Meridian Source - February 26, 2026

What’s inside

RAIDERS MINE PROVINCIAL GOLD

Holy Rosary High School mixed curling team’s skip Jax Robson (right) and second John Winter continue to sharpen their on-ice skills at the LloydminsterCurlingCentreonFeb.23afterearningprovincialgoldwithteammatesKayleighReinigerandMariaGebhardt. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

The gold medal drought is over for the Raiders.

Holy Rosary High School has reclaimed its place atop the podium, capturing mixed curling gold at the School Sport Alberta curling provincials, Feb. 16 to 21 in Slave Lake.

Just as the 2026 Winter Olympics were wrapping up, the Raiders, comprised of skip Jax Robson, third Kayleigh Reiniger, second John Winter and lead Maria Gebhardt, were authoring a golden finish of their own — returning home to Lloydminster as provincial champions.

For coaches Dale Howland, Laurie Makichuk and Hanna Baynton, the victory was both a culmination and a privilege.

“Being a coach is something that’s an honour,” said Howland, who has coached on and off at Holy Rosary since 2008. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Laurie Makichuk and her husband,

Dusty, who’s the coach at Lakeland College.”

The week in Slave Lake tested more than just shot-making ability. Extreme cold gripped much of Alberta, with Howland noting one day ranked among the coldest in North America. Originally slated to feature 10 teams, the championship was reduced to eight after two southern Alberta squads were unable to travel due to weather.

Still, the competition was fierce.

“The competition was very tough,” said Howland. “Any of those eight teams could have made it to the final, but it just so happened that Holy Rosary raised the bar and curled extremely well.”

The Raiders met Lethbridge in the gold-medal final, capping off what Howland described as a week of steady growth and composure from his rink.

“I was so impressed with the curlers — their communication, their attitude on and off the ice — it was just fantastic,” he said.

A WIN FOR MORE THAN JUST THE TEAM

The gold medal carries weight beyond the four players on the ice.

“Any time you can be No. 1 in the province, it’s a good thing,” said Howland. “I know the school really supports us and I’m so happy for the Lloydminster curling community as well. It’s good for the current club, and hopefully we can continue in the future and bring back more gold.”

The victory marks Holy Rosary’s third mixed provincial title, but the first in more than a decade. The school previously won mixed gold in 2010 and 2011, and girls’ gold in 2011 and 2012, before settling for a string of silver and bronze finishes in recent years.

“We’ve had a bit of a dry spot,” Howland said. “We finally made it to this

level now. I’m very happy. What a way to end the season.”

Beyond banners and medals, Howland believes curling leaves students with lessons that extend far past high school.

“Even though you’re individually making shots, it’s a team game, so you have to rely on other people,” he said. “These young curlers will continue to curl for the rest of their lives and continue to be friends past graduation and university and careers. They’ll still have this one common bond — that they were provincial champions.”

A GOLDEN MOMENT FOR ROBSON

For Grade 11 curler Jax Robson, the championship was especially sweet. Competing at mixed provincials for the second time, Robson captured his first gold medal in Slave Lake.

“It was a great feeling,” he said. “We curled great as a team and it was just a good week overall.”

He credited both the strength of the field and the Raiders’ steady improvement throughout the tournament.

“A lot of the teams were really good and we just curled well,” said Robson. “I think we progressed as the week went on. We’ve been curling together since Grade 9 when we first went to provincials and we’ve gotten better every year.”

Curling runs in the family for Robson, who was introduced to the sport by his father.

“My dad curled all his life and he just kind of introduced us to the sport,” he said. “I love that it’s a gentleman’s game. Everyone can play at any age, and I think it’s just a great way to socialize and be in the community.”

The sport has already opened doors for the young Raider. In 2025, Robson competed in the Aztec Safety Challenge, where he had the opportunity to play against Canadian curling standouts Brad Gushue and Reid Carruthers.

Closer to home, he credits the Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre for nurturing his passion.

“It’s a great place. I love this rink; it’s my home rink with a lot of great memories,” he said.

With a provincial banner soon to hang and momentum on their side, the Raiders have not only ended a title drought — they’ve set a new standard for the next generation of Holy Rosary curlers to chase.

The HRHS mixed curling team was all smiles after besting Lethbridge 9-4 to win gold at the School Sport Alberta provincial championship last weekend. Submitted photo

GOLDEN RAIDERS FROM PAGE 1

Local Ukrainians mark four years since Russian invasion

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Members of the local Ukrainian community gathered at Lloydminster City Hall to mark four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, urging residents not to forget a war they say is still claiming lives every day.

The Feb. 22 rally was organized by the local branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and led by Julia Kvitka.

“We are here to remind people the war is still going, we should not forget and we should bring awareness to the world. It’s still ongoing and it’s not stopping,” said Kvitka, noting a common misconception is that the war has ended because it no longer dominates daily headlines.

“It’s not on the news anymore and people tend to forget. If it’s not touching you personally, it’s like ‘It’s not about me, I don’t want to know about this.’ But it’s touching every family in Ukraine in one way or the other.”

Kvitka said many people believe the conflict is over when, in reality, civilians and children continue to die.

“Every day, people are dying, kids are dying and there’s a terrible situation in Ukraine,” she said. “Ukraine needs help and support from all over the world … even if it’s just information so people know it’s still happening.”

The message of this year’s rally echoed last year’s theme, she said.

“Last year’s message was ‘We need to save our country.’ That message has not changed,” said Kvitka. “Ukraine needs help.”

She also raised concerns about children in

Russian-occupied territories, alleging many have been displaced or deported.

“There are 1.6 million kids in Russian occupied territories right now and about 20,000 were deported from Ukraine into Russia,” she said. “They are being forced to forget about Ukraine, to learn a new language, Russian, and forget about Ukraine.”

Kvitka alleged that some youths are being granted Russian citizenship and later compelled to serve in the Russian military.

“When they turn 18, they’re being put into the military and forced to fight against Ukraine on the Russian side,” she said. “Russia thought it would be a three-day operation. No, it’s still ongoing for four years, unfortunately.”

While acknowledging conflicts continue in other parts of the world, Kvitka said it is painful that the war in Ukraine persists.

“I know there are wars going on around the

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world, but it’s sad this is still happening,” she said.

She encouraged Canadians to support Ukraine in any way they can.

“They can donate if they can, but bringing awareness it’s still happening and not turning a blind eye (is also important).”

Ukrainians in Lloydminster braved frigid temperatures at city hall on Feb. 22 to remind us war continues to rage in their home country. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

City denies three taxi operator applications

The City of Lloydminster is reminding residents to ensure they are booking transportation with licensed taxi providers authorized to operate within city limits.

In a Feb. 18 notice, the city listed five companies currently permitted to operate: Co-op Taxi, Kings Cabs, Lloyd Taxi, Taxi FilCanadian and Yellow Cabs.

Three companies — Border Taxi, Courtesy Cabs and Viper Taxi — are not permitted to operate within Lloydminster following the refusal of a Taxi Broker Application.

The city said the Taxi Broker Application for 2026–2029 was denied due to non-compliance with municipal, provincial and federal

Flegislation. As a result, the companies are not authorized to operate within Lloydminster or participate in the Seniors Taxi Program.

Residents, including participants in the Seniors Taxi Program, are encouraged to confirm they are booking with authorized providers when arranging transportation.

Through municipal bylaw, the city oversees and approves taxi operators, vehicles and taxi brokers operating within municipal boundaries. The approval process includes criminal record checks, driver abstracts and general investigations to ensure compliance with bylaws and to reduce public safety risks.

More information about licensed taxi services is available at Lloydminster.ca/Taxi.

Badges ready to battle in charity game at Hub

irst responders proud to wear the badge are ready for battle while raising money for local non-profits.

Bragging rights — and community support — will once again be on the line as the Lloydminster RCMP and Lloydminster Fire Rescue face off in the annual Todd Gustavson Memorial Battle of the Badges hockey game.

The puck drops at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the Cenovus Energy Hub, marking the first time the charity event will be held at the community’s newest venue.

Proceeds from the game will support Inclusion Lloydminster, which advocates for and assists individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. Non-perishable food items collected at the door will go to The Olive Tree and The Salvation Army Lloydminster to help stock local food programs.

Last year’s matchup raised $4,283 in cash donations for Big Brothers Big

Sisters of Lloydminster to support youth mentorship initiatives. Organizers also collected about 2,903 kilograms (6,400 pounds) of food for The Olive Tree and The Salvation Army Lloydminster. The 2025 game ended with a 7-5 victory for the RCMP, securing a year of friendly bragging rights.

“Battle of the Badges is more than an afternoon of hockey. It is a great example of how our community comes together to have fun while supporting local organizations,” said Mayor Gerald Aalbers.

“The friendly rivalry on the ice helps create real impact off the ice for programs that matter to our community. It is shaping up to be another great afternoon at the rink.”

Doors open prior to puck drop. Admission is by donation, with attendees encouraged to bring cash or non-perishable food items in support of the featured charities.

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

The Olive Tree works to make lasting change

“I always try to remember our goal is create lasting change in the lives of the people we help.”

That’s how The Olive Tree looks at all of its programming, according to COO Jana Thompson.

The Olive Tree began operation in 2013, first barbecuing hot dogs and hamburgers on a lawn downtown.

“It’s been pretty cool to watch it grow for so many years,” said Thompson.

They operate a number of different programs, such as Homebase, food link, senior hampers and a senior luncheon, men’s outreach, women’s outreach, a mom group, school support and hampers.

In 2025, the organization distributed 9.6K food hampers, served 15K meals, supported 960 children through the Gift of Christmas, gave 11.2K volunteer hours, housed and supported 50 Homebase families and individuals, graduated 12 Homebase clients and saw 15.6K program visits.

The backbone of The Olive Tree is the community.

“We always say our volunteers and the community members, our local businesses and corporate offices, those are the ones that support us,” said Thompson. “(Without them), we wouldn’t have seen this growth and they all see the need.”

She says they understand some of their clients may not be able to make it to one of their locations to pick up food.

“We also have hubs around the city to make transportation less of a barrier for people,” she

said. “We want to make it easy to support those families that don’t have a vehicle.”

Their seniors’ programs also include food delivery.

“We have a lot of seniors outreach programs,” Thompson explained. “We go into the low-income seniors’ homes once a week to deliver fresh food to them.”

While serving food and meals is a major part of The Olive Tree’s model, they also look to build connections in the community with a mom group.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Local Business Directory

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

The Olive Tree’s north warehouse in Lloydminster. Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source

Meowdi Gras raises funds, items and shows off cats

Meowdi Gras took place at the 4th Meridian Brewing Co. on Feb. 17. Hosted by Border Paws, it served as a fundraiser and adoption event. Meridian Source photos

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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The R.M. of Senlac No. 411 is accepting applications for a seasonal Operator/Labourer, May to October. Duties will include but are not limited to the operation of a grader as well as other equipment, maintenance of the municipality and road repair and any duties assigned by the Foreman. Must have a valid driver license, a Class 1A or Class 3A driver’s license would be an asset.

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We thank all applicants, however, only those individuals with interviews will be contacted.

night,” said Reeves. “He’s at Pet Value in Vermilion right now.”

Despite a snowstorm blowing in, nothing could dampen the mood at the Border Paws’ Meowdi Gras event.

The gathering served as a fundraiser for the animal shelter and also helped put the cats in the public eye.

“There weren’t really any free seats near the end,” said Chelsea Reeves, funding and event co-ordinator. “We made about $250 and the cats got a lot of exposure.”

She says the cats got to socialize and come out of their shells.

“We had a couple of them that were a little bit more on the nervous side, but they did really well,” she said. “Back at the shelter, they seem a little bit more outgoing now.”

She says the cats made lots of new friends at the event.

“Ammo made lots of friends, he got a lot of interest in him from that

On top of monetary donations, they also collected treats and cat food.

“Meowdi Gras was fantastic,” she said. “We got a bunch of cat treats; we got some cat toys. A couple of the kids were able to play with the cats with the toys they donated.”

Despite it being free for anyone under 18, kids still came in with toys for donation.

“It was super heart-warming to see kids still come in and donate toys and stuff,” Reeves said. “I thought it was wholesome and the cats really liked it.”

She says she’s happy to see the support from all over, not just Lloyd.

“I love that it’s not just Lloydminster, but it’s Lloydminster and surrounding area, that we’re starting to see support in again,” she said. “The animals really need it.”

The animal shelter has a pair of events on the horizon.

“We’re going to be in Lakeland College in Vermilion doing an adoption there on March 6,” she said.

They will also be hosting a steak night fundraiser March 19 at the Canadian Brewhouse.

“It’s at brewhouse and tickets are $40,” she said. “You can come and support cats, it’s going to be coming up on our kitten season right away.” Reeves said fundraisers are aimed at feeding and taking care of the kittens.

“We’re always looking for kitten milk, canned kitten food and dry kitten food.”

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Libbie Young Centre struggles to find funding, board members

The Libbie Young Centre is on the search for board members and funding as they continue to face shortages in both.

Treena Schmidt, Libbie Young Centre’s executive director, was at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch meeting, renewing her call for more board members.

“I believe it’s a maximum of eight directors. Right now, we can take up to six,” she said. “We really want to bolster that and strengthen our organization.”

While discussing the need for board members, funding was a prevalent talking point as the centre has been running at a deficit for a number of years.

“We’ve been running into deficits since I’ve been here,” said Schmidt. “I’m not going to predict how long we can continue that, but I’m going to tell you we can’t continue that in any long-term capacity.”

Part of their funding comes from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

“We have some core funding from Saskatchewan Health Authority,” she said.

They also do fundraisers to help their funding situation.

“We do an annual fundraiser, we accept donations, we look for all types of grants,” Schmidt explained.

The centre has two programs which house clients, the life skills program and the supported independent living program. Those attending these programs pay rent, sign a lease and pay a damage deposit as a way of learning these real life skills.

“We teach people about paying rent and damage deposits,” she said, noting rent is $875 for the units. “If individuals come in on Alberta Works, we can subsidize that down to 785 until they’re on AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped).”

Schmidt explained they are searching for more funding after recently being turned down for family and community support services (FCSS).

“I’m starting to approach Alberta Health Services because we don’t get funding from them,” she said.

The Libbie Young Centre has been around since 1983 and aims to teach valuable life lessons to adults with a primary diagnosis of psychiatric mental illness.

“Our mission is mental health for all,” she said. “We serve adults who live with mental illness. Our focus is to support those individuals to transition through our programs and live independently again the in community.”

They work with SHA, the community recovery team and other organizations in the community.

“We are person-centred, (with an) individual approach,” said Schmidt. Their goal is to develop essential life skills, with the objective to live independently in the community post program involvement.

“The goal is to help them develop the skills they need to be able to transition into community and live independently and be successful doing so,” she said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER

Treena Schmidt, executive director of the Libbie Young Centre, spoke to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster at the Feb. 23 lunch meeting. She says they continue to search for board members and funding for the organization.

Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source photo

City of Lloydminster to host seniors’ information fair

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

Seniors in Lloydminster are invited to a free information fair next month aimed at connecting older adults with local programs and services.

The seniors’ information fair will take place March 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Legacy Centre. The drop-in event is being hosted in partnership with the Lloydminster Learning Council Association. No

registration is required.

Organizers say more than 25 senior-focused committees and organizations will be on hand to share information on topics including health, safety, recreation and housing.

Breakout sessions during the afternoon will feature “Movement for Independence” led by fitness specialists from the Servus Sports Centre, as well as a presentation titled “Aging: What’s

“All the kids get childcare and do activities and then the moms either get to learn something or do something fun and connect as a group,” she said, noting they also have something for the men.

“We have men’s coffee; that’s a men’s outreach once a week and everybody gets together and visits and it’s all (about) building connections.”

Thompson says they are looking to tackle isolation people may feel in the community.

“We see a lot of isolation and it happens at all stages of life,” she said. “We created these programs so we can connect with people and not only serve a meal but also build a deeper connection to those deep-rooted issues.”

While some of their operations have moved to the northern portion of the city, much of the work still happens out of the Fred North Community Centre.

“That is still where we distribute hampers out of,” she said. “That also houses our social enterprise or thrift store.”

The thrift store works to support the community in more than one way.

“People can come and get a voucher. They sit down, fill out an application,” said Thompson. “If they’re in need of clothing or specific items, they can come and shop for those there.”

The Olive Tree also opened the Reclaim Used Furniture Store after seeing a need for a store to sell larger items.

“Reclaim is the larger items and antiques and all those little oddities that people love to look for when they’re out thrifting,” she said.

Their new north warehouse now plays host to their food bank operations.

Normal, What’s Not” with Dr. Antonio. Complimentary resources will be available for the first 100 attendees, and refreshments will be provided for all participants.

Organizers say the event is designed to help seniors explore available supports, ask questions and learn more about programs and services in the community. More information, including a full vendor list, is available at Lloydminster.ca/FCSSEvents.

“All of the food that we pick up or get delivered comes here,” said Thompson. “We sort through it, we clean the produce, we do all the legwork and hands-on stuff.”

Food rescue plays a big part in their operations. She said when the idea crossed their table, Thompson and The Olive Tree CEO Becky Schille were still doing all the food hauling and pickups.

“What I did, I went into the grocery stores and asked if they would be willing to donate produce or specific items that are at their best-before-date or just before their best-before-date so we could utilize it in our food bank and our meal programs,” Thompson explained. “We still do that, five days a week.

“We go out to many different locations where there’s a grocery store, some chains.”

Homebase has been a success for The Olive Tree as they look to provide support to make their clients successful long-term.

“Right now, we have 47 clients, that’s not including family members within that,” she said. “We have a lot of children (33 in the program) and we have a lot of seniors that we have helped find housing and navigate that system.

“Our whole goal of the homebase program is to help the unhoused find suitable housing. Our team goes in and provides wraparound services.”

Thompson says they’ve had plenty of graduates who just needed a little help.

“We’ve had some amazing graduates and some of them just needed a helping hand to get on their feet again,” she said. “Within six months, we’ve had a couple graduate that program and move because they found work in a different community and are doing really well there.”

She says navigating the system can be quite difficult.

“So many of them lose help when they’re in the world they live in,” said Thompson. “That endless cycle of problem after problem and trying to navigate systems they don’t understand. Maybe they don’t have the proper resources to even try and start to navigate them. Whether it’s a lack of ID or a computer or how to fill out paperwork properly without getting sent back.”

The Olive Tree is always in search of donations and volunteers. Information for those items found at theolivetree.ca.

“We take all types of food donations. We take monetary donations, that’s very helpful,” she said. “We aren’t sustainably funded; we aren’t government funded.”

Looking forward to what 2026 has in store for The Olive Tree, Thompson says it’s a good time to look back.

“I feel like it’s a year of refinement,” she said. “Figuring out how best our programs can serve the community and do we need to make any changes or adjustments to make sure we are creating a positive change in people’s lives.”

While they will be reflecting on their programs and efforts to better the community, she says they still have some exciting things planned.

“We have a couple of exciting things planned, our Gift of Christmas program is going to change this year and we’re very excited about it.”

THE OLIVE TREE FROM PAGE 5

Some of the life skills taught at the centre include household management, finances and budgeting, food safety and nutrition, hygiene, daily routine, medication management and interpersonal skills, among others.

Clients are able to apply with the support of a medical professional to the life skills program. They spend six to 18 months in that program and eventually transition to the supported independent living program.

In the life skills program, there are six bachelor suites with 24-hour support, a shared kitchen and a common area.

“They are responsible for their breakfast, lunch and snacks, but we provide the supper meal,” said Schmidt. “One client cooks, the other clients help to clean up and clean the area, again, to foster those skills.”

They also receive medication assistance, one-on-one support, coaching and mentoring. Clients then move to the supported living program where there are 14 one-bedroom apartments, 24-hour access to support if it’s needed and employment or volunteer opportunities in the community.

Schmidt explained that not all clients end up working.

“First of all, we would need to know from their psychiatrist, are they able to work,” she said, explaining some of their clients don’t have the capacity to work. “But they may volunteer, they may engage in community in other ways. If clients are interested in work, we can support them in different ways.”

The centre doesn’t have any tolerance for the use of drugs or alcohol and requires 90 days of sobriety to apply for their life skills program.

If someone did relapse in their addictions, Schmidt explained they would have to evict them. Thanks to a new partnership, that is no longer the only option.

“We signed a collaborative partnership agreement with Thorpe Recovery Centre this past year,” she said. “We do accept clients from Thorpe.”

They also offer a day program at the Libbie Young Centre.

“We have a wonderful day program team. Cheryl Campbell, she runs three to four programs a day,” Schmidt said, noting programs are an hour in length on average. “Programs focus on recreation, leisure and education.”

It provides opportunities for clients to learn and socialize with their peers in a safe and inclusive environment.

When the summer months roll around, they offer a summer recreation program. This program teaches participants the benefits of recreation and culture, increasing their involvement in the community.

Schmidt says they do have room to take on more clients.

“Right now, we’re only about 25 per cent capacity,” she said. “We are looking at applications on a regular basis.”

She explained that while they may not have a direct partnership with other non-profits, they do accept applications from places like the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter, the Interval Home, Saskatchewan health and mental health nurses from across the two provinces. On top of clients having to be sober when coming in, they also have to want to participate in the program.

“Unfortunately, in the last year or two, we have had a number of clients come in, but many of them have either left because they’ve relapsed or they come and they say no, this isn’t what I wanted,” said Schmidt.

For donations, applications to enroll in programs at the facility or to become a board member, all those links are available at Libbie.ca or by phone at 780-874-9917.

Inside the Libbie Young Centre. Submitted photo

Thursday, February 26, 2026

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EDITOR TAYLOR WEAVER

Canada didn’t win Olympic gold in Milan last Sunday, but in my opinion, the country — which feels more divided than ever — came together.

Like many of my fellow countrymen, I set an alarm on my day off to watch the men’s Olympic gold-medal game between Canada and the U.S.

The loss aside, it was some of the best hockey I’ve seen in a long time. Canada may have gotten off to a slow start, but the boys were playing like champions. Again, in my opinion, we should have had it. But I digress.

Similar to Olympic and world junior championship games of the past, bars across Canada were permitted to open early.

Hundreds of hockey fans packed their local watering holes to cheer on the best in the country, hoping for a gold-medal finish.

I, on the other hand, woke up, made coffee and watched the game in my pajamas with one of our cats.

Aside from my emotional-support-couch-kitty keeping me calm throughout more than 60 minutes of hockey, I was also neck-deep in group texts with family from across Canada.

One group text included my mom and brother in Kingston, Ont., and the other comprised my dad and cousin in Camrose and Wainwright, Alta., and my aunt in Belleville, Ont.

From moments of jubilation to “Oh, come on, ref, what the heck was that?!,” it was clear all parties involved were sharing the same passion.

The group text between my dad, cousin and aunt was pre-planned after chatting during the semifinals, but the conversation with my mom and brother was impromptu.

My mom started the conversation with: “I have no idea if you’re both watching the game, but I wanted to let you know if I have a heart attack while watching this third period, I love you both.” We kept it going until Team USA’s OT goal. At that point, I turned the TV off and went to the gym to clear my head.

We may not have won the gold medal in men’s or women’s hockey, but I’d say the experience brought the country closer as a whole.

Now, we wait four years to see what Team Canada has in store for the 2030 Games in France.

Devin Huard photo

PAGE 11

Thursday, February 26, 2026

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Chris’ A-Z: Firmly rooted in Lloyd

Whenever I drive down Highway 16 west, I’m always captivated by the white building with the big red roof on a small road between the old Canadian Tire plaza and Pizza Hut.

For those longtime Lloydminster residents, you can likely picture the building I’m talking about, the Nelson Lumber building.

Coming from B.C., logging and lumber, in general, was all the rage. That’s why today, I’m kind of fascinated by the story of Nelson Lumber. Raymond J. Nelson, or Ray, moved to Lloydminster in 1946 after being discharged from the military. He was ready to assume management of the local Beaver Lumber outlet, an endeavour he took on with his brother Austin.

A few years would go by and Ray saw the potential of the lumber business. He convinced Austin to venture out on their own, which they did, forming Nelson Lumber in 1949.

The brothers purchased a piece of land from Les Rendell, which was part of the original Rendell homestead of 1903.

The piece of land was a little far from town and people said it wouldn’t succeed due to its location. They were up for the challenge.

Through good and bad times, Nelson Lumber developed into one of the top 75 privately-held companies in Canada, all while keeping its head office in Lloyd.

In 1949, Ab Truss was hired as vice-president of marketing, and in 1953, Alex Foght became the vice-president of finance and administration. The two remained with the company until 1986.

Austin would move to Edmonton in 1954 to manage the Nelson Lumber expansion and the company’s presence would eventually expand to Bonnyville, Slave Lake and Grande Prairie.

At its peak, Nelson enterprises employed more than 800 people. Of course, the story of Nelson Lumber would be incomplete without talking about Nelson Homes.

The first brochure featuring Nelson Homes appeared in 1958. It featured two plans, the Nelson Standard, 768 sq. ft. at a price of $2,550 and the Elmwood for $2,995. Brief side note, Nelson Home’s website says they began the homes division in 1958, but I’ve seen other mentions that it started in 1953.

At one time, the homes were exported to Japan, the United States, Germany and even Iceland. Nelson’s first factory was built in 1958 but burned in January 1961 due to a gas explosion. It was quickly replaced by a more modern facility. In 1975, on Victoria Day, a second fire caused a few days of setback in production. The facility was replaced and expanded to include a warehouse.

While Nelson was transporting its products outside of Lloydminster, they played a key role in building or providing material for over 80 per cent

LAND FOR SALE BY SEALED TENDER

Under the provision of The Tax Enforcement Act the Village of Waseca offers for sale the following land:

PROPERTY TYPE: RESIDENTIAL

CIVIC ADDRESS: 109 Main Street

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lot 8 Block 03 Plan B3287 Lot 9 Block 03 Plan B3287 Lot 10 Block 03 Plan B3287

The Village of Waseca is now accepting tenders from interested parties for the sale of the above land acquired through tax enforcement proceedings. The Village of Waseca reserves the right to reject any or all bids received. Tender packages can be picked up at the Village of Waseca, 201 Douglas Place, Waseca SK S0M 3A0. For more information contact the Village of Waseca at (306) 893-2211.

The deadline for receipt of tenders is March 17, 2026 by 4:00pm.

Tenders should be marked “PROPERTY TENDER/LAND TENDER”

of the homes in the Border City. Eventually, Ray purchased his brother Austin’s share of the company, giving him complete ownership.

In the early 2000s, prior to an eventual sale, Nelson Homes built the Hemstock and Hearthstone assisted-living retirement residence.

The Nelson Lumber Company Ltd. would be sold to an employee group in 2003.

I will preface my typical ending ramble by saying I will eventually do a second column on the man himself, Ray Nelson, but this week, I wanted to talk about the company he built alongside his brother.

In 2026, Nelson enterprises are still going strong and are pillars of Lloydminster. I’d say if the Border City is known for anything, it would be entrepreneurial success. I’ve never been anywhere with so many successful small businesses or locally-owned companies. The Nelson brothers exemplified this. Ray saw an opportunity in lumber and Austin believed in that vision.

Now knowing a little more about Nelson Lumber, I have a new appreciation whenever I see that familiar red roof on the white building.

Google maps screenshot of Nelson Lumber

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.

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.

Doubles Crib Tournament

The Lloydminster Moose Lodge is holding a doubles cribbage tournament on Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. Registration is from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and the cost is $20/person, 12 games guaranteed. Must register by Friday, March 6. Contact Bruce at 780-522-6972 for more.

Islay Doubles Crib Tournament

The Islay Community Association is hosting a doubles crib tournament on March 14 in the Islay Hall. Doors open at 9 am, registration cutoff is 10 am. Cost is $25 per person which includes noon lunch. Please pre-register by calling Linda at 780-581-0570.

Kaiser Tournament

The Lloydminster Moose Lodge is holding a kaiser tournament on Sunday, March 15, at 1 p.m. Cost is $20/person, eight games guaranteed and prizes awarded to top teams. Must register by Friday, March 13. Contact Arne at 306-821-7459 or Bruce at 780-522-6972 for more info.

Singles Crib Tournament

The Lloydminster Moose will be holding a singles cribbage tournament on Sunday, March 22, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $20/person, eight games guaranteed and prizes awarded to top finishers. Must register by Friday, March 20. Contact Bruce at 780-522-6972 for more info.

Dewberry Hall Upcoming Events

The Dewberry Community Hall is hosting Family Social and Music – The Relics on March 7, ATCO Movie Day – Zootopia 2 on March 8 and a hall meeting on March 10. They will also host the cutter rally on March 14 and the Dewberry Dinner Theatre –Is There a Doctor in the House? on March 27 and 28.

Word on the beat: Hate speech

Staff Sgt. JERRY NUTBROWN SPECIAL TO THE SOURCE

The creation of laws is often a response to actions taken by individuals, and those laws then address those actions. As we have more recently entered the digital age, newer laws have been enacted to govern areas of the digital world.

Human rights legislation is amended from time to time to add specific areas of protection that have come under attack. These are added to the list of protected grounds. If these areas were not being targeted, they likely would not be included.

Offences related to hate are relatively new and are a reaction to actions taken by individuals targeting identifiable people or groups. Unfortunately, some people believe Canada mirrors U.S. free speech laws, likely due to exposure to U.S. media and U.S.-based entertainment. I say entertainment because many Canadians believe what they see on U.S. TV shows applies in Canada.

Section 318 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to advocate genocide. Genocide means acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, an identifiable group — namely, killing members of the group or deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. The most common example is the Holocaust.

Section 319 of the Criminal Code addresses the public incitement of hatred and makes it an offence. Essentially, what is deemed “hate speech” can constitute a criminal offence. This is a lengthy section that cannot be fully addressed here. However, there are limits to freedom of expression in Canada, contrary to what some believe.

Section 319 also addresses communicating

statements in a public place that incite hatred against an identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace. In addition, Section 319 makes it an offence to communicate statements, other than in private conversation, that wilfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust.

An identifiable group is defined as any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability.

Communicating is further defined to include communication by telephone, broadcasting, or other audible or visible means. Statements include words spoken, written or recorded electronically, electromagnetically or otherwise, as well as gestures, signs or other visible representations.

These offences may proceed by indictment or by summary conviction, which carry different sentencing limits. Summary conviction offences are generally considered less serious, while indictable offences are more serious. I will explain these distinctions in a future column.

As with many laws that make certain conduct illegal, several factors must be considered before an arrest is made and a charge is laid. In some cases, charges under these sections may only be laid with the consent of the Attorney General. My intent here is to highlight that hate speech laws are in effect in Canada, and people should be aware of what they say or display, and where they do so.

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.

Onion Lake woman charged after RCMP seize meth in traffic stop

Onion Lake RCMP has seized methamphetamine, a sword and a hatchet during a traffic stop in the community last week.

Police say officers were conducting proactive patrols around 8 p.m. on Feb. 16 when they located an SUV that had fled from police the previous day. The vehicle was parked outside a residence in Onion Lake.

Officers activated their emergency equipment and pulled in behind the SUV. Following an investigation, police say they seized about

19 grams of methamphetamine along with a sword and a hatchet, from inside the vehicle.

An adult woman was arrested at the scene.

Danielle Heathen, 22, of Onion Lake is charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Heathen is scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on April 15.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Lloydminster Crime Reduction Team assisted in the investigation. More at meridiansource.ca

One arrested following exploitation investigation

A34-year-old Meadow Lake man is facing child exploitation charges following an investigation by the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE).

The unit executed a search warrant at a home in Meadow Lake on Nov. 19, 2025. Police say electronic devices were examined at the scene and seized for further analysis.

As a result of the investigation, William Caleb Wade was charged on Feb. 22 with two counts of

possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

Wade was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear March 2 in Meadow Lake Provincial Court.

The ICE unit is made up of investigators from the Saskatchewan RCMP, the Regina Police Service and the Saskatoon Police Service. Its mandate is to investigate crimes involving the online abuse and exploitation of children.

Thursday, Feburary 26, 2026 MERIDIAN SOURCE

IN THE PLAYOFFS

U18 AAA Lancers finish the job in final game

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

In a playoff race that went right down to the wire, the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers punched their ticket Sunday evening in their 38th and final game of the Alberta Elite Hockey League regular season.

With their 4-1 victory over the host Sherwood Park Kings (18-18-2), the Lancers (14-17-7) clinched the organization’s first playoff berth in three years.

“I would say we have a very resilient group,” said Lancers scoring champion Kael Scott, who added two more goals and an assist Sunday to give him 21 goals and 46 points in 38 games in his rookie season.

“We had a rough start to the year and were at the bottom, but we all stuck with it, trusted the process and it’s been growth all the way up to now.”

Now, Lloydminster is up against the rival St. Albert Raiders (21-10-7) in a best-of-three North Division quarter-final that began Wednesday night (Feb. 25) in the Edmonton suburb.

Game 2 is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hub in Lloydminster, with a possible third game slated for 5 p.m. Sunday at St. Albert.

Just three days before their playoff series began, the Lancers completed a critical two-win weekend. At home in the Hub on Saturday, Lloydminster posted a season-saving 3-2 victory over the Leduc Oil Kings (13-17-8). That head-to-head battle ultimately cost the Oil Kings, who finished in seventh place in the North, one point behind both

Lloyd and fifth-place Edmonton Junior Oilers Orange (16-19-3).

The Lancers went into Sunday’s suppertime game in Sherwood Park knowing that they needed a win to gain the last playoff berth. Although one point would have tied Lloyd with Leduc, the tiebreakers (wins and head-to-head play) weren’t working in the Lancers’ favour.

The Oil Kings thickened the playoff-pursuit plot Sunday when they gained their final point in a 4-4 tie with the higher-ranked Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. That game ended shortly after 4 p.m., about 40 minutes before the puck dropped in Lloydminster’s game at Sherwood Park.

The Lancers didn’t leave anything to chance as they registered their third win over the Kings in three weeks. They scored three second-period goals, including two from Scott, to gain a 3-1 lead.

Scott netted power-play and even-strength goals, respectively, and assisted on a power-play marker from Brody Sunderland with 35 seconds left in the middle period.

Connor Nickle added more insurance early in the third period when he cashed in after another rush. Gavin Pratt contributed two assists, while Stran Edge blocked 32 shots in the Lloyd net.

The lone Sherwood Park goal came from Damien Wiebe in the first period.

Holding their opponents to a combined three goals in two weekend victories, the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers accented defence to gain their necessary four more points to qualify for the Alberta Elite Hockey League playoffs.

Anything less would have left the Lancers out of the post-season dance for the third time in as many years.

Instead, they bumped the Leduc Oil Kings for the sixth and final playoff position in the North Division, courtesy of Lloyd’s 4-1 win over the host Sherwood Park Kings on Sunday and a 3-2 victory over visiting Leduc on Saturday.

The Lancers took a 3-0 first-period lead in the first period Saturday and shut the door after the Oil Kings replied with two goals of their own in the second.

In the dying minutes, Lloyd’s penalty-killers kept Leduc at bay, typifying the defensive diligence that stood tall on the weekend and in so many other games during the season.

In front of a 35-save performance from goaltender Asher Ammann, the Lancers’ penaltykilling unit didn’t leave anything to chance as it negated a hooking penalty in the final three minutes of regulation time.

The likes of forwards Logan Flewell, Josh Frazer and Carson Mazzei, along with defenceman Rhett Romanchuk, led the penalty-killing efforts down the stretch to keep the Lancers’ playoff hopes alive into the final day of the regular season.

“I was really proud of how the boys battled today,” Lloyd coach Chris King said after Saturday’s game.

“We scored three early, and then did not score for a while. Earlier in the year, as you said, we would have tightened up.

“I thought we did a great job in our D zone and kept the play in their zone, where they couldn’t really get a lot of high-opportunity chances.”

Going into last weekend, the Lancers still had work to do to qualify for the playoffs, but they embraced the opportunity.

They considered themselves fortunate just to be in that position in late February, said King, in his first year as Lloyd’s coach.

“The talk was, ‘If I told you at the beginning of the year, we needed to win two games to get into playoffs, would you take it?’ The boys said, ‘Yeah, of course.’

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

The Lancers played like a team on a mission, firing 53 shots at Kings goaltender Hayden Rinas to solidify the win and cement Lloyd’s hard-earned post-season berth.

“We knew what we had to do. We’ve played really good hockey for probably eight weeks now, earning (20 of a possible 28 points) and it’s still really tight. We’re doing what we can.”

From left, Ace Brewer, Josh Frazer and Rhett Romanchuk celebrate Frazer’s game-opening goal at the Hub on Saturday as the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers defeated the Leduc Oil Kings 3-2. John MacNeil Meridian Source

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

Lancers’ workhorses stand tall

PENALTY-KILLERS FROM PAGE 13

Their weekend heroics pushed the Lancers into a first-round playoff date with the North Division’s third-place St. Albert Raiders. That bestof-three series was scheduled to open Wednesday night in St. Albert. Game 2 goes 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hub in Lloydminster, with a possible third game set for 5 p.m. Sunday in St. Albert.

Frazer, Romanchuk and Brody Sunderland gave Lloyd the early 3-0 lead against Leduc. It was a two-point game for Romanchuk, who overcame pain in the third period and got back in the fray in the critical minutes. Brock McDougall, with his 26th in his 27-goal season, and Kade Harstad scored for Leduc. Owen Prasek made 36 stops for the Oil Kings.

Romanchuk, a third-year defenceman, was among eight senior Lancers recognized in a pre-game ceremony. That group includes goaltender Ammann, D-men Ace Brewer and Denton Setzer, and forwards Flewell, Mazzei, Ty Domshy and Kelton Doolaege.

After Saturday’s season-saving victory on home ice, coach King saluted his Lancers for their defensive awareness, especially the less-heralded penalty-killers.

“You can’t speak enough about guys like Frazer and Mazzei, out there killing penalties and taking the tough shifts,” he said. “Mazzei took a lot of the draws for us in the D zone today and made sure that we were responsible in our D zone.

“Those guys, they don’t always light up the scoresheet, but they’re so integral to the success we’ve had in the second half.

“When you look at some of those hard-working shifts from Domshy and other guys, that’s what makes you a tough team. You can have all the talent in the world, but you’ve got to have some guys that do the work.”

One of those gritty performers is graduating forward Flewell, who was all smiles as he posed for keepsake photos after Saturday’s final regularseason home game. The Paradise Valley native sensed special qualities in this group of Lancers.

“Once we got into our little groove here, we started to fly around a little more and we definitely started to gel as a team and started winning a lot of games,” Flewell said. “It’s been a good run.

“It was a pretty good week of practice. We were flying around pretty well and we had a lot of fun, which is always a good thing. We did that kids’ program (an instructional camp) all week, so a couple of us would go out every hour or so with all the little kids. That also went over well. It got me out of school for one day, so that was pretty good.”

These are exciting times for the likes of Flewell, an E.H. Walter senior student whose provincially ranked high school basketball team is waiting for his services. Not to mention the Lloydminster Bandits, the junior B hockey club just beginning its playoff run.

“It’s kind of nerve-racking, realizing I’m about to graduate, so I’m trying to keep hockey going as long as possible,” he said with a smile. “If our time is cut short with the Lancers, hopefully I get to go out with the Bandits and have a lot of fun with them, too.”

All four of the semifinalists in the Northeastern Alberta junior B league — Lloydminster, Vermilion, Wainwright and Killam — are poised to add Lancers if they become available. In similar fashion, the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats are expected to add at least a couple of Lancers to their AJHL roster if that opportunity arises.

Opportunity continues to knock for the Lancers and their persistent penalty-killers, as evidenced in their pivotal win last Saturday.

“Yeah, I love penalty-killing,” Flewell said. “I love being able to get that puck and just fire it down the ice free.

“They rely on us three — me, Frazer and Mazzei. If we get a penalty, us three just go on the ice, because we know we’re going to go. We go out there and we do a good job.

“I missed an empty-netter at the end, but we still won.”

“I was pumped,” said Scott, a 15-year-old forward who’s on track to play in the Western Hockey League with the Calgary Hitmen.

“We knew we needed to win and put it all on the line, so the boys were definitely excited. It was a great opportunity to experience, for sure.”

Scott and fellow 2025 WHL draft choices Sunderland, Josh Frazer and Tripp Fischer are part of a wave of young talent that joined Lloydminster this season under new head coach Chris King, along with assistant coaches Riley Fletcher and Joe Gidari.

The Lancers went 5-2-3 in their final 10 games to climb into a playoff position, just one year after Lloyd finished last in the 16-team provincial league.

Scott, a serious candidate for AEHL U18 AAA rookie of the year, was a constant in the Lloyd lineup all season. Likewise for the team’s second-leading scorer, graduating defenceman Rhett Romanchuk, who collected 10 goals and 37 points in 37 games.

Scott stayed healthy all year, despite playing a physical brand of hockey on top of his offensive contributions.

“I think the biggest contributors are my teammates,” said Scott, whose 46 points ranked 14th in league scoring.

“I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without them, and I think everyone doing their part made my job that much easier.”

The job doesn’t get any easier for the Lancers as they face a formidable team in St. Albert, which won the season series 4-0, including two overtime victories. They’ve had some intense battles with each other this year. Part of the rivalry centres around Lancers forward Ty Domshy, the St. Albert native who moved to his father’s native Lloydminster to play a valuable role in his final season of U18 AAA eligibility.

“St. Albert is definitely a tougher opponent for us,” Scott said Monday. “We’ve had close games and ones we’ve also not been great in. But we’ve been playing playoff hockey for the last month, so I think we are at that calibre and used to what it’s going to be like.

“I think we need to stick to what we do best and trust the process along the way for (us to have) success.”

The Lancers managed to gain a point from their final regular-season game against the Raiders, who won a 4-3 overtime decision in Lloyd just two weeks ago. St. Albert captain Nolan Bisson scored the winning goal on a power play in the first minute of

Bisson, a forward who began this season with the junior A Lloydminster Bobcats, is a prospect of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, as are three Lancers — forwards Frazer, Nickle and Sunderland.

St. Albert battled injuries down the stretch. Most notably, the Raiders’ top scorer and Brandon Wheat Kings’ prospect Carson Ralph hadn’t played since Feb. 11. He scored 16 goals and

36 points in 33 games.

Bisson, the Raiders’ fourth-leading scorer, netted 21 goals and 32 points in just 26 games.

St. Albert defenceman Brody Daoust, 17, played three games last weekend — one with the Raiders and two as a call-up to the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles. He was in the Eagles’ lineup on Sunday afternoon for their 5-4 overtime victory at Lloydminster. Daoust’s brother Cohen is a high-scoring forward with Canmore.

“We’re pretty happy to have him on board, and be a part of the group,” Eagles coach-GM Andrew Milne said Sunday about Brody Daoust.

“He’s a smart kid, cerebral, who thinks the game really well. A lot like his brother at the same age. We’re expecting good things from Brody. That’s his fourth game for us this year. His St. Albert U18 AAA team is pretty banged up as well, so he’s had to spend a lot of time with them.”

In its final regular-season game, St. Albert defeated Fort Saskatchewan 3-1 on Saturday on the strength of two goals from Bisson and 29 saves from Seth Badry, who has appeared in AJHL action with the first-place Whitecourt Wolverines.

In the other North Division quarter-final, fourth-place Sherwood Park meets No. 5 Oilers Orange.

The Orange kept themselves in the playoff picture with a 6-4 victory on Saturday versus the Okotoks Oilers (17-18-3), before losing 6-5 to the Calgary Northstars (25-10-3) on Sunday.

The North’s top two regular-season teams — Edmonton Junior Oilers Blue (29-6-3) and Fort Saskatchewan (23-9-6) — received opening-round playoff byes.

The Calgary Northwest Flames (287-3) and the Northstars were awarded first-round byes in the South, where the matchups pitted the third-place Calgary Buffaloes (22-12-4) against the No. 6 Red Deer Chiefs (16-20-2) and fourth-place Okotoks against the fifth-seeded Calgary Royals (17-18-3).

Kael Scott had 21 goals and 46 points in 38 games to top the U18 AAA Lancers in scoring. John MacNeil Meridian Source

Steelers weather sickness as playoffs near

A week after Valentine’s Day, the Lloydminster Steelers applied “tough love” Saturday en route to a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Rocky Mountain Raiders in the U18 AAA division of the Alberta Female Hockey League.

Down 2-0 after the second period, the Steelers heard some strong words from their leadership group during the intermission of an afternoon tilt at the Hub.

“There was a little bit of tough love in the (dressing) room, from the leadership in there,” said Lloyd captain Skylar Heinrichs, who scored the winning goal just 21 seconds into overtime on a precise pass from Esme Loney, an assistant captain.

“I think whatever we said worked. It was a little aggressive, but I feel that sometimes you must hear that we need to be better, because we weren’t playing to our potential. Just keeping everyone accountable and telling them, ‘There’s more in us. If we want to win, we’ve got to find that.’

“Then, Dan (coach Auchenberg) came in and told us we have to believe, and we all came together as one.”

A day later, Rocky Mountain would regroup to post a come-from-behind victory of its own, as the last-place Raiders rallied from a 2-1 second-period deficit to defeat the Steelers 3-2 on Sunday in a Hub rematch.

ALL EIGHT TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS

Going into the final weekend of the regular season, the Steelers (7-17-2) and the Sherwood Park Reign (7-18-2) were tied for sixth place, each with 20 points, six more than Rocky Mountain (4-20-4).

Lloydminster has played one less game than Sherwood Park, which hosts the Steelers this Saturday afternoon. Lloyd finishes its regular season at home Sunday in an 11:15 a.m. Hub date with the first-place St. Albert Slash (21-4-2).

All eight teams qualify for the playoffs, but it looks like the first-round matchups won’t be finalized until this last weekend of the regular season.

Regardless of their initial opponent, the Steelers just hope they can enter the playoffs with better health than they’ve experienced during a recent bout of sickness.

“We are really getting it right now,” said Heinrichs, a Mount Royal University commit. “There’s maybe three people that haven’t been sick. We haven’t really had a full team at practice for a couple of weeks now.

“Sawyer Mackay just got knocked out (of the

Addison Moore of the Lloydminster Steelers skates with the puck during their 3-2 overtime win over the Rocky Mountain Raiders. John MacNeil Meridian Source

lineup). I missed a game last weekend. I had a viral lung infection. Sawyer has pneumonia. We’ve got something going throughout the team right now, and a lot of people are battling through it, but it’s hard to rest in moments like this when we really need the whole team to play. But I think we’re getting better, hopefully.”

Likewise, the youthful Steelers are confident they can be a better team on the ice than their record or recent losing streak might indicate.

“There’s been a lot of things said about our team this year — sometimes not always positive — but just after that win (last Saturday), we’ve got to keep proving to everybody that we can play,” said Heinrichs, a senior forward from Lloydminster. “We need to start showing up every day and, by playoffs, we should be a way better team.”

LONEY ‘NEVER STOPS WORKING’

Heinrichs believes the Steelers are in good hands with the likes of running-mate Loney setting the tone.

“On the boards, Esme gets the puck and all I hear is, ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’ ” Heinrichs said in replaying the overtime goal. “She just slid the puck to me, and it was an easy tap-in for me. It was all Esme.

“She was yelling at me. She’s so funny. She’s the

best character — it’s great. She was our unsung hero last year and she could be it again this year. She never stops working.”

Sadie Larson, a rookie forward from Irma, scored her first U18 goal with 2:31 left in the third period to force overtime Saturday.

Karsyn Woytiuk also tallied for Lloydminster. Loney assisted on two of the Steelers’ three goals.

Lloyd’s Kenzie Zidar and Rocky Mountain’s Teagan Shaddock made 27 and 33 saves, respectively.

Sophia El Hage, on the power play, and Westyn Webb tallied for the Raiders.

Coach Auchenberg saw his Steelers overcome sickness and show determination in fighting back for the OT victory.

“The resilience came forth in the third period here,” he said. “We told them after the second period, ‘You’ve got to start believing. You’ve got to start having fun. You can’t put so much pressure on yourselves. Just relax and enjoy the game. The game is supposed to be fun.’

“We played with urgency in the third, and that’s how we’ve got to play. Give the girls credit, they came back, even with how sick they are. They dug down and played most of the third period in (the Raiders’) zone.”

Rocky Mountain showed similar traits Sunday in fighting back for its one-goal win.

Webb netted the winner with 6:45 remaining. The Raiders’ Paige Meyer and the Steelers’ Peyton Oborowsky each counted two goals. Meyer’s tying marker came on a power play midway through the third period.

Zidar and her Rocky Mountain counterpart, Brea Kuprash, each blocked 28 shots.

WALKER SHOWS MORE COURAGE

The Steelers’ inspirational leader, Peyton Walker, was in the rink last weekend as she returned to Lloydminster from her latest cancer treatments in Edmonton.

“Living with her, she’s always just got the best smile on her face,” said Heinrichs, whose family has billeted Walker the past couple of seasons. “It’s really hard to think about what she’s going through, but she’s just got the best attitude. Sometimes it’s hard to believe. We just root for her and think about her all the time.

“She just finished some chemo, but every chance she gets, she comes here. She’s been with me for two weeks now. She’ll go to Edmonton and then come all the way back to Lloyd. I think she just loves to be with the team and the distraction it provides.”

Walker, a Wainwright native, helped the Steelers honour their billet families last Saturday.

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

Big crowds track Bobcats’ so-so weekend

The Lloydminster Bobcats continued to make life difficult for themselves last weekend as they dropped two Alberta Junior Hockey League home games against South Division teams.

The Bobcats’ undisciplined play was just part of the story as they lost a 5-4 overtime decision against the Canmore Eagles on Sunday, after falling 5-4 to the Drumheller Dragons in regulation time Friday.

Another trend dogging the ’Cats of late has seen them give up goals on the next shift after scoring themselves, nipping momentum in the process.

Sunday’s game pulled Lloydminster (27-14-6) into a tie with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (27-15-6) for third place in the North Division, but that seemed to be of little consolation after a so-so weekend in front of two more big crowds at the Hub.

“The way we’ve been racking up penalty minutes has been putting us in a lot of trouble,” Bobcats coach Eric Labrosse said after Sunday’s game, while his players skated with fans. “It’s been addressed many times, but we keep going in the (penalty) box.

“Until that changes, we have to understand that it’s going to be hard for us to win games, if we’re continuously in the box.

“We’re looking above us. That, to us, is our race. We’re trying to grab a hold of third position, and maybe second if we could.”

With eight games left in their regular season, the Bobcats were eight points behind the North Division’s second-place Grande Prairie Storm (33-13-2).

Those teams play each other this Friday in Grande Prairie, kicking off a busy weekend for Lloyd. The Bobcats visit the Olds Grizzlys (16-28-4) on Saturday and the Drayton Valley Thunder (14-28-5) on Sunday.

Last weekend, the Bobcats hosted two South teams that they had visited the previous weekend — Drumheller (23-19-6) and division-leading Canmore (28-18-3).

Bryson Insinger’s goal 30 seconds into overtime gave Canmore its second consecutive win over Lloyd, including a 4-3 shootout victory the previous Sunday.

After their latest win, the Eagles made a hasty exit off the Hub ice surface, matching a similar move from the Bobcats a week earlier at Canmore. Lloyd scored in overtime in that game, but the referees ruled the Eagles’ net was dislodged, so the Bobcats were called back on the ice in a game that they eventually lost. It wasn’t a coincidence when the Eagles hurried off the ice this past Sunday.

“When we’re always making comebacks, we kind of give it up with either bad penalties or untimely goals — like those goals that are scored on the next shift.

“Yeah, right now, we’re kind of in a groove that it’s hard for us to take a lead and stick with it.”

Lloyd and Fort Mac were both scheduled to play North teams this Wednesday evening as the Bobcats hosted the Devon Xtreme (14-27-5) and the Oil Barons visited the Bonnyville Pontiacs (23-22-3).

With the Pontiacs entering Wednesday’s action 11 points out of the division’s fourth and final playoff position, and just three weeks left in the regular season, the absence of a legitimate race for that last spot likely hasn’t helped Lloydminster’s focus down the stretch.

Labrosse, however, wasn’t buying that theory.

“No, I’d say that doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “That, to us, doesn’t matter.

•

•

“No, they did it to us last weekend, but the net was off, and they had to come back out,” said Canmore defenceman Quinn Keeler, who spent with the first half of this season with the Bobcats.

“I found it funny that we should do the same to them.”

Aidan Tkachuk, Owen Mastroianni, Miller Komarniski and Cohen Daoust also scored for Canmore, which connected twice on power plays. It was a three-point game for the high-scoring Daoust.

MATONOVICH INJURED

Kael Screpnek kept his hot streak going with a pair of goals for Lloydminster, including a power-play marker. Ethan Elefante and Jaxan Hopko also tallied for the Bobcats. Tucker Robertson assisted on both of Screpnek’s goals in the final nine minutes as the Bobcats rallied to erase a 4-2 deficit and force overtime. Canmore goaltender Alexander Scheiwiller made 37 stops to post his second win in three days.

Lloydminster goalie Ty Matonovich was injured during a traffic jam in front of his net. He initially stayed in the game but was in obvious pain when he was replaced late in the second period after Mastroianni’s goal put the Eagles up 3-2.

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Rowan McDonald (right) of the Drumheller Dragons exchanges pleasantries with Lloydminster Bobcats’ Jaxan Hopko (left) and Kade Fendelet during the Dragons’ 5-4 victory in AJHL action last Friday night at the Hub. John MacNeil Meridian Source

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

Lloyd U17 goalie watches AJHL up close

The happiest man in a Drumheller jersey last Friday night didn’t play a minute of the Dragons’ 5-4 win over the host Lloydminster Bobcats in Alberta Junior Hockey League action at the Hub.

Brayden Gramlich, who just turned 17 at the end of January, made his AJHL debut as he dressed as goaltender Brandon Williams’ backup.

A day earlier, Drumheller coach and general manager Kevin Hasselberg contacted Gramlich’s coach with the U17 AAA Lloydminster Lancers, Jason Ross, to request Gramlich’s services in his hometown.

“I was off school (last week) and I was taking my brother to get his car in at Herle’s,” replayed Gramlich after the game. “I get a call from my dad and he’s, like, ‘Answer your phone.’

“This was Thursday, around noonish. That’s when (my Lloyd) coach was trying to get a hold of me, saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got an opportunity tomorrow. Make the most of it.’ I’m, like, ‘Perfect, sounds good, I’ll be there.’

“It was a pretty cool experience, an opportunity for me. AJ — I mean, that’s pretty cool. I thought it was pretty sweet.”

The junior A opportunity arose in the absence of Dragons’ injured goaltender Sean Cootes.

Gramlich, who went on to rejoin the U17 AAA Lancers for their Alberta Elite Hockey League games Saturday and Sunday, was thrilled to spend Friday night watching junior A action from ice level.

“It was just for tonight, because we’re here and it was pretty convenient that I wasn’t playing with my U17 team today,” he said.

“It’s unexpected, I’d say, for the

U17 AAA Lloydminster Lancers’ goaltender Brayden Gramlich was all smiles Friday as the Drumheller Dragons called him up to the AJHL. John MacNeil Meridian Source

opposing team. But it was pretty fun, getting to watch both teams, especially the Bobcats. It was pretty cool. I practised with them for two weeks last year, but to be on the opposite side of it, it was different.

“Back in the Civic (Centre) last year, the Bobcats were short one goalie, so they brought me up for two weeks. I didn’t get to play a game, but I was practising and I got to meet some of the guys. It was pretty fun.”

Hasselberg made a connection with Gramlich last summer in Edmonton when the young goalie participated in the Visionary Sports Top Prospects showcase.

“He volunteered to be a coach on the bench, so he was my coach then,” said Gramlich, a Grade 11 student at Holy Rosary High School. “That’s when we first met. We actually won the whole thing.”

The Lloyd boy was otherwise

unfamiliar with the Dragons’ personnel as he met up with the players Friday at the Hub.

“I can’t put a name on any of them,” Gramlich said with a smile. “My first time meeting them all.

“It was pretty good (just the same). A very welcoming group. I mean, I got in the dressing room and it was handshakes, ‘Hello, hey, how are you?’ It was a cool experience.”

As they left the Hub at 10 p.m. Friday, multiple Dragons thanked Gramlich and wished him well the rest of the way in his U17 AAA season.

He and those Lancers have had a productive second half of the season, even though they dropped two games on the past weekend.

Gramlich was between the pipes Saturday in Edmonton for a 5-3 loss to the first-place CAC Canadians, and he came on in relief Sunday at Lloyd during a 5-4 overtime defeat against the Sherwood Park Squires.

In the game versus CAC, the Canadians’ goaltender was Daniel Marsden, who was called up to the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons in mid-February. He dressed as Brendan Gee’s backup in Fort Mac’s 3-1 victory over the Drayton Valley Thunder.

Gramlich, pushing five-foot-10 and about 150 pounds, might not be the biggest goalie, but he’s standing out just the same as he climbs the hockey ladder.

“I’m not that tall, so I have to play depth,” he said. “I’d say I’m a faster goaltender. I have to play my angles, my depth. I have to keep that in mind. Take the extra step, just because I’m smaller. I have to make the sense that I’m taking up more of the net.”

His mind is focused on a strong finish with the Lancers (15-12-5), who have one more weekend left in the regular season before playoffs begin.

Keeler skates into reliable role with Eagles

As satisfying as Sunday’s 5-4 overtime win in Lloydminster was for the Canmore Eagles, it was especially so for Quinn Keeler, the former Bobcats’ defenceman dealt to Canmore at the January trade deadline.

It was the second time in seven days that the two AJHL teams faced each other, including the Eagles’ 4-3 shootout victory at home the previous Sunday.

“A little nerve-racking to start, but it’s super fun,” said Keeler, 19. “Obviously, the adrenaline is flowing, just because it’s the team that traded you.

“So, I was really looking forward to playing these games, and I had a lot of fun, getting the wins in both games.”

It was a warrior-like weekend for the Eagles as the South Division front-runners played three games in as many days, posting a 2-0-1 record in the process, despite a rash of injuries.

Keeler logged major minutes on the back end and showed his battle scars after a physical game in Lloyd against many of his ex-teammates.

“The Bobcats are a gritty team,” said Keeler, with a fresh cut above his lip post-game, while holding an ice pack to counter swelling elsewhere.

“I try my best to avoid hits, and to try to embrace the contact kind of thing. It was great.”

It was the kind of effort that would make his father proud.

Three-plus decades ago, Brian Keeler was a hardnosed forward at the Atlantic Canadian junior A and university levels. At the 1988 Centennial Cup national junior A championship in Pembroke, Ont., his Halifax Lions reached the final before losing 3-2 to a stacked Notre Dame Hounds (Wilcox, Sask.) team that included Rod Brind’Amour, Curtis Joseph, other future pros and a full class of NCAA Division 1-bound players.

Quinnlan Keeler was born in Toronto in 2006 and lived there for a year before his family moved to Montreal for a seven-year stint.

For the past 10-plus years, their home has been Calgary, not far from Canmore. All of which made his trade to the Eagles that much more appealing for Quinn and his family.

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

JOHN MacNEIL SPORTS EDITOR

Ex-Lloydminster Bobcat Quinn Keeler has settled in with the Canmore Eagles. John MacNeil Meridian Source

“Oh yeah, they love it,” Keeler said. “Mom is super excited. I get to come home a little bit more. Dad is always at the home games with mom, and sometimes family members come out. It’s great.

“I think it’s less than an hour to get out to the rink (in Canmore), so it works out well.”

In similar fashion, Keeler has worked out well for the Eagles, who acquired him Jan. 8 by trading the CJHL playing rights to defenceman Jack Bousquet, still skating in the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers.

Keeler played one year in the BCHL with the Cranbrook Bucks before landing in Lloydminster this past September. His half-season with the Bobcats was curtailed because of AC joint and rotator cuff shoulder injuries that sidelined him for about a month and a half.

“Yeah, the shoulder was a mess,” he said. “But I’m feeling a lot better now.”

The smooth-skating Keeler has already appeared in as many games — 17 — with the Eagles as he did in his three-plus months with Bobcats. In a combined 34 games, he has recorded eight assists this season, while playing a solid defensive game.

Keeler checks in at five-foot-11 and 180 pounds. Lloydminster traded him to make way for towering defencemen Ryder Ellis (six-foot-six) and Oakley McIlwain (six-foot-four), both acquired from SJHL teams.

“Well, I mean, the numbers speak for themselves,” Keeler said with a chuckle. “The Bobcats got two guys (on D) that are a little bigger than I am. (But) I like to play gritty, compete hard. It’s all good. They did add size, but I’m happy to be in Canmore.”

Eagles coach and general manager Andrew Milne is happy to have Keeler on board. The veteran coach was familiar with Keeler from his minor hockey days in Calgary, including his captaincy of the U18 AAA Calgary Royals.

“We know Quinn from his time in Calgary, and

For the second time in a week, Canmore defenceman Quinn Keeler lined up against his former Lloydminster teammates this past Sunday. John MacNeil Meridian Source

he’s got some good friends on our team,” Milne said. “We were really happy we had the opportunity to acquire him. I think he’s been awesome for us. Just goes about his business — hard-working, disciplined (and) structured kid. He provides a lot of leadership as well.”

Used in multiple situations during Sunday’s game, Keeler showed that steadiness and grit, while going against some of his buddies and former teammates.

“He’s hard in a lot of areas,” Milne said. “He’s hard to play against. We relied on him the three games this weekend. I think he played 27 minutes, then 28 minutes, and he’s probably over that again today. So, three games in a row with almost 30-minute nights is pretty phenomenal and a huge testament to the condition that he’s in.”

During his U16 AAA and U18 AAA years with the Royals, Keeler played on the same teams as Canmore sniper Aidan Tkachuk, along with Lloydminster forward Kael Screpnek. The former Bobcat also knew Ryder Dembo from playing against the Northwest Calgary Flames’ graduate.

Dembo spent last year in the SJHL, and the first half of this season in the BCHL with the Cowichan Valley Capitals, before joining the AJHL’s Eagles in January.

“It definitely helped, having a few bodies here that I knew before coming,” Keeler said. “They helped me settle in and what not.”

On Sunday in Lloyd, Keeler connected with two of the top five scorers in the AJHL as he and 67-point man Cohen Daoust assisted on a goal from 64-point man Tkachuk to make the score 1-1 five minutes into the second period.

Tkachuk also made the pass that set up Bryson Insinger’s winning goal 30 seconds into overtime. Daoust and Tkachuk ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in league scoring through Tuesday.

Including a 3-2 win over the Camrose Kodiaks on Friday, and a 5-4 overtime loss to the Bonnyville Pontiacs, it was a profitable weekend on the road for Canmore. Even it was taxing on the body.

“It felt like it,” Keeler said about being on the ice for almost half the game Sunday. “Especially in the last game of three-in-three, it’s pretty tough, but I found some energy since it’s against the old team.

Gotta show up for that.”

This season likely marks the midway point in Keeler’s junior career, depending on how soon he might head to university hockey or otherwise.

“I’m unsure of what I want to do right now,” he said. “I’m leaning toward coming back for another year, for my 20-year-old season of junior. Canmore is a great spot. I’ve loved it so far.”

The Eagles are among multiple AJHL teams making a legitimate push to represent the league in the Centennial Cup this May at Summerside, P.E.I. Keeler’s parents are from the neighbouring province of Nova Scotia, and his family has enjoyed visiting relatives in Halifax on occasion.

“We always like going to visit in the East Coast,” Quinn Keeler said. “I consider that a bit of home to me as well.”

26023TG1

New netminder makes debut

BOBCATS FROM PAGE 16

Matonovich’s replacement was Trent Peterson, a 20-year-old Wisconsin native who made his AJHL debut after joining the Bobcats from the NAHL just a couple of weeks ago. The new tandem faced a combined 31 shots in Lloyd’s net.

Matonovich, who needed to be helped off the ice after the second period, went into the past weekend with some of the best goaltending statistics in the AJHL.

Canmore went 2-0-1 during its weekend road trip, while playing without some key personnel. In the absence of extra help, the Eagles’ long-serving coach, Andrew Milne, was packing sticks after the game.

“We’ve got 19 guys with us on the road, no extra bodies to help, so we’ve got to help out wherever we can,” said Milne, now in his 18th season behind the Canmore bench.

His 17-year-old son, Easton, is a rookie centre with the Eagles.

“It was probably a lot harder on him than it is on me, having been around so long,” said coach Milne. “He’s new to this whole junior experience. The one thing I keep saying with Easton is guys appreciate work ethic, and he’s definitely a hard-working kid. The guys have made it pretty comfortable for him. He’s having a blast.”

Canmore has lost 20-year-old defencemen Casey Black and Carter Kowalyk to season-ending injuries that necessitated surgery.

Evan Markel, an 18-year-old blue-liner, has a knee injury, while 20-year-old D-man Reid Larson is close to coming back from a broken hand, Milne reported.

“So, we do have some guys that are banged up, for sure, and that puts us in a tough spot. We’re not going to see Kowalyk or Black back, but we’ll get Markel and Larson back in the lineup.

“Then, you get a guy like Keeler who’s only going to play 20 minutes (per game), and you’re going to get a real good 20 minutes out of him, versus the 30 he played today.”

DRAGONS 5, BOBCATS 4

In Friday’s game at the Hub, Jase Johnstone scored two goals for Drumheller, including the winner on a feed from Bradley Gallo with just under five minutes remaining. Johnstone and Gallo, with three assists, each had three-point games as the Dragons avenged a 3-1 loss to Lloydminster the previous Friday.

“It’s a tough barn to play in,” Johnstone, 19, said about the Hub. “We’ve been working on stuff all week, for playing against (the Bobcats), and it’s good to see some results.

“It’s a new rink, it’s loud, the team is fast and hard to play against. It was a fun game.”

Down to nine forwards in the third period, Drumheller battled injuries before and during the game.

Johnstone is a second-year Dragon from Whitehorse, Yukon, where his hockey and school friends growing up included Luke Cozens of the Medicine Hat Tigers and former Tigers star Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick in this year’s NHL draft.

“I love it here,” he said about playing in Drumheller. “It’s a fun team to play for, for sure. It’s pretty similar (to home). It’s small town. It’s good. I like it.”

Allen Sherpa, Sullivan Humeniuk and Nathan Ivey also scored for the Dragons. Screpnek, with two, Elefante and Gus El-Tahhan netted the Bobcats’ goals. Luke Dooley had two assists as part of his three-point weekend.

Brandon Williams stopped 36 shots for Drumheller, while Matonovich blocked 29 for Lloyd.

OVERTIME: The Hub’s weekend crowds were 1,350 on Friday and 1,035 on Sunday. ... Bonnyville has lost 18-year-old forward Lucas Knorr to the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. ... Grande Prairie defenceman Reily Pickford of Chauvin, Alta., is the AJHL’s rookie of the week. Pickford, 18, scored a goal and three assists in the host Storm’s 9-2 win over Devon on Sunday.

Net gain for Lloydminster goaltender

GRAMLICH FROM PAGE 17

“We turned our year around,” Gramlich said about a Lloyd team now in a three-way tie for third place in the 11-team North Division.

“At the start, we were 2-9-2. Then, we said, ‘OK, we should probably dig in here.’ We got on a pretty good winning streak — seven games. Then, we lost, but we soon came back (again). Yeah, the season has definitely turned around.”

Rotating with Evan Fedor in the Lancers’ net, Gramlich described his second season with the U17s as one of personal and team growth.

“I think it was the right choice,” he said about returning to U17 AAA this year. “I know my head coach now (Chase McAllister), he coached me in U15 — he was the assistant coach — and he was super happy to let me know that I was going to be on the (U17) team.

“It turned out great. I’m getting a lot of ice time.

I don’t know how much that would have differed had I been on the 18s, but it’s been going amazing this year.”

Gramlich has an 8-8-3 record, with a 3.33 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. His highlights include the 7-0 shutout at Grande Prairie that kick-started the Lancers’ turnaround.

While he would be eligible to play U18 next year, Gramlich plans to cast a wide net and pursue possible junior or U18 opportunities at identification camps this spring.

“Try to find the next level,” he said. “I’d say just bust my butt, try to get out to as many camps as I can. Just see what doors I can open, possibly.”

Gramlich opened one door last Friday with a look-and-see at AJHL life, while making a positive connection with Drumheller.

“Exactly, which is awesome, and I’m super thankful for that,” he said.

Junior B shifts to semis

The semifinalists are set in the Northeastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League.

The Wainwright Bisons and Killam Wheat Kings each recorded quarter-final sweeps to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Those two teams join the pennant-winning Lloydminster Bandits and the runner-up Vermilion Tigers in the semifinals. Both the Bandits and Tigers received first-round byes.

After blanking the Cold Lake Ice 3-0 in that best-of-five quarter-final, Wainwright goes up against Vermilion in a battle of teams separated by just four points in the regular season.

Killam advanced with its 3-0 sweep of the higher-ranked St. Paul Canadiens. Now, the Wheat Kings face top-ranked Lloydminster, which finished a whopping 32 points ahead of Killam in regular-season play.

That best-of-seven semifinal begins this weekend at the Hub in Lloydminster, with games scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

The other best-of-seven series kicks off at Vermilion Stadium, as the Tigers host the Bisons at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Lloydminster earned first place with a 30-6 slate, finishing the regular season one point ahead of Vermilion (28-5-3) and five points in front of Wainwright (25-6-5). St. Paul placed fourth with a 16-18-2 record, while Killam and Cold Lake tied with 13-21-2 showings. The last-place Vegreville Rangers (1-35) didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

In quarter-final action Sunday, Killam edged St. Paul 4-3 on an overtime goal from Tanner Sheets, who tallied three times on the afternoon. Sheets netted seven points, including five goals, in the three-game series.

Cade Schatschneider scored the Wheat Kings’ other goal in their series-clinching victory.

Killam goaltender Ethan Edwards stopped 25 shots, while Boston Carter blocked 34 for St. Paul. Kolby Miller, with two points, Liam Boyko and Jacob Labant tallied for the Canadiens.

The Wheat Kings earlier won 5-3 and 3-2.

Wainwright finished off Cold Lake with a 2-1 decision Saturday, after posting a 4-3 overtime victory, and a 4-0 shutout in the series-opener.

In the Game 3 clincher, Ryker Singer’s powerplay goal early in the third period was the winner as the Bisons moved on to the next round. Tanner Werenka also scored for Wainwright, after Sam Sawchuk had given Cold Lake an early 1-0 lead.

Lochlan Jenner made 32 saves for the Bisons. Mark Peddle stopped 33 shots for the Ice.

Wainwright prevailed 4-0 in the opener and 4-3 in overtime in Game 2. Mason Ganser’s hat-trick performance included the OT winner.

Early this week, Killam forward Ethan Allen was named the league’s rookie of the year. Quinn Szpak of St. Paul was recognized for winning the scoring title, with 37 goals and 69 points in 32 games. Szpak finished three points ahead of Vermilion’s Cade Meiklejohn, who had 26 goals and 66 points in 40 games.

All four teams in the junior B semifinals are waiting on possible affiliate additions from the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers, whose qualification for their playoffs meant they would be otherwise busy for at least another week.

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Thursday, February 26, 2026

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PO Box 1680 3801A – 51 Avenue

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on January 20, 2026 at the age of 77 years.

Gayla is survived by: her loving husband, Richard “Dick” of 55 years; children, Sherry Dyck (Rick) and Shawn Cruikshank (Abbey); grandchildren, Kaelyn (Kai), Karly, Liam and Avery; brother; Donald Byrnes (Shelley); brothers and sisters in-laws; Bob and Bev Cruikshank, Dale and Sandra Cruikshank, Lyle Cruikshank, and Pat and Harry Winterhalder, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Gayla was predeceased by: her parents, Francis and Delores Byrnes (Huxley); mother and father-in-law, Dazel and Bill Hewitt; and brother-in-law, Harry Cruikshank.

Gayla was born on December 1, 1948 and grew up on a farm

near Maidstone, SK but lived most of her adult life in Lloydminster. She worked many years as a hairdresser in salons as well as seniors’ facilities. Gayla loved sports, especially hockey and curling. In their younger years Gayla and Dick curled in many bonspiels with

One of Gayla’s passions was working outside in her yard. You always knew which house was hers as their lawn was the greenest and best kept yard on the block.

Gayla was proud of her children’s accomplishments and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She always spoke about her family with a smile on her face.

Many afternoons you would find Gayla and Dick enjoying coffee and visiting with friends at A&W.

Gayla’s memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements.

CARD OF THANKS

The Cruikshank family would like to thank all those who showed their support.

DALE FRANCIS LORENZ SEP. 11, 1961 – MAR. 1, 2008 FALLEN TO CANCER

FOREVER LOVED, SADLY MISSED…

Your resting place, we visit Decorate with care

But feel the heartache As we turn and leave you there We think about you always We talk about you still You have never been forgotten And you never will Sending our love...

Together Always:

Niki, Matt & family Daylon, Mel & family

musical kitchen party. She was a choice.

•

$9.00

4802 - 50 STREET

• 1200 square foot, nice open shop with two bays available for lease.

• Shop has high ceilings and would be suitable for car lifts or a work shop.

$900/Month