The Oyen Echo

A different Crossroads Beef Expo during COVID

BY LINDA BINGEMAN

February 20, 2021, saw the Big Country Agricultural Society host a very diﬀerent beef expo when compared to previous events.

Despite restrictions, the day was very successful. Thirty-nine youth between the ages of nine and 21 presented 70 head of steers and heifers to the judges and potential buyers. Breeders presented 23 pens of bulls and nine pens of heifers - a great variety of genetics from which buyers could choose. These numbers are down from previous years as spacing due to COVID restrictions used a great deal of space. It was unfortunate, but many people on the waiting list were unable to be accommodated. Hopefully, next year will be diﬀerent.

The youth component started proceedings. First into the ring were the heifers. Judge Blake Morton chose Logan Brooke’s heifer as his Grand Champion, followed by Abbey Slorstad as Reserve Champion.

A great group of steers were next to be judged. In this instance, judge Mor-

ton chose the steer shown by Quinn Pedersen as Grand Champion and Reserve Champion was shown by Rylan Staﬀord. Judge Morton commented on the excellent quality of the animals brought to the show by the young people. As he was judging the steers and heifers, Morton also had his eye on the exhibitors evaluating their ability to present their animals to their best advantage. He chose Logan Brooke as the top junior showman, Levi Martin, the top intermediate and Abbey Slorstad as the top senior showman. At the youth show’s conclusion, due to COVID occupancy limits, the youth were asked to leave to make room for the bull and heifer pens and their group of spectators.

Once everyone was stabled and had their wrist bands, the pen show started.

A panel of three judges —Tom Herman, Travis Foot and Cordell Griﬃth — independently evaluated the pens as they were presented in the ring. Once all the pens had been evaluated, the judges collaborated to decide who would win.

Martin Cattle Service (Stettler) won the yearling pen of bulls with second place to Silver Smith Simmentals (Byemoor). | CONTINUED PAGE 3

GRAND CHAMPION HEIFERS (PANEL JUDGING): Riverfront Angus Ranch, Medicine Hat—from left Don Good presents a jacket from Bow Slope Shipping Association to Ashton and Rachele Robertson and their children Greeley, Dryden and Paisley. Cheryl Ball presents a $100 gift certificate from UFA, Cordell Griffith, Travis Foot and Tom Herman (judges).

—Diana Walker photo—

2ND, HEIFERS (PANEL JUDGING): Pieschel Farms, Balzac—David Eaton, BCAS president presenting $100 to Devon Erickson. Panel judges, Travis Foot, Cordell Griffith and Tom Herman, and Raelee Erickson. —Diana Walker photo—

GRAND CHAMPION HEIFERS (PANEL JUDGING): Riverfront Angus RanchMedicine Hat - from left Don Good presents a jacket from Bow Slope Shipping Association to Ashton and Rachele Robertson and their children Greeley, Dryden and Paisley. Cheryl Ball presents a $100 gift certiﬁcate from UFA, Cordell Griﬃth, Travis Foot and Tom Herman (judges). | PHOTO BY DIANA WALKER

COVID-19 vaccinations expand March 15 with Phase 2A

Alberta’s vaccination program is expanding to include 437,000 Albertans aged 65 to 74, starting March 15.

AllAlbertans born between 1947 and 1956 will soon be able to book appointments throughout the province. Also eligible to book vaccinations starting Monday are First Nations, Métis and Inuit people born in 1971 or earlier.

Phase 2A also includes staff and residents of licensed seniors supportive living facilities who have not yet received the vaccine. Alberta Health Services (AHS) will contact these facilities directly to arrange immunization.

“Momentum is building in Alberta’s vaccine rollout plan, and we are well on our way to delivering on our commitment to provide a first dose to every adult who wants one by the end of June. The more people who step forward for vaccination when it’s their turn, the faster we’ll reduce the spread of the virus and resume activities that are important to all of us and our communities,” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health.

Booking at a participating pharmacy

All Albertans born between 1947 and 1956 will be able to book at an increasing number of participating pharmacies across Alberta starting on March 15.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people born in 1971 or earlier and living off-reserve or settlement can also book an appointment at any participating pharmacy.

Please only book one appointment per person. Anyone who books and cancels multiple appointments at various locations is potentially delaying someone else’s chance to get vaccinated.

Booking with AHS

On March 15, AHS will initially limit bookings to the following groups:

• Albertans born in 1947

• First Nations, Métis or Inuit individuals living off-reserve or off-settlement and born in 1962 or earlier

These groups will be able to book online or by calling 811.

More appointments will open for other birth years in the following days, one year at a time. People born after 1947 should watch for announcements of appointments opening to later birth years.

Staff and residents of licensed seniors supportive living facilities not already offered vaccine will have the opportunity for appointments. AHS will be contacting these facilities directly to offer the vaccine.

If going through AHS, Albertans are asked to not try booking an appointment until it is their turn, as this will increase wait times via telephone and online.

Booking on-reserve or settlement

Individuals, aged 50 and older, who live on a First Nations reserve or on a Metis Settlement can get vaccinations through local clinics on-reserve or settlement.

AstraZeneca/COVIShield vaccine –early availability

The AstraZeneca/COVIShield vaccine is available to Albertans born between 1957 and 1971, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit people born between 1972 and 1986, based on supply.

Appointments are opening in stages by birth year; they are currently open to Albertans born in the years 1957 to 1960 (through AHS online or call 811) and First Nations, Métis and Inuit people born in the years 1972 to 1975 (call 811 only).

People with serious chronic health conditions should consult their doctor first. AstraZeneca is not available in pharmacies at this time.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.

Quick facts

• At this time, Albertans booking appointments in Phase 2A will receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

• Anyone eligible in Phase 1 of Alberta’s vaccine rollout who hasn’t yet been received the vaccine can continue to book their appointment through a participating pharmacy or AHS.

• To date, 333,379 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Albertans.

78 year old David Smale of Oyen receives his COVID-19 immunization. PHOTO COURTESY ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week Celebrates Safe & Strong Farms

WINNIPEG - This March, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is encouraging all Canadians to celebrate Safe & Strong Farms.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is an annual public campaign committed to raising awareness about the importance of safe agriculture. In 2021, Safe & Strong Farms: Lead an AgSafe Canada runs from March 14 to 20 and is the ﬁnal year of a three-year campaign celebrating farm safety across Canada. The aim of the campaign is to empower farmers, farm families and farming communities to build (2019), grow (2020), and lead (2021) the agricultural industry in safety and sustainability.

Farm Credit Canada is the presenting sponsor of CASW and a dedicated farm safety supporter, including the Back to Ag Program that assists with the cost of adaptive technology for farmers who have experienced a traumatic injury.

“Safety is paramount in any line of work, and we understand the dangers that farmers face each and every day,” said FCC president and CEO Michael Hoﬀort. “Farm Credit Canada is proud to support CASA in its delivery of important programs that help farm families stay safe, as well as help farmers return to work after recovering from an injury.”

This year, organizers are focusing on supporting farm safety leadership through resources, safety advice articles, and much more including a free public webinar

“Be AgSafe, Stay Rail Smart”, in partnership with CN on March 16. CASA is also producing resources in partnership with CASW supporters Syngenta and TC Energy.

The AgSafe Ribbon campaign also returns for CASW, but with a bit of a diﬀerent look from previous years. For 2021, the ribbon campaign is going digital and can be shared on social media as a way to raise awareness and start conversations about the importance of farm safety. The digital AgSafe Ribbon can be found on the CASW website at agsafetyweek.ca.

“This year is all about celebrating the leaders in agricultural safety and health,” says Andrea Lear, CASA’s CEO. “Farmers, farming communities, ag businesses, farm

safety partners, and other farm safety champions are doing great work keeping Canadian farms safe and strong.”

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 2021, CASW sponsors include long-time corporate sponsor Farm Credit Canada, as well as CN, Syngenta, and TC Energy.

Additional information about CASW, including the media kit and resources, and to register for the “Be AgSafe, Stay Rail Smart” webinar is available at agsafetyweek.ca. The media kit contains feature stories, safety advice articles, public service announcements, graphics, and more.

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.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week 2021 runs from March 14-20.

Youngstown - The Special Areas Board is currently seeking a seasonal full-time Roadside Spray Operator. This position reports to the District Maintenance Supervisor and travels throughout the Special Areas region.

Key duties include:

• Operation of a three-ton spray application truck for weed and brush control

• Maintenance/repair of spray and brush control equipment

• Compiling chemical reporting documentation

• Delivering the Special Areas Safety Program and all reporting requirements; and

• Other related duties.

Qualifications

• A current Pesticide Applicator’s License is required or must be obtained by May 1, 2021

• Proven organizational skills, self-directed and independent worker with a sense of accuracy for all tasks and strong communication skills required

• Valid class 5 Drivers License is required.

Additional information may be directed as follows:

• District Maintenance Supervisor, Wade Heiland, 403-779-3733.

COMPETITION NO: 321005Spray CLOSING DATE: March 31, 2021

This is a designated safety sensitive position and mandatory pre-employment drug testing will be conducted on all newly hired employees.

Please send an application form and/or resume quoting competition number and preferred work location to:

Please send cover letter and resume quoting competition number to: Human Resource Services

Special Areas Board Box 820 Hanna, AB T0J 1P0 Fax (403) 854-5527 SpecialAreasHR@specialareas.ab.ca

We thank all applicants; however only those invited for an interview will be personally contacted.

Beef Expo

The 2-year-old bull awards went to Diamond L Ranch (Oyen) with second to Snake Valley Farm (Champion). Heifer honours went to Riverfront Angus Ranch (Medicine Hat) with second to Pieschel Farms (Balzac). Spectators may buy a people’s choice ballot and vote for their favourite pens. It is always interesting to see if the spectators agree with the panel of judges. This year Desertland Cattle Co. (Sedalia) received the most votes in the yearling bull division; 2-year-old bullpen went to Snake Valley Farm (Champion), with heifer pen to Hannah Wagstaﬀ (Sedalia). From the ballots cast, two draws were made for gift baskets. This year Don Good was drawn for one and Mindy Good for the other.

Many people contribute their time and skills to make this activity a success. During the day, Marika Lyster was the master of ceremonies assisted by Haley Powell. Greg Norris and Leon Lee put a great deal of thought into stabling to ensure we adhered to COVID guidelines while still getting the greatest number of entries into the building. Barn boss Richard Houston was busy Friday and Saturday ensuring everyone was shown to their assigned location. Richard was also our auctioneer for large donated items. Our marshals— Leah Walker, Corbin McMillan and Natalia Laughlin—along with ringmen Jace and Keldon Powell kept classes moving through the ring without interruption. Diana Walker was busy taking pictures for news releases. This year to help us adhere to COVID regulations, Crowd Design was hired to take temperatures, ensure paperwork was ﬁlled in, keep a count on the number of people in the building and ensure everyone was wearing their mask and social distancing. As people socialize, they sometimes forget these items. As a whole, everyone was very happy to comply. Many people commented that it was great to have an activity to attend after being cooped up for so long. Hopefully, the Expo was a good experience for the consignors and their bull, heifer and steer sales will be enhanced because of their exposure to customers at the Crossroads Beef Expo. SEE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10

CHECK IT OUT with Joan Janzen

A seed of hope planted in North Korean hearts

JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com

N Korea: 1.3 million soldiers; US has 1.4 million soldiers.

A man and his wife were sound asleep at 5 in the morning, when the husband felt the soft nudge of his dog’s nose repeatedly pushing his

hand. Thinking his dog needed to go outside, the husband dragged himself out of bed. He put on his robe and slippers, but when he turned oround he discovered his dog was curled up in bed beside his wife. That dog knew how to get what he wanted.

In order to get what she wanted, Yeonmi Park escaped from her home in North Korea over a decade ago. Yeonmi wanted freedom, and more importantly she wanted food to eat. Now she resides in the United States and enjoys both food and freedom, and uses her

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

By Robert Blagen

Youngstown, AB • 403-779-3859

HARRY AND MEGHAN INTERVIEW

This interview should have taken place in a “second rate” British Tabloid that we hear so much about. I thought the Oprah Show was generally a classier production! You wouldn’t have thought she would have wanted to be associated with airing “dirty linen” in public. It sure makes Harry and Meghan look like pretty shallow people. Maybe the Royal Family is better off without them. The tabloids and the media of all kinds will have a hay day with this one. I don’t know what their motive was or what they thought they would accomplish, but it showed that they had no respect for the Queen or the Royal Family, or for that matter, even themselves! If there was any racism, it probably didn’t come from the Royal Family. It likely comes from the bureaucrats that control the Royal Family. They are very tightly controlled and don’t express any opinions of their own. Denying Archie the title of Prince likely didn’t come from the Royal Family either. It looks like Harry and Meghan wanted the wealth and prestige of the Royal Family but didn’t want the work and the attention that went with the job and the life. As the old saying goes, “IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, IT’S BEST TO GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!”

freedom to inform North Americans about what is really going on in North Korea.

Her people are trapped in the country, and are denied any communication with the outside world. They are fed a constant stream of propaganda from their dictator, and dare not oppose him in any way. But recently, a group of North Korean soldiers decided to disobey orders.

North Koreans must join the military for a ten year period, in which time they are not allowed to see their families. Yeonmi said these soldiers are basically labourers, building dams, working on farms with primitive conditions, and working on construction sites with no safety precautions. But after their ten years of service are over they are allowed to return to their families, if they have managed to survive during this time.

During Kim Jong-Un’s leadership, North Korea’s economy has gotten progressively worse. Even the stores which provide for foreigners don’t have basic food supplies, while

North Koreans are starving. The Ambassador to North Korea from Russia complained, as a foreigner, he couldn’t even buy basic groceries at North Korea.

The dictator cast the blame for the sad state of the economy on the congress. His solution involved the 1.3 million active soldiers in the military. After their ten years of service had ended, Kim Jong-Un ordered they be sent to the collective farms and mines to work for the remainder of their lives. As farmers and workers in the mines, these labourers would receive nothing for their labour. This tiny nation has 1.3 million military soldiers. In comparison the United States has 1.4 million military soldiers.

For the first time ever, 1500 soldiers decided to fight for their rights and not follow the orders, resisting the dictator. A coup took place in a city located 35 kms from the capital city.

The younger generation doesn’t have the same loyalty as the older generation, and these soldiers began firing guns

which they had hidden. It is a serious crime to have a gun in North Korea, and they were quickly captured. But they realized it’s better to risk their lives for the cause of freedom than be a slave under a dictatorship. Yeonmi said, “I’m grateful my people are finally realizing how precious freedom is and are paying the price and fighting for it. It was a little seed of hope planted in North Korean’s hearts.” As someone who has experienced life without freedom of speech or freedom to live and prosper, Yeonmi is well aware of its value.

You can contact me at joanjanzen@yahoo.com

Road bans now in effect throughout Special Areas

Effective 1:00 pm on March 8, 2021, the Special Areas Board placed a road ban on municipal oiled, base course, and paved roads throughout the Special Areas. Road bans will be in effect for municipal roads, which restricts bus, truck, and trailer traffic to seventy-five percent (75%) of authorized load limits on municipal oiled, base course and paved roads. Gravel roads are restricted to one hundred percent (100%) of authorized limits. There are some exempt roads to these restrictions, with specific local roads being permitted one hundred percent (100%) of authorized load limits. To view current road ban information for the Special Areas, go to https://specialareas.ab. ca/current-bans-advisories/.

Special Areas puts road bans in place each spring on municipal roads to help protect road infra-

structure during the spring thaw. When the ground thaws, roads are more vulnerable to damage from heavy vehicles. To prevent this, road bans (weight restrictions) are put in place to reduce the maximum weight permitted on roads. These bans typically are put in place in March and can remain in place until June.

“Road bans are critically important to help protect the significant investment made in municipal roads. These weight restrictions, which come into effect on March 8, help reduce the risk of municipal roads getting damaged from heavy loads. When weight restrictions are not complied with, the damages can result in hundreds of thousands of repairs and other costs. We are asking ratepayers who may be impacted by weight restrictions in their area to make sure they are

aware of current bans and to follow them. Our Peace Officers are happy to work directly with producers to answer any questions they have about road bans and their operations,” said Owen Francis., Director of Municipal Services. Fines for overweight loads –loads which exceed weight restrictions – can be significant and vary based on the amount of weight that exceeds maximum allowable levels. Although some vehicles are exempt from road bans, producers are reminded that there is no blanket exemption on agricultural vehicles (i.e. those with farm plates). Producers are encouraged to contact Special Areas Enforcement Services if they have questions about road bans and agricultural vehicles.

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

Stress and Rise in Obesity will Worsen Outcomes from COVID-19

By Dr. Noorali Bharwani, Specialist in general surgery www.nbharwani.com or dr@nbharwani.com

It is one year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Canadians. Our government had no choice but to shut down all kinds of activities and impose physical restrictions.

These restrictions have saved many lives. Nobody can deny that. But there have been many down sides to these restrictions. We can mention a few: anxiety, loneliness, depression, lack of physical activities and weight gain.

I have FIVE questions for you:

1. Have you put on weight in the last one year?

2. Are you eating a healthy diet?

3. Are you mentally and physically active?

4. How are you coping with stress?

5. Are you getting enough sleep?

Obesity is a common, serious, and costly chronic disease.

Having obesity puts people at risk for many other serious chronic diseases and increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Everyone has a role to play in turning the tide against obesity. I wasn’t surprised to read Vietnam is the least obese country with 2.1 per cent of the population classified as obese. Among the developed countries, the United States is the most obese (36.2 per cent).

If you are obese then the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection increases. Obesity decreases lung capacity and reserve and can make ventilation more difficult. Obesity also increases your risk of dying from COVID-19. Studies have demonstrated that obesity may be linked to lower vaccine responses for numerous diseases (influenza, Hepatitis B, and tetanus).

What can we do about obesity? Obesity is a complex disease with many contributing factors. Simple answer would be – eat healthy, eat less and exercise more. This requires lot of patience

and perseverance. Other option would be to seek professional help so that you can stick to a rigid protocol.

Eating a healthy diet has many advantages. Plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains as well as the appropriate number of calories is important. This keeps your weight under control and improves your immune system. As everyone knows a healthy diet is also good for your heart and diabetes.

Besides eating a healthy diet, physical activity is one of the best things people can do to improve their health. It is vital for healthy aging and can reduce the burden of chronic diseases and prevent early death. Only half of adults get the physical activity they need to help reduce and prevent chronic diseases. More needs to be done.

Regular physical activity helps you feel better, sleep better, and reduce anxiety.

Insufficient sleep has been linked to depression, as well as chronic diseases that may increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. COVID-19 has made life stressful for millions of people. That will certainly affect your sleep pattern, eating habit and your relationship with friends and family. If that is the case then you should seek professional help.

Take care, eat healthy, lose weight, be physically active, sleep well and get immunized. If stress and depression is affecting your health you must get help from a professional. Sooner you do that, better for you and your family. Everybody wants to be happy and healthy.

Dr. Bharwani is a general surgeon, freelance writer, photographer and author of A Doctor’s Journey and Doctor B’s Eight Steps to Wellness. His books are available at www.nbharwani.com. You can discuss this article and other articles on his website: nbharwani.com and sign up for RSS feed, Twitter or get on the email list.

Surviving the pandemic: Caught between two worlds

PETERS Alberta Health Services

“Mom, when can I go to one of those schools where the children each get their own little slate to write on?”

I was a small second grader and my school had a couple of large blackboards on the walls, but did not have small individual slates for each child. My mom smiled and shrugged off my question. I did not understand why until I was much older. I did not realize at the time that although I was growing up in a Mennonite community and I understood the Plautdietsch (Low German) that everyone spoke, there was a significant disconnect in education between the different types of Mennonite schools and churches.

My parents grew up in a school where each child had their own slate, which was so appealing to me as a seven year old, but their schools did not offer the regular elementary subjects that my school had. They also didn’t have the same grade system. The traditional Old Colony, Sommerfeld and Rheinland Schools have four main subjects, which are all religion-based and each ‘subject’ is also a ‘grade.’

Children start attending school at the age of six or seven and begin with Fibel, an old-fashioned reader for beginners in German. Once the child reads Fibel well enough, they advance to Catechism, a religious book in question-and-answer format that the child needs to memorize. Once the child has memorized the Catechism they advance to Testament, where they spend time reading the New Testament of the Bible and the last grade is referred to as Bible, where the child spends time reading the Old Testament.

Children in all grades also learn some basic math and neat penmanship which are practiced on the little individual slates. They also learn to sing German songs from the church hymnal in a traditional, lined-out hymnody style. Children stop attending school at age 13 or sooner, and that concludes their education. The goal is now to become hardworking farmers or hand labourers for the boys and hardworking home keepers for the women. They are ready and fully equipped to become successful members of their community and meet the expectations set by previous generations.

In a perfect world - in a perfect Low-German-speaking Mennonite world

in Mexico - there shouldn’t be much requirement for knowledge of science, history or politics. For people whose only education has been this traditional conservative Mennonite school, it becomes challenging when they leave their communities to try to make a living elsewhere, or when a global pandemic strikes. I see so many Low-German-speaking families struggle to make sense of the COVID 19 pandemic.

There is so much misinformation being shared widely and it’s readily available to anyone with access to a cell phone with an Internet connection. With a lack of knowledge in science and biology and even human anatomy, it’s hard for them to discern the information they received, therefore they gravitate to ‘truth’ that makes sense to them with the knowledge they possess and the beliefs they hold.

The use of smartphones is also a novelty in the conservative Mennonite community. The conservative Mennonite church doesn’t allow their members to use technologies like TVs or computers in their homes. Smartphones conveniently help with the necessity to communicate with family members in the U.S. and Mexico, blurring the lines of the ‘technology ban.’

While it’s great that families are able to communicate and stay connected, we also see that many conspiracy theories and fear-mongering messages are shared rapidly through platforms like WhatsApp. The lack of knowledge in regard to education and how to discern between false and accurate information shared online is causing a lot of confusion among the Low-German-speaking communities.

This is not the reality for all Low-German-speaking Mennonites. There are many different groups that vary on a wide spectrum, from the largest group which is quite conservative, to families that are well integrated into regular modern Canadian society.

Needless to say, these are trying times for everyone, regardless of cultural, religious, ethnic or socioeconomic background. As we all do our best to navigate through restrictions right now it’s important to remember that there are no restrictions on finding grace in our hearts towards other people, and it’s always better to seek understanding rather than judgement.

Benita Peters is a Community Health Representative with Alberta Health Services.

2% LIQUID STRYCHNINE

For the 2021 season, producers can purchase 2% liquid strychnine concentrate from their local District Office. This product is only available top agricultural producers located within the Special Areas. Producers are limited to up to 2 cases at the discretion of the Angriculture Fieldman. This product is only available until August 1, 2021 for the 2021 season.

Producers are encouraged to complete strychnine request forms in advance, available online at https://forms.specialareas.ab.ca/ forms.strychnine

To confirm availability of 2% liquid strychnine concentrate, please contact local District Offices at:

• Special Area No. 2 (Hanna) - 403-854-5625

• Special Area No. 3 (Oyen) - 403-664-3618

• Special Area No. 4 (Consort) - 403-577-3523

BENITA

New daycare opens in Oyen

JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com

A new daycare opened its doors in Oyen on Monday, March 1st, and is a welcome addition to the Oyen Public School at 107 - 4th Avenue East. Kim Olson, President of the Oyen Childcare Society, said the daycare accepts children ages 12 months to ve years of age and is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening.

e process of establishing a licensed daycare in Oyen began at the beginning of 2020 when the Town of Oyen conducted surveys.

e Town completed a needs assessment for the community, and the results showed a signi cant need for daycare. Later on, in the fall, a board was formed consisting of seven members. Kim

Olsen is president, Brandi Smith - vice-president, Nancy Christianson - secretary, Jaime Bowles - treasurer, Wanda Daikow - Special Areas representative, MaryAnn Burns - FCSS representative and Sarah Grover is parent representative.

“I took o with the licensing and paperwork that needed to be done in order to open,” Kim said. “Of course, Covid slowed the process down a bit, but we pushed through.” e daycare opening was made possible through the generous contributions of numerous local individuals, organizations, and businesses.

ere are currently ve children registered at the daycare, but that number will be sure to increase in the weeks and months to come.

“It’s nice that the kids have time to settle in, and we have time to set things up. It’s more of a relaxing time for the kids in there now,” Kim said. Interested parents can contact the daycare on their Facebook page or email them, and a registration package will be sent to them to be lled out. Low-income families are eligible to receive a subsidy.

e daycare operates out of one of the classrooms in the school and has access to the gym. “We have quite a bit of room, and we also have our own outdoor play space for the daycare,” Kim stated.

Regina Dewald holds the position of Executive Director and is trained in the Reggio Emilia approach. is is a child-led play-based curriculum focussing on nature and natural materials. Regina believes in giving children the opportunity to use their imagination.

Additional sta members include Brook Chernenko - childcare supervisor, and Lindsay Hauck - early childhood educator.

If anyone is interested in supporting the daycare, monetary donations can be made directly to the Town of Oyen, which will provide a charitable donation tax receipt. Regina is also happy to accept donations of toys or outdoor equipment.

It seems that this past week has been a quiet one here in town, so not too much to report. The streets here in town are a bit of a challenge as the nicer temperatures, and the melting ice is giving

Cereal News

Reported by Maxine Girletz

us quite a bit of slush to navigate through. First thing in the day, they are very rutted with ice and rough to drive on and then as the temperatures rise and the ice melts and gets soft, one is faced with

March 15-21

the challenge of driving in the slush and even the mud in some places. On the bright side, it’s likely good for the car wash businesses in our part of the country! It sure will be nice when the streets are clear and dry. I’m sure looking forward to spring, and maybe life will be closer to getting “back to the way it was” before the Pandemic” we can only hope, right? Have a great week!

Happy birthday to Bret Olsen, Dustin Nelson, Garrett Beaudoin, Jersey Girletz, Keldon Kulyk, MaryAnn Salik, Ryann Holbein, Aiden Mandseth, Geoffrey Morey, Sierra Ford, Tera Dziatkewich, Brad Beaudoin, Christian MacLean, Hudson Bowles, Jaycee Beaudoin, Rosalee Duque, Bob Rosine, Cole Wedman, Delores Bowles, Pat Vincent, Quade Tye, Shirley Romanko, Ogie Hains, Trinity Molzan, Cameron Fryer, Jeffrey Proudfoot, Kelby Shadlock, Tricia Stouffer, Tyrel Wilson.

Happy anniversary to Ron and Sandra Rude, Wayne and Leah Bannick.

Chloe Tam feeding the baby.

Oyen Daycare staff: Brooke Cherwenuk and Regina Dewald.

Acadia Valley NEWS

March 3, 2021

Reported by Yolanda Kuhn yakuhn@hotmail.com call or text 403-664-0582

It looks like the warmer weather is here to stay. There have been quite a few people enjoying ice ﬁshing at the dam. Please keep an eye on the ice conditions and be prepared to remove your shacks soon. It is just a reminder that private items such as ice ﬁshing shacks are not to be stored at the MD Reservoir once removed from the ice.

Some of the Covid restrictions have been lifted, and with that Jamie Ross will be starting in-person yoga classes on Monday nights again. Contact Jamie to register. 1-403-548-5146

The A.V. Diner is back open again from Monday to Saturday.

The Acadia Municipal Library is now open for in-person appointments. Call the Library to schedule your appointment after 4 pm during operating hours. They’re open Tuesdays 1:00 pm7:00 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 3:30pm-6:30pm. Call 403-972-3744 to schedule your appointment or for curbside pick up.

There is a phone scam going around where they ask for your social insurance number. The phone number shows up as an Acadia Valley number. Be aware and do not give out any information over the phone.

Hats oﬀ to The Ice to Dice Committee, who did a fantastic job organizing

last weeks’ online event! The Bingo was a huge hit with 36 teams registered. This helped to support 40 local businesses in and around our community! The Warren Peers School Students Union received $1255 in donations from this fundraiser. Thank you to all the businesses that participated and all the teams who supported these businesses. Congrats to Kent, Leeana, and Kyle Meers and ﬁancé Rachelle Stasiuk who won the $4000 travel voucher. Congrats to the winners of the ladies’ package: Susan Grudecki won the trip to Moose Jaw and Lenore Peers won the pamper package. A huge thank you to all the businesses who donated packages for the can auction and helped make this event such a big success. Hopefully, next year we will be able to hit the ice as per usual. The Rec. Club is still selling 50/50’s this month. The next draw will be made April 5th. You can get your tickets at The Store, Skappak’s Farm Supply or from a Rec. Club member.

Sending get-well wishes to Patricia Loran, who broke her leg last weekend during a snowmobile accident.

Thanks for reading this week. I will end with a quote from Nelson Mandela, “May your choices reﬂect your hopes, not your fears.”

BOOK Notes

by Tricia Fischbuch

Oyen Library is reopen to the public

REOPENING! As of March 1, the library is now open to the public starting at 3:30 PM, Monday through Thursday. Maximum 3 people/1 family at a time; no appointment necessary (but waiting may be required if over limit). Patrons are asked to wear a mask, sanitize, and ﬁll out a basic COVID symptom checklist prior to entering the library (there is a digital sign-in stand in the hall). No washrooms are available at this time. Curbside service will continue to be available during regular library hours. Please contact the library to arrange pickup.

ADULT FICTION: Calder Brand by Janet Dailey Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong

The Aﬀair by Danielle Steel

A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane Who is Maud Dixon? By Alexandra Andrews

PICTURE BOOK: Harry & the Guinea Pig by Nancy Lambert Bronco & Friends: A Party to Remember by Tim Tebow

NON-FICTION: Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression, & Resilience by Mark Henick

DVD: I Still Believe Instant Family

KITS:

St. Patrick’s Day & Dr. Suess Pre-School Story Time Kits* (books, activity sheets, & a craft)

Book & a Movie Packs (book, movie, crossword/word search, popcorn)

Adult Colouring Kit (colouring book & pencil crayons)

Puzzles

*Please specify ages and number of children when ordering so enough craft materials can be included.

March’s Online Book Club pick is We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. Copies are available at the library and discussion will take place Wednesday March 31 at 6:30PM. Please contact the library to register.

“Read more; live more.” ― Russell James 403-664-3644 ext. 2727

aoymlibrary@marigold. ab.ca

Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 12-5; Tuesdays 2-7 O M L

Ice to Dice Winners!

Winners of the $4000 travel voucher from the Bingo were (L-r): Kyle Meers, Rachelle Stasiuk, Leanna Meers and Kent Meers. Congratulations!

Ice to Dice committee members Ashton Kuhn and Steve Heeg on their Facebook Live!

The Jungle reveals the evolution of the meatpacking business

The Covid-19 outbreaks tested the character of Canada’s meat plants – and they passed

BY SHERI MONK sherimonk@gmail.com

Discovering

a new passion is a lot like falling in love for the ﬁrst time. In the beginning, you just cannot get enough of it, and you wonder what you ever thought about before.

And so it was for me when I began reporting on the cattle business I was insatiable. I happily discovered the discount shelves at bookstores were full of information on food production. hile it was a boon for me, I mourned that agriculture was an unpopular topic right alongside the bargain books on politics and history.

hat I read chronicled the loss of the family farm, corporate agriculture, the disappearance of the honeybee, GMOs, BSE, and the history of branding. I was so taken with the latter, I actually had my own newly Saskatchewan-registered brand turned into a tattoo. n me, not on a cow.

Despite that period of infatuation, it wasn’t until several years later that I read pton Sinclair’s classic book, The Jungle. ritten in 1 6 after the author worked and lived in Chicago s infamous Packingtown, the book had a profound impact on the American meat-packing industry. If you re in the livestock business, and this title isn’t on your bookshelf yet, it needs to be.

Sinclair used the industrial climate of Packingtown to detail the tribulations of immigrants desperate to claim the American ream. He wrote about how they were often swindled by predatory lenders and taken advantage of by

corrupt supervisors, about how their children worked in sweatshops, and how women were abused se ually at work. Many would suﬀer the rest of their days striving to escape a poverty worse than they had left behind in the ld orld.

However, when the controversial book was released, the American people paid little mind to the horror e perienced by the immigrants instead they were concerned only with the allegations of widespread and systematic food safety issues. Poor inclair was devastated. hile the book was well read and people were outraged, it failed to achieve the eﬀect he desired. I aimed at the public s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach, he later said.

Still, The Jungle irrevocably changed and in uenced the beef industry, not only in the . ., but also in Canada. It included stories of rats and fecal matter being ground into sausage, spoiled meats being soaked in chemicals to remove the smell, tubercular beef eiting packer doors as though the disease were just a special spice, and of the occasional sorry worker who fell into the rendering tanks and was cremated into lard.

Teddy Roosevelt was president at the time, and although he considered Sinclair a leftwing lunatic, the public outcry prompted him to send two men to investigate the situation. Packingtown was tipped off and staff cleaned the plants day and night for three weeks straight. espite their efforts, the only claim that couldn t be substantiated was that men occasionally disappeared into vats to spend their afterlife as lard.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

SUMMER TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT

e Municipal District of Acadia #34 is looking for 2 summer Agricultural/Public Works Assistants

• 35 hrs/week beginning May 3rd and ending August27th

• $15 - $20 per hour depending on experience

• Valid Driver’s License is required

• Ability to work outdoors, perform physical labour and operate equipment is considered and asset

• Application deadline is ursday April 1, 2021

If you are interested in 1 of these positions, please submit a resume to: Municipal District of Acadia #34 c/o Deena Dillabough

P.O. Box 30, Acadia Valley, Alberta T0J 0A0

Email: md34@mdacadia.ab.ca

Public pressure resulted in the formation of the Meat Inspection Act of 1 6, as well as the Pure ood and rug Act in 1 out of which today s ood and rug Administration was born . Interestingly, Sinclair didn’t endorse the legislation because American tapayers, not the packers, would bear the substantive inspection fees under the act. In Canada, packers pay for inspection, and this diﬀerence is cited as one of the factors creating the uneven ground between the Canadian and American beef business.

There is no doubt this book written as part of a socialist agenda, in its time. Take the word socialist with a grain of salt keeping in mind the American setting. ear the end, there’s a rant nearly as long and academic as ohn alt s in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, although the two are, of course, diametrically opposed.

Years after The Jungle was published, a report revealed widespread collusion between the big ﬁve . . packers, culminating in the Packers and tockyards Act of 1 21. ear the end of the book, Sinclair imagines through his charac-

ters a much more e uitable world 1 years in the future precisely the time the housing bubble was poised to pop in the . ., after deregulation allowed the too big to fail banks to destabilize the global economy. After all, everything old trickles down to become new again.

The book pits capitalism against socialism, and is written with the absolute blackand-white view that only rabid political partisanship can create. inclair saw the book as a story about immigrants and the lack of compassion and resources for the lower class. America saw the book as a lesson in food safety. After observing the meatpacking sector s response to Covid-1 , I see it the necessary catalyst in

the evolution of a kinder, gentler industry. I interviewed workers from the plants about the outbreaks, and even though I was keeping their identities conﬁdential, they had nothing but good things to say – even reporting collaboration and co-operation between the plants. orkers felt supported by their employers, they felt safe coming back to work once the plants re-opened, and they were as committed to the beef industry as any cowboy I ve ever met. Perhaps Mr. inclair hit his target after all.

Sheri is a journalist based in Alberta specializing in agriculture, science and natural history. sherimonk@gmail.com

RCMP – March is seatbelt enforcement month!

Buckling up remains the simplest and most eﬀective way to protect you and your passengers from injury in the event of a collision. Airdrie RCMP want you to know they will be out in full force this month ensuring all occupants of motor vehicles are wearing their seatbelts.

In 2020, 3,184 motorists were pulled over for seatbelt related oﬀences in Alberta RCMP jurisdictions; 3,047 adults and 137 children were found to be improperly restrained while in a vehicle.

Here are some tips regarding seat belt usage:

• Motorists are responsible for ensuring both themselves and passengers under the age of 16-years-old are using proper occupant restraints.

NOTICE OF DECISION OF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

• The ﬁne for seatbelt infractions in Alberta is $162.

• Seatbelts work when they are worn properly – a properly and securely positioned seatbelt across the hip bones and the shoulder should not be uncomfortable.

Please buckle up every single time, whether you are driving to work or just around the block. It could save your life.

RESERVE CHAMPION YOUTH HEIFER

CONFORMATION: from left, Blake Morton (judge), Don Good presenting $300 on behalf of HHH Cattle Ltd. (Peggy Herman, Bindloss), to Abbey Slorstad, Sunnynook. Abbey also pl aced first in Senior Showmanship receiving $100 from Red Wing Farms Ltd. (The Chiliak Family), Sibbald, presented by David Eaton. —Diana Walker photo—

GRAND CHAMPION YOUTH HEIFER CONFORMATION: from left, Blake Morton (judge), Don Good presenting $600 on behalf of SaskAlta Farms, Alsask to Logan Brooke, Viking. Logan also placed first in Junior Showmanship receiving $100 from Red Wing Farms Ltd. (The Chiliak Family), Sibbald, presented by David Eaton. —Diana Walker photo—

CHAMPION YOUTH HEIFER CONFORMATION: from left, Blake Morton (judge), Don Good presenting $300 on behalf of HHH Cattle Ltd. (Peggy Herman, Bindloss), to Abbey Slorstad, Sunnynook. Abbey also pl aced first in Senior Showmanship receiving $100 from Red Wing Farms Ltd. (The Chiliak Family), Sibbald, presented by David Eaton. —Diana Walker photo—

3RD PLACE, CHAMPION YOUTH HEIFER CONFORMATION: from left, Blake Morton (judge), Don Good presenting $200 on behalf of BE Oilfield Services (Boyd English, Airdrie) to Trinity Martin, Stettler. —Diana Walker photo—

GRAND CHAMPION YEARLING BULLS

(PANEL JUDGING):

Martin Cattle Services, Stettler - from left Cheryl Ball presenting UFA $100 gift certificate, Cordell Griffith (judge), Trinity and Levi Martin, Travis Foot and Tom Herman (judges).

Levi also won the $100 Redwing Farms Ltd. (The Chiliak Family, Sibbald) Intermediate Showmanship award.

Ar right: Don Good presents a jacket from Kindersley Mainline Motors to Dwayne Martin.

—Diana Walker photo—

RESERVE CHAMPION YEARLING BULLS

(PANEL JUDGING): Silver Smith, Byemoor—David Eaton, BCAS president, presenting $100 from Big Country Agricultural Society to Eric and Maureen Smith. —Diana Walker photo—

Raffle Winner!

Vida VanSickle of Acadia Valley was the ticket drawn from the bucket of 200 tickets in the Crossroads Beef Expo Raffle. She chose the $2,000 cash over the certificate worth $3,500 toward the purchase of an animal from any of the exhibitors at the 2021 Beef Expo.

GRAND CHAMPION 2-YEAR-OLD BULLS

(PANEL JUDGING):

Diamond L Ranch, Oyen—from left, Travis Foot and Tom Herman (judges), Leon Lee holding daughter Kacey, Cheryl Ball (UFA) presenting a $100 gift certificate.

At right: Leon also receives a coat from Lee Eddy representing Blue Rock Animal Nutrition. —Diana Walker photo—

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION 2 YEAR-OLD BULLS (PANEL JUDGING): Snake Valley Farm, Champion—from left, David Eaton, BCAS president presenting Hailey Vaage with $100 from Big Country Agricultural Society, judges Cordell Griffith, Tom Herman and Travis Foot, and Justin Vaage. —Diana Walker photo—

Take care of yourself.

One of the safest things you can do on the farm is to take care of yourself. Feeling fatigued while operating machinery can be dangerous. And if you’re not fully aware you can risk making costly mistakes. Make sure you’re taking breaks from work and getting the right amount of rest so you’re alert and on top of your game.

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.

An inside look at the JBS plant in Brooks during the Covid-19 outbreak

BY SHERI MONK sherimonk@gmail.com

During the ﬁrst wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, April was hard on Alberta’s two biggest beef packing plants, JBS in Brooks and Cargill in High River. To get the outbreaks under control, both plants had to shut down for a two-week period. In total, there were more than 600 cases at JBS, and nearly 1,000 at Cargill – crowning it the worst outbreak in Canada since the start of the pandemic.

Last month, the Olymel pork processing plant in Red Deer experienced an outbreak with more than 500 workers infected. That plant too was closed for two weeks to contain the spread. Harmony Beef in Balzac has experienced three separate, but much smaller outbreaks. The Cargill plant in Guelph, Ontario had nearly 10 per cent of its workers test positive, and plants in the U.S. have been hit hard.

In total, at least seven deaths have been attributed to the meat plant outbreaks in Alberta, with the youngest victim being in their 30s.

Packing plants, by necessity, are designed to maximize space – it’s a meat disassembly line, and before Covid, workers were side-by-side, often elbow-to-elbow.

M, whose true identity is being protected, works at the JBS plant in Brooks. They said before the virus was discovered in Canada, it was business as usual at the plant until mid-March, long before the ﬁrst case.

“That’s when they started putting in social distancing, putting signs up, people had to wear masks, and they had sanitization stations for your hands. When you walked into the building, you were checked for temperature.”

With hundreds and hundreds of workers showing up for each shift, taking everyone’s temperature was time-consuming, but necessary.

“I remember the long lines of traﬃc coming into the plant because everyone had to be checked,” M said. “They used to take the body temperature manually, with a held thermometer, but they put in the ones that you can see on the monitor when you walk through security. It’s very high tech.”

T, another worker at the plant, actually contracted Covid-19 at work and is still struggling with the consequences of the virus.

“I was really sick. I didn’t think I was going to make it. It was a rough time. There are lots of side eﬀects. It’s a way of life for me now.”

When the outbreak began, there was a range of reactions among workers. Some were in denial, others still saw friends socially. Some were afraid to come to work, and others were worried about the future of the plant.

“Some were afraid, yes. There’s no two ways about it,” said T.

“Just like everybody else I was cautious. I was not really scared, but I was cautious. I was washing my hands every 15-20 minutes. My hands got so dried out. Everything was sanitized every two hours – the chairs, the tables – everything,” M said.

Despite the illness, T isn’t holding a grudge.

“They are really concerned for their workers, and what they can do for their workers to help them out. They worked really well with the government, and they went over and beyond. Occupational Health and Safety and Alberta Health – they went through the plant all the time. Whatever recommendations they made, JBS adhered to.”

During the outbreak and the two-week shutdown, other modifications were made, including installing Plexiglass between workers where physical distancing wasn’t possible. Additional breakrooms and locker rooms were built, shifts were staggered, and two-way traffic in the plant was eliminated. The packing business is known more for secrecy than collaboration, but T says that’s exactly what’s been happening since the first outbreaks.

“We had people come looking at what we had done and taking it back to their plants. It’s time to learn from each other. You can’t be selﬁsh anymore – you have to open up your doors and let people see what you’ve done.”

Meanwhile, demand for beef has remained high – and even increased – during the pandemic, despite restaurants across the country being closed for much of the past year. The packing sector has been hugely proﬁtable, with retailers scrambling to buy beef from anywhere they could source it. Western Canadian retailers were even bringing in U.S. product for the ﬁrst time since before BSE, just to have some steak on the shelves.

“If a normal gross margin might be $300/head, often times over the last couple of years, you would see double that,” said Kevin Grier, a meat and livestock market analyst. In 2020, despite the loss of food service and increased unemployment, it was oﬀ the charts again.”

Producers and feedlots however, didn’t always fare as well as beef became backlogged during the shutdowns. More time on the ground means more feed and more expenses – and an on-the-hoof supply glut resulting in lower prices.

“Cattle supplies are ample and packers have had leverage because of those supplies. There was a cloud hanging over the price most of the second half of 2020,” Grier said.

One thing, however is certain – if Alberta’s plants didn’t rise to the Covid challenge, 2020 would been much harder on everyone in the beef business, from the cow-calf producer and all the way up the chain.

“When the pandemic was hitting to the max, everyone was saying it was JBS’ fault. No, it’s not their fault,” said M. “JBS did everything they could to protect us.”

sherimonk@gmail.com

Study shows positive connection between farm business planning and mental health

Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

“This is the way it’s always been done.”

“There’s not enough time.”

“We’re doing fine without one.”

We all know there are endless excuses for not having a farm business plan.

But a recent research study has found that farm business management isn’t just good for business – it’s also good for mental health.

Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms, a research study from Farm Management Canada, explored the relationship between farmer mental health and farm business management, looking to identify how one can help or perhaps hinder the other.

“I wondered if, for already busy and overwhelmed farms, our encouragement to improve farm business practices was adding stress to an already stressful situation, or whether we are helping,” Heather Watson, Executive Director of Farm Management Canada, explains of the research’s premise.

The verdict? Business management practices can play a significant role in producing healthy farms and farmers.

In fact, the research study, which surveyed 1,735 Canadian farmers, found that 88% of farmers who follow a written business plan say it has contributed to their peace of mind.

However, Watson notes there is a flip side to that promising finding. With more than 75% of survey respondents indicating they are experiencing medium to high levels of stress, she says it was surprising that 41% of farmers are not following a business plan because they believe they are succeeding without one.

“It just doesn’t add up when you consider the sheer number of farmers experiencing significant stress,” Watson says, adding that women and young farmers stood out as having particularly high levels of stress as a result of farm transition and family conflict.

“We hope that our research findings can help farmers start to redefine success and what it means not only for themselves but for their farm team.”

So what’s stopping so many farmers from using business management practices? Watson explains that a lot of it comes down to misconceptions about business planning. A prime example of those misconceptions: once a business plan is in writing, it’s written in stone.

“Farmers tell us the agriculture sector is too unpredictable and complex to put any plan in writing. Many cite they have a plan, but then point to their head. However, writing the plan down is key, as it’s not the plan itself that is the most important, but rather the process of planning – thinking about your end goals, risks and opportunities, and inviting others into creating the vision for the farm, family and themselves,” explains Watson.

“Planning ahead does not mean predicting the future – it means preparing for whatever might happen in the future.”

It’s no secret that risk management is a key ingredient for planning ahead. But Watson notes that the common status quo practices aren’t adequate. She explains there is a need for the agricultural industry “to be bold” in taking a more comprehensive approach to managing risk. That means having risk management go beyond just the financial side of things and include business

planning factors, like human resources, marketing, and production.

“What good is a profitable farm if its people are stressed and heading towards burnout or worse? What good is a profitable farm if its people are compromising their farm safety and taking unnecessary chances with their lives?” says Watson.

“We must, as an industry, realize and promote the interconnectedness of managing risk, including mental health, and managing the farm through proven business practices.”

In addition to proving a positive connection between farm business management and mental health, the Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms study also identified 24 comprehensive recommendations. Those recommendations include a range of actions from raising awareness about farmer mental health and improving mental health literacy for farmers to providing risk management support and advocating for farmer- specific mental health services.

“Our research results provide a roadmap for Canada’s entire agricultural industry to support mental health and likewise farm business management,” Watson explains. She adds that Farm Management Canada is working to ensure the study doesn’t “sit on the shelf collecting dust,” and has incorporated the findings and recommendations across all of the organization’s services and programs.

“We have a chance to really step up our game as an industry and support our farmers where they need it most.”

After all, as the study title suggests: a healthy mind goes hand in hand with a healthy farm.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is a public campaign held annually during the third week of March that focuses on the importance of safe agriculture. The 2021 campaign, Safe & Strong Farms: Lead an AgSafe Canada, takes place March 14-20. CASW is presented by Farm Credit Canada. For more information, visit agsafetyweek.

Lakeland

lakelandcollege.ca/ag

Cereal Animal Discovery and Budgie World holds open house

JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com

CEREAL, AB - What happens when someone retires but after a while ﬁnds retirement is somewhat dull? Kerry and Linda Lang from Cereal, Alberta, found themselves in this exact circumstance, but they found a solution. They started up a business venture.

Kerry and Linda have lived in Cereal for a couple of years. “I was a retired mechanic, but I got bored,” Kerry said. “And Linda grew up on the farm, so she wanted to get back into having chickens. We kind of became known as the animal shelter of the Cereal area. We took in some guinea pigs and a couple of beautiful cats. It exploded from there. I’m a mechanic by trade, and a building came up for sale, so I thought, why not start a shop?”

In June of 2019, Kerry opened his small equipment maintenance and repair shop called Kerinda Small Equipment Service & Repair. The couple has 2.5 acres of fenced

property, including pasture land divided into three sections, allowing the grass to recover.

Cereal Animal Discovery and Budgie World is their secondary business. It is now home to 11 goats, guinea pigs, ducks, budgies, guppies, fish in aquariums, and many different kinds of heritage chickens and exotic ducks. Kerry likes to dabble in tropical fish and breed them. The couple also breeds and sells budgies to a pet store in Medicine Hat. The budgies are housed upstairs in the main building.

“We have way more birds than we can sell,” Kerry said. “Our ﬂock is growing all the time.”

They are currently looking for other pet stores where they could supply budgies. In addition, Linda has also become a Tower Garden distributor.

Kerry said, “In the summer, some of the neighbourhood children come by to watch the goats, and people in the campground have come to check the animals out. We’re down here every

day, and anyone is welcome to come and watch the animals.”

When I phoned, Kerry and Linda were preparing for their open house, which took place on Thursday and Friday, March 11th and 12th, at their property at 5101st Street in Cereal. Each day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., visitors were welcome to come and enjoy the many animals, birds and ﬁsh on-site and were even invited to take some of the animals home with them.

Budgies complete with cages were available for sale and complete aquarium starter kits, including filters, pump, heater, and fish. “We have everything they need to start up a hobby,” Kerry explained. Visitors could also inquire about the Tower Garden on the premises and find how to get one of their own.

As the weather warms up, Kerry and Linda are inviting people to come and visit their animals and check out their web site kerinda.ca

Self-care about more than self-indulgence

By Erin Kelly for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘self-care’?

A day of pampering at a spa? A facial or manicure?

While those are commonly associated with self-care in the media, they don’t represent the full picture and only further fuel misconceptions. Because while a spa day may not seem to have much in common with farm safety, self-care certainly does.

“Most people have a preconceived notion of what self-care looks like because of what is on the internet, or what they see on TV or social media. People have this idea in their head of what self-care is supposed to look like,” explains Deborah Vanberkel, a registered psychotherapist and founder of Cultivate Counselling Services in Eastern Ontario’s Lennox and Addington County, where she also works on her family’s dairy farm. Her business is focused on providing services and supports to rural and agricultural communities.

So what exactly is selfcare? That depends on the person.

As Vanberkel explains, self-care is any activity that helps someone emotionally, physically,

or mentally. But what exactly that entails differs from person to person.

“If you type self-care into Google, there is going to be an infinite number of results that come up, and they are all going to be different. And while I’m sure a lot of the things that come up are great, it does not mean that they are going to work for you,” Vanberkel says.

“Self-care is self-defining. I think that is the piece that people overthink or forget about because they end up on Google looking up what self-care is. Rather than ask Google, ask yourself what self-care means and looks like. There is no right or wrong answer for self- care, so long as it benefits you physically, emotionally, or mentally.”

Cynthia Beck is a clinical psychology master’s student at the University of Regina whose graduate research involves examining the mental health needs of rural and agricultural populations. She echoes Vanberkel’s remarks, noting that selfcare fundamentals are so basic that most people don’t realize it is self-care.

“We need to acknowledge that self-care is not indulgent. It’s a basic necessity. A huge part of self-care are those necessary, everyday things like making sure we’re eating regular meals or getting enough water,” explains

Beck, who also farms with her husband on a mixed farming operation outside of Regina, SK.

“People need to customize their own selfcare and look at what their own needs are. A 20-year-old working in agriculture will have very different needs than a 55-year-old person working in agriculture. That’s just reality.”

In fact, even tasks that may seem trivial, such as cleaning the house, should not be overlooked as being beneficial to selfcare.

“With a lot of those mundane tasks, in our current society, we have pushed them to the wayside,” says Beck. “But they actually do contribute to our personal success factor, and that success means living a happy and healthy life.”

When it comes to farm safety, stress and mental health issues are known contributing factors. That’s also why it comes as no surprise that selfcare – both prioritizing and neglecting it – has a significant influence on farm safety.

“The farm operator, our bodies and minds, are the most important part of machinery on any farm. That’s why it is so important that self-care be a priority. You can’t run a successful farm operation if you are not functioning at a healthy level,” Beck explains, adding that when selfcare is neglected, people are more likely to make poor decisions or have poor judgement.

“Often, we treat the farm machinery much better than how we treat our bodies. We fill the tractor with fuel ev-

ery day. We do regular maintenance on our machinery. But how often do we provide that care and attention to our own body?”

There’s no question that farmers and farm families lead busy lives. But just because there is always something new taking priority on the farm, doesn’t mean that self-care should be considered any less valuable and necessary. The most important thing to keep in mind is that self-care isn’t selfish.

“Children, farm operations and such, everything else takes priority. So the question needs to be put back on [farmers] of when do you become

Leading an AgSafe Canada

It’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, and this year be a leader. Lead your community, your farm, and your family in farm safety. Start conversations and raise awareness. Be part of an AgSafe Canada and help make Canadian farms a safer place for everyone to live and work.

This Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, celebrate Safe and Strong Farms. For more information on Leading an AgSafe Canada, visit agsafetyweek.ca.

the priority and what do you do to prioritize yourself?” says Vanberkel. “People will say that they don’t have time [for selfcare] because they are looking for something that will fit their schedule. But that’s the kicker – we can make time for everything else but not for ourselves.

“It’s like driving. If you keep on driving and never stop to gas up, you’re going to run out of gas eventually.”

By Erin Kelly for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

We can all agree that 2020 was a year like none other.

It was a year that tested everyone’s readiness to adapt to change quickly. And the agricultural industry was no exception.

From labour logistics and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages to processing delays and pivoting to online marketing, many farmers across the country encountered a long and ever-changing list of challenges due to COVID-19.

“Farmers faced a lot of new challenges in their ability to function within the restrictions [associated with COVID-19], as did everybody,” says Wendy Bennett, Executive Director of AgSafe in British Columbia. “But if you have a farm, the opportunity for everybody to work from home doesn’t work. Here I am working at my dining room table, but that’s not an option if there are 100 acres of apples to pick.”

In Manitoba, Thea Green, Program Manager for Keystone Agricultural Producers, says that for many farmers the

pandemic did not impact their ability to farm, but “it did impact how they farm.”

There is no denying the hardships and challenges that have been experienced across the Canadian agricultural industry. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has also provided the sector with a unique learning opportunity and the chance to explore new processes.

“We all adapted because we were forced to; it’s never fun to have to do something because you’re backed into a corner. But there has also been some benefit to being forced to explore change, to make it a priority,” explains Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Director of Outreach and Member Relations with Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.

“We all hit some bumps and hurdles along the way while figuring it all out, and if we look at how our food value chain adapted, it’s really impressive and worth recognizing.”

Health and safety procedures top the list of what has been impacted by COVID-19 on farms across Canada. While another layer has been added to what employers have to do to ensure

everybody’s well-being on the farm during the pandemic, those requirements may have a positive and lasting effect on farm health and safety procedures.

“COVID opened a lot of eyes to worker health and safety requirements across the board. And those requirements have largely always been there, but some people didn’t think they applied to them. I think, moving forward, the experience of dealing with COVID is going to make people pay more attention,” explains Bennett, adding that her organization has seen a noticeable increase in requests for help with implementing health and safety measures.

“The importance of preparedness has really become evident during COVID-19,” Green notes. “We never know what is going to come our way in the industry, but farmers can use the experiences of COVID-19 to do emergency preparedness for a whole range of situations that would allow them to respond more effectively.”

Van Den Heuvel agrees, explaining that the pandemic underscored the importance of implementing a farm safety plan and conducting a risk assessment.

“We are going to look at health and safety differently going forward. COVID has been, for lack of a better term, a good exercise for implementing a farm safety plan,” she says. “Health and safety are part of an overall farm management plan, and having a solid management plan, understanding processes for making decisions, and communicating with family members and workers were shown to be fundamental during COVID.”

In fact, communication became an essential component across the agricultural industry in response to COVID-19, with collaboration proving particularly beneficial for commodity groups, which used shared experiences to find solutions and address challenges.

“The importance of having open communication really came to the forefront with COVID. The only way that all of us were able to adapt to COVID successfully was by working together,” explains Van Den Heuvel. “COVID showed us what true collaboration brings us; it showed us when we work together, how much further we can get.”

But the benefits of in-

Garth MacDonald named one of the top 50 Canadian agriculture leaders

KINDERSLEY - As the CEO of G-Mac’s AgTeam in Kindersley, Garth MacDonald never knows what each day will bring as an owner/operator. This was the case when he was designated as one of the top fifty Canadian agriculture leaders by Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) in February, 2020.

“I don’t need recognition, but at the same time, I was honoured to receive it,” Garth said. “It’s exciting and a real honour when you take a look at the list of names. Agriculture is a really big industry, so I was honoured to win this Canada-wide award.” Garth said he was familiar with about ten of the people who made the list.

“These finalists represent some of the best in an industry that continues to create endless opportunities to dream, grow, and thrive. It’s cer-

tainly something to celebrate as part of Canada’s Ag Day,” Todd Kline, chief marketing officer for Farm Credit Canada, said.

The CEO of CWA, Chris Lane, concurred saying, “There is no bet-

ter way to celebrate Canada’s Ag Day than to recognize the diversity of people, sectors and ideas that make Canadian agriculture what it is today.”

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and CWA began asking for nominations

creased communication haven’t been limited to within the industry. With more people cooking at home during the pandemic, COVID-19 has provided the agricultural industry with a valuable opportunity to connect with consumers about their food and what’s being done to ensure food security in Canada.

“There has been heightened interest in Canadian food during the pandemic, and Canadian consumers are increasingly interested in where their food is coming from,” says Green.

Adds Van Den Heuvel, “There is definitely a recognition for agriculture amongst the public like we haven’t necessarily seen in the past, and that means more opportunities to connect with the public about their food.”

What things will look like post-pandemic is still

anyone’s guess. But one thing is for certain: Canadian farmers’ abilities to adapt and continue to produce safe and healthy products are proof that the pandemic won’t hurt the agricultural industry. It will make it stronger.

“Everyone in agriculture recognizes that everyone else in agriculture is going through similar challenges,” says Bennett. “And that collaboration will only make the industry stronger for everyone because COVID showed us that you never know what’s next.”

last year from across the country, and then a panel of judges picked the top ten finalists. Winners were placed in the following categories: mentors, upstarts, innovators, designated hitters and deal makers. Garth was a winner in the deal makers category and was one of the nine Saskatchewan residents in the top fifty.

Garth noted that “Our business has expanded significantly the last few years when most independent retailers are selling out.” He attributed their success to making a plan for success in the future and the courage to execute it.

G-Mac’s AgTeam has fourteen locations across western Saskatchewan, from Lucky Lake to Meadow Lake. Not only is Garth celebrating his honoured designation, but G-Mac’s is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

BLANKET ALBERTA

AUCTIONS

WARD’S & BUD HAYNES

FIREARMS AUCTION, Saturday, April 24th, Edmonton, AB. Online Bidding, Live Preview April 23rd. WardsAuctions. com. Consign Now. Brad Ward 780-940-8378.

2 DAY SALE! UNRESERVED ONLINE ANTIQUE AUCTION for Ken Ireland. Antique farm equipment, trucks, saddles, radios, glass and more! Bidding closes March 23 & 24. Visit premierauctions.ca.

WOODWORKING TOOLS, SHOP EQUIP., WELDING EQUIP. COLLECTABLES

online) for the ﬁrst 25 words, $8 for each word over

Online Auction Mar 24 –Mar 30/21, Blackfalds, AB. Also selling Restaurant Tables, Lighting, Fuel Cubes, 1900’s Era J&J Safe, Camper, Construction Surplus & More. www. montgomeryauctions. com; 1-800-371-6963.

COMING EVENTS

FIREARMS WANTED FOR APRIL 24th, 2021 LIVE & ONLINE AUCTION. Riﬂes, Shotguns, Handguns, Militaria. Auction or Purchase: Collections, Estates, Individual Items. Contact Paul, Switzer’s Auction: Toll-Free 1-800694-2609; sales@switzersauction.com or www. switzersauction.com.

EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITIES

BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classiﬁed ad. Only $269 (based on 25 words or less). Reach 90 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details. 1-800282-6903 Ext 225; www. awna.com.

FREIGHTLAND CARRIERS, a tri-axle air ride ﬂatdeck carrier is looking for Owner/Operators to run Alberta only or the 3 Western Provinces. Must have own plates, insurance & WCB. Truck gross revenue is an average of $16,000/month. Call 1-800-917-9021 or email: dispatch@freightland.ca.

POWER UP Additives, GEN49D & ThixOgrease - manufactured as Power Up-PowerSUM and distributed by AwSUM Outcomes in Calgary. AwSUM is seeking resellers. Call 1-844-512-4093; www. awsumoutcomes.com.

FEED AND SEED FORAGE SEED FOR SALE: Organic & conventional: Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, Red Clover, Smooth Brome, Meadow Brome, Crested Wheatgrass, Timothy, etc. Star City, SK. Birch Rose Acres Ltd. 306-921-9942.

HEATED CANOLA buying Green, Heated or Springthrashed Canola. Buying: oats, barley, wheat & peas for feed. Buying damaged or oﬀ-

grade grain. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain, 1-877-250-5252.

CERTIFIED SEED.WHEAT – Go Early, Pintail. - OATS – AC Juniper, AC Morgan, AC Mustang, Derby, SO1 Super Oat.BARLEY – Amisk, Busby, Cerveza, Conlon, CDC Austenson, CDC Maverick, Sundre. Very Early Yellow Pea, Forage Peas. Polish Canola, Spring Triticale. mastinseeds.com; 403-556-2609.

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.

HEALTH

GET UP TO $50,000 from the Government of Canada. ALL Ages & Medical Conditions qualify. Have a child under 18 instantly receive more money. CALL THE BENEFITS PROGRAM 1-800-2113550 or send a text message with your name and mailing address to 403980-3605 for your FREE beneﬁts package.

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. 1-844-453-5372.

LAND FOR SALE VERY INEXPENSIVE 2 QUARTERS OF PASTURE LAND, Central SK, for sale. 8 other good quarters may be available. Requires fencing. Great hunting $74,900. Call Doug at 306-716-2671.

PERSONALS

FARMER & BUSINESSMAN looking for a female companion. Mail letter to: Henry Dyck, 21 Arburn Bay St., Suite 114, Calgary, Alberta T3M 2A9.

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. 1-800-347-2540. www.accesslegalmjf.com

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. 1-800-282-6903, 780434-8746 X225. www. awna.com.

GET BACK ON TRACK! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need Money? We Lend! If you own your own home - you qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877-9871420. www.pioneerwest. com.

Sports with Bruce Penton

Tiger’s new target: Ben Hogan

For his entire professional golﬁng career, Tiger Woods has been chasing the legendary Jack Nicklaus’s major-title record of 18. Now, he has another immortal to try to emulate — Ben Hogan.

Hogan famously returned to championship-calibre golf after being critically injured in an automobile-bus crash in 1949. Hogan’s injuries sidelined him for close to a year in the prime of his greatness. But Hogan returned to glory, winning six major championships, including the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion 16 months after his brush with death.

Now, Woods faces a similar challenge, although it presents a less likely successful result. Hogan was 36 and in peak physical form at the time of his crash, while Woods, who suﬀered severe leg and ankle injuries Feb. 23 after his car hit a median, crossed the other lane and left the Los Angeles road, rolling multiple times down an embankment, is 45 and inhabits a body held together thanks to multiple back and knee surgeries.

Woods, likely the most prominent individual athlete in the world, has enjoyed growing global fame since breaking into professional

golf in 1996. A cave dweller in the depths of Mongolia may not know a thing about Tiger Woods, but he’d be in the minority. Have you heard of the Pope? Paul McCartney? Muhammad Ali? Albert Einstein? Same fame deal.

Woods was entertainment. People who knew or cared little about golf were likely to turn on their TVs if Woods was in contention in a major tournament. He made millions of dollars for the television networks. His popularity resulted in skyrocketing purses on the PGA Tour.

He was once the best golf-

pain-killing drugs. Someone as wealthy and vulnerable behind the wheel as Tiger Woods should hire someone to trans-

• Headline at the onion. com: “Hockey Hall Of Fame Debuts Interactive Exhibit Letting Fans Play With GameUsed Teeth.”

• Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “NFL owners are pushing to implement a 17-game schedule for this coming season. “A$ you might $u$pect, we have our rea$ons for playing $eventeen,” said one.”

• Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, after Ravens coach John Harbaugh paid the entire $2,000-plus restaurant bill during a Baltimore charity event: “Harbaugh covered the

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “NBA star Joakim Noah announced his retirement, ﬁnishing his pro career 0-for-16 in three-pointers. Big surprise: a guy named Noah preferred his points two by two.”

• Headline at fark.com: “Calgary celebrates 7-3 win over Senators by ﬁring coach.”

• Another fark.com headline: “J.J. Watt has gone from being a saint in Houston to being a Cardinal in Arizona.”

• Dwight Perry again: “Sure sign we’ve been in lockdown too long: The Milwaukee Bucks unveiled a ‘Hand Sanitizer Cam,’ featuring a superimposed bottle ‘squirting’ fans in the stands.”

• Bucs QB Tom Brady, 43, when chubby 42-year-old CBS ‘Late Late Show’ host James asked if Corden could be drafted into the NFL: “You might be able to play for the

Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune: “Players hate going to the NBA AllStar Game — as they should — and get upset when they’re not invited.”

Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 6, 2021

THIS WEEK: CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS AND PISCES

ARIES

This will be a week when emotions run high. Be careful not to put yourself in situations where you have to make all the decisions, as you’re likely to be criticized.

TAURUS

31. “Runaround ____”

Verify

Hem’s partner

“For ____ a jolly . . .”

Passenger vessel

Nocturnal bird

You’ll need to jockey your way into a better position; don’t hesitate to show your true character. You’ll have the opportunity to travel and discover new cultures.

GEMINI

WEEK OF MARCH 7 TO 13, 2021

ARIES

9. Deal

10. Horrible monster 11. 11th grader

19. Swimmer’s protection

21. Regard

23. Fair-haired

Colored

Scramble (for)

“____ Pulver” (film)

Teapot

Depressed

Basker’s desire

Toddler’s bed

39. Tingly

Threshold

At work, you’ll be happy to take on a new group of clients interested in your products and services. The abundance of work will also get you thinking about starting a new project.

TAURUS

24. Lenten Wednesday 25. Rightful

27. Familiarized

28. Foot-shaped device

29. Maul

Taboo 42. Kind of dive 43. Understood 44. Italian money, once

____ and flows

“You ____ My Love”

Broadcast

Roofing material

A getaway may be planned at the last minute. You might also consider going to work in another region so you can enjoy new and more enriching experiences. A training course will prove beneficial.

30. Punching tool

GEMINI

WEEK OF MARCH 14 TO 20, 2021

ARIES

Your ambition and enthusiasm will allow you to grow your income. You’ll be able to afford to treat yourself. If you book a weeklong vacation, it will be a memorable experience.

TAURUS

To avoid any unpleasant surprises when it comes to your finances, take the time to look over your bills. A mistake regarding a sum of money might have been made and could cause a major inconvenience.

GEMINI

37. Suggests

Annoying insect

You’ll stand out considerably among your friends and colleagues. These people are likely to offer a helping hand as you go through a number of transformations.

CANCER

Previous to, in verse

Seasoning

Eternities

Moisture

Positive responses

If you open your home to loved ones, don’t expect them to help you out with household tasks. They might even want to be waited on. Fortunately, good times are on the horizon.

LEO

Shells for a shotgun

Control knob

Lunar events

Balm 5. Mr. Ed’s fodder

When faced with a need for change, you’ll be guided by the little voice in your head that encourages you to live a life of passion and adventure. Doing so will allow you to broaden your horizons.

CANCER

You’ll slowly come across the right information to take your life in a new direction. You’ll find yourself full of enthusiasm and joy as you plan for the future.

LEO

It’s important to think long and hard before you embark on a new adventure that’ll change your daytoday life. New options will become apparent as the week unfolds.

CANCER

You’ll receive invitations to participate in an array of activities, each more exciting than the last. However, don’t forget to make time to rest and relax.

LEO

You’ll have to deal with people who are all talk and no action. Go with your initial idea; it’s the right one, and you’ll avoid being led astray by people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

VIRGO

6. “Long, Long ____”

7. Temporary relief

8. Smacks, as a fly

At work, you’ll have to negotiate with a few different groups to reach an agreement following a tense situation. You’ll likely play a role in your community or work union.

VIRGO

At work, as well as among your family and friends, you’ll be in charge of organizing a largescale event. It’ll be quite a challenge to plan. You’ll also be asked to get involved in your community.

VIRGO

Sure-Fire Streaming:

You certainly appreciate the financial stability and independence that your job provides. With the salary earned, you’ll be able to travel and explore.

The best in TV and ﬁlm from your living room

LIBRA

BY JORDAN PARKER h ps://parkerandpictures.wordpress.com/

Rush Hour – Available On Netﬂix

This is perhaps one of my favourite comedies of all time. It never gets old, and it delivers the belly laughs I sometimes sorely need.

A buddy-cop comedy at its heart, it follows a Hong Kong inspector and an L.A.P.D. detective on a case to rescue the Chinese Consul’s kidnapped daughter.

But they’re also faced with a dangerous crime lord while on their mission. Unfortunately, the mild-mannered inspector and the loud, brash detective will have to sort through their diﬀerences if they’re going to break cases.

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker showcase incredible chemistry here, and the two are a match made in comedy heaven.

All three Rush Hour ﬁlms will keep you smiling on any binge-watch day.

Stand By Me– Available On Netﬂix

There are few ﬁlms more deﬁning than director Rob Reiner’s absolutely incredible Stand By Me.

Based on Stephen King’s novel, it follows a group of young friends who ﬁnd the body of a missing boy during a summer in their youth.

Featuring incredible performances from Wil Wheaton, the late River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and Kiefer Sutherland, it’s an absolute treasure.

I don’t think many movies deﬁned my childhood like this one – save for Indy and Star Wars – and it’s always worth a rewatch if you’ve already seen it.

Stand By Me is an enduring classic, and one that I could never grow tired of.

Professionally, you’ll experience success when dealing with a group or the government. In terms of your health, you’ll be surprised by the treatment you receive to resolve a longstanding problem.

You’ll embrace a form of spirituality that will allow you to have a more active social life and meet interesting people. You’ll form new friendships and improve your wellbeing.

LIBRA

Walkaway Joe – Available On Prime Video

You’ll be overflowing with great ideas and initiatives. In addition, you’re constantly changing your plans to suit your mood, which may irritate certain people around you.

So this is a slightly weird pick, in the sense that it seems I’m one of few critics who really, truly enjoyed it.

SCORPIO

Confusion is possible in a chaotic universe. Fortunately, all you need is a second cup of coffee to help you regain your energy and complete a number of small miracles every day.

For me, an acting showcase is always worth seeing, and the performances in Walkaway Joe really lend themselves to a viewing.

Directed by actor Tom Wright in his debut behind the camera, it’s a slick, character-driven drama about a friendship between an older drifter and a young boy in search of his wayward father.

SAGITTARIUS

After an intensely stressful period, you’ll certainly need to take a step back and get some rest. You’ll need to recharge your batteries in order to feel like you’re getting a fresh start

CAPRICORN

Oscar nominee David Strathairn stars as the titular Joe, a drifter with a past he’s trying to hide. He meets young Dallas, in search of the bar-dwelling poolhall junkie father who walked out on him.

You’ll likely work a lot of overtime. Fortunately, you’ll eventually manage to let loose and enjoy yourself with loved ones, who’ll invite you to participate in fun activities.

AQUARIUS

Joe and Dallas become closer as they travel, and when they ﬁnd father Cal, it becomes apparent money and living his own life are more important to him than fatherly duties.

Whether it’s imagining a vacation or a quick romantic getaway, you’ll have your head in the clouds. You might have thoughts of moving abroad or going on some type of expedition.

So Dallas joins the pool tournament his father plans to win, in order to get the cash prize and teach his father a lesson.

PISCES

Changes are inevitable. Tightening your circle of friends will help relieve some of your stress, making it easier to pursue aspirations that are more in line with your needs.

Perhaps the best thing about Walkaway Joe is the interplay between the incredible Jeﬀrey Dean Morgan as Cal, and Strathairn. The two are dynamite together.

This may not knock your socks oﬀ, but it was well worth a 90-minute escape for me.

3:10 To Yuma – Available On Netﬂix

To see two fantastic living actors pair together in a remake of a timeless western classic is always a pleasure.

When the thespians are as formidable as Russell Crowe and Christian Bale,

that makes it all the better.

LIBRA

You don’t always enjoy being in the spotlight. However, when you accomplish a major feat, it’s normal to want to receive applause and be the focus of everyone’s attention for a while.

The Oscar-nominated ﬁlm about a rancher who agrees to hold a captures outlaw awaiting the Yuma train to court follows the struggles he faces as he tries to keep a handle on the prisoner.

SCORPIO

Crowe and Bale are perfect, and Ben Foster is an absolutely fantastic baddie in any scenario. He’s especially good in this ﬁlm.

You’ll start seriously looking into finding a new home or buying a house. Your children will bring you a moment of great happiness.

SAGITTARIUS

It’s an early ﬁlm of lauded director James Mangold, known for Cop Land, Girl, Interrupted, and Logan, and he hits it out of the park.

You’ll finally get your priorities straight this week. You’ll end a long period of procrastination and set in motion some muchneeded changes.

SCORPIO

You and your partner will talk about taking a vacation, which will encourage you to learn more about certain destinations that you’ve been interested in for a long time.

SAGITTARIUS

You’ll be extra chatty this week and always know what to say to get a laugh. A well timed joke on your part may defuse a tense situation at work or at home.

3:10 To Yuma is a triumph, and a rare remake that improves on the original.

Coming 2 America – Available On Prime Video

CAPRICORN

If you have concerns about your health, take the time to visit your doctor and have the necessary tests done. Either everything will be fine, or you’ll receive extraordinary care that’ll allow you to quickly heal.

CAPRICORN

I’ll say right oﬀ the top after seeing this: The sequel does not match the original.

You might start compulsively shopping. You’ll also feel a strong urge to get moving and experience new things. Be careful not to drain your bank account.

AQUARIUS

But at the same time, if you’re a fan of Coming To America – or classic Eddie Murphy in general – then you’ll ﬁnd something to like in this one.

It’s important that you take enough time to rest so that you can start the week off on the right foot. You’ll need all the sleep you can get to be efficient and up to the task at hand.

It follows our African monarch Akeem as he tries to ﬁnd his long-lost American son, conceived during his ﬁrst trip to New York.

PISCES

He needs an heir, and because of tradition, none of his daughters ﬁt the bill. This is a ﬁlm both about changing outdated traditions and loving one’s family the right way.

You’ll be very creative. You’ll likely draw inspiration from dif ferent cultures or ways of life to create a masterpiece. As fatigue creeps up on you, you’ll start to plan a vacation to get away from it all.

Murphy is hilarious, as is the returning Arsenio Hall. But it’s the new talent that makes a true impact.

Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes and Jermaine Fowler are hilarious, while returning players James Earl Jones and Shari Headley add to the proceedings.

There are surprises and cameos galore, and while it can sometimes feel like a retread, it’s a funny ﬁlm in tumultuous times.

At work, your willingness to take the initiative will help you reach a longterm agreement with certain people. This will ease most of your financial concerns and help you eliminate a few debts.

AQUARIUS

Either at home or at the office, a number of compromises must be made to restore the peace. You’ll need to work on your patience if you want to get through a mindboggling situation.

PISCES

Are you overzealous? There are days when you need to respect your limits. Remember to consider your own needs before you commit to helping others. A family member may prove to be demanding.

THE LUCKIEST SIGNS

THE LUCKIEST SIGNS THIS WEEK: ARIES, TAURUS AND GEMINI

THE LUCKIEST SIGNS THIS WEEK: CANCER, LEO AND VIRGO

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

Classiﬁeds

RATES (based on 25 words or less). $10.00 plus GST. Additional words are 20¢ each. Deadline is Thursday noon. 306-463-2211

FOR SALE

FOR SALE: MF 220

Tractor w/ 3 pt. hitch. 25 HP. Excellent condition. Great tractor for yard. Call Brent (403) 6648256.

SHOPRIDER P424M

Power wheelchair. Purchased in 2018, used intermittently. Like new condition. $2300. Call 306-463-7974.

WANTED

Looking for Dad’s old Buﬀalo Coat. Worked on CNR railroad in 1950s. Heavy coat with large bone buttons. Great sentimental value! Larry Dziuba @ (403) 808-6932.

GET NOTICED

IN MEMORIAM

In Memory of Arthur Thomas Brown

November 12, 1922 - March 12, 2007 and Debra Ann Brown

February 10, 1960 - March 24, 1976

To us you were so special We miss you more each day

The saddest day of our life

Was the day you passed away If tears could build a stairway

And memories were a lane, We would walk right up to Heaven And bring you home again. Sadly missed by Marie Brown (wife), (mother), Arthur’s children, grandchildren & great grandchildren & great, great grandchildren. Debra’s brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.

WENZEL - In loving memory of Melvin, who passed away March 12, 1991. “In a quiet country graveyard Where gentle breezes blow, Lies the one we lost 30 years ago. Sadly missed along life’s way, Lovingly remembered every day; No longer in our lives to share, But in our hearts he is always there.”

Forever missed by Mary, Lorraine, Dave and Family, Rick, Lynn, Bart and Family, Gwen and Ron

2021 SUMMER JOB OPPORTUNITY

Big Country Agricultural Society is now accepting applications for GENERAL ASSISTANT

TERM: May 17-August 6, 2021; min. 30 hour work week DUTIES:

• Marketing the Big Country Agricultural Society

• Day to day maintenance of the Crossroads Centre including landscaping and janitorial duties

• Scheduling activities for the Big Country Agricultural Society and the Crossroads Centre

• Development of a marketing brochure

• Working co-operatively with joint community projects

• Working at BCAS events (must be willing to work some evenings and weekends)

• Data organization

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Skills in public relations

• Good communication skills a must (letter writing, phone calls, computer)

• Valid Driver’s License with access to a vehicle an asset

• Ability to work in a team atmosphere or alone WHY WORK FOR US?

- Expand your knowledge of marketing and human resources

- Enhance communication and public relations skill

CLOSING DATE: March 31, 2021

Submit resumes to : BCAS Employment Committee, Box 446, Oyen, AB T0J 2J0

Email: thebcasoffice@gmail.com

For more information, please call (403) 664-6600 Wethankallapplicants;howeveronlythoseinvitedforaninterview willbepersonallycontacted

OYEN EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH

Meeting IN PERSON again on Sunday mornings at 10 AM for Sunday School and 11 AM for the Worship Service. e service may still be viewed live on Facebook and later in YouTube.

SACRED HEART RC OYEN 1st Friday 6:30 p.m. Mass & Adoration at Sacred Heart Church. Rest of the Fridays at the Extended Care unit 6:30 pm Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m. Cell 403-795-6912. shcoyen@telus.net

welcome your

You can email them to kate@yoursouthwest.com or text it to 306-671-0242 with a brief explanation.

ST. MARY’S RC, ACADIA VALLEY

by Tricia Fischbuch

ursdays 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass 9:00 a.m. Rectory 403-664-3603. newtonrodrigues17@outlook.com

UFA Co-operative announces

$14.2 Million Patronage Dividend

CALGARY - United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd. (“UFA”) approved a patronage dividend of $14.2 million to its membership at its virtual Annual General Meeting on Thursday, March 11, 2021. The patronage payment is for 2020 purchases in the following categories: Ag Gas (1.3%), Ag Diesel (6.6%), Canola and Corn Seed (1.6%), and the following lubricants: 18.9L pails of Spirax S4 TXM, Rotella T4 15W40 and Rotella T6 5W40 (5%).

In addition to the patronage dividend, the Alberta-based co-operative is proud to report $1.2 billion in ﬁnancial revenues as $64 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

“As a member-owned agricultural co-operative, it is our responsibility to support the members who continue to get the job done, even during a pandemic. The business of agriculture cannot stop,” says Scott Bolton, UFA President and Chief Executive Oﬃcer. “Serving our members and customers is the driving force of UFA, and paying patronage to those who keep the agriculture industry moving has never been more important. We are honoured to demonstrate our commitment and gratitude with this year’s patronage return.”

During the year, UFA continued to invest in its core businesses. The co-operative continued to expand its Dieselex Gold® oﬀering and partnered with

GrainsConnect Canada to bring an exciting pilot program, oﬀering growers the chance to maximize returns with a discount on seed and receive competitive pricing with a premium on their production contract. Bar W, a subsidiary of UFA, opened a new All Peace Petroleum site in Spruce Grove, enhancing the service oﬀering to customers of the downstream maintenance and construction business, as well expanding its tank rentals and sales. UFA demonstrated its commitment to streamlining the overall customer experience with a new point-of-sale system, introduced in early 2020; and in December, launched its e-commerce site. Implementing comprehensive measures to protect the health and safety of its teams, members and customers, while ensuring they remained open for business, was a priority for UFA.

“This past year is like no other. We all know that we are not out of the woods yet, but spring is coming. Seed will go in the ground. Calves will be born. Fuel will be delivered. As farmers, we must move forward. This year’s patronage dividend will help our members to do just that,” says UFA Board Chair, Kevin Hoppins. “Our co-operative has weathered many storms and we will get through this one, because for over a century we’ve known that we are stronger together.”

The next generation of producers

JOAN JANZEN joanjanzen@yahoo.com

BROCK, SK - Agriculture producers ﬁnd it rewarding when their oﬀspring want to work full-time on the family farm. Joleen Shea is living testimony of a girl who grew up on the family farm, which she now operates full-time, along with the help of her father, Ron Shea.

Her interest in farming began when she was young. “I’d be the one helping Dad,” Joleen said, describing her younger years. Her involvement in 4H also helped with her interest in agriculture.

After high school, she earned a diploma in Animal Science at Lakeland College and went on to work in the grain industry for several years. “But any time I took a holiday, it was to come back and work at the farm. I always had a foot in the door,” Joleen added.

It’s been almost a year since Joleen decided to work on the farm full-time, but she has a lot of help. “Dad’s still out every day. We start calving at the beginning of April. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll make sure everything is ready to go; then it’s all hands on deck until the end of May.”

Sheady Farms has a herd of 250 commercial cows, and they breed Black Angus and Black Simmental. The operation also includes some crop production to provide feed for the stock.

Besides farm work, Joleen was elected as the new Director for District 7 of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) in October of 2020. As part of the SCA, she recently participated in a Beef and Forage Forum, which is open to any producers to give their feedback to the researchers. “It’s interesting topics, that’s for sure. There’s a lot of new stuﬀ in the industry,” Joleen said. She noted that farming is always a learning process, and the weather and market conditions are always a challenge. “There’s a lot of stuﬀ that’s out of your control. Some years there are bigger challenges than others, but you control what you can and hope it turns out for the best.”

The year 2020 presented a challenge that turned out for the best. Joleen explained, “We sell quarters and halves of beef; it’s another revenue stream for the farm. But during the pandemic, we noticed an increase in beef being purchased from the farm. We sold out faster than we ever have; it was a nice surprise. Now we’re expanding and doubling what we’ve done in the past because the interest is there.”

Soon it will be all hands on deck at the Sheady Farm, as calving will start at the beginning of April, and Joleen is happy being outdoors and working with the animals - something she always wanted to do.

Joleen Shea

It’s important to dig safely on the farm

By Robert Gobeil for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association

It is important to use the One-Call Service before starting any project on the farm where ground will be broken, regardless of depth. This applies to all small or large projects such as sod removal for a garden, fencing projects, digging a new well, or putting in a foundation. The One-Call service is free of charge and it only takes a few minutes to submit a utility locate request. Although many underground infrastructures and utilities are found in urban areas, rural areas also have a number of these services.

Privately owned utilities are the responsibility of the customer. (Examples of this include water lines from a private well, and power lines to a garage or shed past the meter.) Utility owners do not know the location of these lines. However, the One-Call service will be able to refer a private contractor that can help locate these utilities.

Buried utilities can be just beneath the surface and digging prematurely can put you in harm’s way or cause major damage to a utility line. A property owner or contractor who damages a utility may be charged for repairs. As they say...know what’s below.

Some of the typical buried utilities that could be in your work area are:

• Electrical lines

• Gas, oil, or petroleum pipes

• Communications, ﬁbreoptic, and cable lines (or conduits)

• Water pipes

• Sewer pipes

• Survey markers

A utility locate request is made by visiting ClickBeforeYouDig.com and following the instructions on the website. Select the province in which your project is located, take note of the “Advance Notice” and “Days Valid” information, then identify if the locate request is for a homeowner or contractor. You will then be directed to your provincial One-Call site. You may need to set up an account with a login and password if you have not used the service before. Follow the instructions to submit your utility locate request. There is also a live chat option (and phone numbers) available on most sites for any help you may need.

If you receive conﬁrmation that the area is all clear of buried utilities, you can start digging.

If the work area does have buried utilities, you will need to identify the work area before the utility locate personnel come to mark out the location of buried utilities. Your work area needs to be clearly identiﬁed and it is recommended to use white spray paint. It usually takes 3-5 days for utility owners to mark the buried utilities.

Once the utilities are marked out, be sure to respect the marks and follow instructions from the utility owners. You

will need to dig by hand within one metre of any buried utility.

You can remove any ﬂags or markers once you have completed all digging in your work area.

Please note that a new locate request will need to be completed for a larger project where you need to dig 30 days after the original locate request and for each new project.

Remember, better safe than sorry. No matter the project and no matter the location, take the time to contact the OneCall service. Digging safely will ensure

your safety and prevent costly utility repairs and interruption of utility services.

CASW is presented by Farm Credit Canada. For more information, visit agsafetyweek.ca.