The Community
Press Telling Your Story
Volume 115, Issue 4
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
$1 Including GST
Pope Francis makes historic visit to Alberta Pope Francis I made an historic visit to Alberta on July 24 in what he called a ʻpenitential pilgrimage.ʼ Thousands gathered as Francis visited Maskwacis on Monday where he again asked for forgiveness and expressed his sorrow for the Catholic Churchʼs role in Canadaʼs long-abolished residential school system. “Today I am here, in this land that, along with its ancient memories, preserves the scars of still open wounds. I am here because the first step of my penitential pilgrimage among you is that of again asking forgiveness, of telling you once more that I am deeply sorry. Sorry for the ways in which, regrettably, many Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the indigenous peoples. I am sorry. I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities co-operated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools.” The Pope will continue his travels throughout Canada until departing on Friday, July 29.
RCMP dealing with multiple fraud complaints Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Killam RCMP Detachment members have had a busy month, handling 111 calls for service in July to the 20th, just slightly down from 2021’s count of 130. RCMP received a complaint of a Peterbilt semi-tractor stolen from Forestburg. The unit was later discovered abandoned in Lougheed. Police also dealt with theft of two ATV units from Forestburg. In Killam, theft of gas was reported when gas was siphoned from a vehicle left at a business overnight. RCMP continue to receive multiple calls from the public about suspicious vehicles and person, and encourage those types of reports continue. Members responded to 11 reportable motor vehicle collisions, with one fatality. Many of the other collisions involved wildlife. Police have received multiple animal calls in July so far, with complaints of cows on the highway, cows on the side of the road, and cows on the wrong side of the fence. RCMP responded to five false alarms, and three false 911 calls. One of these was made by a piece of equipment, where a malfunction caused the equipment to call 911. Various break and enters occurred across the region. Police were called to an auction business in Daysland where the lock was cut. A number of break ins occurred in Forestburg, at a
auto repair business, and at the Fas Gas convenience store, where on July 16, thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes were taken. RCMP are actively investigating this file. A laptop was also reported stolen from the Forestburg Community Hall. Members responded to three complaints of Assault, and laid charges against an individual in one of the complaints. Members report an individual who was stopped in their vehicle, and who attempted to flee. RCMP did not pursue for public safety, but identified the driver and later charged that individual with criminal Flight from Police charges. RCMP received three fraud complaints. In one of those complaints, an individual reported that they had received a text from their telephone provider that said they had a credit on their bill, asking the individual to provide banking information to get a refund. The information was provided, but the victim then reported the incident to their bank. There was an attempt made a few days later to withdraw a substantial amount from the victim’s bank account. In a second complaint, the victim said they had received a call from the Governor General advising that the individual owed money. In this instance, the victim provided personal information, their Social Insurance Number, and $1,000 in gift cards. A third fraud complaint was related to a fraudulent stock purchase offer made through Facebook Messenger.
RCMP encourage anyone who receives an unexpected call about taxes owed, or any service ‘overpayment,’ or any service asking for personal or banking information to discuss the call with another person or in the latter case talk directly to their bank before providing any personal information or payment. Members were asked to perform wellbeing checks on four individuals; all were found safe and sound. RCMP handing out six warnings for speeding, and three tickets for no insurance. A report from the public regarding a suspected impaired driver led to Killam RCMP members arresting an individual in Viking for Impaired Driving. Cst. Nick Daigle would like to remind the public on when to call 9-1-1. “If something is in progress, if there’s a crime being committed or if it’s an emergency that requires policy presence, we urge you to call 9-11. Our 9-1-1 Operators are specially trained to assist you and to gather information about the incident.” Daigle says it’s fine to call the detachment administration line if a crime has already occurred, or you’re reporting an incident that happened previously.
as Monday, August 1 is HERITAGE DAY The Community Press will be closed that day.
Page 2 - The Community Press, Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Daysland helipad expansion planned to accommodate new STARS H145 Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced that beginning Thursday, July 21, the heliport at Daysland Health Centre will be temporarily closed as it undergoes upgrades to accommodate new and larger STARS Air Ambulances. AHS says, “Patient transfers will continue as needed via a temporary landing area designated adjacent to the hospital. “AHS is committed to ensuring timely access to quality healthcare for patients at Daysland Health Centre. There will be no impact to patient care or hospital operations.”
It is expected that the work will take about three months, to bring the helipad in accordance with Transport Canada requirements. AHS says, “An assesment of 30 heliports across the province was done to determine what would be required to ensure the new, larger H145 STARS Air Ambulance helicopter could land. STARS debuted the Airbus H145 helicopter at a special event in June at their Edmonton base. The H145 is expected to outperform the previous BK117 models, on speed, range, and fuel efficiency, with powerful twin engines and advanced avionics. The H145 has superior safety features,
a new five-bladed system, with increased lift and load capacity. According to STARS statistics provided to Flagstaff County this past April,
STARS has landed at Daysland Health Care Centre 21 times from 2017 to 2022, and eight times during that time period near Daysland.
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The Community Press, Wednesday, July 27, 2022 - Page 3
Daysland Legion donation The Daysland Legion recently donated $1,000 to Flagstaffʼs Informed Sharing Response Team (FIRST). Gordon Pennycook (pictured right) dropped by Killam where FIRST Board Members were flipping burgers at a fundraiser to present Lynne Jenkinson with a cheque. The fundraising barbeque held at Wild Rose Co-op Killam Food Store netter FIRST a further $1,278.54 through burger sales and straight cash donations, and enjoyed a great crowd. Jenkinson says, “Community spirit is alive and well in Flagstaff.”
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Page 12 - The Community Press, Wednesday, July 27, 2022
The Community Press, Wednesday, July 27, 2022 - Page 13
July 2022 Meetings
Council Meetings Flagstaff County Co ouncil M Meetings eetings aare re conducted the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month commencing at 9 a.m. unless u otherwise planned. Council and Committ ommittee meeting agendas aare re aavvailable at the County’’ss websit ebsiite te at: flagstaffffff..a . b.ca/c .ca/council/mee .ca/ council/meeeetings-andminu utes tes
780-384-4100 1-877-387-4100 Email: Stay Connected with Us: s
Public Works Updates Please refer to our website at www.flagstaff.ab.ca for up-to-date road work throughout the County.
Address: e
12435 TTo ownship w Road 4442 PP..O. Box 33558 Sedgew e wi wic icck, AB T0B 4C00
The 2022 Flagstaff Fitness Challenge starts Monday, August 1! Join our club on the Strava app at: https://strava.com/clubs/fitflagstaff
Road Recovery Crews will be working on the following shoulder pulling project this week: • West of Forestburg on Range Road 154 from Secondary Highway 53 to Township Road 414 for 2.0 miles.
Public Works Services
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Closed Noon - 1 p.m.)
Are you ready for the challenge?
Please visit the Flagstaff County website at flagstaff.ab.ca for information regarding Gravel Sales, Residential Laneway Maintenance, Road Maintenance, Hamlet Services, and more. Please keep in mind that our seasonal crews will be out working on our roadways and to use extreme caution while travelling on these roads while they are being maintained in any way. We thank you in advance for your cooperation during this season.
Have Your Say ... and a burger ... at our Public Input BBQ on Thursday, August 18!
We are seeking public input into future programs and services for all departments in preparation for the 2023 Business Plan and Budget. Stop by our administration building between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Councillors will also be on hand to answer your questions.
Page 14 - The Community Press, Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Battle River Railway NewGen Co-op celebrates first decade Diane Dammann Staff Reporter
The party was delayed two years because of COVID, but it was really special to be together, face-to-face, to celebrate the accomplishments of “The little railway that could÷˘Ú:..” The Battle River Railway New Generation Co-operative celebrated its 10th anniversary June 23 with a special evening at The Station in Forestburg. Ken Eshpeter gave a special presentation about the history of this organization. Eshpeter said, “Welcome to the belated 10th Anniversary celebration of the formation of the Battle River Railway. It is also the 20-year anniversary of the original organization that got this process rolling, the Battle River Producer Car Group. “I want to tell you a short story but before I do I want to say what a heartwarming sight it is to see all of you here tonight to help us celebrate this milestone. “This whole Battle River Railway endeavor happened because you people believed in the possibilities. “You people bought shares in our cooperative which allowed us to eventually purchase the line.” Eshpeter recounted how the Battle River Producer Group got started. “It is August of 2002 and the phone rings at our house. It is Dennis Steil and he is quite excited. ‘Ken, I just saw a notice in the Alberta Gazette that CN is going to discontinue rail service on sub-
division 43.03, the Alliance sub. We have to do something!!!’ “That was the shot that was heard around the world or I guess I should say OUR WORLD.” Eshpeter said news of subdivision closures across the prairies was common, “But we did not think that it would happen here. What were we going to do? “A significant article had appeared in the Western Producer about a group of farmers in the Eston and Laporte areas of south western Saskatchewan having organized the spotting of a 100-car producer car train to protest the potential closing of their subdivision. A picture of it was splashed all over the front page.” He says, “Dennis and I got on the phone to touch base with a few local farmers who knew what loading producer cars was all about to see if they might be interested in pursuing the concept on the Alliance sub. “In short order we had organized a trip to Eston/Laporte to talk with the folk there. “You might know some of the local farmers. They were Reg Enright, Howard Vincett, Dennis Freadrich, Scott Jackson, John Oberg, and me. Actually the rest is history. “We operated the Battle River Producer Car group from 2003 to 2010. CN kept wanting to see us gone so they gave us the worst railway service in the history of railroading. “The piece de resistance was in January of 2005 when CN insisted that we load 50 cars in -35 degree weather and then tell us that they could not move the
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cars because of mechanical issues caused by the cold weather. The cars sat for over a week.” Eshpeter said that level of poor service continued until 2009; “When CN suggested that they would not provide ANY SERVICE and that we would have to buy the line. “Our Board of the Producer Car Group called a general public meeting to discuss options and the decision was made to purchase the line. “We decided that the Co-operative structure would best suit our needs so we formed the Battle River Railway Cooperative and began selling shares. “We sold $3.5 million dollars worth of shares, borrowed a bit and took ownership of the line in June of 2010. “We had a party. Brett Kisssel’s band played for the dance. Look at him now. He is almost as well known as the Battle
River Railway. “I could go on and on because the Battle River Railway has been a very important part of my life and I hope it stays an important part of the viability of the Battle River area.” Eshpeter said one of the changes over the past decade was that, “Several of us more senior Board members have transitioned out of serving on the actual Board of directors to make room for energetic, imaginative young farmers. “That process is going well.” The Board and Shareholders wanted to recognize the effort and passion that Ken Eshpeter put into his leadership to make it all happen. He was presented with a sign that read “Eshpeter Landing.” This sign will designate the promenade around the station in Forestburg as “Eshpeter Landing.”
The promenade around The Station in Forestburg where the Battle River Railway and Friends of the Battle River Rail operate has been designated as “Eshpeter Landing” in honour of Ken Eshpeterʼs role in the now decade-old venture.