Two Hills R.C.M.P. Update by Sgt. Robert Daisley

OnJanuary 27, police received several calls about a male walking on the highway between Beauvallon and Two Hills. Police made a patrol and did not locate the man, but did find a truck which had been stolen from Viking earlier that morning. Further follow-up identified a suspect who was later arrested on an unrelated matter. He provided a statement admitting to the theft and is now being charged by the Viking RCMP. Excellent work by Cst. Haydamashchuk on this file!

Speeder of the month is a 25-yearold male residing in St. Paul who was stopped for speeding (123 in a 100 = $198). Cst. Ramsey found open liquor in the vehicle (only $120 for that ticket) and made a breath demand. The driver attempted without success to thwart the test and was found to have a significant amount of alcohol in his blood. As a novice driver, he was required to have none, so he received a suspension (30 days), a fine ($240), and a vehicle impoundment (7 days). Failing to produce his registration and insurance came with an additional cost of $486. This terrible driver has been convicted of impaired driving in 2020, charged for speeding four times between July 2021 and October 2022, plus given a seatbelt ticket and some other ones in between.

On February 11, police received a report of a break and enter in progress. Police located the suspect vehicle which fled. The vehicle was located again a short time later and police arrested one female at the scene while two males fled on foot. Police surrounded the area and used the police dog (with the assistance of Cst. McKitrick) to locate the two male suspects. All three have now been charged and investigation continues. The two males were very cold when they were arrested, but they were able to warm up in the cells at the St. Paul Detachment!

On February 17, police received a complaint of a theft in progress. Officers attended and learned that the suspect had rammed the property owner’s truck with the stolen truck that he was driving. Fortunately, that disabled the suspect’s truck and he fled on foot. Police located him nearby and arrested him. He has been charged with robbery and several other offences and was released on bail the next day.

On February 19, police received a complaint about two people walking on a property. Police attended and determined that the tracks were made by deer! The suspects were not located…

The Two Hills RCMP will be hosting community consultations in Myrnam (March 9) and Andrew (March 14). Check out our Facebook page (https://www.facebook. com/RCMPTwoHills) for details. We are also planning to host a virtual consultation using Facebook

Live for those who can’t attend in person. These forums will be excellent opportunities to ask questions and help us decide what should be the priorities for the year ahead. For those who aren’t aware, the priorities of the detachment are set each April based on the feedback provided by our communities. In the ten years that I’ve been making these plans, the priorities always come from the communities and no one in Ottawa is trying to tell us what to do!

I got a nice e-mail about the column (no, not from my wife this time!) and I’ve tried to take your suggestions into account! As always, anyone can contact me at Robert. Daisley@rcmp-grc.gc.ca with comments about what you want to see in the next column.

by Sonny Rajoo

I had the distinct pleasure to visit our smaller communities within the County of Two Hills and marveled at their determination to sustain themselves.

Starting in Derwent and ending in the Village of Andrew, my good friend, Bill Albers, and I had a firsthand look at how our small hamlets and villages have a built-in instinct for survival.

In Derwent, our County Reeve Don Gulayec took me to various places and showed me around and I marveled at how this hamlet used its volunteers, County and other grants to upgrade its Recreational Hall, Seniors Centre and the Derwent Fire Department.

In the Village of Myrnam , we saw a beautiful village, construction, and the establishment of C-Tech which adjoins the New Myrnam School. Our gratitude goes out to the past and present County and Vil- lage councillors.

The beauty of its people and their welcoming nature resulted in Hillside Community Church in Willingdon opening a new church in Myrnam at the site of the old church. Under the able leadership of Pastors Beuckert and Thiessen, this group will do wonders for Myrnam.

Beauvallon has seen its fair share of changes and I was happy to see my good friend, Bob Ross, establish businesses together with residents in Beauvallon. Carol Christensen did a marvelous job with entrenching the Post Office in that peaceful hamlet.

On to Hairy Hill, with its new Post Office and dedicated Hairy Hill Elks, this too is a credit to our community.

The wide streets of Willingdon, with its group of dedicated businessmen and residents have done a sterling job in showcasing this former village.

My stop in Andrew saw a tranquil village with tremendous potential and even more positive changes, add to this the hamlets of Brosseau and Duvernay with its special brand of vounteers.

The Town of Two Hills holds a very special place in my heart and soul and much of this will be in future issues of the Chronicle.

In our final analysis our hats off to County of Two Hills Council and Administration, for believing in strengthening our rural communities.

Greetings to our regular readers,

As I understand, the weather has been extremely trying the past week with extreme temperature warnings issued by the government and school buses not running. This coming at a time when we are starting to expect the temperatures to rise and spring to be around the corner.

Here in South Africa, we are experiencing intense heat waves as well as advanced stages of loadshedding, with power being off for periods of up to four hours at a time. That in turns affects water supply and networks.

The hope I have is that by the time our next issue is due for publication, I will be back in Two Hills. I am restless and eager to be back in the area after many years away.

Despite the plethora of problems that face South Africans, my time here was joy filled and fun, being close to family that I missed much time with while I was in Canada.

Time with my mother and my sisters and all my nephews was invaluable and I will cherish greatly.

Apart from the several hours of travelling, I am excited for the opportunity to be back in Canada.

To be honest, our community is a extra special treasure. Filled with love and support from a community based on strong family values, it will be great to make my home in Two Hills where I can strive to improve and grow the Two Hills Regional Chronicle and deepen our connections within the community.

I do sincerely hope that my sisters and family plan on visiting soon, and hopefully one day making their homes in the County of Two Hills so they can fall in love with a community that has stolen our family's hearts.

Thank you to all our contributors and advertisers for your support and helping to make our community newspaper one that continues to grow and thrive.

If you have any questions or comments or anything to share, please feel free to contact me by email at publisher@twohillschronicle.com or jareddrajoo@gmail.com. I love to hear from our community. Be it feedback or a news item to share, it is always a pleasure hearing from you.

I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Until next month, stay safe and stay healthy.