Trudeau’s
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK
The Canadian oilpatch, whom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made clear he wanted to phase out, collectively let out cries of rejoicing as the announcement came from Ottawa that Trudeau the Younger was resigning.
Standing on the steps of Rideau Cottage, where he once led daily press conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trudeau announced on Jan. 6 he would be resigning, but staying on as prime minister until a new Liberal leader was chosen. In the meantime, parliament would be prorogued until March 24.
His “sunny ways” turned into a decade of darkness for the Canadian energy industry.
One of his earliest acts as prime minister was to shut down the Northern Gateway pipeline project, proclaiming that the Great Bear Rain Forest was no place for a pipeline. Yet the Coastal GasLink pipeline, transporting natural gas instead of oil, was built in later years to the same destination, Kitimat.
The tanker ban off the northern British Columbia coast effectively killed the idea of additional oil exports from that coast.
Teck, one of Canada’s oldest and largest mining companies, walked away from its $20 billion Frontier
oilsands mine project in 2020, taking a billion dollar hit in doing so. At the time, Teck President and CEO Don Lindsay wrote a scathing open letter to federal Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson. In it, he said, “The promise of Canada’s potential will not be realized until governments can reach agreement around how climate policy considerations will be addressed in the context of future responsible energy sector development. Without clarity on this critical question, the situation that has faced Frontier will be faced by future projects and it will be very difficult to attract future investment, either domestic or foreign.”
This was indeed a common thread throughout Trudeau’s tenure, with energy project after project dying, while the federal governments’ focus on climate change over everything trumped all.
His government’s movement of the the environmental goalposts resulted in the Energy East Pipeline being cancelled by proponent Trans Canada. It’s original planned in-service date was December, 2018. If that had happened, Canada would have had East Coast oil export capacity well in place by 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and Canada’s European allies were crying for help.
Those same allies, particularly Ger-
many, and then Japan and Greece, came to Canada, asking for liquefied natural gas. Instead, Trudeau told them there was “no business case,” in particular for Germany. Instead, he took German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Newfoundland to sign an agreement. The hare-brained scheme would involve building on-shore wind turbines on the southwest corner of Newfoundland. They would then electrolyze fresh water captured from an old mine into hydrogen. But since there was only one ship on the entire planet at the time capable of transporting liquid hydrogen (and it was smaller than a World War 2 Liberty Ship), that hydrogen would then have to be converted to anhydrous ammonia for transport to Germany. This was the deal Trudeau offered Scholz, while in the same visit saying there was no business case for LNG. In the meantime, Germany built an LNG import terminal in less than 200 days.
In his home province of Quebec, Energie Saguenay had major LNG project in the works, with no less than Warren Buffet as a principal investor. But the federal Liberal government and Quebec government both killed the project.
And Pieridae quietly walked away from its Goldboro LNG project in Nova Scotia, yet another export project that did not happen under the Trudeau government.
When President Joe Biden killed the Keystone XL pipeline literally within minutes of being inaugurated in January, 2021, Trudeau’s government offered hardly a whimper in protest. His government did build the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX), but only after it essentially scared away the original proponent, Kinder Morgan. The project ended up costing in the range of 6x original estimates. Many times over the last nine years Pipeline Online was told how investors were reluctant to put money into Canadian and Saskatchewan oil and gas because of their concerns over the federal Liberal government.
From the “No More Pipelines Act,” Bill C-69, to the “No More Saying Nice Things About What Your Company Does For The Environment Act,” Bill
C-59, the legislative agenda was chock full of ways to make life difficult for the oilpatch.
By 2019, protests were being held in nearly every oil town across the country, with truck convoys protesting Trudeau’s energy policies. The convoy that rolled through Estevan just before Christmas, 2018, was 14 kilometres long.
By 2022, a trucker’s convoy protesting COVID measures stripped Canadians of their rights, and saw bank accounts frozen.
As time went on it became clear that the Trudeau administration’s singular focus on anthropogenic climate change dominated everything. While the federal carbon tax was the most obvious initiative, it was just one of a list as long as your arm. As of October, 2022, they included:
Federal Carbon Tax
Oil and Gas Methane Mandate
Oil and Gas Emissions Cap Mandate
Fertilizer Use Mandate
Clean Fuel Regulations
Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate
Federal Output Based Pricing System (another form of carbon tax)
Agricultural Methane Initiatives
Landfill Methane Mandate
The government of Saskatchewan calculated that if all those were fully implemented, the cost to this province would $111 billion between 2023 and 2035. And that list didn’t include the mammoth Clean Electricity Regulations, meant to eliminate coal and natural gas from power generation. In Saskatchewan, on any given day up to 88 per cent of power comes from coal and natural gas, and in Alberta, the number is as high as 96 per cent for natural gas.
Indeed, since Trudeau took power in late 2015, the Saskatchewan government has largely been at war with the federal government over those climate change policies. This lead to the Saskatchewan First Act, and the economic impact assessment tribunals it spawned.
For everyone who put a “F— Trudeau” sticker on the back of their truck, Monday was a day of celebration.
• On Jan. 20, 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis, aka “The Killer,” made an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, declaring, “I am a rock-and-rollin’, country-and-western, rhythm-and-blues singing [expletive deleted]!” before launching into his set, which notably included all the rock-and-roll classics he’d promised Opry officials not to play. Shunned by the pop music world following his controversial second marriage to his teenage cousin Myra Gale Brown, Lewis had staged a successful comeback with country music.
• On Jan. 21, 1959, Carl Switzer, aka the cowlick-sporting, warbly-voiced Alfalfa of the beloved “Our Gang” film series, was fatally shot by Moses Stiltz during an altercation over a debt Switzer believed he was owed by Stiltz.
• On Jan. 22, 1981, Annie Leibovitz’s final portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, hit newsstands, a month and a half after Lennon’s assassination by Mark David Chapman.
• On Jan. 23, 1984, Hulk Hogan defeated World Wrestling Federation champion Iron Sheik and earned his first WWF title at New York City’s Madison Square Garden when he also became the first wrestler to escape Sheik’s signature move, the “camel clutch.”
• On Jan. 24, 1956, Look magazine published the confessions of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, who were acquitted in the previous year’s abduction and murder of Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago. The men were reportedly paid $4,000 for their participation in the article.
• On Jan. 25, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the first national Revolutionary War memorial, honoring Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who died during an assault in Quebec nearly a month earlier. The monument was crafted by King Louis XV’s personal sculptor, Jean-Jacques Caffieri, after he was hired for the job by Benjamin Franklin.
• On Jan. 26, 1961, about a week after his inauguration, President John F. Kennedy appointed orthopedist Janet Travell as his personal physician, making her the first woman in history to hold that post. Following Kennedy’s assassination, she retained her position and became President Lyndon B. Johnson’s personal doctor.
© 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
RELEASE JAN. 6,
CREDIT: Donna Erickson
Prepare Homemade Gelatin Citrus Snacks
It’s citrus time! Prepare for your family’s next snack attack with 100% pure fruit juice that gets magically transformed into whimsical, eye-catching citrus bowls and slices. This recipe uses unflavored gelatin and scooped-out orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit halves. Later, when you hear a midafternoon “I’m hungry” groan, say, “It sounds to me like it’s time to eat some art.”
Homemade Fruit Juice Gelatin: Makes 4-6 servings
— 2 cups pure, 100% fruit juice
— 1-2 tablespoons honey
— 2 (1/4-ounce size) envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as the Knox brand) In a medium-sized saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups of juice. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
While juice is heating up, stir remaining 1/2 cup of juice into two envelopes of unflavored gelatin in a medium bowl with a spout and let stand for 1 minute. Add the hot fruit juice and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Then stir in honey.
Cool slightly and pour into the preprepared citrus bowls. Refrigerate until firm.
When set, serve with a spoon and eat the gelatin right out of the citrus bowl. Or slice into wedges with a sharp knife.
1. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG) Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz
2. Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
3. Nosferatu (R) Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult
4. Wicked (PG) Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
5. Moana 2 (PG) Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
6. A Complete Unknown (R) Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton
7. Babygirl (R) Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson
8. Gladiator II (R) Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington
9. Homestead (PG-13) Dawn Olivieri, Neal McDonough
10. The Fire Inside (PG-13) Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
Here’s how to make the healthy sunshine snack:
HOMEMADE GELATIN IN CITRUS BOWLS
Citrus Bowls: First, prepare the scooped-out citrus halves. Choose two or more of the following depending on size: oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit.
Cut fruit in half evenly lengthwise or around the circumference. Insert a paring knife just between the white pith and the fruit in each half, then remove the fruit pulp to form bowls. (Use removed fruit for salads or snacking as desired.)
For stability, set empty citrus bowls perfectly upright into small bowls or in sections of a muffin tin. If citrus bowls are wobbly, carefully trim a bit off of the base, being careful not to pierce all the way through. Set them aside while you prepare the gelatin.
Alternate Idea: Use 1 (3-ounce) box of gelatin such as the Jell-O brand as an alternative to homemade gelatin. Use the Jigglers recipe on the side of the box for firmer gelatin.
Donna Erickson creates relationships and community through food and fun. Find more to nourish and delight you at www.donnaerickson.com.
© 2025 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.
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ANTIQUES AND COLLECTING
#12345_20250106
RELEASE JANUARY 6, 2025
Kim Kovel
CREDIT: Kovels.com
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CAPTION: Repainting old furniture is This cabinet was made around elaborate decorations were
Kindersley Air Cadets
ursday evenings 7:00 PM at the Kindersley & District Plains Museum
No charge to be a member (youth ages 12-18).
Must be a Canadian resident. Contact Ian Kehrer via text at 306-460-0057 or Sheila Kehrer via text at 306-604-9044.
Altered Furniture
It’s a current trend to buy inexpensive old furniture and alter it into something new. Some people may see this as disrespectful to history, but it’s a practice that has been going on for hundreds of years. Historically, everyday items like furniture and clothing were made to last, handed down for generations and altered to suit changing fashions.
Furniture of the Victorian era (about 1830-1900) came in many styles, all of which were elaborately decorated. Sometimes, earlier furniture in simpler styles like Queen Anne or Chippendale was recarved or had veneers or inlay added to fit newer, fancier fashions. More recently, the reverse has become more common: paint is stripped off or carvings are planed away to suit more modern, simpler tastes.
This secretaire cabinet, which sold at a Bonhams auction in London, is an excellent example of the earlier trend of making furniture more elaborate. It was made around 1830, during the reign of William IV, but the auction catalog’s description included a salesroom notice saying, “the japanned decoration ... is evidently of a later date.” Japanning is a type of painted finish that imitates the lacquer used by artisans in China and Japan. It was often used with gilt and colorful decorations, as shown here. The added decorations may have contributed to the cabinet’s appeal; it sold for 7,650 pounds, or about $9,274.
Q:I
have a clock left to me and we have to downsize, so I’d like to sell it. Can you help me?
A:A working clock always sells, whether it’s to a homeowner looking to furnish a room or to a collector willing to pay for a rare piece. Find out as much as you can about your clock: its style, maker, material, approximate age, condition, etc. Look closely at the dial, including the edge, and at the backplate of the movement. A maker’s name or mark, patent date or serial number are helpful details. There are many books about identi-
Repainting old furniture is nothing new. This cabinet was made around 1830, but the elaborate decorations were added later.
fying antique clocks; look for them at your library. Once you have identifying information, check price guides like Kovel’s or look at antique stores and shows or online auction results to see what similar clocks sell for. Clocks sell at most antique and estate auctions. If there is a clock repair service in your area, they may be able to help you. You may also want to contact the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (www.nawcc.org) for more information.
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TIP: Never wash lacquered wood. Just wipe it clean with a damp cloth. Water could seep into the base wood and cause damage.
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CURRENT PRICES
Cut glass, decanter, silver stopper, flute pattern, intaglio thistle, ray cut vase, 9 x 6 inches, $70.
Rug, Lilihan, red field, flower sprays, leaves, navy blue border, palmettes, wool, cotton, 60 x 42 inches, $250. Paper, magazine, Time, Martin Luther King Jr., signed, March 19, 1965, $1,560.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
Q:Who is the actress who plays Maddie in the “Sonic” movies? I swear she used to be on a soap opera when she was younger, but I can’t remember her character’s name. — K.I.
A:She’s Tika Sumpter, and she honed her acting skills playing Layla Williamson on the ABC soap “One Life to Live” from 2006-2011. She went on to land regular roles on “Gossip Girl,” “Mixed-ish,” and “The Haves and the Have Nots” before being cast in the hit franchise “Sonic.”
Sumpter isn’t the only former soap star in “Sonic 3.” Shemar Moore and Sofia Pernas both got their starts on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless.”
Q:
What ever happened to Rob Lowe’s show “9-1-1 Lone Star”? I thought it got really high ratings. — L.L.
A:Despite being Fox’s second-highest-rated series during the first half of 2023, the Ryan-Murphy-produced series “9-1-1: Lone Star” was given the axe. Its fifth and final season began airing this past September. The show will return on Jan. 20 for three more weeks before bidding a final farewell. According to an article in Variety, the decision to cancel the series “wasn’t due to lack of enthusiasm for the show. Instead, it was a matter of business logistics.”
According to Murphy, he loved the show, but “the financials just didn’t work. It’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network, and it just was never going to work.” This mismatch was the result of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which included the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios but excluded the Fox network. “The arrangement was less than ideal,” according to Variety.
The announcement was another blow for Lowe in 2024, whose other series “Unstable,” a comedy on Netflix co-starring his son, John Owen Lowe, was also canceled. Fortunately, he has a new pet project to focus on, a possible sequel to the ’80s classic “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Interest began stirring among its cast members, including Demi Moore, after the airing of the Hulu documentary
“Brats.” The process has been slow so far, but Lowe says it’s because they’re searching for the right script. The film’s director, Joel Schumacher, passed away in 2020. ***
Q:When is the “Georgie & Mandy” sitcom coming back? I know that like most shows, it’s taking a break during the holidays, but I hope it’s not a long one. — J.W.
A:The
“Young Sheldon” spin-off sitcom “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” will return to CBS with new episodes beginning Jan. 30. With February being a big ratings “sweeps” month, look for some of your favorite “Sheldon” cast members to appear, including Georgie’s mom, Mary, played by Zoe Perry, and Pastor Jeff, played by Matt Hobby.
So far, Sheldon himself (Iain Armitage) hasn’t returned, but perhaps they could be saving it for the season finale. The show is a hit, so there will be plenty of opportunities in future seasons for some of the core “Sheldon” cast to pop up as guest stars or recurring characters. Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
Tika Sumpter in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Submit your event to: kate@yourwestcentral.com or text 306-463-2211
EATONIA
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
• Eatonia Minor Hockey Day
- Every Thursday from 11:30 AM -1:30 PM come to the Eatonia Library for puzzles, visiting and grab your books for the week!
- Check out our TOPS Chapter … it’s free to try! Every Wednesday. Weigh in: 5:45 PM. Meeting: 6:00 PM at the EOL Meeting Room. Contact Mila 306-480-2035.
ESTON
- Eston Wheatland Centre Chase the AceDraws every Wednesday at the Centre. Ticket sales 4-7 PM. Draw at 7:30 PM. See our Facebook page for details. Lic#LR240086
- 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.
- Drop-In Basketball Thursdays 7:30-9:30 PM at ECS Gym. Minimum 12 years of age. No charge. Contact Jesse to be added to a group text for the program 306-583-9087.
HOOSIER
- Sunday Service Hoosier Community Church 10:30 am at the Community Hall. Contact Joel Hamm 306-460-7056 or Curtis Kornelson 306460-7327.
KERROBERT
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
• Kerrobert Curling Club Open Curling 6:308:30 PM Open Curling. $5 drop in fee. Please bring indoor shoes.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
• Kerrobert Curling Club Glow Curling 6:308:30 PM Open Curling. $5 drop in fee. Please bring indoor shoes.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
• Kerrobert Curling Club Open Curling 6:308:30 PM Open Curling. $5 drop in fee. Please bring indoor shoes.
- Shuffle Club every Monday from 1:30-3:00 PM at the PCC (216 McPhersons Street).
- Walk This Way Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:3011:30 AM at the at the PCC (216 McPhersons Street). All ages. All skill levels. No cost. Bring your indoor shoes. Everyone welcome.
- MS Support Group at Kerrobert Health Centre Meeting Room every 3rd Saturday 2:004:00 PM. Contact Gail Wiebe for more information 306-834-7068.
- Kerrobert & District Wildlife Federation has a Gun Raffle ongoing. Tickets available online until December 31st.
KINDERSLEY
FRI., JANUARY 10 - SUN., JANUARY 12
• Kindersley Minor Hockey U13 Tournament at the West Central Events Centre.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11
• Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers vs Nipawin Hawks 7:30 PM at the Inter Pipeline Arena.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
• Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers vs Nipawin Hawks 4:00 PM at the Inter Pipeline Arena.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15
• Pathway to Wellness scheduled pool time from 8:30-10:00 AM. We offer a leisure time swim, Aquafit work out and a time for parents to enjoy a quiet swim with their children. Contact Joanne (306) 463-0104 for more information.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
• Free Drop-In Soccer 7:00-8:30 PM at Elizabeth Middle School.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
• Kindersley Snow Drags north of the Canalta Hotel. Racing starts at 10:30 AM. $10 admission (12 & under FREE). Contact Darrell 306679-7147 or Terry (306) 291-0733 for more information.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 - SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
• 2025 SaskTel Tankard Provincial Curling Championship at the West Central Events Centre.
- Parkinson’s Support Group Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month 1:30 PM at 401 - 4th Ave West (New Life Church). Everyone 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 Indoor Season meets Sunday & Wednesday evenings 7:00-9:00 PM at Elizabeth
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY AT NOON. Not intended for business use. Community and non-profit events are . Please try to keep wording to a minimum. We try our best to place as many events as possible, but closer dates will take priority.
Please support the businesses that advertise in this newspaper. Without them, this publication would not be possible!
Middle School gym. Cost is $50 for the season or $5 drop in. More info call Teresa Knight 306460-7304.
- Fit Fighter Group Class. Helping individuals with Parkinson Disease, Fibromyalgia, MS, Arthritis and mobility issues. Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 AM at Anytime Fitness. Call Karen 463-3607 for more info.
- The Prairie Crocus Quilt Guild meets on the second Tuesday of each month from September to May at 7:00 pm at the Kindersley Seniors Centre. All levels of quilters and quilt enthusiasts are welcome! If you are interested in joining the group or would like more information, please contact Regan Overand at 306460-6467.
- 365 Kindersley Air Cadets meet Thursday evenings at the Kindersley Museum. No charge to be a member, youth ages 12-18, must be a Canadian resident. Contact Ian Kehrer via text at 306-460-0057 or Sheila Kehrer via text 306604-9044. Come Fly With Us!
- Kindersley Library Lego Club will be held every Tuesday from 3:45-4:45 until February 11. For ages 8-14. Registration is limited to 15 children.
LEADER
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9
• Leader & District Arts Council present Eliza Mary Doyle 7:30 PM at the Leader Community Hall. Tickets available at the Town of Leader Office.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15
• Kaleidoscope Book Club 7:00 PM at the Leader Library.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16
• Foodbank Day. To register or for more information please call (639) 932-7446.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
• Dabber Bingo at the Leader Friendship Centre. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Bingo at 7:00 PM. Held the 4th Wednesday of the month.
MONDAY, JANUARY 27
• Soup & Bun Lunch 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM at the Leader Friendship Centre. Cost is $8.00. Held the 4th Monday of the month.
JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 1
• Leader Open Bonspiel. $200 entry. Cash Prizes! To register contact John 306-628-7901 or Krista 306-587-7379
- Cards & Coffee. Come out and play cards! Every Tuesday afternoon 2:00-4:00 PM at the Leader Friendship Centre. No cost.
