Local Athlete Will Never Forget Memories of Competing in Final Match-Up at Canada Winter Games

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

For the past ten years, 15-year-old Kazden Mathies has been pursuing his passion for hockey, which most recently took him to the Canada Winter Games where athletes from across the country came together in Prince Edward Island from February 18th to March 5th to go head-to-head in a variety of sports.

Mathies was a member of Team Saskatchewan in Men’s Hockey, who came home as the winners of the silver medal. “I was honoured to find out that I had made the Saskatchewan Hockey Team. I was excited to represent Saskatchewan, alongside the top U16 players in our province. It had been a goal of mine to make the team, so it was exciting to finally find out that I was going to the Winter Games,” Mathies said. Since first hitting the ice as a young child, Mathies has always loved the game, stating that he loves the fast pace of hockey, making new friendships and competing at a high level, which made playing for Team Saskatchewan in the final match at the Canada Winter Games that much more special. During his time at the Winter Games, Mathies created memories that will last a lifetime. “Heading into the tournament, Saskatchewan had not been in a gold medal final since 1995, so people probably weren’t expecting us to be one of the top teams. Our team came together and everyone contributed, and we ended up playing against Team Ontario in the final,” Mathies said.

Prior to the final game, Team Saskatchewan had won against New Brunswick and Quebec to win their pool. From there, they beat out Nova Scotia and Quebec in the semi-finals, which led them to the gold-medal match, a game that Mathies said he will never forget.

“The game went to double overtime of 3-on-3. Unfortunately, we ended up losing the game and taking home the silver medal, but the experience of that final will always stick with me. Playing on this team allowed me to make new friendships, play together with many of my U18 AAA rivals and to compete against the best hockey players in the country.”

Although Mathies has played in numerous other national competitions throughout the years in various locations such as Montreal, Minneapolis, Winnipeg and Calgary, first competing in a major competition at the age of ten, the Canada Winter Games was the biggest one thus far, and as Mathies stated, “The best experience I could ask for.”

This week, Mathies received more good news as he was selected as a Second Team All Star for the SaskMale U18AAA Hockey League 2022-2023 Season.

Central Valley Volleyball Club Has Successful Weekend

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

Sask Volleyball held their competitive tournament, Sask Cup #2 this past weekend at the Henk Ruys Centre in Saskatoon.

The Central Valley Volleyball Club (CVVC) was very well represented in this tournament and had a successful weekend. The U18 Chaos team placed first in Division 2, Tier 1. Martensville’s own Camryn Johnston, Dylan Taggart, and Peyton Thomas have contributed to help this team to the success it has had so far this season.

CVVC is home for volleyball in Martensville, Warman and surrounding communities. This club was established in the fall of 2020 by the amalgamation of the Martensville Outerlimits Volleyball Club founded by Deb McGuire in the late 1990's, and the Warman Volleyball Club founded by Kevin Davis in 2008 after spending countless hours coaching, and has been the driving force for volleyball in their respective communities.

From November to April, Club volleyball gives athletes throughout the province an opportunity to participate in volleyball.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, go to saskvolleyball. ca, or centralvalleyvolleyball.com.

Learn More About the Upcoming Arts Adventure at VHS

An information night is being held for students and their families to learn more about the Integrated Fine Arts Program that the school will be offering in the upcoming school year at 7pm at VHS.

This will be a specialized full-year integrated arts program where students will be provided opportunities to foster imagination, creativity, and personal interpretation of ideas and topics while working on the Grade 8 curriculum in a creative, unique and experiential classroom. Students will receive high quality instruction in the arts through music, acting, dance, digital creation and visual arts where they will be able to focus on their individual strengths and interests, build confidence and community, develop public speaking abilities, understand careers in the arts, and more.

Application forms to participate in the Integrated Arts Program can be submitted to VHS by May 1st and each application will be reviewed by a program committee. If there are more applications than spaces, the successful candidates will be placed into a lottery.

For more information about this exciting new opportunity, contact Venture Heights School at (306)9342185.

Chocolate Fundraiser Being Held to Raise Money for VHS School Yard Improvements

The Venture Heights School SCC has organized a Purdy’s Chocolates fundraiser, with proceeds raised going towards more playground and school yard upgrades.

The link to the catalogue can be found by visiting the ‘Venture Heights Elementary School, Martensville’ Facebook page. Chocolates will be available April 5th and 6th.

VHS Prepares to Showcase Talent

Venture Heights School is gearing up for their production of ‘The Little Mermaid’, which will take place March 15th and 16th. Students in grades 5-8 have been working hard to hone their skills and are looking forward to opening day. Doors will open at 6:30pm.

Sask. United Off to a Good Start

Those that see the Saskatchewan Party as a slick, smooth-running political machine may be missing two critical points. It wasn’t that way in the very beginning and it might not be that way now.

Contrast this with the Saskatchewan United PartySask. United, as it prefers - that pulled off a well-organized launch last week complete with noise makers, slick videos and enthusiasm from a big crowd seldom seen at such an initial event.

Of course, one should be careful not to get too caught up in Sask. United’s initial hype. People should also remember that Scott Moe has proved to be an underrated and formidable politician, himself.

He took over a Sask. Party wavering in popularity after 2017 budget and built it back up again. In the middle of a pandemic while running against an opposition led by a doctor, he held the Sask. Party’s large majority in the 2020 election. He even took a seat away from the NDP in the next-available by-election.

As for his opposition to the right, Moe immediately addressed those discontent enough to vote Buffalo Party on 2020 election night and he has since tweaked government policy with the Saskatchewan First Act (that is taking on the federal government when it comes to resources), the Marshal Services Act (that is clearly a nod to a perceived increase in rural crime) and continues to take on Ottawa when it comes to guns and everything else.

As for the newly minted Sask. United, it’s still driven by and obsessed by anti-COVID-19 vaccines and the longgone health and masking restrictions that accompanied it.

Masking, supposed lockdowns and “experimental vaccines” were reoccurring themes at the Sask. United launch in Saskatoon last week. How this plays with the 80 to 90 per cent of the province (including the rural, older demographic to which Sask. United is targeting) that got vaccinated is questionable.

Certainly, some of the nonsense of the rhetoric we heard won’t be helpful. To hear former Conservative cabinet minister Gerry Ritz suggests anti-vaccine jurisdictions like South Dakota fared better during COVID-19 than Saskatchewan did is telling.

The per 100,000 people COVID-19 death rate in South Dakota is 359 and in North Dakota it is 323. We have had 1,882 COVID-19 deaths in Saskatchewan that has 1,205,119 people - a rate of 156 deaths per 100,000. The only U.S. states to fare better were Vermont and Hawaii, but while some of Sask. United rhetoric will be off-putting to some, much of it is the stuff that clearly crosses all political lines in this province.

"Saskatchewan's healthcare system is losing its talent. Doctors and nurses are finding work elsewhere for better pay, and medical training is failing to keep pace.” “Sask. United will champion efficiency and opportunity and serve the people of Saskatchewan proper healthcare."

"Saskatchewan is in desperate need of authentic leadership. It's time to elect those who will champion the conservative values that our province knows and loves."

It’s worth remembering that when the Sask. Party started a quarter century ago, it, too, was overrun by ideologues opposing abortion and demanding chain gangs or boot camps for youth and Sask. United is less worried about that catering to the centre-liberal vote. It’s squarely aiming at the Sask. Party.

Moreover, what we saw at the launch of Sask. United was a lot of organization. The sizeable crowd armed with noise-makers were treated to a rather spectacular and moving campaign video around the theme of pride in the province broadcast on the Internet.

Contrast with what we’ve recently seen from the Sask. Party government that put up a free fishing day promotion on Moe’s social media feeds with pictures from Idaho. Sask. United demonstrated it already has political skills, money, organization wherewithal and support. The Sask. Party can’t ignore Sask. United.