Clark Huston entertains residents at Valentine’s party
BY DIANNE SPATH
Hello, everyone. It is so nice to have warmer weather again. I hope everyone had a great long weekend.
Happy Birthday to Mae Mock on February 17th. Monday, February 17th, was a holiday, so there were no activities. The residents have been enjoying a week of the Scotties curling.
Tuesday started with exercises and the regular downtown FCSS van service for the residents to do their shopping. Tuesday morning was a one-on-one scrabble game with a resident. February 18th was “National Wine Day,” so there was a pub afternoon with refreshments, wine and snacks served.
Wednesday morning was Church with Catherine, followed by scrabble games. In the afternoon was shuffleboard. Wednesday was “National Chocolate Mint Day,” so the Manager provided the staff with chocolate mint ice cream and chocolate mint treats. Thank you, Gloria, for the nice gesture.
Thursday morning started with a phase ten card game, and in the afternoon, it was bingo. Happy Birthday to Myrna Ferreras on February 20th.
On Thursday evening,
some of the residents enjoyed the championship hockey game between Canada and the United States. It was a good game. Way to go, Canada!
Friday started with exercises, followed by horse races. In the afternoon, there was the Valentine’s party,
with Clark Huston entertaining the residents with some awesome music. Red wine and other refreshments were served, along with red and white cake and chocolates. Each resident received a heart with the saying “you are loved” on them, along with two chocolate hearts.
The tables were decorated with red or pink Valentine trees and red and pink decor. Several Valentine’s door prizes were given out. Friday evening there was music by the Jorgenson’s. Have a wonderful week, everyone, and enjoy the warm weather.
OYEN LODGE
The Oyen Lodge was looking very festive for the Valentine’s Day party which was held a week later than the actual day itself. Residents were treated to entertainment by Clark Huston in the afternoon as well as refreshments and door prizes. They are all loved! PHOTO BY DIANNE SPATH
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Seven teams participate in Oyen Ladies Bonspiel
BY JACKIE DICK
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Pursuant to the Municipal Government Act (MGA), being Chapter M-26 of the Statutes of Alberta, notice is hereby given that the Council of the Town of Oyen intends to consider a proposed amendment to the Town’s Municipal Development Plan (MDP) Bylaw 890-22. The primary purpose for the amendment is to accommodate recently annexed parcels on the eastern border into the Town, and to update the statutory policy names of recently adopted Area Structure Plans (Oyen Railyard ASP and Oyen East Industrial ASP).
The proposed amendment will update the maps contained in the MDP, including the Town municipal boundary, and the future use of those lands for industrial purposes. Should you wish to address council in person, a public hearing for Bylaw 930-25 will be held in the Town of Oyen office at 201 Main Street, on March 11, 2025 commencing at 6:00 p.m., following the public hearing for Bylaw 929-25. Council will hear from any person claiming to be affected by the proposed bylaw.
Additionally, written comments may be delivered to Box 360, 201 Main Street, Oyen, Alberta, T0J 2J0 or emailed to cao@oyen.ca; submissions will be received up to March 10, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
The proposed Bylaw 930-25 can be reviewed online at townofoyen.com, or copies may be picked up Monday through Friday at 201 Main Street, Oyen from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding the proposed Land Use Bylaw, please reach out to the Town of Oyen CAO or PRMS Senior Planner in advance of the public hearing. The purpose of the public hearing is for Council to hear comments and concerns from the public, detailed questions may not be able to be answered at the public hearing. *Once the public hearing is closed, no further feedback will be accepted by the Council.*
For more information, please contact: Debbie Ross, Town of Oyen CAO ph: 403-664-3511
email: cao@oyen.ca
Tracy Woitenko, PRMS Senior Planner ph: 587-570-8068
email: twoitenko@palliserservices.ca
The Oyen and District Curling Club hosted the 2025 Ladies Bonspiel on February 8. The one-day spiel consisted of seven teams that curled 4-end games throughout the day.
Curlers brought a wrapped $30.00 item as their entry fee. After the games had wrapped up, a Chinese Gift exchange was held.
Besides the curling, the ladies had the opportunity to buy tickets on bucket draws. The table was full of many lovely items won by lucky individuals.
The Chuckwagon kept the ladies fed with their delicious food.
Thanks goes out to the curlers who participated that day and the individuals and businesses that donated items for the prize table.
OPINION:
A Canadian version of James Bond shares his story
BY JOAN JANZEN
One Free World International (OFWI) is the leading human rights organization in Canada, with teams in 28 countries. Majed El Shafie founded the organization after having escaped his own death sentence. While Eric Huffman was interviewing Majed, he referred to his guest as a Canadian version of James Bond. A quote from an old James Bond movie said, “If you’re not willing to risk it all, you don’t want it bad enough.” Those words accurately describe Majed’s story.
Majed was born into a moderate Muslim family in Egypt. “The majority of my family worked in legal careers. My father was a lawyer, and my uncle was a judge in the Supreme Court,” he said. As a young man, he followed in their footsteps.
“In my first year of law school the reality of the persecution of Christians shocked me to the core. I read lots of books about freedom, justice and human rights, and I believed in every one of those principles,” he reported. When he asked a long-time friend why this persecution was happening, his friend handed him a Bible. The young law student said he felt compelled to believe what was written in the book, even though he knew it was a difficult choice.
He began to be involved with an activist group and was eventually arrested and taken to Abu Zaabal Prison. “Prison was hell on earth, but you will not hear this information on the media,” he said. “Twenty-five percent of the prison is underground, and that’s where they tortured me for seven days. Every day was a higher level of torture.”
Masked officers called each other by number as they pushed his head into cold and then hot water on the first day. This would continue for four-hour periods with a twenty-minute break in between. His captors wanted Majed to release the names of his friends, but he refused because he knew that would only cause more deaths and torture.
On the second day, they hung him upside down and burned him with cigarettes. “I couldn’t remember that day. I just remember them dragging me by my legs to my room,” he recalled.
The following day, he was told trained dogs would be released into his room, and Majed prayed he would die before the dogs arrived rather than release the names of his friends. He cowered in a corner, legs against his chest and arms covering his face and neck as he heard the dogs’ heavy breathing.
“I waited for pain, but nothing happened. I looked through my fingers, and I saw the three dogs sitting around me and not moving,” he reported. Even when the officers beat the dogs, they wouldn’t move. Finally, the middle dog stepped forward and licked Majed’s face. It was a miracle; however, the next day, he would experience the worst torture you can imagine.
They stripped him, tied him and hung him up. “They cut my back shoulder to the bone and filled it with salt and lemon. Thankfully, I lost consciousness,” he said.
Majed spent three months in a prison hospital, was under house arrest for 11 months, had one day in court without a lawyer and was sentenced to the death penalty. “My uncle went to the court and asked the judge to give me the
TO THE EDITOR:
INFLATION
What is “Inflation”? Well, I have been searching for the answer for quite a while now. I found that it is the art of cutting a dollar bill in half without dam-
aging the bill itself. Of course, the Governor of the Bank of Canada is the only one who knows how to do this!
Robert Blagen Youngstown, AB
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kate@yourwestcentral.com oyenecho@telus.net
death penalty to clear the family from the shame I caused,” he recalled after his family disowned him.
While waiting for the death penalty, his team distracted the guards while he was under house arrest and helped Majed escape. “At the border between Israel and Egypt, I stole a jet ski, and I enjoyed it,” he said. After a 3-minute ride, he landed in Israel. He was imprisoned in Israel for 1 year, 3 months and fifteen days until the UN and Amnesty International confirmed his story and released him.
“You count the days when you’re an innocent man,” he said. Yet, in Egypt, there’s still an active warrant for his arrest. “I was wanted for $100,000 American dollars. I don’t know how much it is now.”
The Canadian version of James Bond settled in Canada in 2002 and became a Canadian citizen in 2006. After his escape, he started OFWI. “I wanted to rescue people who are at risk and in the same place I was in,” he explained. “You have two options after an experience like mine: you can become part of the problem by your silence or you become the heart of the solution. I chose to fight back in love.”
Just one example of this fight of love involves rescuing girls kidnapped and used as sex slaves. Majed recalled rescuing a group of girls, including a 9-yearold and her mother. “Her mom told me
her daughter would scream if any man got close to her. I listened to their story, and I couldn’t breathe … the stories were so heavy,” he said. “I went down on my knees and asked the girls to forgive me as a man for what other men have done. Then I felt little hands hugging me from behind; it was the 9-yearold girl.”
After being rescued the girls are put in a safe home, where step by step they can heal and reconnect with their family. The mechanisms used for the rescue involve buying materials and exchanging those materials for the girls. Their captors are led to believe the girls are being bought, not rescued. “This rescue almost bankrupt our organization. I had to take a second mortgage on my home and max my credit cards,” he said. “We don’t exchange money with terrorist organizations because it can be used to hurt more people.”
When he was asked what advice he would offer to Canadians, Majed said: “Never give up and never compromise. Let’s go out and see what an amazing difference it would make in our society. Faith and family are the foundation of our nation.”
Screenwriters wrote the words, “If you’re not willing to risk it all, you don’t want it bad enough.” However, Majed El Shafie and OFWI are living out those words in real time.
DIANA
Pop89: Just call!
BY MADONNA HAMEL
How many times have you said to a friend who has gone through a dramatic life change, such as an illness, a job loss, or a death in the family: “If you need anything, just call.” Well, I am here to yell at you: “YOU call!” Do not wait for someone to pick up the 500-pound phone when in the depths of debilitating despair or grief; YOU pick it up. Then you make that casserole and carry it to their house.
Grief columnist Dettra Rose writes: “Don’t say to a friend in need: ‘Let me know if you need anything’ because I am 99.9% sure your friend won’t contact you. First, because they probably can’t reach out and, second, because they may have no clue about what they need. So take the reins.”
Do not wait for someone lost and confused to make that first move. You suit up and show up. That is the stuff of real friendship, neighbourliness and that much-bandied about word: “community” ( too often used in press conferences by people who have never shown up to mow the grass or break bread with members of their “community”.) Being there for others is what constitutes a community - not shared ideologies, enemies or needles. A community, like a healthy family, and ultimately society at large, should bring comfort and care and sanity to each other’s life.
And no, texting your grieving friend does not count. We may rationalize that texting is our way of “not intruding,” but it’s insulting when the recipient is suffering from something greater than a spat with a boyfriend or a cancelled lunch. Rose writes that texting is a valid way to make contact without feeling you’re intruding only if followed with: “I will bring food round after work. See you at 5.30.”
Texting is the “easy” way out. The text option has put us out touch with the immediacy of intimacy that
comes with talking with someone, in-person, in real time, mid-sorrow, where we are “forced” to hear exactly where the other person is at. Why do we feel forced? Why aren’t we eager to know how our friend is feeling? Perhaps some of us, especially those of us born into a world of cell phones, have never developed the skill of “being there.” And worse, some of us belong to a generation granted the absurd right to remain aloof due to possible micro-aggressions or triggers pertaining another’s suffering.
Ask yourself, who are you making it easy for by taking the easy option? Maybe you can’t leave what you are doing at that moment, but you can listen. In fact, listening is the greatest gift you can give. Not fixing or giving advice but just listening. Listening, though it seems passive, is an active skill. And even more than that: it is a gift. And I know, because until my brother’s stroke I really sucked at it.
What I have learned, watching my own behaviour as well as my brother’s heroic progress through the effects of his stroke, is that when I get scared I get impatient, even angry. But I am not angry at him. Or even me. I am angry at the situation that makes me aware of how I can’t fix things.
When things go smoothly I don’t have to think about how life goes on with or without my veto. But then things get turned upside down and I want to direct the outcome of every little thing and I need a 12-step meeting where I am in lifelong recovery from needing to have a say over the machinations of the universe, especially as it affects my loved ones. The goal of 12-step groups in three words is: Stop Playing God! A Buddhist translates that as: Practice Non-attachment to Outcome.
When things don’t go as I - self-designated deityplanned, then I turn to food, drink, sex, drugs whatever obliterating substance or behaviour best dulls the pain. It seems like an act of kindness to I try to make things
Locals participate in Beef Expo
BY LEE SWITZER
Do you feel it? The extremely cold weather has broken today. It is glorious to be outside without being bundled to the nines and feeling like your lungs are frozen. Soon, March sunshine will be longer and stronger, and winter will seem to be in the rearview mirror. Of course, we all know that more cold snaps may come, but they won’t be as furious as these last weeks have been.
Lee Switzer
Beef Expo was held last weekend at the Crossroads Center in Oyen, with the Pen Show on Saturday and the Youth Show on Sunday, February 16. The cold didn’t keep away the crowds or the animals. Local families helping out, displaying cattle, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly included Trent & Marika Lyster & family, Scott & Shelaine Woods and family, Greg & Jerilynn Norris and family, and Kerry & Brittany Molzan and their kids. If I missed anyone else, sor-
ry in advance. Such a large undertaking requires lots of volunteers and help!
By the time you read this, the Sibbald Community Club Sled Rally will have taken place. After cancelling two dates due to crazy weather, the third time will be a charm.
Funny, my sisters and I were texting about garden plants and seeds during the frigid snap. Hope springs eternal in these parts. Take care everyone.
Of course, we all know that more cold snaps may come, but they won’t be as furious as these last weeks have been.
better for others, but often what’s really happening is I’m trying to make myself feel better, instead of learning to sit with another’s uncomfortable or downright excruciating reality.
I’ve learned a lot from my brother. If I can’t bear to hear a brother’s pain, he might start telling jokes, lightening the mood, saying reassuring things to make me feel better. And then it becomes about me, no longer him and his struggles.
I’ve also learned from the likes of my fellow Val Marian and fellow West Central voice columnist Angie Clement. Here’s her wisdom about what it’s like for those on the grieving, suffering end of things:
We assume that “people don’t want or need to hear how we are really doing and so we will reply with the usual response which is ‘fine’, ‘OK’ or ‘good’. It is just easier than trying to explain how we are truly feeling, sometimes we don’t even know ourselves …” So, “How do you measure how you are doing? I have noticed that a lot of people who are grieving gauge how they are doing by how much they cry….But it’s important to base it on your overall being and wellness in that moment.”
And then there’s that whole group of people we decide aren’t worth caring about. They don’t belong to our tribe. They don’t share our ideologies.They aren’t part of our tribe. But I say: humanity is our tribe. My brother and I don’t see eye to eye on many things, but love of neighbour and brother takes a back seat to politics we all lose.
A bout of suffering can strip our lives of pettiness, busyness, and diversions. Or it can raise the walls higher. It can solidify friendships or break them. This is when love goes deep or reveals its provisos, when we can choose who we want as a neighbour or become one.
BY TRICIA FISCHBUCH Library Manager
This is the last week of Love Your Library Month. Tell us why you love the library and you could win a small basket of goodies!
The movie Elemental will be showing afterschool on Tuesday February 25th at 3:30PM. Free popcorn and juice will be provided.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the library’s Story Walk at the arena. We are happy to hear that many enjoyed it.
Did you know that you can borrow movies and TV series from the library? We have a small collection and we can always order in requests! Browse the entire selection on the TRACpac app or at www.TRACpac. ab.ca.
“He that loves reading has everything within his reach.” - William Godwin
Signing Guerrero, Jr., key for Blue Jays
BY BRUCE PENTON
The most important date in the Toronto Blue Jays 2025 season might already be over. Feb. 18 was the day Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., set as his deadline for contract negotiations and the team’s future may hinge on what happened that day.
BY BRUCE
Without Guerrero signing an extension prior to the start of spring training, the Montreal-born slugger said he will not negotiate during the season and will play out his contract, which expires at the end of the 2025 season. That would make him a free agent, and front-office rivals in New York and Boston were salivating at the thought of having Guerrero sign a long-term free-agent contract with their franchises.. If he hasn’t signed a long-term deal with the Jays by his self-imposed deadline of Feb. 18, then Guerrero,
sprung into action in January and signed slugger Anthony Santander, a former Baltimore Oriole outfielder who belted 44 home runs last year. Then they grabbed 40-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer, a former ace but probably still able to put together one decent year. The three-time Cy Young award winner will get $15.5 million from the Blue Jays for one year’s service and, coming off a 2024 campaign with the Rangers where he had a 2-4 injury-plagued season (hamstring, shoulder and back problems) expectations are tempered in Jaysville. Still, Jays’ brass are holding out hope that Scherzer might find the touch that led him to 216 career wins and a 3.15 earned-run average.
Overall, the Jays’ roster appears able to at least improve over last year’s 74-88 record (last place in MLB’s toughest division, the American League East).. Any lineup featuring Guerrero, Jr., Bo Bichette, Santander, Daulton Varsho, and George Springer should generate a bushel of runs. And with Scherzer added to a pitching staff featuring Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman, the word ‘potential’ is front and centre. Yariel Rodriguez (1-8 as a rookie reliever last year) and Bowden Francis (8-5 in 2024) could also fit into the rotation..
The Jays played their first spring training game Feb.
• ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, on the Super Bowl: “For me, the best part was listening to Tom Brady pretend he was not ecstatic about Patrick Mahomes not winning Super Bowl number four.”
• Columnist Norman Chad, on things overheard from the four-legged competitors through the years at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden: 1. “Hey, Apple, would it kill you to come up with a Hydrant Locator app for my iPhone?”; 2. “If you go No. 2 on the red carpet, you might as well get on the first bus to Palookaville.”
• Luke Fox of Sportsnet.ca., on the aggressive style Sam Bennett brought to Canada’s team in the Four Nations Faceoff: “Sam Bennett, an even looser Panthers cannon all decked out in Red, White and Bruise.”
• From a sports joke site on the web, alluding to Usain Bolt’s speed: “What happens if Usain Bolt misses his bus? He waits for it at the next stop.”
• Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: “There’s axe-throwing at many bars. Hey, there’s a combo with no foreseeable problems: Alcohol ... and axes! Why don’t we have track event that involves athletes being shot from cannons or catapulted over
Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: “San Jose Sharks traded off two of their best players. They’re putting the ‘tank’ back in Shark Tank.”
Another one from Rolfsen, after the Canucks acin a trade from Pittsburgh, joining two others, both named Elias, with the Pettersson surname: “Now Vancouver has Petey, D-Petey and 3-Petey.”
Headline at fark.com: “Super Bowl losers pocket $96,000 each. Finally, a participation trophy worth
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
Children and the common cold
The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. It is also known as an upper respiratory tract infection. There are over 200 different viruses that can cause colds. It is normal for children to have an average of six to eight colds per year. Having colds more often is not a sign of a weak immune system. Children develop their immune system by being exposed to many viruses over the years. As children get older, they get sick less often.
The ‘flu’ refers to a specific viral infection caused by the Influenza virus. This virus can make people quite sick, especially young children and older adults. People with the flu have more breathing difficulties and high fevers.
Some key facts about the common cold in children Children with a cold will usually have:
• Stuffy, runny nose
• Sneezing
• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Decreased appetite
Cold symptoms usually last for three to seven days. Often, symptoms like cough or runny nose, can linger for up to two to three weeks. Fevers usually happen on the first few days your child is sick. Fevers from a cold should get better within three to five days. Some key points to remember about the common cold in children are:
• Colds are caused by many different viruses and are common in children.
• Colds cause runny nose, sneezing, cough and fevers.
• Colds get better on their own – keep your child comfortable and hydrated.
• If your child has a fever for five days or is not getting better, they should be examined by their doctor.
CAN’T SEE OUT?
OPTION #1
Replace the Foggy Unit
OPTION #2
Replace the Window
www.anchorglass.ab.ca
Phone: 403-854-4414
Toll Free: 1-800-463-3148
email: tim@anchorglass.ab.ca
NOTICE OF POSTPONED PUBLIC HEARING
Proposed Bylaw 929-25
Pursuant to the Municipal Government Act, being Chapter M-26 of the Statutes of Alberta, notice is hereby given that the Council of the Town of Oyen POSTPONED the public hearing for the proposed Land Use Bylaw 929-25 until March 11, 2025. The public hearing is required to be held prior to the second reading of the proposed new Land Use Bylaw 929-25.
If you have any questions regarding the proposed Land Use Bylaw, please reach out to the Town of Oyen CAO or PRMS Senior Planner in advance of the public hearing. The purpose of the public hearing is for Council to hear comments and concerns from the public, questions may not be able to be answered at the public hearing. *Once the public hearing is closed, no further feedback will be accepted by the Council.*
The Land Use Bylaw (LUB) serves as the “rule book” for the development within the Town of Oyen. The LUB regulates the development of land and buildings on a site-specific basis, based on the policy directions set by the Municipal Development Plan. The LUB regulates how land can be used, including what uses are appropriate and where they can be located. The LUB aims to balance landowner’s rights with the interests of the community. Bylaw 929-25 will replace the current Land Use Bylaw 891-22 with an updated Land Use Bylaw.
Some of the key changes in proposed Bylaw 929-25 include:
• extensive revisions to the definitions, including deleting terms that are not used in the bylaw and ensuring every use in the bylaw is defined;
• clarification of the roles and responsibilities and powers of the development authority;
• clarification of what development does not require a development permit;
• updating the development permit processing requirement to meet the Municipal Government Act, such as the types of notices issued and gaining consent for email communications;
• revisions to the general regulations, such as accessory buildings (shipping containers);
• updating the permitted and discretionary uses in each land use district, such as increasing the uses that are in the permitted uses category;
• updating the regulations in each district;
• including a new RA-Residential Acreage District, and including larger residential properties in this new district;
• including a new ‘Short-Term Rental’ use in the residential districts;
• amending the Land Use District map to rezone a few properties including the ‘Fish Pond’ to Community Services District.
Should you wish to address council in person, a public hearing for Bylaw 929-25 will be held in the Town of Oyen office at 201 Main Street, on March 11, 2025 commencing at 6:00 p.m. Council will hear from any person claiming to be affected by the proposed bylaw.
Additionally, written comments may be delivered to Box 360, 201 Main Street, Oyen, Alberta, T0J 2J0 or emailed to cao@oyen.ca; submissions will be received up to March 10, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
The proposed Bylaw 929-25 can be reviewed online at townofoyen.com, or copies may be picked up Monday through Friday at 201 Main Street, Oyen from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact: Debbie Ross, Town of Oyen CAO ph: 403-664-3511
email: cao@oyen.ca
How do you react when
you witness bullying
Bullying, unfortunately, continues to be a significant issue in 2025. Although many bullies commit their acts discreetly, others act in plain sight. What should you do if you see someone being treated badly? As a witness, you have an important role to play. Here are a few guidelines:
• Many bullies love to have an audience and enjoy getting laughs at someone else’s expense. Don’t engage in the bullying or treat it as entertainment.
• If possible, team up with friends to show your support for the person being bullied. Remember, there’s strength in numbers! Bullies often pick on people who are alone or feel left out. To prevent the bully from feeling like they can do whatever they want, sit near the person being
bullied and strike up a conversation when you see them in the cafeteria or at the bus stop.
• Sometimes, you may not be able to react in the moment. If that happens, you can check in with the person later to see how they’re doing. Let them know that you find the situation unacceptable and that you support them. You should also encourage the bullying victim to seek help.
Finally, the most important thing you can do to stop bullying is to report it to a trusted person in a position of authority.
Bullying can take many forms, including insults, mockery, physical or sexual assault, threats, exclusion and spreading rumours.
Tracy Woitenko, PRMS Senior Planner ph: 587-570-8068 email: twoitenko@palliserservices.ca
25024DS8
Albertans deserve better health care now
BY VAMINI SELVANANDAN
Over half a million Albertans don’t have a family doctor, stressed families are waiting for hours in the emergency room with sick children, and frail seniors are living in pain for months, or even years, awaiting much-needed surgery. We expect our government to be urgently working to address these pressing healthcare issues.
But what have Premier Smith and her government been doing for the health of Albertans? Since coming into power, they have hired and fired four different CEOs of Alberta Health Services, paying an estimated $2 million dollars in severance pay for them not to work. The government has dismissed two Alberta Health Services boards of directors, including one appointed under Smith’s leadership. Her government has spent another $2 million on an embarrassing review of data from the COVID-19 pandemic response – a report that has been condemned by the Canadian Medical Association, the Alberta Medical Association and dozens of doctors whose leadership was instrumental in saving thousands of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And most recently, Alberta’s auditor general, Doug Wylie, has announced that he will be reviewing procurement and contracting practices within Alberta Health Services and the health ministry. He is responding to allegations of
At best, the government is out of touch with the health care needs of Albertans, and why they were voted into power.
government interference and potential conflict of interest in multimillion dollar deals to buy medications and personal protective equipment, and in awarding expensive private surgical contracts. These allegations have not been proven in court.
While this flurry of newsworthy activity is going on, in the background more expensive structural changes are underway to dismantle Alberta’s healthcare system. Our unified healthcare system was the object of envy for other Canadian provinces such as Nova Scotia and Manitoba who are using our previous healthcare system as an example to reform their own. At the same time, our government is taking a high-functioning single health authority and replacing it with a bureaucratic and fragmented system that fixes none of the problems that everyday Alber-
tans face.
The two-year $85 million exercise in restructuring Alberta’s healthcare system is a severe underestimation of how much taxpayer money will be wasted, as well as a diversion of time and energy from providing Albertans with the care they need right now. Imagine how many hip surgeries could be done for the same price tag, how many family doctors trained, and how many nurses hired to keep rural emergency departments open for Albertans in their time of need?
At best, the government is out of touch with the health care needs of Albertans, and why they were voted into power. At worst, they are interested in concentrating power in their own hands, and rewarding supporters and friends. Taken separately, any one of these blunders can be seen as an ill-advised misstep, but when taken as a whole there emerges a pattern of authoritarianism and disregard for public interests. It should make us question why we elected this government into power? What do we need to do as citizens to redirect the attention of our government to matters that will make a positive difference in our lives?
For one, we should be shouting from the rooftops that the voting public will not tolerate wasteful political and bureaucratic exercises paid from public coffers. While we tend to associate the word “corruption” with rogue states on
faraway continents, it is naïve to think that mismanagement of essential public services and waste of taxpayer money does not happen in our own province. We need to contact our Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and call for an independent public inquiry into how multimillion dollar medical contracts were awarded by Alberta Health Services and the health ministry. We have to demand that public dollars never be used for pseudoscientific reports producing harmful health misinformation about ineffective or dangerous treatment of serious conditions. Most importantly we need to be asking our government to increase recruitment and retention of healthcare workers, train more nurses and primary care providers, and boost the capacity of publicly-funded hospitals to provide high-quality and timely surgeries. Our politicians have been elected to improve healthcare access, quality and timeliness for Albertans and we need to remind them of their duty. We need to be courageous in asking for transparency in how public dollars are spent and we need to hold our elected officials accountable. It is time to send the message to our government that we see what they are doing and it is not what we elected them to do.
Vamini Selvanandan is a rural family physician and public health practitioner in Alberta.
DAMIEN C. KUREK MP BATTLE
3 reasons to wear pink on February 26
Recently, many countries have designated specific days to raise awareness and prevent bullying, whether at school or in the workplace. In Canada, Pink Shirt Day takes place on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Here are three excellent reasons to join the movement by proudly wearing the event’s emblematic colour:
1. Incite enriching conversations. Pink is a colour that doesn’t go unnoticed! When you’re out and about on February 26, you may meet or talk with other people who are passionate about the cause. You may even meet someone who doesn’t know about the day, giving you the perfect chance to spread awareness. Who knows, maybe they’ll wear pink next year, thanks to you!
2. Show solidarity. People who are bullied often feel alone and isolated. Seeing others wearing pink can help them feel supported and understood. Your gesture might even encourage them to open up to you or, even better, speak out against their aggressor.
3. Encourage others to act. Wearing pink can help encourage your family, colleagues and friends to join the cause. Inspired by your actions, some of your friends and family might feel motivated to stand up against bullying, attend events or spread awareness on social media.
On February 26, harness the power of kindness and inclusion by wearing a pink t-shirt or hoodie.
BS & TENDERS
4 strategies for retaining your employees
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
As the job market becomes increasingly com petitive, it can be challenging to retain your employees. Here are four strategies to help keep your talent.
1. Focus on communication. Communicate openly with your employees. Listen to their concerns and be open to new ideas. Let them know they’re heard and that you take them seriously.
2. Think about development. Employees often quit because of a lack of advancement opportunities. Therefore, provide training so your employees can develop their potential, avoid boredom and take on new challenges.
OYEN GREENHOUSES LTD.
is currently seeking a
SEED TECHNICIAN
to start February 24, 2025
Offer benefits. Ask your employees what your company could improve and add these to their benefits and perks. For example, you could include group insurance, paid holidays, yoga classes, flexible working hours and telemedicine.
This position involves running various seeding machines and keeping track of seed inventory. Accuracy and dependability are a must. Training will be provided for the right individual. Contact us for more information. This position runs through June 1.
4. Get out of the office. Create opportunities for your employees to socialize and have fun in a context that doesn’t revolve around work. Use the opportunity to celebrate their successes.
Please send your resume to:
NOTICE - FOR SALE BY TENDER
The Owner, Vernon Brockmann and Debora Brockmann will accept offers (by tender only) to purchase the following lands located in Special Areas 3 in the Province of Alberta:
DEEDED CULTIVATION:
SE-18-30-2-W4 (157.05 acres) – 100 acres in cropland
NE-30-30-1-W4 (159 acres more or less) in hay
SW-8-32-1-W4 (159.50 acres more or less) in hay
NW-34-31-1-W4 (155.05 acres more or less) in hay Surface Lease registered against these lands is being discharged.
DEEDED PASTURE:
Descriptive Plan 1612461 Block 1 Lot 1 (being a Portion of NE-21-31-2-W4) containing 122.98 acres more or less with one spring fed dugout. These lands are subject to a Restrictive Covenant in favor her Majesty the Queen in right of Alberta restricting the use of the land by no breaking or cultivation of the entire quarter.
GRAZING LEASE #83674 contains the following portions of land in 3 quarters due to railroad:
Oyen Greenhouses Ltd.,
PO Box 358, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Email :accounting@oyengreenhouses.ca
Employee retention also depends on effective recruitment. Therefore, use a specialized agency to start your talent search today.
Drop off at: 201 - 1 Ave. West, Oyen, AB
How to welcome a teleworking employee
Portion NE-21-31-2-W4 containing approximately 2.25 acres more or less of grass in good condition
Portion SE-21-31-2-W4 containing 40.46 acres more or less with grass in good condition.
NE 21 and SE 21 portion of lease are fenced with deeded pasture described in Descriptive Plan 1612461 Block 1 Lot 1
Portion NW-21-31-2-W4 containing 42.02 acres more or less is currently in hay.
Whether you already work in information technology (IT) or are just starting your studies, here are three qualities essential to your success.
CULTIVATION LEASE #5223 contains the following lands:
NW 13-31-2-W4 containing 153.59 acres more or less. Approximately 80 acres in cropland and remainder is pasture.
SW 24-31-2-W4 containing 4.23 acre more or less) is pasture.
Pasture portion in NW 13 and SW 24 fenced together for total of approximately 77.82 acres.
1. ANALYTICAL SKILLS
As an IT employee, you’re often required to solve problems. Consequently, you must enjoy challenging yourself and looking for innovative solutions. You must also be inherently curious to stay updated with the latest technologies in a constantly evolving field.
3. ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Tenders submitted must be on the Terms of Tender form which shall form the contract between the successful bidder and the Owner. Any bids which are not on the Terms of Tender form will not be considered.
The Terms of Tender form can be obtained from:
2. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
AUCTIONS
Telecommuting has become increasingly popular in recent years. It allows companies to recruit qualified talent across the globe. If your company is about to welcome a new telecommuting employee, here’s how to do it.
TIMED AUCTION FOR MAIORANA STONE, Edmonton, March 4. Full line-up of Stone Equip and Granite slabs; 2 screw compressors; Toyota forklift. ProdaniukAuction Live Auction World.
• Talk about the company. Describe the company’s mission, values and other information to help the employee develop a sense of belonging.
options starting at $269, $299 or $599 to get your message out! KEEP people in the loop with over 75 Weekly Community Newspapers. Call THIS NEWSPAPER now or email classifieds@awna.com for details. 1-800-282-6903, 780-434-8746 www.awna. com.
and
refund. Take advantage of this offer.
lean on and contact if they need help. This will help them feel at ease.
• Introduce the team. Set up a video chat to introduce the entire team. You can reserve extra time for the employee to get to know the colleagues they’ll be working with directly.
MEIER GUN AUCTION, Saturday, March 15 - 10am; Wetaskiwin - Selling over 200 Rifles, Shot Guns, Antique Firearms, Ammunition, Scopes. Consign Now. Free Pick Up. Call 780-440-1860 www.meierauction.com.
FOR SALE
• Present your tools. Familiarize the employee with the tools, software and online platforms the company uses daily.
• Follow up. Make sure the new employee receives feedback from their immediate colleagues in the first few weeks to help them adjust. The recruit should feel free to ask questions without fear of judgment.
• Offer mentoring. Ensure the new employee knows they have someone they can
BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classified ad. Only $269/wk (based on 25 words or less). Reach 75 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details. 1-800-282-6903; www.awna.com; email classifieds@awna.com.
Are you looking for telecommuting employees to join your team? Do business with a recruitment service.
HEALTH
GET YOUR MESSAGE
SEEN ACROSS Alberta. The Blanket Classifieds or Value Ads reach over 500,000 Alberta readers weekly. Three
HIP/KNEE REPLACEMENT. Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability
Vernon & Debora Brockmann (403) 676-2777 or cell (403) 664-0831 Email: vdbrock5@netago.ca OR Pritchard & Co. Law Firm, LLP Attention: Glenda Bauer gbauer@pritchardandco.com (403) 527-4411
It’s rare to get your dream job on the first try. Therefore, if you’re offered an entrylevel position, it’s necessary to ask yourself if it’s a good idea to accept it. Here are some tips to help you decide.
If you want to thrive in IT, you must have exceptional organizational skills. Depending on your job, your colleagues may regularly interrupt you and require you to switch gears constantly. Therefore, you must be well organized and able to multitask to keep up with your workload.
Do you have these qualities? If so, you have everything you need for a long career in this promising field.
IT specialists must be able to communicate with their colleagues and clients. This means you must be good at conveying your ideas, making yourself understood and finding the best moments to do so.
Entry-level position: take it or leave it? 3 essential qualities for IT professionals
WHEN TO REFUSE
Tenders shall be marked “Brockmann Land Tender” and sent to or delivered prior to 12:00 noon MST on February 28, 2025 to: Pritchard & Co. Law Firm, LLP 201,430 – 6th Avenue S.E. Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 2S8
WHEN TO ACCEPT
If the job is related to your area of expertise and allows you to use and develop your skills, it may be worthwhile. The job may let you explore a field you’re interested in and help you obtain a better position in the future. The offer may also be attractive if there’s room for career development within the company.
Classifieds
If you sincerely doubt that you’ll enjoy your everyday tasks, the job probably isn’t for you. The same applies if most of your skills and educational achievements don’t apply to the job and won’t contribute to your professional development. Finally, it may be best to refuse the position if the salary is significantly lower than your expectations or if the company has a high turnover rate.
Are you having trouble finding a job that suits you? Consult job hunting resources in your area.
CLASSIFIED AD RATES (20 words or less). $10.00 plus GST. Additional words are 20¢ each. Deadline is Friday noon. 306-463-2211
get
approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228; www. firstandsecondmortgages.ca.
Frances Marilynn Gibbs
December 23, 1937 – January 22, 2025 • High River, Alberta
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Frances Marilynn Gibbs; beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Fran passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of love and service to her family and community.
A celebration of life will be held at the High River United Church, on March 1st at 1 P.M.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice, or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, which was a cause close to Fran’s heart.
She will be deeply missed, but her spirit and kindness will remain in the hearts of all who knew her.
To email the family condolences, please go to https://www.snodgrassfuneralhomes.com
Growing Through Grief: How can I put the pain aside?
BY ANGELA CLEMENT
I got a really good question just today about grief. This person explained that due to the pain of their loss they have no energy and they actually just don’t care about anything. The question was, how do you put the pain aside? First of all, let me begin by saying that it’s okay to not care. Feel into it. Sit with it and give it your time and attention. There’s no pressure to change your thinking or what you are feeling. Sometimes when we feel like this the best thing is to just allow ourselves to feel all of it and own it. Set some time aside each day to just feel into this. Don’t hold back. Why don’t you care? I bet there is another stronger feeling underneath that one. Feel that one too. Write about this. Draw a picture of this. Learn more about this by getting curious about it. It is absolutely part of the grieving process. These emotions come up for a reason. There are messages in these strong emotions and in order to heal them you need to feel them and also express them. I bet you are thinking, but deep down I just want to feel better. I know you do and I am here to tell you that I was there too and you will feel better. But first, you have to feel what you feel. There is no way around that. It is a little like a relentless toddler that just won’t stop asking for the same thing over and over. There is a piece of you that just desperately wants to be acknowledged and held at this moment. You want someone to just hear you and understand you and tell you it is going to be okay. Believe me, the pain will continue to surface as long as it is needed and so giving it your time and attention is very important. We can get stuck in a cycle of pushing the emotional pain away and then it keeps coming back. Getting busy and ignoring it will help for
a while but it will find a way to get your attention again when you least expect it - likely at some inopportune moment. You have to walk through the emotions you feel. Sometimes you need a friend, a coach, a therapist or a support person who understands to walk through the process with you. Eventually you will learn how you can do that for yourself. Expressing the emotion helps. There are many ways to do that. Energy healing helped me immensely. Seek out what works for you.
The thing is, everyone has their own journey so I can’t tell you exactly how your journey will look or how long it will take or even where it will lead. I can tell you this. When you understand the process of grief, how to express your emotion and how this works for you and not against you, you can start to embrace these emotions and process them in a way that will provide insights into your unique way to move forward. We don’t put the pain aside. We transmute the pain through the process of grief. We take the pain and we energetically transform it into an act of love. That love permeates through us and radiates out into the world around us. When this happens, it is a beautiful thing. This is what will bring the joy back. This is how you will feel whole again.
When you lose someone you love, the pain can be so difficult to bear. I have been there. You might think that you are destined to feel this way forever. I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. I can help you transmute the pain and help you find joy again. I had someone help guide me. Now I guide others to do the same. Gift yourself with the tools that can help you along the way. In the meantime, check out my website. Sign up for my newsletter to get regular updates on what I offer. I am sending so much love, Angela www.healingenergy.world
A
A tax refund is just a missed
•
BORDER KENNELS
Box 114, Acadia Valley, AB T0J 0A0
CELL: 403-664-9451
CELL: 403-414-9451
EMAIL: moozer@netago.ca
Marilyn Mactavish
Bud Herbert
Master Electrician, Red Seal Instrumentation PO Box 193, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Cell: 403-664-9637
buds_e_i_services@yahoo.com Office: 403-676-2162 Fax: 403-676-2152
Mactavish & Company
403-528-4995
523c North Railway St SE, Medicine Hat, AB tmactavish@mactavishco.ca • www.mactavishco.ca
Terry Lynne Mactavish
Solutions offered to counter tariff threat
BY MIKE SCHOLZ
Canada is at a crossroads.
With new tariffs threatening our economy and energy sector, we cannot afford to wait and react — we must take decisive action. This is our chance to eliminate internal trade barriers, streamline regulations, and strengthen our global market access. If we act now, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for long-term success.
The Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CAOEC) is recommending concrete actions that can be taken right away. Our members are at the front lines of a secure energy future for all Canadians. They will feel any tariffs on the oil and gas sector first — and we also know our friends, family and neighbours on both sides of the border will feel the economic pain, too.
Getting our own house in order
Considering our now unstable and unpredictable relationship with our biggest trading partner, the best way to strengthen our position is to make our own economy more competitive, productive, and attractive to international markets that are unsure about doing business with us. That means making it easier for businesses to operate across provincial lines, ensuring our regulations maintain high standards but allow us to build the infrastructure we need, and eliminating federal policies that aren’t adding value and act like a constant parking brake on economic growth.
One tangible action we can take right away is harmonizing transportation memorandum of agreements (MOAs) across provinces to reduce interprovincial
DPSP, Bonus, uniforms provided. Submit resumes or inquiries by email to jeanabaker@lukplumbing.com
ACADIA VALLEY
FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 2
• Acadia Valley Ice to Dice
MONDAY, MARCH 3
• Regional Irrigation Phase 2 Findings information session 1:00 PM at the Acadia Valley Community Hall. Lunch will be provided at noon prior to the session. Please RSVP by February 25 by calling 403-854-5611.
BUFFALO
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
• Buffalo Ag Society presents Jake Mathews in concert at the hall. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Show starts at 7:00 PM. Tickets purchased for the December show will be honoured and you can get tickets from Ag Society members.
CEREAL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
• Cereal Board of Trade Annual General
Meeting 7:00 PM at the C.J. Peacock Centre. Seeking volunteers to help promote business and improve life in and around Cereal.
- Cereal Cottages Coffee on Tuesdays 10:30
- 11:30 AM
- Quilting Club weekly Wednesdays 10:00 AM
- 4 PM at the CJ Peacock Centre.
- Chase the Ace weekly Thursdays 7:00 -
trade barriers. This is an area that directly impacts the members of CAOEC who are providing contract drilling and well servicing for explorers and producers. Service rigs operate differently from standard commercial vehicles, with less than five per cent of their activity being transportation-related. They predominantly work at well sites in remote areas of Western Canada and do not transport goods or passengers. Generally, they are moved short distances on roads with minimal public exposure. In 2020, CAOEC successfully harmonized MOAs with Alberta and Saskatchewan to facilitate the barrier-free exchange of service rig equipment between these provinces. These agreements establish a distinctive regulatory framework for service rigs and their support equipment, acknowledging their unique function on public roads and limited interaction with other road users. We can support small- and medium-sized energy service businesses, create jobs, and enhance economic competitiveness. We need a more integrated and efficient domestic economy that can withstand external pressures like U.S. tariffs, and this kind of practical collaboration is what Canada needs more of.
Regulatory reform and scrapping recent federal legislation
At a time when the U.S. is doubling down on its energy sector under Trump’s declared national energy emergency and cutting out Canada, we cannot afford to keep tripping over our own feet.
Mark Scholz, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors.
9:00 PM at the Cereal Hotel
- Cereal Playground most Tuesdays 10:00 AM at the CJ Peacock Centre.
EMPRESS
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
• Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture and Leisure Society 2025 AGM. Member Meeting 1:00-2:00 PM at the Village of Empress Community Hall. Membership is $5 / year. Join us.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25
• Empress & District Historical Society AGM 7:00 PM Empress Friendship Centre. New members welcome.
SATURDAY, MAY 10
• Empress & District Fine Arts, Cultural and Leisure Society Plant & Pie Sale 10:00 AM2:00 PM. Empress Community Hall.
• Empress Community Yard Sales 9:00 AM3:00 PM. More than 10 families! Don’t miss it!
- Game Night Saturdays at 6:00 PM at the Community Hall. Come join us for a night of fun and excitement. Play games and hang out with friends and family.
- Classic Movie Night every Monday starting February 18 at the Empress Community Hall at 7:00 PM. Bring your blanket & lawn chair. Popcorn, chips, candy, pop, water and
hotdogs available in the canteen! Free Admission. A different classic film each week. Sponsored by Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture and Leisure Society.
OYEN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
• Family Fun Nights are back! BINGO 6:307:30 PM at the Oyen Public School gym.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
• Oyen United Church Soup and Sandwich 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Adults $15, Kids 6-12 $5, under 6 Free.
• Fun Night for Members and their Guests at Oyen and District Seniors Recreation Centre. 7:00PM until midnight. Games and Socializing. BYOB and Snacks. Call Lynda 403 664 0908 or Beth 403 664 2462 for more information.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
• Regular Pot Luck Supper and Meeting for Oyen and District Seniors (50 +) at Oyen and District Seniors Recreation Centre. Supper at 6:00PM and Meeting at 7:00PM. Call Lynda 403 664 0908 or Beth 403 664 2462 for further information.
MARCH 10-23
• Badlands Badgers annual online auction. Located on Facebook page “Badlands Badgers Online Auction”
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
• Oyen Skating Club presents “Mary Poppins” 5:30 PM. Come out and enjoy a night to support our local skaters. Concession will be open along with a prize table.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
• Oyen United Church Soup and Sandwich 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Adults $15, Kids 6-12 $5, under 6 Free.
FRIDAY, MAY 2
• Oyen United Church Soup and Sandwich 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Adults $15, Kids 6-12 $5, under 6 Free.
- Oyen Town Council meet 2nd Tuesday of every month 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. - Fun League Curling. Tuesday evenings. Enter teams to Jackie Dick 403-664-0157. - Cash League Curling. Wednesday evenings. Enter teams to Brett Peterson 403-664-8868. - Sturling League Curling. Thursday at noon. Enter teams to Jerry Logan 403-664-6001.
SIBBALD
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
• Sibbald Community Club presents “The Sibbald Games.” For details call/text Olivia (306) 430-8487 or Chandra (403) 6640469.