Bull riders will bring in the new year
BY JOAN JANZEN
The community of Oyen is planning an exciting event to bring in the the New Year. The Big Country Ag Society (BCAS) is appropriately extending “Happy Bucking New Year” greetings as they prepare for the occasion. Cheryl Ball from Oyen was on hand to provide more details about the upcoming event. Although this is a firsttime New Year’s Eve bull riding event, the BCAS intends to make it an annual occurrence.
The New Brigden Community Association is kicking off the event by providing a steak supper. All proceeds from the meal going to the ‘new’ New Brigden Hall, and tickets for the supper are sold separately, with a total of 300 tickets available.
The bull riding will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will wind up by 10:00 p.m. if there aren’t any delays. Two bleachers have been set aside, and BSAC is selling advance tickets for that seating area to ensure those ticket holders have good seats. There are four more bleachers available for additional seating.
The audience is in for a treat, as R Legend Rodeo Stock is the stock contractor. According to Cheryl they are the best there is in the business and have provided stock in Canada and the US. The audience can expect to see the best bulls and the best riders, including Eatonia’s Dakota Buttar. The winner of the BCAS
Saddle/Cash Raffle will be drawn, and a live auction will be held, making it a full evening.
Bull riding tickets include admission to the dance, but there are tickets available at a lower cost for admission to the dance. Children are welcome to attend the family dance, but daycare is available for younger children who may become tired. Parents will need to book daycare spots in advance.
Music for the evening will be provided by Classey Ferguson, a five-piece alternative country band from Hilda, who have performed in the area on other occasions. The Ag Society will be manning the bar for the evening. About 75 percent of the volunteers have signed up, but the BCAS can always use more help serve the 800 to 100 guests they’re expecting to show up to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Oyen.
Eatonia’s Dakota Buttar will be just one of the many riders taking part in the Big Country Ag Society’s CPRA Professional Bull Riding Event on New Year’s Eve.
PHOTO COURTESY PBR
6:00 - 8:00 PM Check In-Store for Details
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Light Up The Night embraced by community
BY GWEN SNELL Freelance Journalist
The Hanna Chamber of Commerce kicked off another great “Light Up the Night” event, which started in the afternoon with Photos with Santa at Westview Co-op, Family Fun at the Hanna Library and concluded with the evening parade on Friday, December 1.
The annual parade is a highlight for many, and this year, there was great participation, with a total of 28 parade entries, which included seven firetrucks.
Starting at the Hanna Medical Clinic, the parade delighted residents of the Long Term Care home, moved along 7th Ave to Palliser Trail and past the Hanna Lodge, Parkview Residence, the Manors and along 5th Street West to make the journey along 2nd Ave West to the Hanna Memorial Park.
Residents lined the streets along the route while those who chose to visit the business section were warmed with one of several fire pits, hot chocolate and a festive atmosphere. The Jolly Fellow himself, Santa Claus, was on hand to do the countdown and officially “light Up” Memorial Park with the help of several youngsters and a great cheer from the crowd.
Parade entries clearly reflected the time and effort taken to provide an eye-catching parade for the enjoyment of the community. The top three entries saw Prairie Land School Division awarded first prize for their efforts,
while Eye Candy and the Bethel Evangelical Church were awarded second and third place, respectively.
Hanna Chamber representatives indicated they were very thankful for the participation of all entries, the local detachment of Hanna RCMP for leading the parade and the local Fire Department for their participation. Additional parade entries included Hanna Museum, Town of Hanna, Weich Farms (Delmar Weich), Freson Bros. Westview Coop, Anchor Glass, Hiway 9 Towing, OK Tire, Asset Management (Chad Brummond), Hanna Chrysler, Tacabree Country, Lynxx, Buck Brush Farm, Hanna Discussion Group, Hanna Library and Cervus Equipment.
“Light up the Night” also kicked off the Christmas Shopping Passport promotion, which will run until December 15. Passports are available from any Chamber member, and only one stamp is required for each entry. There are three draws for entry – Kids Draw Girl, Kids Draw Boy and Adult Draw. A purchase or payment is required to acquire a stamp. Chamber members can include utilities, service and repair businesses who are listed as members of the Hanna & District Chamber of Commerce.
Completed passports are to be dropped off at Hanna Fresh Market, Freson Bros. Town of Hanna or during office hours at the Chamber office. Draw Date will be Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
PHOTOS BY GWEN SNELL
Door Hangers: Purpose and Significance
Have you recently received one of our door hangers? It’s important to note that getting a door hanger is not a penalty or ticket; it simply signifies that a representative from the Town Office has visited your residence or property with a message to convey The purpose of the door hanger is to establish a more personal connection compared to digital communication methods It serves as a tangible means of reaching out to residents or property owners This physical form of communication offers a nonintrusive way for recipients to access information at their convenience If you find a door hanger on your property, please take a moment to read the provided information and follow any instructions given The door hanger is a symbolic representation of our desire for direct engagement and underscores the importance of the conveyed information
18th Annual Community Christmas Dinner
Now accepting RSVP’s Volunteers, under the leadership of Karin Miller, are ensuring that no one goes without all the trimmings this year. RSVP’s can be phoned in: Town Office: (403)-854-4433 Pharmasave: (403)-854-2655
Lynks formerly HLC (403) 854-2099
Karin Miller (403) 854-1846
Donations will be accepted for Kiddies Korner Playschool.
Book Club 2:00 pm
Council Budget Meeting 6:00 pm
10:30 am - 11:30 am Parent and Tot skating
Noon - 1:00 pm Drop-in hockey
HDA Fundraising Christmas Gala 5:30 pm
Skate With Santa 1:00 pm
Christmas Movie Matinee 4:00 pm
Christmas Dinner Prep 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Christmas Dinner 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Town of Hanna year-end invoices due
Kanopy Plus
In an era dominated by digital streaming services, Library staff would like to introduce you to "Kanopy Plus," a premium streaming service that expands the Hanna Library's digital catalog, offering a diverse selection of high-quality, critically acclaimed movies, documentaries, and educational content Accessing Kanopy Plus is simple for Hanna Library members By visiting the Hanna Library website or using the Kanopy app, members can seamlessly browse and stream a wide array of content from the comfort of their homes The platform is compatible with various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and computers, ensuring that members can enjoy their favorite films and documentaries whenever and wherever they please Hanna Library members can enjoy the benefits of Kanopy Plus without any extra fees The program is seamlessly integrated into the existing library membership, emphasizing the library's commitment to providing valuable, cost-effective services to the community For more information, contact the Hanna Library: 403-854-3865
TAX DEADLINE NOTICE
Property owners have until Jan 2, 2024 to make sure outstanding taxes are paid. Effective Jan 3, 2024 a 5% penalty will be levied on any balance owing on your account
If you have purchased a property recently, contact the Town Office to ensure there are no taxes owing.
Skate with Santa - Sunday December 17 - 1-3 pm
Enjoy a magical afternoon at the Arena while skating with the jolly fella himself!
Free hot dogs, hot chocolate and a take home activity for families. Complete your day by taking in the Christmas movie matinee to follow.
We Can Help Promote Your Event!
Are you a volunteer, trying to let people know about your event or not for profit activity? Let the Town Office know and we can promote to help you get the word out! As a service to Hanna residents, businesses and visitors, your not for profit community event can be included in the community event calendar by going to hanna.ca/add. Your event then may be suitable to be included in the following: Hanna Sentinel events, Hanna.ca event calendar, facebook.com, twitter.com, and event Kiosks. Town of Hanna employees are happy to help make these coming events a success.
OPINION: The best gift you can give your child
BY JOAN JANZEN
A grandparent watched her grandson’s nativity play. As the third wise man, he marched up to the manger with his gift of frankincense and bellowed: “Frank sent this!”
Another lady remembered her sixyear-old son poking his head around the door, saying, “Mom, you know I wanted a bike for Christmas? Well, I don’t need it now. I just found one behind your wardrobe.”
Christmas is a special time for kids, a time when parents and family members love to give their children something they’ve always wanted. But what is it that children need all year round?
Erica Komisar, a social worker and psychoanalyst, spoke on social media, emphasizing that children need to be able to experience childhood. Having spent the last 33 years working with parents and children, she realizes the importance of raising happy, healthy and resilient children.
“That should be every parent’s goal,” she said, “And yet there is a worldwide epidemic of mental illness in children and adolescents. We need to focus on the underlying causes of this epidemic as well as solutions.”
As an author who has filled books with neuroscience and epigenetic research, she advised there is no substitute for healthy parents spending time with their children. “So many studies link institutional care from 0 - 3 years to behavioural issues, increased stress hormone levels, anxiety, and increased aggression,” she stated.
Most adults who were raised in the 1960s and 1970s never experienced institutional care as preschoolers. During that time period, it was more common for one parent to be available for their preschool-aged children, and also be present for children arriving home after school.
People raised in that era, myself included, lived on the edge, riding in vehicles without seatbelts, pedalling bikes without wearing helmets and eating cereals loaded with sugar so we could get the prize inside the box.
Our visual options included one to three TV channels and cartoons on Saturday mornings; however, this also meant we had more time to play outdoors. Our music playlist was acquired by listening to the radio for hours and simultaneously pushing the play and record buttons to capture our favourite songs on cassette tapes.
TO THE EDITOR:
CANADA’S HIGHS IN 2023: We have a 10 year high for domestic abuse, high number of break and enters, high number of car thefts, high cases of shootings, high rates of homelessness, high rate of Food Bank use, high rates of suicides, high food prices, high mortgage rates, high rental rates, high Carbon Tax, high number of scams, high rates of immigrants and asylum seekers wanting to
leave Canada because it is such a tough place to survive, and highest number of wild fires set by humans in 2023. These are just a few of Canada’s unwanted highs. The only thing that isn’t “high” is our life expectancy – it fell! Definitely not the Canada we used to know, eh!?
Robert Blagen Youngstown, AB
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Phones hung on the wall, and you answered at your own risk since there was no caller ID. Polaroid cameras and photo booths at the mall were the closest thing to instant photos we ever experienced.
Nevertheless, most kids grew up to be relatively responsible and resilient. In stark contrast, psychologist Jonathan Haidt from the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship noted in an online interview that anxiety in children began increasing starting in 2012. That’s when phone-based childhood began replacing play-based childhood, and teachers, parents and psychologists began seeing problems arise.
“I call it phone-based childhood,” Jonathon explained. “Kids used to go to a friend’s house to play. Kids used to see each other more before they got phones. Social interactions were replaced by virtual play.”
He said, social networks can be useful for adults, but children should be playing in person. Playing on social networks breeds social comparison and is not good for intellectual development.
“Nobody wants their kids to be isolated,” he noted. In his book, he advises parents to wait until their child is 14 years old before giving him/her a smartphone and even later before allowing them to use social media. “They should meet friends after school and do things together,” he said.
Social worker Erica Komisar sug-
gested communities step up by providing affordable mental health services to help coach parents. They need to understand the underlying causes of behavioural symptoms in children rather than labeling and medicating them, which only causes more illness, Erica suggested.
She stressed that media should help by turning around the narrative that implies work outside the home is more important than mothering. “Being a mother is the most important and valuable work,” she said. “Instead, we find that media focuses on the needs of the parents, not the needs of the children.”
Erica also suggested governments provide flexible spending money to families, which they can use to pay a family member or friend to be a caregiver for their child, rather than providing state-funded institutional care.
The family is the building block of society, the unit that ensures children are fed, loved, protected, nurtured and raised to become resilient and responsible citizens. There is no substitute for loving parents spending time with their children.
Experiencies growing up in the 1960s and 1970s may not have been perfect, but it did produce a lot of children who later became resilient and responsible adults. The best gift you can give your child at Christmas and all year round is spending time with them.
MISTY HART Freelance Photographer GWEN SNELL Freelance Journalist
Pop89: Tis the season of noticing
BY MADONNA HAMEL
A tall woman in a bright red dress was singing in the foyer as I stepped out of the elevator. The violinist accompanying her leaned into his instrument. They filled the hospital with their music and soulful presence. Yet, no one stopped. No one even turned in their seats to face the music. Talkers kept talking; some spoke louder. Others kept their cell phones plugged into their ears, walking obliviously in front of the performers, untouched.
I walked up to the musicians on their break and said: “On behalf of my fellow humans, I apologize for the rudeness. It’s as if they’re deaf.” The violinist responded: “Oh, not to worry.
“It may not seem like it, but they notice. They still hear it. It affects them.”I just got home from tending to my brother after a major stroke, only to rebound a plane to help my sister tend to my dad after his stroke. Blearyeyed, we divide the schedule. I take mornings; she takes evenings. We don’t know how long this will last, we are on tenterhooks, like we were with our brother. We have arrived at that time in our lives when age will poke and prod at us and make very concrete what once was theory. Now, there really is nothing to do but be present to the moment. Once again, I hear the old slogans running through my brain: “Live life on life’s terms.” “One day at a time.” “Let go of expectations and the illusion of control.”
Let go. There was a time in my life when I knew I had to move on from a relationship that had too many hardships and behaviours working against it. Let go, said my mentor. But I did, I swore. How many times do I have to do this? Every hour of every day, she said. All the time. Seven times seventy times. Life is not about acquiring, grabbing and clinging. Even the good stuff we need to part with. And, if you can’t let go, then try loosening your grip. Let go of expectations, concepts, ego, regrets, shame, and glories because none of it is under our control. Life is not about gaining control but going with what is presented us. This is not to say we have no part in choosing how we live. Richard Rohr, in his little book of daily meditations for the season, writes that Advent is the time to look at the expectations and demands we put on our lives and release them in order to make room for the spiritual birth that comes every Christmas. This is the season of noticing. Get rid of attachments and perceptions that crowd out the Mystery of this time of year. “Keep the field wide open to Grace,” he writes. Most Christmases, I have no problem keeping the field open to grace and the wonder and mystery of the season. I call it staying in the Twinkle Zone. If that sounds like something out of a kid’s book - that’s the
Axe the Tax!
BY DAMIEN KUREK Battle River-Crowfoot MP
On December 5th, Senators voted on an amendment to Bill C-234 that essentially removed the exemption from the carbon tax for farmers, defeating the entire purpose of the Bill and adding costs to the food we need that is getting more expensive.
For the last decade, the PM has repeatedly claimed that the Senate, and those he appoints to it, are independent. Well, this weekend proved otherwise. He and his socialist Environment Minister were busy employing a campaign of bullying and pressure to force his Senators to kill this carbon tax for farmers.
On December 6th, I stood in the House of Commons to call the Prime Minister out for his lies.
“We know he bullied his senators. The Prime Minister lied, and his minions continue to lie.”
The first point of the truth I brought up is that the carbon tax is a tax plan, not an environmental plan. And while this disproportionately affects rural Canada, the reality is if you tax the farmer who grows the food, tax the trucker who ships the food, you are indeed taxing the people who are buying the food. That is why Conservatives have introduced,
whole point. The ability to be open, it seems to me, is completely connected to the ability to still touch that place in one’s being where childhood reigns strong and clear and wonder-filled. The good news is, it’s not a talent. It’s a muscle. Everyone is born with it. I’ve never met an uncurious child, only grown folks who, strangely, stop allowing curiosity to rule their lives.
Plans, fears, expectations and regrets: they clutter our waking thoughts. They fill our lives. We say one day we’ll deal with them, when we have time. But, at my age, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been blind-sided by a shock, ailment, accident or loss that hollers: now. The time is now.
There’s a strange beauty that bursts forth when we show up and notice. Whether rushing to a loved one’s bedside, or talking through the night to a bereaved, priorities re-stack themselves. Big deals seem petty. Little things jump to the top of the heap. Three days ago, I was festooning a Christmas tree with Betty in the community hall in Val Marie. We managed to find all the working lights and loaded string after string on the poor bedraggled fake fir. I ran home and got the disco star from its own perch. We turned off the overhead lights, plugged in the lights and for a moment we were kids sitting under our childhood family Christmas trees. Today, I perched a tiny angel on the hospital side-table and wound sparkly garlands around my father’s bed. “Not that anyone will notice,” I whispered under my breath.
Celebrating this morning’s mass was Fr. Gerald. I recognized him from ten years ago when I lived with my dad after mom died. He was a seminarian from Africa, just starting out. Now, he’s the parish priest. I like his energy and attitude. He spoke about compassion, calling it “the kind of knowing a mother feels for a dying child. It hits like a punch to the gut. You feel it like that. For Advent you must empty yourself, so you can feel that kind of compassion, the gut punch.” I returned to the hospital as one of the women from the church arrived with her small metal container of Eucharists. She mashed half of a host in Dad’s leftover applesauce so he could swallow it with ease, then handed me the rest, waiting for my Amen.“Your dad’s a keener,” she whispered.” Always first to arrive at church, first in line for the host. I noticed he’s first at the cookie table at coffee hour.” She told me that my old high school English teacher will be on the next Eucharist shift. At that moment, the occupational therapist burst into the room singing the “Good Morning!” song from Singing in the Rain. “Oooh,” she says, looking round the room. “I see you’re rocking the Christmas decorations, Harold.”
and have been working hard to pass, Bill C-234. This not only affects folks in East Central Alberta, but all Canadians who are paying more to heat their homes, feed their families, and even put a roof over their heads. Conservatives are fighting for the carbon tax to be axed. And the Liberals refuse to acknowledge these facts.
The second is when it comes to the Senate, while the Liberals often claim the Senate is “independent” to avoid scrutiny, the secretive process the Liberals have employed to select Senators has resulted in these socalled independent appointments that include Liberal insiders, donors, and folks who vote for the Liberals with very few exceptions. The fact that the PM and his Minister bullied Senators into not supporting this bill is proof that the Prime Minister lied. And to top it off, the Liberals refuse to appoint Senators from Alberta who have been duly elected.
Over the next few weeks, Conservatives are using every Parliamentary tool at our disposal to persuade the Government to work for the best interests of Canadians, to bring home a country that empowers our people to earn powerful paycheques, develop our resources, build homes, restore trust to our institutions, and, in advance of Christmas, to enable the prosperity needed for folks to put food on their tables and gifts under the tree.
At the end of the day, I will not apologize for telling the truth, will continue to stand up for common sense, and am proud to be a part of the team of Conservatives from across Canada who are ready to get to work and restore the promise of what Canada can be.
Damien Kurek
John
Stodalka, Ronald B. Baba, Marilyn A. Herrmann, Bryce R. Farrell, Darren E. Folkersen, Ashley D. Herrmann, Mario M. Mudri
Canadian NHL teams: Two distinct groups
BY BRUCE PENTON
Observations at the quarter pole of the 2023-24 National Hockey League season about the highs and lows of the seven Canadian teams:
— Two distinct divisions are emerging. The ‘haves’ are the surprising Vancouver Canucks, who were playing at a .660 clip through 25 games; the Winnipeg Jets, a solid third in the Central Division; and Toronto Maple Leafs, playing .636 hockey in a tough Atlantic Division. The ‘have-nots’ are three of the usual suspects — Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary — and one surprise, the Edmonton Oilers, who were one of the pre-season favourites to contend for the Stanley Cup
BY BRUCE PENTON Sports Columnist
— Despite languishing between 60th and 70th in the scoring race through the first month, Connor McDavid erupted for 14 points in five games to move into the top 10 and will, in all likelihood, win the Art Ross trophy for most points for the sixth time in eight years.
— Bright spots? Start on the west coast, where defenceman Quinn Hughes is making a case for being the best Hughes in the league, and that’s something considering one of his brothers, Jack, was a 99-point man last year for New Jersey. Vancouver’s Quinn, second in the league in assists, is surrounded by MVP and top-defenceman chatter. His team-mate, Brock Boeser, leads the league in goals after scoring only 18 last season. In Toronto, William Nylander has emerged as the best Leaf, shining brighter than Auston Mathews and Mitch Marner, after putting together a 17-game points streak to start the year. In Calgary, the Flames could boast scoring balance, with 10 players at four goals or better through 24 games. Elias Lindholm, however, was the team leader with only seven. The two Con-
nors were largely responsible for the Jets’ early success. Kyle Connor was lighting it up, with 14 goals after 23 games, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck was back to his dominant self. The talent is thin in Montreal, but Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook were tied for the team lead in goals with seven. Newhook suffered a serious ankle injury, though, and will be out until late January.
— Disappointments? Shoddy goaltending in Edmonton and a scoring slump by McDavid led to the Oilers’ early downfall. Goalie Jack Campbell, in year two of a five-year, $25 million contract, was dispatched to the minors for a couple of weeks. Coach Jay Woodcroft was fired. The Oilers were battling it out with the woeful San Jose Sharks for last place in the Pacific Division. Calgary Flames are still waiting for Jonathan Huberdeau to become the prolific scorer he was in Florida, where he racked up 115 points in 2021-22 before being dealt to the Flames. Huberdeau was on a 51-point pace at the quarter pole and a team-worst minus 11. The potential in Ottawa was yet to pay dividends. Top talent such as Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Brady Tkachuk, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jake Sanderson should have led the Sens to better than a 9-10 record through 19 games.
• From the Canadian parody website The Beaverton: “Hockey world in shock after NHL star marries brunette.”
• A followup from The Beaverton, quoting analyst Kelly Hrudey: “All championship squads, the Lightning, the Penguins, when the camera pans into their family seats, you get perfect blonde uniformity.”
• Super 70s Sports, on X, joking about the old age of an Atlanta Braves’ pitcher: “Phil Niekro enjoyed
a solid 1979 season when his 21 wins matched the number of kills he scored during the Civil War.”
• Vic Tafur of the Athletic, suggesting Bill Belichick of the Patriots delays his choice of starting QB just because he wants to put it off as long as possible: “It’s like choosing to down a pint of prune juice or watch a Hallmark movie.”
• Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com (Hampon, Va.) “The 2023 college football season, it’s reported, has been the most watched ever across all networks. Which means there’s a lot of leaves that still need raking.”
• Super 70s Sports, on X: “Maybe men do like sports too much but I’d rather watch the Patriots play the Panthers five times in a row than watch five minutes of The Bachelor.”
• Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Michael Irvin was on ‘The Jimmy Kimmel Show.’ It was part of their ‘Let’s invite six-time sexual assault charged, cocaine-addict guest’ week.”
• Headline on The Beaverton: “Ottawa radio station still waiting for first caller to claim free Sens tickets.”
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Now that Sports Illustrated has been busted for using A.I.-generated stories, here is my updated to five list of greatest S.I. writers of all time: (5) Frank DeFord, (4) Gary Smith, (3), Dan Jenkins, (2) Rick Reilly, (1) R2-D2.”
• Jack Finarelli at his sportscurmudgeon.com website, on the poor play of New England’s quarterbacks: “Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe would have to improve by 100 per cent to qualify as a dumpster fire.”
• Headline at fark.com: “Luis Severino to sign a one-year deal on the Mets’ disabled list.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
Delia’s Highland Market under new ownership
BY GWEN SNELL Freelance Journalist
Cyndy Harris became the sole proprietor of the Highland Market in Delia when she took over from the previous owners, which was a four-way partnership. Harris’s decision was not taken lightly, but she saw the value of the community and recognized the need for the local “corner store.” Her motivation was straight and to the point. “To keep the store open for residents of Delia.”
While Harris admits that owning a business can be demanding, she is no stranger to running her own company and credits her staff at Highland Market for being very capable and helpful with the day-to-day operations. She employs three part-staff to provide coverage Monday to Friday from 10 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 to 5 p.m. Highland Market is closed on Sundays and statutory holidays.
Stock consists of those daily essentials that people may need from time to time or even on short notice. Inventory includes everything from band-aids to bread, milk, eggs, pet food, snack items, batteries, automotive and oil products. It is your locally owned and operated convenience store where you can stop in for an ice cream cone in the summer or even a bottle of wine for your evening meal.
Harris is looking to make a few changes in the store in terms of additional products or healthy options. However, she emphasized that she is also taking time to learn more about what the community wants and
needs from her business. She wants to “remain flexible and listen to her customers and make changes as needed.” Harris also values her staff. “Staff who stayed on have been a great help and knowing what the community wants.”
One area that Harris would like to see improved is the supply chain and her ability to provide better products at affordable costs. Her comment is a reflection of her sincere intent to operate her business within the community long term.
When asked about the response since taking over the business earlier this fall, Harris did not hesitate to say that she is “very pleased with community support and response.”
Cyndy Harris is a resident of the area, residing in Hanna. She is the owner and operator of Orchid Embers Spa, which just celebrated nine years in business. Together with her husband, Shawn, they have raised two daughters and enjoy the benefits of living and working in the area.
Kelly Fitzpatrick is one of three friendly part time staff who are available to assist customers with their shopping needs. PHOTO BY GWEN SNELL
Hanna Dance breaks barriers
BY GWEN SNELL Freelance Journalist
Hanna Dance has a history of blazing its own trail. Their dance studio walls and trophy cabinet are full of awards and trophies from competitions across the province.
They have provided a varied and broad range of dance to the area for all ages. They have adapted and changed to meet the community's needs since their formation in the early 1990's.
This season, Hanna Dance undertook a new venture and offered a non-competitive class for those young dancers not interested in travelling for competitions. Eight young dancers ranging in age from three to eight years enrolled with "Miss Jory" for their weekly dance class. Three months into the class, Hanna Dance is successfully breaking barriers and promoting excellence in the non-competitive dance class arena as well.
Natalia Laughlin was pleased to see the class offered. Growing up, Natalia enjoyed dance and had hoped that her little girl would one day dance. Previously, with a strong focus on a competitive program, there was little opportunity in the local dance program. But the non-competitive dance class opened a new world for Natalia's daughter, Brooklyn.
When describing her daughter's experience, Laughlin is heavy on praise for the program. Miss Jory is described as a "Wonderful, kind and inclusive woman." While Miss Jory is cultivating an appreciation of dance and encouraging young dancers to move and feel the music through dance – she is also providing a very welcoming and positive experience for all.
Laughlin stated that, "Brooklyn comes from dance class, telling her family about her dance friends and how much fun it is – it's a great introduction for her to be part of a team." And based on the smiling faces at the studio before and during class, Brooklyn's feelings are not unique. There were plenty of smiles and chatter as they greeted each other.
Jory Pahl (Miss Jory) decided to take some additional training this past summer so that she could assist with teaching the non-competitive class. It's been a rewarding experience for her and her dancers. She works hard to provide a class that is fun but challenging. Her reward is "Seeing the improvement for every week and the smiles and how excited that they are to learn more each week." When asked where she would like to see this class in three to five years, Miss Jory indicated she would like to see more join dance.
Hanna Dance Association currently operates two studios within Hanna's Centennial Place. President Teri Quaschnick indicated that they have a diverse program offering ballet, pre-pointe, pointe, Tap, lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Acro, Adult Classes and an occasional line/Production class. While their numbers were down in the past few years, they currently have over 100 dancers in their program.
Dance teachers for the 2023/2024 program include Miss Katie, Miss Robin, Miss Kirsten, Miss Rebekka and Miss Jory.
Hanna Dance Association is well-known for promoting excellence in dance, which often translates into top awards at various competitions. The benefits for the competitive program are well documented and promoted within Hanna Dance. These benefits can include (but are not limited to) skill development, goal setting, sportsmanship, teamwork, time management/discipline, increased confidence/self-esteem, and social/life skills.
But competition is not for everyone, nor for all ages. Recognizing the need, responding to that need, and putting a solution into action are what set Hanna Dance Association apart from other similar programs.
Top Left: “Miss Jory” (Jory Pahl) with Dance Assistant Levi Quashnick.
Top Right: L-R: Brielle Cummings, Ronnie Vredegoor, Freya Maclean, Alice Spellman, Estelle Gross, Brooklyn Laughlin, Poppy Maclean, Kali Kreiser (front), Jory Pahl, Leevi Quashnick
Middle Right: L-R: Kali Kreiser, Brooklyn Laughlin, Poppy Maclean Kali Kreiser
Right: Kali Kreiser
Below: L-R: Estelle Gross, Brooklyn Laughlin. PHOTOS BY GWEN SNELL
Night in Bethlehem was the best one ever!
BY PASTOR BRAD BROADHEAD
“I’ve been to lots of these, but this is the best one I have ever seen,” said one visitor. Another said, “We asked our kids if they wanted to come and even the older ones said, ‘Of course!’” Night in Bethlehem has been an Oyen staple since 2008. On the nights of December 1st and 2nd, it was held at the Crossroads Center for the first time since Covid. The Oyen Ministerial Association partnered with the Big Country Agricultural Society along with many local volunteers to recreate the setting of the Christmas story.
Three hundred seventy five people signed in at the register and proceeded to walk down a street in first century Bethlehem, dropping by stalls where they could take in a farmer’s market, make bread, construct musical instruments, do crafts, and hear about the birth of Christ from various sources. There were donkeys, sheep, and goats to pet, a camel on the loose, a tax collector to collect money for Caesar (the Oyen Food Bank), and an inn with no vacancy. Roman soldiers kept the peace while a rabbi read a prophecy and told the story of David and Goliath. Shepherds wandered about, telling everyone who would listen about their encounter with angels who said the Messiah was born. At the end of the street was the Holy Family (managed by three alternating families with infants). The townspeople of Bethlehem also filled the streets, reminding those in the know about how crowded Bethlehem would have been due to an ancient Roman census. Passports written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew (not to mention English), guided guests to each booth and various personages for stamps to help ensure nothing was missed. Overhead the ‘stars’ sparkled in the night sky, including a particularly prominent one above the Holy Family.
Most visitors were from Oyen, but people also came from nearby towns, including Acadia Valley, Cereal, Sibbald, Chinook, and Alsask. Someone was heard to remark, “It was absolutely worth the drive from Leader.” An-
other traveler came all the way from Lethbridge. In addition to families with young children and seniors, visitors included students from South Central High. For some, it was their first exposure to biblical stories. It led to one interesting conversation on the history of Israel in light of current events.
Tax collector Bill Kolkman squeezed $277.15 from by-passers. Put together with other donations, Night in Bethlehem raised a total of $1494.25 in cash donations and an abundance of non-perishable food goods for the Oyen Food Bank
The set up and take down for Night in Bethlehem required coordinating a large number of volunteers. Although many were involved, special mention should go to Andrea Shields, the Reverend Catherine Holland, Imogene Hauck, and Bonnie Burke, who worked hard to track down volunteers and to coordinate their efforts. Planning meetings began in September and all four churches in Oyen baked and brought cookies and muffins for famished pilgrims arriving in Bethlehem. Volunteers descended on the Crossroads Center on November 29th to pack the dirt, set up the frame, erect the plywood walls, and then pull the ‘sky’ over the structure. The occupants of the booths worked hard to decorate them and other volunteers set up pillars, walls, gazebos, and lights to heighten the sense of immersion. The teardown was managed quickly by many willing hands on Saturday night.
The Christmas story has cultural, as well as religious, significance to Canadians. Events such as Night in Bethlehem connect us with past generations and help us trace our beliefs and values back to their foundations. If we ever are tempted take for granted the way our culture values each individual and upholds their rights and freedoms, we can walk the streets of Bethlehem again and be reminded of how the birth of a child signalled the downfall of tyranny and oppression and filled the hearts of countless generations with a sustaining hope and courage in the darkest of times.
1942 ~ Edna McKelvie ~ 2023
Edna Eloise McKelvie of Park Meadows Medicine Hat, passed away at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, due to lung cancer, on Monday, December 4th, 2023 at the age of 81 years. She was born January 18, 1942 to Howard and Eloise (Willock) Ireland of Oyen, Alberta. Edna attended school in Oyen and received her teaching certificate from the University of Calgary. Edna married Dean McKelvie on December 22, 1962 and they began their married life together, farming in the Benton area for 23 years. Edna and Dean wintered in Arizona for many years where hiking the Superstition Mountains became a pas-
sion for her. Edna became a very active member of the Volkssport Club of Medicine Hat, travelling many paths all over Alberta. She was a competitive player in many sports and was always up for a game of cards. Gardening and stain glass were favourite hobbies. Edna had many friendly and giving qualities, creating many lifelong bonds. She contributed to Plan International Canada, supporting orphans in many developing countries. Edna will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Edna is survived by her husband, Dean McKelvie; brothers, Ken (Kate) Ireland of High River and Roger (Jackie)
Ireland of Wetaskiwin; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Edna was predeceased by her parents, Howard and Eloise Ireland; brother-in-law, Grant Wood; sister, Yvonne Wood; brother, Bob Ireland; niece, Melanie Wood and nephew, Jake Wood. Funeral service arrangements will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to your local Food Bank. Condolences may be sent through www.saamis.com or to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Edna McKelvie. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORIUM, “The Chapel in the Park”, Medicine Hat, Alberta. Should you wish any additional information, please telephone 1-800-317-2647.
Town of Oyen Library:
FICTION:
The Clarion, by Nina Dunic
It all Comes Back to You, by Beth Duke
Kingdom of Love: 3 Medieval Romances, by Tracie Peterson
Nanny Wanted, by Lizzy Barber
The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch: a Novel, by Jacqueline Firkins
The Talk of Coyote Canyon, by Brenda Novak
JUVENILE FICTION:
Looking Up, by Stephan Pastis
PICTURE BOOKS/CHILDREN:
Cranberry Thanksgiving, by Wende Devlin
THANK YOU Oyen Concrete
Congratulations to the South Central High School Scorpions senior boys basketball team on winning gold at the Michael Smigelski Memorial tournament. The JV boys played hard and did very well competing against all senior teams. Going to be a great year of basketball. Thanks to the Smigelski family for all their work helping with the tournament and the donations of medals, food and a scholarship for a grade 12 MVP of the tournament from SCHS. Winner of the scholarship was Anthoni Prawl.
PHOTOS COURTESY SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
Booknotes
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Dayna Wilson, Library Manager
Library Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 12-5; Tuesdays 2-7 403-664-3644 ext. 2
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AHS threat to reduce nursing positions won’t help retain and recruit nurses in
United Nurses of Alberta is deeply concerned about the job security of frontline nurses after receiving a letter from Alberta Health Services warning the union about potential “reductions of positions” in 2024.
A letter sent to UNA Director of Labour Relations, David Harrigan, from AHS Executive Director of Labour Relations Lee McEwen on December 1, 2023 warns of “reductions in positions within UNA’s AHS bargaining unit flowing from the movement of functions outside the organization.”
following three years.
Alberta
“This kind of mixed messaging only makes it more difficult to retain the nurses already working in dangerously understaffed workplaces and makes it even harder to recruit new nurses to work in Alberta,” said UNA President Heather Smith. “This is the opposite kind of signal that AHS should be sending to nurses and health care workers right now.”
Alberta is facing a province-wide shortage of nurses. According to the AHS website, there are more than 20 hospitals and health care centres currently reporting temporary service disruptions due to staff shortages, including the Fort Macleod Health Centre emergency department, which was temporarily closed on December 4 due to a shortage of nurses.
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The AHS letter and a letter from Covenant Health Senior Director of Labour Relations Monica Williams warn that organizational changes could include “changes to staff mix and service redesign, contracting out, changes or repurposing of sites or relocating, reducing or ceasing the provision of services.” This appears to contradict what Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange told UNA representatives in face-to-face meetings.
This mirrors a statement made in a letter sent by AHS to UNA ahead of the last round of provincial contract negotiations in November 2019. That letter laid out an AHS plan to eliminate an “estimated” 500 full-time equivalent Registered Nurse jobs over the
“Sabre rattling and threats by the employers ahead of the next round of bargaining will make it more difficult to convince Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses to work in Alberta,” said Smith. “More staff shortages will only lead to more service disruptions for patients who need care.”
“Nurses want respect from their employer,” said Smith. “There was no respect in this letter from AHS.”
Albertans encouraged to know their healthcare options
Fall and winter are traditionally busy times of year for healthcare services, with the potential for high demand in emergency departments and hospitals across Alberta.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is always working to manage the capacity in emergency departments to ensure efficient, high-quality care.
If you have a medical emergency, or come to an emergency department, you will always receive care. But sometimes many people visit an emergency department because they don’t know where else to go for care.
AHS wants Albertans to get the right care in the right place. There are
BUFFALO NEWS
many options to receive the care you need. Make sure you know all the care options available and choose the one that suits you and your family.
Some of your care options include:
• A community clinic
• Health Link at 811
• Your local pharmacist
In many instances, self-care can also help you cope with non-severe symptoms of seasonal illness. If you’re unsure, call Health Link at 811 or visit a family doctor, pharmacist or community physician. AHS also has information that can help parents and caregivers know when to seek medical attention and when they can provide care at home to sick or injured children. This information is available at ahs. ca/heal.
Get to know your options. Visit www.ahs.ca/options, which offers information in Arabic, French, Vietnamese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Punjabi and Spanish.
This week I have another very short but sweet news column. I have another new neighbour. He is David Douglas Ross White infant son of Ross and Judy White of Jenner. David was born a couple months early on November 14, 2023 at Foothills Hospi-
tal weighing only 3.07 pounds. He is gaining weight as babies are supposed to do but is being closely watched by medical staff and his parents. Congratulations to Ross and Judy as well as grandmothers Pearl White of Jenner and Charlotte McLean of Rockyford. And all the aunties and uncles! Best wishes to all.
Hanna Ministerial concert gives gifts this season
BY GWEN SNELL Freelance Journalist
Rev. Dr. John Schaufele and his colleagues with the Hanna Ministerial Association were pleased with the participation and attendance at their annual Ministerial Concert held at the Hanna Community Centre on Sunday, December 3, at 7 p.m.
Both local churches and community groups volunteer to take part in providing the entertainment for the evening. Special mention was made to Will Warwick for assisting with the sound for the program. Allowing the performers to choose their own selection provides a diverse program of musical entertainment for the evening. Those in attendance joined in for the singing of traditional Christmas hymns, which were spaced throughout the program between the various performers and special readings from the bible.
Each year, donations are accepted at the event, including donations for the local food bank. By the end of the evening, there were two large tables overflowing with Food Bank donations, and over $1,300 in funds were received.
Cash donations assist with the costs associated with the evening, including rental for the facility. Any funds over and above the obligations provide support in two categories: travel assistance and emergency needs. Generally, travel assistance requests are more frequent during the summer months, and emergency needs are on an as-needed basis, varying from year to year.
Hanna’s Ministerial Concert is a
“A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, everyone.”
long-standing annual event which draws church and community of Hanna and district together in a common celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus. The event celebrates Christmas and “the coming of our Saviour”, including those who might not identify themselves as Christians or churchgoers, according to the Reverend.
Looking at the benefits the concert provides, Rev. Dr. John Schaufele expresses his strong faith and feels that there are two strong positive impacts:
“First, our coming together and singing the carols of Christmas helps lift our eyes upwards ... Second, it allows all of God’s people to join with one another and collectively express our praise and thankfulness to God in the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus.”
He goes on to share this statement:
“Giving is a central theme of Christmas, from God’s gift of His Son to our own gifts to one another. This Christmas, I encourage all of us to remember those who are suffering and need our support. Kindness and generosity are gifts that are deeply appreciated. Thank You to everyone for your gifts to the Hanna Food Band and other community support programs. Your generosity is appreciated. It is my desire that each of us be able to say, as Tiny Tim, “A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, everyone.”
BY MADISON KEYS
As the calendar inches closer to December, it is time to prepare for the winter season ahead. As parents and guardians, it can be normal to want to keep children inside and out of the winter weather. However, it is important to encourage a healthy lifestyle in your children and encourage safe outdoor winter activity.
The physical activity recommendation within the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth is a daily average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). According to ParticipACTION’s 2022 Children and Youth Report Card, only 28 per cent of Canadian children aged five to seventeen years old are meeting this guideline. This rate is an 11 per cent drop from the previous year’s report card.
Children and Youth are recommended by the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines to have no more than two hours of screen time per day on average. However, at the start of the pandemic in 2020, only 16.5 per cent of children were meeting this recommendation. Participating in winter activities can help to keep children active throughout the Canadian winter season and help to increase their rates of activity. Activities may include ice skating or hockey, sledding, skiing, and snowboarding.
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If the temperature outside is -25 °C or lower, it is important to limit the amount of time outside as skin can freeze in a few minutes at this temperature. If the temperature is above -25 °C, here are actions you can implement to stay safe:
• Dress in warm clothes. Wearing a few lighter layers is better than one heavy layer and can help to maintain overall body heat.
• Children’s hoods and jackets should not have drawstrings, as drawstrings present a safety hazard for them. If the hood or jacket comes with drawstrings, you should remove them before your child wears the clothing item.
• Ensure that vulnerable areas of the body, such as the toes, fingers, nose, and ears, are protected from the cold. Wearing gloves, a toque and tube-shaped neck warmers are great options for keeping these vulnerable areas warm.
• Taking frequent breaks from the cold can be important for helping the body warm up. Let’s all do our part to help children be active all year round! For more information on how to stay active and safe this winter season look for Winter outdoor safety tips at parachute.ca.
Madison Keys is a practicum student with the Alberta Health Services South Zone Population and Public Health team.
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This holiday season be nice to hospitality workers
BY NICK KOSSOVAN
Dear consumers,
The holiday season is upon us. Therefore, sadly predictable, even with hyperinflation and an uncertain economy, our Western consumerism has begun its annual shift into high gear, resulting in our interacting with front-line hospitality workers (retail sales associates, baristas, restaurant servers) more than usual. You can tell a lot about someone by how they treat the person serving them; hence, the value of kindness cannot be overstated.
Throughout December and to support extended Boxing Week sales, well into January, hospitality workers will be working long hours, often eating on their feet or in the stockroom, missing out on festivities with friends and family and exhausting themselves. Crippling staffing shortages, coupled with stock shortages, have created stressful retail and eating establishment environments for both employees and customers.
God forbid Barbie Dreamhouse is not in stock, the barista added the wrong flavoured syrup to your coffee, the Subway counter clerk forgot to swap your salad for chips, or you asked for no ice, and your drink came with ice.
Breathe! You have food, a roof over your head, work to go to, and a sense of safety, as opposed to the millions worldwide who currently live in unimaginable poverty or, through no fault of their own, find themselves living in a war zone.
Humans, especially in stressful, busy work environments, are bound to make mistakes. You gain nothing by not treating the person serving you with the respect they deserve other than adding stress to an already stressful situation and, as I have often seen, making a public scene because your Kansas City Striploin was done, according to you, medium-well, not well-done as you asked for.
As much as everyone bemoans the economy and how hard it is to make "ends meet" (READ: "I have to rethink my wants.") our society has somehow evolved to where consumers have the privilege of prioritizing getting stressed over a toy, not being in stock, over putting food on the table.
I assure you that the person serving you did not purposefully run out of stock or intentionally make whatever mistake you are upset over. Do not take it personally—it is not the end of the world. As an understanding and empathetic human being, which I hope we all are, give the person the benefit of the
doubt and politely point out the mistake... or better yet, let it go! (The salad is better for you.)
Now is the ideal time to put aside our 1st world privileges. If the person serving makes a mistake, which I repeat was unintentional, be understanding, nice and forgiving. Remember, especially when dining out, that the person serving you is working hard, while juggling factors out of their control (e.g., the chef called in sick, an item is out of stock, the cappuccino machine is broken), trying to make your experience as pleasant as possible.
Who is not angry about today's prices? When making purchases which your cashier ringing them up likely cannot afford, be nice! Hospitality workers have no control over prices. If something is expensive, rethink if you really need to make the purchase and why you are making it. Is it to impress? To look rich? An attempt to buy acceptance or love?
Evaluating your reasons for making a purchase is much more financially savvy than berating a sales associate that the Jordan Retro 7 sneakers you want to gift to your nephew in Regina, whom you have not spoken to in three years, but you want your brother to perceive you as "financially successful," cost $245.
The sales associate or your server did not set the price. How you spend your money, what you are willing to pay, is entirely on you, not the person serving you. If you are angry at how much something costs, be angry at yourself for believing you "must have it."
Hospitality workers are people with real feelings. Shouting at a McDonald's counter server, which I had seen on several occasions because they gave you sweet and sour dipping sauce when you asked for barbecue, will likely result in that person going in the back to cry. Was it worth making someone earning minimum wage feel bad for making an unintentional mistake over dipping sauce?
The holidays are about celebrating the values that bind us and coming together. Despite all our self-identifying differences and how the media and politicians go to great lengths to create divisiveness, I like to think we can all agree, even though we do not always act accordingly—everyone is allowed a few bad days— that being nice to each other is a critical part of our social contract. Is not the heart of humanity human kindness? Smiling costs nothing. Saying "Please" and "Thank you" costs nothing. It costs nothing to treat bar, retail, and restaurant staff with patience.
There is no better place to start than with hospitality workers to live by the simple golden rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated," not just during the holiday season but throughout the year.
As I mentioned initially, how you treat the person serving you tells a lot about you.
Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what's on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on X/Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.
OP-ED: Where have all the teachers
BY JASON SCHILLING
Alberta’s students deserve the best. Unfortunately, our ability to attract and retain teachers to work in public schools is being eroded.
Dedicated teachers are exiting the province and exiting the profession because of how untenable working conditions have become. With an influx of new students into classrooms in recent years, teachers are facing a workload that feels overwhelming, impossible, and unrelenting. Not only are class sizes large, but the unmet needs of the students are tremendous.
Jason Schilling is the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association and a teacher from Lethbridge, Alberta with 25 years of experience in the classroom.
PHOTO: COURTESY THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
The government routinely shares that Alberta has one of the best education systems in the world, and we do. However, while the government takes the credit, teachers and school leaders are doing the work of propping up a system on edge. That work is becoming more and more complex and challenging.
Work intensification and the moral distress of seeing students struggle without getting access to the supports they require are wreaking havoc on the teaching profession.
This school year has seen another very large increase in the number of students across the province. School divisions in Edmonton and Calgary alone are seeing an addition of up to 16,000 new students. Rapid growth in the student population has been going on for years. Sadly, the funding of our schools has not kept up.
The most recent data from Statistics Canada paints a dire picture. Alberta’s schools are by far the lowest funded, per pupil, in the country. As a result, we have a significantly higher ratio of students to teacher than every other province. Public education in Alberta would need an increase of 1.2 billion dollars to bring Alberta just to the Canadian fund-
ing average.
gone?
Every student in public schools deserves to have their learning needs met. It is irresponsible and, frankly, quite shocking that Alberta students are dead last in Canada when it comes to funding.
I know that teachers are not alone in this concern. Recent public opinion polling the ATA conducted showed that 72 per cent of Albertans believe class sizes are too big, while 68 per cent of Albertans believe the government is not spending enough to support our public schools.
What does this lack of funding actually look like on a day-to-day basis in our schools and classrooms? Students crammed into overcrowded classes with the number of students too often creeping up into the high 30s and low 40s. A lack of resources such as textbooks and teacher guides to support newly introduced curriculum. Too many classes without educational assistants and too many students going without the extra support they require to succeed.
It is easy to see how this sustained neglect to adequately support schools is impacting the people who work in
those schools. Increasingly, teachers and school leaders are feeling a sense of despair when they cannot meet the needs of their students on a daily basis. This feeling of hopelessness is driving great teachers and school leaders, who want to do their very best for our students, away from the profession. Currently, there are several school jurisdictions across the province with job postings that are going unfilled.
The issues in education are quickly becoming normalized and that’s not right. It doesn’t need to be this way.
We need to move the narrative away from the idea that public education is an expense that we cannot afford. We cannot keep asking our public education system to do more with less. By underfunding our public schools, we are failing a generation of students who will one day be our province’s leaders.
As the legislature returns this fall, it is my hope that our elected officials will look at education as an investment in our students and their futures. We have an amazing resource in Alberta of teachers who are educating the leaders of tomorrow. We can’t afford NOT to properly fund public education in Alberta.
The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Anyone who has ever wondered when and where the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer originated will enjoy reading about Bob May, who created this fictional story eighty-five years ago.
As the holiday season of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May wasn’t feeling much comfort or joy. The 34-year-old writer for Montgomery Ward was exhausted and nearly broke. His wife, Evelyn, was bedridden, on the losing end of a two-year battle with cancer. This left Bob to look after their fouryear-old daughter, Barbara.
One night, Barbara asked her father, “Why isn’t my mommy like everybody else’s mommy?” As he struggled to answer his daughter’s question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. But he wanted to give his daughter hope and show her that being different was nothing to be ashamed of.
More than that, he wanted her to know that he loved her. So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa’s team. Barbara loved the story so much that she made her father tell it every night before bedtime. As he did, it grew more elaborate. Because he couldn’t afford to buy his daughter a gift for Christmas, Bob decided to turn the story into a homemade picture book.
In early December, Bob’s wife died. Though heartbroken, he kept working on the book for his daughter. A few days before Christmas, he reluctantly attended a company party at Montgomery Ward. His co-workers encouraged him to share the story he’d written. After he read it, there was a standing ovation. Everyone wanted copies of their own.
Montgomery Ward bought the rights to the book from their debt-ridden employee. Over the next six years, they gave away six million copies of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to shoppers at Christmas. Every major publishing house in the country was
making offers to obtain the book.
In an incredible display of goodwill, the head of the department store returned all rights to Bob May. Four years later, Rudolph had made him into a millionaire.
Now remarried with a growing family, May felt blessed by his good fortune. But there was more to come. His brother-in-law, a successful songwriter named Johnny Marks, set the uplifting story to music. The song was pitched to artists from Bing Crosby on down. They all passed up on the offer.
Finally, Marks approached Gene Autry. The cowboy star had scored a holiday hit with “Here Comes
Then one foggy Christmas night, Santa came to say “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?“
Song adapted from original storybook
Santa Claus” a few years before. Like the others, Autry wasn’t impressed with the song about the misfit reindeer. Marks begged him to give it a second listen. Autry played it for his wife, Ina. She was so touched by the line “They wouldn’t let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games” that she insisted her husband record the tune.
Within a few years, it had become the second best-selling Christmas song ever, right behind “White Christmas.” Since then, Rudolph has come to life in TV specials, cartoons, movies, toys, games, colouring books, greeting cards and even a Ringling Bros. Circus act.
The little red-nosed reindeer dreamed up by Bob May and immortalized in song by Johnny Marks has come to symbolize Christmas as much as Santa Claus, evergreen trees and presents. As the last line of the song says, “He’ll go down in history.”
Robert L. May passed away in 1976, but the story he wrote for his young daughter still lives on.
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Drumheller RCMP arrest fleeing impaired driver
In the early morning hours of December 3rd, 2023, Drumheller RCMP officers were conducting an “Alberta Checkstop” at the intersection of Bridge Street and Grove Place in Drumheller for the purpose of checking driver sobriety.
At approximately 12:05 am, a white 2018 Ford F250 pickup truck entered the checkstop area but was soon observed driving over the curb and leaving the roadway in an apparent effort to avoid contact with the police. RCMP officers gave commands to the driver to stop; however, the vehicle fled. Officers observed the vehicle park at a nearby hotel, located in the 100 block of Grove Place, and observed
the suspect flee into a hotel room. Despite many attempts to have the suspect open the door, the suspect failed to do so.
At 12:50 am, officers obtained a “Warrant to Enter” and forcibly entered the hotel suite arresting the suspect. The suspect provided breath samples and was found to have a blood alcohol content over the legal limit.
Robert Anderson, 58 years old of Rimbey, Alberta, was charged with:
• Obstruction contrary to Sec. 129(a) of the Criminal Code.
Anderson was also subject to Provincial Sanctions
Update: Alberta Pension Plan engagement
This fall, the Alberta Pension Plan Engagement Panel, led by former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning, invited Albertans to discuss the findings of an independent report on a potential provincial pension plan. The panel has been collecting feedback from Albertans since then, with more than 76,000 Albertans participating in five telephone town hall sessions and more than 94,000 Albertans completing the online survey. The first phase of the engagement is now complete, and the panel will now analyze what it has heard from Albertans so far.
“Albertans can rest assured that their voices have been heard and that’s why I tabled the Alberta Pension Protection Act, which provides Albertans with certainty that their pension contributions are safe and that we will not proceed with a provincial plan without their say through a referendum. This is a complex process and one that we do not take lightly.”
Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance
During this first phase of engagement, it quickly became clear that Albertans wanted more precise information on the value of the asset transfer Alberta would be entitled to receive if it were to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan. While the LifeWorks report was able to provide a reasonable asset transfer value by relying on publicly available data, determining a more precise number requires analysis from the federal government.
Following discussions between Canada’s finance ministers, the federal finance minister has committed to asking the chief actuary of Canada to provide an opinion on Alberta’s share of the CPP assets. Alberta’s government is hopeful that this work can be completed promptly so that Albertans can have as much information as possible as they consider the possibility of a new plan. To that end, the panel has decided to give the chief actuary of Canada some time to release their findings before scheduling new public engagement sessions. Albertans continue to have the opportunity to participate in the conversation by reading the information on AlbertaPensionPlan.ca and completing the online workbook.
“We are pleased with how many Albertans we have reached with our consultations to date. The LifeWorks report presents an opportunity worth exploring and Albertans have answered that call, but what we’ve heard loud and clear is that they want to hear how the federal government calculates the asset transfer number. We will start the next round of public meetings when we have more clarity on that number, but in the meantime, we encourage everyone to have a look at our workbook and provide feedback there.”
Jim
Dinning, chair, Alberta Pension Plan Engagement Panel
Throughout this entire process Alberta’s government committed to ensuring the most-up-to-date information is provided to Albertans.
That’s a wrap, fall session adjourns
Alberta’s government stood up for Albertans and delivered on its mandate from voters in the first sitting of the 31st legislature.
The fall legislative session started on Oct. 30 and Alberta’s government quickly introduced two bills to safeguard the financial interests of Albertans and businesses. The Taxpayer Amendment Act further strengthens Alberta’s position as the most taxpayer-friendly province in Canada. The Alberta Pension Protection Act protects the pensions and benefits of Albertans and locks in the promise that Alberta’s government will not move forward with a provincial pension plan unless it is approved by Albertans in a referendum.
Through the unanimously passed Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Amendment Act, 2023, Alberta’s government has strengthened its case against those who have contributed to the creation of the opioid addiction crisis.
Also in this sitting, Alberta’s government tabled its first Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act motion, which urges the government to take strong, effective action over the coming months and years to counteract the harms and risks to Albertans posed by the unconstitutional federal Clean Electricity Regulations (CERs).
“After the first fall session of the 31st legislature, Alberta’s government has kept its promises and delivered on our mandate from voters to take the province’s economy to new heights, protect Albertans’ finances and defend the autonomy of Alberta.”
Joseph Schow, Government House Leader
During the inaugural session of the 31st legislature, Alberta’s government passed nine bills that will help
grow the economy, protect law-abiding Albertans, improve health care and defend the province from federal interference.
Other fall legislation highlights:
• The Tax Statutes Amendment Act, 2023 ensures Alberta’s tax laws remain clear and consistent.
• The Public Sector Employers Amendment Act, 2023 makes it easier for public sector employers to retain and attract talent.
• The Public Health Amendment Act, 2023 creates clear lines of authority related to public health decisions and affirms that the people elected by Albertans should make the final decisions based on scientific and medical public health factors during a public health situation.
• The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Amendment Act, 2023 gives Alberta a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting tech workers.
• The Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2023 makes it easier for Albertans to access important justice services and ensures Alberta’s legislation is up to date.
• The Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2023 serves as a housekeeping bill, ensuring the province’s legislation is up to date.
Motions passed in the chamber:
• Government Motion 8 calls upon the federal government to put an end to the carbon tax and the burden it places on Albertans and their families.
for Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle which included immediate licence suspension and seizure of his vehicle for 30 days.
Anderson was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Drumheller on January 26th, 2023 to answer to the charge.
Staff Sergeant Robert Harms of Drumheller Detachment stated “Impaired Drivers pose a significant risk to the public and users of our roadways. Operations to locate and intercept impaired drivers is a priority and will continue. This is another example of the effectiveness of such operations and further demonstrates the dedication of our officers.”
ACADIA VALLEY
- Yoga in The Valley Thursdays from 7:30 - 8:30 PM in the Hall. Call/text Jamie 403-548-5146 for more info.
- Gymnastics - Cactus Gym Club’s Fall Classes until November 4 at the Acadia Valley Event Centre. To register or for more info, contact Michelle Hutton at 403-502-3050.
- Adult drop-in Volleyball Wednesdays 7:30 PM at Warren Peers School. Contact Marie 403-664-8589 for more info.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16
• Christmas in the Valley presented by the Acadia Valley ECS
CEREAL
- Tuesdays - Cereal Cottages Weekly Coffee Time 9:30 AM
- Wednesdays - Quilting Days 10 AM - 4 PM $10.00
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13
• Cereal Board of Trade Sewing Day 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the C.J. Peacock Centre.
CESSFORD
- Tuesday from 7:00 - 9:00 PM Pickleball in Gym and Craft Night in Library Berry Creek Community School (except school holidays)
CRAIGMYLE
- Wednesdays - 9:30 AM Coffee at Craigmyle Historic Church
DELIA
- Tuesdays & Thursdays - 9:00 AM Coffee & Cards at the Drop in Centre
- Wednesdays - 7:00 PM Cards & Pool at the Drop in Centre
- Thursdays - Pickleball 6:30 PM at the Delia Gym (No Pickleball Nov. 16)
- Thursdays - Drop in Curling 7:00 PM starting November 23
- Fridays - Public Skating at the Delia Arena 3:30-5:30 PM
- Sundays - 10:30 AM DCF Morning Service
- Sundays - Public Skating at the Delia Arena 2:00-4:00 PM
- Teens Only Crafts & Cookie at Delia Library 4:30-6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13
• Delia & District Senior Citizens Christmas Dinner 5 PM at the Delia Drop-In Centre. See ad in this newspaper for details.
ENDIANG
- Mondays - 1:00 PM Endiang Floor Curling
EMPRESS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15
• Christmas Tree Lighting. Starts at 5 PM. Tree Lighting at 7 PM. Hay rides and carolling. Includes free food and drinks.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16
• Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture & Leisure Society “Friendsmas Potluck” at the Empress Community Hall. Dinner 5:30 PM. 50/50 Draw 7:00 PM. Bring a potluck dish and celebrate the season with family and friends. Please let us know how many children and their ages will be attending. Santa will be giving presents. Text: 604-807-0553.
HANNA
Hanna Senior Circle
- Wednesdays 1:00 PM Cards (Spades)
- Thursdays 1:00 PM Cards (Five Hundred) Wednesday, December 13
• Minor Hockey practice 4:00-10:25 PM
• Drop-In/Private Bookings 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Centennial Place. Call for availability. 403-854-4700.
• Youth Drop-In 3:30-5:30 PM at Centennial Place. Open Gym. Drop-in fee applies.
• Learn to Play Pickleball 6:00-7:00 PM at Centennial Place. All Ages. Drop-in or access fee applies.
• Pickleball for 16+ 7:00-9:00 PM at Centennial Place. Drop-in or access fee applies.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14
• Mom and Tot. Supported by the Town of Hanna. 10:3011:30 AM. No fee.
• Drop-in hockey. Supported by the Town of Hanna. Noon1:00 PM. No fee.
• Figure Skating Club 4:00-7:15 PM
• Adult Skate with Figure Skating Club. 6:15-7:15 PM Contact hannafsc @ gmail.com.
• Minor Hockey practice 7:30-9:40 PM
• Pickleball for all ages 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Centennial Place. Sponsored by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Youth Drop-In at Centennial Place 3:30-5:30 PM. Open gym. Drop-in fee applies.
• Basketball (16+) at Centennial Place 7:00-9:00PM. Dropin fee applies.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15
• Public Skating. Supported by Town of Hanna. 6:30-7:30 PM: No fee.
• Tot n Me. (0-6 yrs and their family/caregiver) at Centennial Place 10:30 AM - Noon. Supported by the Town of Hanna. No Fee.
• Youth Drop-In at Centennial Place 3:30-5:30 PM. Open gym. Drop-in fee applies.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16
• Cheer on the Colts! Game schedule coming soon.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17
• Skate with Santa! 1:00-3:00 PM: Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Ladies Drop-In Hockey. 4:00-5:00 PM: Contact Ashley (403) 854-0535 or Robin (403) 854-0669. Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Public Skating. 5:30-6:30 PM Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Men’s League. 7:00-8:45 PM: Contact Darren at 403-857-
9453 or Jay at 403-854-7051.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 18
• Public Skating. 2:30-3:30 PM Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Minor Hockey practice 4:00-10:25 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19
• Parent and Tot 10:30-11:30 AM Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Noon Hour Drop-In Hockey Noon-1:00 PM. Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Figure Skating Club 4:00-7:15 PM. Contact hannafsc@ gmail.com.
• Minor Hockey practice 7:30-9:40 PM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20
• Minor Hockey practice 4:00-10:25 PM
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21
• Mom and Tot 10:30-11:30 AM. Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Drop-in hockey Noon-1:00 PM. Supported by the Town of Hanna. No fee.
• Figure Skating Club 4:00-7:15 PM
• Adult Skate with Figure Skating Club 6:15-7:15 PM. Contact hannafsc@gmail.com.
• Minor Hockey practice 7:30-9:40 PM.
OYEN
- Oyen Town Council meet 2nd Tuesday of every month 6:00 PM in Council Chambers
- Oyen & District Curling Club Fun League runs Tuesday evenings and starts first week of November. Contact Kari 403-664-1001 to enter a team.
- Oyen & District Curling Club Cash League runs Wednesday evenings and starts first week of November. Contact Brett 403-664-8868 to enter a team.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15
• King Arthur’s Quest performance (Grade 1-6) at South Central High School
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31
• BCAS presents Happy Bucking New Year - CPRA Professional Bull Riding at the Crossroads Centre in Oyen. Doors open at 4:00 PM, Bulls Buck at 7:00 PM.
SCAPA
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16
• The Scapa Athletic Association will be holding a Christmas lunch with Santa from 2:00-5:00 PM.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23
• The Scapa St. Peter’s Lutheran Church annual Christmas service will be held at 7:00 PM.
SEDALIA
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15
• Sedalia Late Night Christmas Celebration starting at 6:00 PM. Hay rides, fireworks, keg curling, hot dog roast, turkey shoot, shopping specials and contests with lots of laughter and visiting. Dance to follow at the Sedalia Hall. Contact Ed for more info 403-326-2152.