Jasper tragedy hits too close to home for Abrahamson family
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
North Battleford’s Abrahamson family said their experience with the Jasper fire tragedy was too close to home.
Their daughter, Kate, was working as a whitewater rafting guide there and had to evacuate.
Lana Abrahamson said of her experience waiting, “We knew there were fires in the area from her. She lived through a similar scare in 2022 and was on notice then, dealing with smoke and everything.”
Kate Abrahamson said she was drawn to Jasper, as having skied there, she always knew she wanted to be a ski instructor in the mountains.
It was only supposed to be for six months, however, she fell in love with the community and the location’s beauty and decided to stay on for the summer, which has continued for several years.
Kate’s response to the evacuation notice was “Oh no, not again.”
Mom Lana said they were grateful that their daughter contacted them right away with a text that no parent wants to receive, “Mom,
First half of summer games has Rivers West volleyball win gold
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
A summer to remember for members of Teams Rivers West volleyball as they captured a gold medal at the Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster.
The female volleyball roster for Team Rivers West includes two North Battleford athletes, Layla Russel and Andie Gerein, along with North Battleford Coach, Anna Atcheynum. Other female volleyball athletes include: Kenzie McGillivray – Provost; Paige Brown – Lloydminster; Brooke Wicks – Maidstone; Adyson Krauss – Kitscoty; Katie Smith – Lloydminster; Ezri Vidal – Meadow Lake; Abbie Redden – Lloydminster; Elizabeth Garchinski – Lloydminster; Cody Gratton – Lloydminster; Blakely Gervais – Lloydminster; and Coach Cory Gratton – Lloydminster who joined Anna Atcheynum.
In the other medals of the five won for Team Rivers West were:
I don’t want to scare you but…..”
Lana said Kate kept them up to date on their entire evacuation until they were safely somewhere to grab
a few hours rest, which is a time frame from the first text at 8:40 p.m. to the ‘we are safe’ confirmation at 3:30 a.m.
Continued on page 3
Team Rivers West beat Team Lakeland in two straight matches to cap off their Summer Games experience, going through three days of competition undefeated. Wins came over Prairie Central and South West in pool play, while playoff rounds led them through Regina, Prairie Central and Lakeland.
Ada Elizabeth Jordan Dillon from Onion Lake was the female individual play golf bronze medal winner.
Ada was also part of the silver medal winning female golf team, along with teammates, Parker Gracen Lynelle Laliberte from Meadow Lake and Gabriela Roa from Latin (as listed on Summer Games
website).
The male golf team, for Rivers West District, won bronze and included athletes Shae Maunula from North Battleford, Carson Mazzei from Lloydminster and Noah Piggot from Meadow Lake (as listed on SSG website) Norah Hurd and Kaebri Macnab, both from Lloydminster captured the female doubles tennis bronze medal at these games.
Kate Abrahamson of North Battleford was working as a whitewater rafting guide in Jasper when the fire started and had to evacuate. The family said the experience is too close to home. | Photo courtesy the Abrahamson family
Team Rivers West volleyball in action during the gold medal performance at Sask. Summer Games. Photo courtesy Summer Games social media
VOICEOFBUSINESS
ConnectingVoices. BuildingBusiness
Find us on Facebook www.battlefordschamber.com
P.O. Box 1000
Nor th Battleford SK S9A 3E6
Phone: 306-445-6226
Candace Laing to Head CanadianChamber of Commerce
-Ottawa July 2024: CanadianChamber of Commerce
CandaceLaing will becomethe newPresident and CEOofthe Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’slargest business network, on September 1.
Born and raised in Saskatchewan, whereher family maintainsa longstandingfarming operation,Ms. Laing brings her experience as asenior executivewithmorethan twodecadesofexperience with boththe privateand public sectors During her tenyears with Nutrienand itspredecessorcompany,PotashCorp, Ms.Laing served on Nutrien’sexecutive team as Senior Vice Presidentand ChiefHuman ResourcesOfficer,and as Vice President of Sustainabilityand Stakeholder Relations.She had globalresponsibilityfor sustainabilitystrategy and oversaw government and community relations. Shewas akey member of theintegrationteam that merged twolegacyCanadiancompanies to form theglobalentity that becameNutrien. She is knownfor her focus on ensuring people strategies arealignedwithorganizational business strategy
In addition to herextensive privatesectorexperience,Ms. Laingoffersa strong background with theChambermovement and theCanadian Chamber itself. Shefirstjoined theCanadianChamber’s board of directorsin2019 and served as ViceChairfrom2021 to 2022, becomingthe elected Chairofthe BoardofDirectorsin2022. As Chair, Ms.Laing wasaleader of gover nancereformand moder nization of theBoard.
“We’re thrilled to welcomeCandace as thenew CEO,”saidPenny Wise, Chairofthe CEO Search Committeeand Vice-Chair of theBoard of Directors. “The Canadian Chamberconducted an extensivesearch that drew awiderangeofcandidates with impressiveexperienceingover nment and business. We aregratefultoall of them fortheir interest.Whatset Candace apartwas herexperience in both business and thechamber movement andher vision forthe Canadian Chamber’sfuture as achampion forCanadian businesses
“Candaceisanext-generationleader with astrong Canadian business background. She has extensiveexperiencemaking decisions acrosscomplex organizations,which will helpusbuild on our existingstrengths and meet thechallenges facing Canadian businesses andfamilies. Sheis exceptionallywellequipped to partner with abroad range of stakeholders, includingchambers, boardsoftrade,associations,and gover nment.”
“I’m honoured to take on this new role at suchanimportant time,” said Ms.Laing. “Bothmyworkwiththe Canadian Chamberand my experience in business haveshown me our country’s enormous potential,but now more than ever, Canada’sbusinesses of allsizes need achampion likethe CanadianChamber.
“I stronglybelieve that solutions to ourgreatest economic challengesare found at the community level, andI want to ensure we arefocused on thecritical role localchambers, boardsoftrade and businessesplayinour economy. The positive influence businesses have on thelives of ever yday Canadiansisthe grassrootsthinkingthatshouldinform federalpolicymaking and helpcreateabetterlifefor allCanadians.”
Current ChamberPresident and CEO,PerrinBeatty,who leaves hispost on August 30, welcomedthe newsofMs. Laing’s appointment
“I’vehad theprivilege of workingcloselywithCandace forthe last five years, andthe search committee has made an outstanding choice. She’ssmart,energeticand committed. She’swell-knownbyour team andbythe ChamberNetwork Shebrings with her an extensivebusiness network,and sheunderstands theneeds of businesses of allsizes. There’s nobody who’sbetterqualified to take theCanadianChamber to thenext level.” Ms.Laing has resigned from theChairpositionasshe preparestotakeupthe President and CEO role,based in Ottawa,on thecusp of theCanadian Chamber’s100thanniversary.The Boardisconsideringnext steps to fillthe Chair’sdutiesuntil theelectionofa newChairatthe AGMinOctober.
Stop, Start,Continue:How We CanRegainCanada’sCompetitive Advantage PolicyMatters –Quick InsightstoHelpBusiness Succeed -CanadianChamber of Commerce
Astop, start, continue analysis isoften used to determinehow ateam or individual in a workplace can improve their performance. But it’salso auseful exercise for figuring out how wecan get Canada’seconomiccompetitivenessback on track.
What is economic competitiveness?
Economic competitiveness is Canada’sability to compete against other globalplayers for international talent, trade and investment.It’salso linkedto acountry’s wealth and prosperity, which determine standardofliving.
What happened to Canada’s competitiveness?
Thereare alot of factors that have contributed to our decline in thisarea— lowproductivity, high inflation, unreliable supply chains, nation-wide skills gaps, not enough housing… But insteadoffocusing on how we ended up here, let’s look at what we can stop, start and continue doing to grow our competitiveness once again
Stop
• Stop adding taxes.The way tofixCanada’seconomiccompetitiveness is not through morespending on gover nment programs —spending fuelledbynew taxes —it’sby enabling private-sector businesses to do business because government spending simplycannot replace private-sectorinnovation or investment.The gover nment frequently talksabout encouraging business investment,yet at thesametime, adds new rules, regulations and taxes that make it more time-consumingand costly to do so.
Inthe 2023 Inter national TaxCompetitivenessIndex, Canada ranked 24 out of 38 countries forcorporate taxes. Underour complex tax system, businesses have less resources to invest back in their business (hiringmorepeople or producing better productsfor Canadians) becausethey’reputtingtheir time and money towards making surethey’re paying theright amount oftax to thegover nment. Gover nment shows no sign of reducingthe tax burden or simplifying thesystem, choosing instead to move forwardwith the retroactiveDigitalServices Tax.
• Stop ignoringthreats to our supplychains. Strikesatports, railways, airports and borders halt the flow of goodstomarket, damagingCanada’seconomy and hurtingour reputation as areliable placetodobusiness, both of whichmake us less competitive onthe global stage.Yet gover nment hasvoted for more frequent and longerstrikes by rushing to pass theanti-replacement worker legislation that preventsorganizations in sectors liketrucking, rail, ports,telecomand air transportation to provide abasic level ofservice, preserving critical functions forCanadians.
• Stop themisalignment between immigrationand regional andsectoral labourneeds. A report from RBC foundthat,despitethe factthatimmigration hasbeen responsible for all labour force growth in the past decade,ithasn’t been able to counteract theimpact ofCanada’saging populationorthe shortages in thejob markets becausethe skills
Calendar of Events:
Watch Here fornews on thefall eventschedule 30thBBEX AwardsGala
Thursday,November 7th, 2024
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immigrants arebringing with them and the fields of study inter national students are choosing arenot in alignment with the long-term needs of oureconomy.Toaddress this misalignment, government andeducational institutions need to work with businesses and communities to determinewhich skills, credentials and educationshould be prioritized.
Start
• Start applyinganeconomicand competitiveness lens to regulations. Whencreating and implementingnew regulations, sufficient consideration isn’tgiven to how they will impact businesses. If an economic lens wereapplied, regulations would become moremanageable for businesses, supporting economic growth and our global competitiveness by increasinginvestment, growth and jobs.
• Start investinginlong-term trade infrastructure. We need reliable ports, bridges, roads andrailways to transport our goods to Canadians and ourcustomers abroad. Committing to astrategy like theCanada Trade InfrastructurePan will help us build and maintain our trade infrastructure,ensuring the smooth flow of goods and services.
• Start expeditingforeignqualification recognition for immigrants. After all, it doesn’t make sense to chooseindividuals based on the skills, education and credentials they possess andthat our economy needs if we then prevent them from working in their fields upon arrival. Expedited recognition will help address the urgentlabour needs of priority sectors like agriculture,childcare, construction, healthcareand transportation, andallow qualified newcomers to fully participate in oureconomyright away
Continue
• Continue reducing interprovincial barriers. It’seasier for Canadian businesses to trade with Europe or the United States than within Canada. While the gover nment has made progress streamlininginter naltrade and removing interprovincial barriers, moreneeds tobedone.Especially considering that we stand to benefit from apotential 8% increase inGDP growth if this issue is addressed.
• Continue incentivizingbusiness adoption of AI.Given AI’s potential to help address our productivity problems, Canadian businesses should be at the forefront of adoption —not sitting on thesidelines. Gover nment can help stimulate adoption by ensuring ourAIregulationisproportionate and risk-based, and by fully leveraging private sector partners when allocatingthe new$2.4billion in AI funds announced in the 2024 Budget.
• Continue being opentothe movement of people. It maybetimefor anew strategy,but there’s no doubt that Canada needs immigration. Given ourlow birth rates and aging demographics, immigrationisthe only way we’ll be able to fillour skills gapand grow our economy
Overall, themost importantthings thegover nment can do to help Canada’scompetitiveness is to stop gettinginthe wayofbusinesses doing business, start focusing on growth driven by the private sector,and continue collaborating and partnering with Canada’svibrant business community
Jasper tragedy hits too close to home for Abrahamson family
Continued from page 1
“I kept texting her reminding her not to forget to take this and that. She and her boyfriend had a small car that would have to hold three people on the trek out, so she only took what was near and dear to her.
A big realization for Kate is: “What did she leave behind that she should have taken?”
Lana affirms they did not get a lot of sleep that night.
Cell service was spotty but thankfully some texts were going through. However, knowing everyone was doing the same thing that was likely overwhelming the system was unnerving.
Understandably the first evac order received over their phone, caused some anxiety as the happiness factor of being in a job you love, living an adventure-style life in one of Canada’s most beautiful locations quickly changed to fear of the unknown.
“Normally Kate could share her location but that was not working which made things a little scary but I knew she would let me know. As soon as she got to the highway just after midnight, we felt a minuscule sense of relief.”
The harrowing trek, which covered only about 100 km, took five hours as the road was gridlocked with all other evacuees.
The family is thankful that Kate and her travelling partners got safely settled at
a former guiding staff’s place up the road for the first night.
They continued to Valemont, which was overrun with people fleeing the fire. So Kate and company continued onto Clearwater and stayed with a rafting company there, who had reached out to them.
Interior Whitewater Expeditions, Abrahamson acknowledges, were amazing to Kate and the group, giving them access to Wi-Fi, showers and anything else they needed, allowing them to set up a small tent city.
Kate Abrahamson adds, “It is hard to process right now. You can be as prepared as you think you can be but I don’t consider myself a prime example of being prepared as I don’t even have a towel or a
t-shirt right now.
I wish I had a list of things I could’ve or should’ve had. It didn’t even cross my mind that Jasper townsite would get hit and I thought I would be back in a few days.”
With Kate working the winter season at Marmot Basin for four years now, and the summer for a rafting company for the last three years, one of the hardest parts of their work experiences is saying goodbye at the end of each season.
Now they are adding in the emotional process of not knowing what is next, they’ve lost their jobs, they have lost their homes and all of their belongings, as well as losing a life and adventure they have been happily living in.
Evacuees like Kate have so
Beavers look to defend NSRBL title, playoffs ongoing
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Teamwork makes the dream work.
That is the unspoken motto of the North Battleford Beavers as they seek to retain their North Saskatchewan River Baseball League Title.
After defeating the Glaslyn Orioles in the quarter-finals of league playoffs, the team set out to continue their task of earning their way to the championship final. Semi-finals were set against Lashburn Cardinals and began July 23. The semi-finals and the league final are the best of three series.
Lashburn put the Beavers’ backs against the wall, winning the opening game July 25, by a score of 15-11. This would mean game two was a must-win for the North Battleford squad
on July 29. If a game three was necessary, it is slated for July 31.
In other playoff matchups, the Unity Cardinals, the number two seed, began their semi-final series against Standard Hill Lakers July 23.
The Lakers handed the Cards a one-run loss in the opening game making for a must-win game two for the Cards.
Another incredibly close game followed, however, the Lakers came out on top by a score of 11-10, meaning there would be a new team in the 2024 NSRBL league championship series. https://hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=NSRBL&s=baseball&p=schedule&gametype=12
Unity will play host to senior baseball provincials and the Beavers will be part of that four-team event.
much uncertainty right now as updates have been few and while they have heard some properties have been saved, Kate doesn’t know if hers is one of them, although she is fairly confident it was decimated by the massive fire.
Lana said, “The group is going to stay together for a bit at the home of a family friend on the Sunshine Coast, and haven’t decided where to go next and when that next phase will take place. They are trying to wait until they know for sure before proceeding with plans moving forward.”
“As parents, we have to remind them to be frugal and wise, but them being together is a relief and a gift, and I think it’s going to help them with grief. We would just like her home but know that this
is the best thing for her right now to be with that support.”
Lana is a volunteer with Scouts Canada at the Anglin Lake Semi-Wilderness Scout Camp and said she, herself, has never experienced anything like this.
“You plan but you hope you never experience it.”
However, Lana, said they experienced a similar stressful situation in 2015 when their son, then 18, was on a canoe course up north at Churchill River Outfitters at Missinipe, and forest fires forced their group to hunker down, unable to get out as fire was on both sides of the road.
“That was pretty stressful as there was no cell service up there and at least with Kate we were in continual communication, although at times, cell service was spotty.”
The Abrahamsons have been going to Jasper since their kids were little, adding that Jasper has so many outdoor vibes both winter and summer, and such a great community atmosphere.
Many people gravitate there each year for the amazing experiences.
Lana said they have such love for this location and while beyond grateful for their daughter’s safety, their hearts are broken at the loss of Jasper.
“Two of my four kids lived and worked in Jasper in their adventure years,”
Lana adds. “She is our youngest and only girl. We
believe that her life experiences as well as the skills she gained with the family in scouting and skiing benefited her going through this. Being able to draw on some of that at only 22 years old, navigating through this crisis, makes us proud as parents but the hard part is being strong for them.”
While sounding emotionally and physically exhausted, Kate concluded our interview by saying: “I have no idea at present of where to go and I don’t think I have a house to go back to, so I may be back in the Battlefords.”
Kate said there have been no specifics on her property yet but they have received some updates, the last one being at 9:30 p.m. July 24 with a new fire map and estimated size which clearly indicates that it is still very much burning and incredibly large.
“I have had good support from family and friends offering what they can do but it is still so hard to process as I have nothing. And, I have no clue when we will even be able to go back and assess,” adds Kate.
“Half of the group knows their houses are ok so that is how they are going to help, letting those displaced crash on their couch until more things are sorted out.”
A multitude of emotions still to process for the Abrahamson family as they navigate their new normal coming out of this tragedy.
The Battlefords hosts 2 U15 Western Canadian Championships Aug 2-5
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
Softball fans will have the opportunity to see the best girl’s and boy’s softball teams in the Under 15 division competing for a Western Canadian Softball Championship at the Battleford Flats Aug 2-5.
For the girl’s division, there are ten female teams competing, two teams each from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The U15 Battleford Bandits will compete as the host team
while there is also a team from the Yukon attending.
Action gets underway for the girls at 10 a.m. Aug. 2, with the host team, Bandits, playing their opening game of the event immediately following opening ceremonies at 5:30, with a 6:30 p.m. game time.
The Battlefords will see an influx of more than 300 players, coaches and officials, along with hundreds more in family and fans.
Five male U15 teams will also compete the same weekend with one from
each Western Canadian province along with the host team.
Event hosting is a known benefit for the local economy as visiting teams take in the community’s food, fuel, accommodations and shopping options. Additionally, event organizers would purchase supplies needed for their event through local businesses. In other softball news, the U19 Battleford Bandits will travel to Irma, Alta., to compete in a Western Canadian Championships Aug 9 -11.
The Abrahamson family said the near-death experience with fire is too close to home. Photo courtesy the Abrahamson family
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Phone: 306-445-7261 Fax: 306-445-3223
Email: newsoptimist.news@sasktel.net
Wood Pile Catastrophes
By R.H.Wood.
North Battleford
The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King’s Privy Council of Canada, Minister of Emergency and Preparedness, Minister Responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada. The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister Responsible for Parks Canada.
This newspaper merits an award or doesn’t for allowing a contributor to write an article starting with two
syntax defying non sentences, there being no verbs or structure in them. Nevertheless, the first paragraph lists two honourable ministers to whom the citizens of Jasper owe particular indebtedness or again otherwise. Each minister you will have noted has in their portfolio shared responsibilities for public preparedness
in emergencies – generally in one case and for parks in particular for the other. Please note one is President of the King’s Privy Council and all should bow lowly in his presence and show respect if observed on T.V. At the time of writing, one has not been privy to any really helpful comments by Harjit on the Jasper fire except that nothing more could have been done once it had taken hold as windblown flaming acorns (?) were up to a kilometer ahead of it On the other hand, Steven has offered much firefighting praise and humbly failed to mention the
We acknowledge the financial support
value and effectiveness of his carbon tax in this crisis.
As for our P.M., whom we have recently flown yet again to tranquil Tofino for two weeks’ deserved respite, his 2021 election promises and commitment to the acquisition of additional water bombers, the formation of a permanent thousand-member mobile firefighting squad and the commitment of millions of dollars to fire prevention were well received and remain totally adequate.
The orchestral masterpiece “The Bum of the Flightle Be” by Rimsky Corsetoff was inspired by the drone of
a bumblebee. Bagpipes have a special single low tuned (?) reed called a drone. In Scotland non-productive government pen-pushers are called drones. Finally, miniaturized flying bedsteads with cameras used to film opposing professional soccer teams and by farmers to check neighbouring crops for weeds are also called drones.
Apparently, Loblaws have to pay a $500,000,000 fine for bread price fixing. This will add leaven to Mr. Singh’s incessant complaining about grocery giant gouging. Unfortunately, excess profiteering will be re-
Management
quired to pay the fine. Leavening is a necessary step in bread making wherein CO2 (carbon dioxide) is released into sourdough and the atmosphere.
I would like to be privy to these ministers’ comments when they read this article and are reminded that air pollution and global warming result in part from the burning of dead wood and stick piles and swaths of unfelled trees killed by the mountain pine beetle and even the making of bread - the very staff of life. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Gordon Brewerton: Senior Vice-President, Prairie Newspaper Group
Reporter: Sherri Solomko • Photographer: Averil Hall
Contributors:
Elaine Woloshyn, Eric Callbeck, Kathy Utri, John Bowyer, R. H. Wood
Mailroom - Manager: Melissa Pitkeathley
Scott Foster • Donna Smith • Anamarija Barna
Town gets ready for annual parade
By Angela Brown SaskToday.ca
Suspects
parade coming up Aug. 9.
The 39th annual parade kicks off at 7 p.m., starting at St. Vital School track, travelling along 22 Street, and then it turns onto First Ave-
sought
in
nue, and comes back along 25 Street.
Parks and Recreation Manager Jordan Schechtel hopes to see horses, bands, and music, and some groups,
as part of the parade lineup.
The parade will include antique cars from the Western Development Museum, antique fire trucks from the Fred Light Museum, and a
home invasion incident in North Battleford Man seriously injured following shooting in North Battleford
SaskToday.ca
Battlefords RCMP are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects in a home invasion in North Battleford Friday.
Police say that at 7:35 p.m., a group of people entered a residence on the 800 block on 107th Street in North Battleford. One male was seriously injured by the group before
they left the residence. Surveillance video showed: one male with short black hair, dressed in all black, with a white hoodie underneath, red runners and a black and white back pack, one male in a black t-shirt, blue jeans, black hat and runners (riding a bike), one male with black short hair, in a black jacket, white hoodie,
black pants and white runners, and a female with long black hair, bright blue hoodie with writing on the sleeves and white pants, all leaving the residence.
If you have information related to this advisory please call 310-RCMP for immediate response, or you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477).
THE TOWN OF BATTLEFORD’S 39th ANNUAL PARADE AND FIREWORKS
7:00 pm Friday, August 9, 2024
Theme: “Celebrate Saskatchewan”
FIREWORKS: APPROX 10 PM
Ever yone is invited to join in the fun and excitement and participate in the Parade
We welcome Bands, Autos, Service Clubs, Horse/Riders, and Businesses
The parade will star t and end at the track behind St. Vital School.
Entry forms are available at the Battleford Parks & Recreation Office in the Alex Dillabough Centre (south side), Battleford, or by mail: Battleford Parks & Recreation Office, Box 1240, Battleford, Saskatchewan S0M 0E0 or e-mail: par ks@battleford.ca. An entr y form can also be downloaded from our website: www.battleford.ca.
Inquir ies may be directed to the Rec Office at 937-6216 or 937-3103 (fax). The deadline for entr ies is August 2, 2024.
2024 Battleford Parade Route
number of floats.
The theme of the event is Celebrate Saskatchewan, so Schechtel is encouraging participants to be creative with their entries.
“We thought it was a good theme that people could interpret as they wanted,” he said.
There are about 40 entries in the parade so far.
Schechtel asks people who haven’t signed up yet to make sure they register to participate in the parade.
By Angela Brown SaskToday.ca
The RCMP are asking for the public’s help follow a shooting in North Battleford.
On July 26 at about 7:30 p.m., Battlefords RCMP received a report of a shooting on 107th Street.
Officers immediately responded and located an injured man, who was taken to hospital with injuries described as serious.
Police determined an altercation occurred between the victim and a group of people. A firearm was discharged, and the victim was shot.
Battlefords RCMP continue to investigate.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Battlefords RCMP at 310-RCMP or call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.
“We are hoping for a good turnout and good weather,” Schechtel said. “We are encouraging everyone to get their entries in as soon as possible.”
Parade participants that want to give candy, literature or other items must hand them out by hand to each person. Candy will not be thrown from floats due to
safety reasons. Later in the evening, the town will host its fireworks show starting at around 10 p.m. in the field across from Fort Battleford.
People participating in the town parade may have a chance to store their floats in the Battleford arena, if they are also planning to take part in the North West Territorial Days parade in North Battleford on Aug. 13.
“It’s first come, first served,” Schechtel said.
Prior to the town’s parade, the Fred Light Museum plans to hold its annual Family Fun Day, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., earlier in the day on Aug. 9. Some of the participants in the popular dunk tank this year will be Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie, Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill and Battlefords RCMP Sgt. Chris Stephens.
Battlefords residents will have a chance to take in the Town of Battleford’s summer
Battlefords RCMP are asking the public’s assistance in identifying these people and asking anyone with information to contact Battlefords RCMP. Photos provided by RCMP
Second half of Sask. Summer Games sees medals won by local athletes
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
It’s a summer experience to remember.
Local athletes that prepared for months, and celebrated being selected for Team Rivers West at the 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster, July 21-27, put their best efforts forward into competition.
Whether it was earning a medal or resulting in a personal best, athletes know that a Summer Games experience is not all competitors get the chance to know. Competing for themselves, their district pride and their home community all were part of the highlights of their Sask. Summer Games experience.
Wilkie’s Cheyanne Cey was golden in 300m hurdles
and would also earned 7th spot 400m race. Cheyanne was part of Teams Rivers West badminton team for Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina.
In athletics, North Battleford athlete, Keira Van Nortwick had some great track results. She was 5h overall in 100m. She was 8th overall in the 200m. She earned fourth spot in the
We’vegot sunshine on ourminds!
Thereare only 4weeks left of ourSummerAdventure DayCampsOperatingMondaytoFriday(excludingstatholidays),7:30am-5:30pm. Breakfast, lunchand afternoon snacksare included at NO extracost. $150/ week or $50/day,reminderthe feefor week 6isreduced to $120 duetothe stat holiday.Check outour weekly themes andfieldtrips below. There’sstill time to register!Visit www.bgcbattlefords.ca formoreinformation andto register Weekly themes andfieldtrips:
WEEK 5: JULY 29-AUGUST 2, WE AREALWAYSHAPPY TO SEAYOU
FieldTrip: Wester nDevelopment Museum (North Battleford)
Checkout ourFREESummerParks Drop-inPrograms -Operating Monday to Friday (weatherpermitting,excluding stat holidays),11:00am to 4:00pm at 3locations in thecity- Centennial Park,Kinsmen Park &Senator Herb SparrowPark. Allthat’srequiredisa valid 2024 Membership Form! We offercrafts, funactivities& games, themes,and aTON of SPLASH PARK FUNtokeep your child(ren) busy throughout themonth of August!Nutritious baggedlunchesand balanced snacks areprovideddaily.
It’s cool to go to school -Sadly,our summerfun is coming to an endbut don’tworry,our school year fun starts soon! We’ve got you (and your kids ) coveredall school year long!Weconvenientlyoffer before andafter school programsright at Bready,EMBMand at ournewestsatellitesitelocation, BattlefordCentral School (BCS)- availablefor St.Vital studentstoo! In addition,wealsohaveanafter-school program at Holy Family School. Theseprogramsrun MondaytoFriday, 7:30am-8:30am,and from classdismissalto5:30pm. Join us foroutdoor play,arts& crafts,games, experiments, nutritioussnacksand more! Registration openingsoon! Stay tunedonour Facebook,Instagram andwebsite page formore informationand updates!
For more informationonthese programsand howtoregister,visit our website: www.bgcbattlefords.ca
August datestoremember:
•Monday, August 5th - Officeand allprogramming CLOSED for SaskatchewanDay
•Friday, August 9th - Town of BattlefordParadeat7:00pmCome down to watchand make sure to give us awaveonour float!
•Tuesday,August13th - NorthwestTerritorial Days Parade at 7:00pmCome down to watchand make sure to give us awaveonour float!
•Friday, August 23rd - Last DayofSummerProgramming
•Monday, August 26th -Friday, August 30th - AllProgramming CLOSED, school year programming begins Tuesday, September3rd.Office hours continue as normal (Monday-Friday,8:30am-3:30pm)
Pleasenoteour officeand allprogramswill be CLOSED on Monday, September2 nd forLabor Day.
As areminder, our summer hoursofoperation areasfollows:
•Office: Monday to Friday,8:30am –3:30pm
•SummerAdventure DayCamps:MondaytoFriday, 7:30am –5:30pm (excluding stat holidays)
•SummerParks Drop-inPrograms: Monday to Friday,11:00am –4:00pm (weatherpermitting,closedstatholidays)
Continue to watchour Facebook page (BGCBattlefords), Instagram@bgcbattlefords andwebsite (www.bgcbattlefords.ca) formoreupdates. Have aquestion? Call us at (306)445-0002! Opportunity ChangesEverything
around the district were happy to cap off their Sask. Summer Games experience with a medal. Photo courtesy Rivers West Sports Culture and Recreation social media
province for 100m hurdles. And Keira’s best results came with a bronze medal in long jump.
Luseland’s Lily Holman won dual bronze in 800m and 1500m races.
Payton Russell, the JPII athlete who lives in Battleford set a goal of top ten for herself and exceeded that goal by winning a silver medal in the 500gm javelin event.
Olivia Perkins form Maidstone earned fourth place in Pentathlon.
Unity’s Dawson Gilbert was also part of Team Rivers West athletics and earned an admirable top ten placing for both hurdles’ events (110m and 300M), while finishing just off the podium in fourth spot for high jump.
Kale Hassett of North Battleford earned two top ten placings in long jump and triple jump as well as competed in the 100m race.
It was a hard-fought bronze medal win for Teams Rivers West Baseball, after winning that final by just one run over Team Prairie Central in ten innings that spanned four hours. Team members include: Rhett Cawood from North Battleford. Wilkie’s Keegan Schell is also part of the roster. Six athletes from
Maidstone made the Summer Games Baseball roster and include players: Kaiden Benkendorf, Cruz Harrison, Noah Perkins, Ean Alsager, and Mason Makin. Macklin will be represented by Darian Lower. Battleford resident, Corban Zavianos is also on this games roster. There is one Rosetown athlete, Cale Morris, and one Eston athlete, Joel Thoppilan. Coaches for the team will be TJ Aviianos from Battleford, Brett Harrison from Battleford, Jason Schell from Wilkie and team Manager is Karena Alsager from Maidstone. In basketball, the Rivers West female basketball team will come home with a bronze medal from the Sask. Summer Games experience, as they defeated Team Prairie Central 45-41. Athletes on this team included: Ella Brebner and Myah Wanger from Unity, along with Brylee Carter – Meadow Lake; Harper Fauchon – Battleford; Nicole Gartner – Lloydminster; Addysyn Hansen – Meadow Lake; Casey Johner – Maidstone; Ellie Kraft – Maidstone; Chelsey Munro – Meadow Lake; Ezri Vidal – Meadow Lake; along with coaches Jeremy and Cherie Wagner,
also from Unity.
Team Rivers West 2 in the beach volleyball competition earned silver. Those athletes were Rowan Cyr from Lloydminster and Cameryn Larre from St. Walburg. Eloise Benoit of Chauvin and Sienne Sommerfeld from Battleford competed as Team Rivers West 2 in this event but were unable to reach the podium. Team Rivers West finished the week of competition with 26 medals overall including two gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze. You can view the full results of the games at https:// skg2024.gems.pro/Result/ MedalList.aspx?SiteMapTreeExpanded=8eb5f6a4-4 718-4e6c-b7e8-1ce735783 a5d&SetLanguage=en-CA Summer Games athletes got to gain new experiences as an elite athlete, staying in athlete’s village and meeting new friends, while competing against athletes from across the province. Competitors also affirmed that opening and closing ceremonies are highlights that will have for a lifetime. Many athletes go on to excel in their sport and compete in Canada Games, University sports or high-performance teams.
North Stars announces familiar name as new head coach
By Sherri Solomko Freelance Reporter
When the Battlefords
North Stars announced their new Head Coach and General Manager, the name was instantly familiar.
Garry Childerhose is a native of Battleford and was, at one time, an Assistant Coach with the team for the 20212022 season.
He was designated Associate Coach alongside Coach Klimosko, and the duo helped lead the Stars to an SJHL Championship and National silver medal, cites the North Stars website.
The Stars media release, “President Kyle Kellgren had
nothing but positive remarks to make, As President I am very proud to have Garry Childerhose (Chilly) take over as Head Coach & GM of our team. Having a hometown boy who played his minor hockey career in the Battlefords is a very special moment for our board and our community.”
Childerhose has a long hockey resume that includes a junior career with Melfort Mustangs, moving on to SUNY-Genesio playing NCAA DIV III for four seasons.
Coaching became the next natural progression for the Battleford native as he served as Assistant Coach
for the Flin Flon Bombers immediately after finishing school. He transitioned into Assistant GM for the club for five seasons before returning home to the Battlefords.
The North Stars media release also reads, “I’m honoured and excited for the opportunity to be the next Head Coach and General Manager for the Battlefords North Stars,” said Childerhose.
“Working with, and learning from two great coaches and CJHL Coaches of the year, Brayden Klimosko and Mike Reagan for the past eight seasons has been tremendous for my growth as a coach and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Team Rivers West baseball which included athletes from Wilkie, Macklin, the Battlefords and
Sask atchewan LeadsNation in Retail Trade
Retail salesincreased by 6.1per cent from May2023 to May2024, totaling$2.2billion and placingSaskatchewanfirstinthe nation foryear- over-yeargrowth. Ourgovernment will continue to take measures to make our province thebestplace to do business, whichcreates newjobsand economic opportunitiesfor Sask atchewan people
Hon. Jeremy Cockrill, MLAfor TheBattlefords office@jeremycockrill.ca
306-445-5195
Grand Celebration at Library theatre
BATC donated Ten Thousand Dollars to the upgrade. In the cheque presentation, from left to right, Marietta Starchief of Battlefords Area Tribal Chiefs, Colin Evans, Head Librarian, North Battleford Library, Darryl Arnold, Chair, North Battleford Library Board. Donors include Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (Community Development Corporation), Stromberg Family Fund, Kelly’s Computer Works, Lakeland Library Region, Feist Flanagan Law, beePLUS Workplace Solutions, Ultra Print Services Ltd., Freedom Skate & Snow
Jingle Dress Dancing performed by the 23-year-old Savannah Weenie Pierre of Sweetgrass First Nation. Pierre has danced for as long as she can remember and dreams of spreading joy through her moves: “I like seeing people smile.”
Senator, Elder Jenny Spyglass enjoying the meal provided by BATC
“I’m excited about the endless possibilities this upgrade brings,” said Colin Evans, Head Librarian at North Battleford Library, shared his excitement about the theatre system upgrade. “When I first started at the library, the theatre system hadn’t been upgraded for a considerable period of time.We couldn’t stream from a laptop or play high-definition video, and the sound system had issues with cutting out during performances. The upgraded system will enhance our program capacity and offer more to the citizens of North Battleford and the surrounding area..”
Jeff Arndt provided the music for the event, complemented by Dr. Wayne Schlapkohl’s slideshow of pictures, “Back of the Bus” featuring a music slideshow, and a Powwow Showcase by Savannah Weenie Pierre and her mother, Kimberly Weenie’s inspiring speech.
Photos by Averal Hall/Freelance Photographer/ Reporter.
Children came to Grand Celebration enjoying the show and free dinner provided by the library July 25 evening. Photos by Averal Hall/Freelance Photographer
Pollinator Gardens – Part II
By Patricia Hanbidge
Lead Horticulturist, Orchid Horticulture
Last week, we introduced some of the basic guidelines to creating a pollinator garden in your outdoor space. Pollinators are vital to our food sources and due to many factors, including loss of habitat, pollinator populations have experienced severe declines in recent years. It is important to choose a spot for your pollinator garden that has some sunshine as during spring and fall, these sunny areas warm more quickly so that the pollinators can make the most of each and every day.
Once your soil is amended and ready to go it is time to plant. Native plants are essential to a successful pollinator garden. Go for a walk outside of urban areas and see what is growing. Early in spring it is the pussy willows and then yes, the dandelions that show colour on the prairies. Wild flax, sage, fireweed, roses, monarda, goldenrod, Queen Ann’s Lace, and dogwood are just some of the native plants you could include in your pollinator garden. As far as other things to plant include any of the fruiting trees and shrubs, flowering herbs, any and all vegetables, lilacs, monarda, delphinium, fuschia, nicotiana, Joe Pye weed, columbine and some self seeders like calendula, cosmos, forget-me-nots and
sunflowers. If self seeding annuals are of interest, watch for next weeks’ column that will be devoted to them. Do not forget about the night pollinators, moths and bats and plant some luminous white flowers like evening scented stocks, nicotiana, and the scented mock orange shrub.
It is important to supply some water sources in your pollinator garden. While your new plants are getting established, water regularly to ensure the formation of strong root systems that will withstand the hot summer weather. For the tiny critters, shallow bowls with some rocks sitting in the water allow them to safely hydrate without falling into deeper water and drowning.
Shade and shelter from the wind is also important. One of my favourite things to do in my pollinator garden is to quietly watch the hummingbirds flit madly about and then rest in the shade during the hottest part of the day. Some evergreen trees or shrubs will help to give shelter from the prevailing NW winds and create warmer microclimates in your garden.
The sky’s the limit as to what you create in your pollinator garden. There are endless pollinator plants that come in many different colours and shapes so choose some of what you find most attractive. This will help you
to pause and watch nature at its finest. Mix various heights, textures and shades in the garden. Mother Nature has the ability to blend all colours, tints and shades together with no worries about clashing colour schemes.
Once your garden is established the maintenance just gets easier. Self-sowing plants move around and grow where they choose. If their choice is not to your liking a few swipes with a hoe in spring will keep them where you would like them to grow. The sunny spots will evolve as well so you may decide to prune back some of your woody plants to open up the area again to the sun once a few years have passed.
Planting a pollinator garden is a lovely way to enhance your landscape and the surrounding environment. It also gives you and your neighbors lots of lovely things to enjoy and you never know – you might be starting a new trend!
Hanbidge is the Lead Horticulturist with Orchid Horticulture. Find us at www. orchidhort.com; by email at info@orchidhort.com; on facebook @orchidhort and on instagram at #orchidhort. Tune into GROW Live on our Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/orchidhort or check out the Youtube channel GROW https://www. youtube.com/channel/UCzkiUpkvyv2e2HCQlFl0JyQ?
August Skies
By James Edgar
The Moon is just a few days from new phase, so just a thin sliver and too close to the Sun for viewing. New Moon is on the 4th. The following day sees Venus 1.7 degrees south of the very thin sliver of the crescent Moon, and on the 9th, Luna reaches apogee of 495,207 km. The 10th has Spica 0.7 degrees south; on the 14th, Antares is 0.004 degrees north; and the Moon is full on the 19th. By the 21st, Saturn snuggles up only 0.5 degrees south of our satellite, which achieves perigee of 360,196 km. Later that evening, Neptune is 0.7 degrees south. These four close approaches are all occultations, but in distant parts of the world, not visible from North America. The Moon is in the Pleiades on the 25th, 6 degrees south of Jupiter and 5 degrees south of Mars on the 27th, and 1.7 degrees south of Pollux on the 29th.
Mercury in the western evening sky rapidly moves
in front of the Sun, not seen again until month-end.
Venus is making an entrance in the western sky, so named the Evening Star, but the angle of the ecliptic makes viewing difficult. The bright planet sets at almost the same time as the Sun.
Mars, in Taurus, rises around midnight, about 5 degrees north of Aldebaran, with Jupiter in conjunction on the 14th.
Jupiter, among the stars of Taurus in the very early morning sky, has double-shadow and transit events this month, on the 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 17th, 21st, and 25th. Watch also for the fine conjunction with Mars on the 14th.
Saturn rises mid-evening, and crosses the sky all night in the constellation Aquarius. The waning gibbous Moon joins the Ringed Planet on the 20th.
Uranus rises around midnight in Taurus. The Pleiades are just off to the northeast. The Moon is just 4 degrees
north of the blue-green gas planet on the 25th. Neptune is in Pisces, rising just before midnight and crossing the sky until dawn obliterates it.
The Perseid meteors peak the night of August 12. That’s when Earth passes through the cloud of tiny particles left behind by Comet 109P/ Swift-Tuttle in its many passes by the Sun. It has been confirmed that the earliest sighting was over 2100 years ago, returning approximately every 130 years. It is next due to appear in 2126.
James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000, was National President for two terms, is now the Editor of the renowned Observer’s Handbook, and Production Manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 “(22421) Jamesedgar” in his honour and in 2021 he was awarded a Fellowship of the RASC.
Bees on willow. Photo by Patricia Hanbidge.
Venus shining brightly. Photo by Aleks Dahlberg on Unsplash
Care home holds fundraising barbecue, complete with entertainment
By Lorraine Olinyk Correspondent
The Borden Care Home held a barbecue July 20, serving hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, fruit and sweets along with beverages and it was by donation. Entertaining for an hour or so was Kendall Redhead singing with Jamie Brandrick on guitar. A few songs played and sung were My Best Friend, Folsom Prison, Why Don’t You Stay and many more. Raffle baskets were won by Kendall Redhead, Mandy Tracksell, Kevin, Kyler and Adele Domak and Donna W.
The Borden Friendship Club held their supper July 25, in the Borden Community Centre with 50-plus in attendance. The club had bought the burgers and hot dogs and supplied the cake and ice cream and members brought salads and side dishes to accompany the meat. Sandy Long was MC and told a few jokes and gave the blessing. Happy birthday was sung to Gary Palmer, Laura Loeppky, Mel Kuntz, Ivan Youchezin and Glenn Skarra. After the cake and ice cream was served, Ruben Rempel introduced Celtic Country who played for
the evening – Perry Nicol on castanets and Celtic bodhran drum, Sean O’Conner playing button accordion, Bob Wardhaugh played keyboard and piano accordion, Ed Neufeld played his guitar and Archie Wainwright sang the vocals. Some of the songs were Old ’97, Crazy Arms, Courting in the Kitchen, My Blue Canadian Rockies, Rose of Tralee and Ed yodeled to Yo Ho Valley, and many more, closing with Haste Ye Back.
The Borden Co-op held their annual meeting in the Borden Community Centre the afternoon of July 24 with only a few members in attendance. On the board are Brett Larsen, president; Luke Walker, vice-president; Julia Orchard, secretary and directors Glenn Sutherland, Jason Rempel, Melissa Braun and Diane Tracksell. Terms up were Glenn, Julia and Diane. Glenn and Julia remained on the board and Diane Tracksell stepped down, being replaced by Dustin Tracksell.
Julia Orchard read the minutes from the 2023 meeting, Brett Larsen gave the president’s report then general manager Robbie Schmidt gave his report, speaking on the few projects
taking place the past years –preparing the cardlock site or relocating the installation of new dispensers and a premium gas tank, working on the capability of accepting credit cards at the cardlock so non-members can access fuel, and the purchase of the off-sale retail liquor store permit from the Roadside Inn and Tavern and Salon.
Early in 2024 they prepped the hardware store for the new wine, beer and spirits section, bought a new cooler, repainted the interior and added a scanner to their point-of-sale system. They added all the liquor items, hardware and oil items.
Some of the employees 19-plus did online training to sell liquor and they extended their business hours at the farm supply. The grocery store saw an increase in sales reaching close to the one-million-dollar mark. They have had repairs of $14,000 to coolers and freezers. They got chosen to be one of the first small stores to transition to a new accounting system and also the grocery store is adapting to the new accounting.
Robbie thanked Marlene and her team of Danielle, Angela, Krysta, Esther, Emma, Sydney and Maddie for keeping the grocery
store running smoothly, and to Shauna, Hayden, Howie and Natalie for their efforts. Robbie also thanked the board for the guidance, vision and insight they provide and a big thank you to all the members who support the local co-op and have for over 109 years.
Auditor appointed for the following year was MNP LLP and a big thank you was extended to Diane Tracksell for her years on the board.
Members buying in 2023 were 569 with 264 inactive. Sales at the grocery store were $991,812, farm supply $590,153 and petroleum $2,853,763 for total sales of $4,435,728. Balances at the end of the year were $291,109 in statutory reserve, $1,980,506 in general reserve, patronage allocation of $52,254 and retained savings of $258.497.
The co-op is doing further ground work at the cardlock location with an estimated cost of $1,200,000 of which $267,100 has been set up as construction in progress. The hope is to move tanks by October of 2024. This is all financed from operations.
Door prizes were won by Brenda Tumbach, Dorothy Foughy and Gerry Penner.
Kendall & Jamie performing at the care home barbeque.
Photo submitted by Lorraine Olinyk
Seniors’ birthdays – Gary, Laura, Glenn, Mel and Ivan. Photo submitted by Lorraine Olinyk
Celtic Country at Seniors’ – Perry, Sean, Bob. Archie and Ed. Photo submitted by Lorraine Olinyk
and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844
on Apr il 20, 1937 at Waldheim, Saskatchewan She was the oldest of 5 children In 1947 the family moved to a far m near Medstead, Saskatchewan There, Cathy and her younger sister Dor is travelled to school each day by horse and buggy Cathy, aged 10, was the dr iver and hitched the horse at the liver y stable while they attended classes She and her family went on hikes into the woods to pick berr ies and wild flowers In 1953 she marr ied Br uce Tur ner and moved to Nor th Battleford She had 5 children one of whom died at the age of 2 in a tragic accident For more than 40 years she wor ked at var ious duties at Fishers Dr ug Store in Nor th Battleford For a time, they lived in Meota in a house on Jackfish Lake, then to a house in Battleford and then to an acreage just outside of Battleford There her amazing talent for gardening blossomed She had flowerbeds ever ywhere and some rows stretched more than fift y feet She was a championship bowler a for midable Br idge player and ver y skilled at sewing knitting and crocheting She will be remembered as a kind, loving, generous soul Many thanks to the kind car ing nurses at the palliative care unit of the Battlefords Union Hospital, as well as special fr iends Ivan, Donna and Rose Cathy is sur vived by her sons: Tim (Zdenka), Grant (Rhonda), Br uce, Scott (Cor inna); grandchildren: Tina, Brandon, Allex, Kr ystal, Kailee, Nicole, Natalie Br uce Nor man Colton Kelsey as well as several great grandchildren She was predeceased by her husband, Br uce and daughter Jeraldine The funeral ser vice was held at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Nor th Battleford on Saturday, July 20, 2024 - 11:00 a m Arrangements have been entr usted to Eter nal Memor ies Funeral Ser vice and Cremator ium – Tessa Bell Apprentice Funeral Director
SOCIÉTÉ JOSEPH BRETON INC. (VILLA PASCAL) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2024 2:00 P.M. ST ANDRE’S CHURCH BASEMENT
SOCIÉTÉ JOSEPH BRETON INC. (VILLA PASCAL) REUNION ANNUELLE OUVERTE AU PUBLIQUE JEUDI, LE 15 AOÛT, 2024 2:00 P.M. AU SOUS-SOL DE L’EGLISE ST ANDRE
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PROPERTY FOR SALE BY TENDER
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PUBLIC NOTICE
Resort Village of Aquadeo Public Notice – Zoning Bylaw Amendment
Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Resort Village of Aquadeo (RV) intends to adopt a bylaw under The Planning and Development Act, 2007, to amend Bylaw No. 19/89, known as the Zoning Bylaw (ZB).
INTENT: The intent of the amendment is to introduce shipping containers as an allowable accessory use for landowner storage in the RV, as well as a principal use on R1 lots 2.0 acres or larger The use of shipping containers would be a discretionary matter of Council, where employed as a principal use, permanent accessory use or temporarily during the construction of another allowable use, and as a permitted use for periods of 21 days or less during a calendar year without development permitting. Regulations and evaluation for the use would be prescribed and varies dependent on Zoning District. The use would potentially be allowable in any Zoning District other than the R2 – Residential District (R2), in which it would be prohibited.
AFFECTED LAND: All lands within the RV would be affected, except for any lands zoned R2, which are unaffected
REASON: The RV Council is considering a regulatory and evaluation system for the placement of temporary and permanent shipping containers in the RV; shipping containers are currently not provided for in the ZB. The amendment stems from interest received by the RV to accommodate shipping containers as they are growing in popularity for use as secure storage. In considering their use and placement, Council is proposing regulation and unit-specific evaluation to manage the potential for land use conflict.
PUBLIC INSPECTION: Any person may inspect the bylaw at the RV office between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Wednesday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays. Copies will be available to the public at a cost or by emailing the RV administrator a nd asking for a copy The offic e can also be re ached at (306) 386-2942. A digital copy of the draft amendment is available at the following web address: https://aquadeo.net/public-notices-%26-info.
PUBLIC HEARING: Council will hold a public hearing on August 16, 2024, at 10 :0 0 AM , in th e RV Offic e Wr it te n su bm is si on s an d re qu es ts fo r ve rb al representation must be received by August 15, 2024 For additional information, please contact (306) 386-2942 or aquadeoadmin@gmail.com. Written submissions can be mailed to Box 501, Cochin, SK, S0M 0L0, or emailed to the address above Issued by the Resort Village of Aquadeo this 1st day of August, 2024.
Alexandria Ber nier Chief Administrative Officer – Resort Village of Aquadeo
FORM C [Section 2.3]
NOTICE (The Tax Enforcement Act)
TAKE NOTICE that the Rural Municipality of North Battleford No. 437 intends to be registered as owner under the above Act of the land described at the foot of this document.
The Municipality claims title to the land by virtue of an interest based on the Tax Lien registered against the existing title to the land in the Land Titles Registry as Interest Number 195718236 and you are required to TAKE NOTICE that unless you contest the claim of the Municipality or redeem the land pursuant to the provisions of the above Act within six months from the service of this notice on you and, subject to the further provisions of The Tax Enforcement Act, a title will be issued to the applicant and you will thereafter be forever estopped and debarred from setting up any claim to, or in respect of, the land.
The amount required to redeem the land may be ascertained on application to the Clerk, Treasurer or Administrator of the Municipality.
Dated this 11 day of July, 2024.
THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH BATTLEFORD NO. 437
Nicole Collins, Administrator Per:
Cody Hirsche and Dayna Black Name of Assessed Owner
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF LANDS:
SE Sec 18 Twp 45 Rge 14 W3 Extension 0 Title Number: 147212894
Visit our website @ www.wester ncommodities.ca
Meota News
Car show brings out many exhibitors and spectators
By Eric Callbeck Correspondent
I find this difficult to do. It’s like giving up on a wayward child. After the missus had her stroke and then going through therapy for six months, the latest accident which caused infection to her foot has resulted in over 60 hours of hospital visits in the past three weeks. That, plus being the fulltime caregiver makes it very difficult to find time to do this column. In light of that, I must take a leave of absence until the medical conditions improve so this is my last column for a while.
The Meota car show went over well, although the weather conditions caused over 30 entrants to withdraw. Registered entrants were over 121 this year which is a gain from the 107 in 2023.
The ball diamonds took on a carnival-like atmosphere with families both very young and older enjoying the exhibits as well as feasting from the food trucks and the curling rink
Bob Gardner with his one-of-a-kind 1929 model 125 Gardner eight in line.
beautiful.
beverage outlet. Thanks to the Killicks and the many volunteers who made this day such a success.
The weather didn’t co-operate at first but the rain held off later on and allowed the show to go on. A wide variety of autos were shown from the 1926 roadster by the Duhaime brothers to nearly new fast hot rods by the big auto makers. Some of the vintage trucks showed what can be done with thousands of hours of work and a good bank account. Beautiful, simply
Winners by ballot: People’s Choice Award, first – Brenden and Amanda Bruneau, second – Stuart Hayward, third – Bev and Bob Gardner, fourth – David Johnson, fifth –Neil Kramer, sixth – Dave McKean, seventh – Lorna Metz; Participants Award, first – Barb and Bev Gardner, second – Stuart Hayward, third – Wayne Morrison, fourth – Larry Patterson, fifth – David Johnson, sixth – Kelly Parkinson, seventh – Ryan Wieler.
Again a salute to the many hours of hard work
in organizing this event, Rick and staff.
In conjunction with the car displays and food booths, there were hobby vendors in the town hall. Some great items from woodworking, preserves(food), clothing and so much more. The English licorice was excellent. A metal hobby display (and sale) was also set up outside.
Community activities for the past two-week period: bridge, first – Catriona Winterholt and Donna Scherman, second – Jean Lawes and Jean Beattie; B division, first – Gerry Craig and Linda Killoran,
were the days!
second – Cletus Scherman and Anna Marie Wallbilling; canasta, first – Gwen Lacerte and Eric Callbeck, second – Linda Ard and Gail Hilderman.
Seniors’ golf saw a tie for first: Norm Northcott, Kent Morton, Annette Duhaime and Al Smith tied with Jerry Goodheart, Marcel Duhaime, Eric Callbeck and Louise Goodheart with 38s.
Jerry’s team won with a count-back. Taking home the consolation money were Larry Dyck, Bernie Gregoire, Carol Dyck and John Patterson.
Activities for the past week: bridge: first – A
Jean Lawes and Fraser Glen, second tie Jean Beattie and Cletus Scherman with Vern Iverson and David Sharpe; canasta, first –Marion Ottas and Carmen, second – Stella Rendle and Marie Tatro Golf, first with a score of 37 – Lorne MacGregor, Dennis Tebay, Annette Duhaime and Jerry Goodheart. Consolation money went to Kent Morton, Elsa McGregor, Louise Goodheart, Lars Nissen and Eric Callbeck. The day started out bad with a break-in and theft at the clubhouse. The weather had a few drops of rain then dried up enough to enjoy another good outing.
Morris and Marcel Duhaime with their 1926 model T.
Morris Duhaime and his 1926 Chev sedan. And those
Dorothy Murdock with her 1973 road runner and friendly Mascot. Made an enjoyable familly reunion. Photos by Eric Callbeck
David Johnson’s 1972 immaculate c10 Chev.
Standard Hill Laker player named MVP of senior men’s baseball league
By Kathy Utri Correspondent
Doug Tuplin passed away in Maidstone on July 22 at the age of 70 years. Sincere sympathy is extended to his sons, Brett (Melissa) of Leroy and Tristan (Carrie) of Half Moon Bay, B.C., and to his four grandchildren. Doug is also survived by two sisters Elaine Stewart and Donna Moline of Saskatoon, sisterin-law Trina Tuplin of Maidstone and mother-in-law Dorothy Schwartz of Medicine Hat, Alta.
Doug was born and raised south of Maidstone, attending Idanell and Maidstone Schools and then going to work in the oilfield. Doug was a devoted and admirable family man, employee and Legion member. Raising his boys alone, Doug didn’t ask much for himself but was always willing to help out and give to others. He will be dearly missed by family and friends. A celebration of life for Doug will be held in Maidstone in the fall.
Congratulations to Cooper Olson of the Standard Hill Lakers ball team who was awarded Most Valuable Player in the 2024 North Saskatchewan River Baseball League. The recipient is voted on by all the teams in the league so Cooper is obviously held in high esteem by everyone. League Commissioner Regan L’Hearaux presented the well-deserved award. Cooper is certainly a great role model for the young people in our community.
Congratulations also to all the local athletes who competed for Rivers West District in the 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Lloydminster. Following are their results.
Olivia Perkins and Tristan Maatman in Athletics, Pentathlon (100m, 800m, high jump, shot put, long jump): Female – Olivia, fourth overall with personal best in shot put and first in long jump with personal best of 4.79; Male – Tristan came in 13th.
Brooke Wicks on the volleyball team – gold medal
Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION.
A Purpose This request for proposal (RFP) is to select a qualified Insurance Brokerage firm to provide services to Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc. (BRT6HC)
B. Who May Respond Qualified insurance brokerage firms may respond to this RFP
C. Instructions on Proposal Submission.
1. Closing Submission Date. Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00pm on Tuesday August 13, 2024.
2. Inquiries. Inquiries concerning this RFP should be forwarded to: Patricia Whitecalf - Executive Director 306-937-6700 (phone) 306-445-8355 (fax) Or emailed to: patricia.whitecalf@brt6hc.ca
3. Conditions of Proposal. All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc.
4 Instructions to Prospective Contractors. Your proposal should be addressed as follows: Patricia Whitecalf
against eight other teams.
Ellie Kraft and Casey Johner on the basketball team – bronze medal against seven other teams.
Cruz Harrison, Ean Alsager, Kaden Hutchison, Kaiden Benkendorf, Mason Makin, Noah Perkins on baseball team – bronze medal against seven other teams (with Maidstone coaches Brett Harrison and Karena Alsager).
Charley Harrison, Georgie Rutley, Makayla Graham, Parker Fritz, Rosie Carson on softball team – fifth out of eight teams (with Maidstone coaches Heidi Chant, Jolyne Harrison and Tania Hauser).
Jess McClelland on soccer team – eighth out of nine teams.
Good job, everyone, on putting forward your best efforts!
Of the nine districts competing, Rivers West finished in fifth place overall with 26 medals. Regina’s contingent came in first, accumulating 111 medals. A total of 1,504 athletes came from 221 communities. The last Summer Games were in 2016, as the 2020 Games were cancelled due to the pandemic. With the Saskatchewan Summer Games starting in 1972, this was the 13th edition.
Claire Paton, Joyce Weston and Eileen Anderson were among the Maidstone residents who drove to Bresaylor last Sunday to attend the 2024 potluck event. It was a combination of a historic driving tour, musical entertainment, museum tour, prize draws and potluck supper. They reported it was a terrific day. We hope to see a full report next week.
Maidstone disc golf Week 13 top averages: Tier 1 (0 and under) Matt Sayers -7.82, Tier 2 (over 0 to +9) Andrew Williams +1.11, Tier 3 (+10 and higher) Greg Mercer +10. Drawn winner of a Kastaplast Berg putter was Cody Garnham. They’re hoping it will help him make those five-foot putts.
Reminder: Aug. 4 and 11, the Yellowhead Ramblers play at Maidstone Museum at 2 p.m.
Executive Director
Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc. PO Box 1658 North Battleford, SK S9A 3W2 Or emailed to: patricia.whitecalf@brt6hc.ca
It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the proposal is received by the date and time specified above. Late proposals will not be considered.
5. Right to Reject Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc. reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP.
6. Notification of Award. It is expected that a decision selecting the successful brokerage will be made within four (4) weeks of the closing date for the receipt of proposals.
II. SCOPE OF SERVICES. The Offeror shall be readily available to perform the following insurance services, as requested by the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors:
1. The broker through access to a wide range of insurance markets will arrange the placement, renewal and/or addition of insurance coverages and may be updated/amended or revised if required
2. After consideration of available insurers, provide the names of qualified insurance companies which may be approached for insurance premium quotations for BRT6HC’s insurance program.
3. Prepare insurance specifications and underwriting proposals for insurance policy renewal which will be submitted to recommended insurance companies and submit a copy to BRT6HC for review BRT6HC’s review will only be based on accuracy of information being presented to the insurer
4. On behalf of BRT6HC and upon instruction by BRT6HC, arrange the purchase of selected insurance coverages.
5. Attend Board of Directors and Committee meetings as necessary
6. Undertake an annual review of the insurance coverages, including analysis of coverages, limits, terms, wordings, deductibles, and industry and market trends and provide recommendations on these areas.
7. Obtain insurance coverage interpretations from Insurers as the need may arise from time to time.
8. The broker will obtain the best terms and conditions at the most favourable pricing level for BRT6HC regardless of any other compensation.
9 Prepare insurance certificates and endorsements as requested by BRT6HC.
10. Other insurance services as needed
Insurance Coverage - The following list provides a sample of the insurance coverage that is or may be required by BRT6HC:
• Property/Business
• Commercial General Liability
• Directors & Officers Liability
• Cyber Risk
• Automobile/Fleet Vehicle
III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS
The Offeror, in its proposal, shall, as a minimum, include the following;
A. Brokerage Experience. The Offeror should describe its experience, including the names, addresses, contact persons, and telephone numbers of at least three references, preferably
B. Organization Information. The Offeror should describe its organization, size, structure, and office location(s).
C. Services Provided. The Offeror should describe the services that would be provided to Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc.
You must provide cost estimates and should provide comments on the suggested coverage’s, values and deductibles. Please use a separate appendix – identifying as Insurance Policy Estimate Sheet to provide this information. For each type of insurance required, please provide an estimate of the premium that BRT6HC should expect to pay While BRT6HC is looking for your marketing ideas, including cost estimates, please note that this is not an authorization to go to market. Any attempt to restrict market availability at this time will be grounds for elimination from consideration of this Request for Proposal.
Anniversaries, family reunions provide opportunities for get-togethers
By Elaine Woloshyn Correspondent
End of July already – approximately three weeks of holidays for the teachers and a month for the students. This summer, I’m afraid, is a repeat from last summer across Western Canada for all of these forest fires!
Fiftieth wedding anniversary greetings to my neighbours Ron and Heather Buziak of Whitkow. A gorgeous late afternoon (thanks to the weather that decided to co-operate) was the outdoor setting for the celebration. Many neighbours and friends were at their party and what was
impressive is that all of the bridal party from 50 years ago were present. Many of us attended a funeral July 14 in the morning but then went on to this happy anniversary occasion. Best wishes for many more happy years.
Over 70 members of the Michael and Heinrietta Marciniak family gathered for a first-time reunion at Diamond Hills Resort Adventure Park. This was formerly known as Blue Mountain and, when first established by Stanley Dudek, by the name White Tail Resort because this area is known for a high deer population. Stella Ewanchuk of North Battl-
eford, used the word “fabulous” as a remark about the weekend. Ewanchuk is the youngest and only surviving child of Michael and Heinrietta.
Family members travelled from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and of course various points in Saskatchewan. For some it was the first time to meet others. Family Olympics, zip lining, silent auction and Kaiser (card game) were fun. Saturday evening a dance with music supplied by Norman Woytowich and Darlene Hupaelo got people up and moving. Stella Ewanchuk was a teacher for many years and taught Norman as a youngster.
A memorial service was held to pay respect to the deceased family members. Finally, July 7, the weekend ended with a trip to Hafford cemetery and to the Marciniak homestead. The next reunion celebration is slated for July 2027 which will commemorate 100 years of pioneer homestead.
Another family reunion of which I was a part: seven of us siblings from the Joe and Irena Gregoire (née Nachtegaele) got together in Vanscoy (14 miles west of Saskatoon) to share much laughter, games, reminiscing, photo shots and excellent food. The attendance was approximately
Continued on page
Sun. 10:30 am Ministries forthe wholefamily 306-445-5158 www.tdac.ca
Worship Together
Gregoire family reunion was held in Vanscoy Hall. Seven siblings from the youngest to the oldest (ages 70 to 86): Janet Gauthier (St. Brieux), Elaine Woloshyn (Mayfair), Leona Tetz (rural Battleford), Bernard Gregoire (Battleford), Joan Lacoursiere (Battleford), Lorraine Lensen (Vanscoy) and Ron Gregoire (St. Brieux). Photo by Ryan Woloshyn
15
Anniversaries, family reunions provide opportunities for get-togethers
Continued from page 1 68 on Saturday July 13, and varying numbers on the Friday and Sunday. Some travelled from as far away as British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and places in Saskatchewan. The weekend was just perfect weather-wise, not too hot or chilly.
Meeting Lakes Saturday markets for August are 3, 24 and 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come visit the 20-plus vendors with a large assortment of food and crafts.
A special big anniversary celebration (65th) Aug. 3 for Duane and Jean Massett at the community hall. Come join them at 7 p.m. for socializing, goodies and coffee.
Closed from July 29 to Aug. 5 is the RM of Round Hill office located in Rabbit Lake (in the same building as the post office.
Also a reminder for the Rabbit Lake transfer station hours: Wednesday 4:30-8:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A wonderful reading schedule has been going strong at Rabbit Lake’s local library (a Lakeland branch), which started July12. One can still take in the August summer reading program. There are activities with a theme every Friday: Aug. 2 – fossils, Aug. 9 – airplanes, Aug. 16 – catapults, Aug. 23 –rainbows and Aug. 30 –skyscrapers. Kids should keep up with their reading
skills because in another month their holidays will be ended.
Parents wanting to send their children ages five to12 to a vacation Bible camp, mark your calendars for Aug. 26 to 28. This is to be held in Glenbush’s Mennonite Brethren Church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, please contact Vanessa at 306-883-2662.
Long weekend in August always means the big Leoville Trail Riders Rodeo from Friday on till Monday. This is an amateur rodeo featuring steer wrestling, calf and team roping, chicken racing, mutton busting for kids and other events. Two outdoor dances with live bands are a drawing card. There is usually a large attendance as Leoville is close to many lakes so people can take in fishing, boating, etc.
As we all know of the sad news about Jasper, Alta. (a historic site) and Golden, B.C., due to the horrific forest fires, one can be generous at this time. If you donate money to the Red Cross, the provincial and federal governments will match your donation. So many individuals are burdened with fire-related problems.
So far we are safe on the Prairies and have lots to be thankful for. Stay safe as there will be an increase in traffic on the roads as people rush to wherever they are going. Leave safely and return in one piece.
Doug Lamb’s appreciation afternoon in Lamb’s Meeting Lake backyard. Lamb is stepping down from all the years of volunteering for the Thickwood snowmobile trails. The Thickwood Trails Club started in 2003, after the Spiritwood club dissolved; at this time they purchased the Spiritwood groomer . The only trail at that time that needed to be groomed was from Witchekan to the Hatherleigh pasture, Years later more trails were added. This is some of the original group with new recent members. From left to right: Reg Rempel, Garry Panchuk, Cory Fowler, Gord Balanski, Sam Ginther, Stan Thul, Dale Chuhaniuk, Doug Lamb, Jim Maines and Justin Maines – the outgoing member and new members assisting in keeping a wonderful Thickwood Hills
trail that runs for miles.
snowmobile
Members of the Marciniak family: bottom left Stella Ewanchuk of North Battleford is the only surviving immediate family member of the homesteading couple. Photo courtesy Audrey Mushtaler
Stella with Darlene Hupaelo and Norman Woytowich formerly of Whitkow (band for Saturday evening).
Photo by Elaine Woloshyn
The last remaining structure on the Marciniak homestead is the ice house. Left to right are Audrey Mushtaler, daughter to Stella Ewanchuk; Jan Staples from London, Ont.; and Eileen Grieves from Regina.
Photo courtesy Ray Ewanchuk
Here areafew tips to make your transition back to thegreen as seamless as possible.
1. Strengthen yourmuscles. Developa consistent workoutroutinetohelpyou improve your performance andreducethe risk of injury.Look up golf-specific exercisesand stretchestomakethe most of your time.
2. Practice your shortgame. Setupanareainyour home,likeyourbasementorgarage, whereyou can work on puttingand perfectingyour golfswing. Your goal shouldbetopracticeatleast half an hour aweek.
3. Invest in agolfclubfitting. Usingcustom-fit equipmentfor your golfgamecan significantly improve your experience. Aprofessional canhelp you findthe rightclubs foryour swing, body type andability level.
4. Re-gripyourgolfclubs Slickorworngrips can causecontrol andaccuracy problems. Therefore, hiring agolfretailerorqualified club fittertore-grip your worn-out clubsisanexcellent idea. It mayalsohelptowatch onlinevideos, attend agolf training seminarorplaya fewcasualrounds at your local golf course.You’ll improve your game and keep up with thelatestrules
5things to consider when
Agood pair of golfshoescan go a long waytoimproving your game andincreasingcomfort while walkinglong distances on the course.Hereare fivethings to consider when choosinga newpair.
1. Material.Leatheristhe most popular material choice because it’sbreathable, flexibleand stylish. Many leathershoesalsocomewith awaterproof lining. Gore-Tex has many of thesamebenefits as leatherbut comeswith ahigher pricetag,which maybeworth it if you oftenplayinwet or cold conditions.Polyester shoesare ideal foroccasionalgolfers
looking forvalue
2. Style. Golf shoesrange in style fromOxfords andsneakersto sandals andboots. Thefirstthing to remember is that many golf coursesh av ed re ss co de s, so not al lk in ds ma yb e suitable. Additionally,consider thegolfingyou do. Forexample, sneaker-style shoesmay be great if you’re acasualgolfer. If you oftengolfatbusinessmeetings, you maywanttochooseamore upscalestyle
3. Spiked or spikeless. Thedecision betweenspikedorspikeless shoes
comesdowntoclimateand landscape. Forinstance, if you play in wetenvironments or on hilly courses, theenhanced grip of spiked shoesishardtobeat Spiked shoescan be heavybut provide excellentoverall support. Spikeless, however,are lightweight andcan be worn off thecourse
4. Laces.Traditionallaces arethe most popular because you can easily exact thefitofyour shoe However, Velcro fastenings and mechanical fittings aregaining popularity fortheir easeofuse
5. Size. Golf shoesusually fit tighter than everyday shoestokeep your foot secure andclose to the ground. Youshouldhavenopain or pressure when walkingand have about threetofive millimetresoftoe space.
Visityour local proshop for personalized advice andfitting recommendations
