The Independent

Determination . . . You have to start somewhere and for most, you begin when the boards are sometimes taller than you. But you learn and you grow, and for these hockey players being shepherded by their coach, the look on their faces says it all! (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Vol. 111 No. 49

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

16 pages

$1.50

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

22 -- THE BIGGAR,SK SK THE INDEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR,

Biggar U9 Nationals hit the ice for a Black versus White match-up, and with hockey now on hold, it may be the last game they play for a while due to COVID. There were happy faces as they played but upon learning the season was in limbo, moods of players and parents became a mixture of frustration and gloom.

(Independent Photos

by Kevin Brautigam)

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 3

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

Throne Speech focuses on pandemic response, keeping campaign commitments The ongoing pandemic response and fulfilling the government’s election commitments are the two main focuses of the 2020 Speech from the Throne, entitled Strong Saskatchewan.

Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty delivered the Throne Speech, November 30, opening the first session of the new Legislative Assembly that was elected on October 26.

Premier Scott Moe said a hallmark of this government has been fulfilling its election promises and that will continue with

the newly re-elected government.

“Our first two bills will be to create a new Home Renovation Tax Credit and reduce small business taxes, as promised in the recent election campaign,” Moe said. “We will also be moving quickly to cut everyone’s power bill by 10 per cent starting tomorrow, reduce ambulance charges for seniors and reinstate the Community Rink Affordability grant, as promised in the election campaign.”

The Throne Speech also commits the government to fund the rest of its

campaign commitments starting in the 2021-22 budget. These include: Increased support for persons living with diabetes by covering the cost of insulin pumps and covering the cost of Continuing Glucose Monitoring up to age 18; • Extending individualized funding for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder up to age 12; • Increased supports for Deaf/blind individuals; • Hiring 300 new continuing care aides to work in long-term care homes and home care; • Reducing tuition costs

by increasing the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship from $500 to $750 a year; • Increasing funding to the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program to $1.5 million a year; • Adding 750 new child care spaces over the next four years; • Restarting the Active Families Benefit to help families with the cost of children’s sports and cultural activities; and • Increasing the Seniors Income Plan benefit to $360 a year over the next three years - four times

what it was in 2007.

“These are all the commitments we made in the election campaign and we intend to act on all of them in this session, either this fall or in the spring budget,” Moe said.

The Throne Speech also thanked everyone in Saskatchewan for their efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 and said the ongoing response to the pandemic will be the government’s top priority during the legislative session and in the weeks ahead.

“My government will continue taking action to address both the health and economic impact of COVID-19 while continuing to prepare for the distribution of a safe and effective vaccine, which the federal government has committed to deliver early in the new year,” the

Throne Speech reads.

The government also committed to the following new legislation in the Throne Speech: Amendments to The Residential Tenancies Act will allow those who have been sexually assaulted in their rental accommodation to unilaterally break a long-term lease; and The Protection From Human Trafficking Act will enable victims to obtain expedited protection orders, allow for the tough enforcement of those orders, and provide civil remedies including the seizure of property and bank accounts and the suspension of driver’s licenses.

The fall sitting is expected to last two weeks. There will be a longer legislative sitting in the spring, when the government will present the 2021-22 provincial budget.

Sask Child Exploitation Unit lay charges for child pornography against 24-year-old Asquith male One Stop donates to Food Bank . . . Lin Dong, right, owner of One Stop Hardware and former owners Jean and Emil Itterman, made a donation of $1,200 to Barb deHaan of the Biggar Food Bank. The money was raised from One Stop’s 2019 Christmas tree sale, and Lin Dong will continue the long-standing tradition of selling Christmas trees and donating the proceeds to charity. The 2020 trees have arrived, so please, come to One Stop and support your community. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Weekes elected as Speaker of Sask Legislative Assembly Biggar-Sask Valley MLA Randy Weekes will sit as the Speaker as Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly begins its new sitting.

Weekes defeated Mark Docherty after five bal-

lots to become the 27th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, November 30.

“I really am humbled by the trust you have put in me,” Weekes said. “Thank you to all the members,

especially the members who ran for speaker. A special thanks to ‘Doc’ for his service.”

Weekes has served the constituency since 1999.

He served as Government

Biggar-Sask Valley MLA Randy Weekes takes his place as the new Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. (Submitted Photo)

Whip and was the minister responsible for rural and remote health, Deputy Chair of the Legislature’s Standing Committee on the Economy, and served on the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies, Standing Committee on House Services, Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Standing Committee on Non-controversial Bills. He was also the Deputy House Leader.

As Speaker, Weekes is responsible for overseeing the flow of House business, ensuring debate is fair and that rules of the House are followed.

After giving his thanks, Weekes called on the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition before calling for a recess.

After a brief investigation, the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit has charged an Asquith man with a child pornography offence and voyeurism.

In early November 2020, the Saskatoon Police Service received information that in July, a 24-year-old male had been in possession of child pornography and intimate photos of an adult female he had taken without her knowledge.

On November 25, 2020, members of the Saskatchewan ICE Unit and Warman RCMP Detachment executed a search warrant at the accused’s residence in Asquith, and seized three cellular phones and a laptop which will be further forensically analyzed.

Elmir Drincic, age 24, was arrested at the loca-

tion and has been charged with the following: • Possession of Child Pornography, Sec. 163.1 (4) of the Criminal Code; and • Voyeurism, Sec. 162 (1) of the Criminal Code.

Elmir Drincic was briefly held in custody and appeared in Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Saskatoon where he was released on numerous conditions. He is scheduled to reappear in court on December 9, 2020.

The Saskatchewan ICE Unit is comprised of investigators from the RCMP, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service, and Prince Albert Police Service. Their mandate is to investigate crimes involving the abuse and/ or exploitation of children on the Internet.

Numbers for December 3 I26 - I29 - N38 - G57 - O72

Opinions HAVE A NICE DAY!

4 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

Freeland looks to take the federal debt to infinity and beyond

by Aaron Wudrick, Canadian Taxpayer Federation It’s official: the Trudeau government has taken the federal deficit from $19 billion to $381 billion in just nine months.

That’s the staggering takeaway from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s fall economic statement, and it means Canada’s total federal debt will for the first time shoot past $1 trillion in a few weeks.

Critics will argue that with the global pandemic, all this spending is necessary and with low interest rates it’s really nothing to worry about.

This is wrong for at least four reasons.

First, even if some temporary emergency spending is necessary, it can’t explain why the Trudeau government has managed to get such poor returns. Canada’s deficit has increased the most

among its G7 peer countries and yet still has the highest unemployment rate. In fact, it sent a whopping $54 billion out the door to compensate Canadians for $21 billion in lost income. Helping people out is one thing, but piling up new debt to send people two dollars for every one dollar they’ve lost is a very expensive way to miss the target.

Second, not all new government spending is even related to the pandemic. Many of the Trudeau government’s recent announcements – from green infrastructure to child care – are simply repackaged versions of their long-standing hobby horses, trotted out under the pretext of “reinventing” the economy. And yet if there wasn’t enough money to pay for these things when the deficit was only $19 billion, how on earth can there be

enough now that it’s $381 billion?

Third, just because the government needs to spend on pandemic priorities, doesn’t mean it can’t save money elsewhere. A prudent government would look at lower priority areas and show some restraint.

Something as obvious as rolling back the bureaucracy to the size it was in 2017 – two full years after Justin Trudeau came to office – would help save taxpayers at least $13 billion. It would also have the added benefit of demonstrating that those in government are willing to share the burden being borne by the millions of Canadians who have seen their jobs wiped out or their small businesses go bankrupt.

Finally, just because interest rates are low now doesn’t mean they will stay low forever, and it would be foolish to bet

Canada’s fiscal house on this sweeping assumption. Even a one per cent increase in the effective interest rate would mean an additional $10 billion per year in interest costs.

In spite of this, Freeland did not bother imposing any fiscal “guard-rails” on spending or debt, suggesting that this could wait until after the economy had recovered. But that rather defeats the

purpose of having fiscal guard-rails in the first place: the time you need them most is when you’re at risk of going over a cliff, not when there are no longer any cliffs in sight.

The fall economic statement should worry anyone concerned with Canada’s long-term economic future. Freeland needs to produce a full budget in early 2021 that contains

real fiscal targets and a plan to get the deficit under control. If she does not and the current debt trajectory continues, our country will eventually face a fiscal reckoning that will make the painful cuts of the 1990s look like a walk in the park by comparison.

Over one-third of children with COVID-19 show no symptoms

by Michael Brown of Folio More than one-third of kids who have COVID19 are asymptomatic, according to a study that suggests youngsters diagnosed with the disease may represent just a fraction of those infected.

“The concern from a public health perspective is that there is probably a lot of COVID-19 circulating in the community that people don’t even realize,” said Finlay McAlister, a professor of medicine in the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.

“When we see reports of 1,200 new cases per day in Alberta, that’s likely just the tip of the iceberg – there are likely

the

many people who don’t know they have the disease and are potentially spreading it,” he said.

For the study, McAlister’s team analyzed results for 2,463 children who were tested during the first wave of the pandemic – March to September – for COVID-19 infection.

All told, 1,987 children had a positive test result for COVID-19 and 476 had a negative result. Of children who tested positive, 714 – 35.9 per cent – reported being asymptomatic.

“It speaks to the school safety programs,” he said. “We can do all the COVID-19 questionnaires we want, but if one-third of the kids

are asymptomatic, the answer is going to be no to all the questions – yet they’re still infected.”

Because of the asymptomatic nature of the disease in up to one-third of children, McAlister said the province was right to close schools for a longer period over Christmas.

“As far as we know, kids are less likely to spread disease than adults, but the risk is not zero,” he said. “Presumably asymptomatic spreaders are less contagious than the person sitting nearby who is sneezing all over you, but we don’t know that for sure.”

The researchers also found that although cough, runny nose and

sore throat were three of the most common symptoms among children with COVID-19 infection – showing up in 25, 19 and 16 per cent of cases respectively – they were actually slightly more common among those with negative COVID-19 test results and therefore not predictive of a positive test.

“Of course, kids are at risk of contracting many different viruses, so the COVID-specific symptoms are actually more things like loss of taste and smell, headache, fever, and nausea and vomiting, not runny nose, a cough and sore throat,” he said.

McAlister noted that his group has a similar

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paper coming out that shows sore throats and runny noses aren’t reliable signs of COVID-19 in adults either, although the vast majority of adults (84 per cent) do show symptoms.

“Sore throat and runny nose means you’ve got some kind of upper respiratory tract infection, but fever, headache and loss of taste or smell are the big ones for indicating that one may have COVID-19 rather than another viral upper respiratory tract infection,” he said, adding nausea and vomiting wasn’t as prominent in adults.

McAlister added that if people have any symptoms at all, they should

stay home and get tested, while even those who feel well should still be doing everything they can to stay safe – wearing a protective mask, frequent handwashing, keeping distance and avoiding meeting indoors.

“Some people with COVID feel well and don’t realize they have it so they socialize with friends and unintentionally spread the virus, and I think that’s the big issue,” he said.

Folio, a Troy Media content provider partner, is the University of Alberta’s online publication.

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COPYRIGHT The contents of The Independent are protected by copyright. Reproduction of any material herein may be made only with the written permission of the publisher.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Biggar Independent invites the public to participate in its letters to the Editor section. All letters must be signed.

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THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 5

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

Notable Notes Bob Mason

As Your’s Truly jots these thoughts down, it sure isn’t his intention to point out what a pushover generous people are, so much as it is a criticism of those who take advantage of them!

There are a lot of these considerate folks around, who will come over to help when you need it, all the way down through history long before the “Good Samaritan� was even mentioned. They have been here and done their thing. But, and I’m sorry to write this, there have also been a few material-minded types ready to lean on their generosity and roll them of everything they have! “Taking� may be a big thrill to some folks, I dunno, but giving (often by those same people!) is a far greater one!

Considering the hundreds of volumes written by the psychiatric people, and the annual reminder

by Santa Clause, we still don’t seem to have much control over the greed of this Mammon guy who wrote the old adage: “A (generous guy, considerate fellow, goodhearted gent, unselfish citizen and altruistic) fool and his money are soon parted!�

Of course, Y.T. doesn’t have anywhere near the same insight into character that some Freudian folks do, but he has met both types in his life. As a matter-of-fact, he sometimes thinks that he is both types! And, according to him the way we act all boils down to what chances we have!

When we were on construction one fellow (a criminal now!) often

came over and helped me. To heck with being proud and having more on the wall, give the most dedicated “short-legger� on the crew a chance, and he will come in!

I’m also sorry to say this too! But there seems to be a lot of young people who have never heard of The Great Depression.

And, to me at least, this is too bad in a way, because it has been during these world depressions (when we realize how equal we all are!) that the finest parts of our present heritage has been formed!

When our rich/poor caste system has been put aside and we find out that for all our individual ambitions, we still need each other!

Our family was young back then in the 1930’s, when all of a sudden “nobody had nuthin’�, and our folks (like many other folks!) were finding that their “Milk and Honey� ambitions were being thrown for a ten yard loss! That their plans for a plentious future were melting away and they had to lean on each other. In the worst year of the Depression (1937), the government, like all governments, decided to solve the situation with money and offered young people $5 per month to work for people. Of course they also offered employee’s $5 per month to keep those workers, keep there workers, not knowing, naturally that most folks were glad to keep a fellow around the place for nothing!

But it never came to that! As Barry Broadfoot wrote: “The Great Depression was over! It had not been solved by the best brains in the country juggling with economic theories, but by demand of total war courtesy of Adolph Hitler!�

And suddenly the government that could only pay a person $5 per month to live, could pay them 30 x 1.39 = $40.80

A Chance

per month to be shot at!

Money is sure valuable, eh?

When we look back though, some of the best, most sociable years of our lives were in the “Dirty Thirties�, when many of us had practically nothing. But all of us had a chance to show our real worth as people!

I often wonder what the real crime rate of the 1930’s was compared to that of the later, more affluent years!

Sure there was a lot of homemade wine to be had! And sure there were a lot of unlicensed fishing escapades in the river, but when one went to visit those people, they were always glad to share what they had, and no legal questions asked!

Very few of those people ever became wealthy, but every one of them would give you the shirt off of their backs!

On the walls of every room of our home up in Great Bend the folks had hung little framed mottos and some of them are still with us: “If there be some weaker one, Give me strength to help them on!

If some blinder soul there be, Let me guide them nearer thee.�

Starting about 1930 or so, and for 10 years, these once so enthusiastic people had to adjust from folks who had “something� all the way down to people who had “nothing� . . . except each other!

Everyone was hardup, at least all the ones that we knew! And much as most of us agree that monetary things are okay, in those times we started to develop more appreciation for the social things that had become part of our lives!

Sometimes I think we need another depression, for somehow we’ve got to get that feeling back that all of civilization still has a chance!

The lessons that we learned in those “Ten

Lost Years�, were the same ones described in the Book hundreds of years ago. The passage the rich, camel/needle guy (Matthew: 19,24) sez “What must I do?� And the poor widow (Luke: 21,-1-4) who put those two copper coins into the pot for the needy!

So who is well-off, eh?

All we need is a chance!

Our folks (again like most folks) were honest.

I think that most of that generation was! And all through their lives they had been taught nothing else and tried to pass their outlook on life down to us. But sorry, over the years of so-called “Progress�, that Mammon guy had been out there throwing his influence around also! Until he had changed that old adage quite a bit!

Don’t turn away saying that the fellow who wrote this sure had some twisted ideas about the way things should be, for, over a hundred years ago, Rudyard Kipling was out there too!

And only the Master shall praise us, And only the Master shall blame.

And no one shall work for money, And no one shall work for fame.

But each for the joy of working, And each, in his sepa-

Mebbe the picture that Your’s Truly is trying to paint isn’t very well done, but it is the way that he sees it . . . Okay?

Jim Reiter, MLA

Rosetown-Elrose Constituency 215 Main Street, Rosetown CALLING ALL RESIDENTS Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 of Tel: 306-882-4105 LANDIS - RUTHILDA - HANDEL Fax: 306-882-4108 SPRINGWATER - PERDUE - ASQUITH Toll free; 1-855-762-2233 CANDO - ARLEE - SONNINGDALE - KELFIELD E-mail: jimreitermla@sasktel.net and all places around these areas!!!

Box 278, Rosetown SK S0L 2V0 Please call with questions or concerns We are looking for your news items or feel good stories for our LOCAL PAPER.

Become a Corespondent, and get paid (depending on volume and stories) Send to The Independent at tip@sasktel.net or phone 948-3344

Jim Reiter, MLA

Rosetown-Elrose Constituency 215 Main Street, Rosetown Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 Tel: 306-882-4105 Fax: 306-882-4108 Toll free; 1-855-762-2233 E-mail: jimreitermla@sasktel.net Box 278, Rosetown SK S0L 2V0 Please call with questions or concerns

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

6 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Traditions carry on at the museum

by Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Museum and Gallery We have been extra busy here in the museum lately. The volunteers have set up an attractive Christmas display in the gallery. This display is of all the donated gifts to the Biggar Museum’s Christmas Magic Auction.

Normally this would be called a silent auction, but this year for the first time ever, we have put our auction on Facebook. We have discovered that using this technology has opened the auction to so many more people! We are so pleased with the results. The auction will be continuing until December 12, last bid being made at 3p.m.

Bid winners will be notified by Facebook and the museum will be open on Monday, December 14 at 1p.m. for everyone to pickup their goodies.

When you bid on an item in the auction, you are actually supporting the local merchant or a crafts people in our community and you are also supporting the Biggar Museum and Gallery . . . and going home with a prize. It’s a good thing!

Traditionally we have the hayride on the last Friday in November.

But that could not happen this year. And yet, the cookie sale was very successful, and the auction so far looks like it will be the best year ever. Another tradition is to have a poinsettia from the Friends of St. Gab’s Association, its been purchased and will be on the piano . . . again supporting a local cause and coming away with a prize.

He may not be in town anymore, but his memory will linger on. I am talking about Father Bedard. He came in every year to check that the auction would have something to remind us the reason for our celebrations at Christmas. If there was not one, he would go to a local merchant and purchase a Nativity Scene and put it in the auction.

Father has retired now and moved away. Before he left, he donated a nativity scene that his sister made. We have it in our showcase like we do every year, remembering why so many celebrate at Christmas.

Another tradition is our little village collection, donated to us by Nettie Beckett before she left our community. It is in the window of the lobby/gift shop. Speaking of gift shop, a souvenir of Biggar will make a great gift.

Because I was thinking about Father Bedard, I went on the database and found pictures of the first Roman Catholic church in Biggar, St. Gabriel’s, in 1910. Biggar was not even an official town until 1911, but the church was here, looking like it was the only thing on the bald prairie. Over the years a very impressive church and convent, rectory and the St. Theresa Academy were built on Fifth West. The rectory is still there, but the new St. Gabriel’s is now on Seventh Street West.

July 1912 (Photos courtesy of Biggar Museum and Gallery)

The first priest. Father Collins, lived in residence

Circa 1940 – Church and School

Demolition of the church circa 1973

Rectory Circa 1965

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

Agriculture

New tech offers farm savings

Agriculture Calvin Daniels

On a recent visit to producer.com I was interested to read a story on an Etheltonarea grain farm where a rather extensive array of solar panels had been installed.

“The family say two lines of solar panels have reduced their quarterly electricity bill to $40 from $1,200,” begins the story.

That is a rather significant drop in ongoing costs to be sure.

And yes, for the immediate naysayers reading this, there are the initial installation costs to factor in, and maintenance, and probably some insurance since hail and high winds are a summer threat in Saskatchewan, but the lower regular costs still make the project something to think about.

There are costs to

farming, and most costs the farmer has zero ability to do anything about. You might haggle on the value of a trade-in when buying a new tractor, and you can buy fertilizer early to get a deal, but the ‘deal’ is still determined by the seller.

That is not to suggest farming is unique in having limited ways to affect their costs, but of course they have a corresponding limitation on determining the price of what they sell too. It can be a squeeze for sure.

But, moving forward, perhaps even today, farmers can take some control of their energy costs.

There are now several technologies available that can generate on-farm energy and help disconnect at least somewhat from the grid.

It might be as simple as a grain burner to heat the shop in the winter, consuming that low grade or damaged grain as an energy resource. There may even be value in growing a high yield, low valued grain just for the burner if the numbers are crunched the right way.

Then there are the bigger projects, solar

panels, wind mills and geothermal that all hold possibilities.

On the Ethelton farm the solar panels obviously have had benefit.

At the same time there have been smaller windmills installed that sit unused too, testament to them not being particularly successful.

Yet, in terms of technologies, the landscape changes literally overnight.

There is no doubt a windmill or a solar panel is more efficient and more likely to do what it is supposed to today, than even a half dozen years ago, and the tech will continue to evolve.

Certainly through the current pandemic energy prices have been held more, or less in check, and so there is perhaps less focus on options.

But, one might imagine when the pandemic ends and the world economy fully ramps up again, energy prices might well jump with the renewed demand.

So keeping an eye on alternatives, pencilling out the returns versus the costs, might be a good use of time this winter for at least some producers.

Lower deficit at mid-year

The 2020-21 Mid-Year Report released November 27 forecasts a deficit more than $380 million lower than budgeted, and an improving economy.

“As reflected in these latest forecasts, our government is managing the province’s finances carefully through the pandemic,” Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer said.

“The mid-year update also includes $260 million of contingencies to cushion against potential pandemic-related revenue and spending shocks over the remainder of the fiscal year.”

A deficit of $2.0 billion is now forecast – an improvement of $381.5 million from budget.

Revenue is projected at $14.2 billion, a $503.5 million (3.7 per cent) increase from budget.

The increase from budget is due to higher federal transfers, higher Govern-

ment Business Enterprise net income and higher non-renewable resource revenue. Tax and other own-source revenue forecasts are unchanged from budget, but the mid-year update includes a $41.2 million decrease in tax revenue as a result of the reduction in the small business tax rate.

Expense is forecast to be $16.2 billion, an increase of $122.0 million (0.8 per cent) from budget. This includes increases for the health, education, municipal and tourism sectors, partly offset by lowerthan-budgeted pension expense and crop insurance claims expense.

The mid-year forecast includes the impact of government’s election commitments totalling $91.7 million. A $160 million expense contingency remains in place at mid-year.

Public debt and net debt are both down compared

to the budget forecast.

Saskatchewan’s net debtto-GDP ratio at March 31, 2021, is now estimated at 19.6 per cent and is expected to be one of the lowest among Canadian provinces this year. Saskatchewan also has the second-highest credit rating in Canada, when ratings from the three major rating agencies are combined.

“Saskatchewan’s economy has performed better than originally anticipated in the June 2020 budget,” Harpauer said. “Real GDP is forecast to decline 5.0 per cent, compared to a decline of 6.3 per cent forecast at budget. Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate was the lowest in Canada in October and total employment, on an unadjusted basis, is nearing pre-pandemic levels.

As a result, our planned path to balance in 202425 is unchanged.”

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Our constituency office is here to assist with government services and programs.

Please contact us by phone or email to maintain social distancing.

Call the HealthLine - 811 if you are experiencing symptoms and require medical advice For the latest information on COVID-19 visit www.saskatchewan.ca/COVID19 Public inquiries may be emailed to COVID19@health.gov.sk.ca For general not health-specific inquires related to COVID-19 call 1-855-559-5502 The Business Response Team can be reached at 1-844-800-8688, emailing support for business@gov.sk.ca or by visiting www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-businesses Information on support for workers who have had their employment impacted by the current economic situation is found at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-workers

Randy Weekes MLA for Biggar-Sask Valley randyweekes.mla@accesscomm.ca / 306-948-4880 / 1-877-948-4880

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8 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

The Saskatchewan Traveller

by Trudy and Dale Buxton Our journey continues in a different direction as we leave Biggar and head west on Highway 14.

Traveling this morning it was a beautiful day with no wind to speak of and clear skies. We travel through Landis and Wilkie, and on the pond near Wilkie there is thousands of geese near the town. Its quite a site.

We travel by Highway 374 that takes you into Scott.

Did you know that in the early years there was between 800 and 1,000 residents that called Scott home?

Scott was and still is situated on the rail line.

Scott had two hotels, two banks, a large school and four churches. Scott had a thriving business community that included its own newspaper, three elevators, and five implement dealers.

As time went on and the economy dropped Scott now only has a population of around 100, but still with a good heart.

Next up we come to the Town of Unity.

Unity developed in 1908 with the arrival of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Unity’s population grew quickly

due to the discovery of oil and natural gas. Unity became one of only three communities in Saskatchewan to have its own domestic natural gas system.

While drilling for oil around the area it was also revealed that there was a substantial deposit of salt. In the late 1940’s a salt mine was developed and owned by Sifto and is the communities largest employer.

Unity was also the first attempt in potash mining in the early 1950’s after large deposits of potash was discovered.

The industrial activity combined with the large agricultural area has caused the towns population to grow to over 2,500 people today.

We turn right at Unity and head north on Highway 21.

While heading north we

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come across the Lilydale Bridge crossing.

This crossing was made by a homemade ferry boat by Elijah Marshall in 1905 and the ferry was called Battle Lily. There was later a post office and a school given the same name and dedicated to the pioneers of the area.

There is also camping, kayaking and hiking trails at the crossing.

Continuing on we come upon the Town of Maidstone.

Maidstone is on the crossroads of Highway 16 and 21 and between the Battle and North Saskatchewan Rivers, and is commonly known as “Between the Rivers”.

Maidstone has a population of around 1,200 people and located in rich oil area.

Maidstone’s main industry is agriculture and has a very vibrate business community, with several restaurants and accommodations.

Maidstone has a museum located in the old CN station and also a pioneer village which is a favourite to many.

There are camping facilities nearby in one of the many lakes that surround Maidstone, that offer a variety of recreational activities.

The Delfrari Park has a large man made trout pond that is stocked, and a paved hiking trail.

Maidstone also has the Shiloh Church historical site, which was known as the first black settlement in Saskatchewan.

Stay tuned for more adventures.

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

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Can you spot the person Surprise, who has hearing loss? They All Do!

Practice, Practice, Practice . . . Biggar Minor Hockey players get a high-five from coach Taryn Argue last week, prior to Sask Health’s restrictions for hockey in the province. Hopefully things will get back to normal at the Jubilee and kids and can improve and, more importantly, have fun. (Independent Photo by Kevin

Brautigam)

Ten per cent economic recovery rebate now in effect for all SaskPower customers December 1, the Government of Saskatchewan is fulfilling a commitment made in the 2020 Speech from the Throne by providing all SaskPower customers a 10 per cent rebate on their power bills.

This rebate, known as the Saskatchewan Economic Recovery Rebate, will run from December 1, 2020 to the end of November 2021.

“We have a strong mandate to help make life more affordable for Saskatchewan families and businesses,” Premier Scott Moe said. “As promised by our government, this measure will provide relief to everyone in the province to help drive Saskatchewan’s recovery in 2021.”

The rebate will apply to

the “electrical charges” section of customers’ bills, which includes the basic monthly charge, energy charge and demand charge. It does not apply to GST, PST, municipal surcharge, Federal Carbon Tax or other charges such as connect fees or late payment charges.

Customers should note that the rebate will not be applied to power consumed before December 1, 2020. Bills arriving in the first days of December will account for consumption in both November and the initial part of December, but only power billed for the period of December 1 and later will have the rebate applied. Customers will see the full benefit of the rebate on bills starting in January 2021.

“The Saskatchewan Economic Recovery Rebate is a simple and effective way to help individuals, families and business through this pandemic,” Minister Responsible for SaskPower Don Morgan said.

“By implementing this rebate today, our government is keeping its commitments to the people of Saskatchewan.”

The one-year program is estimated to cost $262 million, which will be fully funded through the General Revenue Fund.

Saskatchewan’s two municipal utilities, Swift Current Light and Power and Saskatoon Light and Power, will offer their customers the same rebate and will receive credit to offset the cost.

Safe Schools Plan deadline to submit applications for the second round of COVID-19 contingency funding December 1 was the final day for Saskatchewan schools to submit funding applications to the Ministry of Education that will assist them in continuing to keep Saskatchewan students and staff safe.

Funding is from the more than $150 million in the COVID-19 contingency fund for education from provincial, federal and school division savings.

Applications were expected to be submitted by school divisions, qualified independent schools and historical high schools. The funds will be used for sanitation, furniture and equipment, remote learning (for immunocompromised and other students) and IT costs not associated to

remote learning.

“The second round of COVID-19 contingency funding will ensure schools remain a safe place for students, staff and families” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. “These applications are in addition to our $51 million allocated in the first round of applications.”

The ministry will adjudicate the applications based on these criteria and will notify applicants in early December.

There is $64 million remaining for the second round of applications in the COVID-19 contingency fund for education.

This past September, $51 million was committed toward the first round of funding for school divi-

sions and school applicants for emergent, onetime expenses associated with a safe return to school.

Prior to the first funding intake, school divisions spent a combined $30 million on one-time school capital initiatives and preparations for the school year.

The Ministry of Education has allocated $10 million for personal protective equipment expenses, of which $3.4 million has been spent to date.

In the second round of COVID-19 contingency funding for education applications, recipients of the first round of funding are required to report their detailed use of funds to the Ministry of Education.

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DĞŵďĞƌ ƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ƌĂǁ NŽƌŵĂůůLJ ǁĞ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ŚŽƐƟŶŐ ŽƵƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ tŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĞƐĞ ^ŽĐŝĂů ƌŝŐŚƚ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŶŽǁ͘

Ɛ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ĂǁĂƌĞ͕ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ Ks/ Ͳϭϵ ƌĞƐƚƌŝĐƟŽŶƐ ǁĞ ǁŽŶ͛ƚ ďĞ ĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵ ŝŶ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ƚŚŝƐ LJĞĂƌ͘ /ŶƐƚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ƵƐƵĂů tŝŶĞ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĞƐĞ ^ŽĐŝĂů ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ Ă ƉƌŝnjĞ ĚƌĂǁ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ĨŽƵƌ ƐĞĂƐŽŶĂů ƐůĞŝŐŚƐ ĮůůĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ďƌŝŵ ǁŝƚŚ ǀĞƌLJ ĨĞƐƟǀĞ ĐŽŶƚĞŶƚƐ͊ tĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƚǁŽ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐůĞŝŐŚƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŝŐŐĂƌ ƌĂŶĐŚ ĂŶĚ ŽŶĞ ĞĂĐŚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ >ĂŶĚŝƐ ĂŶĚ WĞƌĚƵĞ ƌĂŶĐŚĞƐ͘ tŚĂƚ ĚŽ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŽ ĚŽ ƚŽ ďĞ ĞŶƚĞƌĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚƌĂǁ͍ ďƐŽůƵƚĞůLJ ŶŽƚŚŝŶŐ͊ tĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ƌĂŶĚŽŵůLJ ĨƌŽŵ ĂŵŽŶŐ ŽƵƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ͘ dŚĞ ĚƌĂǁƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŵĂĚĞ ŽŶ ĞŵďĞƌ ϭϴƚŚ͘ tŝŶŶĞƌƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŶŽƟĮĞĚ ďLJ ƉŚŽŶĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǁŝŶŶĞƌ͛Ɛ ŶĂŵĞ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƉŽƐƚĞĚ ŽŶ &ĂĐĞŬ͘

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1/4 Page 10-THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

On this very special day, we all send you our best wishes and our warmest of hugs. May this day be filled with all the happiness and love that a special father, grandfather, and great grandfather deserves to have.

Happy 90th Birthday Dad

Love Vern, Sandra, Mark, Rob, Brian, and families

Rookie Card . . . Photographer Jocelyn Redlick gets some Biggar Minor Hockey players ready for their official portrait, recently at the Jubilee Stadium. With hockey on some restrictions, the Jubilee is a pretty empty place as of late. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Amazon outage takes out Internet And people’s vacuum cleaners

21012uu1

If you don’t have at least one “smart” device these days, you can consider yourself a bit of an oddity. Most of us have our smartphones, and smart watches are also becoming ever more common.

But it seems that in the last decade or so, the tech industry has decided to smart-ify everything.

Smart technology is the latest craze, the bee’s knees, and no device is safe from a dose of smartness.

In most cases, the smart features in a device mean that you can connect to it and interact with it remotely in some way.

We suppose being able to check your fridge contents while you’re in the grocery store can be useful.

But there lies the catch – to use the smart features, you need an Internet connection and all the servers to function correctly. If they don’t, all you have is . . . whatever your device is, without all the smartness.

A good portion of the world’s smart devices use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to communicate with the user and their manufacturer’s systems.

That’s right, Amazon is everywhere.

Having nearly smart device rely on one service from one provider isn’t the smartest the solution.

The world got a reminder of that on November 25, when the AWS crashed.

More specifically, Amazon’s US-EAST-1 data

centre began experiencing connectivity issues.

That meant that any service relying on the AWS in that region could no longer communicate with its users.

Unfortunately, the issue wasn’t completely localized. Users around the world started losing access to services they relied on for work and hobbies.

Adobe’s Cloud service started kicking users off and refused to let them log in again. Media streaming service Roku started experiencing issues on its mobile app, and the popular photo web site Flickr stopped allowing users to log in or register new accounts, wrote the Washington Post.

In fact, The Washington Post itself saw its web site start acting up.

You can understand how all this might be a bit of an issue if you used – for example – Photoshop in your job.

But it wasn’t just web sites that the AWS outage affected, oh no. All around the world, people started reporting interesting things happening with their smart devices.

For instance, people became unable to run their vacuums. The AWS crash had knocked the servers operated by iRobot – the manufacturer of the popular Roomba robot vacuums – off the Internet.

Soon, reports started trickling in about the weirdest things going hay-

wire because of Amazon’s issues. One Twitter user expressed his frustration about a non-functioning doorbell.

“My ****ing doorbell doesn’t work because AWS US-EAST-1 is having issues,” they wrote.

Another user found that his Christmas lights had decided to take some time off.

“Anyone else unable to turn on their Christmas lights because of the AWS outage?” Brian Ragazzi tweeted.

It’s not the first time Amazon has managed to break the Internet, either.

A similar incident happened in 2017.

According to The Atlantic, one of the reasons the AWS system keeps breaking is that it was never built to facilitate the massive traffic that goes through it.

This past week’s outage, just like that in 2017, were fixed in less than half a day, and no serious permanent damage to anyone has been reported.

People can again vacuum and ring their doorbells.

But what if the data centre had broken for good?

Let’s say the whole building caught on fire and burned to the ground.

What then?

Of course Amazon has safeguards in place, but the outages highlight a serious issue. That is, large portions of Internet traffic rely solely on the systems put in place by one company.

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Cell: 306-948-7995 Office: 306-867-8380 carip@remax.net

www.SoldbyCari.ca homesforsale@soldbycari.ca

Acres of Expertise.

Dave Molberg

Farm & Acreage Salesperson (306) 948-4478 dave.molberg@hammondrealty.ca HammondRealty.ca

BIGGAR INDEPENDENT BOX 40 BIGGAR, SK. S0K 0M0 306-948-3344 tip@sasktel.net SUBSCRIPTION RATES…per year ONLINE… $40.00 + $2.00 gst = $42.00 Inside 40-mile Radius… $45.00 + $2.25 gst = $47.25 Outside 40-mile Radius… $50.00 + $2.50 gst = $52.50

in your business.

BE SEEN in the BUSINESS DIRECTORY CALL

306.948.3344 FOR SPECIAL RATES AND SIZES

Sept 22

Virgo, you are eager to get caught up in all the details. This can keep you on track and orderly, but you may miss some spontaneity if you’re always following the rules.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

LIBRA – Sept 23/ Oct 23

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Relationships are inportant to you, Libra.

You may be eager to develop some new friendships in the days to come. Think about pursuing new hobbies or interests.

It can be challenging to find a balance between giving your all at work and enjoying your personal life. That’s because you’re such a hard worker. Devote more time to home.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

Scorpio, everyone around you knows if they put you in charge you will get the job done successfully. But others may not be in tune with who you are, so open up a little bit.

The smallest steps can lead to the greatest results, Aquarius. Don’t discount any strides you make in the direction of success. You will get there eventually.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you are always eager to learn new things. This week take time to explore the world around you and pick up some facts along the way.

PISCES – Feb 19/ Mar 20 Be mindful of where your dollars are going, Pisces. This will help you strike a greater balance between spending and saving.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

FEED AND SEED NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. BUYING: FEED BARLEY, SOYBEANS, DAMAGED CANOLA. On Farm Pickup, Prompt Payment! PH: 306-873-3551 WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com "In Business to Serve Western Producers" FOR SALE BOSCH Mixers,Ankarsrum Mixers, VITAMIX blenders, LEFSE supplies & more FREE SHIPPING.ÂŹâ&#x20AC; Call toll-free 1-888692 6724ÂŹâ&#x20AC; Hometech BOSCH Appl 375 Broad St, Regina www.hometechcanada.ca

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

PROVINCE-WIDE

FARMLAND WANTED

NO FEES OR COMMISISONS

Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com

HIP/KNEE Replacement?

Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $2,500 yearly tax credit and up to $50,000 Lump sum refund.

For Rent Central Park Place

has apartments for seniors available in Biggar.

Call 948-3901 or 948-7824

Get Noticed

Consumers are exposed to thousands of brands/ads daily less than 100 will create awareness and only about 12 will make an impression and engage consumers.

Consumers notice the ads in newspapers. Advertise in print and get noticed.

Charter/ Sherwood Apartments in BIGGAR

1 or 2 bedroom, heat and water supplied, wired for cable TV and satellite systems, laundry facilities, appliances, some suites with dishwahers, air conditioning, parking with plug-ins.

For more information call: Risa Management at 306-665-2300 or Andre at 306831-4430

www.biggarindependent.ca

Heavy Duty Mechanics required: Late model, clean CAT, JD equip; winch, dump, gravel trucks, and trailers. Both camp and shop locations; R & B provided Wage negotiable.

Clean drivers abstract a must.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction )V_ (YIVYĂ&#x201E;LSK :R : , ( " Fax: 306-769-8844 ,THPS! brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

Biggar Museum Christmas Magic Auction will be online, at Facebook â&#x20AC;&#x153;Biggar Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Magic Auctionâ&#x20AC;?. last day for bidding will be Saturday, December 12, at 3:00pm.

All items on display in the gallery at 105-3rd Ave. West Open Tuesday-Friday 9:00 - 12:00 1:00 - 5:00, Monday 1:00 - 5:00

25 Annual Irrigation Saskatchewan Online Conference Dec. 7,8,9 Hosted By Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association; and Irrigation Crops Diversiď&#x192;&#x17E;cation Corporation Registration at Eventbrite Agenda includes: ďż˝ Provincial irrigation Expansion Plans ďż˝ Discussion on the Beneď&#x192;&#x17E;ts of Irrigation ďż˝ 2020 Irrigation Research Projects For info: email sbathgate.sipa@sasktel.net or call 306.796.4727 www.irrigationsaskatchewan.com IR R IG ATI O N MAK ES SASK ATC H EWAN GROW!

Expert Help:

1-844-453-5372

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FOR SALE BY TENDER

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ST. GABRIEL ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 109 - 7th Ave.W, Biggar

Father Edward Gibney

Parish Phone: 306-948-3330 3!452$!9 -!33 4)-% s P M SUNDAY MASS TIME s A M "Y !PPOINTMENT 0HONE THE 0ARRISH TO "OOK 9OUR 4IME

OUR LADY OF FATIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH, Landis 35.$!9 -!33 4)-% s A M

Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans will be suspending in person worship for December and January due to the rise in COVID cases. We will be doing a Facebook live service of Lessons and Carols on December 13 and Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. both evenings. For more information/pastoral services, phone Cindy Hoppe at 948-2947 or John Bennett at 948-2852.

BIGGAR ASSOCIATED GOSPEL CHURCH 312 - 8th Ave.W. and corner of Quebec St., Biggar

Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m.

Pastor Doug Motz, Church ofďŹ ce phone, 306-948-3424

SALE BY TENDER

Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide!

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 13

COMING EVENTS

th

I am currenlty PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

Saskatchewan born and raised, I know land, farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.

BIGGAR INDEPENDENT ONLINE

Tenders will be accepted on the following parcels of land located in the RM of Grandview No 349, approximately 3 miles east of Kelfield and 3 miles north.

NW 4-35-18-W3 approx. 150 cult. acres NE 8-35-18-W3 approx.

155 cult. acres NW 8-35-18-W3 approx. 150 cult. acres SE 8-35-18-W3 approx.

145 cult. acres SW 8-35-18-W3 approx. 140 cult. acres Tenders will be accepted no later than 3 pm Dec 23, 2020 Highest or any tender not necesarily accepted.

Tenders may be sent mash4@sasktel.net or G. Weese, Box 61, Wilkie Sk. S0K 4W0.

BIGGAR UNITED CHURCH 907 Quebec St./corner Turnbull Ave., Biggar

SUNDAY Services 11 a.m.

Covid 19 Guidelines Apply Masks Required INQUIRIES CALL CHURCH OFFICE 306-948-2280 LEAVE MESSAGE

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SATURDAY SERVICES

Cď?¨ď?ľď?˛ď?Łď?¨ Sď?Ľď?˛ď?śď?Šď?Łď?Ľâ&#x20AC;Śď&#x2122;&#x201E;ď&#x2122;&#x201E; ď?Ą.ď?­.

Tď?Ľď?­ď?°ď?Żď?˛ď?Ąď?˛ď?š Lď?Żď?Łď?Ąď?´ď?Šď?Żď?Ž ď?Ąď?´: ď&#x2122;&#x2021;ď&#x2122;&#x192;ď&#x2122;&#x2020; ď&#x2122;&#x2026;ď?Žď?¤ ď?Ąď?śď?Ľ. ď?Ľď?Ąď?łď?´ ď?Šď?Ž Bď?Šď?§ď?§ď?Ąď?˛ Cď?Żď?Žď?´ď?Ąď?Łď?´: ď&#x2122;&#x2020;ď&#x2122;&#x192;ď&#x2122;&#x2030;-ď&#x2122;&#x152;ď&#x2122;&#x2021;ď&#x2122;&#x2039;-ď&#x2122;&#x2026;ď&#x2122;&#x2021;ď&#x2122;&#x2039;ď&#x2122;&#x201E; www.amazingfacts.org

SALE BY TENDER For Sale by Tender R.M. of Biggar No. 347

will be tendering the following vehicles sold as is â&#x20AC;˘ 1999 GMC Sierra 2500 dark blue, approximately 360,000 km â&#x20AC;˘ 1994 GMC 3500, blue, unknown km, not running â&#x20AC;˘ 2002 GMC Sierra 1500, tan, unknown km, not running For more information call 306-951-7100 Bids may be sent in by: Mail: RM of Biggar No. 347, Box 280, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0 Email: rm347csr@sasktel.net Fax: 306-948-2250 Closing date is Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 3:30p.m.

Highest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.

14 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Independent Classifieds

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

REFLECTIONS Christmas Tradition

by Sue Bernier for the Biggar United Church Now that Thanksgiving, Halloween and Remembrance Day are past we can concentrate on Christmas and the traditions it brings.

Even though the stores start their countdown in September, our house has always maintained that decorating and preparing start after November 11.

A few years ago, when the oldest grandson was about 3 and in preschool, I started teaching him about gifting to others less fortunate. The school had a program to help those that were struggling. We had a bud-

get and went to the local stores to provide Christmas to a child who wouldn’t have Christmas without our help.

The first aisle we hit was the toy aisle, so then we had to decide boy or girl. Once the present was selected, we advanced to the food aisle.

We discussed what to provide for Christmas breakfast - pancakes or cereal? What about juice? Now for lunch - usually some type of pasta. I promised that I would provide dinner. That looked after the basics, so what about treats? The selection of candy and chocolates and the qualities of each demanded long discussions and hard decisions.

After about an hour of wandering the aisles we were ready to proceed to the checkout. I handed my grandson the money so he could conclude his purchases.

We chatted all the way home about how excited this child (unknown to either of us) would be come Christmas morning.

Over the years, the boys have provided Christmas to several other boys and girls less fortunate. They have even contributed some of their own money from collecting cans and bottles.

This year this tradition is going to look different. With COVID the boys have not been into a store more

than once or twice. I won’t be able to take them shopping for children that don’t get Christmas. We have turned our search to farther away with Gifts for Vision and World Vision catalogues. It’s hard to wrap a chicken or goat but the sentiment is the same. We will discuss the help these gifts provide for children who wouldn’t get Christmas and how the families are helped as well.

Christmas isn’t always about getting and I’m glad the boys realize that giving is a gift as well. God gave us a most precious gift that first Christmas in Jesus Christ. We are blessed to be the receivers of this gift.

Thanks be to God. Amen

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. Skateboarders love them 6. Popular sports podcast (abbr.)

9. Former Ohio State great Michael 13. Not dirty 14. Earth goddess (Greek myth.)

15. A Spanish river 16. Pig meat (French) 17. Famed astronomer 18. Floating ice 19. Broadcast 21. Aquatic mammals 22. Some are bath 23. Hip hop trio 24. NY Giants’ #56 25. Small European viper 28. Neither 29. Multiple Tonywinner Rivera 31. Loud noise 33. Second year high schooler 36. “__ in comparison” 38. Golf score

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39. Raise 41. Pastas 44. Easily manageable 45. Fathered 46. Pouch 48. Institute legal proceedings against 49. News organization 51. Unruly group of people 52. Fasten or secure 54. Sheets of glass 56. Doubled 60. Foolish person 61. Rooney and Kate are two 62. Small, rich sponge cake 63. Advice or counsel 64. Large wading bird 65. Famed British physicist 66. Narrow ridges (Swedish) 67. Field force unit 68. Lying face downward

D B

SAFETY SERVICES Biggar, SK

306-951-7700

dale@dtjssb.ca

1. Proof of purchase (abbr.)

2. Soap ingredient 3. Blackbird 4. Single steps 5. Tin 6. Books have lots of them 7. Made of fermented honey and water 8. You can get it in a bed 9. Room for communal meals 10. Early Syrian kingdom 11. Provokes dry amusement 12. Use with “thou” 14. Mollusk 17. Grain storage units 20. Not a car, not a truck 21. Ooze 23. N. Vietnamese ethnic group 25. Tennis pros group 26. Something that’s not what it’s purported to be

27. E. Indian trees 29. Beloved December holiday 30. Regions 32. Metric unit of length 34. Peter’s last name 35. Beige 37. 18-year period in astronomy 40. Where golfers begin 42. Basketball stat (abbr.)

43. Frocks 47. Soda comes in it 49. On approval 50. Trims by cutting 52. Small finch 53. Language Bura-__ 55. Nothing 56. Imbecile (British) 57. Tropical Asian plant 58. Abba __, Israeli politician 59. Small freshwater fish 61. Indicates position 65. Data processing

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 15

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

Sports & Recreation CFL eyes post-pandemic return

Penton on sports Bruce Penton

It’s not really a surprise that the Canadian Football League, which operates on a virtual shoestring, was one of the few professional sports leagues in North America to not operate in 2020 due to COVID-19.

But while some fans worried the one-year hiatus may have marked the beginning of a spiral downward to non-existence, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has confirmed the league plans full operation in 2021. In fact, a schedule has been released.

In most of the nine Canadian cities, the CFL is an important aspect of the sports fabric. It’s a huge deal in Regina, a close second to NHL teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa, a distant second to the Canucks in Vancouver, a pretty big deal in Hamilton, gaining fans in Montreal and not very important at all in Toronto, where the Leafs, the Blue Jays, the Raptors and FC Toronto rank

ahead of the Argonauts in terms of fan affection.

So the blackest mark of all - no season - will be in the past and the CFL is scheduled to carry on as normal in 2021. Training camps will hopefully be held in May, the Bombers and Ti-Cats will meet June 10 in the season opener (a replay of the most recent Grey Cup game) and TSN can have a weekly basket of games to provide to fans across the country instead of a steady diet of ‘classics’ from the past that fans were fed during the past year.

The league may look different when it resumes, though. Some players, some of the better ones, may have moved on, since reports of bare-bones salaries seems to carry weight. The league’s current collective bargaining agreement runs until the spring of 2022, and it includes a team salary cap of $5.35 million. League officials have indicated, however, that the salary cap ‘floor’ - $4.75 million per team - will be the goal of most teams. The nine CFL teams, of course, operated for a full season with barely a trickle of revenue, and still paid salaries to a handful of personnel, but no players. Many teams operate in red figures as it is. It’s been reported that collectively, the nine CFL teams lose between $10 million and $20 million per season.

One big change fans will notice when the league resumes in 2021 is the

name of the Edmonton material he buys for his unable to say what he • Actor George Takei, on franchise. ‘Eskimos’ has suits is probably curtain really thought.”

Twitter: “Breaking: Probeen tossed into the gar- fabric. Instead of Grapes, • Dwight Perry again: fessional sports fall into bage bin, and team offi- should we be calling him “Veteran NBA forward disarray as concerns Trevor Ariza got traded mount over whether loscials have been asking the Drapes?” public for suggestions on • fark.com: “With Joe from Portland to Hous- ing teams will concede a new moniker. It has to Burrow out for the sea- ton to Detroit to Oklaho- to winning ones despite start with ‘E’, they say, to son and no other viable ma City in three separate what the scoreboard allow the continued use quarterback available, if deals in barely two days says.” of the team’s ‘EE’ logo. Colin Kaepernick’s phone after this year’s draft. The • Sign in front of a church ‘Excited’ doesn’t work for doesn’t ring now, it never Thunder is listing Ariza in Winnipeg: “Wear a a team name, but it cer- will. Spoiler alert: It never as day-to-day with severe mask. It’s not like we’re jet lag.” tainly describes the feel- will.” asking you to wear a Riding CFL fans have about • fark.com again: “Toron- • Vancouver’s Torben ers’ jersey.” the planned resumption to Star investigates why Rolfsen, on Twitter, mus- Care to comment? E-mail of play.

Jeopardy contestants ing about Tom Brady’s b r u c e p e n t o n 2 0 0 3 @ • Dwight Perry of the fumbled easy sports occasional struggles in yahoo.ca.

Seattle Times: “What an questions so often, with Tampa Bay: “Who holds apt surname for an NFL exasperated hockey fan the CFL rights to Tom defender: Jets linebacker Alex Trebek looking on, Brady?”

Tarell Basham.”

• Patriots QB Cam NewTOWN OF BIGGAR, SASKATCHEWAN ton, to reporters, on his PUBLIC NOTICE dietary habits: “Just because I’m vegan doesn’t ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENT mean I just go outside and pick up grass and, Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Town of Biggar intends to adopt you know, put ranch on it a bylaw under The Planning and Development Act, 2007 to amend Bylaw No. 15-763 . . . I still love good food.” known as The Zoning Bylaw.

• Charles Barkley, on trying hypnotism to help INTENT correct his funky, hitchy The proposed bylaw will: golf swing: “All I got was 1. Rezone from IND1 - Light Industrial to C1 - Town Centre Commercial, and a good nap. I woke up 2. Rezone from R1 - Residential Low Density to C1 - Town Centre Commercial with the same crappy described below as affected lands. swing.”

• Bob Molinaro of piloAFFECTED LAND tonline.com (Hampton, The affected land to be rezoned in 1. is described as Lots 1-6, Block 1, Plan D4770 and Va.): “When people said Lots 8-11, Block 1 Plan D4770 and is shown on the map dashed in black which forms at the beginning of the part of this notice. season that the Ravens would lead the AFC The affected land to be rezoned in 2. is described as Lot 7, Block 1, Plan D4770 and is North, who could have shown on the map dashed in blue which forms part of this notice. imagined it would be in positive COVID tests.”

REASON • Comedy writer Alex The reason for the amendment is to change the zoning of an existing business to a Kaseberg, re: the Roy commercial zone to allow for the establihment of a dwelling unit in addition to a Jones (age 51) vs. Mike commercial operation.

Tyson (54) exhibition bout: “This fight is tricky.

PUBLIC INSPECTION Whoever wins could face Any bylaw may be inspected by any person at the Town Office in Biggar, Saskatchewan, charges of elder abuse.”

Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to • RJ Currie of sportsdeke.1/4 Page 4:00 p.m. Copies of the bylaw are availabe to persons at a cost of $2.00. com: “Don Cherry once told the Toronto Sun the PUBLIC HEARING Council will hold a public hearing on the 5th day of January A.D., 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Town Office in Biggar, Saskatchewan to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed bylaw. Council will also consider written comments delivered to the undersigned at the Town Office before 12:00 noon on the 31st day of December A.D., 2020.

122 MAIN STREET in BIGGAR, SK.

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to all the fantastic people who work in the Issued atagricultural Biggar, Saskatchewan this 3rd day of December, A.D., 2020. industry Baroni,for Chief Administrative we say thank Marty you the Officer bountiful harvest

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16 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020

What’s Up with the Monoliths?

Is the pandemic just really unravelling everyone?

Media had brought you the story of the silver monolith in Utah last week. It had captured the delight of the Internet (no simple task these days as we’re all chronically over-stimulated and under-motivated). Well, that monolith has disappeared in as mysterious a manner as it appeared.

If you cynical and experienced in all things internet, it’s less mysterious and more likely that

someone cut the thing down to sell on the dark web for bit coins.

The Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM), who first posted the monolith on their Instagram page, denies moving it but admits it garnered more interest than expected. Curious visitors ruined it because that’s what people do.

Hundreds of inexperienced hikers drove out to the remote location after discovering images of the monolith on Google Earth

dating back to 2016. They parked on plant life, left behind trash, had to get their cars towed back to civilization, and didn’t realize there would not be an available bathroom in the middle of the Utah desert.

Probably for the best that the thing’s gone.

But, coinciding with that disappearance, a similar monolith appeared in Romania. Either this is actually aliens, or someone is getting in a lot more international travel

than the rest of us. The new monolith sits on a hillside in Piatra Neamt at an established archaeological site.

Unlike the Utah BLM, the mayor of Piatra Neamt is hopeful for an influx of curious onlookers. He told NPR, “I am honoured they chose our city.”

Worth noting is a second, less mysterious monolith also missing this week. This one comes from Germany, where someone chopped down

an infamous seven-foot wooden phallus from the Gruenten Mountainside.

The phallus had a few more years to generate an origin story, crediting the mysterious arrival to a teenager who sculpted the piece as a gift for his family. Shockingly, they weren’t appreciative, and he hauled it up the mountainside.

Maybe because the Germans are more courteous people, it didn’t cause the rampant destruction from curious tourists like Utah

monolith. It made it onto Google Maps, dubbed a “cultural monument.”

Either something’s going on here, or we’re all just paying closer attention to the minutiae in the world. Piatra Neamt doesn’t seem to have any plans to establish protection for their monolith.

There’s not a current listing for an alien monolith or seven-foot phallus on eBay.

How to avoid foggy eyeglasses Billions of people across the globe need eyeglasses to drive a car, read a book, watch television, and perform a host of other tasks of daily life.

Although glasses are highly effective, people who wear them understand they may have to make a few concessions while doing so. Unlike contact lenses, which sit directly on the eye, glasses rest on the bridge of the nose. They may slightly impede peripheral vision or even slip down if not properly fitted.

Those accustomed to wearing glasses in the cold weather understand fogging of the lenses is a nuisance they may be forced to confront. That nuisance became even more profound when masks became a musthave accessory to help

curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Glasses may fog due to the formation of condensation on the lens surface, which happens when moving from a cold outdoor environment into a warm indoor one.

This is a problem that has affected eyeglass wearers for some time, including health professionals who often wear masks.

The issue has become even more widely known due to the sheer number of people who have been wearing face masks as a public health safety measure.

So how does one counteract the condensation and fogging that occurs from both winter weather and increased mask usage? There are a few different methods, but eyeglass wearers should

always consult with an optometrist to verify the safety and efficacy of any method before trying it.

Use soapy water A 2011 study published in the Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England found that washing eyeglasses in soapy water and shaking off the excess can help reduce fogginess. Afterward, let the spectacles air dry before putting them back on. The soapy water leaves behind a thin surfactant film that reduces surface tension and causes the water molecules to spread out evenly into a transparent layer. This can help prevent fogging.

Use a commercial product Antifogging products are widely used to prevent fogging of scuba masks or

PAY IT FORWARD

ski goggles.

Get a mask that fits tightly Make sure the mask fits securely over the nose, advises The Cleveland Clinic. Also, a mask with a nose bridge will help keep warm exhaled breath from exiting up to the glasses. Use your glasses to help seal the mask on your face by pulling the mask up higher on the nose.

Block breath with a tissue The AARP suggests placing a folded tissue between your mouth and the mask. The tissue will absorb the warm, moist air, preventing it from rising up to reach the glasses.

Adjust the fit of glasses Choosing glasses that sit further away from the face can improve air cir-

1/4 Page

When you renew your subscription for 2021 you can sign up a new subscriber for FREE Rates will remain the same as 2020 Makes a great gift and keeps you up with local news.

culation and reduce the formation of condensation.

Consider other options If these tricks seem like a lot of work, you also can speak to an eye doctor about contact lenses or

eye surgery.

Fogging of glasses has been a problem for some time, but has become more widespread thanks to the use of masks during the pandemic.

How does one counteract the condensation and fogging that occurs from both winter weather and increased mask usage? There are a few different methods. (Submitted Photo)