The Biggar Independent Volume 115 Issue 44

Pumpkin Makeover ... Braxen Ellis gets ready to carve his pumpkin last week at Biggar Central School. Kids were designing their best and scariest pumpkin, all in preparation for the big day this Thursday. See Page 2 for more! (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Vol. 115 No. 44

APER BIN GO

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

… Need to Re-certify? … need your First Aid Course certification? … Don’t have time to leave work or tie-up your weekend!

16 pages

Do it from the comfort of your home...OLINE!!

$1 IRU &HUWLÀHG 5HG &URVV &RXUVH GRQH RQ <285 7,0( &DOO 'DOH %X[WRQ RU &DVVLG\ +HDWKHU

$1.50

I S

INDEPENDENT SAFETY SERVICES

306-951-7700

tip@sasktel.net

2 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Biggar Central School students were taking their artistic skills to the pumpkin medium carving up the iconic Halloween fruit, October 26. With the big day approaching, kids got their scary pumpkins ready with a little help from parents and siblings as well as some BCS senior students. The pumpkins were purchased by the BCS SRC, and Main Street Market donated chocolate bars to the kids - everything ready for the big day on Halloween!

(Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Biggar RCMP Report

by Sgt. Dereck Crozier, Biggar Detachment This past week 30 occurrences were handled by the detachment members.

Traffic Related incidents had eight drivers spoken to on traffic safety and one vehicle met with a deer on Highway 14 near Kinley. A Pontiac Vibe that was left roadside on Highway 14 near Perdue had its window smashed out and the vehicle was rummaged through by the time the owner returned after work. Mischief and damage done to a school

bus parked on Fourth Avenue West in town.

Multiple complaints of an ATV running around on Fourth Avenue West.

A 16- and 17-year-old youth were spoken to about their in appropriate use of the ATV in town.

A delivery driver in town almost had to make a stork delivery after finding a 2-yearold wandering barefoot and in a diaper on the corner of Eighth Avenue West and Quebec Street.

The child was returned home two blocks away.

An investigation into ongoing threats being made to an Animal Protection Officer on their personal time from an unhappy dog owner. The long-arm of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada enforcement from Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, tracked down their catch to Kinley and required

What a show! ... Castwell and Co. actors and crew pose for a picture prior to their opening night success this past Friday for their offering, “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors’. The play was a perfect opening to the group who were simply hilarious in the reimagining of the classic Bram Stoker tale. Well done, and congratulations to the group for a fantastic play. (Independent Photo

by Kevin Brautigam)

assistance in serving a court summons.

A report of fraud based on their name being used and being on the hook for a cellphone bill

according to a collection agency.

Take care out there.

WESK Connect is coming to Biggar Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) will be hosting a networking event here in Biggar, November 5, 6-8 p.m., at The Main Event centre (old Jehovah Hall) at 422 Main Street.

Lisa Haynes a local entrepreneur and Rural Ambassador for WESK is hosting the event alongside the organization and explained a bit more about what the event will be about and what networking really is and why it is beneficial for business owners to make the time to do it.

Like a lot of words being tossed around in the business world these days, networking can be a bit intimidating and honestly confusing.

What is it actually and what exactly am I supposed to do?

The thing is business owners have been doing it for years without thinking about it, maybe not

giving it a label or putting it in a formal atmosphere, but it has been happening. The best example Haynes can think of to describe networking is the iconic farmer coffee row. When current farmers and retired farmers meet at, say NAPA, Western Sales, Kelly’s Kitchen, Biggar Bites, et cetera, for their morning or afternoon coffee.

There is more than just the town’s current events being talked about there is informal networking happening too. Someone shares about the issues they are having with the fuel line on their tractor and someone else says how they fixed it. Someone shares doesn’t know where to get that new Cover Crop everyone is talking about and someone shares they get theirs from a really knowledgeable company rep that helped them with issues they had, and contact

info is passed on.

That is really what networking is - building relationships and connections that will help you succeed to a greater degree.

That’s what this event will be. A place to get together with other business owners and chat.

Maybe about what’s working for you and maybe to get some tips and tricks others have tried for the things that aren’t working so good.

Or maybe it will just be a place to meet or learn more about other people in the same industry as you so that you feel comfortable doing that in the future.

When asked if it is such a good idea for small town business owners to meet up with and share things with their competition, Haynes replies with a smile and one of her favourite quotes, “Competition happens at

the bottom, the people at the top are collaborating” adding that’s what community is about - helping everyone succeed and reach their goals, adding there is always lots of room at the top.

There will not be a formal program - with a casual atmosphere - on Tuesday, November 5, with prompts available to help get or keep the conversations flowing.

For more information about the event or WESK in general, feel free to contact Lisa at 306-9517350.

Kindersley-Biggar goes SP The Saskatchewan Party (SP) has taken its fifth straight win with a majority for the 30th general election, Monday, and KindersleyBiggar mirrored those results with newcomer, Kim Gartner taking the win for the Sask Party.

Gartner took 5,544 votes to the New Democrat’s Cindy Hoppe with 1,148. Independent Wade Sira came away with 282 while the Green Party’s (GP) Darcy Robilliard received 114, and the Buffalo Party’s (BP) Jeff Wortman brought up the rear with 102.

The Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party (PC), Sask. United Party (SUP), and the Saskatchewan Progress Party (SPP) did not run candidates in Kindersley-Biggar.

In surrounding constituencies, RosetownDelisle, the Sask Party’s Jim Reiter with 5,753 to the NDP’s Brenda Edel with 2,062, and the Green Party’s Sean Muirhead with 228.

Rosthern-Shellbrook was another Sask Party win with Premier Scott Moe taking 5,083 to the NDP’s Mark Thunderchild’s 1,741 and the SUP’s Cody Lockhart with 1,006, and the GP’s Janice Dongworth with 88. Martensville-Blairmore, Sask Party (Jamie Martens - 4,424), NDP (Tammy Pike - 2,717), GP (Brittney Ricottone

- 156). Warman, the Sask Party (Terry Jenson - 5,709), NDP (Erica Baerwald - 2,145), SUP (Andrea Early - 632), BP (Mark Friesen - 124), and GP (Adriana Hackl Pinno - 49). Cypress Hills, another Sask Party (Doug Steele - 5,934), NDP (Clare NcNab 1,427), and the BP (Doug Wilson - 504).

As of October 29, the Sask Party provincially received 232,760 votes to the NDP’s 173,285, the Sask United (SUP) with 17,658, the Sask.

Green (GP) with 7,726, the Sask. Progressive Conservative (PC) with 4,300, the Buffalo Party (BP) with 3,201, the Sask. Progress Party (SPP) with 510, and Independent with 331 votes achieved.

It is in the Saskatoon and Regina that the NDP made their gains, taking the majority of the constituencies except for SaskatoonWillowgrove with the Sask Party’s Ken Chevedayoff squeaking out a victory with 3,908 to the NDP’s Alana Wakula with 3,638. Athabasca and Cumberland, two northern constituencies, went NDP (1,788 to the Sask Party’s 1,005 and 2,230 to the Sask Party’s 1,575, respectively).

A second vote count will be October 30, and a final count, November 9.

Bingo Numbers for

OCTOBER 31

Kim Gartner (second from right) has reason to smile. He, joined here by family and friends, will represent the Kindersley-Biggar constituency after the provincial election this past Monday. (Submitted Photo)

B-3 I-20 N-43 N-45 O-62

4 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Opinions

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

Trudeau is willing to sacrifice Canada on the altar of his ideology

by Bruce Dowbiggin, Editor of Not The Public Broadcaster Trudeau believes his divine task is to unburden Canada from its evil past and impose a radical new future

The prime minister arrived home from liberating Southeast Asia from itself recently to be confronted with a raft of problems, from disloyal caucus members to India’s wrath over Khalistan. His opponents relished the consequences as he testified under oath before the Foreign Interference Commission.

But Justin Trudeau has entered his Sir Lancelot phase, where he rides about the countryside with a pure heart, his lance pointed at enemies of the PMO Round Table, hoping to make suburban damsels swoon again.

In the face of blistering criticism from within and 25 per cent approval ratings, he blithely offers a confident yes/oui when asked if he plans to contest another federal election. Even his harshest detractors wonder at his serene confidence as the ship sinks around him. Like his father - who tried to create world peace in his last days as PM - Justin has gone to another plane.

Some suggest he can’t quit for reasons personal or for future employment in the globalist job market. But those expecting Trudeau to be burdened by the here-and-now miss his self-appointed mission.

His divine task can be summed up as “What can be, unburdened by what has been.”

If that sounds familiar it’s because this chrysalis image has been Kamala Harris’ dreamcatcher in her run ... er, her imposition upon the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Like Harris, who had 3.5 years as vice president to do something about her pet causes, Trudeau wants Canadians to ignore his scandal-plagued nine years as PM and envision a new tomorrow of his possibilities. He wants to lead them into the nirvana of a mankind unburdened by fact-checking or Commons committees.

In his breathy incantation of change is a message of purity. It’s also the definition of Marxism. As author James Lindsay writes, “Marx’s ontology of man ... is that man is naturally socialist. Indeed, being socialist, Marx says ... is what makes him human in the first place. Man is not Homo economicus.

Man is Homo socialismus, socialist man, but he’s lost his way...”

Enter gallant Trudeau as the hero to complete that conversion of Canada to a stateless, classless society with high economic standards and controlled speech. To do so, however, he must unburden Canadians from their icky past of imperial conquest and Constitutions. Like the climate hysterics, he wants you to return to an idyllic past by launching yourself like Elon Musk into the future. (Okay, Musk may be a bad comparison.)

To ascend with him into the heavens of socialism will require being Green and bisexual and vegan and DEI conscious. And denouncing those of your neighbours who stray from the narrative. While losing your notions of classic statehood and religion.

For Marxists that last bit has always been the rub. When sane people point to the hundreds of millions killed in the failed socialist experiments of the USSR, the Soviet Bloc, China, Cambodia and Cuba, Marxists contend it was because people failed the state religion, not the other way around.

Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution tried mightily to eliminate the Four Olds: ‘old ideas’, ‘old culture’, ‘old customs’, and ‘old habits’. No

matter how many of his citizens Mao killed, they still were not worthy of the task. So Mao starved them to death.

For Trudeau, who came of age in a Quebec looking to replace the Roman Catholic religion as the moral force in their lives, his quest has a religious quality.

It’s why, teddy bear in hand, he knelt before fake graves of fake murdered indigenous children. And told the UN that Canada must struggle against its genocidal past.

Nothing speaks more to this quest for purity than his promotion of a carbon tax to reduce emissions. While not even its most fervent supporters can say that it has curtailed any significant pollution in the atmosphere, the escalating charges serve a vital point. The suffering they inflict on Canadians is a test of their worthiness in the “what can be”. It’s why the government so strenuously contends that the tax actually benefits average Canadians. Canada must be made clean by suffering, even as China and India belch tonnes of pollutants into their air.

“What can be” is also behind DEI and ESG. The burdens they place on Canadians are meant to be painful, to unhinge them from

their “olds”. Trudeau and his Glee Cabinet embrace the strugglesession motif of peasant versus pit boss (even as they live like pit bosses).

He sees a day when, led by his selfless example of sending the Mounties against truckers, Canada can proudly take its place among her great postmodern states whose citizens surrender to an all-knowing state.

Where he can hang with Kamala’s Marxist Daddy, Barack Obama.

Obama ran the master class in 2008 on the Woke notion of “You didn’t build that road. You didn’t build that bridge.” It was an admonishment to the

creative class to know your place in a modern state where all must be shared. In his telling, slavery, feudalism, and capitalism are history moving inexorably toward social organization without consciousness.

Obama later borrowed (stole?) from Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice”. Trudeau realizes that he’s been in charge for a long time but dreams that, if he hangs on long enough, justice will one day declare him the new man, unburdened.

Good luck with that.

Leaked files reveal doctors’ doubts about youth gender transition procedures

by Lee Harding, Frontier Centre for Public Policy Do teens going through cross-gender hormones and surgeries know what they’re doing? A leak of internal conversations by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) shows even some doctors administering the procedures have serious doubts.

The U.S. advocacy organization Environmental Progress, led by president and founder Michael Shellenberger, made the leaks public.

“The WPATH Files show that what is called ‘gender medicine’ is neither science nor medicine,” Shellenberger said in a press release.

A short list of excerpts highlighted many telling comments.

Child psychologist Dianne Berg, who coauthored the child chapter of the eighth edition of WPATH Standards of Care, said young girls don’t understand what it means to get male hormones. “[It is] out of their

developmental range to understand the extent to which some of these medical interventions are impacting them.

They’ll say they understand, but then they’ll say something else that makes you think, oh, they didn’t really understand that they are going to have facial hair.”

Canadian endocrinologist Dr. Daniel Metzger acknowledged, “We’re often explaining these sorts of things to people who haven’t even had biology in high school yet.”

Metzger said neither he nor his colleagues were surprised at a Dutch study that found some young post-transition adults regretted losing their fertility.

“It’s always a good theory that you talk about fertility preservation with a 14-year-old, but I know I’m talking to a blank wall. They’d be like, ew, kids, babies, gross,” Metzger said.

“I think now that I follow a lot of kids into their mid-20s, I’m like, ‘Oh, the dog isn’t doing it for you, is it?’ They’re

like, ‘No, I just found this wonderful partner and now want kids.’ ... It doesn’t surprise me.

“Most of the kids are nowhere in any kind of a brain space to really talk about [fertility preservation] in a serious way.”

While youth keeps some from grasping the lifelong consequences of their actions, mental illness does the same for others. But that doesn’t always mean the doctors refuse to transition them.

One gender therapist administered cross-sex hormones to a patient with dissociative identity disorder. The therapist said asking the split personalities if they approved the treatment was ethical. Otherwise, a lawsuit could follow.

In one case, a nurse practitioner struggled with how to handle a patient with PTSD, major depressive disorder, observed dissociations, and schizoid typical traits who wanted to go on hormone therapy. Somehow, the clear moral dilemma was lost on Dr. Dan Kara-

sic, lead author of the mental health chapter of WPATH Standards of Care 8.

Karasic replied, “I’m missing why you are perplexed... The mere presence of psychiatric illness should not block a person’s ability to start hormones if they have persistent gender dysphoria, capacity to consent, and the benefits of starting hormones outweigh the risks... So why the internal struggle as to ‘the right thing to do?’”

Testosterone injections carry cancer risks for those born female.

In one case, a doctor acknowledged a 16-yearold had two liver masses, one 11 centimetres by 11 centimetres and another seven centimetres by seven centimetres, and “the oncologist and surgeon both have indicated that the likely offending agent(s) are the hormones.”

The friend and colleague of one doctor received close to 10 years of male hormones, leading to hepatocarcinoma - a type of liver

cancer that originates in the liver cells.

“To the best of my knowledge, it was linked to his hormone treatment ... it was so advanced that he opted for palliative care and died a couple of months later,” the doctor said.

Some female-born transitioning patients had terrible pain during orgasms, while males on estrogen complained of erections “feeling like broken glass.”

The future may be even stranger, according to one doctor.

“I think we are going to see a wave of non-binary affirming requests for surgery that will include non-standard procedures. I have worked with clients who identify as non-binary, agender, and Eunuchs who have wanted atypical surgical procedures, many of which either don’t exist in nature or represent the first of their kind and therefore probably have few examples of best practices,” the doctor said.

Unsurprisingly, some people regret their med-

ical transitions and want to change back. Some WPATH members want to discount this altogether. WPATH President Marci Bowers admitted “that de-transition exists even to a minor extent is considered off limits for many in our community.”

An unnamed researcher thought it was just a matter of perspective, saying, “What is problematic is the idea of detransitioning, as it frames being cisgender as the default and reinforces transness as a pathology. It makes more sense to frame gender as something that can shift over time, and to figure out ways to support people making the choices they want to make in the moment, with the understanding that feelings around decisions [may] change over time.”

Should our physical being be substantially altered and re-altered according to our feelings? Is transitioning a matter of mental health or self-expression?

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

In Memory

I wish that there had never been an opportunity to write this, but there is! As a matter of fact, there is, was, and always will be!

There is no doubt that the tragedies of September 11, 2001, made a lot of these observations possible [Editor’s Note: This article was published, September 9, 2002]. There can also be no doubt that the many who died there should be remembered some way. Except...

In many places all over the world, memorials to the devastation’s that society has inflicted on itself. And as much as our conscience reminds us, we don’t remember them!

As a peasant in more or less peasant-oriented country, Y.T. (Yours Truly) can’t, of course, claim to have very much of a grasp on world situations, but he does know, along with a lot of other people, that the much publicized “Attack on Democracy” that took place in New York City wasn’t the first time that man had shown his “cruelty to man”.

Without a doubt, there will be folks reading this small column (both of us!) who will say, “Yeah, but that was a different situation!” And in the case of persecuting the perpetrator of a criminal act, it was! But there are others standing by!

Y.T. was in the Rhineland city of Veen during the Second World War, the year that they knocked it down. Even from our point of view concerning revenge, it was terrible! Enemy soldiers marched out in long lines from the ancient, smashed up city. But like I said above, there were others!

I read a book the other day, and included in it was a civilian account of the way they saw it.

The article was dated 10 years after the war - and the war ended in 1945 and it doesn’t mention a memorial.

Quote (from the Veen paper): “Fine Theussen,

DEADLINE MONDAY 5 P.M.

The Majestic Theatre Biggar NOVEMBER Í Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Genre: Fantasy / Comedy / Horror 2024--Time: 1 hr 45 min

Rated:PG-13

Notable Notes

‘Will we get out of here alive?’

“On March 7th, the church tower is blown up. That is too much for the pastor, but Hauptman Hupner only shrugs his shoulders.

The people of Veen crawl out of their holes and hold their breath. The church steeple is completely missing and the tower stands ghostly.

The meadow is strewn with fallen Canadians. Veen looks like a moonscape. Never had so much blood run on Veen’s soil.

“Carefully, the Canadians enter the bunkers yelling, ‘Hands up!’ One fellow doesn’t hear them and is shot. Finally, everything is over.

“Our beautiful Veen is no more!”

Like mentioned before, many will say, “But that was in war!” And maybe they are right, but is an innocent civilian who died from the bombs that flattened Veen any deader than the one who got killed in New York?

Arguments about the necessities of war are endless, and to the pacifists of the world who profess the folly of it all, pointless.

Rex Murphy has his always well thought out opinion, and this being a democracy, so do we all! Mine is that in the light of world-wide devastation, we would all do well to apply our minds and memories to somehow correcting the reason for it all!

Í

Bob Mason

Johann Gruen, Martin Rosendahl and a woman from Kerrnheim, as well as six soldiers. Herr Holland’s house received a direct hit - almost the whole family is severely wounded. The school is the main first-aid post, they head there. The field kitchen, set up in a calf pen, receives a direct hit and all the men are killed. One is pinned beneath the collapsed wall, and calls desperately for help.

Feverishly, people work to free him. More bombs fall and his voice ceases.

He is dead. Incendiaries are falling. Lamer and Tellmann’s houses are burning. Herr Bur and some strong-hearted men douse the fires.

They may have saved all of Veen from a giant fire - but for how long?

“The people of Veen move into the basements and bunkers. The great suffering begins. The six hundred year old church receives damage. Pastor Lesar reads the last Mass in the scarcity with tears in his eyes.

Does he sense that he will not read a Mass in his favourite church again?

“On March 3rd, a new heavy attack of the enemy. In the basement of Johann Terlinden, the people sit tightly together. They pray. A direct hit tears open the house. Thank God the bomb explodes in the next basement room, but there are several wounded. The houses of Theo Van Rennings, Fritz Ehren and Alois Werner sink in rubble and ashes. The streets are no longer passable.

“The animals scream they can smell and sense death.

“Pastor Lesar, dodging heavy artillery fire, manages to visit some of the basements and bunkers in the village. How often he must duck from the falling debris and shrapnel In the bunkers and basements of the Rennings’ and Ingererfs’ and in the villa, he speaks some comforting words and gives general absolution. He goes to bunker ‘Esser’.

Here are fifty-six people including the nuns. The tightest quarters yet.

“Under an artillery barrage, Paul Esser and the Sisters have gathered most of the valuable and transportable things from the church - Veen bleeds!

The Esser bunker is turned into a house of God. Every morning Mass is read. How the people pray and cry -

24111WW0 24111WW1 24111WW3

Friday, Nov.1 • 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov.2 • 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov.3 • 2 p.m.

Matinee Admission $5 Ratings from the Saskatchewan Film Classification Board

For bookings and information please NEW phone no. 306-951-8244

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF POLL The Rural Municipality of Glenside No. 377 Election 2024

Whereas a poll is not required pursuant to The Local Government Election Act for the office (s) of: REEVE: Rural Municipality of Glenside No. 377 I hereby give public notice that no voting for the said office(s) will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, and that the following person(s) are elected by acclamation: OJ Singer, REEVE Dated at Biggar, this 24th day of October, 2024 Annaleigh LeBruno Returning Officer

!!!NEW HORIZONS ACTIVITIES November 2024 !!

Sun

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday 1 Exercises 9:30

Sat

!

Cards 1:30

3

4

Church 9-1

Exercises 9:30 Stitching 1:00 Kaiser 1:30

10

11

Church 9-1

17

Remembrance Day Closed

5 SGI

Morning Cards

Pulmonary Group 1:00

12

Morning Cards Mon to Fri 9:00ish

6

Exercises 9:30 Corrections 10:00

13

Exercises 9:30

7 Morning Cards

8

9

14

15

16

Board Meeting 10:00 Bingo1:30

Cards 1:30

Pulmonary Group 1:00

Exercises 9:30 Cards 1:30

Exercises 9:30

18

Exercises 9:30 Potluck 12:00 Stitching 1:00 Kaiser 1:30

19

20

21

22

Church 9-1

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Church 9-1

Exercises 9:30 Stitching 1:00 Kaiser 1:30

Morning Cards Mon to Fri 9:00ish

Morning Cards Mon to Fri 9:00ish

Exercises 9:30 Corrections

Craft Fair All Day

Morning Cards 9:00ish

Morning Cards 9:00ish Bingo 1:30

!!"#$%&'()&"*(+,&$-"-."$%/01&"!!"234++/1&"56.30401"2/3'*7"8.*-"6.0'/9"-.":34'/9*"'3.;"40"

Exercises 9:30 Cards 1:30

Exercises 9:30 Cards 1:30

6 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK ular routine and need a change. I am now 57 - is that too old to start a new career?

Julie Starting a business at 57 is totally fine - you are not too old. Most new start-ups of small to medium businesses these days are done by those Canadians over 55. When you are older Christine Ibbotson you typically have more Ask The Money Lady life experience, fewer expenses and often Dear Money Lady, I was planning on more financial capital to starting a new business get started than those venture just before the that are younger. Not to Coronavirus started - mention your drive and I am glad I didn’t, but determination to not should I consider doing want to go back to your it now. I know it’s risky, old 9 to 5 job.

There are so many but I am tired of my reg-

abundant choices and personal opportunities out there for all of us and we need to build out our existing plans of our future and become engaged and purposeful. For some, this could include starting a business in your later years - a mid-life shift into something more life affirming.

Consider going deeper with your thoughts and ideas and drop any negative beliefs that have always held you back.

When looking at starting a business, I think the best advice is to do something that is within your current sphere of influence. It should be a

venture that is in keeping with your current knowledge base, something that you know well, are good at, and most of all passionate about.

Try to create a niche market opportunity for others, that only you can provide. This will help build out your business and will ensure early successes. Always remember that you must be constantly flexible to new trends as they come.

Being able to pivot your business is one of the driving factors for new entrepreneurs being successful today.

Good for you Julie - I am glad to see you challenging yourself

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024 for more. Many people times, and you will need never do this and never to tuck-in and persist at think about what their times until you succeed. defining moment is in Just make a differtheir life. Everyone will ence. have at least one “a-ha” The secret to success is moment, where they often just a mind shift to finally say, okay, I am believing that you can. going to make a change.

Good luck and best Older people, in gen- wishes! eral are more success- Written by Chrisful at entrepreneurship tine Ibbotson, author, than younger ones. We finance writer, nationhave found that the al radio host, and now major motivating fac- on CTV Morning Live, tors for most 50-plus and BNN, syndicated new business owners is across Canada. Send to now have the flexibil- your money questions ity in their work, to gain (answered free) through autonomy and of course her website at asktheto “be your own boss.” moneylady.ca.

Always remember that entrepreneurship can be quite challenging at

Weird words for the word “Ghost” that are probably new to you What words do you use around Halloween for the word ghost? Here are some new ones, just in time for the season.

Bugaboo This South and South Midland expression refers to a ghost but could also mean an imaginary monster or the devil. The word has been used since at least 1710 and could come from an obscure meaning of bug or an imaginary spirit. It could also be influenced from boo and can be written also as boogerboo and bugabo.

Rawhead and Bloodybones Rawhead and bloodybones comes from the South or South Midland area meaning spectre or hobgoblin. It’s an

old term dating back to 1637 and as far back as 1566 in British English.

Rawhead means something that is “typically imagined as having a head in the form of a skill or one whose flesh has been stripped of its skin.” Bloodybones is described as a bogeyman “lurking in ponds and waiting to drown people.”

Booger If someone from South or South Midland says you have a booger, they may mean a bit more than snot. The word has been around since the 1750s and means a despicable man. It also came to mean a supernatural creature as of the 1820s and then eventually, meant dry mucus in your nose.

Haunt According to South and South Midlanders, a haunt or hant is a ghost or spirit, though the earliest definitions of haunt weren’t at all ghostly. Originally, the word haunt meant to “practice habitually,” or to “frequent a place.”

In 1576, it figuratively meant memories, care, feelings, thoughts, the ones that distract a person frequently. It was about 1597 when the term wandered to the supernatural.

Duppy Duppy is a word for ghost if you live in Alabama or Louisiana. The word comes from Bube from the bantu language of West Africa. The word was first seen back in 1774 in a Jamaican pub-

lication and then again in 1919 in an American publication. The word comes from the tale based on the belief of haunts, bugies, or duppies.

Tommyknocker This word has been used in the West all the way since the early 20th century. A Tommyknocker is a ghost that lives in a mine. It also refers to the knocking noises supposedly made by ghosts. Tommyknocker, a English dialect word, means a “hammer used to break ore.”

Hag/Hag Spirit The idea of a hag or hag spirit comes from the Southeast meaning an evil spirit of a dead person. These spirits are known to cause

Time to Celebrate Biggar!

by Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Museum and Gallery Yep ... let’s celebrate!

One hundred years ago on Thursday (Halloween) our world-famous slogan was painted on the back of the sign approaching town.

And one years ago, a surveying crew was in town mapping out our beautiful wide street.

After the day’s work, they cleaned up and went off to the Biggar Halloween party.

It was a fun night for everyone, a real treat for the townsfolk and the surveyors. In the spirit of Halloween ... a plan for a trick was hatched.

The men from the crew stopped at their digs and equipped themselves with the tools for their plan. Can you imagine the giggling and tomfoolery going on as they strode through the dark to the edge of town?!

It was on this night, October 31, 1914, that the

words appeared on the sign going into the town of Biggar, “New York is Big but this is Biggar”.

A Halloween prank that became famous!

How does a town celebrate this event? Give it some thought, maybe

write down your ideas and send them in to the museum. We’ll keep the good ones on hand for the next century’s celebrations.

After repeated efforts by the town to remove the words, they kept

reappearing! By 1954 the town embraced the situation and made the official slogan for our town on the Prairie!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Is one of these gentleman responsible for the iconic phrase, “New York is Big, But this is Biggar”? (Photo for The Independent courtesy of Biggar Museum and Gal-

lery)

nightmares by “riding” the luckless dreamer.

If you’re afflicted by nightmares or have an oppressed mind, you could be called hag-ridden.

Akua

According to Hawaiian’s, akua is a work for a god, spirit, or supernatural being. OED has the word atua, a Polynesian word with the same meaning.

People in horror and what they’re afraid of: Part One You wouldn’t think that people in horror are afraid of things. They are though, and some of the things that scare them are pretty nonscary things.

Stephen King It turns out the master of horror is scared of, none other than, cars.

Cars? Yes. He talked about his fears in a 1986 interview where he revealed a fear of trucks and cars, traced back to childhood.

“They seemed so large, and I seemed so small. I had the same imagination then that I do now, except that, for a kid, everything is harder to control.”

King also had some weird and somewhat darker thoughts about bulldozers from when he was a kid adding, “I would imagine what would happen to my little fingers if [the treads] started to move [over them].”

Jordan Peele Jordan Peele started in sketch comedy before jumping into horror with his directorial debut for the move Get Out. He then released Us in 2019, a film that reflected his fear of doppelgängers.

Peele told the news, “You always have to start with something that scares you... The idea of encountering myself with no warning always just dropped my stomach out from under

me, so that was the first thing I thought of.”

Did you know this about people in horror?

Alfred Hitchcock Probably the weirdest things to be scared of for the great Alfred Hitchcock and the thing that scares him, terrifies him even, is eggs.

Hitchcock revealed his fear of eggs in 1963 with “I‘m frightened of eggs,” he said. “That white round thing without any holes, and when you break it, inside there’s that yellow thing, round, without any holes ...

Brr!” However, when cooked into a dish, apparently he could look past his fear. It turns out that one of Hitchcock’s favourite breakfast foods is quiche Lorraine.

Does this surprise you about people in horror?

Shirley Jackson As one of the most famous horror writers of the 20th century, her best known works were dubbed “great novels of the supernatural in the last hundred years,” by Stephen King himself.

After her book Hill House hit the shelves, Jackson developed severe agoraphobia or the fear and avoidance of places that can cause panic or uncertainty.

Her fear is shown in her work, especially in her 1962 novel, We Have Always Lived in a Castle.

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Do you know where your food comes from?

Calvin Daniels

Agriculture

by Calvin Daniels Increasingly farmers themselves, and the agriculture sector in general must invest some effort to educate consumers about where food actually comes from, and how it is safely produced.

That effort might seem expected in a large city like Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto, but it will surprise many how important that effort even in a largely agrarian province such as Saskatchewan.

We might assume most here know about where their food comes from, mere miles from fields of wheat and canola, or pasture where cattle graze, but that is not the case.

Even in a small community area such as Norquay, the knowledge

of farming can be scant for many.

That was noted in a recent interview with Jennifer Lindgren.

Lindgren Farms near Norquay was recently involved in an ongoing opportunity for children of their community via a Food Farm event. As a local family farm, the Lindgren’s have been sharing the story of agriculture and teaching children where their food comes from for several years. Their “aim is to provide accurate information early on, building a solid foundation of knowledge and fostering a genuine appreciation for the agricultural industry,” noted a release on the event.

In collaboration with Ag in the Classroom, Lindgren Farms has partnered with local schools to create an immersive educational experience at the Food Farm.

“The focus is to introduce children to planting and seeding, equipping them with knowledge about the tools and equipment farmers use, and enlightening them about the crucial ele-

ments required for successful crop growth,” noted the release.

“They’ll learn about soil health and fertility, seed identification, crop management, and pest control, ensuring that children gain a comprehensive understanding of the farming process.”

Jennifer Lindgren, said every year she is surprised how many youngsters are unsure of things a farmer takes for granted, like butter coming from a cow.

The Lindgren’s effort is mirrored in the annual Yorkton-based ‘Pizza Farm’ program that provides youth some handson insight into farming too.

That educational effort was seen in August locally too, when the Prybylski family who farm northwest of Willowbrook opened their farm to public tours as part of the inaugural Saskatchewan Open Farm Days.

The initiative was held through Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan in partnership with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Tourism Saskatchewan as a way to “foster a deeper

connection between Saskatchewan’s residents, its vibrant agricultural sector and agritourism,” said an event release at the time.

“Our primary goal was to give people not familiar with a farm to come out and see what we do,” offered Bill Prybylski in a Yorkton This Week interview at the time.

Prybylski explained that they had a few

displays showing actual examples of grain alongside some grocery products made from the grain, and were doing field and pasture tours so those attending could see production up close.

“It’s to give them a bit of an idea where their food comes from,” he said.

The same reasoning will go into school tours scheduled for the

upcoming Grain Millers Harvest Showdown in the city, where hundreds of students visit a series of ‘knowledge’ stations learning about various aspects of farming.

All four efforts have a simple goal, to create a more knowledgeable consumer regarding just what goes into the food on their tables and that is an extremely important effort.

24111SS0 24111SS1

Quinn Minute My average face

by Rix Quinn Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous?

A couple years ago, several friends and I sat around a lunch table, and tried to judge who our companions resembled. My friend Jim said, “Quinn, you just have a generic face.

“That’s not an insult,” he added. “You look like somebody everybody knows, but whose name they can’t remember.”

Jim was right. As I surveyed our group, I quickly identified people who looked sort of like presidents, or movie stars, or astronauts, or comedians.

But I look like the guy you see at the mall, but you can’t remember which store I work for.

Or I resemble a teacher you liked in high school, or somebody you see downtown in the coffee shop.

Sometimes I’m grateful for my average face.

When I was in my 20s, it was a real money-saver.

How? In my town are two seminaries, where folks train to be ministers.

I’ve had many jobs in my life, but preacher is definitely not one.

However, for a few years, one restaurant recognized me as a young, bright seminarian. Whenever I went there, they greeted me warmly, and ask how I was doing in my studies.

I told the cashiers they had me mixed up with an actual preacher, but they didn’t believe me.

They frequently gave me free soft drinks, or a complimentary meal.

I have wondered whatever happened to that young preacher who looked like me. Did he eat free as often as I did?

I often took my first dates to that generous restaurant. If that date didn’t like me, I hadn’t spent much money on her.

Sadly, my face aged out of the eager young student look, and I began to resemble somebody’s cousin.

I became the guy you think you saw at a family reunion, but you are not sure what branch of the family.

My face is slowly sagging into that of a kindly uncle, one who tells funny stories and is welcome everywhere.

Which means that

pretty soon, people may think they actually know me ... and I can maybe get offered some free meals again! e-mail Rix at rix@rixquinn.com.

Drive into Fall with a Great Deal on a New or Used Vehicle at Regal Motors in Rosetown

2024 FORD BRONCO OUTER BANKS Regal Price $84,575 + licensing and taxes • Finance from $515 / bw • Velocity Blue Metallic • 2.7L Ecoboost V6 Engine • Automatic / 4x4

• •

Sasquach Package Heated Steering Wheel

2023 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON Regal Price $52,995 + licensing and taxes • 72,285kms / Automatic • White / Navigation • V6 Engine / Heated Mirrors • 4x4 / 9 Speaker Audio

2024 FORD EDGE ST LINE Regal Price $49,645 + licensing and taxes • Finance from $340 / bw • Iconic Silver / Automatic • 2.0L I4 Ecoboost Engine • Ford Co-Pilot 360 / AWD

• •

Sunroof / Heated Seats Cold Weather Package

Regalmotorsltd.com SALES, SERVICE & PARTS 306-882-2623 Toll Free 877-882-2610

8 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Caledonia Inn, Nova Scotia (Photos submitted)

ON NOVEMBER 13TH,

RE-ELECT

DAKOTA EKMAN to Biggar Town Council

Continuing to advocate for: Fiscal Responsibility Necessary infrastucture projects Developing Relationships with Municial, Provincial, & Federal Counter Parts A common-sense approach to decisions that affect our community I hope I can count on your support!

The Saskatchewan Traveller ... Nova Scotia Edition

by Trudy and Dale Buxton After a short visit in Liverpool, it’s time to head across the province towards the Bay of Fundy.

The Bay of Fundy is a body of water that lies between the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The Bay of Fundy is famous for its tides that on average rises and falls around 55 feet.

Did you know that in a one-day cycle about 100 billion tons of water flow in and out of the bay which is more water moving than all the rivers in the world on the same cycle.

We leave Liverpool on Highway 8 and head west. One of the communities that we come is the community of South Brookfield.

The first settlers of South Brookfield came around about 1799 and built a cabin along the Medway River, eventually more people built their houses in and around the area. Wildlife was plentiful which

would provide food to the settlers.

At one time South Brookfield was considered the industrial centre of North Queens County with a growing population, but in 1864 a major fire took over the community and practically wiped out the town of its industries and houses. The community never recovered, and most people moved to the nearby community of Caledonia.

There was a resurgence in the community in the early 1900’s when a Quebec company came along and built one of the largest bucket and box factories in Canada, only again to be destroyed by fire in 1944.

The company returned to Quebec and never rebuilt.

Next up - down the road - is the community of Caledonia.

Caledonia was settled in 1820 by six Scots and one Irishman; they were attracted by the good farmland in the area.

Gold was discovered later on in the 1800’s and with the discoveries brought many people from the province and Europe looking to become rich. The name Caledonia come from the Roman word meaning modern day Scotland and translating as New Scotland.

The Mi’kmaq people had inhabited the area

for centuries and became friendly with the new neighbours. Many of the Mi’kmaq people were employed as guides for Europeans looking for a great hunting experience.

Today, Caledonia has a population of around 1,600 people and is the hub of industry in the North Queens County.

After the gold rush the community remained strong with several industries including mining and lumber.

Caledonia is also the home of the Queens County Fair, which is a genuine agriculture fair that takes place in the fall after harvest. This fair is one of the oldest fairs as it was started in 1886.

Caledonia is also the entrance to Kejimkujik National Park and Natural Historic Site.

Kejimkujik is named from a Mi’kmaq word meaning little fairies and is the second largest freshwater lake in Nova Scotia.

Kejimkujik covers an area of over

400 square kilometres and is the ancient travel route and burial ground of the Mi’kmaq people.

This area has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Mi’kmaq people.

Today Kejimkujik is the prime choice for a vacation destination for many in Nova Scotia, offering a lake and camping experience.

Kejimkujik is also home to four Mi’kmaq petroglyphs site that contain over 500 petroglyphs, which are images carved into stones dating back hundreds of years, these images show the life of the Mi’kmaq peoples before there was any other contact with other people.

Kejimkujik is also home to of the largest concentration of mammals and birds in Nova Scotia - a great place to visit and explore.

Stay tuned to next week as we find our way into Annapolis Royal.

Kejimkujick Petroglyph, Nova Scotia

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Hard work pays off for Senior Blazers ... Biggar Central School 2000 Senior Girls Blazers have been having a great year. The senior girls’ volleyball teams were divided into three teams this weekend and were very successful in all their tournaments! The Senior A Team travelled to Perdue going undefeated on their way to winning the gold medal! They were in the finals with Asquith.

These ladies were strong, played hard, and communicated well which will help them tremendously as we head to conferences next weekend, November 2. The combined A and B team travelled to Rosetown and placed second in the tournament bringing home a second-place plaque! They were in the finals with Lloydminster. The Senior B team travelled to Kindersley and played very well in that tournament, as well! They have been improving so much this season. It was a great weekend for our senior girls’ volleyball teams! (Submitted Photos)

CAREER OPPORTUNITY Full-time Member Services Representative If you enjoy working with people, we'd like to talk to you!

Biggar & District Credit Union requires a Full-Time Member Services Representative in the Biggar and Landis locations. In this role, you will provide excellent member service by processing financial transactions like deposits, withdrawals, and bill payments. You will also respond to members’ concerns, assist in identifying their needs, and provide and promote solutions. This position reports to the Member Services Team Leader. Transportation will be your responsibility, but compensation is available for travel expenses.

You must be a team player with a positive attitude toward learning and change; you must display initiative, and attention to detail, and be friendly, outgoing, and reliable. Experience in customer service and cash handling, a minimum Grade 12 education, and a working knowledge of computers and technology are required.

We offer a competitive compensation structure with 8% matched superannuation, and a comprehensive group benefits plan with a Health Care Spending Allowance. There are opportunities for advancement, and we encourage ongoing personal and professional development. Most importantly – you would work with a committed team in a fun and rewarding environment.

How to apply: SCAN THE QR CODE for the application form.

OR email your resume and cover letter to humanresources@biggarcu.ca OR drop your application off at any of the branches.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.

Apply by Friday, November 15, 2024

Biggar Fisher Squadron Air Cadets come up huge for food bank ...

Biggar Fisher Squadron Air Cadets held a food drive this past October 23. The cadets collected cash and 390 pounds of donated, non-perishable food items.

Thank you to this group of hard working teens and their leaders. Thank you to all who donated these items. (Photo for The Independent courtesy of Barb deHaan)

Cherish Your Past, Working with you in the Present, Lets work with you for the Future!

Royal Canadian Legion Branch #138 Biggar Remembrance Day services for November 11th will be at the Town Hall 10:55am Sharp

Please wear a Poppy in Remembrance.

RAYMOND SADLER FOR MAYOR of BIGGAR ON NOVEMBER 13

Donations to the Poppy Fund can be sent to Box 1505 in Biggar or can be dropped off at the Independent

LEST WE FORGET

10 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Frank N. Stein and the Halloween Heist

by Frank Cox It was a dark and stormy night in the heart of the

city, and Frank N. Stein, the toughest detective in town, sat in his

Jim Jim Reiter, Reiter, MLA MLA

Rosetown-Delisle Rosetown-Elrose Constituency 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 RE-ELECT E-mail: jimreitermla@sasktel.net Box 278, Rosetown SK S0L 2V0 Please call with questions or concerns ROSETOWN-DELISLE

JIM

REITER

AUTHORIZED BY THE FINANCIAL AGENT FOR JIM REITER

RE-ELECT

JIM

REITER ROS E TOW N - D E L I S L E

Jim Reiter, MLA

AUTHORIZED BY THE FINANCIAL AGENT FOR JIM REITER

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

RE-ELECT KEVIN McNICHOLLS to Biggar Town Council

• • • •

Supporter of Revitalization Recreational Development Economic Growth & Forward Planning Making Biggar Better for All

Have your Say and Vote on November 13th

office with a cup of cold muttered. He followed coffee and yesterday’s the trail, munching on newspaper. a candy corn he found His biceps bulged along the way. The alley beneath his trench was narrow and creepy, coat, and his brow but Frank wasn’t easily was furrowed in deep spooked. After all, he thought. Or at least as was a seven-foot-tall deep as Frank could ex-wrestler turned manage after a long day detective. The only thing of cracking skullsKathie and that scared him was Attention: solving crimes. kale. to look at.

I gave you a few variations Just as he was about to At the end of the alley, call it a night, the phone Frank found himself Please let me know face-to-face which you prefer by the rang. with email and weculprit: can get this ad started “Stein, returndetective,” Sticky Fingers Thursday, 24. he growled intoNovember the McNab, a notorious receiver. candy thief. Dressed plus gst per week “Frank! Price: You$35.28 gotta head to toe in what help! The Halloween appeared to be bubble candy! It’s Talkgone! to you ALL later, gum wrappers, Sticky OF IT!”came frantic Fingers stood next to a Urla the Tyler, Advertising Consultant voice of Mayor Taffy. giant sack overflowing His name was Clarence with candy. but everyone called “You think you can him ‘Laffy’. He wasn’t steal Halloween candy laughing now. and get away with it?”

Frank sat up Frank growled, cracking straighter. his knuckles.

“Gone? What do you Sticky Fingers grinned, mean gone?” his teeth coated in “I mean GONE!” Laffy chocolate. screamed.

“Someone “I’ve stolen every last stole all the candy from piece of candy, Frank! every house in the city! Halloween is ruined, The kids are rioting in and soon the sugar rush the streets!”

Frank slammed the phone down.

“Nobody messes with Halloween on my watch.”

He grabbed his lucky fedora and a stale donut, then stormed out of his office.

Frank prowled the streets, his eyes scanning for clues. The smell of panic (and leftover pizza) lingered in the air as children in costumes rampaged up and down the streets, demanding their sugary loot. Ghosts were booing, pirates were swashbuckling in protest, and one tiny T-Rex was biting a fire hydrant out of pure frustration.

Then, Frank saw it. A suspicious trail of candy wrappers leading into a dark alley.

“Amateur,” Frank

Biggar & District Arts Council celebrating over 40 years, presents...

will be mine!”

Frank narrowed his eyes.

“You forgot one thing, Sticky Fingers.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

Frank pulled out a massive, shiny object from his trench coat.

“I’ve got the biggest sweet tooth in town.”

It was his official detective lollipop, custom-made and the size of a dinner plate.

Sticky Fingers screamed and grabbed the sack of candy, making a break for it.

But Frank was faster.

He held the lollipop like a shield, deflecting a barrage of jelly beans hurled in his direction.

Then with a mighty roar, Frank threw his donut like a boomerang.

It sailed through the air and bonked Sticky Fingers squarely on the forehead, sending him tumbling backward into the pile of candy.

Frank dusted donut powder off his hands

and walked over to the fallen thief.

“Sweet dreams, Sticky Fingers.”

-The next morning, the city awoke to the glorious sight of candy back in every home, and Frank N. Stein, the Halloween hero, standing tall (literally) at City Hall, holding a key-shaped chocolate bar the mayor gave him as a reward.

“Frank, you saved Halloween!” Mayor Taffy said, handing him a bag of assorted chocolates.

Frank popped a candy corn into his mouth and smirked.

“All in a day’s work.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a dentist appointment.”

And so, with Halloween saved and the candy returned to its rightful owners, Frank N. Stein went back to his office, ready for whatever sticky situation came next.

In this town when things get tough, Frank always comes out sweet.

Over 30 Years in Business

306-882-2283 www.allwestsales.ca Highway 7 West Rosetown )V_ ࠮ : 3 =

Feature of the Week

Jeff Newman

The Apache Sprayer Fall Sale on Now!!

New Inventory

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2024

7:30 P.M. The Majestic Theatre, Biggar, Tickets available at: de Moissac Jewellers 217 Main St. Biggar www.ticketpro.ca At the Door

Come on down and check out some amazing sales on all of our new and used farm equipment.

࠮ ࠮ -!

Contact the knowledgeable staff at All West Sales

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 11

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Canadian star one of the best in NBA

Bruce Penton

Penton on Sports The United States of America might produce the world’s best basketball teams - the U.S. has won 17 of 21 gold medals at the Olympics, including the last five in a row - but when it comes to individual play, Americans take a back seat.

A basketball website recently selected the top 100 National Basketball Association players and although much of the preseason NBA chatter revolved around the Lakers’ LeBron James playing on the same court as his son Bronny - Ha! Gordie Howe did the same thing in hockey with TWO of his sons LeBron was listed as only the eighth best player in the league.

In fact, you’ve got to scroll down the list to No. 6 to find the first American, Steph Curry, in the top 100.

Proudly, Canada has the fourth-best player on the list, Shai GilgeousAlexander (everyone calls him ‘SGA’), who finished second in the Most Valuable Player

voting last year while leading Oklahoma City Thunder to a first-place finish in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record. Born in Toronto 26 years ago, GilgeousAlexander played college ball with the powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats. He was drafted 11th overall

by Charlotte in 2018 but was traded to the L.A. Clippers the same day. The next year, the Clippers sent him to Oklahoma City, where he blossomed into a superstar. He is a twotime first-team all-star and has averaged more than 30 points in each of the last two seasons.

Only Luka Doncic of Slovenia (No. 3 on the CBS Top 100 list) and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece (No. 2 on the list) outscored GilgeousAlexander last season.

(No. 1 on the Top 100 list, by the way, is Denver’s Nikola Jokic of Serbia.)

The Canadian guard also led the NBA in steals, averaging 2.0 per game.

The CBS.com story about the Top 100 players says GilgeousAlexander “led the NBA in drives for the fourth straight season in 202324, and, with improved spacing around him, opponents had an even tougher time disrupting his funky rhythm.”

“No disrespect to those who aren’t star players, but growing

up, I idolized Kobe Bryant, the cornerstone of the Lakers; LeBron James, the bedrock of the Cavaliers; and Allen Iverson, the linchpin for the 76ers,” Gilgeous-Alexander told the footboom.com website. “These were the players who left an indelible mark while I watched basketball.

These are the guys you aspire to emulate and draw inspiration from.

Indirectly, (general manager Sam Presti) has granted me that chance to step into a similar role.”

The Thunder made a couple of key acquisitions during the off-season and Sportsnet’s Michael Grange says the Canadian national team star “will have a platform like he’s never had before, likely an MVP award to go with it and - given the Thunder’s relative youth and roster flexibility the possibility that this is only the start.”

Meanwhile, Canadian fans of the NBA may have a hard time getting excited about the Toronto Raptors, who are in a rebuilding phase and destined to miss the playoffs. But with the exploits of GilgeousAlexander, fans north of the border have a homegrown superstar to cheer for.

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke. com: “Cleveland has one

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BIGGAR NO. 347 PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 2nd day of January, 2025, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.

DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY

Part of Lot Part of Section

Lot

Blk

Plan

Sec

Twp

Rge

Mer

Title No.

Total Arrears

Costs Advertising

Total Arrears & Cost

SW

25

34

14

3

117406548

1,211.78

9.05

1,220.83

SW

36

34

14

3

152641885

2,407.74

9.05

2,416.79

NE

22

35

13

3

156475468

463.94

9.05

472.99

SE

22

35

13

3

156475479

495.05

9.05

504.10

156475480

496.22

18.10

514.32

SW

22

35

13

3

156475491 NW

23

35

13

3

156475503

547.95

9.05

557.00

LSD 13

12

35

15

3

150740018

1,650.69

18.10

1,668.79

NW

3

36

13

3

136166081

961.40

9.05

970.45

SW

3

36

13

3

144879632

1,116.04

9.05

1,125.09

NW

4

36

13

3

155602593

1,541.46

9.05

1,550.51

SE

4

36

13

3

155602571

1,648.00

9.05

1,657.05

SW

4

36

13

3

155602582

1,394.95

9.05

1,404.00

9.05

1,554.04

150740029

SW

9

36

13

3

155602605

1,544.99

NE

10

36

13

3

143061050

1,173.91

9.05

1,182.96

NW

10

36

13

3

146354159

1,173.11

9.05

1,182.16

NW

15

36

13

3

143061038

1,712.39

9.05

1,721.44

SW

15

36

13

3

143061005

1713.93

9.05

1,722.98

9.05

789.11

NE

22

36

13

3

134573698

780.06

SE

22

36

13

3

134573889

1,058.25

9.05

1,067.30

PT SW

4

36

14

3

120485875

1,021.21

9.05

1,030.26

PT NE

4

36

17

3

156882178

2,032.21

9.05

2,041.26

NE

18

37

13

3

148289170

1,151.80

9.05

1,160.85

9.05

64.37

9.05

11.43

16

1

G391

114299141

55.32

2

1

G391

154326911

2.38

Dated this 31st day of October, 2024 Sandi Silvernagle, Administrator

of the six NFL teams without a cheerleading squad. Inside sources say this may change if the Browns do something to cheer about.”

• Vancouver comedy guy Torben Rolfsen: “Wayne Gretzky used to say you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.

Unless you’re Bronny James, then you miss 100 per cent of the shots you do take.”

• Headline at fark.com: “These two crazy Brits have played more than 1,000 mini golf courses.

What completely useless thing have you done lately?”

• Steve Simmons in the Toronto Sun: “I love the Gregg Popovich line to his hopefuls at his training camp in San Antonio: ‘It’s your job as a player to make me play you. Don’t be a victim.’”

• Another one from Simmons: “Graterol is either a relief pitcher with the Dodgers or a medication I take daily.”

• Another one from Torben Rolfsen: “BC Lions are waiting to see if they’re going to Regina or Winnipeg for the CFL West semi-final.

Very important to know for packing. You know, sweaters, mosquito netting, black flies.”

• Jack Finarelli at sportscurmudgeon.com: “Cleveland Browns: When your starting QB goes out for the year and

many folks believe that is a positive occurrence for your team, that team is incompetent.”

• Another one from Finarelli, writing about the Canadian Football League: “Unlike the U.S., folks in Canada have a sense of geography.

Not a single team in the East Division is further west than any team in the West Division.

Amazing!”

• RJ Currie again: “A tortoise with bad feet

that lives in a theme park in Norfolk, England, has been outfitted with wheel rims and tires.

They renamed it Danica Patrick.”

• Another fark.com offering; “The NY Jets can’t buy a touchdown, heading for a 2-15 season. Jets’ execs: Better raise prices.”

• Care to comment?

E-mail brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca.

Biggar Bowl weekly scores Monday Adult Mixed Ladies High Single - Marilyn Miller 175. Ladies High Triple - Marilyn Miller 474. Mens High Single - Brandon Markewich 199. Mens High Triple - Steven Little 542.

Tuesday Night Mixed Ladies High Single - Melissa Raschke 184. Ladies High Triple - Melissa Raschke 494. Mens High Single - Michael Hebert 175. Mens High Triple Michael Hebert 431.

Thursday Afternoon Seniors Ladies High Single - Cheryl Porier 211. Ladies High Triple - Cheryl Porier 442. Mens High Single - Walter Fernets 219. Mens High Triple - Walter Fernets 582.

YBC Pee Wee Single - Blake Foster 102; Double - Blake Foster 174. Bantam Single - Kaysen Sauntry 131; Triple - Nash Wheaton 309. Junior Single - Jesse Bourk 258; Triple - Jesse Bourk 469. Senior High Single - Tegan McLeod 271; High Triple - Tegan McLeod 534.

3 reasons seniors should have regular eye exams As we get older, we tend to assume that certain things like aches and strains after strenuous activity are inevitable.

But, just as stretching before and after a workout or other physical activity can help avoid that pain, there are steps you can take to help protect your eyes.

The most important step, if you’re 65 or older, is to have an annual eye exam. Take it from Canadian astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield, who recently spoke about the importance of eye exams for seniors: “As you get older, everything in your body ages,” he says. “It’s like your car. If you wait until the oil is so bad that it’s starting to affect your car’s performance, then you’ve already done damage.”

Here are three reasons why you should get your eyes checked: You could be covered According to a recent

survey, only 41 per cent of Canadian seniors are up-to-date with their annual eye exams. Price is often cited as a reason for not getting one, but many provincial healthcare plans cover the cost of an annual eye exam for eligible seniors 65 and older.

Early diagnosis is essential According to the Canadian Council of the Blind, 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable and treatable if detected early. As the risk of developing major eye conditions like glaucoma or cataracts increases with age, a routine eye exam can help spot concerns at the earliest stage possible.

Rather than needlessly suffering with blurry vision, you may be given a new or updated prescription for glasses.

In other cases, treatment might involve lifestyle changes, such as eating

a healthier diet and getting regular exercise, eye drops, medication or surgery.

Eye exams can detect more than vision problems In addition to preventative care for your vision, and eye exam can also detect other issues affecting your general health. During an eye exam, your optometrist will look for indicators of everything from skin cancer and high blood pressure to diabetes and brain tumours.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a scan of the back of the eye that helps optometrists detect and monitor a range of sightthreatening conditions like diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

Optometrists operating may include this test as part of every standard eye exam at no additional cost to the patient.

12 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Business & Professional …

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

AUTOMOTIVE

ACCOUNTING

SERVICES

M & N REPAIR 701 - 4th Ave. E., Biggar

306-948-3996

201B 2nd Avenue West, Biggar

Office: 306-948-3558 Email: info@biggaraccounting.ca Services Provided Include: Compilation Engagements Personal & Corporate Taxes Bookkeeping AgriStability & AgriInvest

C AMPBELL A CCOUNTING S E RV I C E S • Personal Tax Returns • Corporate Tax Returns • Farm, AgriStability, AgriInvest • Estate Returns • Bookkeeping • Payroll

ACCEPT NEW C ING LIE Year R NTS ound

Ph: 306-948-4430 or 306-948-4460 rodc@campbell-accounting.ca 117 - 3rd Ave. West,

(New Horizons Bldg) Biggar

INSURANCE

ÿ Auto & Home Insurance ÿ Farm & Commercial Insurance ÿ Health & Travel Insurance ÿ Life Insurance & Investments ÿ Farm Succession & Estate Planning ÿ Notary Publics

Biggar Office Hours…

Mon. - Tue, Thur - Fri 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday, 9:30am - 5pm

304 Main St., Biggar Phone: 306-948-2204 Toll Free: 1-855-948-2204

“We’ll getcha covered”

Landis Office Hours:

Mon.-Tue, & Fri., 9:00am - 4:30pm Wednesday, 9:30am - 4:30pm

Thursday CLOSED

Phone: 306-658-2044 Toll Free: 1-855-658-2044

Perdue Office Hours

Mon,Tue,Thurs,Fri, 9am - 4:30 Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30 Closed at noon 12 - 12:30

Website: www.biggarlandisinsurance.ca Email: biggar@biggarinsurance.ca

INVESTMENTS

Open Monday-Friday Mike Nahorney - Journeyman Red Seal Mechanic

HEAVY TRUCK AUTO TIRES BOATS & RVs FULL MOBILE MECHANICAL SGI Safety INSPECTION

3 col/6

Service Truck Full Mechanical Service Mon - Fri • 8 a.m.-5

p.m. phone: Chris

306-948-3376 Serving Your “EnTIRE” Needs

Chico’s Auto Works

Jennifer:

MECHANIC SHOP

DIESEL & GAS 317 MAIN STREET (Formally Chico’s) Call Tamas 306-303-3676

NOW OPEN

CAR CARE

Basic Car Wash Vehicle Detailing Call Jane 604-338-8976

DENTAL

Rosetown Dental

SEED CLEANING

wyLie seeD &

Website: www.hrblock.ca

(WY %AST "IGGAR

306-948-2109

BIGGAR Attention: Deanna Stevenot REFRIGERATION SERVICES

Lesco

COMMERCIAL AND (year) for $ the next 52 weeks RESIDENTIAL Bill has been sent SERVICES Franchise Advertising Payabl

Please proof Business & Prof

on the Spot

Biggar-Landis-Perdue Asquith-Wilkie Rosetown Call Les at 951-8446

948-7207, daytime Ed Kolenosky s $RIVEWAYS s 3OD s #ONCRETE s 0ATIO s 'ARAGE 0ADS "LOCKS s 0RUNING s 3NOW s 0LANTING 2EMOVAL s 4OPSOIL s &ENCES s ,AWN #ARE xAND s ,EVELING MUCH MORE

Cari Perih REAlTOR®

Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

seeds Canada authorized

www.SoldbyCari.ca homesforsale@soldbycari.ca

OFFICE HOURS

Phone:306.882.2123

Pedigree seeds & Custom Cleaning fuLL line of Cleaning equipment and Colour sorter

excellent Quality at a reasonable Price!

Busse Law

ProfessionaL CorPoration Barristers & Solicitors Stuart A. Busse, KC Larry A. Kirk, LL.B. 302 Main Street, Biggar, SK

306-948-3346 …serving your community since 1972

Office: 306-867-8380 carip@remax.net

Acres of Expertise.

for all your Cereal and Pulse Cleaning

Bill: 948-7457 Dale: 948-6045

HAULING

Dave Molberg

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

Rockin D Trucking & Cattle • Cattle Hauling with 21 ft. gooseneck trailer • Grain Hauling • round and large square bale hauling with step-deck or highboy semi-trailers • also buying and selling straw and forage • also Machinery Hauling

PLUMBING & HEATING

Dan • 306-948-7843 Biggar, Sask.

Peszko &Watson

is a full service law office that practices…

Criminal Law Commercial Law Real Estate Law Wills and Estate Law and our lawyers,

Jason Peszko Bailee Massett Sarah Roesler look forward to assisting you and can be contacted at:

306-948-5352 or 306-244-9865

306.237.7671

Troy May, owner/operator

Fax: 306-237-TROY email: tmay@hotmail.ca Super B outfits hauling grain and fertilizer in Western Canada

T 9 9

fo

9

Shoreline Realty

Cell: 306-948-7995

LEGAL SERVICES

306-716-4021

Email: hrbbiggar@sasktelnet

ProCessing inC.

Plant located 8 miles south of Biggar on Hwy #4, ¼ mile west on triumph rd.

DEMOLITION & RESTORATION STUCCO , DRYWALL CONCRETE FINISHING

306-948-2183

115 - 1st Avenue West Rosetown, Sask.

Dr. Krista Maedel & Associates

• Mobile Welding & Fabrication • 24/7 Emergncy Service • Repairs? Got a project in mind?

• We cater to ALL Give us a call industries… farming, for a quote. commercial, oil field, • NOW offering industrial Skidsteer, Transport, • CWB Hot Shot Service!

Certified Call Chance Parenteau @ 306-948-9465 or Sarah Nagy @ 306-290-9766

Box 580 Biggar, SK SOK OMO

towing & recycling Richard (Chico) Livingston “Same Service” Price: $63.00 plus Great gst per weekBIGGAR•LANDIS•PERDUE•WILKIE•ASQUITH for publiation on Feb 7, 14, 21, 28 #102 - 9622 - 42 Avenue, SPECIALIZING Licensed Journeyman “Top Dollar Paid Cash On The Spot ForIN Salvage Vehicles” Journeyman Automotive Repair Technician Edmonton, AB T6E 5Ya Adrian de Haan Removal of at - biggartowing.com Please get back to me 14 by 1/4 5 p.m. on Monday, Check Feb 4us out 2 Miles East Hwy Mile North Phone: 780-448-2166; Thanks, Urla 306-948-5291 CALL LES Cars, AT (306) 951•8446 Junk Trucks Fax: 780-438-1233; (TURN NORTH AT THE OLD TRUCK) * ** and any Scrap Metal Box 1298 W E email: CSC-Edmonton.accou N 306-948-5077 Biggar, SK. email: les@lescotowing.com *** TION Rebel Landscaping S0K 0M0 www.lescotowing.com A 948-2879, chicosautoworks@sasktel.net LOC “CASH PAID” evenings Will this work? right colour?

New Patients Welcome!

Métis Owned Aboriginal Owned

YH Truck, Ag & Auto s (EAVY TRUCK PARTS s !GRICULTURE PARTS s !UTOMOTIVE PARTS ACCESSORIES WWW YHTRUCKAGAUTO COM

223 Main Street Biggar

PLUMBING HEATING ELECTRICAL For all your home, business and rural needs

Biggar, Sask.

306-948-3389 Owners/Operators • Dallas Young • Claude Young

Journeymen Plumber, Gas Fitter, & Electrician on staff

w

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

Business & Professional … THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 13

LANDIS LIBRARY ANNUAL CRAFT, TRADE, BAKE SALE & SILENT AUCTION

Sunday, November 3rd 10am - 3pm Lunch 10am - 1pm only Admission $2.00

HEALTH/WELLNESS

ROSETOWN ROSETOWN NATURAL HEALTH NATURAL HEALTH

healthy, naturally!

311Stay Main Street, Rosetown Massage Therapy Supplements 311 Main Street,- Rosetown Ideal Protein Clinic Quality Supplements Mail orders welcome.

Mail Orders Welcome.

Monday – Saturday 9:00 – 6:00 Monday306-882-2220 – Saturday 9:00 – 6:00 rosetownnatural@sasktel.net 306-882-2220 www.rosetownnaturalhealth.com rosetownnatural@sasktel.net

2 col/6

Brett…

BRETT’S DECORATING & DESIGN

- together with -

Co-Ed Fitness Centre Healthy Lifestyle Weight Loss Personal Training Fitness Classes

…owned and operated

by Brett Barber

102 - 3rd Ave. W., Biggar

306-948-9750

www.newufitness.ca

Dr. Kirk Ewen Dr. Michelle Skoretz Doctors of Optometry

FLOWER SHOP

102 - 3rd Ave. West,

/WNED AND OPERATED BY SERVICES "RETT "ARBER

Housing for families and seniors Rent based on income

Call: 306•303•7246

CLEANING

Naty/Michael…

SERVICE

GALLARDO Liner

TRUSTY TIDYING

This is what I worked up for the Business & Professional section in back of CLEANING SERVICE Passenger Services paper, • Washing Baseboards Washing Walls 122 Main St. - Biggar Depot 6•month commitment for $161.20 plus gst • Cupboard Cleaning

Macklin to Saskatoon & towns in-between Kindersley to Saskatoon & towns in-between

PHONE......306-951-0078 or 306-951-0098

BIGGAR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Thanks Urla

newufitness@sasktel.net

315b Main Street, Biggar, SK

1-833-948-3331

2 col/6

Biggar, Sask.

Special Event, Airport Service or Doctorʼs Appointments

For appointments…

Please get back to me with changes/corrections by return email this morning.

306-948-9750

In BIGGAR

Every Tuesday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

New Location

Price… 2.5 inches = $201.50 plus gst per 6-month prepaid commitment.

s FLOWERS s CUSTOM WEDDING DECORATING & EVENTS s RENTALS… 4ENTS "OUNCY #ASTLE

Advertising

is an investment

in your business.

• • • • •

Oven Cleaning Fridge Cleaning Light Fixtures Carpet Cleaning Organizing of closets 639-480-8439 (TIDY) Ask for Katy or Sharon trustytidying@ gmail.ca Connect with us on Facebook@Contact Us Thankful to clean for Biggar regularly Tuesdays-Thursdays

email us at tip@sasktel.net OBITUARIES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

14- THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

CELINE MARIE ARMSTRONG 1948 - 2024

It is with profound sadness that the family announce the passing of Celine Armstrong on October 21, 2024.

Céline is lovingly remembered by her children, Audrey (Robert) Gallagher and family Patrick (Rachel), Niamh and Danann; Rebecca (Dan) Huber and family Koralie (Brett) Mack, Wyatt, Scott, Myla; Danielle (Rob) Armstrong, and family Pietro, Giovanni, Antonio, Alberto Pasqualotto; John (Roxanne) Armstrong and family Nicolas, Samuel, Max, Chloe and Jude; Natalie (Pat) Erickson and family Levi, Ryann and Ava; her sister Rita Gifford; six brothers Marcel (Janet) Cadrain, Dennis (Liz) Cadrain, Lawrence Cadrain, Richard (Yuliya) Cadrain, Philip (Kim) Cadrain, Kenneth (Carla) Cadrain; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her infant brother, Maurice, brother Albert; and parents Leonard and Estelle Cadrain Vigil of Prayer Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 7:30PM Our Lady of Fatima RC Church, Landis, SK Funeral Service Friday, November 1, 2024 at 10:30AM Our Lady of Fatima RC Church Donations ~ ALS Society of Saskatchewan Gerein Funeral Service entrusted with funeral arrangements.

FLECTIONS ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Your energy levels are soaring this week, Aries. Channel this vitality into a new project or personal goal.

Be cautious of being too impulsive, and think things through before acting.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Embrace flexibility in your personal life, Taurus. Being open to change will lead to unexpected opportunities and strengthen your relationships. There are a few surprises ahead.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Communication is key for you this week, Gemini. You may find that your words carry extra weight and influence. Use this to your advantage at work and in your personal life.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, focus on behind-thescenes work around the office — it’s not always about being in the spotlight that gets you ahead. All of your contributions are valuable.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, embrace your natural charisma and confidence, but also remember to show appreciation for the people who support you. Balance is key in all social situations this week.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 It is time to get organized, Virgo. Tackle any lingering tasks or projects that need your attention. Your meticulous attention to detail will serve you well as you bring order to things. !

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, focus on finding harmony in your relationships this week. You might need to mediate conflicts or offer support to loved ones. Use your diplomatic skills to create balance.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Trust your instincts when making decisions, especially those related to work or personal projects, Scorpio. Your intuition is pretty sharp this week, so use it to your advantage.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/ Dec 21 Sagittarius, adventure is calling out to you. Whether it’s a spontaneous trip or exploring a new hobby, embrace opportunities to expand your horizons.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/ Jan 20 Capricorn, your dedication and hard work are likely to be recognized, leading to potential advancement or new opportunities. Just wait for all of the exciting things to come your way.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Use creative energy to explore new ideas or tackle creative projects, Aquarius.

When you interact with others, you also may gain some fresh ideas to use to your advantage.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, this week calls for reflection and healing. Take time to address any emotional needs and seek support if you want to talk to someone or simply need another be close to you.

by Rev. Bev Dyck, former pastor, Biggar Church of God 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me ‘For when I am weak, then I am strong.’”

Somehow often the salvation message is communicated in such a way that seems to mean that when a person has Christ in their life, life will mysteriously become easy and one can just pray and God will answer them in a positive and wonderful way.

Life will become a picnic in the park just because you are right with God. And as human beings, we seem to expect and desire a luxury-filled, easy life.

Being right with God and having God’s Spirit in our life is wonderful. That burden of guilt and sin is gone, and we are no longer alone - we have Christ with us in our everyday life. However, God is more concerned about the growth of our faith in Him and in our character than He is in making our life a life of ease.

Romans 5:3 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

Suffering sounds like the absence of luxury. Suffering sounds hard and painful. But suffering and weakness can produce beautiful results of a life that becomes deeply rooted in Christ. It becomes obvious that we cannot do the things in our own strength.

There is something wonderful to be said about ‘weakness’. When a person applies for a Government Grant, the person needs to be eligible. There needs to be an appropriate need and it needs to be expressed.

This is the same for God’s grace - we must see our need and bring that need before God and expect and know that we qualify and that God keeps His promises. We need to not have a plan B. We rest on God and His promises and then His strength can be made perfect in our weaknesses.

Then we can brag about God’s goodness!

!!"#$%&'()*%+%&!$,-.!!

! ! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!"##$%&'()'*&+,-&!

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

++

/001002134+ 356+ +++++=>=>?>@=>+ =>=>@=D=>+ =>=>@D==>+ ++++=>=>FH?=>+ + + =>=>>@=>>+ + =>=>>EF>>+ =>=>>@?>>+

454/7+ /<<1/<0+ /3!+95040+ ++++++GBF?6@=+ GFHD@6>B++ GFIFFA6H?+ G@IFEF6HE+ + + G@I@HH6DA+ + G@I?HF6H?+ G@IDDA6BD+

754+ ++++++++@A+ =+ @>+ @+ F+ ?+ FB+ FA+ F+ FH+

8759:+ B+ @F+ @@+ H+ H+ H+ @+ @+ B+ @+

-7/3+ CDE@+ B=0FB@@H+ B=0FB@@H+ 9@=FE+ 9@=FE+ 9@=FE+ H=0@>D?@+ H=0@>D?@+ CBHF+ H=0@>D?@+ !

4;471+356+ +@=DF@FAF=+ @=??BF@?=+ @?E@=A>>B+ @=B?AH>>>+ @=B?AH>@@+ @=B?AH>FF+ @=@F?BBHF+ @=@F?BBB?+ @=DEE>?BA+ @@?B@H@FF+

! "!#$%&'()!*+!,-./!#$0!1*%(2!&##'3$4!(*!(2$4$!&00$&04!*+!(&5$4!$++$6(37$!8&%9&0)!,:!;.;<-!!! =&($>!&(!?$0>9$:!@&4A&(62$B&%:!(234!C,(2!>&)!*+!D6(*E$0:!;.;<-! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "%>0$&!F&'':!G0$&490$0!

St. Gabriel roman CatholiC ChurCh 109 - 7th Ave.W, Biggar Father Edward Gibney Parish Phone: 306-948-3330 Saturday Mass.......7:00p.m.

Sunday Mass....... 11:00a.m.

our lady of fatima CatholiC ChurCh, Landis Sunday Mass.......9:00a.m.

Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans

St.Pauls Anglican 205 4th Ave. E

Redeemer Lutheran 319 7th Ave. E

Worship - 10:30 a.m.

OCTOBER 27 ST.PAULS ANGLICAN NOVEMBER 10 REDEEMER LUTHERAN Rev. Daphne Bender Pastor’s cellular Phone: 1-306-621-9559 Office Phone: 306-948-3731 (Messages are forwarded to Pastor’s phone immediately)

Biggar associated gospel church 312 - 8th Ave.W. and corner of Quebec St., Biggar Sunday Service 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome to come and join us

Biggar United ChUrCh REGULAR SERVICES SUNDAY 11:00 am Minister Dale Worrall Inquires Call Church Office 306-948-2280 Leave Message

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH SATURDAY SERVICES BIBLE STUDY 10:00a.m.

CHURCH SERVICE 11:00a.m.

320 - 6th ave.east contact: 306-951-8445 3 abn

www.amazingfacts.org

NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH ...In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope...1Pe 1:3

You are Invited

Sunday Tea and Coffee -10:15am Worship - 10:30am NEW HORIZONS 117 3rd Ave. W, Biggar For more info - Philip Watson - 250-487-8476

Hi Alma Dorothy Covey…

Jan. 5, 1920 - November 1, 2004

Kenneth Reid Covey…

July 29, 1918 - Aug.13, 2004

Pri Th

Ple 948

Ho

“At the rising sun and at its going down we remember them At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of the winter we remember them.

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring we remember them.

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of the summer we remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn we remember them.

At the beginning of the year and when it ends we remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us. As we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength we remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart we remember them.

When we have decisions that are difficult to make we remember them.

When we have joy we crave to share we remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs we remember them.

For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us.

As we remember them.

“We all miss you so much.” …Love always, Leah

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 15

War of the Worlds was real for many

Provincial Historian Thom Cholowski

by Thom Cholowski, Administrator Historic Saskatchewan Sunday October 30, 1938, in a radio studio in New York City, a group of actors, musicians, technicians and sound effects artists busily made their final preparations for their evening’s performance.

With only a few minutes left before going live, electricity filled the air as the show’s 23-year-old director, actor, writer and producer dashed from group to group making sure everything was ready. This was to be the group’s 17th performance in a series of live radio dramas. The weekly, hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by the company, accompanied with music performed by a small in-studio orchestra and a crew of talented sound effect technicians.

Their previous plays had been lively adaptations of literary adventures such as ‘Treasure Island’, and ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ or vignettes of the lives of historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln or Julias Caesar.

But tonight’s performance was to be very different from anything the group or anyone else - had ever done before. With less than a minute left, one of the young actors nervously turned to another and said “Do you really think we ought to be doing this?” to which his colleague just laughed and went back to focusing on his script.

At precisely 8 p.m., the red light on the studio wall lit up and the program began.

“The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations presents Orson Welles and the ‘Mercury Theatre On The Air’ in ‘The War of The Worlds’ by H.G. Wells...”

And with that, began an hour long broadcast that would have an impact on the world that is still relevant today.

The episode began with an introductory two minute

monologue read by Welles based closely on the opening of the H.G. Wells novel, after which the program abruptly changed, taking on the format of a typical evening radio program consisting of live music from ‘Ramón Raquello and His Orchestra at the Meridian Room of the Park Plaza Hotel in Downtown New York’ and periodic interruptions by ‘news bulletins’ covering topics like the weather.

Thom Cholowski Following several mundane bulletins, various ‘reporters’ from officious sounding (but entirely fake) news agencies began cutting into the music, relaying reports of multiple unusual explosions observed on the surface of Mars, supported by brief interviews with ‘noted’ scientists and astronomers (allegedly from the Observatory at Princeton). Following more music, another breaking news bulletin interrupted the program with a seemingly unrelated report of a “meteorite of unusual size” falling on a farm in Grovers Mill, New Jersey.

The tension escalated dramatically when a reporter on site at Grovers Mill describes the object and observes a door slowly “unscrewing itself”. Suddenly, creatures emerged from what was now clearly an alien spacecraft.

The aliens employ a heat ray against police and curious bystanders, and the radio correspondent described the attack in increasing panic (accompanied by eerie and otherworldly sound effects and panicked screams of terror in the background) until, in an absolute masterstroke, his audio feed abruptly went dead mid-sentence with several seconds of empty airwaves.

This was followed by a rapid succession of panicked updates from multiple locations describing the beginning of an overwhelming alien invasion and ‘live’ reports from the front lines of the US Army’s futile efforts to stop it.

Warnings were issued to specifically named surrounding towns of advancing clouds of “creeping poisonous black smoke” and listeners told that “gas masks were completely useless”.

At the 27-minute mark, the Secretary of The Interior addressed the nation (played by actor Kenneth Delmar, in a perfect impersonation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt), calling for “calm and faith in the military,” but also essentially telling the listeners that now is the time to panic and to take matters

Provincial Historian

Mercury Theatre On The Air

Provincial Viewpoint

Provincial Viewpoint

Murray Mandryk

Murray Mandryk

Les Callan, Canadian political cartoonist into their own hands. This was followed with a hastily prepared, live report from a rooftop in Manhattan, from where a reporter described seeing citizens “fleeing from poison black smoke released by dozens of advancing, towering Martian war machines” until choking and falling silent. Following the silence another voice was heard calling out “2X2L... 2X2L... can anyone hear me? Is there anyone out there?” followed by more unnerving silence...

At that moment the program took its first break, roughly 38 minutes after Welles’ introductory monologue by stating “You are listening to a CBS presentation of Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre On The Air in it’s original dramatization of The War of The Worlds by H.G. Wells. The performance will continue after a brief intermission.”

The second portion of the show shifted to a more conventional radio drama format that follows a survivor (played by Welles) dealing with the aftermath of the invasion and the ongoing Martian occupation of Earth.

The final segment concludes with the revelation that the Martians have been defeated by microbes rather than by humans. The broadcast ends with a brief “out of character” announcement by Welles in which he explains that the show was a drama inspired by the spirit of the Halloween season and nothing more, summarizing the intentions as “dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying ‘boo!’”

What was groundbreaking about this particular show was the style in which it was delivered - Welles directed it to played out in a man-

ner that was indistinguishable from news reports of the day in a breaking news style of storytelling. News parodies had been done before, but none to the degree of authenticity as the performance directed by Welles, especially with the dramatic acting, masterful tempo and accompanying sound effects.

With Fascism on the rise in Europe and Imperial Japan at War in China, the increasing threat of another global war loomed heavily over daily life. The media was filled with terrifying headlines from overseas with bold headlines utilizing such words as such as “mechanized invasion,” “overwhelming advance,” “fierce resistance” and “mobilization.” The North American population was tense and Welles performance of an alien invasion of the continental United States, presented in the same manner as authentic news broadcast, repeating the same threatening verbiage of the headlines of the day, presented by convincing actors and backed up by unsettling sound effects, played right into the public’s pent up anxiety and fears, briefly touching off a storm.

And touch off a storm it did. It is believed that some of the radio audience may have been listening to a program on a rival station and tuned in to The War of the Worlds during a musical interlude (the same as ‘channel flipping’ today during commercials), thereby missing the clear introduction indicating that the show was a work of science fiction.

The program tapped into the nation’s collective fear, causing a subconscious emotional response and people believed they were listening to a legitimate news broadcast reporting live on real events. In the United States, police stations across the broadcast network were inundated with panicked phone calls and in some instances, people ran screaming in terror down city streets. Mass hysteria took over and in one case, an ill timed accidental power outage only fuelled the panic.

One person in the Midwest allegedly mistook the town’s water tower to be a “Martian War Machine” and blasted several holes into it with a high powered rifle. It is estimated between 1.5 to 2 million listeners across the US had believed the program to be real.

The mass hysteria was so fevered that even before the show had finished, the telephone switchboard at CBS was inundated and the New

York City police showed up to stop the program. Actor Stefan Schnabel recalled “Soon, the room outside the studio was full of policemen and a massive struggle was going on between the police, page boys, and CBS executives, who were trying to prevent the cops from busting in and stopping the show.”

Calm and reason soon prevailed and the following day Welles held a press conference apologizing for the confusion. The incident propelled him to international fame, and despite several threats of lawsuits, calls for media censorship and an investigation by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), Wells survived unscathed and actually profited by the event, gaining a sponsor for the program - Campbell’s Soup.

But was the program heard in Canada? If so, how did Canadian listeners react?

Welles program was broadcast in Canada by the CBS affiliate station CFRB in Toronto. Boasting a powerful 10,000 watt transmitter located at a prominent four-tower array near the shores of Lake Ontario, the War of the Worlds broadcast was reported to have been received as far West as Calgary.

What caught the attention of most Canadian listeners was a “flash news bulletin” early on in the program: “Ladies and gentlemen, here is the latest bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News. Toronto, Canada: Professor Morse of MacMillan University reports observing a total of three explosions on the planet Mars, between the hours of 7:45 p.m. and 9:20 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. This confirms earlier reports received from American observatories.”

Though completely fictitious - MacMillan University was a publishing company not an educational institution - the reported times did not correspond with reality and there was no such ‘Professor Morse’ nor Intercontinental Radio News agency.

The inclusion of authoritative sounding names, allegedly based out of Canada, coupled with the news bulletin delivery caused Canadians to sit up and take notice.

While the hysteria was nowhere as extreme as in the United States, there were reports the following days of those who were convinced by the program that a Martian attack was imminent. In Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and London, the local police departments were inundated with phone calls from panicked listeners looking

for updates and direction on how to prepare for the impending attack.

In Western Canada, listeners had a more reserved reaction, but a reaction none the less. Reports published in the StarPhoenix, Calgary Herald and the Winnipeg Free Press in the following days describe stories of listeners pulling out atlases to see how far away Grovers Mill, New Jersey was from their location, of “alarmed farmers” loading shotguns “just in case” and people being compelled to go outside, while maintaining earshot of the radio, to scan the evening sky.

In the ensuing aftermath, the CBC issued a statement exonerating themselves, clarifying they “had no direct connection” with the broadcast “as it was not carried over their stations.” They went on to further state ominously “the Corporation has general control over Canadian stations and might regulate such broadcasts if it were thought they were having an undesirable effect.”

In due course, the broadcast was overshadowed by global events and a year later, on September 10, 1939, Canada became embroiled in the Second World War. Despite the passage of time, Welles’ broadcast and its impact was never truly forgotten. Twenty years afterwards on Oct. 28, 1958, CBC’s Front Page Challenge television show featured an interview with Mr. Everett Sloan, an actor who participated in the play, and a subsequent discussion with the panel (including Pierre Burton) about the power of the media and the gullibility of the public. Scholarly articles published over the years by the Universities of McGill, Calgary and Toronto study the broadcast and use it as a basis to delve into such compelling topics such as censorship, the sociological impact of ‘fake news,’ media inspired mass hysteria and the moral ethics and obligations of social media regulation - all topics highly relevant today.

Though almost 90 years old, Orson Welles’ War of The Worlds masterpiece still holds up today. It is readily available in its entirety online, and this Halloween I highly recommend you take an hour and listen to it.

Just promise me you won’t go out and shoot up a water tower afterwards.

Happy Halloween folks!

Special Thank you to Historic Saskatchewan members Phil Heilman and Lucas Punkari for helping me acquire a scan of the October 31, 1938 StarPhoenix.

The Evening Telegram, Toronto

16 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024

24105KS1

Test run for Halloween ... The Biggar School of Dance held their always successful Halloween Cabaret, Friday at the Community Hall. Lights and colour, costumes and laughs, the annual ‘test run’ for this Thursday’s big day is always a popular event. (Independent Photo by Dale Buxton)

Fair Day for Inclusion ... Inclusion Biggar held a business fair at the Community Hall this past Saturday, bringing in vendors to sell their wares - a bit of pre-Christmas shopping. (Independent Photo by Dale Buxton)

On November 13th

ELECT MATHEW HARRABEK For Biggar Town Council

Hello everyone. My name is Mathew Harrabek, and I am running for town council in the upcoming election. I have lived here pretty much all of my life and over the last 8 years I have seen vast improvements in the community, equipment upgrades for our public works teams, recreational upgrades for all ages to enjoy and most recently; Revitalization for which I am a huge fan......

I would like to do my part to help ensure our town is continually moving forward, investing in our children, and all of our citizens well being.