January 12, 2023 Digital Issue

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.

Weekly Update for the Warman/ Martensville RCMP Detachment

The Warman RCMP responded to 112 calls for service during the time span of Sunday, December 31 through Sunday, January 8, 2023, which included:

• Two Assault Investigations

• Two False Residential Alarms

• Two Fire Investigations

• Two Frauds - In both cases a victim received a call from someone stating they were from the Canada Revenue Agency and need the victims Social Insurance Number. No information was given and RCMP was able to determine that the calls were coming from the United States. Area codes showing up were 866 and 206. RCMP received numerous complaints about these types of scams and they are becoming more frequent. Because of this, most Government agencies will not call you out of the blue and request personal information. Fraudulent callers often use very convincing lines to get information; however, unless you know who you are talking to, never give your personal information. Instead ask for a call back number or identification from the caller. Tell the caller you need to check into things before you provide anything. If you are still unsure contact your local Police for assistance.

• Six impaired drivers

• Two Mental Health Acts

• Four Mischiefs

- On January 6th at approximately 1:00am a residence on the 300 block of Centennial Boulevard in Warman had the front window smashed out. No suspects were located.

- On January 7th at approximately 4:15pm, a Silver Van had a back window smashed out of it while it was sitting at an outdoor rink on South Railway Street in Warman. Investigation is continuing.

• Three Missing Persons Investigations - While three Missing Persons investigations may not seem like a lot in 7 days, they are typically the largest consumer of police time and resources. These files are considered a priority and passed on from days to nights until a resolution is reached. These files can take a lot of hours to investigate and in the vast majority of them; the person is located relatively quickly. If the person is not located quickly these files can be large and complex investigations. Thankfully the vast majority come to a successful resolution.

• Seven Suspicious people complaints

• One stolen vehicle that has since been recovered

• Ten Motor vehicle collisions

• Three Wellbeing checks

• Numerous traffic related complaints

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!

January & February 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 -January-17th Committee of the Whole- February 14th Regular Council Meeting – February 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.

A Reminder about Snowmobiles and our Parks

Snowmobiles are prohibited from being driven through our parks as well as drainage systems and streets. Riding snowmobiles through the parks can cause damage to trees or plantings, be disruptive to those utilizing the parks and there may be hazards such as stones or equipment that put riders at risk.

Snowmobilers are asked to abide by local bylaws including:

• Entering and exiting the City utilizing the most direct street route between their residence and city limits.

• Not operating a snowmobile in excess of 20km/hr within limits

• Operating only between 7AM and 10PM

• Not operating a snowmobile in any park, public or municipal reserve Not operating a snowmobile on Centennial Drive other than to cross or obtain fuel.

For the complete traffic bylaw please visit martensville.ca. The City of Martensville wishes a safe winter season for all residents.

Council Discusses Discretionary Use For New Business, Costs for Replacing Irrigation Pump and Providing Space for MYC to Operate at First Meeting of 2023

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Council met for the first Committee of the Whole meeting of 2023 on Tuesday, January 10th, kicking off the meeting with a Discretionary Use Public Hearing regarding a welding and fabrication shop request for 9th Street North. According to the report provided to Council, all welding and machine shops are listed as a discretionary use in all industrial districts to provide Council the opportunity to speak to land use implications associated with welding and machine operations, operations that may back onto a residential area, or any other matter that may affect land use. This particular request does back onto a residential area; however, there is a municipal buffer which includes a berm separating the industrial space from the residential space. The request is for a small family-owned business with nine employees, and all work will be done indoors with the outdoor space being used to material storage, shipping and receiving and parking, and a filtration system will be used to control smoke and dust associated with the business. The business is currently operating out of a rental space in Dalmeny, but they are looking at establishing a permanent location within Martensville.

Council also discussed the pump located in Kinsmen Park Pond, which failed in September of 2022. The pump, which provides irrigation to the sports fields and the community garden in Kinsmen Park was beyond repair and therefore required replacement. Ted Schaeffer, Director of Recreation & Community Services, requested that Council approve the request to have the $20,000 project paid for out of 2022 budget surplus funds, rather than be included in the 2023 capital budget as previously planned.

The next item on the agenda was regarding the Martensville Youth Connection, who attended the Committee of the Whole meeting in November of 2022 requesting assistance in locating space to operate within Martensville. MYC asked Council to consider providing space to them at no cost to help them with the additional expenses associated with rental space. Following conversations between City Administration and MYC representatives, spaces suggested for the MYC to operate out of include the North Ridge Community Centre on Mondays, Valley Manor School on Wednesdays, the MAP on Thursdays and Venture Heights on Fridays. According to the report to Council, the cost to rent these facilities based on the current Service Group rates is $267.75 per week, with an annual cost of approximately $10,000-$13,000, and if Council were to waive the rental fees, administration recommended that the funds come out of the Council Public Relations account. This item will be brought back for formal approval at the next Regular Council meeting.

The next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 17th at 5pm in Council Chambers at City Hall. More information, as well as the agenda for each week can be found at www.martensville.ca.

Chocolate Fundraiser Success

The Lake Vista School SCC held a Purdy’s Chocolate Fundraiser at the end of last year to help raise money for their playground fund. In total over $5000 was raised. Thanks to contributions from local businesses, a variety of prizes were awarded to the top classroom and sellers. The Lake Vista SCC would like to thank: The Martensville Fire Department, Verns Pizza, WinMar, Soccer Locker, Paws Republic Centre for Pets, SoulPower Fitness, Aligned Chiropractic and Wellness, Martensville Messenger, Alpyne Apparel, Lakeview Insurance, Ayotte Plumbing and Heating, Infinity Salon and Pharmasave.

Martensville Youth Connection is Asking For Basic Needs Items

Martensville Youth Connection is back in action after taking a break over the Christmas Holidays and they are asking for donations to their program.

They are asking for items such as water/sparkling water, fruits, vegetables, items to make sandwiches, baked goods and granola bars.

This program is aimed for youth aged 10-16 years old who struggle with mental health or addiction, as well as support youth by providing them a safe place to come and learn life skills, emotional regulation skills, build self-esteem and build community within Martensville.

“Healthy youth create healthy communities and that is what we are striving for,” as stated on their Facebook page.

If you are able to help them out with a donation or want to know more about their program, contact them at (306) 370-2107, email them at myc@ possibilitiesrecovery.ca, or contact them via Facebook at Martensville Youth Connection.

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

Hockey Day in Saskatchewan Kicks Off January 16th

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

With Hockey Day in Saskatchewan kicking off in Martensville on January 16th and running until January 22nd, there is a lot of excitement buzzing in the community. The event, which will be hosted by the Martensville Minor Hockey Association (MMHA), has a wide variety of games, events and activities scheduled throughout the week, with something available for everyone to enjoy.

According to MMHA President Trevor Hanley, there have been many enquiries from local residents about how they can get involved and participate in the festivities.

Throughout the week, there will be over 24 games taking place, along with other events including age groups ranging from a U7 jamboree on January 22nd, all the way up to junior hockey, with several feature games planned including a Junior B Feature Game with the Saskatoon Royals and Delisle Chiefs, a U18 AAA Female Game with the Saskatoon Stars and Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats, a U18 AAA Game with the Warman Wildcats and the Yorkton Maulers, as well as an SJHL Headliner Game that will bring the Humboldt Broncos and the Battleford North Stars to the ice.

Events such as a Saskatoon Blades autograph signing, a cabaret and banquet, a 3-on-3 outdoor tournament, fireworks, pancake breakfast, family skate with Saskatoon Blades Mascot Poke Check and Saskatchewan Rush mascot Bruiser, and more are planned. “There are things to do for everyone whether you're a hardcore hockey fan or just really enjoy fireworks or pancakes,” Hanley added.

A full schedule of events can be found by visiting https://martensvillehockey.ca/, or the ‘Hockey Day In Saskatchewan’ and ‘Martensville Minor Hockey Association’ Facebook pages.

This event is made possible thanks to the contributions of local volunteers and organizations, who Hanley noted have put in hundreds of hours to ensure this year’s Hockey Day in Saskatchewan is a big success.

“It's great to see the greater community engaging in the event already by signing up for volunteer shifts and helping set things up. Businesses and individuals are stepping up to sponsor various things and helping to make this event a reality.”

Not only will funds raised through this community event go towards supporting the new multi-purpose recreation facility planned for Martensville on the west side of Highway 12 in the upcoming Trilogy Ranch development, but it will also bring people to the community to partake in the fun.

“The new recreation facility will be about more than just hockey and skating. It will serve many groups and programs in and around Martensville. This event will bring people into our community to watch hockey, attend the banquet and cabaret, and to just take it all in. That is great news for local businesses. We have an amazing business community in our region and many of them support minor hockey and minor hockey teams. To be honest, it feels really good to be hosting an event like this that can bring people in to shop, stay, eat and support these businesses. We want to invite everyone to enjoy this week-long celebration of hockey and community,” Hanley stated.

Three Local Players Chosen to Attend Next Step of Sask First Program

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Three of Martensville’s own will be participating in the next step of the Sask First Male Under-15 program, which will be taking place from February 17-19. Congratulations to Cohen Klassen, Broden Wotherspoon and Easton Woytiuk.

The Sask First High Performance Program took place in December with regional camps across the province and from there, the top 160 players are chosen to take place in the Sask First Tournament in December. From here, the top 80 are invited to participate in a second tournament held in February, following which, the top 25-30 players are chosen to attend the upcoming summer camp.

“This process ensures all players not only have the opportunity to compete with peers, but receive significant exposures as all Sask First events are highly attended by scouts from a variety of elite leagues. In addition, the Sask First Program is a gateway to Hockey Canada’s High Performance Program, which includes their National Teams such as the World Juniors,” the hockeysask.ca website explains. This program was created to ensure players, coaches and officials have the opportunity for development both on and off the ice and offers an in depth developmental program for all participating.

ABOVE: The Martensville Marauder U18 A team won the B-final in a weekend tournament after a 4-1 win over the Regina Blues. (Submitted)

B-Ball Gaining Ground in Martensville

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

In the past six years, basketball has been consistently gaining popularity within the community with more teams being added each year. The current season, which runs from October – March currently has 16 local teams, which is approximately three additional teams from the previous season.

A basketball tournament was held at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion on January 6th and 7th, with teams from Martensville and Warman participating. “The intent behind the tournament was to try to give a few of our basketball teams an opportunity to play a few more games. There aren’t a lot of basketball tournaments throughout the season, so we thought why not try to hold one and see how it goes,” City of Martensville Recreation Program Supervisor, Angela Reddekopp explained.

Reddekopp along with some of the local coaches came together to organize the event that included three teams from Martensville and two teams from Warman. Thanks to contributions from local businesses, there was a raffle table with an assortment of prizes available and all players in the tournament received individual pizzas from Boston Pizza and coupons from Red Swan Pizza.

“With this being the first time we did a tournament, we didn’t want to go too big right from the start. It wasn’t your typical tournament format where you have one winner, it was more about giving them an opportunity to play some additional games and a way to start something that we can continue to grow in the future. I hope that we can do something similar next year and possibly expand to different divisions or even the same division with more teams included,” Reddekopp added.

Approximately six years ago, the City of Martensville began offering a MiniDunkers Basketball program that focused on providing basic skills to kids in kindergarten to grade two. From there, players register with Saskatoon Minor Basketball and sign up as a resident of Martensville. Teams are then created from youth in Martensville and surrounding areas with practices taking place between Martensville and Warman and games each Saturday in Saskatoon.

Currently Reddekopp is organizing the basketball programming for Martensville teams; however, as interest in the sport grows within the community, she hopes to see a community service group come together to coordinate the program.

“It is a growing sport in the community and there seems to be a lot of interest, so if there is anyone looking to get involved and be a part of the basketball community, reach out to me and I can help them get something going,” Reddekopp said.

For more information, or if you are interested in organizing a committee to operate the basketball program out of Martensville, contact Angela Reddekopp at areddekopp@martensville.ca or (306) 683-5576.

ABOVE: Martensville Thunder went undefeated in the January 6th and 7th basketball tournament at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion. (Submitted)

ABOVE: Martensville Thunder’s Preston Hindley (in white) defending a Warman Wizard Player. (Submitted)

ABOVE: Drew Reddekopp in white of the Martensville Thunder taking the ball down against the Warman Wizards. (Shanine Sealey/MM)

Sask. and Ottawa Seldom Cozy

We don’t have to get along with Ottawa. We seldom have. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to recall a time when the Saskatchewan government and the federal government had a mutually beneficially relationship.

Saskatchewan has traditionally sent its MPs to sit on the opposition benches in the House of Commons - even when we had conservative governments.

In 1988, former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s government could only elect four of Saskatchewan’s 14 MPs. In no small irony, that represented one of the cordial relationships between the prime minister and Saskatchewan premier of the day.

It was a billion-dollar farm bail requested of Mulroney by then-Progressive Conservative premier Grant Devine that likely turned the tide of the 1986 election for Devine’s PCs.

There was similar harmony between former Saskatchewan Party premier Brad Wall and former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper a decade ago - a rare period in which most Saskatchewan MPs sat on government benches.

That said, it is hard to argue that this relationship was as lucrative as it could have been, given that Harper went back on his party’s 2006 election promise to remove natural resources from the equalization formula.

It was a federal government promise that would have provided $800-million more a year to Saskatchewan in federal transfers, yet Wall and the Sask. Party flip-flopped and said it was unnecessary.

The reality is, Saskatchewan of the 21st century has become increasingly conservative, almost exclusively electing conservative MPs while electing a conservative provincial government now into its 16th straight year in office.

It fits the formula that Saskatchewan seems naturally opposed to the federal government that has been Liberal for the last seven years and Liberal for 92 years of Canada’s155-year history.

So it was with great interest to hear Sask. Party Premier Scott Moe suggest in year-end interviews that we need to get along better with Ottawa and take a broader, less-regionalistic approach.

“We’re getting very regionalistic in our comments. I’m getting quite regionalistic in the comments that I make, and that isn’t good for our nation of Canada,” Moe told the Regina Leader-Post’s Jeremy Simes in a year-end interview.

Moe went on to say he’d rather see Ottawa and the provinces cheer each other on with Ontarians supporting the resource industry and the Prairies celebrating a new electrical vehicle factory out east. “We maybe need to give some thought to healing across Canada, despite some of the challenges that, you know, we might have from time to time with federal leadership and federal policy,” Moe said.

“We need to come together as Canadians and be the great nation that I think we have been in years gone by, and maybe have the opportunity to be again.” Of course, this is easier said than done. It does go against our natural inclination.

By Jan. 4th Moe’s Twitter account (which the Premier says he doesn’t directly control) was tweeting that the Saskatchewan government had lowered taxes by $300 a family by indexing provincial income tax, the “Trudeau-Singh federal government raised your taxes by hundreds of dollars in 2023 through five tax hikes including the carbon tax.”

One can criticize Moe and the Sask. Party for seeming to be constantly running against the federal government but consider two points: First, there is validity to the argument that this federal Liberal government has moved away from the party’s historic position of compromise in its policies. The day before Moe’s tweet, Natural Resources Minister Jonathon Wilkinson was outlining a program to transition oil sands workers out of their well-paying jobs.

Second, there is a legitimate question as to whether what Moe is now doing is much different than the approach we’ve always seen in Saskatchewan. We’ve never gotten along with Ottawa.

MLA Terry Jenson’s Report from the Legislature

Private Capital Investments Proceed in Mining, Agriculture and Forestry

As the new year begins, Saskatchewan’s economy continues to lead the nation. Despite global economic uncertainty, private companies continue to invest their dollars in Saskatchewan industries. Significant investments in energy, forestry, technology and agriculture will create jobs and opportunities in Saskatchewan throughout the new year and into the future.

BHP is accelerating the timeline on its $12 billion Jansen potash mine, the largest single investment in Saskatchewan history. This investment brings total capital investment in the province’s potash industry to $30 billion since 2007. The mine is expected to be operational in 2027 and will provide over 600 direct jobs at the mine site and at the corporate office in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan’s mining industry also has the unique opportunity to position itself as a leader in lithium production. Global lithium demand is expected to grow significantly in the next decade as it is used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. Prairie Lithium and Grounded Lithium have both invested in drilling for lithium in the province. As drilling continues in the province, Saskatchewan can expect growth in the technology, mining and energy sectors as well as job creation.

Investments by several agricultural companies have helped Saskatchewan maintain and grow its agricultural advantage. Federated Cooperatives Limited is moving forward with its Integrated Agriculture Complex, including a renewable diesel facility and canola crushing plant in partnership with AGT Foods. The renewable diesel plant, which will be the largest of its kind in Canada, represents nearly $2 billion in capital investment, plus 2,500 construction jobs and 150 operating jobs. The entire project will have estimated economic benefits of $4.5 billion.

Cargill’s $350 million canola processing facility in Regina broke ground in July and will be operational by 2024. This investment alone will generate approximately one million hours of employment throughout construction and create 50 full-time positions upon completion. The Viterra canola crushing plant will also be operational by 2024, creating another 1,000 construction jobs and 100 permanent positions.

Finally, as part of the Growth Plan goal to double the growth of the province’s forestry sector, Government announced timber allocations to support four major forestry projects. Pivot Furniture, a Saskatchewan-based company, was awarded a timber allocation of 101,000 cubic metres. Between 2021 and 2024 the forestry industry is expected to attract $1 billion in capital investment and create 3,100 jobs. The sector already supports over 8,000 jobs in the province.

The confidence of private investors demonstrates the momentum in our economy as we look to the year ahead. Economic forecasters predict resilience and prosperity for the province in 2023. The future is bright and it’s a great time to live, work and raise your family in Saskatchewan.

Strong Job Growth, Unemployment Rate Show a Provincial Economy That Works for Everyone

Saskatchewan employment reaches 573,600, up 7,700 jobs year over year

On January 6th, Statistics Canada released December 2022 job numbers, showing Saskatchewan's continued economic growth having added 7,700 jobs when compared to December 2021, with month-to-month employment also increasing by 4,200.

"2022 was a very good year for Saskatchewan, with remarkable economic growth, record population gains, and thousands of more jobs to close the year," Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jeremy Harrison said. "There is reason to be optimistic about the coming year here in Saskatchewan, as our province is the best place to work, live, play and raise a family in Canada."

Saskatchewan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 per cent from 5.5 per cent when compared to December 2021. The province ranked second among the provinces and is below the national average of 5.0 per cent.

Saskatchewan has reached an all-time historical high population aged 15 and over, hitting 910,000. Offreserve Indigenous population, aged 15 and over, also reached an all-time historical high of 110,200.

Saskatchewan has set several record highs for the month of December: Saskatchewan Employment: 573,600, Saskatchewan Full-Time Employment: 462,800, Saskatchewan Female Employment: 271,700, Offreserve Indigenous Employment: 60,400, Off-reserve Indigenous Full-Time Employment: 49,500.

The off-reserve Indigenous unemployment rate was 7.2 per cent, a record low for the month of December. Indigenous employment was up 2,800 (+4.9 per cent) compared to a year ago, marking 25 consecutive months of year-over-year increases.

In the major cities, Regina's employment was up 2,500 (+1.8 per cent), and Saskatoon's employment was up 3,000 (+1.6 per cent) compared to last December.

Major year-over-year gains were reported for health care & social assistance, up 4,600 (+5.1 per cent), other services, up 3,600 (+14.8 per cent), and information, culture and recreation, up 2,400 (+15.0 per cent).

Saskatchewan has seen strong growth in several other key economic indicators in recent months. The province has led the nation in October 2022 manufacturing sales, with a 7.4 per cent increase compared to the previous month. October 2022 also saw a 9 per cent increase in retail trade, a 46.7 per cent jump in wholesale trade, and a 39.3 per cent increase in building construction, compared to October 2021.

Just recently, Saskatchewan's merchandise exports increased by 44.5 per cent to more than $5 billion in November 2022 when compared to 2021 - the second highest increase among provinces.

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.

RCMP Release Top Ten 911 Calls That

“Missed the Mark” in 2022

Saskatchewan RCMP 911 call-takers and dispatchers provide a critical service within the RCMP by supporting both public and officer safety. With 352,854 calls for service in the past year, calls ranged from misdials and false alarms to serious incidents regarding matters of public safety.

“We release the list to raise awareness about the misuse of 911, which can possibly delay someone experiencing a life-threatening emergency from getting help.” says Lee Rosin, Recruiter and Training Facilitator for the Saskatchewan RCMP Operational Communication Centre. “Every moment that we are spending speaking with someone who is complaining about their shopping experience or wanting to prank call 911 is time that call-takers and officers could have been helping someone in a life-threatening situation.”

Here are the top 10 calls that “missed the mark” in 2022:

10. Memory lane - A caller asked OCC Operators if they knew the name of the polite RCMP officer who had served in their community. The caller was hoping for an update to see how the officer’s family was doing. While well-meaning, this certainly would not be considered an emergency.

9. Hold please - 911 dispatchers received a call from a person who didn’t want to be on hold after being told they needed to pick up paperwork at their local RCMP detachment.

8. Bad luck - A caller advised OCC Operators they had swallowed a mosquito, choked and lost their dentures, leaving them unable to eat supper.

7. You rang? An individual advised they needed assistance deleting a voicemail off their phone.

6. This is not a prank hotline – An individual called 911 to advise there was a cougar on the loose in their city. When the call-taker asked for details about the cougar, the caller laughed and said the cougar’s name was “Cindy.” The misuse of 911 can potentially delay someone experiencing a life-threatening emergency from getting help. Before dialing 911, please remember that calling the police should be reserved for police-related matters only and calling 911 should be reserved for lifethreatening emergencies only.

5. Takeout troubles - A caller advised they purchased $65 worth of fast food only to find their roommate ate the order. The caller requested an RCMP officer come and sort out the disagreement.

4. Here kitty, kitty - A concerned individual called about a hostile cat and asked an RCMP officer to bring it to the local animal shelter for them.

3. Can we talk a-boot it? - A dispute at a clothing store resulted in a call to 911. A customer was very upset with the manager of the store who refused to accept the return of already-worn winter boots.

2. Got milk? – A caller advised they were out of milk and requested RCMP officers pick some up for them.

1. Scrub-a-dub-dub - A concerned individual called 911 to advise their bathtub drain was clogged and the water wouldn’t go down.

Please remember that 911 calls are reserved for police-related matters and lifethreatening emergencies only.

If you have a complaint, please report it to your local RCMP detachment or by calling 310-RCMP from anywhere in the province.