RM Review March 2023

Review

Vanscoy and District Early Learning Centres are the First Rural Multi-Site, Multi-Community, Centres in the Province

The Vanscoy and District Early Learning Centres (VELC) are the first rural multi-site, multi-community centres in the province. The Vanscoy Centre was built in 2010 with support of community volunteers and families from the Rural Municipality of Vanscoy include Delisle, Asquith and Pike Lake. Over the years the centre was supported by families from across the RM of Vanscoy.

In 2020 the Delisle center opened, and now the Asquith centre is scheduled to open in 2023.

The centres encompass all areas of childcare and early childhood education including infant, toddler, preschool and school age children.

Recently the VELC opened the Asquith and Pike Lake ‘before and after school’ programs, at the local schools.

Day camps for school age children are available during some school breaks and summer.

The centres employ local people from each community and offer paid training to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education.

The centres have their own unique culture that embraces the lifestyle of rural Saskatchewan. Many of the families are from farms and ranches therefore the children learn and experience everything that comes with farming, from growing plants to raising cows and horses.

Each community has a rink that many children spend countless hours at in the winter months.

The centres also have access to the local school, and of course the spectacular prairie sunrises !

Asquith, Borden, Conquest, Delisle, Donavon, Dundurn, Grandora, Hanley, Harris, Kenaston, Kinley, Langham, Laura, Milden, Outlook, Perdue, Pike Lake, Sonningdale, Sovereign, Swanson, Tessier, Vanscoy, Zealandia

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF MONTROSE NO. 315 FOR SALE BY TENDER

1. The R.M. of Montrose No. 315 offers for sale by tender tax enforcement; the CONTENTS of Tax Title Property located at Lots 10 & 11, Block 2, Plan G400 in Donavon, Saskatchewan.

The items for tender are:

• Kenworth Semi Truck

• Picnic Table

• Yamaha Snowmobile

• Bonair Tent Trailer

• Incinerator

• Fuel Tank

• All contents inside the building that are not on the excluded list.

• All contents outside on the property that are not on the excluded list.

Excluded Items are: Property and Building, permanent fixtures such as garage door, garage door opener, installed electrical, plumbing and building fixtures. The above noted items are sold as is.

2. Viewing of items will be available ONLY on:

THURSDAY MARCH 23, 2023 STARTING AT 9AM, ENDING AT 4PM. No other viewing time will be permitted.

3. Tender documents must be postmarked and received by: TUESDAY April 11, 2023 AT 4PM.

4. The tender must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “R.M. of Montrose 315 - Tender” to:

Jensen Stromberg Chartered Professional Accountants Attention: Dylan Peace 300 – 165 3rd Avenue South, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1L8 (no tenders will be accepted at the RM office)

5. A certified cheque to the municipality for 10% of the tender must accompany your tender package. Note: Non- payment or non-compliance with this agreement will result in a full loss of the down payment or payment received.

6. Council will decide on the approved tender on THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2023 at the Regular Meeting of Council. The Administrator will notify the successful bid party in writing. All other bids received will be notified and their down payment will be returned. Highest, or any tender, not necessarily accepted.

7. Full payment of the successful tender must be received by no later than THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023 AT 4PM and;

8. ALL items must be removed from the location by THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2023 at 4PM

Failure to remit full payment or removal of items will result in the forfeiture of your 10% down payment and all items will go back up for tender.

Please note: the bill of sale for the semi will not be released until all of the items have been removed to the satisfaction of the municipality.

9. Any items not removed by THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2023 by 4PM will be subject to removal by the Rural Municipality in the way the municipality sees fit. Any costs associated with removal of left items will be responsibility of the successful tender holder.

Dated this January 31, 2023.

DeAnne Robblee, CAO

Business Directory Special

My Son And The Fish

At the time, my son, Jacob, was still relatively new to our family. It had been just over a year since we had adopted him at age 5 and a half.

He was still in the process of assessing the dynamics and power balances in our family and where he fit into the overall scheme of things: who he had to listen to, what he could get away with, who was the soft touch. And he was a pretty quick learner, like all kids, I suppose - especially when it came to figuring out which side of the toast the jam was on.

It was a lazy summer Sunday afternoon and Mom was laying down in her bedroom having a nap.

Jacob and I were in the backyard, sitting on the patio in the shade of the big pine tree just outside Mom's bedroom window.

Jacob and I had been building a tree fort and we were taking a break, having a cold drink. I was idly whittling on a scrap piece of lumber. Jacob was watching me and then asked if he could try whittling, too.

So, I gave him the piece of wood and handed him the jack-knife.

I showed him how to hold the wood and how to hold the knife, cautioning him at the same time.

But, of course (yeah, yeah, I know, dumb dad), the knife slipped and he nicked his finger, just a small nick, a little drop of blood.

I said, "Oh, well, not a big deal" and used my shirt tail to blot off the little trickle of blood, and added, "These things happen but let's not tell Mom."

Then 3 things happened, almost instantaneously and also in such rapidfire succession as to appear to be simultaneous.

1. Jacob flashed me an assessing glance;

2. There was an almost audible click sound coming from somewhere inside his head;

3. And he yelled, "Mom, Mom", in what sounded to me like a theatrical and unnecessarily urgent tone.

Then some other things happened, also almost instantaneously, and also in such rapid-fire succession as to appear to be simultaneous.

1. Jacob flashed me another glance, this time with a mischievous "Gotcha" gleam in his eye;

2. Mom appeared beside us - elapsed time from napping on the bed to appearing at the side of her mortally wounded son: 1.73 nano-seconds.

3. Mom disappeared, re-appeared and applied a band-aid - slightly longer elapsed time of 2.54 nano-seconds;

Total elapsed time of 4.27 nano-seconds.

his betrayal, out of reach of the piercing death-stare glare lasering out from the stricken child's mother.

The resulting hierarchy of family relations held sway for some period of time.

But Jacob, youthful neophyte that he was, made some mistakes, too. Youth and innocence are not always infallible predictors of "smart" - innocence is often sullied by the inexperience of youth - and that is when errors are made.

Mom was in a corner of the kitchen one morning, getting ready for work and searching for something in her briefcase.

The briefcase was on the floor and Mom was bent over it the way women do - bent over from the hips, knees locked and legs straight.

Dad was standing kitty-corner in the kitchen, getting ready for his own departure for work, patting his pockets in the sign of the cross, left to right and up and down (watch, wallet, spectacles, testicles) and casually watching Jacob.

Jacob was standing in the middle of the kitchen and was alternately turning his head to look at Mom and then back to look at me then back to looking at Mom again.

(I almost had a premonition of what was to come but just couldn't put it together fast enough to save him - honest!)

Mom was unaware of the visual scrutiny occurring behind her, and was still bent over, still looking in her briefcase. And Jacob says "Mom, how come you're smaller than Dad, but your butt is bigger?"

I suddenly remembered a meeting I was late for and had to rush off - I was reasonably confident that the situation would resolve itself quite suitably without my presence.

That's as much as I can tell you - the matter wasn't discussed further - I thought it best not to inquire.

And the hierarchy of family relations, ever dynamic, shifted once again. However, just so you know - I wasn't totally derelict in my responsibilities as a father.

I did try to reinforce that “learning moment” with my son.

Later that day, sitting next to him on the couch, I didn’t use words, I just assumed a look of quiet understanding, and showed him the picture I keep, as a ready reminder, in my wallet.

RM Review Distribution Area

The poor, dear, wounded lad was then wrapped up in his mother's loving and comforting embrace. And Dad, protesting that "The rotten little bugger ratted me out", wandered off to a less guilt-inducing part of the yard where he could lick the wounds of

The picture is a comic of a stuffed trophy fish hanging on a wall - you know, the one with the caption that reads:

"If I could have kept my mouth shut, I wouldn’t be here."

And life went on.

reserve the right to edit copy for libel or other legal, spelling or grammatical errors. We accept no liability for any such errors.

Down the Road by Brian Brannagan

COMMUNITY REPORTS

New Delisle 4H Club, Old Bone Trail Multiple 4H, hosts it’s first annual Speech Day

The Old Bone Trail Multiple 4H Club is new to Delisle this year.

Our first annual Speech Day was held on February 11th.

Thanks to Sheree Little for chairing and to the judges; Edwin Edquist, Ashley Chorney, Cassandra Hounjet, and Spencer Whiting for their time in judging our speeches.

Well done to all members who participated.

The winner's are:

Cloverbuds:

1st Tobi Hubbard

2nd Celie Ganes

3rd Dallas Corey

Juniors:

1st Jamie Grams

2nd Shallana Stregger

3rd Violet Jones

March Happenings in Borden

Intermediates:

1st Zoë Jones

2nd Lili Aldana-Guité

3rd Megan Jones

Seniors:

1st Ashlyn Gessell,

2nd Nicole Wall

3rd Hannah Jansen.

Good luck to all the 4H members going on to districts.

Old Bone Trail Multiple 4H Speech Day winners

COUNCIL REPORTS

TOWN OF ASQUITH

Asquith Town Council held its regular council meeting on February 8, 2023. Attending was Mayor Gail Erhart, and councillors Cecilia Mryglod, Wade MonksJanzen, Jodi Nehring, and Jeff Eide. Also attending was C.A.O. Kathy Picketts. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Erhart at 6:58 p.m. A resolution was made to accept the council minutes from the January 11, 2023, regular council meeting.

Council made a motion to accept the January 2023 financials and January 2023 bank reconciliations as presented to them at the meeting. Accounts Paid in the amount of $23,694.15 and Accounts Payable of $38,800.74 was accepted as presented.

Do you know about the Asquith Nature Destination? Please contact the Town Office for further information or alternatively access information on our website or Facebook page.

If you have recently changed your phone number, please contact the Asquith Town Office to update.

As of January 1, 2022, all pet licenses and business licenses were due.

TOWN OF DELISLE

Town Council held a regular meeting on February 14th. The Town authorized the purchase of a 2023 snow push attachment for the bucket of the New Holland tractor.

Councillor Ryan King tendered his resignation from Town Council effective March 17, 2023. A byelection will be held May 31, 2023 to fill this upcoming vacancy on Town Council.

A letter will be written to various provincial government and opposition dignitaries insisting on the provincial government obtaining the services of a Family Physician or a second Nurse Practitioner at the Delisle Primary Health Centre. $20,550 from the 2022 water and sewer utility operation will be set aside in the Town’s credit union savings account earmarked for the replacement of the sewage lift station on the east side of town.

In anticipation of the eventual replacement of this lift station, Council instructed the administrator to prepare a bylaw to increase sewer rates.

It is proposed that residential sewer rates will increase by $5/month.

A revised Arena Ice Rental, Payment and Cancellation Policy was adopted.

The Town will apply for funding under the Green & Inclusive Community Buildings program for replacement of the arena ice plant and the ice surface area lighting in the curling rink.

Council authorized the initiation of tax enforcement proceedings against Lots 15 & 21, Block 3, Plan S6147.

The regular meeting for the month of August, 2023 will now be held on August 15th at the Town Office commencing at 7:00 p.m. Bylaw No. 1-2023 regarding the exchange of dedicated lands received final reading and was passed.

UPCOMING LOCAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

RM OF CORMAN PARK - March 20, 9:00am

RM OF DUNDURN - March 14, 8:00am

RM OF EAGLE CREEK - March 14, 9:00am

RM OF HARRIS - March 8, 1:00pm

RM OF MCCRANEY - March 9, 8:00am

RM OF MILDEN - March 8, 9:00am

RM OF MONTROSE - March 9, 9:00am

RM OF PERDUE - March 14, 9:00am

RM OF ROSEDALE - March 14, 8:00am

RM OF RUDY - March 8, 6:00pm

RM OF VANSCOY - March 9, 9:00am

TOWN OF ASQUITH - March 8, 7:00pm

TOWN OF BIGGAR - March 7 & 21, 7:15pm

TOWN OF DELISLE - March 14, 7:00pm

TOWN OF DUNDURN - March 14, 6:00pm

TOWN OF HANLEY - March 13, 7:00pm

TOWN OF LANGHAM - March 13 & 27 6:30pm

TOWN OF OUTLOOK - March 8 & 22, 7:00pm

TOWN OF RADISSON - March 15, 7:00pm

TOWN OF ZEALANDIA - March 12, 4:00pm

VILLAGE OF BORDEN - March 14 & 28, 7:00pm

VILLAGE OF BRODERICK - March 8, 7:00pm

VILLAGE OF CONQUEST - March 14, 7:00pm

VILLAGE OF GLENSIDE - March 8, 7:30pm

VILLAGE OF HARRIS - March 8, 7:00pm

VILLAGE OF KENASTON - March 14, 7:00pm

VILLAGE OF KINLEY - March 14, 6:30pm

VILLAGE OF MILDEN - March 15, 7:30pm

VILLAGE OF PERDUE - March 23, 7:30pm

VILLAGE OF VANSCOY - March 8, 7:30pm

All regular Council meetings are open to any and all members of the public. COVID restrictions may apply.

PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURNS

Filed Online

Discount for Seniors

GOODNOUGH BOOKKEEPING

Phone 306 - 493 - 2771

Cell 306 - 361 - 9767 bobgoodnough@gmail.com

NOTICE OF POLL

Village of Harris

Municipal By-Election 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that:

A vote will be held for the election of Councillors – 2

The Vote will take place on: Wednesday, the 22 day of March 2023 9:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Harris Tessier New Horizons Hall

214 Main Street Harris, Saskatchewan.

Advance Poll:

Wednesday, the 15th day of March, 2023, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Harris Tessier New Horizons Hall

214 Main Street Harris, Saskatchewan

I will declare the result of the voting at the Village office on Thursday the 23rd day of March at the hour of 9:00 a.m.

Dated at Harris, this 22nd day of February, 2023

Leonard Returning Officer

Rhonda

You Can Thank Social Media for the Birth of ‘Influencer Culture’

"Happy?" he answered.

"How can I be happy when all I see are people who have sexier life experiences than me, who are surrounded by beautiful people, who are travelling to places I will never see? Sometimes I think we use social media to make others feel bad about themselves."

Social media has exposed the fragility of truth. Misinformation on these platforms is frequently discussed in relation to politics and as a threat to our democracy. The more time I spend on social media as both a creator and consumer of content, the more the threat of misinformation feels personal—it threatens how I perceive myself consciously and subconsciously.

Social media platforms do not prioritize truth and facts. Garnering views (READ: eyeballs for their advertisers) are their priority; knowing truth and facts are often less attractive than compelling fiction. Financially, it does not make sense for algorithms to promote what is true. What makes financial sense for algorithms to promote what is entertaining and what will push emotional buttons. I am OK with this if social media users, which is essentially all of us, did not naively rely on it as a trustworthy source of information.

While the "back of our heads" knows most of what we see on social media is artificial and surface-level narcissism, we still love it, even though it does not love us back. Most social media content, even my own, is inflated.

Our society, culture, and happiness have been profoundly affected by social media and the 24/7 influencer culture it has created. Influencer culture, as its name implies, is fueled by individuals who have built a large social media following, using platforms to promote products, services, and brands to their followers.

I am not concerned about social media influencers using their "visibility" to endorse products. Since the dawn of mass media, a term coined in the 1920s, public figures have been making a few bucks peddling products or serving as a company spokesperson. Since 1477, when William Caxton, an English merchant, diplomat, writer, and printer, published the first print ad, we have been living with influencer culture for over 200 years. It is only now that we are calling it out. My concern is not with influencer marketing but rather the impact social media has, by design or default, influencing individuals and society.

More specifically, what is the impact of influencer culture on individual responsibility?

By Nick Kossovan

Thanks to social media, influencer culture has advanced to an unimaginable level, causing individuals, especially the young, to seek validation from external sources rather than themselves. As a result, individuals are comparing themselves to "influencers" to determine their self-worth, hence negatively impacting their healthy self-esteem development.

Influencers tend to have perfect bodies and lifestyles. Is it possible to be an influencer without having any physical appeal? For their followers, this creates unrealistic expectations, resulting in feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, particularly among young people who are more susceptible to social media's influence. You can thank social media influencers for emitting unrealistic expectations 24/7 for all the mental angst surrounding us.

I follow several accounts on Instagram and TikTok dedicated to amplifying the idea that the Internet is not real. One account recently revealed how easy it is for creators to lengthen their legs, shrink their waists, smooth over textured skin, and re-sculpt their faces using editing software— a stark reminder that the people and things on the Internet, like in the movies or magazines, are mostlikely touched up and even altered.

It is easy—too easy—for people to simply make things up and present them as truths. Yet, strangely, even now, after years of being heavily active on social media, I still do not browse social media platforms expecting to be deceived, yet I am constantly deceived.

Is it the responsibility of social media platforms to protect their users from content that can negatively influence them? Unfortunately, upholding such responsibility directly conflicts with what generates growth and money for Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, et al. To censor and only allow 100% factual content does not serve a social media company's best interest.

I write all of this with low-grade guilt. Of course, I am aware of the hypocrisy of my words—calling for an industry from which I profit to regulate itself. On the other hand, seeing firsthand how social media companies make money is why I understand how crucial it is to understand that self-validation, self-worth, and self-esteem come from the self, not from social media.

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what's on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan

AGRICULTURE REPORTS

Crop Planning Guide 2023

Each year, the Ministry of Agriculture develops the Crop Planning Guide to help producers estimate the costs and returns of producing common crops.

The detailed calculations in this guide are based on the inputs and returns associated with attaining a target yield in the 80th percentile for each soil zone. Actual costs and yields on each farm will differ due to the condition and type of equipment, the selection of crop protection products and other inputs, agronomic practices, soil class and weather conditions. Producers are expected to set their own target yields and costs.

The general agronomic and economic assumptions that apply to all crops remain consistent with previous years. Each crop has its own page with agronomic information and a blank column for producers to input their own costs and revenues. This guide also includes a yield sensitivity

analysis that summarizes returns that can be expected if an operation attains an average yield, rather than the target yields used in the detailed calculations. This is intended to help producers baseline their yields and to assess any economic benefits of increasing their inputs and management efforts.

In the last year, commodity prices have fluctuated. The prices used in this document represent the most recent estimates available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. We recognize that price estimates used in this guide, including fertilizer and crop protection products, may not accurately reflect current and local prices. Similarly, interest rates have been increasing in 2022, which have an effect on interest on variable expenses, land investment and building investment. Producers are encouraged to use the worksheets in this guide or the online calculator to input their own numbers for reference.

Ministry regional specialists are also available to provide advice about appropriate agronomic practices and cost assumptions.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced details of the 2023 Crop Insurance Program.

“Through improvements to the Crop Insurance Program, Saskatchewan farmers continue to get coverage they can count on,” said Bibeau. “We encourage farmers to use risk management tools to help them minimize the economic effects of production losses caused by natural hazards.”

"As we look forward to the 2023 growing season, I want to acknowledge the drive and resilience Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers continue to show year after year," Marit said. "We had some rough years and while last year was a step forward, there were still very dry areas in the West side of the province and Crop Insurance responded with quick action on claims. That is why it's important for producers to evaluate their current risk management options and ensure they have the right coverage for their farm."

Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) continues to provide Saskatchewan producers with higher Crop Insurance coverage. The average coverage for 2023 is at a record-high level of $446 per acre, due to increased commodity prices and yield coverage. With this increased coverage and higher insured prices, the average total premium is $14.79 per acre, an increase from $12.05 in 2022.

Starting in 2023, Crop Insurance customers will see an Individual Premium calculated for each crop they insure. Premiums are individualized based on a producer's personal claim history compared to the area risk zone. This adjustment (increase or decrease) from the base premium rate is calculated for each customer, and in-

dependently for each insured crop. This means, a producer's claim on one crop does not impact their premium for a different crop. Premium Discounts and Surcharges previously used in the Crop Insurance Program are discontinued.

“It’s always good to review the program to ensure it continues to serve farmers and remains efficient,” SaskCanola Chair Keith Fournier said. “It is important for farmers to open their insurance packages, review their information and learn about their coverage options.”

Also effective for 2023, SCIC is increasing the maximum dollar coverage levels of the Unseeded Acreage feature. While the minimum coverage remains the same at $50 per acre, additional Unseeded Acreage coverage levels are increasing to $75, $100 and $125 per acre. Unseeded Acreage coverage, included with all multi-peril Crop Insurance coverage, helps offset costs associated with summer fallow acres too wet to seed due to excessive spring moisture.

“We appreciate the ongoing commitment to Saskatchewan agriculture,” Saskatchewan Rural Municipality Association (SARM) President Ray Orb said. “The increases to unseeded acres coverage stands out as an example of SCIC listening and incorporating the concerns of our members.”

March 31, 2023, is the deadline to apply, reinstate, cancel or make changes to Crop Insurance contracts. Producers must also select insured crops and coverage levels by this date. If no changes are made, a producer's coverage will remain the same as last year. To make changes or discuss the different features and coverage levels, producers can contact their local SCIC office or call 1-888-935-0000.

While Crop Insurance provides coverage from seeding through harvest, AgriStability provides further coverage against uncontrollable events like rising input costs or falling commodity prices. For the 2023 program year, the AgriStability compensation rate will increase from 70 per cent to 80 per cent to better support farmers in times of need. This allows AgriStability to be more responsive when a farm experiences a large margin decline, providing additional compensation to address the operation's financial shortfall.

SCIC offers a full suite of business risk management programs, including AgriStability, Crop Insurance and Livestock Price Insurance and the Wildlife Damage Compensation and Prevention Program, to help mitigate risk for Saskatchewan producers.

For more information, call SCIC at 1-888-935-0000 or visit scic.ca.