The Community
Press Telling your story
Volume 112, Issue 30
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
$1 Including GST
BRSD considers closure
of Hardisty School
Celebrating the ‘good old hockey game’
LESLIE CHOLOWSKY PHOTO
Everyone from the small to the tall got a chance to play from Friday, Jan. 24, to Sunday, Jan. 26, in Killam as the Battle River Minor Hockey Association presented Minor Hockey Weekend. See photos Pg 26 & 27.
Is Sedgewick the next Kraft Hockeyville? Student Reporter
Kraft opened their Kraft Hockeyville contest on Jan. 1, where arenas from all across Canada are competing for $250,000, an NHL game hosted in their arena, as well as the title of Canada’s Kraft Hockeyville. With the newfound structural issues in the Wild Rose Co-op Recreation Centre, a opportunity like this has come around at just the right time. The grand prize would just about cover the roof repairs completely, which would be a relief to volunteers at the arena who are getting ready to organize an immense amount of fundraisers. It was Kari Sanders who put in the initial nomina-
tion for the Rec Centre. She says: “You can’t win if you don’t enter.” The “nominate and rally” phase of the contest is presently open. This is where you can earn “rally points” for your arena by: submitting a nomination story - worth 10 points; share on Twitter using the share button - worth five points; upload photos or videos of your arena worth three points; add a note - worth one point; and react with emojis (like, love, etc) on nomination stories, notes, photos, and videos - worth one point. The most important thing you can do during the “nominate and rally” phase is submit a story reminiscing about your experiences at the Rec Centre. These stories will mean the most to the
sulting with Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely on a conference call. “This is one of the major reasons we formed this Development Group - to establish a collective voice to speak and act on behalf of the people of Hardisty and its surrounding area. “Our group has been around for just over a year now. “I know Parent Council has been quite concerned about the well being of the school for some time. “They have been actively advocating on behalf of the school to ensure it remains intact.” Moser says that he’d like participants to remember that the upcoming town hall meeting’s focus will be on problem solving and moving forward.
A panel of judges will read each story, worth 80 per cent of the community's total score, and tally up the “rally points,” worth 20 per cent, to determine the top four entrants after March 13. The finalists will then go head to head in one round of voting to determine who will be crowned the next Kraft Hockeyville. The three communities that don’t win the grand prize will still receive a runner-up prize of $25,000
in arena upgrades, which would still help the Rec Centre out immensely. Kraft has awarded $3.5 million across 81 communities to local hockey arenas across Canada. Sedgewick is encouraging the entirety of Flagstaff to support the Wild Rose Co-op Recreation Centre in their time of need. The first and only time a Kraft Hockeyville winner has been in Alberta was back in 2014 when Sylvan
Lake’s arena roof collapsed and they beat out a local nomination. Sedgewick winning the title would remind the rest of Canada how strong the love for hockey is in the west. To post, share, and react to stories and photos in support of the Wildrose Co-op Recreation Centre visit: www.krafthockeyville.ca /#/community/11E9F686BB F2022881807B23EA662A6 3
Editor
BRK hosts Minor Hockey Weekend
Emily Tanton
The Battle River School Division (BRSD) notified parents and the Hardisty community that the Board of Trustees voted to consider closure of Allan Johnstone School in Hardisty at their meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23. After a warning that “Everything was on the table to balance the budget,” the board is also looking at potential closure of the Round Hill School, and at relocating Grades 10 to 12 from Ryley School, then consolidating Holden and Ryley into one K to Grade 9 site. Board Chair Norman Erickson said, “These are not decisions that will be made lightly. “We’ve been watching the enrollments of these schools; we’ve been considering a wide range of actions that will help us address our budget shortfall; and we’ve been listening to our stakeholder’s input through the online con-
sultation process.” The next stage of the board’s process will include public meetings, scheduled locally at AJS School for Wednesday, Feb. 12. One local group has been trying to work proactively to avoid closure. The Hardisty and District Development Group met with the BRSD in December, and has sent multiple letters to multiple ministers and the Premier, and have called an Emergency Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6. Chair Blake Moser says, “I believe the community has been aware of this possibility for some time now - especially since enrollment has been quite obviously declining over the past 10 years.” He says the group discussed the issue during their meeting two days earlier than the board, and had planned to call this meeting prior to BRSD’s announcement. Moser says the group discussed the issue, con-
Leslie Cholowsky
judges and drive home the community’s need for a grant. If you don’t have a story of your own, liking and sharing other people’s stories and photos could still be the tip of the iceberg for Sedgewick. Students at Central High Sedgewick Public School will soon be asked to add to the nomination page in an effort to help the building that was temporarily their school at the beginning of the school year. Other schools, groups, or organizations that have been impacted by the Wild Rose Co-op Recreation Centre are urged to use their numbers to support the cause. The “nominate and rally” phase ends Feb. 9, afterwhich there will be a judging phase.
“We have developed three scenarios to present to the community at our Feb. 6 meeting, and are looking for feedback. “Hopefully BRSD also comes to the table with options.”