Crowsnest Pass Herald

www.crowsnestpassherald.ca • 403-562-2248 •passherald@shaw.ca

April 15, 2020 ~ Vol. 90 No. 15 $1.00

Crowsnest Pass

Herald Serving the CnP SinCe 1930

Herald contributor photo

Brandie and Scott Fast and daughters Hayley and Taiya decorated the window of their home in Blairmore with words of encouragement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelsey Weigl provided the stencil and the family cut out the hearts and painted for a finished product. Many homes throughout the community have done similar window designs in an attempt to help keep community spirit alive. It’s become a fun adventure for families during walks throughout the community.

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Honest, experienced approach to Real Estate.

2 – CrowsNEsT PAss HErALD – Wednesday, April 15, 2020

New Economic Task Force to aid businesses in Pass DAviD SelleS Pass Herald Reporter

A new taskforce is being created to help struggling businesses survive the Covid19 pandemic.

Sam Schofield, President of Pincher Creek Chamber of Commerce and one of the Steering Committee Members, says the taskforce will be a huge help to the busi-

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ness community for communication.

“The Taskforce will be a collective of regional and industry representatives that will be in place to support the business community throughout the journey of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hope is that not only can information flow down from our Taskforce, through industry and re-

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Friendly reminders from Riversdale:

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gional representatives to our communities, but more importantly up from our communities, through our regional & industry reps, to the Taskforce, MPs & MLAs, and through to Government leaders.”

Schofield says the task force is very close to being up and running and should be implemented over the next few days.

According to Schofield, the task force will cover a large area.

“This is a regional Taskforce that will cover the entire foothills riding.

This is done with support and knowledge of our regional MLAs and our MP.” As for how long the taskforce will be in place, Schofield says that’s entirely dependent on a couple of factors.

DAviD SelleS Pass Herald Reporter

Tax Recovery The annual property tax rate bylaw sets out the assessed property values by class and calculates the tax rates required to raise budgeted tax revenue in accordance with property tax policies. The amount of tax revenue required to

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Committee and the local businesses. The goal is to streamline all the new information coming out every day due to the pandemic and help businesses.

The full list of Steering Committee Members is as follows: John Barlow, MP Foothills, Roger Reid, MLA LivingstoneMacleod, Mark Kamachi, Creative Director AdMaki Advertising; Councilor Rocky View County, Carrie Fischer, Operations Manager for John Barlow MP Foothills, Angela Groeneveld, Business Consultant, Emerge Agency; Business and Economic Development Manager, Town of Okotoks, Jayme Hall, Executive Director Okotoks Chamber of Commerce,

Alex Zabel, Policy Coordinator, Okotoks Chamber of Commerce, Sam Schofield, President Pincher Creek Chamber of Commerce, Corinne Finnie, Transformation Strategist, 29° Institute and Randea Prince, Coordination, 29° Institute.

Schofield says the taskforce will work best when the communities come together.

“This will require a collaborative strategic direction for all stakeholders throughout the Foothills region. We are stronger and more impactful together. The taskforce will aim to address the unique challenges that this crisis has imposed on not only the individual businesses but also local and regional business communities.”

Crowsnest Municipal Council Briefs

Nyrose sERving yOu McKenzie FOR thE PAst 3 Alexander tAx sEAsOns

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The Taskforce will remain in place until it decides the region has recovered as much as it is going to and as long as our businesses find value in it. Could be years if required.”

Local Chamber President, Sacha Anderson, says the taskforce is looking to develop something they call Business Ecosystems within each community and have those ecosystmes be made up of business support services like a Chamber of Commerce or other types of services.

Anderson says this will also occur in the Crowsnest Pass.

“This CNP ecosystem would then act as a twoway conduit for information and resources between the Taskforce

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Open Monday thru Friday • 9 am - 4 pm

Wayne McKenzie CPA, CA

12537 - 21st Ave., Blairmore (lower level) C: 403-915-7912 P: 403-329-1562 - Lethbridge E: wayne.m@nmallp.com

balance the 2020 budget was presented and approved by Council on December 11, 2019. Bylaw 1048, 2020 - Property Tax Rate Bylaw was presented to Council on March 31, 2020 and received first reading amending the tax increase to one (1) percent. The proposed bylaw will authorize Administration to levy the 2020 Municipal taxes, Alberta School Foundation Fund (ASFF), and the Designated Industrial Property (DIP) requisitions. The 2020 Property Tax Rate Bylaw has been prepared including a one (1) percent increase over and above the increase in assessment value between 2019 and 2020 as directed by Council. The annual bylaw sets out the assessed property values by class and calculates the tax rates required to raise budgeted tax revenue in accordance with property tax policies. The Municipality collects enough property taxes to satisfy Council's approved budget requirements. In preparing the 2020 budget, no 83 contingencies were accounted for, such as the Provincial Government downloading policing costs, the Provincial Government only paying 50 percent of the grants in place of taxes (GIPOT), potential union contract settlement and Senior Housing additional budget ask. Also, during 2020 budget discussions Council and Administration could not have anticipated lost revenues and increased expenses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The

Municipality's assessor (Benchmark Assessment Consultants) has provided the assessment values used to calculate the proposed tax rates for 2020. The total assessed base for 2020 is $990,608,070 (2019 was $943,621,710) for a net increase of $46,986,360. The increase can be attributed to new properties being added, re-evaluations due to sales, site visits identifying additions to properties, changes in classifications and a complete review of surrounding acreages in Bellevue, Hillcrest and Frank. The additional taxes generated by the increase in assessment is $248,075. The additional 1% increase recommended by Administration would raise an additional $83,084. The $248,075 in tax dollars generated from the increase in assessment value less $97,760 for the Province only paying 50% of their taxes, results in a net increase in taxes of $150,315 which is insufficient to meet the approved 2020 budget. With a 1 percent increase, it will generate an excess of $63,368 revenue that could be added to a reserve for costs associated with Covid-19 (lost revenue and added costs), or the additional policing cost the Province will be billing on January 1, 2021 in the amount of $124,526.

The Alberta School Foundation Fund (ASFF) for 2020 is $2,611,840. The Designated Industrial Property (DIP) 2020 requisition amount is $4,540.

The Senior Housing request for 2020 has been

included as part of the Municipal Tax amount for the amount of $376,039 to be paid out as a grant.

Chamber Funding The Chamber of Commerce has reached out to the Municipality to request assistance to continue their operations after receiving a number of funding shortfalls this year. If funding is not received, they will likely have to layoff their parttime staff and there will be no support they can offer to businesses during this pandemic. Currently, Administration has been working with the Chamber to see who will take the lead on various supports for businesses such as the Updated Store Hours (Chamber) or Useful Information Links Webpage (Municipality).

The Chamber has asked council for $20,000 to help keep them going this year.

During discussion, Councillor Glavin said that while she is willing to support the Chamber, she would like to see a budget of where that money would go before providing the Chamber with the $20,000.

After further discussion, Councillor Ward made a motion that council provide the chamber with a subsidy of $5,000 at this point, request that the Chamber provide further financial information including a budget for 2020 and that a meeting could be set up between Administration and the Chamber to find out the direction moving forward. The motion was carried.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - Crowsnest PAss herAlD - 3

In the lIne of fIre Between April 6 and April 13, Crowsnest Pass RCMP responded to a total of 29 calls for service including the following reported incidents.

Two (2) assaults, two (2) break and enters (other), three (3) threats/harassments, one (1) disturbing the peace, one (1) other criminal code, five (5) other provincial statutes, one (1) driving complaint, three (3) motor vehicle collisions, two (2) assistance to general public, three (3) suspicious occurrences, two (2) assistance to other agencies, one (1) 911 call (invalid) and three (3) municipal bylaws.

Break and Enter On April 6th, 2020, there was a complaint of break and enter of a garage on 226 Street in Bellevue. Hunting and fishing equipment were stolen. The theft occurred during the early morning hours between midnight

and 4am.

Complaint On April 12th, 2020, there was a complaint from CP Rail of people walking with a dog on the railway tracks in Frank.

Police attended and warned the people of the complaint.

Suspicious Male On April 12th, 2020, there was a complaint of a suspicious male in the yard of a residence on 224 Street in Bellevue. The person ran off when a dog was let out and began barking.

Residents please make sure that your garage, sheds and doors to residents are locked on your property for your security.

Effective immediately the RCMP office will be limited to persons attending detachment. If you need to attend the detachment, there will be limited persons at the detachment including front counter. Please call

~ rCMP news ~

to make appointment at 403 562 2867.

Be aware of a new scam. Victims get phone calls from someone pretending to be from Service Canada or another government agency, saying their social insurance number (SIN) has been blocked, compromised or suspended. The call might be one of the latest variations on caller ID in which fraudsters disguises the number seen on the ID display in order to trick victims into answering phone. The person will ask for SIN and other personal info, such as date of birth, address, etc. Victims who provide personal info are at risk of identity fraud.

Also, Do not say yes to any questions if you are unsure of who is calling as people can use voice recognition to access other information.

Anyone with information regarding any crime is urged to contact the Crowsnest Pass RCMP Detachment at

The Simple Raven’s Post

by Avner Perl

A COVID Easter It is rare to have all three major religions celebrate the main holiday which defines them at approximately the same time, and this year it happened. Judaism is the smallest group, but from it sprang the other two. It is the faith in one invisible God who created the world and remains in the lives of the believers. He has abilities or powers superior to earthly humans and can order nature to obey. Take it or leave it, it is your choice.

The Jewish people celebrate a historical event called the Passover. A long time ago the Hebrews were endangered and sought refuge in Egypt only to find themselves enslaved, working for sustenance with no way out. A prophet named Moses reconnected with God and used God’s power to inflict ten plagues upon the Egyptian Empire and free his people.

The Hebrews lived for generations in their promised land, suffering colonization by empires, until the Romans were in charge. At that time, according to prophesy a son is borne to the one God, and he becomes the Messiah. Unlike other saviours, the young man advocates peace, tolerance, love, and equality as the way to salvation.

The established church in the Jewish temple of worship is threatened by him and collaborates with the Roman colonizers to crucify him and finish off his Nazarene sect. They kill and bury him only to discover that he rose again. We celebrate this event as Easter.

About six hundred years later a new prophet, Muhammad, started a religion he calls Islam, “servants.” The Muslims fought against the rich families who dominated the Arab peninsula, each worshipping their own Gods. When Islam was established one of its main pillars was the observance of fasting during the month of Ramadan.

All able Muslims are to fast all day for a month so they will experience and remember the plight of the poor. Another pillar of Islam is almsgiving.

In April 2020, the three main holidays converge closely together. It is an interesting coincidence. The year 2020 also happens to be when a world pandemic that has no known cure is raging around the globe and also an economic system popularly known as the free Market is collapsing for several reasons.

I searched opinions about the unusual events and was inundated by the opinions expressed by experts, religious people, and laypeople. At times like this, people’s imagination as well as researched and intellectual opinions go wild. What is not just imagined is the fact that an invisible virus is infecting humans very easily and is

403-562-2867, or Crimestoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-422TIPS. Reminder to residents of computer scams, credit cards scams, Grandparent scams, Revenue Canada scams asking for money or cash cards and saying warrants out for arrest, do not give out personal information to persons you don't know.

DO NOT OPEN EMAILS if you are suspicious of its origin. Do NOT purchase gift cards for payment to Revenue Canada.

Do not send monies to person claiming you have won a prize and need to send money for delivery.

Crime mapping is available online to residents who are interested can login online at Municipality of Crowsnest Pass website (RCMP crime map for Crowsnest Pass).

Crime mapping shows property crimes that occurred within the past two weeks in our area.

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threatening to kill millions. We have no other defense but run away and hide in our homes. This strategy is guaranteed to starve us if we don’t take the right organized action. Some are naming the catastrophe, the eleventh plague.

The coronavirus COVID 19 is a human killer attacking equally. It doesn’t discriminate, kills humans as if we are all one race or nation. The world comes to a stop. Some nations have been preparing for the eventuality and they have better survival rates while others tossed caution to the wind and suffer the results. It takes years to build good health care. Canada chose the middle ground and is poised to succeed in saving most of its population and a significant portion of its economy. It doesn’t look as rosy for our only neighbour.

In the present age, the biggest enemy of humanity is its own greed. Just as in the religious stories which we are celebrating, large portions of the human population are not sharing the great wealth which humans produce. Great achievements have been made, yet most people are threatened with the possibility of not being able to sustain themselves and their families.

COVID 19 is a horrible enemy, yet it may prove to be a great equalizer. We are witnessing a huge increase in human deaths, enough to make everyone pay attention. What COVID doesn't know is that our economies are disproportionately hurting the poorest. A huge portion of the human population is facing destruction. People all over the world will not stay home and die of starvation without taking whatever action they can to save themselves. When death is imminent humans throw caution to the wind.

Here in Canada, the government is taking steps to prevent disaster. Our healthcare that was ravaged for years is still coping and our improved social safety net will save us from the worst. We are unrolling something close to Universal Basic income and there will be money to restart the economy.

South of us, the situation looks way more alarming and any possible corrective action may miss the deadline. The truth is, I am scared for our neighbours.

The COVID virus may be just a random phenomenon of nature. It may be a tool of the devil or God. It could be the alien invaders that science fiction writers have been anticipating for generations taking the planet away from humans. I wouldn’t know any more than you do. It is killing people indiscriminately, scaring people to death and ruining the world’s economies. It shows some positive aspects as well.

Some kids in China noticed, for the first time in their lives, that the sky is blue, not brown. A news reporter from Venice mentioned dolphins in the famous canals, which normally stink like a sewer. Two reporters asked Prime Minister Trudeau why are we not just converting to “Universal Guaranteed income” since we can afford it.

Society is waking up and realizing what we have done and what we could do better. We can develop an economy for the common good instead of for the good of a few. Don’t let our resources hide in tax-free havens. That is where the money would come from.

Canada will come out of the current disaster better than it was before. All the money which the government is spending to keep us alive will work through the ranks and rebuild what we lost plus more. Resurrection is possible.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/ Feel free to check other articles and comment.

4 – CrOWSneST PASS HerALD – Wednesday, april 15, 2020

Editorial Finding the silver lining in a pandemic is hard to do, but find it I will.

The best part of this whole thing is that I get to spend so much time with my boys. I swear I could spend a lifetime with all three of them and it wouldn’t be enough. If you asked them if they are happy spending 24/7 with me you might get a different answer.

First, I am not a cook, in fact I kind of despise it, but cooking I’m doing. I cook about nine things really well and that’s about it. With my work and council life, it’s often that I cook a ton of stuff on the weekends and then it’s pretty much eat when you can in the house. The last month I’ve been cooking nightly. When my dad had his first stroke I remember sitting with him in the hospital and telling him that every night I would cook for them and when he got out of the hospital for five years I cooked and brought them food every night in their house. Weekends I took off and usually did take-out but for a long time I kept that promise. When they both went into long-term care that was the one thing I didn’t miss - the cooking.

So here I am every night, like I did back when I had parents, I’m cooking up a storm. When this is all said and done they may have to roll me out of my house.

Second, I’m a clean freak. I don’t like mess or clutter and with three boys in the house I have nothing but that.

My mental health is seriously at stake over this. The boys have figured it out after the few times they caught me in my kitchen sitting on the floor sucking my thumb.

Bathrooms are starting to become another issue in the house. I have three of them and for the life of me I can’t figure out how and why all their bowels seem to move at the same time. To be safe each room has toilet cleaner and Lysol wipes and all the boys are learning the art of proper toilet bowl cleaning. How they can continually get pee everywhere is beyond me.

Fighting - well three boys together inevitably leads to fights. Sometimes it’s just arguing and sometimes it blows into full on wrestling. Lucky enough I haven't had to buy drywall mud yet. There have been five or six fights so far and at least three apologies. I figure 50% is pretty good odds on reconciliation. I do find with boys they get mad, yell, sometimes fight and then it’s over, usually with a, “mom what’s for dinner”.

We all try to walk at least once a day, usually up the ski hill. Keiran and Quinn run up the road while Aiden and I bring up the rear. Aiden informed me that his huge legs are really for power lifting and not for hiking and I just laugh and laugh. Two boys can make it up the road, down the face of the mountain and meet Aiden and I half way up the road as we are heading down. Alone, Aiden fills me in on his philosophy of life. That kids glass is constantly half full and he honestly finds the best of every situation. I have learned more from him then I am sure any lesson I’ve taught him.

Keiran is the funniest and most outgoing of the boys so I watch his mental health the most. He’s been a trouper and I thank the inventor of interactive games on a regular basis so that he has a way to stay in touch with his friends.

Quinn and Aiden are definitely introverted so they are weathering the isolation like troopers.

I don’t have a lot longer with all my boys together under one roof and I’m relishing every second. We laugh, we argue, we cook, we clean and we do it all together and every second I can’t tell you how blessed I feel. Maybe God gave me this time because he knows how much I appreciate and will miss this time in my life with my boys when it is gone.

It’s hard to not get bogged down in the negativity so I try everyday to find something positive about this situation. I see some beautiful gestures in the community from window visits, messages in people’s windows and several acts of care and compassion for our neighbours.

What a beautiful place we live in.

Every once in a while I get a message from people who connected to an Editorial that I have written. I put a lot of my life into my editorials and sometimes I wonder if anyone even reads them, and if they do, are they sick of what I write. I’ve been writing these for almost five years now for 49 issues a year. That’s a lot of myself I share with you the reader. These messages mean the world to me. It’s nice to know that something I feel or say connects with someone. So thank you for reading this and if you don’t like them, thanks for keeping that to yourself too.

Have a great week, wash your hands, be kind and look after your fellow citizens. We do that, we all win.

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Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinion of the Pass Herald. Letters cannot exceed 1,000 words. We have limited space, but we do enjoy printing every article. So please, to allow everyone to express their opinion, keep the letters short and to the point. We do have the right to refuse any letter that in our judgement may contain libel or libelous opinions. Should a litigation result from your letter, you as the writer are responsible but so is this newspaper as the publisher.

The Pass Herald is a family owned community newspaper and therefore reserves the right to refuse any advertisement that in our opinion does not follow our mandate. We cannot accept advertisements or letters criticizing or disparaging other advertisers, companies or individuals or any advertisements directed to a religion or race.

Shutting down versus managing Dear Editor; I spent the majority of my working life in the private Forest Industry. I worked with a great bunch of hardworking people in a very tough industry. We worked with uncertain market conditions, many weather issues, some tough breaks but through it all we worked together to accomplish a goal. We never had the option, nor even thought, of shutting down. We were working to supply logs to an active sawmill. Those logs were what the Sawmill required to produce the product we sold. About 110 direct jobs, and many indirect jobs, depended on those logs being produced into lumber and chips to an open market.

As we immerge from this pandemic we need to seriously “remodel” our Government services.

These government “services” need to be delivered in a sustainable manner. They need to follow industry standards for being economically viable and as efficient as possible. At the end of

this pandemic we must make our governments aware they didn’t manage our economies in a fiscally responsible manner.

They did not save for a “rainy day” and when it started to “rain” they had no money set aside. In fact they ran massive unnecessary deficits in the good times. And please remember folks we, as taxpayers, will be the ones government must turn too to pay back these deficit loans.

Just a couple of very early “Shut down” decisions the government made was the closure of Museums, playgrounds and our Parks and Recreation sites. In most cases some “Management” plans/decisions could have been made to work through the pandemic health concerns. Limiting numbers of people, timing, scheduling etc could have been implemented.

Now again, if these Government Services were managed like businesses, an almost “automatic” shutdown would NOT have been an option. It wouldn’t be an option,

because the closure of business would involve job loss and even the business itself. The business would have explored all options to adjust to the problem at hand. We see many examples of businesses modifying their business model and carrying on through these times.

Our museums, children’s playgrounds, and our National and Provincial Parks are an essential service to Alberta. They are supported by OUR tax dollars. In these tough times, with people isolating with very little to do, at least a limited access, using good medical Covid-19 guidelines, could have been implemented. We are allowed to enter essential services now and asked to follow good hygiene and social distancing measures. Yet we cannot ice fish, XCountry ski, go to the Frankslide center etc, etc.

“Because of parking concerns”? You can’t tell me that this can’t be managed. But here is the issue. These government services are not managed

like a business. We speak of mental health issues yet do not recognize the “shut downs” are not providing the “essential service”, to that end. And they could have.

Our Premier, Jason Kenny, seems to be recognizing the serious economic fallout of this Pandemic. He’s even mentioned the mental/societal issues emerging.

Our Governments, prior to this Pandemic, were so quick to “Shut things down” instead of coming up with solutions and planning to manage the concerns/problems. Government services have become so inefficient. Yet we have become so dependent on them, often by design.

During this situation, and after, we had better demand smaller and more efficient delivery of services or the bar will be established even lower.

After all, all we got in the case of our Public lands, and many facilities, was a Closure. Yet in the case of AHS workers travelling between Senior’s complexes we still can’t get an obvious decision made!!!

John MacGarva

NOTICE FROM PASS HERALD To do our part in limiting the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the Pass Herald will begin working modified hours.

We will still be working hard to bring you updates and news on a weekly basis.

Anyone who has anything they would like covered can contact us at either passherald@shaw.ca or davidselles97@gmail.com.

The Pass Herald will continue to cover events and accept advertising so we can print weekly issues.

The Crowsnest Pass Herald is currently available for Online Subscription at passherald.ca

If you have any concerns contact Lisa on her cell at 403-563-8814

The Only lOcally Owned newspaper serving The crOwsnesT pass & area

EstablishEd in 1930 - SErVing THE COMMuniTy FOr 90 yEArS For news stories contact us at: passherald@shaw.ca 403-562-2248 For on-line subscriptions visit our website at passherald.ca

Lisa Sygutek - Publisher/Editor Mike Chambers - Production Manager David Selles - Reporter/Photography John Kinnear - Feature Writer Avner Perl - Feature Writer

PUBlIShEd EvERy WEdNESdAy COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The entire contents of Crowsnest Pass Herald are protected by the Law of Copyright. No portion thereof is to be reproduced without the specific permission of the publisher.

Office Hours: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm Located at 12925 - 20th Ave. • Box 960, Blairmore, AB TOK OEO

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (GST Included)

• Single Copy: $1.00 • Crowsnest Pass and Area - $40/year (within a 40-mile radius) • Seniors -$35.00/year • Outside a 40-mile radius - $60/year •USA - $75/year

Visit us at: passherald.ca Contact us at: passherald@shaw.ca

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - cROwsnesT PAss HeRALD - 5

In It Together Dr. Johann Maritz placed hearts in the windows of his office to help spread a little more positivity during this time. Now, anytime someone walks by his office, they can see the hearts in the window and feel more positive about the situation we currently have.

David Selles photo

TKO Recyling On Monday, April 13, TKO Recycling took 750 kilograms of recycable products from residents of the Crowsnest to the Material Recovery Facility in Lethbridge.

In light of the Crowsnest/Pincher Creek Landfill shutting down their recycling to this business, alternative arrangements were made by the owners to take everything to Lethbridge. TKO is still going strong, taking the community’s recycling materials. If you would like to sign up to this service or get more information contact Keiran Douglas at 403-563-6787 or email TKO.we.recycle@gmail.com Herald staff photo

6 – crowsnest PAss HerALD – Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - crowsnest PAss HerALD - 7

The Crowsnest Pass Chamber of Commerce is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and taking all necessary precautions to support the health and safety of our members, team and community members. We are working remotely to try and keep you as updated as possible, you can continue to reach us by phone (403-562-7108) or email (office@crowsnestpasschamber.ca). During these hard times we will see a lot of people hurting and vulnerable, we encourage you to show compassion and empathy. We will get through this, but it is important we all stay strong, healthy and continue to practice all the preventative measures in order to make that happen.

WAYS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES WHILE PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING: • Share social media updates • Order takeout/delivery • Buy merchandise online • Attend online classes • Buy a gift card • Leave a review • Read your local newspaper As tough as this situation has been, we have seen our local businesses increase their support for one another, highlight their innovative sides and decorate their windows with messages of support/silly faces/teddy bears and hearts. Thank you to our local businesses for going above and beyond to try to continue to provide our community with their amazing services. Please visit www.crowsnestpasschamber.ca for a listing of information and resources for the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also follow us on Facebook to receive updates on Local businesses and government announcements.

CANADA EmERGENCY BUSINESS ACCOUNT (40,000k LOAN) WHAT IS IT? A Government funded interest-free (for the first year) loan provided through financial institutions in cooperation with Export Development Canada (EDC) You can receive up to $40,000. If you repay the balance of the loan on or before December 31st, 2022 it will result in loan forgiveness of 25% (up to $10,000).

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Borrowers with a Canadian operating business open as of march 1, 2020; and Borrowers with a federal tax registration; and Borrowers with a total employment income paid in 2019 calendar year between $50,000-$1 million in total payroll in 2019(found on your T4 summary) ; and Borrowers with an active business chequing/operating account with their primary financial institution opened on/prior to march 1, 2020 and was not in arrears on existing borrowing facilities by 90 days or more as of march 1, 2020; and Borrowers who have not already used the CEBA and will not apply for the CEBA with other financial institutions; and Borrowers who acknowledge their intention to use the loan to continue to operate their business or to resume their operations; and Borrowers who agree to participate in post-funding surveys conducted by government or any of its agents.

WHEN CAN I APPLY? CEBA is available in some financial institutions as of April 9, 2020. more financial institutions are being added to the list of CEBA providers. Check with your financial institution if they have been added.

WHERE CAN I APPLY? Small business and not-for-profits should contact their financial institution to apply for these loans. Your assigned account manager will likely have access to these loans or have a method of contacting BDC and EDC.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR THE mAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: • ATB Financial • Desjardins • Scotiabank • BmO • National Bank • TD Bank • CIBC • RBC

WILL mY CREDIT UNION HAVE ACCESS TO PROVIDING CEBA? All eligible credit unions will be added to the list of CEBA providers. This list is growing daily and should be completed by the end of April at latest. Check with your financial institution if they have been added or are trying to be added.

This page sponsored by: COMMUNITY FUTURES CROWSNEST PASS

http://crowsnest.albertacf.com/

8 – CRoWsnesT Pass HeRaLD – Wednesday, april 15, 2020

Rodeo weekend update DaviD SelleS Pass Herald Reporter

The Kananaskis Pro Rodeo is now scheduled for September.

With the continuing restrictions across the province, the Kananaskis Rodeo Association made the decision to push the rodeo back.

“As soon as the virus hit here and everything else was cancelled.

Around three weeks ago we made that decision,” said President Joe Trotz.

Trotz says they have tentatively scheduled new dates and says that they’re able to push on because they already received most of their sponsorship money.

“September 11th, 12th and 13th are our tentative dates.

We picked that date because it's probably the last weekend we could be in the arena before they start making ice. Everybody's back to school and everything is hope-

fully back to normal by that time. It's all tentative. We're an earlier rodeo, so a lot of our sponsorship was already in and committed.”

Overall, Trotz says there should be a similar amount of contestants to regular years.

“Contestant wise I think we'll be okay. We're always better in the spring for contestants because everyone is fresh and it's the start of the season. There won't be as

RCMP theft news release Herald Contributor

RCMP Press Release Strathcona County, Alta. – Since July 2019, the detachment’s General Investigation Section; Property Crimes Unit has been investigating a series of break and enters involving thefts from ATMs at gas stations across all four RCMP districts in the province.

After identifying involved suspects, the unit successfully linked and laid charges for 17 break and enters to businesses

dating back to 2016. Information was shared amongst several different detachments, with notable contributions by Bonnyville RCMP Detachment’s General Investigation Section and the Slave Lake RCMP Detachment.

Throughout this investigation, the RCMP also partnered with the Forensic Accounting Management Group (FAMG) at Public Services and Procurement Canada, K Division Federal Serious and Organ-

ized Crime (FSOC) Section, K Division Auto Theft Unit, and Service Alberta’s Strategic and Consumer Services’ Special Investigations Unit.

In total, approximately $650,000 in cash was stolen from the 17 break and enters, that include: Coleman Esso – November 23, 2019; Kevin Lee Sider (40) of Edmonton Alta. is facing a total of 33 charges, including, but not limited to, 17 break and enters to businesses, money laun-

!"#$%$&'($)*+,-+%.,/0#10)+&'00+ MUNICIPALITY OF CROWSNEST PASS !"#$%$&'($)*+,-+%.,/0#10)+&'00+ !"#$%&'"(')&*&+",-&!#',&.-$#' !"#$%&'"(')&*&+",-&!#',&.-$#' NOTICE OF DEVELOPMENT PERMIT ('#2+"01+3*('/+#45+67689:;<+ ('#2+"01+3*('/+#45+67689:;<+

LAND USE BYLAW No. 868-2013 ++ ++ )=>+2>?>@4AB>CD+'ED=4FGDH+4I+D=>+!ECGJGAK@GDH+4I+%F4LMC>MD+&KMM+F>J>CD@H+!""#$%&'+D=>+I4@@4LGCN+ )=>+2>?>@4AB>CD+'ED=4FGDH+4I+D=>+!ECGJGAK@GDH+4I+%F4LMC>MD+&KMM+F>J>CD@H+!""#$%&'+D=>+I4@@4LGCN+ O>?>@4AB>CD+KAA@GJKDG4CPMQR+ O>?>@4AB>CD+KAA@GJKDG4CPMQR+ The Development Authority of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass recently approved ++ the following development application(s): ),/0/010234'96:;+S+T:+0DF>>DU+%4@>BKCV+(4D+;U+&@KC+T9;:T76+ ),/0/010234'96:;+S+T:+0DF>>DU+%4@>BKCV+(4D+;U+&@KC+T9;:T76+ ++ DP2020-018: 2801 – 90 Street, Coleman; Lot 1, Plan 9210968 )56789:5;<=8>'?694+'JJ>MM4FH+WEG@OGCN+PKAAF4X5+<7Y5;Y+MZ5+ID[<<56<+MZ5+BQ5+#4+?KFGKCJ>M+ )56789:5;<=8>'?694+'JJ>MM4FH+WEG@OGCN+PKAAF4X5+<7Y5;Y+MZ5+ID[<<56<+MZ5+BQ5+#4+?KFGKCJ>M+ Discretionary Use: Accessory building (approx. 364.14 sq. ft/33.83 sq. m). No variF>ZEGF>O5+ F>ZEGF>O5+ ances required. '' ),/0/0102@R+9T<<89;Y+0DF>>DU+3>@@>?E>V+(4D+;\U+3@4J]+^U+&@KC+;9;;:<;+ ),/0/0102@R+9T<<89;Y+0DF>>DU+3>@@>?E>V+(4D+;\U+3@4J]+^U+&@KC+;9;;:<;+ DP2020-019: 2933-214 Street, Bellevue; Lot 17, Block 5, Plan 1211031 ++

Discretionary Use: Single family dwelling (approx. 2582.8 sq. ft./240 sq. m). Variances )56789:5;<=8>'?694+0GCN@>+IKBG@H+OL>@@GCN+PKAAF4X5+9^6956+MZ5+ID5[9Y:+MZ5+BQ5+_KFGKCJ>M+ )56789:5;<=8>'?694+0GCN@>+IKBG@H+OL>@@GCN+PKAAF4X5+9^6956+MZ5+ID5[9Y:+MZ5+BQ5+_KFGKCJ>M+ approvedKAAF4?>O+I4F+AFGCJGAK@+WEG@OGCN+@4D+J4?>FKN>+KCO+O>J]+AF4`>JDG4C+GCD4+F>KF+HKFO+M>DWKJ]U+ for principal building lot coverage and deck projection into rear yard setback, KAAF4?>O+I4F+AFGCJGAK@+WEG@OGCN+@4D+J4?>FKN>+KCO+O>J]+AF4`>JDG4C+GCD4+F>KF+HKFO+M>DWKJ]U+ see below: M>>+W>@4LR+ M>>+W>@4LR+

++ ++ ++ ++ ++

+ 2>J]+&F4`>JDG4C+4?>F+ .>KF+*KFO+0>DWKJ]+ &FGCJGAK@+3EG@OGCN+ !KXGBEB+(4D+%4?>FKN>+

F:=<G=8G' ,8;D;69G' *=85=<79'HDD8;C9G' f;65YID[^57B+ ;Y5TID[Y5^^B+ <5YYID[;5:^B+ <^g++

Y;57g+

757g+

+

++ ),/0/01/0/2R+;9;:+S+6Y+0DF>>DU+%4@>BKCV+(4D+;<U+3@4J]+;YU+&@KC+<<6\'1+ ),/0/01/0/2R+;9;:+S+6Y+0DF>>DU+%4@>BKCV+(4D+;<U+3@4J]+;YU+&@KC+<<6\'1+ DP2020-2021: 1210 – 84 Street, Coleman; Lot 13, Block 14, Plan 3387AE ++ )56789:5;<=8>'?694+!4?>O8GC+OL>@@GCN+PKAAF4X5+;:\7+MZ5+ID[;::+MZ5+BQ5+_KFGKCJ>+ Discretionary Use: Moved-in dwelling (approx. 1076 sq. ft/100 sq. m). Variance ap)56789:5;<=8>'?694+!4?>O8GC+OL>@@GCN+PKAAF4X5+;:\7+MZ5+ID[;::+MZ5+BQ5+_KFGKCJ>+ KAAF4?>O+I4F+IF4CD8HKFO+M>DWKJ]U+M>>+W>@4LR+ proved for front-yard setback, see below: KAAF4?>O+I4F+IF4CD8HKFO+M>DWKJ]U+M>>+W>@4LR+ + + ++ + F:=<G=8G' ,8;D;69G' *=85=<79'HDD8;C9G' + -F4CD8HKFO+M>DWKJ]+ 9:ID[75;B+ 65;7ID[95YTB+ ;;56ID[<57;B+ + + + 'CH+A>FM4CM+J@KGBGCN+D4+W>+KO?>FM>@H+KII>JD>O+WH+D=>+KW4?>+O>?>@4AB>CD+BKH+IG@>+KC+KAA>K@+GC+LFGDGCN+ 'CH+A>FM4CM+J@KGBGCN+D4+W>+KO?>FM>@H+KII>JD>O+WH+D=>+KW4?>+O>?>@4AB>CD+BKH+IG@>+KC+KAA>K@+GC+LFGDGCN+ WH+,JD4W>F+;U+9:9:U+D4+D=>+!"#$%$&'($)*+,-+%.,/0#10)+&'00U+0"32$_$0$,#+'#2+21_1(,&!1#)+ Any persons claiming to be adversely affected by the above development may file an WH+,JD4W>F+;U+9:9:U+D4+D=>+!"#$%$&'($)*+,-+%.,/0#10)+&'00U+0"32$_$0$,#+'#2+21_1(,&!1#)+ '&&1'(+3,'.2U+3,a+7::U+%.,/0#10)+&'00U+'(31.)'+):b+:1:5+'+I>>+4I+cY::5::+BEMD+W>+GCJ@EO>O+LGD=+ appeal in writing by October 1, 2020, to the MUNICIPALITY OF CROWSNEST '&&1'(+3,'.2U+3,a+7::U+%.,/0#10)+&'00U+'(31.)'+):b+:1:5+'+I>>+4I+cY::5::+BEMD+W>+GCJ@EO>O+LGD=+ D=>+KAA>K@5' ' ' PASS, SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD, BOX 600, D=>+KAA>K@5' ' ' ' CROWSNEST PASS, ALBERTA T0K 0E0. A fee of $400.00 must be included with ' #=>A;8'(9A:+ the appeal. #=>A;8'(9A:+ $<:985B')9C9A;DB9<:'"EE5798' $<:985B')9C9A;DB9<:'"EE5798' !ECGJGAK@GDH+4I+%F4LMC>MD+&KMM+ Taylor Felt !ECGJGAK@GDH+4I+%F4LMC>MD+&KMM+ &5:5+34X+7::+++d+++%F4LMC>MD+&KMMU+'@W>FDK+++d+++):b+:1:+ Interim Development Officer &5:5+34X+7::+++d+++%F4LMC>MD+&KMMU+'@W>FDK+++d+++):b+:1:+ ,+Y:<+^79866<<++'('Y:<+^7<8^^6;+ Municipality of Crowsnest Pass ,+Y:<+^79866<<++'('Y:<+^7<8^^6;+ &++DKH@4F5I>@DeJF4LC>MDAKMM5J4B+++ &++DKH@4F5I>@DeJF4LC>MDAKMM5J4B+++ P.0. Box 600 | Crowsnest Pass, Alberta | T0K 0E0

P 403 562-8833 F 403 563-5581 E taylor.felt@crownestpass.com

many rodeos so I feel contestants will try to get to as many as they can.”

Trotz says he’s currently planning to have the rodeo return to the end of April next year but that depends on a couple of things.

“That all depends on the economy. It costs just about $140,000 to put our little rodeo on. That's a lot of money to raise. It's not like it's a $10,000 show to put on. A lot of dollars have to go through and we didn't even break even last year. You've got to break

even or make a little bit more every other year or you'll go in the hole and you can only do that for so long. We went later last year in May and our numbers were down. It all compounds into what we have to work with each year. As far as we know we'd be going next year near the end of April. That seems to work well for us.”

According to Trotz, the idea to move ahead with the rodeo in September is to give local residents something to look forward to when

things are back to normal.

“Our idea to push ahead a bit with the rodeo is to give a positive note to when we get back to normal. There's something in the community and we can hopefully give back to the community a little bit. We do have an increase of people with restaurants and hotels and we hope to try and generate some more revenue back to our town by putting the rodeo on.

That's how we're looking at it.”

dering and possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Bruce Wayne Larter (53), of Leduc, Alta. is facing a total of 11 charges, including, but not limited to, four break and enters to businesses, money laundering and possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Bruce Larter was previously charged in the first instance in relation to the Slave Lake and Valleyview gas station break and enters, by RCMP investigators in the respective jurisdictions.

Kristal Lynn Watson (36), of Edmonton, Alta. is facing three charges, including money laun-

dering and two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Kevin Sider and Bruce Larter were remanded into custody and are scheduled to appear on May 1, 2020 in Edmonton Provincial Court.

Kristal Lynn WATSON was released on an Undertaking and is scheduled to appear on June 10, 2020 in Edmonton Provincial Court.

CCTV footage from the targeted and neighbouring businesses contributed significantly to this investigation, and helped link previously unsolved break and enters from years past. Investigators would like to extend their appreciation

to those business that went above what is expected to ensure their systems were working properly, well guarded and capable of retaining sufficient quality footage for an extended period of time.

“I want to acknowledge the significant amount of work undertaken by our Property Crime Unit as well as express my appreciation to all the involved businesses for their assistance to us,” says Staff Sergeant Andrew Kyle of the Strathcona County RCMP General Investigation Section. “We will continue to collaborate with specialized units to combat property crime.”

Blairmore Lions Trip of the Month Winners Van Stella of Calgary a Scotland Explorer trip for two, valued at $3200.00 Hilary Mozeski of Fernie a $200.00 IGA Gift Card Hilary Mozeski of Fernie a $120.00 Chris's Restaurant Gift Card

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - crowsnest pass HeraLD - 9

John Pundyk.CoM

Simply Selles

403

Musings from you local reporter

I’m going to try and spread some positivity around this week.

Overall, with what I’ve seen since we’ve been asked to distance ourselves, I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from local residents on a couple fronts.

Firstly, I’ve found that, for the most part, we actually are distancing!

I went out for groceries last week and while I was at the store, the people around me were all keeping the recommended six feet away.

There was a line of about four of us and if someone at the front of the line stopped to get something off a shelf, so did the rest of us in the line.

It actually made for a much more peaceful shopping experience.

The second thing I want to touch on is how many people are trying to provide smiles for other residents across the community.

Whether it be the teddy bears in windows, hearts on windows or Dr. Maritz changing the flag on his building to the Italian flag, everyone seems to be trying to get through this challenging time with positivity, which is great to see.

I realize that not everyone may be following guidelines and restrictions and not everyone is acting overly positive at this time but for those of us that are, let’s keep it going!

This is a challenging time for so many people.

For some families, the restrictions mean not visiting loved ones in senior’s homes, for some it means suddenly being a homeschool teacher for the first time in your life.

For others it means putting themselves in harms way on a daily basis as an essential worker.

Everyone is affected in one way or another by this pandemic and in my mind, positivity is the best way to get through it.

For me, I’ve been trying to stay positive by realizing how blessed I still am.

I’ve been able to talk with friends and family over Zoom, I’m still eating three meals a day (sometimes more cause that’s just what quarantine life is right now) and I’m safe in my apartment.

The more positive we stay throughout this process, the better off we’ll be in the long run.

It may not be easy staying positive but we’ve got to try.

As I’m writing this, I can see the top of Crowsnest Mountain for the first time in what seems like two weeks with all the clouds and snow we’ve received.

The snow-covered peaks are another beautiful things that help me stay positive.

Find what gives you that positive energy and cling on to it!

We can do this everyone.

20043AA3

Royal LePage South Country Real Estate Services Ltd. moUnTaIn PRoPeRTy Great opportunity to own a mountain acreage close to Lee Lake and en route to Castle Mountain Ski Resort. This acreage offers many opportunities for someone who would like to keep horses or other farm animals on a small piece of land. Small acreages in this area are few because of the subdivision process and requirements. Just off of Highway 507. $249,000 CALL JOHN MLS

562-8830 jpundyk@shaw.ca coleman loT Serviced, flat building lot in Coleman.

Close to York Creek staging area.

Miles of groomed backcountry trails for motorized and non-motorized activities. Fantastic fly fishing. Affordable property in the Canadian Rockies. Close to Fernie, Castle Mountain. This property offers fantastic value whether you wish to build or move in a ready built home. $54,000 CALL JOHN MLS

coleman Full lot with exceptional mountain views. House is to be removed so this property is priced for the lot value only. One of the very few sites where you can see Crowsnest Mountain, Tecumseh and the South Range all at the same time. $69,000 CALL JOHN MLS

BlaIRmoRe conDo Very nice condo apartment in a historic building in a central location. This unit has been expertly updated for the comforts of modern living. An affordable option whether as a home or an investment. Parking at rear. Ski hill, swimming pool and other amenities within walking distance. $84,000 CALL JOHN MLS

coleman Spacious 3 bedroom home. Expertly rebuilt one level house, with an addition featuring large sitting room and ample sized master bedroom. Large family room with a gas fireplace and bright front room with mountain view.

Large screened front porch. Garage accessible from the back lane. Excellent starter home or revenue property in tight rental market. $172,500 CALL JOHN MLS

HIllcReST Fantastic value for the most discriminating buyer. This very large 20' x 76' modular home was built in 2002.

Excellent location with fenced yard in Monte Vista Park. 3 bedroom, plus a large Bonus room. Brand new luxury vinyl plank flooring just installed. Bright, spacious kitchen.

Beautiful large deck and 12' x 16' outdoor shed. $114,900 CALL JOHN MLS

coleman Large, flat lot with sunny exposure and big, mountain views. Large 3 bedroom home to be sold 'AS IS'.

Great opportunity for a place to park an RV in the Canadian Rockies.

Close to York Creek staging area and miles of backcountry trails.

Crowsnest river and fly fishing nearby. $125,000 CALL JOHN MLS

PRIme BUIlDInG loTS UnDeRGRoUnD PoWeR SeRVIce anD all oTHeR UTIlITIeS

Timberline ridge in Bellevue offers a sunny location, beautiful mountain views and wide paved streets.

These prime building lots are available at affordable prices, from $68,000 to $140,000. Large and fully serviced lots have underground power, easy topography, and are ready for the spring building season.

Crowsnest Pass offers unparalleled value in the Canadian Rockies. Active, friendly community.

CALL JOHN FOR MORE INFORMATION MLS

BlaIRmoRe One of a kind historic brick home located on an extra-large corner lot in Blairmore. This five-bedroom, four-bathroom home was built in 1920 with brick.. Self-contained apartment on second level. Amazing decks and backyard. Huge lot. Possibility of building another home without compromising the existing living and outdoor spaces. 24’ x 38’ garage, large garden shed and fenced RV parking. Phenomenal value and potential. $619,000 CALL JOHN MLS

BelleVUe Fantastic opportunity for commercial location along busy Highway 3. East and West bound traffic access. Currently occupied as a successful fly-fishing shop, known to fly fishermen throughout Canada and the U.S. Can be sold as a business to someone wishing for a change of pace or for a property that can be re-purposed. C1 zoning allows for different opportunities.

High traffic volume in front of the property. $435,000 CALL JOHN MLS

neaR WaTeRTon 12.68 acres south from Pincher Creek near Waterton National Park. Out buildings include a barn and a shop. There are corrals and a good size dugout.

Good pasture and hay. Good property for horses. The property is to be sold “As Is”. Fantastic place to build your dream home. $279,000 CALL JOHN MLS

BlaIRmoRe Bright, open living space in beautiful Blairmore neighbourhood. Newly updated 2+1 bedroom bungalow located on extra large corner lot at bottom of Sartoris staging area. Large windows capture spectacular mountain views. Close to school, shopping, ski hill and backcountry adventure. Workshop space in basement.

22'x24' double car garage. $294,500 CALL JOHN MLS

lUnDBReck HoTel Live and work next to magnificent Alberta Rockies in Lundbreck.

Large cinderblock building includes a restaurant, tavern, seven rooms, plus spacious manager's suite. 1.57 acres of land allows for plenty of parking. Large lawn. Huge garage.

Close to Crowsnest/Castle rec area. Affordable opportunity for a new lifestyle. $250,000 CALL JOHN MLS

24 IRonSTone 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom, bungalow with vaulted ceilings and open floor plan. Hardwood flooring, alder wood cabinets and quartz counters. Stainless steel appliances and gas fireplace. Master suite with large walk-in closet and 3-piece bathroom. Double car garage. Main floor laundry hookups and downstairs laundry. Spacious family room downstairs with wide stairway. Ample parking and beautiful green space. $345,000 CALL JOHN MLS

commeRcIal loT and with east/west access on busy Hwy 3. Located at first entrance to Bellevue. Has access to municipal water and sewer. This bare land property can be acquired with bordering property, Crowsnest Angler. Tremendous traffic count in front of property. Suitable for many different activities. $190,000 CALL JOHN MLS

New ShowhomeS

10 – Crowsnest Pass HeraLD – Wednesday, April 15, 2020

3” wide version

Tired of Reseeding your Alfalfa?

For Sale Certified Algonquin Alfalfa Seed 99.9% purity, zero weed seeds, Inoculated, in 55 lb bags Wholesale price $3.00 a pound. Algonquin Alfalfa is a tap root tri-foliate, extremely winter hardy, fine stem, with excellent disease resistance.

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Is someone’s drinking affecting you? Alcoholics Anonymous can help? Call Lyle B. at 403-563-4003, Michelle at 403-563-0548 or Barry H. 403-563-6105 for info. Meeting are Wednesdays and Sundays at 7 - back of the provincial building.

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3” wide version

AWNA CLASSIFIEDS Auctions 2 PARCELS OF FARMLAND Westlock, AB. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, April 29 - Online Real Estate Event. Each parcel is 161 +/Title Acres. Jerry Hodge: 780.706.6652; Ritchie Bros.

Real Estate Services Ltd. rbauction.com/realestate.

4 PARCELS OF REAL ESTATE - Stony Plain, AB. Ritchie Bros.

Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, April 29 - Online Real Estate Event. 4 Parcels of Farmland & 2+/- Title Acres Undeveloped Country Residential Acreage.

Jerry Hodge: 780.706.6652; Ritchie Bros.

Real Estate Services Ltd. rbauction.com/realestate.

KINGS OILFIELD CONTRACTING 2-DAY ON-LINE Auction, April 21-29, Red Deer, AB. Selling Picker Trucks, Equip. & Enclosed Trailers, Skid Steer, Wheel Loader, Compact Tractor, C-Can, Welding & Fab, Large Quantity of Shop Service Tools, Instruments, Pipe & More. www.montogmeryauctions.com 1-800-371-6963.

2 PARCELS OF FARMLAND Dapp, AB. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, April 29 - Online Real Estate Event.

145.94 +/- Title Acres with $6600 surface lease revenue and 159 +/- Title Acres. Jerry Hodge: 780.706.6652; Ritchie Bros.

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We know you are giving 110 per cent, and we are truly grateful. You truly are health-care heroes.

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Linda Humphreys, Interim Chair, RhPAP Board of Directors

Obituary

ROBERT JOHN LAITHWAITE November 10, 1931 ~ April 4, 2020 Robert “Bob” Laithwaite of Coleman, AB passed away on April 4, 2020 at the Crowsnest Pass Health Care Centre, Blairmore, AB. He was 88 years of age.

Bob was a quiet, uncomplicated man who didn’t need much to be happy. He knew the worth of a strong work ethic and he appreciated the simple blessings life gave him.

Bob was a pioneer in the Canadian oil and gas industry. He truly loved his career in the Western Canadian oil patch locating right of ways for, and construction of, oil and gas pipelines. Over the years, he also served in all other facets of the industry. Even after retirement, Bob continued to be a valuable resource to the oil and gas pipeline community. When he wasn’t hard at work, Bob could be found fishing. He knew all the best fishing spots and how to make them bite. Bob will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all who were fortunate enough to have known him.

Bob is survived by his son, three daughters and their extended families.

With respect for Bob’s wishes, no funeral service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations will be gratefully accepted by the charity of your choice. Condolences may be registered at www.fantinsfuneralchapel.ca.

Fantin’s Funeral Chapel entrusted with the arrangements. (403) 562-8555

Lonsbury Applications Ltd. SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT Closes APRIL 24th, 2020

Term: Full-time, Seasonal Invasive Species Field Assistants. Training available.

Wage: $18/hr. Dependent on qualifications.

Hours of Work: Typical work week Monday to Friday, 10-hour days, some weekends, holidays, evenings. Weather may dictate work schedule.

Some crew travel within Alberta/BC. Physical duties, hand-pulling weeds; wearing backpacks up to 20 lbs; standing long periods; use of shovels, weed whippers, etc. Must be at least 18 at start of employment. Requires a Valid driver’s license. Driver’s Abstract & Criminal Record Check will be requested.

Send resume and cover letter to lonsburyapps@hotmail.com Any questions, email or call 403-582-1141

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 - crowsnest pass HeraLD - 11

Obituary

GEORGE KOVACH 1928 ~ 2020

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of George Paul Kovach, beloved husband of Camilla Kovach. George was called to be with our Lord on April 1, 2020 at the Crowsnest Pass Continuing Care Centre and was blessed with 91 years of an exceptional life.

George Kovack was born in Burmis, Alberta to proud parents, John and Tessie Kovack. He was raised with a strong work ethic, dedication to family and faith. After some schooling, George gained employment as a truck driver and eventually started his own trucking company. His mechanical talents aided him in his success along with his devotion for a job well done.

George won the heart of a lovely and graceful young lady, Camilla Porochnuk, and pledged their love in holy matrimony. They formed a family with a beautiful daughter, Sheila, whom they cherished above all else. George and Camilla made their home the hub of all social activity and welcomed everyone with an open door and gracious hospitality. George had many hobbies and interests, he loved to travel and spent many an hour rebuilding old steam engines, hunting and fishing. He had a great sense of humour even though he couldn’t recall a complete joke. A gentle giant with a soft spot for family, friends, animals and little children, he will be fondly remembered and dearly missed.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Camilla; his son-in-law, Italo Sartorio of Calgary; his nephews, Ron Kovach, William, Walter, Jefferey, and Taras Porochnuk; his niece, Jane Kovach and his extended family and many friends. He was predeceased by his precious daughter, Sheila Sartorio; his parents and fourteen siblings.

A private gathering was held on April 2, 2020 in Fantin’s Funeral Chapel with Rev. Fr. Jack Pereira presiding. Donations in memory of the late George Kovach may be directed to the CNP Health Fdn, Box 455, Blairmore, AB T0K 0E0. Condolences may be registered at www.fantinsfuneralchapel.ca.

Fantin’s Funeral Chapel entrusted with the arrangements. (403) 562-8555

A&K Self StorAge Located in the Frank Industrial Park

Units range in size from 5' x 10', 10' x 10', 10' x 15', 10' x 20', sea can 8' x 20' and a 12' x 20' building with auto garage door.

Units are finished inside with hard board or plywood and freshly painted.

Some units are inside chain link fenced area. All units have interior lighting.

Area is secured by exterior lighting.

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12 – CROWSNEST PaSS hERald – Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Looking Back

Everyone has fond memories of their first car. My very first set of wheels was not your average jalopy and it had an interesting story behind it. It was a 1971 Volkswagen Van that I named Hershey and was a special home-made camper. Unlike the old pop-top Westfalias, Hershey was a Type 2 delivery van that was converted into a small home on wheels by a father and son who were carpenters.

I should preface my microbus story by explaining why I chose this vehicle. When I was 24 I met the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I had moved to Calgary in 1972 to be with her and to find work after being laid off at Coleman Collieries where I was working with my father as a draftsman and surveyor.

My life-partner choice, Lorraine, had recently separated from an abusive husband and had two girls aged 10 and 14. It seemed logical to me, as I began my journey with them, that to go camping and exploring as a family would be a great bonding opportunity.

If this isn’t unusual enough, I should also tell you that I did not get my driver’s license until I met Lorraine. Somehow it just wasn’t ever on my radar. I had no interest in being out there at 16, using my father’s 56 Pontiac or my brother’s 59 Cadillac on a Saturday night. I was kind of different from most guys I guess.

Hershey was a pretty unique vehicle. He had a fold-down back seat that made into a bed that actually fit my six foot four inch frame. It was also equipped with a two burner propane stove and a 3-way fridge, both of which were positioned behind the front bucket seats. The propane tank was actually in a storage compartment that opened to the outside. This tank proved to be Hershey’s undoing. More about that later.

What really made this van special was the eight by eight tent extension that attached to the sliding door side of the van. The carpenter’s son had it built for him in Mexico where he took that van for its maiden voyage. The tent attached to the top of the van, clipped along the sides around the sliding door and was held up with poles and held down by pegs. The poles were stored in the homemade front bumper which was a three inch steel pipe.

Before Hershey went to Mexico the carpenter’s son had it rigged with two separate burglar alarms. In one case every door had a small spring-loaded plunger button that was hooked to that hilarious VW horn. Meep! Meep! When a door was forced open, with the alarm set, the plunger would extend, complete a circuit and the horn would sound repeatedly. The second was an odd little rectangular device hidden under the passenger seat. Inside it was a horizontal pendulum that was sensitive to motion. When it was set and the van was rocked, as in someone trying to break in, the pendulum would bounce up and down, complete a circuit each time it bounced, and sound the horn. Meep! Meep! Despite both these systems being in place, the van builder’s son told me that some Mexican banditos still managed to break into his van and steal his camera.

For five years we travelled all throughout Western Canada as a family in Hershey. Those were much simpler times. We were young and didn’t need a lot to enjoy the outdoors. I never had a mechanical issue to speak of with him, except for a little vapour lock problem for which older VW’s were renowned. Air-cooled Volkswagen engines, especially the smaller ones like mine, tended to really heat up when you stopped on a hot day and then it would not start. What got us finally rolling again was a good old-fashioned push start and me popping the clutch. I can still hear the girls groan when I would say: “Guess what? I need a push.”

The girls recall me slipping in behind a transport on the highway now and then to use the dead spot (low pressure zone) directly behind big trucks to reduce the van’s resistance, save gas and keep my speed up. This is known as drafting and is not a trick I would recommend trying nowadays. I don’t think I have the nerve for that kind of monkey business anymore. Hershey struggled with grades like going up the Creston-Salmo Cutoff but going down the other side with Hershey taken out of gear made for a wild ride.

They also remember that the gas heater did almost nothing in winter and that the front defrost was almost non-existent, which necessitated continual scraping of the windshield from the inside on cold winters days.

Oh yeah, there was one more annoying thing and that was no block heater! I ran 5- weight-oil in the engine in the winter just to get the damn thing to start.

The history of the VW van goes back to 1947 and they have now has gone through 7 type classifications and many styles variations. There are VW vans from the 1960’s that have 21 or 23 windows in them. 23 windows! Good grief! It’s a wonder there is any metal in them at all. They are called Sambas and are a really sweet-looking van. I photographed local realtor Randall Whiteside’s 1967 11-windowed splitty van back in 2011 as he prepared to go into the July 1st parade in Coleman. It is a fine-looking bus sometimes referred to as a Kombi and Randall still has it. Splitty is a term used for VW’s that means the front windshield is split into two pieces.

Recently I noticed two almost identical Vanagons parked out in a field by the Burmis Tree with for sale signs on them. Vanagons are known as Type 3’s and were produced from 1979 until 1991. They can be aircooled or water-cooled and can be gasoline or diesel-powered. The pop-top Westfalia is a variation of the Vanagon. Brazil was the last country to stop making VW’s in 2014 but they have recently been reintroduced

by Volkswagen. There are some pretty fancy modern versions of the VW van out there right now like the Atlas and an electric job called the I.D. Buzz. All the bells and whistles but I bet not one has a pendulum horn alarm!

I.D. Buzz’s have what they call a modular electric drive kit (M.E.D.) that maximizes their electric drives.

The first VW’s in North America in 1950 had 30 horsepower engines in them. The I.D. Buzz sports 369 horse power from the electric motors on all wheels and is the seventh generation of a concept that started with a sketch on a napkin in 1947 by a Dutch VW importer named Ben Pon Sr. For me it was just so much fun rattling down the road in old Hershey with his modified bottle muffler growling like a Harley Davidson. I taught my youngest daughter Kelly to drive the four-speed stick shift in the K-Mart parking lot and I showed her how to spin doughnuts there in the winter time. I had Hershey for five years and then something happened in 1978 that changed everything. That something was a nightmare I had one night from which I awoke, sobbing. My wife pressed me to tell her what it was about until I finally relented.

It went something like this. In the nightmare Hershey quit on me half way between Coleman and Blairmore, but it wasn’t because of a vapour lock. It happened late at night and I set out to get a tow-truck. While returning to the van with the tow-truck driver I noticed in the distance that Lorraine had somehow gotten it running and was coming towards us, on the wrong side of the road, with no headlights on. There was a head-on crash with another vehicle. The propane tank behind the front seat exploded and the van burst into flames. That’s when I woke up in tears.

When she heard the story my wife said to me, “You might as well polish old Hershey up and put a for-sale sign on him because I am never riding in that van again.” So I did just that. I sold old Hershey and went right down and bought a brand new 1978 Ford F-150 pickup from Metro Ford. It was black with red interior and I loved it. I put on chrome running boards, running lights, a grill guard and Yosemite Sam mud flaps. I called him Ten G because that’s how much he cost.

Ten Grand. I added a camper and we restarted our exploring in a lot Passenger side of Hershey - John Kinnear photo nicer digs. Sometimes I think back Drivers side showing propane tank location - John Kinnear to what little space there was be- photo tween Lorraine and I and that VW An early splitty van with 23 windows - courtesy front windshield… no seat belts, theverge.com no air bags. I now realize that Realtor Randall Whitesides 1967 Splitty rigged for the panightmare was an important mes- rade - John Kinnear photo sage.

1978 Ford F-150 rigged for adventure - John Kinnear photo

By John Kinnear

Adventures with Hershey the Microbus