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Your Independent Local Newspaper Established in 1918 VOLUME 103: ISSUE 14
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020
CW SEARS IDENTIFIES POSITIVE COVID CASE.
www.tofieldmerc.com
WINTERFEST FIREWORKS TO BE A SHOWSTOPPER.
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SEE PAGE 12
First Annual Hastings Lights a huge success, ushers in festive cheer
What’s Inside
MOUSH JOHN Editor The Hastings Lake Bible Camp hosted a Christmas lights experience drive-thru event this past weekend, from Friday to Sunday, Nov. 20-22 called Hastings Lights, which drew a lot of community members from the area. “Originally we’d thought we would host something for our camp supporters and neighbours, but we’ve been blown away by the community’s repsonse,” said Andrew Carlson, who is the camp director and one of the main event organizers. “Because of COVID-19 restrictions, we were unable to run any of our usual programs and events this year. We have been staying connected with our campers online, but really wanted to do something in-person! So, ‘Hastings Lights’ was our idea for a covid-safe inperson event.” According to Carlson, they had more than 1,200 people visit the lighting display over three days. “We wanted people to enjoy some Christmas cheer from the safety of their own vehicles,” Carlson explained. “The light displays were set up in our campground, with a different family or cohort decorating each camp-
Rural commercial property outside Tofield broken into PAGE 5
Loose Ends: The New Grinch PAGE 5
MP Kurek: Christmas on the horizon PAGE 6 Some outtakes from Hastings Lights, which had its first Annual this past weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
site. All of the decorations were brought and set up by camp supporters, which kept the event very low cost.” At the event there were cookies handed out, donated by The Lefse House in Camrose, and there was also hot chocolate for guests to enjoy. Visitors were also given a program describing the different displays, and a ballot to vote for their favourite. “We also offered so-
cially-distanced tours of Trinity Lodge, a new addition to our facilities,” he dded. “An optional donation box was available at the exit, and we are so grateful for the financial support of everyone who donated this weekend.” Different families were asked to decorate each of the 15 campsites, and they came up with a theme for their decorations. Displays included sev-
Tofield SHOP LOCAL 2020 businesses eral nativity scenes, a miniature country church, a toy car traffic jam, a snowy beach theme, a Christmas canoe ride, a Scandinavian theme complete with Ole & Lena rolling lefse, and others. “To add to the fun, we introduced a friendly competition and allowed guests to vote for their favourite display,” Carlson said. “In the coming days we hope to share the winner on our Facebook,
along with a video of the Christmas light displays.” The Hastings Lake Bible Camp usually hosts eight weeks of camp each summer for both kids and families, and rent their facilities to guest groups throughout the year. However, this year due to COVID-19, they were unable to run summer camps or host guest groups. Continued on Page 7
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What’s On TOFIELD WINTERFEST 2020: Check out the Schedule of Events for Saturday, Nov. 28 PAGES 2 & 19