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Page 2 - JULY 16, 2020 - martensville messenger

Council Reviews Proposed Plan For Development West of Highway 12 Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The July Committee of the Whole meeting for the City of Martensville was a full one that covered numerous topics. Council meetings may be returning shortly to their usual set-up in Council Chambers at City Hall rather than the virtual meetings that have been taking place since this past March due to COVID-19.

The first item on the agenda was a presentation from North Prairie Homes regarding their proposed West Sector Plan. This plan includes 671 acres of land on the west side of Highway 12. According to Mayor Kent Muench, “This plan is at the highest level of planning within the city. At complete buildup, the neighborhood could be home to 11,000 people.”

Within the provided draft of the plan, North Prairie Homes states that, “Martensville West will be a vibrant and dynamic mixed-use community that shall cater to all demographics of Martensville residents. With a land use mix guided by a comprehensive market assessment, the Plan area will develop as a complete community woven together via an integrated parks and open space system, containing a diverse range of housing options, local and community commercial services, institutional uses and recreational and social opportunities.”

The plan includes items such as major roadways, servicing and infrastructure requirements and potential new school locations. “The densities and specifics of the neighborhood come at the next level of planning, the concept plan stage. The final stage is the actual subdivision of lots. So although there is still a lot of work to do before you will see a house, this is the first and critical milestone in their project,” Mayor Muench explained.

Next on the agenda was a request from Canalta Real Estate Services, who own three separate properties within Martensville and are requesting that Council approve a 10% reduction in their property taxes due to the impact of COVID-19. The total requested would equal $4733.63. In a letter sent to Council, Cam Christianson, President and CEO at Canalta Corporate Office, noted that other municipalities have approved their request and that their business, like so many across Canada, have been reduced to temporary closures and minimal to no income, which has severely impacted their cashflow. Council discussed this request and felt it’s important to work collaboratively with all businesses, not just this separate request. The item will be brought back to an upcoming meeting for a final decision.

Ted Schaeffer, Director of Recreation & Community Services, then spoke to Council about a request from Great Plains College regarding their lease agreement for space at the Civic Centre. In 2019, an agreement was made with Great Plains College; however, GPC is now looking at expanding their programming so would like additional space, as well as the option to renew their lease on an ongoing basis.

The next Council meeting will take place Tuesday, July 21st. More information on Council meetings and the weekly agenda can be found at martensville.ca.

MLA Report With Nancy Heppner

2020 Budget Passes During Final Legislative Sitting

A unique, three-week session of the legislature recently came to an end in what we now consider our “new normal”. This involved the implementation of many “firsts” including new health protocols and record investment in Saskatchewan industries.

Our government introduced and passed a provincial budget that includes record investment in health, education and economic stimulus that provides the necessary funds to help financially recover from the impact of the COVID-19.

This includes: • A record $435 million for mental health and addictions supports and services; • $20 million to reduce surgical wait times; • $80 million to build new long-term care facilities in Grenfell and La Ronge and to support renewal projects in 51 long-term care facilities across the province; • Record funding for schools, including $2.6 billion to support Prekindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms, early learning and child care, libraries and literacy; • $278 million in no-strings-attached Municipal Revenue Sharing – an 11 per cent increase and the highest amount ever provided under the program; • $150 million for the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program for municipal infrastructure projects; and • $715 million to improve highway safety and efficiency, including more than 20 new passing lanes to be constructed in 2020.

Re-Opening Continues Under Phase 4

Our government’s Re-Open Saskatchewan plan is working well with almost all businesses returning to full operations with new guidelines and social distancing policies in place.

Casinos, bingo halls and rodeos may now resume. Starting July 16, live music and entertainment can once again be enjoyed in local venues. Other updates to Re-Open Saskatchewan include seating areas now being permitted at drive-in theatres, as well as public and farmers markets. If you attend, physically distancing will be required, and it is recommended that only members of the same group should be seated together.

Guidelines for the second half of Phase 4 are now available on Saskatchewan. ca. This includes: • Temporary food vendor guidelines; • Racing and rodeo guidelines; • Banquet and conference facility guidelines; and • Car Show and Trade Show guidelines

Guidelines for door-to-door solicitation, items by donation and garage sales are currently being developed.

Rediscover Saskatchewan!

With the warmer weather, I encourage residents to go out and explore Saskatchewan. Our provincial parks are open to enjoy with new guidelines and protocols that will keep you and your family safe. What better time than now to rediscover your own backyard? Whether it is a day trip to one of our provincial parks, or an afternoon tour of a museum, there is so much to do and see right here at home. For any questions on tourism and COVID-19 guidelines, please visit tourismsaskatchewan.com.

If you will be visiting one of our Provincial Parks, please remember to bring your own sanitizer, maintain a physical distance from others, and please respect the restrictions and rules that are in place.

Most importantly, enjoy your summer, Saskatchewan. Have fun and stay safe!

ABOVE: Council discussed the proposed West Sector Plan, which will be located on approximately 670 acres of land on the west side of Highway 12. (www.martensvillewest.com) 20075DE0

martensville messenger - JULY 16, 2020 - Page 3

Civic Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic- What you Should Know!

City Hall has reopened to the public, however with some guidelines currently in place. Continue to utilize online and contactless options when possible. Please do not visit City Hall if you are feeling unwell, experiencing flu-like symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is presumptive or tested positive for COVID-19. See more about the Reopening of City Hall on Martensville.ca Current Status of Public Facilities as of July 9th: Martensville Athletic Pavilion - Opening July 20 with occupancy limits City Hall - Open Aquatic Centre - Open, with occupancy limits Northridge Centre - Closed Heritage Centre - Closed Sports Centre - Closed Wheatland Regional Library (located in the Civic Centre) - Office closed, Open for Curbside Holds Pick-up and Book Returns.

Water Meter Read/Estimate Schedule - Normally the Read/Estimate Schedule that takes place from October-April would be completed and the entire City would have water meter reads completed by City of Martensville Meter Readers. However due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Water Meter Read/Estimate schedule continues to be extended into foreseeable future.

Garbage and Recycling - Services remain in place and on schedule with no anticipated service delays at this time. Organics collection has also commenced.

Road Maintenance - will continue as required and is not expected to change at this time.

Playgrounds and Sports Fields - Playgrounds are currently open. The Spray Park is open.

Sports Fields have reopened but users should continue to follow activity guidelines as may be provided under the Provincial Re-Open plan.

City Staff are available to work with the public via phone or email. Questions or inquiries can be directed to City Hall via phone (306-931-2166) or inquiry@martensville.ca during this time.

Trails and passive park spaces remain open for use, but we continue to urge residents to incorporate safe practices.

Residents and Customers are requested to carry out transactions electronically such as online banking, preauthorized payments or TIPPS. Cheques may also be dropped off in the drop slot at City Hall.

Utility and Property Tax Updates - The City has implemented a number of measures to assist property owners and businesses during the pandemic, currently in place:

After Hour Water and Sewer Emergencies - should still be directed through the Emergency line at City Hall, (306) 931-2166, ext.1.

• • • •

Protective Services - There are no changes in duty or status to Protective Services such as the RCMP, Martensville Fire Department, and Ambulance Service.

Water and Sewer - These services remain unimpacted and unchanged, including water quality testing. Meter reading will continue to take place under the Read/Estimate schedule; however, staff will not be doing reads of meters located inside of homes or occupied buildings. In these cases, estimates will be taken or reads can be provided into City Hall. In respect to water and sewer emergencies, city staff may not be able to enter resident homes at this time and private contractors should be considered.

Still Plenty to Do! – Public Swimming/ Schools Out & Swimming Lessons / Outdoor Family Fun Kit The Martensville Aquatic Centre is now open!! We are happy to see so many residents taking advantage of our public swimming pre-registration! For more information on public swimming pre-registration phone 306-683-5576.

We are still taking registrations for our Summer School’s Out program and Swimming Lessons! School’s Out program will now be an outdoor program and registration is open on-line or over the phone! More information is available on the City of Martensville Facebook Page.

Outdoor Family Fun kits will be available beginning Wednesday July 15th for rent. To secure your kit email specialevents@martensville.ca You can choose from 1 of 5 different kits; • Sports Kit • At Home Fitness Kit • Physical Literacy Kit • Outdoor Games Kit • Activity Kit

July-August Council Meeting Dates

Please Note: The upcoming Council Schedule may be subject to change based around any potential new developments around the COVID-19 Pandemic. Anyone interested in attending is strongly encouraged to contact the City Clerk prior to planning to attend..

Regular Council Meeting- July 21st Committee of the Whole Meeting August 11th Regular Council Meeting- August 18th The Regular Council Meetings are located at Martensville City Hall Council Chambers.

Martensville City Hall - 37 Centennial Dr. S. All meetings commence at 5PM. 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

Interest charges on utility bills will be suspended until November 1, 2020.

Water service will not be discontinued due to non-payment or overdue account status.

The deadline for property tax payments will be extended from July 31 to October 30, 2020.

All interest charges on property tax owing will be suspended until November 1, 2020.

Stay Informed! - The City of Martensville has created a dedicated webpage to provide information, updates and additional resources around the COVID-19 pandemic. This page is accessible through the homepage at Martensville.ca.

Please continue to follow us, media sources and information from the Province of Saskatchewan for the most current information around updates or new measures for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

Sump Pump Discharge Guidelines and Requirements

Noncompliant sump pump discharge lines are a growing concern for the City, residents and pedestrians utilizing sidewalks and walkways.

There are some general requirements from the Sump Pit and Surface Discharge Bylaw to ensure your sump pump discharge is compliant and keeping sidewalks safe for everyone.

General Requirements • Sump pumps MUST NOT discharge into the sanitary sewer system unless given written permission by the Director of Infrastructure and Planning or if the system into the sanitary sewer was installed prior to the adoption of the Sump Pit and Surface Discharge Bylaw on February 1, 2008.

• Sump pump discharge lines must be directed into the rear yard only unless given written permission by the Director of Infrastructure and Planning to do otherwise. The City also asks that the discharge lines remain 3 meters (9 feet) from the rear property line and 1 meter (3 feet) from the side property lines.

• Measures must be taken by the homeowner to prevent ponding or other hazards such as icing, mud, or algae build up on both public and private property.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us: Infrastructure Manager – City of Martensville engineer@matensville.ca 306-931-2166

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Creator of ‘The Official Quarantine Cookbook’ Recognized For Positive Project During Pandemic Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Martensville resident Dawna Doell became a well-known name not only locally, but throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you haven’t heard of Doell, chances are you have heard of the Facebook group that she created called ‘The Official Quarantine Cookbook’.

Initially, the group was created in March as a way for her children to share recipes and ideas with friends and family; however the group took off quickly and consistently grew more and more popular over the months. Currently, the page has over 38,000 followers.

Due to the popularity of the page, Doell decided to create a cookbook based off of recipes that had been shared in the group, with proceeds from the sale of the cookbook going to support Wounded Warriors Canada and The Canadian Mental Health Association.

To Doell’s surprise, one of the members of the Facebook group decided to nominate her for the Conexus Credit Union Kindness Capital Fund and even more to her surprise, Doell received a phone call notifying her that she was one of the recipients. “It is pretty cool to be recognized as a person who did a project and made something good out of a bad situation,” Doell stated.

The Conexus Kindness Capital Fund was set up as a way to encourage a return on kindness and recognizes 40 individuals and businesses within the province for their contribution of kindness during these difficult times.

“From Fond-du-lac to Coronach, COVID-19 has inspired stories of kindness across our province. People have lifted each other up and created moments that connect us. We believe in celebrating and reinvesting in this kindness that’s improving the well-being of our communities and people,” the kindnesscapital.ca website explains.

Those chosen as recipients are awarded $5000 for their positive contributions to our province. For Doell, it was an incredible surprise to be contacted as a recipient. “Honestly, it is pretty amazing to be recognized as a recipient. This project included well over 1600 hours of my own personal time, not including all of the time the other volunteers helping out put in as well. After thinking about it, that time is equivalent to almost ten months of a regular 9-to-5 work day. I honestly never expected the absolute magnitude of this project, but there is so much of a focus on negativity all the time and that doesn’t help anyone, so it is nice to be a part of something that brought so much positivity and joy to people,” Doell said.

Now that all of the cookbooks have been shipped out, Doell is looking forward to returning to her normal daily routine again. “Thank you to everyone for their support of the project. Although the cookbook project is done, the page is still open, so be sure to keep sharing those recipes!”

20074MM0

Local Women Team Up To Provide Oportunity For Residents to Help Support One Another During Pandemic Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Two Martensville residents decided that they wanted to use their resources in order to help others within the community.

Janice Eliason and Shauntelle Cox are both independent Epicure consultants that came together to provide support for those in need during the trying times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Eliason, there had been a concern in place for those that may be struggling these past few months. “I have been a supporter of the ABOVE: Janice Eliason and Shauntelle Cox came together Martensville Free Pantry for to sell Epicure meal collections to help raise money for the some time now because I Martensville Free Pantry. The meal collection included six love the idea that it stays local different meal options. and helps people in our own (‘Fill the Martensville Free Pantry’ Facebook page) community. With the location of the Free Pantry being closed due to COVID-19, there has not been access to it and it is a concern because there is such a need for it. We decided that we wanted to do something to help and felt that by doing it together, we could make it that much more successful.”

Epicure is a Canadian company and Eliason explained that they provide opportunity to do fundraisers. For this particular fundraiser, those participating can purchase a $25 meal collection and Epicure will donate $10 from every meal collection to the Martensville Free Pantry.

“Our initial goal was to sell 50 of the meal collections, which would then provide $500 to the Martensville Free Pantry,” Eliason said. By Tuesday, July 14, the goal was surpassed and due to the request for more orders, the two women have decided to keep the fundraiser open for one more week. To place an order visit ‘Fill the Martensville Free Pantry’ on Facebook.

“The amount of generosity that we have seen is just incredible. We were actually a little surprised by it because we have had people donating the meal collections back to the Martensville Free Pantry, as well as donating money to the fundraiser as well. It has been really nice to see,” Eliason stated.

The money raised will be used to help stock the Martensville Free Pantry with food and supplies for those that are in need. Eliason noted that they had plans to meet with the Martensville Free Pantry Committee to make final arrangements.

“We have heard from a lot of people that they wanted to do something to help others, but weren’t sure how to help, so we are really happy that this gave them an opportunity to give back to the community. We might be a small city, but there is still such a need for it here and people have been so generous. We just want to say thank you to everyone for the tremendous support.”

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martensville messenger - JULY 16, 2020 - Page 5

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Wrench Fitness Adds New 30-Minute Circuit Option For Members

COVID-19 Update: Residents Urged To Take Precautions As New Cases Emerge In Southwest And WestCentral Saskatchewan

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Wrench Fitness has become a staple to many Martensville and area residents over the years and the business has always strived to offer a wide variety of options for everyone. The motto of Wrench Fitness is Build the Body You Want because they believe that fitness and staying in shape is for everyone; however, everyone has a different goal in mind, therefore the same work-out options might not be for everyone.

As part of their goal to provide a fitness option for all ages, body types and goals, they have recently added a new 30 minute circuit area, which is perfect for those who may be short on time or maybe don’t necessarily like planning a workout some days.

The circuit area is low impact, all in one resistance machines that provide a workout from head to toe and they will get you in and out of the gym in under an hour.

The new addition is set up in the multi-purpose fitness room at Wrench Fitness, and this area, like any machines or areas of the gym, are all accessible 24 hours a day when you sign up for a membership at Wrench Fitness. With a membership, you are also able to attend any class on Wednesday’s next door at 3126 Athletics.

“Memberships range based on options and can be seen and even signed up for online. From regular rates to corporate, to senior prices, we have something for everyone,” Wrench Fitness owner/operator Reg LePage explained.

For more information on the new circuit area, or other Wrench Fitness options, visit wrenchfitness.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.

ABOVE & BELOW: Wrench Fitness now offers a new 30-minute circuit option that is available 24 hours a day with a membership.

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VOLUME NO. 11 - ISSUE 10

Your City; Your Newspaper

MFD Respond to Minor Mishap

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensvlle Messenger

Early Start From Stop Sign Leads to Martensville Accident At approximately 6:50 p.m. on Saturday, March 4th RCMP were called to a two-vehicle collision located at the intersection of Main Street and 10th Avenue where members of Martensville’s Fire Department (MFD) were also on scene. Thankfully, no injuries occurred as a result of the accident. A 36 year-old Martensville woman who was headed north on 10th Avenue was charged under the Traffic Safety Act for Proceeding from Stop Sign Before Safe to do so.

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There are 31 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Saskatchewan on July 13. In addition, there were two cases reported on July 11 and 23 cases reported on July 12.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan to 871, as of July 13. The regional data is as follows: • July 11 - one new case in the Central region and one in the South.

• July 12 - 13 new cases in the South, five in the Saskatoon area, three in Central and two in the Regina area.

• July 13 - 27 new cases in the Central region, two in the Regina area, one in the Saskatoon area and one in the South.

Previously reported COVID-19 infections in the Southwest now stretch farther and there is growing evidence of spread throughout Southwest and West-Central Saskatchewan. This includes cases in the following Rural Municipalities; Maple Creek (No. 111), Auvergne (No. 76), Biggar (No. 347), Carmichael (No. 109), Eagle Creek (No. 376), Harris (No. 316), Lac Pelletier (No. 107), Newcombe (No. 260), Perdue (No. 346), Kellross (No. 247) and Prairiedale (No. 321).

The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are working together with the Hutterian Safety Council to address the situation. Their cooperation has allowed for increased testing and contact tracing in these areas, which greatly contributed to identifying these new cases and ensuring residents are receiving the support they need.

Over the next number of days increased testing and contact tracing resources will be deployed to the affected communities and surrounding areas.

Saskatchewan residents in these communities and across the province, are strongly encouraged to follow the necessary public health measures and personal safety precautions, including self-isolating if you or a close contact have tested positive for COVID-19.

Of the 871 reported COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, 90 are considered active. A total of 766 people have recovered. Three people are in hospital. One individual is receiving inpatient care in Saskatoon. Two people are in intensive care; one in Saskatoon and one in the South.

To date, 75,161 COVID‐19 tests have been performed in Saskatchewan. As of July 11, 2020, when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 55,404 people tested per million population. The national rate was 85,473 people tested per million population.

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Page 6 - JULY 16, 2020 - martensville messenger

Provincial Politics with

Murray Mandryk

Irrigation Project Long Over Due

Saskatchewan’s dry land farmers have proven many people wrong. The first was John Palliser, who made an 1857 to 1859 expedition through here to help the British secure the territory from the Americans.

The report on his expedition concluded what is now Western Canada should be divided into three regions: a northern “cold zone” inhospitable to any agriculture; a middle zone of parkland area suitable for farming, and; a southern zone we have come to know as “Palliser's Triangle”.

Palliser’s Triangle that now accounts for a good portion of Southern Saskatchewan farmland was described as “more or less arid" desert and unsuitable for crops but with a “dry climate, sandy soil, and extensive grass cover," that may be suitable for livestock.

According to Palliser, more than 160 years ago, only the eastern and northern fringe of the grain belt in Saskatchewan was really fit for farming.

As it turns out, when Palliser travelled through here this area was experiencing one of its dry cycles worse than normal. In the next 70 years, we’d see massive farm settlers, flowing into this area after Canada was created in 1867 and after Saskatchewan joined confederation in 1905.

But the dry cycle would return to Saskatchewan and many farmers would fall victim to the Dirty Thirties Dustbowl in the 1930s - partly because of poor soil conservation techniques.

Yet our farmers have proved to be resilient especially in the past 50 years in which they’ve developed strategies like direct seeding to avoid cultivation and keeping the stumble high rather than burning to conserve moisture.

They have similarly adapted to our short grow seasons and comparatively little rain through hardy crop development suitable for the area. They have also found the right blend of fertilizers and chemicals to enhance growth and even built their own seeding and application equipment to best suit their purposes.

Farms themselves - at great expense to the communities that once surrounded them - have become bigger and more economically efficient.

The success of Saskatchewan dry land farmers has made them world leaders in the export of cereal grains, oil seeds and pulse crop, but there is reason to fear we have taken this kind of farming as far as we can.

Dry cycles and even flooding because of violent weather can be expected to accompany a changing climate.

So we have to ask ourselves: What’s the next logical step?

Well, no one can say for sure, but wide-scale irrigation and efficiently managing scarce water resources is important.

This takes us to recent announcement that the Saskatchewan Party government plans to spend $4 billion during the next 10 years for a 500,000-acre irrigation project for the Regina-Moose Jaw area.

The project pumping Lake Diefenbaker will begin this year with $22.5 million for preliminary engineering work, testing soils and some construction. In the making for half a century since the original canal work was stopped in 1972, many are welcoming the project as long overdue.

There are reasons to be suspicious of why the government is restarting this project now. One should always be a bit skeptical when large sums of tax dollars start flowing before an election, but with climate change threats bearing down on us, it can be argued now is also the logical time to look at alternatives.

We need to keep in perspective that this is 500,000 acres (again, at a massive $4 billion cost) out of about 33 million seeded acres each year. We also need to acknowledge a whole host of issues; concerns about adding saline water to the soil, the impact on other provinces, First Nation involvement and the effect on SaskPower’s hydroelectricity produced at the Gardiner Dam.

There are a lot of good reasons why this project has been delayed for the past five decades, but there are also a lot reasons why it should go ahead.

Justin Trudeau Can’t Be Trusted To Lead Us Through The Recovery

By Rosemarie Falk - Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster

As the spread of COVID-19 in Canada slows down, the economic and social impacts of the pandemic are becoming more apparent. Faced with rebuilding an economy that was largely brought to a forced halt, Canada is at a crossroads of sorts. The course we set in the immediate term will significantly impact every area of our economy and society for years to come. That is why it is critical that Canada gets its response right.

I believe promoting good ideas and finding solutions to tough problems is aided by a diversity of contributors.

Just as boardrooms are improved by a diversity of viewpoints, so too is our democracy.

Since the pandemic began, Conservatives have been putting forward constructive solutions to help Canadians, and the results are clear. We have successfully advocated for improvements to the federal Liberal government’s COVID-19 response including an increase to their wage subsidy legislation, a correction to the administration of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) for expectant mothers and the inclusion of credit unions in the delivery of the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA). It was wrong of the Liberal government, the NDP and the Green Party to shut down Parliament and strip it of its powers.

The fact remains however that many government programs are rigid, slow to roll out and have left too many Canadians to fall through the cracks. Despite Parliament’s suspension, Conservatives will continue to propose positive solutions and use every tool at our disposal to hold the government to account.

Conservatives know that our recovery will be driven by Canadians like you who will do the hard work of rebuilding the economy, who will be impacted by the success and failures of government programs and who will be responsible to pay for them.

Contributions from a diverse set of voices, lived experiences and viewpoints will enable better responses to the unprecedented challenges we are facing. Greater engagement from all Canadians including traditionally underrepresented voices like women and minority groups will only result in better outcomes for our communities and our country. These contributions are valuable and needed at every level of government.

Whether it is signing a petition, communicating with an elected official, joining the conversation, participating in a community group, getting involved with a political party or even running for elected office, know that your voice matters. Together, we can work towards a more united, stronger and prosperous Canada for generations to come.

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.

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Martensville Library Prepares For Opening Announcement

The Martensville Library was closed from March 17 until May 22, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 22, the library started to accept the returns of borrowed materials through the outside book drop and started offering curbside pickup of requested items. The library still remains closed to the public and we are only offering curbside pickups and book returns at this time.

The library is not yet back to its full open hours. Currently we are open the following hours for inquiries and curbside pickups: • Mon, Wed, Fri from 10 AM – 5 PM • Tues & Thurs from 10 AM – 6 PM

If patrons need materials they are welcome to request their items through the Wheatland Regional Library website www. wheatland.sk.ca or the SILS app. If you need assistance to do this, call the library and staff can walk you through it. Staff is also ready to put together grab bags of materials for you to pick up. Call us to answer a few questions and we can get some books ready for you to pick up.

The Summer Reading Program at the branch and all of our activities are not happening this year.

Wheatland Regional Library has prepared some online activities for all ages to participate in. There is the Summer Reading Program Game On and the Five to Try. Details about these programs can be found on the Wheatland Regional Library website.

We are working towards getting the library ready to welcome our patrons back into the library. There will be some notable changes for patrons. The circulation desk has moved locations and glass barriers have been installed. Patrons will be asked to sanitize their hands when entering and to not enter the library if they are feeling sick or someone in their household is sick. Wheatland Regional Library is still compiling a list of requirements for the staff to follow, so there may be more changes in place when we open to the public.

A date for re-opening has not been determined yet at this time.

Information on a re-opening will be posted on the Martensville Library Facebook and Instagram pages and through the City of Martensville.

The library staff appreciates all of the patience our patrons have shown through this entire time. We miss you and look forward to the day we can welcome you back into the library.

More Health Services Resume, Universal Testing Begins This Week

Health services in Saskatchewan continue to expand, with additional everyday programs and services further increasing beginning July 13. This is outlined as Phase 3 of the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s service resumption plan which was initially announced in May. Services that will resume in this next phase include: - Further enhanced mental health and addictions support, including the opening of social detox and addictions inpatient treatment; - Additional Chronic Diseases Management/Wellness Programs/Stroke Prevention; and - Specialized services for clients with developmental disabilities, Autism and brain injuries.

Since service resumption began on May 19, 544 health services have re-started in all areas of the province. Regina and southern areas have seen more services resume compared with Saskatoon and the north, given the COVID-19 cases in those areas and the response personnel required to support it.

“Overall, we’ve been pleased with our ability to bring services back online, while still implementing strategies to keep patients and providers safe,” SHA Chief Executive Officer Scott Livingstone said. “Patients and their families have been very understanding of the additional screening measures and changes to how they had traditionally received service. Both staff and physicians are happy to be seeing their patients again, as well.”

Surgical volumes have been increased at each ease phase of service resumption, including the most recent phase which included more urgent, emergent and also some elective procedures. This next phase will further increase surgical volumes to between 75 and 85 per cent of pre-COVID levels. These numbers vary significantly by site and as a result of staff availability. Moose Jaw’s Dr. F.H Wigmore Hospital, for example, is achieving beyond 100 per cent of their pre-COVID surgical levels as a result of new surgeons that were recruited to the community. Together, the SHA and Ministry of Health are working in partnership with physicians and other operational leaders to continue focus on the backlog of surgeries.

Medical Imaging capacity has also increased to 90 per cent of pre-COVID service levels overall, with MRIs at 91 per cent and CT at 93 per cent, for example. Virtual care appointments continue to be offered where possible, with some face-to-face services being offered, where needed. Since initiating expanded virtual care options as a result of the pandemic in March, more than 175,000 appointments have been delivered through this option.

“As we expand services, we are still also continuing to keep focused on COVID-19 support as well,’ Livingstone said. “We’ve entered our ‘new normal,’ meaning while there is still some room to increase some services, we cannot let our guard down on the pandemic, especially as we progress towards the Fall.”

All services are listed on the Saskatchewan Health Authority website, with new services being added each day at www.saskhealthauthority.ca/service-alerts. Beginning July 14, COVID-19 testing will be available universally to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.

SHA laboratories are currently processing approximately 600 tests per day, with capacity to perform upwards of 1,800 tests per day. Patients will be prioritized for testing based on a number of factors. The time between a testing request and receiving the test itself may vary based upon patient need.

Residents are encouraged to learn more about the testing process by watching a video on Saskatchewan Health Authority’s YouTube channel (note: processes may vary slightly depending on testing location) at https://youtu.be/-oPEEbE4mQU.

ABOVE: The YouTube video from Saskatchewan Health Authority shows the steps involved in getting tested for COVID-19. (Saskatchewan Health Authority YouTube channel)