Friday, January 29, 2021 Neepawa Banner & Press

Friday, January 29, 2021 • Vol.125 No. 27 • Neepawa, Manitoba

AAC LeRoy VB

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Bull & Female Sale

February 24, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. • DLMS • Neepawa Ag Complex

Derrick & Megan Pilatic • 204-841-5466 Videos & catalogue • www.brooksideangus.com

CourtSeeds

Plumas, MB courtseeds@gmail.com courtseeds.ca 204-386-2354

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chris.kulbacki@plantpioneer.com 204-966-3245 or 204-476-6449

Inside this week

Atkinsons honoured Page 11

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CDC ARBORG OATS t Exceptional Grain Yield t Very Strong Straw t Great Dual Purpose Variety

Your Dollar Store With More named Business of the Year Receives recognition from Neepawa & District Chamber of Commerce

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner & Press

The uncertainty created by COVID-19 was a tremendous challenge for every single business in Neepawa in 2020. For Karen Dyck and Brenda Harbour, the owners and operators of Your Dollar Store With More, their efforts to face those challenges head on, while also maintaining their support for a wide array of commun it y organ izat ions, has been justifiably recognized. On Monday, Jan. 25, during the Neepawa & District Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting Your Dollar Store With More was presented with the 2020 Business of the Year Award.

Val Jarema, who nominated the business, announced the recipients during the AGM’s Zoom video conference. Jarema noted dur i ng t he a nnouncement that Dyck, Harbour and three parttime staff at Your Dollar Store With More have worked extremely hard to maintain service over the

course of the pandemic.

She said their increased usage of social media has been helpful in direct communication with customers during provincial restrictions. Jarema also lauded their continued support of worthy local causes, such as the Salvation Army, in these stressful times.

A fter the announcement was made, Chamber of Commerce office administrator Barb Bohn presented Dyck and Harbour with their award.

Bohn also congratulated them on their leadership, dedication and commitment towards excellent customer service in the community.

Karen Dyck and Brenda Harbour thanked the Chamber for the recognition, and also thanked Val for nominating them for the honour. They added that while 2020 has been a bit crazy, they remain very grateful for the support they have received over the years from their very loyal customers and the community in general.

32nd Anniversary Since 1988

Inventory Clearance • Samsung TV’s on sale, sizes 32” to 82” • Entertainment stands

204-476-3636

PHOTO BY EOIN DEVEREUX

From left: Neepawa & District Chamber of Commerce president Pam Miller, employees Debra Kerkowich and Christi Hiller (behind counter) and Karen Dyck and Brenda Harbour, the owners and operators of Your Dollar Store With More in Neepawa. Missing: Meagan Wyatt-Whitmore

• Computers, laptops & Printers

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2 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Pharmacy student gets experience in Neepawa

COVID-19 updates Provincial government restricts travel between provinces: The Manitoba government has amended its public health orders to put formal restrictions on interprovincial travel to protect Manitobans from COVID-19 and to help prevent importation of possible variants from other jurisdictions.

The public health orders were amended for Jan. 29 to specify that anyone entering Manitoba from anywhere in Canada will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

This includes those entering from northern and Western Canada, and from west of Terrace Bay in Ontario, which, under previous health orders, did not require selfisolation.

COVID -19 f in es (Jan. 10 to Jan. 17): The latest enforcement efforts related to the province’s COVID-19 restric-

PHOTO BY KIRA PATERSON

tions have been released.

From Jan. 18 to 24, a total of 205 warnings and 46 tickets were issued (183 warnings and 77 tickets last week).

This week’s numbers include: 29 $1,296 tickets to individuals for various offences; 16 tickets to individuals for failure to wear a mask in indoor public places, and one $5,000 ticket to a business.

Since enforcement efforts began in April, a total of 2,599 warnings and 843 tickets have been issued, resulting in more than $1.2 million in fines to businesses and individuals.

Active COVID-19 case counts: Over the course of a recent seven day period from Wednesday, Jan. 20 to Tuesday, Jan. 26, there were 91 new COVID-19 cases reported within the Prairie Mountain Health region. That’s a slight increase from the 80 cases reported

last week.

The total current cases in Prairie Mountain since March are 1,915 (1,658 recovered and 206 currently active). There have been 51 deaths in the region.

Brandon has the most active cases in the region, with 58, while Whitemud, which encompasses Neepawa and surrounding communities, has no active cases at this time.

Provincially, the North Region currently has the most active COVID-19 cases, with 1,765, while Winnipeg’s current cases are at 938.

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Jordyn Emerson spent four weeks at Harris Pharmacy recently for her first practicum placement in her Doctor of Pharmacy course at University of Manitoba.

There was a new face behind the counter at Harris Pharmacy the last little while. Jordyn Emerson, who is taking the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Manitoba, was in Neepawa for four weeks for her first practicum placement.

Emerson is familiar with the area, having grown up in Gladstone. She’s always loved small town life, so the ability to get a rural job was one thing that drew her into the field of pharmacy.

“I knew I wanted to come back and work in a small town. And I also really liked healthcare. So when I was in high school, for my work experience, I went and did some hours at the Gladstone pharmacy and loved the pharmacists there and what they did, and I just went from there with it,” she explained.

Her placement at Harris Pharmacy can also be attributed to Emerson’s desire to work in rural Manitoba.

“I wanted to do my place-

ments in the rural area, just to get the experience out here. And we do get to pick our top choices, and I requested Harris Pharmacy to my instructor and she reached out to Heather [Todoruk, owner of Harris Pharmacy] for me.”

As for what a practicum placement involves, Emerson noted it’s mostly geared towards getting some experience and a feel for what a pharmacist does day to day.

“Some of it is shadowing the pharmacists just to see what they all do that we can’t yet as a student,” she explained.

“Like taking prescriptions and putting it through the computer, making sure that it’s appropriate for the patient, that kind of stuff.

But then also, from what we’ve learned so far, I can go out in the aisles and help counsel people on any of the products they’re looking at out there, if they have any questions. So [there’s] a lot

of trying to engage with the patients there and also figuring out the flow of the work.”

Emerson is in her third year taking pharmacy, with two more years to go, graduating in 2023. After that, she noted that she’d love to start her career in a rural setting somewhere close to home. “I’m not gonna be too picky. But yeah, anywhere kind of in the Gladstone, Neepawa, Portage areas would be ideal,” she stated.

Emerson added that she’s open to whatever options come available, in terms of what setting she’d be working in. “There’s even pharmacists in hospitals, so they have a whole different area that they can work within and there’s primary care pharmacists that work with health teams and clinics and it’s actually a lot broader than what I’ve realized going in,” she expressed.

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JANUARY 29, 2021

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ArtsForward asks for municipal grant support Local cultural centre makes request to Neepawa Town Council

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press If you were looking just at the basic financial results for ArtsForward Cultural Centre in 2020, you’d likely think that they had a very good year. A closer look, however, indicates just how impactful, in a negative way, COVID-19 has been to the facility.

Ron Nordstrom, board chair for ArtsForward, recently made a presentation to Neepawa Town Council asking for support within the 2021 municipal budget. Last year, the local non-profit organization received $15,000 and they are asking for that same amount in this year’s budget.

Not as rosy as it appears Nordstrom shared with council ArtsForward’s finances for the last two years. In 2019, income was listed as $114,738, while expenses were $126,793. That came out to a loss of $12,055. In 2020, the finances took an unusual turn, with income at $119,331 and expenses sitting at $90,466. That was a profit of $28,865. While that’s a positive number for ArtsForward, it did come with several addendum attached to it, such as: • A reduction from 1.5 staff members to one full time, a saving of $10,000. The full time staff member was also laid off in December, though ArtsForward expects to be able to bring the facility manager back on full-time in the future.

• The receipt of COVID-19 related grants and wage subsidies from the federal and provincial government, adding up to $10,000; • A one time increase to the financial commitment from the province to the Summer Student grant. The allocated amount received in 2020 was $7,500.

Nordstrom said that while those supports were extremely helpful, they are not sustainable.

“This is a one time thing, ladies and gentlemen. This is not something we anticipate doing every year,” stated Nordstrom.

Sponsorship program Another positive cited for 2020 was the establishment of a sponsorship program, a multi-tiered investment option for local businesses to support the facility. Nordstrom said that was able to generate $14,000 in its first year of operation. He added, however, that these sponsorships were dependant on the facility being open and accessible to the general public.

The closure of the building for months at a time has hindered it going into the new year, as many of those sponsorships have just been rolled over into 2021.

The official request Nordstrom capped off his presentation to council saying that the $15,000 request would allow ArtsForward to balance its 2020-2021 budget, as long as there are not unexpected expenses.

Snowed in deep

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY HELEN DRYSDALE

An early storm at Thanksgiving weekend closed the roads and stranded many people in October 1959.

This is taken on Hamilton Street in Neepawa, the Roxy is to the far left and to the far right, you can see the Land Titles office. There was a bus depot around where the telephone building was. To see more about this blizzard and others, see Helen’s article on Page 6.

Valley Optical Dr. Perkins Greg Perkins Dr. Greg Dr. Derek Papegnies Dr. Derek Papegnies Optometrists Optometrists

Mountain 499499 Mountain Ave.Ave.

Wednesday nights at 7 P.M.

Channel 12, MTS 30, Bell ExpressVu 592 or online at nactv.tv Bonanza $8088.50 • X $150 • Blackout $2,629.50 Toonie pot is $6,386 and goes up weekly NACTV Bingo cards are available for $12 per pack at: Harris Pharmacy • Your Dollar Store Tim Tom’s • NACTV office

& District Wellness Centre) Beautiful Plains Community Medical Inc. (Neepawa & District Wellness Centre) Beautiful(Neepawa Plains Community Medical Clinic Inc.Clinic

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:10 (New International Version)

NEEPAWA ACCESS 12 All programs are repeated 12 hours after listed time, during the night.

Mon. Feb. 1 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 .Coffee Chat-Pharmacy student) 10:15 .Open Mic at ArtsForward (2018) 11:20 . NACTV Studio Renovation #2 11:35 ............... Malanka Sandy Lake 1:00 ......MB Horticultural Association 2:00 ............. Harry’s Classic Theatre 3:30 ......Community Announcements 3:40 .Showcase: Purple Agenda Band 4:00 ... Kid’s Story-Time - Fairy Tales 4:35 .......................... Rotary speaker 5:20 ......Community Announcements 5:25 .............Tech Manitoba- Images 5:40 .......... Boreal Island, Clear Lake 6:00 ............Neepawa News & Views 6:30 N . eepawa & Southwest Manitoba 7:00 .The Beverly Hillbillies - S01E12 7:30 .....................Grassroots Racing 8:00 ....Zemovay 2007 - The Starlites 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat Tues. Feb. 2 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 ......................... Bird Sanctuary 10:05 .Gimli Icelandic Festival Parade 11:00 .Classic Cartoon Time - Popeye 12:05 ....Community Announcements 12:20 .Kinsmen Kourts 2 Construction 12:25 ............Glasgow & Isle of Skye 1:20 ......Community Announcements 1:40 ..Val’s Adventures: Grand Forks 2:45 ............Neepawa Natives Game 5:00 .......... Selkirk Aboriginal Church 7:00 ............Story Behind the Stories 7:30 ........................Val’s Adventures 9:00 ..........................Today’s Church 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat Wed. Feb. 3 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 .Kinsmen Kourts 2 Construction 10:05 ....MB Threshermen’s Reunion 11:00 .Choraliers at Country Meadows 11:30 ..........Story Behind the Stories 12:00 .Coffee Chat-Pharmacy student) 12:10 .......Manitoba Tourism Awards 2:00 .............. Prairie Alliance Church 3:15 ... NACTV Studio Renovation #2 3:30 .....................Grassroots Racing 4:00 .......................... Rotary speaker 4:45 ......Community Announcements 5:00 .NACI: Midsummer Night’s Dream 6:25 ...... The War Amps; Vimy Ridge 6:30 ..................................Herb Dock 7:00 ..............NAC TV BINGO - LIVE 8:00 .............................Town Council 9:00 ................. Western Wednesday 9:50 ......Community Announcements 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat ...........................................................

Thurs. Feb. 4 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 ..........Neepawa Natives Game 12:20 .......................Kernels of Hope 1:20 ......Community Announcements 1:30 ............... Sherlock Holmes -#13 2:00 .......... Selkirk Aboriginal Church 4:00 .............Tech Manitoba- Images 4:15 ........................... Bird Sanctuary NACTV programming is done by volunteers and substitutions are sometimes necessary.

Programming may also be seen livestreamed at www.nactv.tv/live .

For appointment please For appointment please call: call:

476-2002 476-2002

Council asked questions regarding the potential rehiring of a part-time staff member and whether it would be budgeted into 2021. Nordstrom said they have budgeted some for that, but cannot looked further into it until, “We get back to normal.”

Council thanked Nordstrom for the presentation and noted that it will receive consideration during budget deliberations

MTS Channel 30 • Bell ExpressVu 592 • Cable 12 www.nactv.tv

NACTV 476-2639

4:20 ......Community Announcements 4:25 .“It’s a Wonderful Life” Radio Play 6:00 ............Neepawa News & Views 6:30 .............United Anglican Church 7:00 ............Story Behind the Stories 7:30 ........................Val’s Adventures 8:30 .............................Town Council 9:30 ......... HMK Presents Rock 2010 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat Fri. Feb. 5 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 ....Community Announcements 10:10 ................... Manitoba Ag Days 11:00 .Bo & Buster by Wendy Crooks 11:40 ................What’s the Big Idea?

12:00 ...........................Town Council 1:00 ............Story Behind the Stories 1:30 ......Community Announcements 1:40 .....Art Show @ Erickson Library 2:00 ............. Harry’s Classic Theatre 3:30 ... Kid’s Story-Time - Fairy Tales 4:00 .....Heart & Stroke Big Bike Ride 4:40 .......................... Rotary speaker 5:25 ........ Folklorama 2007 Germany 6:30 ................Coast to Coast Sports 7:00 .......... NAC TV Reads the News 8:15 ............................ Boats & Bikes 8:45 .Kinsmen Kourts 2 Construction 8:50 ..Neepawa Small Town Carnival 9:00 .Frontier Friday-Paradise Canyon 9:55 ......Community Announcements 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat Sat. Feb. 6 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 ........ NAC TV Reads the News 11:20 ...Neepawa Novas Gymnastics 12:20 ...Wasagaming Chamber Days 1:00 .Classic Cartoon Time - Popeye 2:05 .............Tech Manitoba- Images 2:20 ......Community Announcements 2:30 .In the Footsteps of our Ancestors 2:50 .............Minnedosa Bike Parade 3:00 .......... NAC TV Reads the News 4:15 .The Beverly Hillbillies - S01E14 4:45 ......Community Announcements 5:00 .......... Introspection-Abigail Wall 5:30 ..............................Town council 6:30 ..................................Herb Dock 7:00 ............Story Behind the Stories 7:30 ... NACTV Studio Renovation #2 7:45 ............Neepawa Natives Game 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat Sun. Feb. 7 10:00 ............ Good Morning Canada 10:03 ..........United-Anglican Ministry 11:15 . ... Calvary Church, Minnedosa 12:00 .. St. Dominic’s Church Service 1:00 .............. Prairie Alliance Church 2:15 .Coffee Chat-Pharmacy student) 2:25 ......Langford Recreational Trails 2:55 ......Community Announcements . otary Tour of Seedz N Sproutz 3:00 R 3:20 ........... Mayday on the Mountain 4:00 ........Preserving the Past (1992) 6:00 ............Neepawa News & Views 6:30 ........................... Bird Sanctuary 6:35 ......Community Announcements 6:40 ...............Boo in the Park (2018) 7:00 .............. Prairie Alliance Church 8:15 .............. Sherlock Holmes - #14 8:45 ........ Royal Brandon Winter Fair 10:00 .........Start of Schedule Repeat

Times and programs are subject to change without notice

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Perspectives

4 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS

Tundra

JANUARY 29, 2021

Homebodies

By Chad Carpenter

Rita Friesen

Be crazy enough to change the world

Canada Post problem at the top

I

have no intention of causing any grief to local post office workers. I know they are sharing the same frustrations as everyone else.

As a newspaper, we have never had anything except good service from our local post offices. There’s the key word, local. Local people get it, they know how to do the best for the customers, friends, neighbours and for themselves. It’s the same as any business. Local is the best service, usually.

It’s up the ladder where the problem is happening. In some places, and in some cases, Canada Post is getting slower and slower as the months go by. We get it. There’s more online shopping and parcels are flooding the system. The Christmas Amazon rush was unreal. One local post office had as many as 11 fork lift pallets of parcels in their back warehouse on a given day.

It’s not that Canada Post didn’t seek out the business, they did. It’s not that they didn’t see it coming, they did.

The problem is they didn’t prepare for it and aren’t doing enough to accommodate their increased volume.

It’s pretty simple. If a farmer grows a bunch more grain, he hires another truck. It doesn’t seem to work that way with Canada Post. They haven’t increased regional space, apparently (that would be Brandon), where everything in rural western Manitoba funnels through, apparently. They may need another truck and driver or two, but you would think that any smart business person would get that looked at after being a month-long bottleneck.

Used to be that First Class mail, that is letters, got priority. Not anymore, parcels get priority. Due to more parcels and staff shortages, there were times last fall when First Class mail was as much as four days behind in some offices. neepawa

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Right in the Centre Ken Waddell It’s understandable, if CP has emailed a customer or sent them a card saying the parcel is coming, it had better get there. Even that isn’t happening.

There is also Second Class mail and Third Class mail. Your newspaper is Third Class mail, so guess where it gets left on the priority list.

We get comments like this: “I have been finding mail delivery very spotty and slow.”

“My last Hydro bill arrived the day it was due.”

“I ordered a medical appliance from Winnipeg five business days ago and it was listed as still in transit on Friday.”

“Flyers either don’t come at all or after the sales are already on. Is this a countrywide problem or just here?”

“I get your paper at my home in Winnipeg and it’s two weeks late.”

I can attest to that, as we subscribe to a number of papers and it’s not unusual to get two issues at a time, one a week old and one two weeks old.

“My parcel is a week late.”

We have experienced that personally, as we are awaiting a vital piece of equipment.

Canada Post needs to listen to its local staff and customers. Those two groups have the answers on how to fix Canada Post, but the corporation has to be willing to listen. I think they still have 11 regional vice presidents and I bet they each earn more than anybody reading this column. Appar-

ently, they aren’t bright enough to fix the issue. They also know that they have a monopoly in First Class (letter) mail and by virtue of remote and rural operations, they have a monopoly on all classes of mail.

Canada Post’s very poor corporate attitude is hurting the Canadian economy and, at best, annoying their customers. Who wants to wait weeks for parcel or days and weeks for a letter or a newspaper? The mail was faster when the steam trains hammered it across the county night and day.

I have no doubt Canada Post needs an overhaul, starting at the top. I feel sorry for the local postal staff who have to work very long hours, sometimes without sufficient help and occasionally receiving customer abuse.

Trust me, it’s rarely, if ever, the local postal workers’ problems.

As far as I know, when we deliver papers directly to individual post offices, they get put into the boxes quite quickly. The problem comes in that papers are, for the most part, delivered to one post office and then they go to Brandon for sorting. At best, it is overnight, but when they get plugged up in Brandon, the papers and parcels get delayed and left in the warehouse.

There’s only so much room on the truck, I guess.

It’s frustrating for everyone, but there’s not much we can do about it.

423 Mountain Avenue, Box 699, Neepawa, Manitoba R0J 1H0 Telephone: (204) 476-3401 Fax: (204) 476-5073 Toll-free: 1-888-436-4242 (within Manitoba) www.neepawabanner.com

Owners/Publishers Ken and Chris Waddell

“P

eople who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do.”’

Lovely quote, no author accredited, wish it where mine! Now, as much as at any time in the history of the earth, we need crazy people!

I feel a tad preachy today. I have been reflecting on this world, my world, and we have been bombarded with the term “unprecedented”. The urgency and despair of the last year, and I am thinking of the virus, is unprecedented for this generation. It is my opinion, and you are entitled to yours, that we feel the restraints and unpleasantness so sharply because we are, in this first world country, mostly entitled. For many of us, and if we compare our lives to those in refugee camps or war zones, most of us, are accustomed to our needs being met and many of our wishes granted. Too many have not felt a need to change the world, or even their world. This, thankfully, is changing.

I have watched, and participated in, incredible acts of kindness extended to our friends, family and community this past year. Our eyes have been opened to the loneliness of not only seniors, but also those who live alone. More hours have been spent on the telephone, more hours have been spent on social media and face time calls, more time has been spent connecting with others. And this is a good thing. Truthfully, these acts are offered with no expectations, no ulterior motives. (Generous gifts for many seniors, for example, high school students collecting items for the food bank.) Truthfully, these caring acts are changing the world, our world. People crazy enough to think they change the world, their world.

I have taken to following the morning message from our MLA and am encouraged by her courage, her determination to encourage, to make changes in a positive direction. I watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Political leaders. Crazy enough to think they can change the world, our world. May it be so.

Watching all this, and more, I am personally challenged to find ways to positively show my craziness! For me, the key is to define “the world”. As a parent and a grandparent, and now a great grand, it is safe to say that my family is my world. As a citizen of a caring and supportive faith community, it is safe to say this, too, is my world. Keep expanding that, to our community and our country, keeping your eye on the fact that each unit is comprised of individuals. So many of the acts of caring and kindness that we extend we do not recognize as the precious gifts they truly are. I know that scattered over the prairie provinces are individuals that are warmed and comforted by the dozens of quilts created by me; family members, friends and strangers. Notes of encouragement, letters to elected officials, a clipped cartoon sent to a favoured recipient!

For many of us, we don’t think our words and action are changing the world. They are changing the life of one individual, the core unit of the world. Be crazy!

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Perspectives

Pillars of faith

JANUARY 29, 2021

T

he best piece of advice I ever received came from a most unlikely source at a time when I needed it the most.

It was contained in a very short statement– just nine words; nine words that changed my life: “Cling to your faith. It will see you through.”

In the days that followed, when I lived through some of the most difficult times I have ever had to endure, those words not only changed my life, but on at least one occasion, saved it.

And since last March, when the first of the COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, they have helped me find the encouragement, hope and confidence I and those I love have desperately needed.

When challenges come, I take comfort in three facts of life that will never change.

First, God knows all about it. Unlike you and me, God has perfect knowledge of all that has happened, all that is happening and all that will happen from now

Faithfully Yours

Neil Strohschein until the day when time, as we know it, will be no more.

Nothing that happens to any of us ever takes God by surprise. He knew all about it long before this world was ever created. So he is fully aware of the challenges you and your family are facing right now. He knows who is ill, who is battling a life threatening disease, who needs work and who may be battling physical or emotional problems that no one else knows about. God is with us all day, every day and he is fully aware of every challenge that we face.

Second, every experience is a learning experience.

I often tell people that “I come by my gray hairs honestly. I am to blame for every one of them.” But I also remember the many

Observation

By Addy Oberlin

D

uring these first two months of 2021, many people are mourning the loss of a loved one in their family. Some were not able to say goodbye to their family member because of COV ID-19

constrictions. So very sad.

This week, the hymn “Great is Thy faithfulness”

by Thomas Chisholm has been on my mind quite a bit. Pets and friends can be faithful, but up to a point.

If I would let my dog go

lessons I learned during those hard times. I would not wish them on anyone.

I do not want to go through them again. But I would not trade them for anything.

They have made me the person that I am today and for that, I will always be grateful.

St. Paul (Romans 8:28) assures us that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Every life experience helps us identify bad attitudes and habits, remove them and replace them with positive ones. These changes help us become people whose attitudes and actions encourage those who are going through similar experiences. off a leash and she sees the neighbour’s dog, she’ll run and will not be that faithful to me. Friends come and go and sometimes, when we lose contact, we will never hear from them again.

However God is faithful at all times, in all circumstances and during our whole life, if we are willing to commit our life to Him and follow Jesus.

Life won’t always be fair.

We will still face hard times, but thanks to our faith, we can face them with dignity and optimism.

Third, learn to live one day at a time. This was, by far, the hardest lesson I have had to learn. I like to plan ahead, work ahead and be in control of where, how and with whom I spend my time.

But 15 years ago, when my wife had her stroke, I had to start living from day to day. The change hasn’t been easy to make, but it’s been well worth the effort.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father knows what we will need for this day and for the days ahead.

He tells us not to worry about tomorrow. Let God worry about that. Just focus on today and use the opportunities we are given to show and share God’s love, acceptance and forgiveness with everyone we meet.

May this faith be your faith in this new year.

David talks about God’s faithfulness 37 times in the Psalms. He talks about reliance on God’s faithfulness in Psalm 26:3 and tells us in Psalm 119:90 “Your (God’s) faithfulness continues through all generations...”

We will have peace when we can accept God’s faithfulness and love each day of our life.

Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up: A big thanks to Reischek Pharmacy and staff for their expertise and well managed business over the years. They give an exceptional friendly service and are very helpful with doing doctor contacts, making up prescriptions and offering good advice on meds. It’s just wonderful to have such a business in a small town like McCreary.

Thanks so much.

Bill and Gaye Sorrell McCreary, MB Thumbs up for Diane Mijker, who after over 40 years of delivering the Winnipeg Free Press to her many customers, has decided it was time to turn the paper route over to someone new. Maybe you remember seeing her pulling her wagon all over town delivering her papers, rain, snow or shine.

Happy retirement Diane.

Your friend, Jean Borchardt Neepawa, MB

Thumbs up: The Neepawa Banner & Press has become a very informative and enjoyable paper to read. Ken Waddell and his crew do a wonderful job of service to Neepawa and a wide surrounding area of towns. I look forward to getting your free gift in the mail each week. Keep up the good work. Many thanks.

Bill Sorrell McCreary, MB Would you like to send a thumbs up or thumbs down to an individual or group in the community?

Please send it our way. Submissions must include a name and must be under 100 words.

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In person: 423 Mountain Ave. Neepawa By fax: 204-476-5073 By email: news@neepawabanner.com

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS 5

Letters

Another slap in the face to rural Canada It was the last day before Parliament would recess for the holiday break and Justin Trudeau decided to sneak in an announcement that would be a slap in the face to every rural Canadian. I’m guessing he chose this day to avoid any confrontation in the House of Commons due to a lack of confidence in his policy proposal.

Accompanying Trudeau for this announcement was one of his newest cabinet Ministers, Steven Guilbeault, a man who was arrested for scaling the CN Tower 340 metres above ground to display a banner stating that Canada was a “climate killer”. An interesting background for a high-ranking government official representing our country, but I digress.

Qualities aside, the substance of the announcement was what really slapped rural Canada in the face. Justin Trudeau plans to raise the carbon tax from the current price of $30 per tonne to a whopping $170 per tonne – that’s an increase of over 500 per cent. An analysis from industry experts stated that this policy would increase gas prices by nearly 40 cents a litre.

You may remember that Justin Trudeau and his then Minister of Environment, Catherine McKenna, promised throughout their 2019 re-election campaign not to raise the carbon tax above current thresholds, but if there is anything we have learned from this government, it is that promises only last as long as deemed necessary to win an election.

I am upset because I know the negative impact this tax increase will have on the rural Canadians I proudly represent. I have said it before and I will say it again; a carbon tax does not work for rural Canada. It may work for those in downtown Toronto that can bus to work, walk for groceries, or send their kids on a train to gymnastics class– but it does not work for our farmers and agriculture sector. It does not work for the families who drive their children to 4-H meetings and hockey practice. It does not work for those who drive to town for work and groceries.

Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau’s government fails to understand that a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work in a country of diverse geography and demographics like Canada. The underlying concept of a carbon tax is to change an individual’s behaviour– to change their lifestyle choices. However, it doesn’t take an economist to know that certain behaviour can’t be easily changed. Consuming fuel is a behaviour that many rural Canadians have no control over. We drive to Brandon, Yorkton and Winnipeg often. We drive pickup trucks that are essential to our lifestyle. We don’t have public transportation for obvious reasons. However, few people complain about these notions because we are rural Canadians; this is the way of life we proudly chose.

Few countries care about their natural environment as much as Canada. We take pride in showcasing and conserving our mountain ranges, oceans and lakes, forests and wildlife. Rural Canadians especially cherish our natural landscapes and have a deep sense of obligation to conserve our wildlife and preserve our ecosystems. Very few Canadians have a more profound admiration and respect for the environment than do rural Canadians.

The government must develop a better environmental policy that works for rural Canada. Whether that be implementing ecological goods and service programs, conserving natural spaces and ecosystems, promoting clean technology development, or exporting our natural resources (which are produced with the highest environmental standards in the world); these are all better solutions than a carbon tax. We need to focus on uniting together to unleash innovation, instead of burdening individuals with unaffordable expenses for behaviours that they have little control over. Increasing gas prices by nearly 40 cents a litre is not the solution for rural Canada– it never will be.

Dan Mazier, Member of Parliament Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa

6 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Helen Drysdale out of helen’s kitchen

Blizzards

Prairie people have learned to handle the cold, but a winter blizzard is altogether a different story. A blizzard is falling snow or new snow with high winds, reducing visibility to 400 meters or less and wind speeds of 40 km/h or more, lasting several hours or days. Nowadays, blizzard warnings are issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada. We get reports on our phones, TVs and radios, giving us time to prepare. We know our weather and can plan our day.

This was not so in days gone by. Life was difficult enough in winter without a dreaded blizzard. Heavy snow, strong winds and dangerous whiteout conditions often meant loss of life for those caught travelling. There are stories of travellers being caught in a blizzard and turning the sleigh over for shelter or lying beside the horse for warmth to survive until the blizzard was over. On occasion, the life of both man and beast were lost. In the schools, teachers generally kept the children at school, as sending them home often resulted in unfortunate endings. In the fall, the farmers would tie ropes from the house to the barn to find their way to the barn to care for the livestock and find their way back to the house in a blizzard.

The January 1947 blizzard was prairie-wide; from Winnipeg to Calgary, towns and railways were buried. The snow and wind continued for 10 days, burying a train in a kilometre-long snowdrift. It was the worst blizzard in Canadian Railway History and some rail lines and roads remained plugged with snow until spring. The countryside was just one big snow drift. People shovelled snow tunnels to get out of their homes.

This blizzard caused 76 deaths.

Thanksgiving 1959 saw a long-lived blizzard in this area of Manitoba. It started with rain on Tuesday that turned to snow and continued on until late Saturday. Over 3,000 telephone poles in rural Manitoba were down, as well as many power lines. This storm had the worst timing; because of a wet fall, many crops remained in the fields.

Neepawa’s Agriculture representative used a plane to assess the damage to the crops and herds of cattle.

A Colorado low on Mar. 4, 1966 brought in a blizzard that was one of the worst to hit the province of Manitoba. The storm, with up to 120 km/h winds, dumped 26.6 cm of snow in Winnipeg in one day, stopping buses and cars from running and leaving people stranded in department stores, restaurants and in their cars. Snowmobiles took doctors, nurses and other emergency people to work, as streets had up to 12 feet of snow in places.

The storm on Dec. 28, 1978 came up suddenly and left travellers on the highways stranded in their cars due to snow drifts and poor visibility. That night, Bill and Viona Fraser, of Franklin, hosted 62 travellers and seven dogs from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Manitoba that were rescued from stranded cars. It was wall to wall sleeping arrangements, including a baby under the Christmas tree! Breakfast used five dozen eggs, four loaves of bread and three pounds of coffee. Living by the highway brought them stranded people many times and they were gracious hosts.

The spring storm of Apr. 5 to 7, 1997 dumped nearly 50 cm of snow in Winnipeg, beating out the 1966 and 1986 records. The storm set records for most precipitation in a 24-hour period, closing the airports, highways and knocking out hydro and phone service in many areas. The blizzard left so much snow, when spring came, the Red River rose by four feet, initiating a flood. The flood of 1997 was called the Flood of the Century and caused more than $500 million in damages.

Mar. 9, 2017 brought a blizzard lasting 31 hours, with high wind gusts and 41.1 cm of snow. Hundreds were trapped in their cars along highways, spending the night in their cars, including six people who got stuck north of Thompson for three days, before being rescued. 3,600 customers in western Manitoba lost power, including Neepawa.

When it’s cold and blustery outside, it’s a good day to make homemade soup.

Cream of chicken and vegetable soup 1 frying chicken, cut up 2 litres water 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 bay leaf 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 onions, finely diced 2 stalks celery, sliced 4 medium carrots, sliced 4 medium potatoes, diced

1 cup frozen peas 1 Tbsp. dried parsley 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash 1 can evaporated milk 4 Tbsp. flour

Cover chicken with the water. Add salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken. Remove any fat from broth. Add the remaining vegetables and herbs and cook until vegetables are just tender. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bones and cut into pieces. Add the chicken to the soup. Mix the flour and milk together and add to the soup. Simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally.

Spruce Plains RCMP weekly report Week of Jan. 18 to Jan. 24

By Cpl. Jacob Stanton Spruce Plains RCMP During the week of Jan. 18 to Jan. 24, Spruce Plains RCMP dealt with 44 police activities.

Jan. 18– RCMP received a report of threats being uttered in Rapid City. After speaking with all involved parties, the complainant did not wish to proceed with charges.

Police conducted Covid compl ia nce check s i n Neepawa and Gladstone. A ll person(s) were found to be complying with quarantine regulations. Police received a complaint of vehicle vanda l ism in Neepawa; there was insufficient evidence to proceed further.

Jan. 19– Police received a report of an e-mail scam that was requesting payment in the form of gift cards. No money or gift cards were sent, the complainant wanted to report it for awareness.

Jan. 20 – RCMP attended the scene of a two-vehicle collision that occurred in the RM of North-Cypress Langford.

There were no reported injuries and a ticket for driving imprudently was issued. Police received a report of a suspicious person in Minnedosa and conducted Covid compliance checks in the RM of Rosedale and in the Municipality of WestlakeGladstone. All person(s) were found complying with quarantine regulations.

Jan. 21– RCM P responded to an abandoned 911 call, originating from a business in Minnedosa.

Upon investigation, it was determined it was dialled accidentally by a child.

Police responded to a breach of peace in Neepawa, which was resolved without incident.

Jan. 22– RCMP responded to a vehicle fire in the Municipality of We s t l a k e - G l a d s t o n e .

Upon investigation, it was

determined that the fire had been set deliberately.

The person responsible for setting the fire was located a short time later, was arrested, charged and released on conditions, with a future court date. Police received a report of a stolen vehicle in Neepawa, which was later determined to be unfounded.

Jan. 23– RCMP were dispatched to a business alarm in Neepawa. Police attended and confirmed the building was secure, with no cause for concern.

Police received an animal complaint in Neepawa.

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Public service announcement If you have any information about these crimes or any other crimes, please contact your local RCM P Off ice or Crimestoppers at 1-800222-8477.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Neepawa and Minnedosa RCMP detachments advise they will be limiting front counter services at the detachments until further notice.

We request that you contact each detachment at 204-476 -7340 (Neepawa) or 204-867-2916 (Minnedosa) to inquire about criminal record checks or to file a report.

Leave a message if needed and it will be checked the following business day.

Do not leave a message if you require immediate police assistance. You must dial 204-476-7338 (Neepawa), 204-867-2751 (Minnedosa) or 911 to have a police officer respond to you promptly.

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The owner of the animals wa s spoken w it h a nd warned about future bylaw enforcement should additional complaints be made.

Jan. 24– RCMP conducted various proactive traffic enforcement, engaging with several motorists.

RCMP conducted 16 traff ic enforcement actions during this reporting period.

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Looking Back

JANUARY 29, 2021

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS 7

1961: Neepawa resident and author now in Vancouver

By Casper Wehrhahn Neepawa Banner & Press

110 years ago, Friday, January 27, 1911 The C.N.R. has issued orders to conductors to carry no drunks, at risk of dismissal from the service.

100 years ago, Friday, January 28, 1921 Only one per cent of Ontario’s hydro-electric current is used in rural communities.

A policeman took an aged prisoner from Elphinstone to Minnedosa yesterday. It is said that the prisoner is 80 years of age and is accused of trying to poison his father, aged over 100. The latter, it appears, provided for a bequest of $2,000 to the former, who got weary of waiting on nature to take its course.

90 years ago, Tuesday, January 27, 1931 A man by the name of Gus Kraus is under arrest in Winnipeg, charged with being an agent of a “job ring”, which swindles money out of workers under the pretense of f inding employment.

80 years ago, Friday, January 31, 1941 250 officers and air force men arrived at Carberry Sunday.

It was learned recently that almost the entire Jewish population of West and East Flanders, and the city of Antwerp, have been sent to concentration camps.

70 years ago, Thursday, January 25, 1951 Springhill– Misses Verla Simon and Irene Kasprick went to Winnipeg and secured employment at the Canadian Wheat Board.

60 years ago, Friday, January 27, 1961 Kelwood– Thirty rinks started play in the men’s open bonspiel, which started here on Monday. This year they are playing for the Gallagher-McLeod trophy in the first event and the L. W. Baker Memorial in the second.

Margaret Laurence, author of This Side Jordan, will be well remembered here as the former Peggy Wemyss.

Born in 1926, she is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert H.

Wemyss. Her grandparents, the late Mr. and Mrs. John Simpson, and the late Mr. and Mrs. John Wemyss, were prominent in the business and social life of the town during their many years residence here.

Graduating in 1947 with a BA degree from United College, Winnipeg, she married Jack Laurence, a civil engineer, that same year. His work subsequently took them to England, British Somaliland and Ghana. They have two children, Jocelyn, eight, born in England; and David, five, born in Africa. They now live at 3556 West 21st Ave., Vancouver, B.C. It was dur ing their residence in Africa that Mrs. Laurence was inspired to write about the people of that land– of their terrific sense of humour and zest for life. The author hopes to see again “that land of hope, growth and change.”

Her collection of Somali folktales and poetry, A Tree for Poverty, was published by the Somaliland government in 1954. She has also had short stories published in Story, Queen’s Quarterly, Prism, Tamarack Review and Winter Tales 6. She is now engaged in writing book reviews for the Vancouver Sun and marking English essays for the University of British Columbia.

M r s. L aurence ha s dedicated her first book to her mother, Margaret C. Wemyss, who was for many years librarian of the Neepawa library. To her mother and to Miss Mildred Musgrove, who taught English to her in high school, she received her first literary criticism and knowledge of writing standards.

50 years ago, Thursday, January 28, 1971 Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to an interesting year, with the addition of two ladies to a traditionally all-male executive. Mrs. Willard Vivian and Mrs. Doris Murray were among those

named during the annual dinner meeting held at the Legion Hall Friday night.

Other executive members includeRev.GordonFulford, H a r o l d M id d le m a s s , Norman Hasiuk, Ron Miller, Elmer Wiebe, John Wilken, Roy McGillivray, Jim Finlayson, Art Harris and Albin Guillas.

Among 98 graduates from the St. Boniface General Hospital’s School of Nursing, which held its graduation ceremonies on Friday, Jan. 22, were Mary Brandzin and Marlene Lewandoski, of Neepawa; Garry Jardine, of Brookdale; Shirley Prawdzik, Eden; and Valerie Buschau, of Plumas…

The St. Boniface Hospital was established in 1871 by the Grey Nuns. It was a fourbed hospital overlooking the Red River, which is the same site of the present large, modern hospital, recognized as one of North America’s leading heart surgery centres.

Note: According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “Grey Nuns” refers to six distinct Roman Catholic religious communities of women. The origins of these communities can be traced to the Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général de Montréal, founded by Marie-Marguerite d’Youville, in the mid-18th century.

The encyclopedia states that this association was formed in secret because new religious communities could not be officially founded in New France at that time. Existing communities came from France, and relied on the King for funding. Under the circumstances, it would not have been proper to ask the king for money to start a new one. d’Youville and her Sisters lived at the Le Verrier house on Notre Dame Street in Montreal, where they received, fed and sheltered all those facing difficulty. This is deemed significant because, at the time, the General Hospital only welcomed men and no other options were available for others who needed help.

The association would take on management of the bankrupt General Hospital in 1747, reorganizing it into a hospice for the elderly, disabled, foundlings, orphans and women who had sexual relations or had given birth

out of wedlock.

The brothers who had formerly been running the hospital were quite popular with the public, resulting in the general population resenting the change and mocking the sisters as “sœurs grises.” In French, “gris” translates to both grey and drunk, so while the mocking translated to “grey nuns” it also meant “tipsy women”.

This was meant to be in reference to d’Youville’s late husband, who was a bootlegger. They ended up keeping the nickname, sœurs-grises (Grey Nuns), as a reminder of their origins. Several businesses, including farms, an orchard, a mill and a bakery were managed by them to finance their work and, during the 1755 smallpox epidemic and the Seven Years’ war, the institution truly became a hospital.

40 years ago, Thursday, January 29, 1981 Level III students in the construction course at Neepawa Collegiate built a cottage as a major project in the first term.

The building employs all aspects of construction from blueprints to utilization of several different types of doors, windows, rafters and siding.

30 years ago, Tuesday, January 29, 1991 A Canada Post spokesperson says closing the post office in Kelwood and opening a retail postal outlet was the result of “a natural opportunity.”

“We’re doing conversions when a natural opportunity arises,” said Christine Desnoyers. “Communities are assessed on a case by case basis for conversions.”

Desnoyer s sa id t he natural opportunity came with the retirement of

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BANNER & PRESS ARCHIVES

Margaret Laurence, an author originally from the town of Neepawa, was busy working away in Vancouver, B.C. in 1961.

the postmistress. Instead of hiring to fill the post, Canada Post moved its postal operations into Cadle’s Lucky Dollar store.

Customers began receiving their mail service through the store Jan. 16.

Most Neepawa business owners say they were prepared for the Jan. 1 arrival of the goods and services tax and, while customers complain about the tax, they’re still buying.

20 years ago, Monday, January 29, 2001 While the Marquette RHA directors were being petitioned to reconsider the

location of a new personal care home in Neepawa, mayor Ken Waddell was busy backtracking on the controversial issue… saying that the CN site was indeed available, but CN was willing to negotiate only if the property were the top choice for the care home.

A lthough CN would have no way of knowing how many sites were under consideration, Waddell said the site selection committee chose not to enter negotiations with CN because it didn’t want to limit its options to that one site.

Dr. Gerard Murray Optometrist 418 Mountain Ave. ~ Neepawa •Evening Appointments Available•

PHONE: 476-5919

The Neepawa Banner & Press is also available online at: www.myWestman.ca

Seniors cannot wait

8 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Long Term & Continuing Care Association shines light on elder neglect Submitted LTCCAM As long-term care and elderly housing providers for more than 100 years, members of the Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCCAM) are speaking out to shine a light on seniors’ care in Manitoba. We understand the capacity and support needed for safe care. We understand first hand, that seniors cannot wait!

COVID-19 has changed all of our lives and we find ourselves not only facing health risks, but many other challenges on a daily basis.

But we know the greatest danger of all is the risk our vulnerable seniors face. 81 per cent of all deaths in Canada have been in long term care. Obviously, this is an area of enormous concern.

Costs to implement and maintain the Public Health Orders and directions from Shared Health and the Regional Health Authorities are unprecedented. These additional costs are crippling our residences.

We acknowledge that when the pandemic began in March, the Regional Health Authorities together with Shared Health, created a strong support, education and information hub for long-term care operators.

However, the Manitoba Government and the Regional Health Authorities have not committed to funding any COVID-19 related incremental costs incurred due to the guidelines, directives and public health orders that Supportive Housing has been mandated to follow. For more than 50 years, appeals for operational and infrastructure funding to upgrade and improve the physical care environment, especially for dementia care, infection prevention and control, and safety have been submitted and largely ignored.

What can be done?

The size of Manitoba’s aging population continues to grow. Now is the time to strengthen long-term care in preparation for what will be the largest group of seniors our province has ever seen.

Members of the LTCCAM believe that the opportunity

to expand on our foundation of excellent care and service, within a cost-effective model, can address the challenges seen in terms of both capacity and financial pressure. However, our ability to continue to serve Manitobans both now and in the future is wholly dependent on a stable, well-planned and predictable environment.

Seniors’ housing must be appropriate, easily accessible and safe, and it must take into account the rising care level that is required as needs increase. Currently, Manitoba offers a number of different care and living options for seniors. More needs to be done, however.

We are looking for support Safety: In the past few years, a number of new housing builds for seniors-called independent living with services or assisted living, have begun to offer a variety of environments, some with services similar to a personal care home. The average age of seniors residing there, is 86 years. These buildings are offering a high level of care to vulnerable seniors without a relationship with health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we found these residences were largely forgotten by the health system.

They relied heavily on their associations for assistance, personal protective equipment (PPE) and information.

We are asking Government to ensure all residences where services and care are provided to seniors are afforded the supportive health related safeguards appropriate to the services and care level offered.

Infrastructure Funding: Federal funding exists for housing where care for seniors is not provided. This funding, however, does not include seniors’ housing, such as personal care homes, and Supportive Housing, where care is provided even though this is their home.

The majority of the current personal care home infrastructure is more than 50 years old. The physical layouts are obsolete, especially in terms of treating individuals with dementia, which puts both residents and staff at risk. These

outdated designs feature two to three beds in wardlike rooms, shared washrooms and bathing facilities, crowded dining rooms, narrow hallways and noisy, hospital-like nursing stations that are in close proximity to residents’ rooms.

We estimate that 60 per cent of the personal care homes in this province and across the country have shared accommodations and shared washrooms. As COVID-19 has taught us, this environment can be deadly when infection prevention and control cannot be maintained.

Crowded areas, noise and confusion can also lead to increased anxiety and responsive behaviors. A 2015 report completed on existing conditions PCH infrastructure for the 39 PCHs in Winnipeg showed that almost 50 per cent were categorized as in “poor condition, issues identified should be addressed ASAP as funding allows”.

In the majority of cases, little change has occurred.

Currently $40 Billion in federal funding is available for seniors housing where care is not provided. LTCAM is asking you to lobby for change in the federal funding criteria for seniors’ housing to include seniors’ residences where care is provided.

Staffing: In Manitoba, staffing in personal care homes is legislated at 31.6 hours of care per resident day with the care provided by nurses– both RNs and LPNs– and health care aides in a prescribed formula. The term used for this is “medical model of care” as its focus is medicinal. These seniors are living in their own home, but their home more often closely resembles a hospital. What is needed is a balance between the medical model the more holistic social model

of care. Boredom, loneliness and sadness are three major problems that seniors face. A social model of care looks at the entire spectrum of the residents’ quality of life. It employs exercise to promote healthy living, fun and stimulating activities and opportunities to engage in social interactions.

LTCCAM is asking you to invest in resident quality of life by re-focusing the emphasis on the social model of care. Our seniors need to be engaged and active. They could, with the assistance of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, rehabilitation and recreational staff in long-term care enjoy a much higher quality of life.

Funding (PCHs): Over the past 15 years, funding increases in long-term care have been almost non-existent. In the Winnipeg region alone– where more than 50 per cent of the personal care home beds reside– personal care homes have absorbed rising costs in all areas of their operations. This includes food, medical and surgical supplies, transportation, maintenance and other areas that contribute to the quality of care and services to residents.

Along with rising costs, funding has decreased, while care and service level requirements have increased.

There are greater expectations, but no funding to support the ever-increasing need.

COVID-19 has only served to make these circumstances even more dire. a) We are asking Government to fund the COVID-19 expenses caused by Public Health Orders and Shared Health Directives as other provinces have, and to do so as quickly as possible. We acknowledge that Government has stated once recon-

ciliation, adjudications and auditing is complete, funding will flow for Personal Care Homes only. b) We also need a commitment to a stable and predictable funding environment for personal care homes going forward, to ensure our seniors have the quality of life they so deserve.

Funding (supportive housing): There are approximately 800 supportive housing suites in the province. In Winnipeg, Supportive Housing is staffed by the owner with tenant companions, who are welltrained laypeople. Home Care provides health care services to clients in Supportive Housing who require it. Outside of Winnipeg, Supportive Housing is often staffed by the regional health authority, which uses home care personnel.

Supportive Housing is an environment that provides a high quality of life for residents who cannot safely stay at home, but do not need to be in a personal care home.

It is the most cost effective care option for our health system, as the client pays for the service package and rent.

There are some subsidies and rent geared to incomes spaces.

Just like personal care homes, there are greater expectations with no funding to support the ever-increasing needs of our aging population. In 2006, approximately 15 per cent of Supportive Housing clients needed Home Care services. Today, it is closer to 50 per cent of the clients. Many need these services upon admission. This places such a huge burden on Home Care, that statistics show 30 to 50 per cent of visits are not completed.

The profound impact of COVID-19 has exacerbated this situation. While Supportive Housing have been

subject to the same Public Health orders and many of the same Shared Health Directives, they have been given no financial support. a) We are asking for a commitment from Government to immediately fund the COVID-19 expenses caused by Government Health Orders and Shared Health Directives, as other provinces have. b) We are asking for your support to modernize the Provincial Supportive Housing Program in structure, capacity, staffing and funding in order to adequately meet the needs of our aging population and to enhance the sustainability of this valuable care and living option.

About the Long Term Continuing Care Association of Manitoba For over 60 years, the LTCCAM, a non-profit, membership-based organization, has been a valued adviser and partner in the promotion of safe care and living options for seniors living in Manitoba.

Incorporated in 1959, our mission has always been to improve the quality of care provided to residents. We introduced standards of care well before the provincial government outlined official standards. Each day, we care for Manitoba’s most vulnerable seniors, many of whom reside in our residences. We also work closely with provincial long-term care providers across Canada through the Canadian Association for Long Term Care, and we continue to share information and education that uses the best national evidence available to improve quality of care for residents throughout the province.

Today we have more than 100 members.

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NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021 9

Country Meadows residents get their shots Banner Staff Neepawa Banner & Press

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Country Meadows residents received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Jan 20. Pictured above left: Resident Gar Scott gets immunized by nurse Lori Cathcart. Above right: Resident Vera Barber (right) gets her shot from nurse Laura Jardine.

enced immunizers will be working with Long Term Care staff and vaccinating residents– completing two to six Personal Care Homes in a day.“ While this is a big step in making care homes COVID-safe, health proto-

cols and precautions must still be adhered to, as this is only the first of two doses needed to protect individuals. Unico noted that the second dose for residents at Country Meadows is not far down the road, scheduled for Feb. 17.

RiveRs Banner & Press Advertise in the BanneR

neepawa

Residents at Country Meadows Personal Care Home in Neepawa are one step closer to being much safer from COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Jan. 20, residents received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A Public Health nurse came to the facility to lead Country Meadows’ nurses in immunizing the residents. Rochelle Unico, R N/CCC at Count r y Meadows, was on the immunization team and noted that the day went very well.

“All residents that received the dose were happy and proud,” she stated.

Glenda Short, Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) Regional Lead Health Service, stated, “Prairie Mountain Health, working with the leads of the prov incial vaccination implementation task force, have been engaged in the COV ID immunization rollout within personal care homes.” She added that the province has a goal to immunize all eligible care home residents by the end of January and PMH is scheduled to be on par with the target. “Five days per week, teams of Public Health Nurses or experi-

Farmers' advocate

February 26 • March 26 • April 30 • May 21 • June 25 July 30 • August 27 • September 24 • October 29 • November 26 Wide circulation of 11,000 farms, businesses and households Friday, June 26, 2020

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A ray of sunshine for the future of farming

PHOTO COURTESY OF

Four-year-old CJ lives

and breathes farming,

seeding with his dad

on C.S. Farms, near Polonia.

The future farmer spends

NICOLE WILSON

his dad!

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er 18, 2020 •

a lot of time “helping”

200646C1

Farmers’ Advocate Friday, Septemb

Harvest progre ssing well for Westman fa rmers

Contact Ken Waddell at

204-476-3401

kwaddell@neepawabanner.com Farmers’ Advocate

Section Lots of

equipmen PHOTO BY DIANE WARNER north of Neepawat was out in the fields last Friday. off Highway busy combining 5, Doug McLaren Just , with Darrell was Waldner towing tank beside.

(See harvest the grain story on Page B2)

Farmers’ Advocate

neepawa

14, 2020 • B

order take out From BostoN Pasta tuesda Pizza! y or oNe oF our o NliNe BuNdle

The immunizer team consisted of (from left) Laura Jardine, RN, Public Health; Kerri Pudruski, MHRN; Rochelle Unico, RN/CCC; Lori Cathcart,RN.

of wheat...

In a field full

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10 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Carberry area benefits from round two of federal grants

By Kira Paterson Neepawa Banner & Press The Carberry Area Community Foundation (CACF) has been busy lately. They’ve had the responsibility of reviewing and approving grant applications and distributing the grants funded by Round 2 of the Emergency Community Support Fund to organizations in the Carberry area.

For the second round of ECSF, the local foundation received $30,000 to dole out and has divided that sum between nine different applicants.

Schools helped to adapt Both Carberry Collegiate and RJ Waugh elementary school received grants for equipment to help them adapt to COVID-19 safety protocols.

Carberry Collegiate received $4,064, which was designated for a variety of equipment to make a couple elective courses possible despite the pandemic. Bruce McCallum, principal, noted that they purchased musicians masks for the band class, which have an opening to allow the wearer to play a wind instrument with the mask on. They also purchased bell covers for band. “They go on the ends of instruments to limit droplet and aerosol dispersal,” McCallum explained.

The industrial arts program also benefited from the grant. “Equipment [was] purchased to ensure all students in Grade 9 and 10 Industrial Arts have their own gear,” McCallum stated. The equipment included Oxy acetylene welding visors/headgear, welding gloves, welding aprons and welding jackets.

“Funds were also provided to purchase plexiglass barriers, if required,” McCallum added.

RJ Waugh used their $6,340 grant for some technology.

“We will be getting iPads with the grant money,” noted principal Dayna Galatiuk, adding that they have been ordered, but the order hasn’t arrived yet. “We are very grateful for the grant,” she expressed.

Tech upgrade for United Church The Carberry United Church received $1,500, which will help them reach their congregants remotely. Church board member John McNeily explained that they don’t have the technology to film services themselves. “Once everything shut down, we realized that we are kind of under a rock, technologically,” McNeily stated, adding that they had been borrowing church members’ equipment to film their services since religious gatherings have been prohibited in the Public Health orders.

The church decided to use this grant as an opportunity to upgrade their technology, starting with acquiring a video camera that will allow them to live stream their services.

McNeily noted that this will be immensely helpful during the pandemic, but it will also benefit their congregants even after COVID-19 is behind us. “What COVID-19 has made really evident is that there are people who have difficulty getting to the church, even when it isn’t a pandemic,” he stated. “We have to be able to reach beyond our brick and mortar.”

Increased costs for higher safety standards A few organizations took advantage of the ECSF Round 2 grant to help pay for the higher operational expenses due to the stricter safety rules. The Carberry and District Royal Canadian Legion Branch 153 received $3,000 to help with this.

Sharon Dane, manager at Branch 153, noted that they purchased a variety of equipment to help keep their veterans safe once the facility is open again. “The Legion used the funds to purchase automatic sanitizer dispensers, several cases of sanitizer refills and spray bottles to be placed throughout the Legion,” she said. Also purchased were disinfectant sprays and wipes, masks and gloves for staff and patrons, two plexiglass shields for the bar and Chase the Ace table, as well as physical distancing stickers and tape to mark the floor.

“We also hired a student for four hours one day a week to help keep heavy touch areas sanitized while we are open.

The production of signage related to changing COVID restrictions has also meant an added expense for office

supplies such as ink and printer paper,” Dane added. “The Legion is working hard to protect our Veterans, members and staff during these COVID times.”

With Legions across Manitoba having to close to the public, many are struggling to pay their bills. “We will survive, unlike so many other small Legions, but we have to take advantage of every grant we can qualify for to do so,” expressed Dane.

Recreation sanitation Carberry & Area Recreation received $1,750 from the ECSF Round 2 grants, which will benefit many activities and organizations in the Carberry and North CypressLangford area.

“We purchased a sanitization sprayer and jugs of sanitizer with this grant. This need was originally brought forward by our local gymnastics organization and the Recreation was happy to help,” explained Lindsay Michiels, manager of Leisure Services for the Town of Carberry & Municipality of North Cypress-Langford.

“We plan to have the sanitization equipment available to lend out to various organizations around the community when sports and other gatherings are able to safely continue. With the extra costs regarding pandemic precautions and sanitizations a barrier for many organizations, the Recreation was very appreciative of the help offered by the Carberry Area Community Foundation and the Emergency Community Support Fund. Grants like this directly help the community and community members,” Michiels stated.

Carberry Minor Baseball also received a boost, in the form of $1,000, to help with their sanitation and safety protocols for the upcoming season. “We are thrilled to have the grant money for the Carberry Minor Ball program this year,” shared Mary Baron, on behalf of the organization.

She noted that they were unable to go ahead last season, but this grant will help them be prepared for this spring.

“We will be using the grant funds to provide each team in the league a ‘Covid kit’. Sanitizer, disinfectant, disinfecting wipes will all need to be provided on top of our usual start up expenses. Balls, bases, dugouts, seating and shared equipment will all need to be properly sanitized during training and games. We will also try to have a few extra balls around for each team, to limit the sharing,” Baron explained. She added that they will also need signage, to help remind players and spectators of proper COVID-19 safety protocols.

“The grant aids us to keep things sanitized and the safety of the children a top priority and allows us to keep providing a low cost sports activity to the youth in our community.”

Senior programs benefit A few different services that support Carberry’s seniors have also received grants. Carberry Health Centre was approved for $4,371 to use in their Long Term Care facility. Debbie Rea, Care Team Manager for Carberry and Glenboro Health Centres, noted that they purchased shadow boxes and TV tables with the money.

“Shadow boxes are placed outside each resident’s room.

The boxes are like picture frames, but hold keepsakes for each resident. The resident and/or family members are able to display pictures or small keepsakes that the resident would like people to see about them,” Rea explained. “This then creates a topic of discussion either between residents, or between residents and staff.”

Continued on Page 19

Happy 90th Birthday

to our Mom, Grandma & Great Grandma,

Anne Doell

May your day be just as wonderful as the person you are. May God Bless you and grant you all your dreams Due to Covid restriction we will have a family/friends celebration at a later date.

With our Love Earl, Eileen, Brad, Edie and families

Grant recipients Carberry & Area Recreation ~ Sanitization Equipment $1,750.00 Carberry Collegiate ~ Emergency Pandemic Support for Vital School Programs $4,064.00 Carberry Health Centre ~ Shadow Boxes / Individual TV Tables $4,371.00 Carberry Minor Ball ~ Covid-19 Preparedness $1,000.00 Carberry NCL Centennial Drop In Centre ~ Do Drop In! $4,000.00 Carberry Service for Seniors ~ Carberry Together We Care! $3,975.00 Carberry United Church ~ Live Streaming Camera $1,500.00 R.J. Waugh School ~ Increased Technology for Each Classroom $6,340.00 Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 153 ~ Upgrading Legion to Covid Health & Safety Standards $3,000.00

total Granted: $30,000 Thank you for reading the Neepawa Banner & Press!

Rural Outlook

JANUARY 29, 2021

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS 11

Atkinson family named Commercial Cattle Producers of the Year

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

A decades long commitment to the cattle industry was recently recognized, as the Atkinson family has been named the 2020 Commercial Cattle Producers of the Year. The award, handed out by the Manitoba Angus Association, was presented Tony and Sue Atkinson, their son Matthew and daughter-in-law Kate. Combined, both families run about 350 cows in their operations, which are located about three miles apart from one another in the Neepawa area.

Committed to the breed Manitoba Angus Association president Dallas Johnson told the Banner & Press that the selection of the Atkinson family was a relatively easy choice for the organization to make this past year. He said that their ongoing commitment to the Angus breed over the years has been unquestioned and deserved to be recognized.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Tony and Sue Atkinson, the co-winners of the 2020 Manitoba Angus Association Commercial Cattle Producers of the Year award.

A history in Angus In 1990, Tony and Sue Atkinson, along with their four children, moved to the Neepawa area from England. From the start of their time in Canada, they ran a mixed commercial herd as part of their diversified farm.

Following downsizing during the BSE crisis of

2006, Tony and Sue purchased 50 commercial Black Angus heifers. That same year, their son Matthew and his now wife Kate, who moved to the area from Vancouver, purchased a farm about three miles away from theirs.

From those original 50 heifers, Tony and Sue Atkinson were able to utilize

Matthew and Kate Atkinson, with their daughter Evelyn and their dog Gus.

Black Angus and Horned Hereford bulls, with the goal of producing quality Black Angus and Black Baldy commercial females.

Today, almost all of the cattle in their herd can be traced back to these heifers.

Matthew and Kate, meanwhile, purchased many of their initial heifers from Tony and Sue. In the subsequent years, they to have been able to grow

Gladstone Auction Mart

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Cattle Market Report January 26, 2021 Steers

3-400 lbs.

4-500 lbs.

5-600 lbs.

6-700 lbs.

7-800 lbs.

8-900 lbs.

900+ lbs.

Bulls

$2.29 - 2.71 $1.75 - 2.66 $1.75 - 2.35 $1.30 - 2.04 $1.58 - 1.85 $1.62 - 1.75 $1.40 - 1.64 $0.92 - 0.975

Heifers

3-400 lbs. $2.11 - 2.15 4-500 lbs. $1.66 - 2.14 5-600 lbs. $1.69 - 2.05 6-700 lbs. $1.66 - 1.92 7-800 lbs. $1.53 - 1.74 8-900 lbs. $1.48 - 1.55 Cows $0.48 - 0.71 818 head sold

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their herd, while retaining a high quality animal stock produced by their own program.

The two farms have been able to work together over the years to better utilize genetics and grazing at different times of the year. The goal being to produce high quality females with good longevity, while improving their land and soils for the next generation.

Honoured by the recognition Tony Atkinson told the Banner & Press that they were very honoured to be nominated and, ultimately recognized in this manner.

He said the family has had great success with the Angus breed.

“We set up this Angus and Angus-cross herd, because they are such a versatile and hardy breed and it works really well for the system we use. We are totally on a forage system, grazing as long as we can and the Angus really blend themselves to that operation,” said Atkinson.

Matthew and K ate echoed similar sentiments, thanking the Manitoba Angus Association for the acknowledgement.

“We are greatly honoured that Dallas Johnston felt that we were a worthy candidate and nominated our family for this award. It’s especially meaningful as it honours multi-generations of the family working together to continuously improve both of our herds,” said Matthew and Kate.

Notice of Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act Application Manitoba Conservation and Climate has received an application pursuant to The Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act regarding the following operation and invites public participation in the review process: ASESSIPPI PROVINCIAL PARK HAZARDOUS WASTE DEPOT – FILE: 6092.00 A Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act application has been filed by Manitoba Conservation and Climate, Parks and Resources Protection Division for the collection of single use compressed gas cylinders at the Asessippi Provincial Park located at NW 06-23-28 WPM, Province of Manitoba. The material will be transported to a licensed facility for further processing, reuse or disposal. All material is transported from this facility and no hazardous waste is disposed of at this location.

Anyone likely to be affected by the above operation and who wishes to comment on the application should contact the department in writing or by email to Edwin Yazon, Environmental Engineer, at Edwin.Yazon@gov.mb.ca, not later than FEBRUARY 26, 2021. Further information is available from the Public Registry: www.gov.mb.ca/sd/eal/registries/ Information submitted in response to these applications is considered public information and will be made available to the applicant and placed on the public registry.

Environmental Approvals Branch Manitoba Conservation and Climate 1007 Century Street Winnipeg MB R3H 0W4 Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 Fax: 204-945-5229 Website: www.gov.mb.ca/sd/eal/registries/

12 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS

Sports

JANUARY 29, 2021

Lara Denbow commits to Oregon State NACI track athlete will compete in PAC-12 Conference

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner & Press

The incredible accomplishments of Neepawa’s Lara Denbow have netted the 17-year-old a spot on one of the PAC 12 Conference’s premier track and field programs. Denbow, who is currently finishing up Grade 12 at Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI), has committed to Oregon State University. As part of her post-secondary opportunity, she will be a member of the Oregon State Beavers track and field team, competing in both high jump and triple jump.

Denbow has competed on a regional, provincial and national stage, as both a member of the NACI Tigers track team and Prairie Storm Athletics. Over the years, she has consistently been one of the top-ranked high jumpers in her age group in all of Canada and has also broken a provincial

indoor high jump record.

Those efforts have earned her several accolades from both Athletics Manitoba, and Sport Manitoba. Denbow was also named the Brandon Sun’s 2018 H.L. (Krug) Crawford Memorial Award winner.

Denbow said that she can’t wait for this new challenge of competing for Oregon State in the upcoming PAC-12 track season.

“I have had a dream of competing in the PAC-12 for quite a while now. It offers the academic program I aspired to take and it has a beautiful campus. A great location with the mountains, coasts and Portland all nearby,” stated Denbow.

“One of the main attractions, though, is certainly the depth of the jumps program, as I will have many talented training partners, which is rare as most schools only carry a few jumpers on their rosters.”

While there were no

off icial visits permitted in 2020, as outlined by the NCAA, Denbow has been able to take virtual tours of the facilities. She said the Whyte Track and Field Center and P. Wayne Valley Strength and Conditioning Sports Center are top-tier facilities.

As for the years of dedication to get to this point, Denbow was quick to share thanks with all of those who aided her on this journey.

“I would love to give a shoutout to my very supportive family and friends, [my] teammates and to Bryce Koscielny to finding interest in the sport and to my coach Ming Pu Wu for the excellent coaching and guidance over the years,” said Denbow.

The current plan is for Denbow to head off to Oregon State University in the fall. The PAC-12 track and field season runs each year from January to May.

Lainie Muir to play for ACC Cougars Hockey team Glenella product commits to 2021-2022 ACHA season

Submitted ACC Media Release As the Assiniboine Cougars Women’s Hockey Team awaits for a decision from the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) on the fate of the remaining season, the program continues to build towards their 2021-22 season with the newest forward signing, Lainie Muir.

Lainie Muir, a 5’6” right wing forward from Glenella, MB, who played with the U1-8 Central Plains Capitals in the Manitoba AAA Female Midget Hockey League (MFMHL), will bring her dominant on-ice presence to the Cougars line up.

With eyes fixed on the upcoming seasons, Muir is looking forward to the opportunity for self-improvement and building of strong connections with her new teammates.

“As an individual, I bring a strong physical presence and tenacity in all areas of the ice, my speed and cognitive awareness allow me to be a pace setter and a creative play maker,” said Muir.

When she isn’t in full competition mode, Muir volunteers as a coach for rec hockey and broomball teams within her community. Off the ice, Lainie competes in events such as the Manitoba Provincial Festival of Arts in public speaking, being crowned the Provincial Champion in 2019 for Senior One Person Visual in 4-H. “I feel that being from a small town allows you to see every aspect of the sport,” says Muir. “Hockey brings together so many people, it’s gifted me with so many opportunities and, more importantly, moments.”

Capitals Head Coach,

John Ferg, expressed the maturity and responsibility Lainie brought to the team as an invaluable asset. “She brings those characteristics onto the ice with playing a defense first responsible style of game. Lainie loves to compete and brings pace and energy into the team environment,” says Ferg.

Head Coach Tony Bertone agrees that Lainie’s work ethic will match team standards. “Lainie’s hard work and strong puck pursuit are going to help the Cougars win games next season.”

Lainie has been accepted into the Agribusiness program at Assiniboine Community College for the 2021-22 academic year.

“Agriculture is my passion and enrolling into the Agribusiness program will advance my knowledge and skill set,” said Muir.

FILE PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BRANDON SUN

Inset picture: Lara Denbow (centre), of Neepawa, will be a member of the Oregon State Beavers track and field team in the 2021-22 PAC-12 season.

Sports

JANUARY 29, 2021

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS 13

MJHL and AAA hockey Kohlman commits to remain stuck in limbo Organized sport still prohibited by Provincial government

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa

Neepawa Banner & Press

There were several notable exclusions from the Manitoba government’s recent alteration of its COVID-19 health orders.

One of the most glaring was related to recreation facilities, gyms and organized sports. After more than two months of strict lockdown, these activities remained under the same restrictions for at least another three weeks.

The MJHL response For the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), whose schedule has been on hiatus since early November, the news from the province put the conclusion of the season in jeopardy.

In a prepared statement released on Thursday, Jan. 21, MJHL commissioner Kevin Saurette said “The MJHL is committed to exhausting all options and will continue to engage with governing bodies and public health authorities to search out a balanced, responsible and necessary pathway forward.”

As for whether or not, this decision effectively put an end to any chance of the league returning to ice, the league statement would not say either way what could happen, simply noting that “As we preach to our players…We will give it everything we have until the final buzzer sounds. The clock is ticking and we are behind.”

FILE PHOTO

Organized team sports, such as Junior “A” Hockey (pictured) remain on hiatus, despite some recent changes to the Provincial government’s COVID-19 Code Red restrictions.

The AAA asks for reconsideration The Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League was a bit more direct in its statement regarding the decision. The league has issued an open letter to the province asking it to reinstate the use of recreation facilities, gyms and fitness centres for youth immediately.

“Organized sport plays an important role in coordinating and facilitating physical activity and social interaction for children and youth. Since mid-November, however, restrictions have been in place that prohibit organized sport.

Recreation facilities, gyms and fitness centres have all been closed,” stated the letter. “The Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League calls on you to reopen recreation facilities, gyms and fitness centres for use by children and youth. It can be done safely, and it must be done

now to curtail the harms inflicted.”

The local reaction For the Neepawa’s Junior “A” Hockey Club, it has done its best to prepare for every possible contingency.

General manager and head coach Ken Pearson said that they have been in constant contact with representatives of the Yellowhead Centre, as well as players and parents, to keep everyone up to speed.

He noted that everyone is feeling a bit worn down playing the waiting game.

“We’re hearing a fair bit of concern and frustration [from the families]. I know that players are antsy. For the majority of our guys, who are living in Manitoba, they haven’t skated in a rink since Nov. 8. A lot of them are skating on outdoor rinks or homemade rinks and trying to keep going as best they can. But you can only do so much when the competition

Neepawa Curling Club officially cancels season

Banner Staff

Neepawa Banner & Press

The Neepawa Curling Club (NCC) has decided not to go ahead with any type of shortened competitive season.

That decision was announced via social media on Monday, Jan. 25. In its online statement, the Club said that, “With the

continuation of Code Red for at least three more weeks, the board has decided to close the doors and cancel the rest of the season.”

The letter cited the safety of club members and employees as a factor in the decision to suspend operations at this time.

is just not there for them,” said Pearson.

Meanwhile, board chair Ken Waddell noted that the off-ice commitments have also been stuck far too long in the unknown. Waddell said it’s been tough, not only on Neepawa, but every club across the league.

“All the teams are frustrated and concerned because of the long, long wait. We know the arenas are frustrated, because they have expenses with no income coming in and we’re in the same situation. We have some expenses with no income coming, but we also have commitments to our sponsorships. Those sponsors have been pretty patient and quiet. We have a plan laid out where, once we know what we’re able to do, we’ll revisit with them and see what arrangements can be made,” said Waddell.

The best case scenario for a return to play would like be the end of February.

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17-year-old forward Brayden Kohlman has signed with Neepawa for the 2021-2022 MJHL season.

Submitted

Neepawa Junior “A” Hockey Club

The Neepawa Natives are happy to announce the signing of forward Brayden Kohlman to a letter of intent for the 2021-22 MJHL season.

Kohlman, 17, is currently a member of the Parkland Rangers U-18 AAA team.

The native of McCreary, MB has played in 55 games the last two seasons with the Rangers and has 11 goals and 38 assists to go along with 28 penalty minutes.

“I am extremely excited to be able to further my hockey career with a great team and organization in Neepawa.

The opportunity to play hockey so close to my hometown makes this that much more special,” said Kohlman.

We would like to welcome Brayden and his family to the Natives and the community of Neepawa.

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14 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS

Carberry/North Cypress-Langford

Community profile Carsen Unrau

Carsen Unrau, Grade 11 student at Carberry Collegiate.

By Gladwyn Scott Neepawa Banner & Press Carsen Unrau (16) is the eldest of Chris and Debbie’s four children who is an honours Grade 11 student at Carberry Collegiate.

Carsen not only has a high academic average, but has a heavy work load, as he plans to earn 10 credits this year. It takes 30 credits in four years to graduate in Manitoba.

Unrau enjoys several sports and has switched

from hockey to basketball, where he plays point guard for the Westman East Club.

They played tournaments in Brandon, Winnipeg and Regina. In the provincial junior varsity tournament in Carberry, on Mar. 12, he fired a phenomenal 55 points for the Cougars in their opening game narrow win over Teulon.

Two people who have influenced his development are his father, Chris, who coaches and officiates

SUBMITTED PHOTO

basketball at the Collegiate, and his club coach, Jon-Ross Merasty, who is an assistant BU Bobcats coach.

Unrau also plays Cougars volleyball and does well at baseball, where he plays first base, outfield and pitches a bit for Carberry and the Pembina Hills U18 AAA squads. They topped their 2020 Winnipeg League.

Carsen would like to continue his basketball career and education after high school graduation.

JANUARY 29, 2021

Here and there

By Gladwyn Scott Neepawa Banner & Press

• Excerpts from the Town of Carberry January Council minutes, held in the community hall with social distancing observed: In lieu of Christmas gifts, $750 was donated to the Fire Department for equipment purchases.

Keith Loney was appointed Weed Supervisor.

Nellie Sippel has resigned her position and accepted a similar job with the RM of North Cypress-Langford.

The 316 Fourth Avenue building was sold to the RM. The former Falk Pharmacy building at 44 Main Street was sold to the Town for future offices (by early summer).

The Town received $44,863 for recycling in quarterly payments from Multi-Materials Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM).

The Minister of Municipal Relations informed the Town that the Carberry Legion Branch would not pay municipal taxes after Jan. 1, 2021.

Oct. 4, 2021 was set for the annual tax sale.

Twenty-five Delta Hackberry trees were purchased for 2021 use.

The issue of COVID-19 vaccinations was raised.

The latest plan from EMO Brad Wells was accepted.

• The North Central Hockey League (Elkhorn, Russell, Grandview, Swan River) has cancelled the balance of its schedule.

They lost four teams this year, as Virden moved to the Tiger Hills League, Wayayseecapo did not organize due to the pandemic and Saskatchewan Hockey would not allow Moosomin and Langenburg to leave the province.

• As 25 per cent of the Lynn Lake community in northern Manitoba is infected with COVID-19, the mayor has invoked an evening lockdown (8:00 pm - 6:00 am) effective Jan. 18.

• About 70 members of a group known as Hugs Over Masks held another protest rally in front of the Steinbach city hall, Saturday, Jan. 16. The largely maskless crowd cheered and waved signs as Pastor Tobias Tissen, of the Church of God Restoration, addressed the crowd. Steinbach mayor, Earl Funk, was not pleased, as he stated the protestors did not live in town and did

have a negative effect on local businesses.

A former member of Tissen’s congregation accused him of using these anti-mask demonstrations as a means of increasing his flock. RCMP have ticketed Tissen multiple times. Patrick Allard, another protestor, stated that he had been ticketed five times at $1,296 for a total of $6,480.

• Nova Scotia premier McNeill and his Liberal government passed an organ donor law which requires people to opt out; otherwise, when you die, your organs are made available for transplant to those who are in need.

• Curl Canada is working hard to organize several high level competitions in Calgary’s Olympic Park. They have expanded the Scotties and the Brier events from 14 to 18 rinks, with no Friday night wildcard games. Curlers will be accommodated in the “bubble.”

The women’s national competition will include provincial and territorial representatives and some wildcard entries.

Most provincial events were cancelled due to COVID-19, so previous champions will participate again. Manitoba will be well represented: Kerri Einarson, 2020 Canadian champion, Jennifer Jones, 2020 provincial champion, and Tracy Fleury’s foursome will be a wildcard rink. It’s interesting that Lisa Weagle was dropped as Rachel Homan’s lead, but was quickly recruited by Jennifer Jones. Dawn McEwen, long time lead for Jones, is expecting her second child in April, so Weagle will be a welcome addition. The Scotties 18 team event is slated for Feb. 20 to 28.

In the Men’s Brier, Mar. 6 to 14, Jason Gunnlaugson, 2020 Manitoba champion, will represent the Keystone province, as will Mike McEwen’s rink, provincial finalist and wildcard team. This involves second, Derek Samagalski of Carberry, who will team up the following week with Krysten Karwacki for the 2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles championships. Skip Matt Dunstone, a former Manitoban, will be returning as Saskatchewan’s representative. Dunstone is the skip who prevented Carberry’s Braden Calvert from winning three consecutive Manitoba Junior Men’s curling crowns.

Calgary also plans to host the World Men’s Curling championship, plus a couple of Grand Slam events. Samagalski indicated that he may be in Calgary for 24 days. Best wishes, Derek!

NEEPAWA NATIVES CASH DRAW TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS CALL

431-351-2274 (CASH) Lottery License LGCA 4876-RF-35300 (50/50) Lottery License LGCA 4876-RF-35301(cash draw)

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NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021 15

Classifieds Obituary Donna Fay Schmall (Steppler) Donna Fay Schmall, nee Steppler ,passed away at the Neepawa hospital on Thursday, January 14, 2021 after a lengthy struggle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Donna leaves to cherish her memory, her husband of 61+ years, Jim Schmall, along with her four children, Don Schmall (Susan), Val Hutsal (Greg), Jan (Bob) and Coreen Lee, and her nine grandchildren: Jillian Miller (Erik), Adrienne, Emma, Carmen, Alexa, Hannah, Chloe, Carson, Lindsay and her great-grandchildren Rhett and Jackson Miller. She is survived by her sisters Wilma Gill and Myrna Lalonde (Leo) and many nieces and nephews. She's predeceased by her parents Charlie and Jean Steppler, sister Marjorie and brother-in-law Don Matheson and their children Barb Vinnell and James Matheson, brother-in-law Homer Gill and nephew Rodney Gill, in-laws Fred and Janet Schmall, Edith and Steve Dobchuk, and Isabel and Jeanette Schmall. Donna was born in Neepawa, MB on May 4, 1935, the third daughter of Charlie's four angels. She attended school in Neepawa and worked at Robertson's Grocery Store after school and on Saturdays. She also babysat and worked at Fenwick’s Department Store doing the books before beginning her career with the Bank of Montreal.

Donna met Jim, the love of her life, at a Saturday night dance at the Arcade in Neepawa and they were later married on April 25, 1959. She loved the outdoors and spent many summer weekends camping with family and friends at regional ball tournaments, but her favourite place to visit was Clear Lake. It was introduced to her by her parents and soon became her summer destination, which later turned into a year-round retreat when they built their cabin. As a child, she enjoyed picnics with her relatives at Riverbend Park and Big Valley, which she later shared with her children and grandchildren. Donna was very interested in sports her entire life and was a fierce competitor and fan/cheerleader. Two of her favourite teams were the Toronto Blue Jays and the Winnipeg Jets. She was a 5-pin championship bowler and represented Manitoba twice in the Western Canadian finals in Vancouver and Winnipeg. Curling was her winter passion on and off the ice. She was a Grand Aggregate winner of the Neepawa Ladies Bonspiel on two occasions and enjoyed the many rural bonspiels and friendships that she developed. Donna and Jim also enjoyed 10 of the Silver Broom / World Curling Championships in Europe and North America. Donna loved to travel and spend time in the sun, and one of her highlight trips was their Mediterranean cruise. Donna loved a game of cards and enjoyed Elks Kinsman bingos and trips to Las Vegas. She always had a new game to teach her grandchildren and she loved to win! Donna was a devoted stay-at-home mother, who spent countless hours following her children and grandchildren to their various activities and sporting events throughout Canada and the USA. She was a skilled seamstress and loved making clothes and costumes for her children.

This love for clothes later turned into a part-time job at Marrs’ Ladies Fashions, which she enjoyed very much.

Donna was very interested in community activities; was an active member of the Neepawa United Church, United Church Women, Neepawa Lily Festival and Fine Arts Festival. She was a past honoured Royal Lady of the Neepawa Royal Purple/Elks with 55 years of service and was presently on the Neepawa Elks Manor board of directors. Donna was a very kind and generous person and always found time to entertain family and friends and loved to meet friends for coffee or Saturday morning brunches. Her family will always cherish her baking skills, but especially her secret pie recipes, which were only shared with immediate family. Donna, Mom, Grandma: thank you for all that you have done for us!

You were the strength and encouragement that held our family together and were always there for us. May you rest in peace with our everlasting love, until we meet again. If friends so wish, donations in Donna's memory may be made to the Manitoba Lung Association or the Beautiful Plains Community Foundation. A private family service has been held and a celebration of Donna's life will take place at a later date. The family would like to thank Dr. Brian Milligan and Dr. Brian Bookatz, Rev. Chad McCharles, and White's Funeral Home for their compassion and excellent care.

www.myWestman.ca

Classified Ad Deadline:

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• Cancellations and corrections only within business hours and corresponding deadlines • Please check your ad when first published the Neepawa Banner & Press will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

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–––––––––– Coming Events It’s not too late to register at the Minnedosa Adult Learning Centre. For a February registration Contact Val Gawel at 131 Main St. South 204-867-2519 alc@ rrsd.mb.ca

Telephone: Fax: Email:

204-476-3401/ 888-436-4242 204-476-5073 ads@neepawabanner.com

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Alcoholics Anonymous meetings postponed. Call 204841-0002 _____________________ _Arden Hall, cap. 255. Park, camping and sports facilities, rink, curling ice, kitchen and lounge. Call 204-368-2202

KINSMEN KOURT 2 assisted living for seniors is now accepting applications for residency. Pick up an application at Stride Credit Union Neepawa, to be mailed back to Box 1842 Neepawa or the applications can be found on the website www. kinsmenkourts2.ca or email kinsmenkourts2@yahoo. com For further information call 431-351-0611

Neepawa Banner & Press offers full research and re-print services from our archives that go back to 1896. Additional copies of papers, $2 each depending on availability. Re-print of a page from past copies, $2 per page. Archival research, $25 per hour with a $10 minimum. Individual photos on photo paper $5 depending if we have a suitable original in our digital, print or photo archives. Ken Waddell, publisher

Crisis Pregnancy Centre Winnipeg: Need to talk? Call our free help line, 1-800-6650570 or contact our Westman office: 204-727-6161

Apartment for rent. Bri-Mont apartments, 331 Mountain Avenue. Phone 204-8412006

130 acres pasture land SW 21-14-14 Information phone 204-476-2652

Storage vans (semi trailers) for rent or sale. Anderson's 204-385-2685, 204-3852997 Gladstone.

Obituary John LaDouceur

John LaDouceur was born in Hasket, Manitoba August 25, 1929, deceased January 21, 2021. 91 years of age.

John is previously deceased by his parents, Alexandre and Elisabeth LaDouceur, siblings Leona LaDouceur (Whittal), David LaDouceur, wives Kay LaDouceur Fehr, Laura LaDouceur (Carroll), daughter Brenda Jane and son Charles.

John is survived by siblings Jim and Agnes LaDouceur, Lillian Wolf, Rose and John Hansen.

John leaves behind six children: Gary LaDouceur, Shelly LaDouceur (Epp), Barbara LaDouceur-Robitaille, David LaDouceur, Kelvin LaDouceur and Tana LaDouceur.

Grandchildren: Carolyn Epp, Michael Epp, Johnathon Epp, Ryan LaDouceur, Creg Ackerman, Laura LaDouceur, Katelin LaDouceur, Emily LaDouceur. Five great grandchildren.

John is also survived by his wife Viola LaDouceur, step children, nieces and nephews.

John was a loving father, grandfather, husband.

He will be sadly missed by all.

George Harry Bayes

September 27, 1948 ~ January 15, 2021

Margaret Mary Mozdzen (nee Turko) It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Our Dear Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother Margaret on January 18th, 2021 at the McCreary/ Alonsa Health Centre.

Margaret was born on September 1, 1925 in Alonsa, MB. to George and Stephanie Turko, the second child in a family of six. She quit school at the age of 14 and made her way from the farm to Winnipeg to find employment, which was quite the experience! She then made her way to Portage, where she worked at the Hospital. From there, she found her way back to Alonsa, where she worked both at the store and Hotel.

She met the love of her life, Edward Mozdzen, and they were married on November 22, 1947. They purchased land west of Alonsa and began their life together, working side by side to make a viable farming operation as well as raising their family of five.

He was born to Fred and Florence Bayes on September 27, 1948 in Minnedosa, MB. George spent his childhood in Minnedosa. After graduating high school, he followed his childhood dream and joined the R.C.M.P. His postings were in Alberta, where his experiences gave him confidence and prepared him for what life would bring. After his exciting R.C.M.P. career, George had the opportunity to take over the family business in partnership with his brother, Bob. The farm equipment dealership was a natural fit, due to his social abilities and business skills. After close to 20 years, George sold the dealership and made his first failed attempt at retirement. It wasn’t long before the farm equipment industry drew him back into the capacity of marketing and special event planning.

The seasonal nature of this job allowed George to focus more on the ever-expanding family hobby farm. With the home farm operating efficiently, Dad attained his private investigator license and worked in the field of agriculture once again. After he sold the farm in Manitoba, he moved to Beaumont, AB to be closer to his family.

Margaret enjoyed tending to her garden and flowers, card parties, playing bingo and visiting with family and friends.

Her coffee pot was always ready for company!

Left to cherish his memory are his partner, Charlotte Lehman; his three children, Andrea Sawicki (Leigh), Chad Bayes (Cheryl), Carrie Bayes (Elaine); four grandchildren, Kaylene, Kylelee, Teryn and Layne Sawicki; brother Bob Bayes (Holly), sister Kathryn Cairney (Bill); as well as nieces, nephews, relatives and numerous friends.

George is predeceased by his parents Fred and Florence Bayes, and sister-in-law Deirdre Bayes.

Due to Covid, a memorial will be planned during a safer time. Donations in memory of George are gratefully accepted to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.

Condolences: www.serenity.ca Serenity Funeral Service, Wetaskiwin (780) 352-5300

Find what you need in the classifieds!

Obituary

George Harry Bayes passed away surrounded by family in Beaumont, AB on Friday, January 15, 2021 at the age of 72 years. Dad will be remembered as our courageous, fun-loving, dependable and adventurous father.

Dad was well known for his love of travel, which complimented his adventurous spirit for all outdoor adventures. He was always there to lend a hand, and become project manager, as we enlisted him for our frequent renovations. We supplied the pie and the many band aids. He was a great father, which prepared him to be an exceptional grandfather. Dad loved to be with family and has given us endless memories to cherish.

–––––––––– For Sale

Caring for her family, making sure everyone was well fed was an important part of her life. Family get togethers were not complete without Grandma’s famous cabbage rolls!

–––––––––– For Sale or Rent –––––––––– Auctions

Meyers Auctions & Appraisals. Call Brad at 368-2333. www.meyersauctions.com

In Memory Richard Hanke January 31, 2019

Those we love don't go away They walk beside us everyday Unseen, unheard, but always near So loved, so missed, so very dear.

Lovingly remembered by Ruth Allen, Danielle, Kailyn and Jayden Deb, Wayne, Keri and Andrew

Obituary Gwendolyn Olla Sanger (Neufeld) January 22, 1945 - January 16, 2021

Peacefully, with her sons by her side, Gwen passed away after a long battle with heart failure.

After Edward passed away, Margaret remained in their home until August 2019, until health no longer permitted and she became a resident of the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre.

Gwen is survived by her two sons Andrew (Krista) and Wayne (Sara), granddaughter Ilaria, brothers Robert and Ken, sisters Dorothy and Janet, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Margaret was predeceased by her loving husband Edward in 1993, daughter-in-law Noreen Mozdzen in 1989, son-in-law Robert Kleemola 2003, sister Clara Bilski, brother Hank Turko.

She is predeceased by her parents John and Olga, sisters Ella, Irma, Kit, Marjorie, Mary, Ruth and Delores, and beloved kitties Sarah Jane, Bud, Gator, Trooper and Tatyana.

She is survived by her children Jerry (Lillian), David (Karen), Marlene (Geoff) Chandler, Gail Kleemola, Ken (Evangeline), 11 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, brother Edward(Paulina) Turko, sister Edna Turko, sister Marilyn (John) Turner, in-laws Marjorie Mozdzen, Mike Mozdzen, Henry & Elsie Mozdzen

Gwen grew up in Drake, SK and lived there until she moved to Winnipeg when she was in her teens. She moved to Neepawa later in life and lived there until 2020, when she made the decision to come back to the city so she could be close to her sons, their families, and her granddaughter, who was the absolute light of her life.

The Family would like to extend our appreciation to the Doctor and staff at the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre for all their loving care. Your friendship and compassion was a great comfort to her as she made the transition to her new home.

Family was everything to Gwen. She visited and talked to her sons as often as she could, and when travelling from Neepawa became difficult, she learned how to face-time with her granddaughter so she could see her as often as possible. Gwen was especially close with her brother Bob in B.C. In earlier days, she would visit him often, and later, they would talk on the phone frequently. Bob sent delightfully ridiculous birthday cards to Gwen all through the year, and they were always the highlight of her day.

She was a big kid at heart, and often had movie nights (horror movies, no less) with her boys when they were younger and loved to play video games with them.

Mom/Grandma We will think about you often, With beautiful memories.

For YOU were all the special things A Mom/Grandma ought to be!

We will miss you being here, Since you had to go away But the happiness you brought us Will be remembered every day!

So may you find a gentle peace in your eternal Rest We’ll always LOVE you Mom/Grandma YOU REALLY WERE THE BEST! Graveside Service and Interment was held on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 1:00 pm from Our Lady of Assumption Roman Catholic Cemetery in Alonsa, MB. Pallbearers were Marlene Chandler, Jerry Mozdzen, David Mozdzen, Gail Kleemola, Ken Mozdzen.

Sneath-Strilchuk -Ste. Rose Chapel 204-447-2444 • www.sneathstrilchuk.com

Gwen had a very special place in her heart for cats.

Through the years, she had five of her own, and then later, her grand-cats, who she spoiled. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to Craig Street Cats in Gwen's name.

Cremation has taken place, and a gathering will be held when it is safe to do so. Condolences may be left on Gwen’s memorial page at www.interlakecremation.ca Arrangements entrusted to Interlake cremation & Memorial Services

16 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Notice

Help Wanted

Health

Jarvis Trucking Ltd,

HIP/KNEE Replacement?

Gladstone, MB.

Kindergarten Registration for the 2021 Fall Term Online Registration for the 2021-2022 school year will open February 15, 2021

Class 1 drivers & Owner Operators Operating super B grain hoppers, prairie provinces only.

Contact Steve, 204-385-3048 or 204-871-5139 Email kjarvisfarms@gmail.com

Neepawa Elks Manor is looking for a

Part Time Caretaker.

H WANELP TED

Please drop off resume at the office 525 1st Ave. Neepawa, MB or email nem@wcgwave.ca

Rolling River School Division KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION 2021-2022 Kindergarten Registration for the Rolling River School Division will be held during the week of February 1st - 5th, 2021 from 9:00-11:30am and 1:30-3:00pm. Children who will be 5 years of age on or before December 31, 2021 are eligible for Kindergarten.

Please register at the following catchment area schools: SCHOOL PHONE NO. Douglas Elementary 204-763-4480 Erickson Elementary 204-636-2266 Forrest Elementary 204-728-7674 Oak River Elementary 204-566-2167 Onanole Elementary 204-848-2402 Rapid City Elementary 204-826-2824 Rivers Elementary 204-328-7416 Tanner’s Crossing Elementary 204-867-2591 *Parents are required to present their child’s birth certificate and medical number at time of registration. *Please contact the School Division Office 204-867-2754 Ext. 0 if unsure of your catchment area school.

Notice

TURTLE RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION Bus Driver Training Incentive Program We are now offering a training incentive of $1,000 for any individual that obtains their Manitoba School Bus Operator’s Endorsements & Class 2 Drivers Licence. Training will be offered through the School Division.

If you are interested in becoming a School Bus Driver and would like further information, please feel free to call or forward a written application with any relevant information to: Randy Shyanne Transportation Supervisor Turtle River School Division Box 309 McCreary, Manitoba R0J 1B0 Phone: 835-2067 ext 209 or Fax: 835-2426 rshyanne@trsd.ca

Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $50,000 Lump sum refund.

Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide!

Providing assistance during Covid.

Expert Help:

204-453-5372

Auctions

For Sale

McSherry Auctions 12 Patterson Dr. Stonewall, MB

Online Timed Auctions @ iCollector.com Estate & Moving

Closes Wed February 3 @ 7:00 PM

Estate & Moving

Closes Wed February 10 @ 7:00 PM Consignments Welcome!

(204) 467-1858 or (204) 886-7027

www.mcsherryauction.com

Trucks, Trailers, Truckbeds & Tires

• Full Repair & Safeties • Vehicle Parts, Tires & Wheels • Trailer Parts & Batteries • Sales, Financing, Leasing & Rentals EBY Aluminum: • Gooseneck and Bumper Pull Cattle & Equipment Trailers • Truck & Service Bodies • Generation Grain Trailers

KALDECK TRUCK & TRAILER INC.

Hwy #1, MacGregor, MB

1-888-685-3127

www.kaldecktrailers.com

Help Wanted

BATTERIES FOR EVERYTHING! 50, 000 BATTERIES IN STOCK *Auto *Farm *Marine *Construction *ATV *Motorcycle *Golf Carts *Rechargeables *Tools *Phones *Computers *Solar Systems & design * Everything Else!

THE BATTERY MAN 1390 St. James St., WPG 1-877-775-8271 www.batteryman.ca

Anniversary If you recognize this couple, please give them a call to wish them all the best.

Mom and Dad

Warehouse Staff Position Northstar Seed is a producer and marketer of forage, turf and cover crop seed, as well as dealing in leafcutter bees and custom pollination. We are currently looking for two seasonal warehouse employees for the coming 2021 season. Based on performance, at least one seasonal worker is expected to be kept on and made full-time, permanent.

Duties - Blend and bag seed - Stack and palletize product - Load and unload freight - Build leafcutter bee blocks - Set-up shelters for pollination - Other general warehouse duties Skills and Attributes - Valid class 5 driver’s license - Reliable transportation to work - Able to repeatedly lift and carry 55 lb. bags - Attention to detail - Safety conscious - Work well as part of a team - Reliable and trustworthy

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary on Jan 29, 2021!

Love always, Regan

Thank You 05/21

Thank You

It is with deep appreciation that we thank our friends and neighbours for the food, flowers, phone calls, donations, cards and support shown to us during the loss of our wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Donna Schmall. We gratefully acknowledge the wonderful care of Dr. B. Bookatz of Brandon and Dr. B. Milligan and the nursing staff of Neepawa Hospital. A special thank you to Rev. Chad McCharles for his comforting service and Brian James and the staff at White’s Funeral Home in their compassionate and excellent service.

Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba

strengthening families and protecting children since 1899

Rural Family Service Social Worker

Although all applications are appreciated, a selection process will apply. Candidates that have been selected will be contacted.

If you have interest please email your resume to info@northstarseed.com

Jim Schmall, Don, Val, Jan, Coreen and families.

Brookdale/Neepawa area ~ Full-time term position 05/21 Announcement Helpis Wanted Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba accepting applications for a Rural Family

Service Social Worker position in a north-east section of the Agency’s catchment area. The successful candidate will hold a caseload that spans the areas of Edrans, Neepawa, Kelwood, Mortgage Sale Advertisement Franklin, Brookdale, Justice, and Douglas, Manitoba. This is a full-time, 36.25-hour per week, 408 Ellen Street, Neepawa, Manitoba term position to commence as soon as possible and conclude at the beginning of March 2022; this Under Order for Sale issued by the District Registrar of the Neepawa Land Titles Office, the may following land will be sold at auction on the 18th day of February, 2021, at 10term a.m., with theexpire sooner than March 2022, subject to a minimum two-week notice period.

Child and Family Services

sale to be held via a secure videoconferencing and/or teleconferencing platform:

of Western Manitoba

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing a wide range of services, including the strengthening families and protecting children since 1899 LOT 5 PLAN 62361 NLTO provision of family counselling and child protection services and, where appropriate, services to IN SE 1/4 33-14-15 WPM Rural Family Service Social Worker children in the Agency’s care.

Status of Title No. 3011070/5 Brookdale/Neepawa area ~ Full time term position Brookdale/Neepawa area ~ Full-time term position The property is a single family detached two-storey home that was built in 2019.

The home Qualifications:

Rural Family Service Social Worker

includes 3 bedrooms, 1 and ½ bathrooms, with an unfinished basement, and is 1680 square  Bachelor feet.

Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba is accepting applications for a Rural Family Service Social Worker Child and Family Services of Manitoba is The accepting applications forhold a Rural Family ofposition Social (B.S.W.), Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.), or actively deemed a that inWork a north-east section of theWestern Agency’s catchment area. successful candidate will a caseload Service Social Worker position in a north-east section of the Agency’s catchment area.

The spans the areas of Edrans, Neepawa, Kelwood, Franklin, Brookdale, Justice, and Douglas, Manitoba.

This is a Social Worker through the Manitoba College of Social Workers; This is a new home and, as such, the buyer will be responsible for the payment ofRegistered GST in successful candidate will hold aposition caseload that spansasthe areas of Edrans, Neepawa, Kelwood, full-time, 36.25-hour per week, term to commence soon as possible and conclude at the beginning addition to the purchase price.  Minimum of two years child welfare experience preferred; Franklin, Brookdale, and Douglas, Manitoba.

This is full-time,two-week 36.25-hour per week, of March 2022; this term Justice, may expire sooner than March 2022, subject to aa minimum notice period.

Property taxes are paid to December 31, 2018. The 2019 and 2020 property  taxesKnowledge are the of the Child and Family Services Act, CFSIS, and range Child Family of thisof term position to commence as soon as possible and conclude at the beginning ofServices March 2022; The successful candidate will be responsible for providing a wide ofand services, including the provision buyer’s responsibility, as are outstanding water bills, if any.

Western Manitoba’s family strengthening programs; term may expire sooner Marchservices 2022, and, subject to appropriate, a minimumservices two-week notice in period. family counselling and childthan protection where to children the Agency’s care.

The following encumbrances shall remain on title: Caveat No. 1073766/5,Caveat No. Effective assessment, interviewing, relationship building, problem solving, organizational, and Qualifications: The successful candidate will be responsible for providing a wide range of services, including the 1094509/5, and Easement No. 1129950/5. advocacy skills; • Bachelor of Social (B.S.W.), Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.), actively deemed a Registered Social to provision familyWork counselling and child protection services or and, where appropriate, services The property is sold subject to sale conditions approved by the District Registrar andKnowledge subject the Manitoba College of Social Workers; ofWorker childinthrough development, separation and attachment issues, parenting methods and children the Agency’s care. to a RESERVE BID to be available approximately one (1) week in advance of the sale.

• Minimum of two years child welfare experience preferred; casework practices; Qualifications: • Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act, CFSIS, and Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba’s All persons wishing to attend the auction should contact Fraser Auction (Jesse  Campbell) Excellent oral and strengthening written communication skills; at 204-727-2001 for information on how to access the secure videoconferencing and/ family Bachelor of Socialprograms; Work (B.S.W.), Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.), or actively deemed a  scheduled The ability to work in a team environment; • Effective assessment, relationship building,College problem of solving, organizational, or teleconferencing platform at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the Registered Socialinterviewing, Worker through the Manitoba Social Workers; and advocacy skills;  Valid Manitoba Class of 5 of Driver’s License; •Knowledge child development, and attachment issues, parenting methods and casework practices; auction. Access will be provided free of charge.

Minimum two years childseparation welfare experience preferred; •Excellent oral and written skills; Mustofbe legally entitled toofwork incommunication Canada; Knowledge the Child and Family Services Act, CFSIS, and Child and Family Services of The successful bidder will have a period of twenty-four (24) hours to providea deposit • The ability to work in a team environment; $20,000.00, in the form of a bank draft payable to “Roy Johnston TDS trust account”, and a Western Manitoba’s family strengthening programs;  Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check, a Child Abuse Registry Check, a Prior • Valid Manitoba Class 5 Driver’s License; signed copy of the mortgage sale conditions to the offices of Roy Johnston TDS. Should the Check,  Effective assessment, interviewing, relationship Contact and a Driver’s will be required.building, problem solving, organizational, and • Must be legally entitledAbstract to work in Canada; successful bidder fail to do so, the auction will be considered abortive. advocacy skills; • Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check, a Child Abuse Registry Check, a Prior Contact Check, and a Driver’s Knowledge of child separation attachment methods Please express your interest indevelopment, this position, or anyand other positionissues, that parenting may result from and Please note that the auction sale will be conducted pursuant to an Order for Sale issued Abstract will be required. casework practices; by the District Registrar. Certain parties may be prohibited from purchasing the property, this competition Please express in thisletter, position, or any other that may result file, byyour wayinterest of cover resume and position three references byfrom  Excellent oral and written communication skills; including but not limited to, parties who by virtue of their employment or relationship to a th of cover this competition file, by 8way Monday, February , 2021 atletter, 9:00resume a.m.and to:three references by person involved in the sale process would have special knowledge of the circumstances  The ability to work in a team environment; Monday, February 8th, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. to: pertaining to the sale. For more information and a list of prohibited purchasers please visit:  Valid Candace Manitoba Class 5Candace Driver’sHuman License;Resources Kowalchuk, Human Resources Specialist Kowalchuk, Specialist www.teranetmanitoba.ca.  Must be800 legally entitled to work in 800 McTavish Avenue Brandon, MB R7A McTavish Avenue Canada; Brandon, MB R7A 7L47L4 Email: candace.kowalchuk@gov.mb.ca  Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check, a Child Abuse Registry Check, a Prior For a copy of the mortgage sale conditions, please contact: Email: candace.kowalchuk@gov.mb.ca Website: www.cfswestern.mb.ca Contact Check, and a Driver’s Abstract will be required.

ROY JOHNSTON | TDS 363-10th Street, Brandon, MB R7A 4E9 Website: www.cfswestern.mb.ca We thank all applicants for their interest.

- Only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

Attention: Renae Molgat (204) 727-0763 / rm@tdslaw.com

Please express your interest in this position, or any other position that may result from We thank all applicants for their interest. - Only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. this competition file, by way of cover letter, resume and three references by Monday, February 8th, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. to:

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NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021 17

SERVICES GUIDE Security

Construction

Birnie Builders

Redi-Built and and on site Redi-Built onhomes, site Huron PVC Windows

homes, cottages,

Ph/Fax: huron PVC Windows Birnie Builders Birnie Builders 204-966-3207 Phone/Fax

Livestock, implement & surveillance cameras, security systems, cell boosters, electrical, bucket truck.

Shelby Hill

Licenced Electrician 204-841-3109 • Carberry Sales - Service - Installation

Redi-Built and Redi-Built andon onsite sitehomes, homes, Harold Klassen Huron PVC 204-966-3207 HuronMB PVCWindows Windows Birnie, Ph/Fax: Cell Ph/Fax:

EXCAVATIONS•DOZER WORK LOWBED•GRAVEL HAULING CONCRETE WORK Contact Vic 204-476-0090

Help Wanted

Neepawa-Gladstone Co-op is hiring

SEASONAL AGRO HELP

at our AGRO CENTRE’S in NEEPAWA & GLADSTONE, MANITOBA. Who we are: Co-op does business differently. As a co-operative, we believe in working together to serve Western Canadians, delivering profits back to our communities and investing in sustainable growth. To learn more about who we are and how you can help bring our brand to life, visit us at www.neepawagladstoneco-op.crs We are looking for: Semi Truck Drivers • Positions include NH3 Drivers, Dry Fertilizer Drivers, and other duties as assigned.

• Applicants must possess a Class 1 w/Air Driver’s License.

• Length of employment may vary from 2-6 months.

Tandem Truck Drivers • Positions include NH3 Drivers, Dry Fertilizer Drivers, and other duties as assigned.

• Applicants must possess a Class 3 w/Air Driver’s License.

• Length of employment may vary from 2-6 months.

Must provide a valid Driver’s Abstract dated within 30 days.

At Co-op, we embrace diversity and inclusion, and we’re working to create a workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We support and provide an environment that allows all to bring their whole selves to work.

Apply online at www.neepawagladstoneco-op.crs or contact us at g.finkewich@neepawagladstonecoop.com for more information or Fill out an application at either Agro locations or mail to: Neepawa-Gladstone Co-op Box 879, Neepawa, MB. R0J 1H0 Scan the QR Code to be directed to the job posting.

FOODS Meat Cutters/Production Personnel Our people, perseverance, integrity, and exceptional partnerships have led HyLife to becoming Canada’s leading pork producer and global exporter of high quality pork products. The growing demand for our pork in Japan and China means we need exceptional people to help deliver our company vision. We have expanded our Neepawa facility to increase our overall production by 15% and in turn created new jobs throughout the company.

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Lakeside Septic Service

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P. BAKER BACKHOE SERVICE Trenching • Ditching • Water & Sewer Dugouts • Demolition • Brushing Trucking • Sand & Gravel Snow Removal • Winter Parking Lot Sanding

Contact Pat Baker at 204-476-0712 p.baker@wcgwave.ca

People who will succeed as members of our team will: • Enjoy working in a fast paced, stable long term work environment • Appreciate working in a culturally diverse workplace. We employ people from all over the world!

• Treat people with dignity and respect • Open to working in colder/warmer environments • Physically Fit • Experience as an industrial butcher or trimmer is an asset

Current starting wage is $15.15/hour plus $1.00 per hour perfect attendance incentive!

Wage scale extends to $22.10 per hour We believe that our success is founded on the strength of our team.

As such, we place a great deal of emphasis on attracting, developing and retaining good people, and consider every one of our employees to be a highly-valued member of the HyLife family. To that end, we are committed to providing a working environment that not only fosters personal growth, but also recognizes our employees’ contributions towards the common goal of our company’s success because of this HyLife has been recognized as a Platinum Member of Canada’s Best-Managed Companies.

If you have the qualifications and the passion to meet this challenge then we would like to explore your potential.

Please apply online at http://hylife.com/current-opportunities/ or email to jobs@hylife.com or mail to PO Box 10,000, 623 Main St E, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0.

Cancellations and corrections only within business hours and corresponding deadlines.

We buy Scrap!

Phone 476-0002 for more information

Comfort Electric

Experience, Quality, Integrity CALL NOW FOR ALL YOUR RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL NEEDS

Shawn Nugent

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Full dimension Corral Planks and Windbreak

Firewood Sales Slabs $60/cord Cut and Split �� Round Wood

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• Excavations • Trenching • Landscaping • Gravel • Topsoil • Shale • Laser Ditching • Certified Installer for Holding Tanks, Septic Tanks and Drain Fields • Construction Site Prep • Dozer work • Brush Clearing

Matt Rempel Birnie, MB

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olling Acres eady Mix

Certified Batch Plant and Cement Trucks Concrete • Gravel Sales • Rebar Sales Custom Hauling

Irvin 204-476-6236 Custom Hauling

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected to continue in the recruitment process will be contacted.

Please check your ad when first published—The Banner & Press will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion

476-2483 Owner/Operator

Rough Lumber

We thank all applicants, however, only those under consideration will be contacted

Classified Ad Deadline Tuesday Noon

Garbage Bin Rentals Roll Off Bins

SERVING THE NEEPAWA AREA

As a Meat Cutter/Production Personnel you will be a critical member of our team in the creation of our world class product. Our positions range from working on our slaughter production floor to shipping the final packaged product, with everything in between! With our wide variety of jobs, excellent people, and our drive for innovation you will certainly find a job that suits you!

Responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to: • Slaughter and eviscerate hogs for further processing • Harvest and package edible offal • Process pork carcasses into primal cuts • Butcher and package pork primal cuts into value added specifications for local, national and international premium markets • Carry out other tasks related to processing of meat for shipping to customers or storage • Sanitation

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Potable water delivery.

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R & K Jackson Trucking LTD. Grain and Fertilizer Hauling Richard Jackson 1-204-476-6430 • Neepawa, MB

E.K. Kostenchuk LTD.

Neepawa, MB.

Trenching • Excavating • Landscaping Trucking • Water & Sewer • Demolition Dozer work • Ditching Belly Dump & End Dump Services Shale, Gravel & Rip-Rap Sales

Eric 204-573-7661•Kyle 204-841-4409 e.k.kostenchuk.ltd@gmail.com

F. KOZAK & SONS LTD. WE OFFER: • Redi-Mix Concrete & Concrete Pumping.

• Sand, Gravel & Aggregate • Skid Steer & Equipment Rental • Snow removal

WE ARE A CERTIFIED BATCH PLANT.

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135 Boundary Street, Neepawa, MB

18 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

MCNA Provincewide Classifieds NOTICES Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Manitoba Community 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.mcna.com.

URGENT PRESS RELEASES OR MEDIA ADVISORIES SERVICE. Have something to announce? A cancellation? A change in operations? Though we cannot guarantee publication, MCNA will get the information into the right hands for ONLY $35.00 + GST/HST. Call MCNA (204) 947-1691 for more information, or email classified@mcna.com for details. www.mcna.com.

FOR SALE RE-OPENING? Need Sales? Advertise it in the 37 MB Weekly newspapers and get noticed!

Each week our blanket classifieds could be helping YOU get noticed in over 340,000 homes! It’s AFFORDABLE and it’s a great way to increase and connect with our 37 weekly member newspapers. For as little as $189.00 + GST, get your important messaging out! Call this newspaper NOW to book or email classified@mcna.com for details. MCNA - Manitoba Community Newspapers Association (204) 947-1691. www.mcna.com ANNOUNCEMENTS The Fourth Commandment in the Bible has not been abolished and never will be in this time.

The true Christian has this law written in his or her heart. Therefore, let us " Remember the Sabbath day, to keep, it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work..." Exodus 20 vs 8, 9, 10a (King James Version). Please visit our website: www.clda.ca EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Do you want to put your pick-up truck to work?

Roadex is seeking 1-ton owners to transport RV’s throughout N. America. Class of license required depends on province. Subsidized health and dental insurance, competitive rates, fuel discounts. Driver must have valid passport, be able to cross the border, pass a drug test and must be 21 years or older. For more information about us, please visit our website at roadexservices.com. To apply please email resume and a current driver's abstract to recruiting@roadexservices.com.

For Sale The Aurora 1648 SqFt RTM

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COVID-19 took a toll on Neepawa & District Chamber of Commerce plans and finances in 2020 NDCC hosts Annual General Meeting

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neepawa

Banner & Press

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press The Neepawa & District Chamber of Commerce (NDCC) held its Annual General Meeting on Monday, Jan. 25. This year’s AGM was markedly different from prior incarnations, as it was held via Zoom video conference.

That was just one of many challenges COVID-19 placed upon the Chamber over the previous year.

“There is no doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for all of us, in one way or another. Not the least of which was COVID,” stated Pam Miller, NDCC president. “During the early days of the first round of shutdowns, it became clear that our big event, the Chamber Fair, would not be able to continue as planned. Later in the year, as [COVID-19] cases rose, so did the level of health restrictions, forcing us to make the tough decision of also cancelling the annual Parade of Lights.”

The Chamber’s finanical report for

the year indicated that they started 2020 with $20,646 net assets and closed out the year with $13,126. The total income was $29,650, a decrease from 2019, which was $45,466. Miller cited the cancellation of the annual fair as a huge factor in the Chamber’s drop in revenue for the year.

Miller added that they hope to receive support from some “creative minds” in the local sector to help figure out new revenue options in 2021, if they are unable to run the Fair again this year.

Miller did close out with some positivity, saying that the NDCC has received a grant for $10,000 from the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce.

That money will be used for a Shop Local campaign. More details on that initiative will be released in the near future.

Neepawa Tourism Neepawa Tourism partnered with the Chamber at its AGM for the second straight year, providing an

update on the year that was.

Tourism board chair Eoin Devereux noted that the situation with COVID-19 definitely stymied a portion of their plans for the year. He did cite, however, that they were optimistic about 2021. Devereux said that one of the goals is to maximize the potential of the community’s newest tourism attraction, Neepawa’s Multi-Use Trail Park, officially known as the HyLife Back Forty.

Neepawa Tourism also plans to have its new directional signage up throughout the town pointing the way to our attractions, such as the Roxy, the Margaret Laurence Home and Beautiful Plains Museum just to name a few.

As for Tourism’s finanical outlook, Neepawa’s economic development officer Marilyn Crewe provided an update on behalf of the volunteer group. The tourism budget noted expenses of $24,139 in 2020 and an income of $52,668.95, making the finalized balance $28,529.95.

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Please check your ad when first published— The Banner & Press will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion

NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021 19

Helping to make a 100th birthday special

By Doug Speirs Winnipeg Free Press Reprinted with the permission of the Winnipeg Free Press.

COVID-19 has been spoiling parties ever since it arrived in Manitoba, but it’s especially heart-breaking when the birthday girl is poised to turn 100.

Friends and family had been planning to rent the community hall in Notre Dame de Lourdes for a huge celebration to mark beloved resident Martha Sala hitting the century mark on Feb. 2.

Along with having five children, 19 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and two great-greatgrandchildren, Martha is renowned for being a tireless volunteer in the small community 120 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, driving the “older ladies” to Bingo— even though they’re all younger than her— possessing an irrepressible sense of humour and having more energy than people half her age.

An open appeal With plans for the 100th birthday party on ice, her granddaughter is appealing for Manitobans to pay tribute to this inspiring centenar ian, who was orphaned along with her nine siblings as a child, with an old-school “Friendly

Manitoba” gesture— sending birthday cards and greetings.

“I would like as many people as possible to send her birthday cards. With COVID-19, we can’t buy cards, but send a greeting or have your kids make a card and pop it in the mail. My grandmother will absolutely love that and appreciate the effort,” Josée Sala-Giesbrecht said. ( You can send cards and notes to Mrs. Martha Sala, PO Box 257, Notre Dame de Lourdes, MB, R0G 1M0.)

spent their early years in an orphanage after their mother died young and their father was unable to care for them. They were eventually split up and bounced around foster homes until, at the age of 12, Martha was placed in Notre Dame with Alphonse and Leoncie Badiou.

“That was her last and best foster home,” SalaGiesbrecht recalled. “They taught her about love, trust, family values and hard work. I don’t know where she would be without those people.”

A sense of love Sala-Giesbrecht, who lives in Winnipeg, posted her appeal on Facebook, where it has been shared more than 200 times already. The cards and notes are already starting to trickle in, she noted.

“My grandmother is a total social butterfly,” she said. “It (the pandemic) has been hard for her because she hasn’t had the family visits and the friend visits.

I think the cards will give her a sense of being loved and people thinking about her. She didn’t have that all her life, so it’s really important for her to know how much she’s loved and appreciated.”

Martha was born Feb. 2, 1921, in Ashern, and she and her nine siblings

A quick-witted legend In her late teens, Martha married the love of her life, Charles, and the couple raised five children on a family farm just west of the community. Her husband died at the age of 53, but Martha remained on the farm for 80 years until moving into the local retirement home last summer.

Along the way, she became a local legend, famed for her skills in the kitchen, prowess with knitting needles, and being a tireless volunteer for the 4H Club, the local newspaper, and the Golden Age Club, to name just a few.

“She has volunteered count less hour s,” her granddaughter said. “For quite a few years, she was

‘Something nice for the seniors’

Continued from Page 9 “This project will start after the code red level from public health is lifted, as we do not want people gathering or not social distancing in a specific area,” Rea explained.

Rea stated that they also purchased enough T V tables to have one for each resident. The residents will be able to use these tables in their rooms for things like crafting or reading. “And if isolation of a resident was to be implemented for any reason, then meals would be served in the resident’s room,” she added.

“We would like to express

our sincere thanks to all involved in the Emergency Community Support Fund, for the support they have given us,” Rea expressed.

“It helps to address the isolation and mental health issues that have affected our residents in a direct way during this pandemic!”

Carberry Service for Seniors, as well as the Centennial Drop In Centre, received $3,975 and $4,000, respectively. Debra Steen, resource coordinator for Service for Seniors, explained that they used their grant for care packages for seniors. “I was hoping to do something nice for the seniors, especially since

they’ve been so isolated during the pandemic,” she said.

The care packages included small gifts like puzzles, socks, candies, masks and hand sanitizer. Steen noted that all products that went into the packages were bought locally. The grant money allowed them to treat 90 seniors with these gift bags.

Steen is also involved with the drop in centre, to a degree. She applied for the $4,000 grant for them, to allow the centre to be able to pay their overhead expenses. “Having to be closed, they just needed money to help pay the bills,” she explained.

Mrs. Claus for the kids in school. If she finds out someone has broken a hip, she’s always there when they get home to bring them meals and help them get dressed.

“When she goes out, she chats everybody up and she’s always telling jokes.

She’s very quick-witted.

That’s how she’s gotten out of a few speeding tickets.

She has a bit of a lead foot.”

Sala-Giesbrecht laughingly recalled riding with her grandmother a few years ago when they were pulled over by a local constable for exceeding the speed limit.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” the officer asked, politely.

Which prompted this impish reply from Martha: “It must be my good looks.”

Friend Edith Hague, a retired schoolteacher, said everyone in town knows and loves this kind-hearted woman, who is still driving on the cusp of becoming a centenarian.

“She has an 80-year-old son in town,” Hague noted.

“Imagine you’re 80 years old and your 100-yearold mother is still driving around town.”

In a telephone interview from her retirement home, Martha conceded it was a bit disheartening to have plans for her big party put on hold by the pandemic.

“I can’t even celebrate,” she said, laughing. “It (Feb. 2) is Groundhog Day, of course … We planned a big bash, you know. But we’ll have it later on, even if I’m 105. As soon as it (COVID-19) goes away, we’re going to have a big party.”

Pandemic can’t keep Martha down Cards and letters for her big day have started to arrive, and she trots down to the post office to fetch them. “I just went out to the mail,” she said. “I had 13 cards on Saturday. I got them from people I don’t even know. I love to help people and do things for them. Even though I’m turning 100, I’m healthier than they are.”

Martha said she’s not going to let something as small as a global pandemic slow her down.

“Every day I go for a big walk,” she noted. “I lost five pounds doing that and I’m not a big person. I even danced last year, too, but I’m getting a bit stiffer now; not enough exercise.”

She’s not fond of sitting alone in her room or wearing a face mask, but she still knits, bakes and keeps up on current events.

“I just finished knitting a sweater for my little greatgreat grandson. I like to watch TV,” she said. “I like the news. I watched Trump getting beat. Oh, I loved that! I didn’t like him. He’s not my type.”

Asked her secret to a long, happy life, Martha laughed and replied: “I don’t know if I should tell you. You don’t think about getting old. You take it a day at a time and try not to be alone too much. I’ve had a lot of problems in my life, a lot of sadness, but you have to forget and start anew.”

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20 NEEPAWA BANNER & PRESS JANUARY 29, 2021

Yellowhead Centre weighing its options Arena and Hall remain inaccessible under Provincial Code Red restrictions

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press While many businesses have reopened thanks to changes to Manitoba’s Code Red restrictions, the doors to the Yellowhead Centre in Neepawa are remaining shut for another few weeks, if not longer.

Under the revised public health orders that took effect on Saturday, Jan. 23, sports facilities must remain inaccessible until at least Feb. 13. For the Yellowhead Centre, which has been closed to the public since Nov. 12, the situation has been a difficult one for the Board of Directors to deal with.

Unlike most other arenas in Manitoba, the Yellowhead is neither owned, operated or maintained by the local municipal government. The facility is run through a volunteer board composed of local user groups. While the

FILE PHOTO

Because local sports weren’t included in the latest restriction changes, the Yellowhead Centre is remaining closed until at least Feb. 13. Discussions on whether to remove the ice are planned for the next board meeting.

Town of Neepawa does contribute an annual grant to the facility, the majority of expenditures are covered through ice and hall rent-

als over the course of the year. Board president Brian McCannell noted that the restrictions have been tough to deal with.

“Like most facilities in Manitoba, our revenue from ice rentals, hall rentals and the canteen is down this year. We’ve cut expenses

where we can and have been utilizing government support programs to help with the loss in revenue. It’s sad that we aren’t able to

enjoy the facility, but we’ll weather the storm until it’s time for us to get together again.”

McCannell added that Chris Turner, the director of operations for the Yellowhead, has been working with their tax advisors to review and apply for the federal and provincial support programs available to them.

Throughout the last three months of inactivity, the ice has been in place inside the arena. McCannell said there will have to be discussion in the very near future about when it should be removed.

“It’s being considered, as a few leagues have cancelled their season. We are having a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27 to discuss how we would like to move forward, given the current public health restrictions will be in place until at least mid-February,” said McCannell.

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