The Biggar Independent Volume 115 Issue 21

--JUNE 7- 9, 2024-Block Party - Kids Carnival - Fibre Fair Sidewalk Sale - Seller’s Market Want to sell something, tables are FREE is spot could be yours *948-3344*

Mock crash show consequences of poor judgement ... Great Plains College LPN students, Biggar EMS, Fire/Rescue, RCMP, and Sun West School Division participated in the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program, May 16. Area Grade 10 students were witness to the fallout from poor judgement. See Page 2 for more. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) was held at the parking lot of Biggar Central School, May 16. The mock crash gave area Grade 10 students a glimpse into the consequences of driving under the influence, and was attended to by Great Plains College LPN students as the victims, Biggar EMS, RCMP, and Fire/Rescue. Later, the students visited the fire hall getting a hands-on with the fire and EMS equipment, participating in RCMP and Sun West talks, learning from first responders what happens as a result of poor choices.

(Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)

What’s New with the Biggar Chamber of Commerce?

by Dale Buxton

The

Independent

After a successful public meeting in April, the new Chamber of Commerce has been working behind the scenes answering questions and putting together the best plan for Biggar and the business community.

The new Chamber of Commerce is close to their goal of required businesses to join up and to ensure stability within the Chamber.

Out of the April meeting, some important questions the Board is working on at the

moment, have to be answered before a plan can be brought to the businesses community.

The Chamber Board wants all questions they have resolved before a solid plan is put together.

Also, the new Board will have a different look with the current Chairperson stepping back to support her own personal life. At this time, there will be no person taking up the position. With all the work that has been done and all the work that has to be finished, it was a unani-

mous decision made at the last Chamber meeting on May 16 that the Board reconvene in September to prepare for the Annual General Meeting in which members of the business community can partake to elect a new board and chairperson going forward into the Christmas season and 2025.

Expectations are very high that a successful Chamber of Commerce can play a very important part in Biggar and the business community. But this will take more than a board of seven

Biggar RCMP Report

by Sgt. Dereck Crozier, Biggar Detachment

Hope everyone had a good long weekend, I imagine a few made it camping with the typical cooler weather patterns, while others hit the yard work and farming in the area continues to keep the rest busy.

This past week 54 occurrences were dealt with. A few traffic infractions had 10 drivers receiving education around their offence, and 10 others being warned.

A 35-year-old from Kerrobert, operating a black 2019 Honda Passport on Highway 14 near Perdue, was given a 21-day suspension

for operating a vehicle under the influence of Marihuana; a 17-yearold driving late at night down a grid road near Springwater, launched their 2005 Lincoln Town Car like the General Lee, after missing the warning signs that there was a gravel obstruction over the road covering a pipe crossing. The driver was okay but the suspension and radiator did not survive the flight.

On Highway 376, a 52-year-old had to call 911 after their 2022 Dodge Ram caught fire while they were driving it. A blue 2022 Summit Turbo Snowmobile was reported stolen from a shed in the RM of Big-

gar. A complaint in the Village of Kinley, where an owner was letting their two dogs run at large, scaring kids at the bus stop. A Blue Heeler, named Sasha, went missing around Monarch Road, but with the help of the rural crime watch group the dog was reunited with its family. An alert was received from Biggar’s Deputy Administrator, Camille Box, that a member of their elected council had received threats from a local resident that had elevated concerns from the elected officials. As a result, 49-year-old Leroy Wall was arrested and charged for Criminal Harassment and

people to complete, and it is imperative that business community get involved with the Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce wishes everyone a safe summer and is look forward to moving the new Chamber ahead in the fall.

If you have any questions about the board and Chamber they can be brought to any of the board members: Dale Buxton, Flora Dalisay, Karen Liska, Karla O’Brian, Andrew Bennett, Dhruv Patel.

Police and EMS responded to a violent attack in Perdue, that sent a mother, sister and grandfather to hospital. Twenty-one-year-old Ethan Bisset was arrest and charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, and appeared in North Battleford Court on May 16. He has since been released from custody on no contact conditions.

Take care out there!

Watson takes prestigious award ... Jolene Watson, an award-winning speaker, team-building and networking expert, was the recent winner of the Women’s Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan’s Resilience Award. Jolene, formerly of Biggar, received the award at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel in Saskatoon this past weekend. Congratulations, Jolene! (Submitted Photo)

New performing company in town

The new performing arts company in town is called Castwell & Co.

This company is a not-for-profit, volunteer based organization, that was developed from local performing arts talent in Biggar and giving additional opportunities to be creative on stage. Castwell will be producing some plays to be held in the Majestic Theatre.

Biggar has always been

Weekes’ bombshell on last day of Leg

Speaker of the House for the Saskatchewan Legislature, and current MLA for Biggar-Sask Valley, Randy Weekes, pulled dropped a grenade-like accusation, last week.

After cutting up his Sask Party membership card shortly before the final legislative session, Weekes’ final statements accused fellow Sask Party MLA’s Donna Harpauer, Finance Minister, and Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan’s Trade and Export Development Minister and Government House Leader, of

attacks on his character and his role as Speaker.

The serious accusation have brought a flurry of responses. Premier Scott Moe called Weekes’ actions nothing more than sour grapes.

“We heard a number of comments here at the end of session,” said Moe. “I mean most of this occurred, allegedly occurred, prior to December 14 when the Speaker was still running in a nomination for this party. So I’ve never spoken to him about these items of concern.”

an arts kind of town and this will take a fresh look into the performing arts and showcase what Biggar has to offer.

Casting for an upcoming play begins on Thursday through Saturday at the Biggar and District Museum.

Castwell will also be having a Karaoke Cabaret at the Majestic Theatre June 8 in conjunction with Fair Days.

Weekes also accused fellow MLA and Deputy Government House Leader Lori Carr of intimidation, trying to coerce the Speaker into favourable decisions.

“When I became Speaker the intimidating and harassing text messages began immediately trying to influence my rulings,” Weekes said.

Moe said he would look into the claims.

“But these allegations, I don’t know what substance there is to them,” Moe said.

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Biggar-Sask Valley MLA, Randy Weekes unleashed accusations against fellow Sask Party members, causing the long-time area politician to cut up his membership card. (Submitted Photos)

Causing a Disturbance, and will appear in Biggar Provincial Court on July 3.

by Michael Taube, Troy Media syndicated columnist and political commentator

Rex Murphy was one of the most impressive columnists, commentators and broadcasters this country has ever produced. He wrote and spoke at a high level but was always able to communicate his message to Canadians from all walks of life.

He was a true gadfly of the Great White North, if ever there was one.

Alas, one of Canada’s greatest voices has been silenced forevermore.

Murphy passed away on May 9 after a valiant battle against the scourge of cancer. He was 77 years old.

Born in Carbonear, Newfoundland in 1947, he was the second-oldest of five children. His entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia states,

“His father worked as a cook at the U.S. military base in Argentina and had no more than a third-grade education.”

Nevertheless, there appears to have been a focus on education and learning at his home.

“Murphy learned an appreciation of wordplay around the dinner table,” according to Sarah Barmak’s original piece (and updated by Andrew McIntosh), and “skipped two grades in elementary school, graduated from high

school at age 15 and earned a BA in English from Memorial University at 19.”

He later attended Britain’s Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and studied law for a year. He returned to Newfoundland and started a master’s degree in English at Memorial University but never completed it. Regardless, it was clear early on that his intelligence, knowledge, oratorical skills, and puckish sense of humour would take him far in life.

He worked at VOCM Radio in St. John’s and moved on to political commentary and interviews on CBC TV’s Here and Now and the satirical Up Canada! He was also a freelance presenter and commentator for three additional CBC programs, The Journal, Midday and Sunday Report.

Rex Murphy would become a household name when he assumed the hosting duties of CBC Radio’s Cross Country Checkup in 1994. This long-running phone-in talk radio show began in 1965 and reached new heights with Murphy at the helm. The audience reportedly reached over 100,000 listeners each week. That’s no mean feat in this country, to be sure. His formula for

success? He brought in Canadians from coast to coast on a wide range of popular topics. His pleasant, easy-going demeanour made each and every caller feel their views were important and valuable to the public debate.

He also started his popular Point of View segment for CBC’s The National. This was the gadfly at his best - intelligent, humourous, satirical, whimsical, acerbic and honest to a fault. He wasn’t a political commentator who minced his words to protect people and institutions. He didn’t allow the elites in society to go unscathed, either. In many ways, he was both a populist and intellectual man of the people.

Murphy was also a superb wordsmith. His columns for the Globe and Mail and National Post gave him the freedom to praise, critique, suggest, and challenge everything from authority to what he perceived as authoritarianism. He was a natural storyteller at heart and had a wit and charm that few in Canada have ever possessed on the level that he had.

Take his last column for the Post. He astutely blasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for having failed a clear moral test after Hamas’s Oct.

7, 2023 attack on Israel. One line in particular really struck me for its brilliance: “Hamas is in a squalid tradition; there’s a lot of Himmler in Hamas.” I wish I had thought of writing something like this. Many of us often did. Alas, some columnists and commentators were critical of Rex Murphy in his final years. They suggested he had become too partisan and ideological. That he regularly wore his politics on his sleeve. That he had changed. Murphy’s writing and speaking style evolved, as did his politics. While it obviously didn’t bother Canadian conservatives like me, it got under the skin of many progressives. Politics was an essential part of his life and

career. He won the federal PC nomination for St. John’s in 1978 but ran out of money and was forced to drop out. He also worked as a special assistant for then-Newfoundland PC Premier Frank Moores. In the 1980s, he left the PCs for the Liberals and became the provincial party’s chief researcher. He ran twice for the Newfoundland Liberals in 1985 and 1986, coming within 142 votes of being elected in the former attempt. What changed? Quite a number of things. In particular, his frustration with what Canada was becoming - and had become. At times, he didn’t recognize his beloved country and spoke out against “environmentalists, liberal politicians and what he

called their ‘woke politics,’” as a May 18 New York Times obituary noted.

While I didn’t know Rex Murphy very well (we only met a couple of times), I’m glad he did this. Millions of Canadians felt the same way.

Carson Jerema, the National Post’s comment editor, captured Murphy’s mass appeal better than just about anyone else.

“He spoke for a Canada that existed outside of your typical downtown, a Canada that was not beholden to the latest, pointless meltdown on Twitter. He spoke for a Canada where who you are as an individual matters above all.”

Well said, indeed. Rest in peace, Rex.

Large Sask. Party turnover problematic

party in 2024, it still has the wind in its sails in rural Saskatchewan and elsewhere.

No one is realistically predicting that the rival NDP or anyone will be able to sink the Sask. Party quite yet.

Foes of the Saskatchewan Party were quick to characterize two more government MLA not running for re-election as rats leaving the sinking ship - how things often play out in the nasty world of politics.

Overall, there seems little reason for worry.

The good ship Sask. Party seems fine.

Even with what’s an admittedly significant 21 of the 48 MLAs it elected in 2020 not seeking office for the governing

All that said, 21 of 48 MLAs not running again is a significant totalfar more than the 20- to 25 per cent turnover we usually see from election to election.

However, the real story hear may be why many of these Sask. Party MLAs are leaving - discontent, run-ins with the law or simple age and burnout.

In the latest development, Sask. Party MLAs Hugh Nerlien (Kelvington-Wadena) and Marv Friesen (Saskatoon Riversdale) announced last week they would not be running again.

Friesen, first elected in 2020 in what was once considered one of the

strongest NDP seats in the province, explained it a statement he was dealing with health issues “that make it difficult” to continue.

Nerlien, first elected in 2016, said he changed his mind and would be “focusing on spending more time with family.” Both were acclaimed as Sask. Party candidates last August.

While neither had high public profiles and while Nerlien represents another strong rural seat in which in which most anyone carrying the Sask. Party colours is likely to win, these departures do feed at least part of the narrative that this is an aging government.

In February, the Sask. Party announced the loss of 80 years worth of political experience when four veteran MLAs announced they were not running again:

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer (HumboldtWatrous) Government Relations Minister Don McMorris (Indian Head-Milestone) Crown Investments Corporation Minister Dustin Duncan (Weyburn-Big Muddy), and; Advanced Education Gordon Wyant (Saskatoon Northwest).

All served in the most senior cabinet portfolios, as did former justice, labour, and CIC minister Don Morgan (Saskatoon Southeast), who announced last August he would be retiring from politics after more than two decades as an MLA.

Also announcing they would be retiring from politics are Dana Skoropad (Arm River), Delbert Kirsch (Batoche), Fred Bradshaw (Carrot River Valley), Greg Ottenbreit (Yorkton), Ken Francis (Kindersley), and Gary

Grewal (Regina Northeast).

Last year, Mark Docherty (Regina Coronation Park) and Lyle Stewart (LumsdenMorse) both resigned, while Derek Myers (Regina Walsh Acres) lost his battle with cancer. That created the need for three by-elections. The Sask. Party lost the two in the cities, affording the NDP some momentum.

Among other current sitting MLAs, Terry Dennis (Canora-Pelly) and Randy Weekes (Biggar-Sask Valley) both lost nominations in new constituencies altered by the change in the electoral boundary map.

Greg Lawrence (Moose Jaw Wakamow) and Ryan Domotor (Cut Knife-Turtleford), both were forced to resign from office late last year after being criminally charged.

Finally, Saskatchewan Rivers MLA Nadine Wilson resigned from the government caucus three years ago, after it was announced she misrepresented colleagues on her COVID-19 vaccine status.

Wilson is the only one who will not be running for the Sask. Party, but will be running again ... as a member of the Saskatchewan United Party.

Realistically, it seems likely the Sask. Party will easily win about 15 of these mostly rural 21 seats. And even if it only wins half of them, they will still maintain a comfortable majority government. But the resignations do represent upheaval in the ranks and the problems with aging MLAs. Maybe it’s not enough to defeat the Sask. Party, but there does seem to be issues with renewal.

Notable Notes

Bob Mason

There are many glowing records of the great and wonderful things that man has applied himself to over the ages.

Historians in every society have recog -

nized again and again the advances that man has made, and it is this record of human achievement that many of us have used as a plan in designing our lives and attitudes. Whew!

As an example:

Although we don’t know for sure how true Mr. Shakespeare’s account of Henry V is, we still accept it... “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he to-day that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile.”

Oh, it reads very dra-

Peasant’s eye view

matically, of course, but I’ll bet my left wheel that when Hank met a wounded survivor of Agincourt later on the streets of London, he didn’t rush over, shake his hand and greet him in a very brotherly fashion!

Maybe he did recognize “Bedford, Exeter Salisbury and Gloster” but I imagine that a peasant type like “Smith”, “Johnston” and “Mason” never got a second glance. But we still try to fashion our lives after these guys! The winners and the notables that someone’s pen has described

out of all proportion, really striving to be like them rather than the ordinary people that we are!

I think - and of course, these opinions are only mine - that the state of society now is much the same as it has always been. Every civilization has had its rich and its poor, its famous and not so famous.

In the Bible somewhere, it states that the poor “are always with us”. It also mentions something about the rich (about camels and eyes of needles) and they’re still around! We are the

people in between! So what is so wrong about being this “ordinary person”? This “also ran”?

We ordinary people must have a referendum of 51 per cent or over to decide an issue, ideally. But for less that one per cent of the world’s population, are the winners as compared to the 99 per cent on our side. Yet, it is this one per cent that we idolize, admire and accept!

Whoops! We’re back at square one again. Or is it paragraph five?

“What is so wrong about being this ordinary person?”

Actually, this little bit of so called philosophy isn’t meant to influence the reader into not striving to be better by following the example of these winning types, but more to point out to them again how really well-off we are!

Just because we are not the “best” doesn’t mean that we’re not pretty darn good!

To whoever the statistical people are who decide where the best place to live in the world is ... Congratulations! Win or lose, we Canadians should sure be proud of that!

The Majestic Theatre Biggar MAY

Ask The Money Lady

Dear Money Lady, My husband died in January, and we paid into mortgage protection insurance from 2004. The issue is that we had been paying mortgage insurance for 19 years with our regular payments and when my husband died we began a claim for the mortgage insurance and provided all the information to the bank. At that time, we were told there were two possibilities for claim, death, or accident; however, because the cause

of death was a heart attack they focused on the single death claim. We originally took out the insurance when the mortgage was $482,000 and I was shocked to only get $191,864, which only covered the balance of the mortgage. I thought the death coverage was for the original mortgage amount, but the bank said they had to account for the amortization on the loan. Should I get a lawyer to fight this?

Jane

I am so sorry for your loss, Jane. Unfortunately, the mortgage insurance you purchase from the banks is very different to what you may be used to with a regular insurance policy.

Mortgage insurance is upsold by financial institutions to pay off your mortgage balance in the event of a death and the beneficiary is the bank not the mortgagor. These funds are used to pay

out and discharge the mortgage balance at the time of death, regardless of the amount that you started with. The cost of this insurance is always based on the original mortgage amount and added onto your monthly mortgage payments to make it more convenient. So, if the balance of your mortgage was only $191,864 and this is what the bank paid - then that would be correct.

Term insurance that you purchase through a licensed insurance agent pays out the face-value of the policy as a lump sum to the beneficiaries in the event of a death. This is very different to mortgage insurance since the original amount of the policy stays the same. The money paid out from a term insurance policy can be used any way you wish - to pay off debt or a mortgage, to invest, or to replace lost income.

Most people opt for mortgage insurance when they first get a mortgage since it is very easy to acquire. There is no medical exam required and you usually only have a few questions to answer truthfully at the time of application. But for all its conveniences, mortgage insurance that you purchase through your financial institution, still has many drawbacks. When your mortgage is paid off or if you move to another lender, or sell your home, your coverage ceases. Term life insurance, on the other hand, is much more detailed and they may require medical tests and questions to underwrite the policy at the time of application to ensure the policy will be paid out if a claim is made. The costs for this type insurance varies based on your health, age, the coverage amount, and the term.

Yes, it may be more cumbersome to get, but the benefits of a term policy far outweigh the banks alternative. Remember your coverage never changes (unlike the mortgage insurance which decreases over time as your mortgage amount gets smaller) and it is portable.

Regardless of whether you move, or if you pay off your mortgage, or if you decide to change your lender, the term policy stays in place and you have peace of mind knowing your family is protected in the event of a tragedy.

Good luck and best wishes!

Written by Christine Ibbotson, author, finance writer, national radio host, and now on CTV Morning Live, and CTV News @6, syndicated across Canada. Send your money questions (answered free) through her website at askthemoneylady.ca

Town of Biggar employees recognized for long service

The Town of Biggar is a member of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. Hard work being down in small town across the province is recognized through awards every year at the annual SUMA Convention.

The Meritorious Service Award is granted to municipal employees in Saskatchewan urban municipalities who have served 20 years or more of employment. It recognizes their career success, dedication, and involvement in their local community. This year the Town of Biggar got to help honour long time employees Raymond Silbernagel of 20 years, Josip Knezevic also of 20 years, and Cory McMahon with 29 years of service.

We gratefully acknowledge their years of hard work and commitment to the Town of Biggar and its community!

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Christine Ibbotson

Josip Knezevic

Raymond Silbernagel

Cory McMahon

Navigating ag related diseases

by Calvin Daniels

The farm media headlines of late seem to be dominated by health concerns in the livestock sector.

You will recall the headlines regarding African Swine Fever.

In August 2018, China reported the first African swine fever outbreak in Liaoning province and by September the country had culled more than 38,000 hogs.

In less than a year the virus was reported to have spread to every region of China, as well as parts of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The Chinese pig population was reported to have declined by almost 100 million compared with the previous year.

The disease has popped up in Europe, and Russia and is of huge concern in terms of what damage it could do in North America.

The Avian Bird Flu is making headlines now, not just for the damage it can cause in domestic bird flocks, but because it has jumped species and is appearing now in dairy cattle here in North America.

While not as deadly to cattle at this point, that the virus has jumped species has to be considered troubling in terms of how one traces its movement, and just where it might pop

up next.

In North America at least, much of the swine, dairy and poultry production are in larger units, which is both good and bad I suppose when it comes to the movement of disease.

Certainly large units tends to be more separated than in the days of my youth when every neighbour - and there were more then - had a few chickens and pigs and several with cattle too.

But when a disease hits a unit today, the losses can be significant in a hurry.

Certainly bio-security is higher today.

It was a big change to have a boot bath put in so visitors at least dipped their boots into a disinfectant for a brief second in the pig barn of my youth.

Today access is more akin to a university bio-lab. The threat of disease is understood by most producers who work at keeping flocks and herds safe.

Still, imagine a disease affecting birds, then think of sparrows and magpies, and mallards flying all over the continent. Controlling the spread becomes a huge task.

For the livestock sector health has to be one of the biggest concerns they deal with, and it certainly brings into focus the need for diligence, but also investment in health security systems and or course treatments and vaccines to protect the livestock sector.

McDavid the worthiest Hart Trophy finalist

by Bruce Penton

What criteria should be used to determine the winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy as Most Valuable Player in the National Hockey League?

The winner will be crowned on June 28, and the league has announced that Nikita Kucherov of Tampa Bay, Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado and Connor McDavid of Edmonton have been selected as the three finalists. Toronto Maple Leaf fans were more than slightly annoyed to learn their team’s star, Auston Matthews, was not included among the final three after his spectacular 69-goal season, 12 more than runner-up Sam Reinhart in that category.

ing on the Lightning was Brayden Point, 54 points in arrears. Kucherov, however, was only able to pull his team to fourth place in the Atlantic Division. McDavid, on the other hand, racked up 132 points, but had team-mate Leon Draisaitl relatively close behind at 106.

The Oilers’ pair would run away with the Most Valuable Duo award, but it’s a different story when talking solo play. And after a horrid start to the season, McDavid led the Oilers to a solid second-place finish in the Pacific Division.

feel the most pain. His departure from the Oilers would render his team a middle-of-theroad club. Draisaitl would still be a star, but would Zach Hyman be a 54-goal scorer, 20 of them on the power play, without the playmaking ability of McDavid? How far could Ryan NugentHopkins and Evander Kane carry the McDavid-less Oilers?

Are we talking about the league’s best player? If so, then it’s probably McDavid, hands down. No one can do the things he does with the puck, offering up far more ‘wow’ moments than anyone else in the league. But how can one say Kucherov and his league-leading 144 points don’t represent the most value to his team, considering that the runner-up in scor-

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Where would the Avalanche be without MacKinnon? He finished second in the scoring race with 140 points, sandwiched between Kucherov and McDavid, but he, too, had great support from teammate Mikko Rantanen, who had 104 points, and high-scoring defenceman Cale Makar.

Try to envision the season results of the Lightning without Kucherov, the Oilers without McDavid and the Avalanche without MacKinnon. Which player would be missed the most?

In my mind, the Oilers without McDavid would

Perhaps the closest definition of MVP in the NHL is Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, who finished 11th in league scoring with 96 points (46 goals, 50 assists). The Wild had only one other player with more than 65 points (Matt Boldy with 69). Remove Kaprizov from the Minnesota lineup and there wouldn’t enough offence to scare any team in the NHL.

McDavid has three Hart Trophies on his resume and if voters aren’t swayed solely by goals and assists, he should be presented with his fourth on June 28. Most points? No. Best player? Yes. Most valuable to his team? Definitely yes. Care to comment? E-mail brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca

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

Price: $35.28 plus gst per week

Talk to you later, Urla Tyler, Advertising Consultant

Jim Reiter, MLA

Rosetown-Elrose Constituency

by Trudy and Dale Buxton

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

We continue with our trip, this time into Alberta.

Hardisty got its early prominence and owes its existence from the Canadian Pacific Railway by making the community the divisional point of the railroad.

The railway chose this centre because of the good abundance of water from the nearby Battle River.

Before Hardisty became a hamlet in 1906, it was a large trading centre by 1904.

Hardisty was once known as a “tent town”, largely because in the early days there was such an influx of people that people lived in tents before there was enough lumber delivered to the town to make houses.

Hardisty was in a major boom during the 1906 and 1907 years due to all the construction from the railroad and the construction of a bridge which took about three years to complete.

Located by the Battle River, which was named after the battles of the Cree and Blackfoot First Nations people back in a time where the valley was a major throughway and hunting ground of the First Nations people.

The valley was the wintering grounds for thousands of buffalo, moose, elk and deer both the Cree and Blackfoot wanted control and

battled over it.

The large population of wildlife and the rich fertile grounds attracted many to homestead in this area.

During the boom many businesses and houses were built and like many were built along the rail line.

The main industries are the petroleum and farming economies.

Hardisty is mainly a transportation hub for crude oil, which comes from the Athabasca oil sands and is the start of the famed Keystone Pipeline which flows the crude oil into the United States.

Did you know that there was once a reality show shot on location in Hardisty? The show was called “The Week That Women Went” and was aired in 2007 by the CBC for eight consecutive weeks. It depicted what would happen if all the women were to leave a community, leaving only the men and children to fend for themselves.

Near Hardisty is Strawstack Hill and the home of Canada’s largest discovered meteorite? It was discovered and removed around 1869

Fort Victoria Mission near Smokey Lake north of Edmonton. Its final resting place today is the Royal Albert Museum in Edmonton.

First Nations people thought that this rock had enormous spiritual power.

There was also a bison pound discovered near Hardisty, a pen that is constructed for the soul purpose of herding bison into the enclosure to be slaughtered. From the studies it shows that this pound could be from 800 to 1,200 years old from the findings.

Hardisty is home to many recreational activities yearround including the Hardisty Rodeo in the summertime which attracts visitors from all over Western Canada.

Hardisty Lake Park which is in the town limits has camping, swimming, boating, fishing, golfing and many other activities.

This has been a great little place to visit and hopefully to visit another time.

More next week from The Saskatchewan Traveller.

Old Town Mercantile, Hardisty AB

Welcome to Hardisty AB

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ARIES –

Mar 21/Apr 20

Aries, you may meet an influential ally this week. Chat them up because this is a person you want to have in your network. You never know when you’ll need some assistance.

TAURUS –

Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, you have real talent, so you should be proud and show off your efforts. Whether it is artistic in nature or you are a whiz with numbers, share your gift with others.

GEMINI –

May 22/Jun 21

Explore creative possibilities, Gemini. You can use a new hobby right now that keeps you occupied. Look at trends that are popular right now and try one of those.

CANCER –

LIBRA –

Sept 23/Oct 23

You may be feeling extra flirty these next few days, Libra. This will help add a spark to your current relationship or help you find someone new if that is the desire.

SCORPIO –

Oct 24/Nov 22

Relationship issues at home may be on your mind, Scorpio. Create pockets in your days for deep introspection to process all of the emotions you are feeling.

SAGITTARIUS –

Nov 23/Dec 21

Sagittarius, if you can’t get an answer to something yourself, then you may want to pick the brains of friends or other people in your circle. They may offer unique perspectives.

CAPRICORN

–

Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, you have a lot of self-worth, so stop looking at yourself through a pessimistic lens. Be convinced of your value and ability to assist others around you.

AQUARIUS –

Jan 21/Feb 18

Start feeling good about what the future may hold, Aquarius. There are a lot of possibilities out there, and you’re starting to see them peeking out over the horizon.

PISCES –

Feb 19/Mar 20

You may not be feeling overly social right now, Pisces. Take a few days to spend time alone and sort through your feelings. Over time you may be ready to re-engage.

tmay@hotmail.ca

Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, trust your intuition when you meet someone new this week. You often can get a good read on someone right away. That’s an important skill to develop, especially in the workplace.

LEO –

Jul 23/Aug 23

Please

Housing for families and seniors Rent based on income Call: 306•303•7246

There is a lot of potential for socializing right now, Leo. Your calendar will fill up quite quickly with invitations from people in your life. Enjoy the attention.

Thanks Urla

VIRGO –

Aug 24/Sept 22

Virgo, take inventory of the things in your life and be real about what you need and what you can get rid of right now. You may be carrying around a lot of baggage you simply don’t need.

HENRY ANDREW VINNICK

December 13, 1929 - May 14, 2024

Henry Andrew Vinnick passed away on May 14, 2024 in Saskatoon.

A private Celebration of Henry’s life will be held at a later date.

Tributes may be directed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Arrangements entrusted to Gerein Funeral Service.

REFLECTIONS

The B-I-B-L-E by Marjorie Fortney, Seventh-day Adventist Church

Where were you when I created the world? If you know so much, tell me about it.

Who stretched the measuring line over the globe and decided how large it should be? Do you know?

What does the earth rest on? Who laid its cornerstone? Job 38:4-6 (CWB). In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (KJV).

The following quotation is taken from the book Education by Ellen White, 1903. The Bible is the most ancient and the most comprehensive history that we possess.

It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and throughout the ages a divine hand has preserved its purity. It lights up the far distant past, where human research in vain seeks to penetrate. In God’s word only do we behold the power that laid the foundations of the earth and that stretched out the heavens. Here only do we find an authentic account of the origin of nations. Here only is given a history of our race unsullied by human pride or prejudice.

The Bible reveals the true philosophy of history. In those words of matchless beauty and tenderness spoken by the Apostle Paul to the sages of Athens is set forth God’s purpose in the creation and dis-

tribution of races and nations. He “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if happily they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be not far from everyone of us:” Acts 17:26,27. We are all God’s children. We are made in His image, after His likeness. The Bible is where we find our identity and purpose. The Bible is where we find instructions for health and daily living. The Bible is where we find hope for a better world.

Cash in on the great benefits of reading the Bible, God’s Holy Word.

Tired of running out of ink.?

JUST SEND US YOUR DOCUMENTS AND LET US PRINT THEM FOR YOU.

There is a saying, “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus”.

And that’s very true.

Many of their attitudes towards various subjects are polar opposites of each other and while the various differences between men and women are intended to fill in each other’s emotional gaps and make the sum total greater than the individual parts, some of these differences in attitude can create major bones of contention amongst an otherwise happy couple.

And one of the biggest bones of contention between men and women is:

The house.

Men and women tend to see the house in a completely different light.

Women tend to see the house as confinement; Men tend to see the house as security.

And what I mean by that is that women are

The major bone of contention

social creatures who see the house as something confining they want to get out of; whereas men are solitary creatures who see the house as something secure they want to get home to.

In the attitudinal differences of the sexes, a man’s home truly is his castle and a woman’s home truly is her nest.

Problem is, if Momma Bird hasn’t been taken out of the nest for a while by Poppa Bird, sometimes she may begin to see the nest as her prison. And that’s when Poppa Bird really starts to get chirped by Momma Bird about it.

A woman wants to take flight from her prison for the evening; but a man wants to hunker down in his fortress for the night. And this constant tug-of-war in attitudes can sometimes be a major source of friction between a husband and a wife.

How many times do you hear a woman say to a man after he gets home from work “You never take me anyplace”? And they’re absolutely right. Men never take them anyplace.

But why?

Being complicated creatures, women tend to over think things. In

their continual quest to understand the workings of the male mind (if and when it works) they are at a loss to understand the reason why their man refuses to take them anyplace.

But men are simple creatures and there’s actually a very straightforward manly answer to their woman’s “you never take me anyplace” complaint: after coming home exhausted from a hard day at work, men just don’t want to go anyplace!

By “Man logic”, if we do go out someplace that evening, we’re just going to end up back at the house at the end of the night any ways so why bother going out in the first place?

A man has his priorities established; everything he really cares about he has under his roof at that particular moment: his wife, his kids, his big screen TV (and during the hockey playoffs, that order of priorities is reversed. Women, please take note of this and make allowances for it).

A man’s home truly is his castle. And when a man finally trudges home to his humble castle at the end of the workday

war, he has fought the good fight all day and, utterly exhausted, wants to secure the perimeter and entrench himself in his castle fortress for the night.

He pulls up ye old drawbridge, shutters ye old windows, kicks off ye old work boots, and after eating dinner hunkers down for the evening to unwind in ye old easy chair and sits back to relax with a beer and a bag of nachos to watch the hockey playoffs on ye old big-screen TV (and while he might not say it, many is the time he wishes that ye old wife would just clam up so he can watch the playoffs in peace and quiet!).

And for the duration of the night, as far as the man is concerned, the rest of the outside world can go to the devil. He is on furlough from the battle of life until the next day, when he has to muster up his strength and courage and resolve to go out and engage in the battle of life yet again.

If a wife wants her husband to take her someplace, she may have to approach the subject with her husband in the same way you make an appointment to go see a medical specialist: You

have to schedule the appointment a couple of months in advance. That gives the husband enough time to steel himself for the upcoming event. And because the scheduled event is so far in the future, the husband can’t see the harm in agreeing to the wife’s request just to get the wife to stop nagging him in the present. But once he agrees to it the wife has got him; he knows the event is coming and when it finally gets here he knows he agreed to it a few months ago so he can’t make up an excuse to weasel out of it (if he knows what’s good for him) when the scheduled time to go out with his wife is finally upon him. And so they go out and have a nice time and the wife is appeased until she starts to feel confined again. And another cycle begins.

This is the way it has always been and this is the way it will always be. Happiest at home after the workday, Dad would sometimes have to be verbally crowbarred out of his easy chair when Mom wanted him to take her someplace special. But once they got there Dad usually enjoyed where Mom wanted them to go.

So, ladies, as you get older you might think you have a stay-at-home lump for a husband, but rest assured that everything in his world is just the way he wants it and just the way he likes it. And remember, you are a significant part of that world. And men, agree to a get-out-of-the-house opportunity with your wife every now and then. She deserves it. And you’ll both be happier for it!

We’reMoving......

May 27

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Keith Schell