E y e - p o p p i n g ra c k s e t s r e co r d a t l o c a l





Preeceville Nordic member, Isaiah Maier, will be a member of Team Sasakatchewan in Prince Edward Island at the Canada Winter Games to be held from Feb. 28 to March 5.
Maier and his family have been cross-country skiing competitively and for leisure for many years and have also strived to be the best they can be. They are part of the Preeceville Nordic Ski Club and utilize the Preeceville Lions Family walking and skiing trails as their main home for crosscountry skiing. Through skiing in competitive racing in Saskatoon on Dec. 28 and
29, Isaiah placed in the top six to qualify for the Team Saskatchewan cross-country team. His brother Hudson won the opportunity to be the alternative skier if someone gets injured or sick.
Isaiah will be skiing in the classic and freestyle (skate) ski categories at the games. “He is so excited to be chosen to go and very proud to be able to represent Saskatchewan,” stated mom Megan Maier.
His expectation going into the games is to strive for a personal best and to make Saskatchewan proud.
Cross Country Saskatchewan is
the Provincial Sport Organization for cross-country skiing in Saskatchewan. CCS is a partner of Cross Country Canada which governs cross-country skiing in Canada. CCS is a discipline of the Saskatchewan Ski Association which is comprised of alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, skiing for disabled, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing. The Saskatchewan Ski Association is the member organization of Sask Sport which governs sport in Saskatchewan. Cross Country Saskatchewan is a volunteer-based organization which provides leadership
and direction in the development of cross-country skiing in the province.
Team Parkland Valley with members from the Preeceville Nordic Ski Club will also be representing the region at the Saskatchewan Winter Games to be held in Regina from Feb. 19 to 25. Nathan Maier and Ray Bailey will be the head coaches who also coach the Nordic Club.
Members selected to go to the games are: Levie Maier, Hudson Maier and Luke Sandager of Preeceville; Ian Schicker and Kya Schicker of Melville; and Kai Cowan, Vaida Knutz and Riley Maloff of Yorkton.
Preeceville Nordic member, Isaiah Maier, will be representing Saskatchewan in cross-country skiing in Prince Edward Island at the Canada Winter Games, to be held from February 2 8 to March 5.
The Sturgis branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation hosted its annual antler measuring event at the Sturgis Kin Hut on January 11.
Blair Mitchell measured the antlers that were
brought into be measured.
Brought in for measuring were: two mule deer, eight white-tailed deer, three moose, and three elk.
The club had a quiet year with the annual awards event scheduled for Feb. 4,’
said Rob Wilcott, president of the Sturgis branch.
“We also set aside time in the spring and fall for the RCMP to have access to our gun range for rifle certification. This gun range is a shared
site with the Preeceville Wildlife branch. The club contributed funding for the Lisoway land purchase near Crystal Lake and entered into another lease agreement with Peniuk Farms,” said Wilcott.
Executive for the Sturgis Wildlife Club are: Wilcott, president; Ashten Walker, vice-president; Daniel Wasylenchuk, secretary and treasurer; Russell Walker, membership chairperson; Kelly
Masley, awards chairperson, and Ashten Walker and Russell Walker, fundraising co-chairs. Directors are: Mervin Blender, Bert Suknasky, Chris Walker, Myles Zawislak and Clint Zubko.
Jack has qualified as one of the top-30 livestock auctioneers in the world at the Mid-Western Qualifier held recently in Missouri.
With his strong finish at the Windsor Livestock Auction in Windsor, Miss., Jack qualifies to compete in Arcadia, Florida in June at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship.
Jack has been honing his craft for years, having started auctioneering at age nine in Kelvington.
Over the years Jack has progressed in his career, including a stint at Heartland Livestock in Yorkton. Today he manages the stockyards at Heartland in Virden, Man., and owns his own company, Jack Auction Group, “which is the largest bison marketer by auction in
the world and western Canada’s largest marketer of performance horses,” he told Yorkton This Week But, why compete?
“The fellowship of the contestants and the friendships I’ve made truly can’t be replaced,” offered Jack.
Jack noted this was the biggest World Qualifier ever with 45 contestants, and “without a doubt the toughest one I’ve competed in, and I’ve been in a lot of contests, this being my 60th.”
That said Jack admitted it had been some time since going before judges.
“It’s been a few years since I competed, and it was so much fun to get to see old faces, and meet a ton of new guys,” he wrote on Facebook.
While camaraderie drives Jack to compete, ultimately he is being judged, so what makes a
good auctioneer?
“Having command of the sale, and rhythmic chant that keeps the buyer’s attention and moves the sale along quickly,” replied Jack, adding judges watch and listen for certain things, such as “how you conduct the sale, is he knowledgeable, sound, bid catching, and would you hire this auctioneer.”
When Jack heads to Florida in June he will have experience to draw upon.
“This is my seventh time to the world championships. I’ve been Runner Up World Champion in 2014,” he explained.
But, again Jack said it’s not just winning that makes it a big event.
“The experience is amazing, to be selected as one of the top 30 in the world is exciting and surreal at the same time,” he said, although he also
usually does well too. “I’ve had the good fortune to always be selected in the top-10 in the world every time I’ve competed at the World level. I’m hoping to make it seven times.”
The world event will be a two-part affair, said Jack.
It begins with an
Sask Aquatic Adventures has applied for an approval under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act for a waterpark on Greenwater Lake at Latitude 52.495420 Longitude -103.512400.
Public comments relating to navigational concerns can be made for the next 30 days on https:// common-project-search.canada. ca/ by searching file number 2021605710 or registry number 5608 or contacting the Regional Office of the Navigational Protection Program (Transport Canada) if you do not have internet access.
interview round where contestants are asked three industry-related questions, which is worth 25 per cent of their score, which is then combined with 75 per cent from the
selling portion.
“It will take a good solid run and with any luck I’ll make the Top 10 in the world, and who knows, I may ride off as the World Champion,” said Jack.
Sturgis Community Bingo winners for Jan. 10 were: Ann Antoniuk, Denise Barabanoff, Mary Pasiechniuk, Lloyd Brass, Beverley Severight, Peggy McLellan, Richard
Antoniuk, Eugene Steciuk, Karen Yurkiw, Lydia Dzaman, Irene Lingl, Michelle Schneider, Lila Duff, Yolanda Terrenal (two), Olga Wasylyniuk and Gwen Clark.
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP responded to 32 calls from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12, some of which included: two 911 Act calls, two Child Welfare Act calls, one failure to appear, two harassing communications, one Mental Health Act call, two mischiefs, three traffic collisions, 15 traffic offences, five other provincial calls, one suspicious person, and one wellbeing check.
In September 2021, the Canora/Sturgis RCMP investigated a complaint that a male sexually assaulted two youths. The male was charged with sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching, sexual interference, and sexual exploitation of a young person. The male was convicted for both counts of sexual assault and invitation to sexual touching. He was sentenced to four years in jail, is prohibited from being in contact with children for 10 years, was given a lifetime firearms prohibition order and he
was ordered to provide a sample of his DNA to the National DNA Databank.
On Jan. 5, a female failed to attend Canora Provincial Court. A warrant was issued for the woman’s arrest.
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP investigated a complaint on Jan. 6 that children were left home alone inside a residence in Canora. Police continue to investigate.
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP received a report of an Amazon phone scam on Jan. 6. The caller reported they received numerus calls from someone who claimed to be from Amazon and that they owed money.
On Jan. 6, the Canora/ Sturgis RCMP were dispatched to a report that a male was drinking and gambling in Preeceville and had left children in a vehicle that was not running. Police located the vehicle and determined
no children were with the male and no offence had occurred.
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP received a report from a male on Jan. 8 that he received an email in his junk mail explaining that the people behind the email had access to his device’s cameras, microphones and files including his browsing history in an attempt to extort money. The male was told not to reply to the email or send any money. For further information on scams and fraud prevention please contact the Canadian Antifraud Centre at 1-888495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentrecentreantifraude.ca
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP were dispatched to a two-vehicle motor vehicle collision on highway 9 by Preeceville on Jan. 11. A red GMC Acadia struck a deer and was parked on the highway. Passing motorists stopped on the side of the road to assist with their hazard lights
flashing. A Chevrolet Cruze approached the collision scene and struck the Acadia from behind. Both vehicles were severely damaged. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruz received minor injuries from the collision.
On Jan. 11, the town of Preeceville speed sign located on Highway 49 entering town from the west was vandalized at around 2:30 a.m. Three people were observed standing around the sign. Police are looking for assistance from anyone with further information.
The Canora/Sturgis RCMP would like to remind the public that snowmobilers must obey traffic rules including:
• traffic signs and lights regulating traffic on, approaching or leaving highways;
• trail signs, markers and directional signs;
• following at a reasonable and safe distance;
• driving with due care and attention with consideration for other people and property;
• never driving faster
than 80 km/h or the posted speed limit, including the speed limit posted on designated snowmobile trails;
• never riding after drinking alcohol or taking drugs;
• yielding the right of way;
• keep to the right when approaching other vehicles, including snowmobiles;
• yield to all vehicles when approaching from the right;
• keep clear of the other vehicle when passing;
• no person is permitted to operate a snowmobile on public property without a certificate of registration issued by SGI;
• the licence plate must be displayed on the snowmobile and the registration permit carried by the rider;
• any person who operates a snowmobile on public property must possess a valid driver licence to do so; and
• please respect private property – don’t ride without permission; don’t trespass.
Remember safety first:
The Town of Preeceville council held its regular meeting at Nov. 17 with discussion on many important topics prior to the Christmas break.
Council made a $500 donation to Filling the Gap Food Bank.
The council accepted the bylaw officer report that was filed for council consideration.
Council accepted and approved the invoice from
DM Property Maintenance in the amount of $1,383 for clean up services completed for the property located at 223 Third Street NE.
The order to remedy that was issued for property on Second Street NE was compiled and acknowledged.
The Preeceville Arena Board received $15,000 as its portion of the 2022 operational grant allotment.
Reports from the Mayor, Chief Administrator,
Community Development and Recreation Coordinator, and town foreman were accepted.
Ron Boyle received a 15year service appreciation award and Ashley Ward received a 10-year service appreciation award.
Ron Boyle was approved to get his Operator Certificate for Level 1 Water Treatment and Distribution Wastewater Treatment and Collection.
Ashley Ward was approved to attend the regulatory update Drinking Water webinar.
Council approved building permits extensions on four properties.
Council acknowledged being confirmed for approval for the Municipal Revenue Sharing grant.
Council received a request from property owners at 732, 738, 742 and 748 Railway Avenue SE to have
adjourning properties consolidated for tax purposes.
The lease agreement between the Town of Preeceville and Dawson Ramsey for rental of the west side of the main level of the Preeceville Recreation Centre was approved.
The lease agreement between the Town of Preeceville and Preeceville Harvard Air Cadets for rental of the Preeceville
all snowmobile operators and passengers must wear a helmet. It’s also important to wear proper gear and clothing so you can handle the cold. And never ride alone!
Navigating in the dark: make sure all your lights are in working order. Reduce your speed. Avoid unfamiliar areas and terrain. Carry a flashlight and/or flare. Ride in the same direction as nearby traffic. Wear reflective clothing.
If you have any information about these or any other crimes, please contact the Canora RCMP at 306-563-4700, or you can also report anonymously via Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
Call the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment Turn In Poachers & Polluters (TIPP) Line, tollfree, at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 from a SaskTel cellphone (phone calls only, no text messages).
Community Legion Hall was approved.
The lot lease agreement between the Town and property rentals for un-serviced lots at 215 Fifth Street SE, 225 Third Avenue NW and 213 Third Avenue NW was approved.
Committee reports were filed by: Preeceville Economical Development, Parkland Regional Waste Management Authority and Preecville Public Library.
New year, same age-old problem. No, we’re not referring to breaking your New Year’s resolutions. We’re talking about seatbelts and how hundreds of people every month in Saskatchewan still receive tickets for not wearing them. It’s hard to understand why that still happens, stated a release from SGI.
Seatbelts have been law in Saskatchewan since 1977 – that’s 45 years ago. And there is a mountain of scientific evidence that seatbelts save lives; not wearing one significantly increases the chances that you’ll be seriously injured – or worse – if you’re involved in a collision, according to a release. In 2021, one-third of the vehicle occupant deaths on Saskatchewan roads involved a person who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
(Since approximately 95 per cent of people do buckle up, that means the people who don’t are more likely be killed in a collision.)
If wearing a seatbelt is part of your everyday driving routine, good for you. If it hasn’t been yet, it’s time to make it one of your New Year’s resolutions. If you need any extra motivation, during the January Traffic Safety Spotlight, law enforcement across the province in January will be watching for drivers who aren’t buckled up.
Clicking your seatbelt every time you drive very well could be the easiest resolution to keep. There’s no strict diet to follow, a treadmill and weights are not required and no personal trainers demanding “five more!” after you’ve reached your breaking
point.
Buckling a seatbelt requires minimal effort and is as simple as it sounds. No strain, no stress, no sweat. But what you will gain is peace of mind knowing you’re safely secured in your seat.
For caregivers transporting the most precious of passengers – young children – make sure they are buckled in securely and that car seats, if any, have been properly installed and inspected by a technician.
There are a million reasons why every driver should buckle up when they drive. What’s your reason?
Bonus tip: In addition to ensuring that passengers are properly restrained, are the objects in the passenger compartment of your vehicle adequately secured? In the event of a
collision or a rollover, anything not strapped down can become a projectile
with the potential to injure the people in the vehicle. (Think about your
travel mug, your kid’s tablet or the pair of skates in the back seat.)
The
Kristen Murray of Preeceville’s love of animals led to her involvement with the Cook dog sled racing kennels.
Ashley Ward was hired as the new Town of Preeceville foreman. Ward succeeded Don Pillipow who had recently retired. Ward is the son of Jim and Shelley Ward of Preeceville.
The RCMP were asking for the public’s assistance to help with the investigation into a theft that took place in Preeceville. An Xbox was stolen from a residence.
Donna and Steve Toffan and Scott Effa of Lakeside Farms, near Norquay, won the Hudye Soil Services 2012 Commodity King Challenge.
Attaining a yield of 59.53 bushels per acre, Jordan and Jennifer Lindgren of Lindgren Grain Farms of Norquay were crowned the Canola King Challenge winner for the second consecutive year.
Sherry Lesser of Lintlaw offered pottery classes every Thursday at the Sturgis Composite School.
The Trinity and Grace United Church held a bonspiel with 10 rinks entered. The rink skipped by Bill Kardynak won the bonspiel. *****
The Ron Hoehn and Bill Foreman rink of Canora won the Preeceville Curling Club’s senior 200 plus bonspiel.
The other day, I was rummaging around one of our many stacks of books, and one of my favourite books caught my eye, and seemed like the perfect thing to read on that blustery day. Since we can’t be doing any gardening yet, I wanted to read about green, growing things… and the book I picked was Pocket Gardening by Marjorie Harris. Marjorie Harris is Canada’s best-known garden writer, (who hails from Shaunavon) and you can read her garden blog at gardenista.com. Not only is Marjorie an extremely knowledgeable gardener and a wonderful writer, but she has a delightful sense of her garden and her relationship to it. Really, you will feel as if you are visiting with a gardening friend as you read her words.
The subtitle of Pocket Gardening is “a guide to gardening in impossible places” and it’s always an inspiration when I start fretting to myself that we don’t have enough room for this plant or that plant. This little book has literally hundreds of ideas of what to plant and where to plant it, just when you thought you didn’t have a spot.
Marjorie’s first line in the book is “Gardening is easy for the obsessed, filled with wonder for the ingenious, and a trial if you don’t know how to start.” So true! For gardeners who are always tucking in one more plant into one more pot, you know that you can’t help yourself—you will always find a spot for something new. And for the
If you are an agricultural producer, you have to be fascinated with what science could provide in terms of crop production in the year ahead.
Actually, when you consider the sheer volume of ‘science’ being undertaken, the potential of advancement on most fronts of human endeavour are at the very least fascinating to consider.
But, farm production advancements bring it closer to home, and stand to be a positive for that important sector of the Prairie economy.
The science of farming really is going in directions which would make a science fiction writer like Isaac Asimov proud.
It was only recently a story at www.producer. com caught my eye.
Work is being undertaken to genetically tweak plants to essentially signal producers when they are being stressed by something which would then allow the farmer to
react to help the crop.
CALVIN DANIELSThe article delves into work being undertaken by InnerPlants to develop crop traits via genetic engineering techniques which will enable plants to signal when they’re exposed to specific stressors in a way that can be detected through crop surveillance.
The new traits would enable plants to signal up to seven separate issues by emitting coloured fluorescent proteins on their leaves with a specific colour that can be detected by satellite or equipmentbased cameras.
The potential is massive for something like this, as the plant would essentially be signaling
the producer that it is being attacked by insects, has developed a fungus, or needs more fertilizer, and the farmer could then respond by applications of crop protection products or fertilizer.
Now, some are going to see the term genetic engineering and shudder becaus e there are definitely those who fear what might happen as such crops get out in the world and cross with other plants.
And the idea of fluorescent plant leaves doesn’t necessarily help in terms of the perception some are going to have if this technology advances to the farmer use stage, which of course
is something the agriculture industry is going to have to deal with often in the years ahead.
The general public can be swayed by Internet noise and fears not based on science and the farm sector needs to be aware advancements may not be welcomed by all end users.
Science is going to open doors to crop development and farm techniques we can frankly not imagine – at least they are beyond me as the steps taken are always bolder and more dramatic than I would have considered.
What is now in the research stage to be released in the next few years will certainly push crop production forward.
And, since each developmental success can be a building block for the next, the future seems limitless, as long as the consumer can maintain his or her confidence that the food produced is safe.
novice green thumb, all this can be quite intimidating if you think that a “garden” has to be a square plot of land, and that you need years of gardening experience behind you to begin. Not true.
Plants are much more adaptable than we think! Look at how a plant seed, carried on the wind, can land and start growing in the most unlikely place. This past summer we had a lamb’s ear suddenly begin growing in a crack between the driveway and the foundation of our house. How it got there, I don’t know, because the closest lamb’s ear plant is at least 75 feet away, in the back garden. But there it was, soft fuzzy little leaves reaching for the sun. There is absolutely no way to transplant it, short of yanking it out of that quarter-inch crack, so we just left it for now. If it survives the winter, we may have to take a bamboo
skewer and try to gently pry it loose from its home. The lesson is, if you are a new gardener, don’t be afraid of plants. Even if your first “garden” is in a large pot or an old pail, give it a try. And for more experienced gardeners, plants can grow in places we thought unlikely.
Pocket Gardening has many ideas of how to make the maximum use of the minimum space we may be given to garden. We read of how to garden in unlikely places like balconies, back steps, along fences and in broken driveways or patios. We read of the plants that are suited to these spaces, everything from sturdy little groundcovers to small trees. Plants for sun, plants for shade, this book is really an excellent reference.
I think that for me, and probably for you, and probably for many gardeners, we see gardening as not just growing things by the house, but as something that changes our attitude about the planet. When you are a gardener, you feel more careful about nature, and how to treasure and respect the plants that feed us, nurture us, heal us, and give us beauty and clean air as a bonus. This is Marjorie Harris’ philosophy too, so I’m sure you’d enjoy this book. Borrow it from the library or order a copy for your own personal gardening library and get set for a great winter read.
Have a restful week.
tooPreeceville and District Mushers’ Rendezvous committee was gearing up for another successful Rendezvous scheduled for February. Some of the locals got an early start to the season with a fun race on the west side of Preeceville.
That’s the song Marion and I hum on our way to Saskatoon. Two days ago, Marion had to drive to the RUH in Saskatoon for my angiogram, which showed no buildup in my arteries, which I contribute to my daily intake of salmon oil. This coming Monday she has to drive me to Saskatoon for an appointment with my eye surgeon. Hopefully it will be OK, we’ll see (pardon the pun). It seems that most of my sensory organs are taking a break. My hearing is so bad that I can’t hear myself thinking, and we’ll find out if my eyes can see it coming. Between Marion’s recovery from cancer and my body’s sensory concerns, we’re in pretty good shape for the shape we’re in.
We had a nice quiet Christmas with Jayne,
Justin and Casey, celebrating on Christmas Eve as is the custom in Norway. We hung a mistletoe in the doorway and you had to walk under it to get to the stairway, it all rhymes with Norway and I just had to do it anyway. You are allowed to groan at my feeble attempt of rhyming. Christmas day was a relaxing day, and a day to reflect and remember our family members that are celebrating Christmas on the other side. We hope that in this New Year all hotspots in the world will be settled and peace prevails.
Ole and Sven were having lunch at Moe’s Bottoms Up Bar and Grille, enjoying shrimp salads and Chicken Cordon bleu. Akevitt was served in frosty shot glasses and chased by
Moe’s Special Lager.
“I saw Knut and Espen walking into a downtown building,” said Ole.
“Really?” asked Sven, “I’m surprised neither of them didn’t see it!”
Knut and Sigurd joined them for strawberry pie with St. Halvard Liqueur and coffee.
“I was dating this nice woman who is crosseyed,” said Sigurd, “we eventually broke up because we didn’t see eye to eye.”
“That’s too bad,” said Sven.
“Between you and me,” added Sigurd, “I believe she was seeing someone on the side.”
They chatted for a while, but Knut kept interrupting, telling them to speak a little louder, as he is hard of hearing.
“That reminds of a story I heard tell at my Rotary Club,” said Ole, “a police officer had pulled over an elderly couple and walked up to the driver’s side window. He asked the husband for his license and registration. The wife is hard of hearing and
asked ‘What? What did he say to you?’ The husband replied that he wanted his license. The officer then asked if he knew how fast he was going.
“The wife yelled ‘What? What did he say to you?’
The husband said loudly that the officer said he was speeding. The officer looked at the license and noticed that they were from North Battleford.
“’You know,’ said the officer, ‘I used to live in North Battleford. Worst place ever. I was living with a woman there for a while, and it was just miserable. She talked constantly and I couldn’t get a word in edgewise if I tried. She was a lousy cook, constantly belittled and made fun me. It was just awful.’
“When the officer took the license and went to his patrol car, the wife
again said ‘What? What did he say to you?’ The husband replied in a loud voice, ‘He said he thinks that the two of you used to date.’”
“I’m hard of hearing,” said Knut, “and it is a challenge to live with. Just the other day somebody phoned me and invited me to a breeding circle. I didn’t know what that was, so I decide to go, only to find that everyone was sitting around reading a book.
“I’ll give you another example,” continued Knut, “I went to my doctor yesterday as my ears were a bit blocked and I could barely hear anything. The doctor asked me to describe the symptoms, so I told him the father is called Homer and is overweight and his wife is called Marge with big blue hair.”
(Editor’s Note: The following article includes highlights of events which were reported on the pages of the Preeceville Progress during the course of 2022 and serves as a nostalgic reminder of the year past. Dates listed refer to the publication dates, not to the dates of the events.)
show… Melvin Stone of Preeceville turned a century old surrounded by many family and friends.
October 6: The Preeceville Harvard 606 Air Cadets Squadron began a year of rebuilding with shifting focus for both cadets and officers… The annual veggie exchange was another huge success with garden producers sharing extra vegetables with their fellow gardeners….The Sturgis 9-1-1 Men’s Field Lacrosse team claimed the provincial title and the Harvest Cup at the Saskatchewan Field Lacrosse League championships in Sturgis.
October 13: An archery workshop hosted by the Sturgis Archery Club was both educational and fun for all the new and returning archers in the club. ..Metis Knowledge Keepers Viola Bell, Margaret Harrison and Metis Artist Taylar Bell were welcomed to Firmly Rooted Homeschool Support & Resource Centre for Metis Culture Days. Homeschool children from Preeceville and the surrounding areas had the chance to meet and learn form with these Metis women…The fundraiser crop that will aid the Hazel Dell Recreation Hall was combined and trucked to the bin by numerous local volunteers.
October 20: The fundraiser canola field for the Preeceville Bike and Skate Park that was seeded in the spring had many community volunteers banning together to help get the harvest off the field and into the bin…The Preeceville Lions Club and many community volunteers have been busy working on expanding the Family Trail on the south side of the Town of Preeceville…The ratepayers in the Rural Municipality of Preeceville will be going to the polls to cast their ballet in the race for councillor in Div. 3.
October 27: The Preeceville and Sturgis Composite Schools acknowledged Education Week… Eager shoppers had their first opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done when the Preeceville School hosted a Fall trade
November 3: Sturgis CWL members and former members gathered at St. Patrick’s Church in Sturgis to wish Sylvia Lozinski who is a long-time member a farewell as she moves to Airdrie, Alta.…The Preeceville junior girls volleyball team won their conference to advance to districts… The Preeceville Minor Hockey organization hosted a weeklong power skate program aimed at improving and mastering better skating techniques.
November 10: Representatives from Weyerhaeuser presented the Pasquia Porcupine proposed operating plan for the 2022-2023 year in Endeavour… The Preeceville junior boys volleyball team captured the district title in front of a large and loud home town crowd… Olivia Ivanochko of Preeceville was thrilled to have been nominated and felt extremely honoured to be selected to perform with the Saskatchewan Junior/Intermediate Provincial honour band.
November 17: Students, staff and invited guests assembled for the Preeceville School’s annual Remembrance Day service… The Sturgis Composite School staff and students presented a small Remembrance Day Service that acknowledged all veterans past and present… Kathleen and Michael Pitt of Preeceville gave a presentation of their trip when they canoed down the South Saskatchewan River in 1996.
November 24: Filling the Gap volunteers and committee members were busy organizing the upcoming Christmas Hamper program… The Preeceville Panthers football team’s season ended when they lost out in the first round of provincial playoffs in Lemberg… Capturing the story in each art piece carved out of moose antlers is a difficult task but for Sam McElhinney of Preeceville it is a passion that he is engulfed in. December December 1: The Sturgis/Norquay School combined
senior boys volleyball team earned the privilege to attend provincial championships when they fought their way to the top two at conference playoffs… The Preeceville Pats U18 team continue to dominate the league and remain undefeated… The Roughrider snowmobile club has been busy reorganizing for another season.
December 8: Olivia Ivanochko, 14 years old, of Preeceville came away with higher expectation for herself after she had the opportunity to perform with the Saskatchewan Junior/Intermediate Provincial honour band…The Sturgis/Norquay senior boys vollleyball team earned the privilege to attend provincial basketball championships when they placed in the top two at conference finals… After a two-year absence, the Preeceville Curling Rink members are gearing up for an exciting season.
December 15: To kick off the Christmas season, the Sturgis Archery Club hosted a fun shoot at the Sturgis Composite School…. The Sturgis Station House Museum came up with the unique idea to involve students from the Sturgis Composite School in kindergarten to Grade 6 in creating gingerbread houses… Christmas shoppers and vendors enjoyed visiting at the Christmas craft sale held at the Preeceville Community Legion Hall.
December 22: The Spray family’s Triple S Cattle Company had the experience of a lifetime when they attended and showed three of their purebred Gelbvieh cattle at Agribition in Regina at the end of November…. The Sturgis community and various organizations came together to bring a hallmark Christmas to Sturgis… The Preeceville School broke away from the traditional Christmas concert and took a new fresh approach. This year they featured a fun evening that invited the public, parents and friends to join the staff and students in celebrating the Christmas season through an open house.
The Preeceville Wildlife Federation held their annual meeting and antler measuring at the Preeceville Community
Hall on Jan. 8. The meeting portion was well attended and 12 white-tailed deer, three Moose, two elk, two mule deer, two antelope,
and one bear were brought in for measuring, according to Secretary/Treasurer Heather Gawrelitza.
President Greg Gawrelitza spoke on the pandemic and how Preeceville Wildlife is very grateful for the local support that helps the group support many local and provincial activities.
“The Preeceville Wildlife Federation was happy to be involved in the decision to purchase approximately five adjoining quarters by Crystal Lake. This parcel of land will be known as the Lisoway Land. This was the largest land purchase in the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s history. Saving these quarters with trees makes sure future generations will be able to enjoy the land for years to come. This year has been very hard on our wildlife populations and the club is looking into putting some bales out in select locations,” Greg stated.
A Chronic Wasting Disease announcement came out in January 2022 that the government of Saskatchewan will be
partnering with Alberta Environment to develop a vaccine for CWD over the next five years. There was some confusion over trespassing signs that read “Access with Written Permission Only.”
Those in attendance were told, wildlife membership is your written permission and it is stated on back of membership card. They were reminded about the SWF’s Antlers for Habitat initiative where the proceeds from the sale of the antlers is
split by the local club and SWF. Proceeds are used to secure wildlife habitat across the province.
Heather Gawrelitza gave a public thank you to all the generous businesses and auction buyers that helped Preeceville Wildlife have a very successful online auction with Bruce Schapansky Auctioneers. The Winner’s Choice Raffle was another good fundraiser for the club and the winner was Joel Wionzek, who selected $1,200 in
Co-Op Gift Cards. The Family Fire Pit at Annie Laurie Lake will be completed this summer in memory of Darcy Rediger and the benches will be placed in memory of Nolan Thompson, Hilding Nelson and Sheldon Nelson. The 2022 sponsorship and donations were to SWF Habitat, Grades 4, 5, and 6 Fish Artwork Contest, Sturgis Archery Bows and Arrows, SWF Habitat Golf & Clay Shoot, Preeceville Curling Club, Sturgis
CONTINUED
Wildlife for Gun Range, Annie Laurie Lake Family Fire Pit and Stamped Concrete Pad, and Crystal Lake land purchase with SWF.
Heather Gawrelitza reported that the Firearm Safety Chairman Norman Johnson has stepped down and the program will continue under the guidance of Brad Steppan. “We look forward to Norman Johnson’s continued assistance with the program. This past year the program had 25 students participating from Preeceville, Sturgis, Norquay, Hazel Dell, Ketchen, and Endeavour. Thank you to the Preeceville School for allowing us classrooms to teach the program. Thank you to Instructors Norman Johnson and Brad Steppan along with Gerald Ignatiuk,
Conservation Officers Johnny Petryshyn and Dave Knihniski, and thank you to helpers Owen Myhr and Kelly Masley.”
Membership Chairman Owen Myhr gave a report that Preeceville Wildlife had 500 memberships last year and saw an increase of 40 in the past year.
“The permission needed on Wildlife lands probably helped the membership numbers. Our club is the fourth highest in memberships in the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. We have not had an increase in membership fees for many years and this year we have increased with regular membership now $25, spouse and youth $15, and the family rate is $50,” stated Myhr.
Trophy Chairman Kelly Maupin announced the 2021 Trophy winners. Preeceville Wildlife
Federation Tailgatrz Mugs or Water Bottles were chosen by the winners in attendance. Maupin also gave a reminder to send in 2022 Fish and Bird Entries to kmaupindad@gmail. com.
Conservation Officer
Johnny Petryshyn presented a report and announced that the new Conservation Officer in the area is Nathan Dutchak from the Tadmore region.
There were elections for each position with three calls for nominations.
Remaining in their positions were: Greg Gawrelitza as president and Campground chairperson, James Bodnar as vice-president, Heather Gawrelitza as secretary/ treasurer, Owen Myhr as Membership chairperson, and Colin Masko as Fisheries chairperson, Holdover Kelly Maupin
was joined by Masko as Trophy co-chairs.
Newly elected were Brad Steppan as Firearm Safety chairperson and Trevor Bilan as Habitat chairperson.
Directors are: Taylor and Shelby Sliva, Myron Shiplack, Dreyton Paul, Lexie Young, Dale Parkin, Brian Schlosser, Brooke Huska, Makayla Madsen, Paul Nixon, Ellen McKenzie, Kirby Pankratz, Taylor and Justin Jakubowksi, Brett and Steven Geistlinger, Brent and Karen Van de Woestyne, Alex Nagy and Tony Steciuk.
Lifetime directors are: Howard Bilan, John Masko, Norman Johnson and Eugene Panasiewich.
Draw winners were: Norman Parkin for a $25 Co-op gift card, a $25 Preeceville Archery gift card for the adult
measuring draw went to Brent Geistlinger, the junior measuring draw for a $25 Home Hardware gift card
was won by Seth Reynolds, and Ellen McKenzie took home $107 for winning the 50/50 draw.
The Preeceville branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation presented the 2021 awards at the 2022 antler measuring and annual meeting on Jan. 8. Trophy Chairman Kelly Maupin announced the 2021 trophy winners. Preeceville Wildlife Federation Tailgatrz mugs or water bottles were chosen by the winners in attendance as prizes. The junior hunters that received awards also received plaques.
Fish Shelby Sliva received the Frank Arnie Memorial Award for Largest Overall Fish for a Lake Sturgeon that weighed 32 pounds, nine ounces. Kelly Maupin received the Dan Hort Memorial Award for Largest Walleye, 11 pounds, 15 ounces, 30.5 inches. Avery Mitchell received the Robert Neitling Memorial Award for Junior Women’s Northern Pike at 14 pounds, 14 ounces. James German received
the Mark Tonn Memorial Award for Largest Perch, two pounds and 13 inches.
Scott Masko won the Men’s Tiger Trout, at 4 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches. John Masko received the Men’s Brown Trout at one pound, 10 ounces and 16 inches, and also received the Men’s Rainbow Trout award, with eight pounds and 22 inches.
Brent Van de Woestyne received the Bob Masko Memorial Award for Largest Moose with antlers that measured 163 5/8.
Brooke Huska received the Lorin Tonn Memorial Award for Largest Elk, 351 3/8, and,also received the Women’s Moose award at 163 4/8.
Harvey Wolowski won the Sam Bowey Memorial Award for Largest Whitetail, 173 4/8. Cody Zubko received the Men’s Elk award at 312 3/8. Mark Jakubowski won the Men’s Mule Deer, 179 1/8. Colleen
Bilan had the top Women’s Mule Deer, 170 2/8. Brett Geistlinger received the Men’s Muzzle loader Mule Deer with a score of 183 2/8.
Steven Geistlinger received the Men’s NonTypical Mule Deer, 219 6/8. Lyndon Gawrelitza won the Junior Men’s Mule Deer
with 160 2/8. Nathaniel Lisoway received the Men’s Archery Mule Deer, 134 2/8. Karlie Kowalchuk took the Women’s NonTypical Mule Deer, 178 3/8. Mikayla Madsen received the Women’s Non-Typical White-Tailed Deer, 169 1/8. Travis Mentanko won the Men’s Non-Typical
White-Tailed Deer, 191 4/8. Chloe Chornomitz received the Junior Women’s WhiteTailed Deer Award with a score of 133 6/8. There were no entries for the Peter Steppan Memorial Junior Elk award.
Bear
Karen Kosheluk received the Women’s Crossbow
Bear with a score of 17 11/16. Mikayla Madsen received the Women’s Archery Bear, 18 4/16, and Blair Mitchell received the Men’s Bear award, scoring 21 0/16.
Birds
Tye Olson received the Men’s Pheasant award for his entry that measured 36 Bars.
Saskatchewan farmers experienced their most expensive year ever for crop and livestock production as farm cash expenses exceeded $11.5 billion – 11 per cent higher than 2020 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2012.
At the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s fall District Meetings, APAS Representatives expressed concern about the lack of price transparency and supply certainty for critical farm inputs such as fertilizer, fuel, seed, and chemicals.
“In our meetings across the province, the rising cost of production is the biggest concern
voiced by producers,” APAS President Ian Boxall stated in a release. “We also heard about shortages of fertilizer this fall and pesticides throughout the summer. The lack of availability and price volatility in these markets has created a lot of uncertainty that we don’t want to experience again in 2023.”
Cost of production inflation creates added risk for producers. In 2021, Saskatchewan farmers spent $2.67 billion on fertilizer purchases alone, which made up 24 per cent of cash operating expenses and exceeded the previous year’s fertilizer purchases by 30 per cent. Since 2019, glyphosate has increased
62 per cent, fuel is up 52 per cent, the price for urea increased 112 per cent since May 2019, and anhydrous ammonia is up 113 per cent.
“These inputs are critical for food production at a time when the world needs Saskatchewan’s agricultural products. Let’s start the discussion now to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure these inputs are available and farmers have the information they need to make informed purchase decisions,” stated Boxall.
“We know that inflation and the cost of living is a major concern right now for everyone. At the same time, costs are especially
volatile for essential farm inputs which make up a huge portion of farm costs” Boxall continued. “The lack of transparency on what’s causing these price spikes is very concerning and requires further investigation. Western Canada is a major producer of nitrogen fertilizer, and farmers have longstanding concerns about retail prices for domestically produced fertilizer being set at international market levels with freight from overseas locations added to retail prices in Saskatchewan.”
Boxall noted that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture is scheduled to
begin studying retail food pricing later this fall and into 2023, and that APAS would like some of the
focus to be on the factors driving cost increases for fertilizer, fuel, and other critical farm inputs.
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ANAKA - Mrs. Anne Anaka, beloved wife of the late Peter Stefan Anaka formerly of the Stenen, Saskatchewan district, passed away peacefully at the Preeceville Long Term Care Home on December 28,2022, at the age of 101. Anne was born to Alex & Sadie (Rusnak) Hunko in December, 1921, in the Burgis area. She was the third child born in a family of six. Anne attended West Wexford School in the Burgis area. In the mid 1930’s she moved with the family to a farm north of Stenen, where she was in charge of cooking for the hired men, and no longer went to school. Anne met Peter at the age of 16 and they dated for four years. On May 28,1942 Anne married Peter S. Anaka. They soon moved to their own farm several miles north of Stenen. It was there they raised their four beautiful children, Harold, Dan, Ron, and Marlene. Anne and Peter continued to live on the farm until their retirement in 1985. It was at that time they moved to Preeceville. In 2015, Anne moved to the Preeceville Personal Care Home. She lived there until 2018 and then moved to the Preeceville Long Term Care Home. Anne was an active member of the St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Stenen for over 60 years. She enjoyed baking, cooking, crocheting, knitting, and quilting. Anne was proud of her huge garden and spent many hours tending to it. Anne enjoyed her time at the Dew Drop Inn, Stenen and Club 60 in Preeceville where they were members. She enjoyed playing cards and playing shuffleboard. Anne is survived by her four children, Harold (Carol), Dan (Collette), Ron (Marci) and Marlene (Jack) Starner. Her nine grandchildren were her greatest joy: Michelle, Carla (Marcelin) Perras, Shaeleen (Dan) Digirolamo, Kyle (Carling) Anaka, Curtis (Chelsea) Anaka, Jason (Jennifer) Anaka, Allison (Mike) Lynds, Marc Starner and Adam Melvin; Anne also had 14 great grandchildren. Anne is survived by sisters-in-law, Phyllis Anaka, Vicky Rougeau, and Pearl Petrash and generations of nieces and nephews. Anne was predeceased by her parents, Alex and Sadie, her husband Peter, brothers Mike (Katie), Paul (Francis), John (Vicky) and siblings William and Marusa. Funeral Services were held on Tuesday, January 3, 2022, from the Chapel of Preeceville Funeral Home with Rev. Fr. Michael Faryna Officiating. Anne’s eulogy was read by Dan Anaka, and a tribute was read by Carla Anaka. The interment followed at the Preeceville Orthodox Cemetery with Rory Lozinsky serving as the crossbearer and Rick Gurski, Clarence Hunko, Michelle Anaka, Don Fiege, Marc Starner and Marcelin Perras serving as casketbearers. Memorials in memory of Anne may be made to St. Demetrius Orthodox Parish Stenen or to The Assumption of Holy Virgin Greek Orthodox Church in the Stenen area or the charity of one’s choice as gifts of remembrance. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Anne’s tribute page at preecevillefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.
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The Government of Saskatchewan has released the 2022 Saskatchewan Clubroot Distribution Map, which outlines the rural municipalities (RMs) where clubroot has been identified.
In 2022, visible clubroot symptoms were recorded in two more commercial canola fields and the clubroot pathogen was detected in four new fields. To date, visible clubroot symptoms have been confirmed in 82 commercial fields while the clubroot pathogen has been detected through DNA-based testing in 42 fields where there were no visible symptoms. These results show the importance of continuing to monitor and manage clubroot, which is a declared pest under The Pest Control Act.
All producers with visible clubroot symptoms or fields with the presence of the pathogen have been notified. The specific land locations are kept confidential and not shared publicly to protect the
producer’s privacy. Land locations are only shared with the appropriate RM if they have clubroot-specific bylaws enacted and visible symptoms have been confirmed.
“Clubroot can impact our producers, landowners and the province’s strong canola market,” Agriculture Minister David Marit said in a release. “This map helps the ministry to track and manage clubroot while preventing it from reaching other fields.”
In 2022, over 500 fields were inspected as part of the clubroot monitoring program. Producers and industry agrologists were able to receive a free soil testing bag kit via the Ministry of Agriculture’s website or a regional office. In total, 39 soil samples were submitted for laboratory analysis and SaskCanola covered the cost of each test.
“SaskCanola funds province-wide disease testing for clubroot to ensure we have a good understanding of the regions where the disease is present. This way canola growers can make the best management decisions for their farm to prevent the spread of this invasive soil-borne disease,” Chair of SaskCanola’s Research Committee Keith Fournier said.
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Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.
Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com
The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with SaskCanola, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation and plant health officers, implemented the clubroot monitoring program to understand the distribution and severity of the disease in the province and where it has been already detected. The program includes in-field surveillance, free on-farm soil DNA testing for producers and agrologists and encouraging clubroot reporting from producers and industry.
Clubroot is a soil-borne disease that can cause significant yield loss when pathogen levels are high, a susceptible crop is grown and when environmental conditions are favourable.
Proactive clubroot management, a combination of rotation, resistant varieties and sanitation practices,
key to reducing possible yield losses due to clubroot.
The Preeceville Panthers senior boys’ basketball team hosted its home tournament with eight teams all racing for top spot on Jan. 6 and 7. Preeceville faced
off against Kamsack in its first-round match on Friday and ended up cruising to a early lead, resulting in a victory by 67-35.
“All of our players received lots of playing time which
was great for everyone,” said Jeremy Mattison, coach.
The second game had two hometown favourite teams facing off against each other with Preeceville
taking on the Norquay/ Sturgis combined team. The final score was 67-35 for Preeceville.
“The Norquay team is a strong team and have made huge improvements
to increasing and improving skills and techniques,” said Mattison.
The win propelled Preeceville to the A side championships against VCA from Osler. It was a tough game that ended in a 53-34 loss for Preeceville.
“Our players played hard and were determined to show the Provincial champs that they could hold their own against
them. It was a total team effort all weekend and we as a coaching staff are very proud of them. We want to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped with the tournament and to the fans who came out to pack the gym each game and cheered loudly,” he said. Other teams entered were Hudson Bay, LCBI from Outlook, HCI from Humboldt, and Canora.
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