December 23, 2022

RiveRs BanneR

Merry Christmas from the

Back row L/R: Meghan Knelsen, Erich Schmidt, Thom Heijmans, Heather Gray, Liliane Dupuis. Front row L/R: Minami Kijima, Haile Hubbard, Chassidy Payette, Morgan Ramsay, Bryce Summers, Quinn Hrabok.

Sarah Plosker

Rivers Banner

The Rivers Banner staff would like to wish readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This is our last issue for 2022, and we’ll be starting 2023

off on Jan. 13. It has been a busy year, with lots of activities and annual events starting back up after a two-year hiatus. Now that winter’s in full swing, we caution readers to drive safe—this past week has seen some awful road conditions. We hope your pantry is full and you’re making use of your extra freezer

space (a.k.a. the back porch) and extra fridge space (a.k.a. your mudroom or garage) for all your turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams, and other leftover abundance. We hope you enjoy the extra time with family, friends, or just some quality “me” time. We’ll see you in the new year!

for canoes

By Sheila Runions Banner Staff

Sarah Plosker Rivers Banner

Many special Christmas church services were cancelled or were done virtually the past two years due to Covid-19 lockdowns. This holiday season it’s exciting to see things happening in-person. Churches are welcoming and open to all who want to celebrate the reason for the season— the birth of Jesus Christ. Sermons are normally followed by members of the congregation chatting informally over tea/coffee, and dainties. People are very open and friendly.

If you’re not a member of a specific church, the Christmas season is a good time to consider attending. Here is a partial list of some of the churches in the local region.

Immaculate

tion to the schools.

Conception

s reported in the March 9 edition, the Grade 12 Interdisciplinary Studies in Science class at Rivers Collegiate planned a project for Riverdale Harvest. Dubbed the Boat Load of Food, students secured a canoe from Rolling River School Division with an intent to fill it with non-perishables. Although the campaign was fully organized by that class, the original idea came from a suggestion made by harvest volunteer Liliane Dupuis.

Roman Catholic Church: Located at 801 5th Ave. in Rivers. Father Philip will be coming on Dec. 24 to celebrate mass at 11 p.m. It’s always joyful to celebrate our Savior's birthday as we come from a cold and dark night to a warm and a beautiful and well lit place. Everybody is welcome to celebrate Jesus' birthday with the Roman Catholic Church.

“I heard the idea at a meeting in Brandon. St. Augustine School had tried Fill a Canoe in conjunction with the 10-day Festival du Voyaguer in Winnipeg in February. It was very successful and whenever I hear food bank, my ears always perk up!”

AStudent minister Sheila Deforest is the service leader. There will be no services on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. All are welcome! The United Church is an inclusive congregation with a deep desire to live and work in unity with all God’s people. Services are a joyful and thankful celebration of God.

Pupils co-ordinated the entire month-long promotion, which culminated in a ceremonious presentation on March 20 to Riverdale Harvest president Heather Gray and Liliane.

Because the snow had melted so much, the canoe could not be portaged across the street to Zion Church (home of Riverdale Harvest). Rather, the teens carried bags, boxes and garbage

any special Christmas services this year. They’ve changed from Sunday morning services to Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Come as you are.

cans from the school foyer into the church basement the afternoon of March 21, where the food was weighed and sorted. Although the project was a senior students brainstorm, the entire high school was encouraged to participate. The collegiate hosted a poor boy floor hockey tournament in which to play, athletes had to pay with food for the canoe. Some students also canvassed Rivers, Oak River

and Chimo Beach areas for contributions from the community.

When all was said and done, the scales at Riverdale Harvest noted a total of 434 pounds, “a fabulous amount,” says Heather.

put away in the proper place on the shelving units. They were fantastic! We are very, very pleased.”

Rivers United Church: Located at 347 Main St. in Rivers. Regular worship services are held on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m; Sunday school takes place on the second Sunday of the month. This year they will be having a Christmas Eve service: come at 7 p.m. for carol singing and 7:30 p.m. for the service.

She then brought the suggestion to Riverdale Harvest, which supported the idea and asked her to present the promo -

Westman Canadian Reformed Church: Join us this Christmas at 10 a.m. as we worship the true God, who 2000 years ago took on flesh in order to save sinners, and to bring in His Kingdom. You may join us for regular worship services every Sunday at 10 am. We are located at 879 3rd Ave. in Rivers.

Zion Pentecostal Church: Located at 580 2nd Ave. in Rivers. Zion won’t be having

Zion Church welcomes anyone wanting to find forgiveness, hope, healing or a closer fellowship with others and God. Services include contemporary style worship music, a prayer time, and a message from the Word.

Cardale United Church: Regular services are at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays. Christmas Eve service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Dec 24. There will be no other services after Christmas eve until the new year. Located at 16 Railway Ave. in Cardale.

We wish everyone the peace and joy of the season.

“We are so pleased they decided to help those we serve. A lot of times kids don’t get enough credit but this group of students certainly deserves some praise.

All students stayed behind to help check expiry dates, sort and

Elementary school staff member/Harvest volunteer Yvonne Crouch initiated a similar campaign in her school. That threeweek effort simply encouraged students to leave product in the canoe; 87 pounds of food was collected from the younger group on Thursday, March 22.

Photo by Sheila Runions

Photo by Heather Gray

O Come Let Us Adore Him!

The following column is an unapologetic re-run that has appeared in this spot at least twice before. The message is timeless and still very important.

The familiar strains of the song, O Come Let Us Adore Him is well known around the world. The words and music have implored millions of listeners to come and adore the Baby Jesus and to follow him. The name Jesus means “saviour”or “rescuer”.

The birth of Jesus was predicted for centuries in the Jewish faith. It also marked the end of the Old Testament, or old covenant, and the beginning of New Testament, or new covenant. Traditionally, the New Testament implores people to accept Jesus as Saviour from their sin. A person who accepts Jesus as Saviour is known as a Christian.

So countries that have a lot of Christians living in them became known as Christian countries. Actually, a country can’t be a Christian, only individuals can become Christian, one at a time by way of a personal faith in and commitment to Christ. That said, it is indeed sad that countries that are

home to millions who profess Christ, don’t govern according to Christian teaching. What a fantastic statement it would be if Canada, the United States and Great Britain practised what their citizens preached?

Let me explain. Christ’s teachings say that accepting Him as Saviour is to be followed by a policy of loving your neighbour as yourself.

If countries truly lived a Christian lifestyle, they might well have as strong a military as is affordable, but actions would, as much as possible, be limited to defending their country from attack. I will not pass judgement on any previous wars or leaders of their day, but how much better would it be if we resolved to avoid attacking another nation?

On the home front, as tough as it might be to stomach, should a Christian country have the death penalty? Should we not put offenders in jail for as long as they live if they commit horrible, violent crimes? It’s pretty hard to say “love thy neighbour” and then kill them to penalize a crime. Let’s move down the scale a bit. Shouldn’t a Christian country avoid torturing war prisoners? Aren’t some of our police interrogation

RIGHT IN THE CENTRE

Ken Waddell

tactics of people under arrest a bit suspect? Would it not be the Christian thing to do to clamp down on crime, so we can save more people from the effects of crime, but do we have to abuse them as we enforce our laws?

Isn’t it time that we quit apologizing to our First Nations people and actually spend our time and money on helping communities get ahead? How long will it be before we follow Jesus’s teaching that said we should offer “a cup of water?” In Canada, we can’t even get clean water to all our communities.

Is there any room for racism or discrimination in a Christian country? I think not.

There is another side to the coin as well. It is also a Christian teaching that people need to do as much as they can

to help themselves, so they can provide for themselves and their families. We are all supposed to help ourselves so that out of the abundance of God’s blessings, we are enabled to help others.

Christmas reminds us of our need for Christ and how blessed we can be. If Christ’s teachings show up clearly in our lives, hopefully they will translate into better conduct as a nation.

May everyone and every country ponder what would happen when we “come and adore Him.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner staff.

Ottawa preparing to go toe-to-toe with US to subsidize EV battery production in Canada

John Feldsted Winnipeg MB

Once again, the sheer stupidity of our federal government is on full display. Subsidizing EV battery manufacturing drives up costs and inflation. If EV battery production cannot stand on its own, the technology is not yet viable.Matching the US subsidy schemes is ridiculous. If the Americans want to subsidize all EV battery builders let them do so. Investors with deep pockets will flock to the USA to finance EV battery start-ups. When they sense that the government is getting nervous about pouring money into a green hole, they take the startup public, recovering their investment and a tidy profit. The government ends the subsidy, the start-up goes bankrupt, stockholders lose their money, and the government is left with a derelict property and environmental headache. It is legal and has been going on for decades.

An EV battery is an electrical energy storage device, much like the gas tank in a conventional vehicle is a storage device for petroleum energy. Canada has a huge supply of petroleum energy,

more than enough to make us independent of oil imports and become a petroleum energy exporter. We don’t produce much petroleum energy because the idiots in governance refuse to allow it.

We have a limited capacity for electrical power generation that is currently under stress to meet huge competition for supplies. Urban centres are experiencing brownouts and blackouts. Power grids are vulnerable to cyclones, hurricanes and storms. Power outages of various duration are common. Building a billion EV batteries without any certainty as to how they can be energized is irrational.

Allow the US to squander capital chasing dreams and invest Canada’s capital into creating the infrastructure that will make using EVs at least partially possible. We don’t have the electrical grids able to handle widespread EV use and, in some cases, lack the generating capacity to power EVs. It makes no difference if EV batteries are becoming more efficient and hold more power if available power is limited.

Encourage provinces to ramp up mining the rare earth (lithium, cobalt, magnesium) and minerals (aluminum, copper, steel, and nickel) needed to

529 Second Avenue, Box 70, Rivers, MB R0K 1X0 Telephone: 204-328-7494 E-mail: info@riversbanner.com Website: www.riversbanner.com Circulation: 1,974

produce batteries and EVs. Rare earth does not mean their existence is rare, it is a category of metals found in abundance.

Encourage the production of petroleum products. EVs make extensive use of very lightweight and strong carbon-fiber components, as well as plastics for insulation and oils for lubricants. EVs run on carbon-based tires.

EVs and their batteries cannot be produced by Trudeau spreading subsidy fairy dust on production plants. That requires extensive mining and entails major environmental impacts. None of the mining and refining can occur without extensive use of diesel-powered heavy equipment.

We are still a petroleum-dependent nation, no matter what dreams the PMO has. Reality rules and green ideology is riddled with green holes sucking up our money on creating an uncertain energy future.

Like most other government initiatives, clean green power is so far multiple times over anticipated costs, environmentally unfriendly and dismally underperforming. Whoopee!

Liberals ready to offer new production subsidies to retain or attract electric battery plants

Home Bodies

By Rita FRiesen

With every breath I take, I give thanks for the warmth and comfort of my love filled home. I am thankful that my world is not rocked by wars, famines, floods, riots- disasters man made and acts of God. { we now know many of the disasters wrought by nature are the results of man’s pillage and plunder of the earth and her resources…} Being thankful for the peace with which I live, I ask ‘ Why me, Lord, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known’? I acknowledge that I am not entitled or deserving of the many blessings I appreciate, just as those fleeing from terrors- within and without- subsisting in refugee camps or ghettos, are not deserving of their life’s conditions. It simply is. I am me, and they are they. It is our life.

This doesn’t sound like a feel good Christmas week story. For me it is. I have been in tough spots in my life. I deal with sadness and dissonance daily. I am at peace. I am content. I relish walks in the fresh air, the hugs of wee children and friends, the handshake of an acquaintance, the ability to think and move and simply be. I am alive, fully alive. My

attitude and faith all centres on that night the song celebrates, that silent night, holy night when Jesus was born. { for the realist – we know that unless it was directly after feeding time, that stable was not a quiet place!} For me, the acceptance of an Higher Power enables me to walk through all of life’s turmoils and tempests. I have learned to be calm in the midst of a storm. When there is truly nothing I can do, I do nothing. And rest it knowing that is what I am to do.

There are times when I stop, throw my apron over my head as it where, and simply sit; sit quiet long enough to get past my thoughts and open my head and heart to the quiet voice of my Higher Power. Sometimes I wish that the voice was louder, but are not the whispered words of love more treasured that the shouted ones? That quiet usually comes to be when I am walking, hence, I do a lot of walking!

This holiday season, some of us will be inundated with things to do and places to go, some of us will have no one and no where, and some of us will be reluctant to step out of the house, wanting to turtle forever. And just as there is no reasoning of justice behind my safety and peace, there is no reasoning of justice to those alone and lonely. It simply is.

My Christmas prayer is all may have enough, whatever it is that we need, may there be enough. May we have the courage to see the good in God, despite the situations with which we are faced. May we see the needs of others and respond with heart and hands. ‘Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.’ All because of a silent night, a holy night.

Local utilities update

Sarah Plosker Rivers Banner

A boil water advisory was issue for Rapid City (Minnedosa 1) public water system on Dec. 17. A distribution pump failure led to the loss of water pressure in the distribution system for the area. Distribution depressurization can compromise the safety of the water supply; therefore, a boil water advisory was issued to ensure public health protection. At the time of printing, the boil water advisory is still in effect.

Meanwhile, a raw water main break forced the road closure of Road 120 from Highway 25 to Memorial Drive on Dec. 17 as water was flowing onto the highway. The Utility Department of Riverdale Municipality scheduled repairs first thing in the morning to fix the supply line from the lake. During this time, they relied on the water reservoir to keep treated water flowing to customers. Community members were therefore asked to limit water consumption until repairs were completed. The line was repaired quickly; however, they asked customers to continue to conserve water as they worked towards filling the reservoir back up with treated water. By Dec. 19 things were back to normal, other than two days worth of laundry to catch up on. Thank you to the municipality workers for completing the repairs so quickly.

Check your humidity

You’ve heard it time and time again, here in Westman we have a “dry” cold winter. Our air lacks moisture in the winter, and this is true both outdoors and indoors. It’s a good idea to have a thermometer or thermostat that also shows the humidity level in your home. The amount of water vapour in the air is measured by something called a hygrometer, which is built in to some thermometers or thermostats, or can be purchased separately. Optimal humidity levels in your home range from 30-60 per cent. Not only will you, family members, and pets feel better, but your indoor plants will too. What’s more, maintaining optimal humidity levels will prevent your wooden furniture and hardwood flooring from cracking, warping, and drying out. If you’re suffering from a sore throat, chapped lips, and itchy, dry skin, check the humidity levels in your home and consider buying a humidifier. Some people find it useful to have a small humidifier in their bedroom, to help them sleep better at night. Breathe easy, friends!

By Chad Carpenter

Staffing shortages continue to impact Emergency Department (ED) Services across the Prairie Mountain Health region. During this holiday season, if you or a loved one require a visit to an Emergency Department,

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A O Z Z N T X I O

J E E I A M Z H B R J T N U T T K N F T U L G O N R Y G N

Q G M H M G T P G O K X V T

A P S X P H J N I F H C A

L L B Z B I D M P T X P U I

A R B X E X M I M C A A O N

Sarah Plosker Rivers Banner

RIVERS BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

ELAINE MARGARET WOOD

Wood: Elaine Margaret (nee Foster) passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at Assiniboine Centre in Brandon on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the age of 87. Elaine was born January 9, 1935 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan at Lady Grey Hospital to George and Margaret Foster. She is lovingly remembered by son Lawrence, daughters Dianne (Stephen), Brenda (Randy) and Karen (Ben), grandchildren Crystal (Dustin), Gregory (Candice), Katherine, Tara (Josh) and Kristina (Jeff) and great-grandchildren Malakai, Larissa, Sophia, Katrina, Grace, Maxwell and Austin and sister Gail, brother-in-law Guy, sister Lynn (Gary), sister Suzette and numerous nieces and nephews. Elaine was predeceased by her husband Lloyd, her son Garth, parents George and Margaret Foster, sister Lois Tremblay and brother in law Mike Lischinsky.

Being born into a military family meant moving several times from Saskatchewan, to B.C. and finally to Manitoba. One of those moves brought them to Bradwardine when her father was stationed at Rivers Air Base. She attended school in Bradwardine where she met the love of her life Lloyd Wood. They were married February 13, 1951, in Yuma, Arizona. They began their married life in Brandon later moving to the Wood farm near Bradwardine. Like every farm wife she was busy raising five children and always available when needed to drive the grain truck (sometimes with 2 young kids in the cab). Or take meals to the field during seeding and harvest time, run for parts or lend a helping hand. Together they built two new houses. The first was built in1983 just 1/4 mile down the road. Then in 1998 they built another new home in Rivers. By 2009 they decided it was time to give up the house and moved to an apartment in the Lions Manor in Rivers. Elaine still resided in her apartment up until the time of her passing.

Her family was everything to her, making sure that each member felt special and loved and were all included and most of all well fed. She was a major presence at family gatherings always preparing amazing meals and desserts. She enjoyed baking dainties for Christmas and baked many (surprise loaded) birthday cakes for family members. Elaine and Lloyds was the place to go summer or winter. That farm house (always spotless) was filled with love, good smells, laughter and most of all, good memories. She loved taking care of her yard and garden. She took great pride in showing anyone who popped in for a visit all her beautiful flowers. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting and made numerous items for her children and grandchildren. Elaine was a lifetime member of the Rivers Legion Ladies Auxiliary and received her 35 year pin in 2021. She attended meetings, baking and cooking for Fall suppers, teas, penny raffles. She also bowled for many years at Rivers Air Base and Minnedosa. Elaine and Lloyd enjoyed curling and participated in many local bonspiels. Together they enjoyed attending numerous Brier’s all across Canada with many of their friends. She enjoyed snowmobiling, watching baseball, playing bingo, board games and card games especially Rumoli or Chase the Ace every Christmas. Her huge smile, laughter and warm welcoming hugs will be greatly missed. She will be lovingly remembered by all who knew her.

PLACE YOUR AD BY: PHONE: 204-328-7494

E-MAIL: info@riversbanner.com

DEADLINE: TUESDAY AT NOON

Minimum charge: $5+GST

Extra insertions: 1/2 original price

Classifieds MUST be PREPAID Visa/Mastercard accepted

Help Wanted

FOODS

Meat Cutters/Production Personnel

HyLife is a global leader in food processing. Our mission is to be the best food company in the world. To achieve this, we need talented people to join our HyLife team as the company continues to grow. HyLife is committed to our employees and we have an exciting new career opportunity in the beautiful town of Neepawa, MB for you to explore!

As a Meat Cutter/Production Personnel you will be a critical member of our team in the creation of our world-class product. Our positions range from working on our production floor to shipping the final packaged product, with everything in between!

Responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to:

Slaughter and eviscerate hogs for further processing

Harvest and package edible offal

Process pork carcasses into primal cuts

• Butcher and package pork primal cuts into value-added specifications for local, national, and international premium markets

• Carry out other tasks related to the processing of meat for shipping to customers or storage

Sanitation

People who will succeed as members of our team will: Enjoy working in a fast-paced, stable, long-term work environment

• Appreciate working in a culturally diverse workplace. We employ people from all over the world!

• Treat people with dignity and respect Open to working in colder/warmer environments Physically Fit Experience as an industrial butcher or trimmer is an asset Current starting wage is $15.75/hour plus a $1.00/hour perfect attendance bonus! Wage scale extends to $23.55 per hour

In addition to HyLife’s benefits, vacation time, and competitive salary our company also offers a $500 dollar employee referral bonus program!

HyLife is here to support you in building an exciting career with our team!

If you have the qualifications and the passion to meet this challenge then we would like to explore your potential. Please apply online at http://hylife.com/current-opportunities/ or email to jobs@hylife.com or mail to PO Box 10,000, 623 Main St E, Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0.

We want it to be YOU! Come join our HyLife team. We thank all applicants, however, only those under consideration will be contacted

BATTERIES FOR EVERYTHING!

50,000 BATTERIES IN STOCK

*Auto *Farm *Marine

*Construction *ATV

*Motorcycle *Golf Carts

*Rechargeables *Tools *Phones *Computers

*Solar Systems & design

* Everything Else!

THE BATTERY MAN 1390 St. James St. Winnipeg TF 1-877-775-8271 www.batteryman.ca

For Sale Obituary Announcement

ROLLING RIVER SCHOOL DIVISION CUSTODIAN and CLEANER POSITIONS

PERMANENT 12-month positions

Job Location Hours per day Shift

Cleaner Rivers, MB 8 Collegiate - Evening Shift

Cleaner Elton, MB 4 Elementary - Evening Shift

Qualifications Required:

• Grade 12 or equivalent

• Ability to take initiative and work unsupervised

• Ability to work effectively with others as a member of a team

• Ability to communicate effectively with people both orally and in writing

• Physically fit and capable of performing physically demanding work

Cleaner Preferred Qualifications:

• Current WHIMIS training and certification

• Prior work-related cleaning experience

• Valid Class 5 Drivers License

The successful applicant will:

• work effectively under pressure, within defined timeframes and with a variety of people in a team environment

• work well independently, be flexible, adjust to changing work assignments and deal with and maintain confidential information

• complete and maintain WHMIS certification

Training will be provided to the successful applicant.

Salary as per C.U.P.E. Collective Agreement: Cleaner $18.52 per hour

For further information please contact Mr. Fred Scott, Maintenance Supervisor at 867-2754 Ext. 239 fscott@rrsd.mb.ca

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Applications will be reviewed on January 6, 2023.

Applicants are requested to submit a covering letter with a comprehensive resume, addressing the stated qualifications and naming three work related references to the following:

Sarah Woychyshyn

Administrative Assistant, Human Resources

Rolling River School Division PO Box 1170

Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0

Phone: 867-2754 Fax: 867-2037

E-Mail: swoychyshyn@rrsd.mb.ca

Thank you to all applicants for their interest in Rolling River School Division. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Employment is conditional upon an acceptable Criminal Record and Child Abuse Registry Check. Rolling River School Division welcomes applications from people with disabilities, accommodations are available upon request during the assessment and selection process

NOTICES

For those so desiring, donations may be made in Elaine’s memory to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 75, Rivers, MB, R0K 1X0 or to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, 1379 Kenaston Blvd. Winnipeg, MB R3P 2T5 (www.heartandstroke. ca).

The family of Elaine Wood would like to thank the doctors, nurses and hospital staff at BRHC, the Assiniboine Centre in Brandon, Riverdale Hospital and Homecare workers who lovingly cared for Elaine. Thank you to Campbell’s Funeral Home for the professional caring services. Thank you to Rivers Legion for use of their facility. Thank you to Warren Smallwood for conducting a warm and meaningful service. Thank you to Dave Wedderburn for preparing the grave site. Thank you to Legion Ladies for the delicious lunch. Finally thank you to all who gave flowers, cards and made donations in memory of Elaine.

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

URGENT PRESS RELEASES - Have a newsworthy item to announce? Having a Christmas/Winter Event?

An exciting change in operations? Though we cannot guarantee publication, MCNA will get the information into the right hands for ONLY $35.00 + GST/HST. Call MCNA (204) 947-1691 for more information. See www.

mcna.com under the “Types of Advertising” tab for more details.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the entire Manitoba Community Newspapers Association including all of the 32 dedicated Weekly Community Newspapers that serve you each week faithfully in your communities. The MCNA Board of Directors, Publishers, Editors, Journalists, Photographers, Newspaper Staff and the MCNA Office Staff would like to thank you for trusting us with your Business, News, Advertising, and On-going Support throughout 2022. May 2023 be a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous year for you and your families! www.mcna.com

RELIGION

If you do not know Jesus before you die, Heaven will not be your home. Paid Advertisement.

NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS

BY-ELECTION FOR OAKRIVER LUD

RURAL MUNICIPALITY of OAKVIEW

Notice is hereby given that on January 11th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th, 2023 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at:

The R.M. of Oakview municipal office at 10 Cochrane Street in Oak River, MB

NOMINATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING WILL BE RECEIVED:

Two (2) Committee Members for the Oak River LUD

The nomination deadline is January 17th at 4:30 p.m. Nominations cannot be accepted after this time.

All nominations shall be made in writing and shall be signed by at least twenty-five voters, or NOT less than 1% of the voters (whichever is the lesser) of the authority or ward (as the case may be) but in all cases by at least two voters. Each nomination shall also be accompanied by the candidate’s declaration of qualification.

Nominations may be filed in person at the above locations, on the date and hours specified, by an official agent, or by fax. To obtain a nomination paper, and/or candidate’s declaration or qualification, contact the S.E.O. at 204-566-2146.

Nomination papers not accompanied by the required documents and not properly filed shall be rejected.

Dated at Oak River, MB this 12th day of December, 2022.

Senior

R. M. of Oakview Phone 204-566-2146 Fax 204-566-2126

cao@rmofoakview.ca

POSITION AVAILABLE

The Rivers Banner is looking for a professional, community minded individual for a position in news media and advertising. Wage to be determined based on experience and aptitude.

Duties: Reporting, photographing and writing for community events and items of interest in the area. Comissioned ad sales may be an extended duty depending on the individual.

Hours: Three days per week or more depending on the time of year, potential to work from home for extended hours.

Requirements: Basic computer knowledge, basic DSLR camera knowledge, class 5 drivers license. Basic understanding of Canadian Press Style, till management and photoshop are considered to be assets.

Resumes can be submitted in person at the office (529 2nd Ave.) or by email to info@riversbanner.com. Those to be considered for interviews will be contacted.

529-2nd Avenue, Rivers, MB 204-328-7494 info@riversbanner.com

Marci Quane

Election Official

Spruce Plains RCMP report Season’s Greetings

On Dec. 12, the Spruce Plains RCMP executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances search warrant on a residence in the RM of Oakview. Police seized approximately 46 grams of Methamphetamine, stolen property, $900 cash and six firearms. Terence Thurston (45) was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking a Schedule one substance, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Possession of the Proceeds of Crime.

The Spruce Plains RCMP would like every one to be careful and to be aware of fraudulent scams. These are some of the most recent or common fraudulent reports.

Spear Phishing: Targets are Businesses and Organizations. Scammers take their time to collect information on their intended targets, study the sender’s use of language, and look for patterns linked to important contacts, payments, and dates. They do this so they can send convincing emails seemingly from a trusted source. In order to trick you into revealing sensitive information to the scammer or to deploy malicious software. You can do several things to protect yourself. Put in place detailed payment procedures encouraging a verification step for unusual requests. Avoid opening unsolicited emails or clicking on suspicious links or attachments. Take a few seconds to hover over an email address or link and confirm that they are correct.

Mystery Shopper: You receive a notice or email that you’ve been selected to be a Mystery Shopper, quality control officer, or a personal assistant. You will be mailed a certified cheque and instructed to deposit it into your account and use the money to make assigned purchases. The amount will be for more than the amount required to spend. You will then be told to keep a certain amount and wire back the remaining funds. Some time after you cash the cheque your bank will inform you that the cheque was counterfeit and has bounced. The reason why this scam works so well is that there are real mystery shopper jobs. There are many people interested in this

work so there is no need for companies to advertise this kind of work.

c A scammer claims to be an employee of the Canada Revenue Agency. They will state that you owe back taxes, have an outstanding case against you, , have a compromised SIN number, have unpaid balances, or committed a financial crime. They threaten that if you don’t speak to them you will be arrested or they will get a Warrant for your Arrest. The scammers may request payment via money service businesses, pre-paid visa or mastercards, pre paid gift cards, or bitcoin.

Telephone calls targeting the Asian community: The Asian community in Canada is being targeted with automated calls claiming to have an urgent message from sources such as INTERPOL, the Chinese consulate, or a delivery agency. These phone calls can be very threatening. The scam calls vary but generally claim customs intercepted a letter or package in your name and implicate you in a fraud. For example, the message may state that customs stopped a suspicious package containing many bank cards and you are the subject of an investigation. They may direct you to a fake “Police” website to verify your identity and provide a copy of your passport. They will inform you that there are fraudulent funds in your account and ask you for your banking information to verify. The Police will never ask you for your banking information.

If you were a victim of any of these scams please report them. When you are a victim of these scams please report them to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre. For more information and ways on how to protect yourself we encourage you to go to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre website.

The Spruce Plains RCMP would like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. We encourage everyone to drink responsibly and to plan ahead to have a sober driver.

As the holiday season is upon us, I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year from my wife, Marilyn and I. Thank you for your support over the past year.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you all for trusting me to represent the constituency of Spruce Woods in the Manitoba Legislature. I will continue to advocate on your behalf, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Christmas is a chance to listen, reflect and remember all the things that bind us together. May you be blessed with joy, love, and happiness this Christmas season. Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Cliff Cullen MLA Spruce Woods

Mon: 9a.m. - 4p.m. Tues: 9a.m. - 4p.m. Wed: 9a.m. - 2p.m. Thurs: 10a.m. - 4p.m. Fri, Sat, Sun, CLOSED Hours may vary, Please call (204)573-0702

Sincerely,

A simple cake with a refreshing lemon flavour. Wonderful with a cup of tea and company.

Lemon poppy seed cake

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1 cup buttermilk or milk

3 cups flour

1/2 baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened 2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs

2-3 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Glaze:

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Icing drizzle: 1 cup icing sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 Tbsp. milk or as much as needed

Stir the poppy seeds into the milk and set aside until needed. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C). Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with flour. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and the sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the lemon zest and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in two sessions beginning and ending with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden and a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes on a rack. While the cake is cooling combine the sugar and lemon juice glaze in a small pot and bring to a boil. Take off the heat. Invert the warm cake onto the rack. Brush the hot glaze over the cake with a pastry brush, letting it soak in. Allow the cake to cool completely, about one hour. Place on a serving platter. Make the icing drizzle. This icing needs to be quite runny, so add milk as needed, about a spoonful at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle over the cake. This cake freezes well. Freeze before you add the icing drizzle and do that step when it is thawed out.

Submitted Manitoba Wilflife Federation

Chronic Wasting Disease was first detected in Manitoba in November 2021. To date, the government has confirmed seven cases in the province. All seven positive cases were found on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border over the last year in mule deer bucks. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation says that it hopes this is a sign that the disease has not spread further into Manitoba and to other species of the cervid family.

Additional disease surveillance efforts are required within the mule deer population to prevent further spread of CWD, and hunters play a massive role in the government’s efforts going forward. Strictly managed mule deer hunting opportunities were part of these efforts in 2022 and resulted in the detection of CWD cases.

To further support CWD prevention, the Manitoba government has announced a winter mule deer hunting season from Dec. 19 2022 to Feb. 5, 2023, in the same game hunting areas as the fall season. These areas will include game hunting areas (GHA) 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 18, 18A, 18B, 18C, 22, 23, 23A, 27, 28, 29, 29A, 30, 31, 31A, 32, 33, 35 and 35A. This is great news for hunters who didn’t quite fill their freezers this season, or who are looking for something to do besides ice fishing.

Residents can purchase up to three mule deer licenses per year. Any unused mule deer licenses purchased for the fall 2022 hunting season can be used during the new winter hunting season. The mandatory sample submission area remains in effect. For more information, visit https://gov.mb.ca/nrnd/ fish-wildlife/pubs/fish_wildlife/huntingguide.pdf.

REJOICE IN HIS LOVE.

REJOICE IN HIS LOVE

And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. Luke 1:14

Thank

to our customers for your support in

Sending our warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season, and thank you for all of those who have supported us this year. Merry Christmas from the whole family at Emergencies call Scott at 204-764-7224

HOLIDAY HOURS

Rivers and Area Lions Club

Bubble lights

Rivers Banner

A lot of Christmas traditions are all about nostalgia. Who remembers bubble lights from their childhood?

The lights were designed to mimic candles, which used to adorn Christmas trees. Their clear light bulb is enclosed in a plastic bowl/cap base. They contain a liquidfilled vial that heats up from the light. The liquid is typically methylene chloride, a toxic solvent (but don’t worry, it’s sealed up tight inside the glass!) This liquid has a

low boiling point, 39.6°C to be exact, so after just a few minutes of the lights being on, the liquid bubbles for a wondrous, magical effect.

Bubble lights used specifically for Christmas decoration were first patented in the United States by Carl W. Otis in 1944. In 1946, one of the largest American manufacturers of Christmas lights, NOMA, made them commercially available, and they became popular from then until the 1960’s.

Well, my parents didn’t get the memo that they went out of fashion, and

our tree was adorned with bubble lights in the 1980’s and 1990’s, in addition to small incandescent coloured lights. The lit-up base of the bubble lights was typically green and red, and the liquid was often amber, although all sorts of colours are available now. The one pictured here is clear, with silver glitter that dances in the boiling liquid.

Sarah Plosker

RM of Oakview events

Sarah Plosker Rivers Banner

The Rapid City Old Fashioned Family Christmas event was held Sun. Dec. 4. Organized by the Rapid City and District Chamber of Commerce, the day was filled with activities. The day started with a craft sale 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Legion with various crafts like knitting, engraved items, and jewelry that could be purchased from local vendors. There was cookie decorating after lunch, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Senior Center with Holly Brown from RM of Oakview Recreation, for children ages 4-12. Then it

was back at the Legion at 3:30 p.m. for a viewing of Home Alone, a Christmas classic. At 5 p.m., there was a hay ride, free wiener roast (BYO roasting stick), and hot chocolate across from the legion hall. Finally, at 7 p.m., there was a tree lighting and Christmas carols across from the Legion Hall, with the Rapid City Community Church. Participants could bring a decoration to hang on the tree. Non perishable food items were collected for Christmas Cheer. What a wonderful full day of holiday family activities.

Christmas Cheer food hamper items were also collected the evening of Thurs. Dec. 8 and the

afternoon of Sun. Dec. 11 by the firefighters and Santa himself! People could get pictures with Santa at the firehall. All youth were invited to attend the Rapid City Community Church Youth Group's Christmas Party Mon. Dec. 12, 7-9 p.m. With the main activity being baking Christmas cookies, participants were warned to bring a big appetite!

The Oak River and Area Memory Tree lighting took place Fri. Dec. 16. Hosted by the Blanshard CDC and Oak River Fire Department, the memory lighting took place at Millennium Park at 6 p.m., followed by a bonfire, weiner roast (BYO roasting stick), and hot chocolate.

There were also games, cookie decorating, a visit with Santa, goodie bags for the kids, a movie (How the Grinch Stole Christmas— another Christmas classic) with popcorn of course, and curling.

On Sat. Dec. 17, 1-3 p.m., local residents were invited to meet the Rapid

City Emergency Services firefighter crew. Kids (or adults) could have their pictures taken with local firefighters, get a tour of the fire trucks and fire hall, and try on firefighter gear. Candy bags and colouring pages were available for children aged 12 and under (as if they needed additional

reasons to come out and have fun at the firehall). Non perishable food items were collected for Christmas Cheer.

Riverdale Municipality

There have been lots of goings on in Rapid City and Oak River these past few weeks.

Teaching children delayed gratification

There’s a famous psychological experiment from 1972 called the “marshmallow experiment”, led by psychologist Walter Mischel, a professor at Stanford University.

Children were offered a choice: one marshmallow now, or two marshmallows later (there was a bit more to the experiment than that, but that’s what it boiled down to). The conclusions of the study were that those who could wait tended to have better life outcomes, including higher SAT scores, educational attainment (high school, college, university, graduate studies), body mass index (BMI), and more. The study has been repeated and it has been found that socioeconomic factors account for roughly half the effect, but willpower still plays a key role.

There are a lot of expectations placed on the shoulders of parents. Your child’s success is viewed, rightly or not, a measurement of your own success as a parent. You want your child to be the best hockey player on the ice, or the smartest student in their class. But perhaps, based on the marshmallow experiment, you should be focusing your efforts elsewhere—put up a Christmas tree, place your child’s wrapped gifts underneath, and have them wait until Dec. 25 to open them. This fun tradition teaches children one of the most important character traits of all—delayed gratification. Presents under the tree also teaches children about trust and faith. Because the presents are wrapped, they don’t know what’s inside. They hope it’s the toy they wanted, but they can’t be certain. And they trust

that the presents will stay under the tree and that they will indeed be able to open them come Christmas day (that is, that their parents won’t pull the rug out from under them and take the presents away for some reason). The process of waiting is not miserable. It’s a festive time of year, with an abundance of socialization, indulgent food, and sweet treats.

Even if you’re not a practicing Christian, celebrating Christmas can teach your child some important character traits. The anticipation will teach them about maturity and personal growth. Now more than ever, in today’s instant gratification and social media world, learning how to wait patiently is an undervalued habit. You’re training your child to resist temptation and immediate gratification.

At 8 years old, that might mean waiting two weeks to open the toy they’ve

been coveting for the past few months. This will pay dividends later, at 18, when they resist more serious things like drugs and alcohol. So, rather than get worked up about how many (or how few) goals they scored in their latest hockey game, or how they did on their latest report card, it may

be more beneficial to their long-term success (not to mention more fun) to teach your child about delayed gratification this holiday season. And marshmallows go great in hot cocoa—’tis the season!

It’s a Winter Wonderland

JoAnn Brandon

Rod and Phyllis Veitch

Gary and Allison Pomeroy

Dennis and Yvette Jahns

Barb Szapko

Abe and Esther Krahn

Jean Ryall Art and Marilyn Halliday

Gord and Michelle McFadden

Stan and Sheila Runions

Lorna Greer

Sharon Herndon

CrossRoads Community Church Barb Angus Dave and Marguerite Woytowich

Doug and Debbie Johannsen

Kelvin and Heather Lamb

Warren and Maggie Smallwood

Gordon and Lois Allen

St. James’ Anglican Church

Richard and Renee Martin

Hall and Barb Sveistrup

Mark and Debbie Phythian

Modern Mini and Me

Marilyn “Mano” Dickson

Jeremy Bray

Darren and Tara Bray

Redline Transport

CB Aspire Salon

Sheila DeForest

Hair by MDK

Dora Irvine

Heather Gray

Roberta Paddock

Lynn Madden

Megan Lelonde

Rivers and Area Lions Club

Rivers/Daly Firefighters Association

St. James’ Anglican Church Women

Rivers and District Chamber of Commerce Rivers United Church congregation members

THANKS ALSO TO: Zion Church for storage space/assembly location; Riverdale Harvest for saving boxes; Rivers Home Hardware Building Centre for transportation of the groceries, a cash contribution and several toys; Rivers Heritage Co-op for grocery deals and the Holiday Helper program (donations made by shoppers upon checkout, and a top-up donation by Co-op); anonymous donors; the volunteers who packed hampers.

Through your support, 30 hampers were provided to Riverdale residents.

Sarah Plosker

Rivers Banner

In the spirit of the season, we’d like to extend our best wishes for a holiday that’s filled with harmony, contentment and joy. Thank you for your business and we look forward to serving you in

Christmas Cheer would like to thank the following for their donations to the annual campaign:

Walnut squares

Crust:

3 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups butter

Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups corn syrup

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp. Maple flavouring 4 eggs

1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl combine flour, sugar and butter. Blend until crumbly. Reserve two loosely packed cups of crumbs for filling and topping. Press remaining crumbs in the bottom of an ungreased 10x15 inch pan. Bake at 400°F for ten minutes. While this is baking combine 1/4 cup of the reserved crumbs and all the filling ingredients except the walnuts in a bowl. Mix well and then stir in the walnuts. Pour this over the prebaked crust and return to the oven for ten minutes. After the ten minutes takeout of the oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Sprinkle the remaining 1 3/4 cups of crumbs over the filling and bake for 2025 minutes or until filling is set and crumbs are golden brown

During the Holiday Season, more than ever, our thoughts turn to our customers.

We appreciate your business, especially in the past years. In this spirit we say THANK YOU. May you have a healthy and happy Christmas. All the best in the coming year.

This Christmas season as we reflect on the past year, we realize how fortunate we are to have so many wonderful customers who have truly become our friends. Your visits brighten our days! May you and yours enjoy a very special holiday season.

Gary, Shelley, Jackie, Lana, Lacey, Tara, Allison, Dianne, Marian, Marieke, Amanda, Jackie, Connor, Will and Gavin at

Gary, Shelley, Jackie, Jill, Alice, Tara,

www.superthrifty.com

www.superthrifty.com

HOLIDAY HOURS

HOLIDAY HOURS

DECEMBER 24: 9:30-4:00

DECEMBER 24: 9:30-4:00

DECEMBER 25,26: CLOSED DECEMBER 31: 9:30-5:00

JANUARY 1,2: CLOSED

DECEMBER 25-26: CLOSED DECEMBER 31: 9:30-5:00

JANUARY 1: CLOSED

Horoscopes for 2023

Plosker Rivers Banner

The 12 celestial zodiac signs are: Aries (March 21 – April 19), Taurus (April 20 – May 20), Gemini (May 21 – June 20), Cancer (June 21 – July 22), Leo (July 23 – August 22), Virgo (August 23 – September 22), Libra (September 23 – October 22), Scorpio (October 23 – November 21), Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21), Capricorn (December 22 – January 19), Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), and Pisces (February 19 – March 20).

What’s in store for you in the new year? Consult the magic ball, read your tea leaves, and read on. The following predictions have been compiled from several prominent astrological websites.

Aries: At the start of the new year, you will spare no effort to improve your financial situation. Make a plan on what to

Merry

do with the abundance in the second half of 2023. You need to control your speech and your actions or you risk adding tension and challenging your relationships.

Taurus: This year will require a lot of work from you in terms of your career. It will be a year full of challenges, and only average success. It will be a year of learning; give your best shot at everything.

Gemini: The beginning of this year could be difficult for you both physically and financially. You will need to reshape yourself to embrace the best in the year. If you can get everything into alignment, the year will be prosperous for you in the end.

Cancer: You will have a strong financial situation at the start of the year. With the right strike on life and appropriate enthusiasm and energy,

you will succeed even on the not-so-favorable days of the year.

Leo: A mixed bag of outcomes for the year ahead. Be aware of the challenges that may be present in your life. Nothing will be particularly difficult, but you must put the appropriate effort in.

Virgo: Avoid rushing to conclusions and stay confident. Facing hurdles and good times, you shall enjoy a mini rollercoaster ride this year, but overall good luck.

Libra: Your wealth will increase as you put in a lot of effort into work. Love relationships will be put to the test. Remember, balance is the key to your calmness.

Scorpio: The new year will be a fortunate one; take risks in business to move your enterprise forward and you will find financial success by your own efforts. This will be

an eye-opening year.

Sagittarius: You will see an improvement in bravery and strength, which may lead to some overseas travels. This will be a favourable year, marked with exploration and great accomplishments. Look for signs and be yourself.

Capricorn: This will be a year of results in all areas of life. Stay strong, follow your morals, and you will do well. Be mindful to express yourself right.

Aquarius: This will be a year for progress. You will gain financial stability by maintaining discipline and selfcontrol. Make sure to put your efforts in the right places. Don’t ignore warnings that hold you back from performing.

Pisces: The year to come will give you the ability to make decisions and you'll use your knowledge to solve many

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

significant problems. Be grateful for what you have, and spread happiness to others through good deeds.

past & present

May the company of loved ones and treasured memories bring you peace as you celebrate Christmas this year.

May the new year bring continued peace, joy, and happiness.

From all of us at

Campbell Flowers and Gifts

AND

24 Second Street Southeast, Hamiota 204-764-2744 or 1-866-620-2744 www.campbellfuneralhome.ca www.campbellflowers.ca

Brent, Craig, Greg, Lawana, and Melissa of Memories Chapel hope you will take the time to enjoy all this holiday season has to offer.

Sarah

Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May the spirit of Christmas bring you Peace, the gladness of Christmas give you Hope and the warmth of Christmas grant you Love.

Sarah’s Science Corner

How did dinosaurs leave fossils behind?

What to do

Sarah Plosker Rivers Banner

Children will use toy dinosaurs and some plaster of Paris to learn how dinosaur footprints can become fossils, and learn how to carefully dig to uncover fossils in this week’s hands-on Let’s Talk Science activity. This activity is at the intersection of Biology, Evolution, Zoology, Earth Science, and History & World Studies, depending on how you frame it. This activity is best suited for kindergarten to grade 4 children.

What you need

Activity 1:

• Bowl

• Spoon

• Model dinosaur (the foot of the dinosaur must fit inside the cup)

• Plaster of Paris

• Plastic cup

• Plastic wrap

• Plasticine

• Water Activity 2:

• Bowl

• Spoon

• Small dinosaur figurines, skeletons/bones, and round gemstones/marbles (check your local dollar store)

• Toothpicks

• Various sizes of paint brushes

• Plaster of Paris

• Small disposable baking dish

• Water Safety First! Make sure your child doesn’t ingest the Plaster of Paris.

Activity 1:

1.Mould the plasticine into a flat disk 1/4 to 1/2 cm thick.

2. Place the plasticine disk in the bottom of the cup.

3. Tear a piece of plastic wrap and place it over the plasticine. Make sure the plastic wrap adheres to the plasticine.

4. Make an impression (footprint) in the plasticine by pressing the foot of the dinosaur model down into the plasticine.

5. Mix the plaster of Paris with water in a bowl until it has a "pudding" consistency. Check the label of the box of plaster for instructions specific to the brand.

6. Pour enough plaster of Paris mixture into the cup so that it forms a layer at least 3 cm thick on top of

the plasticine. Make sure that the plaster doesn’t reach the top of the cup.

7. Leave to dry overnight (or enough time for the plaster to dry). The cast mould should pop out easily when the plaster has hardened.

Activity 2:

1. Mix the plaster of Paris with water in a bowl until it has a "pudding" consistency.

2. Add the dinosaurs, skeletons, and gemstones into the bowl and mix well.

3. Pour into the disposable container and leave to dry.

4. Remove the cast mould from the container. Have your child uncover the hidden dinosaurs, skeletons, and gemstones (dinosaur eggs!) by using the toothpicks and paintbrushes. Depending on how hard the plaster of

A Saviour is Born

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.” —Luke 2:7

May you keep the spirit of Christmas in your heart all year round. We are thankful for your continued support and we look forward to serving you in the new year.

Best wishes from Heather and Larry,

Hair Dynamics

Paris is, you may need to help by tapping the mould against the side of a table or by poking it with the handle of a paintbrush.

What’s happening?

When you walk through mud you leave footprints behind, much like dinosaurs did some 100 million years ago. If there are no disturbances to the mud, over time it will harden. After a long time, the mud will turn into sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rocks are made up of small bits of rock and sand that settle and eventually turn into rock. This is called an impression fossil (or mould fossil). Once the impression fossil has formed, more sediment may cover and encase it. These further layers of sediments may also harden and form what is called a cast fossil (the sediments take the shape of the impression fossil). Similarly, after a dinosaur died, sometimes its bones

would get covered in sediment, which slows down their decomposition due to lack of oxygen. This gives enough time for fossilization to occur. Dinosaur bones are what’s known as body fossils.

Why does it matter?

Paleontologists (scientists that study dinosaurs) are interested in all types of fossils. Fossils give paleontologists information about the height of the dinosaur and its gait. Gait is

the way an animal moves. Scientists can determine the stride length of the dinosaur (how big its steps were), the speed at which it was moving, whether it walked on two or four legs, and whether it carried or dragged its tail. Dinosaur bones are useful in that they give scientists a good idea of the dinosaurs' size, weight, and appearance in life.

Here’s hoping your holiday is filled with excitement from beginning to end. Thanks to all our good friends and customers; you’re the driving force behind our success.

Mark and Shelley send you our very best wishes this season.

Peanuts and chocolate meet in these delightful bars.

Chocolate peanut oat bars

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

1 300 ml can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup quick oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, beaten 2/3 cup chopped peanuts

In a heavy bottomed pot, add the chips and butter. Stir occasionally and melt over medium low heat. When melted, remove from heat and add the condensed milk. Set aside. In a bowl combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. With a pastry blender work the butter in until it resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/3 cup of crumbs. To the remaining crumbs add the vanilla and egg. Pat the mixture down into a lightly greased 9x9 inch pan. Add the chips and condensed milk mixture over this base. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs over the chip mixture. Sprinkle the peanut pieces over this. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

Gather your little hands to help prepare this cookie recipe to share with someone special this holiday season. These cookies are easier to roll into balls when they have been refrigerated for a while. You can also roll the dough into two logs, wrap in wax paper and freeze. When ready to use, slice frozen and place on the prepared cookie sheets and let the little hands sprinkle on the candy cane pieces.

Peppermint cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs

1/2 tsp. peppermint flavouring

3 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder candy canes

Crush the candy canes in a food processer, or place the candy canes in a heavy plastic bag and crush the canes with a rolling pin. Use candy canes with the peppermint flavour. Cream the butter and the sugars. Add the eggs and peppermint flavour and beat well. Stir the flour, salt, baking powder and soda together. Add to the creamed mixture in two batches. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour and/or up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Work with part of the dough at a time leaving the rest chilled. Roll into balls and flatten. (Not too flat!) Sprinkle candy cane pieces on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a golden colour. Let cool for several minutes on cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy with your favourite cookie monsters.

Happy Holidays

From all of us at

From all the members of your hometown business district, we wish you a most Merry Christmas. Have a safe and healthy New Year!

Giving does not need to be connected with lots of purchased gifts. It is the thought that counts. So with that in mind, put on some Christmas carols, entice the kids into the kitchen and make this delightful loaf recipe for the special people in your lives. This recipe makes one large loaf or two small loaves of moist goodness. Double the recipe and enjoy one with the children.

Apple sauce loaf

1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup craisins or raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Crumb topping: 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup flour 1 Tbsp. soft butter

You can use the bought apple sauce or make your own by cooking apple slices with a little water until they are soft. If you are not a fan of walnuts just add one half more cup of craisins. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans. Mix the topping ingredients together and set aside. In a bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs and brown sugar. Mix in the oil and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg together. Add the flour

These brownies are loaded with Skor Bar pieces and are definitely a brownie lover’s dream come true.

Skor bar brownies

Bar:

3/4 cup butter softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy 2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp.salt

1 Skor bar, chopped

Icing: 2 Tbsp. soft butter

1 1⁄2 cups icing sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1-2 Tbsp. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Topping: 1 Skor bar, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl stir together butter and sugar. Add the eggs, and vanilla and mix in. In a bowl mix the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in chopped Skor bar. Spread batter evenly into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan or equivalent sized pan. Bake for 25-30 min, until edges show signs of pulling away from the sides of the pan and toothpick inserted into centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging. Do not overbake! Let cool on a wire rack. When cool make the icing and ice the brownies. Sink pieces of the Skor bar into the icing. Serve to your favourite chocolate lovers.

to applesauce mixture; mix it in well but don’t over beat at this point. Stir in the craisins and walnuts. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Add the crumb topping evenly over the batter. Press lightly into the top of the uncooked loaf. Bake on the middle rack for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before running a smooth-bladed knife along the sides of the pan and remove from the pan. Complete the cooling on the wire rack.

Thinking of you at Christmas

May

RM of oakview o

At this time of reflection, we give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings we enjoy, including the gift of your friendship. Merry Christmas! To all our Riverdale friends, from Warren and Maggie Smallwood prays each one of you has a Christ-filled CHRISTmas. No church on Sunday, Dec. 25 or Jan. 1.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Enjoy the magic of Christmas this season… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Sherri, Michelle & Prairie Crocus Library Board

Wishing you a holiday that overflows with love, happiness, friendship and good fortune. Thanks for hanging in there with us this year. We truly appreciate your business!