recycling costs with a County of Stettler agreement and a hike to regional emergency services.
Macdonald stated that $3,000 was also added to the operating budget for lift station repairs which are still tentative; it’s not certain the repairs are needed.
The CAO also mentioned some good news regarding fire hydrant repairs: it appears the hydrants may not need repair, just some basic maintenance.
Macdonald stated she was told the hydrants may only require some gaskets and O-rings and won’t require digging up the pavement.
After looking at the proposed operating budget Coun. Clark German complimented the CAO.
“I think you did an excellent job Elaine,” said German.
He also asked the CAO if she’d had a chance to look into the amount of water Big Valley actually purchased, but Macdonald answered she wasn’t able to do that yet.
German noted he felt the village
Oyen Lodge: Welcome Summer!
BY DIANNE SPATH
Hello, everyone. The past week has seen a variety of weather, including some wind, hot temperatures, cold weather, and thunderstorms.
The crab apple and apple trees have lots of apples on them this year. The residents are enjoying their walks outside and their time in the gazebo.
Councillors discussed the municipal assessor, with Macdonald stating she was very happy with Big Valley’s assessor. The CAO stated the village’s assessor knows the job very well and meets all the requirements of the Municipal Government Act (MGA). Mayor Dan Houle responded that in his opinion assessments in Big Valley
On Monday, there was Church with Father Rodell. Dianne was away, so there were no activities.
Councillors unanimously approved the
On Tuesday morning, there was the regular bus run downtown and an outdoor walk. Alberta Clothing was at the Lodge from 10:00-2:00. In the afternoon, there was an ice cream parlour. Taylor Neilson was at the Lodge to play piano before supper.
Taylor was presented with a card and a Micheals gift card to thank her for coming in every Tuesday to entertain the residents. Tuesday was her last day. I hope she has a wonderful summer, and we hope to see her next year.
On Wednesday, there was Church with Catherine, followed by crossword games and then an outdoor walk. In the afternoon, there were shuffleboard games.
Thursday morning started with exercises, followed by a
one-on-one with a resident to do some baking. In the afternoon there was coffee time with ice cream treats.
Friday started with horse races. #4 horse, which is Willie, was the top winner that day. Then, there was a walk outdoors. In the afternoon there was card bingo, and in the evening there was music by the Jorgenson’s and Dale Huston.
The 2025 summer solstice falls on Friday, June 20. This marks the longest day and the shortest night
of the year in the northern hemisphere when the upper half of the Earth is tilted toward the sun. Solstice comes from the Latin words sol(sun) and sistere (to stand still). Due to Earth’s tilted axis, the sun doesn’t rise and set at the same locations on the horizon each morning and evening; its rise and set positions move northward or southward in the sky as Earth travels around the sun through the year. The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of sun-
light. Notice how the sun appears highest in the sky at the solstice; its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. Summer days are here.
Happy Birthday to Isabelle Doupe on June 2P1 and to Denis Hilts on June 23. June 22 was National Kissing Day, so give your favourite person a smooch! Have a great week, everyone. “Celebrate summer, sundrenched days and starlit nights.”
Lodge residents enjoying gazebo time. PHOTO BY DIANNE SPATH
With your vote, Pierre will:
Fight for fairness for Alberta and the West
Hold the Liberal government to account in Ottawa
Build pipelines and unleash our natural resources
Stop the trade chaos from a position of strength
Support our farmers and lawful firearm owners
Stop rural crime and fix our broken justice system
Make life more affordable by fighting inflation and building affordable homes
Restore the Canadian promise
“These are the values I have been fighting for across Canada, and will continue to fight for in east central Alberta. I was born and raised in Alberta. I'm working to earn your support to serve you in Parliament.”
The people of Battle River—Crowfoot will be represented well by Pierre for the remainder of this Parliamentary session, and I will keep working with our incredible local team to do everything I can to remain the strong voice for you as I support him in the process, and then run again here in Battle River—Crowfoot in the next general election. We will build on the momentum we have gained with a strong, united vision that will restore the Canadian promise.
Damien C. Kurek
Pierre Poilievre
AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICIAL AGENT OF PIERRE POILIEVRE
OPINION:
Millions of people listened to this doctor’s story
BY JOAN JANZEN
The cartoon depicted a doctor saying to his patient, “You have a rare condition called ‘good health.’ Frankly, I’m not sure how to treat it.”
This past week, messages from two doctors caught my attention.
Dr. Suneel Dhand observed: “When people are feeling good about themselves, one of the first things they want to do is take great care about what they eat and to look good. Right now, across the Western world, we have millions of adolescents who simply don’t care.”
The second message - a doctor’s lengthy but sincere video explaining why he quit being a neurosurgeon after 20 years, has been viewed 16 million times in less than a year. Dr. Gooby, a 39-year-old, had learned how to perform both brain and spine surgeries and mentioned working in Toronto.
He said he worked in good hospitals, had good partners, was well-paid and respected, and had good support. “But I was the most unhappy that I’ve ever been, and I couldn’t figure it out for a long time,” he recalled.
“At the beginning of medical school, we were told our job is to relieve suffering. That stuck with me,” the doctor said. “I became a doctor to help people.”
He had learned all the latest technol-
ogy and techniques and did it well. “I helped a lot of people, but there were way more people that I couldn’t help,” he said. Surgery is all about removing things, he explained. The only thing he could add was electrodes to block pain signals.
“I could do a perfect surgery. Some people would get better, some people would stay the same and some people would get worse. And I did exactly the same perfect surgery,” he observed. “Some people would get better before I could operate on them even with gigantic bulging discs. That was confusing to me.”
He found that people who did certain things would get better. They generally had a low salt diet of mostly vegetables, whole grains and not much meat. They would exercise, get outdoors, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink too much, and had good social support and a way to socialize. They would sleep eight hours every day, and if they had a stressful job they found a way to meditate or release the stress.
“The people who did that would heal so quickly I couldn’t operate on them. Yet patients that wouldn’t do those things would get worse,” he said. “I could do a really good surgery, but six months later, they would have a recurring or similar problem.”
Dr. Gooby said when your body
heals, it doesn’t just heal worn-out joints; it heals everything - digestion, skin problems and more. He said the problem is if you figure out a way to help patients heal that doesn’t include a pill or a surgery, something you can’t charge them for, “you just worked yourself out of a job.”
“I still did surgeries because not everybody can do all those things I talked about, just practically speaking. But I really felt like the focus of medicine wasn’t in healing; it was in making money on surgeries and pills. The whole medical system isn’t right: It’s not about prevention; it’s about therapies,” he said.
After he walked away from being a surgeon, he took his own advice. He ate healthy, spent time outdoors hiking, lost the weight he had gained, and slept well. “Neurosurgeons don’t sleep well,” he said, “Because they’re constantly on call.”
After listening to his story, someone wrote, “It’s insane how this video is blowing up. People must be in need of this message.”
A doctor commented: “I am a surgeon who quit working endless hours after 15 years. I was burnt out. I became a general practitioner and am a very happy doctor. I listened to every word you said and had tears in my eyes. I know the system makes you sick and you be-
come disillusioned if you really care for your patients.”
Dr. Dhand said, “We have a deep spiritual crisis that has taken hold over the Western world. Modern mainstream culture has gone so wrong; something extraordinary has happened. Cultural rot has set in. People across the Western world simply don’t care anymore. They’re hooked on their phones and eating too much. Unless we address why people don’t care anymore, this is going to get worse.”
Dr. Gooby and Dr. Dhand both have valid points. The medical system is focused on therapies much more than prevention, and people are stressed and more prone to lead sedentary, unhealthy lives.
A comment after Dr. Gooby’s video said: “I”m a nurse who went through my own stage four cancer diagnosis. There are sweeping changes that need to happen in how we live, how we process our lives and emotions and our core values as a society at large.”
Practitioners like these two doctors may very well be part of the sweeping changes. As one listener commented on Dr. Gooby’s story: “You didn’t quit; you’re just getting started.”
They will be the doctors who will be happy to hear their patients have a rare condition called ‘good health.’
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Pop89: The supply run
BY MADONNA HAMEL
One of the rewards of living in a remote place is The Supply Run. Some people might consider having to drive an hour and a half to purchase food and sundries an inconvenience. But then, the same people would never move to a village in the “middle of nowhere” in the first place.
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Yesterday was my Swift Current day. After spending years in cities, two of them the largest in Canada, Swift is hardly a metropolis. But, after eleven years in Val Marie, Pop89 (ish), my sense of scale has changed. Hell, Swift has stoplights! Gas stations! Malls! It even has a casino, a cinema and a brewery! And, yet, it doesn’t have rush hour traffic, air pollution or parking nightmares. (It’s harder to find a parking space in Banff than it is in Swift Current, which, thankfully, is no international tourist Mecca.)
A week before the run I begin my list. Besides the groceries I can’t get at Val Marie Grocery & Liquor (and Jody goes out of her way to bring in special requests), there’s always hardware to pick up nails, glue, and gaffer tape. (Some folks call it “duct tape,” but I first used it on film and video sets and then on the road with bands to tape down wires connected to instruments, microphones and amps.)
Swift’s hardware store has the best service. I’m thinking especially of a sales clerk who sounds like a heavy smoker and loves to tease. She knows how to jerry-rig anything; if they don’t have an item in stockshe’ll sell you the next best thing. Or send you to a place that does sell it. Above all, she is, as an old farmer once described, the best kind of person, “a good visitor.”
After that I scoot over to the Mennonite thrift store and see what they have by way of pillowslips and tablecloths. There’s always some homemade treasures, intricately embroidered and cross-stitched by an adept craftswoman, and sold for a shameful couple of dollars.
Next, I’ll continue down the road to the recycling depot and make coins on empties to buy my latte at the end of the day. Urban Ground, the cozy independent coffee shop, only takes cash and debit. I try to sit there and drink half my coffee before heading home, just to people-watch and eavesdrop and scribble some notes in my journal. (When I used to teach writing in town, I’d take my kids there just to listen and observe humanity.)
Yesterday, I had a special stop to make that I knew would take some time: The Chinook Library book sale! One of the joys of the supply run is never knowing who you’ll run into, but being pretty certain you will bump into a friend or two. Sure enough, not five minutes into my book foray, in comes Hugh Henry. Hugh was the director of the Swift Current Museum for nearly twenty years. When I met him, I thought: “He looks like he stepped out of an Everett Baker photograph.” I’d just learned about Baker as the day manager of our little red school house museum, Prairie Wind & Silver Sage. He deserves a brief diversion.
Besides being my new favourite artist who never intended to be an artist, Baker was a co-op man, and he toured the province trying to get others to join the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. He met a young German immigrant who needed money (who didn’t then?). Apparently, Baker’s wife quipped: “Now you’re going to have to learn to use that thing!” And so he did. He took over 9,000 photos on his co-op tours across the province from 1940 to 1960, which began drawing crowds after he started showing slides at every talk.
Hugh, also an artist, and on the board of the local History and Folklore Society, along with Matthew Anderson, a pilgrimage prof, gave a talk at PWSS
about their latest walktracking the NWMP Trail from Wood Mountain to Fort Walsh. Baker was the man behind the erecting of those the NWMP trail signs dotting the southwest. I decided immediately I had to join that walk and spend a week with them, tramping from White Valley to Fort Walsh. It was one of the most memorable weeks of my life. And the only way to experience this living land is on foot and the way the ancestors experienced it.
There were plenty of talks on that walk. And plenty of long contemplative stretches. I learned a lot about my fellow pilgrims, most of which I forget because pilgrimages have a way of stirring up conversation but also of casting the words into the wind, as if they were only meant for the moment. But one person whose words we always heeded was Hugh. With his sense of direction and well-worn hand-sketched mini-maps he always got us where we were going.
For an in-depth and fascinating read about this walk and other walks planned and executed by Hugh, read Matthew Anderson’s “The Good Walk: Creating New Paths on Traditional Prairie Trails.” Matthew has a way with people that puts them at ease and gets them to talk, and he DID keep a record of our stories and sharings. He helped me, as did Hugh (and Ken Wilson, who writes a blog called “Reading and Walking” - my two favourite things to do!) with the historical import of the place. Two other companions to whom I owe more than I’ve yet to fully process were Louise Halfe -Sky Dancer, the formidable Cree poet, and Don Bolen, the archbishop of Regina diocese, with whom I talked about the books of our youth, among them the Jewish novelist Chaim Potok.
Hmmm. I’ve come to the end of my column, and I’m heavy on the sundries and empty on the groceries. Not a very focussed Supply Run. But, I suppose it all depends on what one defines as essential supplies!
Sibbald News Report
BY LEE SWITZER
Hello, everyone. I apologize for the lateness of this news. I have been away myself quite a bit and hence, better later than never, news.
Trevor and Charlotte Molzan surprised their parents and grandparents, Marvin and Wanda Molzan, with a quick trip home from May 31 to June 5. Trevor came to help with Kerry’s branding and it was the best surprise ever!
Hanna 4-H District Beef Show is long done but local youth participating in this event held in Hanna on June 6 & 7th were: Coleman, Cooper and Camrie Norris, Brandt, Brianna & Macy Lyster, Winston, Jade & Emmie Smith, and Dylan Woods. All the youth showcased their year long work with beef cattle and enjoyed seeing their work rewarded. Busy time but worth your efforts.
School is winding down with tests being written and projects being sent home.
Crops are being sprayed and some pests as well. Gardens and flowers are starting to flourish. A deep rain would sure help lighten the load, but we will take what we are given. Take care everyone.
‘New two’ in tennis are a dominant pair
BY BRUCE PENTON
There’s more of a difference between professional golf and professional tennis than the size of the ball. And there’s a huge difference between the two sports when it comes to competitive dominance.
BY BRUCE PENTON Sports Columnist
In tennis, what used to be the Big Three — Roger Federer of Switzerland, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic — has now crystallized into the New Two, featuring two stars in their early 20s. The Big Three won 67 Grand Slam events in the first 20-odd years of the 21st Century. By comparison, the four golf majors have been won by a massive number of players over the same period, although Scottie Scheffler lately has been threatening to turn pro golf into a Big One.
Today’s Big Two in tennis features Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Jannick Sinner of Italy, who have split the last six Grand Slam events. It was no surprise that the two faced off in the French Open final at Roland Garros in early June and played a classic match that lasted an exhaustive five hours and 29 minutes. Alcaraz, who lost the first two sets, won the next three in what some tennis observers are calling one of the best tennis matches of all time.
For most of the 21st century, chances were good that either Federer, Nadal or Djokovic would emerge as champion of a Grand Slam tennis event. Eventually, Djokovic captured 24 Grand Slam titles, more than anyone in the history of the sport. Nadal has 21 and Federer 20.
But that — the Big Three — was then. This — Alcaraz and Sinner — is now. It’s no surprise to check the world tennis rankings and find Sinner at No. 1 and Alcaraz at No. 2. Considering their ages (Alcaraz 22 and Sinner 23), it’s safe to assume tennis fans will see these two stars go head to head in Grand Slam finals regularly over the next decade or so.
“Three winners today,” said the retired Federer on X — referring to the two finalists and the “beautiful game of tennis.”
Next up on the Grand Slam calendar is Wimbledon in London, where Alcaraz won last year by beating Djokovic in the final. When the U.S. Open is staged in New York in August, it will be Sinner trying to defend the title he won in 2024. “i feel like it’s always great when we meet,” said Sinner following the French Open final. “We try to push ourself and each other to the limits.”
Meanwhile, the former Big 3 of tennis is no more. Federer retired in 2022; Nadal followed in 2024 and
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
BY DIANA WALKER
We are told that these are great ways to help the environment by keeping material out of the landfill. Individuals can reduce and reuse on their own, but the recycling needs individuals and a larger organization.
On April 24, members of the Big Country Regional Recycling Society (BCRRS) met with Sean Olmstead, Director of Operations for the Big Country Waste Management Commission (BCWMC).
It may seem like there is little recycling happening in the Special Areas other than paper and cardboard, However, statistics provided by Mr. Olmstead show that there is still a large amount of recyclables being diverted out of the BCWMC landfill south of Youngstown.
Statistics from 2024 Include:
• Pesticide jugs - 16 tonnes
Djokovic has hinted that 2025 could be his final year. Between the three of them, they have 65 Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz and Sinner have only seven, but in the next 10 years, there will be 40 Grand Slam events and it’s quite possible the top two players in the world will win more than their share.
• Jack Finarelli on his sportscurmudgeon.com site: “I have a favourite player name in the CFL. Bo Levi Mitchell is the starting QB for the Hamilton TigerCats; I always hoped he would get a shot in the NFL so fans could hold up signs that said ‘I’m A BoLevier’ or ‘I BoLieve In BoLevi’”
• Comedy guy Marc Ragovin , on the death of Jim Marshall , the Minnesota Viking whose fumble recovery and subsequent runback into his own end zone will forever be sports blooper gold: “Former Vikings star Jim Marshall passed away the other day at age 87. That’s a very good run. In either direction.”
• Headline at the onion.com: “Rockies Pitcher Out With Altitude Sickness After Ascending Mound Too Quickly”
• Columnist Cathal Kelly in the Toronto Globe and Mail, suggesting the Leafs dump Mitch Marner and John Tavares during a restructuring of the Maple Leafs: “It’s true that it is hard to find guys who score 100 points in the regular season, but it should be easy to find replacements who haven’t folded up like lawn chairs in the last seven playoffs.”
• fark.com headline after Aaron Rodgers signed a contract with Pittsburgh Steelers: “The NFL’s hardest-headed organization and its hardest-headed quarterback have finally joined forces.
• Retired NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw , on Aaron Rodgers ’ future: “Bring him in (to Pittsburgh) for one year? Are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California … chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.”
• Headline at Canadian parody website The Beaverton: “Federal government opens distress hotline for Canadians forced to cheer for Oilers.”
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Former CFL standout defensive lineman Swift Burch III has passed away from cancer at the age of 55. With that ‘III’ in his name, it seems he played as he lived: as a real son of a Burch.”
• Headline at fark.com: “U.S. interested in soccer expected to grow from 50 fans to 81 with 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
• Anther fark.com headline, on Detroit Tigers’ prospect Kenny Serwa : “Tigers have a prospect who throws 88 MPH.
An 88-MPH knuckleball.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca
• Plastic jugs - 1 tonne
• E-waste (electronics) - 330 tonnes
• Batteries - donated to community groups to sell metal
• 311 tonnes cardboard
• and paper - 222 tonnes (99 % is cardboard).
With all of us working together, we can continue to keep these materials out of the landfill, extending its life for many years, and keeping our environment cleaner and healthier.
East Sounding Creek 4-H Report
BY COLEMAN NORRIS
Breaking!
The results are in!
Many of our members are part of the Carcass project. We met on May 12, when we brought all our projects to the Crossroads Centre. Some very impressive steers and heifers entered the building. We started the day by weighing the animals to determine their final weight before they headed off to the butcher shop. We had a few steers weighing in at a whopping 1600 lbs. That is very spectacular because these animals were only on feed for 182 days. After we weighed in, the projects were all tied up in the arena, where the kids performed their own live evaluations, and their written calculations were compared to our evaluation judge. These animals were then loaded up on the truck and taken to Deerview Meats in Irvine. The members then met up at Deerview Meats on May 15 after the beef was butchered to enter the coolers to see their projects hanging. A professional grader then went through each carcass with the kids and explained to them how their beef measured up. The grader measures fat thickness, marbling, and size of steak. Every single beef hanging made my mouth water; I would
eat any of those steaks in that cooler any day. OK! OK! I will get to what we are all waiting for. Drumroll, please! Our Winners this year, with only a few points in between, is BRANDT LYSTER Grand Champion Carcass with his sister on his tail, BREANNA LYSTER Reserve Champion Carcass. Breanna took home the buckle for Rate of Gain and Sadie Rude took home the buckle for her mad skills of the Live Evaluation. We also had a judging competition, in which Sadie Rude won in the Intermediate class and Fallyn Duque won in the Juniors. This was probably the closest Carcass race we have had between all the beef, so every single member should be very proud. It was a very eventful day and everyone’s hard work paid off.
New this year, our club started a new pen of three heifer project; we had five members join this project. They picked three heifers at the beginning of the year and tried to pick the 3 closest-looking heifers they could find. They also met at the Crossroads on May 12 and had Peggy Herman come and judge them. This also was a very hard class of heifers to judge for they all were spectacular pens. With only a point apart for the win, we had Brandt Lyster with his pen of Red Simmentals, Emma Westerlund with her pen of Black
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Brianna Lyster Reserve Champion Carcass
Brandt Lyster Grand Champion Carcass
...East Sounding Creek 4-H
Angus, Dylan Woods with his pen of Black Simmentals, Doug Westerlund with his pen of Herefords and Rayna Murray with her pen of Simmental heifers. It was a great project for these members to learn what to look for when picking their pen of 3, and we hope to see this project grow next year.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Doug Norris for judging our Carcass live evaluation competition and Peggy Herman for judging our pen of 3 heifer projects. This is Coleman Norris saying, “Do yourself a favour and put some beef on your plate.
Acadia Municipal Library
BY TRICIA FISCHBUCH Library Manager
This week’s collection of new books includes A Gambling Man by David Baldacci, An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris (both adult fiction), and Sweet Farm: More Than 100 Cookies, Cakes, Salads, & Other Delights from My Kitchen on a Sugar Beet Farm by Molly Yeh (non-fiction). We’ve also received the PS5 video game, Metaphor: ReFantazio (rated T) that is available to borrow.
The first summer movie, Paddington in Peru, will be Tuesday July 8th starting at 2PM. Snacks will be provided. More movie days are planned for August.
An interactive online version of the TD Summer Reading Club is now open. Pick up a booklet at the library to get started!
Additionally, there will be a summer program running most Thursdays in the library for kids. Join us on July 10th, 17th, August 7th, 14th, & 21st for a story, craft, and snack. More details to come.
Please note that the library will be closed for summer maintenance from July 22nd - August 1st.
Those who use the Pronounciator eResource will notice that it is no longer available. It will soon be replaced with “Transparent Language Online” sometime in July. A number of eMagazines have also been dropped from Flipster due to duplicate offerings or low usage. As a result, Brainspace, Canada’s History, Chickadee, Chirp, Maclean’s, and Owl will no longer be available on this eResource.
“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx
Town of Oyen Library: Booknotes
BY DAYNA WILSON Library Manager
ADULT FICTION:
A Dance of Lies / by: Brittney Arena
My Friends / by: Fredrik Backman
The Marriage Pact / by: Kathleen Fuller Beneath the Surface / by: Emily McIntire
The Mistletoe Mystery / by: Nita Prose Mother-Daughter Murder Night : A Novel / by: Nita Prose
Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation / by: Sarah Yahm
NON FICTION:
Real Food for Fertility : Prepare your body for preg nancy / by: Lily Nichols
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
Chainsaw Man 18, All pets / by: Tatsuki Fujimoto
SERVICE OPTIONS:
The library is currently open as usual, but we have added a curbside service option as well. fer to pick up materials this way, please call ahead or email to let us know which day to put them out. *If you are unable to come out to the library due to physical conditions we can do deliveries within the
town limits. Please just give us a call at the number listed below.
Imogene Hauck and her family would like to thank everyone for their hugs and blessing on the loss of Dwight Hauck. Thank you to Kim at the funeral home for such a lovely job, the United Church Ladies for the wonderful ham dinner, all the people who have brought flowers to the house and anyone who donated to our wishes - The United Church or the Oyen & District Health Foundation. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. God bless you all. Oyen is a wonderful place to live.
Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; For Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Brandt Lyster 1st pen of 3
Emma Westerlund 2nd pen of 3
Lunch and Learn
BY DIANA WALKER
Wanda Diakow is the Economic Development Officer at the Special Areas Board. Her work centers on improving the vitality and sustainability of the rural community through strategic initiatives. On June 12, Wanda co-ordinated Unlocking Innovation, a one-hour Lunch & Learn event in the FCSS Community Centre Oyen. This collaborative event, co-sponsored by Special Areas Regional Economic Development, Apex Alberta, Alberta Innovates, and the Palliser Economic Partnership, is designed for business owners, entrepreneurs, and community organizations to explore
tion about turning a business idea into reality.
PHOTO BY DIANA WALKER
the innovation and entrepreneurship programs available to support business growth across the region.
Barb Kulyk, Executive Director at Palliser Economic Partnership, spoke
Making music in the 1970s
Joyce (Jorgensen) Radcliffe who grew up near New Brigden played with the band known as The Happy Plus during her high school years. The band formed in 1972, providing music for New Brigden and surrounding areas. After graduating in 1974, Joyce moved to Calgary to continue her education but drove home nearly every weekend to play for dances.
Gary and Gloria Jorgensen shared their memories of being in the band. The young married couple. In December, 1973 they found themselves without a drummer, at which time Gary told Gloria “She had a new job”.
They loaded up an old set of drums, but forgot the drumsticks.
The innovative group made a pair out of coat hangers, which Gloria used for her first performance.
The Happy plus played for dances from Calgary to Portage La Prairie and from Edson to Medicine Hat. Many of their first dances were at Sibbald.
your resume to jeanabaker@lukplumbing.com
306-463-6707
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Their website features community profiles for Brooks, Medicine Hat, County of Newell, Cypress County, MD of Acadia, Special Areas 2, 3 and 4, Bassano, Bow Island, Coronation, Hanna, Oyen, Redcliff, Acme, Consort, Duchess, Empress, Foremost, Rosemary, Youngstown.
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807 - 9th St. W. Kindersley, SK Submit your Upcoming Event to kate@yourwestcentral.com or text 306-463-2211 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
We try our best to keep events up-to-date, but if you see an error or have a cancellation, please let us know!
ALSASK
- Drop in Pickleball every Tuesday 8:00 PM at the Alsask Rec Centre. All ages are welcome.
CEREAL
SATURDAY, JULY 26
• Cereal Mud Bog. Mud flies at 12:00 noon. Dance to follow.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24
• Cereal Kids Rodeo starting at 9:00 AM. Pre-registration required July 7th thru August 1st.
- Monday Night Bingo (except holidays) at the CJ Peacock Centre. Doors & Con-
cession open at 6:30 PM. Bingo starts at 7:30 PM
- Cereal Cottages Coffee on Tuesdays 10:30 - 11:30 AM
- Quilting Club weekly Wednesdays 10:00 AM - 4 PM at the CJ Peacock Centre.
- Cereal Playground most Tuesdays 10:00 AM at the CJ Peacock Centre.
EMPRESS
- Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture and Leisure Society Craft Mondays 1:00 PM at Empress Community Hall Craft Room. Everyone is welcome and coffee is always on!
- Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture and Leisure Society Crib Wednesdays 7:00 PM at Empress Community Hall. $5 entry fee. $1 for each hand scoring 19 goes into the loonie pot. All monies will be paid out at end of evening. Great
opportunity to see old friends and make some new ones.
- Empress & District Fine Arts, Culture and Leisure Society presents Snarples Thursdays 7:00 PM. No entry fee. Great opportunity to see old friends, make some new ones and learn a new card game. Empress Community Hall (314 Centre St.)
- Game Night Saturdays at 7:00 PM at the Community Hall. Come join us for a night of fun and excitement. Play games and hang out with friends and family.
OYEN
TUESDAY, JULY 1
• Canada Day BBQ at the Crossroads Museum sponsored by Oyen Lions Club. The works $10 (burger or hotdog, drink and chips); burger $6; hotdog $5; pop/water $2; juice box $1; chips $1;
corn dog $5. Partnered with FCSS. Free tattoos for kids, games, popcorn $2. Come join in the celebration and fun. JULY 10, 11 & 12
• The Big Country Ag Society presents the 4th Annual Oyen Indoor Rodeo. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
• Regular Pot Luck and Meeting for Oyen and District Seniors (50+) at Oyen and District Seniors Recreation Centre. Pot Luck at 6:00 PM and Meeting at 7:00 PM. Call Lynda 403-664-0908 or Beth 403-664-2462 for more information.
- Oyen Town Council meet 2nd Tuesday of every month 6:00 PM in Council Chambers.
- Community Choir every Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the Evangelical Missionary Church.
Tracy Stroud shared a wealth of informa-
The “Happy Plus” group from New Brigden: L-R: Joyce Radcliff, Gary Jorgensen, Clark Huston and Gloria Jorgensen.
PHOTO: FROM BUFFALO CHIPS TO NATURAL GAS: HISTORY OF NEW BRIGDEN
