By Joan Janzen
together at the museum
Kindersley & District Plains Museum was filled with the sound of music Tuesday evening, August 22nd. More than a dozen musicians strolled through the doors for another jam session at the museum. They all hauled in their instruments and equipment and began setting up on the stage like a well oiled machine.
Musicians of all ages were in attendance, all happily making music together. A small audience listened intently to Generation Z accompany Baby Boomer musicians, performing tunes they were likely hearing for the very first time. And the more senior musicians in the group strummed along with songs Generation Z were playing.
An obvious passion for music was melding the generations together while musicians honed their skills and provided entertainment for those who were listening. The audience included a three-year-old (Generation Alpha) who insisted her mom bring her to the museum to listen to the music.
EATONIA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21
• Eatonia Library Board presents: Murder Mystery Roast Beef Dinner. 19+ event. SAVE THE DATE!
ESTON
NOVEMBER 18
• MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Prairie West Historical Society’s annual Christmas in November.
* Wheatland Centre Potluck Supper fourth Friday of each month 6:00 PM. $5.00. Bring your own utensils. Coffee & tea provided.
* Wheatland Centre Bingo - 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month 7:00 PM. Regular Bingo plus Bonanza, 50/50 Draw. Must be 14 years of age. Call 306-962-7117 (ask for Linda) for more info.
* BBQ Saturdays at Eston Museum until August 26. On BBQ Saturdays at the Museum, there will be 6 Marketplace tables available for use. No charge. Contact Shari at 306-4308730 for details.
HOOSIER
SUNDAY SERVICE
• Hoosier Community Church 10:30 am at the Community Hall. Contact Joel Hamm 306-4607056 or Curtis Kornelson 306-460-7327.
KERROBERT
* Storytime at the Kerrobert Library the first and third Thursday of every month at 10:30 AM. * Anne Nordstrom “Africa and Abstracts” A collection of acrylic paintings influenced by the colour and light of Africa 7:00 PM at the Kerrobert Courtroom Gallery. Exhibition runs until August 31.
KINDERSLEY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
• Kindersley Library Branch: Teen Zone Bad Art Night
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
• Hobby Stock, Street Stock, Stock Trucks and Legends 7:00 PM at Flatlanders Speedway.
Admission: $10
• Kindersley Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament. Registration at 10:00 AM, Tee Off at 11:00 AM. 18 holes. Teams of 4. Best Ball format.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
• Hobby Stock, Street Stock, Stock Trucks and Legends 2:00 PM at Flatlanders Speedway. Admission: $10
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at the Kindersley Health Centre (1003 First Street West) *Boardroom* 10 AM - 1 PM. Walk-ins and booked appointments available. Call 1-833-SASKVAX (727-5829) or Book Online saskatchewan.ca/ COVID19
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30
• Welcome Back BBQ & Meet the Teacher at Westberry Elementary School 5:00 PM. $5 Hamburger, Chips & Pop. BBQ by Kindersley Klippers. Drop off your school supplies.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
• Music Trivia Night 7:00 PM. $10 at the door. Teams of 6 or less. Norman Ritchie Centre.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
• PDRA Touring Series (Hobby, Street, Mod.), Legends Touring Series, Stock Truck at Flatlanders Speedway 3:00 PM. Admission $10.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
• PDRA Touring Series (Hobby, Street, Mod.), Legends Touring Series, Stock Truck at Flatlanders Speedway 1:00 PM. Admission $10.
SEPTEMBER 21-24
• Goose Festival Days!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
• Donations wanted for United Church Garage Sale. Open 9:00 to 4:00. No clothes please. Can bring items anytime over summer. Arrange drop-off with Church Office or Mary. For more information: 306-463-6508 or 306-4637450.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17
• Kindersley and District Arts Council presents Kinjo & Young at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre.
* Parkinson’s Support Group Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month 2:00
PM at the Kindersley Hospital. Everyone is welcome! For more info call Nancy at 306-4634514.
* Monday Night Jam Sessions at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre. Doors open at 6:30 to set-up, then the fun begins at 7-11 PM. Call Keith 306-460-8633.
* Interested in a support group for weight management? TOPS meetings; every Monday at 6:00 PM in the Kindersley Senior Centre OR contact Jill at 306-463-4210.
* PickleBall is at the outdoor court next to the West Central Events Centre every Monday & Wednesday 6:30 PM. $50 per season or $5 drop in. More info call 306-460-8356.
LIEBENTHAL
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
• 2nd Annual Bavarian German Supper at the Liebenthal Hall. Advance tickets only. Adults $20. Under 12 - $10. Call Cheryl 306-6627368, Joan 306-661-8075, Gerald 306-6287677.
LUSELAND
• The Luseland and Districts Museum is open this summer every Saturday from 1:30 to 4:00 and Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00. Stop in to explore our museum and check out our exciting new displays including aerial views of Luseland from 1910 to the present and the history of country schools.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
• Luseland Harvest Festival! Music, Food, Games. Activities start at 9:00 AM.
MAJOR
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
• Major’s Annual Hands at Work Fall Supper from 5:00 - 6:30 PM.
SMILEY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
• Smiley Fowl Supper
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27
• Smiley Ladies Fashion Show
• Pre-planning • Monuments • Grief Support • Only crematorium in the west-central area
801 - 9th Street West 306-463-2659
kcfh@sasktel.net
Q:Is it true they’re doing a new “Snow White” movie like they did with “The Little Mermaid”? When will it be released?
— A.J.
A:Yes,
Disney is planning a live action remake of the 1937 animated classic “Snow White.” It’ll be a musical, starring Rachel Zegler as the title character and Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) as the Evil Queen.
Fury
For those unfamiliar with the name Rachel Zegler, she was a high school student who auditioned for the lead role of Maria in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of another classic “West Side Story.” She’s since moved to Hollywood and starred opposite Zachary Levi in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” She’s also featured in the upcoming film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
The “Snow White” screenplay was written by Greta Gerwig, director of the billion-dollar blockbuster film “Barbie,” and Erin Cressida Wilson (“The Girl on the Train”). Barring any delays, the film is set to hit theaters in March 2024.
Q:Is “Virgin River” returning anytime soon with new episodes? I hope it didn’t get canceled. — K.F.
A:Season
five of the beloved Netflix series “Virgin River” will premiere on Sept. 7. According to TVLine.com, Mel’s (Alexandra Breckenridge) high-risk pregnancy causes her to “rethink her future at the clinic, while Jack’s [Martin Henderson] new glamping venture is sure to suffer as a dangerous wildfire hits the town.” Also, don’t forget — they still have a wedding to plan.
Joining the cast this season as a “mystery woman” is Kandyse McClure (“Battlestar Galactica”). Returning cast members include Annette O’Toole as Hope and Tim Matheson as Doc, the latter of whom has been facing health challenges due to his degenerative condition. Expect bigger stories from Preacher (Colin Lawrence), Brie (Zibby Allen) and Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth), as all three of their portrayers have been moved up to series regulars. Lexa Doig, who plays Paige, and Barbara Pollard, who plays Melissa, have both been bumped down to a recurring status.
Even though Ricky (Grayson Gurnsey) is off at basic training, he will be back at some point, hopefully before the end of the upcoming season. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith told TVLine in 2022 that the character is a “fan favorite” and “everybody loves him.” ***
Q:
What is the latest regarding the tragedy on the set of Alec Baldwin’s movie “Rust?” Is anybody going to prison for what happened to the poor woman who died? — N.B.
A:Alec Baldwin, who was both the producer and star of the movie “Rust,” learned in January that the charges of involuntary manslaughter against him had been dropped. Prosecutors, however, have stated that Baldwin could still face charges pending further investigation. The film set’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is set to go on trial in December for the same charges Baldwin faced, as well as a charge of tampering with evidence. She has pleaded not guilty. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a prop gun carrying live rounds was fired by Baldwin on set. “Rust” director, Joel Souza, was injured in the shooting, but survived.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. © 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
1. MOVIES: In which U.S. state does the movie “Field of Dreams” take place?
2. FOOD & DRINK: What is sauerkraut?
3. ACRONYMS: What phrase does the acronym GPS stand for?
4. GEOGRAPHY: The country of Guyana lies on which continent?
5. TELEVISION: What is the pub where characters in “The Office” gather after work?
6. SCIENCE: How many karats are in pure gold?
7. PSYCHOLOGY: What is the fear represented by autophobia?
8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: How big is a newborn kangaroo?
9. AD SLOGANS: What product is advertised as “the snack that smiles back”?
10. LITERATURE: Who wrote “The Canterbury Tales”?
Answers
1. Iowa.
2. Pickled cabbage.
3. Global positioning system.
4. South America.
5. Poor Richard’s.
6. 24.
7. Fear of being alone.
8. About 1 inch or less.
9. Goldfish.
10. Geoffrey Chaucer. © 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
By Lucie Winborne
• A microwaved baseball will fly much farther than a frozen one, as warmer balls weigh less and move faster due to less air resistance.
• Each strand of a human hair can contain traces of 14 elements, including gold.
• During a period in his artistic career, Pablo Picasso primarily used shades of blue in his paintings, reflecting his melancholic state at the time.
• It’s not just humans who use “baby talk” with their offspring: Mother bottlenose dolphins have been observed altering their whistle pitch and range when communicating with their calves.
• Hawaii had no mosquitoes until the 19th century, when they were accidentally introduced by trading ships.
• A law student at Spain’s University of Malaga once etched tiny notes into the sides of blue Bic pens before taking an exam. While points could perhaps be awarded for the learner’s creativity, it also resulted in a repeat of their entire academic year.
• The world record for nonstop video gaming — 138 hours and 34 seconds — was set by Carrie Swidecki in 2015, when she beat her own previous world record.
• Hamburger University, established by McDonald’s to train restaurant managers and owner-operators, has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard University and awards its graduates a Hamburgerology degree.
• A Eulachon’s flesh is so oily that this
tarnes.electric@sasktel.net
EMAIL: operations@gpefluids.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley,
Twice last week, SaskEnergy set new daily natural gas usage records, and we can thank Alberta for most of our supply
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK brian.zinchuk@pipelineonline.ca
Not only was Saskatchewan setting electrical consumption records during the cold snap of last week of December, we also set two consecutive natural gas consumption records, too.
SASKATOON – Small modular reactors (SMRs) could cost Saskatchewan up to $3 to $5 billion a piece, and SaskPower is planning on four of them, largely driven by federal regulations to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. On Saturday, Aug. 20, that same federal government coughed up some money for the development of those reactors – a total of $74 million.
The announcement was made by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan’s Sylvia Fedoruk Centre for Nuclear Innovation.
According to SaskEnergy in a Dec. 31 release, “Extreme cold weather across Saskatchewan this week resulted in record-breaking natural gas demand in the province. On December 28 and 29, natural gas consumption surpassed the previous daily record of 1.57 petajoules (PJ) which was set in February 2021.
“A new daily record of 1.62 PJ was set on December 28 and broken again on December 29 with total system delivery of 1.64 PJ. Delivery numbers for December 30 and 31 are not yet finalized, but are also expected to exceed 1.6 PJ.”
The press release stated, “This funding will support pre-engineering work and technical studies, environmental assessments, regulatory studies and community and Indigenous engagement to help advance this important project. SaskPower has selected the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 for potential deployment in Saskatchewan in the mid-2030s, subject to a decision to build that is expected in 2029.
The natural gas records coincided with record power consumption. On Dec. 29, SaskPower set another record in power consumption for Saskatchewan. At 5:27 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2021, Saskatchewan homes and businesses reached 3,868 megawatts (MW) in power use, according to the Crown corporation. The previous record of 3,792 MW was reached four years ago to the day, on Dec. 29, 2017.
“SMRs, a non-emitting form of energy, can play an important role in decarbonizing provincial electricity grids and heavy-emitting industries and can help remote communities reduce their reliance on costly and high-polluting diesel power. As an example, a 300-megawatt SMR can supply enough non-emitting power for an estimated 300,000 homes.
Saskatchewan’s power production has increasingly shifted from coal to natural gas as a fuel source. In December, Boundary Dam Unit 4, a coal-fired generating unit, was retired, reducing the Boundary Dam Power Station to 672 megawatts capacity. On the natural gas side, Saskatchewan has seen the construction of several new natural gas-fired power plants. They include the baseload North Battleford Power Station (289 megawatts), Yellowhead Power Station peaking plant (also at North Battleford, 135 megawatts), the baseload Chinook Power Station at Swift Current (353 megawatts) and peaking plant Spy Hill Power Station (89 megawatts). Another 353 megawatt baseload
The release added, “Advancing new non-emitting electricity infrastructure projects is part of the government’s comprehensive approach to bringing clean, affordable and reliable power to every region of Canada, as outlined in Powering Canada Forward and in the draft Clean Electricity Regulations. The Government of Canada has committed over $40 billion in new federal measures to help provinces and has announced over $500 million to date in support of a variety of projects that are helping to build a clean, affordable and reliable grid in Saskatchewan specifically.
“The shift to a non-emitting, affordable and reliable electricity grid across Canada by 2035 is a nation-building project that requires significant investments, thoughtful regulations and our fullest collaboration. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to achieving a clean electricity system for the benefit of all Canadians. With a thoughtful, comprehensive and collaborative approach, we can ensure that every region of Canada thrives in the global race to fight climate change and seizes the
economic opportunities of a low-carbon future.”
How many reactors will we actually need?
plant, very similar to Chinook, is under construction at Moose Jaw.
All of this added natural gas-fired power generation has, in turn, driven higher usage of natural gas during times of high electrical consumption.
The Crown noted that increased demand from SaskEnergy’s industrial customers, including natural gas use for power production, was the main driver of this week’s record-setting consumption.
SaskEnergy said it measures daily natural gas consumption for the 24-hour period from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. A PJ is a unit of measurement equivalent to one million gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas. An average Saskatchewan home consumes about 100 GJ of natural gas each year.
Based on SaskPower Minister Don Morgan’s high estimate of those four reactors, whose total output would be 1,200 megawatts, the cost could be $20 billion – half of the federal government’s commitment is for the entire nation. But the draft Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) would mean the elimination of the remaining 1,389 megawatts of coal-fired power. SaskPower has noted even if it met its original design specifications, the Boundary Dam Unit 3 Carbon Capture and Storage project would still be emitting nearly five times the carbon dioxide the CER would allow. And the major natural gas generating facilities, at Saskatoon, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, and eventually Lanigan would require carbon capture facilities to be added – of which there has not yet been a commercial scale test done to prove that technology on natural gas-fired power generation. That list does not include major co-generation facilities at the Lloydminster Upgrader or Cory potash mine, which are of similar scale.
“SaskEnergy’s natural gas system design can accommodate additional capacity to manage increased consumption even on peak days,” SaskEnergy president and CEO Ken From said in a release. “Throughout the year, SaskEnergy employees inspect, maintain and enhance the system to support safe and reliable natural gas delivery in all weather conditions. In addition, employees monitor the system 24 hours a day to ensure sufficient system capacity to meet customer demand across the province.”
This province is now largely dependent on neighbouring Alberta to fulfill roughly two-thirds of our natural gas needs.
The carbon capture facility on Boundary Dam, all-in, was $1.5 billion, of which roughly $1 billion was for the capture facility, in 2014 dollars. And that was on a 150 megawatt unit, not a 360 megawatt facility like the one being completed at Moose Jaw. (A 2018 study by the International CCS Knowledge Centre suggested future coal-fired carbon capture facilities could basically capture twice the CO2, based on the lessons from BD3.)
When natural gas prices took a tumble roughly 14 years ago, Saskatchewan’s domestic gas production fell off a cliff. Targeted gas drilling went essentially extinct, with next to no gas-specific wells being drilled in this province for most of the past decade. Our domestic gas production is now largely based on associated gas production that comes with oil production. As a result, Saskatchewan went from being a net gas exporter for the period of 1988 to 2009 to a net importer that year.
If carbon capture was not installed on Saskatchewan’s natural gas fleet totalling 2,065 megawatts, it would take an additional seven SMRs of the same design – each 300 megawatts and $3 to $5 billion a piece, to replace the entire existing natural gas fleet, including peaking plants. But the Clean Electricity Regulations, combined with efforts to phase out gasoline and diesel-powered light vehicle sales by 2035, indicate the electrical grid may need to grow by a factor of 2.5x by 2050, compared to the current time. That would mean 4 reactors to replace coal, plus 7 to replace natural gas generation = 11, then multiplied by 2.5 = 27.5 reactors. And if all this came to pass, that could possibly need to be in place 26 years, four months and 21 days from the announcement of the draft Clean Electricity Regulations.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
While those 8,250 megawatts from 27.5 reactors may seem high, it is within the projections of the Clean Electricity Regulations and SaskPower’s posted peak demand of 3910 megawatts on Dec. 30, 2021, a -31 C day where there was little wind and little sun. Indeed, 2.5 x 3,910 megawatts would actually require 9,775 megawatts of power generation. Even if every single dam in Saskatchewan was full and hydro was producing its maximum 865 megawatts, if there was no wind and the sun was down, SaskPower would require the equivalent power of 30 small modular reactors, 26 more than what is currently planned. And that would be with none of them being down for maintenance when demand spikes.
As for wind power generation in such scenario, SaskPower reported zero wind power production for 3 hours and 17 minutes on Aug. 6. Pipeline Online has frequently reported how Alberta’s now 3,853 megawatts of wind generation drops to as low as 2 megawatts at times. And solar goes to zero every night when the sun goes down.
Guilbeault and Wilkinson statements
There was no press release from either the government of Saskatchewan or SaskPower over the weekend regarding this announcement, for which public notification went out mid-afternoon on Friday. The federal press release offered the following quotes:
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, said, “Delivering clean, reliable and affordable electricity will look different in every region of Canada. That is why the Government of Canada is committing up to $74 million to explore the potential for small modular reactors in Saskatchewan to provide abundant non-emitting power, drive economic growth and create good jobs throughout Saskatchewan. With today’s announcement, we are investing in the future of nuclear technology, building on Canada’s decades-long legacy as a responsible global leader in nuclear power, and leveraging Saskatchewan’s world-leading production of uranium to position the province to thrive in a rapidly decarbonizing global economy.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announcing the new social cost. Twitter/Steven Guilbeault
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said, “Saskatchewan has a signif-
icant competitive advantage with an abundance of natural resources to be a leader in the development of clean, affordable and reliable electricity grid. Building a clean electricity grid in Saskatchewan is good for the economy, good for communities and good for the planet. The project announced today is yet another example of how our two levels of government can work together to finance the clean energy projects needed to power Saskatchewan’s thriving economy.”
Getting some carbon tax back
The $74 million actually comes from two federal sources – Up to $50 million for this project has been committed to SaskPower from NRCan’s Electricity Predevelopment Program — a $250-million program to support pre-development activities of clean electricity projects of national significance, such as inter-provincial electricity transmission projects and small modular reactors. “These kinds of projects will be critical for supporting economic development through investments in new infrastructure and the enhanced security and reliability of our clean energy supply. The funding announced today is conditional on the finalization of a Contribution Agreement between NRCan and SaskPower, which is currently underway,” the release said.
And some of that carbon tax money paid at the pump, on power and natural gas bills in Saskatchewan will come back. The release noted, “Additionally, over $24 million for this project has been committed to the Government of Saskatchewan from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Future Electricity Fund. This program returns pollution pricing proceeds to support clean energy projects, energy-efficient technologies and other initiatives that will help Canada meet its climate goals and achieve a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. The fund is intended to help spur innovation and encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies and fuels in Canada — including Saskatchewan’s small modular reactor project.”
The federal press release also took pains to list seven different “recent federal investments in Saskatchewan’s electricity sector,” including $50 million for the Bekevar Wind Power Project. Six of those seven had Indigenous components, either for communities or specific projects.
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK
