Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Vol. 43, No. 18
ads@weeklyreview.ca
$1 includes GST
YOUR LOCAL PAPER
Brettzky’s cancelled for 2020 There will be no cheering on of hockey players from the stands during the Brettzky’s Hockey Challenge this year. The sixth annual event, which was to be held from Aug. 7-9 at the Viking Carena Complex, cannot go ahead due to provincial guidelines around the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's unfortunate," said board member Todd Ritchie, confirming the cancellation was "due to the ongoing social distancing restriction for our community." On April 23, the province stated that "gathering restrictions currently in place were confirmed to apply to one-time or annual summer events." That means no gatherings of more than 15 people are allowed effectively eliminating many of the usual summer events taking place in the small towns and villages of Beaver County. Ritchie said the "writing was on the wall" that Brettzky’s, a very popular event in Viking, will not proceed. "It
affects the whole town," he said. "We just decided that due to the regulations around public events we would need to cancel," he said, noting this year there would have been 12 participating teams with a total of 180 players. The crowds were getting bigger every year, with at least 500 people last year and "hundreds of volunteers that help us." Last year marked five years since Brettzky’s began, and earlier this year the committee donated $45,000 to 17 groups and organizations from the proceeds of the 2019 event. "Our mandate is to support local youth sports and activities and groups that contribute to the well being of the community," he said. "We're very disappointed to be cancelling this year's event but in the world we are in right now it is necessary to do so. It's going to be a different summer for everybody. "I know a lot of people comment on it and look forward to it. We're looking forward to putting on next year's event."
up a table there and sell them. "I am only asking for donations at the moment because I figured with everyone not working and this being a health issue, I couldn’t say no to someone who wanted one but couldn’t afford one." she said. "I have thought about donating some of the profit to the food bank if I sell enough of my masks." And the response has been terrific from those who have heard of her face mask project. Rachel Blyan, for instance, said on Facebook: "You are an amazing person
to be making masks for people. You are only charging what they can afford. Health before money…great job!" Said Erickson: "I have had good reviews so far, everyone loves them." But she is still tweaking her creation a little bit. "I have heard that they slip down off the nose a bit though and I have tried to adjust anyone’s mask that they weren’t happy with. "I’ve had a few people say they wanted them just to wear to get the mail or groceries because they are high risk and just don’t want to take any chances."
Patricia Harcourt Editor
Health care professional makes face masks for others Patricia Harcourt Editor
Sheila Erickson has stepped up to help others during this time of uncertainty and the coronavirus pandemic. She is making non-medical face masks for anyone who wants to protect themselves and others. And the response to her offer has been a very positive one. On social media, people are asking for the masks while others offer materials for her to make them with and the end products are in a variety of colours. Erickson is a Health Care Aide with Home Care and saw there might be a need for personal protective equipment, or PPE as they have come to be known, at her workplace. From there, it just branched out to the community in general. "I started making them just in case the medical grade ones weren’t available for myself and coworkers," she said. "As of right now, we are still able to get the medical grade ones but I had other people start to ask to make them masks when they heard what I was
doing. "Most of the people that have asked for the masks are probably 50+ plus. I have been making them out of cotton cloth and ponytail holders. I have two sizes, adults and kids. "I cut a rectangle of cloth and put pleats in the front of the mask and then sew the hair ties on the ends," she explains. "Most of the masks I have made are only one layer but I have had special requests of two layer masks which are thicker." Erickson said the masks can block someone from conveying droplets to others, but are not medical ones that protect the person wearing it. "They are just to keep the wearer from spreading anything to others," she said. It takes about half an hour to an hour to make a mask. "I have been trying to make a few at a time just so people have some options to pick from." Sales have been through Facebook and word of mouth so far but Erickson was thinking that, once the farmers market opens back up, she could put