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Vermilion Welcomes New Restaurant, DB-Delicious Bites

Residents of Vermilion were eager to try the extensive menu items at DB-Delicious Bites, a new restaurant located at 5004 50 Avenue, when it opened its doors on March 24. The restaurant quickly garnered attention in the community, and at 10 a.m. members of the town council arrived to welcome the owners and the restaurant with a plaque and ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mayor Thronsdon extended a

warm welcome to the Pandey family, Bishnu, Divina, and their 5-year-old son Rayce Alexander, and wished them success in their new restaurant venture. Councilor Kirby Whitlock echoed the sentiment and expressed gratitude to the Pandey family for choosing Vermilion as the location for their new business.

Divina expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome, stating, “We know this town is a supportive community that welcomes new businesses, which is why we chose it. We are looking forward to serving

the community.”

DB-Delicious Bites offers an extensive menu featuring a variety of dishes that cater to different tastes and preferences. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with options including appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta dishes, and more. The Pandey family’s passion for food and hospitality is evident in the way they run their restaurant. Their commitment to providing excellent customer service ensures that every customer feels at home.

Top photo from left, Councilor Robert Snow, Councilor Kevin Martin, 5 year-old Rayce, Divina Pandey, Bishnu Pandey, Mayor Greg Throndson, and Councilor Kirby Whitlock. Bottom right photo from left, DB-Delicious Bites owners Divina and Bishnu Pandey with their son Rayce with the welcome plaque and ribbon from the opening. Photos Lorna Hamilton

Lorna Hamilton Reporter

Angela Mouly Reporter

Three delegations took up much of the March 21, meeting for Vermilion Town Council. Council witnessed presentations by James MacDonald (and virtually by board chair Vicky Lefebvre) with the Northern Lights Library System (NLLS), virtually by Ken Spangler with Alberta Broadband Networks, and Erwin Warkentin with the Rotary Club of Vermilion.

“In your community last year we issued 4,600 e-books 2,300 e-audio books, and 11,145 books delivered by a van run every week which is approximately $779, 000 in value,” said MacDonald.

They actually borrow more he said to circulate through the county, as well as provide internet services, deliver programming, offer 3D prininting, steam kits, etc.

In answer to concerns from a previous council meeting regarding the population used to calulate library funding, he said, “Your library received the grant at a population of 5,405 as well, so you are paying out the levy at the same rate you are getting the grant on.”

The NLLS had been advocating for change for years, so he was happy to note that the provincial government announced on March 1, that they would move from using 2016 popula -

tion data to using 2019 data (giving Vermilion a population of 4,150 and would be applicable in 2024).

Some councillors were still concerned and noted Statistics Canada’s 2021 population for Vermilion of 3,948 saying they did not want to pay for more residents than they actually had.

As for the broadband update, Spangler said the new network launched in February is fully operational, and they completed over 505 residential drops. Primus will begin marketing by getting in touch with the town’s leadership team, doing a door-to-door campaign, create messaging for local newspapers and online community pages, and by being present in the community.

“Despite some misinformation online, we are getting some really good responses from commercial customers as well as a few residential customers,” said Spangler.

“It was a huge undertaking with a lot of man power; seven days a week there was a lot of activity. Our hotels and restaurants were busy, and there was a lot of good spin offs from this project,” said Councillor Pulyk.

When asked about the competition, he said Shaw had a coaxial hybrid system that lacked the speed and bandwidth they can offer; and Telus had low rates but he said they don’t have the consistency of their network. They expect to see push back for the next six months but want to embrace the community and educate people on how they can invest in the Town of Vermilion.

When asked about the brine line strike and whether they would support the town in recouping some of the financial costs as it was no fault of their own, he said he did not

have all of the information but would do a deep dive on the situation to find out.

Regarding the Rotary Club, Warkentin put forward a request for a letter of support from council to apply for a grant (potentially in June) that would fund toddler playground equipment at the Hospital Hill Park.

“We’ve put forward $50,000 of our own funds, and want to make a better presentation to the provincial government. I think that the town’s strength is its service clubs and we know we’re not the only one. We also want to thank Sarah Paterson on her tremendous support of this project,” said Warkentin.

Councillor Pulyk congratulated him on pursuing the project saying it is a well used area. He also noted that if different clubs had other ideas, they should contact the town as they had just been discussing an opportunity prior to the meeting. Councillor Rayment said, “I know as someone with small children there aren’t many places in town to take them with equipment that suited to them.”

Giving hope for more communication, council discussed to potentially change the current public commentary session procedures. Deputy Mayor Paul Conlon suggested they increase the individual time limits from two minutes to four minutes.

“This goes back to my 4-H public speaking days; 4 – 6 min is a proper speech. It seems kind of impromptu to have only two minutes. As much as they wish to address us, it seems to be a recurring issue that residents are pressed for time.”

Councillor Pulyk thought four minutes would be fair, and suggested they remove the 15 minute overall time limit keeping the session open

until there were no more speakers.

“Honestly if this room was full, we are here for the public and the public are entitled to express their views and opinions. If it takes us all night, so be it; that’s why we are here,” said Pulyk.

Councillor Snow agreed but suggested they obtain the standards from other communities and councils before going ahead with a decision.

Council noted an investment policy update for 2023 and Brian Leibel verified there was no additional risk; and council accepted the policy with a friendly amendment to update the policy every three years.

Deputy Mayor Paul Conlon noted that the town is potentially looking at relocating the house on the Orphan Well site (in South Brennan) to a different lot. If they are able to, the current yard site could become green space, and the house would then be able to be sold. Kevin Lucas verified there is no safety hazard, but that the Orphan Wells Organization nor the Town are in the rental business, so they are looking at creative ways to not tear a house down and make it a future dwelling for another family.

Council and administration noted the retirement of Alan Rustad; as well as the move of Community Services Director, Sarah Paterson.

Councillor Rayment said, “Good luck in your future endeavours; all the best with living in B.C. We will definitely miss you.”

“I very much enjoyed my time here. Vermilion is an amazing community; very spirited. It’s been a fantastic place to work; I can’t say enough good things about the staff and community members,” said Paterson.

Vermilion Soccer Eager For New Season

Angela Mouly Reporter

To prepare for their new season, the Vermilion Soccer Association (VSA) held their AGM on March 20, with approximately 35 people in person, and more attending via Zoom.

“What we provide to the community is unique and is of such high value. I want to thank everyone for coming and bringing their passion and contributions to VSA so we can continue that this year; I’m really grateful to all of the coaches and the people in this room for their support,” said president Gordon Barrett.

He said soccer provides the benefit of being outdoors, as well as cardio/ muscular and aerobic activity. In the off-season he was inspired while witnessing a scope beyond Vermilion, seeing athletes at the district and provincial levels.

“I’m very proud we are a Tier 4 group and are trying to build an out and indoor season to keep up with the region in providing year-round soccer. In turn, it will provide more opportunities for children that really want to excel,” said Barrett.

Speaking of excelling, the U19 Lakeland District won gold at Provincials in Edmonton including Breanne Gourley and Amaya Myhovich from VSA. Of the seven teams sent from the district, Darlene Gourley said they brought home three golds including the U17 Girls and the U17 Boys United.

In her treasurer’s report, Gourley also said that after their first full year back following three years of being shut down, some expenses had increased but otherwise the season was comparable. This year they are looking forward to some new jerseys and field repairs since the gopher removal.

Vice president, Patrick Willis said, “Our organization is committed to ensuring the safety of all children. As coaches, parents, and athletes, we are all representatives of VSA and have a responsibility to carry ourselves with a high standard and to be respectful of others. Any issues will be investigated.”

Potential projects the organization dreams of he said include obtaining heat and running water in the shack, washrooms, or a golf cart to help with

some of the work.

Ref coordinator, Eli Myhovich said, “My mini refs were awesome; they grew so much. This year we will aim to host mini or entry-level ref clinics, and ref registration is available online through the Alberta Soccer Association.”

Registrar Danielle Eriksen said, “Registration is now online and will be taken to the next generation with a RAMP system, streamlining things with the district; thank you to Renee for helping to set it up. We had approximately 250 youth last year. Please register by March 31, to avoid any late fees.

To register, you can visit the VSA’s new website at vermilioncoccer.ca.

“This is always a great time of year; coming out of winter and starting soccer season. We are looking forward

to another great year and getting back on the fields,” said Barrett.

Some of the VSA executive and board members on March 20. Back row from left, Lana Roach, Patrick Willis, Gordon Barrett, Eli Myhovich, and Darlene Gourley. Front row from left, Amr Rezk, Danielle Eriksen, and Iris Westergaard. Photo Angela Mouly

From left, Breanne Gourley and Amaya Myhovich who won gold at the U19 Indoor Soccer Provincials. Photo submitted.

Dawn Riley Columnist

With the first Day of Spring under our belt, we are ready for more sunshine, budding trees, and the first rain that brings the green grass. With spring comes Easter, and some traditional Easter cooking. Chocolate bunnies, pussy willows and homemade hot cross buns are all part of our Easter traditions. There is really no comparison between a homemade hot cross bun and a store bought one. The aroma and taste of freshly baked hot cross buns is always a special treat for the Easter season. Both of my grandmothers and my mom made hot cross buns which we enjoyed from Good

Hot Cross Buns

Friday right until Easter. My favorite part was the sweet taste of butter cream icing in the cross of the bun.

Hot Cross Buns

1 package (or 1 tablespoon) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110 -115 degrees)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/4 cups water hot water

2 tablespoons lard

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoons sea salt

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 cups unbleached allpurpose flour

Mix the first three ingredients together in a small bowl. If you do not have a thermometer, the water should be the same

temperature that you would give to a baby in a bottle. If the water is too warm the yeast will die, and the bread will not rise. If the water is not warm enough, the yeast will not grow. The teaspoon of sugar is food for the yeast. Allow the yeast to sit until it bubbles. Next, in a separate bowl pour the hot water over the lard, butter, sugar and salt and stir until all is dissolved. Allow this mixture to cool to the baby bottle temperature. Add both the yeast mixture and the sugar lard mixture together. Add in the raisins and the cinnamon. Stir in 4 or more cups of flour, adding the flour in 1 cup then 1/2 cup portions. When the dough is to stiff to stir in any more flour, then you will add the flour by kneading it in. With the remaining flour, flour a surface to knead the flour in. Knead the remaining flour in until the dough is workable and

Prairie Wool

going to work each day, I seldom leave my house and rarely participate in social events. Perhaps it comes with age, as I wasn’t always like this, but I’m content to hide from Old Man Winter before a roar ing fire in my prairie hermitage.

*Hermitage: the dwelling of a hermit, especially when small and remote. (Oxford Dictionary)

Perhaps this tendency to lurk in the shadows, far away from the city’s bright lights, is for the best, as, lately, I’ve noticed an alarming trend whenever I go

VERMILION VOICE

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The publication of letters to the editor is at the discretion of the editor and the publisher. Letters to the editor should be under 500 words and in good taste. They should also include your name and phone number for verification purposes. Letters that do not include a name, address and phone number will not be published, although we will respect requests for anonymity. Letters to the Editor may be edited for clarity. The opinions expressed in letters to the editor are not necessarily shared by the Vermilion Voice. The Vermilion Voice is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.

not sticky. Then knead the dough for 8 minutes. If you are out of practice your arms may get tired. It is o.k. to rest, but the dough still needs to be kneaded for the full 8 minutes. Place the dough in a buttered bowl. Place away from cool drafts, a warm area is best. Cover with a piece of wax paper and let rise for 1 hour. Remove the wax paper and punch the bread dough down. Use the dough to form into 24 – 30 buns. Cover the formed buns with wax paper. Allow the buns to rise for 1 – 2 hours. Cut a cross on the top of each bun with a sharp knife. Bake the buns at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with melted butter, or for a sweet glaze brush with a honey and melted butter blend when you take them out of the oven. When they are cool, mix up a batch of butter cream icing and ice the top of the buns in the cross.

grocery carts, exchanging information on the condition of our bunions, arthritis, and blood pressure as we shuffle up to the pharmacy counter to be doled out our monthly allotment of pills. What the Here’s another tale to consider. It was a warm autumn day the last time I drove the school bus for a field trip. I felt good. It was a vital, energetic, spring-in-mystep kinda good. In other words—not old. Enter a pack of kids and a museum. Don’t get me wrong, having the knowledge to answer kids’ questions about how things used to be back in the olden days feels nice. Sort of. It’s just, when you look around a museum, by definition a place bursting with artifacts of a bygone era, and you recognise every antique item as having been a functional component of your childhood home, it’s kind of upsetting. With slumping shoulders, I scuffled out at the end of our visit, feeling I’d aged twenty years.

However, as my title states, old age will always be defined as fifteen years older than me. So I’m still good to go.

Publisher: Susan Chikie

Editor: Lorna Hamilton

Photographer / Reporter: Lorna Hamilton, Angela Mouly

Graphic Design: Braxton Hoare

Sales: Susan Chikie, Lorna Hamilton of the Gove nment of Canada

The Vermilion Post Office Moves To A New Home

Craig Baird

Columnist

The post office had been operating for nearly 20 years by the time it was decided a new home was needed for it in Vermilion. In March 1922, many people in the community were trying to decide if the original building should be repaired, or if a new building should be constructed.

Mayor J.W.G. Morrison presided over the meeting to decide what to do. The meeting was put in motion a few days previous when W.E. Mackenzie

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submitted a proposal to erect a new brick building in the spring west of the Royal Bank building. This new building would be the home of the post office.

The proposal stated that while the main floor of the building was reserved for the post office, the upper floor could be used for a different business.

Mayor Morrison then decided that a meeting should be called to determine what the people of Vermilion wanted.

At the meeting, several people spoke in favour of having a new post office building built, rather than putting in the repairs on the original building. By this point, that original building was

showing its age and many felt it could be torn down to make way for a new building. That original building had been the immigration hall, in which the post office was moved in April 1918 when a fire destroyed the previous post office.

Mackenzie stated that improvements on the old building would be a money-wasting venture due to the large amount of things that had to be done on it.

The residents of Vermilion agreed, and it was decided that a new building would be built for the post office, hopefully opening sometime in the spring.

A committee of three was formed that would forward its resolution to the department of public works in Ottawa.

As it turned out, it would take a bit longer to get the building built and the post office would instead be moved to the Albert Hall on a site acquired by the government in 1912 for $10,000. Contact Craig at craig@canadaehx. com . Support Craig by donating at www.canadaehx.com (Click Donate)

Listen to his podcasts Canadian History Ehx, Canada’s Great War, From John to Justin, Pucks and Cups and Canada: A Yearly Journey on all podcast platforms.

Rotary Continues Garage Sale Legacy

One of the Rotary Club of Vermilion’s most popular annual fundraisers will be back this April as the club continues the event while sharing memories of its past chairperson. This year’s sale will take place Thursday to Saturday, April 27-29 at the Vermilion Curling Rink.

While Rotarian’s have always strived to be ‘good stewards’ of the generous donations, this year the club will be holding standards a little higher as we honour the memory of our fellow Rotarian, Brenda Lee who passed away in February. For over ten years, Brenda was the Committee chairperson for the annual event and spent hundreds of hours each year making sure we were able to be those good stewards and serve our community in the best possible way. She recruited volunteers, created lasting partnerships with outside agencies, scheduled pick-ups, drop offs, and clean ups, made sure everyone was welcomed and thanked for participating, and kept track of EVERYTHING.

“Brenda’s absence from the sale will be noticeable to everyone involved, but her passion for the cause will be celebrated and honoured by all of us.” said Rotary Member Dawn Riley.

The Torch has been passed from Brenda to Bernie and me”, said new Committee Chairman Scott Webb. “We will strive to keep the Garage Sale going with the same high standards that

Brenda held”.

Rotarian Scott Webb and his wife Bernie have taken the reins of the threeday sale that involves the work of the whole club along with many community volunteers.

The annual Garage Sale provides an opportunity for community members to participate by donating their quality usable items for sale. Profits from the sale will be reinvested in the community, benefiting many facets of Vermilion and the surrounding area. Profits from the sale support youth programs, sport activities, leadership opportunities, support and care for seniors, community infrastructure and cultural organizations.

Once again, the Rotary Club will be donating $5000.00 to a worthy community project, which is still to be determined.

Many partners from Vermilion contribute to the sales’ success. The Town of Vermilion, Vermilion Agricultural Society, Lakeland Mall and the Vermilion Curling Club all contribute tables to receive and display the merchandise donated. Rotarians, their spouses, family members, local youth partners, and Friends of Rotary put in many hours to be ready for shoppers when the doors open, and the Vermilion Fire Depart ment volunteers to help with clean-up. Rotary will again be partnering with other organizations to disperse leftovers

Pysanky (Ukrainian Egg) Workshop

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Pysanky (Ukrainian Egg) Workshop, Tuesday April 11 from 1-5pm @ Vermilion Library in the basement. Explore the art of Ukrainian egg decorating using a wax-resist technique and dyes. Learn something about the meaning of the symbols, colours and history of Ukrainian eggs and create your

own pysanky art! This free workshop is led by local experts Lillian de Jong and Denise Campbell. TEEN (13+) and ADULT programming. All supplies are provided. Tea, coffee & desserts included! To register call the library: 780-853-4288 or register online on our website: https://www.vplibrary.ca/ programs/pysanky

following the sale to ensure the community’s usable donations are shared with other non-profit organizations.

A few reminders about the sale:

Sale items are not individually priced, but we will entertain reasonable offers.

Donations will be accepted for the Rotary Garage Sale on Thursday April 20, Friday April 21 and Saturday, April 22. More details to follow on both Face -

ROTARY

book and the Voice.

Should it be necessary, a local pickup service by Rotarians may be available but you must call early to confirm. For more information reach out to a Rotarian or call Scott Webb at 780-8537282 or Bernie Webb at 780-853-7121. Follow “Rotary Club of Vermilion Alberta” on Facebook for the latest news about the sale.

Contact

Wed. Mar. 22 1 pm – 7 pm Sat. Apr. 15 1 pm – 5 pm

Members of the public are encourage to attend two public engagements regarding the potential construction at the airport.

Look for the online survey on the Town website and social media starting March 20, 2023.

Getting ready for the 2019 Rotary Garage Sale. Photo submitted

Vermilion Public Library Holds Seedy Saturday

Lorna Hamilton Reporter

The Vermilion Public Library held a successful Seedy Saturday on March 25 with a good number of residents participating in the event.

Seedy Saturday is designed to help gardeners connect with other gardeners so they can try new seed varieties, share their favourites, swap seeds, and to encourage the use of open-pollinated and hertiage seeds.

“Whether the person attending is a first-time or master gardener, seed enthusiast or an expert seed saver, the event is for everyone,” said Vermilion Public Library program coordinator Shelia Heit.

Participants who brought seeds were given five tokens which they could use to trade for seeds they were interested in trying. However, shortly into the event Heit opened up the seed gathering to all who were in attendance, especially new gardeners who didn’t have anything to trade but were interested in starting to connect with the local gardening community.

Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) offered free ‘Little Garden Kits’ to families with young children at the event. The kit included a seed tray, three seed packages and some dirt,

so the little ones could start growing some vegetables.

Members of the Facebook group Lakeland Seed and Plant Swap were in attendance so participants could have the opportunity to connect with them.

Gerald Delorme, an associate with the Facebook group provided educational information on seeds and growing, and said, “It is my hope to one day see a community garden in every community.”

The group’s initiative is to encourage gardeners to grow plants locally, and to save seeds and share what they have saved with other gardeners.

“Saving seeds year after year makes the seeds better adapted to regional climates and locales. Among the many benefits, seed swaps are a great way to save money as you can get a vast variety of seeds for free, not to mention a network of knowledge from seasoned gardening pros,” states the information page they handed out during the event.

“We would like to say a big thank you to a local Facebook group called ‘Lakeland Seed and Plant Swap’ for their amazing donation of seed packages for this event,” said Heit.

Easy Calving Angus Hybrid Bulls for Heifers

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• 58 red and black easy calving yearling bulls on test (65-85 pound BWs)

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• Six month breeding soundness guarantee

An easy calving, stress-free spring is just a phone call away! Contact Daryl at 780-806-1229

CharltonCattleCo@gmail.com www.CharltonCattleCo.ca

Back row from left, Lakeland Seed and Plant Swap associate Gerald Delmore, Vermilion Public Library Program Coordinator Sheila Heit. Front row from left, Library volunteer Diane Fellowes, and Lakeland Seed and Plant Swap adminstrator Morgan Gordeyko. Photo Lorna Hamilton.

To Pave Or Not To Pave The Runway

Angela Mouly Reporter

The Town of Vermilion hosted their first of two Airport Public Engagement sessions on March 22, and have released an online survey as well.

In order to gather public input through the survey, they have posed some questions to both Town of Vermilion and County of Vermilion River residents on whether or not they should pave the runway of the Vermilion Airport within the next couple years. An approximate $2 million cost could have 75 per cent covered by a provincial grant.

At the town council meeting on March 21, they noted that they had received 270 responses to the survey within the first 24 hours.

Dozens of people attended the first session and Deputy Mayor Paul Conlon said, “Growing up I thought the airport was a staple to the community. This is the biggest turnout I’ve seen in my time here, actually talking to everyone and having them bring forward their concerns. We want the best information out there.”

One very concerned resident approached him saying they did not want to “take the town backwards by losing the airport.” Others felt if they lose the airport, the area will lose them as local residents.

Displaying some historical data, town staff noted that in 1931 the Vermilion Town Council set aside land for an airport, and in 1944 the first one was built as a grass strip south of its current location. The current one was built in 1976, and was overlaid in 1996.

The current surface reaches the end of its lifespan in 2024 so potentially if paved; it could keep the airport viable for decades to come. Of all the data presented, a few items were noted by visitors as being “incorrect”.

“I believe the numbers in question with respect to the tax increase should be 1.1 per cent and 4.4 per cent instead of 11 per cent and 44 per cent in the questionnaire,”

said Bruce MacDuff who is a member of the Airport Advisory Committee. “The airport is just as important as the rinks, pool, ball diamonds, or library which all have a deficit.”

The Town also notes there are 12 airports within a 100 km radius of Vermilion, but local pilots noted that some are closed, some are grass strips, and that some do not provide reliable winter maintenance. They also neglected to mention that it is the only airport within the County of Vermilion River. As well, it is believed to be one of two in all of Alberta with the proximity being within the town limits.

“This is a special airport because you don’t have to hire a taxi to pick people up to drive them into town,” said Matt Jaremco.

It also offers under-wing camping and other tourist draws, for users picking up machinery, and when travelling for work or pleasure. Director of Infrastructure, Ben McPhee said, “Our usage has been pretty consistent with approximately 323 flights per year (seeing 363 in 2022).”

Part way through their first meeting, McPhee said that most people he had spoken to so far were in support of the paving.

There are 11 aircraft currently registered at the Vermilion Airport. It has offered fuel since 2022, aircraft maintenance since 2019, and a flight training school since 2019. Economic benefits include hangar rentals, and aerial spray applicators.

Don Oldenburg said, “If there’s a bug outbreak in wheat or canola they need a paved runway (they cannot operate on a grass runway); and it needs to be within an approximate 20 mile radius of the crop.”

Jaremco said, “On the Ag side, we lost $80,000 in canola one year, just because it took the pilot a couple days to get there.”

“An airport is a cornerstone of progression and infrastructure; like streets or

anything else. If a major oil company in Calgary is looking at a project in Vermilion; they may only take flights into Vermilion two or three times per year, but the community may see millions of dollars in decision making down the road,” said Oldenburg. “The airport is like your house; it’s cheaper to maintain than to rebuild.”

Another topic on display was the Medivac service.

“Medi-vac is life saving by taking babies out to the NICU and avoiding taking ambulances out of Vermilion for a minimum of four hours. It’s a humongous benefit and has happened 75 times since 2018. And how much to put a price on a life saved or not – it’s an asset we can’t do without?” said Erwin Warkentin, who is another member of the Airport Advisory Committee.

Derwent Fire Chief, Matt Jaremco said, “As first-responders the Medi-vac is of dire importance. Every second counts, and often we are left waiting for ambulances when none are around. Elk Point Emergency has been closing overnight, and there is a golden hour of life when we are called in. STARS can take 40 minutes to arrive but cannot land in poor weather, where Medi-vac will fly in worse conditions.”

They noted that Medi-vac takes roughly three hours to deploy but Prairie EMS prefers to keep Vermilion ambulances free when possible.

One more of the discrepancies pointed out was that one of the posters displayed states that two of the Medi-vac aircraft were over the weight capacity for the pavement which, others felt was not the case. Instead they said that the pavement was rated for larger aircraft, but they were concerned that if the

condition of the pavement’s surface continues to deteriorate that the larger aircraft may stop coming because it could damage their nose gear.

For those who don’t have a direct correlation with the airport, they suggested they might indirectly, because aside from providing a few jobs, it has provided business in all corners of the community (for hotels, restaurants, machinery, even the art gallery etc.). There was also a doctor that travelled weekly to work in the community. As well, the local flying club has given multiple tours to groups of elementary students, and has ideas for the future to host more fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, or partner with other organizations (like they did with the snowmobile club) to host collaborative events such as at the fair, etc.

“There are so many opportunities that can come out of that potential,” said Warkentin. “We want people to have an educated choice. Come find out about the airport; you can talk to committee members to learn more.”

The second Airport Engagement session will take place Saturday, April 15, at the Town Hall Council Chambers from 1 – 5 p.m. To fill out the survey, you can visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ PSD29XY. For more information you can call the town at 780-853-5358

3” wide version

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3.75” wide version

WINTER HARDY ALGONQUIN ALFALFA SEED

For Sale Certified 2022 Algonquin Alfalfa Seed 99.9% purity, inoculated, in 55 lb bags wholesale price $4.00 a pound. Algonquin Alfalfa is a tap root tri foliate, extremely winter hardy, fine stem, and excellent disease resistance.

Also Selling Timothy and Brome Grass Blends to your specifications. Farmer Direct. FREE SHIPPING on orders over 1200 lb.

Call Ram River Forage Seeds 403-634-1643

How To Use Architectural Lighting To Revamp Your Home

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Architectural lighting enhances the structure of a space to create a cohesive experience. It’s something to be considered during every building and renovation project, and the earlier the better. This is because this type of lighting is integrated directly into the space, blending in with the features of your home. Here are some ways architectural lighting is used.

To emphasize ceilings

If you have architectural ceilings, rather than installing pot lights consider adopting lighting that blends into the millwork and moulding. This could work well on a beamed, coffered, coved or tray ceiling.

To set the mood with wall wash lighting

Wall washing is a technique that directs light at a wall to draw attention to the smooth, vertical surface. The fixtures can be recessed in

the ceiling or mounted to it. If you prefer to create an uplighting effect, install the lights on the floor.

To light your way

Illuminate stairways by adding pot lights on both sides of the bottom step, either on the lowest riser or the wall. Alternatively, add lighting within each riser. Uplighting can create height and drama, and when used to illuminate staircases, it also focuses light where it’s most needed.

There are many other possibilities when it comes to architectural lighting, from illuminating the underside of kitchen counters and cabinets, to lighting up built-in shelving and other custom features. For the best possible results, make sure to speak with an architect before you start your renovation or building project.

Kitchen Lighting 101

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In a kitchen, it’s best to have different ty pes of light fixtures throughout the space that serve various functions. Here’s an overview.

Ambient lighting

This type of lighting is powerful enough to illuminate the entire room but tends to leave workspaces insufficiently lit. Recessed or can lights are a timeless choice for kitchens, as they have a low profile and work with any decor style. Alternatively, you can opt for a traditional ceiling fixture or track lights, which have individual fixtures that can be easily repositioned to better illuminate the space.

Task lighting

This type of lighting is used to brighten up specific areas. Pendant lights are great to hang over a kitchen island or sink, for example, and they can contribute to the decor. These lights are best paired with re cessed lighting to avoid too much vi sual clutter. As for countertop prep space, under-cabinet lighting is your best bet since it’s easy to install, practically invisible and won’t create shadows.

To find the right light fixtures for your kitchen and elsewhere in your home, visit the hardware, home decor and specialty light stores in your area.

Mia Garnier

Kitscoty 4H Beef Club Reporter

There is no better way to spend Family Day Monday than with your 4H family, public speaking. On February 20th the Kitscoty 4H Beef Club held their Club Communications at the Kitscoty Legion Hall. The speeches were all excellent and you could tell a lot of time and effort was put into every single presentation. We would like to send another big thank you out to our judges, Tricia Roy, Janet Tuchscherer, Janice Jackson, Debbie Headon, Josh Saskiw, Laurie Eddleston and to our Master of Ceremonies Justin Paul. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to make a difference. Our Junior Category winner was Ben Wennekamp with his speech titled “My Great Grandpa: A man I admire”, second place went to Soffeah Headon and in third place was Mia Garnier. Congratulations to Ben who is off to partici -

pate in the regional competition on March 25th after placing first in the district competition in Lloydminster on February 25th. Our Intermediate winner was Paul Wennekamp with his speech titled “Concussions and Hockey”, second place went to Ben Tremmel and third place was Jake Tremmel. In the Senior Category Zachary Labiuk placed first with his speech titled “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”, second place went to Gabe Wennekamp and in third place was Austin Porter. Congratulations to our winners and to all of the members on a job well done!

April is a busy month for us with our Club Tour and Grooming and Judging Clinics at the Lloydmin ster Exhibition. We all of course are looking forward to Achievement Day which will be on Saturday, May 27th at the Kitscoty Arena. Our Highway 897 Show and Sale is on Wednes day, May 31st at the Kitscoty Arena as well. We hope to see you there!

Senior Members (left to right): Josh Saskiw (judge), Austin Porter, Brooke King, Laurie Eddleston (judge) Missing: Gabe Wennekamp, Zachary Labuik, Teagan King. Photos submitted

More photos on page 11

Can Canada Reduce Dark Cutting Discounts

Dr. Reynold Bergen, BCRC Science

Director

Submitted

When cattle are severely stressed before slaughter there’s an increased risk that the ribeye will remain dark red instead of “blooming” to a bright red color. This phenomenon is called “dark-cutting.” Extremely dark fresh beef isn’t visually appealing to consumers and has a shorter shelf life, so Canada’s grading system assigns these carcasses to a B4 grade to keep this beef out of retail stores.

Dark-cutting only averaged 1.25% of Canada’s youthful fed slaughter in 2021, but it presents a significant cost. For starters, darkcutting primarily affects the ribeye — other muscles in the carcass (especially those in the forequarter and the outside round) may look perfectly normal. But because the B4 grade is assigned to the whole carcass, and because retailers won’t sell any fresh B4 beef, there aren’t many opportunities to add value to the unaffected beef cuts. Dark-cutters also tend to occur sporadically, so it’s challenging for packers to find buyers for a handful of carcasses per day or week. Because of this, packers discount B4 carcasses by around $300 each. These discounts exceeded $10 million across the Canadian industry in 2016/17.

Dark-cutting carcasses are not assigned to a standalone grade in the US. Instead, they simply drop the quality grade by one

score. So, a dark-cutting carcass with Prime marbling is downgraded to Choice, a darkcutting Choice carcass is downgraded to Select, and so on. Retailers can still specify that they don’t want dark-cutting beef in their orders, but unaffected muscles from those same carcasses would still be eligible for retail. We could do the same thing in Canada by downgrading a dark-cutting Canada

Prime carcass to AAA, a dark-cutting AAA to AA, or a dark-cutting AA to A.

Researchers from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in Lacombe recently published a pair of studies examining whether this approach could work in Canada

What They Did

Both studies compared the eating quality of dark-cutting AA ribeyes to normal A ribeyes and compared the eating quality of dark-cutting AAA ribeyes to normal AA ribeyes. One study used laboratory measurements and eight trained sensory panelists to compare the eating quality of 100 dark-cutting to 100 normal steaks. The other study used 100 regular consumers (equal numbers of men and women, equally split among 18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55 and 56 plus years of age) to compare the visual appeal and eating quality of steaks from 60 dark-cutting and 60 normal steaks.

What They Learned

Laboratory measurements simulating the shear force required to bite through a steak indicated that dark-cutting AA steaks

were tougher than normal A steaks and that dark-cutting AAA steaks were tougher than normal AA steaks. But machines aren’t people.

Trained taste panelists detected slightly less tenderness, slightly less beef flavor and slightly more off-flavors in dark-cutting AA steaks compared to normal A steaks. On the other hand, dark-cutting AA steaks were more juicy than normal A steaks. The darkcutting beef was juicier because it loses less moisture during cooking than normal beef, not because it had more marbling. They only detected slight decreases in tenderness and slightly more off flavors in dark-cutting AAA steaks compared to normal AA steaks. But trained taste panelists aren’t like the rest of us. Trained taste panelists are the beef equivalent of wine connoisseurs or audiophiles. They can detect very subtle differences that most consumers wouldn’t notice.

Consumer panelists generally preferred the color of (and said they’d be more likely to purchase) a fresh normal AA steak than a dark-cutting AAA steak, but saw no differences between the appearance of a fresh normal A steak versus a dark-cutting AA steak. There was no difference in the visual appearance of any of the steaks after they were cooked. Consumer panelists didn’t detect differences in the tenderness, juiciness or flavor of dark-cutting AA steaks compared to normal A steaks, and found that the tenderness, juiciness and flavor

of dark cutting AAA steaks was at least as good as that of the normal AA steaks.

Bottom line: Although sensitive lab equipment and trained experts could detect eating quality differences between dark-cutting and normal steaks from a lower quality grade, the 100 regular consumers that were part of this study didn’t.

So, What Does This Mean… to You?

The discounts packers apply to the B4 grade get factored into the price feedlots bid for feeder calves. Eliminating the B4 grade for dark-cutters and simply dropping the quality grade wouldn’t eliminate these discounts completely, but it may be a low-risk option to reduce these industry-wide losses. It would help add value to the normally colored beef cuts from those same carcasses and would open the door to selling cooked dark-cutting beef through the mainstream restaurant and foodservice sector where consumers likely wouldn’t notice the difference. Beef purveyors and markets with a preference for bright red beef could still make “no dark beef” a condition in their buying specifications, similar to how “no added hormones,” Certified Sustainable, breed-specific or other marketing programs operate.

This article was written by Dr. Reynold Bergen, Science Director at the Beef Cattle Research Council. It originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen magazine and is reprinted with permission.

Junior Members (left to right): Avery Garnier (Cleaver), Davin Paul, Koss Headon, Ben Wennekamp, Mia Garnier, Soffeah Headon. Judges: Janet Tuchscherer & Tricia Roy.

Intermediate Members (left to right): Rylee King, Allison Labuik, Brooklyn Labuik, Jake Tremmel, Debbie Headon (judge), Janice Jackson (judge), Ben Tremmel, Paul Wennekamp, Chayce King. Missing: Whitney Labuik.

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3rd Annual Roundup Sale Success

Lorna Hamilton Reporter

The Student-Managed Farm-Powered by New Holland held their third annual Roundup sale on March 25, and it was quite a success with a full house of people in attendance.

According to the group of students the Roundup has become the showcase for all the beef and equine animal science students, as it’s an opportunity to market and exhibit their top quality cattle and horses to the industry.

On the beef side of the sale, there were 14 purebred Black Angus bulls, three purebred Red Angus bulls, four purebred Black Angus replacement heifers, and two pens of commercial replacement heifers.

The bulls sold were chosen from a 40 purebred head cow herd and the commercial 1-year old heifers come

from 120 cow herd. The bull and heifer pens were full of depth and quality, and every animal on offer had aspects that would benefit any commercial or purebred herd.

The Equine program students had eight 3-4 year-old AQHA geldings that were purchased from trusted private breeders up for sale.

According to the sale catalog the team

described the geldings as accurately as possible, as their training level and suitability vary.

“Our goal was to produce, select and train quality Quarter Horses with excellent dispositions and conformation in an economically sustainable format. We are excited to showcase our team’s hard work that has been put into the geldings,” commented Mitchell.

The sale commenced at 1 p.m. after an 11 a.m. preview at the Equine centre.

The group would like to express great appreciation to these donors and sponsor:

Beef: Bohrson Marketing Services, D&N Livestock, Lazy MC Angus and Schaff Angus Valley. Horse: Myterra Ranch, CP Jazz Up my Dually Clark Performance Horses, Miller Quarter Horses, and Shady Willows, as well as their buyers.

VB, AAC Viewfield, AAC Russell VB, AAC Brandon, AAC

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Malt Barley- AAC Connect, CDC Churchill

Oats- CS Camden

Canola- CS 4000LL

Soft White- AAC Paramount VB Seed Treating

Top photo, some of the people attending the Round Up Sale. Bottom photo, some of the animals up for auction. Photos Lorna Hamilton.

U11 Rona Tigers - Bring Home Bronze

Submitted

The Vermilion Minor Hockey U11 Rona Tigers won bronze at the Tier 3 Northeast Alberta Hockey League (NEAHL) Championships in Elk Point on March 17-19.

This mighty team of 11 fought hard to earn third place overall in the regular season with a record of 14 wins, 5

losses, and 1 tie. The top four teams from the first round of playoffs advanced to the League Championships where the Tigers defeated the Hughenden Jets 4-3 to win bronze.

The Tigers had a slow start to the weekend with losses to the Elk Point Avalanche and the Hughenden Jets but came back with an upset 6-1 win over

the undefeated league leaders Consort Comets to place them in the bronze medal game.

The season had many highlights. The team was lucky enough to have Jeff Woywitka join a practice to work on core skill development. Aside from winning bronze, this was probably the highlight of the year. There were many FIRSTS for players this year: first goal, first much-practiced celly, first away tournament, first penalty, and first time playing for a league championship. The second years were great team leaders and created a

positive experience for the first years. At this age, exceptional! Well done!

The saying there is no “I” in team holds true for this group of young players. Each and every game was a collective effort and that held true right through to the championship weekend. The coaching staff Wayne Rose (head coach), Kyle Lysons (assistant coach) and Justin Bowtell (assistant coach/goalie coach) also played a large part in the success of this team by seeing the potential and strengths of each player. The help of Dustin Farkash, Danny Lysons, and Halle Lehmann (U15 Female Player) at practice and Jim Ruller (team manager) also didn’t go unnoticed this season.

Congratulations to the U11 Rona Tigers on your success this hockey season. #3 Aiden Lysons, #4 Brady Tennant, #5 Edge Lehmann, #6 Carson Lysons, #7 Dexon Flaata, #8 Kaysen Farkash, #9 Carter Unland, #10 Beaudon Rose, #14 Ethan Croke, #17 Blake Ruller, and #29 Boston Bowtell.

Photo submitted

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