News Optimist January 10 by Battlefords News Optimist

News

Knutson to play Carnegie Hall

Sports Sharks sweep aside

Everybody Has a Story

Gold Wings

7 Cairns on Cinema

Jonathan Fehr

Disney cashes in

Garden Chat

Hardiness zones revamped

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Volume 109 No. 23

In the news this week

North Battleford, Sask.

Staff Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open 2017 is now in the record books. Beginning Tuesday and ending Sunday afternoon, the world-class curlers

vying for the men’s and women’s titles played to packed houses at the Civic Centre. While the economic spin offs will be tallied over the next while, one major benefit can’t be added up in dollars and

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

cents. To see the Battlefords portrayed in such a positive light on national television is invaluable. The spin off from seeing familiar faces shining out from the crowds at the Civic Centre in broadcasts interspersed

with shots of interesting local landmarks can’t be valued in monetary terms. Also incalculably valuable was the enjoyment of those who filled those stands, many from out of town. Congratulations to all.

Showing Support A massive cheering section was on hand for Team Carey third Amy Nixon during the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open at the Civic Centre Wednesday. Nixon, who was born in Saskatoon and grew up in Regina, says that she has a whole branch of her family tree in North Battleford. Full coverage of the tournament can be found on Page 9-11. Photo by Lucas Punkari

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PAGE 2 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Leisure Services thanks public skating sponsors

North Battleford service clubs were recognized for their support in providing free ice programming at the Civic Centre and Don Ross Arena. On hand Thursday at the Don Ross Arena were: back row - Elwood Fuchs (Knights of Columbus), Wayne Ray (Battlefords Rotary), Gib Volk (North Battleford Lions), Harold Bishop (North Battleford Lions), Zonie Krawchuk (North Battleford Elks), Mayor Ryan Bater, front row - Siobhan Gormley (Leisure Services), Marilyn Clark (Legion Branch No. 70), Yvonne Nyholt (Bonaventure Lions) and Ellie Mae Bishop (Bonaventure Lions). Photo by John Cairns

Staff The Leisure Services department of the City of North Battleford has acknowledged the support of a number of area service clubs for its free public skating program. According to figures from the City, 147 hours of free ice programming at the Civic Centre and at

Don Ross Arena were provided for this season. The service clubs recognized are Bonaventure Lions Club, North Battleford Lions Club, Kiwanis Club of the Battlefords, North Battleford Kinsmen Club, The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 70, North West Hockey Development, Rotary Club

of the Battlefords, North Battleford Elks Club and St. Joseph’s Knights of Columbus No. 7336. Representatives for most of the organizations were on hand Thursday at noon to receive a gift of blankets from Leisure Services as a token of their appreciation. North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater and Siobhan

Gormley of the Leisure Services department were there to pay tribute to the efforts of the service clubs for making the free skating available to the public. “It’s a chance, regardless of peoples’ backgrounds or their circumstance, to be able to come and enjoy recreation services like skating, so it’s really im-

portant,” said Bater. “I’m thrilled that these organizations have seen value in this, year after year, that they’re willing to continue with this.” Public skating takes place at the Civic Centre on Saturdays between 12:15 and 1:45 p.m. Preschool and senior skating is offered Wednesdays be-

tween 1:15 and 2:15 p.m. at the Civic Centre and at Don Ross Arena on Thursdays between 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 2:30p.m. There are also additional public skating times. According to the City’s numbers a total of 2,842 children and adults participated in the free skating program this year.

tem-wide improvements including consolidating health system administrative support functions and some clinical services such as lab and diagnostic imaging, and the planning, dispatch and delivery of emergency medical dervices. Prairie North Regional Health Authority, which covers the Battlefords and surrounding area, is among the RHAs impacted by the long-rumoured changes. “One provincial health authority that is focused on better co-ordination of health services across the province will improve the quality of care patients receive,” Reiter said in a news release. “It will also reduce administration and duplication across the health system.” Reuter insisted in the

news release that the changeover will not mean health services will be centralized in any one part of the province. “This change represents a consolidation of administration, not a centralization of services. Our government remains committed to providing high-quality health services in every part of the province. Our goal is better co-ordination between the health services provided in different areas of the province.” The advisory panel has acknowledged the changes are going to be significant and that the transition to a single province-wide PHA will take time. The province says work on implementation planning has already started and a comprehensive plan on

implementation is being developed. The province anticipates the fall of 2017 as the start date for the new PHA to take over, but no specific date has been determined as of yet. Reiter has pledged a smooth transition and that “our number one goal will

be to ensure patients receive the same or better care.” The advisory panel is urging the province to take the time needed for the changeover. “We recognize the changes we are recommending are significant,”

advisory panel member Dr. Dennis Kendel said in a statement. “The advisory panel encourages the provincial government and senior leaders within the health system to take the time required to ensure a smooth transition.”

Saskatchewan moving to single health authority Staff

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Saskatchewan will be doing away with regional health authorities in favour of one single health authority across the province. Health Minister Jim Reiter announced Wednesday that he was accepting all the recommendations made by the Saskatchewan Advisory Panel on Health System Structure. In a news release Wednesday, the province confirmed it will consolidate all 12 existing regional health authorities into a single provincial health authority, one of the main recommendations of the panel. Another recommendation from the panel is for the new health authority to be governed by a single, appointed board of directors. They also call for sys-

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Spray paint still works in the cold Staff Battlefords RCMP responded to about 50 calls between 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 and 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8.

Saturday, Jan. 7

8:32 a.m. - Break and enter to a residence on the 1400 block of 104th Street reported, having occurred sometime in the previous 24 hours.

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11:34 a.m. - Report of shoplifting at a business on Railway Avenue East in North Battleford. The incident occurred two

days earlier and security footage is being reviewed. 1:10 p.m. - Reported vandalism on St. Laurent Drive, perpetrator(s) spray painted a garage door and side of a storage shed. 4:20 p.m. - A 24-yearold woman and a 27-yearold man were arrested on 103rd Street, found in possession of a stolen vehicle from Saskatoon. They appeared in court Monday.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 3

Directors elected to B’fords Chamber board

David Fortier

Jim Lafreniere

Dallan Oberg

Kayla Petersen

Melanie Roberts

Staff

two-year terms are (* indicates incumbent): Terry Caldwell (Carpet Superstores / Empress Furniture & Décor), Mitchell Cooper (Demmans Baldwin Friedman and Frank), David Fortier (Fortier Mattila Appraisals Ltd.), Jim Lafreniere (Bee J’s Office Plus), Sharon Mohagen (Blue Rentals), Dallan Oberg (Holm Raiche Oberg Chartered Professional Accountants), Kayla Petersen (Re/Max of the Battlefords), Melanie

Roberts (North West College), Janice Sander (Frontier Centre - Terracap Mgmt.), Derek Schmidt (Bill and Don’s Mens Wear), Steven Ulven (Ilta Grain Inc.) and Bill Volk (Individual Member). Caldwell, Cooper, Roberts and Volk are returning incumbents. The two individuals who will serve one-year terms are Susan Challis (SaskTel) and Harris Sutherland of Gold Eagle Casino. Both have previously served on

the board. In all, 16 candidates stood in the annual Chamber board election. Ballots were mailed to Chamber member businesses and organizations in good standing, with a deadline to return ballots by Dec. 31. The votes were counted during the first week of January. There were no disqualified ballots. The nomination committee’s recommendations now go to the current board for ratification. The newly-

elected board members will be able to join the annual general meeting on Jan. 31 and their first regular board meeting will be in February. Also upcoming Jan. 18 will be the Chamber’s annual President’s Banquet at the Event Centre, Gold Eagle Casino. The incoming president, Warren Williams, will be sworn in and the guest speaker will be Arlin Sorensen, CEO and founder of HTG Peer Groups and HTS Ag.

dent of CUPE Health Care Council, in a statement Wednesday. “Today’s announcement creates more uncertainty for frontline workers and for rural communities across Saskatchewan. It is also questionable that any cost savings will result.” CUPE pointed to the experience in Alberta, and to a government report that raised concerns about the larger system. “We are concerned that one central super board will be less responsive and harder to navigate for patients and communities,” said Campbell. “Will this lead to reduced services and a loss

of decision making in communities, especially in rural communities? What will this mean for access to health care in communities like Preeceville, Wawota or Grenfell that have already been experiencing issues?” The NDP opposition has also slammed the plan. A news release from the NDP caucus called it the “next phase of their cuts,” and noted communities are already forced to struggle without adequate health care services. “When the Sask. Party talks about consolidation, everyone knows they mean cuts – cuts to health care centres, cuts to frontline health care workers

and cuts to the care Saskatchewan people deserve,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier in a statement. “This so-called con-

sultation was rushed and the Sask. Party knew what they wanted to do all along. From the beginning, the Sask. Party has wanted to cut deeper to make up for

Results are in for the elections to the board of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce. A total of 12 individuals have been elected to twoyear terms and there was a tie for a one-year term position to replace a board member who had resigned. The nominations committee has recommended that both individuals who tied for that final spot be appointed to the board. Those elected to serve

Janice Sander

Derek Schmidt

NDP, CUPE slam single-health-authority plan Staff The move by the province towards consolidating the 12 regional health authorities into one provincewide authority has drawn fire from the opposition, as well as the unions. The province announced the move Wednesday. In response, CUPE has issued a statement expressing “serious concerns” about the impact of the change to a single health authority on workers and patients. “Health care restructuring will disrupt the established systems and relationships of providing health care in the province,” said Gordon Campbell, presi-

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their own mismanagement, scandal and waste. We did consultations of our own and we didn’t hear a single person say that more cuts were the solution.”

Coats for Kids

The Knights of Columbus Council No. 2094 in partnership with funds from Saskatchewan Lotteries purchased four cases of coats and distributed them to local schools. Above are four children at St. Mary Community School with Thomas Schwab, financial secretary, in the middle making the presentation. Photo submitted

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PAGE 4 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Commentary

Clickbait in a crowded media landscape By Seth Godin The bestselling novel of 1961 was Allen Drury’s Advise and Consent. Millions of people read this 690-page political novel. In 2016, the big sellers were coloring books. Fifteen years ago, cable channels like TLC (the “L” stood for Learning), Bravo and the History Channel (the “History” stood for History) promised to add texture and information to the blighted TV landscape. Now these networks run shows about marrying people based on how well they kiss. And of course, newspapers won Pulitzer prizes for telling us things we didn’t want to hear. We’ve responded by not buying newspapers. The decline of thoughtful media has been discussed for a century. This is not new. What is new: A fundamental shift not just in the profit-seeking gatekeepers, but in the culture as a whole. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”* [*Ironically, this isn’t what Einstein actually said. It was this, “It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.” Alas, I’ve been seduced into believing

From this

that the shorter one now works better.] Is it possible we’ve made things simpler than they ought to be, and established non-curiosity as the new standard? We are certainly guilty of being active participants in a media landscape that breaks Einstein’s simplicity law every day. And having gotten away with it so far, we’re now considering removing the law from our memory. The economics seem to be that the only way to make a living is to reach a lot of people and the only way to reach a lot of people is to race to the bottom, seek out quick clicks, make it easy to swallow, reinforce existing beliefs, keep it short, make it sort of fun, or prurient or urgent, and most of all, dumb it down. And that’s the true danger of anti-intellectualism. While it’s foolish to choose to be stupid, it’s cultural suicide to decide that insights, theories and truth don’t actually matter. If we don’t care to learn more, we won’t spend time or resources on knowledge. We can survive if we eat candy for an entire day, but if we put the greenmarkets out of business along the way, all that’s left is candy. Give your kid a tablet a game, and some chicken fingers for dinner. It’s easier than talking to him. Read the short articles, the ones with pictures, it’s simpler than digging deep. Clickbait works for a reason. Because people click on it. The thing about clickbait, though, is that it exists to catch prey, not to inform them. It’s bait, after all.

The good news: We don’t need many people to demand more from the media before the media responds. The Beverly Hillbillies were a popular show, but that didn’t stop Star Trek from having a shot at improving the culture. The media has always bounced between pandering to make a buck and upping the intellectual ante of what they present. Now that this balance has been ceded to an algorithm, we’re on the edge of a breakneck race to the bottom, with no brakes and no break in sight. Vote with your clicks, with your sponsorship, with your bookstore dollars. Vote with your conversations, with your letters to the editor, by changing the channel. Even if only a few people use precise words, employ thoughtful reasoning and ask difficult questions, it still forces those around them to catch up. It’s easy to imagine a slippery slope down, but there’s also the cultural ratchet, a positive function in which people race to learn more and understand more so they can keep up with those around them. Turn the ratchet. We can lead our way back to curiosity, inquiry and discovery if we (just a few for now) measure the right things and refuse the easy option in favour of insisting on better. — Seth Godin is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and, most of all, changing everything. (www.sethgodin.com)

CORNER By Becky Doig Editor

The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling had barely started rolling last week when it happened. There is a certain element in this community that simply cannot revel in the successes of those who work hard to bring positive recognition to a place known to many as the Crime Capital of Canada. Twin Rivers Curling Club swept up huge when they made a successful bid for the curling event held at the Civic Centre last week. The fact it drew positive national, perhaps international attention, to the community, not to mention the economic benefits of the event and its spin offs, is just lost on that faction. So the ugly “nothing good ever happens here” voice made itself heard on FaceBook, lamenting the fact the tournament was being held at the Civic Centre and not at Northland Power Curling Centre, calling that facility a waste of money. The comment was quickly rebutted with the information there isn’t a curling rink in the nation that could accommodate the fan-following for this magnitude of curling event. But how sad that comment had to be made. Let’s revel in it, folks! That was an amazing coup for Twin Rivers Curling Club and the positive light shone on the community means we all reaped the benefits.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 5

Cairns on Cinema

2016 box office: Disney and Star Wars franchise the big winners By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Welcome to the Cairns on Cinema 2016 box office year in review, in which we look at how the top movies of the previous year performed at the box office. The year 2016 will be remembered for many things at the movies, but the one thing it will be notorious for will be for all the celebrity deaths, including a number in the past month alone. I am writing this column on the same day the funeral is scheduled for Carrie Fisher (of Star Wars fame) and her mother Debbie Reynolds. There have been other deaths including Zsa Zsa Gabor, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Garry Marshall, Patty Duke, George Kennedy, Abe Vigoda and many more. The “in memoriam” segment of the Oscar telecast promises to be jam-packed this year. In general, 2016 saw lots of misery across the globe. That might explain why so many movies in the top 10 box office were, yet again, either CGI cartoons or superheroes or science fiction of one kind or another. Anything to get peoples’ minds off the world’s troubles, or, for that matter, the U.S. election. The problem is it’s impossible now to go to the movies and not be reminded about what a miserable year 2016 was for celebrity deaths. All you need to do is see a Star Wars poster in the movie theatre, and you’ll be reminded of Carrie Fisher. All this morbidity aside, it was otherwise an

outstanding year for the entire movie industry. The overall domestic box office was the biggest of all time this year, at $11.3 billion, but there are mixed opinions as to what this means. The talk out there is that this is not the result of better attendance at the cinemas, but increased ticket prices. That wouldn’t surprise me. The cost of 3D is through the roof. And overpriced luxury cinemas are opening, selling beer and gourmet food. Still, it doesn’t take away from what a great year it was for Hollywood. At the major studios, the name of the game is money, and they sure made it. It was particularly a big year for one studio: Disney. They grossed $3 billion in domestic box office and another $4.6 billion internationally, and are assured of the top three box-office movies of the year in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Finding Dory and Captain America: Civil War. We will run through the current box office numbers as they stand as of Jan. 5, and I must say, they are pretty impressive. Nine movies topped the $300 million domestic mark in 2016. Also interesting is that only four of the top-ten movies for the year were “summer -season” releases. Box office numbers continue to be tallied for all 2016 releases still in the cinemas, so the numbers will continue to change in the coming days. But we have a good idea of how the final top 10 will look like. The numbers below come from the website Box Office

Tires slashed, sugar added to gas Staff Battlefords RCMP had about 60 incidents reported between 6 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6 and 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7.

Friday, Jan. 6

8:47 a.m. - Vehicle parked on the 700 block of 100th street in North Battleford reported to have had three tires damaged and sugar poured in gas tank. 9:56 a.m. - Hit and run on the 1400 block of 100th Street. Victim’s vehicle parked at this location between 4 and 4:40 p.m. Jan. 5. The vehicle that left the scene left blue paint on the victim’s vehicle and the vehicle would also likely have a damaged taillight. 2:14 p.m. - 1998 brown Pontiac Trans Sport with Saskatchewan licence 791 KMC stolen from 1600

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block of 101st Street in North Battleford. Suspect has been identified and is known to the vehicle owner. 2:59 p.m. - Report of theft of cash by way of fraudulent use of a debit card. Suspect known to victim. 6:59 p.m. - Residential fence on the 1500 block of 106th Street in North Battleford damaged. 104:1 p.m. – 31-year-old man arrested and facing one count of assault after a reported disturbance at a residence on the Moosomin First Nation.

box office of all time, at $936 million, in a run that ended in 2016. So the Star Wars franchise started and ended 2016 in a familiar spot: at the very top. It’s an incredible success story. Looking at the box office worldwide totals, the final numbers are still to be calculated, and of course Rogue One is still in theatres. But the top five on the Box Office Mojo list looks like this as of Jan. 5: 1. Captain America: Civil War $1.153 billion 2. Finding Dory: $1,027.8 billion 3. Zootopia: $1,023.8 billion Mojo: 10. Doctor Strange, from Disney and Marvel Studios, made $230,436,806 since it opened Nov. 4. 9. Suicide Squad made $325,100,054 for Warner Bros. including an opening weekend of $133,682,248. 8. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opened March 14 and made $330,360,194 for Warner Bros. Its opening weekend was $166,007,347, the second highest of the whole year. 7. Zootopia, from Disney, opened March 4 and has made $341,268,248. 6. Deadpool, from Fox, opened Feb. 12 to $132,434,639 and has made $363,070,709. 5. The Jungle Book (2016), also from Disney, opened to $103,261,464 on April 15 and has grossed $364,001,123 overall. 4. The Secret Life of Pets, a huge hit for Universal grossing $368,384,330. Its opening weekend from July 7 was $104,352,905. 3. Captain America: Civil War, from Disney and Marvel, set the early summer-season pace with a $408,084,349 domestic gross, including an opening weekend of $179,139,142 on the May 6 weekend, the biggest opening weekend haul of 2016. We finally come to the two movies at the top of the list: 2. Finding Dory, from Disney/Pixar, looks like it will finish in the number two spot for the year at

$486,295,561. Its opening June 17 weekend saw a haul of $135,060,273. 1. Our projected number one box office movie of the year is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, securing Disney’s one-two-three box office finish for 2016. Its opening weekend on Dec. 16-18 brought in $155,081,681, which is the second-highest December ever and 12th highest of all time. However, as of this writing its final numbers are not yet in. As of Jan. 5 its domestic haul overall was $447,170,302, which was still some $39 million behind Finding Dory. But Rogue One was still earning big dollars from the domestic cinemas, bringing in over $6 million last Tuesday alone. The previous weekend alone it made $49 million. Even with the expected drop off in box office numbers, Rogue One is on track to pass Finding Dory within only a few days to become the box office champion of 2016. So that’s it: the Cairns on Cinema “decision desk” is calling the 2016 box office race for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This means it will be two years in a row that the Star Wars franchise has won the domestic box office for the year and also the seventh time overall, going back to the original Star Wars in 1977. Of course, 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended up setting the record for the top domestic

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4. The Jungle Book (2016): $966.6 million 5. The Secret Life of Pets: $875.5 million As of Jan. 5, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was sitting at $817.4 million, but it is still in the cinemas making money and should easily make the top-five of this list. That would give Disney a clean sweep of the top five movies worldwide when it happens. So the big winners at the box office for 2016 were: (1) Mickey Mouse, and (2) The Resistance. That wraps up our look at the top movies of 2016 at the box office! May the force be with you.

News-Optimist.ca Last week’s News-Optimist online poll:

Which rinks will you be cheering for during the Meridian Canadian Open at this Civic Centre this week? • A Saskatchewan rink. 33% • A Canadian rink. 25% • A rink from elsewhere in the world. 6% • I’m just hoping for good curling. 35%

This week’s News-Optimist online poll:

What is your reaction to news that the province is moving towards a single health authority? • Great move to reduce bureaucracy and duplication. • It will improve frontline healthcare. • I’m worried it will result in cuts locally. • I’m worried this means less input into local services. • It won’t make much difference, good or bad.

Visit www.newsoptimist.ca Follow Battlefords News-Optimist on Facebook and BfordsNewsOpt on Twitter

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PAGE 6 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Jonathan Fehr:

r e v u o c n a V o t m Following his drea

It was sca ry could fit and drove west. e time. It sam e and exciting all at the Fehr saw the experienc s, k me a few on too ati it nic d mu an y, ate eas t cre to wasn’ d many benere off t tha e on Jonathan Fehr has loved e to find d an abl ly s ive months before I wa can remem- posit stories for as long as he ts. steady work.” eloping his efi ,” said Fehr. ber, but the path to dev a career “I loved this season of life Now fully settled in o int ing ell an me passion for storyt ed “It provid Vancouver, Fehr has ar cut. e giv to hasn’t always been so cle y nit rtu released three novels his fam ily oppo mco W hen Fehr was eight, the to ck ba and found non-writing d bought an n too ska Sa m in fro up moved grew jobs in that time, inttleford. An munity I the Five Sta r Motel in Ba for enter- and also invest in the cluding a pa rt-time job nt o wh uth only child, he didn’t wa yo of assisting an individual roundings and lives for e rat tainment in his new sur spe de re we with special needs. from around to ten lis enjoyed meeting guests to ne eo The first of his som d nging aroun the world. W hen not ha novels, Skyblind, was ts, Fehr and them.” s wa it ly, the motel with his pa ren ate tim Ul a solo effort, while up with stofriends would often come them out. these experiences Fehr’s next two projite wr n the d an er reeth hr tog ries de Fe ects, The Magician’s n his first of- that ma to d Volume nte wa As a teenager, Fehr bega he Workshop: again, it was a alize s kid e Two, for s lum ficial wr iting project, ok Vo bo d wr ite One an of a s. ult ds ad g joint effort. see un yo the d re an we re sending we I d an s end fri o e als n om “S This was story that Hanse first pretending we s hr’ Fe of d emails back and for th, rio brought to Fehr to flesh missions,” said the pe t go he were secret agents on en wh life out together. as e, lin by Fehr. st fir Fehr noted that his the emails all ile mp co to ed cid col de d “I orter an while, so far, his projout in a novel. It a rep al loc a th and actually wr ite it all t wi ects have been in the loved wr iting it, um nis r. pe spa wasn’t ver y good, but I new e fantasy gen re, he hasn’t on I was hooked onlin rned a lot and from that moment “I lea sworn off other styles. s.” ces in pro g itin by the “Skyblind is a for m wr iting, re- about wr Fehr found enjoyment in ct. Being this time as well,” of fantasy. The Magiprodu ll “A hr. ga rdless of the finished Fe cian’s Workshop is defs his passion and said e, tim s thi able to ma ke stories wa g rin du initely a high fantasy nting with me eri exp f sel him ing nd he fou I was tin ker saga. But I wouldn’t s time, too. thi d un aro ts n ma ow for er my oth want to lim it myself to era, which with “My dad had a video cam and ma ke wr iting.” that gen re of wr iting take it , 12 20 in , I loved to use. I’d often en Th alone,” said Fehr. ends after school short films with my fri Fehr, after a rec“I do enjoy world n o i t a d n and on weekends.” building and so whatd from North o m m e , end fri By the time he’d graduate a m ever gen re, I imagine e High School, fro in get to Battleford Comprehensiv ed cid de the stories I wr ite will of these short s zen do of y rar lib a ris d he ha with Ch have a lot of sci-fi /fanwhat he pictured touch ry sto a films, which inf luenced Hansen, tasy elements. It’s just for his future. . ach too much fun to create me to pursue co ] n e s “This type of stuff led n a H [ “ alternate universes.” tions at Trinity nme tru a degree in communica ins s wa With the feeling of t sn’ t wr iting wa g pin hel Western University,” bu in accomplishment that radar. At Trin- tal the ve completely off Fehr’s pro im comes along with benored in English me get d an ity Western he also mi vel no ing a published author, duation, he set descr ibing the pro d, d to finish,” said Fehr. sai and in 20 09, just after gra vel. ate hr the precar itiv Fe mo t,” jec pro ible. He l no th Fehr also noted about wr iting his first rea few months, “L ear ning from Ch ris was incred [writ- cess of becoming wr iting pa rtners wi wr iting as a career a ry see how it ousness of n’t did I , “I’d finished it within lly knew so much about sto itia “In ing the self-doubt that and Hansen. ing] together from and fac g itin Wr . bound ble but I knew something ssi po be seems to be inextr icably helped me would ing to be easy.” go t no wasn’t right with it. s wa ce tan g. dis itin a un de rst an d ht, wr iting to- with wr s the moments of Over the next two yea rs Fehr’s instinct was rig a “There’ in s ng and , thi fts dra ll I did va rious a distance wasn’t easy, m fro r he get I even a good wr iter? Wi new ‘am whole found himself he I s n nth Ca mo but I was never really s? thi few e a lik n n withi people eve way.” ile Vancouver. wh to satisfied, and one day ve ily mo fam a a ing rt nn po pla T h i s compelled to ever sup s dream?’ it just got shelved and “I felt more and more g n i r o t n job pursuing thi e m I moved on.” d in July of 2015 I left my an him n joi “Even now there’s uncer ip sh on rel ati him on designth wi fin rk Coming from a ve wo “I’ to d hr. rte Fe sta d tainty,” sai tur ned out and fam ily, ’t can d tight-knit ” an s ry. vel sto no the ee ing thr to be just the ncouver, Fehr ished Fehr missed BattlBefore leaving for Va ing more than wait hr Fe ost bo at ay cropped up do anyth aw t tha ts ub fruit do eford while th wi ed to see if there’s any needed to get was fac wr iting. o int d. I ay for nte school. Freshly out st pla fir e I’v his g ds from the see him think ing durin rwn I was afraid that do mo ep of school and back in gla de nd nk sou thi g “I itin wr , and ma ke about wr iting vel no the g itin I wr se d’ North Battleford, life cau he r ‘finis romantic be more ser ious- if I eve failed, then ous and d an it sh lot a bli car ried on, though pu it’s t to bu d ly and they then trie would fall apart. I felt it was love it so much, the incomplete novel ams g a of str uggle.” even became my dre was never totally out ‘in the process of wr itin be to r tte be Fehr credits his wr ite that friends. on n itte wr ing ng hav n of mind. After retha two novel’ rather ing pa rtner with worki For hr. Fe d ofsai by tur ning, Fehr found ll,” rs we fea do se yea rs Hansen didn’t Vancouver through the a job almost im meragement and wasn’t until I moved to ou “It enc ing th fer wi d irke ser wo became more eer car diately with Cathog itin uncer tainty wr d my t An tha rt. home suppo Fehr to help of ety saf the ve lea lic Family Services to sees himself needed him develop ous. I at it took or no, Fehr wh d ha I if see lonas a childcare aid lly rea to wr iting until he is no projects. in order his and then went on to r.” ite wr a be The two first to space to test ger able. work at Eagles Nest W hile Fehr needed the “It’s my goal to continue er ov d rke Battlwo a g vin lea , lly na sio Youth Ranch as fes til I die, and I’m himself pro ut its sha re wr iting un ally met up in person tho wi dic rio ion pe cis fud de youth worker. an a e t yp sn’ Sk t- eford wa excited to see what the had initially yea r. As they became be a W hile it wasn’t what he r. ice he tw t eit ou ty, ab xie . “ an to lds cided to go er and their of th whatever I ture ho pictured when he’d de acquainted with each oth “[I] packed my car wi w o r k , school for com- ter by Fehr and they Hansen ran a story idea . ers rtn became wr iting pa as a wr iter so me in ved “He belie [an] invitation to much that he extended ite wr with him on this

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 7

North Battleford native to play at Carnegie Hall By Shannon Kovalsky Staff Reporter

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? For 20-year-old saxophonist Cole Knutson of North Battleford, the answer to that question is practice and audition for the American Protégé International Music Competition. Knutson learned last month he was awarded a first place prize in the “Woodwinds and Brass” competition and will now be heading to New York to play in one of the famed venue’s recital halls this coming April. Knutson says he’s excited to perform and, while there is some added pressure playing in “one of the most important venues in North America for a classical musician to play,” he is keeping it in

perspective. “To me at least, it shouldn’t matter where you’re playing, if you have the right intentions. It could be an audience of 20 people or 2,000 people, if you’re playing with the same intention — to do the best you can — the pressure should be about the same. “In a place like Carnegie Hall there will be family members of other competitors there and you’ll have professionals that really know what they’re doing and you’ll have scouts and other things. If you’re doing the best you can do, it doesn’t matter where you’re playing, it should feel very much the same.” First and second place winners in the competition’s six categories are given four tickets for

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family and friends to attend and the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall. Competition is steep, with past years seeing around 600 applicants in the woodwinds and brass category. Knutson is among 13 first place winners in his advanced (meaning professionals and college students 18 and older) group who will travel to New York. Depending on their performance, competitors may be further awarded scholarships or trophies from the judges. Auditioning for the competition does come at a cost. Knutson says he paid around $350 CAD to enter for this year’s competition. Because of the application fee, he held off from applying previous years to better his chances. “If you’re going to en-

North Battleford’s Cole Knutson will play his saxophone at Carnegie Hall in April. News-Optimist file photo

ter you might as well do the best that you can,” says Knutson. “I figured, if it means waiting a cou-

ple years [so] that I could place, that was probably the best option.” It turned out for the

best and Knutson can count himself the only Canadian in the lineup of winners.

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We also want to make sure we meet this growing need for power in a sustainable way, and that’s why future demand records will be increasingly met by more renewable power as we double our renewable sources by 2030.” New peak records have been set in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, twice in 2015 and now twice in 2016. Colder temperatures don’t have to

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PAGE 8 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Lucas Punkari

Sports Reporter

Phone: 306-445-7261 Fax: 306-445-3223

Email: newsoptimist.sports@sasktel.net

North Stars win three straight on the road By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

The Battlefords North Stars made up for lost time over the weekend. In their first set of Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League games since Dec. 18, the North Stars picked up three wins in three nights with road wins over the Estevan Bruins, Weyburn Red Wings and Notre Dame Hounds. “It was a really good start to the year for us,” North Stars head coach and general manager Nate Bedford said. “Three of our losses this year came to those teams, so you’re always a little bit worried when you go to play them on the road, but

we battled hard in all three games to come away with the wins.” Their most recent triumph, which is the North Stars’ 12th straight on the road, came Sunday afternoon in a 5-2 affair against the Hounds in Wilcox. “To be honest, that was a fairly even game,” Bedford said. “It wasn’t a three-goal game by any means. “The guys did a great job of working through the challenges when the Hounds came back, especially with our leadership group, and they stepped their game up into another game that’s closer to where we want to be going into the playoffs.” Reed Delainey led the way on offence with two

goals and an assist, while Layne Young found the back of the net and dished out two helpers. Ben Allen and Connor Logan also scored for the North Stars, while Taryn Kotchorek moved to 18-2 on the season with an 18save showing. Kobe Kindrachuk and James Piller had the goals for the Hounds, who received a 32save performance from netminder Riley Higdon. After a sluggish start by their standards Saturday in Weyburn, the North Stars came out on top by a score of 2-1 after Coby Downs found the back of the Red Wings’ net with 1:08 left in the third period. “It’s not very often that

ewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League season. They came into the weekend series in Battleford with zero wins and 19 losses, which has been a dramatic and shocking dropoff for a franchise that won a national title in 2014 and hosted the Esso Cup last season. The Sharks were therefore in a rare position entering play against Weyburn: as favourites. They spared no sympathy whatsoever for their down-ontheir-luck southern oppo-

nents in both contests this weekend. The Sharks took the lead early in the Saturday game. Layne Hryhoriw scored from Ali Aitken and Madison Sansom to make it 1-0 Sharks just 3:34 into the game. But the Wings tied it at the 4:50 mark on a power-play goal by Madison Lafoy. In the second, Keara Amson scored at the 4:10 mark to restore the lead for Battleford. Then midway through the period, Aitken scored with

we are kept under 10 shots in a period, but that’s what happened to us in the first,” Bedford said. “They did a good job of containing our offence and they made us try to force things. “We talked about how things went during the intermission and we were a lot better in the second period. To see us driving hard to the net for the rest of the game, especially with our goal late, was something that we liked to see as a coaching staff.” Downs also had an assist on Young’s goal, while Joel Grzybowski made 21 saves for his 15th win of the year. Mike Eskra had the lone marker for the Red Wings and goaltender Carter

Phair turned aside 29 shots in a losing effort. Friday’s battle with the Bruins, which saw the North Stars come out on top by a score of 6-3, was the first meeting between the two sides since the Bruins won an 8-6 battle at the Civic Centre on Nov. 19. McGregor Sinclair was credited with a hat trick in the contest, though Bedford thinks that might be changed to just two goals in the coming days. “McGregor is a guy who plays well in all situations,” Bedford said. “He has a high hockey IQ and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a couple of goals. “He’s someone that we’re very lucky to have as part of our roster over the

next couple of years.” The North Stars also made a trade this week, as they acquired forward Cameron Nickerson from the Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. The 19-year-old from Duncan, B.C. had 19 points in 14 games for the Buccaneers after putting up nine points in 11 games earlier in the season for the Oceanside Generals. After Tuesday’s Canadian Junior Hockey League trade deadline, the North Stars will be back in action Friday when they’ll return to the Civic Centre for a 7:30 p.m. tilt with the Red Wings. They will also play Saturday at the same time.

Gold Wings swept aside by Sharks By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The Battleford Sharks took a big bite out of a struggling Weyburn Gold Wings team at the Battleford Arena. Convincing 8-2 and 10-2 home wins capped the most impressive weekend of the year for the Sharks, while also extending the Gold Wings’ season-long misery. Without a doubt, the Wings have been the saddest story of the Saskatch-

The Battleford Sharks react to Layne Hryhoriw’s goal that gave them an early lead over the Weyburn Gold Wings Saturday night. Photo by John Cairns

Tori MacDonald assisting, making it 3-1 Sharks. In the third, the Sharks extended the lead to 4-1 on a goal by Jordan Kulbida before the Wings’ Carli Patenaude scored midway through the period. But the Sharks restored the three-goal lead with a shorthanded goal by Ensley Fendelet. The Sharks erased any further doubt with a goal by Kulbida, and two more from Sansom in the final minutes. That wrapped up the most impressive win Sharks fans have seen for a while: an 8-2 blowout. But the best was still to come the rematch Sunday.

The Sharks came out firing right from the start. A power-play goal by Jordan Kulbida led things off for the Sharks, and goals by Kyra Ledoux and Ensley Fendelet made it 3-0 Sharks through one. In the second period, Weyburn cut the margin to 3-2 on power play goals by Jayden Lindholm and Jenna O’Neill. But the Sharks took control again with goals by Kulbida and Fendelet and a power-play marker by Jessie Hefner. Third period goals by MacDonald, Kulbida (the hat trick), Lexxa Potratz (her first of the season) and Ledoux (second of the game) wrapped up an

impressive 10-2 Sharks victory to sweep away the Gold Wings. The Sharks now have five wins on the season while the Wings have now lost all 21 games they have played in 2016-17. Next up for the Sharks are two Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League road games this coming weekend against the Regina Rebels. That will mark the start of a five-game road swing for the Sharks, who will return to the Battleford Arena on Jan. 28 to face the Melville Prairie Fire. The two teams will then play each other again on Jan. 29.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 9

Scheidegger completes surprising run to Canadian Open women’s title By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

In her first career event, Casey Scheidegger and her Lethbridge rink pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling history. Scheidegger, along with third Cary-Anne McTaggart, second Jesse Scheidegger and Stephanie Enright, captured the Meridian Canadian Open title with a dramatic 5-4 win over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni at the North Battleford Civic Centre Sunday afternoon. “It’ll probably settle in once we drive home,” Scheidegger said. “It’s been a roller coaster week for us with ups and downs, but that can sometimes lead to showing great character as a team, and we were able to battle through those challenges and play

some good games.” Having already upset Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones and Edmonton’s Val Sweeting in the playoffs, not to mention pulling off a dominant win over Ottawa’s Rachel Homan earlier in the week, Scheidegger continued her excellent week with a solid performance in the final as she shot 86 per cent. “We all knew that there would be some nerves coming into the final as this was a new experience for us,” Scheidegger said. “We were watching TV last night and saw ourselves in the highlights, which is something we’re not used to, but it’s exciting all the same. “This was a great opportunity to put some pressure on us before going to our provincial playdowns in a couple of weeks. We played it like we would any

Casey Scheidegger embraces her sister Jessie after they won the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open title at the Civic Centre Sunday afternoon. Photo by Lucas Punkari

other game and we made sure to have some fun.” With the game tied up at four, Scheidegger drew around a guard and placed her final shot just on the edge of the four foot. Tirinzoni, who was looking to win her second career Grand Slam, needed

to get her last stone to the four foot for the win but it came up light. “We made a good shot on my last, but we were all a little nervous there as Silvana’s a great draw thrower,” Scheidegger said. “The final result wasn’t what we expected for sure,

but sometimes that happens in curling and that’s what makes it such an exciting sport.” This was the second straight runner-up finish for Tirinzoni, who finished second to Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson at last month’s Boost National in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Sunday’s win also had a couple of family connections, as Casey and Jesse Scheidegger are sisters and Enright’s brother Geoff Walker won the men’s Canadian Open title earlier in the day as part of Brad Gushue’s rink. “I guess they have a new statistic to make up I guess with siblings winning,” Enright said. “This whole year has been a great one for us. We didn’t really have a lot of practice time before the season began, and then we won The Shootout in

Edmonton in September. Since then, we’ve been rolling right along.” Another major storyline involved Homan’s rink, as their run of 18 consecutive trips to Grand Slam playoffs came to an end. The defending Canadian Open champions lost their first two games of the triple knockout tournament to Jacqueline Harrison and Scheidegger, with the second setback coming in a shocking 10-4 affair in the ‘B’ event Thursday. Homan bounced back with wins over Russia’s Anna Sidorova and Winnipeg’s Brianne Meilleur, but lost a rematch in the ‘C’ final to Harrison Saturday. Also qualifying for the playoffs were Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg, Sudbury’s Tracy Fleury and Caledon, Ont.’s Allison Flaxey.

Sault Ste. Marie’s Brad Jacobs and Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock. The key turning point in Sunday’s match came in the second end of play, when a hit attempt went awry on Edin’s last shot and allowed Gushue to make a fairly simple takeout for four points and a 4-1 lead. “It was kind of back and forth between both of us early on,” Gushue said. “I made a decent shot on my first (where he came through a port to take out Edin’s rock and sit two) and Niklas made a mistake where he just missed out on making the hit. If he had made that, we probably only would have scored

one point or maybe two at best.” Edin, who has won two Grand Slam of Curling events this year, tried to claw his way back, but Gushue scored three more points in the sixth end to put things out of reach. “I made a terrible mistake there on my last shot in the second end,” Edin said. “After that, it was pretty much game over.” Also making the playoffs were American John Shuster, Brendan Bottcher of Edmonton, Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen and John Morris of Vernon, B.C. Saskatoon’s Bruce Korte made it to a ‘C’ event final Friday night, but lost to McEwen.

Gushue captures Canadian Open men’s crown By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter

After an injury-plagued first half of the 201617 curling season, Brad Gushue started off the second half on a winning note at the North Battleford Civic Centre. His St. John’s, N.L. rink, which includes third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker, captured the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open title Sunday afternoon after an 8-3 win over Sweden’s Niklas Edin in seven ends. “It’s a great way to start off 2017 for sure,” Gushue said. “2016 was a bit of a

forgettable year for me so to start off this year with a win at a Grand Slam event is a nice feeling. “What’s better though is the way that we played all week. It’s certainly a huge confidence booster for us as we go forward.” Gushue, who has now won seven Grand Slam of Curling event titles, made his season debut at the Boost National in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. last month after being sidelined with hip and groin issues. “There was a little bit of rust to shake off as we all got back to our regular positions again, but we’ve been curling with each other for so long now that it only took us a couple of

Team Gushue salutes the crowd after their win over Team Edin at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open. Photo by Lucas Punkari

games to get back into the swing of things,” Nichols said. “I felt like we all played well from top to bottom all week long and that’s exactly what we were hoping for as we get ready for our provincial playdowns in St.

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A week to remember at the Civic Centre

Sweden’s Niklas Edin entertained the crowd Sunday afternoon as he made a spin-o-rama shot during his loss to Brad Gushue in the men’s final. Photos by Lucas Punkari

Morgan Court, left, and Lynn Kreviazuk moved their away around some guards as they swept a rock thrown by their skip Allison Flaxey. The Caledon, Ont. rink lost in the quarter-finals to Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg.

Defending Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. was a force to be reckoned with all week long before losing to Brad Gushue in Saturday’s semifinal. Jacobs won the previous Grand Slam event, the Boost National, in his hometown last month.

Rachel Homan had a tournament to forget in North Battleford, as her Ottawa rink saw their streak of 18 straight Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling playoff appearences come to an end with a loss to Jacqueline Harrison of Misssissauga, Ont. Saturday morning.

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PAGE 12 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

New David Austin rose releases There are two new David Austin Roses to be released in spring of 2017. Both of these roses are products of a 20-year breeding program that is achieving amazing levels of beauty, fragrance, free flowering, disease resistance and, most importantly, charm. With these two additions there is a total of 114 Austin-bred English Rose varieties now available to North American gardeners. This year, David C. H. Austin has turned 90 years of age. Austin is best known for introducing English roses which combine the flower forms and scents of old roses with the repeat flowering, health and colour range of modern day roses. This breeding program has introduced 234 English rose varieties in total. The Austin nursery, show garden and plant centre draws visitors from around the globe. Desdemona is a pure white rose that is a powerful charmer. The growth habit is upright but rounded with multiple sprays of white roses. This rose is beautiful enough to stand alone as a feature plant but is also a great addition to the border to heighten the impact of other shrubs and plants. The use of white in the garden will make other

Hanbidge on Horticulture by Patricia Hanbidge

Saskatoon School of Horticulture colours pop as well as reinforcing the depth of field and effectively separating colours that might otherwise clash. Desdemona is considered to be Austin’s best white rose with a deliciously-perfumed English rose scent that will continue to repeat its bloom throughout the season. It does well in both hot/humid or hot/dry conditions. The Ancient Mariner has large, upward-facing flowers that naturally sit high on the bush. It has a truly decadent strong myrrh fragrance that makes the entire surrounding area scented. The cupped blooms are densely packed with petals. Their color is a rich glowing pink that’s paler pink at the outer edge to create a halo effect that Austin finds particularly lovely. After bloom, the spent petals fall cleanly away. If this article has interested you, then you can order anytime and your order

will be shipped in spring at the correct time to plant as a bare rooted plant. Both these new additions are rated to a hardiness zone of 4 – 5, which makes them a fairly good risk for our climatic zone. The roses are sold on a first-come basis. New introductions typically sell out early. To order, visit www. d avid aust i n roses.com / us/, call 800-328-8893, or write to David Austin Roses Limited, 15059 State Highway 64 West, Tyler, TX 75704. All David Austin roses sold in North America are specially selected for North American growing conditions and climate zones. All are grown and shipped within North America. There is also a new book available. The 2017 David Austin Handbook of Roses is an elegant, encyclopedic catalog that could double as a coffee table book is free to United States and Canadian gardeners from www.

A bridal bouquet featuring David Austin roses. Photo by Pixabay

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Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 13

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Prairie hardiness map courtesy Natural Resources Canada.

New hardiness zone map for Canada By Sara Williams and Erl Svendsen With a cup of coffee in hand, I was recently reading through a major wholesale perennial catalogue that serves Canada’s prairies, and becoming increasingly dismayed at the hardiness zones into which they had placed some of my favourite plants. Daylilies in zone 3? Peonies in zone 3? Hadn’t I been growing these for decades in zone 2? What was with these guys? Didn’t they know anything?

arden Chat When I came to the last page, it dawned on me. Yes, indeed. In full colour, there was a map of Canada. Their catalogue designations were based on the new Canadian hardiness zone map. Oh, my gosh! I will have to relearn everything that had become second nature. Saskatoon is now

in zone 3b. How I loved the old designation! I had delighted, as do many prairie people, of bragging that I garden (the implication is, of course, of successfully gardening) in zone 2b. I would quote Hamlet, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” and hope whoever was listening would get the literary and horticultural allusions. Change will not come easily. Along with Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Steinbach and Brandon, Man., Regina and Red Deer, Alta. are

now in zone 3b. Prince Albert, the Battlefords and Lloydminster are in zone 3a. Weyburn, Swift Current, and Calgary, Alta. are in zone 4a. And my much coveted zone 2b includes The Pas, Man., La Ronge and Ile-a-laCrosse. Why a new plant hardiness map? Part of the reason lies with climate change. Incrementally, we’re getting warmer. The original version was developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 1967. Hardiness zones were based on seven factors: average temperature in the coldest month, average temperature of the warmest month; length of frost-free period; total rainfall from June to November; a winter factor; average maximum snow depth and maximum wind gust. This first map used climate norms from 193060. The map was updated once before by simply using updated climate norms (1961-90). The most recent version, updated by Natural Resources Canada, also uses more recent climate norms (1981-2010),

but it also takes into account the effects of elevation and uses modern analytical and mapping technologies. American seed catalogues will usually reference the USDA hardiness zone map. The USDA map is based simply on extreme minimum winter temperature over the last 30 years. And while both the USDA and the Canadian systems use the same number-letter system to name zones, similarly named zones are not necessarily equivalent (see http://planthardiness.gc.ca for more information; interactive maps are available to determine your zone in both the Canadian and USDA systems). Some emotions are (as they say) hardwired. In my heart, I will always garden in zone 2b. But I will have to get my head around this new map and go with the reality of climate change and the new plant hardiness designations. To further complicate the issue, as gardeners we should keep in mind that many of the zone designations in plant catalogs and on

CO-OP MALL NORTH BATTLEFORD

306-445-0717 labels on plants and in pots at garden centres and nurseries may lag behind the new map for several years. We can (and inevitably will) continue to “push the zones” and try to include new, different, and “tender” trees, shrubs and perennials in our landscapes, but with a slightly altered zonation reality. Sara is the author of numerous gardening books, among them the revised Creating the Prairie Xeriscape. And with Hugh Skinner: Gardening Naturally; Trees and Shrubs for the Prairies, and Groundcovers & Vines for the Prairies. Expect Fruit for Northern Gardens with Bob Bors in November, 2017. — This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@ yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events.

2016 at City Hall

A year of change, challenges and growth By John Cairns Staff Reporter

here is a rundown of some of them:

It was a year of change at City Hall in North Battleford as Ryan Bater took over as mayor from Ian Hamilton after the 2016 municipal elections. The municipal vote, which saw three incumbents joined by three newly-elected councillors, was certainly big news at council in 2016. The other big news was the Husky oil spill into the North Saskatchewan River, an event that resulted in long hours for City staff dealing with the crisis. The spill forced the shutdown of the F.E. Holliday plant that accesses water from the North Saskatchewan River. A special meeting of council was called to approve an agreement with the Town of Battleford to obtain potable water from a supply line over the North Saskatchewan River, as well as to approve construction of four new wells at Water Treatment Plant No. 1 and obtaining a GE filtration system, among others. But there were many other items on the agenda this year at City Hall and

A constant at council in 2016 were the reports of Community Safety CoOrdinator Herb Sutton on efforts towards addressing public safety issues in the community. A big concern throughout the year was the funding situation at The Lighthouse Serving the Battlefords. In January Sutton reported to council that a meeting took place Jan. 8 involving officials with The Lighthouse and the City, after Social Services had informed The Lighthouse a number of clients would not be funded by the agency. That created a 50 per cent budget shortfall, Sutton said, and he added “if I’m short 50 per cent of the budget, I’m not going to be in business very long.” Efforts to try to resolve the funding woes were ongoing behind the scenes throughout 2016. In February the City contributed $25,000 as a matching contribution, matching the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising event for The Lighthouse. Despite a difficult year, The Lighthouse Serving

Transit

Community Safety

Ian Hamilton the Battlefords remained open by year’s end, though the need was still there for a more sustainable funding model.

Saskatchewan Hospital

Another issue that was before council in 2016 was the Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings campaign. Prairie North CEO David Fan went before council in May seeking a special levy from the City that could help pay for new furniture and equipment at the new hospital. His campaign had sought a $4 million contribution from the area’s municipal governments, but North Battleford council made it clear they were not enthusiastic about the idea of a municipal levy for fur-

Ryan Bater niture or equipment.

Animals

It was a big year for animals at City Hall. A debate came to council about whether to approve an application by a resident to keep two laying hens in a back yard. The extensive discussion brought the City’s Animal Control Bylaw under the microscope as the City discovered they could, technically, allow urban hens in the city under that bylaw. In the end, council turned down the request to allow hens in a backyard. However, not long after, council did approve a request by a residents hoping to keep a pot-bellied pig in the city limits.

Some important changes took effect April 1 within the North Battleford Transit System. A new two-bus route system came into effect, cutting down ride time for passengers to reach their destinations. As well, there was expanded service into the Killdeer and Fairview areas. Council approved the changes in February.

Movie Theatre

The biggest project in a long time in the downtown was announced this summer with Magic Lantern Theatres’ five-screen movie theatre for the King Street Station area. But it was not without controversy as some critics questioned the sale of the land for $1, as well as accusations that the owners of Capitol Theatre were not consulted in advance. But Mayor Ian Hamilton said those owners had in fact been approached. Councillor Ryan Bater also defended the deal. “As a member of this council I stood by that decision. I’m very proud to still stand by it.”

Goodbyes and Hellos

The October 17 council meeting was the last one

for Councillor Ray Fox and Mayor Ian Hamilton. City Manager Jim Puffalt paid tribute to Hamilton for his time as mayor. “Your leadership, your contribution to the city is incredible.” On Nov. 7, Hamilton was back in council chambers once again as he handed over the mayor’s chain of office to new mayor Ryan Bater at the swearing-in ceremony of the new council at City Hall. After he took his seat, Bater made his opening address. “We live in a great city, a city that is vibrant, diverse, inclusive, caring and whose citizens enjoy a very high quality of life,” Bater said. “We have some of the best recreation facilities in the province, one of the highest per capita green space ratios in western Canada, a beautiful and scenic river valley, thriving arts community, entertainment centres, the best tasting water and a thriving and strong economy. We are North Battleford and we love our city.” JOIN THE CONVERSATION To comment on this story and others, go to www.newsoptimist.ca

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PAGE 14 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

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One year later: A somber note to the holidays for the Van de Vorst family Submitted SGI

Typically, the holidays are a time for family and celebrating. For Louis Van de Vorst of Saskatoon, this holiday season hasn’t been anything like the rest as it marks an anniversary he’d rather forget. “You know in the back of your mind that it’s the holidays, but things just aren’t the same,” said Van de Vorst. “Instead of having four grandchildren, now we only have two. We used to have 14 of us around the family table; now we’ve pretty well lost a third of that.” In the early hours of the morning on Jan. 3, 2016, Van de Vorst’s son Jordan was driving his family home after a night of visiting with friends. His vehicle was hit by an impaired driver, killing him and his wife, Chanda. Their two young children, Kamryn and Miguire, died later in hospital.

Van de Vorst recalls the morning vividly. While police officers were at his home delivering the news, they received an urgent call from a neurosurgeon. “He said that we didn’t have a whole lot of time. Jordan and Chanda were already gone. We soon found out that Miguire didn’t have much time and that Kamryn was on life support and likely wouldn’t survive either.” As tragic as Louis Van de Vorst’s story is, it’s not uncommon. Impaired driving is a senseless theme that plays out all too often on Saskatchewan’s roads. In 2015, 54 people were killed and 580 others were injured in impaired driving crashes. That’s why SGI and law enforcement are once again turning their attention to the issue of impaired driving in January. Throughout the month, police across the province will be watching for drivers under the influence of

alcohol or drugs and will be enforcing new, tougher impaired driving laws. A year has come and gone, but for the Van de Vorst family, the missed anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions haven’t gotten any easier. “You realize that they’re no longer with us and that the times that we had with them were very precious,” said Van de Vorst. “What we miss most is the laughter, the fun and the good times that we had together with them.” New impaired driving legislation effective Jan. 1, 2017 make Saskatchewan’s impaired driving laws among the toughest in the country. Changes build on laws implemented in 2014 to strengthen impaired driving legislation in Saskatchewan with the aim of stopping tragedies like the Van de Vorsts’. While laws are an added deterrent, preventing impaired driving starts

with making the commitment to make smart, safe and sober decisions before getting behind the wheel: • Make the commitment to never drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, not only as a new year’s resolution, but all year long. • Familiarize yourself with impaired driving laws and how they’ve changed. • Even if you’ve had a drink or two, don’t drive. Small amounts of alcohol still impact driving ability and can come with serious consequences. • Have a plan ahead of time and stick to it, including a safe ride to and from your destination, and anywhere in between. • Know the effects of alcohol/drugs on your body. Even after a good night’s rest, you can still be legally impaired the next day. • Avoid mixing alcohol and drugs (legal or illegal). The combination can have a multiplying effect on impairment.

While it remains a difficult topic for Van de Vorst, he hopes people can learn from his story. “People need to consider what their actions are doing to other people, whether complete strangers or their family and the people that you love. Think about that safe ride home before you go be-

cause you’re not immune to it. It can happen to you in an instant, at any time, any place.” View more information on new impaired driving laws and consequences on SGI’s website at www.sgi. sk.ca. Follow SGI on Facebook and Twitter for safety tips to #TakeCareOutThere.

cillors. Leslie took over from Derek Mahon who did not run for reelection. In the eight-person council race, both Judy Pruden and Kevin Rus-

sell were newly elected, joining incumbents Susan McLean-Tady, Shelley Boutin-Gervais, Doug Laing and Gordon Yarde on the next council.

Voters went to the polls twice in 2016 By John Cairns Staff Reporter

The year 2016 will be remembered for, among other things, momentous election results all around the world. The “Brexit” referendum in the U.K., in which the British electorate voted to leave the European Union, resulted in the resignation of their prime minister David Cameron. There was more upheaval in the fall when Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. Columnist Brian Zinchuk was involved in covering the U.S. election in 2016. He went to Bismarck, N.D. and was at a news conference in which he directly asked Trump about Keystone XL, with Trump responding in favour of the project. But as tumultuous and surprising as the U.S. race turned out to be, it was also a big political year locally as Battlefords and area voters went to the ballot boxes twice. First up was the 2016 provincial election. Locally, the nominated candidates were Josh Hunt of the Green Party, Dexter Go-

pher of the Liberals, Rob Feist of the NDP and incumbent, Herb Cox of the Saskatchewan Party. The party leaders all made stops in the Battlefords during the run up to and during the campaign period. NDP leader Cam Broten was in North Battleford for the joint nomination meeting to nominate Feist in the Battlefords as well as former Battlefords News-Optimist contributor Danica Lorer in Cut Knife-Turtleford. Broten also showed up during the campaign period. Premier Brad Wall made a brief campaign appearance in the Battlefords during the election. Liberal leader Darrin Lamoureux appeared at an event in Battleford to launch the party’s First Nations platform. In the end, the Saskatchewan Party swept the province again on election day, April 4, winning 51 seats to the NDP’s 10. The party had a clean sweep of Northwest-area seats. Herb Cox easily won the Battlefords, but even bigger wins were recorded next door by Larry Doke (Cut KnifeTurtleford), Randy Weekes (Biggar-Saskatchewan Valley) and Scott Moe (Rosth-

ern-Shellbrook). In the fall, municipal governments and school boards were up for election. But it was a fairly low-key election in many area communities, with acclamations common. The most activity in the North Battleford election was in the run up to nomination day as candidates filed their papers. The big surprise was the decision by Mayor Ian Hamilton to not run again, despite previously indicating his intentions to do so. Within days, Councillor Ryan Bater filed his nomination papers to run for mayor. When nominations closed, Bater was the only candidate and the winner of the mayor’s race by acclamation. The council race proved hotly contested with 15 candidates vying for six seats. In the end, when results were counted Oct. 26, three incumbents — Kelli Hawtin, Greg Lightfoot and Don Buglas — were joined by three new members of council — Kevin Steinborn, Len Taylor and Kent Lindgren. It was Lindgren who claimed the last seat on council by a few votes over incumbent

Cathy Richardson. Over in Battleford, it was Ames Leslie who defeated David George in the mayor’s race there in a battle of two incumbent coun-

Big names in the B’fords By John Cairns Staff Reporter

Several notable individuals made stops in the Battlefords in 2016. Here is a rundown of some of those interesting personalities. Ricky Forbes, one of the “Tornado Hunters,” visited Battlefords-area schools in January with his “Flash” storm-chase vehicle, teaching students the finer points about tornadoes and severe weather. Brett Wilson returned to the Battlefords to give the keynote speech at graduation ceremonies for North West College. Entrepreneur Sheldon Gardiner was the guest speaker at Living Sky School Division’s Student Hall of Fame banquet in June. Greg Wood, the EnterTrainer, brought his magic

Tornado hunter Ricky Forbes and “Flash” were a hit with school students. News-Optimist file photo

tricks and inspiring message to the Battlefords in the fall. Comedian Bobby Henline returned to the Battlefords for the fundraiser in support of Wounded Warriors Weekend. George Canyon also performed in support of Wounded Warriors Weekend in November. Amanda Guthrie, from the Battlefords and now with OUTSaskatoon, spoke about inclusion in

her Small Business Week presentation at the Chamber of Commerce in October. Raw food chef Chris Kendall brought his passion for 100 per cent raw food to Blend in September. A number of performers made their way to the Battlefords in 2016: those included comedian Tom Green, country music artist Michelle Wright and The Amazing Kreskin.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 15

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IN MEMORIAM

JEAN PAUL CÔTÉ Jean was born on December 8th, 1928 in Delmas, SK. He Passed away peacefully December 30th, 2016.

Jean leaves to mourn his wife Yvonne (Sayers) of 61 years and 7 children: Sharon (Barry) Walker, Debbie (Leo) Bernier, Jenny (Ted) Bugg, Colleen (Deceased), Brent (Lila) Côté, Kevin (Colleen) Côté, Elosie (Andy) Ramstad. As well, 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. As per Jean’s request, no funeral services. Family will celebrate his life privately at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to charity of your choice.

OBITUARIES FLORY: Sister Marianne (Sister Mary Margaret). Peacefully on Tuesday January 3, 2017 at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Maple Ridge BC, Sister Marianne aged 86 years went to her true home in heaven. Marianne, only child of Margaret and Fred Flory, was born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, where she received her first eleven years of schooling. After graduating from Sion Academy in Saskatoon, Marianne obtained both her B.A. and B.Ed. from the U. of S. After three years of teaching high school, Marianne joined the Sisters of the Child Jesus in 1955, making her postulancy in North Vancouver and her novitiate in Sherbrooke, Quebec. After profession in 1958, Marianne spent the next 15 years teaching either in North Vancouver BC or in North Battleford SK. In 1976 she received an MA in spirituality from Duquesne University, after which she became involved in a variety of ministries, both ongoing formation and pastoral ministry. The highlight of her latter years was when she was coordinator of the Saskatoon Diocesan Synod from 19881993. In all of these ministries she lived the charism of our foundress Anne Marie Martel: a presence of love to the Father and her brothers and sisters for the awakening and deepening of the faith. She made Anne Marie’s prayer her own: “May my only pleasure be to please you.” Remaining to forever cherish her memory are the Sisters of the Child Jesus, numerous cousins, among them her cousin Elaine’s husband Bob Hardstaff and their sons Michael and Scott, former students and friends. Prayers will be held on Sunday, January 8th, 2017 at 7:00 pm and the Funeral Mass Monday, January 9th, 2017 at 10:30 am. Both services are at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 315 Walker Street, Coquitlam. Kearney’s Columbia-Bowell Chapel 604-521-4881 ___________________________________________________

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OBITUARIES ADAMS: In Loving Memory of Shirley Margaret Adams (Cook), born December 28, 1938 at Holland, MB, passed away December 16, 2016 in North Battleford, SK. Left to cherish her memory - her loving children and grandchildren: Kelly (Angela) Adams Michaela, Owen & Cameron of South River, ON., Lynn (Randy) Greening - Danielle & Cody of North Battleford, SK., Sherri (Doug) Butler - Katie, Samantha & Mattie of Memphis, Tennessee, USA; her sibling, Joan Malo and numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her loving husband of 55 years, Clare Adams; her parents, Alton & Alice Cook; her sisters: Vivian Higham & Elaine Marks. “We wish to express our gratitude for the many acts of kindness we have received in thought and deed and for your support and attendance at today’s Celebration Of Life Gathering.” Memorial Service In Celebration Of The Life Of Shirley Margaret Adams was held on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. from ‘The Garden Chapel’ - Battlefords Funeral Service, North Battleford, SK., with Minister Rev. Nora Borgeson. Family Shared Memories were given by Kelly Adams. Reading by Sherri Butler and Roxanne Stynsky. Music Ministry: Organist - Glenn Goodman; Soloist Robert MacKay - “Amazing Grace.” Memorial Video Tribute by Lynn & Randy Greening. Honourary Pallbearers were All who shared in Mom’s life. Urn Bearers were Cody Greening & Mattie Butler - On behalf of all the Grandchildren. Memorial Donations are requested to The Alzheimer Society, 301-2550-12th Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 3X1 or to River Heights Lodge Auxiliary, 200199th St., North Battleford, SK S9A 0S3. Interment was at Garden Of Devotion – Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, North Battleford, SK. Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service. ___________________________________________________ GODBOUT: Mrs. Shirley Godbout of North Battleford and formerly of Edam passed away on Friday, December 9, 2016 at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon at the age of 77 years. Mass of Christian Burial took place on Saturday, December 17, 2016 @ 1:00 p.m. from Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Edam, Saskatchewan with Reverend Father Peter Paase M.S.P. officiating. Interment followed in the Edam Catholic Cemetery. Memorial donations in memory of Shirley may be directed to Masses or St. Paul’s Palliative Care Ward, 1702 20 St W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Z9. Shirley is survived by her loving husband Lionel of 51 years; children: Larry, Shelly (Dave), Rick (Michelle) and Tammy (Bryan); grandchildren Ryan (Corily), Brandon (Carla), Jayden, Jacelyn, Hunter, Rain, Nicole, Vanessa, Mike, Chris and Jay; and great-grandchildren Zachary, Tristan and Aria; sister Ferne (George) Nielsen and numerous other relatives. She is predeceased by her first husband Lloyd Francis Weber, her parents Edward (Ted) and Violet Phillips, mother and father-in-law David and Sarah Weber; mother and father-in-law Joseph and Marguerite Godbout; her brother Ray (Marlowe) Phillips and numerous other relatives. For those wishing to leave a condolence you may do so at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Trevor Watts of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium.

Ph.: 306-445-7265 / 306-445-7266

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Professional Services Provided with Heart and Compassion ROBERT MACKAY GEORGE HAEGEBAERT P.O. Box 806 North Battleford, SK S9A 2Z3

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Thank You I would like to thank all my family and friends who braved the cold weather on December 17 to help me celebrate my 85th Birthday. Thank you for all the cards and gifts. Steve Rawlyk

OBITUARIES MCCLELLAND: McClelland, Robert Andrew Nixon - 19312016 - It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Robert “Bob” McClelland on December 30th 2016. Pre deceased by his wife Mary (nee Masson). Loving father of Eleanora (Gary), Laurie (Bill), Lynda (Mike), Beverly (Yves), John (Gayle). He will be forever remembered by his 15 grandchildren; Annie, David, Erin, Hillary, Jane, Jon, Katie, Keiren, Mary, Meghan, Melissa, Sean, Sarah, Todd, Will and 7 great grandchildren; Elianna, Gannon, Heath, Kylie, Lorenzo, Mason, Matteo, Norah, Rachel, and Zachery. Bob started his career at the Atlas Steel Mill in Welland, ON. He worked at Simpson-Sears for 30 years and also worked with World Vision Canada. He was a volunteer for Welland’s Open Arms Mission and the Conservative Party of Canada. He was a long-time member and elder of the Presbyterian Church of Canada. In accordance with Bob’s wishes, cremation has taken place. The family will receive relatives and friends at the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 29 Bald Street, Welland L3C 5B7 on Friday January 6th, 2017 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm; Service on Saturday January 7th from 11:00 am - 12:00 noon.. A private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to World Vision Canada. __________________________________________________ MCEWAN: “Loving wife, supportive Mom, friendly, warm and interested in all things” describe Heather McEwen (nee Reid) who passed away peacefully at age 76 on December 29, 2016. Courted through her teen-age years by Doug McEwen, she married her husband of 55 years on August 5, 1961. Heather was predeceased by her parents, Bill and Beth Reid, her brother Bill, and her teenaged daughter, Allyson, who died in December of 1977. Direct family, son Brian McEwen with wife Melanie and granddaughter Zoë who reside in Beijing; daughter Cathi Cowie with husband, Stacey and grandchildren, Emma and Liam, along with husband, Doug, sister-in-law, Margaret, sister, Doreen including nieces, nephews, and cousins all continue to celebrate her life. At Heather’s request, no formal ceremony is planned although discussions are underway about possible family gatherings in Winnipeg, the Muskokas and/or Edmonton during the coming year. Heather chose to have Home Care and thus passed away at home under the care of Nurse Practitioner, Paula Bodnarek. The family thank Paula and all the other Edmonton Home Care personnel for their loving attention over the past several months. Those wishing to further remember Heather, are encouraged to donate memorial gifts to the Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Northern Alberta (SBHANA) or another charity of their choice. ___________________________________________________

PAGE 16 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

OBITUARIES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

KOTYK: In Loving Memory of Annie Kotyk, born September 11, 1929 at Hafford, SK., passed away December 15, 2016 in North Battleford, SK. Survived by her son, Boris (Kathie) and children: Brayden, Tawnie, (Michelle Lepp); grandchildren: Jacey Kotyk, Jan (Erin) Asher Kotyk, Jared Kotyk, Teagan and Memphis Kotyk; sisters-in-law: Muriel Tkatchuk & Nora Matwishen; numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents, Fredrich and Maria Matwishen; husband, Fred; son, Ron; grandson Shayne; brothers, Pete, Henry, Dick Matwishen; sister, Sofie Rawlyk. Panakhyda (Prayer Service) was held on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist. Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. John The Baptist, North Battleford, SK., with Minister Rev. Fr. Taras Makowsky. Cross Bearer was Jerry Kamineski. Eulogist was Mary Kamineski. Soloist was Robert MacKay. Cantor was Jim Shevchuk. Altar Server was John Sendecki. Honour Guard was the Ukrainian Orthodox Women’s Association O’Pchilka Branch. Honourary Pallbearers were Teagan Kotyk & Tawnie Kotyk. Active Pallbearers were Jan Kotyk, Jacey Kotyk, Richard Marchenko, Jared Kotyk, Brayden Kotyk, Russel Kachuk and Myron Tkatchuk. Memorial Donations are requested to the Donors Choice. Interment was at St. Peter and St. Paul Cemetery (Kindrachuks), Whitkow - Dominion District, SK. Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service.

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COMING EVENTS Saskatoon Farm Toy and Collectible Show January 13-15,2017 at the German Cultural Centre, Saskatoon, SK. Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm. Special features include farm toys and scenes, construction equipment, vintage toys, die-cast models, collectibles, replacement parts and more!

FOR SALE - MISC 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.

REACH OVER 500,000 Saskatchewan Readers Each Week! Blanket Classifieds are carried in 79 community newspapers, which reach over 450 communities including 14 cities. P: 306-649-1405 E: classifieds@swna.com W: www.swna.com The Strength is in Community Newspapers! HARDY TREE, SHRUB, and berry seedlings delivered. Order online at www.treetime.ca or call 1-866873-3846. New growth guaranteed. PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.

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For reliable expert service CALL

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2 bedroom main floor, renovated house in Wilkie. Available immediately. Shared Utilities. 600.00/month. Phone 306-4802890.

SUITES FOR RENT 2 bedroom basement suite for rent. 1632 101st street. Fridge and stove and W/D. References required. Call 306-446-8866 or 306441-1554.

CANADA BENEFIT GROUP - Do you or someone you know suffer from a disability? Get up to $40,000 from the Canadian Government. Toll-free 1-888-511-2250 or www.canadabenefit.ca/free-assessment

STEEL BUILDINGS/GRANARIES STEEL BUILDING SALE ...”REALLY BIG SALE IS BACK EXTRA WINTER DISCOUNT ON NOW!” 20X19 $5,145 25X27 $5,997 28x27 $6,773 30X31 $8,110 35X33 $11,37640X43 $13,978. One End wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036 www.pioneersteel.ca

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

FEED & SEED

LAND FOR SALE

35NO lines FEES OR

COMMISSIONS!

SUMMARY OF SOLD PROPERTIES North - 10 1/4’s North East - 14 1/4’s North West - 12 1/4’s East - 57 1/4’s West - 50 1/4’s Central - 219 1/4’s South - 100 1/4’s South East - 46 1/4’s South West - 65 1/4’s PURCHASING: SINGLE TO LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND.

FBC is Canada’s largest farm and small business tax specialist. We are growing and looking for people who enjoy helping others and creating raving fans to join us as Field Consultants (Tax Specialists in Training) based out of our Saskatoon office. We are specifically looking for people to provide service in and around Melfort, Tisdale, Nipawin, Hudson Bay, Prince Albert, and/or Kindersley. Substantial training will be provided to ensure your success in this role! For more information and to apply, please visit our careers page via www.fbc.ca. MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! Indemand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855768-3362 to start training for your work-at-home career today! Beekeepers Wanted for the upcoming 2017 beekeeping season (April to November) in rural Battleford area. Wages start at $11.00/hr. Willing to train applicants, but experience would be an asset. Job requires heavy lifting, applicants must be physically fit and possess a good work ethic. Please reply to Stuhoney@yahoo.com or fax 306 937 2095, attention Stuart

Buying/Selling FEED GRAINS heated / damaged CANOLA/FLAX Top price paid FOB FARM

FARMLAND WANTED

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

HEALTH SERVICES

Western Commodities 877-695-6461 Visit our website @

www.westerncommodities.ca

RENT BACK AVAILABLE Call DOUG 306-955-2266 saskfarms@shaw.ca ACREAGE FOR SALE south of Blaine Lake on Hwy #12. 77 Acre hobby acreage features a 6 year old 2,151 sq ft custom built 2 storey home. Heated garage, pole shed, corrals, outdoor riding arena, cross-fenced pastures. View this great property @ w w w. e d b o b i a s h t e a m . c o m MLS® 589188 Value priced at $419,900. Call Ed 306-222-7770 with RE/MAX Saskatoon. PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. is a publicly-traded company in Calgary that acquires oil & gas fee title and royalty interests at fair market value. To receive a cash offer, call 587293-4055 or visit www.prairiesky.com/Selling-Your-Royalties.

APARTMENTS/CONDOS FOR RENT 1 Bedroom Apartment for rent in Battleford, quiet working adults, no pets, no children, no smoking, reference required. Must be employed. Phone 445-2943

HEATED CANOLA WANTED!! - GREEN CANOLA - SPRING THRASHED - DAMAGED CANOLA FEED OATS WANTED!! - BARLEY, OATS, WHT - LIGHT OR TOUGH - SPRING THRASHED HEATED FLAX WANTED!! HEATED PEAS HEATED LENTILS "ON FARM PICKUP" Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252 NORTH EAST PRAIRIE GRAIN INC. Currently Buying: Soybeans, Feed Barley, Wheat and Oats. OFFERING: Competitive Prices, On Farm Pickup & Prompt Payment! CALL: 1-306-873-3551, WEBSITE: neprairiegrain.com NutraSun Foods Ltd of Regina wants to buy your Organic Hard Red Spring and Conventional Hard White Wheat. Please contact Abe Ens at 306-751-2440.

AUTO MISCELLANEOUS Wrecking over 250 units... cars and trucks. Lots of trucks... Dodge... GMC... Ford... Imports... 1/2 ton to 3 tons... We ship anywhere... Call or text 306-821-0260. Lloydminster.

FUNERAL SERVICES

SALLOWS & McDONALD — WILSON & ZEHNER Funeral Home

1271 - 103rd Street | North Battleford | 306-445-2418 www.sallowsandmcdonald.com “Our Services are Expressive, NOT Expensive”

We are your community leader in Unique MEMORIAL, FUNERAL and CREMATION services. Full Service Facility Equipt. with on-site lunch room, chapel, Celebrant and Insurance Representative for all your pre-planning needs. “Reinventing Tradition Where Heritage Meets Innovation”

2015 BBEX Customer Service Award Recipient

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Professional

D I R E C T O R Y SWANSON GRYBA & COMPANY

Chartered Professional Accountants 1282 - 101st Street North Battleford, Sask. Telephone 306-445-0488 Facsimile 306-446-3155 -PARTNERSGarth Swanson, CPA, CA Greg Gryba, CPA, CA

CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS

300 - 1291 102nd Street North Battleford, SK, S9A 3V4

Phone: 306-445-6234 Fax: 306-445-0245 PARTNERS

Dale L. Cameron, CPA, CA Suzanne L. Odishaw, CPA, CA Jacques la Cock, CPA, CA Derek Sieben, CPA, CA Stephen Mann, CPA, CA

Let Us Help You Keep Your Business Rolling! PLACE YOUR AD ON THIS PAGE

CALL 306-445-7261

Fax: 306-445-1977 Email: newsoptimist.sales@sasktel.net

Community Safety and Crime Prevention

GET INVOLVED!

Men have a responsibility to stop male violence against women. A message from the Canada Safety Council

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 17

COMING EVENTS

PUZZLE NO. 757

10.Zilch 11.Snow coaster 19.Cut one’s molars 21.Spiders’ structures 22.Angel’s headgear 23.Like some cheese 25.Song 28.Commits perjury 29.Skilled 30.Army eatery

Across

Visit our website

www.newsoptimist.ca for more community events

Community Events Calendar ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Please call our 24 hour helpline at 306-446-6166 for support or information.

Tuesdays

Battlefords Humane Society Chase the Ace Diamond in the Ruff Lottery. Tickets $5 each or 3 for $10. Weekly winner gets 20% of that week’s sales plus CHANCE TO WIN 30% progressive jackpot! Tickets must be purchased weekly to WIN! Don’t miss a draw weekly subscriptions available. All proceeds to Shelter-Us Building Fund. Draws every Tuesday morning, 9:00 a.m., Lakeland Vet Clinic. Call The Shelter for more details 306-937-MEOW (6369). Lottery licence LR15-0091.

Tuesdays, January 10 - February 14

LiveWell with Chronic Conditions Workshop at the North Battleford Library at 1:00 p.m. Self management workshop for individuals with chronic (ongoing) health conditions. We meet for 2 1/2 hours a week for 6 weeks. Very interactive program facilitated by trained leaders. Topics discussed; getting a good nights sleep, healthy eating, keeping active, problem solving, action plans, decision making and communication. Family members and caregivers are welcome. For more information phone 306-446-8613.

Tuesday, January 10

Borden Kaiser Tournament in Borden at the Community Center in the Seniors Room at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesdays, January 11 - March 29

Time for Tots at the North Battleford Library at 10:45 a.m. at the North Battleford Library. Come and enjoy 30 minutes of simple stories, rhymes and finger plays for ages 18 months to 3 years and their parents or caregivers.

Wednesday, January 11

Financial Planning 101 at the North Battleford Library at 7:00 p.m. Designed for individuals and families. We will take you through the fundamental elements required in putting together a solid financial plan: things to consider, questions to ask yourself and what action steps are required. In addition, we will review some of the more popular government sponsored savings vehicles (RRSP, TFSA, etc.), discuss how to create and stick to a budget and share tips on paying down debt faster.

Thursdays, January 12 - March 30

LEGO Club at the North Battleford Library from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Join our Kids Lego Club where you can create, build and use your imagination. Lego provided.

Fridays, January 13 - March 31

Tales and More at the North Battleford Library at 10:45 a.m. Come and enjoy 45 minutes of stories, rhymes and finger plays for ages 3 to 5 years.

Tuesdays, January 17 - February 14

Heart to Heart is a Heart and Stroke Foundation program, working in partnership with Prairie North Health Region to offer cardiac patient and their partners the answers to their questions about heart health. Patients learn about coping with health programs, making healthy eating choices, the role of exercise in heart health and how to manage stress at the Primary Health Center from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. To find out more or to register, call Kellie at 306-446-6424 or email kellie.heidel@pnrha.ca. Please leave a daytime phone number if leaving a message.

Wednesday, January 18

Bingo in Borden at the Community Center in the Seniors Room at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 21

Texas Hold’em Tournament at the Royal Canadian Legion #142 in the Maidstone Legion Clubroom. Registration 6:00 p.m. Tournament 7:00 p.m. To register call Royal Canadian Legion Clubroom at 306-893-4048.

Saturday, January 21

Green Screen Fun at the North Battleford Library - come and play with our new green screen and see yourself in ways you never imagined from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 21

Club 70 Dance - Cherokee Rose at the Royal Canadian Legion, 1352 - 100th Street, North Battleford from 8:00 p.m. to 12 midnight. Lunch served at 12 midnight. Everyone welcome.

Saturday, January 21

Snowmobile Rally in Borden at the Community Center starting at 10:00 a.m. last rider out at 2:00 p.m. Chili lunch will be provided, as well as ham supper. Sponsored by Radisson Senior Hockey. This section, which will appear weekly in Tuesday's News-Optimist and Thursday’s Regional Optimist, is provided free-of-charge to non-profit organizations. To list the Community Calendar please call News-Optimist at 306-445-7261 or fax the information to 306-445-3223. Please provide complete information including event, time, date and location. Although we will do our utmost to make sure your event appears in this section, News-Optimist does not guarantee all submissions will appear. Deadline for submissions is 5:00 p.m. Thursday prior for Tuesday's & Thursday’s publication.

33.Aretha Franklin hit 36.Snare 37.Bar 39.Trait carriers 41.Turn over quickly 42.Camp helper, e.g. 43.Foal 45.Prayer concluder 49.Brewery beverage 50.Prosecute 51.Wish

1. Disney dog 5. Very dry, as wine 9. ___ gin fizz 13. Coin featuring Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man 14. Larger, wider spoons 16. German married woman 17. Brief survey 18. Cap 19. When repeated, like some shows 20. Bring up 21. Recently 23. Draft Copyright © 2015, Penny Press 25. Certain surgeon’s “patient” 28.Take it find ACROSS 26.1.ToJudge’s come together on the ____ 55.Dogs and 30. Assumed concernname 31.Made holy cats 32.5.Round Signalsound assent 32.Clan 56.Fountain 33.8.AIDS Has causing ____ 34.Turf ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 757 virus 12.Draft animals 35.Stags and 57.Young adult 50. Codger 8. Cooking meas. 34.13.Hot Homeytemper 35. Two-masted ship bucks 51. Victorian, for one 9. Tenure of land 35.14.Moderately Plucky 36. Come together 38.Foot parts DOWN 53. Person 39. “Out of the ques36. Bitcold of dust 1. Shy 10. French novelist 39.Polite chaptraveling doing religious work Pierre tion” 37.15.Decade ___ v. Wade unit 2. Woodsman’s 40.Winding 56. Cowboy boot at-implement 11. ___ probandi 41. European mint 38.16.Short-term Acclivity curves job tachment 12. “___ quam videri” used in perfume 39.17.Pine Escapade 41.Coin side 3. Caribbean, ____ 57. Certain type of 42. Gum 40.18.Alternate To protect e.g. (North Carolina’s 44.Hobo domes motto) 43. Floating signals 43.20.Got To laythe outbest in sun 46.MGM’s 4. Registers 58. Confined, with 14. Bathroom item 45. More tender 44. Burglar trademark 5. Close, once of “up” part 46. Car luggage com45.21.Largest Cliched movie 47.Glass 6. Adjust15. to Danger 59. ___ tide 19. Bottom of the partment endingmammal surroundings 48.Effortless 60. The America’s barrel 47. “Follow me!” 47.24.Close Category 7. Unit of heat 52.Resting Cup like trophy, e.g. 8. Happen 22. Cafeteria carrier 48. Ancestry 26.Bald bird 53.Act CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS 61. Clumsy boats 23. Crack 49. ___ Minor USE AMERICAN SPELLING 27.Half of twenty 54.Detective’s 9. Dates Puzzle 24. Corduroy feature 50. Amounted (to) Down Solution 52. Song and dance, 26. “Cut it out!” 1. Hit the road e.g. 27. Like a manager 2. Acoustic 54. “___ to Billie Joe” 28. Commend 3. Exaggerates 55. “___ what?” 29. “... happily ___ 4. “___ rang?” 56. Marienbad, for after” 5. Ill-gotten gains 30. “God’s Little ___” one 6. Ancient alphabetic 31. “Crazy” bird character 32. Fetch 7. Bull markets CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

WANTED Route 50A

4th Ave., Janet Drive, Riverbend Cresent, All of 38th Street • 112 papers •

Route 53

29th Street - 200 - 400 Block 30th Street - 200 - 400 Block • 93 papers •

Route 57

All 23rd Street, All 24th Street

• 66 papers •

Route 63

Battlesprings Way, Battleriver Place, Battleford Place, Battlesprings Lane, Battlespring Place, Battlespring Dr., Battlesprings Cove

• 81 papers •

FOR MORE DETAILS CALL CHUCK Monday to Friday ~ 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

at 306-445-7261 OR Leave Message if after hours or weekends

892-104th Street, North Battleford, SK

306-445-7261

PAGE 18 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Locals lend support for Standing Rock Submitted by Elizabeth Cline Water is Life: Treaty No. 6

On the evening of Dec. 1 about 125 people gathered at the Sloan Auditorium in North Battleford. Rock with Standing Rock was a fundraiser for the Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock, N.D., where the people of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and their supporters from around the world, are camped to protect their sacred lands and water from the Dakota Access pipeline. The event was organized by Water is Life: Treaty No. 6, the Battlefords, which was formed by concerned citizens after a Husky Energy pipeline ruptured in July, spilling about 250,000

litres of heavy crude oil and diluents, contaminating the North Saskatchewan River. The evening opened with some introductory words and a prayer offered by elder Alexander Kennedy. A chili and bannock supper was followed by a program of music and spoken word. Two bands, Blue Spirit and Reckless Famous, entertained with their upbeat music. Sound for the event was provided by Gord Slater. Rap artists, Tudaze, Ralphie Ralph, Mickey T, Faytel and Young C gave inspiring performances, as did spoken word artists, Brandie Carignan and Elise. Local singer/ songwriter, Kjelti Katherine also debuted an original song.

Birgit Lessing spoke about her friend who was arrested at Standing Rock while in a prayer circle with elders and about cruel and inhumane treatment they received while under arrest. Many others in the communities helped to make Rock with Standing Rock a success. Businesses donated food, beverages and utensils. Others promoted the event, and local artists donated pieces for a silent auction. Individuals contributed ingredients and prepared the food for the meal. Everyone involved in the event volunteered their time and energy, talent and resources to support Standing Rock in their struggle to protect their water, and, in doing so,

brought the message that “water is life” and it must be protected to their own communities and to the world. In total $2,450 was raised through admission, a silent auction ($713.00) and other cash donations. All $2,450 was sent to Oceti Sakowin Camp on Dec. 22 via the PayPal account on their website (www.ocetisakowincamp. org). Rock with Standing Rock surpassed the organizers’ goal in amount of money raised and, perhaps even more importantly, it brought people of different backgrounds and different ages together in fellowship and fun, united by their common concern for water, for life, and for future generations.

Meals on Wheels

Battlefords Meals on Wheels clients were pleasantly surprised with a Christmas gift of hand quilted placemats Dec. 19th courtesy of Rivers’ Edge Quilt Guild who made and donated quilted place mats for those receiving meals. The meals on wheels program provides a hot nutritious dinner to home care clients. This noon hour delivery was made possible throughout the year by the assistance of many volunteers who provide community contact and a friendly smile that is beneficial to the emotional health and well-being of clients. Above left, back row - Karen Pernala, co-ordinator of Volunteer Services, John Eberle and Hilda Eberle, Battlefords Agricultural Society; front row - Joyce Vany and Arlene Schwab of Rivers’ Edge Quilt Guild. Above right, Joann Ganzert of Battleford Furniture, Joyce Vany and Arlene Schwab of Rivers’ Edge Quilt Guild and Denise Schmidt (co-ordinator of Volunteer Services). Also delivering meals on wheels that day were Gord and Freda Hellofs, Gwen and Paul Baskey and Jim and Adele Giefer. Photos submitted

Professional Business & Service Serving Our Rural Communities

Women DIRECTORY 100 Who Care PHONE: 306-875-9522

MIGNEAULT LAW OFFICE Barristers and Solicitors Sallows Building

1391 - 101st Street North Battleford, Saskatchewan, S9A 2Y8

Telephone: (306) 445-4436 Fax: (306) 445-6444

Monte M. Migneault, B.A., LL.B. MAIDSTONE OFFICE: At Elliot Insurance Offices every 2nd & 4th Thursday afternoon Telephone: 306-893-2461

Marshall’s Funeral Home

KERANDA

INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY LTD.

1-866-248-3322

Fax: 306-248-3339 www.marshallsfuneralhome.ca

FUNERAL DIRECTORS Gordon Marshall Doug Hanley

P.O. Box 330 Maidstone, SK, S0M 1M0 Located: 507-Hwy. 21 N

Bus.: 306-893-2631 Fax.: 306-893-2410

Supplies for all your agricultural, industrial & automotive needs.

meets Thurs.

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Members of the Sask. Funeral Association TOLL FREE

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Email: val@newsoptimist.ca

Submitted Thursday, Jan. 12, the Battlefords Chapter of 100 Women Who Care will hold their second official membership meeting at Empress Furniture and Decor/Carpet Superstore on Highway 4 North in North Battleford. The group of nearly 150 are excited to gift another local charity with a sizable donation. Oct. 13, the Canadian Mental Health - Battlefords Branch made a presentation and was

awarded $13,000. 100 Women Who Care works to increase awareness of the needs of others in our communities and impact the work done by charities with a large donation four times a year. The group is welcoming new members, inviting all interested women to attend Thursday at 6 p.m.(doors open). Women who attend are promised an enchanting evening of entertainment, food, friendship, inspiration and empowerment. Find them on Facebook or see the website for a sneak peek on what to expect, and more in-depth information (www.100wo menwhocarethebattlefords. com).

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 - PAGE 19

Some things happen way too fast to be seen We have a number of words and phrases we use to indicate a very short length of time. A split second is part of a second, but it’s used in a more general sense to mean very quickly. A nanosecond is one billionth of a second. In the twinkling [or blink] of an eye is a phrase that’s more than seven centuries old. As originally written it was, “Yn twykelyng of an ye.” It indicates something happening in an instant, in a moment of time. Apart from scientific instruments and highspeed cameras, there are things that happen so fast our eyes cannot see them taking place — the speedy flight of a bullet, the beating of a hummingbird’s wings, the way light instantly floods a room when we flip the switch are all like that. Sudden events in the Bible are described in similar terms. Of the enemies of Israel it is said, “The multitude of your foes shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones like chaff that passes away; yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.” (Isa. 29:5) Of the destiny of the wicked, Proverbs says, “His calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.” And “He who is often

rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Prov. 29:1) In the New Testament, we read that when aged Simeon greeted Mary and Joseph, when they brought the baby Jesus into the temple, Anna, a prophetess, was suddenly there. “Coming in that instant [at that very moment] she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Lk. 2:38) But it’s in another passage concerning the prophesied second coming of Christ that we find the translators of the Authorized Version using the old expression mentioned earlier. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep [i.e. die], but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Cor. 15:51-52) There the Bible is saying that in an instant our mortal bodies will be transformed, and become incorruptible, never-dying resurrection bodies (vs. 53). Though we were not there to see it, I believe the Lord Jesus experienced that instant transformation when He rose

Robert Cottrill, B.A., B.R.E. http://wordwisehymns.com/ www.Wordwise‐Bible‐Studies.com

from the dead. The body that had died became a glorified resurrection body in a split second and, just as quickly, our bodies will become like His (Phil. 3:20-21). When Christ comes again, those

who are alive at the time will not have to die (cf. I Thess. 4:16-17). In 1898, prolific gospel songwriter Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) wrote a song based on the Corinthians passage. It says, “When

the trump of the great archangel / Its mighty tones shall sound, / And, the end of the age proclaiming, / Shall pierce the depths profound; / When the Son of Man shall come in His glory / To take the saints on high, / What a shouting in the skies / From the multitudes that rise, / Changed in the twinkling of an eye. “When He comes in the clouds descending, / And they who loved Him here, / From their graves shall awake and praise Him / With joy and not with fear; / When the body and

Praising with prepositions All week I’ve tried to come up with some intriguing, or at least unique, start to this article. It is the first week of a new year, after all. I conducted a bit of online research, I mulled over snippets of my personal history that might be considered interesting and I even put out subtle hints to several friends. Nothing. So I’ve decided to just exhort each of us to make this a year of giving God our prepositional praise. Here’s the simplest of explanation. Us-

ing a juicy apple as an example I can say it is on the table, in a bowl on the table, beside your plate or under a paper serviette. On, in, beside or under are prepositions. In Psalm 150 the Psalmist David uses the same pattern. I call it worship from a preposi-

tional perspective. First, David exhorts us to praise God in His sanctuary and indeed, in the expanse of His creation. At first glance we could limit and formalize our praise as strictly universal until remembering that when we invited Christ into our lives, our hearts became His personal sanctuary. Praise, a Hebrew word for Hallelujah, should flood our private world. Viewing His total work of creation should result in praise welling up within us. Then, we are to praise

the soul are united, And clothed no more to die, / What a shouting there will be / When each other’s face we see, / Changed in the twinkling of an eye. “O the seed that was sown in weakness / Shall then be raised in pow’r / And the songs of the blood bought millions / Shall hail that blissful hour; / When we gather safely home in the morning, / And night’s dark shadows fly, / What a shouting on the shore / When we meet to part no more, / Changed in the twinkling of an eye.”

Him for His mighty works and His excellent greatness. Does that mean we are to rejoice over the evil that confronts us and our world? No, but we do give praise because He has promised to be with us through it all. Finally, David exhorts us to employ the “with” of worship and the list is long! All kinds of musical instruments and indeed, our very breath, are to be used to praise Him. The medium isn’t the only thing; it’s our response that counts. “In everything give thanks …”

www.newsoptimist.ca PAGE 20 - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

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