Preeceville Progress 2023-03-23

Archery Club had busy season with members striving to improve

The Sturgis archery club has had a very successful 2022/2023 archery season. The club has 18 archers with members aged from 7 to 15 years old.

“We are proud to say that in a male-dominant sport our four senior archers are female and have returned for the third or fourth year so far. The young archers are well on their way in the club- designed feathers program and have shown us that persistence pays off, and have now advanced to shooting with the junior lineup,” stated Billiejoe Townsend, representative.

Each and every archer has progressed in great strides this year with many great scores, badges and feathers to prove it. They have focused on beating their personal best, time after time. Nine of the archers have received at least one badge so far and a couple have received five or more.

A badge is received once the archer gets a specific score

verified by the coach and the provincial archery association. The feather program is for younger members as an incentive and reward for their determination and new skills learned.

“As always our couches have been busy striving for more.

Coach Linda Westermann will be partaking in level two coach training and coach Dan Johnson is currently working on his coach certifications as well,” stated Townsend.

The Endeavour range has had an abundance of interest and activities aside from the Saturday morning junior archers. This includes an adult archer shoot every Saturday at 2 p.m., the club- hosted introduction to archery workshop in the fall, and an introduction to archery class this winter with some local students from the Endeavour and surrounding community.

Anticipation is growing for the upcoming SAA JOP

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Preeceville Nordic Cub hosts fun ski afternoon

The Preeceville Nordic Ski Club encouraged all avid recreational skiers to join them as they had a fun ski day called a loppet on March 11. The term loppet means a whole bunch of people going skiing together, according to the Nordic Ski Club website. There were

approximately 24 skiers who participated and had fun exploring the Preeceville Lions cross-country ski trails.

Participants had the option to ski, 5, 10, 15 or 30 km along the fullygroomed trails. The day ended with everyone gathering at the ski chalet for hot chocolate and

roasted hot dogs.

“The afternoon was fun and we had great weather for skiing,” said Megan Maier, organizer.

“It gave everyone the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and the outdoors. It was a relaxing afternoon that promoted physical and mental healthy well being.

We gave out certificates to everyone who participated and we had skiers join us from Yorkton, Hudson Bay, Danbury, Preeceville and Sturgis. It was the first time the club hosted the event and we are hopeful to make it an annual event,” she added.

The Preeceville Nordic Ski Club has been around

for a few years and was kick-started by past founding member Lou Roste, who had a passion for cross-country skiing.

The club utilizes the well-groomed Preeceville Lions Family Trails that the Preeceville and District Lions Club has built up.

The trails are used for

walking in the summer and in the winter a set of cross-country tracks are groomed into the snow on the trail, to be enjoyed by avid skiers and walkers alike.

“The Preeceville Nordic Ski Club started out with a few families and has now gained popularity,” said

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Sawyer Townsend, member of the Sturgis Archery Club, aimed carefully at the target.

New school reporter for Sturgis Composite

BY JAINYLLE GAGNON

My name is Jainylle Gagnon. I am the eldest daughter of Karen Schmidt. I am currently in Grade 11 and I attend Sturgis Composite School. I have lived in Sturgis for most of my life, but my first home was in Kennedy, Saskatchewan. My favourite subject in school is English language arts. I love assignments where I get to be creative and use my skills to come up with something entertaining and clever. I like to write free verse poems and journal entries on either an assigned topic or a topic of my choice.

In my own time I have many things that I love doing. I’d consider myself a creative person. Painting is something that I have loved my whole life. I discovered

my love of painting by going to the Preeceville Art Group with my grandmother, Maureen Johnson. Acrylic and watercolour are the types of paints that I find are the best for me to paint with. With both types of paints, I have painted landscapes and if I decide to paint a portrait, I will use watercolour.

A hobby that I really love is scrapbook journaling. In 2022 I filled in every page of a journal. I love letting my thoughts and interests explore paper. My journals are filled with collages, song lyrics, drawings, photos, and personal write-ups.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I have learned how to crochet.

Crocheting was the perfect hobby for me during the pandemic because it allowed me to learn

something new and it was fun to make new things. I’ve made sun hats, a patchwork cardigan, and purses. I enjoy watching sunsets, going on back road drives, figure skating, going to concerts, and doing fun things with the people that I love the most.

I have a strong passion for music. Music is very important to me. I’m almost constantly listening to music wherever I go. My favourite music artists are Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and Louis Tomlinson, to name a few. I’ve grown up listening to music with my Mom and I haven’t stopped since the first listen.

I haven’t figured out where exactly I want to go in life, but I am interested in journalism, as well as mental health

and addictions counselling. I am taking the class Workplace Experience in school to get an idea of what journalism is about.

The Rocky Mountains is a magical place that I’ve dreamt of living in ever since my family and I began travelling through Jasper, Alberta every summer. I would love to spend a little chunk of my life living in the Rockies.

During my time writing and reporting for Sturgis Composite School and for the community of Sturgis I will be covering school news and events, interviewing students and staff members, and writing interesting articles. I am thrilled to have this opportunity and I am excited to be writing for the Preeceville Progress in the upcoming months.

New school program aims to prevent impaired driving among Saskatchewan youth

Saskatchewan middle and high school students are seeing a powerful and emotional lesson on the impact of impaired driving, and how they can prevent it, in a new video education program by MADD Canada.

With support from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), MADD Canada is delivering its 2022-2023 School Program to thousands of students across the province.

“Young people are at increased risk for impaired driving,” said

MADD Canada National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock in a release.

“Our School Program shows students the tragic outcomes that can happen when someone drives after alcohol, cannabis or other drug use, and equips them with the information and motivation to make safe choices to protect themselves and their peers.”

Road crashes are the number one cause of death among Canadian youth, and alcohol and/ or drugs are involved in more than half of those crashes. Every year,

MADD Canada produces a new School Program

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to educate students in Grades 7 – 12 about the risks of impaired driving, and to encourage them to never put themselves at risk by driving impaired or riding with an impaired driver.

As Provincial Sponsors of the School Program, SGI and SLGA are directly funding the delivery of 30 and 60 presentations respectively.

“While Saskatchewan has made significant progress over the past decade, impaired driving is still the leading cause of collision fatalities on our roads, and the largest proportion of impaired drivers are those aged 19 to 24,” said Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan. “SGI is pleased to continue supporting MADD in their efforts to teach an important lesson about how making safe-driving decisions can save lives.”

“It’s important that young people make responsible decisions

when it comes to alcohol and cannabis use and that they understand the horrific consequences that often come when someone gets behind the wheel impaired,” Minister responsible for SLGA Lori Carr said. “SLGA is proud to continue our partnership with MADD so that students across the province receive this important message.”

Final Play tells the story of teens Adam, Colin, Sarah and Katie. The four friends are playing baseball when Sarah invites Adam to a party that night after the game. The group decides to have some drinks at Adam’s house before the party since his mom and sister are out for a few hours. The group is drinking and Adam eventually agrees to try the cannabis that Katie has offered him.

When Adam gets a text from his sister saying she and their Mom are on their way home, he

rushes everyone to leave. Even though he is visibly impaired, Adam tells Sarah he is OK to drive –a decision that changes all their lives forever.

Following the fictional portion of the show, students see the personal stories of Holly Burton, Robin Croteau and Kylee Wallace – all young real-life victims of impaired driving, MADD Canada’s School Program, which will be presented to hundreds of thousands

of students across the country, is available in the traditional assembly format, as well as classroom or virtual formats, depending on each school’s preference. Following the presentations, schools receive an Educators’ Guide to help teachers continue the sober driving conversation all year long.

To see a clip of MADD Canada’s School Program: https://maddyouth.ca/ school-program/

Sturgis Community Bingo winners listed

Sturgis Community Bingo winners for March 14 were: Shirley Ellison (two), Delphine Whitehawk (two), Lil Masley, Suzy Jolson, Gwen Clark, Ken Stearns, Lillian Smith, Olga Wasylyniuk (two), Sheila McLeod

(two), Gaylene Palagian, Sharon McDuff (two), Geo Keewatin, Greg Kakakaway , Brenella Whitehawk, Karen Yurkiw, Helen Tymryk, Bev Kopeck, Richard Antoniuk, Gail O’Dell and Jean Babiuk.

Jainylle Gagnon is the new Sturgis Composite High School newspaper reporter who will be submitting stories from the Sturgis Composite School, to be featured in the Preeceville Progress.

Dirt bike stolen from outside Canora residence

BY SGT. DEREK FRIESEN Canora RCMP Detachment

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP responded to 30 calls from March 9 to March 16, some of which included: three 911 Act calls, one abandoned vehicle call, one assault, one breach of peace, one breakand-enter, one disturbing the peace, one failure to comply with release conditions order, one false alarm, one Mental Health Act call, one mischief, three other provincial calls, one suspicious person call, two thefts, three traffic collisions, six traffic offenses and one prisoner.

Assault sentence

On March 9, a male attended Canora Provincial Court and pled guilty to aggravated assault,

receiving a nine-month jail sentence and 12 months of probation. The aggravated assault charge was from an incident that occurred on Johnson Crescent in Canora on Sept 30, 2022, where two males assaulted another male. The second male charged with the aggravated assault is due back in Court on May 18. Failed to meet conditions

Another male attended Canora Provincial Court on March 9 and was found guilty for failing to comply with court-ordered conditions. The male’s conditional sentence order was also terminated. The male was sentenced to a total of 121 days in jail.

Loud music

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP were dispatched to a loud music complaint

in Preeceville on March 9. Police attended the call and learned the music had already been turned down.

Dirt bike stolen

On March 10, the Canora/Sturgis RCMP investigated a report that a blue dirt bike was stolen from outside a residence on Johnson Crescent in Canora. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Canora RCMP at 306563-4700, or you can also report anonymously via Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477).

Lock doors

On March 14, a male called 911 reporting seeing someone rummaging through his neighbour’s vehicle in Canora. Police attended and determined

no theft occurred but the vehicle in question was not locked. Police would like to remind the public to please lock your car and house doors.

Wide-ranging complaints

The Canora/Sturgis

RCMP received a call on March 14 from a female reporting a theft, chemicals in hand lotion, and drones in the night sky. Police attended the call and determined no crimes were committed.

Child 911 call

The Canora/Sturgis were dispatched to a 911 hang-up call where crying was heard in the background on March 14. Police tracked the 911 call to a residence in Canora and determined a small child had called 911 by accident.

Better apart?

On March 15, the Canora/Sturgis RCMP were dispatched to a complaint of a disturbance inside a residence. A male and a female were found intoxicated in the home and were not getting along. The female was removed from the residence and released to a family member.

No crime here

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP were dispatched on March 15 to a report of a break-and-enter in progress in Stenen. Police attended and learned that no break-and-enter occurred and the person located in the home was allowed to be there.

Missing TV

On March 15, the Canora/Sturgis RCMP

returned back to Stenen to investigate a report of a missing television. Police continue to investigate. Report tips and information

If you have any information about these or any other crimes, or any substances involved in these incidents, please contact the Canora RCMP at 306563-4700, 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).

Town council discusses many topics, including state of Preeceville Skating Arena

The Town of Preeceville council discussed many important topics vital to operating the town during its regular meeting on Feb. 13.

Cory Paul, president of the Preeceville Minor Hockey Association, along with other members, Lisa Moekerk, Donny Moekerk and Kent Seerey met with the Town council to discuss concerns they have with the Preeceville Skating Arena.

The lease agreement

between the Town and the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement for office spaces, lands and parking stalls used by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance and the Ministry of Corrections and Public Safety in the Preeceville Administrative building was approved for a term of September 2022 to August 2027.

Reports filed as read were submitted by: the Mayor, Town Foreman,

Chief Administrator, Community Development and Recreation Director.

Council approved the quote from L & S Welding to build two-tep mounted hand rails for the ice surface bleacher stairs at the Preeceville Skating Arena in the amount of $550.

Council acknowledged that the Preeceville Recreation Board will not be proceeding with the corn maze project this year and as such the Board was

authorized to renew the previous year’s land agreement for approximately 50 acres of and on the Townowned property located northeast of the Town of Preeceville.

The request by the property owner at 613 Second Avenue NE to have the curb removed at the front of his property to allow for a driveway access was approved by Council.

The quote received from Living Tree Environment

to provide a comprehensive Dutch Elm Disease survey during the summer of 2023 for the Town of Preeceville was approved.

Council approved Chris Halkyard to renew his certification for Level 1 Water Treatment and Distribution and Level 2 Wastewater Treatment and Collection certification.

The Parkland Regional Library levy for 2023 was set at a rate of $13.80 per capita for a total amount

of $14, 655, and was acknowledged.

Councillor Stacey Strykowski was approved to attend the SUMAssure annual general virtual meeting held March 1. Committee reports were acknowledged that were filed by the Preeceville Arena Board, Preeceville Community Legion Hall Committee, the Preeceville Recreation Board and the Parkland Regional Waste Management.

More physicians begin practising in Saskatchewan

Fifteen new doctors are practicing in rural Saskatchewan, thanks to the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program.

These newest physicians are among the 278 internationally-trained family physicians currently working in the province as a result of the SIPPA program. The vast majority - 77 per cent - practice in rural communities.

“We extend a warm welcome to these new doctors and their families to our province,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Everett Hindley said in a release.

“SIPPA is one of the many ways that we are working to recruit more doctors to Saskatchewan, and I am pleased that this program continues to see success.”

Started in 2011, SIPPA is a made-in-Saskatchewan program that opens doors for family doctors trained in countries around the world. The program assesses internationally educated physicians on their medical education and clinical ability as part of the licensure process to practice medicine in Saskatchewan. Through a return-of-service contract, they agree to work in the province for a minimum of

three years upon completion of the SIPPA assessment.

“I congratulate the SIPPA program graduates as they enter this next phase that will include supervision by local physicians,” SIPPA medical director for the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine Dr. Jon Witt said. “The increased funding for our program provided last year by the Government of Saskatchewan is not only supporting more international medical graduates in completing SIPPA, it’s also providing increased resources and mentorship to these new physicians

as they begin their practices in Saskatchewan communities.”

The program assesses physicians three times a year, with an annual capacity of approximately 45 physicians.

“Providing seamless care as close to home as possible is a key priority for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), and the SIPPA program helps us accomplish that,” SHA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Susan Shaw said. “These new SIPPA graduates, along with the retention of locally trained doctors and those already practicing in the

province, will strengthen our existing physician work force.”

The SIPPA program is one of many important initiatives designed to increase the number of physicians working in Saskatchewan. Other initiatives include:

• quadrupling the Rural Physician Incentive Program up to $200,000 and expanding eligibility to include physicians practicing through the SIPPA program;

• establishing a rural physician locum pool to provide relief to rural doctors and stabilize coverage in rural and remote communities that experience physician

vacancies;

• training more doctors in Saskatchewan by expanding medical residency seats from 120 to 128 at the University of Saskatchewan; and • expanding post-graduate medical residency training sites outside Regina and Saskatoon to Prince Albert, Swift Current, La Ronge, North Battleford, Moose Jaw and southeast areas of the province.

Physicians interested in working in Saskatchewan are encouraged to contact saskdocs directly at info@ saskdocs.ca, toll-free 1-888415-3627 or 306-933-5000.

APAS Livestock Summit looking to find solutions to challenges facing producers

In response to requests from Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) members over the past year, APAS is hosting a Livestock Summit at the Saskatoon Inn on April 5 to bring together academics, producers, and industry to help identify solutions to the current circumstances impacting livestock producers – including cattle, bison, and

sheep.

“Livestock production is a vital part of Saskatchewan’s agricultural landscape,” APAS President Ian Boxall said in a release. “Our members have been raising alarms about the future of this sector in our province, as producers have struggled over the past number of years with the impacts of drought, rising production costs,

and large spreads between farmgate and retail prices. Representatives at our General Meeting in December passed a resolution for APAS to bring together stakeholders to find solutions to these challenges.”

Saskatchewan is the second largest cattle producing province in Canada and is home to more than a third of the country’s native and tame pastureland.

According to the latest Statistics Canada reports, however, the provincial cattle herd has decreased by approximately 90,000 head since January 2021.

Land that is best suited for livestock production is at risk of being converted to cropland, which creates further challenges for the long-term success and future viability of the sector.

The APAS livestock summit will look at the

factors causing the trends as well as policy and program options to help promote future success.

These include recognition of livestock’s positive ecological and environmental contribution, improvements to business risk management programs, and work being done currently to process and market livestock from Saskatchewan.

“Success for livestock

producers means success across the province,” says Boxall. “The more agricultural groups work together to focus our efforts and support each other, the more we can accomplish.

At the end of the day, we all want success for agricultural producers.”

Registration for the livestock summit is now open. Visit apas.ca/policy/livestocksummit to register.

123 First Avenue East (Box 746)

Canora, Saskatchewan

Phone: 306-563-5131 · Fax: 306-563-6144

Hours: Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri.: 8 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5 pm

Tues.: 8 am – 12 pm, closed afternoons

LOOKING BACK A decade ago

The Preeceville branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation paid tribute to its avid hunters and anglers at the annual awards banquet at the Preeceville Legion Hall.

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The Preeceville and District Ministerial Association hosted a Holy Week noon hour bagged lunch service split between the churches of the Preeceville Trinity and Grace United in Sturgis.

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The RCMP team of Terry Wilson, Cory Dowling, Burton Jones and Ryan Coleman won the Matt’s Home Hardware Bonspiel which was held in Sturgis.

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The auxiliary from the LTC (long term-care wing) at the Preeceville and District Health Centre sponsored a St. Patrick’s Day pie social with a good crowd in attendance.

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Members from the Preeceville Figure Skating Club showcased their hard work through the year when they presented, Fireworks on Ice as the theme for their annual ice carnival.

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Members from the Studio Dance Club One attended and brought back numerous medals from the sixth annual Wadena Dance Kraze Invitational Dance competition.

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Students from the Sturgis Composite High School were recognized in the Remembrance Day poster contest and received prizes for their entries.

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Rob McLane and Against the Grain , national and international recording artists, were featured at Rawhides in Stenen.

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Premier Brad Wall announced new funding to attract more recently graduated physicians to rural Saskatchewan communities and improve patient access to physician services.

It was some time ago that a press release arrived in the mailbox announcing a veterinary professor at USask was launching a bovine health podcast.

The release caught my attention because it reminded how dramatically the dissemination of information to agriculture producers has changed over recent years.

I grew up following my dad to occasional farm meetings and field days, and always went home with a rather thick stack of pamphlets and fact sheets, which I would dutifully file away in binders in case dad needed to look up something.

To be honest, even when I was old enough, I read only an occasional leaflet, and I doubt dad read many more.

They became a bit like a mini encyclopedia, looking nice on a shelf, but rarely accessed.

CALVIN DANIELS

The speakers of course were listened to, although I often had the thought dad learned as much, and enjoyed the conversations over coffee with fellow producers.

Flash forward a decade or so and I’ve moved away from the farm to cover the ag sector as a journalist.

The job meant spending a lot of days at farm meetings where producers still gathered to listen to speakers. It was a sharing of information, and a chance to get off the farm for a few hours, which in itself is a positive. It is sometimes hard to distance oneself from the issues of farm business

when you can see the combine out the living room window.

But in recent years the number of meetings has dwindled.

Still the trend is to hold less meetings to share information because there are other ways to accomplish that today.

The Internet has allowed for unparalleled connectivity, and that means webcasts and YouTube videos, blogs and of course podcasts have largely taken over in terms of getting information to producers.

The evolution was given a further boost when COVID hit and the

idea of meeting via Zoom became normalized.

It makes good sense, at least for the most part.

The importance of farmers sharing information with other farmers The Ag Scene

There is a time-saving aspect as producers need not travel, and since anyone with Internet can join in, the chance to interact with a larger audience exists.

The meeting can be recorded and becomes an accessible resource too.

So, a veterinary podcast is a solid vehicle to share information.

But the element lost is the farmer-to-farmer sharing during the coffee and donuts.

Sure, at times that might have meant discussing a recent Hockey Night In Canada tilt, but it was also the time to talk about problems, and maybe solutions to farm issues.

That interaction with fellow farmers should not be discounted, but the opportunities are certainly fewer today.

Good preparation is a key step to a successful gardening season

You know by now that one of my favourite garden writers is Marjorie Harris. We have several of her books in our permanent garden book collection, including How To Make A Garden: The 7 Essential Steps for the Canadian Gardener. It’s a great little book, full of beautiful photos that will inspire you even without reading one word!

What are the seven steps? Marjorie lists step one as becoming a “pre-gardener” where we learn the basics about gardening; step two is to know our soil and how to make it better; step three is to choose a garden style that suits us, whether cottage or contemporary or contemplative, or maybe a mix of all the above!

Step four encourages us to make a map of our garden; step five teaches us how to select plants; the fun stuff comes with step six, planting our plants; and step seven is garden care.

I skimmed quickly through garden care, and one section is thoughtfully divided into what we should do for each season. Needless to say, spring is clean-up time. Marjorie says that we should clean all our garden tools to avoid bringing disease into our gardens. We should rake up any debris, trim dead branches away from our spruces, cedars and junipers, and trim back the dead branches on roses. (I’m a chicken with this: we like to wait a little longer, because you know

PREECEVILLE PROGRESS AND STURGIS REVIEW

The Garden Grapevine

DEBBIE HAYWARD

how sometimes you think a branch is dead, and then lo and behold, it begins to bud!) She also recommends planting a clove of garlic beside each rose bush to keep pests and fungus away.

Now is also when we should stir up our compost piles, and maybe add some manure or dried leaves. And once it gets a little warmer, we can top-dress our mulched areas with some fresh mulch.

This is a wonderful book, so if you see it anywhere, you might want to add it to your gardening library. It’s full of great information that is meant for Canadian gardens. You won’t be disappointed!

And don’t overlook the excellent resources we have right here, the knowledgeable and experienced people who work

at our local greenhouses! They know first-hand about our weather conditions, our soil conditions, and the other challenges that we face as prairie gardeners. They can tell us about all the latest plants, and how to take care of them. I can’t emphasize enough how much we have learned by asking questions and chatting with our skilled plant people: like all gardeners, they love to share information about gardening. So don’t be shy! Every question is a valid question, and they will be happy to help you.

Since we’re talking about learning new things, I also encourage you to visit the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources site, gardening.usask.ca/ public-workshops-events, that list a wide variety of on-line learning sessions. Coming up on Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m. is A Rainbow of Native Plants and on Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. is Shrubs for Pollinators. Registration closes one hour before the class starts. This is a wonderful program, with classes on all aspects of gardening, be sure to take a look.

Always remember and never forget: with gardening, there is always something new to learn. Horticulture is a wide and varied topic, with new plants, new methods, new ideas. Let’s make a pact that we will try at last one new thing this spring, all right? At least one!

Enjoy a good gardening book and have a nice week.

Winters with my twin brother – Part 2

Most of the people in Oslo, Norway use Nordmarka (a large forested area within the city limits) as their winter playground. There are downhills with both a chair lift and a T-Bar where you have to pay to play, plus miles and miles of free cross-country ski trails and a long chute used by lugers and tobogganers, also for free. Our dad had purchased a long toboggan sled, and Kjell and I grabbed it one nice sunny Sunday day in February 1955, put it in the large metal ski storage bin attached to the back of the bus, then transferred it and strapped it to the mountain tram’s outside storage area for skis and toboggans. The tram took us to the end station called Sognsvann at the top of the mountain. It was sort of a starting point for all the abovedescribed winter activities. Dad had given each of us enough money for

the bus and tram fares, as well as some spending money for hot dog lunches. The long toboggan was new to us, and we were not sure how to steer it down the chute. We sat and observed other obviously knowledgeable tobogganers, and figured out that the steering was done with our feet. To turn right, brake with our feet on the right side, and the same on the left side to go left, and to stop brake on both sides simultaneously.

We were ready for our first run, we did like the others, ran with the toboggan to get starting speed, and then jumped on it, me first holding the pull rope, then Kjell holding on to me. However, Kjell jumped too high and dragged me off the toboggan and we landed in the snow with the toboggan between us.

We dusted ourselves off and dragged the

Observations

KAARE ASKILDT

toboggan back to the starting area. The second attempt was done a bit better, but we hadn’t been able to get seated properly before we hit the first hard packed snowbank of the “S” turn. We didn’t have a chance as the toboggan went straight up and over the snowbank. It was a soft landing in deep snow. We spent a lot of energy slogging through the deep snow, but we finally made it back to the top.

Our third attempt worked better, but we barely had time to brake with the right feet before we hit the snowbank, so we ended up going very high up which

projected us with a lot of speed towards the second snowbank in the “S” turn, and we went across the snowbank and flew off, landing in deep snow again. After slogging through the snow back to the top, we decide that we needed a hot dog and Solo (a carbonated orange drink) before making another attempt. We had by now gotten the attention of a lot of spectators at the “S” turn who wanted to see the kamikaze twins, so we decided to give it our best on our fourth attempt.

We ran to get the starting speed, jumped on the toboggan without any problems, steered

with our feet and hit the first snowbank in the “S” turn about halfway up, shot across to the other snowbank, ended up almost at the top but the toboggan shot down the chute out of control, turned upside down and dumped us. We slid down the rest of the way on our backs to the bottom where I slammed into the big snowbank at the end of the chute and then Kjell slammed into me. The empty toboggan jumped over the end snowbank and ran into a luger who had a hard time keeping a straight face.

We quickly got out to make room for other lugers or tobogganers who knew what they were doing, grabbed our toboggan and slunk over to the tram station in embarrassment while brushing off the snow. We took the tram and the bus home, put the toboggan in the basement, never to be used by us

again. We started planning our activities (read pranks) that we would attempt to do during the coming spring and summer.

Ole and Sven were enjoying their lunch of smoked salmon on rye at Moe’s Bottoms Up Bar and Grille accompanied with Akevitt and Moe’s special lager.

“I gave my twin grandsons Per and Paul a toboggan for their 15th birthday,” said Ole. “I took them to the toboggan hill, but after a while Per had become spitting mad at Paul.”

“What was the problem?” asked Sven.

“I called them over,” said Ole, “and reminded Paul that I had told him to let Per use the toboggan half the time.”

“Did Paul remember that?” asked Sven.

“He did,” said Ole, “he told me that he had the toboggan going down the hill, and Per had it going up!”

Organic Farmers Right to Farm threatened

OPINION BY GARRY

JOHNSON, SaskOrganics President

The organic sector in Saskatchewan is thriving.

There are 1,025 organic producers, processors and organic sector businesses in the province with over 1.175 million acres, thirty per cent (29 per cent) of all organic acreage in Canada. The global market for organic products is over $250 billion annually.

All certified organic farmers must comply with the Canada Organic Standard which prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) -- and that includes products of gene editing.

But the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing to exempt some geneedited seeds that have no foreign DNA from Part V of the Seeds Regulations. This would

mean some GM seeds could enter the market without any government approval or notification process.

The CFIA is suggesting seed companies could voluntarily let the government and farmers know about these exempted gene-edited seeds coming to market.

The Minister of Agriculture and AgriFood, The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau is responsible for making

the final decision on this issue and she is likely to make the decision soon. Organic farmers need to know which seeds are GM so they can buy non-GM seed and take measures to avoid contamination from nearby GM crops.

Organic farmers need a mandatory public registry of all GM seeds. Without a mandatory public registry, organic farmers cannot meet

the requirements in the Canada Organic Standard so we would not be able to sell our grain into the organic market and it would put our farms out of business.

Consumers will also lose their ability to choose non-GM food. We have no desire to stop non-organic farmers accessing gene edited seeds, but our ability to farm organically is being threatened.

Minister Bibeau can protect organic farmers by making sure there is full disclosure of all GM seeds by requiring a mandatory public registry.

SaskOrganics is calling on organic farmers, and all consumers who want an organic choice, to call the Minister’s office in Ottawa at 613-995-2024 to tell Minister Bibeau, “No hidden genetically modified seeds.”

Stray pets: The ‘problem’ and its solution

Stray pets.

The phrase itself testifies to the abnormal reality of the Greek cities and countryside, with countless thousands of creatures living on the streets, far from human companionship, love, care and protection with all that entails. Do they deserve this? Is that where they belong?

Is this the “thank you” we owe them?

A stray dog (or cat) is one that lives on the streets not by choice but after being abandoned by humans, as a result of which:

• Wandering around

and being poorly fed;

• Exposed to all kinds of diseases in the absence of veterinary prevention;

• A victim of abuse, injury or even death from actions mainly related to people (car accidents, shootings, drownings, mobs, etc.);

• Repeatedly mates and gives birth, perpetuating the vicious cycle of strays; and

• Has an average lifespan of just two years, under adverse conditions.

Right now, the number of stray pets and those hosted in animal shelters, shelters, boarding houses

and volunteer homes waiting to be adopted amounts to tens of thousands! But how can this be explained at a time when the world’s sensitivity towards animals is increasing more and more? Is there a solution to this “problem?”

The first thing we should understand is that the problem is not the strays, but us. Most people are shocked at the sight of neglected, abandoned, sick, boned, abused, maimed and killed stray animals, but do not connect these images with their own actions and choices. The truth is

that we are the creators of the problem, but at the same time we are also the ones who can change this tragic situation. Despite its enormity, the problem can be tackled by creating an animal welfare culture and fully understanding basic concepts such as the following: Sterilization, responsible adoption, electronic marking and identification, leash ride, humanization, education, information in schools about the obligations related to the issue of adopting an animal and of course, within the family explaining in

detail to the child how he or she should be careful to love an animal, along with all the obligations towards it. And of course, the responsibilities that the whole family will have towards it! Co-operation in the treatment of strays with the municipality of each region and veterinarians should also be emphasized.

In the economic, but above all, humanitarian crisis we are facing, we can really make amends to such a unique creature that puts man above his own species and is always at our “services”

as a therapy dog, a guide for the blind, a helper for people with disabilities, savior and as our best and most loyal friend.

Those who love them, those who don’t want them, and even those who are indifferent to stray pets agree on at least one thing: Nobody wants them on the streets. So let’s try individually and all together to be the change that we want to see in ourselves and the generations to come.

Thank you.

Anne Marie Markopoulou Kamsack

Sturgis students recognized for entries in Remembrance Day contest

The Norquay Legion recently presented students at the Sturgis Composite School with prizes for their winning entries in the Remembrance Day poster contest. Betty-Lou Skogen, representative from the Legion, made the presentation on March 9 with prize money and certificates. “These prizes are only from the Branch level with all first places moving on to the Zone level,” stated Skogen.

There were 143 entries and the contest was open to all students from Grades 1-12.

Winners in the Grades 1-3 category, were: color

poster category, Zia Dela Torre first place and Lakyn Seerey, second; black and white category, Grady Lario, first place and Blake Beatty second place.

In the Grades 4-6 poster color category: Amelia Maier, placed first and Lily Beatty placed second. In the black and white category, Andreanna Jatico placed first and Mason Stoudt placed second. In the poem category, Amelia Maier placed first and Madisyn Kelly placed second. In the essay category, Amelia Maier placed first and Sadiaa Melnick placed second.

Winners in the Grades 7-9 color poster category were: Makayla Johnson, first place and Bracyn Konkel second place; black and white category, Layla Jaeb placed first and Cheyenne Peterson, secnd place. In the poem category, Jesse Beatty, placed first with Bostin Smith placing second. In the essay category, Savannah Olson placed first and Trae Peterson placed second. Kaiden Masley placed first in the Grades 10-12 poem category with Jayden Fedorchuk placing second. Jordyn Blanchard placed first in the Grades 10-12 essay category.

Sturgis Composite middle school students who were recognized for their poster entries in the Norquay Legionʼs Remembrance Day contest, from left, were: Mason Stoudt, Amelia Maier, Lily Beatty, Madisyn Kelly and Betty-Lou Skogen, presenter. Unavailable for the photograph were

Sturgis Composite high school students who were recognized for their poster entries, from left, were: (back row) Jayden Fedorchuk, Kaiden Masley, Bracyn Konkel, Trae Peterson, Cheyenne Peterson, Savannah Olson and Betty-Lou Skogen, presenter; and (front) Makayla Johnson, Layla Jaeb, Jesse Beatty and Bostin Smith. Unavailable for the photograph was Jordyn Blanchard.

A-Banner in sight for Preeceville

The Preeceville Pats U18 hockey team have their sites set on the A-Banner and after defeating Moosomin in two straight games they are inches closer to the league final where they will meet up with Indian Head for a match-up of a lifetime.

The first game against Moosomin was held in

Moosomin on March 9 with a 10-4 win for the Pats. Scoring for Preeceville were, Kaiden Masley (four), Bryker Smith (two), Spencer Leech, Hudsyn Nelson, Cole Masley and Mason Babiuk. Assists by Bryker Smith, Mason Babiuk, Bronson Heshka, Kaiden Masley, Hudsyn Nelson, Hunter Lamb and Tomas

Hauber. The second game held in Preeceville on March 12 was closer game but once again had Preeceville squeak out the win of 4-3. Scoring for Preeceville were, Kaiden Masley (two), Spencer Leech and Hudsyn Nelson. Assists were by Hudsyn Nelson and Brody Shankowsky.

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Andreanna Jatico and Sadiaa Melnick.

Sturgis Composite Elementary students who were recognized for their poster entries in the Norquay Legionʼs Remembrance Day contest, from left, were: Grady Lario, Blake Beatty, Lakyn Seerey, Zia Dela Torre and Betty-Lou Skogen (presenter).

The Preeceville Pats defeated Lumsden on March 5 and then defeated Moosomin on March 9 to advance in the playoffs where they continue the race with a series against Prairie Storm in the provincial semifinals.

Norquay/Sturgis boys basketball hopes dashed in playoffs

The Norquay/Sturgis schools combined senior boys basketball team gave it their best shot but despite all their efforts came up a little short in conference play held in Preeceville on March 10 and 11.

The team started out string by defeating Hudson Bay with a 80 to 63 final score but when faced off against the number oneranked team, Porcupine Plain, they came up short despite all efforts with a 105-67 loss. The loss knocked them out of conference play and ended their season. The top two teams went on to regionals

with Preeceville placing second and Porcupine first, with regionals held in Preeceville on March 17 an 18.

“It was not the ending we’d hoped for, but I want to extend a huge tip of the hat to each and every member of this squad,” said Heath Morin, coach.

“You all grew this year in every facet of the game and beyond. You became better players, great young men and grew as a team. You were a pleasure to work with and hit the road with the last three-plus months. With no graduating players, our future is

bright.

“Thank you to all the officials (both local and beyond) who gave their time so the kids could play. To the parents and supporters, we are so appreciative of all you do. You were there to support us as well as help get the boys to and from games and tourna-

We couldn’t play our schedule without you.

“Lastly, congratulations to Porcupine Plain and Preeceville who advanced out of this conference to regionals. We wish you nothing but the best as you chase a trip to Hoopla,” stated Morin.

Applications open for Adam Herold hockey and leadership development program

The Adam Herold Legacy Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2023-24 Hockey and Leadership Development Program, stated a release.

The Foundation was established to honour Adam Herold, the youngest player killed in the Humboldt bus accident. Adam, from Montmartre, Sask., was a talented athlete who was also humble, hard-working, kind and very proud of his small town roots. He was always willing to help others to

make his community and province a better place. The Hockey and Leadership Development program provides opportunities to Saskatchewan youth to develop and refine not only their hockey skills, but also their leadership potential. The Foundation provides top trainers for skill development, physical and mental training, coaching development and ongoing support for hockey programs in rural communities.

While hockey skills are

an important part of the program, the camps also focus on teaching players about being leaders in their communities and the importance of giving back. All participants are asked to complete volunteer work in their communities as part of the leadership training. “I think Adam would be very proud of the Foundation and the work that we’ve been doing with rural youth around the province,” said Russell Herold, Adam’s dad. “We miss him every single day – that will never change –but sharing his love for the game and pride of being a small town kid helps us keep his memory alive.”

The Foundation held its first camps just months after the Humboldt bus accident. To date, camps have taken place in Preeceville, Balcarres, Gravelbourg, Alameda, Torquay, Radville, Naicam, Maple Creek, Langenburg, Carrot River, Quad Town, Biggar, Indian Head and St. Walburg. The Foundation will be selecting three communities to host the camps for the 2023-24 season, each with three full days of hockey and

leadership development.

The events are a joint effort between the Foundation and host communities. Communities are responsible for arranging and providing ice and classroom facilities, co-ordinating

registration and providing other support as required and the Foundation provides highly qualified coaches, instructors and other resources for the two weekend sessions.

Communities interested in applying for the camps

can visit the Foundation’s website www.adamheroldlegacyfoundation.ca, the Foundation’s Facebook page or contact adamheroldlegacyfoundation@ gmail.com for more information. Deadline to apply is April 7, 2023.

NOTICE OF ELECTION

The following two (2) candidates have been duly nominated to fill one (1) position on the Board of Directors of Crossroads Credit Union: Northern District

BALAWYDER, FLORIAN

KARCHA, DUANE

Election will be held through electronic voting. Members can access the voting link on the Crossroads Credit Union website March 29th to April 6th.

* Must be a member of the Sturgis or Preeceville branch and 16 years of age to qualify to vote.*

Members may visit the Sturgis or Preeceville branch and use the branch iPads to cast their vote.

ments.

Members of the Norquay/Sturgis schools senior boys basketball team from left, were: (back row) Heath Morin, coach, Nick Kucharyshyen, Jake Soltys, Brody Gulka, Cole Secundiak, Kimmuel Albarracin, Kade Rubletz and Jack Korpusik; and, (front) Ayden Lukey, Hunter Nelson, Jayden Kazakoff, Sage Miraflor and Carson Ebert.

Cole Secundiak took a pass from Norquay/Sturgis teammate Kimmuel Albarracin during the Conference 2A Basketball playoffs held in Preeceville

Cole Secundiak tipped the ball into the hoop during the Conference 2A Basketball playoffs held in Preeceville.

The Adam Herold foundation was established to honour Adam Herold, the youngest player killed in the Humboldt Broncs bus accident.

Throwback Thursday: From the Preeceville Progress files

March 20, 1969 - The Royal Canadian Legion distributed prizes to students who had winning entries in the Legion’s annual Remembrance Day poster, poem and essay contest.

March 22, 1984- The communities of Lintlaw, Nut Mountain, Endeavour and Lady Lake were among the 21 centres to receive natural gas service.

March 22, 1984Approval was granted for the construction of a new regional laundry service at Yorkton which will serve 13 area hospitals and four continuing care facilities. Among those included were: the Canora Union Hospital, the Canora Gateway Lodge , the respective facilities at Norquay and Invermay, and the Preeceville Union Hospital.

March 26, 1970 - The Preeceville Lions Club observed its 10th anniversary.

March 27, 1975 - The Sturgis Figure Skating Club held its annual achievement day at the Sturgis Skating Arena.

March 20, 1980Darrel Paligian, centre, of Usherville won gold in the pre-novice NST affiliated event of the Parkland region interclub figure skating competition held in Canora. Tammy Wheatley, right, of Kelvington won silver and Sylvia Mills of Preeceville won bronze.

March 20, 1980- John and Fayne Masko of Snow Lake were the new owners of the Century House in Preeceville, succeeding Horst and Jeanette Block, who had owned the business since 1976.

Blackleg disease in canola and its diagnosis

BY HARJOT TUR, AAG, Intern Extension Agrologist, Outlook

Blackleg disease, also called phoma stem canker, is one of the most notable canola diseases in western Canada. It is caused by two species of fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans and Leptosphaeria biglobosa, the former being the highly virulent form and latter being the weakly virulent form. Both L. maculans and L. biglobosa primarily attack and infect Brassica crops including B. rapa, B. napus and B. juncea. In Canada, L. maculans was first detected in 1975 in Star City, Sask., which spread throughout canola-growing regions of western Canada.

The pathogen L. maculans overwinters on diseased canola stubble.

During the growing season, the fungus produces fruiting bodies, called pseudothecia, on infected canola residue. These fruiting bodies produce airborne sexual spores in spring called ascospores. Ascospores are the primary inoculum and initiate the disease by causing leaf lesions. Infection spreads from leaves to the stem, forming stem cankers that restrict moisture and nutrient movement in the plant, resulting in significant damage. During the growing season, another type of fruiting body called pycnidia is also produced by the pathogen, which is of less concern.

Saskatchewan producers can send samples to Discovery Seed Labs located in Saskatoon for blackleg testing. To test

Number of Candidates 1

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Candidate Acclaimed Brian Clough

for blackleg, the ideal time to pull and assess plants for blackleg infection is at 60 per cent seed colour change, which is around swath timing, as basal cankers are easy to see. Cut just below the crown of the plant into the root material to assess. You should see solid woody tissue through the cut. Sample 10 random stems, each several paces apart. Repeat in at least three areas spread across the field. It is important to allow samples to air dry overnight before packaging to avoid excessive fungal growth. Keep notes on how many stems you surveyed, how many were infected and in which field samples were collected. This will be important when talking to your seed supplier or agronomist about variety selection. The lab will determine which blackleg species is present: L.

biglobosa or L. maculans.

Plant breeders in Canada have successfully been able to introduce genetic resistance to canola cultivars, which is one of the most important blackleg control strategies. However, introduction of blackleg resistant, herbicide-tolerant and high-yielding hybrid cultivars in the 1990s has led to intensive production of canola in western Canada. Repeated and intensive use of resistant varieties could lead to gene resistance breakdown due to the change in populations of L. maculans under strong selection pressure. Crop rotation is another control strategy for residue-borne plant diseases including blackleg, as it reduces the pathogen population below the threshold level; a level below which the pathogen does not

cause significant crop damage. Since L. maculans is a residue-borne pathogen and survives on infected canola stems, short rotations do not allow the pathogen-infected

residue to degrade completely and longer rotations are recommended. For more information on blackleg disease of canola, contact your local crops extension specialist.

Saskatchewan housing starts see major boost

Saskatchewan’s economy continues to show impressive growth with urban housing starts increasing by 76.4 per cent between February 2022 and 2023, ranking first among the provinces This increase is well above the national average of 3.5 per cent.

“Saskatchewan’s strong economy continues to be one of the best in the

nation,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a release . “Today’s increase in housing starts is impressive and is further proof that Saskatchewan is the best place to live, work, and raise a family. This is growth that works for everyone.”

In the first two months of 2023, urban housing starts in Saskatchewan

increased by 49.7 per cent, compared to the same period in 2022, ranking second among the provinces in percentage change.

Saskatchewan has seen strong growth in several key economic indicators in recent months. On March 14, Statistics Canada’s investment in building construction release showed Saskatchewan with the highest increase among

provinces, rising 21.5 per cent compared to January 2022. Saskatchewan also saw the largest increase in merchandise exports in the nation in January 2023 with a 56.7 per cent increase year-over-year. Most recent labour force numbers from Statistics Canada show 9,400 new jobs created compared to February 2022, an increase of 1.6 per cent.

March 11, 1987- Clara Olson cut the Town of Preeceville 75th anniversary cake.

March 20, 1969- JoAnn Kosheluk received the first place prize in the Legion poem contest. Thomas Miller, zone commander, made the presentation.

These are blackleg-infected stems of canola.

First 20 Words: $7

Extra Words: 22¢ each

Add photo: $15 each Call 306-563-5131 to book your ad or email

PANTIUK - John Pantiuk of Preeceville, husband to the late Irene (Chornomitz), passed away on February 25, 2023. He was 99 years old. John was born on January 1st, 1924 on the family farm to Wasyl and Mary Pantiuk, the eldest of six children. In July 1931, at the age of 7, he began attending Brookview School. He attended the one room school until 1939. In the winter of 1940, John began working in a bush camp at Cormorant Lake, north of The Pas, Manitoba. He started out as a cook and water hauler. In the summer months he returned home to work on the farm. In 1941 John was employed by The Pas Lumber Company at Reserve doing bush work. He continued to work with them for several winters. During the summer months he worked for the RM of Preeceville on road construction and one summer during the war, John headed out east to Port Arthur, Ontario to work at a terminal elevator. In 1950 John became involved in a partnership at the Texaco Service Station and M.M. Machinery Dealer with John Zaharia. This was known as “Johnny’s Service” . While working at the business, John was known to frequent the “Golden Leaf Café” which was right across the street. This is where he first met Irene, who was a waitress there. In the summer, while relaxing and enjoying a day of fishing at Nelson Lake, two gentlemen in suits got his attention and called him onto shore. They were two prominent businessmen from B.A. Oil Company. They proposed a business venture that John start his own business on the corner of Highway 47 & 49 (currently Midtown Service). He took on their offer and embarked on this new business venture. He brought in his equipment and got right to work with the help of many friends, clearing the bush and hauling in rock and dirt to fill the lot and start construction on the new building. In the spring of 1957, he then sold off his interest in the Texaco business downtown and in the fall opened “Hillside Service” & “Butler & Pantiuk B. A. Bulk Gas & Oil Station” , with his partner, Stu Butler. John always talked about how he pumped his very first gallon of gas at Hillside Service during the 1st game of the World Series in 1957. John also operated a car dealership at Hillside, with American Motors of Canada Ltd, selling cars and Jeep trucks, and later also selling Sno Jet Skidoos. During the ownership of his business, John and Irene enjoyed many company trips. They enjoyed travelling to San Diego, Disneyland, Bermuda and Tiajuana, Mexico. In 1960, John joined his brothers, Fred and George in a land clearing and road construction business known as “Pantiuk Bros” which they continued to operate until the 1980s. John purchased two D7 cats, which he used to clear many quarters of land and was also hired to help with fighting fires. His brothers also grain farmed and John helped Fred and George with that as well. On August 11, 1961, John married his sweetheart, Irene Chornomitz. They worked hard and enjoyed 54 years of marriage. They were blessed with three children. In the spring of 1976, after 19 years in business, John sold “Hillside Service and Gulf Bulk Plant” and purchased three acres of land on the west end of Preeceville, which became known to everyone as “Green Acres” . He built a two bay garage and enjoyed being semi-retired while working on small engines and doing welding jobs. Everybody knew that John was the only guy around who could weld white metal. He made many great friendships at his shop and it became a place where “the boys” would gather to visit. John was known to be able to fix anything and everything. His motto….”If Johnny couldn’t fix it, it was never broken.” John spent many, many hours at Green Acres, working in the shop, sometimes till 3:00 in the morning. John and Irene planted and harvested many beautiful gardens at Green Acres, year after year. Their love for gardening was passed down to Tammy and now to Lexi, who continue to carry on the tradition of a huge cucumber and potato patch at Green Acres. John loved the outdoors. He enjoyed camping trips with his family but his favorite past-time was fishing, whether it was in the summer or ice fishing in the winter. He never turned down a chance to go. His children remember month long camping trips in the summer to Waskesiu, Emma Lake and Manitou Beach. He also enjoyed picking berries and mushrooms, going for drives with Irene, relaxing with a Pepsi in the backyard while laying in the sun listening to his little radio, coffee at the local café with the boys, watching sports on TV, Saturday night date night playing radio bingo with his girls & then listening to the Saturday Night Get-together, but mostly spending time with family and visiting with friends. He also had a special bond with Maecie Mae, his little puppy. John enjoyed the simple things in life. He never ever complained and always worked hard and took nothing for granted. We are going to miss our “Johnny Boy” but we will cherish all the memories we made and all the time that we spent with him. John was predeceased by his wife, Irene; brothers, Fred and George; sisters, Dora Mastrachuk and Anne Petryshyn and great-grandson, Jarod. John is survived by his children, Judy (Walter) and their children, Jennifer (Trevor), Angela and Jonathan; Donnie (Jo-Ann), Tammy (Ryan) and their daughter, Lexi; great-grandchildren, Abel, Axel, Arielle, Liam and Ryder; sister, Rose (Mike) Badduke; brother-in-law, Alex Mastrachuk; sisterin-law, Vicky Chornomitz, as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Funeral Services were held on Thursday, March 9, 2023, from Trinity United Church, in Preeceville with Phyllis Verbeek, Licensed Lay Worship Leader, officiating. The pianist, Connie Prouse, with the Trinity United Church Choir, led the congregation in the singing of the hymns, ‘How Great Thou Art’, ‘Amazing Grace’, and ‘Safe In The Arms Of Jesus’. Interment followed in the Preeceville Community Cemetery with Brent Shuya, Doris Tratch, Blair Mitchell, Colin Mitchell, Richard Mastrachuk, and Rudy Romaniuk serving as casket bearers. Honourary casket bearers were all who knew and loved John. Memorials in memory of John may be made to Green Leaf Cemetery (PO Box 1206, Preeceville, SK, S0A 3B0) or to the Preeceville Wildlife Club (PO Box 711, Preeceville, SK, S0A 3B0) as gifts of remembrance. Condolences can be sent to the family from John’s obituary page at preecevillefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

OBITUARIES

OBITUARIES

DOLTON - Mark Dolton, son of Bonnie and the late James (Jim) Dolton of Endeavour, passed away on February 28, 2023. He was 62 years old. A Memorial Service will be held on May 13, 2023 at 2 p.m. from Trinity United Church. Mark was born on October 21, 1960 in the Preeceville Hospital to Bonnie and James Dolton. He was the oldest of their two children. Mark was born blind and by a miracle started to gain vision when he was 9 months old. He lived with very little sight in his left eye and limited vision in his right one. To compensate, his hearing was very sharp. As a baby that was hard on mom. He never wanted her too far away as he wanted to hear her. Mark lived across the road from his grandparents and when he was carried into the house, Grandpa would reach for him and say “Give me that kid!” Gramma would have done the same, but she was busy. Although he was raised on the farm, he did not like the farm. One time he wanted to ride the neighbours Shetland Pony. He would get put on one side and topple off the other side until he decided he did not want to ride and the others could ride. Mark’s possessions had to be organized and stay organized. Of course, as siblings do, that was an open invitation to be bugged by his brother. When he was young, Mark and Todd watched Hockey Night in Canada. Mark cheered for the Montreal Canadians and Todd cheered for the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Mark’s team was losing, he’d get up and go to bed. The teams have remained the same. Mark was 8 years old when Special Ed. School became a reality. For a short time, he would go on the Sturgis School bus to the Preeceville Junction and then Tom Miller would meet the bus and take Mark to school. Before too long transportation into Preeceville was arranged. Mark had a hard time on the bus until Linda and Sally Palagian laid down the law. Going to school was more enjoyable afterwards. Mark was honoured by the Graduation Class of 1980 as a Special Grad. They were a great group of grads! After school Mark went to Mallard Industries in Wadena and would be brought home on long weekends. When the Mackenzie Training Centre came into being around 1986, Mark came back to Preeceville. He was a client there until his passing. He lived by himself for approximately 28 years. His family tried to get him to move to a group home but Mark would not do it until the fall of 2015. He made up his mind, packed his bag and left his home with the help of his support worker. Mark loved his home and the people at Preece Place and everyone at MTC. Mark loved people, to sing, Camp Easter Seal, travelling to special events, attending church services and going home to the farm for holidays. He was always upbeat, happy, friendly, and loving. If he heard your voice and knew you, he never forgot you. He was an amazing person. Mark was predeceased by his father, Jim; grandparents, Frances and Fred Dolton, and Annie and Joe Holland; aunts Del(Basso), Doreen(Hogg), Myrna (Rooks); Uncles, Jim and Keith Holland; cousins, Nicole Dolton, Jenaya Dutchak and Melanie Dolton. He leaves to lovingly remember him, his mom, Bonnie; his special girl, Myra (Stachiw); brother, Todd; sister-in-law, Jill; nephews, Chris and Matt (Caity); niece, Kalin; great-neices, Deidra, Alyssa and Maisie; Many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He will be missed by all. Memorials in memory of Mark may be made to Kinsmen Telemiracle (2217C, Hanselman Court, Saskatoon, SK, S7L 6A8), Camp Easter Seal (c/o Saskabilities, 2310 Louise Ave, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 2C7) or Trinity United Church (Box 1105, Preeceville, SK, S0A 3B0) as gifts of remembrance. Love you, Mark. Condolences can be sent to the family from Mark’s obituary page at preecevillefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

FARM SERVICES

Integrity Post Frame Buildings

SINCE 2008

Built with Concrete Posts Barns, Shops, Riding Arenas, Machine Sheds and More sales@ Integritybuilt.com 1-866-974-7678

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COMING EVENTS

61st DRAGGINS CAR SHOWApril 7 and 8 at Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. Check out the “Battle of the Automotive Technicians”!. Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club. Visit our website; Draggins.com.

Combined Palm Sunday Worship Service, Trinity United Church, Preeceville, Sunday April 2, at 10:30 a.m., followed by potluck meal. Everyone Welcome!

Combined Seder Supper Service,Thursday April 6, Grace United Church, Sturgis 6:30 p.m. This remembrance of the Passover is worship as part of a meal. Please sign up at Trinity or Grace churches to attend. Everyone Welcome!

UCW Pie Social & Bake Sale

Grace United Church, Sturgis, Saturday April 1 2:00-3:30 pm Everyone Welcome!

PRAYER CORNER

PRAYER CORNER

St John Lutheran Church Sunday worship services at 10 a.m. Livestream on Facebook: St. John Lutheran Church Preeceville, YouTube: St John Lutheran Church-Preeceville Services for Lent will be held on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

FOR SALE - MISC

FOR SALE BY TENDER WEST CENTRAL PELLETING LTD IS ACCEPTING BIDS FOR THE FOLLOWING:

1998 TEREX TB85

SELF PROPELLED MANLIFT

Located at 100 Bruce Saunders Way, Wolseley, SK. Unit will be sold as is where is.

Successful bidder will be responsible for all costs and arrangements for the removal from property.

Highest or any accepted CLOSING DATE FOR BIDS IS: MARCH 31, 2023

Bids can be submitted to danwcp@sasktel. net

For more info contact Dan at 306-918-7908

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

FOR SALE - MISC

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

Find QUALIFIED, LOCAL EMPLOYEES, using the strength of community newspapers! Visit www.swna.com or call 306-6491405 to find out how!

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 51 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649-1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

WANTED

Wanted old advertising: Dealership signs, service station, gas pumps, globes, oil cans, Red Indian, White Rose, Buffalo, Husky, Ford, GM, Dodge, Tire signs, Coke, Pepsi etc. Call 306-2215908

LIVESTOCK

Anderson Cattle Co Bull Sale, March 28, 2023 Swan River MB. 50 Red & Black Angus yearling and two year olds. Open House March 11, 12, 2023. 204-281-3560 www.andersoncattle.ca

HEALTH SERVICES

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

HEALTH SERVICES

HIP/KNEE Replacement?

Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING?

The Disability Tax

Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $30,000 Lump sum refund

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Providing assistance during Covid.

Expert Help: 1-844-453-5372

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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

LAND FOR SALE

4 QUARTERS of LAND FOR SALE by Owner R.M. #76

NE 10-07-10W3

2022 Tax Ass $98,780

SE 15-07-10W3

2022 Tax Ass $101,475

NE 14-07-10W3

2022 Tax Ass $113,090

NW 14-07-10W3

2022 Tax Ass $89,320

YARDSITE ON HOME

1/4 NE 14-07-10

Consists of house, quanset, corrals, garage & bins

Contact Ritchie Pilgrim

306-620-9831 or pilgrimritchie @gmail.com

HOUSES FOR RENT

INDEPENDENT ADULT LIVING

apartments in Martensville, SK.

Spend your retirement years in a community close to family/friends in the Saskatoon area that has large city services and small town safety and charm. 2 bedroom suites available. More information at www.chateauvilla.ca, 306-2814475 or chateauvilla@sasktel.net

FEED & SEED

AGPRO SEEDS LTD. BUYING

HEATED, DAMAGED OFFGRADE CANOLA & FEED

GRAINS. #1 buyer on the prairies, top price paid! Call/text: 306-8730481, AgPro Seeds bids: agproseeds.com, Email: sales@agproseeds.com

Read the newspaper weekly & keep up to date on local events.

FOR SALE - MISC

FEED & SEED

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN HEATED... LIGHT BUGS... TOUGH MIXED GRAIN SPRING THRASHED

WHEAT... OATS

PEAS... BARLEY CANOLA... FLAX

“ON FARM PICKUP”

WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN 1-877-250-5252

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY:

Person to COOK & CLEAN for heavy construction camp this winter with possibility of year round. Winter location: Must have valid driver’s licence and safe food and handling ticket.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc.

Fax: 306-769-8844

brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT IS HIRING: Parts Technicians, Agriculture & Heavy Equipment Techs - Journeyman, Apprentices, CVIP/Truck Techs and RAP Students, Shop and Field positions available. View Open Roles www.rockymtn.com/careers. Possible Relocation and Signing Bonus Offered.

Subscribe to the Preeceville Progress Call 306-563-5131

Habitat, conservation, trespass legislation and more discussed at SWF convention in Estevan

BY DAVID WILLBERG Estevan

Mercury ESTEVAN - The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s (SWF) first provincial convention in Estevan in nearly 50 years was worth the wait.

The 94th annual convention was held from Feb. 23-25 in the Energy City, with most of the activities happening at the Estevan Comprehensive School. About 175 delegates attended the convention, but with spouses and other guests factored in, the total crowd size was 225-250 people.

It was the first in-person convention for the SWF since 2020. Estevan was supposed to host the convention in 2021, but the event had to be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We really have to take our hats off to the Estevan Wildlife Federation. They’ve been outstanding, and the meals have just been superb,” said SWF executive director Darrell Crabbe. “You want to keep everybody fed, and we have a lot of really good conversations and a lot of fun.”

The first activities were actually on Feb. 22 with registration and a social

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: needed this winter for dozers, excavators, rock trucks: near Carrot River, Sk. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d. Send resume and work references to:

FOR SALE - MISC

Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc.

S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844

brydenconstruct@ www.

brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

at the Western Star Hotel. Opening ceremonies were held Thursday afternoon at ECS, with speeches from dignitaries and local and provincial representatives.

Estevan Wildlife Federation president Wanda Michel said she was pleased to see everyone in attendance.

“I’m very proud of many of the members within the branch and within our community who have come together to share this amazing adventure,” said Michel.

She told them that as a child, Disneyland was going ice fishing on a Sunday afternoon. Her father, Frank Mosley, ensured they enjoyed the outdoors growing up. Michel and her siblings learned how to appreciate the outdoors.

“We have come together today because of our passion, but more than that, we are here to achieve our vision, to ensure the wildland legacy we leave for our children will be a different land that surpasses that which we inherited,” said Michel.

Randy Nelson, a longtime conservation officer, delivered the keynote address on Thursday following the opening ceremonies. Nelson is from Saskatchewan originally but moved to B.C. to become a fisheries officer, even though he’d never seen a salmon before going to that province. He became the most decorated fisheries officer ever in that province, as he received a number of awards.

Nelson shared stories from throughout his career, often weaving humour into his tales. He noted that some of the experiences in his first book would make people laugh due to the stupid things people do.

The first planeload he

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Full Time Seasonal Grader Operator

The R.M. of Hazel Dell No. 335 is now accepting applications for a full time seasonal grader operator to commence work in the Spring of 2023.

checked in his career had four people from Regina aboard with 70 walleye. The next night, Americans on a float plane had two metal washtubs filled with fillets and over 200 lake trout.

“At the end of that [first] summer, the plant operator said I brought more fish in than any commercial fisherman,” said Nelson.

He had more than his share of serious incidents in his career, including being hit by rocks, getting attacked by a grizzly bear, and suffering knee and shoulder injuries. But he also had so many good days on the job.

In his second book, he talked to conservation officers and game wardens across North America for some of the “wildest, craziest, funniest and most bizarre” stories he could find. Nelson noted people think about big game in Africa when they hear about poachers, but they don’t think about what’s happening around them.

Part proceeds from the sale of the second book go to help fallen officers.

Nelson also praised those who were in attendance.

“You know what’s right when you go out there, and if you see something, you have the ability to report it. I truly believe ethical, legal hunters are the best conservationists, that have the best chance of delivering the message and helping us stop poaching.”

Crabbe was impressed with Nelson’s speech. He noted a presentation from the Saskatchewan conservation officers is always a highlight of the convention. So to have Nelson telling tales about the chases he was on would be a hit with delegates.

Also on Thursday, Crabbe delivered his report, and members received updates on finances, marketing, habitat trust and education efforts.

Numerous other reports were delivered, including a lengthy one on fisheries and branch projects.

A fundraising dinner on Friday night was a big success. Some things that Crabbe thought would be big sellers were not, and those that they thought would do all right proved to be very popular.

Money raised will go to SWF habitat programs.

As for Saturday, the Ministry of the Environment’s Wildlife Unit spoke and answered questions on a number of topics. An annual highlight was the enforcement dog presentation, with conservation officers showcasing the training of one of the dogs and the animal’s ability to detect shell casings and gun powder.

Also on Saturday was the parade of cheques, when branches donate to programs. Crabbe said they receive $200,000-$250,000 for SWF efforts, such as habitat trust, land securement, education or fisheries. The EWF presented $25,000 to the SWF.

An awards banquet on Saturday night featured a speech from Environment Minister Dana Skoropad, and a variety of awards were handed out for photography, conservation, stewardship and resource management.

Local band Crossroads provided entertainment.

The trespass legislation that was enacted in January 2022 was a frequently-discussed topic, Crabbe said. Delegates shared thoughts on how to improve access and communications with landowners.

“Because of the winter in many parts of Saskatchewan, we have a … large congregation of large ungulates – the deer, elk and moose and that sort of thing – so that’s certainly an issue,” said Crabbe.

TENDERS

TENDER

TENDERS

Crossroads Credit Union invites Tenders for Contract to provide Janitorial Services at our Preeceville Branch Interested parties may view the proposed contract and list of duties at our Preeceville branch. Contract to commence May 1, 2023.

Crossroads Credit Union reserves the right to reject any or all tenders.

Submit written tender (including monthly tender amount, references and criminal record check) by April 6, 2023 to:

Crossroads Credit Union

Attention: Sharon Ripa

P.O. Box 2006 Canora SK S0A 0L0

Fax: 306-563-6715 Email: sharon.ripa@crossroadscu.ca

Eligible applicants should have knowledge of:

- Operating: Graders and tractors;

- Performing mechanical repairs & maintenance

- Experience operating a backhoe would be an asset.

Duties include but not limited to:

- Road grading, sign & culvert installation, mowing ditches, equipment repairs, shop work, ordering parts & supplies.

- Expected to provide a full report to council each month

Preference will be given to those with experience and mechanical ability.

Please forward a cover letter and resume stating experience, salary expected, three work related references and a current driver’s license abstract.

Send resumes to the RM of Hazel Dell via fax, email or mail; they will be accepted until noon on April 5, 2023.

RM of Hazel Dell No.335

Mail: Box 87, Okla, SK. S0A 2X0

306-325-4314

The annual contributions awards banquet was held, with recognition awards for branches and individuals.

The conservation officers’ presentation was Friday morning. Several conservation officers discussed illegal activities they encountered and stopped.

“We always like to see poachers get their due and their punishment,” said Crabbe.

Dr. Chris Somers, a biology professor at the University of Regina, discussed projects, including the Boundary Dam reservoir fishery, a winter catch and release of northern pike and great horned owls in southwest Saskatchewan.

The SWF receives calls of those species in small towns, villages, farm yards and other locations.

Chronic wasting disease is an escalating problem across Saskatchewan, he said, and it is working its way eastward. He noted it was recently diagnosed in Manitoba.

Crabbe saluted the efforts of the EWF in making the convention happen. He noted the EWF has a lengthy history of being supportive of the provincial organization’s efforts, particularly when it comes to land purchases, and donating and helping programs. The convention represented another example of the strength of the EWF, Crabbe said.

Good Reasons to Advertise

ARCHERY

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Championships in April and the year-end windup barbecue/outdoor 3D shoot in Archerwell in mid May.

“On behalf of the members of the Sturgis Archery Club, we would like to extend our gratitude to the coaches, Linda Westermann and Dan Johnson for all their dedication and hard work. They have instilled their passion and enthusiasm for archery into each member, encouraging them to try their best each and every class, which has provided them with growth in their skill sets and confidence. We would also like to send out a thanks to everyone that

purchased tickets for our Christmas raffle, making it a big success. Many thanks to Fallyn Oxley for taking our club photo. And a big thank you to Tween Lake Feeds for their donation towards new club shirts.

“It’s fantastic to see new faces and archers throughout the season and hopefully the passion for archery will continue to grow in our area. And as this archery season soon comes to an end, we would like to welcome anyone with interest for the 2023/2024 archery season to please reach out to us at sturgisarcheryclub@gmail.com with any questions you may have or for future registration,” concluded Townsend.

SKI

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Megan Maier.

The Maier family have all become avid skiers and enjoy cross-country skiing. They not only ski for fun but have attended some competitions around the province.

“Skiing is a great way to get outdoors,

exercise and still retain social distance lengths. It can be a solitude or group sport. It is a life-long sport that anyone can do. The winter months are long and we might as well embrace it and take enjoyment from the snow. The trees along the trails are great for blocking the elements and it is a very fun experience,” concluded Maier.

Skiers who had fun participating in the Preeceville Nordic Ski Clubʼs fun loppet cross country afternoon on March 11, from left, were: Charis Maier, Vivian Reed and Freya Sandager

Enjoying the chance to relax after a busy skiing afternoon at the end of the Preeceville Nordic Ski Clubs fun cross-country day on March 11 were: (in no particular order) Megan Maier, Evelyn Maier, Rebecca Genovy, Nathan Maier, Stan Reed, Tricia FriesenReed, Susan Hurst, Therese Sandager, Ian Sandager, Hudson Maier, Erik Sandager and Levi Maier.

Beau Covlin, member of the Sturgis Archery Club aimed carefully to hit the target.

The Sturgis Archery Club uses the Endeavour range with an abundance of interesting activities along with the Saturday morning junior archers.

Liam Townsend, member of the Sturgis Archery Club, posed for a picture with the target for shooting arrows.

Ross Townsend, left, was congratulated by coach Linda Westermann for getting badges in archery.