May 9, 2024 Digital Issue

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

The City of Martensville hosted the 10th annual Amazing Race Martensville on Saturday, May 4th. All ages were once again invited to participate in the event with teams of four challenged to compete in activities, where they were tested both physically and mentally. Some tasks were required to be completed within a certain time frame with challenges such as building items, searching for objects and clues, solving puzzles, and more.

With eight teams participating this year, the event started at the Lions Heritage Centre where teams gathered to start the race. Their first task was to find the clue hidden in the park. Once the clue was found they were led to the money pit by the MAP hosted by Buster Days, where they had to find three coins. From there they visited Martensville Building and Home Supply to build birdhouses, then they had to go digging for worms hidden in whipped cream with the Martensville Youth Connection at the Heritage Centre and ended the race at Mini Mountain.

“It was a great day, and our winning team was Team Jenkins,” said Jamie McCulloch, Recreation Program Coordinator ll. “We would like to thank all our other sponsors for making this year’s event a success; North Prairie Developments, CANWEST, Lakeview Insurance Brokers , Catterall & Wright and aodbt architecture + interior design.”

Organics/Green Bin Pickups Start in May

Green Bins will start to get picked up again starting on Tuesday, May 7th for North Side residents and Tuesday, May 14th for South Side residents.

The Green Bin program is currently a subscription-based program that runs from May until October. Those wishing to sign up for a Green Bin should contact City Hall.

More information, including pick-up schedule and acceptable organics items, can be found on our Waste and Recycling page at Martensville.ca

Recreation Program Update

Regional Run- May 11th

Run or Ride. This unique race between the City of Martensville and the City of Warman is a beautiful 10 km route through the country that you can walk, run, or bike. This year’s event will begin in Martensville at the MAP and will end in Oasis Park in Warman. All proceeds raised will go toward Warman, Martensville & Area KidSport.

Monster Garage Sale May 24th and 25th

The Spring Monster Garage Sale will take place on Friday, May 24th & Saturday, May 25th for the City of Martensville and the City of Warman. Register to have your sale advertised as part of this event.

Contact the Martensville Athletic Pavilion for details or to register.

Saskatoon RCMP Asking the Public to Report Whereabouts of

Wanted Male

Saskatoon RCMP is asking the public to report sightings and information on the whereabouts of 38-year-old Chad Berstad from Dundurn, SK.

Chad Berstad is wanted on warrant by Saskatoon Police Service for charges including obstruct a police officer, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and multiple breaches of court order conditions.

Saskatoon RCMP and Saskatoon Police Service are actively working to locate and arrest him.

Chad Berstad is described as approximately 6'0" tall and 185 lbs. He has blue eyes and blonde hair. Chad Berstad has tattoos on both his forearms, his right calf, and his neck. A photo of him is attached.

Chad Berstad is known to frequent the areas of Hanley, Dundurn and Saskatoon, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

If you see Chad Berstad, do not approach him. Report sightings or information on his whereabouts to your local police service. You can reach your local RCMP detachment by dialing 310-RCMP and information can be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www. saskcrimestoppers.com.

Landscaping or Back-Yard Project This Spring?What You May Need to Know

Property owners looking at landscaping or construction projects must secure a permit to access their property across public spaces or parks. The Access to Private Property Through Open Spaces Bylaw serves as a framework for property owners, allowing access to their property for home or yard projects while overseeing public areas to mitigate and address any potential damages or use of public spaces for project staging purposes.

Please contact City Hall for more information about this permit.

Don’t Get Missed on Garbage/Recycling Day

A few reminders to ensure you don’t miss your scheduled pick-up day:

• Have the cart curbside by 7AM on collection day

• Do not overfill carts. The lid must be closed to ensure contents cannot fall out of the bin, or spill onto roadways or against the garbage truck. Bins that are overfilled will not be picked up.

• Bag all trash and place inside the cart, bagged or unbagged garbage placed beside, in front, or on top of the cart will not be collected.

May 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.

May 14th-Committee of the Whole May 21st- Regular Council Meeting

All Meetings are located at Martensville City Hall Council Chambers - Martensville City Hall - 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

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the City of Martensville for the year 2024 has been prepared and is open to inspection from 9:00 am, May 10th, 2024 until 4:00 p.m. June 10th, 2024.

A bylaw pursuant to section 184 of The Cities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment or classification to the Board of Revision is required to file his or her notice of appeal with: The Assessor, City of Martensville, Box 970, Martensville, Saskatchewan S0K 2T0, by 4:00 p.m. on the 10th day of June, 2024.

Dated this 9th of May 2024.

City of Martensville Assessor

ABOVE: Emergency crews from the RCMP, Martensville Fire Department and Medavie Health Services West were on the scene of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 12 and Lutheran Road on Monday, May 6th at approximately 4pm. Traffic detours and delays were in place as the crews worked to clear the scene. No details were provided as to how many passengers were involved, or if any injuries occurred.

ABOVE: Chad Berstad

Valley Manor Grade 1’s Band Together to Support Fellow Classmate

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Valley Manor Elementary School’s

Grade 1 classes hosted a bake sale on Wednesday, May 8th to help raise money for their friend and classmate Hendrix, who will be travelling to Toronto for surgery this June. A Go Fund Me page was created to help support the family during this time, as numerous trips to SickKids in Toronto are required.

“Hendrix was born with a small jaw along with some other issues. He has struggled with his breathing since the day he

was born. He had a big jaw surgery when he was a baby and that was successful enough to get him to this point in his life,” Hendrix’ Aunt Megan Montgomery, stated via the online fundraiser.

Now that Hendrix is 6-yearsold, and grown since his first surgery, another surgery is required to help his breathing, especially at night. This month, the family will be taking their fourth trip to Toronto in preparation for the June 24th surgery. The May trip will consist of a CT scan and continued Orthodontic work required prior to the surgery. The family will be required to arrive a week prior to the surgery, and recovery will take approximately three weeks.

“The number of times Hendrix has had to go back and forth to Toronto is more than expected and Gill has had to advocate pretty hard for continued support. Gill and family have reached out to Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) for the surgery stay in June and after numerous attempts, they have finally been waitlisted,” Montgomery explained.

The upcoming trip will be approximately five weeks long which, if unable to utilize RMHC, could prove to be quite costly. The family has held a steak night, an auction, as well as the online fundraiser to help raise funds to support the family.

Martensville Library Now Offering Free Community Seed Library

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The Martensville Library is always looking for new ways to serve the community, and this year, they decided to create a Community Seed Library for patrons to “borrow” seeds and share seeds that they no longer need for others to utilize.

“The Community Seed Library is a collection of seeds that can be “borrowed” by library patrons. The goal of having the seed library is to contribute to learning about agriculture, encouraging gardening and local food production, and developing community,” the Martensville Library explained.

Those interested in taking advantage of this program can access free seeds to use for their own gardens, and then return harvested/unused seeds for others to use.

available through the Community Seed Library at the Martensville Library. (Facebook)

To take part, all you need to do is visit the local library and help yourself to seeds donated by others. Patrons can share/donate seeds back to the library for others to use and help build the seed library.

The Community Seed Library will be available from January to October and will have an assortment of seeds available, depending on community participation.

Seeds will be organized by type – vegetable, herbs, fruits and flowers; in alphabetical order by common name with all of the plant details on the package label. There will be a limit of five seed packages per household.

Donations of seeds can be dropped off at the library. Fruits, flowers, vegetables and herb seeds are all accepted. Seed packets can be donated if they are unopened, or if opened packages are no more than three years old. Seeds that have been harvested, cleaned and dried no more than three years old are also accepted.

For more information, contact the Martensville Library on Facebook, at martensville.library@wheatland.sk.ca, or by calling (306) 956-7311.

“Hendrix being able to have this surgery will hopefully get him by until his teenage years and allow him to live a more ‘normal’ life. When your breathing is restricted, at nighttime especially, it doesn’t give you a chance to grow and have the energy needed to get through life as a busy, active kid. We appreciate the love, prayers and support more than words can say.”

ABOVE: A variety of seeds are

ABOVE: Hendrix, a 6-year-old Martensville resident, will be travelling to Toronto this June to undergo surgery at SickKids Hospital.

MLA Terry Jenson’s Report from the Legislature

Budget Making Strategic Investments Into Saskatchewan Economy

Our government continues to invest in the things that matter most to Saskatchewan people – classrooms, care and communities. These investments are only possible due to the strength of our province’s growing economy. That’s why our government is committed to investing in the province’s key economic sectors – so that growth continues and we can reinvest the benefits of that growth into our great province.

The Ministry of Energy and Resources and its $53.8-million budget will support our growing economy with a focus on Saskatchewan’s world-class natural resources. Included in the ministry’s budget is $10 million in funding over 10 years for the Public Geoscience Initiative, which will increase exploration to drive the province’s Critical Minerals Strategy.

To help ensure the permitting process for the exploration of natural resources is efficient and effective, the budget provides the Ministry of Environment funding for enhancements.

In recognition of the important role of critical minerals, the budget introduces the Saskatchewan Critical Mineral Innovation Incentive for new pilot projects and the complementary Critical Mineral Processing Investment Incentive for new or expanded value-added processing projects.

To further encourage investment in the provincial economy, the budget includes enhancements to several industry programs. The Saskatchewan Petroleum Innovation Incentive application period has been extended an additional five years and the funding cap has been increased to a maximum of $100 million in royalty credits. The Oil and Gas Processing Investment Initiative program has also been extended an additional five years and increased the funding cap to a maximum of $500 million in Crown royalty credits.

The Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive has been extended by one year to allow for a program review, which will include engaging with industry. The annual program cap on the amount of non-refundable tax credits that may be issued has been doubled to $7 million annually under the Saskatchewan Technology Start-Up Incentive and eligibility has been expanded to start-ups in the cleantech and all agtech sectors, as well as expanded by one year.

Another new addition under the budget is the Multi-lateral Well Program, which will facilitate the development of previously inaccessible or uneconomic oil plays and will attract increased oil well drilling to Saskatchewan.

The budget provides a $140-million Clean Electricity Transition Grant (CETG) to SaskPower for use towards in-year clean electricity operating costs, which will help maintain affordable power rates for customers. The CETG is tied to electricity-sector revenues.

Saskatchewan established the Small Modular Reactor Investment Fund to support the future development of the province’s first small modular nuclear reactor, which will provide zero-emission baseload power. The fund will receive annual allocations tied to electricity sector revenues, with all investment income earned retained in the fund. By the close of this fiscal year, it is projected the fund will be a $568.4-million asset for the province.

The budget invests $570.6 million in agriculture, an increase of $22.4 million, or 4.1 per cent, from last year. This funding will allow the Ministry of Agriculture to fund agricultural research and enhancements to crop insurance while investing in programming for producers and agri-businesses.

In recognition of the challenging weather and soil conditions faced by some producers, the ministry’s budget provides $431.7 million to fund federal-provincial risk management programs, including Crop Insurance and Agri Stability. This is an increase of $23.7 million from last year.

With regards to forestry, the budget provides funding to accelerate work on the Forest Resource Inventory Project, helping to achieve the Growth Plan goal of doubling Saskatchewan’s forestry industry.

These investments are creating strong results across our economy. We recently received news that Saskatchewan’s GDP ranked second in the nation for growth in 2023 at 1.6 per cent. That’s ahead of the national rate of 1.2 per cent.

This total dollar value of the province’s 2023 GDP is $77.9 billion – a record high. Saskatchewan has one of the strongest and fastest-growing economies in the nation. This record growth doesn’t just happen – it’s a reflection of the policy environment that has fostered and incentivized record investment and record exports.

As our government continues to make strategic investments into key sectors of the Saskatchewan economy, I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Sask Government Plans to Better Utilize Nurse Practitioners to Help Improve Primary Health-Care Services to Residents

National Nursing Week takes place from May 6 to 12 this year, and is held to help people remember the contributions to health and wellbeing that nurses make. In Saskatchewan alone, there are over 19,000 nurses working to help the people within the province. This week is chosen as International Nurses Day which takes place on May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale.

The theme for National Nursing Week this year is “Changing Lives, Shaping Tomorrow”, which recognizes the contributions and impact nurses have on individuals, communities, and the future of health care.

Saskatchewan has seen an increase of approximately 6,500 practicing nurses since 2007, which is a 51.2 per cent increase. Currently there are 13,605 RNs, 4,310 LPNs, 811 RPNs and 360 NPs practicing within the province.

In September of 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan launched their Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan, and since then, nearly 1,100 nursing graduates have been hired, as well as more than 250 Filipino nurses have relocated, with more than 160 of them currently working in communities throughout the province.

There are plans in place to create 25 Nurse Practitioner positions under the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) over the next year to enhance and expand the use of NPs and enable health care teams to see more patients.

This past March, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that they would be testing out a new model for health clinics, which would be independently operated, publicly funded and staffed by nurse practitioners, operated within the SHA. One of these clinics is already operational within Warman (since August 2023), with another currently being constructed within Martensville.

Nurse practitioners have advanced training, which gives them the opportunity to provide a variety of health services to patients, including ordering lab work, performing exams, and diagnosing and treating health issues.

The purpose of these clinics is to help improve access to primary healthcare services to Saskatchewan residents by expanding the role of NPs throughout the health-care system.

The 2024/25 Saskatchewan budget showed the largest-ever increase in health-care funding to help expand patient care and services to meet the increasing demands as the population continues to grow. This year’s Ministry of Health budget is $7.59 billion, which is an increase of $726.4 million over the previous year. The SHA will receive a budget of $4.68 billion, seeing an increase of $248.3 million.

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

ABOVE: A Primary Health Centre operated by Nurse Practitioners is scheduled to open within Martensville in the near future.

Moe’s Popular Stances

May Not Hold Up

Premier Scott Moe’s fight over the carbon tax that the federal Liberal government argues is reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions may not get any easier.

If federal Conservative Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre becomes prime minister, as the opinion poll suggest, some issues like the current fight over collecting the carbon tax for home heating on natural gas will go away, but will all climate-change related issues disappear for Moe and his Saskatchewan Party government? Well, that might be a totally different issue.

You will recall the federal Liberal government exempted the carbon tax for those that used more expensive oil home heating; a practice more common in Atlantic provinces that don’t have easy access to cheap hydroelectric home heating or cheaper natural gas we have here.

Where this issue became politically charged is when federal Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings acknowledged the policy change came after Liberal government backbenchers from Atlantic Canada lobbied the federal cabinet and further suggested that if the West wanted policy change, maybe they should elect more Liberals.

That political remark gave Moe justification for the kind of political fight he relishes, soon declaring his government would defy the federal law and now collect the carbon tax on natural gas home heating. His government even changed the law to make the running and collection of carbon tax on home heating a ministerial responsibility, meaning that it would be the designated SaskEnergy minister (currently, Dustin Duncan) responsible for this seeming breach of the law.

This escalated a war of words and threats about the inappropriateness of politicians who swear oaths to uphold the laws breaking the law. In the most recent

development, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while Saskatchewan people shouldn’t be penalized by receiving no carbon rebate or a reduced carbon rebate, he ominously wished Moe and the Saskatchewan Party good luck in their fight with the independent Canada Revenue Agency.

In turn, the CRA said it was preparing to audit the province for not paying its carbon levies. To that, Moe responded on social media:

“We are submitting the same amount of carbon tax on natural gas and electricity for residential home heating as the Trudeau government is collecting on home heating oil,” he said. “So we consider ourselves paid in full.”

It might be a popular response, given that no one likes Trudeau or the CRA. But most of us know we have to pay our taxes and that the CRA demands we do so. Moe’s position that “we don’t believe there are any dollars owed” has little basis other than politics and moral arguments; arguments that the CRA won’t likely accept.

Nor will all of Moe’s other problems in a changing world demanding we burn less fossil fuel.

Consider the fact that the Sask. Party is slowly getting out of business of burning coal to produce electricity.

Last week, SaskPower and Crown Investment Corporation (CIC) Minister Dustin Duncan announced SaskPower and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) would join a CANDU working group to share knowledge moving forward on the development of small modular reactors (SMRs).

It’s a good idea and it’s good that the government is taking it slow. The problem? Abandoning coal may mean a loss of jobs in the southeast — something of concern to Saskatchewan United Party leader Nadine Wilson.

“I’d also like to know if the Government of Saskatchewan is going to shut down coal, and how soon?” Wilson asked in the legislature.

“We’ll certainly be looking to ensure that we can run coal as long as possible,” Duncan responded in the legislature.

That seems inconsistent with the Sask. Party government’s long-term view on SMRs and maybe even its long-term fight over the best way to reduce carbon emissions, but such fights may carry on for a while.

New Supports For Families With Children Requiring Out Of Province Care

On May 1st, the Government of Saskatchewan announced it will be providing financial assistance to families who are referred out of province for medical care for their child.

The province will reimburse transportation and accommodation expenses for pediatric patients aged 16 and younger, along with a caregiver, effective retroactively to the beginning of the fiscal year April 1, 2024.

"We understand the challenges families can face when they have a sick child, particularly those who are also having to deal with travel accessing specialized care outside of the province," Health Minister Everett Hindley said. "That's why we are taking steps today to reduce the financial burden for families so they can focus on their healing journey for their child."

Similar to any medical treatment sought outside of the province, prior approval must be obtained from the Ministry of Health before travel. The main criteria is that the surgical or diagnostic treatment must be medically-necessary and not available in Saskatchewan. The specialist physician or surgeon who applies for the prior approval must also indicate the expected length of stay required for treatment.

Expenses covered include the cost of transportation by airline or car, hotels or stays with family members and meals up to $2,000 per trip.

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 333Martensville, SK S0K 2T0.

90th BIRTHDAY

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MISCELLANEOUS

Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

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LAND WANTED

CITY OF MARTENSVILLE

PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

List of lands with arrears of taxes as at March 31, 2024

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and cost appearing opposite the land described in the following list are fully paid before June 15th, 2024 a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum of costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of the Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

Submitted to the Head of Council this 7th day of May, 2024 Finance Officer/Treasurer

Council Discusses Shared Training Facility for Area Fire Departments

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Martensville City Council met for their first meeting of the month on Tuesday, May 7th. The meeting began with a presentation from Tod Fox, who lost his wife Natasha Fox after she was hit by a cement truck while riding her bike in Saskatoon last May. Fox has since been advocating for pedestrian/cycling safety and wanted to share the information that he has learned and provide advice on how to make Martensville a safer community for everyone. There will be a rally for remembrance being held in honour of Natasha called ‘Ride for Your Life’ on June 15th in Saskatoon. Learn more by visiting https://ride. regfox.com/2024.

There was also an amendment to several Martensville facility rental rates, which include two at the Martensville Athletic Pavilion and one for the hourly rates at the North Ridge Community Centre.

The May 7th meeting agenda also included the 2024 borrowing for the Martensville Recreation Centre, a topic which had been previously discussed at a prior meeting.

“Based on the conversation at that meeting, administration is proposing a $15 million loan with a 20-year term that will begin in 2025. The loan obligations will not require any increase to property taxes. A testament to the commitment of all those involved in making this project a reality,” Mayor Kent Muench stated in an update via social media.

Council also discussed the Regional Fire Training Grounds Contribution Agreement, which includes the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville Fire Departments utilizing a shared training facility. Each community is currently utilizing their own training facility; however, a new site, located within the RM of Corman Park on 10th Avenue South (approximately 2kms south of Martensville), would allocate 112 hours/year to the Martensville Fire Department. There would also be an option to rent additional hours as required.

Martensville’s contribution to the capital costs of Phase I would be approximately $200,000, with the option to be paid with in-kind contribution of some training assets being moved to the new location, and $100,000 already budgeted for.

The next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 14th. More information can be found by visiting www.martensville.ca.