The CAMROSE BOOSTER, January 26, 2021 – Page 6
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I believe it was it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I’m not sure I totally agree with the last part of his quote, but I do agree that it is extremely unwise to trade our freedom for security. In “Just Sayin’”, in the Dec. 29th issue of The Camrose Booster, I appreciated what Bryan Hookenson had to say in his letter, “Stole Christmas”, and I encourage everyone to read it. I agree 100 per cent with him. I applaud him for speaking the truth. And I hear countless people, including myself, voicing the same opinions as this man. So now I ask everyone, what are we going to do about this? Are we going to stand together and say “enough”, or are we going to silently let these restrictions and lockdowns continue? It causes me to constantly read our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That is what we stand on, and no one can take that away from us, no matter how intimidating they try to be. To back us up and reinforce our knowledge of our rights and freedoms, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (jccf.ca) out of Calgary, work tirelessly and pro bono for our rights and freedoms. Thank God for those amazing men and women. One thing they encourage us to do is to email our government officials constantly, overwhelming them with our emails, telling them we want these restrictions and lockdowns to stop. We now have an obligation to fight for our freedoms within our own country, for those who fought for our freedoms in another country. Let us all stand together as Albertans to help make Canada the True North, Strong and Free we are supposed to be. We are Alberta. We are the West. We are Free. Amie N. Kozmeniuk, Camrose Drama continues
The COVID-19 drama continues on and on, flowing right into 2021. The numbers in Quebec and Ontario are climbing higher and higher. Now there seems to be a complete lockdown, with people required to be
at home at a certain time. Here in our community, our numbers are at an acceptable rate. For most of us who have been obeying all of recommendations by our government, there is only one question on most of our minds. When will this all end? This seems to be the nightmare which never has an ending. Most of us did not have a normal Christmas. We were all looking forward to Jan. 11 when the restaurants were all going to reopen for indoor dining. Now this will not happen until Jan. 21. Now, please do not get me wrong; this is a very serious disease. We all need to do our part to stop this virus from spreading. I just wonder, will there be an end to this nightmare or will this be the new norm? Lorne Vanderwoude, Camrose Right thing
Thank you to our friends and family and all residents who showed a conscience and did the right thing by staying home this Christmas. We were supposed to have 12 at our place, but scaled it back to just the two of us. Our parents, brother and family, and daughter all cancelled flights from BC. They stayed home to flatten the curve. Same with our kids who live in Edmonton. We missed being together this year, but we did this because it was the right thing to do. For all of us, it meant we couldn’t be close to many of our loved ones during a special time of the year. You showed a conscience and did your part to flatten the curve. You also showed more leadership than many of our Elected Officials, who chose to ignore the advice to avoid nonessential travel, advice from Dr. Hinshaw and the provincial government. Albertans deserve and expect better from those in leadership roles. Thank you for doing your part during this pandemic. Kevin Smook, Beaver County Many changes
What a difference a year makes. A little while ago, I was at a local bank and noted how much things have changed in a year. A year ago, if I had worn a mask and walked into that same bank, all the tellers would have been hiding under their desks and pushing silent alarms, and police cars would be arriving in
droves. Now, no mask gets a police response. After having been the victim in an armed bank robbery, I look at it completely different than most. When I see masks on people in a bank, it gives me the complete opposite feeling to that of security. A year ago, if you approached a playground with a mask on, you would have been on your way to jail. Now, if you show up without a mask, you are the criminal. Other changes include: The professional sports heroes now feel that they have been so badly done by their countries that they no longer wish to stand for the National Anthem, they would rather kneel. I find it hard to sympathize with a person making millions of dollars playing a game that kids play for nothing, objecting to honouring the flag and nation that has allowed them the privilege of making stacks of money for playing a game. Let us be perfectly clear here, your feelings about a government or its leaders have nothing to do with your love of country. If it did, I would not be standing for our national anthem either, but it’s not about the drama coach and lifeguard leading Canada, it is about our country. It was so nice to watch the junior hockey players stand and face their countries’ flags, shed tears of joy and those of sorrow without taking a knee or being paid a cent, just for the love of country and the sport. I will not be buying tickets, hats, and other team paraphernalia, and I am disconnecting my sports packages; these professional prima donnas deserve nothing in the way of respect. In fact, why don’t they move to China or some third world county and see how much their skills are appreciated and paid for there? In conclusion, let’s try and remember that although we feel that government is our savior financially, it is not. Governments do not create wealth; they only spend it. Someone must create the wealth, and we are going to have a heck of a time creating wealth hiding in our homes with masks on forever. Bryan Hookenson, Kingman
CRE welcomes changes to board By Lori Larsen
The Camrose Regional Exhibition (CRE) recently announced changes to the positions CRE Executive Committee (board of directors) beginning with the newly appointed president Brent Byers who was currently serving as vice-president. Past president Mark Schneider will be stepping into the position of vicepresident. Other positions consist of secretary, Sandy Scott and treasurer, Jake Vermeer. Schneider commented on his time as president with the CRE. “It was my honour to serve as president for the past three years at CRE. “CRE went through a great deal of transition during this period and many challenges and I believe we have the solid foundation for growth forward. I look forward to being involved in some level with CRE for many years.” New president Brent Byers remarked. “I am excited for the opportunity to serve the Board as it’s president and thank the board for this opportunity.”
Brent Byers
Byers is no stranger to the workings of the CRE, as a member of the board in his fourth year. “I have been involved with the CRE since the mid eighties with the team roping club and I belonged to holding jackpots out at the CRE. “In the early days, Gord Porteous and Larry Werner were the heart of what would become the CRE. While the building was present, their office was still in the Drill Hall at the old Fairgrounds in Camrose.” Byers attended the University of Alberta in the fall of 1986, cutting his academic career short when he started riding bulls with the University Rodeo Club. “In the spring of 1987, I was involved with bringing the Edmonton Intercollegiate Rodeo Association to the CRE for two consecutive years. “This ultimately led to the organization of the Pro Rodeo Committee in the summer of 1988 which I
became a member of and remained with for the next 26 years.” Of those 26 years Byers was chairman for seven, so there is no doubt where his passion lies. “My involvement with the CRE has been lifelong and over that time I realized the great importance of an agricultural society and the CRE as a community hub where people can get together and share experiences,” he said noting that long before the days of social media, the events occurring at the CRE were the social aspect in many peoples lives. “A chance to gather with like minded neighbours and enjoy not only the event but the public interaction as well.” This strong connection Byers shares with the CRE and the agriculture industry fuels his belief that the CRE needs to continue to fill this important niche in the communities it serves and keep people connected, informed and entertained. “Going forward, the goal of the board is to keep the CRE viable and accessible to any and all who need a place to gather and share,” remarked Byers. “This includes not only physical events and experiences on site but also virtual sharing of information with podcasts, video and other platforms to reach target groups. The spectrum is broad, from gardening enthusiasts, livestock shows and sales, tourism aspects and conferences and more. The only limit is the imagination.” Like many organizations waiting in limbo during the COVID-19 pandemic the CRE is currently closed due to COVID regulations. “The longer this hold persists the more difficult things become with going forward and being viable. That said, we do have a fantastic team ready to be turned loose once the restrictions are lifted. I for one am very enthusiastic to see what this team can do going forward. We have the team, we need the season to start.” Byers went on to say that he believes the CRE has the right people, in the right chairs to really capitalize and return to the hub of activity for Camrose when allowed to do so. When restrictions are changed or removed the CRE board and staff will be ready to get things humming again and continue offering the many services and events it has come to be recognized for in and around Camrose. Currently the CRE is offering MeatNanza Draw tickets. To purchase tickets telephone 780-672-3640.
