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

surance and for driving an unregistered vehicle.

Speeder of the month is a 60-yearold man from Edmonton who was ticketed for going 147km/h on Highway 45 in the County of Two Hills. He received a ticket for $458.00. Runner up was a 41-year-old Edmonton man with a lower speed but a worse result: he was found driving 124km/h on Highway 29 near St. Michael and received a ticket for $207.00. Checks of his licence status showed that although he had a valid Ontario driver’s licence, he was suspended from driving in Alberta. His vehicle was towed and he was issued a summons for court. He was also warned for failing to produce his in-

The Fraud of the Month is the “continuity scam”. The scammers offer something to entice you, such as a free trial or a free gift. If you sign up, you will be asked to provide a credit card number to pay for shipping the gift to you. The deliver charges are small, but the scammers then bill your credit card for “subscription” fees that can run into the hundreds of dollars per month! The scammers will charge you until you contact the company to cancel the services, which they inevitably make very difficult and may refuse to do. Make sure that you check your credit card bill regularly and investigate any improper transactions.

On January 19, the Two Hills Detachment received information about a stolen vehicle which was in our area. Police located the vehicle and deployed the tire deflation device but lost track of the vehicle due to fog in the area. Police then learned that the vehicle had been involved in an incident in which the occupants stole two trucks and assaulted the owner with a weapon. With the assistance of the Smoky Lake and Fort Saskatchewan Detachments, police located the vehicle and again deployed the tire deflation device. The vehicle drove to a nearby farm where it struck and fence and became completely disabled. Police arrested four people at the scene and they were all held for bail hearings.

In a similar, but less serious incident on January 11, Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP followed a stolen vehicle to the Myrnam area where a tire deflation device was deployed by the RCMP. The vehicle was disabled and police arrested two men who live in the Edmonton area. Both were held for bail hearings with one released and one remanded in custody.

In a scary incident on December 30, police were called to a collision. Investigation revealed that the female driver had sideswiped one vehicle and narrowly missed another before coming to a stop in the ditch. The driver was arrested and provided breath samples that showed her blood alcohol level was more than double the legal limit. She will be attending court to deal with several charges.

Keep an eye out for information about our community consultations in the months ahead in either this publication or on our Facebook page.

As always, you can contact me at Robert.Daisley@rcmp-grc.gc.ca with comments about what you want to see in the next column. So far my wife is the only one who has sent me anything: clearly she’s my biggest fan and maybe she’s my only reader!

Sgt. Robert Daisley, Detachment Commander, Two Hills RCMP

by Sonny Rajoo

The Russian onslaught against Ukraine has been condemned by nations across the world, especially Canada and the United States.

I have learned a lot about the history and the culture of the Ukrainian people when in Athabasca, I produced a brochure documenting the 100th Anniversary of the first Ukrainian Settlers in Canada.

Their unique clothing, music, dancing, and food is well known to many Western Canadians and across the world.

People of Ukrainian descent have made their mark in all segments of society and we are forever grateful to them for bringing the bread basket of Europe to Canada.

I watched proudly as the first Premier of Alberta of Ukrainian de- scent, Ed Stelmach, was sworn in on the steps of the Alberta Legislature.

As Russia committed acts of aggression against the innocent people of the Ukraine, I witnessed the savagery against humanity.

Whether it's world domination or personal ego, the Russian army through its barbaric behaviour, cast their beastly oppression against the completely innocent Ukrainian population.

My newest international hero, President Zelensky, stood up to the savagery and inhumane behaviour of the Russian army against the nation that did no wrong.

Haven't the Ukrainians suffered enough? Who can forget the starving of millions of Ukrainians under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin?

Many Albertans of Ukrainian descent have left a deep impact on my life and rarely have I felt more gratitude to the descendants of Ukraine than any other cultural group.

The one consolation is that my two beautiful friends Anne Iftody and Steve Orleski have gone to be with the Lord and are not here to witness the mistreatment of our innocent people of Ukraine. This unprovoked attack will never be forgotten.

Glory to Ukraine!

Слава Україні!

Itis amazing that although it feels as if we just rang in the New Year, a month has already gone by. The Christmas season comes and goes so fast, that we hardly get the time to get back to routine before being reminded of all the things we put off until the new year.

For those of us who have set resolutions and are still keeping with them, congratulations - you are among 15% of people in the world. I found that to be an interesting statistic.

That would mean that 85% of people abandon their resolutions within the first month of the year. It's not hard to understand why starting and maintaining a new hobby, chore or exercise regimen can be difficult, especially with the high paced demanding lives we live today. (Not to mention all the amazing programming available through the various streaming services!)

Personally, I have set many goals over the years, throughout my entire career. Most of the time, all it took was one day to get me from - 'I'm going to do this!' to 'Ah! I'll do it tomorrow.' How quickly one day turns into two, and then a week and before you know it another year goes by.

Recently, thanks to my coaches, I have learned the importance of maintaining consistency in whatever you attempt. One thing always sticks in my mind whenever I feel I can't go on anymore - Coach Morne Swanepoel told me, "Remember, your mind gives up before your body. It's important to master your mind in order to push through and reach new levels of growth."

The most important part is constant forward motion, especially on days when motivation is lacking and it takes everything you have just to start your workout or task.

Mastering yourself in those moments help develop inner strength and discipline and it in turn begins to permeate all aspects of your life be it a diet, study, spirituality or work.

I am extremely grateful to God for the start of what I believe will be a wonderful and prosperous year for us all. After all the difficulty we have faced as a global community, I feel optimistic that 2023 will bring a new season of growth.

Just as a seed needs the darkness and pressure of the soil to sprout, so do we gain strength after times of great trials.

I would like to thank our readers, contributors and community members for your support.

If you would like us to feature any news item or story please feel free to contact any one of the Chronicle team and we would love to share it in our next issue or on our website.

Until next month, stay safe and stay healthy.