Your West Central Voice - February 21, 2022

Ken Francis, MLA Kindersley Constituency

Constituency Office Unit 5, 1001 Main St. PO Box 2620 Kindersley, SK S0L 1S0 Phone: 306-463-4446 kfrancismla@gmail.com Legislative

Pink Shirt Day recognized locally

The nationally recognized Pink Shirt Day usually occurs on the last Wednesday of February every year; however, this year, that date falls during the Family Week break, so the Ministry of Education declared Wednesday, February 16,

2022, as Pink Shirt Day in Saskatchewan. Pink Shirt Day first began in Nova Scotia in 2007. Since then, this day has become an important one for empowering students to speak out against bullying. On February 16, Sun West encouraged all students and staff to wear pink and send pictures and videos of students and staff wearing pink or other Pink Shirt Day activities to be posted on the Sun West website and social media.

sley recognized the day on Friday.

Although most schools acknowledged the day on Wednesday, Westberry Elementary School and Elizabeth Middle School in Kinder-

Monique Schommer, secretary at Elizabeth School, explained, saying “Our school is doing it on Friday as we are having a Spirit Day for our Grade 7/8 basketball teams who have advanced to District playoffs.”

In recognition of Pink Shirt Day, students were encouraged to wear pink, practice kindness and take a stand against bullying.

Possibly more land to be rented out later. All bids considered. Highest bid not necessarily accepted. Approximate closing date: March 31st, 2022.

Staff and students at Elizabeth Middle School (left) and Westberry School (right) wore pink shirts on Friday, February 18th, in honour of Pink Day.

JOAN JANZEN

Your Southwest Media Group

Perks of attending a small rural school

Secretary, Rossville School - Coleville

One of the best things about your children attending a small school like Rossville, is knowing that when they enter those doors there are people there that truly care for them. They are safe. I hope parents feel this way about all schools, but I know it’s especially apparent in a small community school. They are not just a name, they are not just a number. They have a story, and the staff have the time to get to know that story. The staff have the time to get to know the families. They have the time to discover what a student needs to be successful.

Communication is important in any classroom between the parent and teacher. It’s easy to build relationships with your parents when you have a small

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class size. When you build these relationships it allows for open, honest dialogue. It’s beneficial for everybody when the parents can send a quick message if a child has a had a rough morning, or if something is going on at home that the school needs to be aware of. The more communication between parents and teachers, the more chance there is for a student to be successful. Academically, there is no better school than a small school! Any services offered within Sunwest are available at all schools. The amount of one on one-time students receive is unparalleled compared to a large school. Also, the one to one technology we enjoy here at Rossville is extremely valuable to our students. Small community schools have many advantages, we are so grateful for our community school out here in Coleville!

Kindersley Denture Clinic

David J. Anderson D.D. & Caitlin Geiger D.D. 109 - 1st Ave. West, Kindersley, SK 1-306-463-4124

Call today for an appointment.

Kindersley Denture Clinic

David J. Anderson D.D. & Caitlin Geiger D.D. 109 - 1st Ave. West, Kindersley, SK 1-306-463-4124

Call today for an appointment.

Students at Rossville School in Coleville show off their team effort.

JOLEEN SCHEIBLE

Here’s a bit of history humour for you: “Question: Where was the Constitution Act of 1982 signed? Answer: At the bottom.”

Premier Brian Peckford, a former Premier of Newfoundland, is the only surviving drafter and signatory of the 1982 Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The media is remaining relatively silent about Peckford’s recent actions. He is fil-

OPINION

CHECK IT OUT with Joan Janzen

A short history lesson

ing a lawsuit in the Federal Court against the Minister of Transport, to strike down mandatory requirements for air travellers

The former premier shared a short history lesson, noting that for a period of seventeen months, beginning In 1981, ten premiers and one Prime Minister - Pierre Trudeau, began negotiations to put in a bill of rights in the constitution. Midway in the process the Prime

Minister stopped negotiating and decided to go to House of Commons and pass his own law and unilaterally make his own Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Peckford, along with the premiers of Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, B.C., Alberta and PEI promptly told him he wasn’t allowed to do it, and they went to court against the Prime Minister. Eight premiers were opposed; however the

premiers from Ontario and New Brunswick sided with the Prime Minister.

In Sept. of 1981 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in their favour and told the Prime Minister his actions were unconstitutional. “It was a rocky road to get where we wanted to get,” Peckford said. “The Prime Minister was forced back to the table.”

In Nov. 1981 they negotiated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and nine provinces and the Prime Minister signed it in 1982. “It was a national document; it wasn’t a federal document. It represents the nation,” Peckford concluded.

equality before the law.

Now Peckford has had a twenty-page document drawn up, which is clearly written and very concise. It lists Peckford as the primary plaintiff (applicant) along with five other Canadians. Each of the five Canadian citizens tells their own story regarding why they need to fly.

“When you go to court, you have to be very specific, and this law suit does that,” Peckford explained. He said he chose the mobility clause because every Canadian is affected by it.

It’s a Judicial Review lawsuit, which means Peckford is seeking a rescinding of these rules.

“In 1981 I made a proposal to the provinces for a Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a Patriation Act. It was the one that was ratified the next day to become the Constitution Act of 1982, in which your rights as individual Canadians were protected,” he explained. Nine provinces and the Prime Minister signed it. It was a national document; it represents the nation,” he said.

“We want it to be declared that these measures are not consistent with the Charter,” he said. “Section 6 gives you the right to travel anywhere in Canada, or leave Canada, and Section 7 gives you the right to life, liberty, and the security of the person.”

Section 15 of the Charter says every Canadian, from Prince Rupert to Bonavista, from Niagara to Iqaluit (the capital of Nunavut) has the right to

“The Government of Canada is trying to say that they can override those rights through Section 1. Section 1 was to only be used in war, insurrection, or the threat or peril of the state,” he continued. “It wasn’t to be used to try to combat a virus for which there is a

99 percent recovery rate. That’s not a threat to the state.”

Peckford is asking for disclosure from the cabinet of all information relied upon by the Minister of Transport informing the decision that travel should be restricted. “They didn’t have data to prove the legitimacy of the travel ban,” he said. He also posed other questions ... Who did the government consult with? Where did they get the information? Did they go outside their circle to seek information? Peckford noted that in a normal legislative process, this is all made transparent, but it wasn’t in this case.

“That’s why most of the world doesn’t have democracy; it’s a tough thing to sustain. You can create it, but sustaining it is very difficult.”

You can reach me at joanjanzen@yahoo.com

Pop89

On Tuesday, the 15th of February, the PM declared The Emergency Act. I recalled a similar declaration, The War Measures Act, in 1970 when Trudeau Sr. suspended civil liberties in Quebec after a series of bombings by the FLQ. But this week’s declaration is the response to a peaceful, albeit noisy, act of civil disobedience begun by a convoy of truckers parked in downtown Ottawa in what is referred to as the “red zone.”

According to a spokesperson of the protest occupation, which calls itself the Freedom Convoy, the truckers’ demands are: “the end of all Covid mandates and digital vaccine travel apps.” They are not, they assure us, wanting “to overthrow the government, remove elected officials, or have a confrontation with law enforcement.” They would also like to stop being “referred to as racists.”

My sister lives in Ottawa. She lives far enough away from the noise of the red zone so that she’s not as affected by the endless honking as are some. A friend of hers who lives in a downtown apartment measured the noise level at 84 decibels, which is 13x above safe levels. She is part of a volunteer group that walks people home from work at night because they are afraid. Another friend of my sister was spit at, presumably because she was wearing a mask.

“Why would anyone spit at someone for wearing a mask. How is a mask hurting them?” I wondered out loud. “Hell, they’ve been wearing them for pollution in Tokyo for years.”

The mask has become a symbol of safety for some and

We Live in Whole Other Worlds

By Madonna Hamel • madonnahamel@hotmail.com

control for others.

“I will say,” she added. “You never know who will react to the mask. Those you think will, end up being respectful. And the ones you think will be nice are rude.

It’s a whole other world down there. It’s scary,” she said.

She mentioned a group that calls themselves the Ram Ranch Resistance. I looked them up. Their idea of a counter-protest is to jam the convoy’s walkie-talkie app with a hardcore pornographic anthem involving a dozen and a half-naked gay cowboys. The assumption, I guess, is that all truckers are homophobes. Never mind that some of the truckers are undoubtedly gay, is hardcore porn, of any stripe, really a viable response to the situation?

We ended our phone call saying we can use this as “an opportunity to have a civil conversation.” And as always, saying, ‘I love you.”

Mainstream news sources cherry-pick what they see and hear and are heavy on their descriptors. So I started to watch live feeds provided by guys walking up and down the red zone, day and night. With 24hr camera coverage, it’s less possible to hide what’s happening and what’s being said at any given moment. Two of the guys openly support the convoy, and one, an Ottawa resident, is refreshingly quiet. “I welcome everyone on these walks,” he says. “No opinion is wrong. As long as it’s informed.” He stops at red lights even at 5:30 in the morning. So Canadian.

Today Trudeau accused the Conservatives of aligning themselves with “Nazi flag

wavers.” I searched for evidence of that flag. I read blogs, looked for images. I found a video of a black man saying: “I saw that guy, he was carrying that flag, yes. But what people don’t know is he was yelling, ‘you want this to be your flag? Because this will be what happens if we allow draconian measures to continue.’” Then he added, “He had an eastern European accent which makes me think he lived under a Nazi regime.”

Besides the hundreds of Canadian flags, some held aloft with hockey sticks, I saw three Metis flags and several Quebec flags. And plenty of F*** Trudeau flags, which cast a shadow on the hand-written Peace and Love signs. I saw one Don’t Tread On Me flag, with a provenance dating to the American Revolutionary War, since adapted by the Tea Party and later by many white supremacists in the States. In this case, it lay on the hood of a car, held down by a djembe, an African drum, painted the colours of the Jamaican flag. On the windshield was a sign that said: The Creator Sees Everything. The owner was a young

black man wearing a beret, one of six black people I counted during eighteen hours of livecam viewing.

I saw a guy on a stage playing “All Around the Circle” on the tuba accompanied by a woman playing the spoons and three others doing an impromptu jig. I heard one man claim that all the hockey sticks were confiscated overnight by the police. I’m not sure he witnessed the cops or assumed it was them. Someone donated a dozen more, and the kids’ hockey games continued.

Today the new police chief said he has everything in place and is “equipped to escalate if need be.” Will these be the same police witnessed shaking the hands of truckers earlier in the week? Or the ones I saw turning a blind eye to wagon loads of fuel being delivered under their noses? Why are they supporting the truckers? With what exactly are they aligning themselves?

I recall Chris Hedges, author of America, the Farewell Tour, saying in an interview that resistance happens when the police no longer listen to the government but stand with the people. But the people themselves are not of one opinion. Every person has a perspective, and every issue begs to be taken on a case-by-case basis. But I hear, time and again, both protestors and those opposed to the protesters refer equally to Germany during the rise of fascism. And they say exactly the same thing: by doing nothing, they would be standing by and watching the fascists take over.

The vaccine mandate’s intention is to protect a population from contracting a viru-

lent and deadly virus. That’s a responsible and legitimate intention. The passport is not a star of David scapegoating a religious group. Truckers must have digital passes in order to work and show them daily. I myself chose not to get a digital passport on my phone. I have two pieces of paper with my name printed on them by a nurse. I work as a writer in my home, so I rarely have to show them to anyone.

But the protest-occupation has become bigger than the mandate. The mandate was the tipping point. Freedom is the most-used word in the red zone. How does a nebulous yet essential word like freedom translate into the rights and freedoms of every Canadian, many of whom are less interested in the whys of the protest than in when will it be over.

Perhaps a step in ending the protest is to ask ourselves what freedom looks like. Brian Peckford, the last remaining signatory of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, spoke today, saying that the Emergency Act “has been invoked against a peaceful and civil disobedience.” He said it’s like “killing a fly with a sledgehammer.” This protest-occupation reminds us Canada is a country of whole other worlds. (Just ask Indigenous protesters who continue to take a stand against the appropriation and desecration of land.) Some Canadians fear that police will incite violence. Others that the protesters will bring on violence by their stubborn determination to “hold the line.” This country of worlds is watching.

Conservative Party leader must prioritize balanced budgets

BY FRANCO TERRAZZANO Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Balanced budgets mean less government debt for Canadian kids and grandkids to pay back, less money wasted on interest charges and fewer tax hikes.

At best, the last Conservative Party leader paid lip service to balancing the budget. The next Conservative leader needs to make balancing the budget and bringing Canada back to financial sanity a top priority.

Based on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s last budget, the federal government isn’t expected to balance the books until 2070, according to data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

That would cost taxpayers $3.8 trillion just to pay interest charges on the debt over those five decades of deficits. Those are trillions of dollars we can’t use to hire more nurses, reduce

class sizes or leave in taxpayers’ pockets because they’re going to the bond fund managers on Bay Street through interest payments.

Each Canadian’s individual share of the federal debt is currently about $30,000. By 2070, that could reach $67,000. That’s a huge tab that the government is piling on the backs of future generations.

What did previous Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole do to stop this tsunami of red ink?

O’Toole wanted to spend about $50 billion more than Trudeau’s last budget.

“The Conservatives proposed government spending in this fiscal year that was higher than what we proposed,” said Trudeau’s finance minister, Chrystia Freeland.

Other than ending the government’s media bailout, O’Toole’s answer to Canada’s spending problem was to turn

to remote work for government employees. That’s it. Balance the budget one Zoom meeting at a time.

O’Toole said he’d balance the budget within a decade. But how could he balance the budget decades before current projections while spending tens of billions more? O’Toole’s math didn’t add up.

The next Conservative Party leader needs to offer a better vision.

Analysis from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows the federal government could balance its budget in 202324 by returning spending to pre-pandemic levels of 2018-19, adjusted upward for inflation and population growth.

That’s balancing the budget by returning spending to alltime highs. The federal government spent more money in 2018-19 – before the pandemic or any cross-country recession – than it did during any single

year during World War II.

How would the federal government find those savings?

With the government’s massive overspending, finding savings in every area of the budget should be like finding water in the ocean.

The government will have to do the little things right. That means no more spending thousands of dollars on sex toy shows in Germany, or on marijuana simulation kits for the military or on red carpet galas for communications bureaucrats.

The government will also have to do the big things right.

No more giving 312,825 federal government bureaucrats pay raises during a pandemic while their neighbours lose their jobs and businesses.

No more giving businesses like the Ford Motor Company $295 million. Trudeau has announced more than $18 billion in corporate welfare since 2017.

No more increasing the blank cheque that some premiers receive through equalization by $1 billion every year for ever. And no more forcing struggling taxpayers to give the CBC $1.4 billion per year.

Taxpayers expect leadership at the top. That means MPs need to reverse the multiple pay raises they’ve given themselves during the pandemic. Political parties should be forced to repay the $3.7 million they took through the wage subsidy that was meant to help businesses during the pandemic. And former governors general shouldn’t be able to expense taxpayers for more than $200,000 every year for the rest of their lives and up to six months after their death.

There’s still ample fat left to cut in Ottawa. The next Conservative leader needs to make balanced budgets a top priority.

Chinook School Division Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

MALLORY CAWTHRA

Your Southwest Media Group

This past week, February 6th – 12th, 2022, the Chinook School Division in Southwest Saskatchewan celebrated Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. The week provided an opportunity for students, parents, caregivers and any and all community members to show their support and appreciation for the teachers and support staff within their school community. The theme of the week was “Pulling together.”

At Leader Composite School (LCS), teachers and support staff were recognized and celebrated for their hard work and the impact they have had on their students and within the school and local community. There was an online form available for those who wished to submit positive stories about teachers and support staff, and some of the “Thank-You” notes were featured on the Chinook School Division social media account pages.

One parent/caregiver wrote a “Thank-You” note for teacher Lana Marshall, which read, “Thank you for all of the extra hours and heart that you dedicate to Sports and Learning for your students. Your passion for all that you do, to ensure success in our students in Leader is greatly appreciated.” Each note received by the Chi-

Kindersley RCMP renew reminder of the dangers of fentanyl

Kindersley RCMP reminds the public that fentanyl is dangerous – and it’s present in the Kindersley area.

Fentanyl is a very potent opioid pain reliever. It can take many forms: a colourful powder, chunks, pills or patches. It is also sometimes mixed with other street drugs. More information about fentanyl can be found here.

nook School Division was sent to the staff member to read and enjoy; 200 notes were received for the week!

Terri Broderick, who teaches grade 3 at LCS, said that, “We received an overwhelming amount of recognition and appreciation from students, parents and community members. It continually put a smile on all our faces throughout the week!” A student from LCS wrote a note that was sure to brighten teacher Pamela Sifert’s day: “Thank you for always putting a smile on my face even on the hard days.” Yet another parent commented in regards to the pandemic and the many challenges that have arisen, “Our children are watching us. Let them watch us build each other up and show kindness and love. “Blowing someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter,” and “a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”

The Chinook Board of Education and Senior Administration commented in regards to the week that they, “… would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of teachers and staff during another challenging year. They have continued to do an incredible job of creating safe, supportive and engaging learning environments.”

Potential armed and barricaded situation resolved by RCMP

Someone experiencing an opioid overdose may show signs and symptoms that include:

• Slow, weak or no breathing

• Blue lips or nails

• Dizziness and confusion

• Can’t be woken up

• Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds

• Drowsiness or difficulty staying awake

An overdose is an emergency, so call 9-1-1. Emergency responders, including frontline Sas-

A few grains of it can be enough to kill you, so it’s important to know how to identify it. If you think you’ve found fentanyl, contact police. Officers have the training and equipment to safely handle and dispose of it. It’s also important to recognize an overdose.

katchewan RCMP officers, carry naloxone, a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Also, note that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose, including the person experiencing an overdose. The Act protects the person who seeks help, whether they stay or leave from the overdose scene before help arrives. The Act also protects anyone else who is at the scene when help

FARMLAND FOR SALE BY TENDER

R.M. OF NEWCOMBE NO. 260

SW 2-27-24 W3

SE 2-27-24 W3

Closing date for Tenders is 4:00 p.m., February 25, 2022

• Highest tender or any tender not necessarily accepted.

• Offers must exclude GST or any other levies which may be payable by the purchaser.

• Purchasers must rely on their own research and inspection of the property.

• 10% of Purchase price must accompany tender which will be returned if not accepted.

• Offers should clearly state land description and total offer.

• existing bins are included.

Forward Tender to: Sheppard & Miller Barristers & Solicitors

113 - 1st Avenue East, Box 1510, Kindersley, Saskatchewan S0L 1S0

Attention: Monte Sheppard

Please include file 22-6363 when submitting tender.

arrives.

Members of the public can also keep naloxone on hand if they or someone they know is at risk of overdose. Kindersley has a ‘take home naloxone kit’ program available free of charge through the Kindersley and District Health Centre. Naloxone can also be purchased at the Saskatchewan pharmacies on this list.

Kindersley RCMP responded to a further 25 calls for service between February 7th to February 13th. These calls included which included, but were not limited to, 2 break and enters, 4 suspicious persons calls and 1 mental health act call.

If you need to report any suspicious activity in your community, please contact the Kindersley RCMP detachment by calling 306-463-4642 or their local police service. Information can also be provided anonymously through Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers by calling 1800-222-TIPS (8477) or submitting a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

Online Crime Reporting can be accessed at: https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/saskatchewan.

Kindersley, Sask. RCMP resolved a “potential armed and barricaded situation” Friday morning at an apartment building.

An earlier news release sent at 5:30 a.m. said RCMP officers and Rosetown Traffic Services were responding to the situation on the 100 block of Main Street. The building was secured by police officers, traffic barricades were put up and residetns were asked to avoid the area.

At 10:20 a.m., RCMP said the situation had been resolved and the suspect was apprehended without incident. There were no reported injuries.

Kindersley RCMP thanked the public for cooperating with police officers and Rosetown Traffic Services and the Town of Kindersley for helping them resolve the situation safely.

There are uplifting stories, there are stories that are perfect for Hollywood movies, and then there’s Max Parrot’s story.

The Quebecer won Canada’s first gold medal of the 2022 Winter Olympics, but the slopestyle medal he won — he won silver in the 2018 games in PyeongChang, South Korea — almost defies logic. Between his silver medal four years ago and the gold he won in China, Parrot was afflicted with, and overcame, a grave cancer diagnosis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Diagnosed just a few months after his silver medal in Korea, Parrot underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free in July, 2019. The return to championship form as a snowboarder was possible, but probably unlikely.

Now he’s a gold medal winner!

“It just shows how anything is possible,” Parrot told the CBC after his win. “Three years ago, I was laying in a hospital bed with no energy, no muscles, no cardio. And today, I’m an Olympic gold medallist and I did the biggest run of my life.”

Now, about that Hollywood movie . . . how about a documentary? A story in Peo-

The Full Tilt Thrashers spent the February 12 weekend on the road, travelling to Kerrobert for a Friday night game. Was exciting with both teams taking turns scoring, the game was tied 4-4 at the end of the second period. The Thrasher pulled off one last goal in the third to win 5-4.

The boys hit the road again bright and early Saturday morning traveling to Rosetown for a 10am puck drop. The Thrashers played a great passing game pulling off their second win of the weekend 7-2.

SUBMITTED

2021-2022 Sask West Hockey League Award Winners

League MVP:

Derek Keller - Wilkie

Top Defenseman:

Derek Keller - Wilkie

Most Gentlemanly:

Brock Harrison. Wilkie

Best Defensive Forward: Cody McKinnon - Macklin

Rookie of the Year:

Jake Taylor - Edam

Top Goaltender:

Nathan Hargrave - Macklin

Top Scorer: Brock Harrison - Wilkie

1st All Star Team:

Brock Harrison - Wilkie - Forward

Rory Gregoire - Wilkie - Forward

Chris Henry - Biggar - Forward

Derek Keller - Wilkie - Defense

Jordan Fransoo - Edam - Defense

Nathan Hargrave - Macklin - Goaltender

2nd All Star Team:

David Dziurzynski - Kindersley - Forward

Brandon Lesko - Hafford - Forward

Blake Young - Wilkie - Forward

Kendal Fransoo - Edam - Defense

Will Rathje - Wilkie - Defense

Joel Gryzbowski - Hafford - Goaltender

Coach of the Year: Martin Smith - Edam

Harvey Somerville Memorial Award: Stephen Chandler

Inspiring Parrot does it in ‘style’

ple magazine on the Canadian snowboarder said he recently released a documentary film titled MAX — Life as a Gold Medal, which tells his amazing story. The documentary was completed before his inspiring victory in China, so now he’s got gold medals everywhere — a metaphorical one in the title of his film, and a real one in his trophy case.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old snowboarder Mark McMorris of Regina continues to shine on the world stage, and astound onlookers who can’t understand how a kid from the flatlands of Saskatchewan can emerge as one of the world’s best at flying through the air on a snowboard, a specialty normally reserved for residents of mountainous regions. But he captured a bronze medal in the same event Parrot won, giving him three bronzes in as many iterations of the Games, and hoped to win more silverware when the ‘big air’ events were held later in the Games. (Postevent, McMorris said he felt his run was superior to Parrot’s but then did the Canadian thing by apologizing to his team-mate for his comments.)

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Ex-Miami Heat forward Shane Battier said his

actual surname was Battle, but it was spelled incorrectly on his birth certificate. And don’t get me started on Isles winger Cal Clutterbuck.”

• Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: “The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins are now the Washington Commanders, explaining, ‘All of the good nicknames were already taken’.”

• Jack Finarelli of sportscurmudgeon.com, on the new Commanders nickname: “It was nice touch for the team to name itself after President Biden’s dog.”

• Raiders punter A.J. Cole, on the Pro Bowl, reprinted from Dan Gartland’s SI:AM: “Probably my favourite stat line I’ve ever had: Got zero

punts, three holds, two halftime hotdogs.”

• Blogger Patti Dawn Swansson, on the huge competitive gap in women’s hockey between the top two teams, Canada and the U.S., and the rest of the world: “Nothing has really changed with the Swedes, the Swiss, the Russkies, the Finns et al in the past dozen years. Livestock walking into a slaughterhouse have a better survival rate.”

• Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com (Hampton, Va.):

“Cross country skiing isn’t a sport; it’s how Scandinavians go shopping.”

• Another one from Jack Finarelli, at sportscurmudgeon.com: “In nine Super Bowls, there has been a starting quarterback named ‘Joe’ — Namath, Kapp, Montana (four times), Theismann, Flacco and now Burrow. In 10 Super Bowl games, there has been a starting QB named “Tom” ... Brady.”

• Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “The medal ceremony for the team figure skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics was delayed because a Russian skater tested positive for a banned drug. It wasn’t 15-yearold Russian Kamila Valieva. She would only test positive for Flintstone Vitamins.”

• Kaseberg again: “Aaron Rodgers won the NFL’s MVP. One thing for sure, MVP does not stand for Most Vaccinated Person.”

• Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “ SiriusXM fired PGA Tour Radio analyst Mark Lye after he said on-air ‘I’ll shoot myself’ rather than watch a WNBA game. Now they call him Unplayable Lye.”

• Bills WR Stefon Diggs, via Twitter, on facing his younger brother — Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs — in the Pro Bowl: “I break the huddle and look across from me I see one of the best players in the world and guess who changed his diapers.”

• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, on iconic boxer Floyd Mayweather owning a NASCAR team: “Brace yourself, Floyd, because you are about to go from ‘Money’ Mayweather to ‘Spend Money’ Mayweather.”

• Another one from RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com, on the NCAA approving unlimited snacks for athletes: “Or as they call it in the CFL, playoff bonuses.”

Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca

Sports with Bruce Penton

Ayla Stevens (left) and Emma Torrens (right) helped the Junior Kobras basketball team capture the District Championship on Wednesday. They defeated Rosetown and Kenaston to claim the title. | PHOTOS BY KATE WINQUIST

Kerrobert Tigers’ Tyson Wuttunee officially retires from SWHL

JORDAN PARKER

Your Southwest Media Group

The oldest active player in the Saskatchewan Western Hockey League retired Saturday after 20 years of playing senior hockey.

Kerrobert Tigers captain Tyson Wuttunee had family and friends present. His parents gave a special blanket and sweetgrass to Tigers coach Brad Murphy, honouring a tradition in First Nations culture.

The player’s wife, three young girls, and brother Sheldon – a former player also – were also on-hand.

“The feeling during that ceremony was pretty emotional. I couldn’t believe I was going to finally be done playing competitive senior hockey. I still remember my younger days when I’d be ready to battle Friday and Saturday nights,” he said.

“All these memories just flooded back, but I know it’s time. I want to relax and hopefully now use my experience and knowledge to help the youth around Kerrobert. My memories will always just remind me how much I love this game.”

It’s been a long, winding road for Wuttunee and one that’s come full circle for the amiable star. Right out of junior, he was supposed to play at Notre Dame as a 21-year-old. He made the decision to stay and play senior hockey in North Battleford.

“I just made the decision to stick around and stay home and play,” said Wuttunee, who would go all over the area in his two decades.

would play two more seasons (scoring 98 points) before he headed to the Unity Miners, Laval Chiefs, Eston Ramblers and the Biggar Nationals across the province.

He returned to Kerrobert full-time in 2015-2016, and he’s now finished his career in the place he calls home.

“I met my wife here playing. I have three beautiful daughters, and my wife is a teacher,” he said. “I own my own excavating business now, and I’m so fortunate for the road senior hockey took me down. I’m lucky for the life I have now.”

Wuttunee decided to hang up his skates when he realized just how busy the whole family’s schedules were getting.

“My oldest is 11 and plays U-13 girls hockey. My middle girl is nine and busy, and my baby is seven and always has things going on. We could have ten games in a weekend, and my wife has been holding it down,” he said.

“I’m out running my company, and then dad comes home and has games all weekend too. It was time to shut it down and devote some time to my kids. I’m so fortunate my wife did this for so long, and I can’t thank her enough.”

His spouse Robbi Wuttunee was by his side for the incredible ceremony, and he was so happy to have that send-off.

“I phoned my family and made sure they’d be there. My parents presented the blanket for the team. It’s something we hold dear in our culture, and it’s presented to someone you have high respect and appreciation for,” he said.

He played for the Senior Cut Knife Colts in the North Saskatchewan River Hockey League, where he won the scoring race and was MVP. He then made a AAA senior run with his brother Sheldon in Battleford.

It was the 2002-2003 season where he played 21 games in the SWHL for the Tigers first, racking up 54 points. He

“My parents gave me a blanket as well for being their son, and in recognition of my accomplishments over the years. It was bittersweet, but to share this was so special. I know I’ve turned heads here over the years, but being able to share my culture and be in the community, school and do my part is so important.”

Kerrobert Tigers head coach and executive member, Brad Murphy, was one of the presentors at a special Feb. 12 ceremony honouring Tyson Wuttunee’s retirement.

Former Tigers defenseman and Tyson’s brother, Sheldon Wuttunee, played three seasons with Kerrobert. He was happy to be there for the night meant to honour his brother.

“From a big-brother, little-brother perspective, I’m just so proud of Tyson and what he’s accomplished on the ice. He’s a fantastic player and shows up to play every night. He’s been able to accomplish a lot in his own right,” he said.

“You see the young guys looking up to him in Kerrobert. He’s seven years younger, and it has been amazing to watch him grow. He took to hockey naturally, and the town embraced him as a player and a person. He has a genuine nature about him, and he tries his best to take care of everybody.”

He said his brother always plays fair and plays with class, with an incredible skill level.

“I couldn’t always say that for myself. I was rougher, tougher and chippy. To see him last that many years was amazing to watch. We won the league championship together in Kerrobert, and to have that with your brother is so special,” he said.

“That has carried Kerrobert over the years. It’s the last senior championship they won. The fans hold that team in high regard. Tyson has just done an amazing job, and I think he’s regarded as a top point-getter among players.”

They’re from Red Pheasant Cree First Nation reserve, and he says the relationships between First Nations and non-First Nations haven’t always been positive. But the older brother and Chief is also the President & CEO of the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence.

He said Tyson always worked hard to build relationships.

“There’s been such an impact offthe-ice too. The town has done a good

job recognizing and embracing Tyson, his family and his kids. They moved to host mini-powwows at the school. To see our Treaty Six flag and Metis flag the other night and see his daughters skating it around the ice was such an amazing thing,” he said.

“It brought tears to my eyes. It shows the impact Tyson, his wife and kids have made in that community.”

He said his brother is deserving onthe-ice, and he’s happy to see his jersey retired. But there’s so much more.

“The non-First Nations folks in Kerrobert have recognized and included him, and it’s truly what hockey is about. It’s about people raised differently and from different families who come together,” he said. “To pull that into a team concept and find a way to work and battle together is incredible. I’m so proud of everything my brother has done on-the-ice and off-the-ice.”

Retiree Wuttunee also knew it was time to step aside now and give others a chance to shine and take on a more significant role.

“Being the oldest guy out there, I was meeting kids who used to watch me in the stands. I’d play against guys who would tell me they used to look up to me. The respect I had on the ice was bar none,” he said.

“But I wanted to concentrate on my kids and give a chance for some of these young guys to come up and play more. I did a few more years to help the guys coming from junior to step into larger role.”

He said it’s important to him that the much-loved game in the province continues to find grounding and passionate players.

“I just want to make sure the talent in Saskatchewan just keeps coming. I look forward to helping with the game in other ways in the future,” he said. “I

was really happy I didn’t get hurt, and I wasn’t struggling to play. I got to leave on a high note.”

He’s got a few offers on the table but hasn’t quite decided what’s coming for him in the future.

“I sharpen skates for kids in the community, and I don’t think I’ll ever get out of the game. I love it too much. I have a power skating program in the spring in Kerrobert, and I’m coaching a U-13 girls team in Kindersley,” he said.

“I will remain involved and keep my options open. But first and foremost, I want to coach and help my daughters as much as I can.”

Wuttunee will always remember the two decades he spent in rinks and carry those experiences with him into this new life chapter.

“I am so happy I helped all these small towns and communities have better hockey, and filling rinks with fans

is something I’ll always hold dear. I appreciate everyone who’s helped me and been there for me along the way,” he said.

“I just want Saskatchewan to keep hockey and senior hockey alive. I hope I can inspire other kids to follow their dreams and never stop playing.”

ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT

Tyson Wuttunee stands with his wife Robin, parents and family following a special ceremony honouring his retirement from the Kerrobert Tigers on February 12. | PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRACEY CHOLIN

BY BRIAN ZINCHUK

ESTEVAN – February is typically the busiest month of the year for oilwell drilling in Saskatchewan, but the largest players have dramatically reduced their programs compared to previous years, even though oil prices are now in the US$90/bbl. range for benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil. According to Bloomberg, Western Canadian Select (WCS) was US$76.45/bbl. and WTI was US$89.50. Both benchmarks were very close to its highest points in at least 7.5 years.

Drilling rig counts are a key leading indicator of activity in the industry. You don’t frac a well, complete it, produce it, truck or flowline its product, or perform maintenance on it unless that well is drilled first.

According to RiggerTalk.com, publisher of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CAOEC) rig data, as of Feb. 9, there were 31 drilling rigs working in Saskatchewan, either active or moving. The CAOEC website noted there were 226 active rigs in Canada. Alberta had 174, British Columbia had eight, Manitoba had six, and there were seven listed as “other.” There were 463 land-based drilling rigs registered across the country, a little over half of what it was a decade ago. Two offshore rigs were also listed.

Notably, Saskatchewan’s two largest oil producers, Cenovus Energy and Crescent Point Energy, have substantially diminished drilling programs compared to what they ran even during the darkest days of the oil downturn, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the period of January 2015 to March, 2020, Crescent Point would frequently employ over 20 rigs in Saskatchewan around this time of year. Currently, they only have five, three in southeast Saskatchewan, and two in southwest Saskatchewan.

Last year Cenovus bought Husky Energy. Husky had historically been Saskatchewan’s largest oil producer for decades, used to run 10 or more rigs in northwest Saskatchewan prior to their shift away from cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS) and towards thermal development. However, prior to COVID, they would still typically run around six rigs in this time of year, drilling for their numerous thermal projects. Each of those cookie-cutter SAGD projects, all-in, cost between $250 and $350 million. With just one rig go-

ing, Cenovus has effectively paused most of its drilling development for much of the area, compared to Husky’s previous activity levels.

Rundown

In southeast Saskatchewan, 13 rigs were working. Adonai was working south of Carnduff. Spectrum was south of Oxbow. Tundra had one rig at Roche Percee. A cluster of rigs were working 10 kilometres east of Benson, at Woodley. They included Midale Petroleums, Surge, Aldon Oils and Whitecap Resources. Whitecap Resources also had rigs at Lampman and in the Weyburn Unit.

Allied Energy Corporation had a rig just west of the Weyburn Unit.

Crescent Point Energy Corp. had rigs at Forget, Viewfield and southeast of Ratcliffe.

Moving over to southwest Saskatchewan, Crescent Point also had two rigs in the region, with one north of Shaunavon and a second between Eastend and Frontier.

North American Helium showed a rig working southwest of Mankota. Weil Helium has an idle helium processing facility southeast of Mankota. Whitecap also had a rig working due north of Gull Lake.

West Central Saskatchewan had 11 rigs going. Baytex had rigs at Elrose, south of Superb, Teine Energy had rigs at Plato, north of Kindersley, and Hoosier.

Whitecap had rigs working at Plenty, south of Dodsland,

Strathcona Resources had one rig northwest of Kelfield.

Ish Energy had a rig working within spitting distance of the Kindersley weigh scales, west of Kindersley.

Longshore Resources LTd. had a rig just south of Evesham.

Northwest Saskatchewan had just three rigs working. Baytex had one rig south of Maidstone, while Canadian Natural Resources had one rig northeast of Maidstone.

Cenovus, which bought Husky last year, had just one rig working south of Edam. During most of the oil downturn until 2020, Husky used to operate around six rigs in this region prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online. Articles are used

Meili takes his own “walk in the snow,” steps down as NDP leader. The last two years he focused almost exclusively on COVID, and very little on energy

BY BRIAN ZINCHUK

SASKATOON – Ryan

Meili announced on Feb. 18 he is stepping down as leader of the New Democratic Party. The 46-yearold Saskatoon Meewasin MLA was initially elected in a byelection in March, 2017. He had sought the leadership in 2009 and 2012, ultimately gaining success in his third attempt in 2017.

In announcing his resignation in Saskatoon, Meili spoke of “taking a walk in the snow,” a clear reference to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who famously decided to resign after taking his own walk in the snow, in February 1984.

He made the announcement just days after a byelection loss to the Saskatchewan Party in the Athabasca riding in the extreme northwest corner of the province. That riding had been an NDP stronghold under Buckley Belanger for over two decades.

“I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done as a team over the years but it would be foolish to not mention what we’ve been through,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has had so much impact on all of our lives. And I think about what we’ve seen from that first wave, when the Sask Party had instead planned to have a snap election and pretended the pandemic wasn’t coming. And we stood up and spoke up boldly and clearly that we needed to act and protect Saskatchewan. In the second wave when we were hit so hard when seniors homes, that we’ve been raising the alarm about for years, saw dozens and dozens of people lose their lives preventable deaths. The third wave, when Regina was shut down, after Scott Moe saw the modeling that showed the cases were on the rise and still chose to relax restrictions. The fourth wave, when again he ignored the evidence, and we ended up seeing people have to be shipped halfway across the country to get care, thousands losing access to essential cancer care, surgery, and more. And today, here we are in the fifth wave. We don’t even

know what’s truly going on.” Meili said.

Indeed, nearly every communication from the New Democratic Party since the onset of the pandemic has been focused almost exclusively on said pandemic. Nearly every question in question period raised by Meili focused on the pandemic, invariably calling for more restrictive measures. In recent weeks, Pipeline Online had three times requested comment from the party on energy issues, but did not receive a response on the questions posed.

Meili continued to accuse Premier Scott Moe of “hiding the numbers.”

He said, “I have no regrets about speaking up for public health actions. And no regrets about saying we have to be courageous and tell the truth, and not simply pander. The only regret I have is that we weren’t able to force this government to take COVID more seriously, to act to protect people’s lives, to protect our health system, to protect people’s jobs. Scott Moe has failed us, and I’m sorry we weren’t able to force him to do better.

“But as I’ve been thinking about this, because I know that this pandemic is going to end, and no one can say exactly how or when. But I feel with the widespread availability of vaccines and therapeutics, we are on the brink of a new phase. I’m excited about that new phase.

“But I really did take that walk in the snow the other day, and no joking, I really was thinking about Peloton, and how, at the beginning of the pandemic, everybody want-

mier Brad Wall. Former Premier Lorne Calvert, who lost to Wall, was succeeded by Duane Lingenfelter, Cam Broten, and now Ryan Meili.

Meili said, “You don’t become the Leader of the Opposition to stay Leader of Opposition. You do it to become premier, that’s not going to happen.”

ed the indoor exercise bike. That was the thing. And now, nobody wants one. And you know, I get it. People want to move on from this time. And as someone who’s become so associated with masks, with mandates, with calling for the tough things that needed to be done, I know it’s going to be very difficult to no longer be associated with that. At a time when people are looking for something, I believe that we need a new voice.”

Meili said he would stay on as leader until a new one is chosen. “I hope that it will happen soon,” he said of the leadership race.

“When there’s a new leader selected, I will move on,” Meili said. Whether he sticks around after that is yet to be decided, as he noted, “A former leader can be a help, and can be a hinderance.”

Meili downplayed the significance of the byelection loss, saying “It’s really that larger question about what kind of voice we need going forward.”

He’s been thinking about this change “most seriously in these last couple of months.”

Meili said he would tell the next leader to “Tell the truth, keeping honest with Saskatchewan people. Be direct. It may not seem like the right thing. It may not seem like the most successful thing to do, politically. But people respect integrity. They respect when you’re genuine and sincere. And I believe that’s at the heart of New Democrats.

Meili is the fourth NDP leader to fall since the initial election of the Saskatchewan Party in 2007 under former Pre-

“And that there were people who had a lot of hope in me. People who put a lot of effort and support behind the campaigns that I’ve been part of, and I’m really grateful for that support and, and sorry for those who I’m disappointing today. But I do feel that this is the right choice,” he said.

“This is an opportunity for Saskatchewan New Democrats to have a new voice, and for people that Saskatchewan. It’s not like people are impressed by Scott Moe, by the Saskatchewan Party, but they’re looking for a real alternative. I believe this is the opportunity for the NDP in that real alternative.”

Whitecap Resources Inc. is currently looking for Summer Students in our WCSK (Kindersley/Kerrobert/Dodsland), area.

The work term will run from May 2022 to August 2022. This time frame is flexible for starting earlier or ending later.

These positions may include conducting general oilfield maintenance, operation of oil wells & facilities and engineering support.

Candidates should be enrolled in a post-secondary program with preference given to engineering, technology and environmental sciences. Proof of enrolment is required.

Safety training will be provided to successful candidates. A valid driver’s license is required.

Please send a cover letter and resume to: Kayla Flanagan (WCSK) kayla.flanagan@wcap.ca

Overview:

INDUSTRIAL MECHANIC

Teine Energy is an oil and gas company and is one of Canada’s largest privately held energy companies. We look for ways to evolve, improve, and innovate our approach to every aspect of our work. Teine strives to deliver sector-leading returns while supplying the world with environmental and ethically sourced energy. We enrich our communities through the contributions and development of our extraordinarily talented people, and we are always on the lookout for top people for opportunities, such as the following listed below.

Teine Energy Ltd has an immediate position opening for a full time Industrial Mechanic for the Kindersley Area. The successful applicant will report directly to the Maintenance Foreman.

Duties:

• Small Engine repairs and service (Ranges from small water pump Honda motors all the way up to GM 8.1L)

• Pump Jack inspections and repairs (need to be able to climb and work at heights)

• All types of Pump Repairs and Servicing

• Air Compressor Repairs and Servicing

• Cleaning, parts stocking, maintenance of area maintenance shops

• Monthly cost tracking of parts or supplies bought

• Working on computer for safety training, daily work orders on our maintenance system, emails

• Some gas compression service and repairs

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• This is an hourly contract position

• Company must be Incorporated

• 9 days on, 5 days off (Minimum 9 hours/day)

• Minimum 5 Years of maintenance and mechanical experience

• Journeyman in heavy duty, gas compression or automotive an asset as well as pump maintenance and overhaul experience

• Basic computer skills required with good understanding of Microsoft Office

• Must have effective communication skills, be organized, able to work alone with minimum supervision

• Must supply own truck with tools, generator or inverter, air compressor, cell phone with good data plan and laptop

• Will need to have H2S, First Aid/CPR, Fall Protection safety tickets up to date before starting

Please apply online and submit your resume to www.teine-energy.com/careers

We appreciate the interest of all applicants, however,

Ryan Meili during the 2020 provincial election, Photo by Brian Zinchuk, at the time Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online. Articles are used with permission.

Eston felled by Outlook in first playoff round

JORDAN PARKER

Your Southwest Media Group

The Eston Ramblers find themselves on the outside looking in for the next round of the Saskatchewan Valley Hockey League playoffs.

After a triumphant 3-2 first game win against the Outlook Ice Hawks, they dropped two consecutive games and were eliminated from second round contention.

“It really stung, and it took a few days to get over it,” said coach Justin Oliphant. The team lost 5-2 and 5-3. During their bye week, they’ll prepare for provincial action against Kindersley.

“We just need to regroup, because we have a big series coming. We need to get up and get ready for our first game back the 21st.”

Oliphant says there were a number of reasons why the team had some difficulties following their big win.

“We really ran into some penalty trouble,” said Oliphant of the Feb-

ruary 6 game two, played in Outlook at the Jim Coock Centre.

Steven Turner ended up in the box for four minutes, and both Cam Oliphant and Carter Berg had two minutes each.

“We just had a loss of momentum in the second period and couldn’t recover,” he said, though assistant captain B.J. Somerville and Brandon Kuse both found the back of the net.

The third game had an undesirable outcome for another reason. On February 9, the 5-3 loss came, in part, due to some injury issues among defensemen.

“Brandon Kuse and Matt Pufahl are day-today, but they got hurt in the first period of that game,” he said.

“Our bench was short and we just ran out of gas. It was a good game overall, and we were up 3-2 going into the third. But we ran out of steam and couldn’t recover.”

Jesse Ismond nabbed a pair of goals, and Jesse

Duchscherer also got one. Now, Oliphant is planning a road trip to scope out their competition.

“I haven’t seen Kindersley play in a long time, and this weekend I’d like to see them. I want to go do a scouting report,” he said.

“I know they’ve got some really good guys, like Shayne Neigum. The brothers David and Darian Dziurzynski, and even Steve MacIntyre could provide a few big hits.”

For Oliphant, he just wants to get back on track and see the team work hard.

“We played good last game, we just need to build off of it. We can play the same type of game, and we should be fine,” he said.

Forward Cam Oliphant – cousin of coach Justin – wasn’t happy with game two, but did see some things to bring with them from the third game, despite elimination.

“Sunday we couldn’t score on our chance, but Wednesday we had some guys sick and away,” he said. “We needed everyone to win. We lost some key ingredients in the first and had some bad luck. We just didn’t have the forces we needed to compete.”

“They have two lines that can score, one that works hard, and great defence. We played a good game, but they pushed

hard.”

There are intangibles that need to happen, and the team couldn’t have worked on them in practice.

“There are certain things that just need to go right for you in the playoffs. You need bounces, and the luck wasn’t on our side,” he said. “That’s just hockey sometimes. We didn’t get the breaks, and we lost against a good team.”

For Oliphant, they just need to get back to what they do best when they play provincials against Kindersley.

“We just need to get back to work. Provincials is another beast. We should take the positives out of the first round,” he said.

“We can take the good things, the things we need to work on, and put our best food forward. It will be a series with lots of fans, and will be fastpaced.”

SPORTS NEWS?

Leader curling team advances to championship

By Valerie Gordon

Junior curling sectional playoffs were held on the Feb 11/12 weekend. The top two teams from each section advance to the Junior SWAC Championship on March 4 / 5 hosted by Fox Valley.

Rolling Hills Open:

1st - SCCHS (Troy Oakman, Aryn Thibault, Levin Weibe, Mitchell Friesen, alternate: Emily Phan). 2nd - Ponteix (Blake Cloutier, Alyssa Thingudd, Nick Severson, Rory Scully, alternate Collin Scully)

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

Rolling Hills Boys: 1st - Gull Lake (Tyler Lamarre, Zach Dysart, Lucas McMillan, Trusten Kirwan, Cohen Haithwaite) 2nd - Ecole Centennial (Jake Wiebe, Perrin Lemire, Isaac Siemens, Coleman Nelson)

Rolling Hills girls:

Ecole Centennial (Daphne Dyck, Lily Ferguson, Nicole Pelletier, Lillian Radtke)

Cypress Hills Open:

1st Maple Creek (Dayton Cronkite, Luke Moorhead, Bradyn Unger, McKenzie Ouffie)

2nd Hazlet (Tessa Todd, Braden Baumann, Teagan Emms, Arianna Berg, alternate: Aimee Brown)

Cypress Hills Boys:

1st Maple Creek (Cooper Udal, Peyton Moorhead, Robert Parsonage, Cecil Baynton)

2nd Fox Valley (Brock Schell, Hunter Glass, Lucas MacPhail, Ashton MacPhail)

Cypress Hills Girls:

1st Leader (Grace Wickenheiser, Kyra Strutt, Rachel Cocks, Sam Silbernagel)

2nd Maple Creek (Kellee Parsonage, Emelie Baynton, Maisey Cronkite, Kate Bandy, alternate: Bracelyn Bowyer)

Whitemud Open:

1st Val Marie (Elizabeth Legault, Ashlyn Mything, Ethan Mything, Dominic Andrea, alternate: Deverick Beauchamp)

2nd Eastend (Beau Barton, Izzy Gordon, Jewels Armstrong, Pheonix Den Hollander, alternate: Gabby VanSandt)

The Fox Valley girls will also participate in the upcoming Swac junior girls curling championship (as host). Skip Kierra Herter, 3rd Grace Bosch, 2nd Kelsey Hoffart, lead Amara Weiss.

For the latest results for our SWAC teams, follow SWACSports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Grace Wickenheiser, Kyra Strutt, Rachel Cocks, Sam Silbernagel with coach Jennifer Wickenheiser

Kindersley Klippers suffer weekend setback

JORDAN PARKER

Your Southwest Media Group

After a significant turnaround, the Klippers dropped two of three games over the weekend. It began with an 8-1 trouncing on Friday, February 11 by the first-place Estevan Bruins, followed by a rebounding 4-2 win against Weymouth before they lost 4-2 to Notre Dame on Sunday.

Assistant Coach Mitch Topinka says it wasn’t the weekend the team hoped for or expected.

“Friday we were truly hoping for a different outcome. It just seemed like the guys packed it in and accepted the loss before it even happened,” he said.

“There were some bounces that easily could have gone our way, but didn’t You have to hope you get those good bounces, and we really didn’t. The score wasn’t reflective of the game, but we also didn’t deserve to win.”

Saturday’s game was a different story. The team had a slow start, but then came back with four unanswered goals to win it.

“It was a bit of a pullyour-hair-out moment. This time of year we can’t afford games like that. Then we had a slow start Sunday, and ended up down. We battled back,

but it was too big a hill,” he said.

They could have come out of the Notre Dame game five points ahead, but now find themselves battling just one point apart for the last playoff spot.

“It’s a bit disappointing. The team needs fire in their bellies. Once again we had a heck of a time with bad bounces,” he said. “It just wasn’t a great weekend overall. We need to pull up our socks a little higher.”

In three games over the weekend, the Kindersley squad managed just one goal on 14 powerplays, the lone time they struck being against Estevan, during a game where they had eight man-advantage chances.

“They have a great penalty kill, but you need to bury those. I’ve been saying all year that they need that killer instinct. They just don’t have it,” he said.

“When you go up against the first-place team in their own barn, and you have eight powerplays, you need to put it away.”

The Estevan game also saw players Tylin Hilbig and captain Jaxon Georget sent into the dressing room in the final four minutes.

“Nothing against the officials, but there are calls that could have been made and this would have been done and over with. But Georget got a cheap shot, and things went on,” said Topinka.

“Tylin had enough and stepped in. There was a big scrum in front of the bench. Ty took two guys, Georgey had one, and everyone else pair off.”

Forward Tylin Hilbig just wasn’t happy with the way the game was being played.

“One of their players took a baseball swing at Nathan DeGraves, and Jaxon and I stuck up for him. There was a little scrum, but that happens,” he said.

“It was a tough weekend. We had bad starts to all three games, and that hurt us. We need to start games on time.”

He says the powerplay – which he plays on – just has to do better in big situations.

“It’s gotten better, but we need to shoot more. We need to bang home rebounds. That’s when you score most. It’s when you’re shooting a lot,” he said.

“We were so in our own heads against Estevan. We knew they’d be hard to beat, but we didn’t come ready to compete.”

Home court advantage

The West Central Junior Girls Basketball District championships were held on Feb. 16 in Kindersley. Thank you Aida Gossa and Kindersley Composite school for hosting this year’s event. The teams competing were: Kindersley Composite School, Elizabeth Middle School, Kenaston School and Rosetown Central High School.

Top scorers for Kenaston were Robyn Millsap (13) and Bekah Boat (10).

Top scorers for Elizabeth were Nevaya Bitz (6) and Brynn Torrens (4).

Game #3 - BRONZE Rosetown vs Elizabeth Rosetown defeated Elizabeth 55-14. Top scorers for Rosetown were Brynn Wilson (11) and Rayna James (12).

Top scorers for Elizabeth were Brynn Torrens (4) and Payton Graham (4).

TAX TIPS

Topinka said the team is always out-of-the-gate slow, and it’s been costing them.

“For the first ten minutes of every game, they just get outshot. It could be 13-2 on the shot counter because they don’t start on time. They usually turn it around after that,” he said.

“There isn’t much consistency there. But the guys are going to need to have a lot of focus down the stretch to achieve what they want.”

Game #1 - Kindersley vs Rosetown Kindersley defeated Rosetown 53-31. Top scorers for KCS were Emma Torrens (20) and Ayla Stevens (25) Top scorers for Rosetown were Aralyn McPhee (6) and Rayna James (8)

Game #2 - Kenaston vs Elizabeth Kenaston defeated Elizabeth Middle 4515.

Game #4 - GOLD Kindersley vs Kenaston Kindersley defeated Kenaston 61-18.

Top scorers for KCS were Emma Torrens (23) and Ayla Stevens (19)

Top scorers for Kenaston were Robyn Millsap (6) and Kailynn Lowrey (4).

Eston Junior Boys lose overtime heartbreaker, but win consolation

The West Central Junior Boys Basketball District championships were held on Feb. 16 in Davidson. Thank you to Garret Bailey and Davidson School for hosting this year’s event. The teams competing were: Davidson, Elizabeth (Kindersley), St. Gabriel (Biggar) and Eston.

Back row from L to R- Ms. Aida Gossa (coach), Cassidy Veldhoen, Sierra Carfantan, Sloan Clark, Ayla Stevens, Mica Tenorio, Irish DeGuzman. Front row from L to R- Kyla Sacla, Taytem Beckman, Claire Elliott, Emma Torrens

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A close friend or relative has news that can change some of your plans. Be flexible. You could be in for a most-pleasant surprise at how things turn out.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A new opportunity opens just as you close the door on an earlier project. However, you should be prepared to make adjustments in your expectations.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Expect a surprise ally in your corner when you confront a still-uncertain situation in your workplace. In your personal life, a family member has good news.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A co-worker c

ould resent what he or she might perceive as arrogance on your part. Smooth things over with a full explanation to avoid a serious misunderstanding.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) There is no time for catnaps this week. A workplace problem needs your attention before it gets out of hand. Ditto a financial matter that must be resolved as soon as possible.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Pressuring someone to act quickly on a problem could backfire. It makes good sense to be both patient and supportive if you want full cooperation.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A touch of uncertainty lurks in your aspect this week. Weigh all decisions -- personal and professional -- even more carefully than you usually do.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You need to use your innate good sense to help you sort through career offers that might not be what they appear. A trusted associate can help.

1. MYTHOLOGY: In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of love. What’s the name of the Greek god of love?

2. MOVIES: Which movie series features a character named Inspector Clouseau?

3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the basic currency used in Greenland?

4. HISTORY: What was the first toy to be advertised on U.S. television?

5. MEASUREMENTS: What is the unit of measurement used to gauge the speed and direction of a computer mouse?

6. GEOGRAPHY: Which U.S. territory’s unofficial slogan is “Where America’s Day Begins”?

7. TELEVISION: What is the longest running scripted TV series?

8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president campaigned for election with the slogan “Happy Days Are Here Again”?

9. LANGUAGE: In British English, what is a windcheater?

10. ANATOMY: What part of the human brain controls hunger? © 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Things move along more smoothly at work, but a personal relationship presents some challenges that need close attention.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Positive observations resolve the last lingering doubts about a recent move. Now you need to work on that still-pesky problem with a loved one.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You might be a generous soul, but avoid being taken advantage of by those who have their own agendas. If you have any doubts, get out before regret sets in.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your strength might be tested by conflicting priorities in your personal life. Weigh the facts and then make the only choice you can: the right one.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a deep sense of honesty and spirituality. People instinctively put their trust in you to lead them to the light.

Trivia Test Answerst

1. Eros; 2. “The Pink Panther”; 3. Danish krone; 4. Mr. Potato Head; 5. Mickeys per second; 6. Guam, whose location is near the International Date Line; 7. “The Simpsons”; 8. Franklin Roosevelt (1932); 9. A windbreaker; 10. Hypothalamus

Space Force

Sure-Fire Streaming

The best in TV and film from your living room

BY JORDAN PARKER https://parkerandpictures.wordpress.com/

Kindersley & District Arts Council 2022 SEASON

This is the Revised 2021-2022 Schedule:

March 2, 2022: Martin Kerr

Available On Netflix

A show that plays like The Office in space, it’s not surprising this one was created by Steve Carell and Greg Daniels, who were the respective star and producer of that show.

It follows a group tasked with creating the interstellar six branch of the armed services, and the hijinks these quirky personalities get up to.

Steve Carell is hilarious here, and John Malkovich absolutely steals it as a mad scientist. With Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Lisa Kudrow, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang and more, it’s a divers, charismatic cast.

There’s some zany, entirely out-there material here, but the performances ground this one to make it worthwhile. It’s no Office or Parks & Rec yet, but here’s to hoping season two finds its stride.

The Founder Available On Netflix

One of Michael Keaton’s more enjoyable performances during his career resurgence, you can tell the actor is just having a lot of fun here.

It follows Ray Kroc, the man who – mired in scandal – made McDonald’s a household name. I had no idea about the tale behind the formation of the fastfood giant before I saw this.

Director John Lee Hancock – known for The Blind Side and Saving Mr. Banks – balances both the comedic and dramatic elements here to make a multi-dimensional film.

Writer Robert Siegel – currently enjoying a resurgence as showrunner of Hulu’s Pam & Tommy – has difficulties keeping things on the track, but the cast helps navigate.

Keaton is joined by Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini, Laura Dern, B.J. Novak, and Patrick Wilson.

It’s an entertaining, eye-opening endeavour I found myself fully involved in.

Muriel’s Wedding

Available On Prime Video

When I flipped on Muriel’s Wedding, I truly had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

The Australian movie has long been touted to me as an iconic comedy and 2SLGBTQIA+ gem, but I knew barely anything about it.

Toni Collette makes any movie worth it, and the

Oscar nominee absolutely knocks this one out of the park.

She’s a small-town girl with no luck. She has no job, no friends, and dreams of a life so much bigger than what she has.

She steals money from her parents and heads on vacation with it in an attempt to change her fortunes and find love, but finds herself in the process.

Writer-director P.J. Hogan created a cult classic with this one, and Collette is absolutely fantastic.

This absurd little comedy won’t be to everyone’s taste, but those who love it will love it a lot.

Small Crimes

Available On Netflix

This little film wasn’t well-received at all, but five years later it still sticks with me.

It follows a former cop – just out of prison – who comes home trying to start a better life. But his past catches up with him, and he can’t shake it as easily as he hoped.

Game Of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is incredible here, and he’s joined by a fantastic cast.

Robert Forster, Jacki Weaver, Molly Parker and Gary Cole all give formidable turns in this dark thriller.

Co-writer and director E.L. Katz crafts a difficult, tense film that may be hard to watch at times, but it’s definitely one you should check out.

I Want You Back

Available On Prime Video

This romantic comedy really connected with me, and I can’t recommend it enough.

It’s an absolutely hilarious film with just enough tenderness and sweetness to make you feel something, without being entirely overwhelming.

When Peter and Emma – two downtrodden folks in their 30s – are dumped by their respective partners, they meet each other and hatch a devious plot.

The will try to sabotage the new relationship each of their exes are in, so they can win them back. I bet you know how this one ends, but the journey is so fun.

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are fantastic, and have a wonderful chemistry together. Scott Eastwood – son of Clint – is uncharacteristically hilarious, and with Gina Rodriguez and Manny Jacinto verbally sparring together, it’s a perfect cast.

It’s sweet, adorable and you’re going to laugh way harder than you could have imagined.

March 18, 2022: The Bromantics

April 13, 2022: The Fitzgerald’s

May 26, 2022: Joe Trio Originally scheduled Feb. 4

Motus O Originally scheduled Feb. 18, 2022 Re-scheduled to April 2, 2023

All performances will be at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre at 7:30 p.m.

2022 ESTON MINOR BASEBALL REGISTRATION

Forms available online (eston.ca) or at the Town Office

Fees: T-Ball, Rally Cap - $65 U11 - U18 - $80 • Hat - $20

Kidsport Funding is available for those who qualify and must be applied for prior to registration deadline March 31.

All payment methods are accepted; please make cheques payable to the Town of Eston.

Registration is not complete until this payment and ePact medical information have been received.

Registration deadline: March 31, 2022

Alcoholics Anonymous

Monday: Kindersley AA Meeting

8:00 PM, Legion Hall

Tuesday: Brock AA Meeting

8:00 PM, Vesper Club

Tuesday: Leader AA Meeting

8:00 PM, Leader United Church

Wednesday: Eston AA Meeting

8:00 PM, St. Andrew’s United Church

Thursday: Kindersley AA Meeting

8:00 PM, 401 - 1st Avenue West

Friday: Kindersley AA Meeting 8:00 PM, St. Olaf’s Lutheran Church

Narcotics Anonymous

Tuesday: Kindersley NA Meeting 7:30 PM, 113 Main Street

Classifieds

COMING EVENTS

ACADIA RANCHING

BULL SALE March 5 @ 2:00 PM. BSSA - Brooks, AB. 2 year-old Charolais and Black Angus bulls. These bulls were performance tested at Hwy 21 Feeders ADG of 4.02 lbs / day. 176 days on feed. Don 403-664-8844 or Mindy 403-664-9348.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

FOREFRONT INSUR-

ANCE is hiring external brokers and processors/ data entry positions. Broker partnership opportunities for the right candidates. Call / email Michael 403-501-8013 / mhollinda@excelrisk.ca

NOTICES

The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, Battleford, is accepting nominations for the 2022 annual induction August 20, 2022. Deadline is March 15, 2022. Contact saskbaseballmuseum@ sasktel.net or call 306446-1983.

DID YOU KNOW?

When you place a classified ad with us, it goes in all three of our community newspapers for ONE LOW PRICE!

Call Kate at 306-463-2211 kate@yoursouthwest.com

Monte J. Sheppard, BA., JD. Mark L. Millar, BA., JD. 113 1st Ave. E. Kindersley SK S0L 1S0 Bus. 306-463-4647 – Fax 306-463-6133 Kerrobert 306-834-5657 Kindersley.law@sasktel.net

We are looking for energetic, fun-loving volunteers to join us in making a difference in our communities and the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association. Help raise funds for our cause.

This year we donated to the food bank, the women’s shelter and Sask. Brain Injury Assocation.

Come ride the purple wave with us!

Contact Darlene May 306-460-8947

Ksedgwick@remax.net

Kindersley Royal Purple

CORDELL - Cyril Cordell of Red Deer passed away on January 10, 2022, at 70 years of age, at the Red Deer Hospital with Sherrie and Shane by his side.

He is the loving partner of Sherrie Atherton, son of George and Mabel (both predeceased), brother of Trevor (Pam),

DAY - Cecil “Mark” Day passed away on January 23, 2022 at the Eston Long Term Care Facility. He was predeceased by his father Cecil, his mother Barbara (nee Nobbs), his older sister Barbara and his wife Hilda (d. 1982). He is survived by his younger brother Clinton (Edna), two sons Jeffrey (Glendi) and Aubrey (Karen), plus his grandchildren Jared (Chantal), Joshua, Jamieson (Kirsten) and Jordana.

Sheila Seitz, Dwight (Fran), and Rosie Wildman (Norman). Cyril is the father of Shane and Tanya (Peter Dellewell) and patriarch to six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, three step-children and six step-grandchildren. He was always positive and light-hearted; he survived spinal meningitis as a child and was branded with the nickname “Perky” because of his boundless energy. He travelled most of Alberta in the later years for the Canadian Taxpayers Association (the watchdog on government spending), selling and renewing memberships and keeping people up-todate on government maneuvers.

Cyril was willing to help at the drop of a hat. He made a point of visiting his mom at the Oyen Hospital and Extendicare at least once a week - on Thursdays, which he called “Cyday”. (He preferred to be called Cy, even though his older brother Trevor insisted on his full name - it’s more dignified).

The fall would always find him at the farm, trucking for Trevor during harvest in the 70’s/80’s. He could make “catching on the fly” look like a dance move! (Maybe because of maneuvering larger Nowsco trucks in the oil patch).

He loved to travel. Sherrie and Cyril enjoyed many vacations to Cuba, Mexico and other points.

A cruise to Alaska, taking Mom along, and various other trips with his mother Mabel, to points in the US.

A couple of limos were included as part of his hobbies and allowed many people to enjoy the luxury of sightseeing and camaraderie.

Gun collecting was another hobby, and he had a nose for finding unique black powder rifles and pistols, among other extensive acquisitions. Shooting ranges were part of his life as he tested out new and old.

That infectious laugh, smiling eyes, and great visits will be painfully missed forever.

Too young - too soon.

McBRIDE - Brent Robert McBride of Kindersley passed away on February 11th, 2022 at the age of 60 of natural causes.

Brent was born to Bob and Rosemary McBride on June 13th, 1961. Brent’s passion was sports. He enjoyed football, baseball, curling and golfing. He was an avid Rider fan, always wearing a Saskatchewan Roughrider ballcap. Brent enjoyed following the NFL and NHL and SportsCentre would likely be on in the background when visiting with him.

Brent took University of Saskatchewan Agriculture and Business classes and then farmed at the family farm near Dodsland. Later Brent moved to Saskatoon to take care of both his parents with kidney illnesses. Brent was always kind to everyone he met. Brent enjoyed going for drives and listening to the radio, especially John Gormley’s radio show. When Brent moved back to Kindersley, he liked going for walks to get a cup of coffee at the confectionary store. He kept in touch with friends and family over the phone and would regularly call his sister, Marilyn.

Brent will be missed by his sister Marilyn (Blake) Jeffries, niece Michala (Greg) and Gabe Martinson, niece Brylee Jeffries, aunt, cousins, and all other relatives and friends who shared in his life.

A family graveside service will be held at Wild Rose cemetery in April.

Mark met Hilda Neumann in 1960 and they married in 1961.

Mark’s interests were carpentry, meat cutting, old school mechanics, and building things where he could save a buck. In his way, he could play the violin and piano, while Hilda could play the piano and accordion. They would play and make music together, and keep themselves entertained.

After Hilda passed away, Mark built a house in Eston, and began splitting his time between there and the ranch.

Mark was born on November 28, 1931 in Abbey, SK. He was raised mostly on the family homestead north of Portreeve, but he did reside in Portreeve as well, for better access to schooling. Mark started his farming career early, after Grade 10, as his father was injured and his help was required on the farm. In 1951, the ranch south of the Lancer Ferry was added to the operation and that started becoming the home base.

Mark was both sensitive and stubborn, as evidenced by tears and awkward silences. Following a stroke in March, 2005, he lost the full use of his legs and his independence, and he became a resident of the Eston Long Term Care Facility. He always had a strong faith in God and trusted in his Lord and Saviour. Mark served in many areas of church life, like ushering, boards and committees.

Many thanks go to the care and compassion he received in the Eston Facility. The staff made his 16 year, 10 month stay there as comfortable as possible.

A graveside service was held for immediate family at the Portreeve Cemetery on January 26, 2022, officiated by Pastor Greg Cooper. Kindersley Community Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. If you wish to view the service, you can see it on the Eston Full Gospel Church YouTube channel.

NOTICE

KINDERSLEY COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM INC.

Annual General Meeting

to be held at the ESTON-SNIPE LAKE FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM 615 Main Street, Eston Monday, March 14, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. KERROBERT & KINDERSLEY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM INC. 801 - 9th Street West, Kindersley KINDERSLEY COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM

801 - 9th Street West, Kindersley Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. EVERYONE WELCOME!

West Central Crisis & Family Support Centre Inc.