issue 7

Vol. 104 No. 07

Box 40, 102 3rd Ave West, Biggar, Saskatchewan S0K 0M0

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

email: tip@sasktel.net

Phone: 306-948-3344

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First land sale of 2013 yields $11.9 million in revenue

The first sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights for 2013 generated $11.9 million in revenue for the province, bringing final land sale revenues for the 2012-13 fiscal year to $88.9 million.

February’s sale included 104 lease parcels that brought in $11.8 million in bonus bids and two

petroleum and natural gas exploration licences that sold for $125,000.

While investment in the Bakken remains strong, industry continues to identify opportunities province-wide. The Lloydminster area received the most bids with sales of $5.9 million. The WeyburnEstevan area was next at $3.7 million, followed by the Swift Current area at $1.3 million and the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $1.0 million.

“Land sale revenues remain steady as producers show confidence in the oil and gas markets and the competitive environment found in Saskatchewan,” Minister responsible for Energy and Resources Tim McMillan said. “It is encouraging that in this climate of record production industry continues to identify new prospects and compete in our land sale, often fiercely, for the right to explore these prospects.”

The highest price for a single parcel was $967,555.

Ranger Land Services Ltd. acquired this 210-hectare lease north of Lloydminster.

The highest price on a perhectare basis was $10,265.

Plunkett Resources Ltd. bid $332,277 for a 32hectare lease parcel south

of Weyburn.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas dispositions will be held on April 8, 2013.

Number of jobs in Saskatchewan soars Province has lowest unemployment rate in Canada S a s k a t c h e wa n a d d e d nearly 25,000 jobs in January compared to the same period last year, a 4.7 per cent increase and the highest growth rate among the provinces, according to Statistics Canada.

Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate fell to 4.0 per cent, to the lowest

rate in Canada, the lowest level since November 2008, and well below the national average of 7.0 per cent.

Statistics Canada reported there were 24,700 more people working in the province in January compared to the same month last year for a

total of 545,300 people employed. Full-time employment swelled in Saskatchewan, with the number of people in fulltime positions increasing by 20,600 to 440,500. This was the highest level of full-time employment for the month of January.

Well, that’s a hook . . . Perdue Pirate, Lucas Fortier is the beneficiary of some fancy stick work from a Maymont Settler, February 9, as the two faced one another in Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League game two playoff action at the Jubilee. Two were called for the infraction. The

17 CN rail cars derail . . . Crews have nearly cleaned up the mess after 17 CN cars left the rails, February 7 near Biggar. No one was injured in the incident, but operations were temporarily shut down on the main line. A westbound locomotive and 17 containers came off the rails, landing upright. Officials say there were no spills, and the products aboard were a variety of consumer and household products. Traffic on the main line was flowing by weeks end, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam) “Saskatchewan is leading the nation in job creation, creating hope and

opportunity for thousands o f p e o p l e ,” E c o n o m y Minister Bill Boyd said.

Pirates played a feisty game, taking the second game win, 9-6, after losing the opener 10-2. The Pirates were blanked in game three, 7-0, but roll home this Friday. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

“And with forecasters predicting strong economic growth for 2013 and beyond, Saskatchewan will continue to offer rewarding careers for the province’s citizens and job seekers from across the country and around the world.”

Other highlights from the report include: • Saskatchewan’s labour force was the highest level for the month of January at 568,400.

• Employment for women increased 5.1 per cent to 254,000 in January – an all-time high.

• Employment for men increased 4.4 per cent to 291,300 – the highest level for January on record.

• Youth population was up 200, the labour force up by 800, and employment up by 700 in January 2013 compared to the same time last year.

• Ye a r - o v e r - y e a r employment was up in Regina by 3.3 per cent, while Saskatoon’s employment was up by 5.8 per cent.

• Regina has the lowest unemployment among major cities, at 4.1 per cent.

• Saskatoon has the sixth lowest rate at 5.3 per cent.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

2 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Saskatchewan home to fastest growing, youngest cities in Canada Saskatoon and Regina were the fastest growing and youngest cities among census metropolitan areas (CMAs) between July 1, 2011 and July 1, 2012, according to a report released February 6 by Statistics Canada.

Saskatoon secured top spot for growth for the third year in a row, jumping by a rate of 40.4 persons per thousand of population. This was the strongest annual growth rate of any CMA in 15 years. Saskatoon was also the youngest city among CMAs, with a median age of 34.9 years.

Regina landed in a close second for both population growth and age among CMAs, with

a growth rate of 31.5 persons per thousand of population and a median age of 36.0 years. Regina’s median age tied Calgary for second place and was well above the Canadian average of 40.0 years.

“It is no secret that this province is experiencing unprecedented population growth, and the strength of our Saskatchewan people can be thanked for that,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said.

“Both Saskatoon and Regina abound with job opportunities and business confidence, making these cities ideal locations to live, work and invest.”

Populations in Saskatoon and Regina saw significant increases

over Statistics Canada’s 2010-2011 numbers, up 11,000 and 7,000 respectively. The report credits sustained increases in international and interprovincial migration for the surge in these centres. Saskatoon and Regina’s birth rate versus death rate ratio was also cited as a factor in their younger populations.

“People who left Saskatchewan for better opportunities are finding their way back, and more and more newcomers are putting down roots and calling this province home,” Boyd said.

“These are all signs of the great optimism and youthfulness that can be found in this province.”

Tickets on sale for ‘The Wiz’ this Friday . . . New Creations Community Players director, Jennifer Crane goes over some marks with the cast of the upcoming musical, ‘The Wiz’, a take on the popular Wizard of Oz. Tickets for the March 15-17 performance go on sale this Friday at The Biggar Independent.

Art for the young artists . . . Biggar Museum and Gallery’s Sarah McIlmoyl, centre, gives a few pointers to BCS student Madison Genaille, as fellow classmate, Alexander Hinse, left, looks on. Several classes were at the Museum, discussing the current installation featuring artist Carl Beam’s work, putting together their own masterpieces, and generally having a fun, creative time. (Independent Photo

by Kevin Brautigam)

Toys from days gone by

by Delta Fay Cruickshank of The Independent The volunteers at the museum have been busy! They have created a brand new exhibit for all to see!

This new display shows a collection of toys. Come in and see what your great-grandparents played with when they were young. Part of the display is a collection of ‘Kewpie Dolls’.

Picture this . . . it is 1913, and there could be a fair in town. A young fellow is at the fair, and really wanting to impress a certain little miss. At one of the games, if he can throw a baseball actually, he could win a little doll for her. Now that would impress her!

The little doll that he had to win was likely a ‘Kewpie doll’! Little, short, cute, angel-like dolls with a topknot and rosy cheeks was the latest rage to hit early 1900’s.

The image of the cherubic-like dolls was created by Rosie O’Neil, an illustrator for Ladies Home Journal and other popular magazines. First created for the Christmas 1909 issue of Ladies Home Journal, the name ‘kewpie’ comes the word cupid.

The idyllic little face became an instance favourite, and was in all the popular magazines

at the time; Women’s Home Companion and Good Housekeeping, as well as on greeting cards and in story books.

Remember paper dolls - Kewpie was the first paper doll that showed both front and back views! Kellogg’s used the illustration on their cereal boxes, as well as Jell-O! In 1912, George Borgfeldt and Company of New York contracted O’Neil to develop a line of Kewpie dolls and figurines. A 17-year-old art student, Joseph Alecs, created the first mold.

The dolls went into production, being made in G e r m a n y.

At that time Germany could manufacture porcelain dolls more economically than in America. At one time 21 factories in Germany produced Kewpie dolls!

The demand was overwhelming!

Now being considered a good luck charm, the little figurines were everywhere - on key chains, at the fairs, in shop windows. Not even the First World War stopped the production of Kewpie.

The factories moved to Belgium and France. In

the United States, they were beginning to make them out of wood and celluloid, the precursor to plastic.

In the 1920’s, Kewpie began to get a wardrobe.

A whole new enterprise grew out of the demand for clothing, like sailor’s outfits, bellhops and soldiers! There was even a fancier doll being produced with a bisque head and fancy outfits.

In 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, a Kewpie doll was laid in a time capsule along with a Life Magazine, writings by Albert Einstein and a pack of Camel cigarettes.

Shortly after, Kewpie began falling out of favour with the public.

Illustrations were considered old fashioned in the world of advertising. Photographs replaced the little cherub on advertising. The Shirley Temple and Raggedy Andy dolls began winning over the hearts of little girls.

The Biggar Museum now has on display a few of the these little dolls, a pre-Cabbage patch doll phenomena.

(Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Opinions ........................................................... 4 Agriculture ...................................................... 8 Classifieds ................................................17 - 19 Business & Professional Directories ........20 - 21 Sports............................................................... 23

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 3

Action, not just study, needed to make roads safer Danielle Chartier, NDP critic for SGI, says immediate action is needed to make Saskatchewan’s roads and highways safer, and the Sask Party’s traffic safety committee falls short.

In the coming weeks, the NDP will put concrete proposals on the table to improve road safety, regardless of the creation of the Legislative Committee on Traffic Safety announced February 7.

“The creation of a committee is finally at least evidence that the Sask Party recognizes there are problems to be addressed,”said Chartier, who has been outspoken about Saskatchewan’s abysmal traffic death rate in 2012.

“But, a slow-moving committee mandated to make recommendations is red-tape and bureaucracy, not action.”

Chartier added that municipal police services, the RCMP and SGI already know the major causes of Saskatchewan’s disastrous safety record, and other provinces have successful programs in place the province can replicate.

While the NDP will participate constructively on the new committee, Chartier

said the creation of the committee will not deter the work the NDP has already been doing.

“The NDP will not slow down,” said Chartier. “We have been consulting stakeholders and experts and believe that there are steps that can be taken immediately to make roads safer. We’re not going to put that on hold because we are not prepared to see a repeat of 2012’s horrendous fatality count.”

Saskatchewan has the highest rate of impaired driving and impaired driving fatalities among the provinces and had a record number of deaths on Saskatchewan roads in 2012 at 175.

The object of attention . . . Small, black and round - the puck was the objective during the Biggar Initiation Nationals home tournament at the Jubilee Stadium, February 9. Teams from round the

area descended on the rink, and the junior players played hard for the wins. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Finance Minister reaffirms the government’s commitment to jobs, growth and long-term prosperity On the seventh anniversary of his swearing-in as Minister of Finance, the Honourable Jim Flaherty highlighted the Harper government’s past economic success and set out the course towards a prosperous future.

SpeakingtotheEconomic

Looking for the hoop . . . St. Gabriel Saint, Jordyn Brotzel gets set for the shot, but BCS Blazer Katie Kurulak gets her all tied up, February 7. The Biggar junior basketball rivalry faced off at BCS, but it was the Saints who came away with the 30-16 win.

(Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Club of Canada, Minister Flaherty recounted how actions taken early in the Harper government’s mandate, such as cutting taxes, investing in infrastructure and eliminating a significant amount of federal debt, positioned Canada to emerge from the Great Recession faster and stronger than virtually any other industrialized country.

“Our government has witnessed and responded to a host of challenges, some of them unprecedented in our lifetime,” said Flaherty. “The actions our government initiated through Canada’s Economic Action Plan allowed us to recover from these global economic shocks faster and with the best job growth record over the recovery and lowest net debt to GDP ratio in the G-7.”

He noted that since 2006, the Harper government has continually taken the long-term view in managing the Canadian economy, while taking prudent action to address short-term risks.

“Throughout the uncertainty in the global economy, we have seen Canada’s Economic Action Plan deliver real and tangible results for Canadians,” said Flaherty.

“Budget 2013, the next

step in our Economic Action Plan, will continue to build on our strengths and the key pro-growth initiatives, with the objective of returning to balanced budgets by the end of this Parliament.”

As Flaherty prepares

Budget 2013 he made it clear that the government will not: Engage in dangerous and risky new spendingschemes;Engage in endless spending to increase deficits; Impose new taxes on Canadians.

“In uncertain global

economic times, the most important contribution a government can make to bolster confidence and growth in a country is to maintain a sound fiscal position. We have done so.

We will continue to do so,” Flaherty concluded.

Highest merchandise exports in Saskatchewan history The province’s merchandise exports set an all-time high in 2012, totalling $31.4 billion, according to Statistics Canada.

This was a 6.4 per cent jump compared to 2011 and above the national average of 1.9 per cent.

This level of growth landed Saskatchewan second among the provinces and well ahead of Alberta and British Columbia, which ranked fourth and seventh respectively.

“To be heading into a new year with this strength in numbers shows there is plenty of momentum and confidence in our export industry and our economy,” Minister responsible for Trade Tim McMillan said.

“Our government views trade as fundamental to the continued growth and prosperity of this province.”

Commodities that saw the most significant gains in 2012 were

only shipping their goods around the globe, they are creating jobs and contributing to our economic growth,” McMillan said.

“Saskatchewan has what the world needs and a record year in exports is proof of this.”

metal and non-metallic mineral products, up 44.5 per cent; forestry products and building and packaging material, up 37.4 per cent; and electronic and electrical equipment and parts, up 31.7 per cent.

“Exporters are not

GAS PRICES AT THE PUMP… Wednesday, February 13, 11:00 a.m. (stations randomly selected)

Biggar .............................................115.9¢/L Duperow Cardlock .........................112.9¢/L Perdue… .........................................112.9¢/L Landis… .........................................112.9¢/L Rosetown… ....................................112.9¢/L North Battleford….........................109.9¢/L Unity...............................................109.9¢/L Saskatoon .......................................108.9¢/L Humboldt .......................................107.9¢/L Lloydminster ..................................106.9¢/L Kindersley ......................................111.9¢/L Swift Current .................................115.9¢/L

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4 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Community spirit makes a successful event On the 9th the Community Hall was certainly the place to be as lots of people gathered to raise funds for the new long term care facility. The crowd was in the mood to spend their dollars on silent auction, live auction, brown bag auction items and half n half tickets.

Numerous donations from community groups and corporate entities were presented bringing the total up even more. The chairman joked that it felt a little bit like Telemiracle -- the total just kept going up.

All in all it was a good evening, not just the fundraising part but getting together to visit with neighbours. There were supporters from various municipalities that have committed funds for the new facility, both in our catchment area and outside.

And, you have to give the volunteers a big pat on the back. They all worked hard, not only that evening but in the previous months. An evening like this doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes lots of planning and hard work. The organizers did a great job.

All in all it was a very nice evening thanks to everyone. This is truly what community spirit is all about.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome.

They MUST be signed, approximately 300 words in length and are subject to editing.

P.H.

Health of Canada’s health care system in boomers’ hands Don’t rule out Canada’s baby boomers righting public health care as one of their final acts of defiance against conventional thinking

by Cy Frank, Expert Advisor, EvidenceNetwork. ca Distributed by Troy Media, www.troymedia.com Should we baby boomers be feeling guilty now that everyone else seems to have finally clued in to the developed world’s worst-kept secret: there are lots of us, we didn’t have enough children of our own to replenish the taxpayer base, and we didn’t contribute enough in taxes to cover our future health needs as increasingly frail citizens.

Result: our children and theirs are going to be saddled with an expensive burden they can ill afford as droves of silverhaired boomers leave the workforce and consume a disproportionate share of public health resources in their senior years.

The situation is dire if you believe author Jeffrey Simpson. In Chronic Condition: Why Canada’s Health Care System Needs to be Dragged Into the 21st Century, Simp-

son notes that slower economic growth in the decade ahead will coincide with an aging Canadian population. He notes that wringing efficiency gains out of medicare will almost certainly not be enough to sustain it. He backs this up with evidence in 2010 from the OECD that “Canada could (only) lower by 2.5 per cent its spending on health care were the Canadian health-care system to become as efficient as the best in the OECD.” This suggests we must be prepared to increase taxes, introduce parallel private services and user fees, or cut public services.

Simpson’s conclusion misses an important element – actually five important elements. Safety, effectiveness, appropriateness, accessibility and acceptability. Each of these dimensions of health care has an impact on cost. Examining a sixth dimension – efficiency – alone, to the

exclusion of the others will miss the opportunity to squeeze significant value out of our public health dollars.

Let’s look at access, for example. Patients who wait long periods for surgery consume health care resources to manage their symptoms, like pain, while waiting; the longer they wait, the higher the symptom management costs.

A report prepared for the Canadian Medical Association in 2008 put the total cost of excessive waits for total joint replacement at $26,400 per patient.

How about safety issues? Better risk management of patients can reduce the chances of infections, blood clots and heart attacks that put patients back in hospital after surgery.

Appropriateness of care decisions are also cost drivers. Here, identifying ‘the right patients’ could reduce the numbers who are routed

to expensive testing and to a surgeon but do not require surgery. This is more common than most people realize, generating higher costs needlessly while increasing the waiting time for people who actually need the tests and surgery.

There are numerous examples of potential cost savings in each of the six dimensions of health care. The salient question is: are we doing anything about them?

In Alberta, a new concept has been launched that brings into play potential improvement in all of these dimensions.

The concept, Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN), was launched in the summer with the first six of 12 high-volume, high-need areas of medicine: Bone and Joint Health; Obesity, Diabetes and Nutrition; Seniors’ Health; Cardiovascular Health and Stroke; Cancer Care; and Addiction and Mental Health.

These SCNs bring to-

gether all of the health care constituents – health professionals, patients, researchers, academics, business people and policy makers – in teams that have the opportunity to profoundly change the way services are designed and delivered, and to expand and exploit research and development of technologies.

Clinicians take on leadership roles in multistakeholder teams. Patients – the actual users – have a direct say in designing and delivering services. Business people bring a business perspective and entrepreneurial spirit to the table – and, as in industry, new ideas have to be supported by a rigorous business case.

Results will be monitored and measured, a standard practice in business, which long ago recognized that improvement is impossible without measurement.

Much of this is the work of baby boomers

who are approaching their retirement years with more than a few ounces of creative juice still flowing.

As for feeling guilty, well, boomers don’t exactly have a history of feeling guilty about anything. But they do have a history of leading change. They have rocked, shocked and shaped the world like no generation before them.

Don’t rule out Canada’s baby boomers righting public health care as one of their final acts of defiance against conventional thinking.

Cy Frank is an expert advisor with EvidenceNetwork.ca and the Executive Director of Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute. He is also an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Calgary, professor of surgery in the Division of Orthopaedics, University of Calgary, and the McCaig Professor of Joint Injury and Arthritis Research.

www.biggarindependent.ca

Phone: 306-948-3344

Fax: 306-948-2133

Publications Mail Registrations No. 0008535 Published by THE INDEPENDENT PRINTERS LTD. and issued every Monday at the office of publication, 102 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar, Saskatchewan, S0K 0M0 Publishers - Margaret and Daryl Hasein Editor - Kevin Brautigam Advertising Consultant - Urla Tyler Composition - Delta Fay Cruickshank

E-mail: tip@sasktel.net

P. O. Box 40 Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

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

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

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 5

Saskjobs nets more than 1 million visits in January One day a subscriber walked into the office with a roll of newspapers. Not just any newspapers but old (really old) copies of newspapers from various towns and cities.

It was quite a treasure find.

Sixty years makes quite a difference in social attitudes, prices and even products.

And yet, there were some similarities as well. Weather was still a hot topic and one or two editions featured a column Sassy Says giving the temps and weather outlook.

This particular edition was Tuesday, January 8, 1952. Sassy said the weather was sunny and cold. A long list of cities had their temperatures listed: Calgary 28 and 4; Medicine Hat, 31 and 13; Regina, 20 and 1; Winnipeg 25 and 6.

These were Fahrenheit of course as that was before the metric conversion.

One weather report for September contained an additional tidbit that went as follows. “Fine for the start of harvest.

Familiar faces of some farmers will be missing from King Street for the

next four or five weeks.”

Even in those days coffee row was alive and well except apparently during harvest time.

In local politics one municipality was having an issue with cigarette vending machines.

An entrepreneur approached council about setting up vending machines around town. The report was: “The vote was rejected in a matter of seconds by city council.

The firm wanted to operate vending machines on city streets.

In his report the police chief said, “We have at present time quite a bit of trouble with cigarette smoking among juveniles.” I guess the less distractions youth had meant they wouldn’t get into more trouble.

Another article dealt with drunk drivers and the reliability of the “drunkometer”.

We would call it a breathalyzer today. This was from Los Angeles and was headed Proof Enough. “Police ran into a problem with their drunkometer tests -- a driver who huffed and puffed by was so tipsy he couldn’t blow up the

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balloon. They decided this was evidence enough and jailed him on suspicion of drunk driving.”

The advertisements were quite graphic.

One was for the dish detergent Joy. From all accounts Procter and Gamble’s new product was declared “magic”.

“Joy -- Procter and Gamble’s sensational new liquid sudsmaker cuts grease faster, better. Washes almost twice as many dishes as a big box of soap in hardest water. It’s true.

No soap flakes, powders or granules in the world washes dishes as fast as Joy. It’s Dishwashing Magic.”

Here’s how I feel.

Unless the dishes wash themselves in the detergent there is nothing magic about it.

It was summer and one community was hosting the Hollywood Dare Devils on their sports grounds. Twenty-five spine-tingling acts with the world’s most daring drivers would be putting on a show. Jumping over vehicles and doing all sorts of stunts. No doubt there was a full house for that performance.

Taking a walk down memory lane (more like a glimpse into the past) is kind of a fun thing to do once in a while.

In a lot of ways times have changed but many things have not.

Saskjobs.ca started the year strong with 1,098,651 visits to the Web site in January 2013, up 17.96 per cent over January 2012.

“New and exciting e m p l o y m e n t opportunities are available each and every day throughout this growing province,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said Tuesday.

“Saskjobs continues to be the foremost portal for connecting job seekers to employers in Saskatchewan.”

Employers posted a total of 16,522 jobs on saskjobs.ca in January 2013, up 12.26 per cent year-over-year. Of those postings, the majority of job opportunities were available under the category of Sales and Services, which

comprised 31.46 per cent of all jobs posted.

Trades, Transport and Construction opportunities also made up a large portion of the jobs posted at 28.36 per cent. Meanwhile, the most significant yearover-year gains were seen in: Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport (73.37 per cent); Health (36.44 per cent); and Business, Finance and Administration (33.81 per cent).

“There were a total of 348 communities throughout this province that had jobs posted on the Web site,” Boyd said.

“This is just further proof that opportunities are available to individuals in every corner of this province and are not just available in our urban centres.”

Outside of Saskatchewan, the majority of visits to the saskjobs.ca Web site from within Canada came from Ontario and Alberta. The United States, Philippines and India accounted for the majority of international visits to the Web site.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Economy launched a Saskatchewan Jobs Facebook page to promote working in Saskatchewan. Visitors will be able to access postings directly from the saskjobs.ca Web site through the Facebook portal. This is one of the many elements used to support the Real Growth, Real Opportunity national campaign, which is focused on recruiting workers to the province.

Expressions of Interest HEARTLAND HEALTH REGION The Heartland Health Region (HHR) express their interest in receiving well considered proposals for the sale of the building, Biggar Diamond Lodge, and property at 402-2nd Ave. West in Biggar, Sask.

Proponents wishing to receive the full RFP package are to submit their requests to: Wayne Pierrepont Director of Environment Services/Capital Projects Heartland Regional Health Authority Box 70 Kyle, SK S0L 1T0 306-375-2251 ext. 247 The closing date for RFP submissions is:

March 15, 2013

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

6 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Hark! Hark!

by Bob Mason

Mother had a beautiful voice - mebbe all mothers have beautiful voices, eh? - as children we used to hear her singing away as she worked, almost as though she enjoyed it all!

Mebbe we all hope that our mothers enjoyed the lives that they had out here, for it was in the Depression years and when we look back, there sure wasn’t much to sing about!

Many,many times, as we went by her kitchen window which was always open in summertime, we could hear the words of songs that we will never forget ...

“Oh whar awa’ got ye that auld worsted plaidee A mantle of satin were fitter for thee!

I’ll take you lon wi’ me and make ye a lady.

And broad will your home be in bonnie Glenshea!”

Dad used to sing quite a bit too, but mostly in the evenings as a visiting family gathered around the piano. Mother always played it as Uncles and Aunts from all over, some holding the old coal oil lamps so that she could see, sang sometimes far into the night!

Mother loved to sing “alto”, and as young

people we mostly listened as the whole group harmonized the old tunes . . .

“In the evening by the moonlight We could hear the family singing!

How the old folks would enjoy it They would sit all night and listen, As they sang there in the evening By the moonlight!”

I suppose that if a fellow looked and asked a little more they could still hear voices like that in choirs and groups across the country, people who love to sing!

Singing for oneself isn’t

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a passing fad! Folks have done it for thousands of years. Peasants have sung, possibly because the very act of singing elevated their life-stance a little bit until their part in the ways-of-the-world were almost acceptable.

“The beat, beat, beat of the tom-toms when the jungle shadows fall!”

Many people used to sing so much! We weren’t very good, mind you, but we did sing, often for the reasons just mentioned.

Where did all those singing voices go? Are they still here inside ourselves, waiting for us to find out that the songs born inside each one of us are, as we cope with life!

In the Great Depression years when things were so bad everywhere, many of us sang most of the day! Sometimes it didn’t sound so good, but boy did we feel so much better! As the experts say, mebbe we didn’t work that land so good either, but sitting out there on the plough, we often sang - even the horses seemed to enjoy it!

We didn’t know it until years later, but one afternoon, one of our neighbours got his whole family out to hear us singing as we worked a nearby field!

It didn’t bother us at all then. We sang for ourselves because we wanted to. But it does bother me now, that so many people almost go crazy and almost fight each other in order to see a millionaire singing star!

Mebbe a fellow shouldn’t criticize this change in song styles so much, after all “Annie Laurie” does sound a little different than

“I’m just a hound dog”, eh? But liking it isn’t the point, it is doing it that counts, and doing it is one of life’s greater accomplishments!

Down at the mine one day, years ago, the workshop almost seemed filled with song, and everyone stopped and stared at each other. The company had hired four Yorkshire men who sang as they worked, as they always had. But some foreman told them to be quiet . . . and they never came back the next day!

Sorry! I guess that the moral is: no longer do people call their families out to listen to someone sing while they work!

Rather folks travel 50 miles just to see a famous singer!

My brother Walt had a fine voice, too. Remember Walt? I recalls the evening when we were gathered around a piano and the guy playing it swung around and said: “Who has that wonderful voice?”

Mother didn’t need a radio, nor did we, for the songs that she sang, and the fact that we sang with her, were all that we needed . . .

“Oh war awa’ got ye that could crookit penny?

For one of bright gold will ye niffer wi’ me?

Right full at both ends are my green silken wallet.

And broad will your home be in bonnie Glenshea.”

It was in the 1930’s (The Dirty Thirties!) and although we didn’t have many “pennies” (even “crookit” ones!), for a few moments she could trade our “prairie disaster” for the far-off walls of Bonnie Glenshea!

As the war years went

by, there were quite a few times when singing helped pass the terrible moments we must have known. Like: A whole bunch of us, riding in the back of a big truck, as it brought us back from a midnight pass in Brandon. Or: That night when the lights went out in Camp Shilo, and we sang around an old piano, until they came on again!

Or: That Christmas eve in Rijen, Holland where by candlelight we harmonized “Silent Night” with men who never saw the spring . . . . . . And the three of us singing a bar-room ballad in Xanten, just before Jack Glavin and Norman Donaldson got killed.

It seems almost crude to mention such wonderful sensuous moments in such terrible situations - we are sure looking forward to “Good will toward men!”

So much for the past, eh? And having to read what some silly old man has to say about “The good old day”, eh? But that “silly old man isn’t just trying to tell about his times, he wants our young people to enjoy the chance to sing their own songs.

So . . . on we go, eh?

As time passes, more and more I realize that singing (or just hearing!) those songs, has done an awful lot to make us what we are out here.

Probably we won’t even notice things like this, but YT has always felt that there is part of a meadowlark in all of us.

The part that perches on a fence post each morning and lets the world know that out here in Saskatchewan “all is well!”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 7

Saskatchewan’s Creative Industries Agency announced Today the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport Kevin Doherty announced that legislation will be introduced this spring to establish Creative Saskatchewan - a new agency that will assist in bringing Saskatchewan’s creative talent to market.

A $1 million transition fund will support Saskatchewan projects until the new Creative Saskatchewan agency is launched later in 2013.

“Our creative industries contribute significantly to Saskatchewan’s strong quality of life through music, film, television, digital media, visual arts, crafts, writing and publishing, theatre and dance,” Doherty said, February 8. “It is essential that we position all creative industries to be part of the province’s plan for growth and increase the economic potential of the culture sector, positioning our province’s talent to tell our stories to the world.”

Developed through ongoing creative industry consultation, Creative Saskatchewan will work collaboratively with sec-

tor organizations and will assist creative entrepreneurs with all aspects of bringing their products to market and, in the case of the film sector, also support production.

The government will invest $150,000 to assist in launching the new agency.

The Government of Saskatchewan will also continue its support of the Canada-Saskatchewan Production Studio (sound stage) and will encourage the creative industries to utilize this space as a creative hub.

“We applaud the vision of the Government of Saskatchewan for the establishment of Creative Saskatchewan,” SaskMusic CEO J.P. Ellson said. “By centralizing the marketing of all our creative industries, we will now have the strength to compete on a global scale.

Saskatchewan has the best artists and we look forward to showing them to the world.”

“We are excited about the announcement of a new program that responds to the immediate needs of the film and tele-

vision industry,” President of Cheshire Smile Productions Tim Tyler said. “This timely support allows us to finalize funding details for our latest production, Space Stretch, a pre-school television series we are producing with CityTV.” The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport worked closely with the Saskatchewan Arts Board to provide $1M in transitional financial support to creative agencies during the establishment of the new Creative Saskatchewan.

These funds will be available from the Arts Board’s existing Flexible Loan Program which has been under-utilized, historically.

“We have a wealth of talent in this province and we are pleased to be participating in the planning and provision of transitional funding to kickstart this important new initiative,” Arts Board Chair Byrna Barclay said.

“Now our artists have the support they need to truly make a living doing what they love right here in Saskatchewan.”

Diamond Lodge News Hello to all of our fellow readers. We have been keeping very busy here at Diamond Lodge so today I thought I would let you know some of the things we have been doing.

Monday was exercises in the morning. At 2:30 we played Blast from the Past. We talked about things that happened in our life over the years.

Tuesday was current events. Later that day we played two rounds of Beat the Dice.

Wednesday was our monthly birthday party night. We celebrated four birthdays. Country II played at the party.

There was a lot of dancing on the dance floor. The Landis CWL supplied the lunch of fruit bread, cheese and ice cream!

Thursday was our sec-

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Biggar • 948-3397

ond round of exercises for the week. This helps us keep active. Then we had bingo.

Friday morning we had our winter favourite activity which of course is Breakfast Club. At 10:45, the staff did different one on one activities with the residents. At 2:30 the residents watched a Daniel O’Donnell music video.

Saturday was dot bingo.

The residents enjoy play-

ing bingo on Saturday mornings. The Saturday movie this week was Homeward Bound.

Sunday was manicure morning. Everyone needs to look their best for church. Curling was on TV in a lot of rooms. The Church this week was the Biggar Associated Gospel Church.

That is all from us this week. Take care everyone and talk to you soon!

Biggar Minor Hockey Annual General Meeting Supper/ Awards Night to be held on

MONDAY, MARCH 25 Supper • 5:30 p.m.

AGM and Awards to follow at Biggar Community Hall Any constitutional motions must be received by Biggar Minor Hockey no later than March 1, 2013.

Please send to Box 1794, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0.

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST Town of Biggar 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 16th day of April, 2013, 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.

Assessment Lot Blk Plan Mer. Title Total Advertising Total Number Sec. Twp Rge Number Arrears Costs Arrears 495000400 495000650 495001350 495002400

7 12 5 4 5 495003250 17 495003400 20 495003450 21 495003950 5 6 7 495004550 17 495006250 17 18 495008220 20 21 495008300 24 495010600 27 495017150 1 504902150 4 504904050 16 505000900 18 19 20 505003800 36 505004200 41 42 43 44 45 46 505005950 40 505007550 30 31 505007650 32 33 505007750 34 35 505007850 36 37 38 505008500 7 505008800 13 14 15 16 17 505014650 2 2 505016350 38 505017300 15 16 17 505021100 3 4 505021750 16 17 505025800 7 505026200 15 505028900 1 2 3 505031000 16 505033150 18 505035100 28 5605036150 10 11 12 505036300 13 505036950 26 505037450 9 505037550 21 505039150 20 505040000 17 505040250 2 505041850 14 505042300 8 505044250 13 505046650 1 505110200 7 505110650 16 505110900 1

31 31 32 33 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 36 36 39 39 39 41 53A 100 101 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 8 8 9 9 9 11 11 11 11 13 13 16 16 16 17 19 21 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 84 84 85

G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 G167 77S21957 101926481 65S05233 65S05233 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 101562218 101562218 101562218 101562218 101562218 101562229 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 101562016 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 101562128 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 D4770 G187 G187 G187

Ext 18 Ext 19

Ext 19 Ext 20 Ext 21 Ext 22 Ext 23 Ext 10

Ext 10

114837071 $1,235.58 $ 4.82 137470596 443.58 ......... 4.82 138212232 1,103.18 ......... 4.82 128079335 1,081.71 ......... 9.64 128079434 140755877 729.19 ......... 4.82 140894589 1,427.07 ......... 4.82 1402421114 346.93 ......... 4.82 141456629 483.50 ......... 14.46 141651198 141651211 114593957 674.33 ......... 4.82 140402708 1,429.93 ......... 9.64 140402090 139076590 2,637.03 ......... 9.64 139076602 138608916 1,721.25 ......... 4.82 113866847 698.50 .......... 4.82 134786616 4,589.25 ......... 4.82 139769667 1,742.02 ......... 4.82 131002322 1,403.97 ......... 4.82 139583289 907.10 ......... 14.46 139583290 139583302 114518448 663.68 ......... 4.82 141606198 70.07 ......... 28.92 141606222 141606244 141606266 141606288 136581352 111358155 652.43 ......... 4.82 136510309 3,167.09 ......... 9.64 136510310 135020753 ,315.96 .......... 9.64 135020797 135131914 674.33 ......... 9.64 135131981 134251051 2,129.39 ......... 14.46 134250960 134251028 114519269 785.47 ........ 4.82 139086906 6,192.09 ........ 24.10 139086917 139086928 139086939 139086940 137390812 361.73 ......... 9.64 137390799 138543262 685.03 ......... 4.82 139630675 691.11 ......... 14.46 139630709 139630721 141005652 747.48 ......... 9.64 141005663 139359910 665.19 ......... 9.64 139359831 137213399 786.36 ......... 4.82 128979376 784.00 ......... 4.82 114681506 270.15 ......... 14.46 114681517 114681528 114681887 745.19 ......... 4.82 141363503 692.62 ......... 4.82 114682608 700.26 ......... 4.82 140515871 3,323.50 ......... 14.46 140516524 140516591 135959956 80.60 ......... 4.82 130917900 1,216.65 ......... 4.82 140190106 259.02 ......... 4.82 142238055 1,137.34 ......... 4.82 135751316 698.42 ......... 4.82 141635202 921.14 ......... 4.82 138317070 980.20 ......... 4.82 130796512 793.44 ......... 4.82 123254715 531.48 ......... 4.82 135586840 1,096.09 ......... 4.82 114523488 693.96 ......... 4.82 130670300 767.48 ......... 4.82 114534738 716.98 ......... 4.82 139851041 715.48 ......... 4.82

$1,240.40 448.40 1,108.00 1,091.35 734.01 1,431.89 351.75 497.96

679.15 1,439.57 2,646.67 1,726.07 703.32 4,594.07 1,746.84 1,408.79 921.56

668.50 98.99

657.25 3,176.73 1,325.60 683.97 2,143.85

790.29 6,216.19

371.37 689.85 705.57

757.12 674.83 791.18 788.82 284.61

750.01 697.44 705.08 3,337.96

85.42 1,221.47 263.84 1,142.16 703.24 925.96 985.02 798.26 536.30 1,100.91 698.78 772.30 721.80 720.30

Dated this 14th day of February, 2013 Barb Barteski, Treasurer

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

8 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Food security linked to innovative past

by Calvin Daniels

by Calvin Daniels Regular readers will know that I have an interest in trying to look ahead and fathom how this world is going to feed itself on finite land resources and a population seemingly incapable of slowing its ever burgeoning growth.

So it is with some definite interest to me when last December Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan was launched by the Saskatchewan government.

The Institute has a lofty goal - to develop Saskatchewan-led solutions to feed a growing world population - and certainly one worth pursuing.

The funding mix, with initial commitments of up to CDN $35 million from PotashCorp and CDN $15 million from the province over the next seven years, should give the Institute a solid resource base on which to start its efforts.

That said the provincial share, which amounts to a couple of bucks per person per year in the province, is perhaps not as large as we should expect.

But it is a start, and that is the important thing.

“The institute will apply Saskatchewan’s unique resources, innovation and expertise to address the increasing global demand for safe, reliable food,” detailed a release.

Food security is of course tied directly to agriculture production, and in terms of farming Saskatchewan inventors have long shown an ability to solve problems.

We have seen that first hand with George Morris developing the rod weeder, which at the time was a major step forward in field tillage technology.

And then there is the work done in Saskatchewan in terms of zero tillage by companies such as Flexicoil, Bourgault, and others.

It’s the same thing

we have seen farmers accomplish in terms of production.

Producers have been quick to pick up on advancements in farming techniques, whether it is zero-till alternatives, the move from common rapeseed to canola, and then genetically modified canola which offers still more options, or how farmers adopted pulse

crops into their rotations and quickly became major exporters on a global scale.

So turning the ingenuity we have seen come to the fore in the past and applying it to the problems associated with food security is a step forward.

In announcing the launch Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said it well.

“The plan for growth positions Saskatchewan as a global leader in food security and innovation by 2020,” he said in a release.

“Advancing Saskatchewan’s agricultural advantage allows us to significantly increase the global food supply - our moral obligation as a good global citizen - while building the next economy, an

innovation economy, here at home.”

Given our innovative past, and our quickness to adopt advancements, producers should seek to lead developments to ensure greater food security.

In the end it is good for our producers, and industry, but more importantly for the world population in terms of preventing hunger.

Record funding and coverage for the 2013 Crop Insurance Program Monday, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced details of the 2013 Crop Insurance Program, which includes record funding and record coverage levels.

“Agriculture plays an important role in Saskatchewan and across Canada in creating jobs and economic growth,” Ritz said. “Insurance-based programs such as these ensure that Saskatchewan farmers have the tools they need to maintain their success today and well into the future.”

“We are committed to the growth of the agriculture industry by working to improve the Crop Insurance Program,” Stewart said. “I would encourage producers

to consider enrolling in Crop Insurance to take advantage of the increased coverage levels and other enhancements to the program.”

The 2013 Crop Insurance budget is a record $198 million.

On average, coverage levels are also increasing to a record $194 per acre up from $174 per acre in 2012, and more than double the coverage offered in 2007. Since 2008, the provincial government has continually increased funding for crop insurance to address the needs of farmers and ranchers.

New in 2013, hard red spring wheat and oats will be eligible for yield trending.

Yield trending recognizes agronomic advancements and increases a producer’s historical yields, which

improves the current coverage available on those crops. The yield for hard red spring wheat will increase nine per cent and oats yield will increase 13 per cent, on average.

The 2013 Crop Insurance Program also includes increased Establishment Benefit values for field peas, canola and identitypreserved canola;expansion of the insurable region for soybeans; and expansion of the insurable region for corn.

Crop Insurance enhancements made in previous years will also continue in 2013. These include up to $100 per eligible acre Unseeded Acreage Benefit, yield cushioning and 100 per cent wildlife damage compensation. As a result of record coverage and continued crop insurance enhancements, there will be no ad-hoc AgriRecovery Program for weatherrelated disasters in 2013.

In 2013, for the first time ever, private reinsurance will be purchased for the Crop Insurance Program to stabilize premiums, which will help protect producers in the event of a large claim year. Purchasing private reinsurance was a recommendation from the 2008 Crop Insurance Review.

“We appreciate the record investment, record coverage and continued improvements to the

WATCH for Doreen’s Discount Day at Leslie’s Drugstore Biggar • 948-3397

Crop Insurance Program,” SARM President David Marit said.

“Saskatchewan canola producers welcome the record coverage levels and increased establishment benefits for canola,” SaskCanola Chair Joan Heath said. “This program will continue to be very important to the success of the canola industry and its producers.”

“Saskatchewan oat producers are pleased to see the improvements to crop insurance including yield trending for oats,” Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission Chair Dwayne Anderson said.

“The outlook for wheat acres seeded this spring is promising,” Western Canadian Wheat Growers Saskatchewan VicePresident Kenton Possberg said.

“We appreciate the increased coverage and enhancements to crop insurance like yield trending for wheat.”

The deadline for customers to apply for,make changes to or cancel a Crop Insurance contract is March 31, 2013. Detailed program and contract information is also available at any Crop Insurance office, at saskcropinsurance.com or by calling 1-888-935-0000.

Under Crop Insurance, premiums for most programs are shared 40 per cent by participating producers, 36 per cent by the Government of Canada and 24 per cent by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Administrative expenses are fully-funded by governments, 60 per cent

by Canada and 40 per cent

by Saskatchewan.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 9

Financial Advice to make a positive difference

by Kim Inglis, BCom, CIM, PFP, FCSI, AIFP | Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager Canaccord Wealth Management A recent BMO Financial Group study says three-quarters of Canadians with an RRSP have already made or plan to make a contribution before the March 1 deadline.

Unfortunately, 60 per cent find the deadline stressful.

Contributing to an RRSP doesn’t need to be traumatic. For many, simply changing their savings schedule can eliminate anxiety. However, although it might be easier to make smaller regular contributions throughout the year, 49 per cent wait until the end of each year to make a lump sum payment.

Twelve smaller sums should not only be easier than finding one large sum right after holiday season expenses, but paying by automatic withdrawal also makes it difficult to skip a month for an impetuous purchase.

The investor no longer frets about funding and the retirement savings discipline is reinforced.

Funding stress can be lowered further if the expected tax refund is received during the year.

An employed investor can file a T1213 form, advising the CRA and the employer about their RRSP savings plan, and have tax deductions reduced at source to improve cash flow and make the payments easier.

Regular RRSP contributions are also beneficial from an investment perspective because investors can take advantage of dollar-cost averaging, buying more of their investments when prices

are low and less when they are high. Investing equal dollar amounts over a set period of time generally achieves a lower average cost and the worry about buying shares amid market excursions is decreased.

It’s wise to think about the RRSP’s place among other priorities such as eliminating high-interest debt. If an RRSP’s benefits don’t support those goals it may need to wait.

Acting on knowledge and planning is less stressful than making quick decisions and then wondering if they were right.

Thought should be given to the way RRSPs work.

For investors in higher income tax brackets, RRSPs make sense because their tax deduction is likely at a higher marginal rate than it will be when withdrawals are taxed in retirement. For those in the early stages of a career with a low income, it may be better to accumulate RRSP headroom until their higher marginal tax rate is higher.

For the investor who has determined that an RRSP is the retirement vehicle they need, there is comfort in having the right strategy. It begins with examining the way in which the RRSP is invested. Generally speaking, bonds and other interest-bearing investments are best kept within an RRSP to remain tax sheltered while the most favourably taxed investments, such as those that produce capital gains and dividends, should be outside the RRSP. Asset allocation relative to age is an important consideration. According to the BMO study, 60 per cent of Canadian investors have specific time frames or target dates

to reach their financial goals and 89 per cent agree that it is important to hold investments that evolve over time, becoming less risky as key life events approach. While that may be what the

majority believes, only 49 per cent invest accordingly.

At any stage of life retirement planning requires careful thinking.

Don’t allow an investing process to impede your

thought processes by introducing stress.

Kim Inglis, CIM, PFP, FCSI, AIFP is an Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager with Canaccord Wealth Management, a division of

13023DS000

13023MF000

Canaccord Genuity Corp., Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund, reynoldsinglis.ca. The views in this column are solely those of the author.

10 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

NDP calls for AEDP to be reinstated in March budget For the seventh consecutive month, the Statistics Canada jobs report is bleak in terms of First Nations and Métis employment in Saskatchewan, the the NDP said, February 8.

Statistics Canada reported that the First Nations labour force shrunk by 1,600 over the last year and the Métis labour

force shrunk by 400. The labour force figure includes all those who are either working or actively looking for work.

“We will never be all that we can be as a province if we continue to leave whole segments of our population behind like this,” said NDP employment critic Cam Broten.

“I call on the Sask Party

NDP disappointed by Sask Party’s film failure The NDP is disappointed that a final blow has been dealt to Saskatchewan’s once-robust film industry by the Sask Party.

The Sask Party announced February 8 that SaskFilm will be eliminated by the creation of Creative Saskatchewan and the former film-specific tax credit will be replaced by a small and temporary grant open to artists in all genres for marketing their product.

“The Sask Party has had unlimited opportunity to

do the right thing for the economy, and workers and businesses that benefit from the film industry,” said Danielle Chartier, the NDP critic for culture. “Instead, the Sask Party has ignored economic realities and common sense to spend 11 months in pursuit of their ideological opposition to the film industry.”

Chartier said she’ll continue to connect with stakeholders to determine the next steps as the March release of the annual budget approaches.

to reverse their damaging cut and reinstate the Aboriginal Employment Development Program in the next budget. We cannot keep waiting for meaningful action on this crucial issue.”

A report released last week by University of Saskatchewan economist Eric Howe said the elimination of the Aboriginal Employment Development Program is a key factor in the decline of off-reserve First Nations employment - a number that was moving in the right direction before the program was cut in 2009.

Sectors that lost jobs over the last year, Broten said, included: accommodation and food services (-5,100 jobs); transportation and warehousing (-1,800 jobs); business, building and other support services (-900 jobs); information, culture and recreation (-700 jobs); finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (-500 jobs).

NEW CREATION COMMUNITY PLAYERS of BIGGAR presents . . .

Adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Book by William F. Brown Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, SATURDAY, MARCH 16 • 8:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 17 • Matinee 2:30 p.m. at The Majestic Theatre, Biggar Reserved Seating . . .Tickets

on sale Feb. 15 at

The Biggar Independent, 102-3rd Ave. W., Biggar or phonee 948-33444 Only

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20 per person

Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., 45 W 25th Street, New York, NY 10010 1-866-598-8449 www.samuelfrench.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 11

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12 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Valentine Dine and Dance raises money for long-term care project Biggar Royal Canadian Legion’s Robin Lane, left, presents a cheque to Angelopoulos, totalling $4,298. Lane is joined by fellow Legion members, Kevin McLeod and Brenda Bindig. Also of note, CN Rail donated $15,000 to cover costs of the evening. (Independent Photo by Daryl Hasein)

Angelopoulos accepts a cheque from Biggar and District Credit Union’s Bill Hammel for $20,000. Hammel is joined in the photo by the Credit Union’s Dean McCallum and Owen Nicklin. (Independent Photo by Daryl Hasein)

Friends of the Lodge, Jo Angelopoulos, receives a cheque for $25,000 from Prairie Malt Limited’s Jerome Woynarski, centre, and Brian Ellard. The money was presented at the second annual dine and dance fund raiser for the new long-term care home project. See next week’s issue for more on this very generous donation.

(Independent Photo by Daryl Hasein)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 13

planting, pruning & puttering . . . planting

by Delta Fay Cruickshank of The Independent

I came across a wonderful saying a while ago.

I would like to share it with you all.

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” ~Gertrude Jekyll The person who said this was a great garden hero of mine, Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932). Miss Jekyll is known as the mother of the hardy perennial flower border.

She designed the borders filled with perennials plants that the English garden is famous for.

Originally she studied and dabbled in painting, embroidery, woodcarving, interior decoration and photography. As she aged, Gertrude was losing her eyesight. So, she changed her direction and began designing gardens.

She worked with Edwin Lutyens, the great Victorian architect. He designed the homes, and she designed the gardens.

His affectionate name for her was ‘Auntie Bumps’, likely because she did have limited eyesight.

She designed and consulted on more than 300 gardens with Lutyens.

By the way, Gertrude’s brother, Walter, was a very good friend of Robert Louis Stevenson. Walter’s surname was borrowed for Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde book.

Gertrude believed in using only local materials . . . dismissing the elaborate Italian sunken gardens with imported

marble statues that had been popular in England. She chose wooden pergolas and trellising, brick and stone pathways, edged with perennials. The beauty of Gertrude’s gardens was that with her careful attention to colour and the blooming seasons, her borders flowed in colour and bloom throughout all the seasons.

She used large groupings of perennials and shrubs, interlacing groups with complimentary colours and heights of plants.

Only a few of her gardens exist still. The garden at Upton Grey Manor, was lost for decades, until an owner discovered the original plans signed by Jekyll! The garden has since gone under a massive restoration. It is reportedly the best display of a Jekyll garden.

Jekyll wrote over a thousand articles and 14 books on gardening during her career. Some of these books are still in circulation.

I so believe in what she said in her quote . . . “A garden is a grand teacher”. I learn something new about nature, and myself every year in the garden.

“It teaches patience and careful watchfulness.” I shall remember these words when I am on my knees carefully trying to thinly place carrots seeds or looking for tiny plants popping out of the ground.

“It teaches industry and thrift . . .” Hoeing is

Can you imagine . . . 393 peony bushes were planted in the restoration of the Jekyll garden at Upton Grey.

Along with hundreds of lilies, a beautiful garden!

Gertrude Jekyll used wide borders filled with perennials and shrubs in the many gardens she created at the turn of the century. The garden at Upton Grey Manor was a jungle when 30 years ago the new owners discovered the original plans for the garden were done by Jekyll. Since then the gardens have been completely restored, a fine example of Jekyll’s ideas. (Photos from google/images.com)

The Kitchen Garden at Upton Grey.

Biggar Legion

NOW OPEN starting February 16.

The Wild pond uncovered at Upton Grey Manor, Hampshire, UK. hard work, so I am always thinking about things to reduce the work, like mulch. Also, seems I am always looking at solutions that are on hand. I could go out to buy fancy garden stakes, but you know, slabs of old lath wood are right there,

Jesse Lewis Hypnoism Show, shows starts at 9:30 p.m. (must be present to win)

SAT., FEB. 16

“Jam Session” Everyone Welcome!

“Come on down and see what your Legion is doing”.

We would like to extend a HUGE heartfelt thank you to all the businesses and individuals of Perdue, Biggar and surrounding communities for their generous donations and contributions towards making the Gerald Nicholls Benefit and Auction an overwhelming success.

Thank you to “Country Two” for donating their talents, filling the building with music; and also to Buck Peters for being our auctioneer for the evening.

A SPECIAL thank you to Carol Mallas for spearheading this event and organizing the volunteers.You will always have a warm place in our hearts.

A HUGE thank you to the numerous volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the evening so special and memorable. We are so very touched at the love and support you have all shown us. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

Thank you so much for all your kindnesses and generosity!

Westwinds Motor Hotel presents…

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14 ENTER to WIN White Sapphire & Diamond Ring

handy, and free! Above all it teaches entire trust.”, sure sometimes one crop will fail, but each year I trust that the garden will give me hours of peace, and comfort.

Friday and Saturday 4 to 7ish p.m.

… sincerely, Gerald Nicholls and family

948-3301

“Gratitude is a Memory of the Heart.” … Jean Baptiste Massieu

14 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Government investment helps strengthen Canada’s Agri-Food and Biofuel Industries POS Pilot Plant will be the first commercial organization in Canada to offer short-path distillation (SPD) services, on a contract basis to its clients with the support of the Government of Canada.

Brad Trost, Member of Parliament for SaskatoonHumboldt, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification (WD), announced investments in the POS Pilot Plant, Feb-

ruary 8 in Saskatoon.

“Our government is committed to partnering with industry on projects which lead to new product development, business expansion and increased global exports,” said Trost. “This equipment will provide Western Canadian companies with unparalleled access to ingredients only available through a short path distillation process and will mean increased profits for our farmers.”

Federal investments of up to $911,000 will help

the POS Pilot Plant to purchase and install shortpath distillation (SPD) equipment, which purifies ingredients from plant feedstock. These ingredients can then be used in agri-food, biofuels, functional foods and nutraceuticals.

A first investment of $461,000 through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) as well as an investment of $450,000 from WD will enable POS

to offer additional services to clients seeking ingredients, such as essential oils, which can be purified by this process. POS clients are also keen to separate edible oils into highly unsaturated and saturated fractions. The unsaturated fractions may be Omega-3 fatty acids, for higher value functional food and nutraceutical markets.

“Commercial scale short path distillation equipment in POS would be the first of its kind in Canada,” says Dr. Rick Green,

VP, Technology, at POS Bio-Sciences. “Small and medium sized businesses in Western Canada will benefit by finally being able to export value added extracts from feedstock grown in Western Canada.

For example, several companies in Western Canada have products ready for export but need commercial scale SPD equipment to realize their potential.

This project, generously supported by Western Economic Diversification and Agriculture and Agri-Food

Your Guide to

Money Matters Are you on track for retirement??Are you destined for debt? Is an investment property right for you? Find answers to these questions and other important financial concerns in our

Canada will help Canadians capture those opportunities.”

Short path distillation separates specific substances, or fractions, from the feedstock by a process of repeated evaporation and condensation. The name ‘short path’ refers to the length of the path travelled by the distillate between the vaporized and condensed stages.

With access to key ingredients, Canadian companies will be able to develop new products and gain entry to new markets. Greater value-added processing of local grains, fruits and other prairie plants will result in a stronger, more competitive Canadian agricultural sector.

The Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP) is a five-year, $163million initiative to help the Canadian agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive. The regional component of CAAP is delivered in the province by the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan.

Since 2006, the Harper government, through WD, has invested in job-creating small and mediumsized businesses, aerospace, marine and defence industries, and supported innovative entrepreneurs in pursuing emerging markets. By continuing to promote new economic opportunities, WD is helping to create jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity.

Money Matters special section.

This helpful guide is filled with features to help you manage your money, from informative articles to local advertising from finan-

Randy Weekes, M.L.A. for the Biggar Constituency

cial advisors and banks offering valuable products and services.

1-877-948-4880

Resolve to take control of your finances; look for your copy of Money Matters in this newspaper on Thursday, February 14.

A Special Section to

Biggar Independent

OfÀce Hours: Monday - Friday 1 - 5 p.m.

Phone: 306-948-4880 106 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar Fax: 306-948-4882 e-mail: randyweekes.mla@accesscomm.ca

Web site: www.randyweekes.ca P. O. Box 1413 Biggar, SK. S0K 0M0

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 15

Report from the Legislature

by Randy Weekes, MLA, Biggar (6 February, 2013) Saskatchewan’s Economic Growth Saskatchewan’s economy remains one of the strongest in the country, if not the world.

Major economic forecasters are predicting we will be number two in Canada in terms of economic growth this year. Oil production in Saskatchewan hit a new record high in 2012. At 1,086,054, we are well on our way to achieving one of the key goals of the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth: a population of 1.2 million by 2020.

A strong economy has allowed our government to invest in programs and services that are improving the quality of life for all Saskatchewan people.

With our next budget just around the corner, our government is committed to keeping another one of the goals of the Growth Plan: balanced budgets. The 2013-14 budget will be balanced, but there are several factors we are taking into consideration as we work

toward that goal. Growth is not without its challenges Property values in Saskatchewan have increased dramatically over the last four years.

This is another reflection of our strong economy but rising property values put upwards pressure on property taxes. While our government will do what we can to mitigate any increases, it presents a challenge in the budgetary process.

Other challenges are lower oil and potash prices.

That being said, Saskatchewan municipalities will continue to receive record levels of support from our government. $264 million will be allocated in municipal revenue sharing funding in the upcoming budget.

That’s an 11 per cent increase from last year and continues our commitment to providing Saskatchewan’s cities, towns, villages and RMs with a long-term stable source of provincial funding.

During our time in government, revenue sharing to municipalities has doubled.

Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship to support more than 8,000 students “To date we have helped 4,475 students with their post-secondary education by providing over $2.2 million in scholarships,” Advanced Education Minister Don Morgan said.

“By the end of this fiscal year, we are expecting that more than 8,000 students will receive the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship at a value of over $4 million.”

The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship was launched in spring 2012 and provides new Saskatchewan Grade 12 graduates who enrol at a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution with a scholarship of up to $500 per year to a lifetime maximum of $2,000 over 10 years.

Effective April 1, 2012, the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship reduces tuition for students entering post-secondary

programs and applies to 15 Saskatchewan postsecondary institutions and programs.

“Over the past five years we have made a strong commitment to postsecondary education in Saskatchewan by investing $3.5 billion including $378 million in capital,” Morgan said. “These investments help ensure students have access to strong, affordable postsecondary education.”

“In this fiscal year, we are providing $107 million in student supports through programs such as student loans, bursaries, grants and scholarships. These investments provide our students with the tools they need to access and complete their post-secondary education and then find a job in our growing labour market, which we outlined in Saskatchewan’s Plan for Growth,” added Morgan.

Revenue sharing provides municipalities with unconditional funding they can then use to provide the programs and services a growing province needs.

And our province is indeed growing.

In 2012, the number of babies born in Saskatchewan hit a 22-year high of 15,035. The last time we cracked the 15,000 mark was 1991. The most popular name for baby girls last year was Emma; Liam was the most popular boys’ name.

Our government continues to take action to work toward the ambitious goals outlined in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth.

Following the announcement of the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) in the Growth Plan last fall, we are moving forward in partnership with the U of S and PCS to provide $50 million in funding by 2020 to address the increasing global demand for safe, reliable food.

In addition to announcing the appointment of the CEO last month, this

WATCH for Doreen’s Discount Day at

Leslie’s Drugstore

Biggar • 948-3397

week we announced the appointment of three new directors to the founding board of the GIFS. With its abundance of

natural resources, Saskatchewan is well-suited to play a significant role as a secure source of food to meet the needs of a

hungry world.

If you have a question about this Legislative report or any other matter, just contact Randy.

This Matters…

Pushing back Pensions Currently, every Canadian citizen is eligible for Old Age Security (OAS) at age 65, with a Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for those who qualify.

Harper’s spring, 2012 budget changes that. It moves the age of eligibility for benefits from 65 to 67, starting in April 2023. So anyone in their mid-fifties or younger will not be able to retire at 65 with senior’s benefits.

Financial experts agree that the Old Age Security plan is sound.

Raising the age for retirement benefits was not financially necessary.

Who suffers most from this policy change?

A high income 65 year old with savings can afford to leave the workplace without the pension. Someone in good health with a desk job or a profession might find it easy to stay on for the extra two years.

It is specifically the seniors who can’t afford to retire without the pension who will be forced to stay at the job until 67 years of age whether they are healthy or not.

And it is particularly workers who do manual labour who will suffer the most by having to work more years. Service workers, construction workers, laundry and cleaning personnel, waitresses, truckers, farmers – all those citizens whose knees or backs or feet or shoulders are aching at the end of a work day are targeted for 2 more years at the job after they’ve reached 65.

Raising the age for retirement hits lower income and manual workers the hardest. That’s not fair.

Saskatoon Rosetown Biggar New Democrats

16 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Your Money Matters Heart Healthy Foods Every week we are bombarded with information on the newest super food that claims to make you healthy and prevent a whole host of chronic conditions and diseases. It can be confusing figuring out what foods are healthiest for us. Keep it simple. Choose foods from Canada’s Food Guide: vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lower fat milk products and lower fat meat and alternatives. And don’t forget about fats.

You need a small amount to absorb vitamins such as A, D, E and K. Look for foods with unsaturated fats.

Heartland Health Region Board Meeting The next Board meeting will be held Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 in Rosetown. Board packages can be obtained from the Regional Corporate Office within one week of the meeting. Please call the office to arrange for printing and pick up.

Contact Christa Garrett at 306-882-4111 ext 236 or by e-mail christa.garrett@hrha.sk.ca For toll-free health information 24 hours a day.

Please call 1-888-425-4444(TTY) if you have hearing or speech difficulties Smokers Helpline 1-877-513-5333 or www.smokefree.ca Questions about Medication? Call 1-800-665-DRUG (3784). Ask questions online www.usask.ca/druginfo

submitted by Todd Hawkins of TWH Financial, Biggar Should I contribute to TFSA, RSP or both?

With the availability of Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs), does it still make sense to contribute to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)?

Determining which plan, or combination of plans, is best depends on your personal situation and your objectives.

The tax assistance provided by a TFSA is, in many ways, the opposite of that provided through RRSPs: • RRSP contributions are tax deductible, with both the contributions and the investment earnings taxable upon withdrawal.

Withdrawals are included in income and affect eligibility for federal incometested benefits and tax credits.

• TFSA contributions

WATCH for

Mental Health & Addictions Centralized Intake Line 1-866-268-9139 Monday to Friday 8:00 am—4:30 pm

Doreen’s Discount Day

at

Heartland Health Region

Leslie’s Drugstore

www.hrha.sk.ca

Biggar • 948-3397

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2008 F-250 XLT

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2008 Honda Civic LX coupe, ATC/WPL only 95,000km, new tires .............................$13,900 2009 Pontiac Torrant, loaded, leather, 75,000km SK Tax Pd............................$16,900 2008 Chev Uplander ext, 95,000km very good .......................................................$10,900 2007 F-150 Supercab long box, 4x4, 5.4L, great work truck ...................................$9,900 2006 Freightliner M2 465hp autoshift c/w new CIM BHT .............................................. $69,900 2006 Freestar, 3rd row seating, 110,000km....... ................................................................$ 7,900 2005 GMC 3/4 ton Sierra SLE Durmax, auto, ext. cab, 190,000km, SK Tax Pd ..$16,900 2004 F-150 XLT 4x4, supercrew, mostly highway kms, local, SK Tax Pd...........$10,900 2004 F-150 XLT, supercab, 2WD, SWB, only 145,000km, very good, SK Tax Pd ...................... ...........................................REDUCED REDUCED $ 7,900

2 2004 Freightliner m2 C7 Cat Cat, auto, auto 24’ van c/w power tailgate, 280km, very good ...$26,900 2004 F-550 Superduty, dsl, auto, 4x4, cab and chassis ...................................................$12,900 2002 F-350 Crew Cab, 7.3 auto, 4x4, dually, 170,000km with deck........................Coming In! 1998 Olds Alero, good winter car.........$ 1,495 1995 Pontiac SunÀre 5 spd, SK Tax Pd ............. ...................................................................$ 1,795 1994 Ford Ranger, V6, auto, 4x4...... $ 4,900

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are made from after-tax income, with both the contributions and the investment earnings exempt from tax upon withdrawal.

Withdrawals will not affect eligibility for federal income tested benefits and tax credits Generally, an RRSP is used for saving for retirement, while a TFSA can be used for both saving for retirement and other shorter-term needs. Because TFSA withdrawals are added back to your available TFSA contribution room in the following calendar year, there is very little downside to using TFSA savings for midsized to large purchases.

If you are in a low tax

bracket, saving in a TFSA may be more advantageous than saving in an RRSP, since TFSA withdrawals have no impact on federal income-tested benefits and tax credits such as child tax benefits and Old Age Security. If you are in a high tax bracket, you will probably consider using both types of plan. RRSPs may be a better option if your tax rate at the time you contribute is higher than when you withdraw your savings. You’ll benefit from a tax deduction when you make your contribution and withdrawals will be taxed at your lower future rate. If the reverse is true, a TFSA can provide better results.

Whether to save in a TFSA, an RRSP or both may depend on your savings needs, your eligibility for income-tested benefits and your current and expected future financial situation and income level.

Anyone saving outside an RRSP should consider contributing to a TFSA first.

Talk to your advisor. Your advisor can help you determine the amount you need to save to achieve your goals and the most appropriate investments for your risk tolerance. He or she can also help you take advantage of the taxadvantaged investment strategies that are available to Canadian investors of all ages.

Premier appoints Legislative Secretaries Premier Brad Wall, Thursday, appointed a number of new Legislative Secretaries with responsibilities for specific important policy areas.

The new Legislative Secretaries and their specific duties are: • Jennifer Campeau, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Education (Anti-Bullying Initiative); • Scott Moe, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture (Agricultural Value-added and Agri-business); • Paul Merriman, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Economy (Immigration); • Fred Bradshaw, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Environment (Forest Management); • Mark Docherty, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Social Services (Disability Issues); • Greg Lawrence, Leg-

islative Secretary to the Minister of Social Services (Foster and Child Care); • Laura Ross, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport (Creative Industries); • Gene Makowsky, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport (Recreational Initiatives); • Kevin Phillips, Legislative Secretary to the Minister of Government Relations (Regional Municipal Co-operation); and • Darryl Hickie, Legislative Secretary to the Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance (Traffic Safety).

“By making these appointments, we are aligning the depth of talent and experience in our caucus with the priorities and challenges facing our government,” Wall said. “I know that each of these

MLAs will provide a valuable service to their minister, to the government and most importantly, to the people of Saskatchewan.”

The new Legislative Secretaries will not receive any additional remuneration for their added duties.

They join two other MLAs who had previously been appointed Legislative Secretaries – Wayne Elhard, who serves as Legislative Secretary to the Premier and Provincial Secretary, and Rob Norris, who serves as Legislative Secretary for First Nations Engagement.

Wall said he has asked Campeau to also chair a new Premier’s Aboriginal Youth Task Force.

“Jennifer has already had many discussions and meetings with First Nations young people and I look forward to hearing their ideas and perspectives on improving economic opportunities and quality of life for aboriginal youth in our province,” Wall said.

Wall said he has also asked Hickie, a former police officer, to work with the government and opposition house leaders to set up an all-party legislative committee on improving traffic safety.

“2012 was the deadliest year in recent years on Saskatchewan highways, with 175 traffic fatalities,” Wall said. “Improving traffic safety is a goal that everyone shares so I would like to see government MLAs working with opposition MLAs to recommend ways to improve safety and reduce the numbers of accidents.”

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 17

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Classi¿ed Box 40, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

call: 948-3344 fax: 948-2133

email: tip@sasktel.net www.biggarindependent.ca

CLASSIFIED AD RATES DEADLINE-MONDAY AT 5 p.m.

25 words or less ....................................$12.00 per week Over 25 words .................................. - per word 25¢

Repeats -- 3 weeks for the price of 2

If The Independent Box Number is used add $3.00

• ALL CLASSIFIED MUST BE PREPAID • Obituaries, limit of 300 words, without photo..... $55.00 - With photo............................. $60.00 - Additional words, per word.... 25¢ ‘Happy’ Ads…Anniversary, Engagements, Birthday Greetings,etc...................................$40.00 with photo...................... $45.00 Bold Type .................................................... $2.00 Italic Type..................................................... $2.00 Birth Announcements................................... $35.00 - With a Photo......................... $40.00 Administration Charges................................ $5.00 CONDITIONS OF ADVERTISING ACCEPTANCE All advertising subject to publisher’s approval. It is agreed by The independent and any advertiser using or requesting space that the publisher shall not be held liable for damages in event of non-insertion of, or errors in advertisements, in excess of or beyond the amount paid for space actually occupied by the non-insertion, or by that portion of the advertisement in which the error or non-insertion occurred whether such error or non-insertion is due to the negligence of its ser vants or other wise.

All advertisers must assume responsibility for errors in any advertisement which is supplied to The Independent in handwritten form or given over the phone.

PLEASE READ YOUR AD -- Advertisers should read their advertisement THE FIRST ISSUE IT APPEARS and report any errors in time for the next insertion.

The Independent is responsible subject to the conditions noted above, for ONLY the Årst incorrect insertion.

NO REFUND on classiÅeds. Times to run must be stated at First Insertion.

Enclose cheque, money order, Visa, MasterCard or American Express for your classiÅed.

Other Advertising Rates Available upon Request.

The BIGGAR INDEPENDENT accepts advertisements in good faith. We advise that it is in your interest to investigate offers personally. Publication by this newspaper should not be taken as an endorsement of the product or service offered.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES… Pick up… $29.00 + $1.45 gst = $29.45 Inside 40-mile radius/ONLINE $34.00 + $1.70 gst = $35.70 Outside 40-mile radius… $39.00 + $1.95 gst = $40.95

OBITUARIES

Peggy Lynn Sluzalo March 17, 1950 January 9, 2013 A memorial service for Peggy Sluzalo will be held on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the lounge of St. Andrew’s College, 2201 College Avenue, Saskatoon, Sask.

Peggy’s son, Mark (Julia) Harmel; mom, Evelyn Huntley; sisters, Elaine (Grant) Davidson, Betty (Lorne) Calvert, Bev (Ross) Pangracs; and brothers, Steve (Nicky) Sluzalo and Percy (Norma) Sluzalo invite all family and friends to join together in this evening of celebration of Peggy’s life.

“Dream as if you’ll live forever” 7c1

COMING EVENTS SUNDAYS in February: Presbyterians, Anglicans, Lutherans will be worshipping at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 10:30 a.m. Potluck lunch after service on the 24th. Everyone welcome. For pastoral services or information, please contact Pastor Mark Kleiner at 306-9517122 or leave a message at the of¿ce, 306-948-3731.

48/10tfn SUNDAYS… You are invited to the weekly services of Biggar Associated Gospel Church, corner Quebec St. and 8th Ave. West; Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.; Worship Service at 10:50 a.m.; an Ladies Bible Study at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday mornings.

Everyone is welcome to join us. Contact our church of¿ce 948-3424, Tuesday through Thursday.

36tfn WEDNESDAYS during LENT: 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Pastor Mark Kleiner will be leading a short morning and evening prayer service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church as a Lenten Devotional. Everyone is welcome.

7c5

For FAX service, see us at The Independent, 102 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar

COMING EVENTS FRIDAYS during LENT: Interdenominational services at 12:05 p.m. followed by lunch at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, corner of King St. and 4th Ave. East, Biggar. Sponsored by the Biggar and District Ministerial Association.

Everyone welcome.

6c6 FEBRUARY 1 - 22: Carl Beam & The Columbus Suite showing in the Credit Union Gallery at The Biggar Museum, MondayFriday, 1 - 5 p.m.

5c3 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14: Biggar Museum Annual St. Valentine’s Tea and Pie Sale, 2 - 4 p.m., $3 at Biggar Museum Credit Union Gallery. Everyone welcome!

5c3 ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES SHOW & SALE. FEBRUARY 18 to 24 (inclusive) at Market Mall, Preston & Louise, Saskatoon, during mall hours.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21: You’re invited to a Meet and Greet with Ryan Meili, NDP Leadership candidae at New Horizons Centre, 1:30 p.m.

7c2 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24: 7:00 p.m., Biggar Associated Gospel Church are having a Family Night and showing the ¿lm, “Undaunted”. You are welcome to join us for this evening.

6c3 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27: “Beat the Blues” Card Party & Tea at Biggar New Horizons, 1:30 p.m., $3 per person. Games of Cribbage, Whist and Kaiser.

Prizes awarded. Members and non-members are welcome.

FREE courtesy car rides to New Horizons members. Please call 948-5115 before noon on February 27 for a ride.

6c3 FRIDAY, MARCH 8: Biggar & District Arts Council presents…

“Jesse Peters Trio”, 7:30 p.m. at The Majestic Theatre, Biggar.

Adults/Seniors $25 (advance $20); Students, 13 and older $15 (advance $12); children, 12 and under $5. Advance and Season Tickets available at de Moissac Jewellers, Biggar, 948-2452.

7c4 MONDAY, MARCH 11: 7:00 p.m. at Biggar New Horizons, PALS presents an information session with Lyndon Linklater from the Of¿ce of the Treaty Commissioner. He will speak about residential schools, treaty rights and obligations and be open to questions and discussion. Everyone is welcome.

7c4 FRIDAY, MARCH 15: 8 p.m.; SATURDAY, MARCH 16: 8 p.m.; SUNDAY, MARCH 17: 2:30 p.m.: NCCP annual musical production of “The Wiz” adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, arranged through Samuel French @ The Majestic Theatre, Biggar. Tickets for reserved seating available Friday, February 15th at The Biggar Independent, 102 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar or phone with visa/mastercard to 306-9483344. Tickets: $20 per person.

3c9

CARD OF THANKS Just a most sincere and belated thank you to all my friends and relatives who remembered me in the hospital and now the Lodge.

Also thanks for the sympathy in the loss of my dear brother, Harry. Thank you for caring!

Audrey Mason 7p1

NOTICE Families, clubs, churches and businesses are invited to do a Heritage Page to be on permanent display at Biggar Museum. Share your history!

For more information call 9483451 or visit museum 1 - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday.

7tfn This newspaper accepts advertisements in good faith. We advise that it is in your interest to investigate offers personally. Publications by this paper should not be taken as an endorsement of the product or service offered. tfn Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness or reliability of such advertisements.

For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com. tfn

TENDER Tenders are being received

by Biggar Majestic Theatre for janitorial services.

Duties to include: • janitorial cleaning of the theatre front, back and basement following each performance and show; • snow removal from walkways in front and northside of building; • monitoring and reporting of any maintenance issues.

Tenders to be submitted

by Friday, February 15, 2013. Any or all tenders not necessarily accepted.

Send tenders to Box 40, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

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P R O V I N C E - W I CLASSIFIEDS. Reach 550,000 readers weekly. this newspaper NOW or 649.1405 for details.

D E over Call 306-

STEEL BUILDINGS/METAL BUILDINGS 60% OFF! 20x28, 30x40, 40x62, 45x90, 50x120, 60x150, 80x100 sell for balance owed! Call 1-800-457-2206 www.crownsteelbuildings.ca

TENDER Town of Biggar TENDER TOWN OFFICE FURNACES Tenders sealed and marked “Town OfÀce Furnaces” will be received until 4:00 p.m. on February 15, 2013.

The work consists of supplying and installing a new furnace and the removal of the old furnace.

For information on the current furnace please come to the Town OfÀce for viewing located at 202 - 3rd Ave. West in Biggar.

The Town of Biggar reserves the right to reject any or all tenders and the lowest tender will not necessarily be accepted.

Submit tenders to the Town of Biggar, P. O. Box 489, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0, or drop off at Biggar Town OfÀce.

AUCTION

WANTED

One HOME QTR & 18 Parcels of Farmland Davidson, Saskatchewan.

Sorgaard Ranches Ltd - 2290+/- title acres. 3 bedroom bungalow, 30 X 50 ft. garage, selling at the Saskatoon Auction MARCH 19, 2013. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: 1-800-491-4494; rbauction. com.

Old battery collection, Fisher #300 Cadet Squadron. Drop off at the Biggar Land¿ll OR contact Quentin Sittler at 658-2132 3tfn Main Street Garage Sale is accepting donations of all items in clean and working condition.

Please phone 948-1773 or 9485393. Pickup available.

32tfn Wanted All Wild Fur. Shed antlers and old traps. Call Phil (306) 278-2299 or Bryon (306) 278-7756.

Classi¿eds Work • Phone 948-3344

###.?6/)#%?

BOB SEGER & The Silver Bullet Band HOT TICKETS Saturday, March 23rd in Saskatoon VIP Tickets are available with or with out hotel accommodations These Golden Circle VIP Tickets are for fans in Rural Saskatchewan Only www.dashtours.com or call Dash Tours and Tickets 1-800-265-0000 One Call & You`re There

CARS & TRUCKS Guaranteed approval drive away today! We lend money to everyone. Fast approvals, best interest rates. Over 500 vehicles sale priced for immediate delivery OAC. 1-877-796-0514. www.yourapprovedonline.com.

NEED A VEHICLE? EASY FINANCE!! Low Payments! $99 Delivers 24 Hour Approval. WE DELIVER! 3,000 Vehicles to choose. CALL NOW! 1-204-8013070 BIG DISCOUNTS! www. autowest.ca

RECREATION 1985 Yamaha Virago, 1,000 cc, new rubber, carbs and forks redone. Phone 948-7521.

36tfn 1985 Honda Goldwing, new rubber, shocks redone this spring, new battery, $3500 obo; phone 948-3344 34tfn

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

18 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

SEED & FEED H E ATED CANOLA WANTED!!

- GREEN CANOLA - SPRING THRASHED - DAMAGED CANOLA FEED OATS WANTED!!

- BARLEY, OATS, WHT - LIGHT OR TOUGH - SPRING THRASHED HEATED FLAX WANTED!!

HEATED PEAS HEATED LENTILS "ON FARM PICKUP" Westcan Feed d & Grain 1-877-250-5252

REAL ESTATE FINAL PHASE FOR SALE. 55 PLUS ADULT ONLY Ground Level Townhome INFO www. diamondplace.ca. CALL 306 241 0123 WARMAN, SK Two serviced lots, side by side in Biggar, 100’x140’, $79,900. Call 717-4681 (cell) 5tfn

LAND FOR RENT Farm land for cash rent in R.M. of Biggar #347. Approx. 575 acres. Highest or any offers not necessarily accepted. Send tenders to Brian Kowalchuk, Box 333, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0 no later than March 8, 2013.

7p3 Eight quarters of land for cash rent in RM of Grandview #349, all connected. Section 35-3418-W3, 500 acres cult.; N-1/226-34-18-W3, 310 acres cult.; W-1/2-36-34-18-W3, 270 acres cult. Written offers to February 22, 2013. Highest or any offers not necessarily accepted. Send to Box 785, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0 2p6

FOR RENT Charter/ Sherwood Apartments 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom Heat and water supplied, wired for cable TV and satellite systems, laundry facilities, appliances, some suites with dishwashers, air conditioning, parking with plug-ins.

HOUSES FOR RENT

PERSONAL

One bdrm bungalow in Biggar, W/D, S/F, no animals, $550/ month plus utilities. Available March 4, contact Toni 306-9482233 7p3

BE MY VALENTINE

HOUSES FOR SALE

Leann is 5O, 5’6�, 138lb and is a widow.

She is a farmer & has several businesses.

She is friendly, likeable, a pleasant lady. She does not currently live on the farm as her brother and brother law work and live on the farm with their families.

She has been single for some time & wants to start getting out there & meet a nice man.

Leann is a naturally attractive lady and would appreciate a man who can make her feel special again.

I have not had that for so long. Its hard starting again, being judged. I do worry that I will be alone!

CANADIAN MANUFACTURED IHJRLK I` `LHY ^HYYHU[` T\S[P MHTPS` ZPUNSL ZLJ[PVU TV[LS Z[`SL OVTLZ 8\HSPM` MVY * 4 / * -PUHUJPUN Z[HY[PUN H[ FOR MORE INFO *(33

RLU[ TLKHSSPVU'ZHZR[LS UL[ KLHU TLKHSSPVU'ZHZR[LS UL[ QHZVU TLKHSSPVU'ZHZR[LS UL[

^^^ TLKHSSPVU OVTLZ JH /^` :V\[O 7YPUJL (SILY[

FARMLAND WANTED NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS! We sold our farm to Freshwater Land Holding Co. Ltd. this spring and we were satisfied with the deal we were offered.

They were very professional to deal with an upfront with the details of the land deal. We would recommend them to anyone wanting to sell their land.

Ken & Penny Stevns

SUMMARY OF SOLD PROPERTIES Central - 62 1/4’s South Central - 17 1/4’s East Central - 74 1/4’s South - 70 1/4’s South East - 22 1/4’s South West 58 1/4’s North - 6 1/4’s North West - 8 1/4’s East - 39 1/4’s FARM AND PASTURE LAND AVAILABLE TO RENT

PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND. LAND. PREMIUM PRICES PAID WITH QUICK QUICK PAYMENT. YMENT.

Matchmakers Select 1888-916-2824 Guaranteed service Face to face matchmaking, customized memberships thorough screening process.

Rural, remote, small towns, isolated communities & villages 12 years established Canada/US

3-bedroom home, completely renovated. Fully modern, energy package. Quiet neighbourhood.

Close to school. Priced to sell.

For viewing call: 948-9517 or 948-5627.

38tfn

www.selectintroductions.com

SERVICES

If YOU are‌ • Moving • Expecting a Baby • Planning a Wedding • Anticipating Retirement Call WELCOME WAGON at 948-2563 - Lisa Haynes We have gifts and information www.welcomewagon.ca Bob Foster Locksmith Services.

Phone 306-831-7633 26tfn

CAREER TRAINING

RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-955-2266 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.CaFarmland.com

Medical Transcription Rated #2 for Work-at-Home • Learn from home • Student loan options www.canscribe.com 1.800.466.1535 info@canscribe.com

For more information call: Karen/Kevin • 948-9115 302 - 8th Ave. W. • Biggar

LAND for SALE TIM HAMMOND REALTY RM #318 East of Plenty, SK, N 1/2-12-33-18-W3, 319 cult. acres. Assessment $131,900.

Asking $490,000. MLS#453206.

306-948-5052 http://Hamilton.

TimHammond.ca 7c4 Farm Land for Sale by tender‌ RM of Glenside #377, NW-0838-14-W3, approx 158 acres, assessment 53500. Any or all tenders not necessarily accepted. Please forward all tenders to Mark D. Ackimenko, Box 1555, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0.

Tenders will be accepted no later than February 25, 2013.

4p4

CAREER TRAINING

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR TRAINING - Daily, Weekly and Monthly Programs.

Call (306) 955-0079 for details! www.practicumtraininginstitute. ca

Advertising doesn’t cost‌it cost‌it PAYS!!!

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY M & N Repair are in need of a Journeyman Mechanic or an individual that is mechanically inclined.

We are a busy truck and automotive shop. • Must be a hard worker, a team player, have a positive attitude and work well with others. • Must have own tools. • Will pay top wages to the right person with experience.

Hours are Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Send resume to M & N Repair, Box 418, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0 or email: mnrepair@sasktel.net

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Perdue Hotel requires part-time help for restaurant and beverage room. Contact Lori at 306-2374224.

7c3 Electrician required for trailer manufacturer near Perdue, Sask. Job entails minor electrical repair, wiring trailers, etc.

Minimum three years experience or journeyman status. Contact Vern at Monarch Trailer Factory.

Phone 306-237-4748.

Fax resumes 306-237-9100.

5p3 NEWCART CONTRACTING LTD. is hiring for the upcoming turnaround season. Journeyman/ Apprentice; PipeÂżtters; Welders; Boilermakers; Riggers. Also: Quality Control; Towers; Skilled Mechanical Labourer; Welder Helpers. Email: resumes@ newcartcontracting.com.

Fax 1-403-729-2396. Email all safety and trade tickets.

PYRAMID CORPORATION is now hiring! Instrument Technicians and Electricians for various sites across Alberta. Send resume to: hr@ pyramidcorporation.com or fax 780-955-HIRE. ROADEX SERVICES requires O/O 1 tons for our RV division and O/O Semis and drivers for our RV and general freight deck division to haul throughout N. America. Paid by direct deposit, beneÂżts and company fuel cards. Border crossing required with valid passport and clean criminal record. 1-800-8676233; www.roadexservices.com NEED A HOME PHONE? Cable TV or High Speed Internet? We Can Help. Everyone Approved.

Call Today. 1-877-852-1122 Protel Reconnect

STOCKROOM HAND AGI-Envirotank requires a full-time person for our stockroom/purchasing department. Duties include shipping and receiving, inventory control, and other general stockroom duties. Requires some lifting.

MUST have valid Class 5 license.

Wage/Salary is DOE. Company offers comprehensive beneÀt package.

Please forward resume with references to info@envirotank.com or fax to 306-948-5263.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 19

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Wendland Ag Services Ltd. is an independently owned Ag-retail business founded in 1955 with current locations in Waldheim, Blaine Lake, Rosthern, Domremy, Delmas, Cut Knife and Saskatoon. We offer a fun yet challenging work environment with a dynamic and friendly team always willing to lend a hand.

WW1308

We are currently accepting applications for the following:

Maintenance Technician Service and Operations Cut Knife and Delmas, Sask.

Full Time, Permanent This is a long term opportunity for someone who values a career in mechanical repair with an established company serving agriculture. The successful applicant will conduct service and repair of Àeld equipment, road delivery units and product handling facilities for fertilizers and other crop inputs. Interact closely with Operations and Management to ensure all equipment and buildings are functioning safely and in good order. Inform supervising manager of repairs and upgrades required and assist in determining capital and R&M budgets.

Applicant should have some experience in mechanical or farm machinery repair with preference given to heavy duty mechanics. Knowledge of fabrication and large equipment repair including welding would be a deÀnite asset. We will assist in training an applicant exhibiting a positive attitude, good mechanical aptitude and a willingness to learn. The successful applicant is required to exhibit good body health and strength as this is a physically demanding position. Individual must display a high degree of self-motivation and self-initiative and the ability to work unsupervised. Must be able to manage time and priorities effectively. Good communication and interpersonal skills along with ability to work well with others is required. Valid driver’s license with Saskatchewan abstract and good driving record is mandatory.

Wendland Ag Services is committed to the growth and development of our employees through training and advance opportunities.

Group health beneÀts and RSP package is available for employees.

Interested candidates are encouraged to email their cover letter and resume to shawnn@wendlandag.com or via fax to 206-895-2195.

Professional Firefighting

THE BIGGAR INDEPENDENT on

NEWSSTANDS Be on the frontlines of fire and rescue.

Dates: Mar 4 - May 31, 2013 OR Aug 6 – Nov 1, 2013 Tuition & Materials: Approx. $10,080 Location: Melville, SK Our program curriculum, provided in cooperation with Lakeland College – Emergency Training Centre, exceeds National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements including more practice runs and hands-on activities. It is also IFSAC and ProBoard certified.

WW1305

For more information or to register please call Shelley at 306.728.6596

WW1307

1.866.783.6766 | parklandcollege.sk.ca A growing and very busy Automotive / Agriculture equipment shop is in search of an experienced, energetic 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th year Automotive Technician.

A Journeymen certificate is considered an asset and will be given preference, however not a requirement for this position. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in the Automotive mechanic industry and or have Ford experience.

Days, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday Wage depending on experience. Full benefits after 3 months.

Please apply via email or phone Tyler Fisher tfisher @martodammotors.com T 306-883-2045 F 306-883-2392 www.martodammotors.com “your one stop dealer”

The Independent HOURS… OPEN: Monday to Friday…

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed 12 noon 1 p.m. daily

TOLLIFSON CABLE SERVICE LTD. Currently hiring for various positions including: Backhoe Operators, Directional Drill Locators, Hydrovac Operators and Laborers.

Please submit your resume or fill out an application at: Tollifson Cable Service Ltd., 1630 Stadacona St. West, P.O. Box 1647, Moose Jaw, Sask, S6H 7K7 Phone (306) 693-7272.

Fax (306) 691-0695 E-mail: tollifson.cable @sasktel.net

DEADLINE for ClassiÀeds, Advertisements and News is MONDAY 5 P.M. for publication on THURSDAYS

@ • Esso • Leslie’s Drugstore • Pharmasave • Quick Stop • Super A Foods • Shop Easy Food • Weasie’s Gourmet Blends • Feudal Co-op, Perdue • The Store, Perdue Contact US for office supplies, forms and services…

• Photocopies • Faxing • Business Cards • Posters • Flyers • Rubber Stamps • Invoices • Envelopes • Letterheads • Phamphlets • Social Tickets • Draw Tickets • Programs • File Folders • Statements • Receipts • Menus • Resumes • Calendars and Day Planners • Address Labels • Sticky Labels • Christmas Letters

Call now for your FREE quote on all your printing needs.

Ph: 306-948-3344 fax: 306-948-2133 email: tip@sasktel.net Box 40, Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

20 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

ELECTRICAL

REAL ESTATE

Saskatoon - Biggar Office DUANE NEUFELDT 403 Main St., Biggar

Licensed For: • Residential • Acreage • Farm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

306-948-8055 Fax: 306-948-2763 www.DuaneNeufeldt.com

Proud sponsor of Children’s Wish Foundation

Tim Hammond Realty

BIGGAR ELECTRICAL & REFRIGERATION SERVICES Authorized Appliance Depot Electrical Wiring Trenching Licensed Journeyman Adrian de Haan

948-5291

PLUMBING & HEATING

Licenced for:

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

MADGE CONTRACTING LTD. For all your rooÀng needs… ¬New Construction ¬Metal ¬Torch-on ¬Re-roofs ¬Tile ¬Asphalt ¬All repairs ¬Shakes We offer 10 Year Workmanship Warranty and Liability/Torch On Insurance Excellent Local References For a FREE estimate please call… 306-948-5453

•Farm •Residential •Commercial •Acreage

306-717-2818 www.madgerooÀng.com Biggar, Sask.

113 - 3rd Ave. W., Biggar

948-5052 (office) Cell 948-9168 www.TimHammond.ca www.FarmsofCanada.com

Tim Hammond, BSA, P.Ag., Broker

Proud to handle Biggar’s Real Estate Needs

Tim Hammond Realty Licenced for: •Residential

For all your home, business and rural needs Owners/Operators • Travis Young • Dallas Young • Claude Young

Biggar, Sask.

113 - 3rd Ave. W., Biggar

948-3389

948-5052 (office)

Journeymen Plumber, Gas Fitter, & Electrician on staff

Cell 948-7995 www.TimHammond.ca http://Cari.TimHammond.ca

Cari McCarty Residential Sales

Biggar’s Top Performing Residential Agent

Tim Hammond Realty Licenced for: •Farm •Acreage •Residential • Commercial

113 - 3rd Ave. W., Biggar

948-5052 (office) Cell 948-4478 Dave Molberg BSA

www.TimHammond.ca www.FarmsofCanada.com

McCARTY CONSTRUCTION • Commercial • Residential • Design Builder • Insurance Claims • Renovations • Drafting Service

“Big or Small -We Do Them All” Licenced Journeyman Carpenters Troy McCarty 948-5627 (H) 948-9280 (C) Mitch McCarty 373-8254 (H) Serving Biggar ... Since 1968

FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS… • Selling/Buying • Residental • Farm/Acreage • Commercial • Recreational

FOR RENT

ELECTRICAL

BIGGAR HOUSING AUTHORITY

DMH ELECTRIC

Housing for families and seniors Rent based on income

Call: 948-2101

BOOKS Pat Wicks,

Living Books Distributor 205-3rd Ave. East, Biggar Books, gifts, cards.

Shop at my home!

Call 948-3427 for appts.

ONLINE @

biggarindependent.ca

Inc.

Sales Associate

Cell: (306) 843-7898 Bus: (306) 446-8800 znerol.w@sasktel.net

for all your electrical needs Construction, consulting and Maintenance Licensed Journeyman

Dion Harrabek 306-948-2657 cell: 306-948-9136

• painting & Ӿnishing • decks & small buildings • light plumbing • windows & doors • laminate & hardwood ӿoors • general repairs

Call Jim @ 306-948-3333

FRE E Es timat Call us for… es • Insurance jobs • Renovations • New home building • Drywall & Painting • Flooring (hardwood, ceramic, etc.)

• Residential/Commercial • CertiÀed installer for Logix ICF

• Five Inch Seamless • Fascia Dan… 306-281-5090 Chad… 306-280-1524

306-222-8673

jacklinandrews@ gmail.com

306-918-7264

Michelle Spuzak, R.M.T. (NHPC member) Located @ New Beginnings Wellness Centre, 114 - 2nd Ave. W., BIGGAR

Services available…

• Shamanic Healing • Psychosomatic Therapy • Massage • Emotional Release Therapy

~ Gift CertiÅcates ~

interior & exterior painting, textured ceilings, drywall, mud & tape

New Stucco & Restoration… acrylic Ànish, full system foam, paper/ wire, pargings/ICF blocks, custom pillars & battons, repair/service

306-716-4021

modernlookhomerenos@gmail.com www.facebook.com/modern.look.35

- together with -

Ladies Only

Located in the Nova Wood Centre (back entrance) 104 - 6th Ave. E., Biggar

948-2208 New Beginnings Wellness Centre

Specializing in Exclusive Seasonal Personal Training Sessions! …for weight loss, body sculpting, strength training.

Offering… One-on-One Rehab & Therapy Sessions * Limited Memberships available to fully equipped Private Fitness Studio & Cardio Room Gift Certificates available

• Residence • Commercial Wiring For free estimates Ph: 948-5393

Visit us @ 114- 2 Ave. W., Biggar Phone… 948-2548 Cell… 948-8048

Your Healthy Living

Weight Loss & Wellness Centre

Wood and Steel Buildings Floor & Trusses GEORGE STAHL (306) 948-3776

Ph: cell:

(306) 260-6503

Cell: 306-221-6888

DENTAL

BIGGAR DENTAL CLINIC 104 - 6th Ave. East, Biggar, Sask.

Southeast entrance of Nova Wood Bldg.

Hours…

Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m.

306-948-3408 DR. GLENN RIEKMAN Dentist 115 - 1st Ave. W. Rosetown, Sask.

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

Phone: 882-2123 Emergency (after hours) 882-2006

SEED CLEANING

Wylie Farms Ltd. SEED CLEANING

Consultant & Coach Anne G. Livingston •Ideal Protein Weight Loss Clinic •Epicure Selections •Walden Farms Products •Young Living Essential Oils •Beauticontrol Skin Care www.beautipage.ca/annelivingston

Located in Angie’s Hair Salon 219 Main St., Biggar Call 948-7274 or 948-3696

PHOTOGRAPHY

Canadian Seed Institute Accredited Pedigree, Commercial & Custom Cleaning FULL line of Cleaning Equipment including Gravity Table

Excellent Quality at a Reasonable Price!

For all your Cereal and Pulse Cleaning Call: Bill: Dale:

948-2807 or 948-5609 948-5394

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

Mundt’s Mobile Custom Grain Cleaning ^PSS JSLHU ^OLH[ IHY SL` K\Y\T *7: ^OLH[ VH[Z WLHZ HUK SLU[PSZ

9LHZVUHISL YH[LZ For bookings, call Jason

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Box 327 Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

For appointments…

1-855-651-3311

Where you can feel right at home!

Email: nix1@sasktel.net

Bear Hills Rural Development Corporation

Biggar Professional Building, 223 Main Street, Biggar

nd

dionh@sasktel.net

PHILLIPS ELECTRIC

In Biggar Every Tuesday.

948-2548 or 948-9710

“Putting PERSONAL back into fitness training!”

Wayne Baldwin, PFT, CPTA, CNHC

• framing • additions • windows & door sales • siding • rooÄng • drywall & Änishing

Kirk Ewen Doctor of Optometry

Evening, Saturday and in-home appointments available.

…owned and operated by Brett Barber

Renos…

OPTOMETRISTS

Jacklin Andrews, MSW, Counsellor

30 min.

Circuit Gym

>LSSZ /VTLZ *VUZ[Y\J[PVU

Wally Lorenz 1391 - 100th St. North Battleford, SK S9A 0V9 Day or Night

available to do…

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Exposure, Experience and Effort.

of The Battlefords Independently Owned and Operated

HANDY JIM SERVICES

PLUMBING HEATING ELECTRICAL

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Helping you Help yourself Phone:

306-948-2295 Fax: 306-948-5050

Photos by Jocelyn Portraits, Family, Weddings & Sports Photography Biggar, Sask.

www.photosbyjocelyn.com

306-948-2814

948-2887 VY JLSS 948-6969 McNULTY’S MOBILE SEED CLEANING Custom Cleaning of H.R.S. & C.P. S. Wheat

Phone: 948-5678

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

LEGAL SERVICES

BUSSE LAW PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION Barristers & Solicitors Stuart A. Busse, QC Larry A. Kirk, LL.B. Bonnie L. Reddekopp, JD 302 Main Street, Biggar, SK

948-3346 …serving your community since 1972

ACCOUNTING

BIGGAR ACCOUNTING SERVICES

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 21

AUTOMOTIVE

Chartered Accountant Notary Public 201B-2nd Ave. West

948-3376

P. O. Box 1480 Biggar, Sask.

Phone: 948-5133

after hours George: 948-4042 Corner of Main Street & 1st Avenue West, Biggar

¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Criminal Law Commercial Law Real Estate Law Wills and Estate Law and our lawyers, William Roe, Q.C. Jason Peszko Lisa Watson look forward to assisting you and can be contacted at:

B I G G AR I N S URAN CE SERVIC ES • Notary Publics • Home & Agro Insurance • Auto & Commerical Insurance • Health Insurance • Motor Licence Issuer Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday to Friday 304 Main Street • Biggar

Phone: 948-2204 or 948-3886

223 Main Street Biggar Box 580 Biggar, SK SOK OMO

OPEN: Mon.-Fri. • 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tridem & Super B trailers

Your Auto Parts and Accessories Dealer

…for bookings contact

Open: Mon.-Fri.

Rockin D Trucking & Cattle

8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Sat. • 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Let Vortex protect your truck and your investment with the Vortex Seamless Sprayed on Liner System

948-2183

A small Àrm that provides quality professional services to our clients on a personalized and timely basis.

Services include: •Auditing and Accounting •Corporate and Personal Tax •Financial Statement Preparation •Farm Tax and Agristability We are accepting new clients in Saskatoon and surrounding area.

624 Duchess St. Saskatoon, SK S7K 0R1

Ph: 306-933-2970 Jeff Gorman, C.A. jeffgorman@daviesdrury.com

Spencer Beaulieu, C.A. spencerbeaulieu@daviesdrury.com

For all your investment needs, Visit…

Prairieland Collision Rosetown, Sask.

306-882-2289

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

948-3996

Dean McCallum, CFP, CIM, FCSI

Lyndsey Sacher

Investment Advisor Credential Securities Inc.

Mutual Fund Investment Specialist, Wealth Consultant Credential Asset Management Inc.

SGI Safety Inspection Auto Repair TIRES

KRF Auto Centre

info@twhÀnancial.ca www.twhÀnancial.ca

YH Truck, Ag & Auto

306.237.7671 Take’n the pain outta haul’n your grain!

SERVICES THUR-O CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Cliff Forsyth Box 736, Biggar

• Heavy truck parts • Agriculture parts • Automotive parts & accessories www.yhtruckagauto.com

Hwy 14 East, Biggar 948-2109

SMALL ADS WORK You’re reading this one!

• Snow Removal • Fences …and much more

“Your complete decal and signage shop”

t Delivery

306-948-3312 sales@gvsigns.ca

A Sign of

Panasonic, Samsung,

Ask Abou

Qualilty!

• Wood, metal, plastic signs • Vehicle & window graphics • Banners, stickers and Magnetic signs

Jerry Muc Phone: 948-2958 Fax:

948-5699

Phone:

948-5600

MONARCH MEATS

Modern Licenced Abbatoir • custom slaughter, cut and wrapping • sausage making, curing and smoking

• sides of Beef available

948-3384 The Country Clipper • All Breed Dog Grooming • Boarding Kennels (Bordetella Mandatory) • Pet Supplies • Saleboard for dog and cat related items

For appointments and inquiries, call Janet at 948-2091

Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 6 pm.

2 mi N on Hwy #4, 2-½ mi E on Golf Course Rd.

NORTHLAND PAINTING and SANDBLASTING •Texas Gates •Spray Foam Insulation •Sandblasting & Painting •Internal Coatings •Rock Guard Coatings g

Mobile Units Office: 948-2805 05 Cell: 948-6062 email: northland83@yourlink.ca

Sewing & Embroidery • Jackets • Windsuits • Shirts • Hunting Gear • Bunnyhugs • Caps • Toques • Bags Check out our new website: classicmakings.ca Judy Judy Kahovec: Kahovec…

882-4313, Cellcell 831-7935 306-882-4313, 831-7935 Carey Krchov: 882-3213 Carey Krchov…882-3213

Anne G. Livingston

Kevin Kurulak Investment Rep Insurance Broker P. 306 948 5200 F. 306 948 5207 Appointments Preferred

• Topsoil • Lawn Care • Leveling • Sod • Patio Blocks

Your authorized

LG, Frigidaire, Shaw, Yamaha Audio Dealer; and Your authorized

SaskTel Mobility and High Speed Internet Dealer

BIGGAR LEISURE CENTRE 216 Main St., Biggar

Owned & operated by Kevin Fick

948-1722

222 Main Street 306 948 5377

J. G. Smith

Super B outÀts hauling grain and fertilizer in Alberta and Saskatchewan

Mutual Fund Investment Specialist Credential Asset Management Inc.

Financial Planning Estate Planning Life Insurance

Ph/fax: 948-3856 or cell: 948-7896

“Where we do it all for you!!”

227 - 1st Ave. East, Biggar

403 Main Street, Biggar

Small moves and deliveries with ½ ton truck

• Detailing • Vortex Spray-In Box Liners • Granitex Baked-on Coatings for Decks and Cement Flooring • Auto Accessories • Trailer Rentals

Robert Hoesgen, CFP

Mutual funds are offered through Credential Asset Management Inc., and mutual funds and other securities are offered through Credential Securities Inc. ®Credential is a registered mark owned

by Credential Financial Inc. and is used under license.

• Driveways • Concrete • Garage Pads • Pruning • Planting

HAULS TO THE DUMP

Troy May, owner/operator Fax #306.237.TROY

Mutual Fund Investment Specialist Credential Asset Management Inc.

Do you just want to know if your premiums are fair with the right coverage?

948-2879, evenings 948-7207, daytime Ed Kolenosky

Biggar, Sask.

Heavy Duty Journeyman Mechanic

Pamela Eaton

Located at the Biggar & District Credit Union 302 Main Street, Biggar, SK • 306-948-3352

• Cattle hauling with 21 ft. gooseneck trailer • round and large square bale hauling with step-deck or highboy semi-trailers • also buying and selling straw and forage • also machinery hauling Home • 306-948-2037 Alex • 306-948-7291 Dan • 306-948-7843

Mike Nahorney, Interprovincial

Heavy Truck Repair

Toll Free: 866-403-2298

Email: garethmckee@burntorangesolutions.com Website: www.burntorangesolutions.com

Open Monday-Saturday

100% handwash

Are you looking for Life, Living Benefits Insurance and/or Investment Strategies?

222 Main St., Biggar Tel: 306-986-2600

Rebel Landscaping

948-2700

Email: ddolack@sasktel.net Website: www.hrblock.ca

INVESTMENTS

Want a truly independent advisor who will find your unique solution?

Gareth McKee

Cell: 306-948-7524

Custom Grain Hauling

306-948-5352 or 306-244-9865

INSURANCE

Rural/Urban • Computer Sales • Support and Consultancy • Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery • Cloud Email • Wired/Wireless Neworking

~Brian and Cathy Fick~

1st Ave. West, Biggar

Roe & Peszko is a full service law office that practices…

BURNT ORANGE SOLUTIONS

• Biggar to Saskatoon • Same day Service • Monday to Friday • 24-hour Answering Service

HARRIS TRUCK SERVICES LTD.

SERVICES

SERVICES ERVICES

BIGGAR COURIER Service Truck Full Mechanical Service Mon - Fri • 8 a.m.-5 p.m. phone: George

Garry A. Faye

COURIER/HAULING

For FAX service, see us at The Independent, 102 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar

CertiÀed Custom Picture Framer • photographs • paintings • art prints • memorabilia • collages, etc.

Call Anne @ 948-7274 greengables2@sasktel.net

948-3955 Battery Chargers Electric Fencers Repaired/Rebuilt/ Built

Phillips Radio Shop 109 Main St., Biggar

Phone:

948-2442

Fax: 948-2484

HONEYBEE SEPTIC TANK SERVICE Bob Kobelsky

658-4474, Landis, SK

Biggar Sand & Gravel • trenching • trucking • water & sewer • sand & gravel • excavating Call Colin Graham at 948-5455 CWB CertiÀed Light Fabrication Mobile Welding

230 - 1st Ave. W., Biggar Phone: 948-7117 email: chase14welding@sasktel.net

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

22 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

St. Gabriel School- “Outta My Mind”

by Rick Garchinski I love my job. It is a position in which I see myself as a life-long learner.

Sometimes it’s learning related specifically to my responsibilities; sometimes my many coworkers are my teachers. However, I think I learn the most from the students of St. Gabriel School.

It’s not easy being a kid these days. I frequently share with our students how impressed I am with the character many of them possess. I explain to them what it was like for me growing up in Naicam in the 70’s. The pressures, challenges and influences they face are exponentially more difficult now than they were for me. The one thing that hasn’t seemed to change is that many adults tend to see the negative in young people – that takes no effort.

We, like any other school are not perfect, but I’d like to think that the positive far outweighs

the difficulties. Our students make us proud.

St. Gabriel students are no different than us as adults. We all make mistakes, we truly want to do our best, sometimes it’s difficult to take responsibility for our actions, we care about others and we want others to care about us.

We have had many wonderful weeks together as a school since returning from the Christmas Break. Our basketball and curling teams have enjoyed positive seasons – despite losing more than winning. It’s a reminder that the virtue of enthusiasm can make life fun, and that excellence occurs when you do your best, regardless of the external results.

We also have started intramurals for all grades in the school. For Grades K-5 it is their first opportunity – and they are enthusiastic. They always leave the gym red-faced and happy regardless of the outcome.

The virtues of service

and generosity are present at St. Gabriel School.

Our Grade 6/7 students continue to plan and prepare for Saskatchewan’s first We Day. They have been collecting pennies as part of Canada’s largest penny drive: We Create Change. They have also been selling candygrams for another fund raiser and have decided to donate the money to the Children’s Wish Foundation. While these opportunities show service, it is the little deeds that might often be overlooked, that I see around the school that make me proud. We have many older students whom look out for the younger ones. They help them putting on their boots; they get the supervisors attention on the playground when they have hurt themselves, or when they witness a disagreement between students.

They volunteer to help in the many activities that take place over the course of a normal day.

They show kindness to

each other.

Students also teach me about the virtues of forgiveness, patience, responsibility and self-discipline. Our first priority is to support students by giving them the oppor-

tunity to become wellrounded, educated young persons. St. Gabriel, like every other school does their best. The pleasant side-effect of this process is that adults like myself, are the ones also being

educated!

As I end, I do need to clarify that in life, I continue to learn the most from my wife and three sons . . . even though they think I’m a slow learner!

St. Gabriel CSCC sponsored a ham and pancake lunch for students on Monday, February 11th. It was also Hawaiian Day. Grade 1 students had their fill and posed for the camera. Left-right Ava Barber, Avery Anderson, Lara Suter, Elizabeth Dhil-Stevenot, Annica Evanisky and Emily Molberg.

St. Gabriel Jr. Boy’s Curling team won the district championship on Saturday, February 9 in Beechy. They played four games that day against Landis, Kindersley, and Outlook.

Left to right: Landen Boisvert, Nathan Hawkins, Benson Garchinski, Garrett Hawkins, Josh Hawkins, coach - Ian Hawkins.

NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL Village of Landis Notice is hereby given that the Assessment Roll for the Village of Landis for the year of 2013 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the following days: Monday to Thursday, February 14, 2013 to April 15, 2013.

Please note that the Village of Landis Office will be closed Easter Monday April 1st.

A bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the Assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment is required to file his or her notice of appeal with: The Assessor, Sandra Beckett, Village of Landis, Box 153, Landis, SK, S0K 2K0, by the 15th day of April, 2013.

Dated this 14th day of February, 2013.

Sandra Beckett, Assessor

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 23

Biggar gymnasts compete in Funmeet The Biggar Gymnastics Club participated in the Rosetown Funmeet, January 26, medaling in several categories.

Congratulations to all of the Gymnasts that participated in the Rosetown Funmeet January 26. You all did a wonderful job.

Winning a bronze

medal: Jayla Boobyer, Trinity Gautier, Toby Pearce, Jere Johnson and Hailey Boobyer.

Winning a silver medal was: Kyla Bendera-Monroe, KierstenRaschke, Marissa Carter, Nathan Carter, Casey Ives, Kaleb Carter, Siena Ellis, Cassie Raschke, Kenzie

Oesch, Bronwyn Massie and Jessica Auton.

Winning a gold medal: Alric Massie, Savana Ellis and Kathleen May. The Biggar Club was ably assisted by coach Nicole Kobelsky and assistant coaches Jamie Sherburne, and Jaden Rensby.

Alley Katz Bowling results Tuesday mixed league, MHS -- John Hammond, 213; MHT -- John Hammond, 518; LHS -Donna Foster, 193; LHT -- Pat Phillips, 497.

New Horizons, MHS -- Glen Shockey, 230; MHT -- Glen Shockey, 591; LHS --

Donna Eckhart, 215; LHT -- Donna Eckhart, 542.

Wednesday YBC, Bowlarsaurus HS -- Kiersten Raschke, 112.

Bantam HS -JustinCirrico, 117.

Juniors HS -- Jaden

Rensby, 186.

Thursday Senior League, MHS -- Jack Eckart, 264; MHT -- Jack Eckart, 696; LHS -- Lee Silvernagle, 196; LHT -Lee Silvernagle, 509.

Alley Katz Bowl held the YBC Bantam Girls and

Boys zone finals on Sunday February 10. The girls composite team consisted of Kiersten Raschke(Biggar), C a s s a n d r a Raschke(Biggar), London Lindridge(Rosetown),Trista Scebenski(Rosetown) and Coach Megan Santa.

Despite bowling well they did not advance onto the provincial round. Congratulation girls on getting so far.

Perdue Bowling results For the week ending February 10.

Club 55: MHS, Tom Davies, 246; LHS, Dot Curtiss, 206; MHT, Tom Davies, 607; LHT, Dot Curtiss, 526; THS, Unpredictables, 1,089, THT, Unpredictables,

3,159, MHA, Al Levitt, 192, LHA, Kay Munro, 161.

Ladies: LHS, Sandra Pavloff, 204; LHT, Dorrie Laberswieler, 542; THS, Zeros, 1,030; THT, Zeros, 2,983; LHA, Dorrie Laberswieler, 188.

Drive to the hoop . . . St. Gabriel Junior Saint, Benson Garchinski takes the ball to the hoop, February 7, as they faced their BCS Blazer rivals. The Blazers went on to a 62-30 win. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Mens: MHS, Bob Lemon, 237; MHT, Bob Lemon, 569; THS, TriHards, 752; THT, TriHards, 2,078; MHA, Tom Davies, 180.

Mixed: MHS, Dennis Notschke, 227; LHS, Joan Edmison, 203; MHT, Al Levitt, 630; LHT, Joey Levitt, 520; THS, DJ’s, 1001; THT, DJ’s, 2,904; MHA, Al Levitt, 189; LHA, Joey Levitt, 173.

Bowlasauras: Haydyn Wegwitz, 39. Bantam Girls: Skylar Elliot, 97.

Bantam Boys: Adam Munro, 123. Junior Boys: Brayden Wilkinson, 145.

Junior Girls: Danielle Munro, 185.

A No-Tap Tournament was held on February 10 at Perdue Commmunity Bowl. The results are as follows: First; Jason Munro, Jesse Evers, Kyren Wilkinson, Kori Anderson.

Second and third; George Bartley, Arlene Bartley, Al Levitt, Joey Levitt; Dot Curtiss, Elizabeth McMahon, Jim Brown, Bob Mason.

LHS - Donna Eaton, 262; MHS - Kyren Wilkinson, 265; Hidden Score - George Bartley, 156. Half-n-half winner - Santana Anderson, Dot Curtiss.

Blazers go 2 and 1 on home tourney . . . Biggar Central School Senior Blazer, Edyn Keith passes to a teammate, February 9. Hosting their home tournament, the Blazers recorded two wins and one loss. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

24- THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

13023MC00

505 Hwy. 7 West, Rosetown, SK S0L 2V0 OPEN: Monday - Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

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Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CLOSED: Sundays

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February 14, 2013

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO

Retiring Early How to make early retirement a reality

Destined for Debt?

Signs you may be heading for substantial debt

The Reality of Real Estate Things to consider before buying your first home

2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

3

Financial Tips for Young Professionals TFSA ... Biggar & District Credit Union

4

Rules of Thumb for First-Time Home Buyers Tim Hammond Realty

5

Kindersley Woman Gives Gift of Saskatchewan Pension Plan No Need to Fret RRSP Season Saskatchewan Pension Plan

6

How to Keep Healthcare Costs Manageable Biggar & Landis Insurance Services

7

What to do with your Retirement Account Before the Next Economic Downturn Credential Asset Management --- Pamela Eaton

8

Breaking Down Life Insurance Kurulak Investment and Insurance Corp.

9

Make Early Retirement a Reality SaskWorks

10

Financial Lessons can Begin During Childhood Biggar & Landis Insurance Services

11

Signs you may be Heading for Substantial Debt Kurulak Investment and Insurance Corp.

12

Talking Finances with your Valentine SWNA -- Junior Citizen of the Year Award

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Financial tips for young professionals

T

oday’s young professionals face a future that’s perhaps more puzzling than any generation of young people has encountered in decades. An economic stall that has carried on for half a decade coupled with an uncertain job market has made it difÀcult to anticipate what lies ahead.

Money management is a priority for the young professionals fortunate enough to have found steady employment in a difÀcult job market. However, many young professionals are unsure about managing their Ànances once they begin earning their Àrst steady postcollege paychecks. The following are a few basic Ànancial tips for young professionals who want to make the most of their money in the years to come.

• Think retirement. It might be hard for young people who just started their professional careers to start thinking about retirement. But saving for retirement should begin the moment you accept your Àrst job offer. If your company offers a 401(k) plan, enroll as soon as you’re eligible (many companies do not allow new hires to enroll until they’ve completed a 90-day evaluation period). If you Ànd a company that matches your contributions, that’s even better. If the

company does not offer a 401(k), then speak to your bank about opening an IRA, or individual retirement account, and set up automatic deposits into that account to coincide with each pay period.

• Don’t go crazy with credit. Many 30-somethings have horror stories about overusing credit cards in their 20s and Àghting to get out of debt for years. Don’t fall into that trap. An entrylevel position might not pay very well, but don’t dig yourself into a hole by living above your means and Ànancing such a lifestyle with credit. It’s beneÀcial to sign up for a credit card once you start working full-time so you can start to establish a credit history that, if you use credit wisely, will help you down the road. But don’t go crazy with credit.

Instead, use credit cards sparingly and pay balances in full whenever possible.

• Open a savings account. It might sound simple, and it is, but open a savings account if you don’t already have one. Many young professionals fail to open a savings account when they start working, as some may feel a retirement account such as those previously mentioned are enough for saving for the future, while others feel their checking account can double as a savings account. But neither of those approaches are correct.

A checking account linked to a debit card means you’ll routinely be dipping into your “savings account,” while you incur steep penalties for using retirement money should you need to withdraw funds in the case of an emergency. A traditional savings account will earn you interest (many checking accounts do not), help you secure your Ànancial future and ensure you have cash on hand in the case of an emergency.

• Start repaying your student loans.

Young professionals with student loans to repay should begin repaying those loans as soon as possible.

Many student loans afford borrowers a six-month, interest-free window after graduation during which no payments must be made. But when that six-month grace period expires, borrowers must begin repaying those loans or seek a deferment or forbearance. A deferment is a period during which repayment of your loan is temporarily delayed and, depending on the type of loan, the government may pay the interest that accrues during the deferment.

A forbearance is for those borrowers who don’t qualify for a deferment but still need to delay making payments. A forbearance can typically last as long as 12 months, but during that period interest will accrue on your loans and you will be responsible for paying that interest as well as the loan principle.

But young professionals should begin repaying their loans as soon as possible, and ideally pay more than the minimum each month to decrease the amount of interest paid over the life of the loan. Making loan payments each month helps build credit history, and the sooner a person starts repaying the sooner he or she will be free of the burden of monthly payments.

The economic climate many young people are now entering is certainly no walk in the park. But some simple Ànancial strategies can help young professionals establish themselves Ànancially regardless of how weak or strong the economy is.

Tax Free Savings Account or RRSP? It’s hard not to hear all the buzz about Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSA’s). These became available to investors as of January 2009 to residents of Canada who are 18 years or older with a SIN number - even if they’re retired, don’t earn an income or are not Canadian citizens.

It’s Different Than an RRSP

A Tax-Free Way to Invest dŚĞ 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŚĂƐ ŵĂĚĞ ƚŚĞ d&^ ǀĞƌLJ ŇĞdžŝďůĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ ůŽƚƐ ŽĨ ŐƌĞĂƚ

ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ͘ dŚĞ ƚŚƌĞĞ ŵŽƐƚ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ŽŶĞƐ ĂƌĞ͗

x /nvestŵents groǁ tadžͲfree x zoƵ Đan ǁithdraǁ ŵoney any Ɵŵe͕ ĨŽƌ ĂŶLJ ƌĞĂƐŽŶ͕ ŝŶ ĂŶLJ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ x zoƵ don͛t Ɖay tadž ŽŶ ŵŽŶĞLJ LJŽƵ ǁŝƚŚĚƌĂǁ͘

DŽƐƚ ůŝŬĞůLJ͕ LJŽƵ͛ůů ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶ ďŽƚŚ Ă d&^ ĂŶĚ ĂŶ ZZ^W͕ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞLJ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽŵĞ ƐŝŵŝůĂƌŝƟĞƐ͕ ƚŚĞLJ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞƐ ƚŽŽ͘ x x x x x

*

3

A TFSA is intended to save and invest for anything ʹ Ă ŚŽƵƐĞ͕ ǀĂĐĂƟŽŶ͕ ŶĞǁ ĐĂƌ ʹ ǁŚĂƚĞǀĞƌ LJŽƵ ǁĂŶƚ͘ Ŷ ZZ^W ŝƐ ŝŶƚĞŶĚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ zoƵ Ƶse aŌerͲtadž doůůars to ĐontriďƵte to a TFSA͕ ďƵƚ ĐĂŶ ƵƐĞ ƉƌĞͲƚĂdž ĚŽůůĂƌƐ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ZZ^W zoƵ Đan͛t Đůaiŵ a tadž dedƵĐƟon for TFSA ĐontriďƵƟons͕ ďƵƚ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ZZ^W /t͛s easy to ǁithdraǁ yoƵr TFSA ŵoney ĂŶĚ ǁŚĞŶ LJŽƵ ĚŽ͕ LJŽƵ ǁŽŶ͛ƚ ƉĂLJ ƚĂdž͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŚĂƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ LJŽƵƌ ZZ^W ĨƵŶĚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝĨ LJŽƵ ĚŽ͕ LJŽƵ͛ůů ƉĂLJ ƚĂdž The TFSA doesn͛t have to ďe roůůed over ƚŽ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ƚLJƉĞ ŽĨ ƉůĂŶ Ăƚ ĂŐĞ ϳϭ͘ Ŷ ZZ^W ĚŽĞƐ Ͷ ŝŶƚŽ Ă ZZ/& Žƌ ĂŶŶƵŝƚLJ͕ ĂŶĚ ŽŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŽĐĐƵƌƐ͕ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ĨŽƌĐĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ǁŝƚŚĚƌĂǁĂůƐ͘ Ƶƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ŶŽ ŵĂŶĚĂƚŽƌLJ ǁŝƚŚĚƌĂǁĂůƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă d&^

If you’re looking for some advice on when its best to invest in a TFSA versus an RRSP drop by and talk to one of our Investment Specialists. They’ll assess your individual circumstances and provide you with an expert’s perspective.

4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR,SK

Rules of thumb for first-time home buyers

A

home purchase is the biggest investment many people will ever make. Though the housing market can Áuctuate, prospective homeowners still look at home ownership as a way to secure their Ànancial futures while also putting a roof over their heads.

Because it is such a signiÀcant investment, the home buying process can be intimidating, especially for Àrst-time home buyers. But even though the housing market can be unpredictable, there are some things that prospective buyers should know regardless of whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market when they begin their search.

Enlisting the services of a professional real estate agent is one way first-time home buyers can make the process less stressful.

How to Sell your Home Sooner These few steps will result in a dramatic increase in serious buyers…

1. Look at your home with a “Buyer’s” perspective. Is the home inviting or does it look rundown, old and cluttered? Is the front entrance clean and painted and does it make the best possible Àrst impression?

2. Touch-up paint. If the existing paint is especially bad, paint the entire room in a neutral colour. This allows Buyers to create their own idea of how they would live in the room.

3. Kitchen and bathrooms sell! These are the most closely examined rooms in the house. Ensure these rooms really shine by removing all clutter, re-sealing around sinks, tubs and showers if necessary and cleaning and repairing all Àxtures. There is nothing more unappealing than a dripping tap!

4. Prepare for showings in the same way that you would prepare for friends coming over. Make the beds, pick up clothing and clean the Áoors. It should be easy for prospective buyers to move through the home. Consider moving some items into storage to create a more open look and feel.

5. Maximize storage spaces. Make sure that your cupboards and closets are clean and clutter free. Consider putting excess clothes and items into storage.

The First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit will provide a provincial nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,100 to eligible taxpayers, determined by applying a provincial tax credit rate of 11 per cent to the Àrst $10,000 of an eligible home purchase.

There will also be provisions to allow persons with a disability to qualify for the purchase of more accessible homes.

Contact… Cari McCarty, Residential Sales 113 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar

948-5052 (ofÀce) 948-7995 (cell) www.TimHammond.ca http://Cari.Tim Hammond.ca

Biggar’s Top Performing Residential Agent

• Be ready to commit to a location.

Buying a home is not like renting an apartment. If renters need to break a lease, they might be able to do so at little or no cost to them. In addition, many renters sign a 12-month lease, which gives them some Áexibility with regard to moving should they need to relocate for a new job or simply decide they need a more accommodating living arrangement.

That Áexibility is far more costly to home buyers, who must pay transaction costs when buying or selling a home. Those fees can be considerable, so prospective home buyers should be ready to make a long-term commitment to living in the area where they’re searching for a home. Buyers may end up losing money if they’re forced to sell shortly after buying a home. But even those who break even will be stuck with costly transaction fees at least twice in a short period of time.

• Address bad credit. Unless a buyer can afford to buy a home with cash, the buyer will need a mortgage to purchase a home. Mortgages come with an interest rate, which will be higher for those with poor credit scores and histories than those with solid ones. Buying a home is not an overnight process, but one that should begin long before buyers look at any properties. The best way to begin the home-buying process is for a buyer to obtain a copy of his or her credit report, examine it to make sure it is accurate and then work to raise that credit score to a level that makes one attractive to prospective lenders. A low interest rate can save you thousands of dollars over the course of a typical 30-year mortgage, and a credit score and history goes a long way toward determining what that interest rate will ultimately be.

• Be ready to put down 20 percent.

When buying a home, Àrst-time buyers might be surprised to learn the down payment is typically 20 percent of the cost of the home. That down payment does not include transaction fees, closing costs or the often considerable cost of moving into the home. So buyers hoping to purchase

a $400,000 home should be ready to pay an $80,000 down payment. While it’s possible to qualify for a low-interest mortgage that allows buyers to make a smaller down payment, a smaller down payment will also result in a higher monthly mortgage payment. For those who aren’t prepared to put down 20 percent, it might be in their best interests to put off the home-buying process until they can comfortably afford to do so.

• Don’t underestimate the value of a real estate agent. Veteran home buyers might be conÀdent that they can navigate the home-buying process on their own. However, Àrst-time buyers should enlist the help of a professional real estate agent, ideally one who specializes in buying homes. A real estate agent can help make the process less stressful and provide valuable advice as to where to look for a home, how to make an offer and a host of other suggestions Àrst-time buyers may not be knowledgeable about.

• Buy a home in a good school district. A good school district isn’t just beneÀcial for home buyers with children. Buyers who don’t have children and don’t plan to have children should still look for a home in a good school district, as numerous studies have shown buyers will pay more for a home that’s in a good school district.

Good schools help maintain demand for property, and consistent demand should ensure a property appreciates in value over time, making a home in a good school district a better investment than a home in a bad school district.

• Get pre-approved. Many Àrst-time buyers fail to get pre-approved before beginning their search for a home.

Failing to get pre-approved means buyers won’t know how much lenders feel they can afford, and buyers may spend lots of time looking at homes they like but will never be able to buy.

Pre-approval also enables buyers to more easily make an offer when they Ànd a home they like.

Buying a home can be both frustrating and fun. First-time buyers should employ a few time-tested tricks of the trade to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Kindersley woman gives gift of Saskatchewan Pension Plan Family therapist Carol Mitchell believes so strongly in the Saskatchewan Pension Plan (SPP) that she signed up six of her family members and deposited money into their accounts.

“I decided to invest in their futures,” she says. “Someday I’m going to die and they are noåt going to remember they

management and low annual fees.

The plan is open to all Canadians between the ages of 18 and 71, and

She makes maximum contributions to her own account every year and takes full advantage of the opportunity to move money from her personal RRSP into SPP. She enrolled her two grandsons in SPP when they turned 18, and subsequently made similar arrangements for her two daughters and two goddaughters.

Mitchell hopes her family members will continue to contribute to SPP above and beyond any further gifts she gives them; however, she recognizes that some years they may have other, more pressing Ànancial priorities. “The Áexibility to contribute whatever they can afford to SPP each year is one reason I really like the program,” she says.

spent the $100 I gave them on a sweater or a dinner out. But when it comes time for their retirements, they’ll remember I believed in them and put money aside in their names.”

SPP is a retirement savings option offering professional

No need to fret RRSP season, says Saskatchewan Pension Plan Manager

5

members can invest up to $2500 per year (subject to RRSP limits). Over the last 26 years, average returns in the balanced fund have been nearly eight per cent with annual expenses averaging about one per cent.

Mitchell joined SPP in 2000, two years after her husband. “My husband joined in 1998 because it was one of the perks offered by his employer,” she says. “I looked at his statements, and the earnings were better than I was getting at the bank so I decided to take out my own plan.”

Mitchell turned 65 this year, but plans to keep on working and contributing to her own SPP account until age 71.

Then she can opt for a lifetime pension, transfer the funds to a prescribed registered retirement income fund with a Ànancial institution, or select a combination of both the annuity and transfer options.

SPP is the 28th largest deÀned contribution plan in Canada and has grown to over 32,000 members and more than 300 million dollars in assets.

The RRSP contribution deadline for 2012 is March 1, 2013.

YOUR RETIREMENT GROWS HERE.

A majority of Canadians feel anxious about RRSP deadlines, but Saskatchewan Pension Plan (SPP) General Manager Katherine Strutt says there’s no need to stress.

“People often put off saving because they think they need a lot of money to do so.

Even putting a little away each month will help your retirement savings grow over time. At SPP, our 26-year return rate has averaged nearly eight per cent.”

A recent BMO Financial Group study found that 60 per cent of Canadians feel anxious about trying to Ànd money to save for retirement and that nearly half of Canadians who make annual RRSP contributions do so in one lump sum.

“Lump sum contributions are deÀnitely popular,” says Strutt. “People have busy lives complicated by many expenses, and it can be challenging to contribute the same amount to a retirement plan every month. SPP is designed to accommodate that. We understand that real life happens, and it’s important to us that we continue to be a Áexible retirement savings option.”

SPP is a leader in its Àeld and is open to all Canadians aged 18 to 71. Investors can put in up to $2500 per year. Established in 1986, the plan is professionally managed and offers low annual fees of about one per cent.

“Policy makers have spent a lot of time looking for ways to encourage Canadians to save more for retirement. But our ‘one of a kind’ program has been here all along,” says Strutt.

tŚĞŶ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ƐĂǀŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ŚŽǁ ĚŽ LJŽƵ ĚĞĐŝĚĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƚŽ ƉƵƚ LJŽƵƌ ŵŽŶĞLJ͍

Twenty-six-year-old Brady Hood is a big fan of SPP. Not only is he a plan member, but since last year his Saskatoon-based family business, Olympian Sports, has offered SPP as part of its employee beneÀt package.

“Even though I’m young, I see that SPP is a good place to start investing, and it will open doors for our staff to do their own investing too.”

SPP is the 28th largest deÀned contribution plan in Canada, and has grown to over 32,000 members and more than 300 million dollars in assets.

The RRSP contribution deadline for 2012 is March 1, 2013.

Sign up at sppworks.ca

^ĂƐŬĂƚĐŚĞǁĂŶ WĞŶƐŝŽŶ WůĂŶ ŝƐ Ă smart and steady ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ŽƉƟŽŶ͕ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵ͘ KǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƐƚ Ϯϲ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽƵƌ ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŚĂƐ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞĚ nearly 8%͕ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ professional management ĂŶĚ low fees͘ hƐĞ ŝƚ ůŝŬĞ ĂŶ ZZ^W ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ďƵŝůĚ LJŽƵƌ ƐĂǀŝŶŐƐ͕ ŶŽ ŵĂƩĞƌ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ŝŶ ůŝĨĞ͘ ŽŶƚƌŝďƵƚĞ ďĞĨŽƌĞ March 1 ƚŽ ďĞŶĞĮƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚĂdž ƐĂǀŝŶŐƐ͘

6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

T

How to keep healthcare costs manageable

& Landis 304 Main Street, Biggar

948-2204 or 948-3886 100 - 2nd Ave. West, Landis

658-2044 • • • • • • •

Home & Agro Insurance Auto & Commercial Insurance Health Insurance Motor Licence Issuer Life Insurance Investment Strategies Notary Publics

www.biggarinsurance.ca www.landisinsurance.ca

he cost of living is on the rise. Gas, groceries and even healthcare continue to become more expensive.

Healthcare, in particular, has become a burden to many people.

The rising costs of medical care and prescriptions is making it difÀcult for many people to afford adequate healthcare. It’s hard not to be impacted by the cost of healthcare, which is on the rise for a variety of reasons: • reduced contributions from employers into employee healthcare plans; • increased incidences of medical malpractice suits, which drive up doctors’ insurance costs; • greater involvement by patients in their healthcare choices, with more requests for in-depth testing; • an aging population requiring more medical care, and • increased innovations in medical technology.

These factors have made it challenging for many people to keep healthcare costs manageable. Yet, there are ways to keep healthcare expenses affordable.

• Compare plans. Figure out which plan offers the biggest bang for your buck. Although one person in the relationship may be the proverbial “breadwinner,” that doesn’t mean his or her health insurance plan is the best option available. Compare your options and choose the best plan for you and your family. If neither is sufÀcient, decide if purchasing your own insurance with a union afÀliation or through a different method would be better.

• Live a healthier lifestyle. A sick individual will have to pay more for

healthcare. Eat the right foods and maintain a healthy weight. Do not smoke or drink alcohol to excess.

Be sure to include exercise in your daily activities.

• Check for discounts. Some health plans offer rebates to policy holders who exercise regularly.

Each plan is different, but check your policy for the details.

• Review the explanation of beneÀts. Explanation of beneÀts, or EOBs, are statements provided by your health insurance provider.

Make sure they are accurate and void of discrepancies. Report any errors to the insurance company, even if it means singling out a physician who may not be operating truthfully.

• Participate in incentive programs. Some insurance providers will offer incentives, such as a points program, for taking surveys or taking part in healthrelated activities.

• Use in-network providers. If you participate in a plan that requires you use network doctors, do so.

Otherwise you will have to pay the balance of costs not covered by the insurance company. The same is said for laboratories and testing facilities. Follow the rules of your plan.

• Ask for generic prescriptions.

You can save by going to certain pharmacies within your plan and also by using generic prescriptions when available.

• Visit doctors regularly. Staying healthy and being informed of ailments early on can prevent lengthy hospital stays or more in-depth testing and treatments.

Schedule routine physicals and screenings.

There are many different ways to keep costs associated with healthcare down.

7

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

What to do with your retirement account before the next economic downturn

A

struggling economy can have both instant and longterm consequences. When the economy is suffering, consumers tend to spend less in the short term while making Ànancial decisions that affect them over the long haul.

One of the biggest quandaries men and women face during a recession or economic downturn is how to approach their retirement accounts, most notably a 401(k). When the economy begins to struggle, men and women may notice their 401(k) plans are struggling right along with it, losing money that most were counting for their retirements. This can induce a certain degree of panic, as account holders worry about their Ànancial futures and how they are going to get by should the recession last and their retirement accounts continue to shrink.

But such panic might be unwarranted. According to the investment management Àrm Vanguard, participant saving and investing behavior had returned to prerecession levels by 2010, and participant account balances actually rose 13 percent between 2005-2010, despite the considerable market shock that occurred during the recession of 2008-2009.

Those Àgures illustrate that even during a particularly bad economic swoon investors will return to their typical behavior sooner rather than later. Therefore it pays to avoid overreacting at the onset of a downturn and maintain your peace of mind.

While some people manage to maintain a cool head during times of economic struggles, others may lose sleep when the next recession or downturn rears its ugly head. To avoid succumbing to such stress, consider the following tips to protect your retirement accounts should the economy once again take a turn for the worse.

• Pay attention to your portfolio.

Young people just beginning their professional careers are often told to enroll in a 401(k) program as soon as possible, but to avoid making any changes in the near future once the account has been set up. While no investors, young or old, should allow a knee-jerk reaction after a bad

Ànancial quarter to dictate how they manage their retirement accounts, that doesn’t mean you should ignore an account entirely. Pay attention to your portfolio, examining it at least once per year so you can make adjustments to your investments if need be. Just don’t allow a sudden reaction to a bad quarter dictate these adjustments, which should only be made after a careful examination of your retirement account’s portfolio and its performance. If you’re happy with the performance, don’t change a thing.

• Reduce your risk as you age.

Financial experts can often predict when the economy will thrive and when it will struggle. But unless you are such an expert, avoid playing with Àre. As you age, reduce your risk with regard to your investments.

Young people can afford to take on more risk because they have more time to make up for a risk that doesn’t work out. Men and women age 50 and older have no such luxury and should reconÀgure their retirement accounts as they age so their investments are less risky and more conservative. This strategy should be put to use even if you lost a substantial amount of money during a previous recession or downturn. It might be tempting to try to make up for lost money, but that strategy carries considerable risk, and you might end up depleting your retirement savings a second time.

• Spread the money around.

When contributing to a retirement account such as a 401(k), the standard is to deposit 6 percent of each paycheck into that account.

If you’re depositing more than 6 percent into your retirement account, consider decreasing your retirement contribution to the standard amount and depositing the extra money into a high-interest savings account.

The savings account won’t put your deposits at risk, and if the economy is faring well, you will still be doing well with your 401(k) while ensuring some of your money won’t suffer should the economy suddenly take a turn for the worse.

• Don’t cash out too early. When the economy struggles, many investors have discovered they simply don’t have the stomach

Investors age 50 and older should begin to reduce the risks associated with their retirement accounts, choosing more stable investments as they age.

for investing. That’s perfectly understandable with certain investments, but a retirement account should not be one of them.

Cashing out a retirement account too early could incur substantial penalties that, if your retirement

account was affected poorly by a bad year, may only further deplete an account you likely spent years building. Avoid the temptation to cash out early if your retirement account is struggling. It’s often not worth the steep price.

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8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Breaking down life insurance

L

ife insurance is widely considered a necessity for adults with dependents.

Married men and women typically purchase a life insurance policy before or shortly after walking down the aisle, though some defer that purchase until they have children. Life insurance can be a signiÀcant and important investment, so it’s wise for men and women of all ages to consider the following points about life insurance to determine if it’s the right move for them.

Life insurance is a potentially valuable investment for anyone ...

Visit an agent to discuss your particular needs.

For all your life insurance needs contact…

403 Main St., Biggar

948-5200 email: kevin@kkurulak.net fax 948-5207

• Life insurance is not just for people with dependents.

Conventional wisdom may suggest life insurance is only for people with dependents. However, life insurance is a potentially valuable investment for anyone whether they have dependents or not. Men and women likely won’t want to saddle their loved ones who inherit their estate with their debts, outstanding medical bills or funeral expenses, and life insurance can help pay those bills.

• Peruse any employer life insurance policy. Many employers pay for life insurance policies for their employees, and such policies may be enough for men and women without dependents and any signiÀcant Ànancial obligations.

However, employer-paid life insurance policies likely won’t be sufÀcient for men and women with dependents, whether those dependents include a spouse or a spouse and children.

• Term coverage can prove very expensive. Some men and women feel term life insurance is a better investment than permanent coverage. However, term coverage can become very expensive as a person ages, so permanent coverage may prove a more practical option. In addition, men and women who choose term coverage should know that certain medical

conditions that may arise as you age might be deemed as uninsurable, potentially putting those who will inherit your estate in a precarious Ànancial position upon your death.

• Even men and women without a job need life insurance coverage.

Many married couples in which only one partner earns a salary assume only the working spouse needs life insurance coverage.

However, should the homemaking spouse pass away, the duties that person performed, such as taking care of the home and looking after any kids after school, must now be provided for, and such expenditures, especially after school child care, can be very costly. A life insurance policy can help Ànance those services.

• Let your own Ànances determine how much coverage you need. When purchasing a life insurance policy, many people use two years’ salary as their guideline.

However, your personal Ànances should ultimately dictate how much coverage you will need. Consider how much money is left on your mortgage, your investment portfolio, your spouse’s earnings, and all of your assets before deciding how much coverage you need. You may need more or signiÀcantly less coverage than the standard suggested by an insurance agency.

9

NAME NEWSPAPER • Month Date, Year

Make early retirement a reality more robust savings account than if you were to retire at a more typical age, so calculate how much more you will need to save in order to retire early. Once you have calculated that Àgure, ask yourself if it’s realistic that you can save that money and what effect this increased emphasis on savings may have on your quality of life between now and the day you’ve targeted for early retirement? If you cannot realistically save enough money or if you have to sacriÀce too much to make early retirement happen, then you might want to reconsider this goal.

• Accept sacriÀces. Making sacriÀces with an end goal of early retirement may be easier for younger men and women who have yet to grow accustomed to a certain standard of living. Regardless of their age, however, those who hope to retire early will need to accept that they will have to make certain sacriÀces to achieve their goals.

These sacriÀces can be considerable, such as downgrading to a smaller home, or relatively minor, such as cancelling a cable television

INVESTING IN SASKATCHEWAN

R

etirement is a goal for nearly every working adult. Long considered a time to enjoy the fruits of a life’s worth of labors, retirement has become something else entirely over the last several years, when the struggling economy has convinced many aging workers that their opportunity to safely retire may never present itself.

But retirement does not have to feel like a wild goose chase with the end goal nowhere in sight. In fact, many men and women who develop a plan early on can retire early, reaping the rewards of their success at an age when many people are still wondering if they can retire at all, much less retire early.

• Conduct an immediate audit of your Ànances. The road to early retirement begins, quite frankly, very early. If your retirement goal is to retire early, conduct an audit of your Ànancial situation as soon as possible, even if you are a relative newcomer to the professional sector. Examine all of your debts and other liabilities, as well as your income and your

potential earnings. It may be difÀcult to forecast potential earnings, but paint a realistic forecast with regard to your earning potential, and then use that to determine your standard of living and how much money you will need to maintain that standard upon retirement. This should give you an idea of how close or how far you are from early retirement and what you need to start doing now so early retirement can be a reality later on.

• Don’t sell savings short. Men and women who retire at the traditional retirement age can count on certain beneÀts that early retirees aren’t eligible for. Senior discounts can decrease the cost of living for typical retirees, who can also access retirement accounts like a 401(k) or an IRA without paying a penalty. Younger retirees are not eligible for senior discounts, and accessing a retirement account before a certain age can result in a substantial penalty.

So men and women whose goal is to retire early should not underestimate the value of a healthy savings account. Retiring early will require a

WORKS

subscription, but for the average worker they will be necessary to make early retirement happen. The earlier you can make these sacriÀces the easier they will be, as it won’t be as hard to sacriÀce something you’re not used to having. In addition, the earlier you make these sacriÀces the quicker you will be on the road to early retirement.

• Periodically reassess how it’s going. The road to early retirement will have its peaks and valleys, so periodically reassess how your plan is going and if you need to alter the plan in any way to make early retirement a reality. This reassessment should be conducted annually, and you must be completely honest with yourself. If the plan is going off course, determine the cause and if there’s anything you can do to catch up or if you need to change your targeted retirement date.

Early retirement is a goal for many people. And despite the uneasiness many people feel with regard to retirement, early retirement can become a reality for diligent men and women who develop a plan and stick to that plan in the years to come.

SaskWorks Venture Fund is a Saskatchewan-based mutual fund that invests in small and mediumsized private businesses. Invest in SaskWorks and diversify your portfolio with companies that you would otherwise not have access to – all while keeping your investment dollars at home in the province.

In 2012, SaskWorks was Saskatchewan’s top performing LSIF for the seventh consecutive year, based on three year, five year, and since inception returns.* * As per GlobeFund.com as at October 31, 2012 based on 3 year, 5 year, and since inception returns of Diversified and Resources share classes. © 2012 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.

REDUCE YOUR TAXES Investments in SaskWorks are RRSP-eligible and qualify for a 20% Provincial tax credit and a 15% Federal tax credit. ** Assumes a $5,000 RRSP investment with a marginal tax bracket of 44% ($132,406.01 and over).

Federal Tax Credit $750

Provincial Tax Credit $1,000

RRSP Tax Deferral** $2,200

Net Cash Outlay After Tax Savings $1,050

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Pamela Eaton & Robert Hoesgen Wealth Consultants

Credential Asset Management Inc. at Biggar & District Credit Union 302 Main St. Biggar, SK Phone: 306-948-3352

www.saskworks.ca This offering is made only by prospectus. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained free of charge from your Investment Advisor or the agent, MGI Securities Inc. (www.mgisecurities.com). Investors should read the prospectus and consult an Investment Advisor before making an investment decision. Sponsored in part by SaskWorks Venture Fund Inc.

10

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Introduce children to financial concepts at an early age so they can use these lessons throughout their life.

Setting children on a strong Ànancial path There are many ways to teach kids about money. Here are some ways to get started.

Financial lessons can begin during childhood

Money may not buy happiness, but money does make people feel more secure. Although money is not a way to measure self-worth, understanding its role in society can help mold a child into a responsible adult.

Many parents fail to recognize the signiÀcance of teaching children about Ànances, but it is never too early to impart lessons about money. Although some concepts may be difÀcult for younger kids to grasp, understanding money can help set youngsters on a positive Ànancial path. Raising a responsible person is not only about advising him to avoid drugs and alcohol or to get a good education. It also is about how to manage money and save for the future.

Financial situations have changed An adult can give pause and think about just how much money has changed through the years. While once upon a time a savings account may have been enough to get by even into one’s golden years, today’s children will eventually have to learn more difÀcult lessons about saving for retirement and investing their money wisely. Gone are the days when the majority of people retire with healthy pensions. Today’s children will need to understand saving for retirement, managing healthcare costs and budgeting for diminished government-supplied beneÀts, all while making sense of the myriad Ànancial products and services available today. To ensure children are prepared for all that is in store, lessons in money management can begin as early as a child is capable of understanding what money is and how it can be used.

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• Introduce children to money as soon as they can count. Repetition will help children learn the values of currency, and children can begin by counting the number of coins deposited into a piggy bank.

• Talk about money in day-to-day activities. Use examples to show children how money is a factor in daily life. When making purchases at the store, talk about how much each item costs. If school supplies are needed, explain the expenses associated with buying these items.

• Use concrete examples. When beginning early lessons on money, it is easier for children to grasp concepts in a visual sense. Pay at stores with cash and change to show how money that was once in a wallet is now depleted.

If an allowance is given to children, pay in monetary denominations that are easy to count, such as dollar bills, allowing kids to save a few dollars and spend a few at the same time.

• Be open about the family’s Ànances. While you don’t have to share all of the minute details, encourage children to ask questions about bill-paying and how you earn a salary. Kids may know their parents go to work but may not equate that action with earning money to pay for housing and necessities. Show a checkbook ledger or a budget spreadsheet to illustrate the Áow of assets.

• Explain the differences between needs and wants.

A child who has seen the latest toy commercial may go to her parents saying she “needs” to have that item.

Make a lesson out of identifying what is needed to live comfortably and the things that are luxuries. This also may be a valuable lesson for adults as they see which luxury items (such as a new car or big-screen TV) are not really a necessity.

• Set personal goals together. Goals can be tied to saving money. For example, a child may want to save money to pay for a particular video game. An adult may want to devote more to charity. Goals can teach valuable lessons about money management.

• Take kids to the grocery store. Research indicates about one-third of a person’s take-home pay is spent on grocery and household items. Therefore, the grocery store can be the ideal place for kids to learn Ànancial lessons.

Some stores now have self-scanner guns that enable you to keep track of what you’re spending as you shop. Let kids use the scanner so that they can see how purchases add up.

• Give children the opportunity to earn their own money. Children can learn lessons about money more easily when it’s a hands-on experience. For those who are too young for a job, chores around the house can be done to earn an allowance. Set rules about how much money can be spent versus saved. Having their own money to spend may help kids take more pride in themselves and give them a sense of independence.

• Be honest about your own mistakes. Learning often involves making mistakes along the way. Share personal experiences with children about how you may have tripped up with regard to money so they will understand that no one is perfect.

• As children get older, introduce more complex topics. Topics such as interest, using credit and investing money can be introduced slowly as a child gets older.

At this point you also can mention what is going on in national and local economies.

11

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Signs you may be heading for substantial

M

any men and women with heavy debt are vague when asked to describe how they got there, often expressing a notion that the debt seemingly piled up overnight. Though it’s possible to incur a substantial amount of debt in a short period of time, many debtors witness their Ànancial pitfalls gradually increase, with interest rates adding up over time.

Men and women who know their debts didn’t occur overnight may have missed the warning signs that they were heading for Ànancial trouble. The following are a few signs that your problem with debt might be on the way to spiraling out of control.

• Minimum payments: Every credit card statement includes the outstanding balance as well as the minimum payment due. In addition, statements now include a forecast of when the debt will be paid in full if consumers make only the minimum payment, and those with substantial debt may notice that they won’t be paying off their debts any time soon if they only make the minimum payment. Men and women who can only afford to make the minimum payment on an outstanding balance should recognize that as a warning sign that they are carrying too much debt and should begin an analysis of their Ànances immediately before that debt gets out of control.

• Frequent use of credit: Using credit wisely is a great way to build your Ànancial reputation. But using credit poorly can do signiÀcant harm to your reputation, affecting your ability to rent an apartment, Ànance a vehicle or secure a home loan,

among other things.

If you Ànd yourself using credit to make purchases you should be making with cash (or a debit card), such as fast food, your morning coffee or monthly utilities, then you’re likely setting yourself up for signiÀcant debt in the future.

Such purchases have a way of adding up. Before you know it your balance could be higher than you had anticipated and you might have already used your cash supply for other purchases you assumed were affordable. Credit cards should not be used to pay for life’s necessities or every day expenditures, as doing so only increases your cost of living when you factor in the interest you will have to pay when using credit to pay for these necessities.

• Routinely checking balances: Though it’s important to stay on top of your Ànances, there’s a difference between checking your accounts for discrepancies and checking to determine your available balances.

The former is responsible, while the latter suggests you may have a problem with impulse spending.

If you don’t have a general idea of what the balances on your credit cards are and you Ànd yourself frequently checking those balances before making purchases, then consider that a warning that you don’t have a handle on your debt.

• No savings: One of the most telltale signs that you might be carrying substantial debt, which, thanks to interest charges will likely only increase, is a lack of savings.

You should be saving money every pay period. If you’re not capable of saving, then your debts are likely exceeding your income, which

puts you on a crash course with substantial debt. If you’re not saving money but you are still piling up debts with purchases made on credit, expect to face some serious consequences down the road.

Few people can say they have never

experienced a problem with debt at least once in their lives. But those who often overcome issues with debt are those who recognized some telltale warning signs that a storm of debt was coming and acted quickly to keep those debts from becoming overwhelming.

For all your life insurance needs contact…

403 Main St., Biggar •

948-5200

email: kevin@kkurulak.net

fax 948-5207

12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 • THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Talking Finances with Your Valentine

By Carla Hindman, Director of Financial Education, Visa Canada bs you and your spouse celebrate Valentine’s Day over a candle-lit dinner, you may want to avoid romance-killing conversations that begin with, “Honey, let’s talk about our Ànancial future.” That being said, you really should have that conversation sooner rather than later to help keep your relationship on a healthy footing.

Major life changes may require you to reassess how you manage the family Ànances. Unfortunately, many couples don’t make time to plan ahead and are later caught off guard around issues like having children, aging parents, planning for emergencies and changing career and retirement goals.

If you haven’t had a Ànancial heart-to-heart lately and aren’t sure what to do next, here are a few suggestions: Make a Ànancial “date.” Even if you’re in complete

agreement on money matters, the family “accountant” should keep his or her spouse in the loop – if nothing else, so they can easily take over in an emergency.

Set up regular meetings to discuss bill payments, progress or setbacks regarding savings goals, budgeting for upcoming expenses, and strategies for coping with unforeseen expenses.

Don’t postpone uncomfortable discussions. Should one of you accidentally bounce a cheque or miss a payment, don’t wait until your next conversation to address it or try to hide the problem. You’ll only make matters worse and create an atmosphere of mistrust.

Address the problem and deal with the issue right away – you might even save yourself additional late fees or penalties.

Be united. When the news isn’t good, communication is all the more important. Whether you need to temporarily tighten the budget or make a major lifealtering decision like postponing retirement, talk it through and be prepared to compromise.

ReafÀrm your goals. Couples often start out with one game plan but then life deals an unexpected hand and goals change. Touch base periodically on how you both feel about such major issues as family size, home ownership, career changes, Ànancing postsecondary education for your kids (or yourselves), Ànancial risk appetite, when and where you’ll retire, and taking care of elderly parents.

Update legal documents. Make sure your legal and Ànancial documents are up to date and reÁect your current wishes, including wills, Ànancial and medical powers of attorney, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, investment funds and any other accounts where beneÀciaries or people who control your health or Ànances are named.

Stick to your budget. Some of the worst marital disagreements occur when one or both parties sabotage the family budget. If you don’t already have a budget, many free tools are available on Practical Money Skills Canada. It features a guide to handling your debt and tips on creating a budget you can live with, along with interactive budgeting tools.

Seek help. If you discover that you’ve gotten off track or need help realigning your Ànancial goals, consider hiring a Ànancial advisor for assistance or seek advice from family, friends or a representative from your Ànancial institution.

There’s nothing romantic about discussing family Ànances, but regular discussions with your partner can ensure that you are Ànancially on the right track.