THE KINSMEN & KINETTE CLUB of Kindersley would like to thank everyone who purchased duck and 50/50 tickets for our 4th Annual Duck Derby and to those who purchased from our Smoked Pork on a Bun BBQ. We would also like to thank the following businesses for their generous sponsorship. The support from this event helps us to pay it forward to help individuals and organizations in need in our community.
Platinum Sponsors:
Caz
Weese
Tisdale’s
Vold’s
Kindersley Detachment Members and dignitaries posed for photos after the formal grand opening ceremony had concluded.
Guests lined up waiting for their turn to have a tour of the new detachment. “I just want to see what it looks like inside,” was a repeatedly voiced comment.
Grand opening of Kindersley’s RCMP detachment
BY JOAN JANZEN
The grand opening of Kindersley’s detachment at 610 - 9th Street West occurred on Thursday morning, October 3rd. While guests and dignitaries were seated outside the detachment, Kindersley Detachment members marched from the old detachment to the new one along with flag bearers from the Legion. With the help of Assistant Commissionaire Blackmore and Constable Garjiwan Kaila, the flag was raised on the new flagpole.
High school student Leslie Mackie played the trumpet for the national anthem before an Elder’s blessing given by Marcella Bird from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation. Corporal Amy Blyth welcomed everyone and invited Rhonda Blackmore, Commanding Officer of Saskatchewan RCMP, to the podium.
She described Saskatchewan as Canada’s hidden gem and the support received in Kindersley as “second to none.” Kindersley is fortunate to have such dedicated officers, she noted. The new building represents the future, and the detachment is here to have the community’s best interests in mind.
Mayor Rod Perkins expressed similar thoughts. The common theme was that the building represented much more than brick and mortar.
Chaplain Tom McCullagh from the Saskatchewan RCMP was invited to the
podium. In his closing remarks, he gave a brief history of Kindersley and blessed the union of the community and the RCMP as they worked together. “Make them instruments of your peace,” the Chaplain concluded.
The formal portion of the ceremony ended with the ribbon cutting by Assistant Commissionaire Blackmore, Mayor Rod Perkins, Marcella Bird, Corporal Blyth and Superintendent Brent Olberg.
Everyone was invited to stay for a barbecue lunch and tours of the new detachment. Curious guests lined up, waiting for their turn to see the interior of the new facility.
The interior included a spacious office area, a gym, interview rooms, a video room and a meeting room. However, the highlight for many onlookers was seeing the five cells and drunk tank for the first time. The cells were simple structures, except the drunk tank had no bench. The Corporal explained it was because the occupants could fall off of it.
Outside the building, representatives from Citizens on Patrol, Sask Central Victim Services, and RCMP Careers had information available. There was also a table with art supplies for visiting children.
It was definitely a cool day, but everyone received a warm welcome at the new Kindersley detachment.
Everyone was invited to partake in a BBQ after the grand opening ceremony.
PHOTOS BY JOAN JANZEN
Kindersley Detachment members marched from the old detachment to the new one along with flag bearers from the Legion. The Canadian flag was then raised on the new flagpole.
PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Best selling author visits her hometown
BY JOAN JANZEN
Roxana Spicer was given a warm welcome at the Norman Ritchie Centre in Kindersley and the Netherhill Hall on the weekend of October 4th and 5th. Both venues were packed with people excited to hear about her best-seller, “The Traitor’s Daughter.” Although Roxana arrived with the express purpose of launching her book, it was also a warm homecoming for the former Netherhill resident.
On her drive from the Calgary airport to Saskatchewan, Roxana was thrilled to see two antelope herds, geese flying overhead, and four combines harvesting a crop. The scenes reminded her of her years growing up in Saskatchewan. However, the highlight for Roxana was stepping into Netherhill Hall and looking at all the faces of her former Kindersley classmates.
Although her mom, Agnes Spicer, was put to rest in the Netherhill Cemetery in 2009, her story lives on in the pages of her daughter’s book. “The book is going into week five on the national best sellers list for non-fiction,” Roxana said. “It’s exceeded my wildest fantasies. I’m really happy about that. It means my mom’s story, which she thought no one would believe, is being read and absorbed.”
Not only has Roxana penned an unbelievable story, but she has done an enormous amount of research to unearth all the details which her mother was so hesitant to share with her daughter. The book is truly a labour of love.
“I couldn’t have done it for anyone else but my mom,” Roxana admitted. “I was completely done (exhausted) after it was finished.”
Now, her mother’s story is being read not only in Canada but also in the US, England, Australia, and Germany. “I’ve received mail from people all over the world. It’s igniting the imagination of many people,” she said. It’s a testament to Roxana’s skill as a storyteller that her book has been reviewed by two of the most prestigious publishing magazines.
While Roxana was in Kindersley and Netherhill, Penguin Publishers were assembling at the International Book Fair at Frankfurt. “So while I’m in Netherhill, ‘The Traitor’s Daughter’ is travelling to Frankfurt!” Roxana exclaimed. “Mom’s story is travelling back to Europe through this interesting route.”
Agnes Spicer was born in Lenin’s Soviet Union, served as a combat soldier in the Russian Red Army and was captured by the Germans. A Russian neighbour told Roxana her mother had been taken to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp for women. However, she was also told the blue-numbered tattoo on her mother’s arm was evidence she had spent time at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.
She discovered her mother escaped from Soviet Russia and the Nazis but couldn’t go home because she was branded a traitor. Instead, Agnes escaped to Canada as the only Russian war bride amongst the 47,783 women who sailed into Pier 21.
Agnes Spicer, her husband Eric, and three children, Harold, Victor, and Roxana, lived in Netherhill from 1948 to 1998. Eric ran a service station, and during the latter years, Agnes ran the Homesteader restaurant in Kindersley.
Roxana’s mom would have been amazed at how much attention her story is receiving. It’s been a busy time for Roxana, who has been invited to writer’s festivals, author brunches, and dinners and received a “fantastic response” when featured on The Current with Matt Galloway on CBC Radio. “The best publicity any book can get is word of mouth and social media. There’s been a lot of buzz on both fronts,” she added.
Roxana’s relatives from adjacent provinces made their way to Netherhill for the book launch. “The old town was hopping!” Roxana said.
All of Roxana’s friends and acquaintances were excited about purchasing her book. The pages take the reader on a journey into the past, encountering many unexpected historical happenings along the way.
Senlac Gun Club presents ...
October 19 & 20, 2024 at the Senlac Hall
Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Raffle for a Winchester.22 Rifle & a Henry Knife Set For more information, call Jim at 306-228-7891.
Best-selling author Roxana Spicer shared lunch with long-time friends upon her arrival in Kindersley for the launch of her new book. She was excited to hold gatherings in both Kindersley and her hometown of Netherhill. Here she is pictured holding a copy of ‘The Traitor’s Daughter’.
BANTAM HOCKEY PLAYERS FROM LUSELAND’S PAST: Tim Patterson posted a photo of his old Luseland Mallards Bantam team from the 1966-67 season on the Historic Saskatchewan facebook page. Back row (l-4): John Litchfield (assistant coach), Milton Zimmer, Dale Eurich, Dan Bergen, Gary Scholer, Francis Zunti, Ray Bergen, Warren Wagner, Tim Patterson, Raymond “Red” McGregor (Head Coach). Front row: Allan Hilton, Allan Campbell, John Frison, Dennis Ryan, Daryl Longlitz, Brian McKenzie, Gary Hohlman.
Wade Sira has announced his candidacy as an Independent Representative in the upcoming provincial election for the Kindersley-Biggar constituency. He was born and raised in the Kenaston area and is currently employed by a Kindersley drilling company.
candidacy as an Independent Representative for the Kindersley-Biggar constituency.
When speaking with voters in Macklin, Kerrobert, Kindersley, and Biggar, he found many constituents had concerns. Those concerns included the cost of living and a lack of opportunities to keep the next generation in the area. They also felt underrepresented by their current MLAs.
PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
As an independent candidate, Wade feels he will be better able to address those concerns since he won’t need to tow a party line. “Challenging the system is the only way change will happen,” he observed.
In addition to challenging the system, he desires to bring back common sense and introduce functional legislation while reducing the burden of bureaucratic policy and regulations. “It’s the people of Saskatchewan that make
Dated this 8th day of October, 2023.
L. Ryan Domotor, Administrator
this province prosperous. Government only regulates our prosperity.”
He suggested introducing a private member’s bill such as a Saskatchewan Investment Fund. This fund would potentially be modelled after Alaska’s Investment Fund, which has been operating successfully for over forty years. Wade says it would protect the economy from the boom and bust cycles in this area with an abundance of agriculture and natural resources.
“We can protect ourselves by investing,” he added. “We need to be managing the debt; not just paying debt down, but investing into our future. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is advocating for the same thing.”
He spoke of stimulating the economy so Saskatchewan would become an attractive location to start or move value-added industries, industries where future generations could be employed and access career opportunities.
“It’s time Kindersley-Biggar constituency had a proper representative who is willing to work for them,” he said. “I want to be a voice for our constituency,” he concluded.
A GLIMPSE OF A CENTURY OLD CELEBRATION IN KERROBERT: This photo from 105 years ago was taken at Kerrobert during the “Peace Celebration” to mark the end of WWI. A pie eating contest was one of the fun events which took place on July 19th, 1919 in Kerrobert. PHOTO: PROVINCIAL
Wade Sira announced his
“Wrack Line”
By M.W. Jaeggle
Published by University of Regina Press REVIEW BY SHELLEY A. LEEDAHL
It’s a rare and wondrous thing when, while reading a poetry collection, I start conceiving poems in my own mind. Vancouver-born M.W. Jaeggle’s highly distilled first book of poetry, Wrack Line, has done that for me, and I feel indebted. This is a poet who looks and listens to the world around him at one already rare level, then amps his senses to an even higher plane. One cannot help but tumble under the spells he ingeniously casts with his poems about shorelines, wind, creatures, solitude, silence, loss, and guilt, and then you look away from the page, reflect upon his finely-crafted lines, and realize you’ve surfaced—as if from the sea—into gentle sunlight.
M.W. (Michael) Jaeggle is presently a PhD student in the Department of English at SUNY Buffalo, but the book’s title, elegant cover (northern acorn barnacles set against a creamy background) and the poems within strongly suggest that his heart remains on Canada’s west coast: a “wrack line” refers to the ecologically-critical organic material (including seaweed and seagrasses) left on the shore by wind, waves and tides. It also includes less desirable debris, ie: “blanched Pepsi caps”.
The poet alludes to time and the quality of being present (“I have found the time,/given myself to it, feel it as it is), and reverence reverberates through many of these poems. He writes of “an inner pew,” granite “made to kneel on the colony, prostrate before the sky” and “the grace which comes/from being that stillness”. Childhood is mined in pieces like the irresistibly-titled “Poem by Fridge Light,” which concerns the places one inhabits in childhood—ie: a fort made in the brambles, “its thorns piercing the hairless legs under our jeans”. In those remembered places “there’s no wristwatch on a nightstand,/just a mind kidding around/someplace unaware it’s unawake”. In another poem the narrator ponders the Pacific silver fir: “The tree presses, bark scours my back,” he writes. “Here, I is no history, Now,/ I am time”.
Form-wise, expect variance, including prose poems, free verse, poems written in couplets, and the ekphrastic poem “Colville’s Horses” that comprises the book’s fourth section. In these pieces—inspired, of course, by Alex Colville paintings— the last line on one page becomes the first on the next. Alliteration and consonance are frequently employed, and I noted the poet’s affection for the letter P: palimpsest, parapet, polled, apricity, parallax. In the long poem “Amor de Lonh” we find “There are teachers of all persuasions/perched in shore pine”.
One of my favourite poems is “Salmon Run, Horse-
Form-wise, expect variance, including prose poems, free verse, poems written in couplets, and the ekphrastic poem “Colville’s Horses” that comprises the book’s fourth section.
fly River,” which reveals the poet’s heightened observation skills: “Five more red backs dart through/ the platinum-glint riffle, where the water’s surface/is knuckled with granite stones”.
Jaeggle is a discerning poet. He listens to the sounds of water and “the lulls of sand,” and notices “bait-lathered hands”. His debut collection’s a metaphorical “basket” of “attentiveness” … and hope: “while we suture/our broken and partial worlds/with seagrass left behind by the tide,/each in our own way a historian of waves”.
This book is available at your local bookstore or from www.skbooks.com
Rural Municipality of Antelope Park No. 322 GRAVEL TENDER
Sealed tenders will be received by the undersigned for supplying and stockpiling a minimum of 10,000 cubic yards of 5/8” road gravel (Type 106 traffic highway gravel) to Loverna, Saskatchewan; in early 2025.
Tenders must include the following:
• All-inclusive cost per cubic yard
• Legal land description where gravel was sourced Tenders are to be received in the municipal office by 4:00 p.m. on November 7, 2024.
All tenders to be marked “GRAVEL SUPPLY TENDER”
A sample of the road gravel must be delivered to the municipal office no later than November 7, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
The municipality reserves the right to reject any tender based on the quality of the gravel.
The municipality reserves the right to reject any and all tenders.
Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted.
For further information, please contact Reeve Clinton Barr at 306-460-9610.
Office:
Rural Municipality of Antelope Park No. 322 20 1st Avenue North Box 70, Marengo, SK S0L 2K0 306-968-2922 rm292.rm322@sasktel.net
Rural Municipality of Milton No. 292
GRAVEL TENDER
Sealed tenders will be received by the undersigned for supplying and stockpiling a minimum of 10,000 cubic yards of 5/8” road gravel (Type 106 traffic highway gravel) to Marengo, Saskatchewan; in early 2025.
Tenders must include the following:
• All-inclusive cost per cubic yard
• Legal land description where gravel was sourced Tenders are to be received in the municipal office by 4:00 p.m. on November 7, 2024.
All tenders to be marked “GRAVEL SUPPLY TENDER”
A sample of the road gravel must be delivered to the municipal office no later than November 7, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
The municipality reserves the right to reject any tender based on the quality of the gravel.
The municipality reserves the right to reject any and all tenders.
Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted.
For further information, please contact Reeve James Loken at 306-460-6516.
Office:
Rural Municipality of Milton No. 292 20 1st Avenue North Box 70, Marengo, SK S0L 2K0 306-968-2922
rm292.rm322@sasktel.net
the same page.
OPINION:
History is a vast early warning system
BY JOAN JANZEN
A young man relayed the following story. “My grandpa warned people the Titanic would sink, and no one listened. He kept warning them until they got sick of it and kicked him out of the theatre.”
At the beginning of the 19th century, a warning was spoken regarding Turtle Mountain situated in the Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta. The First Nations people called it the Mountain that Moves or Upside Down Mountain. They stayed away from the mountain that had a massive limestone overhang.
However, a man named Frank discovered a rich coal seam running through the mountain, so he and a partner developed a coal company. Newcomers also ignored the warnings of the First Nations people and built their properties in the new village of Frank, located next door to the mountain.
Historian Kevin Hicks shared the Frank Slide story online. A comment made by someone who resides in the area was, “There were actually multiple landslides and mine collapses at Frank. Just before the main landslide, the mine collapsed, and they had to dig the survivors out. Then the mine re-opened a week later.”
But on April 9, 1903, a loud crack was
heard over 120 miles in the distance. The top of the mountain broke loose, and rocks travelled at 70 miles per hour, leaping across a river and flying in all directions. Millions of tonnes of rock crashed onto the edge of the village, killing 90 to 100 people.
Some rocks were the size of a house, and in places the rock was 45 metres deep and covered three square kilometres. But the landslide itself lasted only 100 seconds.
Meanwhile a group of men were trapped in an underground mine. After thirteen hours they managed to dig their way through a coal seam, through six metres of coal and emerged from the top of the mountain.
One of the men ran to warn the train that was headed towards Frank and was unaware that the track was covered with rock. He was later awarded a citation and $20, equal to $715 in today’s currency.
The mining didn’t cause the slide; it was just an unstable mountain. A local resident noted the mountain is still on the move, with the top of it moving five to ten mm a year. And another person said he had climbed the mountain and could see giant cracks that go straight down to where the initial break happened.
Those cracks allow water to enter
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through the rocks and eat away at the limestone. Freezing and thawing of ice and water causes the cracks to widen, creating even more instability.
Locals say it is well known that the mountain will probably have another slide, but hopefully they will have some warning this time so there will be no loss of life.
There’s numerous examples of warnings being given throughout history. It’s been said the captain of the Titanic was warned several times that ice was ahead, but the ship plowed into it anyway and more than 1,500 souls were lost as a consequence.
Today we have professionals in areas of finance, health, science and education speaking out warnings. Instead of listening or even having a discussion, those voices are usually censored.
Steven LeDrew gave a warning about censorship on his podcast. He said once the online harms act gets into law there will be hundreds of bureaucrats censoring the news in Canada. It will harm independent media, where Canadians hear information that would otherwise remain private.
Award-winning journalist Sharyl Attkisson from the show Full Measure said one of the hardest things to do is to admit that something you thought to be true turned out to be wrong, es-
pecially when the truth means swimming upstream against the most powerful forces.
During the past five years, we’ve witnessed an alarming increase in censorship, career loss, ridicule, court cases and more when anyone attempts to issue a warning. Those warnings aren’t the ones you hear repeatedly on television; they’re usually warnings that powerful forces want to silence.
History has proven that people are motivated by money, like the people who built their businesses beside a moving mountain because they were promised prosperity. Today, if you “follow the money,” you will often find that decisions made by powerful forces are motivated by financial gain rather than the well-being of the nation’s citizens.
History has taught us lessons that should not be ignored. After listening to the Frank Slide story, someone commented, “If only they had listened to the Natives; the Mountain that Moves tells a lot.”
Today, there are many voices warning people about different types of landslides. A quote by Norman Cousins, a political journalist, states, “History is a vast early warning system.”
Years from now, we don’t want future generations to look back and say, “If only they had listened.”
Pop89: All the ologies
BY MADONNA HAMEL
Sitting at a window table, watching evening fall in Melange, a cozy bistro in old Nanaimo, we celebrate our sister’s birthday over a fancy dinner. As inevitably happens, talk comes round to dreams and mythologies. Doug tells us a story about how a scarab beetle came up in a dream Jung was working on with a patient when a real scarab actually flew into his room. Just then, our waiter arrives with our drinks. He tells us his name is Thomas. “Are you a doubter?” I ask. “Is that from a story?” he asks back. “It’s theology,” I say, about to go into the whole explication of Thomas demanding Christ show him wounds. We are well-acquainted with wounds at this table. I want to say. My brother here is Job, you see. Suffering one smote after another. Instead I add: “Some might call it mythology. We are a family who likes talking theology, mythology, psychology….” “All the ologies,” he quips. “Exactly,” I laugh. “All the ologies.”
In the 1990s, Jane Farrow hosted a CBC radio program called “Workology,” a look at the modern workplace. The show made me think about the differences between a job, a career, a vocation and a calling. I began making lists of all the jobs I’ve had over a lifetime, many of them taken to make ends meet while developing my skills and talents as a writer. Most artists spend at least a few years in the service industry. We’ve all encountered a frustrated actor working in a restaurant or bar. It is hard work, but invaluable for developing characters and stories, not to mention perseverance and patience.
While many of the jobs I’ve had would not qualify as vocations or callings, they’ve all taught me valuable lessons about humanity and given me a window into the quirks and peccadillos that drive human behaviour. I’ve been on the receiving end of snap judgements to do with class, privilege and education. But those were the days when “paying one’s dues” was part of developing depth and deep awareness for forming, as the mythologist Joseph Campbell would say one’s personal mythology. I learned how to deflect insults, to suck it up and secure my tip.
These days, the server seems to be the one in charge, calling foul if we even look at them wrong. Two days ago, I walked into a Starbucks, and the “barista” (not a title I would have accepted as a waitress unless it came with a pay raise ) informed me: “We don’t have washrooms.” Did I look like a vagrant? When I said I was ordering a coffee, he didn’t even look sheepish. He just shrugged. I’d just come out of a Canadian Tire where my brother and I were looking for a headlamp. We couldn’t get anyone who knew anything about the merchandise even though they wore name tags. One of them not only avoided our gaze but yawned noisily as she slumped past me and my brother with his blind-guy cane. “We gotta find an old guy,” he grumbled. “Preferably in automotive.”
Back in the 70s and 80s, when I worked the ear-
ly morning shift at The Demitasse Cafe, pulling espressos stood me in good stead. I liked knowing what people took in their coffees and on their toast. I eavesdropped liberally and took notes on my order pad. There is a way to make a job work for you, to find material in every little task. This tendency to have one’s “calling” call out amidst chores is an inherited trait. I recently found one of my mother’s shopping lists in a box of artifacts from the family home. In between “bread” and “milk,” she’d jotted “Faure” and “Mozart,” music pieces she was considering teaching her voice students.
I know the service industry can be tough. Night clerks often find themselves in dangerous situations or up against a sourpuss with an axe to grind. It makes me wonder what shady characters made the night clerk in our hotel behave so oddly when I padded down to ask if we could have a couple of extra blankets. She looked at me as if I’d asked for a bottle of champagne to be sent to my room. “I’ll have to go the laundry to get one,” she said. “That’s fine,” I replied. “I’ll come with you. You don’t have to bring them up to us.” We walked the ten feet to the laundry where she presented me with one blanket. “Just one?” I asked. She gave me a curt smile and nodded. “And we’ll be charging you $50 until it’s returned.” Dumbfounded by her response, I went back to our room. The next morning, after we took our brother to his doctor’s appointment, we returned to find our pass keys didn’t work. Once again I received an odd and curt response at the front desk, this time from a different clerk. “I wonder if you could re-initiate these, we can’t get in our room and we’re booked for two nights,” I said, giving her our room number. She replied: “Well, I’ll have to look you up first; we don’t just give keys to anybody.” Wow. “Ok, we’ll have breakfast and return later.”
It is a common practice in our family to spend breakfast going over our dreams from the night before. It’s an “ology” we commit to. I suspected my siblings could help me sort through my dreams and find a solution to my desk clerk dilemma. Halfway through breakfast, I realized what I needed to do. Returning to the clerk, I said: “I completely understand you need to look up my name and room number, but normally, a clerk does that without a patronizing reprimand. I mean: ‘I can’t just give a key to anyone’ is an odd phrase to lead with.” The woman apologized profusely and then handed me our room keys. And an extra blanket.
TOWN HALL
Skinner finally bound for NHL playoffs
BY BRUCE PENTON
The happiest guy on the eve of the 2024-25 National Hockey League season might just be Jeff Skinner.
Ten times a 20-plus goal scorer (and 30-plus in six of those seasons) while playing for poor teams in Carolina and Buffalo, the Toronto-born left-winger could hardly be blamed for dreaming about an inaugural playoff run next spring.
BY BRUCE PENTON Sports Columnist
Incredibly, in 14 seasons and 1,006 games, Skinner has never skated in an NHL playoff game. But that’s about to change now that he is a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Stanley Cup finalists last year and a relative slam-dunk playoff team thanks to the talents of Connor McDavid-led roster of stars.
Skinner was one of two big-name free agents signed by the Oilers on July 1 (Viktor Arvidsson was the other one) and come next April, Skinner is just about guaranteed to skate in his first playoff game. Pre-season talk had him playing on a line with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. He might fill the net all season.
Meanwhile, there’s plenty of interesting tidbits for fans to watch for as the new season gets under way.
— The Leafs, whose defence has been their kryptonite the past few years, are suddenly strong in that position with the addition of veterans Oliver Ekman-Larsen and Chris Tanev.
— Nashville Predators made perhaps the biggest offensive splash in free agency, signing both Steven Stamkos (555 career goals) and 2023 Conn Smythe trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault, coming off a 42-
SPORTS TALK
goal season with Vegas. They will join forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg and defenceman Roman Josi to form one of the most powerful offensive lineups in the league.
— The NHL season takes a break from Feb. 12-20, 2025, for the 4 Nations Cup tournament, featuring the best players from Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland. The tournament will be played in two unnamed North American cities, one in the U.S. and one in Canada. Who skates for Canada will be a favourite debate subject for the next couple of months.
— Wayne Gretzky’s 894 career goals was thought to be untouchable, but Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is bound to surpass that figure and wind up on the north side of 900 goals. The Russian sniper has 853 career goals and needs only 41 to tie Gretzky. If not this season, then 2025-26 for sure.
— Did Sidney Crosby sign his final contract a couple of weeks back? The two-year deal, a $17.6-million extension, takes him through the 2026-27 NHL season, when he’ll be 39. He’s in his 20th season in the league and is a certain Hall-of-Famer.
Most fans couldn’t get enough of rookie sensation Connor Bedard and now that he’s got one full season under his belt, how great will Season 2 be? The North Vancouver native scored 22 goals and assisted on 39 others in 68 games with a Chicago team that will be much improved in 2024-25. Fifty goals is not out of reach for Bedard.
• Super 70s Sports, along with a picture of a Nestle’s Quik container saying you could win a trip to Vince Lombardi’s football clinic: “This looked like a fun contest until you got there and he just yelled at your butt all day for not executing properly.”
• Canadian parody website The Beaverton, after Rogers acquired majority control of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment: “Rogers promises
Leafs, Raptors fans that their teams will be just as successful as current Blue Jays”
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Rumour has it Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has two-dollar earrings that he wears during games. My first thought when hearing that was, ‘Not bad for a buck-an-ear!’”
• Headline at the onion.com: “Tom Brady Provides Detailed Analysis Of How Easy It Would Be For Him To Take Dak Prescott’s Job”
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, on Maple Leafs’ Nick Robertson: “So far his career is a Shakespearean play: Much Ado About Nothing”
• Andrew Perloff of Athlon Sports, on Miami Dolphins’ QB situation with Tua Tagovailoa out with a concussion, suggesting a veteran quarterback is the answer: “Relying on Skylar Thompson and waiting for Tua to be healthy is franchise malpractice.”
• Steve Simmons again: “The Leafs are paying four of the top 12 salaries in hockey. The other eight players come from eight different teams.”
• Headline at fark.com: “Honda and Alpine breach F1’s cost-cap rules and didn’t event have to consult with the Yankees or Cowboys on how to do it.”
• Sign held by a fan at the final home game of the Oakland A’s, who are moving to Las Vegas: “Today, there is crying in baseball.”
• RJ Currie again: “With the PointsBet Invitatinal (recently) in Calgary, the top five curling songs: 5. Vary That Weight; 4. In-Turn Me Loose; 3. Bump It Up; 2. You Ain’t Seen Button Yet; 1. Bohemian Rocksody.
• From fark.com: “Inside the 2024 White Sox’s road to MLB’s all-time worst record. Many years from now, Kevn Costner will plough another baseball field to redeem them as well.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
Riders and CFL officials are getting bad reputations across the league
BY GREG BUCHANAN
Like a good perogy meal from your Grandma, good things come to those who wait.
With a 7-game losing streak, the guys in Green are winning ugly, and sometime a little dirty,
The last few weeks, it has not been banner games by the offence. They have been picked up by a defence that returned to their early season form. Not only have generated turnovers Redblacks’ quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was starting in place of injured starter Dru Brown, never looked comfortable and the Riders took advantage of an Ottawa offence that never found its footing, waiting for their chance rather than trying to force the issue.
As an aside, remember when people wanted kicker Brett Lauther cut after he missed four kicks against Montreal? He has been next to perfect seven-for-seven
vs Ottawa. He’s rebounded nicely since perhaps the worst game of his career.
While I do still take issue with a couple of decisions by head coach Corey Mace in the last few games including to punt just shy of mid-field, that wasn’t the worst thing to happen in this game.
In the game’s dying second vs Ottawa, Riders’ defensive back Deontai Williams tackled Redblacks’ receiver Kalil Pimpleton in a way that looked more like a finishing move in the wrestling ring than a football play.
After the catch, Williams had Pimpleton in an awkward position upside down and drove him down onto his head a little too aggressively. Unsurprisingly, flags flew, and the benches cleared. For a brief second, a ref’s mic turned on and we got a glimpse into the chaos in the middle of the scrum.
Williams and Redblacks’ receiver Dominique Rhymes would both end up ejected from the game for their role in the skirmish, as the officials tried to re-
store order for the final six seconds of the game.
A “tackle” like that isn’t necessary at any time but it’s especially egregious in the final seconds of a game that’s been decided. Williams was rightfully flagged and tossed. I’m sure his game cheque will be a little lighter this week, too.
It was not a good look for a team that already has a bit of a dirty reputation around the league.
The league has to spend the off season with a long, long look at stripes. CFL officials are currently on a roll on the mic.
Over the last few weeks, head ref Ben Major has gone semi-viral for his calls after punts hit the scoreboard at BC Place. On Friday night, a punt got stuck in the scoreboard in Vancouver and led to another great announcement from Tom Vallesi.
On Saturday afternoon, it was Major’s turn yet again to give us a solid one-liner.
After a ball comically landed in the lap of a splayed-out Dominique Rhymes after being tipped by his teammate Nick Mardner on a scramble play from Masoli, the receiver was eventually called for offensive pass interference.
The key word is “eventually”, because there was a pretty long delay from the end of the play until the penalty was announced. A fairly long discussion took place between the officials and the command centre before Major cracked his mic and made the call.
“After all of this…we have offensive pass interference.”
Was Major himself also fed up with how long that took? Maybe. Either way, I’m here for the league’s refs showing some personality on the mic.
It has been almost a drinking game by some fans. Ok guys, everytime the officials screw up, “Drink”. Hey, where did all the booze go? It’s only the 2nd quarter.
PWGP invites students to Harvest Day
BY JOAN JANZEN
Prairie West Grain Growers Project (PWGP) invited Grade 7 students to its annual Harvest Day, hosted by Pattison Ag on Friday, October 4th. The PWGP committee’s goal is to take the students through stations that highlight the vast innovations in crop technology, agricultural technology, and electronics that promote sustainability, farm safety, and the many career opportunities within the agricultural industry.
Grade 7 students came from Elizabeth Middle School, Eston Composite School and Eaton School to participate in Harvest Day. Almost one hundred students and accompanying parents and teachers were in attendance.
The students were divided into groups and rotated through five workstations. The Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB) station offered information about global hunger and food security. Last year, CFGB approved funding of food assistance for 617,008 people experiencing humanitarian emergencies in 21 countries.
At the Sask Ag station, students delved into the crucial topics of farm safety and careers. A representative from Simplot led a station on agronomy and sustainability. Pattison Ag hosted two stations, one on Integrated Solutions Group and careers, and another offering a hands-on experience with farming equipment. This comprehensive range of topics ensured that students gained a broad understanding of the agricultural industry.
While the students toured the various
PHOTOS BY JOAN JANZEN
farm implements, they became aware of how often farmers are out in the field. It was obvious that farmers are kept busy from the time they put the seed into the ground until they harvest their crops in the fall.
As the kids looked up at the massive combine with its enormous 50-foot header, they were told harvest is a fun time for farmers. Every other operation in the field costs the farmers money, but harvest is a time when they get some money back. The same header is used to harvest all the varieties of crops.
The PWGP highlights the unsung heroes in agriculture, who have spent decades developing methods that protect the environment, promote sustainability, and provide high-quality food in Canada and internationally. Harvest Day also showcased the importance of international humanitarian aid.
Numerous sponsors and volunteers helped to make the day possible and a bbq lunch was provided for all the hungry students.
AUTHORIZED
Students got a close up look at farm equipment at Pattison Ag on Friday morning, October 4th.
The Sask Ag station informed students about farm safety and careers on Harvest Day at Pattison Ag in Kindersley.
Grade 7 students learned about agronomy and sustainability at the Simplot station on Harvest Day. These girls are attempting to identify the plants on the table.
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TAX TIPS
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.“
Henry David Thoreau
Alcoholics Anonymous
Get help with substance abuse.
Monday: Kindersley AA Meeting
8:00 PM, Legion Hall, 118 - 2nd Avenue East AA Upstairs, Alanon Downstairs
Tuesday: Brock AA Meeting
8:00 PM, Vesper Club, 1st Avenue North
Tuesday: Leader AA Meeting
8:00 PM, Leader United Church, 1st St. W.
Wednesday: Eston AA Meeting
8 PM, St. Andrew’s United Church, 1st St. W.
Friday: Kindersley AA Meeting
8:00 PM, Lutheran Church, 807 - 3rd Ave. W.
Narcotics Anonymous
Tuesday: Kindersley NA Meeting
7:30 PM, 113 Main Street
BACK ALLEY CLEAN-UP
OCTOBER 14
The Public Works Crew will be out the week of October 14 to pick up organic yard waste (bagged leaves and tree branches).
Leaves must be bagged in clear plastic bags and branches need to be stacked.
The crews will not double back if your waste is not in the alley when they arrive.
An all-time favourite video game
BY KEITH SCHELL
Today’s video games are absolutely amazing. The digital detail, the graphics, the storylines and the intensity of play. While they are very impressive today, they are also so common nowadays that they are largely taken for granted.
But not so in the beginning. When video games first came out in the early to mid-1980s, they were an entirely new and ground-breaking entertainment technology.
And one of my favourite video games that emerged from that time was:
DUCK HUNT!
Low-tech, cheesy, and absolutely hilarious, Duck Hunt was state-of-the-art in every way for video games of the time. It was probably the first video game I ever played and the first one I ever fell in love with because it was such a hoot to play!
When video games first came out in the 1980s, they were very expensive in relation to the average wage of the day. They were very certainly beyond the financial resources of our family at the time. And because they were not a necessity and we had more important things to spend our money on, our family never really got on board with the video game phenomenon until they were much more affordable down the road.
But that did not mean we never got to play any of the new video games when they first came out.
Our family always did our weekly shopping in our small town to meet most of our basic needs. But every two or three weeks or so, we would make a pilgrimage out of town and go half an hour south to one of the larger cities in our area for a bit of variety and a little shopping spree to get things that were at times not readily available in our own little town.
The city we journeyed to back then was large enough to have its own freshly built shopping mall on the outskirts of the city. New and exciting back in the day, it was a big deal for the local people when that fashionable new mall opened in 1975. And one of the anchor stores in that newly built shopping mall was Kmart, a prominent retailer at the time, and having such a fashionable store featured in our newly built mall back then was a very big deal for us local shoppers.
We always did a bit of shopping at the Kmart when we were at the mall and we kids certainly made a
point to sneak off and check out the toy department while we were there!
And there, in that Kmart toy department, at the end of the electronics aisle, was the first home video game I ever saw. It was a Nintendo demonstrator set that had a sign on it inviting people to try it, and the game featured on the screen at that time was ‘Duck Hunt’.
My two younger brothers had already beaten me to it and were playing it, and when I approached them, they waved me over with a chuckle and urged me to give it a try.
I took the orange plastic gun in my hand and began shooting ducks on the screen as fast as the hunting dog could flush them out. Of course, there was a learning curve when you first played the game, learning how to lead the ducks properly with your gun in order to hit the target.
I usually missed more ducks than I hit, and every time that happened, the dang hunting dog would turn to face me, point, and start laughing at me!
Of course, when the dog started laughing at me as I was missing the ducks, I couldn’t help but start laughing myself, but I couldn’t take that insult lying down! So I unsuccessfully tried to shoot the dog several times, all the time laughing as I did so. I only found out much later that in the original version of the game you couldn’t shoot the dog as you played the game, no matter how hard you tried. But in some later versions of the game, rumour has it that you finally got the opportunity to shoot the dog at the end of the game if you won, a little reward from the programmers for all the humiliation the dog heaped upon you as you played the game. But never having won the game myself, I never got that opportunity.
I cannot tell you how much happy time we kids wasted in our youth in the toy department of that Kmart playing the Duck Hunt demonstrator game at the end of the video game aisle. Obviously, not as much time as we would have liked because we would just begin to get into the game when our Mother, annoyed that we had snuck off and left her, would finally track us down to the end of the video game aisle and tell us to “Come on, we have other places to go” (“AW, MOM!”). And so off we would go to other parts of the mall to pick up a few more things.
And any time after that, when our Mother couldn’t find her kids in the Kmart, she always knew where to look. We would always be in the toy department, laughing and happily wasting time at the end of the video game aisle, playing on the store demonstrator unit, and enjoying what became one of my favourite video games of all time:
DUCK HUNT!
Fuel Good Day 2024 raises record amount
CHALLENGER DOZER SERVICES
SASKATOON - Co-op is pleased to announce that we raised a record-breaking total of more than $700,000 on Fuel Good Day 2024. This surpasses the $685,000 raised in 2019. As always, all funds raised will go directly back into communities across Western Canada.
Fuel Good Day is held each year in September, when participating local Co-ops donate a minimum of five cents per litre to a local charity or non-profit organization in their community. Since 2017, more than $5 million has been raised, supporting more than one thousand local organizations.
CORRECTION: In last week’s paper we had an incorrect name. This is Larry and Evan Benjamin from Brock with Hope & Honey (miniature ponies). We apologize for the error.
PHOTO BY HELENKA BERNARD
On behalf of Co-op, we sincerely appreciate your support of this year’s event, and for helping make a difference in communities across Western Canada.
Keith Schell
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
October
6-12, 2024 E Space heater safety 101
Fire Prevention Week (FPW) is from October
6 to 12, and this year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!™” It’s a great time to refresh your knowledge of fire safety, particularly if you use a portable heater for extra warmth. Follow these 10 tips to ensure you use your space heaters safely:
Space heater safet y 101
heater on a solid, level and mmable surface Never place heate r on a carpet, table o r piece of furniture. the space heate r at least on e way from combustible materials, such as bedding and curtains.
1. Place the heater on a solid, level and non-flammable surface. Never place a heater on a carpet, table or other piece of furniture.
7. Never leave a space heater unattended, and always turn the heater off when you leave the room or go to bed.
8. Plug the space heater directly into a wall outlet – don’t use an extension cord or power strip. Moreover, don’t plug other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater.
3 Ensure the space heater isn’t in a highpose a tripping hazard.
2. Keep the space heater at least one metre away from combustible materials, such as bedding and curtains.
9. Always read and follow the space heater’s manufacturer manual to ensure you don’t overlook any critical safety instructions specific to your heater model.
4. Inspect the space heater for damaged co rds o r plugs be fo re e very use. I f you notice fraying or damage, don’t use the heater
3. Ensure the space heater isn’t in a high-traffic area or doorway, where it could pos a tripping hazard.
5 Don’t use a space heater in a workshop or garage near flammable paints, gas cans or matches.
4. Inspect the space heater for damaged cords or plugs before every use. If you notice fraying or damage, don’t use the heater.
9 Al ways read and foll ow the spac e heater ’s manufacturer manual to ensure you don’t overlook any critical sa fety instructions speci c to you r heater model.
10. Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors near where you use the space heater and test them at least once a month to ensure they work. These detectors can provide early warning in case of a fire or carbon monoxide leak related to the space heater.
6 Regularly clean the space heater to remove dust and debris buildup, which can pose a re ha za rd if ignited b y the heat.
5. Don’t use a space heater in a workshop or garage near flammable paints, gas cans or matches.
7 Never leave a space heater unattendyou leave the room or go to bed.
6. Rgularly clean the space heater to revove dust and debris buildup, which can pose a fire hazard if ignited by the heat.
8 Plug the space heater directly into a wall ou tlet don t use an extensio n cord or power strip. Moreover, don’t plug other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater
10 Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors near where you use the space heater and test them at least once a month to ensu re
Visit your local hardware store to find a space heater with an automatic shut-off feature that activates if the unit tips over or overheats. This additional safety measure can help prevent accidents and reduce the rist of fire or burns.
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK October 6-12, 2024
Message from Kindersley’s Fire Chief
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK 2024, with the theme “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You!”, focuses on educating the public about the importance of having functional smoke alarms in the home. Smoke alarms are critical for home safety, and this year’s campaign emphasizes keeping them in proper working condition to ensure they can provide life-saving protection.
The initiative addresses a common problem where people dismantle or remove batteries from smoke alarms due to malfunction or frustration, leaving them vulnerable during a fire. Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA, highlighted the serious risk of non-functional smoke alarms and the importance of giving households the knowledge to maintain them.
Key messages for this year’s theme:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area (like hallways), and on every level of the home, including basements.
• Ensure smoke alarms are suitable for all family members, considering sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years, or sooner if they fail testing.
By following these guidelines, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of injury or death in the event of a home fire.
Fire Chief Jeff Soveran Protective Services, Town of Kindersley
Kindersley Hosts 2024 SVFFA Fall Fire School
BY KATE WINQUIST
From Friday, September 27 to Sunday, September 29, Kindersley welcomed firefighters from across Saskatchewan for a significant event—the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighter Association (SVFFA) Fall School. More than 300 firefighter students and 40 instructors came together for this immersive training experience.
The training spanned multiple venues, including the Kindersley Fire Hall, the Kindersley Fire Training Grounds, and the curling rink, while classroom sessions took place at the Kindersley Composite School.
The SVFFA conducts these fire schools biannually throughout the province, providing volunteer firefighters with access to top-notch training opportunities.
Among the courses offered at this year’s school were:
• Fire Fighter Basics
• SCBA
• Ground Ladders and Ropes
• Pump Operations
• Fire Safety Inspections (Visitations)
• Vehicle Fire Fighting
• Vehicle Extrication
• Low Angle Rescue
• Dirty Rescue
• Live Fire Advanced
• Heavy Rescue
• Electrical Vehicle / TBD
• Livestock Rescue
• Wildland Fire Suppression
“The Kindersley Fire Department did an exceptional job hosting this year’s fall fire school,” said Chris Ashfield, Deputy Chief of the Whitewood Fire Depart-
ment. “Training schools like these provide firefighters with the knowledge and skills necessary to allow them to deal with the difficult and dangerous situations that they will face when responding to fire or accident calls. The courses they take are invaluable to help them be better prepared with not only the skills and knowledge but also with the mental ability in what are often very stressful
situations.” Ashfield, who served as an instructor focusing on live vehicle fire training, added, “The fire school also gives firefighters the ability to meet and talk to other firefighters from across the province and share ideas and information that they can take back to their own fire halls to help make the fire services better in all communities. One thing you will find common anywhere you
BY
go is that when firefighters get together at events like these we all become one big family that are there with a common goal — how can we do what we do better and safer for ourselves and the communities we serve.”
Kindersley is also hosting the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs (SAFC) annual convention June 5-7, 2025.
PHOTO
NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
Do fire blankets really work?
Fire blankets are crucial tools in fire safety kits, and it’s essential to understand how to use them for effective fire prevention and management. Here’s an overview of what you need to know.
How do they work?
Fire blankets work on a simple yet effective principle. Made from flame-resistant materials, they work by depriving the fire of oxygen and extinguishing it. It’s important to remember that fire blankets are designed for small fires only. Attempting to tackle larger fires with a blanket can be dangerous and ineffective.
Fire blankets are particularly useful for kitchen fires, where grease and oil can fuel flames rapidly. They can also be used smothering small fires involving electrical equipment or appliances.
Using a fire blanket is easy
When confronted with a small fire, remember the acronym PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. First, pull the fire blanket out of its packaging. Then, aim it at the base of the flames, covering them completely. Next, gently squeeze the blanket to release any trapped air, ensuring optimal smothering. Finally, sweep the blanket across the flames to extinguish them entirely.
Finally, remember to regularly inspect your fire blanket for signs of damage or wear and replace it as needed to
ensure its reliability in an emergency. Ensure a fire blanket is readily accessible to protect your home and loved ones.
5 tips for preventing a fire in the garage
Preventing garage fires is vital for home safety, as this area often houses flammable materials and potential ignition sources. Here are five simple tips to help minimize fire risks in your garage:
1
Keep it clean and tidy. Regularly declutter the garage to prevent flammable materials like paper and cardboard from accumulating near heat sources or electrical appliances. Install shelving or storage bins to keep items organized and off the floor.
2
Check electrical systems. Ensure all garage wiring is in good condition and not overloaded. Consider hiring a professional electrician for periodic inspections, especially if you notice flickering lights or warm outlets. Install and maintain a functional smoke detector for early fire detection.
3
Handle flammable materials carefully. Store gasoline, paint and other combustible substances away from potential ignition sources, such as electrical outlets, to minimize fire risks.
4
Use tools safely. Adhere to manufacturer instructions and safety guidelines when using tools and equipment. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and ensure everyone knows how to use it.
5
Install fire-resistant materials. Enhance garage safety by installing fire-resistant materials like drywall rated for fire resistance or fire-resistant insulation on walls and ceilings. These materials can help contain fires and impede rapid spread during emergencies.
Make your garage a fire-safe zone by staying organized and taking proactive fire prevention measures.
The perfect opportunity to say thank you!
CEN Fire Protection (RM of Chesterfield, Town of Eatonia, RM of Newcombe) OCTOBER 6-12, 2024
Coleville Fire Department
• Justin Becker - Fire Chief
• Sarah Anderson
• Steven Benjaminson
• Jody Brotzel
Eatonia Fire Brigade
• Randy MandelFire Chief
• Brent Aldridge
• Rob Assmus
• Brett Becker
• Dave Becker
• Brent Bews
• Mike Craney
• Chris Cherwenuk
• Tanner Dales
• Dean Ellis
• Sean Johnston
• Codie Cumiskey
• Matt Hoffman
• Brady Larock
• Larry Mandel
• Mark Mandel
• Peter D Mandel
• Peter L Mandel
• Stu Matthews
Eston Fire Department
• Richard Baran - Fire Chief
• Jordan Hutchinson -
• Juandré
• Vasyl Bozhan
• Jamieson Day
• Darryl Elaschuk
• Kevin Fox
• Amber Haug
• Mike Hill
Fox Valley Volunteer Fire Department
• Clayton SarauerFire Chief
• Sean Checkly
• Mikey Dirk
• Patrick Ehnisz
• Brenden Eresman
• Josh Koch
• Ray Napper
• Kolton Obritsch
• Josh Schmaltz
Kerrobert Fire Department
• Caitlynn Alberts
• Luke Alberts
• Greg Bahm
• Dylan Beaudoin
• Devin Charteris
• Dean Ellis
• Dustin Houle
• Chris Kipling
• Chelsea Kissick
• Jace Kissick
• Wyatt Knorr
• Gary Lee
• Dylan McKinnon
• Jordan McKinnon
• Brad Murphy
• Quinton Murphy
• Jason Neufeld
• DJ Pikor
Kindersley Fire & Rescue
• Jeff Soveran - Fire Chief
• Mitch Hope - Deputy Chief
• Tyler Bairos - Deputy Chief
• Cody PhinneyAssistant Chief
• Adam Wake - Captain
• Cody Welker - Captain
• Nathan Ward - Captain
• Josh Goetz - Captain
• Adrean Palm - Captain
• Byron Osmond - Lieutenant
• Josh Rissling - Lieutenant
• Darien Lynch - Lieutenant
• Matthew FrancisLieutenant
• Myles Perrin - Engineer FIREFIGHTERS:
• Wayne Bleile
• Brittany Geldart
• Ron Cales
• Justin Smith
• Jason Behiel
Leader Fire Department
• Jarryd Elsasser - Fire Chief
• John KobelskyDeputy Chief
• Dustin MillerDeputy Chief
• Dustin Andreas
• John Butt
• Rick Garrett
• Dwight Hoffman
• Chris Huber
• Bryce Klippert
• Gordon McMaster
• Jeff Poh
• Dave Redman
• Evan Scott
• Landon Sox
Luseland Fire Department
• Matt Rumohr – Fire Chief
• James Alberti
• Garrett Fluney
• Adam Franko
• Brian Gottfried
• Randy Gottfried
• Niel Kennedy
• Owen Wittig - Fire Chief
• Randy Gill - Deputy Chief
• Albert Tschetter - Captain
• Todd Gramlich - Captain
• Nelson Langridge
• Zac Jansma
• Darrell Kraft
• Brent Laturnus
• Scott Nienaber
• Brendon Obrigewitch
• Tyler Peever
• Jayden Olfert
• Brayden Siwak
• Kyle Murphy
• Dustin Pikor
• Steven Schibley
• Donnie Walsh
• John Meyer
• Darcy Scott
• Damion Smith
• Wade Theaker
• Wes Tilbert
• Bryce Volk
• Jesse Wagner
• Vern Wagner
• Natalie Massey
• Tyler Mills
• Dean Olson
• Olexandr Rudychyk
• Dwayne Schneider
• Johnathon Schneider
• Carson Tumbach
• Jamie Wilk
• James Semilet
• Jon Shepherd
• Quinton St. Pierre
• Jaden Thiessen
• Gord Thompson
• Travis Turnbull
• Brent Zerr
• Nicole Dufault
• Cassandra Annable
• Nancy Jasman
• Toby Severijns
• Tyler Traptow
• Jayson Rivera
• Richard Fuhr
• Wes Gilbert
• Shazeb Gautam
Information courtesy www.kindersleyfire.ca
• Chris Stimson
• Anisten Thom
• Adrian Tschetter
• James Tschetter
• Jared Tschetter
• Austen Watier
• Jason Thrun
• Landon Zimmer
• Matt Siwak –Deputy Fire Chief
• Lane Wenkoff.
• Darius Tschetter
• Ben Tschetter
• Adrian Tschetter
• James Tschetter
• Jared Tschetter
• Chris Ehnisz
• Jim Dietrich
• Tara Wedge
• Colleen Bodnarchuk
Terry Volk – Rest in Peace
Russell Job – Retired as Fire Chief – August 2024
RCMP Report for week ending September 30
UNITY RCMP
• RCMP received a report of a vehicle collision with a train near Scott. There were no injuries. Two traffic tickets were issued to the vehicle driver.
• Members spoke to an individual regarding a property concern.
• Police received a report of a two-vehicle collision at Unity. There were no injuries and no charges were laid. Reported for insurance purposes.
• RCMP received a complaint of trespassing. This matter is still under investigation.
• Members conducted a wellbeing check at the request of a family member.
• Police issued a 72-hour roadside suspension during a traffic stop.
• Members conducted a wellbeing check at the request of a concerned citizen.
• RCMP conducted a wellbeing check at the request of a family friend.
• Police received a complaint of an individual damaging residential property. This matter is still under investigation.
• Members received a complaint of uttering threats but the complainant requested no further action be taken.
• RCMP issued a 60-day roadside suspension during a traffic stop.
• Police received a complaint of trespassing but it was unfounded.
• Members received another complaint of trespassing but there was insufficient evidence to proceed.
• RCMP received a complaint of suspicious individual in a residence yard. This matter is still under investigation.
• Police received a report of an unwanted individual at a business. Members attended and ensured the subject of complaint left the premises. No further police action required.
• A 36-year-old male from Saskatoon was charged with Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle during a traffic stop.
Write Out Loud welcomes Saskatchewan mystery writer
Haunted is the third in Ruth Chorney’s Deer Creek Series following novels Buried and Conspiracy. Her books are filled with characters you might meet at the local Co-op. She focuses on rural situations and relationships, particularly on women of all ages bonding in mutual support. She builds suspense around the complexities of rural culture, and her settings in Northeastern Saskatchewan richly describe daily farm life and the natural environment. Haunted investigates unsolved disappearances and unexplained occurrences.
Chorney is a retired high school English teacher, now editor and registered publisher of 7Springs Books. She’s authored four children’s books, writes for Gardener Magazine, and is a member of the Tisdale Writers’ Group.
Write Out Loud is pleased to acknowledge the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild for their sponsorship of this evening featuring Ms. Chorney.
Write Out Loud commences October 16 at the Swift Current Lyric Theatre. Admission is $8. Doors open at 6:30. Local musicians, Jess Rouleau and Dustin Olmsted, will entertain at 7:00, and Ms. Chorney’s presentation will follow.
• RCMP received a report of an abandoned vehicle. Members located the registered owner.
• Police received a complaint of a single vehicle collision near Unity. There were no injuries. A traffic ticket was issued to the vehicle driver.
• RCMP received a Mental Health Act complaint. Members spoke to the subject of complaint who was left in the care of a family member.
• A 38-year-old male from Unity was charged with Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle during a traffic stop.
• There were also five traffic complaints and three false alarms.
WILKIE RCMP
• RCMP attended the sudden death of a 71-year old male from the Wilkie area. The death was not suspicious in nature.
• Members are investigating a complaint of fraud.
• Police received a complaint of theft. This matter is still under investigation.
• Members acted as mediators in a family dispute.
• RCMP received a report of a vehicle fire in Landis. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department and was not suspicious in nature.
• Police received a complaint of trespassing at a rural farmyard. This matter is still under investigation.
• There were also three traffic complaints and one false alarm.
MACKLIN RCMP
• RCMP received a report of an abandoned bicycle. The owner has not been located.
• A 26-year-old female from Provost was charged with Break and Enter with Intent after Members received a complaint of an individual breaking into a residence.
• Police received a complaint of criminal harassment. Members spoke to the subject of complaint and issued a verbal warning. Insufficient evidence to proceed.
• Members received a complaint of disturbing the peace but there was insufficient evidence to proceed.
• RCMP received a complaint of an individual not complying with conditions of an undertaking. This matter is still under investigation.
• Police received a Mental Health Act complaint. Members spoke to the subject of complaint.
• There was also one false alarm.
Persons with information about crimes being committed in the Unity / Wilkie/ Macklin areas are urged to call the Unity RCMP detachment at (306)228-6300; the Wilkie RCMP at (306) 843-3480; or the Macklin RCMP at (306) 753-2171. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may also call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or *8477 on the SaskTel Mobility Network. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2000.00 for information which leads to the arrest of person(s) responsible for any serious crime. Crime Stoppers is anonymous and does not subscribe to call display, nor are your calls traced or recorded.
You can also submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK
LOYDMINSTER, WEYBURN – An oil show isn’t a typical place for a book launch, but for Stacey Grimes-Wempe, it was fitting. After all, her book was sitting close to the model pumpjack sitting on the counter of her display.
After all, Stacey and her husband Keith are the majority owners of Grimes Sales & Service (2020) (Ltd), a company her late father, Mel, built into an artificial lift powerhouse. The HG pumping unit, with its characteristic curved walking beam, literally changed the landscape of southern Saskatchewan.
Mel Grimes and his partner Paul Cheung sold their interests in Grimes Sales and Service, as well as the Chinese factory that built those pumpjacks, to Schlumberger in the spring of 2014. That was after the death of Stacey’s mother, Margaret, in 2009. A few years later, Mel, too, passed away, in late 2016. And it is those deaths, along with Stacey’s brother, Clinton, in 1997, that formed the foundation of her book – A Million Times We Cry: A memoir of Loss, Grief, Depression, and Ultimately Hope.
It also discusses post-partum depression.
On its release day, the A Million Times We Cry was No. 1 in Amazon’s bestselling books in Amazon’s “Grief & Loss” category. It can be found on Amazon here. The book was self-published via Forefront Books, released on Sept. 10, at the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show. In August, Stacey went to California to spend a few days recording the audiobook version of A Million Times We Cry. It’s now available via Amazon’s audiobook service, Audible.
ing me about the book, and they said it’s been it’s like having a passenger, it’s like being a passenger in your story.”
She said, “We all go through grief, and its kind of a taboo subject, really taboo.”
This is the synopsis of the book, as listed on Amazon: The day after she and her husband moved into their first home, Stacey Wempe’s simple, ideal life in Saskatchewan was shattered. At daybreak, her aunt and uncle arrived at her new home to tell her that her twenty-two-year-old brother, Clinton, had been killed in a tragic accident a few hours earlier. Driving in thick fog to rescue his stranded girlfriend, he drove his truck into the side of a freight train traveling on a rarely used track. This random, tragic event propelled Stacey into a downward spiral of depression and anxiety that lasted years. Prolonged grief extended to postpartum depression after the birth of her son and daughter. Her despair led to marital stress, intensified by her mother and father losing their battles with cancer. In the face of overwhelming sorrow, she struggled to move on but knew she had no alternative. A Million Times We Cry is Stacey’s uplifting story of her fight to regain control of her life, find hope and joy, and move past her anguish. Seeking therapeutic intervention and subsequently displaying bravery and persistence, she embarked on a journey to become a Fearless Living life coach. Ultimately, Stacey confronted the very things she had evaded—her fears, anguish, and insecurities—and embraced herself and her existence. Drawing upon her life’s lessons and life-coach training, Stacey reveals her raw and poignant emotional healing journey that led to a life filled with hope and happiness. Her concluding insights into how others can start their journey to discover healing, hope, and joy are profoundly inspiring.
Four years
In Lloydminster on Sept. 10, Stacey told Pipeline Online, “It took me four years to do it. And it was my grief process after losing my brother and my mom and my dad. And it really is also to leave a legacy. It’s a memoir also. And it also has life coaching questions at the end of the book to kind of help with the grief.
“And so, a lot of people that have been like email-
“It really chronicles my grief throughout the 27 years. I think you always will have grief, but it kind of lessens.”
Even the fact that she was exhibiting at two oil shows this year has been part of that healing journey. Mel was a constant fixture at oil shows, even hauling a large pumpjack to set up at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in 2012. Schlumberger was on a buying binge around 10 years ago, purchasing several Western Canadian artificial lift companies in short order, including Grimes Sales & Service. But eventually it lost interest, and sold Grimes Sales and Service back to Stacey at a much reduced price.
Back in the game
But since buying back the company, the marketing push hasn’t been the same. Day-to-day management is in the capable hands of Kent Lees, general manager and part-owner. But that doesn’t leave him with a lot of time to spend at oil shows. So, with a little bit of encouragement, Stacey decided to start exhibiting, herself.
Her partners in the booth were husband Keith and friend Trina Whelan. Most of Keith and Stacey’s time is spent with their dental business, Scotsburn Dental Centre, in Estevan, where Keith, a dentist, is the lead partner and Stacey, a dental assistant by trade, runs the office. But as the book reveals, the two were high school sweethearts. And so, when Keith was going to dental school, he worked for Mel during the summers, doing everything from painting pumpjacks to setting them up.
“While he was in dental school, (Mel) had him paint pumpjacks,” she said. They were engaged at the time. Thus, Keith knows a thing or two about them when talking to oil show attendees.
And Trina has owned and operated floral shops for decades, so she, too, knows a thing or two about marketing. “Trina’s been amazing, helping me with my
Real people reporting real news
It’s no secret that thousands of news stories are published in Canada each day. From local community features to national breaking news stories, the real people reporting real news in your community work tirelessly to ensure readers have access to credible news they can trust.
But who exactly are the real people reporting the news? It could be the person sitting next to you at your favourite coffee shop or the spectator who cheers on your local little league each week; it’s someone in the community just like you!
And just like you, these real journalists care deeply about their community - so much so that they’ve made it their life’s work to keep citizens informed and connected. At the core of every newspaper is a team of real people committed to telling real stories that impact the lives of those in their community.
story who all have one common goal: keeping our democracy thriving through vibrant, independent and local news media.
Each National Newspaper Week, we celebrate the real people reporting real news for their ongoing commitment to keeping communities connected and our democracy thriving through credible reporting. While they might be people in your community, they are also champions of the truth.
Champions of the truth come in many forms. It could be journalists and photographers who are on the ground capturing these stories as they happen – using the power of words and imagery to make change. It could be publishers and editors who keep their newsrooms buzzing with opportunities to ensure that community stories make it beyond local borders. Or cartoonists who help readers interpret these same stories visually.
There are a handful of powerhouses behind every
Facebook and everything like that, too. She’s been so awesome, helping me.”
Together, they explained to customers the key selling point of the HG jack – its notable energy efficiency over conventional, straight walking beam jacks.
“I think it’s really beneficial to get the word out that we’re family-owned, again,” she said.
“It has helped me, because of all the hard work that my dad and my mom and my brother put in, and we’re carrying on that legacy.” This will be an ongoing thing, she said, taking part in oil shows.
“A lot of people said they didn’t realize that the company was bought back. And so they’re saying, ‘Thank you for carrying on the legacy, and thank you for bringing it back’ and everything like that, and getting out there. We’re getting out there, too.”
Roots run deep
Running businesses has long been apart of the Grimes family. Her mother’s father had Meyer Machining. Her grandfather on her father’s side was mayor of Lampman for 18 years and had a multi-line dealership. Her father took over the dealership in 1973, and got into the oil business in 1985, first as an oil producer, then in the pumpjack business.
His partner, Paul Cheung, was honoured this past June as a Southeast Saskatchewan Legend inductee. Pipeline Online published an extensive article, found here, on Cheung and his partnership with Mel Grimes. The two were strongly linked, and their stories merged.
Indeed, while attending the Weyburn Show,
Trusted newspaper content is more important than ever in today’s world, where disinformation travels faster than the truth. Journalists, not AI, power Canadian newspapers - the most credible source of information that remains written by humans, for humans.
Learn more about National Newspaper Week at www.nationalnewspaperweek.ca or www.ChampionsoftheTruth.ca.
Why We Celebrate National Newspaper Week
National Newspaper Week is an annual opportunity to recognize the critical role that newspapers play in an active and healthy democracy. It is celebrated in North America on the first Sunday in October. Local newspapers deliver vital information to Canadians, connecting local communities across the country and keeping citizens informed, engaged, and connected.
Cheung stopped by Stacey’s booth and said hello. Hugs and perhaps a tear or two were shed. There was a huge smile on his face.
At the Weyburn show, she said it was good to get out there, with the customers “It’s really been amazing. And the connection with people, old customers, new customers, and just hearing our story is really good.” She was essentially stepping into her father’s shoes. Asked if she felt like he was there, with her, she said, “Yeah, for sure, he is.”
Asked what it’s like being a woman owning an oilfield company, Stacey said, “You know what? I feel everyone has really embraced me. So, I really feel it’s part of my connection with people, and part of the history. “When I was little, I used to go into the shop with all the customers and meet with them. So it was kind of going back in time. I hear lost of stories about Dad, and about the farming days and the oil days. It was really humbling, and it was really nice, because I can feel they’re here.”
Stacey Grimes-Wempe, left, Dr. Keith Wempe and Trina Whelan at the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show on Sept. 10.
Southwest Provincial Golf Team has strong showing
BY VALERIE GORDON
The first official SWAC sport playoff, golf, was held at the Cypress Hills Golf Course, commissioned by Tyson Krause (Maple Creek School). There were over 50 golfers (grade 9-12) who took part in the 18 hole competition.
District female champion is Claire Topham (Eastend) and the male champion is Aydan Ross (SCCHS). Also advancing to SHSAA Provincials at Northern Meadows Golf Course (Goodsoil) were female golfers Kayden Meyer (SCCHS) and Dayanara Pahtayken (MCCS) and male golfers Matty Schmiess (SCCHS), Kalen Cocks (Leader) and Trehvan McMorris (SCCHS).
Due to weather postponements for
our district championship, our provincial team had a very short turn around to prepare for the SHSAA provincial golf championship in Goodsoil. The golf team was very competitive and had strong showings at provincials. They competed against the top school 70+ male and top 50+ female golfers in the province.
Congratulations to Ayden Ross (SCCHS) who tied for the BRONZE medal in the boys individual competition. Matty was 12th, Kalen 44th and Trehvan 52nd. Top finisher in the girls competition was Kayden (13th), Claire finished 16th and Dayanara was 29th. The SWAC girls team finished 6th overall and the boys were 7th.
SWAC Cross Country meet will be held on Wednesday, October 2 on the Fox Valley golf course (commissioner Megan Schmaltz - Fox Valley School). SWAC has nearly 200 runners taking part – incredible entry numbers. The walkthrough will be at 11:30 and the first races will start immediately after that (noonish). The intermediate/junior/senior girls and boys will run first as a group, followed by four age group races: pee wee boys, pee wee girls, bantam boys and bantam girls. The top 10 intermediate, junior and senior runners in each age group will advance to the SHSAA Provincial Championship on October 12 (Dixon Hills near Humboldt).
Classifieds
Kindersley & District
Council (KDAC) Tuesday October 8th 7:00 PM Norman Ritchie Community Centre 1023-1st Street West Kindersley, SK Everyone Welcome!
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS
Motor scrapers, dozers, excavators, rock trucks, packers; wide range of machines.
Lots of work all season. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.
Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844
for Kindersley Community All-Wheel Skatepark & Outdoor Family Recreation Area The Kindersley Skatepark aims to be a place for the community to come together & enjoy outdoor events while creating a safe place for kids to learn new skills and gain confidence. Your sponsorship will
AGPRO SEEDS - BUYING HEATED CANOLA, FEED BARLEY & FEED GRAIN. #1 buyer on the prairies, top price paid! For Bids Call/Text: 306-873-0481, Email: sales@agproseeds.com
WANTED
Buying Old Sportscard and Comic book Collections. Especially 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle # 311 and1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky # 18. Highest Prices paid. Phone Robert 1-306-485-8103 or Scott 1-306-485-8774. Robert Jackson Box 262 Oxbow Sask. S0C 2B0. Email:sportscard@myaccess. ca
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Private mortgage lender. All real estate types considered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-4051228 www. firstandsecondmortgages.ca
HEALTH
CANOLA... FLAX
“ON FARM PICKUP”
WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN
1-877-250-5252
CLASSIFIED AD RATES (20 words or less). $10.00 plus GST. Additional words are 20¢ each.
Deadline is Friday noon. 306-463-2211
MISCELLANEOUS
Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.
PROVINCE-WIDE
CLASSIFIEDS. 48 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306649.1405 or visit www.swna. com for details.
Find QUALIFIED, LOCAL EMPLOYEES, using the strength of community newspapers! Visit www.swna.com or call 306649-1405 to find out how!
Leader’s Kalen Cocks participated in the individual competition at Provincials and finished 44th out of over 70+ golfers in the province.
Windy conditions at Leader’s Fall Festival Leader’s Fall Festival
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Please email resume and abstract to: dshapka@steelview.ca Call/Text 780-753-0711
BY JOAN JANZEN
Wind and cool weather didn’t hamper the Fall Festival at Leader on Saturday afternoon, October 5th. Vendors were on hand at the Sandhills Marketplace, a food truck was on site, there were craft projects for the kids, and free apple cider while it lasted.
Entries poured in for the pie baking contest. Visitors could purchase a delicious piece of pie and have the proceeds go to the Leader Food Bank. First, second and third prize winners received Leader Dollars. A lucky panel of judges had the privilege of tasting and evaluating the pies based on creativity and appearance.
Ann Dietrich was playing her accordion while classic vehicles lined up for the Show ‘n Shine. The people’s choice winner took away $200 in prize money. Down the street at the Friendship Centre, chilli dogs, chilli and bratwurst were available.
Responsibilities
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2024
for an interview will be contacted.
PHOTOS BY JOAN JANZEN
Rosetown and Kyle RCMP Weekly Report
• Kyle RCMP received a mischief complaint - damage to a vehicle in Rosetown, SK. There was insufficient evidence to proceed.
• Kyle RCMP are investigating a harassing communications complaint in Lucky Lake, SK.
• Kyle RCMP received a report of a hit and run on Highway 7. There was insufficient evidence to proceed.
• Rosetown RCMP attended a wellness request check in Harris, SK.
• Rosetown RCMP received a complaint of an erratic driver on Highway 4. Members located the vehicle and issued a warning to the driver for distracted driving.
• Rosetown RCMP attended a combine fire - there were no injuries and fire was not suspicious in nature.
• Kyle RCMP received a complaint of an unwanted male at a residence in Rosetown, SK. Members attended and removed the subject of complaint from the residence.
• Kyle RCMP received a report of a motor vehicle collision with a deer. There were no injuries - reported for insurance purposes.
• Rosetown RCMP had a wallet turned into the Detachment. Owner was located and wallet returned.
• Kyle RCMP received a report of a suspicious person near Elrose, SK. Members located the subject of complaint and there was no suspicious activity.
• Rosetown RCMP received a report of an erratic driver on Highway 7. Members were unable to locate the vehicle.
• Rosetown RCMP received a complaint of a suspicious person in Rosetown, SK. Members located the subject of complaint and there was no suspicious activity to report.
• Rosetown RCMP received a report of a motor vehicle collision with a moose near Harris, SK. There were no injuries - reported for insurance purposes.
• Rosetown RCMP received a report of a stolen iPhone from a business in Rosetown, SK. Members located the subject of complaint and the phone was returned - nothing further was required as the complainant requested no further action.
• Rosetown RCMP attended a wellness request check in Rosetown, SK.
• Rosetown RCMP attended a wellness request check in Wiseton, SK.
• Rosetown RCMP received a report of a two motor vehicle collision. There were no injuries.
• Rosetown RCMP attended a wellbeing request check in Rosetown, SK.
• Rosetown RCMP acted as mediators in a tenant dispute in Zealandia, SK.
There were 41 Traffic related charges issued, 1 911 mis-dial call and 2 false alarm calls. Police are asking anyone with information about these or any other crime(s) to please contact the Rosetown RCMP at 306882-5700, Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers anonymously at www.saskcrimestoppers.com 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
tured early farm life in Saskatchewan during harvest.
Wilda Gardner (nee King)
October 8, 1929 – September 24, 2024
It is with sadness that the family of Wilda announce her passing on September 24, 2024 in Vernon BC. Wilda was predeceased by her husband, Jim, in 2011. Wilda is survived by her children, David (Jan), Bob (Jennifer), Kathy (Roger Strutt) as well as 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. She loved being a grandmother and was very proud of all her family. She is also survived by her older sister Shirley Rowland and her younger sister Mary Belyea.
Wilda was born and raised in Saskatchewan. She graduated from Kerrobert High School and went on to Normal School in Saskatoon. She taught in Pike Lake, Lloydminster, Moose Jaw and Edmonton before moving to Kindersley where she taught at both Elizabeth School and the Kindersley Composite School. She lived in her family home in Kindersley for 58 years and was a respected teacher until her retirement in 1985. She taught all of her children and we can all balance a cheque book. Several of her students returned to acknowledge how important she was to their own success.
Wilda met Jim at Summer School in 1951 and they married in 1952. At the time of their marriage, Jim was also a teacher and loved to dance. This was important – we all remember them gliding around the dance floor whenever they could. They moved to Kerrobert where Jim worked for his father-in-law, Gordon King, and Wilda worked as a telephone operator and taught piano lessons. They moved to Kindersley in 1961 and Wilda once again taught school.
Wilda was a gifted pianist and accompanist and was the organist at St. Paul’s United Church as well as the accompanist for the Eastern Star, both for many years. She sang in the church and community choirs as well as with the Bickersons, all a source of great enjoyment. She especially enjoyed her piano and organ duets with her friend, Helen Barclay. She learned to play the marimba in her later years and really enjoyed being part of the marimba ensemble. Wilda was a member of
the Kindersley & District Arts Council, Queen Alexander Chapter of the Eastern Star and Kindersley & District Music Festival. She and Jim delivered meals on wheels for many years and she was a willing volunteer in the community. After Wilda retired in 1985 she started a Kumon Math franchise in Kindersley. She spent her life encouraging children’s learning with a focus on mathematics. She shared that passion with many generations of students. She had a lifelong love of learning which led to her earning three degrees, including a Masters in Mathematics. She also had a passion and a focus on women and girls’ education in developing countries, knowing they could benefit from her attention and donations. Her annual Christmas gift to her children and grandchildren was a card detailing her contributions to these causes on their behalf.
Wilda enjoyed travelling and she and Jim shared many trips with friends – travelling throughout Canada, Europe and the British Isles. When Dad could no longer travel, Mom always said yes to travel (going to New Zealand, Bali, Taiwan, China, Japan, Turkey and the Azores to name but a few) – with her last trip a western Canada rail tour with Kathy where she celebrated her 94th birthday like the queen she was.
She moved to Vernon, BC in 2019 where she enjoyed an active life until she succumbed after a short illness.
Wilda was predeceased by her husband, Jim, parents Gordon and Jean King, sister Verna and infant granddaughter Elizabeth as well as Jim’s parents and siblings.
In lieu of flowers donations could be directed to Plan International Canada - Gifts of Hope (#300-245 Eglington Ave.. E, Toronto ON M4P 0B3) or the Jim and Wilda Gardner Scholarship awarded yearly to a KCS graduate (c/o Masonic Lodge, Box 1422 Kindersley, SK S0L 1S0 – note Gardner scholarship on all donations) or to a charity of your choice.
A celebration of Wilda’s life will take place at a future date.
After a long battle with cancer, it is with a loving heart we said goodbye to our dad at the age of 85 years young.
He was loved and predeceased by his parents Norman Alfred Gropp and Tillie Hecker who were married at Prelate, Saskatchewan in 1937, and Don’s wife of 36 years Elizabeth (Betty) Helman-Gropp who passed in 2015.
Donald Patrick Gropp
February 27, 1939 - August 18, 2024
His life was surrounded by younger brother Gerald (Lydia) Gropp and their children Nadine (Pryce) Wood from Minneapolis-Saint Paul and their children Larson and Ailsa, Nannette (Stacey) Peterson from Calgary, Alberta, and their twin sons Thomas and Adam. Naomie (Keith) Sanheim from Calgary, Alberta, and their daughters Vanessa and Serena.
Donald had a half sister Kathleen O’Connor (Randy Mackey-deceased) from Saskatoon, Sask and her daughter Amanda (Jason) Marien from Saskatoon, Sask. and children Dylan, Aiden, and Cohen. Jordan Mackie from Saskatoon Sask. and children Kendall, Leighton, Saige and Alex.
Donald also had half brother James O’Connor (Heather) from Merritt, B.C., and their child Justin O’Connor (Lynnea) from Kelowna, B.C.
Donald’s extended family includes his devoted step daughter Marie (Jack) Schneider from Davidson, Sask. with their children Jesse (Jenn) Schneider from Regina Beach, Sask. with their children Jace and Jaiden. Clayton (Danielle) Schneider from Davidson, Sask., with their children Ashton, Noah, Lily, and Luke. Wyatt Schneider (deceased) from Davidson.
Devoted step daughter Wyonne Wicks (Wesley)
from Waldeck, Sask. with their children Chelsea (Kent) Westrom from Red Deer, Alberta with their children Johna, Lundy, Elliot, and Oliver. Tanja Wicks (Zac Wolfe deceased) from Waldeck, Sask., with their children Zerek and Viennley Wolfe.
Fred (Brenda) Helman from Sceptre, Sask. with their children Waylon (Linsey) Helman from Okotoks, Alberta and their children Marek and Maddox. Chris (deceased) and Ronda Helman from Martensville, Sask., with their children Brooklyn, Wyatt, and Jake. Josh Helman (Trish) from Medicine Hat, Alberta., with their children twins Hayden and Hunter, and Criss. Jenna (Aaron) Krien from Burstall, Sask., with their children Rhea, Callie and Booker.
Roy and Terrie Helman from Glaslyn, Sask., and their children Greg (Charity) Helman from Bragg Creek, Alberta, with their children Ava and Rowan. Jennifer (Shane) Meikel from Martensville, Sask., with their children Tyler and Carlee Roy.
Don’s bachelor home was a mobile home overflowing with children of all ages for the rest of his life. God blessed him with water fights, pig roasts, Christmas celebrations, laughter and tears. Don welcomed family and neighbours for coffee or drinks. He loved his farm and his routine. Every morning was started with oatmeal, instant coffee and snuff. Afternoon was work and a visit to Sceptre garage and Co-op. Evenings were late night cattle feeding, late night drives, late night news with a late night chocolate bar and now a late night wave goodbye.
TD PLINKO BOARD DONATION! During Goose Festival Days, TD Canada Trust in Kindersley donated all of the proceeds from their Plinko board to the Kindersley & District Plains Museum. They raised a total of $2045! On hand for the presentation were (back row l-r): Hugh McLean, Jeff Graham, Gary Hamilton, Norman Wiggins. (front row l-r): Kerry Hammel, Julia-Lee Mostert (Manager of Customer Experience - TD Canada Trust) and Anna Polsfut. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
ALSASK
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
• Dart Tournament 6 PM at Alsask Lions Hall
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
• Haunted House at the Alsask Recreation Centre 8 PM - 12 AM. Admission: $15. Recommended age 12+. All are welcome. Beer gardens on site until 2 AM.
DENZIL
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26
• Bones and a Meal sponsored by Denzil Rec Board. Steak Supper served from 5-6 PM. Bones starts at 5 PM. $180 per team (includes steak supper). For more info or to enter call/text Mike (306) 753-7343, Tanner (306)-753-7137.
• Denzil’s 37th Annual Fall Fair & Market 11 AM - 3 PM Denzil Community Hall lower level. Lunch will be served at 11 AM and junior vendors will be selling their products. Booklets and forms can be picked up at Pork’s Garage in Denzil. Contact Veronica at 306-753-9672 for more details or to have a booklet emailed to you.
EATONIA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8
• Jr Girls Volleyball
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15
Jr Boys Volleyball
- 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 PM at the EOL Meeting Room. Contact Mila 306-480-2035.
ESTON
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
• “This Is Us” event 7-9 PM at th AGT Community Centre. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
• Eston Winter Kickoff at the AGT Community Centre. U13 Exhibition Game. 19+ Rec Hockey Game.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
• Eston Winter Kickoff Pancake Breakfast 9-11 AM.
• Eston Winter Kickoff - Wiffle Ball Slo Pitch Tournament at the AGT Community Centre | Curling Rink surface. 2nd Annual Battle of the Biscuit (3 on 3). Toonie Bowling. Contact Recreation Director Garrett Turner 306-962-4460 to enter tournaments. Beer Gardens in the Mezz. Booth Open.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
• Pickleball Tourney 1 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
• Level 1 Referee Clinic at the Eston AGT Community Centre. 10 AM. Register online at: hockeysask.ca/officials
- Eston Wheatland Centre Chase the Ace - Draws every Wednesday at the Centre. Ticket sales 4-7 PM. Draw at 7:30 PM. See our Facebook page for details. Lic#LR23-0068.
- Wheatland Centre Potluck Supper fourth Friday of each month 6 PM. $5.00. Bring your own utensils. Coffee & tea provided.
- Wheatland Centre Bingo - 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month 7 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.
FLAXCOMBE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
• Flaxcombe’s 2nd Annual Fall Steak Supper. Cocktails 5 PM. Supper 6 PM. Please contact the Flaxcombe Community Club (Facebook) or by email: flaxcombecc@yahoo.com. RSVP by October 13.
HOOSIER
- Sunday Service Hoosier Community Church 10:30 am at the Community Hall. Contact Joel Hamm 306-460-7056 or Curtis Kornelson 306-460-7327.
KERROBERT
OCTOBER 7-10
• Kerrobert Minor Hockey Power Skating 1 hour sessions at Kerrobert Memorial Arena. Trained by: Trach Power Skating.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13
• Harvest Festival 2024. Stay tuned for more information coming out soon!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23
• 2024 Annual Town Hall Meeting 7 PM at the Prairieland Community Centre (216 McPherson Street).
- Kerrobert Courtroom Gallery featuring Joanne Fagnou Bolen & Olivia Maney “Passing” Show runs until October 28. Gallery Hours: Weekdays 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
KINDERSLEY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8
• Kindersley & District Arts Council (KDAC) Annual General Meeting 7 PM at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre. Everyone welcome!
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9
• SJHL Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers vs Notre Dame 7:30 PM at the Inter Pipeline Arena.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11
• SJHL Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers vs Estevan 7:30 PM at the Inter Pipeline Arena.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
• SJHL Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers vs Estevan 7:30 PM at the Inter Pipeline Arena.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
• Kindersley’s 41st Annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet “Starry Nights” 6 PM at the Elks Hall. Dinner, drinks, games, auctions and fun! All proceeds go towards Ducks Unlimited Canada’s conservation efforts.
• Triple Goddess Market from 11 AM-5 PM at the Kindersley Legion Hall.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
• Caleb Village Fall Craft & Trade Fair 12 - 4 PM. Everyone is welcome.
- 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 306-463-4514.
- 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 PM in the Kindersley Senior Centre OR contact Jill at 306-463-4210.
- PickleBall Outdoor Season meets Monday & Wednesday evenings 6:30 PM and Friday mornings 10 AM at the WCEC outdoor rink. Cost is $50 for the season or $5 drop in. More info call Barry 306-460-8356.
- Fit Fighter Group Class. Helping individuals with Parkinson Disease, Fibromyalgia, MS, Arthritis and mobility issues. Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10 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 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 306-460-6467.
LEADER
- Mondays are Family Fun Night (open to all ages) at the Leader Library 6:30-7:30 PM.
- Tuesdays & Thursday Stretch Exercises 10 AM at the Leader Friendship Centre.
- Wednesdays Toddler Time (ages 1.5 to 3) at the Leader Library 10:30-11 AM.
- Thursdays Baby & Me at the Leader Library 10:30-1 AM 0-2 years old (older siblings welcome)
LIEBENTHAL
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
• 3rd Annual German Supper at the Community Hall. Sittings at 4:30 and 6 PM. Advance tickets only. Deadline: October 13. For tickets or info call/text: Cheryl 306-662-7368, Joan (306) 661-8075 or Randy (306) 628-7775. Also available at Dirks Pharmacy in Leader. Raffle draws. Music by Kangaroo Rats 6:30-9:30 PM.
MAJOR
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
• Major’s Hands at Work annual Fall Supper from 5-6:30 PM at the Major Hall. Take out is available. OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 13
• Major Play Pals Christmas Green Fundraiser. Contact Bailey Kemery at 403-700-7145 to order.
• Smiley Ladies Fashion Show. Advance tickets only $45. Cocktails at 6 PM followed by supper and fashion show. Call 306-838-4213, 306-838-2023, 306-460-9372, 780915-0318.
