be tears and funerals. People may think eliminating prohibition of alcohol solved a lot of problems, but it sure as hell didn’t solve the

problem of drunk driving.

Thousands have died as a result.

Eliminating the prohibition on marijuana will have similar consequences. Thanks Prime Minister Trudeau. The price will be paid in body bags.

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

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Page 6 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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Light of Christ opens new learning centre

The ribbon has been cut on the Light of Christ Catholic School’s new learning centre. Photos by Josh Greschner

Former Knights hall now professional development space, board room and more...

By Josh Greschner Staff Reporter

The hall named after St. Thomas Aquinas was filled with teachers, parents and administrators, as Light of Christ School Division announced the opening of their new Learning Centre last Thursday.

The facility, located at 1202-105 St., is the former Knights of Columbus building by the water tower. It features a lobby, a main hall, a kitchen, a boardroom and a basement, approximately 1,000 sq. ft.

Light of Christ Director of Education Cory Rideout opened the event with greetings. In attendance were North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater and MLA Herb Cox, among others.

Light of Christ Board Chair Glen Gantefoer said the board wanted to capture distinct Catholic culture in the building’s design.

Three rooms are named after religious figures. In addition to the hall, the kitchen is named after St. Theresa of Calcutta.

The boardroom, where Light of Christ meetings will be held, is named after Bishop of the Diocese of Prince Albert, Albert Thevenot. Thevenot offered comments, blessed the building, and recommended “an extra dose of Holy Spirit” for the boardroom.

The school board purchased the building

about a year and a half ago from the North Battleford Knights of Columbus.

The building cost approximately $350,000, while renovations cost $220,000. Gantefoer said the money came from the division’s reserve fund.

Gantefoer said hosting professional development events for teachers across the province would be one of the building’s primary purposes, and Rideout said the facility could be used for a number of purposes in the community, such as being a potential location for Christmas concerts and community kitchens.

Rideout and Gantefor said the building serves a number of the school board’s needs, including being office space, a meeting hall and a storage area.

Gantefoer said renovating office space needs to be approved by the Ministry of Education, and the ministry has not approved certain facility upgrades recently.

Rather than perform major renovations to the current office located at 9301-19 Ave., the board decided to perform minor renovations to its current office, and dedicate funds to the facility.

The parking lot adjacent to the building will be used for events at the Learning Centre, and by Notre Dame School across the street.

Rideout emphasized the importance the Learning Centre can have in building relationships.

The new board room.

Woman left with no choice but to sleep outside Edmonton bus station

By Josh Greschner Staff Reporter

A series of unfortunate events led to Elspeth Cox, from Calgary, sleeping outside an Edmonton bus station for a night two weeks ago.

Paul Damgaard is a drywaller working on the construction of the new North Battleford Saskatchewan Hospital. He phoned the RegionalOptimist last week with the story.

Damgaard’s partner Elspeth Cox travelled to North Battleford from Calgary to visit Damgaard.

Damgaard and Cox each had a beer on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 20. Cox then took a Greyhound bus from North Battleford to Edmonton, planning to take another bus to Calgary from there.

Cox travelled the three-and-ahalf-hour trip to the Edmonton bus station, located off Yellowhead Trail by the Via Rail station on the north side of the city. Before catching her 4 p.m. bus to Calgary, Cox said a security guard approached her and denied her access to her Calgary bus.

The security guard determined that she had been drinking, albeit before she embarked her North Battleford bus.

Cox was issued a bus ticket for 24 hours after her original departure time. Cox didn’t have a credit card, photo ID or cell phone. She had money on her but Cox said it

was for rent and bill payments.

Cox said there were payphones at the bus station, but that she “put money into two machines and they wouldn’t let me phone.” The payphones also took Bell prepaid cards, which Cox didn’t have. Bus station employees wouldn’t let her use their phone. She asked a man at the station to borrow his phone, and he said no.

“So I was stuck,” Cox said, and without a way to inform her family.

Cox went outside.

“I was sitting out on the lawn drinking an orange juice and he [the security guard] said ‘Are you drinking again?’ I said ‘Hell no, I’m not touching a drop. I want to go home to my family, they’re going to be frantic.’”

Cox waited at the station until it closed at 1 a.m. Monday morning.

Hotels are within a long walking distance from the bus station, but Cox said hotels would be unlikely to take her in because of a lack of credit card.

“I had to sleep outside on the grass until it got too cold then I went and slept on a bench,” Cox said.

A man who was picking up cigarette butts offered a tent for Cox to sleep in, but Cox replied that she was married.

Cox said she slept about 45 minutes outside. The bus station reopened at 6 a.m., and Cox waited there until 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, her family, including Damgaard, hadn’t heard from her. Cox said her son-in-law waited for her for two hours at the Calgary bus station where Cox was supposed to be on Sunday. Damgaard filed a missing person report in North Battleford with the RCMP at around 2 p.m. on Monday.

After contacting Greyhound, Damgaard said the bus station “would not disclose any information except that she’s been reissued a ticket.”

On Monday, Cox then embarked on her 4 p.m. bus, and Cox’s daughter picked her up from a Calgary bus station. Cox contacted Damgaard and the missing person report was called off. Cox’s luggage was sent to Calgary on the bus she was originally supposed to be on, and is currently lost.

Greyhound could not be reached for comment after the RegionalOptimist left a number of messages.

Cox said Greyhound employees contacting her family would have spared her family worrying. She said the experience was terrible.

“I felt humiliated and degraded.

I’m 57 years old, I have my own home, for 10 years we’ve been here [in Calgary]. We didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

“The treatment that Greyhound is giving people is just totally ridiculous,” Damgaard said.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 7

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BCP season tickets on sale Submitted Battlefords Community Players are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for their 20172018 season of four plays.

After a very exciting TheatreFest 2017 and huge audiences, BCP is excited to offer to the Battlefords and area an exciting season of three comedies and one murder mystery.

The season kicks off with a new play, Adven-

tures of A Black Girl in Her Search for God, to be held at the BDP clubhouse Oct. 17-21, followed by Fox on the Fairway, a farce – perfect for a staff social – running Nov. 21-25.

The season continues with On A First Names Basis by Norm Foster being presented at the clubhouse Feb. 27 to March 3 and concludes with the most produced murder mystery ever, The MouseTrap by Agatha Christie, running

May 1-5.

BCP is in its 66th year of operation, open to new members who wish to act, direct, build sets, make costumes, makeup, lighting, sound or just help by being part of our club.

Interested in joining, purchasing tickets or just getting more information call 306-446-3133; check bcpdrama.com or email donna.c@sasktel.net See you at the theatre.

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Local artists awarded grants Submitted Two artists from the Battlefords have been awarded grants from the Saskatchewan Arts Board, totaling $14,000.

Battleford traditional song/dance artist Laura

Cuthand was awarded a $6,500 Indigenous Pathways Initiative grant “to create community activities that utilize an Indigenous perspective, involving traditional song and dance to instill pride in students,

By Lynn Strendin The art club held a meeting this Tuesday. Plans for the future? Art shows continue. There will be a new art display up at the Frontier Mall today, as artists show on a rotating basis.

Annual art club membership fees of $25 are due.

and storytelling activities through which they will gain a sense of identity.”

North Battleford musician Cole Knutson was awarded a $7,500 Indigenous Pathways Initiatives grant “to perform solo at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall as a firstplace winner of the American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition 2016.”

The Indigenous Pathways Initiative program aims to increase access to public funding by Indigenous artists in Saskatchewan, either to develop their artistic/cultural practices or to share their art, skills and teachings The Saskatchewan Arts Board was established in 1948 as the first agency of its kind in North America.

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Page 8 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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Then and Now

The numbers behind Living Sky reducing its expenses

Battlefords Toastmasters welcomed former members and current members to their 40th anniversary party this year. Standing in front of a 1991 newspaper photo are, left to right, Jeanette Reid, Jacquie Hoppe, Geraldine Barrett and Sharon Murrell. Toastmasters helps develop communication and leadership skills in a positive and fun environment. Guests are always welcome to check out the meetings held every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 108 of the Don Ross Centre. For more information please e-mail info@battlefordstoastmasters.com or call Rena at 306-937-5020. Photo submitted

By Josh Greschner

Staff Reporter

As a result of the provincial budget earlier this year, Living Sky School Division administrators have been making changes to their own budget.

Circumstances have led to the school division facing a $6 million deficit in 2017-2018. Chief Financial Officer Lonny Darroch said “we have a cash deficit of $2.8 million, and our funding from the province was down approximately $3.2 million, so that’s where our approximate $6 million deficit comes from.”

Living Sky has decreased a portion of its expenses by reducing staff.

“Every year we’ve had to make some reductions in staff, either staff in central office, staff in the schools, whatever it may be,” Interim Director of Education Randy Fox said during the budget process. “The thing that happened this year was more reductions than we’ve experienced in the past.

Would we have made these reductions if we had just as much money as last year?

Some of them we might have because they kind of make sense, sometimes depending on your student population and how that shifts. But it wouldn’t have been to this degree.”

Before 2009, school boards were able to raise revenues by raising mill rate taxes as, for example, the City of North Battleford does. In 2009, the provincial government legislated that school boards couldn’t.

Darroch said he preferred when school boards

had the ability to control certain taxes.

“It allowed school divisions to deal with things locally, so if there were local concerns, you were able to do that through access to the tax base. Certainly if you talk to taxpayers they might see it otherwise.”

“Provincial dollars will come out usually around late March, so then we know what our dollars are, and we build our budget on that,” Fox said. “Not knowing exactly what our budget is going to be from the province [makes] this difficult. You kind of look at what funds do we need and what do you expect them to get, and we knew budgets we get from the province would be reduced under the circumstances. But of course, we hoped there wouldn’t have been quite as much as there was.”

New director of education, Brenda Vickers, who was the division’s superintendent of human resources during the budget process, said there are three principles administrators consider when making staffing decisions: equity, affordability and acceptability. If a proposed idea isn’t consistent with all three principles, the idea isn’t pursued.

“I could put 50 EAs into the system,” Vickers said.

“I’m guessing I could do it equitably, it would be totally acceptable, but it would fail on affordability. So if it fails there it all fails.”

Vickers stressed the importance of considering the circumstances of people who could lose their jobs.

“When you let people go, behind every number there’s a person, and we try very hard to do that.”

For the 2017-18 school year, Living Sky decided to change the way they staff, in part to reduce expenses, and in part because change was imminent.

One common measure used to determine educational quality is pupilteacher ratio (PTR). PTR doesn’t strictly evaluate the amount of teachers per students, and it’s not to be confused with average class size. PTR involves a number of other staff related to educational experience, including student services and career guidance staff. The Glossary of Educational Reform writes that “one study found that the average difference between student-teacher ratios and average class sizes in a selection of schools was between nine and ten students. In this case, a school with a student-teacher ratio of 20:1 would likely have an average class size closer to 30.” The rationale of a lower PTR indicating higher educational quality is that staff have more time to dedicate to students.

Living Sky determines its PTR using numerical and qualitative factors, such as a student services factor and a career guidance factor. For example, the career guidance factor allows for one full-time career guidance staff member for every 500 students from Grades 10 to 12 in a school. Since 2014, Living Sky worked with an overall PTR of 14.25. Some schools had different PTRs, such as 16 to 1, or 12 to 1, while the division’s overall PTR was 14.25. This year, the division’s overall PTR will be 14.77.

Continued on page 9

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• There are 28 schools in 18 communities.

• There are 10 Board of Education members. Six represent rural areas, three represent North Battleford and one represents Battleford. Approximately 25,500 voters are in the division. School board elections coincide with municipal elections.

• Approximately 5,700 students are in the division, along with 900 staff.

• The division formed in 2005 due to the provincial government seeking to amalgamate school divisions.

• 22 new teachers and 13 interns are new staff beginning this year.

• More than 179,000 students are enrolled at the beginning of this school year.

• Saskatchewan’s 28 school divisions feature 28 school divisions, including public, separate, and francophone schools.

• This school year has 21 new schools, including 18 joint-use schools opening this fall. The new jointuse schools are designed to accommodate more than 11,000 students from Pre-kindergarten to Grade 8.

Living Sky School Division office at 509 Pioneer Avenue. Board meetings are also at this building. Photo by Josh Greschner

Continued from Page 8 “Overall in the system, going up in PTR means fewer teachers,” Vickers said.

A major reason why the PTR has increased is because one of the factors Living Sky used to determine PTR, the small school factor, has changed.

Living Sky developed the small school factor in order to “recognize the need for increased staffing to deliver programs in small schools.” To qualify for the small school factor, if a school’s student population between blocks of Grades 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12 was less than 60, the school would receive 0.25 of a full-time equivalent teacher for each block (expressed as 0.25 FTE). For example,

a school with less than 60 students in each of Grades 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12 would result in the school gaining one fulltime equivalent teacher, or potentially two halftime teachers. Translating numbers into workers is the responsibility of principals.

The small school factor was generally advantageous for schools with low student populations, but Vickers said a problem for schools was that not receiving additional staffing could sometimes be determined by one student. If Grades 1 to 3 in a school had 59 students, the school would receive additional staffing. Yet 61 students in the grade range would mean they wouldn’t.

“The current formula [featuring the small school factor] worked well for most schools most often, but, with the funding uncertainty that was likely to impact every one of our schools, we thought we could do better,” Vickers said.

The small school factor was discontinued for the upcoming school year in favour of an economies of scale model. Economies of scale is an idea in economics in which the larger an organization is, the lower its costs are and the more efficient it is. At the June 28 board meeting, Vickers showed a graph with a curved line representing economies of scale, while the small school factor was represented by a straight di-

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agonal line with a vertical drop in the middle.

“Recognizing economies of scale requires a curved line,” Vickers said.

“A straight line will work really well only on some spots on the line.”

“The problem with our linear formula was that it wasn’t getting enough at the low end and it was giving too much at the high end, in a nut shell.”

Even with the small school factor, Vickers determined that Maymont, with low student population, was stressed and that “you could hardly add any students without having to put more staffing in.”

Meanwhile, Battleford Central School “could make it work” with less staff.

“Instead of the small school factor where you have those lucky and unlucky schools, and you don’t have them working really well at opposite ends. The curve will remove luck and it will smooth things over,” Vickers said.

The curve, combined with increased PTR, ultimately led to total reduced FTE teachers. Kerrobert was down 2.5 FTE, which principal Paula Ross said would be difficult to work with. Living Sky sometimes adjusts FTE among schools. A quarter was reduced at BCS and given to Kerrobert, resulting in Kerrobert reducing by only two teaching positions rather than two fulltime and one half-time.

Two teachers were retiring anyway, so no teachers lost their jobs. Other examples include Cut Knife Elementary, Cut Knife High, Lawrence, McKitrick each

down half a FTE; Bready, Hafford, McLurg, Spiritwood, St. Vital down by one FTE; and NBCHS down four. FTE reduction totalled 15.68, or about 16 teachers.

However, Fox said teachers won’t be losing jobs.

“Through retirements, through people resigning and moving to other school divisions, we’ve been able to make those changes without anyone actually being laid off.”

Another area in which the division reduced expenses was in reducing educational assistants. Educational assistants hired after the school year had started were on temporary contracts that end June 30, Vickers said.

“At the end of the year we said ‘your jobs are done, you’re not going to be hired back,’” Fox said.

“So those people, as much as they probably would’ve wished their jobs would continue, knew their jobs were done at the end of the school year.”

The division reduced its number of EAs from 185 to 163.

Living Sky also reduced its central office staff, which includes learning consultants, psychologists, counselors, occupational therapists, and tradespeople, along with superintendents, the CFO, and director.

Vickers said learning consultants are teachers with consulting duties.

Reducing the number of learning consultants means taking away consulting duties.

“The contract as a teacher stands, and so they can go back to a classroom

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Living Sky facts:

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 9

and teach.”

Vickers said seven front office staff, including the director, CFO and five superintendents earned $1,135,000 in 2016-2017. Vickers said this past year, the division has spent almost $200,000 less on central office salaries than anticipated. Savings next year will depend on who is hired as director and what they’ll earn.

The Ministry of Education encourages school boards to reduce front office costs. Fox said Living Sky has. “[The Ministry might] look at us and say ‘you have 15 fewer teaching positions but you haven’t cut any managers or superintendents.’ We cut three superintendents from about 2010 on, we’ve cut three managers, two assistant managers, we’ve done all those because every year we’ve had reductions and we try to avoid going through schools.”

Reducing staff resulted in savings of approximately $3.4 million for the division, while $504,000 was taken from reserves on capital purchases.

Vickers said the division would have increased the PTR at some point, but circumstances this year led them to increase to 14.77. Vickers said a PTR of 14.25 is “low normal, if you will.”

“I think we were looking at going up a little bit but [the provincial budget] just pushed it farther,” Vickers said. “Probably the same could be said for our EAs too, that I think we might’ve maybe looked at a few but not [as many]. It was just harder than we thought it’d be.”

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Page 10 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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Unions decrying cuts, supporting Crowns

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Unions expressing their opposition to privatization and provincial government cuts were out in force in North Battleford on Tuesday.

The organization Own It! Saskatchewan Belongs to Everyone, held a noonhour rally outside the office of Battlefords MLA Herb Cox on Tuesday. Later on in the evening they also held a town hall meeting at the Don Ross Centre in which guest speakers spoke on the impact of the government cuts and privatization efforts.

The two events included representation from Canadian Union of Public Employees, Saskatchewan Government Employees Union and Canadian Office and Professional Emploees Union Local 397, among others.

All of those union representatives slammed the Wall government over Bill 40, the bill that included wording that would allow the government to sell upwards of 49 per cent of Crown corporations.

Paul Moist, the former national president of CUPE, had come in from Manitoba to join the protest and to speak from a national perspective at the evening event.

He noted the Wall government had recently been publicly musing about reversing course on Bill 40.

“Premier Wall has said he’s rethinking Bill 40,” said Moist.

“It’s the bill that contains a new definition that if you privatize only 49 per cent of a corporation that’s

not privatization. That’s not flying with the people of Saskatchewan. I suspect he made that comment because he faces a byelection this week in Saskatoon, and I think that seat is going to go down – it will not return a Saskatchewan Party representative.”

Moist said they were speaking throughout the province to talk about the value of Crowns such as SaskTel and SaskPower.

He also decried the cuts to SaskPower and SaskEnergy grants-in-lieu to the city, which he said would impact severely on the city.

“The street system and the infrastructure will simply have to wait longer to get fixed,” Moist said.

At the noon rally Kim Wilson, president of COPE Local 397, spoke of her concerns about a possible sale of SGI. Also among the speakers was Bob Stadnichuk from SGEU who voiced concern about job losses due to privatizations at the liquor stores, as well as the closure of STC. The message was much the same at the meeting at Don Ross Centre later that evening. One woman made it known, however, thought the effort needed to go beyond the room: she observed they had “the diehards here tonight” in the audience, and their message needed to get to “John Q. Public.”

The events are part of a province-wide effort in support of the Crowns and against the cuts. Moist said he planned to be at another rally scheduled for Prince Albert at noon the next day and a town hall event later that evening in Saskatoon.

SGEU was also plan-

Local union representatives and other supporters marched outside the riding office of Battlefords MLA Herb Cox on 100th Street on Tuesday, as they spoke in support of provincial Crown corporations and against government cuts. They also were on hand at a town hall meeting event at the Don Ross Centre that evening, where Trent Wotherspoon (bottom right) was one of the speakers. Photos by John Cairns

ning a rally outside the legislature on Oct. 25, coinciding with the first day that the provincial legislature is back in session.

Prince Albert Northcote MLA Nicole Rancourt was at the noon hour rally lending the support of the Saskatchewan NDP. She particularly decried the cuts from the provincial budget earlier this year.

“The biggest concerns

is that we know this budget had some disheartening cuts,” said Rancourt.

“That’s the last place we need to be looking at is cutting services for everyday people.”

Rancourt made clear to reporters she not satisfied with Wall’s latest musings about reversing course on Bill 40.

“Mr. Wall could at any day bring us back to the 17092CC1

ANNOUNCEMENT

Valley

legislature to withdraw bill 40. So if he’s serious about withdrawing it, let’s get back to the legislature and let’s go do it,” said Rancourt.

She added that until Wall showed “some true action, I am not going to hold my breath, and I don’t think that we should trust that that’s the direction he’s going forward unless he shows that’s he’s going that direction.”

At the Don Ross Centre later that evening, Regina MLA Trent Wotherspoon was also on hand as one of the speakers. He accused

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the government of a “deficit of decency” in its handling of budget cuts and the Crowns.

In speaking to the News-Optimist afterwards Wotherspoon said he had one main message for those in attendance. “We’re in this together,” he said.

“As the Saskatchewan NDP caucus, we’re standing shoulder to shoulder with communities all across this province, and shoulder to shoulder with the Battlefords against this dishonest and damaging agenda from the Sask Party.”

Randy Weekes, MLA

Biggar Constituency

Box 1413, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0 Toll Free: 1-877-948-4880 Fax: 306-948-4882 randyweekes.mla@accesscomm.ca www.randyweekes.ca

at the Archery Range beside Battleford Arena (old curling rink) Battleford, SK

Herb Cox, MLA

The Battlefords Constituency

1991 - 100th St., North Battleford, SK S9A 0X2 Phone: 306-445-5195 Fax: 306-445-5196 herbcox@sasktel.net www.herbcox.ca

Larry Doke, MLA

Cut Knife/Turtleford Constituency

#6 - 116 - 1st Ave. West, Maidstone, SK P.O. Box 850, S0M 1M0 Phone: 306-893-2619 Fax: 306-893-2660 larrydoke@sasktel.net www.larrydoke.ca

Regional Optimist

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Battlefords-Lloydminster Member of Parliament Gerry Ritz seen on election night. Regional Optimist file photo.

not without controversy; he had to publicly apologize for his now-infamous “listeriosis jokes” during the listeriosis outbreak of 2008.

Despite that, Ritz stayed on in cabinet, serving as the lead Saskatchewan minister in the Harper cabinet until 2015. Ritz looks back with pride on what he was able to accomplish in office.

“There’s infrastructure projects that we were a big part of,” Ritz said, pointing to the Credit Union CUPlex which received federal money, as well as water and sewer projects.

He also pointed to his work on the agriculture file, including his role in dealing with the transportation rail issues of 2013 in hauling grain to market, and the resolution of that.

“Agriculture is a big footprint in Canada, the third largest contributor of the GDP,” said Ritz.

He made the decision to run again in 2015 hoping the Conservative government could return to office “so we could finish off things like the Trans-Pacific Partnership that’s so important to this area and our oil and gas sector and so forth. So it’s frustrating to not see that moving forward, but at the end of the day someone new may come at it from a different tact and make it happen.”

While Ritz admits it was frustrating in opposition, where “you’re trying to steer a train from the back,” he said, he insists it was not the reason he decided to leave politics.

Family, and the passage of time, were the main factors.

“I looked up one day and I was 65 and realized 20 years of service was coming up,” said Ritz.

“And I thought, wow, that went by quick.”

Ritz’s departure comes at a time of change for the federal Conservatives.

In May, the party elected Regina-Qu’Appelle MP Andrew Scheer as its new leader, and they have been seeking to bring some fresh faces to their leadership team in the House of

Commons.

Speculation mounted about Ritz’s own political future immediately after Scheer appointed his shadow cabinet last Wednesday.

Ritz was not included in that list, with Dean Allison taking over his former role as critic for International Trade. Two MPs from ridings bordering Battlefords-

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Ritz resigns, ending 20 years as MP Battlefords-Lloydminster Member of Parliament Gerry Ritz has announced he is resigning his seat, ending 20 years of representing northwest Saskatchewan in the House of Commons.

News that Ritz would resign circulated last Wednesday afternoon in Ottawa, and it was confirmed Thursday morning on social media when Ritz released a statement on Twitter. It read as follows: “Today I am announcing my intent to resign as the Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster. I will not be returning to my seat in the House of Commons this fall.

“It has been a sincere honour and privilege to serve the people of Battlefords-Lloydminster.

I thank them for the confidence they placed in me for the past 20 years.

“I also want to thank my colleagues in both the House and the Senate, as well as the civil service. I also want to thank all of the staff with whom I had the pleasure of working in my capacity as Member of Parliament and as the Minister of Agriculture. They have all proved themselves to be exceptional people, with the best interest of our great country Canada at heart.”

In speaking to the News-Optimist Thursday morning, Ritz made it clear he was turning the page on his political career. His focus would be on his private life from now on.

“There comes a time when you look at everything that’s happening, everything that’s going by,” said Ritz. “I’m 66 now, it’s the right time.”

Ritz made clear he is looking forward to spending more time at home with his family, something he had to put on the back burner during his years travelling on government business to Ottawa around the world.

“I owe some time for my family,” said Ritz. “My grandson’s 10th birthday is coming up on Sunday and I think I’ve been to three of them so far. It’s just time to reacquaint myself to family and friends and turn the page and start a new chapter.”

Along with Deepak Obhrai, Ritz shares the distinction of having the longest current tenure of Conservative MPs in the House of Commons. Both of them were elected as Reform MPs in 1997.

After the Conservatives took power, Ritz was appointed to cabinet, which included a long tenure as minister of agriculture starting in 2007.

Ritz’s time in office was

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 11

www.newsoptimist.ca

Lloydminister were also included in the shadow cabinet: Kelly Block from Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek remained transport critic while Shannon Stubbs from the Alberta riding of Lakeland was named shadow minister for Natural Resources.

Ritz pointed to the party’s current push for renewal as another reason why it was time to leave.

“At the end of the day the timing is right,” said Ritz. “We’ve got a dynamic young leader, who I was happy to support and push to get in there, and he’s got young dynamic people in there, the next generation who need their chance.

So it’s time for those of us who’ve had our rough surfaces polished off over the years to step aside.”

While Ritz has made his resignation announcement, it does not take place immediately. There is still a procedure that must be followed in notifying the

Speaker and winding down his office in Ottawa. However, Ritz will not attend the fall sitting of the Commons.

Back home, Ritz’s riding office back in North Battleford will remain open to deal with any federal inquiries in the meantime, including the continuing heavy volume of calls on immigration issues.

As well, other federal Conservative MPs from neighbouring ridings will be available to take up riding-related issues.

As for what is next for the riding itself, a by-election will be needed, but Ritz notes the timing of that will be up to the Prime Minister.

There are some other MPs who have stepped aside as well including former interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose, so it is likely a number of by-elections will be held at the same time to fill a number of vacancies. The

by-election would have to be called within a year, by rule.

The Conservative association will need to get to work in setting up a nomination meeting and finding a candidate for the byelection, as will the other parties. Ritz believes the local Conservative association will be ready.

“It’s in good shape, the riding association. We have money in the bank to fight a couple of elections, and of course a good strong membership base after the leadership race last fall and through the winter and spring.”

Ritz expressed appreciation to the people of Battlefords-Lloydminster for allowing him to serve them in the House of Commons for so many years.

“It was a good run, I look back with pride on a lot of what we accomplished,” said Ritz.

to outgoing BattlefordsLloydminster MP Gerry Ritz who has resigned his seat in the House of Commons this week.

Scheer issued a state-

ment in which he publicly thanked Ritz for his years of public service.

“On behalf of the Conservative caucus, I want to thank Gerry for his years

of service to the families of Saskatchewan, and to the people of Canada as a minister and shadow minister.

Continued on Page 12

Scheer, Anderson pay tribute to Ritz

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is among those paying tribute

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Page 12 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

Doke ready to get to work as new minister

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

It has been a hectic week for new cabinet minister Larry Doke.

The Cut Knife-Turtleford MLA was sworn in Wednesday to the cabinet as Minister of Government Relations and minister responsible for First Nation/ Metis and Northern Affairs.

Doke said he was offered the cabinet role Tuesday afternoon, and

he was sworn in Wednesday morning along with the rest of the re-shuffled Cabinet.

“On the Tuesday, ironic as it may be, it was my birthday,” said Doke, adding “I don’t know if it was a gift or not.”

All kidding aside, Doke said he was “very honoured and humbled” to be asked by Premier Brad Wall to take on the position in cabinet.

“Ever since I’ve been elected I told the Premier

I wasn’t necessarily interested in a cabinet position.

I just wanted him to put me to work,” said Doke. “I’ll do anything.”

Doke has been on the public accounts committee and most recently served on the crime committee chaired by Herb Cox, which recently reported back.

The ministry Doke takes on is one with broad scope. Government Relations is the one that will be dealing with the broad

Scheer, Anderson pay tribute to Ritz Continued from Page 11 “Gerry’s focus has always been on supporting the workers and communities of the Canadian prairies – the people who grow our food and share Canada’s top-notch agricultural products with the world.

Gerry’s expertise on global markets and the benefit of free trade to Canadian farmers is second to none.

“Under his leadership, Canadians have witnessed greater marketing freedom for grain farmers, the significant expansion of international markets for Canadian farmers and ranchers, and unprecedented support for agricultural innovation.

“As a proud fellow MP from Saskatchewan, I know Gerry has made a huge difference for the

constituents he serves. We wish him and Judy nothing but the best for the future.”

Also paying tribute to Ritz was his colleague David Anderson, MP for Cypress Hills Grasslands.

“No one in Canada has cast a longer shadow over Canadian agriculture for the past 10 years than Gerry Ritz. The successes he had as Agriculture minister have changed Canadian agriculture for the better and will be long lasting. I have been privileged to work alongside him on agriculture and trade issues that directly affect Canadian farmers and ranchers. His strength, negotiating skills, and passion will be missed in the House,” Anderson said.

“His persistence in free-

ing farmers from the Canadian Wheat Board and the resulting positive change to the agricultural landscape throughout Western Canada is a testament to his commitment to our province,” Anderson said.

The news release from Anderson also acknowledged Ritz’s involvement in over 30 trade missions, as well as in fighting against American Country of Origin Labeling.

“Gerry and I were seatmates in the House of Commons chamber for the last year. I will miss his quick wit and snappy responses during Question Period. I would like to thank him for his service, dedication and leadership. I wish him and Judy the best in the future,”

range of issues between the provincial government and the municipal governments in the province, representing cities, towns and villages.

Doke feels this cabinet role is “a bit of a fit for me”, pointing to his 20 years of experience at the municipal level. Doke served a term as a North Battleford councillor and then an even longer council stint in Metinota before provincial politics.

He points to two issues that will be important in his new role: one will be revenue sharing and the revenue-sharing formula with municipalities, as well as grants-in-lieu. “I would say those are the two issues right at the moment that we will be looking at immediately,” said Doke.

Doke also plans to get well-versed on the First Nations and Metis issues in the coming days as well, as he settles into his new position.

The immediate priority this week for Doke after taking over his cabinet portfolio has been simply moving and cleaning out of old offices and setting up phones and so on in the new one.

After that Doke planned to get up to speed on his file, but he has also been in contact on one issue already: the evacuations

from Pelican Narrows due to the wildfire situation in the area.

“I’m being kept abreast of what’s going on by my Chief of Staff,” said Doke, adding “the people in charge are doing a great job as usual and looking after it.”

Doke’s appointment was part of a major cabinet shuffle this past week by Premier Wall. The shuffle was prompted by a leadership race that has seen five ministers step aside from their roles in cabinet to run in that contest.

While there are a few newcomers, Doke says most of the ministers in the new cabinet have had experience in cabinet before. He believes the Premier was looking to maintain some stability in terms of carrying out policy.

“I think he wants to see what we started fulfilled and just steady as we go,” said Doke, and “have a good look at this spring’s budget and see what’s working and take a good view on everything. I think the Premier would like to leave everything well intact.”

Doke admits it was a surprise when Wall did announce he was stepping down as Premier. He said Wall broke the news to them at the very end of their annual caucus retreat

this August.

“I could say that you could hear a pin drop in the room. It was a very emotional time for both the Premier and for all of us as MLAs.” Doke is now looking forward to the leadership race and was happy to see a large field of candidates, saying it would be a “hard choice”.

“I think it’s very healthy when you have that many people,” said Doke. “I think you’re going to hear a lot of different policy and a lot of different platform ideas.”

Doke was also asked about the departure of Kindersley MLA Bill Boyd, who departed the Saskatchewan Party caucus this past week after he was ruled in conflict of interest over his business activities.

“His lack of judgment here towards the end on what he’s done, is, you know, I personally feel sorry for him because that’s how it’ll be reflected. It won’t be on the job he did, it’ll be on what happened now,” said Doke.

“I guess the only thing I would say is none of this stuff was under the government; he did it himself,” said Doke. “He’s going to have to figure out what happens now.”

17091MS0

Regional Optimist

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 13

www.newsoptimist.ca

We’re not a team that’s going to be average this year. We’re going for a championship once again.

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It’s hard to put a lot of stock into what happens during the course of the pre-season in the world of hockey.

However, the other 11 teams in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League might have cause for concern at what Battlefords North Stars forward Layne Young said after his team’s 5-4 overtime win over the Humboldt Broncos Tuesday at the Civic Centre.

“I think what we did in the third period [when the North Stars came back from three goals down] says a lot about the leadership we have in the dressing room,” Young said.

“We’re not a team that’s going to be average this year. We’re going for a championship once again.”

Young, who is the highest returning scorer in the entire SJHL this year following a 71-point campaign last season, has been performing at his usual high level of play thus far with a goal and four assists in two pre-season games.

His lone goal came in dramatic fashion Tuesday as he scored on a breakway in overtime to complete a comeback win over the Broncos.

“Our first two periods weren’t great as it seemed like we couldn’t get things going from shift to shift,” Young said. “When the

Battlefords North Stars forward MacGregor Sinclair celebrated after scoring in the third period of his team’s 5-4 win over the Humboldt Broncos in an exhibition contest at the Civic Centre Tuesday night. Photo by Lucas Punkari

third period started, we made a goal to get 20 shots on net so we were really focused on that.

“Once we were able to get some good chances on their net, I think that’s when things turned around in our favour.”

Joining Young on his line is MacGregor Sinclair, who has three goals and and an assist in two appearances.

Sinclair, who had 22 points in 50 games in his rookie campaign, potted home a pair of goals Monday night in the North Stars’ 2-1 home win over the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Bonnyville Pontiacs.

“Last year I said that I wanted to be a complete player for this team and I hope to do that again this season,” Sinclair said.

“I want to play like

[Pavel] Datsyuk. I may not have the mitts like he does, but I like to take the puck away from other guys and I’m hoping to do that this year.”

In the last two games, Sinclair and Young have been joined by different players on their line.

Although he didn’t get any points in Monday’s game, 19-year-old Leduc, Alta. native Dakota Huebner used his speed on multiple occasions.

After they started the night with returning forward Owen Lamb Tuesday, the pair were joined in the third period by Elijah Loon-Stewardson, who ended up scoring the game-tying goal.

The 18 year old from Sioux Lookout, Ont. is looking to make the jump up to the Junior A ranks after playing for the Kenora

Thistles and the Thunder Bay Kings midget programs over the last two seasons in Northern Ontario.

“I’m just trying to work my butt off to make this team,” Loon-Stewardson said. “It’s all about playing smart and hard out there like everyone in the dressing room is trying to do every night.

“At the end of day, if you come out and do your best, that’s all that really matters.”

Connor McIntosh and Jayden Nachtegale also found the back of the net Tuesday.

The North Stars started off their pre-season with a 5-2 road defeat to the Pontiacs in Bonnyville Sunday.

Josh Sielsky and Blake Fennig both scored in the loss.

Heading into a road

Albers impressive in win over Athletics Staff Through five innings Sunday at Safeco Field, Andrew Albers was completely baffling the hitters on the Oakland Athletics.

Although his bid at a no-hitter came to an end at the start of the sixth inning when he gave up a solo home run to Matt Olson, it didn’t dampen the best start of the season for the North Battleford lefthander as he helped the Seattle Mariners to a 10-2

win over their American League West Division rivals.

“I wasn’t going to finish the game, but you know what’s going on,” Albers said of his no-hit bid. “I give up a lot of hits, so I usually don’t get that far into a game where I haven’t given up a hit yet.

“I wouldn’t have liked to give it up the way I did, but at the same time you’re in the sixth inning. It was a 3-0 game and I feel the worst thing that I could do

Albers now has a 3-1 there was walk a guy, so I’m going to continue to at- record for the season with tack.” a 3.31 earned run average.

That blemish in the sixth The Mariners, who had inning was the only hit that lost their last two games the 31-year-old allowed in heading into Wednesday, six innings of work as he had a 69-70 record and struck out five batters and were three games back of walked one while throwing the Los Angeles of Ana101 pitches.

“He doesn’t throw very heim for the second and hard but his fastball plays final Wild Card spot in the up and he pounds the zone American League. $ Albers’ is tenREWARDS OF UPnext TOstart 2000 with it,” CASH Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman tatively scheduled for Satsaid. “Obviously, it kept us urday when the Mariners off-balance.” will host the Angels.

game with the Broncos in Humboldt Wednesday, the North Stars had 39 players looking to make the opening night roster.

In goal, Austin Prior, Dawson Rodin and Jake Taylor were all vying for the backup job behind the returning Taryn Kotchorek.

Joel Grzybowski, who is eligible to return to the North Stars, was still in the mix for a spot with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades.

On defence, the returning Conor Jensen, Levi Kleiboer, Connor Manegre and Cody Spagrud were still in camp, along with Michael Fradette who was acquired this summer.

The new faces looking to earn a spot on the blueline were Jayden Cantre, Anthony Cuglietta, Hunter Cuthbert, Mathew Fletcher, Noah Form, Brayden Pruden, Sunil Sahota and Austin Wieler.

Up front, Troy Gerein and Owen Lamb joined Sinclair and Young as re-

turning faces, while McIntosh and Nachtegaele were looking to make the team on a full-time basis after being affliates last year.

The remaining forward core included Sielsky, Keith Anderson, Tre Doyon and Jacob Tibbatts, who are all acquired by the team during the off-season.

Fennig, Huebner, LoonStewardson, Colton Adair, Mike Curran, Dayden Dvernichuk, Zac Horn, Justin McKinley, Ryland McNinch, Tanner Robin, Ryan Rothenburger and Logan Spence rounded out the skaters still on the roster.

The North Stars will play the Kindersley Klippers in a home-and-home series this weekend, starting with a clash Friday at the Civic Centre at 7:30 p.m.

Following a road game with their rivals Saturday, the North Stars will conclude their pre-season Sunday against the Yorkton Terries at the Rutherford Arena in Saskatoon.

TURN IN POACHERS 1-800-667-7561 Toll Free Cash Rewards of up to $2000 North Battleford Conservation Officers received 2 separate calls of moose poaching on private land in the Prongua district between the dates of Sunday August 20 and Wednesday August 23, 2017. Investigating officers found in both incidents that the poachers had shot these moose then driven into the standing crop to retrieve the moose. They had transported these moose to locations nearby and field dressed each moose. The first location a bull moose was killed eight (8) km NW of Prongua and the second site a cow moose was shot is 2.5 km West of Prongua. Do you know who is responsible for this wildlife crime or see any suspicious activity, individuals or vehicles in the area?

SASKTIP INC. requires your assistance in the apprehension of the people responsible for the following resource violation.

A cash reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the individuals involved.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the provincial Toll Free Turn In Poacher line at 1-800-667-7561, #5555 SaskTel cell subsriber or online saskatchewan.ca/tip.

Calls are not traced or recorded in any way and callers may choose to remain anonymous.

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Page 14 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 15

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www.northwestcollege.ca Jim McLane brought back four medals from the North & Central American & Carribean World Masters Association athletics championship in Toronto last month. Photo courtesy of Maureen McLane

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Since he retired, Jim McLane was looking for something to keep active.

As it turned out, a chance meeting with track and field athletes from Saskatoon during last summer’s Saskatchewan Provincial 55+ Games ended up setting him on his way to represent his country at the North & Central American & Caribbean World Masters Association championship in Toronto from Aug. 11-13.

“I was watching the events and a few guys from Saskatoon asked if I knew about the Canadian Masters Athletic Association,” McLane said. “I knew a little bit about it, and I had done some running and the javelin event when I was in

high school, and my joints were still good along with my upper body so it was something that I decided that I wanted to do.”

“It’s nice to stay active with something that has a competitive edge to it. I played oldtimers baseball for about 10 years, but as everyone gets older it gets harder and harder to find enough guys to field a team.”

The Canadian Masters Athletic Association is part of a worldwide movement for track and field events for athletes that are 30 years or older, and has outdoor and indoor events that take place throughout the year.

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“As it turned out, I was the only Saskatchewan athlete there in Toronto, so I was representing the province in an unofficial capacity.”

Competing in the 6569 age group at the event, which was held in conjunction with the Canadian Championships, McLane earned a gold medal in the Canadian category and a bronze medal in the overall standings in the javelin throw.

He also won a silver medal in discus and a bronze medal in the shot put in the Canadian events during the weekend.

“I was really happy with how I performed in the jav-

elin, especially to be in the mix with the athletes that are from all over North America,” McLane said.

“I ended up being only four or five metres out of first place, so I wasn’t like someone ran away it.”

Looking towards the future, the 66 year old is planning to compete at the Saskatchewan 55+ Games in Moose Jaw next July and possibly the Canadian Masters championship later in the year depending on where it’s being held.

“The World Masters championship is back in Toronto in 2020 and I will be at the edge of my age group at the point, so hopefully I’ll still be feeling good to compete in that,” McLane said.

“It’s a lot of fun, and I’d love to keep doing it for a while.”

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Page 18 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

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Roast pig and pig cake for birthday supper

By Lorna Pearson Correspondent

My son Brad decided he would roast a pig when we celebrated my birthday in September, rather than December, in Meota on Sept.2. He ordered the pig from B&D Meats in North Battleford and brought the spit from Alberta with him.

He had help from his brother-in-law Norman Bouvier, also from Carstairs, in preparing it for cooking – re-

moving the head and legs and tying and pinning it to the apparatus above the coals. He started cooking it at 3 a.m. and was cutting it up by 4 p.m. It was being enjoyed by 5:30 by about 60 people who had gathered in the Do Drop In. At 9 p.m. the group moved to the beach area where Brad set off fireworks, again enjoyed by those gathered to watch and likely by many along the beach areas, as well. It was a decent show!

In the cooking process, about noon.

Brad cutting up the pig, with his niece Shari and Dustin watching.

The prairies are the best

By Lorna Pearson Correspondent

This cake was made by a relative in Alberta, and was very edible – even the ears. Sunday we used a Hawaiian theme, wearing leis and grass skirts, but as the temperature dropped as the day wore on, we went back into our sweats and jackets. It got quite windy, also. The family boat had to be brought out and winterized before the family left for home in Calgary on Monday, leaving it behind. Photos by Lorna Pearson

The hot weather has turned to cool, especially in the evenings, so our hot summer days are getting scarcer and harvest is well underway. It is so good to see combines out working and making a big dusty scene as they take the crops off. On a drive north to Chitek Lake last week we noticed fields of corn looking very healthy and waiting to be great winter grazing for cattle.

We also noticed how the ditches had been mowed, mostly right back to the fence line, not just one pass

You often see where older women do something they have never done in all their many years, so I asked for a motorbike ride and was treated to a nice ride on Sunday afternoon with my grandson Dustin Allen from Lloydminster. I was able to fit into my granddaughter Shari’s helmet. It was as exciting as I expected and I loved it. My family really did me proud with all their cooking and company and the ride. Photo submitted by Lorna Pearson

along each shoulder as is often seen. Then after we left Spiritwood we passed the two vehicles that were painting new lines on the road, making for safer year-round driving and especially winter driving.

It is really too bad that the fires everywhere and the flooding in other places couldn’t get together, and solve the problems that each area has. What an expense all of these areas problems are costing the world, and such traumatic experiences people are having to survive. It seems the prairies are the best places to be right now.

Contract bridge was played in Meota Aug. 28 with top score by Robert Iverson and second by Eric Callbeck. Duplicate bridge in Meota on Aug. 29 found top score going to Vern Iverson and Eric Callbeck followed by Lucille and Bernard Gregoire in second place and then Catriona Winterholt and Cletus Scherman. On Thursday evening in the city, duplicate bridge found a tied top score by Donna Scherman and Catriona Winterholt and Jean Lawes and Fraser Glen, second were David Sharpe and Vern Iverson and third were Gerry Fernandes and Mary Green-

eota News wald. Another great week of games!

My cousin in England talks about going to a neighbouring community where she held a ‘boot sale’ which means she filled her car trunk with all she could get in it and drove to a site, either a football or rugby field, where she rented – she said “paid to park up”– and displayed her wares on tables or on the ground. They operate from 6 a.m. to noon, very different hours to ours! It is very popular in the UK as are our yard and garage sales here.

Many folks were in Meota closing up their cabins or enjoying one more weekend at the lake, depending on how far away they live and whether they’ll be back again this year. Most folks had company to enjoy.

Debbie Shepherd of Glaslyn, enjoyed her long weekend at Green Lake with Dave and many family members and some friends, celebrating her birthday. They are work-

ing on their cabin there as well, now it is closed in and work inside continues.

Lawrie and Shirley Ward spent two weeks in Kamloops visiting Lawrie’s brother Clarke, one week each way as they travelled to spend a week with his sister Doreen Anderson in Courtenay, B.C. It was a good trip though hazy with smoke at times.

My granddaughter Crystal and hubby Chris and two girls drove out to Cookanosa, B.C. to enjoy a weekend and close up their trailer but had an evacuation notice served so had to do a quick job of closing up, and leave again. A sad end to their last trip to the lake for the summer. Ash was falling as large as a loony coin so it was a scary experience.

The next Lions’ Club meeting is set for Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The September meeting for seniors is on the 8th at 10:30 a.m. followed by potluck lunch – see you there with new ideas and enthusiasm.

Robert and Marion Iverson are on the move into Caleb Village from Meota, so we wish them a happy life in their new surroundings and hope to see them back here often.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 19

SaskTel investing $4 million in rural LTE tower upgrades Staff

Fuel 94 of Wilkie and UFA have decided to make a donation to save people’s lives once again. The Fuel 94 board members Royce Sutherland, Raymond Herzog Norbert Katchmer, John Eppich and Dustin Simon, together with UFA’s new manager, Karen Grear, have rallied together to donate another $1,500 to Stars Air Ambulance. Grear is taking over the reigns from Keith Boomhower, who served his loyal customers for 31 years as an agent of UFA. Fuel 94 and UFA say, “Keith will be deeply missed but our hearts go out to him and his wife Lorrie for a happy retirement.” Stars Air Ambulance says, “Fuel 94 and UFA always seem to have their hearts and their money where it is needed most. Customers of these companies can sleep well at night knowing these companies have our backs.” Photo submitted

Fire ban in RM of NB Staff A fire ban has been issued in the RM of North Battleford.

The ban was issued following consultation with the rural municipality and in the wake of current dry conditions.

“That means controlled burning and any kind of burning outside of an approved fire pit is prohibited until further notice,” said North Battleford Fire Department Acting Fire Chief Trevor Brice in a news release.

Brice is encouraging

residents of the RM to make their properties as fire safe as possible.

“Keep dry vegetation and combustibles away from buildings, be cautious with discarded smoking materials, and please report any suspicious activity fire starters to the RCMP and or Municipal Enforcement,” said Brice in a statement.

The fire department is approving the use of legal fire pits as long as extreme caution is exercised and as long as common sense is used.

Those include main-

News from Pine Island Apartments

By Margaret MacEachern

ambitious LTE expansion which increased SaskTel’s LTE footprint to cover 99 per cent of the population of the province. These latest wireless upgrades are part of SaskTel’s commitment to invest over $300 million of capital in Saskatchewan in 2017/18 and $1.4 billion through 20162021.

PA Parkland volunteer opportunities Submitted 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 306883-4432. Mothers and/ or fathers 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: Flexible, once or twice per week.

Entertainment – Evergreen Health Centre 306-984-2136. Volunteer performers (musicians, magicians, actors, etc.) share their talents with residents in long-term care.

Other volunteers assist by inviting residents to a specific area for entertainment, parties, sing-a-longs, etc. Assist with snacks, lunches, etc.

“On Call” Volunteers – Hafford Special Care Home 306-549-2108. Extra volunteers are often needed for the long term care

residents on an “on-call” basis, to assist with outings, parties, social gatherings, shopping trips, taking residents to appointments, etc. Shifts: As needed.

You can reach the PAPHR Volunteer Services Department at 306765-6010, by email at volunteers@paphr.sk.ca.

Battlefords Boys & Girls CLUB September at the Club

Correspondent

Kevin Newton of Prince Albert is with his mum Denise Newton.

Saturday, they went to Vermillion where they visited with Book Cook and Eva Hesse.

Ileen Redman of Kitscoty visited with her friend Jean Stewart.

Terry Rutley and children and Tanya Rhinehart and children stopped by for a visit with grandma Rita Morrison.

Bev Stewart and Rita Morrison enjoyed a lovely supper with Gary and Marlyn Taylor After supper they had an enjoyable drive in the country.

I had the pleasure of having my sister Beth Piché of North Battl-

taining close supervision of the fire, having adequate water available to extinguish a fire, to properly extinguish all fires after use and to pay attention to wind conditions and spark hazards.

As well, open air burning (burning outside of an approved fire pit) is prohibited until further notice.

For more information, contact North Battleford Fire at 306-445-1770 or the RM of North Battleford Office at 306-445-3604.

SaskTel has announced plans to invest approximately $4 million to upgrade 35 wireless towers spread throughout rural Saskatchewan.

The towers to be upgraded include those at Little Pine, Maidstone, Marshall, Maymont and Gallivan.

The upgrades are expected to be complete on all 35 towers by the end of March 2018. As part of the upgrades, SaskTel will be adding LTE network carriers to the towers, which will increase their LTE capacity by 20 per cent to 100 per cent.

These upgrades come less than a year after SaskTel completed its most

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eford overnight on Saturday. Sunday, Duncan MacEachern of Marsden drove us to Edmonton where we attended the living memorial for our nephew John Protz. John has fought cancer for two years and will not be much longer with us.

Beautiful harvest weather. There’s a lot of harvesting being done and a lot to do. The weather hopefully holds on.

Tuesday morning coffee and visiting was enjoyed. Nice to see Heather Chisholm here for a visit.

• Our drop-in and satellite after-school programs excitedly resume on Tuesday, September 5th. Please visit our website and Facebook page for more programming information!

• There will be a PD Day on September 25th for some of our members please note, we do not have programming at our Satellite Sites on these days and our Main Site drop-in programming hours remain the same (3:10 pm - 8:30 pm).

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

• Unfortunately, there was not enough interest to sustain a before and after school program at Holy Family School; however, we look forward to working with school officials on creating this program for the next school year!

• As a reminder for all our children, youth and families as we enter into the new School Year, the Club rules are as follows: - Listen & Follow Directions - Participate in Club Programs and Activities - Take Care of Equipment and Building - Keep your Hands and Feet to Yourself - Respect ALL Club Members, Staff and Volunteers - Clean up Your Own Mess - Make Smart Choices - Be Polite - Have Fun! - Treat Others How You Would Like To Be Treated.

• Our hours of operation are as follows: Office - Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm; Drop-In Program - Monday to Friday, 3:10 pm - 8:30 pm and Saturday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Supper Program at Main Site Tuesday to Friday, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm; Satellite Sites (EMBM and Bready Schools) - Monday to Friday, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm.

Please visit our Facebook Page and Website for more information about the Club or call us at (306) 445-0002!

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Page 20 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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Rabbit Lake

Twenty-five teams in bunnock tournament

By Alan Laughlin Correspondent

Rabbit Lake Days organized by the Rabbit Lake Board of Trade was held Aug 19. Twenty-five teams were entered in the bunnock tournament. Winners were, A event: first - Gerry Miller, Colleen Woodcock, Nancy Penley, Jacob Penley, $220; second - Levi Miller, Alicia Alrickson, Brett Penner, Katie Penner $200; third - Derek Moore, Lynn Moore, Calvin Lamb and Don Petersen $60; and fourth - Carol Rohl, Ian MacDonald, Dave Parsons, Colleen Carda $60.

The B event winners were: first - Tamara Wenzel team $200; second - James Dzialo, Cara Dzialo, Grant Hipkiss, Judy Hipkiss $180. C event: first - Dave Kowerchuk, Brandy Kowerchuk, Luke Kowerchuk, Irene Loiscelle $160; second Keifer Kitching, Cassandra Woodcock, Jeffery Lamb, Kelsey Wright $120.

Bunnock tournament A event winners - Nancy Penley, Gerry Miller, Colleen Woodcock, Jacob Penley. Photos by Alan Laughlin

Bunnock tournament A event second place - Alicia Alrickson, Levi Miller, Brett Penner, Katie Penner.

At right, A event third place - Lynn Moore, Derek Moore, Calvin Lamb, Don Petersen Shirley MacKenzie (committee member).

B event first place - Doug Lamb ( committee member) and the Tamara Wenzel team.

A event fourth place - Carol Rohl, Ian MacDonald, (missing Dave Parsons and Colleen Carda).

B event second place - Doug Lamb, Cara Dzialo, James Dzialo, Judy Hipkiss, Grant Hipkiss.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 21

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Community gathers for 80th birthday

By Carol Deagnon Correspondent

Family and friends gathered at the Maymont Hall to celebrate the 80th birthday of Bert Carpentier. Photo by Carol Deagnon

Family and friends gathered at the Maymont Hall to celebrate the 80th birthday of Bert Carpentier. The pot luck supper was supurb as always and entertainment was provided by various musicians.

Everyone had a wonderful time.

Here’s a little poem for you, Bert, although not as wonderful as the ones your daughter Koral shared with us.

Turn on your hearing

aids; pull on your glasses You might think you’re turning into molasses You might feel old, you might feel rough, But we know, deep down, you’re the real stuff.

Happy birthday, Bert.

More events coming up.

I will share with everyone as soon as I know more details.

Happy farming.

competitions going on such as an apple pie contest and a barbecue cook off, plus other food booths.

It all ended with the parade at 4:30 p.m. each day.

The only thing missing was the calliope. It is always interesting to see and hear the shrill whistle, all run by steam. Maybe next year. It is kept at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon.

The two days were well attended. It was two days of “farm education” for the whole family.

A big thank you goes out to all those brave and eager workers and volunteers for all the days it took to put it all together.

Behind the scenes, there was a lot of work still to go on for a week or so after the event to get every cleared up and into place again and all back to normal. That’s a lot of work for the volunteers, also all the museum staff.

Now to start preparing for the Threshing Days later this fall to end the sum-

mer season. Then to start preparing for the upcoming 2018 summer events.

The Western Development Museum is always on the look out for more younger volunteers. What volunteers there are now are getting to be elder men and they always need more help on their workshop projects. They have after-works bees and have volunteers coming in from the Western Development Museum out of Saskatoon, which is a great help to the museum. A big thank you goes out to those who do volunteer locally. Every helping hand does help out one way or another. It’s too bad but it’s a history we are going to lose if it cannot be kept up. Every year there are working crews to come in to do fixing on the little village buildings.

Each year they try to get a few replacements done going on at the old steam train. Let’s just keep it all together and operational for many more years.

aymont News

Museum always in need of younger volunteers

By Dorothy M. Mills Correspondent

The 38th Annual Those Were the Days has gone down in the books for 2017.

The two-day event happens every August. It was a good place to take a walk down memory lane on the boardwalk streets. All the different buildings were open to go in and view to refresh your memories of all the history of those bygone years we all used to live and grow up with.

aljennie On to the farmyard – they had live animals to see and pet, also a dog show and miniature horses.

Then to the fields for the story of threshing and all the methods of planting, growing, cutting the crop into sheaves and then down through all the dif-

ferent operations of threshing the grain from the straw. It was a good place to see so much old machinery all doing the different types of threshing. They had antique tractors from the old steamers to gas and diesel, also horse drawn machinery Just the smell of the threshing machine working brought back so many memories. There were teams of horses on the hayrack hauling the sheaves from the field to the threshing machine,

them pitching the grain bundles into the threshing machine.

There was all sorts of old time activities outside, all set up for the children to have their fun time. There were also activities going on inside the museum rooms.

The antique car club had a display of some restored vehicles beside the museum vehicles for all to view and to be in the daily parade.

There were various

Medstead village office suffers b and e

By Corrina Murdoch Correspondent

Some quiet village mornings hold the surprise of dew, chirping birds, or a light mist covering the ground of the neighbourhood. The world is made up of constantly balancing scales. Because of this there are days that yield less than pleasant revelations. As of late, the sky has been hazy with the residual smoke of wildfires from more than one province. Through this mist, sometime between the dusk of Aug. 30 and dawn of Aug. 31, the village office suffered an unpleasant turn of events.

Upon the morning arrival of the municipal employees, both for the RM and for the village, the realization that the office had been broken into was an unsettling turn of events.

The perpetrator allegedly broke through the back door of the library to enter the premises.

The RM reportedly has a safe, however the village did incur a financial loss.

Thankfully, fundraiser money from the library’s fun day was not taken. An additional positive note is the fact that no property damage was noted; no vandalism reported. This is tax season, which could have given rise to the idea of the office as a potential

edstead News target.

According to the mayor of Medstead, the overall tax expectations for the village are roughly $100,000.

It must be considered that the sum mentioned is not housed all at once; and, because of the diligence of staff, the amount of loss was minimal. The tax amount may seem like a fair amount in terms of funds; however, these monies are carefully budgeted and allocated to community necessities: employee salaries, streetlights and the like.

The incident occurred during a particularly quiet week. All local businesses were closed as local the bar/motel was changing managerial hands and was thus closed for business.

The staff of all community businesses are diligent in the safety and welfare of their patrons. Due to this, many locals suspect that the alleged perpetrators are not local residents. Diane Blixrud of the village store mentioned attempting to use their camera feed to identify the culprit, but being unsuccessful in the endeavor.

The matter now rests

The office building housing the village office, RM office and municipal library, which recently suffered a break and enter. Photo by Corrina Murdoch

with the authorities. It unfortunate to see such a beautiful village subject to crimes which tend to be associated more with more densely populated locations. However; in spite of the ugliness of this situation, there is a silver lining of beauty that can be found.

The library was not stolen from. There was no vandalism reported. The loss was minimal. Locals at the store, though not affected, made all possible efforts to facilitate a solution. All mentions of the incident by locals, both new and

long-time residents, circled around to effectively note how positive of a place Medstead is to live.

Nothing can grow in strength without adversity.

Medstead is the kind of village that rallies in the face of challenges, whether it is vandalism, tribulations of the provincial library system, or trespass and theft.

Community members support one another, keep each other safe, and continue through both strenuous and splendid times to be a proud and happy place to live.

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Page 22 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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‘Dolly and Kenny’ entertain seniors orden Radisson

By Lorraine Olinyk Correspondent

The Borden Friendship Club held their monthly potluck supper Aug. 30, with 40 members out to enjoy the evening. The birthday candles for August were blown out by Cheryl Larner, Don Dyck and Ed Rawlyk. Entertaining for the evening were Cliff and Dolly Adolf of Saskatoon, with Cliff looking after the music and Dolly impersonating Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

One side was dressed and made up like Dolly and her other side was Kenny Rogers. When Dolly sang she turned that side to the audience and vice versa for Kenny, and she faced you for the duets. She sang four songs, including Rocking Ages, I’ll Always Love You and Islands in the Stream. Ed Neufeld told a few stories, then he and Marlene Derbawka played guitar and sang a number of songs such as Worried Man, Light in the Window, Sing High, Sing Low and Gotta Travel On. Marlene played the mandolin for a few numbers – Amanda, Fun on the Bayou. The duo dedicated Precious Memories to two members who passed away lately

August birthdays at the seniors supper Aug. 30 - Cheryl Larner, Ed Rawlyk and Don Dyck.

Dolly and Kenny impersonator at the Borden Seniors supper.

– Jean Hryniuk and Lottie Petriew. Marlene sang songs about Burling Down the White Water, Jambalaya and Little Bird in the Sky. Coming up for the club is the business meeting the afternoon of Sept.

13, then club members are invited to Maymont for supper and program on Sept.13.

Upcoming this week

is Busy Bees Preschool registration for three and four year olds on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. and the Borden Dance Club are holding their registration night on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., with a shoe and clothes swap at the same time. Dance classes start on Sept. 11 after school in the Borden Community Centre.

Marlene Derbawka and Ed Neufeld entertaining Aug. 30. Photos by Lorraine Olinyk

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of cooking and preparation, results in consuming vegetables that have lost as much as 50% of their nutritional value. Constant exposure to stress, pollutants and the consumption of highly processed diet leads to an acid/ alkaline imbalance within our bodies. This overly acidic internal environment puts us at greater risk for both minor and major health issues. Vegetables are our most potent alkaline foods and need to be consumed in abundance.

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I’m sure there is not a child that has not been told that at some point in their lives. We all know how important veggies are to our body. Leafy green vegetables have more nutrition per calorie than any other food. They make up a significant source of vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as several B vitamins. They are rich sources of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. We as a society fail to consume adequate amounts of vegetables to keep our bodies running as they should. Even with the best of intentions, few of us can find time to consume the recommended amount of vegetables in a day. To further complicate matters, the ongoing depletion of the mineral content in commercial farmlands, when combined with the effects

Nutritional Advisor

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

38 join Speers library program Submitted by Colleen Wicks This year the library summer reading program was based on celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday.

The Speers library had 38 participants, kids and adults, registered for the program.

Many did the two passports identifying roadside monuments of towns and

The Speers Library has been a busy place this summer.

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 23

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famous places in Canada, and the other reading books on provinces in Canada and identifying cities. Also many made a Happy Birthday Canada card to qualify an entry for an in-house draw and then entries for a draw at headquarters.

Phyllis Cunningham, past chair of the local library board, went over and beyond with her participation in the program. She is pictured reading her entries and recited the poem, When I am an old lady I will wear purple.

Librarian, Colleen Wicks provided a display of books on all the provinces of Canada for patrons to choose from to complete the challenge.

Winners of the inbranch prizes are: five and under, Zoe Yaworenko; six to nine, Lauren Russell; 10 to 13, Alesha Moore; 14 to 16, Jasmine Thomas ; 17 to adult, Elaine Milman.

Aug. 3, Speers Library hosted the summer players to come and perform stories with puppets, songs, science wonders and other entertainment, followed

Phyllis Cunningham, past chair of the local library board, reading her entries. Photos submitted

by refreshments. We had 28 participants and a few adults.

Thank you to everyone

who took the time and effort to participate, and to keep our library strong and viable.

Devan Oborowsky

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Page 24 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 25

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OBITUARIES ARD: In Loving Memory of Walter Ard, born June 7, 1914 at Glasgow, Scotland, passed away August 19, 2017 in Battleford, SK. Survived by his wife Linda; sister-in-law Lorna Pearson; many nieces, nephews, great and great-greats.

Predeceased by his father and mother, Robert and Sarah Ard; sisters: Annabel (Alex) Espie, Mabel (Billy) Daniels, Christine (Wilson) MacLeod, Olive (Ken) Lawson and Gladys (Addison) Tallman; brothers: Harold, Bill (Jessie), Lawrence (Helga); sisters-in-law: Helen (Charles) Sullivan, Nancy (Ray) Meier and Clare (Bob) Shepherd. Service Of Celebration And Thanksgiving was held on Friday, August 25, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, North Battleford, Saskatchewan with Officiant Mrs. Joyce Salie. Eulogy was given by Karrie & Darren Nordell. Music Ministry: Bonnie Phillips – Organist; St. Andrew’s Choir - Meota Lions Chorus and Friends; Robert MacKay - Soloist - “Danny Boy”; Processional - “Come In, Come In And Sit Down”; Hymn Selections: “Out Of My Bondage, Sorrow And Night”, “The Lord’s My Shepherd”, “Lord Of The Dance”, “Blest Be The Tie That Binds”; Recessional - “It Is Well With My Soul”. Honourary Pallbearers were Members of Ionic Lodge AF & AM #31, Order Of Eastern Star - Royal Canadian Legion Br. 70 & Federal Superannuates National Association.

Urn Bearer was Albert Lambert. Memorial Donations are requested to Battlefords District Care Centre, Box 69, Battleford, SK S0M 0E0, Alzheimer Association of Saskatchewan, 3012550 12th Ave., Regina, SK S4P 3X1 or to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 1401-98th St., North Battleford, SK S9A 0M3. Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service. __________________________________________________ SOLONINKO: It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of John Soloninko on August 21, 2017. John was born at Kamsack, SK. on April 22, 1935. He attended Poplar point school in the Togo, SK. area.

He left school after completing his Grade Ten education to help his father on the farm. In the winters he was employed by a seismic drilling company in Alberta. In the spring after the seismic drilling had finished for the summer John went back home to help on the farm. In 1962 John began his career with Elk Point Drilling, a water well drilling company out of Alberta. John was a long time friend & partner of the Sask. office of Elk Point Drilling, opening the Sask. office in 1967. He was an exceptional water-well driller and was well known for his knowledge of water bearing formations throughout Sask. John loved his work & loved going to work even after he could not longer go out into the field. John is survived by his beloved wife Barbara of 56 years, his sister Sonia (Norm) Ethier, Gimli, MB, Elizabeth Renz, Shellbrook, SK., Catherine (Ron) Stanners Okatoks, AB. and number of neices & nephews and many friends. John was predeceased by his father & mother, Alex & Nellie Soloninko, His sister & brother-in-law Jenny & Mike Litwin and brotherin-law. Willie Renz. Service Of Thanksgiving was held on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. from Third Avenue United Church, North Battleford, Saskatchewan with Officiant Rev. Frances Patterson. Shared Memories were given by Boyd Yahn and Les Henry. Music Ministry: Glenn Goodman – Organist; Third Avenue Sanctuary Choir; Robert MacKay – Soloist – “In The Sweet Bye And Bye”; Hymn Selections: “In The Garden” & “The Old Rugged Cross”. Honourary Pallbearers were All associates and friends he worked with. Urn Bearer was Jeff Renz – Nephew. Memorial Donations are requested to Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, Box 1358, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8 (designate to the Emergency Department), St. Paul’s Hospital, 1702 - 20th St. West, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Z9 (designate to the Intensive Care Unit). Interment was at the Cremation Section – City Cemetery, North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service.

Card of Thanks Thank you to all the people who sent cards, flowers, food and e-mail condolences. A special thanks to the paramedics who came to the farm to pick up John by ambulance, the emergency staff at the B.U.H. A special thank you to the intensive care unit at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. A big thank you to Rev. Patterson for the lovely service and Bob MacKay and his staff of the Battlefords Funeral Service for their kindness and compassion. God bless you all. Beloved wife, Barbara, sisters and brothers-in-law, Sonia and Norm; Catherine and Ron; and Elizabeth.

__________________________________________________

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

FUNERAL SERVICES

BINDER: Lorna Emma Binder (nee Soule) “Lori” 1932 – 2017. It is with deep sorrow that the family of Lorna Binder announce her passing on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 in Cranbrook at 85 years of age. Lorna was born on August 20, 1932 in Hafford, SK. She was a very keen nature watcher, loving the changes in the seasons. Her “let’s go look and see” curiosity led to many travelled trails, especially while on visits to the farm and her prairie roots. These travels with imagination not only allowed her to share stories with family and friends but to also inspire her many talents for teaching and the arts. Lorna is survived by her son Romi (Barb) Binder of Fernie, BC and her son Geri Binder of Cranbrook, BC, her brother Herman (Colleen) Soule of Ruddell, her sister Agnes (Steve) Woroch of Prince Albert and many friends and relatives in Western Canada. Lorna was predeceased by her husband Rom Binder in 1998. Those wishing to make a memorial donation in honour of Lorna may do so to the: Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon, Okanagan/Kootenays Area Office, #4, 1551 - Sutherland Avenue, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1Y 9M9. Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at: www.mcphersonfh.com

WOYTIUK: Celebration Of Life for Orest Peter Woytiuk, beloved husband of Renee Woytiuk, resident of North Battleford, will be held on Friday, September 8, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. at the Life Of Christ Learning Centre, 12th. Ave. & 105th. St., North Battleford, SK (the former Knights Of Columbus Hall). Renee, Joy and Grant and families would like to thank everyone for the flowers and food – Bob MacKay at Battlefords Funeral Service for his assistance. Words cannot express how we feel toward the staff at the BUH Emergency for your care and guidance in the decisions we as a family had to make. You should be so proud of your efficiency and professionalism. To all the staff at BUH Dialysis Unit, thank-you for your help, guidance, patience and friendship toward Orest for the past 5 years. His world was a better place because of your presence. Memorial donations are requested to the Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation (designate to the Dialysis Unit), Box 1358, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8.

Condolences can be sent to mail@battlefordsfuneralservice.com Arrangements are entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service (306-446-4200) _____________________________________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS

____________________________________________________

FUNERAL SERVICES

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www. eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca ANNOUNCEMENTS

Luxury Footcare Professional Nursing Footcare #1 - 9800 Territorial Drive (Co-op Mall) North Battleford, SK S9A 3W6 Contact Lori to book your appointment

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Page 26 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM

In Loving Memory Laura Prescesky In loving memory of our dear mother who passed away September 11th, 2016 In our hearts your memory lingers Always tender,fond and true There’s not a day dear Mother That we do not think of you.

Ever remembered and fondly missed

– Sonja & John

Thank you for your donations in memory of Al Gotto............................................ North Battleford Walter Nelson .................................. North Battleford Charlotte Lahti ...........................................Battleford David W. Shury .........................................................

Dean Williams.................................. North Battleford Dr. Iain Weston ................................ North Battleford Neil Speers Wettergreen ................. North Battleford Dr. Madhav Sas ............................... North Battleford Gilbert (Gib) Mitchell ..................................Battleford Allan Ray ........................................................ Meota Kay Williams-Puls .....................................................

Max Hesselson .........................................................

Walter Dubnyk ..........................................................

Janet Beckman ..........................................Battleford Gordon E. Thomson ........................ North Battleford Cyril Fransoo ................................... North Battleford Morley Dickson ................................ North Battleford Marilyn Kahl ..................................... North Battleford Charles (Bud) Huard........................ North Battleford Jason Ford....................................... North Battleford Jim (James) Johnson ...................... North Battleford Sally Lazarowich.............................. North Battleford Winston Tait ..................................... North Battleford Everett York ..................................... North Battleford Steve Rawlyk ................................... North Battleford

Given with Love to enhance patient care

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

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

FUNERAL SERVICES

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In Loving Memory of

Laura Prescesky One year ago September 11, 2016

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My staff and I would like to thank Peter and Olesya Cziakowski of Biggar SK and surrounding communities for a very warm welcome and helping us have a very successful Auction. If you need an auction, please call me, I’d like to talk to you! Thank you, Doug from Ukrainetz Auction-Theodore SK306-647-2661 or 306-641-6022 or ukrainetzauction@hotmail.com Feel free to check our website: www.ukrainetzauction.com Sincerely, Doug Ukrainetz Ukrainetz Auction Ltd. clk.

Family Owned with Family Pride since 1961.

Our Lives go on without you But nothing is the same We have to hide our heartache When someone speaks your name Sad are the hearts that love you Silent are the tears that fall Living without you is the hardest part of all You did so many things for us Your heart was so kind and true And when we needed someone We could always count on you The special years will not return When we are all together But with the love in our hearts You walk with us forever Always loved & remembered by your daughter Elaine, Blake & Michael

TUESDAY’S BEST

ONLINE

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$209,000 - 1422-109th Street, North Battleford. 1120 sq.ft. 1968 built bungalow with finished basement complete with 2 basement suites and single detached garage. www.fmappraisals.com/sales or call 1-306-937-5073 Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

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

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AUCTIONS

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ANNIVERSARIES

IN MEMORIAM

CHEERS TO 50 YEARS!

Sharing Grief’s Journey From Mourning To Joy

Please join us in celebrating

50th Wedding Anniversary

St. Joseph Calasanctius Chruch

September 16, 2017

New Sessions start Monday, September 18th 2017

Battleford Legion Hall 262-22nd Street, Battleford, SK

For information, please call” Sue 306-445-6658 or Denise 306-441-3338

7:00 pm Social and Program

CARD OF THANKS

In Loving Memory

Thank You!

2017 Fin Island Trail Run would like to thank the following sponsors and volunteers:

Laura Madelaine Prescesky August 26, 1928 - September 11, 2016

In Loving Memory of a dear mother who passed away one year ago.

Mom you are deeply loved and sadly missed each and every day by your son Jim (Debbie), grandson Donald (Ashley) and great grandson Luke Prescesky

Volunteers • Lexea Fauth • Laurel Fauth • Richard Lalonde • Adele Sperle • Kent Lindgren • José Pruden • Calvin Kobelsky • Karen Highton • Slade Pruden • Garrett Hainault • Nicole Carter • Jaxson Carter • Zara Carter • Safia Carter • Ryan Bater

Sponsors • Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre • BATC-CDC • Sask Lotteries • Battlefords Hotel Association • McDonald’s Restaurant North Battleford

• • • •

Gold Eagle Lodge SaskTel Pipes Fitness MNP - Meyers Norris Penny • Destination Battlefords • Elias Giannoulis Memorial

A Special Thank You to the City of North Battleford and Town of Battleford Works Department

Committee • Jes Kohut • Sandra Favel-Rewerts • Erin Kobelsky • Kate Hildebrand • Lynn Brightwell

Battlefords Hotel Association

Kids medals and The Elias Giannoulis Memorial Awards donated in loving memory by the Giannoulis Family

TO BOOK CLASSIFIED ADS CALL 306-445-7261

Regional Optimist NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the Estate of DONNA LYNN DUGAN, late of Battleford, in the Province of Saskatchewan, deceased.

ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 15th day of September, 2017.

Demmans Baldwin Friedman Frank Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291-102nd Street, Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Proposed Administratrix

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the Estate of JUDITH LORRAINE WILLIAMS, late of North Battleford, in the Province of Saskatchewan, deceased.

ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 22th day of September, 2017.

Demmans Baldwin Friedman Frank Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291-102nd Street, Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Executor

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Try our new self-serve tool to place your classified ad!

battlefordnewsoptimist.adperfect.com REGISTRATIONS

BATTLEFORDS ADULT Co-ed Recreational Volleyball LEAGUE Meeting & Registration Wed., SEPT. 20th 7:30 pm Don Ross Centre, Room 101 LEAGUE FEE: $350.00 due at registration.

24 TEAM LIMIT

CONTACT: Gord Winfield 306-481-3927 or (w) 306-445-6272

Battlefords Intermediate/Competitive VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE

AGM and REGISTRATION Monday, September 18th

7:00 - 8 :00 p.m.

Don Ross Room #108

NEW TEAMS WELCOME For more information: battlefordsrecvolleyball@gmail.com

In the Estate of STEPHEN RAWLYK, late of North Battleford, in the Province of Saskatchewan, deceased.

ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 15th day of September, 2017.

Demmans Baldwin Friedman Frank Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291-102nd Street, Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Executors

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Weekend calls Personalized Service

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Village of Mervin

Public Notice - Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendments Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Village of Mervin intends to adopt two (2) bylaws under the Planning and Development Act, 2007, to amend Bylaw No. 118-15, known as the Official Community Plan (OCP) and another bylaw to amend Bylaw 117-15, known as the Zoning Bylaw.

INTENT: The proposed OCP amendment is to create a Mobile Home District within the municipality. The proposed ZB amendment is to add in new definitions, modular and mobile home regulations, include mapping and regulations for the new mobile home district, discretionary use evaluation criteria within certain districts.

AFFECTED LAND: The affected lands of this OCP amendment are lands lying withing the jurisdiction of the Village of Mervin.

REASON: The reason for the OCP amendment is to provide the following: Create a new mobile home district within the municipality.

The reason for the Zoning Bylaw is to provide the following:

4.

5.

Remove the following definitions: building floor area, gross floor area Include the following definitions: residential building footprint, move-in residential building Within in general regulations for modular and mobile homes that all units must be newer than six (6) years of age at time of application, date of manufacture is to be shown through registration or bill of sale, the replacement of the unit requires a new permit, and a photo of each side of the unit is to be submitted.

Rezone a portion of the municipality into the Mobile Home District and provide the regulations associated with the zoning district.

Within the Residential District, include discretionary use evaluation criteria, and reduce the minimum floor area for a dwelling to be 83.61 sq. metres (900 sq. ft.).

PUBLIC INSPECTION: Any person may inspect the bylaw and map at the Village Office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. as well as between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday to Thursday, excluding any statutory Holidays. Copies will be available to the public at a cost of $30 or by emailing villageofmervin@littleloon.ca and asking for a copy.

PUBLIC HEARING: For these Bylaw amendments will be held at the Mervin Village Council Meeting on Monday, September 18, 2017 from 7:30 - 8:30 pm.

Issued by the Village of Mervin this 18th day of August, 2017.

Lora Hundt, Municipal Administrator

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NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

1.

2.

3.

MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES FOR SALE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the Estate of GORDON WILFRED GAMBLE, late of Leask, in the Province of Saskatchewan, deceased.

ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 15th day of September, 2017.

Demmans Baldwin Friedman Frank Barristers & Solicitors 201, 1291-102nd Street, Box 905 North Battleford, Saskatchewan S9A 2Z3 Solicitors for the Executors

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

1.

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 27

www.newsoptimist.ca

PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND. PREMIUM PRICES PAID WITH QUICK PAYMENT.

RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-955-2266 saskfarms@shaw.ca

• 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 A-1 Service, Will shingle, Will build fences and decks, Do Painting, Install Metal Fascia Soffit, Renovations etc. Phone 306-445-8439 or 306-441-3690 Book Now For all your stucco needs - specialize in acrylic stucco, Older homes redone in acrylic finish, foam basements.

Phone 1+(306)-843-3332 1+(306)441-4099

FEED & SEED

HEATED CANOLA WANTED!!

- GREEN CANOLA - SPRING THRASHED - DAMAGED CANOLA FEED OATS WANTED!!

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

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

SASK FARMS & RANCHES FOR ALL OF YOUR BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS Contact Darren Sander (306) 441-6777

85 Registered Sales So Far in 2017!

LLOYDMINSTER: 414 ac - approx. 367 cult. ac., assess. 115,590/qtr.

LANE REALTY Saskatchewan's Farm & Ranch Specialists™

WITH OVER 35 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS

PHONE:

(306) 569-3380 EMAIL:

lanerealtycorp@sasktel.net www.lanerealty.com

° Very HigH yielding ° excellent dual PurPose: Forage or grain ° reduced awn, ideal For swatH grazing, silage, greenFeed, late Fall or early sPring grazing ° low inPuts = HigHer ProFits 8 out oF 10 years winter wHeat nets more ProFit tHan any otHer croP EXTREMELY HARDY idea For First time growers For more details contact: mastinseeds.com 403-556-2609

1&2 Bedroom Suites

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a total of 590 QUARTER SECTIONS SOLD across saskatchewan

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ROOMS

Great References Available

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STEEL BUILDINGS/GRANARIES * Economical * Pre-engineered * Steel framed, fabric covered buildings. Call 1-877-397-1594 or go to www.guard-all.com for a free quote.

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

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RENTALS & LEASES Two bedroom apartments to rent in Regina East Co-operative for Retired Couples, Renovated, screened in balcony, free parking & laundry. Security doors. Reasonable rent. Close to banks and shopping. Call 306- 789-7970

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

North West College

North West College is Currently Accepting Applications for the Following Position: Reception/Career Centre Clerk, Leave Replacement Battlefords Campus Posting #67-BC-1718

Reporting to the Registrar, the Reception/Career Centre Clerk positions provide clerical support for the Career Centre, Student Services personnel and Community and Individual Development programs.

Compensation: $22.10 per hour, with excellent benefits package Term: October 2, 2017 - September 28, 2018 For a complete position profile, and application visit www.northwestcollege.ca.

Applications will be received until Noon on September 14, 2017.

www.northwestcollege.ca

Page 28 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Heavy equipment

SCRAPER OPERATORS

for late model CAT equip. Camp job.

Competitive wages, plus R & B. Valid drivers license req’d.

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

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

Get online training you need from an employer-trustedprogram. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855-7683362 to start training for your workat-homecareer today!

Regional Optimist

www.newsoptimist.ca

LEGAL / PUBLIC NOTICES

PETS

ADOPT A PET

Hey guys my name is Moe and me and my siblings were found by some nice people and were all brought in here to the shelter so that they could help us find our forever homes and families. I am a very sweet girl that loves attention and affection. I also love to curl up in that great big warm ball that shines through the window and take long naps. If your thinking of adding a new furr baby to your home and family then come on down to the shelter today.

Hey guys my name is Maylee and I am here at the shelter looking for a second chance at love and a forever home. I am a super sweet girl with so much love and affection to give. I love to be pet and snuggled and I love to play. I am also quite happy and content to just curl up at your feet or In the same room as you. If your thinking of adding a new furr baby to your home and family then come on down to the shelter today.

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

PETS

FREE

12 ZEBRA FINCHES TEXT ONLY 306-480-9996

Application for Re: Liquor Permit

(Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997) Notice is hereby given that Emerald Dubois has applied to the Liquor and Gaming Authority for a Tavern Permit to sell alcohol in premises known as South Bay Inn at Turtle Lake, Saskatchewan. of which the following is a correct legal description: Land Location: Lot 6 Block 3 72B09981 Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with the SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this Notice.

Every person filing a written objection with SLGA shall state their name, address and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objection(s). Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds and be legible. Each signatory to the petition, and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious, or competition-based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Write to:

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority P.O. Box 5054 Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3M3

Date at North Battleford, Saskatchewan, this 7th day of 2017.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

WANTED

Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc. is currently looking for a

Route 61

Temporary Full-Time Finance Clerk

15th Street 100 Blk. • 16th Street W 100 Blk. 17th Street W 100 Blk. 18th Street W 100 Blk 105 papers

Please view the full job advertisement in the careers section on our company website:

Route 63

FULL-TIME

www.brt6hc.ca

Pharmacy

Battlesprings Way • Battle River Place • Battleford Place Battlesprings Lane • Battlesprings Place Battlesprings Drive • Battlesprings Cove • Battlesprings Terris 81 papers

ASSISTANT/TECHNICIAN

FOR MORE DETAILS CALL CHUCK Monday to Friday ~ 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

at 306-445-7261 OR Leave Message if after hours or weekends

892-104th Street, North Battleford, SK

306-445-7261

Busy dispensary with friendly outgoing staff require a FULL-TIME Technician/Assistant.

Certification not required but experience is essential.

Some evenings and Saturdays.

No Sundays or holidays.

Applicants must be motivated possess superior organization skills and work well both independently and as part of team.

Apply with resumé to

Fisher’s Drug Store

1501-100th Street, North Battleford, SK No phone calls please.

Only those with interviews will be contacted.

•

Town of Cut Knife is offering a career opportunity as an

ADMINISTRATOR

FOR THE MUNICIPALITY

Serafina Energy is now hiring for the following positions: Edam/Meota Facility: • Well Operators (2) • Plant Operators (5) • Steam Process Operators (3)

Serafina Energy Ltd. is a Canadian, private, start-up, heavy oil company with properties strategically comprised of high-quality, proven, low risk assets. Serafina is currently in the process of designing and building its second 6,000 bbl/d SAGD facility near Meota, SK. Please visit our website at www.serafinaenergy.com for more

Preference would be that the candidate have experience with the Munisoft software ledgers as well as the Microsoft Office software. Ideally a certification in place would be a definite asset.

However with adequate business experience and willingness to obtain the LGA certificate would be required.

For more information please call

306-398-7617

Resumés can be sent to

gwenn.kaye@gmail.com or by mail to Gwenn Kaye PO Box 452 Cut Knife, SK S0M 0N0

information about these job opportunities and to learn more Resumes can be sent to careers@serafinaenergy.com

about our company.

SERAFINA ENERGY LTD.

Try our new self-serve tool to place your classified ad!

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Regional Optimist

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The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 29

Shoplifting issue subject of chamber forum

By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Local merchants got together at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce offices recently to find out what they could do to deal with criminal activity impacting their stores.

The activity they were concern about is shoplifting. Chamber members have long been vocal about the issue for years, an issue that has cost businesses thousands of dollars in lost merchandise.

Spearheading the setup of this meeting was Brett Payne of Canadian Tire and Janice Sander, chamber director and property manager of Frontier Centre. Both had reported their businesses and tenants have been hard-hit by a rash of shoplifting issues and they were looking for information.

“Theft is a big issue in this area,” said Payne.

At the chamber meeting Wednesday night, the audience heard from RCMP Sgt. Christopher Stephens about the enforcement aspect, from lawyer Eldon Lindgren about their

stores’ legal rights, and by Harris Sutherland of Gold Eagle Casino about tips and tricks on how to deal with shoplifting.

Stephens noted the RCMP responds to active shoplifting while the other calls would be handled by the community safety officers.

He provided tips on how to assist the RCMP, including photos and videos, by considering the location and the angle of cameras when installing, by providing pictures of any scars or tattoos the suspects might have, and by gathering information on vehicles they leave with, including makes and models and directions on where the vehicle went.

Serial numbers were also a good thing to have to help police track items and notify pawnshops about them.

“To lay charges of theft is hard,” Stephens said.

“You have to prove that somebody actually took that piece of merchandise and walked out of the store with it.”

He noted this was very hard to prove without serial

numbers. With serial numbers “we have much more to go on,” he said.

Stephens also said it was a good idea for retailers to work together, in terms of sharing pictures and so on. He also provided some advice about the difference between a loss prevention officer versus a security guard. A security guard provides a uniformed presence to deter shoplifters, while a loss prevention officer would “blend-in” and be trained to catch shoplifters and detain them while waiting for police to arrive.

“One may be more appropriate for you than the other,” Stephens said.

Lindgren’s presentation focused on legal ramifications of what storeowners could and could not do. As some examples, they had the right to make a citizen’s arrest, and could arrest anyone who you find committing an offence. It also must be done at the time the offence is occurring.

But making a citizen’s arrest within the store poses problems, as Lindgren noted the individual could always claim they were in-

With Chamber director Janice Sander writing things down, chamber members heard from presenters Harris Sutherland, Eldon Lindgren and Sgt. Christopher Stephens on the issue of shoplifting. Photo by John Cairns

tending to pay for the item.

“You have that right, but you want to wait until they leave the premises,” said Lindgren.

Lindgren also reminded merchants about the Human Rights Code, and to be careful of targeting people of any particular race, colour, religion, sexual ori-

COMING EVENTS Friday, September 15 Harvest Super and Barn Dance from 5:00 - 11:00 p.m. at the Western Development Museum. Doors open 5:00 p.m. Live history show at 6:30 p.m. Dance to the tunes of Leon Ochs & Friends from 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. For more information contact Shirely Maze 306-445-8033.

Friday, September 15 Harvest Supper & Barn Dance at the Western Development Museum at 5:00 p.m. Dance with Leon Ochs.

Saturday, September 16 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.

AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS

If someone’s drinking troubles you attending Al-Anon Family Group provides understanding and support. Meetings Monday at 7:00 p.m. and Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, corner of 15th Ave. & 108th Street. Contacts 306-937-7765, 306-937-7289 or 306-441-9324.

Thursday, September 7 Special Olympics Battlefords will be holding a registration night from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce building at the junction of Hwy. 16 and 40.Volunteers and athletes are welcome to come and register for swimming and bowling.

Thursday, September 7 Walk a Mile in Her Shoes - the International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence at Freedom Skate & Snow parking lot, 1318 - 100th Street from 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. Fundraiser to support Battlefords & Area Sexual Assault Centre.

Sunday, September 10 Neighbourhood Wellness Block Party, The North Battleford Good Neighbor Network and The Battlefords and District Labour Council is having a Community Block Party at 1200 block of 107th Street from 12:00 - 5:00 pm. Everything is free. Live music, food, prizes and fun. If you wish to donate toward the event, help, entertain, have a community wellness booth space for more information please call Steven 306-446-0415.

Mondays, September 11 - October 16 LiveWell with Chronic Conditions. Are you living with a chronic (ongoing) health condition? Or care for someone who is?

Would you like to learn better coping skills? Prairie North Health Region is offering a FREE workshop for 6 weeks from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. at the North Battleford Library. We do require pre-registration, class sizes limited. For information or to register call 1-888-922-5867 or 306-446-8613.

Tuesday, September 12 Seniors Fun Day at St. Joseph Hall 1942, 98th Street from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Entertainment by Nifty 50’s. Lunch & bingo. All seniors welcome.

Friday, September 15 Ears and Beers Supper at the Battleford Legion Hall, 262 - 22nd Street. Happy hour starts at 4:30 p.m. Call 306-445-1983 for more information.

Waseca Community Centre, 201 Railway Avenue - Fun and activities for all ages - Pancake Breakfast, BBQ Lunch, Bicycle and Pet Parade, Farmers Market, Displays & Demonstrations, Music, Games & Activities. Phone Brenda 780-205-8209, Arlee 306-893-4231 or Shannon 306-490-8483. Everyone welcome.

Free admission.

Monday, September 18 - November 6 Sharing Grief’s Journey - A support group for those struggling with the loss of a loved one. Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for 8 weeks. For more information call Sue at 306-445-6658 or Denise at 306-441-3338.

Tuesday, September 19 Beginners Pottery Hand Building Class at ARC Creative Studios 1102 - 101st Street, North Battleford from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. for 8 weeks. For more information and to register please contact Joanne at joanne.riverswing@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 23 Fall Fair - Trade Show and Craft Show at the Western Development Museum starting at 11:00 a.m. Free to attend. Enter your name in for a draw for a one night stay at the Saskatoon Travelodge.

Wednesday, September 27 Borden Senior’s Potluck Supper & Birthdays, Club Room at 5:45 p.m.

Friday, September 29 Borden Farmers’ Market Appreciation Day - Borden Fire Hall, free goodies & beverages from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 30 Borden’s Annual Threshing Day 2 miles north of Borden Cemetery, parade at noon, cook car, demos, threshing, museum open 3:00 - 7:00 p.m., beef supper in hall from 5:00 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 30 Topline Social Dance Club - Gold Tones at 1352 - 100th Street, North Battleford Royal Canadian Legion from 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight. For more information phone Sharon at 306-446-0446, Leela 306-445-7240 and Jean 306-445-8815.

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 306445-3223. 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.

entation or other reasons.

Sutherland noted “thieves come in all shapes and sizes.” A lot of thieves would wear business attire because “they know that’s not what you guys are looking at.”

He particularly noted the problem of theft from employees. About “60 to 70 per cent of all theft is by your own employees,” said Sutherland.

For clothing thefts, he noted change rooms are a

common area to put clothing on underneath their own clothes. He urged people to watch out for bags as well.

Another trick shoplifters use: the old baby-ina-carriage trick, with the carriage being used to sneak merchandise out of the store.

“One of my cashiers went to look at the baby and there was no baby in there,” said Payne. “There was a DeWalt tool in there.”

BBEX finalists announced Staff

The finalists have been announced for the Battlefords Business Excellence Awards happening on Oct. 3.

Awards will be handed out in eight categories and the nominations in seven of them were announced Friday. The nominees are as follows: In the Community Contribution category the nominees are Gutters Bowling and Game Centre, Scott Campbell Dodge Ltd. and Ultra Print Services Inc.; In Marketing the nominees were Caleb Village, Home Building Centre of North Battleford and North Battleford Hyundai; For New Business Venture, nominees are Aaron M. Cadrin – Investment and Insurance, Battlefords Hearing Centers Inc., CrossFit North Battleford, and Dental on Main.

For Micro Business, nominees are Aaron M. Cadrin – Investment and Insurance, Action Realty ASM Ltd., Aurora Boutique, CrossFit North Battleford, and Nova Fitness Centre.

For Customer Service,

nominees are Blend Restaurant, Bralin Technology Solutions, Caleb Village, Four K Auto Service, Nova Fitness Centre & Massage, Scott Campbell Dodge Ltd., and The Cup Café & Bakery.

Finally, in Battlefords’ Best Employer category the nominees are Ilta Grain Ltd., Innovation Credit Union, and North Battleford DQ Grill and Chill.

The seventh category is the Heritage Award category which is the only category in which the recipient is announced prior to the BBEX Awards Event.

This year’s recipient is Sallows and McDonald / Wilson and Zehner Funeral Home.

As has been the case in recent years, the Business of the Year Award is selected from all finalists in the above categories, excluding the Heritage Award.

All awards will be presented at the Gala Evening, Tuesday, October 3 at the Dekker Centre. Tickets are $100 and can be obtained by calling the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce at 306-445-6226.

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

If you want to stop, we can help.

CALL ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 446-6166

Page 30 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

Regional Optimist

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Don’t think, don’t feel, don’t tell, just get on with life “Don’t tell me that you are still enjoying the drudgery of gardening?

By this time of the year, you should be glad that frost may strike and start shutting your garden down,” Ed said when he called yesterday.

I told Ed that I don’t think about what might happen like frost coming early or late.

At my age, it doesn’t pay to think or feel happy, sad, good or bad, because who would care anyway?

I could tell my cat about what I find a drudgery, or I’m so happy that I could dance, but the cat would not be impressed and take his nap per usual.

Ed, my old neighbour, said that I sounded negative. He asked are you doing OK? So, I got a little defensive, “Did you phone from Saskatchewan to ask me endless questions? I am the same old same old, no better no worse. If I decide to change my name or reinvent myself, I’ll let you know so that you won’t be surprised.”

My old neighbour commented that he thought I sounded crankier than usual.

I conceded that he could be right, but I did not think or feel that was true. If it were true, I would not tell anyone about it.

eighbourly Advice According to Ed

By Raymond Maher www.accordingtoed.com

revraymaher@accesscomm.ca

I asked Ed if he noticed that everyone seemed to be declaring that they were this or that in rallies and protests.

I said that it is unsettling with people stating that they are for or against immigration, White Supremacists, Nazi supporters, etc. sometimes with violence.

They need to be older

because they may not remember which cause they support. I could see old geezers like me going to a rally and siding with the wrong side of the protesters. At our age, if we start talking to someone, we may forget what we came for in the first place.

Ed said that rallies and protests are about

people declaring their identity as a mob, the bigger the crowd, the better. He said, “It happens at a hockey game all the time fans identifying with their team and the louder they cheer, the better the chance of their team winning.

Everyone takes a side.

Everything is about being for or against something. If people remain neutral, they will get run over by those who take sides.”

I think Ed makes a good point, for with many people if you do not agree with them you are an enemy. My side or no side is a dangerous road to follow. No one knows everything

and what we do know may be used by us for good or evil. Free speech and identifying what we stand for can become a blessing to others or an opportunity for hate and violence. Money can save or destroy, fire can warm or burn, water can sustain life or flood it away.

What we think, feel, and not tell, can be right or evil depending on what we do with them.

For those of us who identify with Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, we are called not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We are to be living sacrifices of love towards others even those not on our side.

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

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

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

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

Summer services on July 9 & 23 & Aug. 13 & 27.

Weekly services begin again on Sept. 3.

PASTOR: Fr. Anthony Afangide, M.S.P.

1401 - 98th St., North Battleford, 306-445-5901

306-446-1695

DAILY: Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Fri. - 9 a.m. unless otherwise noted

SUNDAY 10:30 a.m.

WEEKEND: Saturdays - 7:30 p.m. Sundays - 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Everyone Welcome

Community Baptist Church

Battlefords Grace Community Church

Sunday Morning Service - 11:00 a.m.

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

Canadian National Baptist Convention

Everyone Welcome

1202 - 103 Street, North Battleford, SK 306-446-3077 PASTOR: RON BRAUN

Pastor: Bill Hall

Everyone Welcome

WORSHIP SERVICES - 11 a.m. Sunday

Hope Mennonite Fellowship

Pastor Patrick Carty

Sunday Worship 10:30 am

1291 - 109th Street, North Battleford

SUNDAY - 11:00 a.m. - Worship Service

Weekly programs to resume in the fall 1231 - 104th Street North Battleford “A Community of believers seeking Phone 306-445-7777 more of God’s presence” www.emmanuelfellowship.ca

Pastor Gerhard Luitjens & Abel & Sonya Zabaleta (Spanish Ministry)

Church Phone 306-445-4181

All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Parish 902 - 108th Street, North Battleford DIVINE LITURGY Every 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of the month: 9:00 a.m.

Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month: 12:00 p.m.

Contact: Fr. Ivan Derkach - 306-937-3767

TerriTorial Drive alliance church

Notre Dame (RC) Parish Corner of 104th Street & 12th Avenue Rev. Father Cuong Luong MASSES: Saturdays - 7:00 p.m.

Sundays - 11:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

OFFICE 306-445-3836

Email: notredame.nb@gmail.com www.notredameparish.ca EVERYONE WELCOME

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

Phone 306-937-7340 PASTOR - Fr. Roque S. Concepcion Saturday Evening Mass - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass - 10:30 a.m.

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

306-937-3177 Rev. Gayle Wensley

SUNDAY SERVICES 11:00 a.m.

Third Avenue United Church Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School 1301 - 102nd Street, Phone 306-445-8171 Rev. Frances Patterson

Everyone Welcome

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

ANGLICAN PARISH

1372 102 St 306-445-3009

Living Water Ministry

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

Battlefords Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Rev. Trevor Malyon

St. George’s Anglican Church - 9:00 a.m.

191 - 24th Street West, Battleford, SK

1302 - 99th Street North Battleford, SK

St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle Roman Catholic Church DELMAS - Fr. Roque S. Concepcion SUNDAY MASS - 9:00 a.m.

Box 10, Delmas, SK

S0M 0P0

Phone 306-937-7340

Sunday Evening Service 7:00 p.m.

Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

1371 - 103rd Street (Use East Door)

SUNDAY SERVICES

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

Pastor: Rev. Allen Huckabay

nd

1702 - 106th Street, North Battleford

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

Pastor James Kwon

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

Phone 306-445-9096

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

Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.

Regional Optimist

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Unity goes back to school

By Sherri Solomko Correspondent

Happy anniversary to my husband as we celebrated a cool 31 years yesterday; still not sure how all of that time passed so quickly but I know for certain the weather was this nice back then, too.

Sadly, harvest had a tragic outcome for a Tramping Lake as the longstanding elevator there was destroyed by fire; another Saskatchewan disappearing landmark gone. Owned by brothers, the elevator was had just had 35,000 bushels of yellow peas stored from four days of harvest. Once again, this family and our communities need to be thankful for our volunteer fire departments as the combined efforts of Kerrobert, Unity and Wilkie fire departments who aided in protecting surrounding property as well as bringing this blaze under control.

After meeting Duron Carter and Naman Roosevelt in person at the Macklin Riderville Block Party on Aug. 27, it was even more fun to see them in action at the Labour Day Classic at Mosaic stadium.

The facility alone provides a wow factor but how this green team is coming together, finally might I add.

School is officially back in session. Sept. 5 saw the streets around schools once again humming with traffic and action as students and teachers headed back to class.

At UCHS, back to school doesn’t just mean classes; it means cross country season has begun as well as Warrior football season is underway. And, volleyball season is also now in session. Drama auditions have been taking place for the upcoming winter drama productions. As well, SLC, SADD and other school groups are reconvening planning out their year of activity. Although the hallways are missing some of those familiar faces of the 2017 grad class, UCHS is also blessed with a whole new batch of students who merged over from both St. Peter’s and UPS to start their high school experi-

nity News ence in Grade 7. Welcome Week activities will take place in the next couple of weeks and everyone knows at UCHS, they all hit the ground running as far as kick-starting the school year with both curriculum and extra curricular activity.

At Unity Public School, their hallways are a little different as well as last year’s Grade 6 class is now part of UCHS while a whole new batch of Kindergarten students have joined them. Upcoming for UPS is their annual SCC sponsored welcome back pancake breakfast. School picture day is slated for Sept. 21. I will keep you posted on all of the exciting updates and activity coming up this year at Unity Public School.

St. Peter’s school is also feeling the absence of their Grade 6 class from last year but welcome the brand new students that have arrived to start Kindergarten this year at St. Peter’s School.

Cross country activity is already underway for the St. Peter’s Saints and they too, will hit the ground running with curriculum and extra curricular activity upcoming. Lots of updates to come about our staff and students at. St. Peter’s school.

Rink season is around the corner! It won’t be long before a full-fledged hockey and skating season will be taking place at the hockey rink side with curling season underway in October. Stay tuned for updates on what is happening at Unity’s Recreation Arena this fall.

Whether you are a hockey player, skater or fan at the Unity arena, you will be impressed with the recent upgrades that took place over the summer.

Unity’s Parks and Recreation Director, Ryan Doetzel, says, “The Town of Unity received some grant money through the Canada 150 grant program this year. This is a grant where

through federal funding they would help cover partial costs of certain upgrades. Through planning, careful consideration and input from the residents we came up with a few projects that we knew would really benefit our community and especially the residents that use the rink either as participants or spectators.”

The three projects that were part of this upgrading process included LED lights over the rink surface eliminating the shadows that were created by the former lighting. The second project was to install E-Foil ceiling, which carry some very beneficial points that include a brighter atmosphere due to the reflective silver material as well as helping with the heating and cooling issues in the building. A dehumidifier was also installed to help remove moisture so that it will not linger and potentially affect the ice in any way.

With Unity excited about the return to Unity Miners hockey after a oneyear hiatus; in addition to the multiple minor hockey teams expected on the ice once again, the rink is looking very bright for the upcoming season.

Speaking of the rink, congratulations to Shea Berger who won a gold medal as part of the Canada Cowboys U12 AAA hockey event in Finland over August long weekend.

And one more notice about the rink – the annual novice, atom, pee wee and bantam 3-on-3 tournament begins Sept. 25 and runs to Oct. 7 with registration to be done through Dan Feser at 306-228-8076. Guaranteed minimum of three games and offers great conditioning before hockey season officially starts up.

As well, minor hockey registration takes place tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the community centre lobby with the annual used equipment sale as part of the registration night.

The Unity golf club had plenty of excitement on men’s night Aug. 30, when 93-year-old Si Campbell sunk a hole in one on hole

three. Way to keep golfing, ageless Si, and way to keep the rest of us wondering if we can be like Si when we grow up. Also, congratulations Unity Golf Club champions 2017: Super Senior, Lee Mamer; Senior Ladies, Terry Mamer; Ladies, Arissa Henning; Men, Dale Robertson and; Senior Men, John Alexander. Today on the course is the annual fundraising golf tournament for the ground floor hall initiative.

It is less than four weeks away until the annual Unity Fall Fair and Trade Show, set to take place Sept. 29 and 30. Remember the trade show booths book up early so if you are considering showcasing your business or product, contact an Ag Society member soon to book your spot or call the town office at 306-228-2621.

You can come out and celebrate the Wheatland Regional Library in Unity on Sept. 14 from 4 p.m. as they are marking their 50th birthday with cake and prizes.

Coming up next weekend is the Memorial Walk in memory of Cole Bosch and those affected by mental illness and suicide. Join them Sept. 16 at AG Foods parking lot with a barbecue at noon and walk at 4 p.m.

Balloons will be available for names of loved ones who have passed away and balloon release will take place at the end of the walk. All donations and proceeds will go towards Adult Mental Health Initiatives.

The Unity Chamber of Commerce is hosting a social media workshop for businesses on Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the community centre hall. Contact Carey at 306-228-2621 by Sept. 13 to register.

The weekly Unity Farmer’s Market only goes

The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017 - Page 31

Si Campbell, 93, a regular at the Unity golf course as well as well known in the community for his long time commitment to the Unity Legion, Unity United Church and other community activities and organizations, sank a hole in one during Men’s Night Playoffs on Aug. 30 leaving his much younger counterparts both in awe and in envy of his continued skill on the links. 2017 has been a great year for Campbell as he also won this year’s Citizen of the Year award, presented on June 4. Photo by Sherri Solomko

to Sept. 22 so if you don’t have a garden or your garden turned out less than ideal, you can always head down to the weekly Farmer’s Market every Friday at the Legion.

Way to go, organizers!

A most unique event was held at the Unity long term care unit when long time loves Maxi Sword and Willie Thalheimer were wed at the LTC on Aug. 16. The event came complete with wedding decor, officiator, cake, music and plenty of celebrations. Willie was a long time bachelor finally daring to take the matrimonial plunge. Maxi has been a long time resident at the LTC unit and served up daily smiles and loves to all who knew here; that’s why it was such a treat

Better Plan

Better Life...

for them to all be present at this unique, celebratory and special event.

Coffee row folks are abuzz with so many things these days! They are wondering what is going down in political world with all of the recent resignations, retirements and shuffles.

The hum around a resurgence of activity now that school is back in session and activities have begun is also evident at these coffee tables. Harvest is never far from anyone’s mind as former ag producers and family of those in the ag industry are hopeful for a better harvest season than last year. 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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Page 32 - The Battlefords, Thursday, September 7, 2017

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