December 15, 2022 Digital Issue

Reminder Property Taxes are Due!

-Tax Notices were mailed out on April 29th. If anyone has not received their notice, they should contact City Hall. Ensure all contact information is up to date.

- Starting on August 1st, interest penalties on outstanding amounts begin to accrue.

Ways to Pay

- Taxes can be paid by cash, cheque, or debit at City Hall.

- Taxes can also be paid online through Banking Bill Payments, or by E-transfers; for payments: payments@martensville.ca.

Please include address &/or roll number in the comment section along with an indication the payment is for taxes.

December & January Council Meeting Dates

Please Note: Council Meetings may be attended in-person but guests must wear a mask and should practice social distancing within Council Chambers. Those still wishing to attend but would wish to do so virtually should contact the City Clerk or visit the online agenda for the link to attend.

Regular Council - December 20th Committee of the Whole - January 10th Regular Council - January 17th

The Regular Council Meetings are located at Martensville City Hall Council Chambers in Martensville City Hall at 37 Centennial Dr. S. All meetings commence at 5 PM.

Those wishing to address or do a presentation to Council must be placed on the agenda. To be placed on the agenda please contact the City Clerk’s office at City Hall or visit the website for details. The full Council and Committee of the Whole Schedule can be obtained at martensville.ca.

POLICE BEAT Suspect Attempts to Flee on Foot After Vehicle Becomes Stuck in Snow

A 17-year-old Saskatoon male is facing charges following an evade police incident.

Just after midnight, December 12, 2022, Patrol officers spotted a white Kia travelling westbound near 23rd Street and Avenue P, before it came to a stop at Avenue R North and 22nd Street West. The car had been reported stolen.

Officers then attempted to conduct a traffic stop, however the driver refused and began evading police. The vehicle then left the city westbound, at which time Corman Park Police began following the vehicle. SPS members made their way to the area of Range Road 3071 when they learned the vehicle had become stuck in snow and the driver was attempting to flee on foot. An SPS Canine Unit attended and located the male west of the vehicle's location.

The male is now facing charges of; Evade Police, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Property Over $5000, and Breach of Probation.

Corman Park Police Report

Warman RCMP and CPPS Arrest Driver of Stolen Truck

On December 1 at 9:23 p.m., police received a call for service relating to a stolen white 2006 Ford F350 travelling westbound on Highway 16, four kilometres outside Saskatoon. Warman RCMP and Corman Park Police Service were in the area and began to conduct a mobile patrol. CPPS located the vehicle travelling eastbound on Township Road 390 near Range Road 3081. A traffic stop was attempted but the driver fled at a high rate of speed. Police located the vehicle stuck in a field on Range Road 3070 near Township Road 380. Driver of the vehicle ignored all commands and efforts made by the police and continued to demonstrate his desire to not be taken into custody. Shortly after, police arrested one male driver who faces a number of criminal charges.

Multiple Charges Laid in Mailbox Theft

On December 6, shortly after midnight, CPPS conducted a traffic stop on a Chev Equinox at TR 374 and Dalmeny Road. The driver stated that he was getting the mail for his parents. Police observed multiple tools in the vehicle and noticed a mailbox that had been pried open, as well as tool marks on other boxes.

The driver was found to have multiple criminal warrants as well as traffic related ones from Saskatoon and Estevan Police Service.

Through investigation, the accused was eventually charged with possession of break and enter tools, mischief, theft of mail, and two counts of breach of a release order. He was held pending an initial court

appearance

Impaired Driver Arrested After Vehicle Hits Ditch

On December 5, a call of a single vehicle accident came in on TR 374 and Dalmeny Road. The driver stated that he hit ice that caused him to drive into the ditch. Police could smell a strong odour of cannabis and alcohol coming from the accused. He failed a roadside screening test subsequently provided two samples of breath resulting in reading of 210 mg% and 190 mg%. The accused was charged with impaired operation of a conveyance and exceeding 80mg%. The accused was fingerprinted and released on an Appearance Notice for court in January 2023.

Holiday Hours for City Hall and the MAP

City Hall will be closed on December 26th, December 27th and January 2nd and be open otherwise, Monday to Friday from 9 AM- 5PM. The Martensville Athletic Pavilion hours:

Dec 24 – 8am-3pm Dec 25 - Closed Dec 26 – Closed Dec 27 – 7am-10pm Dec 28 – 7am-10pm

Dec 29 – 7am-10pm

Dec 30 - 7am-10pm Dec 31 – 8am-3pm Jan 1 - Closed

For any after Hour Water/Sewer Emergencies, please call City Hall, (306) 931-2166 ex.1

Recreation Update - Winter Program Registrations Open Now - Try the Lazy-Man Triathalon!

The Winter Program Guide Registration starts December 12th. Check out the variety of recreation and leisure programs available this winter. Register online or contact the MAP for information.

Lazy Man Triathlon- Registration is open! Can you complete a Triathalon over the course of a month? Starts January 2023.

Contact the MAP, visit Martensville.ca or Facebook for information on registration and what is coming up.

Snow Removal this Winter – What You Need to Know

The Snow removal program aims to reduce hazards in the community, ensure roadways for emergency vehicles, and provide access to goods and services in the community.

Our crews strive to deliver excellent service, however sometimes weather can be unpredictable, and snow and ice control activities may vary. Every reasonable effort will be made to promptly remove snow and ice and create safe driving and walking conditions. There are ways you can help to ensure to keep streets clear and safe

- Do not shovel, blow, or push snow from private property onto the street – this causes snow ridges on your driveway when our plow cleans our street.

- Do not plow or pile snow on streets or hydrants – this can block access to manholes, water valves, and access to water in case of emergencies.

- Clear your driveways in advance of the city’s snow clearing operations - this helps our operators clear your street more efficiently as well as more clearly see driveways to avoid ridging.

- Do not park your vehicle in an area where it could obstruct snow removal procedures - this hinders our operations and could result in a snow ridge blocking your vehicle in place.

- Do not leave large piles of snow at the corners of driveways – this snow can be caught by a raised snow-gate blade and topple over into your driveway or the street.

-Prevent snow from piling up on the front of your driveway by moving it near your tree/lawn areas behind your walkway.

Watch for posted areas for Snow Removal - In case of snow and snow removal, crews need to have roads cleared of all vehicles on posted streets. If you are going out of the City over the holidays, please have your vehicles off City streets. Vehicles left on the street per the traffic bylaw are ticketed and towed (to a non-posted area).

Stay Clear of Sanding Trucks - Crews apply a mixture of salt and sand on our streets and intersections to ensure safer driving conditions. If you are near or behind the sanding truck you are reminded to stay back 15m to allow the truck to disperse materials and to prevent materials from potentially hitting your vehicle.

Information on general program procedures and the City’s Priority Map is available online at Martensville.ca.

Martensville Woman and Saskatoon Man Facing Numerous Charges After Attempting to Evade Police

Two people were arrested following an unsuccessful attempt to evade police on the weekend.

On December 3, 2022 at around 12:30 a.m., police initiated a traffic stop on an out-of-province vehicle in the 300 block of Avenue J South. The vehicle failed to stop resulting in a tire deflation device being successfully deployed; it was located abandoned a short time later in the 300 block of Winnipeg Avenue. Fresh tracks in the snow led police to locating the first suspect nearby while members of the Air Support Unit guided a canine team to a second suspect fleeing through back yards; both were arrested without incident.

Continued investigation resulted in police seizing a 12-gauge shotgun, 10-gauge shotgun, air rifle, bear spray, knife, various rounds of unspent ammunition, a large quantity of hydromorphone pills, $360 CAD, and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking.

A 31-year-old Martensville woman and a 30-year-old Saskatoon man collectively face a number of charges relating to drug trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime, fraudulent personation, and being at large on a release order; they also face several weapons-related charges.

Santa Visit a Success

David Ebert was enjoying his lunch break on Nov. 14 when he picked up his tickets for the next evening’s LOTTO MAX draw.

A week later, also on lunch break, he discovered the ticket he had picked up netted him a windfall when he scanned them using the self-checker at a nearby store.

"I had a stack of tickets that I took into scan. When I scanned this ticket, I thought it said $10,000," he recalled as he claimed his prize. "So, I put it at the bottom of the pile and kept scanning.”

After returning to work, Ebert decided to check his tickets once more. "I checked the numbers on the website, and none of them were matching," he explained. "Then, I looked at the EXTRA number and realized I had won $100,000, not $10,000.

"I was shaky when I realized," he said, adding that he asked his coworkers to verify the win for him using the Lotto Spot app.

He purchased his winning ticket from London Drugs at 134 Primrose Dr. in Saskatoon. He won by matching the last six digits of the winning EXTRA number – 2608994.

Ebert plans to put his windfall towards investments. Still, he does have one big idea for his winnings.

"My wife and I are already going to Hawaii and we would like to take a helicopter ride." he said.

"We're at a stage in our lives where we are content," Ebert said. "This is a bonus."

Sask Lotteries is the main fundraiser for more than 12,000 sport, culture and recreation groups in communities across Saskatchewan. Learn about games, jackpots, winning numbers and more at sasklotteries.ca.

Martensville Building Supporting Smiles

ABOVE: David Ebert of Martensville recently won $100,000 on his Lotto Max EXTRA number. (Sask Lotteries)

ABOVE: A group of volunteers came together to take Santa around Martensville to get pictures taken and spread some Christmas cheer. (Martensville & District Kinette Club)

ABOVE: Martensville Building & Home Supply partnered with Tim Horton’s for their Smile Cookie Campaign that ran from December 5-11th in support of Make-A-Wish. Staff came together to decorate cookies, and also made a $1500.00 donation to the cause. (Martensville Building & Home Supply)

The Martensville & District Kinette Club had a fun day with Santa as they made stops in the community to take pictures with residents of all ages. Photos could be taken by donation with all proceeds going to TeleMiracle.

Lace Em’ Up Campaign Kicks Off to Raise Funds for New Rec Centre

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The hard work and dedication of countless community members is finally paying off as plans to begin construction of Martensville’s new regional recreation centre is scheduled to begin in early 2023, with a targeted completion date of fall of 2024.

On Wednesday, December 7th, the Martensville Community Recreation Project (MCRP), along with the City of Martensville hosted an event to officially kick off the new Lace ‘Em Up Campaign, which was created to help raise a total of $4.4 million to complete the MCRP’s fundraising goal through contributions from the community. All funds raised through this campaign will go towards offsetting the City of Martensville’s $11.8 million share of the cost for the $44.5 million recreation centre.

Last month, an announcement was made stating that the Federal Government would be contributing $17.8 million towards the project, and the provincial government would invest $14.8 million, with funding coming from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

With Martensville seeing significant growth throughout the years, the impact was felt within the walls of the current Martensville Sports Centre and hockey teams were forced to look to other communities to book ice time for practices and tournaments, thus the need for an additional ice surface.

At the December 7th event, Jesse Reis, of the MCRP recalled Martensville Mayor Kent Muench’s speech during the Martensville Minor Hockey Association’s AGM in 2014 about the need for an additional ice surface in the community, and within weeks, a group of volunteers came together to form the MCRP, with a goal of making a second ice surface a reality.

Reis noted that as research progressed and feedback was received, the MCRP quickly realized that their vision wasn’t big enough for what the community needed as other recreation programs were experiencing

the same struggles, therefore the vision was modified to include other programs such as soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball and more. “As the dreams of the MCRP expanded, so did our fundraising efforts,” Reis said.

Since inception, the group has hosted a number of annual events to raise funds, as well as a Community House Build in 2021, which brought together local builders and suppliers to construct an 1800 square foot home with proceeds going towards the new rec facility.

“There is still much more work to be done, and we are still so passionate about seeing this project cross the finish line. We are excited to build our dreams and leave a legacy for generations to come,” Reis added.

At the Lace ‘Em Up Campaign launch, Martensville Mayor Kent Muench spoke about the efforts of the MCRP and the events that have taken place throughout the years to help raise over $1 million towards the project.

“Those events were all dreamt up because of this facility, but they exist now on their own. They improve the quality of life in our community and are a testament to the people who are involved,” Muench said.

Mayor Muench also added that the new facility will attract major sporting and other events that will positively impact the community, as well as provide an estimated 140 jobs directly associated with the construction of the centre, and up to 70 workers on site during construction. “Once the centre is operational, the community will benefit year-round from the economic expenditures associated with it.”

Muench believes the new centre would not have been possible without the volunteers behind the MCRP. “The MCRP and all of their supporters have truly demonstrated what a small group can achieve,” said Muench. “Without their vision and commitment to this project, we would not be here today, and they deserve huge recognition for what they have accomplished.”

Ahlana Ehalt, MCRP Lace ‘Em Up Campaign Co-Chair, spoke about how she knew that through their efforts and dedication, the day would arrive that they could finally celebrate the hard work paid off. “On the day I joined the MCRP, I knew this day would come. When we could stand as a community and celebrate what we did, because we did this together. It is a community that has made this possible. Let’s finish this dream that we have been building together.”

The new facility will be located on the west side of the Highway 12 overpass on land that will be included in a new 680 acre residential/commercial development –Trilogy Ranch. The land for the development, valued at approximately $3 million, was donated by Canwest and North Prairie Developments in 2020.

Once complete, the 145,000 square foot facility will not only include an additional ice surface, with room to expand to two additional ice surfaces in the future, but also an indoor soccer pitch, a rock-climbing wall, pitching and batting opportunities, multi-purpose spaces, cultural space, dressing rooms, practice ice, spectator seating, concession, and more.

Staff and students from Venture Heights School were in attendance to present the first donation to the Lace ‘Em Up Campaign with a cheque for $500, raised through a bake sale; however, that is just the beginning. Local residents and business owners are being asked to consider contributing to this facility, which not only benefits Martensville, but the surrounding communities as well. Donations of as little as $17 a month over a term of five years, equaling approximately $1000, can earn you a permanent spot on the donor wall within the new rec facility.

Although representatives from the federal and provincial governments could not be in attendance, they provided messages to be shared during the event.

Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, shared, “Recreational infrastructure helps to create dynamic and inclusive communities. By investing in the Martensville Community Recreation Centre, we are supporting the creation of a new space for the community to gather, stay healthy and active.”

Hon. Don McMorris, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Government Relations also provided a note to the community, stating, “The provincial government is proud to invest more than $14.8 million toward this City of Martensville infrastructure project. Once completed, this facility will provide more recreation opportunities for area residents and visitors alike, help position the community for growth, and strengthen Saskatchewan for this new decade and beyond.”

The December 7th event also included the most recent facility renderings and information on the plan to recognize donors. Naming rights will be available for facility amenities such as the rock-climbing wall, interior doorways, the Zamboni and more.

Information on how you can contribute to the Lace ‘Em Up Campaign will be available on the MCRP website www.mcrp.ca/donate or dropped off at City Hall, and donations received by December 31, 2022 may qualify for a charitable tax receipt.

For more information on the details of the new facility, including project costs and the next steps in the planning process, visit Martensville.ca.

ABOVE: Jesse Reis of the MCRP spoke about the various events the group has hosted through the years to raise over $1 million towards the new rec facility thus far.

ABOVE: Members of the MCRP, City of Martensville and local sports organizations gathered on December 7th to celebrate the launch of the Lace ‘Em Up Campaign. (Shanine Sealey/MM)

ABOVE: The future generation of Martensville sports looks at the renderings for the new facility that they will be able to utilize. (Shanine Sealey/MM)

Several Marauder U15 AA Players Chosen to Head to Sask First Top 160 Tournament

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

In 1988 Hockey Saskatchewan created an elite Sask First Program designed for participants to promote the development of players, coaches, officials, and trainers. This in-depth developmental program helps to give a better understanding of the game both on and off the ice, as well as promoting a team concept to ensure the pursuit of common goals.

This Program has brought great pride and accomplishment within Saskatchewan as their mission is to promote, lead and develop positive hockey experiences across the entire Province of Saskatchewan.

In December, this Sask First High Performance Program opened up to all players in the U15 category to attend regional camps held in the province. This year the Regional Sask First Selection Camp was held December 2nd - 4th, 2022 for athletes born in 2008. It was divided into two camps, North Camp (Zones 5-8), held in Aberdeen, Sk., and South Camp (Zones 1-4) in Lumsden, Sk.

A group of Martensville Marauders were invited to attend this camp and following this camp, the top 80 players from the North and top 80 players from the South have been chosen to attend the Top 160 Tournament that will be held in Regina on December 28 – 30th. Marauder U15 AA players Austin Root, Tyson Janzen, Cohen Klassen, Kash Ringdal, Broden Wotherspoon and Easton Woytiuk were among the top 80 chosen from the North to continue on to this next tournament.

A second tournament in February will feature the top 80 at which time the top 25-30 are chosen to attend the upcoming summer camp. Not only will all players have the opportunity to compete with their peers, but they will also receive significant exposure as scouts from a variety of elite leagues will be in attendance.

This Sask First Program is a gateway to Hockey Canada’s High Performance Program such as the World Juniors.

Every four years this selected team competes in the Canada Winter Games which happens to be this upcoming 2023 year and will be hosted in Prince Edward Island in February.

Kazden Mathies and Carsen Adair, two Marauders born in 2007, along with Assistant Coach Todd White, have already been chosen to represent Team Sask in the 2023 Canada Winter Games.

ABOVE: U13A Villains won the Regina Buffalos Classic hosted in Strasbourg this weekend. They defeated the Buffalos in the final 6-2. (Submitted)

NDP, Sask. Party Could Both Broaden Their Base

While political parties claim they govern for everyone in the province, that’s not what today’s politics is about. Maybe it’s never been what politics is about. Politics has always catered to those who support your party. That means taking policy suggestions and ideas from the people most likely to vote for you.

When you are in government, you reward them with policies to their liking … and sometimes even patronage jobs. While in opposition, you reward them with hope of the above.

It’s this focus on those you are courting at the expense of the concerns and issues of others that pretty much summed up the problems both the NDP and the Saskatchewan Party had during the fall sitting.

It could have been a great fall for either. But neither really quite capitalized - largely because they both made errors they shouldn’t have because both spent far too much time catering to their base instead of focusing on doing the right thing.

Let us begin with the Sask. Party who should have had a great sitting. After all, we saw the 2022-23 budget at mid-year turn into a $1.1-billion surplus from the $263-deficit presented in March.

This is a government that could afford to hand out $500 cheques to every adult and pretty much blame every problem in the province on the federal Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

It made for easy politics, but, in no small irony, is also why the government often found itself in trouble this fall.

Consider the decision to invited convicted murderer Colin Thatcher to the legislature, or not order Legacy Christian School to remove textbooks that teach their students that the Loch Ness monster is proof dinosaurs lived with man. These appear to be decisions driven by personal connections this government and its members have made with certain people and lobby groups.

Both were cases of horrifically bad judgement, yet the government initially defended them. When you have a one-track approach to politics and governance, this is what happens.

Also consider Agriculture Minster David Marit’s response when the NDP asked his government to look into why consumers are paying such high beef prices at the store while ranchers are getting very little for their cattle.

The carbon tax is clearly a factor, but, contrary to the agriculture minister’s assertion, it’s not the only one. Surely, Marit gets we are at the mercy of a few out-ofprovince packing plants.

Even the Sask. Party government’s legislative highlighted by the costly change to set up is its own income tax collection department, policing initiatives that may duplicate the work of already-underfunded RCMP and especially the Saskatchewan First Act that may not do much of anything illustrate how political considerations seem to be trumping more practical ones. But this might have an even bigger problem this fall sitting for Opposition leader Carla Beck and the NDP who clearly don’t have nearly as big a base in which to cater.

The NDP’s dithering on the Saskatchewan First Act that the Opposition rightly criticize as being inconsequential yet felt compelled to vote in favour of it on second reading was a case in point.

This NDP were trying to appease forces within its own support base while attempting to build a coalition to oppose Moe.

Given the latest Angus Reid poll showing Moe with a 56-per-cent approval rating — the second best among premiers — that seems unlikely and it’s even less likely Beck and the NDP continue to be reluctant to wholeheartedly criticize the federal government — one now propped up by federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

This, too, seems to be a case of worrying too much about what your own supporters think and not doing the right thing for the people of Saskatchewan. That was a common theme this fall.

MLA Terry Jenson’s Report from the Legislature

Growth That Works for Everyone

This year is closing on a very positive note; Saskatchewan's population recently surpassed 1.2 million for the first time in history. When the Saskatchewan Party government was elected in 2007, the Offical Opposition said our population would never grow beyond one million. We believed Saskatchewan had the potential to grow with the support of a strong economy. This achievement puts us closer than ever to our Growth Plan goal of 1.4 million people by 2030. We are a province full of new jobs, opportunities, vibrant communities and a great quality of life.

Statistics Canada job numbers for November show our province added 11,800 jobs compared to last year, giving Saskatchewan the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country. Overall employment set a new record with 574,300 people employed. The off-reserve Indigenous unemployment rate decreased to 6.6 per cent, an all-time historical low.

Thanks to the growing economy, our government can invest in expanding programs and services that support families and communities. We are adding new healthcare professionals, expanding mental health and addictions services, and investing in new hospitals, long-term care facilities and schools. We are on track to balance the budget, with the Mid-Year Financial Report forecasting a $1.1 billion surplus. The increase is largely the result of high potash and oil prices, and higher revenues.

Our government is using higher-than-expected revenue to help people and businesses address higher costs due to inflation. The Four Point Affordability Plan is delivering a one-time Saskatchewan Affordability Tax Credit cheque of $500 to all adult residents who have filed a 2021 tax return in the province, exempted the PST on fitness and gym memberships, along with other recreational youth activities, and extended the small business tax rate reduction.

Due to interference from the federal government that threatens our growth potential, we have introduced the Saskatchewan First Act. This legislation clearly defines that Saskatchewan has the constitutional rights over our natural resources and economic future. We believe the people of Saskatchewan know the best steps to defend our economy, jobs and resources from the overreach of the federal government. Supported at Second Reading by the opposition NDP, this legislation moves to ensure Saskatchewan continues down a path of growth.

However, growth does come with unique challenges. Our government has recognized the pressure a growing population puts on the healthcare system, and we are moving to address those needs. Our Health Human Resource Action Plan has already seen success as we work to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health professionals across the province. On a recent recruitment mission to Manila, Philippines, nearly 130 conditional offers were made to qualified registered nurses and one continuing care aide ready to join us here in Saskatchewan. More interviews will be conducted thanks to strong contacts with potential candidates.

Saskatchewan is positioned to carry this success into the new year. We are ending 2022 with one of the strongest economies in the country, with several major private investments coming to fruition in the new year. These new businesses are poised to create thousands of jobs, inject further revenue into the province, and support government investment in programs and services residents need. That's growth that works for everyone.

Helping Saskatchewan People With Inflationary Pressures

All Saskatchewan Affordability Tax Credit (SATC) payments have been mailed to Saskatchewan residents age 18 and over who had filed their taxes before August 31, 2022, and had their correct address listed with the Canada Revenue Agency.

"Our government recognizes that costs for individuals and families have risen due to inflation. A growing economy, and a strong fiscal bottom line, allowed us to deliver one-time SATC payments of $500 to Saskatchewan residents, provide tax relief for businesses, and pay down debt. That's growth that works for everyone," Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said.

Late filers who filed after August and closer to the October 31, 2022 program deadline, and those who provided address change information will receive their cheques in the mail over the next two months. An estimated 900,000 SATC cheques may be mailed in total, depending on final numbers of late filers and those who changed addresses, at a total forecast cost of $450 million.

"Our province's economy is strong and growing private sector forecasts expect

Saskatchewan to lead the country in economic growth in 2022 and 2023,” Harpauer said.

The SATC payments are part of Government's Four-Point Affordability Plan introduced in August. The plan also had gym and fitness memberships and recreational activities for youth remain Provincial Sales Tax (PST) exempt, and small businesses were helped by the one-year extension of the temporary small business tax rate reduction.

The province's strong financial position also allows government to reduce borrowing and retire up to $1 billion in operating debt, resulting in lower interest costs allowing those savings to be invested into priority programs and services including health care, education and social safety nets.

Residents are encouraged to contact the SATC administration centre at satc@gov.sk.ca or call 1-800667-6102 if they have questions related to the SATC payment or are seeking to clarify the status of their cheque, including those who filed their tax return on time but have not received their SATC payment within the next week.

More information about the SATC is available online at: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/taxesand-investments/tax-credits/saskatchewan-affordabilitytax-credit.

Letter to the Editor

The Martensville Messenger welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be signed and a phone number and/or email address included so the writer’s identity can be verified. ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or compliance with the current standards of public taste. Submit your letter to news@martensvillemessenger.ca or mail to Box 333 - Martensville, SK S0K 2T0.

Local Animal Advocates Rescue Cat From Inside Vehicle in Rigid Temperatures

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

With temperatures fluctuating, and the freezing temperatures of Saskatchewan making all of us move a little quicker to escape the cold, it is important to remember that there are animals out that are doing the same. When the mercury in the thermometer plummets, animals will often seek any sort of shelter and warmth they can find, with Kristine O’Brien, the owner/operator of Paws Republic Centre for Pets, witnessing this firsthand.

“This is something that is more common than many people realize. The areas under the hood, or in the wheel wells of vehicles offer warmth and shelter from the wind. Most of the time, one wouldn’t even notice if an animal is there, and the lucky ones warm up and head back out before any incident occurs,” O’Brien said.

However, if the animal is sleeping, gets stuck or are too scared to move, it could result in serious injury when the engine is started from the moving parts, or if it falls out as the vehicle is moving.

Paws Republic is classified as a temporary holding facility for stray animals that are found within Martensville city limits. “We are not equipped to trap, find and pick-up stray animals in the area, we are only able to provide them with food, shelter and love once a resident brings the animal to us,” O’Brien explained.

On the evening of December 2nd, with temperatures sitting around -25 degrees, O’Brien received a call that there was an adult orange tabby cat that had ran under a vehicle, climbed inside and nestled within a warm spot under the hood. Attempts were made by O’Brien and other local animal advocates to remove the animal by opening the hood, making noise to scare the cat out, luring the cat with food and more in hopes that it would come out on its own.

“With the rigid temperatures and the night getting later and later, we only had one option that was urgent and suitable – we decided to climb inside and pull the cat out. We calmly attempted to gain access to the kitty and use food to try and get it close enough to hold onto. You could tell it was hungry as it would head straight for the food when the can got close enough, but he wouldn’t come far enough to get out on its own.”

Working together, the group managed to nudge the cat from underneath and pull him out, although it wasn’t an easy task as the cat began to panic and O’Brien sustained some injuries to her hand, but a happy ending was in sight.

“We were able to wrangle him into the building, get him calm and into a carrier and fed. He’s actually a very sweet cat, who was simply scared, cold and put himself in a dangerous situation,” O’Brien said.

The cat is now safe at Paws Republic in the stray holding area where he is being cared for as attempts are made to find the owner.

According to O’Brien, Paws Republic has seen a steady increase in lost/stray/ abandoned cats within the community. “We do our best to keep them safe and reunite them with their owners, but the reality is most end up being placed in a rescue.”

LEFT: On December 2nd, with temperatures sitting around -25, a group of local animal advocates worked together to rescue a cat from inside a vehicle engine.

(Submitted)