New owners at Acadia Valley’s longstanding store
BY JOAN JANZEN
Acadia Valley has had a grocery store in their town since 1945. On November 12th of this year Jana Kauppinen re-opened The Store, following decades of faithful service by the Peers family. Brent Peers’ last day in The Store was on October 31st, when customers stopped in to show him their appreciation for his years of service.
The town’s grocery store first moved into Acadia Valley in 1945 when Ted Hall was the first proprietor. Information obtained from the history book ‘Times to Remember’ portrays a vivid picture of the years from the store’s beginning to the present.
Ted’s General Store was bought in Youngstown, disassembled and rebuilt in Acadia Valley in 1945.
Ted and Pearl Hall operated the business until 1965 when they sold it and moved to Calgary. Employees throughout those years included Alvin Purper, Bert Miller, Amy Galbraith, Emma Gibson, Esther McGee, Cyril Garrett and Bill Peers.
The Store in Acadia Valley re-opened on November 12th under the new ownership of Jana Kauppinen. This longstanding business has been operating since 1945 in Acadia Valley.
In 1965 Vic and Adeline Wuychuk purchased and operated the business until the winter of 1970. At that time Calgarians, Pat and Bruce Morisset were asked by a local resident if they would
be interested in purchasing the store.
Pat, who was originally from Acadia Valley, was easily convinced. The cou-
ple, along with their two sons, moved to Acadia Valley and took over the store in the summer of 1971, renaming it ‘Valley Foods’.
Pat continued to operate the business after Bruce’s death in 1992, with the help of her son David, until 1996 when she decided to retire from the business. On March 1, 1996, Brent Peers purchased ‘Valley Foods’ and renamed the business ‘Brent’s Family Foods’. After the sale, Pat Morisset returned to Calgary.
Brent also grew up in Acadia Valley, and returned after becoming tired of years of city life in Calgary. After operating the business for ten years, he sold it to his brother Bruce and his wife Carmen, who renamed the business ‘The Store’. After a short absence, Brent returned in 2006 to manage the store for his brother, and continued to do so until October 31, 2024. Now the new owner, Jana Kauppinen, has stepped up to serve the grocery needs of the rural community of Acadia Valley. The Store has been operating since 1945, and will celebrate their 80th anniversary in 2025.
Be Brave; Be Bold!
REV. DR. BRADLEY BROADHEAD, Pastor, Oyen Evangelical Missionary Church
If you can think back to your school days, you may recall hearing about something called the Trojan War, fought between the Trojans and the Greeks and written down in verse by the Greek poet Homer. I bring this up because I want you to understand something about how people in the past thought about war. In Homer’s telling, the Greek hero Achilles is the most powerful warrior of all Greeks and Trojans alike. But for the first half of the poem he refuses to fight because of a dispute he has with a Greek king concerning a captured slave girl. However, when his best friend is killed he enters the fray, even though he knows through a prophecy that he will not survive the war if he decides to fight. He fights for glory; he fights for fame; he fights because he delights in displaying his power by killing others.
Let me set before you another example of an ancient warrior: Julius Caesar. You may have been forced to read Shakespeare’s play named after him in high school. Did you know that Caesar, to show how mighty he was, took his legions to conquer Gaul—present day France—and killed about a million of its people and enslaved about a million more? Were the Romans shocked and appalled at his murderous rampage and his oppression of the indigenous inhabitants of Gaul? Not exactly. They gave him a triumph in which he paraded through the streets of Rome with the captives and plunder he took in this campaign in his train. Do you get the picture? Now let me quote to you from a work of fiction written by a British veteran of the First World War: “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”[1] Which view of being a warrior do you prefer? What view of being a soldier do you think the
VETERAN BANNERS ON DISPLAY AT THE LEGION: from left, Chester Earl Tupper, Henry Olsen, Theodore (Ted) Jones, Patrick (Jack) Beauchamp, Bernie Pershing Bale, Cpl. Arthur Berg Sr., Erling Berg, Gordon Berg, SGM W.A. (Bill) Mills, LCpl Jan (John) Dziuba, Cpl. Franciszek Dumanowski, Sgt. Charles Douglas Bedwell, Albert Carl Rugsven, F.W. (Jack) Beauchamp, Frederick Ernest Trewin and Silas Edward Trewin. More banners are on order. Anyone interested in ordering a vinyl banner in memory of a family veteran should contact Art Berg 403-664-0773.
PHOTO BY DIANA WALKER
men and women that we remember on this day would have taken?
Something changed between the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans and the founding of our nation. When we talk about our veterans and those who fell in the defense of our country, we don’t view them as great because they were conquerors who took from others what they were too weak to hold. No, we talk about their sacrifices and the freedoms that they restored to others and maintained for their own country. We honour their willingness to lay down their lives for others rather than winning glory and fame for the slaughter of their enemies.
Have you ever wondered why so many graves of the fallen are marked by crosses? In ancient Rome the cross was a symbol of horror and oppression. Stripping someone and nailing them to a cross was a horrible way of torturing them to death in the slowest and most shameful way imaginable. It was a way of terrorizing the conquered into submission. Everyone who saw the cross would cower in terror before the might of Rome. Today it means something quite different. Christians believe that the death of Jesus on a Roman cross nearly two thousand years ago was a sacrificial death that conquered the dark forces in the world and made it possible for people to be freed from the darkness in their own hearts and to be right with God. Whether you share this belief or not, the cross is no longer a symbol of terror, but of the ultimate sacrifice made in love for others.
in the slaughter of their enemies and of taking what belongs to others by force. Russia continues its war of conquest against Ukraine; China threatens to conquer Taiwan. Not long ago, on Canadian streets we saw people burn a Canadian flag and heard people chant, “death to Canada, death to the United States, and death to Israel.”[2] Without question, we have enemies that wish us harm.
We can also be our own enemy. When we allow ourselves to get caught up in politics to the point where we let it poison our relationships with one another, we show that we value politics over people. When we lose our sense of identity as Canadians and instead decide to fight only for our own tribe—our own ethnic or social group, our own gender or minority status, our own religious or non-religious background, or what have you, we become suspicious and mistrustful of one another and our nation is weakened as a result. When we fail to exercise our freedom to speak the truth because we are afraid of what others might think or do, we betray what our forbearers fought and died for.
A tax refund is just a missed opportunity A large refund means you’ve been overpaying your taxes throughout the year. I can show you steps to minimize income taxes and keep more of what you earn.
“Having investments” isn’t the same thing as financial planning. We believe a real financial plan adapts and grows alongside your life - and includes investments, tax opportunities, estate and legacy planning, and more. Do you agree? Let’s talk.
CRAIG PAETZ CFP, B.COMM, Executive Financial Consultant craig.paetz@igpwm.ca 403-664-8311
craig.paetz@investorsgroup.com (403) 664-8311
STEVEN PAETZ CFP, B.Mgt. Associate Consultant steven.paetz@investorsgroup.com (403) 664-9494
(403) 664-9494
Our nation was founded by and fought for people who were shaped by this belief. It is not self-evident that the strong should care for the weak rather than taking advantage of them. Not all cultures share the Judeo-Christian belief that every human being is of infinite value because they are created in the image of God. These are things that our forbearers believed were true, not on the basis of scientific evidence—science cannot give us reasons why human life is valuable—but on the ground that God had revealed these truths to them through his Word. Whether you are a Christian or not, Christian assumptions about the intrinsic value of human life, the idea of defending the weak and oppressed, and the idea of placing loving self-sacrifice above the pursuit of glory are your heritage as Canadians.
You and I enjoy the good things we do today because men and women lovingly made the sacrifices that were necessary to preserve them. We enjoy freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom in choosing our beliefs, freedom to choose our own leaders because our forbearers fought for these freedoms. They valued the well-being of others and of future generations more than their own lives. They had the courage to fight—not to take away from others what they were too weak to hold— but to defend what they loved at home and those being oppressed abroad. They acted not according to the lust for conquest and glory of Achilles or Julius Caesar, but according to the pattern of love and self-sacrifice modeled by Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, their sacrifice cannot preserve these good things forever. In our world are people and nations who glory
The time has come to ask ourselves if we will hold to the values that have been courageously fought for and handed down to us, whether we will choose a different path, or whether through cowardice or carelessness we let them slip away. I for one, believe that all human life—in whatever colour, in whatever shape— is valuable, that self-sacrifice is nobler than seeking my own glory, and that truth and freedom are worth fighting for. I believe that when people in our country have acted according to these beliefs, it has made our country a stronger and a better place. And where these beliefs have been denied or downplayed, our country has been the worse for it.
My foundation for these beliefs is my own faith; following Jesus means being willing to love and to sacrifice myself for others, as he did. You may not share my faith. If you don’t, can you find something in your own faith tradition, or lack thereof, that will enable you to value all human life, whatever it might look like? Can you find something that will make you care enough about truth and freedom that you are willing to give up something so that others can hold on to them? What is your foundation? What deep conviction can you draw upon when the chips are down and someone needs to step up? Is there a hill you are willing to die on, or are you willing to trade anything and everything for your own safety and comfort? This is a good day to ask such questions of ourselves.
If we cannot bring ourselves to give up anything to keep the values and freedoms passed on to us, if we seek our own comfort and prosperity above the good of the coming generation, then we will not be able to take up the quarrel against the foe—against enemies on the outside and the enemy within. When telling the truth means losing something, we will swallow a lie. When someone devalues the lives of a certain group of people, and calls for their destruction, we will not be able to resist. The Achilles and the Julius Caesars of the world will prevail. Instead of catching the torch thrown from the failing hands of those who have gone before, it will slip from ours, and we will have nothing, no hope to pass to the coming generation. And those who sacrificed for your sake and mine shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.
But, as one biblical author puts it, “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case” (Heb 6:9). Let this not be just a day of Remembrance, but a call to action. True gratitude for what others have sacrificed for our sake should not result merely in a warm feeling or a fading memory, but a commitment to bravely and boldly uphold the values and freedoms that have been passed on to us and to carefully and deliberately pass them on to our children and our children’s children.
Pop89: Inside voice out
BY MADONNA HAMEL
What happened? I asked myself, watching the American election results. How did he get in again? Is it because SO many Americans fear anyone who isn’t heterosexual? Or is the issue that SO many white folks hate anyone with shades of colour or shape of the eye other than their own? Is this all about swarthiness? Or accents? (I mean, apart from the flat “o” s of the Midwest and the twang of the South?)
Do too many Americans worship the video game two-dimensional, Old Testament version of God? The God of White Christian Nationalists who resembles more of a bouncer than an opened-armed creator? Are they frightened of all the intelligent Christians leaving the evangelical tribe in droves because they refuse to stoop to naming anyone who isn’t a member of their tribe an evil demon? Who are determined to continue heeding the counter-cultural voice of that skinny child-refugee rabbi who did not come to make you rich? Who, in fact, preached that in order “to be complete, you must sell everything.”?
Does the election in America again prove that big buckets of money is still the measure of human success? Is the problem that Americans are willing to pledge allegiance to anyone who promises them a shot at obscene wealth despite the sale of one’s soul? According to a dayafter-the-election Associated Press release,” the stock market continued to reach record highs in a post-election bump. Buoyed by Trump’s promises of lower taxes and slashed regulations, certain stocks saw massive gains. Companies and commodities associated with Trump and his campaign performed especially well in the wake of his victory: Musk’s Tesla reached a $1 trillion valuation, and Bitcoin hit a record high as Trump declared he’d make the U.S. the crypto capital of the planet.” Oh, and the surge in Tesla stock has made Musk the first $300 billion man.
Maybe the real problem is “uppity women.” After all,
the last time the president-elect won an election, it was against a woman. And both women had far more qualifications - the most recent having served as an attorney, a district attorney, an attorney general, a senator and a vice president. Is the problem that America is incapable of seeing a woman as its leader? You have to wonder, when a candidate is initially dismissed because of her laugh and her smile. (Have you seen the other guy’s shit-eating mug?)
Come to think of it - how to explain female lawyers who defend men who exploit their positions of power to degrade women? Should we not wonder if they haven’t implicated themselves in their own gender’s exploitation? Hey, ladies, girls and gentlewomen, is it not worth asking ourselves: under what circumstances are we willing to end up becoming self-exploiting - and ultimately self-erasing- bots?
Oh wait, I know the answer to that question: Whatever it takes to get seen- since puberty, we have always wanted the boys to like us. And we will do just about anything to get their attention, which, usually involves pretending. Pretending those heels aren’t painful, pretending that dress isn’t impractical, pretending the boobs aren’t fake. It means going along with absurd and uncomfortable sexual practices perfected and reproduced to a numbing and nullifying degree in porn. It involves spending inordinate amounts of money on goods trying to measure up to increasingly sleazier standards of “beauty” involving lower cleavage, higher hems and longer lashes.
When you consider how often and in how many situations how many smart women “fake it,” perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising they might go along with their men and fake their presidential pick as well. When men and women overlook demeaning and disturbing references to women’s private parts, weight, face, and voice, you have to wonder how deep the internalized sexism goes.
I mean, how many women don’t know about the Access Hollywood video wherein the next president of the
Oyen and District Seniors Report
BY BETH SYKES
Thirteen people came to the Seniors Recreation Centre on November 6 for a delicious potluck supper. Two more people came to attend the meeting, which Lynda called to order at 6:55PM. Jessie won the $28.50 50/50 draw. That draw was followed by reviewing the minutes for the October 2 meeting and the financial statement for the month of October. The grant re-
United States bragged that if he finds a woman attractive (who cares if the feeling isn’t mutual), he “dives in.” “I don’t even wait”, he claims. Because “when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Just for the record: Any woman who says she likes it when men - rich and famous men, that is - introduce themselves by grabbing them by the crotch she is, a) once again, faking it. Or b) so devoid of self-awareness and esteem that she is willing to convince herself that the gesture is a measure of her lovability and worth. (And, of course, her sexiness, which in our consumer culture is the same as worth.)
It seems every American, whether a politician, celebrity, professor, journalist, labourer, bus driver, teacher, parking attendant, preacher, and even the homeless guy sleeping under cardboard on a park bench, seems to believe that America is “the greatest nation on earth.” And not in the way that citizens in other countries feel proud of the place they live, but in a kind of manically grinning, fist-pumping, don’t-you-forget-it-bub kind of way. In the same way, consumers at Christmas squeal when they get their mitts on the latest iPhone, X-box and Cabbage Patch doll. So maybe America got what it voted for - a reminder of its particular band of greatness.
Whatever the reason, the result would be different if there was no such thing as social media, which gives everyone an opportunity to speculate and comment on every little and big concern in the world. To give an opinion, whether informed or not. It gave the “inside voice” an outside voice. It gave cowards a platform to spew cruel, malicious attacks and make chilling and terrifying threats without fear of recourse because they’ve become banal. America’s new leader leads in the art of using his most inflammatory, reactionary inside voice on a public platform. And America just gave him the podium.
18th
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ceived from the Special Areas was noted.
The New Horizons grant was further discussed as part of the Old Business. Some of this grant remains after some beautification work has been done outside the building during the summer and fall. Some remaining monies will be spent on purchasing plants outside the building in the spring. Further discussion indicated that the consensus was to use the balance of the grant money to replace bulbs needed to improve the lighting inside the building.
Cheryl reported that her first crafting day on October 2 was a success. Six people attended for the full day to sew, knit, and cross stitch as they socialized. Three more ladies came in the afternoon to work on centrepieces for the Christmas supper. Many people stayed for lunch, and four attending brought memberships. Cheryl presented her crafting schedule for the next several months: November 19 & 26, December 10
and in the new year, January 21 & 28 and February 18 &2 5. The days begin at 10:00 and go to 4:00. For members, there is no charge, and for non-members, the cost for the day is $5.00. Please bring your own lunch if you
intend to stay for the day.
The organization details were arranged for the upcoming Christmas party on December 4, 2024. Jessie reported that ticket sales were going very well, and since then, Jessie has reported to me that all the tickets have been sold for this event.
The Recreation Centre continues to be used for Pickle Ball on Thursday evenings and Floor Curling on Wednesday afternoons. Curling will continue for November but will stop in December. The first Floor Curling day in the new year will be January 8.
The next Fun Night will be held on November 29.
After discussion, it was decided to move the Annual Meeting from January 8, 2025, to the October meeting in 2025.
There will just be a regular meeting in January on January 8, 2025.
Lorraine brought copies of the updated work that has been done on the By-Laws.
She requested that everyone take a copy home to read before the next meeting on January 8, paying special attention to the definition of an active member.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00.
Thursday sees busiest day at the lodge for residents
BY DIANNE SPATH
Hello, everyone. Good ol’ Jack Frost has been around this past week. The days sure have been nice, but the temperature is going to change and get cooler. Christmas decorating has begun at the Lodge.
Monday was Remembrance Day, there were no activities and no office staff.
Tuesday was regular bus runs downtown, followed by one-on-one scrabble games. Tuesday afternoon was pub day. Late afternoon, Taylor Neilson played the piano. Wednesday morning was Church with Brad, fol-
lowed by exercises. Mid-morning, there were crossword games. Wednesday afternoon was shuffleboard games. Thursday morning was a one-on-one baking with a resident. Thursday morning ATB Financial was at the Lodge to serve the residents with their banking needs. There was also a RSV clinic Thursday morning for the residents to receive their vaccinations. Thursday afternoon, Andrea from Big Country Adult Learning entertained the residents with some trivia games.
Friday morning started with exercises, followed by horse races. Friday afternoon was bingo games. Have a wonderful week everyone.
Stodalka, Ronald B. Baba, Marilyn A. Herrmann, Bryce R. Farrell, Darren E. Folkersen, Ashley D. Herrmann, Mario M. Mudri, Mikala
OYEN LODGE REPORT
A Crossroads Museum Story
BY BERNIE KREWSKI
Why do we bother having museums? They require thousands of hours of volunteer labour, and their funding is often precarious. When was the last time you were in one or donated an item that would be of interest to others?
The internationally accepted definition of a museum, as documented in The Canadian Encyclopedia, is a “non-profiting permanent institution in the service of society, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for the purpose of study and enjoyment.” There are many kinds of museums, but to be a museum, it must have organized collections. From these, visitors can learn about various cultures and their evolution from earlier times. Most museums are operated by groups of dedicated citizens interested in preserving and making available evidence of the past. Museums, I find, also tell interesting stories!
Pat Siferd, my esteemed research-partner whose studies includes the function of museums, describes the differences between “objects,” “things,” and “artifacts.” An “object” is something made by humans and used as it is intended – a hammer is an example. A
“thing” is an object that no longer serves for which it was designed, like a book acting as a doorstop. An “artifact” can be an object or a thing but for various reasons is given special meaning or perceived as historically significant.
This museum story began with the question: “Who was the magistrate in Oyen about 1920? He was also the Anglican minister.”
It arose recently when Lorraine Guckert and her volunteer colleagues at the Crossroads Museum and Archives received a donation of objects from a family in Alberta illustrated in this photo. It consisted of a wedding dress sash, bride’s shoes, headpiece and invitation. The latter was from Mr. & Mrs. Gerard S. Peck inviting guests to attend a wedding dance April 11 at the Masonic Hall in honour of David and Edith Peck. The donors believed the wedding occurred about 1920 and involved an Anglican priest who was also a police magistrate.
What would be notable, historically, about such a wedding a century ago?
There were at least fifteen weddings reported in The Oyen News in 1919 involving residents of this district!
Here is “evidence from the past” that sheds a few lights on this momentous wedding.
It occurred on April 11, 1929, not 1920
All Saints Anglican Church when it was located on Main Street, Oyen.
or thereabouts, as reported in The Oyen News April 17 - “Wedding: Peck - Balaam.”
The wedding of Miss Edith Balaam, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Balaam of Oyen, and Mr. David A. Peck, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard S. Peck of Oyen, was solemnized in All Saints Church on Thursday afternoon, April 11, at 2 o’clock, Rev. F.S. Smith officiating.
The bride, given away by her father, was attended by her cousin, Miss Dorothy Fisher of Calgary, while the groom was supported by his brother, Mr. Oswald Peck.
Following the wedding ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. George Balaam, the bride’s parents, were hosts at a reception held in honour of the bridal couple at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard S. Peck on Second Avenue. Here, the many beautiful wedding gifts were viewed by about sixty guests who were present to offer congratulations.
In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. G.S. Peck were hosts at a dance held in the Masonic Hall, about one hundred and thirty guests being present at the function which was a delightful affair.
Wedding dress sash, bride’s shoes, headpiece and invitation.
During the supper interval, the groom made a neat response to the toast “To the Bride and Groom,” proposed by Mr. Ray C. Anderson.
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Peck left the following morning on a motor trip to Calgary, Banff and other mountain resorts.
The good wishes of the entire community go with this popular young couple for their future happiness.
All Saints Church, as older folks will remember, was then located at the south end of Main Street now the parking lot on the south side of Lijdsman Insurance.
There is no history of the Peck family in Many Trails Crossed Here. The only reference is in the “Raddatz and Balaam” histories (vol. 1, pp. 117-118) indicating “Edith Ballaam (Mrs. David Peck) is on a farm near Lacombe.”
That gap in the history of Oyen will be addressed in the next issue of The Echo as well as other historical trails stemming from this wedding.
24113RA0
Bernie Krewski
The Chamber is Celebrating the Christmas Season!
BY CHARMAIN SNELL, Secretary/Treasurer Oyen & District Chamber of Commerce
The Oyen & District Chamber of Commerce will be making space available in the FCSS Youth or the Schindel Agencies buildings for any home-based business that would like to set up a pop-
up shop downtown during the three late night shopping days during the Christmas Season. If you are interested, call or text Charmain at 403-664-1404. There is no cost to book a table but we would kindly ask for a donation to the Local Food Bank. Space is limited so book early. Hours of Operation: December 5, 12, and 19 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Passport to Christmas is Back!
The Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Passport to Christmas program again this year! Look for your passport starting December 2, 2024, in all local downtown member businesses.
Each time you shop at a local participating business get your passport signed. Once you have filled your passport, drop it into one of our draw barrels for a chance to win some great prizes. Draws will be made every Friday in December and the Grand Prize will be made on December 24, 2024.
New This Year: Light Up Oyen!
At the bottom of your passport there is space to nominate the best lighting display at local homes or businesses! The top three nominees will receive up to $150 in Chamber Bucks.
Special events on Thursdays
Each Thursday in December the Chamber will be hosting events that we hope will encourage everyone to come downtown and celebrate the Christmas
Season.
December 5 – We are going to light up the Clock Tower Park. There will be hotdogs and hot chocolate to share; and everyone is welcome to join us to go caroling downtown, at the hospital, the long-term care centre, and the Oyen Seniors Lodge.
Mactavish & Company
December 12 – Join us downtown for a Hometown Holiday Party! There will be Christmas music to entertain, a parade of lights for everyone to see, holiday specials at all your downtown businesses, and hot chocolate and cookies at the park to warm the heart!
403-528-4995 523c North Railway St SE, Medicine Hat, AB tmactavish@mactavishco.ca • www.mactavishco.ca
Terry Lynne Mactavish
December 19 – Santa Claus is coming to Town! Come join us downtown at the FCSS Youth Centre and get your photo with Santa (we kindly ask for a toy donation to the Big Country Hospital or a food donation to the Local Food Bank).
Booknotes
FICTION:
All’s Fair in Love and Treachery / by: Celeste Connally
The Courting of Bristol Keats / by: Mary E. Pearson
Deadly Animals : A Novel / by: Marie Tierney
The Favorite Girl / by: Monica Arya Lights Out : An Into Darkness Novel / by: Navessa Allen
Lost and Lassoed / by: Lyla Sage
The Pumkin Spice Cafe / by: Laurie Gilmore
JUVENILE FICTION:
Tales from a Not So Bratty Little Sister / by: Rachel Renele Russell
CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
Christmas Jingle and Find / by: Holly Berry-Byrd Duck, Duck, Goose! / by: John Hare
The Light of Home / by: Diana Farid
You Are Not Sleepy / by: Mark Teague
L.R. Webb
Chartered Professional Accountant will be in Oyen at the Oyen Liquor Mart NOVEMBER 20 11:00 AM-3:00 PM
Please call 403-854-4045 to book your appointment.
NON-FICTION: Monstrous Mammals / by: Jerry Pallotta
PERIODICALS: People Magazine Popular Mechanics Hello! Canada
SERVICE OPTIONS:
The library is currently open as usual, but we have added a curbside service option as well. If you prefer to pick up materials this way, please call ahead or email to let us know which day to put them out. If you are unable to come out to the library due to physical conditions we can do deliveries within the town limits. Please just give us a call at the number listed below.
Dayna Wilson, Library Manager
Library Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 12-5; Tuesdays 2-7 403-664-3644 ext. 2 aoymlibrary@oyenlibrary. ca www.oyenlibrary.ca www.facebook.com/OyenLibrary
Alberta signs onto U.S. energy pact
Premier Danielle Smith has joined the Governors’ Coalition for Energy Security to further support advocacy of Alberta’s energy and environmental interests with key U.S. states.
The coalition was established in September 2024 by U.S. State governors Jeff Landry (Louisiana) and Chris Sununu (New Hampshire) with the aim of ensuring energy security, lower energy costs, increased reliability, sustainable economic development and sensible management of energy resources and the environment. With 12 U.S. states already signatories to the coalition, Alberta is the first non-U.S. state to enter into this agreement.
By expanding energy ties with the U.S. and promoting cross-border energy trade and participation, Alberta is helping to build upon its North American Energy strategy. Alberta already accounts for 56 per cent of all oil imports to the U.S. – twice as much as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined – which is helping to drive job creation and prosperity on both sides of the border. Natural gas also plays an important role in North America’s energy mix. Alberta is the largest producer of natural gas in Canada and remains positioned to support the U.S. in filling their domestic supply gaps.
“I am honoured to join the Governors’ Coalition for Energy Security and would like to extend my sincere thanks to governors Landry and Sununu for the invitation. Alberta plays a vital role in North American energy security, serving as the largest supplier of crude oil and natural gas to the United States. With 200 billion barrels of recoverable oil, 200 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, significant natural gas liquids and ample pore space for carbon capture, Alberta’s contribution is set to grow even further as we look to work with the Trump Administration and other U.S. partners to increase our pipeline capacity to our greatest friend and ally, the United States. We are proud to collaborate with
this coalition of allied states in advancing energy security, reliability and affordability for Americans and Canadians.”
Danielle Smith, Premier
“Our mission as an organization has not changed but Alberta’s welcome arrival to our group sparked a conversation about what our core mission is, and that is ensuring energy security in all its forms. Our members all share the common goal of enhancing and protecting energy options for our people and businesses, which leads to lower energy costs, increased reliability, sustainable economic development and wise management of energy resources and the environment. I welcome Premier Smith and the insights she will bring as the leader from a fellow energy-producing province, that like my state, is under a federal system of government where national imperatives are not always aligned with state or provincial interests.”
Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana
Alberta is a global leader in emissions reduction technology and clean energy solutions. The province has captured about 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through carbon capture, utilization and storage technology, and has the ability to support the U.S. in developing new infrastructure and supply chains for future energy markets in the areas of hydrogen, renewables, small modular reactors and others.
Alberta is also unlocking its untapped geological potential to help meet the increasing demand for minerals – many of which are used worldwide to manufacture batteries, cell phones, energy storage cells and other products. This includes the province’s lithium sector where Alberta’s government is supporting several innovative projects to develop new ways to extract and concentrate lithium faster and with higher recovery rates that are less capital and energy intensive and have a smaller land-use footprint.
Acadia Municipal Library news
BY TRICIA FISCHBUCH
Last week we updated the audiobook shelves with 40 new additions. Come take a look!
Christmas is around the corner and we are putting our Christmas books on display. Find a good read to help put you in the Christmas spirit. Bring the kids by after school on Wednesday No-
Classifieds
Estate of MURIEL ROSE SLETTON, who died August 10, 2024.
If you have a claim against this estate, you must file your claim by December 19, 2024 with Carla Dawn Hogan Box 295 Youngstown, AB T0J 3P0 and provide details of your claim. If you do not file by the above date, the estate assets can be distributed without regard to any claim you may have.
COMING EVENTS
1-800-694-2609, Email Us at sales@switzersauction. com or Visit Us @ www. switzersauction.com. Commercial Property
BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classified ad. Only $269/wk (based on 25 words or less). Reach almost 80 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details. 1-800-2826903 ; www.awna.com; email classifieds@awna.com.
EMPLOYMENT WANTED
FIREARMS WANTED FOR OUR 2024 AUCTION PROGRAM: Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Antiques, Militaria, Collections, Estates, Single Items. For Auction, or Possible Purchase: Toll-Free
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 $799 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
vember 20th to write letters to Santa! Come in anytime between 3:30 and 6:00.
The library is having another book sale. Browse the table for some great deals on adult fiction (and a few movies).
Remember to stop in to register for/renew your library membership and enter the library draw. Last day to enter is Thursday November 28.
CLASSIFIED AD RATES (20 words or less). $10.00 plus GST. Additional words are 20¢ each. Deadline is Friday noon. 306-463-2211
information. KEEP people in the loop with our 80 Weekly Community Newspapers. Call THIS NEWSPAPER now or email classifieds@awna. com for details. 1-800-2826903, 780-434-8746 www. awna.com.
FEED AND SEED
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. 1-888483-8789.
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. 1-800-3472540. www.accesslegalmjf. com.
PRIVATE MORTGAGE
LENDER. All real estate types considered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228; www. firstandsecondmortgages.ca.
WANTED
CASH FOR COIN COLLECTIONS & COIN ACCUMULATION’S! Also
buying all Gold, Silver, Old Jewelry, Nuggets, Sterling, Bullion, Ingots, Royal Canadian Mint Coins, Rare Coins +, Todd 780-504-7995. PUBLISHER’S APPROVAL Employment Opportunities SOUTHERN ALBERTA NEWSPAPER GROUP is looking for Mailroom evening staff. Lots of room for advancement within the company. Email rturner@ abnewsgroup.com for more information.
