Meridian Source - February 19, 2026

COSTCO CAT OUT OF THE BAG

After years of speculation, Costco is officially coming to Lloydminster.

A sign recently installed at a southwest worksite confirmed the retailer’s planned arrival, putting to rest longstanding rumours that have circulated in the community for years.

In 2019, the Meridian Source reported on the possibility of a Costco development in the Border City, fuelling early excitement about a potential build. Two

years later, on April Fools’ Day, the Source ran a front-page digitally manipulated photo of the sign seen above.

Early Wednesday, Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers said he was pleased to see confirmation of the project.

“Like many residents, I was pleased to see the recently installed sign at the southwest worksite confirming Costco’s planned arrival in Lloydminster,” said Aalbers. “On behalf of our community, let me be among the first to say, ‘Welcome, Costco!’ ”

Aalbers said a retail development of such scale has the potential to be transformative for the city, complementing existing local businesses and services while attracting increased regional traffic and investment.

He called the announcement a significant and exciting step forward for Lloydminster’s continued growth and economic momentum.

The Meridian Source has reached out to Costco Canada for comment but had not received a response at press time.

Darren Weinkauf photo

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Pets Purpose gala successfully rolls into second year

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

The second annual Tails of Love Gala, hosted by the Pets Purpose Animal Shelter Society, was a hit with attendees at Rolling Green Fairways.

The gala sold 107 tickets ahead of time in support of a good cause.

“Rolling Green asked us if we wanted to do a second year and we’re pretty excited to do it,” said Kandace Letkeman, head of fundraising and events with Pets Purpose. “This is our big fundraiser for the year.

“We (also) have a lot more sponsors this year.”

The non-profit doesn’t operate out of a brickand-mortar location, as the animals they support are entirely foster raised, meaning money raised from events directly supports the animals.

“(There’s) not an overhead cost of a building, so it goes right back to the animals,” said Letkeman.

Pets Purpose is entirely volunteer driven and funds help with food and vet bills.

“We do get some cases that will need different shots compared to other ones, or you’ve got certain medications, specialty foods. You never know what comes up,” she said.

The evening featured musical entertainment, food and a silent auction.

“We’ve got Bonfire Moon for our band again, then we’ve got a pasta bar,” said Letkeman, noting late-night lunch featured a poutine bar.

“There’s over 40 items for the silent auction.”

Attendees also brought in various donations to support Pets Purpose.

The event’s presenting sponsor, Todd’s Automotive Services, was happy to support the event for a second year.

“They do so much work to rescue and help feed dogs in the community (and) to take in animals that have nowhere to go,” said Joanne Steinwandt, wife of owner Todd Steinwandt. “There’s just so much need.”

She says she’s been involved in the business more and sponsoring the event was a way for them to still support the animals.

“This is a way I can still help,” she said, explaining they used to foster animals in the community.

Steinwandt hopes the community will continue to support the various non-profits in the area that support animals.

“I just hope the community can continue to help them. Pets Purpose, Border Paws, Wainwright Cat Rescue, they all need help,” she said.

Puppies were on the scene to ensure the Tails of Love gala, hosted by Pets Purpose Animal Shelter Society, was a success. Attendees enjoyed a puppy photo booth, pasta dinner and musical entertainment by Bonfire Moon. Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source photos

For Pets Purpose, they’re always looking for donations and volunteers to help their cause.

“We constantly post our wish lists and our most needed items at that time on our Facebook page,” Letkeman said, noting last year the organization had 77 adoptions.

All forms and donation links can be found at Petspurpose.net.

“Our volunteer forms, our foster forms, who’s available for adoption. Everything’s on there,” she said.

Pets Purpose plans to return with the gala for a third year and hopes to be able to host other events in the future.

“If anyone ever wants to do an event, just reach out to us, barbecues, anything,” said Letkeman.

Winterfest bounces to success

Some mild weather and excited families made Winterfest a big success in Lloydminster on Monday, Feb. 16, before winter hit hard again.

Winterfest is held every year on family day. This year’s festivities expanded across more city facilities.

“Winterfest is just a celebration of winter,” said Sandra Brown, recreational co-ordinator, City of Lloydminster. “We have activities at six different facilities this year.

“Indoor and outdoor, and Mother Nature co-operated.”

The buzz was palpable as Border City residents flooded the Servus Sports Centre with excitement for the activities.

“Folks started arriving about 9:30 a.m.,” said Brown.

New events this year included a mechanical bull and laser tag.

“We’ve got brand new bounce units that we haven’t had at this event before and the kids are really enjoying them,” said Brown.

“We have sponsors set up, as well as over 70

volunteers helping.”

She says she’s always happy to see some eager families and smiling faces.

“I think my favourite thing would be (seeing) all the smiles of families, knowing that generations have come through the years,” she said. “It’s kind of a tradition to come out on family day.”

Events this year took place at the Servus Sports Centre, Lloydminster Museum and Archives, Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre, Bioclean Aquatic Centre, Bud Miller All Seasons Park and the Cenovus Energy Hub.

The Hub hosted a para hockey try day for people to try out sledge hockey.

Brown also noted it’s important to remember those who have given back to make this event possible every year.

“We have many returning sponsors year after

year, and just a huge shout out to them,” she said. “Without them, without all the volunteers giving up time on family day, we could not be doing this.”

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Winterfest events took place at the Servus Sports Centre, Lloydminster Museum and Archives, Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre, Bioclean Aquatic Centre, Bud Miller All Seasons Park and, new this year, the Cenovus Energy Hub.

ApostolovskiMeridian

Agrivisions brings quick crowd to beloved trade show

next year.”

People heading into the trade show will see plenty of big pieces of equipment and some familiar local Ag dealers.

Agriculture was once again front and centre at the Lloydminster Exhibition as early birds flocked to this year’s Agrivisions show.

The event, which kicked off Feb. 11, ran for two days and people were eager to get in and check out what it was all about.

“Agrivisions is one of the largest conference and trade shows in this area,” said Tammy Dyck, Lloyd Ex event manager. “It’s definitely well-attended.

“We sold quite a few conference packages, so we know we’re going to have a pretty good turnout this year.”

She says, on top of the trade show, the speakers are a big draw.

“Then the speakers, of course, bring in quite their own (crowd),” she said, noting they’ve sold out the event to vendors over the last several years.

“We have over 90 (vendors),” she said, adding there’s quite a few new vendors this year. “We’ve already got some vendors that are signing up for

“We have the big Ag places around Lloydminster, like Prairie Ag, Horizon Ag and Turf, Redhead (equipment),” said Dyck.

The Ex also put on a raffle during Agrivisions.

“We have a raffle (and) there was only 100 tickets printed,” she said. “You have the choice between one of six prizes, all of them (worth) over $5,000plus.”

The first day of the event hosted an evening banquet at the WLS Convention Centre with keynote speaker Quick Dick McDick.

“I’ve been trying to get him for the last couple of years and it just happened this year that he was available,” she explained beforehand. “He’s always wellattended, no matter what.

“We’re over 500 for ticket sales. We’re almost sold out,”

NOTICE OF DEVELOPMENT PERMITS

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CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Agrivisions drew eager crowds to the Lloyd Ex for the trade show and various events on the grounds on Feb. 11 and 12.

Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source

Saskatchewan Lotteries grant helps Lloyd non-profits

The City of Lloydminster has allocated its 2026 Saskatchewan Lotteries community grants to help local non-profits.

“The grant program assists in the development of sport, culture and recreation programs by providing funds to non-profit community organizations operated by volunteers,” said Patrick Lancaster, the city’s manager of social programs and services.

Despite being a border city, Lloydminster can still use these grants, regardless of the province.

“In Lloydminster, like many of our grants, we’re given some grace and we’re able to apply the Saskatchewan lotteries grant to both sides of the border,” he said.

Although the funding can be used on either side of the border, funding is still only granted based on the population in Saskatchewan.

“The total funding amount we receive is $86,454. This is calculated by a per capita rate or $7.30 per Saskatchewan resident,” explained Lancaster, noting the city received $145,824 in applications for the grants.

Coun. David Lopez sits on the Community Services Advisory Committee, which reviews the grant applications.

“It was interesting, it was an exciting debate,” he recalled. “We had lots of discussions, the numbers on the board changed up and down quite a bit through the night. I, for one, was excited for how we allocated. We sort of changed some of the allocations.”

Lancaster gave some specifics as to how these organizations report the use of the grants.

“All organizations are required to complete reporting as part of the grants,” he said. “In addition to the financial, this is a little unique compared to the other grants where they actually have to provide receipting for each individual purchase.”

Before the applications make it to the committee, they’re scored with an evaluation matrix.

“They get points based on alignment of that particular grant, on how strong the budget is, the level of community impact,” Coun. Lopez said.

If a project doesn’t receive the full funding, the city ensures partial funding will still be used by the organizations.

“If we can’t afford to give them the full amount, we want to make sure the program can still move forward with what we’re giving them,” said Tracy Simpson, executive manager of community development services.

“There’s a lot of discussion, especially at this time, around what the impacts are going to be versus the dollars we’re giving and trying to put our dollars where we’re going to see the biggest impact in the community.”

Local Business Directory

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Members of Lloydminster city council confer during a recent meeting. Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source

Startup Lloyd funding falters, city looks to keep it going

able to give some insight into how discussions on this topic have been going.

After losing a portion of its provincial funding, Startup Lloydminster could be transitioned to Community Futures Lloydminster and Region as the city looks to restructure the program.

“Over the years, the organization has relied on multiple funding sources, including the City of Lloydminster community funding,” said Dion Pollard, city manager. “In recent years, the funding model, the revenue model in particular, has changed for Startup. (The organization) used to rely on two sources of funding: the City of Lloydminster, as well as Alberta Innovates. That Alberta Innovates funding is no longer available.”

Pollard says they did have a concern regarding how the funding would be spent.

“We had a number of concerns addressed at the administrative level to ensure the funding does remain for the intended purpose and that we wouldn’t be funding Community Future type activities,” he said.

The current agreement between the city and Startup Lloydminster expires at the end of this year.

“What we’re looking for in this transition is, to agree upon transitioning the funding to Community Futures for the remainder of this year’s program,” Pollard said. “From this point forward, it would have to come back to city council for approval again for a new agreement moving past the current year we’re in.”

Councillors Michele Charles Gustafson and Jim Taylor sit on the Startup Lloydminster and Community Futures boards, respectively, and were

“At the board level in these discussions, it was very apparent from committee members that what was most important was the delivery of the service would remain the same,” said Charles Gustafson. “They wanted to make sure that the end user, as the entrepreneurs, would not notice any difference walking through those doors in terms of the service delivery.”

Taylor echoed the comments regarding services being unaffected by this proposed change.

“From somebody that’s used the service in the past, there is some overlap already,” he said. “The doors are open between the two services already. It’s important for people to know that nothing is going to change. It gives us time as a city with our funds through this period to track it and be transparent with how the money is being spent.”

Mayor Gerald Aalbers highlighted the importance of having councillors sit on these various boards.

“I think it gives an opportunity to bring that message right back to the council table,” he explained. “I think having councillors with firsthand experience, either being on the board or having worked with those organizations, (is a good thing).”

The two boards, Community Futures and Startup Lloydminster, both voted in favour of the transition.

“I think it’s going to be a positive thing. You get helped from everybody involved with both organizations already,” Coun. Taylor explained. “They’re so closely tied together already, I think it will be an easy transition and we’ll have the time to figure

that out between now and the end of this term.”

There was some worry about municipal dollars being put into a federally-run program, something Taylor was quick to dispel.

“I can tell you from seeing the books and where the funds are, Community Futures’ wise, you can be guaranteed that it’s going to be spent locally with businesses and the help that it needs for programming,” he said. “Everything will be separated.”

No jobs will be impacted by this change, as work was already being done to save money.

“There was already work being done to try and find cost-saving measures before the funding ended,” said Aalbers.

Pollard also gave a breakdown of the funding they give to Startup Lloydminster.

“Our contract with them had us contributing $115,000 to the end of the year,” he explained. “They reduced their incubator program, which stopped running downtown (and saved $15,000). I believe our contributions for 2026 is just under the $100,000 mark.”

He then gave some 2024 stats from Startup’s year.

“We haven’t got their 2025 report yet, seven out of 10 clients are from Lloydminster, so an average 70 per cent,” he said. “There were 302 unique clients served, 84 new clients, 47 companies formed and 29 events hosted with over 340 attendees.”

The item will return to a future council meeting for approval.

“This will come to council for an official approval because we’re changing who we’re giving our money to,” said Pollard.

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Emergency collective talks preparedness, legislation

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Regional emergency collaboration continues as the Regional Emergency Management Collective (REMC) looks to continue its work into 2026.

Andrew DeGruchy, director of public safety, and Madison Black, emergency management co-ordinator for the City of Lloydminster, presented to Town of Vermilion council at the Feb. 3 committee of the whole meeting.

REMC is comprised of 10 partner municipalities in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“The Town of Vermilion, the City of Lloydminster and eight other Alberta and Saskatchewan communities perform emergency management in a joint venture through our regional emergency management collective,” said DeGruchy, who also serves as the regional director of emergency management.

He says since the two municipalities could face regional challenges, tackling it in a regional fashion makes the most sense.

“This was with some insight from council. We want to take greater steps towards emergency management on an ongoing basis, but we all face similar resource constraints in doing so,” DeGruchy said. “We felt that since we likely would be facing hazard onsets in a regional fashion, we should be planning for them in a regional fashion.”

REMC was established in spring of 2024 with partners ranging from the Town of Vermilion to the RM of Eldon. Administration for the collective is completed by the City of Lloydminster’s emergency management department.

Across the border from Sask to Alberta, each province is governed by different provincial legislation. In Alberta, they’re governed by the emergency management act, while in Sask, they are governed by the emergency planning act and cost recovery framework.

For REMC, they’ve completed a number of objectives in 2025. They’ve increased municipal readiness and response capacity through training, exercises and agreements. A household-level preparedness campaign was also created for public engagement, while REMC attended meetings throughout the year.

“We were able to accomplish this objective,” said Black. “We hosted quarterly meetings through the collective, and at one of our meetings, we did a tabletop exercise.”

They are working to ensure municipalities are compliant with applicable legislation.

“This is an ongoing objective that we’re setting out to achieve. It’s kind of in progress right now due to the new emergency regional management plan that’s being developed for our Alberta partners,” she said. “Due to the new emergency regional management plan, our bylaws are going to have to change for our Alberta partners.”

Meetings were also held in Lloyd with the hospital to go over emergency planning.

“At the beginning of the year, the Town of Vermilion did their annual audit with Alberta Emergency Management agency, so Andrew attended that,” said Black. “We did some emergency planning sessions with the Lloydminster Hospital to discuss capacity and what would happen if there was a mass casualty event at the Lloyd hospital and how they would respond.”

While there were several emergency events last year, none of them required the activation of the team.

“In 2025, there were quite a few community events that occurred throughout our regional collective. However, we were lucky that we didn’t have to formally activate our incident management team for that,” she said.

The first one they were involved in happened at Lakeland College.

“For the first one, we supported monitoring of a community demonstration, which is a protest, at Lakeland College,” she said.

May proved to be a busy month as they hosted school presentations for Emergency Preparedness Week. It was also the same month as the Rush Lake well release.

“In May, Andrew and another member of our staff got deployed to Boyle/ Athabasca County for wildfire evacuation support,” Black explained. “So, Andrew, myself and another member of our staff are a part of an all-hazard management team called Assist for Northeastern Alberta. We can go support other municipalities if they’re going through an emergency type of situation.

“Between May and August, we had around 1,100 evacuees that were coming in and out of Lloydminster.”

In October, there was a carbon monoxide release from a local industrial site, which impacted first responders and the general public.

There was also a bitumen spill in the North Saskatchewan River in November.

“For this, we were lucky there was no impacts to our city water,” she said, noting it happened upstream from the regional water intake centre.

The RM of Britannia No. 502 is looking for an individual to fill a full-time role of Operations Coordinator. The Operations Coordinator plays a key role in supporting the Operations Director through administrative, operational, and project coordination functions with an eye to performing at a high level of professionalism in both work and conduct. We’re looking for a highly motivated and organized individual who thrives on structure, communication and problem-solving. The role requires sound judgment, discretion and high level of professionalism when handling sensitive information and supporting decision making processes. While instructions will be given on tasks to be performed, the expectation will be that the individual filling this role has a high level of learning capability with the ability to research and grow their knowledge in order to assist better (proactively) as their knowledge increases.

SALARY GRID FOR POSITION: $35 - $42/HOUR

Work Schedule and Location:

• Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. not including Statutory Holidays (there may be times where additional hours are required).

The RM of Britannia No. 502 operates on Mountain Time Zone (Alberta time).

• Office location is within the Hamlet of Hillmond, SK (40 km from Lloydminster)

• Operations office is attached to the shop (this position requires the ability to work effectively in an environment where there is a probability of intermittent smells, noise, or dust due to operational activities)

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Support

• Project Coordination

• Strategic Support

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Communications & Collaboration

• Administrative

• Growth and Development

• Advanced education in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field preferred

• 3-5 years of progressive experience in operations, coordination, or administration

• Strong organizational and time-management skills

• Proficiency with office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

• Reliable attendance, punctuality and strong work ethic

• Ability to multitask and adapt to changing priorities

• High level of discretion and professionalism

• Strong problem solving and critical-thinking skills

• Considered an asset:

- Previous successful work experience in municipal government and/or working with Munisoft programs

- Understanding and application of Municipal, Provincial or Federal Legislation and Acts

- Strong understanding and ability to interpret and apply legal land descriptions (Township, Range/Road system) - this skill is mandatory for the role

- Understanding road construction processes including road plan profiles

- Working knowledge of Saskatchewan Information Services Corporation (Land Titles) system

• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills

Applicant must have a reliable, consistent form of transportation (valid driver’s license). No allowance for travel will be given.

How to Apply:

Submit your resume of your work experience (be specific of your role with each company and the length of time spent at each respective employer) along with a contact number to: cao@rmbritannia.com

More details on job responsibilities and benefits can be found on the RM website or by following the link https://rmbritannia.com/p/employment-opportunities

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for further consideration will be contacted. Position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

RM of Britannia No. 502 | Box 661, Lloydminster, SK S9V 0Y7

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BRITANNIA NO. 502 OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Wastewater treatment project closes in Lloyd

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

The City of Lloydminster has closed its recent chapter on the Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The facility opened in 2023 after two years of construction, prior to a Dec. 1, 2023, deadline.

“This project was required to ensure the city remained compliant and committed to comply with the directive issued from Environment and Climate Change Canada, which posed a deadline of Dec. 1, 2023,” said Terry Burton, director of planning and engineering, City of Lloydminster. “The facility continues to operate as designed and is meeting and exceeding current regulatory requirement.”

Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers pointed out they were grappling with an even earlier deadline.

“I can tell you, there was actually a deadline of Dec. 1, 2020, until we got the extension to get the project finished,” he explained. “We hadn’t even found the funds, yet. I appreciate the work that’s been put on by the city, fellow council members.”

The project for the city came in under budget, leading to some savings for the municipality.

“While the facility was substantially complete as of Nov. 13, 2023, meeting Environment and Climate Change Canada’s directive deadline, the warranty period and the remaining deficiency items carried the finalization of costs into 2025,” said Burton. “In the end, the project came in at $80,296,559. This represents a budget savings of $1,203,441 of the allocated $81,500,000 budget.”

Don Stang, executive manager of operations, explained the savings came through their borrowing bylaw.

“All the calculations are done and this is the remaining balance that we did not need to pull out of our borrowing bylaw,” he said.

Aalbers says the facility is a key part of the community, also reminding industry it is not designed to process heavy oil.

“I want to remind people that facility will (serve) our city for a long, long time,” he said. “But I remind our industry, especially heavy oil, that our facility is not designed to process heavy oil. I’ll say it again, please keep your heavy oil out of the way stream

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Local non profits benefit from government grants

SASK LOTTERIES GRANT FROM PAGE 5

During discussions, Mayor Gerald Aalbers pointed out there could be funding available through other municipalities for these organizations.

“The Lloydminster air cadets could have members from the city, both sides of the city, they could have them from both RMs, the county, even further, depending on where they come from,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity here to try and help those clubs and organizations as they seek funds and if there’s any dollars that haven’t been allocated.

“But, if there’s dollars that haven’t been allocated, here’s a great opportunity for our local service clubs to try and access that to serve their membership.”

Council voted in favour to approve the grant funding to the 15 organizations listed below at the Feb. 2 regular council meeting.

1. $10,000 to Special Olympics Lloydminster for Special Olympics Lloydminster

2. $5,000 to Catholic Social Services for Wintergration

3. $2,210 to Lloydminster Youth Basketball Club Incorporated for 2026 spring-summer youth basketball program

4. $7,845 to Lloydminster Public Library for sensory and play

5. $5,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lloydminster for big fun co-ordinator

6. $6,000 to Lloydminster Theatre Society for behind the scenes: increasing opportunity and capacity

7. $4,000 to Lloydminster Air Cadets 186 Squadron for 186 Air Cadets

8. $5,000 to Libbie Young Centre Inc. for summer recreation program

9. $4,899 to Lloydminster & District Soccer Association for Walking Soccer

10. $10,000 to SPARK Foundation of Lloydminster for Lloydminster community youth centre recreation and support program

11. $7,500 to Lloydminster Riptides Swim Club for Lloydminster Riptides competitive swim club

12. $5,000 to Midwest Family Connections for Indigenous Recreation & Cultural Play Enhancement Project

13. $7,500 to Lloydminster Border Blades for skater growth and retention

14. $500 to the Lloydminster & Area Brain Injury Society for Brain Fit

15. $6,000 for Spotlight Theater Kids Association of Lloydminster for Spotlight STAGE program (shared theater accessories, gear and equipment).

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FROM PAGE 7

Looking forward to 2026, REMC set out a number of goals, including enhancing the region’s operational readiness through updated planning and capacity building, creating a regional culture of emergency preparedness through education and collaboration and maintaining ongoing efforts to achieve provincial-level compliance.

Coun. Kellen Snelgrove said he’s happy with the program, having learned about it since getting elected to council.

“I think it’s a very good program and a very good example of regional co-operation,” he said.

Black and DeGruchy were also seeking feedback from council regarding the collective.

“As council, we can probably come up with some great ideas of who you guys can reach out to and spread the message,” explained Mayor Robert Snow.

Through the regional collaboration, messaging has been available to the various municipalities to share out in the event of an emergency.

“We have a website as a part of our regional emergency management collective. On this SharePoint website, we have a lot of different media and graphics that can be shared for different types of emergencies,” Black said, noting this came in handy during a recent winter storm.

“The alert came out for the winter storm, so I prepared an email to all our partners within the collective, just provided the graphic and some messaging they could easily share out on their social media.”

Thursday, February 19, 2026

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Leave it to Weaver: Watching Canada go for Olympic gold

EDITOR TAYLOR WEAVER

I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I’ve been glued to CBC Gem lately, watching Canada chase Olympic gold — especially in men’s hockey. As I write this Wednesday morning, the team is battling Czechia in quarter-final action, and I’m following along on my iPad while we get this week’s paper out the door. Goal, Celebrini! It’s 1-0 Canada.

Canada may not have as many medals as Norway, Italy or the U.S., but it’s safe to say the whole country is rooting for Sidney Crosby and company. Chels and I have been watching as much Olympic hockey as possible. Heck, I even tuned in Sunday afternoon to watch the U.S. beat Germany 5-1 after Canada showed France how it’s done in a 10-2 final.

I’m no expert, but the on-ice action has been sensational, and Canada is playing smart hockey. Off the ice, the team has shown class and appreciation for the crowds from the Great White North. The same, however, cannot be said for the

Tkachuk brothers of the United States. I know winning can mean everything, especially when representing your country, but kudos to the boys in red for keeping it classy — and very Canadian. Game update: Czechia has tied it, but Canada’s deadly power play is on for two minutes. I can’t watch.

Emily Welsh

Growing up, watching Team Canada at the IIHF world junior championship was a big part of every Christmas holiday. It’s the stars of tomorrow representing Canada today, and I love it. The country practically closes for business during the tournament, with everyone glued to their TVs.

Like the Olympics, legends are made at the world juniors — legends such as Lloydminster Athletics coach and Vermilion native Jeff Woywitka, who scored the game-winning goal against the U.S. in the 2003 semifinal in Halifax.

And who could forget Crosby’s golden goal against the U.S. at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver?

There are four minutes left in the first period and Czechia leads 2-1. I’ll be holding my breath until this one’s over.

BOOM! Canada advances to Thursday’s semi-finals after beating Czechia 4-3 in OT!

11

Thursday, February 19, 2026

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Chris’ A-Z: A pivotal player in Lloyd

Here’s an interesting fact about myself and a little back story to today’s column.

Spring is on the way in the Ontario winter of 2015 and a young gas station attendant has a decision to make heading into college.

It seemed like he couldn’t keep himself busy enough, as he remained involved in the board of trade. He was also an active Rotarian, even becoming district governor in 1955. There was even talk of him being the next lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan.

Law school or journalism school. I think, for most it would be the former but that young gas station attendant, me, chose journalism school. I often wonder what would have happened if I chose the other branching path. The one thing I do know is I’d likely be a very different person than I am now.

The reason for my preamble is because of today’s subject, Vernon Ulysses Miner. Often remembered as a long time municipal politician in Lloyd, he was also a lawyer. This fact got me thinking about my interesting fork in the road.

Miner was born in Renfrew, Ont., on May 18, 1892. I didn’t find much for background on his early life, but I do know he came to Saskatoon with his family in 1912. He entered law school at the University of Saskatchewan in 1916. Notably, he graduated with John G. Diefenbaker. Lloydminster came calling to Miner, and in 1922, he arrived on a “certain” case. I’m not sure what the case was, as no details were given. J.T. Hill persuaded Miner to look into leaving Saskatoon and establishing his practice in the Border City. As I’m writing this, it also occurred to me, I’m not sure which side of the border he came to. In 1922, Lloydminster would’ve still been a town and village, not yet amalgamated.

Ultimately, the persuasion seemed to work. He established his practice on Nov. 25, 1922. He quickly became active in the board of trade locally, as well as municipal politics. The fire of 1930 destroyed plenty of records in Lloydminster, leaving us with no definitive knowledge of what he did prior to the fire. What we do know is, he worked alongside some other prominent names to see the towns of Lloyd unite. He worked alongside Harold Huxely, Eddie Howell, Gordon Cooke and Dr. G.L. Cooke to unify Lloydminster. Miner also served as a member of the amalgamated council.

It was in this era that we have records of his service. He served as a member of council from 1930-31, 1932, 1933-35 and 1940-41. He served as mayor from 1936-39 and 1951-62. Miner took over in 1932 as member of council following Harold Huxley’s untimely death.

The Rural Municipality of Britannia No. 502 is now accepting applications from local community groups for the 2026 Ditch Cleaning Grant and the RM Grant Program for Non-Pro t Organizations located within the Rural Municipality of Britannia No.502.

Applications may be picked up at the municipal o ce, or call to request an application by mail or email.

Deadline for applications for the 2026 Ditch Cleaning Grant is February 28th , 2026 and the deadline for the 2026 RM Grant Program for Non-Pro t Organizations is March 31st, 2026.

If you have any questions regarding these programs, please contact our o ce at (306) 825-2610 or via email at nanceclerk@rmbritannia.com. Please visit our website at www.rmbritannia.com for more information.

Miner was plenty busy while he served in council chambers. As mayor in his first term, he worked on the storm sewer as a relief project and the initial water works plan and system.

In his second mayoral stint, he worked on files like the paving of streets, sidewalk program, the modernization of the city, the pipeline from Sandy Beach, the celebration of the golden jubilee and the eventual attainment of city status in 1958.

It seemed like he couldn’t keep himself busy enough, as he remained involved in the board of trade. He was also an active Rotarian, even becoming district governor in 1955. In 1935, he was appointed to Kings’ council.

There was even talk of him being the next lieutenant-governor of Saskatchewan.

Miner died on May 25, 1963, of a brain tumor and was buried in Saskatoon. His partner, Benjamin Gulak, continued his law practice.

In my research, I discovered that Miner married Edna Violet Caswell in 1922. I couldn’t find any record of him having children, and Caswell died in 1949. I also found First World War documents listing Miner as medically discharged due to myocarditis, described at the time as “heart disease.” The documents state the condition was caused by pneumonia.

Miner lived a long life, which he filled to the brim with work. He dedicated himself to the Border City and was instrumental in its development and long-term success.

I often wonder how my life would have looked had I chosen to pursue law; I doubt I’d have a story as exciting as his. I wanted to be a trial lawyer and often enjoyed arguing my case, as I still do today, just much less professionally.

I believe we both chose the right paths in life. This story, and many others, would never have been told had I pursued a different career.

Passport to YLL

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Meridian Source calendar of events is a free service provided for non-profit organizations located within our coverage area. All events are in chronological order, as space permits and at the editor’s discretion.

To place an event, email taylor@meridiansource.ca or fax 306-825-5147

Bingo at the Moose Lodge Bingo is back at the Moose Lodge! Bingo is every Monday and Wednesday evening. Doors open at 5 p.m. and play starts at 7 p.m. Must be 18 to play.

Southridge Playschool Registration is Open

The Southridge Playschool and Kindergym Society has opened registration for the fall 2026-2027 term for kids ages 3-5. One day a week is covered by a government affordability grant and two days a week is $325 for the whole term. Contact Mrs. Shandy at southridgeplayschool@gmail.com or message them on Facebook.

Single Cribbage Tournament

The Lloydminster Moose Lodge is hosting a singles crib tournament on Feb. 22 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $20/player, eight games guaranteed with prizes awarded to the top finishers. Snacks, coffee and drinks included. Register by Feb. 20. Contact Bruce at 780-522-6972 to register.

Legacy Centre Telemiracle Funday

The Legacy Centre will host Telemiracle Funday on Feb. 23. Registration is at 8:45 a.m., morning cribbage and floor curling, lunch at noon and afternoon court whist. Cost is $10 to play and $10 for lunch. Proceeds support Telemiracle 50. Call 780-875-4584 for details.

Cribbage Doubles Tournament

The Legacy Centre is hosting a doubles crib tournament on Thursday, Feb. 26, starting at 10 a.m. Cost is $10/person to play and $12/person for lunch. Bring a partner for a great day around the Legacy card tables. Call 780-875-4584 for more details.

World Day of Prayer

World Day of Prayer Service will be held Friday, March 6, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Hall - 2704 - 56 Ave. ( Northwest Door). Please join us for the World Day of Prayer. Lunch to follow the service. Everyone welcome.

Girl Guides Family Fun Night

Lloydminster Girl Guides will host a Family Fun Night Dessert Bingo on Saturday, March 7, at the Moose Hall - 5213 -57 St. from 6-9 p.m. Games start at 6:30 p.m. Bingo games to win desserts. Much more – silent auction, concession, 50/50, glitter tattoos. Admission by donation to fundraise for the 92nd Europe Independent Trip Unit. Everyone welcome.

Word on the beat: Police operations

On June 4, 2025, the Lloydminster detachment continued an operation to locate and arrest a violent individual with outstanding charges who had also committed other recent offences.

The public first learned of the situation through a media release informing residents of a police operation on the east side of the city. Many officers were involved because of the individual’s history with law enforcement.

During an incident such as this, one of our first tasks is to contain the area and, if the risk assessment dictates, remove people from the vicinity.

Public safety is a significant consideration. If there is risk to the public, police will take action to mitigate it. Media releases are issued for public safety and typically include a request for people to stay away from the area.

Informing the public of a situation like this, unfortunately, can also draw people to the area out of curiosity or a desire to be first to post online for “likes.”

This can — and does — complicate our response and increase risk to the public. Officers must then divert enforcement resources to remove those individuals and keep them away. This is why we ask that people stay clear of areas where police action is ongoing.

I have previously written about people posting photos or information in real time online and how this can create public and officer

safety concerns. In this case, we identified one individual who was live-streaming our operations, which can increase risk to everyone in the area.

It is now common for suspects involved in incidents such as this to use their phones to seek information about police operations. That was the case here. We learned at least one person in the apartment contacted someone outside to relay information and possibly interfere with our response. Real-time information and video increase the risk to everyone involved and might aid the subject.

We have also encountered situations where we are searching for someone on foot and that person calls or messages someone to pick them up. This is a common tactic used to evade police. We also see this when attempting to apprehend individuals in stolen vehicles. They may arrange for someone to meet them and provide transportation.

These are variables many residents might not have considered, but they add another element to our work — one that increases risk to everyone involved.

My intent is to provide additional context to help the public understand why we sometimes act as we do.

Many factors must be considered when determining how much information can be released during an incident. These decisions are made in dynamic situations with continually evolving circumstances, as the apprehension of a suspect is weighed against overall risk.

Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbown is the NCO in charge of the Lloydminster RCMP detachment’s General Investigation Section. Stay tuned for future columns from the Lloydminster RCMP.

TREATMENT PROJECT FROM PAGE 8

“If it ends up there, it’s going to be a very expensive proposition for either the city or those that we find out where the oil came from.”

Construction of the facility was funded by the governments of Canada, Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with substantial funding from the City of Lloydminster.

WATER

Thursday, Feburary 19, 2026

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BCHL-bound defenceman from Lloyd Athletics continues Irma pipeline ‘It must be something in the water’

Lloydminster Athletics defenceman Blair Erickson is the next one-towatch hockey prospect out of Irma, Alta.

Erickson stands out for more than his size — six-foot-six and 200 pounds — as one of the leaders with the U18 AAA Athletics in the Junior Prospects Hockey League (JPHL).

The high school senior caught the eye of the Spruce Grove Saints, prompting the BCHL team to call him up for an early January audition and later sign him to play junior A longerterm, after his U18 career.

Back in the team’s AJHL days, Spruce Grove’s prominent faces more than a decade ago included Irma natives Carson Soucy and Parker Mackay. Both went on to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. Soucy, now a member of the New York Islanders, kept going all the way to the NHL.

The string of big-name hockey players from small-town Irma continued with the likes of former WHL star Jagger Firkus, a Seattle Kraken NHL prospect now in his sophomore AHL season.

“It must be something in the water,” Erickson said with a smile. “There’s lot of good Irma players coming out of there.”

Erickson was home in Irma for the Christmas holidays when Spruce Grove management invited him to join the Saints for a BCHL stint.

“I was just sitting in my house on New Year’s Eve when I got a call from Spruce,” he said. “I was pretty excited. It was a really fun experience. It was unexpected, but it was fun.”

Erickson capped his three-game junior A promotion on Jan. 9 as he scored the winning goal in the Saints’ 6-3 victory over the Okotoks Oilers.

Beginning with his BCHL rookie lap Jan. 2, he appeared in three straight Spruce Grove wins before returning to Lloydminster for the rest of his final year with the Athletics.

The Border City is about an hour and a half from Irma, which was wellrepresented in Lloyd last Thursday (Feb. 12) as the Athletics shut out the Morinville-based Titans 2-0 in what was billed as a JPHL rivalry game at Russ Robertson Arena.

On a power play late in the first period, Erickson potted the winning goal just a few feet away from his strong contingent of supporters, including his grandparents.

“Yeah, there was lots of Irma people here to watch,” he said. “Grandmas, grandpas, family friends, lots of people. It was pretty special, having them here.”

Erickson’s hometown connections in Lloyd run deep. His billet and one of his coaches is Athletics general manager Ambrose Firkus, who is from one of Irma’s most prominent hockey families.

Ambrose’s brother Slade plays in the BCHL with Cowichan Valley Capitals, after skating in the AJHL last season with the Bonnyville Pontiacs. Their brother Jagger, just two years removed from his 126point championship season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, now is a point-per-game forward with Seattle’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds of California. Jagger showcased his skills last week during AHL all-star festivities, winning the accuracy shooting competition with a perfect 4-for-4 performance.

Skill development on and off the ice is an integral part of the Athletics multi-level program in Lloydminster. Erickson has been with the U18 AAA Athletics for the past three years, after his U15 AAA season with the Lloyd minor hockey team then known as the Bobcats.

While most of the Athletics’ games are played out of town, and often with less profile than the traditional provincial leagues in the hockey food chain, Erickson believes the program has benefited him appreciably.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Six-foot-six, 200-pound defenceman Blair Erickson, in action with the U18 AAA Lloydminster Athletics last week, has signed with the BCHL’s Spruce

Grove Saints.

John MacNeil Meridian Source

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

RM of Britannia No. 502 Public Notice – Planning and Development Fee Bylaw 01-2026

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Rural Municipality (RM) of Britannia No. 502 intends to adopt a bylaw under The Planning and Development Act, 2007, to repeal and replace Bylaw 03-2023, known as the Planning and Development Fee Bylaw (Bylaw).

INTENT: Proposed Bylaw 01-2026 will update the previous Fee Bylaw 03-2023 to align with the amended Official Community Plan Bylaw 16-2021 and Zoning Bylaw 24-2021, as well as update the associated permit application documents. While the existing fees will not change, an additional fee will be added for a post-completion site inspection for “Move or Demolish a Building” Permits.

AFFECTED LAND: This new Bylaw will affect Planning and Development Fees on all land in the RM.

REASON: The Fee Bylaw is regularly reviewed to ensure that the fees, rationale, and attached permit applications remain aligned with the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw.

PUBLIC INSPECTION: Any person may inspect the bylaw at the RM of Britannia No. 502 office Monday to Friday, during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.), excluding statutory holidays. Copies will be available to the public by emailing the contact below. A copy of the proposed amendment is available for viewing here: https://www.rmbritannia.com.

PUBLIC HEARING: Council will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 2:15 PM at the RM of Britannia No. 502 Office, located at Parcel C on NE 23-50-28W3M (1/4 mile south of TWP RD 504 on RR 3281), to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed amendment. Council will consider written and emailed comments at the meeting, along with in-person representations. Only those who have made arrangements to speak on behalf of themselves or a group may be heard at the public hearing. The deadline for receipt of comments, and requests for in-person representation must be received by the RM office by 4:00 PM on Thursday, February 19, 2026. For additional information, please contact the Development Services Officer at (306) 825-2610 or dso@rmbritannia.com. Written submissions may be sent to RM of Britannia, P.O. Box 661, Lloydminster SK, S9V 0Y7 or dso@rmbritannia.com.

Issued in the RM of Britannia No. 502 this 5th day of February, 2026

Bryson Leganchuk CAO

RM of Britannia No. 502

“I think it’s really good,” he said about the JPHL calibre. “Comparing it to my first year, there was lots of Dub guys and other junior guys going through. I think it’s slowed down a little bit, but it’s slowly picking back up. There are definitely good players playing here.”

Last week’s rare JPHL stop in Lloyd attracted a good-sized yet compact crowd at Russ Robertson. The afternoon tilt didn’t disappoint, with a tight battle, strong goaltending and crunching hits.

“It feels really good,” said Erickson, 17. “It was our last (home game) of the year, too, so it was nice to get that win. I think both of us teams, we’re used to small rinks — with them playing out of Morinville. It was a war today, definitely.”

Preceding that war was a U17 AAA duel that saw those Titans defeat the younger Athletics 8-4.

In the U18 AAA game, Lloyd goaltender Zachary Gorkoff stopped all 34 shots he faced, including a power-play surge in the third period.

“Yeah, he played unreal,” Erickson said. “All the games we win with him, they’re mostly shutouts, so he’s doing pretty good for himself. He’s definitely (been) stronger coming into the end of the year.”

The Titans’ Bennett Neilson made 17 saves on 19 shots. Shia Josue, the Athletics’ speedy centre, broke loose in the late going to make it a 2-0 game and stem the guests’ pressure.

The victory kicked off a busy fourgame weekend for Lloydminster (9-18-2), which went on to lose three road contests. In their final game Sunday, the Athletics dropped a 4-3 decision to Bow Valley (22-4-2), the top team in the Prairies Division. Lloyd fell 6-1 to Edmonton (21-5-2) on Friday and 6-4 to the Titans (12-13-3) on Saturday in the Morinville end of that rivalry series.

PUSH FOR PLAYOFFS

The Athletics are back in action this weekend at Nisku, Alta., for play-in action that determines whether they advance to the playoffs. On Friday, they face Kootenay, B.C., in the first of potentially three must-win games.

While he’s focused on playing a solid defensive game, Erickson’s offensive instincts have also been evident in the JPHL. Including a twogoal game Saturday and a three-point effort Sunday, he leads the Athletics with 15 goals and 28 points after 29 games. The crafty Josue is just one point back, with 11 goals and 27 points in 29 games.

“It’s good, it’s fast,” Erickson said about the U18 AAA pace this season. “You can definitely see a change from U17 to U18. It’s faster, with all the (2008-born) kids.”

The Athletics’ kids gained a pro mentor this year when former NHL defenceman Jeff Woywitka joined the program’s coaching staff. The Vermilion native and ex-coach of the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats is sharing first-hand experience with the likes of Erickson.

“It’s really good,” Erickson said about Woywitka’s presence. “Look at the (shutout on the) scoreboard

today. He’s definitely taught us how to keep goals in front of us and not let anything get through and happen. That’s kind of what he did when he was up playing in the NHL.

“You can probably tell, on the bench, he’s getting fired up and (also) keeping it loose. Oh yeah, a little bit of everything.”

HOCKEY ROLE

MODELS

Erickson has retained many hockey and life lessons over the years, not the least of which were those from his own family members.

“Oh, that’s a good question,” he said when asked who he tries to model his game after. “I wouldn’t really say any NHL players, but just kind of growing up and listening to my dad and my grandpa — they were all hockey players.”

Of course, Erickson’s hometown influences include Soucy, a 31-yearold defenceman now in his seventh NHL season.

“I like how he plays. He’s like a stay-at-home D-man. He doesn’t let guys score on him. He doesn’t mess around.”

One of Erickson’s towering teammates with the Athletics is sixfoot-seven defenceman Deverin Woywitka, who is Jeff’s nephew. Comprised of big and small boys alike, the Athletics use the former ATCO trailer beside the Robertson rink as their dressing room. It was previously home for the Lakeland College women’s team before the Rustlers moved to the Hub’s Co-op Community Arena this year.

“It’s a really good room,” Erickson said. “And our clubhouse is pretty nice. We have our own gym and turf and shooting lanes and everything. It’s just a couple of minutes down the road from here.”

Erickson’s next step in hockey is not far away, either. When the Athletics’ season ends, he hopes to join Spruce Grove for the rest of this BCHL season and beyond.

“I think once my season is done, I’m going to head up there and hang out, go practise and maybe play a game or two, depending on if they need me,” he said. “When they call or when they need me, I’ll go.”

That was the case when he answered the call in January and gained junior A playing experience that should serve him well the next time around.

“It’s awesome, to be able to play those games, and kind of get me ready for next year,” said Erickson, who knows what the Saints want from him. “Just being big, using my stick, playing defensive, not letting guys get by me.”

Now a Grade 12 student at Holy Rosary High School in Lloydminster, Erickson plans to transfer back to Irma when his hockey duties with the Athletics and Saints are completed in their respective seasons.

“I’ll go back to Irma and graduate with all my buddies.”

Two of his first cousins from Irma play with elite girls’ hockey teams in Lloydminster. Sawyer Mackay is a forward with the U18 AAA Steelers, while Myla Holt is on defence with the U18 AA team.

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BRITANNIA NO. 502 PUBLIC NOTICE

Midway through his third and final year with the U18 AAA Lloydminster Athletics, Blair Erickson was called up to the BCHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for three games. Submitted photo

Lloyd swimmer in synchro with nationals

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

Jaycie Forbes is ahead of the game. In her words, she’s “not getting behind” in school.

Nor is she falling behind in the pool.

Forbes, a Grade 11 student at the athlete-specific Pursuit School of Sport in Lloydminster, has been selected to Saskatchewan’s synchronized swimming team for the Canadian championship qualifier this March in Québec City.

“I just found out (in January) that I get to go to my first nationals in Quebec,” said Forbes, who turns 17 on March 3, two weeks before her national quest.

“It is very exciting for me and my club, because it’s really hard to go to nationals, from a small town, considering the pool operation hours. It’s very difficult to schedule the time requirements we need to be able to swim national stream.

“But yeah, coming to Pursuit this year, it’s really helped me get those times and be able to improve. It’s definitely more flexible for my swim schedule and it’s really helped me with my education, with not getting behind.”

Forbes is a member of the Border City Stingrays. She became a synchronized swimmer about eight years ago and the sport has enabled her to include elements of one of her greatest passions — dance.

“I started with dance when I was really little,” Forbes said during an interview at Pursuit.

“Then, I started doing lane swimming and kind of fell in love with swimming. I really like dance, too, and then synchro was the best option to combine both of them. Just fell in love with it.”

Her father has played sports like hockey, baseball and softball, and her mom has been a swimmer, so there hasn’t been any shortage of sporting

Synchro swimmer Jaycie Forbes of the Border City Stingrays is a Grade 11 student at Pursuit School of Sport in Lloydminster. John MacNeil Meridian Source

options in the Forbes’ household. Jaycie sampled hockey for a bit, following the lead of her older sister Brooklin, now a 21-year-old college graduate in the workforce.

“My sister has always been in hockey,” she said. “I tried hockey for a few years, but it wasn’t my thing.

“My parents have definitely supported me to do synchro. They really see how it lights me up whenever I’m feeling down.”

The cheerful smile on Forbes’ face attests to just how much synchro swimming is her most rewarding and productive platform.

“Synchro is a different sport, for sure,” she said. “It’s a combination of gymnastics, swimming (and) dance. You do everything when you’re holding your breath, so it’s really challenging.

“But I honestly really love it. It has

PUBLIC NOTICE

Take notice that the following Development Permit Application for a proposed Discretionary Use is being reviewed in accordance with Land Use Bylaw 5-2025.

given me such a confidence that I can take throughout my life. You have to really represent the song that you’re swimming to, by using emotions. It’s all your actions. It gives you such a confidence you can take out of the water.

“I’ve just been doing solos, so I can pick my own (accompanying music). I talk to my coaches. I like swimming to things that are deeper and have emotion. I think it really helps me have that excitement to swim. I really like swimming to that.”

Forbes has carried those qualities of confidence and excitement into the classrooms at Pursuit, which is in its first year of operation under the direction of the Lloydminster Public School Division.

Her favourite subject this school year has been English. In part, because the well-rounded class has like-minded athletes from a variety of sports, including gymnasts, a fellow swimmer and many hockey players.

“All the different sports are represented,” Forbes said. “That’s probably my biggest class. Athletes from a bunch of different sports make up that class, so there’s a bunch of different personalities. We really come together as a school.

“We all understand each other and everything — that we’re all trying to

accomplish something big with our sports, but also education is still super important to continue on with our goals.”

Pursuit’s flexible schedule has already helped Forbes reach some of her greatest goals this season, not the least of which is qualifying for this year’s national qualifier.

“Nationals has always been my dream, just to go there a few times,” she said. “My biggest dream is to try out for Team Canada, but we’ll see how nationals go. There’s so many other things that I need to accomplish, and I’m excited to start accomplishing them.

“National selection has given me a (confidence) boost to be able to keep improving and keep going to camps.”

The Canadian artistic swimming qualifier runs March 17-21 in picturesque Québec City.

“I’m excited,” said Forbes, competing in tech and free categories as a junior soloist. “I’ve never been there before.”

The artistic swimming nationals are set for May 5-9 in Saskatoon.

Before she heads to the March national qualifier, Forbes’ home community is showing support for her trip. A fundraising dinner is scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Canadian Brewhouse in Lloydminster.

Do you love being organized, staying busy, and making chaos disappear? Are you energized by building systems, solving problems, and keeping everything (and everyone!) on track?

We’re looking for a take-charge, friendly, super-organized go-getter who thrives on variety and enjoys being in the middle of the action. No two days are the same — and that’s exactly how you like it.

What You’ll Do:

• Keep schedules, tasks, and office life running smoothly

• Build systems that make everything more efficient

• Be a professional, friendly point of contact for customers

• Handle details, solve problems, and think ahead

• Jump between projects with confidence

You’re a Great Fit If You:

• Love creating order out of chaos

• Have strong customer service and communication skills

• Are detail-oriented and proactive

• Enjoy staying busy and taking initiative

• Have sales skills (a bonus — not required!)

Compensation: Based on experience and skill set.

Anyone wishing to provide written comment or make general inquiry on the proposed use may do so within the next fourteen (14) days by contacting Roxanne Shortt at the City Operations Centre (6623 – 52 Street) at 780-874-3700 Ext 2608 or by email at rshortt@lloydminster.ca. Full name and address are required for submission of valid comment(s).

We understand real life happens — flexibility, communication, and trust matter here.

If you’re energetic, dependable, and love getting things done, we’d love to hear from you!

Send your resume to: mick@reinhartpm.com

Lancers skate into final playoff push

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

The U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers need a season-ending winning streak, and they hope it coincides with a losing skid for at least one of the two teams that Lloyd is trying to bump from the playoff picture.

After gaining one of a possible four points last weekend, the Lancers (12-17-7) are in seventh place in the North Division, two points behind the Edmonton Junior Oilers Orange (15-18-3) and Leduc Oil Kings (13-167) in the final lap of the Alberta Elite Hockey League playoff race.

All three of those teams have two games remaining on their respective regular-season schedules, which conclude this weekend.

Most notably, Lloydminster is at home to Leduc at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Hub. The Lancers visit the North’s fourth-place Sherwood Park Kings (18-17-2) at 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Lloyd has defeated Sherwood Park twice in the past three weeks.

Leduc ends regular-season play Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. home game against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, who sit second in the North with a 23-8-5 record.

Oilers Orange hits the road to face two top-four teams from the South Division — the Okotoks Oilers (16-16-3) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and the Calgary Northstars (23-10-3) at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Regardless of where they finish this weekend, it’s already been a breakthrough season for the Lancers, who showed marked improvement from the team that missed the playoffs the previous two years.

Just being in a playoff race in February has been an accomplishment for Lloydminster, which last season managed just six wins and finished last in the 16-team provincial league.

“Yeah, it’s a lot different from last year,” said captain Rhett Romanchuk, in his third and final season with the U18 AAA Lancers. “Our first year, we were pretty close (to making the playoffs). I think it came down to the last weekend or two. But I don’t think we had this competitive of a team — a team with this much drive.

“It’s nice to see that Lloyd hockey is coming together, after those last two

not-great years. I think everybody in (the dressing room) knows that we have a chance to turn it around (even more) this year.”

Last weekend, Lloydminster lost 7-3 on Sunday afternoon to the host Edmonton Junior Oilers Blue (27-6-3), the top team in the North Division.

At home the previous night, the Lancers fell 4-3 in overtime to the third-place St. Albert Raiders (20-10-7). Raiders captain Nolan Bisson scored on a power play just 27 seconds into overtime, firing a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle and popping the goaltender’s water bottle in the process.

It was the second goal and third point of the game for Bisson, a Spokane Chiefs’ WHL prospect who began this season with the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats. Despite missing time with injuries, Bisson has produced 19 goals and 30 points in 25 games this season.

Including a late start and pre-game ceremony, Saturday’s game didn’t end until 10:15 p.m., and the Lancers were on the road early the next day for a 2 p.m. contest against the rested Oilers Blue.

Kyle Denis and Lucah Lamb scored the other St. Albert goals Saturday against Lancers goalie Stran Edge, who made 38 saves on the night. Kai Zurowski blocked 29 shots for the Raiders.

Connor Knickle, with two points, and fellow Spokane prospect Josh Frazer scored for the Lancers, along with Calgary Hitmen prospect Kael Scott, the rookie leading Lloydminster in scoring with 19 goals and 42 points after 36 games.

Cobin Garnett, a 15-year-old defenceman who played the first half of this season with the U17 AAA Lancers, assisted on two of Lloyd’s three goals Saturday.

In both weekend games, the U18 AAA Lancers played without one of their young guns in Spokane prospect Brody Sunderland, a 25-point forward. Sunderland took an errant puck to the head during practice last Thursday and suffered a concussion.

The Kitscoty native attended both weekend games and reported this Monday that he has made steady progress in his recovery.

Sunderland believes he’s on schedule to play in Lloyd’s final two regular-season games this weekend.

“Yeah, it’s looking like I will play,” he said. “These last two games are really important. I want to be back for those.”

Sunderland planned to ease his way back into form during this week’s practices, increasing activity each day. He said it’s critical for the Lancers to focus on themselves this weekend and not be preoccupied with other teams’ results or possible tiebreaking scenarios.

As with multiple teammates, Sunderland has battled sickness this season. He had missed six consecutive games with pneumonia before returning to action in January. This past weekend, Lloyd went up against two of the top teams in the North. For the second straight Saturday, the Lancers settled for a point on home ice, including an OT loss to Oilers Orange the previous weekend.

“It was a tough weekend,” Sunderland said Monday. “We knew that (would be the case) coming in, facing two good teams. So, getting one point off St. Albert is nice. Then, Oilers Blue, there’s not much you can do there. They’re a good team.”

As part of his four-point weekend, Nickle scored two goals in Sunday’s game, including a power-play marker. Scott netted the other Lloyd goal and Aiden Harman had two assists.

Oilers Blue received three-point performances from Jaxson Kobe (1-2) and Matteo Mannella (0-3).

Ethan Berard made 28 saves in Edmonton’s net.

John MacNeil Meridian Source

South shopping nets Bobcats five points

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

The Lloydminster Bobcats took five of six possible points during a productive weekend road trip against South Division teams, and the Border City boys almost headed home with the full half-dozen points from that junket.

After scoring the would-be winner in overtime, Lloyd’s players hurried off the ice Sunday in Canmore, only to have the officials disallow the goal and call the Bobcats back on the ice to complete what became a 4-3 shootout victory for the hometown Eagles.

The Canmore net came off its moorings as two big Bobcats — Kade Fendelet and Landen Ward — connected for what they had hoped was the winning goal. Fendelet, the captain, immediately led the Bobcats off the ice and toward the dressing room, and the Lloydminster coaches crossed the ice and followed suit.

But all of them were soon summoned back on board for the resumption of play with 2:54 left in OT.

“They first gave it to us and then they took it back,” Bobcats coach Eric Labrosse said about the officials’ ruling on the disallowed goal. “It is what it is. The net was dislodged and the referees, when they gathered together, they figured the puck was being shot as the goal was dislodged. I mean, that’s their decision and we respect it.”

The Eagles and their fans didn’t go anywhere during the brief stoppage, and they eventually added another win to their 26-18-2 record atop the South Division. It was Canmore defenceman Quinn Keeler’s first game against the Bobcats, the team that traded him midway through this Alberta Junior Hockey League season.

Including his puck-clearing contributions down the stretch, Keeler was an effective Eagle during an afternoon game decided in a fiveround shootout. Canmore goaltender Hudson Sedo stopped Gus El-Tahhan to finish the job. Jonathan Gomez, with the winner, and Cohen Daoust

tallied the Eagles’ shootout goals, while Raphael Messier struck for Lloydminster.

The Bobcats (27-13-5) remain fourth in the crowded North Division, where seven points separate first from fourth. Lloyd gained another point on the Bonnyville Pontiacs, who fell 12 points back of the Bobcats in the fading race for the final playoff position in the North.

“I thought it was a great weekend,” said Labrosse, whose Bobcats also blanked the Calgary Canucks 5-0 on Saturday evening and defeated the Drumheller Dragons 3-1 on Friday night.

“That’s a tough trip, to go on a southern swing and play three games in three days. To me, they’re all good teams. For us to come back with five out of six points was a huge weekend. The boys played really hard. They had a lot of character and resiliency when we were down in certain games where our energy might not have been there as much. But we always managed to come back in every game and have a very positive weekend for ourselves.”

Bonnyville routed Canmore 7-1 on Saturday in the Pontiacs’ lone win during their three-game weekend swing through the South Division. Bonnyville took a 22-21-3 record into this Wednesday’s home game

debut last Friday in what turned out to be an 0-3 family weekend for the Oilers. In his first game between the Cowichan Valley pipes, Sharma and the Capitals lost 5-4 on Saturday against his former BCHL team, the Surrey Eagles.

Those departures in the same week as the Feb. 10 signing deadline left the Bobcats scrambling to make roster revisions. They were granted permission to add 20-yearold goaltender Trent Peterson, a Superior, Wis., native who had been playing in the North American Hockey League with the St. Cloud Norsemen and the Amarillo Wranglers. The six-foot-four Peterson dressed as Ty Matonovich’s backup for the Bobcats’ games Sunday in Canmore and Saturday at Calgary.

against the North’s third-place Fort McMurray Oil Barons (27-15-6), who sat one point ahead of Lloydminster.

HIKIDA, SHARMA STEP INTO BCHL ACTION

The Bobcats’ bountiful weekend came just days after they lost two of their most experienced players, 19-year-old forward Matthew Hikida and 20-year-old goaltender Jaiden Sharma, to BCHL teams. Hikida, playing on the same line as his cousin Jamie Hikida, made his Okotoks

Meanwhile, it was business as usual for Matonovich, who made 40 saves through overtime Sunday, after registering 29 stops Saturday to post his second AJHL shutout. The Calgarian also tended goal Friday in the Bobcats’ victory at Drumheller. As they begin their final 10-game stretch of the regular season, the Bobcats are at home to Drumheller this Friday night and Canmore on Sunday afternoon. Lloyd hosts the Devon Xtreme (14-25-5) next Wednesday, Feb. 25.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

PUBLIC NOTICE

Planning

With 10 regular-season games left, the Lloydminster Bobcats are in fourth place in the North Division of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. John MacNeil Meridian Source

Bobcats wait for word on D-man Smith

Coach Labrosse said this Monday that he wasn’t certain how long injured forward Alex Levasseur might be out of the Bobcats’ lineup. Levasseur, who has scored four goals and nine points in 11 games, sat out the final two dates on the weekend road trip.

“Alex might be a few days or a week away from coming back. We’ll look into it every day this week, to monitor how he feels before Friday’s game.”

The Bobcats are still hopeful that defenceman Noah Smith, sidelined since before Christmas, might be able to make another comeback.

“He’s a player that we hope to see here sooner rather than later,” Labrosse said. “We do miss Smitty. He’s an important part of our D squad. We hope he receives some good news (this week in Calgary) when he sees his doctor.”

For the second straight weekend during a five-game road swing, the Bobcats dressed affiliated players. Luke Jamieson, a 16-year-old forward from the Edge U18 prep team in Calgary, appeared in two games last weekend. His prep teammate, Carsten Leyerzapf, served as Matonovich’s backup on Friday.

As they jockey for playoff positioning, the Bobcats plan to address the undisciplined play that

Kael Screpnek and the Lloydminster Bobcats defeated the Calgary Canucks for the second time in three weeks in AJHL action last Saturday. John MacNeil Meridian Source

has crept into their game during the past few weeks.

“The whole season, we’ve been the most disciplined team in the AJHL,” Labrosse said. “I mean, the stats showed it.

“(But) we have been picking up a few more penalties in the last three, four weeks. We do have to look into that. As we are, as a matter of fact. We have to make sure that, going into playoffs, that’s something that’s settled and taken care of.

“There’s no room for error in playoffs. If you’re an undisciplined team, it’s going to cost you in games and in series. We’ve got to make sure,

as a group, that we’re a little more disciplined than we have been in the last few weeks, for sure.”

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

(Eagles 4, Bobcats 3, SO):

Before the game was decided in the shootout, Fendelet’s second goal of the afternoon made it 3-3 with seven minutes remaining in the third period.

Lloyd boys Fendelet and Jaxan Hopko each scored a power-play goal. El-Tahhan, Messier and Ward collected two assists apiece.

John Szabo tallied twice for Canmore. He and Aidan Tkachuk netted power-play goals in the final minute of the second period, as the Bobcats ran into penalty trouble. Kael Screpnek’s checking-to-the-head minor came just a couple of minutes after Ward received a double-minor (for slashing and cross-checking) and a misconduct.

Fendelet and Szabo each picked up misconducts simultaneously in the last minute of the overtime period, during which the Eagles killed off Daoust’s high-sticking penalty.

Lloyd outshot Canmore 7-3 in OT, but the Eagles had a 44-34 edge overall.

SATURDAY EVENING (Bobcats 5, Canucks 0): Matonovich’s shutout performance in his native Calgary helped Lloydminster hand the Canucks their fifth straight defeat.

Ward scored twice, while Messier, Screpnek and Jadon Iyogun each supplied a goal and an assist. The winning tally came 1:32 into the second period as Messier potted his 10th of the season on a feed from Luke Dooley. Ethan Elefante also assisted on the play.

Fendelet contributed two assists in his return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a boarding infraction against the Whitecourt Wolverines.

After being outshot 15-5 in the scoreless first period, Lloyd went on to post a 38-29 margin overall. Noah Nelson was in the Calgary net.

The Canucks ended their losing skid Sunday with a 4-2 victory over visiting Bonnyville.

FRIDAY NIGHT (Bobcats 3, Dragons 1): All four goals were scored on power plays.

The Lloyd marksmen were El-Tahhan, with two points, Iyogun and Ward. El-Tahhan’s 15th goal of the season was the eventual winner.

Bradley Gallo’s 24th was the lone Drumheller goal. Now sitting 11th in AJHL scoring, Gallo has 26 goals and 52 points after 45 games, entering this Friday’s rematch in Lloydminster.

The Bobcats outshot the Dragons 30-25, with Matonovich and Sean Cootes tending goal for their respective teams.

At home last Saturday, Drumheller defeated Devon 5-2.

HARRISON SPARKS PONTIACS Bonnyville’s 1-1-1 weekend versus South Division teams began with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Olds Grizzlys (15-27-4) on Friday. The Pontiacs fired 48 shots at Cole Prelusky, while Ben Laurette faced 24 in the Bonnyville net.

In the Pontiacs’ six-goal win at Canmore on Saturday, Bonnyville rookie goaltender Nathan Salisbury stopped 48 of 49 shots. For the second time in his junior A career, Pontiacs’ 16-year-old sniper Gavin Harrison scored three goals and set up another. Ex-Bobcat Ben Costantino tallied twice.

John MacNeil Meridian Source

Rustlers school opponents en route to playoffs

When she stands up in front of her Grade 5 class at École St. Thomas for the final phase of her teaching practicum, Seanna Trumier can tell those students about a sporting triumph in Lloydminster.

Trumier and the rest of the Lakeland Rustlers women’s volleyball team rattled off 11 straight victories to grab the fourth and final playoff position in the North Division of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).

The Rustlers clinched the berth with win No. 10 last Friday in Edmonton in the first of back-to-back 3-0 sweeps over the North’s secondplace NAIT Ooks (12-5) in a homeand-home series last weekend.

“One of my students came to watch on the weekend,” said Trumier, who taught the same Grade 5 class during an earlier practicum.

“The kids know me, and one of them came to support me on the weekend, which is super sweet.”

It was a sweet Valentine’s Day victory for the Rustlers as they fashioned an improbable run to qualify for the conference playoffs and earn another shot at gold-medal glory. Lakeland’s women have won the past three championships at the ACAC and the CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) levels.

On the court, at least, Lakeland went 11-0 this regular season. In the standings, however, the Rustlers’ record is listed as 11-8, including their forfeits from an eight-game ACAC disciplinary suspension that sidelined them until late November.

Since then, the national champions have been on a mission to keep their winning ways intact, and in the process extend the collegiate careers of the three seniors — Trumier, Avery Bates and Emma Jeffs.

Now, the Rustlers are off for the final weekend of the regular season, giving them extra time to prepare for the ACAC championship tournament, set for Feb. 27 through March 1 in Camrose.

“I feel like it gives us two weeks here to prepare,” said Trumier, a fifth-year libero from Prince Albert, Sask. “It allows us to practise things that we need to work on. Then, the weekend gives us time to recover and to refresh and to be ready to go. It’s perfect timing.”

While her students are enjoying February break this week, the budding teacher has a to-do list to ready for a return to the classroom next week.

“I’m in that classroom until May, teaching,” Trumier said. “I have this week off to prepare — lesson plan and unit plan and everything for my students — then, I’ll be back in the classroom, teaching every day, starting the 23rd.”

In their opening match at the ACAC championships, the Rustlers are expected to meet the South Division’s Red Deer Queens (15-2) at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

“We haven’t played them yet this year, so I feel we’ll do our due diligence getting to know the team and show up as prepared as we can,” Trumier said. “Continue to do what we’ve been doing, and I think we should find success.”

The Rustlers found consistent success during the past three months, capped with their 3-0 wins over NAIT on Friday (25-12, 25-14 and 25-14) in Edmonton and Saturday (25-17, 25-15 and 25-13) in Lloydminster.

“I think that we knew we had the ability to stack points and to be really strong for long periods of time against teams,” said Trumier, noting the Rustlers only lost two sets all season. “So, I think that we could always keep that in the back of our mind, knowing that we had that ability as a group.

“I think we came (into the NAIT series) very prepared, knowing the options on the other side, and that allowed us to block and defend against that team. So, yeah, I feel that led us to the success that we had on the court.”

That confidence in clutch situations in the latter part of the season keyed

Lakeland’s entry into the playoffs. With the Rustlers’ spot secured Friday, there was a sense of relief Saturday for their final match of the season at home.

“Throughout the season, we always knew the talent and success that we could have, and being able to show it through those 11 games was a relief that all of the hard work we did to get to that point was worth it,” Trumier said. “And we were able to show that in how we played.

“It was definitely a confidence boost, and also a relief at the same time, knowing that we could go into our home gym for the very last time this season, and just enjoy being there, playing together.”

The Augustana Vikings became the playoff host after the ACAC stripped Lakeland of those rights, as part of the sanctions issued last October. As they head to Camrose for that championship tournament, Trumier and the Rustlers aren’t dwelling on the lost opportunity to host.

“I would say we aren’t necessarily thinking about that, but we can come in with that sense of confidence to know that we had all those games taken away, and we can still be dominant and successful,” she said.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Trumier’s cousin, Ian Cousin of Hoey, Sask., is part of the men’s volleyball Rustlers, who also made a serious push for a playoff berth.

Ultimately, the youthful Lakeland squad came up short, losing both matches against NAIT last weekend to fall out of contention in the ACAC men’s playoff race.

The Rustlers (7-12, including four losses via forfeit) finished fifth in the North Division.

The second-place Ooks (12-5) are

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among the top three teams in the North, entering the final weekend of regular-season play.

Last weekend, NAIT defeated Lakeland 3-0 (25-18, 25-19 and 25-17) on Saturday in Lloydminster and 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 23-25 and 25-17) on Friday in Edmonton.

The male Rustlers went 5-5 down the stretch.

“I would say it’s always difficult coming into a league when there’s 23, 24, 25-year-olds playing against younger athletes like that, but I feel like the boys came out very strong and they were giving it their all,” Trumier said about those fellow Lakeland student-athletes. “That’s all you can ask for. They’re very athletic and talented, so I think they’ll have no problem in their future.”

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Lakeland (21-2), the pennantwinner in ACAC women’s hockey, concludes its regular-season schedule this weekend with a pair of home games against the fifth-place SAIT Trojans (6-17). Those matchups are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hub’s Co-op Community Arena.

On the following weekend, the reigning-champion Rustlers host the fourth-place Medicine Hat Rattlers (9-14) in their best-of-three openinground playoff series.

BASKETBALL

In men’s basketball, Lakeland won two more games last weekend to extend its winning streak to seven. The 15-3 Rustlers topped 11-7 NAIT 79-64 on Saturday in Edmonton and 93-76 on Friday in Lloyd.

Lakeland and the Keyano Huskies are tied with identical records atop the North Division. They wrap up the regular season this weekend with two games each against lowerranked teams. Lakeland visits the Northwestern Wolves (2-16) of Grande Prairie and Keyano entertains Augustana (4-12) in Fort McMurray.

Lakeland hosts the eight-team ACAC men’s basketball championship on the March 5-7 weekend.

In women’s basketball, the winless Rustlers dropped both contests to NAIT (15-3) — 115-42 on Saturday in Edmonton and 85-28 on Friday in Lloydminster. On the final weekend of the regular season, Lakeland visits Northwestern on Friday and Saturday in a two-game battle of 0-18 teams.

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

The perennial-powerhouse Lakeland Rustlers posted 11 straight victories to qualify for the ACAC women’s volleyball championship next week. John MacNeil Meridian Source

Thursday, February 19, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND CLAIMANTS

IN THE ESTATE OF MARGARET LAVONNE RUTHERFORD, late of Lloydminster, Alberta, Deceased,who died on January 11, 2026

All claims against the estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 13th day of March, 2026.

REVERING LAW OFFICE

Barristers & Solicitors 5018 - 50 Avenue

Lloydminster, Alberta T9V 0W7

Attention: Donnon F. Revering

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND CLAIMANTS

IN THE ESTATE OF JOSEPH JAMES MARK O'MEARA; ALSO KNOWN AS JIM (JAMES) O'MEARA, Deceased,who died on December 26, 2025

If you have a claim against this estate, you must file your claim by:

March 30, 2026 with: CHRISTOPHER O'MEARA AT:

368 Griesbach School Rd Edmonton AB T5E 1Z8

If you do not file by the date above, the estate property can lawfully be distributed without regard to any claim you may have

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND CLAIMANTS

IN THE ESTATE OF STANLEY JOSEPH STEIER, late of Lloydminster, Alberta, Deceased,who died on December 14, 2025

If you have a claim against this estate, you must file your claim by:

February 27, 2026 with: REVERING LAW OFFICE

Barristers & Solicitors

5018 - 50 Avenue

Lloydminster, Alberta T9V 0W7

Attention: Donnon F. Revering

If you do not file by the date above, the estate property can lawfully be distributed without regard to any claim you may have

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If you do not file by the date above, the estate property can lawfully be distributed without regard to any claim you may have.

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GRACE UNITED CHURCH

I give you this one thought to keep I am with you still – do not weep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the gentle autumn’s rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not think of me as gone –

I am with you still – in each new dawn. Forever in our hearts.

Mom & Dad, Mike & Chris and Family, and your son Nevada

He passed peacefully at Meadow Lake Hospital

holding his pillow with his dog Beau's photo on it. He asked for confidentiality and privacy when he was diagnosed with terminal

There will be no service as per Wayne's instructions.

Wayne leaves behind a family that loved him very much, His wife of 30 years, Margaret Wood and his stepdaughters, Wendy Wowk and Wanda Pevach and their spouses. Wayne was a wonderful Papa to Spencer Bossaer, Chandler Bossaer, Kayden Pevach and Devyn Pevach. We will miss his pinky waves and his great sense of humour, which he kept until the end.

NOVEMBER 23, 1939 –FEBRUARY 2, 2026

Simone Marie Topott (Demers) passed away on February 2, 2026 at her home in Spruce Grove, Alberta, at the age of 86. She was born on November 23, 1939, in Lashburn, Saskatchewan.

Throughout her life, Simone lived in many small communities across Saskatchewan and Alberta, forming lasting friendships wherever she went. Prior to moving to Spruce Grove, Alberta to be closer to family, she resided in Blairmore, Alberta with her husband Don, and she also enjoyed many winters spent in Arizona.

A devoted mother and homemaker, Simone also worked in various family businesses throughout the years. She was an avid reader with a lifelong love of books, and later in life enjoyed hiking and spending time outdoors with Don.

Simone was predeceased by her parents, Marcel Demers and Freda Smith (Townley-Smith) and her husband, Donald Jestin. In keeping with Simone’s wishes, no funeral service will be held. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the third-floor staff at the Copper Sky Seniors Residence for their compassionate care and support during her final days.

Simone is lovingly remembered by her children: Shona Allen, Marcel (Lorraine) Topott, Bruce (Lori) Topott, and Karrie (Sean) Lazarowich; eight grandchildren: Aaron (Nick) Topott, Megan Rosseel, Shawn Topott, Sydney, Tate, Luke and Shelby Lazarowich, Jenna Topott; four great-grandchildren: Ariana and James McKay, Alexis and Caleb Rosseel. She is also fondly remembered by her siblings: William (Linda) Smith, Rene (Jane) Demers, Simone Curry, Richard Demers, and Diane Hutchinson, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

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