Who doesn’t like a party?
BY DIANA WALKER
It was evident the Oyen Long Term Care residents and their guests had a great time at the Fiesta luncheon hosted by the Family Resident Council on August 11.
As guests arrived, Penny’s granddaughter Quinn Grover and Ezlyn Smigelski offered a choice of a sun hat and slipped a lei over their heads. Each group proceeded to the courtyard to
an appointed table decorated with tablecloth and snacks. After getting seated, each attendee received a festive drink—a pina colada or strawberry daiquiri.
When most of the residents and their guests had arrived and enjoyed a bit of visiting, the kitchen staff delivered lunch—a hot dog, potato and macaroni salad and hot beans. Ice cream Oreo bars completed the sumptuous meal.
Organizers Penny Grover, Joanne
McBain and Trudy Hittel appreciated all the people who lent a helping hand setting up, serving, and taking down, saying, “Many hands make light work!” The ladies added, “Big shout out to Suzanne and her kitchen staff –you do a wonderful job! “
The Family Resident Council is able to host events like this using the generous donations to the Family Resident Council through the Oyen & District Health Foundation.
The Oyen Long Tern Care Family Resident Council—Penny Grover, Joanne McBain and Trudy Hittel—prepare drinks for the residents and guests. PHOTO BY DIANA WALKER
OYEN LODGE REPORT
Summer camp kids visit with residents
BY DIANNE SPATH
Hello everyone. August is more than half over and is going too fast. I hope everyone is enjoying the sunflower month. The Lodge is decorated with sunflowers and ladybugs for this month. There will be sunflower tea on August 29th, so it will look very yellow for a few days.
would have in the coming days. Sandi Jamieson, one of the residents, had the kids join her in a circle and they did an interactive camp game called, “going on a bear hunt”. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the camp game and then got to feed the fish in the pond. It was wonderful having them as part of our activity.
This week will be busy at the lodge. There will be a garage sale on the 23rd and 24th from 10:00-4:00 both days. There will also be a hotdog lunch avail-
able starting at 12:00, along with a bake sale. Proceeds will be going towards outdoor furniture for the courtyard. Have a great week everyone.
Monday started with exercises and dominos in the morning. In the afternoon was bingo. Happy Birthday to Hugh Allen and Irene Alvarez on August 12th.
Tuesday was the regular bus runs downtown, and one on ones with the residents. Baking was in the afternoon, our bake sale is on the 29th.
Wednesday morning was exercises, and Church with Catherine Holland. The summer camp kids played games and visited with the residents. The kids really enjoyed the stories and conversations with the residents. They also enjoyed looking for lady bugs, counting their spots to see how much luck they
Wednesday afternoon was shuffleboard games. Beltone hearing was at the Lodge from 1:00-3:00.
Thursday morning was outdoor walks and card games. Friday morning was exercises and horse races. The residents are starting to name some horses. So far, we have a Poncho, Mariah, and Willie. Lots of fun and laughs. Friday afternoon was card bingo. Maxine Girletz had visitors from Peterborough Ontario and Douro Ontario, Maxine’s daughter, Glenda, her granddaughter Staci and her two great grandsons, Miles and Lewis. She had a great visit with her family while they stayed at Ray and Wendy’s.
Dianne Spath
OPINION: We’ve got to get back to the truth
BY JOAN JANZEN
A cartoon sketch showed a subject to the king, approaching the throne. The commoner reported to the king, “The bad news, Sire, is that the famine is getting worse. The good news is that food fights are way down!”
In real time, the good news is two veterans in the news industry entered their careers in broadcasting with the intention to inspire, encourage, tell the truth and help people have hard conversations. The bad news is they felt they had to leave broadcasting after nearly thirty years of service.
Journalists Dominique Sachse and Fanchon Stinger were interviewed on Phil in the Blanks. Several years ago they both made the decision to leave their promising careers in broadcast news, and Dr. Phil asked them why.
Dominique said she felt frustrated with the lack of truth in the industry. “I didn’t like that facts were being left out of storytelling. I was clearly seeing there was another side of the story that wasn’t being told in both scenarios,” she explained. “I didn’t like feeling like I was a liar or leaving out critical information that would help the viewer make the best decision for themselves.”
Fanchon also voiced her reason for leaving the industry. “I spent nearly 30 years building my credibility that people have come to trust. So I know when critical facts are left out of stories, and
when you’re intentionally not covering stories,” she said. “I’m accountable for the words I say.” She witnessed people being intentionally censored and realized she couldn’t be a part of that and live with herself.
Consequently, she found herself ostracized in the newsroom when she didn’t go along with the narrative. “I had people who stopped talking to me. I had a boss threaten me and say, ‘You’re going to read what’s on the prompter’. I said I can’t because it’s biased and not true.”
Her fellow journalist chimed in, saying, “I want to be very, very clear. My opinion doesn’t matter and is completely irrelevant.” As a journalist, she said she needs to be willing to look at both sides and ask hard questions of both sides.
Fanchon described the media as one of the most powerful forces, which is why so many countries use it as propaganda. “The media in the right hands, with the right motivation, dedicated to truth, being unbiased and objective, is a powerful, beautiful force,” she said. “But the media with the wrong motivations can be the most destructive force, and I watched that play out.”
The host asked his guests why they thought this was happening in the industry. Dominique made the following suggestion. “Agencies that own these news outlets are looking at the dollars. If you do stories that might go against their advertisers, it might af -
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fect revenue.”
Another suggestion came from Fanchon who noticed there were stories that didn’t show up on the wire. Prior to making the decision to leave the news outlet, she spent her hours at home watching every single thing that was happening. Armed with all the information, she knew what stories were missing.
“People used the excuse that they didn’t know about it,” she said when she asked why the stories were ignored. “It is happening so much that it’s become the norm within the industry, and anyone that has the courage to speak up against it is going to face retaliation.”
She also expressed concern for people who have grown to trust the news industry over the years, and are unaware of the bias she observed. “They’re watching and thinking they’re getting the truth, so we have a segment of population that is literally believing stuff that is not true,” she said.
At the same time, Dominique observed there’s a whole younger generation that doesn’t consume a lot of news, and the little they do consume they get from Tik Tok. “So how do you know what’s factual anymore?” she asked. “We’ve got to get back to truth.”
However, Fanchon said people have been taught to believe “that your truth is what you feel, so we have truth that changes based on emotionality,” she observed.
Dominique said she recalls growing up in the 1970s and 1980s when people on both sides of the aisle would have conversations about politics, and even though they had different stances, they agreed to disagree. “But these days, you lose friends if you’re not politically aligned,” she said.
Both journalists thought they had permanently left their careers behind, until Dr. Phil made them an offer. “I take the position that we follow the facts. You can’t pick your truth based on how you feel or where your advertiser dollars come from,” Dr. Phil said. Both the veteran broadcasters took up his offer and together are hosting their morning show.
Although they met each other for the first time on opening day of the show, they discovered they had a lot in common. “We also have this weird thing where we will say the same thing at the same time, with the same expression,” Dominique laughed. “It happens several times a day, and it’s a reminder how special our working relationship is.”
After years of faithful service, they enjoy every day at work hosting Morning on Merit Street. “We’re delivering news and giving people information they need to make decisions for their lives,” Dominique said. The good news is they’re getting back to the truth.
Pop89: Walk it off
BY MADONNA HAMEL
After another scare concerning my brother’s health I feel weak and wobbly and find myself pacing my living room like a caged creature. I am caged in my own fear, shock and confusion. I am made suddenly aware, once again, of the truth that is always there: I am powerless over the outcome of this moment. And, as I have done all my life, whether running from the dinner table, escaping at midnight, or walking off the darkness of a breakup, I go outside.
“The way is made by walking,” a pilgrim once wrote. Because anxiety historically jazzes me up like coffee, I walk knowing I will make my way out of my anxiety by moving through it. I will walk it it off, burn it out, I say I say to myself. I will not feed it, which means I will not beat it like a foe needing crushing. Over the years I have arrived at this gentler approach to my jazzed-upness. Walking does not have to be in opposition to helplessness, but an acknowledgement of it. It can be an unwinding. A humbling. And, above all, especially out here on the prairie, it can be a relinquishment into a force larger than me – the divine force that “drives the tender shoots” of roadside plants and hay fields, as Dylan Thomas writes.
Walking along Cemetery Road toward the sunset I feel the tension loosen. I breathe in and out, slowly releasing my persistent desire to direct things. I look toward the horizon where earth meets heaven and the future lies. Here, on the prairie, where ancient reality is as close as a giant boulder dragged all the way from Hudson’s Bay on a sheet of ice and on which lichen grows on an average of one centimetre a year, time and space collapse into each other. I may not have control over what happens, but now, whatever happens, is placed in the perspective of the long game.
As the sky grows redder, the ground loses its sharpness, lurking shadows become projections of my wor-
FARM MENTAL HEALTH
As I have done all my life, whether running from the dinner table, escaping at midnight, or walking off the darkness of a breakup, I go outside
ries, until I can let them go and let them be just the gently nodding little yellow flowers they actually are. They will remain what they are, no matter what I think or feel. On that I can depend - and that fact brings unexpected solace. Eventually, all that is left is sky and the promise of another day.
We may be sophisticating ourselves at an alarming rate with all manner of technology and gadgetry, but our bodies haven’t changed much from the days we started walking upright. Highly evolved tools mean nothing in the hands of emotionally and spiritually immature people who overreact to the adrenaline rush of fear. Many of the world’s loudmouths in the public arena are egotists with inferiority complexes operating from a hyper-vigilant stance. They act on the urge to control their environment dating back to the day when their ancestors eyed sabre-tooth tigers crouched in the bushes. Only today, the tiger is an immigrant in a hijab, a farmer in a ball cap, or a young man in a hoodie.
Vigilance is my double-edged sword. As a child, I played Joan of Arc (Jeanne D’Arc), brandishing my weapon of outspokenness - lunging linguistically at anyone who threatened my younger siblings. Later in life I did the same thing in an art class where I felt certain the professor was unconscious and unconcerned by the effects of some borderline abusive psycho-drama exercises she haphazardly engaged us in. She led us down some psychically dark paths and neglected to see us return fully to a safe place. So, I took it upon myself to call her out – to expose her flawed methods
Taking care while feeding the world
BY DAMIEN KUREK Battle River-Crowfoot MP
Farmers and ranchers are some of the hardest-working people in the nation. With a sunup-to-past-sundown schedule, our farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to raise and grow the food we need and love. These jobs are critical to our supply chain and can often go unrecognized for the substantive role they play in our economy. Without our producers, Canada’s food supply chains would grind to a halt, grocery store shelves would be empty, and the world would have far less of the food it needs from a strong and stable supplier.
Damien Kurek
Mental health is an important subject, and common-sense Conservatives have been hard at work advocating for and bringing awareness to the necessity of treating mental health as health care. The subject of mental health is close to the hearts of many Canadians, but it has a particular impact on the agriculture sector, where stigma around addressing mental health challenges exists. As Danielle and I remain connected with our multigenerational family farm, this time of year with harvest season kicking off, we know it is essential for everyone involved to be mindful of mental health challenges that can come with the stresses of agriculture, on and off the farm.
I recently met with Agknow; an Alberta-based organization focused on reinvigorating our farming sector with an emphasis on mental health. They are bringing a rural Alberta outlook to mental health on the farm. They are showcasing that it takes a community to work through the unique situation our farmers
and ranchers are in, which includes providing the support people need during these busy seasons. The numbers show productivity, safety, and good mental health are products of each other. A successful harvest, seeding, or calving season is crucial, and your mental health during it is key. This goes beyond the farm, as it is a stressful time for everyone, as kids head back to school and routines are reestablished after a busy summer. The challenges with the costs of living and the economy, political concerns, family and community stresses, and as the days get shorter… now is the time to be reminded of the need to ensure we take our mental health earnestly.
Here in Alberta, Agknow is one group of many, small and large, working to end the stigma associated with mental health and ensuring resources are available. Conservatives were proud to lead the way in calling for a 9-8-8 suicide-prevention hotline which was established last year. You can find more resources, both local and national, by visiting a webpage I have dedicated to this: www.damienkurek.ca/mentalhealth.
I want to wish farmers across Battle River—Crowfoot and across Canada a happy harvest season and I hope you are blessed with a bountiful harvest. And on behalf of a grateful nation, I also urge you to take the time to care for yourselves during your important work. It is a good reminder for all of us to be good neighbours and reach out to care for those around us, break the stigma around mental health, and support someone in their time of need. If you need help, please be brave enough to ask for it.
and lack of boundaries.
Was I thanked for my chivalry? No. Why would I be? I was the interrupter, the hyper-vigilant self-appointed leader of the charge against the Empress with no clothes on. It never occurred to me that, even if she was an abusive presence, able to do real damage (which indeed she did do, later, after I graduated), it was not for me to save the others. Everyone has their path, their journey, their long walk, complete with dangerous detours into the brambles and bushes.
Where the dirt road dwindles into the pasture along with the setting sun, I begin to turn around, about to head back home. Suddenly, sheet lightning lights up the sky. I gasp at the beauty of it and experience a brief surge of awe. Awe, I have been told, is a doorway back into faith in the world and our fellows. It’s the brief transcendent experience that allows for faith to take precedence over cynicism, suspicion and vigilant outrage. Awe happens rapidly; it sneaks in before we can rationalize it away.
When I get home from my walk I pick up the novel I was reading when I got the call about my brother: “Followed By the Lark” by Helen Humphries. It’s an exquisite insight into the life of Henry David Thoreau. “More and more,” writes Humphries, “ he was interested in the small particulars- the blue flower, the drift of rain, the single note of a blackbird - and less inclined towards the larger world, where talk of fullscale war was bubbling up … I don’t seem to have as much energy for outrage, he said … But I always have enough energy for praise.”
I think about the little yellow flowers on the side of Cemetery Road. How, inexplicably, their presence calmed me. I climb into bed, “I say my prayers to the close and holy darkness” (quoting Dylan Thomas again). Eventually, I am lulled to a much-needed sleep by the praise songs of nature: The one-hit wondrous chirp of the solitary cricket singing under my window all night long, the rise and fall of the cool breeze rustling the cottonwood leaves, and the approaching thunderstorm’s rumble which eventually recedes with the rain.
Alberta’s Equine Emergency Disaster Fund Applications Now Open
The Alberta Equestrian Federation is now accepting applications for expense relief through the Equine Emergency Disaster Fund. This fund provides crucial support to cover expenses directly related to significant disasters such as floods, wildfires, pandemics, or any situation where a state of emergency or evacuation has been declared by local, provincial, or federal authorities. The fund is dedicated to ensuring the well-being of equines residing in Alberta at the time of the disaster. Eligible expenses for relief include temporary boarding fees, hay, water, and medical expenses that are directly related to the disaster.
For more information go to albertaequestrian.com/ community/news/equine-emergency-disaster-fundapplications-now-open
Canada: Small population, big medal haul
It’s no surprise that the world’s athletic powers, the United States and China, stood atop the medal standings when the Paris Olympic Games concluded Aug. 11.
But Canada’s best-ever medal haul of 27, based on population, was sixth for per-capita medals behind New Zealand (20 medals from a country with 5.3 million people … one medal for every 265,000 people), Australia (53 medals, 27 million population (one medal per 500,000 citizens), the Netherlands, which finished sixth overall with 34 total medals (one medal per 529,000 people), Great Britain (one medal per one million people) and Italy (one per approximately 1.4 million).
BY BRUCE PENTON Sports Columnist
Disappointingly for our friends to the south, the United States was well back, winning one medal per approximately 2.66 million people.
Canada’s athletes were outstanding, with our country’s 27 medals, including nine golds, working out to one medal per 1.5 million people. That’s nearly twice as good as the Americans’ total. They say statistics are for losers, but numbers don’t lie. A country with a huge population like the United States, 342 million, can’t help but pile up the medals because it has so many more athletes from which to choose. China, which finished second in total medals with 91, has a population of about 1.4 billion, so its per-capital medal haul — one per 15.3 million people — was miserable.
The bulk of Canada’s medal success came in the pool, with Summer McIntosh the individual leader with three golds and one silver. Our country’s top hammer throw athletes — Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg — both won gold and transformed Canada into the Hammer Throw Capital of the World. Canada’s other gold medals came from Christa Deguchi in women’s 57-kg judo, the 4x100-metre relay team, Phil (Wiz-
ard) Kim in breaking, and Katie Vincent in women’s sprint canoe.
Other Canadian silver medals were won by the women’s rugby sevens team, the women’s eight rowing team, weightlifter Maude Charron, Marco Arop in the men’s 800-metres, Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson in beach volleyball, and swimmer Josh Liendo. Eleven bronze medals also came back to Canada — in fencing, synchronized diving, swimming (three bronze medals), trampoline, mixed doubles tennis, boxing, pole vault, women’s canoeing and women’s taekwondo (57-kilograms).
Canada didn’t really start to make its mark as a solid Olympic threat until the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the Games that were boycotted by many of the world’s Communist countries in retaliation for the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Games by the West. Canadian athletes won 44 medals (asterisk) that year but had racked up between 10 and 24 every year since. This year’s 27 sets a new benchmark. The Montreal Olympics of 1976 was painful for the Maple Leaf athletes, getting blanked in the gold medal category and emerging as the only host country in history to not win a single gold.
Not counting 1984, Canada’s previous best gold-medal years came in 1992 and 2021 (the 2020 Games that were pushed back a year because of Covid-19), with seven. Our overall medal total of 27 is impressive — 12th overall. Per-capita, though, we’re sixth. Even more impressive.
• Jon Greenberg of The Athletic, during the Chicago White Sox historic losing streak: “The White Sox lose and lose and lose, and they’ve gotten so much practice, they now might be the best to ever do it.”
• Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com (Hampton, Va.): “Jim Harbaugh’s vigorous public denial of know-
CFSEA launches fall grant cycle
The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta opened their Fall 2024 Community Grants applications. All registered charities, qualified donees, and non-profit groups are welcome to apply. They have updated Grant Guidelines, which agencies are encouraged to review on their website.
The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta has four rural community funds – Cypress County Community Fund, Brooks & District Community Fund, the Rural Community Fund of Forty Mile, and the Prairie Crocus Community Fund (including Special Areas 2, 3, 4 and the MD of Acadia. Grant applications from these
ing anything about Michigan’s sign-stealing scheme would have impressed Sgt. Schultz.”
• Another one from Molinaro: “Another twist in the further monetization of college sports has Miami recording star Pitbull purchasing the naming rights to Florida International’s football stadium for $6 million. For the next five years, FIU will play in Pitbull Stadium.”
• Headline at the Beaverton, in recognition of Canada’s two gold medals in the hammer throw: “Canadian tradition of giving children hammers at birth pays off.”
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “In Dante’s Inferno, Satan is quoted as saying ‘It is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.’ Would someone please pass that on to Nathan Rourke?”
• Headline at fark.com: “You’d think they’d stop the Swim the Paris Sewer event at the Olympics by now after another athlete falls ill.”
• Another one from fark.com: “Following record-tying losing streak, White Sox close the barn door, fire Pedro GrifLOL”
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: “There’s nothing wrong with 3X3 basketball as a sport. It’s something you should play in the park with your friends. It’s just not an Olympic sport.”
• Another one from Simmons: ”Every Olympics, in my view, should have women’s softball and men’s baseball. How those rank below break dancing, pairs race walking, rock climbing and surfing is beyond me.”
• A third Olympic crack from Simmons, after Canada won gold in both men’s and women’s hammer throw: “For the record, have you ever known anyone who threw hammers? Other than at IKEA instructions?”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
Congratulations to Cohen Jorgensen, the recipient of the Lanfine Wind Badlands Baseball Academy Scholarship, awarded to a student who has successfully completed grade 12 from the Badlands Baseball Academy program at South Central High School and is undertaking post-secondary education including trades and apprenticeships.
regions will be reviewed by local advisory committees familiar with the area and needs within their community. All applications will be reviewed by the Grants Committee which is comprised of Board Members and knowledgeable community members. The committees consider all eligible applications and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. CFSEA prioritizes impact and equitable regional support.
If you want to learn more about CFSEA’s Community Grants, email grants@cfsea.ca and visit the Community Grants page at www.cfsea.ca. Deadline to submit an online application is September 16th at noon.
Creating Canada’s best recycling program
Alberta is creating Canada’s most comprehensive recycling program to reduce waste and keep cell phones, power tools, solar panels and more out of landfills.
Albertans are using more electronics every year, with many ending up in landfills when they’re no longer in use. At the same time, there are currently no dedicated programs in Canada for recycling renewable energy materials, which could create major problems in the years ahead.
To keep more waste out of landfills, Alberta’s government will be expanding its recycling program. Starting next year, Alberta will begin permanently recycling more than 500 additional electronic items, including cell phones, power tools and microwaves. The province will also start developing Canada’s first provincial recycling programs for solar panels, electric vehicle batteries and wind turbine components. These additions will make Alberta’s recycling system the most comprehensive in Canada.
“Building on the success of the Electronics Recycling Pilot Program, we are stepping up to reduce waste and create the best recycling system in Canada – especially when it comes to proactively addressing materials from wind and solar electricity. We’re not just focused on what Albertans want to recycle today, but also what they are going to want to recycle 20 years from now.”
Rebecca
Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
Expanding electronics recycling
Alberta’s regulated Electronics Recycling Program currently includes only computer equipment and televisions. Since 2020, the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) has run an Electronics Recycling Pilot Program, helping communities recycle more than 500 different types of electronic items.
Starting April 1, 2025, this pilot will become a permanent, province wide part of Alberta’s recycling system, enabling Albertans to recycle more electronic items, including:
• power tools
• lawn and garden equipment
• small appliances (e.g., microwaves, coffee machines, digital bathroom scales)
• cell phones / telephones
• A/V devices (e.g., speakers, DVD players, VCRs)
• musical instruments (e.g., electric guitars, keyboards)
• video game equipment
• toys
These electronic items can be dropped off at any of the 365 registered recycling depots in 148 municipalities across the province.
“ARMA’s expanded Electronics Recycling Program is protecting our environment, fostering innovation and shaping tomorrow’s solutions. By managing e-waste and tackling the complexities of renewable energy materials head on, we’re creating new opportunities, new industries and more jobs and building our circular economy. It
means a more sustainable future without waste for Alberta. I want to extend my gratitude to the Government of Alberta for its unwavering support, which has been crucial in our efforts.”
Ed Gugenheimer, chief executive officer, Alberta Recycling Management Authority
Recycling renewable energy materials
There are currently no dedicated solar panel recycling programs or facilities in Canada, despite estimates that up to 800,000 tonnes of solar panels could reach end of life by around 2050. Similarly, there are no provincial wind turbine recycling programs and only Quebec offers a voluntary, industry-led EV battery recovery program.
Alberta’s government and ARMA will start consulting with experts and industry partners on steps needed to set up a permanent provincial renewable energy recycling program. This will include exploring what new programs and policies are needed to support solar panel recycling, including any potential fees or landfill bans. At the same time, the province will also begin exploring steps needed to set up wind turbine and EV battery recycling programs in the future.
Alberta innovation
recovery and a safer environment for its workers.
“Alberta is home to a dynamic waste management and resource recovery sector, which is why we continue to invest here. We applaud the Alberta government for its leadership in allowing for a competitive collection system and ensuring that all products with a battery or plug are recycled. These initiatives lead to the market stability and scale required for companies like Quantum to grow our operations and provide amazing service to all Albertans with the highest environment outcomes and the lowest possible cost.”
Gary Diamond, president, Quantum Lifecycle Partners
In addition to helping minimize waste by keeping products out of landfills, increasing reuse and improving recycling across the province, expanding the Electronics Recycling Program is part of Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan.
Quick facts
• Since September 2020, Alberta’s Electronic Recycling Pilot Program has diverted 14,500 tonnes of material from landfills, the weight equivalent of about 4,000 cars.
• The electronics program expansion will divert an estimated 5,500 tonnes of additional electronic waste from Alberta landfills each year. The program currently diverts about 8,500 tonnes per year.
ARMA is also investing in new recycling technologies. For example, one of the biggest challenges in the electronics recycling industry is processing electronics – such as ear pods or vapes – that contain batteries. As seemingly everything goes cordless, there is a growing list of applicable devices from hand mixers to sunglasses where fire risk is a concern for waste handlers.
ARMA invested $250,000 to help Quantum Recycling install an AI-powered X-ray system, which is capable of scanning material and auto identifying which item in the e-waste stream contains hazardous waste in real time, primarily targeting embedded batteries. Installed in Edmonton, the system will allow Quantum to focus its time and labour on those devices that specifically contain hazards, resulting in higher throughput, better quality commodity
• A full list of electronics that can be recycled is available online. Consumers may be required to pay a small environmental fee, likely between 40 cents and $1, when purchasing newly designated electronic products under the expanded recycling program.
• The Alberta Recycling Management Authority operates provincial recycling programs for used oil materials, tires, paint and paint containers, and electronics, with 437 collection sites located throughout the province.
• Canada could create 800,000 tonnes of expired solar panel waste by 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Nominated by Special Areas No. 3 Service Board, the Dale Stammers Family was thrilled to be invited guests at the BMO Farm Family Awards Brunch, and afternoon rodeo performance, July 8, 2024. The annual event takes place during the Calgary Stampede, to celebrate and recognize southern Alberta Farm Families for their commitment to the agriculture industry, their community and to western heritage. Together with BMO, The Calgary Stampede recognized 18 Farm Families, presenting each family with an award and Family Photo. Back row: Kaydance, Cantlee, Krista, Jeff, Dale , Allison, Laura , Kyle, Kelsey, Dave. Front: holding framed certificate: Verena and Tenley.
BMO FARM FAMILY
100 years of farming with the Stammers family
The Stammers family feels like they’ve hit the jackpot with the lifestyle they lead. “We have had the best place to watch our family grow, from the beautiful sunrises in the early mornings to the stunning sunsets at the end of busy days,” expresses Dale Stammers. “I love what I’m doing, and I look forward to every day. If you like what you’re doing, it makes [life] easier.”
Dale and his wife, Allison, are the 2024 BMO Farm Family from Special Areas #3 and operate their family farm and ranch just outside of Oyen, Alberta. However, the farming lifestyle is no stranger to Dale or Allison, as they are third-generation farmers and have expanded to the fourth and fifth generation with their son, Jeff, and daughter-in-law, Krista, as well as their three daughters, Kaydance (16), Cantlee (12) and Verena (7).
Looking for new opportunities, Dale’s grandfather, Arthur, and his brother, Charlie, came to Helmsdale, Alberta, from Southwold, England in 1910. Unfortunately, Charlie died in a blizzard, but Arthur later married Sara Jones in 1917 and had five daughters and one son, George. George would help his parents farm; and after marrying Audrey Zawasky in 1954, and his parents retiring the same year, he would take full ownership of the family farm. George and Audrey had three sons, Dale, Brent and Shane. All three sons continued to help on the family farm until they were able to purchase their own land and start their own operations. However, they continued to help each other for branding, weaning or shipping cattle, as needed.
After high school in 1976, Dale purchased 4 ¾ sections of grass and cultivated land from one of his father’s neighbors – keeping him farming in the same area he had grown up. Dale married Allison, who grew up on a farm 40 miles away, in 1979. Over the years, the operation has grown, and they currently have 7,720 acres, of which 2,000 acres is for grain, such as wheat, oats, barley and triticale – which in dry years might only be used as cattle feed. “The cows
come first,” quips Dale. The rest of the land is utilized for their 250 cow-calf pairs. They have 50 Red Angus cow-calf pairs they use for heifer replacements. They are then bred with Simmental bulls and those are bred with the Charolais bulls to provide a meat desired by buyers. The calves are weaned and sold in the autumn when they are approximately six months old.
Their son, Jeff, always had an interest in farming and ranching and enjoyed working alongside his fa ther. He and Krista returned to farming in 2010 when they purchased the home section where Krista grew up. In 2019, they continued to expand by purchas ing grassland right next to Dale and Allison’s home, which now connects their two properties together. In addition to the cattle business, they started a new en deavor in 2019, purchasing a flock of 15 Suffolk ewes, which has grown to a flock of 60 ewes. The venture started as a way to allow the girls to be hands-on but has now grown into a niche business of selling lamb meat to locals. The girls can be found out in the corrals lambing and caring for them, in addition to helping check cows with their parents. Dale and Allison’s other children – Kyle and his wife, Laura; and Kelsey and her husband, David, and their daughter, Tenley – are involved during the busy times of branding, weaning and preg testing, along with extended family and neighbours.
Community newspapers are living history books, recording all facets of the lives of community residents, as well as providing news that is relevant to them.
Krista has a background in Equine Science and Western Horsemanship, so when she and the girls have a down moment, you might find them riding or attending clinics in town. Dale has also served on the Special Areas Agriculture Service Board and Road Committee for several years.
While the Stammers are delighted to have surpassed the milestone of 100 years of farming within their family, they are also hopeful about the future. “We are proud to be able to be part of another generation, as our granddaughters grow up on the farm and enjoy the lifestyle as much as we have,” Dale reflects.
Our historical record – 1965
BY BERNIE KREWSKI
ORAL HISTORY
“When is it too soon to write history” is the subject of a recent discussion in “The Economist,” the well-known British news magazine. This constant question arose once again following the publication of Eric Klinenberg’s “2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed” – about the arrival of COVID-19, the pandemic.
Ian Kershaw, the English historian regarded as one of the foremost experts on Hitler and Nazi Germany, offers reminders of when he was a student in the 1960s. History then was deemed to “end” in 1914. That concept was also familiar to me at that time while studying American history. As students, we were acutely aware of the unwritten “fifty-year rule.” That is, it would take at least a half-century to accumulate sufficient documentation (release of government records, publication of biographies, reminiscences, etc.) to compile the true story of most events, for example, World War I. Documentation meant researching existing paper copies.
That began to change in the 1970’s with the flourishing interest in the merits of oral history. The CBC was the Canadian pioneer in oral history, having the largest collection of taped interviews relevant to the story of this country. As noted by the Director of the Public Archives of Canada, “oral history does not ‘create’ records, but rather it records responses available in no other form.”
Interestingly, the “fifty-year,” no-history custom fits the early history of Oyen and the surrounding villages but for other reasons – they were newly created communities. Oyen had no written history by 1965. Several communities published small booklets: “Sibbald Community History, 1910-1962” and “Esther Community History” in 1962, printed by the Hanna Herald. Bindloss and Empress did so as well, separate copies
of “Golden Memoirs” in 1965. These are valuable initial resources mostly consisting of memories and reminiscences.
David Snideman recognized such historical shortcomings in The Oyen Echo on April 27, 1965: “It is unfortunate that we could only produce a sketchy outline of [Oyen’s] history. On the other hand, we hope that this might stimulate more detailed research, as… the records of the past should not be allowed to disappear as they form an important part of the heritage of Alberta.”
FIRST DRAFT
Having few resources to consult, and obviously relying on bits of information picked up here and there, namely oral history, here is what he wrote.
The settlement of the community started in 1910 and received its name from a Norwegian settler, Andrew Oyen, who sold his homestead for a townsite. The area was populated by settlers arriving from Ontario, Washington, Iowa, Idaho, and Nebraska. The end of the line was at Kindersley. The rest of the journey, close to 70 miles, was mostly done by walking the distance.
The town site was surveyed in 1912 and the same year the Mounted Police Post was established with Constable Brian Walker and Charlie Stewart riding from Brooks. The religious services started immediately and were held in the homes of settlers with the first preacher being Rev. G. Steele, and in 1915 the first church was erected. They did not neglect education and Miss Ruby Scott was the first teacher teaching in 1911-1912. The arrival of the railway in 1913 gave a strong impetus to the growth of the community. The first hotel was built in the same year and the first newspaper started by Charlie Dunford in 1914 called the Oyen news.
The recreational side of pioneer life was not neglected either and in 1912 a hockey team and ball team comprised of both American and Canadian players
was organized. Despite its remoteness and isolation, the community was not separated from the rest of the world and during the 1914-18 war, 138 volunteers from the district joined, out of which 11 lost their lives in active service.
Besides the man-made calamities, the area had several blizzards and prairie fires with the most disastrous fire in 1916 which swept over 50 square miles with the resultant loss of several lives.
The community was incorporated on January 17, 1913, and formed into a village.
This brief outline gives only the highlights and mentions a few events and names at random. The true story could be arrived at only through painstaking research and imaginative interpretation and I would strongly urge that this be done as part of the Centennial Celebration.
CALGARY HERALD
The Calgary Herald published a brief news report on August 5, 1965, indicating “Oyen Applies For Town Status.” According to requirements established by the Alberta Department of Municipal Affairs, communities must have a population of 700 residents. Oyen’s then was 825. This is how the Herald reporter described Oyen:
“Oyen was known as Bishopburg until the arrival of the railroad in 1913 when it was incorporated as a village. It is the trading centre of a large dry-farming and ranching area and is well-known to hundreds for its abundance of wild ducks, geese, partridge, and prairie chickens. At present, Oyen has six grain elevators and a municipal hospital, as well as adequate education facilities. Outside of dry-farming and ranching, the prime business of the town is greenhouse produce.”
UPCOMING
Highlighting many events and developments in 1965.
First Avenue sidewalk sections being repaired
BY DIANA WALKER
Crews are grinding, cutting, pouring, smoothing and ruffing up new surfaces on many sidewalk sections on both sides of First Avenue. Passers-by are wondering why different sections are being treated differently. I asked Debbie Ross, Oyen CAO to explain. Here is her response:
“The work on the sidewalks is warranty work from the 1st Ave project. The concrete is strong, but during those two years that the sidewalks were done, the cement composition (formula) was changed. It resulted in the pitting or flaking of the top layer of the cement. During those two years, this happened all around Alberta.
The crews are putting on a product used successfully in other communities to address the top pitting. Some sections were in worse shape and are being replaced totally.”
