Vol. 103 No. 39
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
Biggar, Saskatchewan
www.biggarindependent.ca
20 pages
$
1.25 tax included
Biggar’s Donor’s Choice sets 2012 target A goal of $ 32,000 has been set for the 2012 Biggar and District Donor’s Choice Campaign. The town blitz will take place October 9, 10 and 11. There are 32 charities included in this collection, nine of which are local organizations. Donor’s Choice is a oncea-year collection for these charities, rather than a representative of each charity making an appeal at your door many times throughout the year. This enables people to plan and budget their charitable donations more easily. The donor chooses as many charities as he/she wishes and the amount given to each. No more than one per cent of money received are held back for administration. Your address is known only to this agency and is not given out for any appeal mailing list. The sheet containing a brief description of each charity and space to prepare for the canvasser’s visit
will be available for pick up at several businesses including grocery stores, drug stores, Royal Bank, Credit Union, New Horizons, Museum, library, The Independent and rural municipality offices. People are encouraged to read this information to know how your donations benefit all of society. Many canvassers are needed. If you are willing to canvass a block or two in town please call Michelle Hanson at 948-3739 or Marion Fritz at 948-7078. For your convenience a canvasser will call at your home. However, if you are missed by a canvasser, you may take your donation directly to the Biggar Royal Bank. Rural residents can take their donations directly to the Royal Bank. Biggar and District Donor’s Choice committee encourages area residents to be generous and courteous when a canvasser calls and make this a successful campaign.
Walk, Run for Terry . . . Biggar Central School students hit the Sandra Schmirler Olympic Gold Park paths, September 14, all in support of the Terry Fox Run. Sure, it was a break from classes, but most of these kids know the importance and the impact that one of the greatest
Canadians, perhaps of all time, has had in the fight against cancer. St. Gabriel School will hold their run this Thursday, while many other organizations and groups have held or will hold their fund raisers. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
RCMP make drug bust in Biggar On September 14, members of the Biggar RCMP Detachment, along with members of the Regina Integrated Drug Unit, executed a search warrant at a residence in the 300
Block of Sixth Avenue West in Biggar. Police received information about a suspected marihuana grow operation at the residence.
Seized during the investigation were nearly 300 marihuana plants, electrical equipment and other drug related evidence. An adult male was
arrested at the residence. The male was released later that night and will be facing several charges once the investigation is completed.
New health care model to benefit rural Saskatchewan Health system leaders learn about Nova Scotia primary health care innovation
Fleet of fingers . . . Digits flying, cellist Kevin Fox hit the Majestic Theatre stage, September 14 for the first show in the Biggar and District Arts Council performance season. No classical, rather a unique twist on pop and folk, a melodic one-man treatment using a looping pedal to pull out an orchestral sound, Fox was an impressive start to the Council’s season. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
Saskatchewan health system and community leaders are gathering information about a new model of care that improves patient access to health care services in rural and remote communities, with the goal of implementing it in the province. A Knowledge Exchange Day today in Regina is exploring the benefits of Collaborative Emergency Centres (CECs), a Nova Scotia health care innovation that Saskatchewan is exploring. These centres help stabilize and improve access to primary health care and emergency services. A Nova Scotia delegation is sharing advice and its experiences developing CECs with regional health authority representatives, health care providers, health sector professional organizations, unions, and municipal and community
stakeholders from across Saskatchewan. The meeting will explore the CEC model from various perspectives, talk about the key success factors and identify the next steps for establishing CECs in Saskatchewan. “We are committed to putting patients first,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Randy Weekes said. “Improving access to health care in rural Saskatchewan is a priority for our government. We see the Nova Scotia model as an innovative way of meeting the needs of rural and remote communities by integrating primary and emergency health care.” In Nova Scotia, CECs are typically open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the day, the centres offer access to primary health care by a team of professionals, including
physicians and nurses. At night, the care is handled by a team that includes a registered nurse and a paramedic, with physician oversight. The centres offer a number of benefits including increased access to services, reduced wait times, same or next day appointments and a teambased approach that offers continuity of care. The model aligns with Saskatchewan’s recently announced initiative to strengthen primary health care. The Ministry of Health is now working with health regions and communities to determine critical factors for success and criteria around resources and identify locations for potential sites. Nova Scotia has successfully implemented the CEC model in communities which have had difficulty maintaining 24-7 emergency services.
“Collaborative Emergency Centres are an innovative health care model that is working in Nova Scotia and we are pleased to share our experiences with the Province of Saskatchewan,” Nova Scotia Health and Wellness Minister David Wilson said. “By bringing emergency departments and local family practices together to work as a team, we are delivering better care sooner to Nova Scotians. Patients served by CECs are able to see a nurse practitioner or physician either the same day or the next day, seven days a week.” The Nova Scotia model was endorsed in the first report of the Council of the Federation’s Health Care Innovation Working G r o u p, c o - ch a i r e d b y Premier Brad Wall and Prince Edward Island Premier Robert Ghiz.