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Vol. 67, No. 18 | WEDNESDAY, APR. 29, 2015 | 403-783-3311 | EDITORIAL@PONOKANEWS.COM
Story on page 37
Ponoka Stampede. The gala parade going down Chipman Avenue in the 1940s. Story on page 5
Scuba cleaners Divers with Aquatech Dive Services work together to clean up the town’s reservoir at the Lucas Heights Pump Station Monday, April 27. Here Priscilla Hamilton helps fellow diver Jocelyn Werner after a shift of cleaning in the reservoir. Please see story on page 29.
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2 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Town administration mum on changes to community buildings BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
A slow and methodical change has been occurring behind the scenes at Ponoka Town Hall and while the reasons behind it seem reasonable, the way it’s being done does not seem to be totally transparent. The first indication of changes to the town’s modus operandi appears to have come in November, when Wes Amendt, director of community services, approached Bob Hepp of Bob Hepp and Company Catering regarding the company’s lease at the
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Kinsmen Community Centre (KCC). After 14 years at that location, Hepp was told his company was being put on a month-to-month lease. It is believed it was in February that the town approached Hepp and told him the company’s presence there was no longer a good fit for the town’s plans. Hepp told the town he would need until Dec. 31 to honour prior commitments. Hepp wasn’t the only party the town spoke to regarding their lease. In November, the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce received notice that its lease of the town’s Visitors Information Centre (VIC) would end Aug. 31, 2015. Les Jaster, executive manager for the chamber approached the town last April as the lease was about to expire. At the time there was still no CAO and Jaster said administration requested that the chamber wait until a CAO
could be hired. He said at the time the possibility of a different way of using the space at the centre was indeed raised. Requests to both the town and the chamber for copies of correspondence between the two entities were declined. An email request to the town for information on its plans for both the KCC and the VIC resulted in answers related only to the VIC. “This is a great building in a great location and will remain a Visitor Centre,” explained Donna Brinkworth, Communications Officer in an email. When further asked about the Kinsmen Centre, Brinkworth replied that nothing has changed with regard to the town’s plans for it. Other options for the chamber The chamber is now looking at some potential spaces, explained chamber president Jim Hamilton. “I’m disappointed because I believe the chamber should be in the centre,” he said. Referring to town’s justification for the change that
the chamber offices were not always staffed, Hamilton added if the town does have staff in the VIC during regular hours, he would be happy. “We’ll find a new place. It was never guaranteed forever. If they need the new space, then hopefully the town is growing and utilizing the space well.” As part of the ongoing changes, the town is reported to have asked for a fee for this week’s election forum among the candidates to be held at the Kinsmen Community Centre unlike in the previous occasions when no charges were mentioned. Brinkworth said the town must treat everyone equally and with no favouritism. “This is particularly true for events of a political nature,” she said. The debate will now be held at the Stagecoach Saloon. Earlier this year the Ponoka Legion also received communications from the town regarding its building. It is unknown if the request was to purchase or to trade the property as the
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documents were not released, but Mayor Rick Bonnett did confirm the town has been approaching different associations and the Legion was one of several. Mayor clear about council’s plans While administration appeared reluctant to be informative regarding its goals, Bonnett had no issue speaking with Ponoka News on council’s direction to administration and with the VIC. “With the visitor centre, the reason why we needed to do something there was because we need some more space,” explained Bonnett. “It’s either that or renovate Town Hall and I really don’t want to sink much more money in Town Hall until we know what we’re doing,” he added. The goal is to have the VIC open as much as possible and with town staff there, it will remain that way, according to the mayor. Bonnett said with Jaster being the only person in the building, it can be a challenge keeping it open every day. “You can’t expect him to be there all day long.” Bonnett’s goal is to keep an open dialogue with community groups and he welcomes discussion from the Legion, or any other group. “We’ll put everything on the table,” he stressed. With regard to the aging Town Hall, Bonnett said his recommendation to administration for a new one should include a multi-use facility in those plans. He feels residents would agree to that if it benefits residents and town staff. He suggests sinking money into infrastructure without a proper goal for the future may not be a good idea, referring to the Hudson Green Nature and Activity Centre approved by previous council. “We already had a hall that wasn’t getting used enough and that’s the mistake that I don’t want to make again,” stated Bonnett. Hepp’s plans to retire changed in February after the Legion approached him to be their in-house caterer; Hepp and the Legion are working on ratifying an agreement. During budget deliberations in December, $126,000 was set aside for improvements at the Kinsmen Centre but council requested a building plan be conducted to see if that money should be spent.
PONOKA NEWS 3
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Firefighters extricate motorist trapped in vehicle
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Emergency crews attended the scene of a rollover in downtown Ponoka that resulted in one driver being trapped in his vehicle. The rollover occurred Friday, April 24 at 11 a.m. after the driver of a 2010 Toyota Corolla failed to stop at a Stop Sign on 51 Street. The Corolla was southbound on 51 Street and collided with the passenger’s rear side of a Honda Ridgeline that was eastbound on 48 Avenue. The Corolla continued southbound on 51 Street and then turned west on 47 Avenue. The driver appears to have taken the corner too sharply and ended up hitting a post and then a tree stump on the sidewalk, which resulted in the Corolla rolling onto its side, trapping the driver. Ponoka firefighters extricated the 68-year-old
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Emergency crews help a man trapped in a vehicle Friday, April 24 after it rolled near the Bargain Shop. There were minor injuries in the incident.
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driver, who is believed to have suffered minor injuries. It is believed the 70-yearold driver of the Ridgeline also suffered minor injuries. Police issued a ticket to the 68-year-old man for failing to obey a Stop Sign. Youths and man flee from stolen vehicle Driving a stolen vehicle in an erratic manner proved to be a bad idea for a 22-year-old man with three youths in the vehicle. Officers responded to calls of a silver 2011 Toyota Tundra, with no lights on, being driven in an erratic manner on Highway 2. The Tundra was located and stopped in the westbound lanes of Highway 53.
Once officers got closer to the vehicle, the driver pulled away and continued on. Eventually the pickup was found in the ditch with no one inside. The 22-yearold man later returned to the scene. Police dog services was called in and three youths were located. Their ages are 13, 14 and 15. The 22-yearold was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle, operating a vehicle while being pursued, possession of stolen property and driving with no insurance or licence. The 14-year-old Onoway youth was charged with possession of stolen property, failing to comply with PHONE: 403-783-4911 FAX: 403-783-5222
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probation and breach of a youth order. Charges of the other two were not available at production time. continued on page 4
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TIPS FROM THE GOLF GUYS Rob MacPherson & Ryan Moore PRACTICE ROUTINE See it every day where golfers will bring a couple large buckets of balls to the driving range and the only club that comes out of the bag is the driver and they fire out 200 balls in about 20minutes. Do yourself a favor and start with a shorter club anything from a 7iron to pw hitting a maximum of 6 balls with any club. Work your way down through your set hitting odd numbered clubs down to the driver (max 6 balls) then go back up through your set with the even numbered clubs finishing with a pw. On the course you are changing clubs every shot so practice with all your clubs and you will see much more consistency when you hit the links.
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4 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Religion
Your Guide To Local Houses of Worship
An Easter Story
CHURCH DIRECTORY Associated Gospel Churches of Canada
CHURCH OF THE OPEN BIBLE Pastor Jerry Preheim • Pastor Matt Sealy 3704 - 42 St. Ponoka 403-783-6500 Worship Service 11:00 a.m. • churchoftheopenbible@telus.net
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PONOKA Sr. Pastor Paul Spate
Erin Dirsten - Fac. Youth & Family Min. & James Crosina - Fac. of Community Life
5109 - 57 Ave. Ponoka www.fbcponoka.org
403-783-5533
Bible Discovery Hour 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
NEW COVENANT BAPTIST REFORMED CHURCH Currently meeting at Ponoka Christian School 6300-50 St. Worship Service Sunday 10:30 a.m. Everyone Welcome! phone: 403-783-6962 • www.baptistreformedponoka.org
PARKLAND REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor Jerry Preheim Church of the Open Bible A member of the Ponoka Ministerial Association
“An Easter Story”? “You’re sure late wasn’t that a month ago?” Well, yes it was; but I’m
not thinking about “THAT” Easter story. I have a story about something we saw happening this past Easter Sunday. It happened so fast – almost a blink of an eye; but I’ll remember it for years to come. It was an Easter Sermon; but not the kind that you’d hear in church. Some of the best are not actually “sermons” at all, but come to us in other ways, in the give-and-take of life. It’s not hard to tell that Easter weekend is a very busy time for any practising Christian, and especially a pastor. We had a very wonderful time of worship; with good singing – good fellowship – and a Good message from God’s Word. Everyone had a good time. Our celebrations (my
South on 2A, West on Spruce Road 403-783-1888 Worship Service 10:00 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Rev. Mitch Ramkissoon www.parklandurc.org
PONOKA WORD OF LIFE CHURCH Pastor Rob McArthur
403-783-5659
Sunday @ 10:30 a.m. Corner of Hwy 53 & Hwy 2A (former Crossroads Restaurant)
www.wordoflife.ca
PONOKA UNITED CHURCH Minister: Beatrix Schirner
ponokaunited@shaw.ca
Sunday Service 10:00 am. 5020-52 Ave. Ponoka
Phone: 403-783-4087
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
SONRISE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
continued from page 3 Man arrested for making threats to woman Police were called to a home on 54 Avenue Monday, April 20 over reports of a man threatening violence on a woman. Officers received a complaint that a 33-yearold man from Clearwater
County threatened violence against a Ponoka woman. The man was arrested by Red Deer RCMP and he was charged with uttering threats of violence and property damage. There were children in the home at the time of the incident. Chainsaw stolen Police are investigating
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Pastor W. Delleman Worship Service 10:30 a.m. ½ mile south of Centennial Centre for Mental Health & Brain Injury
403-783-6012 • www.sonriseponoka.com
ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH Fr. Chris Gnanaprakasam, S.A.C. Mass Times: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 9:00 a.m. Sunday
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ST. MARY’S ANGLICAN CHURCH Rev. Donna Willer Rev. Marty Tuer, Honourary Assistant 5120 - 49 Ave. Ponoka
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Sunday Service: Holy Eucharist 10 a.m. www.stmarysanglicanponoka.com
TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 5501 - 54 Ave. Ponoka 403-783-4141 Sunday Service: 10:30am Sunday School: 10:30am Pastor Tim Graff • trinityponoka.ca
ZION CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Pastor Fred Knip 9 miles east on Hwy 53 403-782-9877 Jr. Church during service for children Sunday Service 10:30 am
It spoke volumes to me. I wished for a visit with him – but not enough time. We’ve all been there. (I felt like the Levite on the Jericho road) Two in the afternoon on a sunny Sunday, and probably plenty of other things to do; but he gave of his time to let passing motorists know - there truly is a reason to be HAPPY – for the Lord has RISEN INDEED. Totally unobtrusive, but my, what a BIG blessing! Some passers-by smiled and waved, but others not so much. I might not ever hear his name, but he has left me with a prayer “Lord, make me more like him”. Thanks for the visit. I look forward to our visit next time.
RCMP briefs
PASTOR DAVE BEAUDOIN 6230-57 Ave. Ph. 403-783-6404 Saturdays 9:30 - 12 Noon dsjjb@xplornet.com ponokaadventist.ca
wife and I) didn’t stop at church. We were looking forward to family coming over for a late dinner. And we were hurrying home – our prep time was pretty short as it was. On the busy highway, (we don’t live in Ponoka), we could see at the stop light up ahead, a man holding a cardboard sign. What we saw in that brief few seconds turned out to make it a very special day for us. In its simplicity, the sign read: “Have a HAPPY Easter” His face told of his joy; and his big grin was an exclamation point to the well printed sign. You didn’t have to look very hard to see that he meant what he had written.
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the theft of a chainsaw from a home on 58 Street. The theft of the chainsaw and other tools occurred from a garage overnight of April 21. There are no suspects. Truck stolen Officers are on the lookout for a green GMC Sierra with a licence plate of BGY 5437 that was taken from the Calnash Ag Event Centre last Friday. The theft occurred April 24 between 3 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Police say the keys of the truck were in the vehicle and so was the owner’s wallet. A credit card from the wallet was used in Lacombe some time after the theft. Semi tractor drives through field The driver of a semi tractor had some explaining to do after his tractor drove right into a field before finally coming to a stop. The 42-year-old Calgary man received a ticket for failing to drive in the centre lane after he drove into the field April 21 between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. The truck was on Highway 2 near Menaik Road when it went off the road. Teenager charged with impaired driving Police charged a 19-year-old Ponoka teenager with impaired driving after a traffic stop April 26. The driver was stopped on 54 Street in a 1981 Ford pickup at 3 a.m.
After smelling an odor of liquor from the vehicle, the 19-year-old driver was arrested and taken to the detachment where he supplied two blood alcohol samples of .10. There were also two 18-year-old teenagers and one 17-year-old in the vehicle. Marijuana, rifle found in police search in Maskwacis A search warrant on the Samson Cree Nation yielded marijuana, a .22 calibre assault rifle, ammunition and scales. The search was held Thursday, April 23 with Maskwacis RCMP, the community response unit and police dog services where two men had been arrested. A third man was arrested in the Ermineskin town site. Police charged Jonah Wes Applegarth with several charges including possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property under $5,000, possession of a firearm contrary to an order and unauthorized possession of a firearm. Ponoka RCMP and the Integrated Traffic Unit received 108 calls for service last week. If you have information on any crime call Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477.
PONOKA NEWS 5
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Reflections of Ponoka
The early tales of the Ponoka tunnels BY MIKE RAINONE FOR THE NEWS
When we were growing up in and around Ponoka, every little boy and many little girls loved to build tree-huts, chase gophers, flirt, eat ice-cream and dig tunnels. We spent many happy hours building our secret tunnels in the snow, in a hay stack, in a tree stump, on the river bank or from one under-ground play-fort to another. Most of us in our youthful years likely made a trip out to Chain Lakes, where we got to explore in the deep valleys in search of rare rocks and shells, skeletons, waterfalls, and maybe even a hidden tunnel that was left behind by the retreat of the iceage many centuries before.
Photo courtesy of Jack Spink
The Hopewell tunnel at the Alberta Hospital was completed in 1964 and served for several decades as the vital underground transportation link between the new administration and admitting building and the rest of the massive and busy Psychiatric facility.
Remember When... Photo courtesy of Peel’s Prairie Provinces
It is never too early to start thinking about our annual rip-roaring Ponoka Stampede, and this classic 1940s photo shows the gala parade going down Chipman Avenue with all its color and excitement. Notice that the cars are all angle parked on both sides of the street, as well as the big crowds cheering on the participants.
The Hopewell tunnel It was only when our family was living in the staff cottages at the Alberta Hospital that I and my buddies found out about the Hopewell tunnel. All of us youngsters lived and played up there on those massive grounds all year round, but we always looked forward to the one and only time of the year, at the family Christmas party, that we were allowed to tear up and down all the long corridors that have connected the wards and buildings of the hospital for over a century. The construction of the modern Hopewell Admission and Administration building was completed in 1963, but did not officially open for service until August of 1964. Included in this vital new addition to the psychiatric hospital was a long underground tunnel that ran several hundred feet from the Heritage Building to the Hopewell building and served as the only weatherproof link connecting the new facility to the rest of the hospital. What planners didn’t realize when they designed the tunnel was the fact that the area where it was to be located contained many underground artesian wells, and in order to prevent it from becoming an instant canal, they quickly had to install pumps that would have to be ready 24-7 to swing into action. In order to bring a constant flow of fresh air into the tunnel, there were vents in the ceiling that drew from the outside. This well-lit tunnel, which also continued big steam lines and other power sources, was always very busy, night and day with the movement of the nursing and medical staff and patients, as well as the laundry, kitchen, maintenance and all other support employees who were required to transport the supplies and materials that were required to keep the hospital running smoothly on a 24-7 basis. I was told by former staff members that everything was transported on big carts, some pushed, and others pulled by tractors with electrical motors, while some individuals even travelled along the tunnel on bicycles. When a major construction program began at the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury began in 1987, many of the old and original buildings were demolished over the next five or so years to make the way
for new modern psychiatric treatment facilities. The now completed centre is one of the finest in Canada, and also features a unique ‘underground world’ to facilitate the countless maintenance and related year round activities, as well as to accommodate everyone in the case of an emergency or disaster. Deep dark secrets? As a cub reporter for the Ponoka Herald so many years ago, I was always looking for a hot story to impress the editor. While enjoying a few drinks in a local tavern with the boys on my fastball team after a game, one of our community’s old-timers asked me if I knew about the tunnel that ran below the Morrison’s Hardware Store and the Royal and Leland Hotels many years ago. During my 25 plus years working for Ponoka newspapers, I asked the question about ‘the tunnels’ many times, but really never did get to many answers. Some have suggested that the so-called tunnel was likely built during the era of prohibition in Alberta, so may have been used as a place to secretly distribute some of that much told about real good local ‘hooch’ that the old-timers claimed was being brewed in the country stills that were located in the hills surrounding our community. Then again, maybe it was a shelter to escape from a disaster such as a fire or a storm, or it could just have been used as the place to store the real expensive items, or even one of those big old safes or cedar chests in which the storekeeper locked up the day’s take or family keep-sakes. As far as the crawl space that some claim went underneath the alley from the Royal to the Leland Hotels, what a great way to travel from one pub to the other without being seen, especially if the weather was bad, the wife or girlfriend came in the front door looking for you, or maybe even the jovial old town cop if one had been overindulging just a little bit too much. Whatever the case, most of these tunnels are forever gone now, and likely many of those grand and colorful and century-old tales of our community will forever remain a mystery, unless of course if someone comes forth with the ‘rest of the story’ so that we can have a little fun and just keep right on passing them all on to all of you in for many more weeks in Reflections.
6 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Opinion
Budgets for elections
Mustafa Eric
Editor
We are in a whirlwind of an election and budget frenzy at both federal and provincial levels. Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver has announced his budget, one clearly designed to win this year’s election rather than setting the economy on a sustainable growth path, aimed at distributing benefits mostly to sections of the population whose votes appear to be Prime Stephen Harper’s main target. The effort is so brazen that, responding to the criticism regarding the big revenue hole the
heightened Tax Free Saving Account contributions threshold will create in the future, Oliver did not see any problem in confessing that he was kicking the can down the road. “It is a problem to be solved by Stephen Harper’s daughter,” he said. Whether he had in the back of his mind a suggestion of a Harper political dynasty ruling Canada forever is a separate discussion, of course. Mr. Harper’s seemingly growing desperation to win this year’s election is showing more and more, witness the latest attempts to lure foreign leaders into his election campaign. We recently had India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the country’s big population centres, predictably urging the leaders of the Indian communities behind closed doors to support Harper. Soon we will have a visit by another foreign dignitary, the President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III, who is likely to do the same with the Filipino communities around the country, probably touching down in
Alberta as well. Earlier, we had the masterstroke from the federal government in sending Canadian soldiers to Ukraine, where there have been no recent reports of any escalation of violence between the Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian military. The move appeared to be designed to kill two birds with one stone: Ramp up the nationalistic hysteria a little bit more while also pleasing the Ukrainian communities in Canada that also have a sizeable vote potential. In the province, the election campaign is getting hotter and hotter thanks to the gaffes and missteps by Jim Prentice and his government. Prentice himself took a step back in regard to his recently announced budget by reversing his decision to tax charitable donations, hardly attributable to a leader who knows what he is doing. But his Education Minister Gordon Banks undersigned an even bigger blunder by accusing the province’s school boards of acting like banks. He probably failed to as-
sess that, unlike politicians thinking of the electorate only during campaign periods, school boards carry a much more important responsibility towards the children of the communities they operate in. In realization of that responsibility, school boards act cautiously and carefully in making plans for the immediate and long term future and, accordingly, they save money for contingencies. But that money is not for the provincial government to waste,
it is for the children of the people of this province. Some polls suggest that people are now waking up to the fact that the past 40 or so years of PC governments have done much less than what could have been done with the resources of this province. Yet, there are many individuals who say that Alberta is still the best province to live in Canada, and there may be some truth to that. But it is important to understand that it is not be-
cause of, but rather despite the PC governments, particularly of the last ten years, that Alberta is still in a good position as compared to other provinces, and it is only thanks to the generosity of Mother Nature in endowing this land with so rich resources. Be it federal or provincial, complacency should be the last thing guiding the behaviour of the electorate in this year’s votes, because the stakes in both cases are much higher this time.
PCs not sincere on property rights Dear Editor, I had written a long letter pointing out a few of the many attacks the PC government has launched against the property rights of Alberta landowners and the significant amounts of rights landowners have already lost. But recent events have forced me to amend my letter. My letter included information and comments around Bill 19, 36, 24, 50, 1 and the government’s significant abuse of the water act. Property rights have
been significantly eroded over the past five years with that erosion accelerating over the past year. I also had comments about Premier Prentice’s decision to choose a flood mitigation project that would take private land in Springbank rather than choose the proposed project that would use public lands at McLean Creek. Last Thursday, a group of concerned private land owners investing their own time and money held a meeting at Trochu hall with about 400 attending. I offer
a well done, THANK YOU and congratulations to these individuals. (Please remember the Surface rights board was created by this government and the members are appointed by this government.) The speakers laid out clearly how the Surface Rights Board had made rulings and hung landowners out to dry causing stress and requiring them to expend unnecessary legal fees. Mr. Prentice’s PC government knew of this but stood by and did nothing. One of the attendees was floor crosser
Judy Dick Manager 5019A Chipman Ave., Box 4217, Ponoka, AB. T4J 1R6 Phone: 403.783.3311 Fax: 403.783.6300 Email: editorial@ponokanews.com Published every Wednesday by PNG Prairie Newspaper Group in community with: Regional Publisher, Fred Gorman
manager@ponokanews.com
Kerry Towles -and shock of shocks- within five days her boss Premier Prentice suddenly became concerned about landowners’ property rights, holding a campaign style event in Three Hills and writing letters to the editor. During Premier Prentice’s run for the leadership, he said property rights were a significant issue for him, he intended to restore what Albertans had lost and that it would be his number 1 issue. This gave many of us some hope. The Premier’s solution was to introduce
Bill 1, a short piece of legislation that did nothing. Bill 1 repealed Bill 19, the very intrusive land assembly act sponsored by Minister Jack Hayden. We can pretend that meant something but in fact Bill 19 had never been proclaimed and was not law. In addition, the threat of Bill 19 had served its purpose as the PC government had managed to obtain right of way for the unnecessary sole source power lines, which will add thousands of dollars to every Albertans power bill. I have spent a few days
reading Hansard for the fall session. During the debate of Bill 1 and during question period, the Wildrose constantly told the PCs about the flaws and dangers in Bill 36 and several other bills. The PC government refused to change Bill 36. On Dec. 3, in the house regarding Bill 36 Mr. Fawcett said “we are committed to that legislation”. On Nov. 20, Mr Fawcett said “Mr. Speaker, no, we will not repeal Bill 36. continued on page 7
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PONOKA NEWS 7
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
We need young people to vote Dear Editor, Young people don’t vote in large numbers in elections. I’m not sure the reason for this other than my own experience as a young person when my contribution seemed minimal, sometimes irrelevant. There are 2.5 million eligible voters in Alberta for the election on May 5 and as our last mayoral election showed every vote counts, even a single one. So how to encourage younger voters to participate? Ask them if they plan to vote. If there’s any cynicism about the value of their vote, tell them about the last Ponoka election for mayor. Ask them about the contributions their parents, their grandparents and greatgrandparents made to this country and how they changed it often by the sweat of their labour. We’re not expected to make great and earth shattering contributions, just small, valucontinued from page 6 This is a piece of legislation that is very, very important to our integrated resource management system that will allow us to develop our resources and our economy in a very responsible manner”. There are numerous instances where the PC government staunchly defended their bills that diminish or destroy Albertans property rights. According to the register, Premier Prentice was in the house. If he cares, why
able ones that together can change important things. Let them know they aren’t stray dogs wondering in the wilderness but belong to a community that sometimes struggles to stay connected. If they’re not registered, help them or invite them to call the constituency registration office at 403-782-1301. Saturday, May 2 will be the last date to register. If they can't make that deadline, they can come to the voting station on voting day and present their driver’s licence for registration. If they have no driver’s licence, they can bring a bill with their current address and another I.D. like a health care card or library card. This election is about all citizens being included where every vote counts. We don’t have a perfect political system but we’re doing our best as we work towards a more representative model. George Jason
did he not speak up? If Premier Prentice cared about our property rights, why did Bill 1 not contain all necessary measures to restore the rights the PC government has extinguished? I find it sad when a premier’s actions do not match their words; we had two and a half years of that kind of government under Premier Redford and it was hard on Albertans. Many of Premier Prentice’s candidates were part of that government.
We are in the middle of an unnecessary election. This is still a relatively free country and you have a chance to vote as you wish. All I ask of you is that should you chose to vote PC or should you chose not to vote, that you have the character to gracefully accept the loss of your property rights; they have shown you what you should expect. Murray Woods Linden, AB
Town Times
Ponoka, AB T4J 1P7 Ph: 403-783-4431 | Fax: 403-783-6745 | Email: town@ponoka.org Or Check us out Online: www.ponoka.ca
NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Canada Day “Largest Human Canadian Flag” Record attempt, July 1st. & Ponoka Day in the Park , August 29th. For more information please contact Wes Amendt, Director of Community Services (403) 783-0118 or email wes. amendt@ponoka.org
Spring Clean-Up The Annual Town of Ponoka Spring Clean-Up Week is scheduled to begin May 19 and will continue until completed. Pick up is restricted to compostable materials (e.g. landscaping waste such as leaves & grass clippings) and small amounts of tree branches that are no longer than 3 feet. Materials not picked up include: rocks, construction material, wood, household waste, and pet excrement. Preference is to have all materials in a pile and not bagged. Make sure your yard waste is set out adjacent to your normal household garbage pickup location. If yard collection is not completed that week - it will continue the following week. The Town will only make one trip per street/ avenue. ***Please do not throw grass, leaves and compost materials into the garbage***
Alberta Elm Tree Pruning Ban April 1st – September 30th Keep our Elms disease free! This ban is to help keep Alberta free of Dutch Elm Disease. Beetles are active during the ban period, and can be attracted to the scent of the fresh wound and attack or infest a healthy tree. For more information: www.stpoded.org
Ponoka Youth Centre 2015 Summer Program (July 6 - August 28): Registration starts May 4th, contact 403-783-3112 or visit www.ponokayouthcentre.com. Brand New Field Trips! Launchpad Trampoline Park, PC Cooking School, Bowden Sun Maze, Devonian Botanical Garden, Bowling, Swimming, Theme Days and much more.
Job Opportunities: -Volunteer Fire Fighters -Fire Chief -Transfer Station Attendant For more information please visit the Town website and apply to hr@ponoka.org
Janitorial Services Ponoka Fire Hall • The Town of Ponoka invites written proposals for the supply of janitorial services for the Town owned Ponoka Fire Hall. Complete proposal packages will be available to all interested contractors at the Ponoka Town Office (5102-48 Ave). • For more information contact West Amendt, Director of Community Services at 403-783-4431. • Proposals must be submitted in writing to Wes Amendt no later than 2:00 pm on Friday, May 1st, 2015. Email to: wes.amendt@ponoka.org. Faxed and electronic mail submissions will be accepted.
EVENTS AND RECREATION
PSC Broncs News McKenna Christensen Grade 10 Skills Canada Skills Canada is a competition where students compete in a number of trade and technology based careers. They practice to improve their skill and abilities in their trade or technology of interest. They compete in regionals, and then they can go to provincial and even nationals. I myself competed in the baking section. I practiced for a number of months with my foods teacher, Mrs. Christiansen, perfecting my products for the competition. Mrs. Christiansen and I also collaborated with the St. Augustine’s foods teacher, Mrs. Wittal, and her computer. By us working together, sharing some knowledge and skills, it certainly benefitted all of us. Skills Canada allows students like me to challenge ourselves and further develop our skill set in a particular career, which you wouldn’t be given in a regular high-school course. We get to go and compete and really experience what it would be like in that career. Skills Canada promotes career paths and allows us to further succeed in what we love to do. A special thanks to Melissa Jacobson, Sherry Christiansen, and Dayna Wittle for allowing me this opportunity, and to experience what Skills Canada has to offer.
This Week At PSC April 29 - May 6 April 30 – Election Candidates @11 am May 1 – PD Day May 5 – Grade 6 Registration & Orientation Please visit our website for all upcoming events and exciting news!
www.psc@wolfcreek.ab.ca
Library News SUMMER READING PROGRAM COORDINATOR: We’re hiring! Ponoka Jubilee Library requires a Summer Reading Program Coordinator to oversee a ‘Play!’ themed program that encourages reading in school-aged children throughout the Summer months. Running from June 8-August 28, this 12 week position is 35 hours/ week, Monday–Friday, focusing on the planning, advertising, preparing and developing of the twice weekly programs for children ages 5–12, with occasional clerical duties being assigned. Applicants must be a postsecondary student, study in a related field is an asset. Applicant must have enthusiasm, the ability to interact positively with children, and good organizational and computer skills. For a full job description go to www. ponokalibrary.prl.ab.ca. Send resumes with cover letter, as attachments to Jaclyn Berry, Library Manager at jberry@prl.ab.ca. Application deadline: May 1, 2015. WAKE UP YOUR GARDEN: Ponoka Jubilee Library is partnering with Tine Roelofsen from Bobtail Nursery to present ‘Wake Up Your Garden’. On Thursday May 7th from 6:30 pm–7:45 pm, come discuss what garden chores need to be done in May. The program includes clean-up, fertilization, pruning, planting of lawns, flower beds, trees, roses and vegetables. Please contact the Library at 403-783-3843 to let us know you plan to attend. No fee. CANADIAN FIREARMS SAFETY COURSE: Ponoka Jubilee Library is hosting a Non-restricted Canadian Firearms Safety Course on Sunday, May 24th from 8am-5:30pm. You must pre-register, cost is $120/person. Space is limited. Go to www.albertafirearmscourse.com for more information, or contact the Library at 403-783-3843.
Aquaplex: Tennis Courts are now open. Membership and user fees can be paid to the Aquaplex. Looking for a Tennis partner to two? Call 403.783.0131 to have your name added to a list!
Aqua Zumba starting Wednesday April 22nd 8:30-9:30am. PD Days public swim 1-3pm. STAT swim May 18th 2-4pm family, 4-6pm public. Are you a good artist or have some great ideas and would like to see that put into art? The Aquaplex is looking for someone to help design a mural for the blank wall space over the whirl pool. The top 5 will then be selected and voted on by you the public and painted by a professional artist. Have the designs water related and of course appropriate. You can tie in the town theme and logo, or go a who different route. Submit by July 2nd to the Aquaplex front desk. Thank you!
COUNCIL UPDATES & BYLAW INFO DID YOU KNOW...??? Your civic address must be displayed on your property, both on the front and back. Civic addresses are used by our public works department as well as emergency services to locate your property. Not displaying your civic address could result in delays for these services in assisting you.
Next Town Council Meetings
Committee of the Whole
May 12th @ 7:00 pm
May 19th, 2015
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“There’s no next time. It’s now or never.” ~ Author Unknown
8 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Town council hears the benefits of a recreation master plan BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Town councillors are now more familiar with a proposed recreation study thanks to a detailed explanation from the consultant that helped write it. Council heard from consultant Gary Debney of McElhanney Consulting Services Tuesday, April 21 during the committee of the whole meeting. He provided insight into the company’s proposal on a Recreation and Culture Master Plan and Facility Development Study.
Debney was requested to speak with council to help clarify goals in the plan. He told councillors he took part in past studies for the town and he feels this document is vital to ensure proper planning for the future. “It’s consistent with what we understand as community needs.” He said there is already a vast amount of data available to the town, which negated the need for a survey of the community. With that already available information Debney
Gull Lake Golf Course Adult League Start Dates & Tee Times
said the next step is the vision. “You can just go straight on to starting to determine your vision and your direction,” explained Debney. Coun. Marc Yaworski wanted to know how long before action could be taken on the document. “When does council get a final report and how long after that before we put a shovel into the ground.” he asked. Wes Amendt, director of community services, replied that they hope to have information ready by budget deliberations to allow council time to consider projects. Debney added with the company’s knowledge and
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important part of that. “We propose, right away, that the recreation committee and council come together,” said Debney. Having a viable plan now will also help council if grant funding does become available. Mayor Rick Bonnett wanted to be clear council is not eager to spend $78,000 on the study and see nothing happen. He feels residents already know what they want such as a multi-use facility and a field house and is unsure if spending the money of the study is worth it. Debney suggests the study
is important. “You know what you have. You know what you need. This project is going to put it together and set the path.” What the company will be able to do is provide architectural designs, plans and modeling in the study, which he suggests will save the town money and time. No decisions were made as this was a committee of the whole meeting but the request to approve the proposal was brought to council Tuesday, April 28 during a regular meeting. More details on council’s decision will be in next week’s edition of Ponoka News.
County planners pleased with upward growth BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Ladies League Tuesday April 28 9:30am Mens League Tuesday April 28 6:00pm Seniors (Age 55plus) League Wednesday April 29 9:00am Mixed Thursday Night League Thursday April 30 7:00pm Mixed Saturday Night League Saturday May 16 7:00pm
planning department, this document will set the future of recreation in Ponoka. As an example, Debney said if the lifespan of the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex were 30 years, planning for a new building would need to begin. “Just that factor alone means that you need to identify a parcel and/or expansion,” said Debney. The key, he says, is the plan should be flexible to allow a building or space to have multiple functions. He feels they could host a workshop with community leaders to determine ideal uses of a building. Getting key community leaders together is an
Applications for new development keep coming in to Ponoka County so much that planners expect to see higher numbers than last year. Some of that interest stems from the county’s industrial land along the Highway 2 and Highway 53 interchange, explained
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Thank You
A special “Thank You” to all our great volunteers who made our
“Super Heroes”
themed Trade Fair a success! With your dedication, the show continues to be simply the best! Thank you to the Trade Fair sponsors as well as the Chamber member businesses who donated merchandise. To all the individuals who donated their time to come and entertain, job well done and greatly appreciated!
Also, a HUGE thank you to the vendors and everyone who attended.
Ponoka County Assistant CAO Tom Webber during a Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce lunch Tuesday, April 21. Members of the chamber held their luncheon at the county office for the first time in several years. Webber used the opportunity to provide some highlights for the county. Besides growth in development, Webber said they are also proud of the county’s involvement with developing high speed Internet in rural areas and with growth at the Don Laing Industrial Park. “There’s considerable interest from trucking firms,” said Webber. Since there are no road
bans there and being located right along the highway, trucking companies are able to stay mobile. Interest is so large that the county intends to pave the service road for another mile to prepare for expansion. Rural high speed Internet After spending $1.2 million on transmission towers, $500,000 of which was from a grant, many rural residents now have high speed Internet. The initiative is drawing interest around the country, explained Webber. “Actually Industry Canada was really interested in this model.” CAO Charlie Cutforth recently travelled to Ottawa, ON to explain how the process worked, added Webber.
The main reason for setting up the program was because many of the bigger companies such as Telus and Bell are not interested in dealing with rural areas because of the low population. Development continues to see growth at Ponoka County near Gull Lake. “There’s an incredible amount of development going on at Meridian Beach,” Webber continued. Financially the county is also doing quite well, he added, partly due to development applications. “We remain in a fairly solid financial position,” said Webber. “The 2015 budget is set at $35 million, so things are cooking along pretty good.”
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN! PONOKA LEGION &
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12th Annual Giant Indoor Garage Sale on Saturday, May 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
A huge selection of items including furniture, radios, kitchen utensils, dishes, toys, glassware, tools, clocks, home decorations and many more.
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PONOKA NEWS 9
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Lacombe-Ponoka candidates hold forum at Mecca Glen School BY AMELIA NAISMITH
A student-directed election candidates’ debate took place a Mecca Glen School on Wednesday, April 22 with students in grades 6 to 9 questioning the candidates on their beliefs and party plans. New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Doug Hart, Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate Peter DeWit, Alberta Party candidate Tony Jeglum and Wildrose Party candidate Ron Orr all answered a series of questions on topics ranging from education to what makes a good representative of the people to the importance of agriculture. When asked the qualities of a good representative, each of the candidates touched on actually representing the needs of the constituents. “I believe one of the qualities a candidate has to have is you have to be a
good listener,” said DeWit. Being a businessman in the community, he says he sees the government as a business in place to provide essential services at an affordable cost. He feels there is no possible way to please everybody but a good candidate will make realistic choices.
“We have to separate our heads from our hearts and base our decisions on community needs.” Doug Hart, NDP candidate
Hart feels the provincial government has run on a business model too long and believes the government only sees constituents as cost centres and consumers. “They forget they’re public servants,” said Hart.
He believes the essential traits of a candidate include mediation and cooperation. “A good representative, I think, represents the constituents to the legislation,” said Jeglum. He believes sometimes parties are able to influence local representatives to put the needs of the party first and the needs of the constituent second. “You should be able to say this is what’s important to me, this is what’s important to the constituents.” Orr feels candidates should begin to consult with the people more when representing them, in order to build a networking society. “We also need a strategic ability. What are the solutions and how do we fix them now?” Orr elaborated. “I think it’s also about honesty,” he added. In times of economic downturn small schools such as Mecca Glen, which
already face challenges due to low per capita funding find it even tougher to keep their doors open. The students of Mecca Glen wanted to know how the candidates would be committed to keeping small schools open.
“We will not cut funding that has been frozen,” said Orr. “More important than that, Wildrose is a grassroots party.” He believes small, rural schools such as Mecca Glen are not just schools; they are the heart of rural
communities. He does not feel it is appropriate for such schools, with rural needs, to be governed from Edmonton under urban authorities that do not understand those needs. continued on page 10
L to R: Ron Orr, Wildrose Party candidate; Peter DeWit, Progressive Conservative candidate; Tony Jeglum, Alberta Party candidate; and Doug Hart, New Democratic Party candidate take a final few minutes to gather their thoughts before speaking in a forum at Mecca Glen School on Wednesday, April 22. Photo by Amelia Naismith
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Bob Peters, (left) treasurer of the Ponoka Lions Club recently presented Nell Liddle, president of the Ponoka Wheelchair Van Society with a cheque for $10,000 to help finance the purchase of two new wheelchair vans.
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The purchase of the vans was also made possible by the following GENEROUS DONORS: * Community Initiatives grant from the Government of Alberta * Ponoka County * Rutherford Community Society * Golden Age Bowlers * Fort Ostell Chapter IODE * Ponoka Stampede Association * Loyal Order of Moose
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Ponoka Elks #561 BPOE Legacy Place Social Group Ponoka Legion 55 Plus Club Seafield Social Workers Rimoka Residents Association Concord Ladies Group Ponoka United Church Catholic Women’s League
as well as many giving citizens of the community. The support towards this fundraiser was so greatly appreciated.
Ponoka News – proudly supporting the community
10 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Forum at Mecca Glen School continued from page 9
“The PC Party is completely committed to quality education in Alberta,” said DeWit. When the education budget was released, DeWit says it was actually increased, not decreased. “The misunderstanding was the reduction was in the administration of the schools not in frontline teaching positions.” “You have a strong school here, you serve a local need and I think that needs to be supported by the Alberta government,” he added. Jeglum feels, with the Internet so accessible these
days, going forward, it will be easier to keep smaller schools open. With so much knowledge on the Internet classes won’t always need a physical body in front of them to receive instruction.
“Wildrose is a grassroots party.” Ron Orr, Wildrose candidate
“It doesn’t matter what grade you are in, what subject you are in you can pull up a world renowned scholar … which I think bodes really well for small,
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rural schools,” said Jeglum. Hart says if small, rural schools continue to be funded based on population, it is imminent that they will close. “We have to separate our heads from our hearts and base our decisions on community needs,” said Hart. Wait times in hospitals was also on the radar at the school and Jeglum took to the microphone saying he had never worked in healthcare and did not know exactly how the system works. He says Alberta ran into trouble over the last 20 years because those in control are politicians claiming to be experts on Alberta Health Care. “And they get in there and they meddle.” However, Jeglum added, to decrease wait times would mean making an investment in health care and training more doctors in Alberta and having them stay in Alberta. Orr’s solution is choice and competition. Allow people to choose where
they are treated, whether it is in Alberta, in Canada or elsewhere. This will free up time in hospitals, as the number of people waiting for the same service will decrease. “Wildrose is 100 per cent committed to keeping the Canada Health Act, which basically gives us a national health insurance plan,” he added.
“I’m very passionate about agriculture I grew up in that world.” Peter DeWit, PC candidate
DeWit feels the Government of Alberta needs to make local health boards a priority. “I’m also aware we need to look at efficiencies as well.” “As a matter of fact we’re doing a review of the whole health care system,”
he added. The students also wanted to know how the candidates plan on addressing the issues agriculture is facing. “I’m very passionate about agriculture I grew up in that world,” said DeWit. “First of all agriculture is doing very well.” “There’s still some bright spots and one of the bright spots right now is agriculture. A lot of people are still employed by the farming community. They turn over a lot of dollars in the local economy, and we don’t always appreciate them enough so I think we need to change that,” added. He feels international issues farmers are facing are international trade agreements. “That’s, in a way, some things we need to pay close attention to.” Jeglum says more money comes from oil than grain and farmers are not able to easily sell their grain. “(Canadian National Railway) and (Canadian Pacific Railway) can make
more money hauling oil than they can by hauling grain,” he commented. The Alberta Party supports the development of short-line railways so help act as a solution. Hart says the issues came from the dissolution of the Canadian Wheat Board. “It’s been curious to see the percentage of the money that’s collected for the sale of grain to Europe that goes to the farm.” “When we had a single desk grain sale system over 90 per cent of the price of the grain after transportation costs went to the farm,” he added. That has dropped to approximately 50 per cent. Orr believes there needs to be a complete regulatory review. A review of tax structures that affect the farming industry also needs to take place, in conjunction with the federal government. “They aren’t necessarily farming friendly.” The provincial election takes place Tuesday, May 5.
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PONOKA NEWS 11
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Impaired man labeled public nuisance BY AMELIA NAISMITH
A man who pled guilty to impaired driving in Ponoka provincial court on Friday, April 24 was sentenced to a $1,690 fine and a one-year driving prohibition. On Feb. 8 of this year, Ponoka RCMP pulled over a vehicle being driven by Richard Goertzen, 54, near the Ponoka Stampede Grounds. The vehicle was pulled over for driving with one headlight and upon approaching the driver, the RCMP member could smell alcohol on Goertzen’s breath and in the vehicle. He was detained for the purpose of an investigation and failed a roadside test. Goertzen was arrested and taken to the Ponoka detachment where he provided two breath samples at .16 and .15. The court was told Goertzen and his wife were at an event at the stampede grounds and when it was time to leave, she was not
sure how to get back to Highway 2; he was going to drive just until they got there. “It was a bit of a heated discussion when we got out to the vehicle that evening and my wife said she wasn’t comfortable,” Goertzen told the court. “I gave in like an idiot. It was a horrible decision,” he added. Judge J. Mitchell told Goertzen that he might be eligible to apply for an alcohol ignition interlock device after four months. Man sentenced for thieving, trying to pay student loans A 22-year-old man was sentenced to $1,300 fine after pleading guilty to breaking and entering into a Ponoka business. On Feb. 28, 2015, Paul St. Gelais jumped over a barbed wire fence at Ponoka Towing and put two diesel catalytic converters into the back of his truck. When the RCMP arrived, St. Gelias attempted to hide in the cab of his
truck. The shoes he was wearing matched the prints found in the snow. He has no previous criminal record and the court was informed St. Gelais told the RCMP he committed the crime because he needed to pay more than $20,000 in student loans. In the future St. Gelais can apply for a pardon to have the record released. Man considered nuisance by RCMP gets seven days in custody A man who served seven days in pre-sentencing custody for causing a disturbance, had those days credited for his sentence and was considered having served his time for the misdemeanor. On April 18, 2015 Ponoka RCMP were called in to a complaint of an intoxicated man knocking on residence doors near The Bargain Shop, and a female passed out under a tree. Upon receiving a description of the man, RCMP knew they were dealing
with Kelly Applegarth, 51, of the Samson Cree Nation. RCMP had also received complaints earlier that day of the two individuals for public intoxication and urinating in public. Applegarth was arrest-
ed on the spot. Judge Mitchell told Applegarth that he would abstain from adding probation to his sentence because RCMP know who his is, but advised him to stay away from Ponoka.
“I don’t think the people of Ponoka appreciate you coming around,” the judge said. “So if you don’t want to get dealt with by the RCMP, stay out of Ponoka,” he added.
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12 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Appointed FNMI trustee delayed by WCPS board decision
***
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BY AMELIA NAISMITH
Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS) board of trustees has decided at their Tuesday, April 21 meeting to officially delay allowing an appointed First Nations trustee to sit on the board. The matter first came to a head late last year after WCPS received word from the Alberta government regarding the wish of the Nipisihkopahk Education Authority, Samson Cree Nation. WCPS was contacted directly for the first time by the authority via a letter received April 15, 2015. “We finally have a letter directed at Wolf Creek school division, so now we have to do something,” said board chair Trudy Bratland. In previous meetings, trustee Bob Huff voiced his concern over adding an additional, appointed member to the board because of the cost implications, which he said could reach $30,000 annually. “Because of the political state of affairs, I think we should delay. It’s a cost item,” said Huff. With the budgeting challenges schools divisions are facing, Huff believes the money that would go to the trustee position should be used to help teachers “on the frontline.” The letter sent to WCPS states Nipisihkopahk Education Authority is seeking an appointed trustee to secure “appropriate school board representation.” It was hoped a trustee would be in place for the upcoming school year. “I’m not sure that will happen,” said Bratland. WCPS has placed a focus on addressing First Nations education needs with the Wisdom and Guidance Committee, primarily consisting of First Nations members. continued on page 15
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Vehicle(s) may be shown with optional equipment. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time offers. Offers only valid at participating dealers. Retail offers may be cancelled or changed at any time without notice. See your Ford Dealer for complete details or call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673. For factory orders, a customer may either take advantage of eligible raincheckable Ford retail customer promotional incentives/offers available at the time of vehicle factory order or time of vehicle delivery, but not both or combinations thereof. Retail offers not combinable with any CPA/GPC or Daily Rental incentives, the Commercial Upfit Program or the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP). ).‡‡ Until April 30, 2015, receive $750/ $1,000/ $1,250/ $1,500/ $1,750/ $2,000/ $3,500/ $4,500/ $7,000/ $9,500 in Manufacturer Rebate (Delivery Allowances) with the purchase or lease of a new 2015 Explorer/ 2015 Taurus SE, Expedition, Transit Connect/2015 C-MAX/ 2015 Flex/ 2015 Edge/ 2015 Taurus (excluding SE), E-Series, Transit, F-350 to F-550 Chassis Cabs/ 2015 F-150 Regular Cab (Excluding XL 4x2)/ 2015 F-150 Super Cab and Super Crew/ 2015 F-250 to F-450 (excluding Chassis Cabs) Gas Engine/ 2015 F-250 to F-450 (excluding Chassis Cabs) Diesel Engine -- all stripped chassis, cutaway body, F-150 Raptor and Medium Truck models excluded. Manufacturer Rebate is not combinable with CPA, GPC, CFIP, Daily Rental Allowance and A/X/Z/D/F-Plan programs. Delivery allowances are not combinable with any fleet consumer incentives. † Until April 30, 2015, receive 0% APR purchase financing on new 2015 Mustang (excluding 50th Anniversary), Flex, and Escape models for up to 60 months, and 2015 Focus, Fiesta, Fusion, and Taurus models for up to 72 months to qualified retail customers, on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest interest rate. Example: $25,000 purchase financed at 0% APR for 36/60/72 months, monthly payment is $694.44/$416.66/$347.22, cost of borrowing is $0 or APR of 0% and total to be repaid is $25,000. Down payment on purchase financing offers may be required based on approved credit from Ford Credit. ***Until April 30, 2015, receive 0% annual percentage rate (APR) purchase financing on a new 2015 F-250 Super Cab XLT 4X4 Western Edition for a up to 72 months to qualified retail customers, on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest interest rate. Example: 2015 F-250 Super Cab XLT 4X4 Western Edition for $45,499 (after $1,000 down payment or equivalent trade-in, and $1,500 Manufacturer Rebate deducted) purchase financed at 0% APR for 72 months, monthly payment is $632 (the sum of twelve (12) monthly payments divided by 26 periods gives payee a bi-weekly payment of $292), interest cost of borrowing is $0 or APR of 0% and total to be repaid is $45,499. Down payment may be required based on approved credit from Ford Credit. All purchase finance offers include freight and air tax but exclude variable charges of license, fuel fill charge, insurance, dealer PDI (if applicable), registration, PPSA, administration fees and charges, any environmental charges or fees, and all applicable taxes.*Until April 30, 2015, Purchase a new 2015 F-250 SuperCab XLT 4x4 Western Edition/2015 F-250 SuperCab XLT 4x2 Lariat with chrome package for $46,499/$55,449 after manufacturer rebates of $1,500/$1,500 is deducted. Taxes payable on full amount of purchase price after total manufacturer rebate has been deducted. Offers include freight and air tax but exclude variable charges of license, fuel fill charge, insurance, dealer PDI (if applicable), registration, PPSA, administration fees and charges, any environmental charges or fees, and all applicable taxes. Manufacturer Rebates are not combinable with any fleet consumer incentives.▲Offer only valid from March 3, 2015 to April 30, 2015 (the “Offer Period”) to resident Canadians with an eligible Costco membership on or before February 28, 2015. Receive $1,000 towards the purchase or lease of a new 2015 Ford (excluding Fiesta, Focus, C-MAX, GT350, GT500, F-150 Raptor, 50th Anniversary Edition Mustang, and Medium Truck) model (each an “Eligible Vehicle”). Eligible Vehicles of 2014 model year may qualifyfor the offer depending on available inventory– see dealer for details. Limit one (1) offer per each Eligible Vehicle purchase or lease, up to a maximum of two (2) separate Eligible Vehicle sales per Costco Membership Number. Offer is transferable to persons domiciled with an eligible Costco member.Applicable taxes calculated before CAD$1,000 offer is deducted. ®: Registered trademark of Price Costco International, Inc. used under license.‡F-Series is the best-selling pickup truck in Canada for 49 years in a row based on Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association statistical sales report up to 2014 year end. ***Based on year-end 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 total sales figures for light vehicles in Canada from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.©2015 Sirius Canada Inc. “SiriusXM”, the SiriusXM logo, channel names and logos are trademarks of SiriusXM Radio Inc. and are used under licence.©2015 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved. Available in most new Ford vehicles with 6-month pre-paid subscription
PONOKA NEWS 13
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Your vote is very important for our future
Mike Rainone Hammertime
In the heat of this muchhyped and expensive 2015 provincial election campaign, we will hear some people express the fact that they have been disgusted with the way that our government has performed in the past, can’t make up their mind who to vote for this time around and might not even be bothered to vote at all. If too many of us take that same attitude and don’t practise our freedom of
choice on Tuesday, May 5 at polling stations throughout Alberta, there will be not be a very strong message sent from the constituents to the successful candidates and the party that will be chosen to lead us for the next four years. If this is the case, it could very well end up being the ‘same old-same way’ lackadaisical style of government that we certainly do not want to take us into the future. It is okay and very important for us to complain about the current state of Alberta politics and politicians, it is great to go out to the forums and coffee shops to express our opinions, and it is really important for us to ask all the candidates about their future platforms and promises for OUR GOVERNMENT, but if we don’t get out and make OUR CHOICE for our next leaders and government, it is all for naught.. Many voters don’t realize that there are nine official political parties registered in Alberta and these include The Alberta Party, The Alberta First Party, The Progressive Conservative Party,
The New Democratic Party, The Liberal Party, The Social Credit Party, The Green Party, The Wildrose Party and the Alberta Communist Party. Many enthusiastic men and women throughout Alberta have shown their willingness to represent their political parties in this vital 2015 election, and are ready and able to serve their constituencies as a member of the Legislative Assembly. As proud citizens of Alberta, we need only take a few moments on May 5 to mark the ballots that will decide our future government. Thank you for your participation. We are in a ‘Selfie’ world. While on holidays recently I have noticed that so many people of all ages are now out and about snapping all sorts of photos of themselves and their buddies with their ‘selfies’. I guess these new fancy cameras with the long handles produce great personal pictures, just as long as you don’t back off a cliff, into traffic or fall into a pond while trying to get a perfect shot.
This new digital phenomena has likely taken many of us, especially seniors, by surprise, and we may be just a little reluctant before we rush out and buy one and have to retire our trusty old ‘Brownie’ and step into the flashy new world of electronics. My wife and I use our handydandy iPad (a gift from the kids) to take all sorts of photos and then send them off to all the relatives and friends on our e-mail hit list. My only problem is that I have a heavy ‘trigger finger’, and I usually end up taking way too many shots of the same subject, so thank goodness for the ‘delete’ button, where after we pick out the best shots you can send the rest to the magic ‘trash can.’ As an old newspaper guy, I love these new digital cameras, simply because I can take lots of shots and then check them out to suit the story. In the old days, on assignment with the Ponoka Herald, I started out with a ‘box camera’ and then graduated to a Kodak, but you still had only one or two chances to get a quick
photo, and if your camera wasn’t working or the subject was out of focus, you never found out the bad news until you got into the dark room. Since the new photo and computer age has now taken complete control, I have been given strict instructions from my editor and my grand-children to stop and save all the stories and photos that I do, just in case I push the wrong button along the way. Only a grandmother would know A 2,5 years old granddaughter’s favourite story around the family ‘memory mill’ is when she was being looked after by dear old grandpa while her mother and grandma were out Christmas shopping. Someone had just given her one of those fancy little ‘tea sets’ as a gift, which had become one of her favourite toys of all time, hosting many delightful tea and cookie parties with anyone she could coax into taking part. On this day grandpa was sitting in the living room in his favourite chair engrossed in the evening
news when she burst into the room wearing her best apron and carefully carrying a little tray. With a huge smile, she presented him with a little cup of ‘tea’ (which of course was just water) and a plate full of cookies that her and her big brother had made in the ‘easy bake’ oven two weeks ago. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for the yummy lunch from her grandpa she heard the front door open. He asked his wife to come into the living room and wait while the little girl went to get him another cup of tea, which the old gentleman explained was ‘just the cutest thing.’ After she came down the hall with the tea, she quietly watched him drink it, then expressed in wise word that only a grandma would know.......”Did it ever occur to you dear that the only place that our little sweetheart can reach to get water is in the toilet?” Love your grandchildren with great patience, expect a few surprises along the way, and have a great week, all of you..
Correction: The story on page 32 of Ponoka News April 22 edition regarding the volunteer tea has a name spelled
incorrectly. The Rita Scott Volunteer Award presented to the Kountry Krafters states one of the winners’
names as Linda Cunningham, but her last name is actually Cunnington. We regret the error.
DONATION Ashley Lamey, representing the Ponoka Royal Purple presents a cheque for $1000.00 to Alexis and Dustin Groves members of the Ponoka Gym and Trampoline Club. The donation is to help with the clubs new building.
THANK YOU
A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE MANY INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES WHO HELPED IN ANY WAY WITH OUR RECENT FUNDRAISING AUCTION. We were overwhelmed again this year with the great success. We were blessed with over 200 live auction items and 80 silent auction items and were able to raise $127,000. We are thankful that God gives us the means to provide Christian education for our children.
www.ponokanews.com
Ponoka Christian School Auction Committee
14 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
ATCO Education Mobile popular among PES students BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Students at Ponoka Elementary School (PES) had fun last week with an educational mobile unit sponsored by ATCO Energy. The ATCO Energy Education Mobile made a
stop at PES Tuesday, April 21 to help Grade 4s understand the importance of being safe around electricity and other energy tips. The unit follows the Grade 4 curriculum and is in its fifth year of operations, explained Mark Antonuk, manager of
ATCO Energy Sense. “It was developed in consultation with the Alberta teachers to align with their Grade 4 curriculum in Alberta. Students went through four modules in the mobile unit: • The Alberta energy
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landscape: This module gives students an overview of the energy resources in the province. • Electricity: using it wisely: This module shows proper uses of electricity and how to reduce energy consumption. • Heat and keeping the
heat in: Antonuk says this unit gives students a better idea of how to reduce heat loss and save money. • Detective: this module reinforces lessons learned from the first three. Antonuk said more than 17,000 students have
seen the unit and more than 40,000 people have seen it at different community events. He says the other benefit of the mobile unit is it creates discussion. Students pass on their learning to their parents and families.
GRAND RE-O PE April 26 & 2NING 7 Tour our New Facility
• FREE 12” Hanging Basket Wine & Cheese Friday Night WHILE QUANTITIES LAST for Mom with a $75 Seminars throughout the day purchase on May 10 Saturday, In House Specials! • Trees & Shrubs arriving the week of May 4 NEW Satellite Location Opens May 1 in the Hamilton’s IGA Parking Lot PES Grade 4 student Sadie Clark takes a look at one of the modules Tuesday, April 21 in the ATCO Energy Education Mobile, a travelling educational unit that helps educate student on energy safety and efficiency. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
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Leadership for what matters.
PONOKA NEWS 15
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Native school celebrates 12 years and first Grade 12 class After years of hard work and dedication, the Mamawi Atosketan Native School (MANS) can now pride itself as a Kindergarten to Grade 12 school, with its first class of Grade 12 students graduating later this spring. On Saturday, April 25, students, community members and supporters of MANS filled the school’s gymnasium for a Milestone Celebration and Open House to celebrate all the school has accomplished in its 12 years of existence at its current off reserve location. “By carrying students from Kindergarten through to the completion of Grade 12, the school can also provide direction to students for college and higher education opportunities,” said principal Gail Wilton in a press release. Across Canada, the completion rate of First Nations students who enroll in
high school is 39 per cent, states the press release. With its sole focus on education for First Nations youth, the school will see a 100 per cent completion rate with its first year of Grade 12 students. A recently completed addition to the school building was also celebrated during the open house ceremony; donations of labour from Ron Grue, Camrose Rotarian, and a Calgary contractor, William Piersanti, aided its completion. It is the new space that allowed the school to add a Grade 12 to its roster. Over the last 12 years, MANS has transformed from a one-room school with 17 students to a fullfledged Kindergarten to Grade 12 institution. “You do your little bit and wonder whether you make any difference. (It’s) like tossing a marble into a pond,” said Sandra Kiehlbach Toms, who was the
founding teacher/principal of the school at its first location on the reserve in 1985. “But when many people toss in their marble, look what it can become,” she added. The school is underwritten by the Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and began adding high school classes one grade at a time during the 2012-2013 school year. During the ceremony, three beaded medallions were given to developer/ contractors Alfred Breikreuz of Ponoka and Ken Taylor of Camrose, Lacombe resident Elizabeth Tym as representative of deceased founding donor Mary Krysowaty and Kiehlbach Toms as thanks for their dedication to the school. MANS first Grade 12 graduating class is being honored in a graduation ceremony to be held Thursday, May 21 at the school, 7 p.m.
A student of Mamawi Atosketan Native School’s musical sign language group waits to perform during the Milestone Celebration. Picture by Kelly Dreger
WCPS board
RECYCLE
YOUR PAPER!
continued from page 12 FNMI student success co-ordinator Shelagh Hagemann heads the committee and focuses on creating successful transitions for FNMI students between grades and schools. “We already have this Wisdom and Guidance Committee in place. We’re working toward trying to make a difference,” said trustee Donna Peterson. “We do have strategies in place to work with our First Nations students,” said Bratland. Trustee Lorrie Jess says if an appointed First Nations member is placed on the board, the public is going to expect Dutch, Hutterite and German-specific trustees — to name a few examples — to have representation opportunities.
The board has directed superintendent Larry Jacobs to respond to the Nipisihkopahk Education Authority. Bratland does not think the issue will reappear before the board
until the upcoming election is over and the budget and financial chaos school boards are facing has settled. Bratland says the board wants the time to make a good decision.
Alfred Breikreuz of Ponoka accepts a hand-beaded medallion as a thank you award from Krista Abt, MANS student, and Mark Johnson, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada, thanking him and Camrose building contractor Ken Taylor for their donations of time and labour in the construction of the school at the MANS Milestone Celebration. Picture by Kelly Dreger
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16 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
The Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre was packed during the Ponoka and District Health Foundation open house Thursday, April 23.
A realistic plan for rural Alberta. We need strong PC MLAs who will fight to: • Protect property rights (p. 18 Prentice Plan) • Expand access to markets for 18 Prentice Plan) our products (p.15044CC1 • Bring back regional decision-making in health (p. 9 Prentice Plan) • Cut government waste and focus dollars on the front lines (p. 8-9 Prentice Plan) Read the full plan at PCalberta.com/plan
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Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Community interest high for Ponoka Health Foundation open house BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
It was standing room only during the Ponoka and District Health Foundation (PDHF) open house Thursday, April 23. The event was held at the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre to generate interest in the foundation and its future plans. Organized by trustees Mark Bateman and Kelly Sperber, attendees had a chance to hear how busy the PDHF has been. Dr. Brendan Bunting, also a trustee, said money donated to the foundation
used to go into a trust in Red Deer. While the money was used only for the Ponoka hospital, it is more attractive to donors to have a foundation in Ponoka who raises and manages the funds, he explained. “We think it’s a wonderful thing that it’s back in our community,” said Bunting. He said the foundation’s goal now is to develop and improve its fundraising capabilities. “We’ll try to do our best to make this a viable foundation that spends money wisely.” Not only does the money go to important life-saving
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equipment at the hospital, it could potentially pay for important staff training. One big supporter emerged to the delight of the foundation last year in the form of Ponoka Festival of Trees, explained Bateman, which donated $59,500 to the PDHF. The festival has confirmed it is fundraising for the hospital this year again. The hospital has been able to take donated funds to purchase an important pediatric care cart for children. This cart will allow physicians and nurses to provide immediate care to children before being taken to a hospital specifically geared to children. The importance of a local hospital cannot be underrated, according to Bateman. “Everybody at some point in time needs services at the hospital, or know someone who needs the services,” he explained. Much of the money donated to health foundations usually comes from family members or groups who earmark it for a specific purpose. The purpose of these foundations is to continue to raise money for the hospital and to support its life-saving needs.
Vegas
PONOKA NEWS 17
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
BUY A VEHICLE AND RECEIVE A TRIP FOR TWO TO VEGAS
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*Prices do not include our $355.25 documentation fee and GST Disclosure: Not all vehicles exactly as illustrated. Lease payments on 2015 models include GST and are OAC. No first lease payment only applies to 2015 models only. Eg: Stk#15548 2015 Encore, Net Cap Cost $31,448,96, lease rate 0.5% for 48 months, residual is $11464.20, total interest payable during lease term is $202.35. All lease payments are calculated at 20,000kms/yr. See dealer for details. All 2014 prices are cash prices.
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403-783-4494 OR TOLL FREE 1-877-465-8279
18 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Ponoka students head to Skills Canada provincials BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Mckenna Christensen, from PSC, works on her baking challenge Friday, April 17 in Red Deer during a Skills Canada Regionals competition. Christensen won gold in baking while Brenna McCaughey from St. Augustine Catholic School won bronze. Photo submitted
West, East & Central
Ponoka 4-H Beef Clubs
Students from both Ponoka Secondary Campus and St. Augustine Catholic School have found some success at a Skills Canada regional challenge. The competition was held Friday, April 17 at Hunting Hills High School in Red Deer with two Ponoka students receiving gold medals for their efforts and one receiving silver. Nic Seymour, Grade 11 student at Ponoka Secondary Campus, won a gold medal in cabinet making. He had to make sure the cabinet would pass judges’ critical eyes. He placed important focus on his joinery skills and overall craftsmanship of his cabinet this year, which resulted in high points. “They (judges) do a lot of marking on your sanding and the way it’s put together,” he explained. He had to build a cabinet to a specific size in six hours. For provincials Seymour will have to complete a task that is set at two six-hour trials. Seymour placed fifth in provincials last year and he feels the experience will help him do better this year. In baking, PSC student Mckenna Christensen, Grade 10, earned a gold medal. She has been practicing since February on the challenge. Her biggest concern:
“The time and getting to know the new kitchen.” She had help from her grandfather who is a former baker, Bill Goodbun, who used to own Goodbuns Bakery in Ponoka. “He gave me a lot of techniques and stuff that they used back then,” said Christensen. One thing that helped in the baking process is Christensen did not use a proofer, which helps the dough rise faster, explained food studies teacher Sherry Christiansen. “She had done hers grandpa’s way and it proved well for her,” said Christiansen. The Grade 10 student practiced so much that she knew her bread was ready by the time she was done baking it. Teacher Christiansen said there was positive collaboration with St. Augustine home economics teacher Dayna Wittal, who also had a student, Brenna McCaughey placed second in the baking challenge. Christiansen says students at both schools have created a bond together and the competition has become a positive team environment. Provincials is set for Wednesday, May 13 and 14 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. The top two placed competitors are heading to provincials.
Start the season off with
Bolt - 2015 Charity Steer Tickets on Sale Now from any 4-H Beef Member
May 4 & 5, 2015 CALNASH AG EVENT CENTRE BARN
MONDAY, MAY 4TH
TUESDAY, MAY 5TH
Female Show 5:30 p.m.
Club Steer Show 9:30 a.m. District Steer Show 1:00 p.m. Awards 4:00 p.m.
For more information, contact: Mark Matejka - 403-783-6389
SALE 5:00 p.m. Supper following the sale
• Pumps • Trimmers • Tillers • Mowers • Generators
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OPEN: Tuesday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m Sunday & Monday - Closed
Ponoka: 403-783-5185
Sales Desk: 1-800-662-7135
PONOKA NEWS 19
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Kenyan woman tells her story of accomplishments despite disability BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Students at Ponoka Secondary Campus (PSC) received an inspirational speech from a Kenyan woman who was severely burned when she was four year old. Janet Auma spoke to Grade 10 students Wednesday, April 22 about how her life changed dramatically after falling into an open fire pit. The effect of the fire was so serious that part
Motivational speaker from Kenya, Janet Auma, speaks to students at PSC Wednesday, April 22 for A Better World Canada. She spoke about being burned at the age of four and how she overcame her disabilities from the incident. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
of her face melted off and her neck was joined to her shoulders for many years. “It took 11 months while I was in the hospital,” said Auma. Help for Auma came from an organization called A Better World Canada. The organization asked Auma to speak on a campaign called Disability is not Inability. It helped pay for her surgery that reconstructed her face and detached her neck from
her shoulders. While this improved her life, it took some time before the pain of the surgery went away. Rather than stay at home Auma, went back to school and overcame many obstacles. “Kids were really scared of me,” she recalled. She continued on with her education and once she completed Grade 8, went on to high school. continued on page 21
ON NOW AT YOUR ALBERTA GMC DEALERS. ALBERTAGMC.COM 1-800-GM-DRIVE. GMC is a brand of General Motors of Canada. Offers apply to the lease of a new or demonstrator 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4WD (1SA/K05/G80/B30), Sierra 1500 Crew Cab 4WD (1SA/K05/G80/B30), Acadia AWD (3SA/K05), and purchase of a new or demonstrator 2015 GMC Sierra Double Cab 2WD Kodiak Edition and 2015 GMC Terrain FWD (3SA/K05). Freight ($1,695/$1,695/$1,650/$1,695/$1,650) and PDI included. License, insurance, registration, PPSA, dealer fees, administration fees and taxes not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Offers apply to qualified retail customers in the Alberta GMC Dealer Marketing Association area only. Dealer order or trade may be required. * $10,000 is a combined total credit on 2015 Sierra Double Cab 2WD Kodiak Edition consisting of a $4,500 manufacturer to dealer delivery credit (tax exclusive), $1,000 Owner Cash (tax inclusive), $2,155 manufacturer to dealer Option ‘Kodiak Edition’ Package Discount Credit (tax exclusive), $250 Kodiak Double Cab 2WD cash credit, and $2,095 manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive), which is available for cash purchases only and cannot be combined with special lease and finance rates. By selecting lease or finance offers, consumers are foregoing this $250 and $2,095 credit which will result in higher effective interest rates. Discounts vary by model. ‡ Lease based on a purchase price of $31,943/$34,963/$39,481 (including $0/$0/$1,000 lease credit, $4,500/$3,500/$0 manufacturer to dealer delivery credit, $1000/$1,000/$0 manufacturer to dealer Option Package Discount Credit, and $952/$952/$714 Owner Cash) for Sierra 1500 Double Cab 4WD (1SA/K05/G80/B30)/ Sierra 1500 Crew Cab 4WD (1SA/K05/G80/B30)/Acadia AWD (3SA/K05). Bi-weekly payment is $145/$155/$179 for 24/24/48 months at 0%/0%/0.9% APR, on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. Annual kilometer limit of 20,000 km, $0.16 per excess kilometer. $2,150/$2,150/$1,750 down payment is required. Payment may vary depending on down payment trade. Total obligation is $9,674/$10,230/$20,364, plus applicable taxes. Option to purchase at lease end is $22,269/$24,732/$20,186. Price and total obligation exclude license, insurance, registration, taxes, dealer fees and optional equipment. Other lease options are available. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. See your dealer for conditions and details. General Motors of Canada Limited reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. ¥ Offer applies to eligible current owners or lessees of any model year 1999 or newer car that has been registered and insured in Canada in the customer’s name for the previous consecutive six (6) months. Credit valid towards the retail purchase or lease of one eligible 2015 model year GMC SUV, crossover and pickups models delivered in Canada between April 1, 2015 through April 30, 2015. Credit is a manufacturer to consumer incentive (tax inclusive) and credit value depends on model purchased: $750 credit available on eligible GMC vehicles (except Canyon 2SA); $1,000 credit available on all GMC Sierras. Offer applies to eligible current owners or lessees of any Pontiac/Saturn/SAAB/Hummer/Oldsmobile model year 1999 or newer car or Chevrolet Cobalt or HHR that has been registered and insured in Canada in the customer’s name for the previous consecutive six (6) months. Credit valid towards the retail purchase or lease of one eligible 2015 model year GMC SUV, crossover and pickups models delivered in Canada between April 1, 2015 through April 30, 2015. Credit is a manufacturer to consumer incentive (tax inclusive): $1,500 credit available on eligible GMC vehicles (except Canyon 2SA). Offer is transferable to a family member living within the same household (proof of address required). As part of the transaction, dealer may request documentation and contact General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) to verify eligibility. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Certain limitations or conditions apply. Void where prohibited. See your GMCL dealer for details. GMCL reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. † $4,200 is a manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive) for 2015 Terrain FWD, which is available for cash purchases only. *† U.S. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). ‡* The 2014 GMC Terrain received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among compact SUVs in the proprietary J.D. Power 2014 Initial Quality StudySM. Study based on responses from 86,118 new-vehicle owners, measuring 239 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in February-May 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
20 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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PONOKA NEWS 21
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Iola Road tendered for $4.9 million County’s costliest project ever to be completed in less than six months BY AMELIA NAISMITH
Ponoka County’s Iola Road has now been tendered for paving and its set completion date is marked for Sept. 15 at the latest. County council made the decision to go with the company Border Paving from among the bidders during a special meeting held Monday, April 20. Border Paving has taken on the project with a cost estimation of $4.9 million. “They were the one contractor we were hoping would be able to do it,” said Ponoka County CAO Charlie Cutforth. “It’s the most money we’ve ever spent on one project,” he added. Cutforth says there was another contracting company who put in almost the same bid. However, its completion date was scheduled for much later in the fall and Cutforth says the county wants to have the project done sooner rather
than later. Cutforth says he is hoping the paving project is done earlier than Sept. 15 but feels the county can afford that date. “The urgency isn’t as great as we feared it would be.” With oilfield activity along the road having lessened with the economy, Iola Road does not have to handle the same pressures it usually has to. “Our primary concern is to protect the local residents that live along there,” said Cutforth. Iola Road is located at the west end of Ponoka County, west of Highway 20 and nine miles north of Rimbey. The project involves paving of an approximately five and a half miles of road with hot mix asphalt. “It will have the same standard as the primary highway,” said Cutforth. Last year, Ponoka County received $1.2 million in drilling fees and Cutforth
Iola Road is located at the west end of Ponoka County, north of the town of Rimbey. Approximately five and a half miles of the road will be paved by mid-September. Map courtesy of Ponoka County
says drilling in the area has been active for many years. While it is a hefty investment upfront, the county will make the money back through those fees.
RECYCLE
continued from page 19 While many people in the area usually finish their education at Grade 8, Auma completed high school and pursued her interest in design work. She went to a vocational school and learned how to sew clothing, sheets and studied interior design; all this despite having only one usable hand. Auma also gave students some insight into life in Kenya and she explained she sews uniforms for students. “You have to wear a school uniform in Kenya,” said Auma. A Better World Canada was inspired by Auma’s determination, so it sent her to Canada for her first time to tell her story and to remind students that life continues on despite disabilities. “I can do everything as other people can do,” she stated. Her sewing skills are at such a high level that Auma does not use patterns when creating dresses or jackets. She
YOUR PAPER!
Kenyan woman tells her story of accomplishments despite disability says she gets a visual of what she wants and sews from there. As this was her first time in Canada, Auma has had to get use to some differences, especially the weather; Kenya is quite warm. “It’s not cold like in Canada,” she joked.
Ponoka Stampede 20th Annual
Chuckwagon Tarp Auction
of
COUNTRY MUSIC May 9, 2015 11am- 8pm Hoadley Community Hall Corner of Hwy 20 & Hwy 611 ADMISSION $
25.00 - Advance May 2 Deadline $ 30.00- Door FEATURING
Lou Paul, Alice Sinclair, Sydney Mae & many more. Special Guest "Western/Cowboy Poet" Doris Daley.
For tickets & performance times contact Shirley at 843-6004 Concession available Supper $13.50 a plate. Please reserve in advance Tickets also at Stationery, Stories and Sounds
Friday, May 1st
Stagecoach Saloon Ponoka Stampede Grounds
Reception: 5 pm Auction: 6:30 pm
36 World Professional Chuckwagon Drivers Participating in the 2015 Canvas Auction
22 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Murder mystery to help fund Tanzanian orphanage BY AMELIA NAISMITH
Gahiji Amun (Joseph Butcher), guest of the Egyptian Embassy, bows before a priceless Egyptian gem held by Professor Dirk Carlton (Luke Wagner) during a ZAP! Theatre dress rehearsal of Oh, Horrors! It’s Murder! on Saturday, April 25 at the Asker Church. Photo by Amelia Naismith
Joseph Deschamps I am friends with the Ponoka Outreach staff and students. I try to do elder roles within the school. I sincerely feel that this is a family that is committed to moving forward and increasing the standard of education. Friday, May 1 PD Day — no school for students Monday, May 4 All students welcome to attend Wednesday, May 6 Night school — All staff present
ZAP! Theatre is introducing to the community a night of comedic madness and mayhem with several performances of “Oh, Horrors! It’s Murder!” at the Asker Church in the next two weeks to continue to serve a good cause. The play follows the investigation into the death of professor Dirk Carlton just as he was about to give a lecture at a museum detailing his great archeological finds in Egypt, which included a now missing prized jewel. “It’s a rollicking good time,” said director and general manager Daniel Allers. “You’ve got your classic cast of characters,” he added, referring to parts ranging from that of a wacky detective to the love interest. The play has been in rehearsals since the end of January, but Allers says it was actually brought before the theatre as a possibility in 2012. “It was actually the other production we considered doing that year,” he said. “So I brought it back . . . everybody loves a good murder mystery,” he added. This year, the cast included members of the troupe from as a far away as Airdrie and Spruce View. “They all have a passion for acting,” said Allers. “It’s amazing to have a group of young people (17 to 25 years of age) who
are so dedicated to give up every Saturday night,” he added. Performances take place at the Asker Church, east of Ponoka of on Highway 53, on May 1, 2, 8 and 9. Evening shows are at 7 p.m. with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturdays; doors open a half hour before show time. Admission to the performances is by donation. Allers encourages those looking for good entertainment to come see the play and support those involved. “Laughter is good for the soul,” said Allers. “Quality local theatre doesn’t grow on trees,” he added. Tanzanian orphanage All of the proceeds from the performances are donated to a boys’ orphanage just south of Muanza, Tanzania, which is funded by the theatre and the Central Alberta Homeschool Choir. Not only does the cast have a dedication to performing, they are also passionate about helping Patrick and Beatrice Mwafule, the operators of the orphanage. “It’s really remarkable,” said Allers. Since the entirety of the proceeds go to the orphanage, production costs of the performances comes from the pockets of those involved and a few sponsors. Allers says costs can reach as high as $3,000. “They’re passionate about what they do and they believe it is possible to make a difference,” said Allers. In the last three to four years, the theatre and the choir have raised approximately $200,000 for the orphanage. Within the last three months, the boys at the orphanage — approximately 35 of them — finally moved into the completed building and Allers says the next step is “to make the organization and the land self-sufficient so funding can stop coming from North America, that’s the dream.”
PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR PAPER!
PONOKA NEWS 23
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Auction raises funds for gymnasium sound system BY AMELIA NAISMITH
The Ponoka Christian School raised a record $127,000 during its annual fundraising auction, held Saturday April 11 at the school. Each year, the school brings the community together for a live and silent auction to raise money for the small school, and this year the funds will go to completing the sound system for the school’s gymnasium.
“There’s a set amount that goes back into the school’s budget. Anything above and beyond, we’re hoping to finalize the sound system,” explained the school’s principal, Bob Morris. At Thanksgiving, a large donation was given to the school, which was used to bring in sound experts and purchase $12,000 in sound reducing baffling. “Our sound system is terrible,” said Morris. He added the money
from the auction could also hopefully be used to get some Chromebooks for the students. With only 100 students in the school, the auction is able to raise thousands
of dollars each year. Committee chairperson Elaine Makkinga says it is the school’s key fundraiser for the year. “I think it’s also just a good event; how it pulls the
school community together. Being a Christian school, it’s a blessing, this day. It’s all these people working together but it’s by God’s hand, we all believe that,” said Makkinga.
The family-focused event included a bouncy castle and crafts for the younger students as well as 200 items in the live auction and approximately 80 items in the silent auction.
LACOMBE-PONOKA
Voting Made Simple
Provincial General Election Tuesday, May 05, 2015 Official Agents of Nominated Candidates in Lacombe-Ponoka for the May 05, 2015 Election CANDIDATE POLITICAL PARTY/ INDEPENDENT
OFFICIAL AGENT TELEPHONE NO.
OFFICIAL AGENT ADDRESS
Peter Dewit - PC
Amber Deschiffart 1 (888) 343-3716
RR 5, Site 1, Box 68 Lacombe T4L 2N5
Doug Hart - NDP
James Strachan (403) 307-2643
5925 61 Avenue Ponoka T4J 1T8
Tony Jeglum - AP
Daron Jeglum (403) 391-0597
Box 28, Clive T0C 0Y0
Ron Orr - WRP
Gregory Paranich (403) 600-4457
Box 96, Blackfalds T0M 0J0
15044DG1
For further information on the election, please contact Margaret DeVries, Returning Officer at 117, 5001 52 Street, Lacombe, AB T4L 2A6 or by phone at (403) 782-1301. An LED work light was one of 200 items included in the school’s annual fundraising live auction, held Saturday April 11. This year the funds will go toward finishing the gymnasium’s sound system. Photo by Amelia Naismith
ALBERTA POLITICAL PARTY NAME ABBREVIATIONS AFP Alberta First Party LIB Alberta Liberal Party NDP Alberta New Democratic Party AP Alberta Party SCA Alberta Social Credit Party CP-A Communist Party - Alberta GPA Green Party of Alberta PC Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta WRP Wildrose Party
Find out more at www.elections.ab.ca
Be environmentally friendly RECYCLE YOUR PAPER!
The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (section 9.1) requires that Third Party Advertisers must register with Elections Alberta if they spend or plan to spend more than $1000 for election advertising. Refer to our website.
24 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
LACOMBE-PONOKA
Voting Made Simple Provincial General Election – May 05, 2015 Voting will take place to elect a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Voting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Returning Officer office hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday. If you would like to work on Voting Day, apply at www.elections.ab.ca.
Advance Voting will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from April 29, 2015 – May 02, 2015 These Advance Polls offer level access. Advance Poll Locations: Office of the Returning Officer: 117, 5001 52 Street, Lacombe, AB Rimoka Seniors Lodge, 5608 57 Avenue, Ponoka, AB
Special Ballot Applications Available from the Returning Officer throughout the election period for electors who will be unable to vote in advance or on Voting Day because of:
Announcement of the Official Results 10:00 a.m. on May 15, 2015 at the Office of the Returning Officer for Lacombe-Ponoka
Returning Officer: Margaret DeVries Address: 117, 5001 52 Street, Lacombe, AB T4L 2A6 Phone: (403) 782-1301 • absence from the electoral division Fax: (403) 782-0730 • imprisonment Email: ro66@elections.ab.ca • election officer, candidate, official agent or scrutineer working away15044DG2 from his or her own polling station The office has level access. • physical incapacity
• residency in a remote area
Polling Place Legend: Lacombe-Ponoka 001 Dakota Church Rge Rd 273 Twp Rd 434 Ponoka County 002,003,006,007,008, 013,014 Ponoka Legion Hall 3911 Hwy 2A Ponoka 004,005 Mecca Glen School 234031 Hwy 53 Ponoka County 009,010,011,012,015,016, 017,018 Ponoka Kinsmen Community Centre 5009 46 Avenue Ponoka
019,020 Morningside Hall 4915 50 Street Morningside 021 Meadowbrook Church Junction Of Hwy 792 and Twp Rd 422 Ponoka County 022,023,032,053 Wolfcreek Community Church 4110 Hwy 12 Lacombe 024,025 Clive Community Hall 5204 50 Street Clive
026,027 Mirror Community Hall 5102 50 Avenue Mirror 028,029 Alix Community Hall 5008 49 Avenue Alix 030,031 Haynes Community Hall Junction Of Haynes Road and Twp Rd 390 Lacombe County 033,034,035,036,037,038, 039,040,041,042,043 Lacombe Memorial Centre - North Hall 5214 50 Avenue Lacombe
044,045,046,047,048, 049,050,051,052 Lacombe Memorial Centre - South Hall 5214 50 Avenue Lacombe 054 Gull Lake Hall 27 Lakeview Avenue Gull Lake 055,056,057,058,059,060, 061,062,063,064/065 Blackfalds Community Hall 4810 Womacks Road Blackfalds
Find out more at www.elections.ab.ca The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (section 9.1) requires that Third Party Advertisers must register with Elections Alberta if they spend or plan to spend more than $1000 for election advertising. Refer to our website.
PONOKA NEWS 25
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
15044DG2
26 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Help youth stay hydrated to perform at their best Eating healthy meals and snacks and drinking enough fluids (staying
hydrated) are important for good health as well as school and sport perfor-
mance. Drinking enough fluid helps your body to control its temperature. Not
having enough fluid (being dehydrated) can increase the risk of injury, lead to
low energy, and have an impact on performance. Active youth need to drink enough
fluid before, during and after exercise to help the body function at its best.
• Try these simple tips to help your child stay hydrated: • Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day so they arrive at sports events well hydrated. Ensure that your child has easy access to free water: • provide water stations during sport events • send your child to school with a water bottle to bring to gym class and to keep at their desk • ensure easy access to water fountains • Make sure your child drinks enough fluid during activity by stopping them for regular water breaks every 15 to 20 minutes. Most children do not need a sports drink during activity. • Encourage fluids after activity is over as well. Water, milk, and soups are great options. Discourage children from drinking soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks and energy drinks. These are higher in sugar (which could cause stomach aches and tooth decay). Some may contain caffeine which can be harmful to children. Healthy food and drinks are an important part of school, physical activity and sports performance. Active children need plenty of fluids throughout the day with extra water during and after activity.
Chicks for Charity Society proudly presents:
Champagne Breakfast 5th 5 th Annual Annual - L Ladies adies O Only nly
Saturday, June 27 Stage Coach Saloon 8:00 am to 11:00 am
Don’t delay!
$40 Per Seat!
Book your tickets early -limited seating available Tickets on Sale MAY 1 403.783.0100 For donations or further information,
Ponoka News - Proud to Support our Community
please call Jane at 403.358.8770
PONOKA NEWS 27
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Displacement Activity
Gwynne Dyer Think Globally
“What’s emerging is what we need, which is a comprehensive plan, going after the criminal gangs, going after the traffickers, going after the owners of the boats...and stabilising the countries from which these people are coming.” And when you have finished “stabilising” Syria, Somalia and Libya, overthrowing the Eritrean dictatorship, and ending poverty in West Africa, could you drop by and fix my plumbing? Oh, and Yemen. Fix Yemen too. “These people” are the 1,300 refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean in the past two weeks, the 30,000 who will drown by the end of this year while trying to cross if nothing more is done – and of course, the estimated half million who will make it safely to Italy, Malta or Greece. The speaker was Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, but he was just one voice in the European Union choir
The EU’s leaders were meeting in emergency session because of a public outcry over all the refugees drowning on the crossing between Libya and Italy. These same leaders were responsible for most of the deaths, because last year they ended a very effective Italian Navy search-andrescue operation and “replaced” it with an EU operation that had a third of the resources and was not supposed to operate more than 50 km off the Italian coast. So now they had to fix it somehow, but they were all aware that their electorates at home still don’t want millions of migrants flooding into the EU, refugees or not. So they did what politicians do in circumstances like these. They came up with a displacement activity. The problem, it turns out, is not refugees fleeing from places like war-torn Syria and Somalia, from cruel dictatorships like Eritrea, and from impoverished parts of West Africa. It is the evil traffickers – the new slave-traders, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called them – who lure the migrants away from their homes and charge them $2,000 per person for a place on a leaky boat to Europe. Well, of course. Why would anybody want to leave a nice, safe place like Syria or Somalia unless they had been tricked into it by unscrupulous peoplesmugglers? So if we just break up those criminal gangs, maybe even go into Libyan territorial waters and destroy their boats before they leave the coast, then the demand for their services will vanish. Everybody will stay home,
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and the problem will go away. Wait, sorry, we forgot. We have to “stabilise” their countries too. But THEN the problem really will go away, and we’ll all live happily ever after. Are any of the 28 EU national leaders so naive that they believe this garbage? Of course not. So why are they saying it? Because they, like the people who voted for or against them, are torn between a distaste for seeing innocent people die, and a determination that millions of those innocent people cannot come and live in their countries. So they want to hide what the policy is really about, and displace the blame for its bad effects (namely a lot of people drowning) on somebody else. Racist and hypocritical, you say, with a bit of
Islamophobia thrown in. You’re right about the hypocrisy, but for a lot of Europeans the problem really is the numbers. There are millions of people living within 1,500 km. of the European Union’s borders who would move there tomorrow if they had the chance, and that’s just the desperate ones who are trying to escape from wars, violent anarchy and extreme repression. Count in all the others who would just like a chance to make a decent living in a place where corruption is relatively low and the law is usually enforced, and you are probably into tens of millions of potential migrants. Most of them are not desperate enough to
risk the trans-Mediterranean route. Make it easier and safer, however, and lots of them would come too. There are now close to one billion people living within 2,000 km. of the EU’s borders. Thanks to some of the world’s highest population growth rates, that will double in the next 30 years, which virtually guarantees that there will be more civil wars, more failed states and even more refugees. And that’s before you factor in the impact of climate change in the sub-tropics. The EU’s own population is about 650 million, and it is not growing. So there is deep concern among EU leaders (though many of them don’t want to say it in public) that in
ten or ten years they will be facing illegal migration so massive that it would fundamentally change the cultural identity of European countries. They want to get the new, much tougher policy towards refugees in place now, before the refugees taking the sea route to Europe start coming in even greater numbers, but they don’t want to take responsibility for the deaths that will happen as a result. How to shift the blame? Try this. “It’s not our fault that all those poor people are dying at sea; it’s the fault of the evil peoplesmugglers.” Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
Ponoka Capitol Theatre 4904 - 50th St. Ph. 403-783-3639
PLAYING May 1 - 7
SCREEN #1 Starts April 30th
Avengers: Age of Ultron 141 min 2:00 PM Sat & Sun 7:00 PM Nightly Not Rated Yet
SCREEN #2
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 94 min 2:00 PM Sat & Sun 8:00 PM Daily Rated PG AGES 1264 $9.00 AGES 211 & SENIORS $7.00 TUESDAYS & MATINEES $6.00 3D $3 EXTRA
PONOKA STAMPEDE STAR +++
+++
TALENT AUDITIONS Wednesday, May 27 & Thursday, May 28
at the Stagecoach Saloon at 7:00 pm
Fabulous prizes to be won! $3000 guitar courtesy of Gilmore Guitars, Red Deer and Ponoka Stampede
One day recording session at MCC Recording Studio in Calgary courtesy of Dave Temple ($1000 value)
Songwriting/ Mentoring session with Bobby Wills
Top 10 performers will appear at the Ponoka Stampede on Monday, June 29 on the big stage with a full band.
To enter call Karen at 403-783-3989 Spectators and audience are welcome to come and listen to some great talent.
See you there!
28 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
You may be surprisingly happy to have read this book
Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm
The kids were unbelievably disappointed. There isn’t much you could do, though, when a long-anticipated event gets rained out. You can rant and shake your fist at the sky but you know that’s energy wasted. The best you can do is rent a movie, reschedule your event – and read “Rain: A Natural and Cultural History” by Cynthia Barnett. Eons ago, just after Earth became more than a bit of debris flung off in the birth of the sun, water vapor got trapped in our planet’s atmosphere. Eventually, Earth’s surface cooled enough that that moisture poured down and it rained for years. That’s a good thing: without it, there would be no life here. Early civilizations came and went with the rains.
Humans moved from forest to savannah and picked up hoes, tamed livestock, and built boats. They created gods to explain where rain comes from and who ruled lightning, and just about every culture passed down a cataclysmic flood story. Centuries ago, people learned to harness and save water, yet they could do little but dance or pray for rain to fall in times of draught. In the early 1400s, King Sejong the Great of Korea understood how to measure what fell. In the late 1500s, witches were blamed for dry spells; barometers were invented a hundred years later, and a fad for weather-watching captivated America and Europe. By 1802, clouds were named by a man whose father thought weather prediction was folly; later that century, rainmakers were paid fortunes to make clouds form over dry fields. Today, even though we have modern methods of predicting rain and there are thousands of local precipitation reporters around the world, meteorologists sometimes still miss storms and showers. Even if we could tell where it was going to come down (or not), there are things about rain we tend to overlook. Doodlers get raindrop shapes all wrong, for instance. We ignore that rain has changed elections, societies, and wars. We mightn’t understand that pruny-wet fingers could be an ancient rain adaptation, or that “raining cats and
dogs” isn’t what other cultures say. And we may not know that the rain falling on our faces today may have wet the faces of our most ancient ancestors. Maybe because it’s as refreshing as its title, or maybe because it reminded me of spring, but “Rain: A Natural and Cultural History” made me very happy. That stuff that falls from the sky isn’t strictly what this book is all about, though. Author Cynthia Barnett also touches upon history, biology, Earth science, global warming, and
JOHNSON’S BEACH CAMPGROUND May Long Weekend
“FAMILY CAMPING ONLY” • NO tents allowed • NO campers under the age of 25 (unless accompanied by an adult) • NO EXCEPTIONS We appreciate your co-operation and hope to provide a safe and fun weekend for all.
FEES: • Groups: $22.00 per Unit or $100.00 minimum • Non-Serviced Sites: $20.00 per day • Serviced Sites: $22.00 per day Johnson’s Beach Campground is located on Red Deer Lake. From Ponoka, it’s 33km east on Highway 53 and 6km north on Rg Rd 221. From Bashaw, it’s 7km north on Highway 21, 8km west on Highway 53 and 6km north on Rg Rd 221.
all kinds of tiny facets of culture. We’re sprinkled with delightful surprises, as well as terrifying tales of draughts and floods, then introduced to majesty on one page and destruction two pages later. That, for sure, is not all wet. This book practically screams for weather fans to own it. It’s filled with fascinating knowledge, no matter where you live. Whether your pray for precipitation or curse it, “Rain: A Natural and Cultural History” is awash with goodness.
“Rain: A Natural and Cultural History” by Cynthia Barnett c.2015, Crown $25.00 / $29.95 Canada 368 pages
Cynthia Barnett Photo courtesy of Jennifer Adler
Ponoka Drop-In Activities 5015 – 46 Avenue
Drop-ins welcome at all events. Regular Jam Session every Saturday at 1:00pm
May 3 Country Blend 7pm - tickets avail. now $20. Contact Doreen 403-783-3805 or Drop-in exec. PONOKA ART CLUB CLASSES Classes held at Drop In Centre - 10am - 4pm Cost $25.00 paid at class Contact Lyla Lang Langford 403-783-1887 or Bernice Edwards 403-783-6858 Billiards - Weekdays 1:00pm. Mon through Sat – 50 cents per game. Honour system Monday Bridge 1:00pm Monday Whist - 1:30pm Monday Yoga - 6:30pm Tuesday Canasta - 1:00pm NEW PROGRAM Tuesday & Thursday Exercise class 9:30am Tuesday Shuffleboard - 7pm • FINISHED UNTIL FALL ON APRIL 28 Wednesday Sewing Guild 9:30am to 4pm Wednesday Cribbage 1:00pm Wednesday Yoga - 6:30pm Wednesday Duplicate Bridge 7:00pm Thursday Floor Curling - 1:00pm • FINISHED UNTIL FALL ON APRIL 30 Thursday Weaving 1:00pm Welcome to drop-in to see how it’s done Thursday Bridge 1:00pm Thursday Pickleball 7pm - contact Janice Mackie 403-396-4315 for location Thursday Art Club Drop In Noon to 4pm Friday “500” 1:00pm Saturday Yoga 9:30am Memberships available for 2015 - $10.00 per person. To rent our facility contact Dorothy @ 403-783-3027 or George @ 403783- 3514 or leave a message @ 403-783-5012. Rentals are increasing and we would like to invite our town administration, business groups, and general public (Wedding, funeral, and Birthday groups), to inquire about rentals services and prices early in their planning. We may fit your bill!
PONOKA NEWS 29
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Scuba divers clean up Ponoka’s reservoirs BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Ponoka’s drinking water reservoirs underwent important maintenance last week to ensure the town’s water stays clean. Aquatech Dive Services was hired to conduct water reservoir cleanup at the Town of Ponoka’s water reservoirs with much of the time being spent at the Lucas Hieghts Pump Station. The company spent some time Monday, April 27 explaining what it takes to clean the one million gallon tank. “We’re taking a look at the floor for any cracks, any pop outs. Same with the pillars and the walls,” explained dive supervisor Steve Berube. While the idea of being a scuba diver brings out the adventurer in a person, Aquatech’s work is really about proper maintenance and cleaning of reservoirs. Their job is assisted with high tech underwater video equipment that gives them and clients a direct look at the infrastructure.
He says cleanup of these reservoirs is important and while the town’s reservoir is relatively clean, he has come across some where the sediment is a couple of feet deep. “We recommend a schedule of every three to five years to have them inspected at least.” Diver Priscilla Hamilton has been certified as a diver for a year and she says visibility can be minimal if there is a lot of sediment. “It is really easy to get lost in a tank,” said Hamilton. “You just kind of have to constantly remind yourself which wall you’re up against,” she added. The only real source of light is from the helmet, which illuminates the way for a diver, who can then track cleanup. “You wouldn’t want to continuously keep changing your direction,” she explained. Divers go into a tank with full body scuba gear, weighing in at approximately 100 pounds, and a large helmet to allow constant airflow, said Berube. They are able to speak with the dive supervisor and even listen to music
Priscilla Hamilton, a diver with Aquatech Dive Services, monitors the cleaning of the town’s water reservoir Monday, April 27 at Lucas Heights. The company uses a special underwater camera system to monitor clean up. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
while conducting the work, usually for a three-hour stretch. To ensure no contaminants enter the water, divers’ skin is completely covered and their gear is sanitized before entering a reservoir. The Lucas Heights reservoir is relatively large
measuring in at approximately four metres by 40 metres by 40 metres. The water is about three metres deep, explained Steve Wass, waterworks foreman for the town. He recently ordered a mixer that will be placed in the middle of the reservoir. Wass says this mixer creates
a healthy flow of water that ensures cleaning chemicals do not sit stagnant. “If you have that stuff in suspension in the water, that’s when you have trouble with your chlorine doing its job,” explained Wass. Berube said some of the more interesting items he has
found in other reservoirs over the years have been bugs, a mouse, a wallet, half of a rifle and a broomstick. Hamilton said she once found a wrench that had to be pried off the floor. Work on the Lucas Heights reservoir was estimated to take three days.
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30 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Victims Services hosts awareness barbecue
Ponoka Victims Services hosted a barbecue and candlelight vigil Thursday, April 23 at the Kinsmen Community Centre for Victims of Crime Awareness Week. Here Althea Lewis plays the piano during the vigil. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Ponoka Victims Services (PVS) hosted a barbecue
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Thursday, April 23 to raise awareness of the National Victims of Crime Awareness week. The awareness campaign was set for the week of April 29 to 25 and Miranda Pinksen, executive director with Ponoka Victims Services, said the barbecue was intended to increase engagement in the community. “We’re more of a behind the scenes service in the community,” said Pinksen. PVS advocates are all volunteers who take time out
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of their lives to help people in various emergencies. They will help victims in times of crime, fire, accidents and other areas where they are needed, said Pinksen. “Our services are pretty vital to support the victims through the process of what’s happened,” said Pinken. There are times that advocates have helped a victim from the onset of a tragedy all the way to the final verdict in court. Help could be as small as finding a room for someone at a hotel in the event of a minor accident but also for serious matters. “We’re trained in the event of homicide,” she explained. “We have a lot of resources here in Alberta,” she added. Funding for victims services in Alberta comes from a portion of tickets and fines made in court. The money goes to a “victims of crime” fund and is used from there. Pinksen said she was able to take advantage of a federal grant to host the barbecue. She feels the positive impact from advocates is hard to measure because their role is important. Becoming an advocate does take a few months as there is a high level of training provided to ensure advocates can manage most emergency situations. Pinksen says one of the benefits of being an advocate is being part of a team that helps people in need. “It’s the camaraderie that you get from the board and from your advocates as well,” said Pinksen.
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PONOKA NEWS 31
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
It's no fun being an Albertan But it could be, if Alberta establishes a new economic vision based on the well-being of its citizens Mark Anielski Troy Media Columnist
According to Statistics Canada, Alberta ranked 7th overall in life satisfaction with Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan ranking No. 1 and No. 2. Edmonton is ranked 30th and Calgary 23rd among 33 Canadian cities, in terms of life satisfaction in the most recent survey measuring Canadian happiness. Hard to believe, isn't it? After all, at $84,390, Alberta has the highest per capita income in the nation. Now look at these figures: • One in five working Albertans (20 per cent) earns less than a living wage ($15/hour); • The average Alberta household debt is $124,838, adding strain to family life and unnecessary stresses on the healthcare system; • 21.1 per cent of Albertans experience of lot of stress in their lives (Alberta ranked 10th among the provinces and territories), with Newfoundland being the least stressed province (15.2 per cent experience stress); • Only 63.6 per cent of Albertans felt a strong sense of belonging to their community. That placed us 12th, just ahead of lowest-ranked Quebec. Nunavut has the highest sense of belonging.
DO YOUR PART
RECYCLE
Let's not forget our unfunded social and human capital liabilities, either. Our First Nations, for example, are living in poverty and hopelessness with high rates of suicide. The Genuine Wealth Institute has estimated that the province's Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a broad measure of societal well-being (what I like to call the Happiness Index), declined 0.5 per cent per year between 1961 and 2003. Meanwhile, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita increased steadily by about 2.2 per cent per year. I guess it's true that money can't buy happiness. Today, in the midst of another provincial election, maybe it is time to move on to a new aspirational vision for Alberta. It would be based on individual and collective "happiness," using our
abundant natural assets (oil, gas, agricultural land, forests and clean water), our human capital, our social capital (relationships, trust) and our entrepreneurial spirit to build a better, more just economy. But using a wellbeing-based investment approach to governing the province would require establishing a new strategic vision for the future. Maybe the past can offer us some guidance. When Peter Lougheed was elected premier in 1971, he led his team with a new vision for Alberta that included championing the oil and gas industry and developing the oil sands. But his vision also included collecting a fair share of royalties based on the value of oil and gas sales and putting aside 30 per cent or more of this money in Alberta's Heritage Savings and Trust
Fund. He did this to ensure Albertans received an appropriate return-on-equity for our natural resources. During the Lougheed years, royalties on oil and gas averaged 27 per cent of their value. Unfortunately, beginning in 1985 the rate of return to Albertans from oil and gas sales has been steadily falling, reaching its lowest level during Alison Redford's tenure. The Alberta government (as do all governments in Canada) currently operates without a balance sheet, so my first recommendation would be that we conduct a review of the real total wealth held by the province. That review will give us the tools to properly manage our natural capital and optimize our human and social capital assets as well. It could be a gamechanger for the province.
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Alberta could become a model economy of well-being following the lead of China and Bhutan which have both adopted a new economic paradigm based on well-being and happiness. The Chinese model is based on the ancient Confucian idea of "xiaokang," which means "a society of well-being" where economic growth is balanced with sometimesconflicting goals of social equality and environmental protection. Given the present unhappy state of our province's well-being, I encourage all Albertans to ask their candidates dur-
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Mark Anielski is an economist and co-founder of the Genuine Wealth Institute, an economic think-tank whose mission is to provide practical ideas, analytics and solutions for businesses, communities, and nations in building the new economy of well-being. Mark served as senior economic advisor to China between 2003-2007 and is an economic advisor to Bhutan. Deb Stevens
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ing the provincial election if they would support an economy of well-being that would create a much better future for our children and grandchildren.
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32 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
PAECS seeing continued growth at ag event centre The Alberta Barrel Racing Association (ABRA) finals continues to be a big draw for the ag centre. “We’re thrilled to have the ABRA. They’re our biggest customer and they signed a five year lease,” said Jones. This year’s AGM was a little different than last year’s as the financial statements do not include the operation revenues and expenses as that belongs to the Ponoka Agricultural Society (PAS). Operations and staff salaries belong to PAS to take advantage of provincial grants available to agriculture societies. Revenues up for the centre Revenues for the building at the end of September 2014 were at $970,594 with expenses coming in at $817,605. The difference left the ag centre with a surplus of $152,989
BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
It has been another good year at the Calnash Ag Event Centre and the proof is in the financials as presented during the Ponoka Ag Event Centre Society’s (PAECS) annual general meeting. PAECS president Terry Jones told attendees at the AGM Monday, April 27 that he is proud of the growth the ag centre has seen. He said managers Joyce Vold and Dennis Pugh have done so well that the centre has only two weekends available for 2015. “It’s pretty awesome to be booked up,” said Jones. A big project the association will be working on in the near future is fundraising for a roof to connect the barn and the main arena. He feels joining the two buildings will bring new events to Ponoka during the winter months.
Gord Parker, accountant with Rowland, Parker and Associates (standing), speaks to attendees of the Ponoka Ag Event Centre Society AGM Monday, April 27. (l-r) Watching on are Cec Dykstra (secretary/treasurer), Terry Jones (president) and Sherry Gummow (vice-president). Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
explained Gord Parker, accountant with Rowland, Parker and Associates.
CALNASH AG EVENTS CENTRE MAY
CALENDAR
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY 1
3
4
Parkland Area Alberta Dressage Assoc. - Dressage Daze III
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6
7
8
9
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Barrel Practice / World Series of World Series of 4H Achievement 4H Beef Show & Sale Barrel Practice / @5pm - Barn Open Ride 9am-8pm Open Ride 9am-1pm Team Roping @4pm Team Roping @9am Day Setup - Barn Open Ride 1pm-4pm Open Ride 9am-4pm Barrel Practice / Open Ride 9am-1pm Silver Valley 4H Open Ride 1pm-4pm Arena 7-9pm
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11
17
Can Am Barrel Classic @9:30am
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Black Elk Cutting
18
Victoria Day ARENA CLOSED Ground Prep
25
ARENA CLOSED Ground Maintenance
35TH ANNUAL SUMMER MACHINERY CONSIGNMENT AUCTION FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015 • RIMBEY, ALBERTA
SATURDAY
4 H Beef Achievement Day Setup - Barn Parkland Area Alberta Dressage Assoc. Dressage Daze III
Team Roping Canada ARENA CLOSED @9am Silver Valley 4H Arena 7-9pm
a goods and services tax adjustment. Canada Revenue Agency proposed to disallow $487,576 in Input Tax Credits that were previously claimed, the
2
PAADA Move in
Please check website regularly for further information & updates as info is ‘Subject to change’
Despite that, there is some interest on the capital debt at the building and PAECS had a shortfall of $66,452, just under half of which was due to
Barrel Practice / Can Am Barrel ARENA CLOSED Barrel Practice / Barrel Practice / Open Ride 9am-1pm Open Ride 9am-8pm Open Ride 9am-1pm Barrel Classic Setup Classic @9:30am Open Ride 1pm-4pm Open Ride 1pm-4pm
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ARENA CLOSED Ground Prep
26
ARENA CLOSED Ground Maintenance
20
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Black Elk Cutting Move in
Black Elk Cutting
27
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Barrel Practice / Aurora Move in Open Ride 9am-8pm
22
Black Elk Cutting
29
Aurora Arabian Horse Show
23
Black Elk Cutting
30
Aurora Arabian Horse Show
31
Aurora Arabian Horse Show
www.ponokaageventcentre.com 403-755-8490 | 3611 Hwy 2A, Ponoka BREAKFAST & LUNCH SERVED MONDAY – FRIDAY 7AM – 2PM
Selling equipment to all four Western provinces and the Northern USA. Listings are now being accepted for the Summer Machinery Consignment Auction. All items must be listed by Tuesday, May 19, 2015 to be included on our Sales Posters, Newspaper, Radio Advertising, Web Page and extensive mailing lists. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO CONSIGN CALL:
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maximum expected liability is $32,300. The other expense is from interest and bank charges. Despite the difference, between PAECS and PAS operating, the society is still seeing a positive revenue of $86,537. PAECS’ cash position at the end of its fiscal year – Sept. 30, 2014 – was $356,073, just over twice the figure in 2013, which was $174,886. Youth rodeo school One area that Jones feels PAECS is short on is having a youth rodeo school. He suggests a rodeo school in one or two week courses would be ideal for the ag centre. “My goal is to buy a set of bucking shoots and start having some rodeo schools for the youth and teach them the right way to ride,” said Jones. He feels there is a wealth of knowledge in Ponoka that could provide valuable experience to young rodeo athletes. “We have the local guys around town that have the expertise,” he said. Other events such as the Festival of Trees and recent bull sales have proved to be successful events at the centre, he added. The Festival of Trees is set to occur at the centre again this year. continued on page 33
PONOKA NEWS 33
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Slow noise Plant 2015 continues south of the 49th parallel with some activity here in Western Canada but things have been slowed by some sporadic, cooler, wetter weather (a mini-blizzard in southern Manitoba!). The U.S.D.A.’s progress report is showing us that corn sowing is slightly behind schedule with the southeast and eastern regions way behind. As a result, even the seed companies are admitting that prospective corn acres there could be switched over to soybeans or sorghum as the optimal yields window passes. Conversely, U.S. spring cereal seeding remains ahead of schedule and the U.S. win-
ter wheat crop did enjoy the rain it got in mid-April but the portion of the crop rated good-to-excellent continue to fall in major growing states in the southern plains. Overall, some of the noise currently playing with traders’ and farmers’ emotions includes updated weather reports, rumours of more labour strikes in South America, lower feed demand in the U.S. because of a bird flu making the rounds, and crop-killing rain in parts of India. As we’re heading into a year where growing conditions remain relatively alright, the supply-side argument looks to be wellbacked in the form of more
big numbers. Some people are starting to compare the phase of the commodity cycle to that of the 1980s where margins were similarly tight (albeit interest rates are significantly different than back then). On that note, we are also using more technology on the farms these days, which is relatively increasing production come harvest time. So while there’s argument that this a good thing for the rest of the world as more and more farmers employ new, but expensive technologies that produce more and more food, it also means that food prices will fall, leaving the aforementioned margin smaller and
Another good year at Calnash Ag Centre continued from page 32 Directors exceeded terms of service One issue that requires attention is that the bylaws of the organization may have been violated by the length of the term served by some of the directors on the PAECS board. On July 18, 2008 the society was formed with board members being allowed two terms of service. A term of service is set at three years. The bylaws state that: “Board members may serve on the board for a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms.” The board consists of four partners: the Ponoka Stampede and Exhibition Association (three members), PAS (three members), the Town of Ponoka and Ponoka County (both one member) and one more member at large representing the community. PAECS has not had a member at large for some years. PAS members of the board, Cec Dykstra and Sherry Gummow and Stampede members Jones,
This paper is
1Re0cyc0la%ble
Dale Olsen and Danny Jones were members since PAECS was formed. It is believed their terms of service ended July 18, 2014. Jones said a new policy and procedures committee has been formed to discuss potential changes in the bylaws. “We’ve been meeting the last month and the policy and procedures committee has been going over the bylaws and setting the policy.” He added that much has changed since the board was formed and the committee, along with a lawyer, will put forward suggestions to the PAECS board as to how to proceed. Jones is in favour of keeping existing board members. When asked if there is a benefit to changing directors, he disagreed. “The members we have now, they’re all in it for the same reason. It’s to make this the best facility in Can-
ada,” said Jones. He likened keeping the same directors to the Ponoka Stampede and Exhibition Association and the success they have had over the years. “We have such a good board right now.” Looking for a member at large The last member at large was Don Letwinetz, who left a few years ago. Jones said it can be a challenge to find someone willing to put in the hours. The board has advertised for the position but a suitable candidate has not been found. “You’ve gotta be community minded and willing to volunteer,” explained Jones of the position. He says while attending meetings is one part of the job, it’s also working closely with the staff and working to fundraise for PAECS.
Jim E. Lysons,A. L. S., P. Eng. ALBERTA LAND SURVEYOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER R.R. #3, PONOKA, ALBERTA T4J 1R3 SUBDIVISIONS, PROPERTY BOUNDARIES, ROAD & DITCH DESIGNS, MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT
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smaller. Alas, this can push more people out of farming (a la the 1980s) but I’m confident that we run our operations more proactively these days between penciling out our costs of production and locking in profit as it becomes available (“make sales when you can, not when you have to!). The good news is that countries like Saudi Arabia and China are abandoning their self-sufficient agricultural policies, relying on those who are the best in the world as providing them food security. Let’s keep things relative though – the market will continue to move regardless of your margin. Some of these moves are legitimate fundamental factors. For example, the most recent StatsCan report shows that 19.4 million acres of canola will get planted this spring, versus expectations of around 20.3 million. Other acreage differences were more pulses (no surprise there), more flax and way more oats and barley year-over-year. Comparably, when little things like the aforemen-
tioned “noise” happens, the market gives a knee-jerk reaction to the aforementioned noise. This in mind, managed money is sitting at or near record short positions on the futures board, and some would consider that to be a contrarian indicator that we have bottomed out and there’s only upside here. It also brings back the argument that if there is any significant weather risk (i.e. continuous rains slowing down Plant 2015) or increasing geopolitical risk (i.e. another Arab Spring in Egypt), the market will rise and managed money closing out of short positions could accelerate a rally. That being said, these sort of rallies should be identified as opportunities – traders look at it as “buy the rumour, sell the fact” where a farmer should think of it as “sell the rumour, profit on the fact”. To growth, Brennan Turner President, FarmLead.com Brennan Turner is originally from Foam Lake, SK, where his family started farming the land in the 1920s. After completing his
FARM LEAD
Brennan Turner degree in economics from Yale University and then playing some pro hockey, Mr. Turner spent some time working in finance before starting FarmLead.com, a risk-free, transparent online and now mobile grain marketplace (app available for iOS & Android). His weekly column is a summary of his free, daily market note, the FarmLead Breakfast Brief. He can be reached via email (b.turner@farmlead. com) or phone (1-855-3327653).
Ponoka County PUBLIC NOTICE
DUST CONTROL PROGRAM 2015 County residents requiring dust control on roads adjacent to their property can select either calcium chloride or oil to be applied to the road surface. This season there will be a subsidy of $250.00 available per applicant. The County will supply the grader to do the work and any water or gravel that is necessary to make the application work. Calcium Chloride will cost $1.25 per foot (plus GST). Minimum of 400’ required. Oil is $6.00 per foot (plus GST). This amount will vary as supply demands change. Minimum of 400’ required. If you are interested in this service, arrangements for stakes to be picked up and payment for the application can be made at the time of the request with Lorna at the Ponoka County Office. For further information phone 403-783-3333 Ponoka County 4205 - Hwy 2A Ponoka, AB T4J 1V9
34 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Canadians keep donating
Investing our hearts in champagne BY DAVID WHITE
BY KIM INGLIS
For the third year in a row, Canadians have been more philanthropic than the year previous. According to the most recent BMO Charitable Giving Poll, 84 per cent of Canadians made a charitable donation in the past 12 months with the average gift being $624 - an increase of 8 per cent from 2013. And, Canadians want this generosity to continue its upward trend. When asked about their 2015 plans, 90 per cent expect to make donations totaling $720. Interestingly, many also use their philanthropy as a teaching tool. Another 2014 survey, commissioned by Imagine Canada, examined both generosity and attitudes about charitable donations. It found that one-third of donors wanted to set an example for their children or others about the importance of giving back. While these data all bode well for the less fortunate, giving can also help the charitable organizations and donors. Cash donations are still the most popular way of giving, but both charity and donor can ben-
efit from more tax efficient ways of achieving their philanthropic goals. Gifting publicly listed securities, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to registered charities is one way. A donor who sells the shares of appreciated securities, and donates the cash, is taxed on capital gains. However, if the shares are donated directly, the charity issues a tax receipt based on the fair market value of the securities. The charity gets the full value of the shares and the donor gets a full value tax credit without the imposition of capital gains taxes. Efficient philanthropy is also achievable with RSPs, where the donor names a charity as beneficiary of their registered plan. On death, the balance of the plan transfers directly to the charity, and the estate receives a tax credit for the value on disposition. This can offset taxes on final income and effectively bypass probate fees. Flexibility is another advantage because the donor can change the beneficiary if circumstances change. Similarly, insurance can be used with a charity named as beneficiary. When
VJV MARKET REPORT MARKET REPORT APRIL 22, 2015
On Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 2510 head of cattle went through our rings & 122 head on the Canadian Satellite - TOTAL - 2632
SLAUGHTER CATTLE D1 - D2 cows D3 - D4 cows Good Holstein cows Medium Holstein cows Heiferettes Bologna Bulls
135.00 -148.00 115.00-133.00 130.00-145.00 108.00-122.00 145.00-160.00 165.00-190.00
Feeder bulls 180.00-200.00 Good Bred Cows 2200.00-2800.00 Older Bred Cows N/A Good Bred Heifers: 2200.00-2500.00 Cow/calf pairs (younger) 2850.00-3400.00 Cow/Calf pairs (older) N/A
the donor passes, the charity receives the policy’s cash surrender value plus any net accumulated dividends and interest. The resulting tax credit can be applied to a final tax return. Donor Advised Fund funds set up endowments wherein the donor makes an irrevocable contribution of cash and other assets, which are invested to maximize the worth of the donation and increase its value. Investors can set grant recommendations and choose which registered charities receive donations. In return they are provided with an immediate tax benefit that can be carried forward up to five years, and they have a continuing philanthropic legacy. Those wishing to donate to a charity but still needing income can use a Charitable Remainder Trust. Assets are transferred into a trust and the donor gets an immediate tax benefit. The donor receives lifetime income and the charity receives the assets when the donor dies. Kim Inglis, CIM, PFP, FCSI, AIFP is an Investment Advisor & Portfolio Manager with Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, a division of Canaccord Genuity Corp., Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund. www.reynoldsinglis.ca. The views in this column are solely those of the author.
“Here you have this wonderful, miraculous thing, with hundreds of thousands of little tiny bubbles that are defeating gravity and exploding in this gentle fragrant foam on the lip of the glass. There is something beautiful – in a kind of giddy way – about just the sight of Champagne.” It was slightly surprising to hear wine importer Terry Theise make this statement. Since the dawn of global wine consumption, large producers like Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot have dominated the Champagne market. These companies purchase their grapes from thousands of growers across the region to deliver a consistent product each year – and spend millions trying to convince us that their wines are best enjoyed when celebrating. Theise has spent the past 20 years urging Americans to ignore these companies and instead drink “farmer fizz,” or Champagne produced by the farmers who grow the grapes. And he’s worked harder than anyone to dispel the notion that Champagne should only be consumed on New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and other special occasions. But Theise recognizes that Champagne carries an emotional charge. There is, to put it simply, something
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MAY 13/15 - TOWN OF PONOKA BIKE SALE Vold Jones & Vold Auction Co. Ltd. | Dawson Creek Auction Vold Jones & Vold Co. Ltd. © 2006 4410-Hwy 2A, Ponoka Alberta, Canada, T4J 1J8
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special about Champagne. As Theise writes in his most recent catalog, “we invest our hearts in it.” Theise and I connected because I wanted to find out why he started importing Champagne. Theise first brought in wines from the region in 1997. He was already a well-known importer of serious wines from Germany and Austria, countries that were – and still are – curiosities for most Americans. Convincing consumers to drink grower Champagne must have seemed like yet another Sisyphean effort. After all, while the region and its wines were always associated with prestige and luxury, only serious wine enthusiasts knew that top Champagne was on par with the finest wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. For good reason, everyday Americans poo-pooed Champagne. The good stuff was too expensive – and rarely seemed worth it. The imitation Champagne served at weddings – think Cook’s and cheap Prosecco – was, well, gross. Theise’s professional history with Champagne dates back to the early days of his relationship with Odessa Piper, the well-known restaurateur and chef. When they began dating, Piper lived in Wisconsin and Theise was settled in Washington, D.C. “As happens in longdistance relationships,” he explained, “you have a lot of misery and heartbreak when you’re apart. But when you come together, it’s a big celebration. So we quickly ran through all the grower Champagnes that were available in the U.S. market and I found myself thinking, ‘Is this really all? There have to be more good growers than this.’”
This paper is
1Re0cyc0la%ble
So Theise planned a trip to Champagne with Piper, armed with advice from other serious wine geeks. “This was all personal,” he continued. “All I wanted to do was to buy some Champagne to ship back to myself so I’d have stuff in the cellar to open up with Odessa. So we visited a number of producers. And I came away with my mind expanded – I had not realized the profound degree to which Champagne was a wine of terroir, just like every other wine of Northern Europe.” By the conclusion of his trip, Theise decided to add Champagne to his import portfolio. And slowly but surely, he found an audience for his new offerings. Consumers appreciated the fact that these wines had personality – and couldn’t be found at the local corner store. Sommeliers appreciated the opportunity to advocate for Champagne at the dinner table. Sales for Theise really began to take off in 2003 – and the growth has been impressive. While growers accounted for just 0.62 percent of America’s Champagne market in 1997, they now account for about 5 percent of it. That percentage continues to rise. And overall shipments of Champagne to the United States have been climbing steadily since 2009. Theise doesn’t like the fact that large Champagne producers have relegated their wines to “beverages of ceremony,” but only because their marketing “presumes that ceremonies are few and far between.” As he explained, “there are weekly, if not daily ceremonies.” Champagne warrants such romanticism, especially from Theise. Shortly after that first trip to Champagne, Theise and Piper tied the knot. David White is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com, which was named “Best Overall Wine Blog” at the 2013 Wine Blog Awards.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
PONOKA NEWS 35
36 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Swinging into another golf season
Treena Mielke On The Other Side
Visualize! Work hard! Dream and plan and you can make it happen! This is what they say, and whoever they are, it seems their word is law, especially if you believe their words to be true. Being somewhat of a dreamer, sometimes daring to imagine great things which I have learned, much to my chagrin, more often than not don’t materialize, I view the above with more than a little bit of skepticism. Take golf. I have visualized the ball sailing effortlessly down the fairway, disappearing into a green that is
barely visible to the naked eye. I have imagined me on the golf course, producing deadly chips and stellar putts with a simple flick of the wrist. In my mind I have made impossible shots, out of the trees, out of the sand and out of other places where
the average golfer would dare not tread. Yes. I have worked hard. Taken lessons. Practiced lots. And then I have dreamed that I was good; very, very good! The end result! I became discouraged,
PONOKA LIONS CLUB
disillusioned and, decided to follow up on the worstcase scenario and my worst game, ever. I gave up golf! Last year, I went out only once with my sevenyear-old granddaughter. And to prove my point, she beat me. But, as we all know, hope springs eternal and when golf season rolled around this year, I had this ridiculous thought. I want to try again.
Weird! I called my nephew who is the best golfer ever and whose love of the game is truly contagious. Without even trying, he makes golf fun, not only for himself, but also for whoever is lucky enough to be with him. I decided if I was going to golf badly and hang my head in shame, I wanted to be with him, because he would still say something like, “thanks for coming,
Treen, we’ll do it again soon.” He would not mention the word ‘loser’. He said (and I quote) “I would love to golf with you” and I was immediately so excited, I forgot to finish unloading the dishwasher. “Yes,” I shouted! “I love golfing.” Of course, I had to find my clubs, which had long been buried in a corner of the garage, forgotten, neglected and covered with a layer of dust. I arrived at the golf course, breathless and slightly early, surprising everyone, including me. And it turned out there were four of us; my nephew, his son, and his dad – three generations of darn good golfers. And then, bringing up the rear, golfing from the ladies tees, running and slightly breathless and trying to keep up. There was me! I had some good shots and some bad shots, but, overall, it was the best game ever and it had nothing to do with the score, really. It was the cool guys I was out with. True, their golf shots were awesome, but that wasn’t what made them winners in my eyes. It was the way they made me feel like a winner. Therefore, I have decided I will not be a quitter, either. And, I will be back!
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN! PONOKA LEGION &
SILENT
AUCTION
12th Annual Giant Indoor Garage Sale on Saturday, May 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
A huge selection of items including furniture, radios, kitchen utensils, dishes, toys, glassware, tools, clocks, home decorations and many more. Ponoka Lions Club member Bob Peters is preparing to ship 1600 pairs of used eyeglasses to be to be cleaned, sorted by prescription and distributed to people in need in developing countries. Thanks Ponoka for your support.
“Help Us - to help our community”
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Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Sports
PONOKA NEWS 37
Junior Locos lose to Barracudas and Renegades BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
Carson Barnes of Jr. B Lacoka Locos battling with the goalie of the Lethbridge Barracudas for the control of the ball during their regular league game at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Centre on Saturday, April 25, coinciding with Ponoka Lacrosse Day involving many regional teams in a weekend jamboree. Photo by Mustafa Eric
The first two home games of the Lacoka Locos junior team proved a tough challenge as they lost both games. The first game for the Tier II junior team was Saturday, April 25 at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex against the Lethbridge Barracudas. The Locos lost 17-3 with goals for the local side coming from Brennan Elder, Braeden Grant and Dustin Bell. The Locos had a total of 36 minutes of penalties while the Barracudas had 14 minutes. The next day the Locos played the Red Deer Renegades losing 5-8. A final score sheet was not available at press time. The Locos’ next home game is Saturday, May 2 against the Okotoks Ice at 6:30 p.m. at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Centre. Lacoka Bantam wins against Olds The Lacoka Strand Media Bantam team had a strong weekend against the Olds Stingers. Their first game was at home April 25 where Strand Media won 12-5. Top scorers
were Josh Green (3), Myles Pallister (3), Adam Warner (2), Jordan Henezi, Coulson Pike, Wyatt Petrie and Ryker Klassen. Their second game at Olds proved even better. Strand Media defeated the Stingers 15-2. Top scorers were Josh Green (6), Racheal Wood (3), Tanner Bell (2), Adam Warner, Caleb Andrew, Coulson Pike and Joel Hollingsworth. Team manager Roben Green said the team had strong success with passing. “We have a great group of kids with lots of talent and it is awesome to watch them all grow, learn, and play,” said Green. Lacoka Novice wins against Red Deer The Lacoka Locos Novice team played well against the Red Deer Chiefs novice at home April 25. Lacoka won 3-1 with scorers being Wyatt Avery (2) and Noah Cooper. Coaching staff are working closely with experienced and first-year players to gain confidence in the game, says manager Deanna Bloomquist. “Our small Novice team have a great group of coaches that are teaching the kids the basic skills of lacrosse,” she said.
Wolf Creek badminton play downs begin BY JEFFREY HEYDEN-KAYE
More than 80 players competed in the Wolf Creek North Badminton playdowns Tuesday, April 21 with players from grades 7 to 9. Players competed in singles and doubles events, said organizer Phillip Hambly. “The tournament was hosted in three different schools with Grade 9s competing at Rimbey Jr/Sr High, Grade 8s competing at Ponoka Secondary Campus and Grade 7s competing at St. Augustine School,” said Hambly. He said the top four players or teams in each grade advanced to the Wolf Creek finals, which was held Tuesday, April 28. Players at that event can also advance to the CWAJHAA championships, which is set for May 8 and 9.
Hambly says this is a Gold – Paige Jensen fun event for top players and Colter Bresse (Crestofrom these schools: Bluff- mere) ton School, Crestomere Grade 8: School, Ponoka Secondary Boys Singles Campus, Ponoka ChrisGold – Noah Hackett tian School, St. Augustine (St. Augustine) School and Mecca Glen Girls Singles School. Gold – Madison “Skill levels can range McLaren (Mecca Glen) during this event, but all Boys Doubles participants always show Gold – Riley Fillinger great sportsmanship and and Brennan Waldron provide a great effort,” said (Mecca Glen) Hambly. Girls Doubles Results: Gold – Caley Hofstra Grade 7: and Chelsey Johns (RimBoys Singles bey) Gold – Aldrine Perez Mixed Doubles (St. Augustine) Gold – Marcelle Louis Girls Singles and Jaymee Klinger (St. Gold – Mackenzie Gil- Augustine) lard (Crestomere) Grade 9: Boys Doubles Boys Singles Gold – Mathias Sandin Gold – Michael AbaBadminton doubles partners (l-r) Karlene Riley and Sarah Nagel, of Rimbey Jr/ and Erik Mathieu (Mecca dilla (St. Augustine) Glen) Girls Singles Sr High School, play a tough bronze medal match in the Wolf Creek playdowns Tuesday, April 21. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye Girls Doubles Gold – Shae BoyGold – Alysha Balatbat es (Bluffton) and Angela Ahn Abadilla Boys Doubles Glen) ley and Alison Walker Gold – Lucas Oppel (St. Augustine) Gold – Hayden Krzywy Girls Doubles (Bluffton) and Emma Bendera (St. Mixed Doubles and Evret Fillinger (Mecca Gold – Megan SmawMixed Doubles Augustine)
WANT TO KNOW IF THE LIONS COMMUNITY BUS IS AVAILABLE?
C heck O ut
our Bus Calendar at ponokalions.ca
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38 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Horse show performance: The American Saddlebred Association of Alberta held its Spring Fling Horse Show at the Ponoka Calnash Ag Event Centre Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 26. Approximately 190 entrants, mainly from across Alberta, participated in the show. Photo by Amelia Naismith
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PONOKA NEWS 39
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Diploma exam changes will more accurately assess student learning SUBMITTED BY DAN SVITCH
For teachers, parents and school communities it is our honour to be given the privilege of preparing future generations for the world they will inherit upon their graduation. Creating the best environment in which to foster excellence and achievement is a firm commitment of STAR Catholic Schools. And, we believe that environment was made even better by a Government of Alberta announcement on March 16, 2015, that informed Albertans of forthcoming changes in the weighting of grade 12 diploma exams. In the past, diploma exams were weighted 50/50 in combination with inclass teacher assessments, the combined grade making up a student’s final mark. Education Minister Gordon Dirks announced that starting September 2015, diploma exams will be worth 30 per cent of a student’s final mark, putting a greater weighting of 70 per cent on the teachers’
in-class assessments. The changes will be made to all core subjects in which provincial diploma exams are written — Math, Science, English and Social.
fact, it was STAR Catholic Schools that put the ASBA motion forward, and we were very pleased to see the overwhelming majority support it received from
To be clear, modifying the diploma exam weighting does not lower the bar of expectations. In fact, 30 per cent is still a very substantial portion of a student’s final mark. This is an issue in which STAR Catholic has taken a lead advocacy role, and one we know will result in a more accurate reflection of a student’s knowledge and skills in a subject area. The move follows on the Alberta School Boards Association’s (ASBA) decision at their most recent Annual General Meeting to go on public record as supporting the 30/70 reweighting of diploma level courses. In
other school boards across the province. Learning is so much more than simply recalling facts and figures, names and dates. Although that has a proper place, successful learning includes the development of skills needed to thrive as an adult. Those skills, which are not always best or readily assessed on a diploma exam include: collaboration, innovation, communication, critical thinking and
PONOKA LIONS CLUB CASDDA Canadian Search and Disaster Dogs Assoc. Come and see rescue dogs at work – demonstrations at Centennial Park
Sunday, May 31 starting at 1 p.m
problem-solving, and the ability to present and represent complex ideas to others. Those competencies are acquired in day to day pursuits of the classroom, and are valuable to a student’s education and the creation of a 21st century Alberta. In examining the vision of Inspiring Education (the government’s long-term vision for Alberta’s education system), the shift in weighting of the diploma exams is better aligned with the spirit of empowerment and trust that underwrites that vision. It speaks to the confidence we have in the teachers who work with our children on a daily basis, as being the profes-
sionals best equipped and positioned to accurately assess a student’s understanding and mastery of the curriculum. To be clear, modifying the diploma exam weighting does not lower the bar of expectations. In fact, 30 per cent is still a very substantial portion of a student’s final mark. Instead, the modification represents a more appropriate reflection of what a student actually knows and is able to do. Alberta is proud of its reputation across Canada and internationally as an educational leader and we are certain that reputation will only continue to flourish and be improved upon. At STAR Catholic
Schools, we aim to grow a student in body, mind and spirit. The change to diploma exams aligns with those values, as a student is still expected to perform well on a standardized test, but knows that the hard work and academic achievement they put forth throughout the year carries genuine value. Dan Svitich dan. svitich@starcatholic.ab.ca is a Ponoka Trustee on the STAR Catholic Schools Division Board. STAR Catholic Schools has more than 3,300 students in 10 schools located in Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Leduc, Lacombe, Ponoka and Wetaskiwin.
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PONOKA REC HOCKEY Wants to say
THANK YOU! • To OUR COACHES for all your hard work & donating your time • To OUR REFEREES for a job well done • To all OUR PARENTS for your commitment • To all THE KIDS for working hard on the ice
See you all next year !
Fish Derby • 15 years and younger • Cash prizes
Sunday, May 31 starting at 1 p.m at Centennial Park
Ponoka Rec Hockey Association AGM is Thursday, April 30 at 7:00pm Upstairs at arena
40 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Five steps to encourage an attitude of gratitude in our children BY MONISHA VASA, M.D.
My brain knows that gratitude is important. I know when I am in a state of gratitude — aware of my blessings, small and big, I feel happier and less alone. I feel more connected to the people around me, and my life experiences. I feel in my body a life force greater than myself. But my heart can find it difficult to stay in a sustained place of gratitude. Rather, it is a practice of reminding myself over and over, to start, over and over. Sometimes that means making lists of things I am grateful for at the end of each day, or at least at the end of the week. Sometimes that means taking a deep, conscious breath before I get out of bed and put my
feet on the floor. I am learning to practice gratitude as an adult. But what would it be like if we could introduce the concept of gratitude to our children when they are young? If gratitude just became a part of their vocabulary, a daily habit like brushing their teeth or eating dinner? If they can experience the magic of gratitude early, perhaps the practice wouldn’t feel so challenging or foreign to them. Here are five steps to encourage an attitude of gratitude in our children: 1 Start with cultivating your own gratitude practice: If we believe in the value of being thankful for all that we are blessed with, our vision starts to shift. We start to see the potential value or gift, even in difficult
life experiences. Children tend to follow what we do, even more than what we say. If our children see us connected and thankful, that energy will flow downstream towards them. 2 Vocalize gratitude as part of an everyday conversation: Say it out loud. “I really appreciate being able to watch you play in your soccer game.” Or, “We are so fortunate to have and share this meal together.” Making it a point to express our thankfulness out loud can increase our joint awareness. The more we say it loud, the more we feel it in our bones. 3 Discover gratitude even for the small things: Children inherently are excited about both little and big things in life. Encourage gratitude for the small,
mundane parts of life, not just the exciting Disney World moments. As we adults know, much of life is a day in, day out, routine. The trick is to see the beauty and wonder even in another day at work, or another morning of dropping the kids off to school. Sometimes, on difficult days, all we might be grateful for is
another day on this Earth, or the beating of our heart. That is more than enough. 4 Encourage downtime for reflection: If we are moving at breakneck speed, it is hard to slow down enough to notice what there is to be grateful for. Noticing is the first step towards counting our blessings. Encourage lots of time
for quiet, rest, and reflection. A good time is the end of the day, perhaps before or after a night time story. Ask your children questions about the enjoyable and difficult parts of their day, the “highs” and the “lows.” This can encourage a dialogue about both gratitude, as well as the struggles they are currently experiencing.
5 Acknowledge the reality of their emotional experience: Kids, just like adults, won’t feel grateful for everything, all the time. It is a practice for all of us. Sometimes, we need to feel through the anger and sorrow of an experience, before we can come to a place of gratitude. Otherwise, our gratitude becomes hollow, artificial. Allow your children to feel what they feel, with adequate time and space. When the time feels right, see if there is an opportunity to include gratitude in the conversation. Perhaps our practice
of gratitude is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves. We start to see all that is alive and breathing in our world, all of the collective energy and wisdom we are a part of. Whether we are grateful for our breath or another day, or whether we are grateful for a vacation or a yoga class, it is all important. We notice our life, and all of the details, and allow that noticing to sink into our lived experience. If we can start this practice and conversation early, with our children, we take advantage of their young, resilient minds. Gratitude becomes something we
share with them, deepening our understanding of them, and deepening our connection to them. More than that, we can encourage skills that will last them a lifetime, enhancing their own sense of wellness in this world. Monisha Vasa, M.D. is a board certified General and Addiction Psychiatrist in private practice. She resides in Orange County, CA with her husband, two beloved children and two English Bulldogs. Dr. Vasa is the author of the new non-fiction children’s book, My Dearest One. For more information, please visit www.mindful-healing.com
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Celebrating Moms Everywhere We celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, originally created to thank mothers for everything they do for their families. The meaning behind this special day has remained unchanged over the years and gifts, flowers, cards, dinners, brunches and lots of affection are showered on mothers everywhere
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Grad 2015 Show support to the 2015 St. Augustine grad class this year and congratulate them on all of their efforts and success.
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Best Wishes Class of 2015! This section will show support to the grads and congratulate them on their efforts and success.
Publishes: June 3 Deadline: May 22 Noon
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Obituaries
Arnold Feragen 1918 - 2015 After a valiant and long fought battle against old age, the family of Arnold Feragen announce the passing of “Grandpa” at the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at the age of 96 years. Arnold was born in Hay Lakes, Alberta on December 18, 1918 to his parents Ole and Sofia (neé Bakken) Feragen. Arnold will be lovingly remembered and missed by his son Ken (Sharon); 5 grandchildren: Trevor (Julie), Clinton (Lisa Rose), Shenoa (Travis Gislason), Clayton, and Whitney; and by 6 great-grandchildren: Owen, Karlee and Kendra, Hayden and Mia, and Damon. Arnold started his married life working the family farm in Hay Lakes until illness curtailed that endeavour. After a long recuperation Arnold moved his family to Red Deer where he worked for a short while. They moved east of Ponoka (where Gladys was born and raised). He worked for various farmers as a farm labourer. In 1959 he worked at the Ponoka Mental Hospital on the hospital farm for about two years. He later worked briefly for the town of Ponoka. Around 1963 Arnold started to work for Albert Stickel as apprentice plumber. He later obtained his plumbing ticket and worked for Stickel Plumbing until his retirement in 1983. Arnold spent many hours of his retirement at the Leisure Lanes Bowling Alley. He bowled in the golden age bowling league until a broken hip stopped him. Arnold’s greatest joy was his grandchildren whether he was watching them playing hockey or figure skating or just having them around. Later he was just as proud and entertained by his great-grandchildren who also played hockey, lacrosse or danced. Unfortunately he never got to get to know his last great-grandson very well but he loved him as much as the others and got to hold him and be with him at Christmas. Arnold was predeceased by his wife Gladys on July 31, 2009. He was the last and longest lived of the eleven Feragen siblings. He was predeceased by his parents, two sisters and eight brothers. Since Arnold loved animals, whether it was the teams of horses he used to farm with, or dogs that he owned over the years or the two kitty’s he had as best friends for many years until his passing, any memorial donations can be made to the S.P.C.A. or donors choice in lieu of flowers. The family would like to thank F.C.S.S. for the years of care they provided that allowed Arnold to remain in his home for as long as he was able. Also we are thankful for the excellent care dad received at the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre. Thank you also to Dr. Bunting for putting up with Arnold’s “Norwegian stubbornness and humor” over the years. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, May 8, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at the Ponoka First Baptist Church with the Interment Service following later that day at the Zion Church Cemetery. To express condolences to Arnold’s family, please visit www.womboldfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements Entrusted To PONOKA FUNERAL HOME ~ A Wombold Family Funeral Home ~
Obituaries
Marie O. Thompson On April 24, 2015 Mrs. Marie Thompson of Ponoka passed away at the age of 86 years. She will be lovingly remembered by her children David, Wayne (Joanne Seefried), Larry (Loretta “Ski”), Valerie Dillen (William), Ryan (Ayla), and Cathy Hansen (Martin Malterer); grandchildren Dean (Lana), Duane (Danielle), Craig, Christine (Don), Curtis, Jason, Micheal (Margaret), Amy, Devon (Amanda), Lisa (Nicholas), and Keith (Kayla); and great-grandchildren Eli, Liam, Daniel, Chevy, Cruz, Emily, and Aliyah. She was predeceased by her husband Vern, son Kevin, and daughter-in-law Cathy. A Funeral Service will be held at the Ponoka Funeral Home at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2015 with the Interment Service following at the Forest Home Cemetery. Memorial donations are gratefully accepted to the Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation or any charity of your choice. To express condolences to Marie’s family, please visit www.womboldfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements Entrusted To PONOKA FUNERAL HOME ~ A Wombold Family Funeral Home ~
FIPKE (nee Walker) Gayle Belle Gayle Belle Fipke (nee Walker) passed away peacefully April 23, 2015 at the age of 82. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 50 years, Leonard (2001) and son, Brian (1953). She is survived by 5 children, Dwaine (Jeannette) Fipke, Deborah (Charles) Johnson, Theresa Giganti, Brenda (Suresh) Ganpatt and Gwen Fipke, 14 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Funeral service will be held at the Lacombe Memorial Centre on Monday, May 4th at 11:00 am. Refreshments provided after the service and interment will follow at the Rutherford Cemetery. Donations to the Lacombe Hospital Long Term Care Unit in lieu of flowers are requested. Condolences may be made by visiting www.wilsonsfuneralchapel.ca
In Loving Memory Sheila Janet Kraft Born August 11,1956 Passed away peacefully on April 20, 2015 at the age of 58, in the Lamont Care Centre. She will be lovingly remembered by her son Robert (Tanya) Kraft; grandchildren, Chris, Kelsey and Ashlynn; her mother Dorothy; sisters and brothers, also her loving partner Al Taylor. She will be sadly missed by many. There will be no service at this time, a memorial will be held at a later date.
VANSTONE Raymond Allan Raymond Allan Vanstone passed away at Rimbey Long Term Care Centre on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at the age of 57 years after a bout with cancer. He is lovingly remembered by his father, Stanley Vanstone of Wetaskiwin; his mother, Janice Tytler Vanstone of Sylvan Lake; his sisters, Sharon Deines of Parksville, BC, Susan Swarbrick of Sylvan Lake, AB; his brothers, Doug Tytler of Rimbey, AB, Jim Vanstone and their spouses; his daughter, Amy Piper of Terrace, BC; as well as several nieces and nephews and numerous friends. Raymond was predeceased by his sister, Gail Vanstone. Rest In Peace. Interment of cremated remains will take place later in the year. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.myalternatives.ca.
WILSON’S FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM
serving Central Alberta with locations in Lacombe and Rimbey in charge of arrangements. Phone: 403.782.3366 or 403.843.3388 “A Caring Family, Caring for Families”
CLASSIFIEDS
Celebrate Your Marriage
1-877-223-3311
With a Milestone Announcement • 1.877.223.3311 Remember to share the news with your friends & family!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
42 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
announcements In Memoriam
Coming Events Anniversaries
#50 - # 70
In remembrance of Anita Smith April 29, 2014 Not for herself but for others she lived, not to receive but only to give. A special person, a special face. A special someone we cannot replace. Sad are the hearts that love you, silent are the tears that fall. Living life without you, is the hardest part of all. May the winds of love blow softly, and whisper for you to hear, That we will love and remember you, and forever keep you near.
CONGRATULATIONS
Gordon and Verna Schalin Wedding Anniversary 29 April 2015. With best wishes from friends and family.
So dearly loved, so sadly missed Love Dad and Mom and families Lovingly remembered always
Announce your
Special Day in the Classified Announcements
In Memory of Anita Smith April 29, 2014
Auntie Of all the many blessings However great or small to have had you for an aunt Was the greatest one of all The family chain is broken now and nothing seems the same But God takes us one by one, the chain will link again.
In Loving Remembrance WILLIAM (BILL) BOWIE October 25, 1939 - April 25th, 2010 You were a very SPECIAL MAN And you were loved so very much, And you brought so much happiness To the many hearts you touched. You were always kind and caring And so understanding too, And if help was ever needed It so freely came from you. You were a gift to all of us And you brought joy to everyone, And life has never been the same Ever since you have been gone. Love from, Marie Dan & Sandy Kim & Allan Luke & Carley & Families
Celebrations
What’s Happening
Card Of Thanks
Thank you to all, for the kindness, prayers and hope during Jane’s journey. Your support has been greatly appreciated. To Jack, Judy, Fred, Jean, Doug, Cody and Bonnie for the many rides to see Jane. Jo Rodney, Linda, Marie, Luke and Carly for the comfort you delivered. The Seafield Morningside Community. Jo Nichols for the wonderful supper after the funeral. Many thanks to Rev. Donna Willier, Rev. Dr. Doreen Scott for the service. The Ponoka Funeral Home, Sheila Van Astyne (singing), Dick Cameron (piping), Betty Chernoff (eulogy), Margeret, Courtney and Bonnie (readings), Jody, Marlene and Jean (casket spray), Jane’s siblings (pallbearing), Susan Clayton, Katie Hobart, Matthew, Jim, Sam, Jeremy and Peter Wallis. Bob & Company Catering (lunch), Loyal Order of Moose (hall), The Wolf Creek Bus Crew (Jane’s Bus #3), The Red Deer Hospice Society. As well as the many flowers and donations made in Jane’s memory. Special thanks to Diane and Jeni. Charlie Bowie
Arts & Crafts Shows ..................50 Class Registrations....................51 Coming Events ..........................52 Lost ............................................54 Found ........................................56 Companions ..............................58 Personals...................................60 Bingos........................................64 Fitness & Sports ........................66 Happy Ads .................................70
Coming Events
52
SORRY
HAPPY 18th Mr. Bean (Brady)
Just had a baby?
Love Mom, Baylee , Lisa
Tell everyone with a Milestone Announcement
CENTRAL Alberta Singles dances at Royal Canadian Legion Innisfail Hall May 9: Flashback Freddie, May 23: Randy Hillman and Hot Spur, June 27: Phil Wayne. Music 8 pm - 12 am. Everyone welcome 403-341-7653 403-304-7440 FORT MACLEOD 70s Reunion. Sept. 11-13/15. The grooviest party ever! If you attended F. P. Walshe between 1969 and 1980, Register Now on Facebook (Fort Macleod 70s Reunion) Box 2496, Fort Macleod, AB, T0L 0Z0. GRIZZLY BEAR TOUR. Experience a one day fly and cruise adventure to Khutzeymateen, BC this summer. Calgary and Edmonton departures. 1-866-460-1415; www. classiccanadiantours.com.
the Scott School Meetings Spring AL-ANON WEEKLY MEETING FOR FRIENDS AND Poker Rally FAMILY OF ALCOHOLICS. Tuesdays 8 p.m. is cancelled Neighborhood Place 5110 - 49 Ave., Ponoka Hope to see you For more info 403-783-4557 all in the fall!
59
BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS
Garage Sales Ponoka
Garage Sale Thursday, Apr. 30 • 1 - 6 pm Friday, May 1 • 10 am - 5 pm Saturday, May 2 • 10 am - 5 pm
Mentors make a
difference 403-783-3112
4 miles east on Hwy. 53 - 1 ½ miles south on Range Road 251 Toys, many antiques, old records. Masey Ferguson 18hp garden tractor with rototiller. You name it – we got it!
59
Meetings
Thank you to family and friends for you warm thoughts, well wishes, flowers and donations. Also to the many people who travelled for Travis’ memorial service. Words cannot express our gratitude and appreciation during this trying time. Special thank you to the R.C.M.P. - both Cutknife, Sask., and Ponoka detachments, Victims Services, Ponoka Funeral Home, Seafield Ladies Association, The Raspberry Patch for the wonderful biscuits, Bob Ronnie Catering, the Moose Hall, and Shalaine Hancik for the beautiful songs. Lastly to my children and grandchildren for the support and help. We could not have got thru this without you. Sincerely Grace and Eugene Normand
52
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tuesday, May 12 • 7:00pm At the hockey lounge in the arena If you attend the meeting you will receive 1 hr. off per child of volunteer hrs.
www.skateponoka.ca
Fitness & Sports
66
Celebrations DROP IN to celebrate Stan Dedio’s 84th Birthday at Ponoka United Church, Saturday, May 2nd from 1 - 4 p.m., 5020 - 52 Street, Hall 1, NW door.
JOIN TODAY AND GET 30 DAYS *
FREE
Book Your FREE No Obligation Consultation
Say more with an Announcement
1.877.223.3311
Classified Memorials: helping to remember
Disclaimer: *Enrollment fee required. Offer expires 5/31/15 and requires joining same day as first visit for a minimum 12-month recurring billing contract. Enrollment fee and monthly fees vary by location. Valid for new Curves members only. Not valid with any other offer or discount. Valid at participating locations only. No cash value. **Curves Fitness members on average lose 5 lbs. over a 20-week period.
5016 50 Street
403-783-3537
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
59
Meetings
Meetings
PONOKA NEWS 43
59
Medical
790
MEDICAL AL-ANON WEEKLY MEETING THURSDAY AA Meetings at 8:30 p.m. in the TRANSCRIPTIONISTS FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF ALCOHOLICS. Catholic Church basement. are in huge demand! Train 52 Street & 52 Ave. with the leading Medical Tuesdays 8 p.m. Ponoka. Transcription school. Learn Neighborhood Place 403-783-4347 from home and work from 5110 - 49 Ave., Ponoka 403-783-3442 home. Call today. For more info 403-783-4557 1-800-466-1535; www.canscribe.com. info@canscribe.com.
ALATEEN
Weekly meetings Tuesdays @ 8 p.m. Neighborhood Place 5110 - 49 Ave. Ponoka For more info. 403-783-4557 or 403-783-8371
Oilfield
800
Employment #700 - #920
EXPERIENCED LABOURERS and HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS REQ’D. Must have all safety tickets. and valid drivers license. Competitive wages. Call 403-502-1091
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Monday night meetings at the Anglican Church Ponoka 8:30 p.m. Phone 403-783-0719 for info.
52
Coming Events
Professionals
810
for our Sobeys Liquor Stettler location!...... Sobeys Liquor is offering an exciting opportunity to kick off your management career. As the ideal candidate, you have excellent people and communication skills, strong knowledge of financial management, a focus on, and a passion for, engaging your customer. Sobeys offers comprehensive full-time benefits, pension contributions and matching, as well as a competitive compensation package. Please submit resume by: e-mail: swcbjobs@sobeys.com fax: 780-447-2960 or: Drop off in store. Closing Date: May 11, 2015
Teachers/ Tutors
840
Trades
850
Lunch Menu Breakfast Sandwiches
FREE COFFEE MAY 6 For tables or more information call
403-783-6776 Clerical
720
Phone: 780-389-3344 Fax: 780-389-3318 sales@trikezone.com
Truckers/ Drivers
WETASKIWIN READY MIX We’re Growing & Extremely Busy!
Now Hiring
Administrative Assistant Inclusive Learning Services, Division Office For further specifics on the above position, please visit Wolf Creek Public Schools’ website at www.wolfcreek.ab.ca, or contact the Division Office at 403-783-3473.
Al York
General Manager Cell: (403) 783-0593 Bus: (403) 843-3700
Rimbey, AB
Fax: (403) 843-3430
ANIMAL SERVICES
• MIXER DRIVERS Minimum Class 3 with air.
5410 - 50 Street, Wetaskiwin or email dmarkevich@wrmconcrete.com
or Fax (780) 352-1607
PLUMBING
720 Ponoka Victim Services Employment Opportunity Administrative Assistant (Part time, 10 hours per week)
Ponoka Victim Services is a not for profit organization working in partnership with Ponoka RCMP Detachment. This position assists the Executive Director with administration, scheduling & coordination of volunteers, maintaining resources, correspondence and assists with special events and fundraising initiatives. We are seeking a dynamic people oriented mature individual who is able to: • Work within RCMP operational policies and procedures • Has strong computer literacy with excellent written and verbal communication skills • Ability to take initiative and work independently, solution oriented, well organized • Promotes positive and harmonious interaction and relationships between staff, program volunteers, program supporters and the RCMP members.
The successful applicant will report to the Executive Director and be required to: • Pass and maintain an enhanced reliability security clearance through RCMP • Complete all basic training through Solicitor General & Public Security • Flexible work hours which may include occasional evenings and/or weekends
Wolf Creek Public Schools invites applications for the following position:
Rimbey Implements Ltd.
860
Equipment Operator
Clerical
Wednesday, May 6 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Ponoka Arena Curling Rink
Required for busy Trike and Bike shop. Must be a team player and be able to think outside the box. Resume required:
Please apply with resume & current drivers abstract
Q Endorsement preferred. Competitive Wages & Benefits. Fax resumes & ref’s to: 403-343-1248 or email to: admin@shunda.ca
First market of the Season!
Motorcycle Technician
SHUNDA CONSTRUCTION Requires Full Time
PONOKA Farmer’s Market
AG EQUIPMENT
WANTED!!
WANTED:
Store Manager
GPRC, Fairview Campus, requires Heavy Equipment Technician Instructors to commence August 15, 2015. Visit our website at: www.gprc.ab.ca/careers for more information!
12345
850
Trades
Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter accompanied with a current resume to: Attention: Ponoka Victim Services P.O. Box 4068 Ponoka, AB T4J 1R5 or by email to ponokavictimservices@shaw.ca Application Deadline is: Monday May 11, 2015 We thank those in advance for their interest however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. No phone calls please.
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
A & J AUTOMOTIVE A & J AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR 6701 - 46 Ave. 6701 46 Ave. Ponoka, AB - T4J 1J8 Ponoka, T4J 1J8 (403)AB783-8755 (403) 783-8755 Al Dickhaut Owner/Operator Al Dickhaut Owner/Operator
CUSTOM SPRAYING
Craig Fenske
CUSTOM SPRAYING Licensed pesticide applicator Competitive rates
403-704-0660
44 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
PLUMBING SHANDALL PLUMBING LTD. JAMES AVERY “Reasonable rates on all your plumbing needs” Gas Fitting - Home Renovations - Drain Cleaning -24 HOUR SERVICE5306 - 60 ST, PONOKA, AB T4J 1K7 PH: (403) 783-6372 • FAX (403) 783-6345
BOBCAT SERVICES Sur-B Enterprises Ltd.
BOBCAT SERVICE • Snow Removal • Driveways & Parking Lots • Post-Hole Augering - 6, 9, 12, 15 • Corral Cleaning • Grading & Construction Call Jim Ashbough 403-783-2764 or Cell: 587-729-0092 Call Jim Ashbough 783-2764 or Cell: 588-0599 Jack Surbey 783-5283 Cell: 588-0597
OVERHEAD DOORS
www.doorsondemand.ca
403-963-5000 LANDSCAPING TREES
Trades
850
CANADIAN Enviro-Tub Inc. is currently accepting resumes for the following positions: Journeyman or Apprenticeship Welders. We offer competitive wages, exc. benefit pkg. & a positive work environment. Please e-mail resumes to help@enviro-tub.com or fax 403-742-5239 or drop off in person at #10 19447 Hwy 12 East, Stettler, AB. JOB HUNTING? Read the Classifieds. 1-877-223-3311.
Professionals
Trades
850
SHUNDA CONSTRUCTION Requires Full Time
Carpenters
Competitive Wages & Benefits. Fax resumes & ref’s to: 403-343-1248 or email to: admin@shunda.ca
Business Opportunities
870
SAWMILLS from only $4,397. Make money & save money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. Free info & dvd: www.NorwoodSawmills.com/400OT. 1-800-566-6899 ext. 400OT.
Classifieds Your place to SELL Your place to BUY
810
SUMMER READING PROGRAM COORDINATOR Ponoka Jubilee Library requires a Summer Reading Program Coordinator to oversee a ‘Play!’ themed program that encourages reading in school-aged children throughout the Summer months. Beginning in June, this 12 week posiƟon is 35 hours/week, focusing on the planning, adverƟsing, preparing and developing of the twice weekly programs for children ages 5-12, with occasional clerical duƟes being assigned. Applicant must be a post-secondary student, study in a related Įeld is an asset. Applicant must have enthusiasm, the ability to interact posiƟvely with children, and good organizaƟonal and computer skills. Go to www.ponokalibrary.prl.ab.ca for a full job descripƟon. Please email resumes with cover leƩer, as aƩachments to Jaclyn Berry, Library Manager at jberry@prl.ab.ca. Closing date: May 1, 2015 We thank all those who apply, but only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.
Volunteers Wanted
890
VICTIM SERVICES ADVOCATE POSITIONS AVAILABLE: UNLIMITED
Specializing in Colorado Blue & Green Spruce. Also offering a variety of caliber deciduous trees. Schubert, Royalty, Mountain Ash, Weeping Birch, Norland Apple, Green/Black Ash and many more.
Ponoka- located 1.5 Miles North of High School Phone (403) 783-5072 Cell: (403) 704-5384 www.brtrees.com
BOTTLE DEPOT
PONOKA BOTTLE DEPOT Open Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Closed Sundays & Holidays We Now Recycle Milk Cartons for Deposit
3, 5520 Hwy 2A (Across from Husky)
403-783-6875 SALES & SERVICE
Motorcycles & ATV’s Tues - Fri: 8:30 am-5:30 pm Saturday: 9 am-3 pm
403-783-5185 1-800-662-7135 Fax: 403-783-4635
Victim Service Advocates assist victims of crime or tragedy. Advocates may provide support through telephone contact, home visits, court accompaniment or directly assisting RCMP members in circumstances of tragedy or severe stress and trauma. Volunteer roles and responsibilities are contingent upon training and experience. Duties and Responsibilities: • Make contact with victims of crime, offering assistance and support through phone or correspondence and face-to-face. • Provide crime prevention resources to prevent further victimization and encourage proactive community involvement. • Directly assist Police members were victims of crime experience severe stress and trauma; particularly, where there is no family or friend support base available. (i.e. Sudden deaths, suicide, armed robbery or sudden infant death) • Inform Victims of Crime of their Rights and the importance of Victim Impact Statements. • Provide follow-up assistance regarding status of a case, stolen property or court proceedings. • Assist victims of crime with court preparation in order to facilitate familiarity with court procedures in order to alleviate potential fears and concerns. • Assist Victims of crime through the court process by accompanying them to provide moral support. Skills Required: • Reside in the area served by the RCMP Detachment • Demonstrate calm, pleasant, and efficient telephone manner • Demonstrate customer service habits and ability assist clients in a personable satisfactory fashion • Ability to understand the mandate and services of the RCMP, as well as the hierarchical chain of command and make appropriate referrals within that structure • Excellent grasp of English language • Solid writing and verbal communication skills • Demonstrate ability to maintain strict confidentiality • Punctual and dependable • Self-motivated and ability to take appropriate initiative • Familiarity with Community Resources • Demonstrate ability to work as a team player • Must attend all required training events • Ability to learn computer programs as required Locations: Contact: Ponoka RCMP Detachment Miranda Pinksen Box 4068 403-783-6539 5120 – 50th Avenue 403-783-4472 Ponoka, AB T4J 1R5 ponokavictimservices@shaw.ca
880
Misc. Help
Employment Training
900
OLDS Gymnastics club is MEDICAL TRANSCRIPcurrently looking for both TION! In-demand career! Competitive level 1 NCCP Employers have or higher and Recreational work-at-home positions coaches for Sept/2015. available. Get online Please send resumes to training you need from an info@oldsgymnastics.com employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855-768-3362 to start Employment training for your work-at-home career Training today! MEDICAL TRAINEES needed now! Hospitals & doctor’s offices need certified medical office & administrative staff! No experience needed! We can get you trained! Local placement assistance available when training is Business Services completed. Call for #1000 - #1430 program details! 1-888-627-0297.
900
HOW can you make your READ THE CLASSIFIEDS & phone ring and make some find just what you’re looking quick cash? Place your ad here . . . for. 1-877-223-3311 Phone 1-877-223-3311
880
Misc. Help
Immediate Opening for
EAVESTROUGH WORKERS Seasonal/Part-time Ideal for summer student • Must have valid driver’s license • Physically Ät and must be able to work from ladders • Mechanically inclined • Good work ethics • Safety conscious
Please submit resume to: HEATING • A/C • EAVESTROUGHING
3912 – 66 Street, Ponoka, AB T4J 1J8 Email wcmltd@telus.net | Fax: 403-783-3531
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Construction
1085
NEW EDEN WORX - Mel Hanson -
• Renovation specialist • Project management consulting • Carpentry
Ponoka Based 403-302-7412 403-302-8729
1169
Fencing
FENCING - Farm $2100, Post & Rail TBN, you supply material, Matejo Contracting 403-340-8447 mlh2009ab@gmail.com
Landscaping
1240
REFORESTATION NURSERY SEEDLINGS of hardy trees, shrubs, & berries for shelterbelts or landscaping. Full boxes as low as $0.99/tree. Free shipping. Replacement guarantee. 1-866-873-3846 or www.treetime.ca.
Legal Services
1260
CRIMINAL RECORD? Think: Canadian pardon. U.S. travel waiver. Divorce? Simple. Fast. Inexpensive. Debt recovery? Alberta collection to $25,000. Calgary 403-228-1300/ 1-800-347-2540.
Misc. Services
1290
NEW BABY
Mature Full Time Maintenance Worker
Must have a vehicle Wages $14 - $15/hour depending on qualifications Contact Ernie @ Western Budget 780-335-6767 or Email: macejg@telus.net
Contractors
1100
Contractors
At Your House? It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon hostess. She will bring congratulations and gifts for the family and the NEW BABY!
1100
Kwik Kerb
Continuous decorative concrete borders Many colours, stamps and patterns. Landscape curb and edging for gardens, flower and rock beds
Check out our new continuous natural rock finish Call for a free estimate 403-783-6115 or 403-352-5372 (cell) kwikkerb@platinum.ca • www.kwikkerbparkland.com
Heather Goodwin 403-704-3647 heathermccg@shaw.ca GET BACK on track! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need money? We lend! If you own your own home - you qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877-987-1420; www.pioneerwest.com.
PONOKA NEWS 45
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Misc. Services
1290
NEED TO ADVERTISE? Province wide classifieds. Reach over 1 million readers weekly. Only $269. + GST (based on 25 words or less). Call this newspaper NOW for details or call 1-800-282-6903 ext. 228.
Personal Services
1315
HIP OR KNEE Replacement? COPD or arthritic conditions? The Disability Tax Credit. $1, 500 yearly tax credit. $15,000 lump sum refund (on average) Apply today! 1-844-453-5372.
Misc. Services
1290
Personal Services
1315
Pet Services
CLINKERS KENNELS
Unplanned pregnancy may be difďŹ cult to face. We care. For conďŹ dential help call 403-343-1611 (24 hrs.)
* Quality Boarding for your dogs & cats *Proof of vaccinations and advance bookings required HOURS: Mon - Thurs 9 am - 12 Noon; 4 pm - 6 pm; Fri. 9 am - 12 Noon; 4 pm - 7 pm; Sat. 9 a.m. - 12 noon; Sun. 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. & 4 - 7 p.m.
JOURNALISTS, Graphic Artists, Marketing and more. Alberta’s weekly newspapers are looking for people like you. Post your resume online. Free. Visit: awna.com/for-job-seekers.
Misc. Services
1290
1318
METAL ROOFING & SIDING. 30+ colours available at over 40 Distributors. 40 year warranty. 48 hour Express Service available at select supporting Distributors. Call 1-888-263-8254.
1430
Yard Care
THE ROTOTILLER GUY Garden Rototilling & Yard Prep. 403-597-3957
403-783-6272
www.clinkerskennels.ca
Rental Misc
New Appliances Needed?
1350
Need RV or Self Storage? 8’ X 10’ mini storage units available for rent. Also RV storage. Secure compound. Call Keith at
New, dependable, affordable Inglis & Whirlpool household appliances.
Berni's
First Call Towing
Refrigeration
783-3636
and Appliance Service
Buy & Sell #1500 - #1990 CLASSIFIEDS Sell it Best! To place your ad phone 1-877223-3311
Painters/ Decorators
Misc. Services
1290
Let us amplify your message!
1310
1530
AUCTION Sales Wed. @ 6 pm. Antique sales 1st. Sun. of the month @ 1 pm. Last antique auction for the summer May 3. Moose Hall 2 miles south of Ponoka on 2A WE BUY FOR CASH. 403-304-4791 Check website for full listings www.bigstrapperauctions.net
COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION. 8th Annual Calgary Collector Car Auction June 12-14, Indoors Convention Center Grey Eagle Casino. All makes & models welcome. Consign today 1-8880296-0528 ext. 102: EGauctions.com. UNRESERVED FARM AUCTION. Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. Antique tractors, horses, mini excavator, trailers, tools, boat, SUV, and more! Czar, Alberta. Scribner Auction 780-842-5666; www.scribnernet.com.
403-704-6554
1400
Painters/ Decorators
1310
for over 20 years!
1400
Well Drilling
ALBERTA
TALL PINE DRILLING LTD.
FREE ES ESTIMAT
100% ER
CUSTOM N SATISFACTIO
OVER 40 YEARS OF DRILLING EXPERIENCE
12345 Add this feature to your next career ad booking
Call for more details 1-800-282-6903 ext 235
Squeezthee MOST out of your advertising dollars Place your ad in this newspaper and12345 province wide $
995
• Submersible Pump Sales & Installation • Well Abandonments • Shock Chlorination • Backhoe Service
24 HOUR SERVICE TRUCK Domestic, Industrial & OilďŹ eld
24 HOUR Red Deer 403-343-6266 Bentley 403-748-2955 admin@tallpinedrilling.com
www.tallpinedrilling.com Welding
1410
Welding
1410
Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association toll free 1-800-282-6903 x228 email andrea@awna.com or visit this community newspaper
1400
Well Drilling
1400
Well Drilling
Tell them Danny Hooper sent you
)RON &ILTERS s 3OFTENERS s $ISTILLERS s 2EVERSE /SMOSIS h+ONTINUOUS 3HOKv #HLORINATOR 0ATENTED 7HOLE (OUSE 2EVERSE /SMOSIS 3YSTEM
12345 7ITHIN MILES OF %DMONTON 7ATER 7ELL $RILLING 2ED $EER #ALGARY .EW 'OVERNMENT WATER WELL GRANT STARTS !PRIL 4IME 0AYMENT 0LAN / ! # FOR WATER WELLS AND WATER TREATMENT
")' )2/. View our 29 patented and patent pending inventions online at
www.1800bigiron.com
RIMBEYDENTALCARE DR. STEVE CALDER BS C DDS
S
Family Friendly Dentistry
• Curio cabinets • Assorted oil lamps • Coins • Galvanized tub • Metal & wooden trunks • 1950’s chrome & arborite table • Records • Dressers & more! Upcoming Estate Sales
Box 1100 4905 50 St. Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0
DENTAL CARE BIRCHLAND DENTAL CLINIC PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY
4037835225 • 4037835235
May 24 – 12 noon at 5222 51 St, Ponoka June 7 – 12 noon, onsite auction west on Hwy 53 – see website for directions
5118 - 51 Ave., Ponoka, AB T4J 1R5
DR. HUGH PORTER • DR. RICK BARR • DR. JEFF BARR DR. GREG EDWARDS • DR. STELIAN LISMAN DR. DAVE CHORKWA
- General Dentistry - Orthodontics - Cosmetic Dentistry - Bonding - Veneers - Bleaching - White or Gold Fillings - Crown and Bridge - Implant Restorations
BIG STRAPPER AUCTIONS Linda Dunbrack 403-304-4791 (cell)
“WE ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOME NEW PATIENTS�
To view items: www.bigstrapperauctions.net Lunch will be available
EquipmentMisc.
Firewood
EYE CARE
1620
A-CHEAP, lowest prices, steel shipping containers. Used 20’ & 40’ Seacans insulated 40 HC DMG $2450. 1-866-528-7108; www.rtccontainer.com.
1660
LOGS
Semi loads of pine, spruce, tamarack, poplar. Price depends on location. Lil Mule Logging 403-318-4346
Ph. (403) 843-2173 Fax: (403) 843-2607
Drs. Heimdahl, ZoBell & Kallal 403-783-5575 1-800-662-7168 WWW.4YOUREYESONLY.CA
-
•
5120-51ST AVE, PONOKA
ADVANCED EYE HEALTH & VISION EXAMS CONSULTATION & REFERRAL SERVICES DESIGNER EYE WEAR & CONTACT LENSES INSURED MEDICAL EYECARE SERVICES NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL AGES
NEW PATIENTS ALWAYS WELCOME
OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday 8AM - 12:30PM • 1PM - 5PM
BOBCAT SERVICES
BRUCE’S BOBCAT
DO
Large & Small Jobs
PART
403-783-0663
ANYTHING ANYT & EVER EVERYTHING
YOUR
RECYCLE
YOUR
HEATING
“Committed to your comfort�
Robin Esau
Ph: 403-782-7722 Fax: 403-782-7499
robin@KlesAir.com www.KlesMechanical.com
1400
RURAL WATER TREATMENT (Province Wide)
DENTISTRY
N IQUE ALE Sunday, May 3, 1 pm Moose Hall
PAPER!
plus GST/HST
Value Ad Network
Well Drilling
1530
Auctions
Presented by
Interior & Exterior Painting Excellent workmanship Houses, decks, windows & trim Serving Ponoka Call Tim Greshner
• Water Well Drilling • Steel or PVC Casing • Pre Drilling Piles • Water Well Pump Testing & Monitoring
with a combined circulation of over 800,000 for only...
Auctions
Tim’s Painting
Well Drilling
We deliver & install your purchases.
403-783-4880
1370
Roofing
• B-PRESSURE • PIPELINE • OILFIELD • ASME Section VIII Division I VESSEL FABRICATION & PIPING • SHOP/PORTABLE • CNC PLASMA CUTTING • ALUMINUM • SHEARING & FORMING
MAIN: (403) 783-7591 FAX: (403) 783-8178 Website: www.harbinwelding.com E-mail: bharbin@telus.net
Advertise your business in the Business Directory!
46 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
HEATING & EAVESTROUGHING
Commercial - Residential Installations - Repair
3912 - 66 St, Ponoka www.wcmltd.ca
1680
BEAUTIFUL SPRUCE TREES. 4 - 6 feet, $35 each. Machine planting: $10/tree (includes bark mulch and fertilizer). 20 tree minimum order. Delivery fee $75 - $125/order. Quality guaranteed. 403-820-0961.
403.783.3501 wcmltd@telus.net
ROOFING
Agricultural #2000 - #2290
ROY’S ROOFING & SIDING • RooÀng • Siding • SofÀt • Fascia • Windows • Sheds
403-740-6081 VETERINARY SERVICES
Bovine Veterinary Services On-Farm Mobile Veterinary Services Ultrasound-aided ReproducƟve Programs CETA CerƟĮed Dairy and Beef Embryo Transfer Herd Health
Phone 403-391-1684 ʹͶ
Dr. Bruce Wine
TREE MULCHING Hillbilly Tree Mulching Ltd. • FENCE LINES • CUT LINES • POWER LINES • PIPELINES • BRUSH & BUSH • STUMPS
Farm Equipment ..............2010 Haying Equipment ............2020 Tractors ............................2030 Combines & Headers ......2040 Fertilizer Equipment..........2050 Misc. Farm Machinery ......2060 Equipment Wanted ..........2070 Farm Custom Work ..........2080 Farm Auctions ..................2090 Livestock ..........................2100 Livestock - Exotic..............2110 Sheep ..............................2120 Poultry ..............................2130 Horses ..............................2140 Horse Boarding ................2150 Riding Supplies ................2160 Horse/Stock Trailers ........2170 Pasture Wanted ................2180 Grain, Feed, Hay ..............2190 Seed Grain ......................2200 Seeding & Tillage ............2210
Farm Equipment
2010
FUTURE steel building, ready to be erected, 26’ x 25’ x 19’, located in Central AB, great for farm or small acreage, must sell, reduced $11,000 403-485-2532
Livestock
2100
BULLS FOR SALE • Red and Black Angus • Hereford • Yearlings & 2 Yr Olds
MULCHING TO SUIT ALL NEEDS
Doug Casey
Garden Supplies
Can do trees up to 15” wide
1.403.318.0498 1.403.358.0452
VETERINARY SERVICES
MATEJKA FARMS Mark 403-783-6389
12 Bulls For Sale
Registered Yearlings
Black Angus Southwest Industrial Park 4102-64 St., Ponoka 403-783-5200 8 a.m. - 5 p.m Mon. to Sat. • Open late Thursday 24-hour Emergency Call
• Dr. Kelly Loree • Dr. Leighton Coma • Dr. Trevor Hook • Dr. Jasmine Hardy
Call Jim (780)
387-6050
Misc. for Sale
Livestock
2100
Seed Grain
2200
PUREBRED red and black Angus bulls. 1 and 2 year olds. Semen tested and delivered. Vicwin Farms 403-784-3517, 403-318-7363.
SEED Barley & Seed Oats for Sale. 2 Row & 6 row high yielding varieties available. Suitable for grain or silage. High germination & vigour. Seed treating available. On Farm scale. Larry Trautman, BAR-DALE LIMOUSIN, 403-843-2733, ERSKINE, AB. Mark Trautman 40, two year old virgin bulls 403-704-3157 for sale at the farm. Fully guaranteed. Call Carole Barclay at 403-742-4825, Terry 403-740-5037 Ricky 403-740-5711. email bardale@xplornet.com FOR SALE. Simmeron Simmentals, fullblood full Fleckvieh bulls, yearlings and 2 year olds, polled and horned, A.I. bloodlines, very quiet, muscled. 780-913-7963; www. simmeronranch.ca. LIMOUSIN BULLS Polled Red and black two year olds and yearlings. Red Angus Yearlings. Semen tested. Combest Limousin Farm. (403)742-5211 SHORTHORN bulls for sale, reds, roans and whites, 2 yr. old yearlings. Semen tested and delivery within 100 miles. www.prospecthillshorthorns.com Les & Shelley Peterson, 780-877-2444.
Horses
2140
WE BUY HORSES: broke, un-broke, or unwanted. Jerry Dodds 403-783-0303
Grain, Feed Hay
2190
1ST. cut hay for sale, Phone 403-782-3149 or 403-350-8800 HEATED CANOLA buying Green, Heated or Springthrashed Canola. Buying: oats, barley, wheat & peas for feed. Buying damaged or offgrade grain. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan Feed & Grain, 1-877-250-5252. SEED GRAIN WHEAT CERT. HARVEST, REDWATER, FOREMOST BARLEY CERT. COPELAND, COWBOY, COALITION SEED,OATS SEED, FAVA BEANS PH. 780-855-2240, CEL, 780-678-6329 SELLING ORGANIC/ conventional Sweet Clover, Red Clover, Alfalfa, Smooth and Meadow Brome, Crestedwheat, Timothy, Sainfoin. Milk Vetch. Free delivery on larger orders! Pasture and hay blends. Birch Rose Acres Ltd., Star City, SK. Phone 306-863-2900; ivanaudrey@sasktel.net. SQUARE hay bales, horse hay quality, 90% meadow brome, 10% alfalfa, no rain, plus second-cut alfalfa. 403-741-4353
For Rent #3000 - #3200 Acreages/Farms ..............3010 Houses/Duplexes ............3020 Condos/Townhouses........3030 Manufactured Homes ......3040 Four Plexes/Six Plexes ....3050 Suites ..............................3060 Cottages/Seasonal ..........3070 Roommates Wanted ........3080 Rooms for Rent................3090 Motels/Hotels ..................3100 Offices ..............................3110 Stores/Commercial ..........3120 Industrial ..........................3130 Warehouse Space............3140 Garage Space..................3150 Storage Space ................3160 Land ................................3170 Pasture ............................3180 Mobile Lot ........................3190 Misc. for Rent ..................3200
Wanted to Rent #3250 - #3390 Acreages/Farms ..............3255 Houses/Duplexes ............3260 Suites ..............................3270 Rooms..............................3280 Manufactured Homes ......3290 Housesitting Wanted ........3300 Garage Space..................3310 Storage Space ................3320 Stores/Commercial ..........3330 Office Space ....................3340 Industrial ..........................3350 Warehouse Space............3360 Resorts & Cottages..........3370 Pasture/Land....................3380 Mobile Lot ........................3390
Acreages/ Farms
3010
FOR RENT
Mobile home with porch & carport plus pasture. N/S, no kids, no inside pets. Mature couple wanted. Available May 15 4 miles east of Ponoka on Hwy 53 – 1½ miles south RR251 Phone for appointment & viewing 7 – 9 pm 403-783-2453
This paper is
1Re0cyc0la%ble
1760
Houses/ Duplexes
3020
FOR RENT
RENTE
D
Small 2 bdrm bungalow Stove, fridge, washer, dryer Single car garage Available Immediately RIMBEY HOME FOR RENT - 5 bdrm, 2 bath, 5 appliance, fenced yard, oversized, double detached garage. Available immediately. Rent and DD are $1250, we require 1st month, last month and DD prior to move in and a 1 yr lease. A pet may be considered for an additional fee. 250-488-0025 or terisaad@telus.net
4 Plexes/ 6 Plexes
3050
B R I G H T , completely renovated 3 BRM in 4-PLEX With 5 appliances Heat & water included, N/P Available June 1
403-783-0471 3 BEDROOM IN 4-PLEX, IN PONOKA. 4 appliances. Close to swimming pool & seniors drop-in Centre, very quiet, mature tenants only 403-783-5493 RIMBEY: 2 bdrm., bright & open, incld’s heat & water , off-street parking, storage & onsite laundry, no pets. 403-843-4894
Suites
3060
FOR RENT
Quiet 1 bdrm suite on the main floor. Close to downtown, shared washer/dryer. Parking available, N/S, N/P.
403-963-0937 FURNISHED BACHELOR SUITE FOR RENT IN PONOKA. TV & utils. incld. $700/mo. 403-963-0204
$30 per week this space could be yours!
403-783-3311
* RIVERSIDE APTS. * Newly renovated 1 & 2 bedroom units in Ponoka: 3724-45 Street. 403-357-0287
Reached a Milestone?
Share it! 12345
Customizable and secure. From storage to workspace. Steel containers from 8' - 53'. 20' & 40' skids with optional 4' landings available. Mount with twist locks.
780 440 4037 | SEACAN.COM
Ponoka Veterinary Clinic Dr. Murray Jacobson Dr. Clayton West Dr. Ashley Shannon
Mon. - Fri. 8 am - 5 pm Sat. 9 am - 4:30 pm
24 Hr. Emergency 403-783-4348
5502 - Hwy 2A Ponoka, AB
T4J 1M1
THIS SPACE COULD BE YOURS FOR
$30
PER WEEK.
CALL 4037833311 PLUMBING
PONOKA PLUMBING & HEATING • JOURNEYMAN PLUMBER REQUIRED We now carry a complete line of Ritchie Stockwater parts 5110 -50 Street Box 4414 Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1R7
Hours of Business: Monday - Friday 7:30 8:00 am - 5 pm
JESSE ZINTER Office - 403-783-5489
WATER WELL DRILLING SERVICES
Darcy’s Drilling Services • water wells drilled & serviced • new pump & pressure system installations • all types of pump repairs • well shocking Darcy Schmidt Ph: (403) 783-2220 Fax: (403) 783-8828 Email: darcysdrillingservices@hotmail.com
Large 2 BDRM bsmt. suite in PONOKA incld’s util’s, washer/dryer, no pets, non partier, N/S. Working tenant only. Avail immed. 403-704-1645
Reaching 6000 households weekly
For just
VETERINARY SERVICES
1.887.223.3311
WATER WELL SERVICE
ECKLUND
Water Well Service • Install & Service Pumps • Shock Wells • Pressure Systems Serviced & Installed Home: (403) 783-3712 Cell: (403) 704-3413
Advertise your business in the Business Directory!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
PONOKA NEWS 47
4090
Manufactured Homes
Real Estate #4000 - #4190
Realtors & Services..........4010 Houses for Sale................4020 Houses Wanted ................4030 Condos/Townhouses ........4040 Acreages ..........................4050 Acreages Wanted ............4060 Farms/Land ......................4070 Farms/Land Wanted ........4080 Manufactured/ Mobile Homes ..................4090 Income Property ..............4100 Commercial Property ......4110 Industrial Property ............4120 Cottages/Resort Property ..4130 Businesses for Sale..........4140 Buildings for Sale ............4150 Lots for Sale ....................4160 Out of Town Property ......4170 Investment Opportunities ..4180 Mortgages Bought/Sold....4190
Businesses For Sale
4140
THE HEART of Every HIGH CASH PRODUCING Home is in its Kitchen. vending machines. $1.00 Kitchen specials starting at vend = .70 profit. All on $138,500. Upgrades location in your area. include full backsplash, Selling due to illness. Call stainless steel appliances 1-866-668-6629 for details. & more. For more informaWhatever You’re tion call United Homes Canada 1-800-461-7632 or Selling... visit our site at www. We Have The unitedhomescanada.com. CLASSIFIED Want Ads do more things for more people than any other form of advertising. Phone 1-877223-3311
Paper You Need! CLASSIFIEDS 1-877-223-3311
Mortgages Bought/Sold
4190
BANK SAID NO? Bank on us! Equity Mortgages for purchases, debt consolidation, foreclosures, renovations. Bruised credit, self-employed, unemployed ok. Dave Fitzpatrick: www.albertalending.ca. 587-437-8437, Belmor Mortgage
CALL NOW TO FIND OUT MORE
4090
20 X 80 MODULAR
4090
1980 14’ x 68’ SAFEWAY Canadiana, 2 bdrm., fridge, stove, washer, dryer, in the Rimbey mobile park. Immd. possession. $35,000. 1-780-465-7107
3 bdrms, 2 full baths, garage, covered deck, open floor plan. Picture perfect, like it just come off the lot.
Public Notices
1-780-352-1317
6010
6010
Ponoka County
Tour These Fine Homes
••••••••• Out Of Red Deer
4310
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Council of Ponoka County has been asked by Shawn & Lori Gartner to amend Land Use By-Law 7-08-LU as follows: Reclassify approximately 14.5 acres of the SW 25-44-27-W4 from Agricultural District to Country Residential Hobby Farm District to allow for subdivision of the rezoned area (1 new parcel to be created). Before considering the by-law, Council will hold a Public Hearing at which any person claiming to be affected may ask questions or make comments. This hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 in the Council Chambers of the County Administration Building. A copy of the proposed by-law may be inspected at the County Administration Building, Ponoka, Alberta during regular office hours.
WITH CLASSIFIEDS 1-877-223-3311
Call Audrey Bannister Public A.L.L. STARS REALTY LTD.
Public Notices
Directory
OPEN House! Thursday, April 30th, 1 pm - 7 pm. #53, Poplar Grove [6205 54 St. Ponoka]. Tired of renting? Own a new 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1520 square foot modular in Poplar Grove Village! Immediate occupancy available. Just $867/mth mortgage payment! Toll free 855.463.0084, online at www.jandelhomes.com or email us sales@jandelhomes.com
Manufactured Homes
Payments as low as $589.00 per month OAC
Open House
Amendment to Land Use By-Law 7-08-LU
Manufactured Homes
Immediate Occupancy available! New 3 bedroom, 1520 square foot modular for sale in Ponoka. Just $918/mth mortgage! Toll Free 855.463.0084, online at www.jandelhomes.com or email us at sales@ jandelhomes.com
•••••••••
Notices
Public Notice #6000
Public Notices ..................6010 Special Features ..............6050
6010
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Janitorial Services • Ponoka Fire Hall
The Town of Ponoka invites written proposals for the supply of janitorial services for the Town Owned Ponoka Fire Hall.
Charlie B. Cutforth Chief Administrative Officer Ponoka County 4205 - Highway #2A PONOKA, Alberta T4J 1V9 Phone: 783-3333 Fax: 783-6965 e-mail: PonokaCounty @PonokaCounty.com
Complete proposal packages will be available to all interested contractors at the Ponoka Town Office (5102 – 48 Avenue).
Ponoka County
For more information contact Wes Amendt, Director of Community Services at 403-783-4431.
Ponoka County
PUBLIC NOTICE Ponoka County utilizes herbicides for weed and brush control along County owned Right-Of–Ways. This is done as part of an integrated vegetation management plan consisting of mowing, hand picking, hand brushing, and brush mulching. Vegetation control provides for safe roadways through improving sightlines and visibility for motorists and to allow motorists to detect wildlife in the roadside ditches. Also, by controlling unwanted Prohibited Noxious and Noxious weeds, the County decreases the risk of invasive plant encroachment into area farm production and to the environment. All roads within the County are subject to spot or blanket spraying from May to October (weather depending). For further information please contact Shayne Steffen, Manager of Agricultural Services, or Justin Babcock for Ponoka County at (403) 783-3333. PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS: 4205 Highway #2A Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1V9 Phone: (403) 783-3333 Fax: (403) 783-6965 Email: PonokaCounty@PonokaCounty.com
Proposals must be submitted in writing to the undersigned no later than 2:00 pm on Friday, May 1, 2015. Faxed or electronic mail submissions will be accepted. Wes Amendt Director of Community Services Town of Ponoka 5102-48 Avenue Ponoka, AB T4J 1P7 Fax #: 403-783-6745 Email: wes.amendt@ponoka.org
Rimbey Gas Plant JANITORIAL CONTRACT Tenders are requested for the janitorial contract at the Keyera Rimbey Gas Plant beginning August 1, 2015.
PUBLIC NOTICE Amendment to Land Use By-Law 7-08-LU The Council of Ponoka County has been asked by Lorraine Nelson to amend Land Use By-Law 7-08-LU as follows: Reclassify approximately 2.25 acres of the NW 16-42-25-W4 from Agricultural District to Country Residential District to allow for subdivision of the rezoned area (1 new parcel to be created). Before considering the by-law, Council will hold a Public Hearing at which any person claiming to be affected may ask questions or make comments. This hearing is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 in the Council Chambers of the County Administration Building. A copy of the proposed by-law may be inspected at the County Administration Building, Ponoka, Alberta during regular office hours.
Detailed specification packages may be obtained from the Keyera Rimbey Gas Plant Administration Office or by phoning 403-843-7100. Please submit bids too: Keyera Rimbey Gas Plant Box 530 Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0 Attention: Tracy Brown Re: BID - JANITORIAL CONTRACT Bids must be received no later than June 30, 2015.
Charlie B. Cutforth Chief Administrative Officer Ponoka County 4205 - Highway #2A PONOKA, Alberta T4J 1V9 Phone: 783-3333 Fax: 783-6965 e-mail: PonokaCounty @PonokaCounty.com
48 PONOKA NEWS
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
0% IS BACK! 0% FINANCING ON ALL NEW F250 & F350 FOR 72 MONTHS
L E G A C Y F O R D .. .
YO U R PR ES ID EN TS AWA R D W IN N ER
n io ct fa is at S e ic rv e S d an s e al S #1 in 2015 FORD ESCAPE S AUTO, 2.5L C1030
2015 FORD FUSION SE C1068
MSRP $30299
MSRP $26249
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$23994
OR $145 BW @ 84MTHS
2015 FORD F150 XLT S/CAB 5.0L T1064
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$39994
OR $257 BW @ 84MTHS
MSRP $32549
$27994
LEGACY MARKDOWN
OR $169 BW @ 84MTHS
2015 FORD F150 XLT CREW CAB 5.0L XTR | T1077
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$29994
OR $183 BW @ 84MTHS
2015 FORD F250 XLT WESTERN EDITION 6.2L T0845 MSRP $53574
MSRP $50049
MSRP $48769
LEGACY MARKDOWN
2015 FORD ESCAPE SE T1012
$40994
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$46994
OR $313 BW @ 72MTHS
OR $264 BW @ 84MTHS
over 200 tO choose from - many under $13,000! If the Legacy Markdown isn’t on it ... you probably paid too much! 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO LT C0886A
2009 DODGE JOURNEY SE L0488
2007 VOLKSWAGON NEW GTI T0981A
LEGACY MARKDOWN
LEGACY MARKDOWN
LEGACY MARKDOWN
OR $89 BW @ 48MTHS
OR $93 BW @ 48MTHS
OR $132 BW @ 72MTHS
$6984
2012 FORD FOCUS SEL T0394A LEGACY MARKDOWN
$11994
$8994
2012 CHRYSLER 200 LX T0871A LEGACY MARKDOWN
$12994
$11894
2010 DODGE CHARGER L0479 LEGACY MARKDOWN
$12994
2010 DODGE JOURNEY SXT L0456 LEGACY MARKDOWN
$12994
OR $123 BW @ 60MTHS
OR $132 BW @ 60MTHS
OR $132 BW @ 60MTHS
OR $132 BW @ 60MTHS
2010 SUZUKI JXL LTD L0451
2013 FORD FUSION SW C0698A
2009 LINCOLN MKS AWD T0620A
2012 MAZDA CX-7 P0416A
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$13994
OR $142 BW @ 60MTHS
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$18994
OR $165 BW @ 72MTHS
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$18994
OR $191 BW @ 60MTHS
LEGACY MARKDOWN
$20994
OR $211 BW @ 60MTHS
N E W U N I T S A l l p m t s a n d p r i c e ta k e i n t o a c c o u n t $ 1 0 0 0 C o s t c o r e b at e • E g p m t s C 1 0 6 8 t o ta l p m t s $ 3 1 0 8 5 t o ta l i n t e r e s t o v e r t e r m $ 1 0 7 1 @ . 9 9 % • A l l p m t s o a c
“Let your Legacy start here.”
www.legacyfordponoka.ca
YOUR LEGACY TEAM
Pat Boardman Trevor Feragen Mark Schreiner Bob Mass Sales Manager Sales Consultant Sales Consultant Sales Consultant