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Dealing with a playoff run
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New Beginnings
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Volume 109 No. 40
North Battleford, Sask.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Celebrate Environment Week June 5-11
Participate in Curbside Giveaway weekend By John Cairns Staff Reporter
The City of North Battleford has agreed to a city-wide event in June to attempt to divert items that might otherwise end up in the landfill. The plan is for a Free Curbside Giveaway weekend June 9 and 10, running between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. Details were outlined in a memo to council, as well as in a presentation by Stewart Schafer at their meeting Monday.
The idea is for residents to place a number of acceptable items they wish to dispose of, such as books, CDs, dishes, kitchen gadgets, furniture items and so on, on the edge of their yards and marked as “free.” Others would then be free to take those items away on those days. Items not taken must be removed after the event is over for the day, otherwise they could be subject to the City’s Waste Management bylaw. Some items would not be acceptable for the giveaway.
These include appliances, childrelated items such as walkers and playpens, and other items that might pose safety concerns. Similar events have been happening in cities across Canada, such as Ottawa, Winnipeg and Halifax, for a number of years. This event is being introduced to North Battleford as a pilot project. If the rules are not followed, the City will not host it again. If things go smoothly, it could become an annual occurrence. It would coincide with Environment
Week which runs from June 5 to 11. The ground rules will be communicated to residents before the event, and there will be no need for participants to fill out forms or register with the City prior to it. Administration did propose that participants fill out an application form, mainly so they could state on the City’s website where the free items were located that weekend. However, Councillor Kelli Hawtin questioned the need for an
application form. “There’s a cost of servicing those applications,” said Hawtin, pointing to the stress placed on City staff. “I support that thought,” said Councillor Len Taylor, who also didn’t want to see obstacles to the public participating in the giveaway. “We shouldn’t create unnecessary stress for people trying to do it.” Council unanimously approved the resolution to go ahead with the curbside giveaway weekend June 9 and 10.
On A High Note A group of travelling opera performers staged a performance Thursday at Notre Dame School and Ecole Monseigneur Blaise Morand. The show, The Scorpions’ Sting, was put on by Saskatoon Opera. Pictured here is Emma Johnson and Jean van der Merwe, who grew up in North Battleford, and actually attended EMBM. Van der Merwe recently graduated from the University of Manitoba and is singing professionally. Photo by Josh Greschner
PAGE 2 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Chamber alters bylaws as organization works toward national accreditation By John Cairns Staff
Terry Caldwell can now be referred to as the “chair” of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce. At a special membership meeting held May 15, the Battlefords Chamber approved bylaw changes that will impact the structure of the board, from the top down. The title of Chamber “president” is being replaced by “chair.” Titles are being changed from president, first vicepresident, second vicepresident and past-president to chair, vice-chair and second vice-chair and past-chair, respectively. As well, the executive director’s title is being changed to chief operating officer.
The board of directors is being reduced from 20 directors down to 15, with seven members retiring each year instead of 10. The past chair will automatically be appointed a member of the board. The past-chair, chair, vice-chair, second vicechair and one other member elected from the board will constitute the executive committee. As well, a minimum of two directors on the board must be from Battleford, RM of North Battleford, RM of Battle River or RM of Meota. This was one of several provisions included to ensure the bylaws covered the entire service area of the Battlefords chamber. In practice, however, the Chamber has already had representation on the board from outside North
Battleford for years. There are other changes as well, impacting such things as signing authority, as well as notification of members. That latter provision has been updated to allow for electronic notification. One item not included in the bylaws was term limits for directors, where directors would be required to stand down from the board after serving a number of consecutive terms. That had been discussed at previous meetings and could still go ahead as a policy change at the board level, but not as a bylaw change. The reasons for the bylaw changes are many, according to the Battlefords Chamber’s Chief Operating Officer Linda Machniak.
Action Battlefords
Chamber works to improve NB’s reputation By John Cairns Staff Reporter
The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce has launched its campaign to improve North Battleford’s reputation. It is called Action Battlefords and has been a cornerstone of Terry Caldwell’s presidency of the Battlefords Chamber since being sworn in earlier this year. It is a Chamber-led effort to involve the business community in creating a safer community and turning around the city’s reputation for crime. Letters were sent a week ago to Battlefords residents and to the business community about the initiative. The focus is on three main pillars: to provide support and more volunteers for Citizens On Patrol; establish a Youth First teen program to provide
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programming and activities for teens in the community; and to engage a marketing and communications firm to tell a positive story about the community to the national media. The campaign is actively seeking participation and financial contributions from local businesses as part of the effort. At a May 15 Chamber meeting in North Battleford, the board reported that Action Battlefords had launched its social media campaign earlier that day. The campaign’s Twitter account is under the handle @actionbfords, and they are on Facebook as well. Action Battlefords also plans to do a public appeal this coming week, with a full-page newspaper ad and more social media, and are scheduling meetings with local businesses over the coming weeks.
3,500
The vote is carried at the special membership meeting to approve changes to the bylaws that will result in several changes to the board structure and titles at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce. Photo by John Cairns
One reason is the desire by the Chamber to be nationally accredited and the organization has embarked on that process with the Canadian chamber. “The Chamber has decided that they would like to achieve that accreditation,” said Machniak. That meant updating the bylaws to meet those requirements. The Battlefords Chamber also wanted to modernize their bylaws, to “include more businessfriendly titles for our of-
ficers and executive staff,” said Machniak. The vote on the bylaw provisions carried with little debate Tuesday. However, the changes had been discussed at length at previous Battlefords Chamber board meetings over the last several months. With the bylaw passed Tuesday, the changes can start to take effect immediately, but the full extent will not be felt for several months. The most immediate change will be on the oper-
ations side, as officials can begin to use the new titles such as “chair” and “chief operating officer” immediately. But there will be time for business cards to get printed and for the rest of changes to be rolled out. As for reducing the board from 20 to 15, that will not happen until the next election cycle scheduled for December 2018. Details of how that will happen are still to be worked out within the Chamber.
Staff
Growers Association and is a musician, broadcaster and history enthusiast. Gwen Beitel from Spring Valley has also been appointed as director. She is the office manager for Moose Jaw-Lake Centre MP Tom Lukiwski and serves on the boards of Briercrest Museum, Providence Place in Moose Jaw and volunteers with the
Sukanen Museum Group. History and its preservation are passions for her. Susan Lamb (Saskatoon) has been reappointed as director. Nancy Martin (Regina) continues as chair and Diana Ireland (Moose Jaw), Raymond Sadler (Biggar) and Sharon Mohagen (North Battleford) are continuing members of the board.
Two new WDM board members appointed The Western Development Museum has announced recently appointed members of the board of directors. Two appointees are new to the board. Jack Dawes from Saltcoats has been appointed as director. He has a teaching background, is the former executive director of the Prairie Oat
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Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 3
NB SARCAN earns service award
New Beginnings
Shanti and Macey Odishaw present a $10,000 cheque to Corinne Bernier Delainey, fundraising lead for the Sask. Hospital New Beginnings campaign, on behalf of Battlefords Furniture. Owner Chris Odishaw has issued a challenge to area businesses to match that $10,000 donation. Photo submitted
Odishaw issues challenge to area businesses By John Cairns Staff Reporter
The Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings campaign took its fundraising pitch to Battlefords Chamber of Commerce members a May 15 meeting. Battleford Furniture owner Chris Odishaw, who was with the Sask. Hospital fundraising delegation, issued a challenge to businesses to match his business’s contribution of $10,000. Chamber president Terry Caldwell then confirmed he and his wife Stacey would accept Odishaw’s challenge and contribute $10,000 towards the campaign on behalf of their businesses Carpet Superstore, Empress Furniture and Porta Bella Restaurant. “Contributing to this campaign is investing in our futures – into a growth in jobs and into the growth of our local community,” Odishaw said in a statement following the meeting.
“I’d like to thank Terry and Stacey for recognizing the impact this new hospital will have on our local economy and helping us get to our goal of $8 million.” More than $6.4 million has been raised so far towards the $8 million target. The fundraising effort is raising money for furniture and fixtures at the new facility. Odishaw also announced at the meeting he would donate $2,000 to Citizens On Patrol, an organization Caldwell supports. There is further word about the expected timetable for completion of the new hospital. Saskatchewan Hospital director Linda Shynkaruk told the Chamber they expect to be handed the keys to the new hospital Aug. 2. Afterwards, there will be staff training on the new technology at the facility. The patients are expected to move in around November.
Jeff Bogdan (left), SARCAN depot supervisor for North Battleford, accepts a customer service award from Northwest Regional Manager Chantelle Diakuw.
Staff North Battleford’s SARCAN depot has earned a customer service award. The award recognizes outstanding customer service in the extra-large depot category. According to a SARCAN press release, secret shoppers visit every SARCAN depot in Saskatchewan each year and
rate their customer experience. The results create SARCAN’s annual customer service awards. The categories judged are accuracy, cleanliness and customer service, with four award winners in each category based on depot size from small to extralarge. In addition, the Depot of the Year awards are presented to one depot of each size who scored the
EMBM offers French immersion preschool
By Josh Greschner Staff Reporter
A local French preschool is hosting an open house for interested parents. Le Petit Monde Préscolaire is a French, Catholic immersion preschool program, open to children aged 3-5. The preschool is located at École Monseigneur Blaise Morand. EMBM is at 1651 – 96th St.
The open house is taking place Thursday, May 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be face painting and free hot dogs. Rosie Lafreniere, who is a board member, said children explore different themes, such as learning about space. Recently there was also a spring concert. The preschool has four half-day classes available for children age 3 to 5. Students must be age 3 by
Dec. 31, 2018. Maximum class size is 16, and spots are still available for the 2018-19 school year. Kids must be potty trained. Lafreniere encourages interested family members to come out. Phone Abbie at 306-441-8495 for more information. Board members will also be in attendance.
The staff of the North Battleford SARCAN Recycling depot proudly display their customer service award. Photos submitted
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highest in all categories. “Our employees take pride in their depots, and it shows,” said SARCAN’s Director of Collections Sean Collins. “These awards are an excellent way to recognize depots who go the extra mile to keep their depots clean and provide topnotch customer service.” Award recipients vary annually from SARCAN’s network of 72 locations province-wide. The awards were presented at an evening banquet during SARCAN’s annual leadership training event. Other winners are: Depot of the Year - Small Depot, Waldheim; Medium Depot, Esterhazy; Large Depot, Melville; ExtraLarge Depot, Yorkton; Cleanliness - Small Depot, Wilkie; Medium Depot, Hudson Bay; Large Depot, Martensville; Extra-Large Depot, Saskatoon South; Accuracy - Small Depot, Ituna; Medium Depot, Watrous; Large Depot, Humboldt; Extra-Large Depot, La Ronge; Customer Service Small Depot, Lanigan; Medium Depot, Gravelbourg; Large Depot, Melfort.
PAGE 4 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
this FromCorner By Becky Doig Editor
Free stuff. What a great idea. The City of North Battleford is promoting a Free Curbside Giveaway weekend June 9 and 10. In a departure from the garage and yard sale tradition, the City is encouraging residents to set unwanted items curbside, making them available to someone else who has a need or desire for the items. It’s not a new concept, as communities across the country have been using this type of promotion in an attempt to divert unwanted “stuff” from landfills. It isn’t actually new to the Battlefords either. My mother lived in Valley View Towers I for a few months. There they have what my family calls the “magic table.” It is located in the building’s main floor foyer. The low coffee table is a repository for items the residents no longer have a use for. We observed most items were quickly snatched up to be used by someone else. And since, in a recent Facebook debate about amalgamation of the Town and City governments, Battleford is accused of piggybacking on the city taxpayers, the town residents should jump on the bandwagon, too. Might as well live up to our reputation. Free stuff! Yeehaw!
Sask. Party has shaky relationship with teachers In Saskatchewan politics, some stakeholder groups have always been more closely aligned with some political parties than others. For example, it’s no secret the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Chambers of Commerce are philosophically linked to the Saskatchewan Party. The same can be said for various free-market-oriented agricultural producer groups and oil and mining lobby stakeholders. Even the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities — while, by definition, neutral — holds so many like-minded views and supporters that it often comes across as aligned with the Sask. Party. Moreover, SARM’s history includes its 1960 opposition to the Tommy Douglas CCF’s Royal Commission on Agriculture that recommended adoption of a county system. Also, in the 1990s, SARM and the Sask. Party went to war with the NDP government over its exploration of rural municipal amalgamation. Conversely, the NDP emerged in the 1960s when labour was given an active voice in the old CCF. That Saskatchewan Federation of Labour is still considered a constituency at the party’s annual conventions says much about allegiances on the left. This perspective is needed to better understand an on-going feud between the Sask. Party government and Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, although this issue isn’t as cut and dried as some think. For example, while unions and their leadership may be closely aligned with the NDP, that isn’t necessarily the case with the rank and file. There are 13,500 teachers in Saskatchewan, so politi-
The Provincial Scene By Murray Mandryk
mandryk@postmedia.com cal views are varied. Those in rural Saskatchewan likely recognize the opinions of teachers they know likely don’t vary all that greatly from others in their communities. And while teachers may have a self-serving view of their own pay, any government needs to recognize that the way teachers are compensated affects students and their parents and everyone else. In fact, in a growing province like Saskatchewan, there is an automatic need for government to shell out more for teachers. According to the September school enrolment numbers, the number of Saskatchewan students increased by 2,735 to 174,277 compared with 171,542 students in 2017. Yet this year’s operational funding in the 2018-19 budget is still 1.3 per cent less than in 2016-17, which takes us to the teachers’ contract and the government’s uneasy relationship with its teachers. Education Minister Gord Wyant acknowledges the
Sask. Party government has not set aside money for a contract increase. The government doesn’t want to “create any undue expectations with respect to what (a new contract) might look like,” Wyant said, later telling reporters last week that the increase “can be zero” and “I am not going to pre-judge” what might happen in the negotiation. One gets why Wyant might not want to tip his hand in normal negotiations. However, this negotiation is already at an impasse and has gone to an arbitrator. It would seem highly unlikely any arbitrator would recommend a wage freeze. But even if he or she did, there is the existing problem of rising enrolment that will require more teachers. Given that $30 million was added to the education budget in the 2018-19 budget — a leadership campaign promise by now Premier Scott Moe largely to make up for the $54-million cut to the education budget in the 2017-18 austerity budget under former premier Brad Wall — it’s obvious this government is prepared for a teacher salary increase. To send out signals that no teachers’ increase is coming, sends out a hostile message. “There’s not a lot of trust in the education sector right now,” said STF president Patrick Maze. One can’t but help think part of the problem is the long-held shaky relationship between the Sask. Party and the teachers. This always seems to be the case because some groups get along better with political parties than others. Gordon Brewerton Senior Group Publisher
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Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 5
$10,000 donation
N. B’ford Lions don’t miss a beat Staff
In the photo are Gordon Mullett, NB Lions Club president, Jerry Wintonyk, BUH Foundation board of directors, Pat Folan, NB Lions Club member and Harold Bishop, NB Lions Club secretary. Photo submitted
Keep moving this summer with in motion bucket list Submitted
In motion Saskatchewan
Just in time for warmer days, Saskatchewan in motion is releasing its annual Summer Bucket List. “It can be tough to keep kids active when organized activities start to wind down,” says Marnie Sinclair, manager of Saskatchewan in motion. “We’re providing parents with a virtual bucket filled to the brim with tips, ideas
add balance and put some outdoor fun and adventure into the mix. “Longer days, warm weather and lots of free time, make summer a great time of year for kids to enjoy active play outdoors,” says Sinclair. “We hope the bucket list helps make the tough job of raising active kids just a little bit easier.” In the Summer Bucket List, parents can learn to build their own backyard “mud run,” find some al-
and inspiration to keep families active all summer long.” Experts recommend kids move at least 60 minutes a day, but less than 15 per cent of Saskatchewan kids meet that national guideline. Kids are naturally more active when they’re outdoors, but safety concerns and the lure of screen time keep kids indoors now more than ever. The Summer Bucket List helps parents find ways to
Millionaire somewhere Staff Someone in Saskatchewan won a million dollars Wednesday night. A ticket sold in the province won the $1 million guaranteed prize on the May 16 Lotto 6/49
draw. According to Saskatchewan Lotteries, the winning ticket was sold somewhere in the, but not in either Regina or Saskatoon. The winning guaranteed prize number was
21639913-01. The winner or winners of the prize have a year from the draw date to claim the prize. The winner(s) can call 1-800665-3313 for information on how to start the prize claim process.
We’re HERE because YOU’RE here.
ternatives to saying “be careful” and find the top five toys of all time. The guide also includes ideas for: • playing neighbourhood games • reconnecting with nature • planning an active vacation or staycation • keeping active on rainy days Parents can visit saskatchewaninmotion.ca to see a digital copy of the in motion Summer Bucket List and download a template to complete their own family bucket list. Saskatchewan in motion is a province-wide movement of decision makers, influencers, leaders, educators, organizations and families working together to get more kids, more active, more often. The organization develops positive solutions and simple tools to inspire families to get kids moving.
Your curiosity fuels our commitment to keep you informed on local news, events and businesses. Together, we make a community that’s connected every minute at newsoptimist.ca and every Thursday in your Battlefords Regional Optimist.
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Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation has received a $10,000 donation from North Battleford Lions Club in support of the We Don’t Want to Miss a Beat capital campaign to purchase new heart monitoring equipment at BUH. According to the foundation, the new equipment will assist those who may present with chest pain, unexplained fainting episodes or dizzy periods, shortness of breath,or issues with their heart or blood pressure medications, among other conditions. Proper monitoring of these concerns can help to provide accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients. One of the major fundraisers the NB Lions Club holds is the annual guns and collectables show in September every year. This allows them to support various organizations within their community. The donation from NB Lions Club helped BUH Foundation to reach the $216,000 goal that was set for the We Don’t Want to Miss a Beat campaign.
A
rt Notes
BATTLEFORDS ART CLUB
By Rita Young A large group of artists spent Tuesday, May 15 working on exciting new pieces of art in varied media — watercolour, pen and ink and acrylic. Themes are landscape, still life, old buildings, leaves and modern shapes. It is a great assortment. Battlefords Art Club members look forward to seeing some colour in our yards and enjoying what nature does on its own to bring joy to all who like gardening. We will be having an art show and sale in Cochin at the arena Aug. 11 during Cochin Days. We look forward to seeing a good crowd during this time. A good rain would be appreciated by everyone as everything is still dry and the risk of grass fires still real. Have a good week and enjoy the sunshine.
PAGE 6 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Dealing with a long playoff run
By Lucas Punkari So about the hobo beard I had on my face for the last two months. No, it wasn’t a late gasp at trying to hop on the Movember bandwagon, nor was it yours truly going through a third life crisis after turning 30 in February. The actual reason for the dramatic change in appearance was the fact that I decided to grow a playoff beard just in time for the best part of the hockey season. Now obviously as a impartial observer, the beard wasn’t for the Battlefords North Stars as they looked to defend their Canalta Cup championship, as I’d have to dye my hair blonde to blend in with the rest of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team. As their run ended in April against the Estevan Bruins in the semifinals, the beard kept on growing. The facial hair continued to grow past the start of May, when my favourite NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, saw their quest for a third straight Stanley Cup vanish at the hands of the Washington Capitals. At the end of the day, there’s only one team that I grow a beard for each spring. That squad is my hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, who were looking to win their first league title since 1992. Since they defeated the North Bay Centennials 26 years ago, the closest the Greyhounds have come to winning an OHL title was in 1993, as they lost to the Peterborough Petes in the league final. That wasn’t too much of a bother though, as the Greyhounds captured the Memorial Cup in my hometown a couple of weeks later, which made up for the 1992 championship game when Zac Boyer scored the game-winning goal for the Kamloops Blazers with 14 seconds left in the third period. No, I’m not still upset over an event that occurred when I was four years old, why do you ask? Anyways, since that 1993 run, the Greyhounds had yet to return to the final round. The closest they came was three years ago, when they loaded up with a ton of top players such as Anthony DeAngelo, Justin Bailey and Nick Ritchie at the trade deadline. With those additions, along with veterans Darnell Nurse, Jared McCann, Michael Bunting and my favourite Greyhounds player ever in Sergey Tolchinsky, they were scoring goals for fun and seemed set to break that title drought. Then they ran into an Erie Otters squad that was led by some kid named Connor McDavid in the semifinal round and those dreams vanished in six games. Heading into this season, while I was confident in the Greyhounds to have a good campaign and possibly win their fourth West Division title along the way, I certainly didn’t expect them to be as dominant as they were. They set one of the longest win streaks in OHL history at 23, cruised to the regular season title with a team record for victories in a season at 55 and a new mark for points in a season with 116. It’s safe to say that I was all in on the Greyhounds going all the way this season. So much so that I started growing the playoff beard at the start of March, which was three weeks before the playoffs got underway. The opening round went according to plan with a clean sweep of the Saginaw Spirit, which was highlighted by the Greyhounds busting out lacrosse-style goals and between the legs moves to find the back of the net during an 8-0 triumph that was televised nationally on Sportsnet. Naturally, that seemed to get Don Cherry’s dander up, but I stopped paying attention to him ages ago. In the quarter-final round, the Greyhounds went up against a familiar foe in the Owen Sound Attack, who they faced a year ago at this stage, and fell to in six games. Again, I felt like the Greyhounds would be able to win this series in short order, even though my friend from Wilkie, Phil Heilman, seemed convinced that the Attack would win in three games. Instead, it was around this point that the stress levels
This look was something that Battlefords News-Optimist sports reporter Lucas Punkari had on his face quite often over the last two months as his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds tried to win their first Ontario Hockey League championship since 1992.
began to go off the charts. After splitting the first four games of the series, the Greyhounds picked up a 4-1 in on home ice in Game 5 and could clinch a spot in the semifinals with a win in Owen Sound. Instead, the Attack blew the Greyhounds to bits in a 7-1 affair to bring the series back to Sault Ste. Marie for a seventh and deciding contest. To say that I was worried would be an understatement. Having seen the Attack blow the Greyhounds out of the water two days earlier, along with watching the topranked Moose Jaw Warriors get knocked out of the WHL playoffs after falling 6-0 at home to the eventual champion Swift Current Broncos in a seventh and deciding game, I was prepared for the worst. Instead, it was the Greyhounds who came out firing as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first period and had an 8-3 cushion with a few minutes remaining. Naturally, the Greyhounds almost blew this lead and caused me to shout expletives over the phone at my mother, which she wasn’t too pleased about. In the end, it didn’t matter. With a 9-7 win my favourite team was off to the semifinals to face the Kitchener Rangers. While the Rangers were the team I feared the most in the entire OHL come playoff time, this was the matchup I wanted more than any other. For reasons I have yet to figure out, my brother is a fan of the Rangers and our two teams hadn’t played in the post-season since 2008, so this matchup was a long time coming. The series was everything we’d hope it would be. It had buzzer beaters, dominant performances, controversy and an overtime win by the Rangers in Kitchener in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all affair. Okay, maybe I didn’t want that, as we should have wrapped things up that night, but Brett got to attend a Game 7 while wearing his Rangers gear so I’m sure he was pleased about it. With the Greyhounds up 3-2 with a couple of minutes left in the third period, Brett called me from the rink so I could hear the big finish. Seconds later, the Rangers scored to force overtime and we were both losing our minds. After an excellent extra frame, which I got to hear all of on the phone, it was time for a second overtime period. By this point, I was on pins and needles at my apartment and pulling my hair out, while my brother was pacing around like a maniac during the intermission. Then, four minutes into the double overtime, Jack Kopacka found the back of the net to give the Greyhounds a 4-3 win and a trip to the OHL final for the first time in 25 years. The crowd at the Essar Centre was as loud as it has ever been since it opened in 2006, while I went into complete hysterics over the fact that my favourite team had a chance to win the championship. Naturally, I started drinking chocolate milk in the middle of a Shoppers Drug Mart to celebrate, but I’m a crazy person.
Well, I guess I should mention how the final went against the Hamilton Bulldogs, who were the top team in the Eastern Conference this year and rolled through the playoffs in relative ease. At this point, I was prepared for anything, but I picked the Greyhounds to win it all in seven games and head to the Memorial Cup in Regina. As you probably already know by now, that didn’t happen as the Bulldogs defeated the Greyhounds in six games and won their first title since moving from Belleville in 2015. Perhaps it was the fatigue from the long playoff run, or the fact that the Bulldogs dominated in every first period until Game 6, but for whatever reason it felt like the Greyhounds were playing catch up the whole time. I was prepared for the disappointing finish after the third game, even though the Greyhounds stole an overtime win in Hamilton in the fourth meeting between the two sides, but it still felt like a punch to the gut as the final buzzer sounded and the season came to an end. As I spent more than 10 minutes, yes it took that long, shaving the beard off of my face last Sunday evening, I couldn’t help but smile over the experience. Yes, it’s beyond stressful to have your emotions run through a hockey team and it probably seems a bit silly to those who aren’t sports fans. However, the rush of excitement I had from that double overtime winning goal to get to the league final was easily the best moment I’ve had cheering for the Greyhounds. It will be a few years until they contend again with many players moving on from this season’s squad to start their pro careers. Guys like leading scorer Morgan Frost and starting goaltender Matthew Villalta will probably be traded next year for future assets, but I can’t wait for another playoff run and a chance to win it all again someday. On the bright side, I’m able to relax a bit during the Memorial Cup, while former News-Optimist sports reporter Brett Smith is stressing out over his Bulldogs competing on a national stage. Such is the life of a junior hockey fan. Also, here are a few words of advice by the way for those who are growing playoff beards, seeing that I’m fresh off of having one on my face for a couple of months. For starters, make sure your hair is either cut recently or you’ve let grow a bit before the playoffs get underway. Maybe it’s me, but having a buzz cut and a bushy beard seems like a terrible combination waiting to happen. My other tip comes from what to do when eating and drinking, especially when you reach the two-month mark of beard growth like I did. If your keeping things trimmed, it’s not so much of a problem for keeping liquids or crumbs out of the beard. However, if you are one of those people like me who wants to go for the full hobo look, be prepared for cleaning things out on a regular basis as you have a meal. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why I’m single at this moment in time, but that’s probably another story for another edition of First Person Exploits into the Unknown
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 7
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PAGE 8 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Colourful new annuals for your garden By Jackie Bantle
Visiting local greenhouses to see what is new and exciting is something I look forward to every spring. I love to have a generous amountve of colour in certain areas of my garden and one of my favourite gardening activities is creating my own hanging baskets or patio pots filled with colourful annuals. There is never a shortage of brightly coloured new annuals and 2018 is no exception. Calibrachoa is one of those smaller flowers that comes in many different colours, blooms profusely and performs well in a hanging basket or a mixed container. Calibrachoa Can Can Pink Bumblebee is a new cultivar. A bright yellow star-shaped throat surrounded by deep pink and lighter pink petals is truly an eye catcher. Calibrachoa
G
arden Chat
flowers will remain open even under lower light conditions, making them versatile flowers for shade or sun. Sweet potato plant (Ipomoea) is a common filler plant for baskets and containers. The lime green, brown or almost black leaves provide perfect contrast for other annuals or grasses. Solar Tower Black and Solar Tower Lime are new additions to the Ipomoea series. Unlike previous Ipomoea cultivars, these will climb when provided with a supporting structure. The densely branched plants are full of heart-shaped leaves that hold their colour throughout the season. These cul-
Solar Tower Black and Solar Tower Lime Impoemea. Photos by Jackie Bantle
tivars perform well in sun or shade. Another new foliage plant that does well in sun or shade is the Hypoestes Red Hippo or Pink Hippo. Sometimes called the polka dot plant, Red Hippo has dark green and red speckled foliage whereas Hippo Pink has light pink and green foliage. These upright cultivars measure 45 centimetres high with a 30 centimetre spread when fully grown. Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any new varieties of petunias, a couple of new cultivars have made it to the market and are definitely worth mentioning. Amore Queen of Hearts is a bicolour petunia that displays five pink hearts on a six centimetre blossom with a striking contrast of yellow separating each heart. The plant is semi-trailing and definitely eye-catching. Night Sky was a new petunia introduction last year. The new introduction this year in this Headliner petunia series is Pink Sky. Whereas Night Sky was primarily purple blooms with splashes of white and cream on the petals, Pink Sky petals are bright pink with splashes of white and cream. These new petunia cultivars are mounding; about 60 centimetres when full grown. The Bloomify lantana series is the first certified sterile lantana on the market. It continues to flower through the heat of the summer. This lantana series has better branching than previous lantana, is upright and has a mounding habit. Bloomify Red and Bloomify Rose are currently the only colours available in this series. If you are looking for a tall plant as a centerpiece or backdrop for your flowerbed, consider Salvia
Eight colourful new annual flowers
Can Can Pink Bumblebee Calibrachoa.
Mystic Spires Blue. With a 75 centimetre height and spread, the dark purple and violet flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This annual loves the sun and will bloom from early summer through fall. The spiked flowers also work well in fresh cut flower arrangements. Digiplexis is a new annual. First planted in experimental gardens in North America in 2013, this cross between foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and Canary Island foxglove (Isoplexis canariensis) has produced a 90 centimetre plant that is heavily branched. Illu-
mination Flame is densely packed with an array of reddish-orange tubular flowers with yellow throats. The sterile flowers and production of side branches ensure plants bloom continuously from late spring to early fall. This annual will grow in full to part sun and attracts birds, bees and hummingbirds. Although there are many new annuals available for 2018, these cultivars are recommended for their colours, uniqueness and ease of maintenance. Hopefully you will find one of your new favourites in these selections.
— This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@ hotmail.com ). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events: May 29 - 6:30 p.m., SPS Spring Plant Exchange and Sale, for members only, $10 memberships at the door; June 1 - a.m. to 2 p.m, University of Saskatchewan Fruit Research Program annual fruit tree and plant sale (http://www. fruit.usask.ca/extension. html).
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Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 9
Lucas Punkari
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Battlefords Gym Club shines at provincials By Lucas Punkari
She finished in first place in the all-around and floor exercise events, placed second in the uneven bars and third in the balance beam. “Kristina has really improved in the bar events from the start of the year,” Clark said. “She’s really jumped up the standings compared to where she was placing in the first few meets that she was in to start the season off. “We really worked with her on keeping her arms straight, as that’s something that the judges look it and it really determines where you end up in the final standings.” Gidych reached the podium in four events as she places second in the all-around, hoop, ball and clubs rhythmic gymnastics events. Carter picked up a bronze medal in the uneven bars event. As another compeitive
Sports Reporter
It was a proud moment for Battlefords Gymnastics Club coach Danielle Clark last weekend in Prince Albert. After sending a handful of competitiors to the provincials a year ago, eight members of the local club showcased their skills against the top gymnasts from Saskatchewan during the course of the three day event. “I think what stood out the most for me was just seeing our team competing in so many different sessions over the course of the weekend,” Clark said. “We had our kids marching in with our sign a lot more that we did a yer ago, and having that happen really helps us to get our name out there more to the other clubs in the province. That’s been a goal of ours and we’re continuing to achieve that.” Keifer Gidych, Zara Carter, Kyra Kolenosky, Hailey Dyck, Emma Johnson, Isabelle Jesney, Rory Salzl and Kristina Hansen represented the club in Prince Albert, as they competed in a variety of events. “They exceeded my expectations going into the weekend,” Clark said. “We had no falls on the beam or bar events, which is something you always hope for as a coach but it’s easier said than done when you have a number of competitors that are at different skill levels and have
season wraps up, Clark is looking for continued growth from the Battlefords Gymnastics Club as they gear up for the 201819 season. “Our goals is to have 12 to 15 athletes at the provincials next year,” Clark said. “Many of them know what to expect now when they reach this stage, and I think you’ll see a lot of improvement from our older gymnasts as next season starts. “I think the success our team has had this year is something that our younger members are excited to be a part of, and I’m looking forward to seeing what our athletes can do next year with another year under their belts.” The final event for the team will be a fun meet at their home gym Sunday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m., which also include athletes from clubs Waldheim and Saskatoon.
YOUR GUIDE TO Keifer Gidych, front left, Zara Carter, Kyra Kolenosky, Hailey Dyck, Emma Johnson, Isabelle Jesney, Rory Salzl and Kristina Hansen represented the Battlefords Gymnastics Club at the provincial championships in Prince Albert from May 11 to 13. Photo courtesy of Danielle Clark
tougher routines that they have been working on all season long. “We had a lot of athletes competing at the provincials for the first time, but they weren’t overwhelmed
at all by the big stage. There’s artistic, rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling events all going on under one roof, so it’s easy to get distracted, but that didn’t seem to phase our team.”
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Hansen led the way for the Battlefords Gymnastics Club during the weekend, as she captured the Junior Olympic Level 3 provincial title for athletes born in 2005 and 2006.
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Battlefords Trappers pitcher Jared Schmidt watches the ball head towards the plate during Thursday’s North Saskatchewan River Baseball League season opener against the Unity Cardinals at Beaver Lions Stadium. Photo by Lucas Punkari
By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter
High school football players from around the district got their first reps of the season in over the weekend as the Saskatoon Hilltops hosted a camp at Rueben Mayes Field. Teams will be holding spring training sessions in the coming weeks before their main camps will get underway prior to the start of the 2018 season after Labour Day. Photo by Lucas Punkari
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High scoring affairs are often the norm when a new baseball season gets underway. That wasn’t the case on Thursday evening at Beaver Lions Stadium, as the Unity Cardinals opened up their defence of the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League championship with a narrow 2-1 victory over the Battlefords Trappers. “If you looked at the first couple of innings and saw how both teams were booting the ball around on defence, I would have expected the final score to be something like 10-9,” Cardinals third baseman and coach Graeme Gieni said. “After that, the pitchers really started to take things over for both teams, and that was nice to see for the season opener.” Although the Trappers started off the season on a losing note, utility player Mike Ross felt there were several positives the team could take away from the contest. “We were in a bunch of tight pressure situations and we were able to get
out of some tight jams, so it was good to see our guys perform well when the Cardinals were looking to take advantage with some runs,” Ross said. “We split the guys up on the mound tonight as we’re getting ready to play Wilkie here Tuesday, but I felt like everyone was throwing well out there. “We were missing some guys from the lineup like Mike George and Braydon Buziak, but Matthew Hudec was out playing a competitive game for the first time in over six years and he was out here ripping doubles for us.” Coming off of their first season in the league last season, the Trappers are hoping to build off of their experience and contend for the NSRBL crown in their sophomore campaign. “I think the younger guys on our team learned just how competitive the league is a year ago,” Ross said. “They aren’t the fresh faces anymore. They know what to expect and any nerves they had are gone. “One of the biggest things we’re focused on is our defence. We want to be a lot more sound in that part of our game after we
made a ton of errors last year.” The squad that everyone is chasing in the 12-team loop is the Cardinals, who are looking to continue their wining ways after capturing their first league title in 2017. “We’ve never been in this situation before so it’s a little bit of a different season for us,” Gieni said. “I really think this is going to be a season where you can have any team win on a given night. If you get strong pitching, have a solid defence and get some timely hits, you can beat anyone in this league.” Thursday’s other contest saw Lloydminster Twins pick up a 5-2 win over the Border City Blue Jays in Lloydminster League play will resume Tuesday with the Wilkie Brewers visiting the Trappers for a 6:30 p.m. tilt at Beaver Lions Stadium. Meanwhile, the North Battleford Beavers will start off their season in Unity against the Cardinals. The Beavers and Trappers will square off for the first time this season on Wednesday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, defenceman Connor Manegere and forward Chaseton Braid will remain teammates as members of the Concordia Thunder in Edmonton. Manegre set a career high in points with 16 during his second season with the North Stars, as the Meota product had three assists in the post-season. Braid, who was acquired from the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats early in the season, had 35 points in 48 games in his final season of junior hockey. He had three points in five playoff games. After spending the last
three seasons together on the North Stars, forward Troy Gerein and goaltender Taryn Kotchorek will be joining the Portage College Voyageurs in Lac La Biche, Alta. Gerein, who is from Wilkie, had 17 points this season and split time between forward and defence. Kotchorek, a North Battleford native, compiled a 19-8-2 record last year with a 2.30 goals against average. The pair will be coached by former North Stars bench boss Nate Bedford, who will be in his second season with the Voyageurs.
North Stars players heading to ACAC Staff Five members from the 2017-18 Battlefords North Stars roster will be moving up to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference to continue their hockey careers. After being acquired from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Grande Prairie Storm at the trade deadline in January, forward Parker Smyth will be suiting up for the Red Deer College Kings. Smyth, who was eligible to return to the North Stars next year, had eight points in 13 regular season games and had three points during the playoffs.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 11
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OBITUARIES O’DRISCOLL: In Loving Memory of Myrna Edith O’Driscoll, born April 27, 1956 at North Battleford, SK., passed away May 7, 2018 in North Battleford, SK. Survived by her loving husband of 42 years Arnold; loving children and granddaughter: Charlene (Joshua) Prochner of Codette, SK and Jason (Lesley) O’Driscoll & their daughter Blaik of Kamloops, B.C.; sisters: Linda Fisher & her children: Tammy Woodward, Kim (Chrissy) Fisher, & Chad Wright; Phyllis McDonald & her children: Kari (Carl) Checkosis & Kelly McDonald; in-laws: Kevin (Louise) O’Driscoll, Patricia (Kelly) Rhodes, Bernadette (Lyle) Leslie, Marilyn O’Driscoll, Kimberly (U Micheal) O’Driscoll, Brendan (Beverly) O’Driscoll, Eileen (Brian) Znack, and Thomas O’Driscoll; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Predeceased by her parents, Hugh and Irene McDonald; in-laws: Thomas and Gertrude O’Driscoll; brother-in-law, Micheal O’Driscoll; nephew, Brett Fisher. Vigil Of Prayer was held on Friday, May 11, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. Presider was Bernadette Maddaford. Music: Louella & Harry Crossland. Mass Of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. with Celebrant Fr. Roque Concepcion. Both Services were from St. Vital Roman Catholic Church, Battleford, Saskatchewan. Cross Bearer was Kim Fisher. Shared Memories were given By Charlene & Jason. Liturgy Of The Word: 1st Reading: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11: Beverly O’Driscoll; Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23 - Dave McQuaid; 2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18 - Joanne Nicotine; Gospel - Fr. Roque Concepcion; Prayers Of The Faithful Shawna O’Shea; Liturgy Of The Eucharist: Gift Bearers - Marilyn & Kimberly O’Driscoll. Music Ministry: Dave McQuaid. Honourary Pallbearers were All those who shared in Myrna’s life. Active Pallbearers were Bill Pambrun, Glen Pambrun, Bob Pambrun, Clifford Pambrun Jr., Kevin Sonnleitner & Wade Kotelko. Interment was at Cando Cemetery, Cando, Saskatchewan. Memorial Donations are requested to Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation, Box 1358, North Battleford, SK S9A 3L8 (designate to the Palliative Care Unit). Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service. __________________________________________________
Ph.: 306-445-7265 / 306-445-7266
FOR SALE - MISC
COMING EVENTS
Free Railroad ties. Glaslyn area call Bob: 306-3424968 PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call this newspaper NOW or 306-649.1405 for details.
WANTED
LIVESTOCK Black and Red Angus yearling and 2 year old Bulls on moderate growing ration - Performance Info available. - Adrian or Brian and Elaine Edwards. Valleyhills Angus - Glaslyn, SK. Phone 441-0946 or 342-4407
OBITUARIES TKATCHUK: It is with profound sadness the family of Agnes Irene Tkatchuk, beloved wife of Henry Tkatchuk, announce her passing Saturday, May 12, 2018 at the Battlefords Union Hospital with family at her side. Mass Of Christian Burial was held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from St. Joseph Calasanctius Roman Catholic Church, North Battleford, SK with Fr. Cuong Luong Celebrant. Interment took place at the City of North Battleford Cemetery. Memorial Donations are requested to The Saskatoon Cancer Centre (designate to research), 20 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S4N 4H4 Condolences can be sent to mail@battlefordsfuneralservice.com Arrangements were entrusted to Battlefords Funeral Service. (306446-4200) __________________________________________________
FUNERAL SERVICES
Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium 2741 - 99th Street, North Battleford, SK 306-445-7570
Trevor Watts - Director/Owner
The Battlefords only Locally Owned Funeral Provider
“The only crematorium in the Battlefords area” Traditional Casket Burial and Cremation Services Serving Families with Dignity, Respect & Compassion Counsellor for Bronze and Granite Memorials Free pre-planning guides available, assistance with pre-planning services
www. eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca
PAGE 12 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
LAND FOR SALE
HOUSES FOR RENT Available for rent 2 bedroom home. Monthly rent or Sign one year contract get one month free. Ref required. Call 306-441-6728 or 306-937-7252. No Text please.
SUITES FOR RENT 1 bedroom basement suite, Newly renovated, includes F,S,W,D microwave. Approx. 800 sq. ft. Private entrance, rent includes utilities. No pets. Phone 306-4461398
SERVICES FOR HIRE
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.
RVs / CAMPERS / TRAILERS For sale: 1984 - 24 foot Ford Motorhome. Everything works, in good shape, 55,000 miles. $5500.00 or O.B. Phone: 306-4417530
BUSINESS SERVICES
A-1 SERVICE; WILL SHINGLE, BUILD FENCES & DECKS, INSTALL FASCIA & SOFFITS, EXTERIOR PAINTING, CLEAN EAVESTROUGHS ETC OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE CALL 306-445-8439 or 306-4413690
DECKS, FENCES, ROOFING, RENO’S Call 306-480-8199 306-4812836.
Will do rototilling at reasonable rates. Call 441-7579
FEED & SEED CERTIFIED SEED. Go early HRS Wheat. Super hardy Pintail, Winter Wheat, AC Juniper, AC Morgan, AC Mustang & Derby Oats. Busby, Seebe, Sundre Barley. Very early yellow peas. High yielding Silage Peas. Polish Canola. Spring Triticale. mastinseeds.com; 403-5562609. EARLY VARIETIES. Want to be finished combining in August? Go early HRS Wheat, AC Juniper Oats. Busby & Sundre Barley. AAC Peace River Field Peas (earliest yellow pea). Early One Polish Canola (one month earlier); mastinseeds.com. 403-556-2609. FORAGE SEED FOR SALE: Organic & conventional: Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, Red Clover, Smooth Brome, Meadow Brome, Crested Wheatgrass, Timothy, etc. Free Delivery! Birch Rose Acres Ltd. 306-921-9942.
APARTMENTS/CONDOS FOR RENT A single Bedroom Apartment for rent in Battleford, mature quiet working adults, no pets, no children, no smoking, reference required. Phone 306-445-2943
Two bedroom suite in quiet adult complex, available June 1. Total reno’s. No pets, No children. Security Deposit $800.00 Rent $800.00 Call to view: 306-4812836
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 Buying/Selling FEED GRAINS heated / damaged CANOLA/FLAX Top price paid FOB FARM
Western Commodities 877-695-6461 Visit our website @
www.westerncommodities.ca
DRIVE YOUR CAREER with Armstrong Moving. Annual earnings in excess of $200,000. Broker/company positions available. Top ofthe-line equipment. Excellent benefits. Email: jobs@armmove.com; or call 888670-4400. EDITOR - Jamac Publishing is looking for an experienced journalist. The successful candidate must have an interest in providing top level community journalism. Job includes writing stories,managing a staff, editing photos and content. Layout of pages. Benefits package. Send resume,clippings and a cover letter including salary expecations to: Stewart Crump, Publisher. Box 1150, Kindersley, Sask.S0L 1S0 email hr.jamac@gmail.com Fax 306 4636505 Phone 306 463-4611
D I R E C T O R Y CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS
300 - 1291 102nd Street North Battleford, SK, S9A 3V4
Phone: 306-445-6234 Fax: 306-445-0245 PARTNERS
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
306-445-7261
Fax: 306-445-1977 Email: newsoptimist.sales@sasktel.net
More Farmland Wanted - Justin Yin
Cell: 306-230-1588 Office: 306-361-8926 Fax: 306-665-1443 justin.yin.ca@gmail.com NOA Realty
• Powerful multiple marketing networks • Powerful English & Chinese websites • Farmland marketing specialist • Featured on CTV / Global TV • Featured on The Globe & Mail • Featured on The Western Producer 112 Reindeer Road, Saskatoon SK
COMING EVENTS
Visit our website
www.newsoptimist.ca for more community events
STEEL BUILDINGS/GRANARIES STEEL BUILDING SALE ...”MEGA MADNESS SALE CRAZY DEALS ON ALL BUILDINGS!” 20X23 $5,798. 23X25 $5,744. 25X27 $6,639. 30X31 $8,488. 32X35 $9,954. One End Wall Included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 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!
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Battleford’s Family Health Centre is recruiting for the following positions
• Kids First Home Visitor - Permanent Full-Time • Kids First Home Visitor - Temporary Full-Time (ONE YEAR TERM) Please view the full advertisements in their entirety in the careers section on our company website:
www.brt6hc.ca
Community Events Calendar Alcoholics Anonymous
Please call our 24 hour helpline at 306-446-6166 for support or information.
Al-anon Family Groups
If someone’s drinking troubles, attending Al-Anon Family Group provides understanding and support. Meetings Monday at 7:00 p.m. and Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, corner of 15th Ave. & 108th Street. Contacts 306-937-7765, 306-937-7289 or 306-441-9324.
Tuesdays & Thursdays
North Battleford Table Tennis at the Living Faith Chapel gym, 1371103rd Street at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Accompanied youth (13+) and adults. All skill levels are welcome and the facilities are accessible. Drop-ins welcome
Relay for Life - Friday, June 8
Relay for Life on June 8 at the North Battleford City Track - it’s not to early to start getting your teams together or register as a survivor. For more information call Laura at 306-481-5395.
Saturdays, June 9, July 14
Parenting after separation and divorce program from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Registration is mandatory.There is no fee for these sessions. To register call 1-877-964-5501. Location will be advised when you register.
Thursday, May 24
Catholic, French Immersion Preschool Program Open House from 5:00-7:00 pm. Check out our amazing school. Face painting & free hotdogs. Registration available for 2018/2019 school year. 1651-96th Street, North Battleford, 306-441-8495.
Saturday, May 26
Spring Garage Sale at École Père Mercure, 1881 - 99th Street, North Battleford from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Funds go to school activities.
Saturday, May 26
Topline Social Dance Club with Harry Startup at the Sloan Auditorium Royal Canadian Legion Hall, 1352 - 100th Street from 8;00 p.m. to midnight. Contact Sharon 306-446-0446, Leela 306-445-7240 or Jean 306-445-8815.
Saturday, May 26
Spring Tea & Bake Sale at St. Vital Parish Center, 11 - 18th Street, Battleford from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Door prizes. Everyone welcome.
Monday, May 27
Annual Walk For Lupus at River Landing in Saskatoon. Registration at 12:30 p.m.Walk to begin at 1:00 p.m.To receive your pledge sheet, sponsor a walker, or for more information, please contact Irene Driedger by email at idriedger@sasktel.net or by cell 1-306-227-9562.
Tuesday, May 29
WANTED
COOKS & DRIVERS
Flexible, Reliable, Hardworking Individuals who are willing to work NIGHTS and WEEKENDS. Willing to be called in, and able to handle cash. Must have valid driver’s license and your own working vehicle to be a driver. Apply in person with resumé and or application. Contact Kaelyn (cook) Ryan (driver).
1642C - 100th Street, North Battleford 306-446-1212
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Professional
LAND WANTED
Valley Ford Sales in Hague has an opening for an experienced automotive service technician. Prefer Journeyperson or combination of experience & verifiable training. Pay negotiable. Contact: Service Manager
MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES FOR SALE
Rob’s Lawn and Yard Care. Grass cutting, roto tilling, power raking, general yard maintenance. Phone 306-445-2736 or 306-441-5677.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
BOOK CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 306-445-7261
Paint Nite at the Blend Restaurant & Bar at 7:00 p.m.Visit PaintNite. com to view this painting, access event details and to purchase tickets. Use coupon code SAVESK to save 40% on your tickets!
Thursday & Friday, May 31 & June 1
St. Paul’s Anglican Church Garage Sale at 1302 - 99th Street, North Battleford from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m., Upper Hall. Something for everyone.
Saturday, June 2
Waseca Walk-a-Thon 2 km & 10 km. Register at 9:30 am at Community Centre. Walk starts at 10:00 am. Lunch provided. Information & pledge sheets 306-490-8483.
Sunday, June 10
Battlefords Family Fun Day from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm - 1611-93rd St., North Battleford for more information call 306-445-9096 or email: pastorjkwon@gmail.com 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.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 13
The call to be dedicated to the Lord’s service Successful people usually get that way because of their dedication and sustained effort. Inventor Thomas Edison famously said, “Genius is one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration.” Many others have expressed similar sentiments. Opera star Beverly Sills said, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” And football coach Vince Lombardi said, “A dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.” To be dedicated is to be wholly committed to something or someone. Inventors, athletes, musicians and more, dedicate themselves to do what it takes to achieve excellence in their chosen profession. Doctors and teachers dedicate themselves to their work in serving others. And we’ve often admired the commitment and dedication of the police and firefighters who lay their lives on the line every day. But it’s not only people who can be dedicated. We dedicate national parks to be places where wildlife is protected. We dedicate cenotaphs and raise monuments to honour the military, and lives that are lost in the cause of freedom. Churches buildings are dedicated too, to be places where people can come to worship and
serve the Lord. And when we present our offerings there we are dedicating the money to be used in ways that honour God and help others. When it comes to the Christian faith, the highest calling anyone can commit to is a dedication of his or her life to the Lord. The Bible expresses it this way: “I beseech you [urge you] therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [because of all the Lord has done for you], that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1) On Jewish altars of old, animal sacrifices were slain. But this is a call to the living, to do their living in obedience to God, and in the fulfillment of His purposes. It involves a lifelong commitment of our bodies (and all we do in them) to His service, a dedication of our time, talents and treasures to Him. We are not forced to do this. Rather, believers are compelled (motivated) by the Saviour’s love for us to be “ambassadors for Christ.” (II Cor. 5:14, 20) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10), and we have a desire to “walk [or
Robert Cottrill, B.A., B.R.E. http://wordwisehymns.com/ www.Wordwise‐Bible‐Studies.com
live] worthy of the calling with which [we] were called.” (Eph. 4:1) One man who did that was pastor and hymn writer Haldor Lillenas (1885-1959). Mr. Lillenas came from Norway to
America as a child, and the family settled in South Dakota, later moving to Oregon. He studied music and wrote hundreds of hymns, including the rousing song Wonderful Grace of Jesus. In 1924
he founded the Lillenas Music Company to publish Christian music, serving as an editor there until his retirement in 1950. Haldor Lillenas was a dedicated man, committed to serving the Lord. But like all of God’s people, he experienced difficult times. He did in 1919. He says, “My wife was very ill, and it was with a heavy heart that I left home that morning … I was busy writing songs, compiling and editing books, doing what I felt God had called me to do. But I sometimes wondered how many of them [the songs] would
Wisdom of mom As I pen these words, it’s Mother’s Day, and I’m blessed by the flowers, cards and words of my husband and our two sons. Highly respected within their respective communities, both our boys – oops, men – have contributed so much to the lives of so many, including ours. Turning again to the Book of Proverbs for inspiration, I was, at first, overwhelmed by the references to the advice, admonition and examples of fathers. Reading more
wise and godly parents (1:7-9): “How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! Only fools refuse to be taught. Listen to your father and mother. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead; it will gain you many honours.” Then there was Agur: carefully, though, I noted (30:11,12) “There are a number of examples of those who curse their the power of a mother’s father and mother and influence as mentioned feel themselves faultless, by Solomon, Agur (chap- despite their many sins.” ter 30) and King Lemuel Later in this chapter (chapter 31). he details the risks and Solomon opens the consequences of such Book of Proverbs by behaviour. immediately citing the King Lemuel refers significant impact of the wisdom he acquired
be sung. Suddenly as I drove along the avenue, it seemed that Someone quietly opened the car door and sat down beside me. I could feel the warmth of His sacred presence.” It was with that unusual sense of the Lord’s comforting nearness that Lillenas began, as he drove along, to create and sing the present song of dedication. It says, “I have found a deep peace that I never had known / And a joy this world could not afford, / Since I yielded control of my body and soul / To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.”
from his mother (31:1): “These are the wise sayings of King Lemuel of Massa, taught to him at his mother’s knee.” I miss Mom and often ponder the lessons I’ve learned from her; above all, I realize most of them were silently lived out in kindness and faith. Does that mean good parents never fail? No, it certainly doesn’t for even the best among us is only human. We and our kids make mistakes because we’re all human and that’s life. Regardless of our backgrounds or of our ages, let’s ask God to help us bless others around us.
Worship Together Spend some quality family time together. Worship at the church of your choice. Our community has a number of churches and a variety of denominations for you & your family.
ANGLICAN PARISH SUNDAY SERVICES Rev. Trevor Malyon
St. George’s Anglican Church - 9:00 a.m. 191 - 24th Street West, Battleford, SK
Pastor: Rev. Allen Huckabay
St. Paul’s Anglican Church - 11:00 a.m.
1372 102 St 306-445-3009 nd
1302 - 99th Street North Battleford, SK
Living Water Ministry
Sr. Pastor Brian Arcand Pastor Anand George Phone: 306-445-3803 Cell: 306-441-9385 Fax: 306-445-4385
Sunday Evening Service 7:00 p.m.
Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 p.m.
1371 - 103rd Street (Use East Door)
Battlefords Seventh-Day Adventist Church
TerriTorial Drive alliance church
Phone: 306-445-4338
Pastor James Kwon
Clergy Person: Rev. Ean Kasper
Corner 16th Ave. & 93rd Street, North Battleford
Come Join Us Sundays at 11:00 am
Phone 306-445-9096
Saturday Services Bible Study - 10:00 a.m. Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Maidstone/ Paynton United Church of Canada
1702 - 106th Street North Battleford, SK
Loving God Growing Together Serving Others Phone Church: 306-445-4818 Fax: 306-445-8895 Email: tbcnb@sasktel.net www.trinitybaptistchurch.ca
10:30 a.m. Service
Church & CE Wing:
306-893-2611
For booking the Wing:
306-893-4465
Third Avenue United Church Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 a.m. Sunday School 1301 - 102nd Street, Phone 306-445-8171 Rev. Frances Patterson
Everyone Welcome
www.thirdavenueunitedchurchnb.ca Email: thirdaveunited@sasktel.net
PAGE 14 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Pruning, shrub attrition reduce buffer strip Urban Forestry Part 2
Further to a previous article regarding urban forestry, it’s important to understand the many reasons the planting and caring for trees in cities and towns is important. Here’s what Tree Canada says about that: “Protecting and conserving urban forests through proper management is vital to sustaining healthy communities. Urban forests provide a multitude of benefits from an ecological, climatic, architectural, psychological and monetary point of view. They provide habitat and food sources for wildlife, cooler watercourses, mitigate noise and dust levels, improve air and water quality, absorb pollutants, capture and store carbon and help conserve energy …” Urban forests provide a broad array of well-known environmental, economic and social benefits to people. For example, sequestering of gaseous air pollutants and particulates, energy conservation through transpirational cooling, shade, wind reduction and stormwater attenuation. Noise buffering, blocking unsightly views, provision of wildlife habitat, increased property value, improved aesthetics and psychological well-being are also factors. Back in the 1980s, Territorial Drive was built as a ring road around the city. The parks department at the time, under the guidance of Murray Richardson, and with crews led by Henry Tkatchuk, began
R
oots, Shoots
and Suckers
By Keith Anderson
Executive Director Prairie Chapter, International Society of Arborculture
planting rows of trees between Territorial Drive and the back yards that abutted up to it. It became known as the buffer strip. The purpose of the buffer strip was to help screen traffic movement from the houses as well as buffer the noise from the roadway. Trees are great at both absorbing sound (needle trees) and deflecting sound (leaf trees). Aesthetically, Henry chose some great tree species with a variety of leaf colour and he ensured there was a shrub understory mixed with the trees that not only improved the growing conditions for the trees, it maximized the visual and noise buffering qualities that a natural buffer can provide. The buffer strip had its own account centre that allowed for continual upgrading and enhancement and also for the replacement of dead or dying trees and shrubs as required. In addition to the supply line there were accounts that were used for maintenance, watering and weed control. The buffering qualities of these tree rows just got better with time. In recent years, the buffering qualities of the tree rows have deteriorated for a number of reasons. The
shrubs have not been replaced at the same rate they have died. There have been attempts to do some planting but many of the replacement trees and shrubs are not getting the amount of supplemental watering required to get them established in droughty years. This takes making tree maintenance a priority. It takes making maintenance and enhancement of the urban forest a commitment and of course it takes budget. Another thing that happened to this buffer strip, I’m guessing, is CPTED – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and the implementation of the pruning specifications that are recommended in that program. All the trees in the buffer had their skirts raised, which means all their lower limbs were removed to improve sight lines. So between the death and removal of the shrub understory and the raising of the skirts on all the trees, the effectiveness of the Territorial buffer strip as both a visual and sound barrier have been eliminated. I’m pretty sure the homeowners abutting this roadway have noticed a difference.
Professional Business & Service
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KERANDA INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY LTD.
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.
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. Kevan Migneault, B.A., LL.B.
Let Us Help You Keep Your Business Rolling! Place your business card on this page CALL
VALORIE HIGGS
1-306-445-7261 Fax: 306-445-1977
Email: val@newsoptimist.ca
1. Small lump 4. Helps little firms 7. A way of performing 12. Lawyers 15. Stirred up 16. Believed in 18. The Bay State (abbr.) 19. Makes computers 20. Sodium 21. As fast as can be done (abbr.) 24. Institute legal proceedings against 27. More compact 30. Ethiopian river 31. Quantitative fact 33. No (Scottish) 34. A concession of no great value 35. Tony-winning actress Daisy
1. Mentor 2. Lyric poems 3. A dry cold north wind in Switzerland 4. Trapped 5. Used for road surfacing 6. Cuckoos 7. Prefix “away from” 8. Seth McFarlane comedy 9. Not out 10. “The Simpsons” bus driver 11. Popular HBO drama (abbr.) 12. Acclaimed Indian physicist 13. Removes 14. One-name NBA player 17. Revolutionary women 22. Smell 23. Ground-dwelling songbird 24. Midway between south and southeast 25. American state
37. More (Spanish) 39. Russian space station 41. Helicopter 42. At the peak 44. Makes ecstatically happy 47. Excellent 48. Material body 49. The Golden State (abbr.) 50. A unit of plane angle 52. Argon 53. Fancy 56. Fried mixture of meat and spices 61. How green plants use sunlight 63. Without wills 64. Unhappy 65. Meat from a pig’s leg
26. Keen 28. Khoikhoin peoples 29. Int’l defense organization 32. Samoan money 36. A sign of assent 38. One from Somalia 40. Boat race 43. Trims 44. French coins 45. Indigenous Scandinavian 46. Flew alone 51. Loch where a “monster” lives 54. Japanese title 55. Pros and __ 56. Present in all living cells 57. Something to scratch 58. Branch of Islam 59. Appear 60. Former CIA 62. Yukon Territory
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - PAGE 15
Leko’s Conservation Corner
COs take strong stance with litterers By Lindsey Leko
Ministry of Enviroment
Spring is finally here. As the temperature starts to get warmer and the snow has disappeared, it unfortunately shows much of the litter and garbage that was dumped over the winter. For some reason people feel that it is okay to drive outside of an urban centre and dump their garbage, so they do not have to pay tipping fees at the local landfill. You see it in all areas of the province and it is really too bad. There may be times a bag of garbage has fallen or blown out of a truck, but there are people who have a large item of garbage blow out of their truck or trailer; they slow down and then keep going once they see that no one stops or makes a fuss. This type of waste is often found beside empty farms, along roads or piled up at available garbage receptacles. These are all examples of littering and an offence that conservation officers take seriously. Conservation officers apply a strict approach to incidents of intentional littering on Crown or private land and violations can result in fines or even charges under the Environment Management and Protection Act. The fine for littering is $580 and for more serious cases, a court appearance may be necessary. Those who litter don’t do it by accident. There was a conscious decision to dump garbage in hope
of not getting caught. Some people dump their garbage out in the country so that don’t have to pay the landfill fees. Other times, the landfill is closed and it was too much of a hassle to wait until it’s open. I have stopped people after they have littered, and a very common reply once they have been caught is that they will go back and clean it up. But by this time it is too late – they already made the decision to litter. If I had not seen them, or stopped them, they would not have gone back on their own to clean up. When officers are called out to illegal dump sites, I am amazed at the garbage that is often dumped. So much of this stuff can be recycled and in most cases can be picked up or dropped off for free. Items like electronics, cardboard, glass, plastics, used oil, filters, bottles and cans are examples of things we find that can be easily recycled, as opposed to being dumped on private or public land. It is also amazing the personal information people throw out. Everything from credit card receipts to items with a social insurance number written on it. All of these are gravy for a criminal wishing to exploit your identity and maybe go on a shopping spree. Can I dump or store items on my farmland? Refuse is defined as, “remains, by-product and discarded materials resulting from domestic, commercial, industrial or agricultural activities and
includes garbage, rubbish, street cleanings and yard clippings,” but does not include liquid domestic sewage. The intent of the legislation is not to regulate refuse generated within and on these properties and then disposed of on that same property. But it is unlawful to accept waste from other users, as it has to be your own household waste only. Under no circumstances is a landowner allowed to accept waste from a contractor who has demolished a building on another property. This is an issue in Saskatchewan and continues today. Some contractors will try to make a deal with the landowner to demolish one of their buildings. In addition, they will tell you that they are just storing the waste there to recycle the material. In the end, this rarely happens and the landowner is responsible for the material and cleanup. Landowners are also not allowed to dispose of demolition waste from buildings they own on another property. The waste being disposed of must be generated on that land and can’t be brought in from another property. Can I burn rubbish or refuse on my land? From time to time, I also check the rural burning reports sent to the city and find people burning things they should not be. The days of burning are done in Saskatchewan. In years past, people used to simply light a match on a
Mirran Custom Orthotics Helping You Walk Better
FREE Foot Clinic Thursday, May 31
The snow melts and the litter appears. Conservation officers are serious about punishing those who engage in illegal dumping. The fine is for those caught is $580. Photo submitted
cool wet day to get rid of rubbish. Today, the only things legal on your farm to burn are clean lumber (not painted, stained/treated or preserved), tree branches and trimmings, sloughs, bales and crop residue. Where can farmers dispose of grain bags? Grain bags are not to be burned, as the smoke is toxic as with other plastics. In March 2018, the government announced a new grain bag recycling program for producers. The new program is run by Cleanfarms, who will create 20 grain bag recycling collection sites throughout Saskatchewan. Visit cleanfarms.ca/programs/grain-bag-recycling-
• Improve Balance and Posture • Be Free of Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis) • Relieve Knee, Back and Hip Pain • Rid Callouses, Straighten Hammer Toes • Ease Burning Feet, Bunions, Numb Toes • Help Foot and Leg Circulation Satisfaction Guaranteed Second Pair of Orthotics only $69.00
This is a reminder that the big game draw is open until May 25, so now is the time to start considering and making plans as to what species and zones you want to apply for this fall. Until next time … stay safe. — Ministry of Environment conservation officer Lindsey Leko has spent more than 26 years as a conservation officer in Saskatchewan. For many years, Officer Leko contributed a column to local papers on a variety of issues related to hunting, fishing, and other resource-related issues. If you have questions, please contact lindsey.leko@gov. sk.ca.
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PRINT ADS INSPIRE ACTION
The results of the latest Totum Research Study on Media Usage in Cities (population 10,000-50,000) shows that people living in communities like those served by this newspaper are more likely to be inspired to take action by an ad in a printed community newspaper than any form of online ad.
Respondents Who Said Print Ads in Local Community Newspapers Inspire Action (In-Person Store Visit, Website Visit, Purchase Etc.) by Sector 68.0% 60.0%
45.0%
40.0%
Shoppers Drug Mart - N Battleford For Appointment (306) 445-6253 Call
sk for more information. Is it legal to possess a boa or python as a pet in Saskatchewan? I am pretty sure I have covered this in the past but I will repeat it again, as I just seized a constrictor snake recently. Constrictor snakes, such as the boa and python, are illegal to have as pets in Saskatchewan. There is no permit that can be obtained to retain them. Many of these snakes were purchased in Alberta, where they are legal to possess, and either knowingly and unknowingly brought back into Saskatchewan. We do our best to find homes outside of the province for these seized snakes.
38.0%
34.0%
30.7%
30.0%
26.0% 15.0%
0.0% AUTOMOTIVE
FINANCIAL
GOV'T SERVICES
AGRICULTURE
FOOD/GROCERY
TELECOMM.
RE-THINK NEWSPAPERS * Totum Research Inc. March 2018 Study on How Geography Impacts Media Access, Usage and Engagement in Rural Communities Across Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
www.newsoptimist.ca PAGE 16 - Tuesday, May 22, 2018
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Find out what they are all talking about
www.newsoptimist.ca
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306-445-3300 Toll Free 1-877-223-SAVE (7283)
Hwy 4 North, North Battleford
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