“Ice To Dice” a huge success in Acadia Valley
After a 2 year absence, the Ice To Dice was a huge success in Acadia Valley Feb. 28th - March 6th with 27 teams taking place. It was the first event in 2 years for the curling rink and the new community hall was well used for the social events. The 50/50 jackpots grew
each night, ranging from $500 to $5500. There were lots of raffles, draws and fun events. Wednesday was the cribbage tournament with winners Tom and Tyson Rafa. Thursday was the poker tournament with Levi Westerland coming out the winner. Roger and Jaime Didychuk prepared fancy cocktails on Thurs which were a huge success. Suppers were catered by Kelly
Skappak, AV ECS and Oyen Day Care. Wing night on Wednesday prepared and sold 3000 wings! The Bonspiel winners were: A Event – Chance McCurdy rink; B Event – Carrolll Rink; C Event- Dillabough rink . The grand prize of a $4000 Vegas trip was won by the Dillabough rink consisting of Walker and Holly, and Aaron and daughter Jordanna. The many many sponsors and hard work of many volunteers made this event such a success. Steven Heeg and Ashton Kuhn were the MCs and part of the organizer team. Good Job!
Welcome to baby Bella Ann Heeg, daughter to Steven Heeg and Jenifer Breum on Feb. 18th.
The Post office lobby will be closed from 10:00pm to 6 am daily
10 people joined together at the St. Mary’s Church on Wednesday, March 2nd to say prayers for Ukraine and World Peace. Linda Conway organized the readings , prayers and hymns.
Sympathy to the family of Bill Gibson, who passed away on March 8th in Oyen, at the age of 94.
Several people went to Medicine Hat for two days to work the casino for the AV Rec Club.
Congratulations to former resident, Antonia Schubert, who has now wrapped over 1360 clothes hangers! I am one of the lucky recipients of her work! Wednesday afternoon games, cards, billiards, etc is being well attended. Everyone is welcome to come join us.
There will be a Town Hall RCMP Open House meeting on March 23rd at 7:00pm at the community hall. Come and ask questions and provide your thoughts on how you would like to see the community become a safer place.
Watch for some special events coming up in our new community club.
PAT DIDYCHUK ACADIA VALLEY NEWS
Steven Heeg, Holly Dillabough, Walker Dillabough, Aaron Dillabough, Jordanna Dillabough, Ashton Kuhn.
Ag Safety Week: Safety is Our Standard
March 13-19, 2022, is the first Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) under the banner “Your Farm, Your Family, Your Success”. Organizers are calling all farmers, ranchers, farm families, farm workers and farming communities to implement farm safety plans, talk about farm safety, and value #FarmSafetyEveryday.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is an annual public campaign committed to raising awareness about the importance of farm safety. In 2022, organizers are focusing on not just practical safety advice and awareness but also the reasons why safety is essential for all farming operations.
“Farm safety is not just about knowing what hazards exist,” says Andrea Lear, CASA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Farm Safety is also about changing unsafe behaviours and habits, understanding the positive business case for incorporating safety on farming operations
and addressing what it truly means to value safety and health. This year, CASA is excited to host conversations about making meaningful and long-lasting change for the health and safety of everyone that lives, works, and visits farms and ranches.”
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is the presenting sponsor of CASW and a valuable farm safety champion. FCC supports many farm safety programs, including Back to Ag, a program that assists with the cost of adaptive technology for farmers who have experienced a traumatic injury and CASA’s BeGrainSafe program.
“Farms present a variety of workplace hazards, so incorporating solid safety practices each and every day is paramount for reducing risk to farm family members and employees,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. “CASW is an important reminder each year for everyone to take care and be safe on the farm.”
For more than a decade, CASA has been raising awareness about the importance of safety on Canadian farms through CASW, which takes place every year during the third week of March. CASW is presented by Farm Credit Canada. In 2022, CASW sponsors include longtime corporate sponsor Farm Credit Canada, as well as CN, Syngenta, Bayer Crop Science and Fertilizer Canada.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers. CASA is funded in part by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal, provincial and territorial initiative. For more information, visit www.casa-acsa.ca, find us on Facebook or LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter @planfarmsafety
Yellowstone changing hearts, minds and appetites
BY SHERI MONK
Every once in a while, a series is released that seems to really capture the imaginations of people far and wide. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Vikings, The Sopranos and Stranger Things are just a few that come to mind from recent years, but none have featured the cattle industry as their hook. Unless you’ve been living under a rock and unless that rock has absolutely terrible Internet, you’ve heard of Yellowstone. Not the park, but the (so far) four season series based on a ranch located on the border of the park. The show opens with a shot of blue sky spotted by white clouds as a tentative hand reaches into, then across the screen to a horse’s head. We hear the wind in the background at first, but then we hear the horse, and it’s in distress. The hand belongs to family patriarch John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner. He’s bleeding from a head wound that he doesn’t seem to notice. “Easy, easy,” he whispers to the animal. The horse calms. Dutton sighs, then places his head to that of the horse. He closes his eyes. “It’s not fair, this life.”
The camera pans out, and Dutton and his horse are in the background of a terrible highway wreck. We see a truck, wheels in the air, and a piece of construction equipment. Then the camera brings us back to man and horse, and we see its horrific injury, entangled with a piece of unrecognizable metal, probably the trailer it had been carried in. “I know you deserve better,” he says, raising his revolver. “Best I can offer you is peace,” he says. Dutton touches his face to the horse’s once more. The gun fires. The horse drops. Dutton walks away from the tragedy, grief hanging heavy on his frame as he picks his cowboy hat off of the pavement.
“It was too much for my sisterin-law. She couldn’t watch it. She’s a city girl. She’s never been exposed to the realities of country life. The idea of having to put down an animal to speed the process of death to spare it is nothing that she would experience,” said Heather Lukito, a school teacher and mom of three from Milton, Ontario. Milton has a population of 110,000, but it’s considered just a suburb of Toronto – just a town, by local standards.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
for Your Southwest Media Group
Rising gas prices have made beer cheaper than the cost of gas. Now people have more reason than ever to do the right thing .... drink beer and don’t drive.
Regarding doing the right thing, Prime Minister Trudeau recently said, “Make no mistake Russia’s attack on Ukraine is also an attack on democracy, on human rights and on freedom. Russia’s actions stand in direct opposition to the democratic principals that generations of Canadians have fought to protect.
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What’s the right thing to do?
Democracies and democratic leaders must come together to defend these principals and stand firmly against authoritarianism.”
Trudeau backed up his statement by leaving for Europe last Sunday to meet with leaders in the United Kingdom, Latvia, Germany and Poland. A senior government official said Trudeau’s office sees value in face-to-face meetings with allies. While it’s good to see our Prime Minister’s prompt response to this international situation, his response to Canadians is
much different. His apparent value of face-to-face meetings was not evident when he refused to take a short walk to meet with Canadians who were protesting outside his front door. Not only did he refuse to listen to them, meet with them or speak to them, he resorted to name calling ... extremists, racists with unacceptable views.
The Prime Minister had more to say regarding the Ukraine, “We‘ve come to a moment that we’ve seen coming over the past years. We’ve talked about it in the
news, not just about the Ukraine, but democracies throughout the world. We see a bit of a slippage in our democracies. Countries turning toward slightly more authoritarian leaders.” Is it authoritarian to treat protestors differently depending on what cause they are protesting?
The PM went on to say, “Countries are allowing increasing misinformation and disinformation to be shared on social media, turning people against the values and principles of democracy that are so strong.” Is that why the federal government is introducing new censorship legislation in Canada? Would this legislation muzzle critics while promoting messages the government wants you to see?
Meanwhile the legacy media’s narrative regarding the trucker’s protest appeared to closely follow that of the Prime Minister. This has caused a mistrust of what people hear from the legacy press, even when their re-
porting on the recent international crisis has been accurate.
Regarding the international crisis, our federal environment minister said Canada is not the solution to the energy security crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Dave Yeager, an oil and gas industry analyst said, “The bad guys are intentionally using their significant oil and gas exports as a geopolitical weapon for nefarious purposes. The good guys like Canada have been intentionally withholding new oil and gas supplies and exports to save the world from climate change.”
The truth is Canada’s responsible energy supply can help end dependence on oil and gas from dictator states like Russia.
Pierre Poilievre, MP, noted that unleashing Canadian energy would take money away from dictators and give pay cheques to Canadians instead.
Meanwhile the people with boots on the ground in the Ukraine are dis-
playing their courage for the world to see. A pastor in Poland said, “I see people risk a lot to take people on foot to the border and back again, multiple times a day, for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do. Men volunteer sixteen hours a day to drive people to the border and drive back again. As sad as the situation is, at the local level the absolute best in human nature comes out.” Canadians need leadership that will follow the example of the brave citizens in the Ukraine and Poland, and make decisions, for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do.
Kate Winquist Publisher / Editor Robert Winquist Circulation
presentation to students at Assumption
in Oyen on March 21 in honour of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
JOAN JANZEN
March 21 is designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In recognition of this occasion, Christ The Redeemer (CTR) Catholic schools are promoting an initiative to promote inclusion and eliminate racism. Lindsay Avramovic, Director of Catholic Education, described the initiative in which Assumption Roman Catholic School in Oyen will participate. Assumption Roman Catholic School is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school.
Lindsay explained the Many and One initiative began in the spring of 2020. “Our goal, as part of the committee, is to address discrimination through listening, sharing and action.”
This involves an online event that will be held in all schools on March 21. The guest speaker is Aubrey Noronha, who will address each of the different age groups throughout the day on March 21, sharing an age-appropriate message to each grade division.
There will also be a special online presentation for parents and families in the evening.
Lindsay said, “We wanted a speaker who could speak to the issue at all age levels, in a developmentally appropriate way.” Aubrey Noronha, who is originally based out of Ontario, seemed to fit the bill. “He’s relatable, understandable, open and welcoming. He’s been such a gift,” she said. He will be speaking to all 10,000 of CTR’s students.
As a former crisis negotiator and critical incident stress management facilitator, his expertise, passion and candour flow through his workshops and will leave students and adults feeling encouraged and equipped to make their school and community safer one day and one decision at a time.
“While he’s not advertised as a Catholic speaker, he highlights the key tenants of our faith ... a call to love and a call to care for one another,” Lindsay explained, adding that Aubrey uses language appropriate for elementary-level stu-
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Yellowstone: A culture in itself
CONTINUED
“Most people that have lived a suburban life, unless they’ve had somewhere they could go and see the country life like that, even the thought of a gun is not part of reality for most. Most have never even seen a gun,” she said.
Back to the series opener, with hat in one hand, revolver in the other, Dutton walks, surveying the wreck, finding a dead driver in a smoking semi. He reaches around the dead man, retrieving the registration from the crushed dash. The truck and trailer belongs Paradise Valley Capital Development. This sets the viewer up for one of the prevailing themes of the show, a bloody and desperate battle between land uses and lifestyles in the ever-present war for resources. And if there’s one thing the series does well, it’s showing us that when one human side invariably wins, we all lose –including the land and the plants and animals forced to share it with us.
Heather is hooked on the show, and she’s been binging on it since December. She’s almost through season four. ViacomCBS has already announced a fifth season and there are – count them – already THREE spinoffs. So why does this show resonate so strongly with viewers?
dents. He notes that we’re all made in the image and likeness of God.
The hands-on aspect of this initiative is all based on “relationship.” Lindsay said, “Without relationship, we’re not going to be able to do the learning. That is the foundation on which everything will grow. Children need to know that they’re loved, cared for, worthy of love, and created in the image of God. Once they have that, they can do the learning. We know as teachers when the relationship is absent, the students don’t engage.”
This is the first time CTR has invited a speaker to address this topic, and they’re looking forward to maintaining a partnership with Aubrey. “I hope to have him come in person in the new year,” Lindsay said. “We still have work to do. It’s an ongoing conversation as we’re learning together.”
The elementary students attending Assumption Roman Catholic School in Oyen will be hearing an encouraging message. “Skin colours are many and beautiful. We’re all part of this human race and have a sense of kinship,” Lindsay said. “It’s a call to love one another, care for one another, made in the image of likeness of God. We’re celebrating what is unique and special about each one of our families.”
bad guy in an episode. And fans raved when the Calgary Stampede was given a pretty enthusiastic nod when character Lloyd Pierce, the cow boss, talks about earning his buckle at the Calgary Stampede, stating that it was his favourite rodeo and that people were nice to him for 10 straight days.
“Who is my favourite cowboy? It’s obvious. Like many it’s probably Rip,” laughs Julie Mont, a francophone fan who lives in downtown Montreal. She doesn’t own a vehicle, and takes the subway to work. “Yellowstone makes me want to become a cowboy.”
The sweeping landscapes and beauty of the prairie and foothills are part of why she became hooked on the series. “The scenes are so beautiful and the animals look amazing.”
Heather has been equally moved by the landscape and she would like to visit western Canada for the first time because of the show. When asked how long she would have to drive from her home in Ontario before she could find a gravel road and not encounter another car for an hour, she was stunned by the possibility.
“I think in this era of mass TV and production, Yellowstone seems more real. If you look at set design, there’s a lot of stage set-ups and you can tell… they’re always in this office, or they’re always in this building. This show is shot out on a ranch. Sure you have the house and maybe Beth’s office, but the majority is shot out on the prairie. It opens you up and it feels refreshing,” says Stephen Philpott, a Medicine Hat film buff and co-host of podcast “Scent of a Man”.
There may be other reasons very urban viewers feel such solidarity with Yellowstone’s characters. Modest, semi-detached homes are selling in Heather’s neighbourhood for close to $1.5 million.
“The show is a fight for land. We’ve seen that here,” said Heather. “That’s been corrupted here as well. Those who had land have done very well as they sold to developers.”
“The characters themselves are super compelling and I’m attached to every one of them. Kevin Costner is a stand-out actor and this is the best I’ve seen him in a long time. He was made to play this role. Kelly Reilly as Beth is the one that has kept me in the series the most because she takes me through so many waves of up and down. I hate her or I love her,” laughs Stephen.
Beth Dutton, arguably the only main character who is also a woman, is a fierce train wreck, but capable of anything and everything. Successful, powerful and unapologetic, she comes equipped with a foul mouth, strong libido and an impressive alcohol tolerance. She can also be astonishingly vulnerable. Her partner, ranch hand Rip Wheeler, is one of the shows biggest draws – particularly to those who appreciate the male form. But there are plenty of other cowboys to lust after, including Beth’s brother Casey, and of course, John Dutton.
The series has some Canadian connections too. Acadia Valley’s Teren Turner played a masked and armed
“Where I could drive for an hour? And not see another vehicle?! Oh my goodness. Not see another vehicle? For an hour? I’d have to drive for 11 hours. I’ve never been there. I have never driven and not seen a car for another hour.”
Yellowstone has captured the imagination of viewers just like Heather and Julie in every major city in the world. And that may have more of an effect on social licence issues than all the combined marketing by beef groups to date.
“There’s been this push toward veganism, and I’ve seen that perspective too, yet even just with this show it feels like no, there’s another side to that story. We can’t lose that industry,” Heather said. “It definitely makes me think about it a little more. I think in the GTA, we tend to all think that our food just comes from the grocery store. We know cognitively it comes from the farmer, but are we thinking of the farmer every day? No.”
“What I really liked from the beginning, for me it was a new discovery. To see the cattle industry, the ranch and the role of the cowboy… I had a lot of biases and cowboys were very negative. To see it is actually very different than I thought. It’s what got me intrigued. I just wanted to know more about it. And the first three reasons I thought it was more about the role of the cowboy and the relationship with the reservation nearby,” Julie explained.
The show gets dark in a Breaking Bad meets The Sopranos kind-of way. Every single character is both a protagonist and an antagonist, and there is no such thing as redemption on Yellowstone. And the fans love it.
“It’s inspiring. Even if their way of doing it is questionable, it’s inspiring,” Julie said, admitting that ranching in real life probably doesn’t require quite as many one-way trips to the train station. “It has been a discovery and it gave me the impression that through this story I could learn a lot about this world. It is a culture in itself. It’s not at all like we see in the movies.”
sherimonk@gmail.com
Aubrey Noronha will present an online
Roman Catholic School
Your Southwest Media Group
The spirit of the West
Canada has always taken pride in its reputation for peacekeeping and helping its neighbours – traits that are exemplified by some of the rural communities this publication serves. I’ve lived in all three prairie provinces. I grew up in Winnipeg, where the licence plates read “Friendly Manitoba” – and they aren’t kidding about that. Even now when I go home to visit, I’m sometimes surprised by how open and chatty everyone is, even in the city.
When I left big city media in 2007 to move to southwest Saskatchewan, I wasn’t sure what I was in for. I may have come for the rattlesnakes, but I stayed for the people. (It’s a weird passion, but anyone who knows me, knows I spend my summers chasing snakes just to see them.)
Of course, I landed in a cattle town at the height of the BSE crisis and there I learned pretty near everything I could about the beef business. Its connection to the land, its reliance on the U.S. economy, its friendly competition with crop farmers, and of course, its infamous politics. By proxy, I learned some about grain farming, about organics, and a little about the many crops we are so fortunate to grow across our nation. And while it was all interesting, it’s really the people behind it all that are so compelling.
I remember showing up in the evening to a farmhouse near Saskatoon to interview a family who had experienced hardship after a contaminated feed incident. I had worked
late the night before, slept a couple of hours, and worked before hitting the road. I was exhausted and it clearly showed. I wish I could remember their names – maybe it was Russ and Shirley. Anyway, Russ was out combining late and Shirley insisted on feeding me supper. I don’t recall what it was, only that it was needed and delicious. And then she put me to bed on her couch. I don’t even think I argued. I remember being tucked in with a blanket for the first time since I was a little kid and I slept like a rock until Russ came in for the night. I was – and still am – so grateful for their kindness.
Another time, I was somewhere near Val Marie and I had pulled over to photograph something. Frogs I think, or maybe a snake and it was nighttime. I hadn’t seen another vehicle for a couple of hours, so when this one approached I could hear it before I could see it. I was pretty new to the region, and I stood up and waited for the truck to pass. It didn’t pass. It stopped. Now, as a young woman from a city, if a man stops a vehicle anywhere near you and you’re alone, you immediately think the worst. Not this time though.
“Do you need any help, miss?” he called from his rolled-down window.
“No, thank you. I’ve just stopped to photograph this snake,” I answered. (I’ve decided it was a rattlesnake after all.)
I figured that would be the end of it, but he hopped
out of the truck. Again, my alarm bells went off. I always carry a pocketknife and some common sense, but that’s not always enough. For the second time in 30 seconds, I was surprised. He wanted to see the rattlesnake too. I think he spent about five minutes with me and by the end of the visit, I had a bunch more wisdom than I had started out with, and permission to hike his land for my favourite critters. That – at least to me – more than anything else, is the spirit of the West. It isn’t the cowboys or the waves of golden grain. It isn’t found in a trucker blockade or at the bottom of a bottle of Pilsner. It isn’t western alienation or separatism. It isn’t a way of voting, or a style of dressing. It’s not divided by town or country. It doesn’t start in a church, or a rodeo and it doesn’t end at them either. It’s not oil, or potash, or sagebrush or sunsets or even snakes. It’s how we treat people. It’s how we go in thinking the best of one another instead of assuming the worst. It’s turning a house that sleeps six into one that could sleep 60, if it had to. It’s learning from mistakes and
listening even when it’s easier to talk. It’s feeding people when they’re hungry and finding them when they’re lost. It’s pulling together when everything else is falling apart.
This could be a tough year for us in the rural West. We’re looking at some tough times thanks to shortages and the price of feed, fertilizer and fuel. Some of you may already have had to bring cows to town that should have stayed home. Others are coming into spring with little or no snow after a terrible drought. Some are holding their equipment and machinery together with just bailer twine and a prayer, knowing they couldn’t find anything new to replace it with, even if they could afford it. Others are going to have to pay thousands and thousands more this year just to get a crop in the ground without knowing whether they’ll get it out.
And yet, we all know we must – and this year more than ever. Canada’s peacekeepers and heroes don’t always wear fatigues. Sometimes they wear Carhartts and ballcaps. Sometimes combat boots are cowboy boots, and sometimes our arsenal is made up of combines and tractor balers.
As you read this, the people of Ukraine have put everything on the line for their country. Men and women of all ages have left their jobs, families, homes and even their farms to fight for their country. There will be no crop in Ukraine this year, and right now, their people are paying in blood for just the chance to
BY SHERI MONK
have again what we all have right now – peace and freedom.
They will keep fighting, and so will we. Canada is responsible for between 15 and 20 per cent of global grain and barley exports. We help to feed the world and the world is going to need more help than ever. Canada is one of the biggest contributors to ending hunger, and the second-largest donor to the World Food Program. Sometimes peacekeeping looks like feeding people, as unimaginable as it seems to us. There are 195 countries in the world and only about a dozen nations can truly feed themselves. We are one of them
So we will show up this year. We will do our best, and we will work harder than ever. Whether you’re a producer, or a retailer, a school-bus driver, trucker or a nurse, our rural communities need you more than ever. Keep investing in one another, in your communities, and in yourselves. Try and shop locally, when and if you can. Try and help each other, more than you ever have. We will grin and grimace and bear it together. We will sweat while Ukraine bleeds. We will make it count – and not because we have to, but because we can. That is who we are and we are the spirit of the West.
Sheri Monk is a journalist and rattlesnake aficionado based in Redcliff, Alberta. sherimonk@ gmail.com
THE FAMILY FARM -
ONE YEAR GRAZING Available By Tender
• Section 34-25-4-W4
• 39 pairs and a bull from June 1 to Sept. 30
Tender closes at 11:59 p.m. on April 15. Visit: www.ducks.ca/resources/landowners/alberta-haygraze-tender-program/ for details and bid forms or contact Megan McGlynn at m mcglynn@ducks.ca or 403-857-8125
Producers bracing for tough year
Skyrocketing fuel prices, feed shortages, input costs creating crisis conditions this spring
BY SHERI MONK for Your Southwest Media Group
Between drought, supply chain issues, and global unease surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the last couple of years on the agricultural front have been like a wild rollercoaster – the kind that people regret getting on in the first place. Now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing more uncertainty and for some nations, fear of food shortages.
While many in the world simply don’t associate Russia with agriculture, (does Vodka count?) Russia and Ukraine combined produce 30 per cent of the world’s wheat and barley. Ukraine alone supplies the UK with 20 per cent of their cereals, and has been a pivotal exporter to the EU, and to other less food-secure nations. Thanks to its rich, black soil, the land surrounding the Black Sea has become known as the “breadbasket of the world” – but recent reports out of Ukraine are anticipating crop failures of nearly 100 per cent. While some fields will no doubt be damaged from heavy equipment and shelling, most crops simply won’t get in the ground this year. Instead of seeding, farmers are fighting on the frontline, in some cases using expensive farm equipment to block roads or otherwise slow down the Russians. Millions have also fled the country, leaving everything behind to try and bring their children and the elderly to safety.
“On the feed grains side, there are multiple things impacting the market. Not just tight supplies, but the fact that we’re relying on imports from the U.S. right now means that any trucker or rail disruptions also impact the market along with the Ukraine situation,” said Brenna Grant, executive director of CanFax.
While the West has typically relied on barley to finish cattle, the East has fed corn, but that has not been the case this winter.
“The issue with the barley crop is that grain yields in western Canada were down significantly, but of the barley that was produced, a lot actually went malt-quality or into the human consumption side of things. We are seeing significant reliance on corn imports from the U.S. where the American corn belt was less impacted by the drought,” said Grant.
“I think we have a lot of concern about weather coming into the spring, even just the hay crop, but also the grain crop and seeing what is going to happen for that. At this point we are still seeing elevated levels of cow marketings coming to town versus one year ago, so the liquidation of our cow herd is really going to continue until the feed supplies have improved,” Grant said.
“We’ve seen a lot of movement on the futures market, and when you’ve got corn trading at $7 USD per bushel, that has a direct influence on the value of U.S. feeder cattle. We’ve seen the feeder futures drop in the U.S. throughout February, but things look to have made a low on March 4 and have actually bounced back a wee bit this week.”
Demand in China
Incredibly, the feed grain shortage could lead to Canadian producers competing with Chinese buyers for North and even South American supplies.
“It’s really a volatility conversation. The Black
Sea region is an exporter of wheat, barley and corn and their main market is actually China. If they can’t get their product to China, is China going to replace that product from North and South America,” Grant questioned. “We just don’t know at this point. China’s demand for feed is really uncertain right now. They had expanded their hog sector following African Swine Fever and they actually had overproduction, which means they’re back in a liquidation phase for their hog sector. So it’s really unclear what their demand for feed grain is at this point.”
Alberta lightweight steers continued to see seasonal price increases recently, with heavier steers remaining steady.
“Given the futures markets, we are definitely going to see pressure on this feeder market, but it’s one where those cash prices staying steady is an indication of the strong demand that we have,” Grant said.
The demand, according to livestock and meat analyst Kevin Grier, is remarkable.
“The demand for beef has been the best I’ve ever seen in 30 years. It’s incredible, and it’s really a positive thing.”
While processors and retailers are benefitting from all that demand, cow-calf producers and feeders are struggling.
“The cattle end of the business is not that great because supplies are so abundant and capacity to get the job done is not quite there, so the cattle prices are not where anyone would feel happy, let alone with these costs that are going through the roof,” said Grier.
Farmers under pressure
“Russia is a major producer and exporter of oil, natural gas, nitrogen and potash fertilizer. We’ve already seen fertilizer prices increase and become very volatile. So again, this is just adding to that volatility and uncertainty in that market. If supply chains are disrupted, can they actually get product?” asked Grant.
Paul Heglund farms near Consul, Saskatchewan. In 2021, he received 188 mm or 7.4 inches of rain and he’s coming into spring with little to no snow cover.
“Last year there were 36 days with measurable precipitation. Most of the rains did no good at all –they were just too small. They just evaporated without touching the roots,” he said. “And it will cost double in 2022 what the 2021 crop cost to seed.”
Wheat prices have surged since Russia attacked, but input costs has been skyrocketing for much longer. While farm equipment and machinery has always been expensive, producers now have to worry not just about whether they can afford to replace equipment, but whether there will be any new equipment in stock to replace it with. In the past, people have turned to the used market, or paid to repair equipment, but replacement parts can be more difficult to come by and there’s an acute shortage of previously-owned equipment and machinery.
The escalating fuel prices will also take a toll on producers this year – the cost of diesel has increased 20 per cent since January alone and many anticipate prices to continue to spiral upward.
“It’s a precarious situation,” Grier said.
Crossroads Beef Expo 2022 Prize Winners
Photos by Crowbait Creative. Used with permission. More winners can be found on page 9.
A beautifully serene landscape scene adorns a memorial wall in the entry of Big Country Hospital. Dating back to April 1, 1996, each person on this wall has had a donation made in their memory. No set amount is needed to have a name on the wall, which was created and is maintained through a grant from AHS. Tax deductible donations are always welcome and can be mailed to Box 1, Oyen, Alberta T0J 2J0, by e-transfer at oyenhealthfoundation@outlook.com or in-person at the front office of Big Country Hospital 8:00 am – 3:00 pm Monday to Friday.
Oyen & District Health Care FoundationEnhancing Health Care for Over 25 Years
Established in 1995 as Oyen Hospital Foundation, notification was received April 1, 1996, to officially be renamed Oyen & District Health Care Foundation attaining charitable government status.
There have been many dedicated trustees over the years, and it is important to focus on what these individuals have done collectively. Approximately $1,045,800 have funded various projects and pieces of equipment in both Big Country Hospital and Community Health Services. Careful consideration was given to each request presented to the board to ensure that the lives of patients, clients, residents, staff and physicians would benefit.
Although all the purchases are very important and too numerous to mention, some of the most noteworthy include:
• The creation of a courtyard for the enjoyment of the LTC residents and their families.
• Duet bikes for the therapeutic recreation biking program.
• Furnishing of a palliative care suite.
• Susie Q Hot Meal Carts to enhance meal delivery and resident satisfaction. Currently, revenue is received through an annual fall mail-out campaign, memorial and general donations, casinos, and an AHS organized staff lottery. Generous support is also welcomed from many community services clubs helping to purchase numerous beds, oxygen concentrators and stretchers, just to name a few. It should also be noted that all administrative costs are covered by a grant from AHS and do not come out of donations.
Safety is our
Kenney government’s gas tax cut provides needed help to taxpayers
EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding the Kenney government’s decision to pause the provincial fuel tax while oil prices are soaring. Removing the provincial fuel tax will save taxpayers 13 cents per litre on gasoline.
“The Kenney government has stepped up to the plate to help taxpayers who are struggling with record gas prices,” says Kevin Lacey Alberta Director with the CTF. “Eliminating the provincial gas tax is a great way to give taxpayers a break.”
The Alberta government’s gas tax cut will take effect on April 1.
Gasoline prices include 10 cents a litre in federal gas tax, 13 cent provincial gas tax, five per cent GST and 8.8 cent carbon tax. At today’s prices, taxes make up approximately 41 cents of the pump price or about 25 per cent.
The federal government is increasing the carbon tax from 11 cents a litre on April 1.
“Premier Jason Kenney has made the first move and now the ball is in the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s to court to do the right thing and cut the carbon tax to protect taxpayers,” said Lacey.
This gas tax cut will save a family $9.52 on every fill up of a 70-litre sedan.
All youth aged 12 to 17 now eligible for boosters
Appointments for third doses for Albertans aged 12 to 17 can now be booked for March 14 onward at AHS clinics and participating pharmacies through the Alberta Vaccine Booking system. Albertans can also call 811 to book vaccination appointments with AHS.
While the rate of severe outcomes for youth aged 12 to 17 remains low compared with those in older age categories or for youth
with risk factors, third doses have shown to offer better protection against the Omicron variant.
“Booster doses of vaccine are an excellent way to strengthen protection against severe outcomes from COVID-19. As restrictions on youth activities have ended and more normal school life resumes, I encourage parents and guardians to consider getting their children boosters based on their family’s individual circumstances.”
Jason Copping, Minister of Health Youth under the age of 18 require permission from a parent or guardian – either in person at the appointment or by a signed consent form – to be vaccinated. Identification that shows a birthdate is also required for all vaccinations. An Alberta Health Care card is not required. For more information on vaccines for children and youth, visit alberta. ca/vaccine.
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
PUREBRED PEN OF 3 HEIFERS
First Place - Riverfront Angus
Sponsored by UFA, jacket sponsored by Bow Slope Shipping Association
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
2 YEAR OLD BULLS PEN OF 2
First Place - McKeary Charolais
Sponsored by UFA, jacket sponsored by Blue Rock Animal Nutrition
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
YEARLING PEN OF BULLS
First Place - Silversmith Farms / Mappin Simmentals
Sponsored by UFA and jacket sponsored by Kindersley Mainline Motors
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
PUREBRED PEN OF 3 HEIFERS
Second place - Desertland Cattle
Sponsored by Oyen Vet Services
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
2 YEAR OLD BULLS PEN OF 2
Second Place - Desertland Cattle Company
Sponsored by Oyen Vet Services
CROSSROADS BEEF EXPO 2022
YEARLING PEN OF BULLS
Second Place - Camden Cattle
Sponsored by Oyen Vet Services
Keeping the legacy alive
JOAN JANZEN Your Southwest Media Group
The Ashley Good Memorial is helping to keep the legacy alive of promoting pride in raising quality cattle among young people. “We have sponsored the youth steer show for 20 years in Ashley’s memory,” Mindy Good explained. “Steer competitions are huge all over North America!”
The Ashley Good Memorial Steer Show at this year’s Crossroads Beef Expo celebrated its 20th year in Oyen, thanks to the dedication of Don and Mindy Good, who have been the driving force in this endeavour. The Grand Champion this year was Keagan Ja-
cobson, winning $1,000.00 and the Reserve Champion, Levi Martin, went home with $750.00.
Linda Bingeman, a past president of Big Country Agricultural Society (BCAS) and former chairperson of the Beef Expo, said, “The Ashley Good Memorial provides a foundation to promote pride in raising good quality cattle among young people of our area. So often, mainstream media seem to portray raising cattle as harmful to society and the environment. It is important to install pride of purpose into youth who have decided to pursue a career in agriculture, so they continue to improve and try to educate the rest of society about the responsible ways beef is produced.”
A snowfall warning last week seemed a bit excessive, but we did get several centimetres of new snow, and that is always a cause to celebrate.
Sibbald News
Congratulations to the community of Acadia Valley, who hosted the Ice to Dice event last week. Such a huge undertaking, held over so many days and encompassing so many communities. Rob Mundt curled with Steven Heeg, Ryan Niwa and various ladies and placed 3rd in the A event. Grant & Keli Brockmann curled with Rick & Shannon Mundt
Licence plate sticker scam
Albertans should be aware of a new consumer scam offering refunds for licence plate expiry stickers.
Service Alberta has heard reports of Albertans receiving text messages falsely claiming to be from Service Alberta. Scammers are offering $120 refunds for licence plate stickers via text message and the text includes a link. People who click the link are asked to input their banking information to allegedly receive a refund by direct deposit. These messages are not from Service Alberta.
Service Alberta is not offering refunds due to elimination of licence plate stickers. Albertans who receive this message or any other electronic message claiming to offer refunds for licence plate stickers should not click any links or input any personal or banking information.
Quick facts
• Alberta eliminated the use of licence plate expiry date stickers on Jan. 1, 2021. Vehicle registration and annual renewal fees remain unchanged.
• If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud or suspected fraud, report it to the police.
taking 4th place in the A event. Coltan Mundt curled with a team from Marengo.
East Sounding Creek 4-H club was well represented at District Speak Offs held in Hanna on March 6. Congratulations to Olivia Mundt, who placed 1st place in Seniors. Dylan Woods won 2nd in Intermediate class, and Beckham Girletz took 1st place at
Reported by Lee Switzer
the Junior level. Though they did not place, Coleman Norris competed in the Intermediate class, and Danica Woods competed as a Senior. Amazing results for East Sounding Creek! So well done. Beckham, Dylan and Olivia will all move onto Regionals to be held in Consort on March 27. Take care, everyone.
Whitecap Resources Inc. is currently looking for Summer Students in our WCSK (Kindersley/Kerrobert/Dodsland), area.
The work term will run from May 2022 to August 2022. This time frame is flexible for starting earlier or ending later.
As I write this today (Sunday, March 6), the weather is beautiful and sunny with no wind! This is a very uncommon happening here.
Local curlers Dale Monkman, Pat Kukura, Neal and Linda Howe have been taking part in the bonspiel in Acadia Valley this past week. Today they play and if they win they will play again this evening. Good luck team!
Another bit of sad news this week happened on March 2 when Richard Schonhofer had the great misfortune to lose his house to fire. I am glad to report that all people and animals escaped safely but the house was a total loss. Eight fire trucks and several firemen attended but the fire was too far advanced for them to help. Richard is now a guest of his parents Marg and Simon.
KEEP KIDS SAFE!
By designating a “hazardfree” play area and making it fun, you remove children from the work environment while allowing them to develop a sense of their own place of belonging on the farm.
These positions may include conducting general oilfield maintenance, operation of oil wells & facilities and engineering support.
Candidates should be enrolled in a post-secondary program with preference given to engineering, technology and environmental sciences. Proof of enrolment is required.
Safety training will be provided to successful candidates. A valid driver’s license is required.
Please send a cover letter and resume to: Kayla Flanagan (WCSK) kayla.flanagan@wcap.ca
ATB Agency, Postal Outlet Hail Insurance, Alberta Registries Cereal, AB • 403-326-3818
R. Barry Miskuski, John F. Stodalka, Jeffrey J. Neumann, Ronald B. Baba, Marilyn A. Hermann, Bryce R. Farrell, Darren E. Folkersen
BOOK Notes
by Tricia Fischbuch By Jane Kitchen
TOWN OF OYEN LIBRARY
ADULT FICTION:
The Paris apartment by Lucy Foley
NON-FICTION:
Undistracted : capture your purpose rediscover your joy by Bob Goff
CURBSIDE SERVICE OPTION:
The library is currently open as usual, but we have added a curbside service option as well. If you prefer to pick up materials this way, please call ahead or email to let us know which day to put them out.
Library Hours:
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 12-5; Tuesdays 2-7 403-664-3644 ext. 2727 aoymlibrary@marigold.ab.ca www.oyenlibrary.ca www.facebook.com/OyenLibrary
ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, March 31, 2022 1:00 p.m.
Dry Country Gas Co-op Ltd. Back Shop Areas Up for Election:
Providing relief for fuel and utility costs
Alberta’s government will stop the collection of the provincial fuel tax to offer Albertans relief from current high fuel prices. Currently, Albertans pay 13 cents per litre in fuel tax. This change will come into effect April 1.
The federal carbon tax rate on gasoline is set to increase again on April 1, from just under nine cents per litre to just over 11 cents per litre.
“We’ve heard Albertans’ concerns about the rising cost of living loud and clear. While the federal government is set to increase the carbon tax April 1, Alberta’s government is taking the opposite approach and stepping up to offer relief. Stopping the provincial fuel tax puts money back in the pockets of Albertans when they need it most.” - Jason Kenney, Premier
“Many Albertans expressed concerns about increasing prices on everyday goods when I consulted with them ahead of this year’s budget. The best thing government can do during inflationary times is to spend less, borrow less and tax less. That’s why today we are introducing new measures to help with the cost of fuel by reducing the provincial fuel tax, providing much-needed relief to everyday Albertans.” - Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance
Alberta’s government will also provide $150 electricity rebates to help Albertans pay for the high bills they faced this winter. More than one million homes, farms and businesses are expected to receive a $50 monthly rebate for three months. These retroactive rebates will help defray the high costs that many families and businesses paid in recent months.
Alberta’s government will work with utilities and regulators to determine exact details, including rebate timing. This includes working to have the rebates applied directly to consumers’ bills.
This rebate will combine with the Natural Gas Rebate program announced in Budget 2022 to provide real relief for Albertans.
“Utility prices are in part due to market conditions, and in part due to punishing policies from the former provincial government and the federal government. As our government works hard to responsibly manage system costs, we are also working tirelessly to increase generation investments to bring new supply on to the market. As this long-term work continues, a rebate to help offset these costs for Alberta families and small businesses will help provide support when they need it most.” - Dale Nally, Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity
Collection of the fuel tax will be paused for:
• gasoline – $0.13 per litre
• diesel – $0.13 per litre
• marked gasoline and marked diesel – $0.04
Because the GST also applies to provincial fuel taxes, the 13-cent reduction will also reduce the GST by 0.65 cents per litre, for total tax savings of about 13.6 cents per litre of gasoline and diesel.
The government will review the collection of the fuel tax on a quarterly basis and, if required, consider reinstating collection in stages, based on the average price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) over a number of weeks. The government will not start to reinstate collection before July 1.
Alberta’s fuel tax is reported and remitted by refiners and large wholesalers and included in the price Albertans pay at the pump. The government will provide information for stakeholders, including fuel retailers, on the fuel tax pause.
Alberta RMs express concern
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) have expressed concern that, despite a boom in commodity prices, outstanding taxes on oil and gas properties in Alberta continue to rise. The following is a condensed version of an RMA press release detailing their concerns.
The RMA conducted a member survey identifying that as of December 31, 2021, approximately $253 million in property taxes currently owed to rural municipalities by oil and gas companies have gone unpaid. This represents a 3.3% increase from the unpaid amounts reported for the 2020 tax year, a 46.7% increase from 2019,
The Town of Oyen is currently accepting applications for employment for the 2022 summer season. General duties will include but are not limited to mowing grass, ball-park maintenance, painting, watering trees and weed whipping. Other duties may be assigned by the Recreation Director and Public Works foreman that include planning and managing community project initiatives.
The Town of Oyen is committed to providing students with the opportunity to gain relevant experience in a broad scope of work.
Offering Competitive Wages.
Please forward resumes including qualifications via: Email: recreation@oyen.ca Or in person at the town office
PLEASE NOTE: These positions are summer employment opportunities. Applicants MUST BE WILLING to work evenings, weekends and statutory holidays.
Deadline for Applications is April 1, 2022.
and a 213.2% increase from 2018.
This growth indicates that some oil and gas companies continue to ignore their tax payment obligations even as Alberta’s economy improves, oil prices skyrocket, and new oil well drills increase substantially. While most oil and gas companies pay taxes on time and in full, the industry and the Government of Alberta have previously made excuses for companies choosing not to pay property taxes, arguing that due to low commodity prices, payment of property taxes would lead to insolvency for such companies and result in lost jobs and negative economic impacts. This was clearly inaccurate, as the industry is now booming, yet property taxes continue to be at the bottom of the to-do list for some companies.
RMA President expressed his concerns. “As the oil and gas industry’s fortunes have improved over the past year, both oil and gas companies and the Government of Alberta have benefitted tremendously. Companies are reporting record profits, and the province has turned a projected large deficit into a budget surplus nearly entirely due to an increase in resource prices and energy industry investment in the province. Meanwhile, rural municipalities, which play a critical role in providing access to oil and gas resources, are left behind, still unable to collect the taxes required to fund core infrastructure and operations. Not only is this unfair to municipalities, but it is also unfair to every rural taxpayer who
must pay more or receive fewer services to offset those taxes not being paid by the oil and gas industry.”
McLaughlin continued, saying, “While the province has taken some steps related to this issue, none solve the problem. If the political will was there, this issue could be solved quickly and simply through the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). If companies want to profit from Alberta’s oil and gas resources, they should be required to pay all property taxes in full and on time. Building this into the industry’s regulatory system would be simple, transparent and effective, but the AER and Alberta Energy seem unwilling to stand up and actually regulate industry during a period of record profits.”
It is also important to consider that not only are
rural municipalities dealing with unpaid taxes, but they have also absorbed many other downloads and losses in revenue recently, all based on the need to help the oil and gas industry or the province address fiscal challenges. This includes a three-year property tax holiday on newly drilled wells for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tax year; the elimination of the Well Drilling Equipment Tax; a 25% reduction in the Municipal Sustainability Initiative grant program in 2021, 2022, and 2023; as well as increased responsibilities (and costs) associated with policing, affordable housing, and other primarily provincial services.
“To say that municipalities have made sacrifices to support the industry and the government is a huge understatement,” McLaughlin concluded.
Classifieds
RATES (25 words or less). $10.00 plus GST. Additional words are 20¢ each. Deadline is Thursday noon. 306-463-2211
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
FOREFRONT INSURANCE is hiring external brokers and processors/ data entry positions. Broker partnership opportunities for the right candidates. Call / email Michael 403-501-8013 / mhollinda@excelrisk.ca
Works Inc.
Alberta Blanket Classified Ads
AUCTIONS
BAKERY EQUIPMENT ONLINE AUCTION
March 24-29, 2022: 30 QT Dough mixer, Dbl door cooler, Curved glass Show case, Combi & Convection ovens, U/C Freezer, Ice cream machine, Prep sink, Cake pans, Smallwares, etc. www.montgomeryauctions.com; call 1-800371-6963.
AUTO PARTS
BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classified ad. Only $269 (based on 25 words or less). Reach almost 90 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details. 1-800282-6903 Ext 225; www. awna.com.
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES
GET YOUR MESSAGE SEEN ACROSS Alberta. The Blanket Classifieds or Value Ads reach over 600,000 Alberta readers weekly. Two options starting at $269 or $995 to get your message out! Business changes, hiring, items for sale, cancellations, tenders, etc. People are increasingly staying home and rely on their local newspapers for information. KEEP people in the loop with our 90 Weekly Community Newspapers. Call THIS NEWSPAPER now or email classifieds@awna. com for details. 1-800282-6903, 780-434-8746 X225. www.awna.com.
COMING EVENTS
EDMONTON STAMP CLUB STAMP SHOW. April 2-3, 2022; Saturday
10 - 5 pm, Sunday 10 - 4 pm. Central Lion’s Rec Centre, 113 Street & 111 Avenue. Stamps for sale, Evaluations, Door Prizes, Jr table. Free Admission. www.edmontonstampclub.com.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
FREIGHTLAND CARRIERS INC. is looking for owner/operators to deliver tri-flat deck freight in Alberta, Saskatchewan or BC. Monday to Friday work. Steady year round work with substantial increases in rates. Contact Freightland by email at dispatch@freightland. ca or telephone toll free 1-800-917-9021.
INNISFAIL LIONS CLUB looking to hire live at caretakers for Anthony Henday Campground in Innisfail. May 1 –September 30, 2022. Call Tom 403-358-8135.
FEED AND SEED
CERTIFIED SEED.WHEAT – AAC Goodwin, AAC Penhold, AC Sadash, CDC Go, Go Early, Pintail. OATS - AC Juniper, AC Morgan, AC Mustang, Derby, CDC Arborg, CDC SO1 Super Oat, ORE 3542M. BARLEY –Amisk, Busby, Cerveza, CDC Austenson, CDC Maverick, Sundre. Very Early Yellow Pea, Forage Peas. Polish Canola, Spring Triticale. mastinseeds.com; 403-5562609.
ALBERTA FEED GRAIN: Buying Oats, Barley, Wheat, Canola, Peas, Screenings, Mixed
Grains. Dry, Wet, Heated, or Spring Thresh. Prompt Payment. In House Trucks, In House Excreta Cleaning. Vac Rental. 1-888-483-8789.
WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN - Heated, Mixed, Tough, Light, Bugs, Spring Thrashed.... Barley, Wheat, Oats, Peas, Flax, Canola. “On Farm Pickup”. Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-2505252.
HEALTH
HIP/KNEE REPLACEMENT. Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $3,000 yearly tax credit and $30,000 lump sum refund. Take advantage of this offer. Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide: Expert help. 1-844-4535372.
SERVICES
CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer employment/ licensing loss? Travel/ business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: Criminal Pardon. US entry waiver. Record purge. File destruction. Free consultation. 1-800347-2540. www.accesslegalmjf.com.
GET BACK ON TRACK! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need Money? We Lend! If you own your own homeyou qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877987-1420. www.pioneerwest.com.
Non-careers pricing for Alberta and the NWT is $269 for 25 words and $8 per additional word. Your ad will appear in 90+ AWNA community newspapers which blanket Alberta and the Northwest Territories, that reach over 80 percent of Alberta’s non-metro households.
The Town of Oyen is currently accepting applications for employment at the Shirley McClellan Aquatic Facility 2022 summer season. All applicants must have a minimum of a current NLS or Red Cross Instructors Certification and First Aid Certification.
Assistant Pool Manager
Head Lifeguard
Senior/Junior Lifeguards
The Town of Oyen offers financial assistance to current high school and post-secondary students who wish to pursue employment opportunities with the Shirley McClellan Aquatic Facility. For more information, please contact the Town Office at 403-664-3511.
Offering Competitive Wages.
Please forward resumes including qualifications via: Email: recreation@oyen.ca Or in person at the town office
PLEASE NOTE: These positions are summer employment opportunities. Applicants MUST BE WILLING to work evenings, weekends and statutory holidays.
Deadline for Applications is April 1, 2022.
JOB POSITION Library Manager Position
This is a permanent position with 22 hours per week. The Town of Oyen Library board is looking for a self motivated individual who finds literacy & lifelong learning in all forms important.
The responsibilities of the Library Manager include:
• supervision of library operation
• selection of new materials
• organize, develop & maintain regular book clubs
• providing services to patrons
• processing of books and materials
• provide programming from Preschool-Adult
• assisting patrons to find, scan and renew materials
• researching and gathering materials for patrons
• making displays to encourage reading
• de-selecting of books and materials
• keeping an accurate inventory of books and materials
• cleaning library shelves and tables, as well as emptying the book drop
• keeping up-to-date circulation figures
• communicating with Marigold & attending meetings of the Town of Oyen Library Board
• maintaining and updating Library Automation System
• completing Government of Alberta Annual Report
• training summer staff
• contribute posts to social media
• self motivated in developing interesting programming that we are able to offer our patrons of all ages
• able to develop & post social media posts on different platforms
Please submit resumes to krsnell@netago.ca Questions can be emailed to the same address. Positions will be advertised until March 31st, 2022 or until a suitable candidate is found.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This is a good time to reassess important relationships, both personal and professional, to see where problems might exist and how they can be overcome. Keep communication lines open.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s not easy to bring order to a chaotic situation, whether it’s in the workplace or at home. But if anyone can do it, you can. A pleasant surprise awaits you by week’s end.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be careful that you don’t make an upcoming decision solely on the word of those who might have their own reasons for wanting you to act as they suggest. Check things out for yourself.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A personal relationship that seems to be going nowhere could be restarted once you know why it stalled. An honest discussion could result in some surprising revelations.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) That unexpected attack of selfdoubt could be a way of warning yourself to go slow before making a career-changing decision. Take more time to do a closer study of the facts.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A workplace problem needs your attention now, before it deteriorates to a point beyond repair. A trusted third party could be helpful in closing the gaps that have opened.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A recent family situation could give rise to a new problem. Keep an open mind and avoid making judgments about anyone’s motives until all the facts are in.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Rely on your always-sharp intuition to alert you to potential problems with someone’s attempt to explain away the circumstances behind a puzzling incident.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Although you still need to do some snipping of those lingering loose ends from a past project, you can begin moving on to something else.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) With your self-confidence levels rising, you should feel quite comfortable with agreeing to take on a possibly troublesome, but potentially well-rewarded, situation.
1. GEOGRAPHY: How many countries are also cities?
2. MOVIES: Which character was the first princess in a Disney movie?
3. WEATHER: What kind of cloud produces rain, thunder and lightning?
4. LITERATURE: What were the names of the four daughters in “Little Women”?
5. PSYCHOLOGY: What fear is represented by the condition called “ablutophobia”?
6. ANATOMY: What are the gaps between nerve cells called?
7. TELEVISION: Which long-running, daytime soap opera is set in Port Charles, New York?
8. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase “non compos mentis” mean in English?
9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president introduced the Social Security program?
10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a young llama called?
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Travel is favored, both for business and for fun. The end of the week brings news about an upcoming project that could lead toward that promised career change.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might feel suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of responsibilities. But if you deal with each one in its turn, you’ll soon be able to hold your head above water and move on.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have a wonderful way of offering comfort as well as guidance. You would do well in the healing arts.
Trivia Test Answerst 1. Three: the city/states of Vatican City, Monaco and Singapore; 2. Snow White;
3. Cumulonimbus; 4. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy; 5. Fear of bathing; 6. Synapses;
7. “General Hospital”; 8. Not of sound mind; 9. Franklin Roosevelt; 10. A cria
BLANCHE WIESE
(nee Simmons, Olson) 20 July 1924-13 Feb 2022
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our Mother, Grandand Great-grandmother, Aunt, and Friend, Blanche. She was 97. Like many grieving families, we were restricted or blocked from seeing, hugging & being with our loved one in the last two years of her life. Perhaps this is why the grief rolls in like distant thunder, with the storm hitting long after news of their passing. You wake up thinking, I gotta tell her this! I must get her a card! And then you realize there is no Blanche there anymore to share earthly stuff with. Now we share in thoughts and prayers.
Blanche was born to Acadia Valley, AB, area farmers Howard & Emma Simmons in Alsask, SK. Emma said a rabbit led the car on the way to the hospital, presaging Blanche’s outlook on life: Just get on with it! She studied at the local one-room school, where farm kids walked many miles to attend no matter the weather, altho Pop Howard would fire up the horse & buggy to take them and any stragglers along the way if there was a blizzard. Snow day closures? Ha! She then attended Camrose Lutheran College, graduating with her teaching degree in 1943. Yes, Prairie farm girls did go to college in the 1940s! She then taught at a rural schoolhouse, where she also did all the chores and kept the fire going in winter months. She married Alfred Olson after his service in the Royal Canadian Navy in WWII. They had three daughters. Sadly, the marriage ended in the late 1950s, but rather than wallow in selfpity, Blanche went to work (if there were tearstained pillows, likely
only God knew; she was a rock). She raised her girls in Edmonton, first by tending the till at a hardware store and then for 25 years at the Federal Government. Welfare and govt hand-outs were not in her vocabulary. Bag lunches and homecooked meals were the norm, even in her later working years. Waste not, want not.
In the mid 1960s, Blanche bought a used bronze ‘57 Chevy, practising for her DL with daughter Lenny riding shotgun as the “driving instructor”. Ssh! Holidays were in the Rockies or Drumheller’s Hoodoos, where it always rained & camping gear got soaked. Everyone laughed and made do. She also moved the girls to the Yellow House, with a huge backyard for her garden and a crabapple tree.
Blanche married John “Bud” Wiese in 1968, and lived in Edmonton. They both retired in the late 1980s and moved to their new acreage home near Fort Assiniboine. BL loved her new garden space, but so did the deer. It was an annual battle. She loved fishing, riding
her quad and walking to the Freeman River. She was a star rock skipper and a real rock hound: she could walk through a gravel pit and find a beautiful stone. When travelling the world on tours or in their beloved Triple E motorhome, she always came home with new additions to her rock collection.
Besides Legion volunteering, baking (grand-daughter Jess loved her monkey bread), knitting, word puzzles, and myriad other interests, Blanche always had a book on the go. She loved the Fort Assiniboine library and her book club friends.
Blanche and Bud moved to Barrhead in their later years and then to the Barrhead Continuing Care Centre, where she passed away peacefully.
Blanche leaves to mourn her daughters Joyce Lenore (Bob) Belanger and Mary Ruth Olson (Ray Skakum), grandchildren Jamie Belanger, Robyn Belanger, Jessica Scorey (Mark), and Yoshio Kimura, great grandson Kaz Rain Kimura, and son-in-law Lee Haslam. She also leaves behind step daughters Rosemarie (Bob, deceased) Gugat and Debbie (Jim) Reed and their families. Also left to mourn are her Simmons clan members, nephew Joel (Ida) Simmons, niece Sharon (Jim) Stolz, nephew Bruce Simmons, and their families in Southern Alberta.
Blanche was predeceased by her loving husband John “Bud” Wiese, beloved daughter Lorraine Alpha (Lee) Haslam (nee Olson), brother Harry Albrecht (Kelly) Simmons and sister Shirley Wilhelmina Simmons.
The family thanks Rick and Cheryl Wiese, the Ft Assiniboine librarians and Blanche’s book club friends, and the Barrhead Care Centre staff for their care and kindness in Blanche’s later years.
Funeral services at Topland Cemetery are to be determined. All are welcome to share their memories of Blanche at the website of Rose Garden Chapel, Barrhead.
WORSHIP SERVICES
GIBSON - Bill was born April 29, 1927, on the Gibson family farm to Malcolm and Isobel Gibson, he died peacefully at Oyen Auxiliary on March 8, 2022. He was the youngest of 8 children. His early life was spent on the farm
with his brothers, Cecil, John, Allen, Norman and sisters Wilda, Evelyn and Betty.
Bill loved baseball and it was said that as soon as his chores were finished, he would spend countless hours practicing his pitching by throwing a baseball against a granary or playing catch with anyone who would do it. As a young man, when he wasn’t busy with farm work, Bill spent his free time playing baseball with the Acadia Valley Dodgers or fishing and hunting with family or friends. He was an avid curler going to many bonspiels near and far.
Hon. Nate Horner
MLA, Drumheller-Stettler Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development 587-799-1139 Drum Office drumheller.stettler@assembly.ab.ca
Later in life he took up golf and golfed well into his 80’s. He loved to go with the group of Acadia Valley golfers to wherever their friend Murray Peers booked them into for a few days of golfing.
Bill married Alison Flemmer on October 10, 1970, and became an instant father to her five children. Wow was life as he knew it, different. Lane was born in 1971. Family complete.
Farming together with his wife Alison and son Ken took up most of his time, but there was always time for annual fishing trips and camping trips with family and good friends.
Bill had a great sense of humor which was evident not long before passing away. Earlier Monday he woke once and threw his arms in the air and said “see, I’m still here”. He just wanted to go be with his wife. We laughed and he gave us that grin. Bill was an adventurer and loved to explore backroads. This never really worked out well and usually ended up lost with Alison saying “I told you so.”
A few days before Cheryl’s funeral, Alison
wanted him to get a new suit. “What for” was his response and Marilyn said “I may get married one day” Bill responded with “I won’t hold my breath.”
Bill had a great love for reading and crossword puzzles, and this kept Carla busy putting books on his Ereader which she knew would result in a phone call that night because something was wrong with it. He had either pressed the screen to dark mode, or she forgot to turn off WIFI and it wouldn’t work. But they usually got it to work over the phone and if not, she went back for a visit. Maybe he just like to have Carla visit.
While still living at the farm, Bill had continued to make wine even after Alison passed. Usually having Carla, Nicole and Tyler help him to bottle it and occasionally tasting as they went. Lots of mishaps bottling which always ended with laughter and wearing more then we bottled.
Family get togethers at the farm for Easter or Thanksgiving usually ended up with us all outside on the deck swatting golf balls to the barn. Of
course, it had to hit the middle window and go in to with the pot of money. It is amazing how nothing had ever got smashed or vehicles never got a dent. We would spend hours out there and the pleasure on Pops face was pure enjoyment. He would even make sure the grass was nicely cut so it wasn’t so hard to find wayward balls that managed to miss the barn. One time we all watched as Tyler hit it and it hit the metal on the barn door and came right back to the house hitting the eavestrough above the patio window. Pops said wow that was lucky, but we never quit.
He enjoyed watching Lane play ball especially when he pitched. I don’t think he ever missed a game. He proudly displayed his signed ball of the AV Dodgers and the picture they had taken of anyone who had been on the team. Proudly displayed above his tv to see whenever he watched tv.
Bill is predeceased by his wife Alison, daughter Cheryl, sisters; Wilda, Ev, Betty, brothers; Cecil, John, Allen and Norman, brothers-in-law; Bob Peers, Art Dalshaug, Alvin Purper, Norman Phillip, sisters-in-law; Emma Gibson and Marilyn Gibson.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Oyen and District Health Care Foundation. Box 1 Oyen AB T0J 2J0. The funeral service was held on Saturday March 12, 2022 at the Acadia Valley Community Hall in Acadia Valley.
Funeral arrangements in the care of MacLean’s Funeral Home in Oyen, AB
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Bill is survived by his children Lane (Kelsey), Bev, Ken (Sheila), Marilyn (Larry), Carla (Brent), Ian (Thelma), Grandchildren; Paige, Michelle (Colin), Chris (Shannon), Nicole (Cory), Tyler, Courtlen (Brayden), Madisen, Christina (Barney) and Chris (Lisa), GreatGrandchildren; Brook-Lyn, AJ, Mackenzie, Quinn, Halen, Jaxson, Connor, Kendall, Grayson, Brixton, Peyton, Logan, Morgan, Haley, Austin and Brandon, as well as many nieces and nephews.
