February 16, 2023 Digital Issue

Council Discusses Request for New Dog Daycare and Multiple Tax Abatements at Committee of the Whole

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Martensville City Council held their monthly Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, February 14th, which began with a public hearing regarding a new Boarding Kennel and Dog Daycare that submitted an application to operate at 928 8th Street South within an existing industrial complex. The request was to utilize two bays of the building to operate within, as well as an outdoor play area. The request was submitted by Ashlee Schmidt for her business Wag Swag & Daycare, which would provide dog daycare, online retail, grooming and kenneling and has plans to begin operation as of March 15, 2023. Council was provided with information regarding the business and had a chance to ask questions to Schmidt. This item will be brought back to an upcoming Council meeting for formal approval.

The next item on the agenda was a delegation from the local RCMP with an update on statistics from December 2022 and January 2023 compared to the previous year. For the month of December, there was an increase in total calls received from 98 to 114, and January saw a decrease from the previous year, going down to 106 from 124.

Another delegation took place, this one from Steve Smith and James Dietrich, who were representing the Martensville & District Kinsmen Club regarding a proposal to have a lift installed at the Martensville Sports Centre to provide access to the second floor as there is currently nothing in place.

The February 14th meeting also included requests for two separate tax exemptions within the

community, the first for a new building construction at 80 Rutten Court from AJ Williams Consulting who are proposing a 4080 square foot building with potential tenants already secured for the two bays. This would be the first development for this sub-division. The total investment for the property would be approximately $900,000, which would make them eligible for a fouryear tax abatement through the City of Martensville Economic Development Business Incentive Bylaw. Construction for this project is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with completion planned for this summer.

The second application was from the owners of Centennial Plaza, who plan to build a 10,000 square foot building on the property at 301 Centennial Drive North. The new construction would exceed $1.2 million, which would make them eligible for a five-year tax abatement. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, and will provide approximately 25 jobs.

Council also discussed a request from Meister’s Taxi, a company currently licensed in Warman that provides services including food and other deliveries, airport trips, medical appointments and entertainment outings. The business, which consists of one driver, with one vehicle, consider themselves a 24-hour service with required online bookings between 12am and 6am, and is looking to expand services into Martensville by receiving approval from Council for a license to operate within the community. This topic will be brought back to an upcoming meeting for formal approval.

The next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 21st at 5pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. Meetings can be attended in person, or virtually. More information can be found by visiting www.martensville.ca.

Editor/Office Manager: Shanine Sealey ssealey@martensvillemessenger.ca

Editor/Ad Design: Jocelyn Ottenbreit

jottenbreit@martensvillemessenger.ca To

ABOVE: The owners of Centennial Plaza (301 Centennial Drive North) are constructing a 10,000 square foot building on the property to provide smaller rental options for businesses

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.

POLICE BEAT

Weekly Update for the Warman/ Martensville RCMP Detachment

The Warman RCMP weekly report does not only include statistics specific to Warman. It does encompass the entire area service including Martensville, Delisle, Radisson, and surrounding Rural Municipalities. Warman is the hub for all of these outlying areas. The weekly report is intended to give the public a glimpse of what the RCMP Officers are doing during the week and what sort of calls they regularly deal with.

For the Period of Sunday February 5th to Sunday February 12th, the Warman Cluster of Detachments responded to 130 calls for service. Those calls for service included:

• 3 calls to 911 from people misdialing - Should you accidentally call 911, talk to the 911 Operator and inform them that it was a misdial. Often people panic and hang up. A call like this is automatically dispatched and officers can spend a great deal of time trying to find out where the call came from. Talking to the 911 Operator helps with that and while you still may receive a visit or call from the RCMP, its much easier to sort out.

• 7 false residential and business alarms.

• 3 assists to other Law Enforcement Agencies - Members received a call from a Saskatchewan Highway Transport Control Officer who had pulled over a semi-unit and while dealing with the driver noticed a prohibited handgun. RCMP Members attended and arrested the driver and seized the firearm. A 54-year-old male from New Westminster, BC is facing several Criminal Code firearms charges.

• 2 calls of marijuana being consumed in a vehicle that was being driven around.

• 1 fraud - RCMP continue to get a large amount of attempted frauds in the area. The most common at this time is an email or text advising that accounts have been hacked and the fraudster request to “ransom” or the accounts will have all the money removed. The vast majority of these emails have no factual basis and should be ignored. Having said that keep a close eye on your accounts and in touch with your financial institutions should you notice any suspicious activity. If you are unsure, call the Warman Detachment and an officer can check into things for you.

• 9 motor vehicle collisions

• 5 suspicious people complaints.

• 2 wellbeing checks.

• Numerous Traffic Tickets issued for; Cell Phone usage, Speeding and Unregistered vehicles.

In Case of a Water Line Freeze Up

In the past, there have been areas in the community prone to water line freeze-ups.

If you experience a waterline freeze‐up or any other interruption in service, please call (306) 931‐2166 to report your issue. If this happens outside of regular business hours, please follow the prompts to be transferred to the emergency after‐hours contact.

Thank you for your co‐operation!

Join us for Winter FunFest , February 20th

Held on Family Day at the North Ridge Community Centre and is full of winter-themed activities! We guarantee great family fun and amazing memories made.

Join us for Sleigh Rides, outdoor fire and hotdog roast, ice carving, curling, skating, pick-up hockey, snowshoeing, bounce houses, giant games, and much more!

New to Winter FunFest is the Affinity Winter Ski-tacular! This will be available for everone to come out and try!

If you have questions, would like to become a sponsor or volunteer for this event, please email jmcculloch@martensville.ca.

See more about this event on the City of Martensville Facebook Event Page.

February and March Council Meeting Dates

Please Note: Council Meetings may be attended in-person, guests may wear a mask if desired 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 Meeting – February 21st

Regular Council Meeting - March 7th

Committee of the Whole - March 14th

Regular Council Meeting – March 21st

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.

Licensing Our Pets, Annual Renewals

By licensing your pet, your pet can be identified in the event it escapes or ends up ‘at large’. Our Bylaw officials and partners will be able to quickly identify the pet and contact the owner. License fees also help fund the housing cost of pets and animals that have been found ‘at large’.

Pet licenses must be purchased and renewed annually unless a lifetime license has been purchased.

Annual licenses expire Dec 31st and must be renewed by March 1st.

Annual license cost $20 per year

Lifetime licenses cost $30 (pet must be microchipped)

Licenses are sold at the following outlets:

City Hall

Affinity Animal Hospital

Furrific Grooming & Boutique

Paws Republic

The Martensville Business Expo is Coming March 24th & 25th

Connect with the businesses and organizations in our community and learn more about products, services and opportunities in the community.

There will be delicious food, great drinks, interactive booths, sales and local entertainment all Expo long! Friday will feature a job fair and career sessions to assist and connect job seekers with local employers.

There will be a pancake breakfast on Saturday from 8-10 AM and it is by donation!

Admission to the Expo is $2, watch for updates in the coming weeks on the weekend’s activities.

To register your business for a booth contact the Prairie Sky Chamber of Commerce.

Martensville Teams See Success on the Ice

LEFT: The Martensville Royals Mixed Team were undefeated in the Districts which has earned them a spot in Regionals on March 3rd in Hanley.

The team consists of (in no order) Colton Hanley, Elizabeth Code-Jones, Mason Lewis, Lindsay Miller, Ben Franson and Natasha Kostyniuk. (Martensville Curling Club)

Prairie Dodgeball Prepares For Second Season in Martensville

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Prairie Dodgeball had their first season last year, offering both an adult and a youth league in Martensville.

“We were blown away by the response. You never know what to expect from a first season and it surpassed all expectations as for turn-out. On the other hand, we quickly realized that some players were used to the classic PE dodgeball gam. This is much more than just that,” Prairie Dodgeball organizers Charma McIntyre and Amber Anaka explained.

Instead, this version of dodgeball is more intense, fast-paced and extremely competitive, while still being fun. McIntyre and Anaka stated that once the rules were set in place, all players were able to pick up the game and the season progressed successfully.

Following the first season, feedback from the adult league was extremely positive, with players looking forward to the next game night. “Some players had never played the game before and realized this was an incredible form of exercise and fastpaced cardio. It was a way to meet up with friends, meet new friends and have an hour to unwind and release stress in a positive way.”

As the second season of Prairie Dodgeball approaches, McIntyre and Anaka stated that they have learned from the previous season and will be making some modifications; mainly to the way that ages will be grouped for the leagues. This year, ages 10-13 will comprise the youth league, and teens will play within the adult league.

“The youth league will be a bit more dynamic in the sense of switching up our weeks with variations of the classical version of dodgeball. With an exceeding amount of interest, we are expecting more players for both youth and adult, which gives them more teams to compete against.”

There will be an information and registration night taking place on Sunday, February 26th at the Venture Heights School gym, with youth registration taking place from 6:00pm-7:00pm and adult registration taking place from 7:00pm-8:00pm. Youth can register as individuals and will be assigned to teams, and adults can register as a team or an individual if they do not have a team in place.

For more information, contact prairiedodgeball@gmail.com, or follow ‘Prairie Dodgeball’ on Facebook for regular updates.

Martensville Skaters Have Successful Weekend in Shellbrook

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

This past weekend, the Region 11 & 12 Invitational Competition was held in Shellbrook at the Richardson Pioneer Recreation Centre. Skaters from across the province, including six from Skate Martensville, came together for a weekend of friendly competition, achievement and memories.

According to Skate Martensville Coach Nicole Gryba, these regional competitions are an opportunity for STARSkaters to participate in a competition environment with other athletes of similar age and experience.

“STAR 1-3 skaters are assessed to a national standard set by Skate Canada. Skaters at the STAR 4 level and higher are given a CPC (Cumulative Points Calculation) score and ranked in order of placement,” Gryba explained.

The skaters from Martensville included; Rilynn (STAR 2 Freeskate –Bronze Standard), Megan Hubbard (STAR 4 Freeskate – 1st Place and STAR 4 Elements – 3rd Place), Rachel Hubbard (STAR 3 Freeskate – Gold Standard and STAR 3 Elements – Gold Standard), Myro Anisimova (STAR 3 Freeskate –Silver Standard and STAR 3 Elements – Gold Standard), Ashlyn Nygaard (STAR 4 Freeskate – 2nd Place and STAR 4 Elements – 2nd Place) and Addison Wiker (STAR 4 Freeskate – 5th Place and STAR 4 Elements – 3rd Place).

Competitions are optional for Skate Martensville athletes, as some prefer the experience of competing and others prefer to skate recreationally

“There are several competitions across the province that skaters are able to attend each year. Our skaters typically choose to attend 1-2 competitions per season depending on schedules and the locations of the competitions,” Gryba stated.

ABOVE: The Martensville Marauder U11 Maven Marlies won the A-Side Final at the 4th Meridian Female Classic Hockey Tournament in Lloydminster over the weekend. (Martensville Minor Hockey)

ABOVE: The Martensville Marauder U9A Villains had their third A-final win of the season this past weekend. (Martensville Minor Hockey)

ABOVE: The Martensville Marauder U11A Snipers were undefeated in their home-tournament that was held in Hague over the weekend. (Martensville Minor Hockey)

ABOVE: The 2022 Prairie Dodgeball Adult League. (Submitted)

ABOVE: The 2022 Prairie Dodgeball Youth League. (Submitted)

ABOVE: (L to R): Danny James (Coach) and Rilynn from Skate Martensville. (Submitted)

ABOVE: (L to R) Megan Hubbard, Rachel Hubbard, Myroslava Anisimova, Ashlyn Nygaard, and Addison Wiker of Skate Martensville. (Submitted)

Nicko Karpan of Martensville Named 2023 Saskatchewan Champion Child

As a 16-year-old who has taken on some of the most daunting medical challenges, Nicko Karpan from Martensville, SK, knows exactly why it’s important to give back to other kids in hospital. Nicko has been selected as the Saskatchewan Ambassador, representing Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, for the Children’s Miracle Network Champions Program.

Nicko was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, his back was completely open when he was born, and at a few days old he underwent two separate lifesaving surgeries. Both surgeries resulted in an excessive amount of blood loss, meaning that Nicko’s only chance of making a comeback was to fight for his life. Nicko spent the first three weeks of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Nicko has been to the hospital for numerous surgeries, CT & MRI scans, X-ray check-ups every six to 12 months, and he has visited day surgery at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital multiple times for bladder and kidney testing and injections. Saskatchewan’s newly selected Champion Child knows first-hand how scary a hospital can be for kids and looks to inspire other children to share their stories to encourage others and support kids in their journey.

“It’s very nice to have people there to encourage you and help you through the hard times,” said Nicko. “I’ve gotten used to learning how to do the same things that other people do, but there could just be a different path I have to take to get it done. I feel very honoured and privileged that I was chosen as the Champion Child. Thank you for supporting Saskatchewan families and kids like me.”

Nicko is no stranger to being an ambassador for Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. He has shared his heartfelt story live on air at the Foundation’s provincial Radiothon, delivered speeches at multiple events including Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week and Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day, and in the fall of 2022 Nicko emceed a live in-person gift announcement for Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“Nicko and his family have been strong advocates for the Foundation since 2016, and we are so proud that he will be representing Saskatchewan kids as Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation 2023 Champion Child,” said Jada Kook, Community Engagement Manager at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Nicko’s generous heart and commitment to helping kids in hospital makes him a true Champion and we know he will do an outstanding job representing our province’s children and families.”

As part of the Champions Program, ambassadors from across Canada are invited to attend Children’s Hospitals Week events in the spring in Orlando to meet with ambassadors from across North America.

Carson Garneau from Saskatoon passes the Champion Child torch to Nicko. Carson was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a genetic tissue disorder. Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is thankful for Carson’s commitment as he represented Saskatchewan children and families in hospital as Champion Child this past year.

Read more about Nicko’s story by visiting https://pattisonchildrens.ca/howyou-help/who-you-help/meet-our-kids/nicko-k/.

Passions Beauty Studio and The Barber Corner Expand to New Location

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

What started out as a house on Central Street East in Warman, has turned into so much more after 22-year-old Chelsey Harder (Bloodworth), had a vision to turn the house into a salon. With the support of her parents and boyfriend (now husband) Cory, and many hours of hard labor, they expanded Passions Beauty Studio, and for fourteen years, 106 Central Street East in Warman, SK was her salon home.

During that time many talented people joined in her journey to offer salon, spa, nail, and tanning services to their large client base. In 2017 her husband Cory joined their team and added ‘The Barber Corner’ to their list of services.

Although this space served them well for many years, demand and growth in this popular salon made bigger space a necessity.

“We were busting at the seams at our old location, but we weren’t finished having our family so timing wasn’t good before. When COVID hit and our business shut down, our last child was only 2 months old. It was an unknown time, and Cory and I had that time to spend focusing on growth. We took the time together as a positive and started looking for commercial land to purchase,” said Harder

Their new commercial space is approximately 6000 square feet featuring 15 salon/barber chairs, 4 pedicure stations for groups and wedding parties, 2 massage therapists, 1 nail technician, 3 skincare technicians, 2 spa technicians, 3 receptionists and a staff/education room.

Harder is very excited about their new, spacious, unique salon and is very appreciative of all the help she and her husband Cory received along the way to make their dream a reality.

They held a Grand Opening Celebration night on Monday, February 13th to celebrate their new space offering lattes, bubblies, snacks, salon, spa and barber tours along with door prizes. Matt Gore, the International Award-Winning Comedy Magician even came out to show off his amazing magic tricks!

Check out their new location at 410 Central Street in Warman or go to their Facebook page, Instagram @passionsbeautystudio, or online at passionsbeautystudio.com. To book an appointment on line go to; https://www.passionsbeautystudio. com/book-now or call (306) 382-9707.

ABOVE: Nicko Karpan.

ABOVE: Chelsey and Cory Harder of Passions Beauty Studio/The Barber Corner. (Jocelyn Ottenbreit/MM)

ABOVE: Matt Gore, the International Award-Winning Comedy Magician wowed the crowd with his magic at the Passions Beauty Studio Grand-Opening on Monday, February 13th.

Health Care Reform Needs Experts, Not Politicking

The provinces got more health care dollars from Ottawa - an estimated $196.1-billion more in the next 10 years that will include $46.2 billion in new spending for things that go beyond that has been already budgeted. Already, premiers are complaining it’s not enough.

It likely isn’t enough, but it’s never going to be enough if we simply keep doing the same things in health care delivery and administration that we’ve always done.

Sure, handing over more money to the provinces might even be a good temporary fix in the same way that last September’s announcement by Health Minister Paul Merriman for Saskatchewan to spend and added $60 million on recruitment of doctors and especially nurses from the Philippines is a good way to keep your local emergency room from shutting its doors.

It will help for now, but with serious questions as to whether this money will be going to fix health care problems - or, in some cases, go towards health care at all - it’s highly questionable whether this is a long-term fix.

One big problem seems to be that provinces like Saskatchewan can’t seem to put aside their political differences long enough to find short-term fixes in health care.

Consider a recent story from The Canadian Press that reveals emails obtained through freedom of information show federal Public Safety officials were surprised by Merriman’s Oct. 18, 2021 request for help in the COVID-19 fight.

The request came just before Saskatchewan began flying out - at great cost to taxpayers - desperately ill COVID-19 patients to Ontario and else because emergency beds in this province were above capacity.

This doesn’t sound like a provincial government that was putting the health dollars it had already received to best use. Consider the pain, suffering and cost at the time that maybe could have been at least partially avoided.

Moreover, the emails suggest Ottawa even offered help to the Saskatchewan government that - at the timewas soliciting help from as far away as New York and Pennsylvania. Saskatchewan didn’t get the help from the U.S. it requested.

What all this points to is a need to set aside the politics and bickering and take a fresh look at how to improve a national public system run by each local province.

This will require co-operation, but it may also require everyone to think beyond their political viewpoint. Maybe the best way to do that is to stop listening to the politicians simply demanding more money and start listening to more knowledgeable voices advocating true reform.

One such person is Peter Nicholson who has held most ever senior administrative position imaginable ranging from advisor to the prime minister's office to executive positions at ScotiaBank and BCE Inc. to founding the Council of Canadian Academies.

In a recent policy brief entitled "Repairing Health Care in Canada: Time to Take the First Step", Nicholson wrote for the University of Regina's Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the expert contended that “Canada does not have a world-class health-care system".

To regain one, Canada’s public health-care system needs to change, but the problem is it has been “remarkably resistant to significant reform," Nicholson said.

The first change would be simply ending the practice of handing the provinces more cash that "has reduced the incentive for reform," Nicholson wrote.

Instead, the provinces should be given more taxing power and there should be improvements to the equalization formula, he said. "For purely political reasons, provinces have nevertheless welcomed an annual block of cash without responsibility for the tax rates needed to fund it," the long-time executive noted, but Nicholson also advocated a private insurance component like other countries with public health care systems.

A perfect solution? Maybe not, but it sure beats simply throwing more money at the problem.

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

E-mail judy@prairieskyeducation.ca

Phone or Text: 306-986-2663

Website: www.drjudyjaunzemsfernuk.com

Mental Health: Is the Crisis Real?

The Centre for Addictions and Mental Health Canada states: the world is in the grips of a mental health crisis, also noting however, that knowing the facts is the first step on the way to creating new hope. Let’s talk about it!

First some statistics :

• 75% of children with mental disorders do not have access to specialized treatment services;

• Youth aged 15 – 24 are highly vulnerable;

• In a 2019 survey of working Canadians, 75% of respondents said they would be reluctant – or would refuse – to disclose a mental illness to an employer or co-worker. The top reasons for this reluctance were:

o the belief that there is stigma around mental illness,

o not wanting to be treated differently or judged, and

o being afraid of negative consequences, such as losing one’s job.

One of the most interesting facts about these last few statements, is that, 76% of respondents to the same survey stated that they themselves would be completely comfortable with and supportive of a colleague with a mental illness.

Here-in Lies the Hope! - With just a wee bit of awareness around some of the aforementioned facts, we can learn to shift our thinking, from thoughts focused on problems, to being more focused on problem solving. As humans we are excellent navigators of problems and adept at solving them when we have the tools to do so. Here are a few tools to shift your focus away from the crisis and into your power

Change Directions Change Lives - Change Directions Change Lives was the slogan for one of the first collective mental health campaigns in Canada, in 2012; and since that time, despite a global pandemic, not much has changed. Some statistics for mental health have risen, some fallen, and the rollercoaster of risk versus resilience factors continues. The fact remains, if we succumb to overwhelm at the thought of crisis, we can remain stuck, so let’s change directions.

There are four key factors to our overall health that shake out, in this order, no matter the study or year; they are, 1) relationships, 2) environment, 3) resources, and 4) biology

The good news about these factors is that we have a lot of control over a couple of them. Here are some things everyone can do in the wake of the mental health crisis to make a big difference for the mental health of everyone in our community!

• Share your struggles: being open about challenges decreases stigma.

• Communicate your openness to diversity, difference, and need: many mental health issues stem from being ‘othered’ or feeling isolated and alone.

• Help to normalize that we ALL have mental health: we can have a mental illness diagnosis, or not, however, mental wellness is not contingent on this: i.e., just because I have anxiety, doesn’t mean I am ill. There is much I can do to maintain wellness despite a diagnosis.

• Use therapeutic strategies at home, in schools, at work, and in the community: this is a key piece, as we can get caught in the myth that therapy only happens in the therapist’s office. Therapeutic connections can happen in brief moments all throughout the day. Renowned trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry reminds us that these interactions are called ‘therapeutic dosing’ and they happen all day long if we make space for them.

o Smile at people;

o Be patient and kind;

o Practice self-care, so you are strong for your people;

o Name and regulate your big emotions (calm the nervous-system) and model and teach this to kids;

o Be ok with mistakes and imperfections – failure, problems, adversity – can teach and strengthen us.

To learn more daily, you can follow Dr. Judy on Instagram @drjudyjaunzemsfernuk.

Family Day Free Fishing Weekend Returns, February 18-20

February 18-20 is Free Fishing Weekend in Saskatchewan - the perfect opportunity to give ice fishing a try, without having to purchase a fishing licence.

"We have world class fishing in Saskatchewan, and we don't let the cold temperatures prevent us from taking full advantage of it," Environment Minister Dana Skoropad said. "Free fishing weekend is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at one of our province's favourite pastimes."

While a fishing licence won't be required for residents or visitors angling during the Family Day weekend, all other regulations apply. For example:

• Possession limits remain in effect, including reduced limits on certain waterbodies.

• Free fishing weekend only applies to provincial waterbodies outside of national parks.

• Anyone planning on transporting fish outside of the province will require a valid Saskatchewan angling licence.

Safety is key to an enjoyable ice fishing experience. Tell someone where you will be and when you can be expected back. Dress for the weather, as frostbite and hypothermia can happen quickly. Be aware of ice thickness, as water does not freeze uniformly and can be unpredictable - you need at least 10 cm of good ice to walk safely and at least 30 cm of good ice to travel in a light vehicle.

For more information on sport fishing regulations and ice fishing safety, download the Saskatchewan Anglers Guide, or visit saskatchewan.ca/fishing.

Puddle Jumpers Registration Begins Feb 22nd

Puddle Jumpers Preschool will be open for registration for 2023-2024 beginning February 22nd with three class options available (all mixed ages, must be 3 by September 1st and fully potty trained). Classes include:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:15am-11:30am $115/month

Monday/Wednesday 12:45pm-2:45pm $95/month

Tuesday/Thursday 9:15am-11:30am $95/month

Space for classes are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis and requests must include the following information: First and second class choice options if applicable, your child’s name and birthday and any medical or concerns you may have.

Emails for registration can be sent to puddlejumpers_prek@hotmail.com and once you receive an email confirmation on class spot, a $30 registration fee and September month fee will be due within seven days of confirmation, or the spot will be given to another child.

One month written notice is required to have the September fee returned and the full registration package is to be completed at a later date prior to school starting.

New Integrated Fine Arts Program at Venture Heights Elementary School

Submitted by Prairie Spirit School Division

Grade 8 students in Martensville will have the opportunity to be part of an exciting new arts education program at Venture Heights Elementary School this fall for the 2023/24 school year.

The new arts program at Venture Heights is designed for Grade 8 students who have a passion for fine arts and will provide instruction in performance, visual arts, dance and music.

“Specialized teachers will offer this focused programming while integrating all aspects of the Grade 8 curriculum,” explained Dave Carter, Learning Superintendent for Martensville schools, part of Prairie Spirit School Division. “Students will also continue to receive strong instruction in math as a separate class.”

This new arts program will be similar to specialized programs offered in other schools in Saskatchewan. There will be no additional costs for students to participate in this Grade 8 program.

“Our vision for this program includes field trips to art galleries, visits to local theatres and student-led art workshops in other Prairie Spirit schools,” said Ron Biberdorf, Principal of Venture Heights Elementary School. “We think it will be a wonderful opportunity for some of our children to roll up their sleeves and dive into an area of passion.”

This program will offer students a safe environment to learn, create and collaborate together. “Students will foster their imagination, creativity and personal interpretation of ideas and topics while working on Grade 8 curriculum in a creative, unique and experiential classroom,” said AmyLeigh Thiessen, a Venture Heights teacher who will be part of leading this new program.

A Family Information Night will be held on Thursday, March 9, at Venture Heights Elementary School to provide more information about the program to students and their families. Program registration will be held in May.