Your news this week: Maschmeyer to play in Edmonton - 2 RMCP sergeant retires -3
Hockey tourney 50 years on - 9
OPINION: Age of total recall - 4
Holiday spirit in St. Michael as hamlet celebrates Christmas in the Country
BY MELISSA MACINTOSH-YOUNG
Christmas spirit filled the air in St. Michael this past weekend as Christmas in the Country welcomed visitors from near and far to the beautifully renovated St. Michael Recreation Centre.
The newly refreshed space, adorned with festive décor, set the perfect backdrop for one of the hamlet’s most cherished holiday traditions.
Shoppers browsed through a lively array of vendors, each offering unique handmade goods, seasonal crafts, baked goods, and specialty items.
The aroma of delicious homemade treats from the kitchen drifted through the hall, adding to the warm and cozy atmosphere.
Market organizer Shelley Andruchow, who serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Michael Agricultural Society, says the event has become a heartwarming annual tradition for the small hamlet.
She noted that Christmas in the Country is organized and put on by the St. Michael AG Society, with many dedicated community members lending their time and talents each year to bring it to life.
The St. Michael AG Society also oversees the St. Michael Recreation Centre, a hub that hosts a wide range of community activities throughout the year, including; Parent and Tot Time, various children’s programs, Senior Coffee Time, and craft sessions that bring residents together of all ages.
The spirit of community was evident as visitors filled the hall, supporting local artisans and enjoying an event that continues to capture the charm and warmth of rural holiday celebrations. With its welcoming atmosphere,
bustling vendor tables, and the glow of
community pride, Christmas in the Country once again proved why it remains a highlight of the season in St. Michael.
Christmas in the Country at the St. Michael Rec Centre on Saturday. The many shoppers were impressed by the number of venders set up at the annual event. photo by Melissa MacIntosh- Young
Vancouver goalie Emerance Maschmeyer to play game in Edmonton
BY JOHN MATHER
Fans of professional women's hockey, and Bruderheim goalie Emerance Maschmeyer in particular, will have two chances to watch her in person in Edmonton this year.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced last week it will again host a “Takeover Tour" this year following the success of last year’s exhibition games held in cities without a PWHL franchise.
Last year these games drew 123,601 fans over
nine tour games. The league plans 16 games this year in neutral site cities.
The first opportunity to see Maschmeyer will be Dec. 27 when the newly entered Vancouver Goldeneyes take on last year’s league champions Minnesota beginning at 1 p.m.
The second takeover game will be held April 7 beginning at 7:30 between Vancouver and Boston.
Maschmeyer became the third player to join the newly formed Vancouver franchise
when she signed a twoyear contract on June 5.
She had spent the previous seasons as the main goalie for the Ottawa Charge, but was injured with a season ending injury on Mar. 11.
“Emerance is quite simply one of the best in the world at her position and Vancouver is fortunate to have a goaltender and Olympian of her calibre between the pipes to launch our inaugural season,” said Cara Gardner Morey, PWHL Vancouver General Manager.
“Her veteran leader-
ship, relentless compete, and poise under pressure are contagious qualities that our team will feed off of and will give us a chance to win every game.”
Maschmeyer had been one of Ottawa’s original signings and she became the first goalie in PWHL history to surpass 1,000 career regular season saves.
On the international scene she has won Olympic gold for Canada in 2022 and is an eight-time World Champion medallist.
“Joining Vancouver is
an incredible opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be a part of such an exciting chapter of the league’s expansion,” said Maschmeyer.
“Vancouver has proven to be a vibrant hockey city and I’m
thrilled to play in front of such passionate fans. I’m aligned with Cara’s vision and values and honoured to have the opportunity to help build this organization’s culture from the ground up.”
Emerance Maschmeyer
Emerance Maschmeyer of Bruderheim stick checks a potential scoring threat during action last year with the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL.
Two Hills RCMP Sgt. David Henry retires after 20 year policing career
BY JANA SEMENIUK
Two Hills RCMP Sgt. David Henry turned in his firearm Nov. 14 after nearly 20 years with the RCMP.
Henry said he is looking forward to his retirement although hopes to continue using his experience and passion for community in some capacity.
“If there was a resource position I'd take it in a heartbeat,” he said.
“I don't know what doors will open for me, but I'm just going to keep my options open.”
Henry said his retirement came one week shy of a full 20 years as a member of the RCMP.
He said he has had many highlights of his career,
including public recognition and dramatic emergencies.
In 2010, Henry, then a constable, was honoured for his work as a school resource officer in St. Albert and declared Youth Officer of the Year.
According to reports the award was meant to “recognize specifically how an officer interacts with the youth of a community and affects their culture”.
“It was a big honour,” said Henry.
Henry said it was the influence of his own hockey coach that inspired his goals of becoming an RCMP officer.
“I was between 10 and 13 and I had a coach that treated us kids with respect but also drew a line. He also defended us. He was the kind of guy who would see us in school and encourage us,” he said.
“I wanted to be like him. He had a big impact on me.”
Henry said another big honour over his career was being part of a group of RCMP who received bravery awards for their actions during the 2014 shooting of a priest in St. Paul.
“This guy went off on a rampage. He shot at the detachment and shot a priest. (He) was pur-
sued through town and he took his own life. We tried to save the priest, but it was too late for that,” he said.
“A group of us won a bravery award for that incident.”
Meanwhile, Henry said he believes he is leaving on a good note and is grateful for the
years spent with the RCMP.
“I’m leaving a good community that supported us. This community is pro policing and I’m comfortable leaving it in a good position,” he said.
“I have enjoyed my career. I’ve lived through it, healthy and I’m leaving with all four limbs.”
Village of Andrew Notice of Public Auction
Notice is hereby given that, under the provisions of the Municipal Government Act, the Village of Andrew will offer for sale, by public auction, at the Village Office multi-purpose room, 5021 50 Street, Andrew Alberta, on Wednesday, November 26, at 10:00 am, the following properties:
Each parcel will be offered for sale, subject to a reserve bid and to the reservations and conditions contained in the existing certificate of title. The property is being offered for sale on an “as is, where is” basis and the Village of Andrew makes no representation and gives no warranty whatsoever as to the adequacy of services, soil conditions, land use districting, building and development conditions, absence or presence of environmental contamination, or the developability of the subject land for any intended use by the purchaser.
No bid will be accepted where the bidder attempts to attach conditions precedent to the sale of any parcel. No terms and conditions of sale will be considered other than those specified by the Village. No further information is available at the auction regarding land to be sold.
The Village of Andrew may become the owner of any parcel of land that is not sold at the public auction, immediately after the public auction. Terms: The successful bidder must, at the time of the sale, make a nonrefundable ten percent (10%) deposit in cash, certified cheque or bank draft payable to the municipality, with the balance of the purchase price due within thirty (30) days of the sale. Redemption may be effected by payment of all arrears of taxes and costs at any time prior to the sale.
Two Hills RCMP Sgt. David Henry retired on Nov. 14 after nearly 20 years. Photo: Jana Semeniuk
It’s the
age of total recall!
BY JOHN MATHER
Opinion
There’s an old saying - you reap what you sow.
Well back in Jason Kenney’s day his UCP Party decided to bring in a recall bill so the general populace, when dissatisfied with their MLA could recall them.
It was primarily developed to give the general populace the ability to recall either a municipal councillor or an elected school trustee who the voters felt weren’t doing a good job of adequately representing them.
Under Danielle Smith, the government decided to make it easier to recall politicians when they lowered the threshold of signatures needed to kick start a recall.
Now this again was primarily designed to recall local politicians.
But the separatists raised their silly heads in Alberta, starting a brain fart by former PC Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk to collect signatures to force a referendum on Alberta remaining in Canada or not.
Now he had a different set of parameters than the MLA recall petitions.
Lukaszuk’s petition was province-wide.
He had teams collecting signatures at fairs, community events almost anywhere there was a gathering. And he succeeded in gathering many more signatures than necessary.
Now Elections Alberta is spending every waking hour trying to verify all the signatures on the petition before it can be certified.
Now, suddenly Lukaszuk sees he has a problem. He wants Smith to hold a vote in the Legislature.
She is not required to do this.
She can instead put it to a public referendum which is what the Lukaszuk petition was originally designed to do.
Bravely he felt he was on the right track.
But suddenly it was pointed out that his petition might lose the referendum and he’s been back pedalling for a Legislative vote instead ever since.
Ironically, he has been doing more to keep the separatist fires burning than anyone else in Alberta.
You reap what you sow!
Now the MLA recalls are a little different.
All signatories to the petition must live in the constituency and all organizers must also live in the constituency.
If certified the recall does not prevent the recalled MLA from running for election again. Someone is not appointed to fill the void, but rather a new election is called at a cost to the taxpayer.
Now a couple of the targeted MLAs are saying people are misusing the recall act and that targeting MLAs for voting on a government position isn’t what it was intended for.
Well, that may be but that obviously wasn’t thought of when the bill was passed.
Now you have to face the music.
But to our MLAs you had options!
When elected you became a public figure. You are tasked with making government decisions and then living with your decision. You must be able to defend the policy.
But further you are elected by a percentage of your constituents, but you have committed to servicing and listening to them all.
If you have been failing in this obligation then maybe you deserve to be recalled. Funny thing. Over the years the public has become more aware of what their elected officials are doing and how they conduct themselves.
Social media rightly or wrongly is responsible for much of this awareness.
The MLAs may have to respond to constituents who disagree with them. You can’t just run and hide or ignore these people.
If they are rude and obnoxious then you can defend yourselves. There is no room for obnoxiousness in public discourse.
Of course it happens but is generally not acceptable.
My suggestion to all MLAs who get messages from those who are one-concern ponies.
Personally call or email and offer an in-person meeting in a public place such as a coffee shop.
I’m willing to bet in most cases you’re questioner will not show up.
Keyboard warriors are spineless.
They don’t have the sophistication or class to express themselves to you in person … face-to-face … Mano o Mano!
But if you hide out as their MLA, and I expect one reason for that is that unelected party back room boys insist this is the right way to do business, you deserve the recall.
In that case talk to the party brass and suggest communication policy must change to allow all MLAs of any stripe to be answerable to all their constituents.
That way recall petitions won’t be so trendy.
Kerry Anderson Publisher John Mather Reporter Jana Semeniuk Reporter Crystal Moren
BY HAZEL ANAKA
I hope you’re sitting down. I just did a currency conversion on my phone and discovered my self-imposed $150 price limit for my US grandson’s birthday present will cost me just over $230 CDN. On the sales slip is an additional $8.15 for sales tax plus $6.75 for a public improvement fee (what?) bringing the total to $164.88 USD. It is criminal that our dollar is worth so little against the US dollar. And yes, I will transfer the money knowing that it made a young boy happy and rationalizing that we don’t get to spoil the boys very often. Given the disarray in the US, the fact that their government was shut down for forty days, and their debt load is 38 trillion dollars, should they really be setting the global standard… for anything? For the record, I just Googled US national
FROM WHERE I SIT: The Right Decisions
debt so my number would be accurate and the first search result was the US National Debt Clock (usdebtclock.org). You need to look at that site if only to make your eyes cross, your heart race, and your stomach heave.
All indications are that our Liberal government’s first budget will pass by hook or by crook on Monday. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) a non-partisan fiscal watchdog has some serious reservations about the way they tinkered with capital versus operating expense allocations. He also says that the timeline they’ve laid out to be back to a balanced budget is impossible. How’s that for more good news? But back to birthdays.
Kade called on Sunday to tell me what he chose on his shopping spree (two Lego Technic kits) and to ask if he could put one of the kits together today, a few days shy of his eleventh birthday. Naturally, I said yes. The kid is a Lego maniac and very adept at assembly. He made a bit of a sales pitch telling me that these two vehicles, a red Jeep and a motorcycle, will actually run as
opposed to other Lego sets that just sit there after you put them together. The kid might have a future in sales. I smile inwardly at how persuasive kids can be. My one caveat was that his homework needed to be done first. No homework so no problem.
For the past four months, three American friends and I have hosted a live event on YouTube. It happens on a Sunday and lasts about two hours. It is all about a
concept that was foreign to me only months ago but piqued my interest. It is Bible Journaling. Apparently, this is a common, prayerful activity among, for lack of a better word, evangelical believers. This Orthodox kid had never heard of it nor could imagine anyone I know doing it.
It involves augmenting one’s study of the bible by decorating one’s bible with notations and ornamentation. The typical
From the files of the Lamont Leader
Lamont and Area
LAMONT UNITED CHURCH 5306 - 51 Ave., Lamont, AB 780-895-2145
Rev. Deborah Brill
AA Meetings Thursdays at 8:00 pm
olangels.ftsask@caedm.ca www.olafortsask.caedm.ca
bible doesn’t lend itself to this but there is an entire industry out there that does cater to the practice. That’s how I found myself in a bible store facing a wall of choices. The bibles we use are actually called ESV (English standard version) single column journaling bibles. They have a lined two-inch margin on each page. They are written in common understandable English; not a thee or thou in sight. I had a dilemma. I wanted the font to be big enough to read which means a large book with more pages. Yet I didn’t want it to be very heavy. I wanted it to be beautiful. I was not prepared for the price of these books and ended up spending about 65 or 70 dollars which is not the top of the price bracket by a long shot.
Each month, one of us takes on the leadership role and chooses a verse and/or concept to focus on. Two of these women have done lay ministry and gone on missions. Frankly, I feel uncomfortable and sorely out of my depth but luckily neither of those feelings is fatal. My cohorts are kind and patient and I
Bruderheim Community Church 4904 Queen Street 780-796-3775
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
10:30 AM
don’t pretend to be something I’m not or know something I don’t. The people who join us in the chat are lovely, kind, supportive. They love what we’re doing. In typical Hazel fashion, I ask questions, find analogies, paraphrase and summarize. Today was my turn to lead and I raised the question of daily devotionals---are they a starting point or an add-on to deeper bible study? I don’t know exactly where this is taking me but for now, I am enriched by the journey and the love of my fellow travelers. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
And finally, are you like most Canadians who were surveyed about their holiday shopping plans. Three out of five say they’ll spend less because of tariff concerns, 25% started shopping earlier, and 41% plan to cut back overall. Of course, all that restraint will have a knock-on effect on retailers and the entire economy. It’s truly hard to know what to do with Black Friday sales bombarding us. But I have complete faith that each of us will make the right decisions for our lives, from where I sit.
December 9, 2014 issue of the Lamont Leader: Lamont’s Jason Carstairs holds up his velvet covered antlers from his winning mule deer at the Mundare Fish and Game showdown held recently.
Letter to the editor
Consumers need to shop locally but so do businesses
Shop Local is an important message we often see repeated and signal-boosted living out here in our small communities, but never more so than in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The message serves as a reminder, and an important one at that. If we want retail goods and services in our towns and villages, then we need to support what’s already here.
If we value having places to work, and reasons for kids to stick around after high school or college, a Shop Local mindset kind of has to factor into the monthly budget.
Our local businesses work really hard to stand out and set themselves apart from online retailers, but the struggle to compete with online giants like Amazon, which provides conven-
ience at your fingertips, can sometimes be overwhelming.
Promoting “Shop Local” helps remind people, and perhaps momentarily pauses that mental disconnect between “this is so convenient” and “oh, but I guess I could’ve just gone down the street and bought the same thing here.”
There’s a lot of money available at Christmas-
NWT loan will allow Fortune Mineral Lamont County site purchase to proceed
BY JOHN MATHER
Fortune
Minerals
has announced it has secured a loan from the Government of Northwest Territories to complete its purchase of the Lamont County site of JFSL Field Services LLC where the company plans to construct a hydrometallurgical facility to process concentrates from Fortune’s NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper mine in the NWT.
The announcement was made on Nov. 10.
Fortune first mentioned it was entering negotiations to make the purchase a year ago at the Alberta Industrial Heartland annual meeting in Edmonton.
At that time, Fortune Minerals CEO Robin Goad said, “The energy transition is exposed to significant risk to Western economies, which allowed their mining and mineral processing industries to decline.
“Without domestic mining and processing of minerals, there is no custody or control of the raw materials required for our manufacturing sectors. Governments have recently woken up to this reality and are putting policies in place to support our critical minerals industry.”
The idea for this facility dates back to 2014,
when the original feasibility study took place, but the project’s progress was kicked into high gear this year.
Canada is investing $3.8 billion overall to promote the development of critical minerals and it has entered into collaboration agreements with the U.S., the European Union, and other allied countries.
In May of 2024, the United States Department of Defence awarded Fortune Minerals a $8.74 million (CAD) grant under its Defence Production Act.
Cobalt from the NICO Project will provide a source of battery materials that will be compliant with the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and help qualify U.S. customers of North American built electric vehicles for tax credits supporting the transition to e-mobility.
That announcement was followed up by the Government of Canada injecting $8.21 million into NICO, which will support the national Canada-U.S joint action plan on critical minerals.
The Government of Alberta, through Alberta Innovates, also invested $173,000.
In the Nov. 10 announcement Fortune stated the NWT government through its Prosper NWT subsidiary will
time, but it’s still finite, and local businesses put everything on the line hoping that you’ll choose them over American supergiants like Amazon. They hope you won’t just do all your shopping online or in the city.
That being said, I’d be remiss not to point something out.
As your local media, we are fighting the same battle. Not against Amazon, but against Google and Meta (Facebook, Instagram) for advertising dollars.
As much as the fantasy that we make money “selling papers” is fun, the reality is it barely
pays the cost to print. How we make our money is through advertising.
Unfortunately, the Shop Local message, the mental pause I described above, doesn’t always get applied to businesses like ours.
When a local business is planning their Christmas marketing, and the entire budget is set aside for Facebook and Instagram, in essence, they too are choosing to do all their Christmas shopping online. Just in a different way. All that local money that came in through the ecosystem of people who believe in supporting
local businesses still winds up straight in an American company’s pockets. The very outcome we were trying to avoid. And that money is certainly never coming back.
So as we all set out over the next month to do our absolute best to fight for our local businesses, I ask that our readers will do the same for us.
Just as I’ll ask my friends, “did you buy that locally?” please consider asking yours, “did you promote that locally?”
ERIC ANDERSON
HELP WANTED
loan $3.8 million to Fortune to allow the $6 million purchase price to go through and be completed by the end of the year.
A previous amount of $3,037,500 had already been made for the purchase.
Goad said last Monday, "With this key Alberta Refinery site secured, Fortune will be able to move the vertically integrated NICO cobalt-gold-bismuthcopper critical minerals project closer to a construction decision, while also removing a significant development risk.
“We are grateful for this financial commitment from Prosper NWT demonstrating the importance of the critical minerals industry to the economy of Canada’s North.”
The JFSL site is comprised of 76.78 acres of lands adjacent to the Canadian National Railway in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland,
The JFSL site is a steel fabrication plant with more than 42,000 square feet of serviced shops and buildings situated close to the human resources, services and reagents in place for an existing world class petrochemicals and critical minerals processing hub.
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Leader; Kerry, Michelle, Brennan & Garrett Anderson; Crystal & Hunter, Sylvia & Family, Aileen, John Mather, Jana Semeniuk & Family, Anonymous #1, Al Harvey & Family; Richard & Sharon Johnston; John & Doreen Homeniuk; David & Mary Boyko; Steve & Stella Stodola; Sherry & Joseph Cote; Mae & Tom Adamyk & Family; Al & Carol Ropchan; Mark, Ginger, Taylor & Elie Ropchan; Kim, Derek, Jarret & Tyson Burns; John & Janelle Uganecz & Family; The Little Things; Ron Johnston; Marshal & Zenia Maydanski; Eileen Mandryk; Gerry & Carol Palichuk; Elaine Kuzyk; Grant & Hazel Hackett; Circle Cee Farms: Cholak Family; Diann Hodgson, In Loving Memory of Len Hodgson;
Lamont
Bruderheim to consider quashing land acknowledgement
BY JANA SEMENIUK
Bruderheim could be the latest municipality in the county to get rid of their land acknowledgement, joining the likes of the Village of Andrew who quashed the land acknowledgement policy at their last council meeting Oct. 29.
The land acknowledgment, part of the Town of Bruderheim’s procedure bylaw, has been in place since 2018 and read aloud at the beginning of each council meeting.
The statement reads; “The Town of Bruderheim will reaffirm its commitment to
the Reconciliation Commissions Call to Action and the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples by reading of a statement intended to acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples are the original stewards of the land and recognize their relationships with the land, spirit world and other living beings”.
The quashing of this portion of the Town’s procedure bylaw is up for decision according to the Town’s Nov. 19 council meeting agenda available online. This portion of the agenda states that administration received
a request from Mayor Ron Ewasiuk to remove the land acknowledgement “citing a trend among municipalities and corporations moving away from the practice”.
Currently, those in the county with no land acknowledgement include the Village of Chipman, Town of Mundare, and the County of Lamont, while
the Village of Andrew will now only have an acknowledgment plaque on the wall inside the council chambers and the Town of Lamont displays an acknowledgement on the screen before a council meeting.
Bruderheim is the only municipality in Lamont County reading aloud a land acknowledgement prior to each council meeting.
Lamont gearing up for the Valentine Cup’s 50th anniversary
BY JANA SEMENIUK
The Valentine Cup, a long-running local hockey tournament for amateur players, will be held for the 50th year in February courtesy of a committee headed up by local player Chris Bork.
The Valentine Cup is the oldest award for amateur hockey in Western Canada, with the second being the Pacific Cup awarded by CARHA (Canadian Adult Recreational Hockey Association) in B.C. since 1977.
The longest running trophy award in Canada for all amateur hockey is the Allan Cup, according to their website. The Allan Cup has been awarded to amateur teams since 1908 and originated in Montreal.
“It’s still unofficial, because we're not sanctioned by the national body. (But) it is still one of the longest running adult hockey tourna-
ments in Canada,” explained Lamont’s Community and Development Coordinator Dave Taylor. Meanwhile, Taylor is also getting excited about the Valentine Cup.
He said the cup has a rich history and at one time was very exclusive, allowing only local players with a connection to the area to play.
“The concept was, it was to have been a homecoming for the four feeder schools for Lamont area, which, at the time were St Michael, Chipman, Bruderheim and Lamont. The idea was for everyone to come back and play hockey,” said Taylor.
“You had to have gone to school (and they) used the school bus routes to verify. It was actually very official back then. It’s changed now.”
Taylor said the tournament was started by brothers and local hock-
ey players Wayne and Morris Letawsky who played in the first nine tournaments until Morris passed away in 1984 at the age of 28.
“Morris was, according to most people you talk to, he was one of the most beloved players. He worked hard, played hard, partied hard, because part of it was socializing,” said Taylor.
“So the family members created a trophy called the Morris Letawsky Memorial Trophy to embody the spirit of the Valentine's Cup, which was sportsmanship, skill and the spirit. Since then, his name has become synonymous with the Valentine’s Cup.”
Taylor said that the Valentine Cup has remained a highlight of amateur hockey in the Lamont area, even drawing some big names.
“Bobby Hull was here,” said Taylor,
Recall petitions for MLAs gathering steam
BY JOHN MATHER
The Recall Jackie Armstrong-Homeniak Facebook page now has more than 450 followers and organizers say the petition planning is moving forward.
In an email, the Leader was told the group is still in the background-work phase.
Once their application is officially approved they will provide information on where the petitions can be signed, how community members can sign up as volunteers, and a website where people can obtain more information regarding the petition.
Organizers added they will also release their 100-word rationale for why they believe Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk should be recalled.
On their Facebook page they have been asking people to respond with any interactions they may have had with the MLA and any troubles they’ve had in getting return emails or phone calls.
Meanwhile, CTV News reported Nov. 16 that nine petitions for other MLA recalls had been received, but in actuality the website Operation Total Recall states initial paperwork has been received.
The petitions are aimed at Camrose MLA, Jackie Lovely; CalgaryNorthwest MLA, Rajan Sawhney; Calgary-North MLA, Muhammad Yaseen; MorinvilleSt.Albert MLA, Dale McNally; Calgary-Fish Creek MLA, Myles McDougall; Calgary-
unsure of the year. “And we’ve had some unique teams; the powder puff division for women’s teams, the Scaro Minnows, a little tiny team in the middle of nowhere. There’s been some epic stories. Some you do tell, some you don’t.”
According to Sportsnet, Hull was nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his speed and blond hair. Hull was one of the most prolific forwards in
NHL history, scoring 610 times over 16 seasons with Chicago, Hartford and Winnipeg. He remains the franchise's career leader with 604 goals. Hull also had 303 goals while playing for the Jets in the World Hockey Association for seven seasons.
Bobby Hull died in 2023 at the age of 84.
Meanwhile, Taylor said plans are still taking shape and the 2026 Valentine Cup will be
nearly a week of actionpacked hockey with some fun games and a large banquet. The event will take place Feb. 10-15 in Lamont.
“It's skilled competition with some really good players, but it's more about fun,” said Taylor.
“That was the concept back then. It was good hockey, but it's more about bringing your friends back and having fun.”
Hays MLA, Ric McIvor; Spruce Grove-Stony Plain MLA, Searle Turton; Grande Prairie MLA, Nolan B. Dyck; and Highwood MLA, R.J. Sigurdson.
According to reports each MLA has seven days to respond to the petition after which Elections Alberta will post its approval to its website.
Currently only two recall petitions have been posted and approved by Elections Alberta.
One is for CalgaryBow MLA Demetrios Nicolaides and the other is for Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt.
Anyoneinterestedinsponsoringgrade12 subjectawardwinners,citizenshipawards, orprovidingscholarships,pleasecontact: Brent Anderson at b.anderson@holdenra.ca Holden Rural Academy is looking for sponsorship and / or donations for our first-ever HRA Awards Night to recognize Academic, Athletic, and Citizenship
Historic pic of the Cossey family posing in the late 70s with NHL legend Bobby Hull at a Valentine's Cup tournament in Lamont. Back Row L-R: Ray, Ross and Terry Front Row L-R: Grant and Bobby Hull. Photo: Dave Taylor
Lamont Parks & Rec looking to enhance Hillside Park
BY JANA SEMENIUK
The Town of Lamont’s Parks and Recreation committee is looking to improve the town’s Hillside Park with support from the public.
Upcoming projects include adding wind screens to the outdoor pavilion and a possible official outdoor rink complete with rink boards.
Committee member and Town Community and Development Coordinator Dave Taylor said that although a good portion of the park’s budget comes from the Town, the remainder for any extras comes from community support.
“The Parks Committee itself gets an annual amount allocated them from the overall budget, just to get things started or to pool into a reserve fund to work up towards the project. So that's one way it's funded, and the other way it's funded is through sponsors and donations,” said Taylor. He said, for example, that the bike pump track, located at Hillside Park, was funded 90 percent through public donations.
Taylor said there are several options for the public to be involved, namely by purchasing a leaf for the Recognition
Tree, sponsoring a park bench, sponsoring a tree or by simple donation.
He said leaves on the recognition tree can be purchased for any occasion and come in three sizes, adding that currently there are over 50 leaves and room for plenty more. He said the leaves are metal that get engraved and coated in resin before being affixed to the tree in Hillside Park and permanently becoming part of the town’s history.
“It doesn’t have to be in memorium, it could be to (honour) your family or a special occasion,” he said.
Parks committee member and town councillor Linda Sieker said the sponsorship options for the public have always been ‘on the books’ but aren’t widely known.
“We want to bring awareness to it,” she said, adding it’s another way people can become involved in the park.
Taylor said the park itself is a huge plus for the community providing plenty of activities for families to do for free.
“If you’ve got a bike you can ride the bike park for free. We have seniors that go for a walk and sit on the bench by the (pond) and watch the ducks,” he said.
“We have an outdoor
Dinner being held to support Seniors
BY JOHN MATHER
The Bruderheim Agricultural Society is hosting a Christmas market at the Memorial Hall on Nov. 29, but this year they’re taking it a step further.
“We’re going to host a dinner with all the proceeds going to support the Bruderheim Seniors Club,” said Agricultural Society spokesperson Sherry Cote.
“We know they’ve been having a tough time
fundraising and we felt we could help them out.”
She said all the food for the diner had been donated with hams coming from Freson’s in Fort Saskatchewan and all vegetables also being donated locally.
“With the food donated we don;t have any costs,, so all proceeds will go to the seniors club.”
Tickets are available through the Bruderheim Seniors Club.
(snowbank) skate rink, disc golf, or ball diamonds. These things you don’t have to book or sign up for. Just go do them.”
Additional amenities at Hillside Park include a spray park, playground and outdoor fitness equipment. Taylor said inquiries around sponsorships for the park can be made at the Lamont Town office.
In a recent survey less than 100,000 of the responde
of adults 18+ living in communities of population on the prairies, the majority nts across all measured sectors said
AGRI AGRICU ADS
INSPI than S IN PRINT NITY NEWS
ICULLTTURE AND L LTTURAL SERVICES SINPRINTED COMMUN
Actions included store in perso seeking more inform on or online or making ation, visiting a a purchase.
Leaves engraved with the names of local centenarians and park sponsors, adorn the town of Lamont's Recognition Tree painted on the side of the pavilion at Hillside Park. Photo: Jana Semeniuk
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COMING EVENTS
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VIKING HEALTH CENTRE AUXILIARY
CHRISTMAS MARKET
Thursday, December 4
11 am to 5 pm
Viking Community Hall
Lunch available for purchase Great Christmas ideas, Crafts, Baking, Gifts, Décor & more
To reserve table, call Kim 780-385-0902 46/48c
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DaysArts presents as part of their 2025-26 Concert Series
John Wort Hannam Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 pm. Daysland Palace Theatre For more information and tickets contact Sharon 780-374-2403 email info@daysarts.ca
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Flagstaff Rural Crime Watch
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 22 at The Hive in Sedgewick, starting at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
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Lougheed Agricultural Society
Annual General Meeting
Monday, November 24
Lougheed Community Hall
Doors open 5:30pm. Supper 6pm. AGM at 7pm.
Please come and see what we as a society are planning and if you are interested in being a part of it, call or text 780-385-0752 to RSVP. 45/46c
COMING EVENTS
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Soup, Sandwich, & Dessert
Please join us on Thurs. Nov. 27 11am-1pm $13/person
Hamburger or chicken noodle For takeout or delivery call Susan 780-288-1099 before noon on Wed. Nov. 26.
CLASSIFIEDS
COMING EVENTS
Toonie Clothing Sale. Friday, Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29 from 9 a.m. to Noon. Daysland United Church
Tofield Golden Club 5004-54 Ave. Tofield, AB TM46C
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Flagstaff Scottish Club Annual General Meeting will be Sunday, November 23, 2025, 2pm at the Clubhouse in Sedgewick. 4402 47Ave. All interested folks are encouraged to attend. Dinner to follow. Please call Ian Malcolm for more information and to RSVP for dinner at 780-390-0096. ————————————————
Killam Baptist Church Christmas Supper and Program, Sunday, December 7th at the Killam Community Hall. Doors open at 5pm, Supper at 5:30pm. Special guests "The Farmer and Adele" will bring a program of Western Gospel music. All ages welcome. For tickets, please call the church 780-385-3607 ————————————————
GALAHAD LIONS CLUB
Turkey BINGO
Monday Dec 1st
Galahad Agriplex at 7:00 PM 15 Go-Go Bingos, 1 Bonanza, 1 Door Prize. Master Card $5.00
WORD SEARCH
Sedgewick Farmers Bonspiel Dec 9 - 12th.
Late afternoon/evening draws with meals provided. Mens/Ladies/Mixed welcome! Call (780) 385-4501
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Saskatoons, frozen, 4 litre bags, $25.00. Call or text 780-893-5490. Delivery possible.
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Lamont
BY JANA SEMENIUK
Nearly 380 people laid poppies at the base of the Town of Lamont’s new indoor cenotaph unveiled for the first time at their Remembrance Day service this year.
Lamont’s Community Development Coordinator, Dave Taylor, said the cenotaph was previously approved by the town council for funding and construction was completed in early Nov.
“It was finished two weeks before (Remembrance Day) but not totally finished because it’s missing the names,” said Taylor.
“Brian Janson and his dad have built houses in the area for a long time, (and built the cenotaph). They are artisans in the carpentry world. The covering was done by a guy who does counter tops and finishing.”
Taylor said the cenotaph is stored in a room near the hall entrance and rolled out when needed.
He said the surface of the new cenotaph is finished in Formica, normally used for countertops, and a method for engraving the names of the 26 fallen soldiers on it is still being considered.
Town Councillor
Linda Sieker said she is happy with the new addition to the annual Remembrance Day service and remembers how the idea came to fruition from a suggestion a few years ago.
“So a couple years ago, it was brought forward to council to replace the existing cross that we used for the service with something more respectful for veterans because we saw our services continuing indoors and not
U11 Wild’s Alex Holt and Colbin King record hat tricks in loss to Smoky Lake
KERRY ANDERSON
These are some of the results from Minor Hockey League games held recently. (Please note that scores and scoring is taken from the websites, and some game scores and scoring is dependent on proper league entries). If any players or teams are missing from the report please notify me at kamcjm@gmail.com with the player name, team and website.
Elk Island U11 Wild (5-5-0) dropped a 7-5 game on Saturday at Mallaig. Alex Holt and Enzo Francis Bouzane both scored twice in the contest, while Braden Roy (1g 2a) had a 3-point game. Assists went to; Marcus MacDonell and Colbin King. The team hosted Smoky Lake on Sunday at Bruderheim and dropped a 9-6 contest. Both Alex Holt (3g
indoor cenotaph
outdoors, that seemed to be what the community wanted,” she said.
Sieker said the shift to indoor services began approximately five years ago and has resulted in positive feedback from the community.
“Since we've moved to the hall, attendance has really increased,” she said. “The fact that we also have the No Stone Left Alone (program) brings in young families. The mixture is really different and it’s good.”
Lamont began taking
part in the No Stone Left Alone program in 2022, where a child places a poppy, usually on a grave, for each fallen soldier. At the Lamont service, each child placed a poppy on a small Styrofoam cross, one for each local soldier who gave their lives during service to the country.
The program aims to educate youth in the history of Remembrance Day and inspire them to take part in services each year.
1a) and Colbin King (3g 1a) had hat tricks to account for the game’s scoring. Assists went to; Brody Dowhaniuk, Owen Martz, and Dane Zanatta.
Elk Island U13 Wild (4-5-0) won a 10-6 home game on Saturday over Lac La Biche at Lamont Arena led by Mary Sobkow’s 5-goal game. Kayden King had a hat trick. Other scorers were; Sawyer Wytrykush (1g 1a), Jaxon Calder (1g 1a), Christian McLeod (2a), Hunter Kobylka (2a), Clara Holt (1a), and Landen O’Connell (1a).
On Sunday, Elk Island dropped a 4-3 game at Lloydminster. Sawyer Wytrykush, Kayden King and Ellie Poirier scored for the Wild. Assists went to; Mary Sobkow (2a), and Raiden Crough.
Children reach to place their poppies on the town of Lamont's new indoor cenotaph unveiled during their Remembrance Day service last week.
Photo: Jana Semeniuk
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Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Reminders and Other Items of Interest
ASB’s annual Photo Contest: Submit photos at lamontcounty.ca/photo-contest (Deadline to submit is November 21). See lamontcounty.ca/news for news posts/updates, including road closures and important updates. Do you have a business within Lamont County and want to be included in the digital Business Directory? Complete your free application at lamontcountynow.ca/business-directory. Local businesses operating within Lamont County, including those with a Lamont County Business License, are added to the directory once approved. If you have any questions, contact Economic Development at 780-895-2233. You can also purchase a Business License for Lamont County (by Jan 31 for 2026)lamontcounty.ca/departments/planning-development/business-licence
Winter is here (gone, and back again). Reminder: Don’t Push Snow Piles Across Roads or Entranceways . Residents are reminded when plowing snow out of your driveway, please do not push the snow onto the public road or across the road into the ditch. Pushing snow across the road creates packed areas and slippery patches that are difficult to remove and can be dangerous to road traffic. Push snow to the right side of your driveway to ensure it does not get pushed back when the local road is plowed.
All flag purchases or signup for Medically Fragile or Seniors service (for private snow removal), must be completed at the Public Works/Ag Services Building - 553004A Hwy 831 (not at the Admin. Building). Please complete this ASAP.
The County of Lamont Food Bank is accepting Christmas Hamper requests from Nov. 12 to Dec. 8. Please call (780) 619-6955 and leave a message to request a hamper. Hampers will be delivered Sunday, December 21.
St. Michael Community & District Ag. Society – Christmas in the County Craft Sale & Market at St. Michael Hall on Nov.15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Alberta AgriSystems Living Lab Virtual Workshops: FREE virtual webinars: lamontcounty.ca/workshops
CAUTION: Roadside Mulching. Ag. Services will be working on roadside mulching starting in November; this goes to March (2026).
Signs are posted to enforce temporary road closures while work is completed. Watch for flying debris and obey all signs. If you enter a closed area, Lamont County is NOT at fault for any vehicle damage.
Alberta Emergency Alert has a test alert planned for November 19. This is the alert that is automatically sent to all devices. You can sign up for additional notifications and local notifications at lamontcounty.ca/alerts
Tax Installment Payment Plan Program Reminder (TIPP: lamontcounty.ca/tipp) - Lamont County offers taxpayers the ability to pay property taxes in monthly installments by pre-authorized withdrawals rather than one single payment. Sign up before Dec. 31 As a friendly reminder, any outstanding unpaid taxes from 2025 are also due by Dec. 31 to avoid penalty.
Current CALC, FCSS & KFRN activities include:
KFRN: Baby Talk (NEW!): Wed. mornings in Bruderheim - signup.com/go/NPZtKCb
KFRN: Family Activity Night: In Lamont, Nov. 20 (National Child Day Celebration!).
KFRN: Cooking with Your Littles: Nov. 24 (Chipman) and Nov. 25 (Lamont) signup.com/go/YWQZJna.
CALC: Bon Appetit Bingo for Seniors (in Andrew): Nov. 27 - Registration required.
CALC: Canadian Firearms Safety Course (Non-Restricted) – Nov. 29. Register with Dan - 825-439-5208. Cost is $140 for ages 12+.
FCSS: Youth Centres in Bruderheim, Chipman & Mundare (excluding holidays & Fall/Winter break). Registration and waiver required. FCSS: Parents & Tots – In Lamont (Mon.) & Mundare (Wed.). Contact Community Services for info.
FCSS: Fitness Fun for Older Adults (Oct. 16 to Dec. 4) – email michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca for info. Meals in Motion: Nov. menu posted (lamontcounty.ca/community-programming). Seniors’ Coffee: 10-11 a.m. (Wed.) in Andrew, & (Thurs.) & Mundare. Join FCSS for coffee, conversation, snacks, & assistance with senior-related supports. Seniors Coffee is also held in St. Michael (Thurs.) from 10 a.m. to noon.
* See Lamont County’s calendar for local community events, public meetings & other important dates lamontcounty.ca/eventscalendar (VISIT: lamontcounty.ca/community-programming or scan the QR code above for full posters, dates and linkscontact Community Services for information & registration or call 780-895-2233).
REGULAR COUNCIL AND Agricultural Service Board (ASB) Meetings
REGULAR COUNCILAND AgiltlSiBd(ASB)M
The public is welcome to attend any scheduled meeting in person or virtually). Meetings start at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers/Lamont County Admin. Bldg. (unless otherwise noted).
Next Regular Council Meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 25 | Next ASB meeting: Wednesday Dec. 10 lamontcounty.ca/governance/agendas-minutes | lamontcounty.ca/agendas-minutes-asb
Please Note – inFocus is also available for viewing online at: lamontcounty.ca/communications (for those wanting to view the weekly submission as full-sized PDF and to access hyperlinks).
Community Services: Serving Lamont County, Lamont, Bruderheim, Mundare, Andrew & Chipman