Vegreville News Advertiser - December 28, 2016

VOL. 69 NO. 52

66 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

Public Security Peace Officers play an important role too Rachel Farr Communications Coordinator Town of Vegreville Municipal Enforcement Services has a strong relationship with the RCMP and both divisions work collectively out of the Southridge Emergency Services Building.

Okotoks Peace Officers are responsible for the enforcement of Town Bylaws and also have the authority to enforce traffic offenses as well as many other Provincial Acts and Regulations.

A Public Security Peace Officer is a person who works to uphold and enforce certain laws and regulations in Alberta. They are not to be confused with Police Officers, who have a much wider range of authority; however, Peace Officers do have the power to arrest if the offense being committed is in contravention of an Act that permits arrest and the Act is a part of the Peace Officer’s appointment. Peace Officers also have the authority to enforce an outstanding Warrant for Arrest issued by the Courts. Alberta Justice Peace Officer Ken Pododorozny stands with Svitlana Fedorouk emphasizing the impor- and Solicitor General has overall tance of not drinking and driving with the brown bag campaign that is happening authority for the Public Security Peace Officer Program. throughout Alberta.

Tinsel & Tutus

The Long Slow Slide

See page 16 for story

See page 8 for story

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DECEMBER 28, 2016

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RCMP files from Dec 19 – Dec 22 Joe Machney Reporter December 19 01:45 Report of an intoxicated female who called 911 but said that she had intended to call 411. She mentioned that she was kicked out and living on the street or wherever she could. When the member spoke with her she had only intended to call a cab.

02:21 Report of theft of copper wire from a rural property. Pending video surveillance.

10:00 Report of a female who had failed to attend court so a warrant was issued.

11:17 Report of a hit and run near the post office. Driver attended and filled out the required traffic collision form.

December 20 12:15 Report of an abandoned vehicle located on highway 16.

There was an odor of marijuana from the vehicle. After an investigation, it was found that there was marijuana, cocaine, and magic mushrooms, however, no charges were laid because the vehicle was abandoned.

13:21 Report of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 857. Still under investigation.

15:45 Report of an older student that was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Student administration was involved and the students were suspended.

15:48 Information was received about meth dealers in the area.

17:35 Report of a stopped vehicle possibly being a traffic hazard.

Member attended but no vehicles were located.

20:11 911 call of a possible impaired driver. Patrols were made but the vehicle was never located.

December 21 08:23 Report of an injured deer and a request for members to check on it. Members were tied up and could not attend.

08:55 Report of a break and enter

to a county shop as well as two storage sheds were broken into.

Member attended and it was determined after investigation that two safety vests were also stolen out of vehicles.

09:29 Report of a car driving into a yard where the two occupants watched the house. After about fifteen minutes the vehicle left the property.

10:34 911 open line heard males talking in the background. It was determined that this was a pocket dial and not a real emergency.

11:27 Report that an ex-boyfriend is texting his ex-girlfriend. He is on conditions not to be in contact with her. It was later learned that it was actually a friend that was texting her and not her ex.

12:21 Report of a possible forgery in regards to a business deal. The investigation revealed that this was a false complaint. The male making the complaint has been charged with public mischief.

13:13 Report of a fraudulent etransfer of money. An identified person had transferred money from their account to his. Still under investigation.

20:39 Report from a female who was giving her ex a ride to Edmonton. When they stopped in Mundare an argument ensued.

Members attended and found that the female had taken the vehicle to Saddle Lake. The male was found

walking on highway 16 and it was learned that he had warrants so he was taken into custody and was held for a judicial interm release hearing which was conducted and he was held in custody.

21:28 Report of a single motor vehicle rollover after the driver swerved to miss a deer. He was transported to the hospital to be medically assessed and the driver was determined to have outstanding warrants so was released on a recognizance.

22:34 Request from Alberta health services for possible assistance for an individual on the bus who may be suicidal. The bus driver felt that it would be best to keep going. So it was passed on to other RCMP members in a destination further along the bus route.

December 22 10:38 Request to serve a subpoena from Edmonton police services.

10:46 Another request to serve a subpoena from Edmonton police services.

12:12 Report of a four-door car speeding at a high rate of speed on highway 16.

13:08 Report of two medium size dogs chasing people on the streets.

15:58 Report of a car being parked in an approach which had been there since Monday. Members spoke with the registered owner who said that they are coming to pick up the car soon as they had transmission troubles.

16:00 Report of one adult brother who attempted to impersonate his brother at the bank in order to withdraw funds from his brother’s account to give to his brother who is currently in jail in order to pay some debts. The imposter was also arrested due to having warrants.

17:50 Anonymous report of a driver that always drives intoxicated. Patrols were made but the vehicle was not located.

During the week 3 alarms and 31 calls for service in total were made.

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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There are no mistakes Joe Machney Editorial How can this be true? I’ve made mistakes and I’m sure you have too. If you say you haven’t then you’re lying, or are you? This is the space where I want to come from here, the part of you that may think that you have screwed up your life very badly. Before I go further than this I want to mention that accountability is all important and this article is not about permission to do whatever you want, there is and always will be the cause and effect law which is in play all the time, no matter what laws society makes or have made during the course of human history.

Your sense of who you are has created a perception with which you see yourself and the world through, it is your identity as you know it. It is also a tool that you use to experience your life. It can feel very real in all the ways that real means to you. Your five senses are how you interpret your life, so they make it real, right?

Before you were who you are now you were a thought form of spirit which created a destiny that it wished to play out through your physical manifestation on earth. This has been the underlining force through all of your choices in your life and the limited perception of your mind and emotions have convinced you that you are in the driver’s

Name Jessica Laidlaw Occupation; DMK Regional Manager Likes; my family, outdoor activities Dislikes; traffic, tomatoes.

seat. You are not though and this is fine when you understand that all the lefts and rights and ups and downs you’ve had have been part of the underlining journey, the foundation that is spirit expressing its unique expression through your specific attributes and personality traits. You have a path and you will find your way even if you think you have gone off the rails, so to speak. This is your mind and emotions telling you that you have failed but their history or bank of knowledge is limited whereas spirit is all places, at all times, and knows all there is to know.

So how do you find out if you are following your divine path? Meditate, go into the silence and wait for direction.

It will come as warm feelings and subtle nudges, as well as genuine kindness and love shown to you through others.

What makes your heart sing? Follow that, for it is your way.

If you decide it wasn’t and another path opens up to you, take that, for the last was a lesson you needed to learn to get to the new path.

Like puzzle pieces strewn on the table, once it is all put together it will make sense as the part of you that is spirit looks at it with a huge sense of accomplishment, then has a sip of tea that you are merrily sharing with the spirit of the person who you thought was your sworn enemy in this life. They are in truth, your greatest teacher and dearest friend and are happy to have helped you grow and evolve like you have done for them. A deeper and clearer understanding of your reality.

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream…enjoy the journey and I’ll meet you for tea at the end of it.

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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Trump’s energy, environmental policies threat to Canadian business Troy Media As president-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office, it’s clear that major changes are in store for American climate and energy policy. And those changes will impact Canada.

Trump’s cabinet appointments, in conjunction with the Republican Party’s platform in the 2016 election, leave little doubt that the United States will adopt an approach to environmental and energy issues that differs markedly from the one embraced by the outgoing administration of Barack Obama.

With Trump at the helm, the U.S. may explicitly repudiate the greenhouse gas reduction targets that America accepted as part of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement.

Obama’s ambitious Clean Power Plan, which aims to accelerate the de-carbonization of electricity generation, is likely to be delayed, shelved or struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump has pledged to boost U.S. oil and gas production and encourage stepped-up exploration activity on federal lands and offshore. He has also signalled that he will approve the Keystone Pipeline project that Obama pointedly rejected. Finally, there is now zero chance that the U.S. will implement any kind of national carbon pricing policy over the next several years.

All of this poses a dilemma for Canadian policy-makers, who have been striving to fashion a pan-Canadian strategy to address climate change, notably by putting a price on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.

While some Canadian politicians claim we can set our climate and energy policies without paying attention to what the United States does, they are fooling themselves. It’s long been recognized, in Ottawa and the provincial capitals, that Canada’s eco-

nomic interests are best served by working in tandem with the U.S. on climate change and energy security.

Trump’s arrival in the White House doesn’t invalidate that logic.

A recent agreement reached by Ottawa and eight provinces (Manitoba and Saskatchewan refused to sign) would establish a minimum nationwide carbon price of $10 per tonne in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022. In principle, a national system of carbon pricing makes sense - and it’s certainly preferable to the existing hodgepodge of provincial carbon levies and regulatory requirements. But it will be challenging to implement all of the new pan-Canadian framework given the policy preferences of the Trump administration.

Imagine that Canada moves to an across-the-board carbon tax equal to $50 per tonne of emissions by 2022, while the effective national carbon price in the U.S. remains where it is, near zero. This would result in roughly a $20-billion to $25-billion jump in annual energy costs for Canadians, while Americans face no similar increase.

Governments in Canada can be expected to return some of the carbonrelated tax revenue to households and businesses, via offsetting tax reductions and other measures. Still, in this scenario, business investment in the energy industry, as well as in segments of the manufacturing sector, would almost certainly drain out of Canada into the U.S. to take advantage of appreciably lower energy costs there both for primary energy (crude oil, natural gas, and coal) and for fossil fuels used as inputs in some parts of manufacturing (e.g., refining, chemi-

cals, plastics, etc.).

With higher energy and fossil fuel input costs, Canada would lose ground. The Americans would have a competitive advantage in most traded-goods industries, including energy, mining, materials, forest products, agri-food, vehicle manufacturing, metal fabrication, chemicals and petrochemicals, and cement, to name a few. Transportation costs would also be higher in Canada because of escalating carbon-based taxes on petroleum - thus penalizing Canadian industries that need to ship to market.

It’s true that putting a price on carbon is the most efficient way to foster reductions in fossil fuel use, and therefore in greenhouse gas emissions. And relatively small-scale carbon levies are unlikely to produce large

economic effects, especially if the resulting revenues are recycled through other tax cuts and incentives.

But marching to a $50 Canada-wide carbon price while the U.S. stands pat risks diminishing the competitive vitality of a number of industries that account for the bulk of Canadian exports and play a significant role in sustaining regional economies across the country.

The message for Canadian policymakers is clear: yes to carbon pricing but tread carefully!

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FROM THE PAGES OF THE VEGREVILLE OBSERVER

COMPILED BY DAN BEAUDETTE

90 Years Ago – December 29, 1926 The formal opening of the new labor temple which has been completed several weeks ago on the site next to the UGG lumber yards, will take place on Monday and Tuesday, January 3 and 4. The building of this spacious hall was undertaken by the Ukrainians in Vegreville and the farmers of the surrounding districts who helped the project by supplying some free help and material. The financial end has also been bravely met by generous donations from its supporters.

Until the unhappy burning of the arena, the town was fortunate in possessing a band which was giving a constantly increasing good account of itself under the very capable leadership of Harry Ragon. Instruments burned at the arena totalled in value around $600.00, so it is not quite necessary to all that the loss has knocked the band, temporarily, for a row of ash cans. Originally the band was organized and to some extend financed by the Oddfellows, assisted by the citizens, but it was practically a self-supported institution once the instruments were furnished, as there was not lack of willing and able talent to make up a first-class organization.

New Instruments are necessary.

75 Years Ago – December 24, 1941 – there was no paper on the 31st.

Increased old age pensions for Albertans are projected by the Provincial Government, but payment of advances is held up because of federal interpretation of the current Act, which, according to Mr. Ilsley, provides that in case of provincial increase, a corresponding federal decrease in contributions will be made. The government said Mr. Aberhart, has requested amendment of the federal law at the earliest date to permit not only the payment of the pensioners’ bonus, but a reduction in the age limit to 65.

Alberta plans to finance the pensioners’ bonus through a liquor levy.

An engineering feat of record proportions was performed recently by working forces of the Canadian National Railways by installing a bridge span weighing 1,600,000 lb. and of revolutionary design, to overpass the heavy traffic Montreal-Toronto mail line of the National Railways across the new Trans-Island Boulevard. The new bridge is the only one of its kind in North American and is completely Canadian in design and fabrication. The installation was made without a delay to trains.

50 Years Ago – December 29, 1966 A break in that took place between Christmas Eve and Monday morning at the Twi-Lite Esso Service and Crossways Café is being investigated by the RCMP in Vegreville. It has been learned that entry to the café portion of the building was gained through a window that had been smashed. Entry to the service station was made by forcing a door. About $80.00 in small bills and change was reported to have been stolen. Owner of the Twi-Lite Esso Service is Len Thompson while the proprietor of Crossway Café is Lawrence Yakimchuk.

As a result of the grain handlers’ strike in Vancouver which was cleared up recently, one of the biggest build-ups of grain loaded box cars occurred in Vegreville and other prairie points. 136 cares were put into the Vegreville CNR yards some positioned on the “Y” wet of town and others on the Camrose line south of town. Four diesel units were moved into Vegreville on Monday to make up a train 136 cars long comprising a weight of about 10,000 lbs.

Members and prospective members of the Two Hills Co-op celebrated 25 years of continuous service to the community and also, a newly renovated store which will now provide better service.

25 Years Ago – December 24, 1991 Vegreville’s town council, economic development committee and business community have been extremely disappointed at the delay in the announcement of a location site for the Alberta Regional Federal Women’s Correctional Facility. Town council is very much hoping that Vegreville will yet be selected as the site of the correctional facility.

The Bruce Denniston Bone Marrow Society is a registered charitable organization dedicated t the memory of the late Cst. Bruce Denniston. Bruce passed away in February, 1989 after a courageous battle with leukemia. Bruce was stationed in K Division from 1973 to 1977 and was posted at Vegreville, Edmonton, Elk Point, Hinton and Wainwright before transferring t the Musical Ride and then to B.C.

Letters Welcomed One role of the Vegreville News Advertiser is to promote dialogue on various issues of concern to area residents. We accomplish this by welcoming Letters to the Editor and allowing various issues to be debated through our pages. All letters must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be printed, however the writer’s name may be withheld from publication in special circumstances deemed appropriate by the Publisher.

The Vegreville News Advertiser reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity, spelling and grammar, taste or for reasons of potential libel. The Vegreville News Advertiser reserves the right to withhold letters from publication.

The Berlin Provocation Gwynne Dyer Twelve people were killed in a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, mown down by a terrorist in a big truck. Elsewhere in Germany, if it was an average day, another ten people were killed in or by motor vehicles.

They are all equally dead; the only difference is the motivation of the man in the truck.

Oh, wait, there’s another difference too. On Tuesday, if it was an average day, another ten people were killed on German roads, and another ten on Wednesday, and another ten on Thursday, and so on ad infinitum -- 3500 in the average year. So is traffic a bigger threat than terrorism?

Three other people have been killed in terrorist attacks in Germany this year, so the total this year will be probably end up at fifteen. That’s the highest number since 1972, but there are 80 million people in Germany, so the average German’s risk of being killed in a terrorist attack is considerably less than the risk of drowning in the bathtub.

The sensible response to such pinprick attacks is prevention: good intelligence-gathering and smarter security measures, not mass arrests and foreign wars. That will reduce the number of attacks and hopefully keep them small (no more 9/11s). It’s not possible to eliminate terrorism entirely, any more than a “war on crime” can end all crime. It can, however, be kept down to nuisance level.

Terrorism is a very small threat that is designed to look very big.

It achieves that goal by attracting massive media coverage that inflates it into an apparently huge threat.

Terrorists want that wall-to-wall media coverage because it may provoke a huge over-reaction that ultimately serves their own purposes. In the case of the current wave of Islamist terrorism, they hope it will build support in the Muslim world for their revolutionary project and ultimately bring them to power.

In the early phase, they wanted to provoke Western invasions of Muslim countries that would drive more Muslims into their arms (as in the case of the 9/11 attacks). Now they are trying to panic Western governments into abusing and oppressing their own Muslim citizens. The basic strategy remains the same, and it has proved very successful.

Without the Western over-reaction to the 9/11 attacks (especially invading Iraq), there would be no Islamic State today. And they aren’t doing too badly with the present attacks either.

Donald Trump was tweeting within hours: “Today there were terror attacks in Turkey, Switzerland and Germany – and it is only getting worse. The civilized world must change thinking!” (He says he has a “big brain”, but even so he should attend the intelligence briefings. The Swiss attack actually involved a Ghanaian-born Swiss citizen shooting Muslims in a mosque.)

The US Precedent-elect later expanded on his thoughts: “Isis and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad. These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the Earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners.”

So how will he do that? Invade some more Muslim countries? Round up Muslim Americans and put them in camps, like they did to Japanese-Americans in World War II? If he did anything like that, he would only be serving the purposes of the Islamist terrorists. He would be, in Lenin’s famous phrase, a “useful idiot.”

Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.

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Alberta in long, slow slide to attract investment Troy Media Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline to B.C.’s coast and Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement to the United States came as welcome news for Alberta’s oil patch.

The oil-and-gas industry has been reeling from job losses and depressed commodity prices. Should the pipelines eventually be constructed, they will help Canadians get closer to full value for their resources.

While the approval of two new pipelines is certainly a positive step, the approvals come at a time when potential oil and gas investors are finding much of Canada, and in particular Alberta, less attractive for investment.

How do we know this? Every year for almost a decade, the Fraser Institute’s Global Petroleum Survey has tapped the perceptions of investors and measured how various policies (royalties and taxes, duplicate regulations, infrastructure) might attract or deter investment in jurisdictions worldwide.

This year, Alberta, the heart and soul of oil-and-gas production in Canada, saw its global ranking in the survey deteriorate for the second straight year. In 2014, Alberta ranked

as the 14th most attractive jurisdiction in the world for oil-andgas investment.

By 2015, Alberta dropped to 25th and this year ranks a lowly 43rd, putting it behind British Columbia for the first time.

Alberta’s decline in the eyes of investors shouldn’t be surprising. In the past year-and-ahalf, the Alberta government has increased both corporate and personal income taxes, introduced a carbon tax, and will implement a cap on emissions from oil sands production.

The cap on emissions alone has the potential to result in lost production of more than $100 billion, as the cap would keep some oil in the ground.

This begs the question: Why would investors put their money into Alberta,

Tofield RCMP investigate fatal motor vehicle collision Corporal Ronald Bumbry On Dec. 18, 2016 at approximately 10:30 a.m., Tofield RCMP responded to a report of a two vehicle motor vehicle collision on Highway 834 south of Tofield.

A car was travelling southbound on Highway 834 when it crossed over into the northbound lane and collided with an SUV. At the time of the collision, the 91-year-old lone male occupant of the car from Tofield sustained serious life threatening injuries and was transported via STARS to an Edmonton

hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

The 88-year-old male driver and 70-year-old female passenger of the SUV, both from Wetaskiwin, were transferred via EMS to hospital with non-life threatening injures.

Traffic was diverted for several hours while members along with a RCMP Collision Analyst conducted the investigation.

The name of the deceased will not be released.

as opposed to somewhere else, if they possibly can’t produce all the oil the market is willing to bear?

Policy changes breed uncertainty.

For example, in 2014, 38 per cent of survey respondents for Alberta found that uncertainty surrounding environmental regulations was a deterrent to investment. In 2016, this number jumped to 72 per cent.

Alberta also saw a higher percentage of respondents indicate that taxation and the uncertainty resulting from regulatory duplication and inconsistencies were deterrents to investment.

While Alberta becomes less attractive to investment, Saskatchewan shines. This year, Alberta’s neighbour

to the east rose in the rankings to fourth most attractive jurisdiction in the world for investment, as oil-andgas companies view the province as being much more stable and certain.

Alberta also faces stiff competition from U.S. jurisdictions, including Oklahoma, Texas and North Dakota, all of which ranked in the global top 10.

Alberta’s continuing decline in the eyes of investors should be cause for concern. Although the province has some of the world’s largest petroleum reserves, Alberta is now surrounded in every direction but north by states and provinces that, in the eyes of investors, are more attractive places to put their next dollar.

St. Paul RCMP charge two people with Second Degree Murder RCMP Strategic Communications Unit It is after an exhaustive investigation by the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit – North (MCU), as well as by members of the St. Paul RCMP detachment and several specialized RCMP sections, that two people have been charged with one count each of second degree murder in the November 8, 2016, death of 25-yearold, Robert Stamp of Saddle Lake First Nation.

On November 08, 2016, at approximately 4:00 A.M., members of the St. Paul RCMP Detachment were dispatched to a residence on the Saddle Lake First Nation in response to a report that a man had been shot.

Upon arrival police did not locate the victim, Robert Stamp, however did find significant evidence at the

scene that foul play was likely to have occurred. St. Paul RCMP Detachment contacted the RCMP’s MCU – North which assumed carriage of the investigation.

On Sunday, December 18, 2016, police arrested and charged Jordan Steinhauer (26), information released in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act and Regulations, exception 69(2), and Sara Brertton (26), information released in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act and Regulations, exception 69(2), both of Saddle Lake and Edmonton, with second degree murder in the death of Robert Stamp and both are scheduled to appear in St. Paul Provincial Court on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

Additional information on this matter is not available as it is now before the courts.

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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Rattle that lock

Joe Machney Editorial What does freedom mean to you?

This is the age of information and it is quite literally at your fingertips whether you have a laptop, a smartphone, or any of the other devices that access the internet. To the millennials and the generation that is coming up this is the way it is and the times before, of which my generation is familiar with and remembers are now faint echoes from the past.

With each year that passes more technology comes on the scene which on the surface makes life easier, but does it?

What have we lost because of it? I ask this question at this time with the holiday season still upon on us and with the Boxing Day sale still going strong.

The ways with which people consume these days is unprecedented and if an elder from an ancient tribe could come see the world today he or she would look upon it and say we are lost and that each of these things that we have bought, be it paid for through invested time to earn the money or on credit of which we will eventually pay for, perhaps with interest, are forms of cages that we have built for ourselves.

Throughout the ages man as a whole has asked why they are here and what this time here is for. Not knowing the answer they built systems to understand the answer.

People prescribed to them and this segregated the race to form further dichotomies.

Each generation tightened their chains and held onto their ways for fear of the consequences when they rattled that lock to lose those chains.

The fear grew and became complicated labyrinths of which the template was set for many other modalities of societal constructs

and even technology, which brings us to the present day.

Man projects his inner world outside into the outer world and it reflects to him the complexities of himself. This is spread out to business, relationships, science, religion, schools and everything else. We strive to live in a strange world that our ancestors created for us, which has exacerbated this human experience when in truth all we had to do was relax and enjoy the ride, or keep it simple.

Underneath all the complexities that we created is a simplicity that underlines it all. Each of us has created our own version of a cage each with a unique lock. The locks may look different and take the form of different colors, countries, ‘isms’, educations, ideologies, but they are all an illusion. It is a duality that is shown to us.

This duality is a teacher, the greatest teacher, because it will show you how you are separate from your true self. A reflection of humanity to itself. Once this is seen then one can take steps to become whole again; to become one.

Duality, even when it is seen as good and evil, is there to teach their illusory attributes. Doing this brings harmony and heaven to earth.

What was seen as bad in the old days is now perhaps seen as a stepping stone for humanity like today will look like to others four hundred years from now, as we return to being one with the universe. Universe – one song; all is one.

This understanding is a doorway to freedom and finally losing the chains and lock that binds you.

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Vegreville Elks donate

Vegreville Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Bro. Paul Bosse presented Olga Jamison, President of the Vegreville Food Bank with a cheque for $500 to assist in purchasing food for the Food Bank. This donation was made from funds raised by the Elks Cash Prize Raffle at this year’s Vegreville Country Fair.

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Grant Miller Motors donates

Grant Miller Motors staff and customers donated items to the Christmas Bureau for teens and children.

(L to R) Grant Miller, Blaine Hitchcock, Dan Bernardo, Blair Bauer, Debbie Uskiw, Kevin Ottahal

Putting a price on carbon, from farm to fork Troy Media Every bite we take has carbon tax implications. From farm to fork, food is responsible for about 25 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. And every decision consumers make when selecting food impacts the environment. Many want to do something about it.

In Canada, the federal government has decided that means a tax on carbon emissions. The program starts in 2018 with a $10-per-tonne carbon price plan and ramps up to $50-a-tonne by 2022.

Many have pointed out that energy costs will rise because of a carbon tax. But little attention has been given to what will happen to food costs. However, the carbon file is

filled with food economic nuances.

Canadian grocers are likely to continue sourcing affordable food. But Canadian goods saddled with a carbon tax may become much less attractive from a price perspective.

This would encourage grocers to import more foods, regardless of the state of our loonie. It’s a trend we’ve seen over the last few years.

And importers will likely seek to buy products from regions where carbon performances are less established, raising new environmental concerns.

Taxing carbon shouldn’t make more Canadians food insecure - the issue is more about food sovereignty for certain sectors. The timing of these changes is not great.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax announcement came just weeks before the U.S. election. Now that we know who the next White House tenant is, the carbon tax’s implications for the Canadian agriculture and food sector is even more worrisome.

With Donald Trump at the helm, the U.S. is likely to remain idle on climate change and that will make our agrifood systems much less competitive.

Coupled with a possible reduction in U.S. corporate tax rates, a carbon tax on our agri-food companies could isolate Canada as the only greenfocused economy in North America.

To make matters worse, our food economy remains vulnerable to currency fluctuations. When the loonie tanks, food prices go up. The emergence of many new greenhouse projects, particularly in Ontario, means the Canadian market should be much less susceptible to abrupt retail price fluctuations. But a price on carbon could slow this trend.

Working to protect the environment only makes sense. But we need to move forward with great caution. To give market currency to carbon is a necessary step towards a more sustainable food system, but our policies must reflect the global reality.

The aggressive carbon campaign could inspire companies to leave, harming our economy.

More than 150 food processing firms have closed or left Canada since 2008, affecting almost

30,000 jobs. Recently, the Mondelez plant in Montreal eliminated more than 400 jobs.

A carbon tax will clearly discriminate against certain agricultural sectors. A recent European Union study says a carbon tax would increase prices between 15 and 40 per cent at the farmgate for the most greenhousegas-intensive foods, such as beef, lamb and dairy products. As prices rise, consumption could fall by as much as 15 per cent for some products, impacting major economic sectors.

However, the same study says health gains could be made since some of these products are unhealthy if not consumed in moderation.

Unlike the cap-and-trade carbon solution, a tax provides certainty on how carbon is priced. But the emissions reductions are difficult to predict. British Columbia’s carbon tax, introduced in 2008, has shown mixed results. However, a tax is the most effective instrument the federal government can use to entice provinces to act.

Provinces where agriculture is a significant part of the economy could opt for cap-and-trade, which would guarantee emission reductions and reward good stewardship. For example, with no-till farming, precision agriculture and better equipment, Saskatchewan annually sequesters about nine million tonnes in carbon.

At $50 a tonne, that sequestered carbon would have a value of more than $450 million. So a hybrid approach could be substantially more powerful.

Canadian food consumption trends are mostly environmentally unsustainable. Doing nothing is not an option. But given that we live in a borderless world, Ottawa must recognize that not everyone on Earth wants to save the planet - even one bite at a time.

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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New major investments coming to Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Vanessa Goodman Submitted Two new propane processing facilities are one step closer to reality thanks the recent announcement by the Government of Alberta. Major investments proposed by Inter Pipeline Ltd and Pembina Pipeline Corporation have been approved to receive royalty credits as part of the A lberta Government’s Petrochemicals Diversification Program. These proposed facilities will add value to Alberta’s propane resources, creating growth and diversity in A lberta’s Industrial Heartland and Alberta’s energy sector.

“Petrochemical companies operate

in an increasingly competitive, global market. Programs like the Petrochemical Diversif ication Program help position Alberta and our region as a competitive location

for investment,” explains Ed Gibbons, Chair of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA). “We

commend the Government of Alberta for their support of value added processing and we congratulate Inter Pipeline and the joint venture of Pembina and Petrochemical Industries Company on their successful bids to the program. We welcome these innovative facilities to our region and Alberta.”

The proposed propane dehydrogenation (PDH) projects are the first of their kind in Canada, and take advantage of the Heartland’s ample supply of cost advantaged propane feedstock. Traditionally propane is used as a fuel product or shipped out of Alberta for processing elsewhere.

The new facilities will convert propane into a higher value energy product.

It is then used as the building block for numerous consumer products that include plastics, acrylic fibers, paints and resins which are steadily increasing in global demand.

Projects of this magnitude help build sustainability in our workforce and communities, which strengthens A lberta’s economy.

A lb er t a’s Industrial Heartland will

see direct positive impacts from these new facilities, which are expected to reach a combined capital cost of approximately $6 billion.

This will generate a total of 4000+ construction jobs, nearly 250 operational jobs, increases to local spending, and the generation of tax revenues for local municipalities.

On a provincial scale, these projects will contribute to growth in Alberta’s Gross Domestic Product.

Alberta communities will benefit from increased provincial tax revenue and a growing demand for engineering, fabrication, trades, and other professional jobs.

“Alberta is a particularly attractive location for a world-scale PDH facility given the ample supply of lowcost propane feedstock,” says Inter Pipeline’s President and CEO Christian Bayle. “A PDH facility and associated derivative facilities are an innovative way to provide new markets for Alberta propane, create jobs and help diversify our energy based economy.”

“Alberta’s Industrial Heartland has a number of significant advantages for our proposed facility, including the ability to utilize existing infrastructure such as rail, close proximity to inlet pipeline connections, high-load corridor road access, favourable site access and location adjacent to our existing Redwater facility, as well as a local skilled workforce,” says Mick Dilger, President & CEO, Pembina Pipeline Corporation. “The expansion work at our Redwater facility and our ongoing operations in the area have demonstrated the opportunities in the Heartland and the ability to take a coordinated approach to development.”

AIHA is eager to see both projects move forward into the construction phase. These projects will capitalize on market conditions, feedstock supplies, access to skilled labour, and government support for value added processing here at home.

The Association looks forward to working cooperatively with the Government of Alberta’s Energy Diversification Advisory Committee to evaluate future program opportunities that will continue to promote va lue added investment and growth in the province’s energy sector.

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Bovine TB in Alberta: Minister’s statement John Archer

Submitted Oneil Carlier, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, has issued the following statement about Bovine TB in Alberta: Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier and Medicine Hat MLA Bob Wanner, meet with producers affected by the bovine tuberculosis outbreak near Jenner, Alberta.

“Today I have the privilege of visiting with some of our cattle producers and their families on their farms in southeastern Alberta. Several ranchers in this area are affected by the ongoing Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation into bovine tuberculosis, and it’s important for me to meet with them and hear firsthand about their experiences.

“While the investigation has created many challenges for these producers, I continue to be inspired by their resilience during this difficult situation. They know how important it is to protect our livestock and markets from disease. Despite the complex challenges involved, they are stepping

up to do what’s necessary to ensure the health of Alberta’s and Canada’s animals.

“There are many people and organizations who are committed to supporting our cattle producers during this time of financial, logistical, and emotional stress. In addition to the individual farmers, I would like to thank Alberta Beef Producers for their hard work on behalf of the industry.

“Our federal government partners at the CFIA and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, along with Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation and staff across the Alberta government, are all working around the clock to deal with this ongoing situation and provide assistance to farmers.

“I commend and thank all those dedicated to the investigation and to supporting our cattle industry. We will continue to stand together and with our producers as they work through the immediate situation and in the future as they begin the long process of rebuilding their herds.”

Dairy Cost Study

Agri-news Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is once again offering the Dairy Cost Study program to Alberta producers.

“With changes in today’s environment and economy, there seems to be renewed interest in building business plans, following cost of production and getting adequate returns for that production,” says Pauline Van Biert, research analyst, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF), Edmonton.

“The Dairy Cost Study is a business analysis program that provides economic analysis and farm business management information to dairy producers using their own numbers.”

The Dairy Cost Study is similar to AF’s AgriProfits program except that it provides a business analysis for just the dairying aspect of the farm. “It breaks down the whole farm activity and costs right down to the cost of producing milk. Results are reported as total costs, costs per cow and costs per hectoliter sold. Dairy farmers can easily see how much investment they have made, costs incurred and revenues received for the milk they are producing.”

Unlike Agri-Profit$, the Dairy Cost Study reports on the current year with farmers filling in their

own sheets on a monthly basis starting in January, 2017. A farm visit is also made to those who are new to the program.

Provincial averages, or benchmarks, are also provided for the program. The data from all participants is used to establish these benchmarks.

These can be used as reference points by producers to see how they compare to their peers.

“Producers participating in the program tell us that they have become more effective at analyzing, budgeting and planning, and that they are making better management decisions,” says Van Biert.

“They understand what their long term average costs are, can identify targets for what their costs should be, and are more effective at identifying business options and opportunities.”

The only cost for the program is in the time invested in it. “In return, the producer receives a business analysis of their own farm, using their own numbers, to use in making profitable management decisions.”

Enrollment for this year’s program is will open until the middle of January. For more information, or to register, contact Pauline Van Biert at 780-415-2153, or by e-mail.

More information is also available on AF’s webpage.

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Tinsel and Tutus

Little Minis 3 performs to White Christmas. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Jazz 2 performs to Deck the Rooftop. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier Field Reporter The choreography and enthusiasm of the dancers were the tinsel that made the Third Annual Tinsel and Tutus Christmas Concert at Vegreville Centennial Library bright on December 18.

Many genres of dancing were featured at this concert and every performance launched quickly and gracefully to the next set.

After each performance, the audience issued a rapturous applause.

This concert was presented by Vegreville School of Ballet who acknowledged all the hard work of the teachers, dancers, parents, volunteers and sponsors that put this event together.

After the concert, Santa made a surprise visit and the citizens were treated to a bountiful supply of refreshments.

Lyrical 1 performs to, Do They Know it’s Christmas. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Tap 3 performs to Let it, Snow. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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VALID recieves donation from CPC

News Advertiser PAGE 17

Joe Machney Reporter Each year the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign raises money for local charities. For this 2016 year, VALID has been chosen by their employees to receive a portion of the funds raised with a grand total of $1765 donated in total.

THURSDAY @ 5PM. DEADLINE FOR ALL ADS L to R Jodi Miller, Karen Streets, Alicia Danilak, Gillian Sachkiw, Sonia Kozub, and Christel Sen.

Battling the winter blues

Alberta Health Services Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that occurs during the same season each year. You may have SAD if you felt depressed during the last two winters but felt much better in spring and summer.

SAD is sometimes called winter depression or seasonal depression.

Experts aren’t sure what causes SAD. But they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may: Upset your “biological clock,” which controls your sleepwake pattern, or cause problems with serotonin, a brain chemical, which affects mood.

If you have SAD, you may: feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious; lose interest in your usual activities; eat more and crave carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta; gain weight; sleep more but still feel tired; or have trouble concentrating.

Symptoms come and go at about the same time each year. Most people with SAD start to have symptoms in September or October and feel better by April or May. Some ways to help combat the effects of seasonal depression are: regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself to help; getting more sunlight may help too, so try to get outside to exercise when the sun is shining; being active during the daytime, especially early in the day, may help you have more energy and feel less depressed; and light therapy may help by resetting your biological clock. Ask your physician for more information on how light therapy may help you.

It can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between SAD and other types of depression because many of the symptoms are the same. If you suspect you may suffer from SAD or another type of depression, talk to a health care professional, or call Health Link at 811 for more information.

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MR. CLASSIFIED

Call toll free from anywhere in Alberta

1.800.522.4127

or fax to 780.632.7981

Ask the Guys

Dear Classified Guys, I consider myself a caring person. I help my elderly neighbor and volunteer at church.

Recently, I accepted a job at a non-profit company I found in the classifieds. I don't get paid much, but at least I know that the money I'm not making is going to a good cause, or so I thought. I recently read an article in my newspaper about our company. It turns out that our executive director is making almost three times what he should for an organization of our size. It makes me mad when I think about all of us who work for so little pay while he sits back getting rich. After all, shouldn't that money be going toward those who need help?

Our fundraising efforts shouldn't support his new 4BR home! I'm planning on quitting in protest and going to work somewhere else, but I'm worried I could pick the wrong organization again. What should I do?

• • • Cash: Well I wouldn't make a

donation to that organization. In fact, it sounds like your executive director needs to make a big contribution himself.

Duane “Cash” Holze & Todd “Carry” Holze 12/25/16 ©The Classified Guys®

Carry: Non-profit organizations are a big benefit to society.

They help fill the gap between government agencies and public companies, often avoiding much of the red tape.

Cash: It's sad to hear that your company is poorly managed, but we are glad to hear that you are willing to dedicate so much of your time to helping others. That's a very admirable trait.

Carry: Although most nonprofit charities do a relatively good job of managing their funds, there are some that run-up administrative costs or overpay their executives much like your current company. The unfortunate result is that it leaves less money for the

people they are trying to help.

Cash: Since you are now looking for a new company to work for, there is an easy way to check up on non-profit organizations.

Each of the 50 states has a charity office that you can contact through your state government office.

They will be able to tell you if the organization is properly registered and how it rates on several levels.

Carry: With a little research, you can find out how much of a donation actually goes toward the charity and how much goes toward running the operations.

That may be time well spent if you're looking to avoid supporting another four-bedroom house.

Fast Facts Every Dollar Counts

Reader Humor Give 'til It Hurts

Your donations, no matter how large or small, make a difference.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are close to one million public charities in the United States generating tens of billions of dollars to help those in need. And giving has become easier in recent years. In addition to accepting donations by credit or debit card, many charities welcome the donation of boats, cars, homes and other assets that they can sell to help generate money for their cause and offer you the tax break.

It's no surprise that a church survives upon the generosity of the congregation. As the accountant, I'm the one who keeps tabs on how much money is being donated.

I went on vacation for two weeks, but upon my return I noticed that Sunday donations increased dramatically. I was so excited that I personally called the minister to let him know.

"I have great news," I explained. "I just got back from vacation and found out the donations are up more than 20%.

Whatever you have been doing recently, please keep it up!"

To my embarrassment he replied, "That is great news, but I was on vacation too!"

(Thanks to Donald J.)

Front Lines Being a celebrity in the public eye can draw a lot of attention, an important feature for charities. A celebrity endorsement helps to raise awareness and stimulate more donations. Fortunately many celebrities are getting involved.

Mary Tyler Moore, for example, has been a supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for years, Jennifer Lopez supports the Children's Health Fund and Michael J. Fox works to support Parkinson Research.

•

•

Laughs For Sale We hope they meant "Church Bazaar" nt nounceme Special An RCH CHU ple of Bizarre Peo ome. elc All Faiths W , 9-5. n u S Sat &

•

Do you have a question or funny story about the classifieds? Email us at: comments@classifiedguys.com.

www.ClassifiedGuys.com 2001 KIA, 4 cyl, 4 dr, standard, $1600. PH: 780-922-5999

APARTMENTS

Rare Super Charged 40th Anniversary Grand Prix.

Loaded. $4700. Phone 780-994-3005 2010 damaged Dodge Caliber 125,000kms. Drives excellent. For parts. $1500.

Phone 780-994-3005 2005 Mercedes Smart Car diesel, automatic, black, 192,000kms, $3900. 780994-3005

COMPUTERS

FEED Highland Feeders is purchasing feed barley. Please call the office at 780-768-2466.

Oats + Wheat Wanted. Any condition, dry wet or heated. On farm pick-up.

Immediate payment. Toll free 1-866 349 2056 130 Sprouted barley bales.

780-688-2480 Hay for sale. Weighed on scale. Over 1250 pound bales. No rain $60 each.

VM SYSTEMS Looking for a new computer? VM SYSTEMS has all you’ll ever need in computers! Installation – Sales – Service – Internet. One call will get you in touch. Phone 780-632-2859 9am – 5pm.

EDUCATION

Bach, 1 & 2 Bdrm Apts in 3 story family Bldg. Rent starting $645 / $725 / $825.

DD Starting $500. Seniors DD $99. Small pet allowed with condition. Call for more infos at 780-632-6878 or 780-632-3102.

2 Bedroom, Heritage Manor. 61 Street Vegreville, $795 Clean & affordable.

587-590-8834 Dave

AUTOMOBILES 2000 Windstar. Ex. engine & transmission. Body damage. For parts $750.

780-922-5999

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING - Get FAA certified to fix jets. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement and housing assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-212-5856

ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTV Starting at $19.99/ mo. FREE Installation. FREE 3 months of HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, & Starz. FREE HD/ DUpgrade! 2015 NFL Sunday Ticket Included (Select Packages) New Customers Only. CALL 1-800-370-1356

Phone 780-913-4675

FARMLAND

2002 Honda Civic, Standard Drives Excellent Needs TLC $3200 780-922-5999

Looking for pasture land to rent. 780-632-9920

VIAGRA 100MG and CIALIS 20mg! 40 Pills + 10 FREE. SPECIAL $99.00 100% guaranteed. FREE Shipping!

24/7 CALL: 1-888-223-8818 Hablamos Espanol.

OXYGEN Anytime.

Anywhere. No tanks to refill.

No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved!

FREE info kit: 844-558-7482

Last years canola bales. Not Combined Still in good condition for feed. $22 each. Phone 780-913-4675

HOMES FOR RENT

Feed oats, oats straw and hay for sale 780-768-2426

Advertise your rental property here for as little as $7.95 per week!

Hay for sale. Mixed brome & alfalfa. 1300 pound bales.

780-632-7433

FOOD THRILL DAD with 100% guaranteed, delivered-to-thedoor Omaha Steaks! SAVE 69%, plus 4 FREE Burgers The Favorite Gift - ONLY $49.99! ORDER Today! 1800-483-3491 or use code mbdad75 at www.

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3 Bdrm Townhouse, $1090/ mo. available immediately.

Call Dave at 780-632-0321 or 780-932-0041 New 3 bdrm duplex Vegreville. $685/mo. Call 780-603-0692.

New developments.

3 Bdrm Mobile Home, N/P. PH: 780-208-9608 Larger 3 Bdrm. Double mobile home. 780-208-9608 5 Bdrm. 2 Bath. 2200 Sq. Ft duplex. 5 appliances.

Available immediately Phone 780-233-0895 Updated 2 Bdrm. house plus large bdrm. in basement.

Large garage.

Vegreville 780-904-4125

HEALTH & FITNESS

-866-312-6061

Hablamos Espanol

2008 Dodge Calibar. Automatic.

Loaded. 150,000 Kms. Clean. $5200. 780-994-3005

Stop OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! Save up to 93%! Call our licensed Canadian & International pharmacy service to compare prices & get $15 off your first prescription & FREE Shipping. 1-800-815-6059

VIAGRA & CIALIS! 50 pills for $95. 100 pills for $150 FREE shipping. NO prescriptions needed.

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1-877-743-5419

For rent 3 Bdrm. recently renovated 4plex. 4 appliances, N/P, N/S. DD $900 Rent $900. Call 780-6321020 or 780-363-2132 3 Bdrm. Vegreville $800 plus utilities. D/D same. Available January 1st 780-603-0956 $1200 + Utilities. 3+1 Bedrooms, 1.5+.5 Bathrooms Duplex available 780-603-3760 After 5PM

Small 2 Bdrm. for rent immediately.

Large

Fridge/Stove

lot

$800

month/$800 DD Ph. 780-

MOTORCYCLES

REAL ESTATE

632-1145 Quite, spacious country living/acreage. 2 bedroom, full bath, large barn and multiple out buildings. 15 minutes to Vegreville.

Including utilities $1500/ month (780)603-3547 2 Bdrm. house. $800/month plus utilities. References required. Ph. 780-603-3125

MACHINERY Coal stoker on skids. Can be used for drying grain plus 2T of stoker coal. $600 OBO. 780-632-1155

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Try it FREE. Call NOW: Call 1877-737-9447 18+ A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service.

Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation.

CALL 1-800-217-3942

MOBILE HOMES Lot for mobile home available. Located in trailer park.

Call Sue 403-823-4499 2 Bdrm mobile home for sale.

Owner will finance. Contact Sue for more information 403-823-4499

WANTED OLD JAPANESE MOTORCYCLES KAWASAKI Z1-900 (1972-75), KZ900, KZ1000 (1976-1982), Z1R, KZ 1000MK2 (1979,80), W1-650, H1-500 (1969-72), H2-750 (1972-1975), S1-250, S2-350, S3-400, KH250, KH400, SUZUKI-GS400, GT380, HONDACB750K (1969-1976), CBX1000 (1979,80) CASH!! 1-800772-1142 1-310-721-0726 usa@classicrunners.com

PERSONAL Meet singles right now!

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Call now: 800-417-7304 ALL MALE HOT GAY HOOKUPS! Call FREE! 800450-0813 only 18 & over Find the love you deserve!

Discover the path to happiness. New members receive a FREE 3-minute love reading! Entertainment purposes only. 18 & over. 800758-2304 Will a God love really TORTURE people throughout eternity? Will the fire of Hell even burn the wickedness out of sinners? Helltruth. com or call 632-3746

1999 Chev Silverado 3/4T, 4x4. Good for farm. $1500.

Phone 780-994-3005 New, complete, exhaust system, fits GMC, Chev, crewcabs. $600.00. Phone 780-632-9689 2001 Dodge Cummins Diesel. Farm truck. 340,000 Kms. Automatic. $3800.

780-994-3005 1984 Ford F-150. Estate truck.

Very good shape. Mint condition interior. 6 cyl motor.

Standard transmission. 780764-2152 or 780-718-0746

SEWING WANTED

MUSIC Piano teacher available. Can teach at any level. Masters degree in music. taught at the university of Lviv. Phone 780-768-3747. or 587-3577010 Ask for Martha.

2000 Dodge Dakota V8 4x4 Farm Truck. $1,600.

780-922-5999.

SWS 15 thread embroidery sewing machine.

Also 6 thread brother embroidery machine 780853-3728

TRAVEL CRUISE VACATIONS – 3, 4, 5 or 7+ day cruises to the Caribbean. Start planning now to save $$ on your fall or winter getaway vacation. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, Princess and many more.

Great deals for all budgets and departure ports. To search for your next cruise vacation visit www.

NCPtravel.com

TRUCKS 1993 Chev 4x4 Ext Cab. For parts. $650. 780-922-5999 2002 GMC 4x4 HD ¾ ton Service Truck 340k $3500 780-922-5999 1997 Ford 7.3 Diesel, 4 x 4, missing transmission. Nice deck, $2800. 780-922-5999

Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 Wild fur wanted. Coyote, fox etc. Buy shed antlers. Pick up at Musidora rock store, 5 miles east of Two Hills, Jan 21 & Feb 25 at 11:00 am. 1-780755-3860 or 1-780-842-7153

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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News Advertiser PAGE 19

Evelyn Straty steps down

The Myrnam Fire Department

Joe Machney Reporter On Friday December 16, the Myrnam Fire Department along with the Village of Myrnam held their Annual Christmas get together. After enjoying a delicious meal prepared and served by the Myrnam Senior Center ladies, the members of the volunteer Fire Department received their service pins. President of the Myrnam Fire Fighters Association Dennis Maksymiuk revealed that there was over 230 years of experience on the Department. Pins from 5 years to 30 years were given out. Five year pins were received by members Chance Straty, Jessie Fedoriuk, and Terry Axley. Ten year pins were received by Debbie Axley and Gary Dupuis. One 18 year pin was received by Murray Fodchuk. Twenty year pins were received by Addam Saruk (Deputy Chief), Sean Dubelt, Randy Metrunec, Evelyn Straty, and Dennis Maksymiuk. A 25 year pin was

BIRTH

PULYK, Kaydence Ryann Big sisters Madyson and Ashtyn happily announce the birth of their baby sister Kaydence Ryann Pulyk born on December 17, 2016 at 5:20 a.m., en route to the hospital. Weighing in at 7lbs 4oz and measuring 19.5 inches long. Proud parents Ryan and Brittany would like to thank Dr. David Strydom of Vegreville and Dr. Olusegun Oyewole of Fort Saskatchewan for the excellent prenatal care, Strathcona and Bonnyville EMS for the roadside assistance and all of the staff and physicians at Fort Saskatchewan Hospital for all the postnatal care. Proud grandparents are Dale and Tracy Benoit of Vegreville and Robert and Lorraine Pulyk of Vermillion.

President Dennis Maksymiuk, retiring member Evelyn Straty and Myrnam Fire Chief John Fedoriuk.

received by Myrnam Fire Chief John Fedoriuk and the 30 year pin was received by County Fire Chief Brad Straty. A presentation was also made to retiring member Evelyn Straty, who after 20 years has stepped down from her position of Dispatcher/Firefighter for the Myrnam Department. Special mention went out to the three new Jr. Firefighters Brody Grykuliak, James Kirk and Brenden Bannister, and new Dispatcher Jodi Bannister.

“I’m sad that I’ve retired but after twenty years there comes a time when you have to let the younger ones take over. I will miss the department, for me it becomes a way of life. It’s just one big family, you care for one another.

My husband was in and he got me in it and our sons in it as well and now Chance who has been with the department for five years already is really enjoying it,” Evelyn Straty said.

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Tributes MEMORIAM

OBITUARY

OBITUARY

FEDORUK, Steve In loving memory of a dear husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who passed away December 30, 2007.

Loving and kind in all his ways Upright and just to the end of his days Sincere and kind in heart and mind What a beautiful memory he left behind The depth of sorrow we cannot tell Of the loss of one we loved so well And while he sleeps, a peaceful sleep His memory we shall always keep With all our love Love your wife Elsie, children Linda & Grant, Trudy & Grant and all the grandchildren and great grandchildren

WEREZUK, Paul On December 14, 2016 Paul Werezuk of Vegreville passed away suddenly in the comfort of his home of a massive heart attack at the age of 84 years. Paul is survived by his wife Anne and five children, Ida (Arvin) McCarty, Dan, Sam, Dena and Rod (Juanita), 9 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters Eristine Duncan and Dee Pardely; sister in-law Pearl Werezuk; brother in law Bill Arthur along with numerous relatives and friends. He is pre-deceased by his parents Sam and Dora; 3 brothers Peter, William and Walter; brother inlaws Burt Duncan and Walter Pardely; 3 sisters Victoria, Mary and Annie. Paul lived his entire life NE of Vegreville. For much of his life, he was known as one with great mechanical aptitude and creative skills and would not hesitate to help others. He saw value in everyone and everything around him.

He had a passion for hockey and even played last season.

Paul lived a long physically healthy life to be proud of and now rests in peace waiting for our Lord and Savior. Paul’s remains were cremated and a very private memorial ceremony will take place at a later date. Condolences can be shared at http://www.trinityfuneralhome.ca/paul-werezuk/ Our dad had a big heart… had that going for him Rode a bike in his 80’s… stayed fit and trim He loved to farm… grew a thing or two Had five kids and a beautiful wife…. woohoo !!

Hockey was his love… on a sheet of ice glass “Short Shift Paul”…. always looking to pass Let’s go fishing… cut a hole in that ice Sit for hours…… ahh this is nice Let’s hurry to the auction... farming can wait a sec or two Then get back home to fix things……what to do? what to do?

Head up north… pick fruit for fun Wild blueberries…. Yum! Yum! Yum! Lived his life……. too soon it’s done He’s resting now… till Christ will come It’s not the same without him here…

Please excuse us while we shed our tears.

BLASHKO, Steve On December 23, 2016, Stephen Michael Blashko of Andrew, Alberta quietly and peacefully passed away at the age of 79 years.

Steve is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Grace; his daughter Lisa (Dan) Basisty and their son Zachary; son Leighton (Lois) and their son Reid; brothers Carl (Sylvia), Allan (Donna) and sister Marlene (Bob) Kryklywicz; along with numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

A Public Viewing will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Autumn Rose Funeral Home in Vegreville, Alberta. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, December 30, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Andrew Community Centre - Andrew, Alberta with Reverend Deborah Brill officiating. Interment to follow in the Zawale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the “Lamont Health Care Centre” or “United Church Cemetery Fund.”

To send condolences please visit www.autumnrosefuneralhome.com AUTUMN ROSE FUNERAL HOME LTD. VEGREVILLE,780-603-5800

HORON, Marge In loving memory of our beloved wife, mother and grandma who passed away December 30, 2013.

As long as we live we cherish her name In memory we see her name ever the same A beautiful memory more precious than gold Of a loved one whose worth can never be told Things have changed in many ways But one thing changes never The memory of those happy days When we were all together Lovingly remembered and deeply missed by husband Larry, children and grandchildren

WARAWA, Quentin In loving memory or Quentin Warawa February 4, 1981 - January 2, 1995 We who Loved you sadly miss you As it dawns another year In our lonely hours of thinking Thoughts of you are always near What would we give to clasp his hands His happy face to see To hear his voice and see his smile That meant so much to us You are not forgotten Nor ever shall you be As long as life and memory last We shall remember thee Loving son and brother Forever in our hearts Mom, Dad and Tami

OBITUARY

PLISHKA, Steve On December 14, 2016 Steve Plishka of Holden passed away suddenly to be with the Lord, at the age of 88 years. Steve is survived by one brother and one sister, Larry (Gladys) Plishka of Grande Prairie and Maryann (Kasper) Szott of Edmonton; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends; also a special caregiver, Bonnie Woloschuk.

Predeceased by his parents, Andrew and Maria; brothers, Mike and Nestor; and sisters, Theresa and Helen.

Funeral Service Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, Vegreville. Father Jim Nakonechny officiating with interment in St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church Cemetery. Borschiw. In lieu of other tributes, donations may be made to Canadian Diabetes Association or St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Borschiw.

Photos, memories and condolences may be shared through www.parkmemorial.com PARK MEMORIAL LTD. VEGREVILLE 780-632-2000 FAMILY OWNED FUNERAL HOME

POWLEY, Selena June 15, 1918 – December 24, 2016 It is with deep sadness the family announces the passing of Selena Powley at the age of 98 years. She will be lovingly remembered by her children: David (Sonja), Shirley Ann, Anton (Amy), William, and Taras (Linda); grandchildren: Mark (Jennifer) Batiuk, Richard Batiuk, Deanna Finnman, Shane (Marta) Powley, Nicole (Dan) Dodds, Jennifer Powley (Thomas Elliott), Amanda (Trevor) Kotylak, Adam Powley, Nicholas Powley and Candice (Matthew) Laws; great grandchildren: Cole Finnman, Matthew Batiuk, Madelyn and Elyse Dodds and Beth Kotylak. Selena is survived by sisters: Annie Osoba and Helen Shandro; brother Raimon Spasiuk.

She was predeceased by her loving husband of 53 years Nicholas, daughter Sylvia Diane Powley, parents Harry and Sophie Spasiuk, granddaughter Michelle Batiuk, brothers William and Metro Spasiuk and sisters Mary Jorgenson, Jennie Kindrakewich and Tilly Spasiuk. Also, fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Helen Frank and staff at the Vegreville Care Centre for their kindness, support and compassionate care to Selena during her long stay there. A Divine Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Vegreville, Alberta with the Basilian Fathers officiating. Interment to follow in Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of floral tributes, memorial donations to honour Selena may be made to the “Vegreville Care Centre – Patient Comfort Society” (Box 295 Vegreville, Alberta T9C 1R2) or a charity of one’s choice.

To send condolences or share a memory please visit www. autumnrosefuneralhome.com AUTUMN ROSE FUNERAL HOME LTD., VEGREVILLE 780-603-5800

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Andrew School News What’s more fun than buying something special for your loved ones for Christmas? Andrew Parent Council hosted the 10th annual Christmas Store where students, especially elementary, can go buy a special gift that ranges from $1- $5.00 for their parents and siblings. Volunteered assist the students through the store and at the end wrap them up for them. It runs for 2 days in the school. Thanks again for another great year with the Christmas Store.

On Monday, December 19th, 2016, Andrew students from Playschool to Gr 6 classes did a fantastic performance in the Christmas concert.The theme for this year was:“ The Night Before Christmas”.Thanks to Mrs. Jarema for organizing and directing the concert this year, as well, to all the staff and students helping behind the scene.Thanks to the family and community members for supporting and attendance of Andrew School.

Second annual Christmas Light-Up was a success

Submitted On December 3, during Brian Sharun’s second annual Christmas Light-Up, held just west of Mundare

intersection around Highway 16, $2410 was raised for the Stollery Children’s Hospital as well as nine gifts were given. The people who helped to raise the funds really brought out their Christmas spirit of giving, enabling the large sum of donations to be achieved. Stawinchy of Mundare generously contributed the sausage and many thoughtful people also brought food and dessert to the event.

During the even Santa also paid a most welcomed visit, bringing much joy and cheer to all the children that sat on his knee.

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Do Not Alarm The Queen Sqt Jerry Nutbrown This column is going a bit old school, and for those still in school I don’t mean last year. The intent is to explain something you will see occasionally in the Blotter regarding someone breaching the peace.

There are a few sections in the Criminal Code that speak to a disturbance of some kind in various places. I won’t be going into the criminal offense of causing a disturbance, but other ones speaking directly to peace. The reason I said

I was going old school is that section 49 of the Criminal Code is an old section and is commonly called Alarming the Queen. This section makes it a criminal offense to do something that alarms the Queen, breaks public peace in the presence of the Queen or is intended or likely to cause bodily harm to the Queen. This offense is straight Indictable which means that someone charged with

this will be tried in Queen’s Bench Court. This is just the name of Alberta’s highest level of court and the Queen herself does not make judgement nor have inf luence in it. I will explain an indictable offense in a later article but this being straight Indictable means on a finding of guilty, the punishment is severe.

The most common breaching of peace comes under sections 30 and 31 of the Criminal Code. These sections make breaching the peace, or intending to breach the peace, something you are not allowed to do. It is not an offense, but these sections are used as an enforcement tool. These sections provide arrest authority when someone commits this offense but there is no followup charge that the person is required to go court to answer to. The intent is to allow an arrest to be made to deal with a situation as tool to assist in resolving it. A common example may be when someone is intoxicated in a residence and causing problems for other people there. If they refuse to leave we have arrest authority as they are breaching the peace and we can remove them. We can then take them and turn them over to a sober person willing to care for them or bring them to cells to sober. In the example if they are outside there is a Provincial Statute that provides authority to take them into custody, but that can be a future topic to be covered.

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Sopilka’s Christmas Concert dances into the season

Dancer, Calder tells Santa his wish list during his turn while the other dancers and children from the audience wait to speak to Santa.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

The Green Group which is from seven to nine-years-old shows their talents at the Sopilka School of Ukrainian Dance Christmas Concert. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Ensemble bounces in with their graceful and sprightly performance. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier A stocking stuffer full of quality entertainment gushed out of Vegreville Social Centre on December 19 during the Sopilka School of Ukrainian Dance Christmas Concert.

It was stated that this is a wonderful way to see where the kids are in the way of dance.

Ensemble was the first group that bounced in with their graceful and sprightly performance.

The Yellow Group which is composed of dancers from three to five years old was up next. Interesting to learn was

that it was the first time that some of these performers danced. Their performance was well-received. They were followed by the Green Group, Black Group, and Red Group.

The Finale was the Hopak Ensemble which held complicated fast runs, split jumping, leaping and other dance steps.

The audience issued enthusiastic cheers for these performers.

Each of these performances told a story and received a heartfelt applause.

Following this excitement, the children exclaimed that Santa was here as they ran to greet him and receive a gift.

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St. Nicholas visits A.L. Horton School

A.L.Horton School’s Ukrainian Bilingual students practice singing for St.Nicholas’visit.The Kindergarten students are in the front row. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

St. Nicholas enters A.L. Horton School’s library with Constable. J and the four angels-Austin, MacKenzie, Rachel and Phoenix during St. Nicholas’ visit on December 20. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier For most children, St. Nicholas is the heart of their Christmas’s celebration.

On December 20, St. Nicholas visited A.L. Horton School where he was warmly welcomed by the Ukrainian Bilingual students with poems read by

the Ukrainian Bilingual Kindergarten students and Ukrainian Christmas songs sung by these students and all the other Ukrainian Bilingual grades in the library.

Then St. Nicholas asked how the kids were good, to which they replied that they didn’t complain too much, did their homework, listened to their parents and teachers, weren’t a bully and more.

After this, he visited with each child and gave them a decoration, candy cane, and orange.

Then St. Nicholas went away to visit all the other classrooms and gave each student a candy cane and orange.

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A.L. Horton School Christmas Concert

The students entertained the audience with Christmas carols before the concert began.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

The Grade Five Band presented a demonstration of their learning through squeaks and squawks.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier Watching a Christmas Concert unfold is one of the finest gifts children’s relatives and friends can receive.

A complete packed house of citizens attended A.L. Horton School Christmas Concert on December 14.

The students entertained the audience with Christmas carols before the concert began.

Then under the direction of Miss.

Yule, the Grade Five Band presented a demonstration of their learning through squeaks and squawks. They continued with singing, Rock around Guess Who’s Coming to Bethlehem included all grades of students who represented different animals in costumes as they narrated and sang as they took the audience through a journey of when Jesus was born. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

the Christmas tree.

Hand Chimes, under the direction of Mrs. Bienvenue followed this.

The concert next: Guess Who’s Coming to Bethlehem included all grades of students who represented different animals in costumes as they narrated and sang as they took the audience through a journey of when Jesus was born. The students’ voices were clear and they rose appropriately.

Na Dvoree Reezdvo performed by Grade 5M polished off the concert with a Ukrainian touch.

Crisis centre donation

Each year at Christmas Deerland Equipment employees raise money for a local charity.The funds raised are then matched by Deerland Equipment. This year The Crisis Association of Vegreville is the charity of choice. Pictured here is Dave Dinwoodie (Sales Manager of Deerland Vegreville) presenting a cheque for $1020.00 to Nancy Keel (Chair of the Board for The Crisis Association of Vegreville). (Submitted)

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Bulgarian New Year The European country of Bulgaria is very legendary in terms of its celebrations and festivities, and the same aspect is very much perceptible in the New Year celebrations as made in the country. New Year in Bulgaria is also called as St. Basil’s Day or popularly as ‘Survaki’.

It is considered to be a prominent time of the year, even more than Christmas, more so because of its traditional and historical association. For the fact, New Year celebrations in Bulgaria are more prominent and grand than Christmas celebrations, which are comparatively silent.

Austrian New Year In Austria 1691 Pope Innocent XII declared January 1 to be New Year’s Day. In Austria, New Year’s Eve is called Sylvesterabend which is the Eve of Saint Sylvester. They make a punch made of cinnamon, sugar, and red wine in honor of him.

Taverns and inns are decorated with evergreen wreaths.

Confetti, streamers, and champagne are also part of New Year’s Eve. Evil spirits of the old year are chased away by the firing of mortars called böller. Midnight mass is attended and trumpets are blown from church towers at midnight. People exchange kisses.

Usually, people move out of their houses along with their friends and families, and plan out their New Year evenings and New Year days on the beaches and beach resorts. New Year’s Eve saw an overcrowded occupancy in almost all bars, restaurants, clubs, and other party places. Some other people organize house parties, with only close friends and family people being invited.

As soon as the date of New Year gets closer, people buy themselves new clothes. After the New Year speech of the country’s President, all Bulgarians start preparing for midnight celebrations.

New Year’s Eve begins with the Carnival season called Fasching that lasts until Lent. Balls and parties are thrown. On New Year’s morning mass is attended and children sing carols door to door. They pour molten lead into a bucket of water. Soothsayers read the lead shapes, bleigiessen, and make predictions. It is a bad omen to see an old woman.

Cambodian New Year Have you ever heard of a New Year celebration that lasts long for 3 days? Well if you manage to visit to Cambodia during the New Year, you may witness it. The Chaul Chnam Thmey or the New Year in Cambodia is widely celebrated by the locals with grandeur and pomp. It starts on the 12th of April and lasts till 14th of April, and also signifies the end of harvesting season in the country.

Like all Asian New Year celebration, visiting temple to seek the blessing of the Almighty is a common part of the culture and traditions. Interestingly they build hills from sand near the temple grounds after which it is decorated with religious flags, one being at the top and the other four round the sides. This is done to show the five disciples of Lord Buddha.

All the three days of the celebration has significance of its own. Day one or the Moha Sangkran is celebrated by the Cambodians as an arrival of God and his angels on earth. So people clean their houses from one corner to the other just to welcome these holy spirits. They light up their homes and burn candles and incense sticks.

They buy and wear new clothes and worship Lord Buddha with flowers, eatables, drinks, scented water put on banana leaves. Different types of food are prepared only to be distributed among the monks against their blessings.

Iranian New Year Iranians are mostly Muslims and celebrate the New Year on the first day of their spring. There festivals known as Noruz or Nowruz and falls on the 21 March according to the Gregorian calendar. The first month is known as Favardin and Noruz falls on this day.

Brazilian New Year Brazil, the fifth largest country of the world and the largest country of South America, celebrates New Year as its very own, intrinsic, and traditional festival.

For the fact, New Year is considered to be the one of the most prominent and widely celebrated festivals of Brazilian people.

During the New Year time, the South American nation of Brazil seems to get immersed deep in the tides of celebration. Big parties are organized all over the Brazil. The biggest ones are organized in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. Preparation for the New Year parties begins a day before the celebration day. Special efforts go into the crafting of the fireworks, which is lit up exactly at the midnight of the New Year to welcome and celebrate it.

A half an hour firework show sees people celebrating and wishing for everyone’s good luck for the coming year. It is followed by dinner, which has Brazilian cultural dishes like rice, chicken, farofa, salads, and marajucá mousse on the platter. The whole celebration mood remains on a constant high for the entire New Year night with people playing music and dancing altogether. Major cities of Brazil also host musical concerts, dance performances, and special art shows for the day.

They know when the New Year is upon them as in each town and village a cannon is sounded at the precise moment until it is heard they don’t start their celebrations. They prepare for several weeks before hand.

In preparing they have to grow grains of wheat, barley or lentils to use as decorations for their houses. This decoration is a symbol for growth and prosperity and must be kept in the house for thirteen day after which it is thrown into the river. They clean their houses during the days leading up to the New Year and they either make or buy new clothes for themselves and their family. If they cannot afford to much they try to have at least one piece of new clothing often a pair of shoes.

A special table is set up with seven articles which all must begin with the letter “s” for Haft-sin. They are: Sonbul - hyacinth Sabzeh - green shoots grown from grain Samanoo - a sweet pudding made of green wheat Serkeh - vinegar Sumac - a herb Seeb - an apple Senjed - bohemian olives.

Other objects are a bowl of colored eggs, candles, a mirror and a bowl of rose water.

They also must have a copy of their holy book the Koran, on the New Year table.

Chinese New Year New Year in China is completely different and unique from any of the New Year celebrations made in any part of the world. In China, New Year is also called as ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy’ or ‘The Spring Festival’. It is marked as the most important festival of Chinese culture and tradition. The day of New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar.

The New Year celebrations in China hold an entire history of its own. Once, there used to live a giant beast with the name of Nian, who used to swallow many human beings with a single bite. The natives under the distraught then find one weak spot in the beast. They came to know that beast gets afraid of the red color and loud noises. Since then, they started burning firecrackers and using red color in order to keep the giant beast scared. Since they got themselves liberated from the giant beast’s scare and conferred themselves with a new life, they started celebrating the day as GuNian (Pass over the Nian) or New Year day.

In China, there is no one fixed day of the New Year, and thus the date changes every year. It is celebrated in accordance to the Chinese calendar, which is a blend of the solar and lunar calendar. According to the Chinese calendar, the day of the second moon after the winter solstice is meant to be celebrated as New Year. Though, New Year celebrations are made for an extended period of around one month, which officially starts from second half of the last month of the previous year and ends with the first half of the first month of the New Year. Last day of Chinese New Year is celebrated as Lantern Festival.

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German New Year In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year ahead.

People also would leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year’s Eve on their plate until after Midnight as a way of ensuring a well-stocked larder. Carp was included as it was thought to bring wealth.

French New Year

Romanian New Year

The European country of France celebrates New Year on the day of January 1 of Georgian calendar. New Year day is popularly called as Jour des Étrennes, and le Jour de I’An. New Year day celebrations are referred as ‘Reveillion’.

On New Year’s Eve, children sing Plugusorul and Sorcova.

In their songs, they wish good luck, happiness and success. You can hear the ringing of the bells and the bull sounds. The goat’s game, the bear’s game and the masks’ game are old Romanian customs.

For the fact, it is counted as amongst the oldest festivals of France, and thus an official public holiday is observed for the day. People in France go and meet their friends and families, to celebrate the special day with mutual solemnity and ecstasy.

The Bear, the Goat, the Bunghiers, the Caiutii, the Malanca, the Jiens and the Masked are expected to show up on New Year’s Eve. All of these stand for an original way of expressing the ritual associations of animals with almost universal worshiping of the Sun. The ceremonial structure of the custom is equally full of strength and vitality. It is the masks that tell the most about the imagination and humor of the Romanian villager. Some of them have become genuine jewels of folk art.

A pleasant farewell to the old year and a grand welcome to the New Year is done, with an optimistic hope of success, prosperity, happiness, and peace in the coming time. New Year celebrations begin on New Years’ eve and go on till the 6th January of the New Year. In France, New Year’s Eve is referred as la Saint-Sylvestre.

Islamic New Year Muharram is the first month of the Muslim year its first day is celebrated as New Year’s Day. The Islamic New Year throughout the world is held quietly, without the festive atmosphere of other New Year celebrations. The appearance of the new moon is recorded in the mosques and special prayers are said. The most important part of the New Year is the telling of the story of the Flight of Medina. The story goes over the radio for everyone to hear. Islamic New Year celebrations in Egypt has a much more festive atmosphere.

Also on New Year’s Eve, another custom is the Vergel which is a mysterious act meant to prospect the future, in which unmarried young people and their parents take part. The one practicing the Vergel want to know what the future year holds for them, and most of all if and whom they will marry.

Japanese New Year New Year is definitely one of the most important occasions in Japanese calendar. All Japanese families celebrate this occasion with elan and vigor.

It is celebrated on January 1, but before 1873, it was observed according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Even though the date of the celebration has changed, the occasion is celebrated with proper Japanese New Year traditions.

Otoshidama: Otoshidama is an old New Year tradition of Japan, in which they give money to the kids. In this custom, you have to handle a decorated envelop to the children.

The amount of the money, which the Japanese offer to the children, depends upon the age of the children.

Mochi: Mochi is a tradition, when people make rice cakes on Japanese New Year. The main purpose of making Mochi is decorative. Mochi is made in kagami mochi.

Daidai, a bitter orange is placed at the top of the decoration. Mochi is made before New Year and is eaten when the celebrations of New Year begins.

Russian New Year Pakistani New Year New Year in Pakistan is known as Nowrooz or New Day. This day begins in March and traditionally represents the rebirth of nature after the long winter.

The New Year begins the instant the sun is no longer in the astrological sign of Pisces and enters Aries. It is celebrated as a time of renewal. One of the customs of Nawrooz is the practice of burning piles of wood. The bonfires are a symbol to destroy any remaining evil from the previous year.

Japanese people arrange a lavish dinner for the New Year eve. The traditional Japanese New Year dinner consists of boiled seaweed, mashed sweet potato with chestnut, fish cakes, sweetened black soybeans, and simmered burdock root.

Spanish New Year When the clock strikes midnight they eat 12 grapes one with every toll to bring good luck for the next 12 months of the New Year. Sometimes the grapes are washed down with wine. Theater productions and movies are interrupted to carry out this custom.

In the Soviet Union Santa is replaced with Grandfather Frost. He looks much like Santa Claus but arrives on New Year’s Eve with his bag of toys. He wears blue instead of red. Father Frost can punish any evil doer by freezing them. Often kids dance around the tree, tell rhymes to Father Frost then receive their presents.

The Russian meal on New Year’s is primarily meat and potato dishes.

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Babylonian New Year The people of Mesopotamia celebrate the New Year festival known as Akitu in the springtime. At this time they celebrate the arrival of the spring rains and the renewal of nature, as well as the renewal of the community.

At the festival the story of the creation is read out to remind people of the order of the universe and how it had risen out of the struggle between Marduck the god of heaven and Tiamut goddess of the powers of chaos.

Australian New Year

On day three the king is put through the ritual of humiliation. All of his powers are removed and he is hit in the face by a priest, who tells him he must go and pray for forgiveness of his sins. Three days later he reappears and is absolved. After the procession the next three days are full of chaotic activities of all sorts.

Bengali New Year

No matter, whether one chooses to stay at home or come out, the mood of zest and celebrations of New Year remain on a constant high among people of Australia.

In Bengali they celebrate New Year on the 13th or 14th April, which is the first day of the month that they call Baisakh.

Celebrations with high degree of fervor all over the place continue for the first six days of New Year. The highly fervent New Year celebrations in Australia are world popular, which is the reason why Australia emerges to be the favorite tourist spot among visitors in and around the time of New Year.

They clean and decorate their houses in preparation for the New Year. They use flour to paint patterns on the ground out the front of their houses, in the middle of the design they place an earthenware pot, decorated with a red and white swastika which is a religious symbol, and filled with holy water and vermilion. Also inside the pot they place a mango tree branch which must consist of five twigs and a number of leaves. The pot symbolizes good fortune for the family.

Traditionally, people prefer to make a visit to the Church to offer their prayers to the supreme Lord. People along with their families make an early morning visit to the local or main Church to pray Lord in order to get confer with His blessings for the New Year. For the fact, the traditional customs of formally announcing the arrival of New Year is officially considered to take place with the twelve rings of the bell in the Church on the midnight of the New Year.

As soon as people hear the twelve rings, they mutually show their bliss by cheering and making noises through drums, trumpets, horns, and other musical instruments.

On New Year’s they offer special prayers to the goddess of wealth, because they hoped for greater wealth in the coming year.

Belgian New Year In Belgium New Year’s Eve is called Sint Sylvester Vooranvond or Saint Sylvester Eve. The réveillon or New Year’s Eve family parties are thrown. At midnight everyone kisses, exchanges good luck greetings, and drinks toasts to absent relatives and friends. The cities, cafés, and restaurants are crowded with people who bid farewell to the Old Year.

New Year’s Day is called Nieuwjaarsdag at this time of the year the children save money to buy decorated paper for writing holiday greetings to parents and god parents. Motifs are golden cherubs and angels, colored roses, and ribbon tied garlands. On New Year’s morning the children read what they have written to their parents and god parents.

Egyptian New Year In Egypt the New Year is a public holiday and has a very festive atmosphere. Although they know in advance when the New Year begins they still observe the custom of the new crescent moon must be seen before the official announcement is made. The sighting is carried out at the Muhammad Ali mosque which is at the top of the hill in Cairo. The message is then passed on to the religious leader known as the Grand Mufti and he proclaims the New Year.

Bahai New Year The Bahai people have their own calendar consisting of nineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between the eighteenth and nineteenth months. They have however adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunset rather than midnight, and the New Year celebrations are held during the evening of March 20th.

British New Year

The men who have been waiting outside the mosque wish each other a happy New Year by saying “Kol Sana We Enta Tayeb!” and then go home to tell their families. Then all families sit down for a special New Year dinner. On this day even the poorest of family serves some meat. No alcohol is served because Muslims do not drink.

In Britain the custom of first footing is practiced. The first male visitor to the house after midnight is usually supposed to bring good luck. Usually they bring a gift like money, bread, or coal, which is done to ensure the family, will have plenty of these things all the year to come. The first person must not be blond, red-haired or women as these people are supposedly bad luck.

The children are given sweets. Boys are given a sweet molded into the shape of a boy on horseback. Girls are given one in the shape of a girl wearing a dress. The sweets are surrounded by colored paper shaped like an accordion.

The Druids gave a gift of twigs from the mistletoe, as this was a plant that was sacred to them as a magic source of fertility. It would bestow on the recipient a fruitful year in the number of children, as well as the amount of cattle and the amount of crop.

The New Year for the adults is a day for visiting friends. In some villages the father or the head of the family goes from house to house wishing each family a happy New Year collecting people as they go, until they end up at the Mayor’s house.

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Greek New Year January 1st is an important date in Greece because it is not only the first day of the New Year but it is also St. Basil’s Day. St Basil was one the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is remembered for his kindness and generosity to the poor. He is thought to have died on this date so this is how they honor him.

New Year is perhaps even more festive and important then Christmas as it is the main day for gift-giving and for stories of St Basil’s kindness to children and the stories of how he would come in the night and leave gifts for the children in their shoes.

Polish New Year In Poland New Year’s Eve is known as St Sylvester’s Eve. This name according to legends arose from Pope Sylvester I, who was supposed to have imprisoned a dragon called Leviathan who was suppose to be able to escape on the first day of the year 1000, devour the land and the people, and was suppose to have set fire to the heavens. On New Year’s Day, when the world did not come to an end, there was great rejoicing and from then on this day was called St Sylvester’s Eve.

Greeks have a Christian name that is the name of a religious figure or a saint. On the religious calendar each day has a different feast and people celebrate their name-day accordingly. January 1 is St Basil’s Day which is the day for those named Vassilios and Vassiliki. On name-days and St Basil’s day people visit their friends and relatives and exchange gifts, not just for those whose name-day it was but also for those whose name day it isn’t. On these visits they have a big feast of food, drinks and music.

There are many special dishes that are prepared at New Year but the most important dish is Vassilopitta or St Basil’s cake, inside the cake is placed a silver or gold coin.

European New Year In Europe the custom of first-footing is practiced. This is where the first person to enter the house after midnight must be male and is supposed to bring good luck to the household.

Throughout the world the custom of making noise to ring in the New Year has not gone untouched as this was supposed to scare off any evil spirits. Today any noise is used such as clackers, toy trumpets, whistles, and bells are party favors given to guests to use when the New Year has rung in.

In Macedonia bells ring in the New Year.

The cake is distributed in accordance to a strict order. First piece is for St Basil, the second for the house, the next for the most senior member of the household down to the youngest member and also including absent members.

There may also be a piece of cake for the cattle and a large piece for the poor. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be lucky for the next year.

Burmese New Year In Burma there is a three day New Year festival called Maha Thingyan, which is celebrated with prayers, fasting and fun.

During the festivities, buildings and temples are washed, and people throw water over each other. This is partly to welcome the heavy rains of the coming monsoon season.

The Burmese New Year festival is held to celebrate the New Year, by performing meritorious deeds and spraying one another with Thingyan water.

As well as the St Basil’s cake there is usually an abundance of food on the table including Kourabiedes Shortbread and thiples, there is always honey on the table and olivebranches, nuts, fresh fruit and other symbols of happiness and wealth.

The New Year Cake came from the story about Saint Basil who it is said told how he helped the poor people to pay their taxes. The story goes that he took some jewelry from each person and gave it to the Governor. The Governor was sorry for the poor people and so he gave the jewelry back, they only problem was Basil did not know who owned each piece of jewelry. This is when it is told the miracle occurred. He baked each piece inside a loaf and when the loaves were given out, everyone had their own jewelery in the piece of loaf.

The Burmese New Year, which is based on the Fixed Zodiac system, falls on or around April 16. Thingyan means change.

Cula thingyan (or small change) occurs every month. Maha thingyan (or big change) occurs once a year. The Burmese consider it to occur in Meiktha on or around April 13 and lasting three or four days.

Polish New Year Danish New Year In Denmark it is a good sign to find your door heaped with a pile of broken dishes at New Years. Old dishes are saved year around to throw them at the homes where their friends live on New Years Eve. Many broken dishes were a symbol that you have many friends. New Year’s Eve is framed by two important items broadcast on television and radio, respectively the monarch’s New Year Speech at 6pm and the striking of midnight by the Town Hall Clock in Copenhagen, which marks the start of the new year.

Many Danes party with various kinds of good food followed by champagne and marzipan ring cake at midnight. The New Year is greeted with fireworks after midnight; they include both noisy bangs and rockets, which light up the night sky in many different colors. In many parts of the country, the traditional New Year’s Eve menu is boiled cod, or stewed kale and cured saddle of pork.

In Poland New Year’s Eve is known as St Sylvester’s Eve. This name according to legends arose from Pope Sylvester I, who was supposed to have imprisoned a dragon called Leviathan who was suppose to be able to escape on the first day of the year 1000, devour the land and the people, and was suppose to have set fire to the heavens. On New Year’s Day, when the world did not come to an end, there was great rejoicing and from then on this day was called St Sylvester’s Eve.

English New Year In England crowds of people gather in Trafalgar square, and Piccadilly Circus as well as stand around to hear the chimes of London’s Big Ben announces the arrival of the New Year. Everyone stands around with arms linked to sing Auld Lang Syne.

In England the custom of first-footing is important. The reason is that it is supposed to ensure good luck for the inhabitants of the house. The first-footer must be male, young, healthy and good looking. He must be dark-haired and he should be carrying a small piece of coal, money, bread, and salt. These are the symbols of wealth.

The Burning Bush is a nineteenth century custom carried into the early years of this century. In Radnorshire and Herefordshire farmhand would get up early before dawn on New Year’s Day and carry a hawthorn bush to the field.

They were burnt in straw on the wheat field. It was a symbol of good luck for the farmers. The bushes sometimes hung in the kitchen until the next year.

DECEMBER 28, 2016

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Scottish New Year The Scottish New Year is known as Hogmanay and both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were also known as Daft Days.

The first Monday in January is a holiday and is referred to as Handsel Monday.

In Scotland New Year’s Eve is called Hogomanay or Night of the Candle. Foods such as three cornered biscuits called Hogmanays are eaten. Other foods that are special at this time of year are wine, cordials, cheese, bread, shortbread, oatcake, currant loaf and scones. After sunset people are known to collect juniper and water to purify the home.

The Scots prepare for the New Year by cleaning their houses.

This was believed to have been a purification ritual.

Diwalian New Year North-western Indian state of Gujarat celebrates its New Year festival of Diwali in the months of October or November.

Diwali is one of the most ancient Hindu festivals, which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. It is only in Gujarat that it is considered as the New Year festival. In fact the second day of the festival is actually the New Year’s Day of Gujarati.

They would perform a ritual of burning juniper branches which they carried throughout the house so as to remove any lurking germs and diseases.

The food they would eat at New Year was Haggis, shortbread, scones, oatmeal cakes, cheese, whisky and wine as well as traditional New Year black buns.

The first person to rise in the morning used to take Het Pint spiced ale to those members who were still in bed.

In Scotland an old tradition that still is relevant today is that of the first footer which is said, that whoever the first person to set foot into your home on New Year’s day decided the family’s luck for the rest of the year. This was based on the belief in the magic power of beginnings. The start of the New Year controlled its future course.

The person most welcome on new year’s morning was a tall, dark haired man and especially if he bought a gift as this was considered magical as his handsome features would make the year a pleasant one and his gift of a loaf of bread, or a shovel of coal would ensure that there would be no lack of food or warmth in the household.

Any other type of person who was to set foot in your home on New Year’s morning would spell disaster. Therefore people would subtly arrange for the right person to arrive.

Hindu New Year

In some Scottish villages barrels of tar are set on fire and rolled through the streets. This is done to burn up the old year and to allow the New Year in.

Most people in India are followers of the Hindu faith although most of the modern calendar is used for normal everyday business there are various versions of the ancient Hindu calendar are still used to govern the religious festivals.

Taiwanese New Year New Year’s Eve is spent bidding farewell to the old year and thanking one’s ancestors and the gods for their blessing and protection. Children who have left their homes return on this day to share New Year’s Eve Dinner with their families, and for those unable to make the journey, a table setting is placed to symbolize their presence in spirit if not in body. At the end of dinner, the parents and older generation give New Year’s money to the children, who have been waiting with growing anticipation for this moment to arrive. Finally, to watch the old year out and bring in the New Year, families stay up until the early hours of New Year’s Day. To insure the arrival of luck and wealth in the New Year, several taboos must be heeded. Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed for fear of casting riches out the door, cussing and quarreling is to be avoided at all costs, and anyone who breaks a dish on this day must quickly say Peace for all time, to avoid incurring misfortune.

On the second day of the New Year, married women return to their parents home to visit family, on the fourth day, the gods return to the world of the living, and on the fifth day, many new stores and old businesses open their doors for the first time due to the auspiciousness of the day. The festive air of celebration continues in this manner all the way up to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the New Year before slowly ebbing back to normal life again.

The Hindu New Year is celebrated differently in the different parts of the country. The customs of the New Year vary from region to region.

Lantern Festival, also known as Shang Yuan Festival, takes place on the fifteenth day of the first moon. Last in a series of springtime celebrations, this second New Year is widely celebrated by families all around Taiwan.

Celebration of the Hindu New Year varies based on geographic location. Most Hindus live in India, but many have different traditions. The Hindus of Gujarat, in western India, celebrate the New Year at the end of October, at the same time as the Indian festival of Diwali. For the Diwali celebration, small oil lights are lit all along the rooftops.

On the night of the festival, decorative lanterns depicting birds, beasts, historical figures, and any one of a number of different themes are carried by children or adorn temples. To highlight these glowing works of art, competitions are held.

There is the Tamil New Year, Bengali New Year, Maharahtra New Year and the Diwalian New Year.

Jewish New Year The Jewish New Year Festival is called Rosh Hashanah. The date varies each year, as they have their own calendar which is lunisolar in nature.

The New Year is on the first two days of the seventh month, this was done so that the farmers could visit Jerusalem before the winter rains came. The first ten days of this month are the most holiest.

Netherlands New Year In the Netherlands people burn Christmas trees on street bonfires and let off fireworks to ring in the New Year and as a way of driving out the spirits of the old year.

Tradition speaks of a symbolic book in heaven which was said to have records of those who did good and bad deeds and on Rosh Hashanah all people must account to God for their behavior during the past year. However, all people are given ten days before the New Year and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur to show they are sorry for any wrong doings they may have done.

At the end of the ten days the period ends with a repentance culminating on Yom Kippur with a 24 hour fast which ends at sunset with a final note on the shofar, signifying the closing of the Book of Life.

Parsee New Year The Parsees celebrate the traditional Persian New Year by worshipping at their fire temples, visiting friends and family, wearing new clothes and feasting. They usually observe the New Year on March 31 but some Parsees believe it is later in the year.

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Vegreville honors International St. John’s Masonic Lodge Day of Persons with Disabilities contributes to local charities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities was honored at Vegreville Centennial Library with prizes, free tokens, light refreshments and a Vegreville Enable Photo Art and Poetry Exhibition for the twenty-five or so people who attended. “This was a nice event and I am happy with all the people that came to share in this important day as we bring more awareness to people with disabilities,”Derek Christensen said.

Ken Flanagan

Submitted The local membership of St. John’s Lodge tries to support some good causes in the Town of Vegreville.

With a downturned economy the Vegreville Food Bank and the Vegreville Christmas Bureau are two such causes the Lodge feels inclined to support.

Melody Bachelor of the Vegreville Christmas Bureau and Dee Palischuk of the Vegreville Food Bank received cheques from the Masonic Foundation in the amount of $ 500.00 each. The funds were presented Monday, December 12th, by the current Master of the Lodge, Andy Herbert. Hopefully families with children may have a better Christmas as a result.

Ava and Emily donate to Vegreville Christmas Bureau!

Ava Homeniuk and Emily Drinkwater present a cheque of $515 to Jennifer Hladilo, Vegreville Christmas Bureau Depot Coordinator. These funds were raised at Ava and Emily’s birthday party.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier Our young people are catching a generous spirit this season! Ava Homeniuk, age eight and Emily Drinkwater, age seven celebrated their birthdays on December 2, 2016, with a joint birthday party at the Vegreville Aquatic Centre.

In lieu of gifts, they asked their friends through their invitations for a cash donation which they would forward to the Vegreville Christmas Bureau.

The two young ladies succeeded in raising $515! They would like to thank all of their friends for participating!

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Heritage House’s Family Christmas Party

That’s a big cookie!

Heritage House’s residents and their families help themselves to the bountiful buffet at Heritage House’s Annual Residents and Family Christmas Party on December 10. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier To celebrate Christmas and all the people who make their residents’ life fuller, the Heritage House’s Residents and Family Christmas Party was presented on December 10. The bountiful buffet was free for the residents and two invited guests of their choice.

After the buffet supper, The Golden Green Band which is operated by Bill Thomas from Edmonton has been around for 23 years performed for the partygoers. This group has band members from across Alberta and they performed old-time dance, polka, waltzes from 1890 to 1970; music from when the seniors were teenagers.

Standing, Heritage House’s resident-Annette Yost, Annette’s son-Kevin Kulmatycki, grand-daughterBailey Kozicki, and great-grandson-Dax Gegolick. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Mya Uskiw was super excited about the large chocolate chip cookie decorated with candy cane kisses that Santa left for her on Christmas morning!

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DECEMBER 28, 2016

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St. Vladimir’s 83rd annual bake sale

Josephine Proniuk, Pat Yackimec, Nadia Fundytus, Olga Pochyrok, Sylvia Krawchuk, Ruby Kassian, Elsie Odynski seem to be delighted to be at the St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church 83rd Annual Luncheon and Bake Sale on November 19. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier Christmas is about tradition and the nonpareil events carry on throughout the years. St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church 83rd Annual Luncheon and Bake Sale on November 19 had a steady stream of customers

who rushed to purchase the hot-selling items of Holobtsi, Nalysnyky and Perishky. Others met-up with family, friends and acquaintances for a reasonably priced luncheon. Rose Hook, President of St. Vladimir Ladies Club said they hold this event as a fundraiser

A steady streams of customers enjoy the luncheon and purchase the hot-selling items of Holobtsi, Nalysnyky and Perishky. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

for their church where they also forward some of the proceeds from the sale to the community.

“It’s also meant to save on a person’s workload and for people to try some food products created with love and care. This is a nice get-together where

people can associate with church members and other people from the community,” Rose said.

Door prizes were available too and this event was sponsored by Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada St. Ol’ha’s Branch.

Vegreville resident’s concern changes safety at intersection Rachel Farr Communications Coordinator Town of Vegreville Safety for children is a concern of all parents, and Vegreville resident Shirley Kercher is no different. Back in 2014 Shirley expressed in a letter to the Town of Vegreville that she was concerned about her children crossing Highway 16A at 51 Street to get to AL Horton School. In the letter, Shirley was requesting the Town of Vegreville make the crosswalk more visible.

This is where the process began for the Town of Vegreville. During the 2015 budget process the Public Works Department reviewed the options for this intersection. The option of a hard wired flashing indicator would have the cost of approximately $50,000 per side, so the department decided to look at a more affordable alternative.

The solution was solar powered Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons, at the total cost of just under $10,000. Due to the fact that it was installed on an

Alberta Transportation numbered highway, Vegreville was to be the trial location for these systems across Alberta.

In order to be approved by Alberta Transportation, the Town was required to perform a pedestrian count at this intersection. The count was performed in spring of 2016 when the foot traffic would be higher, as school was in. The pedestrian use at this intersection during a weekday count from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm revealed an average of 100 uses per day. The count was submitted to Alberta Transportation for review, and the proposed installation received approval.

The Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon indicators were to be installed on a current ATCO Electric light standard on the South side of the intersection, and a completely new

installation on the North side. So with ATCO Electric crews graciously assisting the Town of Vegreville, the indicator was installed on November 22, 2016.

Shortly after installation, Shirley was notified that the indicators were operational at the intersection. She expressed to the Town of Vegreville a huge thank you for completing this project and that she definitely feels a lot safer crossing this intersection. The Town continues to receive positive comments regarding the new indicators.

This story starts with the pen of a concerned mother and ended with the installation of a system that will make life safer for everyone. Hopefully for Alberta Transportation, this is a new solution for many more unmarked intersections across Alberta.