October 13, 2022

Fall

Jocelyn Ottenbreit/MM

Reminder Property Taxes are Due!

- Tax Notices were mailed out on April 29th. If anyone has not received their notice, they should contact City Hall. Ensure all contact information is up to date.

- Starting on August 1st, interest penalties on outstanding amounts begin to accrue

Ways to Pay

- Taxes can be paid by cash, cheque, or debit at City Hall.

- Taxes can also be paid online through Banking Bill Payments, or by E-transfers; for payments: payments@martensville.ca.

Please include address &/or roll number in the comment section along with an indication the payment is for taxes.

October & November 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 October 18th

Regular Council November 1st Committee of the Whole November 8th Regular Council November 15th

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.

Organics Collection Season is Wrapping Up

Please note that the final Organics Pick up dates is coming in October. The final dates for Green Bins to be picked up is:

October 21st for the Northside October 28th for the Southside

Subscribers should store Green Bins until the schedule restarts in May 2023.

Local Writer Wins National Writing Award

Sally Meadows of Martensville, SK has won an award in a national writing competition for her short story “The Placement of the Cross” published in Easter: Stories & More (2021).

Meadows, a long-time Saskatchewan resident, is an award-winning author and recording artist. This is the second time she has won in the category of Short Fiction – Christian Market, and she has previously won the category Children’s Book – General Market (2019) for The Underdog Duckling.

The Word Guild hosted the 34th annual awards event on Saturday, Sept. 17, held online for the third consecutive year. Cohosted by authors Tara K. Ross and Murray Pura, the event recognized work published in 2021, as well as unpublished work by new writers, for both Christian and mainstream audiences. The Word Awards celebration is the premier event honouring the work of Canadian writers who are Christian.

The over 60 award categories include non-fiction books, novels, short stories, articles, columns, poems, blogs, and song lyrics.

“The pandemic has not been a productive time for many of us who earn a living in the arts, so I am especially grateful that one of my published works was recognized this year given the incredible talent we have here in Canada amongst Christian writers,” says Meadows.

The Word Awards were established to encourage the pursuit of excellence in the art, craft, practice, and ministry of writing and to help raise the profile of Canadian writers who are Christian.

Some of Canada’s bestknown Christian writers, leaders, academics, songwriters, and journalists have entered this contest and won awards or received Award of Merit citations, including Carolyn Arends, Steve Bell, Thomas Froese, Stanley J. Grenz, Maxine Hancock, Janette Oke, J.I. Packer, John G. Stackhouse, Brian C. Stiller, Jr., Karen Stiller, Ann Voskamp, Sheila WrayGregoire, and William P. Young.

To see the complete list of this year’s winners, or to obtain more information about The Word Awards or The Word Guild, visit www. thewordguild.com.

Recreation Update- Coming up this Fall; Geocache, Culture Days, Halloween and More!

Culture Days: September 24th - Oct 16th

• October 13th – Cardio Salsa

• October 24th- A Day at the Rink, including Belly Dancing Workshop and performance

• October 26th- Learn to Make Cold Rolls (program full)

Contact the MAP or visit our Facebook Events for more information on Culture Days!

Halloween at the MAP: October 28th, 6PM to 8PM

• Find your best costume for a fun evening for the kids and the whole family at the MAP featuring games, music, treat bags and more.

• Murder Mystery! Interactive game, ‘Murder in Hollywood’!

Sip N Shop: November 24th

• Registration for local vendors is now open.

Contact the MAP, visit Martensville.ca or Facebook for information on registration and what is coming up.

Your Traffic Bylaw and What You Should Know

The City of Martensville Traffic Bylaw regulates the operation of vehicles in Martensville, this includes parking, signage, weight restrictions and other regulations that apply to vehicles. Vehicles included are passenger vehicles, bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, trailers, recreation vehicles, snow mobiles and other types.

Some of the common points in respect to the traffic bylaw include:

- No person shall park a vehicle in any lane nor in any street so as to obstruct the entrance to any lane or to a driveway or approach leading to private premises.

- No person shall park a vehicle on any street for more than 72 hours.

- No person shall park a vehicle on any street to the left of centre (wrong way).

- No person shall park a trailer on any street unless it is hitched to a towing vehicle. The only exception is for construction trailers. No person shall park a construction trailer on any street unhitched for more than a period of 12 consecutive daytime hours while carrying out work adjacent to where the trailer is located. The trailer cannot remain unhitched over night. - No person shall park a recreational vehicle on any street from October 1 through April 30 in any year.

- No person shall park a vehicle in such a manner that any portion of the vehicle extends over a sidewalk.

To see the Traffic Bylaw in its entirety please visit the City of Martensville website or contact City Hall for questions.

Residents Requested to Limit Water Use

October 18th to 21st, SaskWater Supply Line Maintenance

SaskWater has scheduled maintenance work on the water supply line to the City of Martensville for October 18, 2022. In an effort to avoid issuing a precautionary drinking water advisory (PDWA), the City of Martensville will be filling our water reservoirs to their fullest capacity and closing the supply line from SaskWater prior to the work starting.

SaskWater will be testing water samples following the maintenance work to ensure that there is no risk to the public. Until the test results come back satisfactory, the City of Martensville will keep the SaskWater supply line closed and will be relying on the storage capacity of the reservoirs. The City anticipates that the supply line can be safely opened again for normal operation on October 21, 2022.

To help ensure that there is a sufficient water supply during the maintenance period, the City of Martensville is requesting that residents limit their water use where possible between October 18 –21, 2022.

Please note that during this period the water supplied to residents by the City of Martensville will continue to be safe for consumption.

Thank you for your cooperation! More information can be found on Martensville.ca or by Contacting City Hall.

ABOVE: Sally Meadows

Martensville Youth Connection in Jeopardy of Closing Doors

Jocelyn Ottenbreit, Martensville Messenger

Katherine Carter was working in pediatric emergency as a social worker as well as within schools as a counsellor, where, for the past seven years, she saw firsthand the barriers families were facing to access mental health support financially, along with waitlists and time. Chelsea Campbell, a lawyer who practices family law, also saw youth being affected by family matters. This is where the two women decided to team-up to offer a four-week mental health group last summer, which was the beginning of Martensville Youth Connection (MYC).

“The response was amazing, and last fall, we ended up facilitating another 12 weeks of programming on Wednesdays at Clearcut Coffee House in Martensville. Clearcut has been an amazing support since the very beginning with us. Chelsea, Jennifer, who works at the Regional Psychiatrist Center (RPC) as a mental health officer, and myself taught various life skills and provided information on depression, anxiety, stress triggers, resume building, eating disorders. We also had guest speakers come from the sexual assault center, the LGBTQ2 community and we had teachings on the medicine wheel.”

In January of 2022, parents and youth were asked to complete surveys, and the response was astonishing. Carter noted that people were loving the Wednesday night youth group, so they decided to offer homework support on Monday nights, Wednesday for mental health support and Fridays for fun and games nights.

“This is where I knew I was in over my head and Chelsea, Jennifer and I could not continue volunteering our time to operate the programs. I went out looking for support and help.”

After a few months of Carter pitching her stories to many businesses, non-profits and other organizations, Possibilities Recovery Center saw the need and had similar passions and decided to support MYC and take hold of the program.

Chelsea, Jennifer and Katherine moved the program to operate out of Forged Fitness in Martensville and from April to the end of August, operated five days a week with social workers and addiction counsellors, offering mental health support and whole foods to local youth.

At a recent bingo fundraiser, the MYC provided an annual report showing the amazing work they have been completing between Paws Republic, community clean ups, take over at the skate parks, cooking for seniors and more.

Unfortunately, they are in jeopardy of having to close their doors to the public due to funding. “One of our biggest challenges is finding an adequate size facility at a reasonable price. Funding is always a necessary part of the programming; however, MYC is also always in need of food and snacks to feed the youth, especially fruits and vegetables.”

Carter noted that they are looking for a business to partner with that could provide fruits and vegetables monthly. It is these kind of partnerships with local businesses that make MYC possible as the programming is all based on community funding and grants. “At this time, we have no secure funding and we only have enough funds to continue on a monthly basis. We do not know what the fall will look like. Many companies have donated and it has been amazing, but we are still in need of $50,000 in order to continue to operate to 2023,” Carter explained.

The organizers have made a calculation and with approximately 10,000 people living in Martensville, if 1000 people donate $100 a year they would be able to operate with qualified staff five days a week from 3-9pm daily, and offer whole foods like fruit and vegetables to the youth.

“This is huge to us as we hear many families are struggling with the rising cost of living and we would love to reduce some of that stress that families may be facing by offering some nutritious foods and mental health supports to our local youth. We also offer free counselling to individuals who attend our groups thanks to the Martensville and District Kinsmen organization.”

“I have a dream of supporting our local youth to learn and grow and have a safe place to access when needed. We know that people struggling with mental health is on the rise, so if anyone has any ideas where we could set up a new location that is easily accessible to the youth, please let us know. Also, if anyone knows of any companies that would be willing to support our efforts in helping our local youth, please reach out to them and pass our information along.”

If you want to learn more about the program, or are interested in donating, visit https://possibilitiesrecovery. ca/myc-youth-program or the Martensville Youth Connection Facebook page.

Martensville Free Pantry Hosts Open House to Increase Public Awareness

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The Martensville Free Pantry held an Open House on Wednesday, October 5th as a way to invite local residents to come in and see the space, learn more about the organization, ask questions and get information on volunteer opportunities.

The volunteers that are behind the MFP were on hand to share their experiences with the MFP, as well as Dillon Shewchuk, Community Economic Development Manager for the City of Martensville, who spoke about the City’s role within the organization.

The Martensville Free Pantry was created in 2016 by local resident Marcy Cross, and had humble beginnings as a shelf space within the halls of the Martensville Civic Centre that had non-perishable donations available for people to pick-up anonymously. Over the years, the MFP has grown in many ways, not only in need, but also in the space it utilizes within the Civic Centre, the equipment that has been donated to store food and also in the volunteers needed to continue operating to serve those in need within the region.

“Things around here look very different from what it used to. This all began with a shelf in the hallway, and although there was a need then, that need became more apparent during the pandemic,” Shewchuk stated.

These days, the MFP has a space dedicated to operation where they are able to store donations on shelves and within refrigerators and a freezer and are available throughout the week during the same hours as the Martensville Library (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30am-5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am7:30pm and Saturday from 9:30am-2:00pm).

This summer, a new group of volunteers began operating the MFP; however, more help is still welcome as the need continues to grow. The MFP not only serves those within Martensville, but has also supporting families from other surrounding communities such as Warman, Hepburn, Dalmeny and others.

“We want to support as many people within the region as possible; however, we don’t help in Saskatoon because they already have a lot of resources there. Our goal is to keep it local, so when people donate food to us, they know it is helping locally,” MFP volunteer Taralynn Wagner explained.

Currently, the MFP provides anywhere from 9-12 food hampers to families every two weeks. Those receiving hampers are required to provide health cards, or another form of identification for each family member, and proof of residence. Hampers must be requested by 5pm on Tuesdays and are available to be picked up on Wednesdays between 11am and 1pm. Hampers are created based on each family’s size and requirements such as if there are children in need of school lunch options, dietary requirements, etc.

“We also have hygiene and other items available upon request. When people come for hampers, they have access to items on shelves and can take what they need, as well as items that they maybe don’t need as often like condiments, coffee pods, pet food and things like that, but they have the option this way at least,” volunteer Linda Ward said.

Outside of the food hampers, there are items available throughout the day for anyone in need of some extra food on the shelves and refrigerator within the hallway.

“We want to be able to help everyone. We hate saying no because we don’t have enough supplies. The main thing is that we take care of the hampers first, and then we put things on the shelves in the hallway. Usually, there is always something out there for people,” MFP volunteer Brenda Carter explained.

Donations are what keep the MFP operational, and over the years, numerous service groups, businesses, schools and individuals have made donations. Additionally, Martensville Co-op Food Store and Buy-Low Foods in Warman make regular donations of bakery items, dairy items and meat. Shoppers also have the option to purchase ‘Hunger Bags’ at the Martensville Co-op, which vary in cost and go directly to the MFP.

The MFP volunteers have been reaching out to similar organizations within other communities that have been operating longer to gain knowledge in order to continue to grow.

“They have been able to reach out to some other food banks and find out a little more about how they work. For example, making sure hampers are getting to people that actually need it, finding out about vetting processes, what works, what is fair but still respects people’s privacy and making sure donations aren’t being wasted on those that don’t necessarily need them,” Shewchuk said.

Since the MFP runs on donations, they are very careful to avoid waste, and in doing so, even donate bakery items that do not get used to a local farm for the animals to eat.

For those interested in donating items or their time to the Martensville Free Pantry, you can contact them via their Facebook page, by emailing martensvillefreepantry@ gmail.com , or calling/texting (306) 2801255.

ABOVE:

Martensville Free Pantry

region.

Learn more about the Martensville

Martensville Mayor Encourages Community to Show Support to Local Fire Department

“After a Thanksgiving with family and friends I think it's only appropriate that we recognize and show our gratitude to our incredible firefighters by coming out to their open house on Wednesday. You can come see all their super cool equipment, have some food, and say thanks while you are there!”

Members of the Martensville Fire Department (in no particular order): Fire Chief Kurtis Dyck, Deputy Fire Chief Dean Brooman, Captain Norm Hydamacka, Captain Bill Symons, Captain Jason Marshall, Captain Ryan Cross, Captain James Taylor, Todd Mossop, Bruce Romanow, Russell Gerwing, Dustin Hollman, Brent Dupuis, Levi Schutz, Alex Grenier, Chase Vandale, Michael Gawletz, Chris Peters, Scott Loyns, Rob Riviere, Tyson Marshall, Liam Lussier, Mike Anweiler, Cody Wolfe, Noah Muench, Dawson Cote, Dylan Babecy, Mark Dean, Brad Forster, David Millar, Mark Symons, Melissa Zimmer. (Some members MISSING)

- Mayor Kent Muench

there a

In

Celebrating 100 Years of Fire Prevention Week

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

Fire Prevention Week takes place each October and is a way to help remind people

take some extra time to ensure themselves and their loved ones are prepared in the event of a fire; whether that be by planning an escape plan, installing and maintaining smoke alarms and CO detectors, educating children about fire safety, and more.

This year, Fire Prevention Week takes place from October 9-15 and marks the 100th anniversary for the initiative, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is celebrating this milestone by hosting a poster contest for students in Grades 4-8 that will run until October 28th. Winning entries will be showcased on the SPSA website and Facebook page. Learn more at saskpublicsafety.ca.

"When fires happen, Saskatchewan's professional and volunteer firefighters are ready to respond," Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) Minister Christine Tell said. "When these brave individuals aren't putting their lives on the line to fight fires, they are training and promoting fire prevention in their communities."

This year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week is “Don’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.”, which highlights the importance of having an escape plan in place in case of a fire.

"Everyone should have a plan to escape their home in case of a fire, and that plan should be well practiced. You and your loved ones might only have a couple minutes to escape. It is crucial to know what to do during a fire," Saskatchewan Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard explained.

Each year, in honor of Fire Prevention Week, the Martensville Fire Department hosts an Open House to provide the community with a chance to visit the fire hall and learn more about the local department, and enjoy some burgers and hot dogs while they are at it.

Those attending will have an opportunity to see the trucks and equipment used on a regular basis up close, view a firefighting demonstration; ask questions, and more during this event, which takes place on October 12th at 5pm.

The MFD is currently looking for new recruits to join the department, and Deputy Fire Chief Dean Brooman stated that this is a great way for anyone interested to come out and learn more about the Martensville Fire Department.

“We have always been really fortunate when we are hiring and don’t seem to have a shortage of applicants, but unfortunately, we can’t hire everyone. If there are people interested in applying, the Open House is a good way to see what we have going on here,” Brooman stated.

“This event is always one of our favorites as it gives us a chance to do something different and interact with the community. It also gives us a chance to work together to put this event on, so it is really a good opportunity for us to build as a team as well,” Brooman said.

Currently, there are 31 members on the Martensville Fire Department and this year, as of Wednesday, October 5th, there have been 300 calls that the local department has attended this year, with 203 of those being medical calls, 15 motor vehicle collisions and the remaining calls fire related.

To learn more about the Martensville Fire Department, visit them on Facebook, or visit www. martensville.ca.

Affinity Credit Union Provides Funding For Prairie Spirit Music Program

Members of Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation and Prairie Spirit School Division’s Resonate Music Program were pleased to meet with representatives from Affinity Credit Union to formally announce and thank them for their investment and support of the 2022/23 division-wide program.

Resonate is designed to be an inclusive approach to music programming in the Division and involves a number of channels or outlets, including a student music conference, teacher professional development, performances and other events. Resonate aims to support students’ learning such that positive relationships, lifelong learning, good citizenship, and a pay it forward attitude emerges back in their home schools and communities.

“Working closely with members of Prairie Spirit School Division, we are able to help facilitate funding opportunities with community partners that help promote and foster enhanced learning opportunities for Prairie Spirit students throughout the Division,” said Kari Dean, Executive Director, Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation. “It is my pleasure on behalf of Resonate and the Foundation to formally thank Affinity Credit Union for their community investment in our division-wide music education initiative through their Member Council Funding.”

The support provided by Affinity Credit Union and other valued community partners create opportunities for members of the Resonate team to focus on its current goals of “Re-Engagement” and “Health & Wellness”. After a few years of hosting Resonate online and having limited opportunities to connect with students or hear live music during this time, the program is working hard to rejuvenate a passion for music in students and staff, and re-engage in building relationships and making connections with professional musicians and with each other. Resonate also seeks to build awareness and opportunities to support student wellness through music.

“Our purpose as a Foundation, has always been to enhance and enrich the learning opportunities available to the students in our Division. We know Affinity’s generous investment significantly impacts our students and will provide and empower them by creating an opportunity for additional resources and tools to further achieve their learning goals,” said Michael Collins, Acting Board Chair, Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation. “For this reason, we will continue to reach out to our community partners to facilitate funding opportunities in support of the Division’s greatest needs.”

More information on Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation and how you can help support enhanced, enriched & engaged learning opportunities for students and educators in Prairie Spirit School Division can be found on the Foundation’s website at www. prairiespiritschoolsfoundation.ca.

classifieds

COMING EVENTS

Prairieland Park Saskatoon

Oct 22 (noon - 5pm)

Oct 23 (9am - 4pm)

Artists register

Oct 21 (noon - 8pm)

Carvings - Sculptures

Photography Paintings

Workshops & more GALA

Wine & Cheese

22 (starts at 7pm)

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Private mortgage lender. All real estate types con sidered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228 www. firstandsecondmortgages.ca

HEALTH

LAND FOR SALE

FARMLAND

WANTED

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

HEAVY EQUIPMENT

OPERATORS REQUIRED: motor scrapers, dozers, excavators, graders, rock trucks. Lots of work all season.

Camp job; R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction Box 100, Arborfield, Sk. S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

FEED AND SEED

WE BUY

DAMAGED GRAIN HEATED... LIGHT BUGS... TOUGH MIXED GRAIN SPRING THRASHED WHEAT... OATS PEAS... BARLEY CANOLA... FLAX “ON FARM PICKUP” WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN 1-877-250-5252

AGPRO SEEDS: BUYING HEAT ED, DAMAGED CANOLA. On farm pickup, prompt pay ment! TOP PRICES PAID IN SASK. Phone: 306-873-3006 or Visit AGPRO website for bids: agproseeds.com

Prairie Spirit Reports

Enrolment Growth

Prairie Spirit School Division is reporting another year of enrolment growth, with an increase of 220 students this fall. This enrolment increase exceeds the projected enrolment by 70 students. Prairie Spirit has 11,999 students in its 47 schools, effective September 30, 2022.

All school divisions in the province must report their official enrolment num bers to the Ministry of Education at the end of September each year. Enrolment is a key factor in determining provincial funding to school divisions.

Prairie Spirit’s student enrolment has increased by over 3000 students since the Division was formed through the amalgamation of three school divisions in 2006.

Prairie Spirit School Division serves students in 47 schools and 28 communities surround ing the City of Saskatoon. The school division also includes nine Hutterite colonies and three First Nations communities. The school division covers a wide geographic area: north to Leask, south to Hanley, east to Colonsay and west to Perdue.

Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.

Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com

NOTICES

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSI

FIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, in cluding 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www. swna.com for details.

Advertisements and state ments 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 ac curacy, completeness, truth fulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Ad vertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

WANTED

GOLD, SILVER & PLATINUM

BUYERS purchasing all gold & silver bullion, jewelry, coins, nuggets, dust, scrap, pre-1968 coins, bulk silver, sterling +++ Numismatist purchasing entire coin collec tions & accumulations, Royal Canadian Mint coins, world collections, old $$$. +++ 250864-3521.

ABOVE: (Left to Right): Bruce Mellesmoen (Coordinator, Arts Education, PSSD), Spencer Krips (Strategic Facilitator, Arts Education, PSSD), Will Martin (Strategic Facilitator, Arts Education, PSSD), Tiffany Werboweski (Small & Medium Enterprise Specialist, Affinity Credit Union), Debbie McGuire (North Member Council, Affinity Credit Union), Michael Collins (Acting Board Chair, Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation), Darryl Bazylak (Director of Education, PSSD), Kari Dean (Executive Director, Prairie Spirit Schools Foundation) and Dave Carter (Arts Education, Superintendent, PSSD)

MLA Terry Jenson’s Report from the Legislature

Celebrating Agriculture Month

World-class, environmentally sustainable, tasty and nutritious. Those are just some of the ways consumers around the world describe Saskatchewan agriculture products. As we celebrate Agriculture Month in Saskatchewan, we are taking time to thank the dedicated agriculture producers who put that food on our table. In 2021, Saskatchewan set a record with $17.5 billion in agri-food exports, producing 98 per cent of Canada's lentils and 80 per cent of the national durum crop. Saskatchewan is also one of the largest beef-producing provinces in the country.

This year, Agriculture Month focuses on the connection between the farm and our dinner tables. Partnering with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, we are asking families to share their food stories. Gathering around the table for Thanksgiving, meals in the field or even a picnic in the park, share your connection to food on social media using #MealsFromtheFarm.

Animal Health Week

In appreciation of livestock producers and veterinarians, the first week of October was Animal Health Week in Saskatchewan. Recognizing the high level of care that farm families provide to their animals with the help of vet professionals, this year’s theme is “Habitat Protection and Pandemic Prevention.” Incredibly proud and dedicated to their livestock, Saskatchewan ranchers, producers, and veterinarians work side by side to care for both the animals and the land on which they live.

Over the summer, we were pleased to meet with as many of you as possible while gathering feedback on the needs of the province. Hearing your concerns about a shortage of animal health professionals serving rural Saskatchewan, our government has made two announcements to help address the issue. We have increased the number of subsidized training seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from 20 to 25. Graduates who stay in the province to serve livestock stakeholders in rural and remote areas will qualify for the Saskatchewan Loan Forgiveness for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technologists program. By forgiving up to $20,000 in Saskatchewan Student Loan debt, the program aims to attract more professionals to under-served rural areas.

Annual Flu Shots Now Available

With the autumn season upon us, flu season isn’t far behind. Saskatchewan residents can now begin booking the annual flu shot through the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Vaccination clinics begin on October 11th, and pharmacies will also be able to administer the dose at that time. Booking online is the most convenient way to get the vaccination, and the process features a new family tool. Visiting 4flu.ca will enable you to book appointments for the entire family in one session. Individual and group bookings can be made by calling 1-833-SASKVAX (1-833-727-5829).

Fall Camping Reservations Available

The popularity of camping has increased in recent years, and there has been a desire for more sites to be available outside of the regular campaign season. That passion for the outdoors was evident last October following a record-breaking season. From October through March 15th, select campsites at certain provincial parks will now be available to reserve online. Due to the colder weather, certain services will be reduced and will be noted upon making the reservation. Reduced services will be reflected in a discounted nightly rate. You can learn more about fall and winter camping by visiting parks.saskatchewan.ca.

Beware of Ticks

Outdoor enthusiasts looking to take advantage of the mild fall conditions are reminded that ticks are still active, including the blacklegged tick that can cause Lyme disease. The risk for contracting Lyme disease is low, but not zero so it’s important to exercise the proper precautions when venturing into long grass or brush. Wear light-coloured clothing so the ticks are easy to spot, cover exposed skin with long pants and shirts, wear shoes rather than sandals and pull your socks over your pant legs.

Preparing for Fall Session

After a summer of being in the community again, meeting face to face with residents and municipal leaders, we have collected the feedback we need to prepare for the Fall Sitting of the Legislature. Our population is higher than ever, we have more jobs than ever before, and our economy is a leader in the nation. We will continue to foster that growth into the future, growth that works for everyone.

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.

Good Population Numbers Mask Old Problem

There’s good news on the population front: Saskatchewan grew by 6,465 people in the second quarter of this year, pushing the province’s population to 1,194,803.

For this we should mostly thank the many from around the world that chose to make Saskatchewan and Canada their new home. As pointed out by Trade and Investment Minister Jeremy Harrison in a somewhat gloating recent press conference, Saskatchewan has not seen a quarter with this much population growth since Statistics Canada began logging quarterly numbers in 1971.

In fairness, maybe Harrison’s Saskatchewan Party government gets to crow little. After all, no party has invested as much political capital in growing the province as the Sask. Party.

As most of us already know, Saskatchewan was the third-most populated province behind Ontario and Quebec as late as the early1930s. But then along came the Great Depression, farm mechanization and crop price stagnation. These economic developments were not only incentive for new immigrants to bypass Saskatchewan but also cause for people already here to seek work elsewhere.

The latter point became our political narrative, as election after election was fought on notion of bringing the children home from Alberta and B.C.

In the early 1980s, Grant Devine’s Progressive Conservatives ran on the campaign slogan “There’s so much more we can be”, that highlighted stories about an old couple that circled Easter on their calendar because that’s when the kids and grandkids were coming home from Alberta.

Devine would be rewarded with Saskatchewan crossing the million-person barrier in 1983. However, by the end of his tenure in 1991 the province would slide back under one million people again because of a poor oil and agricultural economy in the late 1980s. In that 1991 campaign, it was the Roy Romanow’s NDP running political ads of a bus pulling up in front of a rural farmyard to take the daughter way.

Unfortunately for this province, population growth remained slow for most of the 16 years of NDP government. We wouldn’t top the million-mark again until July 2007, just a few months before Brad Wall’s Sask. Party took over in November 2007.

Wall ran under the promise of growing the province by 100,000 people in the first 10 years of his governmentroughly, one per cent a year which was, at the time, about the nation’s average population growth. As was done in past campaigns, Wall and the Sask. Party blamed the stagnation of the governing party of the day.

"Since (former NDP premier) Lorne Calvert took office, Saskatchewan lost 35,000 people to out-migration — most of these young people," Wall said in Sask. Party 2007 campaign literature.

Given the province’s history, it was chancy gambling his government’s political fortunes on growth, but Wall and the Sask. Party were rewarded. Saskatchewan hit 1.1 million people well ahead of the 10-year goal. Sadly, Saskatchewan hasn’t done quite as well since.

While those recent quarterly numbers are a positive sign, they still leave Saskatchewan shy of the goal made a decade ago of 1.2 million people by 2020. And it doesn’t seem likely we will come close to Premier Scott Moe’s even bolder prediction of 1.4 million by 2030.

It’s about here where one needs to take a deeper look at Harrison’s population boasts because there are problems.

Those numbers represented the third-lowest growth rate in the nation. In fact, as percentage of the nation’s population Saskatchewan has slightly fallen to 3.06 per cent from 3.07 per cent. Even more unnerving, those same quarterly statistics also reveal Saskatchewan had a net loss of 7,902 to that age-old problem interprovincial migration. Only 15,323 people from other provinces moved in compared with 23,225 Saskatchewan people moving out.

Yes, Saskatchewan’s population as rebounded a little because of immigration, but that may be only masking our age-old problem of out-migration.

SPORTS

Royals Continue Hunt For Playoffs With

Field Win

With only five games left to play this season, the Martensville High School Royals football team is on a mission to win following a two-game losing streak against the Delisle Rebels.

On Thursday, October 6th, the Royals hosted John Paul II from North Battleford and ended the game with a win of 36-17 much to the joy of their hometown crowd.

Care

This week, the team is travelling to Humboldt to take on the Wildcats on Friday, October 14th.

Marauders Claim Victory in Home Opener

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

The Martensville AA U18 Marauders went up against the Saskatoon AA U18 Sabercats on Saturday, October 8th in their home opener game, taking the win with a 4-3 victory.

In addition to a great game, the team also presented a cheque to KidSport for $300, which was raised through a street hockey tournament and pancake breakfast held on October 1st.

Angie Reddekopp was in attendance to accept the cheque on behalf of the KidSport organization.

“The Martensville KidSport committee would like to thank the U18AA Maraduers for their generous donation to ensure “All Kids Can Play”. Hockey is the sport we fund the most in this community and to see these kids fundraising for the cause is amazing. Every little bit helps and we appreciate their efforts,” Reddekopp stated.

ABOVE: The Martensville AA U18 Marauders presented a cheque for $300 to KidSport following a fundraiser held on October 1st. (Martensville Marauders Facebook)

Shanine Sealey, Martensville Messenger

ABOVE: The Martensville High School Royals take a 22-0 lead at half-time against John Paul II from North Battleford. They went on to win the game 36-17. (Jocelyn Ottenbreit/MM)