8 Assiniboia Times, Assiniboia Saskatchewan -- March 13, 2020
Spring weight restrictions placed As the weather warms and the daylight hours increase, truckers and shippers are being reminded to begin reducing truck loads on some provincial highways. During this time of year, secondary highways revert back to regulation weights, which will prevent damage to these roads. “Weight restrictions are put in place at various times of the year on provincial highways as a measure to prevent damage to the surface or road bed,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit said. “As the weather warms up, some roads in the province can become vulnerable to soft spots and surface cracks as the frost comes out of the roadbed.” During the cold, dark, winter months of December, January and February, the road bed freezes and becomes stronger which supports heavier truck loads. Due to mild temperatures in the forecast, winter weights are being removed. Effective Monday, March 9 at 12:01 a.m., existing winter weights are removed across southern Saskatchewan and revert back to normal regulation weight. Typically, winter weights are removed provincewide on March 15 weather permitting. Spring road restrictions are used by the province and rural municipalities to mitigate damage to infrastructure. Typically, these road restrictions start in March in southwest Saskatchewan and remain over a two to three-week period. “Preserving Saskatchewan’s road network is vital for transporting goods to market,” Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities President Ray Orb said. “By reducing weights during the spring, we can
reduce maintenance costs and ensure our roadways remain intact.” The road bans reduce allowable weights on RM roads and secondary weight provincial highways by 10 to 15 per cent and typically last about six weeks. Originally, the ninemonth primary highways are designed and constructed to carry only lower secondary weight loads. Weights are reverted back to the design loads (secondary weight) during spring to reduce damage from the spring-thaw. As a large province with considerable difference in climate in the north and the south, there are different dates for when the primary weights are in effect. In the north of Saskatchewan, the annual weight increase on the nine-month primary highways are from July 1 to March 31 of the following year. In the south of the province, the annual weight increase on the nine-month primary highways will occur earlier, from June 15 to March 15 of the following year. This change will help to sustain road conditions in the south, where spring thaw occurs earlier. To check which highways are impacted by weight restrictions, please visit truck weight classifications and restrictions at www.saskatchewan. ca/trucking. Spring road bans will be posted as necessary under the “New Spring Order” link. To view the interactive m a p s h ow i n g w i n t e r weight restrictions and spring road bans, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/ highwayhotline and scroll down to restrictions. Information is also available by contacting the Highway Hotline at 511.
FIFE LAKE HOTEL
Lucas Franks, Mason VanDeSype, Eric Helland and Nolan Franks enjoyed the Glow Skating Party at Photo by Dan Archer the Assiniboia Civic Centre Arena on March 6.
Farmers Union concerned about CUSMA Submitted by the National Farmers Union Bill C-4, the Canada– United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) Implementation Act, is being rushed through Parliament so fast that major discrepancies between the Act and the CUSMA agreement have been overlooked by witnesses and Committee members. Bill C-4 amends certain existing laws to bring them into conformity with Canada’s obligations under the trade agreement. However, its amendments to the Canada Grain Act go beyond what is required, making substantive changes to Canada’s grain quality control system without proper democratic scrutiny. The Canada Grain Act governs the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) which is the institution that safeguards both the quality of Canada’s grain system and the interests of farmers within the grain trade. “As it stands, Bill C-4 is a Trojan Horse designed to make it easier for grain companies to pay farmers less for their grain. Inserting several unnecessary clauses and fast-tracking it through the House just weeks before planned consultations on revisions to the Canada Grain
Act is an end-run around the public process that sidelines farmers and is contrary to the government’s claimed commitment to transparency,” said Stewart Wells, National Farmers Union (NFU) Second Vice President. “We’re asking the Minister to do the right thing and correct these mistakes before the final vote.” CUSMA has four short clauses about grain. Only the first two – providing grades to wheat grown in the USA according to the same quality standards and handling it as if it were Canadian-grown wheat -- require amendments to the Canada Grain Act. However, Bill C-4 amends the Canada Grain Act so that all grains, namely barley, beans, buckwheat, canola, chick peas, corn, fababeans, flaxseed, lentils, mixed grain, mustard seed, oats, peas, rapeseed, rye, safflower seed, soybeans, sunflower seed, and triticale - in addition to wheat - grown in the USA become equivalent to Canadian-grown upon delivery into Canada’s grain handling system. Other amendments not related to CUSMA weaken CGC authority to decide what constitutes contaminated or adulterated grain; make the
Raised $21,792.50 for TeleMiracle 44
Thank you!
- to all donators and all buyers. - to Randy, Mason & Kelly, our auctioneers and to Johnny for spotting. Thanks Kinsmen, Kinettes and our staff for all their help.
INVITES ALL MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE
2019 ANNUAL MEETING Date: Thursday, March 26, 2020 Time: 7:00 P.M. Place – Bengough Memorial Hall
The annual meeting will include: Reports on the 2019 operation and election of 3 directors
(Nomination papers are available at the credit union and must be filed with the Credit Union by close of business, March 13, 2020).
The financial report will be available for viewing by March 16, 2020.
issuance of official export certificates optional; enable regulations that will allow inspectors to confer Canadian grades on grain grown outside of Canada and the USA; and enable the CGC to incorporate by reference any document, regardless of its source, either as it exists on a particular date or as it is amended from time to time. “These unrelated and unnecessary amendments are not in farmers’ interests,” said Colonsay, Saskatchewan farmer, Terry Boehm. “The CGC is a critical institution that has been the farmers’ watchdog for over a century, acting as a counterweight to the concentrated power of the railways and grain companies. The Grain Act amendments in Bill C-4 appear to be included in the manner of an omnibus bill where unpopular measures are packaged together and denied proper democratic scrutiny.” The Bill C-4 amendments to the Canada Grain Act entrench the ability of grain companies to ship U.S.-originated grain through Canadian terminal elevators and export it as if it was Canadian. This ensures grain companies will increase their ability to use U.S.-grown grain to weaken prices paid to Canadian farmers by purchasing lower-priced American grain grown under US Farm Bill subsidies.
“CUSMA locks Canadian grain and oilseed producers into an uncompetitive price situation,” said Terry Byrne, Essex, Ontario farmer and NFU Ontario Regional Council member. “We’re not afraid to compete head to head with US producers and have done so, but we cannot compete with the US Treasury.” “Bill C-4 weakens the CGC’s ability to deal with problems resulting from admixture of U.S.-grown grain in Canadian shipments, such as dockage contaminated by herbicide-tolerant noxious weed seeds that are not found in Canada. Bill C-4 permits grain companies to refuse varieties that are not registered in Canada, it does not require them to reject them, which creates huge risks to the integrity of our product,” said Hanley, Saskatchewan Cam Goff. “With unfettered access to our grain handling system for all crop types, quality and contamination problems are more likely to occur and will be much more difficult to address – and Canadian farmers will be the ones paying the cost.” Bill C-4 was introduced into Parliament on January 29, 2020, received Second Reading and was referred to Committee on February 6, and on February 27 the Standing Committee on International Trade (CIIT) recommended it be passed without amendment.
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Please have resumes submitted by March 16, 2020 to rm45.46@sasktel.net
For more information please call 306-478-2323 or 639-935-7045
Assiniboia Times, Assiniboia Saskatchewan -- March 13, 2020 19
Colton Lethbridge accepting the League ChamSubmitted by Bill Lothian pion Trophy from Myron Finlay.
The Senior Rebels captured the Notekeu League after defeating the Hodgeville Huskies.
Kyle Hall accepting the MVP Playoff trophy from Myron Finlay, Notekeu League President, on Submitted by Dave Leslie March 8 in Hodgeville.
Junior Rebels end their playoffs with three losses
By Dan Archer Although the 20192020 season began with a group of united Junior B Rebels who were content whenever they secured wins, the first week of March nevertheless featured three defeats in a row for the home squad. The Junior Rebels played against the Capitals in a home game at the Assiniboia Civic Centre Arena on March 1, but this contest finished with a 4-3 clincher in Regina’s favour. Cayden Price, Dawson Diekrager and Tyde Hutchinson all scored singles in each period in this late afternoon match, with Reese Rutko and Alex Hicks adding great assists. But as the game pressed to overtime, the Capitals continued to balance off all of the Rebels’ goals in the first and second periods and then the city boys gained another notch for Regina during the powerplay in the third. When the game continued into overtime periods, Kyle Colwell scored for the Capitals at 10:13 in the first with assistance from Taylor Kreutzer and Tristan Sulz. The Rebels had a rematch with the Capitals on March 2 in Regina at the Al Ritchie Arena and played against the Capitals, end-
ing with a 7-5 loss. Jordan Johnson, Tyde Hutchinson, Hunter Johnson, Dawson Duff and Reese Rutko all added hard-won singles for the home team, but Regina managed to prevail yet again. Still, Dawson Diekrager, Alex Hicks, Randy Stowe and Riley Skarbon were also very busy supporting their teammates with their great offence skills on the ice. Yet, the Capitals had squeaked in another goal in during the powerplay at 3:41 in the third then scored again into an empty net only 45 seconds before the whistle blew. The Rebels finished the season with another defeat against the Capitals on March 4. This time, the Capitals ruined the competition with a 6-4 triumph for the Regina boys. But in this last disappointing game, Cayden Price, Alex Hicks, Reese Rutko, Matthew Roblin, Riley Skarbon and Tyde Hutchinson were still displaying team unity along with their singular hockey talents. Moreover, Morgan Bogdan had continued to showcase his tremendous abilities as an excellent and alert goalie for the Rebels in all three games.
Financing Available Apply On Our Website Phone: (306)694-1299 #1 1335 Caribou St West Moose Jaw, SK S6H 7K5 www.sunsetkitchensmj.com sunsetkitchens@sasktel.net
Photo by Dan Archer